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 30 is set! Events are retraced, Blackfire is sent on the second phase of her bold mission, while The Teen Titans and The Titan Squadron members introduce themselves. "Nothing is as burdensome as a secret." -French Proverb-
Chapter 30 - The Integrity Within
The very cold atmosphere from The Iceberg Lounge had stayed with The Tamaranean Exile, long after her departure from the famous nightclub.
The unnaturally dark and gritty atmosphere, the decrepit nature of the gothic high-rises towered all around her, like battlements upon a Germanic castle in medieval Europe.
The police zeppelins were noticed high in the clouds above, from the looming shadows they cast below them. The pilots were scanning the bridges and streets to alert the task forces of the crimes being committed. For many on the force, this was a good way to serve the community and to avoid the crimes running rampant on the streets below.
The rugged monorail that went through the very heart of the ancient metropolis, shook and squealed upon the tracks. It was built by Lucious Fox of Wayne Enterprises, but since the tragedy of his employer's death, things gradually started to become neglected. It was terribly old, and the maintenance was long overdue.
Colorful graffiti decorated the waiting platforms across the city, where the worst of it was in The Narrows.
For some, it was the cheap and quick way to bypass the congested traffic on the streets, yet the risk for people was highest at night, when the beggars and thieves would skulk around at the stairwells of the many platforms, going after the folks heading home from a long day's work.
Every turn along the tracks that the trolly made, the linked cars caused sparks to jettison out from beneath the iron wheels. The conductors were careful when they pressed further on the levers, to keep the transport from derailing and spilling to the streets far below.
There had been an instance during the first year when The Dark Knight had appeared, when Ra's Al Ghul carried out his nefarious plot, and The Batman went after him. At the time, then Lieutenant Gordon had to stop a deadly fear toxin spreading across the city, by dismantling a portion of the track utilizing The Batmobile.
The section which was destroyed deliberately had been rebuilt, and it continued to remain in service.
Off in the distance, the faint whine of police sirens flared as a few gunshots echoed. It was a dangerous place to live in, and for any venturing person that came to this city, you had to watch out for the countless strifes that consumed the very fabric of what held it together.
Crime was everywhere, it was rampant with no end or hopeful counter measure, other than brute force to meet the violence head-on. There was no limit to the grotesque and vile nature brought out by the worst kinds of scum.
The peace was loosely held in check by the continued patrols from Police Commissioner James Gordon, where the ever watchful guardian being The Dark Knight, kept close tabs on these things. The Batman made sure that his raw justice through fear was felt by all, including corrupt officials and bureaucrats that ran the city.
What would happen if Batman and his allies ever disappeared? It would not be a good thing as The Caped Crusader operated outside of the defunct law enforcement. Without him, the city would fall into utter chaos, he could never abandon his city, and everybody knew it.
He brought a much needed hammer to those within the inept legal system, who failed to carry out balanced sentences. It was a heavy blow that the police, lawyers, reporters, and politicians on the take who could never fully dish out, yet The Dark Knight was the mystery in the shadow who answered the call.
The famous bat symbol brought terror to many at night. It was a deterrent, a beacon that held a burning fire in the hearts of the innocent, that their pleas for help would be answered.
For all other places and cities, Gotham was very unique. The creative sign lit up in the cloudy night sky, where everyone knew that he was out there, patrolling the streets and doing the work that many could never be able to.
Batman was the hero the city deserved, and through his efforts he was a torchbearer of justice through the endless layers of despair. This city was like a pit, and the constant battles waged were a tireless and often thankless job.
So much had been built in and around Gotham. It was a place that was very easy for any criminal to slip through the cracks, and turf wars would occasionally erupt but the villainous activities would be kept to a minor skirmish.
The Dark Knight would be fast to intervene and bring an immediate halt to the recurring problems. It caused most crime to be pushed underground, and the fierce pursuit encouraged the local police to get up and to finally do something.
A streak of lightning flashed overhead, as the pollution from chimneys and smokestacks that were spread about, billowed and covered the atmosphere in a dark and nightmarish type of setting.
Tugboats honked across the bay, while the sounds of vehicles driving across the bridges and highways echoed somewhere in the distance of Gotham Harbor.
It was the early evening hours, and the sun was gradually setting lower across the horizon. Its captivating rays of bright red and orange hues were mixed from the rainclouds that had formed, generating an almost purplish color to the skyline.
With the sun slowly descending to the west, the darkness of night was steadily inching in.
The texture of the air was heavily polluted and the stench of garbage, of dirty alleys and overturned trashcans left a very ugly sight to behold, for anybody on the ground. Green waste spilled out from the chemical plants, pouring the disgusting bile into the local harbor.
Many were wise enough to stay clear of the polluted waters, which were like the Thames of London, where over a century of raw sewage and waste more foul than anything a deceased person might give off, was spewed from vats and ports all over the city to this location.
It was astronomically expensive to keep things cleaned, where most turned a blind-eye to the crimes that happened. The rats that came up from the sewers were hunted by the alley cats, while the homeless and drug users mingled near the worst portions of the city.
For all the things that made this place uneasy to navigate around, it had such a captivating element like no other landmark did, and it drew in large numbers of tourist every year.
Blackfire was in the very center of the industrial section of Gotham, The Ace Chemical Plant was directly in the background as the electrical power station and coal burning plants operated nearby.
She was kneeling on a gargoyle as she overlooked the truly mystifying world below. It was so grotesque and decrepit, the average citizens who called this place home wanted above anything else to get out, but many were impoverished and in horrendous levels of poverty or debt to somebody.
The government regulated hefty fines and taxes on the locals, while the mafia extorted bribes from the gambling houses, and even had people in high places on their pay-roles that kept a revolving door policy operating, when somebody would be caught doing illicit activities.
The criminals would be set free, and business would continue as usual.
The very people that could do anything to improve the situation had their hands dirty, so the filth was never washed clean. Only once before had Gotham stood a chance of striving towards a brighter future, with the famous district attorney of Harvey Dent having been a savior and white knight to cleanse the burden of crime, as the hero without a mask came forwards to do what he could.
This was Gotham however, and more times than people could count, the good and honest folks were simply consumed by evil and sinister things.
The very person who fought to secure a better tomorrow like Metropolis or Keystone City, Harvey Dent inevitably become the monster known to all as Two-Face, where the chances of saving the very soul of the city became mired in problems worse than before.
A light rain began to trickle down from the heavens, and the dampness was rather chilly. Having flown through the darkest depths of space, and having gone to a literal ice-box being Penguin's pristine nightclub, this did not bother The Tamaranean Exile in the slightest.
Her black hair swayed across her shoulders, where she took a bite from a red apple that was offered to her from Lark, one of Penguin's attractive servant's in the lucrative establishment.
The gangsters, villains, fiends and thugs that had gathered, they had listened to the offer her master had wanted to deliver. Slade's motivation for not going to them in person was very wise, where this meant she was expendable.
It only made her stomachs turn, at how quickly the rug was pulled out from her feet. So much was riding on her success, failure was not an option. Yet the steady loss of time made her feel like she was behind schedule, and she could not delay.
Red X was weakened by the deadly bodyguards of Cinderblock, Plasmus and Overload. Slade had even landed damage to the mysterious bandit, and forced him out of the building.
The Tamaranean Exile had swooped in and finished the dirty work, and it proved that she was willing to do anything. It was all to earn his trust so she could use the old man, but she had no idea that she was going to be the one used for his plans instead.
The truth of the subject was, she did not know if Red X had survived the deadly fall off of the cliff at the rundown Amusement Park? There would be no turning back, her destiny was to keep on Slade's good side, and any bad news would be very unfortunate for her.
He must be dead, there is no way he could have survived after his injuries and the drop from that height. Blackfire mused to herself. Even if he somehow managed to make it, the teeth of rocks would have broken bones, while the maw of the ocean swallowed him whole!
Still, the persistent thought that he was not dead came rushing into her thinking. Blackfire took another bite of the tasty fruit, and she swiped away the dribble on her chin.
I need to make this work. There is so much more riding on my success here. I cannot fail.
Reforging a lost connection to her brother Wildfire was looming on her now, like the expanding shadows of skyscrapers in the background. It felt like the spreading fog of this strange and foreign place she was in, the bitterness and ice cold feeling of uncertainty of how everything would play out was very apparent.
Blackfire had no motivation for anything other than revenge alone. To destroy her sister that had disavowed, dethroned, and had expelled her from the birthright to rule Tamaran.
Her previous efforts at getting vengeance had failed. The wedding she plotted to humiliate Starfire had been interrupted, Blackfire's efforts had been thwarted each and every time, and The Teen Titans carried a great deal of blame. They too would perish, in the flames of war that was bound to be unleashed.
Nothing else mattered. If only to see her most hated and problematic rival being the very blood relative she had grown up to watch over, to end Starfire was all she could dream about.
The emotions and connections between the two sisters had been severed. Where before there had been love, now only a hatred remained.
Starfire and her friends had to be eliminated once and for all. It caused her to grin as she dwelled over the path she was choosing. All except for one thing, Wildfire was now in the picture and it was a wild-card that she did not think could be a possibility.
Slade had the only coordinates to his last known whereabouts contained on a disk, and he was not going to part with it freely. Getting to punish her younger sister was in fact the only thing that motivated her before, it ruled her and brought her back to the tiny blue planet across the vastness of space.
She loathed Starfire, but there was something in her that she did not expect would have emerged. It was of a longing to be reunited with their brother, and through him a faint hope was slowly building.
Perhaps she could forge something after all? It was in the past and thought locked away from her heart, but it had been found. All Blackfire had to do was to complete a few errands and tasks for Slade, and her merciless handler would turn over the disk she suddenly felt was owed to her.
Everything had been stripped away from her. Her parents were both dead, her crown was stripped as well as her title, she had been banished from Tamaran, while having been soundly beaten and horribly humiliated in front of the entire royal court.
Getting even was not ever on the table, but something far more sinister was. It tickled her senses, and it made everything that had happened seem like a fuel to embolden her actions, and that this was a justifiable cause.
All was dark and bleak, it was as cold and empty as the cosmos beyond the stars that she had flown through. If she were to forfeit her life in the process it did not matter to her, so long as she ended Starfire first.
However, now that Wildfire had entered in this strategy, this tightly wound coil of hatred and unbridled ire of vengeance alone was suddenly cooling around her heart. Not all of her family was lost, there was still something she could have after all this.
This was something she could obtain, it was something that connected her to the past, present and future. By finding and bonding with her long-lost brother, this could grant her admission back home, and it would enable her to supplant herself into the throne for all time.
With her bothersome sister out of the way, nobody would dare question her place as Empress Of Tamaran. She had to succeed, total victory was at hand where she was building an army to unleash against The Titans, to distract them.
"I will have my vengeance dear sister." Blackfire monologued while she clenched her fist around the apple. "This is all part of a bigger effort and in the end, I will be the one who is victorious as I stand over the corpses of you and your pitiful friends."
She squeezed the crimson fruit, and it was pulverized! Juice trickled through her fingers, and she dropped the remnants of the apple.
"You are going to feel the full wrath of my vengeance. Not even your friends will be able to help you this time."
Her communicator vibrated, and she glanced down to answer the long awaited phone call.
*Report.* The voice of the one eyed criminal mastermind broke through the silence.
The image of the masked man suddenly came into focus, as he was sitting in his throne back in Jump City. The wisps of steam hissed about his concealed body, while the churning and crunching of giant metal cogs into their gaps echoed in the background.
"I left the Iceberg Lounge as you had instructed, once the final offer was given." Blackfire answered, and she swallowed a bit of saliva to clear throat. "They seemed to like the prize you have promised them."
*It was but the first step. How many have decided to sign up for the return trip to Jump City?*
"Hmmm. It's hard to say." Blackfire squinted her eyes while she glanced out at the ancient structures down below her. "While they are intrigued, others have their reservations against whatever you have cooking. Some of them see this as a 'group therapy' session and like to be on their own."
A bit of steam hissed on his end.
*How many?*
There was a very long silence between them as The Exile silently went over the events that took place, and how abruptly their conversation came to its untimely conclusion.
"Mad Hatter, Poison Ivy, Killer Frost, Scarecrow, Scarface, Killer Croc, and a girl named Cheshire are on board. In knowing that the gold that you offered is still going to be waiting for them once the Titans are history, then yeah, they want in."
*Interesting. They are not the most formidable in the bunch, but they will be suitable for what I have planned.* Slade leaned a little further back in his seat, and he crossed his left hand below his chin. *What about Penguin, Bane, Two-Face, or Black Mask?*
Blackfire looked up from counting her fingers on her other hand that was not holding the device, and she shrugged her shoulders before responding.
"Cobblepot is one tough cookie and he likes the fact of hurting Robin, but he is not willing to risk everything unless he is guaranteed a 'sure thing'."
*I expected that much from him. Of all the other super villains he is rather hard-headed when it comes to motivate him.*
"Bane is another matter entirely. While he is motivated by a pure raw drive of strength over weakness, and to break his opponents his mind is not driven based solely on materialistic or petty things. Gold is not something he would turn down lightly as it could fuel his own plans. However, he wants more time to weigh his options."
*Hmmm.*
"Then of course that guy Zsasz is not keen on anything, only making his marks without help from anybody. He said something about it 'like too many fishermen in one area for a prize.' He gave me the creeps."
The Criminal Mastermind did not respond, only his left eye narrowed as he sat in complete silence.
The Exile continued speaking; "Two-Face is also on the fence and boy, does that guy really let everything be judged by a flip of his coin or what?"
*Dent is entirely stubborn when it comes to large matters of decision making, such as this. You said it yourself that there is a lot to think over, and that coin is everything to him. Remember, he will not make any brash decisions unless that silver dollar tells him otherwise.*
"Huh. I thought it was important, but I didn't realize just how dependent on it he was?"
*You managed to meet some of the worst and most dangerous of Gotham's criminals and survive. I must say Blackfire, you continue to impress me.*
"It has been fun." she smirked. "So with these guys on board, how exactly am I going to bring them all back to Jump City?"
*You remember the file on Rupert Thorne I gave you, before you departed?*
"Rupert Thorne? . . . Thorne . . . hmmmm, oh! That fat old guy with a cigar in the picture, yeah!"
*He is critical to your next part of the mission. He has a privet jet, capable of ferrying the members you have met from Gotham without being detected by any law enforcement agencies.*
The bright glow of the towering letters of Ace Chemicals, shined across the industrial sector behind her, and she inhaled a deep breath to ready her nerves for what she felt was going to be a near impossible assignment.
*You are to go to him, located inside the main office at The Ace Chemical factory. There, you will convince him of relinquishing ownership of his most prized form of transportation and procure it for our ends.*
Blackfire glanced up from the hideous monster statue she kneeled on, and her attention turned to the neon sign glowing a bright green across the high-rises.
"So, you want me to talk to him, and what am I going to offer this guy in exchange?"
Slade's eye curled, she could not know what he was thinking. It gave off a vibe like she was not going to relish what she was going to be walking into.
*Thorne is a man who cannot be bought, bullied, or convinced otherwise. Only the brute action of force, and your adaptability will he realize his place.*
"I take it, that you two had a bit of a falling out?"
*My offer to him is not going to sway him. Your talents will.*
"Oh, that's reassuring. Thanks." she replied in a mocking tone.
*You were sent to deliver a message, and gathering the numbers to occupy The Teen Titans focus, it is part of the strategy. You have less than twenty-four hours to complete your mission, failure-*
"Yeah, yeah." Blackfire cut him off. "Is not an option, I know."
*Report to me when you have completed this. I will instruct you once this is done.*
"Sure thing."
The screen turned black, and the transmission had ended. She hooked the communicator back to her belt, and she rose to her feet.
Her arms were by her sides, and the bitter feeling that she had noticed earlier while she waited for Slade to contact her, that chill was not as potent. However her insides began to tighten and twist, and she was astute with the looming negotiation that was about to take place.
She was concerned that she was running into multiple obstacles and every step forwards was a way to prove herself worthy. The Exile could only be so certain that she was part of the scheme being plotted against The Teen Titans, and that she was not just cannon fodder.
"Meet with this Rupert Thorne character on his turf, and not in some neutral ground between warring factions trying to murder one another. Y-e-a-h, this sounds like a great idea." Blackfire ran her left hand across her forehead and through her hair; "The guy didn't want to have anything to do with Penguin at his place, and he sure doesn't want anything to do with Slade or his offer, and yet he would want to talk to me. This smells like a trap."
She paused for a long moment to consider everything.
"Well, I came this far. I guess Slade is still curious as to how I do? I don't think he'll ever completely trust me." her smirk twisted into a sinister grin. "That's fine, because I should never trust him."
(~)
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." Raven recited her calming mantra over and over, while she levitated in her room.
She was sitting cross-legged above her bed, hovering over the smooth silk sheets while her amethyst eyes were closed and her hands were extended. The Grey Empath had showered and changed into a clean black leotard, as her long freshly washed blue cloak, swirled about her trim and attractive figure.
A sweet perfume that was mixed with lavender incense and of Amber of the many burning candles, curled upwards and spread about her. It gave a mysterious and very alluring appearance to her bedroom, as she concentrated on replenishing her depleted energy levels.
It was deeply relaxing to be back, to be away from dangers that were unleashed and the knowledge that everybody was okay brought a soothing comfort to her.
Similar to how a parent felt, after a child that wanders alone and for a few moments there is only panic that all is lost, when in the very next instant the kid races forwards to the immeasurable relief of the mother or father, and elation quickly grabs hold.
Well, not everybody was healed completely yet they were all back within Titans Tower. To Raven, right now that was all that mattered.
It has been too long since we were all back home together. Raven rasped in her mind. I wonder how the others are dealing with this?
Across her iconic dresser, the taller candles which were lit brought more light, while the wax slowly drip, drip, dripped into a melted pools. The famous white painted two faced masks were located on top of the dresser. One was laughing and the other was weeping, where this statue carried the differing shadows across the room.
Raven had acquired this artistic sculpture long ago, and to anybody that came in, it was one of the first things to be noticed. The octagonal and unusual shapes from the long mirror by her dresser, to the lamp that hung by the closest caused what light that was within, to bend and form overlapping shades.
Everything about the day was strange and uneasy to grasp, yet now in the sanctity of her privet chambers, her temple a she told herself. . . should could sort through the details. Each of the Titans had been through a horrific ordeal, and all anybody expressed when they were reunited, was to hurry off to their rooms.
The various newcomers that called themselves The Titans Squadron, led by the domino masked red caped brunette who called herself Avatar were also in The Tower. A girl that Robin had worked with during his crime-fighting days in Gotham, alongside his mentor, The Dark Knight.
If she hadn't arrived when she did, Robin and me would never have made it.
The subtle aroma that expanded about her mystic and Halloween style abode, matched her hair and eye color. Having raced through the vile unpleasantries of the Jump City maze-like sewer system, Raven felt complete relief at being out of the claustrophobic environment.
The afternoon hours had long since passed, where the sun was getting lower across the horizon. The drapes were shut across the massive window, and time was lost to her, yet she sensed that nightfall was a few hours away.
Raven stopped meditating and cracked open her eyes, and she found herself back on top of her bed. The party for Beast Boy was going to resume where everybody had pitched in to bring the gifts, the decorations and even the banquet of food had been brought to The Common Room.
Three sudden knocks came across the door, and she released a quiet sigh.
Raven turned away from the bookshelf while asking; "Who is it?"
"It's Avatar." The feminine voice from the other side piked up. "I don't know why they sent me here out of the group, but everybody is gathered."
"Alright, just hang on one moment."
The door swooshed open, and the two very different young women were standing a few feet apart while looking at one another.
Avatar in her short red cape grinned as the fabric swiveled by her shoulders, and she stepped back the instant the divider revealed the occupant of the privet room.
The white light in the hallway exposed the mysterious and dark bedchambers, as the strange and alluring ashen skinned beauty stood before her. Raven had her hood pulled over her head, and the sharp bird-beak from the cloak cast a shadow over her face. It revealed only her attractive eyes and a bit of her mouth.
The Empath did not expect this girl to be the one to come and collect her. They were briefly introduced in the sewer, which made things unsettling and in a haste. Everything was a bit sudden to process, and Raven hoped it would have been Starfire to have been the one to make the journey, or perhaps Beast Boy.
"I was in the middle of a very important meditation session." Raven spoke up, "I have not had the proper time to adjust and sooth the conflict we went through back there."
Avatar rubbed the backside of her neck, she was a little jittery and it was increasingly apparent that she, like most people that ever met the attractive sorceress, most were unsure of how to best approach the cloaked girl without making the situation awkward, or more uncomfortable.
The Squadron Leader cleared her throat prior to saying, "You would get along great with . . . well you haven't met her yet. Or the rest of my team."
"True. It was not the best time to make for introductions right after our ordeal. My apologies on that. I had to take a hot shower, to get changed and to meditate."
"Right. I know. Running through sewer water that is ankle deep can be a pain." Avatar raised her right hand like she was taking an oath. "I took a hot shower myself, and it felt pretty good."
Raven did not flinch, shrug her shoulders or give any sign of emotion. "So, the party is about to commence and everybody is gathered in The Common Room?"
"You are quick on the spot with details. Wow, I'm surprised that you haven't met Delphi yet, the two of you could be like sisters or something."
"I highly doubt it." Raven quipped. "If either you or your teammates met my biological family, my actual sister and brothers would not be a pleasant experience. But I'm sure you mean well."
"Uh-huh." Avatar replied with her tongue pressed to the inside of her cheek, making the sound that she was unsettled once again. Was that passive aggressive, or is that just the way she is?
"I do." Raven defended herself. "Sorry, it's been a rough couple of days and I'm not really in a cheerful mood."
"Well, in any case I'm sure you would like to meet the others, as we would all like to have a proper introduction."
The cloaked Enchantress looked to the floor, and then back up to the domino mask over the other girl's face to respond.
"I see. Well, seeing that we will be working together in the foreseeable future, until this crisis is averted . . . I agree."
"Yup."
Raven shot a stern glance behind her, causing her eyes to turn white where she caused her telepathic powers to snuff out the candles, blanketing the room in complete darkness.
She resumed focus back onto the other female's face, and her eyes were their amethyst color again. "Alright, lead the way."
The two walked side by side down the long corridor. All of the other members of The Titans rooms were passed, and the shadows of these females mirrored along the walls.
"You guys have a nice place here." said Avatar. "Me and my team don't have anything close to resembling anything like this."
"Oh?" Raven asked. "So then, where is your home base exactly?"
Avatar stopped in her tracks. "Well, we are still new but Batwoman lets us use The Gotham City ClockTower. Its so conspicuous and right smack in the middle of everything, nobody knows where we go to, or from where we come from."
"Interesting."
"I for one am starving." Avatar started walking again, trying in some effort to build up a different conversation. "A hard day's efforts always gets to my stomach grumbling."
The gurgling sound from the red caped brunette caused the blue cloaked teenager to raise an eyebrow.
"What?" Avatar raised her hands. "It doesn't take much to get it going."
"Well, I'm sure Cyborg placed an order for pizza. It's not like him to just leave out on that crucial little detail when we are going to be hosting guests."
"And a party!" Avatar revealed a large smile. "S-o-o-o-o-o. You're teammate . . . the green one?"
"Beast Boy?"
"That's the one." Avatar snapped her fingers. "So, how old is he?"
Raven bit her lower lip as she focused on this. "He just turned sixteen."
"Ah, a big milestone no doubt."
"It is."
So many questions had riddled each of their thoughts, and Raven was not even sure how to cope with the escape of their most deadly adversary being Slade. The perplexities and mind-games he unleashed, only brought greater conflict for the rest of the team to unravel.
It was more than that however, the worse problem was the continued insults to Beast Boy, and the grief for leaving him alone within his hospital quarters during the birthday celebration. This fact only made them all feel even worse.
They had a job to do, the safety of Jump City was of the highest priority and sometimes the events of a party for one of their beloved members, had to be put on hold.
The unending struggle of a superhero was a very difficult task, and there only seemed to be new heartache and battle scars to show for the exhausting accomplishments.
Eventually the time would come when they would each have to put this line of work behind them, that they would retire at some point but they could not even ponder it.
Not while the worst threat they had ever known was still in the city roaming about, plotting and unleashing terrible destruction without end. The illusive Criminal Mastermind had targeted even more members of the team, where Beast Boy talked about just bits and pieces of his own encounter with Deathstroke.
Cyborg had been the next victim, and Raven along with The Boy Wonder had rescued the gear-head from the great magnetic ring within the tunnel, trapping him against his will. Slade had a vast arsenal of toys and weapons, where it was never really clear what his next game would unleash?
The Team Mechanic was mentally scarred like the changeling, something within him had become altered as his perception of counter measures had become contorted into something sinister. This darkness was only faintly picked up through her empathetic powers, that a worse conflict was brewing inside of him.
The instant they had received contact from Starfire, the tone in her voice was heightened because something had happened to her as well.
The Tamaranean Warrior had not discussed everything that had transpired on her front, only that Slade had attacked her, yet Avatar's teammate Kimiko had intervened where that was the extent of these details. Still, something was unsettling and it did not feel good.
The instant the team was back in Titans Tower, it was apparent that something far more strenuous and terrifying had occurred for the yellow skinned alien, and what Slade had done only The Titan's Captain was fully aware.
It brought him to such a furious state, that without saying anything to anybody, the moment when she witnessed Robin and Starfire holding one another, the second that the elevator door opened and they ran into each-others arms, something was left hanging between them.
It was like a terrible illness had been confirmed, and it sucked all the joy and happiness out of their hearts. Starfire was in mourning, Robin on the other hand, was enraged beyond words.
She whispered something in his ear, and for a long while there was a look of horror on his face that Raven had only seen once before.
The terror and confusion from when she entered his mind to witness the deaths of his parents, The Flying Graysons; for The Boy Wonder as a child reaching over the ledge of the pillar to horrified shrieks of the crowd, and a crestfallen whimper, these memories rushed into her thinking.
That exact expression of unbridled fear transitioned into a deep ire having erupted within his heart once again. A moment that he, The Teen Titans bold and fearless commander was never going to be the same, following today's events.
Slade had done something that crossed a boundary he never had before, and the instant Starfire conferred in her beau, the two lovebirds immediately parted ways, and everybody was stunned watching Robin head off to his bedroom alone. He immediately ignored all of his companions, where the door hissed closed and a stillness that had never before been felt, left the heroes in a state of great fear.
The one eyed villain had landed one severe blow after another to them, and the heroes had to settle the score. They had to bring him down for the crimes he committed, that was their highest priority.
(~)
-Flashback-
The Empath glanced up at her commander standing with his back to them. She did not know what he could be thinking, yet she had a few ideas.
It was not your fault Robin. The amethyst eyed Enchantress thought to herself. We only did what we had to do.
The crime-fighters had trudged through the muck and filth of the sewer system, they had traversed their way out of the labyrinth and fought an endless army of sladebots to reach the safety of the surface, and now they were finally back inside the safety of Titans Tower.
They could rest, resupply and recover securely.
It felt so comforting to be back home, to be reunited and their mission to thwart Slade's plan had succeeded. Through this latest heist he pulled, they felt a much different bond compared to when Robin had informed the team of Falcon's passing.
They were unified because of the loss in their ranks, and the hatred against the one eyed Criminal Mastermind only fueled them to seek him down, with a much greater purpose than they had ever known.
Evil could not prevail, and with every ounce of energy the large goal was to prepare themselves, mentally and physically for the looming battle that was destined to erupt.
Robin and Starfire were totally expressive in their relationship that they once tried to understand. They hugged each other by the elevator, and then for an unknown reason shortly after she leaned in, Robin's face contorted into a look of disgrace, of shame.
"Robin, please . . . you have no fault in this." Starfire pleaded, and it was overheard by the others.
"Forgive me." Robin deadpanned while squeezing his green gloved hands and with his head bowed in defeat, he turned and exited the room.
What the heck happened? Raven mused to herself while she watched the two lovebirds, along with everybody else sharing this moment.
A crimson scarf-faced ninja, with jet black hair and captivating blue eyes walked forwards from the kitchen, where she placed a hand onto Starfire's shoulder to comfort her. She did not say a word.
"Starfire . . . what happened?" Raven asked out-loud, while she stepped forwards.
The Tamaranean Princess smiled, trying desperately to hide something uncomfortable.
"Now is not the time. Let us prepare for the continued celebration of friend Beast Boy." Starfire answered, unable to hide her depression fully.
"All of the food and party supplies were left in the hospital." Cyborg said while straining his neck, as he walked forwards from the long sofa.
"Well, I guess my team and I can gather things and bring it all back here." Avatar chimed in. "After the stuff you guys have been through, take the time to rest and relax."
"Yes." Kimiko chimed in with her arms folded across her mid-section. "The M-D.A.R.V. is just on the roof and we can carry this out in a flash."
"The what?" Raven asked the sword wielding girl.
"It's basically the equivalent of your T-Ship. With a few modifications of course." Avatar flexed her right fingers looking at her nails.
-End Of Flashback-
(~)
The door whooshed open, and the brightness of the room brought Raven back to reality.
Across the Common Room the rest of their friends were noticed, all except for Robin. The smell of delicious hot food whiffed across the area, and Beast Boy was in his wheelchair sitting by the table with a slice in his mouth.
"Pizza, sweet!" Avatar exclaimed as she pumped her left fist into the air. "This is the first time I'll be having a West-Coast slice, and from what I remember, it better be half as good as Robin constantly tells me."
"Hey, Avatar!" The Rorschach masked male teenager spoke from the large glass window overlooking the city. "You think that the pizza is something, you have yet to check out the beach!"
"And the other touristy destinations." chimed in The silver haired seventeen year old on the sofa. "The Californian sun is much better and the water is a lot clearer, than from what we are used to back home."
Cyborg tilted his head before saying with his voice fading into the background; "S-o-o-o, you guys are from Gotham?"
Raven stood in the doorway, and she watched as the other girl raced for the middle of the room. The Squadron's Leader grabbed a plate and she quickly began to chomp down onto the triangular gooey slice.
Where is the other girl? The one with the red scarf over her face? Raven thought.
The silver haired sorceress that introduced herself to Beast Boy and Terra, who went by the name of Delphi, she was sitting on the long sofa with Starfire. The two warrior females were smiling and talking up a storm.
The various conversations continued while Avatar sat down to eat. Starfire nodded towards Raven, where the Empath found herself conflicted with where she should sit.
They had discussed a few things when The Tamaranean Princess had contacted them, including the subject on Starfire's injured leg having healed.
"Beast Boy." Raven floated to him, and she placed a hand onto his shoulder causing him to turn.
The green youth looked up to see The Grey Empath, and she gently caressed his shoulder. Then, without any reason or explanation, she leaned down and embraced him in a tight hug.
"Welcome back." he smiled with his pointy ears dropping a little. It was very similar to how a dog could react.
Raven pulled herself off from him and she brushed her hood back, revealing her A-Line hairstyle. "I'm sorry for what happened. I didn't mean to . . . it all happened so fast and I-"
He held up his left hand, while his right arm that was in the cast was adjusted once again. "It's alright. You and the others had to do your thing, and with the shape I'm in, what could I do anyway?"
"I was worried about you."
Beast Boy's eyebrows shifted upwards. "I was worried about you too. Cyborg told me some of what happened. Dang. I'm sorry I wasn't there."
Raven's ashen complexion around her cheeks turned a shade of pink, and she brushed another strand of her hair away. It felt like everybody's eyes were locked onto them now.
"I'm sorry too." Raven continued her response. "When we got separated at the Gold Depository, we lost the ability to use our communicators and we tried getting back as fast as we could."
The changeling nodded his head. "Yeah, it was pretty scary. Even at the hospital things got pretty nuts."
"What happened?"
"One word." Beast Boy leaned in closer. "Cinderblock."
Raven gasped. "He attacked us at the vault!"
"Well I wasn't technically the one ol-block-head went after this time like at the dam. Starfire and Kimiko took him down on the rooftop."
"No, it's not that. I mean partially it is but-"
Beast Boy expressed a puzzled look. "What is it?"
Raven stroked her chin. "It's strange, but I think there might be more to be learned from this than what we are looking at from the surface only."
"Hmmm. Yeah, Robin said something similar. He wanted to know about the details too."
Raven was taken-aback from this. "Wait, he grilled you again? Even after what happened in the hospital room when you woke up?"
"No, nothing like that." he raised his hands to ease the tension. "But you saw how he was after Starfire met him, right when everybody got back. So while you were meditating in your room, Cyborg and me talked over what happened on our ends and he insisted to do his . . . well . . . solo detective thing."
Raven pulled back as he used air quotes on the last part of his sentence. She glanced towards the cake, desserts, and presents all stacked on the counter.
The reminder of the shapeshifter's sixteenth birthday crashed over her again, and she connected with how misfortunate her own birthday had been, during the events of Trigon's ascension into their realm.
"You wouldn't believe how many times he tried to use his communicator in trying to get through to you." Delphi spoke up from the sofa, as she saw an opening to make her opinion heard.
"Wait, what?" Raven questioned as her voice changed.
"Well, when we got back and you guys still weren't answering our calls, it had us pretty worried." answered the elf eared hero.
"Beast Boy-"
His sharp green eyes looked up from the floor causing The Empath to become mute, and he shrugged his shoulders before saying; "But then Starfire's call to everybody got through, and when I heard your voice, I realized things were okay."
Raven felt her heart flutter in her ribcage quickly. She was trying plan out what she could respond with, and with his concern for her being spoken so openly, it made her feel a sudden increase in body temperature.
A hope that she clung to the entire journey back to Titans Tower, was back on her thoughts. She had to tell him the truth of what she felt, she thought there was time when they were together in the hospital, yet it was cut-short by Cyborg interrupting the moment.
It lingered inside of her still, bubbling like a pot of hot water.
"Yo, B.B, you still have to open your presents!" Cyborg hollered from the kitchen with a large grin plastered on his face.
Raven breathed a sigh of relief, as she felt that this would cover her tracks a little better. At least until she could be alone with him.
I need time time to tell him, and I can't do it now. Not in front of everybody, not yet.
Starfire looked back and forth at these two, and she clapped her hands. "Ooh, I must fetch Robin and the others!"
Raven felt stiff all of a sudden.
"Others?" The Empath cut back into the conversation. "Who else besides Robin is not accounted for?"
Cyborg looked at the main door, where his expression of eagerness and joy became distorted into a wrinkled frown of anger.
A feeling of dread wormed its way through Raven as she took notice to this. Cyborg, Raven and Robin had escaped the trap inside the tunnel, they had forged a bond that healed the rift, or so the Empath had believed.
With Robin not amongst them, her stomach twisted as she tried to figure out what else had occurred since they had returned to Titans Tower.
Something was not adding up, and the realization of what it could be, and who else was also in Jump City Central made the elation quickly dissipate into something foul.
"So Starfire, Slade targeted you on the rooftop?" Raven asked over the silence of everybody.
The Tamaranean paused for a moment, as the conversation shifted to her nightmarish struggle. She stood firm before answering, "That is correct."
"One of my teammates met up with her." said Avatar. "See, we split up to find you guys once we got here, where we picked up on the frequencies of your communicators before things in the Gold Depository went all screwy. I along with Press went to meet up with Robin, Cyborg and you. Delphi with Kimiko of my team headed towards the hospital."
"Kimiko?" Raven asked for she had yet to even meet this person, and the scarlet masked girl she noticed briefly came to her mind.
"Speaking of which." Avatar took another bite of her pizza, and she brushed her hands clean. "Where is she? It's not like her to miss out on free food."
Delphi looked up. "She is down by the shoreline, she had to focus on cleaning her weapons and to find her center, after the battle with Cinderblock."
"Oh. Yeah that makes sense." The Squadron's Leader chuckled. "Kimiko, always with the sword play, and she is constantly trying to find her zen moments. I think I should go get her."
Wait, if we are all here . . . and Robin is in his room, then that must mean . . .
"Terra is with her too." Cyborg's stern voice caused the group to look at him, and Raven spun around with her heart pounding at an alarming pace.
No, not this! Raven said to herself, and a headache quickly formed.
"Yeah." Delphi answered. "Something about contacting her parents or other and not wanting to step on anybody's toes."
"What?" Raven questioned aloud as her rasping voice shook a little.
"She went through a lot." Delphi continued. "Her foster parents were not informed of anything, and the sudden decision to leave the hospital only complicated matters."
The silver haired girl picked up a vibe, that there was tension between these two.
Raven looked to the other sorceress and asked; "You had absolutely no place to make that call! Not after what we have been through. If you had ANY idea as to the treachery and betrayal that she was a part of, if it was your team you would understand."
"Oh, and you have the authority?" Delphi defended herself.
Raven approached the other slightly taller sorceress, and she felt a rage expand within her. This was not what she wanted, and once more a cheerful moment was tainted into dread.
"You have no weight in a decision like this!" The Empath fired back. "You are not a member of this team!"
"Friends, please stop this!" The Tamaranean stood up to mediate the frustration.
"Starfire, Terra has no place to being back here."
"Raven." Beast Boy's voice brought an immediate halt to everything. "It was my call, and I couldn't just leave her back there."
"I . . . I don't like this."
"We don't have to like it." Cyborg chimed in. "But we couldn't just leave her by herself. Defenseless and an easy target for Slade."
"We could not delay." Delphi waved a hand. "We were being hunted."
Raven was speechless once more, and she became stumped with what could be said. Of all the things, and now Terra is in our home? This is bad.
The Teen Titans remembered how much of a rift between themselves and the previous sixth-Titan had forced an unpleasant darkness to settle in. It slowly caused the cheer and confidence to become mired in distrust.
"It is not an easy thing." Cyborg rubbed the back of his bald head. "I mean, we have a duty to protect the innocent. And while Terra may have a difficult past, it can't be emphasized enough that it is in the past."
"Duty?" Raven deadpanned, and her attention was drawn onto The Tamaranean. "This was something that you left out when you called us Starfire. Why didn't you say anything?"
Starfire stepped forwards with her left hand over her heart. "Perhaps there was a time to say things, but it was not the right moment. All that mattered was to return back home . . . time was against us."
"This is a bad idea." Raven rasped while shaking her head in disapproval. "No, a HORRIBLE idea."
The Warrior Princess felt pain, sorrow, and fear building within her again. It was so uncomfortable the way she was pinned to the ground, helpless and defeated from Slade. Now, her sister teammate was saying things that cut even deeper than her struggle on the rooftop of the hospital.
"You weren't there." Beast Boy's crackling voice was heard, and everybody looked to him, as he looked up to Raven.
There was a long and awkward silence on everybody's behalf.
"It seems like Slade is going after each of us one by one." Cyborg stroked his chin, finally ending the lull. "I had a run in with him in the tunnel myself."
Raven glanced from her Second-In-Command back to Robin's girlfriend. She could not stomach the thought of what could have occurred to her sister teammate, and the absence of her overly protecting beau from defending the girl he loved, it was what caused him to isolate himself in his room.
It all makes sense then. The Empath thought.
"Fortunately I was not abandoned." Starfire expressed a heart-felt smile to Avatar.
"Robin's call to my team, to assist you guys was answered." said the brunette after taking another bite of her food.
"I know that there was a bit of a falling out from you guys with her." Delphi spoke up, going back to the main topic on Terra. "But it would be wrong to just leave her behind."
"It was my call." Beast Boy said next with greater confidence. "I didn't want her to wind up getting hurt again. Slade was there, at the hospital and what better place to heal, than right here at The Tower?"
Raven had her eyes shut, and she squeezed her fists by her sides. It was frightening to think that the last time the blonde had been here, The Titans were almost wiped out from her deceitful betrayal.
There was that time she was brought here by Beast Boy alone, to try and jog her memory while Raven and the rest of the team battled The White Monster, and that memory made her grow uncomfortably tense. But Terra had left, now with the unpleasant truth of an extended sleepover going to become a reality, this was not comforting at all.
"Terra's place with us, can be discussed at another time." Starfire spoke up. "This is still friend Beast Boy's birthday."
Raven turned to look at the green shapeshifter, and then to the gathered heroes.
"Agreed." Cyborg chimed in. "There has been a lot that happened but, we can take a moment to rest from the ordeals we have fought through. Can't we?"
"So much has transpired and it feels of the goodness to be back home." Starfire commented.
"What about Robin?" Raven asked as she glanced about the room. She was partially surprised that she asked this out of anybody else.
"I wouldn't count on it." The fedora wearing teen known as Press deadpanned, as he clasped his hands behind him. "Don't worry, I don't bite."
"Much." Avatar mocked him.
"Oh Hardy-har-har."
The blue cloaked sorceress was perplexed, as she studied the new faces that were gathered about the room. They sounded just like her own teammates, and she exhaled through her nose to calm herself.
There was so many things that had to be discussed in greater detail, and everybody seemed to have just brushed aside the biggest problem like it was no big deal.
Terra was back, and the thought of the blonde sneaking around their home, doing who knows what made Raven feel like any confidence in the day, was consumed by a new fear.
"So Robin is still in his room?" Raven conceded as she shook away the unpleasant issue.
"Yeah." Avatar sat up a bit more. "And I thought when we originally worked together, that his desire to do things alone would be different? I guess some things never change."
The conversations started up again for the various teenagers spread about.
Perfect. Raven sarcastically spoke in her mind. Slade is still out there and we have no idea what he is planning. There is a group of strangers in our home, and I still need to talk with Beast Boy. On-top of all this, Terra is back and nobody seems to have any issues with it.
Beast Boy looked up from the wheelchair, and his fang-toothed grin held her focus for a long time.
(~)
Kimiko Musashi, the sixteen year old Japanese American youth with captivating blue eyes, and silk smooth jet black hair was very focused on her task. She rested on her knees as her feet tucked beneath her, while her two long katana's were out of their sheaths on the sand directly in front of her.
The long red scarf that covered her face swayed in the breeze, as the fresh smell of the ocean was heavy. The sun was setting across the bay, and the light expanded across the water, glistening upon the surface like it was made of a thin glass.
Her eyes were focused on her curved samurai blades, and she picked up one and began to wipe it clean with a blue cloth, before retrieving a small rectangular whetstone from her belt. She let the waves flow over it, and she was ready to begin.
Up and down in long steady strokes, she repeated the process of sliding the whetstone back and forth across the razor's edge many times.
"I don't know what to say?" The skinny blonde in the wheelchair finally spoke up, as a tumbling wave encroached into the shoreline. "This is all so . . . so- "
"Uncertain." Kimiko answered for her, as the repetitive soothing noise of the block against metal was heard.
"I was going to say impossible."
"You are safe. My friend who found you, she wanted to be certain that Beast Boy was secured, that was the mission."
"And me?"
Kimiko looked at her first blade carefully, and after touching the tip of it, she placed it down onto a long blanket and picked up the second one before responding in her quiet voice; "The unintended consequences would surely have left things off even worse for Beast Boy, and his team had you been left behind."
"I didn't want to be brought back here. It makes me feel like I'm a burden." Terra rasped with her long hair dropping in front of her face. "This place . . . The Titans . . . all of it has bad memories for me."
The sharpening of the blade continued, the dedicated shinobi listened but did not say a word.
"Did you hear what I said?" Terra felt her cheeks grow hot. "I don't belong here, I need to go home."
"Hito wa shippai kara manabu."
"Huh?"
"It means, people learn from their mistakes."
"Thanks for the wise sage like wisdom. But that doesn't help."
The ninja warrior suddenly stopped her sharpening, Kimiko studied the weapon before starting the delicate process all over again.
"Not that you would know about it." Terra whispered.
"I read your file before coming here. I did my homework."
"What file? On me?!"
"Everybody has a file. Look, I know that you and The Titans have a troubled past, from what you went through and that it is never easy to accept the things we have done. All we can do is strive to move forwards towards a better tomorrow."
"That's easy for you to say."
"You have been struggling to keep the past, in the past, and while the conflict was fierce it is only making you more driven to not look back. But that is where it is, behind us."
"What would you know?"
The sharpening got a little faster, and Kimiko partially turned her head over her left shoulder. "I know that feeling. Of doing wrong to others. Of seeing the evil you have unleashed all around you, and feeling like you are entirely on your own."
"Who are you to tell me any of this anyway? I don't even know you!"
The Japanese warrior made long slow strokes with the stone again, before responding.
"There is a place and time for things, where this is not my place to tell you about your story." Kimiko said gently. "As you have no grasp of what I have survived through. Yet you understand that there is something to respect in me. I respect you Terra, but not because of the choices that haunt you, but because of the path you chose to overcome, to amend the failure and faults you made. I think that is why you are here."
Terra slowly looked up to the girl who kept her back facing her. From the moment the Geomancer had arrived, a fear eroded any nostalgia of this island. Her mind raced with a multitude of theories as to what the others would say, when they would return?
She had not seen anybody except for Beast Boy, and once Starfire's voice was heard on the communicators, Terra decided to excuse herself and sit by the beach to clear her head.
Kimiko arrived a short time later, yet the two did not speak. Kimiko cleaned her weapons as a form of meditation, as Terra basked in the sun.
It was soothing and refreshing, to be outside and not in the hospital. The primary injury had been the stab wound near hear heart, yet Terra would be back on her feet in a short time.
The sloshing of the white foam came closer by the shore, and a seagull squawking was heard as it flew overhead.
"I am not going to stay here." Terra spoke up while she glanced at the bird, envious of its ability to fly to off anywhere it desired. "I cannot."
Kimiko inspected her second sword very closely before responding with; "Running away from your problems won't help."
"The only problem I have is staying here against my will!" Terra glanced at Titans Tower and she shook her head with anger. "And I didn't ask for a chaperone!"
The shinobi put away the sharpening tool, and she returned her weapons in their containers attached to her back.
"I am not going to pretend to know the extent of the fallout of things between you and The Titans. That is not my place to decide this."
"Good. Then perhaps you can tell the others that I am going home."
"Slade targeted you." Kimiko walked over and she placed a hand onto her shoulder. "If he could find you so easily then, surely he knows where you will go if you decide to leave."
Terra brushed aside the other girl's hand. "So what? I am free to make up my own decisions on things. You can't keep me here against my will."
"No. It is not my place to decide your fate."
A dog barked where the two females turned and noticed an excited German Shepherd trotting over with his tail wagging. Robin was noticed walking alongside the large canine, and the leader of the Titans gradually approached them.
"I want to go home." The blonde said without any hesitation in her voice. "I don't belong here."
"Take it easy Terra." Robin calmly answered. "I know that this is difficult, and that this is the last place you expected to find yourself."
Kimiko stepped to the side and she knelt down next to the big hound. As Terra watched the cordial exchange between these two, Robin stepped a little closer.
"Since when did you guys get a dog?" asked the skinny girl.
"He was a stray, and he sort of fell into our midsts from earlier in the week." Robin answered, while the crimson cloaked Necromancer came into his memory. "This is going to be uncomfortable to explain, but I need you to listen."
The ex-Titan gradually felt her blue eyes lock onto The Boy Wonder's domino mask, and she folded her arms over her chest. "I already don't like where this is going."
"I think that's my cue." Kimiko patted Robin on the shoulder, and she led the dog back up the path from where it came.
"What is it?" Terra asked.
{{End Of Scene}}
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Reviews From The Previous Chapter:
cloudkid:"Lovedd the chapter! Exciting that it seems to be a setup for something so much bigger! I'm especially eager for the Tamarenean Ark because I always enjoy people writing about Ryand'r... Also happy to see they are regrouping, it's been a while haha ;) Thanks for the awesome chapter, I hope you have a great new year! XX"
~~Thank you for the generous support, now with this chapter done the plot can continue to unfold. There is a lot to incorporate, where the sister arc between Starfire and Blackfire has been on my mind since the show ended, all those years ago. The other plots are starting to converge a little, and I strive to keep the story engaging. It can be a bit of a process, in trying to navigate from one character to another, where I am doing all that I can to keep this in a linear organized format. Thanks for the warm wishes, and I hope you are having a fantastic year as well.~~
~~T.M.O~~