Gone Native: School's Out (ch. 3) (Patreon)

“Who is this guy again?” Garfield asked in a low whisper, being carried in Kori’s arms. He could fly, but then he wouldn’t be able to run his mouth.

He looked to them for answers, but Raven found herself looking to Tim Drake since it seemed that he was the only one with answers. He clenched his teeth, anxiety rolling off of him in waves that Raven felt despite his best attempts to keep his emotions under control.

It wasn’t something she often felt from Tim, at least not like this. This wasn't jitters before a mission, or worrying about an event in Gotham. This was something far more intense. It washed over Raven like an oil, feeling like it was clogging her pores and leaving her wishing that she could take a bath -- unpleasant emotions like that were always the worst, but the fact that it came from Tim made it that much more worrying.

“His name is Tarble,” Tim began in a low voice, crouching down on the platform she created for him to stand on. He was rather touchy about being seen dangling from someone’s grip, unlike Garfield. “I don’t know a whole lot about him, just what I managed to get from the Batcomputer, but… this guy is evil. He’s a part of something called the Trade Organization, and he’s spent his entire life murdering countless people. He’s driven entire species extinct. Billions, apparently.”

To that, Raven’s gaze slid to Tarble’s back. A ruthless, mass-murdering galactic tyrant wasn’t her first impression of him. He felt more like a wounded animal that was putting on a brave face to ward off predators. His control over his emotions was incredible -- he didn’t attempt to harmonize his feelings as she was taught to. Instead, he crushed them. He beat them into control with an iron will. It was an interesting approach.

Yet, Raven felt the traces of his emotions. His anguish was raw, a recent wound that would leave a terrible scar on his psyche. If it ever healed at all.

“That’s bad,” Garfield remarked, an uncertain edge in his tone.

Tim nodded, “Yeah. Bad enough that the Justice League was created specifically to stop him. Hal Jordan, the first green lantern told them about him. I don’t have all the data, Batman had that locked up pretty tight, but if they’re doing that then Tarble is a real threat. To everyone on Earth.”

“So, the Justice League didn’t copy the Teen Titans? Dude, that sucks,” Garfield noted, trying to inject some humor into the situation to break the growing tension. He didn't feel the humor either. It was a distraction from the growing sense of nervousness that he felt.

Tim wasn't having it. "No. They didn't copy the Teen Titans. This guy is pure evil. We have to stop him." His tone was resolute, swallowing his fear and anxiety as they approached the Titan Tower. The island around it was once hard stone, but with nurture and care, lush green grass covered the island and trees were planted.

Raven refrained from making a comment as her feet touched down on the ground, her cloak settling around her. Tarble turned around, his arms crossed over his chest and his face set in a smoldering scowl. She couldn't comment on his deeds. If the Justice League had formed specifically to counter him, then there had to be some truth to what Tim said. It seemed to be undersold with his correction that he had killed billions.

Yet, Raven didn't feel any animosity from Tarble. Annoyance, to be certain, because he could hear them, but no animosity or malice. That was the normal sign of someone who could be described as evil -- the worst of their villains all shared those traits. Or, perhaps he was simply someone like Slade Wilson, a monster that could torment and murder without feeling a thing.

Given the situation, it seemed wise to assume the latter.

"It would help if we were all here," Raven remarked, her gaze not leaving Tarble. He seemed content to wait for them to prepare themselves. Confidence or arrogance? The latter, most likely. The fact that he had felt that the Justice League forming against him was some kind of gift was telling.

To that, Tarble tilted his head, "Members of your team are missing?" He questioned, a frown in his voice.

Kori nodded as she answered, "Yes! Blue Beetle and Kid Flash are currently elsewhere." Tim shot her a glare for revealing the information, but he wasn't thinking straight. Kori wasn't stupid. She wouldn't reveal that information unless she thought it was safe to do so. Did she know something?

"Very well. Recall them. I'll wait," Tarble stated, sounding used to giving orders and having them obeyed without question. He also proved Kori right. Spurred on, Jinx hesitantly rose a hand, earning a dull stare from Tarble.

"The Fearsome Five is missing a few members too -- Gizmo and Psimon," she pointed out, a note of hope in her tone. Tarble gave a consenting nod, and that sealed it.

"You don't think of us as threats," Raven stated, meeting Tarble's blazing yellow gaze. He gave no reaction for a moment, but she felt some level of interest coming off of him. Nothing sexual or romantic, but curiosity. There was no anxiety. No nervousness. Nothing that hinted that he wasn't absolutely certain that he could deal with twelve enemies at once.

"Not yet. That's a privilege you haven't earned," Tarble responded and she could hear Tim's teeth grinding. "Right now, you are little more than a way to kill time before the real enemies appear." He didn't mean that. He was looking to provoke a reaction. Raven let the remark wash over her with ease, but others weren't so in control of themselves.

Mongul growled, nursing a bruised jaw. He was angry. Adonis was terrified and in pain. Jinx was cautiously optimistic, but it was clear that she planned to flee the moment Tarble and the Titans were distracted with one another. Garfield also growled, transforming into a silverback ape that beat his fists into the ground.

Kori frowned, "Must we fight? Are you not also Prince Tarble of the Hero-Force?" She questioned, sounding genuinely puzzled.

Raven blinked, "The what now?" Hero-Force?

Tarble shrugged, "In theory. Those shows are based on my exploits, but they're little more than propaganda. I'm the furthest thing from a hero." He refuted flatly, feeling faintly embarrassed. That was interesting.

Kori didn't seem to notice, "My teachers on Okkar made my sister and I study the events that happened on the planet Rench! Is it not true that you valiantly fought an entire army for a full day and night to give your soldiers time to escape? Even though you were gravely wounded by the Super Scarab?" She questioned innocently, trying to find the difference between what sounded like a childhood hero and the man that stood before them.

More embarrassment, "No. It was little more than twelve hours, and there was no Super Scarab. It was… just a Special-Class Scarab." A faint feeling of regret. For what, Raven wasn't sure. Still, it was worth noting. "The shows dramatized the events for viewership."

Kori looked more disappointed than she had any right to, "So, you are not empowered with the power of Friendship?" She asked, feeling every bit as disappointed as she looked.

More embarrassment, "No." He answered curtly. Either he was embarrassed because that's what people believed, or he was embarrassed because he was powered by the feeling of friendship.

"Star, enough. This guy isn't a hero," Tim stated. It seemed like a disproportionate response, but he was the only one that had an idea of the scope of Tarble's deeds. Raven tried to not let the scorn in his words affect her -- because they could all too easily apply to her too. Because of her, the pocket dimension that served as a home for the Azarathian monks was razed to the ground and everyone save her was murdered by her father.

Kori frowned at Tim, but didn't press the issue. Tarble cocked his head, looking unimpressed. "You clearly have something you would like to say. Spit it out. Don't worry, you won't hurt my feelings." He was pushing Tim back, catching him flatfooted. It was clear that Tarble wasn't acting to whatever script Tim had expected. That made him cautious and nervous.

"You aren't even going to deny it? You've killed billions of people, you try to conquer earth, and you're…" he trailed off, his eyes narrowed into slits, silently fuming. "How can you justify any of that?"

"I don't," Tarble answered simply, almost uncaring. He didn't feel that way, but what he really felt was a difficult emotion to place. Resolve twinged with sadness and regret. "I did what I did because it was the best way to end the war, and I was right. If you take issue with that, then you have an issue with that. It's clear nothing I have to say will change your mind. You merely want to have this confrontation to tell me what you think of me."

He was right about one thing. This verbal sparring match was purely for Tim's benefit. Tim scowled, the point striking a nerve in the young Robin.

"Get on with it. Tell me there was a better way," he continued flatly, stealing the words right out of Tim's mouth. Despite his cold demeanor, Raven sensed rage underneath the surface. Not anger, not frustration, but rage. He kept a tight grip on it, keeping it completely under his control. He didn't harmonize with his emotions at all. He dominated them completely and utterly. "Feel free to tell me what it was while you're at it."

"You… how… you really just don't care, do you? I barely know a fraction of the things you've done and they're horrifying. And you stand there like you think you're somehow morally superior to us for doing them?" Tim challenged, his grip on his staff tightening.

Tarble shook his head, "I don't. I've done terrible things. I am evil. I don't dispute that. Maybe you're right. Maybe there was a better way, but I searched and never found it." He felt like that was the truth. Resigned acceptance filled him, the only emotion that Tarble allowed himself to embrace.

"Then why do it?" Raven asked a pointed question, earning a sharp look from Tarble. "I can't claim to understand the scope of your actions, but you don't strike me as someone that would do things for no reason." No one did anything without a reason. That reason might not always be a good one, nor did it mean that it could justify their actions, but everyone had an internal logic that they used.

Tarble's lips thinned, telling her that he didn't care for the question. Why? Why would he be annoyed at her question to explain himself? But, he answered all the same. "Because if I didn't kill the enemy, they would kill those under my command. I didn't want that… so I became rather proficient at killing the enemy before that happened." There was something that he wasn't admitting to. Something that he… feared them learning. What that could possibly mean, Raven didn’t know. She needed to learn more before she came to any judgments.

But, it would seem that the time for talk was coming to an end. Tarble looked up, bringing Raven’s attention to four figures that were flying toward them. She recognized Blue Beetle easily enough -- a full-body suit made of blue and black metal, a black faceplate with eye holes for Jamie to look through, and a blue beetle that protruded from his back. Gizmo and Psimon also approached, though far more cautiously. Gizmo, for all his faults, was loyal. Psimon, on the other hand, was far less so.

They touched down, eyeing Tarble, who only seemed to have eyes for Blue Beetle. “It seems that the Reach wasn’t taking my warnings seriously. Scarab -- vacate my empire immediately, or I will annihilate what is left of the Reach Empire,” he warned, his voice dipping down to a low growl as he strode forward. Gizmo and Psimon appeared puzzled, but they joined the Fearsome Five.

Jaime Reyes looked between the Titans and Tarble, “Er, sorry, amigo, I’m not with the Reach Empire? Or any empire?” He was genuinely confused, so that was the truth. However, Raven did not like the simmering anger in Tarble. “Hol’ up, wait a second -- what do you mean, what’s left of the Reach Empire?” He continued, likely hearing something from the AI in the beetle that had attached itself to the center of his back.

Tarble narrowed his eyes for a moment, considering that. “Hm, you clearly haven’t been taken over by the scarab and if it’s ignorant of the war, it must predate it. I suppose it’s defective in some way?”

“What do you mean -- taken over? This thing can take me over?!” Jamie questioned, sounding afraid. Raven tensed -- that, she hadn’t known that was possible. Kori had confirmed that the scarab came from the Reach, but based on the shock rolling off of her, she hadn’t known the specifics. “Hey, you know these things, could you get it off of me?” He questioned, ignorant of who Tarble was.

To that, Tarble tilted his head. “I can. You won’t like the process, however.” He warned, his tone flat. Raven looked at Jamie but said nothing. He sought to remove the beetle for some time now, yet it remained. She tried her magic, only to find that it had been enchanted against such removal. The only way it could be removed, in theory, would be if Jamie died. As much as he would like it gone, he wasn’t willing to go that far.

Jamie didn’t hesitate, “I don’t care, man. I want this thing off-” He was abruptly cut off when a dark blue flash of light passed between them, hitting Jamie in the chest and punching through it. Raven recoiled, her control over her emotions slipping. Her lips pressed together into a thin line, dropping into the ground below and remerging where Jamie had fallen.

A gaping hole had been punched through his chest, blood soaking the ground. His eyes were wide and wild, remaining conscious as he reached out to her, confusion and fear washing over her. The intensity of it tied her guts into knots, but she didn’t hesitate to reach out and place her hands on Jamie’s face, taking his pain as his body began to heal.

“Healing is also one of your abilities?” Raven heard, looking up to find Tarble standing over them. Starbolts exploded on his back, Garfield slammed into him as a rhino, and Tim threw explosive batarangs. Yet, through the dust that was kicked up by the explosions, Raven saw purple light peeking through it.

Her eyes narrowed into slits -- no annoyance. No malice. No animosity.

Raven looked up at Tarble and a pit of fear opened in her stomach. The dust faded, revealing him, and he didn’t appear to even notice the assault on him. He held out a hand, a ball of purple light leaving his hand, and instantly Raven felt the pain leave her body. Her lips parted in surprise, looking down at Jamie to find his face relaxed as the hole in his chest began to mend. It grew smaller, flesh and bone growing together until the hole closed.

“NNNhghaaaa,” Jamie groaned, a hand going to his chest. The only sign that he had been mortally wounded was the blood and the hole in his shirt.

“I did say that you wouldn’t enjoy the process,” Tarble remarked, striding by Jamie, and the assault only paused when the others realized that he would be caught in the crossfire. The purple light faded into nothing, leaving Raven wondering what that had just been. Tarble reached down to the scarab that he had blasted off of Jamie and picked it up. It wiggled in response, and Tarble felt a sense of dissatisfaction. “I’ve long since outgrown scouts,” he said, his tone dismissive.

Raven didn’t understand what he meant, but he crushed the scarab in his grip before letting the pieces fall to the ground.

Tarble was a mystery to her, but one thing just became abundantly clear. He was beyond the Titan’s capability to deal with. The ground underneath Jamie faded with use of her magic, depositing him in the tower for his own safety. Perhaps he hadn’t meant to do so, but he just robbed them of one of their heavy hitters before the battle could even begin. And there would be a battle. She knew that even before Tim spoke.

“Titans, go!” Tim ordered, sprinting forward, unafraid and uncaring of the difference in strength between them. Not to say that he was reckless. He understood that he stood no chance, so instead, he chose to support Garfield who transformed into a T-Rex. He unleashed a roar that Raven never managed to get used to before he charged at Tarble.

Batarangs slipped through Garfield's legs -- given that he was capable of tanking them, it was a surprise that Tarble chose to dodge them. He leaned out of the way, undaunted by the green dinosaur bearing down on him. He exuded an air of calm, darting between Garfield's legs, dodging a vicious bite that tore through the ground, and grabbed hold of Garfield's tail.

Effortlessly, he lifted Garfield, pivoting to slam him into Mammoth that was rushing towards him, eager for round two. Both of them were sent flying upon impact, with Mammoth taking the worst of it. Garfield landed heavily, but he was fine. Tarble moved towards Tim, only to be intercepted by Kori.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos," Raven chanted, magic gathering around her hands as shadows swirled underneath Tarble. Nothing she could throw at him would do any damage, but restraining him was the easiest way to subdue him. Shadows leaped from the ground, wrapping themselves around Tarble, and he seemed faintly surprised.

Something was wrong, Raven realized as she clenched her hands into fists, binding Tarble as tightly as she could. Inky black shadows twisted around him, inching up his neck. He felt no panic. He didn't even feel any urgency. His yellow eyes flicked to her and she could practically see him taking note of her power.

Something that she herself was still cautiously exploring. If she had a limit, then she had yet to find it.

Her hands trembled, her nails cutting into her palms to the point it was painful as she constantly built up the pressure. His hands were bound at his sides, his legs pressed together, he was only remaining upright because of the cocoon she had wrapped him in. And even before he did anything, Raven knew that Tarble would escape.

"I can't hold him!" Raven warned the Titans and the Fearsome Five. To that, Tarble smirked, before the shadows began to strain around him. Raven bound them tighter, but she felt… he… a counterspell? No, it was… how he was interacting with the magic was something she had never felt before. It was almost like two spells clashing together, but she sensed no magic from Tarble. A ward, perhaps? A tattoo? No, something deeper. Something…

"What… did you do to your soul?" Raven breathed, realizing what this resistance was. This was anti-magic carvings. Of what kind, she didn't know, but there was no mistaking it. To interact with magic how he has, he would need to be covered head to toe with intricate scars. But there were none. Instead, they were deeper in. Raven knew the answer, but she could hardly bring herself to believe it.

Those runes were carved into his soul. He had mutilated his soul.

"Magic was a weakness of mine. Now it's not," Tarble remarked, proving the point when he lifted his arms despite the magic binding him. Like a piece of fabric, the threads began to pop until the entire thing began to tear open. He freed himself, the black shadows fading from view as she reconsidered her options. He was perhaps the worst matchup for her -- the carvings in his soul allowed him to interact with magic as if it were a tangible thing, and with his incredible strength, he could destroy it as if it had a physical manifestation.

The Fearsome Five made their move. Raven expected them to run, but they didn't. Gizmo launched a barrage of soda can sized rockets at Tarble while Psimon pushed back his hood to reveal an even bigger head, with an oversized brain in a transparent case. There was a cruel smile at the edges of his lips as he reached out a hand to Tarble.

Tarble responded to the rockets, deftly evading them and redirecting them as he passed by. A gentle touch sent three towards Tim, two to Garfield, five to Kori, and six to herself. Raven raised a hand, stopping the rockets cold before they could reach any of her friends, before she sent them hurtling back to Tarble-

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Raven's concentration nearly lapsed when a gut-wrenching scream ripped itself from Psimon's throat. He dropped to his knees, his hands clutching at his head. Agony rolled off of him in tidal waves, but Raven could see no source for it. The waves faded from her perception, yet they still crashed over Psimon, crushing him under their weight. To Raven's growing horror, Psimon's body began to shake when he fell flat on his face -- he was having a seizure.

Did Tarble have some kind of mental defense that caused incredible pain to someone that invaded his mind?

Jinx looked stricken, looking to Psimon's fallen form before sprinting to him while sending pink blasts at Tarble. The rockets exploded around him, washing Tarble in flames and smoke. Raven looked to Garfield to see him and Mammoth standing next to each other, both still ready to continue. Above, Kori began tossing down lime green starbolts to pepper Tarble with them.

He strode out of the fire, looking no worse for wear. Jinx looked up at him while Billy Numerous made a few copies of himself to pick up Psimon. Her hands glowed with pink magic, her face twisted into a snarl -- anger and protectiveness radiated off of her. "What did you do?"

Tarble met her gaze, ignoring the attacks that bared down on him at all sides. "Nothing. He attempted to enter my mind and was unable to withstand the power of the Wrath State." He answered before he sprang into action. He smacked a hand through a starbolt before he leaped into the air. Raven threw out her hands and sent blasts of magic after Tarble, none striking him as he and Kori clashed in the air.

Garfield leaped up, transforming into a Pterodactyl, and went to join the fight. Raven hesitated to fire more magic blasts, worried that she would hit one of her friends. Gizmo had no such worries as he flew up to fire at Tarble with a laser minigun. But, as she watched the quick exchange, Raven observed how Tarble fought.

"He's not using the same amount of force for all of us," Raven noticed. Tim, who was nearby, grimaced.

"I know," he returned. If he fought with the same strength against Tim that he was using on Kori, then Tim would likely be dead. "He's not taking this seriously at all." That was a bitter pill for him to swallow, Raven noted. Much like Jason had before him, he felt like he had too much to prove and he was just as eager to prove it. Regardless that had been what had killed Jason just as much as the Joker.

"The Justice League?" Raven questioned in a low tone, her lips thinning as Kori was sent flying into the ground. The rock under her feet shifted, the trembles running up her legs. Kori was fine, but Garfield wasn't as durable. Tarble threw him to the ground where he impacted hard, leaving Gizmo as the last flyer. Both sides reacted -- Tim, Jinx, and herself fired up at Tarble to drive him away, but he dodged and closed the distance.

"Fuck off, butt-muncher-" Gizmo started, only to let out a panicked shout when Tarble destroyed his jetpack. He began to fall to the ground. Mammoth rushed to catch him, while Tarble dropped down to the ground.

Tim's grip tightened on his staff as Tarble lightly touched down on the ground just as Kori was picking herself up. "They're on their way," he answered, and that was a relief.

"They are? Good," Tarble replied, flying up to avoid the pink blasts of magic that Jinx threw at him. He looked beyond her, causing Raven to do the same, and her gaze landed on Adonis's retreating back. He was fleeing. In the panic and fear from the others… she had completely missed his. Raven reached out to Tarble, attempting to bind him again, only for him to move faster than she could react. She felt a blast of harsh wind on her face in the wake of Tarble suddenly appearing in front of Adonis, who flinched back so badly, he fell on his butt.

Tarble looked down at him and disgust seemed to fill him. "Coward," he uttered the word like a death sentence as he raised a hand.

That was the clue that made Raven realize it was.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthoss!" She chanted, magic wrapping around his arm to prevent him from murdering Adonis. It felt like he had paused the action rather than she stopped him, but it was enough that Kori was able to blast forward and tackle Tarble. Raven had to hold down Tim and Garfield or they would have been blasted away from the windforce that hit them like a wall.

Yet, Tarble was ready for her. He ripped his arm free of the magic, grabbed Kori by the throat, and spun sharply to send Kori to the ground. She carved a deep line into the earth before finding herself out at sea.

"You all have potential," Tarble decided, looking back at them all. "Your teamwork is lacking, but the fact you are willing to work with enemies is commendable." It sounded like he meant it as a compliment, Raven noted when their eyes met. That this was just some test and they had somehow managed to pass. "It was a mistake to destroy the scarab so early -- it's clear that you have holes in your teamwork, Titans. You understand your roles well, but you struggled to adapt past them."

"Gee, thanks," Raven returned, her voice as dry as a desert and her tone every bit as scathing as the desert sun.

He didn't seem to mind. "The Fearsome Five's performance was less impressive, but that was unavoidable. The multiplier understood he was a liability, and chose to stay back. A wise decision. You, Jinx, are a capable commander, but you are too emotional. It is also clear that your team relies on Mammoth, Adonis, and whoever that is to do the heavy lifting. Mammoth performed admirably given the circumstances. That psionic made a mistake, but that is the danger of entering the mind of an unknown enemy."

Tarble's eyes turned cold, "However. What I cannot accept is cowardice. As far as you are aware, you are fighting on the behalf of the entirety of the human race. You do not know me. You do not know the things I will and won't do. For all you know, my race will feast on the flesh of every human on this planet. Yet… you ran," Tarble said, staring at Adonis with contempt coloring his tone.

How he felt about Adonis at that moment was exactly how Raven expected a man that had killed billions to feel. The anger, the malice, the disgust -- that's what she expected. It's what she learned to expect. Instead, until now, Tarble was… polite. Curious, cold, but polite. He brought them here to fight to avoid civilian casualties. He fought them with appropriate force.

Despite his confirmations that he did the things that Tim accused him of, Raven almost had doubts that he was really capable of them.

Those doubts were blasted away when Tarble once again leveled his hand at Adonis's face. Adonis felt a sharp spike of fear, and Raven's incantation starting to leave her lips, but she was too late. They were all too late.

"No-" Adonis began to protest, only for his head to snap back as a blue ball of light punched through his forehead and out the back of his skull. It wasn't the first time Raven watched someone die. Not even close. It wasn't even the first time she had failed to save someone. However, it was the first time she witnessed a cold-blooded execution.

"He really didn't have a faceguard. A coward and an idiot," Tarble remarked coldly, walking by the body of Adonis, thinking nothing of the murder. Feeling nothing. He had murdered a man with the same ease someone would kill an insect. "Sadly, this is where the test ends. I expect you to have improved next time," Raven heard before Tarble moved, and all of a sudden he was the only thing she could see.

Raven flinched back, moving to retreat before she felt a fist slam into her stomach, knocking the breath from her lungs. She folded around the blow, gasping to breathe, but before she could recover, something hit her in the face and she felt a flash of pain. It wasn't the first time Raven had her jaw broken -- it was all too often the target that villains went for -- so she knew the pain well.

Before she had even hit the ground, Tarble moved on. She heard pained cries from her friends as they were similarly disabled. Through the pain, through the fear, and through the resolve -- Raven felt her control slip. It wasn't resolve that granted her strength. It was an old enemy that she shrugged with. The part of herself that she forever kept in check. It was anger. Rage.

Raven hit the ground, a hand covering where Tarble had hit her while her other curl into a fist that she lashed out at Tarble with as he dropped Tim, Kori laying next to him, and Garfield not far off. Her magic surged, the delicate and fragile balance she maintained over her power shattered. It would take weeks of meditation to restore her balance over her emotions, but in that rage filled moment, Raven wasn't capable of caring.

Darkness surged toward Tarble from her fist, his eyes widening a fraction before it slammed into him. It could have beaten him, Raven reflected, but as soon as it made contact, fear made her pull the attack back. Fear of losing control over herself. Of giving in to the rage completely. Because of it, she felt Tarble surge forward before escaping the blast of magic.

He landed next to her, his feet digging into the ground to slow his momentum. His hand was bleeding from where he had raised it to block her magic. Their eyes met, and her senses as an empath let her feel that Tarble was impressed.

"Well done," he commended, before Raven felt a dull impact to the back of her neck. After that, everything went dark.

But that was okay.

They had failed, but the Justice League wouldn't.