Teen Titans: Twilight of the Gods (IC/Limited Acceptance/S/PG-16)

[Saiba Aisu]

BGM

 

"Watch out!" Kiara screamed, as the Night Sisters leaped into the air, their hands reduced to blurs as they hurled a cruel barrage of needles towards the Titans, until the very air seemed to hiss.

 

As the projectiles approached, Cygnus raised his hand, invoking another circular barrier of moonlight to protect himself. He smiled coldly as he did so, clearly unimpressed by the pair's feeble opening move. Did they really think ranged weapons of that caliber would work against him?

 

As the needles struck his shield, however, his smile faded and then transformed into an expression of pure horror—he could literally feel them tearing at his magic like sharp-fanged beasts, cold and hungry. With each blow that it weathered, the arcane barrier shuddered violently and shrank, until it was barely large enough to cover his upper body. Just what exactly where those things?! As a second volley of needles hurtled through the air towards him, Cygnus threw himself forwards in a rather stiff somersault. Yet stiff as it may have been, the acrobatic maneuver served its purpose, narrowly helping him avoid being skewered like a pin cushion as the weapons buried themselves in the floor and wall behind him.

 

As the white-haired sorcerer came to a halt, he could make out Alfonso a few feet ahead, taking cover behind a support column, hurling exploding stars haphazardly at the advancing enemies. Yet something was terribly wrong—the boy was breathing heavily, as if he were about to collapse from exhaustion, the wound on his forehead appeared to have opened up again, and one hand was placed over his chest, clutching desperately, as if trying to still the erratic beating of his heart. His aim was sporadic and slow, not at all like before when he had felled the Royals in quick succession with cutthroat precision.

 

He's not going to make it! Cygnus thought to himself with horror, watching as the shorter of the two Night Sisters landed lightly upon the ground and sped towards the young Titan, raising her hands to deal a killing blow.

 

"Cygnus, don't do it!" Kiara screamed as the shield around her faded, struggling to free herself from her metal bonds. It was too late, though—without a second thought, Cygnus leaped past Alfonso into the fray, razor-sharp silver blades flying in long arcs from his spade-shaped hands, trying to behead the black-clad assassin.

 

For a moment, his offensive seemed to have caught the Night Sister off-guard, forcing her to step back and evade, dipping and twisting expertly under the shining arcs of light, which promptly tore the long cloak trailing behind her to ribbons. Yet within moments she had recovered, lashing out with swift powerful blows in a masterful display of martial arts, forcing Cygnus to go on the defensive. The Night Sister's assault was so fast and unrelenting that Cygnus didn't even have time to invoke a full-sized shield to knock her away. He was forced instead to weave and duck while predicting her movements as best he could, swinging his open palms outwards, summoning smaller shields that barely managed to block the incoming blows in time, resonating with each impact.

 

Yet while his intentions were good, Cygnus was no melee fighter, and his opponent picked up on it quickly enough. As she lashed out with one fist in an obvious right hook, he reacted, trying to catch the blow as before, only to gasp as the woman pulled up short and vaulted over him in a shadowy blur, landing on the other side. A feint! Cygnus tried to turn, but it was too late—he was only able to summon the most feeble of shields before the Night Sister kicked him savagely with the force of a bull elephant, shattering his flimsy barrier and sending him flying unceremoniously several feet backwards, crashing against the wall.

[Mr. Hyde]

As the Titans made their debut into the bleak room, Blake was taken much aback.  Kiara was chained up...and exposed.  What had they been doing to her?!  Across the way was another team...no life signature was detected.  This room they had stumbled upon was truly filled with horrors.  Blake blurred the two images on his display screen, as to not be distracted or become more infuriated than he already was.  The larger man and teen were escaping, and the Titan's gave chase, only to be stopped by two ominous matching lady ninjas.  

 

"I'll make you pay for this one whoever you are!  I WILL FIND YOU!"  

 

"Watch out!"  Kiara screamed in warning.  It broke Blake out of his focus on the back line, and put it right on the front.  Their new adversaries had thrown some needles their way to stop their advance.  Blake's eye determined the needles to be made of Nth metal, nothing his armor couldn't handle, and nothing his armor needed to handle.  Blake shot his arm forward and activated his suit's barrier.  The needles bounced off, but not before penetrating a couple of inches into the field.  Cygnus and Alf had managed to dodge the array of needles that flew their way.  Alf, now behind a column, was aimlessly shooting stars into the fray.  Cygnus was doing melee combat with one of the night sisters and had ultimately been crashed into a wall.  It was all up to He and Roxxie at the moment.  

 

Blake starting calculating the trajectory of Alfonso's stars, and was running data on the night sister's movements.  Solving for X, he yelled, "Alf!  Flick a star off of the wall in front of you at a forty-five degree angle!  That should hit the jabroni that just knocked Cygnus out.  As a matter of fact, shoot a couple more her way..huh?"  Blake was now airborn, but his thrusters hadn't activated.  The other night sister had swept his leg with enough strength to knock him over.  They were surely strong, so Blake wouldn't have to hold back much.  While he was still airborn, Blake managed to boost his boot thrusters.  The force of the startup had knocked away his attacker, seeing as how she was at the same level his feet currently were.  He activated his back thrusters as well, to put him at a better position in the air.  More needles were thrown his way, but Blake simply but his shield up again.  

 

"I don't know if I've really ever been this mad before.  And for your guys' sake...I hope I don't get even more mad!"  Blake shot forward, and rammed his suit into the gut of the girl who was blown back by his previous attack.  He couldn't crack the knuckles of his suit, but this didn't stop him from making the gesture.  "Is that all you've got?"  

[Hälō]

Roxie let loose a feral growl as she dived behind pillar to avoid the rain of needles. Resisting urge to dive head first into the fray, she watched as her teammates engaged the enemy. Both Alfonso and Cygnus were both pretty worn before they even stepped into this fight, and as the blonde witness both of her friends get thrown onto the defensive (literally in Cygnus’s case), the girl knew that it was up to Blake and herself to pull the weight in this battle. 

 

Allowing Blake to handle the sister he had already been occupied with, Roxie turned to the woman that had attacked Cygnus. “Wanna try that with me, b****?!” She boldly casted away the element of surprise with a roar, before attempting to knock the Night sister’s head clean off with as swing from her shrunken baseball bat. 

 

Of course the woman dodged that attack easy enough with a simple crouching maneuver, but Roxie had been expecting as much, and followed up by suddenly thrusting her knee upwards into the woman’s face just after Arondite sailed over her head. Watching as the woman stumbled backwards, Roxie also noted that she did so out of reflex, and her first blow hadn’t actually managed to get through whatever barrier that seemed to protecting her foe. “I’ll just have to hit her harder then…” 

 

Ordinarily, this would be the part of the fight were Roxie erupted into one of her trademark laughs, but in this moment the girl’s face was twisted in a predator-like bloodlust. She wasn't playing games here. This fight was for Kiara’s life...

 

Making use of any cover fire she received from Alfonso, the blonde reengaged the Night Sister with a roundhouse kick, closely followed by a downward swipe from Arondite just after her opponent evaded the first blow.  “Come on…” Roxie growled as the assailant skillfully evade her a surprise attack, and counter with a barrage of punches. Desperately ducking and weaving the larger woman’s attacks, the blonde had no choice but to attempted to overtake her in a power struggle. 

 

“Lets do it!” Timing a swing from her bat so that it clashed with one of her opponents super powered punches, the girl watched as the Night sister was sent skidding a large distance backwards from the concussive shockwave that erupted from the point of impact between the two titanic forces. 

 

Not letting up, Roxie dashed towards her target, all too aware that she had the disadvantaged in a ranged fight. Luckily, the woman seemed slightly dazed from their bout, and was only able to throw a handful of needless in retaliation as she attempted to regain her composer. 

 

Energized by the Kinetic energy that she soaked up from the clash, Roxie watched as the needles sailed towards her, causing the girl's expression darkening with determination.  “I may not be smart like Blake or Cygnus….”  She growled through her teeth, as she allowed the needles drive themselves into her raised arm as she continued to dash towards the Night Sister. “I don’t have powers that are great for helping people like Alfonso, and I’m definitely not cool calm and collect or even a great bloody person like Kiara….”  Ripping the needles from her flesh, Roxie’s eyes began to glow a furious gold that was highlighted by the blood that sprayed into the air from her new wound.  “But this, this I can do." She roared as she charged the handful of needles with all the kinetic energy from the clash, priming them to explode and increasing their impact and travel velocity. "I'll be the one that handles trash like you, so they don't have to!" In that instant the girl leaped backwards, tossing the supercharged needles towards the Night Sister at near pointblank range, and watching as she was struck by five bright purple explosions.  

[Saiba Aisu]

BGM

 

Cygnus picked himself up slowly from the wall he had been sent flying into, wincing as he did so, reaching down gingerly towards his rib cage with one hand. Yep, definitely fractured. The pain made it difficult for him to fill his lungs too deeply, but he tried to catch his breath anyway as the battle continued to rage around him, watching as Roxie and Blake took the two Night Sisters head-to-head.

 

"I'll be the one that handles trash like you, so they don't have to!" the blonde girl roared, hurling the kinetically super-charged needles back towards the Night Sister at point blank range. Despite the assassin's superior training and reflexes, the attack was so unexpected that she had no time to react—as the weapons made contact, they exploded in a series of bright purple explosions, lifting the woman and projecting her bodily into the air, slamming her on the ground with a groan. 

 

Yet before Roxie could take advantage of the opening to land a solid blow with Arondite, the woman flipped back onto her feet in a blur of black. Tossing a handful of needles into the air from her belt, the Night Sister caught them deftly in between her gloved fingers, clenching the weapons tightly, forming two deadly spiked fists. She leaped forward into melee range once more and began to lash out at Roxie with her new weapons at high speed, attempting to gouge the girl's eyes out like ripe berries.

 

"I don't know if I've ever really been this mad before... And for your guys' sake, I hope I don't get even more mad!" Blake cried at the other end of the room, shooting forward on his boot thrusters, nailing the taller of the two Night Sisters squarely in the midriff with a full-force tackle that would have knocked any major league footballer out cold, forcing her back several feet.

 

The black-clad woman took the blow with a low grunt of pain, yet it seemed that the invisible barrier linked to her arcane sigils had absorbed most of the damage. It would appear that whatever was shielding her, it was practically on par with Blake's suit in terms of toughness. After a moment, she was back in a crouched fighting stance, every muscle perfectly tensed and balanced, trying to analyze her opponent and find a possible weakness in his armor and personal forcefield. Finding none, she relaxed visibly, standing up straight. Perhaps she was going to surrender?

 

"Is that all you've got?" Blake taunted, cracking his knuckles as he advanced, evidently enjoying the chance to knock the villains around.

 

"You talk too much, little man," the woman hissed in a chilling whisper, advancing slowly, her dark eyes only just visible above the black mask obscuring her lower face, flashing with insane, twisted pleasure. "Let's see how much you can talk once I melt your brains!" she shrieked, her eyes igniting with a sickening pink light, as well as the handful of sigils that were visible on her forearm, where Kiara had ripped the fabric of her outfit.

 

Blake fell to the ground with a howl, writhing in agony at the woman's vicious psychic assault, powerless before the ultimate weapon of the Night Sister Clan. As strong as his armor was, it couldn't protect him from the cruelest prison of all—his own mind. To the young Titan, it would feel as if someone had plunged a boiling screw-driver hilt-deep into his forehead. Unless someone was able to break the Night Sister's attack, Blake would be reduced to a lobotomized vegetable in a matter of minutes.

 

"Kiara!"

 

Cygnus had appeared at the girl's side amidst the chaos, still breathing unevenly from his rib injury and limping slightly, but as determined as ever.

 

"Hang on! I'm going to get you out of these!" he declared, reaching towards her restraints, his hands glowing with the familiar silver aura of his lunar magic. As his fingers closed around the metal, however, he pulled back with a howl, as if he had been burned. It was the same sensation from before, with the needles—a cold biting metal, designed to sap and neutralize all magic. No wonder Kiara had been unable to break free, even with her super strength. 

 

Why am I so weak? Cygnus thought to himself for a moment as he gazed down at his hand, tracing the contours of the scalded flesh, bizarrely lucid in spite of the situation, his friends' screams echoing in his ears. So useless...

 

They were going to die. All of them. One by one. He was powerless. The Night Sisters would pick them off like flies, starting with Blake, until the Teen Titans were no more. It was over... And then, right when he had almost abandoned all hope, a smiling face burst clearly into his mind.

 

Odette!

 

With a roar, Cygnus reached out again to the metal restraints, ignoring the pain that seared across his palms, ignoring the odor of burning flesh, his very soul crying out to the moon he knew lay somewhere in the sky above, tucked away in the clouds... With a metallic shriek, the restraints gave way, finally freeing Kiara from her prison. Cygnus fell to his knees, cradling his mutilated fingers, his vision blurry, struggling to stay conscious despite the pain.

 

He looked up to his teammate, who despite her nakedness, looked more fearsome than he could have ever imagined as she got to her feet, ready to take her revenge. The boy's lips flickered for a moment into his usual faint smile.

 

"Go."

[Ren✧]

Kiara watched in dismay as the two Night Sisters engaged the other Titans, becoming agents of shadow as they flashed about the scene dealing damage to each of her teammates as she desperately strained against her bonds. If she could only break free, get loose and help her friends she was positive her presence would turn the tide of the battle. It was no use though, the chains held true. 

 

Things turned especially bleak when the Night Sisters unleashed a mental attack on the Titans, starting with Blake. Kiara had the good sense to raise her mental shields as soon as she sensed their psychic assault, but the others hadn't been subjected to the training she had. They would be powerless. "Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT!" She cried out, fighting against her restraints with renewed vigor but it would again prove futile. 

 

"Hang on! I'm going to get you out of these!" In the chaos on the battle, Cygnus had managed to make his way over to Kiara unnoticed and now worked to undue the the metal clasps that kept her restrained. 'Hurry. Hurry. Hurry.' She willed him, but said nothing. She didn't want to do anything that might attract the attention of the Night Sisters. After what seemed an eternity of work, Kiara felt something give and gravity took over. She fell to the ground, falling to her knees.

 

"Go." Cygnus said, collapsing from exhaustion. Kiara nodded. She would have to worry about her friends later. Right now, the best way to protect them was to eliminate the Night Sisters. Kiara's gaze shifted to Glimmer's unmoving, unseeing body, beside her was a simple and yet elegant cloak that had obviously been part of her outfit. Kiara donned it, knowing that it would have to do for now. 

 

"I'm going to make them pay. For both of us." She whispered.

 

 

She didn't see it coming. The Night Sister that had initiated the psychic attack on Blake, she was so concerned with keeping up the telepathic pressure that Kiara's uppercut to the jaw took her completely by surprised. Delivered with so much force and rage, the blow quite literally lifted the jabroni off of her feet and sent her sailing several feet backwards before she hit the ground with a dull thud. Her training, of course, immediately had her on her feet again ready to fight, fortunately Kiara had well anticipated this.

 

Crouching low, Kiara struck her leg out and performed a low sweeping kick, catching the Night Sister just below the back of her knee. The black clad cultist again toppled to the ground, however, before Kiara could pounce the second Night Sister had caught wind of Kiara's escape and had now joined the fray. A storm of needles whistled towards Kiara, forcing her to combat roll for cover. Fortunately, in their haste to remove Kiara from the equation, the Night Sisters had managed to get in each others' way, the second catching the first in her barrage of needles.

 

"Back in my day, Matron Supreme trained us better than that." Kiara commented on the error, knowing that it would only frustrate her assailants further. In the brief lapse in the battle, she glanced at her teammates. It appeared as though the Night Sisters has ceased their psychic assault for now. Hopefully, Kiara would be able to incapacitate the two before her friends sustained any more injuries.

 

"Your day has long since passed. The Sisterhood is stronger without you!" Working in tandem, the Night Sisters charged Kiara together, forgetting the rest of her team entirely. Good. That's exactly what Kiara wanted. They had risked everything to rescue her, now she would return the favor. 

[Mr. Hyde]

"You talk too much, little man," that might've been true, but Blake's words were backed up by his prowess.  "Let's see how much you can talk once I melt your brains!"

 

"My...what now?"  The assailant's eyes were now glowing, and runes similar to Kiara's had started to litter her arm.  That was the last thing he noticed before everything stopped, and his mind shattered.  The thing he was most proud of was now working against him.  He wished he would've practiced his mental barrier longer with Kiara, it could've stopped this telepathic attack.  Blake scratched at his helmet, trying to grip his head in agony, but to no avail.  Tears were running down his face and his teeth were grinding against each other.  This was almost as bad as the pain back then...

 

In a blur, Kiara got rid of the foe causing this insurmountable pain.  Huffing and wheezing, it took Blake a moment before he could stand on his feet.  After he regained his senses, Kiara stood before him, dressed in a robe that he was guessing was the only thing she could find to cover herself.  "T-Thank you Kiara...Sorry it took us so long."  But the thanks would have to wait for a later time, as Kiara had taken on the responsibility of fighting two adversaries at once.  "Looks like you have a bit much on your plate...I can help now!"  Seeing the previous Night Sister who had almost split his mind in two, he almost had a look of joy on his face.  "Now...Let's dance!"  Blake's thrusters were set to max power, and he took a runners position.  Setting off, he flew straight into her and grappled her tightly.  He flew around the room while spinning, gathering speed and momentum.  He released the night sister into the air, and as she free fell, Blake grabbed her by her legs, and used his legs to hold her head and arms in place.  

 

"TERMINAL VELOCITY ACHIEVED!  BLAKE BOMB IS A GO!"  With that, he converted all the thrusters from his back to shoot him downwards.  The two would crash into the floor together, but most of the force would be directed towards the Night Sister.  

[Dad]

His vision was getting blurry.  He wasn't able to maintain consciousness.  He could hear his allies fighting, but he wasn't able to do much more other than listen.  Was he going to die here?  "Well," the thought to himself, his eyes feeling heavy.  "At least I tried."  Alfonso's hands dropped, and the stars that fired ceased.  His heart continued beating, but just barely.  He had completely overworked himself, and with little results.  Here his allies were, pouring out their blood, soul, and sweat.  And there lie Alfonso, unconscious once more.  The most he had given was breaking into the Shades' inner circle.  That was what his contribution had amounted to.  Altiana struggled to find Alfonso's consciousness in his own brain, but to no avail.  It was like he had vanished, even though she could still sense his presence.  She did her best to observe what was going on with the remainder of the Titans, only able to listen now.

 

By the sound of things, Kiara had been freed, and she and Blake were unleashing hell on the Night Sisters.  Meanwhile, Altiana went into alert mode, doing her best to keep Alfonso alive.  She monitored his brain functions and heart beat, and did her best to keep activity going, even if it was sparse.  And somewhere, deep in the darkest corners of Alfonso's mind, he was sleeping.  

 

"I think this is one of the best naps I've ever had."

 

"You can say that again."

 

"Hmm?  Hey, who are you?" Alfonso asked the shadow that now materialized beside him.

 

"Well, I'm you."

 

They looked to each other, Alfonso and his shadow.

 

"But, how can you be me, if I'm me?"

 

"It's simple, really.  I'm the part of you that hates going through all of this.  And you--well--you're the part that accepts it."

 

"Going through--accepts what?  I don't understand."

 

The shadow sat beside Alfonso, the two of them folding their legs, and facing each other.  "You never wanted to be here, did you?"  Alfonso shrugged, the shadow growing more curious.  "So then, what's this really about?  Why become a Titan with all of this power, when you don't really care?"  Alfonso stretched out backwards, leaning on the palms of his hands.

 

"It's not about being a Titan," he said at last.

 

His shadow titled its head, in confusion.  "Care to elaborate?"

 

"It's about doing what's right.  And if that means I can do it by being a Titan, then I guess I'm okay with it."

 

The shadow shook its head, standing to its feet now.  "You always were kind of nonchalant about things.  Even as a child."

 

Alfonso watched his shadow stand up, but remained sitting.  "Are you sure you're me?  'Cause you don't act like it."

 

The shadow began to walk away, throwing up a hand of dismissal.  "You got me there.  I'm not you.  Not exactly."

 

And Alfonso remained unconscious, braced against the back of the pillar in the room with the other Titans, as he fell deeper and deeper into sleep.

[Saiba Aisu]

Cygnus breathed a faint sigh of relief as Kiara sent the taller Night Sister flying with a gorgeous uppercut, interrupting her psychic assault and freeing Blake from her clutches. Yes, freeing Kiara had definitely been the right thing to do. For some reason, she appeared to be better-equipped than the rest of the Titans to handle the mysterious pair of assassins. Her movements were smoother, faster, surer, and at times, she almost seemed to be reacting instinctively to each of the incoming enemies' strikes, allowing her to evade and counterattack with ample time... Almost as if she had fought them before, or seen them fight before. But how could that be possible?

 

"Back in my day, Matron Supreme trained us better than that," Kiara said loudly, most likely trying to goad the pair into committing a mistake.

 

"Your day has long since passed," the taller of the two female assassins hissed. "The Sisterhood is stronger without you!" the other added vehemently, as she and her partner charged forward together, falling for the taunt.

 

Sisterhood...? Cygnus thought to himself, not sure if he had heard correctly. Did that mean that Kiara had some kind of connection to these enemies?

 

Fortunately, at that moment, Blake managed to intercept the taller of the two Night Sisters with another of his signature aerial tackles, grappling her tightly, lifting her up and around in the air before slamming her on the ground head-first with a wicked seismic toss. Even with the magical barrier shielding her, the blow seemed to have inflicted some major damage, thanks to Blake's extra weight. Momentarily disabled, the black-clad woman got to her knees slowly, shaking her head from side to side.

 

It was at that moment that another blur of motion caught his eye—Alfonso appeared to have collapsed from exhaustion, sliding quietly to the ground, propped against the pillar where he had been taking cover. Defenseless. Exposed. Not good.

 

Stifling a low groan of pain, Cygnus limped over to his fallen teammate as quickly as his fractured ribs would allow while Blake, Kiara and Roxie continued to engage the Night Sisters in combat. He checked Alfonso's vital signs briefly and was relieved to feel a pulse, even though it seemed rather faint. Still, he was alive—now it was his responsibility to make sure he stayed that way. Cygnus crouched by his teammate, his dark-blue eyes flashing across the room, taking in the details of the battle, ready to protect the unconscious man from any stray attacks.

[Dad]

Alfonso was curious.  Why was he just walking away?   The shadow became blurry, and Alfonso grew frantic.  He stood to his feet, and gave chase.  "Hey!  Hey, wait a minute!" he said stretching out an arm as if to grab the shadow.  At that moment, Alfonso was blinded, as a powerful light obscured his vision.  But he instead raised his hand to block it, and pressed forward with his eyes on the shadow before him.  "Slow down, will ya!?" he called still.  Just at that moment, when the light became its brightest, the shadow turned to face Alfonso.  A bright smile across its face, the shadow opened its arms wide.  Alfonso, still blinded, tripped, landing in the arms of the shadow.   The light dimmed, and Alfonso raised his head, as he stood to his feet.

 

"What are you doing, dude?" he laughed.  His brown hair was cut low, in a buzz cut.  His bright green eyes brought a smile to Alfonso's face, and that single tiny mole on his right cheek made Alfonso laugh.  There was a single diamond studded earring in his right ear, and a tattoo running across the back of his neck that read "Always".  He was dressed in a green and white striped track suit, as if he had just come from a school meet.  Alfonso found himself smiling, but crying.  He knew who this was.

 

He hugged Brandon tightly, who was still relatively surprised at Alfonso's reaction.  He patted Alfonso's head, standing him up straight.  "What are you doing here, Brandon?" Alfonso asked, his voice cracking.  He looked around, then down to Alfonso.  "That's a good question, bro."  Brandon let go of Alfonso, and took a single step back.  

 

"Man, you've gotten big.  But you haven't matured yet, have you?"

 

Alfonso raised an eyebrow.  "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked wiping the tears from his eyes, as his voice returned to normal.  

 

"Doesn't this seem weird, Alfonso?  Me being in your head?"

 

Alfonso shook his head.  He disagreed obviously.  "No.  Not at all.  I think about you all the time.  I miss you dude."

 

Brandon sighed, shaking his head.  "I know Alfie, and I miss you all as well.  But don't you think you've got this all wrong?  You're thinking of me, and that's great.  But you shouldn't be."

 

Alfonso was shocked at what he was hearing.  He took a step back as well.  "What do you mean?  What's wrong with me thinking of my brother?"

 

Brandon smiled.  "I shouldn't be in your head, Alfonso.  That's nuts.  I should be in your heart.  It's the only place that makes sense.  I told you, Alfonso.  You and I are the same.  I'm you, and you are me.  But right now, you're fighting a battle--a war on drugs--because you're thinking about me.  But I'm already taken care of.  You should let me stay in your heart, while you think of the safety of the people around you.  The safety of your friends.  The safety of the Titans.  The safety of Aurora City.  Don't you agree?"

 

Alfonso sighed, tearing up again at Brandon's words.  As it would seem of older siblings, they were always right.  Brandon began jogging in place, as Alfonso wiped his face again.  "What are you doing, dude?" Alfonso said laughing.  

 

Brandon was still smiling, but his voice was somber.  "Well, I have to get going, actually."

 

Alfonso wasn't ready for this, however.  "What?  You just got--I just got--I haven't seen you in forever.  Why are you leaving so soon?"

 

Brandon walked over, and shook Alfonso's hand, while pulling him in for a hug.  He pulled his brother back, and matted his hair.  "I've got some place to be.  And it's pretty damn important."

 

Alfonso sighed.  "Then, where are you going?"

 

Brandon laughed, as he turned his back to Alfonso, and began jogging away.  "Didn't I tell you already!?" he called from the distance, as he became a shadow again.  "You already know where I'm going!"  Brandon threw up a hand, and bid his brother goodbye.  And as he faded into the blackness ahead, Alfonso's chest began to beat rapidly.  He clutched at it, wincing in pain.  And at that moment, he broke out in a cold sweat, as he bolted awake to find himself right beside Cygnus.

[Ren✧]

As Blake engaged the shorter of the two Night Sisters, Kiara rushed the other. The two women became a flurry of movement as they traded blows, Kiara could feel her anger building in each of her punches, the static between her knuckles grew larger with every hit. The traumatized Titan became numb to what was happening around. Tears had begun to stream down her face as images of the night began to flash across her vision. K'yle's deceptive smile. Haylee drinking the Bubbly. The glazed over eyes of the Royals. Glimmer's body laying lifeless, discarded on the floor. Her own body, naked and chained to a wall. Blake being tortured at the hands of the Night Sisters. 

 

BAM! The Night Sister kneed Kiara in the stomach, forcing the air from her lungs. Kiara desperately gasped for a breath, her bout with the Night Sister interrupted. Of course, her adversary immediately took advantage of the situation, grabbing Kiara by the throat and hoisting her in the air. The Titan desperately beat at her captor's arm, but she was still weakened from the event's of the night and not even her rage-charged super strength could break the ice cold grip that the Night Sister had on her throat. Already her vision was starting to go black as she was unable to get oxygen into her lungs.

 

"Like I said, the Sisterhood is stronger without you." The Night Sister hissed, bringing Kiara down to eye level so she could watch the life leave her eyes. Unfortunately, that would prove to be her fatal mistake. Without hesitating, Kiara struck the Night Sister on either side of her head, immediately disorienting her. 

 

"Wrong." Kiara croaked out, robbing her throat as she was dropped to the ground. "I'm stronger without the Sisterhood." 

 

Kiara threw caution to the wind, sprinting full out at her adversary. Leaping into the air, the young heroine angled her body so that she crashed into the still dizzied Night Sister feet first. Striking the black clad assassin in the chest, a triumphant smile appeared on Kiara's lips as she heard her cry out in a mixture of surprise and pain, something that Night Sisters are trained not to do. 

[Hälō]

Roxie watched Kiara's bout with the larger of the Sisters, her expression darkening as she picked up on the similarities between their fighting styles. The tattoos, super strength, barriers, and now this... What exactly was her connection to these women? Shaking her head in dismissal, Roxie shifted her gaze towards the downed Cygnus and Alfonso before turning to face the woman who Blake had smashed into the ground. She didn't have time to worry about something so trivial; her friends were hurt, and it was her job to end this battle as soon a possible.

 

"She's stronger then me, and probably bit faster too..." Roxie sized up Night Sister as she began to recover from the daze that Blake had left her in; the woman definitely outclassed her in nearly every possible field. "Welp, I guess you'll just have to use that then, Havoc." The blonde mumbled to herself as she hastily began sliding off both of her boots. Her bare feet now flat on the room's cold stone floor, Roxie lightly tossed Arondite to Cygnus and Alfonso's side before entering a ready stance. The girl's eyes suddenly became alight with a violent purple and the ground under her feet seemed to crack slightly from a sudden increase of pressure, and then Roxie vanished; replaced by a bright yellow blur that shot straight towards the Night sister.

 

 

"Wakey Wakey!" The girl called as she closed the distance between her and her target in an instant, throwing a jab towards the other woman's face. Though unfortunately, even with her opponent's sudden increase of speed, the Night Sister's training was enough to allow her to throw both arms up in a cross block milliseconds before Roxie's punch could hit it's mark. Allowing herself to be sent reeling backwards by the force of Roxie's attack, the Night Sister brought her body to a sliding halt before readopting her fighting stance. Her more weaker instincts demanded that she cry out in pain form the fracture that she could now feel in her arms, but the assassin knew all to well that the order had no place for such weakness.

 

"b**** actually blocked it..." Roxie grumbled as she glanced down at the smoke that was now coming off the knuckles of her bruised right hand. The pain in her legs was bearable, for now... but she probably only had one more good punch with her right hand before it would be useless. Taking up her readied stance again, Roxie began to charge her body with even more kinetic energy, causing to the ground to shatter violently this time. "Alright... let's do it for real this time!" She roared, before vanishing in another yellow blur which darted to the Night Sister's left side.

 

"Pain is simply an inhibitor..."

"Pain is simply an inhibitor..."

 

Roxie recited the words she had been taught when she had first discovered her capacity to mess with her own kinetic energy. Reappearing in mid-air, the girl met the Night Sister with a Kinetically charged round-house kick that set loose a small shockwave upon being blocked by the other woman.

 

"You're a Knight. Restrained by nothing but your honor and loyalty to your King..."

"I'm a Knight. I'll be restrained by nothing..."

 

Gritting her teeth, Roxie resisted the urge to give in to the wave of agony that shot through her body, instead dashing to the woman's flank and delivering a sidekick aimed at the back of the Night Sister's head. Watching as her target somehow managed to predict her rapid movement and duck under blow, Roxie was forced to yet again invoke her powers to avoid the woman's counter. Bringing her self to a skidding halt at the far side of the room, Roxie emerged from the blur in a state of total exhaustion. Though it seemed that her efforts weren't a complete waste... Finally getting a chance to observe her opponent outside of high speed movement, Roxie noted that the Sister seemed to be panting violently, and was definitely being put through her paces.

 

"Lancelot, are you willing to sacrifice your life to win this battle?"

"Yes."

"Show me."

 

Her vision beginning to blur, Roxie forced her body to enter a rather pathetic fighting stance. Every cell was now screaming in agony, but the girl had come way too far to throw in the towel now. This was for Kiara, Cygnus, and Alfonso... "This one's going right in ya kisser..." She raised a shaky hand towards the Night Sister before vanishing in a blur just as she'd done before; reappearing at the woman's right side, only to vanish again to evade a wild swing by her opponent. The two combatants both suddenly erupted into a flurry of movement as Roxie zipped around her target like a frenzied wasp, and the Sister continued to evade a counter the girl as if she could read her mind. Though to spectators, this exchange would have took place in only a few moments, to Roxie it was an enternity. Every movement sending a new wave of pain through the entirety of the girls being.

 

Realizing that this was a losing battle, Roxie reappeared in front of the sister, the once glorious purple in her eyes reduced to a dull glow. Cocking her fist back, the girl watched as her opponent did the same. Neither backing down, the two women slammed their fists into each other's faces with all of their might, sending both parties flying backwards and colliding into the wall on either side of the room.

[Saiba Aisu]

---

GM Post: "Bubbly" (Club 0XYGEN, 3rd Floor, 4:17 A.M.)

---

[spoiler=GM Post]

Cygnus' eyes widened in shock and his mouth dropped open in disbelief as he watched Roxie unleash a high-speed kinetic assault on her opponent, her body reduced to a golden blur as she struck out at the other woman with a flurry of blows. Yet despite the fact that she wasn't as fast as the young Titan, the Night Sister somehow managed to compensate, moving just enough in order to block the incoming attacks before they landed, as if she were reading Roxie's mind.

 

I didn't know Roxie had this kind of power, Cygnus thought to himself in awe, straining his eyes, trying in vain to keep up with the high-speed battle. The strain on her body right now must be insane... She's putting her life on the line to protect us...

 

Meanwhile, Kiara had managed to disarm her opponent with a well-timed strike to the temple, following up by crashing into her feet-first in a stunning aerial leap to the chest, knocking the breath out of the black-clad assassin, forcing her backwards yet again. At his side, Alfonso stirred suddenly, apparently conscious once more, but before Cygnus could react, Roxie's voice rang across the room.

 

"This one's going right in ya kisser," the girl promised, although it was clear that she was battling massive amounts of pain as her human body struggled to keep up with her superhuman movements. Once again, the blonde was reduced to a golden blur as she darted around her foe at top speed, only to appear in front of her, drawing her fist back to deliver an almighty blow. To Cygnus' horror, the Night Sister did the same. He cried out as the two women smashed their fists into each other's faces, both of them flying backwards.

 

Ignoring the pain at his ribs, Cygnus reached out desperately, magic springing from his fingers, summoning as many silver bubbles of light as he could. He breathed a sigh of relief as Roxie slammed against the farthest one, the floating ethereal sphere stretching drastically as it absorbed and dispelled most of the negative impact before dissolving with a soft pop. The Night Sister, however, was not so lucky—Roxie's full-power blow sent her hurtling backwards, crashing into the wall, only to slide downwards next to her partner. After a moment, both women got to their feet, breathing shallowly, trying to deal with the injuries they had sustained.

 

"They are too many, sister," the shorter of the two hissed, her dark eyes flashing above her face-mask as she gazed at the Titans with hatred, a thin line of blood trickling slowly down from her forehead. 

 

"Trinity was a fool to have led them here," her partner spat. "We should have expected as much from a man. Come, sister. This cause is lost. There's just one more thing left to attend to..."

 

Gathering their remaining strength, the two black-clad women turned and sped towards the door that Mr. Trinity and K'yle had taken, practically reduced to streaks of shadow as they disappeared through it, the sound of their footsteps echoing as they ran up the stairs that lay beyond.

 

"Come back, you cowards!" Kiara yelled angrily as she set off in pursuit, Blake hurtling along behind her, jet thrusters roaring. "I'm not done with you yet!"

 

As the two Titans disappeared through the door and up the stairs, a heavy silence fell upon the room, broken only by a faint scuffling sound as Roxie limped over to Cygnus and Alfonso on her bare feet, looking as if she had just been hit by a train.

 

"Don't get yer knickers in a knot, boys," she said, dismissing their expressions of concern with a wave of her bruised hand, her voice reduced to a throaty rasp from exhaustion, although there was no dampening her trademark sense of humor. "I'll be fine. I just need to rest for a minute."

 

As if on cue, a chorus of deep male voices sounded suddenly from not too far below, approaching at an alarmingly fast rate.

 

"What in the hell—?"

 

"Who could have—?"

 

"Come on, through this tunnel! Mr. Trinity's signal came from somewhere above!"

 

Before any of the Titans could react, a small army of ten security guards stormed through the door, armed to the teeth with blasters. All of them were massive and dressed in dark suits with matching dark sunglasses, yet it was the largest and nastiest of the group that now advanced upon the trio of young heroes.

 

"I knew there was something wrong with you Troublemakers!" Rockjaw sneered, leveling his weapon at them. "I felt it in my gut! Now talk! Where's Mr. Trinity?"

 

 

"You're not gonna get away that easy!" Blake yelled after the fleeing Night Sisters, as he and Kiara burst through a final door, leading them onto the roof of Club 0XYGEN. The night sky hung above them, stars shining faintly in the sky as dawn drew closer, while Aurora City's lights and buildings stretched out below them on all sides, like a massive jewel.

 

At the far end of the roof was Mr. Trinity, clutching a nasty-looking blaster, and cowering behind him, K'yle, his knees practically knocking together with fright. The two Night Sisters stood in between them and the Titans, at the center of the no-man's land.

 

"They're still alive?! What are you waiting for?" Mr. Trinity roared at the pair, brandishing his weapon. "Hurry up and kill the intruders!"

 

"We do not take our orders from you, little man," the shorter of the two Night Sisters replied, her sibilant voice issuing from under her mask.

 

"Matron Supreme does not tolerate failure, Trinity," the other woman replied. "Your little experiment was interesting while it lasted, but like all things, it has come to an end."

 

 

"Easy, Rockjaw," one of his companions murmured, trying to calm the giant. "They're just kids. You don't want to get yourself sued for murder. That would be a pain."

 

"What the f*** is that?" another of them demanded, pointing with her gun in the direction of Glimmer's naked corpse, tied to the wall in the corner of the room. "Just what has Trinity been doing up in here?!"

 

"That's enough, Dane, Hera! Shut up and do your jobs," Rockjaw snarled to the man and woman, giving the girl's mutilated body only the briefest and most perfunctory of glances before turning his attention back to the Titans. "Mr. Trinity pays us to get rid of pests, not to ask questions! Search them!"

 

 

"What are you talking about?" Mr. Trinity demanded, trying to cloak his fear with outrage. "Nothing has changed! Once these intruders are dead, we can continue! Now go and— Wait, what are you doing?! Stay back! Noooooo!"

 

Without another word, the two Night Sisters turned and flew at him, swift and deadly as shadows, their tattered black capes trailing after them in the breeze like crow's wings. Mr. Trinity screamed and clumsily pulled the trigger of his weapon, unleashing laser beam after laser beam at the pair, but it was futile. With sleek movements, the two assassins hurtled across the rooftop towards him like a nightmare, evading the hail of incoming projectiles before Mr. Trinity had even unleashed them.  As the two Night Sisters came to a halt directly before Mr. Trinity, the only sound was the faint rustle of their capes and K'yle's terrified whimper.

 

"Die," the taller of the Night Sisters whispered, her hand reduced to a blur of motion as she struck out, her fingers curled around several sharp needles, plunging them hilt-deep into the man's throat.

 

Mr. Trinity gasped as blood gushed from the wound, his blaster dropping from his hands with a clack. He raised one hand, fingers trembling, trying to stem the precious flow that stained his suit, that pooled on the floor before him, but it was too late—with a final gurgle, he collapsed heavily on the ground face-first and moved no more.

 

K'yle opened his mouth and drew in air, preparing to scream his lungs out, but before he could, the second Night Sister caught him squarely around the waist and hurled him off the rooftop, high into the air in a lazy arc, his body contorting as it began the long fall to the streets below. 

 

 

The Titans complied silently as the security guards frisked them, unwilling to make any sudden movements, only too aware that Rockjaw was looking for an excuse to shoot several rounds into their skulls.

 

"This one's got a nasty knife wound," Hera declared, ignoring Cygnus' cry of pain as she poked his shoulder wound with the end of her gun. "But otherwise, clean."

 

"This one's bleeding from the forehead," Dane announced, nudging Alfonso in the stomach with his own weapon. "Otherwise, clean."

 

"What have we got here?" one of the other guards asked, ripping off Roxie's bracelet with a savage twist of her wrist, handing it to Rockjaw, who held it up to the light in order to examine it more closely with a suspicious frown.

 

As Hera and Dane lowered their weapons and crowded around for a better look, Alfonso turned to Roxie and Cygnus, the three Titans exchanging a brief conspiratorial look. Before the guards could react, Alfonso raised one finger and lit a miniature star at its tip, emitting small sparks. With precise aim, he flicked it into the midst of the guards, aiming for Roxie's bracelet.

 

BOOOOM! CRACK! BOOOOOM!

 

A small but intense explosion and several flashes of light lit the room as all of the remaining spider bombs in the bracelet ignited and exploded at once, sending the guards flying backwards with roars and yells, slamming them against the walls with sickening thuds, where they slid to the floor and lay still, their blasters slipping from their fingers, knocked out cold.

 

After a moment, Cygnus' moonlight shield wavered and then dissipated completely, revealing the three heroes, looking rather shell-shocked but otherwise unharmed.

 

"I can't believe that actually worked," Cygnus murmured softly, lowering his hands as the last of his lunar magic faded.

 

"Of course it worked, Frenchy," Roxie replied with a giggle, using Arondite to poke the fallen Rockjaw in the back, making sure he was unconscious. "We're the good guys, after all. Besides, these plonkers are dumber than a sack of rocks! Nice aim, Alfy."

 

"Multiple KO! And the crowd goes wild!" Alfonso cheered, punching the air with his fists in triumph, smiling at both of his teammates.

 

The three Titans threw back their heads and laughed, their voices echoing off the walls, relieved to be victorious. Relieved to be alive. But most of all, relieved to have each other.

 

 

"Go!" Kiara cried, watching as the screaming boy began to plummet towards his death.

 

Blake didn't hesitate—revving his jet thrusters to full, he rocketed forward across the rooftop and over the edge of the building, shooting through the air like a missile. The young hero's eyes were trained on K'yle, the boy's screams echoing in his ears, calculating the trajectory of his fall, the angle of approach, and the necessary speed. At the last moment, he managed to catch hold of the boy and interrupt his fall, cradling him securely in his arms before flying back towards the roof of Club 0XYGEN.

 

Kiara sighed as Blake touched down lightly, relieved to see that he had managed to save K'yle. She knew that there was no point in stating the obvious—Blake was a supergenius, and even then, it wouldn't take a genius to realize that the Night Sisters were gone. K'yle had merely been the bait to cover their escape.

 

As soon as Blake had shot past them to rescue the young Royal, the Night Sisters had immediately leaped from the rooftop in another direction, landing on a lower nearby building a few stories down, their arcane barriers absorbing the impact. Within moments they had jumped forward from rooftop to rooftop in a dizzying and wild acrobatic dance, until the shadows swallowed them completely, as if they had never been. Like a bad dream fading before the approaching dawn. Gone.

---

[spoiler=OOC. Please Read.]Alright guys, we're almost done with the mission. There are only a few things left to do before we can call it a wrap and head back to Titan's Tower. For now, regroup with the other Titans. I'll provide more details in the group Skype chat. Teen Titans, GO!

[Mr. Hyde]

Blake had landed back onto the rooftop with K'yle still cradled in his arms.  Before the teen could thank him, Blake dropped him on his ass faster than he had caught the boy.  "Do what you will with him Kiara...his life is in your hands now."  

 

As he waited for Kiara's response, Blake looked out into the night sky.  A black mess, void of any stars due to the downtown nightlights that blocked them out.  The shadows had consumed his targets, as if they were made of darkness entirely.  Darkness..just a concept...not able to be grasped but still known within the hearts of people who found it tangible.  Blake's satellites were on the case, but he knew the effort would prove futile.  Ninjas weren't so easily tracked these days.  

 

He looked to Kiara, whose robe was blowing in the high rooftop winds.  It covered up what was important, but Blake couldn't help not looking at her.  He diverted his eyes away from her, even though his helmet made it look like he was staring.  Much like a sunglasses effect.  

 

"I guess we should meet up with the others now.  We've cause enough trouble for all of these innocents tonight."  He thought the rest of the Royals who had been badly beaten by the group.  "We should also call for some medical attention...as a matter of fact..."  Blake dialed 9-1-1 from his suit.  "Hello...yes this is an anonymous tip.  I think some teens have overdosed on the third floor of Club 0XYGEN.  Please send emergency help right away."  Blake turned to Kiara yet again.  "We should hurry...I look especially suspicious in uniform.  They should be able to get those teens some detox and crutches...as for Glimmer..."  He forgot about the body that hung lifelessly from the walls of that torture chamber.  "The police will probably notify her parents...I think this is the end of Club 0XYGEN..."  Blake walked towards the staircase that led back into the building and motioned for Kiara to join him.  

 

"The suit's getting low on battery...come on."   

[Ren✧]

Kiara watched as the Night Sisters disappeared into the night, her fist clenching into a tight ball. There was no way she or Blake would ever catch up to the pair of them now. They were gone. After months of tracking Matron Supreme's activity she had been presented with a golden opportunity to find the old crone and had let it slip through her fingers. "Tell her that I'm coming. The night can't hide you forever." Kiara whispered ominously, her threat lost to drowsy, early morning traffic of Aurora City. Something told her that news of her survival would quickly reach Supreme's ears though.

 

 "Do what you will with him Kiara...his life is in your hands now."  Blake threw K'yle down on the roof, still whimper with terror. Kiara calmly strode over to him and glared down at him, sizing him up. It was amazing how quickly he had been reduced to this pathetic excuse for a person. He was hardly even worth Kiara's attention. K'yle was the only thing that connected the Royals to the flow of Bubbly though. With some pressing, hopefully they could get him to testify to his illegal activity on the stand. Kiara doubted that they would find any actual evidence that hadn't already been destroyed or discredited by Trinity and his goons, but maybe th-... Kiara's train of thought stopped as she noticed a dull light flickering from around K'yle's wrist.

 

Immediately, the young Titan's hand snaked outward, causing K'yle to yelp with fright. Fortunately, for him, Kiara was aiming only to grab his arm. Yanking it towards herself she inspected it closer. In startling detail, a live image of the Royal's common room was displayed on the surface of the smart watch. Kiara immediately snatched the accessory away from K'yle, knowing that the recording would be all the evidence they would need to prove K'yle's involvement in the Bubbly trade. "I'm going to put you away for as long as I possibly can." She declared, not an ounce of pity or remorse in her voice. "You may as well just come quietly, it may make things easier on you." 

 

Kiara and Blake led K'yle down from the roof, the latter looking thoroughly defeated. "Trinity is dead. Night Sisters escaped. This creep is all ours. All the evidence we need should be on this." Kiara reported to Alfonso, Cygnus, and Roxie, she held up the watch she had confiscated from K'yle. 

 

"Can we go home now?" 

[Saiba Aisu]

---

GM Post: "Bubbly" (Central Complex, Titans Tower, 8:33 A.M.)

---

[spoiler=GM Post]

Alfonso, Roxie, and Cygnus turned as Kiara and Blake rejoined them, hauling K'yle along with them, who appeared to be mumbling and whimpering softly to himself, caught in a state of shock. Miraculously the two Titans were still in one piece, but the mysterious pair of assassins as well as the large man from earlier—Mr. Trinity—were no where to be seen. If they were surprised to see several unconscious guards strewn across the room since they had last left it, they didn't let on.

 

"Trinity is dead. Night Sisters escaped. This creep is all ours," Kiara reported bluntly. "All the evidence we need should be on this," she added, holding up the watch she had confiscated from the young Royal. "Can we go home now?"

 

"Night Sisters?" Roxie repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You mean those shady-looking biddies we fought?"

 

Kiara nodded, clearly not wishing to discuss the topic any further. At least, not for the moment. Cygnus had questions of his own bubbling at his lips, one after the other, practically overflowing. Who were the Night Sisters? Why did they have the same tattoos as Kiara? Did that mean that she had also been part of their order at some point? And who was Matron Supreme? Still, he could sense that now was not the right time. They were all tired, physically wounded, and emotionally vulnerable. Especially Kiara. There would be plenty of time for sharing later, once they returned to Titans Tower to recover. All in good time. For now, there was still plenty to be done.

 

"Yes," the white-haired sorcerer replied, smiling faintly as he realized that at some point, without him noticing it, the massive T-shaped tower had become the closest thing he had known to a home in a very long time. And this ragtag group of mortals—the closest thing to friends he'd had in over a hundred years.

 

"Let's go home."

 

 

The next hour seemed to pass in a blur, a series of disjointed images that lacked logical connections. Some of them surreal, many of them painful. The radiance of the dawn blossoming over Aurora City, blissfully unaware of the horrors that had taken place the night before. The wailing sirens as ambulances and police vehicles descended upon Club 0XYGEN from the skies en masse, swarming the premises. Orchid's shocked face as Cygnus and the other Titans passed by, leaning on each other, covered in bruises and blood, their Titan Communicators clutched proudly in their fists. A handful of the unconscious Royals coming to one by one as they were given medical attention, many of them confused and scared, unable to remember what had happened to them. And even worse, all those that didn't wake up thanks to Bubbly. That never would.

 

Yet the worst was Haylee. The way her battered face drained of color when Kiara and the others recounted the nightmare they had all lived. The way her mouth dropped open when she learned of her own role, as well as Glimmer's gruesome fate. The way she retched. Sobbed. Screamed. So much loss. So much pain. Too much, perhaps.

 

"You still have a chance, Haylee," Kiara murmured softly, taking the girl's hand and squeezing it gently, choosing her words with care. The other Titans were gathered around her, utterly silent, their heads bowed with sorrow. "It's not too late. You owe it to yourself... And to Glimmer. Move past this part of your story. You have to be strong. Go home to your parents. To your friends and your studies. Live, love, chase happiness. You going home and living—that's the best way to honor her legacy."

 

K'yle screamed too, twisting and writhing as the police handcuffed him and led him away, revealing the poisonous beast lurking beneath his perfect exterior.

 

"You can't lock me away forever!" he shrieked, his voice shrill, his features twisted into a perverse mask of rage. "Councilman Westminster is my father! Do you hear me?! My father! This is a set-up, a sick joke! I had nothing to do with it, Trinity was the one pulling the strings! I want to see my lawyer!"

 

"Don't worry," Police Chief Rookwood said, turning towards the Titans as the young Royal, still howling, was forced into the vehicle. "He won't get away with his crimes, even if his father is a city councilor. Not with the kind of evidence we have. Not with all the Bubbly we managed to intercept, thanks to you. This is the end of K'yle Westminster, and of Club 0XYGEN, too. You have my word."

 

The man held up the watch Kiara had confiscated, gleaming faintly in the early morning light, the sole testament of Mr. Trinity and K'yle's evil. The heroine nodded at the chief of police, relieved that the young Royal would pay for his crimes and that Glimmer's murder would be avenged. The middle-aged man met her gaze eye-for-eye for a moment, his faint grey eyes serious above his uniform of the same color, his bushy brown mustache twitching faintly as they exchanged a brief salute. For the briefest of instants, the pair was connected—an ordinary middle-aged man and a young girl, bonded by their commitment to fight crime and protect the weak. Then, like all moments, it passed.

 

 

By the time the young heroes returned to Titans Tower, the sun was already rising to its zenith in the sky above the Crescent Moon Bay, setting the rolling waves alight with its splendor. Unlike their first mission report, Sybil did not prompt the Titans with questions, preferring to let them speak of their own volition as they worked to piece together the story of their mission, directing their words to the massive screen upon which his image was displayed. The Frosts. The Howlers. The Shades. The Royals. The Night Sisters. Like so many puzzles pieces, waiting to be sorted. At some points, the conversation flowed naturally; at others, a long silence hung upon over the group. Yet Sybil waited patiently without saying anything, his violet eyes intent, his hands crossed in his lap. Listening. And when they had finally finished, he sighed, leaning back into his armchair.

 

"Just when you think you've seen it all," he murmured, "life throws you a curveball. It goes without saying that I never expected any of this... You five went up against impossible odds. You single-handedly crippled an entire narcotics operation. You fought against two fully-trained assassins belonging to one of the most dangerous arcane cults that the Justice League has ever faced. You exposed the truth, and in so doing, saved hundreds, if not thousands of young people from falling prey to Bubbly. Thanks to your efforts, Aurora City is safer, and the future is a little brighter. As your Senior Adviser, please allow me to congratulate you on your success. You have made me very proud."

 

"It doesn't feel like success, though," Blake replied, frowning. "Mr. Trinity died without telling us anything about the Night Sisters. And those two lady ninjas got away."

 

"Matron Supreme is still out there somewhere," Kiara murmured bitterly, her hands tightening on the armrests of the sofa. "Still plotting. Still hurting people."

 

"Maybe so," Sybil said gently. "But thanks to you, we now know that the core leadership of the Night Sisters survived our last raid. That they have begun to act once again. Forewarned is forearmed. The League will be watching, so that the next time they strike, we'll be ready. I promise you that."

 

The Titans nodded one by one silently, their expressions serious as they pondered the shadowy haze of the future. For now, Sybil's words and the promise to fight back were enough. They had to be.

 

"And now," Sybil said, breaking into a warm smile, "I'd say it's way past your bedtime, wouldn't you agree? It's time you all got some rest. Take the time to treat your injuries. Not just the physical ones, those usually heal on their own. The spiritual ones, too. Aurora City will need you again sooner than you think."

 

As the transmission ended and the screen went blank, Sybil leaned back once again in his armchair, closing his eyes, smiling faintly as he remembered the motley group of youths he had greeted at Titan's Tower only a few weeks ago, eager to prove themselves. So little time, to have come so far and grown so much.

 

"They look like a team," he said softly at last. "They look like heroes."

---

[spoiler=OOC. Please Read.]Alright guys, that's the end of our second mission, Bubbly! Thank you so much for your patience and for doing such an excellent job with the different scenarios, as well as putting up with my neurosis. I hope you had a blast! I know I did :) For now, take this time to post your character's reactions to these events, or any another form of appropriate action. Reflection, conversation, training, whatever floats your boat. As Sybil mentioned, our heroes will be back at the grind before you know it!

[Dad]

Shortly before returning to Titan's Tower

 

He greeted Kiara and Blake with a nod.  "Home?  Home sounds good," Alfonso said with a rather forced smile.  He was still giggling to himself.  "Hey, did you see those guards' faces?" He said looking to Cygnus and Roxie.  "I'd say they were rather. . .star struck, wouldn't you?" he said trying his best to stifle a laugh.  "But--but--I mean, can you blame them?  They walked right into an explosive situation."  Gripping his stomach as he laughed at his own terrible jokes, Alfonso went on for what seemed like forever.  He was in tears, not moments after nearly dying.  "Oh.  Oh boy," he said wiping a tear from his face.  "I guess, in the end, we can't prevent every tragedy.  But we took down the baddies, and got ourselves a constellation prize.  Get it?  Like consolation?  Pfft!" he said now reeling with laughter.  Alfonso's mood changed rather quickly, however, when he saw a whimpering K'yle cowering behind Kiara and Blake, as they led him downstairs.

 

He slipped past them, and put an arm over K'yle's shoulder.  "Aww, cheer up dude.  I hear they like pretty boys in prison."  K'yle gave Alfonso a confused stare, with a raised eyebrow.  "You can be everybody's jabroni.  You'll be the star of the show!" he said slapping K'yle on the back as hard as he could, causing the boy to trip forwards, nearly landing on his face.  Alfonso whirled the boy around, and slammed his own injured head against K'yle's forehead.  "And if you ever, ever poison people like this again, the Titans will be putting me behind bars, for what I'll do to you.  Prison is a godsend for people like you.  So be grateful that you'll be leaving in handcuffs, and not a body bag," Alfonso whispered, angrily.  He stood up straight, wiping the blood from his own head and K'yle's.  

 

The jokes stopped as Alfonso sobered up through the pain now riddling his head again, but he would be fine until they returned home.  Upon which, after delivering a rather intensive report, he would promptly pass out and sleep off his injuries.  Hoping to never come into contact with people like K'yle again.

[Ren✧]

Kiara put on a stoic face for the others. She tried to appear as normal as possible, staring purposefully ahead as they delivered the evidence to the police. As K'yle was put away into the patrol car, she couldn't help but smile slightly as he was reduced to hysterics. He wouldn't make it long in prison. As they delivered their report to Sybil, Kiara was unusually quiet. She spoke up when necessary, filling in the parts that the others couldn't, but otherwise keeping her mouth shut. The others were sure to notice. Kiara, usually so bubbly, had obviously been deflated by the events of mission. As soon as Sybil bid them adieu, Kiara stood up from where she had sat on the couch. "I'm going to bed." Kiara's voice cracked at the end of her sentence, revealing how torn up she was. Hurrying from the room before the other Titans could launch into their barrage of questions, Kiara fled to her room.

 

Throwing herself face down on her bed, Kiara began to cry. Softly, at first, but it quickly grew to raucous sobs. It wasn't dignified and it wasn't cute. It was gross, uncontrolled crying. When she felt she had cried herself out, she wiped the tears from her face, and walked over to her desk. Upon returning to the Tower, Kiara had taken the opportunity to quickly put on some pajamas, before delivering their report to Sybil. However, her most important part of her attire was still laying on her desk. Drawing the small pendant into her hand, she opened it, gazing at the image of her sister and mother that it held inside. 

 

"I swear to God I'm going to make you proud."

[Saiba Aisu]

BGM

 

The next few days after the team's second assignment passed slowly for Cygnus. At Sybil's orders—and much to his own chagrin—he spent two days in the Tower's medical bay, confined to a hospital bed, in order to treat his knife wound and fractured ribs. One of the Titans would visit every now and then in order to make sure he didn't get too lonely, but for the most part, he was left to his own devices. He preferred it that way, to be honest. It gave him the chance to sit back, meditate, and reflect on some hard realities. Among these were the consequences of the decisions he had made. Their mission at Club 0XYGEN had been a fiasco from start to finish, and it had shaken his self-confidence to the core. He was the one that had convinced the others to split up and investigate, making them more vulnerable, impairing their ability to work together, even if it had been in the name of progress. And as a result of his decisions, Kiara had been taken hostage and abused, maybe even violated, and her life had been put in danger. He shuddered to think what Mr. Trinity might have done to the girl if they hadn't rescued her in time. Yet even then, the white-haired sorcerer could have redeemed himself, if only he had pulled his weight in the following battles against the Royals and the Night Sisters.

 

But no, he thought to himself, his lips twisting into a bitter smile as he looked out the window towards the sea, trying to find peace in in the white-capped waves, but only feeling a profound sense of self-disgust. You couldn't even manage to do that, could you...?

 

He closed his eyes for a moment and sighed, remembering how Roxie and Blake had handled the lion's share of the fight. How bravely and fiercely they had fought, putting their own lives on the line, while he had been, well.. He winced as the knife wound at his shoulder and his ribs twinged with pain. A reminder that for all his longevity and experience, he was still human. Weak. Inept. Useless was an understatement, really.

 

Never again, he vowed to himself silently, his hands curling into fists on the sheets of the infirmary bed. He wasn't alone anymore. He was part of a team now, and that meant that he wasn't the only one that would pay for his mistakes. He had to become stronger. Better. Wiser. He owed it to his friends who had put their faith in him, who had risked their lives to save his own.

 

 

Cygnus left the medical bay early on the third morning, eager to avoid any fuss. He was sure Sybil would have disapproved, but he had already wasted too much time. Who knew when their next assignment might come along? Besides, his injuries were healed. Mostly. In any case, it seemed that luck was on his side for a change—he didn't run into any of the other Titans as he made his way back through the Central Complex to his room for a fresh change of clothes. He paused for a moment outside of Kiara's door, fully aware that he owed the girl an apology for everything that had happened to her. Would she forgive him? He hoped so, even though he knew that she had more than enough reasons not to. Regardless of the outcome, it would have to wait for now.

 

The elevator hummed quietly as Cygnus descended to the first floor and exited Titans Tower, breathing in the fresh scent of the sea that blew towards him across the island. He headed west, looping around the building in the direction of the training field. There was work to be done.

[Mr. Hyde]

They had returned back to Titan's Tower.  They had returned home.  He was finally comfortable with saying that after all this time.  Before the debrief with Sybil, Blake took the time to take off his suit, and upload the footage he had recorded of the night sisters and all of the other tragic events that occurred while he was inside onto a flash drive.  He labeled it "O", and left it on his desk.  Talking about that night's events was hard for some of them, especially Kiara it seemed.  Blake also didn't know that Alfonso or Cygnus were in as bad of shape as they were.  He must've been too heavily focused at the task at hand to worry about his teammates.  He would be sure never to make the same mistakes again.  After their report was done, the first to flee from the scene was, of course, Kiara.

 

"I'm going to bed."   With that tone in her voice, Blake knew that she would need some time to gather herself.  No use rushing a wound that needs time to heal, physical or not.  Blake was the next to retire.  

 

"Great work guys...let's all rest easy."

 

Sleeping that night, or morning, was almost impossible for him.  The nightmares had come back...the nightmares that took place up there.  Instead of the burnt corpses of astronauts floating around him, all he could see was the lifeless body of Glimmer in zero gravity.  He woke up in a sweat.  His scars hurt more than usual today.  He looked at the clock to realize that a whole day had passed since he had lied down.  "I WASTED THAT MUCH TIME!?"  Blake had an agenda to stick by, and sleeping for a whole day was more Alfonso's thing than his.  He jumped out of his bed, hair all over the place, and opened his suit's container.  He looked it up and down, it had a few scratches, but other than that it was spotless.  "Time to scrap this one huh?"  He layed out the blueprints for a new suit on his desk.  "I can do better now...I have to make it better...for them."   

[Dad]

While Alfonso lay in his bed sleeping, Altiana sat wide awake, her own mind running wild with thoughts.  She began to reminisce on her days back home, on the planet of Gilfax.  Back then, she was worth so much more.  Altiana had been a person of great popularity--a celebrity of sorts--and she hated every moment of it.  Of course it wasn't her decision to make, as a princess she was forced to do the bidding of her father, and what was best for the Kingdom.  But having had so many of these things forced upon her, she naturally rebelled.

 

Even so, she loved her family, her kingdom, and her planet.  She was inclined to do so, even when they drove her away.  Altiana kept an open heart and an open mind, as was her nature.  But love was not something she was used to.  Even on her planet, as it was expressed to "be of one", love was not something Altiana understood, even after she had heard of it from Alfonso.  But there were some on her planet who had a better grasping of love.  

 

Altiana cringed when she recalled a rather forceful suitor who saught to be apart of Altiana, likely in an effort to become royalty.  But Altiana pushed him away.  She didn't want to share her mind with anyone.  Not until she met Alfonso.

 

"There's something about this boy," she had been thinking.  "His mind is so . . . free.  I can feel it."  

 

She didn't regret leaving home in an abrupt spectacle.  After a spat with daddy dearest, she high tailed it out of there at the ripe young age of sixteen thousand.  Her travels through space took her from planet to planet, galaxy to galaxy, but she did not find comfort until entering the Milky Way.  It was about the time Altiana met Alfonso that she was ready to stop traveling, and to being anew.  But having traveled so far for so long, she had lost a lot of time and energy.  She needed to recharge.  She chose the boy on accident originally, only wanting to use him to recover her strength, and perhaps explore Earth.  But after a few days of being harbored inside of him, Altiana grew attached.  And so, she formed a bond with him.  Permanently.  Against his will.  "He still doesn't know," she thought.

 

A tear streamed down her face, and Altiana caught it, flicking it away.  This was an emotion she knew very well.  It was sadness.  Perhaps she was regretting something?  Was she homesick?  Altiana had only managed to confuse herself with emotions, and drive herself into a corner.  Deciding to dismiss it, she lied down, trying to rest.

[Saiba Aisu]

BGM

 

Come on. Focus. Find your center.

 

Cygnus took a deep breath as the training field transformed for the next exercise he had programmed into the computer interface. With a mechanized click, fifteen motion-tracking laser turrets sprouted in an arc from the ground and walls in staggered rows in front of him, several feet away, aimed towards the center of the arena where he stood, crouched in a ready stance. He had selected the second lowest possible setting for the turrets' rapid-fire laser blasts—not enough to do any real damage, but enough to pack a decent wallop as punishment in case he slipped up and made a mistake. The memory of his clumsy attempt to engage the Night Sisters in hand-to-hand combat was still painfully fresh in his mind. If it hadn't been for his teammates, he would be dead right now. He couldn't afford to make another mistake like that again.

 

Time to improve those combat reflexes, old man!

 

The turrets began to power up with a low hum of red light: moments later, a barrage of staggered projectiles shot towards him at high speed, buzzing through the air like supersonic bees. Cygnus could have summoned a large circular barrier of moonlight to absorb the attacks like he usually did but that would have defeated the purpose of the exercise. He needed to be fast, and above all, surgically precise. As the lasers hurtled towards him, he lashed out with his open palms, summoning small shields of translucent light around his wrists, twisting, ducking, and weaving as fast as he could, his arms reduced to a blur of silver as he tried to predict and block each attack. As the incoming lasers struck his shields, they dissipated with a mechanical whine, repelled by his lunar magic. With each passing moment, the turrets' rate of fire increased, the difficulty of the exercise stacking to match the young Titan's performance.

 

Pas mal, now I just have to—

 

From the corner of his eye, Cygnus saw one of the turrets powering up for another shot; pivoting on his heel, he turned towards it, ready to deflect the incoming blow. Yet the turret didn't fire and after a moment its light disappeared abruptly, leaving Cygnus standing there with his mouth open, looking rather foolish. Of course! How could he have forgotten that the turrets were programmed to fire decoy shots after a certain amount of time? A chorus of mechanical hums sounded to his right, forcing him to turn towards them, struggling to make up for lost time. He lashed out again with his shields, absorbing eight lasers, and, seeing that he didn't have enough time to catch his balance and fix his stance, even pivoted once more like a gymnast, swinging his left leg in a high wide arc, summoning a small shield at the sole of his foot, absorbing two more lasers. Still, it wasn't enough. His balance was lost, his focus was broken—the next barrage of lasers knocked him clean off his feet onto his back with a thud. Their target defeated, the turrets powered down and withdrew with another set of mechanical clicks. Then there was silence.

 

Cygnus picked himself up slowly, panting from his efforts, a faint sheen of sweat glistening at his brow as he pushed his bangs back from his face. He allowed himself a brief drink of bottled water before wiping his mouth and settling back in the center of the arena, commanding the computer to engage in the same exercise.

 

Again. Again. Again!

[Ren✧]

Kiara looked in her vanity mirror; her hair was a mess, her eyes were red and puffy, and she looked incredibly disheveled. She had yet to step outside her room since returning from their mission. Every time she thought about doing so, she either collapsed on the floor in tears or ran to the bathroom to throw up. Looking at her reflection brought about the same wave of nausea, but she bit back the rising bile. "Pull yourself together." She muttered. The others were probably hard at work, training to better themselves, and what was she doing? Crying. Weak. Pathetic. 

 

"Just like I told you. You are weak. It's about time you realize that. I can make you strong though." 

 

Kiara jumped out of her chair, grabbed her hair brush and threw it across the room with all her strength. The plastic brush thudded against the wall, cracking it, before dropping to the floor. Kiara stood in a mix of wide-eyed disbelief and confusion, staring at empty space. Breathing heavily, she looked in her mirror and back to where she had thought, where she would have sworn, she had just seen...Matron Supreme. 

 

"I'm really starting to lose it." Kiara whispered to herself, cupping her face in her hands as she sat at the edge of her bed.

 

 

Kiara sat cross-legged in the dark room. Having finally mustered the fortitude to leave her room, she had managed to escape her solitude without seeing any of the other Titans and after speaking to Sybil had found a training room on the thirteenth floor of the facility perfectly suited to her needs. The room she was small, barely largely enough for her to comfortably stand in. The only light came from a luminous orb that floated a feet away from Kiara. It hummed with energy and pulsed with life. Just feeling the positive energy radiating from the sphere was beginning to lighten Kiara's mood. However, that wasn't why she had come there.

 

---

"My telepathy needs to be stronger." Kiara demanded, Sybil's face on the monitor looking unsurprised.

 

"Your powers will get stronger with time, especially if you practice." 

 

"Practice? How am I supposed to practice?"

---

 

This had been his solution. He had refused to tell her exactly what the orb was, only that it simulated a conscious mind. Kiara could practice her telepathy on it without fear of overstepping boundaries, like with her teammates. Under no circumstances, however, was Kiara to remove the orb from the room or allow her teammates contact with it. Again, Sybil had offered no further information on why, but she'd decided not to press him. She'd gotten what she'd wanted.

 

With a deep breath, Kiara extended her mind towards the orb of white light. Immediately, she felt its consciousness and was astounded by how...familiar it felt. Then, just as she was gaining psychic traction, the simulated consciousness threw up a barrier and forced Kiara out of its mind.

 

"Alright, well if that's how you want to play."

[Hälō]

"..." Roxie's smile instantly faded as she entered the sick-bay, and discovered Cygnus's bed empty. Glancing down at the box of croissants she had brought to brighten up her french comrade's day, the girl sighed before shutting off the lights and stepping out of the room. Somberly dragging Arondite on the ground behind her, Roxie couldn't help but note how dreary the tower felt as of late. Aside from the times that they would bump into each other when visiting Cygnus, all of the Titan's seemed to be doing their own thing for last few days, leaving the former Knight rather lonely. "It's alright..." She assured herself as she made her way up to the vacant central complex. 
 
"A Knight mustn't romanticize their relationship with their allies... You are a part of the same force, fighting for the same cause. Nothing more." The all too familiar voice of Arthur drifted from somewhere deep within in her memory as Roxie brought herself to halt in front of Cygnus's door. "..." She couldn't find it in herself to argue, even if only in her head. Without a word she dropped the white box at Cygnus's door, before making her way back towards the command center that functioned as the team's living room.
 
On the box of croissants, one would find a small illustration of what appeared to be a chibi Cygnus brandishing a large cartoon mustache and beret. His face contorted in exaggerated anger, and a small bubble of text hung next to his head with "I'M FRENCH!" written in large bold letters. Under that, a message could be found in surprisingly neat hand writing.
 
"I know how much you French Goose Mages love your moon shaped pastries... feel better, love!"
                                                                                        -Havoc

 

 

"100... 101... 102... 103... 104..."

 

Any who entered the command room would find themselves met with a very sweaty Roxie, doing suicides across the room. She had dawned a black sports bra, and matching pair of yoga shorts, and though her workout would seem strangely lax for one to look as worn out as she did, they would soon see exactly what was so special about this particular routine...

 

"105!" instead of getting down to do a pushup like the five reps before, Roxie shifted her gaze to the ceiling, where several spider bombs where waiting for her. Dropping downwards just as they'ed down so many times before, the spider bombs began to throb with a purple light from the kinetic energy that the girl had charged them with before she had start the training; they where set to explode upon hitting the ground. 

 

Roxie's eyes became ablaze with the same furious purple glow as the spiders, and with a growl she began moving at accelerated speed, catching all seven of the spider bombs, and draining them of the excess energy in a matter of seconds. Seemingly unimpressed by her performance, the girl sighed, before charging the bombs with kinetic energy once more and tossing them back to the ceiling.

 

"106..." she broke off into her next set.  

[Dad]

Altiana had made her first mistake in some time since she had been bonded to Alfonso.  It was difficult for them to share a mind and then sleep at the same time.  If one had a nightmare, the other would as well.  Their mental training wasn't exactly stellar, and they definitely needed it.  After Alfonso shot awake in a cold sweat, he immediately began questioning what he had just seen.

 

"Altiana?  Are you alright?"

 

She groaned, groggily.  "I am.  Just restless."

 

Alfonso shook his head.  "That nightmare said otherwise.  Get some rest.  I'm gonna find something to occupy myself with."  Altiana didn't argue, turning over and allowing her presence to become minimal in Alfonso's head.  Meanwhile, Alfonso began pacing around his room, trying to find something to keep him from falling asleep.  It was the middle of the day, so horror movies wouldn't cut it.  He wasn't much for sports, so playing ball wasn't really appealing.  Sighing, Alfonso strolled past his television, where his foot gently nudged a controller.  "Hm?"  He bent down to pick it up, from hiding beside his bed side dresser.  "Did dad send my system?" he said to himself.  He hadn't recalled looking past it.  But then again, lazy Alfonso didn't recall much of anything.

 

He began shuffling through his belongings, until his hand met a a cool black plastic, with a funky white symbol engraved in its plastic casing.  "He did.  Good guy Dad," he said chuckling to himself.  Under it he found a plastic bag of tied video cables, hdmi cables, and a power cord.  And next to that, an enormous black cd case that took effort to lift.  "How did I miss--eh, screw it."  Hooking the system to his television, the quiet hum of the Gamestation 9000 PSX V 1.5 Limited Edition Marble Black Cosmos System brought a smile to his face.  Plugging in the controller, Alfonso took a leap to his bed as the cord stretched just long enough to reach.  He spread his legs and laid out the enormous cd case in front of him and began flipping through it.

 

"Hmm.  What to play, what to p--I forgot that I had this!  I wonder if there's been any updates."  He snatched the cd that excited him from the cd case, and dragged out a wireless receiver from his bag as well.  Plugging the receiver into his console, Alfonso instantly connected to the Titans wi-fi signal, and slid in his game.  A resounding gong went off, as his cd was read, and blood dripping words flashed onto the screen as the game loaded.

 

"SLASHER BATTLES 4:  DA DEAD RECKONING, CHAPTER THREE, VERSION TWO"

 

"Awww yeah!" he said excitedly.  A user required authorization of a new update was required, and so Alfonso accepted.  Meanwhile, he pumped up the volume and shut his door as he prepared to engage in the endless slaughter and violence of a zombie-super hero-villain-military-shooting game.  His rank displayed in the top right corner of the screen, he remembered the last game he played.  

 

"RANK ACHIEVED:  LORD"

 

"One rank to go!"

 

The download finished in no time, and Alfonso began reading over the new content and data added and removed from the game.  However, being the lazy mess that we was, he opted to play the video instead.  "Meh."

 

"Greetings mortals.  I am Head Slayer Slasher xDemonLord900x.  And this is a Slasher Spotlight."

 

"Whoa, new Slasher?"

 

"Our newest Slasher is Rothgar, the Unforgiving."

 

"Cheese name.  Already bored."

 

"Rothgar is a melee tanky-dps Slasher, with powerful dueling opportunities and fantastic kiting potential for his team."

 

"Okay, prove it."

 

"SHUT UP AND LISTEN WORM!"

 

"What the f--"

 

"Rothgar's passive is 'Know Your Place!'  Other Slashers who are within 500 units of Rothgar are susceptible to Dread.  Dread reduces the armor of all nearby enemy Slashers by a flat amount based on Rothgar's Level.  Rothgar's Light Attack is 'Lick it and Stick it".  Rothgar brandishes a whip, which he licks enthusiastically.  Once the whip is wet, Rothgar's next attack on an enemy slows them drastically, and causes them to cry out in disgust.  Rothgar's Medium attack is 'Safe Word'.  Rothgar randomly selects a nearby enemy Slasher within 1000 units (if there is only one, Rothgar will immediately target them).  Rothgar's target becomes instantly  affected by Dread, in addition to Rothgar's passive.  If Rothgar manages to attack the target while they are affected by 'Safe Word', they will take double damage from Rothgar and his allies for the next eight seconds and be silenced.  Enemy Slashers who avoid Rothgar during this time and are not attacked will force Rothgar to be silenced for ten seconds.  Rothgar's Heavy Attack is 'Just Let It Whip'.  Rothgar extends his whip forwards in a line, pulling in all stricken units (ally and enemy) towards him.  Allies pulled this way are thrown behind Rothgar.  Rothgar's Ultimate Attack is 'WITNESS ME!'  Rothgar drops his whip, and enters into a frightening frenzy.  All enemy Slashers in Rothgar's vision are immediately affect by 150% increased Dread, and are rooted in place.  Rothgar will charge towards enemy Slashers, and erupt into a nuclear explosion on the impact with the first enemy Slasher he comes into contact with, and knocking up all enemy Slashers around the initial target.

 

That's all for this Slasher Spotlight.  GET ABSORBED AND GO PLAY YOU MAGGOT!"

 

Alfonso lay back on his bead, reeling with laughter.  "I missed this."

[Saiba Aisu]

Approximately two hours later, Cygnus reentered Titans Tower, completely drenched with salt water, shivering slightly at the cold air flowing steadily from the vents in the ceiling. The first part of his training had gone well—exceeding well, actually, even by his standards. While he wouldn't be winning any prizes for hand-to-hand combat anytime soon, he at least felt fairly confident that he would be able to hold his own the next time he went toe-to-toe with someone. At least for a bit. Maybe. He sighed and made a mental note to ask the team's reigning melee specialists Kiara and Roxie to help him practice next time. Staggered laser turrets programmed to fire decoy shots were all very well and good, but they were nothing compared to a real sparring partner—one who could rationalize and plan ahead or completely change the flow of battle with spontaneous innovation. Still, it was a decent start.

 

As the doors closed behind him with a pneumatic hiss and the elevator sprang into motion, climbing towards the Central Complex at top speed, he blushed deeply, glad that none of the other Titans had been around to witness the disastrous second half of his training session. Cygnus loved the ocean more than most, but after a good hour of graceless wipeouts and far too many accidental mouthfuls of seawater, he didn't feel like going swimming again anytime soon. Not for a while, at least.

 

What I do feel like is food, he thought to himself, frowning as his stomach growled in protest, realizing that perhaps skipping breakfast and training on an empty stomach hadn't been the best idea. With another faint hiss, the elevator doors slid apart to reveal the Central Complex, which appeared to be oddly deserted. Still, that was just as well for him—better to avoid explaining why he was soaking wet. Convincing himself that the puddle in the elevator would evaporate by itself, he hurried towards his room, trying to make as little noise as possible.

 

"Now what's this?" he murmured, bending down to pick up the white box Roxie had left in front of his door. He scowled briefly at his mustached miniature self before reading the rest of the blonde's message and opening it to discover the croissants tucked neatly inside in two rows.

 

Goose Mage?! Moon-shaped pastry? he repeated, smiling in spite of himself. Really, the girl was an original. She'd be a riot in Paris, if she ever wanted to go there. Resolving to take Roxie to the city zoo someday and explain the difference between a goose and a swan, he bit into one of the croissants, which were surprisingly good.