The End For Us [An Evil Sapphire Saga]

[Deleted]

I gave out a startled grunt as I was forcibly taken away by some sort of dark magic and already I had a feeling who was responsible for removing me from the upcoming fight. My eyes opened as soon as we landed and yep as I suspected the blue cloaked girl now stood before me and she did not look at all happy. I frowned as she started to yell at me. Great, more hero yelling just like when I was with Hero’s Inc. I sighed at her as I expected to hear a long, blown out lecture, but to my great surprise and relief none came. Still, I felt kind of bad. “Look, I’m sorry. I was seriously only trying to help. Guess, I’m not very good at that type of thing, huh? And yes, I am a telepath though it is not my fault! I mean I never wanted to be one,” I apologized. I then nodded at her request for me to follow her around and stay close. “Aye aye,” I said with a sigh as I proceeded to follow Raven down the hall, my glowing yellow eyes seemingly lighting up the dimly lit halls. I too was rather light on my feet, giving virtually no noise.

[Bry]

Raven moved silently through the dark halls, wondering which way to go. Robin had said to stay close, which insinuated Don't leave the building. But Sapphire wasn't here, and it didn't seem like any more members of the team were either.... So what was she supposed to do? Just chill in the halls and wait for the rest of them to clean up the mess with Slade?

Robin'd better have a good plan.... She'd need to talk with him after all this was over and done with.

Reflecto was following behind her and apologizing, which she figured was better than if he was following behind and resisting orders, so she took it. Coming upon an intersection in the halls and noting absolutely no one was around, she turned around to face him, replied in a whisper.

"I realize you were trying to help, Relfecto," she began. "But part of helping, at least in a team, is trusting that sometimes the rest know better than you do. Part of helping the team is sucking up your pride and just doing what you're asked, regardless of whether you think it's right or not."

Like she was doing now.

Then something else he said registered in her head.

"Wait a sec.... You're a telepath?" She frowned at nothing in particular, finally realizing why there'd been such a lack of speech in the other room. He'd been chatting with the others' thoughts?

That was new.

"That's sorta what I meant when I asked you to give me a run down of your powers back at headquarters," she said, a little ticked, but not really caring to pursue it. Ah well, at least now she knew, though she was still a little hesitant to open her own thoughts to his. Maybe she was catching some of Robin's paranoia, but oh well. She was a Titan. Paranoia was written in the rulebooks, wasn't it?

[Deleted]

At her question I just frowned back at her. It sounded a lot like an accusation the way she asked. Still, I already spilled the beans, so there was no use in denying it. I nodded. “Yes, I am though it is as I had said I never wanted all this; which was why I didn’t say anything to you before about it. I never wanted this! For many years I have it remained dormant inside of me and now it seems it wants to come right back out again. No doubt it thinks we need a telepath to win this fight. But I don’t know what good it will do. Already, I have tried to hack into Slade’s mind, trying my best to pierce my way thru into his stupid thoughts. Obviously, I couldn’t do it. He had some type of…mental wall or something; which I find…odd. I’m a wild card. He was not expecting me therefore he would not have expected a telepath to show up to face him. So, why he already has a mental wall up I do not know. I wish I could have done it, found something, some way to defeat him like a weakness or something,” I explained as I continued to follow her. “I…don’t suppose you know of a weakness of his or some way I could exploit my telepathy to defeat him?” I asked her with a hopeful look.

[Deleted]

Sapphire found her way to Slade's lair while she knew he was still distracted, after all her earpiece allowed her to hear what was going on in Slade's location. she had flown as fast as she could but decided to enter via a backdoor so Slade couldn't initially see her. 

Placing her hand on the metal door, Sapphire felt her body grow hot enough to melt the door off. she stepped in the metal puddle and shot a fireball at Slade, turning his attention to her.

"you traitor!" Slade was beyond furious now. as soon as the changeling popped in he was 100% positive he had been lied to. he began to throw weapons at the computer, confident that the green runt would be unable to dodge them all.

"I may have betrayed you, but just look at what you've done to me." all her cuts and scars were visible, and she looked even more fatigued than usual.  a fireball went through the air, intercepting as many projectiles as she could without damaging the computer and sealing her fate. 

flipping her hair out of face, she slid the red hair clip in its rightful place and smirked. "I may wear your armor, but my heart is with the Teen Tians!"

[Deleted]

Sometimes he could be a little too noble for his own good.

The army of daggers Slade had sent his way took only moments to reach Beast Boy, but to him it felt as if they took a lifetime. As soon as Slade had released his weapons, the changeling knew he was presented with two options.

One: he could dodge as many of the projectiles as he could and escape with minimal damage while the computer got destroyed, possibly ending Sapphire's life. Or two: he could protect the computer, save Sapphire, and probably end up dying for his effort.

The time it took to arrive to a decision couldn't even be considered time at all. Shifting into an ankylosaur, Beast Boy's bulk managed to cover any area a dagger could pass through and possibly strike something important to the computer's survival.

His thick, scaly armor managed to protect some of his body from Slade's weapons. His club-like tail whacked another couple away from anything important, and Sapphire's fiery interjection managed to melt another few before they reached his body. However, that wasn't enough to save him.

The green ankylosaur's roar, which had started out defiant, grew high-pitched with pain. Several daggers had pierced through his thick limbs and in between cracks in his armor. One well-targeted missile was buried in between his shoulder blades near the base of his neck. Hot, steaming drops of scarlet dripped onto the floor as the ankylosaur began to tremble, his legs quickly losing strength. A low moan wheezed out from the injured changeling.

Beast Boy reverted to his human form, unable to retain his ankylosaur body due to his injuries. He swayed precariously to and fro, his Doom Patrol outfit stained with his own blood. He blinked slowly, as if not entirely understanding what was happened to him. His gaze began to grow distant, he breath shallow. Finally, with a small sigh, he collapsed.

[Deleted]

Sapphire didn't bother to think, as she rushed over to the unconscious green bean, next to the "God" of computers. It may have left her defenses wide open, but watching Beast Boy die, scared her. Cradling his body in her arm, with a gentleness she'd never had before, Sapphire placed her hands on his shoulders.

Withdrawing the sticky one, she found it covered in blood by a mere touch. Softly she whispered, though she was fairly certain the changeling couldn't hear her. "Beast Boy.... why?! "

She stared at his blank face, eyes following every line at the pained expression frozen in his face. Her eyes took a darker red, and she stood up after laying the boy down next to the computer, and hoping Batgirl or Robin would assist him while protecting the computer. Turning her anger towards Slade, she became her own flying projectile of 110% flames (due to some rising well above her small body.)

Slade, however, intercepted her. She cried out in pain as he threw her backwards, the computer being his target. Kill the girl with her own body, now that was delightfully evil. Slade made a mental note to attempt to hook Robin up to the same equipment, once the fiery fury was eliminated.

Sapphire caught herself in midair, thankful that her ears and tail were more than minor decoration. She landed on all fours then picked herself up again.

"Ungrateful Child!" Slade spat at her. "After everything I've done for you, you still want to be with the Teen Titans. How very persistent. You and I have a lot in common."

Sapphire's face dropped in shock. Did he say that to every apprentice? Did he really believe he and Sapphire were alike in any way?

"I. Am. NOTHING. Like You!" Okay losing her temper in an underground lair was a bad decision. Look at how it ended for Terra. Slade smirked though. Sometimes sacrifices had to be made for the good of the mission and Sapphire was another sacrifice. If he could not rely on an apprentice, let her die. It made no difference to him. He had the city. He had Robin.

Who was to stop him now?

[Bry]

Raven considered this, and her only answer was, "Some people don't wait for an attack before they put up a wall." His last question, however, brought on a bit more thought, and she furrowed her brow in concentration. Honestly, she had no idea was a telepath could do against Slade, especially not if the man already had his mind so heavily defended. Robin could use Reflecto to relay orders, but hadn't they already been doing that back in the room? Or maybe they could--

A loud heart-wrenching roar pierced through the stale air of the hallway, and Raven knew exactly who it was the moment she heard it. All thoughts of telepathy vanished from her mind, replaced with one thought, and one alone.

Beast Boy was in trouble.

Her head snapped around to look towards the door that led to Slade's lair. What could possibly have happened down there so quickly? After thinking they'd lost him once, in the initial aftermath of the firestorm, Raven was loathe to let it happen again. She turned to look at Reflecto as she spoke next.

"We're going back, prepare yourself for a fight." And then with a rush of her indigo cape through the air, Raven was charging back for the door, hopping deftly over the unconscious men littering the hallway as she went.

[Deleted]

I frowned at Raven’s answer. I knew very well that there were few people of this world who could maintain mental walls the entire time without breaking a sweat. “How unusual,” I mused. “That would be the direct result of enhanced intelligence,” I pointed out casually as though it was a normal, everyday thing. Being a lab rat I knew all about scientific experimentation or at least enough. The only thing I couldn’t understand was why anybody would want to give a potential psychopath advanced intelligence.

I opened my mouth to inquire Raven of this when an ear piercing sound filled the halls and with my extra sensitive ears I found myself shaking all over and I dropped to the ground covering my ears. “No. Make it stop. Make it stop,” I moaned. “So loud. Too loud,” I whined. The sound was no doubt loud to Raven, but for me it sounded like a race track or a rock concert only maybe even worse than that even. I had no idea what this sound meant or even represented. I feared we were being shot at or something.

My ears were ringing when Raven suggested we return to the fray despite Robin’s previous orders for them to stay out of it. I couldn’t hear her due to my now ringing ears, but I did see her running back towards Slade’s lair. Sensing she knew what she was doing I struggled back to my feet and followed after her all the while I tried to stop the ringing. “Raven!” I called once the annoying ringing stopped. “Wait! Are you sure I should…follow you in there? Robin made it perfectly clear he did not want my help.” I frowned after I had uttered those words. Wait, since when did I need someone’s permission to stop the big bad guy? The Titans could use all the help they could get whether they admitted it or not.

[Silv]

Robin felt himself relax as Raven took Reflecto out of the room. Now it was just him, Slade, Beast Boy and Batgirl. Beast Boy had the computer situation under control and so Robin turned towards the masked man. “Slade,” the way he said the name showed he was growing impatient, much like the masked man himself, “Fr-” he was interrupted though when a door melted and a fireball flew straight at the villain. The Boy Wonder was close enough to feel the heat of the flames as they wooshed past his face. A smirk flashed across his face as the masked madman was pushed back by the flaming attack. Too bad he wasn't so easily taken down.

Then Slade was flinging projectiles at the computer. “Beast Boy!” Robin shouted the name of the changeling but there was nothing he could really do to help. Luckily between the changeling's tail and Sapphire's fireballs the worst of the damage was...no.

Beast Boy was going down. Robin glanced sidelong at the masked man before jumping into action. “Batgirl, help me.” he was at Beast Boy's side in a flash, just missing Sapphire who had reinstated herself as a Titan in his eyes. Quickly, Robin propped his smaller teammate up and seeing the damage placed a firm hand on the seeping wound between his shoulder blades. If only Raven were here, she would be able to-

As though sent from heaven itself the girl in the blue cloak whirled through the doorway. “Raven!” he called her over urgently. “Beast Boy is losing blood fast. I need your help.” he surrendered the green teen to the care of Raven, and moved back into a defensive position in front of them and the computer, motioning for Batgirl to join him.

He had missed most of the fight between Sapphire and Slade but he caught the last part. Man, Slade really liked to compare himself to teenagers didn't he? What was his deal? It was creepy. His attention was drawn again towards the melted doorway because of movement but it was the molten metal that caught his eye. A plan began to form in his mind. A ridiculous plan that could just work. As Reflecto crossed the threshold the expression on Robin's face widened to a dangerous smirk. He toned it down to a neutral expression as he turned towards Slade and Sapphire.

“Stop!” he warned the girl who he knew he couldn't get too close to. He had moved, however, so that he was closer to Slade. “Sapphire! No!” his attention then turned on the masked man who was now barely a few feet away. “Want to monologue about how you're controlling her? Because it doesn't look like it's working.” he shot the question at the masked man but it was open for Sapphire to answer herself. If his theory was correct Slade might not have prepared for exactly how hot Sapphire could make herself. After all, everything had a melting point.

[Aly]

Batgirl watched, horrified at what Slade was throwing at Beast Boy. She lurched, trying to intercept the daggers before they came into contact with the green changeling. She was in mid-air but too far away to grab the daggers as they whizzed passed her and into Beast Boy. "No!" She yelled, falling to the ground. Though Beast Boy saved the computer, therefore saving Sapphire, he failed to save himself as he lay bleeding on the ground.

When she recovered, Robin was motioning for her to join him. Obediently, she took up stance beside him to protect Raven and Beast Boy from any more attacks. Well, there goes Robin's plan to trick Slade into thinking he was working for him. After this, Slade would see straight through it. She stayed silent as she watched Robin, curious to what his plan was, because he obviously had one. The knowing smirk told as much.

[Bry]

As soon as Raven entered the room, she stopped, frozen. Her eyes locked on Beast Boy's unmoving green form, soaked in blood, and in but a second she was moving again. Robin was calling to her, but she didn't bother to reply, instead spending her energy on getting to Beast Boy. She didn't even hear Reflecto's last question behind her.

Arriving on her knees beside her green friend, Raven cradled his head and pressed a hand to his chest, with hardly a thought for the after effects of her powers. Cold pain bloomed in her own chest even as she watched Garfield's green skin knit itself back together through the slashed hole in his uniform. She didn't remove her hand, didn't pull back on her powers until she was sure he was no longer bleeding, and when she did, she was considerably weaker than before.

The problem was still his blood though. He'd lost so much.... She could heal, but she couldn't replace blood, and she only hoped that his body kept going long enough to replenish his supply....

Still on her knees beside Beast Boy, Raven glanced up back into the fight, flexing her fingers to throw up a energy shield, should one be required and if she was able. Robin and Batgirl seemed to have them covered though, so she stayed where she was, with Beast Boy's head lying in her lap and his eyes still closed....

"Come on, Beast Boy...." she crooned in a soft, hardly heard voice that broke in the middle. "Don't die now, you annoying green idiot, not now, not now...."

[Deleted]

It was pretty obvious from Raven’s lack of response that she either didn’t hear me or simply chose not to answer the question. So grumbling I followed her back into the lion’s den or rather Slade’s lair. I slowed down as I walked thru the door; which there didn’t really seem to be much door left. Indeed, it looked like something had melted it. But what? I didn’t have to wait long for the answer to that question for I spotted the fire girl throwing fireballs at the masked psycho. Oh good she is obviously back on the Titans’ side, so that is definitely good news. Before I walked all the way in I noticed the weird look Robin was now giving me. I raised a brow. Okay, what did I do this time? I mean why was he looking at me like that? Upon going all the way into the room I uttered a soft gasp upon seeing the familiar green teen laying unconscious on the floor near Slade’s computer. “Oh no,” I whispered upon seeing the rather depressing scene before me. I barely noticed anything else for the unconscious green teen was all I could think about at the moment. Heart pounding I raced over to Raven and the unconscious Beast Boy. The blue cloaked girl appeared to be doing the best she could to heal him. Still I wanted to help if I could. “Is…is there something I can do to help?” I managed to ask Raven while looking the poor boy over. “I know some first aid,” I quickly added though by the looks of things it looked like we were going to need a lot more than first aid tactics to save the green changeling.

[Deleted]

Slade couldn't lose control over the situation. He hadn't had to use the armor against her because before she had been obedient and then when she betrayed him, Robin came by and distracted him. Now Sapphire had fallen into his trap. Sure, he hadn't expected the girl to return, but now that she had, he could work around a minor bump in the road.

Pressing a minuscule button in his own armor, he was connected to the girl in such a disgusting way. His moves, his intelligence, his evil and his strength combined with her body and powers. He rather liked the sound of that. His focus was especially needed, since stronger aspects of her powers were either from uncontrollable rage, or complete composure. He powered up her hands, eyes glowing with a familiar orange fire to them, and shot fireballs at the Titans. He would knock them down and then he would use the computer to destroy their friend.

Or... he would bluff his way through all this. His emotionless demeanor gave him the perfect poker face in these situations, and as soon as he calmed down over her initial behavior, he decided that she would still be an excellent apprentice. Rotating her body, he made her face the all-too-familiar computer and powered up her hands again.

"Dear child, perhaps you do not understand the consequence of betraying me." He smirked and fired a burst of flame at the computer that he was aware would fall short. Sapphire gasped in horror, then relief as she was allowed to live, for the moment.

Just when she had her friends back. Just when everyone was willing to help her...

Taking her hairclip out again she let the bang fall over her eye. "Forgive me, Master... I'll do whatever you say." She didn't bother answering Robin. She didn't bother with anything. Robin would figure it out, even though Slade refused to give up his plan and Sapphire refused to disobey.

The only Titan who knew what was going on was incapacitated, and it made Sapphire feel more alone than she ever had. It wasn't that the others didn't make her feel happy or accepted. Just that B' was the first one she trusted and the first one she cared about.

Breaking the hairclip, she let the jagged plastic land on the rocks of the underground lair. So here she was, betraying them for a second time.
Forgive me, Beast Boy!


.....Forgive me!

[Silv]

“You sick,” as soon as Robin saw the connection between Slade and Sapphire go through just as he had witnessed it in Terra he flew into action. “twisted,” it took him a few seconds to make it to Slade's side and even fewer seconds to have his fist flying towards that duel colored mask. “evil,” he cut off abruptly then because his attack had been stopped. He grit his teeth in pain but pressed on as he was forced backwards. “Let her go!”

The Boy Wonder almost wished he hadn't goaded Slade into using his sick, twisted control device. It was painful to watch poor Sapphire being controlled. It was painful to watch any of his teammates in such an unfortunate situation. But, he had got what he wanted: a look at how the system worked. Or at least, some sort of passing glance into it. Now he was distracting Slade in the hopes that would give Sapphire the chance to break away. It was worth a chance.

“Sapphire!” he called as he slipped under an attack aimed his way. “Don't give up on yourself.” Robin honestly wasn't much for heart tugging motivational speeches. “You can beat hi-” he was cut off again by a blow to the gut. Robin stumbled, winded, and skidded back across the ground on his back. He was lucky they weren't close to any walls. Robin picked himself back up once his momentum stopped but his movements were ginger and it was clear he was in pain. Nobody could stubbornly work through pain as well as Robin could, though.

He coughed for breath, flecks of blood staining his bright green gloves. The boy paid them no mind as he moved back towards Slade. “Sapphire! What is the highest temperature you can make yourself?” he hadn't given up on her yet. Robin would easily be the last to give up on her simply because he knew Slade the best. “Whatever you can do, do it!” he ordered as he rushed one more time at the man.

[Aly]

Batgirl watched as Slade took control of Sapphire, a disgusted look on her face. How anyone could take away another's free will, she had no idea. But when it came to Slade, he would do anything to get rid of the Titans. Why he had such an obsession with them, again she had no idea.

But as Sapphire/Slade sent a fireball at the computer, Batgirl braced herself, throwing herself in front of the machine. She knew if she was hit, it wouldn't kill her, but it would save her teammate. Thank goodness the shot fell short, just barely heating Batgirl's raised arms before her.

She was brushing her arms off, trying to regain her body's normal temperature from the blast when she saw Robin rush at slade out of the corner of her eye. /Robin, no!/ She screamed in her mind, not wanting her friend to get hurt. As he was repeatedly hit, she flinched, her hand reaching out towards him. It hurt her to see her friend beaten up like that, but for some reason her feet were rooted to the ground.

She was watching intently as Robin coughed, noticing the telltale red staining his green glove as he did so. This infuriated Batgirl to no end. Slade wasn't just going to beat Robin up while the rest of the team stood by, one under his control, one wounded by his attacks, and the rest attempting to help the poor green bean. "Slade." She growled, hurling herself at him. With quick punches and kicks, he deflected every single one easily. This just made her even more mad and she put more strength into her attacks. Whatever Robin was planning, she hoped it worked for all their sakes.