Teen Titans Fan Fiction ❯ Musical: Some things Never Change ❯ Manimal UNMASKED!! ( Chapter 17 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

By: Mykan

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

A lot of people were already gathered at he bridge, and the police were there to keep the crowds away from the battle zone… they were also secretly planning to capture Manimal if he lost the fight.

Terra was already there in the front of the crowd with her Grandmother, she was hoping that Manimal wouldn't lose the fight. “Don't worry dear… I'm sure he'll be just fine.” said her Grandmother.

Only a few more seconds to go…

“Look… here come the Titans.”

The Titans all landed on top of the tall bridge steeples. “Well, at least we got a good fan crowd here.” said Cyborg.

“And look who's coming…” Raven said.

Manimal swung in, and landed the other side of steeple. The crowd hushed up as it seemed the battle about to begin.

“So, you came.” Robin said.

“Yes… as was agreed.” Manimal said.

A cold win began to stir up blowing both their capes in the wind. Robin and Manimal stared each other down like cowboys ready to draw…then they leapt into action!!

They started things off with a Dragon Rush. (When fists and feet fly around… like in DBZ)

Both of them had their fist and feet flying like crazy, but neither of them landed a hit. Finally they both flew backwards a bit and Robin ordered a full frontal assault. “TITANS… ATTACK!!”

Now the battle was really on!

Jackie and Jillian had just found Terra in the crowd. “Is the battle over yet?” Jackie asked.

“No… they're just starting.” Terra answered.

“Good.” Sneered Jillian. “I want to see Manimal's downfall with my own eyes.”

“So do I.” added Jackie.

Terra gritted her teeth, but she had no time to worry about them. The battle had begun and the Titans were all ambushing Manimal at once, but it didn't seem to do much.

(Music Cue)

I walked along the avenue.

I never thought I'd meet a girl like you;

Meet a girl like you.

Robin went after Manimal with his metal staff, but Manimal used his own gauntlets to counter them, and finally Robin Zigged where he should've Zagged giving Manimal his opening…

ZAP!!

Robin got hit, then Manimal was confronted by Starfire, and she began to angrily fire her star bolts like crazy.

With auburn hair and tawny eyes;
The kind of eyes that hypnotize me through;
Hypnotize me through.

Manimal ran with his Leopard speed, but Starfire was catching up fast. “You dare to hit Robin again, and you will pay!” she roared.

Manimal decided it was time to use one of his newest gadgets and moves.

He tapped a switch on his belt and then he curled up and began rolling like and Armadillo. He was rolling so quickly that the star bolts just bounced right off of him… and then… KAPOW!! Right into her like a bowling ball.

And I ran, I ran so far away.

I just ran, I ran all night and day.

I couldn't get away.

Jackie and Jillian couldn't believe this. The fight was Four against One, and Manimal was making the fight look equal. “Come on you Titans!” growled Jackie.

“Get him already!” added Jillian.

A cloud appears above your head;
A beam of light comes shining down on you,
Shining down on you.

Cyborg armed his Sonic-Cannon. “Take this hot-shot!” and he fired.

But Manimal just shielded himself with his cape, and just like Robin's, it was many times stronger than steel, so the blast couldn't break through.

The cloud is moving nearer still.

Aurora borealis comes in view;

Aurora comes in view.

Manimal kept his Defense up and charged towards Cyborg with the horns on his helmet poised right at him. BAM!!

And I ran, I ran so far away.
I just ran, I ran all night and day.
I couldn't get away.

Raven took a shot from up on the steeple supports. “Azarath… Metrione… ZINTHOS!!” and her blast actually got a slight hit, but all it did was make Manimal angry.

Reached out a hand to touch your face;
You're slowly disappearing from my view;
Disappearing from my view.

Manimal leapt from place to place, dodging Raven's fire, and then spring-launching himself from the support cables right towards her… BOOT!! Raven didn't even have a chance to teleport.

Reached out a hand to try again;
I'm floating in a beam of light with you;
A beam of light with you.

“I don't believe this guy.” snarled Jackie.

“Yeah, he's tearing through those Titans like they're made of paper.” added Jillian.

The Titans tried attacking him from all ends at once, but smart as he was swift, Manimal managed to escape without much harm, and he eve pulled one of his own tricks.

Using his grapple hooks to lasso two Titans on each line and CRASH!! Right into a pile.

And I ran, I ran so far away.
I just ran, I ran all night and day.
I couldn't get away.

“Titans… I advise you to give up.” Manimal called. “This fighting is proving senseless.”

Meanwhile…

In their hideout…

The terrible trio, were tuned into the battle from the live news. “Heh… I never saw the Titans fall so hard before.” said Gizmo.

After a while of watching, both the Titans and Manimal seemed to be getting tired, and Mammoth was growing irritable with all the waiting. “Awe, come on…can't we go beat these guys already?”

“Stay put!” said Jinx.

“But come on I mean…”

“STAY!!” Jinx snapped. “You remember the orders. We wait for the signal from Slade.”

Suddenly, an instant message appeared on the computer behind them. “Here it is.” Jinx sniggered. “Let's go.”

They grabbed their flasks of Beast Boy's DNA, and headed off.

Meanwhile, at the bridge…

The Titans regrouped, so far the battle had waged on quite a bit, and Manimal had taken some hits, but he was still ready for more, and the Titans were really amazed at how good he was.

“Yo… exactly where did we lose our touch?” Cyborg asked.

Raven peeled off some sticky goop off her mouth Manimal fired to stop her from reciting her spell. “We can't let him get to us.” she said.

“Raven's right.” said Robin, and he turned angrily towards Manimal. “He's bound to have some weaknesses!!”

Manimal turned fiercely towards the Titans as they charged him again.

He caught Cyborg's fist and tossed him back over his shoulder. He dodged Starfire as she flew right at him and she crashed into the cables spring launching herself into Raven.

“My deepest apologies to you, Raven.” Starfire cried, but Raven just lay there… with stars around her head and her tongue sticking out.

Robin was the only one who actually got close enough to engage with Manimal in a dragon rush, and both he and Manimal were really going at it.

Punches going here, kicks going there. Robin even found and opening where he hit Manimal hard in the arm with one of his blade-picks. Manimal growled in pain and then flipped backwards and pitched his explosive quills at Robin knocking him over.

Manimal grunted and groaned as he held his arm, and the other Titans helped Robin up. Then they stared each other down panting hard… but still not wiling to give in.

“Enough of this.” Robin panted. “Why did you challenge us like this?”

Manimal looked confused. “What?” he snapped. “What are you talking about? You were the ones who challenged me to this duel.”

Now all the Titans were confused.

Their stalling made the crowds get angry. They taunted and hooted for the fight to go on, but the fighters didn't make a move.

“Come on! What's happening!” Jackie growled.

“Fight already!” added Jillian.

The only people who seemed to be relieved about this was Terra and her Grandmother. The fight had gone on long enough, and it seemed Terra's hunches were right.

The Titans and Manimal had also just realized that they had been set up. “What I'd like to know is, why, and by whom?” asked Robin.

Suddenly the ground began to rumble, and everyone in the crowd began to rumble just like before at the street party. “Oh no… Not again!” cried Cyborg.

A whole swarm of large Green animals lead by the terrible trio. The crowd began to run a muck in panic, and the police, now convinced that Manimal was not the criminal ran in to join the heroes and aid them.

“So it was you creeps who set us up like this!” snarled Robin.

“Duh! You think?” snapped Gizmo. “You guys are so gullible… it sickens me.”

“Hey don't worry… we'll get them soon enough.” Mammoth said.

The Attack began, and the Animals began charging. “TITANS, GO!!” cried Robin, and they all rushed into action.

There was only one problem… the Titans had been fighting Manimal for quite a while. So much in fact, that they had used up a lot of their strengths and energies. They had hardly any battle left in them at all.

Robin and Cyborg went after Gizmo, but Gizmo just summoned up a Green Brontosaurus, and made it give them both a huge tail whip. WHACK!!

Raven and Starfire went after Jinx. Starfire couldn't seem to fire her star bolts fast enough, and Raven couldn't summon up a big enough energy wave, which let Jinx blast them both back hard with her own magic.

“Ha, ha, ha! You Titans are easier to beat than stealing candy from a baby.” Jinx mocked, but suddenly she got hit from behind by Manimal's explosive quills.

“Don't you know it's wrong to take candy from a baby anyways.” Manimal growled. He charged towards her, but he was confronted by Mammoth, and his Green Gorilla, and Green Elephant.

“Don't you know when to go down already?” he mocked.

The Titans and Manimal were losing badly, even with the police aiding them, they still didn't fair so well.

Jackie and Jillian were even more horrified to find out that this was mostly their fault. They pitted the city against Manimal, and therefore had to take most of the fault.

Terra, on the other hand, couldn't bare too much more. “I wish I could do something.” She mumbled to herself, but then she realized maybe there was something…. Her powers to move rock.

“It's risky… but I've got to try.” and at that she broke free from the crowd and began running past the crowd controls.

“TERRA!!” cried Jackie and Jillian.

“CHILD… NO!!” cried her grandmother.

The police had assembled their strongest weapons and stood in formation. “You three!” called the leader. “This is your only chance! Leave this bridge at once, or we shall be forced to use extreme measures.”

But the terrible trio didn't bother, and just ordered an gaggle of crazed Green Monkeys to attack, and even the police were rendered defenseless.

“Heh! Whimps.” chuckled Gizmo.

The fight kept on going, and by this point the Titans really seemed tired, so was Manimal. All of them weak, but not ready to quit yet. Still… they had no idea of what to do.

The Trio and their animals all slowly proceeded towards the defenseless heroes. “Heh! That was far too easy.” Mammoth chuckled. “Now which of these suckers do we crush first?”

“All of them.” Gizmo sniggered.

Jinx nodded. “Take your pick and go for it!”

They charged forward towards them, but before they could attack, they were bombarded by boulders and bricks from the bridge.

All the green animals got hit and were shifted back to into their flasks and capsules. “Hey! What the--” cried Jinx.

Manimal and the Titans looked up and they saw Terra.

The trio looked at the girl and couldn't believe it. “Hey. Didn't Slade used to have that chick as his apprentice?” asked Mammoth.

“Never mind, that!” snarled Jinx. “Let's get her!”

Terra just stood there, and tried to use her powers again, but she was still too unfocused, and out of practice to use them correctly. “Oh, no!” she cried. “It's not working.”

Manimal looked up and saw the trio charging towards her. “Oh no… Terra!” he cried.

Jinx powered up… Gizmo had one of his Zapper-Rays ready… and Mammoth pulled out his new Bazooka, and poor Terra realized she was backed into a corner with no where to run.

“Ready boys…” snapped Jinx. “Aim…”

“NO!!” cried Manimal.

“FIRE!!”

(Dramatic Slow-motion)

The blasts flew straight towards the defenseless girl, and just as it was about to crash into her… Manimal came into the scene and shoved her out of the way… and…

(Regular speed)

KAPOW!! He got hit hard instead in a huge explosion, which also knocked him, the trio, and Terra flat onto the ground.

The Titans all looked up. “Oh dear!” cried Starfire.

“Whoa!” added Cyborg.

Raven and Robin gasped hard when they saw that Manimal got hit hard. He was alive, but barley as he struggled to get up. His suit looked very badly damaged.

His cape was all tattered, his gadgets were all bent and squashed, and worst of all… the blast had broken the visor on his helmet revealing his eyes and parts of his short brown hair.

Terra, shakily got up and brushed the dust from her hair, but then her eyes met Manimal's eyes, and she immediately recognized them. “Garfield?” she asked in shock.

“Garfield?” added Jackie and Jillian.

Manimal got up shakily, and then pulled off his helmet… revealing the face of Garfield Logan.

“Yo, it's Beast Boy.” said Cyborg.

“We should've known.” added Robin.

The police came too and arrested the terrible trio who were still knocked out cold from the blast… but Garfield had decided he had had enough! And he began to stomp angrily away.

“Garfield… WAIT!!” cried Terra.

Garfield just kept on going, until Jackie and Jillian confronted him. “Garfield! What the heck's going on here?” snapped Jackie.

“Yeah!” added Jillian. “You're the Manimal?!”

Terra reached them. “Garfield?”

Garfield looked at her. “I wanted to tell you Terra… but I couldn't.” he said. Then he turned back to face Jackie and Jillian. “Not with these-two trouble makers around.”

Jackie and Jillian's jaws dropped the way he insulted them. “Just look at what you two have done!” Garfield replied. “You-two what you're up to.”

“People are getting hurt… all because you two want to be popular! How much is enough for you-two?!”

Jackie and Jillian didn't say anything. They had realized, as if for the very first time, they had gone way too far in their shenanigans.

“Well… you-two are going to get what you want after all.” Garfield said, and he threw his helmet down hard which made the crowd gasp. “I quit!” and he walked away sadly.

Terra picked up the damaged helmet, tears began to form in her eyes. “Garfield.”

The Titans were also in deep shock. This was indeed a very dark day.

Outside of the story…

Beast Boy shook his head in shame. “It was the biggest upset, and shame of my life.” he said. “Unloved… unappreciated… and as I was before; unhappy.”

“Beast Boy.” Copy-Cat said softly. “I never had realized you would do anything of the sort.”

“Tell me about it.” Beast Boy replied. “With my Super-hero days behind me again. All I could do was surrender to my despair, and accept it was all I had.”