Titans: Elemental

Chapter 12: Switched

We see a closed stage curtain illuminated by a spotlight. It opens, revealing a backdrop that depicts Titans Tower and the city proper behind it on the shore. A wooden Dick marionette drops into view and hangs before this scene, and the voice of the puppeteer speaks for it.

The Nightwing puppet said, "Titans! Go!"

The figure leaps across the stage, then looks back the way it came. It is alone.

The Nightwing puppet said, "hey!"

Figures in the likenesses of the other seven are clustered at the other end. The same person provides all eight voices, taking on the appropriate inflection for each. While the boys' puppets have hinged mouths, similar to a soldier-shaped nutcracker, the girls' puppets do not.

The Nightwing puppet said, "aren't you guys coming?"

The Raven puppet said, "what's the point? We can't possibly defeat the Puppet King."

The Blackfire puppet said, "yeah, he's unstoppable."

The Starfire puppet said, "he is too clever and powerful, not to mention good-looking."

The Rose puppet said, "anyone would be lucky to have him."

The Jack puppet said, "it's hopeless to fight him."

The Cyborg puppet said, "yeah. We should probably just surrender now."

The BB puppet said, "dude, I think we already have."

The green puppet gestures upward, and the entire group of puppets throw up their arms. Up top is the puppeteer, a short, squat fellow in a military dress uniform and sash. His head is in shadow, obscuring a clear view of his face, but protuberant eyes and a small crown can be seen.

This is the Puppet King.

The Puppet King said, "bravo, bravo. But enough rehearsal", he drops the cross pieces to which the strings are attached, "time to start the show."

The eight marionettes fall in a jumble, and the curtain closes.

….

Raven is floating in the air, meditating, feeling nothing around her.

Raven chanted, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos… Azarath Metrion Zinthos…."

Starfire asked, "Raven?"

Raven is slowly pulled from her peaceful state.

Starfire asked, "Raven?"

Evans is brought out of her train of thought as Starfire continues.

Starfire asked, "please forgive my interruption, but have you seen Dick?"

Raven said, "no."

Starfire asked, "oh. Perhaps you have seen Victor?"

Raven said, "no."

Starfire asked, "Beast Boy?"

Raven said, "no."

Starfire asked, "Jack?"

Raven said, "him I wouldn't mind."

Starfire asked, "Rose or my sister?"

Raven said, "my eyes are closed, Starfire, I haven't seen anyone."

Starfire said, "they must be doing the hanging out someplace. Perhaps we should do the hanging out. We never have before, and conceivably it could be fun. We might journey to the mall of shopping, or perform braiding maneuvers upon each other's hair, or…."

If Raven was annoyed before, she is now absolutely ready to explode, her face set in a fierce grimace.

Starfire asked, "you wish to be alone?"

Starfire backs off.

Raven asked, "how could you tell?"

She calms down again.

Raven tried to chant, "Azarath Metrion Zinth-"

Suddenly, the door opens and Vic yells, "MAIL CALL!"

Raven lets out a long, shocked yell as she hits the floor with a thud, she winds up in a heap before the others, who have just come in. Vic is carrying a crate.

Starfire said, "Richard! Victor! Sister! Jack! Beast Boy! You are back! It was…. Quiet while you were gone."

Raven stands up and dusts herself off, "not that quiet."

The crate is set down on the kitchen table; it bears a label reading; To The Titans-Titan Tower.

BB said, "check it out. This was sitting by the front door. Fan mail, probably a gift from one of my many admirers."

Raven rolls her eyes.

Blackfire said, "right…."

Rose walks in, "what's going on?"

Jack spoke in a cheery voice, "we got mail."

Dick said, "only, it doesn't say who it's from."

Vic reaches into view and grabs the lid.

Vic said, "well, one way to find out."

Jack said, "if it's a bomb, I ain't trusting our mail anymore."

He yanks it up, and they all peak in.

Vic said, "whoa!"

Dick said, "cool!"

Starfire giggles.

BB looks in and says, "honestly, I was kinda hoping for chocolate."

Rose said, "kinda creepy."

Vic brings up the puppet copy of himself seen before.

Vic said, "aww, isn't that cute? Puppet Cy has a light-up eye."

It does indeed.

BB and Dick have found their duplicates.

Dick is pulling his puppet's belt buckle as he says, "yeah. They got all the details just right."

BB pulls his puppet's pants around a bit before saying, "speak for yourself. I'm way better looking than this, and taller."

Rose said, "and they got the eye patch on the wrong side of mine."

Raven said, "someone certainly has a lot of time on their hands."

As she says this, she pulls back the puppet's hood and finds that her hairline has also been recreated. Starfire giggles as she looks hers over and works it around a bit.

Starfire said, "I have never seen such a whimsical device."

She makes it bow and speaks for it.

Starfire said, "hello, Starfire", she leaned into view to shake, "hello, tiny wooden replica of Starfire!"

Jack simply stared at his puppet.

Blackfire looks at him as she holds her own and asks, "you alright?"

Jack said, "I just think it's odd. Someone left these extremely detailed puppets for us?"

Rose said, "I've got a box we can lock ours up in, until we find out who sent them?"

Jack nodded in agreement as Rose went to get her box.

BB's puppet jumps over behind Dick's.

BB said, "dude", and had his pupper deliver a kick to the rear, "my puppet is totally kicking your puppet's butt!"

Dick said, "not for long."

Shifting his voice into kung fu mode, he makes his marionette strike BB's with a chop that sends it crashing into the wooden Vic.

The Vic puppet shakes its fist, "you want a piece of me, little man?"

The BB and Dick puppets keep taking swipes at each other as their operators provide good-natured fighting banter. Vic soon gets into the act as well; his replica swings into view to join the Three Stooges-style fracas.

Raven watches with obvious contempt.

Raven said, "boys."

Jack said, "speak for yourself babe."

Raven chuckles at the term of endearment.

Starfire comes to Raven, working her own puppet.

Starfire asked, "shall my tiny replica do battle with your tiny replica?"

Raven said, "knock yourself out."

She tosses hers to Starfire and walks away, leaving only the latter's puzzled stare.

Rose came back with her box and key, unlocking it. Rose and Jack place their puppets inside.

Jack said, "I ain't playing with that thing until we figure out who sent it."

Rose said, "amen to that."

She then locked the box up and placed it on a shelf.

….

Later that night….

Not a soul is seen in any of the empty halls or the living room. After a few moments of the last area, a hand shoots into view, accompanied by a few wisps of straw and the sound of splintering wood. We see the hand reaching up from the crate. Next, the other hand emerges, and both brace against the crate's edge as a shadowed figure hoists itself out. The crown on the overly large head gives it away as the Puppet King.

….

We see Starfire asleep in her room. Her bed is circular, with pink sheets and blankets, and she is sleeping the wrong way around on top of the bedclothes, feet on the pillow, head hanging off the opposite edge. Her puppet lies nearby on a round stool.

Suddenly, the door slides open. We see the Puppet King pop up just behind her, then duck away and come up at a different spot. He drops out of sight in a flash; she awakens and sits up a moment later as the door closes.

Starfire gasped, "who is there?"

….

We see a screen flashing, "Game Over", showing a dead monkey that clutches a flower to its chest. Ghosts rise from the body. We see BB sleeping in his bed, clutching a sock as he talks in his sleep.

BB muttered, "ladies…. Please…."

His puppet hangs from the headboard.

BB muttered, "… One at a time. You'll all get to take your picture with me."

He makes as if to kiss the unwashed footwear. The Puppet King has climbed up to the bunk, and he holds out a wooden cross piece such as the ones attached to all the puppets. This one has no strings, but a green spot begins to glow on one of the six arms and BB is briefly surrounded with light of the same color. He shudders in his sleep, then relaxes, and a ghostly copy of the teen emerges from his body and enters the puppet.

….

Jack suddenly wakes up, hearing something enter his room, but then runs out.

Jack was quick to grab his staff, jacket and shoes and walked out of his room. He sees Starfire's door open; she steps out, now in her usual clothes, missing the Puppet King's shadow as it passes at the far end.

Starfire called out, "hello? Hello?"

Jack walks over to her.

Jack asked, "you heard something too?"

Starfire said, "yes, as if something entered my room and left."

Jack said, "I don't think we're alone."

….

Vic is lying on the inclined table seen in his room. One big hand grips his plaything to his chest. The intruder's hand pops up nearby, holding that crosspiece; a blue-white spot now appears on one of the arms, and the big man is enveloped in that color light. He jerks awake with a sharp gasp, but his head soon rolls to one side as a specter of himself passes from his body to the puppet. The little red eye lights up.

….

Blackfire's room opens, and she too finds herself being enveloped with a dark purple light that went to the puppet that sat by her lamp, which moved its head to look at her.

….

We go to the stairs. The door opens and Starfire and Jack look out, just as those short legs clamber up the stairs.

Starfire asked, "is someone there?"

They hear someone approach and see Rose there, in her jacket and her sword strapped to her back.

Rose said, "I saw something in my room. I think it took that box I put our puppets in."

Jack asked, "what the heck is going on?"

….

In Dick's room, his supine form is already swathed in red light. He drops as his ethereal form escapes its physical shell and passes to the puppet sitting atop some nearby bookshelves.

….

Back in the hall again; Starfire and the others look along it, as a creepy chuckle echoes in the darkness; the same voice from before.

It gets louder.

They turn to the source of the noise.

Starfire asked, "huh? If this is a joke, it is not-"

They all turn to Raven's door as it opens, and Raven is looking out at Starfire. Both scream in sheer terror and surprise, their hair standing on end briefly.

The others were startled as well, but mostly from the girls screaming.

Starfire exclaimed, "Raven! You have also heard the strange noises?"

Raven said, "the strange noises of you talking outside my door? Hard to miss."

Starfire said, "oh. Forgive me, I thought there was someone-"

This time, the thing that cuts her off is a blast from Vic's sonic cannon that just misses all of them. Turning toward its source, they find the other four Titans charging down the hall. Dick leaps for a kick as BB turns into a dinosaur and charges ahead. The former nearly takes Starfire's head off with the sole of his boot; the latter tries to get at Raven, but she creates energy barriers to slow him down a bit.

The eyes of both aggressors are glowing.

Raven exclaimed, "Beast Boy, it's me! Don't make me hurt you!"

He breaks through the shield she has put up and snaps at her.

Blackfire starts blasting at Jack and Rose, who are quick to start dodging the starbolts.

As Starfire flies over Dick's head, he gets three discs ready in one hand and hurls them. She shoots them down with starbolts; the first two fizzle out, but the third explodes with great force when shot and she is thrown downward. Vic catches her, and we see that his eyes are glowing like those of the other two boys.

BB has continued his advance against Raven. A swing of the tail knocks her down the hall, where Vic catches her as well and pins one girl under each arm.

Raven exclaimed, "let me go!"

Dick and Blackfire approach.

BB suddenly turns into a squid and grabs Jack and Rose!

Starfire asked in shock and confusion, "friends! Why do you attack us?"

Jack asked, "is this because I forgot to take out the trash? I'll remember to do it from now on!"

The Puppet King said, "oh. They're not your friends anymore."

He steps up, revealing himself in full detail for the first time. The head is quite large, with slick black hair parted in the middle and a hinged mouth just like the boys' marionettes. He is a wooden figure brought to life.

The Puppet King said, "they are my puppets", he pulled out the figures from behind his back, "these are your friends."

He has trapped their souls within his wooden creations and taken control of the bodies. Now the puppets speak with the respective Titans' voices, sounding a bit muffled and very strained.

Dick said in the Nightwing puppet's body, "Starfire!"

Vic said in the Cyborg puppet's body, "Raven!"

Blackfire said in the Blackfire puppet's body, "Jack! Rose!"

BB said in the BB puppet's body, "help!"

Starfire gasped as Raven exclaimed, "release them!"

The Puppet King swings the puppets behind his back, "sorry, but you're not in charge here. You don't command me", he holds up his crosspiece, which now shows lights on its arms, "I command you."

BB and Dick raise the Raven and Starfire marionettes, respectively, and each girl groans as she is wreathed in her own color light, the beginning of the same process that took the souls of the boys and Blackfire.

Jack yelled, "Raven! No!"

Rose shouted, "let them go!"

The Puppet King said, "and with the Puppet King pulling the strings, the Titans will command the entire city. I just need to unlock that box, and I'll have all of you!"

Raven, as her soul and Starfire's escapen, manages to say, "Azarath…. Metrion…. Zinthos."

Both pass out as a black starburst emerges from her forehead and flares over the entire hall, knocking everyone silly. The crosspiece spins away from its master's hand and skids along the floor.

The Puppet King said, "my control!"

Beams shoot from the ends corresponding to the two girls, and their souls float free of the wooden receptacles and flash into the bodies of the prone girls. By the time the Puppet King has his control device back in hand, they have made it upright and sprinted off down the hall. Jack and Rose were knocked out of BB's hands and quickly followed their friends.

The Puppet King said, "after them."

The boys and Blackfire half-stand, half-float up to their feet, ready to pursue.

We go to a darkened section of the basement; a grate in the ceiling swings open, and the three girls and Jack jump down through it.

Only their eyes are visible as it swings shut over their heads and the chasers' feet are seen passing.

Starfire whispered urgently, "the boys! My sister! Raven! What are we going to-?"

Raven reaches over and switches on a hanging light bulb, and the two girls get a good eyeful of each other in their new situation. Each one's face shows the kind of expression she might have if she were still in her own body, and they give each other a long and very bewildered look.

Raven said, in Starfire's body, "Starfire?"

Starfire, in Raven's body, gasped, "Raven? Gasp ! You are me! Gasp ! And I am you!"

Black energy crackles from her forehead and shatters the light bulb, putting them into near-total darkness again.

Jack groaned, "oh grape nuts."

….

It is now early the next morning. BB, as a falcon, pulls into view with a cry and moves ahead, searching for the four runaways. At ground level, his shadow passes over a manhole, and the entire street shakes briefly as its cover blows sky-high thanks to some out-of-control telekinesis. The steel circle slams back to the pavement, rattling loudly as it settles until Starfire's hand reaches up and pushes it aside. She climbs out.

Starfire in Raven's body said, "oh, Raven! This is awful", Raven emerges, "terribly, horribly awful!"

Raven heads down the sidewalk, pulling Starfire along behind her.

Jack and Rose follow along.

Jack said, "you're telling me. My girlfriend is in your body, and you're in my girlfriend's body. This is gonna make the whole dating thing quite complicated."

Rose said, "let's worry about that later."

Raven in Starfire's body said, "tell me about it."

Starfire in Raven's body spiraled, "very well. Richard, Victor, my sister and Beast Boy have been trapped inside tiny wooden bodies, while a nasty creature called the Puppet King has taken control of their real bodies, which he is using to hunt us down, and you and I are in the wrong bodies and-"

Throughout all of this, the powers of the body she has borrowed manifest themselves in the following three ways. A couple of parking meters bend themselves double, newspaper boxes spew their contents in all directions, and a mailbox melts down. The only thing that stops her flow of words is Raven's hand on her shoulder, startling a gasp out of her.

Raven in Starfire's body groaned, "Starfire! You have to calm down. My powers are driven by emotion. The more you feel, the more energy you unleash."

Starfire in Raven's body spiraled, "but what if they find us? What if our friends are doomed? What if I am stuck looking like this forever?"

Her head practically spins on her neck several times, alla: The Exorcist.

Raven in Starfire's body said, "we'll fix it. I don't know how, but we will rescue the boys and we will get our bodies back… What's wrong with the way I look?"

Starfire in Raven's body squeaked, "nothing."

A pedestrian crossing signal above their heads explodes, she is still very much on edge.

Jack said, "for the record babe, you look stunning in your own body."

Raven in Starfire's body smiles, "thanks sweety. Let's try to hold off on kissing until after we get our bodies back to normal."

Jack said, "noted."

Starfire in Raven's body said, "I will try to calm down. Sigh, peace…. Quiet…. Tranquil-"

A car parked next to them is launched straight up and crashes back to the ground, upside down, nearly two seconds later. Its alarm goes off.

Raven in Starfire's body sighed, "we are so doomed…"

A cry from BB is overheard.

Starfire in Raven's body exclaimed, "Beast Boy!"

BB is above the rooftops, illuminated by the full moon, but soon goes into a sharp descent with talons extended.

Raven in Starfire's body exclaimed, "you mean zombie Beast Boy. Run!"

The group begins running.

As they follow the alley's turns, Raven starts jumping and flapping her arms, trying to get clear of the ground.

Raven in Starfire's body yelled, "fly! Fly!"

After another turn or two, they slow to a walk.

Starfire in Raven's body said, "we cannot fight them again. I do not wish to, and in our present condition, we would surely be defeated."

Jack said, "agreed. Two against four aren't good odds."

Rose said, "even if you two did learn to use one another's powers, we'd be at a disadvantage."

Raven in Starfire's body asked, "okay. How do you fly this thing?"

She gestures at herself.

Starfire in Raven's body said, "you must feel flight."

Raven in Starfire's body asked, "what?"

Starfire in Raven's body said, "when you feel the unbridled joy of flight, you will fly."

Raven in Starfire's body asked, "unbridled joy? Not really my thing."

Jack said, "I dunno, you seem to feel it when we go out."

Raven in Starfire's body said, "that's different."

Starfire in Raven's body said, "look!"

Her hand movement creates a black spark that throws Raven off her feet.

We see BB, as a tiger, rushing towards them.

Raven in Starfire's body asked, "what do I have to feel to use starbolts?"

Starfire in Raven's body said, "righteous fury."

Rose said, "that ain't happening, is it?"

Raven in Starfire's body asked, "your alien strength?"

Starfire in Raven's body said, "boundless confidence."

Raven in Starfire's body groaned, "never mind."

Raven runs back the way they came and yanks Starfire along with Jack and Rose close behind. Jack tries shooting ice on the floor as BB pursues. They take a different turn and wind up in a darker stretch of the alley. Something black swishes by in front, bringing them up short with a gasp; it straightens up to expose Dick's silhouette. They back up a few steps only to find the green jungle cat blocking the retreat. He moves in a little closer and roars, and now Dick brings out his fighting staff and runs at them. BB pounces as well. The group stand pat and sidesteps at the last moment; the two hypnotized Titans collide in midair, and the staff socks BB in the head and goes flying along the alley. The group makes tracks while the attackers lie dazed, Dick pinned under BB. The staff clunks down on the latter's head; both are soon on their feet to continue the chase.

Yet another side passage in the alley. Starfire passes it, but Raven ducks in and reaches out to haul her opposite number back. Jack and Rose dash in with them. They flatten themselves against the wall to stay out of sight of Dick and BB, who pass the corner without a second thought. It's harder, given how there are four of them. A momentary relieved smile from Raven is cut off when two very large and familiar bionic hands smash through the bricks behind them.

Raven, Jack and Rose scream in terror and are propelled upward at terrific speed by an inadvertent burst of telekinesis from Starfire, who runs off as Vic knocks the wall down.

Starfire in Raven's body said, "wait for me, please!"

Vic drools a little bit as he looks after them. Now they round a corner and stop, but soon they are forced to back up when he steps in after them. He is visible only as a silhouette, and Dick, Blackfire and BB join him. They close in; the girls and Jack backed up to a dead-end wall.

Raven in Starfire's body explained, "if I can't fly, you have to levitate. You know those words I always-?"

Starfire in Raven's body said, "yes!"

She sucks in a huge breath and holds it.

Raven in Starfire's body said, "wait! You have to focus!"

Starfire exhales as Jack mutters, "and here we go."

Starfire in Raven's body chanted, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

She goes up like a rocket, dragging Raven by the hand, and both scream as they gain too much altitude. Jack quickly uses his air ability to race after them with Rose on his back. The four puppet Titans stare up after them; Raven and Starfife stop in midair before barreling over the trio's heads with Jack and Rose flying after them.

Operating on the ragged edge of control, Starfire tows Raven up to roof level and beyond to soar over Jump City.

Starfire in Raven's body yelled, "I wish to stop! Please tell me the way to stop!"

Raven in Starfire's body said, "look at the ground and imagine-"

Starfire turns her gaze downward.

Raven in Starfire's body yelled, "wait!"

The severely inexperienced pilot drops like a rock, Raven goes with her, and they slam down in a huge pile of trash between two buildings. After a moment, they poke their heads up; Raven shovels waste feverishly toward the street. Jack and Rose land beside them much more gracefully.

Starfire in Raven's body groaned, "ugh! I smell like the breath of a Snervian blork worm. Raven, what are you-?"

Raven in Starfire's body puts her index finger to Starfire's mouth, "shhh!"

Leaning back to hide herself behind the berm she has made, she throws a trash bag at Starfire and lands it on her head to drive her down and out of sight. Jack and Rose quickly dash down with them.

Dick, Blackfire and Vic walk into view from opposite directions and stop near the garbage to look around a bit. Not seeing anything worth attention, they continue on their respective patrols.

In the trash pile as they leave, we see Jack and the girls huddled behind it. A little aura of energy appears briefly around one of Starfire's hands; Raven gives her a hard look as she moans sadly at having lost control again.

Starfire in Raven's body whispered, "peace, quiet, tranquility…. Peace, quiet, tranquility."

Raven in Starfire's body whispered, "it's all right. They're going."

They peer out at the departing trio through an opening in the wall of junk. A large green rat, BB, pops into view. Starfire gasps in fright and is silenced by Raven's hand on her mouth. Jack does the same to Rose, who bites his hand, making him put his own hand over his mouth. The rodent sniffs the air a bit and climbs up the bags behind them as they remain stock-still. On Starfire's temple; a drop of sweat forms and slides down to the hand over her mouth. Raven's face is framed from nose to chin, with sweat sliding down her cheek as well and her lower lip caught nervously between her teeth. As BB is still sniffing about, the next words bring him to a stop.

The Puppet King said, "enough!"

The Titan scuttles away.

BB rejoins the others and takes human form; they turn toward the voice.

The Puppet King said, "we will catch the other four after the ceremony is complete."

He stands on a patch of brickwork on the building's upper stories, near the fetid castoffs, with the other four puppets still in hand, and he steps forward and holds them up.

Dick asked in the Nightwing puppet's body, "ceremony?"

Vic asked in the Cyborg puppet's body, "what ceremony?"

Blackfire said in the Blackfire puppet's body, "I don't like where this is going."

The Puppet King said, "just a little spell that will destroy you four, and make your bodies mine forever. Come, my puppets."

He walks away and the possessed Titans follow. After they all have gone, in the alley behind the dump heap. A few trash bags are flung away; Jack and the girls step out, and Raven tries to get her auburn hair untangled.

Raven in Starfire's body asked, "how can you stand having this much hair?"

Rose said, "it takes a lot of skill to tame long hair. I should know."

Starfire in Raven's body said, "quickly, Raven! Our friends are in danger! We must follow and-"

Raven in Starfire's body asked, "and what? Save them with my unusable powers while your unbridled emotions blow us to bits? Nice flying, by the way."

A black aura surrounds Starfire.

Starfire in Raven's body growled, "at least I am able to fly."

Raven digs in her ear.

Rose said, "oh no."

Jack said, "here we go."

Starfire in Raven's body growled, "on my planet, even a newborn can unleash the joy of flight. But you are too busy being grumpy and rude to feel anything at all!"

Raven in Starfire's body said, "maybe you haven't noticed, but my emotions are dangerous. I can't afford to feel anything, at least not so strongly. You may have my body, but you know nothing about me."

The aura dissipates.

Starfire in Raven's body said, "perhaps you are right", Raven turns to her, "and if you and I are to overcome this ordeal, we must know everything about each other. So…. Begin sharing."

Jack and Rose smile as they watch this going on.

Raven in Starfire's body said, "alright."

Starfire sits cross-legged as Raven is kneeling.

Raven in Starfire's body said, "I was born in a place called Azarath…."

….

We see a decrepit old theater, the Bijou, with a courtyard in front of it. There is a large stone fountain, behind which Raven, Jack, Rose and Starfire have hunkered down to keep an eye on the front entrance. BB, as a Doberman pinscher, paces at the bottom of the steps that lead up to it. All four keep their voices down.

Raven in Starfire's body said, "safe to say we're not walking in through the front door. We'll have to try the roof."

Starfire in Raven's body said, "agreed. Now, do just as I instructed. Close your eyes and think of something joyful."

Raven rolls her eyes and sighs wearily. Starfire returns to normal volume.

Starfire in Raven's body said, "you might choose flowers, or kittens, or the laughter of children, or-"

She gasps as she is hauled up by Raven, who has floated clear of the ground.

Jack can't help but smile proudly at his girlfriend before flying up with Rose.

Slowly but surely, they ascend to the roof and are not seen by BB; he perks up his ears and turns to look in their direction, but they are already out of sight. The four of them touch down next to a locked trapdoor.

Starfire in Raven's body exclaimed, "very, very good! What was your joyful thought?"

Raven in Starfire's body said, "you don't want to know."

Starfire in Raven's body said, "oh, but I do. Please tell me. What did you imagine?"

Raven in Starfire's body said, "you not talking."

Starfire's eyes pop.

Starfire in Raven's body said, "oh. Well…. I am glad I was able to help."

Jack and Rose can't help but snicker at the exchange.

Rose whispered, "I thought she was gonna say something more inappropriate."

Raven looks at her, then down at the lock, then at Starfire again.

Raven in Starfire's body said, "your turn. Find your center. Focus your energy on the lock."

Starfire closes her eyes for a moment. When she opens them again, they are glowing white as when Raven uses her own powers; she raises her hands.

Starfire in Raven's body chanted, "Azarath…. Metrion….", the lock floats up as far as it can, "… Zinthos."

On the last word, she brings her hands down and the lock snaps. She giggles.

Raven in Starfire's body said, "nice work."

Starfire in Raven's body exclaimed, "success!"

The outburst causes her abilities to flare up; the trapdoor flies open and sends echoes throughout the theater.

Raven in Starfire's body said, "nice work."

Rose said, "give her some slack. Now, let's head inside."

We see the stage in the auditorium. The Puppet King stands before a large bowl filled with blue-white flames. Candles have been set up and a scenery flat is to one side; the puppets are hanging over the top edge of the latter. He has his wooden cross piece in one hand and a test tube in the other. The echo of the trapdoor draws his attention, and he gestures with the controller toward the flat.

The Puppet King said, "search and destroy."

Dick, Vic and Blackfire stand before him.

The Puppet King said, "I do not want an audience."

They move off.

The Puppet King said, "well, Titans….", he uncorks the tube and pours the contents into a bowl, "… Time for your grand finale."

The flames blaze up. Just below one of the catwalks as sparks float toward it, Jack, Raven, Rose and Starfire are watching from here.

Raven in Starfire's body said, "no."

The Puppet King holds up the four figures, "it's going to be a real showstopper."

The Titans trapped in the puppets desperately begged for the Puppet King to stop!

The Puppet King said, "don't worry. I'll take good care of your bodies. After all, they'll be mine forever."

He lets go of the strings, and the puppets drop toward the flaming oblivion he has prepared for them. Before they can land in the bowl, though, Starfire's telekinesis catches them and lifts them away to the catwalk. She sweeps the four wooden figures into a crushing hug.

Starfire in Raven's body exclaimed, "my friends! You are unharmed! Hehehe!"

Dick asked in the Nightwing puppet's body, "Starfire?"

Blackfire asked in the Blackfire puppet's body, "sister?"

Raven in Starfire's body said, "it's a long story."

Jack said, "one we don't have time to tell."

The angered villain gestures with his crosspiece; in response, his four victims step toward him.

The Puppet King yelled, "go, my puppets! Capture them!"

They move out; BB transforms into a vampire bat to fly up with Blackfire while Dick clambers up the scaffolding. Starfire stands on the catwalk, still reveling in her rescue of the puppets, but is yanked away by Raven and the others.

Raven in Starfire's body yelled, "move!"

They run along the planks, but scream as BB and Blackfire bring them up short. Dick vaults up and crouches behind them, and Vic leaps onto the railing with his cannon ready to fire. The blast sends

Jack, the girls and the puppets flying every which way; the latter tumble onto the stage in a heap.

BB groaned in the BB puppet's body, "dude, get your butt outta my face!"

Dick said in the Nightwing puppet's body, "can't move. Deal with it."

Blackfire said in the Blackfire puppet's body, "at least your face isn't pressed up to Vic's-"

Vic said in the Cyborg puppet's body, "don't say it!"

The girls are doing a little short-range skydiving of their own. Starfire tries to grab a curtain cord to stop herself, Raven does her best to start flying, and neither one has any success. BB is in human form again; he hops onto the railing and turns into a gorilla, and he and Dick jump over the edge. Their two targets have finally managed to hit the brakes and are floating near another catwalk. They scatter an instant before Dick swings across the space on a rope. Starfire makes her way through the jumble of rigging, barely staying ahead of him, and both light on a walk to face off.

Starfire in Raven's body said, "Richard, I do not wish to fight you."

She avoids his next punch, but he turns the move into a grab for her cloak and gets it, throwing her toward the railing. He moves a few steps toward her, ready to finish the job. He stops; one of his feet is within a loop of rope that lies on the boards.

Starfire in Raven's body said, "but I will if I must!"

She levitates a nearby sandbag and drops it over the side. The rope attached to it is the same one whose loop Dick is standing in, and he is quickly dragged up by that leg.

Jack and Rose are running from Blackfire as she shoots seemingly endless starboard at them, which they avoid.

Jack quickly takes aim and shoots a ring of ice at her that hits her and sends her into a wall, trapped by the ring as Jack starts freezing her arms and legs while Rose looks out for any more danger. Now Raven flies through the support framework, doing her best to stay ahead of Vic and BB, both of whom are swinging among the cables to get at her. The latter finally finds a grip and bears her down to the catwalk, but she kicks him away and quickly backs up to the wall as Vic rejoins the attack.

Raven in Starfire's body said, "okay, Raven. Starbolts. Just let go of your emotions, feel the righteous fury, and…."

The attempt comes to a very sudden end when Vic aims a punch at her and knocks out a few dozen bricks. BB tries to seize her again as well; she dodges away, but he counters by slamming his clasped hands onto the catwalk to break it. Raven hurtles toward the stage, but manages to reverse course and deliver a walloping uppercut that dumps the shape-shifter, now back in human form, at Vic's feet. The big man jumps onto the railing, grabs a rope, and swings across at her. She has just enough time to get airborne before those enormous metal boots crash through both sides. Realizing that he is now below her, she angles herself for a diving kick and connects to drive the rope out of his hands. He plunges toward the stage and passes Starfire, who gasps in shock and gathers her energy.

Starfire in Raven's body chanted, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

As she says this, we see the pile of puppets on the stage; they are directly underneath the falling Titan and will be crushed to toothpicks upon impact. The spell catches him and pushes him out of the way.

Blackfire manages to break out of the ice and dashed forward, grabbing Jack and Rose and sending all three of them towards the others.

Back to Starfire, who smiles a bit as she moves her hand to direct Vic's motion; she looks upward, screams suddenly, and dodges a falling sandbag. A snarling Dick has gotten loose of the trap she sprang on him and is diving with enough speed to peel his lips back from his teeth. An instant after he lands on the catwalk, Vic, still moving under her influence, sails across and plows him away.

Rose starts grabbing rope and runs around Blackfire as she tries to blast Jack, who is dodging them as fast as he can before they manage to tie her up!

Raven lands on a higher walk and smiles down at Starfire, but a loud growl from above draws a shocked gasp and sets her running. BB, in gorilla form again, leaps down to her level in a bid to crush her, he misses, but the tremor from his landing throws her off her feet. She gets up and holds one hand straight out in front of herself as he approaches.

Raven in Starfire's body said to herself, "righteous fury, righteous fury, concentrate…."

A green spark flickers from the extended hand; the beginning of a starbolt, but his swipe at her ends the experiment. She lifts off only to have one of her ankles caught by BB; he hurls her back to the catwalk and lifts his clasped hands to smash her apart once and for all. Only a last-second roll to one side saves her life. Fetching up against the railing, she looks down at the sound of a scream from Starfire. The latter is still dodging Dick's strikes.

Starfire in Raven's body yelled, "Raven, help!"

Vic charges in to throw a punch, but Raven can do nothing to help, BB plants one of those huge mitts on her head and lifts her up by it.

She shakes loose and drives the sole of her boot in his face before leaping back to perch on a scaffolding.

Raven in Starfire's body yelled, "Starfire!"

Starfire looks up toward her, Dick goes up for a kick, and those violet soles push off from the framework. Raven goes into the fastest dive she can do and tackles the Dick in midair, driving him off the catwalk and catching the edge of his suit in one hand to leave him hanging.

Starfire in Raven's body yelled, "not me! Them!"

Raven follows her gaze; her face registers the same shock that set off her counterpart's panic. The Puppet King runs towards the flaming vessel, carrying the others' replicas; he holds them over the fire.

The Puppet King yelled, "the Puppet King is in command!"

Raven's free hand blazes green.

Raven in Starfire's body yelled, "NO!"

Jack sees this and joins in with his own blast of fire!

Raven hurls a full-strength starbolt to the product of the fury she has been trying to capture that explodes with the force of a small bomb upon impact, Jack's own ball of fire making it even more destructive!

The puppets and their maker are flung across the stage; his cross piece arcs high over the scene, bounces off a sandbag, and drops neatly toward the blue-white fire. It flares up brilliantly when the wood falls in.

The Puppet King yelled, "my control!"

The blaze shapes itself into an approximate likeness of his face, and he starts to twitch and jitter in his prone position. Light pours from his eyes and mouth.

The Puppet King yelled, "NOOOOOOO!"

The influence lifts him to his feet, and the four puppets tremble as the souls trapped within them fly free and return to the right bodies.

Starfire's spirit pours out of the blue-cloaked body it has been inhabiting. Raven's spirit does likewise as Dick rests in her arms.

The two girls' life forces intertwine briefly before returning to their proper homes.

Jack and Rose cheer as they see this.

We see the four puppets on the stage, now just lifeless pieces of wood, Starfire lands and sets Dick down. Raven joins them.

Starfire exclaimed, "I am me! And you are you!"

Jack runs up and hugs and kisses Raven saying, "thank God."

Vic, Blackfire and BB emerge from the wings. The latter is in human form again, and all four have completely recovered from the madman's influence.

Vic said, "and we're us!"

Dick said, "thanks to you four."

BB exclaimed, "you go, girls! And guy!"

Starfire exclaimed, "Raven, Jack, Rose, we have done it!"

Raven finds herself swept up in a wildly enthusiastic hug that is nowhere close to her liking.

Raven groaned, "you're hugging me…."

Starfire lets go as Jack says, "she only likes my hugs."

Raven nods at her boyfriend's words.

The Puppet King yelled, "NOOOOOOO!"

He is sprawled out on the stage and trying to crawl forward. The light still pours from his eyes and mouth.

The Puppet King yelled, "the magic! Without it, I'm just a…."

The luminosity fades away, and he collapses as a slack-jawed, googly-eyed figurine without being able to finish the sentence.

Blackfire said, "can we please burn that creepy thing?"

….

Back in the living room. It is now later in the day, and Raven floats near the windows, meditating.

Raven chanted, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos…. Azarath Metrion Zinthos…."

We see Starfire standing behind her.

Starfire said, "Raven, forgive my interruption, but…."

Raven said, "I haven't seen Dick, Vic, Blackfire, Rose or BB. Jack is napping in his room with Percy."

Starfire said, "truthfully, I am wishing to join you in meditation."

Raven said, "really? All right."

Starfire flies over and assumes Raven's pose, floating at the same height above the ground.

Raven said, "find your center. Focus your energies, and…."

Raven and Starfire chanted, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos…. Azarath Metrion…."

Raven breaks off and opens one eye as Starfire completes the mantra.

Raven asked, "Starfire?"

Starfire asked, "yes?"

Raven asked, "after this… Would you like to go to the mall?"

Starfire nodded, "mmm-hmm."

Both close their eyes.

Raven and Starfire continued to chant, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos…. Azarath Metrion Zinthos…."

The two friends finally enjoying something together is where we end off….

….

Reviews:

Canadude2029: yep, this is one of my favorite OG chapters. Glad you enjoyed it too.

SuperSentai199: I'm glad you agree.

….