Teen Titans – Side Stories and After – Snippets; Foxes Upon Foxes and Magical Girls Galore

/

Part Four: Pumpkin King Klarion Goes to Town – and Then Falls Down

/

Klarion was winning, even if his zombie brats were no more than crying tots again.

In Halloweenton Ville or whatever Bruce had pictured on the big screen, Dami had swung his sword high to keep kitty Teakle out of their way. The pumpkin loser was the cat's ticket to freedom one day, so the kid's blade would be the thing to stop the cat from having its last laugh in the end.

Klarion fought Raven and John C, hoping to immobilize them while the Earth slowly recovered.

Issue being…?

The adults and teens were not easy to stop – their masks were genuinely more complicated to crack and break or smash.

"Glunk, Smash!!"

One mail - person had dressed up to go to a costume party at his neighbor's (copyright aside.) Now, his costume had turned him into the Amazing Glunk (Hulk.)

Cy and Karen had gone out to help with the efforts in their little suburbia. Julian was still in were wolf mode and thankfully, Jackie had been the one to figure out the trick to breaking the kid wizard's curse.

Ami used her speed and tricky steps without magic (right now this was before Raku and the chosen,) while Aiden used wit, speed and his height to overwhelm his opponents. Jackie and Toby with little Luz stayed up in the tree with an S.O.S to send out to the whole country if they had to.

It wasn't just California that had been beaten, but the continent of all North America!

Dick and Kori finally got to see each other, but Anna was already tons exhausted without her mom's energy or strength yet. She'd not gotten this ability (not until the new gen arcs.)

"Is everyone here and accounted for, Richard? Zatanna?" Kori let them in as they continued to protect their home from this candy hogging threat.

"Yes and yes! I'm fine, mom –

"Anna, just be grateful that you are with powerful parents; no mean talking to your mother now, please…" Kori put her hands to her hips while Anna Grayson rolled her eyes to the side. "Dad's here too, ya know."

"And I agree with your mother." Dick nodded to Kori and Zee, who went to block off the other exits a bit better. Starfire's insurance was safe locked down should she need to start an "alien home renovation" with her eyes.

"Dad." Ava frowned beside a burned-out Chris with his inhaler in hand. "Where are Ami and Aide?"

/

In truth, Cy was on the go to get to the kids. Dick kept that a secret, in case something went wrong, again.

~ I thought with the spell break'n' from earlier, we'd have no more trouble with the freak parade! ~ Gar sighed on the line as Bee took the wheel, leaving Vic to look out for his family on the run –

"There!" He pointed at a tall tree in the park, just dead ahead.

"My baby! Mama's comin, sweet thing!" Karen dodged a bullet and seven or ten kids running into her car in goblin, ghoul, and ghastly ware. She'd have to remember to keep Jackie close for a while after this part was shut down.

"Hola!! Quidado!!" Toby gasped and pointed at another attacker from the sky.

" Ayuda?" Cy gawked back and fell into the dash as Bee brought the car to a skidding halt. Cy looked at Bee and growled back, annoyed.

"Who taught you how to drive! –

"Who told you to distract the driver?" Snipped Karen as she unbuckled in the shortest period of time Vic had ever seen.

"Dang…And I thought I was that overbearing…"

"Come on!" She pulled his arm as she and Cy rushed in to butt a few teens out of the way, who were dressed like the "Talking dead."

"I'm so fed up with this! Let's tell em' to buzz off back to their curfew? Like old times, Sparky?" Her mood was sassy as the old Bee's. Cy grinned. "Anything you wanna try first??" Like kids in the park, they'd play tag until well after their bedtime.

/

Klarion faced John with spell after spell, but Dami knew how to be a perfect annoyance. It was in his title as a "Robin."

"Hey! Does your cat chase mice or run from its own shadow?? How about playing with my toys! Here, kitty!"

~ Ahhh !! Teakle! Stay away, it's a trick! ~ Klarion started to sweat as the heat was getting to him.

"This isn't Salem, witch boy." Dami got the cat's attention as Zee used her magic to trap it inside an orb of her power's projection. Almost to resemble a hamster wheel. "Now undo your stupid spell, or I'm smashing your pumpkin face back into the ground – I'd love a good pie about now…" He deviously grinned. That made John C wonder how much Halloween really hated the little tyrant…He shivered.

"Alright, lad. Time to say goodnight. We'll cast out you, only once we have the spell to undo the mess you've got planned…." He struck a thunderous bolt to startle bot boy and cat.

~ Aggh! Don't hurt me! I just wanted to join in on the merri –

"Nothing here is REMOTELY MERRY!" Damian shouted and stomped his foot.

"I lost my patrol time with the Titans, and my father probably is watching me act, ridiculous because of your tampering with a traditional pagan holiday that I wish –

"Stop it, lad!" John noticed for a moment how Klarion's cat was growing bigger.

Zee added, seeing the same outcome as her partner. "Your negative energy will only –

They flew back as Zee's bubble of magic wore off thanks to Damian speaking his mind.

Somewhere, poor Bruce was shaking his head.

The witch boy sat up as the world of Halloween on his mind started to shift again.

~Teakle! Destroy them!! ~

Klarion gave the order and that cat went after the bird, bugger, and brilliant sorceress.

Dami growled and came at the cat, but he was tugged away by Zee's magic pulling him from danger.

"You can't face him! We have to –

"No!" Damian shouted in protest at the older witch. "I can't let him win, he tried to use my emotions as a weapon…. He has to pay…And my family is still –

"Dami…" She held his hand and tried to be forgiving. "We will find a way, but you can't face him with all of that anger and fear…I'm sorry…"

Dami nodded and let his eyes drop down, denying that he could be any less tense than he was right now. "Fine…. I can't stop John if he tries to tell me what to do. Father would…. He wouldn't want me to be Robin again, if I lost control."

She nodded back, but the heroes had to make a new plan. No driving force could tell the withc boy how to act, but maybe a better equal in the arts?

John thought, and then he had a plan.

"Alright." They got into a close huddle. "This is what we'll do…"

Bruce had a plan too, but he didn't have the persons to fix the problem in close range.

Raven and Malchior had teamed up to look into stopping the moon from going full orange. He'd been granted some of his power back, but Raven still wanted to avoid Rorek's return even if it was impossible in most cases.

"How…...much more??" She asked him, as he answered in an equally pained grunt. "About…time….to… now!!" He said, and she followed suite with his spell work.

" Azarath…. Metrion, ZINTHOS!!"

"Ad astra liga et morere!" (Shows how weak he is now by the font. Raven, has the power! ~

All Latin as "Bind to the stars and die." Roughly translated.

"We can't hold it forever…. Where is the guild party, right now??" Mal tried to hold his own, but Raven was afraid to lose them both to this. They were keeping the moon from rising! An impossible feat by any!

/

Blue Beetle swatted at ghouls that now had wings just like him. He tired not to go nuts with the alien tech, but the Scarab hated playing this ugly game tag for too long.

"No! I'm not going to shoot, them. Knock it off! They're being control –

"So are you, right?" Cassie or Wondergirl, numero dos was making an excellent point.

"Yeah, but it won't go by majority vote… Like a dan –

"Yow! Heey!!" Beetle was dragged forth into the flurry of sea creatures as the masks were knocked off with the tiniest of beams. "Wait! You understand me, Scarab?" Reyes was shot down by how wrong he'd been. "My, bad. We cool?" The scarab flashed its metaphorical eyes with a yes. Reyes calmed down and went to join his team again.

/

Klarion was annoyed; not because his cat was losing badly, but because the moon wasn't budging!

~ Dang it dangit!!! Fiddle – popsicles! You can't beat me now! I rule this world and soon, you –

"Aha, John?" Zee turned to he companion, cat in the carrier she'd constructed by memory and will power. Damian smashed another pumpkin drone. "We done, yet? I'm missing my favorite series tonight."

He yawned, acting like a jerk and not only because he kind of…was. It was to annoy Klarion and his hissy kitty – cat companion.

~No nono!!! I was almost cooler than you geeks! Why can't I win?? Whywhywhy!!! –

" Because you've already been judged, Mate. This is the verdict….!" John and Zee bound their magic to pull the power away from Klarion. A single pocket-sized spell book appeared before them as Zee and he both held to gaze at its pages.

~ Curse of the night – hollow and strife, return to the good earth and all be it her might!! The great spirits bound, for under and below, return to thine palace of ashes and fallen snow! From whence they've risen, I send ye back – to the realm of dying and those not yet had! Those who are ill, and sickness be taken…. the curse shall be lifted – all masks we held – all breaking!! A shatter upon the night which casts a red glow….to the end ye shall meet and to the sins we cast far and away from this world…. begone night of horror and remind we are true! The dead shall not rise, yet the realm must be…. –

John kept going.

" CAST UNTO ANEW!! RETURN! RETURN TO LIFE – RETURN TO TIME AS IT WAS! THERE WILL BE ORDER RETURN IT ALL AND UNDO WHAT HATH BEEN DONE!!! SO, IT SHALL BE!!!"

/

Raven heard a scream from far off, and Mal even shuddered as they maintained the position, only to find that the moon HAD changed back….

Raven panted and let down her arms, being swept up by an equally sweltering Malchior of Knoll.

"They…they, did it…" She smiled and let him help her to her feet again. "Are you ok, Raven?" He looked down at her, not acting as clingy thankfully – due to his sensitivity training at the tower.

"Yeah…I'm fine." She nodded back as they headed to locate their team and to take a look at the broken spell in all its wonder.

A beam of light shot out, dancing across the sky. Orange, green, purple and white.

"Fireworks?" Raven raised a brow.

~ Yeah. We got this party done an' over in the nick of time, Titans. ~ Cy grinned while he, Jackie, Julian and Karen sat to admire the night sky amid a waking mood of destruction. Well, a clean up crew would be Titan sized.

/

Bruce let out an exhale while mustachioed Alfred Pennyworth went to greet Master Damian at the door fairly late.

"Will you be joining your son for a late-night episode of his favorite program, Master Bruce?" Al turned to the Bat who in fact felt like he could use a cup of tea after that fun picture in the back of his mind had fizzled out.

"I think I might be best if I see what he wants first. What show is my kid into these days, Al? I lost track after "Fighting life" (Recap of my series arc) and "Wild limbo."

"It, is actually a documentary…. Titled "Wayne." (To Gotham, love that show. Soo great! And joke from Harley Quinn animated series season three.)

"I guess he wants to do research –

"Actually." Alfred stopped the man with a small smile. "It helps for him to; empathize with those he cares about."

Bruce was stunned. Was that ok, was it?

"Really? At fifteen…I guess it can happen…. Seeing as how we just witnessed the impossible."

Alfred nodded and waited to head upstairs with his two masters eventually. "That we did, Master Wayne. That indeed, as we continue to be amazed…"

/

The Grayson family, had lived through much worse.

Ami looked with her big, blue eyed - bug eyed, puppy dog gaze at an empty jack - o - lantern on the kitchen table.

"No…. big…bars…. What was I even thinking??" She wailed dramatically.

"You weren't." Aiden rolled his shoulders and noticed that Ava and Chris weren't in the room.

"Your father went to drive Chris home with Ava, and Jacklyn is safe and the sound with her knorfkas." The Tameranen noticed poor Ami's dismal appearance and soon had an idea.

"Please wait only a moment, my dear bumgorfs! I have just the thing to "lighten the spirits –

"Don't say ghost…or goblin…for a very, very long time." Anna moaned and put her head down as if she'd gotten a migraine in a single hour. "Oww…. No more noisy…." She whined in a small voice under her arms.

"Tadaa!!!!"

A purple and white frosted cake and tray of very…interesting looking truffles was placed in front of Starfire's dearest ones.

"Hit the deck!" Aiden tried to tug Anna's head down, but Ami stopped him.

"Don't be culturally insensitive, Aide!" Ami sniffed. "Mama? What are those?" She didn't register them as candy, bur Starfire's cooking had actually improved with the proper instructors…and time.

"I give to you…. Chocolate "Glumb nubs" and the "cake of good endings and beginnings."

"Sounds, scary?" Ami cocked her head curiously at the titles, while Aiden poked the cake with a fork. To his shock, he pierced is and out ran the creamiest curd that had an aroma of pumpkin and cinnamon.

"On my planet, such baking of the treats would be left at the deads' door as offerings of reemergence –

"Day of the dead?" Aiden recalled Toby and how cool his aunt's house had looked every October back when they'd first met.

"Obon!" Ami joined in.

"Samhain?" Ava had come through the door with Dick and a little something from the good old Stones.

"Now we have a real party~!" Ami sung out and popped a Glub Nub in her mouth excitedly, tasting an intoxicating bitter sweetness like the contents of her last delicious Christmas stocking.

"Oh…My…blob!!" Ami dove in for second one. And until Kori retracted the girl's hand. "Have only a small amount or you will anger the gods of X'al's realm." Starfire tutted her youngest.

"Did…you put extra sugar in those…" Dick gulped at the plate while Starfire was too "alien outer space" near perfect to care about gaining a pound. Especially with nine stomachs. Something none of is other kids (just Ami) partly had…

"I did try to use a lower su – gar alternative. It is based from organic matter." She smiled.

"Mom is so not a vegan." Gawked Ava. "Can we…"

"Don't knock it till you try it." Aiden shrugged and went for the custard filled cake on the table. "Blob's got it goin' on!" Getting hyped, he was sure he'd dubbed this cake as better than candy. "Mom…I want this on my birthday…I'll do my chores for a month! Too yum!!"

"Ah, what the hey." Richard took to Aiden's example, making Kori do the same as she partook in the custard cake. One bite and with a sip of milk, he wped and then gobbled it before finishing with a peck on Star's cheek. "Thank you, I couldn't have protected them alone and I…I'm sorry for all those times I spat out your cooking!" He apologized, making her giggle. "It is fine and I forgive all of you. Please, the children are, well?"

"We are much better when together, mama." Anna popped a "nut cluster bite "into her mouth. "I'm trying the glob…. nob, right?"

Ami growled and sent her fork up to Ann's eyes, making the red headed teen flinch. Ami plus candy or cake equaled an all out war.

"You will not have the last morsel, gr" The blue eyed six stomached sugar demon's blue eyes almost looked like Starfire's under the right light. Funny. Was she still growing into her true self?

/

As the day passed over, the last man standing to leave ths city of candy pickers was an odd one himself. John Constantine lit up a smoke and just as before, looked over a city of screams but for candy instead of heads. A shadow levitated from behind.

"You alright, John?" Zatanna removed her hat and tried to get a bit of distance between them. Family or not, John loved to brood.

"We fixed the tapestry. Klarion is no more, he and his pet." John rubbed his neck, looking across the skyline.

"We did a good thing, but why do you look like it was just the opposite?" Zee questioned her old teacher.

He shook his head at the night air, then turned to Zee with a smirking face. A rather dull one. "I'm just beat is all it is, lov…this fight showed me that my age isn't permanent and that bloody Halloween isn't a hoax at us at least."

"You take being haunted as a personal grudge." Snickered the sorceress.

"Yeah, and I still think you should train as my protégé, should I –

"Don't talk like that." Zee scolded. "I'm not going anywhere, and you still have plenty to fight for."

"Maybe, but lov? I sensed your partner; Robin is holding onto his own intangible demons. (new destinations.)He had her there with a serious glance. "Just be careful, always stay alert and keep your head up…that is what you were taught b your father –

"To perform, put on an act but John? I know how too feel…" She sighed. "I'll be out of your hair soon, kind of nice. Seeing a parade at night." He grinned at the city lights and fire works going off above them.

"I kind of think so too, glad you're hear to watch with me…" Zee's old crush sometimes lingered, but John knew her magic and all he cared about was seeing her one day surpass her father. She had it in her, one day. And one day, she really would get to settle down.

One day soon.

/

All's well that ends - and Ami has almost as many stomachs as her mom??

So, Zee is or was a student of Constantine and is younger in this arc, about a year older than Dami to match the Chosen kids' ages. What didd you think? Reviews and more snippets to come for...Thanksgiving! Any ideas, let me know! Read on and stay curious for more!