Disclaimer: Don't own Teen Titans or the Justice League. Nor the quote.

"Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once."

-William Shakespeare

CHAPTER 21

SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT

Jericho stopped kissing Kole, and opened his eyes. The girl he kissed looked up at him with a startled look. Her eyes were wide with disbelief. "Jericho?"

He smiled and nodded.

"Where am I?" She asked, "why did you kiss me?"

He couldn't answer the question because at that moment Jem kicked him in the back in an abrupt manner. "You Devil Child! Using possession on me!" Jem continued to kick Jericho nonstop. Kole furrowed her eyebrows and looked up at Jem. He didn't seem to notice her staring therefore, that's why she got up from the ground and ran up to him and punched him square in the jaw. Maybe, he shouldn't have been so focused on kicking the heck out of Jericho. The pair was then separated due to the bouts of their dilemma.

Everyone went back to fighting, and there was beginning to be a bit struggling for some of the Titans.

Beast Boy was finally up on his feet with the help of Raven. "Where am I?" He asked looking around puzzled. "I can't seem to focus where am...wait." He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. He opened them again. "Okay, Rae. Let's go and kick some butt!" Raven nodded with a rye grin, and they both went into battle.

Wonder Girl took out her lasso and focused her attention on Slade. This was going to so work, she swung the rope in the air and when it about landed on a distracted Slade she was suddenly being yanked to the ground by a Slade-clone.

Roy continued to shoot arrows, Kid Flash was giving quick punches, Jinx was using her hexes, Kole was kicking and punching, Thunder and Lighting joined in on the Good People side and fought along side their teammates.

Jericho rubbed his back and looked around, still looking for his father but he had to keep dodging the attacks of his father's followers.

There was a lot of turmoil in the warehouse, and the good guys were on the brink of losing. Kole and Beast Boy both (not side by side) fought a minion who unexpectedly had a gun in his hand. It looked like the gun they had Lightning unlock.

Beast Boy would've shape-shifted into a type of animal with a tough tail to knock the minion silly, but he hadn't been thinking and he wasn't in his normal uniform so it would have been uncomfortable. Therefore, when he saw the man take out a gun in a flash and point at him, he froze and Beast Boy ended up being shot.

Kole wished that Gnarrk would've been with her. The situation she was in right now would've been a lot easier to handle because in a seconds notice while trying to avoid injury from a dirty man of Slade's, the man came out with a weapon and shot her.

Raven had been fending off more minions when she saw two Titans fall on the floor. One was Beast Boy, and the other was Kole. She froze.

Jericho meanwhile, had been conversing with his father. "Let everyone go. You can have me. Please stop the fighting.

Slade shook his head. "Jericho if there is one thing I haven't taught you well on, it's learning to face your problems."

Jericho ran his fingers through his hair and cursed in thought. He then heard a gun shot.

-/-/-/

Robin and Batman both led their respectful teams to the warehouse.

Through quick transportation they managed to be in Philly in about thirty minutes (the latest).

"So," Superman said to break the awkward atmosphere between both groups as they resonated close to the warehouse. "We are just going to enter the warehouse and tell Slade to stop doing what he is, doing?"

Cyborg gave the co-leader of JLA a look like he was ridiculous. But he quickly covered it up, he didn't need to give that look to one of the best superheroes in the world.

"No," Batman said in that cool way of his. "We are going to all enter on account. First we must break up and stand at the entrances the warehouse has to offer."

Robin didn't make eye contact with his former mentor, and instead focused his attention on his team. "Titans we are to walk into the warehouse and-"

"You're already wrong there," interrupted Batman. "In order to beat Slade at his own game we should surprise him."

"But hasn't someone already done that," Cyborg spoke up. "If there is anything us Titans have learned it's to be direct towards Slade."

Superman raised his eyebrow. "Direct towards him? Where has that led you all? That is the only reason why you all have continued to dance with him. He needs to be beat at his own game."

Wonder Woman tapped her foot impatiently. "Come on, the Titans have their way of doing things, and we as JLA have our way of doings things. All I personally know is we need to defeat Slade."

Green Arrow crossed his arms and glared at Wonder Woman. "Yeah, he's already wreaked a lot of havoc in Star City, and he's willing to do just about anything to split a team up. Besides, Roy might be in there and he isn't going to die if I haven't gotten to him yet."

Black Canary snickered, as well as a couple other JLA members. They all knew the green archer's ego was destroyed due to the fact that Speedy managed to beat him at a fight. Yet, Green Arrow wasn't the only one with that problem. Barry smiled leisurely and added in, "Everyone's going to help everyone, even if a someone (out of that everyone) is your nephew who needs to be un-granted the power of super speed."

Other member of both teams didn't really disagree with anyone they just wanted to be heroes, stop a villain, and still be the same person they were after all of the fighting and the stopping of crime.

Starfire clapped excitedly. "Yes, we should do the kicking of butt on Slade. Our friends are in there, a-and help is all we can offer!"

Batman didn't say anything, but if he wasn't in a mask you could see in his eyes a smile. Superman gave her a smug look.

John Stewart shrugged. "Yeah, I agree with the alien."

Hawk Girl grinned while holding up her mace. "Yeah. Me too. That's the only reason why we are here."

The Flash then said, "Batman and Superman... I guess it's settled then."

Robin on the other hand rolled his eyes, no one didn't see him do that because his mask hid his eyes and he felt flustered at the moment, but he didn't show it. "Titans we are to walk in there and demand him to stop the doing of his crime, and if he doesn't agree or oblige... You know what to do!"

JLA and the Teen Titans went their separate ways. Both teams made their way to the warehouse that was the size of an average high school.

-/-/-/

You could say both teams were right on their philosophies. Slade was so focused on dealing with the Titans who walked into the warehouse, he was barely even vehement on the knowledge that the Justice League would make appearances out of nowhere.

Speedy had used up most of his arrows and was going to run from the little minion that for some reason wanted to beat the crap out of him, but unexpectedly his stupid former-mentor came out of nowhere throwing a pack of arrows at him.

Wonder Girl smiled in triumph. Wow, her lasso didn't fail her. She is indeed proud of herself. "See, Donna. You can so spank butt." The thing was though, she hadn't seen another Slade-clone coming from behind her and—

"Hera, give me strength!"

The clone went down once it was slammed constantly into a wall. Wonder Girl turned around and screamed at her supposed sibling, "What?! Diana I so seen him coming! Why did you do that?! Stop stealing all the spotlight. Ugh!"

Wonder Woman laughed at her sister's teen-like grotesque reaction. "Geesh! Donna! Where's your regular uniform? And why didn't you wear your bracelets?!"

Wonder Girl frowned, and gave her sister a look as if she were to know better. "It didn't match with my outfit," she reasoned.

"Like Hades it does!" Wonder Woman exclaimed. And while saying that Wonder Girl punched and kicked a minion in the throat and groin who had been about to gun slap her sister.

"You're welcome," Wonder Girl said.

Wonder Woman didn't say anything. Wonder Girl smiled smugly. They both then, side-by-side, continued to fight the onslaught of Minions and more that came in.

Batman and Robin focused on defeating Slade.

Honestly, with the two working together it wasn't really that hard to corner Slade. Batman and Robin made eye contact and gave each other a nod that said "even though we aren't on amicable terms we can still work together." If there was anything they both did understand that was leaving relationships and emotions behind when dealing with crime fighting.

Slade, took a good look at the two and didn't say anything. He was silent and he was about to let them get a handle on him, but he suddenly disappeared and reappeared on the stage platform that had been located in the far left of the room.

John Stewart and Hawk Girl ran up the platform but it's like there was this force, like no one, NO ONE could get to Slade. By the time Batman and Robin were to get their hands on him, there would be the unexpected.

Beast Boy woke up and sat up trying to process what happened once more because this was the second time he'd laid sprawled on the ground like a horrible fighter who'd just gotten knocked out. Yet, his head was on someone's lap and the other half of his body on the ground. When he sat up the person helped him. It was Raven. She looked scared. "Beast Boy? Are you Beast Boy?" She asked. Her voice wasn't monotone.

"What?" He asked in confusion. "Raven, what's wrong?"

"You're blonde, and your ears and, and your eyes. They're blue," she said in short breath. "You look different, you look..."

Beast Boy, or now Garfield, widened his eyes and said in a whisper, "Human." He took off the black glove on his left hand and saw fair normal skin. "What is this? This can't be..."

Jericho held Kole in his arms and patted her hair, trying to wake her up gently. She didn't look the same. Her hair was red, she had no antlers. and her skin looked fairer. Freckles were spread across her nose. He couldn't believe it was her. When she woke up, once again in Jericho's arms. She opened them delicately and very slowly. It didn't help that lights were still blinking from Lightning's destruction. "Your eyes are green," she said with a smile her eyes glowing up. "I can finally look into them without you using your power. Your eyes are really beautiful."

Jericho didn't know what came over him, but a wave of emotions came over him. He started to cry. Kole, precious precious Kole. He hugged her to him and rocked her back and fourth.

Superman flew over to the Storm Brothers and glared at the two. He remembered when they were both evil and not abiding by just laws. He remembered. "Fix the lights in the room, get this floor back to looking normal. It would make everyone's job easier," he demanded to the brothers.

Thunder and Lightning didn't act good easily towards authority. But only this time they would. Since they did cause the destruction. Superman then focused on breaking half the Slade-clones' necks and throwing them into the centre in the ground that had been made from the seismic wave split.

The Flash and Kid Flash then started to sling unconscious and destroyed mechanical bodies into a pile. For now, both Flashes wouldn't try to race but the temptation was starting to win them over.

Robin threw a bird-a-rang towards Slade on the stage platform but it bounced back. Batman did the same towards his gadgets, nothing. Cyborg tried looking for where the switch to the force shield was, or the outlet but he couldn't track it. This was the only time he was ever stumped when it came to technology and gadgetry.

Slade took something from his body suit. It was a gun. Not one of those safe guns either. A real actual gun that pierced into human flesh that could kill and graze. He held it to his head, the finger's on the butt of the gun. He looked at all the superheroes and shook his head in defeat. The last thing he saw was Jericho holding Kole in his arms and crying. He thought, he'll cry for Kole, but not for me that is fine. And the last thing he said was, "I showed you all, and I damn well did come through." He pulled back the trigger... hasta la vista.

Robin yelled "No!" As the force shield came down and he could finally get a hold on Slade, yet Batman stayed where he was; He was in shock.

Everyone stopped fighting. Everyone could only stare when Slade's body went limp and he fell on the ground with an old THUMP! It was quiet. Everyone just couldn't believe it.

Beast Boy fainted in shock because of that unexpected exit made by such a manipulating man.

Kole heard the gunshot, but that didn't process in her mind when Jericho was holding her. He felt warm and saw Slade's lifeless body fall to the ground from his peripheral vision. Though, What she felt was a needle that punctured her in the side, her eyes grew wide and a small squeak came out of her mouth. Needles scared her.

Jem laughed like a maniac when he saw what the little needle did to the spawn of a child. "Haha!" The minion held his stomach and laughed like crazy falling to the floor. His seriousness gone.

Jericho processed this all at once. Kole went limp yet she still had a pulse, a gunshot noise came from where his father had stood, and a minion was laughing shrewishly. The laugh was unattractive and tactful. It sounded like the same laugh of the man who cut his throat, who gave him his lucky scar. Jericho fumed. Something came over him! He put Kole delicately to side and grabbed an arrow off the ground that had fallen from Green Arrow's quiver. Jem still laughing on the floor, Jericho came down on the guy and pierced him in the heart with the arrow. Why Jericho did such an out-of-character act? I don't know, something just came over him.

"Great Gaia!" Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl both exclaimed in unison very loudly towards the death of Slade and the killing of Jem. Both very astounding sights.

Then one by one each Slade-Clone began to self destruct. Hotspot carefully dropped one to the ground and backed away from the machine. Argent cursed and looked at her bleeding hands. Wonder Girl and Wonder Woman took ahold of their lassos and flew away from the self-destructing droids. Everyone who'd been fighting a clone backed away from the device. Everyone began to evacuate the warehouse. Superman took a hold of Slade's body and flew out. Raven carried Beast Boy's body, and phased out of the warehouse. Jericho couldn't move. Ignoring the chaos, he could only stare at Jem's pierced heart. Thinking, I just killed a man.

Herald at the moment came into the scene, and walking out of the portal saw the destruction and chaos. He noticed Jericho wasn't moving, he was staring at a dead man. Herald ran over to Jericho and talked his friend into leaving. "C'mon , Jericho. These men in corduroy are startin' to fight each other!"

The trumpet player was right indeed. The corduroyed men weren't only fighting each other, they were biting each other's heads off and clawing at each other. It was disturbing.

Jericho finally took his eyes away from the minion and managed to stand up and go with his best friend. Herald blew his Gabriel's Horn and a portal came in sight. The two got in, and the portal disappeared.

Kole had been picked up by Gnarrk who managed to show up at the right time. He ran with Hotspot and Argent.

Everyone left the premises of the warehouse to it's unknown fate.

-/-/-/-

Author's Note: okay, I know it was sort of random how Slade jus' died off, and how Kole and BB aren't really meta anymore. But that's what I wanted to happen in this chapter. I got two or three more chapters to go and then I AM DONE with this story. I swear I am better at writing AU like DG. Canon stuff is okay for me. but I am glad you all have enjoyed this story the best you could. Really, thank you. :)

Replies:

dj25taz: I bet this chapter had even more of a scene! And a litle BBRae hopefully Thanks for reviewin'!

TheFanGirl11: Did this chapter have even more of the unexpected? And thanks for following and reviewing, very appreciated. :D

JasonVUK: thanks! I'm glad you found the last chapter great! Who sang KOLE'S SONG was this girl and boy of this fictional band I made up. Kinda corny, but aye. Anyway, I'm glad you've reviewed.