INNER DEMONS

by The Mighty One

Chapter 44 has been completed! Blackfire struggles to claim her prize outside The Jump City Observatory. The elemental wielders of ice and earth, are evenly matched at Titans Tower; Raven formulates a strategy with Avatar and The Squadron heroes, as the contest for Cyborg, reaches an unpleasant dilemma of its own. Meanwhile, Falcon and Elizabeth make their move.

11. Convoluted Discoveries

Disclaimer: By this means, I rightfully claim ownership to this fanfiction story and my original character within it, by my trademark signature T.M.O at the conclusion of every update. Any other characters that may appear in this work and are new, these are the rightful properties by their creators as well and cannot be reproduced, or duplicated without their individual consent. I do not own anything within the DC Universe, from Warner Brothers, or on Cartoon Network. The only original character and the name that I created for him; that I accept half ownership on is Falcon from this telling. Scififanfreak222 owns the second half of him as well, for drawing him upon a collaboration of various new designs and sketches within the year of 2010; and cannot be knowingly placed into another literary document, writing community, comic book series, and or televised broadcast without either of our written or verbal consent in front of legal consultants. TheForceIsStrongWithThisOne, Scififanfreak222, xSaffire55x, Novus Ordo Seclorum, and RavenxIsxAxBlackxRose; each of these fellow writers have helped me to press onwards with this story, every-time I have come across writers block. Without their outstanding guidance, the updates would have taken me even longer to complete.

Chapter 11 is posted! Slade may have the heroes divided, yet they still fight on. An old ally makes an appearance in the mix of things, yet, who could it be? "Neglect mending a small fault, and 'twill soon be a great one." -Ben Franklin 1706-1790-

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Chapter 11- Convoluted Discoveries

Many miles westward, at the farthest edge of the metropolis, the Jump City Dockyards resided. It was a very bustling place; at most hours during the day, ships would enter the port, drop off or retrieve their cargoes, and then leave.

Now though, being that it was still much too early, the harbor was totally deserted of workers. All ships that were in port were anchored, as newly entering vessels to Jump City, would have to wait until mid-daytime, to be unloaded.

Like any main harbor, the dockyards of Jump City, had many rows of long wooden plank-ways for their products, to be brought in from the ships. They stretched out from the pavement, as though they were long arms.

Towering pier lights placed at different sections across the port; shined their yellow glows out to the sea, warehouses, and ships. The multiple types of craft, were moored alongside the piers, as long connectors were tied off from the platforms, to the vessels.

The thick metal chains; they linked the gigantic crafts, to the platforms, and they could be heard slowly creaking back and forth, as the metal was left sloshing in the surf.

The choppy waves carried a dark blue, almost purple color, as the echoing of sea-gulls, squawking back and forth, were bouncing upon the storage buildings. The long and wide structures; were closer to the main roadway, as a towering chain linked fence, was placed as a perimeter to the wharf.

The long structures within the compound, housed much of the cargo that was unloaded, inside of the numerous metal and gray, tinted barn shaped buildings. Aside from these, there were deep rows of long freight containers, and they were stacked outside.

The warehouses had a similar appearance, to a barn, with the heavy sliding doors, and they were locked up tight. There were even windows, placed along the sides, and the roofs to them, they were shaped in that familiar arc.

The semi-tractor-trailer trucks, that supplied the city another means of getting food, clothing, and various necessities from outside countries, were parked longways, to the front of the buildings. Along the perimeter, a vast chain linked fence which kept the public outside, was clearly visible from the street.

The only known way to get inside for most people; was through the main gate, which was closed for the night. Two guard-house's also possessed a bar across their entrances, and behind them, a second fence was slid shut.

Gradually over time, and with the wear-down about the outer perimeter; criminals and young vandals found weaknesses, from any number of points. Some were able to sneak inside of the dockyards, and the proposition for criminals, to conduct their ill concocted deeds, it was easily and stealthily orchestrated, from within this labyrinth of abandoned buildings.

Jinx, who had escaped the debacle upon the Jump City Bay Bridge, had sprinted an incredibly vast distance. Her heart was pounding so loud and fast, that she thought it was ready to burst.

Her breathing was terribly heavy, as each deep breath for air only brought a sharp burn, to her lungs, and she felt parched. She had been running this marathon for too long, and her legs felt like they were noodles.

The only thing she could do, was to lead the Teen Titan on a dogged chase, where the battleground would be on somewhat, more level playing field. There were only two places Jinx thought this option could work, where if she went to the dockyards, then she would possess some leverage over her pursuer, having to pick between two targets.

"Red X mentioned something about going here, as route b." Jinx whispered to herself, as she glanced behind a corner. "Let's see if this idea of his, really works."

Starfire could fly, with virtually no limit of exhaustion. She was able to shoot starbolts from the palms of her hands, and being of a different planet, she was also much stronger physically. In every single aspect, that the ghostly pale teenager thought about it, the odds were stacked against her.

She ducked her head low, and she pushed aside an opening, of the fence.

"Too bad Gizmo and Mammoth, were part of the decoy." The mischievous sorceress shrugged her shoulders, and she held onto her H.I.V.E Communicator tightly. "I could really use their help right about now."

As she slowed her pace down, she began looking up, at the numbers on the sides of the buildings. The paint on the metal surfaces, was terribly faded, as the rising sunlight off in the distance, started to ebb away the shadows.

"Ugh, I know it's around here somewhere." Jinx grumbled, "It's just got to be."

Deeper and deeper, she walked into the facility. She was moving towards the older part of the compound, past the multi-colored shipping containers, that were stacked high upon one another. Then she noticed the equipment such as forklifts, power jacks, and even the bases to some cranes, which unloaded the freight.

Her shadow was far behind her, and Jinx quickly stopped. She thought that she heard something, and as she peered to the building, that she first came across, the sound of a raven flapping its wings, attracted her attention.

It cawed three times, and the sorceress quivered.

"I've got to keep moving." Jinx chastised herself, "now where is that building?"

-Flashback-

Jinx had been stuffed into a cubicle cell, where the only warmth of light, came from outside the sturdy bars to her wall window. The twinkling stars and full moon, cast an eerie silhouette over her, as everything else was concealed in cold blackness.

It was extremely claustrophobic, the walls were gray, there was a small metal toilet in the middle of the room, a basic sink to the side, as the bed she sat upon, was an old spring coil type. The mattress creaked from the tiniest movements, and it had two white blankets draped over it.

The dripping sounds, caused from some rusted pipe overhead was rhythmic, and while it aggravated her at first, now it was something she pushed outside of her mind.

There was no pillow, the guards did not trust the prisoners to have even this basic luxury. It was common like any other cell, and it lacked of posters, and any type of knick-knacks. The barren appearance, made everything feel smaller.

The door was locked, it was not a normal jail-door, but a type used for meat lockers and asylum wards, with a tiny window on the top, and a slit for food trays at the base.

Her hands were cuffed, the guards were not taking any risks, as she was truly clever. Unlike most prison facilities that she went to, there were various ways to escape, but here, on the island, it was a different matter entirely.

Jump City Penitentiary was a prison, of the most high-tech gadgets and latest designs, ever constructed. It was built, on an island with a single bridge in, to house the city's most dangerous, and notorious criminals.

Dr. Light, The Amazing Mumbo, and Mad Mod were a few of the big names, that had been held here for the past few days. Johnny Rancid and Cinderblock, they had been the first high priority targets, captured and transferred here, when it opened.

The subtle stench, of cold food on a spot by the door, it was spilled beans and mashed potatoes, with a few carrots, that had a brownish gravy slopped over the top. The wooden spoon one used to eat, it was attached to the metal tray, so there would be no way of making a weapon, or a shiv, to attack the guards or fellow inmates.

There was nothing but time for her now, as her trial was scheduled in the upcoming week, and she had a lawyer appointed for her, by the court, but it did not matter. Jinx, like most convicts took the first and most basic plea deal, in order to shave off decades of a much harder sentence.

If she went with a plea of not guilty, a trial of that nature was brutal, and even then, the evidence was stacked against her. The H.I.V.E Leader's only chance of leniency, was to take the acquittal given by the district attorney, to say she did wrong, and to pay a penalty.

Only then would she get moved to a less restrictive, and a much more comfortable location, on good behavior.

She did not have the money, or the brightest renown from the city dwellers, to back up her claims, to get her out of the pickle she was in. The Teen Titans had captured her, along with her associates, right back at their terrible schemes again, and while she did briefly fight alongside the local heroes, against the Brotherhood Of Evil; Kid Flash with the Titans, had departed from her on rather miserable terms.

The pink haired girl, solemnly stared at her hands, that were clasped over her lap. The heavy metal cuffs clinked, when she turned her wrists.

A secret Jinx kept, was that she actually fancied herself, to be of more a pirate, than a common thug. With the situation she saw herself locked in, she could not help but compare with the pirate legends, meeting a similar fate.

Like the old sea-dogs of lore, mainly plundering and doing what they pleased, which was a terrible plague on the high seas, yet the adventure and stories they had, risking it all for their own stake, that was very appealing to her.

Engaging tales of pirate fables, such as Captain William Kidd, Ann Bonny, and Marry Read, they brought a fiery passion to her spirit, and similar to them, she could be adventurous and enjoy a life of her own destiny.

Sadly, like these pirates, she was now a prisoner of the modern system, where the world was quickly out-pacing, any efforts by freelance thinkers and dreamers, to challenge disbelievers.

Jinx was a criminal, she stole and did what she wanted for her own pleasures, but she also wanted an end to this life too. She wanted to quit, but she did not have the faintest idea, of where she could turn, when the life of a crime fighter, was no longer intriguing.

There were very few opportunities out there, for her to try, and in only knowing about the acts of crime, trying to switch sides was a very risky endeavor, and she landed right back, in her old shoes. As soon as her relationship, with Kid Flash went sour, her world was turned upside down.

BOOM!

A massive explosion shook the walls, causing a bit of dust, to trickle onto her bed. She looked around her cell in fear, as she had a growing conviction, of what the loud disturbance could be.

A shrill siren began to whine in the hallway, and red emergency lights began flashing, across the door window. The blinking crimson color, brought a very surreal mood, to her already deflated spirit. Now, a new wave of energy began to course its way, through her heart, and she felt rejuvenated.

The noisy scuffling of feet grew heavier, as the sounds, of pistols blasting away, and men grunting as they were knocked out, rang just outside of her cramped little cubby. Jinx squinted her eyes, as a bright flash of white, grew brighter all of a sudden!

She peered up, only to find a solution to her troubles. The massive door had collapsed! A heavy and thick cloud of dust, broadened across the room, and Jinx coughed bitterly, as she inhaled the thick and unpleasant mixture, into her lungs.

"You must be Jinx." A male, synthesized voice was heard. His sharp silhouette, was standing in the entrance.

Jinx began to swat away the smoke, to get a clearer view.

"Yeah." she coughed again, the taste of burnt plastic and rubble was utterly revolting; "And you're the greatest thing since sliced bread, as far as I'm concerned."

"Funny."

The mounting plumes of smoke finally dispersed, and the image of a young muscular figure, in his black armor and cape, gradually walked forwards. This was it, her moment to escape, but Jinx was rather hesitant.

"So, do you have a name, or should I just call you … Mr. Doorman?"

"The name's Red X." He pointed to the intense mark, over his mask.

"Ahh." She stepped forwards, "catchy title. I like it."

"He went this way, down the cell-block!" A strange voice echoed outside, it was a guard.

Red X turned to glance over his shoulder, and then, as if on cue, he walked closer and lifted her cuffed hands.

"Sorry sweat-heart, but we're going to be cutting our first date … a little short."

"Oh?" Jinx snuggled next to him, purring like a kitten. "No dessert? That's not very nice."

"We don't have time right now, but I can make it up to you."

The masterful mercenary, he quickly unlocked the manacles, and she rubbed her wrists soothingly. While she glanced up again, she observed him tossing a smoke bomb down the hall, and it detonated. The bitter sound of men coughing reached their ears, and he turned back.

"Thank you." Her wicked smirk grew larger.

"Don't thank me yet." Red X placed a hand onto her shoulder. "How would you like, to get even with the Titans?"

The pale girl pulled herself to a corner of the room, "Well, I am only two days away from my trial, to be bumped elsewhere. What's the point of running?"

"So, you would rather not get some payback, and stay in a cell?"

"No." Jinx retorted. "That's not it at all."

"Then what's the problem?"

The sinister grin suddenly faded out, where a serious glare, mixed with intrigue quickly took form, across her face.

"Oh, it's nothing really." said Jinx, "I just don't liked being tagged along, on some wild game, of espionage or something, without knowing where exactly, I'm headed first."

"Riiiight." he answered, "The reason I'm here, is because your set of skills is required."

"Oh." Jinx purred again. "Now I am interested, please, tell me more."

"You know, your sarcasm was something he said, I would like."

Jinx's eyes instantly became wide. "I'm sorry, but first you start blasting away my houseguests, then, you destroy my bedchamber door. I'm not being snippy, but I take it somebody sent you, to come get me?"

"Hurry men, they … they are just up ahead!" The barking orders of security loomed.

"We don't have time for this." Red X chastised, "I'm already behind schedule, and if you want in on this, you need to come with me, right now!"

The sorceress mused over the choices, for a long and somber minute. She bit her lower lip and stroked her chin. "Alright." she answered, "Lead the way Mr. Doorman."

"Red X."

"Whatever."

He reached to a side compartment, and he tossed a glob of red C4, to the back of her room. As he set the dial on his wrist, a quick timer instantly blinked on.

"FREEZE!" An armed guard shouted, while four others poured into the doorway. The were totally oblivious, to the crafty device having just been planted.

Red X and Jinx slowly put their hands up into the air, while the newest addition to the prison, he stood alongside the pink haired sorceress.

"So much for your great plan of escape." Jinx mocked him, as she leaned to his head.

"Wait for it." He whispered back.

"Oh the floor, NOW!" The same guard demanded, his sidearm cocked and aimed at his target's chest. "This is Captain Gregory, send down fire crews to take out that blaze, in sector seven!"

"Yes sir." answered a second soldier, and he left the room.

"Wait for it." Red X repeated quietly.

"Wait for wha-" Jinx was suddenly silenced, as the ticking on her savior's wrist quickly chirped a high frequency, and then …

KA-BOOM!

The wall behind the pair erupted, and while the new scene of chaos transformed within the cramped cell room, Red X yanked her hand, he pulled her to his chest, and together, they dove out from the new hole!

Down, down, down, they plummeted into the frigid water of the Jump City Bay. They crashed into the icy cold depths, where the choppy waves sloshed and pushed around them, as they fought to stay afloat. Bits of debris and concrete crumbled, as the splashing of their arms, to stay afloat, quickly caught their ears.

A pair of heads broke through the surf, as their bodies bobbed up and down, like they were tops, and the hectic ruckus of shouting and sirens reverberated overhead.

"Some plan genius!" Jinx scolded her savior, "This is some rescue. I might as well have made a brake for the hallway."

"I already thought of that approach. My way is quicker and less messy."

Jinx looked up, to notice the great plume of smoke, engulfing the entire cell. "You call that, less of a mess?"

"Some of your new neighbors, are already taking care of that approach, as we speak."

"My clothes are SOAKED! They'll fish us out of here, in a mater of minutes."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that."

Ten more explosions rocketed, all across the side of the prison they dove out from. Red X pressed a remote he had concealed, and two black jet skies, sped over to them.

Jinx's grin returned, as the hum of the engines increased, and she quickly realized, that things were going to be okay.

"Well now, a romantic boat ride, at this hour. You shouldn't have."

"I am a man of many talents." Red X replied, "but this is only the beginning. Head to the Jump City Bay Bridge, and have some fun."

"Wait a second, why would I go there?" Jinx studied the stranger, "Why can't we, stick together?"

The unlikely duo, hopped onto their water crafts, and they made themselves comfortable.

"I've got some stuff to take care of." answered Red X, "Just head to the bridge, and let off some steam. If you get into a tight bind, go directly for the Jump City Dockyards. Get to warehouse AA23."

"Will you be there?"

He tossed her the old H.I.V.E phone she carried, where he must have procured it, from within a storage locker at the prison. As she caught the device, he revved the throttle, and his vessel grew fainter and fainter, and fainter still.

-End Of Flashback-

Jinx blinked her eyes, as she held her right hand, to one of the walls of an abandoned building. She had passed by so many, yet the numbers were giving her a fresh round of hope. The warehouse she was pressed against, was labeled AA18.

The jailbird began to grow curious, as to who the mysterious rescuer had been, on what his face really looked like?

She had created a little mayhem on the iconic red bridge, and while it was a little entertaining, Starfire had arrived and spoiled the rest of her night. The Teen Titans were on a mission, and Jinx felt then, to be a pawn in a larger game.

Red X had been sent to break her free, to allow some of her buddies, to create their own bedlam, and it all pointed, that there was a puppeteer pulling the strings, from the shadows.

As she glanced up from the concrete, the scuffed numbers upon the building's side surface revealed the location, she was told to fall back to, once things became too complicated for her to handle.

"This is it." Jinx looked at her communicator, and then to the side of the building. She inhaled a deep breath, as she clutched the device harder. "I wonder, who could have orchestrated this entire thing? I guess, there's only one way to find out."

She exhaled slowly from her nose, and she grabbed onto the handle of the sliding door. As she walked with it, forcing the metal to creak loudly, the appearance of many eyes glowing white in the darkness, forced her to halt almost immediately.

She gasped in fright at first, then, a devilish smirk spread from ear to ear. She knew exactly who had sent this massed army for her, and now, she had the muscle to counter her pursuer.

The hundreds of white lenses, were locked onto the intruder, and Jinx crossed her arms over her breasts, before speaking. A new, and crafty plot was forming.

"Lets have some fun, shall we."

---

Starfire's hair was pushed around from the sudden updraft, as she hovered directly over the street signs and traffic lights, of the road. The Teen Titan had been flying for a long time, and now, a chain fence was spotted just in front of her.

The salty stench of the ocean, of seagulls squawking, as the scavengers circled overhead, the sound of tug boats honking, as they brought in new ships to the bay, this all told the Tamaranean Princess, that she had arrived at the dockyards.

Starfire swooped down, to the pavement, and she approached the barrier. A sign reading, 'No Trespassing' hung in front of the wall.

The beautiful red haired girl, worked for a branch of law enforcement, as a superhero. She learned from Robin about a certain code of ethics, when faced with any number of dilemmas, where sometimes, even without a warrant from a judge, and when the city was in jeopardy, she could continue with her head held high, with her duty.

After taking a deep breath, Starfire, levitated her body over the chain fence. Once she was on the other side; she landed softly and began to walk towards the gray tinted, barn shaped buildings.

Starfire had chased after her opponent from the Bay Bridge, an old friend at one point, now turned enemy. While she was walking calmly and looking for clues upon the ground, the curious Titan had no true understanding, of why the dark sorceress, felt the need to return to her sad, and lonely path.

While she pulled one of the giant doors sideways, she went further inside, noticing that it was completely abandoned. There were only thin pillars, as support beams for the roof.

Starfire's silky hair blew across her face, and she lightly sighed. It was going to be a monumental challenge, just searching for the explosives, and with the prison escapee having numerous places to hide, her chances were not looking favorable, that she would even complete her mission.

It was unlikely that Jinx would be here, but Robin's intuition had given her pause, to reflect on the facts she did have.

The scheming sorceress had only just, broken out of The Jump City Penitentiary, with some assistance. Slade had placed explosives about the city, and various criminals were hindering her teammates progress, where the dockyards were another plausible location to search.

Jinx might have caused panic at The Bay Bridge, but it felt like she was waiting for Starfire to show up, as though she had been told to go there. Through Robin's explanation, Jinx may have been informed of a back-up route, and if she could confuse the super heroine once more, to take more time away from her objective, the precise move conjured up by Slade, was an even harder trait to ignore.

A dark shadow loomed nearby, and then another, and yet another. Starfire squinted her eyes, she readied herself for a brawl, and once she turned to confront the threat, the raw energy in her burned brightly.

Starfire's instincts served her well, as five Robot Commandos appeared on all sides. Their black armor, and orange colored helmets revealed, that these deadly soldiers worked for her team's worst enemy.

One tried to swipe a long kick at Starfire, and missed, as another used his hand-held blaster to shoot near her heart. The Teen Titan ducked and swung around the assailants, where the red blast singed one of the crates behind her!

Starfire let loose a mighty uppercut, smashing the first assailant to the ground, and then she tossed many green glowing starbolts at the others, and they each dodged and leapt to the sides.

"I do not wish to harm any of you." Starfire spoke confidently, while she hovered in mid-air. "But if you persist with these attacks, then I will have no choice, but to defend myself."

The Sladebots glanced from each other, where three more pulled out their own concealed blasters, and they began to shoot at the kindhearted alien. There was no mistaking this act now, the explosives were in this area, hidden.

Starfire did not panic from this barrage, she merely dodged their fire, swerving her head and torso this way and that, and she expressed a muffled groan of displeasure, in listening to their answers, by shooting at her.

In response, she flung bright green starbolts at them, and an ear-splitting shootout, echoed about the battlefield. Starfire landed a few powerful hits, and she even swooped low and brawled on the ground level, breaking them apart piece, by piece.

When one was knocked down, another would take its place. It was not long before dozens, and then a hundred more began to arrive, and swoop in from all directions. Their sparks and inner computerized workings were visible, as Starfire bashed through their armor, and some of their limbs scattered around the dockyard.

Starfire took a few nasty punches to her belly, and she moaned as the hits were delivered. She fought on, even after several commandos landed on top of her back, trying to pin her to the ground, but she used her super strength, and laser vision, to free herself of that dire entanglement.

A great blast of light, expanded from the mass of bodies around her. Their attack may have failed, but it was a diversion to confuse her, away from other things happening in the dockyards.

One of the Sladebots got into a forklift, as another hopped into a crane, where they manipulated the controls, and they transformed their surroundings, into weapons.

Starfire fought valiantly, and she began to exert a great deal of energy she had in reserves. What began as a simple confrontation, had now transformed into a blur, where she was ultimately succeeding in the fighting, but the countless waves of drones, continued to arrive, and they zapped further energy from her.

It was a never ending bout, and she began to think, to how well that her teammates were handling themselves.

After she held off the forklift, from pushing her into the water, she punched through the solid metal plate, near the driver's seat and she held the Robot Commando's head, that was attached only to its torso. She hoisted it high into the air, and in triumph, she chucked it at a group of several others that were standing still, like they were bowling pins.

Her focus was lured at this sight, when a heavy hook from a crane bashed into her left hip, and pushed her into a shipping container!

Starfire groggily lifted herself up, and after brushing her purple skirt clean of dust, a look of utter disbelief formed across her face. There were hundreds more sladebots arriving, and they gradually encircled around her.

With one slow step at a time, they inched closer, and closer. The space between them and her was shrinking, it was becoming claustrophobic.

Their cold white lenses revealed no emotion, as she was backed into a corner. She could fight for a very long time, but there just seemed, to be no end to their numbers.

The red haired girl squeezed her fists, sweat slowly trickled down her face, in uneven patterns, and a quick breeze swept around her. She was not going down that easy, and her fighting skills were only improving, with each brawl she was in, but she did not account for this much of an effort being given, when her time was limited to a much more immediate task.

As she readied herself for the final attack, the sladebots began to part in the middle, where Jinx walked forwards, in a cock-sure attitude. Her long shadow slunk behind her, as the robot army parted and then closed, like the only way out was closing fast, and everything was going from a bad situation, to a far worse one.

It could have been said, that Jinx appeared delighted, almost giddy to have things back in her favor, and she wanted to unleash her own vengeance, at the Teen Titan.

"Looks like you're in a bit of a bind, eh Starfire." Jinx hissed, the cold morning air whisper about the two girls, and everything was strangely at peace.

Starfire clenched her fists tighter, before speaking.

"You should not have challenged me, that was your first of three mistakes." Starfire squinted her eyes.

"Yours unfortunately, was deciding to try and stop me."

"Your second mistake, was not leaving when you had the chance." The Tamaranean Princess scolded. "Now that you are here, I don't have to search for you."

Jinx rolled her eyes, and she crossed her arms over her breasts.

"This time, the playing field is a little bit more even, now that I have these guys to slow you down. So then, what was the third mistake?"

Starfire revealed an unexpected smirk, and she waited before answering.

"By my count, you only said two things." Jinx prattled on, "What's the third mistake I made?"

The sound of a car's engine revving, of bright headlights blinding everyone, and of a distinct honking of the horn, the famous T-Car roared into the scene! The red tail-lights streaked across the sky, where the underbelly of the vehicle, was observed.

After speeding from an on ramp out of the highway, to act as a jump, the famous white and blue vehicle crashed through the barrier to the overpass, and it slammed upon dozens of the Robot Commandos, forcing a new opening in the battlefield!

Cyborg jumped out of the impressive automobile, he unloaded his blue sonic cannon at various foes, and many of his targets were hit. His timing was impeccable, as his teammate needed reinforcements badly.

Jinx coughed harshly from the smoke of the spinning tires, and the broken droids, where the sladebots were quick to start the onslaught again.

"Great, another Titan … this is not what I need right now." Jinx chastised herself, as she waved out the fog of smoke, from her nose.

"The third mistake you made, was underestimating my chances!" Starfire answered, as she tossed many starbolts in the direction, of her main opponent.

Jinx quickly faded into the mist, the commandos were providing the perfect obstacle, and while Starfire and Cyborg went toe-to-toe with the herd of enemies, Jinx took advantage of this fleeting opportunity.

"Friend Cyborg, what took you so long?" Starfire asked, while she gave an uppercut to a mindless drone.

"Oh, nothing much." He winked at her with a boastful attitude. "I'm just lucky, to have gotten here right when I did. Trying to contain the situation at the prison, that was a little tiresome."

Cyborg fired his left cannon arm, at a row of sladebots, and he tried to ignore the smoke rising from the front grill, of his heavily modified and costume built, Infinity FX35. There were scratches and dings, and dent marks all along the front and sides, of his most prized possession.

These things could be cleaned and buffed out, they were minor scars, and while he did take notice to the damage his car was suffering, his mind was set, on helping his friend in her hour of need.

"I did a quick scan of the area before landing, to try and pinpoint a location that the bombs could have been planted in." Cyborg spoke, as both he and Starfire broke through a section of commandos, and they caught their breath, behind a tall stack of shipping crates.

"Jinx was about to face me, unfortunately, with your arrival now, she has used this opportunity to escape once again."

Cyborg's jaw dropped. "Whoops. I didn't mean to interfere with your catch Star."

A blast of red burned into the protective barrier near them, followed by another. The sladebots that were armed were firing at them, and with Cyborg now at the dockyards, things could move by a little easier, for the heroes.

"You have disrupted things … but perhaps, we can use this to our advantage." replied Starfire.

"The element of surprise is out, but we still have a job to tackle."

"I will move to apprehend Jinx, you can continue the search for the explosives." Starfire answered.

"You must have a big grudge against the poor girl." Another laser blast hit even closer to them, and the pair ducked their heads again. "What did she ever do anyway, to aggravate you so much?"

Starfire turned her back, and with attention drawn to a new path, she prepared her mind and body, to finally apprehend the antagonizer.

"We haven't much time." Starfire reminded him, "We need to finish this, before the sun rises."

"Right." Cyborg nodded while they stood. "We'll split up, my scanners in the T-Car picked up some strange elements, not too far from here. Did you check those ships yet?"

"I haven't had the time to search them." Starfire threw a starbolt at an enemy, hitting her target in the chest. "I have searched a few warehouses, but so far, they were all empty."

The intensity of the fire-fight only grew louder, and Cyborg with Starfire used their abilities, to shoot back.

"I'll cover you." The Titan's Technician said, "GO!"

---

A green gloved hand reached downwards, where the tight fist gradually crashed against the unforgiving, tiled floor. The once impressive, and impregnable vault, within the Bank Of Perez, now, was nothing more than a tomb.

The Boy Wonder had fought well and hard, he used all of his fighting skills, gadgets, senses and detective abilities, where he tracked down his target, and he had cornered his opponent. The battle was his, victory was assured but then, something happened.

The tables turned, Robin left his enemy closer to the only exit, and in a flash, everything was out of place.

The final scene kept playing over and over, the somber hush, the long wait before the final strike, the tension of the room, the beads of perspiration trickling across his brow. The sifting white smoke, and then filtering away, the clanging of metal staff on sharp blade, all of the sounds and movements, everything was being recalled.

Robin was trying to pinpoint, the exact second, he had gone wrong, what could he have done better? What move should he have countered, why had he refused to use deeper insight, before entering the bank?

He and Red X, had battled a few rounds, they bashed and scuffed their way, into the run-down room, where a trap had been sprung, and Robin was locked within the main vault. There was very little light, as the depressing void within the abandoned building, it only made his fears increase.

He could not use his communicator, there was no service within the cramped metal coffin. He had tried to force his way out of the door, by using an array of his Bird-A-Rangs, his Explosive-Gels, and electronic devices to hack open the door from the inside, but nothing worked.

The massive door, was of an ancient yet most sturdy kind. The gears and cogs were not electrical, the bolts and locks were of silver metal, and solid iron, fused together and only operational from the great wheel, on the reverse side.

Robin was in dire straits, and he was panting from exhaustion. His broken bo-staff lay by his feet, as the other half was wedged, into the doorframe near his head. It was a bold assault, however it failed him, like all of his other gadgets.

"Think Robin … come on, think." The Boy Wonder spoke, where his voice bounced around him. "You've been in worse situations before, there has to be some way out of this place. Think!"

The Teen Titan's Leader was sitting, with his legs crossed and his back to the gigantic circular door. One hand cupped his chin, as the other was against the ground, while he calculated his options.

There were countless techniques Robin had learned, of ways to fight numerous enemies at once, or a single massive foe, and using their own momentum against them. Of skills to hone and master, without using any technology, or equipment from his famed utility belt.

That was a hidden strength and ability he possessed, as a simple teenager, with no super powers. Robin could fight and secure his way out, of practically any hindrance. Robin's greatest asset, was his mind.

Still, to have super strength like Starfire, or the know-how of taking apart machinery like Cyborg, or the morphing skills that Beast Boy had, to alter his shape, to squirm his way through the destroyed vent, even Raven's dark abilities could prove useful; but Robin could do none of those things, per usual, he could only rely on himself.

His mentor had taught him how to escape, using no gadgets while he was tied upside-down, constricted in both ropes and chains, hoisted and then dropped into a pool of bone chilling water. Time was always a factor, and the actual life-or-death training sessions, only heightened his senses, and improved his skills.

Silencing the overwhelming panic was the first hurdle to jump, then, to slow his heart-rate to a very calm rhythm, to conserve oxygen, as he exerted and focused all of his remaining energy, to dislodge himself from the trap, and break through the surface.

The event now, was a different matter entirely, where someone else's life was hanging in the balance. Time was running out for an injured comrade, as the others panicked to stop the explosives from detonating. Falcon was hurt, and Robin had no clear idea, as to the extent of his injuries.

Conquering his own fear of death, when his own life was on the line, that was his own choice, but having decided to act, to be the one to go after Falcon, to check on him, waiting in this vault was even more torture than running out of air, in that pool so many years ago.

The message which Red X had been sent to deliver, it became more and more horrific, the longer Robin waited. His friends were in trouble, the city was still in danger, and he could do nothing, until he broke out.

Robin shut his eyes, he began to inhale and exhale, at a turtle meditative-like pace, to bring him back, to those harrowing training sessions with his old mentor. There was nobody to fight him now, he was not tied up, he was not drowning, all that he needed, was to focus on a plan of action.

He began to visualize the inner workings of the door, of schematics he had viewed years ago, and of every single tool and crafty toy, he had at his disposal. Robin had studied extensively, on problems like the one he was in, and this dilemma was hard, but not impossible to overcome.

His countless tools and utility belt, could do nothing for him on the inside, yet there was something he had, it was the most powerful and useful piece of his arsenal, an ultimate trump-card. Like the awe inspiring Batmobile, Robin's R-Cycle could be his salvation.

He quickly reached into one of the compartments of his belt, he pulled out a smart-phone, and he turned it on. The engine of the menacing street bike was heard, roaring awake, just down the street where he parked it.

The device gave a camera's view, looking out from the front tinted windshield, and Robin grinned as he pressed the arrow keys, and the diagnostic buttons, to check on his red and black painted motorcycle.

Everything was in working order, and nothing was out of place.

*Weapon's systems activated.* The familiar female tone, from his nifty computer spoke.

Robin stood up, he backed away from the round door slowly, while keeping his attention to the screen.

*Targeting computer calculating … calculating …. target identified.*

The hero quietly sighed. His chance of freedom was coming, he just needed to get through one main obstacle, and his path to Falcon would be open.

The armaments he possessed on his R-Cycle were extensive, and it contained everything from oil-slick, to grappling hooks, explosive disks, twin machine guns, laser cannons, ejector seats, rockets, and caltrops.

Everything had a purpose, and when he was not busy leading his teammates, training in the tower's gymnasium, practicing and acclimating his skills, or doing other superhero work, he would spend a great portion of his time, adding more goodies, and enhancements, to his street bike.

He pressed the fire button, and he dove to the far side, alongside the hinges of the door, covering himself in the shroud of his cape. In a matter of seconds, the hidden rockets from his vehicle were released, the whooshing of air sounded like a high pitched banshee, and he closed his eyes, as he braced for the inevitable impact.

The mighty explosion shook the very concrete in a four-block radius. Construction workers had only started to arrive, and the foreman, of a husky build with a thick lumberjack styled mustache, jogged up the steps and into the bank.

Heavy smoke billowed outwards, as nearby locals began to congregate about the scene. The Bank Of Perez was not yet scheduled to be demolished, for a few hours more, but somebody had started the party a little too early.

"I never ordered that section to be blown, who's in there?" The foreman shouted, but he received no answer.

*Boss … nobody from our crew went in. We haven't even done a safety check yet.* A male voice, with a thick Brooklyn accent was heard, over the walkies-talkies.

"Well Nate, if you didn't go in, then who the heck did?"

The revving of a motorcycle, and the blinding glow of a headlight, cutting through the mist caught his attention, where Robin drove out of the tunnel, hunkered down on his bike! The entrance was still heavily enveloped in a thick plume of smoke, where the Teen Titan, pulled a wheelie on his motorcycle, and he sped back onto to the street.

---

Back at the dockyards, Cyborg had cleared out a great many of the sladebots, and his own brash assault, had forced an opening, allowing his teammate to continue with her daring pursuit of Jinx. All enemies were targeting the team mechanic now, and he was again cornered, behind another wall of shipping crates.

The sladebot numbers, appeared to be one hundred to one, where some had their own blasters, and they shot all around the cowering Teen Titan.

"Jeez!" Cyborg helplessly moaned, clasping his right hand over his face. "I knew I was popular, but this is a bit much, even for me!"

He quickly crouched up, fired his left sonic cannon arm, knocking down two of the mercenary drones, and he ducked low again. He needed to scan the area, for any alternatives, where his arrival was quiet useful, but now, his theatrical entrance was totally finished.

As he peered around the bend, he noticed his vehicle, was still parked right where he landed it. The broken limbs and parts of destroyed enemies, were scattered about, but the T-Car was undisturbed for the moment.

A laser bolt smashed into the wall near his head, and in the blink of an eye, he evaded the shot. As the smoke lifted about him, he smirked as a promising tactic was about to be used.

"Huh, what is it Robin was always telling me? Theatricality and deception, can be powerful agents, to the uninitiated. This aught-to-do the trick."

He removed his powerful weapon, and returned the arm to its normal form, then, he used his wrist, to tap into the wireless network, connecting him, to another most proud gadget of his arsenal.

In a few seconds, the engine of the car turned on, the headlights blinded and disoriented the sladebots, where Cyborg used the keyboard on his arm, as a remote screen, to fight off the attackers, and to tip back the balance.

"I really hate to do this … but it doesn't look like I have much of a choice." Cyborg cringed as he realized what the cost of his actions would be, but he refused to lose this battle. "Sorry girl."

As the robot commandos began to shoot at the once shiny vehicle, Cyborg swerved and smashed into them, opening the doors and causing all sorts of wild bedlam, as he fired the twin machine guns at them, and unloaded nets and electrical discharges, to incapacitate the enemies.

He put the vehicle on autopilot, forcing the T-Car to drive away, forcing yet a third attempt, and breaking off the attack, as the enemy chased after the vehicle. They could be heard smashing windows, scratching the paint, and crumpling the appearance, as they jumped onto the hood, and others used their own bodies to act as a barrier, to slow it down. But their efforts only amounted, to further the body count.

"Oh man, I just had her serviced!" Cyborg shook his head in disgust, as the car veered into a wall, scraping and banging against the metal sides, to shake off the clinging attackers. "I hate it, when Robin says I don't make any sacrifices for the team. Well, this sure proved him wrong."

Cyborg stood up, and he pummeled the few remaining stragglers, that were stubborn enough to remain behind, and search for him. After he disposed of them, he rubbed his hands together, and cracked his knuckles.

"Now, let's see where Slade planted those explosives." Cyborg pulled up the schematics on his right arm this time, and the computer revealed a glowing holographic image. "No wonder he picked this place as a target. It's like hiding a fish, in the ocean!"

The white-blue glow, coming from his forearm, was crafted from a scanner encased into his armor. It was modified to trace any number of things on the periodic table of elements, but to be blunt, the hero did not have the faintest idea, as to what he was even searching for.

"There should be some form of a metal compound, or even a fertilizer as an alternative, to generate something." Cyborg sputtered off to himself as he walked. "Magnesium and even Nitrogen, are strong compounds for explosives. So- I should be scanning for something along these areas."

He stopped walking, and he looked up, where it was only when the powerful shadow loomed over him, that he noticed that he was at the end of the peer, and countless vessels were docked. An extremely large oil-tanker was close, along with smaller ships, and cargo vessels.

"I can't check all these ships!" Cyborg slapped his wrist in aggravation. "I know you led me here, but where … WHERE would the explosives be hiding?"

Six enormously grey painted robots, with black X's across their chests, jumped down from the oil-tanker, and they immediately surrounded Cyborg. In between them, many leftover robot commandos joined in, and the hero was quickly encircled.

He was going in the right direction, however, his continued expedition of the dockyards, was once again to be put on hold.

Cyborg readied himself into a fighting stance. "It seems like you guys, don't want me to check out that oil tanker, and from the data I have gathered, everything is pointing me, in that very direction."

Four of the clumsy attackers, waddled forwards, where their dense claw arms, pinched open and closed, trying to frighten the Teen Titan. Their shiny steel, and crisp appearances revealed, that they were brand new, and like most of the sladebots, these were never used until tonight.

Slade had an army, and any type of damage could be unleashed, however this was a partial force, where the true intent of all this, was but a mystery.

Cyborg had followed through with many of his chores, he set out for the day. His early morning regiment, was always a step-by-step plotted course, and he never deviated from the most pressing matters, that he needed to tackle.

Beast Boy may have been a slacker, when it came to things around Titans Tower, but the changeling did offer a nice reprieve from the monotony, that clung so close to Robin's own schedule and plans. Video games, comic-books, and even the adventuring about the city kept him preoccupied, for the most part.

Starfire would spend most of her time, learning all things about culture and of "earthly customs". As Raven, the forever secluded, and dedicated book worm, was hidden away. Concealed in a dark corner somewhere, reading, sipping her tea, or quietly meditating.

The T-Car was always tinkered with, and some new brake pads had to be installed, as top of the line stereo and weapon systems, were incorporated again, and again. Thinking about his vehicle, it only made him cringe, as the distant rumble and screeching of tires on soaking wet pavement, of the sladebots trying to force their way into the car, this only made him understand, that all of his efforts went truly far, but he never got a break.

A great claw came down in a flash, smashing into the pier, where Cyborg hopped backwards a few feet. Two of the other much grander than average, robot servants, followed with their own attack patterns, missing their target.

Cyborg was tall and muscular, the biggest member on his team, but compared with the larger enemy fighters, he was less than half their size and stature. He had punched and destroyed one of the lesser droids, and it fell to pieces as his heavy right hook, broke its mask in two, and sparks with inner circuitry were scattered about.

The clanging of metal on steel, of sharp weapons smashing into the shipping containers and the concrete, reverberated about the area. The dense fury of a battle hung upon the air, like a thick cloud, as the sweat of aching muscles, trickled along Cyborg's face and arms.

He observed that the hulking machinery, could be turned upon its own momentum, and he allowed the larger foes to get very close, where his nose was almost touching their faces, and he would side-step away, at the last possible moment, as a second attacker would come from behind, only to be thrashed and broken, from the first robot's mighty claw arms, slamming downwards and hitting its own ally.

The frightful start of this new skirmish, was quickly over before it began, as the motionless and defeated enemy robots, lay strewn about the musty dockyards. Cyborg remained standing, panting a bit heavier now, as the last of the attackers was broken, into five separate pieces.

"Well now, that settles that."

The black shadow of a seagull's wings, quickly grabbed his attention. As he looked up, and out to the waterfront, the subtle ebb of morning light, was gradually getting stronger, and brighter.

"While it was fun and all, for the little spat we shared, but … I've got a job to do." Cyborg did a quick salute to a droid's head, as the electrical sparks buzzed and popped, from beneath its decapitated neck seal.

He noticed a ramp, leading to the side of the nearby oil tanker, and he hurried up the platform, to get on-board the vessel. The entire time, he was looking at his wrist, the scanner and monitors were running schematics once more, and a few very weak, almost unnoticeable variables, were picked up.

With a normal human being, these things could only have been done, with a smart-phone or a sophisticated computer, and network of radar and relay dishes, but this far advanced futuristic technology, it was incorporated into the cybernetic components, of the Teen Titan.

With every step taken, his own human hunch was getting stronger, and the computerized gadgets built into him, also doubled down, in his confirmation that he was going where he needed to.

Once at the top of the ladder, he crossed the crest of the side, and he was on-board the ship.

"I don't like this. It's almost … too quiet." Cyborg muttered. "I've got to keep moving."

The total absence of sailors, or dockyard employees was truly unsettling, as there should have been one or two people on board, but there was no-one to greet him.

Onwards and upwards, Cyborg raced towards the command center of the ship, the bridge. The many rows of windows, radar dishes, and antennas were protruding up from the roof, near the aft of the craft. This sight gave Cyborg a burst of unexpected speed, as he hurried along, and climbed the grated staircase that wound its way, about both the sides of the hull.

His built-in scanners started to detect only more probable cause, to investigate the room, and his heart began to thump faster, and faster. There was nothing at the Jump City Penitentiary, and the grave loss of time, and frustration at being stalled again, this only mounted the inner strife, that he needed to get this right, to fix a wrong move on his part.

He arrived at the door, where it was unlocked, and the light from within was on a dim setting. This only confirmed, that he was entirely on his own, and that the crew may have been taken hostage, and he would have his hands tied, while trying to defuse the explosives, if they were in fact on board.

Upon bursting into the bridge, turning his head in sudden movements to the left and right, he sighed. Everywhere he scanned, there was only the computer dashboards, and things he did expect to find, as the controls to pilot and steer the mighty ship, but there was still no crew, or command staff of any kind.

"Where the heck is everyone?"

Cyborg went to a nearby camera station, that monitored the vessel's infrastructure, and precious holding bays, for the crude oil. What he found, alarmed him a great deal more. Down, deep into the pump room of the oil tanker, dozens of sailors were bound together, in groups of four.

It was quiet obvious, that their eyes were covered, yet they still had petrified looks of fear. All around them, stacks upon stacks of C-4 plastic explosives, were rigged up about the hull, and the support beams.

"That's it!" Cyborg nearly bumped his head as he jumped, yet his overall excitement at locating the problem, was quickly eaten away.

It was at this precise moment that he said this, that six sladebots, the very types, he first confronted upon his arrival at the dockyards, entered the room. They stood at the entrance-way, and an unexpected moment of bewilderment, was felt by all parties.

"Great, you guys again!" Cyborg fumed, and he immediately went on the attack, catching the intruders off guard, and lunging into them.

The Teen Titan was thrashed around a little, as smoke and debris floated about the bridge, where computers were crushed after people were being thrown into them, and windows were heard shattering, as a few were tossed into the sea.

"So much for my approach, via subterfuge." Cyborg wheezed as the skirmish ended.

Upon catching his bearings, and locating his objective, Cyborg hurried to the back of the command tower, and he began to work his way, down into the lowest part of the aft section, of the mighty ship.

The glow of lights in the hallway, were on a low setting, and he felt a knot twisting inside of him, the further he proceeded with his mission. There would be time later, to reminisce about his car, about the choices his teammates had made, of the conflict about digging into the records of Arkham Asylum.

He was totally committed, to saving these sailors lives. The Jump City Power Plant, The Jump City Airport, The Bay Bridge, The Jump City Hydroelectric Dam, and now this location at the Dockyards, they were constantly burning his thinking, where his allies were taking care of their problems, and now it was his turn, to follow suit.

A burst of hot steam, from one of the vents, erupted from below his feet, as the gears and gauges about the vital systems, were trying to allow the building pressure to escape, from the sladebot saboteurs.

It was more than apparent, by now, that this entire vessel was a ticking time-bomb, and there were multiple areas that required the proper attention. However, his biggest concern, was for the lives of the men who worked on board this ship, and the explosives wired in the very next room.

Cyborg entered the door, and he immediately began assisting the prisoners, by cutting them from the ropes and chains, that bound them.

"It's alright, I'm Cyborg, from the Teen Titans. You guys are safe now."

"I don't think we're out of this yet." One of the younger sailors, with blond hair and blue eyes replied.

"Get out of here, and take care of the others." Cyborg gave a reasonable order, while he freed another. The rest of the crew, they began to join in, on helping their fellow shipmates.

"But what about the explosives, those mercenaries planted them all over the ship!"

"What's your name sailor?" Cyborg asked.

"It's Brett … Brett Tanner." answered the seaman, as he brushed off some of the soot from his pants.

"Alright Brett … you leave that to me. You have to lead them out, now go!"

There was a moment of hesitation, and a look of perplexing intrigue upon Brett Tanner's face, at how exactly the local superhero, was going to save the day. One by one, the fellow sailors crowded by them, and Brett did as he was told, leading the way, to the back of the narrow and claustrophobic room, to head for the surface.

Their footsteps against the grated planks and floors, echoed about the room, vibrating within their ears.

"Quietly." Cyborg chided them, and they quickly stopped on a dime. "I took care of some of their security detail, but more may be on the way."

"I thought you said, that it was safe?" A sailor asked.

"Where are you gong?" Asked another, with more visible tears about his beige uniform.

Cyborg slapped his forehead, and then turned; "It is safe, but I know that this was just a welcoming party. Just get topside, I've already contacted for backup, and they should be getting here soon."

"What's your plan then?" A much older gentleman, with a captain's naval hat asked. "You see how many of these blasted things, are on-board my ship, they don't seem to be connected anyway."

Cyborg studied one of the C4 Packs, that was plastered along the ceiling.

"I need to locate the prime device, something like a trigger, that when it blows, the others follow like a domino effect." Cyborg rubbed the back of his head. "It was probably placed, in the closest vicinity to the inner hull, or the retaining wall, storing the crude oil."

"Right … well, you do seem like you know what you're doing, so … I should look after my crew."

Cyborg turned, and he replied in an obviously, condescending tone; "Yeah. You probably should."

There was a pause, and the older gentleman took this as a sign, that he could still offer some assistance. Regardless of what he was being told, his life was just saved by a teenager, and he felt a debt was owed to him.

"Down there, in that corridor." The old man replied, "I heard those guards after they tied us up, a lot of footwork headed down there. Now, what exactly they were doing is beyond me, but, from what we see here, I think its pretty apparent."

"Thanks for the tip." Cyborg patted him on the left shoulder, and with a flashlight having emerged, from his own shoulder compartment, he walked into the deeper blackness, that enveloped all around him.

Because Cyborg was half human, the computer and robotically enhanced parts, made him feel lesser than what he once was. Despite all of the power, the neat and interesting tools and equipment, the arsenal of weapons at his ease, nothing and there was nothing, that he longed for so much, so deeply, than to only be whole and pure once again.

Whenever he looked in the mirror, the robot side, that unnatural and mechanic reflection is what he always noticed first. It was the implants and shine of metal fused to his flesh, that was a sight he loathed, and it only drove him into a regressed state of anger, and a drive to be a Teen Titan, so another person, would never have to live with a similar fate.

The cold metal, which resided over the left side of his skin on his face, was forever unpleasant. Even after all this time, he still was not comfortable with it. He knew, that only circuits, bolts and wires, were interlocked with his damaged human organs, and he could never fully get over the tragedy, that caused all of this.

Ever since then, he wanted to go out and protect those closest to him, to reassure himself he was doing the right thing, so he only second-guessed, every action he did, when tragedy struck.

He was a leader, a strong minded and capable one at that, who did give great instruction and courage to others. However, the thing he hated about being one, to take charge the most, a trait that made him secretly envy and distaste Robin at the same time; was that the Boy Wonder was willing to make certain sacrifices, for the greater good.

This however, did not stop Cyborg from speaking his mind, and he was a hypocrite for saying, what he did not fully feel. For deep down, he sensed it, he understood that Robin's was the right way, on stopping villains, and the task of a hero, was to put the greater good above the self, above your own friends and loved ones.

Choice, everything boiled down to the facts, of the crossroads everyone must take. To choose to act, to deliberate further and waste more time, or to jump the gun with what you already know.

Either way, both of these roads are uneasy, and if you flood this thought processing with too much information at once, it tends to jam up, halt in its efforts, and can even cause the human body to become unable to move, like a standing comma, brought on by the mind itself.

The human conscience scans much information, yet by cramming too many thoughts in at once, or by witnessing a tragic event, like watching a close friend being murdered before your very eyes, this barbarity is a devastating tug, on this process.

When thinking too deeply, here is when most migraine's ensue, like there is a traffic jam within your head, and each car is a different thought or idea, and they are all traveling in the same direction. The brain tends to overheat, when this happens, and it requires time to cool down.

The emergency alarm of the ship went off, where voices and footsteps of men, running and bumping into each other, traveled far, at an even quicker pace.

"I told them to be quiet!" Cyborg rolled his eyes, as he became conflicted with his path. Should he go topside and confront the problem, or should he finish, what he came down here to do?

The lights in the hall turned red, and they began to flash on and off quickly. Cyborg was going to have to make a choice, but before he could do anything, two more sladebots approached from the doorway and stopped.

With the forthcoming sound of emergency sirens, and the flashing lights across his back, the hero was going to have, yet another fight on his hands, in the cramped metal gangway.

---

A squall of wind picked up, forcing the nearby trees to sway and creak, as a lone shadow mirrored across the pavement. The waving blue robe, and hooded garb, kept the figure conspicuous from the background, and the slender person stopped her running, to observe the clear signs of a struggle.

There were bits of rubble, the metal railing was twisted and bent, in an unnatural way, and indentation markings of a prehistoric animal, had been pounded into the concrete. The cloaked character slowly walked by the contorted railing, and the sound of water, pouring through shafts of the other side, sifted to her ears.

An eagle in the desert screeched, carrying its powerful, and most recognizable call miles round. The concealed traveler, gradually backed away from the ledge, to follow the trail of debris, leading straight to a small building, and a maintenance shaft was uncovered.

Taking a few seconds to gather some form of courage, to enter the dark abyss, the drifter took a lasting breath, knelt down, and she began to descend, into the cold, frightful blackness.

Way down, into the bowels of the super structure, the cloaked figure went. There was a little more light, as each rung on the ladder carried a slight vibration, from boots brushing up against metal.

Once at the bottom, the traveler glanced about her new surroundings, and was becoming conflicted over what path to take. She had come a very long distance, to heed the call for help, now she was disoriented, about heading left or right. Beast Boy was close, yet she could not sense any mind-connection with him.

While Raven enjoyed being alone, somewhere reading a book in a quiet atmosphere, this was an all too unnerving. She had come here to offer assistance, and so far, the dam was deserted.

"Beast Boy … Beast Boy come in." She looked at her Titans Communicator, trying to get his frequency.

The static feedback was her only answer. *. . . .*

"Hmmm. This is not at all like him." She began to approach the hallway, then stopped. "Beast Boy, please just answer me."

*. . . .*

"Maybe I'm just going crazy." Her eyebrows suddenly lifted, "This better not be one of your pranks!"

*. . . . .*

"Nothing. Okay, something is definitely wrong, I only wish I knew what it-"

A high pitched chirping sound, emanated from Beast Boy's device. As Falcon's had done before, telling the others that his communicator had been destroyed, and this time, Beast Boy's frequency was giving out its own distress signal.

The gray Empath's serious expression of hostility, of walking into a prank, it was quickly erased, into a wrinkled expression, of looming dread.

Raven picked up her pace, down another long corridor, still unsure of where she was going, and what she would find. The lighting and inner electrical workings of the dam gave off a slight hum, while her delicate footsteps, ricocheted within.

She had come far in her efforts, The Jump City Power Plant was secure, but she was not enthusiastic to uncover Dr. Light, siphoning off electrical power, for his suit. Meanwhile, being totally oblivious, to the actual threat in the room, the bombs.

A few signs captured her attention, as she jogged by various doorways and new corridors. They read, Generator Room, Pump House, Level Six, Security Room, and so on.

Raven halted, she then turned and approached a map, attached to the wall. It gave the entire layout of the Jump City Hydroelectric Dam, and it also revealed where she had come in from, and what hallway she was in, presently.

The Empath closed her eyes, trying to visualize where Beast Boy was, and she focused her mind, to narrow down her search. She could feel that her teammate was in terrible pain, that his strength was weaning, and that he was getting colder, with every second.

"Come on Beast Boy, give me something here." She winced, while clutching the handrail. "Don't quit on me!"

The sporadic reel, came in footage of black and white, through the eyes of Beast Boy. It revealed Cinderblock, pummeling the green shapeshifter, of the brawl lasting a good while, and then of both parties, delivering deadly blows.

The awful moment, of Beast Boy having his chest, slamming into a rough edge of something metallic, forced Raven to clutch at her hip, as she suddenly felt his agony. The images were going by much faster, and in a blur, the sound of a powerful rifle, boomeranging across her mind, shook her very core.

Raven gasped for air, as she clutched for her left knee, sensing that her teammate was in worse peril. The second CRA-CRACK! entered her mind, and following the blistering hot pain, forcing her to take a knee, she slowly reached, for her upper right rotator cuff.

A slender body in free fall, was viewed, going limp, muscles were twitching on their own, and a horrific glimpse of scarlet liquid, was now smeared across a gloved hand. Tears began to well up in her eyes, they were still shut, and she slowly let her voice, break through the void.

"Beast Boy."

The taunting chuckle, of a violent criminal caught her off guard, as she saw, a foreboding silhouette gradually come ever closer. His footsteps had a palpable weight, as the spectrum of colors shifted from blue to purple, yet the hazy image was getting clearer with each passing second.

Out from the darkness, slithered the unmistakable black and gray armor, a mad-man with a cocksure attitude of no end. Looking upon the single eye, on the left side of his mask, this feature carried its own gripping force, as there was nothing else visible, of the person clad in the memorable attire.

"Slade!" Raven woke out of the trance, in the last seconds having observed huge turbines, and things that harnessed electricity.

"He's in the Generator Room!" She glanced at the map, and she made a bee-line, straight for the corridor she had walked beyond, only moments before.

"There's still time." She whispered, trying to keep cool, though her heartbeat pumped faster and louder. "Please God, tell me, that there's still time."

Countless issues were crossing her mind, too many variables and outcomes, to process. Regardless of the things she knew now, Beast Boy was still clinging to survive, and that gave her all the more purpose, to reach him.

It was not far, her teammate's presence was growing stronger, she could feel that she was heading in the right direction. There was nobody to guide her, and she had nothing else to hold onto, there was no way of contacting him, but perhaps, there was something.

There was an unflinching desire, to see the task completed. The entire time, glimpses of Beast Boy's skinny body being hit, and his entire weight was thrown backwards, hurtled across her mind.

Her legs were sore, but Beast Boy had been shot, twice. She could run through the cramp. Her breathing was getting heavier, louder, and her entire chest ached, yet Beast Boy had a broken rib, and he still fought, in the fractured segments she could view. So, she kept up her journey, weary yet confident, sore yet not defeated, fearful yet proud, in noticing her fellow superhero, taking a stand.

There were times, when she was in shock, upon learning of some terrible truth, or when grief was constricting her, that the darkness would enshroud everything she did. This forced a distant light-bulb to explode, or a piece of glass would crack, as her fluctuating emotional state, would become severely weakened.

Raven was forced to keep a calm, and collected focus, about most of her tasks. Anything less, and she could potentially lose control of her powers. As a child, it did torment her, to have to study and recite her famous mantra so well, however, it also brought consolation to her, through time.

The gray enchantress learned quickly, at a very young age, that her greatest hindrances could prove to be, her brightest strengths. She was able to become one, with the universe, to feel the natural ebb and flow of life, and to know the good in the world, that she was fighting so desperately, so vigorously to protect.

Raven never truly had a traditional family, where the only people she considered close, were the Monks Of Azarath, and the Teen Titans.

When Raven left the realm of Azarath for Earth, she went in the hopes of making amends for a destiny, she never wanted, bound to a future, she was foretold to unleash. Azar, the high priestess of the dimension, encouraged the Empath to venture forth, while Arella, Raven's mother, withheld her own judgments.

Hope, a notion of fleeting victory, against the constantly expanding and looming defeat, was felt when she left. There was a sense of terrible doom, but, what good people of Earth that could join her, in the task, left a subtle sense of a possibility.

Raven understood why she had to go, yet without a guide, other than the Book Of Azar, any chances of victory were slim to none.

But leave Raven did, and with the ever precious strain of running out of time, that her fate was sealed, that things would occur, it gave her purpose, a clearer view on things. She did not delay in learning skills, where the pointless efforts, of other things were pushed aside, so she could devote her attention elsewhere.

In a weird way, the enchantress felt like a hospital patient with a critical disease, and no matter how hard she fought against the problem, regardless of the tears shed, or the self pity endured, no matter the treatments offered from doctors, the end result would still be the same.

She would perish.

Her observation of the world, while dark and mysterious, held its own distinct flame about it. As Raven tinkered with her own memories, the images of her fellow teammates, came rushing back.

Cyborg was viewed, working under the hood of his car, acting like a big brother to her, and smiling. Then, Starfire was seen, in another memory, picking out clothing at the mall, wanting to engross all of her energy into fashion, of Earthling teenage girls. Robin at the helm, like a father, and trying to maintain discipline and order, where Beast Boy raced about Titans Tower, evading chores and tasks, like the young foolish boy he was.

The moment Falcon's frustrated glare, crashed over her, from the first day they were together, and a passionate argument had erupted, Raven realized at that instant, everyone had something to conceal, about their past.

Raven suddenly felt, like she was sinking into quicksand, and the sorrow over her own unpleasant history, coinciding with Falcon's raw temper, the gloom of her actions, was rising over her head. He was alone, a drifter seeking a path, and the Teen Titans had all been at that low point.

That cold autumn night, when the team first met. Not one of her comrades wanted to stick together, and each had something to find, about themselves. The frustration of dealing with a new place, the anger of being a wanderer, the confusion of stepping into a big mess, and not having a clear understanding, of how to handle it, or where to go.

Raven stopped running, and she pressed a hand against the wall, while she placed the other over her forehead.

"I truly am sorry." she looked up, "We can still make this right, I know we can."

Upon breathing through her nose, to relax her, she refocused her mind-set, back onto Beast Boy.

"Just a little bit further, and I'll be there." She wheezed quietly, and with a great burst of energy refueled in her again, she was off, quick as a flash.

Following the directions given by the white arrows, painted upon the walls, the brave heroine took a left turn, down another hallway, and she began a short ascent, up a flight a stairs. The heavy force of water was felt, through the metal tubes in the concrete walls, and above her head, as some tiny droplets sprinkled out, through condensation and the beads of water, crashed onto her feet.

Soon, a massive steel, red painted doorway was visible, and Raven slowed her hurried race down, to a calm walk. The frame of the great door, was rather impressive, with bulbous brackets and thick bolts, holding the monumental object in place.

There were signs, plastered along the sides of the hall, as electrical warning symbols, and high voltage pictures, were scattered everywhere.

Raven felt her right foot move forwards, and then the rest of her body followed, where she stopped, as the great doorway was finally before her. The Dark Bird's breathing, had a type of rhythm, and she briefly took in the serenity, of the situation.

The twin, heavy duty red doors were sealed tightly together, however, a thin golden glow, from the other side, seeped under the space by her feet.

Raven felt a pin and needle sensation, trickling up her back, while she held her arms out, ready to grab the handles, and open the passage. She could not seem to stop the shaking of her left hand however, and she pulled it back, to clasp her fingers.

She closed her tired, amethyst eyes, and then exhaled, a gradual amount of spent air, out from her lungs and nostrils. The turbines could be heard, spinning very fast in the next room, while the thumping of her heart, brought a calm and soothing pattern, back to her. Everything else was deafened to her, as she honed her skills, on this very moment, to give her strength.

She could sense the changeling's heart beat, the aura he carried, like the rest of their teammates, and she knew he was in the next chamber. Raven was trying to use the mind-link, she and Beast Boy had formed, but the very doorway she used, the last time, was not opening.

There was only black emptiness, a void of perpetual nothingness, and then, with her eyes shut, she had an out-of-body experience, as she saw the blackness get taken over, into a solid white shroud, blinding her for a moment.

"Beast Boy …. I'm here." Her rasping voice, echoed in the mind. "Beast Boy."

She saw him, with his back turned, he was standing erect and tall, but he would not answer.

"Beast Boy-" She approached him cautiously, reaching her left hand out to grab his shoulder. "Why won't you talk to me?"

"Raven-" The changeling rasped, as he turned to look at her.

As he slowly turned, Raven saw him, but everything switched to an awful sight, as bruises, gashes, and crimson liquid was noticed, all over him. His face was swollen, his eyes were bloodshot, and there were two gunshot wounds, one in his knee, and the other in his shoulder, as the sorceress had felt them, penetrating him earlier.

Raven immediately awoke from the trance, as sweat was felt, pouring down her face. Things were bad, but now she had a clearer idea, of just how terrible, things truly were.

The Empath prepared herself to open the door. She looked down, realizing that her hands were grasping the cold bars, and she began to pull, yet another faint aura, was sensed. The unknown chi, was right on-top of his, and that could only mean a second person, was with him.

---

The strange new aroma from the sealed room, wisped upwards, and the attractive and curvaceous figure walked in. The early morning sunlight was getting brighter, and her outline arched far into the cold blackness, of the building.

Starfire had been in pursuit of Jinx, for most of the night. The trouble of dealing with the ex-heroine, was that she was surprisingly efficient, at putting her enemies, in a labor-some bind.

Still, the Tamaranean Princess was well known, for being one of the fiercest, and most relentless fighters of her entire team. The unpleasant hick-up from earlier, was not going to defeat her, it merely slowed her progress, but it would not offset the outcome.

Jinx was going to get caught, she was going to pay for her crimes, and Starfire thought it would be more fitting, that a fighter and criminal of her class, to be taken down by an ex-friend, rather than by some fool, with stupid blind luck.

The Tamaranean red head was walking, up a flight of grate-styled stairs, within warehouse DD47. The numbers were painted in bold white letters, on the walls. Like the other buildings across this location, most were empty, devoid of anything and anybody, however, there were a few that had crates, stacked neatly together.

The shadows of the room, contorted and twisted about every nook and corner, of the many pillars, where the steadily growing brightness and warmth, from outside slowly seeped across the structure.

Starfire glanced about her strange, new surroundings, with curiosity and deep thought, as she was puzzled and vexed, about where her target had run off too. Her sparkling emerald eyes narrowed, as she felt a sudden breeze upon her.

The wind from outside slightly picked up, and she resumed her attention, about the darker corners of the vast open space. The metal floor creaked, under her slender weight, which revealed the building was old, and run-down.

Starfire sensed something, peculiar about this place. There was a similar sensation, when she was on the Bay Bridge, in the middle of the city. What she felt, it could only be described, as a fearful notion, of her every movement being watched.

Within seconds, a massive wooden crate was noticed in the corner of her eye, getting closer to her on the catwalk. She ducked, as the obstacle exploded just to the railing alongside her, and she allowed her anger, to generate the green explosive starbolts, in the palms of her hands.

Wooden shards splintered and trickled to the floor, as Starfire meticulously scanned the area, when a new and unpleasant ruckus, forced her to become a determined detective.

The joints holding the catwalk were finally becoming undone, where a crisp pink glow of energy, wrapped about the support columns, causing the brackets and screws to loosen, and fall out. The entire narrow bridge, suddenly bent inwards, and Starfire hovered in mid-air to avoid the treacherous fall!

"Jinx!" Starfire's normal tone, was overtaken with hostility, and rage. The metal slamming on concrete, vibrated everywhere.

She glanced to the far end, and upon noticing a pyramid of wooden crates stacked, she found her mysterious attacker, preforming a front-flip away from the containers, and landing gracefully onto the ground.

Jinx revealed a wide and inquisitous smile, while she crossed her arms.

"Well Starfire, you are quiet the dogged pursuer of your team." Jinx winked.

"There is no need to keep this battle going." Starfire replied. "As we speak, Cyborg is disarming the final explosives, and you have nowhere further to run. Surrender."

A distant emergency alarm, echoed across the dockyards, and entered through the propped open windows, along the ceiling.

Jinx tilted her head slightly, to the wall behind her. "It sounds to me, like he has fallen into quiet the conundrum."

The female psionic squinted her captivating eyes, and the Tamaranean Warrior did the same. The room was cold, yet the teenagers paid little heed to this, as they were both, completely fixated upon their opponent.

"I have the utmost of faith, in my teammates." Starfire said.

"This is going to be fun."

Jinx spun her body, while forming the same bright pink energy around her, and she hurtled three bad luck waves, directly in Starfire's direction!

The Teen Titan veered quickly to the left, and then right while flying. There was a sudden tremor in the columns behind her, as dust shook, and the metal rattled.

"So be it." Starfire sighed, and she unloaded starbolt after starbolt, and watched as they fizzled and blasted the cement floor, and the walls all around her evasive foe.

The Teen Titan was holding some of her power back, before, where she was conflicted with trying to rebuild some shattered friendship, yet the psionic's refusal and outright assaults at every turn, only proved she did not intend to open a line of dialogue.

The stubborn and blind hostility, towards the Tamaranean Princess, only reminded her of her sister. Starfire wanted to end the conflict, she desperately longed for the passing of an olive branch, of peace, yet something had forced Jinx to cut down any offer, of a white flag.

Starfire threw starbolts at Jinx, where Jinx evaded the fire, and sent shockwaves of pink energy, of her own ammunition.

Holes were blasted into the walls, of warehouse DD47, the battleground totally consumed other buildings, as the dueling parties, raced in one warehouse, and out of another. Some of the structures collapsed, where smoke rose from the ruins.

Sladebots that were diverted away, by the alarm of the ship, now some attacked Starfire, but they were pummeled into submission with ease.

Explosions caused the Jump City Dockyards, to tremble. Thick smoke of burning wreckage, mounted across the battlefield, where the two adversaries unleashed raw fury at one another, completely ignorant of their surroundings.

Attacks were followed by counter attacks, superpowers were countered by superpowers, punches were met by kicks, and the frenzied assault that had started as a quick-draw shooting contest, from a far away distance, now became a bloodied knuckle brawl, of close-quarters.

Starfire flew directly into Jinx, with her hands acting a battering ram, and she slammed into the lower abdomen of her enemy. The truly devastating force, felt to have twisted the girl's intestines and moved her very stomach, where Jinx had the air, taken out of her lungs from the nasty blow.

As the Teen Titan prepared to unload a powerful, sledgehammer-like karate chop, to the girl's backside, as she was keeled over, Jinx who was clutching her hip with one hand, used her free hand, to unload a terrific shock-wave onto the floor, causing Starfire to lose her balance and tumble.

Starfire felt her legs wobble, as she tried to regain her balance on the narrow bridge. This was the moment, Jinx fought through the lingering pain, and she unloaded a high right roundhouse kick, to the other girl's cheek.

The Tamaranean Princess crashed backwards, and a brief stare-down, was initiated. The dueling parties were evenly matched, as Starfire considered herself to be a noble samurai, trying to win the paroxysm, with honorable intent.

Jinx on the other hand, did not play fairly, or by the rules. She fought savagely to win, and was perfectly set, to do anything necessary, to inflict confusion and harm, to all those that opposed her.

That hesitation still lingered, and Jinx made a detailed observation of it. Both girl's breathing was heavy, and they were trying to pummel the other, into submission.

Jinx began to scan about her environment, trying to make the best use of this golden advantage, and locate anything, that would tip the balance, back in her favor.

"What's the matter, scared?" asked Jinx.

Starfire growled. "No, I'm only getting warmed up."

The fighting resumed, and eventually, Starfire was pushing her opponent, beneath another heavy catwalk, on the far side of a different warehouse. Glass was heard breaking, walls tumbled and shook, the foundation vibrated, as the fierce brawl consumed the entire area.

The pink glow in Jinx's eyes, burned brightly, cutting through the shadows, while the crisp green light, originating from Starfire, exposed her location, through the darkness.

Jinx preformed a magnificent spinning move, as though she were preforming in the Moscow Ballet, and the energy she generated only grew brighter, stronger, and much more intense. Starfire was drawn into the captivating sight, and then, four waves were sent at her!

Starfire turned from the blast, and paid little attention, to the smoke that plumed outwards, from the destruction.

Starfire smirked, "It would appear, that you missed."

"Did I?" Jinx revealed her devilish grin. "Think again."

The loud popping and creaking noise, one much different from the scuffle earlier reached her ears. It was more imminent, a danger looming directly over both of their heads, as the entire roof bowed inwards.

Starfire gasped in horror, and she prepared to evade the falling catastrophe, yet there was no time.

"JINX!"

The building toppled in on itself, snapping and bending, all of the support beams and heavy steel objects avalanched on-top of the gorgeous red-head! The heroine tried to fly, to escape the impending doom, yet the shadows swallowed all light, and a terrible heap of debris, now buried her.

A mixture of dust and soot, filled the now destroyed warehouse. A steady and shaking tone of violent coughing, lifted through the eerie silence, where Jinx had evaded the collapse, by mere fractions of a second.

She stood upon the remnants of the building, the crumpled metal and scattered pieces of wood, littered her path. The stench of burnt electrical wires, and of damp water clinging to metal, touched her nose.

Methodically, she approached an area, that seemed to be the place she last saw Starfire. The smoke faded a little more, and through the mess of rubble, a body was seen, laying upon the ground.

Starfire was pinned, her upper torso was stretched outwards, as she was flat on her stomach. The beautiful girl awoke, and the shifting blur of the world, gradually came into a clear focus. She could just make out her enemy, walking towards her, and getting closer.

The Teen Titan pushed off the ground, she tried to stand but located the problem, and it horrified her. A massive I-Beam, was pressed upon sheet metal, that was at one point, part of the roof, and both of these objects, were smothering her left leg!

She was a superhero, an alien of another planet like Superman, where she had incredible godlike strength in her veins, but, her body was twisted in such an awkward position, that she could not gain the leverage required, to push off the ground.

Starfire heaved, she puffed, she stretched and pulled, with all of her might, to squirm her way to freedom, but she achieved nothing. She began to prepare herself, for the looming finale, where she collapsed to the earth, totally frustrated from the quandary of it all.

"Well now, isn't this a sight to behold." Jinx said with delight. "I believe, that this battle is over."

Starfire felt her left leg twitching, it was uncomfortable, but she could still feel her toes, wiggling in her boots.

"Why?" Starfire slowly moved her head, from her lower limb, to the face of Jinx. "Why are you doing this?"

The gray skinned witch, raised an eyebrow at this question. There was nothing her opponent could do, she required assistance to stand, and there was nobody here, to help her.

Jinx knelt alongside her, "I had a funny feeling, you would ask me that." She tilted her head. "Maybe it's because, I was too tired, of the whole good girl, bad-girl routine. Perhaps I wanted to make my own decisions, and I was just fed up, of conforming to what other people wanted me to become."

The crafty ex-heroine, leaned in real close, as she put her index finger, by her chin. "I guess you could say, I was through, of filling my own needs and wants, my own desires, with the binding, strict rules of a group." She stood up now, and leaned back a little. "There could be any number of reasons, I guess, but … I don't really care anymore."

Starfire blinked. "How can you say that?"

"Pish-Posh." Jinx rolled her eyes in disgust. "The little world you surround yourself in, your so called team, it's all pointless."

"You're wrong."

"Am I? Look around you, to give a part of yourself, to become a whole, that is a waste of talent. I tried it, remember, where me and the H.I.V.E. didn't exactly do so great."

"To be part of a group, to have friends and call them your family, that is not weakness." Starfire squeezed her fingers. "They give me strength."

"Yeah, well look at your situation now." Jinx shook her head, to mock her opponent. "That notion you carry, it doesn't do you any good now, does it?"

The red head silently looked away, and thought up something to counter this with.

"What about Kid Flash?" Starfire felt the heated ire within, becoming soothed and relaxed. "Surely you have not forgotten, that piece of you, you each shared."

Jinx partially turned. "He means nothing to me."

"But if he were here to see this, what you have become, would he not-"

"He left me Starfire. What more do you want me to say? That part of my life is over. Me being the captain of the H.I.V.E. honestly, what a joke. Then, joining the Teen Titans, um, no. It's not who I am. Not any-more."

"I can see that path you followed, believing yourself to be all alone." The memory of the red hooded drifter, smiling at her, this forced Starfire, to create a gloomy look. "But you can still change your path."

A short cackle, broke through the silence, where Jinx slapped her hip, upon hearing this.

"What a game you play, Starfire, wow. I never knew you had it in you."

"I am not being deceitful about this. I … I think I see, what you have gone through. From another."

"Wait." The sorceress rubbed her chin methodically. "You're talking about that new guy in your group, aren't you? The one in red, who contested me. What was his name again?"

"Falcon."

"That's the one." Jinx's smirk grew a little, as she snapped her fingers. "Cute guy, but he had a bit of an anger problem, when last I checked."

"There may be rough edges to some people." Starfire shifted her body, to a more comfortable position. "Earth was not my first home, but, an internal struggle, is something I have noticed, many people do carry."

"And your point exactly?"

Starfire locked her gaze, into the pink eyes of her enemy. "My point is, that you are not so different, in that regard either."

"What could you possibly know of me, HUH?" Jinx stomped her feet. "What are you so convinced of, that would prove, I'm not just some sad little girl, just trying to find a purpose in this god awful, stinking city!"

Starfire closed her eyes. "I see."

"What do you see?"

"It was too obvious that, that I could not accept it." Starfire held her breath. "I think, that I understand the desperation you feel, and why you are lost."

"Starfire, what in the world, are you going on about?"

The heroine smirked. "He did leave me, many months ago." Her voice became quieter, and she looked to the ground. "Robin went to find the True Master, so he could grow stronger, faster, and better, as our leader."

"He's back now, so I take it, that things worked out for you two?"

Starfire smiled, she deduced a few things, and found a connection. "Yes, but only because I haven't given up, that we both held on, to that bond."

Jinx groaned. "That line has been so over used, by so many people. Gah! I couldn't care at all about it!"

"For whatever happened between Kid Flash and you, I am, sorry."

"You, sorry for me?" The attractive villainess, sounded a little grumpy. "Now that, is rich."

"I would like to know, how it all fell apart. Please, tell me."

Jinx was flabbergasted. An intense brawl that had trapped her opponent, and instead of finishing her off, or fleeing as she had wanted to, the Teen Titan was desperately clinging to a dialogue, hoping to soothe the conflict. Because of this unwarranted breach of etiquette, the attractive psionic was conflicted, with how to handle something of this nature.

"You want to know, how it all fell apart?" Jinx rolled her eyes with disdain.

"Yes."

"How everything went, from distance and conflict, to totally hating something you know, you are not. That you were never meant for … for anything like … that."

Starfire nodded, without saying a word.

"I'm not a hero, clearly." Jinx lightly sighed. "I'm not the villain you all make me out to be."

"Then what are you?"

"For the first time, as long as I can account, I'm not bound to anybody. I'm not held back by others, or constricted to someone else's persona, to live under their own glory."

A deep anguish was felt, seeping out from Jinx, where Starfire was now grasping at the root of all this conflict. She rubbed her sore leg, but kept her eyes locked upon her attacker, while the conversation resumed.

"The will to act." Starfire whispered.

Jinx turned her head, slowly. "The will to finish this, and never look back."

The Tamaranean closed her eyes, and she breathed in deeply. The fight was over, she was pinned to the floor with no way out, her enemy was standing, unscathed and appearing content with her questionable actions.

"No." Starfire reopened her eyes. "The will, to make things right again."

Jinx raised her right hand, she stretched her fingers out and prepared to unleash a final blast, where the powerful shock waves, would snap her opponent's neck.

"Farewell Starfire."

KA-BOOM!

A mighty eruption echoed across the dockyards, while a blinding flash of sharp blue light, enveloped directly behind Jinx, knocking her forwards. Starfire cringed, as she carefully peaked through the blinding disorder, where the blur in her vision, gradually subsided.

"Boo-Yeah!" The familiar excited cheer, from her fellow teammate, this reassured Starfire, that the battle could still be won, and her ally had not abandoned her.

"Cyborg!" Starfire exclaimed, elated to know that the blast was not from the explosives, having detonated. Instead, her teammate had arrived in the nick-of-time.

The team mechanic retracted his sonic cannon arm, and he walked forwards. His white and blue toned armor, that was typically a bright sheen, was scuffed and dinged, he carried scratch and burn markings across his body, but he carried himself, as tall and proud as always.

"So, did I miss the party?" Cyborg asked, as he knelt down alongside his ally.

"When the blast happened, I thought, it was from the explosives." Starfire reached out to grasp his forearm. "I thought-"

"Yeah, I know."

The low moaning of Jinx, reached their ears, and the Teen Titans resumed their focus, back onto the escaped prisoner.

"You were always one, to make such a loud entrance." Jinx slowly got back to her feet, and she rubbed her neck.

"I can't help it, it's who I am." Cyborg retorted, with a glare of anger, in his eye.

Jinx shook her head. "No matter, we all know the penalties for our actions, and the banner we carry."

"The cause we fight for, is for justice!" Starfire exclaimed. "You have no banner, you have no honor, what do you stand for, other than destruction and criminality?"

"That's easy. I stand for myself!"

"You're wrong." Cyborg cut-in. "Just look around you, do you even realize the destruction you are causing, the pain you are inflicting!"

"So what if there are casualties. There will always be those who stand in the way, when all you have to do, is stand aside, and allow me to pass on through."

"You know I can't allow that. Not after what you've done, not after tonight."

"So you're here, to take me in. Is that it?"

Cyborg's face twisted into a confused and wrinkled expression. There was a lot going on, but to see an old crush, standing against him now, there was a chill of past memories, creeping upon him.

"You broke out of prison, you unleashed destruction on public property, you have threatened innocent lives, where all of this might have been forgiven." Cyborg gradually rose back to his feet, where his shadow arched over Starfire. "But threatening to destroy my friend, and teammate …" He powered up his sonic cannon arm, and he took aim at his target, while his voice became harsher. "That is something, that must be answered for."

The psionic pink haired demoness, stood partially hunched over. She was clutching her left arm, as the shot to her back, had a numbing effect across her entire body, and she landed very uncomfortably, against her arm to brace herself, from the fall.

The hum of the Titan's weapon grew slightly louder, while he tinkered with the setting, from a stunning hit, to a blast that could potentially paralyze his enemies, for life.

Jinx glanced behind her, and a pathway to freedom was open, but how far would she go, before the Teen Titans would catch up to her again?

"Don't even think about it!" Cyborg's enraged voice, startled her.

"Run, and be chased down like a wounded animal." Jinx glanced at the rubble, "Or, stay and fight, to make matters worse?"

"You have no way out of this, the police are cordoning-off all entrances and exits to this place." Cyborg was breathing heavily, as his heart rate increased. "Don't make this any harder than it has to be."

"Tell me something. When has it ever been easy, or fair, or just?" Jinx began to approach him, still clutching her arm. "Look at yourselves, a princess, cast aside from her home world, and then left to make things work, from nothing. And you, the young man I met at the academy, only to be living a lie to fit in. What, if any benefits have your fruitless efforts wrought?"

"This does not need to go down." Starfire pleaded, as her friend and ally moved away from her, and he pressed forwards, with his threat. "Jinx, we can work through this, together."

Jinx was very close now, each step, brought her that much closer to the cannon's crosshairs, upon Cyborg's right arm.

"There is nothing else, for me to chase after. There is no prize, or hope, or fear, that holds me in check." Jinx was now directly in front of Cyborg, his powerful weapon was almost touching the girl's forehead, and she stopped, to lock her eyes with his. They were filling with tears.

"I'm so … tired. Tired of running, tired of fighting, tired of trying to make sense of it anymore."

"Jinx, what are you saying?" Cyborg asked, as he trembled.

"I think we both know, I will never be comfortable living out my days, in some cramped little jail cell. Or spending my time, evading the law, or battling a way to survive, from city to city. What has been so uncomfortable, and unthinkable to desire, for so long I denied it, but now, I stand ready to embrace it."

"Do not do this, please." Starfire spoke up, while the morning sunshine grew brighter across the water. The sparkling rays were bouncing back, and the fractured lighting, brought warmth.

Jinx placed her hand, onto the sonic cannon, and she lowered it to her very chest.

"At this close range, there won't be any mistaking it." Cyborg was fighting the urge, to pull the internal trigger, as the waves of raw hostility, were being washed away, into something he had felt, only once before. "If I do this, you will die."

Starfire's eyes bulged wide, as she overheard this quandary being discussed.

"Jinx … no."

"There is no other way!" The pale enchantress hissed back. "Believe me Starfire, while it has been an adventure, as I have found some thrill in our little spat, but this will finally bring me the peace, the quiet I have longed for."

"I took an oath, along with my teammates, never to kill anybody." said Cyborg.

"Unless under duress, with no means of escape for yourself, or others. Then I implore you, break free from those chains, binding you to this very principle."

"But my life is not threatened to such a state."

"No. But someone's is."

The two standing, now looked at Starfire, and the Tamaranean Princess shook her head, as she could never foresee her own life, being used to make a decision of such an unthinkable nature.

"You will not touch her!" Cyborg shouted.

"Look, there is only one of two possibilities, that will arise out of this entanglement, now that you're here." Jinx looked at him again. "I am glad that you are here. The both of you."

"You can't make me do this."

"You have to chose. Either take me out, for good and save your friend."

"Or?"

"You do nothing, and watch as I finish her off."

"I won't allow that to happen!"

"Cyborg, by accepting not doing anything, you allow her to perish-"

"While destroying you, will only make me a murderer, and an oath breaker!" He huffed, "How can you ask me to do this, this is not justice, or fair. It goes against everything I stand for!"

"Life is never fair." She smiled, a strange yet calming grin. "You will either chose friend over enemy, or the act of doing nothing, will be your downfall. You cannot escape this decision, one of these outcomes is going to happen. Then, you will be left to live the rest of your life, with the decision you made this morning."

"I can't … I won't."

"You must."

Cyborg lowered his weapon, and he stepped back a few feet. His head was racing with alternate ways out, but he only ran into solid dead-ends. The Teen Titans had never gone over a scenario like this, in any training or obstacle course, it was all gray, and there was nobody here, to guide him.

The endorphin's in his nervous system were speeding by, the world and everything appeared to slow down, to a freeze frame, right before his eyes. A lone seagull calling out was heard, and noticed above his head, flapping its wings, as it circled the destruction for food.

The look of horror and sadness, were clearly visible across Starfire's face, as she squeezed her left upper thigh. Jinx backed away from Cyborg, and she began to get closer to Starfire, laying helplessly upon the ground. The Tamaranean Warrior had starbolts to unleash, to protect herself, but she could not generate them now.

"Don't do this." Cyborg took aim again, and followed her movements carefully. "Don't make me, make this decision, you know what I will choose!"

Jinx's eyes glowed bright pink, she winked at Cyborg, as if giving a salute to an enemy, and she reached out to unleash a deadly shockwave.

"NOOOOO!" Cyborg cried, as he fired at his target.

The blue beam of concentrated energy homed-in at the escaped felon, and she turned to embrace the coming impact. Her arms were thrown wide, like the wings of an angel, and the actions of everything, appeared to stand still.

This time, Starfire did not shirk away, while tears streaked down her's and Cyborg's cheeks.

Suddenly and unexpectedly, within an instant, a colorful red and orange blur, raced across the battlefield, knocking Cyborg to his back, and causing the sonic beam to discharge upwards at the sky!

"What the!?" Cyborg barked. He rubbed his forehead, and he groggily got back to his feet.

Jinx, was gone! In a flash, something had forced him to lose his balance, and his target was no longer present.

"Cyborg, did you do that?" Starfire asked, completely baffled at what had occurred.

The team mechanic looked at his cannon arm, then he glanced to the spot Jinx had been standing, barely a second ago, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"I fired my weapon, I-I know that I did." The gear-head replied, bereft of the entire spectacle.

"So then … is she-"

Cyborg quickly shot a look of concern at her. "No. I mean, my sonic cannon is powerful enough to do massive damage, but it cannot vaporize any living thing. There would have been a body, something!"

The smell of burnt ozone, clung tightly to the air. Cyborg approached Starfire, and he knelt down to the spot, that his enemy had been standing. He sifted through the ash, and broken rock, with his fingers.

"Nothing. Not a single trace of anything." The Technological Expert rubbed his chin. "How could Jinx have escaped, there's no way, she could move that fast!"

Starfire bit her lower lip, as the impending doom was so overpowering, her brain was trying to calculate what had transpired. To make matters even more dense, Cyborg had indeed fired, intending for a killing blow, and that caused her to tremble.

Cyborg was willing to break his vow, and if he crossed that line . . .

"Perhaps it was not Jinx, who did the fast moving." She gazed up at him, leaning against his body. "I think someone else, gave her a third option."

"You may be right about that." Cyborg studied the dirt in his hand, and he allowed it to fall between the cracks of his fingers, to the earth. "But who, of all people would engage in a quarrel, only to grab one person out of the foray, and then leave, without a trace, of anything?"

Starfire thought back, to when a certain yellow and red donned superhero speedster, was only a blur, to all that looked upon him in motion. A few tears trickled down her cheeks, as a terrible decision that would have forever damaged her friend, was not made, and her own life was spared in the process. She was pleased, that things did not conclude, as Jinx had wanted.

"Well whoever he was, he made sure, to get as far away from here as possible." Cyborg said, as a great relief was noticed, returning in his voice. "Starfire, I-I'm sorry about all this. You know I wouldn't, unless I had no other choice."

Starfire calmly exhaled. "I understand."

The Tamaranean Princess closed her eyes, and she buried her face, deep into Cyborg's chest. As much as she wanted to be with Robin, the familiar metallic and cold touch, from her fellow comrade, was pretty homely. The faint ringing of sirens, was creeping ever closer, and the stiffness of her left leg, had returned.

Cyborg patted her back, to reassure her that she was safe, and that he had not abandoned her. He had done his part, despite the obvious signs of battle, all around them. Of torn-down buildings, or broken sladebots, and of rubble from shipping containers, spewed across the landscape.

The explosives upon the oil-tanker had been disarmed, while the remaining crewmen had escaped. The bomb-squad was on their way, to handle the clean-up, and a moment of newfound joy reached him, not felt in many years.

---

Robin was speeding well over 138 miles per hour, on his street bike, swerving his way through the multiple lanes, across the narrow highway. The traffic of vehicles, was gradually starting to pick up, all over the Californian metropolis, while the skyline was transitioning to a lighter blue, from the darker shades earlier in the night.

The Team Leader knew, that the rest of his friends were greatly displeased with their course, during the night. It was not the first time they were uneasy, and it was becoming more of a battle, just keeping his group from fighting amongst each other, or him.

Robin was doing, what he felt was his best chances of success, to salvage anything of a bad situation, to take on countless obstacles at separate places, and to save as many lives as he and his teammates could.

Unfortunately, his decisions this night, left one of their own, abandoned. Falcon was not forgotten, yet with every second that had passed, the urgency to reach the train station leapt to the front of his mind.

The low beam of light, arched across his backside, and upon the white dashes that divided the lanes of traffic. The revving of his engine hummed, like an angry bee-hive, and he felt the dampness of the late-night storm, still clinging to his clothing.

He glanced at the clock on his dashboard, the time was reading 5:43 AM. He turned his head behind him, and then in every possible direction, as he slowed his bike down, but he did not hear any explosions, or notice any distress, aside from the single most potent calamity, that had shaken him and his teammates earlier in the night.

The G.P.S. map, glowing on his dashboard revealed the Jump City Railways, was not far off. The blaring sirens and honking horns of firetrucks, of ambulances and police cruisers, was getting louder, as he approached his destination.

"Almost there, just a little further!"

There were stark differences, in the leadership capabilities, between Cyborg and Robin. The team mechanic was more than capable, of commanding others, but he was too overly concerned, with every decision. The Boy Wonder was willing to risk everything, to win the day.

Putting everything on the line, was truly a dangerous gamble, yet it was the ultimate drive, to get results.

The black tires from the R-Cycle, screeched across the wet asphalt, while a bit of smoke rose about him. He almost missed the right turn, onto a side street that would bring him to his location, a little faster.

The skyscraper shadows curved about him, at various angles as the sunlight only grew brighter, for the new day. Titans Tower was spotted, for fleeting moments in the very distance, where the morning brightness sparkled across the waterfront, like it was made of diamonds.

The markers for the main hospital were noticed, with the familiar blue outlined, white lettered 'H' symbols upon the rectangular signs, across the borders of the street. There was a more dense gathering of vehicles now, while the local news vans, and a congregating crowd had spilled onto the street.

The road ahead was closed off, by a barricade, and he parked his R-Cycle next to a police cruiser. Upon removing his helmet, he dashed forwards, and he approached the line, with guards wearing the same attire from those at the Jump City Penitentiary. They were keeping the residents away.

"Let me through." Robin barked, as he nudged his way, in-between people.

"Hey!" A woman shouted.

"What gives?" asked an older man.

Robin ignored these pestering questions, and once he was at the front of the residents, he could finally be allowed access.

"Let me through, official Teen Titan's business."

One of the J.C.P.D. members turned his head, from behind him, back to the Boy Wonder. Robin's view was totally blocked, by another row of parked firetrucks, and swat vans. The glowing red and blue lights, were flashing in the foreground.

The guard raised his hand, and he waved Robin over, allowing the local celebrity to enter.

"Jones, Damn it all. I told you not to admit anybody in here!" A second officer replied, and he hurried over.

"Sir, this is-"

"Yes, yes, I know who he is." The second in command cut-in. "Robin, from the Teen Titans. Well, you sure picked a fine day, to get here. But, we've got clean-up duty as you can see."

"Look, I won't get in your way or anything." The Teen Titan raised a hand, and the pair walked in a little deeper. "I'm here because one of my teammates, is in that mess."

The officer suddenly stopped moving, and he turned to Robin.

"Hold on, I thought you got the call, and that you were here to do some detective work, or something?"

"No." Robin picked up the pace, and he began to trot ahead. "Earlier in the night, a threat was made. Me and my teammates had a job to do, trying to stop a number of bombs from detonating."

"I-I don't know what to say kid." The policeman replied. "I got reports saying one thing, then info giving me a different story."

"Right." Robin sighed, he was partially aggravated about the constant delays in his efforts. "But I've got to get inside that building. Do you understand? One my my teammates is in that mess!"

There was a nauseating lull, and Robin looked at the complete devastation and rubble, that at one point, was the Jump City Railways. The entrance was caved inwards, rubble was scattered all over the place, and a simple mission was again, lost to the confusion.

The historic pair of granite lions, resting a paw upon a round ball were spotted at the base of the long stairs. While at the top, the mighty building and entrance-way was partially collapsed, as I-Beams and other pieces of the delicate infrastructure, were protruding outwards from the many shattered openings.

The thin yellow line, of crime-scene tape was wrapped about the lower levels, connecting between the two lion statues. Members of the local police were preforming various tasks about him, taking pictures, writing down eye-witness accounts from the crowd, some were even talking to the firemen, who had battled the blaze from the gas-station.

"I'm here Falcon." The Teen Titan whispered. "I've made it."

Robin made his steady ascent, but he stopped and turned back, to notice the police officer who he had first crossed paths with, was now talking with the reporters on camera.

The thought of being filmed was never truly unexpected, as he and the rest of his team, were captured by the media countless times, throughout their history in Jump City. The residents wanted to know what was going on, the people needed to feel secure, that the work the superheroes were doing, was truly beneficial to their livelihoods.

The tragic sight before him now, it was not good publicity. Slade may have been thwarted in other areas, yet each time he grew bolder, swifter, and deadlier. The city was safe, but the location here, proved the contrary.

The Parthenon roof was still in place, while many of the smaller pillars along the outside, were standing, yet black soot, and ash had clung to the walls and sidings, discoloring the building, and revealing that a fire had erupted from deep within.

The smell of fire, of burning wood and other material used inside, sifted about the air. The rising smoke, billowed upwards heavily, from the center of the train station, as the water from the hoses, to douse the flames, created puddles about the steps.

"Excuse me." A male's voice picked up.

The Teen Titan's leader, kept one foot higher than the other, upon the steps. His gaze was totally locked onto the darkness from one of the revolving doors, shattered and broken. It was frightfully artistic, and totally unnatural.

"Excuse me."

The stranger's voice was heard again, and Robin merely turned his head.

"My commanding officer said you told him, one of your teammates, went inside of the railway station?"

"That's correct." Robin replied. "Why?"

The policeman held up a folded piece of clothing. The red garb had various holes and rips in the fabric, where the long hood, only revealed the object, had belonged to Falcon.

"Where did you get this?" Robin's voice grew harsh, as he asked this. A part of him was terrified of the answer he might receive, but he needed to uncover the truth.

"It was left inside, apparently the girl who went in, found somebody badly injured."

"Injured?"

"Yes, but the trauma was too severe. We tried doing what we could for him here. I'm sorry."

Robin held the cloak, rubbing the thin material between his iconic green gloves. The information was a lot to comprehend, and now everything was turning upside-down.

"What do you mean, how severe are the injuries? Where is he?"

"He was airlifted to a hospital in another city. I-I don't know where, but-"

"But from the chatter we picked up, on our scanners, he … your friend, didn't make it." Another policeman broke into the conversation.

Robin's eyes became wide beneath the mask, his mouth hung agape, as the unexpected bewilderment, hit him. His hands began to tremble, his legs buckled, where the view of the world, slowed to a crawl.

The noise of people, the static popping of electricity, the whirling of red and blue lights from the emergency vehicles, all became disorienting.

It felt like the times, he went to the beach, to surf on hot summer days. The waves slammed over him, after he went through the tube, and as he spun and rolled beneath the weight of water, another would violently toss him around, like he was a rag doll.

The entire time he would look up, as he held his breath. The uneasy motion of his body twisting and tumbling, the salt water running up his nostrils, and the inability to breathe, it was an experience like no other.

Death was always present in a dangerous stunt, and being a hero of the renown on his level, the grim reaper was truly unforgiving.

While the two police officers talked, about the circumstances, of what they deduced was the root cause of the problem, of the stories the people were circulating, Robin just stood there, while the world became eerily silent to him.

He had arrived, too late.

{{ End Of Scene }}

---

A/N Before I go any further, I just wanted to say how deeply sorry I am, for taking this long to update. Things in my life have been pretty hectic, so, I sincerely apologize for making all of you wonderful gents and ladies; to hold onto the edge for that long. Thanks though, for those strong enough to stay on, for the ride! I hope everyone had a pleasant Memorial Day Weekend, and a wonderful Father's Day cookout. Since school for most people is coming to a close for summer vacation, being that it is the end of June, consider this as my graduating gift to you all, for a fantastic summer break; that I hope everyone can enjoy! ;-)

Hit Meter: 1,641 Hits and still growing!

Reviews From The Previous Chapter:

Scififanfreak222: "Whoa! Slade and BB's scene was INTENSE! I felt sorry for poor B. :( In so much pain, with that ... taunting him with his memories and his past. Robin's flashback was amazing. Seriously a wow factor. But RobxBabs? No way! Sorry, RobStar fan here, but it was still pretty good :) I LOVE THIS STORY! IT IS AWESOME!"

~~I think you may find, the next chapters to be just as powerful, as the last ones. Beast Boy and Raven, they are one of my favorite couples, in the D.C. Universe.~~

NovusOrdoSeclorum: "Your perseverance alone means you have not failed. You keep striving to improve and that is what counts the most. This is your first story, and for a first effort, this is a commendable piece! Your descriptions alone set this chapter apart from the rest. You went into a great detail of Beast Boy's wounds, his physical features, and his deeper mind set, really painting a vivid picture for the reader. More-over you did well in keeping the characters in character… especially Slade, who can be rather hard to nail down. You have even developed Falcon into a good original character. You have accomplished much, to say the least. Continue working hard, dedicating yourself to improvement, and whetting the sharper aspects of your mind. :)"

~~Wow. I'm near Speechless Novus, on how impactful your reply truly is. Thanks for the uplifting feedback; it always encourages me onward, in my struggles. I hope this chapter, was just as captivating and interesting, as my previous updates were. Thank you so much, for the powerful feedback! {:-D] ~~

Saffire55: "Hmmm. I wonder if there will be more nurse and Falcon?"

~~Uh … possibly? Maybe? There is still a lot, to be worked through.~~

Linzerj: "...HOLY FLADOODLES! THAT WAS SO... So... so... ugh, where's a dictionary when I need one? Never mind - dictionaries don't have words that describe this. It was a blend of epicness, extreme cliffies, and pure awesometasticalness. TERRA DIES! GAAAASP! And...Beast Boy... and Rae and Falcon..."

~~Well, I think I may have scared one or two people. Hopefully this update was a little more to your comfort level. {;-) ~~

Wolvmbm: "It's funny, I find this story and another fan-fic entitled Collateral Damage, very similar in terms of wording within this chapter. I mean Slade talking about loyalty, power, trust and pain, all happened within that fanfic. :) Also, it was a nice moment with Robin and Red X, as we learn why he left the Bat. Plus an update on Falcon and his struggle; so with Terra in the mix, things are bound to get complicated for the Titans, especially for Raven, and Beast Boy's feelings will be messed up beyond belief. "

~~Slade sure likes to dive, right into the fears and pains of all his enemies, that is what makes him such a maniacal, and truly unstoppable villain. I got the idea of Robin, leaving Batman in 'The New Batman and Superman Adventures'. The difference is, I saw Richard as the young version from Teen Titans doing the act, not the twenty-year-old whom became Nightwing soon after. So I drew it out a bit longer, and had Richard keep his attire, instead of going into his full transformation, of what he later becomes. True again, with the Geomancer back in the picture, things are bound to become a bit dicey. ;-) ~~

Dcfan100: "Amazing addition! There is so much detail and intensity in here, that it's hard not to get hooked! Great job! Now I'm off to read it again!

~~A second read through? Wow, you humble me good sir. {;-D Going into more depth, behind each scene, it does help to strengthen my updates. I'm glad you liked chapter 10. I hope this one, was just as fun.~~

~~T.M.O~~