Fan Fiction ❯ Memories ❯ Chapter 7 ( Chapter 7 )

Sorry for the HUGE time gap between chapters. This semester has been hellish. I'll have more spare time coming though, so maybe I can get more out.

 

By the way, I don't own Teen Titans, etc. Raelin is, however, all mine. Try to take her and I'll bust your knee caps. : )

 

Blows landed on her leaving bruises in their wake. Her arms ached, throbbed painfully. The rushing of blood in her ears was distracting, just as the taste of it in her mouth was.

 

“Give it up.” Her voice was cracked and grainy. Hours of battle will do that. “You can't win.”

 

“Yes I can.” The female voice boomed in her mind. She felt the women prepare for another attack so she took the split second to fortify her mental defenses. It didn't matter, the fight weakened them so much that when her opponent hurled her mind towards her she crashed right through. She could feel claws tearing at her, ripping her mind to shreds…

 

Raelin sat bolt upright, sending a blanket on a one way trip into a wall. She sat there panting as she tried to get her racing heart under control. Already the nightmare was beginning to fade from her memory, no matter how hard she tried to cling to it. Though it shook her to her core, she had a feeling it was more than just a dream. Perhaps it had something to do with her memory?

 

I'm still in Raven's room. … IDIOT. How do I manage to be such a pain in the ass?! Thankfully the blue caped woman wasn't in the room to see her cheeks flush scarlet. I can't believe I fell asleep when I was meditating. I can't believe Raven didn't wake me up and kick me out of her room. I… I can't believe I'm still sitting here feeling like a fool. Get a grip!

 

She retrieved the blanket from its crumpled position on the floor opposite her, folded it as neatly as she could and placed it on top of Raven's bed. Feeling some sort of apology was needed and after a good deal of flying, she went off in search of the tiny woman.

 

But the caped woman was nowhere to be found within the Tower. Nor her menagerie of friends.

 

I'll find them later. My wings… So cramped. Time to fly.

 

Finding the quickest way out of the Tower was no issue; exits were everywhere, clearly stamped with a large neon red sign over each one. Not to mention the large windows she could have crawled through if the need arose.

 

Stepping outside into the crisp spring air was like… Like a prisoner sentenced to years in solitary walking into a large crowd of people after their release. A huge rush of relief sang through her entire being as she opened her expansive wings and stretched them as far as they could reach. Every slight breeze that wafted through caught in them, struggled and while doing so lifted her a little higher and higher off the ground. After a few great flaps she was far above the Tower, far above the earth and just a few whispers beneath any gods.

 

After a little time passed of complete flying ecstasy she forced herself to the task that she had yet to do. If the Titans weren't inside then logic dictated they must be outside.

 

Outside is a broad term. Where could they be? Slowly, carefully, she opened her mind to receive their thoughts. To open her mind too quickly after such a brutal assault only days before could be disastrous or worse.

 

She felt them. Tiny droplets of familiarity amidst a sea of strangers. These tiny droplets, though, seemed to be distracted by something. Curious, she shifted her wings a little to change direction and followed the thoughts to their source.

 

She heard the sounds of battle before she saw it. Screaming, mechanical whirring, crashing, shouting and animal-like screeching. It was like something out of a cheesy sci-fi movie.

 

There.

 

In a dusty clearing not too terribly far away from the water's edge the Titans stood in a circle. Surrounding them were five extremely large robots, each with hands the size of Cyborg's head. Judging by the way the Titans watched them, they were just as powerful.

 

“Titans, GO!” Robin's grating voice barked out orders that his teammates followed silently, each going to their own target.

 

I must help them. They had done so much to help her, it seemed only natural that she return the favor.

 

Her resolution made, a curious transformation seemed to take place within her. All her thoughts became focused on her enemies, adrenaline coursed through her causing her pulse to race and yet her breathing slowed, deepened. Her long fingers flexed, clenched repeatedly as she circled close overhead the fight raging below her. Every fiber of her being was ready to join them, her very soul ready for battle.

 

Watch. Study your enemies and your chances of survival will increase dramatically.

 

The alien heeded the words of her inner voice, floating carefully above these huge robots. The Titans attacked, the robots defended and retaliated… She watched the battle below her for what seemed like an eternity, watching not only the robots but her allies as well. Raven had explained their powers briefly; it was an entirely different thing to see that in action.

 

Her eyes were drawn to the leader of the Titans, now trying to dent his opponent by repeatedly bashing it with his metal pole he called a weapon. It did nothing to the robot but cause it to take more swings at him which he narrowly dodged. “His only power,” Raven had told him with sarcasm thick in her voice, “is the ability to beat his enemies without getting injured.”

 

Folding her wings slightly she began her descent toward her enemies. So far none had given her any clues as to what their weakness was but they were slow. Perhaps she could use that to her advantage.

 

She fell quickly, silently towards the robot Robin fought against fruitlessly. It never saw her coming.

 

And then she smashed into its back.

 

She bounced off, feeling like a bird that ran head first into a window. The collision had made a sizable dent in the paneling that was its back but little else. She hadn't even managed to make it lose its balance, unlike her. The collision sent her sprawling backwards, splaying her legs and arms into the dirt until she came to a stop some scant feet behind it.

 

She stood quickly, sand crunching loudly beneath her feet. A few flaps of her wings sent her spiraling back up into the air, sending sand up after her. She looked down, hoping that Robin would have been intelligent enough to take the opportunity to retreat long enough to regroup with his teammates. No such luck; he was standing looking upward stupidly as the robot, still confused as to who had attacked it, tried to decide which opponent to attack first.

 

She circled above it, gaining speed while it was confused. When she was ready she made another dive, aiming for the large dent she made with her first attack. It wasn't much but so far it was the only weakness that she could see at the moment. Perhaps she could wrench the protective covering off, tear out some wiring, render it useless.

 

She was quick but it surprised her with a spurt of speed all its own. It side stepped and turned in one fluid movement she sailed just past it. She was caught off guard and it took full advantage, landing its heavy mallet of a hand in the middle of her back. She landed face first into the coarse sand, rolling a few times until she came to a complete stop.

 

Her body ached and screamed with pain where she was hit. The hard granules ground beneath her as she moved slowly and painfully to her feet again. All around her there was grunting and shouting; she thought she heard her name a few times but she blocked it out. Her focus now was on her opponent, her enemy.

 

The thing seemed to be entirely focused on her now, even with the Titan's fearless leader attempting to beat it into pulp. Its eyes, if you could call them that, glowed for an instant and a large red bolt of light sped toward her.

 

The strange light hit her squarely in the chest, sending her backwards a few feet. Staggering a little, she somehow managed to keep her balance and matched eyes with her opponent. Pain stung from the area of her chest, small tendrils of smoke curled in front of her vision but like everything else she ignored it.

 

She snapped her wings back, the feel of wind beneath them reassuring. As she did, the robot's eyes flashed red again and before the painful light hit her she flapped her wings, soaring her into the air while the bolt hit the ground where she had been. The combination of her wings and the projectile energy made the loose dust rise up in a small storm.

 

She circled above the chaos again, chest stinging painfully and back throbbing. Focus, a masculine voice seemed to tell her from her past. Focus on your enemy. Strategize. Pain nibbled naggingly at her self-control and like just about everything else that didn't have to do with her opponent, she ignored it.

 

Robotic eyes swiveled this way and that in their search for her. For whatever reason, it seemed that it couldn't find her. Maybe the dust is interfering with its sensors. Or… Maybe it doesn't have enough sense to look up. Recognizing her chance she attacked with the only tried and true method she had; throwing herself into its back.

 

Both she and the giant android fell to the ground. Vision swimming, she pounded her fists into its back. The dent became larger and soon she saw wires. Slipping her fingers underneath small cracks in its armor she pulled and yanked the panel off. She reached in, grabbed the delicate circuitry and smashed it for all she was worth.

 

It had tried to throw her off. Soon, it stopped moving underneath her.

 

Something within her roared her triumph. She felt the left side of her lips twitch upward. As she stood from her crouching position she murmured, “One down… Who's next?”