175. Hand and Dagger part 12
"What do you mean?!?!" Robin barked. Teeth showing. Eyemask thin. "Talk!!!"
Dagger barely blinked. He stood as resolutely as he could for a man with a dangling, broken hand. "The longer I talk, the more your little neighborhood crumbles apart…and your hapless allies with it."
Starfire bit her lip nervously.
I swallowed.
Lindsay had wandered over to Tempest's trembling side. She rested a hand on his aching shoulder as the two glanced up at Dagger and Robin.
"You've planted a bomb….haven't you?!?!" Robin sneered. He pointed with his rod. "You've put an explosive in Phaser Labs and this is some sort of brand new threat, huh?!?!"
Dagger inhaled. "Not a bomb, Robin. Not in the literal sense. It was always Slade's style to rig things with explosives. You should know by now that if my faculties can drink the spilt blood, then that is what makes it truly an effective strategy. Murder is not something done entirely with buttons. Even I have to dig into the flesh every now and then."
"What horror have you concocted at the laboratories, you cretin??" Starfire more murmured than hissed.
Dagger gazed glassly over at her. "I wasn't the one who concocted it."
Starfire blinked.
I leaned forward.
Dagger uttered: "Anderson is."
Robin's lips parted.
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"Raven! Beast Boy!" Simon Stone's hologram rested on the laboratory's corner pedestal and spoke into the communication system. "Are you situated yet?"
"Not quite, dude! Dude s-sir!" the speakers crackled back. "This is the slowest elevator in the world, I swear!!"
Cyborg lay helpless on the table, hooked up to wires that were feeding him electric life.
The hologram on the pedestal spoke: "The hatch to the rooftop is waiting for an opportune time to safely raise you two into open air. It must detect nearby explosions and threatening activity."
"We do have a warzone outside…," Raven's voice droned electronically. "This will put an end to it, Azar willing."
"Are you sure about this?" Beast Boy added.
"J-Just listen to my Uncle, guys!" Cyborg smiled weakly. "And get that silver bullet up and away before sundown!!"
"On it."
The lab assistants waited nervously in the corner.
Among them….
Rachel Mendez.
Jean-Luc Blair.
They rested their cybernetic limbs and sighed…shuddering.
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"Anderson????" Robin exclaimed. "But…Anderson f-fell into a coma and died months ago!!"
"His flesh died….," Dagger droned. "But his legacy lived on."
"How d-do you mean??" Starfire asked.
Everyone was gazing at Dagger.
Nobody took notice of two collapsed henchmen in the corner of the alleyway stirring back to life and crawling slowly towards their machine guns.
"But of course you know….," Dagger said. "You let two members of the shortly existing Triad live on…..and you preserved his helpless henchmen as well."
Robin's lips slurred: "Simon Stone……Cyborg….."
Dagger tilted his head forward in a single, icy nod. "Reload…..Slug….."
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
WHURRRRR-CLANK!!!
The rooftop hatch opened.
The elevator finished lifting.
Raven and Beast Boy stood atop of Phaser Labs with the silver concussion streamer in their grasp.
The sky was turning red.
The sun melted bloodily into the horizon.
Explosion sounds…gun sounds…screaming sounds…..
An ambiance of a dying City.
"Okay!!" Beast Boy panted, gripping the streamer along with Raven. "Let's get this thing set up! Q-Quickly!!!"
Raven steadied the streamer with her hands as they shuffled over to an open spot on the roof. At the same time, she dragged over the launcher with telekinesis.
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"It is just as I predicted…," Dagger said. "And it is just as Triangular expected. The pieces are moving back together. And it wasn't quite ourselves who should receive credit. But this City….this foolish City that believes in second chances. The organizers of the Council and Phaser Labs have gradually committed suicide. I'm sorry, Titans. There will be no rest for you tonight. There will be no…….silver bullet….."
Starfire and I stared, frozen.
Robin shook. "You're bluffing…."
Dagger gestured his one good arm towards the distant plumes of smoke and explosion sounds. His voice was emotionless. After a pause, he uttered: "Bluffing??"
"……….," Robin stared.
The henchmen reached their machine guns. They slowly inched up to their knees.
Lindsay turned.
She saw them.
She…..
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
"????" Cyborg glanced over across the labs.
The other lab assistants stirred nervously.
Rachel and Jean-Luc stepped forward.
"Hmmm……," Simon Stone's hologram stared at the strobing computer screen. "Funny. We're getting a direct transmission. I thought the internal firewalls have been reinforced since the chaos in the City began."
"A…A h-hacker!!" one assistant uttered.
"They're trying to sabotage the sonic concussion project!!" exclaimed another.
Cyborg gasped from the medical table. "You've got to stop it!!!"
"Agreed……," Simon gestured towards the flock of assistants. "Piers!! Vale!! Get over here!!"
Two men in labcoats rushed over to the computer console. Their fingers blurred over the keyboard.
"Okay. First thing's first. We need to bypass the external signal and—"
ZZZZZTT!!!!
The computer monitor flashed blue and black.
Sparks flew from the console and shocked the two workers.
They screamed in pain before falling dramatically across the floor into two smoking piles.
Cyborg gasped.
"Mi Dios!!" Rachel ran over and knelt by their sides.
Jean-Luc gritted his human teeth. "That's not a hacker!! That's a freakin' weapon!!"
"An electronic pulse flux!!" Simon Stone's construct exclaimed. "It's taking over the central network of the Labs at a phenomenal rate!!"
"B-But that's impossible!!!" an assistant exclaimed breathily, trembling. "The only way that could happen would be if it's been in the system under our noses the entire time!!!"
"A latent acting worm……," Simon Stone electronically stammered. "But who could possibly have slid it into the mainframe when we weren't looking??"
Cyborg shuddered from the bed where he lay. "Dagger……"
The computer monitor started strobing more and more. Greater sparks of electricity splashed across the keyboard and instrument panels.
The lab assistants stepped back, uncertain.
Rachel knelt besides the two injured scientists, panting.
Jean-Luc's eyes narrowed. "Something….S-Something's happening…..
Cyborg glanced over.
Jean-Luc swallowed: "If Dagger wanted to…he could have detonated the energy core of the Phaser Labs already. What is he waiting to do---???"
ZZZZZZZZZZT!!!!!
The consoles sparked brilliantly.
Everyone flinched—
POW!!!!
Computer panels exploded.
Brilliant overloading sparks of blue sailed out across the laboratory.
Scientists screamed and fell to the ground.
Cyborg's human eye was wide.
Simon Stone's hologram flickered madly and glowed in shock.
The blue bolts burned across the air of the room, scorching the walls and ceiling, melting instruments, and then….
Then….
The blue sparks and dancing energy focused on two bodies and two bodies alone in the room.
As if it was planned.
And…it was planned.
Rachel Mendez and Jean-Luc Blair jolted and gasped as their bodies were enflamed in blue energy.
ZZZZZZZZZ-ZZZZZZZZZZ-ZZZZZZZZZTTTT!!!
"AAAAAAAAUGH!!!"
"YARRRRGHHH!!!!"
The two victims danced and thrashed about from the blue torture.
Cyborg watched, jaw dropping.
And then….
The sparks died out.
But not the blue.
"………………..," Rachel and Jean-Luc stared at the floor.
Frozen.
And slowly…gradually….
Their titanium parts glowed blue.
Rachel's limbs.
Jean-Luc's skull.
Their legs and chest pieces.
Their human flesh warmed.
They tilted their heads up.
And…
Contorted expressions of fear and pain….slowly melted into drunken grins.
"N-No……," Cyborg shuddered.
The assistants in the corner gathered together, trembling.
The two cybernetic people slowly stood up.
"No…no no no no…..God no….," Cyborg shuddered, his human eye round.
"Heh heh heh heh…..," Reload chuckled with an old, awakened voice. Her metal parts glowed a bright blue. She produced a shotgun out of mid air with both hands. She pumped it and sneered sadistically: "Recuerdo esta sensacion…"
The hologram of Simon Stone collapsed on his knees, flickering. "They……They're reverting………"
Reload produced a revolver out of energy transferal. She tossed it to Jean-Luc.
"……Dagger used the Labs' computer to reactivate their electronic parts……"
Slug caught the revolver. He twirled it and smirked. "Damn straight, old man….."
"…….," Cyborg panted.
"I'm so sorry, my boy………"
The lights flickered.
Slug squinted an eye. He aimed at the mass of huddled lab assistants in the corner. His gun wrist glowed a bright blue.
"I'm sorry……," Simon flickerd….flickered…..and faded.
Cyborg screamed something.
But Slug's high-powered revolver shots drowned it out.
BLAM!!! BLAM!!!
Energized projectiles streamed across the room and exploded in the center of innocent flesh.
Limbs and body masses flew….only to be riddled into mush by Reload's endless, shotgun punishment.
BLAM!!-BLAM!!-BLAM!!-BLAM!!-BLAM!!
"AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!"
Between the blood and the lights, Slug marched across the lab and aimed at a huge conduit of the Labs' energy core.
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"Soon you will understand, Robin…," Dagger spoke. "Soon you will all understand. This is a City I have always owned. Triangular and I are merely reclaiming it……….with…a few less, unneeded wastes of breath."
Robin sneered and raised his staff. "If you think I'll let you get away with any more deaths for any reason—"
"Deaths??" Dagger raised an eyebrow. "Hasn't it already been proven that I am hardly this domain's reaper?? I want the earth, Robin. And only the earth. Red Aviary can have the harvest. What's important to realize is…the harvest is merely temporary. The earth may bleed and bleed forever….but there is always stone to be claimed."
"LOOK OUT!!!!" Lindsay shrieked.
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!!!
Dagger dashed out of the way.
Robin gasped and ducked.
I grabbed Starfire, twirled Myrkblade, and deflected the bulletfire as I shoved the two of us out of danger's path.
The henchmen stood up and crept across the alleyway, pushing us out of sight.
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!!!!!
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
CH-CHTINK!!!
Beep-Beep-Beep!
"Th-There….," Beast Boy shuddered. He nervously tried to still his hands as he typed on the numberpad of the launcher.
Whurrrr!!
The streamer tilted on the launcher and aimed at the sky.
"And…."
Beast Boy pressed a last button.
Beep!!
The launcher and streamer had a countdown time of fifteen minutes till launch and discharge.
"Sounds like a good enough amount of time." Beast Boy smiled nervously. He looked across the rooftop at Raven. "Consider the City un-Dragonflared before you can quote Hamlet." A beat. "R-Raven?"
"………..," the dark girl's eyes were searching the horizon. "Something….is wrong….."
"Huh??" Beast Boy walked over. "What is it, Raven? What do you sense?"
Her lips pursed. Her violet eyes narrowed. "Cyborg….."
"………"
Raven glanced down through the rooftop as startling vibrations ran up through the structure of Phaser Labs.
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"There it is….," Abbey said.
The officers peered around the lateral pillars of the overhanging highway. The Lieutenant and his men gazed across the asphalt at the silent, shielded entrance to Phaser Labs. One of the concrete blockades to the interior had been smashed.
Lisa blinked her one eye. Ashley and Greg trembled behind her.
"Looks like someone beat us to the place!" Johnson shuddered.
"You think those green-eyed creeps could have done that?" Vann gestured.
"We're going in…," the Lieutenant walked out. "Be on the lookout. It could be anything."
"Yes, sir."
"Keep the kids between us. I'll move out first---"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!
Half of Phaser Labs erupted in billowing tongues of flame up into the amber sky.
Ashley and Greg screamed.
Lisa gasped.
The Lieutenant stared at the flying debris and flaming plumes with wide eyes.
The other officers were similarly mesmerized.
Frozen still.
One second too long….for when two shadows marched out off the destruction---
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!!!!!
A perpetual wave of lead flew across the courtyard and under the raised highway. The machine gun bullets slammed through cars and exploded concrete with unprecedented caliber.
And then it reached the line of officers.
"AAAAAA-" SPLORCH!! Johnson's head exploded.
TH-TH-TH-THUNK!!!! Vann was lifted in the air from the force and shot to shreds. Pieces of him fell around the scurrying officers.
"GET BACK!!! GET BACK!!!!"
"JOHNSON!! VANN!!!"
"THEY'RE DEAD!!!! MOVE!!! MOVE!!!"
As they scurried away from the fallen corpses, a high-powered bullet of sparking blue shimmered past them.
BLAM!!!!!
The revolver round exploded into a van parked under the overhang.
BOOOOOOOM!!!
Lisa flinched and covered Ashley and Greg with her body as she and the Lieutenant hid behind one pillar.
The leftover officers gathered—panting—behind another pillar.
"Abbey!! Chapman!! Stay concealed!!!" the Lieutenant shouted.
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!!!!
P-P-PING!!!
CL-CLANG!!
The officers winced from the endless machine gunfire.
"Who in the Hell is that?!?!" Abbey shouted.
Lisa looked up, panting.
The Lieutenant took a deep breath. "Old news…..bad old news….."
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!!!
He summoned strength. He peered barely around the edge of the pillar.
Slug and Reload were marching out of the flames of the half-collapsed Labs.
Slade was twirling a revolver, firing energy-loaded shots, and exploding rows upon rows of parked vehicles.
Reload was laughing her head off, spouting exclamations in Spanish, and letting loose a endless barrage of metal without having to stop for an ammo clip once.
BLAM!!!!BLAM!!!!BLAM!!!!
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!!!!
The entire courtyard exploded and shattered from the ballistic punishment.
The Lieutenant cocked his weapon. Panting.
"H-How do we g-get out of here?!?!" Greg squealed.
"………."
"S-Sir??" Lisa murmured.
"I'm working on it….."
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!!!
P-PING!!
CLANG!!
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
Dagger back out of the alleyway.
Flanked by henchmen.
Henchmen with machine guns.
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!!!!
They snarled, fired, and gave Dagger cover to---
"Let us go…"
He twirled and jogged out of the alleyway, his distorted right hand flapping.
The men ran backwards.
They escaped.
"………," I held Starfire tightly in the shadows. Myrkblade raised. Panting.
"Nnnngh!!!" Robin peeled out of his shielded spot and tossed the dust and bullet fragments off him.
"H-He is getting away!!!" Starfire exclaimed. "We must make haste and—"
"No!!" Robin shouted. He pointed. "Everyone!! Go to Phaser Labs!! I'm most certain he was telling the truth. Who knows what Hell rages over there?!?!"
"Wh-What about--?!?!" Starfire pointed a Tempest.
"I'm f-fine!!!" Tempest snarled. Wincing. Bleeding. "Go save the other Titans and the Labs!!"
"But….look at you!!" Lindsay panted.
SWOOSH!! Starfire floated down and examined the deep knife wound in his thigh. "You are greatly damaged!! Allow us to simply—"
"NO!!!!" Tempest shoved her away, winced from the effort, and spat: "God dammit, this City is dying!! I'll live….lame if I must!!!"
"……"
Tempest shuddered. He clenched wet eyes. "I'm….I-I'm so sorry…so….s-so sorry…..they had…th-they had her…."
Lindsay fought a painful lump in her throat.
Tempest leaned back against the wall, hyperventilating. "I would have gladly died. But…but…I couldn't. I-I couldn't just let them—"
"Tempest….," Robin raised a gloved hand. He took a deep breath. "You did good. I know that you would never abandon us."
"………"
Robin's gloved fists clenched. "All the same…I would never abandon any of the other Titans." He looked. He pointed at me. "Noir."
I stood straight.
"Run speedily to the hospital. Get an ambulance crew. Escort them back here to tend to Tempest. As soon as you're done….get your ass over to Phaser Labs. There may be some tough business to attend to."
I nodded. Without a moment to lose—Chiiiing!!! I sheathed Myrkblade, spun around, and blurred down up over the walls and out onto the streets and towards the hospital with trailing smoke. SWOOOOOOOSH!!!
"Starfire…I'll need a lift…"
"We embark to Phaser Labs?"
"Yes….," Robin nodded.
"Kick some ass for me….," Tempest shuddered.
Starfire looked at Lindsay. "What about you??"
Lindsay gulped. She rested a hand on Tempest's shaking shoulder. "I stay here with him…."
Starfire bit her lip. She managed: "B-Be careful…."
The freckled-faced teen nodded.
"Star!! Let's go!!!"
"A-Affirmative!!"
Starfire grabbed onto Robin's arm and hoisted him away towards the western half of Town.
Tempest shuddered, as if the departure of the Titans depleted him of some breath.
Lindsay held his shoulders tightly. "You did good, Tempest. Stay with me. Stay awake. Mr. Noir will be back here with the ambulance soon. I-I am sure of it."
"I….I couldn't…l-let it happen……any of it….," Tempest shivered.
"You didn't, Tempest. You—"
"Nnghh…no….no….I…I-I feel it…," Tempest trembled. "S-S-Slipping. I…I d-don't want to die….I d-don't want to die…."
"Shhh….," she pushed his black bangs back. "Stay calm. You won't die. Help will be here. No reason to be afraid."
"I…I am NOT AFRAID!!!" Tempest shouted, shook, twisted from pain, hyperventilated, and hissed with his dark eyes shut: "I….I d-don't want to let you down…….I'm so sorry…..I tried…I tried so hard, Tula….."
Lindsay blinked.
Tempest shivered, contorted in pain. "I-I tried, Tula. I t-tried to change. I tried to live. Please….P-Please forgive me. Don't feel ashamed….d-don't hate me….I never wanted to toss you away….th-the very blood I feel inside me is all I have left to feel and taste you by. Please….I'm so sorry….s-so sorry…….I've failed….I-I've failed so much…."
Lindsay took a deep breath. "Tempest…..be calm….."
Her hands gently floated over and rested over his heart and on the numb part of his injured leg.
Tempest swallowed and gazed wetly at her. "Wh-What are you doing….??"
"I'm laying on hands of prayer….."
Tempest shuddered. "I-I-I don't b-believe in your God….."
"Shhhh….," she gently cooed. "You do not have to….."
"…….."
Lindsay shut her eyes. She inhaled. She applied pressure on her hands and uttered:
"Dear God, I ask for Your deliverance right now. Not just for the whole City, but on Tempest's behalf…."
Tempest shook all over. He tilted his head back as Lindsay murmured. Tears fell from his eyes.
She steadied his shaking form. "…Back when You blessed Your children with the power of the Holy Spirit, You gave us the authority to heal flesh and cast out evil spirits in the Savior's Name. And right now I bind you, Satan. I bind you and all of your evil principalities that would seek to snuff out the life of Tempest's body. I cast you OUT….in Jesus of Nazareth's holy Name!! God, Your Word shows us that true faith leads to healing. And I have faith that You put Tempest on this earth for a mighty purpose and reason…and I believe that now is not his time. Give him the strength and the health to recover from this. I pray that you remove this pain from his body and give him peace, for all that he's ever done is try to bless those who preserve the beautifulness of Your Creation, Lord. He desires Life, just as You gave us life. HEAL him, Lord. I pray the blood of Jesus and holy protection over him now….in Your name…."
Lindsay went on. For how long, the echoing walls of the alleyway didn't say.
Tempest breathed through it all, the pain still excruciating.
And yet, he wasn't focusing on the pain anymore. He kept his trembling ears focused on Lindsay's words. On the touch and warmth of her gentle hands.
And somehow….that kept him awake by the time help came.
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"Nnngh….," Beast Boy stirred. He tossed off smoking pieces of collapsed rooftop and stood up dizzily.
Sounds of loud gunshots and explosions thundered with deadly proximity.
Beast Boy panted.
He looked around.
"R-Raven??"
He started tossing debris and chunks of wreckage around. Snarling, digging, searching.
"Wh-Where are you?!?! Raven?!!?"
Beast Boy unearthed something.
Something glinting.
He blinked.
The concussion streamer was still stuck in the launcher. And it was still counting down.
Thirteen minutes……
Beast Boy paled. "Shoot…."
He glanced aside. He caught sight of a scrap of blue robe.
"!!!!!"
He abandoned the silver bullet.
He lifted a huge mountain of debris and tossed it aside with gorilla arms.
He reverted back to elf form and shuddered.
"R-Raven!!!"
She lay.
Bruised.
Crumpled in a crater.
Not moving.
"H-Hang on!! I'm gonna—"
BLAM!!!!!
The collapsed roof exploded before Beast Boy.
"Nnngh!!" he fell back. WHUMP!! He collapsed against a metal bulkhead exposed. He rubbed his head and looked up.
"You're gonna what??"
CL-CLICK!!!
The barrel of a revolver.
Beast Boy's breath left him.
Slug pointed the gun straight at the little changeling's forehead.
He smiled drunkenly as his forearm glowed.
"You're gonna die….."
BLAM!!!!!!