Inside the psychic arena, Titan was priming to overpower the final three that remained: Jane, Ryan, and Johnny. Before he could enact his sinister plan, there resonated a thunderous, ear-splitting snap. Titan's mind ripped away from theirs, liberating them from his psychic clutches. Sam and Dustin had forced him out, leading to the demise of the imaginary world he had constructed.
As the illusionary surroundings vanished, the team regained their eyesight and full mobility.
Back in reality, Titan glared furiously at the brothers. "Impressive," he growled. Titan, standing, was not deterred by their narrow escape. Johnny, Jane, and Ryan collapsed to the floor. Justice stood close by. "Your minds," Titan continued, "I was wrong. Much, much more resilient than I had thought." These kids were starting to be like a fly that dodges every swat.
"Thanks, guys," Ryan said to the brothers. "Owe you one."
"Yeah," Johnny added. "Thanks." Coughing, Johnny helped Jane up. "Like I said, Titan, déjà vu."
"Yeah, what he said," Ryan affirmed.
"Let us finish this," Titan said. "Today, you will be mine, and we will all bring about the Justification."
Johnny smirked. He sprinted full speed and socked Titan in the chest with an elbow and kicked the leg, collapsing him to one knee. The size difference brought to mind David and Goliath perfectly. Despite his size, Titan responded like a lightweight boxer and grabbed Johnny, throwing him into the ground like a ragdoll.
Justice acted as soon as the first attack was thrown. Six against two. In the corner, Sonovan waited for the proper moment.
On the ground, Johnny screamed, "Ryan, watch out!" Justice leapt and attempted to light him aflame, but Ryan dodged the attack. Justice continued to relentlessly blast fireballs at him and Ryan continued to parry the attacks, the flame-balls bouncing off in all directions.
Jane, standing next to Ryan, focused and pulled Justice out of the air and to the ground. Unfortunately, she got up uninjured and even more pissed off than before.
"You will all kneel!" Titan bellowed.
"Sam! Go! Ryan! Go!" Johnny directed.
Sam shot ice blasts, but to no avail. Titan pushed them aside with his power. Johnny attempted to sprint, but Titan telekinetically stopped him mid-stride. "Slow down, Sparks," he spat. Before he could break Johnny into two pieces, Ryan sprinted and tackled Titan. The impact slammed Titan into the ground. Seeing his face unprotected, Ryan punched Titan over and over. His hand reached back to rip the wire out of Titan's head, but he was too late.
Mind on overdrive, Titan telekinetically pushed Ryan off him and let him dangle in the air. He was nearly crushed under Titan's mental grip.
Johnny had seen it unfold, and rushed to help. Titan saw him coming and back-kicked him. Johnny flew across the room. Hearing Ryan scream, Dustin turned and yelled, "I got you!" The air accelerated into a focused tornado, which blew Titan off his feet.
Ryan fell to the ground, but stood back up, rage filling his vision. "You're dead," he spat.
The two fought hand-to-hand. Titan unleashed a flurry of elbows and strikes on Ryan, who covered and dodged like a boxer. Then Titan executed a ridge hand, which was succeeded immediately by a spinning hook-kick, truly a sight to behold given the size of the Emperor of the Tetra. Ryan ducked, and, recognizing an opening once again, employed the lesson he had been taught. Shoulders square, he pushed off his back leg and smashed into Titan, causing him to lose balance. He followed it up with a spinning side-kick, then finished the combo with a 360-degree jump round kick, his metal foot smashing into Titan's face. Titan flew into the air but landed on both feet, spitting out a few drops of blood.
Although presently invisible, Sonovan beamed—his training was being put to good use. Ryan recognized an opening to unhook the cord that connected to his head. "Take this, you tall bastard! Johnny, do it!"
Titan had turned in time and elbowed Ryan in the ribs. The strike sent him crashing onto the impossibly clean, mirror-like floor. "You are nearly as powerful as I, Slade," he said, "but not enough."
Sam seized the chance and froze Titan on the spot. The ice crept up his leg and began to engulf his body.
Meanwhile, Justice was dealing with Jane and Dustin. Every attack Justice threw was pushed away by air. For her, it was frustrating. That was obvious due to the excessive number of growls. She was almost animalistic in her behavior.
Jane stepped in front of him to shove her back. Instead, Justice jumped over both of them and landed behind their shoulders. She kicked Dustin and spun into yet another side-kick onto Jane's back. Jane flew into Dustin at a high speed.
Titan, frozen on the ground and vulnerable, bellowed, "Justice!"
She rotated her head and saw Titan in ice. Instinctively, she blasted him with a dose of pure fire, melting his icy prison. Telekinesis did the rest, and the frozen shards floated from his body.
Johnny advanced in earnest, aiming for the wire, but Titan was ready once again. "No, you will never succeed, Sparks," he replied, grabbing Johnny by the throat.
With the distraction, Ryan and Sam attempted to attack again. Ryan leapt from his position and would have landed a punch if Titan had not stopped them both; one hand stopping Ryan, the other Sam. He shoved them to the floor once again.
Johnny, Sam, and Ryan attempted another attack, but it was too late. Titan raised his arms, and along with them, a clear, telekinetic shield formed around his body, impervious to any melee attack. They were repelled like mosquitoes.
Jane got up and froze Justice. She also shoved Titan away from her compatriots. Dustin mimicked her by causing a hurricane-force stream of air on Titan and Justice. She slammed into the glass, and so did Titan. He grunted from the pain, and the indignity of being caught off guard. Not even his telekinetic shield could protect him from a focused blast such as that.
Their will is very strong, he perceived. After all, they had nearly broken through my own mind—though they are not strong enough to tread the full distance. Not yet, at least.
Jane again latched onto Titan. Her first idea was to face plant him into the floor.
"Your power is not strong enough," he replied. Her eyes widened and his hand rose. "Strong, but not strong enough. You are nothing without the Ooris gifted to you—nothing." Jane rose into the air with the motion of his hand. She shrieked as the force upon her neck increased drastically. Only seconds would pass before it crossed the threshold into fatality.
"No!" Johnny screamed. His body reacted to the adrenaline, catapulting him into Titan. It was a sufficient impact. Titan slammed into the glass again, but it still held fast.
Johnny relied on his reflexes and instincts alone from this point on. His reverse and hook punches, as well as a slew of roundhouse, hook, and front kicks were smooth and quick, and they did what he needed. After a rapid flurry of blows, he slid through Titan's legs and to the opposite side.
Sam was busy with Justice. At one point, the fight was a stalemate, but that quickly altered. Her anger burned like the fire she discharged as she floated high above the floor. She released her fiery attacks momentarily, and without warning, her feet pounded into the ground, closely followed by her fist. The force of the impact sent them both into the wall. It also lit the spot she had vacated in flames.
Nobly walking through the fire, she smiled to herself. "Yes, I am stronger," she growled. "There is only Justice."
Ryan utilized Titan's distraction. Dustin joined forces with him, pushing Ryan through the air as Ryan executed a flying side-kick on Titan's shoulder.
Titan once again flew into the glass barrier. The three heroes stood shoulder-to-shoulder and smirked at him.
"Not so powerful now, are you?" quipped Johnny.
The pain surged through Titan, but he relished in it. Hatred is a strong motivator. He stood and limped toward them and began to channel an extreme amount of Ooris. He would definitely feel the impact of this later.
The team focused all their powers onto Titan, yet each blast, kick, and punch bounced off an invisible shield that surrounded the dark lord. He pushed through, gaining ground with every second that passed.
"Enough!" he roared.
The heroes never felt this form of force. It inhibited their every move. Even Sam and Jane were thrust from the ground and into the air. No one was safe.
Justice walked to her master. He stomped forward, pushing their helpless bodies into the back wall, adjacent the main door and pinning them there.
"Don't you see? You are powerful! You can join me, and we can rule for eternity! I do not want to hurt the humans! I want to save them!" he shouted in emotion, balling his fist.
"You won't!" Johnny retorted, unable to wipe off the blood trickling down his cheek. But his healing factor had that covered.
"Oh yes? And who will stop me? What being will prohibit me from accomplishing this? Please, let me know his name! I must find him or her. Is it you? How about Sonovan?"
"It is us! All of us."
"Why can you not understand? Pathetic. Listen to me now. Despite humanity's assumption that the universe is a mistake, I refuse to believe everything rose from a mistake in nothingness. What would that lead to, you ask? Ironically, my intellect has brought me to one conclusion: someone created all this. Unfortunately, this creator no longer cares for its creation and has placed the burden upon me to enforce justice and order on the universe that it designed. I will bring the Justification.
"Extraordinary measures require extraordinary wills. Pure justice ignores ethics. If someone prevents true justice from being carried out, prevent them from breathing."
"A creator would never choose someone as vile as you to police the universe," Johnny retorted, still bound to the wall.
"I beg to differ. Listen, here is what will transpire: I will restrain you long enough so that you can be thrown in the Dragonstone cage, where you will stay until I enact the Justification."
"No!" Johnny answered.
"Sonovan will stop you!" Sam added.
"What the hell is Dragonstone?!" Ryan blurted.
Titan did not answer, but deflected. "Now that we mention him, where is Sonovan? Too scared to come himself? Still wallowing in his defeat?" But then, he felt something in his very being. Titan halted in his discourse.
"Not anymore, for what you say will never happen. I've been reborn." It was Sonovan Lung, coming up to Titan from behind. He unfastened the invisibility apparatus from his chest and it fell to the floor like a discarded backpack. "And this time, my eyes are fully set not on your death—but destiny—our destiny."
For a short while, no one said a word. Titan and Sonovan glared at one another, each studying the other's expression and holding a scowl. One set of eyes burned crimson and the other angelic, and both were locked in a hellish staring contest.
"Greetings again, Sonovan," Titan hissed. "Time has certainly affected you. Was I correct? Is torture of the soul, the mind, and the spirit worse than torture of the body?"
"Yes, you were," Sonovan replied. "But I know of something stronger than you—far stronger. Friendship. If I had known then what I know now, I would have done so many things differently."
"I am impressed with your students. They have learned much. Nevertheless, it is all for naught."
"Thank you. I have primed them just to defeat you."
Titan let out a deep chuckle and shook his head. "Time has not humbled you. Fascinating."
"No, but it has taught me many things. Unfortunately, Orslon never taught his skill in distraction to me. But time and solitude did."
Now had arrived the time to flaunt a new ability he had learned through the centuries. Ooris coursed through his already permeated, shrouded body, into his arms. It discharged from his fingertips, the dark-colored energy rocketing out of him like a blaster. The sudden attack was so quick that not even Titan had perceived it from Sonovan's mind. Titan stumbled back, dazed. In consequence, the others were released from their imprisonment and fell.
Justice screamed in fury and ran to strike them down where they stood. Having known she would resort to a battle, Johnny acted at last—determined to even the playing field and set the score. He sprinted as fast as he could towards Titan, who had not yet created another telekinetic shield around himself. His surroundings moved in extreme of slow motion as he passed by Justice and found the connection on Titan's head.
"I will never slow down," Johnny said, as if responding to the comment Titan had made earlier.
He ripped the now-single cord from Titan's head, and Titan collapsed. "No!" he bellowed. Justice fainted like a deck of cards.
Strange sounds were heard from Titan's mechanical armor. His bright red eyes rolled back into snow white, and then turned black. "No!" he screamed again. "Revenge!" A clear wave of energy emerged from Titan's head.
"Oh shit!" Ryan exclaimed. He ran to Justice and picked her up into his arms. "Guys! Go!"
It was too late. The wave exploded, blowing Sonovan and the others in every direction. "This is not the end!" Titan cried. A blue sphere of energy encompassed Titan as he crouched there on his knees.
The shock slammed everyone into their surroundings, hard enough to knock them unconscious. Everyone, that is, except for good old Ryan Slade. Johnny Sparks had taken the most brutal hit. His right leg had broken, and he too, slid into unconsciousness. Ryan ran over to help him, but as he inspected the injury, Johnny's body began to repair itself. Multi-colored energy wisped around his feet and knees.
"Whoa," Ryan admired. "That's sick." Though Johnny was still out cold, only a few minutes elapsed before the leg had fully repaired itself. Ryan stood and took in the scene. Everyone was out like a light, or at least partially incapacitated. Sparks rained down from the ceiling, and some areas were on fire. He could now hear the sirens buzzing throughout the ship.
"Oh crap."
Running over to the others, he tried slapping them awake, and thankfully, this worked. Sonovan was first to awaken. "Oh, good. At least you're alive." Sonovan helped him in waking the others from their slumber. Thankfully, Jane had landed on Justice's body, which shielded her from the worst of the impact. The suits also did a fantastic job of absorbing hits.
Only Justice, or Rose, had not awakened.
"My everything is killing me," Sam complained.
"Join the club," Dustin replied, trying to snap his own back.
"Jane, are you all right?" Johnny asked her. He didn't even know his leg had been broken.
She held her arm, which felt numb. "I will be . . . we all will."
"Does this mean Rose is ours again?" Ryan asked Sonovan.
"Likely," Sonovan replied. He smiled.
Ryan glanced down at her unconscious body and beamed. He fixed the hair which had been blown across her face.
"You're ours again," he said.
Dustin patted him on the back. "I ship it."
"So do I," Sam replied, "Even though it cost me one hundred bucks."
They looked over to see Titan's sphere still covering his body. "Let me guess, we can't punch through that."
"You are correct," replied Sonovan. "It is a consequence of the beating his armor took. That is its last resort."
"I . . . don't think we will last another bout with him," Sam groaned, trying to breathe in deep to quench the pain.
"We have to," Johnny replied. "We have come this far. Now is not the time to quit. But . . . how did you guys overcome him inside that place? How did you do that?" Johnny looked at the brothers in wonder.
Sam rubbed the back of his neck, motioning to Sonovan. "He's a great motivator."
Sirens rang throughout the ship. Solis was on his way up. He had been ordered to pilot the Titan when the group was brought aboard.
"We had better get out of here," Ryan asserted.
"Yeah, and like right now," Dustin added.
"Looks like we will have to fight our way out," Ryan replied.
"Yeah, leave that to us," Johnny responded. "Sam, Dustin, and I will do it."
"What about me?" Jane asked.
Johnny glanced at her and winked. "You just look cute and sit tight."
"Wow, I never knew you had an ounce of flirtation in you, Johnny!" Dustin exclaimed. "Plus, I'd watch it if I were you. She kicked more ass than you did."
"Th-That was not a flirt!" Johnny said.
"Yeah it was," Dustin retorted.
"Nope."
"Yep."
"Nope."
"Yep."
Sonovan's eyes alternated between the two as they began to bicker with one another. Ryan rolled his eyes. "Oh my God, shut up! Let's go!"
"I have set up a ship for us," Sonovan started. "Its code name is ST12. It is ready in Bay 1."
"Well! Why didn't you say so?" Sam chuckled.
"Wait, where will we be going?"
"Back to Herook," Sonovan answered.
"Oh, great. Back to Herook. Just where we wanted to go. Can't we go anywhere else?"
Sonovan shook his head. "Unfortunately, we must pick up necessities that I have left. Have faith, Ryan. Have faith."
Dustin spoke into Aurora. "Take me to Bay 1 and the ship ST12."
"Enjoy," was the reply.
As always, a sphere rose from the floor. "There's our taxi." They jumped through and landed contiguous to the ST12. The craft's shape was similar to the one Ledarius took them in, except marginally smaller.
"Get in," Sonovan commanded. "I remember how to operate these."
Without a second thought, the heroes, having barely escaped with their lives, boarded the craft. "Buckle up," he directed. The buckles were illuminated yellow restraints that wrapped around their sternum, shoulders, and legs.
The craft jolted to life and Sonovan took off. Soldiers passing were startled to see the ST12 flying, since it had been decommissioned only days prior.
Nothing could be done, though, as the ship swiftly exited the energy field that barred the ship's atmosphere from space.
Sonovan piloted the craft through a short distance of space, and within minutes, they were already in Herook. The hideout was visible only a few miles away.
"There is our destination," Dustin pointed. "Again."
ST12 parked at the base of the mountain. "Wow, didn't think I'd see this place again," Sam said.
"Yeah, you could say I was pessimistic," Dustin added. At the same time, his brother activated another portal to the hideout.
"But you guys saved our asses," Johnny replied. "I never knew you could be so brave. I owe you one. We all owe you one."
"Thanks Johnny," replied the brothers simultaneously. "But you can thank Sonovan for that."
"Don't thank me," the said man replied as the wormhole rose from the ground. "I only fuel you. What you do with the fuel is yours to decide."
Back in the hideout, Ryan laid Rose on the floor. Her hair fell to her shoulders in a wild mane. He checked her pulse, and to his joy, it beat steadily. Ryan caressed her hair. "You're ours again," he said.
"Great, so we're alive. What do we do now?" Dustin asked. "I got beat to a pulp by both of them, so I need rest."
Sonovan shook his head in response. "We cannot. The Titan has undeniably already tracked us here. I have been here for ages, but it is no longer a safe refuge. Time is of the essence now. Come with me, all of you. I have a serum which will accelerate your healing factor."
"You have that?" Ryan replied.
"Yes, and I have not used them," Sonovan answered. "About thirty vials are inside their containers, given to me by a woman on the planet Frontin. Pure Ooris."
* * *
Solis and an entire squadron made their way up to the throne room. He had been ordered by Titan himself to stay away from the potential conflict but the pungent smell of fire that permeated the air was difficult to miss. Once he entered, he was shocked. Titan was surrounded by an energy field but on his knees. The ceiling was destroyed, and Justice? Nowhere to be found.
"What happened here?" one soldier garbled.
Solis furrowed his brow underneath the helmet. "Where did they go?"
"I thought you knew," one said.
"You don't know where they went?" Solis retorted, his voice static and dark.
"No, my liege, we don't. They just . . . disappeared."
"How?" Solis replied.
"Like I said, I do not know."
"Well, find out, soldier," Solis commanded. "Now."
"Yes, my liege."
"And the rest of you can leave," Solis commanded. "But prepare my Nightkillers." The elevator door closed and Solis was left in the room alone. Hesitantly scanning the scene, he shouted, "Argh! Why?!" in frustration. "I thought you were more powerful, Titan."