174. Hand and Dagger part 11

"…………."

I froze.

Blinking.

My reflection.

I was gazing at the half-shattered, glass display of a passing storefront.

I stared at myself. My disheveled black hair. My combat fatigues scraggly and worn. My pant legs and Myrkblade stained in blood.

There was a red cut across my lower right cheek from where Dagger had 'greeted' me on the rooftop.

I fingered it with a metal hand, winced, and exhaled.

That's gonna leave a scar.

"Star??"

"…….," I turned and looked.

Robin panted. He ran across the street and knelt besides the tattered, bandaged Tamaranian's side. "St-Star!!" he cradled her upper body on his lap.

"Nnnngh…," she stirred.

"Stick with me!" he uttered breathily. "Say something!"

"Mmmf…," her green eyes fluttered open weakly. "Take me to your leader…."

Robin smiled crookedly and hugged her.

"……………," I looked past the two.

The burnt shell of the HIND helicopter lay in smoking ruins across an adequately desolate street. The setting sun warmly sobbed over the melting sight. The sounds of gunshots and explosions lessened a bit in the background and gave in to an eerie sense of silence as if something deadly had died twice over.

The Lieutenant and his men marched through the ruins with assault rifles like some obtuse snapshot out of a World War II drama. The Lieutenant paused by my side, gazed at Starfire and Robin, sighed, and spoke to me: "The men and I are patrolling west. We're going to go swing by Phaser Labs and check in with the people there. Then we'll head back down to the hospital. By now, we should have had a communications depot set up. If all goes to plan, the National Guard will be here by sundown."

I nodded silently.

"If you ask me…," Johnson shuddered from the rear of the group. "We c-can't defend this place all on our own! N-Not this Hell!! We gotta call the Justice League or something!!"

"The Justice League??"

"The enemy is everywhere still!! Who knows how many more death traps or military hardware th-they might have up their sleeves!! It's just too much to take—"

"We are not calling the Justice League…," Robin slurred.

The officers looked his way.

The Boy Wonder stood up with a wobbly-but recovering Starfire.

"Are seven superheroes not enough for you?" Robin uttered. "I promise you…we have this City under control."

"Under control?!?!" an officer cackled. "You call this under control?!?! This is a warzone, you little caped nerd!!! You think your ego is going to take back the hundreds of innocent lives massacred today—"

The Lieutenant held his arm out and silenced the man. "This little 'caped nerd' and his allies are the one thing that have saved all of us multiple times throughout this day."

"…………………"

The Lieutenant took a deep breath: "I know that this is a nightmare. And I know that it's tough….It's especially tough since Decker's gone. I want to be a better inspiration to you all. And if I failed…then…..well…..let history so say. But as for this City….it has always been a warzone. But the Titans weren't the ones to throw the first stone. We're all together on this….against a common enemy. Let's let the accusations or disrespect—if any exist—show up later. Right now…we need to move." The Lieutenant pointed westward. "Phaser Labs or bust." He looked the our way. "And what about you??"

"…….," I glanced back at Robin and Starfire.

Robin took a deep breath. "With the missile stopped…..we…we need to regroup."

"Cyborg…Beast Boy….," Starfire blinked. She gazed at Robin. "Raven…..where are they? A-Are they safe? Did we succeed?"

"You Titans do what's best," the Lieutenant said. "My men and I are heading out. Until then…Godspeed."

The men nodded.

I saluted weakly, leaning against a lamppost besides the smoking ashes.

As the policemen trotted off, Robin led Starfire over to a bench that has miraculously survived the nearby battles, set her down, and whipped out the communicator that I gave him. "I'm thinking if we all gather at the hospital too, we can form a defense perimeter around it since that is where the largest group of people is. Then we can send Titans out in groups of two to migrate the citizens in the Central Bank back over to the hospital while at the same time scouting out for more of Dagger's men to silence."

"D-Do you think they w-will ever regain their consciousness from the D-Dragonflare's effects?" Starfire murmured.

"I don't know, Star. I really don't…," Robin prepared to send a message out…but paused when he noticed something on the communicator's sensors.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Robin??" Starfire blinked. "What is it?"

"Funny….," Robin murmured. "Cyborg's communicator isn't showing to be active."

Starfire raised a hand to her wrists. "But…B-But is not his communicator built into his person?"

"Yeah, Starfire, it is…."

Her eyes widened.

I bit my lip.

"………………….."

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

SWOOOOSH!!!

Raven and Beast Boy flew down to the sight of the burning wreckage.

The scattered remains of the T-Car smoldered across the open street in melting metal pools.

"Cyborg???" Raven panted, lifting chunks of burnt metal with telekinesis.

"Cy!!" Beast Boy morphed through a dozen different heavy organisms as he lifted and upended as many chunks of debris that he could with paws, hooves, and tentacles. "Cy!! Say something!! We know y-you're here somewhere!!"

"Nnnnghh!!" Raven concentrated, trying to lift the heaviest hulk of charred T-Car yet with her greatly weakened magic. She lost her control of the dark, translucent talons and fell back on her rear. Hyperventilating.

Beast Boy looked over. He ran over the ashes and knelt by her. "Raven…t-take it easy. We'll find him!!"

Raven winced. "I should have kn-known…," she breathed. "He was g-going to sacrifice everything f-from the get go….he was so heavy headed….so one-tracked….."

"Stop talking in the past tense!!!" Beast Boy squealed, hyperventilated, swallowed, and shook her shoulders as he said: "Cyborg isn't dead!! He's far too badass and superfly-invincible to go kerplunk!! He's just….uhm….under one of th-these burning chunks of metal or something!!"

Raven shuddered, her eyes closed. "He is alive…."

Beast Boy blinked.

Raven exhaled again. "He's alive…."

"He is??" Beast Boy said. He promptly winced. "I-I mean…of course he is! But….j-just how do you---?"

Raven pointed a shaking finger at the largest piece of T-Car scrap. "Underneath that. His soul. I….s-sense it…."

Beast Boy looked at the pile…then at Raven. He squeezed her shoulders. "Stand back!!" He stood up, flexed his elfin limbs, and enlarged into a snarling T-Rex.

Raven braced herself as the earth shook from the immense dinosaur's movement.

The changeling swung his snout, snatched the chunk of metal in his teeth, and lifted the heavy object till it fell over and landed on the wayside of the charred street.

He then morphed back into the green elf, stammering with wide-eyes: "Dude…."

"……….," Raven hobbled up to her feet and floated over.

Her lips were agape.

The android Titan lay smoldering. His right arm was completely shattered and sparking. His metal feet were half melted. He had burns and cut marks all through his human flesh. His red eye was dim and his mouth hung open as he simply lay there…smoking….

"This guy….," Beast Boy gulped, "….is a juggernaut."

Raven took a deep breath. "He isn't doing well."

"You think?!?!"

Raven knelt down and pressed her fair head to his chest. Her eyes narrowed. A beat. "His artificial circulation is barely whirring. I think his power source has been fried."

"B-But doesn't that usually just put him to sleep?"

"He's been hit at point blanc by a missile, Beast Boy," Raven hissed. "If his body shuts down now, it'll be permanent!"

Beast Boy blinked.

Silence…..

"Snkkkkt—Titans! Come in! This is Robin!!"

"YEEP!!" Beast Boy jumped. He shook, shivered, whipped out his communicator, and uttered: "Uh…dude? Kind of bad timing."

"Why?? What's wrong??"

"Cyborg's wrong…," Raven stood up, nervously smoothing whatever was left of her tattered blue robe. "And if we don't help him quickly, soon he won't be anything."

"Titans, you stopped the missile! What's the condition of Cyborg??"

"That's still pending!!" Beast Boy cackled. "Look, if you're so worried about Cyborg and crap why don't you come here, man?!?! I hate being split up like this!! A whole City full of green-eyed Jeffery Dahmers with turrets syndrome is gradually picking us off one by one!!"

"Beast Boy, calm down. See what you and Raven can do about Cyborg. We'll meet up with you as soon as we can. Starfire, Noir, and I. I promise."

"We have to go now, Robin," Raven said firmly. The strength of the dark girl's voice returning. "Over and out."

"Wait a sec---"

Raven snatched the communicator and shut it off.

Beast Boy's mouth hung open. "Wh-Wh-What was that for?"

"An end to wasting time…," Raven grunted. She gazed down at Cyborg's body. "We must get him to help. FAST."

Beast Boy panted. He turned around. He gazed at the still-standing, white hospital building. He pointed with his thumb: "There she blows!! Stand back!! I'll turn into a pterodactyl and—"

"They won't help any….," Raven shook her head. "Not Cyborg. Not with what he needs."

Beast Boy shrugged dramatically. "Then who CAN help??"

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

CRASH!!!!!

The concrete shield doors fell down hard.

In the hallways of Phaser Labs, four guards with high-end tasers flinched and aimed at the smoking entranceway.

Suddenly, Simon Stone's construct flickered holographically on a pedestal besides them and raised a glowing arm.

"No! Wait!! H-Hold your fire!!"

The men shook and shivered.

Through the smoke, Beast Boy rushed in….morphing from a huge green rhino to the normal elf. He stood atop the doors he just smashed in and panted. "Ya know…you guys should really up your security."

Stone's holographic head leaned to the side. "What's going on?? What are you doing here??"

A guard pointed and uttered: "By smashing down those gates, you're liable to bring the warzone straight into Phaser Labs!!"

Raven's voice droned icily: "Deal with it."

Everyone looked up.

The dark girl drifted in…and she had Cyborg's twisted, mangled body floating in after her in tow.

Simon's jaw dropped. He flickered and shook his head. "Oh God no…."

"His power cells are draining…," Raven frowned. "Soon he will be dead."

"You gotta fix him, dude!!" Beast Boy exclaimed.

Simon Stone's construct flickered…stammered…

"HELLLLOOOOO?!?!"

"R-Right! Of course!!" the construct 'panted'. He spun around and pointed down the hallway with a glowing arm. "Open the security gates between here and Lab C-1!! Get Mendez and Blair over here!! They can help with their strength for what I need to do!!"

"But sir, all of our energy reserves are on hold for emergency lockdown in case of a—"

"This is my god damn nephew, you sniveling little turd!!!" the hologram's electronic voice cackled. "He's the last ounce of flesh my dying family has. You will do what I say or I assure you….there won't be anything left in these labs to lockdown!!!"

"Calm your emotions….," Raven said to the computer construct…a rather redundant thing. But she didn't take note of it. She floated over with Cyborg's body. "Let's get him fixed. Okay??"

"…………," Simon nodded. "Follow me…."

The hologram flickered down a path of holographic pedestals.

The guards parted ways as Beast Boy and Raven both 'carried' Cyborg down the emergency-strobing hallways of Phaser Labs.

"Don't worry, Cy…it's gonna be okay….you'll make it through….," Beast Boy uttered. A beat. He blinked over at Raven. "R-Right?"

"…………….."

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

Robin, Starfire, and I trudged through the rubble of the City…westward.

"It's better that we all meet up at Phaser Labs anyways," Robin said. "With the facilities there…we might be able to come up with something to overcome the insurgents. Simon Stone is a smart man. Who knows if he doesn't already have something hatching up his sleeve."

"Robin….I must inquire…."

"Yes, Star?"

She swallowed nervously: "Do we still h-have the prerogative of 'lethal force'?"

"…………….."

I took a deep breath, walking ahead of them. Not looking back.

"Yes, Star. Until this mayhem is over with, we must protect the citizens…..at all costs."

"I…I understand…."

"The helicopter, Star…..you did what you had to do."

"You need not lecture me on that, Robin….," Starfire sighed and ran a hand through her crimson bangs. "It just…just…."

"What, Star?"

"It harkens back to memories of the War…," she shuddered. "The Gordanian and Citadelian invasions on my home planet. The Psions. I….I-I almost thought that all of that was behind me."

Robin hung his head, swallowed, and looked up at her: "Maybe…M-Maybe some of your friends can now understand a little bit what it was like to have gone through what you did, Star."

"P-Perhaps…..," Starfire said. A beat. Her green eyes lingered nervously on my figure.

But I wasn't looking at her at the time.

She gazed away from me and leaned—trembling—against Robin as they walked. "I love my friends….I so truly do…."

Robin gently wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

She sniffed.

A beat.

"Snkkkt……"

We paused at the side of the street.

"……snkktt……hello??"

We looked at each other.

"Snkkt……T-Titans? Come in, please!"

Starfire gasped. "T-Tempest??"

Robin swiftly whipped out the communicator.

I leaned forward, curious…

"Tempest?? This is Robin!! Where the Hell have you been!!"

"Snnkt---caught underground, Robin. I had my fins b-busy with more citizens than you can shake a stick at. Don't worry. They're safe now. I escorted them to the hospital."

"Friend!!" Starfire leaned over Robin's shoulder and beamed. "We are most elated to hear that you are alive and well and—"

Robin gently pushed her back and spoke into the communicator: "We've tried contacting you all day!! You should always have a communicator with you no matter what the circumstance!! Even when you're 'going out' with new friends of yours!! You never know when something horrendous like today may happen!!"

"Snkkkt—Look, Robin. I'm in a bit of a jam here."

"What kind of a jam?"

I blinked.

A pause.

"There are…lots of citizens……l-lots of citizens here that need to be escorted to the hospital. Far too many than I can do alone."

"How'd you find them?"

"They were………………h-hiding underneath a bus terminal."

"Bus terminal?"

"Look. The enemy can be here any second. Who are these guys?!?! Not that it matters……I REALLY need your guys' help! Get over here as soon as you can! I'm in the alleyway between the warehouses of the Southern District. Just beyond Rook Street and Clover. I need all of you, if at all p-possible!"

"…….," I gazed up at Robin.

"Tempest, I'll send you the help you need. But only three of us can get there. Starfire, Noir, and I."

"What's the matter? The others…are they—"

"They're busy tending to Cyborg at the moment."

"Cyborg?!?! What happened to the old clunker—"

"I don't know, Tempest!! Okay?!?! I don't know!!" Robin gritted his teeth. "Just hold tight!! Don't lose sight of those citizens!! Not even for a second!! We need to—"

"I'd REALLY appreciate it if Beast Boy and Raven came too."

"Well the three of us is all you're going to get. I'm sorry, Tempest. But I can't offer you anymore. We'll meet up with you, guide the people to the hospital, then reform at Phaser Labs with Raven and Beast Boy. Robin out."

"…………………"

The Boy Wonder pocketed the communicator.

"Glorious…," Starfire held her hands together and smiled. "He is alive!"

"Yeah…and just about as whiney as ever…," Robin grunted. "Noir. Come on. Let's go."

Starfire and Robin turned and dashed southward.

"…………," I stared after them.

Something………doesn't feel right……

"Noir!! Come on!!"

I shuddered, blurred smoke, and streaked after them.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

Tempest shook.

He gasped.

Twitching…

Cl-Clank!!

The Titan communicator fell out of his grasp.

CRUNCH!! Dagger's foot stepped over it.

"…….," the man gazed at his henchmen, twirling a switchblade. He took a breath and uttered: "Withdraw. Into the shadows. Keep yourselves hidden. When the Titans arrive….we will bleed them…."

The men nodded. They pump their shotguns and brandished daggers.

Dagger turned. He nodded towards one thug in particular.

The man held Lindsay from behind, his hand planted over her lips.

She kicked and struggled as the man drew Lindsay back into the dark corridors of the alleyway.

Tempest watched, his teeth gritting. Bulbs of pain sweat running down his brow.

CHIIING!! Dagger jabbed the blade down to the Atlantean's gills.

Tempest flinched.

Dagger's eyes were thin. He glared down at the ocean dweller. "If you so much as try to warn them…I will slice the girl some 'gills' for you….."

Tempest panted. His eyes darted up.

A pigeon flew over Dagger's head as the despot turned around, marched coldly, and disappeared into the shadows.

And Tempest struggled alone….bleeding….his leg helplessly skewered with the dagger still inside.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"Over there!! On the medical table!!"

"Y-You guys be careful!!"

"Gentle!!"

"Hang th-there, Cy!"

Beast Boy, Raven, and half a dozen laboratory assistants lifted Cyborg's scorched metal body and gently laid him across a silver-laced slab of jointed apparatuses. Among the assistants were Rachel Mendez and Jean-Luc Blair. The two contributed to the carrying with their metal limbs and cybernetic strength. They stood back and watched anxiously as the hologram of Simon Stone flickered around the room and pointed a glowing figure while issuing commands.

"Hook those wires into his right shoulder!! Keep the frequency of the energy supply low for now! I'm about to perform junction, but I need him lying down flat. Absolutely flat on the table! Get those wires in, dammit!! Good! Now…everyone….step back!!"

The assistants stumbled back.

Raven and Beast Boy watched, wringing their hands.

Rachel Mendez bit her lip.

Jean-Luc Blair folded his arms and scratched his titanium chin.

Simon ported over to a holographic pedestal in front of a tall computer console. He concentrated, flickering with a pattern. The lights on the console strobed multiple colors, turned solid, turned black, and strobed solid again.

ZZZZT!!!

The wires in Cyborg's shoulder sparked.

He jolted.

He was still.

Simon took a digital breath. Concentrated. Flicked a holographic wrist.

ZZZZZzzzzttt!!

Cyborg jolted again.

Twitched.

And was still.

Raven's lips perched.

Beast Boy whispered: "Come on…."

Zzzzzt!!

Jolting.

Lying still.

"Come on……p-please…."

Zzzztt!!

Again.

Zzzzt!!

Again.

Zzzzttt!!

Cyborg was still.

His electronic circuits and mechanical jolts stopped jolting.

His dark skin turned blacker and bluer at the edges of titanium.

Cold.

Hollow.

"………..," Raven slowly closed her eyes. She took a deep breath.

Beast Boy quivered. His eyes welled up. He clutched his short green hair and fiercely turned away from the table. He stumbled blindly across the laboratory.

"……….," Simon stared. "……………" He looked over at the computer console. He waved his holographic hand, adjusting the frequency of the electrical juice up a few notches.

Beast Boy stumbled. He came to a stop.

"……"

He looked up, tears streaming.

His wet eyes opened wide and his mouth was wide.

Terra looked back at her.

Frozen in stone.

Behind the transparent plastic sheathe.

Eyes glazed over in granite power.

Her arms wide.

Her hair forever in floating limbo.

Beast Boy raised a shaking hand towards the living death….

ZZZZZTTT!!!!

A flash of light.

Bolts of blue.

And…..

A monumental gasp from behind.

Another loud gasp.

Clanking sounds.

Then…

Sighs of relief from those in attendance.

Beast Boy shuddered. He spun around. He held a hand over his quivering mouth.

Cyborg was stirring on the table, a sparking blue glow about his burnt metal parts. Sparks danced out of his severed right limb. Parts of his titanium shell that was burnt struggled to shimmer with flickering blue aura. His skin was sheen with sweat, miraculously immaculate…but still cold. He opened a weak human eye and gazed up.

Raven gazed back down. "…………….," her lips curved.

"……….," Cyborg blinked. He smiled and lifted a shaking, right hand. "W-Want to hear something corny?"

"Have you ever asked before saying it in the past?"

"I feel like I've died….and gone to haven….cuz here I see an angel above me…."

Raven exhaled. "You're right. You are dead. As soon as you're out of this mess and put back together again, I'm going to kill you." She leaned down and rested her soft head in the crook of his trembling neck. She shuddered and sighed: "Don't…..ever…..waste yourself like that again……"

Gazing up at the ceiling, Cyborg shook and gently nudged her blue hair with a burnt hand. "Is this a girl….wh-who feels??"

Raven inhaled. "This is a girl who's thankful….."

Beast Boy cleared his throat, dried up, and marched into the scene with a proud smile: "I'll have you know, Cy, that Raven and I managed to complete the job of saving the hospital full of people and—"

ZAAAAP!!

Without looking, Raven knocked the changeling away with Telekinesis.

"YAAAGH!!" THWUMP!!

She continued leaning affectionately against Cyborg.

Rachel wiped a tear away and sighed with a smile: "Es muy dulce…Que bueno…"

Jean-Luc merely smirked. He looked over the hologram's way.

Beast Boy stood up dizzily, shook his head, and glanced up at Mr. Stone's apparition. "How long do you suppose they're gonna stay like that?"

The smiling construct shrugged. "Hopefully not too long," he flickered. "I still need to get Victor adequately juiced. And the repairs to his missing parts shall indeed take a while. Maybe days."

Beast Boy winced. "We kinda sorta…need all the Titans for the warzone we've got going outside."

"Ah…about that…," Simon's hologram nodded. He turned and gestured towards a computer screen full of schematics. "I've been busily working on a propelled concussion streamer that has a reach of over two hundred square miles…which I do believe will more than adequately cover this City and all ear-bearing organisms who are—"

"Wait…wait….wait…..," Beast Boy held his hands up. "Dude….I have no time for Nerdlish. If you all got some sort of 'electron shields' or what-have-you for the Titans and I to keep people safe from hereon out, that'd great….cuz otherwise—"

The hologram smiled. "Why have shields when you can have a silver bullet?"

"Well, quite simple! We---" Beast Boy did a double take, his green eyes wide. "Wait a second…d-did you just say 'silver bullet'?"

The Construct's smiling face nodded.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

The Lieutenant and his men crept up to a pylon beneath the overpass of the raised highway cutting through the western part of Town.

They peered around from the shadowed, concrete underbelly.

Nothing.

The Lieutenant signaled.

They ran ahead, one officer at a time.

It was hauntingly quiet underneath the girders and concrete bridges of the highway….with no traffic presently roaring overhead.

And the gunmen were harder and harder to spot….

Perhaps they were dead.

Perhaps they were located elsewhere.

The officers readied themselves for anything, guns raised. They hurried southwesterly towards Phaser Labs.

At one point, Chapman hissed.

The Lieutenant held his finger up.

The dozen or so men stopped in the shadows.

The Lieutenant looked over at Chapman, panting.

"…….," the subordinate's eyes dashed back and forth. He whispered: "Did you hear that?"

"……….."

"………."

"A-An ambush??"

"One of those madmen?"

"JEEZ!! It's just a couple of kids for crying out loud!!" Lisa barked, stomping out from behind a pylon.

Cl-Click!

Click!!

Four pistols aimed at her.

She jerked to a stop, arms raised over her head. "For crying out frickin' loud!!"

Ashley and Greg trembled behind her.

The men glared, sighed, and lowered their weapons…panting.

The Lieutenant marched over. "What are you doing out here, Miss?"

"What does it look like?? Going ass-crazy trying to find the hospital!!….or a restroom."

"We keep forgetting h-how big this City is…," Ashley shuddered.

The Lieutenant took a deep breath. He glanced back at his associates.

"We can't just leave them out here….," one officer said. "We've gotta watch over them."

"Agreed," the Lieutenant nodded. He pointed at Lisa and the two. "Follow us. We'll be taking you to Phaser Labs."

"What's at Phaser Labs?"

"First of all…shelter….," the Lieutenant gestured. "Second….well….hopefully…."

"Hopefully what?"

"Something that can give us an edge over Dagger."

"Dagger??" Ashley blinked.

"Who's Dagger?" Greg asked.

"…….," the Lieutenant glanced out. He pointed at the smoldering horizon and plumes of smoke. "All of that. That's Dagger."

"………," the kids stared.

"Follow us," the leader said and lead the group forward. "Keep hidden. And keep silent……," he emphasized.

But Lisa immediately uttered: "S-Sir…..I must ask…."

"Yes?"

"The hospital….did the Titans save it? From the missile, that is?"

"……," the Lieutenant stared. He nodded. "Yes. They did."

Lisa and the two adolescents exhaled.

The Lieutenant's eyes were thin. "But how did you know about that? Did you see the missile?"

Lisa shuddered. "Let's say….today was the day fate decided I should take an impromptu walk around the neighborhood…"

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"A propelled concussion st-streamer??" Cyborg coughed and wheezed from the table. He had his head weakly turned to gaze at the computer console against the laboratory wall. "Are you nuts, old man??"

Simon Stone's hologram stood besides the monitors that everyone in the room was looking at. He happily smirked at Cyborg, flickered, and said with glowing arms crossed: "Lest we forget, it was my nuts that just saved your life minutes ago from going down the drain!"

"We will not have you repeating that last sentence ever again, thank you."

"What exactly is it??" Beast Boy scratched his neck as he looked at the monitor's diagram of a missile-like-device.

"Something Mr. Stone has been working on since everything went to Hell in the handbasket outside these walls…," Jean-Luc uttered, his metal arms folded. He smirked. "Quite ingenious, I must say. Who ever thought sonar technology could counteract hallucinogenic effects."

Raven raised an eyebrow: "Sonar technology??"

"It's quite simple………you need to think small by thinking big……," Simon Stone gestured towards the inner workings of the device on the computer screen. "A sound device emits a pulse using mechanisms appropriate for creating a sonic boom across a large landscape. But instead of producing that earth-shattering-thunder……the device works on minute alterations of sound waves in the air. So intricate and precise…that the sound frequency will shake merely the inner workings of the ears. This creates a vibration through the nerves, feeds into the brain, and stimulates the Wernick's Area just right so as to create a cascading effect throughout the cerebral cortex in whatever way the designer so chooses."

"So….kinda like airborne Tylenol…..," Beast Boy blinked.

"Where are we getting at with this??" Raven droned.

Cyborg spoke up with a raspy voice: "The concussion device…..it can send out a pulse…th-that'll vibrate the inner ears….of every Dragonflare infected…p-person in the City….."

Beast Boy blinked. He glanced up. "And what of the not so Dragonflaring peeps?"

"Neutral effect," Simon said proudly. "The crooks will drop whatever violent things they are doing and return to normal. Dagger's loyal forces will be outnumbered. He'll be drawn out……and you all will have a chance to rebuild."

"Old man….," Cyborg simpered. "Are you godly? Or just plain insane?"

"You're to speak about insanity, my boy……," Simon winked flickeringly. "Not all Stones save the day by turning themselves into scrap metal."

"Har har…."

Raven gestured: "I'm sorry…b-but…..it sounds a little too good to be true."

Even Beast Boy nodded.

"……………," Simon glanced over. "Miss Mendez?"

Rachel shuffled, she walked over to a panel, she pulled a lever.

Whurrrr-Chtung!

A metal panel slid open.

There an exact replica to the device on the computer schematics appeared. In the metal flesh. Live and loaded.

"……..," Beast Boy's jaw dropped.

Raven's lips parted.

Simon smirked. "I give you……the silver bullet."

"Can it….b-be that simple??" Raven murmured.

Cyborg winked up at her. "Hey….if one miracle c-can come out of today…..," he coughed, winced, but braved it. "What's to stop two?"

"………..," and Raven smiled.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

SWOOOSH!!!

Starfire flew down and gently placed Robin down on the sidewalk.

The Boy Wonder motioned for me.

I blurred in and skidded to a stop, smoke trailing.

Starfire blinked. She looked around. "I….I-I am unable to locate him!"

"…….."

"Did not Tempest state that he would be besides the warehouses?"

"He said the alleyways, if I remember right…," Robin uttered. "And I can't blame them. It's a good place for them to hide. Come on….quietly…..so we don't spook Tempest into thinking we're bad guys or something."

"Agreed," Starfire nodded, her hands held together.

Robin wandered in through the winding, brick alleyway behind the warehouses.

Starfire slowly followed behind him.

I curled my fingers and went in last. As I walked, I glanced aside.

A pigeon fluttered overhead….

And then another.

Both hovered until they found a place to perch, overlooking the alleyway.

"……..," I blinked. "…….." I faced forward and walked ahead.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

Tempest panted….panted…..panted…..panted…..

He was throbbing all over.

Torturous heat ran up his leg in waves from the skewered thigh.

He tried to stand up…but couldn't.

Tears streamed down from his dark eyes.

He clenched his lids, hyperventilated, and

Forehead tense.

Temples fluctuating.

And then….

Footsteps.

The Atlantean's dark eyes flew wide.

He hyperventilated more.

More footsteps.

The muttered voices of Robin and Starfire.

A third pair of boots.

Tempest twitched.

He glanced left.

Bodies in the shadows.

Glinting weapons.

He glanced right.

More bodies.

More glinting.

Waiting…..

The forms of the three Titans appeared before him.

Tempest shook.

Shivered.

Panted.

He gulped.

He tried to breathe normal.

He lay helpless against the brick wall.

The Titans came forward.

First Robin.

Then Starfire.

Then myself.

Time slowed.

Tempest's eyes blinked.

The figures of the Titans bobbed slowly from a distance.

Their clapping boots echoed against the hard floor between the brick walls of the alleyway.

Robin's eyemask scanned the scene.

Starfire's green eyes looked left and right.

And yet….everybody seemed at a lost to spot the wounded Atlantean slumped against the wall and floor.

His white pupils shook in their dark prisons.

He glanced left.

The threatening figures in the shadows stirred.

He glanced right.

The ambush coiled…coiled…coiled….

A silhouette of Lindsay's shivering form sobbed silently.

The death trap.

Robin and Starfire came closer.

And I……

I slowed.

I felt something amiss in the shadows.

The pockets of smoke-colored life.

I looked ahead.

And straight down.

Tempest made eye contact with me first.

Helpless.

Wounded.

Scarred.

Dark eyes to dark shades to dark eyes.

And somehow…that was enough.

For the connection.

Tempest's lips quivered.

Mine parted.

Tempest started to tilt his head back.

The figures in the shadows pounced--

Robin and Starfire were in a center of gun barrels and raised daggers.

And precisely at the moment when they were surrounded, they saw Tempest. And they gasped.

And I dove.

SWOOOOOOSH!! WHAM!!!

I plowed into them. The three of us Titans went sprawling to the ground just as enemies converged around us.

And Tempest's head was aimed at the sky.

And he forced his arms out like a crucifix.

And bleeding…shaking….burning….he screamed loud and hard with eyes flaring a hot purple.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaa-aaaaaaaaaugggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!"

The howl pierced through the City, shook through the air, rang like a siren, and drew them all in.

Pigeons.

Hundreds of them.

A bloated cloud of chirps and molting feathers.

Driven by a pulse of blazing telepathy, they fell like quails over the land of Canaan and funneled into a cyclone of menacing fowl upon the thin and claustrophobic alleyway at the last second.

And before Dagger and the thugs could so much as stab any of us three, they were swallowed up by a tunnel of feathery life.

SWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!!!!!!

Time resumed.

FL-FL-FL-FL-FL-FL-FL-FL-FLAP!!!!!

"AAAAUGH!!!"

"NNNGH!!!"

"SNNKKT—JEEZ!!!"

The thugs twitched and swung their arms around and struggled in the fog of feathers and beaks and bird feet. The henchmen struggled as they got faces full of feathers, refuse, and bleeding scratches and scrapes. They shook about helplessly…their weapons dropped.

"Nngh!!" Lindsay fell to the floor, belly first. She gasped as she saw clear space. The Titans were in plane view…all of us crouched or lying low to the alleyway floor. The cloud of swarming pigeons were kept aloft by at least a foot and a half by the telepathic signals. So…only Dagger and the tall-standing ambush were suffocated.

I panted. I looked at Robin and Starfire.

They looked at me.

CHIIIIIING!!! I pulled Myrkblade out.

Robin nodded. Snkkkt!! He had his staff ready.

Starfire held her breath. She produced a starbolt.

I looked at Lindsay, I motioned her to stay put, I twirled Myrkblade and--

SWOOOOOOSH!!!

Dove smokingly up into the wall of animalia. I teleported my way over to a thug, solidified, and slashed with Myrkbalde—cutting both bird and human flesh until the man was bloodily skewered and rendered lame. He fell wetly to the ground as I teleported back into smoke form, blurred through the birds, and pounced another helpless suspect.

SLASH!!!

"AUGH!!!"

In the meantime, Robin crouched, rolled, and snaked his way to the feet of other, struggling crooks. He crushed ankles with his staff. WHACK!! CRKKK!! He slammed people's legs out from under them. He then finished with lung-clearing blows to the chest with his fists or boots. WHUMP!!!! THUD!!!

Starfire simply burned her way through the feathery mess. Painful chirps and surprised gasps of thugs parted as she flew in with green fire and struck henchman after henchman with merciless starbolts across the forehead. FLASH!!! FL-FLASH!!!

Soon, the pigeons panicked and started to levitate upwards. As they cleared away, all that was left was Dagger twirling helplessly amidst a cyclone of falling feathers. He twirled two daggers through a handful of birds, killing all in his way. And suddenly, a rush of wind touched the despot's back.

"……," Dagger glared behind him coldly.

A wall of descending feathers parted like a comet piercing a waterfall as I blazed through…snarling…with Myrkblade sailing at his forehead. SWOOOOOOOSH!!!!

Remember me?

SLASH!!!

CL-CLANG!!! Dagger raised his knives and blocked.

I exhaled, spiraled, and slashed down low.

He hopped the blast.

I twirled and slammed my foot up into his face.

He side-stepped, spun, and tossed two daggers at me.

I twirled Myrkblade—CL-CLANK!! I deflected then jabbed forward.

He lunged back, squatting beneath my lunge, produced a new blade, and slashed up—CLANK!!!

Myrkblade flew up from the impact.

Dagger leaned back up, spun, produced a second dagger, and came at me with two hands of serration. STAB-STAB-STAB-STAB-STAB-STAB!!!!

CL-CL-CL-CLANG!! I deflected with Myrkblade held vertically.

He ducked and jabbed low.

I hopped off the blade, vaulted off his shoulders, flew behind him, flipped, contacted the alleyway wall, twirled Myrkblade bounced off, and slashed straight at him.

He deflected in reverse quite miraculously….blindly.

CL-CLANK!!!

He instantly spun and kicked me back.

WHAM!!

I stumbled.

He held his right knife between two fingers and stabbed at my sternum--

SWOOOOSH-CLANK!!! Robin dove in with his rod. He snarled and swung at Dagger's head.

Dagger ducked.

He stepped back.

Robin advanced, swinging and swinging and swinging and jabbing with his rod.

Dagger ducked, sidestepped, deflected with thin knives, and shoved Robin back.

Robin slid in reverse.

I stood beside him.

We flexed our muscles, standing shoulder to shoulder.

TH-TH-THWISH!! Dagger spun his daggers and struck a coiled pose.

A beat.

A breath.

"!!!!" I rushed in.

"!!!!" Robin rushed in.

SL-SL-SL-SL-SLASH!!!

SW-SW-SW-SW-SWISH!!!

Wooden Myrkblade and metal staff formed a mid-air kaleidoscope of blazing jabs, attacks, swings and slashes.

Dagger twirled his knives and his body in tow. He pushed us back and stepped in reverse towards the wall.

Robin leapt over him, bounce off the wall, and attacked his rear.

Dagger swung his arms apart to either side of him. He twirled his blades and deflected Robin blindly…then me blindly…then Robin blindly…then me blindly again as he warded off the two of us.

Robin sweat, snarled, and swung low.

Dagger leapt the blow, ran up Robin's body, flipped off, and came down behind me.

He landed. He fumed. He slashed at my throat.

FWOOSH!! I teleported into smoke form.

Dagger's blade seeped through.

"YAAAAUGH!!!"

Then Robin seeped through me, charging through my smoke-form body and emerging through the other side with his staff jabbing.

THWAP!!!

Dagger stumbled back.

"HYAAAA!!" Robin swung at his forehead.

GRIP!!!

Dagger grabbed the end of Robin's staff with a now-free hand.

Robin jolted.

Dagger twirled his other hand's knife. He jabbed at Robin's Adam's Apple--

FLASH!!! CLANK!!!

Starfire deflected the weapon out of the despot's hand.

Dagger blinked.

"YAUGH!!!" Robin kicked the man to the wall.

WHAP!! Dagger staggered.

"HAAH!! HAAAH!!! HAAAH!!!" Starfire floated overhead, flinging starbolt after starbolt.

Dagger ran up the wall in reverse, kicked off, flipped, and opened his vest upon which he somehow tossed out six knives at once.

SWOOOOOOOOOSH!!!

Robin fell back on the ground and twirled his staff, deflecting the blades everywhere. CL-CL-CLANK!!!

"EEK!" Starfire flinched to the left and right, avoiding the blades.

GRIP!!! Dagger grabbed her by the arm, swung her down, and slammed her into me as I blurred up--

WHAM!!!

Starfire and I went sprawling across the alleyway.

"YAAAUGH!!" Robin ran up, twirled his staff, and swung at Dagger.

Dagger sidestepped, gripped the rod with two hands, and side-kicked Robin in the face.

WHAM!!!

Robin let go of his staff and stumbled back.

Dagger twirled the stolen rod over his shoulders, spun it in one hand, and produced a dagger in the other.

Starfire and I recovered…and charged him.

SL-SL-SL-SL-SLASH!!!

FLAAAASH!!!

Dagger deflected Myrkblade with the knife and knocked Starfire's energy blasts away with the twirling rod.

CL-CL-CL-CLANK!!!

Robin held his breath and pounced Dagger from behind.

Dagger leapt, backflipped over the Boy Wonder's dive, and tossed the rod out at him in mid-fall.

CLANK!!

"Augh!!" Robin was struck in the back. He toppled into Starfire. WHAM!!!

"Oomf!!"

I gritted my teeth and blurred past the two collapsing Titans and charged Dagger.

Dagger held his one dagger up.

CLANK!!!

I struck it with Myrkblade.

He flicked another dagger out of his sleeve with his free hand. Eyes narrowing…he stabbed at my face.

And I was ready for it--

SWOOOSH-CLAMP!!!!

My metal left hand gripped Dagger's wrist.

And the battle paused.

Starfire and Robin looked up from the ground, panting.

"……..," Dagger blinked. He looked at Myrkblade…which had his left hand pinned up high in the air. He glanced at my metal hand….where his blasted chip once resided when all was flesh…and I was holding his other hand at bay with it.

"……..," I glared into Dagger's eyes.

"……..," He stared back. Mute.

I gritted my teeth.

I closed my titanium fingers tight.

CRRKK-KKKK!!!

The bone in Dagger's hand broke nastily. Carpal by carpal.

Starfire winced.

Robin took a deep breath.

Tempest blinked.

But Dagger merely flared his nostrils. He didn't wince. He didn't even break a sweat. He hadn't even broken a sweat.

"…….," I felt the bones snapping in his wrist. And when I saw the lack of reaction…I faltered. A little bit of awe…and a little bit of downright hate.

And Dagger used it.

WHUMP!!!

He kneed me in the groin.

"!!!!" I stumbled back, wincing.

Dagger's right hand hung limply…butchered. But still he struck a pose and twirled the blade in his left hand.

Robin stood up, mouth agape. "But….but…."

Starfire gasped: "Your hand is broken!!"

Dagger merely blinked. "So it is." TH-TH-THWISH!! He twirled his blade and—with one limb flailing—he spun effortlessly at us.

SWOOOSH!!!

I winced and held up Myrkblade--

CL-CLANK!! WHAP!!! He struck my weapon away and kicked me in the chest.

WHAM!!! I flew back against an alleyway wall.

Starfire and Robin rushed in.

Dagger crouched low, coiled, and spun at them with a flying kick.

WHAM!!!!

He struck Starfire in the chest.

He landed and elbowed Robin in the face.

WHAP!!

He stumbled back.

Dagger caught Starfire's top piece with his blade, swung her around, and slammed her into Robin.

"Ungh!!!"

"Ooof!!"

THWUMP!!

All three of us joined Tempest on the ground.

Breathless.

And Dagger stood above the halo of bodies.

He cracked his neck, twirled the knife, and leaned with his broken hand dangling grotesquely. "Pathetic…..I almost shudder to think what Red Aviary can do to you…"

"You?? Shuddering??" Robin wheezed. "I-I'd pay to see the day…"

"And maybe you will yet…," Dagger's eyes narrowed. "I for one am tired of death's delay. Perhaps Triangular was wrong. Perhaps I am fit to be the reaper? Well then…..let's experiment all over again." He twirled the knife into a throwing position and aimed at Tempest. "Starting with the fish out of water."

Tempest shook.

Dagger hissed: "Funny….nothing was ever said about the seas bleeding first—"

WHAP!!!! Lindsay flew up behind Dagger with two fists to the back of his head.

THWUMP!!! Dagger landed face-first in the ground, bruised.

Lindsay heaved. She spat: "Learn some respect, you meanie!!!"

Robin struggled to his feet, a fan of birdarangs in his grasp.

Starbolts ready, Starfire stood up too.

So did I, gripping Myrkblade.

We circled Dagger as he staggered brokenly to his feet.

"How about another experiment?" Robin smirked, raising the birdarangs to toss at his throat. "Let's see if you're as much a god underneath all that flesh as you are in red tape, you bastard!!!"

Dagger glared at him. His voice dripped: "You cannot run to experiments at once, Robin."

The Boy Wonder's eyemask narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Tell me….how many teammates of yours can I burn to death inside Phaser Labs??"

Starfire gasped.

My black eyes went wide.

Tempest and Lindsay shook.

"……..," Robin stared….numb….mouth agape.

Dagger's eyes narrowed. "Give up?"

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

Whurrrrrrrrr!!!

Raven and Beast Boy rode the small elevator up towards the rooftop of Phaser Labs.

They had the concussion streamer held between them.

A launcher was also positioned on the elevating platform, ready for use once they broke into the air above.

"Remember what Mr. Stone said…," Beast Boy uttered. "Aim at ninety degrees….switch on the wind current calibration system….and set for maximum frequency."

Raven nodded.

"………Y-You think this will work, Raven?" Beast Boy asked.

"No….," the dark girl said.

The elf leaned his head to the side. "No??"

"All it'll do….," Raven exhaled. "…is make us wake up sooner."

"………"

"If you call that 'working', then so bet it."

Beast Boy grinned. "And I do."

Raven nodded. As the elevator rose and rose…she stared down…as if she could see through the floor and catch sight of a recuperating android.