Just Above Even 2
A/N: So I have to get all the 'good' writing out of me so that I can be evil for Path of Valor. So here's more in The Adventures of the Inept Narrator!
This chapter's dedicated to the random anon reviewer who said, 'interesting'. I feel compelled to please this person by continuing the story. For my other reviewer, I'm terribly sorry for the wait. A month between chapters is about the upper limit. :P
My day starts like it normally does; in the afternoon and with me briefly wondering where the hell I am as I begin to wake up...
…
...Where the hell am I?
I shunt a blanket of unknown origin off of me, and sit up on some kind of couch I am currently residing on. My first immediate thought was that I had gotten kidnapped; This made sense, since the last thing I remember is being really, really panicked. Upon further inspection of my memories, I realized I wasn't in any danger then, so I doubt I'm in danger now. Looking around, I confirm that I am in fact on a couch, and not a couch-shaped death trap. Whether this is a better situation is up to interpretation as of yet.
My eyes venturing past the couch-shaped couch, I find body sized windows. Well, that's not technically true, I find one body-sized window, on top of another one, on top of another and such until they reached what I just now noticed to be a very tall ceiling. Once they reached the top, they split into two body-sized windows running horizontally towards the walls, creating a T-formation. It was very thin, suggesting there were more rooms on the floor about us.
...This seems familiar.
...Oh right, Teen Titans.
…Oh SHIT.
As I begin hyperventilating again, I hear the swoosh of an opening door. If someone's coming in to check on me, I am going to be super-mega-boned. Holding my breath, I turn around to see who it was.
The living area, as I would deign to call it since it's fucking huge, has a lot of space from where I'm sitting to the door on the opposite side. That space is filled by stuff I'd but in my basement; a pool table, a table tennis board, and a couple of beanbags in front of a big ol' widescreen TV with an unknown console hooked up to it. A big, elevator looking door is directly opposite the windows I mentioned earlier and was the source of the sound I heard. To my left, there was another door that lead...to Narnia, Mordor or anywhere in between for all I knew.
The person that decided to greet me after my panic nap was my good friend Daniel. With Cyborg. And Beast Boy. And Starfire, Raven, Robin and Terra.
I was so panicked I forgot to start hyperventilating. They mistakingly took this as a good sign, I'm sure.
Daniel was the first to vocalize, "Oh sweet, Larson's up."
Starfire, lovely and infuriatingly happy as she is, seemed like she was just about to pounce on me when Robin spoke up next, "Good. I was hoping I could talk to you alone, Mr. Larson."
Robin spoke in calm, measured tones. I tried to imitate that, and ended up sounding like an anime protagonist.
"O-O-Okay," I stuttered, getting up from the couch. Walking over to him made me feel like a condemned man, even more so when he directed me to the door on the side of the room. Realistically, this was probably just going to be him making me to his room to ask me a few questions, but if we were actually on the starship Enterprise and he was about to space me, I wouldn't be shocked.
Well I guess I would be, but shut up. That makes far too much sense to be criticized.
Robin let the way down the hallway that the door did indeed reveal. While we're walking, I can't help but try and puzzle out the logistics of this building on my head. I could see the windows stacked, so there must be only four or five floors in the building. As we walk down the hallway, I notice the window is taking the place of the leftmost wall, which just seems like a huge privacy concern. Then I notice it's facing the ocean, so it's probably not the biggest deal.
We walk down the hallway for a distressingly long amount of time, given what I remember the Titan's Tower looking like. I can't help but vocalize my astonishment, "So, it's a lot bigger on the inside I see."
Robin looks at me over his shoulder, "Yeah. Where'd you first see it?"
Hah, nice try Boy Wonder. You're not getting anything from me!
"Ehh, pictures mostly."
...Damn it. He's too good.
"Pictures, huh?" Robin said, not to me in particular. The rest of the trip was silent as he opened another door and led me into a dark room. Fearing for my life, I heard him mutter something about Cyborg's stupid wiring as he fiddled with the light switch. After a moment, the lights flashed on to illuminate a kind of green room. It had no window-wall, and was actually rather claustrophobic. To my right there was a table with a moderately sized TV and webcam adorning it. There was only one chair, naturally.
"Please, take a seat Mr. Larson." Robin said, walking over to lean on the wall opposite the door.
I sat, rather nervous.
"So, are you sure you're alright? We didn't notice any wounds when we brought you back, but we didn't have time to do a full scan with all the new arrivals." Robin asked, staring directly at me.
I was about to say no, when I realize that I didn't have a familiar weight around my neck. I slapped my chest dumbly, and looked down at it with wide eyes. Robin picked up immediately.
"Something wrong?" He asked, the touch of concern in his voice revealing that I'm not in too much suspicion; else he wouldn't care.
"I-" I stop. As good fortune would have it, I happen to have Type One Diabetes. I carry my blood sugar tester in a lanyard around my neck, which is...not around my neck.
I keep my debit card and driver's license in there too, but that's a lot less necessary for me to live.
Before saying anything else stupid, my hands and eyes quickly go to my waistband, checking for my insulin pump. It's still there, but the screen is blank. Ether dimensional-travel knocked everything not connected to my body loose, or the crash from earlier sent my tester flying. That would exempt it from dimensional-travel by universal law of 'Fuck you, Adam!', obviously.
Wait, I'm still wearing my class ring.
...Fuck you, Semi!
Robin knocked on the wall to get my attention, "Lose something?" He asked, with a touch of annoyance at my not answering his questions.
"Yes." I answered simply, slumping in my chair. I had to shield my eyes from the light, I had a hell of a headache coming on. This whole situation made absolutely no sense, and yet my genre-savvy side knows that thousands of teens between the ages of 14-17 would kill to be in the same position I am.
Themselves specifically, since that seems to be the way I got here.
…
Bad thought Adam, bad! Suicide jokes aren't funny! Bad!
Self-chastisement out of the way, I focused on actually having a conversation with the leader of the group that so kindly took me in. "I'm actually a type one diabetic, and I believe that I'm missing some of my equipment."
Robin's face scrunched in concern, "Is this pressing? We could try and find it, or attempt to acquire some more as soon as we can."
I wave him off and smile. People are always really concerned when I'm having a blood sugar, or running low on insulin, or missing my tester. I'm not about to keel over, chill. I really do appreciate the concern, though.
"Nah, you've done enough. I...think that it will just be my friend and mine's problem."
Robin's eyebrow quirked, "Your friend? I assume you mean Daniel, as he seemed to know you."
'Seemed'. Like you haven't questioned him already. The only tough part will be trying to guess what story he told.
"Indeed." Was all I said, hoping to get him to tip his hand with his questions.
"How do you know Daniel?" No such luck, then. I'll keep my answers general still, see if I can't force him to reveal something first.
"Daniel's been my friend since middle school. One day in choir we found out we had basically the same interests, and we've been almost inseparable since then." I joke, because while he usually comes along to my events, he rarely invites me to his.
Because he goes hunting and stuff, and fuccccck that noise.
Robin nods, even though I told him almost nothing. "How did you manage to arrive at that gorge? Awfully good timing, I gotta say."
'How' and the overall tone makes me think Robin thinks it was more than coincidence. Funny, as that's the least suspicious answer I can give while being a hundred percent honest.
"We saw the girl on the outskirts of town being chased by that scorpion, and decided to try our luck at saving the damsel in distress like the teenage boys we are." I smirk at Robin's mildly chocked reaction.
"You...only stopped the monster so you could save Ter-," Robin coughed, "...the girl?"
I pretended to not notice the slip, "I couldn't tell you why Daniel wanted to rescue her, but it wasn't selflessness that kept me running. Not that I expected much, but you should always seize opportunity as they come."
"Right..." Robin said, not sure if he was satisfied by my answer. "How did you get to that part of town, anyway? It's an industrial district, I can't imagine you live around there."
My eyes narrow. I think he's bluffing, there wasn't any real indication of what part of town we were or were not in, since they certainly didn't see us arrive on the sidewalk.
"...There couldn't have been any indication where we were coming from. You've already questioned Daniel, then?"
Robin's eyes seemed to narrow as well, no doubt he didn't enjoy being challenged, "Of course, it's Titan policy. What do you mean, there couldn't have been any indication?"
I look back at him and say, like it was the most normal thing in the world, "Because we don't even know how we got to where we were."
That, I bet, caused Robin to do a double-take. "You...don't know where you are?"
I smirk, "No, I know where I am. I'm in the Titan tower in Jump City, California. I know exactly where I am." I stressed, "What I do not know, however, is why Daniel and I are here."
"You and Daniel?" Robin clarified.
"I think so. I can't say for certain whether Daniel remembers where we're from or not. I can't tell you if or how he knows, and I couldn't tell you how I know...well, what I know." I rub the back of my head, sheepishly.
Robin give me a peculiar look, "So you've got the type of amnesia that lets you remember everything except when you need to explain yourself."
"Yep." I smile. I'm trying not to be an asshole, but that kind of thing doesn't exactly come naturally.
Robin sighs, "It odd, your friend Daniel said the same thing."
I don't say anything, but from the way I'm rubbing the back of my head again you'd think it was a nervous tic.
Robin studies me for a tense few seconds again and sighs, "Look, everyone has their secrets. That's normal, and I'll be okay with it as long as it doesn't conflict with the Titans."
Robin looks me in the eye, or through his mask anyway, and says, "Can we trust you? You two obviously don't have anywhere to go," Not that I needed a reminder, "And new abilities would be a major asset to the group."
I nod, expecting this conversation.
"So, would you and Daniel like to join the Teen Titans?" Robin asked, offering a hand to me.
I look at his hand for a moment, before looking back up to him and asking, "I'm deciding for Dan, too?"
Robin smiled, "He said he'd join if you did."
"Well then, on behalf of the amnesic duo, I gladly accept your invitation, Robin." I stand, shaking his offered hand.
Maybe things can work out, after all.