chapter 11

When they all got to the destination, the others were confused with why Atticus led them to the comic building.


"Awesome, dude!" Beast Boy grinned to Atticus. "I knew you'd wanna come on the tour with me!"


"No, Beast Boy, this is the building that Brushogun is in." Atticus said.


"Aw, man..." Beast Boy groaned.


Dot was now learning and understanding that the Teen Titans weren't always silly and laid back like they appeared to be in the cartoon that she knew about back home. Those incarnations were gratefully exaggerated and she now started to understand and relate to why her older cousin and everybody else found those Teen Titans annoying and these ones to be better than the ones on Cartoon Network nowadays.


"Let's get inside then." Mo said.


The group walked off into the Comic Book building, very curiously, but this would solve this mission once and for all.


"I still can't believe we were fighting drawings," Robin said, then realized something. "That's why I couldn't hurt Saico-Tek, because he wasn't real!"


"That also explains how the first one got to regenerate." Atticus said.


"This ends right here and right now." Raven gave a nod as she held the book in her arms securely.


"I still can't believe he only did that just to get a girlfriend." Patch said.


"Guys are a lot sensitive than one thinks..." Cherry said. "They can get hurt just as easily or as bad as a woman can... Rejection is a cruel mistress."


"Agreed." Atticus nodded.


"A lot more than you know..." Forte muttered to Cherry, but he did it very quietly that she didn't hear him and he had intended for that anyway.


"All right, Titans," Robin spoke up, back in his leader action. "This is our mission: We're fugitives from the law. We've got a criminal on the loose who can make other criminals and the only way we can clear our names is to hunt him down and bring him to justice."


"Yeah, um, great plan, but there's this one teensy problem," Beast Boy spoke up. "EVERYBODY IN TOKYO'S OUT TO GET US!"


"He does have a good point, guys." Lucky said.


"We'll worry about that later," Robin said. "Titans, GO!"


With that, they left and were on their way to the comic book factory.


"With any luck we'll find Brushogun." Patch smiled.


"Told ya we should've taken the tour." Beast Boy said smugly since he wanted to go to the comic book building as soon as they first came to Tokyo.


"Lighten up, Beast Boy, this is serious business!" Dot told him maturely.


"Hey, looks like someone finally understands who the Teen Titans are." Cherry remarked.


"Yeah, took me a while." Dot smiled.


"So, are you still gonna watch that Teen Titans cartoon at home?" Lucky asked, sounding desperate for her to decline.


"Uhh... I'll think about it..." Dot hummed.


"Great." Lucky smiled.


Beast Boy turned into a dog and decided to help Patch and Lucky sniff out the comic book place.


"I just don't understand, why did Brushogun choose this place as a hide-out?" Dot asked.


"We are about to go find out." Starfire said.


"Can't you sniff any faster, guys?" Cyborg impatiently asked the dogs. "It's a matter of time before somebody jumps us again."


Atticus and Robin looked the other way.


"Guys, stop, we found the trail." Atticus said, pointing to the comic book building that had no guards, at least, not right now anyway.


"That's gotta be where Brushogun's hiding." Mo said.


Raven randomly slapped the back of Beast Boy's head and they all went off to the comic book building.


"There's no guards, but the door's locked..." Cherry said. "How do we get in?"


"Easy." Atticus said.


Suddenly, there was a kaboom caused by the Titans from combining their powers to break into the building. There was nobody there in sight except for the lot of them. They walked one way and there were flashing white lights outside, possibly lightning. Either way, they were all ready to fight.


"Maybe we can reason with him." Dot said.


Patch put his ear up and walked a little further and heard something. "This way!" he told the others.


"Lead the way, kid." Lucky said.


Patch led the way, following his sharp sense of hearing.


"Hopefully this guy won't be too scary." Dot said.


"Stay close now, Dot." Atticus told his little cousin so she wouldn't feel so scared or worried.


"You got it, cous." Dot said.


Robin hopped farther and more efficient than his teammates and broke down a door to where Patch led them to. "FREEZE!"


However, when they got there, no one was there. Cyborg used his light and did a search and only found boxes.


"Trust me, I know something's here." Patch told the others since he had led them there.


"Well, then where is it?" Mo asked.


"Follow me..." Patch put his nose to the ground and sniffed as he led them down a trail.


They all looked around the sights they were surrounded by, even passing what seemed to be a giant printer. Cyborg's light shined on a reclining chair with three monitors attached to it.


"Brushogun," Robin said. "He's not here."


"Oh, yes, he is." Patch insisted.


"He is?" Mo asked. "But, where?"


"Where do you think a man that has the power to make paintings to come to life would be?" Atticus asked.


The others paused to think about Atticus's riddle as a possible clue to where they could find their man.


"Look back there!" Cherry pointed to a machine that was shaking and had steam rising from it as it was opening up.


"Get ready." Lucky said.


The machine opened up all the way and there was shown to be a dark shadow of what looked like a withering old man with tendrils or wires attached to him. "I am..." he said in a very weak voice.


The group walked toward to the man, very curious and surprised.


"You're Brushogun?" Lucky asked.


"So glad to finally meet you..." the man said weakly.


"You're not the one behind all this, are you?" Robin asked. "You're just--"


"His slave..." the man replied. "He trapped me in this thing... This cursed printing press that uses my powers against my will. The criminals I create serve him now."


"Let me guess, it's Commander Diazo." Atticus said.


"Oh, but he seems like such a nice man..." Dot pouted.


"Most villains act like that to throw people off," Atticus told her before glaring. "Isn't that right, Commander?"


"Very good, my friend," Commander Daizo smiled evilly with his hands together once he revealed himself. "But you haven't caught me. I've caught you." he then snapped his fingers.


The Tokyo Troopers appeared and surrounded them with firearms, it was both surprising and overwhelming.


"So... Wait a minute..." Beast Boy spoke up. "If the good guy was really a bad guy, then that means... Oh, sweet! We're the good guys again!"


"Is that really important right now?!" Patch barked.


"You're a fraud, Daizo," Conan sneered to the commander of the Tokyo Troopers. "A fake... Brushogun was the only real criminal you ever caught, wasn't he?"


"One was enough." Daizo scowled as more Troopers surrounded him for extra protection.


"One isn't enough." Atticus sneered.


"You used his powers to lie, to make yourself look like a hero," Robin deeply scowled. "And when I started searching for the truth, you made me look like a criminal and to get Atticus in trouble!"


"That's a nice little story, young men," Daizo smiled evilly. "But I doubt anyone will believe it once you're all behind bars. Troopers! Charge!" he then commanded his men.


"These guys are not going to last long." Patch said.


"Titans, Go!" Robin commanded.


The Teen Titans, Atticus, Patch, Mo, Cherry, and Forte attacked the troops as did Dot, Conan, and Lucky, the best way they could.


"Ready, Patch?" Lucky asked.


"Ready, Da--I mean, Lucky!" Patch replied.


"It's okay if you want to call me 'dad'." Lucky told him before biting one of the legs of one of the Troopers.


Patch smiled bashfully, then glared to the Troopers and fought back. Dot screamed as Troopers cornered her and she seemed to be stuck and she was very scared since she was a little girl and surrounded her.


"Stay away from her!" Atticus shouted before charging at the Troopers like a football player.


Dot put her hands to her eyes nervously. The Troopers grunted and cried out in pain.


Atticus came over to Dot. "Hey, you okay?"


Dot looked up, then saw the Troopers were down, and she hugged her older cousin. "Thank you..."


"No problem, little cous." Atticus smiled before elbowing a Trooper in the stomach behind him and then back from the Trooper in the face.


The Trooper groaned. The Titans of course used their powers against the Troopers. A Trooper was about to shoot Forte from behind. Cherry saw that and kicked down the Trooper, punched him in the face, and kicked him away, growling.


"Nice moves." Forte said.


"I try." Cherry gave a nod.


Conan was up against some Troopers as well, he bent down and turned a dial on his right shoe before standing back up and running and then kicked seven cans at them, hitting each of the Troopers. Atticus was surprised, but not too much, still impressed by this. Conan gave him a trusting smile. Daizo then sent his minions who gave the Titans trouble earlier to send them after the Titans again to help the Troopers take them down once and for all since his plan was very quickly failing.


"I think it's time to shake this place up a bit." Patch said.


"Where are you goin' with this, little buddy?" Lucky asked.


Patch smirked. "Trust me."


"Everyone might want to grab on to something." Atticus told his friends and cousins.


"What's happening?" Beast Boy asked as he had tackled down a Trooper in the morph of a black bear, or in this case, green bear.


"Atticus and Patch are about shake up this place." Mo said.


"Get ready." Raven said, even though she had not experienced, she had a strong feeling about this.


After everyone of Atticus's and Patch's friends and Dot and Conan braced themselves the strong boy and the Dalmatian puppy stomped their feet/paws on the ground to make the ground shake.


"What in the world!?" Daizo didn't expected that at all.


"What do we do?!" one trooper asked.


"RETREAT!" the other suggested, fleeing with the others who were still standing.


The shaking was so strong that it broke the machine that Brushogun was trapped in. The others flinched as there was a huge smoke cloud from the printing press explosion.


"He's free now!" Dot cheered, referring to Brushogun.


Patch smiled. "You're free, Brushogun!"


"IMPOSSIBLE!" Daizo was enraged.


Atticus helped the old and weakened man out of the remains of the printer. Brushogun winced, though not from Atticus, but due to being locked up for so long and that he had become very old and withered. Atticus carried him the rest of the way out.


"I am not a patient man..." Daizo glared to to them before taking out his gun on Cherry.


Cherry gasped slightly as this looked like the end.


Forte kicked Daizo in the back of his head and made him fall flat on the floor and he disposed of his weapon. "Don't you dare touch her..."


"No matter, besides, no one will believe your story." Daizo said.


Atticus smirked as he showed a tape recorder.


"Where did you get that tape recorder?" Daizo demanded once he got up. "I've never seen that tape recorder before!"


"Give up, 'Commander'," Dot glared down at the not so nice man. "You lost and we beat you! Face the consequences of your actions!"


"Yeah! Oh, and I've always had this recorder with me." Atticus smirked.


"You know what? I can buy that..." Cherry randomly added. "You just take notes, interview people like you're some kid version of Dick Tracy and you come out more on top than the rest of us when it comes to one of these crazy little adventures! Meeting you surely has made a difference in my life, I just don't even know what to do anymore, but hey, that's life! We talk to animals, we meet crazy people with adventures we never forget, can you just imagine what's gonna happen when we graduate from high school and start our own families?!"


"I don't know, but we'll have to see." Atticus said.


"It's folks like you why I hate going on adventures..." Cherry folded her arms and shook her head at Commander Daizo.


"Is she always this pessimistic?" Conan asked Atticus. "Why are you friends with someone so shallow and so much of a downer?"


Atticus whispered to Conan, telling him why he was friends with Cherry. Cherry was just always cynical and bitter, and yet Atticus maintained a relationship with her. Atticus told Conan all about the first day that he and Cherry became friends.


"She sounds like Raven..." Conan commented.


Atticus looked curiously.


"Sour outside, but sad inside." Conan explained what he meant when he had said that.


"Yeah, I guess she is like Raven." Atticus said.


Daizo then became desperate as he began to take the recorder away from Atticus, but Patch got in his way, stopping him.


"Silly bad guy." Patch laughed.


"Get out of my way, mutt." Daizo glared.


"Excuse me, what did you just call him?!" Lucky growled.


"He's a mutt, just like you!" Daizo snapped at Lucky.


Patch was going to attack Daizo, but Lucky looked like he really wanted to attack Daizo, so the Dalmatian got out of Lucky's way.


"Forgive me, Patch, but I want this one." Lucky said, showing a very rare sign of anger.


"He's all yours, Dad." Patch said.


"Thanks... Son." Lucky smiled to Patch, then snarled at Daizo, coming dangerously closer and closer toward the man who at first seemed kind and gentle, but was now the true dark side of this adventure.


"Stay back, dog." Daizo said.


Lucky snarled as he came closer to Daizo which made the human male back up in slight fear.


"S-S-Stay back." Daizo said before he tripped and fell on his butt.


Lucky snarled and barked viciously. "You leave Patch alone, he is not a mutt, he is a good kid, something you'll never be!"


Daizo began to back up even more before bumping into the Teen Titans. The Titans glanced down to him.


"Goin' somewhere, Commander?" Cyborg asked with a taunting smirk.


This caused for him to gulp before he was lifted up and tied up.


"I'd say this was a mystery case well solved." Conan smiled.


"I agree, now all we have to do is turn him over to the authorities, play the recording, and this case will be completely solved." Atticus smiled.


"This is impossible!" Daizo sneered.


"Believe it, you lost and Brushogun is free..." Dot said, then looked curious. "Right, guys?"


"You are correct, dear." Brushogun answered weakly before starting to cough.


Dot smiled that she was right, but frowned. "Sir, are you okay?"


"It's my time to leave this world." Brushogun said weakly.


"No, you can't!" Dot cried.


"I thank you all very much for what you have done for me..." Brushogun wearily told the adventurers who had saved him from his imprisonment. "I shall never forget this..."


Atticus gently placed the old man on the ground on his back. Brushogun looked as though his days were numbered. The Titans huddled close together to see the withering old artist. The withering old artist smiled at them all before closing his eyes and dying.


"No... Please don't die..." Dot frowned. "Please!"


"Dot, it's too late, he's gone, besides, that machine took a lot out of him and he's been alive for many years." Atticus told her as he comforted her.


Dot had tears in her eyes and hugged Atticus as she squeezed her eyes shut as tears leaked down her face. Atticus hugged her comfortably to cheer her up and gently stroked her back to relax her and soothe her tears. The withering old man was then turned to dust. The others merely bowed their heads and gave a moment of silence once Brushogun was gone forever and nothing could bring him back. The others had slight stains on their face from the explosion and Brushogun.

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