251. Break the Circle part 11
VRMMMMM!
Calvin's jeep roared down Main Street alongside his fellow officers.
The men at the mounted guns swiveled and pivoted about, taking pot shots at golden golems as they blurred by.
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
RAT-A-TAT-TAT!
Various monstrosities flew back and shattered from the heavy blasts.
Ashen pieces of thermal debris scattered and fell abroad.
The jeeps swerved around a fallen building face and zoomed into the heart of downtown.
And that's where a ring of Dagger's men were centered, firing off at the army's forces from all sides.
Once General Calvin's brigade rushed in, the terrorists shouted and summoned a volley of hot lead.
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT!
Calvin shouted orders.
The jeeps split up as the mounted gunfire from hummers and enemy vehicles ricocheted off the street between them.
They formed a dual perimeter on two sides of the intersection, firing back on Dagger's men.
BL-BLAM! BLAM!
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
Tracers and hot bullets flew through the air.
Two men on the army's side fell down hard with splashes of red.
A bullet from Calvin's force found its way in the fuel tank of one of the hummer's on the other side.
KABOOOOM! The vehicle exploded.
Dagger's elite shouted and a second layer of men with grenade launchers rushed up and took aim at the U.S. forces.
Calvin saw it.
He gritted his teeth and prepared to shout an order of evasive action—
THWOOOOOOOSSSSSH!
I blurred in from a side-street and flanked Dagger's men.
Speedily, I soared along the line of gunmen and swung Myrkblade, mightily lopping off gun barrels and smashing grenade launchers into metal shreds.
SLASH! CH-CHIINK! CRACCCK!
The terrorists gasped and growled in surprise….frustration.
FW-FWOOOSH!
I teleported, perched atop a hummer, dove towards the rear, and plowed off the two gunmen—TH-THWAP!—to the street….
"Aaaaugh!" WHUMP! WHAM!
I then kicked the mounted gun so that its heavy barrel pointed into the center of the craft.
I squeezed my metal finger hard at the trigger, crushing it stuck in place.
No sooner had I done so, I teleported away from the vehicle in a blur. FL-FLASSSH!
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
The mounted gun literally fired into itself.
CL-CL-CLUNK! KAPOW!
The Hummer exploded from its own punishment.
Terrorists and gunmen fled from the flames and smoke, covering themselves.
FWOOOOOSH!
I streaked through them, slashing Myrkblade and knocking legs out from under.
Tripping the men hard to the asphalt.
TH-TH-THWAP!
Men were groaning and gasping all around me.
I came to a stop, panting.
Eyes billowing smoke from beneath my shades.
Then…a cross-fire of amber streaking bullets sang in the air over my head.
I winced and raised Myrkblade to block—when suddenly I realized that the crossfire came from the U.S. Army.
On either side of the intersection they were arriving and taking shots at the henchmen of Dagger holed up in the center of the room.
I heard General Calvin and a good few of his men shouting for me to clear out of there.
I did so without hesitation.
In mid blur, I glanced up.
I saw bodies moving in the glass windows of an office building. I then saw laser targeting sites.
I gasped—
PFIFFT!
PFIFFT!
PFIFFFTT!
Sniper bullets sailed out of the glass, shatteringly loudly.
The projectiles flew and went through the necks of three soldiers on the far side of the intersection.
Through the chaos of exchanging gunfire and explosions and utter urban war, nobody but my black-eyed self had marked the lofty position of the snipers.
Every defender on the low ground was subject to deadly fire.
I took a breath and ran my way to Calvin's front.
I blurred, teleported through explosions, leapt over and slid beneath gunshots, then streaked my way back to the line of jeeps.
PFFIFTT!
PFIFFT!
I heard the sniper rounds…and subsequently two random bodies falling screamily to the bloody asphalt.
I rushed over to a jeep in the rear, waving my arms desperately.
"…..?" the U.S. soldiers in the rear craned their necks.
I whistled and pointed up at the office buildings.
The men's eyes widened. "We see them!"
"Take aim—"
"Give us backup!" Calvin shouted.
"Sir! General, sir! Snipers on the Northwest side!"
"Son of a---You three! Get to a better position! Take them out!"
"Yes sir!"
PFIFFT!
PFIIIIFFT!
P-PING!
Part of the nearest jeep's windshield cracked from the bullets.
The soldiers jolted.
So did I.
Dammit.
I gritted my teeth.
They're not going to take those snipers out fast enough!
CHIIIIIIIIIING!
I dragged Myrkblade as I ran towards the base of the office building, kicked my way through the glass entrance—SMASH!—and soared up the nearest stairwell I could find….
T-T-T-T-T-T-
FWOOOOOOSSSSH!
Starfire soared down a street clustered with golden golems.
The monsters were marching a thick, merciless line towards the U.S. forces coming in from the East Shipyards.
Tanks and jeeps were firing at the thermal monstrosities.
But with very little progress…..
The burning line kept advancing, thick and impenetrable.
Starfire took a deep breath, soared up in the air, twirled about, and came down sharply into the center of the golden crowd.
Starbolts glowing.
Green eyes strobing.
"YAAAAAAUGH!"
SWOOOOOOOSSSSH—WHAMMM!
Starfire formed a crater, knocking a dozen golden golems back in all directions.
She flung starbolts down at the feet of those still standing, forcing them to collapse.
As machine gun fire from the jeeps assisted her pummeling, she grabbed the leg of one golem, spun it around in a furious circle, and sent it flying off into a thick group of creatures.
SWOOOOOSSSSH! CRUNNNCHH!
The golems shattered and collapsed into bright yellow ashes.
Starfire stood, panting.
CRKKKKKK!
She froze.
Three golems came at her from behind. Thick arms reaching around her shoulders.
"Nnnngh!" she flew both of her arms to the side, batting the golem's grasp away.
She backflipped—aided herself with flight—and came down behind the golems.
The alien girl's alien eyes pulsed as she braced her legs, clenched her hands, and shot a stream of green-hot optic lasers from left to right in a stream.
FLAAAAA-AAAAA-AAAAAAAASSSSH!
The
lasers cut the golems through.
Their torsos slid off their legs and everything burst into golden flames.
CRKKKKK!
A spray of lava pellets flew at her shoulder.
"RAAUGH!" Starfire spun and swept an arm across the air.
The green pulsing glow evaporated the burning projectiles.
She then shot a hail of starbolts at the golems that had fired at her.
The monsters fell back, absorbed the heat from her alien blasts, and stomped more furiously at her.
CRKKKK-KKKK!
Starfire flew over to a crumpled sidewalk, picked up a discarded lamppost by its base, and lifted it over her head like a heavy club.
"Nnnnngh!"
She limped towards the monsters, spun, and slammed the full length of the lamppost through their ranks.
SWOOOOOOOSH—SMASSSH!
Throngs of golems flew three stories high and across the street. FWOOOSH!
"Nnnngh!" she swung the other way.
SMASSSSSH!
More golems flew.
Starfire let out another shout and approached a throng of surviving monsters with the lamppost hanging over her head.
"RAAAUGH!"
CLUTCH!
Starfire's hold on the lamppost jolted.
She looked behind her.
A large golem was gripping the end of the bludgeon.
Its leg shot out burningly and slammed into Starfire's side.
WHAM!
"Nnnngh!" she flew and tumbled off towards the side, rolling to a stop against the foot of a skyscraper.
CRKKKKKKK!
Four heavy golems marched towards her.
She winced and struggled to get up…
BL-BLAM!
……
POWWW!
The large golem to her right exploded.
Starfire gasped and shaded herself from the resulting spray of ash and pebbles.
The cluster of golems to her left twitched and shifted about as if nervous….
BLAM!
…
POWWWW!
A shell went off in the center of them.
Again, Starfire shielded herself.
When the smoke and fire cleared, she looked across the street.
She saw a U.S. Tank aiming its cannon at where the golems had been.
The huge barrel was smoking.
Soldiers shouted and waved at her from a jeep.
She smiled. She got up and flew over towards their position.
"Starfire!"
"You're still alive!"
"We had feared all the Titans were killed!"
Starfire floated over and stood besides the jeep.
"Has there been any word from Beast Boy? I fear that he was in the Tower when—"
The driver of the jeep shook her head.
"No, ma'am. No word from him."
She gestured at the other two soldiers in the tank with her.
"We started our convoy at the shipyard. We're supposed to meet with General Calvin in the center of the City."
"General Calvin?"
"Our commander in chief of this defense operation," another soldier said. "If we don't hurry, they'll be overrun by Dagger's forces and these rock-monsters in the center of Town all by themselves."
Starfire nodded. "Then we must make haste. As much as I desire to find my friends, the safety of this City takes prevalence." She gestured: "If you carry on in the direction you were planning to advance, I shall fly over and provide cover fire. Dagger still seems to have many flying abominations at hand."
"Sounds like a plan to me."
"Wow….sounds like you're used to warfare, Miss Starfire."
The alien girl managed a slight smile. "I have had……experience."
"Okay, company! Let's pull out! Flank the tanks! Protect them at all costs---"
ZAAAAA-AAAAA-AAAAAP!
A bright laser stream suddenly flew into the body of the jeep.
The soldiers gasped.
Wide-eyed, Starfire glanced at the energy stream.
"X'Hal!"
She rushed towards the soldiers.
"Swiftly! Flee---!"
BOOOOOM!
The jeep's fuel tank exploded, taking the three screaming soldiers along with it.
Starfire's strong alien self was thrown back by the blast.
She slammed into a building face above the convoy and formed a visible dent.
CRKKK!
"OOF!"
She fell down and formed yet another crater in the sidewalk.
THWAK!
"Nnnghhh…"
She looked up.
Spotted the flaming remains of the jeep.
…..And gasped.
"N-No…."
She looked across the street.
"…………," Metallo stood with his wrist laser smoking….extended. He 'smirked'. "I don't remember our little dance ending, milady…."
"…….," Starfire frowned. Her teeth gritting. "Nnnngh….m'beratta x'nil de forvarker!"
And the remaining soldiers shouted: "Metallo!"
"He's one of Dagger's!"
"Take him out!"
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT!
The rounds of bullets merely bounced off of Metallo's torso.
He snickered, reached a metal hand down, grabbed a large chunk of concrete, and flung it at the nearest jeep. "Nnngh! Let slip the shit of war! Ha ha ha!"
"Aaaaugh!" the soldiers bailed out of the jeep just as—
CRNNCHHH! The asphalt chunk smashed the jeep in halves.
"RAAAUGH!" Starfire flung herself like a bullet at Metallo across the way.
WHURRR!
Two panels opened up in the back of Metallo's metal exoskeleton.
Three metal-braced rockets locked into place like wings.
CH-CHTUNK! "Oh shut up." PFT-PFT-PFTOOOOOOSSSSSHHH!
The missiles sailed straight at the convoy.
Starfire snarled, spun horizontally, and fired starbolt-after-starbolt in a clockwise spiral.
FL-FL-FL-FL-FL-FLASSSSH!
Each energy pulse met the incoming rockets in mid-air.
They all cohesively exploded together in a fiery plume.
POWWWWWW!.!.!.!.!
FWOOOOOSSSSH!
Starfire flew through the billowing blast and slammed into Metallo.
WHUMP!
Metallo braced himself against Starfire's force. He slid back on two concrete-grinding legs till his back slammed against a building front.
"Nnnngh!" Starfire charged a starbolt in a hand held high, preparing to drive it into Metallo's face.
Metallo's eyes flickered.
Whurr!
A panel slid open in his metal chest and extended a taser.
ZZZZZTTT-TTT!
"NNNNNGHHH!" Starfire jolted all over from the electrical surge.
"HAA!" Metallo uppercutted her fiercely.
WHAM!
The Tamaranian girl's body lifted up.
TH-THWISSH! WHAM! Metallo pivoted and slammed his foot into her pink shirt.
Starfire flew back into a tank—SMASH!—smashed through it—CRKKK!—and flew out the other side.
The U.S. vehicle smoked and short-circuited.
STOMP-STOMP-STOMP-STOMP!
Metallo ran over, leapt, and landed atop the tank.
CL-CLUMP!
Starfire stood up on the sidewalk beyond, rubbing her ribcage and groaning.
Metallo crouched and gripped the turret of the tank in metal hands.
"NnnnnnNNNGHHH!"
CRKKK-CRKKK-CRAAACKK!
He snapped the turret up off the tank's bottom portion entirely.
He grabbed the turret by the barrel and swung it down onto Starfire's figure.
The alien girl looked up—gasping—in the shadow of the turret…
SMASSSSH!
She disappeared under the mangled wreckage.
Smoke and dust rose from the site.
"Hrmmm…," Metallo stood up straight atop the tank. Metal arms folded. "Don't take that the wrong way. I like you just as a friend………………...come to think of it, I don't like you at all."
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
P-P-PING!
Bullets danced harmlessly across Metallo's metal skull.
"……….," he casually glanced across the intersection.
Three jeeps full of gunmen and soldiers were firing at him. "Let him have it!" "Waste him!"
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT!
"………….hrmm….," Metallo extended a hand and produced his wrist laser again.
Glowing.
About to enflame the bodies of the helpless soldiers.
"Widows…..in the making………heh heh heh heh—"
CRKKKKKK! "YEAAAAUGHHH!" Starfire burst out of the turret and flew at him, clothes and hair-ends smoking.
Metallo barely looked at her. "Aw bullocks—"
WHAMMM!
Starfire plunged into Metallo at an ascending forty-five degree angle and—
CRASSSSH!
Smashed the two of them through an office building and—
CRKKKK!
Plunged them through another building and—
SMASSSSSSH!
Sailed them through the radio-antenna of another skyscraper.
The two plunged up and over the buildings of the City and the raging battles burning below before landing atop a tower four blocks away from Kobayashi.
TH-TH-THWUMPPP!
The two rolled across a rooftop, grunting.
Metallo was the first to leap up.
He growled.
Starfire struggled to her feet.
Metallo snarled and ran straight towards the alien girl, fist flying. "Be a damn good lass and STAY THE HELL DEAD!"
SWOOOOOSH—WHAM!
T-T-T-T-T-T-
PFIFFFT!
PFIFFT!
The snipers in the lofty commercial skyscraper story aimed down and fired through the shattered glass.
Covering the battle between the U.S. Army and Dagger's forces below, they took pot shots at the soldiers of Calvin's contingent.
Forcing the infantry and artillery men to fall one by one. Bleeding.
"Dammit! Stop taking out the grunts! They've a God Damn general with them!"
"Where? Where?"
"To your right! See the open jeep?"
"Shit! Dead duck!"
"Turn his brains to soup—"
CRAACCCK!
The door to the shadowed office room flew open.
Five or six snipers stood up, gasping, glancing back.
CHIIIIING! I gritted my teeth and rushed at them.
"A Titan!"
"Ice him!"
BL-BLAM! A shotgun fire.
FWOOOSH!
I teleported through it and exploded at two of the creeps with a smoking shoulder-ramming.
WHAM!
They screamed and plunged backwards through the glass—SHATTTTERRR!
The army men and soldiers outside gasped as two bodies sailed out from the high story floor and plunged bloodily to the asphalt below.
The remaining snipers in the room with me gasped and flung their rifles at my figure.
THWOOSH!
I sliced the awkward projectiles to metal shreds.
The men reached for their pistols.
I rushed at them.
They fired at me.
One by one.
BLAM! BL-BLAM! BLAM BLAM!
I jerked, sidestepped, and blurred left and right.
I reached the group.
One pulled out a grenade.
I snarled mutely and slashed at his arm.
THWACK! His hand and the grenade went flying.
"AAAAUGH!"
I sliced at the other two men.
CHII-CHIINK! Their pistols shattered.
I rushed forward and gripped one of the men…hoisting him up by the collar.
He gasped.
I raised Myrkblade to slap him across the skull—
"NOIR!"
Calvin's voice shouted from outside. A warning cry.
"……," I glanced out.
Two soldiers were aiming bazookas at the building.
At where I was.
PFTOOOOOOSSSSH!
Jump, Jordan……
I snapped out of it.
Friggin' jump!
I dropped the man and blurred out the window.
The bleeding snipers screamed—collapsed in the office window as the two burning RPGs flew at them.
PFTOOOOO-OOOOOOOOSSSSSH!
"AAAAAAAA-!"
T-T-T-T-T-T-
BOOOOM!.!.!.!.!
The floor of the office building shattered in a ball of fire and heated glass behind me.
I twirled out of the building in a horizontal spin, soared across the street, and made contact with the building face across the way.
WHUMP!
I painfully slammed into it and bounced off.
In mid-fall I gritted my teeth—CHIIIING!—and jabbed Myrkblade out.
SLNKKKKKKKKK-KKKKKKKTTT!
The black-flickering sword ate into the black glass and steel….carving the wholllllllle waaaaaay dowwwwwwn.
Sparks and glass pebbles flew and splashed as I slowed….slowed………slowed my descent.
SCRKKKKKKK-KKKKKTTT!
When I reached the first floor, I grunted, planted my feet into the glass surface of the building and flipped off.
FW-FWIPP!
PLANT!
I landed in the center of the street.
Catching my breath….
VRMMMMM!
My neck twisted over towards the heated intersection with a whip of my long black hair.
A supply truck and a hummer were speeding towards me.
Dagger's vehicles.
As they fled the scene, a dozen soldiers ran out from their jeeps and waved their arms wildly.
Shouting:
"They're getting away!" "They're getting away!" "Stop
them!"
TH-TH-THWISSSH!
I twirled Myrkblade.
I crouched low with my sword held behind me.
I glared…..glared at the incoming supply truck.
VRMMMMMMMM!
Its headlights flashed at me.
Its dented, steel-hard grill loomed.
The vibrating, smoking vehicle soared mercilessly towards me with engines screaming.
I charged murk.
Meditated.
And unleashed all energy in a snarling teleport—FWOOOOOOSSSSH—straight through the body of the rumbling truck—FL-FLASSSH!—and solidifying in an upswing of my billowing blade at the rear of it.
"……….."
As if in a delayed reaction---
POP! P-POP! POPPP!
All four tires of the supply truck exploded.
The vehicle collapsed, slid sparkingly on its chassis for twenty meters, and turned over into an exploding crash behind me---its supply of Daggerite, elite thugs flailing everywhere and slamming into concrete and building steel.
THWUMP! THWAP! WHAM!
The hummer steered around me—tires screaming—and bolted for the far end of the street.
I looked aside.
Saw a street sign.
Dashed towards it.
Sliced the sign part off with Myrkblade—SLIIINK!
Grabbed the sign.
Enveloped it with serrated murk.
And flung the thing like a metaphysical Frisbee straight after the escaping Hummer.
THWISSSSSSSSSSSSSH!
The spinning, smoking signpiece flew through the metal shell of the Hummer and exploded into its axel.
The wheels failed.
The vehicle veered left and right and then screeched its way right into a building face at over seventy miles per hour.
It exploded…..
BOOOM!
I squinted my shaded, black eyes from the flare of the fire…and took a deep breath.
Vrmmmmm…… General Calvin rode up with his jeep under the halo of distant soldiers' cheers and whoops.
"Well done, Titan….," Calvin managed a rough smile. "You can take a breath. We've claimed the Downtown's Center."
I glanced back at the battle-strewn intersection, now a convergence of two of Calvin's reunited brigades.
Cheering soldiers.
And I couldn't help but shudder.
Do
you get the same feeling, Ana?
That this is……all too good to be true?
T-T-T-T-T-T-
CRKKKK!
CRKKKKKK-KKK!
Two golems were bearing down on a collapsed jeep behind which four U.S. soldiers were taking refuge.
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
RAT-A-TAT-TAT!
"It's no use! The damn things are impenetrable from up front!"
"We need to get the jeep's gun working again!"
"It's jammed!"
"Dammit!"
CRKKKK!
The first of the golems stepped up on the jeep, crunched it, and flailed its limbs towards the soldiers—
POW! CLANKKK!
A grappling hook stuck into the burning creature from behind.
Robin stood in the middle of the street.
"Nnnngh!"
He pulled at the cord with all his might.
YANKKK!
The golem was pulled back into two of its buddies.
All three monsters collapsed on the ground.
"They're down! They're down!"
"Take 'em out!"
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
Bullets pelted into the 'foreheads' and torsos of the beasts.
One soldier popped out a grenade, released the pin, and tossed the explosive into the center of the collapsed cluster.
BAMMM!
The golems exploded in gold fury.
Robin was long gone, jogging his way around a street corner.
Two jeeps whizzed by, blowing at his cape and hair.
He flinched, panting.
A buildingside collapsed across the way…followed by a splash of golem bodies from the punishment of a U.S. tank.
Somewhere else, the air beated loudly with rotar blades.
Robin gulped, looked down the street, and tilted his gaze upwards.
"……"
A HIND was chasing the tail of an apache, firing heavy rounds of machine gun fire. RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
Glass building fronts and rooftops shattered from the heavy assault.
The apache whizzed and spun around to avoid the tailfire.
The HIND gained and gained more speed, closing in on the U.S. craft.
"……," Robin estimated the speed, direction, and flight of the two vehicles.
He swiftly dashed across the street, jogged down an alleyway, and came out in a thick street at the edge of Downtown.
Four golems were battling a U.S. tank there.
CRKKKKK!
BLAM! BL-BLAM!
Golden bits and debris flew.
One golem stood beneath a tall skyscraper.
It turned and—at sight of Robin—flung a stream of lava pellets.
CRKK-KKK!
Robin gritted his teeth, vaulted over the fiery projectiles, and landed with his feet planted in the crown of the golem.
THWMPP!
Robin vaulted mightily off the top of the golem, soared upwards, and gripped the tattered flagpole of the building stretching above him.
Like a circus performer, the Boy Wonder spun….spun…….spun…………and spun around the pole.
FW-FW-FW-FW-FW-FWOOOOSSSSH!
The apache soared by.
Robin spun………..spun……………….and released---
FW-FW-FW-FW-FWOOOOSH!
The firing HIND streaked by as well.
"Nnnngh!" Robin flipped up, soared, and reached his hands out—SNATCH!—catching a dangling ride on the right missile wing of the soaring helicopter.
Robin hung on for dear life as the HIND veered left and right through the streets and building spaces of the City, closing in on the helpless apache.
The Boy Wonder grunted, freed a hand, pulled out an explosive disc, and planted it against the center of the HIND's payload. He tapped a few buttons and initiated the explosive timer at five seconds.
"Nnngh!" he dropped.
THWOOOOSH!
Robin fell a few stories and landed atop a hotel building's rooftop.
Th-Th-Th-Thwmpp!
He rolled a few times and came up on one knee.
Staring at the helicopter chase.
Panting….
FW-FW-FW-FW-FW-FW-FWOOOSH! The HIND soared on for another block and a half….then—
KABOOOOOOM!.!.!.!.!.!.!
The huge Daggerite craft exploded in halves. Its rotar blades shattered and flew in every conceivable direction, slicing the red-painted night as the hulk of the craft plummeted earthward.
Robin watched.
"……….!"
Robin gasped and rolled aside—
FLIP-FLIP-FLIP-CLANK!.!.!.!
A stray, black rotary blade shard landed and embedded in the rooftop just inches from his nimble body.
"……….nnngh….," Robin exhaled. He stood up on wobbly feet and limped towards the hotel building's edge.
He gazed down at the streets….the blazing battles….the golem numbers decreasing…..decreasing…..
"Dagger….," he murmured to the wintry air. "This is way too easy. What are you holding back? What is your…plan B?"
And his green-gloved fists clenched….
T-T-T-T-T-T-
"HCKKKK! CLIK-CLIK-Snkkkktt!" Deathstroke slashed and swung his sword at the nimble Dagger.
Dagger leapt back, tossed his knives, and flipped over Red Aviary.
Deathstroke hissed and jabbed straight up at the man.
Dagger nimbly dodged the attack, landed in a slide towards the edge of the Kobayashi summit, and—before he could fall off—grabbed firmly the edge of a white satellite dish.
He flipped his body up and perched within the dish.
Glancing down, the calm fighter's sweaty face saw the decrease in gold forces and the fleeing HINDs and vehicles.
"Nrmmm….," he murmured.
Dagger momentarily sheathed his blades and reached a watch on his wrist.
He tapped a few keystrokes on tiny buttons.
"…..wished I wouldn't have to resort to this till later. You certainly are a pest, Luthor…"
Beeep!
The command inputted, Dagger swiftly readied a fresh pair of knives.
In good timing, too.
"HCKKK!" Deathstroke leapt high and came sliding down the upper slope of the satellite dish. Blurring straight towards Dagger.
Dagger spun around and defended with his knives in a criss-cross fashion, blocking Red Aviary's frenzied attack.
CLANGGG!
T-T-T-T-T-T-
Inside one of two HINDs patrolling the thunderous City's perimeter….
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The dashboard lit up.
In the rear bubble of the two-man chopper, the Daggerite pilot made a few adjustments and spoke to his copilot through intercom.
"Hey. We've received the signal. Dagger wants us to go ahead."
"Snkkt. Roger that. Time to heat things up."
"Setting course."
The pilot gestured at the flanking HIND through the cockpit window and gripped the controls.
FW-FW-FW-FW-FW-FWOOOOSSH!
Both helicopters arced sharply southward and headed directly over the Bay….
To the burning Titans' Island….
T-T-T-T-T-T-
"Grfff….NRGGGHHH!" Changeling slammed through two more golems with gorilla arms. He screamed and pounced on a third in velociraptor form, biting into the flaming crown and spitting thermal shards at a group of incoming monsters..knocking them to the ground.
CRKKKK-KKK!
Garfield leapt back in elf form, and stood above the grounded Raven.
He panted….dried blood caking the left side of his head.
His one ear pricked to the wind as he flexed his limbs and shouted to the circling ring of golems.
"COME ON! IF YOU TAKE THIS CITY, YOU HAVE TO TAKE ME TOO!"
CRKKK!
The golems paced themselves slowly.
Heatedly 'studying' the changeling.
Making their approach slow…methodical.
Then and there…Raven stirred in mid-heal on the floor
"Nnnngh…."
Changeling spun and looked down at her.
Worried.
Panting.
"R-Rae?"
"Garfield….," she wheezed.
He ran over and knelt by her.
"Speak to me, Raven. Quickly! Are you doing any better--?"
"We're in trouble….," she murmured. Glowing eyes closed.
"Yeah, I know. Big flaming monsters—"
"N-No….f-from the air…."
"……….," the elf tilted his bleeding head towards the red sky.
……..
Fw-Fw-Fw-Fw-Fwoosh!
He gasped.
FW-FW-FW-FW-FW-FWOOOSH!
He stood up, fists clenched. "Choppers!"
"D-D…D-D-Dagger's….," Raven struggled to say.
"I'll take them down too! I'll toss one of these damn creeps at them! Kill two crapheads with one stone!"
"Th-They're not here for us…," Raven whispered. "They're here for the island…."
"……..," Changeling's green eyes went crooked. "The island? Raven, what the--?"
FW-FW-FW-FW-FW-FWOOOOOSSSH!
Garfield turned and looked.
The two HINDs dipped down.
From afar….they unleashed a full payload of missiles that soared down at the island….
…..and headed directly for the gaping cavity in the earth that was the fire pit where the Tower once stood.
Garfield gasped.
"The White Energy….," Raven hissed…wincing. "Th-They're trying to…..intensify it…w-with a cauldron…."
"Raven! We gotta get out of here!"
Changeling spun and scooped Raven up in his own elfin arms.
She winced. "Ohhhh….." Moaning.
"HANG ON!"
Garfield desperately ran with her and leapt off a crag of rocks---
PFTOOOOOOOOO-OOOOOOOOOSSSSH!
The missiles slammed into the virtual volcano….
KAAAABOOOOOMMMMM!.!.!.!.!.!
T-T-T-T-T-T-
The whole City shook.
The downtown area rumbled.
I gasped, nearly losing my footing.
Along with General Calvin and a handful of startled soldiers, I stared south.
Towards a sudden, rising plume of gold fire against the red horizon.
The black Equalizer in me danced and quivered like an obsidian candle to an opening window.
I shuddered.
Dear Ana……
It's……a flux.
Construction and Destruction.
This City is going to be ripped in half by the night's end.
The plume rose and rose.
The Earth rumbled more.
T-T-T-T-T-T-
In the subways, the lights flickered.
The thousands of people gasped and murmured.
Dust fell and settled on innocent, huddled heads.
People braced themselves against the walls and benches, shaken.
Lindsay's family hugged each other and prayed. The teenage girl herself held a wailing Phil close to her chest. Eyes wide.
T-T-T-T-T-T-
Robin steadied himself on the edge of the rooftop.
Teeth gritting, he spun and faced southward.
The hot fire of Titan's island rose and rose.
Burning into the sky.
As two HINDs flew guiltily from the ground zero…
The pit of fire that was once the Titans' Tower's cellar spewed forth large…frothing comets of burning gold.
Four times as large as before.
Robin exhaled.
"I thought so……."
He all but dropped his bo-staff.
T-T-T-T-T-T-
"What in the Hell?"
"More of those things?"
"No wait…they're bigger."
"What the--?"
"LOOK OUT!"
"Hit the deck!"
Soldiers dove and forced General Calvin to the ground besides the jeep.
Others ran for cover.
I stood bravely where I was, gripping Myrkblade.
SWOOOOO-OOOOOOOO-OOOOOOSSSSSH!
A blazing 'comet' the size of a semi-truck sailed down and plowed into Main Street, forming an earth-shattering crater.
BOOOOM!.!.!.!
The whole City shook as a dozen or so similar, gargantuan comets landed all throughout the Metropolitan area, smashing building faces and exploding street asphalt.
RUMMMMMMBLLLLEEEE!.!.!.!.!.!.!
The soldiers and I watched—breathlessly—as a giant shadow grew out of the ashes of the nearby, fallen 'comet'.
The figure suddenly glowed a sun-bright gold.
Nearly blinding me in spite of my shades.
A five-story tall golem of thermal energy raised its head and flailed its limbs at sight of us.
CRKKKKKK-KKKKK!
A good many of us gulped.
"It's…..I-It's like a Queen Piece of Shit!"
"Nah…it's the same as the others! Only bigger!"
"Then it'll fall twice as hard!" General Calvin stood up and shouted. He pointed a heated figure and bellowed: "FIRE!"
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
BL-BLAM! BLAM!
RAT-A-TAT-TAT!
Over two dozen streams of bullets and weaponry pummeled the tall, flickering creature.
It merely hissed and stomped towards us, burning asphalt and building fronts along the way.
I shuddered…stepping back.
Somehow……I think things just got harder……
CRKKKKKKKK!
"Here it comes!"
"Move! MOVE!"
I gritted my teeth and dove out of the way with a pulsing teleport just as the meaty arms of fire slammed down between us….
CRUNNNNNNCHHHHH!
T-T-T-T-T-T-
Over the countryside…
Blurring through the blue night.
Terra's lips parted and the earthen maiden let forth a gasp.
Her wrists which guided the swiftly flying rock twitched some.
The rock lost a little bit of altitude.
Supergirl gazed over…not sure whether or not the blonde girl needed help.
"Terra…..are you all right?"
"…………"
"Terra…what's happening?"
Her eyes thinned under her goggles.
She bit her lip. "It's gotten worse."
"…………."
Jinx and Pulsade shifted nervously where they perched.
Terra bit her lip and throttled the rock faster towards the horizon.
SWOOOOOOOOOOSSSSH!