256. Break the Circle part 16
CL-CLANGGG!
The top door of a stairwell flew open.
A viciously bleeding and limping Dagger stumbled out onto the red-hued rooftop.
He hissed and sweated and shuffled his way towards an open spot atop the skyscraper.
He held his bloody stub squeezed tightly under his right armpit.
His right forearm lifted a red-stained communicator in his fingers.
With the City burning and the battle raging all around him, the despot came to the middle of the summit and spoke hoarsely into his device:
"Do you read me?" he hissed. "Bring the hovercrafts around. We need an artillery—nnngh—shelling of the southern shore…."
A squabbling from the other end of the line.
Dagger panted, his face trying weakly to stay stone under a sheen of sweat.
"I'm fine," he uttered in reply to the squabbling. "I am East of Kobayashi Tower. I can see the entire battle from here. The Southern and Western Fronts are in desperate need of reinforcement."
…..
"No—nngh….the Parasite….is not eliminated….repeat…he is not eliminated—"
F-FWOOOOOSSSSH!
FWOOOOOSH!
FW-FW-FW-FWOOOSSH!
Dagger's body was swayed by a sudden gust of wind and air-tearing fury.
He spun and gazed westward.
His eyes narrowed coldly.
Three figures were streaking down towards Main Street.
One green, in the air.
The other orange-red, in the streets.
And the most furious of them all….red, white, and blue….occupying the center of space.
"………..," Dagger took a deep breath. He raised the communicator up to his lips with his one good hand and uttered: "New development." His brow furrowed. "Put me through to Fox. Now."
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
FWOOOOOOO-OOOOOSSSSSSH!
Superman flew through the center of the street.
He soared over the crowns of fleeing Wildebeests and meandering U.S. jeeps.
With his fists aimed ahead of him, he glanced to his right at Green Lantern.
"You with me, John?"
Green Lantern glared back. He waved his left hand….the impromptu ring finger. "You need to ask?"
Superman smiled. "Right…."
"I may not be up to givin' too many high-fives right now…but I still have seventy-five percent of my limbs available for ass-kicking."
The Flash ran up beneath the two, glanced up, and mused: "Face it, G.L…..the only thing you're good for is giving the finger. A ring finger, that is."
"Don't tempt me, pal."
"Ahem. Right….," Flash looked ahead of where he was dashing. "So….like….don't we have a war or something to take part in?"
As such was spoken, the heated center of Main Street appeared. A line of burning gold golems marched ahead of hummers carrying terrorist gunmen. Two hulking giants towered at the rear. Their footsteps shook the City and sent shockwaves of ash and flame billowing.
"Woo-doggy!" Flash's eyeslits bulged. "Cyborg didn't tell us about those party-goers!"
"Cyborg's been in the same boat as the rest of us!" Superman said in mid-flight. "In the dark!"
Green Lantern gritted his teeth and tightened his ring hand. "The darkest night is over with."
"Hey! Don't get poetic on us again, buddy!"
"Cut the chatter!" Superman motioned with a sweeping hand of steel. "Wally! Distract those smaller oafs! Green Lantern—"
"I've got the gun-toting creeps."
"Right." Superman then glared at the giants. "The big ones are mine."
"Naturally," the running Flash shrugged with a smirk and burned forward at an even greater velocity. "Time for a clean sweep! Woo-HOO!" TH-TH-TH-THWISSSSSH! At sound-breaking speed, the Flash turned into a red-orange blur and started running mad loops around the golems. He knocked a good many of them down and distracted dozens of others into swinging blind punches at each other. SMASH! WHAM! BASH!
"For the Titans!" Superman shouted and soared into battle.
"Nnnngh!" Green Lantern's eyes pulsed a matching emerald strobe with his ring as he surged his body forward, raised his left hand, and shot three force fields at once towards the first line of hummers.
FL-FL-FLASH!
The terrorists fired volleys of lead at the three superheroes, only to find their bullets bouncing off and splashing at them. They screamed and dove out of their vehicles as green brick walls slammed their jeeps up off the asphalt and tossed them mercilessly against the stretch of buildingsides.
Flash soared circles around the golems and other terrorists, causing a good many of them to collapse and many others to spin dizzily till they stumbled into each other.
And Superman---
"Nnnnnghhhh!" SWOOOOOOOSSSSSSH! He flew straight into the chest of one of the five-story giants.
POWWWW!
And smashed effortlessly out the back on the other side.
In mid-air he braked, twirled around, coiled his muscular body, and shot back at the creep with a flying fist. "RaaaAAAAUGH!"
The burning golem spun, its crown turning to 'face' the Man of Steel—
CRACKKKK! Its upper body was smashed into bits by the Kryptonian's blow.
Superman shouted and slammed a left hook, smashing dents into the lava-crust of the stumbling behemoth. Then a right uppercut…and finally a low thrusting kick that sent cracks rivering down the gargantuan beast's torso.
The second giant turned, saw Superman pummeling its partner, and 'spat' a volley of burning lava projectiles.
Superman spun around, took a deep breath, and let loose a cold breath at the lava rocks soaring at him.
FWSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssssssssh!
The lava hardened and the flaming orbs cooled to smooth stones in mid-air.
Superman blurred his arms, caught all the stones in his hands, cradled them, balled them up, and melted them with heat vision. In no-time, the Kryptonian produced a cohesive, three-ton sphere that he launched back at the huge creature with a growl.
"Rghhh!"
THWISSSSSSSH!—SMASSSH!
The huge rock smashed into the crown of the monster and tossed it back into a buildingside, smashing into its interior.
CRASSSSSSSH!
In the meantime, Green Lantern was hovering above the thick of the Daggerite army. He spun, his one left hand aiming out and gathering clumps, clusters, heaps of urban debris in a huge green net. He gritted his teeth….struggled with his flexing fingers….and morphed the net into four spinning 'sling shots' of emerald energy that he spun like a fan before turning off.
FWOOOSH!
FW-FWOOOOOSH!
FWOOOOOOOOSH!
The debris clumps flew out in a huge fan and smashed through the upper bodies and crowns of dozens of golems while bashing through the aluminum bodies of terrorist vehicles.
CRUMP!-CRACK!-THUNK!-CRKK!
Two gunmen with uzzis dashed out from behind an ignored street corner and stealthily aimed their weapons at Stewart's unguarded back.
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT!
The bullets streaked hotly towards Green Lantern's shoulder blades.
But before he could turn around…
FWOOOOOOOSSSH! A smiling Flash dashed up to a stand-still in the bullets' path. His hands blurred and swiftly grabbed-and-tossed each heated projectile before it could rip through his body or so much as harm Green Lantern.
The thugs stopped firing, their faces surprised.
Green Lantern looked over his shoulder. His emerald eyes flared and instantly he spun around with a snarl and flung a huge green fist at the two creeps.
WHAMMM!
The thugs slammed into the buildingside behind them and collapsed with a groan.
Green Lantern then twirled his body, flicked his left wrist, and swept a huge green shield across two escaping hummers…..toppling them mercilessly over and jolting the terrorists inside to unconsciousness.
The Flash whistled. "Jeez, G.L." He planted his hands on his hips and smirked at his companion. "Who knew you'd make such a good leftie?"
"I'd be laying the hammer down on this whole town with my tongue if I had to."
"Bitchin'. I'd pay to see that."
"Wally…," Green Lantern pointed down Main Street. "To your six!"
Flash spun around.
Eight burning-hot golems were charging at the Justice League members. STOMP-STOMP-STOMP!-STOMP!
"Got it!" Flash got into a starting position. "Alley-Oop!" And he streaked redly towards the advancement. FW-FW-FW-FWOOOSSH!
Green Lantern reared back…charging his ring with hot green light.
Flash streaked directly into the front of the group.
The golems swung to smash him.
He dashed to the side and proceeded to spin tornadic circles around the Daggerite cluster. FW-FW-FW-FW-FW-FW-FW-FWOOOOSSSH!
The golems wobbled—dazed inside the centrifuge.
Flash accelerated with red-orange intensity. He went faster……faster…..faster…faster…faster faster fasterfasterfasterfasterfaster-f-f-f-f-f-f---
FW-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-WSSSSSSHHHH!
The air picked up.
The mass of quivering golems lifted up in the air.
Green Lantern finished charging. With an explosion of his left hand's fingers pointing outward, he summoned a huge glove, ensnared the liftoff of the Flash's victims, and flung them miles southward so that they landed in the Bay with a maddening explosion of steam.
The Flash braked to a stand-still and saluted the Guardian. "Good one, John! You'll be in the Olympics yet!"
"Nnnngh…," Lantern muttered and soared down Main Street to scoop up a group of retreating hummers. "Why do I get the feeling that speedster belongs in the Titans' City…..?"
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"………snnnkt! Y-Yes! That's right! Reports are in with confirmation! The Justice League have entered the City! S.T.A.R. Labs' aides also acknowledge that Cyborg and Tempest of the Teen Titans are combining forces with them. It would seem that a counter-invasion is underway by the League and the Titan members to assist the U.S. Army and the stampeding beasts already fighting Dagger's forces in the Downtown Area!"
Lex Luthor sat at his desk. His fingers held together. His drinking glasses empty.
The blue spectacle of Metropolis stretched behind his shoulders in the cold, tranquil night that the northern province lent him.
His eyes were cold…calculating…
But traced with a sense of anxiety.
He listened hard…not moving……..barely taking a heaving breath.
"Eyewitness reports confirm that Superman and a few other League members are cutting a path into Main Street where the fight is the heaviest and has been the deadliest yet..."
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"There is no word on civilian casualties. For all we know— the families and residents of the City are still safe in their evacuation shelters. The battle continues to wage over their heads with no sign of lessening in intensity.
The Sandersons sat on a couch in the darklit den of their North Carolina cabin. They listened quietly to the radio...sipping from cops of coffee.
A sleepless Nova'm eventually sauntered out in his PJs, rubbing a pair of thin green eyes. At first hearing of the radio, he took a shuddering breath. He lifted off, drifted over, and came down onto the couch...curling up by his foster mother's side.
Mrs. Sanderson held an arm around him, gently stroking his long red hair as they all sat and nervously...
Listened...
"As long as those burning rock monsters keep marching through the--"
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"--City streets, victory will be difficult at best—experts have been predicting."
In Westhaven…
Outside of the Opera House….
A cluster of lantern-lit tents were erected for the workers, crew, and troupe members of the new Show in town.
Actors, constructors, and volunteers alike all stood restlessly around the squabbling radio in the center of the mess tent. They murmured to each other in shock and awe as the news broadcast continued.
Sandy stood on the sidelines, clad in a sweatshirt and sweatpants over her pajamas for the cold night. A few fellow volunteers beside her gasped and exchanged worried glances.
Armed with a flashlight, a bleary-eyed Ms. Cartwright sauntered from the opera house to the tent and peered in. She blinked…utterly confused as to the wakefulness of the Opera's crew……until she too heard the news and gasped…dropping the flashlight.
"But with the Justice League fighting in place of the dismembered Titans, army officials are hoping for a fateful turnaround of this bloody engagement. As we speak, the Eastern Front of the battle appears to be breaking up. There are rumors of numerous enemy helicopters collapsing across the length of the urban sprawl, and Dagger's collection of aircraft ultimately appears to be dwindling."
Cartwright bit her lip and looked nervously across the lantern-lit tent. Her eyes met Sandy's.
The young volunteer stared back. Her jaw clenched. She took a deep breath and tightened her fists as she gazed past her boss….
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
In Las Vegas.
Pompeii Casino.
The upstairs offices of the establishment were in a flurry.
Thugs….henchmen….guards….
They all ran with frenzied speed from room to room.
Ripping open filing cabinets.
Pulling out folders and papers by the armfuls.
Tossing them into shredding machines.
Trucking them off in carts to take downstairs where a trash compacter would make good use of itself.
Frantic….last minute attempts to dissolve all evidence of Triangular's existence.
For Dagger's glorious battle had gone on for three times as long as the calculated despot had estimated.
Rexxin shouted, his shades barely hiding the as-evident-as-ever scar across his face. He gestured and motioned the thugs along with their work….
Sweating.
Panting for breath.
At the sound of a nearby radio squawking, he stopped and craned his neck to listen.
"Satellite photos of the City show that nearly half of the giant monsters that appeared in the City about an hour ago have been depleted. At the same time, General Calvin's army appears to be making a slow-steady push back into the Downtown District from the West and Southwest. With the Justice League coming from the east, the terrorists could very well be sandwiched in an impossible do-or-die crunch!"
Rexxin shuddered.
He ran a hand through his red-highlighted hair and exhaled nervously….
Shifty-eyed….
"More
developments as they come. Please stay tuned as we cover the battle
for the Titan's City. May God be with them this hour."
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"RAAAAAAUGH!" Cyborg screamed and fired a mighty sonic cannon across the shipyards as Wonder Woman dropped him down to the ground.
ZAAAAAAAAAAP!
The blue energy stream shattered through bodies of golems and sent burning shards of gold splattering across the warehouses and sidewalks.
Tempest ran on swift feet through the descending madness of flame. Teeth gritting…eyes pulsing violet…….he summoned two giant 'fists' of levitating sea water and sent them plunging into a solid line of rock monsters.
The golems absorbed the liquid, their bodies pulsing hotly.
SSSSSSSSsssssssss!
Steam lifted up across the shipyard.
The golems flailed their limbs blindly.
"RRRRRGHHH!" Wonder Woman zoomed into the bright gold cloud, fists first.
SMASSSSH!
THWACCCKKK!
Golden gold limbs shattered and splashed about in waves of burning chunks.
Tempest smirked.
FW-FW-FW-FW-FW-FWOOSSH!
Tempest glanced up.
A HIND hovered directly overhead. Its machine gun cannons whirred, pivoted down, and fired.
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
Tempest snarled, shot his flexing fingers up, and twirled a whipping tentacle of compressed water that absorbed the streaking bullets in a wave-like fashion and shot them off course so that they struck the concrete in a pure circle around him. P-P-P-P-PING! P-PING!
ST-STOMP! Cyborg jumped in front of Tempest, screamed, and aimed his sonic cannon straight up and fired through the Atlantean's water whip.
ZAAAAAAAAAAAP!
The blue sonic blast soared up into the machine gun cannon, crushing it from the front to the back. SHATTTTTERRR! The HIND flopped about in the air as Cyborg's punishment began to disintegrate it into burning shards.
In the meantime, Wonder Woman surged from one side of the shipyard to the next, her fists swinging iron-hard into golems of all burning shapes and sizes. "RAAAUGH!" SMASSSH! "NNNGHHHH!" CRAAACK!
Two hummers and a jeep spun to a stop around a street corner. The mounted gunman atop the front vehicle loaded his weapon, pivoted, and aimed at Wonder Woman's back. His eye squinted as he took aim with the heavy caliber weapon—
FLAAASH! A ghost came out of the machine. In a green swirl, Martian Manhunter solidified atop the hummer's rear.
The man gasped and stumbled back.
J'onn stared, deadpan. "…………………………….." WHACK! He bitch-slapped the gunner off the hummer.
"Aaaaugh!"
As the man fell, Martian Manhunter reached an incorporeal hand into his vest, pulled out three grenades, unhooked them, and tossed the explosives nonchalantly into the nearby jeep.
The men shouted, jumped out of the vehicle, and ran for their lives—
POWWWWW! The jeep exploded in brilliant flame, knocking the terrorists off their feet from the concussion blast.
The gunman on the last hummer shouted and aimed the mounted weapon heatedly at the green-skinned League member.
CRKKK! A fire hydrant besides the last terrorists cracked with a purple glow. SPLOOOOOOOSSSSSSH! A torrent of rock-hard water shot outward and knocked the hummer clean over. CL-CLANK! The men sprawled across the concrete and fell unconscious.
"………..," J'onn turned around.
Tempest appeared with an outstretched hand. He stood at ease and lost the glow in his dark eyes as he glanced up.
Cyborg stood with his legs planted firmly in place. His face dripped with rivers of sweat as he snarled, clenched his teeth, and concentrated……concentrated…………..concentrated with his berserk energy blast. "Nnnnnrghhh!"
The HIND tried and tried to pull away from the sonic cannon stream, but only broke up more and more. The Daggerite pilots inside shook and screamed and began to fall apart---
"AAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!" Cyborg howled, jerked his cannon back, and thrust it forward with an extra pulse of sonic fury. Z-ZAAAAP! The HIND exploded completely. BOOOOOOOM! Flame ate out from its centers. The blades flew in random directions, skewering warehouses and rooftops. The tail stayed in one piece…..falling earthward.
Cyborg let out a grunt, scrunched his body, and caught the hulking tail with the stretch of his arms and titanium shoulders taking the brunt of the weight. CL-CLANGGG! "Nnnnnnngh!" He sweated and pulsed. He stood up like a weight-lifter….re-gripped the piece of terrorist shrapnel….and reared it like a javelin as he dashed towards the nearby street full of golems. "NNNNRAAAAAUGGGH!" He screamed and tossed the helicopter tail.
FWOOOOOSH-SCRKKKKKKTTTT! The chunk of metal flew sharply down the street, ripped asphalt apart, smashed through seven shattering golems, and knocked over two fleeing jeeps full of terrorist gunmen. POWWWW!
Swooosh! P-Plant! Wonder Woman touched down, her black hair billowing in the wind. She glanced over at Cyborg as Martian Manhunter teleported over.
Cyborg stood—half hunched—panting. "…………..," his eyes hardened and his teeth gritted as he clenched his cannon back into a titanium fist and slammed the earth. "NNNGHHH!" WHAM! "Eat Hellfire, Dagger! Cyborg's back home!"
"Enthusiastic….," J'onn droned. "….isn't he?"
Wonder Woman smirked. "Come on….," she ran into a leap and flew westward down the thicker streets and avenues. "We need to push towards the Center and establish a southern, coastal base!"
J'onn soared after her.
Tempest called: "And where exactly will that be?"
"Where else?" Cyborg stomped forward into a brisk, robotic jog. Stomp-Stomp-Stomp! "Bayside Plaza, dawg! We're giving General Calvin the second foot he needs to stand tall!" His chocolate eyes thinned menacingly. "And maybe start stepping on some sad-ass mudstains while we're at it too…."
Tempest 'sucked' up some puddles of water from the fire hydrant and created tentacles of liquid that carried him swiftly along Cyborg's side. "Don't we have some really freaky Reaper to keep our heads from being lopped off by?"
"One thing at a time."
Tempest squinted at Cyborg. "Think about ALL the Titans, Cyborg. Not just one of them."
"Man….," Cyborg glared back. "I'm finding Raven first…above all else."
"You don't have the time!"
"Oh, like Hell I do!" Cyborg growled. "It just depends….do you think your waterlogged fins can keep up, Flipper?"
"You can bet your rusted balls, ya stupid toaster!"
"……….."
"…………"
Cyborg smiled at Tempest.
Tempest smirked at Cyborg.
"Heh heh heh heh…."
"Hah hah hah hah!"
"Heheheheheh!"
"Hah hah HAH!" Cyborg whipped both swinging arms into sonic cannons in mid-sprint and grinned like a possessed maniac. "Come on! Let's tear ass!"
They soared in on the helpless golems and terrorist vehicles. Sonic pulse flying….tentacles of sharp water whipping.
"BOO-YA!"
"NEPTUNE OWNS ALL YOU MOTHER F---"
ZAAAAAAA-AAAAAAP!
TH-THWPP! SLOSSSSH! CRAKKK!
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
East of Main Street….
Changeling and I hobbled around a building corner with Raven draped between us. We held her by her arms and shoulders….doing our best to be gentle so as not to disturb her Deathstroke-induced wounds anymore. In spite of his own hackjobs, Changeling seemed just as able-bodied as ever to push the movement forward. It amazed me….to the point that I wondered if I was looking at the same green elf I once knew.
"Y-You mean to say that Noir here left us way back to find Terra?" Changeling panted.
"Y-Yes…..," Raven weakly breathed. Her eyes were shut as she dangled between us. Her limbs and features were limp…hanging. But in spite of all her exhaustion, she was still quite awake. The meditation had stabilized her….but stopped just short of empowering her to 'normal Titan' levels. "He w-went west to Vegas….Dagger and his former allies had a foothold in Nevada. Area 51 was where they took Terra. Noir rooted them out wh-while the rest of us stayed in the City…"
I gazed back.
Little Jericho was trailing behind, a watchful pair of green eyes keeping guard on the battle-strewn streets around us.
When I glanced forward again, I became aware of a jaw-dropping Changing staring at me.
"Y-You were in that Vegas catastrophe…w-with the Harrier Jet and explosions……..weren't you?"
I bit my lip.
"He's been th-through so much….all th-this time…..," Raven murmured. A sad breath. "We never lifted a hand to help him…."
Changeling glanced sharply at the sorceress. "That's not true! We didn't abandon Noir!" A beat. He looked at me…gulping. " Dude…..did we?"
I shook my head.
That's when Raven sleepy eyes opened. She looked sickly at me. "N-Noir….," she breathed. "Cyborg was a doppelganger all along. You knew this….didn't you?"
"……….," I shook my head. I mouthed: 'Not until much later'
She gulped. Her eyes closed again. "At least you have an excuse."
"…….," my lips pursed as if to say something--
"I-I failed the Titans, Noir…..I-I was t-too blinded to see through Clayface's disguise…."
As she somberly spoke, Jericho ran past my side and investigate the street ahead.
"When I-I found out that Cyborg had 'decided against' sharing the truth of your departure westward, I…..I-I trusted him. I let Hagan's words overtake me," Raven shuddered. "I….g-gave in to emotions. And for that…I-I have now cost the team dearly…."
"Dammit, Raven!" Changeling stopped the three of us and gripped Raven's shoulders with both hands. "Stop saying that! Look, we all fell for Hagan's schemes…Clayface's schemes…Dagger's schemes…..yadda yadda yadda. The last thing we need to do right now is start taking the blame for crap that wasn't our doing to begin with! Maybe you should have been more cautious about your empathy! Maybe you shouldn't! I don't frickin' care right now! Dagger's ripping this City apart. For some godawful reason, Slade's back and trying to tear our hearts out. And you….need…….to MEDITATE! So stop thinking stupid thoughts and get your head together! Jeez….why of all people am I the one having to tell you this!"
Raven stared weakly at Changeling. Her thin violet eyes once again opening long enough for her to gaze at him and murmur: "D-Do you defend me so easily, B-Beast Boy?"
"Raven….," Changeling exhaled….all but hugging her. "You're here. Noir's here. This wyrdo little shrimp—whoever—is here….—"
I gazed at Jericho, who was gazing down the street.
"—all I want is to find Starfire, win this battle, track down Cyborg and Tempest, and be all A-Okay again! Please…..don't let me lose you now! Your mind as much as your heart….!"
Raven shivered. "B-Beast Boy…..if it weren't for me….you would still have b-both ears…."
He sighed and shook his bloody head. "Raven…."
"……both ears…," Raven rambled, "….to hear her voice again with."
Beast Boy froze.
I did a double-take at Raven. My heart skipped a beat.
Beast Boy's eyes widened gradually. "R-Raven…..?"
Her eyes closed. She slowly exhaled. "She's alive, Garfield……..she's whole….."
"……………….."
"N-Noir…..g-got her……..out of Area 51……"
Silence.
Beast Boy slowly turned and stared at me. Mouth agape.
I slowly breathed…heart beating.
He blinked. "J-Jordan?" His head leaned to the side. The one pointed ear pricked…. "Is th-this true?"
"…………."
Beast Boy's breath left him. His eyes began to water. An un-dammed desperation. He all but dropped Raven as he scooted into me and gripped my far shoulder. "T-Terra…..she's alive? She's out of the stone?"
I slowly….firmly nodded.
"Where? Where is she?" he barked. "Is she safe? Is sh-she in one piece? I-I mean….oh m-my god….." He hyperventilated. He clutched a head of hair with a shaking hand and all but teared his eyes out. "I-I-I c-can't believe this….I-I don't know wh-what to say….." He clenched his fist and snarled at Raven and I. "Why didn't you tell me?"
In the echo of his growl, I could have sworn I saw snake eyes flicker in wrathful energy under his lids. For the first time in my superhero career, Beast Boy frightened me….
I jolted back.
Changeling seethed for a moment.
"Garfield…..," Raven's fingers gently pressed into his upper shoulder and neck.
He shook still….jaw clenched.
"Be calm….," she breathed…soothingly.
He clenched his eyes shut. Tears like earlier's dripped down his cheeks. He sniffed and gritted his teeth. "I-I just….w-want to see her….."
"……………..," Raven and I were mute.
Changeling rubbed the tears dry with a free fist across his shut eyes. "After th-this whole terrible day…..I-I just want to see her….."
Silence….
Subtle ambiance of battle in the distant urban spires….
"I know that feeling, G-Garfield…….."
Changeling's wet eyes opened.
Both he and I gazed at the dark girl.
Raven's lips were quivering as she gazed off into empty space. "I-I've been wanting to 'see someone' for about a month now…."
"…………"
"…………."
Suddenly, Jericho let loose a shrill whistle.
We all looked up.
The little blonde thing was running towards us from the building corner, his green eyes as wide as saucers. He waved his hands madly and gestured us to draw back.
I looked at him panickedly and mouthed: 'What is it?'
He swiftly ran around and 'hid' behind me.
"……..," I gazed forward.
Cl-Clak!
Clak!
Clik!
A supply truck full of Dagger's terrorists appeared in the street besides the sidewalk.
They aimed uzzis and shotguns and pistols at us en masse.
Twenty gunmen strong.
"All right, Titans!"
"Be absolutely still!"
"End of the god damn line for you, kids!"
"……………," my Titan partners were silent.
Jericho trembled behind me.
I clenched my jaw shut tight. My flesh fingers twitched as I summoned murk under my skin and prepared for a swift-as-smoke dash for the hilt of my sword—
"Heads up, meatbags!"
A strong voice echoed from above.
Three fourths of the gunmen looked up. They shouted and scurried to aim their weapons upward---
SWOOOOOOOOOOOOSH! Metallo's heap of a mangled body soared down like a missile—SMASSSSH!—and sailed heavily through the center of the supply truck. CRAAACKKK! The vehicle tore apart and the bodies of the terrorists went flying, screaming.
THWOOOSH! Steel flew down and swung his sledge hammer into the ground. "NNNNGH!"
THUDDDD!
The resulting concussion blast of the iron-heavy bludgeon sent dozens of thugs collapsing unconscious…..and in turn caused my buddies and I to fall awkwardly on our butts.
Th-Thrump!
Whump!
"Owie…," Changeling hissed.
Jericho winced.
Raven craned her neck….weak eyes squinting. "Metallo…..," she murmured.
"Uggggh…..," the sparking robot twitched and groaned. Bolts shot intermittently out from his skull-like jaw and neck joints. "……r-remind me to thank Dagger for the wonderful w-weekend retreat…."
TH-THUNK! Steel kicked the android in the chest, shorting him out. "Shut your damn trap, you ugly ass fool!" He tilted his helmeted head up and 'smiled' as us Titans. "The damn clunker got what he deserved. You kids should be safe from him now."
"……………," Raven said nothing. It bothered me. When Raven purposed to not say anything, there was usually a dark….somber reason.
"St-Steel?" the one-eared elf stood up. Blinking. "Omigod….THE Steel?"
"Yup. 'Fraid so, kid. I'm a lot more rusted than you see on the trading cards."
"Wh-What in God's name are you doing here in our City?"
"Cuz the Justice League of America is in your City, elf!"
Changeling gasped.
So did Jericho…..smiling, rising up….
"The Justice League……," Raven murmured….breaking her own silence. "So they've come to our aid….."
As if on cue, a streaking figure soared over head. Growling. Wielding a huge building front that she swiftly and thunderously tossed into a wave of golem monsters a block away.
With Amazonian strength….
SMASSSSSH!
I gasped and stood up.
Diana!
"We're pushing westward and taking the City Plaza! Some of Calvin's backup forces from the South should be there! I'm guessing you're needing a medical facility!"
"Yeah, dude—er…M-Mr. Steel. Raven here is—"
"I'm fine….," the dark girl murmured--
"NO, YOU'RE NOT! She needs assistance. We could all stand a breather, come to think of it."
"You can ask us all the way up to Superman…..and find out that nobody could blame you," Steel nodded. A beat. He turned and gazed at me.
I was biting my lip….inching away nervously from him.
There was a pause…as if Irons was rolling his eyes under his mask. "For goodness sake, Noir….we all understand that you weren't being a villain when you did what you did at the Daily Planet and stuff."
I blinked my black eyes. My lips moved: 'You do?'
"Yup…," Steel nodded. He pointed behind him nonchalantly. "HE told us."
Who?
I looked up.
So did Jericho and the other Titans—
PHWOOOOOOOOOOOO-OOOOOOOSSSSSSSH!
The Batwing soared overhead.
The five of us flinched…….wobbling from the intense afterblast of the supersonic airplane of the Dark Knight.
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
SHOOOOOOOMMM!
The Batwing rocketed over the City.
Its rear engines flared and its wings sliced through red-colored currents of December night air.
The aircraft thundered over streets full of wildebeests on the rebound, charging and engulfing golems and terrorist vehicles.
The Batwing then dipped low and zoomed down Main Street. It blurred past the buildingsides placed claustrophobically on either side.
WHURRR-CHTUNK!
Two missiles loaded.
The Batwing angled itself just right….laser-targeted one of two giant golems that was doing battle with Superman….and let loose the two flaming projectiles.
PFTOOOOOSH!
PFTOOOOOOOOOOSSSSH!
The missiles sailed deep into the gut of the giant monster…shattering it and blowing it into shreds from the inside out.
CRKKKK-AAAAAA-CCCCKKKK!
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
Superman spun in mid-air and glanced over his shoulder as the huge colossus disintegrated and crumbled down to the asphalt of Main Street with a fading gold flame.
The Man of Steel tilted his head up and smiled as the Batwing soared past above….its thrust blowing at his greased hair.
PHWOOOOOOO-OOOOOM!
The Batwing soared off into the distance.
Superman exhaled….
FW-FWOOOSH!
The Flash soared over and froze in a pose perched atop a streetlamp. "Don't you love it when he upstages you?"
"I know I can't complain!"
"Pfft….," Flash stuck his tongue out and sprinted off. "….modest!" FWOOOOOOSH!
Superman chuckled, turned around, and—
SLAMMMMM!
The foot of the other reigning giant crushed him to the ground. CRUNNNNCH! Asphalt and concrete flew in burning shards.
"Nnnnnnghhh!" Superman struggled and strained under the weighted limb.
CRKKKKKK! The burning beast bent over, applied more pressure to pin the Kryptonian down, and raised both its arms to slam down onto the Metropolitan hero.
Superman gritted his teeth. He glared….his eyes burning a hot amber. ZAAA-AAAAAAAAP! He fired dual heat rays in a skyward sweep that severed the two 'hands' of the burning monster at the wrists.
SL-SLUNNK!
THAP! The flaming chunks fell to the ground.
The monster rumbled, flailed its limbs, and prepared to send a wave of fire down to scorch the Man of Steel—
"HEY!"
A glow of emerald.
The huge golem 'looked' up.
Green Lantern hovered across the street, holding a smashed tank up in a field of green energy.
"If you boys are gonna play hardball, you gotta learn how to catch first!" He flung his ring-hand forward. "NNNNGHH!"
THWOOOOOOOSSSSSH!
The tank soared through the air and smashed forcefully into the crown of the giant.
CRUNNNNCCCH!
The giant was plowed directly….and tossed off its 'stance' upon the Man of Steel.
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
SMASSSSH!
The stumbling giant flew through a line of buildings, limped backwards, began to fall---
PFTOOOOOOOSSSSSH!
Two more missiles sailed down from the sky and exploded into the side of the beast….blowing it apart into burning shards.
POWWWW!
PHOOOOOOOSSSSSH!
The Batwing decelerated into a hover of upward thrust. The vehicle levitated over the center of the City like a harrier jet and slowly lowered towards the raised highway where throngs of terrorist gunmen were staked out with their vehicles and mounted weapons.
SCHWIIIIISSSSH!
The transparent door of the Batwing slid open.
Batman sat in the front cockpit seat.
He shouted above the cape-beating wind and mayhem. "This looks like the best spot! Dagger's men have the high ground. They think that none of the Wildebeests or Calvin's men can get to them!"
"Don't lecture me…," Catwoman unbuckled in the backseat and half-climbed out. "I know how to spring a mouse-trap."
"This isn't a joke, Selina!" Batman shouted. "This is war! Justice League caliber!"
"Rowwwr….," she winked at him from under her mask and pulled out her whip. "….I can stand to be tested for once."
"……….," his eyeslits narrowed. "You be careful….."
"Please, Batman….," she toyed with the ears of his mask and leapt over the side. "I think I got a few lives left…."
TH-THWOOOOSSSH!
As she fell through the air, Batman lifted the Batwing back up to the air and slid the cockpit door closed.
SSCHWIIIIIISSSSH!
"And I still got a job to do…."
SCHLUMP!
He hovered up….fired the rear rockets….and zoomed off.
PHOOOOOOOOSSSSH!
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
In the meantime….
Catwoman fell….fell……fell……
Her leather whip twirled in the air like an acrobatic tail as she plummeted towards the raised highway.
On both sides of the asphalt lanes, Dagger's men gathered at the mounted guns of their vehicles and took aim at fleeting Wildebeests and streaking-amber-red-blurs of the Flash below.
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT!
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
Catwoman descended.
And as she did so, she grinned ravenously.
A lamppost blurred up towards her.
"Hah!" she lashed her arm out and flung the whip.
FWPPP!
The leather 'tail' flung out, wrapped around the stalk of the lamp, and snagged tightly.
TWNNNG!
Catwoman gripped tight to the handle of her whip, reached the taut length of it, spun up and around and around and around and loosened the whip so that her body propelled up and outward in a carnivorous foot-first pounce. "RaaaaaawRR!"
Fwoooooosh!
She sailed down at the unsuspecting creeps.
Two gunmen on the west side of the highway overpass besides a jeep glanced up. They blinked. They shrieked—"AAAAA---!"
WH-WHUMPPP! Catwoman's left and right feet found a soft skull of each man respectfully and crushed the two goons painfully to the ground.
She flipped off, landed in a slide, and ended in the center of the highway with all gunmen pausing to gaze at her.
She crouched sexily…thinned her eyes…..and cooed. "When my feet get tired….there's always a thick head of a man to land on instead."
"What in the—"
"Waste that bitch!"
"Shoot her!"
"Pfft….," she rolled her eyes. "Oh please…."
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
RAT-A-TAT-TAT!
Four separate streams of hot lead converged on her.
"Hmmpph!" Catwoman grunted, backflipped through the spray of bulletfire, and landed with her feet planting into the shoulders of two men. She vaulted off, forcing them to fly over the edge of the highway.
P-Plant!
"AAAAUGH!" "Daaah!"
She spun horizontally in a forward dive, dodged bullet streaks in mid air, landed, rolled, and sprang up with a twirl of her body and a rapid lashing of her whip in multiple directions.
TH-THWPPP! THWPPP! WHPPP!
She snapped pistols out of men's grasps. Slapped heads together. And ended with the whip wrapped about a man's ankle.
"Wha---?" he gasped.
"Nnnngh!" she yanked up hard on the whip from where she crouched.
The man's body flailed up in the air.
She spun and jerked back to the west of the highway.
The whip let loose and tossed the man's body hard into the gunman atop a jeep. THWOOOOSH-WHAM! The bodies collided. The mounted gun spun and fired randomly—RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!--popping the tires of a jeep across the way and knocking two men onto the asphalt.
WH-WHUMP!
The men stirred to get up—
TH-THWUMP! Selina Kyle leapt down, planted her heels into their lower vertebrae, and bounced off to flip a flying kick into a creep across the way.
WH-WHAMMM! The man flew—screaming—off the raised highway and into the hungry, vengeful arms of the Wildebeests below.
Two men pumped shotguns and fired around a jeep for protection.
BL-BLAM!
BLAM!
Catwoman leapt up, lashed her whip up, wrapped its end around a lamppost swung up high—THWISSSH!—dodged more shotgun blasts in mid-swing—BL-BLAM!—and let loose in a leap that sent her twirling and landing agilely into the back of a hummer.
"HAH!" she kicked the mounted gun so hard, it tilted down and fired instantly into the under-chassis of the vehicle.
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-BOOOM!
The explosion caused the two shotgun bearers to plummet across the asphalt….landing with cold impacts…groaning.
Catwoman leapt, landed, and crouched cat-like in front of the last throng of gunmen before a line of jeeps on the west side of the highway.
They were shaking in their boots…eyeing her silhouette against the flames with uncertainty.
She hissed at them….gripping tightly to her whip…..licking her lips and grinning….
One man panicked and whipped out a grenade.
"Raawr!" THWPPP!
The end of Selina's whip somehow made its way across the lane and snapped the grenade out of the man's grasp.
The thug gasped and reached up for his weapon.
THWPP! THWPPPP!
Two more lashes knocked three other grenades loose from his vest.
They fell to the floor---
TWHPPP!
Catwoman flung her whip up high, wrapped its end around the first airborne grenade, brought the whip back, and lashed it forward with ferocity.
THWOOOOSSH! The grenade soared through the air, rolled on the ground—CL-CLANK!—and knocked the other three round explosive like pool balls bouncing over the concrete and straight into the fuel tanks of the jeeps next to the guardrail.
"Aaaaaaugh!"
"Run! Run!"
"SHIT---"
Ca-CLANK!-POWWWW!
The jeeps exploded mightily with flame and frothing plasma.
The scampering men were knocked from the concussion of the blast and fell unconscious across the lengths of the highway.
Selina Kyle snaked up to a standing position. She smiled at the flame.
"Mmmmmmm….if anything….I may at least get to steal the scene before the night's done….."
TH-THWPPP-CRACK!
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
PHOOOOOOSSSSSH!
Batman soared through the air in the Batwing.
Wind from the red night pounded against the windowed door of the aircraft.
He throttled over the skyscrapers….Wayne Enterprises….Kobayashi Tower….
The crimson stars twinkled before him.
And in his line of sight appeared two black bodies….
HINDs that were aiming their missiles at Calvin's left flank.
Beep-Beep-Beep!
The jet's laser targeting sought the two helicopters….
And found them.
Beeeeeeeeep!
Batman's eyeslits narrowed.
"Grow some real wings…….."
His finger pounded over the trigger.
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
PFTOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSH!
Twin missiles soared from the sides of the Batwing.
They spun through the air in a technological ballet of flaring heat….and sank into the hulking bodies of the air-beating HINDs.
BOOOM!
KABOOOOM!
The blades shattered and flew everywhere.
The helicopters imploded in-mid-air from the balls of plasma surrounding them…..
Then plummeted earthward.
PHOOOOOOSSSSH!
The Batwing swung hard and arced across the City.
In so doing….the aircraft nearly plowed into three apaches and the green streaking alien that was leading them.
FWOOOOOOSSSSH!
Starfire gasped and braked in mid-air.
The three U.S. aircraft wobbled in mid-air, attempting to balance themselves in the heated…disturbed sky.
Starfire hovered in place, glancing eastward at the flaring vehicle.
"B-Batman of the Justice League….," she murmured. She gulped. Then in a lower…..deflated voice. "Robin's mentor….."
"Snkkkt! It's Batman! He's engaging the enemy from above!" the voice of a pilot vibrated from an amplifier behind Starfire.
"……………"
"Should we assist him, Miss Starfire?"
The Tamaranian took a deep breath. "No!" she shouted. She motioned down towards the industrial section of the City's Northern District. "Dagger's fragmentary forces are attempting a nefarious entrance of the Subway System from the City's North!"
"That's
where the citizens are!"
"Then to protect the innocent, we must make haste! Follow me!" And she held her breath as she made a deep nose-dive towards the earth in a green streak. Her fists clenched and pointed downwards.
FW-FW-FW-FW-FW-FW-FWOOOOSH! The three apaches followed her in tight formation.
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
VRMMMMMMMMM!
A contingent of Daggerite jeeps were zooming northward in a lane flanked by power plants and factories.
At the air-whistling sound of a diving alien and three U.S. aircraft, the terrorists turned and glanced up.
Jaws dropping.
"Wonder Woman?"
"No! That alien Titan!"
"Heads up, everyone!"
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
Starfire dodged the bullet fire, summoned a starbolt, and flung a hot pulse down to absorb the bullets and eat them into obliterated dust before they could so much as touch the apaches.
As she drew closer, she took a deep breath….pulsed her eyes a hot emerald….and shot two optic blasts. "RAAAAAA-AAAAAAUGH!"
FLAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSH!
The streaking green beams surged through three of the rear vehicles, slicing them in half and sending aluminum shards showering hotly across the concrete among sprawling gunmen's unconscious bodies.
CRKKK! CRAAAAK! SLIIIIIICE!
Starfire flew down, billowed through the flaming clouds, and emerged to dip down till she barely skimmed the surface of the asphalt.
Two hummers loomed in sight. Men in the back loaded rocket launchers and took aim at the alien girl.
The Tamaranian hissed, summoned a hot strobe of emerald energy, and let it loose. FL-FLASSSH!
PFTOOOOOOOSSSSSH!
PFTOO-OOOSH!
Two rockets flew at her.
The starbolt absorbed them, sending blinding ash and dust scattering across the street. PHOOOMMM!
The three apaches soared overhead and fired heavy caliber bullets at the two terrorist vehicles.
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
The hummers swerved desperately to veer out of the way, as if not taking note of the apache presence until the last second.
One of Dagger's vehicles exploded hotly from a bullet to the fuel tank. PHOOOMB!
The other swerved to the far left of the street. The men in the back snarled and fired an RPG straight up at the three birds.
PFTOOOOOOSSSH!
The apaches lifted up desperately to dodge—
"RAAAUGH!" Starfire darted up, spun in the air, and kicked the nose of the missile with her casual shoe.
WHACK!
The missile soared up, barely missed the apaches' rotary blades, and twirled off into a warehouse alongside the street.
POWWWWW!
Burning debris splashed everywhere and rained into the road.
The hummer screeched and burned rubber to miss the flaming chaos.
And suddenly the terrorist vehicle wasn't burning anything at all. Its tires spun madly in the air and the thugs inside gasped as Starfire lifted it up high into the air with her alien body stretched beneath the hummer.
"NNnnnnngh!" she lifted the vehicle up…up……..up….
And floated over to a factory along the northern stretch of the City. She flew over the rooftop and wedged the car in between two smokestacks, where it dangled precariously with the men inside twitching anxiously.
FLAAAAA-AAAAAASSSH! Starfire melted the barrel of the mounted gun for good measure before floating off to rejoin the apaches.
"Hurry!" she pointed with a loud cry. "We shall travail upon surrounding the perimeter and—"
THWACCCCKKK!
A giant golem's hand slammed across Starfire like a palm to a fly.
"Aaaack!" Starfire cried, plummeted earthward, and smashed through a small stretch of warehouses. CRASSSSH!
CRKKKKKKK-KKKK!
The four story giant turned around from its burning marching-path and faced the three apaches next.
They hovered back, spread apart, and fired hot waves of lead. RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
The monster merely absorbed the bullet rounds, waved its burning limbs, and stomped over to smash the apaches out of the air as well—
CRUNCH! Starfire burst out of a warehouse rooftop below and soared towards the giant beast. "RAAAAAUGH!"
THWAAACKKK! Her joined fists slammed across the 'crown' of the behemoth.
It stomped forward, teetering.
The apaches flew out of the way as the giant collapsed straight through a factory.
CRASSSSSH!
Starfire flew up and readied a huge starbolt over her head. "NNnnnnnghhh!" She clenched her eyes shut and screamed as emerald lightning bolts flew magically into the huge orb and turned the projectile into a burning sphere of fury. "NGGGH-AAAAAH!" FLASSSSH! She flew it down at the beast.
The giant was just starting to get up---
POWWWWWWWWW!.!.!.!.!.!.!
A huge crater formed with rising green flame engulfing the hulking colossus.
The apaches maintained their distance.
Starfire flew above the mess.
Panting…..panting…….panting……….
"……."
Glaring.
"…………………."
….
CRKKKKKKK!-TWHOOOOSSSH! The severely cracked and lava-leaking beast shot up with a golden fist.
WHACK!
"OOOOF!" Starfire twirled back in the air a block and a half.
The giant shook, quivered, climbed out of the crater, and took burning steps across the street to charge the Tamaranian—
PFTOOOOOSSSH!
PFTOOOOOOSSSSSH!
Two missiles soared from the apaches and pummeled the beast.
The giant shook and faltered back from the projectile punishment on its already sensitive torso chunk.
P-P-POWWW!
KAPOW!
Starfire stopped flailing.
She hovered upright….took a deep breath….glanced to her side….spotted a fifteen foot radio antenna standing atop a rooftop……flew over….gripped it…..snarled…..snapped the sharp, elongated pyramid out from its base—CRACK!—and hovered up with the makeshift javelin grasped and heated from her starbolting palms.
"I shall place down thunder's gavel which you so request!" she hissed, twirled, and tossed the hulking shard with a shout: "Now the whirlwind shall additionally be available for your harvest!"
SWISSSSSSSSSH-CHUNKKKK!
The missile skewered the burning, rock chest of the monstrosity.
Lava and fiery ooze splashed out from its twirling, enraged body. The burning 'guts' of the giant bubbled and churned in a futile attempt to seal its golden self off from the red night…
But the apaches were on the beast before that could happen. RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
PFTOOOOOOSSSSSH!
A converging mass of bullets, missiles, and explosive projectiles swam across the December air and dug into the cavity that the sharp bludgeon hat made.
BOOOOOM! The giant suddenly and brilliantly exploded, sending warbling waves of fire and chaos splashing all around.
The apaches twirled in the air and nearly collided with each other as they swayed from the fountaining fire.
Starfire hovered over a throng of warehouses. She gasped at the sight of the firewall and crossed her pink-sleeved arms before her face as---
PHWOOOOOOOMBB!
The plasma engulfed her dangling body.