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 38 is good to go! One series of troublesome issues has ended, causing new struggles to arise. Cyborg with Delphi have reached their destination, Falcon and Elizabeth forge a bond, Terra reveals what she remembers to the group, while an Exile begins to ponder over the future. "Out of the frying pan, into the fire." - John Haywood -(1497-1580)-
Chapter 38 - The Mastermind's Labyrinth
The smokestacks of the decrepit industrial metropolis, dotted across the landscape like countless spires and steeples to medieval castles, of an age long ago. They were expanding outwards, from the nearby harbor.
Lights were on across the city, while a gust of a high wind, swept across the bay. The cold of the north, it was a hard thing to adjust to for many people. Some that were brave, rather, those who were born in this climate, these few thrived in it.
The thick plumes of gas and soot, rising upwards from the brick layered chimneys, drifted across the dark atmosphere, while the furnaces burned day and night. The hot glow of fires in their pits, that melted and then molded ore into I-Beams, and thick steel, this burning hue was giving the city a more dark, and forbidding allure.
While a heavily industrialized version of Gotham City, Steel City was many hours closer to the mid-west, located near one of The Great Lakes. In stark contrast to famous and illustrious landmarks, and people that inhabited The Dark Knight's playground, this place had all of the charm, of the poorer aspects.
There were abandoned buildings which had been ignored for far too long; rundown mills, delapitated apartments that was prominent in any city, yet here they were a common theme. The bridges and infrastructure was in dire need for maintenance, crime was high, and the employment options were limited in scope.
The weather was almost always bitterly cold. Freezing rain or heavy snow tended to be a common element that the locals just dealt with.
A thin layer of snow covered the city, and the citizens were bundled up in their thick coats, scarves, and hats, as they walked about the downtown area. The smaller businesses were closed for the evening, as most people were headed to any number of bars.
It was a factory/refinery based city, with iron working, and heavy metal manufacturing in their respective zones, while the residents were mostly of the lower middle-class status. Trades such as welders, and machinists which was in high demand, was a valuable skill.
For this Teen Titan, he was raised in a northern city before heading to the sunny west coast, and this was nothing he could not handle. In fact, Cyborg felt a sense of longing for the snow, and the tensing of his muscles, the sight of his breath leaving his body, this only reminded him of his childhood years.
From snowball fights, to making trenches and forts with his classmates, even going to the park and having sledding races, or hockey matches at the local pond, these fond memories all brought out his earliest desires, to keep playing sports as he grew older.
"Cyborg. Hey, are you alright?" A female voice called to him, but he did not turn to confront her. "How long have you been here for exactly?"
"You're late." He answered, his tone was unpleasant and dry.
"Unfortunately, life doesn't always agree with the plans we make." The white robed girl unveiled her hood, pulling the cloth back and showing her fair skin, long and silk smooth hair, and deep blue eyes.
"Hmmm."
"What is it?"
"Oh, it's nothing." The Titan's Technician smirked as he lowered his binoculars, where he turned and faced her. "Why are you here?"
Delphi stepped closer, and she cocked her head to the side, as a look of anger formed. Now she knew why Robin, and the others had a strong distaste towards the Titan's Second-In-Command, when the team's leadership was constantly in question from a brash, and seemingly temperamental teenager.
"I am here, because you shouldn't be at this alone."
"That's nice. But I don't need your help."
She stepped closer. "That's funny, cause that is exactly what your friends said you would say to me. Yet, here I stand."
"I hate to break it to you . . . I don't need somebody who is going to slow me down." He shook his head in disagreement, then he looked through his binoculars again, surveying the damage.
Standing upon the edge of a cliff, the traveler took in the landscape, plotting his entrance and escape routes, calculating the possibilities of further attacks if the enemy was still lurking nearby.
There was a gnawing feeling in his gut, a sensation that there was something rather, someone waiting for him to go over there, and he did not want to make a fool of himself. Not in front of this girl.
She sighed catching his attention, then she spoke, "You don't want me here, and believe you and me, I could be doing any number of things. However . . . there are good people that need our help. This is only going to succeed, if we work together."
He glanced over at her, and he nodded.
"Good." Delphi wrapped up. "Now then, what is the situation?"
Directly across from the cliff he was standing, the once prominent and mighty structure, an honorable beacon for justice, like a lighthouse on the coast was sadly no more. It resembled many features of his own home base, the 'T' shaped building in Jump City.
The Titan's East Tower, it had completely collapsed, and it was nothing more than a smoldering mound of rubble. A couple of fire-boats were spraying a steady stream of water onto the area, and police water craft, with their flashing lights were parked nearby, scanning for clues. Above them, the rotating propeller of a news helicopter hovered overhead, broadcasting the devastation.
The Tower was nothing but a crumbling skeleton of its former self, and the bridge to approach it, was blocked off by police.
There was distant noise of traffic, and of nearby aircraft landing and taking off in the valley behind them. It was the airport. The Titan's Co-Captain had his fists clenched, and he focused entirely on the scene across the bay.
Cyborg was beyond enraged. Any time one of his creations that he had helped to construct and put together, every bolt, nut, and screw, it was heartbreaking to look upon any project that was left in ruins. He cared for and designed so meticulously, The Titans East Tower, only for it to be destroyed, that he turned away as a tear traveled down his cheek.
Delphi held a moment of silence with him, out of respect.
There were burning questions he needed answered, and the increasing fear he had, was that there might be no survivors. He tried calling The Titan's East communication frequency, the emergency backups, he dialed each member three times, but nobody answered.
He glanced away from her, as the resentment for his own failures with his team back in Jump City, it only made him feel like he was truly alone.
"I need to let the others know of our progress." Delphi took a step closer to the large and menacing Titan. "So far, my signal once I arrived in this place was not going through. Have you-"
"No. And to answer your next line of questions, I already tried that approach, but no luck in locating where the signal jamming device is coming from either. It could be literally anywhere, but I don't want to waste my time in that mindless endeavor."
Delphi blinked her blue eyes, this meeting was very tense. She had left a little later in pursuit of Cyborg, and what she did not count on, was the delay in making sure her preparations were set, before she even left Jump City.
The Squadron's Sorceress was holding her communicator in her left hand, but once the realization of this fact became more concrete, she put it back onto her belt.
The Titan's Co-Captain did not even budge. He returned his attention back onto the view in front of them.
"My communicator lost its signal the moment I came within two clicks, just outside of the city limits." he answered coldly. "Hence, why I am not just running over there."
"So we lost contact with The Titan's East, we can't contact our own teammates, there are any possible number of enemies still holding out, and we are going into this mess blind. Did I miss anything?"
Cyborg was irked. Apparently, she did fully understand the gravity of the situation, yet her cocky attitude at this time was rubbing him the wrong way. She still thought of this as a game, where he did not want to be bothered.
The constant criticisms coming from Robin were exhausting enough. Now he had this girl tagging along, and he did not like it.
"No." He deadpanned following a lengthy silence.
"I forgot how bitterly cold it can get up this far north." Delphi rasped. "I should have brought a coat."
"You don't see it, and I have to admit, I admire that innocence." He finally glanced at her, then he returned to scanning the scene behind his binoculars. "How long have you been with your team?"
"Just under a year."
"Hmmm. Well, that explains it."
Delphi raised an eyebrow. "What exactly do you mean by that?"
Cyborg shook his head, his frustration and hatred for how everything these past weeks had been going, was exhausting. He was at his final tether, and the line to his patience, was breaking into non-existence.
"You don't know me, and I won't pretend to know what you have gone through." he answered.
Delphi crossed her arms before uttering a response. "This is a bigger issue than just you alone. While you have your beef with Robin, know that I don't always agree with Avatar either. I came because that's what makes sense."
"You are here because it puts their minds at ease. That's it."
"I came of my own accord." The Rune Knight reached over, and she turned him around so she could stare into his eyes. "Look, whatever your issue is, we need to work together."
"Just stay out of my way." Cyborg revealed a scowl, as he put the binoculars down and he started for the T-Car.
Delphi followed him, and she spoke while trying to get in his path, "There is a lot of tension, and I get that. I may not know what is going on, but I want to make an effort. I came all this way, and my mission is to see this through to the end."
Cyborg chuckled before saying, "You haven't even been together as long as me and my team have. You don't know about sacrifice, of really very dark, brutally hard decisions that are made without your full understanding of the repercussions they will have! To you, this is all still capes and cowls. Of going after the bad-guys, of enjoying the hype from the local media." Cyborg slammed the door closed.
"First of all, that was rude. Secondly," she walked in front of him and blocked him, staring up and into his eyes. "What gives you the authority, to decide what others have been through?"
There was something about her stare, the tone of her voice, the manner of her posture that only made him feel that she had experienced some deeper pain. This was giving him a bad taste in his mind, as now he was sounding like how Falcon had so long ago, when being pressed from the others on his team.
He stood in place, and she pointed at his chest saying, "For your information hot-shot, me and my teammates HAVE dealt with loss. You're not the only team of superheroes, who went through a rough patch. And I didn't just come to keep an eye out for you, I came to save them!"
As she pointed towards the ruins, he felt a pang of guilt.
Cyborg's face furrowed, and he slumped his shoulders. "You're right, I . . . I'm sorry. I am running on no rest, no recharge, no food, none-stop fighting and I - I had to get here as quickly as I could."
"It's okay." Delphi cracked a partial smirk. "We will head over there, and see what is going on."
As she turned to head back to her ship, he reached out. "Stop."
"What is it?"
"Rule number one, never head in without some intel." Cyborg spoke in his calm and reassuring voice. "Even basic stuff that might seem pointless and random, like me standing here and observing the routine of the local police. See, the more you gather, the better equipped you are, to deal with a situation like this."
She leaned in a little, her blue eyes became wide as she listened without saying a word.
"You thought I was going to already be standing over there?" Cyborg gestured with his thumb.
"Well, you did leave in an awfully fast hurry."
"I left, because the trip was going to take a long time in getting here. It's almost midnight!"
"And because you are trying to find . . . what exactly?"
"Think about it." Cyborg stared at the ground for a few seconds, then he continued. "There is a high-powered communication blocking device, that is having a serious effect on our ability to do our jobs."
"Fair enough. I didn't receive any life readings, or heat signatures out there on my way in. All the burning and smoldering debris is blocking any possible feedback. Well, the scanners from my ship were not able to detect anything either."
"I have been here for some time, and I haven't been able to pick up anything either from the ground level." Cyborg turned his back to the metropolis, and his attention was drawn towards the airport. "If I were to plant a jamming device somewhere, that can impede on the incoming and outgoing transmissions across this entire city, rather, one that overlaps where The Titans East Tower used to be . . . "
Delphi's eyes became wide. "The Steel City Airport!?"
"I think it would be a good a place as any, to at least start our search over there. Wouldn't you agree?"
"That Air Traffic Control Tower, would be a very advantageous place to put something of that sort. Nobody would suspect a thing either, what with all the other antenna and radio equipment, that overlaps the transmissions across this whole section anyway."
Cyborg nodded his head in silent agreement, it was uncomfortable to think about how his friends he had helped unite and band together, a team he was chosen to lead, but he had decided to turn down their offer, to stay with Robin and the others back in Jump City, that these heroes were missing.
"Delphi, I was elected to be their captain. It was not that long ago, when I came out here, I built that place. I formed that team."
The Azrael Knight breathed in deeply, and she thought to herself, You were not ready to lead them.
"And I turned it down." Cyborg finished.
She frowned, then she placed a hand onto his shoulder. "To turn down an offer of that kind, it must have been hard."
"What matters now, is that they are not lost."
"Cyborg, they may yet be alive."
"Where the rubble of what was The Tower is where we are expected to go, and we will, but I think whoever planned this attack, might also be guarding the jamming device."
The two looked across the back of the hillside. The lights and traffic from the bustling airport, it captivated their attention. They nodded to each other in silent agreement, of where they were going next, as a gust of wind picked up.
Cyborg clenched his fists by his sides again, while the rage began to boil inside of his heart. "I was finally leading a team of my own, on my terms, we worked really good and things were looking up. It was a new chapter for me. It made me see something in myself that I was ignoring for too long."
"You have many talents and skills." Delphi smirked. "While we are only just getting to know one another, I feel that I already learned a lot about who you are. Of the man you are becoming."
"If only I had taken them up on their offer. Had I stayed they might not-"
There was a sudden pause as he became choked up. The Squadron member could feel his connection to this other superheroes, and she utilized the silence, to offer her condolences.
"We are here now." Delphi rasped. "While I can't get any readings, I am certain that they are alive."
"How do you know?"
The Azrael Knight had a glint of light reflect off her eyes. She remembered hearing about his reckless charge back in the Gold Depository, that had almost cost the lives of himself, and his fellow teammates, Robin and Raven.
He was a loose cannon, and his stance here was feeding into that fear.
"Our mission remains, to rescue The Titans East." Delphi spoke in her angelic voice. "We will shut down the jamming device, but we must proceed with caution."
"Of course." Cyborg nodded, "Sometimes you need to catch a bigger fish, by using a smaller one you just caught."
"A fish analogy?" Delphi cocked an eyebrow with bewilderment.
"Come-on. We'll approach from the back, where your ship has a clocking device on it, right?"
The two glanced at the M.D.A.R.V. that was parked further back from the T-Car.
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Delphi rasped.
(~)
A pair of deep blue eyes were looking across the room, they were intently fixated upon another teenager. The hour had grown late, yet the hunger to discover who this male was, the mystery only made her further intrigued.
The girl with blue hair was focused on the male teenager, who was wearing an eye-patch, as he leaned his upper body over the table while sitting in his wheelchair.
His name is Alex . . . and he told me a few minor details, but something isn't adding up. Elizabeth thought. I know there is more, I just need to get him alone.
She watched quietly as he meticulously folded the various edges of the paper. As he completed the final step, he smiled while another of his origami cranes was finished.
He was a quick learner, in getting the shapes and precision to stand out as a real talent, exactly how things had to be. The quality was neat, and each of the pieces had been made equal in both size and depth.
"Here's another one for your collection." Alex smirked as he handed the white bird to the child.
"Oh thank you. Thank you Alex. It is perfect!" Gretchen repeated enthusiastically. "Here Mr. Kay, please put this with the others. We don't want to lose track now."
The medical aid, Mr. Kennedy gave a partial bow, and he picked up the origami, gently placing it within a clear plastic bag that had been stuffed with many others.
The seventeen-year old yawned, he grabbed another blank sheet of paper, and he started the process all over again.
Since the group had returned to his resting quarters, from the rehabilitation ward from the lower levels, a make-shift assembly line was created by their group. In the length of time since they first began their undertaking, Alex, Gretchen, Elizabeth, and Mr. Kennedy had each contributed a substantial amount.
The rooms at Saint Mary's were small, but it was just enough for the one eyed loner. The walls were painted white, and a television was hanging along the back-wall.
The channel that was on, was of the local news, with a chyron message being displayed across the bottom half of the screen. The gathering was too fixated on their task to notice the report.
Alex, who wanted so desperately to leave, he knew that even in his current state, he would not get very far. Never-the-less, he was determined to return to Jump City, to get back into the fight.
Well, at least with them all here with me, I don't have to deal with him. Falcon thought, as he noticed the long mirror in the bathroom, and he observed the backs of the group.
These unfamiliar faces were kind to him, and like The Teen Titans before them, they were offering him comfort, and a place amongst them in their own way.
As they sat, diligently working on their own paper cranes, the music was playing a variety of artists from Elizabeth's I-Pod. It was on shuffle, and the latest artist of Ludwig Van Beethoven's 6th Symphony, caused the eye-patch wearing teenager to stop what he was doing, and to stare out the window.
Elizabeth passed a few more glances in the direction of him, where his lone brown eye finally met her blue pair, and she was quick to turn away.
The fourteen-year-old was playing it safe, she wanted to find out who he was, and what his real purpose in the train station had been that night she found him. His explanation when they met, only left her with a growing desire, to learn more.
Falcon had to bide his time, and with each instance their glances met, he felt that time was now working against him. That his defenses were already slacked, and if the pain medication was making him irritable, it was also possible he would talk more about himself than he should.
He was considering how his circumstances were potentially putting these people all in grave danger. As he went back to his task, the idea of giving more details to her, was steadily building in his mind.
She is not going to let this go. How can she? I didn't say anything. Falcon thought, and his heart-rate began to thump a little faster. There is no denying it, she is hell-bent on getting to the bottom of it.
"So, how does that look?" Elizabeth held up her tiny green origami crane, to the youngest in the room.
"Oh wow! That's so amazing!" Gretchen exclaimed with both fascination and enthusiasm in her weak voice. "That is really great! I like the color too."
"You think so?"
"Of course! Everybody has a unique fold to the paper, and no-two origami's are the same."
"Each crane has its own unique story behind it." Alex reassured her, causing both girls to glance at him while he completed another fold on his."You have a real talent at this sort of thing. For art."
Elizabeth lightly blushed. "Thank you."
"How about this one?" He held up another having just put it together, and the small red paper bird, also stood out as another impressively made origami.
"Oooh! That's very good." Gretchen reached over, and she noticed just how far he had come. "The best!"
"You know, I didn't know if I would be any good at this, but it seems I surprised myself." he chuckled.
"How do you do it so quickly?"
"Well, once you get the hang of it, it really is just a matter of repeating the same steps over and over. Repetition really, but I still have a long way to go."
"Hmmm. We all do." Elizabeth agreed.
While he may not have shown it through facial expression, his injuries were severe, and he was not at full strength. His leg was badly damaged, and his chest hurt with each intake of oxygen into his lungs.
What good would I be out there, if I cannot even stand up in here? Falcon thought to himself.
Elizabeth studied him from the opposite end, with both perplexity and intrigue. She sat at the table, keeping her hands busy with more of the colorful paper on the desk.
The hour had grown very late, and the sun was beginning to set. The shifting colors on the horizon revealed a brilliance of gold, mixed with orange, where the sun tended to be brightest at the earliest and final parts of the day.
The night had arrived, and the tedious hours spent in the exercise room only made the Grey Necromancer feel a great deal of his energy had been spent. To then keep these new friends entertained, it also made him grow tired.
"And that makes three hundred!" Gretchen exclaimed, releasing a mighty yawn.
"Nice work." Mr. Kennedy tapped her on the shoulder. As he glanced out the window to the room, he suddenly realized just how late the evening was becoming.
"While I do enjoy the company and all, I think I have had enough for this for one day." Falcon deadpanned, as he stretched his arms over his head.
The image of a news report about to be revealed, this drew his curiosity to the television, where he quickly looked away to notice that Elizabeth was still passing glances towards him.
"We only just got started though?" Gretchen complained.
"We can pick this up tomorrow, okay?"
The cancer patient yawned once again, causing the one-eyed teenager in his own wheelchair to smile.
"Alright, fine." Gretchen waved a hand, then she pointed at him. "But you'd better not run off again, like you did today though!"
"In his current state, I doubt he'll be going anywhere for the next couple of days." Elizabeth spoke with a grin.
"You're bold." he mocked her right back. "Truth is, where would I run off to anyway?"
"Oh har-har Alex. Very funny." she stuck her tongue out at him in defiance.
"My apologies Ms. Gretchen." Mr. Kennedy spoke up. "The hour has grown much too late I'm afraid, and your treatment in the coming days, will require some decent night's rest."
The headscarf wearing child coughed for a few seconds, and then she nodded in agreement.
"Oh . . . alright. Goodnight Alex, goodnight Elizabeth." The child said calmly. "Tomorrow we can pick up where we left off then."
"Tomorrow it is." Alex rasped with a slight bow.
"Night." Elizabeth echoed waving a hand.
"Good night." Mr. Kennedy and the child replied.
The aid wheeled the six year old out the door, and at the desk that the group had been busily crafting the paper cranes on, now only Elizabeth remained with the young man she had longed to interrogate further.
He sat in front of the door, keeping his distance from her, while watching through the blinds, as Gretchen was pushed further down the hall, and out of his line of sight.
"She is a real whippersnapper." Alex said with a grin.
"That she is." Elizabeth smirked, reminiscing her own encounters with the young hospital patient.
He sighed and his shoulders slumped a little. As he turned, his eye revealed heavy bags below them, and a frustrated glare quickly formed.
I cannot let this go. Not when I am so close. she thought to herself.
"You are not satisfied with what I told you before, are you?" Falcon began talking.
Elizabeth stood up and she approached him. "Things just don't seem to make sense in your story. I mean, there are parts that just don't connect, and I'm sure there is more that you have going on, things that you aren't telling me for some unknown reason."
"There isn't anything to go over." he now looked at her directly. "I told you all that you needed to hear."
"Well now, if you won't tell me, I guess I can always notify the Jump City police about digging into your story, if that would make you feel better?"
He wheeled himself towards the long window that overlooked the city, and he interlocked his arms over his chest, while her angry reflection was in the glass.
"What would it matter if you did?"
"You don't seem to mind about yourself, but this could all be a bluff?" she began the inquiry once again. "This is your last chance."
"You and I are done here."
As he pointed her to the door, she stood up and began to make her way to the exit, but she stopped as she was about to turn the handle.
"You are trying to protect someone. Aren't you?"
There was another long silence that lingered, but this time, he did not respond.
Elizabeth turned back, the two were looking directly at each other, and she continued her interrogation. "You may have everybody else fooled around here, but you can't fool me. You were also looking at the television earlier, the breaking story coming out of Steel City. Something big is going on, and somehow, you are connected to it."
"I don't know what you are talking about."
"From what little that you told, it only made me feel that there was a lot that you don't want to explain. Furthermore, that there could be a direct link to why you were at the Jump City Rail Lines at that time, and my hunch is . . . that you have something to do with it being destroyed."
Alex's gaze became one that was filled with anger, and because it had been building inside of him for so long, it was increasingly difficult to hide his emotions.
She is one stubborn girl. But there is something about her, something . . . I know it has to deal with . . .
"You were sent there, that much I can piece together." Elizabeth started again, causing him to jolt awake and to be brought back into the conversation. "What happened? Either you tell me right here and now, or I am going to contact the police. Or would you rather I contact Janet Pierson from News Channel Five, about a potential criminal that caused it, and you won't be able to hide under a rock as everybody will be after you?"
He looked to the ground, his eye darted left and right rapidly, as he thought over this dilemma. After a tense and lingering silence, she made for the door, and he reached out to her.
"Elizabeth, wait. You need to understand something. I . . . I am trying to protect people. That much you are right about, where there is no denying this."
She breathed deeply, then she spoke. "Who are you?"
"This has to deal with me, and a lot of good innocent people that will be hurt, if my whereabouts are leaked. I need to know that I can trust you. That what is spoken between us, does not leave this room."
"Enough of this charade. You are in no position to bargain!" Elizabeth snapped back.
"I have no right to make any claims, and I don't intimidate you, that much I get." His singular brown eye appeared to flare with a vengeance which she had never before felt. "But you must understand . . . your threats against me, will only hurt countless lives. Well, I played my hand, but you have certainly overplayed yours."
The aspiring medical doctor took a step closer to the injured teen. "You may lead off with a 'tough-guy' exterior, but deep down there is more to you than meets the eye. I am not afraid of you."
"I'm not the one you should be afraid of."
She was standing directly in front of him, towering over him.
"Look, it's more than the people I am trying to get back to, in Jump City that will be put in harms way. You must understand!"
"What are you going on about now?"
"Your life, your father's life . . . Mr. Kennedy, Susan, little Gretchen! You are all in grave danger!"
Elizabeth interlocked her arms over her chest. "We don't intimidate each-other, but I won't stand for your threats. If you want my trust, you must first earn it."
Where have I heard that before? He asked himself with a sly smirk. "Fair enough."
"You were at the Jump City Railway. Why? What was your intentions? Who else are you working with?"
"I will tell you everything you want to know . . . but trust works both ways sweetheart."
"Sweetheart!?"
"If anybody learns about who I am. It's everybody here who will undoubtably become the next targets. I don't think you want that on your conscience, do you?"
There was another long pause, both parties came to a stalemate. Without uttering any retort, the theme of a broadcast caught their ears.
*This is a News Channel Twelve special report!* The chyron at the bottom of the television caught their gaze.
The image of Steel City, with The Titan's East Tower being destroyed was visible as the aerial footage from a helicopter circled the destruction. The smoldering ruins, the police and fire craft speeding across the local harbor, all of these images were deeply alarming to both teenagers.
Elizabeth gulped, as she had seen the horror of destruction first-hand. She had saved a life, but this was heartbreaking because she knew deep down, she could do nothing for these people.
*Good evening. This is Steve Meccan of News Channel Twelve. Our top story, we continue with the ongoing coverage of Steel City, and the deadly tragedy that has shaken the mid-west, earlier Wednesday Night.*
"Wednesday night?" Falcon asked as his heart-beat throbbed. "Wait, Elizabeth, what day is it?"
"Why it's Thursday, soon to be Friday in the coming hours."
*The Titan's East Tower has been . . . destroyed. The footage is still rather heartbreaking to behold, and our local affiliates on the ground, have made contact with the police department, conducting the ongoing investigation into this heinous act. We now go live, to our field reporter on sight . . .*
Elizabeth watched Alex's only eye water up, as his fists became tightly clenched. He was angry, and she could easily read his displeasure in this terrible tragedy.
"Alex . . ."
He turned.
"There is no telling what is going to happen, but if what you tell me is true . . . that there are many lives that now hang in the balance . . . I will honor our arrangement." Elizabeth spoke softly, while the faces of her father, and Gretchen smiling came to her thinking. "I won't say a word."
For the first time, Falcon finally breathed a sigh of relief. While the news update unfolded, he calmed his heart-rate down, and the knot in his stomach loosened.
She placed her hand onto his shoulder to comfort him, and as the reporters told their story, Falcon looked out the window to begin his.
Elizabeth gazed over as well, and the electric glow, from numerous buildings starting to illuminate the coming darkness of night.
"What you may know is only half of the story." He took a drink of his glass, and he continued speaking. "Allow me to explain the truth, where the twist of things, doesn't go without a strange sense of irony. For where you found me, inside The Jump City Railway, that is where our story begins. See, I had just arrived following a long journey from Texas, when I bumped into this guy on the tarmac . . ."
(~)
A lingering silence had fallen over the gathered heroes within Titan's Tower. As Terra told her story a second time, the many heroes were deeply honored for her to come forwards, however, it was a perplexing mystery within an even greater one.
They were connecting a few of the pieces, a picture was forming in their heads but they still had no clue, with what the ultimate outcome was going to be. From the minor details they had, the tiny crumbs only left deeper questions.
Worse, it was still taking them a long time to answer the fundamental things, such as, where The Mastermind's base was hidden, or what his next deadly move would be?
Upon telling her story to both Starfire and Avatar, in the Evidence Room, the three girls reached out to everybody else, and in The Common Room, her journey was retold.
This was a genuine effort at making peace with everybody, a final attempt for Terra, and she only hoped they would listen.
All except for Raven was present, who did not wish to be disturbed, and Robin who said he would arrive once he had finished up a few things in his quarters. For Terra, it was a relief in a way, to not have the Grey Empath watching her like a hawk.
While everybody listened, they were patient and considerate. Her revelation only exposed just how much time had gone into their greatest nemesis's plot, and how little they truly had to work with.
"So that's everything when I found myself in the hospital, and Starfire was there." Terra had grown exhausted with giving yet another account of everything. Her silhouette reflected against the wall, and she felt cold all of a sudden. "I was taken against my will, and there was nothing I could do. You must believe me!"
This was the most motivational speech she could offer, and still it was total silence, from all the others in the large and homely space.
"Terra, we understand." Beast Boy finally spoke up from his wheelchair, with a nod of sincerity.
He could fill in the rest, and the dejected look upon her face only made him feel worse.
"That's a pretty compelling story you've told us." Press joined in, as he rubbed his chin. His tone of voice, was the only thing which revealed that he was skeptical. "However, this is not my place to decide anything around here."
"What does that mean?" Beast Boy asked in a heated manner.
"It means, we still only know a few things." Kimiko answered.
"I don't know what more you want from me." Terra concluded, "That is everything. Why would I lie?"
"Terra." Starfire smiled at her old teammate. "We thank you for telling us this, it has not been easy, and for the pain that you must have endured . . . to have told this story a second time, and for there to still be doubts, I am truly sorry."
The Ex-Titan simply bowed her head in sorrow.
"I feel lost." Terra replied while looking away.
"You are never alone." Starfire reassured her, reaching out and placing a hand on the downtrodden girl's shoulder. "We are all in this, together."
One by one, all of the teenagers nodded in agreeing with this statement. It was known that the Ex-Titan had indeed betrayed The rest of her team, but she was doing all she could, to move forwards in the right direction.
From the moment The Geomancer came to them with her memories restored, they were happily surprised to notice that she was standing on her own two feet. The elation was quick to fade however, when she recounted her story.
Terra had given a full account, of all that had transpired dealing with her capture, and it only made her blood boil, with how the further transgressions that the demon of her past, the shadow of her nightmares had caused her still.
"We all are." Kimiko concurred with The Tamaranean Princess. "There are still things that we must get to the bottom with, and with your team technician, and our team's psychic away -" she nodded towards Avatar. "Our resources are stretched thin as it is to how to piece these things together."
"So . . . now what?" Beast Boy bounced back into the mix. "We are on the right track, and that is enough."
"How?" Avatar rubbed her left elbow.
"I went to you and Starfire to help plead my case, not to turn against me!" Terra snapped, inching her way in The Squadron Leader's direction.
Avatar bit her lip before saying in a whisper, "If only Delphi were here."
"But she isn't." Raven's gravely voice was heard from the back of the room.
All eyes were locked onto the blue cloaked Empath, where both Starfire and Terra were stunned to have been snuck-up on without any notice.
"Wha - wait . . . how did you?" Terra sputtered in fear, while pointing to the door as it slid shut.
Raven did not say a word.
"How long were you standing there for?" Avatar asked.
"Long enough." Raven rasped in an irritated manner, as her hood was pulled back. "So, you're back on your own two feet again. That's good."
"Friend Raven!" Starfire said with glee, as she flew close to embrace her sister-teammate, but she stopped short. "How fared your meditation session?"
"I apologize for my absence, there was a lot that I had to reflect upon." Raven noticed Beast Boy sitting in his wheelchair alongside Terra, and she took a calming breath before continuing. "It was a long week."
Beast Boy became tense, where The Empath simply nodded her head, acknowledging him.
"Well, thanks for being here." Avatar said, holding her hand out to shake Raven's. "I know this is a difficult time, and I also know the history between you and her." she turned to Terra before continuing. "I only want to keep things in perspective."
Raven did not shake hands, instead she walked towards Terra. "I am tired of saying this, and I know that you are just as annoyed hearing it, but it must be said. It won't do us any good to with all this in-fighting, and there is only so much pull I have in making decisions anyway."
"Raven . . . please." The changeling whispered as he looked up.
The blue cloaked Titan was now standing directly in front of Terra, and she glanced about the many faces of the room before responding. "This is indeed a test, a trial which I do not know how it will end."
Beast Boy pushed himself in the wheelchair to sit alongside The Empath, where she partially raised a hand to keep him distant.
"Does anybody though?" Press asked.
"However." Raven continued her statement. "We must put aside old grudges, and work together."
In understanding how strained things still were between Raven and Terra, the green shapeshifter felt it was best to not say anything.
"There is much wisdom in your words Raven." Kimiko was heard, trying to be the mediator. "So, what do we have to work with?"
The Geomancer smiled back to The Squadron Member, and she said. "Thank you."
The domino-masked Squadron Leader, faced the large window at the front of the room, and she sighed as the darkness of night continued to cover the skyline. "With all of this, we still don't know everything, but there are details that do help with this mystery."
"Such as?" Raven asked while interlocking her arms over her chest.
"There are still things to go on, we learned things. The Old Stadium is a place we can look at." Press commented.
"The way Slade attacked Starfire and Terra, and that is important." Beast Boy interjected.
"Right, but there are still questions we need answered. Some things from your story just doesn't add up." Raven leaned her backside against the sofa, while motioning towards the blonde female.
"I didn't think you heard everything?" Terra asked.
"I don't have to be in the room, to gather what happened." Raven looked at Beast Boy and Terra, a cold and stern expression was plastered across her face.
"I told you guys everything that happened." Terra became irritated. "You are The Teen Titans for gosh sakes, don't you put the clues together and figure things out?"
"While you are eager, Terra, yet you are still recovering and I do not wish for you to injure yourself further." Starfire pleaded, as she placed her hand onto Terra's shoulder.
The blonde shook her head in obvious frustration, then she said, "We must do something!"
"We will." Kimiko agreed. "With what we have already put together, and the events from the days you met with Slade at The Municipal Stadium, we can begin to piece together . . . what Slade has already done, and potentially what is in the works."
"That gas . . . it sure sounds like a most dangerous weapon. Back in Gotham, there is somebody who uses something similar." said Avatar, "I don't think I've ever encountered anything like this before though."
"The effects were . . . so potent, horrifying really. I could not move, I could not breathe." Terra spoke in a crestfallen tone, she then rubbed her neck, as the nightmare was raw and difficult to accept.
"The attack against me, on the rooftop of the hospital, it was indeed some weaponized form of a gas as well. At first I thought he was utilizing basic smoke grenades, but after a time, it turned out to be something much worse." The Tamaranean Princess became uncomfortable after telling her account. "I could not move, the same as you Terra. Whatever Slade is plotting, there is a strong possibility, that this is going to be used."
There was another lingering silence, as these words dug deeply into their minds.
Starfire knew just how destructive that gas cloud was, to collapse after inhaling the poisonous fumes, in not being able to utilize her powers, as her enemy was free to make his attack, unfettered, it was truly frightening.
"Slade is a criminal mastermind, who knows the boundaries he is willing to push." Raven spoke up. "What I fear, is he has only been holding back."
"What? Holding back!?" Avatar scoffed at this.
"I'm curious." Press joined in. "If we are to understand this guy, just what exactly do you mean when you say that, he hasn't been going all in against us Raven?"
The Geomancer shut her eyes, as she remembered the last words echoing in the abandoned tunnel, between the Criminal Mastermind and the old man that gave her the letter.
"He said . . . he needed to up the dosage. That it was a test, against meta-humans." Terra re-opened her eyes after saying this, and the anger replaced any remnants of terror in her tone.
"There is your answer." Raven spoke in her familiar rasping voice. "Slade is gradually moving beyond what any of us is comfortable with accepting, and by mere luck, have we been able to stave off complete disaster entirely."
"We will need more than luck if we hope to win." Press deadpanned.
"If Slade does have the means to use this form of a toxic gas . . . in the controlled form against meta-humans, what we should be asking, is what will he be capable of, that he has not done yet?" Kimiko questioned.
"Unleash the toxic chemicals all over Jump City. That seems exactly like a Criminal Mastermind's ploy to me." came the voice from The Teen Titan's Leader, and everybody turned back to the doorway, as the spikey-haired seventeen-year-old walked forwards.
"Robin!" Starfire said while flying over to him.
"Robin." Avatar chimed in next. "You look exhausted. How are you feeling?"
"I'll be fine. Once this madman is captured and we can put an end to all of this. I was analyzing the canisters left at the scene from the rooftop of Jump City Central, and it contained the faint traces of various elements."
"When did you go back?" Starfire asked with a pang of guilt hanging in her voice.
"I went hours ago, I didn't want to cause you to worry." Robin glanced behind his shoulder, and he sighed. "I needed to learn anything that I could, and after Cinderblock attacked you-"
Starfire placed a hand onto his shoulder.
"Still with the detective work, eh Boy Blunder?" Avatar chuckled.
"Old habits die hard." he smirked. "You know who I was partners with before, and that stuff never just leaves you. No matter where you go."
Robin typed on the computer console, and the data from his findings began to scroll down the massive flatscreen for everybody else to see. It was a lot of chemical components, and mathematical equations, things which Cyborg is good at calculating and formulating what the base elements when combined would create.
"What did you learn?" questioned Press.
"There wasn't much left behind, where the gas as we all know, evaporated before a sample could be obtained. However, from analyzing the samples of blood, from both Starfire and Terra, the residual traces were a perfect match in both."
"Meaning?"
"It means, that Slade did in fact use the same chemicals in the attacks against both of you." The Titan's Captain concluded, as the images on split screens were synchronizing.
"The effects were only temporary." Starfire said while rubbing her left elbow. "I did not know, the components of such a weapon would leave any traces."
"Apparently, neither did Slade." Avatar said while nodding.
"Well that's good news." Beast Boy spoke up, and he looked to the red-head. "So, we have a good idea as to what the type of attack is most likely going to be."
"However, there can be any number of methods to make the gas much worse." Robin cut-back into the conversation.
"Worse still, he has had who knows how long to perfect it? We don't even know how he would unleash an attack on the whole of Jump City. If that is still his primary target." Raven conjectured.
"Well then, time to burn the midnight oil. So the old saying goes." Avatar quipped while elbowing Robin.
"But this was only two incidents." Raven rasped. "Slade is a master deceiver, and we don't know where his secret base is located. Unless your research uncovered something useful in this matter, then we are still left back at square one."
"True." Robin exhaled before continuing. "But what I do know about Slade, is that he is so darned overzealous about any of his plans, that these were indeed trial runs to test our responses. And from what we have learned, he is going to push us beyond anything we have faced before."
"Agreed."
Avatar began to pace back and forth, and during the lingering silence that was too much to bear, she finally spoke up. "What can we do?"
"Have patience." Robin rasped. "After all this time, you can still learn a thing or two."
"Still no word from Cyborg, or Delphi yet on the progress of their mission?" Press asked, where the gathered heroes congregated around the large jumbo screen.
"Nothing." Avatar deadpanned. "Ever since Delphi took off in our ship, she kept the communications going but so far, ever since she entered the outskirts of Steel City, everything has been radio silence."
"Hmmmm." Raven remarked. "This isn't good."
There was a new fear that gripped the hearts of everyone. Once again, their forces were being splintered off, and the increasing threat of whatever Slade was planning, was making both teams incredibly worried.
"Should we not do of the something, to assist them?" Starfire asked while clutching her left elbow.
Robin bowed his head. "Their mission, was to check on The Titan's East, and to be their reinforcements we would send. We cannot afford to risk sending more people after them. Not when Slade is planning to unveil another attack on not only us, but Jump City as a whole. And that is exactly what he is going to do."
"Strike when the opponent is at rest, they will never expect it." Kimiko replied. "Bold, cunning, and indeed a true tactic of a seasoned warrior."
"What are you saying?" Press asked with an irritated pitch. "I mean, I get that Cyborg is a bit . . . well . . . difficult, but Delphi is our teammate too and we should have some say in this matter."
Kimiko walked over to him, and she placed a hand onto his shoulder to offer reassurance and guidance.
"Delphi knew the risk, just as we all did." The Shinobi Warrior said in a crestfallen tone. "If any of us were in her place, what do you think she would do?"
The ink-blots on his rorschach mask shifted and blurred, and he looked to the floor in frustration. Then he glanced up and said in a angry manner, "She would want us to carry on with our duty."
"Has anybody been able to reach them?" Starfire asked, her concern for their large and boisterous teammate brought new fears to her heart. As the distance began to weigh in their minds.
"I can't get through." Robin answered. "I tried multiple times, and no luck. We have to accept that for now, Cyborg and Delphi are on their own."
Avatar stepped forwards prior to speaking, "The motion trackers are activated, from their communicators, so we can still monitor their progress."
"I don't like this." Press shook his head in a very disgruntled manner. "Wait . . . something else feels wrong."
"A gut feeling?" questioned Raven.
"I guess you could say that. I don't want to leave them on their own!"
"Neither do we, but these are the cards we were dealt, so we are doing what we can." Robin commented, trying to ease the growing tension in the room between the two teams.
"It's not good enough." Press tilted his head at The Teen Titan's Commander. "I was not in favor of her going at this alone."
"She isn't alone." Raven reassured the confidence for both groups. "While we may not be able to get into touch with them, the fight is far from finished."
"Yeah." Beast Boy said with a partial smirk. "The Tin-Man is many things, but he is also a bold strategist."
"Cyborg has has taken the reigns when the time was needed." Robin acknowledged. "If anybody can do this, it would be him."
"Give them time." Starfire entered the debate. "For what we can be confident with, is that friend Cyborg is aware of this situation too."
"Forgive me." said Press. "But I don't feel all too optimistic about any of this."
"They are going to work together, because they have no other option." Robin commented. "Where they are probably looking for creating a way to communicate with us, as their first priority. Remember, we only learned about the disaster at Steel City through the mainstream news, so that means there is something jamming any communications into or out of the area."
A brief respite had come over the heroes, and a comforting element finally soothed all who were deeply concerned.
"What we must focus our attention on, is right here." Robin stood back from the keyboard, and the map of Jump City was enlarged. "Everything you told us will be of great help Terra. This is exactly the information we needed."
"In what way?" The blonde asked.
"The gas." Beast Boy remarked.
Raven stepped forwards into the center of the group. "Knowing what we do about Slade already, we can be certain that those earlier attacks were only a means of testing the concoction in small doses."
"Unleashing this poison onto Jump City would be a clever enough move." said Avatar. "I wouldn't put it past Slade to go to those extremes, now that we know more about him."
"He wouldn't. I mean, to pull something like that off, it would require any number of things, and the calculations must be astronomical, let alone, how would he even disperse the gas into the atmosphere to begin with?" Press questioned with disbelief.
Robin typed away on the computer, and The Old Stadium came into focus, on the giant television screen.
"What are you planning now?" Avatar asked while interlocking her arms.
Robin frowned, after rubbing his eyes that were concealed by the black domino mask, he turned and faced them. "Instead of waiting here for him to make his move, I suggest we make one of our own."
(~)
An attractive female's shadow stretched across the top of a curved structure, her long jet-black hair was blown across her right shoulder, from the wind.
She had traveled vast distances, she was tired and her entire body ached. The return journey had taken an unexpected detour, where the urgent feeling of failure, had stuck with her the whole trip.
Now that she was back, the looming dread had at last left her body.
The unexpected chill did not phase her, as she was taking in this precious moment to relax, and to dwell over all that happened. The trees down below swayed, as a lone owl began to make its familiar noise.
"There you are! The others, they are getting rather restless." A female voice called out, disturbing the tranquility of the moment.
"Are they now?" Blackfire answered coldly, where she gradually opened her eyes. "It would seem, that even a moment of reprieve from this, is just too much to ask."
Killer Frost interlocked her arms after approaching the Tamaranean Exile.
"Look." The Ice Elemental spoke. "These aren't your typical run-of-the-mill goons here, these are some of Gotham City's biggest baddies. Now, whatever your boss had planned up to this point, it seems like everybody has their own agenda."
Blackfire exhaled a deep and powerful breath. She was getting tired of playing the messenger role, of the glorified currier part that she was assigned. It was nothing like how she had envisioned things would play out, when deciding to team up with Jump City's most feared and deadly adversary.
She wanted to destroy her sister, to wipe out The Teen Titans. So far, it had become an overdrawn and deeply perplexing quandary, as a distasteful resentment against her employer. This strategy was becoming worse, with every passing minute.
Now that she was back, leading the force he had requested her to gather, the Mastermind himself had yet to arrive, and tensions were becoming thick.
"How are they?" Blackfire asked, as she turned and confronted the other girl. She began to forge a bond with her, ever since they met outside The Iceberg Lounge.
Killer Frost rubbed her neck and she looked to her feet. After exhaling, she spoke.
"Let's see . . . Penguin is plotting how soon he can take over the dockyards here for his own shipping business, which is all he is talking about. Victor Zsasz wants to make mincemeat out of those two astronomers we tied up, Two-Face is lost in that damned coin of his, whether he should stay or leave at this point, Hatter is . . . well he's Hatter. Ivy is under the impression that you are leading us all in a ruse of some sort, where Cheshire is . . . well she isn't saying anything, and I can't make heads or tails of that girl."
"What are your thoughts on the matter?"
"Me? Why, I have my own reasons for being here." Killer Frost smirked. "Not that I don't have doubts about any of this, but so far, you have yet to disappoint."
Blackfire nodded humbly.
Killer Frost stepped closer. "I can respect that the original goal is met, to a certain extent. Finally we are here, in Jump City."
The two girls looked out across the bay area, the entire landscape was lit up. It was very peaceful up here, and the distance allowed them a moment to catch their breaths in peace, without being apprehended or detected.
They were standing atop the roof of The Jump City Observatory, which Professor Chang had utilized when he threatened to vaporize every building, with the deadly laser cannon. It had been rebuilt, following that battle with Robin and his team, where the scientists that worked here were quickly tied up.
"I wanted to make it my priority to destroy them. The Teen Titans." The Exile deadpanned. "I knew that if I did it on my own however, my efforts would be wasted."
"You hate them that bad, huh?"
"It is more than hate that drives me now." Blackfire lifted her gaze, and her eyes burned towards The Tower.
"You wanted to know what it is that brought me here?" Killer Frost asked. "See, I didn't do it for spite, or vengeance, or anything like that. No, no, my motives were far simpler."
"What is it then?"
The Ice Elemental pointed at her chest, where the heart resided and she smirked. "There is a power that drives the deepest of commitments in all of us, far from rule of law, past bonds of allegiances, forged in things beyond comprehension or compare."
The Exile held back her emotions very well, yet the facial expression of concern was seeping through. Still, Blackfire said nothing, allowing Killer Frost to continue.
"It is as though you are chasing after something that you had long since abandoned, or thought lost. A thing such as that, it can only mean there is a prize mightier than all the gold Slade promised us."
A silence lingered between the two, and Blackfire listened to her heart-beat echo in her eardrums. She was not going to divulge how Slade was manipulating things against her, that there was a deeper motive to see this mission through.
Following an uncomfortable silence, Killer Frost spoke up. "You don't have to tell me. I have my own interests, which is why I think we get along so well. Besides, who else would I talk to down there . . . Croc?"
Blackfire chuckled. "You've got a point."
Just then the communicator Blackfire was given, it began to chirp. She flipped open the screen, and she turned away from the other warrior.
"Who is it?" Frost asked.
The cold mask, the single eye, the rasping monotone on the other end revealed who she was growing increasingly frustrated with. After a brief discussion privately, Blackfire cut her transmission short, and she placed the device onto her belt.
"Gather the others." The Tamaranean deadpanned in all seriousness.
"It's him, isn't it."
Blackfire nodded. Not saying another word.
Killer Frost smiled a devilish grin, and as she was about to descend the stairs, she looked back one last time.
There, standing proudly with her back the stairwell, the Exile remained. Her determined focus was completely fixated on the city, a place that she despised so much, where her eyes became locked onto the building that The Teen Titans called home.
{{End Of Scene}}
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Author's Note:
No reviews? Hmmmm. It would appear, that I might have to pull something a bit drastic for one of the many heroes. What will happen next? On a side note, for me, today is a bit special because it is my birthday! So, happy b-day to me I guess, but the real prize is in having uploaded another chapter, for all of you fans to read. (It took a couple of months, but it is finally done.)
I know it has been a delay in getting to this point, and I do what I can in bringing out new chapters. There is no excuse on my part, life can create any number of unbalanced things to transpire around you, where if there is any consolation, it is that my resolve following the struggle of my many hardships and losses, my ultimate goal has been and still remains, to keep striving at this story. To see it through to the very end.
I may not have the largest following, I do not have over one-hundred plus stories to my name on this site, and there are a good deal of authors who can write all day, which is a commendable accomplishment in and of itself. I feel great pride in the knowledge, that this incredible journey is still teaching me so much, and that I can continue to strive forwards.
Life is a bounty of many things, and a gift for me is having the opportunity, to bring a little enjoyment or encouragement, into this wonderful community.
Know that if I can create something special, unique on its own, a truly alluring piece of literature that honors The Teen Titans in various forms, while the gratification for any who read this tale, as it brings me joy in crafting it out, then I have accomplished my goal. By you, the readers leaving any feedback in the box at the bottom, it encourages me to get this story updated much sooner. Thank you to all, for your continued support and kind words, it only emboldens me to do better, and to keep going at this.
~~T.M.O~~