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

[Mr. Hyde]

Somehow, Blake was successful...Kiara turned on her side and spit up all the water that was left over.  He was so happy.  

 

"You know...you aren't supposed to do mouth-to-mouth anymore. Couldn't let the opportunity pass you by?" 

 

The comment would've made him furious, had it not been that she had almost died.  

 

"Thank you."  A faint blush crossed his face.  The telepathic Kiara was always nicer to him.  

 

"I must not have read up on all the updates to the procedure...it is pretty archaic after all..."  He rubbed his head, embarrassed.  After all that was out of the way, and a small flame was created by Batsu, Roxie explained the ritual of the lip press.  Still blushing, Blake shouted, "It was even close to 'snogging', Roxie!  Stop kidding with the poor alien."  He sighed.  All of that was out of his system.  However, he couldn't help the feeling that their was a weird tension with Kiara.  He couldn't even look at her now.  

 

All was well until Cygnus' communicator went off.  

 

"Police Chief Rookwood," he answered. "What an unexpected surprise. What can I do for you?"

 

"Not that unexpected, Cygnus. We got a call a few minutes ago about the Saint Dominique. My team and I are currently on the docks, sorting out the survivors and transporting those in critical condition to nearby hospitals. If you and the other Titans don't mind, I'd love to have a word."

 

One Interrogation Later

 

After they were let go by the police chief, they slunk down a dark alley.  

 

"We're not actually leaving though, are we, Frenchy?"

 

"No, Blondie, we're not. Not until we've made contact with our mysterious friend. They've got to be around here somewhere."

 

"Well...if we didn't look suspicious before, we definitely do now." Blake had sent his armor back home.  With the crisis averted, there was no longer a need for it.  However, just in case, he did keep on of the arm and hand pieces, just in case of course.  "And what makes you think they even survived that attack?  It was obviously targeting them!"  

 

"Perhaps much closer than you think.  You're looking for the Lady of the Lilies, right?  Well, congratulations. You've found her. Or rather, I found you."

 

This...was their contact.  She hardly looked to be the type to use as a secret government operative.  He pinched the bridge of his nose...another headache induced by annoyance.  
 

"Looks like we weren't even that stealthy after all..."

[Ren✧]

The chill that had sank deep into Kiara had begun to fade, deterred by Batsu's flame and the blanket around her shoulders. The shivers that had racked Kiara's body had stopped...for the most part at least. Of course, what warmed her the most was Roxie's explanation of snogging. That is until she turned the explanation to Alfonso's departure. Kiara knew his leaving had hurt her more than she had let on, she had felt it on her, but they hadn't ever talked it out. To see Roxie just lose control of her emotions like that was a bit shocking. Kiara felt almost like she should comfort the former knight...but they were on a mission and there would be time for that later. 

 

"It was even close to 'snogging', Roxie!" Blake bursted out. Kiara looked his way and realized he wouldn't even meet her gaze. Walking up beside him, she spoke quietly. "I was only kidding before. Seriously, thank you." Hopefully that verbal bit of gratitude would quell any awkwardness that had risen between the two. They didn't have time to be worrying about teenage crushes and 'who like whom'.

 

"Police Chief Rookwood," he answered. "What an unexpected surprise. What can I do for you?"

 

It appeared at the other shoe had dropped. Shira knew of the presence and now so did public. They would have to mitigate the damage done to their cover.

 

 

Walking away from the Police Chief, Kiara couldn't help but feel guilty. Not because they lied to the police. That had been necessary and they would help a lot more people by keeping this quiet than by causing mass panic. No. She felt guilty because despite being team leader, she had let Cygnus do all the talking. "Why don't you just sit back and let everyone else do your job, Kiara? Makes it easier to blame someone else when you fail." She thought. 

 

Pushing those thoughts from her mind, Kiara noticed an approaching consciousness moving towards the team. About to call a warning, she was beaten to the punch. 

 

"You're looking for the Lady of the Lilies, right?  Well, congratulations. You've found her. Or rather, I found you." The woman was deceptively beautiful, not at all what Kiara had been expecting. Of course, that's exactly what you'd want in secret government operative. Still, she couldn't help but be skeptical. Kiara couldn't take any chances when it came to the safety of her city, or the safety of her team.

 

Taking a step towards the Lady of Lilies, she spoke up, somehow finding the confidence to match that which their contact emanated. "If you are who you say you are, then you won't mind if I verify that by reading your mind." Kiara's eyes narrowed, letting her know that there wasn't really an option. 

[Saiba Aisu]

---

GM Post:

(Eastern Docks, 8:00 P.M.)

---

For a moment, silence hung heavily upon the night air as the Teen Titans and the mysterious young woman exchanged glances, sizing each other up, neither side crossing the no-man's land that lay in between them. Not surprisingly, the team leader was the first to take action.

"If you are who you say you are, then you won't mind if I verify that by reading your mind," Kiara said firmly, striding forward and fixing the other woman with a hard look to let her know she meant business. To her surprise, the Lady of the Lilies didn't seem particularly intimidated—on the contrary, she seemed rather amused by the turn of events, raising an arched brow as the young heroine approached.

"Oh, so you're the one?" she asked idly, looking down at her perfectly manicured nails. "I was trying to remember which one of you was supposed to be the mind reader, I was sure it was one of the girls... Headquarters went to the trouble of giving me a short dossier on your team, of course, but I wasn't able to glance at more than a few pages during the trip. Not that it really matters, it's probably at the bottom of the ocean by now."

She shrugged with supreme indifference, her white silk chemise glistening in the faint light from overhead, apparently unfazed by the loss. "Do what you have to, I suppose," she said. "Just be careful not to pry too much. It could be... Unpleasant."

Kiara rolled her eyes at the woman's blasé remark and patronizing smile, only just managing to stifle a scathing reply. Just who did this 'Lady of the Lilies' think she was? Did she know who she was dealing with? No matter. If she didn't know, she would learn soon enough. The young Titan closed her eyes and took a deep breath, focusing her thoughts and then extending them outwards gradually, as if she were casting a wide net. Her mind brushed briefly against the familiar consciousnesses of her friends, glowing like multi-colored jewels in the darkness as they kept watch, passing over them towards the mysterious woman in front of her. She began to shift methodically through the other woman's memories, gaining speed as she went, strengthening the psychic connection and familiarizing herself with the structure of her mind.

A host of foreign images flashed before her eyes, flickering like ghosts as they passed. A sprawling metropolis that rivaled Aurora City, nestled among low mountains, its lights glittering in the darkness. A pristine surgically white hallway lined with sliding doors and filled with scientists and researchers scurrying helter-skelter, their heads bowed over their notepads and folders, calling out to each other rapidly in Korean in passing. The central complex of a massive biochemistry laboratory, complete with tanks of bubbling liquid taller than a man and floating holographic projections, depicting twisting strands of DNA, each tiny link in the chain glowing a different color. A briefing by the same goggle-wearing black-clad figure that had delivered a message to the Titans, except that this time, its voice wasn't scrambled by synthesizers, and sounded distinctly male. And there—the lush interior of a luxury cabin looking out to the inky black ocean, followed by a sudden muffled roar and a deafening explosion. The next few memories were less clear, blurred by cold and pain and adrenaline, a haphazard montage of rolling waves and scattered debris, populated with victims crying out as they floundered weakly towards the distant shore.

Seoul, Kiara thought to herself, nodding as she recognized the South Korean capital from one of the geopolitics textbooks she had studied during her time with the Justice League. The next few images could only be glimpses of the secret laboratory where the government's all-consuming paranoia and twisted science had given birth to Spore. And from the looks of it, their mysterious contact hadn't been selected on a random whim: she had actually contributed to the creation of the bioweapon itself. As much as the government agent rubbed her the wrong way, Kiara couldn't help but feel a grudging respect for her as she realized that she had indeed been aboard the Saint Dominique—not only that, she had managed to swim to shore without any help. Although she already had enough to confirm the Lady of the Lilies' identity, she decided to take advantage of the opportunity and push a bit further. Information was power, and they would need every ounce of it if they were to stop Shira and neutralize the bioweapon.

Tell me more about Spore, she murmured silently, fashioning her thoughts into a hook, hurling it further into the depths of the woman's mind. What are its components? How do we stop it? How do we—?

CRACK.

Kiara blinked and staggered backwards, raising one hand numbly to her face, as if she had been slapped. One moment, she had been comfortably nestled in the other woman's mind, a wealth of memories and information at her fingertips, just begging to be exploited. The next, she had been hurled forcefully outwards, the mental connection between the two of them broken so quickly and so violently that she hadn't even had the chance to react: the psychic equivalent of having the rug pulled out from under your feet. It was a sensation she hadn't experienced in a very long time, since her training with the Night Sisters.

"H-how... How did you—?" she sputtered, her tongue tripping over itself, as if she were still suffering from hypothermia.

"Ah, ah, ah," the Lady of the Lilies interrupted, her lips curving into a self-assured smile as she waved a slim finger in Kiara's direction. "Naughty, aren't we? I did warn you. You didn't actually think that my country's government would dispatch someone that couldn't keep their thoughts private, did you? I'm afraid you'll have to do better than that if you want to learn all of my secrets."

Behind the pair, the rest of the Teen Titans exchanged confused looks, not entirely sure of what had just taken place.

"Everything alright, Kiara-love?" Roxie asked hesitantly, her eyes narrowing in concern at the sight of her friend, apparently still struggling to master her disbelief.

"Everything's fine," Kiara managed at last, lowering her hand slowly, trying to inject some of her usual bravado into her words. "Her story checks out."

"Good!" the Lady of the Lilies exclaimed, tossing her long tresses over her shoulder. "I knew you'd see things my way eventually. Now that that's out of the way, if you have no further objections, I propose that we return to your base of operations. We have work to do. I'm going need a secure location to set up shop, for starters."

"There's a chemistry lab on the fifteenth floor of Titans Tower," Cygnus replied, rather less frostily than usual. "It might not be up to the standards of a secret government laboratory, but it should do in a pinch. Blake is our resident technology specialist. Whatever equipment you need, I'm confident that he can get it for you."

At the lunar sorcerer's side, the boy-genius nodded slowly, his gaze trained upon the woman in front of him.

"Perfect!" she said, stowing her clutch purse under one arm. "Let's get moving then. I'm ready whenever you are."

"I'm still not familiar with earth names, so I could be wrong," Batsu interjected, coughing dryly. "But isn't 'Lady of the Lilies' a bit of a mouth-filler, as you say?"

"Fair enough," the young woman replied with a rather haughty laugh, flashing him her signature self-assured smile.

"Lily will do just fine."

"Not bad at all," Lily murmured approvingly, practically purring like a cat with satisfaction as she strode across the Central Complex of Titans Tower without waiting for permission, taking in all its details with a smooth roving glance, trailing her fingers along the rich upholstery of the leather couches. "A bit rustic, but manageable."

"Didn't you mention something about being eager to get to work?" Kiara interrupted pointedly, calling from the other side of the room. Fortunately, the hovercar ride back to the Tower had given her some time to cool down, meaning that the team leader was back to her usual self and back in control. Mostly.

"Yes, I did say that, didn't I?" Lily replied idly, without turning around, lingering for another moment before the wide window looking out towards the Crescent Moon Bay. "Alright then, we might as well see the damage. Come along, Blaine."

And before any of the Titans could say or do anything else, she took Blake by the wrist with a smooth gesture, pulling him with her to the elevator. Within moments, the pneumatic doors slid shut behind the pair as they hurtled down towards the Chemistry Laboratory.

Silence.

"Well," Ben said delicately, trying to choose his words with care. "She certainly seems like..."

"A bleeding pain in the arse," Roxie confirmed with a nod, propping Arondite against the nearest couch before leaping onto it.

"It doesn't matter whether we like her or not," Cygnus interjected, stretching luxuriously, trying to ease his shoulder muscles, still aching from the ocean rescue. "She's the best resource we've got. And besides, we only have to work with her until we catch Shira and destroy Spore."

"Cygnus is right," Kiara added, although her words carried the slightest hint of a sigh. Would it have been too much to ask the South Korean government to send one of their friendlier agents? She only hoped that Lily's talent was as impressive as her attitude.

"Good work today, team. Try and get some rest, but be on your guard. Shira could strike again at any moment."

---

[spoiler=OOC. Please Read.]Alright guys, thanks for your patience and understanding as I worked out my computer problems! Hopefully this post has advanced the scenario sufficiently so that you have something to work with. I also wanted to take the time to highlight Lily's personality: there is definitely more to this character than meets the eye! Roxie, Kiara, Ben, Batsu, and Cygnus should take this moment to relax, but also to prepare for the struggles that undoubtedly lie ahead. Feel free to react to the developments up until now and/or interact with each other. As for you, Hydreigon, I'm counting on you to RP a convincing high-tech chemistry laboratory for Blake and Lily to use. Channel your inner mad scientist and go wild with it! The next GM Post will be a long one as well, so be ready! TITANS, GO~! ♡

[Super Chaos Sonic]

"I was trying to remember which one of you was supposed to be the mind reader, I was sure it was one of the girls... Headquarters went to the trouble of giving me a short dossier on your team, of course, but I wasn't able to glance at more than a few pages during the trip. Not that it really matters, it's probably at the bottom of the ocean by now."

The Lady of Lilies response to Kiara's quick shot of reading her mind, and already Arachnid wasn't enjoying it. From his point of view (and yes, that would be the writer's P.O.V.), he watched the way she just looked at her manicured nails. Just the atmosphere around her just screamed to him: stuck up, high maintenance, and a total bi-

His thoughts were derailed seeing Kiara stumble back some. Apparently something stopped her from seeing EVERYTHING she was trying to see within this girl's mind. What was worse, was this girl's comment to their leader.

"Ah, ah, ah. Naughty, aren't we? I did warn you. You didn't actually think that my country's government would dispatch someone that couldn't keep their thoughts private, did you? I'm afraid you'll have to do better than that if you want to learn all of my secrets."

Mmm...I just want to beat that snarky attitude out of her. Arachnid thought, as he rolled his eyes behind his goggles.

And this was only the beginning...cause they had to bring her back to Titan's Tower... Oh...joy...

"Not bad at all. A bit rustic, but manageable."

The group just stood there, before watching Lily whisking poor Blake...sorry..."BLAINE" off to the lab. Arachnid could only snicker to himself, as he was about to make a

joke at this moment, but he kept himself composed. However...no one else broke the current ice that befell the team. So....

He tossed his hood back and lifted his goggles up, pulling his mask down on his face. "Well...She certainly seems like..."

"A bleeding pain in the arse"

Ben could only chuckle as without missing a beat, Roxie threw this comment out. "I was gonna say work...but I like the sounds of your comment, Rox." he chuckled, giving a thumbs up towards the female knight.

"It doesn't matter whether we like her or not. She's the best resource we've got. And besides, we only have to work with her until we catch Shira and destroy Spore."

"Yeah well it still doesn't mean she has to be an upstart little sk-"

"Cygnus is right. Good work today, team. Try and get some rest, but be on your guard. Shira could strike again at any moment."

Ben sighed as he was interrupted, but at the same time, probably better that he was. He nodded and smiled at Kiara some. "Yeah...took a dip in the ocean and saved people from a ship. Great way to start off the day." he chuckled, before crossing his arms some. "Though...I find it strange that she just suddenly appeared to us AFTER we talked to the police chief. I mean...just thinking out loud here...what if she was waiting to see if we'd spill the beans about the whole mission? I mean...think about it. She could've easily met us at the docks before the whole ship thing. Why wait after the fact?"

[Mr. Hyde]

The Titans had somehow managed to get in contact with their agent from overseas.  Even if she looked unprofessional, if she was mentally strong enough to block out Kiara from certain parts of her mind, she was surely the real deal.

 

Upon arriving back at the tower, Lily commented on the state of their living quarters.  

 

"A bit rustic, but manageable."

"Didn't you mention something about being eager to get to work?" 

"Yes, I did say that, didn't I? Alright then, we might as well see the damage. Come along, Blaine."

 

Blakes eyebrows twitched furiously.  "The name's Bla-aaaaaaaaaah!"  And like that he was whisked away into the elevator.  Blake sighed as he pressed the down button that would lead them to the lab.  "My name's Blake...not Blaine.  I can't believe a secret operative like you doesn't know their dealing with the head of a multi-billion dollar company."  He pinched his brow.  He had been doing that a lot recently since this...Lily had arrived.  "Anyways...Cygnus was only half right about this being a chemistry lab..."  As the doors opened to a pitch black room, lights started flashing in rows and unveiled the lab.  The shine of reflective glass, the shimmer of chrome, and the sheen of marble surfaced counters were sprinkled around the room.  Blake breathed in deeply.  A light smell of sanitizer filled the room.  This was the smell of science.  

 

"After all, a true scientist never limits himself to one field.  This lab boasts the latest technology in the field of biology and chemistry both!"  In opposite corners at the end of the room were two large, computer looking devices.  "Since we're dealing with a fungus here, I'm sure we'll be using our scanning and electron microscopes respectively."  The walls of the room were more along the lines of see-through doors, the things on the other side being a large array of chemicals and proteins placed in appropriate containers.  Of course with every lab, there was a washing center, just in case an imbecile were to splash some hydrochloric acid on themselves.  The counters were littered with lab equipment.  Mostly beakers and distillers, but also centrifuges and scales.  Installed in each counter was a hot plate, capable of reaching high temperatures quickly.  

 

"Now that we're here...what's the plan. Lila?"

[Ren✧]

"Her story checks out." For now. Kiara added silently. Her suspicions that this mysterious 'Lily' and their Korean contacts couldn't be completely trusted had be confirmed when their arrogant, foreign contact forced Kiara out of her mind. Clearly she was trained in more than just biochemical engineering if she was a field agent, but to be skilled at mental defense was something that not even the other Titans were trained to do. Which, in hindsight, was something that Kiara should probably teach them. Kiara did not like this Lily and more importantly she did not trust her. Unfortunately, there was a chemical weapon in her city and they would need Lily's help to stop it. She would have to play nice...ish.

 

Piling into the team's hovercar, Kiara wished more than anything that she had the ability of flight to escape the Korean scientist. It didn't help that the telepath had been skeptical of her at first, couple that with the telepathic incident and her sheer unlikeability...Kiara was wishing that Lily turned out to be some sort of double agent just so that she could punch her teeth in. 

 

After they arrived at the tower, Blake took Lily down to the fifteenth floor, or perhaps she took him, either way Kiara was glad to be rid of her. "I would not want to be Blake right now." She said, thinking about how horrible it would be to be trapped in lab with the arrogant bi- 'Alright, Kiara. Cool it. No need to get unprofessional.' She reminded herself, trying to not let her bitterness get the best of her. Why this woman bothered her so much she couldn't exactly say. 

 

"I'm gonna go put on some fresh clothes."

[King K. Azo]

Well, if Batsu wasn't in a bad mood before, he most certainly was now. There were explosions he didn't caused that also endangered the lives of civilians, which was never a good thing. Then they met with the local authorities, which means, yes, their cover was blown. No more stealth for them, although, to be honest,that was fine with him. The way Cygnus was able to easily lie did not sit well with him, but... It seemed to be a necessary evil. The icing on this anger cake, however, was the Lily Lady person.

 

She was a jabroni. Plain and simple. True, Batsu was used to this, as he lost track of how many arrogant people he had met in his lifetime, but there was something... Different about her. He couldn't place his finger on it besides a funny feeling in his chest, but it was confusing him, and that was just pissing him off even more!!

 

Still, he had to admire the way she deflected a reading from Kiara. That took skill... At least, he thought it did. He didn't have that experience yet... Wait, if he didn't know what her mind reading was like, then could she have already read his mind? No, no way... But there was nothing stopping her. She could know all about him at this very moment and simply holding on to it to use as blackmail or just to use against him. Well, he was now in a bad mood, bordering the range of pure rage.

 

"Though...I find it strange that she just suddenly appeared to us AFTER we talked to the police chief. I mean...just thinking out loud here...what if she was waiting to see if we'd spill the beans about the whole mission? I mean...think about it. She could've easily met us at the docks before the whole ship thing. Why wait after the fact?" Ben spoke up suddenly, causing Batsu to glare fiery daggers in his direction.

 

"You're smart, Ben," he snapped. "You know why. She is avoiding them because this mission is supposed to be a secret. She's hiding from the authorities here, having us lie to them for her, and playing us like Jijudene-tumdot puppets!" He smashed his fist into the wall at the end of his rant, burying it deep into the walls. He was severely pissed off. "And we're marching straight to her tune...," he shook his head. He needed to cool down before he exploded. "You all do what you want, as long as it's away from me," he muttered as he headed to the training room.

[Saiba Aisu]

BGM

Titans Tower, Biochemistry Lab, 15th Floor

 

"My name's Blake, not Blaine," the supergenius clarified rather testily, as the pair rode the elevator downwards, the upper floors of Titans Tower hurtling past them. "I can't believe a secret operative like you doesn't know they're dealing with the head of a multi-billion dollar company."

"Hmm? Is that so?" Lily asked absentmindedly, apparently unimpressed, the lion's share of her attention focused on brushing off the lace-trimmed shoulders of her shirt. "That's a shame. Blaine sounds much more masculine. Are you sure you wouldn't rather have me call you that instead?"

The young woman's tirade came to an merciful halt as the elevator doors slid open and fluorescent lights began to flicker on overhead one by one with an electric hum, bathing the scene in steady white light, revealing the massive biochemistry complex. Without waiting for Blake's permission, she strode forward at once, her high heels clicking briskly against the linoleum-tiled floor, plucking a white coat from a nearby rack in passing and sliding into it as smoothly as a second skin. The government agent turned her head rapidly in all directions as she advanced, as if trying to absorb as much visual information as quickly as possible.

"A true scientist never limits himself to one field," Blake explained, indicating the many different kinds of technology scatted across the laboratory. "This lab boasts the latest technology in the field of biology and chemistry both!"

"That's a relief," Lily replied, stopping in front of an enormous central computer interface that would have intimidated most people. "Something tells me that we'll be making good use of everything this facility has to offer before this is all over." Without any hesitation, she bent over the device purposefully, her fingers flying swiftly across the keyboard, powering up a handful of machines throughout the room and accessing several kinds of software.

"Now that we're here, what's the plan, Lila?" Blake asked, turning her own teasing back on her as he came to a halt at her side.

"I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty of creating a separate user profile for myself on a parallel server," she answered, placing a wafer-thin metallic chip on top of the device's scanner. "Mostly a mere formality, but it should prove useful for importing the majority of the preexisting programs and data that I brought along on my encrypted drive. As well as some other personal comforts."

At her words, a plethora of colorful holographic projections materialized in the air before them, depicting a series of complicated graphs, charts and tables, long strings of seemingly random numbers, and enlarged three dimensional reproductions of several fungal species, perfectly rendered to the last detail. Every so often, the computer would beep and chime pleasantly as it incorporated a new piece of Lily's files. Moments later, lively jazz

began to play, purring from the speakers hidden throughout the room.

"There's no point in trying to decipher my data, by the way," she added, tilting her head to one side as she looked at him over her shoulder, her almond-shaped brown eyes flashing playfully. "Apart from being protected by a state-of-the-art security system, it's programmed to randomly shift between my five favorite conlangs."

To the uninitiated, her words might as well have been gibberish, yet to those in the know, they were nothing short of remarkable. "Conlangs"—the terminology used by researchers to refer to constructed languages. Conlangs could be any combination of words, sounds, numbers, or pictorial units. Highly complex and intimately personalized, they were usually unintelligible to all except their creator. The fact that Lily had managed to create as many as five was impressive, to say the least.

"It's just a precaution, of course," she continued, pulling out a black silk ribbon from the depths of her clasp purse and using it to tie her hair back in a long ponytail. "While the computer is busy downloading the programs and data I'll need to recreate Spore's genetic code and begin work on an antidote, our next matter of business is setting up the necessary facilities in case of possible contagion. We'll start with an isolation containment unit and then move on to developing anti-hazard breathing devices capable of protecting you and the others from the bioweapon."

She eyed her reflection critically for a few moments in the shimmering metallic surface of a nearby freezer. Pleased with her efforts, she turned back to the young Titan with a satisfied smile, clearly relishing the opportunity to demonstrate her brilliance through the challenges that undoubtedly lay ahead.

"So tell me, Blake, what do you know about epidemiology?"

Cygnus frowned as Batsu let his anger get the best of him, punching the nearby wall so hard it practically buckled. Before any of the others could stop him, the new recruit stormed out of the Central Complex, muttering darkly to himself as he disappeared in the direction of the Training Room, most likely to blow off some much-needed steam.

"It looks like even aliens aren't immune to temper tantrums," the lunar sorcerer observed coolly, taking a seat next to Roxie on the sofa.

Still, even though he didn't approve of Batsu's outburst, he could hardly blame him. For all intents and purposes, Lily was playing them, plucking expertly on their strings and making them dance along to her whims. The worst part of the situation was that the secret agent wasn't even the worst part—no; at the end of the day, she was just another pawn like the rest of them, merely another piece in the high-stakes game unfolding around them. It wasn't the first time that Cygnus had had to swallow his own pride and put his convictions aside for the greater good, but it was unlikely that the younger Titans had the same experience. Not exactly surprising, then, that they didn't take kindly to being patronized and used like Jujube-Gumdrop puppets, or whatever the hell it was that Batsu had gotten so worked up about.

Merde, ça va être dur,¹he thought to himself, sighing internally as the heavy reality of the situation struck him once more. The team would certainly have their work cut out for them this time with a hot-head like Batsu around, not to mention Lily taking advantage of every possible opportunity to aggravate her new allies. All he could do was put his faith in Sybil's judgment and hope that everything would work out in the end.

"Hope you guys don't mind if I practice a bit," Cygnus murmured, taking his teammates' agreement for granted. He closed his eyes, crossed his legs, and assumed his usual meditative stance, filling his lungs deeply as he drew upon his lunar sorcery.

"Karreylos... Ethonim... Cazar!"

A storm of shimmering silver bubbles blossomed across the air with a magical hum, floating delicately in place like a flurry of rose petals frozen in time. Maybe Batsu wasn't the only one who needed to blow off some steam, after all.

[spoiler=Learn French with Cygnus: Today's Lesson]
¹ Sh*t, this is going to be difficult.

 

[Mr. Hyde]

"I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty of creating a separate user profile for myself on a parallel server.  Mostly a mere formality, but it should prove useful for importing the majority of the preexisting programs and data that I brought along on my encrypted drive. As well as some other personal comforts."

 

"I don't mind that.  As long as you aren't dumping some trackers into the main server that is.  I doubt they'd get past my firewall anyways."  Some old-timey music started echoing in the room.  He couldn't help but tap his toes to it...it was strangely catchy.  

 

"There's no point in trying to decipher my data, by the way," she looked over her shoulder at him, giving him a strange but playful look. "Apart from being protected by a state-of-the-art security system, it's programmed to randomly shift between my five favorite conlangs."

 

"That just sounds like a challenge to me.  I've broken into tighter security than that before."  He crossed his arms.  Of course he was bluffing.  In the past he had been able to decipher only a two layer conlang system...but a five layer constantly changing code?  This girl was more than meets the eye.  Anyone who had their own system of conlangs was not to be trifled with...an air of deviousness filled the gap between them.  This girl made him feel uneasy.  

 

"It's just a precaution, of course,"

 

"Of course." he responded quickly, as he watched her put her hair up into a ponytail.  Lab safety always came first.

 

"While the computer is busy downloading the programs and data I'll need to recreate Spore's genetic code and begin work on an antidote, our next matter of business is setting up the necessary facilities in case of possible contagion. We'll start with an isolation containment unit and then move on to developing anti-hazard breathing devices capable of protecting you and the others from the bioweapon."

 

"That seems easy enough.  We have plenty of spare rooms in this tower...I'm sure we can manage building an isolation chamber somewhere around here.  Heck, we could even use it for prisoners later on."  Blake moved towards a storage container that sat behind them.  He opened it and pulled out helmets that looked extremely identical to the ones that were used as the suit he used in his first two missions.  "As for the filtering devices...I was way ahead of you on that.  These helmets have state of the art Interstellar Inc. tech that I myself used for this very same situation.  We should be covered on that front."

 

"So tell me, Blake, what do you know about epidemiology?"

 

"What...you mean like the study of controlled contagion outbreaks?  I mean...I've studied case files...but I'm not exactly an expert.  I know the basics at least."  Was this girl testing his knowledge?  Was she smarter than him? 

 

Impossible.

 

"I guess I'll have to brush up.  Why do you ask?  Do you think Spore will be released among the populace...as a test of sorts?"  If that were the case...a densely populated area would be a great location to test a biological contagion.  A place like Aurora City.  

[Super Chaos Sonic]

"You're smart, Ben. You know why. She is avoiding them because this mission is supposed to be a secret. She's hiding from the authorities here, having us lie to them for her, and playing us like Jijudene-tumdot puppets! And we're marching straight to her tune...You all do what you want, as long as it's away from me"

 

Benjamin was almost sorry he asked the question...not expecting Batsu to just blow his top like that. He wished he had enough strength to knock him out without any repercussions on getting killed. Nevertheless, the group was now to three...

 

"Hope you guys don't mind if I practice a bit,"

 

"Ain't gonna bug me, Cygnus." Benjamin said, fishing in his pockets before pulling out his headphones and phone. "If ya need me, I'll be walking around the building a bit. Just standing still like this makes me a bit antsy."

 

With that, Benjamin tossed his earbuds in his ears, before turning his music on just letting it play as he hopped outside the open window, latching onto the side of the building as he literally just walked along the tower. Sure he could've retreated to his room to finish writing on his magnum opus into the literary world, but he chose against his better judgment. He had spent so long in there as it was, he needed the fresh air.

 

 

It was Benjamin's fourth time around the building, as he just continued to enjoy the fresh air, until he noticed his sneaker being untied. Sighing, the wall crawler stopped and knelt down to tie it...however he stopped at the wrong place...and definitely the wrong time.

 

As he knelt down, he would see inside the window that he stood on and to his surprise...it was Kiara's bedroom window. His heart began to race as he did what he could to finish tying his sneaker and get away from the window...but it was too little...too late.

 

Well then...

 

He would watch as Kiara would emerge from her closet, handful of dry clothes. Benjamin's heart continued to race as he even started feeling his face blushing brightly. She wasn't facing towards the window, so maybe he could just quickly move. It's what he should've done, but he couldn't move. Benjamin watched as Kiara began to remove her wet shirt...and this is where things got worse.

 

Kiara, facing her dresser's mirror, noticed something dark and noticeable in her window. She looked closely, and a loud shrieking scream was heard...

 

"O-Oh shi-" Benjamin gulped as he saw Kiara, turning around, her shirt clasped over her top with her face turning quite a few shades of red. "K-Kiara...i-i-it's not what it looks like!"

 

"B-Ben....YOU PERVERT!!!!" Kiara shouted both in a loud audible voice, but also in a mind-linked message to Benjamin.

 

This shocking telekinetic message in his mind, caused Benjamin to lose his balance as he stumbled back, only to fall from the side of Titan's Tower down into the water below...it was the deeper end, but still...he knew the landing would hurt like hell...

 

"I-IT WAS AN ACCIDEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNT!!!!!!" Benjamin shouted as he fell into the water, a splash being heard as he made contact with the water. G-Great...this is gonna be a wonderful new topic at the next meeting...madre de Dios... he thought to himself, just floating in the water, his face still flustered.

[Ren✧]

Kiara felt positively...violated by what just happened. There they were, on a mission no less, and Ben was taking the opportunity to sneak a look at her? It was absolutely...disgusting. She was supposed to trust him, they were supposed to be a team. How was that gonna happen if he didn't treat her with the respect that she deserved? After all, she could use her power and invade the most personal space of his. She could take a look at all of his intimate secrets, but she would never do that because she thought they had more respect for each other.

 

"Calm down." Kiara reminded herself, trying not to grab hold of the nearest piece of furniture and throw it down after Ben, though she thought Roxie would approve of such actions...or perhaps she would invite him in she wasn't sure. "Just finish getting dressed." Pulling on her dry clothes, she was thankful that her teeth had finally stopped chattering. 

 

Now that she had calmed down a bit, she began to realize that she had literally just watched her teammate plummet off the side of a thirty story building. Granted he was a meta-human, and granted he fell into deep water, and granted he was a peeping Tom and probably deserved whatever he got, but still Kiara couldn't help but be concerned for the itsy-bitsy spider. Extending her mental range to the water below, her consciousness briefly brushed over each of the Titans in the tower, though she was careful to stay away from Lily, until reaching Ben's mind. Confirming that he was still alive after his fall, Kiara immediately withdrew into her own mind, not wanting Ben to know that she had been worried about him. Plus leaving herself so far extended left herself open to attack, and though she didn't believe that Lily had any true telepathic powers, she couldn't take any chances after what happened back at the docks. 

 

Leaving her room, she began to walk back to the Central Complex. As she did, the short trip gave her enough time to marvel at her own growth. When she had first joined the Titans she had hardly been able to sense what another person was feeling without feeling overwhelmed. Her abilities had grown exponentially, and still had so much room to grow. 

 

Upon entering the Central Complex, she was greeted by a shimmering array of silver bubbles, held tranquilly in place by the team's resident conjurer. It seemed almost a pity to break the silence, but...

 

"I suppose Benjamin hasn't returned yet?" 

[Hälō]

"That wall was a a****** anyway. Totally had it coming!" Roxie's voice called over the hiss of the sliding door as she entered the training room a few moments after Batsu. "Now the one near the kitchen... thats a wall!  She flashed Batsu one of her smiles before strolling over to where he was conducting his training. "Never really talks much, always there when I need to prop up Arondite to grab a snackeroo, and a hell of a listener..." As she spoke, the blonde hoisted her bat up on to her shoulder whilst looking up at the larger Alien.

 

Today had been quite an outing, even by her standards. Though she did enjoy the ever so rare opportunity to play pirate, and ended up making two new friends. Almost losing Kiara had most definitely taken a lot of the former knight, and it didn't help that this 'lady of the petunias' was really good at ruffling the other Titan's feathers- aside for Cygnus of course, who's feathers seemed oddly unruffled by the posh prat. "I guess my Frenchy does know a thing or two about being b****y..." She thought to herself with snicker. 

 

"Next time you wanna hit something, just give me a ring so we can go a few rounds, love." Roxie's tone soften, making the usual whimsical air that hung around her even more comforting. "We can't have her savvy to the fact that she's busting our balls, or she'll have even more of a reason to do so..." Truth be told, she'd have much rather have been in her room changing, or watching Cygnus play with his bubbles, but something about seeing the muscle gorilla's outburst told her that certain muscle-bound, fire spitting alien needed a friend at the moment. 

[Super Chaos Sonic]

"I suppose Benjamin hasn't returned yet?"

 

The moment Kiara said this, Benjamin would sneeze, walking into the Tower. He rubbed his nose some, wondering if he was catching a cold already. Either that or someone was talking about him...oh right...that definitely would be the case.

 

Great...just great!! Benjamin thought, pressing the button to the floor he wished to go, being whisked up by the elevator. Why didn't I just stay in my room and write? Nothing bad ever happens when I sit down and write! Now I got Kiara probably VERY upset with me...oh jeez... he brought his hand to his face as he sighed out. "Apologize...you just gotta explain it was an accident!"

 

The elevator came to a halt as the doors slid open. He walked out of the elevator, trying his best to dry his clothes when he saw Kiara and Cygnus in the room. His heart sank, as he face-palmed some. Well, silver lining, at least it wasn't Roxie who was sitting there talking to her. However, as approaching the two, his mind had flashes of what he had seen earlier. This caused him to stop, as he quickly moved towards the wall and proceeded to start banging his head on it. STOP IT!! C'mon!!!! he shouted to himself. This obviously caused the others to notice him...great.

 

Benjamin finally removed his head from the wall, it turning a light red from him hitting it. He approached the two, keeping his distance from Kiara AND Cygnus to save his life. "U-Uh...um...Kiara..." he started, already seeing the young lady giving him the death glare, which caused him to step back some. "K-Kiara, it was an accident. I-I didn't even mean to just stop at your window! Honest!!"

[King K. Azo]

Batsu was busy punching some sort of device in the training room. What it was, or if it was even supposed to be punched was something he didn't know, and he honestly didn't care. He just released all his anger he had built up over the past few months all at once. Faces from his past flashed through his mind, making him angrier and angrier as he punched harder and harder, not even sure if he was breaking the machine or not. With a final roar, he punched it with all his might before firing a flame blast out of his fist, pushing the machine away from him. He panted afterwards, his rage not yet spent, but reduced a lot.

"That wall was a a****** anyway. Totally had it coming!" Roxie's voice called over the hiss of the sliding door. Batsu groaned to himself. Great, this was going to be a good time, wasn't it? "Now the one near the kitchen... thats a wall!" She flashed a smile at him which made him actually smile a little to. It was odd, she really could calm him down... for some reason. He had no idea why.  "Never really talks much, always there when I need to prop up Arondite to grab a snackeroo, and a hell of a listener..." She hoisted her bat on her shoulder and looked up at Batsu. "Next time you wanna hit something, just give me a ring so we can go a few rounds, love." Roxie's tone soften, which for some reason was... comforting... to him. God, what the Xocc was with him today? "We can't have her savvy to the fact that she's busting our balls, or she'll have even more of a reason to do so..." Batsu nodded in response.

"Right... right," He muttered as he sighed, sitting on the ground and sighing to himself. "I know you are right..., but...," He looked at his fist and clenched it. "It is... Kyle, to do so...," Wait, what? Kyle? No, that didn't sound right. Damn translator. "Thanks for... talking to me, though," He muttered. Most people wouldn't have done that for him.

[Saiba Aisu]

BGM

"Impressive," Lily observed softly, tracing one of her fingernails along the glossy visor of one of the helmets, so absorbed she appeared not to have heard Blake's questions. For once, there wasn't any trace of sarcasm or mockery in her tone. "I assume you used an atmospheric pressure equalizer to calculate the necessary amount of airflow, as well as filter out carbon dioxide in real-time using a semi-permeable membrane?"

"Precisely," Blake replied, nodding enthusiastically. "I also incorporated a magnetic sensory filter to automatically detect and repel incoming semi-solid impurities and trace elements in the air."

"Ingenious," she murmured, turning the device over in her hands. "We designed Spore to be dispersed in a free-floating form, invisible to the unaided eye, that travels on air currents and trade winds. Still, even though it's light enough to be air-borne, it's slightly denser than the natural combination of gases that make up the surrounding air. A sensor capable of detecting the bioweapon's increased density and using locally-generated magnetic fields to repel its particles is the ideal anti-hazard solution. The only problem is that..."

"The magnetic filter system is vulnerable to toxins that are lighter than, or as light as, air," the supergenius admitted, rather sheepishly. "It's a problem that I'm still trying to work out. For the moment, I can't think of any solution except having the filter automatically close when it detects trace elements of toxins past a certain threshold, at which point it would switch over to a back-up supply of oxygen. Given our current technological limitations, it seems unlikely that I could develop a real-time synthesis purification system to neutralize incoming poisons without switching over to back-up oxygen as a proxy, at least at first."

"Of course, you wouldn't need a portable device so much as a portable chemistry lab for real-time chemical synthesis," Lily agreed, placing the helmet back in the storage container. "Still, these helmets should work just fine for anti-contagion purposes. I must say, Blake, this makes for a pleasant surprise. At first I wasn't sure whether or not to believe your friend when he said that you'd be a help to me, but now, I'm convinced of it. Now, about setting up that isolation containment unit... Any chance that there's a spare antechamber that connects to this room?"

"There are a few storage rooms in the corner," the young Titan replied, pointing towards the far-left end of the Biochemistry Complex. "Were you planning on using those?"

"Yes," Lily answered as she headed in that direction, Blake matching her stride for stride. "I'd like to be able to treat any possible victims of the bioweapon quickly and efficiently. So long as you and I establish a sealed perimeter and ensure the necessary biohazard precautions, I don't see why they shouldn't be quarantined as close by as possible."

The biochemist moved with purpose towards one of the spare storage chambers, its metallic doors sliding apart with a muted hiss as she approached, revealing a fairly sizable room, empty and unassuming save for dozens of power outlets scattered across its walls.

"We'll need to establish at least a Level 3 Biohazard Containment Zone," she mused, beginning to examine the chamber, taking note of the metallic grilles connecting to the Tower's ventilation system. "Preferably Level 4, if we can manage it."

"Level 4?" Blake repeated, caught slightly off-guard in spite of himself. "But that's—"

"Top-secret government security level and supposedly impossible to reproduce without the necessary facilities, yes, I know," Lily said matter-of-factly, finishing his sentence for him. "Don't worry. In between the two of us, I'm confident that we can set one up, but it will take some time. The only problem is that's something we don't exactly have a lot of—Shira could strike at any moment... If only there were some way to replicate the effects of your magnetic sensor filter on a grand scale... Redirect the polarity, so that we could create an auto-regulating sterile zone. But that would require a miracle."

The government agent sighed, a wry smile playing across her lips, acknowledging the difficulty of the situation at hand and the daunting odds stacked against them. Still, she wasn't willing to surrender just yet. Neither of them was.

"So now it's my turn to ask you, Blake... Any ideas?"

"I suppose Benjamin hasn't returned yet?" Kiara asked, breaking the tranquil silence upon her return to the Central Complex, looking much better after having changed into a fresh pair of clothes.

"I'm afraid not, though you just missed Blondie," Cygnus replied coolly, legs still crossed in meditative position, though he did crack one eye open at the unusually pointed way that the girl chose to pronounce the wallcrawler's name. Had something happened between the two of them? He hoped not. With all the negative tension already in the air—thanks in no small part to Batsu and Lily—the last thing they needed was another intra-team spat.

Mortals are so exhausting sometimes, he thought with a sigh, releasing the enchantment and letting the storm of silver bubbles dissipate one by one. So much for meditation. He opened both eyes so that he could focus on his teammate's rather mutinous expression, which hardly boded well. Oh, well, might as well start asking questions before things get out of hand.

"Kiara, wha—?" he began, only to be cut off abruptly as Ben reappeared, shouting nonsense at the top of his lungs and forcibly banging his own head against the wall. Not exactly the best way to get a point across.

Ça y est, the lunar sorcerer thought to himself darkly, crossing his arms as his worst suspicions were confirmed. Il commence déjà à perdre la raison.¹

"K-Kiara, it was an accident," Ben babbled at last, having apparently decided to revert to the communicative methods most commonly employed by civilized human beings. "I-I didn't even mean to just stop at your window! Honest!!"

There was a moment of silence. Then...

"Some bugs deserve to be squashed," Cygnus muttered, rolling his eyes in disgust as he waited to see how Kiara would take the boy's apology.

[spoiler=Learn French with Cygnus: Today's Lesson]1. There it is. He's already begun losing his mind.

[Mr. Hyde]

"So now it's my turn to ask you, Blake... Any ideas?"

 

Blake scratched his chin.  His mind was filled with possibilities...but none that would prove applicable to their particular case.  They needed something now.  After all, Lily was right...their foe could be watching...waiting to strike at any moment.  His foot started tapping, the music in the room was almost centering his thoughts towards the perfect solution.  He needed a source of electromagnetism capable of producing waves that could repel undesired biohazards...but where could he obtain such a thing at this hour....

 

His brain hadn't been exercised like this in quite some time...he was almost tired...

 

Tired.  Sleep.  Rest.  Bed.

 

"That's it!" Blake exclaimed as he snapped his fingers.  He stuck out both his palms down towards Lily.  "Wait here...I think I have the answer!"  And with that, Blake rushed out of the labs room, and into the elevator, letting the doors swiftly close behind him.  He pressed the button that would take him to the room floors.  After a little wait, and a sudden loud splashing sound, he was in the hallway and in front of his own room.  He entered and went to slide under his floating bed.  Undoing a couple of floor panels revealed a large, black square device.  It was probably the size of his whole body.  His heart started to pump abnormally and his left eye started to static...probably caused by being so close to such strong electromagnetic waves.  He carefully dislodged the square.  As he moved it out from under the bed, it promptly thudded onto the floor.  He was quick so that he wasn't caught underneath it.  

 

The square was heavy, and it took some effort to haul it out of his room and into the elevator.  He finally, and clumsily, made his way back into the lab.  He slid the giant device against the floor and up to Lily.  With a wheeze, and a bit of sweat dropping from his forehead, he presented the object to Lily.  

 

"I happened to," he took another deep breath, "have a giant electromagnet stored in a relatively unimportant place."  Sleeping was way less important than dying to a zombie producing fungus anyway.  "Now...if we mess with this devices circuitry, and implant it into the floor of this room, I'm sure we can make an electromagnetic field with the exact frequency needed to reject a foreign contaminant.  You can leave the device finagling up to me, you just give me the measurements I need to make sure the field is strong enough to repel Spore!"  He wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled triumphantly at Lily.  Surely she'd be impressed.  

 

"So let's get to it, partner!"   

[Ren✧]

"I'm afraid not, though you just missed Blondie," Cygnus said, popping an eye open in response. The lunar sorcerer looked as though he was going to inquire further, but before he could, the elevator dinged and in a clumsy display of confused head trauma and rushed apologies he somehow managed to choke out that he had somehow... stumbled upon Kiara in all of her glory. Kiara wanted to laugh out loud, the excuse was so unbelievable. It was just a little too good to be true. 

 

"Some bugs deserve to be squashed," Kiara had actually forgotten that Cygnus was in the room and jumped a little bit at his statement. Registering what he said, she smirked. Apparently he was of the same opinion. However, something made Kiara hesitant. It took her a moment to realize that it was the emotional signals she was receiving from Ben. She had worked so hard to develop her powers since first becoming a Titan, acting off the emotional signals she received from the psychic impulses she was constantly receiving was second nature. She almost never thought about it. However, now it was a different story. 

 

Mild interest. Disappointment. Detestation? That would be Cygnus and to be quite honest, Kiara had always had a harder time getting a read on Cygnus; maybe it was because he was more in control of his emotions than the rest of the team, maybe it was because he was skilled in magic, or maybe for a completely unrelated reason, but whatever the cause, Kiara always felt like she was reaching for something just beyond her grasp when dealing with Cygnus' mind. 

 

Ben's emotions were much easier to read. Embarrassment. Desperation. And sincerity. She didn't have to delve into his mind to figure out what those emotional signals indicated.

 

"He's telling the truth." She thought incredulously. 

 

"As much as I agree," Kiara said through gritted teeth, turning to Cygnus, "I think the both of us are just victims of...bad-timing." She nodded in Ben's direction, begrudgingly accepting his apology. She slowly stepped towards him, her face still deadly serious. "But if this ever happens again, it won't matter if it was an accident. I will tear the most embarrassing secret you harbor in the folds of your mind and plaster it for the entire world to see. Do we understand each other?" Kiara waited for Ben to acknowledge that he heard her then she mustered a wide, though obviously fake smile.

 

"Great! Now, I don't see any reason that anyone else has to know about this, so why don't you go get changed before you catch a cold?"

[Super Chaos Sonic]

Benjamin was, in a way to say, scared stiff at this point, just waiting and standing in the silence between him and Kiara was just killing him. Though speaking of killing...

 

"Some bugs deserve to be squashed"

 

"EHHHH?!" Benjamin's jaw dropped as he just stared at Cygnus for a long bit. "E-E tu Cygnus?! Ya gotta believe me! It was just an accident!" he quickly said, as he just hung his head low in defeat. He didn't exactly notice Kiara reading his mind at this point, but then heard the telekinetic speak.

 

"As much as I agree....I think the both of us are just victims of...bad-timing."

 

Benjamin's face began to light up as Kiara spoke this before clasping his hands together, holding them over his head as he bowed it slightly. "O-Oh thank you, Kiara! Thank you!"

 

"But if this ever happens again, it won't matter if it was an accident. I will tear the most embarrassing secret you harbor in the folds of your mind and plaster it for the entire world to see. Do we understand each other?"

 

Annnnnd there went the moment. Then again, Benjamin pretty much expected a threat coming along with this acceptance of the apology. He could only chuckle lightly, his hand slowly rubbing the back of his neck, nodding. "O-Of course...w-whatever you say, Kiara. S-Spider Scout's honor!" he said, holding up his other hand, before moving to toss on a fresher...and dryer set of clothes.

 

Jeez...she's almost as scary as Baba Yaga when she's mad...and I shouldn't be saying things like that like this with a telekinetic near... Benjamin thought, rushing to the elevator, after Blake apparently rushed back past him from the elevator. Wasn't sure what was going on...but he couldn't be bothered with it. Right now, he needed some dry clothes...and thankfully he had a second set of the same outfit for emergencies such as this.

[Hälō]

"I am pretty great aren't I?" Roxie responded to the alien's thanks with a cheeky grin, "Don't mention it, Batsy. We're a family after all..."

 

Glancing over at the machine that Batsu had been punching, the blonde's eyes narrowed for a moment. "Though I don't think the others would appreciate you wrecking the Hologram-doohickey..." She spoke whilst moving towards the damaged piece of hardware. "Blake and Frenchy like to use it to practice flying." She paused for a moment to inspect the damage. Though even with her limited knowledge of techy-fixit things, Roxie could tell that the machine was now useless. "And I'm pretty sure you've voided the warranty, my dear......." Her voice trailed off as she placed her index finger on the cold metal surface.

 

The training room was filled with a low hum as the former knight began to work her magic, and in only moments the machine began to glow a brilliant purple. "Boop!" Roxie's chime heralded a medium sized explosion that consumed the machine and sent a small wave of force out from the center. Emerging from the smoke as if nothing was amiss, the blonde casually strolled back over to Batsu with a mischievous smile. "Problem solved. I'll just tell 'em I was trying to use it to watch a movie or something if they ask..." The former knight knew all too well that her teammates didn't ask many questions when they found something blown up in her signature fashion, and would be more forgiving of her than Batsu.

 

"Anywaaaaay," Her gaze sudden sharpened, the only warning the large alien would receive before Roxie suddenly swung her leg forward in a lazy roundhouse kick. "Since we're here, what do you say we go a few rounds, ya?" 

[Saiba Aisu]

---

GM Post: 

 (Titans Tower, 9:00 P.M.)

---

[spoiler=GM Post]

 

Lily turned, blinking bemusedly as Blake excused himself abruptly and dashed out of the room. He reappeared a few minutes later, straining to push a heavy black square across the tiled floor towards her, so massive it was practically his own size. Despite the fact that he was sweating and extremely out of breath from his exertions, there was a triumphant smile plastered across the supergenius' face. The young woman raised an eyebrow as the young Titan came to a halt before her, bending over as he tried to steady his breathing.

 

"What's all this, Blake?" she asked, her brown eyes traveling over the strange device, scrutinizing it intently, as if trying to discover its secrets.

 

"I happened to," he replied after a moment, straightening and taking a deep breath, "have a giant electromagnet stored in a relatively unimportant place."

 

The effect of his words was instantaneous. For the first time since he had met her, Lily's arms dropped limply to her sides, her eyes big as saucers, her mouth dropping open in utter shock.

 

"You don't mean—?!" she whispered, suddenly bereft of her usual sleek elegance. "I mean... How... Where... Wha—?"

 

Apparently unable to form complete phrases, the government agent babbled and sputtered incoherently for a few more moments until Blake guided her over, patting her kindly on the back and helping her sit down before her legs gave out. Lily acquiesced with a limp nod, her hands clutching the edges of the massive electromagnet under her as if to assure herself it was real.

 

"Now," Blake continued, wiping his forehead. "If we mess with this device's circuitry and implant it into the floor of this room, I'm sure we can make an electromagnetic field with the exact frequency needed to reject a foreign contaminant. You can leave the device finagling up to me, just give me the measurements I need to make sure the field is strong enough to repel Spore! So let's get to it, partner~!"

 

Silence. The young woman was utterly still and mute as a statue, her face bowed, her features hidden in shadow. Blake blinked, confused and slightly uneasy. Had he done something wrong, or...?

 

"MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

 

Lily threw back her head with a roar of pure unrestrained laughter, the sound echoing across the room. She got to her feet, her usual grace restored, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. Behind the pair, the jazz music purring from the hidden speakers changed, adopting a livelier upbeat tune.

 

"BLAKE~!"

 

The supergenius yelped as Lily all but tackled him, hurling herself into his arms. Before he could react, she had taken control, guiding him along as they half-waltzed, half-foxtrotted across the room in a wild improvised dance of celebration, jumping and twirling all the way in time with the music. As the music crescendoed, Lily let go of the young Titan with another boisterous laugh, spinning gracefully one last time before she came to a halt, slender arms outstretched, her long ponytail falling over her shoulders.

 

"YES!" she cried, clapping her hands together as she turned back to the super electromagnet, jumping up and down, visibly teeming with excitement. "Perfect! This is exactly what we needed! Oh, Blake, I could just kiss you!"

 

At her words, Blake felt a sudden rush of heat across the back of his neck and cheeks. Who would've thought that Lily had this kind of side to her?

 

"Maybe we should work on setting up the biohazard security perimeter first," he suggested, coughing dryly into one fist, trying not to blush.

 

"Of course," Lily agreed, suddenly all-business once more, rolling up her sleeves with a practiced air. "You're right. There will be plenty of time to celebrate later. Right now, we've got a city to save."

 

 

The next hour passed in a blur for the Teen Titans, each of them focused on their respective tasks and preparing themselves for the challenges that lay ahead.

 

On the 15th floor, deep within the Biochemistry Laboratory storage chamber, Blake and Lily, armed with all kinds of tools, bent over the super electromagnet—now buried securely in the center of the room—attempting to reroute its polarity. Four smaller generators, charged to the opposite magnetic frequency, surrounded them, tucked into the corners of the chamber, forming a rectangular perimeter around the device. An electrical hum began to gather, slowly at first but growing stronger every moment, until the very air seemed to pulse with its power. Blake and Lily looked up in awe, watching as stray particles of dust were lifted from the floor as if by an invisible hand and projected outside of the invisible magnetic field arching above their heads. The anti-contagion containment unit was complete.

 

Meanwhile, explosions, full-bodied thuds and battle cries sounded regularly from the Training Chamber as Roxie and Batsu went head-to-head in a no-holds barred sparring match. This time, there was no Cygnus to scold them, no Blake to butt in when things were getting interesting. Over twenty minutes later, the doors slid open with a hiss, revealing the two Titans, covered from head to toe in sweat and ashes. The pair looked worn but satisfied with the fruit of their efforts as they bid each other farewell and headed to their rooms for a quick shower.

 

In contrast, things were calm on the top floor of the tower. In the Central Complex, Cygnus was meditating again, his eyes closed and his legs crossed, softly murmuring magical incantations under his breath. Seated at a nearby table, Ben scribbled furiously in his notebook, trying to get all of his ideas for a new story down on paper. Behind both of them, Kiara sat in front of the display screen interface, her eyes drifting across the many different windows and channels displaying Aurora City's current state. Watching. Waiting for some indication of the inevitable storm that would strike. The lion's share of her attention, however, was dedicated to the largest of the windows, a live feed from ACNN24 (Aurora City News Network 24), showing an emergency security broadcast from the Council Chamber in City Hall, filled to the brim with politicians, spectators, and news crews.

 

"As you may already know," a middle-aged man with flashing blue eyes and a rather bulbous nose was saying, clearing his throat as he spoke into his microphone, "at approximately seven o'clock this evening, the luxury cruiser Saint Dominique was struck down by a short-range ballistic weapon of unknown origin, just off the docks of Aurora City's eastern shore. We are currently using every tool at our disposal to investigate the incident. Thanks to the timely intervention of the city's police forces, aided by the Teen Titans, we were able to minimalize civilian casualties and quickly transfer those in critical condition to nearby hospitals."

 

At these words, there was a round of polite applause from the seated crowd. The man smiled ingratiatingly and cleared his throat primly before continuing. His image was reflected ten-fold across the massive digital screens that lined the walls of the Council Chamber—an army of bureaucratic doppelgangers, reveling in the sound of their voices, drunk with self-importance.

 

"In the meantime, we encourage anyone with information regarding this incident to step forward. As Speaker for the City Council, I, Andreas Moretti, would also like to take this moment to address my words directly to the people of Aurora City."

 

Councilman Moretti turned his intense blue gaze towards the center-most camera with a theatrical twist of his head, as if he were looking straight through it, locking eyes with the thousands of spectators watching across the city from the comfort of their homes.

 

"Rest assured, you are safe. The City Council is in control of the situation. We will do everything in our power to protect you and determine the culprits of this abominable crime. And once they have been identified, we will stop at nothing until they are brought to justice. Justice shall be done. You have my word."

 

BGM

 

At that moment, the ornate golden clock mounted high on the wall behind the councilman struck ten, heralding the beginning of a new hour. In perfect synchronicity, the ten digital screens mounted on the walls were wiped blank, Councilman Moretti's image vanishing in a blaze of white static. After a few seconds the static disappeared, revealing an unassuming black background, empty save for a hooded figure standing in the center of the room. Slowly, the camera panned inwards, zooming in closer and closer to the figure, who waited until the last possible moment to throw back its hood, revealing what lay underneath.

 

"F*ck," Kiara cursed softly, enlarging the screen with one hand and reaching down for her Communicator with the other, sounding the alarm to alert the other Titans. Behind her, Cygnus and Ben were already moving into place.

 

Confused cries of shock and horror sounded from the crowd as they gazed upon a hideous metallic mask, styled to resemble a crow, or perhaps a vulture, complete with ghastly green eyes and a long wicked beak. Terrified and repulsed as they were, no one seemed able to move—they were utterly transfixed, helpless like prey before a predator.

 

"Good evening, Aurora City," the figure said, speaking at last. Its voice was deep and gravelly, so heavily scrambled by artificial synthesizers that it no longer seemed human. "We are Shira."

 

The sliding doors of the Central Complex hissed open as Batsu and Roxie barreled into the room at top speed, with Blake and Lily on their heels. The four turned as one towards the sickly light flashing from the display interface, their gazes trained upon the masked figure as they advanced.

 

"We are Shira," it repeated once more, pronouncing each word slowly and deliberately, relishing each syllable. "And we are in control. From now on, Aurora City belongs to us."

 

Silence.

 

"You're probably wondering who we are and what we want, aren't you?" the figure mused, laughing harshly in its throat. "Not to worry, all will be revealed soon. For now, it's enough that you understand our mission. A glorious mission, a holy crusade, that has been entrusted to us and will be waged for the very soul of this city, with all of your lives in the balance."

 

"We have come to free you, people of Aurora City," the masked figure declared, its voice rising, suddenly fervent, fanatical in its zealotry. "To open your eyes and break the chains that bind you, fashioned by your own cowardice and stupidity! To strike down those who would oppress you, those who style themselves the rulers of its city and the masters of its people! We have come to deal justice!"

 

Another silence, even heavier than the first.

 

"Of course," the figure continued, bowing ironically in the direction of Councilman Moretti, "ours will be a very different kind of justice than that of your beloved 'City Council'. The corrupt will be punished and the wronged will be recompensed. The strong will be set free, while the weak will be devoured. This is the law of the world that we offer to you. I don't expect you to understand all of this now, and that's alright. That's alright. Understanding will come in time. For now, take comfort in the fact that your saviors have arrived. Return to your homes, barricade yourselves in if you wish, but watch. Wait. Listen. This is the dawn of a new era for this city. You won't want to miss a second."

 

A flicker of motion caught Kiara's eye—Councilman Andreas Moretti had gotten to his feet at his podium, trembling with anger and disgust. Behind him, Police Chief Rookwood was muttering rapidly, giving orders to several of his men.

 

"The City Council will not negotiate with the likes of you," Moretti declared, every word magnified by his microphone, his features disfigured by rage. "You have no power here!"

 

"On the contrary," the masked figure replied, its sinister green eyes glowing brighter. "We have all the power. Allow us to explain. You're probably wondering how we managed to hack into your closed server and override your video screen transmissions. That's easy enough. We have taken control of ACNN24 Headquarters and are currently broadcasting from that location. All personnel within the building are being held hostage. They are at our mercy, and if you want them to live, you will do as we say."

 

The screens flashed as one, displaying a new visual—a different room, much more well-lit, filled with at least a hundred men and women in office attire, their hands and legs bound, kneeling or sitting against the walls, utterly helpless. A handful of bird-masked figures patrolled the scene regularly, leveling their weapons at the hostages every now and then, eliciting sobs and curses. Cries of terror and anger erupted from the audience, while Council Moretti took a step back, his eyes widening in shock. Moments later, the image had changed; the masked figure was back and more menacing than ever.

 

"What are your demands?" Councilman Moretti managed at last, clutching the corners of his podium, his features still twisted into a rictus of fear and anger. "What do you want? Money? Weapons?"

 

"Control of the city," the masked figure replied. "Nothing more, nothing less. Pure and simple. A new piece of radical legislation to be effected immediately, signed by the City Council, declaring unconditional surrender and renouncing leadership of Aurora City... and entrusting that power to us."

 

"You're insane!" the Council Speaker snarled, pounding the podium with one fist. "Do you honestly think I'm foolish enough to trade the lives of millions for a handful of hostages?"

 

"The hostages are insignificant. Tiny, meaningless existences that are merely part of a bigger game. Now then, moving along... If we know anything about your police forces—and we do—then they're probably halfway to the television station, planning to stage a daring rescue. A foolish hope. There will be no rescue. There will be no escape. You are being monitored. If any police vehicle or personnel comes within 300 feet of the building, we will open fire and execute these hostages. And we will make you watch."

 

"The Teen Titans will stop you," Moretti growled, his blue eyes narrowing, pronouncing each word like a death sentence. "Touch one hair on those hostages' heads, and you'll have them to answer to!"

 

For a moment, the threat hung in the air, poised like an invisible sword.

 

"The Teen Titans," the masked figure repeated, laughing mockingly once more. "Your beloved shining protectors. Your precious heroes. I'm glad you mentioned them, because they also have a role to play in this little game."

 

The Shira agent turned away from Moretti, gazing in turn towards the cameras, as if it could see the six heroes and Lily, gathered around the screen. The cruel avian mask remained still, yet for some reason, they knew that underneath, its owner was smiling.

 

"Are you watching, Titans? I'm sure you're there, rooted to your seats. Good. This is a direct challenge to the Teen Titans," it pronounced, each word echoing through the Council Chamber—no, echoing across the entire city, because by now, other news stations had picked up on the situation and were duplicating the broadcast, spreading Shira's message. "Do you think you can stop us? Your police forces will sit this one out, but you're welcome to try your luck. Come. Fight. And once you've failed, you will be exposed to the entire city as the failures that you are."

 

"You know that this is only a small fraction of the power at our disposal," it continued. "A mere seed, if you will, of a much bigger and much nastier weed. You know what's at stake if you dare disobey."

 

The masked figure turned back towards Council Moretti, whose fighting spirit seemed to have finally abandoned him, falling back into his seat. "Now then, Councilman, allow us to bring an end to our little chat. If you would be so kind as to look at the big golden clock... Currently, it's 10:10 P.M. For every half hour you deliberate rather than delivering the surrender act, we will execute one hostage. Then, for every half hour after that, two, four, eight, sixteen, and so on and so forth. So if I were you, I'd start writing."

 

The agent of Shira turned, its ghoulish green eyes glowing as its gaze swept the Council Chamber, taking in the atmosphere, drinking in every detail of every horrified face.

 

"We'll be in touch shortly for some supplementary broadcasts before the first execution. Until then, remember. We are watching. We are waiting. We are listening. We are Shira."

 

A harsh blaze of white static obliterated the masked figure's image, breaking its sinister spell. Not long after, the screaming began.

---

[spoiler=OOC. Please Read.]WHOOO! Wow. I think that might honestly be the longest post I have ever made on this (or any) site. As you can see, things are really heating up in the Titans' struggle against Shira! Take a moment to post your character's reaction to these (and previous) developments as appropriate, as well as try and figure out a plan of action. I'll address any questions you may have in the Skype chat. Once everything is squared away, I'll take it from there. TITANS, GO~!

 

 

[Super Chaos Sonic]

BGM

 

"So let me get this straight...you peeked into your leader's window and was peeping?"

 

Benjamin grumbled at the audio from the call he got from his friend, Jaden Kudo. Originally this call was sent to him to give him updates on Baba Yaga...but now... "I-I never peeped on her!"

 

"Ben, Ben, Ben..." Jaden was heard sighing on the other end of the phone. "I thought you learned your lesson before with Perci...jeez, then again, rather not want to remember Tiger Lily."

 

"Then don't bring her up..." Benjamin grumbled, putting the phone on speaker as he began to swap out his wet clothes with his dry ones. "So back to the task at hand...your telling me no one has heard anything?"

 

"Not a one. More likely than not...he's biding his time."

 

"Yeah, your probably right." Benjamin sighed, as he took the phone once more. "Thanks Kudo." he said, before hanging up as he headed out of his room to return to the others...

 

 

After his changing of dry costume, Benjamin sat at a table furiously writing in his notebook, having the greatest epiphany he had. He watched as Batsu and Roxie walked into the room as well, but with Cygnus meditating and Kiara being occupied with the display screen interface, it was mostly quiet.

 

Of Swans & Knights...a perfect title for my first novel. Benjamin thought, feeling proud of this. With Cygnus and Roxie's help...I was able to get it to this point. But the question remains...how do I end this novel? Hmm... He began to scratch at his head with his pen, sighing. Of course Cyrus will run off into the sunset to find Adrien...but just cutting to that would be useless and unethical. What should I do?

 

However...soon the quiet would end...

 

"Good evening, Aurora City, we are Shira."

 

BGM

 

At these words, Benjamin shot out from his seat and made his way towards Kiara and Cygnus. This man...this person, whatever he was, it gave Benjamin the creeps. The mask he wore, he recognized it as a mask that doctors would wear back in the 6th century: plague masks. Hmm...a fitting attire for one who's trying to bring out a such a plague...

 

He couldn't say much of anything, his eyes glued to the screen as he watched this Shira, in a sense, take over. His fists began to clench tightly as he watched these soldiers just keep these hostages. But it wasn't bad enough for this to happen...the main boss decided to call them out...

 

"Are you watching, Titans? I'm sure you're there, rooted to your seats. Good. This is a direct challenge to the Teen Titans. Do you think you can stop us? Your police forces will sit this one out, but you're welcome to try your luck. Come. Fight. And once you've failed, you will be exposed to the entire city as the failures that you are. You know that this is only a small fraction of our power. A mere seed, if you will, of a much bigger and much nastier weed. You know what's at stake if you dare disobey."

 

"This guy..." Benjamin grumbled, his fist clenching tighter now. "How low can he be..."

 

It wasn't long after that, that the mask vanished and the screaming of those gathered there was heard.

 

Benjamin was quiet now, but finally he lifted his hands and punched his open palm. "Yoshi! I think we've probably given Tin-Man and Lily enough time..." he said, before turning to Kiara. "So...what's the plan, Arcana?" he smirked, using her codename this time.

[Mr. Hyde]

With the removal of the hazardous particles from their containment field, Blake smiled.  

 

"I knew we could do it!  I mean...I could've done it myself...but it's really nice to have a helping hand from time to time."  The heat rushed back to his cheeks.  Did she really mean that she wanted to kiss him?  Nah...probably just over-excited about his breakthrough.  "We should go tell the others now, don't you think?"  With that, the two headed for the central complex.  Along the way, they happened upon Roxie and Batsu, who were pretty roughed up, and wet.  Probably the fruits of their training.  At least they showered before all of this.  

 

Blake directed his vision at the monitor before them, green piercing eyes that stared right through him.  

 

"We are Shira, and we are in control. From now on, Aurora City belongs to us."

 

Blake almost scoffed.  

 

"A plague doctor getup, huh?  Pretty big cliche don't you think?"  He stopped taking the situation lightly when he realized that Shira had hostages, a whole lot of them as well.  

 

"Are you watching, Titans? I'm sure you're there, rooted to your seats. Good. This is a direct challenge to the Teen Titans. Do you think you can stop us? Your police forces will sit this one out, but you're welcome to try your luck. Come. Fight. And once you've failed, you will be exposed to the entire city as the failures that you are. You know that this is only a small fraction of our power. A mere seed, if you will, of a much bigger and much nastier weed. You know what's at stake if you dare disobey."

 

 "We'll be in touch shortly for some supplementary broadcasts before the first execution. Until then, remember. We are watching. We are waiting. We are listening. We are Shira."

 

Cowards...that's all they were.  Like hell they would take this city from them!  

 

"So...what's the plan, Arcana?"  

 

Why was she the one everyone flocked to for orders?!  No matter, now wasn't the time.  What a shame this situation became so dire, he was really excited to share the news with them.  He looked to Lily and shrugged.  

 

"Guess we're gonna have to wait until we have to use it right?"  He then turned back to the team.  "I'm guessing it's espionage time?  Or do we go in guns blazing like every other time?"

[Saiba Aisu]

BGM

 

From the very first moment the bird-masked figure appeared on the screen, Cygnus felt a cold, sickening wave of disgust run through him. Somehow, despite all of Sybil's briefing on the terrorist organization's fanatical ideology and ruthless motivations, his words had failed to capture just how vile they actually were. He had expected the syndicate to strike low—after all, they had already shown their willingness to employ underhanded tactics when they attacked the Saint Dominique in an attempt to kill Lily, implicating hundreds of innocent passengers in the process. But kidnapping an entire building's worth of hostages as leverage, to be executed on live television? It was almost beyond reason. 

 

"Espèce de salopard,"¹ the lunar sorcerer growled, gritting his teeth as the Agent of Shira delivered its chilling message, followed by a direct challenge to the Teen Titans. "They're toying with us."

 

He was sure that he wasn't the only one that had picked up on the masked figure's choice of words. 'Rooted,' 'seed,' 'weed'... Time and time again, the terrorist had all but rubbed it in their faces, until the underlying message was painfully clear: "We have Spore, and we are willing to use it." The team was backed into a corner now, their hands tied, faced with a grisly dilemma—play along with Shira's twisted game and walk into what was undoubtedly a trap, or risk provoking them into unleashing Spore into the city. It wasn't much of a choice, to be honest.

 

We're never going to stop Shira if we keep playing defensively and focusing on damage control, he thought to himself, running a hand through his shock of white hair with a sigh. We need to figure out some way to predict their next move and head them off before they strike again. Otherwise, there won't be an end to this chase, Shira will always be one step ahead and several out of harm's way...

 

The only problem was that determining Shira's strategy and identifying their next objective would take time, not to mention critical analysis; after all, the terrorists had an entire city at their disposal, with no shortage of potentially vulnerable targets to choose from. The Titans, on the other hand, had much less to work with—a mere handful of clues that might prove useful for understanding the syndicate's motivations and modus operandi, but not unraveling their schemes. And as Cygnus watched the ornate golden clock mounted on the walls of the Council Chamber tick slowly and inexorably, advancing relentlessly to the first hostage execution, he knew that time was in short supply, too.

 

"I'll leave the decision making to the rest of you," Cygnus interjected, taking the opportunity to speak up after his teammates. "But whatever we do, let's do it now—and fast!"

 

[spoiler=Learn French with Cygnus: Today's Lesson]1. You sick bastard!

[Ren✧]

 "So...what's the plan, Arcana?"

"I'm guessing it's espionage time?  Or do we go in guns blazing like every other time?"

"...whatever we do, let's do it now—and fast!"

 

"Could everyone just shut up! For like five seconds, please!!" Kiara nervously rubbed her forehead, finding it strangely damp. She could feel the rest of the team looking to her for direction. This wasn't a good look for the Titans' supposed leader, but she couldn't be rushed into making a bad decision. Especially not with Shira threatening so many innocent lives. The image of their hostages flashed through Kiara's mind, followed by an imagined sequence of their bio-weapon killing millions of people.  Pacing in small circles, Kiara began to think to herself, absent-mindedly beating her fist into her open palm as she did so.

 

Up until now they'd been forced to wait for Shira to strike against them. Even when they had tried to gain the upper hand by bringing in outside help, Shira had been a step ahead of them. This entire time they had been fighting a faceless enemy. Now that they had a face, there was something they could hit. And the Titans would hit them hard, but rushing in half-cocked wouldn't do. They needed to be as prepared as possible. After all, they would be facing Shira on their turf. Not ideal, but unavoidable. Not confronting them would mean a definite release of Spore, something that the Titans could not allow. Taking their challenge was the only obvious way to go. 

 

"It's a trap." She thought to herself. "No. A trap entails some level of subtlety. They were not subtle. Going after them will only mean trouble, we'll just have to be ready for it. Of course, this could all be a decoy. A ploy to draw attention away from the real site of the bio-weapon. If that's the case, then we are sunk." She nodded to herself, steeling her nerves.

 

"Obviously we can't let Shira terrorize the city. That's a given." She began, halting her pace and calming her voice. "The only way that we have a chance at stopping them is taking their challenge. Up until now Shira has been able to stay ahead of us by remaining in the shadows, but they've just put a spotlight on themselves. Let's make use of it, shall we?" Kiara let what she said sink in for a moment, looking around the team before continuing.

 

"Of course, how we make use of it..." Kiara let the fragment hang for a moment.  "Blake, Lily, what've you been working on in the lab? Have you discovered anything that might help us?" Kiara fixed Lily with a sharp glare. "Any information you want to share?" She figured that now that the city was at risk, that maybe she would come clean about anything useful she might be harboring. 

 

"We've gotta be smart about this. Running in there half-cocked is likely to get us killed. After all, these aren't a couple of meta-teens tearing up our streets out of some petty revenge," She flashed Blake, Roxie, and Cygnus a knowing smile, "they mean to kill as many people as possible. We can't let that happen."

[Saiba Aisu]

BGM

 

"Could everyone just shut up! For like five seconds, please!" Kiara replied, perhaps a bit more harshly than usual. One by one, the team fell silent, watching as the young heroine stalked about, pacing in circles, obviously agitated, trying to determine the best plan of action.

 

"Obviously we can't let Shira terrorize the city," she said at last, coming to a halt. "The only way that we have a chance at stopping them is taking their challenge. Up until now Shira has been able to stay ahead of us by remaining in the shadows, but they've just put a spotlight on themselves. Let's make use of it, shall we?"

 

Cygnus nodded slowly at Kiara's words, seeing the sense in them. They meshed perfectly with the preliminary analysis that Sybil had helped them come up with. Shira wasn't out to destroy the city, but rather to cripple the existing system using psychological warfare. They had already made considerable progress in undermining morale, given the ease with which they hacked into the Council Chamber's system and publicly humiliated Councilman Moretti. The Agent of Shira had even delivered a direct challenge to the Teen Titans, threatening to expose them as failures. Still, despite their impressive introduction, revealing themselves and their objectives—at least in part—meant that the syndicate was more vulnerable. Desperate as the situation was, if the Titans somehow managed to turn it around in their favor, it would give them a chance to strike a massive psychological blow against the terrorist organization. No, more than that—it would give them a platform of their own, just as powerful in its own way, to show that no matter how bad things seemed, the spirit of Aurora City refused to be broken.

 

"Blake, Lily, what've you been working on in the lab? Have you discovered anything that might help us? Any information you want to share?" Kiara asked, addressing the latter with a particularly sharp glare.

 

"I'm currently working on recreating Spore's genetic code on a secure parallel server," Lily replied smoothly, shrugging off the other girl's hostility. "Once the program is complete, I'll be able to develop an antidote capable of neutralizing the bioweapon. In the meantime, Blake and I have established a magnetically-powered Level 4 Biohazard Security Perimeter on the 15th floor, which will function as an anti-contagion containment unit in the event of a possible outbreak."

 

"Your analysis of the situation seems fairly complete, Kianna," she continued, her lips curving into her signature self-assured smile. "Though I would like to draw your attention to a key point. First and foremost, why hasn't Shira gone public about Spore yet, when doing so would create an unparalleled climate of fear and panic? Why bother targeting a television station and taking hostages in the first place? After all, like Councilman Moretti said, a handful of hostages isn't exactly the most powerful bargaining chip when you're negotiating the fate of millions..."

 

The government agent paused, letting the silence expand, giving the young heroes a moment to come to the same conclusion.

 

"I'll tell you why. To buy time, because Shira hasn't managed to fully weaponize Spore yet... And to be honest, I'm not surprised. They only managed to steal a small amount of immature cell culture from our labs—that's why it took so long for us to notice the theft. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue, given that even an infant cell culture will develop the latent deadliness we engineered as it matures. No, the problem is that Shira bungled the one thing they should've gotten right above all else—killing me."

 

Lily's expression hardened suddenly, her almond-shaped brown eyes flashing with an intense light.

 

"The moment that you and I made contact, Titans," she continued, her voice rising with passion as her gaze swept the team, "the odds against Shira took a turn for the worse. You see, I am the lead biochemist that worked on this secret security initiative. Out of all my peers, I am the most qualified to develop an antidote and prevent an epidemic outbreak. I am the one responsible for creating Spore, and mark my words, I will be the one to stop it."