Fan Fiction ❯ Phoenix's Rise ❯ Chrome-Dome ( Chapter 24 )

Chapter 24

Chrome-Dome

The robber stopped as he tried to make away with several bags of money. “Ready for round ten, Titans?” He was in his late teens. His skin was the color of chrome, and his hair looked like spiked, ragged iron. He wore a suit of chain mail and leather armor.

“Did he just say round ten?” Phoenix asked.

“Yah, but every ‘round’ ends with him running away empty handed.” Robin explained.

“Maybe, but that’s not how it’s going to end up this time . . . even though you’ve managed to recruit a few new losers.” Chrome-Dome laughed evilly.

“For your information, I’m not new.” Terra snarled.

“Same here. You’re going down!” Phoenix added, her hair threatening to burst into flames.

“I doubt that.” Chrome-Dome spat back.

“Titans, go!” Robin shouted, and leapt at the villain. He had his staff ready to bash Chrome-Dome’s head in.

“Aw, come on! You’re going to try to use a metal stick . . . against ME?” The metal teen blocked the blow, and then Robin’s staff seemed to develop a mind of it’s own, and decided that it was about time that he got a beating.

Cyborg, Starfire, and Lightfire tried to combine a sonic-cannon blast and two sets of eye beams, but the attacks were deflected, and sent back ‘return to sender’.

Phoenix began to have a sinking feeling. One of the Guardians was supposed to have metal powers, and this guy obviously fit the requirements. Please don’t let me be right. Phoenix prayed as she charged her necklace. Find the Metal-Guardian. Unfortunately, the crystal began to pull extremely hard in Chrome-Dome’s direction.

“What’s wrong, Phoenix?” Raven asked as she saw the displeasure on Phoenix’s face.

“He’s the Metal-Guardian.” Phoenix stated simply, as she formed a huge bubble of fire around Chrome-Dome.

“What do you think you’re doing? Why are you protecting him?” Beast Boy asked after being unable to stop fast enough, bashing into the barrier, and hurting himself.

“I’m not protecting him.” She squeezed the bubble tighter. “I’m just going to heat things up a bit.” The bubble became smaller still.

“Let me out! It’s too hot! I’m going to melt soon!” Chrome-Dome pounded on the wall. “Please . . . I’ll do whatever you say . . . just let me out!”

With a cold expression on her face, Phoenix released the criminal. “You’re a disgrace. I can’t believe that out of all of the people in this world . . . you were chosen to be a Guardian. You’ve been chosen to help protect human-kind, and here you are . . . doing this . . . for your selfish wants.” The Titans watched Phoenix silently. They’d never seen her so emotionless, but at the same time . . . so bursting with anger and hate.

“What are you talking about? I’m not a guardian of anything except myself. You’re just a crazy little girl.” Chrome-Dome got up from the sidewalk, where he’d been dropped. “You’re all just a bunch of shmucks.”

Phoenix snarled and formed another bubble around Chrome-Dome, rapidly shrinking it so small that his skin began to glow orange from the heat. “Protecting innocent people is not being a ‘shmuck’. If anything, it’s being stronger than anyone or anything else. Risking your well-being to help keep people like you safe isn’t a weakness!”

Thinking quickly, Aqualad pulled all of the water he could handle from a near-by fountain and brought it down over Phoenix, like a huge tidal wave. Steam hissed, and rose into the sky, leaving the Fire and Metal-Guardians unconscious. “Don’t get mad at me, Robin. She needed to stop, before we wound up with a puddle of molten villain in the middle of Main Street.”

Robin sighed. “You did the right thing. We’ll take both of them back to the Tower, but Phoenix isn’t going to learn that he’s there . . . right?” Everyone nodded. “The one thing we really don’t need is for her to go crazy and destroy the Tower. We’ll also need to convince Chrome-Dome to straighten up his act . . . or else you Guardians will never be at full strength.”