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 18 is here! Blackfire goes to the Iceberg Lounge and meets with potential allies, as the band of heroes prepares for a birthday. "Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live." -Norman Cousins-
Chapter 18 – Troublesome Awakening
The robust buildings of impressive steel and cobbled brick lit the way, while above her the thousands of stars looked like they were reflecting a comparable likeness, from the electrical glow in the city down below.
She had been flying at a surprisingly quick pace, where her determination to gather an army for the uneasy overseer, was pushing her motivation to not falter at all. This was not meant to be a sight-seeing excursion, it was a journey of grave importance, and she had less than a day, to complete the daring task.
Blackfire's devious partner, now turned commander had shown how powerful and remorseless he was, to any of his subordinates. Red X was proof enough, and in the end there was no point in trying to slink out of his orders. Slade was a man who was not to be trifled with.
The Exile could not help but carry a hooking taste of intrigue, by her current adventure. She had been away from the tiny blue planet for a very long time, and of the countless systems that the teenager had visited before her return, this one made her feel something of a completely different nature.
To obliterate everything that her sister had come to respect and carry any emotional attachment towards, here on earth, it was all she could dream about. By dissolving Starfire's friends away was a tantalizing revenge, nothing could be sweeter.
Surprisingly, it was Slade who had brought this wisdom to her. Blackfire wanted to attack the moment she had arrived, but this tactic was flawed and she hesitated to the point where her now commander gave her an alternative, to make things more rewarding.
Shock and awe, a brutal continuous barrage against every aspect and point of counter measures that could be met, by disrupting the inner fabric of The Teen Titans, to poison them from within their ranks, it would inevitably lead to their own downfall.
Her endless desire for bloodshed, it was what she wanted above everything else, the Exile was so certain but now other elements had begun to cloud her path. It had something to do with the latest offer on the table, that the one eyed masked villain had revealed she could gain.
Slade had brought forth an unusual spin to her previous motives; that the effects had rippled outwards, upsetting her primary goal at just one quick strike at Titans Tower. Instead of using Slade to fulfill her own aims and objectives, now, she was forced into his servitude. To his beck and call, just as the previous mercenary known as Red X had been.
The unshakeable urge which the ex-princess had dreamed about, within her dreary and cold prison cell before her escape from the desolate jail system, it was to bring about the long awaited vendetta. Everything was building to that very confrontation, but it would have to wait a little longer.
Blackfire visualized countless times, when Starfire would be defeated, her battered and bloodied body laying limp as the finishing blow, was about to be delivered. Every possible outcome that the Exile could create, she had twisted into a much darker ending each time.
A truly evil smirk was felt creeping across her lips, while the Tamaranean Excommunicated Princess, held the terrible grasp about Starfire's neck in her dreams. Her hands were acting as a constricting vise, and she dug her fingernails deeply into her sibling's smooth neck, as her younger sister kicked and squirmed to breathe.
This horrible and graphic imagery was only fueled by the bitter rage, where murder was becoming a completely acceptable behavior. The wheezing and gasping for oxygen, the look of fatigue in Starfire's sparkling green eyes, filling with tears, her life being taken was an experience of ecstasy like no other.
While soaring high above the ancient gothic city, Blackfire quickly observed a rather dominant thing upon many of the ledges and rooftops. Gargoyles sitting and posing upon various perches, these many sculptures, were gazing downwards at the residents of Gotham.
The grotesque demonic and winged beasts, appearing to have come forth out of some hellish dominion, were very detailed and caused fear for anyone to look at them directly. The captivating sculptures were constructed to direct rainwater from the gutters to pour out, from their gaping mouths or below their talons.
The Exile flew over a section of the the local harbor, and she was peering down at the honking tugboats and ferrying vessels that were departing from the shorelines. The active nightlife was casting a spellbinding red and orange glow, all across the landscape.
The industrial sector of the old and rustic city, was constantly discharging chemicals and allowing the putrid fumes to billow upwards, from the smokestacks that were scattered across the skyline, like an industrial forest. The atmosphere was gray, cold and wet, where the horizon was never very clear to view the stars.
Everything had a majestic Victorian era quality in appearance, yet the soot-like taste of the air, and the claustrophobic feelings about the high-rises, monorails, and closely stacked abandoned buildings across the densely populated metropolis, everything about Gotham was incredibly decrepit. It was a very harsh, dangerous place to live in.
Blackfire knelt down onto one of the perches, where she was glad to have a moment to catch her bearings. She groaned while expelling a genuine sigh, as she became completely aware and immersed within the notorious place.
Gotham City was massive, it was entirely easy for anybody to get lost within. It was built upon subterfuge and humbling compromises, of a gritty past architecture that was a staple of it amongst other cities. From its earliest days, it was a hotbed of criminals and plights.
The network of law and order that had fought endlessly to maintain the peace, was desperate and vulnerable, where the criminal underworld held places of power, and the struggle for control was openly displayed on the streets.
Crime was rampant on every level imaginable, as the Gotham City Police Department was infiltrated by the mafia, crooked double-dealings of corrupted bureaucrats, and detestable miscreants willing to take a cut in exchange for any favors down the line.
This historic city was home to the famous and civilized do-gooders such as Bruce Wayne, while a mysterious and equally captivating guardian, The Batman was a watchful protector. The Dark Knight was a bold vigilante who did what Commissioner James Gordon and the law, was inadequate to do.
Gotham had such a long and vibrant history, as it was a place that the lobster-backs tried to outflank General George Washington, during the Revolutionary War. One of the worst criminal syndicates ever to exist, was deeply entrenched within the city's very soul, even being a problem at the time the first settlers had made it their home.
Blackfire's tranquil gaze gradually sank to the communicator in her left hand, as she bit her lower lip to consider her limited options. Directly behind her, the massive glowing white letters of WAYNE ENTERPRISES, cut through the darkness and mist. The soft hum of the electrical glow, was heard yet she paid little attention to this detail.
Her silk black hair was blown from the wind across her left shoulder, and she felt a strange sense of serenity. Even here, in this gritty, rundown, ancient and crime infested place Blackfire was not intimidated by these things, where there were places far more foul and ghoulish that she had visited before.
Slade was a masterful tactician, he was a man who had a bold plan that would bring about the end of The Teen Titans. It was a long shot, but it had become Blackfire's only option she had left.
The Criminal Mastermind's methods were unorthodox, crude, but everything Slade explained, it made Blackfire rationalize a deeper truth. The young Exile had no other choice, and she conceded that there was a much larger prize that could be gained.
The Tamaranean Warrior opened the device, and she turned it on. There were a few seconds of static, and nothing to see, but then an image quickly came into focus. The heavy mechanisms were churning and clicking within the background, while her partner was standing with his hands behind his back.
As always, Slade was concealing himself within the shadows and smoke of his hidden fortress. His outline and left eye were the only noticeable features.
*Report.* Slade's rasping voice finally broke through the silence.
Blackfire hesitated, as she had become stupefied looking at the man's left eye, squinting at her. "I've made it to Gotham." she answered, her voice barely hiding her nervous trembling. "I can see the whole city from up here."
*Excellent.* The Masked Villain cut-in again. *The posh nightclub should be just beyond the docks.*
"I - I think I see it." The black haired envoy glanced up from the small screen. "This city is pretty vast, but I kind of like the architecture."
*You are not there to go on any sightseeing excursion.* He leaned in a little closer. *This is a very important assignment you are on.*
"I understand." She hissed back, as the pulsing blue glow emanating from the far western edge of the city, was unmistakable.
*You have come far, however, do not give me any reason to doubt your pledge of loyalty to me.*
Blackfire rolled her eyes, while smirking a cock-sure glance back at the screen. "Yeah, yeah. I know. Don't get your panties all in a bunch. I know what is on the table."
There was a lingering moment that made the tension fester again, and the conflict of her decision to even sign on with this one-eyed criminal, it was not like before.
*You are to continue forwards with your objective. However, blasting your way into Penguin's pristine operations of business, that is not the level of subterfuge that is going to get you anywhere.* Slade deadpanned. *Remember, you are in Gotham to set up the meeting, that is all.*
"I got it." She released a soft groan of annoyance. "So then, how do I get in? They probably won't just let me waltz on in, through the front entrance."
Slade chuckled, as his eye appeared to curl behind the iron helmet. *This is where she . . . will be your escort.*
"I'm sorry but who exactly, are we talking about now?"
*Your contact just so happens to be, one of the distinguished and loyal bodyguards, that commands some of the security detail within The Iceberg Lounge. Apart from working within the lavish vicinity as her prestigious occupation, she also happens to be quiet the mercenary for sport.*
"Well now, I ponder how you managed to get this girl to work for you?" She held up her right hand, while craftily sifting through the words used. "I know, that's probably another little secret of yours, isn't it? Never mind." Blackfire rose up from her crouched position. "So where exactly am I supposed to meet my contact then?"
*She is already awaiting your arrival.*
"That was fast! You sure like to keep the ball rolling. Don't you Slade?"
*I have my resources.* A wisp of steam hissed, as the gases suddenly expanded about the picture. *She is a block away from the nightclub.*
Blackfire nodded her head. "For a man of so much inaction and avoiding ruffling the feathers of the criminal underworld, here in Gotham, you do get your hands dirty after all."
*Things take time my dear, where everything is always in motion.* He held up the silver disk in his right hand, causing her to become transfixed onto the prize. *I now have something else you want, where failure in your mission . . .*
"I know." Blackfire scowled at her handler. "You don't have to keep reminding me of that!"
Slade twisted the shiny silver disk back and forth, taunting her. *I am curious however, about what you plan to tell your brother, should you succeed in your final objective?*
"That doesn't matter!"
*Another time then.* The Criminal Mastermind nodded after saying this, and he brought the piece of treasure out of the frame. *Your guide is notable in her appearance, while she has quiet the rebellious attitude.*
"Hmmm-mmm." Blackfire smirked. "Shocking."
*The alias she is known by, the title she calls herself is Killer Frost.*
"Chilling name." The deadly Exile punned. "So, what strings are you pulling on this girl I wonder?"
Again, there was a heart-pounding hush that lingered, as yet another puff of steam echoed on his end of the transmission.
"Eh. I'm sure I'll figure that out later anyway." Blackfire shrugged her shoulders after speaking. "So then, I meet with this . . . Frost character, aaaaaand then what?"
*Those files in your bag that I gave you, before you departed. They will prove their worth in due time.* Slade's eye seemed to burn with unanticipated delight. *Now then, I have instructed your contact to bring you before Cobblepot. Before you enter, you are to leave the communicator turned on, so I can overhear the conversation, should the files not be adequate to their tastes.*
Blackfire turned her head over her shoulder, before replying; "Now hold on just a second. If you wanted to send a message, then why not just do it yourself? Why drag me all this way?"
Slade shifted his upper body away from the screen, where the blackness around him and the great fan was slicing up the final remnants of any illumination, in his throne room.
*You are very observant, however the Falcone and Riley families alongside Black Mask, could quiet possibly set a few surprises, were I to show my face in Gotham after my actions of the past. As such, this has only forced my hand to multiply their operations, of aiding the competing factions against one another, many months prior to any meeting actually taking place.*
Blackfire's face was showing signs of astonishment in learning this.
"So then, you've been planning this little reunion for months, before we even met?" The Exile revealed a twisted grin. "Boy Slade, just when I think I have some angle about you figured out, you only pull the curtain down in front of me again!"
*This is something that requires a little . . . finesse, a task to be carried out by a person who is new to Gotham, and is not already a marked target the moment they arrive.* His tone carried a more reverberating rasp. *I could have let my previous messenger do this, but you had stepped up to the plate, ready to do whatever is necessary to win.*
"Lucky me then, huh?" Blackfire quipped back.
*My plans are always in motion, I never have just one fixed point to take any advantage that I can get.*
"I mean, if they hate your guts, or at least some of them do, then my instincts are telling me that there is going to be a trap waiting for me!" Blackfire scoffed back.
Slade chuckled. *You see, they are already in conflict with each other, and they would only bring about their own ruin, if they made any attempts on your life. Within the Iceberg Lounge, there is a truce towards new faces.*
"So you say." Blackfire shook her head in disapproval. "So, you not only interfere in their operations of the past, but you currently have been a busy boy, in disrupting their plans as of now."
*You learn quickly.* The masked villain answered. *Convincing half of the criminal syndicate who I have swapped sides against, it tends to tarnish any status amongst them. Now however, things are just right, and the time has come to coerce them, as you are acting in my place.*
"I just hope that a stray bullet doesn't have my name on it." Blackfire sighed. "Whatever plan you've got cooking, it better work."
Slade's eye curled again. *Failure is not in my interests. And neither should it be in yours.*
Blackfire turned the communicator off, and she clipped it back onto her belt. She pulled the bag across her shoulder a little closer, while the weight of everything became a lot heavier all of a sudden.
"Right. Going into a den of highly murderous and upset criminals, half of which probably feel double crossed by the very guy I am working for, to not only get revenge on my sister, but he also happens to be the only person who knows the location of my brother." Blackfire rubbed her neck, to ease out the massive discomfort that was intensifying. "So much for my strategy of quick retribution then."
Blackfire went three steps rearwards, she took a final deep inhaling breath, to calm herself. Then, she raced forwards and lunged into the air, soaring past the gargoyle that was alongside her perch, as she continued on her journey.
The light-show was a guide to her, as the blue and yellow intersecting beams that came from the magnificent club, were helping to narrow down her search. The cool wind rattled her long silk black hair and skirt, as the mist was a little bothersome as she traversed in between the high rises, and beneath the bridges and underpasses.
She eventually found a perfect place to set her feet onto the ground, as an abandoned corner was spotted, and she descended onto the concrete. There was nobody around her, as she slithered into the darkness, between two abandoned apartment buildings.
Motorists were driving along the street, avoiding the slums and the things that moved in the shadows, oblivious to the dilapidated rundown areas of the city. The tall brick buildings that the Exile was now standing between were both very old, the windows were boarded up, as gang symbols and graffiti had been sprayed across many surfaces, to mark territory.
An unusual aroma had now sifted up to her nostrils, as she was on the pavement. She was very close to the discarded trash, and litter that was scattered about. The damp moisture of the rain, mixed with the unpleasing stench of filth, and the decay carried a rotting odor that clung to the back alleys of the concrete jungle.
Blackfire peered out from her hiding place, looking across the street to observe various buildings that were well lit, and inviting forms of business. From an Italian Restaurant, to a dry cleaner establishment alongside it, and even a Pawn Shop.
Just a short walking distance from here, a great statue of a discolored white horse on its hind legs was spotted. The gritty appearances of things, along with the cold weather had faded much of the architecture, and the haunting image of the stallion was captivating to look upon.
Leaning against the impressive monument, a young attractive woman was minding her own business. She wore a black leotard with a sparkling blue crystal, in the design of a snowflake across the center of her attire. Her hair was a silver shade, unkempt as her ghostly white skin and blue lips revealed, that she stood out amongst the many formidable men.
The Iceberg Lounge was directly beyond this plaza area, where a number of guards in tuxedos and carrying an assortment of firearms, brass knuckles, baseball bats, and even switchblades were patrolling their turf.
An iron gate acted as a perimeter from the main road to this pristine nightclub, as the bright blue neon signs, the famous lettering lit up the gothic maze of structures, all around it.
Fire escape ladders hung about the back alleys, and the faint echo of police sirens in a hot chase reverberated from random points about Gotham. The rustic clatter of a locomotive on the monorail passing overhead, caused The Tamaranean Exile to briefly look up, as the train sped along the rattling tracks.
Blackfire smirked as she observed these things, where the young woman standing alone had to be her contact. The nickname she carried was almost a dead giveaway, from her strikingly beautiful appearance, as though she were some majestic maiden, straight out of a fairy-tale.
"I can't afford to waste any time." Blackfire whispered, carefully scanning the area once more. "Slade said she is expecting me, so, let's get this over with."
Before the Tamaranean Exile could fully approached the horse statue, the guards began to notice the stranger approaching them, and one by one, the dozens of men in suits encircled Blackfire as she stepped forwards.
The only other young lady that was in the area gradually turned, with a smile on her face. She had her arms crossed over her breasts, and she tilted her head to watch the stranger come into better view.
"Well now, you sure were not what I was expecting." The feminine voice came from the leader of the security detail. She leaned forwards from the famous monument, and brushed a bit of dust away from her shoulder.
Blackfire stopped, large and intimidating men had every corner blocked and her only way of escape now, was to fly upwards. Despite the fear, she remained where she stood, unfaltering and revealing a smirk of her own.
"You aren't who I was expecting to meet either." The Tamaranean Exile replied. "Yet here we stand."
The two young ladies began to study each-other, their differences in clothing choices, their hair, everything about them was drastic fashion statements apart.
"Fascinating." said the female commander of the watch. "You must be Blackfire, the hair is a giveaway."
"Killer Frost, is it?" Blackfire mockingly asked. "Your name doesn't leave much to the imagination either."
"Watch your tongue!" one of the guards cut-in. "Insolent girl!"
"I'd watch your step, pal!" Blackfire raised her hands up. "I have business to take care of, and my boss is someone you don't want to upset!"
"Easy James!" Killer Frost waved her right hand, to allow the guards to lower their weapons. "She is here to deliver a message. Isn't that right?"
Blackfire moved her attention from the man that stepped a little too close for comfort, back onto her contact. "I would like nothing more, than to just get this out of the way."
The Exile removed her backpack with one hand, as the guards aimed their firearms at her.
"Easy boys!" Killer Frost demanded.
"A bit jumpy tonight, aren't we?" Blackfire mocked. "I figured you would confiscate this anyway, and to play fair, I'm giving you my pack to scan through it yourself, to check out what you want."
The stunning female handler of the armed men nodded her head only once, towards the guard who had been aggressive. James forcibly grabbed the pack, and he brought it to his superior. Killer Frost unzipped it, and she began to go through every inch of its pouches and compartments.
After a few minutes of flipping through the pages and folders, unable to find anything of hazardous or malicious content, Killer Frost sighed.
"So, were you planning on keeping me here all night to look over my gorgeous body, or are we going to get on with the meeting then?" Blackfire deadpanned.
"Hmmm." The female commander of the security detail rasped, and she slowly stood up. "This all checks out. Okay then, follow me."
The attractive and older young lady passed the book bag to a random member of her armed escort, and it was confiscated within the ranks of armed thugs.
"Hey, wait a minute, I still need that!" Blackfire reached her hand out, pointing to have it returned.
"Cool it." Killer Frost turned and poked her in the chest. "It has stuff dealing with the boss-man, right?"
Blackfire studied the bodyguards all around her, and as her eyes returned to the female commander, she could sense an unusual amount of tension on this new girl's part. "Yes . . ." The Exile answered in an uncertain manner. "Well, sort of."
"It has files dealing with people you were told to gather, right?"
"Wait, how did you-"
Killer Frost tapped her on the shoulder interrupting her sentence, where a wave of uneasiness was lifted away, as a friendly approach was now being administered. All the while Blackfire felt that she had some sense on things, she just wished she had read more thoroughly into the files that her boss had given to her.
"There is an easier way to gather every one of those folks, and instead of running around blind in a city you aren't accustomed to being in, Mr. Cobblepot has his connections to reach them." The white haired angelic warrior smiled.
". . . " Blackfire remained stunned. This was more of the plan that she did not calculate, and the terror of loosing something to help her down the line, it was yet another move that had been made for her.
"This is it." Killer Frost said, twirling and raising her arms high over her head. "The hideaway of hideaways. Of all the who's who, that one can have the potential to meet. Here at the Iceberg Lounge, the best of all pleasure and business is met."
"And so it is." Blackfire brought her hands to her hips.
They were standing in front of a massive door, as the source of blue shimmering lights by the base of the building were observed. Up close, there was even more security, more men with guns standing around the path leading to the high-class establishment.
A long red carpet was out, as a smooth velvet rope was along both sides of the walkway. The cords formed an inner barrier for arriving guests to feel like celebrities, as anybody leaving the street to go inside the posh and elegant nightclub, was given a V.I.P. treatment.
There was a statue at the entrance of the big doors, of a chubby stout man with a pointy nose, he was donning a monocle over his right eye, as a long cigarette was between his teeth. He was wearing a tuxedo and a top hat revealing a lavish fashion statement, as he leaned on a closed umbrella.
As Blackfire observed the strange monument looking down at her, she was totally caught by surprise as a blinding pure light began to grow more potent in front of her. The massive doors were parting, and a wave of adrenaline began to rush across her brain.
Her heartbeat steadily increased, and the cool wisp of frigid air from the wealthy establishment enveloped the traveling errand girl. It was like she was stepping into a freezer, which the bone chilling atmosphere caused the tiny hairs on her neck to stand on end.
Things so far were off to a positive start, yet the unbridled fear at the unknown, of meeting a gathering of some of the worst criminals with long records of heinous acts across this city, it was causing her palms to sweat a little.
Blackfire had no idea as to the game that her tactful handler had in mind, she was just trying to navigate the best course to find revenge, and she was beginning to sense that a malicious and deceitful ruse was constantly working against her.
Everybody had a motive for something, there was always a price to be expended, and at the end of this dark place she was going down, she would forever be changed.
She was entering the lion's den, and the most ferocious elements of the criminal underworld were eagerly awaiting this offer, that her unforgiving master was promising. It was all happening so quickly, and the Exile was growing more concerned about the increasing danger, that she was heading into.
The low beeping of machines attached to the patient, monitoring life signs within the cramped hospital quarters hummed in the background. The colorful banners, streamers and balloons were spread about in an elegant manner, as the cutout letters H-A-P-P-Y B-I-R-T-H-D-A-Y had been strung up by the window, as the moonlight created a shadow to arch over the bed.
Within a side corner, Starfire was noticed sleeping with Silky upon her lap, as the larva pet purred in affection. A red checkered pattern blanket was draped over them, to keep them warm. Sitting next to her, in the red cushioned chair and with her hands clasped over her lap, the gothic Empath kept the pointed hood pulled over her face, as she shifted her focus back onto Beast Boy.
The elf eared comrade was covered in white bandages, his famous uniform had been swapped-out for a gown revealing more of his green skin than he was accustomed to showing. His right arm from his collar bone down to his wrist was in a plastered cast, as his left leg was propped up in a sort of hammock for his wounded knee. The two gunshots had brought about severe damage, to which the doctors were unsure of the extent or time of recovery.
The left side of his face was completely swollen, and the bruises about his chest from the cracked rib had caused the discoloration of a much darker almost purplish pigment, to form about the white pad that covered his chest.
The two girls had decided to spend the remainder of yesterday going about their preparations as they plotted they would. Robin remained at Titan's Tower, where the second in command had refused to post any updates on his whereabouts.
The Teen Titans were trying their very best efforts to cope, yet things were becoming worse with every passing hour. Raven revealed a blank stare, the Empath was entirely focused on the young man in the hospital bed. To have arrived at the Jump City Hydroelectric Dam when she did, to find Beast Boy and Terra in the deplorable states that they were, it just caused everything to become disjointed from that point onward.
The moonlight was cascading down and revealed the only glow within the room, everything else was darkness.
"Raven . . . " The sound of The Changeling's rasping voice echoed across her brain. Was it all a hallucination, or was he calling out to her? "Raven . . . hurry."
The familiar tone ringing in her eardrums caused her to jolt upright, as her body trembled with unbridled fear. She recalled the mind-link which they shared, and she leaned forwards taking a deep breath, hoping beyond anything that this could work. So far, every attempt had brought nothing but silence, as he was entirely shut-off from the outside world.
This link had become blanketed by a cold void, emptiness and there was nothing she could do, alas she would give another effort.
"Beast Boy . . .?" Raven asked with her head pressed to his chest. She reached out and clasped his fingers with her own. He was not wearing gloves, and his bare skin felt smooth.
There was only silence, and the movement of his chest as he inhaled. He did not even squeeze back as she held his hand.
"No." She whispered. "He . . . he is still in a deep sleep." The Empath exhaled some of the stale air out from her lungs, and she looked down at her boots.
There was a time when things were simpler, as the way she could create a solution to any threat and problem facing her or her family, was by meditation and seclusion. It was not working now, there was too much of a pull to be here, with Beast Boy that she could not concentrate or focus on finding her center.
From her chance at the Tower, it quickly became undone by her eagerness to return. The dark bird could have stayed home, but then all she would strive for, would be to sit here with him.
Her world was turned upside down, as she felt to be so conflicted with where to go. She could not sleep, she could not eat, and the lack of energy only made her become more stressed and haggard.
More pain was coming, threats and loss had been dealt out where more was going to be sacrificed. To win this fight, more blood was going to be spilt. It was no longer a question of understanding the stakes, she was not a kid anymore, none of the Teen Titans were.
The code of honor she and all of her teammates lived by, it was being undermined and there would come a point that things would get so bad, where someone would be forced to make the ultimate decision.
Starfire could never grasp this, it would destroy her very soul and crush her with anguish. Robin also could never be the one, for he so heavily stood by his teachings from his mentor, The Dark Knight. To surpass this level he clearly stated when they formed The Teen Titans, it seemed highly unlikely that he would break this vow against Slade. Cyborg was teetering on the fence of what his own path and future would become, where to murder one who caused them all so much pain, it would taint any future leadership he would own up to.
Beast Boy was going to be out for the foreseeable future, and yet despite the efforts he could give, this would be one dilemma Raven could not let him bear, or anybody else. It was coming down to her, the dark bird and beautiful Grey Enchantress of their team.
I can't let the others go through with this, while some may think it, I must be the one to do the deed. The Empath said in her mind, to avoid awakening her sister. No. To end this, it will have to come down to me, and I will take the weight that comes with this responsibility.
Raven knew the time would eventually come, and that it would have to be her to put an end to this arduous and exhausting recurring problem. If she were to be expelled from the team and any other league of heroes because of this rule, to truly defeat this madman was in fact to cross the boundary of no return.
Was it so surprising that the offspring of a demon lord, would even consider breaking an oath, if she had been pushed too far? The thing that made Raven who she was, had always been her ability to accept the role fate had given her, and everything was turning to that point again.
The Empath recalled when Robin was standing alongside her, the very day they had overcome all odds, and the heroes had defeated her father.
-Flashback-
"Slade got away." Raven stated while looking at the team's leader.
Robin frowned, he had finished punching in the code to allow the blinds to lift across the many windows of Titans Tower, and the sunlight poured into their home.
"If he ever shows his face again." Robin interlocked his arms over his chest. "We'll be ready."
The Empath stood looking at him, dumbstruck at their reflections bouncing back from the glass. It had been a tough slog of a battle, their harshest and biggest challenge they had ever faced, and they were so close to losing everything. Luckily, justice, friendship and their courage prevailed to win the day.
She shifted her amethyst colored eyes from the city, back to her commander before talking. "How do you do it Robin?"
"Do what?"
"Keep hoping?"
The sound of euphoric cheer and banter of their friends echoing in the background became mute to their ears. Raven glanced back to the skyscrapers across the bay, while their family celebrated the monumental victory.
Raven took a long solemn look at her reflection, and she thought about the struggle they had been put through before she continued; "After everything that happened . . . everything I did." The gray enchantress became depressed while looking to the floor. "How did you still manage to hope it could all work out?"
The Boy Wonder turned and faced her, the confidence in his posture revealed he was a strong and noble leader, the best choice they could have ever wished to have. "Because of you." Robin answered. "You don't realize it Raven, but you're actually the most hopeful person I've ever met. From the day you were born they said you were evil. That you were created to do unspeakable things."
The Titan's Captain stepped forwards, and he smiled at her before he continued. "But you wished for more. You dared to hope, that you could be a hero."
"I thought it was all over." Raven's rasping voice answered in her soothing pitch. "And now . . . suddenly . . . "
"You have your whole life ahead of you. You can decide your own destiny."
Raven felt a smile expanding, the exuberant jubilation at this revelation in her future and life, of the great bond between her comrades had awoken something entirely new that she had never expected to find.
"I guess, in the end, there really is no end." Raven concluded. "Just, new beginnings."
-End Of Flashback-
This moment was the overcoming of the impossible, and now another dark time had befallen her dear family. The gothic girl may have been hopeful to try building onto something, where she understood deep down in her gut, that her friends were there to guide and offer their support.
Now that she had stepped out from the looming shadow of Trigon, another pestering and toxic darkness was spreading, consuming all avenues of light. To have defeated this evil with the noble approach was a major turning point in her life, and she grew because of it.
While she looked at the changeling, his broken body covered in welts and bruises, she released a gentle sigh. Her attention was once again drawn back to Starfire, with her left leg propped up in the wheelchair. It was becoming more apparent that the grey sorceress would have no choice.
To do this, to really be able to secure things and allow this evil to be defeated once and for all, she could not let her teammates suffer any more than they already had. Falcon was dead, Starfire was hurt, as Beast Boy was going to be in rehabilitation for some time.
Raven felt her throat was dry, the room was beginning to feel like it was closing in around her as the darkness was everywhere. Things were spinning in her thoughts, she was fatigued. Starfire was asleep, and The Empath envied her for that. Raven leaned back, she stretched her arms and legs before sitting up.
Upon a nearby counter many desserts had been placed, along with the green colored cake that these two girls had baked. Paper plates, cups, and utensils were gathered together, while stacks of presents had been wrapped and ready to be handed to the birthday-boy.
The Empath took her leave of the room, and she gently closed the door behind her.
"I'll be right back. I promise." Raven rasped with her forehead bowed at a low angle, while she held the doorknob.
She walked down the white corridor, passing a custodian wearing headphones that had music of a salsa band sifting out from the earpieces. Raven continued on her way, past a few of the patient rooms, where the air in the hallway was much more breathable and refreshing.
The drinking fountain was at the far end of the wide corridor, just beyond the main desk that had a nurse stationed at it. The young Asian woman in her twenties was going through paperwork and organizing files, and she paid the superhero no mind.
As Raven drank from the tap, the sound of the elevator doors parting across the hall, of footsteps approaching her and the sight of silver steel toed boots gradually caught her attention. She looked up, wiping her damp lips with her wrist as the black outlined eye-mask, the cape and spiked hairstyle revealed that her leader had finally decided to check in.
"So, you've finally left your room I see." Raven pulled her hood back. "It's good to see you Robin."
"I went through enough evidence for now, and I needed to see you." He glanced behind her towards the room she had left from. "Is Cyborg here?"
The tired enchantress shook her head slowly from side to side. "No." She interlocked her arms after brushing a single strand of hair away from her face. "I haven't even heard anything from him since he left for the train station, which was hours ago."
"Hmmm." Robin grunted, his lips twitched as he blinked. "I guess we all needed to think through what happened."
Raven's eyes became wide. "After you told us about Falcon . . . can you blame him?"
With the sound of silence as her commander's answer, she turned and began heading back. The Boy Wonder walked alongside her, and the two shadows drew along the floor and walls.
"Robin." The Gray Empath spoke up. "I don't mean to be blunt about certain topics, but . . ."
"Go on."
"Well, after our losses, from how things are going currently we have regrouped, yet there is still a lot we need to do. And I don't see how we can really counter-strike against anything that Slade is plotting."
Robin halted near a gurney. "You know that we can't always depend on the Titans East. They have their own city to protect, their own problems as we have ours."
"We need help." Raven stroked her chin before finishing her sentence. "We are down two members of our team for the duration of this plight. What more can you, Cyborg, or myself hope to accomplish when Slade has gotten more bold? The threat next time as we all know, is going to be much, much worse."
"You think that we can't handle this?"
"Look around you Robin!" Raven's entrancing amethyst eyes sparkled into a furious tint of fiery rage. "You know as well as I do, that we are down to half our numbers! We can't-" Her voice was choked back from depression and conflict. "We can't keep doing this Robin. We need help."
A frown grew upon his face, and he placed a hand onto her left shoulder to bring some comfort. "I contacted an old friend of mine in Gotham, while I was back at The Tower. We talked things over."
Raven quickly looked up to meet his eyes. "Who?"
"Listen, she has a lot on her plate to consider, and it will take time to organize others, but she did agree to help us. To join our ranks, for a while at least."
"Well then, that is a start." Raven breathed in gently to calm the ire back down. "We will need more, however, this is something we can work with."
The brave commander revealed a stern expression. "You are already thinking ahead, and you're right. You've been right since the beginning."
Raven blinked, unable to conjure any remarks.
"We do need to fill in the positions while the others heal." The Boy Wonder glanced to his feet. "I understood that from the moment I got back."
"You did?" Raven smirked. "That's good."
"It will take time of course, but-"
"Others have decided that they are going to help." The Empath rasped while she closed her eyes and breathed in a deep sigh of relief. The panic and gloom over everything was subsiding. "Thank you Robin, I know it isn't easy to go and do this, that asking for help isn't your style, but-"
"Contrary to you and what the others believe, I know when things are getting to a point." The Team's Captain scratched the back of his neck. "I'm not Batman."
"No." Raven reached out to hold his hand. "You're not." Their eyes met. "You're something else entirely."
Robin removed his hand and turned away. "I refused to become what he is, and after all this time . . . I still feel his shadow everywhere I go. It's like a curse, and no matter where I go or what I do, some things are just the way they are."
She felt that his body was growing tense, while his green gloved fists squeezed tightly by his sides. The burden of being in charge, to giving orders and having to deal with the consequences as team leader, it all was a grave weight of responsibility. It was only now that the Dark Bird was beginning to understand, just how much of his own youth was being stripped away faster than the others.
"I want to move forwards Raven, believe me I do. . . but there is a piece of me that is lost. Stuck in a deep black hole."
"Now where have I heard that line from before?" The Empath revealed a boastful grin, after the rhetorical question was spoken. The distance and empty tone was gone, where compassion and strategy had quickly taken form. "We can move forwards Robin." She stepped in his direction, and she rested her hand onto his left shoulder. "Together, we can overcome anything."
"Hope?"
"Pain is temporary." she deadpanned. "The things we do here while we live, the moments we choose for ourselves to bring about even a small difference, that is what truly matters." She made sure to lock her eyes onto his this time, before finishing her statement. "You taught me this valuable lesson."
Robin nodded.
"It is more than a vague idea, something deeper than carrying faith alone in any struggle. It is something from within the human spirit that keeps us proud when everything around us turns to sadness." Raven continued her statement. "It's the faint spark of light through the cold void, from the long tunnel of despair." Raven chimed in. "You most of all, cannot afford to second guess every decision."
The Titan's Captain briefly chuckled. "Ha! easy for you to say."
"I realize things have been difficult, where the road is only going to get harder and more strenuous." The Grey Enchantress's gravelly voice answered. "You are our leader, and I am proud to stand at your side."
"Thanks Raven. That means a lot." The team's leader found himself smirking. "If only Cyborg could see what you do in me."
"You are exhausted from everything." Raven comforted her commander, while she looked outside the window to view the active nightlife. "We all are but remember, the dawn is coming."
"I know what you want me to do, where we have to tackle one problem at a time." Robin inhaled slowly. "It is already his birthday, let us just enjoy this moment."
The Empath opened the door and gradually, the pair of Teen Titans made their entrance into the small room, without speaking another word. Once she shut the door, The sorceress noticed Robin with a stern expression, facing the green skinned changeling.
The Titan's leader was conflicted with so much, where the blank stare from his face and clenched fists by his sides, these tiny details were revealing that it was going to be a very long night. So many things had been pushed to the edge, where it was only when he finally was with his wounded allies, did the fatigue and results of their actions start to sink in.
He approached the bed, his legs felt like noodles and he had to halt. "Beast Boy . . . I don't know if you can hear me." Robin grumbled under his breath for a brief moment. "Can he?"
Raven motioned for them to both to sit in the nearby chairs, and her commander followed her instructions. After a lingering hush had remained, the Grey Enchantress used this bit of silence to her advantage.
"Honestly I don't know." she said at last, as her eyes moved back and forth, from the shapeshifter to her leader. "He's been like this since Starfire and me came in." The super-heroine smiled. "I like to think that he can."
Robin scanned the clustered quarters, everything was tightly packed in and around the long bed. Decorations were sprinkled in all of the various corners and balloons had been stuck to the ceiling. The presents and food was all sealed up in their plastic containers. Everything was ready to go, but one thing still remained.
"You guys really put a lot into all of this." Robin spoke up.
"Like you said, we need a moment to take us away from all of the troubles. Beast Boy needs this."
"Can you honestly remember the last time we had a party?"
Raven's attractive eyes narrowed, as she kept her attention on Beast Boy. "It has been too long, where we never even really got to have a celebration with Fal-" She stopped herself quickly as Robin looked at her. "It has been too long."
"Have you gotten any sleep?" Robin asked quietly.
She shook her head in confirming that she was unable to. "You?"
"I don't think that I can, there has been too much going on, to force me to stay awake." His voice slightly quivered towards the end of this sentence.
"Oh . . ." Raven replied in her typical rasping pitch. "You mean it's because of him."
"It has been for some time now, where Slade has been constantly plotting some big things, and I alone would be forced to dig into what sick games he could unravel."
"He was gone for the longest time." Raven confirmed. "Ever since we came back from Tokyo, things have just become even more demanding. Falcon trying to join our ranks, and all that has happened till now."
"Hmmm." Robin agreed. "Either we catch him and end his destruction once and for all, or he defeats us. It's that simple."
Raven smiled. "We will stop him. This time, he won't get away."
"I do appreciate that sentiment of yours." Robin chuckled. "It never gets any easier, does it?"
"And here I thought, I was the overly dramatic one about these sort of issues."
"I'm pretty sure that Robin is just being himself." A very weak and crackling voice came from the bedside. "Demanding, overbearing, but our fearless team captain all the same."
The Boy Wonder and the Empath were swiftly taken aback by the third person in the conversation, and their eyes became wide, as they both shot out of their seats and raced over to their old friend.
"BEAST BOY!" The two bird named Teen Titans shouted in jubilation at the exact same moment.
"Hey guys." The bandaged hero smiled, yet the joy subsided a little as he coughed while rubbing his left hand through his disheveled hair. "Oh man, I feel like I've been hit by a truck. How long was I out for?"
"It's been about two days." Robin answered, touching his friend's shoulder.
"Awe dang . . . everything feels kinda . . . disorienting." Beast Boy said while he sat up straight.
"Whoa now, slow down there champ." replied Robin as moved the pillow up a little higher. "You've had a busy week."
"Yeah, well, from the looks of things, you guys have had your hands full too." He smirked his usual goofy grin, yet a searing pain coursed up his leg and he winced.
Raven immediately drew closer to him and squeezed his left hand. He tilted his neck, struggling to find a comfortable position.
"Thanks Raven." Beast Boy acknowledged her.
She nodded, unable to say anything while she fought back some tears. She stood while stroking his wrist with her free hand.
This strange and unexpected commotion in the hospital quarters, it now caused the slumbering princess to become startled and for her to rub her eyes.
"Friend Beast Boy is awake!" Starfire cheered while her sadness was lifted by the echoing voices around her. She wheeled herself over to the hospital bed, and she leaned in to hug the green shapeshifter.
"Hi Starfire, I missed you too." The changeling gasped as he was embraced, but she was careful to hold her comrade gently, unlike her typical vice grips of compassion.
While expressing a large smile she said; "It brings so much of the uplifting joy in my spirit, to see you have returned to us."
"Awww guys." Beast Boy chuckled with a bit of a harsh cough lingering in his larynx. "I'm not the only one though, we . . . we did what we had to do. I'm just . . . I'm sorry that I couldn't be of more help when-"
"No." Robin cut-in, and all eyes were directed his way. "There is no blame on your behalf Beast Boy. You need to rest up and heal. That is what I need you to focus on right now."
The changeling nodded his head in agreement, as he looked himself over and found that he would be inoperable for a long time.
"So then, what exactly is the situation since I've been out?" Beast Boy asked.
"What do you remember?" Robin questioned. "What is the last thing that you know of?"
Beast Boy pursed his lips, after closing his eyes the stinging pain of his ribs, his broken bones, the numbness and inability to lift his right shoulder and left leg in their casts all brought quick and jerking flashes of his daring stand inside The Jump City Hydroelectric Dam.
"I remember that . . . that we went to battle Slade, we split up across the city and I went to the dam." The green pointy eared superhero recalled, and he opened his eyes as the black and white moments of him being slammed into the generator, and of the gunshots tearing into his flesh jolted him back to reality. "We suffered, but ultimately we pulled through."
"Not all of us. But, we did what we had to do and that is enough."
The low baritone voice seeping in from the doorway, it caused everybody to turn and look.
"Cyborg!" Starfire hollered.
The Titan's mechanic took a step forwards, he placed a wrapped present onto the table next to the others, and then he interlocked his arms over his chest. After Raven flicked on the light, everybody gathered around the bedside, where the large black teenager patted Starfire on the head, and he simply nodded at Raven.
The Boy Wonder was completely ignored, where this uneasy silence between the once cheerful and boasting group of teenagers, it was a reunion unlike any they had dealt with before.
"It's good to see you again grass stain." Cyborg laughed as a moment of normalcy came into his world, as he leaned over the bed and ruffled with Beast Boy's hair.
Starfire began to talk about her encounter with Jinx, from the Bay Bridge to the fierce pursuit that led all the way into the labyrinth at the Dockyards, and how her left leg was not broken but she had to let it heal.
Raven was observed with her usual unresponsive frown, while she just rolled her eyes as Cyborg cut-in a few times, to describe his battle at the prison against numerous odds. He was explaining it as a fight like no other, and using his hands to describe how his car went airborne off the freeway, to slam upon dozens of Sladebots, as he raced to his sister teammate's location.
The gloom and sour mood of everybody was steadily becoming more comfortable, as the Teen Titans for a time were embracing their lucky fortunes at saving Jump City. While Beast Boy looked at all of his comrade's faces, they were each revealing some form of exhaustion, where the lighting in the room exposed their fatigue over the past week.
A wave of cheer and calmness had been restored, the uplifting mood that everybody was clinging onto, yet for Beast Boy a new emotion was seeping over everything, and then bits of his memory recalled The Geomancer laying in a pool of blood.
"Terra! Wait, w. . . where is she?" The changeling sprang upright as his friends each put a hand to hold him back.
"Easy Beast Boy, take it easy!" Cyborg sputtered in. "You'll tear your stitches out!"
"I need to see her. I need to know that she is safe!"
"Calm yourself friend, you are safe." Starfire chimed in next.
"It's not me that I'm worried about, it's Terra! Where is she?"
Raven looked at the group, as something else began to crumple within her heart. It was a looming dread over various issues, and upon hearing their previous sixth member's name being called out, it was disturbing.
"She is safe Beast Boy." The Grey Enchantress slowly let his fingers slip out from hers. "Terra is in this very hospital and she is healing, just as you are."
"Oh thank god." The changeling felt his heart-rate thumping its fast beat, slowing back down to its normal rhythm. "So then, everybody made it. We stopped Slade?"
All the others revealed mixed emotions during a new uncomfortable silence, and everybody pulled into their own spot of the room.
"Why does something feel off, like you guys still haven't told me everything yet?"
Silence.
"Uh . . . guys?" Beast Boy kept his attention drifting, from one friend to another, where he could only observe his teammates inching further and farther apart. Then it came to him, someone was missing from the room and it made his heart-rate pick up a quicker beat again. "Where is Falcon?"
The steady clicking of the clock above the door echoed in his eardrums, everybody was transfixed upon this awful quiet that lingered still, where Raven began to explain what had happened.
{{ End Of Scene }}
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Reviews From The Previous Chapter:
muddie: "This chapter was overall quite enjoyable, firstly because your grammar is continually improving and secondly because your dialogue this time around was much more interesting to read than the last time. From the humorous one between Cyborg and Raven and the tense one between Blackfire and Slade, all dialogue was brilliantly executed. However, plot isn't moving quickly enough in this chapter. Perhaps the only significant revelation in this story is Wildfire and Blackfire's concern for him since we readers already know about Cyborg's OCD. Hence, the long description of Cyborg's search for clues was quite unnecessary. On a lighter note, I love how you portrayed a little of Blackfire's human side in her concern and love for her brother and I hope to see more of that in following chapters since it makes her an anti-hero of some sort. Call me a sadist but I would like her to experience a real mental struggle in the following chapters as she continues to follow Slade's orders. Perhaps she might even switch sides and double-cross Slade! :D"
~~Your reviews always bring total joy for me to read, as I learn in what I can continue to improve further in. From my writing and story telling ways, and in what I tend to overlook. When those who try yet cannot assist me, I am deeply pleased to hear even a small line of encouragement, from a fan of this story. Your insight is truly a very massive help for me, and a simple thank you shan't suffice your generosity. I had hoped to see Blackfire or Wildfire make an appearance in the show near the conclusion, but since it has ended, (a long, long time ago) I decided to generate a side plot for the disruptive sister on my own. I hope it is to your liking.~~
Linzerj: *twitches* "Must … have … more… Oh Blackfire, the things she'd do to see her brother- even killing her own sister. It really shows a lot. OMG … is the Joker going to come into this too? Gosh, I hope not. Then we'll need the Batman!"
~~There never seemed to be a "human side" in the comics or on the show for Blackfire, the creators always portrayed her as a bad girl but, they hinted at why she traveled down the lonesome road, which she chose for herself. Now with her brother in the plot, I hope it conveys a much deeper side to her and Starfire's conflict..~~
~~T.M.O~~