A/N: ...You know, for once, I don't have much to say for this Author's Note.

SladeRavenFan: Thank you! And kind of. I'm pulling things from both the comics and Teen Titans Go 51 and putting them together in this story. Like, Dr. Jace was in the original comics, but not in TTG, while Immortus made a cameo in TTG while Dr. Jace didn't make an appearance.

AzelmaandEponine: Haha, definitely. And thanks!

ArtemisHarryAnimorphsfan96: Thanks!

Jade: Thanks!

Yeaaaaah, sucky replies, but I'm just, like . . . brain dead today, man. Can't think of anything. So in that case, I'll just shut up and let you read. :P

Chapter 4: Geo-Force

Fear was driven into my heart like a stake the moment I heard those words fly out of the messenger's mouth.

Father was the one who best expressed my shock. "General Immortus? Here?" His face scrunched up. "Wh-what makes you say that?"

The messenger tried desperately to remain calm. "I-Immortus arrived a few nights ago in Galebrook. His battalion overpowered the city's militia quite easily. Now Galebrook is under siege! They've sent a message that they're considering surrendering at any moment!"

Brion and I both turned cold. So this was it. General Immortus may as well have declared war on Markovia. If something wasn't done to dispatch of the Forever Soldier straightaway, then there was a good chance that Markovia would be laid to waste.

Worse, General Immortus was the reason why Brion and I acquired our powers in the first place- so we could become 'The Defenders of Markovia' or whatnot. This battle was left to us. We had known that for a time, but now that the moment had actually come . . .

Facing Immortus was much easier said than done. Because how were two trainee Geomancers supposed to battle and triumph over a strategist who'd been fighting in every major world conflict since the time of the Pharaohs?

That's what I wanted to know.

And we were expected to do just that.

Dr. Jace wore a thin smile. "Perhaps it's time for Brion and Tara's first test," she practically purred.

I simply stared at her. "You honestly think we'll win over General Immortus and his large, high-tech army?!" I shrieked.

Dr. Jace simply looked at me, then nodded. "That's right."

Now I had no regrets giving her that black eye.

We left for Galebrook to meet Immortus shortly. Before we did that, we got fitted for superhero uniforms.

Our outfits were identical. They were both jumpsuits that covered every inch of our body, beginning at the bottom of our necks to our toes. They were bright yellow, and at the chest was an emblem that had a large GF centered.

"What does the GF stand for?" I asked Sophia as she dressed me in this.

"Geo-Force," Sophia said simply, repeating what Dr. Jace and her other scientists had told her. "That's you and Prince Brion's dual name- the earth's force. The earth's army. Hence, Geo-Force."

Okay, I'll give Dr. Jace credit for the cool name.

After I had been adorned in my costume, I was given my mask- orange, to match the color of the chest emblem. Not a full face mask- just enough to cover part of the area surrounding my eyes.

Then Brion and I headed out to Galebrook.

We left in a limousine of the Markovs since it was one of the fastest things we had. And we needed to reach Immortus before things got worse.

Which they did.

The limousine suddenly screeched to a halt. I quickly looked up to see a car lunatically placing itself in front of the limousine to stop us.

Aggravated, Father stepped out of the car to give the other driver- one of Dr. Jace's scientists- a huge scolding and to remind him of the importance of this. But uneasiness crawled all over me as Father's face turned white at what he had to say.

Once he was done talking with him, Father shakily led himself and the scientist back into the car. "Turn back. Now." The King of Markovia commanded the driver with palpable force in his voice.

The driver hastily nodded, confusion in his mind.

I too had confusion as well as relief ringing through my head. We were turning back? It was nice that apparently we weren't facing General Immortus, but . . . why?

Brion had the same thing going on. "What is it?" he asked Father.

Father drew in a huge breath, readying himself to tell Brion and I- but it seemed like no matter how much we needed to know, Father simply couldn't tell us.

The scientist recovered himself before Father did, clearing his throat. "Sentries have sent me to report to you that the Forever Soldier has left Galebrook and has arrived at the Markov Stronghold."

My blood chose that moment to transform into ice. General Immortus was at the castle. General Immortus was at the castle. General Immortus was at the castle.

I was unwilling to accept that no matter how many times I told myself this.

Somehow, Brion did. Icy fear swam in his soul as well. "H-how?"

The scientist just continued. "Apparently he wasn't stupid. Immortus saw that he only needed a small amount of troops to keep on enforcing the siege at Galebrook. So he rounded up the majority of his army and left Galebrook to lead an attack directly on the castle. Galebrook tried to warn us, but their communications have been cut off. Once they finally got through, it was too late. As of now, Markovian forces are trying to hold off Immortus's army, hopefully drive it back."

He then looked at Brion straight in the eye. "We need you two." Then at me. His eyes were very round, and his throat stiff. "Geo-Force is our only chance."

My breath stopped. The scientist was saying that the fate of Markovia was now hinging on us?

Oh no.

I couldn't drive General Immortus back, I simply couldn't! Maybe Brion had the potential, maybe, but I sure didn't!

The drive back to the castle was way too quick. When we all arrived, we were greeted by men with high-tech guns fighting our soldiers, identifiable by the Markov Crest printed on their sleeves.

A few members of Immortus's army (consisting of both robots and humans) spotted and attempted to intercept us. But Brion expertly lifted a bunch of rocks into the air and simply hurled them. The sheer force of the rocks made them crumple like a sack. Brion and I then summoned a bunch of other rocks and dirt to use before we progressed to face General Immortus.

We looked around the purple walls of the palace, unable to find our opponent.

After searching for a while, we found another scientist cornered by two of General Immortus's robots. Brion gritted his teeth as a few rocks came to his side while I stepped back. Brion hurled a rock at each of the robots, earning their attention. They both turned, glaring menacingly at Brion, then slowly advanced.

He held his ground as I hurled myself in front of the scientist. Brion impressively ran up to one and lifted one of the robots over his head, then threw it at the other robot, sending them both crashing into the wall.

Brion then turned to the other scientist and I. "Thank you," the scientist said.

He skipped the formalities and cut right to the chase. "Do you know where General Immortus is, by chance?"

"Actually, I do. He's in the lab, the one where they gave you the powers," she hastily reported reported.

Brion and I nodded. "Right." We turned down the hall to go to the lab.

But before we could, the scientist quickly stopped us. "Wait!"

We turned to face her again.

Her breath was ragged. "Dr. Jace . . . Dr. Jace is working with Immortus."

There was an elastic pause.

Brion and I exchanged glances, our heart rate speeding up. "What?" I asked slowly.

The scientist nodded. "Grafting you powers . . . they were orders from Dr. Jace, but the idea roots to Immortus! She was acting on his orders all this time!"

I couldn't believe this. I had always disliked Dr. Jace, but she had betrayed us . . . she was his subordinate . . .

I felt a rough, callused hand grasp my shoulder, and I looked up to see Brion. His betrayal-haunted eyes suggested pain, but other parts of his body hinted otherwise.

"Tara, come on." He set his jaw, as if reassuring himself. "Now's not the time to sulk. We have to keep moving."

I just nodded.

Together Geo-Force raced to the lab, where General Immortus and Dr. Jace waited . . . our biggest opponents yet. Fear burned in every part of me, wanting desperately to just run away and hide in a rock for the rest of my life.

Before I had a chance to do just that, we arrived to the lab. I sucked in a huge breath, the only thing I could count on, as Brion opened the door.