Author's Note: And with this chapter comes the end of 'The Call: Part 2,' of course leading directly into the final part of the tale, 'The Call: Part 3.'

Azlarok Tolkien: Once again, your praise flatters me. I don't think you're twisted. I'm glad that I have such a dedicated reader.

/

Chapter 5

'I Must Down to the Sea Again'

/

The wharf was still and silent as Dick, Gar, and Raven arrived just past sunset. The lapping waves on the shore should have filled them with ease, but instead it instilled them with a sense of dread. It reminded them of the journey ahead, and what lay in wait at the end.

Gar took in the multitude of boats surrounding them. "So… which one's ours?"

"I was about to ask the exact same question." Dick replied, looking around at the various yachts and dinghies. With no other option, he decided to yell to get their villain-turned-ally's attention. "SLADE!" He called out.

Almost immediately, a head appeared over the side of the boat beside them, a large speed boat called the Pride of St. Paul. "You really don't have to yell, you know. And it's Captain Slade now. Got it?"

Dick gaped at him. "Are you serious?"

Slade grinned. "As the plague. I own this fine vessel now, and if you're coming aboard, you will address me as Captain Slade. Are we clear?"

"I am not calling you Captain!"

"It's not a request. I said 'are we clear?'"

Dick gritted his teeth. "Clear."

"What was that? You really shouldn't mutter…"

By this point, both Gar and Raven were having a hard time suppressing their giggles.

"I SAID WE'RE CLEAR!"

"AND I SAID YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO YELL!"

That did it. Gar fell to the dock, holding his gut from laughter. Raven leaned against a nearby post, laughing just as hard. A nearby barrel was consumed by dark energy and exploded. Raven noticed and quickly reigned in her outburst before she destroyed the entire dock.

Both Dick and Slade looked at them. "What's so funny?" Dick asked.

Gar managed to pull in enough breath to speak briefly. He wiped the tears from his eyes as he spoke. "Dude, you two were arch-enemies until today, and here you are fighting like… like an old married couple."

"And that's supposed to be funny?"

"Dude, that's hysterical." Gar's laughter resumed, causing him to be short of breath.

Dick crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. "Whenever you're finished, just let me know."

Slowly, Gar stilled his laughter and regained his feet. "Okay. Okay, I'm good."

Slade turned once again to Dick and appraised his new costume. "Nice duds. What's it made of? Steel silk?"

"Good guess. It's actually a modification. It's tougher to the touch than silk. Makes it more threatening to criminals."

Slade nodded. "Not bad. Remind me to get the formula from you."

Gar approached the ramp that lead to the ship. "Whenever you ladies are finished talking fashion-sense, we should probably get going." His foot had just left the dock when Slade's voice rang out.

"Just a minute! You have to ask permission to board."

Gar's jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"

Slade's dead-eye stare made Gar realize that he was venturing dangerously close to where Dick had been moments before.

Gar sighed heavily and looked at the ramp. "Permission to come aboard… captain?" He added at the end as sarcastically as possible.

Slade chuckled. "Yes, all three of you may come aboard. Meet me in the wheel-house." With that, his face vanished into the darkness.

As they made their way onto the boat, Raven asked the question that was in all of their minds. "And where exactly is the wheel-house?"

/

Ten minutes later, the trio finally located the wheel-house to find Slade waiting for them.

"It's about time. You'd think that none of you had ever been onboard a boat before." He dead-panned.

They said nothing, just shot him dirty glares.

"Don't worry. You'll have plenty of time to look over the ship while we're abroad." He motioned to the deck out of the window. The entire deck was covered in multitudes of barrels and crates. "I've loaded us up with as much fuel as we can carry, plus two weeks worth of food and water."

Dick looked out at all of the barrels. "How much did all of this cost you?"

"What? The supplies or the boat?"

"Both."

"Oh, a couple million. Pocket change, really."

Dick shook his head and turned away. "I think I liked you better when we hated each other."

Slade headed for the controls and started preparations for departure. "Unfortunately, our time-frame has… slipped slightly."

"And why's that?"

"Because I checked with the Harbor Master just before you got here. A yacht with a standing crew of three and as much fuel as they could carry departed just before I arrived at sunset." He looked at them gravely. "It looks like Blood is more of a daredevil than I believed."

Raven looked concerned. "That's not good. How far ahead does that put them?"

Slade went over the calculations in his mind. "If we leave in the next ten minutes, they'll only have a fifteen… maybe a twenty mile head-start."

"Then get the engines started." Gar said, suddenly all business again.

"Hey, I'm the captain, remember? I give the orders on this vessel, and I say we don't leave until we all get here."

"We are all here."

They all looked to see Star in the door-way, floating about a foot above the floor. She carried two packs on her back and had changed into a loose t-shirt and jeans. "Permission to come aboard, captain?"

Slade smiled. "Granted, of course."

She returned his smile and landed lightly, tossing one of the packs to Gar. She looked at Dick and gave him a top-to-bottom inspection. "Very nice." She said, taking in his toned muscles and physique visible through the costume.

Dick, giving her the same inspection, smiled dumbly before quickly regaining his wits and answering. "Uh…yeah. It's from your description."

Star started to come out of her trance. "What is?"

"The uniform."

"What about it?"

"You just said it was very nice."

"Oh!" Star quickly averted her eyes and stroked her hair absent-mindedly. "Yes. Your uniform. Of course. It is very nice."

In the awkward silence that followed, both Gar and Raven exchanged knowing glances. Raven could sense the ambient emotions coming from the pair, while Gar was able to smell the hormones quite easily. These two still so into each other it wasn't even funny.

The moment was broken as Slade clapped his hands. "Well, let's get started." He leaned over the controls and flipped a series of switches. The engines hummed as they warmed up, preparing for the long journey ahead. Slade turned back to the assembled heroes. "You can stow your things in your cabins." Before anyone could say anything, he quickly continued. "Your cabins are two decks below and on your left."

One by one, they departed, leaving Slade alone with his thoughts. The man on the dock's prophecy still had him shaken. Maybe he shouldn't be sailing out. Maybe he had been right. Maybe, if he left right now, he could still save himself…

He shook his head quickly and slammed his fist into the wall, the brief shock of pain clearing his thoughts. No, he was the master of his own destiny, and he was coming back.

Alive.

He looked out the window at the waiting ocean and felt a small smile come across his lips. "'I must down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and sky. And all I ask is a tall ship, and a star to sail her by.'" He recited. The poem comforted him further. Yes, after this was over, a long voyage to Africa sounded like just the right thing to kick off his retirement.

His thoughts at rest, he set to work starting the boat.

/

Each Titan had a cabin to choose from, but they were all in the same concentrated area. The rooms were identical; bare, non-descript, and with a single port-hole. The beds were just as plain, and barely big enough for the young heroes.

Gar noted that Dick hadn't brought a pack. He reached into his own pack and pulled out the set of clothes he'd worn to Terra's school the day before. After retrieving the sun-glasses stowed in the jacket, he tossed the bundle to Dick. "Catch."

Dick caught them ably and looked at them. He raised his eye-brow to show his confusion.

"We're going to be on this boat for awhile, and you'll need more than one set of clothes."

"Ah. Thanks." Dick nodded, then indicated the glasses in Gar's hand. "So…"

With a disgruntled sigh, he tossed them into Dick's waiting hand. "Why do you have to keep your sockets covered at all times. Is it some kind of big secret? Do you have no eyes, or something like that?"

Dick shook his head and made for his cabin. "Something like that, sure."

As the door closed, Gar called after him. "Just don't break them! They were a gift from two of my biggest fans!" The door shut completely, and Gar turned to come face to face with Star and Raven. "What?"

"What fans could you possibly have that would give you such expensive glasses?" Raven asked, her arms crossed.

"Why don't you just read my mind if you're so curious?" He snapped good-naturedly.

"Keep that up, and I just might. But right now, I'm giving you the chance to say something willingly."

Gar shrugged his shoulders and offered a devil-may-care grin. "You ever heard of the Japanese pop band Hi Hi Puffy Ami-Yumi?"

Both Raven and Star shook their heads.

"They became huge fans after the whole Tokyo incident and wanted me to help cut a track about the team. They gave me the glasses at the after-party."

"And when did you go to Japan?" Star asked, her hands on her hips.

"A couple months ago. Don't you remember?"

Star's eyes widened in realization. "Was that the weekend that you went to Tokyo to help Bushido with that kappa?"

Gar nodded, smiling broadly. "The kappa only took about an hour, and that left the whole weekend to enjoy."

"Why you little…!"

Gar barely dodged the star-bolt aimed at his head and dived into his cabin, pulling the door shut behind him.

Star cursed in Tameranian and leaned against the wall. "Sometimes I feel I'd rather go five rounds with my sister than be his legal guardian anymore."

Raven laughed and headed into her cabin.

"Raven?"

Raven turned at Star's voice and met her friend's conflicted eyes. "What's wrong, Star?" She asked, even though she already knew the answer.

Star's eyes found Dick's door. "I am… conflicted."

Raven nodded.

"Somehow, my feelings for Dick have re-surfaced, and it appears that his for me have come back as well."

"So, what's the problem? You should be happy."

"Believe me, I am. But I think he is not being up front with it because he believes that I'm still distraught over Roy's death."

"Aren't you?" Raven asked, her eye-brows rising.

"Of course." Star added quickly. "But not as a lover. As a friend. I am upset that he is dead, and I wish to avenge his murder, but my romantic feelings for him are gone completely. They have been for a long time. I wish Dick could understand that. If he could, then maybe…"

"Then tell him."

"I want to, but I don't know how."

Raven stepped forward and hugged Star close, taking the alien princess by surprise. She had never been this forward before. "Take it from someone who knows, Star. Never hesitate to tell someone how you feel, because you may never, ever, get a second chance."

Before Star could ask her to elaborate, Raven had vanished into her cabin and shut the door.

/

They conferred on deck an hour later. Dressed in civilian clothes, they gazed over the bow at the moon shining upon the waves as the Pride of St. Paul charged across the water.

"The coordinates are set?" Raven asked.

Slade nodded. "Forty-seven degrees, nine minutes South, one hundred-twenty-six degrees, forty-three minutes West. Taken straight from the book. We are now headed for R'lyeh at top speed."

"It's so beautiful…" Star said, taking in the infinite void before them as the sea perfectly reflected the heavenly bodies above. It was so hard to believe in what kind of horrors lurked just beneath the surface.

"Yes." Dick said, his attention fully on her and not the sky.

Gar said nothing. He just kept staring straight ahead, fully focused on what lay ahead.

After awhile, Raven spoke. "'We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of the black seas of infinity… and it was not meant that we should voyage far.'"

Star looked at her. "Shakespeare?"

"Lovecraft." Gar muttered, not turning his face.

Raven looked at him in surprise. "You actually read the book?"

"Read it? I brought it along. I believe in knowing my enemy."

Slade reached out a hand and placed it on Gar's shoulder. "Hey, we'll get her back, kid. I promise."

Slowly, Gar nodded.

As one, the five brave souls looked out to the sea beyond. Somewhere far ahead, their greatest challenge awaited. It was a threat beyond their comprehension, beyond all mortal comprehension, a force so dark and ancient that it defied sanity. And yet they faced it, unafraid.

"You know, we may not all make it back." Dick said.

The voice of the man from the shadows rang out in Slade's mind…

You won't be making it back alive, Slade Wilson…

"Do you really think so?" Raven asked.

Slade cleared his thoughts and interrupted Dick before he could reply. "Hey, 'what will be, will be. And we'll meet it when it does.'"

Raven cocked her head. "That's cheery. Who wrote that?"

Slade offered a small smile before looking back over the bow. "J.K. Rowling."

As they laughed, the Pride of St. Paul charged through the dark waters, carrying them all towards their ready and waiting destinies.

/

Miles ahead, the equally sized yacht, the Romano's Revenge, also plowed through the waves.

Captain David, his eyes still glowing red, skillfully piloted it from the wheel-house. He stared straight ahead, his one purpose to serve his master. He would not leave the wheel for food or water unless told to by Brother Blood.

Below decks, Blood removed the gag from the still bound Terra's mouth, confident that they were now far enough out to sea to render her powers useless. Knowing she had to be thirsty, he offered her a cup of water. He had waited for the drugs to fully fade away before doing anything, as the reason she'd had the gag was to keep her from swallowing her tongue.

She appeared to drink gratefully, but spat it back in his face as soon as he pulled the cup away. "My friends will come for me." She growled.

Blood smiled as he used a cloth to clean his face. "Oh, I know that child. In fact, I'm counting on it. Why else do you think you're here?"

"But…" Terra was confused now. Confused and scared. "But you said you needed my powers to open Cthulhu's tomb."

Blood nodded. "Child, if that were simply the case, why wouldn't I just kill you and drink your powers for myself?"

"I don't understand."

"Did you forget? Someone else received the Call at the same instant as you. Someone who would do anything to help one of her friends. Even sail across the sea in search of a lost city."

Terra's eyes widened. "Star?"

"That's right. She is the reason for this whole charade. She is the crux of my Master's plan, and it is she that will bring about the Great Awakening."

"No…" Terra moaned in despair, Blood's plan suddenly becoming crystal clear.

"Yes!" Blood laughed. "You are simply the bait! The bait that will lure your friends to their deaths in this perfectly executed trap."

/

TO BE CONCLUDED IN 'THE CALL: PART 3'

/

Author's Note: More mysteries have yet to be revealed! As our heroes and villain sail ever onwards to what awaits them at R'lyeh, the storm clouds continue to gather.

-The ship names (the Pride of St. Paul and Romano's Revenge) are of course little tosses to Paul Dini and Andrea Romano, two of the power-houses of the DC Animation Division.

-This chapter is seriously the last bit of light-heartedness before the deep darkness to come in 'The Call: Part 3,' so I tried to add in as much humor as possible.

-Wondering why Star is the chosen one? Remember how she told the Timms that according to Tameranian theology, X'hal chased a great evil from Tameran…

Now, remember; 'The Call: Part 3' will be rated M for some Lemon content. So to find it, just do a search for Horror on all Ratings.

So, until then, remember; a little review never hurt anybody.