Anything, Anytime, Anywhere 16

Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You

Chapter Sixteen
"Kidnapped By Cultists"


The Titans had survived their latest encounter with Slade and Trigon; but once again, they found themselves in need of medical attention. Slade, Trigon and the new assailant who had joined them had proven by the attack that there was nowhere safe. The underground bunker was the safest place on Tamaran – and it had been broken into. The Titans were not safe on this planet and that would not change. Still, the bunker was safer than the actual infirmary; and because of that, the Titans had not moved.
The underground bunker had been transformed into a makeshift infirmary; new beds had been brought in to replace the ones destroyed in the battle, and new security had been added. The finest soldiers of the Tamaranian military had been pulled from their routine duties and now guarded every entrance and exit of the bunker – inside and out. The only people being allowed inside were the King, Queen, Galfore, the human called Wayne, and the healers.

Now the Titans were asleep; all of them. Of everyone, Starfire had suffered the worst injuries. The newest addition to Slade's team of psychos had showed her no mercy with his sword or his fists. The healers had already mended the scars and stopped the bleeding; but many scars and bruises that would require addition healing and the passage of time before they faded scared her beauty.

Robin had also received quite the beating; having been beaten by Slade and tossed aside like an old rag doll. The healers had been able to treat his physical wounds easily and they had not bothered him too badly anyway. He'd had worse before, and he would have worse again. However, Robin's mental state was low. He had given a speech and helped rouse team moral before; and he believed what he'd said. The Titans would not give up. He just wasn't sure they'd win. All the traps, the beatings – it was discouraging. In addition, the unknown fiend who had beaten Starfire without mercy was another pitfall. Robin would not give up; but his optimism was low. In the back of his mind the same question kept repeating over and over again – how long could death be cheated? How long could this game go on before someone – either a Titans or one of their enemies – died?

As for the others, they were simply worn out. Raven's mental battle with Trigon had drained her mind, body and soul. She was sleeping a dreamless sleep now and would not be waking up until she absolutely had too. Beast Boy was relatively unharmed by the battle, aside from a few lesser injuries – but he was just as wiped out as the others. Cyborg too, while less beaten and battered than his fellow Titans, was just as tired. They all appreciated the sleep, though they all knew it would be their shortest rest yet.

This had to end. They had to find a way to stop Slade and Trigon. The traps, the manipulation, and the battles – it was too much. Too many had died, too many had been injured – something had to be done soon. The reality was they could not cheat death forever; and if something didn't happen soon it really may be the end of the Teen Titans. The possibility was frightening, but it was also very real.

Robin just wasn't sure how it could end. The night it had begun, when Shady had first informed them of the Original Trials and they had agreed to come to Tamaran; Robin had believed the entire ordeal would last a month; and would be a simple series of tests for himself and Starfire; with the others along as moral support. Things had changed dramatically since that night. It was about much more than just he and Starfire now; and the plans for the length of their stay had already changed. There was no timeline. There was no telling when they would return to Earth. There was only one constant through the entire thing. Only one thing had remained true; the Trials.

While the Trials Robin and Starfire were still planning to undergo were not the same Trials Shady had told them about, they were still the Trials; and that was still the only constant through the entire thing. In all honesty, Robin did not need an ancient ritual to confirm his love for Starfire; and he knew she felt the same way for him. Perhaps the best thing Robin could do would be to call of the whole thing off and take the Titans back to Earth; then even if Slade and Trigon continued the attacks, the Titans could have the home field advantage and access to their familiar equipment.

It may be the wisest thing to do; but it wasn't an option. He knew Starfire would understand, and he was sure everyone would enjoy the return to Titan's Tower; but it was not an option. They had been through too much to just call it quits; even if it was the best course of action. Perhaps he was just being stubborn; or maybe he had been looking forward to the Trials more than he realized. Whatever the case, Robin wanted to see this thing through to the end – whatever that end might be.

Now, however, Robin's mind was free of these worries as he slept. The five Titans all slept, and while it was not the best sleep they had gotten; it was better than nothing. The military stood by keeping a close watch on them, and it appeared that for once they might make it through the night without an incident.

However, appearances are often deceiving.

The main entrance to the underground bunker suddenly began to echo with the sounds of approaching people. The Tamaranian Military Guard all took their stands right away. The ones inside the makeshift infirmary each took to guarding the sleeping Titans with their lives; their hands and eyes already glowing fiercely with the light of waiting starbolts. The guards outside the makeshift infirmary each headed towards the entrance and held steady. If something was coming it, it had better have permission.

Vladim'r appeared at the entrance; three of his fellow healers following suit a moment the later. The military men instantly lowered their guard and stepped backwards in reverence; Vladim'r was one of the Royal Healers, and one of the most respected men on the planet. He was small and considered 'creepy' by many; but he was a genius in the spiritual arts of healing and he had served the Royal Family faithfully for years. He was not scheduled to check on the Titans; but none of them could have guessed his real intentions. To the guards, his presence was an honor and a blessing. His had to be here to heal the princess and her friends; right?

"Word reached me about Princess Koriand'r and the Titans from Earth." Vladim'r announced in his commanding voice. For one so small, he could enchant an entire room with his voice alone. It was deep, powerful and mystical. "I am here to speed the recovery process as much as my powers shall allow. Might I pass?"

The guards quickly showed that he could, and they all stepped aside. They even bowed to him, as they would have if he were the King or Queen; for in their eyes he was just as powerful. Spiritual and Religious leaders are often more influential than the royals – although they had no clue of his true religious beliefs. Had they known of the Cult of K'monte they would have arrested Vladim'r and treated him like a psycho; but he was the last man they'd suspect of being a believer in that rubbish.

"Are there other guards inside the room?" Vladim'r asked as he approached the door that separated the throne from the makeshift infirmary. One of the guards nodded his head, and Vladim'r stopped short of opening the door. "Hmm. Then we had best do this quickly."

The guards were probably been confused by this; but none of them lived long enough to show it if they were. As soon as Vladim'r had spoken, his three fellow healers – and fellow cultists – leapt into action. The healers attacked with Tamaranian weapons that seemed to be a cross between police batons and tasers. The guards were shocked the moment the batons touched them and the electricity surged through their bodies so quickly it immobilized them and dropped them to the floor; none of them could fight back or call for help; just as Vladim'r had planned.

Vladim'r stepped forward now. The guards on the floor were immobile and mute and could only watch with wide eyes as Vladim'r twisted true self was revealed. The darkness behind his eyes that was hidden behind sweet words and pleasant smiles was now radiating throughout his entire body and no one could have doubted how black his soul really was.

"Akumu Baku Korosu!" He called out in a loud voice. The incantation had been found in an old scroll left by the original cult of K'monte, which had been disbanded years ago after the Tamaranian Military had raided their hideout on orders from the Royal Family. It had been his discover of that scroll that first interested Vladim'r in the strange cult; and he'd mastered its secrets. This spell was commonplace in the Cult of K'monte; it was a killing spell. It didn't inflict the "everlasting pain" the cult worshiped; it was just a quick way to extinguish life.

Upon speaking the words, Vladim'r lifted his hands. For a moment, green clouds swirled around the tips of his fingers; and then green bolts of lightning erupted from beneath his fingernails and surged into the bodies of the fallen guards. They died painlessly, instantly and without sound; although they may have screamed if they had not already been mute from before.

"Quickly! We must be back at the temple before daybreak!" Vladim'r called out in his harsh voice. The other healers hurried into the room; they had been given orders on who was too be kidnapped and how they could be identified. Vladim'r followed behind; there were still guards inside the room and they'd have to be taken out in the same fashion.

As they entered the room, the guards inside made the same display of respect for Vladim'r as their now-deceased comrades. None of them had seen the bodies outside; at least not in time. Vladim'r's healers wasted no time. They spread out, making it appear as if they were going to the Titan's bedsides; when in fact they were each taking an idea location. As soon as he was satisfied with their chances; Vladim'r nodded his head and his fellow healers once again drew their taser batons and struck the guards. The guards attacked by the batons fell just as quickly and quietly as the ones outside; and the two who had been leftover couldn't react fast enough. They turned to see their comrades under attack; but Vladim'r took it upon himself to take care of them. Though they were not subdued or muted; Vladim'r spoke his magical words again and flashed each of the five guards with the green death spell from before. The three on the floor died in an instant without a sound. The two who were standing did not scream, but the fall of their bodies did admit a loud echo throughout the makeshift infirmary.

Vladim'r held his breath; but none of the Titans woke up. After a brief hesitation, he became satisfied. The guards were all dead; and there was nothing left to do but the actual deed.

Now for the tricky part. He did not know the condition of the Titans; and he didn't want to take chances on them awakening too soon. However, that wouldn't be a problem. He may be a deranged cultist and a traitor; but he was a healer, and he did have access to sleeping drugs. He nodded his head once again and two of the healers with him began digging in their robes. They withdrew needles and quickly injected the selected victims with the drugs. The drugs were designed for Tamaranians; and they were potent enough to keep even the strongest of warriors in a sleep-like stupor for hours. Once the victims had been drugged, Vladim'r let out a sigh of relief. They would get away with this.

"Carry them, gently. We don't want our new slaves to be damaged before they can dig." Vladim'r smirked as he spoke. He watched in satisfaction as two of his underlings reached down and carefully cradled Starfire and Beast Boy in their arms.

Then, without another word, Vladim'r and his followers made a hasty retreat from the bunker and the castle; successful in their attempt to kidnap Princess Koriand'r and Garfield Logan.

The hours seemed to creep by slowly. The morning sun took its time in rising and sending out its light; the dark deeds that had been committed in the night seemed destined to remain undiscovered a little while longer. The guards who had died had been on duty until mid-morning; no one would miss them for a while longer. The true healers had no reason to check on the titans until the shifting of the guard; and they would not. The only chance the Titans would have of awakening early would be if the drugs wore off which they did.
The three healers who had administered the sleeping drugs had done so like professionals – almost. One of them had been slacking in duty; it was because of his zeal to impress Vladim'r. When he had filled his needle for the mission, he'd filled it from the wrong bottle. Rather than a sleeping agent able to take down an elephant in mere seconds, he had brought along a harmless dye used for the Tamaranian equivalent of an X-Ray. On the inside, one of the Titans was probably lit up like a Christmas tree; but drugs were not keeping him asleep, only his injuries. That Titan was Robin.

Those injuries were not enough to keep him asleep for long. There were no windows in the underground bunker, of course; but as the sunlight crept through the windows of the actual castle, Robin began to stir. Slowly at first, just a few twitches and movements. He did not want to wake up – but his body disagreed and he couldn't return to sleep. Finally, he surrendered and opened his eyes. For a few minutes, he just lay there on his back, staring up at the ceiling and enjoying the silence. His mind was clear and calm, as most minds are upon awakening – but all too quickly Robin's usual sharpness returned to him and he bolted upright in bed.

Where was the snoring?

He was sharing the same room as Beast Boy; and everyone knew Beast Boy snored. However he'd been lying here in total silence – that was wrong. Robin looked across the room to the bed he'd seen his friend lying in the night before – and the bed was empty. Not only that, but as Robin looked he noticed the vacancy in Starfire's bed as well.

Instantly Robin was wide-awake, any trace of sleep completely gone from his body and mind. They were missing; Slade was up to something. Robin's first task was to spring from bed and pull a bird-a-rang from his belt; which he now slept in thanks to recent events. Robin quickly looked around the room, taking in the entire situation and keeping his guard up. He noticed the deceased guards on the ground, the empty beds, and one more thing that surprised him. Raven and Cyborg appeared to be fine. They were both in bed, sleeping as soundly as he had been moments ago.

That was both reassuring and discouraging. He could add it all up now. Starfire and Beast Boy were missing; the others were not. Slade had kidnapped the two and were planning to use them in some kind of trap. The question was what kind of trap? He couldn't see Slade as the type to take hostages like this. Moreover, if he had wanted them for hostages, why take Starfire and Beast Boy? Robin and Raven were the calmer, cooler and clearer headed of the two couples – in short Robin and Raven could launch a better rescue operation than Starfire and Beast Boy.

He could be planning to use the emotional connection once again. It was no secret by now who was a couple; but why? Slade would not kill Starfire and Beast Boy; he'd have no reason too and Robin knew Slade didn't do things without a reason. If they weren't used as hostages, then perhaps they were taken as a distraction. Slade could be using the kidnapping to keep the Titans from his true objective – that was a lot closer to his style. However, up until now his goal seemed to be the Titans; what else could he be after on Tamaran? What else but the pure satisfaction of tormenting and defeating the Teen Titans would have brought Slade so far from his own home and made him align himself with Trigon?

Robin was beginning to suspect something else; something much worse. The Titans may have a new enemy. Many people had died since the Titans had shown up; many attacks had been made and the regular routine of Tamaran's Palace had been shattered. It was possible that someone wanted the Titans out of the way; and they were becoming violent. It was also possible that some of the Tamaranian Military had become fed up with losing so many members protecting the kids; and they were doing the opposite now. There were too many "What Ifs" and "Maybes" – and too little time. Robin admitted it was possible that someone else was behind this; but that didn't matter. There was no evidence one way or another and the best place to start his search would be Slade; it was simple. So far, everything could be traced back to Slade; and the history had been established repeatedly.

It seemed like Robin had thought about things for a long time; but in reality, he had gotten through all of this in a matter of minutes. Once he had decided what he was going to do, it was time to awaken the other Titans.

Robin sprinted across the room to Raven's bedside and he bent down over her. As softly as he could he gripped her shoulders and shook her awake; all in all a dangerous task in itself. Raven was well known for her bad moods and quick temper; and waking her up in a hurry, especially when she was tired, was a mistake. However, after a few seconds Robin realized that something else was wrong. No matter how tired she was, Raven would wake up – and right now she wasn't. From the rise and fall of her chest, and the shallow sounds coming from her nose and mouth he knew she was still breathing. She didn't appear to be wounded either – which was only making Robin's suspicion and confusion grow by the second.

Sprinting the entire way, Robin headed for Cyborg's bed. He tried to wake his friend in the same way; although he wasn't as gentle. Robin knew that Cyborg's systems were shutdown; but the human side should still awaken. However, after a quick, violent shake from the boy wonder it was clear that he would not wake up either. Robin's friends were alive, and perfectly safe; but they were asleep. It didn't take a genius to realize someone had drugged them. Robin had returned his bird-a-rang to the belt when he attempted to awaken Raven; and now his hand returned to it. He paused, however, and selected to withdraw his bo-staff instead. Something had happened here last night. The guards were dead, two friends were missing, and the other two drugged. Slade had been busy.

Robin turned once again, this time to go look for the healers. His heart told him he needed to be out looking for Starfire – but his head told him his place was here. He had to worry about Raven and Cyborg right now. It seemed impossible to choose between friends, but his mind was every bit as strong as his heart. He didn't believe Starfire was in any immediate danger; and he knew he couldn't save her alone. Besides, Raven was Raven; she and Robin went back much further than any of the other Titans, and they understood one another the best as well – he could not leave her like this. Cyborg was Robin's best friend, and had been for quite some time. To leave him in a time of need was unacceptable and irresponsible – two things Robin most certainly was not.

However, as Robin was halfway out the door he heard the sounds of someone waking up. His trip to find the healers was cut off and instead he spun around on his heels yet again. His eyes locked on Raven instant and he saw that she was waking up; she was just taking her time. Robin moved as quickly as his legs would carry him to reach her bedside; he arrived in time for her eyes to open.

Raven took one look at his face and sighed. "Trouble?" She asked quietly, her voice a mixture of sarcasm, expectation and annoyance.

"Beast Boy and Starfire are missing; we were drugged." Robin explained in one breath. Raven closed her eyes once again and her face contorted into an obvious mixture of anger, worry and irritation.

"Slade?" She asked, opening her eyes and setting her sights on Robin once again. She swallowed back a yawn and waited for his answer.

"Probably. Raven, can you sense them?"

Raven nodded. "You know I can, give me a second." Raven shut her eyes again and began to chant her mantra quietly. It took much longer than Robin wanted; he was anxious. However, Robin also knew that without a calm, clear mind, Raven couldn't locate their missing friends – powers or not; so he was forced to wait anyway. A few minutes passed, and then Raven opened her eyes looking just as anxious.

"I'm being blocked." She muttered irritably.

That was not good news. "Are you sure Raven?"

Raven nodded. "I can't sense them at all. Even if they left the planet recently, or even if they were dead, I could still pick something up; but I have nothing. Like they never existed. It's the only explanation."

Robin cursed and stomped one of his feet. Then he balled his fist. "Trigon has to be doing it. We've got to find him and Slade; and we've got to move fast."

Cyborg suddenly began twitching and the pair looked over to their right at him. Raven shook her head. "You explain it to him, I'll keep trying my luck; maybe we'll at least get a direction to look in."

Robin nodded and sprang into action a moment later. Informing Cyborg was just like informing Raven; although it took less time and Cyborg was louder about his annoyance than the Goth. However, a few minutes and a few swear words later and all three reaming Titans were now caught up with the limited information they had.

"I can't locate them." Raven sighed as the boys walked over to her bed. She levitated herself up off the sheets and floated in front of them.

"Then we go after Slade and Trigon; they're our best lead." Robin decided in his usual leader-like manner. "We go now, and we go alone."

"You're keeping the others out of this?" Cyborg asked, skeptic. "Star's parents, Bruce and Galfore; none of the others? Is that really a good idea man?"

"It's the best thing we can do for them. This is about the Teen Titans and our enemies. If we get the others involved it'll only wind up getting more military men killed; and probably wind up injuring our friends – emotionally at least, if not physically." Robin explained quickly.

"I hate to interrupt." Raven suddenly burst out. "But I've got something."

"Slade?" Robin asked, eagerly.

"BB and Star?" Cyborg suggested.

"I can't sense any of them, or my father; but I can sense that guy who was with them in the last attack." Raven replied, she had picked up Grant Wilson's life force from where he lay inside Slade and Trigon's hideout, still unconscious. "It's the best chance we have."

"Then let's stop wasting time." Robin replied. "Titans, Go!"