Teen Titans; Renegade's Last Resort - Finding Pandora = Hope

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Chapter 29: Anomaly : Detected

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Roy swept in as soon as Wally had been sure he'd need some back up. Cy and Bb were all over as Cy contacted the Wayne address; only to speak to the bushy browed butler, Alfred.

~ Ah, Master Stone-

"Sorry. We have to get in touch with Mr. Wayne. His project went a little –

"COMING RIGHT FOR US!! WAAHHH!!~" Bb dove as swiftly as birds could while the Key had meta powers over what looking to be the elements. Instead, it could simply form what looked to be pillars that tore up the floor, blocks of figments that were not of crystal yet, of pixels.

~ I'm supposed to get the chance to know what happened? You can't tell me, how about our good scientists?~ The boy frowned and pointed at the Flash as Kid Flash pointed back. " Wrong guy, dorkenstein." Growled the teen. "If you gotta get out any of your frustration on anyone here, don't try it. We are the good guys, see?"

"Edward. You're not safe here. We need to –

~ So. Will you tell them nothing about what you told me, Sir?~ Pouted the kid as he stomped his foot on his pixilated cloud. ~ That you were greedy. You wanted me to grant you a wish that was dangerous. That you captured my brother and I and did something wrong with us….we can't grant wishes! We create alternate solutions!!~

Cy looked at KF as he recalled the kid Livewire and the time with Lex burning to death.

"Opposites attract…" Barry put a palm to his costume's temple as he shook his head, laughing weakly at the error in wishes and the like. "Stone, knew…"

Vic heard this and went up to Barry as Roy, Bb and Wally followed the floating boy to another hallway. "You mean, my pop?? Where is he??"

He shook the man's shoulders, while not caring a JLA illumni was his target; his father was running into something massive, and all Barry had done behind their backs was let loose this alien toddler.

"You gotta tell me. You gotta, because he was the first ta –

"No." Barry grumbled. "He wasn't the first to know about the key…"

/

Bruce pulled out his cell as an old friend or foe had it; he pressed as the suspected woman had his attention.

~ Mr. Wayne. Your fear and ours is realized. We've made attempts to reach you before. Lex was, uncooperative at the best of times. Have you checked its progress yet?~

Bruce turned on a device that did check, and he was stunned over the details of a hidden message. ~ Waller, this project is a disaster that we knew could get past those doors. Wanted it to heal our society at the very –

~ You wanted a wish granted, but I told you it has to be maintained through equivalent exchange. As all good things come at a great price and it finally snapped for us going over our own egos to start something else…you wanted that medicine. You got it. I wanted Wilson back in my core unit to not cause any trouble, but that'd be impossible now that it's too late. He got to a key, the boy your teammates found was A-

~ It was a duplicate of the key made into a child. It's how it assumes control. According to Professor Stone, he pet ut out of its holding –

~ He was controlled by it, bit the first one was let go. It wanted to find and merge with the first key that your lost to Wilson.~

"That orb…-

~ It's without question that your partner and ward is in danger. If the orb is now morphed past stage three, we can't turn back time with or without it.~ Waller was walking to her private jet as the news raged about no one being able to stop the twin in Star labs in Central City. ~ The Flash is powerless to do anything because the twins made contact. One nearly drove the first mad, and as a result, Silas Stone is gone.~

"Gone??"

~ We lost him. Off the grid. Could be rolling in a ditch or planning to get his key outta whatever wish he wanted granted. The thing is that it feeds, but the possible outcome is the wish everyone wants. An action and a possibility. There us not one genie to talk to, Bruce. That thing is a menace and I'm enlisting the damn league to fix what we thought had potential…~

" You admit that the project is a failure. We used sentient life as something it wasn't. It's not any better than a human right –

~ I know now that you're no better. You used it to help the Titans stay alive after the madman infected their bloodstream. Its all in the report we collected through our sources. And Bruce….the ones after you? They were clear that I had to keep an eye on if you had a wish that needs granting.~

" I, don't."

Waller huffed, not exact satisfied by the reply. ~ Well, don't try to. A wish backfires because the outcome is not equivalent to its value. One life can't save a city. So, there. Work with us. Stop the orb and the keys. With what we've done for progress, here….no one should have tried this hard to play a damned god.~

/

"Late night at the office, B?"

Jason could nose his way into any situation, yet Bruce had just returned from a very fruitful venture into the unknown. "The satellite systems had some if my people involved, but it was just a few rocks. We took care of that easily. Head up to bed, and did you finish your homework?"

" Ah….yeah and no." Jason seethed while moving in a maybe pose with his palm. Tilting it to show how sincere he wasn't being. "Did you locate Dickie yet? I know –

" It'll be fine. Go, you have school tomorrow. Your teachers are unhappy that your math was a bit sloppy this year."

"His never were." Pouted the huffing thirteen-year-old.

"Dick is with his team. I am supporting him on a trial basis." The man took his coat and removed it to find a hanger in the closet by the door. Alfred was resting after having tired himself out all week with Jason's antics.

"Bet he could long distance tutor me. Why not? I mean –

"He needs his space. So, we'll see." Smiling weakly, Bruce had just given away why his regrets could still be considered his greatest fight as a father, as a man who still had a lot of growing up to do himself.

He checked his phone on the data from the strange device they had found. All of it had vitals like a human, or…a meta?

"Well. When I pass my test this month…can we go see him in Cali? I bet they have less doom and gloom rain compared to Gotham. And I've lived here for as long as…well, you?"

Bruce scratched his cheek, putting away the monitor as he thought about that… really, it was not a good idea…

"If we go, it can't be Jump City. And we can't do anything to attract attention to ourselves. It would be as incognito as made possible. We could have something in the summer. When business is slower."

"I'd swamp you off the shore cause I'm gonna learn to flipping surf!!" Jason imitated riding a long board though his balance wasn't very practiced.

They laughed about it, Bruce wondering if Dick had days off as a civilian too. Being a hero, away from the dark knight's lonely world…

/

Bruce pulled away to forward to one person alone that he still needed to connect with. The way to Black Gate meant that the clearer direction was all Harvey's good behavior. He was in with his papers and going through documents from as far as five to ten years back. An excess for a rube of the industry, yet never Mr. Dent.

"Hey, B. I got this in the bag. Look."

He pointed to the original home and "image" of Duarte's entire life in Gotham, up to the present.

"So, he did exist, but Wade? According to the new files, he had his name legally changed just after your kid went to the next city. I mean, this could be baiting but I think he knew you had an orb and it got ugly from Richie flying the coop. How could he away known to do any of these changes unless he could see dang future?"

"Precognition is Slade's ability to a small part of who he is as an assassin, and I wouldn't put it past a man like that…to know my next move." Bri e wondered. "Slade Wilson is Wade, but the press and the mayor don't care. He kept them quiet for months and even Cat and Vickie did a check of his background with the company under his family. It's an entirely n-

"Never existed. I saw." Harvey searched his neck as he leaned back while Bruve checked over the rough data they had to work with. "Man forges his face –

"Naw. He had a connection to the Duarte family. Remember what I said about them coming from down south? Where do you think Willie's come from out of that woodwork? It's a good con, because they're related. A great, great ancestor twice removed.

"Are you saying –

"Legally, Slade is a full - of - it Duarte. But he's real, and his ass is on the seat to ruin you and this city. If he builds, we all pay for it. ( I'm talking about you Trump!! As for everything wrong with human nature. Ego, nailed it. )

"IF I make a wrong move, if I move my pieces before the trial-

"The thing that gets me, is why he adopted your boy and wants to keep the family business…but assassins are old school weirdos like that. I think." Harvey shrugged at the bat as Bruce nodded. "Dick will come home. His blackmail isn't forever. Not when I'm so close in a way to save the Titans."

"Kids shouldn't die before us. Leaves a bad taste and I had a kid…once."

"He knows you're doing the right thing by fight back, Harvey." Bruce told his friend. "You'll see her and explain everything without anyone else to talk for you this time. That same cure might even be…"

"Naw." Harvey put up a palm. "Last time I got a cure from you, it almost left me dragged down to hell and back. Never wanna experience how it was with the old me. Times are done. No more machos around to congratulate. Brains ate the only thing keeping me from death row. And you." He grinned as the two parted ways.

Three days. They had three days until the trail. Three days, and today, would be when the issue would come through.

/

The fight left the entire lab trashed. The kid was taken in but he fought like he'll as Bb couldn't stop staring at how they shot beams and kept the kid caged.

In his mind, like a wild animal finding freedom….the kid needed someone. Just like how Crystal had gone poof before knowing a thing about any possibility of being human.

Like …..

He blinked. This was very strange as in German Sheppard form while Cy contacted the police find his missing father, Bb was restless. He didn't hear voices or answer back, no. It for once made him feel needed, not just expected of a job. He got up and walked as a dog to the door of Cy's dad's place. There was grass outside and the suburbs sung songs of a false paradise.

~ You're here, right? I'm here too!~

The small voice was crying, so like a dog he went to it. The strange green dog was unbothered as he morphed finally when the path to the investigated lab had yellow tape but no people.

~ Did you find me yet? I'm here!~

The face of the boy as it pushed against the glass made him look ad if to be drawing in whatever fluid they'd shoved him into. ~ That mean woman is coming…she's going to hurt you too. Please! Get me away from her –

~You went after my team and attacked everyone.~ Bb answered. ~ Why should any of us trust what you've got to say?~

~ I'm trying to go home. This big man took me from space. I'm part of an entire rave of beings from what you call "Pandora." The creation of my kind is a mystery, so they wanted that source if our life to test and use. They did awful things to me and my kind…we are always reborn, but we suffer when we turn and become one. It hurts…!~ The boy wept. ~ My brother is gone. My sister cell! She ….she was afraid, and that bad man offered her a safe place wkth all of us and lied. She died as you humans calling. We droft into the infinite oblivion.~

"Why ask me to come see you? I can't tell my team, cause it's not our –

~ You have a friend, and we made contact. He is in grave danger. The other bad evil man wants to use him like the first used us. To turn into something dangerous, never good. All things from Pandora are simply outcomes. We call them wishes for you to understand, but the cost is your very understanding itself which is –

"You make them insane…" Bb paled in his human green skin. "You literally drove people to kill each other over you guys…but why??"

~ Humans are strange, fragile and very underdeveloped neurologically. We cannot fix you, yet for those that are unworthy, death is the only way to cure it. To make this world the right way so we won't get hurt. It's like what humans call…self defense, only we want a world because you ruin every world that belongs to us.~

" You…do the same thing on other planets…no way am I letting you get out!"

~ YOU already did, because we spoke. Now? You'll be my little pup and cone crawling back to unlock my hatch so I may find and recover the orb which will free my kind. You've been so curious about my sister cell. Would you rather….~

In front of Gar's horrified face was, Crystal's.

~ We are all the same. Same mind. Same home without this world. You could be one of us….~

"No!" Bb growled and stepped back. "I'm not gonna join you in causing more chaos. In the Greek story, Chaos and disorder or whatever came out of the box, but you know what else came later?? Hope."

~ Hope. An impossible outcome. Not likely.~

" Wrong. We're gonna stop your takeover-

~ You do not see what we see….we see this future of your planet as something you humans could not possibly make YOUR reality, and yet humans use us to create "Pandora." ~

"We can try to make peace but how you act. No one is gonna listen." Gar crossed his arms at the other kid. He wasn't really anything but data and a face according to these scientists. In fact, it had a soul more than any mindless drone Bb had ever met.

Could this being….be omnipotent as it claimed?

~ You forget that light years away, your time will not come. We can fix your own outcome before that comes to pass.~

"I'm gonna only get a wish granted when I am dying like a hero , so no thanks." Bb turned around as the kid kept wining for his attention. Until, it stopped.

~ You wanted to see the real me, right? Honestly, I'd rather see your leader. He was super cool.~

Bb's ears perked up. "What are you talking about." His green eyes narrowed back at Crystal as she hid a smirk behind her hands. ~ I could….be like you, not cause any trouble. Like I did, with….Mr. Lex –

"You…." He snarled. " You are not getting what it means to be human, so stay in there…" Bb's eyes looked away as she yelled out. The scream muffled the large doors as Bb bumped into the one person that Crystal had warmed his about.

"Wha…...oh…." He looked at the tall African American woman as her hands remained to her sides.

"What, are you a part of this operation, boy?" She smiled at him as he stood still up, while the other SWAT members behind this head honcho went into the room to subdue the tireless symbiotic creature from another plane entirely.

/

Cy had the phone and set it down on the kitchen island in front of him. Bb had been up. He could tell the little guy wasn't in a guest room and his dad had not answered his cell or the unit Cy had made in case this…

They'd never left Central for long since his dad according to witnesses never made it into Gotham city at all.

He was MIA and Cy had no choice which Bb also having run the hell off, while Kori and Raven were with Bruce Wayne in Gotham before him. "More to do, but I…"

The attack on STAR labs had left Barry on watch by the "Suicide Lady" as they called her. "Amanda Waller." Her home was down south at Belle Reve prison and heading Cadmus labs out in Texas. There was no home for her here out in the Midwest, but she'd made it.

Bruce had even sent his regards but it wasn't on a position he was permitted to intervene in. Walker had said to stand down, but Bb was a Titan. He found it easier to stand in line fir the reason you least expected. Unfounded, unpredictable as his transformations.

Cy shook his head and contacted the stain mark as he frowned up into his unit, then faked the nervous grin.

Something was up, as Cy paused at this.

~ Heey, Cyborg! UM…so, you know how you said I kinda might be too nice for my own good...~

" What did you do, where are you, Bb-

~ Are you the Titans' new leader, Cyborg? Right?~

The woman was not mean but she had an air of authority as due stood militaristically sound where Cy could get a better angle.

" For now, standing in for one that we cannot disclose. Wait. Are you rea-

~ Waller. And I'm sure Bruce has told you much about why the Key should not be provoked. Your little team member nearly was enticed by a song as sweet. Similar to Lex, and he's still in a mentally unsound place. Would hate go have the same of him.~ She told the eldest Titan. ~ Now, if you wanna come down and pick him up, I won't judge but you regardless of Bruce's issue, are not permitted back into the building. This designated area is being marked as unsafe as of today. ~

/

Barry slammed the door as Waller walked in, slipping by with the intent to alert and command those sge could somehow come to trust. "Bruce said you'd still have the sense to ask me what I know. Like if Superman ever knew about the creature that "breeds" that key."

"It assimilate and carries a form through what it delivers to the main core. The core –

"The orb Deathstroke is mocking us with. And it might not be the only one; there could be dummy versions all over the globe, Mr. Allen." Amanda shut the door behind them. "I wanted Bruce to save his boy and get more dirt on our mercenary. After all if this, those keys are getting locked up before the rest of my division can do anymore harm."

"You aren't…." Barry shook his head in disbelief. "You're not the one trying to dissect them?? We just wanted to contain them. My whole thing was why they rep-

They both went quiet. "Cadmus worked behind my back. Doctor Winchester; study is in biogenetics and evolutionary theory. He thought that we were evolved from whatever this alien was so honestly, we had him on our team to crack a code. Maybe we could find put out energy with the orb while having these things separate enough not to leech but we became the ones being attacked in turn. It didn't matter, like a robot on self-destruct, those alien grubs wanted one thing. To take back because we had Wayne's money and a bad dream…"

"Reverse….colonization. It's like a curse ten – fold. Mandy-

"Don't call me that on the job. You're to report any changes and to NOT let that thing out if you decide to stay for this project. If it chose you and not Silas, then this portion if the key will get out in any way that it can to grant what you want to gain access to anything that might be useful to it. If it assimilate with a mammal, it goes feral. It's why the doctor was wrong and why his experimentation turned these keys into more than what with "absorb" up the damned human race. If they can manipulate any outcome through reading us to do it? How many humans do you think will be left on the art that they won't end up killing?"

"Not a wish, a redoing a time line. Any possibility-

"Like their side of a contract. Payment. And that payment like we saw with Lex and now Silas, is their sanity. Every ounce of thought from their minds is wiped out."

/

Barry and Amanda back in that room waited on Cy as even Bruce's line was opened up to let him hear the conversation. The lab, everyone was going to hear about it.

"After seventy two fruitless hours, Professor Silas Stone of STAR labs' head unit in research and development has…been missing and is officially considered …."

Cy hung his head as the rest didn't talk. He saw Bb as the kid waved a furry tail over, beckoning Cy to get away from the adults.

"I think they aren't all right. He has to be alive, dude."

"What? Bb, you have no idea. I lost the only family I still got!-

"No, listen! Shut it and just…hear me out. That "key" kid actually sent me a picture, last night. I thought it was like some memory I had but he was in the rain by the train station I think in –

"B. Not. Here." Cy dragged Bb away from the crowds of reporters in the building and staff as they found a way to get proper in time with a debriefing. Without the girls, this wpukd feel rather empty to discuss, yet Bb had to tell Cy who he saw in his vision.

" It think when that orb thing made contact and the key talked to me, it did it again. But I talked to it before Mandy cut me out. It was Crystal- or…it was and….argh! It shifted and ir was the same thing –

"They are like one mind. A hive mind: where all parts even if apart are in relationship to the main creator or leader?" Cy told Bb. "We were told they literally gave this alien telepathy that allows them to connect with people, but they had one form and split. Someone was messing with em…"

"Your, dad?" Bb asked, reluctant.

"Y- yeah. He was lying to do something. Maybe for good reason or not. Now, Wayne us backing out cause Waller runs this whole place. Mr. Allen can't talk her down and he's also made psychic contact. Who else?"

"Me, Richard….oh, Lex, I bet Slade –

"One if um is lying, Bb. I think Mr. Wayne was one of the first few. Otherwise, why is he going after Slade beside to bring Dick back to us?"

"He had the core…not Mandy….he…wait …" Mumbling before he had to hold a hand over his mouth, Bb recalled the serum or the solution that had saved them from relapse. "He's so in kn it!!"

"They both got the orb from space and anyone and anything could use it, bit now it's gotten wise. It wants to go back and drag us down for torturing it like a science experiment that it ain't." Cy frowned. "My dad got needy, and he got involved. Now, he could be –

"He's looking. Cause his body told me…my animals could tell he wasn't himself, but he's not a bad guy." Smiled the green teen, coaxingly.

"I know he let us hang around him even when all this was….we can do it, dude. We are still here. Slade –

"Doesn't need to go through wkth killing us. Not after everything we've gotta find out about from Robin…" Cy shook his head. "Leave talking to Wayne on me, you can keep Amanda off our asses. Feel like being a mean , green distraction while I go and see your Key pal?"

"Ah, g- doy. But….he might not like you." Bb rolled his eyes over while thinking about the contracts these beings took the liberty of having on only those they deemed 'worthy."

"What's there not to like? I'm as great a negotiator if not better than Supes. After all, he got me hooked up. You guys just happened to get caught up in whether I was gonna take his offer."

"Dude! Serious?? A mini league reserve?? I never got that!" Exclaimed Bb, knowing it was true. That Cy was all wit and brains, power behind the hood that Changeling could never hope to live up to.

"I didn't like what my…" Cy stopped. "Looks like the truth only comes out when we can stand to have some hope, ya know?"

"Yeah." Gar's ears dropped as they went out to the lobby and tried not to draw any attention. Sadly, there was some.

Bb bolted as a rat back through the doors while Cy couldn't find where he'd gone. "B!! Beast boy!!"

He asked if someone could call security, and then paused.

"On second though, cancel. He's in the bathroom. Bad take - out earlier." The receptionist put down their finger and went back to typing up nameless files. Looking busy, Cy just thanked them briefly before heading out. "It's on you, green stain. I owe ya." Cy scratched the back of his neck "An explanation." He sighed softly in whisper.

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Some new info received and….find out!