Raven
She floats in a wide circle around the building, keeping her barrier out in front of her with her left hand, while hurling objects and unleashing blasts of dark energy with her right. She can't keep Robin in sight as there is just too many enemies.
Azarath, metrion, zinthos, she repeats her mantra over and over in her mind, trying to keep focused on the task at hand.
Batman appears on the roof, seemingly from out of nowhere, subduing four assassins at once. Then he rushes David Cane from behind while Cane watches Robin, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Then they leave her vision as she wheels around, focusing on a group of enemies with crossbows. She focuses her energy. Their weapons become enveloped in a black aura, then fly from their hands. They turn their attention to her, throwing star blades that fly in unpredictable patterns. She blocks a few, then others pass her by. She throws her left hand behind her, exposing her front, but also blocking the stars that had turned around like boomerangs to fly at her back. They bounce harmlessly off her barrier and she narrows her eyes.
"Best you got?" she says.
They scowl, and draw more blades, unleashing them with fury.
(******)
Robin
Cane groans.
Robin sees him fall out of the corner of his eye, then Batman appears in his vision, kicking Cane's prone form.
Robin begins working his way towards Batman, picking through blade wielding assassins along his way.
Cane kicks at Batman, getting back to his feet.
Robin pummels him with his staff, then pain rips through his shoulder. He drops to the ground, looking over his shoulder to see a throwing star embedded in it.
Batman starts dealing with a large group behind Robin.
Out of breath, panting in pain, Robin looks forward to see another large group coming his way, all of them with swords at the ready.
Oh, crap.
(******)
Raven
Robin is in trouble, and she knows it.
But she too is in trouble.
For every assassin that she disables, three more appear, throwing those cursed stars!
Her eyes glow white, and she uses her mind to grab an assassin, lifting him off the ground. She hurls him forward into a group of assassins, trying to buy herself some time to help Robin.
Assassins pop up in the right corner of her vision, aiming crossbows at her.
The other men get closer to the wounded Robin.
Her heart kicks against her ribs, indecision ripping her in two.
Wonder Woman bulls over the archers, giving Raven the time she needs to help Robin.
Heart soaring, she reaches out with her mind, grabbing two of the assassins and slamming them into each other, then into the group closing in on Robin.
Robin pushes up to his feet, rips the blade from his shoulder and throws it to the ground, making his way towards Batman again.
Batman fights like a man possessed. He blocks a kick from an assassin while punching another at the same time. He ducks simultaneous blows from two assassins, then knocks them into each other, and vaults over one in front of him to land a solid kick to Cane's abdomen.
It is easy to see where Robin gets his skill from.
Raven wheels again to check on Wonder Woman.
Holding a busted piece of a table as a makeshift shield and a sword, Wonder Woman looks like some kind of ancient warrior. Though Raven notes that none of Wonder Woman's blows are lethal. An assassin gets in a lucky shot, elbowing Wonder Woman's face. She staggers back and slips on a fallen plate. Twelve men move on her, surrounding her.
Raven reaches out with her mind, encompassing Wonder Woman in a black bubble.
She takes a deep breath. "Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos!"
The bubble explodes into a shock-wave, knocking the surrounding assassins into the air, sending them flying.
Wonder Woman stands up, unharmed. She nods at Raven, then picks up her makeshift shield and charges the enemy yet again.
How can there be so many of them? Raven thinks.
Stars fly her way, and she dodges to the side, putting her shield out, deflecting them away. She is starting to grow very frustrated.
She rips a large hunk of the stage apart, then drops one half on the group that threw the stars at her, then drops the other half on a group near Robin.
She holds her shield out in front of her, breathing heavily, unsure how much longer she can hold out.
As long as it takes! she tells herself, clenching her fists.
As long as it takes.
(******)
Robin
He keeps the assassins busy while Batman keeps Cane on the defensive.
Raven keeps helping where she can, dropping whatever heavy objects are left to drop.
My guardian angel.
He ignores the pain and fatigue, fighting on.
An assassin brings his sword down like a hammer.
Robin goes to block with his staff, and it snaps in two. He takes a kick in the stomach, and staggers backwards.
The assassin steps up and swings his sword. Robin knocks the blow away with one half of his staff, then strikes with the other; using them like batons.
Cane grabs Batman and shoves him down on a table, trying to pin him. He pulls a knife and tries to drive it into Batman's throat.
Batman grabs Cane's forearm on the way down, struggling to keep the blade from stabbing him.
Robin tries to make his way there, but gets blocked off by a group of six assassins. He looks for a way to flank, but more bad guys come.
He lets out a groan of frustration, and charges, leaping into the air, kicking one in the face, then spinning around to sweep the legs out from underneath two more.
The rest rush him, and it's all he can do to just to defend himself.
(******)
Batman
Cane moves to get extra leverage.
Batman growls, clenching his fist, taking a long breath, then growling again, pushing Cane away with one hand. His other fist comes up, smashing Cane in the throat.
Cane staggers back, gagging.
Batman is on him faster than seems possible, hitting Cane's legs, his ribs, his face, his groin, then turning around 360, putting all his momentum into a devastating kick to his face, knocking him into the air and onto his back ten feet away.
He turns to find Robin on the defensive against a large group of assassins; tired, but holding his own.
Batman checks Wonder Woman; holding her own as well. He scans, looking for Joker and Harley. He spots Harley, still dressed as the Joker. She's shooting at Raven.
Raven uses her shield to deflect the bullets.
Harley reloads, but doesn't see the long, coiled table cloth behind her enveloped in black. It wraps around her tight, tying her up. She drops her gun, and falls over, screaming for Joker to help her. She struggles but is securely tied.
Batman scans again, but still can't find any sign of the real Joker.
Cane tries to get up, and Batman knees his face, then turns to aid Robin.
(******)
Robin
An assassin grabs his shoulder, and Robin makes him pay, slamming a fist into the assassin's ribs. The assassin reaches back for a punch, but a black gloved hand catches his arm. Robin smirks as the assassin disappears from his vision, replaced by the Dark Knight himself.
Batman nods, then they go back to back, letting the assassins come as they will.
Robin ducks a slash, and Batman's boot finds the attacker. While ducked, Robin lashes out his foot, catching the knee of a man running at Batman.
Robin grunts. "Just like old times, huh?"
The two work in tandem as if they were both sharing one mind.
Minutes that feel like days pass, and most of the assassins lay unconscious at their feet.
The few who are left standing look to their leader; Cane sits dazed, barely conscious.
A bright light flashes, then Cane and the standing assassins are gone; retreated.
Robin turns to Batman, a tired smile on his face. Batman's eyes go wide, and Robin knows.
Aw, He-
The metal sliding of a loading gun tells him that he was right. Joker is going to kill him.
(******)
Raven
She scans the battlefield as Wonder Woman puts the finishing touches on the last group of Joker's goons.
Raven starts looking for civilians that might need help. As much as they try to prevent it, collateral damage is sometimes impossible to avoid in these kinds of battles. Everyone looks mostly okay, Raven not immediately spotting any serious injuries.
Then she spots an old woman heading towards Robin. The woman pulls out a huge nickel plated revolver, pointing it right at Robin's back.
Her heart jumps into her throat, her hand reaching out, trying to focus her mind on the weapon. The woman starts to pull the trigger, the hammer starting to fall.
(******)
Starfire
She stands in the elevator to Titans Tower, wearing a purple shirt and purple skirt. She fidgets, almost unable to contain her excitement.
Oh, how they'll be surprised to see me.
The elevator doors open and she bursts out, leaving her husband behind to take care of the bags himself.
"FRIENDS!" she shouts, ripping into the main room.
Though it is somewhat late, there should still be someone in the main room.
"Starfire!?" Beast Boy shouts from the couch.
He turns and sees her, then bolts over the back of the couch, and sprints for her.
She floats to him and wraps her arms around him, trying not to squeeze too tightly, but having a hard time.
"Star," Beastboy croaks. "Star."
She lets go and smiles brightly.
"Starfire?" Cyborg's voice sounds from the kitchen behind her.
She whirls around to see Cyborg put a giant try of different meats down.
"It is you!" he says. "Boo-ya!"
"Oh, Cyborg!" she shouts, floating towards him.
She gives him a bone crushing hug of his own.
"Oh, how I have missed you, friends," she says.
"Starfire?" another voice says.
She lets go of Cyborg to see a red suited boy.
"Friend, Speedy?" she says.
"Nice to see you too," he says.
She smiles at him, and nods. Though she wonders why he is here. How much have things changed since she's been gone?
Cyborg comes to stand next to Beast Boy.
A male voice clears his throat.
"Oh!" Starfire says. "Please, friends, meet husband Gavyn!"
Beast Boy and Cyborg both exclaim at the same time: "HUSBAND!?"
Eyes wide, jaws dropped, they might as well have red exclamation marks above their heads.
Reduced to a stuttering stupor, they both turn to see Prince Gavyn, a blond man in great shape, wearing an "I Heart Jump City" shirt and a pair of jeans. Starfire had told him that it would be a good idea to blend in some. He smiles at her, and her heart swells with pride.
"Husband?" Beast Boy says again. "Duuuuuude..."
He fidgets side to side, switching from interlocking his fingers to scratching his neck.
"Congratulations!" Cyborg says, very loudly.
"Yeah!" Beast Boy says, speaking very quickly. "Nice to meet you. I'm Beast Boy, we're the titans, this our place. That's Cyborg." He points at Speedy. "He's Speedy. He's helping us out for a while. So are a few-"
Three voices clear their throats.
Starfire turns to see an older blond man with a long beard, a blond woman, and a very large man with black hair. The blond man and woman are both wearing pajamas, but the man wears a red uniform with a white cape, and golden lighting bolt on his chest.
"Who is this?" the blond woman says.
"She's the alien princess," the blond man says, giving Starfire a smirk.
"Of course you would know that," the woman says.
"Cyborg, Beast Boy," Starfire says. "Who are they?"
"Well, you see," Beast Boy says. "It's kind of hard to- well it's- you see-"
Starfire cuts him off. "Where are friends Robin and Raven?"
(******)
Robin
He spins around with every bit of speed he can muster, releasing a wing-ding blind. He sees muzzle-flash, hears the thunder-clap, but doesn't feel the pain of a bullet tearing through him. Raven must have used her powers to affect the shot.
The gun drops from the Joker's hand as the wing-ding slams into it.
Joker curses, and turns to run, but too late. Batman, Raven, Wonder Woman, and Robin all running after him.
Robin pulls out his grapple and aims for Joker's calf muscle, firing a perfect shot.
The Joker squeals in pain and falls down as the grapple reels him in.
Joker writhes on the ground, grabbing for his leg.
Robin stomps on it, then leans over. "Let's talk."
Joker let's out another squeal.
"Who hired you?" Robin says.
Joker curses and grumbles and giggles.
"Oh, you," he says. "You just won't die, will you?"
"Answer me!" Robin growls. "Who hired you?"
"You know, I can't remember."
Joker grins and starts laughing, then coughing.
Robin winds up for a punch, then pauses, staring down at the grinning face.
He'd just enjoy it. He wants you brought down to his level.
He shoves Joker back and walks away, letting out a loud groan of frustration. He takes a few deep breaths to collect himself, then feels a delicate hand gently squeeze his shoulder.
"Are you alright?" Raven says, her voice easing his tension.
(******)
Raven
He turns halfway towards her, her cowl hiding her face in shadow.
He flashes her a heart stopping smirk. "Yeah. You?"
She nods a yes, pulling her hand back from him, happy that her cowl is down, so he can't see her blush.
"What was the point, Joker?" Batman says.
Robin and Raven both turn to watch Batman approach the Joker.
"Tsk, tsk!" Joker says. "The world's greatest detective still hasn't figured it out?"
"Someone hired you to shoot Barbara Gordon," Batman starts. "They also helped you break out of Arkham, and hired you to kill me."
"And then they sent the ninjas after you. Party poopers, I tell you."
Robin and Batman each look to each other, exchanging a silent understanding.
"But you didn't go after Batman," Robin says. "You came at me."
Joker's shoulders bunch up in glee and he puts his hand up to his mouth to cover a squeal.
"Why?" Robin says.
"To punish me," Batman says. "To bring me down to his level."
"And it would have worked, if it weren't for those meddling kids!" Joker says.
"That's why they sent the League Of Assassins," Robin says. "They knew Joker would go off-script."
Off-script? she thinks. Why kill Batman?
Then it hits her; to punish Robin.
"Smarter than I gave them credit for," Joker says. "Will be sure not to underestimate them next time."
"Enough games," Wonder Woman says.
She pulls out her golden lasso of truth from her belt. The lasso is magical. When wrapped around someone, they are compelled to tell the truth, and it is impossible to lie. She coils the rope around Joker, much to his displeasure.
"Who?" Batman growls. "Who hired you?"
"I would love to tell you, Batsy! Really. I would! But I'm afraid we're out of time. You see, I decided that if I couldn't kill Robin, I'd just kill us all."
"What?" Wonder Woman says.
"There's a bomb," Joker says, then adds with a grin, "It's in the cake."
Raven grabs the cake with her mind, pulling it over to the them, then wipes the cake away to reveal a large explosive device. The kind you see in tv and movies.
"How do I disarm it?" Batman says.
"What good is a bomb if it can be easily disarmed?" Joker says.
The timer on the readout says: 00:40
Forty seconds and ticking down.
"Is the timer accurate?" Batman says.
"No," Joker says, "you have far less time."
Not enough time to get the people clear of the building.
"I have an idea," Raven says.
She opens a black portal, grabs the bomb with her mind, then flies into the portal. Interesting feeling, knowing that your next breath might be your last. It's like a constant pressure tearing you in half, adding more tension with each passing moment. The tension builds, making you afraid of a snap.
She comes out of the portal, over the bay. When flying around the building, she had seen the ocean in the distance, so that's where she opened the portal.
Now, she hurls the bomb as far as she can, turning around to fly back into the portal. A bright light shines and the night turns white. A picture of Robin's smile jumps to the front of her mind.
She grits her teeth, willing herself faster. Something hot slams into her back, and her world turns black.
(******)
Author's Note
Man, the Joker sure does have tons of backup plans... I hope it wasn't too confusing. I tried hard to make it exciting, but still keep it understandable.
Thank you Bedhead233 for the review! So glad you love it! Thank you! Haha! It's funny you should say that, because I had cut the Raven parts from the end in order to save them for this chapter. So, they were written, I just saved them for the next part. Thanks for the suggestion however! I appreciate it! As far as the villains go, we'll see who pops up.
Thank you Dark Rain1999 for the review! Ah, thanks for letting me know you're still reading!
Thank you ShieraH for the review! I'm glad you liked the action. And I hope this part wasn't a let down for you.
Thank you Chinaluv for the review! Thanks so much. I love hearing that people love my action scenes.
Thank you Guest for the review! Thanks a lot :D I appreciate that so much! Yes, I'm aware Robin uses Birdarangs, but I think that looks weird, and sounds kinda dumb. Not that wing-dings is a ton better, but at least it flows nice. So, true, Robin doesn't use wing-dings in Teen Titans, it's just kind of a stylistic choice, if that makes sense. Plus, there's a time gap between the end of the series and this story, so Robin could have invented wing-dings in that time ;P ... I appreciate the consideration and heads up though :)
And a big thank you to everyone who has read the story so far. You are all awesome!
So, that was Part Fifteen. I hope you enjoyed it. And I hope you review to tell me so.
Until next time, readers. I hope life finds you well.
mojo