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 25 is at last ready! Robin, Raven, and Cyborg come up with a bold plan, Starfire enjoys the sunshine, while The Nexus Eight Protocol is unleashed. "One today is worth two tomorrows." -Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)-
Chapter 25 - Horatius On The Bridge
"This is not good." Robin's voice echoed about them. "This is not good at all."
The Titan's Leader was pacing back and forth, back and forth, like a worried student awaiting their exam results. He was unable to sit or remain standing in one place, and he constantly kept walking.
Meanwhile, Cyborg was keeping his attention focused upon analyzing their situation, by exploring the walls of the cavern. As he ran his metallic fingers along the smooth surface, the blue glow from his shoulder flashlight reflected against the barrier.
Robin released a deep sigh before continuing his pacing. "We are running out of time."
The Team Technician rolled his right eye in disdain after hearing his leader, where his left eye that was red and a mechanical device of his robotic body gave off the same emotionless blank stare as it always did.
Raven in the meantime was patiently resting in her lotus position, whenever she would meditate. Her legs were crossed, and she hovered in mid-air. She was collecting her thoughts trying to find her center, to use this opportunity to replenish her depleted powers.
"Robin, will you give it a rest already?" The cloaked goth girl asked as she squinted one eye open in his direction. "You're not making this any easier on yourself, and the relentless pacing is starting to fatigue me."
The confined space within the collapsed tunnel was extremely claustrophobic. These brave Teen Titans were doing well, but the average citizen would in all probability have lost it.
These three had preformed admirably well with their efforts in what they set out to do.
They had stopped the rest of the expensive loot, from within The Gold Depository from being completely cleared out. The Robot Commando's had been defeated, while they had rescued Cyborg from whatever horrible fate that Slade had in store for him.
However, they had fallen into yet another of Slade's crafty traps, and they had come up just shy of catching him again. This game was getting incredibly old, and eventually one side was going to triumph. Who would it be?
The devious Criminal Mastermind had managed to slink into the shadows, evading their dogged pursuit where Robin along with Raven had focused on Cyborg. He utilized their compassion for one of their own against them, and now the three of them were in a pickle.
"I need to find a way to contact Starfire." Robin said with a bit of fatigue being expressed in his tone of voice.
"Dude, we already tried that." Cyborg retorted. "We can't get a signal in or out of this underground passage. We have to be at least hundreds of kilometers below the surface of the streets!"
"We need to do something!" Robin barked. "I don't know if you fully grasp what sort of situation we are in or not, but we need to do something!"
"What do you think I'm trying to do?!"
"There is no way out!"
"At least, not in the traditional sense." Raven deadpanned.
Both of the young men instantly put a halt in their bantering and frustrated scowls at one another. Raven had a point. Slowly they turned to look at the Grey Empath.
"There is." Cyborg replied. "We just haven't found it yet."
The always tinkering gear-head glanced away, and he resumed his task of scanning the walls. Robin clenched his green gloved hands by his sides, where he along with his Second-In-Command, decided to return to what they had been doing since they had leapt inside.
"Slade struck a devastating blow to us." The sorceress rasped over the new quiet that lingered. "So far we have been going about this all backwards, and look at where it has gotten us."
"What are you saying?" asked The Boy Wonder, where he felt a tight knot turning within his abdomen. "There is nothing that we have done this day, that we wouldn't have done any differently."
"True. But perhaps we need to change our tactics. There is a lesson in this, a very important one that we should all take to heart."
Robin approached her, the discomfort within his body was caused by various elements. The fear of death hanging over them was bringing serious concerns. He had not liked how he departed from Starfire, he could not even remember what his last words to her had been.
He was the commander of the team, and to have no words of bold fortitude, to have no way of giving answers was weakness. With all that went on, failure was the only thing he was remembering over the course of these few weeks.
He felt purposeless.
"We failed in or attempts to capture Slade, that's it." The Titan's Captain replied. "But you make it sound so easy, yet you have forgotten your place!"
"Careful of your next words Robin." Cyborg chimed in. "While you may think you have a way to do what you want, care-free without any thought to the rest of us, it amazes me at just how fast, you forget yours!"
Raven reopened both of her amethyst colored eyes, her concentration and focus had become too worn down by the stress that was manifesting from both of her male counterparts.
She slowly lowered herself to the earth, and she stood with her arms interlocked before saying anything.
"Guys, will everyone just calm down." she rebuked. "This isn't it, remember? This is not what we want."
A chilling hush had befallen all sides, and the heroes mused over everything.
"You're right." Robin nodded in agreement. "I'm sorry, I just . . ."
"I know."
Robin sighed prior to finishing his sentence. "It's just been a lot to deal with, and we are all feeling the limits of our abilities, being pushed beyond things."
Cyborg opened his left wrist, reveling his screen and he typed in codes on the small keyboard with his free right hand. "While the stress is through the roof for everybody, we can get out of this."
"We will." Raven assured them both.
The Empath had approached the Titans Leader, and she placed her right hand onto his shoulder to bring him an olive branch. This gesture of kindness and support was strong and deep, it revitalized their pride in themselves again.
"Well talk about awkward timing, but I think I do have something." The gear-head deadpanned as he tinkered with his computer.
"Anything is better than nothing at this point." said Robin.
"Agreed." Raven spoke up. "I would even take a route through a sewer than to suffocate in this place."
Cyborg's brown eyes met with her amethyst pair, and she became suddenly more pale.
"Wait, hang on a second . . ." she raised her hands in defense to retract her statement. "Don't tell me that that's what your plan is?"
The steady dripping of water in the middle of the cavern, caught the attention of each of their ears, and they approached Cyborg.
"There are a vast number of intricate structures, buried below the streets of Jump City." Cyborg spoke up. "And like in any major city, a main sewer line is something that connects various points underground."
"We were heading east-bound to catch up with you." Robin stroked his chin. "From the last point we met, I can only assume we continued heading in this direction."
"The complexity of this tunnel had to have been carved along an already existing structure, to blend in and be undetectable by any monitors that the authorities would be aware of. While you guys may not notice it, there was a very strange scent of ammonia, and other noxious gasses."
"Things that are common in a sewer!" Robin exclaimed as he pounded his right fist into his left palm.
"Exactly." Cyborg tapped on his wrist and his companions gathered around him. "Look here."
Following a few quick strokes upon his built-in keyboard, a rotating three-dimensional image expanded from a projector, and it glowed blue. A thin yellow line marked from the vault deep into the earth, and they all studied the holographic map.
"That's the gold depository." Raven rasped in her familiar monotone.
"Yup, and this is a rough outline I could cobble together from the moment I fell into that pit."
"Interesting." replied Robin. "So that green line next to the bank vault would be-"
"The sewer line." Cyborg nodded his head with a smile forming. "Slade may have tunneled far beneath the depository, yet he did it alongside an already existing structure."
"To conceal his movements, and to have easy access to remove the dirt when his commando's were digging. Very clever." The cloaked sorceress answered.
The Team Captain lightly rubbed the base of his chin. "Nice work Cyborg, but we don't know how far away from the sewer we are."
"We don't even know where we are in that map of yours to begin with?" Raven deadpanned. "Still, it is a good effort on your part."
Cyborg shrugged his shoulders. "Something is better than nothing, and right now it looks like if we can find our location on this . . . then we should be able to punch straight through to the sewer-line, and then be able to go back to the city streets from that point."
The Titan's Mechanic retracted the image, and his shoulder flashlight was the only source of illumination once more.
"Now you see why I am studying the walls we're trapped against." The gear-head said with his boasting attitude having returned. "I'm trying to pinpoint the place that the sewer runs alongside this out-cove we are trapped in."
"Is there anything I might do, to be able to help?" Raven asked as she stood alongside him.
Cyborg pulled away from a section of the wall and he frowned. "If there is a pathway for the sewer, then that would mean there is also a current of water flowing nearby."
Robin nodded his head. "So if we can detect the faint sound of that on the opposite side, then technically speaking we should be able to punch through and form our own way out."
"Once that is sorted, then comes the tricky part."
"What do you mean?" asked Raven.
Robin crossed his arms in front of his chest. "If we are wrong, it could cause this whole place to collapse and we'll be far worse off." He allowed his companions to express their own displeasure in the idea, before completing his statement. "But, by doing nothing, then we will surely die down here."
The Titan's Commander now approached The Grey Empath and the sophisticated repairman, and he placed a hand onto both of their shoulders. The fact remained that he was still their leader, and that even when he had nothing to offer them, he had to motivate them.
"There is still hope." commented Cyborg. "My sensors can faintly detect a bit of movement coming from this section, and its so quick and distorted yet, the rapid vibrations I am picking up mean we are very close."
The two bird-named heroes leaned their bodies against the wall, with their ears pressed alongside the cold dirt and rock. They could hear nothing.
Everything had become silent, and while the three were unable to hear it behind the layers of rock, there was the faintest of swooshing and churning liquid noises, that splashed against the curved tunnel.
"Nice work Cyborg." Robin thanked him. "Very nice work!"
"Ditto." Raven nodded in agreement.
"While I did come up with that, it's still another matter entirely of how we are going to dig through solid earth, without causing the ceiling to fall down on-top of our heads?"
"Leave that to me." The Demoness rasped in her gravelly voice.
It suddenly dawned on The Boy Wonder, that he had asked for her help in this sort of operation a long time ago. When Terra came back into their lives as Starfire with Cyborg and Beast Boy, were chasing after the mechanical giant worms, and the two girls needed to use their powers to dig in order to get to Slade's hidden lair.
"Okay, but be careful." Robin spoke up. "We have to be sure of the exact place to dig."
Cyborg taped his chin. "And once we do manage to break through to the other side, we don't fully know what could be waiting for us."
"Hmmm." the blue cloaked enchantress answered. "Slade was not going to make it easy for us."
"Agreed." Robin sighed. "But then, anything he ever put in front of us never was."
(~)
The Tamaranean Princess was looking out across the uppermost terrace, of the Jump City Central Hospital. The sun was warm and refreshing, it felt good to be able to relax and bathe in the comforting illuminating rays of the Californian sunshine.
Starfire enjoyed the opportunities of human customs. Receiving a good sunbathing, and to experience a bounty of earthly mannerisms was still a bit of a learning curve.
There was still so much for her to explore and to learn, and with every day she could have to herself, she would absorb as much information about the planet that she could.
The emerald eyed alien warrior had been on Earth for a few years now, and the greatest thing she was so honored to have, was a home and her family being The Teen Titans.
Cyborg was a good and noble young man, the older brother she looked to for guidance and the strengths to hone within herself, which came from his loud and upbeat positive attitude. His workout regiment was also a great way to keep healthy.
The adversity he must have had to deal with, ever since his accident was heartbreaking on its own.
She could relate with him on the way a person can look so drastically different on the outside, yet there was always so much more than just appearances. People should be judged by the content of their character, and the lightly orange skinned, green eyed red-headed alien was both extremely kind, welcoming and sweet.
Cyborg was made up of more than robotic parts that had been intertwined with his African American body, he was loyal, upbeat, and charismatic, while he was incredibly smart. She smiled while his grinning face came into her thoughts. He was in a certain regard, the older brother she had never expected to find.
Beast Boy was the youngest of their team, and the exact opposite in many regards to Cyborg. Despite his small stature and pranks, the changeling had grown so much. It was his sixteenth birthday today, where a lot of memories of his antics and foolish gags seemed so long ago.
The green skinned shapeshifter had become the youngest sibling she deeply admired, and she had found a warm connection towards him. Plus, his sense of humor tended to make her day, but Starfire was confounded by the others at times.
The changeling was brave, loyal to a fault, and the classic comedian that enjoyed making everyone else feel happy even at his own expense. Starfire could sense in him, the always expanding glow of life and the pride of being a superhero, which she in turn expressed.
He reminded her of Wildfire, her beloved actual brother from Tamaran.
Raven had an enduring spirit and she was somebody that stood out on her own, where her distant brooding was an element unlike any that the red head had ever come across. The Grey skinned Enchantress who always had her sharp dark blue hood covering her, the concealment helped to hide any emotions except for a rasping monotone.
Starfire expressed all of her emotions, where Raven tended to store them away. The demoness was a voice of reason, of truth and honesty, but she did not like talking about herself, or being the center of attention at all. The quiet book worm brought good insight towards many difficulties, and these admirable qualities guided Starfire in her lowest moments.
Raven was like the sister that Blackfire had never been, and the bond which these two female warriors shared was of a deep connection. Despite their differences of night and day, The Tamaranean Princess found incredible strength in herself, thanks in large part to The Empath for all that she had overcome.
The many adventures that her family had been through came rushing back, and out of everybody it was Robin, the handsome and fearless leader of their team that had created a bond of such momentum and affection that she felt for him and him alone.
It was picked up from the instant they kissed when she had arrived on Earth. There was something truly special about him when he decided to go to her and see what was wrong. The Boy Wonder was more than Starfire's best friend, he was her boyfriend, and the passionate kiss in the downpour following Brushogun's defeat in Tokyo, their lip locking moment sealed the deal that they were an official couple.
It took so incredibly long to reach that very point, for both parties to admit their love for one another and finally they were at the next stage in their relationship.
"Where are you?" Starfire whispered as she thought of Robin.
She looked down to her lap, and she was clutching at her yellow communicator. Her friends were struggling, and it was against more than one issue.
Beast Boy was reunited with Terra, they were celebrating his big day and a part of her wanted to join these two in the blonde's room, but the others of their family were still on patrol. They had not contacted her back since they took off so early in the morning.
That was hours ago, and she was beginning to worry.
As she glanced up across the vastness of steel and concrete, from the great depths of the skyscrapers and out towards the bay, far from the center of the big city, Titan's Tower was noticed upon the remote little island.
The mighty 'T' shaped structure caused her to smile, and the notion of home-sickness swelled within her heart.
The soreness of her left leg had faded considerably, and the nap she had taken felt to have rejuvenated her back to full health. The beige cloth that had been wrapped over her limb, to offer support and comfort, along with the pain medication the nurse had given her, these things had done what they were supposed to do.
The battle with Jinx had scarred her, more with the mental side than the physical. It was a fierce brawl within the Dockyards that left various unanswered questions.
Some things were deduced by Cyborg and Raven, and even the answers she had received by the pink pointed haired hex-girl were something, but a mystery remained. With Kid Flash having appeared on the spot seconds before Cyborg was to unleash the full might of firepower, from the famed sonic cannon at her, the confusion was mingled with a sense of elation.
Starfire was happy that the troubled girl was not harmed.
"Things are not what they seem." Starfire spoke to herself, and she revealed a serious expression of a frown. "My friends need me, and I will be of no use to anybody in this wheeled contraption."
Starfire slowly clutched at the armrest of the wheelchair, and with a firm grip she pushed herself to stand.
It was discomforting, the numbness and tingling sensation from her nerves being pinched, then moving back into place was awkward to find her balance.
She grimaced, her left leg was leaning forwards a bit more than she expected, but after a few stretches the blood began to flow through her joints. She was now out of the seat and she revealed a wide and boasting smile.
Her hands moved to her hips, and The Princess stood in a full upright position. As she elevated her attention back towards the city, the shimmering across the water within the bay brought a sensation of calmness that she soaked in.
*Hey Starfire, are you coming back yet?*
Beast Boy's voice picked up from the communicator. He had received a new one due to his previous device having been destroyed within the dam.
"Oh . . . um but of course." Starfire answered while she looked at his image. "Forgive me friend, I was just enjoying one of your earthly customs that is so popular on a day like this, the sunbathing."
Beast Boy chuckled while nodding his head.
*Right on. Well, Terra and me are having cake, and we will be opening some of my gifts. Since Raven and the others aren't here . . . we were wondering if you might want to hang out with us?*
"I understand." She nodded her head with determination. "I shall be back inside shortly."
Starfire turned off the device, and she lowered it by her side. The shapeshifter was going to be immobilized due to the severity of his many battle wounds, and as she observed her left leg, the quickness at her own healing did bring some comforting truth.
"Beast Boy is special like me. Perhaps he will heal faster than what the doctors have said?"
The puffy white clouds dotted across the sky-scape, forming numerous shapes and interesting designs. It was beautiful gazing up, her home across the bay was safe as were her friends.
Despite not having heard from her boyfriend and the other two, she sensed that whatever issues they were facing they would work together. She took a deep inhaling breath, and she made her way back to the door leaving the wheelchair behind.
With each step taken she limped a little as the weight of her body had to account for the stiffness, of not walking for a few days. It was at this moment, when she took a last glance behind her that a strange shadow appeared in front of the door.
"Hello Starfire. Leaving so soon?"
The Tamaranean Princess became instantly frozen in place. Fear quickly gripped her, as the sound of her heartbeat thumped to very rapid levels within her chest. Her entrancing emerald eyes became wide, her jaw dropped, and she could not believe who was standing before her.
All she could do was gasp one word at the person that was blocking her path. He had fully emerged from the shadows to reveal his true form.
"Slade!"
(~)
"Are you sure the others won't mind?" Terra asked while a large slice of chocolate cake was resting on her plate, and a fork was sticking out from a side.
"It will be fine! Trust me." Beast Boy smirked back at her. "Besides, if it's my birthday I can do whatever I want, and invite whoever I want, right?"
The blonde haired skinny girl cowered a little.
It was rather uncomfortable thinking about the last time she had been with them all, and things did not end so pleasantly. The images of her hurtling boulders and rocks at the T-Car, smashing it to bits as the heroes braced against anything for cover came back.
The flashes of her lifting the earth and using her abilities with the guidance of a crafty evil fiend, who controlled her powers through the suit she wore, all of these pains came rushing back to her. It was like water overflowing from a boiling and bubbling pot on a hot stove.
These memories were sporadic, not everything was there but what she did see was pain, hate, and sadness. She frowned as she remembered the worst of what she had done to them, where the ending of their friendship was an immense loneliness where everybody was turned against her.
Beast Boy shoveled a large forkful of the delicious cake into his mouth. He quickly chuckled while mumbling something that his attractive companion could not understand.
"So then, Starfire is coming back?" Terra asked while holding her plate, and returning her eyes to focus onto him.
"You heard her. She is on her way, she was just getting some sunshine where after being cooped up inside all day, and the struggle of the events this past week alone, yeah she deserves a break."
She watched him take another gigantic bite, and as he chewed she sliced a tiny piece herself using her fork, and she finally had some. It was delicious, and they both drank their beverages of soda.
Terra smirked. "I think you all do."
"True, but being a hero means putting the safety and security of the city, and it's inhabitants on the top of any list." He wiped a bit of frosting from his lips. "Before I didn't really see it that way, but I am beginning to understand the utmost of importance with the job. Everything else comes second."
The Geomancer took another bite. "I get it, no really I do. I just . . ."
"You just . . . ?"
She licked her lips and put her plate down before saying; "It just seems like you are always putting your neck on the line, and well, you're here in this hospital with me. So is Starfire. It's a lot that you sacrifice, and it must get tiresome after awhile."
He suddenly sat upright in the wheelchair as he thought; Falcon said something along that line when I first met him.
"What is it?" she asked, and it brought him back into the room.
The image of the crimson cloaked drifter flashed across his memory. The discussion he had with Raven and Robin of the betrayal, of The Team Leader's plan to get some answers was uncomfortable. Beast Boy sighed quietly, as he felt a pang in his heart.
"Well, that's part of the job I guess, it is about the unexpected things that we have to be willing to accept." Beast Boy expressed a much broader and comforting smile. "Besides, we do what we do because it's more than just our job, there is purpose and pride in knowing that the people of Jump City are safe."
"There is pride in your work. But don't you feel like it's all a bit too much?"
"Listen, Terra I know that things were never really fair for you, and that it has been rocky for a long time." Beast Boy placed his hand onto her shoulder.
She gradually looked at it, and then back down to her cake. "So, you're still the comforting one I see. Why though?"
"Why what?"
"Why . . ." she paused, and after catching her breath she moved her blue eyes to focus onto his green pair. "Is it because there is something else? Something that you and the other Titans have that can bring clarity to this?"
Beast Boy leaned back for a moment. This topic was unexpected, and it perplexed him. He had thought that they were making progress, that the things of the past were finally behind them, but there was still concern in her.
It was understandable, as the way things had ended for her and the Titans, it was on very negative terms. The birthday-boy nodded his head with compassion. Perhaps the only way to move beyond the whole issue, was by comforting each other when they most needed it?
"I guess you could say, that we all relate to being more than just heroes." Beast Boy's lips twitched. "That it's more than us having special powers, or amazing feats that no ordinary person has or can do."
"Then what is it?"
"We all have dealt with tragedy. I mean, Robin was orphaned at a young age, Starfire was a prisoner against her will and forced to flee for her life, and she too lost her family. Then, of course Cyborg went through a whole lot to become the guy we know of today, and he still doesn't like the way people give him strange looks. I mean, I'm green with pointy elf ears for gosh sake, and he has more discomfort than me when he looks at his reflection in the mirror."
She giggled. "I think your ears are cute."
He wiggled them with his eyebrows bobbing up and down. "I know, the ladies dig the ears."
"And Raven?"
His ears suddenly drooped. "Raven, well she had the whole unfortunate element of being hounded by darkness from her . . . um . . . father. She came from a place called Azarath, some other worldly dimension between earth and another plain and yet, she had no place to go back to because she was cast out."
"I see." Terra put the plate with the fragments of chocolate cake down onto a nearby table. "So you are united by your failures, and the grief of your own pasts. Is that it?"
"Sort of, but there is more to it than just that. Always there is." Beast Boy felt his head drop a little to the side. "We may have been through a lot, but if we can use our powers for good and can save lives, then there is a greater purpose from where we have come from, and what we can do."
"Oh." She revealed a smile. "And what about you Beast Boy?"
"Me?"
"Yeah. You went over everybody else but you."
There was a palpable silence that hung in the air between the both of them, and then he answered while looking out the window.
"Well, my family is gone too. Everybody. I had nowhere else to turn, but then the Doom Patrol found me and things started to get better, but it wasn't long before they pretty much cut me loose. Mento told me that I had to set out on my own. So, I came to Jump City and met the others. The rest is well, history from there."
"I didn't mean to upset you if, well I mean I was just curious is all."
"Terra?"
"Yes?"
He looked back up, and their eyes were focused onto one another with deep affection. "You have forgotten something. Something that I know you may not care to dwell over or look back on. It's something we talked about when I spotted you outside of your school."
"Beast Boy, what are you-"
"I'm telling you that it's okay. That you told me then, in the hallway before you went to your geometry class that things change. And I . . . we moved in our separate ways."
She watched as he put his cake down. Everything was so quiet and peaceful, it was just the two of them, alone and they were celebrating his birthday. But it felt like something else was trying to break through the surface.
It seemed like an out-of-body moment for these two old friends. They were embracing the conversation, and yet it almost appeared hazy, like a dream within a dream that they were watching, waiting for what could happen.
Terra's eyes trembled, her hands felt his clasp over hers and the warmth of care he had towards her only continued to overflow.
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked.
"Because we both have grown because of our actions." Beast Boy leaned in after saying this, he was clearly nervous. "And you have had more than your amount of heartache in so little a time."
The blonde darted her ocean blue eyes behind him towards the door. She was curious as to when the others were going to show up? None of them did, and a long time had passed since she had awoken from the medical procedure.
"You were a Teen Titan once, and you were always my friend." He felt her fingers squeeze his free hand.
"But the others, I know they will have questions. They will not be so happy to see me." Terra bowed her head as her bangs obstructed her face, and a single tear traveled down her cheek. "But you . . . still care."
"Of course Terra."
They did not say anything, and her golden blonde hair collapsed in front of her while he leaned even closer and brushed it aside. She sniffled, and his protruding sharp tooth from his mouth had caused her to lightly giggle.
She did not expect him to be leaning in as close as he was. They both blushed and the pain, the conflict and sadness of everything that she had done, all of it had washed away when she looked into his handsome green eyes.
There was history between these two, and the tragedy of his backstory was what she could relate with, and how her family was also lost.
She was living with a foster family, and the time away from them was building a new panic. The two old friends realized that they were a little too close, and they had not broken the hush for an awkward amount of time.
"Do you know of the famous old poem? Of the fabled soldier of Rome being the mighty and brave Horatius?" Terra asked.
"The name doesn't ring a bell. Sorry."
"It's fine. I just thought, well never mind."
"Terra, I know that it's awkward after everything, but I'm having a good time. And if you aren't then I-"
"No Beast Boy, that's not what I . . . I was just trying to offer a balance for the both of us. I like sonnets and poems."
Beast Boy expressed his typical calm demeanor, he picked-up that she wanted to change the subject. "I don't know about Horatius, or much about poems and the like."
She smiled. The continued support from him, the warmth of his banter and the soothing familiarity of his rasping voice, all of this felt so comforting as he was very eager to get her to feel better.
"It has to deal with a very noble and captivating man." Terra replied. "Of standing up against impossible odds, and of the ultimate sacrifice."
"Oh, I do love to hear a good story."
She closed her eyes and inhaled a long deep breath. It was a poem that came from her memory, and something that she had to do a school project on. Why it was coming to her now, and of all times did not matter, but it was helping to take the anxiety off from the situation.
Were his eyes always so intense, and focused? she asked herself. "I do apologize if I'm a bit rusty at it, but here I go." Terra felt her toes curl beneath the blankets as she released a bit of stale oxygen from her lungs.
"LARS Porsena of Clusium, by the Nine Gods he swore
That the great house of Tarquin should suffer wrong no more.
By the Nine Gods he swore it, and named a trysting day,
And bade his messengers ride forth,
East and West and South and North,
To summon his array.
East and West and South and North the messengers ride fast,
And tower and town and cottage have heard the trumpet's blast.
Shame on the false Etruscan who lingers in his home,
When Porsena of Clusium is on the march for Rome!
The horsemen and the footmen are pouring in amain
From many a stately market-place, from many a fruitful plain;
From many a lonely hamlet which, hid by beech and pine
Like an eagle's nest hangs on the crest of purple Apennine . . ."
As she continued to recite the famous old ballad, Beast Boy was stupefied by her beauty and the comfort of just being with her again. They had agreed to go their separate ways after they bumped into each other at the Murakami high school, and yet here they were.
Everything had changed since then, and while he was uncertain of how she ended up at The Jump City Hydroelectric Dam in the first place, to the green shapeshifter it did not matter.
He was just glad that she was okay, and that they were reunited.
Beast Boy did not interrupt her, and the words she recited passed into his ears and they rattled across his brain. The mighty sonnet caused him to reflect of his own sacrifices that he had given, and the conflict within his heart that was building.
The manifestation of The Beast he had met in the astral plain of his mind, this guide had told him about the looming choice he would have to make. It was all so cryptic, and things did not make sense, but slowly it told him then that things would begin to come into focus.
With the still raw truth about his friends wanting to use him against Falcon, that he deeply cared for Raven and yet, she was holding truth back from him. Like Terra, he felt discarded and unsure of where things could go from here?
What did she want to tell me, before she left? he asked in his head.
They had bonded very deeply, due to the mind-link the blue cloaked Empath forged with him, after the very first day they arrived back from Japan. Raven had saved his and Terra's lives, yet it was a low blow that the Empath was also part of such treachery of Robin's plan, and he was gravely dispirited.
Perhaps I had it all wrong? Beast Boy thought to himself, and he revealed a new smile while glancing at Terra.
The blonde giggled a little, and the peace of the new day expanded and blossomed within him. He felt something that he had never experienced before so strongly in his life.
(~)
A section of red brick wall alongside the sewer collapsed and buckled into the flowing choppy water. Two powerful energy beams, a sharp blue and humming one along with a second, a solid black blast of ancient sorcery had sliced right through it.
Now, a very large circular hole was visible through the many layers of concrete, and the three Teen Titans on the opposite side leaned their bodies forwards.
They had found their escape.
"See, no problem. I told you I had things covered." Cyborg boasted with a great smile beaming across his face.
"Good job team." Robin uncrossed his arms, and he started down the passageway that his allies had created. "Let's get moving."
Raven said; "I for one want to be done with this long overdrawn operation, so we can get back to Beast Boy with Starfire, and celebrate his birthday."
The muscular gear-head turned to look over his shoulder, while they crouched low to fit behind their bold commander. The passage was just wide enough for them to follow in a single line, yet it was both dark and the arch forced them to cower very low.
Cyborg smirked before answering."I thought you didn't like parties?"
The Grey Empath turned away, pleased to have her hood concealing her face. "I may not like parties, but we owe it to Beast Boy."
"That we do."
Robin did not pay much attention to his teammates banter, where as soon as he exited the new doorway his friends had excavated, the only pathway from this point on was a sudden drop into the muck and putrid slosh of gross water. The Jump City Sewer had various pathways and a multitude of veering paths, that funneled the current beyond the location they were trapped within.
For the most part, the unsanitary water was going to be recycled, and the various pipes and grates unleashed the waste from the upper levels, converging into this long and massive channel.
"Ewww!" The three teammates groaned in unison.
"I don't know what's worse, the smell from this place, or the fact that our clothing is going to be soaked in this utterly abhorred filth?" the rasping displeasure came from Raven.
"Well, I didn't say it was going to be a yellow brick road of sweet sunshine and daisies, now did I?" Cyborg quipped back.
Robin glanced down both sides of the tunnel, then he turned to partially face his allies. "Alright, let's get this over with."
"Very well."
"But the sewer!?" The Enchantress held a hand to her nose, to cancel out the powerful stink. "Why did it have to be this of all places?"
The Boy Wonder quickly spun around, to stifle the continued outbursts. "We don't have any other option, but the good news is there is bound to be a service pathway for when the maintenance workers come down here. We just have to find it."
As he jumped down, he was waist deep in the unhealthy liquid. He held his arms high above his head, and upon his belt he removed a flashlight, to help guide the others.
"Oh man." Cyborg groaned. "Too bad B-B isn't with us."
"Why?"
"Cause he could transform into some sort of big creature, to allow us a way to travel over this floating river of stench, rather than having to trudge through it waist deep!"
Raven sighed. "I can't believe the things we must go through. Some days are just the pits."
"Quiet!" Robin hissed. "I think I hear something up ahead of our current position."
The trio of superheroes stopped and they waited, where The Empath used her powers and hovered over the water.
The splashing and their movements in the murky colored water had ceased. Cyborg's shoulder light, and Robin's flashlight scanned the area.
They were trying to find clues, anything that could help find the service pathway that could bring them back to the city streets. Slade had escaped from their efforts, but The Teen Titans were not giving up.
Robin's black domino-mask squinted, Cyborg and Raven became rigid and focused all of a sudden. While they stood in total silence, a light rustling noise reverberated down the massive tunnel.
It echoed and then everything became eerily still. A few ripples met them, and they felt like they were being watched.
Cyborg opened his left wrist computer, and he began to type in various calculations and other data. "I can't get a reading on anything."
"But I heard something!"
"We all did." Raven answered with her attention drawn to the darkness ahead of them.
Cyborg shook his head in displeasure. "It might just be something falling into the water, rubble perhaps?"
Robin took one step, and then another ever so quietly and methodically, where he turned around and waved for the others to join him. "That was not debris, it sounded like something else. Something . . . I just don't like this."
While the heroic captain paused and looked back at his allies, the strange shuffling noise picked up again, only it was coming from multiple places at once. This time it was a little more sporadic, and numerous ripples carried outwards with greater force.
"What is that?" queried the blue cloaked Enchantress.
"I don't know." Robin answered.
"Whatever it is . . . my scanners can't get a lock or any biometric reading on it." The team's mechanic said with a frown.
Robin breathed in to calm his nerves. "Come on."
The leader was on point, and he began to wade his body through the water with his flashlight guiding them, while Cyborg's helped to illuminate the curved brick walls with his shoulder light. The gentle electrical hum from his computer, it sliced through the sound of water pouring in from other grates and vents along the walls.
It was a very nasty and grotesque place, and yet it was the only viable path that could bring them back to the surface.
"Cyborg, can you get any readings on where we might be, on what branch of the city sewer line we could currently be in?" asked Robin.
"No, nothing . . . wait, hang on I think I'm getting something!"
The gear-head's deep baritone voice caused them all to stop, and to glance back at him. He was entirely focused on his right wrist, and the blue hue bounced across his face, as various 'ping' like noises vibrated from his computer.
"Uh guys?" Raven spoke.
"We need to keep moving." deadpanned the team's leader.
"I know but we want to be sure in what direction we are going, this canal goes on for miles."
"Guys!" the voice of Raven was heard once more.
"What is it?" The two young men asked in unison.
As they turned, numerous figures appeared! It was an army of Robot Commandos and they had emerged from various tunnels and pathways, across the vast underground network.
"It looks like we have a bit of a problem here." she answered them while slowly floating backwards. "Where the heck did they all come from?"
"It doesn't matter." replied Robin. "It looks like Slade was ready for this."
"Great!" Cyborg quipped. "Does that guy ALWAYS have a contingency plan?"
Raven shook her head in disappointment, while Cyborg formed his arm into the famous sonic cannon, and The Boy Wonder reached for a compartment on his belt, holding his right hand just above his hip.
There was a long pause, and the dozens of sladebots gradually encircled the three heroes from all angles. The water splashed as they moved in for the kill.
"NOW!" Robin shouted, as he used his grapple-gun to launch himself at the target directly in the middle of five others, and he tossed the crimson birdarangs towards those on his left and right.
The heroes went on the immediate attack, where the firepower of the team mechanic shot a long and steady bright beam at a number of opponents, knocking them backwards. The blue blast was immensely powerful, and it damaged some beyond repair, where their inner components zapped and popped after being hit.
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"
Raven chanted her phrase, and using the powers of sorcery, she unleashed black energy shards at many foes behind Robin, causing them to collapse after slamming them into each other.
"Thanks for that!" Robin said, while blocking a punch coming across his chin, and spinning his leg to sweep another drone off its feet.
For every combatant that leapt in to attack one of the Titans, to have been bested and worn down, another would quickly take its place. The intense struggle continued, and with the dim lights along the sides of the sewer, it offered something for them all to see.
They continued the brawl, smashing and breaking down the vast army of Robot Commando's and yet, a vast quantity continued to pour in around them. The enemy was forcing them to travel backwards towards a side tunnel, where The Titans were excited to be out from the collapsed ruins from beneath the vault, but they were being worn down in their efforts.
Robin observed this situation and his detective skills quickly went to work. "There is a pathway to the side, quick!"
"Thank God!" Raven chimed in.
"Lead the way!" Cyborg cheered them on while grappling with a sladebot.
The Boy Wonder darted across the water, up a small side ladder and Raven hovered to him next, where Cyborg was the last to reach them.
"Dang, these guys just don't know when to quit." Cyborg spoke, while delivering uppercuts with his fist to an enemy combatant, causing the droid to trip over the railing and crash into the water.
SPLASH!
"Booyah!" Cyborg cheered while pumping his fist in the air.
A different Robot Commando leapt up, followed by another, and then another.
"They just keep on coming!"
"We need to find our way out of here!" rasped Raven.
Cyborg looked perplexed. "You mean, we aren't going to finish them off?"
"There are too many for us down here, we need to get to the high-ground. This way!" Robin exclaimed after throwing down a smoke grenade.
The thick fog expanded and filled the area about them, and it concealed him and his allies from the near endless army of Robot Commandos. They quickly darted down the walkway, as a few blasts from the enemy laser pistols singed the brick and concrete.
"That was too close." Cyborg said with a light chuckle.
Around the bend they ran, their pace quickened as they bashed and smashed down any unwise Robot Commandos that leapt to the front of them. Before long, they had come across an underground bridge, and they sprinted to the choke-point as fast as their legs could carry them.
"Look, a ladder to the surface!" Raven exclaimed.
"We're going to make it!" said Cyborg excited with surviving the nightmare he led them into.
A pair of red sensors for eyes focused onto the three heroes darting across the narrow bridge, where the camouflaged entity revealed itself from the wall it was leaning against. This white creature stepped forwards and blocked them from any sudden movements. It was extremely large, and the muscular form was imposing to behold.
"Well this is just perfect." Raven deadpanned.
"No!" Cyborg gasped.
Robin was in front of his two friends, where behind them the pursuing army closed the distance, and they were being hemmed into the very middle of the bridge.
The White Monster had last appeared under mysterious circumstances, emerging from a construction site and it attacked Starfire, when the Teen Titans had returned home from the final battle against The Brotherhood Of Evil.
It was the very creature that could adapt its body with whatever it touched in the environment. The objects it could touch was its greatest weapon and camouflage. The last time they had battled it, it took the entire team to corner it, where it was led into a quarry and the brave heroes had buried it beneath an avalanche of boulders.
"I thought we defeated that thing!?" Cyborg moaned.
"Apparently not." Raven said as her cloak fluttered about her. "With Beast Boy's help we were able to keep it contained, and Starfire caused the debris to trap it in the quarry."
"Yeah, well now we don't have either of them to help us!"
The domino-mask that concealed Robin's eyes squinted, where the White Monster's inhuman crimson sensors did the same. It extended its arms and began to approach the three targets. Its fingers sharpened into claws, and it was drawing closer.
"I don't remember it having the ability do that before!" Cyborg said in a frantic tone.
"So it learned a new trick." chimed in Robin. "We can take it."
From the opposite end of the bridge, dozens of Robot Commandos had finally started to inch their way forwards. The trio of Teen Titans were fully aware of the unfortunate situation, and they were filled with absolute frustration and anger.
Cyborg squeezed his fists before speaking. "They got us on both sides! Now what?"
"What are we going to do?" asked Raven.
"We fight." Robin assured them.
They raised their arms into defensive stances, preparing themselves for more hand-to-hand combat.
Raven hovered in mid air while her eyes burned their entrancing white glow, as her cloak fluttered about her like the long curtains in her room.
Cyborg had reformed his right arm back into the impressive Sonic Cannon again, and he took aim as it powered up. He pressed his back to his commander, looking directly at the great odds stacked against him and his teammates.
Robin unfolded his spare bo-staff, where his original weapon had been destroyed in the giant magnetic ring that held the tin-man against his will. Luckily he carried a second that was attached to his gold colored utility belt. Upon spinning it like a martial arts master, he held it directly in front of him before chanting his famous slogan.
"Titans, Go!"
{{End Of Scene}}
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Reviews From The Previous Chapter:
There were none. So, that will end things here.
Author's Note:
How was the ending to this chapter? A pretty decent drop-off I hope, where I wanted to incorporate the shapeshifting monster from the episode: 'Things Change' for some time. In other news, today I celebrate another birthday! Whoop-Whoop! I am nothing but a mere blimp of a dot, a tiny spec smaller than an ant on the grander aspects of the vast reaches across the cosmos of the universe. (Try saying that three times fast.) What better way to commemorate the monumental occasion, than to have posted another chapter for us the fans of The Teen Titans!
I hope that you guys are enjoying this story, and that things are going well for you all. Writing takes a lot of work, where through the countless hours and sleepless nights at this deeply challenging process, I am having fun. I keep a steady pattern to upload a chapter once a month, and I strive to continue this telling, where I do like getting feedback from the readers. Is it really that difficult to write a review for a writer, or am I going to have to do something rather drastic to a main character? (Please, don't tempt me.) Alright, you guys asked for it. Don't say that I didn't warn you. Let's see if this story can gain a massive following, where the only way it grows is through the continued support from you faithful fans.
But seriously though, wow. Not a single review on the last chapter?
~~T.M.O~~