The Last Resort (A Sonic / Teen Titans Crossover)

XIX. Sonic the Hedgehog

I kind of just stared for a minute, as did Starfire. Then we realized what had happened. Robin was holding his shoulder and gasping in pain. And we were trying to get the shock out of our minds.

"Dude!" I shouted. That was all I could say. I mean, I was thinking, you've got a giant thing in your shoulder! You should get that checked out! "Starfire, go get the Titans."

She looked at me, then back to Robin. "But-"

"He'll be fine!" I shouted. "Quickly!"

She stood up and ran inside, and I caught Robin before he fell over. "Here, I'll..." I tried to get a grip on the... thing in his shoulder. That was the best word I could use to describe it. It wasn't a dagger. It was more like a thick rose's stalk, thorns and all; except it was black and just seemed to emanate the feeling of being completely gross. So... a rose, but the complete opposite, too. Oh, and there was no actual rose on it.

Once I finally got my hand around it without completely mutilating my fingers, I pulled it out. An almost ghostly voice went through my head, saying, 'three days', but I thought I imagined it. It did send a chill down my spine. This world was weird. Either that, Or Blackfire was even more evil and powerful than I thought. Or... there were only five Chaos Emeralds left for us to find and two for us to steal. And that would certainly be bad.

Robin gasped as I yanked the stalk out of him and I threw it to the side; I wanted nothing else to do with it or Blackfire. She was kind of scary. "Thanks..." Robin put his head down on the rocks, taking in deeper and slower breaths. I noticed the tiniest bit of blood on my thumb. My blood. The thought sent a second chill down my spine.

But something still wasn't right. Sure, Robin had a giant hole in his shoulder. But there was something else I thought I saw on his neck. I looked from the freaky rose thorn to Robin. "Wait a minute..." I said, pulling just a bit of his collar.

I kind of shrieked and fell backwards after I looked. "What?" Robin asked. He had black, like, vines crawling up his shoulder.

I stared at him for a minute like he was some sort of freak. "You've, like, become one with the creepy thorns, dude."

And I had touched it. Even worse, it had touched my blood.

"What happened?!" Cyborg asked. "You had just asked where Starfire was two seconds ago!"

Robin looked at the Titans who were running to him. "Nothing big. Just Blackfire."

"She's stronger." I said somewhat absentmindedly. This was something that wouldn't affect Robin, and it wouldn't keep Starfire shut up to study her sister for hours like Robin did with Slade. Plus, if she was coming in three days like the voice said... "There's no doubt she has a Chaos Emerald. She took all three of us on at once, and..."

"Blackfire's already strong, Sonic." Cyborg replied. "It doesn't necessarily mean she has a Chaos Emerald. Maybe she's just been workin' on her moves!"

I shook my head. "One Emerald... It depends on the way you use it. She didn't have it with her, so she wouldn't want to risk losing it. But if she used it right, she wouldn't need it with her."

"Should we count on her having it?" Raven asked. 

"Wha-?" I blinked. "I don't know! Maybe we should help Robin!" 

"Yes, we should." Starfire agreed.

Robin held one of his hands out. "I can walk. Someone just help me up."

I grabbed his arm and held his back for support and helped him up. He seemed to be fine; whatever was taking over him didn't seem to be serious for now.