(Switching bodies... well, I'm bored and the muses are refusing to be helpful with 'What Were They Thinking, Having It In Paris?'... so I write this.)
The HIVE Five (plus a very bored Angel) were at it again.
This time: a new legendary gems exhibit at the museum.
Billy Numerous popped open a case full of jewelry of the pharaohs. "Well, I'm rich now! Gizmo, load up!" The short genius flew up and chuckled. "We're having a pizza party when we get home, guys!" Gizmo yelled, loading up a bag full.
Kyd Wykkyd examined a tome with a snake on the front. "Anything interesting, honey?" Angel asked, sticking a bracelet on her wrist to admire it better. Kyd nodded, too absorbed to respond entirely.
See-More headed to the main attraction: a large, shining pink amethyst. "The Jewel of Minds... this will pay for a couple months groceries... if we ate like kings!" He turned on his laser, cut a hole in the case, and grabbed the pink gem. "The only thing you'll be eating is prison food!"
The Titans... along with Kid Flash and HER. Jinx.
See-More couldn't hide a sneer. "Bringing your pet traitor, eh? At least Angel decided to come out... HIVE Five, attack pattern Alpha!" "Teen Titans, Go!"
Kid Flash and Jinx took on Billy Numerous. The duplicator split himself into several and dog-piled Kid Flash. "Hey, get off!" Kid Flash vibrated his molecules and the Billies jumped away, yelping and cursing. Jinx threw hexes left and right at her previous companion... until they lifted her off the ground. "Talk about not fighting fair!" Jinx yelled, squirming. "Says someone who hexed her buddies and let them get frozen." One of them grunted.
Kyd Wykkyd and Raven faced off, half demon vs. half demon. Kyd blocked another kick and managed to sign, 'You are one of Trigon's spawn, aren't you?' "What the- how do you know?" Raven said with a gasp, throwing at him a now empty stand. 'I'm a pretty good guesser.'
"Uh... who are you?" Beast Boy asked the winged girl. "My name is Angel. What, do you not remember me?" She said, eyes fluttering. "No..." "Then you don't know my powers!" Beast Boy was smacked over the head with two very strong, very hard despite the feathers wings. "Ow..."
Gizmo, no surprise, tried going after Cyborg. Cyborg had a new trick though to deal with the small pest. A small thing latched onto Gizmo's backpack and the whole thing shut down. "Hey!" He was quickly dispatched.
Starfire and Mammoth were throwing punches back and forth. "My sister always said never hit a girl... but in this case, I'll make an exception." Mammoth growled. Starfire shot him with star bolts, sending him backwards. "But that would not be nice to disregard your sister's advice." She said innocently.
See-More realized things were going bad. So, he did what HIVE does best: cut a hasty retreat and leave your buddies to take the heat. Clutching the Jewel of Minds, he made his way out the back to be stopped by another leader: Robin. See-More didn't hesitate and shot an eyeball at him.
Robin jumped over and swung his bo staff at See-More's helmet. "Hey, don't break this thing, it takes forever to repair it!" See-More snapped, ducking. "Its a tool to harm others, See-More. Why you keep getting it back, I don't know." Robin said, circling his opponent.
See-More's voice grew cold. "That's none of your business, traffic light. And you're one to question clothing choices, I mean, red, yellow, and green? What were you on when you thought of that, because I want some." Robin yelled in anger and threw the bo staff at See-More's head. See-More ducked barely, but was tackled by Robin.
"You don't know ANYTHING about me, See-More!" Robin said, ice as equally icy as the villain's. "And you know nothing about me!" See-More yelled back.
For a split second, they thought they heard a quick, feminine giggle... then the jewel glowed. "Uh oh." See-More managed to say before...
WHOOSH!
Cold air whooshed through the back alley and both See-More and Robin were thrust away from each other. Several voices chanted in their heads:
Those who are doomed to live in ignorance about their foe,
let them walk in the other's shoes.
And until they understand the other's mind,
let their souls stay trapped in a body where they do not belong!
The villains escaped out the back way, heroes hot on their heels. Mammoth had Billy slung over his shoulder, and Gizmo was being pulled by Kyd Wykkyd who had a large metal collar on his neck. "See-More!" Angel gasped. Both See-More and Robin were passed out, strewn on the ground. Angel picked him up and said, "Pattern Omega!" "We got that, thanks!" Gizmo yelled.
The villains escaped once again.
Starfire landed next to Robin. "Robin! Raven, is he alright?" She asked in fright. Raven checked his pulse. "Odd... his pulse seems weaker than normal." Raven attempted to search his mind, but only met confusion and him mentally pulling away. "I don't think he recognizes my mental touch, I don't know why though... lets get him back home."
First thing Robin felt was pain... his whole body felt like it was used for Mammoth's punching bag. His head felt abnormally heavy, which was even more annoying. He groaned and he heard a southern voice yell, "Hey, he's comin' around, Kyd! Maybe your funny mental powers can work on him now."
A brief moment of silence, and the voice sniffed. "No need to sign my ear off, Kyd." A girl giggled and said, "So that's your leader? Yeesh, he's skinnier than me!" "Shimmer, don't be rude." A low voice rumbled.
Robin's eyes opened to see a concerned Kyd Wykkyd. 'You alright- wait a second...' Robin yelped and jumped away. "See-More, what's wrong?" Angel asked. "Wha... what?" Robin managed to say, then glanced down. An alternating green and white suit... oh no...
Kyd Wykkyd hissed. 'That's not See-More. See-More knows my mental touch. Alright, who the hell are you!' He signed. "Uh... would you believe me if I said Robin?" He said, still dumbfounded.
See-More slowly came around. "My head... ow..." See-More's eyes slowly opened. "Robin, you are awoken!" Starfire said excitedly. "What!" See-More put the pieces together a lot faster than Robin. "Robin, was is wrong?" Starfire asked worriedly.
Raven came into the living room, holding a tome and looking at See-More cautiously. "Star. Step away from Robin. I did a little research on that gem... I don't think that's Robin." "Nail on the head, bird girl." See-More said quickly. He didn't want them to think they did this on purpose! Beast Boy and Cyborg came in. "Hey, Rob's awake, you okay-" "Guys. It isn't Robin..."
This time he felt a touch on his mind, he didn't hide away. "See-More?" Raven said in shock. See-More nodded. Starfire covered her mouth in shock. "Dude!" Beast Boy's eyes went huge. See-More felt nervous and lifted up his hands nervously. "H... hey, I didn't do this on purpose! You think I want to be in the human traffic light's body!"
Despite the urgency of the situation, Beast Boy snorted and snickered. "Traffic light?" He managed to say. "Surprised Cy, Bee, or Jinx didn't tell you about the nicknames we came up for titans..." See-More noted aloud. Cyborg muttered something about it never crossing his mind.
Raven sighed. "Cyborg, this is serious. See-More, how did you activate the gem?" See-More raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me?" He asked. Raven pulled up her book. "The Jewel of Minds... in legend two enemies attempted to retrieve the gem and, is quoted, 'switched souls'. Both were forced to live in each other's lives for quite some time." See-More groaned and facepalmed, then leaned back up oddly. "Wow... its weird face palming without a helmet. And to answer your first question, I don't know." "Are you sure?"
See-More shook his head no. "We were fighting, he made a crack about my helmet, I made a crack on his outfit, then the jewel started glowing. That's all." Starfire looked concern. "Then... how is our Robin, if we have See-More?"
Meanwhile, with Robin...
"Let me out of the cage. NOW!"
Robin frowned from his pen. When the villains put together who he was, they didn't hesitate- they shoved him in a cage and put Mammoth and a strange girl with tousled red hair on guard. "Dream on, dude." The girl said, blowing her bangs out of her eyes.
Mammoth glared at Robin. "Until Kyd figures out what you did, you stay put." In sheer irritation, Robin chucked his helmet off at the bars.
What he saw shocked him... or lack there of. Peripheral vision: completely gone. Everything in front of him was dimmed, like there was a lack of light. "What the... why can't I see?" Robin asked. "See-More wears the helmet for more than a fashion statement, you moron." Mammoth growled.
The red headed girl blinked in surprise. "So that's why you let him keep the helmet... so he could see?" "Its not like he knows how to use it, Shimmer. The only other person who does is Kyd... and MAYBE Gizmo." Mammoth explained. Robin put the helmet back on, a little bit sorry for the words he had yelled at See-More earlier. Perhaps he didn't know much about See-More.
Then the words that he heard seconds before the body switch echoed in his mind. "Wait- get Kyd Wykkyd, I just thought of something!" Robin ordered. Kyd then randomly appeared. "Nice timing, Kyd." Shimmer said. Kyd nodded and signed, 'I found the legend of the jewel... which thankfully, we still have.' He pulled the shining amethyst from his cape.
Robin went up to the bars. "Kyd Wykkyd, before I switched bodies with See-More, I heard a voice, telling us that unless we learned about the other, we're stuck." "Yeah right." Shimmer snorted. Kyd narrowed his eyes and Robin felt his cold touch on his mind. 'Scarily enough... you are not lying. I figured you would attempt to use this to your advantage... and according to legend as well, that is what happened. A demon slayer and a half demon came to ends with the jewel, and were forced into the other's bodies. The slayer learned of the awfuls the half demon had suffered from the hand of prejudice of both races, and the half demon learned of what demons had to the slayer. They switched back... just a story I had heard once as a child, but now it is reality.'
The Boy Wonder nodded. "Eerie story, now that it has come true. We need to contact the titans... I really hope See-More hasn't tried tricking them into thinking he's me." "See-More can't act worth crap, so we're safe there." Billy commented as he walked in.
See-More had been restricted to the living room and they took away the utility belt. The main screen fizzed on. The HIVE Five popped on the screen. See-More breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, you figured out that wasn't me." "That was obvious from the beginning... we just wanted some research." Angel said.
The Titans walked in, along with Jinx. The HIVE glared at her and Angel growled, "What is SHE doing here?" "I'm a titan, so I have the right to be, Angel." Jinx snapped. "Easy, princess pink." Angel remarked cattily. "Ladies, please." Raven growled, red eyes flashing real quick. The two girls shut up.
Cyborg took over leader position. "How is Robin?" Cyborg asked. "Bird boy is okay, tied up though." Billy nodded to two of his clones and they yanked Robin-in-See-More's-body over. "I'm fine... this is so weird." "Guys, untie him." See-More said. "Why?" Billy whined. "Because they were nice enough not to tie me up. Show him the same courtesy, or we may never get me back to normal." "Fine, unleash him, Billy." Angel ordered.
Kyd used his cape to cut him loose. "Thanks." Robin said. Kyd nodded. "So, what should we do now?" Shimmer asked. "Well, how can the curse be broken?" Jinx said. "I think the curse didn't take into account secret identities, is what I'm thinking." Cyborg grumbled. Kyd sighed and rolled his eyes, snapping his fingers.
They vanished... and reappeared in the living room of the Teen Titans. "Woah!" Cyborg's arm went into cannon mode and the toaster started levitating with dark energy. Kyd just rolled his eyes and pulled off his hood, revealing messy black hair that tended to go every direction known, plus. 'See-More. Robin. Get OVER the identity thing, otherwise, you're stuck like this. Most HIVE don't give two craps about identity. Just talk. Good. Bye.' The rest of the HIVE vanished, leaving Robin behind.
See-More smirked, making an expression Robin didn't usually make. "That's definitely Kyd, seeing past everything he considers unimportant and going for what's important." "Robin. Sit." Raven ordered. Robin sat on the couch. "You two are staying put until you figure out how to fix this." Raven turned heel and walked out, the rest of the titans following. Robin couldn't help but notice the look of sadness See-More flashed at Jinx.
The two sat across from each other in awkward silence. Robin pulled out the pink jewel. "This little thing caused so much trouble." He noted aloud. See-More nodded. "I second that." With that, he took off the mask and started playing around with it. "What are you doing?" Robin asked. "How can you stand having this thing on? Its itchy." See-More said, flipping it around in his hands.
Robin snorted. "I don't notice it anymore, I've been wearing it since who knows when. I would say why you where the helmet, but I kinda found out." "Lemme guess, you chucked it across the room?" See-More said point blank. Robin winced. "Yeah..." "Trust me, done that more than once after a hard day of classes." See-More said. Silence again.
See-More just rolled his eyes. "Okay, this is getting NOWHERE. I got a past. I don't want to tell. You got one too." He stole the gem from Robin. "You are one stupid thing." He said aloud to it.
"I'm not stupid!"
Both boys jumped a foot. "Uh... did it just... talk?" See-More squeaked. Robin rolled his eye. "I think it did." "You are even more stubborn than Demetri and Cal! My gosh. I've switched over twenty pairs of people, and you are quite the pair." "Yeah, you don't have a secret identity... whoever you are." Robin said.
The voice snorted. "My NAME is Hyacinth. I'm a spirit who likes drama and resolving problems." "Well, you found problems that can't be fixed." Robin said. Hyacinth cursed in Latin and French. "Headache worthy, to the certain! Alright, I'll help. Who likes cliché past journeys?"
Before either boy could comment, the jewel glowed and both boys fell backward as if sleeping.
"I hate you, Hyacinth."
See-More crossed his arms (his arms, he wasn't Robin anymore) and glanced down at where he was. "A circus, sweet!" "Not sweet." Robin looked cross. "I remember this night."
Both boys were sitting in two empty seats, and right in front of them was a boy with black hair and bright blue eyes, in a circus uniform, bouncing up and down. "My parents are up!" He said cheerfully.
"Sad, sad story, is it not?" They both glanced to see a fourteen year old girl with blue hair and copper skin. She wore a green toga. "Hyacinth?" Robin said. She nodded and said, "Watch, the final act of the Flying Graysons!" "You are sick." Robin spat, swinging at her. His fist went through her. "Why do you wear those colors?" She said aloud.
The two acrobats in the air at that moment, fell. The little boy in front of them gaped in horror. "Mommy? Daddy?" He whispered. "To never forget." Hyacinth said. "Someone rigged the ropes that night. They didn't deserve to die!" Robin growled. "Total agreement. But Robin... what would've happened if you had kept being a circus boy? Would've you ever organized the Titans? Would've you ever met your dear Starfire? Fate happens to be a cruel bitch, in fact, I've met her." Hyacinth said.
The scene changed to a park and a baseball diamond. "Curious as how See-More ended up blind?" Hyacinth trilled. See-More winced. "Can't the fact that I get the color scheme be enough?" He said. "No."
A young boy walked up to base and pushed his helmet back up. "You go, Seymour!" A woman yelled from the sidelines. "Lemme guess, that's you?" Robin said. "Yeah... I forgot I was a cute kid." See-More replied. Robin couldn't help but smirk.
The kid hit a home run, and started victory dancing on the home plate. The whole team, despite what the coach was saying, ran out from the dug out and started cheering.
Then a rather larger kid grabbed a baseball bat and started heading over to See-More. "What's that kid-" Robin never finished his sentence. The kid threw it and it collided with See-More's head with a sickening crack. See-More went down in a pool of his own blood.
See-More shuddered. "Didn't figure... it looked that bad. How did I survive?" "Fate had another purpose for you... to save a pink haired girl a couple months from now. Remember?" Hyacinth said. The background faded to grays and blacks. "Get it now?"
Robin and See-More looked at each other, Robin's mask missing and See-More's helmet off, revealing his dark eyes. Both stared at each other for a while. "Sorry man... guess we aren't too different, are we?" See-More asked. "We aren't. But I have one more question. Why are you a villain?" Robin asked. See-More sighed. "Look, days after I got hit over the head, I was taken in by HIVE. My parents... got in an accident on their way to the hospital. I don't know who influenced you to become a hero, but someone did. I was influenced to become a villain. Maybe... sometime, if I feel it, I might turn over a new leaf, become one of you guys. But until then..."
See-More gripped Robin's shoulder. "I'll be here to kick your butt." He said. "YOU MISSED THE POINT!" Hyacinth shrieked. "Shut up." Robin said. Both boys glowed.
Robin woke up with a start. Blinking a couple times, he grinned. "Hey, I'm me again!" He said. "Yes!" See-More got up and started victory dancing on the couch. Robin rolled his eyes and picked up the gem. "So... I will probably get in trouble for this later with the museum, but I'm not fond of this little meddler."
Without a second thought, he chucked the gem against a wall. It shattered and Hyacinth appeared on the ground. "Heeeeeeeeey!" She yelped. "No more meddling for you." See-More said. With a hiss, she vanished.
See-More smiled at Robin. "Willing to turn the blind eye to a villain's escape?" He asked. "This once." Robin said. See-More fist-pumped. "Thank you so much. I'm outta here... see you later, Richard?" Robin blinked at the use of his real name. "Sure, Seymour." He said.
With that, See-More hopped out a window and turned on his balloon eye. Oh boy, this would be a fun story to tell at later times.
Aqualad and Speedy glared at each other from their spots at the counter.
"Fish breath."
"Robin copy cat."
"Unitard boy."
"Arrows for brains."
"Fish boy."
"You need to become more creative with your insults."
"Shut up!"
Bumblebee was just ignoring them as she sat on the couch. "Those two will need a miracle to happen in order for them to get along." She grumbled.
Very quietly, a girlish giggle echoed through the room.
(No, I will not be writing a sequel. People who have read my previous stories would recognize the story 'Sight' referenced.
Holy crap, this is a long one shot. Oh well.
Bye byes, remember to review!)
