The Next Generation

"Alright, it looks like you're right about that. We'll have to treat you up even more once we get back to New York, just try to protect yourself if you can," Neal said before turning back to look back at the aliens that were surrounding them. It seemed like this wasn't going to be an easy fight, despite how confident Dick had spoken earlier. Neal would have to help fight in whatever way he could, but it seemed like his illusions might not work now that they had already been pinned down. He might be able to make them feel pain, but he'd rather wait till he didn't have any other choice.

As the fight broke out, Neal watched as Batman used explosive batarangs. It was something that caught Neal off guard, since he still remembered how mad Nightwing had gotten when Neal shot that one criminal. They were clearly fighting for survival now. That was all fine with Neal, at least how he had something that could help. Neal began to focus his mind and lash out with his soul-self, sending out giant arms and hands in order to swat, smash, and defeat any alien that was approaching the area.

Despite their combined efforts, the increasingly overwhelming odds were doing little for their chances of success. They hadn't counted for half the entire city's police squad to show up so quickly. At the very least, they hoped to be done with the original ten and then on their way. They had no such luck. Instead, no matter how many they destroyed, more just kept coming. Even Deathstroke took a shot in the ribs at one point, though he still kept fighting.

"There's too many of them!" Dick yelled, rolling desperately to avoid several shots. One of them pierced through his calf muscle, though.

"What was your first clue?" Lex retorted. Another blast ripped into his battlesuit, further damaging it. "Lantern, can you get us out of here?

Sarah groaned, trying to raise her ring hand and for a transport bubble around them. It did form, though repeated blasts blew it apart. "No, I'm in too much pain to concentrate."

Deathstroke shot down a couple more, then looked down at his injury. "If we don't think of something fast, we're not going to make it back.

Fortunately, luck was on their side. Well, not so much luck as timing. A white and red blur flew in from the sky and began pummeling through multiple enemy's at super speeds. The alien were taken completely by surprise, and before they could react, the blur had reduced their numbers by more than half. A few more moments of panicked and futile attempts to defend themselves, and most were gone. The remaining few began to retreat.

"I got your emergency beacon, Sarah," Power Girl said, flying down to the rooftop. Let's get the hell out of here before more of them show up."

This was definitely not how they had planned for this mission to go. Their stealth didn't do much when the enemy could read their heat signatures while they were inside the building. They should have done some planning to avoid that kind of thing, but it was too late to do anything about that now. Neal continued his projecting, trying to knock away and smash any of the enemy that got too close.

"We're going to have to come up with a new strategy here guys," Neal called right after he took a shot to the side of his leg. The kevlar had helped, but only barely. And it was starting to hurt like hell. If they didn't do something drastic soon, they were going to get destroyed in a matter of seconds.

Thankfully, it was only at that point that Power Girl showed up and began to throw everyone around like they were nothing but trash. Yeah, super speed and super strength was always a pretty good combination wasn't it? As the remaining enemy retreated, Neal let out a weak laugh. "I have never been happier to see you in my entire life," Neal said as he looked over towards Power Girl.

They couldn't waste time with the chit chat though. "Let's go," Neal said as he offered a hand to help Sarah up to her feet.

Power Girl raised an eyebrow. "Really? Not even when we-" she stopped short, suddenly realizing that the others were staring at her. Best not talk about private things in front of people. "I mean, right, let's get going."

"Just a moment," Deathstroke said, walking over to one of the fallen alien officers. The man was still twitching. "This one's still alive... he could be useful, if we interrogate him."

"Then bring him along," Lex said. "Just don't waste anymore time, we've spent long enough here as is."

Sarah let out a grunt as Neal helped her up. The pain was still a real bitch. "I think I can transport us all back now that I don't have a bunch of people shooting at me." Taking in a deep breath, she formed another green bubble around them all. "Alright, let's get out of here." And then, they were off.

Neal heard what Power Girl was beginning to say and watched as she cut herself off. As the others were looking, he couldn't help but let a small smile escape onto his lips. She really knew how to make any situation interesting didn't she?

It was than that Neal glanced over to see what Deathstroke was up to. Apparently he had found an alien that was still alive, one that he hoped would provide some useful information once they were able to get him to talk. Hopefully they'd be able to put more of a face to their enemy with one of their kind.

"Just concentrate Sarah and you'll do just fine," Neal said in an encouraging tone in the hopes that it would help her keep the bubble intact. IT seemed like she was doing just fine though, as they quickly began to get away from the scene. With luck the enemy wouldn't have recovered in time to pursue or track them at all.

All in all, it seemed like the mission was a success.

When they returned to their underground base, the team took time to nurse their injuries. Some of them were minor, but others were more debilitating than others. Fortunately, Lex had recovered a special healing solution that would help mend the wounds together. In twenty four hours, they'd be good as new. They were also able to finally eat, as well. Granted, everything was cold and needed to be reheated, but it was still good. Even baked beans tasted like a five star meal at this point. Meanwhile, the captured alien enemy had been securely restrained in on of the reinforced containment rooms, awaiting to be interrogated the next day.

Lex walked over to his work station, where he'd removed his battlesuit and examined the damage. "This is going to take days to fix... good thing I have a spare." He then glanced over at the block of Thorium that Deathstroke had placed on the table. "There are more important things to work on in the meantime, anyway."

Though most of the others had since gone to bed, Sarah and Neal still remained in the lounge area. Sarah had removed her shirt part way to expose the wound on her shoulder, and was busy using a sponge to soak it with the healing solution. At least it took away most of the pain. After several moments, she glanced over at Neal, just looking at him. Eventually, she gave him an amused smirk.

"So, you and Power Girl, huh?" she asked. "Must have been before you and Raven got together."

As they got back, everyone was treated up and checked on to make sure that there wasn't going to be any lasting damage. Thanks to Lex, everyone was going to end up recovering to the most part. There wasn't going to be any lasting damage, at least that was a comfort. Neal was worried that they were all going to die back there, they were lucky that Sarah was smart enough to send a warning to Power Girl and ask for some backup. Had she not shown up, they all would have been dead.

As everyone went to bed, or about their own activities, it was now just Neal and Sarah who were in the Lounge area. Neal didn't feel like sleeping, there was still far too much on his mind to just go to bed on. He still had no idea how or why he was even here. What the Titans said, and what he remembered happening were two very different stories. These thoughts were on Neal's mind, right up until Sarah spoke.

Neal laughed, and he laughed hard. "Oh wow, I almost forgot that you weren't there for that whole thing. Yeah, me and Power Girl were a couple for a little bit before Raven and I got back together," he said as he thought back to when it had all taken place. It was five years for Sarah, but it was only like a month ago in Neal's eyes. It was crazy how so much had happened. "It was definitely an interesting time for me, my head wasn't fully in the right spot and she made me happy and treated me in a way that I never thought I could feel again.....she recognized that it was Raven and I that would be better together though," he admitted.

As his thoughts turned to Raven, Neal gained a more solemn look. "Sarah, were Raven and I still together up until the day I died?"

Sarah's expression grew softer at Neal's question. She struggled to lift her normal arm up to his shoulder, as her robotic arm was holding the sponge to her injury. It only hurt a little, but she was so stiff it was like trying to move rusted gears. "You were. You two had been going steady for close to three months, actually. Kori always told me that she'd never seen Raven so happy in all the time she'd known her."

She went silent for a moment, then looked at the floor sadly. "But when you died, she... I don't know. Something inside her broke. I know the pain of losing a loved one, too, but for her... with the way she is, it had to have been a hundred times worse. I can't even imagine what she felt... The last time I saw her was the day after it happened. She said she'd lost the will to fight anymore, that all she'd ever have now is pain... then she opened a portal and was gone. She went to her home dimension of Azarath, I think... to be alone. Isolated. Sad. In pain."

As Sarah touched Neal's shoulder, he took in a deep breath of air. He had a feeling that he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear. He closed his eyes, allowing the words to enter into his mind. He and Raven had gone on to date for three more months before the attack that had taken his life. Apparently Starfire never thought that she had seen Raven be so happy before. It allowed a small smile to come to Neal's face, but it didn't stay for long.

As Sarah finished the rest of her story, a few tears began to come down Neal's face. "I promised her that I'd never cause her pain again......I never intended to," he said softly to himself before barely looking over at Sarah. Neal wasn't sure if Raven would ever come back now, and this was the world that he seemed to be stuck in. It wasn't losing a wife, but he thought that Sarah might understand how he felt. "I just wish I could bring her back here, hold her and tell her that everything can be okay again"

"It isn't your fault," Sarah assured, tightening her grip on his shoulder, as much discomfort as it caused her to tense her muscles like that. "It's no one's fault... no one's but theirs. The bastards that did this to us, took away so many people that we loved. That's why we have to stop them, why we have to keep fighting." Letting out a tired breath, she hung her head a little. "Maybe... maybe after we win this thing, then she'll come back. I can't promise it... how could I? But... I don't know, I'm just trying to be optimistic, as hard as it is."

Neal gave a small nod as he looked over to Sarah. There she was, trying to be helpful as she always had been. "I guess I have no reason to complain, I don't even remember any of this war. I know that Beast Boy and Cyborg are gone.......but it's like I don't feel it because I don't remember it happening......do you know what I mean?" he asked as he looked over at Sarah. "Anyway, I'm sorry. I'm over here whimpering when it's you that has been fighting the past five years, I'm sorry about all of your own losses Sarah"

"Thanks," Sarah replied, finally removing her hand from his shoulder. Her arm fell back to her side like a limp fish. Hopefully, she'd regain full mobility after a good night's sleep. "It must be pretty jarring for you, though. Coming back after all this time, having no memory of what happened... just waking up and finding out the entire world has changed. I still don't know how you came back, but a part of me is sad that you did... not because I'm not happy you're alive, I am, more than anything. It's just... to come back to this world... this nightmare... It's not a place I'd want anyone I cared about coming back to. I'm sorry, I don't know what I'm talking about, heheh..."

Sarah let out another sigh and fell back against the couch. "We've all lost so much, most of which we can never get back. A part of me wonders if it's even worth going on, you know? Sure, we might somehow take back the planet after a long struggle, but so what if we do? The entire world is in ruin, and most of the human population is already gone. The amount of rebuilding and starting over that we'd have to do... we'd likely never come close to what the world once was, not in our lifetime."

Neal gave a small nod as Sarah spoke. He understood what Sarah was trying to say, despite how it might sound. "I get what you mean, you wanted me back but you wanted me back in the old world rather than this one," he said as he continued to watch Sarah. His tears were going away now, as he kept thinking about what it was that Sarah was trying to say. "I'm glad that I was able to come back though, I want to keep helping you guys more than anything"

As Sarah spoke and began to doubt the fight, Neal couldn't help but let out a small sigh. "Sometimes, we have to keep fighting because it's just what we do right?" he asked as he looked over towards her again. "We all signed up knowing that we would be in danger, but we did it because we might be able to make the world a better place. Even if our loved ones are gone, this world is still worth fighting for," he said as he thought back to the past. "Sometimes you have to keep fighting, I remember after I joined the League of Assassins, I thought that I'd never be able to call myself a hero again......but that's just part of the challenge isn't it?" he asked as he looked at her. "No matter what we get hit with we have to keep fighting. The world might not change back in our lifetime.......but someday it'll all come back. That's what we have to keep fighting for"

"What do we have if we don't have hope right?"

Sarah breathed out and smiled a small smile. Neal really had a way to lift a person's spirits, she had to admit. "Yeah..." she said, with a nod. "You're right. Of course you're right. Guess I got a little mopey there, huh?" Letting out a small laugh, she leaned back against the couch again. "We'll beat this... we have to."

"And we're close, too," came a voice from across the room. Lex didn't look up as he spoke, keeping his eyes on his work. "Once I've fixed up a few of these Thorium bombs, our enemy will lose their biggest advantage, their technology. Everything from their rifles to their ship's death rays are powered the same way. Without that, they're just a bunch of alien punks asking to be taught a lesson."

"I pray you're right," Sarah uttered, looking up blankly at the ceiling. "I pray you're right..."

---

The only sound that could be heard the next day were the screams of their prisoner. A few of them were taking turns at interrogating him, each using their own methods in trying to find out what information they could. The biggest question was where the enemy leader was. If they could take him down first, the rest of the invaders would crumble like a house of cards, or at least that was the theory.

But so far, he wasn't giving up anything. No matter how much they poked, prodded, zapped, or otherwise tormented him, he refused to talk. Even the Joker hadn't been able to get him to crack, and he went in there with a medieval looking surgical kit.

"We're not getting anywhere with him," Huntress stated, sitting on the couch with her arms crossed. "I say we just kill him now and save ourselves the time."

"He'll talk eventually," Lex assured. "Everyone does. Give it more time, we have plenty to spare."

Neal just gave a smile to Sarah and nodded. "It's okay, you should have seen me when you and Starfire were gone. I was not in a good place," he added as he thought back to that time where he thought that all the Titans hated him and that he wouldn't be able to work with them again. Still, that time was over now and Neal had forgiven himself. He had proved to everyone else, and himself that ht deserved to be a Titan and that his heart was in the right place again.

As Lex spoke, Neal saw the look that was in Sarah's eyes. He leaned in and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "We'll win this time Sarah, you got me after all" he said jokingly as he looked right at her. "They won't even know what hit them"

----

Neal was sitting on the couch for the majority of the day as they were all taking turns trying to break the prisoner and get him to talk. From what Neal heard, it didn't seem like any of it was going to work. Neal knew how important it was to figure out where the enemy leader was, it wasn't until they defeated him that they might even have a chance. Deathstroke was right, the defeat of the leader might not end the war but it was definitely worth a shot.

As the Joker left the room that the prisoner was in, Neal began to remember about how Dick had used explosions earlier and killed the aliens. They weren't messing around anymore, they could kill this time around. It meant that Neal didn't have to hold back, not with anything.....

Neal finally stood up and looked over at Lex. "Let me have a turn with him. I think that I can make him talk," he said simply.

Lex looked up from his workstation as Neal announced that he wanted a turn. After a moment of though, he waved him on ahead. "Be my guest."

Sarah looked over at Neal. He had an odd look in his eyes... a look she hadn't seen in him before. He was serious... dead serious. And with his power, there was no telling what he could do when he wasn't holding back.

When Neal made it inside the room, he'd find the prisoner strapped down to a surgical table, bleeding and cut open in too many various ways to be even remotely pleasant. He was still alive, though. Barely.

Neal didn't even look at the others as Lex gave him the go ahead. No matter what it might accomplish, Neal wasn't going to like what he was going to have to do to this guy. Still, after everything that he and his kind had done to the world Neal didn't have much choice anymore. He couldn't show mercy on an enemy that would show them none.

Neal moved into the room, looking over to the see the prisoner, he was cut open in several places and in an extreme amount of pain. That much was obvious. Neal almost shuddered at the site of it, he had never seen torture like this. He took a soft breath before walking over so that the prisoner could see his face.

"Look pal, I'm not going to waste that many words with you. I am only going to ask you once if you'll be willing to talk," Neal began. "You've gone through a lot of pain today, but I can guarantee you that this is only the beginning unless you give me something to work with," Neal insisted. "Now tell me, who is your leader and where is he located?"

The prisoner remained silent, not even giving Neal a passing glance when he entered. Rather, the man was still, not moving. One might mistake him for dead, if his eyes weren't open and he weren't still breathing steadily. Eventually, though, he did speak. "There is nothing you can do to me that my master would not do a hundred times worse. You will get nothing from me."

Neal just shook his head. "I must admit, I really wish that you didn't say that," Neal said as he looked right down into the prisoner's eye. "Because here's the thing, your master might be able to do it a hundred times over but I am capable of doing it a thousand times," Neal said as he looked down at the prisoner. The prisoner would begin to feel his bones moving inside of his body, twisting and moving as if they had a mind of their own. Eventually, the bones snapped right out of his skin and poked through the various cuts that were already on his body.

"See here's the thing friend. I can do what I just did, over and over again," Neal said as he grabbed one of the extended bones and twisted it on the spot. Neal would make sure that the pain would be real to the man's mind. "Unlike your master though, the thing is I can fix you. And I can start all over. And it'll only take me ten seconds. Do you know how many times I could do that in a day? It translates to a big number, let me tell you that" Neal said as he looked at the man once more.

"Last chance before I begin to pull in the heavier stuff," Neal said as the man would suddenly find his bones retract and they would appear to fix itself. "Talk to me and I won't guarantee pain for the rest of whatever life you have. Talk to me about what I want to know, and you'll live and you won't suffer. What do you say?"

The man began to twist and writhe with pain as his bones suddenly began to snap out of his body. He struggled and screamed, feeling as though his entire anatomy was rearranging itself. When Neal twisted one of the bones inside him, he lurched and turned his head, vomiting over the side of the table. Only when the bones finally retracted back to normal did he settle down, breathing heavily. Eventually, he turned back to his tormentor and glared. "You want me to talk...?" He then spit right at Neal's face. "Go to hell."

Neal leaned forward for half a second, as if he had actually thought that the man was going to talk. The spit made perfect contact with Neal's face before he quickly wiped it off. "Go to Hell? I'll have to follow you there," Neal said in a dark voice that was very unlike how he usually talked. "Don't ever say that I didn't try to be fair," Neal said before patting the man on the shoulder.

The moment that Neal's hand moved away though, the man would feel a sickening pain coming from his shoulder. If he looked, he would see that his skin was literally starting to peel itself off, beginning to travel all the way down his arm before simply falling to the floor in a pile. As soon as that arm was done, both a leg and the opposite arm began to do the same thing. This would continue all over his body.

As a last touch, Neal walked over to the first arm that had been stripped of skin and began to punch down onto it. The man would feel the pain of his muscles, or whatever their equivalent was, along with the splattering of his own blood as it hit his face, Neal, and the walls around him.

Sarah looked up from her spot on the couch as the screams began again. But these weren't ordinary screams. No, these were cries of absolute terror, of pain unimaginable. What on earth could have caused a person to utter such sounds of torment? She could not even imagine...

At one point, Black Canary stood up in surprise and stared at the closed door. "What in the world is Fade doing to him?"

"Getting us the information we need," Deathstroke responded, narrowing his eye.

After another thirty minutes, and several various mind games from Fade, the man was brought back to his normal condition. Neal placed a hand on the man's shoulder again, gripping it tightly. "Now I don't know about you, but that last one even made me cringe a little from watching it," he said with a simple smile. "Now, I have another two hours worth of stuff to go through, or you can make this easier on yourself and tell me everything that I need to know," Neal said as he let go of the man's shoulder and looked at him closely once again. It was as if Neal was daring him to spit in his face again.

"So shall we continue, or do you have something else you'd like to share?"

By the time that Neal was done with him, the prisoner was barely mroe than a twitching, almost catatonic mess. It was everything he could do just to remain conscious. He tried to talk several times, but all that came out were squeaks and grunts. Slowly, his head turned to look at Neal, but his eyes were empty, dead, soulless. He swallowed a hard lump, barely able to get it down. "Okay... I... talk..."

Neal raised an eyebrow in surprise as the prisoner finally spoke. He was going to talk? Neal just smiled, he had cracked the man. "Believe me when I say that I'm glad to hear that. Now, I need to know who your leader is and where he is," Neal said in a low voice. "Come now, just come out and say it," Neal said as he listened intently for whatever was going to be said next.