Very Late But Happy Pride Everyone!!!

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Very late but happy pride everyone!!!

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Blue Titans (Continued): Chapter 2

Why has Robin not returned? Worry troubled Starfire as she paced back and forth in the hallway. She and her had taken the hedgehogs back to the T-tower for recovery, but that was two hours ago. She looked back at the locked door Robin and Raven were behind; they left her and the other two Titans outside while Sonic and his 'rude friend' were being treated.

Cyborg stood by the door patiently and Beast Boy was telling his 120th joke of the day.

"Okay, why did the elephant wear a tire on his face?"

This distracted Starfire for the moment. She stopped and glanced at Beast boy, puzzled. "I don't know. Is the tire an accessory for the fashion?"

Beast Boy snickered at his own joke, "Because he hooked it to the trunk. Get it? TRUNK!" He rolled on the ground in laughter leaving a stumped Starfire. As she thought it over, her eyes brightened and she held up a finger.

"Ah, I understand. The tire attached to the nose is why the elephant wears it." She frowned at what Beast Boy said. "But what is the purpose of the joke?"

The green prankster opened his mouth but Cyborg spoke first. "BB's trying to make a pun." He shot Beast Boy annoyed look, "but you messed it up. It's SUPPOSED to be, 'he couldn't put it in the trunk.' NOT 'hooked to it.'"

The shapeshifter folded his arms and pouted, "I liked it better my way." He eagerly turned back to Starfire, "this one's gonna be good. Why did--"

He never did finish.

The door slid open and Robin quietly stepped out, Raven following after. Starfire zipped to Robin and squeezed him tightly in mid-flight. "Robin! You have healed them!" Her over-excitement took over and she hugged him ever tighter. She didn't hear the cracking of bones as the masked boy squirmed in her grip.

"Star... Grip... HURTS!"

His words were barely audible and she spun him in the air joyously. "Sonic will be back on the feet and his friend is safe! You have much of my thanks!"

Raven cleared her throat, catching Starfire's attention, and she spoke in a monotone. "We'll be having more patients if you don't let go."

The Tamaranean stared blankly at Raven, oblivious to the victim she was strangling. A strangled rasp from Robin brought her to realization and she released him in shock. "I am the sorry!"

After a small coughing fit, Robin chuckled weakly and rubbed his sore sides. "It's fine." His light smile faded and silence followed. Starfire's concern returned and she looked to Raven for help but even she was not saying a word.

Cyborg stepped up and stared down at Robin. "How bad is it?" His voice was shaking, like Robin was the giant, not him.

Robin looked away and sighed. "Sonic has fully recovered, but Shadow..."

"His health is declining," Raven finished with no hesitation.

Starfire sucked in her breath. Shadow is still sick? The words were worse than 'the pudding of sadness' and even that was a nightmare; she cringed at the thought. Her joy dwindled and was replaced by sorrow, an emotion she rarely encountered. The burden took its toll and she gradually descended to the floor. She searched the room for any signs of hope but her friends' expressions only let the feeling sink in more. A long silence hung in the tower, only pain and worry making themselves known.

Beast Boy hung his head, "Must be the Chaos stuff." His voice had no humor, no energy, nothing. It was as if he were an empty shell (pun intended!).

Starfire balled her fists and looked to each of her friends with a new confidence. "We can not give up now." Her rebounding joy lifted her back in the air. "Shadow needs our help!" If anyone could find hope in the bleakest moment, it was her. She flew up to Robin, nose to nose with him, with pleading hands. "Please, is there not anything we can do?"

Robin stepped back in shock; 'personal space' was not something Starfire was familiar with. He shook his head, "Sorry, Star. We'll have to wait till Sonic wakes up." The team looked back, past Raven, into the open room.

Two motionless hedgehogs were visible, lying on separate beds. IV's were strapped to them and only their vitals and faint breathing proved they were still alive. Robin sighed as his mind wandered to the Blue Blur.

"He knows more about this Chaos... energy."

___________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile...

Sonic slowly opened his eyes to complete darkness. His eyelids fluttered as he groggily rolled onto his side and pushed himself up. The world, if there was one in the shadows, seemed to spin and he massaged his throbbing forehead.

"Talk about a headache." It was like his skull was spin dashing non-stop.

Finally the pain lessened and he looked up at the empty room; infinite darkness covered the area and stretched for miles. Oddly, he could see his body, but that was it. Even the sturdy floor he stood on matched the black air. The hedgehog squinted with focused pupils to make out something... Anything...

"Where..." His aimless question was cut off a familiar voice.

"My, my. What a surprise."

Sonic tensed and whipped around but only shadows met him. His quills relaxed and he did his iconic stance: a hand on hip, a cocky smirk, and a finger rubbing under his nose. Even if he was stuck with who-he-thought-it-was, it'd take more than that to bring down his ego. "'Sup, Slade?" He grinned at the nothingness. "Ready to come out of that hidey hole of yours?"

The villain's voice was smooth as silk but still had that 'bad guy' vibe to it. "On the contrary. Perhaps you should join me."

"What-- WHOA!" Sonic's floor gave away under him and he immediately dropped. He flailed his arms in free-fall until he slammed into another invisible surface. "Oof!" The air was knocked out of him and he quickly shielded his head, then grabbed a breath; he wasn't gonna let someone pull off the same stunt Metal did when they warped dimensions. As he got his bearings, he heard Slade's voice again.

"Welcome, Sonic. I've been expecting you."

Sonic strained to look up. The black-and-orange man stood a few feet from him at full attention with hands behind his back. The down hedgehog scoffed as he got to his feet and dusted himself off, "Eggman's thrown a lot'a stuff at me, and so far, you're not a change of pace." He raised an eyebrow at Slade. "How'd you get in my head?"

The foe removed a hand from behind his back... and revealed a large, brilliant-red jewel in his palm. "With one of your relics, of course."

Sonic stepped back in shock. He couldn't find any of his witty comebacks as the Chaos Emerald glistened in the dark. 'Horror' didn't come close to his reaction. "How'd you--"

Slade simply waved the emerald at the hero. "Impressed? That copy of yours, 'Metal Sonic' was it?" He twirled the jewel tauntingly, "he gave it to me a while ago." He held the trinket in front and studied it. "I wondered what use this was to you, then I tested it myself." He turned back to Sonic and seemed to smile behind the mask, "and my, what power it holds."

Sonic tapped his foot impatiently as he put two and two together. "So that's how you intercepted Raven's telepathy. And the goons at the store..."*

"Yes, Sonic, all decoys to find the second one." His sleek voice sparked with enthusiasm, "you are quite perceptive for a speedster."

The Blue Blur gave a playful wink. "Sometimes, you gotta take it slow." He stretched his legs and got the blood flowing; his body was practically begging for another run. "And thanks for the heads-up; I'll let the Titans know you said 'hi.'" He sped off into the shadows... Only to slam into an unseen force. "Grgh!" He was flung backwards and tumbled head over heels for a few seconds. When he finally stopped, he was back where he started: on his stomach, in front of the patiently waiting Slade. "Note to self," the speedster growled, "don't run into invisible walls."

The villain's voice echoed in the air, "You believed I'd let you go that easily?"

Sonic slowly got up and rubbed his aching head. "Okay, maybe you're more annoying than Egg-head."

Slade wasn't the least fazed by this. He neatly tucked the emerald away and continued. "I am aware there are more emeralds like this, and if there are only two on this world..." His hidden grin was expressed in a sly voice. "There's more on yours?"

Green eyes widened at this. How did he know about the others... Unless if he didn't. Slade was gambling on Sonic's reaction, and the hedgehog's expression proved the suspicions were right. He mentally slapped himself for not thinking of it sooner.

The villain reached out an offering hand to Sonic, "You have the knowledge of that world. You know where the emeralds are and how to harness them." His open hand turned into a pointing finger. "All I need is you."

This ain't good. "Sorry, Two-Face," Sonic quipped with a low growl. His quills bristled and he cautiously looked around; he had to get out of here before things turned for the worse. "Not gonna happen."

For the first time in the black limbo, Slade gave off a bone-chilling cackle. "You can run all you want. But in the end, I will find you and the emeral--"

A bright flash silenced the villain in mid-sentence. Through the blinding light, Sonic swore he saw the silhouette of a black raven. Then, he woke up.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, a few minutes ago...

"Robin!"

The masked leader looked up from the center monitors after hearing his name. Starfire soared into the tower's center room and came to an abrupt stop next to him.

"Robin, you must come quickly!"

He arched an eyebrow. "Can it wait? He shifted back to the large screens and typed away. Despite what Sonic said earlier,* catching Slade was his top priority while the hedgehogs rested. He noticed Starfire with pleading hands as she begged him further.

"It is of Sonic." Her eyes hurt with worry, "I fear something is very wrong."

Robin perked up at Starfire's change of tone. His eyes hardened and studied her expression; she was on the verge of tears as her green eyes glistened like diamonds. The Boy Wonder knew the Tamaranean all too well to see it was serious. His voice darkened at his next words. "Get the others." Starfire nodded and left to carry out his order. Robin turned back to the monitors; a familiar black-and-orange dressed man was staring back at him through the screen. Soon we'll catch him. He powered off the screen. Soon...

The team met in the infirmary a few seconds later. Shadow was on his cot and out like a light, but that wasn't what caught Robin's attention. It was the cobalt hedgehog to the left of Shadow that made things strange. He was tossing and turning in his sleep with legs sprawled out, a grimace reaching his face ever so often. The team stood there in silence as the scene unfolded. Finally, Beast Boy broke the awkwardness.

"Uh... How is dancing in his sleep wrong?"

Robin sighed and looked tiredly at Starfire. "Star, he's just dreaming. It's normal for this to happen."

Starfire balled her fists and righteous fury consumed her. "But he is not the normal!" Her eyes glowed a dangerous green and her star-bolts ignited. "He is the hurting and needs our help!"

Robin ran a hand down his face. This is the same girl that mistook an alarm clock as a bomb last week. He was about to protest but was cut off by shaky gasps from behind him. Indeed, something was wrong with the Blue Blur.

The hedgehog's chest hitched with erratic breaths and a soft groan escaped his mouth. For some reason, it seemed he was wincing from an unseen pain. Blaring alarms sounded as the HR monitors spiked, speeding up to 10 times faster now.

Cyborg approached Sonic slowly. "Star has a point." He held his robotic arm over the squirming hedgehog and took some readings. "I'm picking up irregular brain waves; they're increasing in amplitude and intensity."

Beast Boy scratched his head. "English?" It was well established science was not his forte.

Cyborg groaned and tried 'dumbing' it down. "Sonic's brain is dealing with too much stress."

Raven stood alongside him. "It is true. I can sense an inner struggle within him." She walked up to Sonic's bedside and closed her eyes, "I will find out what is wrong." She slowly drifted into the air in a hover, her legs crossed into a meditating stance with fingers locked into Gyan Mudra.** As the team watched, she said the three magic words. "Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos..."

A bright flash emitted from her cloak and covered the room in a white haze; at the same time, a jet-black raven flew out of Raven's soul and into Sonic's head. His muscles immediately relaxed and his body sank into the firm cot more... Even his breathing was shallow.

Robin shot a glance at the monitors again; the hedgehog's heartbeat was still being tracked, but it seemed weaker. Robin's gut churned as he looked back at Sonic. What's taking Raven so long? The team waited on in worry and silence. Unfortunately, this proved impossible for Beast Boy as his patience wore out... Fast.

"Is he dead?" His finger prodded at Sonic's peach-furred arm. No reaction whatsoever.

But then... He woke up.

The Blue Blur sprung to life and shot out of the covers in less than a millisecond. When he halted at the edge of the bed, the Titans were taken back by what they saw. Sonic was anything but his normal self; his body was shaking like crazy and he was panting with sweat running down his face. His eyes were completely glazed over as they darted in every direction. The wild look in the hedgehog's eyes made Robin's spine crawl.

It seemed too unreal.

Starfire placed a hand on his shoulder; he flinched away with quills bristled. Starfire squeezed tighter being careful not to use her Tamaranean strength; she had to snap him out of it. "Remain calm, Sonic." Worry and fear were written on her face as she held a firm grip on the speedster. Robin, on the other hand, studied the mobian, detail by detail.

Something didn't seem right. He'd seen the hedgehog in action, always cocky, upbeat, and carefree. It didn't matter how many hits he'd take; Sonic's joking side never subsided. But to see him like this, in a paranoia-like-broken state, it had to be serious.

Starfire's voice sounded again, "You were having the nightmare."

The feral look in Sonic's eyes slowly faded. Groaning, he fully sat up and massaged his forehead. "There's that headache again."

Beast Boy was left speechless. "Dude, you know how long you were out?"

Sonic rubbed at his eyes. "Ugh... what happened?"

Raven made her appearance by descending to the floor. She pulled her hood down and her stone face greeted everyone. Her eyes zeroed in on the blue member. "You were in a trance. I had to reach into your mind to break you free."

Sonic tilted his head. "Trance?"

This was something Robin was not expecting. "You mean it wasn't a dream he was having?"

Raven opened her mouth but Sonic beat her to it. "Nope, Slade knocked on the door." To make his point, he knocked on his skull.

Robin's eyes narrowed; Slade was at it again and now with new motives. His jaw tightened as he struggled to keep his composure. "You sure it was him?"

Sonic nodded. "Positive. And I know how he got in." For the first time in a while, Sonic's emerald eyes hardened and his gloved hands curled into fists.

He's not playing around anymore, Robin realized.

Sonic continued. "He found a Chaos Emerald." He glanced up at Raven. "That's how he slipped into our conversations."

Raven nodded slowly, pondering on Sonic's words. Robin turned away from Sonic and faced his team. He knew Sonic said something about the emeralds before, two years ago actually, but that wasn't important right now. Slade has to be dealt with. Robin's tone hardened and he listed the objective. "Then we have to find him." The group nodded in unison.

"No."

Everyone looked back at the voice. Sonic as making his way off the bed, IV's and all removed. His cold expression never left as he steadily stood up.

"He's already found one emerald. If he finds the second, he can make a portal to my world."

Robin and the team stood there, processing the hedgehog's words. Cyborg broke the silence. "That's bad enough, but why would he do that?"

Sonic gritted his teeth and growled, "Because he's after the others."

Raven quirked a brow. "The others?"

The hedgehog didn't face her and answered bluntly. "The other Chaos Emeralds."

Now Robin's interest perked up. What is so important about the emeralds? He frowned as he pondered over Sonic's answer. Why is Slade after them to begin with? "These... Emeralds..." He looked at the Blue Blur quizzically, "are they that powerful?"

Sonic heaved a sigh, his eyes glued to the floor. "Yeah." He looked up with a weak grin. "Here's a little history lesson." The Titans gathered closer as he explained. "The Chaos Emeralds are mystical gems on my world that hold infinite power."

Robin noticed the further Sonic went on with the lecture, the more his cocky attitude returned.

"Collect all seven and you can basically do anything. I've used them several times. Flight, light speed, invincibility... I got all that." His wide grin melted into a frown. "But they can be used for destruction too." Sonic growled under his breath but Robin managed to hear. "Eggman's proven that."

"He's right." Everyone, including Sonic, turned to the deep voice. Shadow was grabbing the rail of his bed and heaving himself off the cot; as he stepped on the ground, his legs buckled and he staggered backwards. The Titans reached out to help but he held a gloved hand up. They waited as he pulled himself up on the bed and leaned his weight against the railing.

Robin noted Shadow's appearance. Besides the brooding hedgehog's exhausted state, he looked completely fine; no scars, bruises, or injuries visible. How long was he awake? Maybe there was a reason he went by the name, 'Ultimate Lifeform.' Still, he's stubborn as me. Robin crossed his arms and the white eyes on his mask narrowed. "You're supposed to be resting."

Shadow returned the glare. "I'm fine."

Robin arched an eyebrow; scratch that. He's WORSE than me.

The dark hedgehog turned back to everyone else with a cold stare, "Robotnik has proven the emeralds can not be in the wrong hands."

Beast Boy stifled a laugh. This got everyone's attention, and unfortunately, Shadow's also. "What'd 'Robutt-nick' do? Scramble the world for breakfast?"

Shadow snapped his head at the green kid and his eyes blazed a crimson red; even though he wasn't looking at Robin, Shadow still made his skin crawl. Before Shadow could make a scene, Sonic jumped in.

"Lemme see..." He started counting off his fingers. "Blew up the moon, ripped the world apart, started a black hole..." He looked up. "Should I go on?"

Silence answered him and Robin couldn't stop his jaw from dropping. Blew up... Black hole... What? He couldn't fathom what he just heard. Shadow just scoffed; no reaction whatsoever.

Sonic brushed off the silent treatment and went on. "Our only way to keep Slade from getting the other emeralds is finding the second one. Without both, Slade can't get to my world."

Robin carefully thought it over. It made sense: Find the emerald = Slade can't make a getaway. But there was still that nagging feeling again. "I still think some of us should go after Slade." He faced the Titans, "Starfire, you're coming with me. Cyborg, pair up with Beast boy and Sonic." He gestured to Starfire and then to the boys, "We'll look for Slade and you scout for the emerald." He turned to the last member, "Raven stay with Shadow."

Shadow's snarl followed. "I said I'm fine."

The Boy Wonder would later question what he did was smart. He marched up to Sonic's 'friend' and stared down at him. Like Beast boy with Sonic in the beginning, he threw a punch at the hedgehog's pride. "You need the rest." His voice was like stones pummeled at the rodent. "Stay. HERE."

The two glared at each other in a still silence and neither turned away. Beast Boy's clambering was heard in the other room, along with clattering of dishes.

Probably grabbing snack foods to watch the show. After several, long, painful seconds for everyone else, Shadow finally relented and scoffed.

"Whatever."

Robin faced Raven. "Keep an eye on him." Raven nodded without a word. The leader turned back to the Titans just as Beast Boy entered. Robin's suspicions were correct; the former Doom Patrol member was carrying a bowl of tofu waffles in one hand and a soda in the other. He glanced around and his large ears wilted.

"Did I miss it already?" The team and hedgehogs gave him unamused looks.

Sonic lightened the mood, "Yeah, you should have seen it." He locked an arm to his chest and reenacted the story. "Robin had Shadow at a headlock, and Shadow was cursing left and right..."

"Continue with what you were saying," Shadow growled menacingly. "I INSIST."

Sonic merely chuckled at the death threat.

Robin cautiously turned back to the team and cleared his throat. "You know the plan." He did his signature pose and shouted the code phrase. "Titans, GO!"

*Blue Titans (Squidkid11): Chapter 17

**Meditating position: Check it out sometime!

Thank you to @somerandomdudelmao for giving us PEAK heart wrenching storytelling this year

I am going through that right now with drawing out the ROTTMNT characters... Ugh, I can hear my paper calling to me again 🎨🖌️

WTF?!!!!! 😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I like Mikey's face

Blue Titans (Continued): Chapter 1

Continuation of "Blue Titans." Sonic warped into Jump City and met up with the Teen Titans. Now that he's settled in, things can't possibly go south... Can they? Shadow's now with the gang and Slade is ready to strike again. This will be out of this world... or dimension. Credit to Squidkid11.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVjtm116ShA&list=PLTiXGyUnW7a6pYRV1MVLRtmY7vQaBF4i2

A devastating fear hung in the air as Sonic stared in the sky where Shadow appeared from the now vanished portal. His one ticket home slipped through his fingers and now he was stuck for good in Jump City with 'Mr. Sunshine.' Starfire broke the silence.

"Sonic, who is this with you?"

The Blue Blur rolled his head, more out of exhaustion with fighting his rival, in her direction. His glossy stare met her bright eyes. He could barely stand, let alone breath, and his dead weight was supported on Shadow. All he wanted was a nice long nap to get his speed going, but his ego got the best of him and he straightened up a little to appear his normal self. His cocky grin showed and he looked to Shadow.

"Right, introductions. Shadow, meet the Teen Titans," he gestured to the group. "They're the heroes of the city." Then vice versa. "Titans, meet Shadow, the 'Ultimate Moody Life Form.'"

Beast Boy held back a snicker.

"That's Ultimate Life Form to you, Faker," the ebony hedgehog's snarl was heard. Shadow took a moment to observe the scenery around him. "So this is where you've been the entire time?"

Sonic gave a small shrug. "Yeah, tried finding the Chaos Emeralds to get back... but no such luck."

His dark rival sighed under his breath. "I can see how you FAILED," pointedly jabbing at Sonic's pride, "you in this condition."

Sonic leaned back on Shadow and chuckled, "Says the hedgehog who came without an emerald."

Wrong move.

Shadow stepped back and took Sonic's platform with him; the speedster ultimately (no pun intended) fell on his face with a thud.

"Ow!"

"Dude!" The green kid with elf-like ears stepped forward, "why'd you do that?!"

Shadow crossed his arms and looked down on the blue rodent. "Tsk. He deserved it."

Robin gave a long stare at the newcomer but finally softened his gaze; Sonic figured he connected the dots of this being an ongoing thing. The Boy Wonder packed his gear and faced the team. "We better head back to the tower." He turned back to Shadow and his tone was firm, "you'll have to come for questioning."

Shadow scoffed. "Like I'd go with you freaks."

Sonic tensed at his words; this wasn't going to end well. He pushed himself up on his knees and glared at his doppelganger. "Shadow..."

Cyborg marched up to the black hedgehog; his torso met Shadow's head as he towered over him. "Wanna say that again?" To Cyborg's surprise, Shadow turned away and walked on.

"I'm better off on my own."

Sonic shakily rose to his feet. "Uh, Shadow?" He'd seen this way too many times and knew it wouldn't end in Shadow's favor.

Shadow glared behind at Sonic, "I'll find those emeralds you've failed to recover." He crossed his arms and shouted, "Chaos... Control!"

A bright flash lit the streets and the Titans shielded their eyes. Sonic squinted through the white haze in hopes he was wrong; but sure enough, Shadow was still standing there. The explosion of light already dissipated and Shadow staggered around, holding his head.

"Ugh..." His swaying turned into a fall and Sonic lunged out to him.

"Shads!"

Somehow, the Blue Blur gathered enough energy to reach Shadow and stop his fall. He settled the dazed one down and tried catching his breath; this was taking too much out of him. Even with his hyper nature, his eyelids were practically pulling him to sleep. He heard Shadow's groans of fighting unconsciousness and approaching footsteps.

Raven's voice followed after. "What happened?"

Sonic glanced up at her; although her tone was dry, her eyes told another story. He turned back to help Shadow up but said hedgehog smacked the lending hand away and growled weakly, "I don't need your sympathy. I can get up myself." He stood up abruptly but immediately collapsed again.

This time, Sonic didn't have the strength to catch him and the air was sucked out of his rival as Shadow landed on his back. Sonic drew in a breath and sighed. "He's lost a lot of chaos energy." He stared at the Ultimate Lifeform with weary eyes, "unlike me, he lives off it."

Beast Boy piped in, "But didn't you say there's no chaos energy here?"

Sonic's blood froze over and he didn't move. He hadn't thought of it before, but Shadow wouldn't be able to recover like he could. No chaos energy meant no life source and no life source meant... Sonic looked up with cold, green eyes and answered Beast Boy. "Bingo."

The Titans took a moment to process this and Robin was the first to speak. "Then we better get him to the tower. We'll figure it out from there." He turned to the girls, "Starfire and Raven, help them out to the T-car." Starfire nodded and flew to Sonic.

She softly landed and propped him on her shoulder. "Come, Sonic," she slowly led him to the backseat, "we will heal your friend."

He didn't lift his head but a soft chuckle proved he was awake. "If that's what you call him."

Coincidentally, he heard Shadow's warning growl behind. "Don't even try it... I don't need your sympathy." Sonic didn't need to look to know who he was talking to. He heard Raven's voice afterwards.

"I can carry or levitate you." Her tone hardened, "you're coming with us."

There was a long silence as Starfire helped Sonic into the car and his head fell facing away and his eyes growing heavy. He could imagine Shadow's grumbling about being carried behind him; he was proven right when his rival's muttering about self dignity was heard.

Shadow's growls grew more and more distant as the sounds lulled him into a deep, deep sleep.