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by Alvaro "BigCheese" Ibáñez
As the confused villians rise from the stream, they begin to recognize the place they are now. "We are back on our Earth!" proclaims the Wizard. "And what's more, I don't feel the compulsion to do good anymore! Just as the other world's Koehana turned those inmersed in it towards good, this one reverts the procces!" "Glad to hear that," a voice fom behind the villians interrupts him. "We would have hated to kick your butts." As the members of the SSoSV turn around, they find themselves face to face with the former sidekicks gone bad. "Watch out, it's Flash and his friends!" warns Professor Zoom. However, before he can attempt anything, Wally's right behind him, holding him firmly in his grasp. "Just hear the man out Zoom, you will be glad you did." "As I was saying," continues Nightwing, "we came here to face our deluded mentors and have the run of the place for ourselves once and for all. Thanks to a mole in the Justice League we knew they were headed this way, but apparently something malfunctioned with their teleporters, since you showed up instead. Now, what was this you were saying about another dimension?" "And why should we believe anything you say, Robin?" mocks Blockbuster. "Think about it. What reason have we for lying. If we had wanted to take you on, you wouldn't be conscious right now. We outnumber you greatly and we have a very good record of beating you guys as it is. Now will you answer my question?" "Well, I believe them." says Star Saphire. "I can feel they have changed. The other dimension the Wizard was talking about is where we have been trapped this past months. There everything good is evil and viceversa. Somehow we ended up transported there and fell into that world's Koehana, so we became goody-two-shoes and battled the Crime Syndicate of America until we suddendly ended up back here. "Hmmm... this must mean that the JLA is stuck there. Good, now we can take over the world unopposed! Are you with me?" As one, the various voices present shout "YES!" As they all speed up towards their headquarters, Green Lantern falls back, trying to get a word with Nightwing. "Remind me again why we're teaming up with these losers? Weren't we planing on wiping out all the competition anyway?" "Think about it Kyle, they're the perfect cannon fodder. There are still some dangerous heroes out there and what better way to beat them than have them duke it out with these guys and then come in and finish both groups off?" "I never should have doubted you Dick." A sinister smile crosses Green Lantern's face as they approach Titans Tower.
Nightwing scans the Main Assembly room of Titans Tower. He and the rest of the evil Titans stand ready for trouble... Flash (Wally West), Tempest, Green Lantern (Kyle Raynor), Changeling, Green Arrow (Connor Hawke), Superboy, Jesse Quick, Supergirl, Wonder Girl (Donna Troy), Impulse... Each Titan's body twitches with anticipation. They can feel their desire for evil burn deep within them. They can't wait to crush, kill, obliterate their old friends. Nightwing hopes that the Wizard, and his flunkies, will stick to the plan. 'This is Titan business - it's personal.' he thinks. 'We'll draw out the unsuspecting fools and crush them. The SSoSV will stay back and watch us at work. Then we will use them as the cannon fodder that they are.' Arsenal and Arrowette walk into the Main Assembly room. Arsenal is trying to explain his rather risque joke to Cissie, when he notices Nightwing stalking towards them. "What's up, Nightwing?" Both Roy and Cissie instinctively duck as Starfire flies over their heads into the room. She smiles at Nightwing as she stears towards him. "You did it! You defeated Brother Blood!" Nightwing pauses for a brief moment as his memory drifts back... back before the Stream of Ruthlessness... they had just defeated Brother Blood and his followers from harnessing the Stream... but something happened... they fell... suddenly Nightwing's memory snaps to the present with a sinister urge to kill. He smiles back at Starfire. "Kory..." Starfire walks into Dick's arms as they hug passionately. She is happy. It seems like they are finally working out some of problems of the past. She has missed him so... suddenly she feels Nightwing's grip constrict on her throat. Her right arm goes numb after a nerve pinch on her neck. Arrowette reacts first. In seconds, she has fired two arrows. One nicks Nightwing in the shoulder, forcing him to release his grip on the choking Starfire. The second is caught in the air by Jesse Quick. She holds up the arrow and begins to speak... ...then falls unconscious as a well thrown quarter strikes her right between the eyes and in the appropriate nerve cluster. Arsenal doesn't dwell on his victory. He continues his attack. Two more quarters strike vulnerable points on the human body, this time Impulse's knees. Another rogue Titan falls. Roy Harper knows he has to give Kory time to catch her breath or they won't stand a chance. Kory doesn't understand what just happen. She doesn't know why Dick would want to kill her. All of that is quickly forgotten as her Tamaran temper begins to boil. Kory flares bright as she powers up. Starfire glows with a radiating halo as she hovers in the air. She tries to raise her limp right arm, but it lies still against her side. Kory looks at the sneering Dick Grayson, a.k.a. Nightwing. Starfire burns bright as she fires a starbolt from her other hand dead at him. "Titans together!" shouts a dizzy Arrowette as she spins in circles, surrounded by a red blur of superspeed. She soons loses consciousness as the Flash spins faster and faster around her. Arrowette's call to arms doesn't go unheard though. Raven, Cyborg, Terra, Damage, and even the visiting Deathstroke, charge into the Main Assembly room. Raven unfolds her cloak and flows towards Nightwing with etheral grace and speed. She quickly engulfs him into her mystical form. Meanwhile, Starfire is singly holding off Supergirl, Wonder Girl, and Changeling. Her starbolts are keeping them busy. She flies towards the ceiling to gain a better advantage point to continue bombarding her targets. Explosion rips up the floor with each blast. Kyle commands his ring and a green ray shoots from his hand and creates a giant prison wall with moving, thrashing shackles. Suddenly the shackles strike like serpents and ensnare the heroic Titans. But unfortunately for Green Lantern, Deathstroke isn't a Titan. He pole vaults from his location closer to Kyle. He whips out a bola from one of his many pouches and hurls it with deadly accuracy. The bola quickly and effeciently wraps themselves around Kyle's neck, with the ends leting out a loud ring as they bash him in the head. It doesn't actually hurt Kyle, but it does distract him... just for a brief second, but it is still long enough to free the Titans from their emerald prison chains. Raven releases Dick as he stumbles out of her empathic grasp. He shakes his head as he watches one set of his friends trying to slaughter the others. He suddenly, and clearly, remembers what happen to them... they had fallen in the Stream of Ruthlessness. They had defeated Brother Blood and he tricked them into the Stream. Dick Grayson's mind is clear once more. He knows what to do... His training takes over. Nightwing shouts commands at the heroic Titans and begins to coordinate their attacks. Cyborg engages Superboy, while Terra buries Kyle in an avalanche of earth and rock. Arsenal and Arrowette quickly fire their weapons (a composite bow and a hand crossbow) with unerring accuracy. Starfire and Raven deal with the remaining evil Titans (Wonder Girl, Supergirl, Green Arrow, and Tempest). The battle rages with Titan versus Titan... Unknown to the Titans, the Secret Society of Super-Villains quickly assesses the situation and make a break for it. They know when they aren't welcomed. The Wizard chuckles to himself, 'leave the children to their own arrogance. We have a world to conquer!" The SSoSV (the Wizard, Professor Zoom, Blockbuster, Plant Master, Mirror Master, and Star Sapphire) disappear while the Titans conclude the battle for their lives. Nightwing stands over his fallen friends. He watches as Starfire helps Roy Harper with the unconscious Tempest. Their companions have been subdued, but at what cost? Nightwing bows his head and turns away. He had started this... his friends being hurt was his fault. His conscience rests heavy with the evil that he help cause. "You can't blame yourself, Dick," whispers Raven as she materializes behind him. "You were under the influence of great evil...but you are free of it now." Nightwing looks at his fallen friends. "I might be free, but they aren't. We have to liberate them." Nightwing becomes silent. He suddenly remembers about the Secret Society of Super-Villains. He can only guess what mayhem they are causing now. "This isn't over. It has just started. Somewhere out there the SSoSV are loose and we have to stop them before someone else gets hurt." Nightwing pulls together the remaining Titans and prepares them for the task they have at hand... "Titans Together!"
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