Nightwing looked over the Titans as they sat around their large red couch in the common room. An outsider would assume their stone faced features was due to the upcoming battle with The Brain. And they'd be partially right. Dick hoped they had some semblance of sleep the previous night, but they still had time to prepare.
"Two days. We head out to the bunker housing The Brotherhood, there, we'll meet with the Doom Patrol and prepare to break through the entrance of the base."
Nightwing brought up an image of the base on the large screen that spanned through their common room window.
"The local government thought the base was out of commission, after they investigated it over a year ago and didn't find anything valuable or worth investing in the structure. When The Brotherhood escaped, they made a bee line straight to the facility, local satellites showed that as soon as they entered, energy storing containers within the walls of the base began to open. And an energetic shield blanketed the entire base."
Nightwing clicked the remote that controlled the TV, and the image changed to the base releasing large amounts of energy.
"The amount of energy released by the base is far to deadly for us to storm it now. The energy current is so strong, its bleeding into the air surrounding the base. Flying over head is just as dangerous. But the JL satellites recorded that the energy is slowly receding into the base."
Cyborg leaned forward in his seat and asked "Are they losing power?"
"We thought that at first. We assumed that The Brain was just hunkering down instead of slipping into the shadows. No one knew, not even the architects of the base, that there were hidden energy storages within the walls and under the foundation of the base." he looked to Beastboy "So tunneling is out of the question."
"Are we to wait out the energy field that protects The Brotherhood?" Starfire asked.
Nightwing sighed, and replied. "We cant go in thinking they're losing power. The Brain wouldn't have headed straight to this location if it's defenses were going to fail soon after they were within the walls. The second issue we have, is there are three villages close to the base. So if the energy is not running out, but being used for an attack, we cant afford to wait them out. It's possible The Brain could launch a ballistic attack and put lives in danger. We cant risk civilian casualties because we hesitated."
"So what's the plan then" Raven asked. Nightwing stared at her, until she got the sense that he was going to say something they wouldn't like. She was partially right.
"The plan is to enter the base once the energy recedes into the inner chamber. Myself, Star, Cyborg and Beastboy."
No one said anything, until Raven stood up in her chair. "What about me?"
"You. You aren't going into the base-"
"Yes I am." Raven said angrily. Her teeth began to grind, but Nightwing didn't move.
"You're pregnant Raven, we're not going to risk your safety or the safety of the ba-"
"I've just found out about my pregnancy Dick. I haven't even put on any weight. Let alone am I 'showing.' I'm still just as capable as I've been these past few years."
"It's final Raven"
"Yes, it is final Nightwing. I AM going. I'm not delicate and I'm still at my maximum strength. I understand why your doing this, but it's not necessary." She looked around the room, at her teammates. But they didn't look back.
"I agree with him Rae, it's best you sit this one out." Cyborg finally said and turned partially to look at her.
"I too agree Raven, we could not forgive ourselves if something bad had befallen to you."
"This is ridiculous. I haven't changed since you all found out about me. I'm just as much a part of this as everyone." Nightwing turned to Beastboy.
"Gar tell her-" Nightwing stopped. He'd been too late to catch himself. Guilt hit him for what he just did. He'd almost asked Garfield to reel Raven in, like he was the father of her child. Raven sensed Dick's guilt and relaxed her posture. Slowly, all eyes looked to Beastboy.
"I don't want her to go... but I cant make her stay behind. It's her decision..." Garfield said on the couch. The room was silent. Raven looked between her teammates, her family.
"Please. I have to go. I can't stand out there knowing the danger your putting yourselves in. I cant live with myself if something happened to any of you. I'm the only healer. The only one who could stop a cave in or stop an explosion from taking you or the Doom Patrol out..."
She stood up and moved to the front of the room, beside Nightwing.
"Just this one time. Let me be there to protect you all. After that... I'll retire till after the baby. I'll stay away from crime fighting till later, when the baby is more independent. Please..."
The Titans didn't say anything. Nightwing looked to the others, and they didn't want to budge, but... They really couldn't make her stay out. It wasn't about whether or not Raven would forgive them if they kept her out of the mission. She was tied to all of them in a sense, even after these years of them exploring their own interests, they were still her family. The most important people she had on Earth and in her life. they all shared a collective sigh.
"...you'll stay in the back. I'll have Cyborg and Robot man flank your sides. You are to watch for any attacks behind, under or over us at all times. If there's an ambush, You WILL take cover before aiding any of us during the fight. If i tell you to, you WILL teleport to the nearest safe zone. This is nonnegotiable Raven. As much as we don't want to you in there."
Raven looked to Dick, then to the rest of her Titan family. She knew that she was outnumbered, but she didn't care. She was still at peak performance. She could still be there for them. She looked to Garfield, who never asked her to do what she didn't want. Never denied her or disagreed with her. She had never been unreasonable, so agreeing with her came easy to him. She saw that he WANTED her to stay.
"Okay."
She wouldn't voice it aloud, but he was the most important out of her family that she needed to protect.
-Earlier Today-
"YOU ARE NOT GOING STEVE!"
"YES, I am Rita!" Mento sternly replied to his wife.
The DOOM Patrol were once again gathered in their living room. After such a short time of retirement, they were called back into action. They had been in the room for sometime. Over the fireplace, hung the TV that was used for communications outside the manor. Beastboy's face looked through the television, to his old team fighting, his family fighting.
"We've already told you Steve, you're not going!" Yelled Cliff. He'd just finished flipping over the coffee table out of anger. Larry was against the wall, tired after the argument he had with Steve, unable to change the physic user's mind.
"I've recovered since going our separate ways. I can handle-"
"You recovered because you stopped fighting Steve." Rita said. She was exhausted after the back and forth that they had these past few days. Why couldn't he see that his health improved because he wasn't taxing his body. No, he knew. He didn't WANT to see it. He just saw The Brain. Saw the enemy they spent so much of their later years fighting.
"I'm not changing my mind. I'll make changes to our strategy to accommodate my health. But I WILL be there." Mento said in finality.
Cliff smashed a hole into the wall before storming down the hallway. Larry leaned from the wall to his full height and walked out of the living room. Rita stood for a short while, tears pouring from her eyes, before racing out of the room. Steve looked to the empty living room, before turning to the TV, to Garfield.
"I have to be there. I WILL be there Garfield." Mento said before reaching up to the TV.
"I'll see you on the coast."
-Current Time-
"We're going to be receiving help on this mission team." Nightwing continued. The meeting was coming to a close. In a few hours, they would get ready to board the T-Ship and head overseas. "We were able to get help from available hero's and heroines that aren't occupied with their own crime fighting. Not only are we heading through the front door, but we'll have aid in the surrounding areas. We'll have air, land and sea coverage by fellow Titans and Justice League members. If the Brotherhood tries to escape, they'll be surrounded on all front. We'll give the signal, and they'll descend on any escape to leave the base. Whether its a flying rocket, road vehicle, or submarine."
With that said. the meeting concluded. And the Titans began to go their separate ways. Getting last minute details ironed out before heading to The Brotherhood. Garfield stood and headed outside the tower. He walked past his thinking spot on the boulder.
'Mento and Raven are going...' he thought. He didn't want either of them there. He didn't want his whole family there in general. But they needed to stop The Brain. Nightwing was right, they couldn't wait or hesitate, because it could lead to something with consequences. A part of him told himself this was a chance to go all out. A chance to not only bring a fight The Brotherhood had never witnessed from him, but to truly protect his family in a way that he'd never been able to do. But he smothered that thought. He wouldn't go in trying to 'prove' anything. He wasn't going into this encounter like it was a regular battle between the Titans/DP and The Brotherhood. No, he was going to finish this once and for all. Cheesy movie one liners aside, he was going to do something The Brain wouldn't expect. What his family wouldn't expect. HE was going to stop the fighting. He didn't know the exact details, but he would make them up along as he went.
He needed to prepare, what he was going to do would take a lot of energy from him. A lot of concentration. Then, before they left, he ready the suit that was gifted to him by the Professor. The last gift to him before age had limited the older man.
He was going to do something stupid.
-
He was alone along the coast. The others thought he wanted time, time to reflect and prepare for the upcoming fight. They all need a moment. But he chose this particular spot. Chose if for a specific reason. Two actually.
Garfield looked up from the beach, as both the T-Ship and Doom Patrol aircraft flew overhead. It was all a stunt. They'd landed and traveled a few short miles away from the base. Then had the ships on autopilot fly nearby, and land within the tall trees of the Amazon. They decided to play it safe, incase there were projectile attacks launched at them. Or if the area was blanketed with explosives. The final touches for breaking through were being finished. He could hear Nightwing giving the last orders to everyone over his communicator. And from here, he could see that the energy that had protected the base was no longer visible from the outside. It was time. Time to get his plan into action.
*crunch* *crunch**crunch* But first...
"Garfield..."
"... Garth." He had one last conversation before leaving.
-
Nightwing was about to send the signal to the two teams. They were to get together, and make their way to the front entrance. He looked down to the communicator, and took a few breathes. IF they succeeded, this would be the final mission for the Teen Titans. All of their planning for the future would come to fruition. If their luck was better than the Doom Patrol, they would all go their separate ways.
Racheal would leave and become a full member of the Justice League. Leading the magical department that was promised to her by Batman and Superman. Becoming a beckon to all magical users.
Victor would gain full employment with STAR Labs. Where he would continue making great strides in technology and science. He would move to Steel City, not as a hero, but an entrepreneur and visionary.
Kori would move back to Tamaran and take her place on the Royal Throne. And as much as he would miss her, they promised each other to one day meet again.
He would move to Bludhaven. And start the first dream he had when leaving Batman. Before meeting the Titans. He would venture to a city in need of a protector, and watch over it. Similar to his adopted father, but with the strength given to him by growing up with a family. With someone who loved him, and that he loved too.
And Garfield... he didn't know. He never showed an interest in his future. The Titans dropped their hobbies and home activities, and started working towards something more, more than being a Teen Titan.
Raven never slowed down in her pursuit to learn about magic. Her small library wasn't enough to contain her interests. Victor put down the controller and stepped away from the T-Car. He got more involved in technology and later established a connection with other like minded people. Kori stopped running from her lineage, and embraced who she was and where she came from. She believed it was time to return home, and live up to the beliefs that her people had for her. He stopped visiting their gym so much, and preferred to gain strength out on the field. The relationships he built with the Governor, the Mayor, the police Chief showed that there was more to fighting crime then being a hero, living in an ivory tower. But Garfield...
He didn't know what was in his brother's future. The one thing that he did know, was that he had Raven. But that belief had been ripped out of him since the team's discovery of Raven's pregnancy.
He pushed the button, and sent the signal.
-
"Did Racheal talk to you..?" Aqualad asked him. The waves were so loud, that it could be assumed Beastboy didn't hear him. But he did. Beastboy turned and looked at the Honorary Titan, then partial leader to the Titans East, and finally one of the Justice League's newest members.
"... yeah, she did." He answered him. Aqualad didn't respond right back. They stood in silence as the waves continued to crash. Any minute, Nightwing would send the signal, and Beastboy would get the ball rolling.
Aqualad hesitated. And his handsome features showed doubt. So Beastboy gave him time to say what he wanted to say. Finally, Aqualad spoke.
"I'm sorry," he spoke a little louder. Thinking the waves were drowning out his voice. But Beastboy wasn't going to correct him.
He let the apology hang in the air between them. He had to hurry, he didn't know when Nightwing would call.
"There's nothing to be sorry about Garth." Aqualad looked confused.
"Nothing to be sorry about? After what Racheal and me did to you?" He stopped talking, trying to find the right words. "I knew about you two, I knew there was something more going on between you and Racheal. And I tried to give up on my feelings. But she never left my side. When I looked into her eyes, I knew that she wanted to be with me, and I wanted to be with her. I thought what you two had wasn't real, that what i was seeing true. But every time she went back home from the League, she left uncertain and second guessing herself. But when she came back, when she would come back from YOU, she was more confident, and she was falling more and more in love with me... I know it. And I couldn't hide my feelings any longer."
Garfield's face hadn't changed since the start of their conversation. He still looked to Garth, giving him time to express his feelings.
"I'm sorry Garfield..."
"What are you sorry for Garth? Tell me." Now Aqualad was getting upset. He was trying to own up to his actions, and Beastboy wasn't meeting him in the middle of the conversation. He was making him overextend himself, without offering his true feeling in return.
"I'm trying to tell you I'm sorry that Racheal chose me!" Aqualad had yelled in frustration. And to his surprise Beastboy looked relieved. The Hell? Beastboy looked as though he finally got the last piece to a puzzle only he knew. Then the changeling smiled and gave Aqualad a nod. He was so confused.
"I'm really happy Garth... I'm really glad that you said Raven chose you. Because she really did." Now Aqualad was silent, giving the floor to Garfield to continue.
"Because I knew Garth," Aqualad's stomach sank with guilt, "I knew from the very beginning. And no matter what i thought, or felt, or what my instincts told me... I had to let Raven make that choice. I could have begged, pleaded for her to stay. I could have 'fought,' but i wasn't going to. I gave Raven everything i had, and it still wasn't enough. I admit, I was clinging on at the very end. Enjoying my time with her, since she was away longer and longer with you. But i knew that it was either me or her who was going to end us..."
Aqualad watched as Beastboy reflected these past few days. Garfield had bowed his head, closed his eyes and took long breathes.
"I would have ended it eventually... but i don't know when. You two... you two made that choice for me.
He looked back up to Aqualad.
"I'm not that strong Garth, no matter how far I've come in life, I'm still just that young kid that Raven met all those years ago.
*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*
They both reached down to their communicators, out of instinct to respond to danger.
'Let's head out' it read.
They looked to each other, and nodded. Garth was going to say sorry again, but Garfield raised his hand and waived it off.
"Lets get this day over with, huh?" he asked, and Aqualad turned and jumped into the ocean. Propelled himself a distance off the coast and continued his search for any hidden escape tunnels.
Alone. Beastboy started his plan.
-
They'd been walking for some time. It was quiet, besides the sound of their feet as they walked through the base. At any moment, danger could spring up and who knew what the situation would turn into. Cyborg's scanners told him that the energy storage within the walls were depleted. Damaged to the point that they could no longer hold any charge. But energy still coursed through the building ahead of them. So they walked, nine pairs of eyes searching every nook in the bunker. The moment they stepped inside, they were cold and efficient. Outside, Starfire and Rita had reached out to the others, to help alleviate the tension some. But it wasn't taken by the others. This was war, a war that needed to come to an end. Rita looked to Steve, and after a moment shared between husband and wife, she turned to Garfield, her son. He was so reserved, nothing like the boy who would charge ahead. Nothing like the young man to was confident in himself and his friends. He was not by Ravens side, which surprised her. They were dating, Why wasn't he next to her. Shielding her from possible danger. Did they have a fight? If they did, this situation warranted that they should have settled the matter. That they go into battle hand in hand, if not in body, then in spirit.
"Isn't this lovely... a family reunion"
Mento stopped and growled. "Immortas!"
-
Bang!
Where he was just a moment ago, stood a large crater in the wall after a gunshot was launched from The Brains portable housing. Sneaking in wasn't that difficult, but he had to travel through the base at a slower speed than he wanted. He couldn't shrink himself, because he didn't know what would happen to his small form in the energy that laced the room. Dodging to the wall near were he first appeared, he stood to the side of both Mallah and The Brain. In between two rivets that he just learned had high caliber rounds hidden underneath.
He stood stock still.
Mallah growled and walked around his leader, to put himself between The Brain and this intruder. They were on the second floor above the main chamber of the bunker. The second floor was behind a wall of what looked like thick glass, so they could see the ground floor. They could see General Immortas talking to the Teen Titans and Doom Patrol.
"Who are you?!" Mallah demanded in an imposing manner. Fury in his eyes that a stranger had snuck into the head office of the base.
"YeS, pLeAsE InTrOdUcE YoUrSeLf StRaNgEr..."
The two master villains did not recognize this intruder, this possible 'hero.' After their escape from their ice prison, The Brain made a database of all the heros that had aided in putting him and his Brotherhood away. After he was done killing the Teen Titans and Doom Patrol, he was going to hunt them down, one by one, and send them off to meet their precious friends.
"...," the stranger didn't say anything. But he did crouch and get ready for their next attack. Neither knew who this young man was. They did not recall this red and white suit in their battle with the Titans. Or in any registry that they had stolen for the list of active hero's. His shaggy blonde hair and blue eyes didn't tell them anything either. Oh well...
With lightning fast reflexes, Mallah readied his automatic machine gun and opened fire on their unwanted guest. He did not shoot straight, he spread his fire along the wall, in every direction the hero would take to dodge the bullets. He grinned when he saw pieces fly from the young man, thinking his guts had been blown out of him and showered along the floor. But then stopped grinning when in the dim lighting of the room, he saw the chunks begin to move and sway in the air. Twist and fly and scatter around the wall, before heading to the opposite wall. He was confident that he'd hit him, since there was blood stains in the floor. But he followed the path that the majority of pieces flew towards. Close to emptying his ammo cartridge, he reached behind him, grabbed a office chair with a hidden explosive planted underneath and launched it at the stranger. What looked like the torso of the stranger floating in the air, dodged the chair, which impacted the wall. The chair exploded into a fiery blaze that engulfed the young hero.
The Brain left the stranger to Mallah to deal with, and was looking down at the main floor, where his General just began to battle both teams of superheroes. It was one against nine, but the energy in the main chamber supplied Immortas with a perfect offence and defense. Right when the heros entered that main floor, The Brain activated the highest level of security in the bases defense. Reinforced steel too thick and heavy for their robots to break through, chemically treated to withstand the nature of the aliens green power. Hidden static disrupters that would block Mento's, Negative Man's and the witches methods of teleporting traveling and physic powers. Rita Farr and the boy wonder stood no chance of escaping a deathtrap built to withstand powers greater than their own.
His plan didn't stop there, he had failed far to many times to run with one idea. By some grace of an accursed god, the heros would always pull through his first plan. So he made a back-up. And all he needed to wait for was Immortas to tire the heros, so they could take the one escape route and leave their mortal enemies to their deaths.
"RGH!" Mallah screamed and lent down to his leg. A leg that had a huge chunk missing from it. He grabbed the still whole flesh above the gash, trying to stop the pain that shot up his leg. And under his skin, he felt the slithering of something unknown between his muscles and bone. Then he felt the back of his neck begin to tear. and Fiery pain exploded under his skin. Hot burning snakes, or what felt like snakes raced between his muscles and flesh. Mallah collapsed to the floor and viciously pulled at his skin in a vain attempt at stopping this foreign matter that was destroying his insides.
The heroes were scattered across the main floor of the base. Heavy breathing and sore limbs were shared amongst them. In such a short time, there entering of the room spelled their defeat. General Immortas wielded the energy within the base to reach every corner of the room. Having the higher ground, kept the close range fighters rooted to the sub floor. The energy coursing through the ceiling already blasted both Raven and Starfire to the ground. They performed the best they could with the limited space they had. In-between the surges of energy that Immortas controlled through the floor, they dodged and launched anything they could. But the energy field stopped anything from reaching their foe.
General Immortas began to sweat. Although he was having a great time blasting and shocking their enemies, he was running out of juice. And The Brain had yet to call him to retreat to the upper floor. He was going to run out of energy, energy they needed to activate the final plan hidden in the upstairs floor. He looked up to the bullet and sound proof glass along the balcony, used for observing the main floor, through the one way seeing veil to hide Mallah and The Brain. This was it, his last shot before he was left with the necessary amount to fuel the device. He looked to the heroes, judged who could be the biggest threat to their plan. And he fired.
-
Instantly, The Brain activated both an electric current underneath the paneling of his housing and a few magnets. One under himself and the others within the floor of the room. It was a good thing he did. Because the desk that also had a hidden explosive device under it, flew and impacted him. It shattered in a fiery blaze that his electricity dispersed, as the magnets did their job of keeping him from rocketing into the wall. Mallah's screams were dying down to a whimper, as the stranger stood before him.
"Your surrounded Brain..." He said. "The outside of the base is guarded by the Titans and Justice League. There's flying heroes under the tree tops, ready to take down any plane or rocket you have. Water based heroes ready to intercept a submarine escape."
The Brain didn't have a mouth to growl. He didn't know if he could trust the heroes words, but if it was true... That greatly reduced their escape time after they activated to trap.
And then from the corner of his eyes, he saw a great big flash of energy. He turned and saw a giant beam heading straight toward Raven. His eyes opened wide. Then, a blur of green rocketed across the main floor, and pushed her out of the way, before taking the energy blast head on. He turned to the window in fear, before his left shoulder blew into a bloody mess that painted half the room. But he didn't notice the pain that spread throughout his torso.
Their silent screams through the one way window broke his heart.
He saw his family scramble to 'him.' As 'he' fell to the ground, burnt and bloody.
Then he felt another high caliber bullet blow right through the base of his spine.
*BEEEEEEEEEP* And the right side of the room began to glow yellow.
In a fury, he turned to The Brain with mad eyes. And before the master villain knew it, an enormous brown bull was charging towards him. A bull much larger than natural, with grotesque muscles bulging under its skin, and the most menacing crooked horns adorning its head. It charged The Brain at blinding speed.
*A blinding white light flashed through the window to his left*
In a last ditch effort to save himself, The Brain activated his electric current to dangerous levels. Sent the wireless protocol that would divert all the magnets powers directly to the one underneath him. Just as the magnets made their connection, a force unlike anything he'd witness crashed directly into the high impact shield that protected his only organic matter.
The loud screeching of their hidden trap. The blinding yellow light that was beginning to power the machine. The Black and white lights of the witches power that began to tear apart the main floor of the base. Was joined by a disgusting squelch of bone, muscle and blood that met his metal housing. The brain within its safety chamber rocketed back and impacted the rear of its liquid filled cocoon. The impact disoriented the organ, and 'The Brain' knew no more. A gore of body and limb showered over the unconscious villain. And despite the chaos that was tearing apart the bunker, through a will to protect his family, Garfield Logan reformed.
He rolled on the floor, before crawling himself up to the console that lined the balcony. The air behind him began to distort. And he began to feel a pull backwards. He tried to stand up, but a massive shard of Ravens power blew through the window, right by him, right into the distortion. And the machine that glowed yellow as it was powering up, shifted to black, and began pulling with a stronger force. He looked up, and realized the roof of the base had been ripped apart. giving a view to the early morning sky. With blood dripping down his forehead, and teary eyes, he looked down to the Teen Titans and the Doom Patrol.
He heard their cries, their screams. Crackling energy began to deafen his ears. Then help arrived. Like angels, Honorary Titans and Justice League descended onto his family. Raven had passed out from releasing too much power, carried by Larry. Kori supported Dick, who was clutching his bloody shoulder. Victor and Cliff with shoulders locked, to carry each other as they were lifted up into the air. Steve... and Rita... they were screaming. screaming while clutching 'his' body. All three were lifted into the sky. His family cried "Garfield" with tears cascading down the cheeks. And despite the pain that racked through him, Garfield finally stood. And tried to shout.
"I-I'm... n-not... d-dead..."
He pounded on the only glass that still stood attached to the second floor balcony.
"I'm... Not... Dead..."
And the distortion behind him grew too strong to resist.
"I'm not dead!"
And he pounded and pounded. but no one heard him. He watched as his family was flown to safety. With one less to make the journey home.
"I'M NOT DEAD!" *pound* *pound* "I'M NOT DEAD!" *pound* *pound* "I'M NOT DEAD!"
And he was lifted. But not to where he wanted to go. Not to safety. Not to his family. He was lifted and pulled back. To the sound of metal and glass being torn apart. And soon, his family flew further and further away. And then the main floor of the base that was the final battleground for both the Teen Titans and the Doom Patrol too began to stretch away. Then the upstairs room where he had attempted to ambush The Brain shrunk smaller and smaller.
Darkness began to spread from the edges of his vision. Then it spread more and more till he could only make out a pinhole of light.
In his final moments. Garfield Logan thought of the time he last shared with his girlfriend. When she would come to him after her adventures with the Justice league. When he trained in secret to be worthy of her. When he used to spend time with Victor in his office, getting to know the subjects that interested his best friend. When he spent time with Kori as she practiced and rehearsed her Royal duties around the tower. When he finally earned a semblance of respect from Dick as a Titan.
When she said yes to being his girlfriend.
The Brain... Trigon... Slade... Terra...
When they still had dinner as a team.
Tune ups in the garage.
Movie nights.
When they fought Jump City's villains. And would go out for pizza after a hard days work.
When they became a team
When he first met her
Raven...
And with the shining sun overhead on this beautiful morning day...
Garfield Logan was gone