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 28 is in! Tribulations deepen yet the strength in friendship still holds the strongest commitment. The changeling and Geomancer settle in, things below Jump City become a problem, as the cavalry refills the ranks. "One step at a time"-unknown-
Chapter 28 - Swift Incursions
"I-I'm sorry. I apologize. I don't know what came over me?"
"What?" the changeling sputtered. "No, Terra it-it's not that. Really."
"I feel so stupid!"
He smirked, trying to ease her back into a cheerful state of mind. "It was the ears." he caused them to twitch. "The ladies always dig the ears."
The blonde suddenly became very silent and she looked down at the floor. This caused him to reflect on his own actions, and how the conversation transitioned once again.
It was a lot of stop and go, and any progress in building into a fresh start felt to have become shattered, by their passionate kiss. All he could do was reveal his fang-tooth smile.
She did not show any emotion, and she did not say a single word.
Beast Boy and Terra had finally found themselves in a loving embrace, they did not want to part and the wondrous moment was a great reward for them both to be feeling.
They had been dealing with so much conflict, there was so much aguish, guilt and pain that was compounding everything else into a fog of mystery. The inner turmoil was bringing them both into very depressed moods.
Now they had an opportunity for just the two of them, and it did not matter anymore. Terra made the first move, and Beast Boy accepted this invitation.
While the two held onto one another, a strange sensation tickled the back of the changeling's pointy-ears, similar to a sixth-sense where the shapeshifter felt his animal instincts picking-up something. It was telling him, that somebody close-by was in distress.
He paid little attention to it when they were kissing, even when the hanging lights appeared to sway a little.
He re-opened his eyes, noticing the blonde was primarily focused on the view outside her window. He could not get it out of his system, and he felt worried.
What did I do? I mean, I didn't do anything wrong by kissing her back. Did I?
"It's not you." Terra finally spoke. "I . . . I just felt something that I couldn't explain. That I can't explain."
"Terra, no it's more than that." he sighed. "I think I get it."
"You do?"
"Yeah. Well, sort of but I think you were just caught up in the moment of things. That's all."
"Right." she replied with a pinch of melancholy in her tone. "I . . . er. Never mind."
"What is it?"
The skinny girl bit her lower lip, she felt so awkward for having kissed the green hero. Something within her had longed to do something drastic, to make a point of thanking him and with all of her emotions rushing to the surface; it could not be helped.
"I guess I just . . ." Terra could not find any more words.
He reached out and held her hand, where he began to stroke the back of her palm. "Listen, it's okay. You don't have to explain anything and I get it. There was a lot going on and, and you were lost in how to make sense of it."
The ceiling lights began to shake a little more, and Beast Boy was distracted.
"Beast Boy?" she asked.
"Yeah?"
"What was that?"
"Oh uh, I'm not too sure. I mean, this is the west coast, we live in California so tremors and earthquakes tend to be a common occurrence around here."
"You don't think . . . ?" Terra pointed to herself.
"That you had something to do with that?" Beast Boy shook his head in disagreement. "Well, you didn't fully remember things when we met up at your school that day, and you were trying to move forwards and keep away from the stuff of your past. You seemed to have lost those powers."
She revealed a stern scowl at her reflection in the glass, as the history of what had occurred replayed in her mind. It was like the pain a person feels when opening a scab.
She saw herself, hurling borders and rocks into The T-Car, causing the Titans to dive into the street. Flashes of her previous teammates battling the mud monsters that arose from the ripped pavement, and of the images of them trying to reach her; all of these things raced across her brain.
Terra was horrified by what she had done, and she shivered as she rubbed her left arm.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Hmmm." she replied.
"It was different though." the changeling looked around the room, and the animal instinct gnawed at his insides telling him that this disturbance on the roof was indeed something.
The teenage girl breathed in a sigh of relief, as she did not fully expect him to be so understanding. If she could use her abilities, she still had no recollection of how she could even tap into that power she previously had.
"Different in what way?" Terra asked him and the new topic took her far away from the kiss.
Beast Boy stroked the bottom of his chin. "I haven't told anybody about this, and in fact none of the other Titans even fully know about it. I kind of keep it to myself."
Terra's eyes lit up. "What is it? Wait, no . . . you have every right to keep that to yourself, as I have no right to pry."
The changeling smiled. "It's alright. I wouldn't mind explaining things to you, where I am a little torn on what I should do? Heck, part of me is against it."
"And the other part?"
The captivating glint in his green eyes brought a pang to her heart.
Beast Boy rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, the other half feels that now is the perfect time to explain this. At least . . . to somebody who cares and you do care."
"Beast Boy-"
"It's alright, and some things deserve to be shared." he closed his eyes for a brief instant to collect his thoughts. "You know how I can change into any animal, just by thinking about whatever I want?"
"Yeah."
"Well, every animal has a special ability. Like you know how a flock of geese fly away from a place because they know a storm is coming? Or how a deer or a wild horse races across a field, way before a wild fire is approaching?"
The previous sixth Teen Titan became stumped while combing over his words. "Oh, is it like a heightened sense of awareness, that sort of thing?"
"Exactly!" his smirk had expanded from ear tip to pointy ear tip. "See, the thing about me that even my teammates still haven't figured out, is that that . . . heightened sense of awareness of my environment, the animal abilities I possess is able to pick up all sorts of distress and trouble that is approaching, before something really bad happens."
His eyes now drifted to the door and away from her. She felt something deep within herself slowly building, rising to the surface like a small bubble was going to burst.
"I see." Terra nodded. "Wait, that reminds me of . . . SHOOT! Oh shoot, they must be worried sick about me!"
"Who?"
"My guardians! I haven't talked to them in . . . well how long have I been in this place and asleep for?"
"Oh, about the same as me I reckon. A few days at least."
"A FEW DAYS?" She collapsed back into the pillows. Her hand crashed to her forehead.
"Terra, what's wrong?"
"This is bad! They must be in panic mode right about now. The last thing I remember was giving them a hard time, heading to school and then . . ."
She stared intently into the wall, it was like she was trying to retrace her steps from the previous days, and something was blocking any further investigating. The painful nightmares and horrors of the past were flooding across her thinking, but the previous week was a complete and empty slate.
Then her expression of confusion quickly formed into terror, as sweat began to trickle down her forehead. "No, no, no! This is bad. I-I need to get in touch with them!"
"Easy Terra, calm down. I'm sure everything is alright."
"No it's not. See when I awoke from that cavern deep under the city and I found myself without anyplace to go, I had no home or recollection of much of anything. I ended up wandering and staggering from place to place for days."
"Terra . . . I-I had no idea. I . . . I'm sorry."
A tear traveled down her face, behind her fingers that was obstructing anything he could view.
She sniffled as the unfortunate topic brought out another of many sad memories. "Well, I ended up sleeping in a park somewhere, on a bench and that's when the authorities found me. They gave me a hot meal and brought me to an orphanage."
"Hold on, you mean . . . why didn't you just come back to The Tower?"
"I couldn't!" she gasped. "Not at that particular time anyway. Not after the things that happened . . . the things I had done."
He frowned. "I see. So then, what happened next?"
She pulled her hand away from her face, the moisture and dampness on her cheeks was still wet. Some of her hair was acting as a veil and only her left eye was visible.
"Beast Boy, please can you get me a phone or something? I need to contact my foster parents and let them know where I am, and that I am alright."
The green shapeshifter was stupefied. He had hoped something of a more concrete foundation could be built between them, she kissed him and for her to suddenly remember her guardians now, it was a little suspicious.
Could this be . . . no. She would never, not after everything she had already been through. Slade wounded her too deeply for her to even consider crawling back to that monster - I- I just don't want to believe it.
He reached over with is free hand, and he brushed a strand of her golden smooth hair away from her face before speaking. "Sure Terra, hang on. I'll go get a nurse or see if I can get a phone or something."
"Thank you." she revealed a tiny grin of gratitude.
"It's no sweat. I'll help to get you in touch with them. Alright?"
He turned and rolled himself towards the exit. His right shoulder was in the bulky cast, as his left leg was propped up and in white bandages from his knee downwards.
As he was about to grab hold of the door-handle the hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention. The ceiling lights shook again only to suddenly stop, and he took a breath.
Before he could open it, the door swung open and an attractive teenager of seventeen years, was standing before him.
"Excuse me, a-are you Beast Boy?" A strange and gentle feminine voice was heard, causing the Titan to raise his head and look up.
She was of the exact same tall height as Starfire, with a very slender frame yet her appearance mirrored that of Raven. Her skin color was ashen grey, she wore a long hooded white robe that covered a black leotard. Her hair was silver, as her eyes were solid white tint like The Empath's, when she embraced her demonic powers.
"Um yeah, that's me. Who wants to know?" Beast Boy asked while he carefully studied her.
He may have been in a wheelchair, but he recoiled and his body language revealed that he could still put up a fight.
"Beast Boy, who is it?" The blonde in the hospital bed asked while glancing to the door.
The taller girl leaned her head around the corner while saying, "Forgive my intrusion, my name is Delphi. I'm with The Titans Squadron. I've been sent on a mission to come and escort you both to safety."
"The who?" Beast Boy questioned with his eyebrows raised.
"Yeah, we're a group of heroes that formed not that long ago. My friends and I were called here to Jump City. We were asked to come, by your leader."
"So he did call in back-up." The green hero shook his head. "Why that sneaky, spiker-haired, over zealous and demanding-"
The overhanging lights shook violently this time, causing a bit more of the dust to cascade down from the ceiling. This caused everybody in the room to pause, and to look up.
"Like I said." Delphi resumed the conversation. "I was ordered to come here, this location has been compromised and its not safe."
"Compromised? Wait, I don't understand. What's going on?" Terra sputtered from her spot.
"I don't have time to explain this here." The white robed seventeen-year-old stepped inside. "We need to get moving."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Now just hang on a second." Beast Boy raised his left hand into the air. "I am not going anywhere until I receive some answers."
Delphi interlocked her arms across her breasts. "Look, the longer we delay here, the more dangerous this unstable situation becomes. I was ordered to get you out of here, and to head back to Titans Tower."
"I don't think I'll be going anywhere anytime soon." Beast Boy deadpanned.
"What about my foster parents?" asked Terra.
"You can contact them once we are back inside the safety of Titans Tower, and far away from here."
I can't go back there. The Geomancer trembled while she thought. Not after everything . . . not yet.
Beast Boy blinked with his head bowed down. "It's alright. Terra, this is not such a bad idea, and I'm getting a very serious vibe that I hadn't from staying here."
"You don't understand." The Geomancer scoffed. "I need to contact-"
There was a muffled but still loud explosion that shook the glass a bit more violently than before. Something big was happening on the rooftop of Jump City Central, and it quickly caused these three to become mute.
Terra breathed in. "I can't go with you."
"What?" he rasped. "Terra, it will be fine. We're all going together."
"I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't think I'll be getting out of this bed anytime soon."
He leaned back in his seat, and his eyes scanned the entire room where he located a wheelchair tucked along the bathroom door. He snapped his fingers as the very idea that gave him some mobility, it came to him once more.
"We're going to get out of here, and you can use that wheelchair!"
"Great. Its settled then." said Delphi.
Great. Terra mocked her with disdain.
"Now that we have that sorted through, we can-" Beast Boy stopped in the middle of his sentence, as a new problem emerged. "Dang-it! Starfire is up on the roof!"
"Easy there tiger." Delphi hurried back in front of his path. "What good do you think you could be up there anyway?"
"But I-"
"It's alright." The white robed teenager cut-in. "I was sent here to get you out. My friend is up on the roof with your teammate, as we speak. She's the best sword fighter I have ever seen."
"Well then, that's something to ease the stress a little I suppose." Beast Boy chuckled. "Alright so if Star is being helped, then that leaves only us."
Delphi clasped her left elbow with her right hand. "Good thing too, because you have no idea as to how many rooms I had to check before I found yours."
"Hold on. If we are not going through the front door, and we heading back to Titans Tower, then do tell me . . . how are we supposed to get there, from all the way here?"
The strange girl smirked and she raised her right wrist, tapping on a golden bracelet that she was wearing.
"What's that?"
Delphi nodded towards the window. "You'll see."
The sound of a powerful jet engine steadily became much more intense, and the large sturdy window began to rattle. Something was clearly outside and it was being controlled by her thin golden bracelet.
A very advanced and futuristic cloaking device was bending the light around the hovering ship, making it appear invisible to the naked eye!
Beast Boy and Terra turned with slack-jawed expressions, while the airship suddenly became visible. It was like watching a magic trick for the very first time as a little kid, and the showmanship from the Titans Squadron member towards these two, it was very impressive.
The craft was of a similar design to The T-Ship yet it looked brand new and it did not have any scuff marks, dings or dents from the countless far away adventures like the Teen Titans prized aircraft had earned.
This ship was painted solid black, with three distinctive red stripes running along the middle and center of surface.
"Whoa!" gasped Beast Boy. "You came to get us in that? That is so cool!Cyborg is going to be super jealous."
Delphi approached the window and she slid it open, allowing a sudden gust of air to whip around the hospital room. The engine whistling was tuned down, by her control using the bracelet.
"What is that?" Terra asked.
"The Squadron's Mobile Deployment Vehicle, or M.D.A.R.V. While my team and I haven't been around for very long, we understood early on, and so we took it upon ourselves to have a means to get from place to place quickly. Without being detected."
"M-DARV?"
The white robed teenager smirked. "Our ship name stands for; Mobile. Deployment. Aerial. Reconnaissance. Vehicle. We just call it the M-D.A.R.V for short."
"You mean, we get to ride in that thing? Sweet! Cyborg is going to be so jealous that he missed out on this." Beast Boy thrust his free arm in a proud manner. "Can I drive?"
Delphi rolled her eyes before responding.
"I think we've spent enough time gawking over it. You and your friends can take it for a spin once we've reached your base. I'm just the pilot." The tall girl nodded for the changeling to follow, and then she turned her attention to the blonde, still flustered with her choices. "Terra, you can contact anybody you want once we get to the most secure location in this city."
"I-" Terra answered only to be cut-off.
"Don't worry. The others will understand." Beast Boy interjected for her.
"Will they?"
"It will be fine." Beast Boy reassured her, while he unfolded the wheelchair and he brought it alongside the bed. "Next stop, Titans Tower."
With no alternative left, and having no strength in wanting to argue against this, the previous sixth Titan released a crestfallen sigh and she nodded. She felt herself being lifted by the two other teenagers out of the bed, and she was gently placed in the chair that the shapeshifter had retrieved.
(~)
"There. Just one more and I think that should do it."
The Boy Wonder said, after turning a large blue wheel within the control room.
A strange and loud metal clanking sound, of something heavy clamping down swiftly bounced across the long dark cavern. It was of various gates having slammed closed.
The echo thudded throughout the vast underground network, of countless tunnels and waterways. It was shockingly unsettling and Raven felt like a prisoner. The various devices to manually direct the flow of sewer-water towards a single path was being manipulated, by the Titans Captain.
"Um Robin, was it supposed to sound like that?" The Grey Sorceress asked while she stood near the exit, with her hood pulled over her head. "Robin?"
"I'm going by the diagram on the wall here, but, it seemed like the best idea I could come up with."
Back on the bridge, anything seemed better than battling that thing. Raven rasped in her mind.
A splashing of feet was heard rushing through water, and the sight of numerous outlines was inching closer to the control room. This gradually caught these two Titans attention.
The team leader moved closer to yet another long lever, it had a red handle and he continued to scan the images along the walls. He tended to do things with actions, things that were meticulous and planned very far in advance, but he was not entirely against improvising a way around any tricky situation either.
He was pointing at the diagram, trying to understand what mechanism controlled certain gates. So far, the plan seemed to be working. It was a 'gut-feeling', and the strange ruckus happening around them was evidence enough.
"Well whatever you're doing, you better hurry up." Raven deadpanned, as she slowly backed away from the control room's opening.
"I almost got it."
Something is headed our way. "I've got a bad feeling about this."
"Yeah. Me too." Robin grunted while struggling to move the lever, it did not want to dislodge. The rusted object was stuck, yet the brave commander put his entire weight into the process.
"Robin!" The sorceress pleaded. "We need to go. Now!"
"I almost got it!"
The sound of numerous gates being slammed once more, this noise quickly cut-into their conversation again, and a strange 'whooshing' was generated from some sort of tremendous force of nature, directly on the other side of the room they were in.
"We are out of time!" rasped Raven in an authoritative tone.
"There! That should be the last one." he replied with a boastful grin, while wiping away the sweat that clung to his forehead.
The team's leader had managed to move the thought-to-be impossible lever, he had pulled it into the downwards position. This controlled a very different and far heavier object, somewhere down the tunnel they had raced through, where now it had slammed closed.
"That didn't sound like one of the other gates." Raven quipped. "What was it?"
"Come on." said Robin. "We're getting out of here."
"Yeah, about that. There's only one problem."
"What's that?" Robin asked while slowly turning.
"Them!"
The only way in or out of the tiny room had now become blocked off. Countless Robot Commandos, the silent drones of various makes and models were standing shoulder to shoulder; they were not going to let them leave without a final struggle.
From the extremely large and bulky ones, to the more common and similar copies that tended to battle the gang of superheroes, the control room was quickly becoming more claustrophobic.
The pair of Titans were finally trapped, and they had nowhere left to run. Their backs were to the wall. However, when any creature be it man or beast is left with nowhere left to retreat or give ground, all that remains is to fight or perish.
The first half of the mission had been a success, albeit it was a distraction to split up and to utilize their environment against The White Monster. Now, in order to make it back to their friend on the long narrow bridge, they would have to force a break-through here, in the formidable and relentless opponents.
"Didn't we just leave this party?" Robin quipped.
"Apparently, they didn't get the message."
Robin leapt over the side railing, and he stood alongside his only teammate that traveled with him, deep inside this dark and eerie place. They were each standing on a concrete slab, where cracks and a discoloration effect from decades of wear, were easily visible.
Behind them the numerous gears, levers, and wheels protruded out from the wall, where the gauges began to give read-outs of a strain in the system, of pipes and pathways diverting the flow of all water and sewage, down their spillway.
Gas hissed loudly, the vents released steam to take pressure away from the sewer, as every single path and holding-tank for the entire city's waste, was all being funneled into one major direction. There was a very large build-up of pressure being sent down this very path! Everybody stopped to take notice to the sudden vibration rocking the control room.
Robin's domino mask squinted while he thought; It was almost too easy.
One by one the robot commandos charged towards the pair of heroes. They were totally oblivious to the looming danger of being swept asunder by the water that was racing towards them.
Robin took out his bo-staff, and he twirled it at the rushing attackers. He shouted as he fended away their brave attempts.
Show-off. Raven joked in her head, and she raised her right hand. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"
The blue cloaked sorceress utilized anything she could, within the now extremely cramped room. Things such as the lights that were attached to the ceiling, and the mechanisms that Robin had been utilizing were torn away.
Using the energy of her spirit, she encased objects into a black shadow-like field, and she tossed these and the control panel levers, cogs and geared objects at the numerous faceless challengers.
Robin bashed one enemy down after another, where those that were hit had parts of their masks shattered. The inner circuitry became exposed revealing the lifeless beings that they were, and the superhero duo did not hold back any restraint. They were not fighting living beings, these were drones that had been sent to carry out the task of their wicked master.
What would be a shock to anybody who did not know or fight these mercenaries, to Robin; he and his comrades had dealt with these robots before. Still more crept around him as those he defeated, rose back to their feet, and they continued the onslaught.
Robin was quick and his cape like the long blue cloak of his ally shielded these two from incoming punches and kicks.
The bird-named Titans were panting heavily, as they got yet another harsh work-out from the brawl. Steam continued to hiss and rise around them, and even some crimson lights began to flash red in the darkness.
They had to find a way out, and the longer they stayed locked in fisticuffs with Slade's army, their next phase of their plan was steadily inching closer to failure.
Raven grunted after being pushed back. "We need to get out of here!"
"Agreed."
The Boy Wonder paused as everything seemed to slow down around him. His heart was beating at a very alarming rate, and he reached down into his famous utility belt for projectiles and other crafty tools to make short work of the hectic skirmish.
He gasped, he was almost cleaned out of the famous birdarangs, the concussion grenades were all but spent, along with the caltrops. He had a few explosive disks left, the flash freezing ones were entirely depleted, and his grapple gun had just enough use for one more swift action.
Raven was backed into a tight corner herself, dozens of sladebots had swarmed around her from every conceivable angle, and they were going to pounce on-top of her.
It happened faster than he predicted, she had been clonked on the back of her head and she went down.
"Raven!"
The Empath's white eyes burned with fury, as she glared with absolute hatred in her current predicament for going down on one knee. For every ounce of mysterious sorcery that she tapped into, it wore her down, and this made her movements a little slower when confronted with a new attack.
The Titans had not gained any rest, and the stench of dirty water clung to their noses and clothing. It was desperate, and they both wanted a hot bath.
"Robin!" she pleaded as she was struck again, this time in her stomach by a heavy metallic fist.
The Boy Wonder snapped back to attention. After a quick calculation of scenarios, Robin placed his collapsable bo-staff away, he tossed down his remaining four smoke grenades, and the room quickly filled into a heavy plume of white!
Raven coughed after inhaling a mighty dose, and the fast acting leader reached into his belt, shot his grapple-gun over the heads of the largest of droids blocking the exit, and he pulled the trigger. Swooping low with his free hand, he grabbed Raven by her waist, he hoisted her to him and they zip lined out of the entrapment!
They splashed down out of the room, they were now in the tunnel that they originally were running through.
Raven was the first to get back to her feet, and Robin smirked as he had managed to do something he had tried so very hard these past few days, yet was unable to. He had rescued one of his teammates.
A freight-train like noise, rumbled and churned much more loudly than the first they heard it. The echo was no longer muffled behind walls. The flashing strobe-like hue of red, from emergency lights blasted across their path.
It felt like something out of a nightmare, and the race to get back to the city streets was hounding them.
"I'm alright." she pushed him away, and then she nodded for him to keep going.
"You can thank me once we've gotten back to Cyborg."
"Well now, someone sure has a big ego." Raven grinned.
"Save it for later. Let's move."
"You don't have to tell me twice." she finished brushing the dust that clung to her cloak off. "Thank Azar!"
After they shared a comforting moment of respect, these two started to jog down the tunnel.
They had been given a small reprieve in their mission, and they were just trying to get back to Cyborg. With her commander's fast thinking, they had slipped through the waves of sladebots.
However, her powers were drained beyond their normal limit, and she needed to meditate to replenish her stamina. He had used the last of his gadgets, and only his bo-staff remained in its compartment on his belt. Their steady trot quickly transitioned into a fast sprint, and it wore them both down considerably, yet they still pressed on.
She struggled in trying to keep up with him, and he would occasionally glance over his shoulder to check on her.
"Come-on!" he gestured with his right arm held out. "I may have used up the last of my smoke grenades, but it should buy us some time."
She lightly moaned in aggravation. Her body was sore all over, she stunk as the filth clung to her clothes, and she badly needed to sit as a cramp shot through her left side.
I've going take a nice and relaxing shower when we get back to The Tower. Raven mused. Then, I think I'm going to have a nice cup of herbal tea, to soothe this splitting headache.
All along the walls, the various metal grates and pipes that had been shut when they first came here, all of them were now opened and a filthy green colored liquid was pouring down onto the floor.
This waste was filing the middle of the causeway, and the enduring heroes trudged through the muck as it slowly rose up from their ankles.
"Come on!"
"Right." she nodded acknowledging him.
"Well, it looks like the plan worked. I hope Cyborg is doing alright."
"We aren't even out of one problem, and now we are falling into a new one."
"What do you mean?"
"Look!" Raven pointed back to the control room.
Behind them, the army of sladebots began to pour out of the smoke filled room in droves, and they started scanning the main path for their escaped targets. The flashing red from the emergency lights gave the atmosphere an even more terrifying appeal.
"This is bad." Robin remarked. "I used up all of my gadgets in trying to get us out of that pickle."
"I am running on fumes here. Where this cramp is killing me, and it won't help my concentration any." she panted as they continued onwards with their journey. "I think I can generate enough power to fend off against one single attack, nothing more."
"Save your strength, I cannot afford you passing out down here. We can make it. We are going to make it."
Raven halted in her tracks as her teammate had his head turned over his shoulder. "It looks like we won't be going that way."
"Dammit!" he harrumphed while skidding to a halt.
A massive steel door was blocking the path. There was no way around it, and behind them was the relentless enemy.
It must have been shut when I diverted the flow of water, down the main path. It must be trying to keep the water from spilling into any side tunnels. Robin thought while he stood next to his teammate.
"What are we going to do now?" questioned Raven.
"We can't stay here, and we can't go forwards. The way back to the control room leads us into a fight we both know we cannot possibly outlast."
"Not to mention, the water level is rising at an alarming rate."
Blaster fire quickly careened towards them and they leapt out of harms way, behind a few old columns.
"I think that's the least of our problems though." she finished her statement.
"I didn't think they would find us that fast!" Robin barked in aggravation, while slamming his right gloved fist into his left palm.
"Does it matter that they did? I thought the rising sewer water was what would get us, but this . . . this is s-o-o-o much better."
To the curved wall along Robin's left, a smaller side tunnel was opened and it was the only viable option. They both turned and noticed this, yet something was causing a mystifying fear to build within them.
One of them was going to have to stay behind, to allow the other an opportunity to escape. It twisted their stomachs into knots, where the absolute frustration that they had reached a breaking point made them both become totally silent.
So much had been sacrificed, the entire team was bogged down. There had already been far too many scars for any one person to bear. How much more of this could the Teen Titans handle?
Falcon was out of the picture, Beast Boy was inoperable for an unknown amount of time, Starfire had been injured and required a much deserved rest. These teammates misfortunes only made them all feel as though they were losing the battle against Slade.
The dreaded thought of their own mortality washed over these two, like the steadily rising water. It was almost up to their knees and they wanted to get back to the surface.
"This was not going to be pleasant." Raven's gravelly voice spoke up. "We knew that from the moment we came down here."
"We understood the risks. We made it this far, now are we left with an impossible choice."
The red laser blasts smashed barriers all around the pair of Titans, where some of the sladebots fired their energy weapons and pistols. They were steadily moving in closer, and the situation was becoming dire.
"I . . . " Raven stammered, as the words became stuck in her throat. I wish I had more time with Beast Boy.
Robin flipped open his communicator, and the underground map beneath Jump City being the sewer was viewed. He was scanning to find their current location, and where exactly this unexplored side tunnel led.
"Well." Raven found her rasping voice at last. "We knew it could come down to a situation like this."
"Hmmm." replied The Teen Titans Commander. He was intently focused on his hand-held device.
"Robin-"
". . ."
"What's the plan?"
"I've had it with seeing my friends getting hurt on my account." His eyes behind the mask narrowed, where he put the communicator back into his belt. "I am going to keep them occupied on me."
"You'll be right behind me, won't you?"
He glanced away before responding. "I have to hold them back, and it will buy you time to escape."
"What, no! I can't just leave you!" she cringed as another laser came even closer to her left shoulder. "Robin, we came down here together to get the job done."
"And it has been." his attention was entirely focused on her. "The others will never forgive me if I leave you down here."
"Yet you think they'll be so accepting of me, for doing that to you?"
"Raven!" The Boy Wonder released a heavy sigh. "This is how it has to be, where being in the position that I am . . . I have to make the tough calls."
Dammit Robin. You were always so stubborn. Upon saying this to herself, The Empath squinted her eyes and she paid very close attention to him.
Raven shook her head in disbelief. "No, you're coming with me."
"I'm ordering you to go!"
The Boy Wonder leaned his head back into the pillar, and a lump moved in his throat. He was deep in thought over something, was it a memory perhaps?
Whatever he was pondering, he was a young man of action, the leader and commander of The Teen Titans. The option of cowering on the sidelines was not his style, and if he could save her, then he would take that route at his own expense. He was mentally preparing himself for the outcome.
Only one of them was going to make it out of here, and he was accepting this fact.
"Go!" Robin shouted a second time. "Get out of here before you can't get out."
"This is wrong. There has to be another way?"
"There isn't."
Raven sensed the mounting pressure that was building on the other side of the huge door. The creaking and bending of brackets and bolts that held it into place, everything was gradually weakening.
This was the only way back to the bridge, and it had already been filled with waste water.
I hope that Cyborg is alright. Raven thought.
It was only a matter of time when the door would burst inwards, and everything in the path would be swept away. The ladder to reach the surface was on the other end of the narrow bridge, that the Titan's Mechanic battled against The White Monster.
Robin resumed his focus on the approaching army, and this caused Raven to do the same. They were halfway in their distance from the control room, to the rusted pillars.
"You need to get out of here. By using that side tunnel, it should loop around to another ladder to take you back to the streets above." Robin said in his most calmly collected manner as ever. "Don't throw this chance away."
"No." Raven stubbornly refused. "What kind of a plan is this Robin?"
A laser blasted a chunk out of the pillar in front of him. Bits of debris and dust spit up everywhere.
"You are in no condition to fight!" Robin took out his collapsable bo-staff, and he readied himself for one last charge. "You will just get in the way."
"And what will we do with you gone? Care to explain, how on earth are we supposed to stop Slade then."
He did not give any witty remark, he did not say anything.
Raven rolled her eyes. "You know, I'm supposed to be the one who is unresponsive and cold when it comes to situations like these."
"I'm sorry Raven, for what its worth I do enjoy your dry sense of humor."
She raised her eyebrows. "Robin, what are you-"
"RUN!"
Without any warning or giving any sign that he was making his last stand here, at this very juncture in time he took off in a quick sprint. Raven was left with her arm reaching out to pull him back.
"ROBIN!" Dammit!
She clenched her teeth and squeezed her fingers into tight fists. There was nothing she could do to help him, she was too exhausted from the last marathon they had run. She could use her powers again, at least one more time but the strain on her own body was already passed the limit.
Raven understood that if she stepped in to assist him, it was already dangerous to exert anymore of her soul-energy, and while she did not like the manner in his tone, he was right that she would only cause further problems by staying. She had to meditate, and now was the worst possible time for it.
While looking back up, her teammate had already destroyed four sladebots, and he was making quick work with one of the larger duplicate copies.
His arsenal of weapons was empty, all he had left was his staff and he wielded the ancient tool in a higher level of composure and elegance than she was accustomed to seeing.
Robin was giving the best performance of all his years in training and combat that he had learned to master. Yet with every sladebot brought down, two more would take its fallen brother's place.
The dilemma now was, should Raven leave her dear friend and commander, or would she herself make a final stand alongside him?
She took a very slow and deep inhale of oxygen through her nose. Beast Boy was still waiting for her, and she desperately wanted to get out of the sewer, to get in a clean leotard and cape.
"Raven." He slashed downwards and destroyed an enemy. "Get to that ladder!"
"I won't leave you!"
"I am giving you an order, now take that path and get back to the others."
"But Robin-"
For somebody who did not shed any emotions other than a plain monotone, she was fighting back tears. Her hands trembled by her sides while she waited yet did not intervene.
Her legs would not budge, and she could see the hoards of enemy soldiers closing in around her fearless commander. He was willingly sacrificing himself, there were so many noble and admirable traits about Robin. His steadfastness when it came to protecting the others, this trait was an impressive quality that really shined now.
He was willing to make the tough calls, and to take the brunt of everything including failure; all of this rested on his shoulders. His drive to succeed was more than boastfulness, it was his willingness to take the struggle head-on and by himself, if it allowed his friends a chance to escape, to live.
Her sight of him became less and less, until he was entirely encircled on all angles.
"Robin! ROBIN!" Raven cried out.
Out of the darkest depths within the side passageway, four small throwing knives spun and were hurtled into the backs of a few Robot Commandos! They quickly went down, with sparks shooting from their new wounds.
The Empath turned and witnessed a young and attractive brunette, she was wearing a domino mask like The Boy Wonder, and she was dressed in black under-armor that revealed her trim and alluring figure. Her small red cape flapped across her back, and the crimson color for a moment reminded Raven of the previous sixth Titan of their group, as his cloaked face returned to her mind.
The seventeen-year-old that came from the side tunnel uncoupled two silver batons from a back compartment. With her attacking the numerous enemies that dueled Robin, it was no mistake that she was a friend.
"You-re late!" Robin smirked without turning to face her.
She smashed another sladebot. "From the looks of things, I got here just in time."
"You always had to make a grand entrance, didn't you?"
"I learned from the best." she smiled, and the two had their backs to each other while they fended away the enemies.
"Robin!" Raven interrupted, the door that was sealed began to buckle inward a little more.
"Right." The brunette replied while she reached into her belt and dropped five smoke grenades. "That should hold them. Come-on!"
The three teenagers bolted away from the menacing army, and they raced for the side tunnel that was their only place left to run.
"I'm sorry, who are you?" Raven asked.
"Oh, right." Robin gestured towards her, as they continued the mad dash of escape. "This is . . . um . . . an old friend. I must admit though, I wasn't expecting you to get down here and find us. Care to explain that one?"
"After all this time and everything, from me having to save your sorry butt multiple times, and all you say is that I'm an old friend? Seriously that's all? Wow. I'm hurt." she harrumphed.
The Empath revealed a puzzled expression. Does Starfire know about this?
"Please." The brunette rolled her eyes, getting straight to the point. "It's not like that. Well, not anymore anyway."
Robin blushed a little. There was more about his past that he led others to believe. He would need to explain everything back at The Tower.
"That was a long time ago." Robin cut-in.
"Whatever you say . . . Boy Blunder."
"It's BOY WONDER!" He gritted his teeth. "Honestly, why is it everywhere I go, why do people come to that?"
"I'm sorry, who are you?" Raven interrupted.
The domino masked vigilante with a red cape attached to her back, she held out her hand and she shook the Empath's.
"My name is Avatar."
(~)
The struggle of good vs evil between the two female superheroes, against Slade's deadliest and most loyal of bodyguards being Cinderblock, it had gone on for a very long time.
The rooftop of Jump City Central was in disorder, craters and dents had been created, the massive air-conditioning units were smashed, and even the doorway back inside had been broken inwards.
The three fighters were panting heavily in their respective corners, they were just trying to catch their breaths.
"Dang! This sucks." Kimiko spoke with her attention focused on the large opponent.
"For somebody of his size, Cinderblock is incredibly nimble." Starfire interjected as she took a knee.
"Does this guy have any weaknesses that we can exploit?"
Starfire paused for a moment. "There is something, but before it had taken my entire team to defeat him."
The female ninja squinted her eyes. "Alright, but can it work?"
There was a long pause, where the two heroines looked to each other. Starfire nodded her head after releasing a sigh.
"It has before. I believe that it can once again."
"Good." Kimiko smiled a devious grin. "So then, what's the plan?"
"Well-"
Before Starfire could give her explanation, a massive noise unlike anything she had ever experienced hummed and roared. It was the jet engines of The Squadron's Ship, and it rose above the roof from the lower levels, right alongside the hospital.
"Oh my!"
Kimiko chuckled. "Don't worry, it's my teammate. Your friends down below were just picked up. They are being sent back to Titans Tower."
"Beast Boy . . . Terra?"
The black ship with three red stripes down the middle suddenly became cloaked in the color of the atmosphere, where it swiftly vanished before their eyes, as they looked up at the underbelly of the impressive craft blending into the atmosphere.
"With them out of the picture, now I can really cut-loose!" Kimiko drew out her second long blade from her sheath.
"Wait, were you-"
"Holding myself back, yeah." Kimiko answered.
The red scarf around her face concealed her lips moving, and it partially muffled her voice.
"I was just trying to buy time for my allies to get where they needed to go, without causing worse devastation to this facility."
"But what about the other hospital patients?"
The black haired girl turned her head slightly to give the 'I-don't care' expression, and she clinked both of her katana's tips together before responding.
"While that is a valued observation, but you and your friend's safety is of the highest priority. Now, shall we finish this?"
Cinderblock in the meantime stared at both girls, looking at one and then the other with a blank expression of rage. He was almost ready to charge into the fight again, but he was waiting for something.
"From dealing with this particular adversary, the best option that worked the most effectively;" Starfire got back to her feet before finishing her sentence. "We use the environment around us to our advantage."
"I see." Kimiko smirked. "Very well. I think I see what will work. You see those downed generator units?"
"Yes."
"Good. I'm going to Distract him, and lead him to you."
"Wait!" Starfire responded only her words were not heeded, and her new ally tapped her blades together three times, then she stepped forwards.
"Come on block-head! What, are you really filled with bricks-for-brains or what?"
Cinderblock roared, and he went after the sword fighter directly.
It worked? Wait, what am I supposed to be doing with the downed equipment on the roof? Starfire thought.
Some electrical components buzzed and popped, there was a current still operating within the massive devices, and if The Tamaranean Warrior allowed her newest companion to lead the battle where she stood, then it could bring a much desired conclusion to the exhausting fight.
Kimiko slashed and waved both of her blades at the massive enemy. Cinderblock in response shielded his face, and he threw punches of his own, entirely missing his opponent.
"Hey. Dummy!" Kimiko mocked him. "Over here!"
He growled again, and the anger within him erupted into a violent storm that could not be quelled.
Starfire was well aware about the dangers of electrical shock, and with certain high-level generators that run certain elements of the hospital, the current through this massive building was very high.
The strength and stamina in their take-down moves were impressive, but even the entire Teen Titan team combined, struggled with containing an enemy as massive and uncooperative as Cinderblock.
Cinderblock squinted his eyes, he swiped his feet back a few times on the floor getting his momentum ready to be set loose, like a spring that was coiled too many times, where eventually the pressure would release and the coil would be shot forwards at an uncontrolled speed.
The Japanese girl had stopped her attacks, and she crossed her katana's in front of herself. She was preparing a diversion in front of Starfire, who had scampered right in front of a large and flipped over generator.
The deadly henchman snorted, and he raced forwards with his right fist lunging in to grab Kimiko.
He missed! She somersaulted away and smiled beneath her red scarf. Cinderblock glanced over his shoulder and he furrowed his face. He understood his master was not going to be pleased with his failure.
Starfire flew up and away, hurtling green star bolts at him while he charged into her, where he held up his hands to cover his face from being hit. He blinded him, and he was unable to see the trap these two heroines had laid for him.
The bulky creature howled in absolute pain, as he crashed into the overturned generator on the roof. A huge plume of dark smoke rose about his crumpled body, and he collapsed without putting up any more of a fight.
For an average person, anybody else would have perished instantly. Cinderblock was not a simple citizen, he was a super-villain where his physical body was durable and unnatural.
"Well, that should take care of him." Kimiko deadpanned as she swung her weapons, alongside her hips.
Cinderblock grumbled while his body slowly rose.
"Uh-oh."
It was only a momentary occurrence, where he was unable to support himself and he crashed back down. He was out cold as smoke continued to rise about his body.
"Now he is defeated." Starfire breathed in a sigh of relief, while she returned back to the ground.
Kimiko sheathed her katanas onto her back, and she interlocked her arms over her chest.
"You did pretty good back there." The red scarf shinobi gradually looked up from their common enemy.
"Thank you." Starfire smiled.
"Now we need to get out of this place ourselves."
"What about him?"
Kimiko reached onto her belt and she retrieved her communicator device. It was of a very similar design to the Teen Titan's, only it was red with the letters of (T.S) for Titans Squadron imprinted on the front flap.
"I think the members of Jump City's Police Department, will like to have one of their most sought after criminals back in custody."
"Agreed."
Starfire nodded her head, and she became fixated on the wheelchair that was mangled and smashed by the ledge. It was a reminder of her own injuries, from the previous encounter with another of Slade's loyal soldiers.
"Don't worry." Kimiko placed a hand onto her shoulder. "He may have gotten away, but he won't win this fight."
The mentioning of The Criminal Mastermind known as Slade, it brought a shiver to trickle up The alien princess's backside.
"Not while me and my team are here now."
Starfire frowned. She had never expected to find herself in a vulnerable place without the assistance of her teammates, her family. This sixteen-year-old black haired girl had arrived just in time.
The Tamaranean smiled as the terrifying ordeal, was officially over.
"Thank you, friend Kimiko."
"No worries. Besides, I think we worked pretty well back there."
The refined look of grace and peace had swiftly shifted across Starfire's face into fear. She reached down for her communicator and frantically opened the device, she had to check up on the others, and to find out what was going on with her family.
"Starfire calling Titans . . ." she depressed the main button on the side awaiting a response. After a brief pause with only static, she clicked it again. "My fellow Titans, please report in."
{{End Of Scene}}
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Reviews From The Previous Chapter:
cloudkid: "Amazing chapter! I hope everybody will be okay and they'll all be together soon! You have a wonderful way with words by the way. I was on the edge of my seat and was so concentrated while reading that I blended out everything around me haha, just really good books do that to me ;) Can't wait for the next update! xx."
~~Thank you. Yup, things continue to unravel for The Teen Titans, and I hope everybody will make it out of this ordeal too. They still have to celebrate Beast Boy's birthday, oh the life of a superhero, always being interrupted. I do appreciate the very thoughtful reviews you leave, where I still don't know if I am a decent writer at all? It is a big boost to my moral, in hearing comments such as yours, where for me I constantly have to do a revision process before I post the updates. I'm just glad it is bringing enjoyment to you, and to as many that I can.~~
~~T.M.O~~