"Drive!"

It was amazing how one single word could change a person's life, and for Richard Grayson, it marked the end of beginning.

Richard lived a fairly normal life, though at one time he could say otherwise. He had just received his GED a year ago. Although most of his class went off to college, Richard could not do the same. While teenagers his age were partying from from dusk until done, making carefree mistakes that only one there age could make, Richard already had his future set. He was to work along his multimillionaire father as heir to his company.

Since the day he graduated, Richard had worked his butt off to gain the trust of his father, Bruce Wayne. Bruce was a tough-minded, strict individual, who had high expectations. Richard knew that if he ever wanted to gain his father's fortune, he would have to work for it. He didn't have the luxury of being a 'normal' teenager and experience life.

In short, his life was boring.

Everyday was the same routine. He would clock in for his shift as his father's apprentice, do paperwork, attend lectures, run errands, or whatever else his father had in store for him. At noon he'd go on his lunch break at a local coffee shop, sit and talk with his good friend Barbara, and arrive back at the office at one o'clock sharp. On the days he didn't work, he would spend his time exercising to relieve the stress of work, That consisted of a five mile run, a trip to the drills to lift weights, and volunteering at a local martial arts studio.

His life lacked any variety and there was hardly a time that any significant change happened. However, he never complained about his lifestyle. It would be selfish to do so. He had everything he could ever wish for; he did live with a millionaire after all. Still, there were moments in Richard's life when he wished something exciting would happen in his life.

He just didn't expect everything to come crashing down at once.

"Hey, Rich?" Barbara called from across the the counter. Her head was propped against her hands as she lazily wiped the countertop. Richard let out a hum, acknowledging that he had head her. "Some friends and I are hanging out tonight at the pub. Are you interested?"

Richard had to refrain from giving her a disgusted look, and instead set down his newspaper. She pouted, clasping her hands together in a begging notion.

"Is that even a question?" He scoffed. Everyone who had ever met Richard knew that he never attended social outings unless it was work related. "Besides," He said, slanting his eyes. "We're underaged."

Babara then let out a haughty groan, dropping her hands onto the countertop. Richard simply shook his head as she began to march towards his direction; placing her hands on her hips when she met him.

"Live life a little!" She yelled, but not loud enough so that it would disturb the surrounding customers. Richard was not fazed by her tone, however, and instead decided to reopen the article he had been reading. That is until she rudely snatched the paper from his grip and slammed it on the table.

"You're nineteen living like a forty year old man!" She seethed. "Just because you're working for your future doesn't mean you can't have a present."

"I'm perfectly content with my lifestyle." Richard answered calmly.

"An idiot could see that you're not." Barbara sighed, shaking her head sadly. Just then, Richard's watched beeped, indicating that his lunch break was over. Richard gave her small smile, grabbing his newspaper and standing up.

"I'm fine, really." He reassured, taking out his wallet. He then paid the exact amount for his food and gave it to Barbara, who accepted it without a word. He then took her hand, sliding in a thin sheet of paper as their hands connected. "You don't always have to invite me to things, you know?"

"Just consider it, okay? My offers always on the table if you change your mind." Barbara reasoned with a hopeful smile.

Richard nodded and let go of her hand. He briskly walked to the exit, only pausing after hearing the surprised gasp of his friend. Her expression had turned into one of bewilderment as she stared at the bill in her hands.

"R-Richard!" She cried exasperatedly. Richard chuckled, waving to her as he opened the door.

"Have fun tonight!" He yelled, giving her a wink. He then quickly left the building before she could chase after him to return the money.

Once safely outside, he let his facade drop as he trudged to his car. It was a black Mercedes Benz which had been given to him on his sixteenth birthday. Despite Richard's urges for his father to trade in the vehicle for something cheaper and more age appropriate, he refused. His father had since tried to buy him more expensive cars, to which Richard rejected. It was already hard enough fitting in in high school without a car that most kids could only dream of having.

Unlocking the door, he hopped into the car, closing the door behind him. He then dropped his head on the steering wheel, letting out a whine. The fact that he had to sit through another boring lecture today did not help ease his mood in the slightest.

He truly did wish that he could hang out with Barbara outside the coffee shop, but his duty for his work would not allow it. HIs schedule was never even open for the option. But she was right in some aspects. He was living life like a boring adult, despite not even reaching his twenties. No matter how much it pained him to admit it, it would take some type of miracle to change that.

Just then the passenger door suddenly opened and slammed shut. The car wobbled as a new weight was added to it. Richard slowly lifted up his head, his eyes wide. He didn't turn his head to see who was in the car, and instead used his peripheral vision. The stranger appeared to be covered from head to toe in black. His black ski mask had black shades where the eye holes must be. On his hands were grey gloves, providing the only variety in his wardrobe.

Currently, the masked person was checking behind him frantically; as if checking to see if anyone had followed him. Seeing this as his best chance of escaping, Richard slowly raised his left hand. He cautiously hovered towards the car handle, prepared to make his escape as his fingers finally touched the metal. However, just as he was about to pull the handle, the stranger stopped searching and turned towards him, as if just realizing he was in the car.

Richard didn't move as they stared at each other, each waiting for one to make the first move. Then, the stranger pulled out a gun, pointing it towards the boy.

"Drive." He said in a low, dangerous voice. Richard blinked.

"W-what?" Richard asked, incredulously.

"Drive!" He yelled again, bringing the gun to his cheek. "Do it now!"

Richard let go of the handle, quickly starting the engine with shaking hands. The bandit had since removed the gun from his cheek and was now looking back over his shoulder. He then turned back around, shoving the hard metal into the frightened teen's neck.

"Why aren't we moving? I said drive!"

Richard didn't have time to think about what he was doing as his survival instincts kicked in, and at that moment, they were telling him to do whatever this man said to do. He put the ignition in drive and stomped on the gas pedal, sending them both crashing to the back of their seat.

Richard drove down the streets of Gotham with a speed he had never attempted before. The cars they whizzed pass looked like blurred images to Richard. Honks were blared from every which direction, often times making Richard jump. All the while, the stranger was chanting not to stop.

Richard took no regards for stop signs or traffic lights. He narrowly missed being hit after speeding through a crossway. Just as it seemed like they were clear of traffic, an oversized load truck appeared, blocking the road. Richard gasped as he realized there was nowhere to turn and he would have to stop.

"Move!" The bandit screamed, reaching over Richard to take hold of the wheel. He then thrusted the wheel to the left, sending the car spiraling into the opposite lane. The cars going in that direction had to swerve off the road so that they did not collide. Richard was too shocked at the act to even scream. "Take the wheel." The stranger demanded once they were fully in the lane and speeding in the opposite direction.

Richard took the wheel despite being scared out of his wits. It wasn't until the two were on the outskirts of the city did the man finally drop his gun. Richard's body relaxed, but he didn't dare lower his speed.

Despite himself, he began to smile.

The whole situation was a whirlwind. Never before had Richard experienced something so exciting and frightening at the same time. It left him thirsting for more.

"Ha!" He laughed, running a hand through his damp hair. Although his kidnapper was sitting beside him, he couldn't contain his maniacal laughter. Richard had to wonder if this was due to shock, or if he had finally gone crazy. Whatever the reason was, it left him gasping for air.

Finally, he calmed down enough to glance at the stranger, who didn't even seem to register his outburst. His arms were crossed and he was leaning back against the chair as if he owned it.

"So what now?" Richard asked suddenly, not even realizing he had spoke. "Are you going to kill me?" If he were not driving at such a high speed, he would've slapped himself for asking something so stupid. He supposed the thrill of doing something exciting left him overly confident,and he completely neglected the dangerous situation he was in.

"Just keep driving." He demanded. Richard furrowed his brows. Although his voice had some bass to it, it was still relatively boyish. Richard decided to take another look at him.

Judging by his body frame, he could easily take him on one on one if given the chance. By comparison, his body wasn't as large as Richard, and he lacked body mass. The only thing holding him back was the gun in the stranger's hand.

"So…" Richard began. Mentally, his brain was cursing his idiocy, but Richard knew it was his best chance at escaping. "Are you running from the cops?" He turned his head slightly toward the teen. Although it was impossible to see his facial expression, Richard could make out the thin outline of where his mouth would be turn downward.

"Did you kill someone?"

"No."

"Crazy ex?"

"...No."

Richard tapped the steering wheel, mildly confused. He tried to come up with another solution to explain why this person would just hop in his car and threaten his life, but nothing connected.

"I don't get it." Richard finally said.

"You're not supposed to get it. You're human." He sneered distastefully.

"You say that as if you're not one yourself." Richard joked, but seeing his stoic body expression, realization dawned on him. "You're not human?"

The masked bandit remained quiet, as if he hadn't heard the question. Richard found himself growing annoyed by the man's persistence to not explain the situation. He couldn't understand why he couldn't just tell him why he was being held hostage.

Letting out a growl of frustration, Richard slammed on the brakes, sending them both flying forward. In hindsight, it probably wasn't the best decision to pull over in the middle of the dessert with a potential killer by your side, but Richard did not care. He needed answers.

"Who are you?" He demanded, slamming his fist of the dashboard. Again, he received no response. "Look, you chose the wrong car to hop in. My father is Bruce Wayne, ever heard of him?" Richard sneered. He could see the realization dawn on the man, and he slowly nodded his head. "Once he finds out that I'm missing he won't stop looking for me until I'm found and you're behind bars. And I'm not going to give up without a fight. You can kill me but you will get caught. That is unless...you tell me what your motives are."

Richard never heard himself sound so confident before. He had to make sure his facial expression didn't show how surprised he was by his own voice. Although his mind was telling him to retreat and do what the man said, his heart would not listen. Judging by the man cursing and looking away, he knew he had made the right decision.

"I'm...a mutant." He finally said, his body deflating.

"Mutant?" Richard repeated. "Like...you have powers or something?"

"Somewhat." He shrugged, turning towards the teen. "I'm not a villain if that's what you're wondering." He added.

"That doesn't explain why you threatened to kill me." Richard scolded.

"I was never going to kill you. I just needed to escape." He answered quietly.

"Escape from what? You're not making any sense." Snapped Richard. At this, the bandit's head flew backwards as he let out a howl of laughter.

"They really don't you anything, huh, pretty boy? So much for land of the free!" He laughed. "Have you ever wondered what happen to all the major supers? Superman? Wonderwoman? Even batman's gone M.I.A! What about the villains? When was the last time you heard of someone threatening to destroy the world?"

Richard blinked, his face turning to one of confusion. It was no secret that all the major supers that had once sworn to protect the earth had mysteriously disappeared. It had been years since there was a major threat to humanity. Most people assumed that they had all returned to their home planet or simply retired. No one ever fathomed that there was a reason for the disappearance.

"They were all taken hostage by the government." The stranger quipped, growing serious. "They're hunting down mutants and throwing them into quarantine...or worse if you're seen as a threat."

"Why?" Richard asked incredulously. He shrugged.

"That's what I'm here for. I'm trying to find out. They won't stop until all mutants are behind bars."

"Why should I believe you?" Richard accused. "You could be making this whole thing up." The bandit looked at loss for words. "Take off your mask."

"Excuse me?" He asked in shock

"If you take off your mask, I'll believe you and I'll drop any charges I have against you. I'll forget we ever met." There was a moment of silence as the man pondered the situation. Minutes passed before he finally sighed, shaking his head.

"Do you know how backwards you sound right now?" He said exasperatedly. "I can't promise you'll like what you see."

Richard watched with determination as the man's gloved fingers slowly reached for the back of of the mask, untying it from first thing he noticed was a sliver of dark green hair. This bewildered Richard, but he assumed he had dyed it at some point. However, that theory was proven false when he noticed his skin was an olive Green. As he removed more of his mask, he could tell that his whole body was green. His large ears began to poke out, and it reminded Richard of ones of a pharaoh hound dog or elf. Finally, he removed the mask completely, exposing the rest of his face.

Despite being green and having large ears, his facial features looked human. He had a growing, chiseled jawline, though it was evident some baby fat still lingered.. They looked to be about the same age His nose was pointed slightly upward and rounded at the top, giving it a buttoned look. His lips were a slightly darker shade than the rest of his skin, and his eyes were a bright emerald green. Thick eyebrows shaped his face, while wild green hair stuck up in every which direction; though Richard assumed it was messy because of the mask.

Richard found myself having to look away, not because he was disgusted, but because he could not stop the blood from rushing to his cheeks. He had no clue why he had blushed just by the mere sight of him. Especially since his mouth was down turned into a scowl, most likely angry that he had revealed himself

"Look," He growled. "I'm sorry for making you do this. I'll just go now." Before he could walk out of the car, however, Richard grabbed his forearm and pulled him back. "What gives, dude?" The stranger yelled.

"I want to help." Richard stated without green boy's eyes widened before slandering dangerously.

"No. Way." He grunted, yanking his arm out of Richards grasp before exiting the vehicle. Richard quickly followed suit, speed walking to catch up to the fleeting mutant.

"Where are you going to go? We're in the middle of nowhere!" Richard screamed as he struggled to keep up with the mutants fastening pace.

"What do you care? You should be happy I'm leaving." He yelled, throwing up the finger from behind. However, richard did not let the notion faze him, and ran in front of the green boy, forcing him to stop.

"Why Can't I help?" He demanded.

"Why would you want to? You're human. You're life is perfect. What do you have to gain from helping me?"

"The only thing I have to look forward to in life is sitting behind a desk and filing paperwork. I want to do something meaningful with my life. Please, let me join you." Begged Richard.

"The answer is still no." He said, pushing past me.

"I can be an asset! With a human by your side I bet you can get into a lot more places!" Richard shouted. Slowly, the mutant stopped walking. His fist clenched and before Richard could even register what was happening, he spun around and came at him at full speed. He grabbed the unsuspecting teen by the collar of his shirt, twisting it almost painfully, and brought him down to his level.

"How do I know you're not a spy? I don't know you and you don't know me. You don't even know whose side you're on. Why should I trust you?" He growled, bringing their faces close. Richard was wide eyed as he grabbed onto the mutant's gloved hands in an attempt to loosen his grip, to no avail. Finally, he stopped struggling, and let his body deflate, looking away.

"I have no way of proving my loyalty," Richard admitted sadly. "But I am trustworthy. If you tell me to do something, I will not ask any questions. I know it must be hard for you to trust humans, and I fully understand that. But if you can put your trust in me," He said, looking up to meet the green teens challenging eyes. "You won't be disappointed."

Green eyes bore into blue ones as the mutant search for any signs that he was lying. It seemed like an eternity before the mutant sighed, letting go of the boy's shirt.

"Fine." He grunted, wiping his hands on his pants. Richard cocked his head to the side.

"So...we're partners?" Richard asked hopefully. The mutant raised an eyebrow.

"I wouldn't say that. I still don't trust you, but I'm willing to give you a chance. Simply because you could be used as bait." He snapped. Richard grinned, feeling the need to hug the strange boy in front of him.

"I won't let you down!" Richard cheered.

"We're going to have to set some rules first." He said, holding up his index finger. "Rule number one, you must never leave my sight. I'd rather kill you myself than let valuable information out." He said dangerously.

"Understood." Richard agreed, though the thought of the mutant killing him frightened him.

"Also, you must destroy all ways of contact. Which means your crummy phone and stupid watch and-"

"I can sell the car too!" Richard interrupted. "That way we'll be less suspicious and have some money to spend." The mutant raised an eyebrow before shrugging. He then crossed his arms, staring at the teen expectantly. Richard gave him a confused look before gasping in realization.

He dug into his back pocket, pulling out his cell phone. He then threw it onto the ground, stomping on it until it was nothing but shattered glass. He then took off his smart watch and threw it as far away into the desert as he could.

"Is that all?" Richard asked, sticking his hand out towards the unsuspecting teen. The mutant stared at it for a few seconds before pinching the bridge of his nose. He then grabbed his Richard's hand, giving him a firm handshake.

"Remember what I said, pretty boy." He scowled."Backstab me and I will personally end you."

"Noted." Richard replied quickly. The mutant then let go of his hand and began walking past him. Richard could only watch with confusion as he walked.

"Let's go, I don't have all day!" He yelled, pointing toward the vehicle. Richard grinned before quickly making his way to the driver's seat. Once they were both buckled in, Richard pulled back onto the highway and began driving away from the city that he was once bound to.

Richard could feel the pressures that he once had leave his body, for he knew things would be different now. He smiled to himself, sitting back in his chair.

"My name's Richard...by the way." He suddenly said. He looked over at the green teen expectantly, who rolled his eyes.

"Logan." He said, putting back on his shades. "Garfield Logan. My friends call me Gar." Richard nodded, making a mental note of his name.

"Where are we going, Gar?" I asked, grinning. He gave me an incredulous look before shaking his head with a small smirk.

"Just keep driving." He grinned, exposing enlarged, but perfectly white canines.

"One more question." Richard said, growing serious. "If the government were to cat you, what would happen to you?" There was a moment of awkward silence. Richard waited patiently for Garfield's answer as he crossed his arms and turned towards the window.

"Considering I'm trying to bring down the organization and they know who I am," He said slowly. "They would kill me without hesitation."

Um...hi...heh heh.

I know, I know. "Why are you starting another story?! You haven't even finished the ones you wrote!" I just really like this idea! This would be the first kind of fic I've wrote like this and I really find it fun to write. I don't really enjoy writing action fics but this one seems to good to pass up! Theres so many paths this story could take and I love each one of them!

As for Grayson High, I'm in a bit of a writer's block (again) So the story is on hiatus as of now. I still plan on finishing it by the time summer is over! There's literally only like...three chapters left. And I also wanna pick up on some of the other fics I have abandoned.

If you're looking for more stories to fill your time, I posted like drafts on my fic 'friends with benefits'. They may or may not turn into actual fics but *shrugs*

As always, please review!