Our Time in Reverse – What it Takes –
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Chapter 31: Fight Night and Shades of Cobalt Grey
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They whirled to the scene by both air and vehicle. Cy expected Star to catch up to thunder a whole lot faster as she zipped over rooftops to a structure outside of compacted office buildings with multiple glass ceilings.
"This is very dangerous, Cyborg. Many citizens could very well be harmed by the falling debris. Where is the –
She gasped through the Comm as Cy shifted gears and growled out his promise to the alien princess. "Hang on, Star! You won't fight em all alone."
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Slade looked over the woody forests, down into the collapse of life as it lay barren from hours of his bots tending to the man's plans prior. Lightening was boasting, puffing out his chest to prove that he was a God's child. Slade knee otherwise to test it, yet he had assurance that the bolt of light would not turn on its teacher.
He chanted from the book quietly as the teens fought. Bb's ears perked up, only to be hit by the stray sparks that Lightening commanded at his fingertips. "Not a second too close. I shall have this victory. You will all be left to wallow in shame of your defeat at the hands…. of Lightening!!" The brother laughed as a wild storm. Raven raising her hands to undo his craft, until Robin's staff moved to polr vault over while she used the time to add to his distraction. "Stop!! You are not to trek farther! Fight me!!" Raven hit him with a clod of earth as Lightening's hair shot up, Robin now feeling drops of rain pelt his hair and lashes, more coming as Slade knew there was still time for a magic fire to keep burning.
~ RISE!! FIRE, I COMMAND YOU! RISE! Burn it all !!!~
The sticks and leaves quaked below the three's feet as Robin felt a hand pull him away from the starting torch embers of the man's second step to victory. "You came. As expected of my apprentice."
" Slade, Beastboy could –
"Then, it's just you and me. No need for a better distraction." Slade swung out the staff as Robin used his own to counter the blows. This was it. Slade would become their enemy. They'd see his true colors.
"Robin!!"
Slade moved back and crashed his hands within his sleeves as some ancient figure, smiling while Bb transformed into a wolf. Slade had the book in his robes as he spoke a spell, seeing as Raven was knocked out and fighting the fires while she woke, to Lightening stomping on hot embers to attack Beastboy while the apprentice and master continued their night time spar. "That was some irritating timing on his part." Chucjled the mad man. "Sloppy. Though a pity if he fails to notice his own faults. Never mind, shall we continue?"
"Let's." Dick growled, his mask still on as the rain only made an appearance in lack of a drizzle. It wasn't time. He parried the blows he was caught between countering. A tree's woody thick trunk felt his spine as Robin kicked, Slade making the boy drop his weapons as his scalp was scratched by the thick pine's wood. The man reached and forced the kid to not push away, for his instincts did take over quickly good reaction. His jaw was gripped back, head shoved into the wood up higher as Slade held him there wkthnhis Staff doing most of the work. Pinning his protégé and mole to the tree against his wishes.
In a feeble attempt to lessen the strain, the boy clawed at the man's wrists. "You wouldn't want me as your enemy, dear child. I always have you in my best interests. Pity that you ran away, I could have made you better. Stronger." The grip grew tighter against his neck. At this rate, you'll fail to save this city." Slade's longer arm guided the boy's eyes to tilt towards the city as the teen saw Raven using what she could to make sure the walking fire monster did not divide and burn an entire development of houses away. The rain…he was waiting on it?
"Did you think I'd take any chance to let you lead this team? I had my doubts, yet maybe you should attempt the role. Only this once. Prove me right. That you won't survive it."
Robin growled and bit, his master's hand recoiling as the boy slipped under and was met with Bb to drag him out. Slade didn't stop them. He just watched as Lightening fell to his knees while the old sifu pulled out the book and began to wordlessly chant a new spell.
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Jason hated walking, let alone tracking his feet in the mud. By his calculations, there were two ways into the place he needed to go to. Now that his lead had been lost, he assumed the best place to wait for said heroes was at their headquarters. He took the codes right off of the Bat's files since Cy was funded by the JLA. He even made sure that none of that training with picking security locks had gone rusty. Jason pushed open a window and made sure to disarm the hall and room before entering. Easy as pie as he didn't bother to make note to a laptop on one desk by the wall. He took a look at the room and saw how unused it was. Bare floor. A few weights, maybe even…
He checked again. "Oh." He saw the resemblance of a military pressed recruit; nothing of a distraction, no hobbies.
This was the place, now time to get to work.
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Starfire fought a rather reckless and lost Thunder, who was more nervous about what he was supposed to be doing. They all felt the temps rise as a copter's reporter up in the sky was broadcasting a scene that Cy had to grit his jaw over. "It was a fake! Star, get outta there! We have ta –
"You will not do battle with the mighty God of Thunder?? Cowards ! Face me and defend your posts with pride!"
" You are the one who is without honor !" Starfire shouted at the blue storm cloud. "You and your siblings have both been deceived. Right now, our friends on top of that mountain," She pointed to the countryside of Jump City, "And are attempting to save him, while all you wish is to do battle when there is no fun in lives BEING lost!! It is no longer a game !" She shouted even higher over his shaking sounds. His pain, the confusion; fueling into a whirring wind as Cy grabbed onto something to not be pulled in. "I…am not…" Thunder stared through his lit eyes at another with eyes just as fired up.
"You must choose. These fun and games to brand you as a menace to others, or as someone who is worthy of any praise coming from the people. And those they care for deeply."
The brother hung his head, his eyes as untrusting of his own powers as he was for this outcome "The wise sifu in the forest… was, similar as he called us, gifted. Special. My brother fights, for he believes this to be so. What now can we do? I…have hurt, others…"
"You can start by stopping whatever is gonna burn down the entire block." Cy pointed to a cloud if rising smoke. Thunder gasped and rose into the air. "No! Brother…I must go to him. He is not well, please…" The great God's child bowed to have some apology in his stance. "Whatever has been done, we shall both fix it. I only wish to help my brother as you both have kindly helped me."
"Then, let us hurry. Our friends cannot hope to win by themselves. The fire will spread."
Cy nodded back to both. "We'll be right behind you. Go. We're not gonna let Jump turn ta ashes while our backs are turned."
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Bb ran to scoop up Raven as the fire was starting to divide into two. Slade would weaken it, but the rain still refused to come. Robin didn't look back as the man had vanished into the trees. He was tapering off. The brother came after them both. Bb shrieking as he used his own mass to barricade Raven while she healed herself. "It's too powerful. Whatever is fueling it –
"That creep with the book." Bb growled at the trees. " Hey , light bulb dude!! You got some nerve!!" He flew as an eagle into the weather head's shocking locks. "Stay away!! You cannot attack. I have –
The face the brother made was not one they had expected. "This…is not a …. how did this happen?? Where is the old wanderer? I wish to tell him…this was…?"
"Gone." Robin sniffed. " You protected him, he escaped and used some sort of spell book to raise those fire monsters with your help.
Raven frowned up at the confused spirit. "Where is your brother, is he…"
"He also…" Lightening dragged his feet. "He..."
A call from the voice of one he knew flew overhead as the clouds boomed the brother awake. "Brother! You have survived."
"We all did, and I think it's time you used your gifts ta really make a statement. Thunder has a plan." Cy nodded to the larger brother as the blue male opened his mouth to speak. "This, fire is magic. We are the sons of deities so it is our job to see to it vanishing from this world."
"But how, brother?" Lightening asked. "All my gift has done is create trouble wherever it has gone. What can we do, to work together…"
"You and I both know already, brother. Come. Titans, watch us create the greatest gift of all." Grinned the blue giant. Lightening took off in a spiral up in to the air. The clouds shook, the air got colder as wet drops pelted the grounds below. The heroes leaped up and gave their very thanks. Bb did a dance as a rat, while Raven grimaced at the boy's changed face. Starfire put her hands up to catch the rain as the fire and its painful scorching, all vanished from sight.
Rain had purified the earth, just like magic as Slade shut the book. "Not enough, not yet. Apprentice." He frowned.
The boy could enjoy the steady thrum of victory, for now. For now, Slade knew where their spy was headed. Where he'd get his chance to make a new mark form on the skin of another innocent bird of the bat's.
He looked over to Lightening who held his skull briefly. It seemed that Slade still had a hand in keeping the little fire fly in his army. He couldn't let that slip, as he further coated himself in shadows surrounding the scape, and slipped farther off to a hidden latch that would lead him back to his home sweet haunt.
All while his newly Integrated, albeit, unaware spy took on another task. Going after the little rodent child who'd dared to show his face up to the wrong building.
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Recall, Jason shut off the Titans' security but Slade has bug cameras that aren't so visible to a novice like Todd. What did he mean by not enough? Is Dick supposed to push to be even bigger than his own kind? Is Robin supposed to exceed expectations in another way? Find out!