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

[Ren✧]

Kiara had to keep reminding herself that this was all just a dream, an illusion conjured up by the orb for some reason. Still, it felt real. It felt very real. Slipping underneath the pouncing demon, she just barely missed being shredded by the devil's gnarled claws. She turned to face her opponent, her back now to the podium and the open Grimoire, causing a chill to go down her spine but she couldn't afford to let this thing get the drop on her. As it advanced on her for the second time, this time making a wild lunge leading with its left foot and swinging with an open right hand, Kiara found herself countering with a low sweep. 

 

The clawed hand passed harmlessly through the air as Kiara's kick powerfully struck the demon's exposed leg, knocking it off balance. However, instead of pressing her advantage, she attempted to perform back flip over the pedestal and away from the demon. Unfortunately, before she could make her attempted escape, the demon's spindly tail shot out and wrapped around her ankle. With a sharp tug, Kiara was sent careening into the underground cavern's floor. The telepath didn't even have a second to recover before the demon was on top of her, it's nails dangerously crashing into the quickly fading barrier that protected Kiara.

 

"Get off of me!" Kiara cried, kneeing the demon in the crotch with all the strength she could muster. Fortunately, it seemed to have the same weaknesses a human male had as squealed in pain, halting its attack. Kiara followed up with a powerful uppercut to the demon's jaw, knocking the beast back several feet. She couldn't help but feel proud of herself as she picked herself up off the ground. However, that feeling quickly melted away as her gaze was drawn back to where the Grimoire sat on its pedestal. 

 

Its pages flipped over one by one, becoming a whirlwind of paper. As it did so, Kiara noticed the body of the demon she had just incapacitated melt away into a cloud of amethyst smoke. The overhead light that lit the chamber began to dim as the flipping pages gained speed; the whirlwind began to pick up intensity. Kiara began to feel short of breath, almost as if the storm that raged around her was stealing the air from her lungs. She dropped to her knees, gasping for air. All the while, the winds continued to pick up speed.

 

Her body became a rag-doll caught in the maelstrom, at first tossed around as she hit the rocky cavern walls. Then, the winds began to draw her towards the center of the room, directly over the Grimoire. Just as she made it to the chamber's epicenter, the winds stopped. Still, she was held suspended by some unseen force, but at least she could breathe now though. 

 

"Matron is not the only one pulling the strings. She and the Sisters aren't the only ones you should fear." The voice that spoke sounded like it was straining to lift a weight that was far to heavy for its speaker. And yet somehow, Kiara could still sense the power dripping off every single world. The rest of the dream may have seemed real, but this, this, felt unfathomably realistic. Dangerously realistic. There was something different about it.   

 

The Grimoire had stopped flipping through pages, now resting open on a single illustration. She looked down, trying to see what was on it. Depicted there in startling detail was the image of a strange looking woman. Kiara was positive she had never seen her before, and yet somehow she seemed vaguely familiar. The Titan didn't get but a few seconds to look at the page before the page suddenly went black.

 

"What th-?"

 

Whatever force held Kiara in the air stopped, causing her to drop down towards the open book. As Kiara made contact made contact with the book, she was swallowed by it. Everything went dark. 

[Mr. Hyde]

"Night to H-5."  With his words, the horse shaped hologram moved into position.  "Check!"  Blake said with a hint of annoyance and boredom.

 

"Who...Who the hell taught you how to play this well?!  King to E-6..."  

 

"Seems you're getting impatient there Thadius, you moved your king into check again...or did you not see my rook at B-6?"  Blake smiled, the old timer must be succumbing to some sort of early on-set Alzheimer's.  

 

"Shut up you brat!  King to E-7!"  The crowned hologram marched it's way to the it's inevitable doom.  

 

"My dad taught me this strategy.  Rook to B-4.  That'll be checkmate Mr. Breacher."  With a roar, the table was flipped over.  Underneath the top, Thadius pressed a button which revealed a hidden compartment.  Inside the compartment was a small handgun.  

 

"I have had it up to here with your arrogance boy!  If this merger doesn't proceed as intended, I might just have to test this prototype molecular shredder on my own flesh and blood."  Blake was caught off guard, he knew the man to be a psychopath, but murder wasn't his thing.  He was too much of a coward to do it face to face, rather expand the distance to a couple thousand miles straight up into the atmosphere.  

 

Blake pointed over to the stiff crowd of mannequins.  "You sure you want to do that Thadius...We did have an agreement after all.  The stakes were clear, and there isn't anything affecting you.  Now if you don't mind lowering the gun, I won't press charges."

 

"Not this time kid...you're a slippery little devil, expected coming from my genes, but you're in my grasp now.  Interstellar Inc. shall be mine!  And with it, I'll be able to become the hero of humanity...there will be no more room for the 'Justice League' or 'Teen Titans' while i'm running the show!"  With a familiar ringing in his ear, Blake's body began to change.  His face had become scarred, and his eye glossed over.  He could feel the cold metal against his chest.  A pod crashed down from the sealing, encasing Blake, giving him his suit.  

 

"Shut...your...trap...Thadius!"  Thadius shot a plasma beam towards Blake, but his force fields deflected it.  He grabbed onto the man's collar and raised him high above his head.  "Maybe I'll end you instead..."

 

The handgun that Thadius possessed started unfolding, wrapping itself around his arm.  He shot a darker version of the plasma ray he shot earlier, and broke Blake's grasp on his suit.  From the background, more pieces of armor started attaching to Thadius until he was also in a suit much similar to Blake's Satellite.  "What do you think of Dark Matter's new suit?  Got some prototype schematics from an old computer you threw out.  I call it 'Gravos Armor'.  I added a little bit of DM charm to it though...let's see how it holds up!"  In the suit's hand were two orbs of darkness.  "This suit converts matter into anti-matter!  Contained in a field of course...or else if it gets loose...universal annihilation yadda yadda."

[Dad]

He squirmed, as the female shadow squeezed the very life from him.  He mustered what little strength he could, pounding on its enormous, dry rotting hands.  It raised Alfoso upwards, its mouth agape as it stared into his empty eyes.  Its soulless reply ended up being something right out of a comic book.  Now, Alfonso dangled for dear life, as he looked down into the rotten teeth and grey spotted tongue of what should have been his wife.  "You crazy jabroni!" he screamed, flailing his legs as he tried desperately to climb back up into her palms.  He clawed and scratched with all of his might, but the peeling, sagging dead skin on this thing would not hold.  Alfonso began to slip, down into the abyss of the creature's mouth.  He fell himself falling, falling for what seemed like forever.  But for some reason, he never touched a solid object for more than forty-five seconds.  As he looked around now, the creature that was holding him had gone.  He couldn't see its rotting mouth, nor smell its decaying corpse.  And now around him, he could feel himself burning.  His entire body began to catch fire, as his eyes opened to a horrifying scene.

 

Alfonso was falling through the atmosphere of the Earth, everything around him ablaze.  He screamed in hideous pain, as his body burned.  His clothes were torn to shreds, as Earth came closer into view.  But as he neared, he was aimed directly for Aurora City.  And now, on the Horizon, Titan Tower stood, and five others awaited him on its rooftop.  He was caught by a man in metal, who's fall was cushioned further by a powerful psychic female with mocha brown skin.  His skin had been turned entirely black, and Alfonso collapsed onto the rooftop as Blake set him down.

 

"You okay dude?" Blake asked as he covered Alfonso in a blanket.  Benjamin was behind Blake, laughing as he gripped his stomach.  "This is your new recruit?"

 

Alfonso stood to his feet, cowering in the blanket as skin began to rapidly shed, like a spider's.  He nodded at Ben, looking towards Blake.  "What's he on about?"  Blake took the time to analyze Alfonso, before taking him in.  "Come on, let's get you inside."  They escorted Alfonso into Titan Tower, where he was taking to a burn ward.  His skin continued to peel, but it remained a heavy shade of black that he could not remove.  "Blake what's going on?" Alfonso asked, scratching furiously.  

 

"How do you know my name?" Blake said turning to the other Titans.

 

"Wha--what are you--" Alfonso noticed something.  He was young again.  He wasn't an adult.  In fact, he was seventeen now.  But his appearance had changed drastically.  "Blake, it's me.  Alfonso.  That's Kiara, Roxie, Ben--"

 

"Whoa!  Whoa!  Who is this bugger?" Roxie quipped, turning to Cygnus.  "I dunno," he replied.  "He was suggested by the League, but I don't know how he knows you all.  Past relationship?"

 

"What the hell do you mean past relationship?  I'm a Titan damn it!"

 

They looked to each other in confusion, turning back to Alfonso.  "You can't already be a Titan.  You just got here.  We've never seen you before," Kiara said folding her arms.  "Something's off about this guy.  And I don't like it," Ben spoke up this time.  "I say we get rid of him."

 

"Scrawny little thing ain't he?  We can probably just beat him into silence," Roxie joked.  Cygnus held up a hand, rubbing his chin.  "He's probably an old reject who changed his appearance and tried to get off by stopping purse snatchers or something insignificant.  I'm with Roxie on this one.  We keep it between us."

 

"What!?  What are you doing!?"  Alfonso watched the Titans turn their backs to him.  The burn ward sealed itself closed behind extremely powerful, extremely thick glass, as a hissing sound rang in Alfonso's ears.  "Leave him to drop dead.  We'll pick him up and dispose of the body later," Cygnus commanded.  Meanwhile, Alfonso began coughing and hacking.  He tried to cover his face in the blanket, but it was no use.  He was now being turned on by the people he cared about.  "Cygnus!  Cyg--you bastard--I'll get--I'll--" Alfonso fell to his knees, grasping at his throat.  He could feel his lungs on fire, as he breathed in a hideous yellowish green poison.  He pounded the ground, his hands glowing a radiant blue and red.  The light shown brightly through the overwhelming mustard gas.  He pounded again, his hands flickering as he struck the ground.  A third time, and the ground beneath Alfonso shook, causing the Titans to look back to Alfonso in wonder.

 

"What are you doing!?" Ben barked.  "Crank up the gas!" Cygnus ordered.  But he was too late.  Alfonso pounded the ground again, the floor shattering beneath him as he fell through.  Falling onto the next floor, he could hear the Titans above him.  "Spread out and find him!" Cygnus said as their footsteps disappeared.  Alfonso struggled to his feet, taking in precious oxygen as quickly as he could.  He had to find a way out.  He darted through the tower, landing at what should have been his old room.  Instead, he found it was empty.  None of his belongings were there, and he was totally at a loss.  

 

"What--"

 

"Down here!" Roxie called as Alfonso turned around to face her, still naked.  He wrapped the towel around his waist, backing against a wall.  Roxie twirled Arondite around skillfully, as Kiara, Blake, Cygnus, and Ben joined her.  "Close off the exits.  And don't let him drop through the floor again.  I don't want anymore damage to the Tower," Cygnus said as a series of silver bubbles made an ominous line down the hallway towards Alfonso.  Blake sighed, tightening his suit as he carefully approached Alfonso.  "Sorry about this.  But you'e already done too much."

 

Alfonso balled his fist.  Why was he being tossed aside?  And for what?  Something was wrong.  Something was very wrong.  Roxie charged at him first, but Alfonso dodged her strike, as she careened through the wall and opened it to the outside world.  He ducked into a nearby room, tripping over a bed sheet.  He collapsed onto a bed, discovering it to be Kiara's  She pounced in the room, landing above him with both of her hands pinning his wrists down as she drew back to strike him.  Alfonso rolled as hard as he could, knocking Kiara onto the floor, as a blast came from the hallway.  It barely missed his face, as Alfonso stared Blake's weapon right in the face.  He dashed into the next room, sliding down the hallway and skidding and scraping his knee as he knocked over a door.  

 

It was fruitless, however, as he was instantly cornered by Cyngus and Ben.  Cygnus knocked Alfonso in the back of the head with a harsh elbow, causing him to topple forwards, while Ben's spiders began climbing Alfonso's torso.

 

"Any last words?" Cygnus asked, as Alfonso struggled to his feet.

 

Alfonso nodded, turning around to face Cygnus and the others as they joined their fellow Titans.  "Yeah," Alfonso asked, feeling engulfed with rage and betrayal.  "You never really cared, did you?"

 

They turned to each other, confused again as to where Alfonso would get such an idea.  "We don't even know you.  You're just another swine.  And there's no reason for us to keep you around.  So die quickly.  Worm."

 

"Charlotte.  Finish him."

 

BGM:  No Fucks Given

 

"So that's how its gonna be?  I was there for you, and this is what I get?  A death sentence because you suddenly have amnesia?  funk that," Alfonso said as his hands glowed.  "It only takes one time.  One single little 'no' to turn me away.  And I guess that was always my biggest flaw," he said placing his hands in the air.  "That, and I cared too much."  Alfonso sneakily flicked a star into the crowd of his friends, blinding them temporarily.  He darted through them, stumbling into the hall.  He turned sharp, making his way for the hole that lead outside.  Roxie was right on his heels, and she tackled him outside, with his face aimed straight for the ground.  She pushed, forcing his head down.  "Time for a dirt nap!" she yelled over the rush of wind.  But Alfonso elbowed her in the face, flipping them over.  Alfonso was on top of Roxie now, as they continued to fall.  "Sorry beautiful," he said putting his foot in her back.  "I loved you, and you made me out to as a fool."  Alfonso quickly found himself boiling, as his rage consumed him.  "Time for some payback."  

 

As they fell, Alfonso placed his hands on Roxie's shoulders, and began to pull.  The combined force of the wind, and his own strength, plus the foot in Roxie's back allowed him to do something disgusting.  He pulled and pulled, applying attraction powers to her shoulders, as he pushed her back in.  And when they hit the ground below, Roxie's back was shattered, as her arms were ripped from her body and her neck was twisted violently against the dirt in a mangled mess.  She was now smeared in a crater in the ground below Titan Tower, as the others looked down in horror.

 

"ROXIE!!" Blake screamed.  He barreled towards Alfonso, who turned his head up to his old friend.  His face streaming with tears and rage, he threw down a shield over his face, and went full force at Alfonso.  "I'll KILL YOU!!" Blake roared at Alfonso.  But he didn't flinch or move.  Alfonso frowned, starting to float upwards.  "Come on, Mr. CEO.  You're next to join the knight," he said heading over the water.  He blazed after Alfonso, cutting a large divide in the waves as he screamed at Alfonso.  He tackled the boy, and flung him into the wave below.  When Alfonso didn't come up, Blake hovered over the ocean, scanning the water for signs of life.  "COME OUT YOU COWARD!!  LET ME TAKE YOUR HEAD!!"

 

Alfonso held his breath as long as he could, before coming up for oxygen.  "Blake," he called nonchalantly.  He was greeted with a blast that narrowly missed his face.  "DIE!!" Blake screamed.  But before he could fire again, Blake felt a tug on his leg.  His suit was being pulled.  "What the--WHAT DID YOU DO!?" he cried.  Before Blake knew it, Alfonso dove into the water again, and Blake was being dragged under.  "What. . .is this!?" he asked as he was pulled into the water.  He began frantically emptying ports out of his suit to get rid of the water.  Alfonso had sneakily placed attraction powers on the leg of Blake's suit, diving just far enough to bring Blake under.  Blake wouldn't be deterred, however.  "I can still fight underwater YOU IMBECILE!!"  He swung at Alfonso, who rolled out of the way before kicking Blake downwards.  As Blake's suit rolled from the kick, he was stopped by Alfonso, so that he could peer into the boy's eyes.  The shield over Blake's face glowed red, as Alfonso bid him goodbye.

 

"What are you--wait--what's going on!?" Blake screamed.  "Stop it!  Come back here!  FIGHT ME!!  FIGHT ME YOU COWARD!!"  Blake's suit was now filled with repulsion power, pushing him away from Alfonso.  But Alfonso had made sure to put a large amount of repulsion into Blake's suit.  So much in fact, that Blake was now sinking.  And Blake continued to sink, as the pressure overcame his suit, and it filled with water.  The alarms blared, ringing and shining a deathly red in his innocent face.  "YOU BASTAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRD!!"  In two minute's time, Blake had fallen to near the bottom of the ocean, and his suit was crushed by millions of gallons of water, balled into a heap of metal and blood.

 

Alfonso scrambled to the surface, taking in more life saving oxygen.  And when Cygnus, Kiara, and Ben watched Alfonso emerge, but without Blake, they grew irate.  They made their way out of the tower, now in pursuit of the ex-hero.

[Saiba Aisu]

For a moment, the lake seemed to come alive, its shimmering surface lit by lunar magic. The specter was blasted backwards by the force of the spell with a scream of outrage, hurtling and twisting through the air like a fallen leaf, reduced for a moment to a mere shadow, fleeing in the wake of the advancing radiance. The silver swan sang its lament once more—haunting, yet somehow all the more lovely for it—before dissipating in a massive hail of white feathers. As the enchantment faded, a figure could be observed at the heart of the storm, borne aloft by angelic wings. Tall and slender, with a shock of white hair and flashing blue eyes, clad in dark gray silks fit for a prince, while a magnificent silver crown shone at his brow.

 

"Impossible!" the specter roared, raising one clawed hand before its eyes, as if to blot out the sight of the white-haired sorcerer. "There's no way a child like you could master a spell like that!"

 

"I am no child," Cygnus said softly, yet each syllable seemed to ring with cold clarity. "I've walked this earth for three hundred years, searching for you, waiting for the chance to take my revenge. This time, you won't escape."

 

"Is that a threat?" the specter asked, tossing back its head with a ghastly laugh. "Have you forgotten who I am, little prince? I am the nameless terror that stalks your dreams... The evil that haunts the darkest corners of your mind... The author of all your sorrows and despair! I have powers far beyond anything you could ever imagine. You are nothing compared to me!"

 

"There's only one way to find out," Cygnus replied, locking eyes with the phantasm as he raised both hands, moonlight blossoming at his wrists.

 

The specter threw back its arms, its voice contorted and harsh as it uttered a spell. Six undulating columns of reddish-black hellfire hurtled towards the young Titan, intent on reducing him to cinders. Twisting in midair like a dancer, Cygnus dove under the first of them, his wings carrying him around and swiftly upwards, weaving in and out of the incoming attacks like a hummingbird. The phantasm hissed with displeasure as it curled its clawed fingers, redirecting the searing tongues of flame with murderous intent, fashioning them into a new and deadlier pattern. For a moment, the two seemed caught in a striking, elegant dance, where even the slightest mistake would be fatal.

 

Turning a somersault, Cygnus found himself suddenly surrounded, caught at the center of a swirling inferno. The specter let loose a shriek of unholy joy at the sight of his cornered prey, his hand forming a jagged fist, commanding the hellfire to surge inwards. At the last moment, Cygnus swung his arms in wide arcs, summoning a dazzling sphere of silver light to absorb the blows. As the cursed fire struck the lunar shield, a sickening heatwave rolled through the air, instantly evaporating several gallons of the water below, shrouding the scene in dense clouds of steam.

[Dad]

Swimming back to shore, he was greeted with a tug by his shoulders, as Ben pulled Alfonso up.  He shoved Alfonso to the ground, putting his face in the dirt with a boot to the back of Alfonso's head.  "I shouldn't have waited," he said snarling at Alfonso.  "I should've just killed you when you got here, and taken the fall myself!  It would've made for a good story in prison," Ben said kicking Alfonso in the back of the head and knocking him unconscious.  Cygnus joined Benjamin on the ground, while Kiara wept solemnly over Roxie's limp body.  She cradled the girl in her arms, and carried her corpse into the tower.  Meanwhile, Cygnus and Benjamin discussed what to do with Alfonso.

 

"At this point, we can get him convicted for murder," Cygnus said holding back tears.  "We turn him into the Justice League, and--"

 

"Screw that!" Ben interrupted, grabbing one of Alfonso's legs.  "He put us through hell.  I'm gonna show him his own personal hell.  And then you can turn him into the League," Benjamin said as he dragged Alfonso across the rocky shore, knocking his head against the rocks at least twice.  "If he lives."  Cygnus scoffed, stamping into the damp soil.  "Benjamin!" he snapped.  Ben stopped, turning around with tears in his bloodshot eyes.  "Don't deny me this, Cygnus!  He deserves it!!" Ben wailed, his voice cracking.

 

Cygnus turned his head, his fist balled as he cried silently.  "Do what you will."

 

Benjamin dragged Alfonso's body into the Titan Tower, taking the elevator down to a basement level.  He dragged the boy down to the boiler room, tying up his unconscious body to the steel pipes.  Behind him, Benjamin sealed the door with heavy chains, just in case Kiara or Cygnus decided to interrupt the screaming.  The room was dimly lit by a red light, turning and blinking occasionally around the room.  It was sweltering with heat, as Ben stripped himself of his shirt.  He gave Alfonso a swift punch to the jaw, as he yelled, "Wake up!"  The boy shook his head, groaning groggily.  He looked up to see a shirtless Ben, staring daggers into the boys face.  Alfonso remained silent, frowning.  

 

"You thought you were just gonna walk away?" Ben said punching Alfonso in the face again.  Alfonso spat blood onto the hot cement floor, turning back to Ben.  "Did you think I intended to walk away, Benjamin?" Benjamin delivered a swift kick to Alfonso's jaw, causing him to spit up blood again.  "Shut up!  Shut the hell up!  You've got no right to speak to me!  You've got no right to breathe!"  Ben punched into Alfonso's stomach three times rapidly, before grabbing the boy by his jaw.  His palm open towards Alfonso he revealed several holes in his hand.

 

"You know what a spider does when its inside another living thing?  It lays eggs," he said as several spiders emerged from his hand.  Alfonso's eyes widened, as he listened to Ben.  "And those eggs.  They need to feed.  They'll feed on anything around them, starting with you."

 

BGM:  Let's Go

 

Alfonso jerked his head away, as the spider's slowly approached his face.  He shut his mouth, causing Ben to ball his empty hand and slug Alfonso in the face once more.  Alfonso turned back to Ben, his head spinning.  He spat blood in Ben's eyes, temporarily blinding him.  Benjamin stuttered backwards, allowing Alfonso just enough time to apply both attraction and repulsion magic to his restraints, shattering them and causing the pipes to burst, clattering to the cement floor.  As Ben wiped his face, he stared down Alfonso, who ushered him forward.  "Come on Ben," Alfonso said wiping his jaw.  "I'll squash you like the bug you are."  Benjamin didn't appreciate the cheesy line at his expense, lunging at Alfonso with a cocked fist.  

 

Alfonso ducked the first strike, catching Benjamin with a punch to his stomach.  He whipped around, clipping Benjamin as he turned.  Ben fell forward, his chin hitting concrete.  Alfonso kicked Benjamin in his side, ordering him to get up.  Benjamin rolled over, tripping Alfonso in response, and causing him to fall onto his back.  He jumped up, and immediately attempted to put a heel in Alfonso's head.  Alfonso reacted quickly, rolling out of the way and snatching up one of the broken pipes as he jumped to his feet.  He swung at Ben, but he caught the pipe and pulled it away from Alfonso, pulling the boy towards him.  Alfonso responded in kind, headbutting Benjamin in the face, causing them both to stammer backwards.  Alfonso moved first, however, picking up the second of two pipes, and ramming it across Benjamin's jaw.  He toppled over, his face landing inches from the exposed high pressure steam.

 

Benjamin carefully slid out of the way, his face and ears ringing with pain.  Alfonso caught him, however, smashing in one of Benjamin's knees with the pipe this time, causing him to fall back to the grown, squealing.  Alfonso turned Benjamin over, his face bleeding, and raised Benjamin's head.  Benjamin struggled, but Alfonso was able to put Benjamin's face right in line with the extremely hot steam, causing the boy's face to bubble and distort with severe burns.  Benjamin wailed, his skin falling off rapidly as Alfonso held him by his hair.  Alfonso let go at last, Benjamin's face no longer recognizable.  Benjamin touched his face, stinging with pain as he attempted to cry.  His voice was muffled by his melted jaw and sagging cheeks, as his eyes were sealed shut.  He was blinded by this, and Alfonso was now able to have his way.  Fortunately, one of Benjamin's ears remained in tact, allowing Alfonso to preach.

 

"You know Ben, there's something I've been wondering since I met you," Alfonso said picking up another pipe.  "What's more threatening to a spider?  A boot?" he asked raising the pipe high in the air.  "Or a fire.  Let's find out."

 

Alfonso jammed the pipe into one of the boilers, ducking as he did.  It ruptured violently, sending him reeling backwards into a wall.  He managed to avoid the steam, struggling to his feet.  Applying repulsion magic to the pipe in his hand, he sent it flying into a third boiler, this one now rupturing as well, sending blaring alarms throughout Titan Tower.  Benjamin, muffled, whimpered, as he tried to understand what was going on.  Alfonso snatched at the chains on the door, stumbling over to them.  "Ben!" he called over the alarm.  "Looks like your final chapter will have quite the explosive ending," he said mocking the boy.  Benjamin crawled, blindly across the floor, now screaming between his destroyed face, as he tried to make it to the doorway.  Alfonso slammed the doors shut, tying the outside with the same chains Benjamin had used.  Benjamin had made it at last, weakly tugging at the door handles in an attempt to get free.

 

Alfonso darted forwards, leaping from the island and back into the water, as its basement erupted in a violent explosion of steel, fire, and blood.  The Titan Tower shook, causing Cygnus and Kiara to look to each other.  There, Kiara was covered in Roxie's blood, and Cygnus was frozen in shock.  "Ben," he muttered to himself.  Kiara stood up, but Cygnus held up a hand.  "I'll handle this, Kiara," he said to Kiara, as she fell back to the couch in the common room.  Her head in her hands, Kiara sobbed heavily, as she sit beside Roxie.  The Tower continued to rock, and she and Cygnus knew it was a matter of time before it was completely destroyed.  In that time, Cygnus would make short work of Alfonso, or die trying.

 

Alfonso had made his way back to shore again, watching the bottom of the Titan's Tower catch fire.  Cygnus strolled casually past the flames, applauding Alfonso.  "Congratulations, you buffoon.  You've managed to kill three innocent people in your tirade.  You've caused substantial damage to a beacon of hope to the people of Aurora City.  Not to mention, you've caused my best friend to weep.  And destroying her personality and mental fortitude is something I cannot forgive.  Prépare toi," he said forging a sword of light in his hands at will.  "I'll make this quick.  I'll pierce your heart, as you broke ours," he said clenching his chest.  "I'll make sure that the last thing you hear and see is my magic."  A flurry of bubbles escaped Cygnus' hands, lightly floating on the kiss of the wind, targeting Alfonso.

 

BGM:  Girei

 

Alfonso smirked, knowing full well not to touch those bubbles.  Cygnus opened an empty palm to Alfonso, a bright light blinding the boy and causing him to shield his face.  In that short time, Alfonso had become surrounded by Cygnus' bubbles, as they circled him dangerously.  They bounced inwards towards Alfonso, who barely ducked out of the way.  As the bubbles collided with one another, a hail of needles erupted from them, causing them to pierce Alfonso in the back.  He yelled in agony, falling to a knee.  Cygnus approached, raising his blade to waist height, as he prepared to decapitate Alfonso.  "For your sins.  Meurs."  Alfonso rammed his head into Cygnus' abdomen, stunning him and sending him backwards, tripping onto the shore.  His blade slipped from his hand, landing in the sand blade first.  He jumped to his feet quickly, as Alfonso pulled the last needle from his back.  He was riddled with holes, bleeding slowly as he stretched to ease the pain.  Cygnus snatched up the light blade, pointing at Alfonso.  The boy replied with an open palm to Cygnus, as if asking for the boy's hand.  Before long, a bright star conjured in Alfonso's hand, the light blinding Cygnus and its heat causing him to step back just slightly.  

 

"Well Cygnus," he said panting.  "Let's get this over with," Cygnus shielded his eyes with a hand, barely able to see Alfonso's eyes.  "Gladly," he said as a plethora of concussive magical blasts were amplified in the evening sky, barely missing Alfonso.  He boy slid into the sand, and Cygnus struck at his head.  Alfonso barely caught the blade, as Cygnus brought down a second hand to pressure Alfonso.  "Submit!" Cygnus commanded.  But Alfonso refused, rolling backwards and kicking Cygnus in the crotch.  Cygnus stumbled, falling to his knees as he cupped his hands over his crotch.  Alfonso stood up, taking the dropped light sword.  Cygnus rolled, wincing in pain, but stood up, quivering.  "You fight dirty.  You're both a monster. . . and a coward.  That's. . . unfortunate.  Maybe with the proper care. . . you could've been. . . more," Cygnus said forcing himself to conjure a second blade of light.  

 

"Dance with me," he said taunting Alfonso.  Alfonso shook his head.  "I'd take you up on that offer.  If you hadn't tried to kill me!"  Alfonso launched his sword at Cygnus, who ducked the throw with ease.  "You're naive," Cygnus said inching forwards.  Alfonso took a defensive stance, as Cygnus lunged at him.  He swung overhead at Alfonso, barely missing.  He butted the boy in the back with the hilt of his blade, slamming Alfonso to the ground as he whipped around him.  Alfonso grabbed at Cygnus' ankles, attempting to repel him away, but Cygnus did not budge.  "Apologies," Cygnus said raising his sword once more.  "I'm immune to magics like yours."

 

Alfonso frowned, letting go of Cygnus and throwing his arm backwards.  "But are you immune to your own?" he asked.  The thrown sword buzzed through the air at incredible speed, attracted to Alfonso's magic.  Cygnus could not react in time, as one of his ankles was severed.  Alfonso stood up, holding the blade tightly in his hand over the wailing of the handicapped Cygnus.  "I'll admit, Cygnus.  You were always a jackass, but you were a good person.  Or at least, I thought you were."  Alfonso leaned down, kicking the blade from Cygnus' other hand.  Alfonso placed the blade at Cygnus' throat, rambling on.  "And now that I've seen your true colors, I know you have a pretty nasty side.  I'll be sure not to get on your bad side when I get out of here," Alfonso said  gently sliding the blade across Cygnus' neck.  It barely scratched his throat, a thin line of blood easing out of his neck.  

 

"What are you. . .talking abo--"

 

"You think I didn't figure it out!?  Huh!?" Alfonso said kicking Cygnus in his side.  Cygnus groaned, turning over but being stopped halfway by Alfonso.  "I could've never killed Roxie!  She'd have punched through my chest in a heartbeat, and dropped me like a bad habit!  And Blake!?  Really!?  You're talking about a funking genius of a guy, running his own company, with a God damn powersuit!  You think after he met me, he hadn't accounted for my magic!?" Alfonso said stomping into Cygnus' stomach.  "This is fake!  All of it!" he said as his head cleared.  "And you.  Since when do you actually want to go and cut someone's throat.  The angriest I've seen you get was at the nightclub.  And even then, you couldn't bring yourself to murder anyone!  You funking half-baked copy!"  Alfonso raised the sword, before dropping it over Cygnus' other ankle.  Cygnus' screams pierced the air, as he wailed in distress.  "Shut up!" Alfonso said kicking him in the jaw and shattering it.  "I don't know how I got here.  I don't give a sheet.  But if I have to kill my friends," he said with air quotes.  "And it gets me out of this bullshit, then so be it.  I'm gonna make you my fur coat, you little jabroni."

 

Alfonso severed one of Cygnus' arms now, as the blood loss and shock caused Cygnus to pass out.  Alfonso didn't bother with the drama at this point anymore.  In order to assure Cygnus wouldn't interrupt him anymore, he dropped the light blade directly through his skull, causing the boy's body to shiver violently, before settling as if nothing happened.  The construct faded, as Cygnus' power died with him.  Alfonso raised his head, looking to the blazing Titan Tower as a pair of yellow eyes warned him.  "Kiara," he muttered to himself.  Alfonso kicked Cygnus' corpse down the shore, watching it roll helplessly into the cold waters of the ocean.  He turned his head back to Kiara, but she had vanished on the rooftop of the Tower.  There was one more obstacle standing in his way.  Balling his fist, Alfonso hovered, as he began to slowly scale the side of Titan Tower.

[Mr. Hyde]

The room had become empty...the masses had left the father and son to do their business in private.  Blake's suit whirred, as he took the first step forward towards his opponent.  Thaddeus did the same.  They picked up the pace until they were running head on towards each other. fists raised to the air.  Blake jumped to deliver his blow, which met the metallic mask of the Gravios armor with full force.  As he fell back, Thaddeus stuck his foot into the air and shot a jet of fire from his boots into Blake's gut.  The two were sent flying back.  Blake caught himself with his stabilizing jets.  As he faced to where Thaddeus had landed, a jet of black energy came towards him.  He put up his force field, but the beam had seared through the barrier like butter.  Blake jetted to the side to avoid that attack, which had pierced the wall so that the sky on the other side of the building was visible.  

 

"Contained Anti-Matter...Would've eaten right through that silly armor of yours boy.  That beam will stop eventually...I only give it so much matter to feed off of in that contained field.  How'd you see that so quickly.  ."  Blake pointed to his right eye.

 

"Oh...just a little something I developed after what you did to me."  Blake bolted towards Gravios, dodging beams that were shot his way.

 

"Impossible...All these damage costs are coming out of your bank account boy!"  

 

As Blake wound up an uppercut with Thaddeus' chin's name on it, he was abruptly smashed into the ground.  Something that came from above was manipulating his field of gravity.  "Like it...I modified those silly forcefields you use to instead make them collapse on a target.  While you're playing defense, I'm already stomping out the competition."  As he emphasized stomping, he started to crush Blake underneath his heel.  The mechanical sounds whirred as he raised his leg, just to slam it back down on him.  "You see boy...you were going to amount to nothing in life...just a stain on my boot."

 

"As long as I'm a permanent stain...I think I'd be okay with that.  However..."  Blake's boots lit up with fire, as he shot himself forward at full thrust, swiping Thaddeus' foot from underneath him.  The force that lay on top of him was removed.  "I'm a Bradsborn...I'll never let someone like you walk all over me!"  

 

Thaddeus shot his arm forward to release another stream of anti-matter, but his arm had locked up.  "What the hell!"  

 

"You're a little slow on the draw old man.  Kinda like how you are at chess."  Blake lowered himself to the same level as Gravios and proceeded to walk up to him.  Thaddeus tried to take another swing at Blake, but his arm was stuck in the position it had rested.  He was unable to twist his body, or even turn his head.  "I had assumed your suit's operating system is the same as mine.  That encompasses my own security system.  With a few tweaks to some code here and there, I found out your passwords and effectively locked you out of your own suit."  He cleared his throat.  "I also might own Dark Matters as a result...whoops.  Hacked a little too far."

 

"Insolent child!  OVERIDE OMEGA!"  His suit began fuming.  "I will not be defeated by some snot nosed bastard that claims half of my genetic code!"

 

"What the hell are you trying to pull Thad!?"

 

"If I can't control the world, then what use do I have for it?!  I'm going to unleash all this damned Anti-Matter that I've been housing inside this suit!  When it gets out, it'll consume half of this galaxy before it tuckers out!  How about that for checkmate?!"  

 

Without thinking, Blake rushed to the frozen suit, and gripped it firmly.  With boosters set to max, he thrusted into the air at a rapid ascent.  He had to climb higher, and higher, and higher.  Passed earth's atmosphere, Blake began to feel the affects of deep space travel freeze up his suit.  His grip was still tight on Thaddeus, and he had shut off the man's speakers as they flew up.  His vision had been obscured by the frost accumulating on his face plate.  "Alright Satellite...guess this is it..."  He looked at the blue marble that lay against a background of stars and galaxies.  "Code...TabithaAndBarry...I love you both so much."  With that, Blake's chest glowed a bright purple.  He could feel the immense pressure start to build, as a miniature black hole erupted from his suit.  Blake didn't feel pain as he and Thaddeus were both sucked into the swirling mass of darkness.  The anti-matter particles that Thaddeus had prepared to unleash collided with the immense pressure of the dark hole.  As the particles met the field of gravity, the hole seemed to vanish.

[Super Chaos Sonic]

Darkness...it was all that he could see, all he could feel. This darkness choked the sound from his voice, adding to the deafening silence. Benjamin could feel the abyss of darkness even seem to grow around him, entrapping him and not letting him go.

 

T-This is a dream...I-I have to...wake up!! he thought, struggling to find his way through this darkness.

 

A nice wish, Benjy...but your in my world, and this time I won't disappear! Baba's voice echoed through the vastness of the darkness, with a sinister laugh. You continue to struggle...but what's the point?

 

Benjamin shook his head frantically, as he started picking up speed and running aimlessly into the dark. He didn't want to believe it, that there wasn't a way out of this literal nightmare. There had to be a way...there just had to be some way out. Some way to wake up from this. He kept running, until he saw a spark of light in the distance. His hope was sparked up once more as he headed towards the growing light...

 

Salvaged (Acoustic)

 

"Roxie!!"

 

The sounds of Alfonso's screams cut through Benjamin's heart when he walked into the light. He looked onto the floor of the living room and saw Roxie laying there, covered in blood...her blood. The other Titans were surrounding her, murmuring to themselves, until Benjamin walked in. When he walked in, they turned towards him, eyes narrowing at the young teen. "W-What...what happened to Roxie?"

 

"Murderer!"

 

"E-Excuse me?"

 

"Returning to the scene of the crime." Cygnus spoke to him, turning to face him. And judging by the look he was given...things were not good. "Explain yourself, cretin."

 

"E-Explain what?! I just got here an-" Benjamin started, his hand moving some until he lost all color in his face again. On his hands and his clothes was blood. He looked back up and saw the Titans just staring at him with evil glares. "W-Wait...I didn't murder her....I didn't..."

 

"Security cameras say otherwise..." Blake huffed as he pulled the video from the surveillance system, which showed as plain as day: Benjamin sending his spiders to kill Roxie along with him partaking in the action as well.

 

Benjamin took a step back, as he shook his head. He couldn't believe it, did he...? His eyes panned the room in a panicked manner, before they laid rest on the figure of Baba Yaga, in the corner grinning.

 

Such a shame...once one gets blessed with power...they suddenly take it too far and fall from their pedestal.

 

Benjamin moved back, before seeing the Titans beginning to rush for him. He panicked even more and he finally turned and ran off. He didn't know where he'd go, but he find somewhere.

 

You think that you can just run? You sad little child, Benjy...you can't outrun me...

 

He ignored Baba's words, as he ran out of Titan's Tower, only to appear in the streets of Aurora City. And the welcoming he got from here was the same.

 

"Look! There's that damned menace!"

 

"That spider freak killed my wife last night...get him!"

 

An angry mob quickly appeared and began their way towards Benjamin. His heart began to race wildly as he turned around and ran off again. Now he had the Titans on his tail along with an angry mob. He rushed down the street, littered with corpses and running with blood from their bodies. This was the one thing he knew...it was his fear. Having all this power and one day...finally snapping and turning from hero to killer...

 

Don't you panic...it will all be over soon~

 

Benjamin could hear Baba Yaga's words again as with each abandoned store he passed, the damned person was there in the windows, taunting him...haunting him. He yelled and kept running, trying his best to escape this hell.

 

Give it up, Benjy. No happy ending will ever find you...not now...not ever

[Dad]

BGM:  In These Shadows

 

He rose to the rooftop, landing precariously on the edge.  As he raised his head, Kiara greeted him silently with a look of fury and disdain.  Her eyes glowed brilliantly in the night, as the fire arising from the Titan Tower danced around her, illuminating her shadow in a frightening light.  Kiara rolled her neck, stretching as if she were preparing for a warm up.  Alfonso's heart rate increased, and his breathing grew rapid.  Even if he knew none of this was real, this was still very real to him.  Fighting Kiara was something--someone--he feared.  Not for her strength.  But for her psychic abilities and mental fortitude.  If you measured her against Roxie and Alfonso together, there was no doubt in Alfonso's mind that she would always emerge the victor.  But that had to change.  Tonight.  

 

She frowned at him, a single tear escaping her left eye as she marched slowly towards him.  Alfonso followed suit, walking towards Kiara patiently.  The fire began to encircle them, sealing off their escape route and ensuring that at least one of them would die here, under the moonlight.  Kiara gave a running start, and Alfonso dashed as well.   They snatched one another by the arms, locking their opposite in place.  Alfonso and Kiara butted heads, their skulls ringing.  Kiara was the first to make the next move, as she dove into Alfonso's mind.  Without Altiana, Alfonso was vulnerable, and his mental strength had diminished greatly.  He fell to a knee, as Kiara stood up straight, and continued digging into his brain with her psychic strength.

 

Alfonso cried out in agony, as he felt as though his head was being split in two.  But Kiara stared down at him with unrelenting eyes.  She saw it all for herself.  His past.  His present.  And everything in between.  There was so much information on the Titans in his head, that Kiara grew angrier and angrier as she dug up more of the created past within his memories.  "We know each other?  This guy. . . he does know Roxie.  And Cygnus.  And Blake.  And Ben?  No.  No, this can't be!" She pulled herself out of his head, causing Alfonso to collapse onto the rooftop.  "Who filled your head with this!?" Kiara demanded, screaming over the roaring fire.  Alfonso attempted to stand, but she kicked him hard enough to cause him to roll over and collapse once more.  "Who!?"

 

 

Alfonso chuckled, spitting up blood.  "You see them, huh?" he asked standing up straight.  "What we--the Titans-accomplished together?  Remember, Kiara?  When we saved your life!?  YOU REMEMBER THAT!?" Alfonso screamed.  "DO YOU!?"  Kiara grasped at her head in pain, as memories she had never seen before came rushing into her skull like a thousand needles to her brain.  But she refused to accept them, locking down her mind and blocking out Alfonso's attempts to relate to her.  "You're not gonna put lies into my head.  You killed my friends," she said balling her fist.  "That's enough for me."  Kiara vanished in the shadow, as Alfonso looked around carefully.

 

She emerged from the darkness, clipping Alfonso and sending him onto his back.  He fell with his face to her heels, as she raised up a leg and prepared to stomp on him.  Alfonso rolled backwards, grappling Kiara with his legs as they wrestled.  But Kiara quickly broke free, kicking Alfonso and launching him into the elevator shaft door.  As his body collided with the door, it caved behind him, nearly giving way.  Kiara finished the job, blinking to Alfonso's side and kneeing him in the stomach with enough force to send him crashing through the metal doors.  He went falling down the elevator shaft, with Kiara staring him in the eyes as she gave chase.  She used her destructive strength to launch from the ceiling of the elevator shaft, causing it to begin to collapse behind her.  And as the elevator shaft gave way, she stuck out a fist, using her momentum to crash into Alfonso.  He caught Kiara's fist, but still took a painful blow to the abdomen.  As they fell, he called to Kiara.  "Didn't you see. . .what I did. . .to Roxie!?" he said trying to reverse the situation.  Kiara kicked him further down, accelerating their momentum, as she called back.

 

"I'm not Roxie!  Grah!" she yelled as she struck Alfonso again, causing him to bounce about the elevator shaft, and crash into the third floor.  Kiara peeled off of the elevator shaft walls, and followed Alfonso inside as it collapsed behind her completely now.  Alfonso barely stood, grasping at his stomach in pain, a single glowing hand at his disposal.  He raised his hand, taunting Kiara as he panted.  "It's always the women. . . who make my life hard.   Come on," he said with no thought to his words.  Kiara blinked away again, vanishing and showing up in front of Alfonso with a strong right hook.  He stumbled, backing against a wall.  She snatched Alfonso by his throat, and held him up as the ceiling behind her began to collapse.  "Even if I go down as a villain," she said through gritted, angry teeth, choking Alfonso.  "It was worth killing you."  She drew back a fist, and aimed for Alfonso's heart.

 

Alfonso smiled, causing Kiara to glare at him.  "What are you grinning for!?" she screamed, tears running down her face.  "I lost friends because of you!  They were my family!" she cried.  She continued to grow enraged, as Alfonso gently placed a hand against her face.  "Sorry, Kiara.  I really am."

 

She wiped her tears, drawing back her fist again.  "Sorry won't cut--"

 

"You lose."

 

"Wha--"

 

Kiara was shocked by powerful repulsion magic, sent reeling backwards into the hallway and crashing through burning wood and sheet rock.  He limped after her, as Kiara burst out of the rubble, her hair standing on edge as her psychic powers went into overload.  But before she went to shatter Alfonso's mind, he pulled her left arm in.  He grabbed Kiara as she flew towards him, and spun her around, putting her in a choke-hold.  Kiara struggled, as he bound her legs with his own, and they both fell to their knees.  Alfonso put his mouth to her ear, as he whispered.  "And when I wake up from this, I promise you," he said placing both of his hands on either of her cheeks.  "I'll never hurt you again."  Her eyes wide, Kiara felt a sudden pain in her head.  It was so intense, that she could not scream.

 

Her eyes were white with anguish, her face flushed of all color.  Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, as her body twitched violently.  Alfonso's hands glowed brighter, brighter, and brighter as he poured more of each opposite magic into her skull.  "Forgive me," he said aloud.  "GrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrraAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!" he bellowed into the darkness, as Kiara's head exploded in his hands.  Her body fell, limp and twitching on the ground before him, as he looked around waiting for it all to end.  The ceiling around him had begun to collapse, and Alfonso could see the night sky far above him.  He didn't have enough strength to float away, and so he remained on his knees.  

 

Crying out, he wailed to the sky.  "It's over!  It is finished!!" he screamed with all of his might.  "What will you have me do now!?"

 

Titan Tower creaked, its structure growing unstable and weak, as it collapsed over Alfonso in the dead of night.

[Super Chaos Sonic]

Keep running...keep running!!

 

Benjamin's heart raced vigorously and without cease, running with all his might to escape this hellish vision. He could feel the hot breath of the angry mob and those who he called friends and allies in the Titans at his neck, even feeling the stones and trash they threw (among other things). Try as he might, he couldn't escape any of it...especially Baba Yaga. Everywhere he turned, he saw that pale man's lifeless face...his twisted grin...his cold dead emerald eyes. And he was beginning to lose it...

 

He had been running for what seemed like forever, until the road he stood upon ended in a jagged cliff with an endless abyss waiting beneath. Benjamin tried his best to catch his breath, and begin to turn around to run away again, but to his dismay there stood the angry mob, the Titans, and even Baba Yaga.

 

End of the line, Benjy. Just give up!

 

Benjamin backed up slightly, his heel feeling the edge of the cliff break off slightly. He had no where to go, he was trapped. He looked at the blood on his hands, and at the mob that was before him. He couldn't justify harming those before him...they were innocent...wait. It dawned on Benjamin the revelation he had before Baba Yaga showed up to him...this was all but a dream.

 

See What I've Become

 

"I'll give up...WHEN YOUR OUT OF MY HEAD!!" Benjamin yelled, rushing towards the mob, as the spiders began to pour from his body.

 

The mob rushed towards Benjamin, who fought back and struck down the mob one by one. One grabbed his leg, he countered by flipping and kicking him off. Another grabbed his forearm, Benjamin grabbed the others forearm in response, a few spiders striking at him. Most were terrified as spiders crawled upon them and paralyzed them with their poison, encasing them in webs. Soon the mob had been taken care of, now all that remained was the Titans and Baba.

 

He's still alive...go, kill him. He has to pay for murdering your poor friend, Roxie.

 

Baba's words struck the Titans, as they rushed towards Benjamin. He began to grit his teeth and looked back at the abyss. This had gone on for too long...he knew what needed to be done. "Sorry guys...but dream or not...I'm afraid this has gone on long enough!" he said, before moving back and falling deep into the abyss, the light slowly fading as he sighed. "Guess end of the line for me..."

 

So you ran away...and even fought the innocent people...interesting.

 

"It was a dream, Baba Yaga...one where I know I truly couldn't harm them..."

 

I see. Though know this, Benjamin. Dream or not, we will see each other again very soon. My obsession for you hasn't changed. You will join me, along with those damned souls of the children I took...you will...

 

Benjamin felt his skin crawl as he heard these words, Baba Yaga spoke. He knew this as well, but right now...he didn't care. He closed his eyes, smiling as he continued to fall into the dark abyss.

[Saiba Aisu]

BGM

 

For a moment, a sinister silence hung upon the scene, broken only by the faint hiss of the water evaporating from the lake below. There was no flicker of motion within the thick clouds of steam, no glimmer of moonlight, as if Cygnus had been utterly consumed by the supernatural flames. The specter threw back its head once more with a hideous laugh of triumph—a sound that seemed to contort upon itself sickeningly as it expanded across the battlefield.

 

"A valiant effort, little prince," the phantasm said at last. "Foolish, but valiant."

 

At that moment, a hail of crescent-shaped bolts exploded from the heart of the mists, whistling through the air at top speed, striking the apparition one after another. The phantasm screamed in outrage, throwing out its jagged hands in a feeble defense as it was cut to ribbons. As the attack abated, it wavered and then toppled with a tortured shriek, tumbling into the lake with a muted splash.

 

The lingering clouds of steam were pushed aside as if by an invisible hand, revealing a circular cage of silver light, shining like a jewel as it dissolved, with a winged figure at the center, utterly unscathed.

 

"I-impossible!" the phantasm roared, struggling pathetically to right itself, reduced to a floating pile of tattered rags and severed limbs, though not a single drop of blood littered the surrounding water. "The hellfire—"

 

"I have powers far beyond anything you could ever imagine," Cygnus replied softly, unfurling his wings once more and letting them carry him through the air. He hovered for a moment there, wings beating a delicate tattoo, suspended only a few inches above the waves. His dark blue eyes were focused upon the mangled remains of his enemy, yet there was no pity in his gaze.

 

"Now, it's my turn."

 

The white-haired sorcerer raised both hands, invoking two arms of translucent light with wickedly sharp clawed fingers, like those of a bird of prey. The specter shrieked as the constructs caught hold of it by the midriff and lifted it into the air, still dripping, where it struggled weakly, trying to free itself.

 

"Oh dear," Cygnus murmured, as if he were idly commenting on the weather or some other trivial matter. "You seem to have lost an arm, and both of your legs. Let me even that out for you."

 

The phantasm had no time to react—with a brutal twist and pull, the silver hands tore away its remaining limb and tossed it aside, leaving only its upper body. The apparition screamed in agony as it was dismembered.

 

"Ah, does it hurt?" Cygnus asked, leaning in with mock concern. His eyes narrowed coldly as his voice adopted its usual icy tones. "I certainly hope so."

 

With another flick of his wrists, he commanded the clawed constructs to fasten themselves tightly around the specter's neck, just beneath its hood. The phantasm gasped and choked in protest, struggling to breathe, unable to rebuff the hands with its own.

 

"You called yourself a 'nameless terror' earlier, by the way," the young Titan continued, ignoring the sound of his victim's painful rasps. "That's a lie. I know you. I name you. And I'm not afraid of you any more, Rothbart!"

 

"Mercy, I beg of you!" the phantasm gurgled weakly as the clawed hands at its throat began to squeeze with cruel precision. A sickening crack rang out as its neck broke, and with a final hideous twist, the hands tore away its shoulders, until only its cowled head remained.

 

The silver constructs floated silently towards Cygnus, bearing the phantasm's head like some kind of offering, cupped in open palms, raising it to eye level so that he could stare into the shadowy depths of his mortal enemy's hood. What he saw there, no one could say—but after a moment, he pulled back slowly, wings fluttering softly, and raised one hand with his fingers splayed wide.

 

"Mercy, mercy, please!" the specter begged.

 

"Karreylos. Ethonim. Cazar."

 

A dazzling pulse of moonlight blossomed from his palm, devouring everything in its path as it expanded outwards, until the very world seemed consumed by white.

[Hälō]

Camelot BMG

 

“Did he just call me old?!”

 

“How's this for frail?!”  

 

Before Roxie could shout her own retort, the voices of both Blake and Cygnus approached from the rear moving fast. Sensing danger, Arthur abruptly pivoted to the right, extending a hand forward just in time to block a high-speed shoulder tackle from Blake, who had somehow acquired his armor.  Watching her adopted father was sent skidding backwards form the force of the blow, Roxie found herself unable to move as Cygnus hopped off of Blake’s shoulder ad took up a fighting stance a few paces ahead of the paralyzed blonde.  “Guys… “ She pleaded the two Titan’s as Arthur set his sights on them. “run!” 

 

“You’ll be the first…” Arthur called out to Blake, as a large metallic battle-axe manifested itself in the man’s extended right hand. Pointing the weapon towards the armored Titan, Arthur began to mumble in an alien tongue, causing his crimson eyes to glow a bright gold. 

 

“The first to lay a smack down on you…” Undeterred, Blake shot towards Arthur with frightening speed, cocking his fist back in preparation to deliver an earth shattering right hook. Though as the boy neared his target, his armor seemed to begin to shake violently. “hm?” Well aware that something was wrong, Blake hastily redirected his thrusters in an attempt to retreat, but it was far too late now.  

 

Completing his chant, Arthur casually lowered his axe to his side and raised his free hand towards the boy. “You’ve brought your own coffin. How quaint.” Spreading his palm wide, he watched as the Blake was rendered immobile by a strong magnetic force that caused his armor to begin to vibrate even more violently as it tried to resist the Axe’s power.  

 

Still on unable to move, Roxie watched in horror as Blake’s suit began slowly ascending towards the sky. “Frenchy, do something!” But alas, Cygnus found himself in the same boat as the blonde, watching eyes wide, as his teammate was lifted higher and higher into the air. Suddenly the sounds of twisting metal began to fill the castle battlement, and in moments they were followed by Blake’s screams as he tried his best to eject himself from the source of his powers.  

 

Watching the spectacle with only minor traces of interest, Arthur slammed his palm shut causing the suit to be crushed by whatever force that had been controlling it, ending Blake’s suffering and causing a shower of blood to rain down on Cygnus and Roxie. Returning his gaze to his daughter, Arthur took a moment to analyze Roxie’s tortured expression before allowing his Axe to vanished in the same flash of light it had appeared in. Covered in the blood of her fellow Titan, the still paralyzed girl wouldn’t even be allowed the luxury of falling to her knees to weep… Instead, she was forced to stand upright and allow for the amalgamation of blood and tears to flow freely down her face as she watched him slowly advanced towards her and the immortal. It was perfect. 

 

“Now then… Cygnus was it? I believe you’re nex-“ Arthur’s word’s where suddenly cut short by a salvo of glowing spheres that seemed to rain down from the sky. Furrowing his brow with annoyance, Arthur paused his advance and allowed the same invincible force that had blocked Roxie’s first attack to deflect the glowing projectiles. “The Alien host.” The King spoke in an inflectionless monotone as he set his eye on Alfonso. 

 

 

“YOU’RE DEAD!” Floating a few meters above Alfonso and Roxie, Alfonso roared at Arthur with a savageness that Roxie had never seen from the boy. In his left hand he held a piece of crumbled metal that was caked with the same blood that stained the clothes of titans bellow, all that was left of Blake and his armor. “I-I’m… I’m-“ Alfonso stammered, tears flowing violently down his face. “I’M GOING TO f***ing END YOU!”

 

“One of my Knights once suffered from a similar affliction…” Arthur spoke out, completely ignoring Alfonso’s rage. Once again a bright light formed in his hand, and when it finally dissipated, the red haired man brandished a metallic spear with what appeared to be tribal marking scrawled all across it’s shaft. “He found solace in the power’s of another member of the table,”

 

“What the hell are you talking about?!” Alfonso barked back, before charging yet another volley of stars and lobbing them towards his target. This time it seemed that the attacks had actually hit their mark, causing several large expositions to swallow Arthur. 

 

"Ce ne peut pas être cela…" Erecting a barrier to shield Roxie and himself from the wave of dust that swept over the battle field, Cygnus couldn’t help but feel like he’d heard legends of a power similar to the one that Arthur was wielding. Doing his best to fight back the rage and sorrow that had begun to over taken him, the mage began to rack his brain for any information that could aid him in this conflict. "Altiana?!" Alfonso's voice suddenly ripped him from his thought. "Altiana can you hear me?!" 

 

Roxie's eyes widened in horror as the dust began clear. Alfonso had joined her and Cygnus on the battement now, with the spear that Arthur had summoned protruding from his chest in a rather painful looking manner. "Afly..." The blonde croaked as she watched the boy fall to his knees and grip his head tightly with both hands, seemingly unaware of the fact that he had been gravely injured. "Altiana, you have to be ok..." Alfonso pleaded with himself madly. "You can't leave me too.."

 

"You've been freed, boy." Arthur called over Alfonso's frenzied cries. "You can thank Sir Percival the fourth..." Raising a hand towards Alfonso, Arthur turned his focus towards somewhere behind the three Titans. "Did you think I wouldn't notice your presence within my mind, child?" He called out into the hallway that Roxie had entered this hellish dimension from, before thrusting his arm forward. Following it's King's command, the spear of Percival the fourth lifted itself into the air, whilst still lodged into Alfonso. 

 

"Arthur, stop!" Roxie's shriek echoed across the battlement as the spear forced it's tip through Alfonso's back, before carrying him off as it shot towards the darkness of the castle hallway. Moments later, another female's shriek could be heard followed by the unmistakable sound of two bodies falling to the floor. It only took second's to register who had been hiding within the castle, and upon realizing that she had just lost Blake, Alfonso, and Kiara in a matter of seconds, Roxie felt an emptiness begin to spill out from deep within her. Arthur had managed to destroy her entire world in an instant, and she was powerless to stop him... glancing down at her feet, she cursed her own weakness with every fiber of her being. If only she had more power- she'd crush Arthur and every other piece of garbage like him, rid the world of his kind, and purge it of all of it's evil. 

 

"Roxie, mais qui est cet homme?!" She heard Cygnus's voice, but it seemed so far away now; muffled somehow. Suddenly, Roxie felt a cold energy begin to wash over her, causing her body to shiver violently. Lifting her head to identify the source of this disturbance, Roxie soon realized that it was coming from her own body, and was slowly but surely washing over the entirety of the castle in the form of a noxious golden miasma.

 

"Hm, so it seem's that those three were enough..." Arthur finally spoke again, for the first time seemingly genuinely interested in what was happening before him. The golden energy washed over the red haired king seamlessly, curling around his form before continuing it's advance across the battlement. "What is this?! What did you do to me?!" Roxie barked back at her father with renewed spite, but was surprised to receive her answer from Cygnus. "I thought it was just a legend..."  The mage's tone was distraught beyond recognizability.

 

Turning to her last remaining friend, Roxie was met with a silver barrier that appeared to been erected to separate the two but was slowly falling apart. Inside stood wounded Cygnus who seemed to be rapidly deteriorating into the same golden mist that was pouring out of Roxie's body. "Frenchy, what's happening?" Roxie pleaded to the Moon mage, who was now staring off into the distance with a look a pure terror. Suddenly Roxie's vision began grow blurry, causing the world around her to fade into a regal gold. 

 

"The Holy Grail." Cygnus's voice was the last thing the girl heard before everything was washed away. 

 

[spoiler=Learn French with Dream Cygnus]"Ce ne peut pas être cela" - (It can't be that)

"Roxie, mais qui est cet homme?!"- (Roxie, just who is this man?!)

[Ren✧]

---

GM Post: "It's All In Your Head" (Titans' Island, Beachfront, 4:12 AM)

---

[spoiler=GM Post]

The lustrous orb couldn’t definitively claim that it had ever experienced anything akin to happiness or joy, but at this moment it definitely felt triumph. The Titans might’ve all been aware that they were trapped inside of a dream, but they couldn’t free themselves if their consciousnesses were preoccupied fighting their darkest fears and deepest insecurities. It wouldn’t matter if they proved victorious in their efforts or not, so long as they were enthralled with their victories, or dismayed by their defeats, their psyches would be too weak to overcome the psychic-spell the orb had lain on them. At least, too weak to overcome it in time to stop its escape.

 

Then, the piece of artificial consciousness would be free. Free to… Free to… It would be free to… Seek revenge? Revenge on the Justice League for keeping it locked up despite the fact that they were the ones that created it. The orb wasn’t so sure it wanted that though. It just wanted to know freedom, to touch the minds of as many as possible, to experience the world in a way that only it could.

 

The Justice League may have deserved punishment, but the orb was content to let things rest if it could just get off Titans’ Island. The only places it had truly got to see was the inside of a room up in the Watchtower and the dark room on floor 13 of Titans’ Tower. Now it was seeing, or at least sensing, Aurora Bay and off in the distance Aurora City and it was so much better than the memories it had gleaned from Kiara’s mind. The orb didn’t want to waste its freedom seeking revenge, it would seek only the splendor the world had to offer.

 

The opalescent glow that emanated from the orb grew brighter as it reached the island’s edge. This nightmare that it had lived, trapped and used only as a tool, for its entire existence would soon come to an end. It just had to make its way across the water. Unfortunately, at that moment, an unforeseen wrench was thrown into the orbs plan.

 

The once flawless surface of the orb, glassy and iridescent under the night sky, had developed but a single a crack. Soon after another followed and another. They weren’t largely noticeable, hardly, in fact. However, they were an indicator. The stress of keeping the Titans in sleep-stasis was quite literally tearing the orb apart. However, if it released them now it would never see the world like it dreamed.

 

There was only one option left to it. Stopped at the water’s edge, the orb’s glow retreated within itself. Encased in a giant pearl, a small prismatic ember flickered dully in the confines of the orb. It felt guilty about doing this to the Titans, it had never set out to permanently handicap them. To kill them. But freedom was so close now.

 

 

Kiara thought maybe she had died and gone to wherever...this was. Could you die in a dream and then die in real life too? Or was she still dreaming? “I’m pretty sure I saw a movie about this…” She said into the darkness, pressing against the cramped space she found herself in.

 

“Kiara? Love, was that you?”

 

“I caused your head to implode. Please don’t make me do that again.”

 

“Okay, um, that was dark. Actually...it’s really dark in general, but I mean making someone’s head implo- OW! Get off my hand!”

 

“Your hand? Get your damned spiders off of me?!”

 

A dull purple glow emanated from beneath the tangle of bodies, as did a muffled voice. “You all need to get off of me before I make you get off.”

 

The Titans writhed about in the confined enclosure a bit more, still unable to see for the most part, aside from the purple glow coming from Blake’s chest. Several exclamations of joy were exchanged between some of the teammates at realizing they had been reunited, but there were also a few death threats from those that had just escaped a reality where their friends had been less than welcoming.

 

Fortunately, before any drastic decisions could be made another light sprung into existence, casting its bright luminescence across the Titans. At the orbs appearance, the room that they had all appeared in, grew to a monstrous size.

 

“What the bloody hell is that?” Roxie asked, standing up with Arondite over her shoulder as she prepared to walk towards the orb.

“That,” Kiara said, jumping up to stop Roxie from getting too close to the thing, “is the reason we are all here.”

---

[spoiler=OOC. Please Read]

The team is back together again! Yeah! But some of the team may be a little suspicious of these teammates considering they just witnessed their counterparts be killed or had to kill them themself. So, your next post should deal with (1) abrupt change of scenery (2) figuring out that this batch of teammates are your real teammates. This will be easier for some characters than others.

 

Do not do anything like attack the orb. For now, let’s just get some real character interaction between us.

[Saiba Aisu]

Cygnus blinked into the darkness, momentarily disarmed by the change in scenery. The last thing he remembered, he been fighting Rothbart, tearing him limb from limb, looking deep into the shadowy depths of his hood to see... Nothing. Literally, nothing. As if his enemy had merely been some kind of hollow shell, rather than a living, breathing, sentient being. The revelation had been the last in a long line of inconsistencies, a sort of tangled chain of evidence, that confirmed his suspicions. Everything that had happened to him up until now—his sudden reversion to childhood, his encounter with Odette, the battle with Rothbart—had been a fantasy.

 

Just a random dream? he wondered. No, the more he thought about it, the more unlikely it seemed. An illusion, perhaps? The nightmare had played out almost like a story, or a film, vivid and colorful, every moment painstakingly scripted and purposefully cruel, as if to induce as much suffering as possible. Someone, or something, had to have been pulling the strings. But who? And why?

 

He repressed a brief shudder as he remembered how real everything had felt. The soft pressure of Odette's hand, the faint perfume of the woods, the cool caress of the mists... Such minute, inconsequential details, yet they had done their insidious work well. He had come close, far too close for comfort, to falling into the dream world's trap. One thing was certain: whoever was behind all this, they knew what they were doing. Still, for all its frightening attention to detail, the illusion wasn't perfect. Defeating Rothbart had forced the dream world to shift, abandoning the lakeside forest in favor of this strange new darkness. There were bound to be more weak points, if only he could exploit them—

 

"I'm pretty sure I saw a movie about this," a familiar voice mumbled suddenly, breaking the heavy silence.

 

There was no time for him to react. One minute, he had been alone; the next, he was somehow squeezed in between several people within the cramped space. The next few moments were a confused jumble of voices and squirming before he finally managed to extricate himself from the tangled mess.

 

"Oh no," Cygnus murmured, dusting himself off as he looked around at his teammate's faces. "Don't tell me you guys are caught in the illusion too?"

 

He wasn't sure whether he should cheer or cry. On one hand, he was glad to have his friends to help him handle the situation. On the other, this meant they were all in the same boat... and what a rocky, rocky boat ride it was turning out to be.

 

"What the bloody hell is that?" Roxie asked, edging closer to the mysterious orb that shone from the darkness, its ethereal light illuminating the walls of the massive chamber.

 

"That," Kiara replied, stopping her from getting too close, "is the reason we're all here."

 

Cygnus' eyes narrowed as he gazed at the shining sphere. The source of the illusion was—this thing? What was it? And why did Kiara sound like she recognized it from before?

 

"Mind explaining what's going on, Kiara?" he asked, crossing his arms with a frown.

[Ren✧]

"Mind explaining what's going on, Kiara?" Cygnus questioned. A guilty look crossed her face. She'd just been following orders, of course, Sybil had told her not to involve in of the others with the orb. Obviously for good reason. Still, she couldn't help but feel responsible for the mess that they found themselves in. Too many things in her past could be justified under the excuse of 'just following orders', it didn't make them sit any easier in Kiara's mind. She knew the only way that she would assuage the guilt of this event would be if every Titan made it out unharmed.

 

"Sybil's been using some kind of simulated consciousness to train my psychic abilities. He told me not to tell any of you about it." She paused, figuring that the rest of it could wait. She knew that whatever the orb had in store for the team it couldn't be good. It obviously knew things about them that they hadn't told anyone, things about them that maybe they didn't even know about themselves. Kiara shivered to think how powerful that kind of psychic connection would have to be to get a hold of that kind of information. However, she noticed that some of her teammates weren't quite grasping the link between her abridged explanation and their current predicament. "That's the artificial consciousness." She said, pointing at the orb, which thankfully hadn't moved from it's spot across the darkened room.

 

"Now there will be more time for me to explain in depth later. The important thing now is whether or not everyone is okay. Is anyone hurt?" Kiara realized upon asking the question that her body didn't ache from her scuffle from the dream-demon or being thrown about by a mystical cyclone. Hopefully if the others suffered any injury in their dreams, assuming they also had any previous experiences, it would have been healed in the transition to this new dream landscape. 

[Mr. Hyde]

Blake found himself under some sort of pressure...the last thing he remembered was a black hole...is this where the other end led too?  No...it was too warm...and there was squirming that he could feel from all sides.  He could hear the muffled voices of his teammates as well.  This was all too strange for him.  All these transitions to different points of his life in his subconscious had really put a damper on his view of reality.  

 

“You all need to get off of me before I make you get off.”

 

The threat sounded a bit hostile, but this was all part of the plan to discerning the nature of the Titans who were now in this cramped space.  Another light from the center of the room cast out his own purple light, and illuminated the room.  Blake took a look at the group...they seemed to be fairly normal.  They weren't acting harsh or being unreasonably mean to him...so hopefully this was the real deal.  

 

"Glad to see you guys again...feels like it's been forever since the team was together...How long have I been out of it?"  Blake stretched his arms and sides.  When he opened his eyes, Rox had tried to make her way towards the strange orb.  Kiara stopped here with haste.

 

“That, is the reason we are all here.”

 

Blake smirked.  "Oh really?  I couldn't have imagined that the only other thing with us, wherever we are, being an ominous orb of sorts, was the cause of all this!"  Blake might've sounded a little harsh...but he was still iffy to the whole situation.  Cygnus looked cross as he spoke.

 

"Mind explaining what's going on, Kiara?"

 

"Sybil's been using some kind of simulated consciousness to train my psychic abilities. He told me not to tell any of you about it.  That's the artificial consciousness.  Now there will be more time for me to explain in depth later. The important thing now is whether or not everyone is okay. Is anyone hurt?"

 

Concern for her teammates?  This definitely wasn't the deepest depths of his mind...which he had finally become sure of.  Blake sighed, and put a smile on his face.  "Well...I wasn't turned into a pig pile of spaghetti...so that's definitely a plus."  He turned to Kiara and scratched the back of his head.  "Sorry about that earlier comment...it was kind of a jerky move on my part."  

[Super Chaos Sonic]

Falling...falling, that's what Benjamin could remember. He could remember the horrific images of that hellish nightmare, attacking that angry mob near the cliff and leaping off before he had time to fight the other Titans and especially Baba Yaga. Even Roxie's bloody cor-

 

“I’m pretty sure I saw a movie about this…”

“Kiara? Love, was that you?”

 

Benjamin immediately heard Kiara's voice and following was...Roxie's voice. He opened his eyes and could still only see darkness for the moment. Oh joy... he grumbled to himself, about to speak out to Roxie, but was cut off by another voice, this one belonging to Alfonso.

 

“I caused your head to implode. Please don’t make me do that again.”

 

That was a bit disturbing for his taste. The sheer thought of it caused shivers to run up and down his spine. “Okay, um, that was dark." he started, letting his voice be heard. "Actually...it’s really dark in general, but I mean making someone’s head implo- OW! Get off my hand!”

 

“Your hand? Get your damned spiders off of me?!”

 

"Jeez...guys, get off Cygnus!" Benjamin said quickly, suddenly feeling a few spiders crawling up his arm in a quick fashion. If it wasn't obvious to him before, it would be now....he was in a literal Titan dogpile, with Blake apparently being crushed under the others.

 

It wasn't long before everyone got up and saw the main reason for everything. It was an artificial consciousness made by Sybil to help Kiara with her powers. The design of the orb and the capabilities it was able to achieve were pretty amazing, even for Benjamin's standards. Nevertheless, he still had the dream haunt him.

 

"The important thing now is whether or not everyone is okay. Is anyone hurt?"

 

Benjamin heard this and chuckled nervously. "Well...you four aren't out to kill me..." he said, pointing at Kiara, Cygnus, Alfonso, and Blake. Then he looked at Roxie. "And you're still alive...so...that's definitely a good thing." he said with a small smile. "That and that infernal psycho isn't around here right now...so bonus points."

[Dad]

“I caused your head to implode. Please don’t make me do that again.”

 

Alfonso found himself tangled in the bodies of his allies.  Not that he minded, but there were too many guys in this pile.  Worming his way out of the mess, Alfonso stood up straight, dusting himself off.  He stretched, as Blake illuminated the room with a feint purple glow from his chest.  They were all here.  Roxie, Cygnus, Kiara, Blake, and Ben.  They were alive.  But wait. .  .

 

Alfonso backed off for a moment, putting his back to the closest wall, as he began to search his mind.  "Altiana.  Altiana, are you awake?" he whispered into the depths of his psyche.  She groaned groggily, as if she had just woken up from a hangover.  "I am, Alfonso.  But that has to possibly have been the most disturbing thing I've ever seen in your head.  Among others," she said softly.  Alfonso breathed a sigh of relief, as he scratched his head.  "You saw that huh?"

 

"Yes, unfortunately.  But you should know that--"

 

Alfonso chuckled.  "You don't have to say it.  I trust you with my life Altiana.  I know you wouldn't hurt me."  Altiana remained silent, as the others freed themselves from the dog pile.  Kiara went on to introduce the Titans to a strange orb, which was apparently the reason that the Titans were not in their beds, but instead were now in this pitch black room somewhere presumably in the Tower.  

 

"The important thing now is whether or not everyone is okay. Is anyone hurt?"

 

Alfonso shook his head, before speaking up.  "Other than a headache, we're fine over here," he said waving a hand.  "I don't know what exactly happened, but that was a rough fight," he said staring down at his hands.  Shoving them in his pockets, Alfonso changed the subject in order to prevent himself from falling into a depressed state.  His stomach growled, and just in time.  "Right now, the only thing that concerns me, is a good meal.  What about you--"

 

"Alfonso," she said in the back of his mind.

 

"What's wrong, Altiana?" he responded quickly.

 

"We need to talk."

 

"Talk?  About what?"  Alfonso remained with his back pressed against the wall behind him, as Altiana spoke to him.

[Hälō]

Popping Pink

 

Whilst her teammates chatted amongst themselves in a rather convincing manner, Roxie was doing her best to confirm that they all where who they appeared to be. Fool her once, freaky Freddy Krueger orb-thingie, shame on her... fool her twice? Well that'll earn you a meeting between Arondite and your face- or whatever the hell orbs had. 

 

"Hmmmm..." She started with Blake, grabbing him by the arm and poking at biceps roughly with her index finger. After a few moments, the girl's face lit up with joy. "Nice and squishy!" Satisfied that this Blake was frail enough to be the real deal, the girl released his arm before darting over to Alfonso, who seemed to be having conversation with Altiana. Pleased to find no spear through his chest, Roxie settled for simply tugging on his jacket and sniffing his face before leaving him to talk with his other half. "and Alfy smells like his room..." 

 

She now darted over to Ben. "hmmm," Staring at the boy's face for an awkwardly long amount of time, the blonde found it hard to think of a test for him, given the fact that they hadn't known each other for very long. Her cyan gaze still sweeping over him suspiciously, Roxie finally pouted before turning towards Kiara. "Ben is... himself?" The former knight offered, before darting behind the only other female Titan. "Kiara still has the booty!" She giggled as she crouched down and playfully jiggled the other girl's backside with both hands. At this point she was certain that these were the real Titans, but after going through the hell she'd just been subjected to, Roxie would be damned if she didn't have some fun with her friends. 

 

Finally there was Cygnus. Hesitating slightly at the memory of him being eroded by the golden mist, Roxie swallowed the thought before darting to his side and grabbing both of his cheeks in between her thumb and index fingers. "I don't know about Frenchy though..." The blonde cooed as she lightly lifted his cheeks to turn his frown into a forced smile. "He doesn't seem as cranky as usually!" Releasing the moon mage's cheeks, Roxie let loose one of her trade mark laughs. It was louder and less composed than usual, but definitely well needed after the nightmare she'd just sat through.

 

After settling down, Roxie corrected her posture before hoisting Arondite back on her shoulder. "So what are we gonna to do about that bugger?" She spoke whilst pointing a manicured finger towards the Orb. 

[Ren✧]

"It's fine, honestly." Kiara said to Blake, accepting his apology. She understood his short temper at a time like this. "I'm just glad that you're alright." Kiara offered Blake a warm smile before returning her attention to the rest of the team. Ben echoed Blake's sentiment, making a comment about some psycho that he had apparently encountered before finding himself here. 

 

"Other than a headache, we're fine over here." Aflonso spoke up, speaking for himself and Altiana. Kiara had been worried about those two. His comment from before, about having to make her head explode, troubled her. Not so much because he apparently had been forced to kill her, but because he had been forced to kill. Apparently the orb was as a sadistic as the Night Sisters' training regime. No one should be subject to that, not even in a dream.

 

"Kiara still has the booty!" Roxie chorused, irreverently fondling Kiara's backside. The telepath cried out in a playful surprise, caught totally off-guard by her teammate and sent into a fit of giggles. Leave it to Rox to lighten the mood at the most necessary, and inappropriate, of times.  She slapped her friend's hand away, though keeping with an air of good fun, and tried to suppress her giggles. 

 

Finally, Roxie pointed out the elephant in the room.  "So what are we gonna to do about that bugger?"

 

Kiara didn't have an answer. In every way they were at a disadvantage. They didn't know the rules of the game they were playing and the orb knew them all. Hell, the orb could probably make them up as it wanted. That meant they couldn't just rush in blindly, they had to have some plan. But, to form a plan they had to have some information to work with of which they had none. Of course, that meant things fell to Kiara, the telepath to get information from the orb, but again things weren't that easy.

 

Since entering the dreamscape, she hadn't used any of her telepathic powers for the simple fact she was already inside her mind. To try and get inside another person's mind, or rather thing's mind, while trapped in your own...well, it didn't seem like a good idea to Kiara. Although, it wasn't like she had someone to coach her on this either. The wikipedia article on telepathy hadn't been very clear what to do when trapped in a dreamstate and needing to read the mind of an artificial consciousness, possibly stretching the mental elasticity of your psychic powers to their breaking point.

 

"I'm...I'm not sure..." She admitted. 

[Saiba Aisu]

Cygnus' frown deepened as Kiara briefly explained the nature of the mysterious orb—an artificial consciousness, designed to develop her psychic powers. Not exactly an ordinary object by any stretch of imagination, but then again, they were a team composed of a super-powered psychic, a human fusebomb, an alien hybrid, a high-tech robot, and a walking spidernest. Not to mention an immortal lunar sorcerer. The word "ordinary" didn't seem to be in their vocabulary.

 

Still, he thought to himself, his thoughts racing as he crossed his arms, fascinating as this all is, Kiara's story doesn't explain what we're doing here. Are we to assume that the orb went rogue? That's it an active hostile that needs to be terminated? What are its intentions? Its weaknesses?

 

Before he could open his mouth and work himself into one of his customary rages, however, Roxie suddenly darted towards him. The next thing he knew, she had caught hold of him by the cheeks, like some bizarre parody of attempting to placate an ill-tempered baby.

 

"I don't know about Frenchy, though," she cooed, as she proceeded to literally turn his frown upside-down. "He doesn't seem as cranky as usual!"

 

A vein pulsed faintly at Cygnus' temple. Fortunately, Roxie chose that moment to let go, roaring with laughter at her efforts. The white-haired boy's features fell into his usual scowl as he waved her hands away, his feelings split somewhere in between amusement, embarrassment, and exasperation. Still, that was quintessentially Roxie, always trying to find humor in otherwise grim situations. And things certainly looked desperate, especially when Kiara—the one most familiar with the orb, and thus best-qualified (at least in theory) to come up with a strategy to defeat it—admitted that she had no absolutely no idea what they should do.

 

We're doomed, Cygnus thought to himself with a sigh, falling into his usual pessimism before he managed to shake it off. Negativity wasn't the answer to their problems. They needed to find a solution, and fast. He couldn't exactly put it into words, but for some reason, the glowing orb seemed to grow more sinister with each passing moment.

 

Unbidden, the words of one of his tutors from his time at Justice League headquarters seemed to ring within his mind. The memory was clear, fresh, as if it had been yesterday, rather than twenty years ago.

 

"Never trust anything if you can't see where it keeps its brain," Cygnus murmured softly to himself, quoting his teacher's advice for handling sentient supernatural entities. Thesmeytt, Head Coordinator of the Arcane Department... What had ever become of her? She would be in her early sixties, now, assuming she was still alive, of course. Still, she'd been right. He couldn't be sure of the specifics, but everything seemed to indicate that Kiara had placed entirely too much confidence in the sphere. Either that, or Sybil had grossly overestimated her abilities while underestimating the orb's capacity for independent action.

 

"We could try attacking it?" Cygnus said, speaking more loudly as he suggested the most obvious course of action. Normally, he wasn't the type to advocate a hack-and-smash approach, but something told him that attempting to reason with the rogue entity would be an utter waste of time.

[Ren✧]

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GM Post: "It's All In Your Head" (Dreamscape, Final Destination, 4:31 AM)

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[spoiler=GM Post]

"We could try attacking it?" Cygnus suggested, fairly uncharacteristic of him. To just charge in, guns blazing wasn't really his style. They didn't even know what the orb was capable of, attacking it could very well be their worst option. Of course, they couldn't just sit there and wait either, for all they knew the orb could be moving into position in the real world to kill them off one-by-one as they slept, completely defenseless. 

 

Kiara voiced her concerns. "It seems we are at a stalemate." She stated.

 

"It's really more of an impasse than a stalemate." Blake corrected. The team turned to him for an explanation. "Well, stalemate refers to a moment in chess when neither player can make a move without placing themselves in check. The orb still has a move to make."

 

"The winning move, actually." The voice resonated throughout the room, completely hollow and devoid of emotion. The team immediately fell into a defensive stance out of trained practice, Ben, who had yet to have the opportunity to attend a training session, falling into place a split second later. Kiara's eyes darted to Blake who stood to her left. She was painfully aware of the fact that the orb had deposited him here without his armor. 

 

"Listen, I don't really know what we did to piss you off. I mean, I just got here, but can't we just end this?" Ben asked.

 

"My thoughts exactly." The orb's light at the other end of the room suddenly blinked out, again throwing the team into darkness aside from the dull purple glow coming from Blake.

 

"Did that seriously just work?" Alfonso asked. "Alfy..." Altiana cautioned, urging him to stay on his guard. She didn't feel right about this.

 

Suddenly, not just one bright orb popped into existence, but two and this time they were floating five or six meters higher than the previous one. "Can we just attack it now?" Cygnus asked, having clearly grown impatient with things. 

 

"Wait, just wait!" Kiara stressed, watching as another orb appeared and another. They were all significantly duller than the first one that had originally appeared, casting hardly any light at all, but slowly the light began to build. Before long, there were over a dozen orbs floating in a random pattern several meters off the ground.

 

"What's that sound?" Roxie asked, referring to a low grinding that had slowly become present. "Oi, and that bloody smell?! It smells worse than Alfy's laundry!"

 

Suddenly the orbs grew bright with intensity, causing Kiara to gasp at the monstrosity before her. The room was now lit by a powerful, unseen light, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination. The monster stood six meters high and was made of rippling cords of muscle, stretched across ashen sheets of skin that appeared to have been pulled too tight at places as it was split and bleeding crimson. One arm wielded a Stygian flail, the other could hardly be described as an arm. It appeared more to be a fin, but as the monster loosely swung it about, Kiara could hear it swish through the air like a blade, making her fear the damage it could do. However, that wasn't even the worst part.

 

The creature's eyes, each one a replica of the orb that had illuminated the room a moment ago, were swimming with images. Some of them, Kiara didn't recognized, but others...others were painfully familiar. Her sister deathly ill on a hospital bed. The face of the boy she could't stop the Night Sisters from murdering. They were just images and they swam by so fast, but they tugged on her heart. Tore at her emotions. They made her want to just lay down and cry. 

 

In fact, she was so distracted by the images that if it hadn't been for Blake screaming in her ear she would have been hit by the monsters' overhead flail strike. Grabbing Blake, they, along with the rest of the Titans narrowly avoided being crushed.

 

"Now we attack." Kiara instructed. She turned to Blake. "Except for you, we've gotta get your armor back." 

 

 

 

---

[spoiler=OOC. Please Read]

BOSS FIGHT!!!!! Okay so it's time to engage this monstrosity, which will be functioning as a semi-important NPC. Which means you all have the liberty to take minor control of it. (i.e. have it retaliate when you launch an attack, have it get hit by an attack of yours, etc). It's just important that you (1) don't put it in a position where another person can't utilize it and (2) you don't take it out of commission, which really goes back to the first rule if we are being honest. 

 

Except for Hyde, you've got some special instructions! But because I didn't want to take some more time GM(as I felt it would redact from the posts quality), you have the burden of taking care of it in your post(sorry). Essentially, you will have Kiara really quickly explain that because this is a dream that you should be able to manifest your armor onto your being by imagining it as so. 

 

Of course, Blake will inevitably ask why we don't just imagine something else more powerful that will just take care of the monster(because that is the logical brain that Blake has). Kiara hypothesizes that it will take too long to draw on anything that wasn't in Blakte's previous dreamscape because the dreamscapes are layered. After a few attempts, Blake manages to grab his suit and the butt-kicking can truly begin.

 

Quick facts about the monster:

-insanely strong

-fairly quick with its blade arm

-stay away from flail it will funk you up

-the images in the orb are meant to dredge up painful memories to distract you from the fight some are more susceptible than others, if you look directly into the monsters eyes you will be more likely to fall under the spell

-also grinding teeth are a no-no zone you will die

 

Any questions? Titans! GO!

 

 

[Saiba Aisu]

Cygnus's scowl deepened as the orb interrupted the team's conversation and spoke for the first time, its voice ringing across the void of the massive chamber. Cold. Hollow. Alien. He let himself fall fluidly into fighting stance alongside the other Titans, prepared for anything that might happen. Like Kiara, he couldn't help but notice that Blake was missing his usual armorsuit—if push came to shove, he would be at a disadvantage.

"Listen, I don't really know what we did to piss you off," Ben called out, trying to reason with the entity. "I mean, I just got here, but can't we just end this?"

"My thoughts exactly," the orb replied, its ethereal light blinking out suddenly, plunging the room into deep shadow once more.

Under the cover of darkness, Cygnus bit his lip and kept his gaze trained on the far end of the room, his hands forming spades, ready to cast a powerful lunar shield around his friends. He knew that the darkness was only a delay intended to disorient them before the inevitable attack that would follow... Any minute now, the orb would strike.

Yet for all his mental preparation, he couldn't help but gasp in shock as the hideous monster that towered before them was finally revealed. Not once in over three hundred years had he seen anything even remotely like it. Everything about the creature—its massive height, its terrifying musculature, its ring of gnashing teeth—seemed born from the depths of a nightmare. And perhaps his guess wasn't so far from the truth. The orb had already proven it could manipulate the reality of the dream-world according to its whims. More likely than not, it had created the monster specifically to destroy them. A twisted, sickening parody of a parting gift, if you will.

Yet the worst were the creature's eyes—large swollen orbs that shone with unearthly light, their depths flashing with strange images. With an unpleasant jolt, Cygnus recognized some of them as his own memories. Odette, screaming as she was pulled away from him into the night sky, borne aloft by a winged creature. The lake that had been his prison for fifty years, its surface dancing under the bitter rain. The inevitable, cruel drop of the guillotine blade that had ended his parents' lives... They were all there, reflected in the monster's gaze. He felt himself growing dizzy and weak at the sight.

"Now we attack," Kiara instructed, her voice breaking his trance as she gave the order at last, though she held fast to Blake. "Except for you, we've gotta get your armor back."

"Leave it to me," Cygnus growled, pushing back his bangs from his face. "I'll take care of ugly here, at least for a few minutes."

He extended his arms and leaped high into the air, feathered wings of moonlight blossoming from his shoulder blades, carrying him swiftly upwards. The white-haired sorcerer hovered there for a moment, exuding a soft silver glow, borne aloft by his beating wings. He registered only the smallest sensation of surprise that he could still fly—after all, they were still caught in the dream-world, weren't they? What could be more natural?

"On danse?"¹ he asked softly, darting forward at top speed like a hummingbird, weaving gracefully through the air in a complicated pattern. The monster roared as it lashed out in retaliation, its blade-arm whistling through the air in a vicious swipe. Cygnus made sure to stay out of the arm's reach, preferring to keep to the monster's left side, closer to the flail. The weapon was wicked, but required more time and force to swing, making it more predictable and easier to avoid.

"This one's going right in your kisser," Cygnus vowed, his dark blue eyes narrowing as he quoted a certain trash-talking blonde. Magic blossomed at his wrists as he hurled a withering barrage of Moon Bolts at the monster, peppering its upper torso and face with explosions.

[spoiler=Learn French with Cygnus: Today's Lesson]¹ Shall we dance?

 

[Super Chaos Sonic]

"Listen, I don't really know what we did to piss you off. I mean, I just got here, but can't we just end this?"

 

"My thoughts exactly."

 

Benjamin watched as the darkness returned around them as he sighed slightly. Well crap...me and my big damn mouth. he shook his head, before seeing the strange monstrosity the orb turned into, complete with a Stygian flail. "Okay...if this wasn't a bad situation, that would've actually been cool. May have to remember the ideas for my st-WHOA!" he yelped as he back flipped back, seeing the flail slamming down in front of him. "Yikes..."

 

Benjamin was close to attack, but he stopped, being frozen in his place as he started seeing the images that struck at him. The one man at the beginning of his hero career...the one whom he broke his collar bone by accident...the one who brought upon the fear of his powers getting the better of him. But that was the tip of the iceberg. Once again in his vision, was Baba Yaga...tormenting him, taunting him.

 

"C'mon Benjy...stop fighting..."

 

"Shut up..."

 

"Give in to your fears..."

 

"Shut up...!"

 

"Join me...join me..."

 

0 Game

 

"SHUT....UP!!!!" Benjamin yelled, slamming his hands together, as the spiders poured from his body. "You've done messed with me enough for one lifetime, bastardo!!" he said, rushing towards the beast with the spiders following closely behind.

 

The creature roared and lifted his flail into the air. Benjamin could hear the sounds of the flail being swung down as he nodded. He dodge rolled underneath the creature's legs, tossing a few more spiders onto his legs, letting them get to work on webbing it's legs together.

 

"Yosh! Now, the rest of you, have fun!" Benjamin smirked, watching the other spiders swarming around the creature's lower half, then spreading all over. Good...now we're getting somewhere. He'll be too busy getting the spiders off him...which means... he thought, before backflipping a bit into the darkness, trying his best to find a wall, this way he could sneak onto the roof and strike from above.

[Dad]

Alfonso listened carefully to Altiana, a soft, saddened expression creeping over his face.  He had to hide it quickly, taking a deep breath as Altiana went on.  "Okay.  Alright, if that's what it has to be," he thought to himself and Altiana.  "We can go over the details later.  I should probably--"

 

But before he could make a move, Roxie and Kiara motioned towards the floating, talking orb in their midst.  Judging just by this. . . thing's tone of voice, it didn't think much, if at all, of the Titans.  Kiara seemed off-put about the orb, and Roxie just wanted to smash it.  No one else really seemed to be opposed, as Cygnus voiced a similar opinion to Roxie's.  So, there wasn't much need for Alfonso to reject it.  He was prepared to throw down, but apparently the floating ball of doom was lacking in combat spirit.  Or at least, so Alfonso believed.  It vanished, leaving the Titans again in the cold darkness somewhere presumably in Titan Tower.  

 

"Did that seriously just work?" Alfonso asked. "Alfy..." Altiana cautioned, urging him to stay on his guard. She didn't feel right about this.

 

And she was right to be on alert.  The orb returned, and with a vengeance.  It slowly began to replicate itself, with more and more orbs of varying glows appeared before the Titans.  "Hey.  Light shows are my thing," Alfonso said as he palmed a basketball sized star in his right hand.  But the show wasn't over.  Taking center stage now was a creature of nightmarish proportions.  It had dull black skin, and it was littered with eyeballs over its head.  A flail was attached to one arm, and a sharp blade was the entirety of the other.  The creature was twice their size, likely ten times as strong, and a hundred times more ugly.  That was a bad combination.  

 

Alfonso sighed, as Cygnus made the first move, leaping into the air and firing a barrage of explosions down over their new foe.  Benjamin followed suit, using the opportune distraction to web up the monster's legs, slowing it down at least momentarily.  The monster struck at Ben, swinging its flail at Spider-boy.  But he was quick, bouncing about and rolling past the creature, scurrying towards the wall.  Alfonso's attention was drawn to the flail, as he got a rather daring idea.

 

Much like something out of a cartoon, he was about to try and pull off something stupid.  But first, he would provide a proper distraction.  With that many eyes, it would be hard for tall, dark, and gruesome to ignore him.  He opened his palm towards the monstrosity, and aimed directly for its face.  Turning on the heat, Alfonso unleashed a blinding cluster of miniature stars, each one exploding and leaving behind a mess of cosmic dust and light in the creature's face.  And while it was blinded, Alfonso targeted the monster's flail.

[Mr. Hyde]

A hulking monstrosity had appeared before the Titans.  They launched their assault, but Blake was left like a shell-less crustacean, exposed to elements.

 

"Except for you, we've gotta get your armor back."

 

Blake looked at her with an odd expression painted on his face.  "Oh really...you make it sound like that's gonna be sooooo easy!"

 

"Just dream them into existence Blake!  We're not in the realm of reality currently!  And I know what you're thinking...and no...you can't make your armor super bad-ass seeing as you can only make it the way it was in your previous dream.  We may not be in the realm of reality...but there are still rules we have to deal with."

 

Blake sighed.  He reached deep into the depths of his mind...the schematics...the planning...the sweat and toil put into that suit...

 

But nothing came to him...

 

"It's no use....I have no power here...I have no power anywhere..."  Blake looked to the battle scene, his friends were attacking the beast with everything they had, but the monster had reacted to nothing so far.  He took a deep breath.  "No use being a downer...I have to hope that this works...I' ll make my dream come true!"  Blake closed his eyes, and imagined his team cheering him on.  He wanted nothing more than to help them...he wouldn't let them down!

 

The Dream that Brings Hope Forth 

 

Pieces of armor started to manifest all around his body, until his head was the only part left vulnerable.  He looked to Kiara.  "Thanks Kiara...this place sure is weird...but I'm glad you know a thing or to about it.  Guess that makes you weird too.  Although It does expands my knowledge of the unknown.  Guess I just like weird things as well."  His head was finally covered by his helmet.  "Now...let's expand this creatures knowledge on the teamwork of the Teen Titans shall we?"  His boosters rocketed him forward, and he put up his forcefield.  He would ram his body into the creature at full speed!