Cyborg steps back after hooking up the screen to his system, watching as it flickers alight. From beside Robin, Starfire, and Raven, I look on silently, turning back to the group every now and then. I continuously flip a rock in my hand; the tension is so thick I could cut it with the rock.
I observe with a raised eyebrow as Mento begins to raise his voice at Cyborg, before turning away from the Titan and towards his own team. "Doom Patrol, listen up!" he barks, glancing between their alert expressions. "Every second we delay gives the Brotherhood of Evil a chance to use their new weapon. It's time to move out!"
From around the fire, the members of Mento's team stand up quickly and walk towards their leader without hesitation. Beast Boy, now alone on the log he sits on, turns to Elasti-Girl in surprise. "Already?"
"There's no time to rest, Beast Boy. We'll be fine" Her consoling words have little to no effect on the green teen, who looks up at her blankly. When Elastic-Girl walks past him and towards the rest of her team, Beast Boy mutters something under his breath that I don't catch. The four of us make our way towards the other team, and Cyborg opens his mouth to speak.
"What about air defences? We fly anywhere near that base and they're gonna start blasting."
"Which is exactly why we're going on foot," Mento points out, tossing a purple mask between his hands. I find the item strangely familiar, resisting the urge to pull it out of his hands in an attempt to trigger any memory of it. "And when I say 'we', I mean the Doom Patrol. All of us."
Mento hands the mask to Beast Boy, and the action reminds me of where I've seen it before—after all, it's Beast Boy's. I distinctly remember him wearing it when we first met him, back in Jump City. From memory, it was Cyborg who convinced him to neglect it as part of his uniform.
As Beast Boy stares down at the mask, Robin says, "If Beast Boy goes, then so do we."
The mummy—whose name I've since learnt is Negative Man—looks up at us and shakes his head. "I really wouldn't go there. Trust me." It takes me a second to realise that he's the one talking, as his mouth doesn't move when he speaks.
From beside Negative Man, Robot Man nods. The Doom Patrol have really creative names. "You kids have no idea what we're up against."
Cyborg narrows his eyes. "Well, from the looks of things, you need all the help you can get."
Robot Man narrows his eyes as far as his robotic gears allow him to, before leaning into Cyborg. "Listen up, punks!" he barks. "The little runt was in the Doom Patrol—"
"Excuse me," Cyborg interjects, the heroes talking over each other. "but I don't see a sign saying 'Property of—"
As they speak, my head aches and I pinch the space in between my two eyes in exasperation. "STOP IT!!" I roar. They both look at me, as well as everyone else who had started yelling, and I catch the reflection of my fiery eyes through Cyborg's polished shoulder. I close my eyes instantly, breathing in and out before opening them back to their normal colours. "Cyborg's right. Beast Boy isn't owned by the Doom Patrol—"
Cyborg scoffs, before shooting Robot Man a grin and going so far as to laugh in his face. I look up at the sound of his hearty laughter and glance between the pair dubiously. "BUT—" At this, Cyborg's smirk vanishes and he shoots me a slightly annoyed glower. "—we don't own him either. Beast Boy's his own person. Let him make his own choice."
The group falls silent, pondering this suggestion. A nagging feeling tells me that everyone will erupt into shouts once more but Beast Boy interjects before it can happen. "I'll go."
Robin's head snaps towards the shapeshifter, giving him a worried look. "Beast Boy, you don't have to do this."
The green teen shakes his head, looking away from Robin before donning the mask Mento's offering him. "Actually, I do," he corrects, walking over to his former team.
"Then it's settled," Mento concludes, giving Beast Boy a curt nod. "Doom Patrol, move out!"
Everyone around him leaves, but after looking at them he turns around and shoots us an innocent smile. "Don't worry, guys. I'll be fine." He says it with such childlike confidence before running off that the mere notion of doing nothing doesn't even cross my mind.
The instant all five of them are out of earshot, I whip around to face the Titans. "All right. What's the plan?"
Starfire glances at us all in turn, eyes glazed over in worry. "We must do something. We cannot just leave."
Robin shakes his head adamantly before socking his fist into his palm. "That's the last thing we're going to do, Starfire."
I hum in agreement. "Beast Boy's a Titan. He's family." Quickly, I sneak a glance in the direction the Doom Patrol ran off—with our friend. Our teammate. "And we've got to protect him, because I know for sure Mento and his little gang won't when it comes down to it."
Cyborg nods along absentmindedly. "Not the way we would."
Robin wears a small smile as he takes a step forward—a step closer to Beast Boy. "Sounds good to me. Let's go find him."
~~~
The sunlight shines through the thick blinds, brightening the area more as the vines lift up to wrap around the branches before relaxing from my influence. I look ahead, curious as to where specifically we're going. Further up lies a patch of mud that I'd recognise anywhere, both from my previous experience and expertise with the elements. Robin, having taken the lead long ago, walks briskly but my shout catches him.
"Robin! Quicksand."
The Boy Wonder had taken the lead long ago, wishing for some solitude, but my shout halted his brisk walk. "Where?"
I smile, leaning slightly to point directly in front of him. "Right there. Hey, just—don't move. Let me."
By now, the three other Titans have also stopped, and they part for me to pass them. Once at the quicksand, I crouch down and my eyes turn blue. The quicksand starts to solidify, the spring underneath it and all the passages of water freezing. The ground dips to accomodate for this change, but once the ground won't cave anymore, I prove it to be safe by walking over the area and holding my hands out proudly on the other side.
One by one, Cyborg and Robin circumspectly follow, whereas Raven and Starfire simply use their powers to fly over the area. "Nice," Robin hums, holding his hand out to me.
I look at his hand cautiously, softly tapping my palm against his. "You're not one for high fives," I point out.
Robin feigns offence. "Am I not allowed to high five my girlfriend for saving my life?" The Boy Wonder places a hand on his heart for extra emphasis, but I'm more focused on what he called me. My girlfriend. We had been dating for a while, but I had never heard him say it. At least, not to me. The word fills me with a sense of euphoria that spreads through every muscle and vein, every organ, every cell in my body.
I express all this by simply rolling my eyes at Robin, leaving the smile on my face. "Come on. We're falling behind." With that, I run towards Cyborg—the team's new scout—leaving Robin back near the quicksand if he chooses not to follow.
I sigh loudly as I reach Cyborg, informing him of my presence if he wasn't already aware. "BB's this way," he informs me upon arrival, and I furrow my brows at his frank words.
"Well, hello to you too."
The mechanic Titan looks down at me, and I can't help the smile as I look up at him, Robin's words playing on my mind. My girlfriend. "Why are you so cheery?" he settles for, his voice adopting an accusatory tone.
"How far up is Beast Boy?" I ask instead.
I'm sure my dodge of the question is not lost on Cyborg, but thankfully he doesn't mention it. "Not far," he tells me, "but we have to cross a desert to get to him."
"A desert?" I know I won't begin to sweat from the scorching sun and sweltering temperature, and maybe Starfire won't either, but the others sure will—unless the robotic teen beside me's hiding an air conditioner inside him that's large enough for three, plus Beast Boy and the Doom Patrol when we find them. "What are they doing on the other side of a desert?"
"In a desert," Cyborg corrects. "They're still there."
I heave a large sigh. "Of course they are," I grumble.
"They haven't moved for a while." Cyborg pulls out his communicator and stares at me carefully, studying me. I pull my own device out instinctively. "Maybe BB dropped it."
"You think he ditched his—?"
"Titans, come in. Do you read me?"
Beast Boy's voice startles me so much that I drop my communicator. It clatters to the floor, bouncing against the ground several times before I awkwardly lean down to pick it up. I look back to see Robin's finger already over the unmute button, and he pushes it to enable his microphone.
"Beast Boy! Where are you?"
The line drops dead as Robin's speaking, and I push the unmute button on mine. "Beast Boy? You there?" My finger still hovers over the button, and when I get no response I whisper, "Come on, Beast Boy. You have to be okay."
"He will be okay?" Starfire asks, flying towards me. "We cannot reach him. His signal is gone."
"I hope so, Star." I try my hardest to sound convincing, but I'm not sure the extent of my success. "I can't find him, either."
"I can still see his last location," Cyborg states. "We can head there. See what we find."
"That's our only lead." Robin's voice sounds as he joins us as well.
Raven flies next to me; now all of us have banded together. "What choice do we have?" she questions wearily. "We have to save Beast Boy."
"And the Doom Patrol," Robin adds.
"... Right."
"Hold on, guys." Cyborg stops in his tracks, rotating his body to a signal. The beeping hastens as he rotates, before slowing down again. This allows Cyborg to fix his tracker on the direction and his eyes widen as he looks up. "Robot Man? Robot Man!"
I find myself holding my breath at the sight of Robot Man's limp body, draped over that of a larger robot. Its eyes are bleak, though from previous encounters I know it would normally be red to compliment its robotic, black parts.
Cyborg reaches Robot Man first, hauling his body off the robot and lying him on the ground. He assesses the damage done to the Doom Patrol member, before finally looking at us. "I-I think I can fix him," he states. "He should be fine."
I look at Robin, now confused. "Why would they leave him behind?"
Robin's expression matches my own, but begins to change as he tries to reason their decision. " 'Whatever it takes.' I heard Mento say that to the Doom Patrol once. It must be their code."
"Complete the mission... at all costs."
The Boy Wonder nods. "Yeah. We're seeing the aftermath."
"It doesn't have to be the aftermath," Cyborg huffs from in front of me. He reworks Robot Man's system the same way he did the first time we found him, only this time he's doing it by himself. Between gritted teeth, he adds, "It won't be."
This is confirmed when Robot Man's red eyes light up, and Cyborg breaths a sigh of relief before stepping back. "Don't tell me I've been out five months again," are Robot Man's first words to us.
"Robot Man... you are okay?"
"Where's Mento?"
Cyborg looks at Robin. "We don't know. We're trying to find them too."
"You shouldn't be here."
Raven floats forward, extending a hand for Robot Man to take. This appears to be a mistake on her part, as Robot Man pulls her towards him. "We're here now. What can you tell us?"
"Not much, I'm afraid." Robot Man stands up with the help of Cyborg, before helping Raven to her feet. "But if what the Doom Patrol faced were anything like that thing—" the hero points to the lifeless robot behind us, "I won't be the only one you kids find."
"Noted." I look back in the direction of the desert before jerking my head that way. "Let's go find the others, then, shall we?"
~~~
As I suspected, the Titans do not fare well with the sweltering conditions. I can see the sweat balling on their foreheads before it drips to the floor; all but Starfire are struggling, some more than others. Raven shed her cloak long ago and it's slung across my shoulder, and Robin's cape is bundled and tucked in his utility belt.
The desert dips into a canyon, with multiple crevices that hide any trace of the Doom Patrol. "Split up?" I question softly, looking between the other five.
Robin nods, but it's Raven who verbalises it. "Yeah," is all she says before flying in the air towards the furthest canyon. Starfire and I fly after her, taking the third and second furthest canyons respectively. The boys divvy up the others among themselves but I don't get to see who goes where.
As I fly down into the canyon's crevice, dust blows in my face unrelentingly. I hold a hand to my face and squint to see, the dust stopping in the air as my eyes flare white before flying the other way. I rub my eyes, the dust having gone in them, but I only succeed in further irritating them.
"OVER HERE!!" Raven shouts. Since I'm the closest to the cloaked girl, her voice is loud and I'm the first to arrive, but not before calling the others and alerting them that Raven's found something. When I reach her, I realise it's not something. It's someone. More specifically, Negative Man, his soul separated from his body that lies just metres from him.
Raven and I stare down at the two bodies as the others arrive, one by one; Starfire carries Cyborg, and Robot Man and Robin meet us using their own methods.
"Any idea on how to thaw him?" I ask, looking up at Robot Man.
To my utter relief, he nods. "Not like it hasn't happened before. He'll be right in no time." Robot Man leans down to help his teammate out, placing his soul and his body side by side. After a while, he looks up at me, swallowing his pride. "He's colder than normal. Can you warm him up?"
I nod nervously, rubbing my palms together. The friction adds to the natural heat that flows through my body. "Which him?"
"Both, preferably."
I nod once more and grab the hand of Negative Man's body; the one that is closer to his soul self also happens to be the one that isn't already charred from my touch. I try to grasp a hand of his soul self, but mine passes right through. "How—?"
"I can help," Raven states quietly. She grabs Negative Man's hand from his soul self and offers her spare one to me, my eyebrow raising when I turn to look at her.
"Are you sure? You could get—"
"I won't," Raven assures me, "because you'll control it."
"I'll... control it. Right. Okay. I can do that," I splutter awkwardly. Raven smiles at me wholeheartedly and I purse my lips in a nervous grin before turning to Negative Man's mummified self. I close my eyes in concentration and feel the fire pulsing through me, channeling the power into cooling the heat momentarily as it passes through Raven, who doesn't wince or hiss in pain when I know the fire reaches her. It doesn't occur to me how she's protecting herself or how she's able to withstand the temperature; all that matters is she is and she can.
"You are doing it, Ember!" someone—I think it's Starfire—exclaims from behind.
"It's working!" another adds.
I ignore them both as Negative Man's soul jerks to life, convulsing at first but eventually seizing up. In an almost inhumane motion, he rises to a sitting position—like a zombie, almost. The soul flies to the body, which rises in the same action. Negative Man's fingers flex as he adjusts to his renewed body.
His first words answer Robot Man's. "That way," he mumbles, still short of breath. "They're that way."
I look to the right to see the continuation of the canyon. A giant boulder blocks it off, possibly the Brain's way of sealing the entrance shut. It sways, the weight uneven against the ground. It's almost as if something's putting it off-balance, but I have no clue what. The closed off path lures me closer for some strange reason, and I find myself ambling towards it.
I needn't say anything as the Titans catch up. They'd likely have more questions had Negative Man not pointed us in this direction. They walk at a brisker pace, all but Raven reaching the rock before me. Unsurprisingly, they stare at me once they reach it, waiting for me to do something about the giant obstacle in their way.
I try to move it without lifting my hands, but nothing happens apart from a faint brown glow that highlights the boulder. I sigh and shake my head before raising one hand, and when nothing happens the other meets it. The boulder shakes and I walk towards it, gritting my teeth. It's heavier than it looks.
My mouth opens and I grunt, the sound eventually morphing into a scream. The boulder lifts off the ground, before slowly rising. My eyes stay locked onto the rock I'm lifting but I can see a figure squashed under it, accompanied by collective gasps. My body rises but my feet stay glued to the ground, and once I throw the boulder off the edge I look down to see a pillar of earth at my feet. It lowers me softly, and I run to where the others are to see—
"Is she okay?"
Robin looks up at me as Robot Man hauls Elasti-Girl up. Her eyes flutter open and they bore into mine for a split second before peeling away and glancing at the others. "We think so. She got up straight away."
"You shouldn't be here," she says to all of us, now standing on her own. She still staggers and wobbles slightly, causing Robot Man to keep his arms at the ready and a wary eye on his teammate.
I smile innocently. "We know."
Elasti-Girl's expression morphs from one of pain to gratitude. "Thank you... for coming anyway. You didn't have to."
"We did," Robin replies, "and we have to keep going. Mento and Beast Boy need us."
The female shapeshifter purses her lips, deep in thought, before her arm unnaturally bends behind her. "They ran that way," she states. Her neck doubles, triples—no, quadruples, at least—in length and she surveys the direction she claims they were headed. Her head juts forward slightly and I see her squint before she comes down. "I see the base. It's not that far."
"Good," Cyborg mutters. "The sooner we get there and get out of there, the better. This place is freaking me out."
And he's right. Though we're in the middle of the desert, an ominous cloud hovers over my head, looming, waiting for the perfect time to strike. I was sure the others felt it, but Cyborg's words affirm my suspicion. The cloud taints the mission like a poison, lacing it with the doubt that we might not like what we find, lose, fail, or worse.
~~~
Finally, we reach the base. It does not have a bold wall to make a statement and scare off anyone who—for some reason—stumbles upon it on accident. One small metal box protrudes from the rest of the mountain, but the rest of its surface looks untouched. As I look at the black roof that sticks out, I know that's how we get in.
At the very least, Cyborg seems to notice this too, and he holds out his sonic cannon to silently indicate to the others what we are both thinking. We can assume, but we don't know the walls are soundproofed, and therefore we have to be careful.
It just occurs to me that Beast Boy and Mento might not even be in here. One or both of them could have been left, forgotten about for the sake of the mission—just like the other three Doom Patrol members—and we would have no clue. We could be outnumbered. We could be walking into a trap. So many things could go wrong the second we blow this wall open.
But we have no choice.
All five Titans are lined in front of the wall now, each of us with our own explosive attack. I shuffle my feet to gain a better stance, fully aware that the second we're in I will change it to attack. Fire licks my hands and blazes through my eyes. Starfire's preparation is similar to mine, but it is starbolts that she holds ready, rather than fireballs, and her eyes blaze green as opposed to red.
"All right, Cyborg," I shout, amidst the blasts that have begun to sound on the other side of the wall, conveying the importance of haste. "When you're ready."
He blasts down the wall, the four of us helping in his endeavour. It caves easier than expected, indicating to me that I was right about it not being soundproof. I lock eyes with Beast Boy, and his grin tells me more than enough.
"I should've warned you," Robin tells Mento, "we're not so great at doing what we're told."
I glance at Mento, who's looking at us with an amused expression, and ready my fists. "Actually, it's one of the few things we're bad at," I add cockily.
Mento's expression contorts to a grin. "I'll let it slide. Let's do this!"
I push off the ground and an ice stick finds its way into my hands. I don't have enough time to sharpen it before slamming it on the head of the nearest soldier, causing him to drop his gun in disbelief. Another guard comes up from behind me and I whip around, holding either side of my staff to keep it in front of me as the butt of the soldier's gun slams into it, breaking it in two smaller, sharper escrima sticks.
"Bring it," I huff, holding one against my forearm and the other up by my face. The guards do exactly that, and one even joins in, not sensing that he's unwelcome. I deliver the message with a stick to the gut, sending him right back where he came from. This allows time for one of the other two to shoot me in the shoulder, and I drop everything—literally. My sticks clatter to the ground and my eyes widen, mind void of procedure.
I look up to a gun aimed right between my eyes, which are already that of a deer in the headlights. I watch helplessly as his finger tightens around the trigger but my body hits the ground before it's pulled. In fright, I look on as the ball of energy flies past where I was, eyes landing on a heaving Robin on top of me.
I'm too stunned to offer my thanks, body stilling as I stare up at the boy who just saved my life with awe. His breath hits my neck in short bursts before he stands up, making sure there's no one near us before extending his hand to help me up.
"You okay?"
Delicately, my index and middle fingers stick together and touch the wound on my shoulder, a soft hiss leaving my lips the second contact is made. Robin eyes me in concern, hand on my other shoulder, and I smile at him. "Fine."
Robin knows better than to waste time arguing with me over this and runs off towards the nearest soldier, attacking him next. I grab my sleeve and rip it off, garnering enough material to wrap tightly around my shoulder. Somehow, I tie the knot off, wincing at even the slightest movement of my shoulder. They're blasts of energy, so I don't have to worry about a bullet in my shoulder—something I'm thankful for.
I look up to see the last soldier marching towards me. This time, I'm ready, and I don't even have to move as a small tsunami leaves my body, sizzling the soldier's circuits before retreating back into my self.
"Did we win?" Negative Man asks from beside me. I glance around to see the Titans and the Doom Patrol looking either at the Brotherhood or me, and I jerk my head at the Brain for anyone who's staring at me to see.
"On the contrary, Negative Man," the mastermind croaks. "But I would like to congratulate you all. Reaching this stronghold is no small feat."
Finally, I look up at the Brain, my breath hitching in my throat as I see Monsieur Mallah... with Beast Boy. The shapeshifter dangles by a thread and borders on unconscious. The gorilla throws him off the edge and I hold a hand out, stabilising him in the air. Elasti-Girl enlarges herself and catches him, quickly bringing him to safety as he properly comes to.
"And now that you are here, I believe a demonstration is in order." A screen flickers alight to reveal the earth, more specifically America. "Any place I choose is mine to destroy." A red rectangle appears over California, covering Jump City, and it fills the whole screen. "Perhaps... this one."
Sure enough, the red fades to reveal Titans Tower, now under threat from the Brotherhood of Evil. "He's targeting the Tower!" Cyborg exclaims, as if we didn't realise that.
"Not just the Tower," Raven states, watching the screen change once more. It reveals the Tower's proximity to Jump City, and red waves connect the two on-screen. "He's targeting the entire city."
"Now you see why I have such a problem with this guy," Mento comments. Robin narrows his eyes and both leaders step forward, commanding their team at once.
"Titans! Go!"
"Doom Patrol! Attack!"
I grit my teeth as I float into the air, streamlining towards the Brain. Other Titans pass me and I pass others, but overall we charge in unity.
"Immortus, restrain them." At the Brain's words, an old man holds his hand up. I smother a laugh long enough to see an entire army appearing behind him, following his every command. They relentlessly fire at us, but it doesn't take much to avoid their blasts. The throbbing pain in my shoulder serves as motivation and as a reminder: I don't want to be hit again.
Madame Rouge and Monsieur Mallah jump down to attack us, and we get ever-closer to them and the Brain. Suddenly, I swerve to the side, taking out the mob of soldiers on my left. They go down like flies, and I look back to see Cyborg attacking Madame Rouge.
I jump near him as he blasts the villainess. She dodges and turns her attention away from him, arms extended towards the Brain. I hold a hand out and the mastermind's brain flies away from Madame Rouge. Unfortunately for me it hits Monsieur Mallah in the chest and he grabs onto it like a second life.
"Beast Boy, you reset the coordinates to this location!" Mento shouts, glancing up at the screen with worry.
Well, yeah," Beast Boy replies, grinning from ear to ear. "And unless you want to see the inside of a black hole, we better get outta here."
I fly over to the pair and take out a soldier with a momentum-filled kick, freeing up Robot Man. "Kid's got a point," he states.
The two Doom Patrol members run and Beast Boy grabs my hand, before sprinting towards the exit. I almost stumble over my own feet, surprised at his pace, but manage to shake my hand away and overtake him. Once I reach the door, a gust of wind propels him to it and I slam it behind us, the both of us gaining as much ground on the base as we can.
I don't hear the black hole, but I know when it's formed through the intense wind. Not even I can control it, but I can slow it enough for Beast Boy and I to get to safety.
"Let's see them rebuild that," the shapeshifter says, watching the black hole disappear.
~~~
The six of us stand opposite the Doom Patrol, in front of their ship. Beast Boy holds a somewhat solemn look upon him, but the rest of us are satisfied that the mission was completed and express this through smiles all around. I place my hand on Beast Boy's shoulder to calm him.
"You kids..." Mento clears his throat and quickly corrects himself, "you Titans... did okay."
"You're welcome."
Robin turns away from Raven and glances back at the Doom Patrol. "So what's next?" he questions curiously. "The Brotherhood of Evil got away."
"They'll crawl back to their hole like they always do," Negative Man tells us monotonously. "I'm sure the Brain's already working on a new plan."
"And we'll be waiting," Mento adds, "but next time, we won't be alone."
Cyborg nods his head curtly. "Count on it."
Elasti-Girl walks forward, leaning down to Beast Boy's height and placing her hands on his biceps. "We're all very proud of you, Garfield," she says, wrapping him in a hug. I'm too stunned to listen as she bids him farewell. Garfield?
I'm brought back to reality as the Doom Patrol ship lifts off, and wave at them passively until they're out of our sight. Once they are, all of us turn to Beast Boy, Cyborg with a teasing smirk.
"Garfield?"
Beast Boy chuckles and Raven arches her eyebrow, the same evil look on her face. "Oh, I'm gonna get a lot of mileage out of this one," she says.
I can't help but giggle as I'm reminded of the most famous Garfield. "You should turn into a tabby," I say in between laughs. "You know, like Garfield."
Robin joins in, chuckling heartedly. "Can you do it?"
The shapeshifter frowns. "I'm not doing that," he deadpans.
Starfire claps her hands together joyously, humming in happiness and anticipation. "Oh, yes! That would be most delightful!"
Beast Boy brushes against us on his way to leave, but I catch the small smile on his lips. "Hey!" I call, chasing after the green teen. "Wait up, Garfield!"