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#2
JUN 12 |
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“Darkness Rising” Part Two
The UCLA Campus
Six Months Ago
Superboy and Wonder Girl stood across the street from Harm, Ravager and Red X, each one waiting for the other group to make their move. Harm had assembled his own group of Teen Titans for his own reasons, and was using them to murder in the Titans’ name. When Superboy and Wonder Girl discovered this, they immediately came to put a stop to it.
“Take them down,” Harm told Ravager and Red X, his words continuing to hypnotize them both. “I want them alive.”
Ravager pulled out her sword and Red X his bo staff as they charged forward. Superboy and Wonder Girl got ready for the attack as the two sides collided, while Harm stood back and watched.
“I want to play, too!” Kid Karnevil shouted as he stood up, still a little dazed from Wonder Girl knocking him across the street.
“You want to play?” asked Harm as he pulled out his sword. “I need the blood of one more tainted soul on this sword.”
“What? You mean like, my blood?” asked Kid Karnevil.
“Oh no, I find you far too much fun to kill,” Harm told him. “At least for the moment.”
“Darn, I was going to let you do it, too,” Kid Karnevil replied in a disappointed tone as he hung his head.
“Since those two car thieves got away, I want you to find one more tainted soul and take their life,” Harm said, handing the sword over. “Do it quickly, before the fight ends and those two heroes realize what's going on.”
Kid Karnevil took the sword and happily skipped off to find a soul or two to murder. Three at the most. Maybe four, possibly five if he had time. Definately six, max.
Red X's metallic bo staff swung at Superboy, who blocked the attacks. Superboy expressed shock at how hard the hits were coming from someone he assumed to be as human as Robin was.
“So, what's your story?” asked Superboy as he punched at Red X, holding back some of his strength just in case his opponent really was human. He didn't want to end up killing the guy, after all.
“My story is about a guy named Red X who kicked Superboy's ass,” Red X replied as he used his agility to jump over Superboy's head. Before the hero could turn around, Red X swung his staff, knocking Superboy into a wall. “You're holding back. Big mistake. Let me have everything you've got, Superloser.”
“You want everything I've got? Fine,” said Superboy as he pulled himself out of the dent he’d made in the wall. He tilted his neck to make a cracking sound before smirking at Red X. “Let's rock.”
The two charged at each other as Superboy grabbed hold of Red X, sending both flying through a fire hydrant, causing the water to shoot sky high to create a rainfall around the area.
After about fifteen minutes, Kid Karnevil walked back up to Harm, covered in blood as he handed the sword over. Harm just stood there in shock as he saw just how much blood Kid Karnevil had come back with.
“That was fast,” Harm said, looking the young man over. “Did–did all that come from one person?”
“Well, I killed one person, but I couldn't be sure if he was tainted or not because all he did was jaywalk,” Kid Karnevil told him. “So I found a screening of the Justin Bieber movie and just started stabbing all the adults who were there without kids just to be safe. Then I started stabbing all the adults with kids. Would have stabbed the kids themselves, but they were quick little bastards.”
“You–you really are psychotic, aren't you?” asked Harm as Kid Karnevil grinned and shook his head.
Wonder Girl and Ravager collided, making their way into a grassy area where a park was located. For all of Wonder Girl's strength, Ravager appeared to have the upper hand, as she not only blocked Wonder Girl's punches but also appeared to know every move the heroine was going to make before she made it.
“Why are you doing this?” asked Wonder Girl as she threw a punch at Ravager, only to have her opponent grab her by the arm and fling Wonder Girl into a jungle gym. The metallic structure bent out of shape as she hit it with the force that Ravager flung her into it.
Wonder Girl stood up, holding her head in pain as Ravager gave her no time to recover, tackling the heroine to the ground. It was then the down pour from the busted fire hydrant started raining down on them as the two wrestled on the ground that was quickly turning into mud.
“Why are you doing this?” asked Wonder Girl as she wrestled with Ravager. She flipped Ravager over so she was sitting on top while punching at her opponent. “You were a part of the Titan's family before. Impulse told us about you being there!”
“That big haired clown?” asked Ravager as she reversed their positions so she was on top of Wonder Girl. “I haven't seen him since he left that group. I owe him a visit since I heard he's screwing someone I know.”
As the two wrestled, parts of their costumes started to tear as they sank further into the mud while continuing to trade blows. Neither one was willing to let up as they continued to pound each other, even though they were both getting tired by this point.
“Why hook up with Harm?” asked Wonder Girl as the two separated, each catching their breath before going back into the fight. “What's he got to offer you?”
“That's a good question,” Ravager replied as they got ready to charge at each other again. As they were about to collide, they stopped and looked at the dry area not too far away. Superboy, Harm and Red X were all standing there, hypnotized by the fight that had been going on since the two females had fallen into the mud.
“Really!?” asked Wonder Girl as she looked at Superboy.
Red X took the opportunity to hit Superboy across the head with his bo staff, knocking him to the ground. Harm pulled out a grenade and tossed it on Superboy's chest. As it went off, knockout gas exploded into the hero's face, rendering him unconscious.
Wonder Girl was about to fly to his rescue when Ravager grabbed her by the hair, pulling the heroine back before landing a punch that knocked Wonder Girl unconscious.
“I think I broke a few bones,” said Ravager as she held her hand. “But that was so totally worth it.”
Shortly, at Titans Tower
Harm carried Superboy through the door, slung across his shoulder, as was Ravager with Wonder Girl. Kid Karnevil walked in, still drenched in blood as Red X looked at him.
“Aren't you going to clean that stuff off?” asked Red X as Kid Karnevil plopped down on the couch to turn on the t.v.
“Why?”
“I'll be in my room,” said Red X, ignoring Kid Karnevil.
“Feed the pet first,” Harm told him as he carried Superboy toward another door. “He's going to be needed soon, and I need him at full strength, so make sure my pets in good condition…I'll be down to get him in a few minutes after I put Superbrat up.”
Red X sighed as he walked down to the basement. He grabbed some food for Harm's pet to eat as he opened the sliding hatch on the door.
“Bottom's up, kid,” said Red X as he looked inside. “Hope you're hungry.”
A young man was sitting in the corner, playing with a deck of cards. He had long, stringy blonde hair and was wearing black pants and boots with a blue v-neck.
“You wouldn't happen to have a cheeseburger this time, would you?”
“Nope, same old nutritional stuff that Harm's been giving you,” Red X replied as he slide the tray in. “Bon appetite.”
The young man sighed as he stood up and walked over to get his meal. The markings on the walls and ceiling were somehow keeping him from using his powers to escape. Harm had done his research before bringing his newest weapon to Titan's Tower, constructing an escape-proof cell for his new 'pet'.
Jay Young grabbed the sealed pot and opened it, drinking what was inside as the tainted blood poured into his body, charging his powers. He hated the taste of blood, but Harm really had done his homework on the boy, knowing Jay's powers even better than he knew himself.
As he finished, Jay grabbed his stomach in pain as he fell to his knees, dropping the pot. It was the same reaction he got every time he was fed. It meant that his powers were growing and soon Harm would be using those powers for his own purposes.
Minutes after Red X had gone, Harm came down to the basement. It was time to execute the plan he'd been setting up for the last several months.
“Time to do what I brought you here for, Jay,” said Harm as the young man tried to stand up. If Harm got close enough, maybe he could use his powers to escape.
“I won't do it!” shouted Jay as Harm walked into the cell, kicking Jay in the stomach. “I won't!”
“Oh, you will,” said Harm as he picked Jay up by the throat. “Go ahead, try your little magic trick on me. Your neck will be broken the second you try. You do what I tell you to do, and I might just let you live long enough to enjoy the rest of your pathetic life.”
Ravager was in the training room, working over a punching bag as she thought about what Wonder Girl had said to her. Why was she working for Harm? Harm was an evil, gloating, self-absorbed bastard with no good in him whatsoever. All that she could forgive, but that still didn't explain why she continued to go along with joining his Titans team.
Superboy woke up, finding himself chained to a wall. He tried to pull free but found he couldn't break the chains holding his hands.
“Magic based chains,” said Kid Karnevil as he walked in, having cleaned himself off. “Harm says that you super people are useless when it comes to magic, and Harm's got the darkest shit there is going for him.”
“I am so going to kick all of your asses when I get out of here!” shouted Superboy as he continued to struggle.
“What's the rush in leaving?” asked Kid Karnevil with a smirk as he pulled out a knife. “See, I just bought this knife and the advertisement said it's so strong that it can cut through a tin can. I wonder if it can cut through a boy made of steel?”
Wonder Girl found herself in a similar situation a few doors down, having been chained to the wall through the use of dark magic. As she struggled, Red X entered.
“Here to try to have some fun?” asked Wonder Girl as she pulled at her chains.
“I'm here to let you loose,” said Red X as he pulled out his sword, “before Harm decides to mindrape me again.”
A pentagram was drawn on the roof of Titans Tower as Harm carried the sword with the dried blood on it into the middle. Jay stood inside of a marked circle not too far away, being contained himself by the markings around him.
“The blood of seven tainted souls was shed by this sword,” Harm said as he laid the sword down in the middle of the pentagram. “The sword belonging to my grandfather. Using an item from our bloodline to gather the blood of seven tainted souls, I summon you forth. Come to me, heed my words! Appear before me, Spectre!”
The sky darkened over Titans Tower as a vortex opened up over the pentagram. The Spectre arrived, hovering over it as she looked down at Harm.
“Hello... brother,” said the Spectre's host, Greta Hayes.
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To Be Continued...
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