Chapter 16 - Targets

Four narrow red eyes glared down at Slade, who was kneeling before them. Crystal knelt beside Slade, her blue eyes glaring down at the dirt. Slade peered over at the girl and glared with hate.

"It seems you have failed… in more ways than one." A demonic voice bellowed, making both Crystal and Slade narrow their eyes in anger; neither of them pleased with the idea of failure.

"I'm sorry, my lord. It seems I underestimated Terra and Minami." Slade apologized, his voice laced with anger and embarrassment. As Terra's teacher, her loss made him look like the failure.

"No. It seems I've underestimated you, Slade." Trigon snarled and Slade glared down at the floor in silence.

"Seeing how those teenagers are such a challenge for you and your team, I shall send someone else to collect the priestess."

Slade and Crystal's eyes widened as their pride took another blow. For both of them knew the double meaning in that statement:

You aren't good enough.

Crystal's eyes narrowed, the implied message hitting close to home. A constant reminder of why she was doing this:

To prove everyone who thought that of her was dead wrong.

"Master." She spoke out, lifting her head so she could stare into his fearless eyes.

"Let me continue this mission… I know the Titans better than anyone. I've lived and fought with them for years." She stated, determination in her eyes. The demon chuckled.

"Minami… It is not the Titans that you wish to destroy, but your own team." His eyes narrowed slightly, showing hints of amusement. "Team Alpha and Naruto are your main targets, are they not?"

Crystal glared down, avoiding his gaze, as she thought back to the days of her childhood; the reason why she joined the dark lord.

"They are." She whispered.

"And you shall have your revenge." Trigon stated before a portal opened to the right of the kneeling villains.

Two figures stepped out, one of them being a young boy with yellow hair and blue eyes. He wore a long purple dress coat, a green button up vest, and a pair of black short-shorts, as well as thigh-high black boots. The man standing beside him was taller, and older, than the boy. He was rather pale, and was dressed in a formal butler's attire. His golden eyes were framed with sleek black glasses. He stood emotionless at the boy's side.

Another portal opened up, revealing Titans Tower. The boy smirked and danced over to the portal.

"Let's go, Claude."

The butler placed his hand over his heart and bent down slightly.

"Yes, your highness."

xXxXxXx

Mimic watched with a rather disturbed expression as Fade began to cry out to her. The young Hatake was tied up on her bed, her arms handcuffed behind her, and duck tape over her mouth. Not to mention there was a protective electric fence surrounding her bed, with a sign hanging on it that read:

"Property of Sebastian Michealis."

"…Do I even want to know?" The disturbed teen asked while, borrowing Fade's chakra, transported inside the fence and ripped off the duck tape. Fade hissed in pain as she felt the sting of tape ripping off a thin layer of skin.

"Sebastian is being overly paranoid lately!" Fade groaned as Mimic began untying her.

"Well, I can see that." She deadpanned, earning a glare from the blushing girl before her.

"You would think that with my dad hanging around he'd keep his distance!"

"Ha. And let Ledouche swoop in and sweep you off your feet? Fat chance." She joked and removed the handcuffs.

Fade's blush intensified.

"There will be no swooping or sweeping!"

"Sou, Sou…" Mimic droned while cutting the rope with a kunai. Fade rubbed her sore wrists and glared.

"dog."

"You're welcome." Mimic sighed out and disabled the electric fence.

"Where'd he get all of this anyway?" Mimic asked as she glanced around Fade's room only to see boxes of bondage equipment. She sweat dropped.

"I hope those are for your protection only…"

"They are!" Fade snapped and bonked the girl on the head, while her own face was beet red.

Mimic snickered.

"Hey, whatever goes on in the bedroom is nothing to be ashamed of."

Fade blushed and looked down.

"Nothing goes on in the bedroom."

Mimic stared.

"Seriously?"

Fade nods.

"You really haven't?"

Silence.

"…Does he have trouble keeping a hard-on?"

A pillow hits the earth-bender in the face.

"Ow! Sh*t, it's not like I was implying you weren't sexy! I just mean he's an older guy… maybe he's got issues."

"You've got issues." Fade dead panned and Mimic chuckled.

"The doctors said so too."

Fade 'huffed' and crossed her arms.

"You're making fun of me, but have you and Iggy actually done it?"

"Of course."

Fade fell over.

"How could I not? He's extremely sexy…" Mimic swooned and Fade dead panned.

"Please, no details."

"Keira?" Sebastian asked as he walked in, slightly agitated that Mimic had set his girlfriend free.

"A-ah, Sebastian! Nice weather, isn't it?" Fade stammered, slightly afraid he'd jump her and lock her up again.

"It's raining." Sebastian deadpanned and Fade sweat dropped.

"Ah."

"Like she would have known… seeing how you've locked her up for god knows how long, like some kind of animal." Mimic whispered, earning a glare from the demon.

"I have my reasons."

"You mean jealousy?"

Sebastian was about to answer when flashing red lights cut him off. His eyes widened as a familiar scent tickled his senses. His eyes flashed purple briefly before he ran out of the room.

"I think I ticked him off."

Fade glanced at the doorway and shook her head.

"No… for once, it wasn't you."

"That's a shocker."

Fade smiled and pulled back her black hair in a loose bun.

"Let's go."

xXxXxXx

Sebastian was the first to reach the rooftop; his eyes were narrowed and his pupils mere slits. His irises changed from blood red to a mystic purple as he clenched his jaw.

"Oh my! If it isn't Sebastian!" The blonde boy exclaimed with joy and clapped his hands. Sebastian's gaze never left the blank visage of the butler standing behind the ecstatic boy.

"Sebastian." The butler, Claude, smirked towards the younger butler.

"Claude Faustus … Alois Trancy." Sebastian spat, indicating he was not pleased to see them.

"Say, where's Ciel?" Alois asked cheerfully, ignoring the Phantomhive butler's distaste.

"My young master is none of your concern." He answered while staring at Claude.

"Fear not, Sebastian. It is not the young Earl we are after today." Claude stated while smirking. Realization hit the butler.

"The priestess?" Sebastian questioned; preparing to fight in order to protect the girl, as his master had ordered him so.

"Well, her and a few others…" Alois giggled and smiled when the rest of the Titans came out. Sebastian relaxed, his usual nonchalant demeanor replacing his furious stance. His eyes returned to their normal red tint as Ciel stood beside him. Ciel's single blue eye glared at the pair across from them.

"Alois." Ciel said, venom coating his voice. Alois ignored the hostility and jumped for joy at the sight of the blue haired boy.

"Ciel! It's been too long!"

Robin lifted an eyebrow and turned to face Ciel and Sebastian.

"You know these two?"

Ciel nodded.

"The boy is Alois Trancy, a noble back in my homeland. The man behind him is Claude; Alois's butler." Ciel stated, his gaze never leaving the overly giddy blonde. Naruto raised in eyebrow in silent questioning.

'It's like yin and yang…' He silently noted while comparing and contrasting the two noblemen.

'Ciel is far more mature than Alois, who appears to be suffering from a never-ending sugar high. While Claude is stiff and emotionless compared to Sebastian who is witty and playful. Interesting.'
"They are after Miss Kagome." Sebastian stated, causing InuYasha to push Kagome behind his back as he unsheathed Tetsusaiga.

"Like my lord previously stated," Claude began and pushed up his glasses with his finger, a dark smirk on his lips. "It is not just the priestess we are after."

In a flash, Claude had appeared behind Fade and Mimic. Sebastian's eyes widened as Claude struck a blow to an area in the girl's necks, causing them to be knocked unconscious. He quickly slung both girls over his shoulders and jumped back towards Alois. He saw a flash of black in the corner of his eye and managed to dodge a kick that was aimed at his chest. He landed on the ground, glaring at the interference. Sebastian glared back and prepared to come at him again.

Claude quickly placed the two unconscious teens on the ground beside Alois's feet before charging at Sebastian. Alois knelt down and cupped Fade's face, studying it with curiosity.

"Why men act like barbarians around such ugly beings is beyond me." He snarled while kicking the girls roughly.

"Alois!" Ciel yelled as he began to run towards them.

"Ciel? You are going to join this battle? Such odd behavior for an Earl, don't you think?" He smiled playfully at the other boy, but was caught off guard as Ciel's tiny fist nailed him in the face. Alois fell back, stunned, and held his bruised cheek. His blue eyes held shock within them as he stared up at Ciel.

"We are not in Britain anymore… Here, I am not an Earl. Here, I am a Titan and a comrade to those two you are planning on taking." He glanced over at the two girls, his gaze softening. "Those two, along with everyone else in this Tower, treat me like family." His gaze hardened as he glared down at the trembling boy. "And I will not let someone take my family away from me again!" Ciel stated and prepared to land a bone-crushing kick when Alois yelled out his butler's name. Ciel's eyes widened as strong hands grabbed his torso and threw him off the roof.

"Young Master!" Sebastian called out, his eyes wide.

"Got him!" Starfire yelled as she flew in the direction where Ciel had fallen. She caught the boy in her arms, him being mere inches away from hitting the ground. She clutched the boy in her arms and smiled at him.

Sebastian stared in horror at where his master had once stood. The thought of him losing his master, for whom he had grown to care for, enraged him all the more. Claude sighed and dusted his hands off.

"Pity… his soul was so mouth watering… oh well. There will be more like him." Claude stated while helping his master up. A swift kick to the back knocked him on his bottom.

"Claude!" Alois screamed, disbelief on his childish face.

"I'm sick of hearing this priss talk sh*t about my friends." Hiroki snarled, ignoring the others shocked expressions.

"Hiro-San, stop! He is too strong for you!" Nowaki called, fear clouding his thoughts. Hiroki's eye twitched.

"YOU SHUT THE HELL UP!" He yelled, obviously not thrilled of being told he wasn't good enough.

"I'm not going to stand by and let someone else in this family get hurt!" Hiroki yelled, making Nowaki's eyes widen slightly.

"He's right." Shinobu whispered and took a step away from Miyagi's side.

"We're Titans, are we not? We're supposed to defend the world as well as each other! Yet we've already lost two of our comrades… One to evil and one to a coma. And now we're about to lose even more! I couldn't live with myself if more of our friends died and I didn't help fight to save them! How could I call myself a man then?" He stated and ran up to stand besides Hiroki.

"How touching." Came Claude's chilling voice from behind them. "However, you forget I am not mortal." He smirked and threw both men out of the way; Hiroki flew towards the right side of the roof while Shinobu headed towards the left.

"Hiro-San!" "Shinobu!" Both men called out, fear shining in their eyes as they watched their lover's head towards the ocean. Raven's eyes began to glow.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" She cried as a purple aura surrounding both Hiroki and Shinobu, and gently lowered them to the ground just outside the Tower doors.

"They're safe." She whispered, earning a relived sigh from the two men.

Claude glared at the witch before barely dodging another one of Sebastian's punches. The two demons exchanged blows, neither one of them hitting the other.

"Miss Raven! Focus on retrieving Keira and Miss Natsumi! None of you are a match against Claude!" He called out, his pupils narrowing into slits as he let some of his demon power surface. Raven nodded and focused her power.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos." She chanted, her magic forming around the two girls. Alois's eyes narrowed.

"No!" He yelled before pulling out a revolver and firing it at Raven. Raven's eyes flashed white and then red before fluttering closed. She fell back into Beastboy's arms, her abdomen bleeding.

"Raven!"

Alois glared at the Titans.

"You all took the fun out of this… now… if any of you move, I'll shoot." He threatened while pointing the gun.

"Claude. Forget Sebastian and get the priestess!" Alois yelled, eyeing Kagome cautiously.

"You won't lay a hand on her!" Inuyasha snarled, pointing his Tetsusaiga at Alois.

"Priestess. If you come quietly, we'll leave peacefully… and there won't be any more casualties. However, if that man is determined to fight, I will shoot him." Alois threatened, a smile on his lips. Kagome let out a soft gasp, her eyes widening. She stared at Inuyasha's back, tears brimming her eyes.

"Don't shoot him… or anyone else. I'll go." She stated, her brown eyes glistening with unshed tears. Inuyasha's eyes widened.

"What? Kagome you're not serious! I won't let you!" He yelled turning to face her. She kissed him on the lips softly before whispering:

"Osuwari." Inuyasha crashed onto the floor, the beads of subjugation glowing pink. Kagome made her way towards the boy, tears falling down her cheeks. Naruto reached out his hand to her as she passed.

"Kagome…"

She turned, her expression shocking him.

'She's willing to sacrifice herself… for all of us.' He thought bitterly and watched as she left them behind, not one of them knowing if she'll ever return to them alive.

As Kagome reached Alois, Claude smirked and removed his hand from around Sebastian's throat. In an instant, he was beside his master, and lifting the other two girls off the ground. A portal appeared behind them and Alois jumped in, pulling Kagome in with him. Claude sent Sebastian a smirk before leaping into the portal. Sebastian charged at the portal only for it to shut within seconds of him reaching it.

"No…" He whispered, his expression of disbelief and pain matching the rest of them.

They had lost.