Time: Evening
The night sky was filled with dark thundering clouds. Flashes of lightning illuminate their contours. A bulky silhouette stands up among them and begins to swing a pair of sticks against the clouds. Every time it brings them down, there is another strike and accompanying thunderclap. In a other patch of the sky, even more lightning crackles back and forth. A second silhouette, this one much thinner and with spiky upswept hair stands up and directs his hands here and there. There is a new flare-up every time it does so. When the last one clears, the clouds continue to flash from within. There is a huge strike.
Location: Titans Tower
Inside the Tower, Beast Boy has become a musk ox and is straining mightily Ata a rubber band looped over his horns, trying to catch it on a nearby hook. He succeeds and ducks away, coming up in human form with a mischievous smile on his face. Then he produces a large, water-filled balloon that sloshes a but in his hands, and he lets off a wicked chuckle.
Beast Boy: "This is gonna be so sweet!"
"What are you doing?"
Surprised by the words, Beast Bot lets go of the balloon and completely freaks out as he tries desperately to make a safe catch. Finally, he gets a hold of it and turns around to face Raven behind him.
Raven: "Please tell me this isn't another ridiculous prank."
Beast Boy: "Okay. It's not a ridiculous prank. It's a brilliant one!"
The green goofball laughs as his goth teammate rolls her eyes.
Beast Boy: "Alright, check it out. So remember when Cyborg introduced Y/n to pranks and he put red dye in my shampoo, and I turned brown for two days? Well, sister, it's payback time."
Beast Boy then reaches for a string above him and pulls it down.
Beast Boy: "I give you... the Beast Boy Insta-Lube 9000!"
He and Raven back up as a blueprint comes down. The diagram shows the rubber band, which is part of a floor-mounted slingshot, held back by the hook and the balloon loaded in. A tripwire in front of the rig runs through overhead pulleys and is tied to a lever that is in turn connected to the hook.
Beast Boy: "See, when ninja-boy steps around the corner, his foot tugs the string. The string trips the lever, the lever releases the mother of all rubber bands..."
Raven walks over to the setup, and Beast Boy pops into view with the ammo.
Beast Boy: "... which sends a balloon, loaded with green paint, flying at him, and BOOSH! Pretty clever, huh?"
Raven: "You're a genius."
Beast Boy: "It's just a little good clean dirty fun."
Raven: "Question, are you depressed or suicidal?"
Beast Boy: *confused* "No. Why?"
Raven: "'Cause there are easier ways to get yourself killed."
Beast Boy: "What's that supposed to mean?"
Raven: *shakes head* "Nevermind."
A door down the hall opens, and the green goofball's ear perks up to listen.
Beast Boy: "Here he comes."
He ducks away and whisks Raven over with him. They both hide around a corner and look out from it.
Raven: "I do not think--"
Beast Boy: "Shhh!"
Raven: "But what if--?"
Beast Boy shushes Raven again and they both await in a long silence. Then two familiar voices ask the same question in unison.
"Why are we hiding?"
Beast Boy shushes them, only for his eyes instantly to go as wide as saucers upon realizing that his target is nowhere near ground zero. He flips out for a moment before turning to see Cyborg and Y/n hunched down behind him and Raven.
Beast Boy: "Y/n?! You can't be Y/n!"
Y/n: *raises eyebrow* "I... can't?"
Cyborg: "Why can't he be him?"
Beast Boy: *points at Y/n* "If you're you..." *points into hall* "... then who's...?"
Footsteps echo out there as all four look out as a violet boot steps into view and catches the tripwire. The string is pulled taut, the lever moves, and the hook starts to pull away from the rubber band. Beast Boy jumps forward in a frantic attempt to stop the balloon from launching.
Beast Boy: "NOOOOOOOO!!"
Everything seems to go in slow motion as the projectiles is propelled forward by the tension. Beast Boy looks up at Starfire who is so taken by surprise that she literally cannot see straight. And then everything returns to normal speed.
Starfire: "Eek!"
The balloon collides with her face, splattering her with the vicious green contents, and knocks her onto her back. Beast Boy runs up to her as the others follow.
Beast Boy: "Starfire!"
Said Tamaranean Titan has already propped herself up on her hands, but cannot seen anyone due to all the green paint covering her eyes.
Cyborg: "You okay?"
Starfire finally opens her eyes as Y/n grabs her hands and helps her to her feet.
Starfire: *puzzled* "This is punishment? I did something wrong?"
Raven: "You didn't."
Y/n: "He did."
They all turn to Beast Boy, who gives a sheepish green which is accompanied by a sheep's bleating.
Beast Boy: "Star! It was... you weren't supposed to..."
He starts to say something else, but he catches the disapproving stares of Cyborg and Raven, and then the glare from Y/n. The shapeshifting Titan stops in his tracks for a moment because of this.
Beast Boy: "I didn't..." *trails off and laughs* "That paint really goes well with your eyes, right?"
He tries to laugh again, but it dies on his lips as Starfire stands over him.
Starfire: *steadily building rage* "On my planet, we have a name for those who do such terrible things. You are a... a... CLORBAG VARBLERNELK!!"
All of the green paint flies off of Starfire's face with those last two words, and Cyborg and Y/n look a tad bit worried.
Beast Boy: "I'm a what-bag?"
Cyborg: "You heard the lady."
Raven: *shaking head* "You are such a clorbag."
Y/n: "... what's a varblernelk?"
Beast Boy: "Come on, you guys. Can't anybody take a joke?"
A sudden flash of lightning interrupts the standoff.
Robin: "Titans! Trouble!"
Everyone turns to their leader silhouetted in the shadows. However, the next strike illuminates him fully, showing his serious look.
Location: Jump City Bay
At a bridge across Jump City Bay, lightning flashes among the clouds and finally strikes the roadway. A truck driver yell in surprise and cuts his wheels sharply to the right, braking as he does so. The truck stops just short of the flaming strike point and many other cars slam on their brakes to avoid a collision, creating an instant traffic jam.
As the smoke starts to clear, the two silhouettes seen among the clouds become visible within it. The last wisps evaporate to give a fully detailed view of both, showing that they wore outfits that look like something like samurai armor without upper body protection.
The bulky one has blue skin and black clothing trimmed with blue, and he also wears a samurai-styled helmet. A thundercloud is emblazoned on his chest, and he has long black sideburns. His thin cohort, on the other hand, has light yellow skin and hair, and his outfit is red and yellow, with a lightning bolt on the chest. A headband keeps his hair out of the way and has a guard plate stretching down on either side to cover his cheeks. Both wear armbands and wrist/shin guards.
The two new arrivals look to each other and smile.
Blue Man: "May we have fun here, brother?"
Yellow Man: "Of course!" *creates a boly between hands* "We are Thunder and Lightning. We may do whatever we please!"
He throws the bolt upward at a bridge column where the suspension cables are connected. It is struck by the bolt, and sparks fly everywhere.
Lightning: "Look, brother! I command the sparks to dance!"
The yellow individual laughs as the strike dies out, and the flickering remains fall all around him in a shower.
Thunder: "Amusing. Now listen as I make music!"
He claps his hands together, creating an intense shockwave, and it radiates outward from him. The bridge cables are jarred loose and begin to whipsaw back and forth. Lightning then traces a lightning bolt on the side of the truck that nearly hit him and his brother.
Lightning: "Let all who pass this way know Lightning was here!"
Thunder: "And Thunder, too!"
The bulkier brother bangs his fists together, knuckle to knuckle, and creates an earthquake that sets the stopped cars and their drivers trembling, all the alarm systems going off in the process. The brothers laugh together, and Thunder pats Lightning's shoulder.
Lightning: "Most amusing."
"Hate to break it to you..."
Surprised, the two look toward the traffic snarl to see the Titans standing on the truck.
Robin: "... but you guys have a lousy sense of humor! This ends now!"
Lightning: *shakes fist* "No one gives orders to Thunder and Lightning! Taste my power!"
He throws a bolt at the truck and just misses the Titans, who scramble in six different directions. The trailer they were on gets a big hole blown through it, wiping out the graffiti as well.
Starfire does a U-urn and swoops down on Lightning with starbolts blazing. He jumps onto a line of stopped cars, she does likewise, and they run on these parallel tracks and trade shots. The firefight continues for several yards until Lightning gets in a lucky shot that knocks Starfire down.
His brother, meanwhile, is mixing it up with Ronin and Cyborg. The latter was throwing multitude of flying kicks which Thunder blocked before he created a shockwave that sent him flying back. Then Cyborg ran in and threw a couple of punches which Thunder returns full. They block or dodge a few of each other's punches and start to grapple. Then the bulky blue rears his left fist back for a powerful strike, and Cyborg reconfigures his right into his sonic cannon. The two fists swing and connect with each other, and the resulting shockwave throws them far down the bridge in opposite directions. Cyborg lands on his back, but Thunder brings a small cloud to himself and hops onto it to float upward.
Ronin runs at him with Robin as they prepare to double team him. However, the demi-god fires another thunderclap at them which the both dodge as they leap onto a guardrail, but another blast destroys that section and they have to move down a bit. The next attack breaks a support cable, and Robin grabs the swinging free end and is carried away instantly as Ronin flips away a multitude of times. The Boy Wonder is carried high into the air before the cable starts to descend. He times his next move carefully and hurls himself over Thunder, avoiding a punch and grabbing the foe's shoulders to throw him across the pavement.
With Lightning, he throws a bolt at Raven who dodges the shot and launches herself downward for a flying kick. The yellow brother throws up his arms to block and is driven backward by her flurry of attacks. Finally, he gets clear and shocks her with a bolt that sends her flying. No sooner is she down, though, that Beast Boy, as a giant panda, with Ronin riding on his back lumbering up behind Lightning. The ninja flips off and lands a kick on his back that sends him stumbling forward. The yellow brother turns to fire a bolt at him, only to get put into a bear hug by Beast Boy. Lightning struggles for a moment, then electrifies his entire body and gives the shapeshifting Titan a few hundred thousand volts. The shock forces him back into human form and causes him to let go.
Lightning: *laughing* "Your powers are strong, but mine are stronger!"
Ronin: "Yes, but it's the experience that matters more."
Lightning: "Huh?"
The yellow demi-god turns, only to be met with a face full of shurikens that explode into concussive blasts. However, they barely phase him as he only shakes his head and smirks at his foe
Lightning: "Is that all you've got? I am used to blasts such as that from my brother! You can't hurt me with that."
Ronin: "Thanks for the tip."
With that, Ronin then threw more shurikens at Lightning who only laughed and reached his hand out to them. He lashed out with an electrical bolt, striking the throwing stars with the blast. However, the blast only made explosions erupt forth and engulf him in flames. Then Ronin ran forward and landed a strong elbow strike into Lightning's abdomen and sent him tumbling back. He then tossed two more shurikens at the yellow man that struck the ground and covered Lightning in a coat of ice.
Lightning: "Hey! Free me this instant!"
Meanwhile, with Beast Boy, he finally sat up and rubbed his head for several seconds. Then he a shadow fall upon him, making him look up to see Thunder looming over him.
Thunder: "Your power of the animals is impressive, green one." *warms up fists* "Rise so we may do battle."
Beast Boy: *stands* "Why are you doing this?"
Thunder: "Because it is not sporting to attack an unready opponent."
Beast Boy: "No. Why are you wrecking everything?"
Thunder: *puzzled* "Uh... because it is amusing?"
Beast Boy: "Do they look amused?"
Beast Boy gestures over to the direction to show the scared motorists huddling behind their damaged and overturned cars. The answer to that question is obvious.
Thunder: "I--"
Beast Boy: "This isn't funny! It's wrong!
An attack of conscience makes Thunder relax his power. However, before Beast Boy can say anything more, Ronin gets flung into him via a lighting bolt and its shooter jumps down next to his brother. Ice still covered areas of his body, but he had managed to escape Ronin's casing of ice.
Lightning: "Ah, the thrill of victory. Rather cold." *puts arm around Thunder's shoulders* "Come, Thunder. We shall seek more amusement."
The two take to the air. Then over at a pile of rubble, from which the blasted Titans sit up, dazed, smoking, disheveled, and Beast Boy was drooling a bit. They both shake their head to cleat them and find Starfire floating into view behind them. She is clutching her forearm.
Beast Boy: "Well, that was a shock."
However, instead of giggling as she usually does, Starfire turns her nose and helps Ronin to his feet before she floats away.
Beast Boy: *to Ronin* "So... I'm guessing she's still mad?"
Ronin: "Obviously."
The green goofball sighs as he and Ronin walk over to the rest of their team.
Robin: "Okay, team. We have to find those guys before they cause any more damage. Cyborg, search the west side. Raven, the east. I'll take downtown. Ronin, take the south. Beast Boy, you and Star scan from the skies."
Everyone nods, accepting their orders. However, Beast Boy looks uneasily up at the partner he has just been assigned to him. She has turned her back and crossed her arms.
Beast Boy: "Um... maybe Cyborg should come with me instead? Or maybe Ronin?"
Robin: "They can't fly."
Beast Boy: "Oh. Yeah."
Cyborg pinches Beast Boy's cheek as a big drop of sweat rolls down his face.
Cyborg: "Have a nice flight, my little clorbag."
Location: Jump City Museum
In a courtyard in front of a museum, either side of the central open area was a row of vertical concrete slabs. A large metal globe is mounted at the end nearest the building. A couple of fellows make their way by the courtyard on foot and bicycle before there is a mighty blast of lightning. The troublemaking brothers appear, scaring the men away.
Lightning: "Magnificent!" *warms up power* "We can make much mischief here!"
He strikes the globe, which rolls away from its post toward the one row of slabs. It bangs into one end, which topples over into the next, and so one like a row of falling dominoes. Thunder's expression then changes into one if trepidation as the last slab comes down.
Lightning: "Brother! Did you see what I... something troubles you?"
Thunder: "The green one's words. He says our fun is... wrong."
Lightning: *laughs* "Wrong?" *puts arm around Thunder's shoulders* "He speaks nonsense, brother! How could such amusement be wrong? The fun is only beginning."
He then leads his brother away, preparing to cause more mischief.
Location: The Skies of Jump City
Starfire is flying through the air as Beast Boy, as a falcon, glides next to her. They then pass by the damaged courtyard of the museum and land on the ground. Beast Boy returns to human form, and they begin to inspect the smashed slabs.
Beast Boy: "Well, either they were just here, or this is the ugliest modern art I've ever seen."
Starfire: "You are not funny. You are a clorbag varblernelk."
She walks away and her teammate follows.
Beast Boy: "Come on, Star. You can't stay mad forever. What? Do I have to do the face?" *smiles* "You know you can't resist the face."
Except for a glance out of the corner of her eye, Starfire has not looked his way throughout all of this. So Beast Boy transformed into a small kitten with huge, shining eyes in no time flat. He meows as endearingly as he can, and Starfire looks down at him for a long moment before turning her nose up wiyn a huff of breath. She then walks away and he returns to human form with a surprised meow.
Beast Boy: "She resisted the face!"
Starfire has now reached the point where the globe was not anchored to. Smokenrises from the stump and Beast Boy runs up to her again.
Beast Boy: "Just talk to me, Star!" *kneels* "Come on, this is no fun!"
"Wrong again, green one!"
From the stormy sky, laughing, Thunder floats into view on his cloud and throws a beam downward. He is joined by an equally jubilant Lightning, also firing away with his powers. The two off-guard Titans watch as the onslaught connects in several places. Starfire runs down one side and manages to keep just ahead of Thunder, also on foot. When she reaches the end, she goes straight up the wall and does a long, high backglio to come down behind him. She throws a starbolt, but misses him.
Lightning gets a bolt ready and flings it at Beast Boy, who changes into a rabbit and hops away. Lightning chases him toward the ruins of those slabs and fires again. The startled green bunny runs away and then becomes a crane, taking off into the sky. More lightning comes his way and is just barely dodged, and he drops to the ground as a mouse and runs toward Lightning. The projectiles are very easy for him to evade now.
Lightning: *laughs* "Your animal forms cannot protect you forever!"
Beast Boy, as a musk ox, barrels into the yellow brother and sends him flying. Starfire flips and leaps her way to the end of tbe courtyard as Thunder closes in. He projects a beam toward her, she counters with a mighty starbolt, and the two attack meet between them and cancel out. However, her energy begins to overwhelm his.
Thunder: "Huh?"
The starbolt reaches Thunder and knocks him across the open expanse to land squarely on the spot where the globe once stood. Beast Boy, now as a giant bear, moves to on him, and Lightning has taken his fallen brother's place against Starfire. The ursine Titan gets to his hind legs and plows into Thunder, driving him to the courtyard wall, then runs up to him in human form and grabs his collar.
Beast Boy: "I don't what to hurt you. And I don't think you wanna hurt me."
Thunder: "Pain does not amuse us."
Beast Boy: "Could've fooled me. Keep playing rough, and innocent people will get hurt."
This makes the big blue fellow think a bit as, at a fence that separates the concrete of the courtyard from the museum lawn, there is a sudden puff of smoke. It solidifies into a tall figure wearing long red traveling robes and a broad, flat-crowned hat. An arm is lowered from the face, revealing long white hair blowing about an old but strong male face. The overall impression is vaguely Oriental, and is reinforced by the thin mustache and beard. Only one eye, the left, and be seen. Under the red robes, the man wears black ones and has hidden an old wooden box on a tripod. This has a hand crank in its side, much like an old-style movie camera.
The sorcerer smiles evilly and begins to turn the crank. The front cover falls away to expose a camera lens, which glows red and then white. Beast Boy and Thunder are caught off-guard as the ground trembles.
Beast Boy and Thunder: "Huh?"
A broad energy beam shoots past them from the camera and smashes cleanly through the intact row of concrete slabs. It just misses Starfire and Lightning, who have broken off their duel. The yellow brother sidesteps, but the alien Titan gasps as a shower of ruined stonework comes straight down toward her.
Beast Boy: "Star!"
The shadows of the crumbling slabs fall over him as well, making everything turn black for him. The two brothers then back up in fear and awe at what this newcomer has just brought about. Then an even and measured voice echoes out.
"Your gifts are your own. Who are they to tell you how to use them?"
Lightning: "And who are you that commands such power? Show yourself!"
The dust from the destruction of the concrete slabs starts to clear as the sorcerer approaches the two brothers through it. The camera he used, abandoned, shuts down.
Sorcerer: "As you wish. I am but a humble old man, whose power is drawn from nature, like your own. Come with me, and sew as much destruction as you please."
He turns away, and Lightning smiles with joy.
Lightning: *to Thunder* "Yes! More fun!"
However, before Lightning could follow the sorcerer, Thunder restrains him with a hand on his shoulder.
Thunder: "Will we harm anyone?"
Lightning: "What? The green one has poisoned your mind."
Thunder: "This destruction, will we harm the innocent?"
Sorcerer: "Would it matter if you did? You are unique. Gifted. Better. Why should anything interfere with your enjoyment? I am going. Follow, if you wish."
He walks out of tbe courtyard and Lightning begins to follow him.
Lightning: "Come, brother, and leave your foolish thoughts behind."
Thunder takes a few steps after them, but stops and looks back at the pile of crumbled stone for a moment. He then turns to catch up with the other two.
Back at the rubble pile, a small green spider, Beast Boy, scuttles out of a hole and climbs up the side a bit. He then returns to human form.
Beast Boy: "Star? Starfire? Where are you?" *climbs down* "Come on! Gimme a sign here!" *begins to dig* "You have to be alright, okay? 'Cause I-it was just a joke, you know? Back at the Tower, and... I'm sorry. I never said it, but I'm really, really sorry. It was supposed to be funny. And you could've been hurt, and..."
He strains to lift a good-sized fragment and manages to get it clear of the pile. He then lowers his head.
Beast Boy: *softly* "... I'm a total clorbag."
However, a shadow nabs Beast Boy's attention. He turns around and sees Starfire with not so much as a scratch on her.
Beast Boy: "Huh?"
Starfire gives him a warm, forgiving smile that instantly perks him up.
Beast Boy: "Starfire!"
Taking kitten form again, Beast Boy jumps into her outstretched hands and she cuddles him to her chest. Beast Boy then looks up at his friend and meows happily.
Starfire: *laughs* "I am glad you are unharmed as well."
Beast Boy jumps from Starfire's arm and takes human form again, kneeling before her.
Beast Boy: "I am so sorry. You gotta forgive me."
Starfire: "I already have." *helps Beast Boy up* "Now those evil brothers must be made to apologize."
Beast Boy: "I don't think they're evil. I think they're just like me."
Location: Mountains
In a cleaning in the mountains outside Jump City, a few scarecrow-like dummies have been set up, consisting of two crossed tree limbs with a blanket wrapped around them. Some characters have been painted on the cloth. The sorcerer stands among the many dummies with Thunder and Lightning.
Lightning: *contemptuously* "Sticks and leaves? Is this a joke? There is no fun in blasting such frail targets!"
Sorcerer: "Are you certain, young master? Try. You may like what you see."
The young master in question groans and throws a bolt at one of the dummies. It instantly catches fire and makes him rethink his opinion of the whole exercise.
Lightning: "Dancing lights! Pleasing."
Thunder: "Let Thunder try his hand."
He steps toward a target and throws a blast, causing the thing to disappear in a small explosion and a great clap of sound.
Thunder: "Wondrous noise!"
Lightning: "See, brother? There is no harm in our fun."
Sorcerer: "And there is so much fun to be had."
The two thrill-seekers grin at each other. Lightning flies across the clearing, blasting one target after another, and Thunder leaps high and dkams a fist against the ground to open a furrow. A target at the end of it lights up, followed by several others when he redirects his efforts. Now both brothers work in tandem and turn one target after another into blazing torches. They finally stop their assault and back up to the sorcerer.
Lightning: "More targets, old one!"
Thunder: "Yes, please, give us more."
Sorcerer: "That won't be necessary. You've done quite enough."
The old man produces a metal disk underneath his robes, which bore a a character with a Chinese appearance that looks something like a stylized letter S. He scales the object over the clearing as Thunder and Lightning watch, totally baffled. It stops high in the sky and spins in place, electricity crackling around it as it picks up speed, culminating in a mighty orange flash. It's suspended over the burning target as rays of light shoot down to strike every last one. Beams of orange light start to play between them and just miss the two puzzled brothers.
And while they only thought the dummies as targets, they were truly traced our a a large, rough humanoid shape on the ground, and with a final wide beam from above touching the heart area. When the light show stops, the outline starts to burn intensely and the sorcerer holds up a staff topped with the same character that was on the disk he threw.
Sorcerer: "Rise."
The apparition does so with an unearthly screeching noise. It has that character engraved on its forehead.
Sorcerer: "Burn, Fire! Burn it all!"
The massive creature known as Fire starts down the mountainside toward the city proper, but stops upon finding the Titans some distance away.
Robin: "Didn't anyone ever tell you? Play with fire, you're going to get burned."
The beast swings a flaming forearm at the team, forcing them to scatter. Robin look up from the duck-and-cover position he has assumed and sees Fire pushing trees aside and making its way toward Jump City. Smoke and flames billow in its wake as it nears the entire metro area that was right in its path. The sorcerer waves the fumes aside witn his staff.
Sorcerer: "Good. Very good."
Thunder and Lightning cannot believe what have just had a hand in unleashing.
Thunder: "Brother, what have we done?"
Fire continues to stalk towards the city as the Titans chase after it.
Robin: "Titans! Go!"
He and Ronin pulls even with the creature on foot while Raven does likewise in the air. Ronin tosses some shurikens at the beast which explode into ice upon contact, but doesn't do much to hinder its progress. Then the Boy Wonder pulls a couple of grenades from his belt and throws them at Fire's feet. They throw up a wall of smoke when they blow and Raven flies through it all.
Raven "Flames can't spread if there's nothing to burn. Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"
Her spell uproots several trees, taking them out of the path of the monster.
Robin: "Good idea, Raven. Beast Boy! Starfire! Help her out!"
The two called out to put on a burst of speed, and Beast Boy turns into a Buffalo to deliver a crushing headbutt against the bade of a tree. It topples into a row of others and brings them all down. Meanwhile, Starfire takes up a position high above the boughs and throws a starbolt that blows another clump of old growth to matchwood. Then, with his cannon ready, Cyborg leaps toward Fire and lets go with a terrific blast when he lands. It skins the ground and throws up a wall of dirt into the beast's face. It was a large-scale equivalent of dumping sand on a campfire to put it out.
It takes some time for the view to begin to clear, and Fire is nowhere in sight among the dust clouds. Beast Boy is back in his human form.
Beast Boy: "Is he out?"
In front of the murky air, Fire stands up to answer Beast Boy's question. He was still blazing, and now roaring mad.
Raven: "You had to ask."
As it screeches some more, Robin runs up for a closer look and then spots the sorcerer who is grinning maliciously. The Boy Wonder then starts to put it all together and looks over at Ronin who was looking at the man as well. The ninja turns to him and they both nod. As this happens, Thunder and Lightning stand behind the sorcerer.
Sorcerer: "Go, young masters. Fire is your creation. They have no right to destroy your fun."
Lightning: "Yes! We must fight!"
Thunder: "But, brother--"
Lightning: "Do not annoy me with your foolish concerns! Come!"
The blue brother thinks it over for a moment, and both of them disappear in a flash of light. The sorcerer turns away from the spot where they stood and spreads his arms, laughing in triumph. However, it dies on his lips as Robin and Ronin's unified battle cries are heard from a close distance. The Titans' leader and his second-in-command sail across the clearing and land a double flying kick that sends the old man's staff spiraling through the air. It sticks in the ground, walking end down, and Robin lands next to it while Ronin landed a few yards away from the sorcerer. However, the thing pulls loose and sails back into the old man's hand.
The tense seconds pass as the three face off. Then the sorcerer finally breaks the silence.
Sorcerer: "Robin and the Ronin. We meet at last."
Robin: "Who are you?"
Ronin: "Do we know you?"
There is no answer, except for the old man spinning his staff around himself. Robin and Ronin then charge and they hurl themselves at their enemy as Fire moves closer to the city.
Raven: "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"
In midflight, Raven targets the creature itself this time and a stream of black energy pours from her hands against the giant's form and stops it in its tracks. When she relents, its flames have gone out, leaving the body black and smoking. However, the surface of its skin begins to crack all over, and finally the creature lights up again and Raven gasps in shock. Fire slams its fists together and creates a pyrotechnic shockwave that blasts away all the trees within several dozen yards. Raven and Cyborg are also thrown back by the overpressure.
Starfire and Raven land and start to help Cyborg up, but before they can get him upright, a lightning bolt flashes down and knocks all three even farther away. The brothers descend to the clearing, and Lightning warms up his hands and advances while Thunder stays put and gets ready to attack. Before he can throw that curveball, though, Beast Boy, as a tiger, steps into view before him.
Thunder: "Stand aside, green one."
Said green one just roars. The two then charge at one another, but before any blows can land, violet smoke boils up and covers the view. When it clears, we are in the middle of a bank of clouds in this color. Thunder is among them, but his body is largely in shadow and Beast Boy is in a similar manner. The entire view shimmers and wavers somewhat, and the two voices echo slightly.
Thunder: "I do not wish to harm you."
Beast Boy: "But you want to destroy homes and innocent lives?"
Thunder: "No."
Beast Boy: "Then what are you fighting for?"
Thunder: "My brother and I... the old one says we are unique, gifted, better."
Beast Biy: "Gifts don't make you better, just different. It's how you use them that counts."
Thunder turns this over in his mind a bit. Meanwhile, Lightning stands over Starfire with a sparking hand.
Lightning: "It seems your power has its limit. But mine has none."
The yellow brother gets ready to light the Tamaranean up like a Christmas tree, but before he can do so, a blast from Thunder plows him away. Starfire then comes to and looks in the direction of the shot to see Thunder pushing over a charred tree as he steps up, and Lightning gets to his feet.
Lightning: "You betray me?"
Thunder: "We have done wrong, my brother. Our fun must stop."
Lightning: "No one commands Lightning... not even Thunder!"
He throws a wide beam, and the impact sends Thunder tumbling among the trees.
Meanwhile, Robin and Ronin continue their melee with the sorcerer as the mountain burns all around them. Slowly but steadily, the two Titans retreat downhill before their attacker swings. Soon, though, they hold their ground and block one strike after a other, then they both sidestep when the upper end of the staff is jabbed at them. It hits a tree and sends a wisp of smoke as if it were a red-hot branding iron. Then both Robin and Ronin land a unified punch that sends the sorcerer back, and the old man grimaces at them.
Back at the mountainside, Fire continues its inexorable advance toward the lower houses as the other four Titans gather to watch. Beast Boy is back in human form.
Cyborg: "Those houses go, the whole city could go. We gotta stop that fire!"
Raven: "How?"
Cyborg: "Any way we can."
They run down the slope as Lightning throws a bolt out ahead at Thunder. The electricity washes over him and hurls him back against a wall of rock. He slides down to a sitting position and groans wearily. Looking up, he finds his brother standing over his and readt to unload a king-size shock at point-blank range.
Thunder: "Tell me, brother, are we still having fun?"
Finally, Lightning's conscience gets to him and the sparks in his hand fade away.
Lightning: "No..."
Thunder: "Observe."
The blue brother points over to Fire descending the down the mountain towards the houses. It is hit in the face with a sudden torrent of water, accompanied by an elephant's trumpet. Raven is casting a spell to hold the flames back, Beast Boy, as the pachyderm, is spraying water from his trunk, and Cyborg has opened a fire hydrant. Starfire descends among them.
Thunder: "They also have gifts, but they use them for good, while we waste ours on dangerous fun." *puts hand on Lightning's shoulder* "If we are so special, brother, let us act special. We must help."
Lightning: "But how? Our gifts can only destroy."
Thunder: "True. But together we have another gift."
They are gone in a flash of light, ascending into the clouds above. When they have vanished from sight, a blast of lightning is seen from within. The four Titans find themselves staring at the mountin in flames and a walking inferno that has not let up one bit despite their best efforts. It towers over them and roars.
In the clouds above, Thunder strikes them with sticks and Lightning directs his hands here and there, producing the same effects as before, and a driving rain begins as tbe result of combining their talents. Back at the ground, Fire looks up in alarm at the downpour, then screams in agony as its flames go out in a thick wall of brown smoke. When the view clears, there is. Nothing left but a few piles of ashes. Everyone but Raven cheers wildly.
Meanwhile, back up on the mountainside, the sorcerer has kicked Robin into a tree and then caught the front of Ronin's gi. He hoists him up.
Sorcerer: "Is that the best you can do? I thought your mother and the League taught you better, Y/n L/n. Or should I say... a--?"
The sorcerer doesn't have time to finish what he was saying. The Ronin grabs the man's arm and goes in for a mighty headbutt as a flash of lightning goes off. The resulting action makes the sorcerer let him go and stumble away with a mighty crack resounding from his face, and Ronin drops to the ground in a crouch. He then looks back at the robed man who had a hand over his face, and then he brings it down to reveal that it was only a mask that was damaged from the strike. Most of the left side has fallen away, and underneath is a smooth expanse of red-orange metal with a narrow slit for the eye. The last remaining pieces come loose to fully expose that half of Slade's still concealed face. The ninja gasps in shock and stares, frozen in place, and after a long moment, the mastermind disappears in a blast of smoke. When the view clears, Slade was gone.
Robin runs over to his teammate and helps him to his feet.
Robin: "You alright?"
Ronin: "Yeah. Just fine."
The ninja wasn't paying much attention to his fellow Titan, though. He was staring at the metal disk left on the ground with the stylized S on it. He picks it up for a closer look and regards it thoughtfully. Both he and Robin knew who it belonged to.
Robin and Ronin: "Slade."
Back at the street below, the other four Titans were still celebrating. Beast Boy has his tongue out to catch the raindrops and laughs.
Beast Boy: "Ah, yeah!"
Cyborg: "That's what I mean! Very nice!"
Beast Boy turns away from the street and sees Thunder and Lightning coming down from the mountain. He crosses to them as Lightning looks away, showing very clearly that he would rather be doing anything else right now.
Thunder: *bows* "I am sorry for the trouble we have made."
He then nudges his brother, who faces forward. He then bows as well.
Lightning: "I am... also sorry."
Thunder then stands upright again with his brother, and the blue brother shakes hands with Beast Boy.
Thunder: "You have taught us much, green one. Thank you."
Beast Boy: "Don't thank me. Thank the person who taught me."
He motions over to Starfire, and she steps forward. She and the brothers bow to each other.
Starfire: "And thank you for helping to defeat the flame monster."
Time: Morning
Location: Titans Tower
It was the sunrise of the next day, the clouds have broken, and a rainbow stretches up from the horizon behind the Tower. Inside, the entire team stand on a ride overlooking Jump City. Y/n hands Slade's talisman to Cyborg so he can give it a look over.
Cyborg: "So, Slade wants to destroy the city. Question is, why?"
Robin: "I don't know, but I will find out, and he won't get away with it."
Meanwhile, Beast Boy comes up behind Starfire.
Beast Boy: "So... am I, you know... still a clorbag?"
Starfire: "Mmm, no. I believe you are more of a... milnip wusserloop."
Not being too fluent in Tamaranean, Beast Boy does not know what to make of this label for a moment. Bewilderment quickly gives way to a big grin, though. He begins to dance.
Beast Boy: "SWEET! Go, Beast Boy! I'm a milnip! Who's you're wusserloop? Huh?"
He stops dancing, finally a bit puzzled.
Beast Boy: "That is a good thing... right, Star?"
She just giggles and flies off. Raven also leaves with Cyborg as Beast Boy chases after the Tamaranean.
Beast Boy: "Star?"
Robin watches this with Y/n and chuckles at this. However, when he looks over at his fellow Titan, his smile drops. The Arab-American's face held a look of heavy thought mixed with anger and confusion.
Robin: "You alright, Y/n?"
Y/n: "Slade.... he knew who I was."
Robin: "Well, yeah. You're the Ronin."
Y/n: "No, I mean me. My name. My true name. He didn't say it since I stopped him before he could... but he knows."
Robin: "Wh-what? But how did he find out?"
Y/n shakes his head, not knowing himself.
Y/n: "I don't know. But I'll find out. And when I do... sawf yatamanaa law lam yafeal dhalika (he will wish he hadn't)."
He walks off, leaving Robin to his own thoughts of shock and confusion.