Teen Titans: Millennium

Robin sat against the wall of the cave and thought. He and Speedy had been brought here by their Atlantean abductors, stripped of their armored suits and weapons, and left alone. After all, the cave was the only place in Orm’s seafloor base that was pressurized with air. Where could they go?

Robin scowled as he realized that the only thing worse than being locked in a seafloor cave by Atlantean rebels was being locked in a seafloor cave by Atlantean rebels with Speedy.

“Come on, Bird-Boy!” Speedy urged. “There’s got to be some way out of here!”

Robin rubbed the bridge of his nose. “There is,” he admitted. “We just have to wait for someone to get us out.” He fought back a smile. At least Wonder Girl and Kid Flash were still loose…

At that moment, Wonder Girl was hiding behind some debris on the sea bed. Kid Flash was out running reconnaissance. I wish Smith was here, she thought. He’d know what to do. She tried again to establish communications with their ship on the surface through her wrist communicator. No response.

She frowned and peeked out again. The Atlanteans were continuing their patrols, but so far she’d been able to avoid detection. But where was Wally?

Kid Flash was zipping around and through the Atlantean war camp. He frowned. So far he’d not seen anything of Aqualad or Aquagirl.

He screeched to a stop as he reached a cave that was heavily guarded. He used his speed to sneak past the guards and hid in the darker recesses of the cave.

Inside, Orm was pacing. Aquagirl lowered her hands from Aqualad’s head as their blue glow dissipated.

“What do we do now?” Aqualad asked.

Orm smiled. “First we need to exterminate the drylanders. Garth, I trust you to handle that while I plan our final assault on Atlantis.” Orm placed a hand on Garth’s shoulder. “Can you do that for me?”

“Of course, sir,” Garth replied. Orm’s smile grew wider.

Tula’s head suddenly jerked around. She scanned the cave for someone else, but that someone was already gone.

“Donna!” She whirled around to discover Kid Flash skidding to a stop behind her. “They’re going to kill Robin and Speedy!”

Donna didn’t voice her first thought, which was Maybe killing Speedy wouldn’t be that bad. Instead she said, “Who are? The rebels?”

Wally’s head nodded feverishly. “Yes!” he said. A projectile whizzed past him. “And I think they may have spotted me.”

“We really need to work on your timing,” Wonder Girl said drily as another projectile flew between them. “But we’ll worry about that later. Right now we need to get out of here.”

Kid Flash smiled. “Just hang on,” he said. When she had a grip, he started running.

Orin lowered his trident and looked around. The city’s defenses were pushing the invaders back – at least in this battle. He turned to the general. “Report,” he said.

The general affirmed that the invaders were being forced back, but at high cost. Rather than simply retreating, the invaders were destroying and killing everyone and everything in their paths.

Orin listened for a moment to the report and nodded once. “Then there is only one option,” he judged. “We make them retreat faster.”

Orin turned back to the battle and raised his trident. “Forward!” he ordered. The troops cheered and followed his order.

Not far away Wonder Girl and Kid Flash were having a conference of their own. “First we get Dick and Roy out,” she said with one finger upheld. She raised a second. “Then we try and get Garth to safety before the Atlanteans get hold of him.”

“But he’s with the bad guys!” Kid Flash protested.

Donna closed her eyes a moment. “I can’t believe that he joined them willingly. That girl must have done something to him.” Donna’s eyes opened and her fist closed, crushing a chunk of rock. “She’s mine.”

“You’ve got her,” Kid Flash replied with wide eyes. “But can we go on and save Dick and Roy?”

Donna nodded. “Do you know where they are?” Wally enthusiastically nodded. “Let’s go.”

Dick’s eyes widened as something began pounding against a wall of the “cell” he shared with Roy. A boulder had barely rolled away from the door before it was rolled back, admitting some water but not enough to completely engulf the room. A blur that had raced in stopped and revealed Kid Flash, who had an Atlantean “diving suit” in each hand.

“Ready to go?” Kid Flash asked. Dick smiled as he stepped forward and put on the suit. Roy was just as quick to grab his own.

On Cairn, Tinya Nah rolled over and blearily looked up as her husband was creeping around their bedroom. “A herd of lightning beasts can move more quietly than you,” she said.

Jo smiled a sheepish smile. “Sorry. I just got a summons.”

Tinya’s eyes opened wider as she glanced down. Her bracelet was blinking. She’d been sleeping so soundly she hadn’t felt its telltale vibration. “So did I,” she said, holding her wrist up to display the bracelet. “Let me get dressed and we’ll go together.”

Jo and Tinya arrived in the meeting room to discover it more crowded than usual. They were apparently among the last to arrive.

A Guardian stood. “LEGION officers,” his voice boomed, silencing all conversation in the crowded hall. “A crimson alert has been declared for Sol-3.”

That started conversation buzzing. The Guardian permitted it for a moment before speaking again.

“We are recalling all LEGION officers. This is a grave situation and the Council has determined that all officers are to be dispatched.” The Guardian paused a moment. “Your orders will be distributed shortly. You will all be assigned to this planet the natives call Earth to deal with the situation.” The Guardian turned and left, leaving a buzzing LEGION behind.

On Earth, the Titans gathered around Robin. “We need to find Garth fast,” he said. “I’m afraid that Orin’s going to kill him.”

“Well, Kid?” Speedy asked as he thumped Kid Flash on the back. “Ready to go to work?”

Kid Flash smiled and was gone in a cloud of sediment.

“Here you are.” The Titans whirled around as they heard a voice in their heads. King Orin floated there behind them with his arms crossed. Two bodyguards were behind him.

“You heard,” Robin said.

Orin nodded once. “I did.” From the looks on his bodyguards’ faces, so had they.

“What now?” Speedy asked.

Orin thought a moment. “I am disappointed that you think me such a barbarian that I look forward to killing my own son,” he finally said.

Robin jumped to his feet, which caused Orin’s bodyguards to tense. “Then let us try to save him.”

Orin paused again. “Very well. Shortly we will begin our final assault on Orm’s camp. If Garth is clear of the camp, he will be safe. If he is still there any my guards find him, however…” Orin’s thought trailed away.

“A chance is all we need,” Robin said. He turned to the others. “Let’s go!”

Shortly they had met up with Kid Flash outside Orm’s camp. “How long do we have?” Wonder Girl asked.

“I doubt we’ve got long,” Robin replied. “If they’re attacking the camp, it’s because they’ve already successfully driven the attackers out of Atlantis.”

“That makes sense,” Wonder Girl said. “What do we do?”

“Die,” a voice behind them said. The Titans spun around to discover Aqualad and Aquagirl behind them. A cruel smirk twisted Aquagirl’s features. “Kill them, my prince,” she said. “Let them die as all enemies of Atlantis.”

“Yes,” Garth responded. “Death to the enemy.”

The Titans scattered as Aqualad threw a boulder at them. “He’s being controlled,” Robin mused as he watched Aqualad’s movements. “Donna, Roy – take out Tula! Wally, distract Garth!”

Kid Flash grinned and was gone. Moments later, a whirlpool appeared around Garth.

Speedy was getting ready to raise his energy bow when Wonder Girl stopped him. “This one’s mine,” she said before she launched herself at Aquagirl.

Speedy watched in admiration as Wonder Girl quickly and easily disposed of Aquagirl.

“Good work,” Robin said as Kid Flash’s whirlpool dissipated to reveal a dazed (and dizzy) Aqualad.

“I agree,” Orin said. He smiled as the Titans prepared to take up defensive postures. “I’m not here to attack you. I’m here to take custody of your prisoners. Our physicians can help heal their minds.”

“All right,” Robin conceded.

Orin knelt down in front of Aqualad. “My son,” he whispered.

As father and son reunited, Vulko led the other Titans away.

“So Garth will be returning?” Smith asked after the Titans had returned to the ship. They had spent a day or so with Orin and Garth before resurfacing.

“Yes,” Dick replied. “King Orin believes that the Atlantean telepaths can help undo whatever Tula did to his mind.”

“And what of Tula?” Jupiter asked. “What will they do to her?”

Far below, King Orin entered a cell. A healer knelt beside Tula, trying to undo the programming that Orm had snaked throughout her mind.

Orin sat in front of her. “Look at me,” he ordered. Tula looked up with eyes that were now dull and no longer full of hatred.

“Tell me,” Orin said. “Tell me what you saw. Tell me what you saw in Garth’s vision.” He paused a moment. “And tell me how long we have until he arrives.”

To Be Continued...

Next Issue: A new face arrives on the scene as events begin to rush toward Armaggeddon!

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