FicWad

Disclaimer: For the last friggin' time, I DON'T OWN TEEN TITANS...huff...puff...


A Dish Best Served Cold-Chapter Twenty One: E N D G A M E, part 2
Duel With The Death Dragon...





"Hoo, boy..." a young knight gulped.

Sub-Zero stared in horror and anticipation as he watched the giant, undead monstrosity in front of him.

It was a dragon, made of bones, rotting flesh, and ice. It's skeletal head had a pair of bright yellow pupils glaring out of the sunken eye sockets, like headlights in darkness. The neck was a long, thick spine with sharp, cruel, curved spiked growing out the back. From it's forehead jutted a massive horn that looked like it alone was about thirty feet long.

The Death Dragon hissed in anger, freezing mist shooting out of it's skeletal nostrils as It did so. It flapped it's huge wings, which were skeletal frames with a thin membrane of rotting flesh between the bones... large holes were punctured in the wings, but that didn't impair it's wing power at all.

The skeletal serpent's huge body was completely skeletal and hollow... just a giant rib cage with four huge legs attached... it's feet were tipped with curved claws of bone; Zero noticed with revulsion that they dripped with a noxious, green liquid... he was quite sure they were horribly venomous. The creature opened up it's dump-truck sized mouth, and he saw the same, green poison dripping from it's yellowed fangs...

It's long, whip-like tail was made of countless human spines, which were coiled and tangled around each other to form a thick, giant tail. The Death Dragon snarled and whipped it around. Sub-Zero saw a large spike attached to the tip of the tail, which spun around on a socket like a massive drill...

"Oh great, just great... Freezing breath... wings... poisonous teeth and claws... drill tail...." Zero listed the beast's advantages off to himself, trying to size up his situation.

Without warning, the Death Dragon roared and fired out a jet of blue flames, like the Norblitzians used in their torches... Zero instinctively brought up his shield and blocked it just in time to avoid being deep-fried.

".... And fire breath, too.... Shit..." he cursed furiously. He HATED fire...

So, the fight was on. The massive Death Dragon charged, it's heavy footsteps shaking the chamber. As he saw the clawed feet coming closer and closer, he shouted and jumped out of the way, only to be knocked against the wall by the tail.

"Aaaaaarrrrggghhhh!" he screamed as he thudded against the wall and slid off.

He got up groaning and saw a stream of blue fire heading towards him. As before, he brought up his shield and gritted his teeth as he pushed against the burning stream with all his might.

Finally, the Dragon closed it's mouth and stopped blowing fire. Instead, it opted for a new, aerial strategy. It flapped it's massive, airplane-sized wings with enough force to whip up snow off of the ground into a blinding cloud.

It flew up near the top of the chamber; it slowly soared overhead and spat down bolts of freeing mist. Down on the ground, Zero ran in between the attacks and decided he should try to attack.

"Okay, BBQ Breath... try this on for size..." he growled and tossed Snevakt like a discus just as he'd done before, when he fought the six armed skeleton.

It soared upwards with a high-pitched whistle and struck the beast in the jaw, shattering a small chunk off.

"SKKKRRRRRAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHSSSSSSS!" The Death Dragon roared in pain and shot flames from it's mouth. The shield flew back down to Zero and he caught it.

The Death Dragon swooped down straight at Zero, ready to make him pay for his attack. Zero just stood calmly...

Finally, the Dragon was about to hit the ground, but it veered upwards and skimmed just above the ground, heading towards the tiny knight like a giant, airborne torpedo... but Sub-Zero just stood without moving.

When the dragon was about thirty-five feet from mowing him down... Zero jumped.... And landed on it's neck, just behind the head.

"Yee-haw! Giddyap, ya bony bastard!" Zero laughed, riding it like a giant, flying bronco.

"SKKRAGHHSSRRSS!" Clearly, the Death Dragon was none too pleased about it's unwelcome passenger.

The huge monster flew high up into the air and flailed it's head about wildly, trying to send Zero flying off into space. But the knight's superhuman grip kept him firmly attached.

With a quick and perceptive glance, Sub-Zero noticed a small opening near where the base of the spinal neck attached into the skull-socket. Then, he had a twisted, yet brilliant idea...

Zero held on tight, and slowly began crawling up the neck toward the opening, despite the Death Dragon's best efforts to get him off...

When the young warrior got there, he squeezed himself through the opening, and literally wound up inside the thing's skull... where he found something he really didn't need to see...

There in the center of the skull, sat a huge, rotted-looking, undead brain, attached to the 'floor' of the skull by thick, slimy 'roots.' It pulsed and shuddered nauseatingly, with blood flowing off it the entire time.

"Ewww.... So THAT'S what makes this guy tick..." Zero groaned, holding a gloved hand to his face to block out the smell inside the skull..., which, by the way, was truly heinous...

Then, a wicked grin spread across our heroes face.

"Alrighty then... time to give this undead son-of-a-gun a serious case of brain freeze."

He charged up his ice beam, and fired it at the evil thing's brain at full power...

While this was happening, the Titans were still stuck outside the ice barrier that the Death Dragon had created to make sure they didn't interfere.

"Where'd Zero go?" Beast Boy asked worriedly.

"Isn't he riding that thing?" Cy reminded.

The Boy Wonder shook his head. "He WAS, but I lost track of him... I hope he didn't fall down..."

Raven shook her head. "No, I've been watching the ground... he's still up there with that dragon.

"Gah! This stupid ice won't break!" screamed Jinx in frustration. Ever since the fight had started, she had been hitting the ice walls with hexes in a frenzied attempt to get in and help Zero... but to limited effect.

Suddenly, the heroes saw the airborne terror start roaring in agony and bashing itself into the walls...

"Huh? Dude, what's it doing?" B.B. asked quizzically.

The giant, flying monster landed and started banging it's head against the ground over and over...

"Uhhh... looks like it's beating the Hell out of itself..." Cy said with slight confusion.

Meanwhile, back inside the thing's skull, Zero laid off his ice ray.

"Heh... don't like that, do ya? Then how 'bout a little migraine?" he snickered. He unsheathed Eviglasere, held it up like a needle and approached the brain menacingly... and stabbed it's brain with a noise one might liken to a butter knife going into an apple.

"SKKKRRRAAAARRRGGHHHSSKCHHL!"

"Something has made sick the dragon of death and bones..." Star said with a blink.

Back in the head, Zero was bashing the ever-loving mess out of the monster's brain with his shield, producing sickening 'splats.'

"And that... (splat!)... Is why ... (splat!)... You don't ... (splat!)... Mess ... (splat!) ... With ... (splat!) ... Sub- ... (splat!) ... Ze- ... (splat!) ... -RO!! (SPLAT, SPLAT, SPLAT!)

The beast continued to howl in agony and writhe around... until finally, it was fed up. The thing reared it's head back... and snorted. And snorted again... and again, louder this time...

"It sound's like that thing's trying to hack something up..." Robin groaned in disgust.

Finally... "SHRAIRKKH!"

The thing spit up a disheveled looking Knight out of it's mouth, who landed on the ground with a thud...

"Uuurrghh.... No one must know where I have been..." Sub-Zero groaned, a little light headed from the fumes inside that thing's head.

Back behind the ice barrier, the Titans just stood there looking bemused.

"Oh, Dude... he was in it's skull..." Beast Boy realized.

"Damn! I've heard of messing with your opponent's head, but that was pretty extreme..." Raven mumbled in surprise.

Meanwhile, the Death Dragon was chasing Zero around the arena, breathing balls of explosive blue flames.

"Oh crap, this guy's pissed..." Zero moaned.

One of the fireballs exploded right behind him, sending him flying with it's explosion.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!"

"Sub-Zero! Hang on!" Jinx cried desperately. She knew she couldn't be heard, but she did it anyway. She had come so close to losing him before... she didn't want to lose him now...


"Yes! You can defeat that overgrown clorbag varblernelk any time you wish!" Star cheered.

"Take that bonehead down hard!" Cyborg yelled.

Although he didn't hear them, he got up and dusted himself off nonetheless. The Death Dragon roared and prepared to spit another jet of flames, but this time, Sub-Zero was ready for it.

As the beast opened it's mouth, Zero fired off a surprise freeze beam right into it's cakehole, filling it's mouth up with ice. The Death Dragon just kind of grunted and growled while trying to break the ice and free up his jaws again.

Taking advantage of that, Sub-Zero dashed towards the beast and leapt up towards it with Eviglasere out...

'S-LICE! S-LICE!'

There were two, precise sword attacks in quick succession and Sub-Zero landed on the ground behind the dragon's back. Both he and it were completely still for a few seconds... then, the Death Dragon's wings toppled off it's body and broke upon the ground.

"RRAAAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKK!" The monster let out a panicked, screeching snarl.

Sub-Zero chuckled victoriously. "Well ugly, looks like you're grounded..."

This didn't matter too much though, because it was still a formidable foe.

With a bellow, the Death Dragon lashed out with his drill-tipped tail and attempted to run the knight through with it. Zero, however, was too fast. He fell upon the ground and the tail sailed over him... thus, getting stuck in the ice wall.

The thing roared and shrieked in confusion while trying to yank it's tail back out.

"Hah! Yeah! That's what ya get, isn't it? Isn't it you stupid blighter?" Zero taunted, laughing out loud.

Still laughing, Zero broke into a run and jumped up, slicing off the tail just as he had the wings. The severed bone tail just dangled lifelessly, still stuck in the wall...

The Death Dragon roared yet again and ran at him, seething with dark rage... and before Zero could get out of the way, it swallowed him.

"Zero, NO!" Jinx screamed in horror on the other side of the barrier.

The monster licked it's lips and hissed contentedly... until it's mouth was suddenly forced open again, revealing Sub-Zero standing between it's fanged jaws, pushing up on the top jaw with his arms and down on the bottom jaw with his legs.

"Ugh...Grr... must...not....get....eaten...." the knight grunted, straining between the Death Dragon's teeth. Finally, with a tremendous grunt and superhuman effort, the young warrior pushed the jaws so far apart, that the bottom jaw fell off and shattered upon the ground below...

Zero fell down and knelt on his knees, as the Death Dragon just kind of froze stiff behind him.

Then, apparently defeated, the massive, heavily damaged horror just collapsed upon the ground, making the entire place quake dangerously under it's tremendous weight.

Zero grinned at his friends and bowed.

"All right! Zero won!" Robin cheered, relieved.

"Looks like that dragon'll think twice next time..." Cy said with a pleased nod.

"Friend Sub-Zero has emerged victorious!" Chirped Star.

"Oh Zero... you're okay..." Jinx whispered in relief.

Suddenly, something unexpected happened. The tail, still stuck in the nearby wall... came back to life.

'WOOSH!'

No one had time to react as Zero was abruptly impaled upon the drill tip, his armor shattering and flesh being peirced.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!! Ughh!" he screamed and moaned, taken completely off guard.

As our heroes watched in horror, the tail lifted him up while the rest of it's body rose up.

Zero struggled helplessly upon the drill, while blood dripped from his impalement wound. The single-jawed head glared wickedly at him and started charging up a blast of blue fire, about to finish Sub-Zero off once and for all...

Zero managed to look up, his face contorted with pain.... And the Titans realized something they had seen happen only one other time before.

Sub-Zero's eyes were glowing pale, ice blue.

"Y-you... go t-to Hell..." Zero snarled in cold, furious anger. "FROZEN FURY!"

And Zero yelled loudly and held up both hands... a massive blizzard erupted from them with no warning.

The maelstrom of snow, wind, and ice was so powerful; the Death Dragon's head was literally blown off of the shoulders, then, bit by bit, bone by bone, piece by piece... the entire, unholy monstrosity was blown away and shattered in midair.

The powerful northern winds produced by Sub-Zero's fury also blew down the walls separating the Titans from the combatants...

With a final burst of white and blue energy, snow, ice, wind, and cold; the entire chamber lit up...


A Couple Minutes Later...


The Titans pulled themselves up off of the ground where they had been knocked to by Zero's final move.

Jinx was the first to remember what had just happened.

"Oh no...no...." she whimpered immediately getting up and running to where Zero had fallen. The others stumbled to their feet and followed her.

After only a little searching, they found him.

Sub-Zero lay in the middle of the chamber, bleeding horribly from his wound and groaning. His armor was completely ruined; his white robes were stained crimson red with his blood. His cape was ripped and hung haphazardly over him like a funeral shroud.

Jinx screamed and ran over, falling to her knees and sobbing her heart out. The others followed.

"Oh god, Zero... Don't die! Please, don't die!" Jinx pleaded desperately.

"Urrrrrpph.... Not....dyin'...... just restin' my....eyes." Zero moaned, not quite in his right mind... the blood loss was affecting him. Jinx couldn't say anything else, overcome by grief.

"Raven! Come heal him!" Beast Boy said. "You can heal wounds can't you?" he demanded.

Raven looked at him with sorrow and shook her head. "Beast Boy... I.... I can heal small, minor wounds... this, I can't do anything about..."

"Friend Sub-Zero... please do not abandon us!" Starfire sniffled, looking horrified.

"Come on, bro.... You can beat this..." Cy insisted.

"He's right... we'll get you back to the ship, get you patched up. We brought a bunch of medical supplies from the Tower when we left." Robin backed up Cyborg, nodding and putting a hand on Zero's shoulder.

"No.... no time.... Jinx can....you....hear me?" Sub-Zero gasped softly. His voice was so weak and hoarse, she just barely heard him.

"Yes, yes I can hear you, Zero..." she said, thinking to calm him.

"Good....Jinx, I ..... don't have....much time....I need to tell you...." He groaned and coughed up a bit of blood, causing her to let out a muffled sob.

"Jinx.... I.....I.....Love.....y-y-y......youuuuu..............."

With that one, last sentence... his head, hair disheveled and face deathly pallid, just fell to the ground and his eyes shut slowly. He did not move again.

The next few minutes were just a cacophony of Jinx and Starfire sobbing, Raven trying her best to stifle bitter tears while B.Boy attempted to soothe her...though he was fighting tears too, Robin and Cyborg just sitting silently staring at their lifeless friend.

Then, Robin noticed something. The pouch on Zero's belt... was glowing blue.

"What?" Robin whispered in disbelief.

He reached into Zero's belt and removed... the talisman. The Talisman of the Ice Dragon. It was glowing.

This was maddening to Jinx. It was so unfair! Zero fought so long and so hard, but by the time the stupid thing glowed, he was already... already... she shuddered and went back to crying.

Meanwhile, Robin did the only thing he knew to do. He gently opened up Zero's closed fists and placed the Talisman there, giving it back to It's rightful owner.

The Titans then got back to their mourning... but were interrupted by a flash of blue light.

They looked back in shock to see the glow growing. It spread all around the talisman... and then up Zero's arm... and then to his torso... and then his other arm... then his legs... and feet.... And hands... and then, his head....

For no apparent reason, Zero's body slowly began to float up into the air... it was as if he were being lifted up by some unknown force.

There was another, blinding flash of mystical light... and Zero fell to the ground, no longer glowing.

The Titans couldn't believe their eyes... Zero's body was now undamaged. His armor was intact and shone like brand new, he was completely uninjured, his cape was repaired and hung neatly about him, and his hair was once again in his usual ponytail.

Then, a miracle occurred. Zero groaned.... And sat up, opening his eyes and yawning.

He looked around to see his friends staring at him as if he'd seen a ghost.

"...(yawn)... hey guys... what hit me?"

He was instantly swarmed.

"Zero! You're alive!"-Robin

"You came back!"-Jinx

"I knew you'd beat it!"-Cyborg

"Welcome back, pal!"-Beast Boy

"Glorious! You are unharmed!"-Starfire

"Thank God..."-Raven


Zero tried to calm his ecstatic friends down. "Okay, okay! I'm glad to see you guys too, but sheesh! I need some space." He joked.

But when they began to move off of him, he took Jinx gently by the wrist.

"Except for you, darling..." he said sultrily. With a gentle tug, he pulled her back and wrapped her in a hug, kissing her deeply and lovingly.

He looked up at the others while Jinx cried tears of joy.

"So... who's ready to get out of these stinkin' caves and get back to the castle?"


Several Hours Later back at Castle Norblitz...


A procession had gathered in the throne room. Screaming crowds, comprised mainly of young Norblitzian women, had formed on the sides of the large hall. Many of them bore wooden signs with painted messages saying: 'Wij (picture of a heart) Zero!'

(A/N: 'Wij' is Norblitzian for 'We' so 'Wij (picture of a heart) Zero' means, 'We love Zero!')

A special table near the King's throne was reserved for the Titans.

"Wow... I never knew Zero had groupies..." Beast Boy stated, sounding impressed.

"Yeah, well... I don't think she knew either..." Replied Cyborg, who pointed over to the other end of the table, where Jinx sat jealously glaring bullets at the girls.

Jinx, though she was happy for Zero, was absolutely miserable right now. Zero was a knight now... that means he could stay at home... it was time for them to part ways... he DID love her, she had no doubt, but he had no choice but to stay on his island... and she couldn't stay with him...

Suddenly, the crowd went completely silent.

The doors at the front of the chamber swung open, and Sub-Zero, flanked by a bunch of armed castle guards, strode proudly in.

He walked all the way up to the king and knelt before him holding, in outstretched hands, the glowing Talisman.

The King reached down and took it, examined it carefully, and then gave it back.

"Sub-Zero..." began the King in a deep, booming voice, "I know I am obliged to deliver a speech here... but for that sake of time... our guests, I'm sure, are eager to set off home..." he motioned toward the Titans, "I'll go ahead and declare your knighthood complete, and let you deliver a speech, if you so please."

The old monarch reached behind his throne and pulled out a massive, seven foot tall battle axe with an ice blade.

"Sir Sub-Zero... having displayed incredible power, bravery, and compassion in saving our precious kingdom...I now pronounce you..." he tapped Zero gently upon the shoulder with the huge axe "... a Knight."

As everyone, including the Titans, clapped and cheered... Zero stood up and shook hands with the king.

Zero got up and stood at the head of the hall and cleared his throat.

"Well, I think I would first like to say, thank everyone here for coming to my ceremony. Your support and kinsmanship are invaluable to me, and I appreciate you all..." Several of the young women swooned at these words; a few fainted. "... but I shall have to make this thing quick. If it's all the same to you, your majesty," he motioned to the King, "after I make a quick announcement, I should like to get back to my quarters and pack."

Everyone looked shocked. Pack? What did he mean Pack?

"You see..." said Zero with a smile, as if he read their minds, "... a wise man once said: 'home is where your heart is.' And although this is my birthplace and a place I dearly love... I regret to say, my heart is elsewhere."

There were several cries of surprise from the crowd, and even the king blinked in shock.

"Well, actually... at this particular moment, my heart is in this very room. But very soon, She will be far, far away in her home."

To the Titans surprise, he turned his head just slightly and looked dead at Jinx, smiling. The young witch's heart banged in her chest. Did he mean what she thought he meant?

He abruptly began walking towards the Titans table.

"So..." he continued as he walked. "I have no choice... but to follow her. If, of course, she does not mind..."

He knelt down right in front of Jinx on one knee. Her heart felt as if it was about to explode and her eyes were tearing up slightly.

"Well... do you mind, M'lady?" he asked softly, taking her hand and kissing it gently. As he did so, he reached into his belt and pulled something out... then held it out to her. Jinx gasped out loud.

It was a rose. A rose made of the same never melting ice as Eviglasere and Snevakt. It shone with a brilliant blue light and glowed mystically... it was absolutely beautiful...

In front of the King, the other Titans, the crowd, and everyone else, Jinx grabbed his neck in a hug and started kissing his cheek happily.

"Oh Zero, you... you can come with me anywhere you want!" she purred loudly and happily.

"In that case, we should hurry and prepare to leave." Zero chuckled calmly.

There in front of everyone, they kissed.

For what felt like forever, there was dead silence... then, there was a clap. Then another. And another. Soon, the entire hall was filled with applause and cheering, and the other Titans were smiling and clapping the loudest of all.