Teen Titans © DC Comics

Gan and Tavis

During the time Thunder and his cohorts in the Teen Titans searched for Lightning and Kole, the duo was being dragged down the concrete walls of the Hive Academy by ex-members of the Hive Five. Lightning squirmed in Mammoth's grasp, insisting that he could walk when the brute's grip tightened sharply around his shoulders. Wincing, he glared back up at him, pale eyes dancing with hatred that Mammoth steely matched. Being a Hive student that graduated once, glaring was as easy as counting to three.

"One date, li'l lady?" Billy whined, his clones still gripping Kole's arms.

"C'mon! Billy Numerous'll show y'all a grand ol' time!" another clone chimed in.

"For the tenth time, no," Kole seethed, glaring up at him. "I remember kicking your butt with Gnaark anyway, weakling." She stuck her tongue out at their befuddled expressions.

Lightning smirked. The girl could take care of herself which was good for him. He didn't have to watch over her like she was helpless or he'd consider her to be a partial burden in whatever the future held. Lightning looked over towards the other Hive students, finding Gizmo speaking with someone in quiet terms so he couldn't hear with Kyd Wykkyd calmly walking with him. Straining his ears to listen in to his private conversation, he inwardly cursed as Gizmo noticed his glance and sneered at him maliciously.

"Hey, the taser here wants a listen in," the diminutive genius scoffed into the octagonal communicator. He paused, waiting as the other voice replied into his ear and shut the communicator off. "The Headmistress wants us to hurry up, crud-snuffers! Get a move on, Teen Peons!"

The Billies and Mammoth shoved Lightning forward, hurrying in their steps to please their Headmistress. Lightning and Kole grimaced, glancing over to exchange surprised looks. They had heard that the original leader of the Hive was a woman, but was frozen in the final battle with the Brotherhood of Evil. Besides Brother Blood, there hadn't been another leader for the prestigiously villainous school.

They approached a set of metal doors that slid open. Private Hive and Angel greeted their fellow students, and Angel linked arms with Kyd. They had been going steady in secret to the Titans, but their comrades-in-villainy knew better. Mammoth shoved Lightning forward into the middle of the room, and the Billies heaved Kole over their heads. Kole squealed, trying to elbow the clones in the brainless craniums.

"And-a one! And-a two!" the Billies chanted before tossing Kole onto Lightning.

Both grunted as she landed onto his back, flopping on top of him. Lightning groaned, rubbing his head disdainfully as Kole helped him to his feet. In front of them was a massive laser-like machine that jutted out towards the ceiling. They noticed an opening in the roof, finding the clouds blissfully crawl by with the hues of sunset marking the afternoon to a slow close. The laser itself was bulky, covered in slabs of metal crafted with the Hive symbol in the middle to taunt the Titans. However, curling out of the metal that coiled upwards were two holes large enough for two people, just big enough for Lightning and Kole. Wires and tubes were surrounding them, hanging aloft and forlorn, ready to be used. The holes were connected to the metal, high in the air that would lead to an enormously long cannon that was positioned to face at the sky. Awed at the machine, Lightning and Kole stared with gaping maws and widened eyes.

"You!" Lightning jabbed a finger at Gizmo. "What is this?"

"A Titans Eradicator."

The voice chilled him, but he recognized the inhumane voice as the person who spoke to him before in the cell. Slowly turning around to find the mysteriously clad fiend with a hood draped across its head, he noticed that there was no longer a cloth around the mouth. Lightning glowered at it, demanding to know who it was.

"Me? Why, I am but a humble woman…" She revealed herself as calm, composed and collected individual as she lowered her hood. "…my ex-husband, however, prides himself of our abilities."

She was stunningly beautiful, but wrinkles covered her eyes and made creases in her brow as her eyebrows furrowed forward. Her hair was a dark chestnut color, but gray streaks could be seen as the trestles flowed along her shoulders. A beauty mark was underneath her lip, adjacent to it as her cold, cobalt eyes bore down on the two.

"Who are you?" Kole demanded.

"My name is Adeline Kane," she introduced, bowing her head amicably. "I believe you…" She looked over to Lightning, smirking cruelly. "…had a run-in with my ex, no?"

"Your ex? What are you speaking of?" Lightning hissed.

"Slade Wilson, my ex-husband."

The first name was enough to make Lightning gasp. Slade…he tricked him and Thunder into creating Fire to destroy Jump City, and all in the name of "fun". It was also his fault that Beast Boy lost his first love, Terra and drove Robin to near-insanity one time. Slade went mysteriously silent during the Brotherhood of Evil with nobody knowing where his location was. The brothers offered to search, but Robin turned them down, but thanked them for their generosity.

"You're his wife?" Kole asked, blinking in shock. She had heard stories of the enigmatic villain from Robin, making her shiver as she wondered what cruelty would lie within the woman that used to be his wife.

"Ex-wife," Adeline repeated, glaring down at the girl.

"Why have you brought us here, witch?" Lightning snarled.

Private Hive glared over to him, removing his shield and chucked it across Lightning's face. Like a boomerang, it returned to him promptly and directly into his arm. "Little maggot! Nobody talks down to the ma'am in charge!"

"Thank you, Private, but please, I need them uninjured," Adeline cooed, sickeningly sweet; Kole inwardly gagged.

"What are you doing, plotting some sort of madness?" Lightning demanded, rubbing his sore cheek.

Adeline ascended towards him, and with reflexes to match Kid Flash's speed, she cupped his chin. Lightning gasped, eyes widening as she smirked sadistically. At the nod of her head, Gizmo crept over to Lightning before leaping onto his back. Yelping, Lightning squirmed before electrifying his entire body with a malevolent smirk. However, what shocked him was the fact that Gizmo was being electrocuted.

"I planned ahead, snot picker," Gizmo sneered, removing a small device from his pouch. Slapping it against Lightning's head, he quickly jumped off as Lightning stopped the electricity.

"Go, my students, take them to their places," Adeline commanded, crossing her arms.

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" Private Hive saluted her before charging.

Mammoth roared, bringing a meaty fist down over Kole's head. Gasping, Kole quickly transformed her entire body into crystal. Once the brawny teen's fist connected with her skull, Mammoth recoiled with agony, frantically waving his burning head about. The impact felt like he cracked his fingers as he blew on them. Kole smirked, revitalizing herself as she barely avoided a kick from Angel.

"Smooth moves, little bug-girl," Angel snickered. "What are those on your forehead, antennas?"

Kole paused, blocking a fist with her forearm. An irritable expression smothered her once confident face. Snatching Angel's helmet, she violently punted her in the chest with her knee before smacking her across the face. Angel crashed onto Gizmo, effectively depleting his oxygen. Kole quietly strolled over to her and snatched her jacket, glowering demonically.

"Call me that again. Let's see where it gets you," Kole growled. "I already have to deal with Kid Flash just coming down to my home to make fun of my hair."

Angel proceeded to pale as Kole calmly walked away to go beat up the Billy clones that advanced on her. Gizmo continued to thrash underneath her, screaming that he couldn't breathe. His face turned a lovely shade of bright blue during Kole's threat.

Lightning leaped high over Private Hive as he and Kyd advanced onto them. He noticed Kole effectively defeat Angel, who was rocking herself back and forth as Gizmo finally freed himself. Smirking, he quickly made short work of the oafish military brat by snatching his shoulders and releasing as much of his energy as he could. Private Hive's eyeballs exploded from his sockets, falling backwards in a disgruntled heap. Taking up his fallen comrade's place, Kyd quickly teleported behind Lightning, catching the kick to his chest with his arms. However, he failed to notice the gleaming sparks traveling down his body to effectively produce the same effect as Private Hive. Kyd collapsed, convulsing as the electricity washed over him. Lightning kicked his side gently, wondering how long he would be out for.

Breathing deeply, Gizmo turned back to Lightning and smirked. He quickly exposed his game controller and pressed a rather large button as Adeline's nod. Lightning suddenly felt the same shock surge throughout his body as the bars produced before. He released a heinous scream that echoed throughout the entire academy. He gripped his head, crying out weakly as the torture wouldn't stop. He writhed on the ground, panting heavily as more pain ricocheted along his mind.

Kole untangled herself from a mess of Billy clones, running over to him in confusion. She dropped to her knees, trying to coax him into telling her what the matter was. However, a fist slashed across her face. Kole grunted, falling to her side as Angel stood over her. Glaring up at the wicked student, she gasped as Mammoth's hand encircled her entire face, drawing her vision to darkness with light crevices from the cracks in his fingers. She squirmed in his grasp, valiantly trying to break free.

"It will do you no good," Adeline stated, walking down towards them. "Gizmo, is he out?"

"Don't worry, my machines never fail!" Gizmo continently jeered. "His power is all yours."

"What are…you doing to me…madwoman?" Lightning sputtered, twitching at his left shoulder.

An explosion wracked down the halls by the area where Lightning and Kole's cell was located. Adeline frowned, stating that the other Titans awoke. Lightning looked up fearfully, wondering who had arrived. Kole went limp in Mammoth's grasp, making the gluttonous villain-in-training drop her to the ground in case she stopped breathing. In Lightning's stead, she demanded to know who was here.

"Cybooger, Bumble-witch, the silver girl, and some blue guy that looks like him, kinda," Gizmo explained. "The robots beat the snot outta them!"

"It wuz good fun ta watch!" Billy added, guffawing with his clones.

"Go, my students, take care of them. I will take these two to there rightful places," Adeline ordered as the students recollected themselves and took off.

Lightning remained on the ground, trying to keep strong with the pangs spiking throughout his body. Thunder was here? It was certainly just like before. Thunder had saved him from Minh and his cronies, so there was no reason that he wouldn't do the same. He found it too coincidental, but the weariness of the pain occasionally stabbing throughout his body only heightened his level of awareness.

"Why are you doing this?" Kole questioned slowly as she checked Lightning's neck for a steady pulse where she found one quite erratic.

"Vengeance," Adeline simply stated.

"For…what purpose?" Lightning hoarsely asked.

"You will see." Her lips curved upwards into a demonic smile, teeth sharply gleaming like a vampire's fangs. She repeated herself a few times, snatching Lightning by his hair and heaved him over her shoulder.

"Where are you taking him? Stop!" Kole shouted, but hesitated when she noticed something dangling off the limp Titan's wrist.

From underneath his golden orange wrist guard, a small, slightly rusted chain and locket came undone. In Lightning's bleariness, he didn't notice that it plopped off his wrist as Adeline carried him away. Kole quickly snatched it, finding the locket to be opened and peeked inside. She gasped quietly, pocketing her newfound treasure and scurried off to find out where Adeline took her friend.

---

"The odds are in our favor," Bao proclaimed, staring down at the two brothers. He smirked as the backed up uncertainly, finding comfort in the shadows that traveled towards them. "You have effectively ruined your chances of a fair trial."

"What you claim as fair is foul!" Tavis snapped.

"Why don't the two of you reveal your cowardly faces from the darkness or do you prefer its shallow sincerity?" Bao mocked, crossing his arms in his thick robes.

Gan and Tavis exchanged looks of fear. The troubled air threw them in a haze of worry, wondering what was to become of them. Gripping Tavis' arm, Gan was ready to lead them into battle when Tavis dug his heels into the ground and obstinately remained in place.

"Brother, why are you…?" Gan paused, finding the tense arm of his brother troublesome.

"I am afraid," Tavis admitted. "What will we do? Do we simply fight them? For me, that is the only way we can free ourselves."

"My thoughts exactly," Gan replied.

"We do not have a choice, but with our powers…" Tavis raised his arms, aiming at the guards with a confident sneer. His energy traveled along them, firing out like twin lightning bolts that crashed against the guards with such force that they were blown backwards. "…we have nothing to fear!"

"Wh-what was that?" a guard cried from the ground.

"Magic!" Bao spat in shock. "But how did you…?" His sentence broke off, staring in wide-eyed horror at the new appearances of the Williams Twins.

Tavis gestured for his brother to have fun. Gan smirked, raising his hands and did the same as his sibling. Balls of thunder formed his hands before throwing it out in an explosive stream. The guards scrambled as they were blasted backwards, into walls or ducked for cover. The blast created a hole in the wall that they deemed as their escape route. Taking Gan's hand, Tavis darted through the groaning, half-conscious guards before Bao raised his hand at them.

"You have taken down my elite with such annoying prowess," he snarled, "but let me see how you handle a real magician!"

Bao's hands suddenly ignited with fire, making their eyes go wider than saucers. Grunting, Bao slammed his hand against the ground as fire sparks jolted upward from the concrete ground. Gan yelped, latching on his brother as he narrowly avoided getting singed. Tavis seethed, placing his wrists together to allow another wave of lightning streak towards Bao. Smirking, the elder raised his hands as a wall of fire blocked the searing energy.

"B-but how?" Tavis stammered as he and Gan backed up while Bao got to his feet.

"Inexperience leads to trouble, and defiance against me will lead to pain!" Bao shrieked, darting out. He slammed his hands against the walls, sending fireballs jutting out to them.

Tavis winced, tripping over himself as a fireball burnt a sliver of his hair. Bao took this as his chance to strike, kicking the youth in the face. Tavis cried out, falling onto his back and dryly commented that for an old man, Bao was strong. Gan charged furiously, swinging his fist that left him open for a knee to his jaw. Stumbling backwards, Gan recalled the sword his mother packed him and looked over to the ground where it lay. Tavis followed his gaze, locating the sword.

"Keep the Old Man busy!" Tavis ordered, scrambling to his feet. "I will retrieve the sword!"

"Fools," Bao snarled, "fire attributes are not the only key I hold!"

Bao raised his hands as particles of yellow energy came to his fingertips. Before could unleash his wrath, Gan clapped his hands together, producing a loud enough explosion to lift him off his feet and slam him into a wall. Gan ran over, gripping the village leader by his robes.

"I do not wish to harm you," Gan warned, raising his hand as a familiar blue aura came to it. "Yet, if you continue to attack us, I will not be as forgiving."

"So you will murder an innocent," Bao jabbed.

"Believe me, sir, you are no innocent," he hissed.

A sword lunged itself an inch away from Bao's and a centimeter from Gan's, nearly cutting the startled boy. Tavis smirked, his arm still outstretched from the gallant toss. Wiping his hands arrogantly, he removed the sword from the wall and noticed his brother's paralyzed expression and laughed.

"I will get you for this later," Gan mumbled heatedly.

"We do not have time for a banter, brother! Look!" Tavis cried, pointing over to the guards.

They began to address themselves, drawing out swords. Instinctively, Gan dropped Bao onto his bottom but not before punching him across the face. Tavis blinked as Gan shrugged, stating the elder had always aggravated him. Tavis took his brother's arm, leading him away from the guards as they slowly advanced. They looked over them to the hole they made, the one that signified their freedom.

"We must create another hole," Gan whispered as Tavis nodded. "That way, we can escape with much more ease."

Nodding, Tavis threw his arm to the guards and another towards the wall. Two electrical beams ejected from his arms. Gan joined in, clapping his hands together as the sound waves danced with the beams. The guards were blown back, into each other and the floor. The wall by them exploded in a heap of concrete and wood, making Gan bring Tavis close to his chest as the smoke wracked their vision. Once the smoke cleared, they found their freedom calling and leaped out towards their home. In the distance, Bao's distinct shrill lingered in the air.

"Seize them! I want them back, dead or alive!"

---

Thunder's fist connected with Private Hive's jaw with a sickening crack. The scream rang in his ears, but that only fueled the deafening explosion he surged out from his hand that blasted the army brat into a wall. Grabbing the villainous teenager's hood, he brought him dangerously close to his face.

"Who screamed?" he demanded coldly.

Private Hive saluted him sarcastically, smirking. "Well, you mangy punk, I'd rather not tell you."

Thunder snatched his collar and smashed him against the wall. Private Hive's eyes bugged out, wincing at his implanted form. Thunder's eyes grew unnaturally grim, hissing, "Do you reconsider?"

"It was your brother, sir!" Private Hive squeaked, trying not to get pummeled as Thunder dropped him on his face.

"Nice going, sludge for brains!" Gizmo shouted as he activated his spider legs from his backpack. "Whatta nimrod! This is why we kicked you outta the Hive Five, for being a snot-nosed tattletale!"

As Cyborg scuffled with Mammoth, he rammed a fist into the brute's gut. Mammoth grimaced, charging again with twin swipes of his bear-sized claws. Catching his arms, Cyborg grunted and heaved him off the ground. Swinging around, he cried out and tossed Mammoth in a cell. Mammoth's head connected with the ceiling tiles before crumbling to an unconscious heap.

"How'd these buggers even free themselves?" Argent asked as she avoided a kick from Angel. "Oh, and honey, red halter top and blue short skirt are retro, and retro is not in." With that, she formed a massive fist from her plasma energy and socked Angel into a wall, firmly implanting her there.

"Giz made a swingin' heat button thang that activated seconds before us Hive kids were frozen!" Billy informed as he divided himself into ten copies. "And lookie here! It's like a reunion for us students, right, Stone and Bee-Bee?"

Cyborg snarled then paused and looked over to Bumblebee. "…'Bee-Bee'?"

"It was Brother Blood's nickname for me," Bumblebee growled with anger flushing through her cheeks in hot redness. "Hey, wipe that smirk off your face, Sparky!"

Kyd aimed a kick for Argent's face, missing her by a foot as she descended. Flying by him, she yelped when he snatched the back of her hair and slammed her into the ground. Argent groaned, squeezing her eyes shut as Kyd hovered over her. Thunder tapped his shoulder, making the teleporter wary of his presence before his fist collided with his face. Kyd flew ungracefully in the air, landing on top of Gizmo who was trying to stab at Cyborg with his spider legs. Offering Argent his hand, he smiled when she gratefully took it and fluffed her hair.

"Thanks for the save, blue boy," she replied, winking at him.

Thunder blushed, rubbing his head uncertainly. "Uh, you're welcome…"

"Booyah, baby, that's what I'm talkin' about!" Cyborg jeered. "C'mon y'all, let's find Blood."

"You think Blood's behind this, nose-pickers?" Gizmo smirked, his machines effectively broken by Kyd's crash-landing on him. "We got a new Headmistress now!"

"And who is she that commands your loyalty?" Thunder demanded.

"You'll see-yow!" Gizmo's eyes rolled in the back of his head as Bumblebee stood over him, stinger aimed and previously fired. Flopping to the ground, Gizmo mumbled something to himself and passed out.

"In the Academy, he always bugged me, the little troll," the Titans East leader explained.

"Whatever you say…Bee-Bee," Cyborg snickered as Bumblebee slapped him over the head as she stormed by him.

At that moment, a beeping filtered in the air. Cyborg raised his arm, revealing a red flickering light as the source of the noise. Pressing it, Cyborg answered, "Hello?"

"Dude! Cy!" Beast Boy cried, his face appearing on a holographic screen. "Uh, we gotta bit of a problem."

"What is the matter, Green One?" Thunder asked.

Before Beast Boy could address the concern or greet his friend, a large, hairy hand shoved him out of the way. Gnaark's eyeball covered the screen, making Cyborg reel away in surprise. The caveman repeated his name frantically, shaking his head as his unruly ebony locks matted around his face. He appeared deranged, scared even as he suddenly leaped away to the background. Beast Boy popped back up on the screen, shaking his head rapidly.

"Sorry, that was Gnaark in case ya couldn't tell. He just came storming down here in search of Kole," the changeling informed.

"Kole's missing?" Argent asked, covering her mouth in shock. "You mean the little pink-haired girl?"

"The very one," Beast Boy replied, raising a quizzical eyebrow.

"How do you know Kole?" Bumblebee questioned.

"We had a rather nice chat at Titans Tower before she went psychotic and beat up Doctor Light with Raven." Argent crossed her arms, smirking. "Nice girl, that Kole."

"Perhaps she is here with my brother," Thunder offered, hoping to soothe the caveman as he reappeared behind Beast Boy.

"Gnaark! Naark nar gnaark!" the caveman shrieked. "Ark gnaark gnaar naark!"

"…Huh?" everyone by Cyborg and Gnaark stated in simultaneous confusion.

"He said he and Kole were ambushed by the same robots that attacked Jump City and kidnapped Lightning," Cyborg explained. He raised his other arm, revealing a translator heavily at work as Gnaark stated his agreement which appeared on his left arm. "I installed it after we met them a few days before the Brotherhood of Evil went on their rampage. Don't worry, Gnaark, we'll save Kole. You just stay there, and…hey! BB!"

Behind Beast Boy, Gnaark was currently poking their CD collection and raised one slowly over his mouth.

"Ah, no! Gnaark, wait! You can't eat those!" Beast Boy cried, flailing his arms like a madman. "See ya later guys! Bye!" He ended the transmission in static, but his scream could still be heard.

Cyborg rubbed his head, pressing the button once more to deplete the holographic screen back into his arms. Pointing towards the direction where the Hive students came, he shouted, "Titans, go!"

Upon his command, the quadrant darted off. Thunder summoned his cloud, hopping on and remained in back. His hands clenched furiously; knowing that the one who screamed was Lightning only drove him further. There was nothing else so worse for a brother to know that it was his own sibling that screamed in such agony that it would pierce an angelic choir's singing to a tumultuous horror show. Thunder looked over his shoulder, wondering what torment Lightning was facing.

---

Kole followed Adeline up the stairs towards the laser. They entered a hovering sphere that ascended them to the holes crafted in the destructive machine. Lightning stirred a few times, trying to wriggle himself free, but the painful surge that struck him weakened him greatly. It took nearly all of his strength to keep himself from falling into darkness.

"I asked you before, Adeline, why are you doing this?" Kole demanded.

"And I have answered," Adeline coyly replied. "You will see."

Anger beseeched her, driving her to trying and shove the divorced woman, but Adeline caught her hand. She pulled Kole close to her face before snapping her arm off to the side. Kole dangled precariously in the air, her only support the grasp of an insane woman. Lightning gasped, eyes widened in horror as Adeline suddenly whip-lashed Kole into the top hole.

The wires instantly grasped her, keeping her strapped against the machine. Her arms were raised and kept there with wires that wrapped around her wrists and ankles to prevent her from escaping. Even though she had no place to flee too. Kole squirmed like a worm, shouting to be freed when a force as powerful as the electrical Titan's namesake struck through her from the wires. Kole screamed as the agony increased before finally reverting to her crystallized form. However, once she did, a glass barrier swept down from the front and locked her in place. The painful surge faded, and Kole returned to her blood self once more.

"What did…you do to her?" Lightning growled, his strength slowly returning.

"You two will be my ultimate weapons," Adeline sneered. "A battery which is you, and a container which is her. Both are unlimited supplies, very valuable in today's world. You will power my laser, and she will control it."

"You are a lunatic!" Lightning shrieked.

"This is why I went underground!" Kole howled. "To get away from people like you!"

"Hush!"

Her booming voice startled them into silence. Adeline slammed Lightning's head against the lower hole, keeping him pinned there as the wires did their work. She smirked, canine-like teeth shimmering as he struggled to keep the wires are bay. Removing her grasp once he was fastened into her mission, Adeline stepped backwards in the hovering sphere, watching gleefully as the glass closed.

"Your plan will fail," he grunted. "My brother-"

"Your brother will not save you. To me, he is my third battery," Adeline scoffed, waving his notion aside like an aggravating bug.

Third? Then who is the second? She referred to me as the first, and Kole is the one who will contain my power, Lightning thought, blinking in confusion. Why is she speaking in riddles? She makes no sense!

"They'll save us! The Titans will save us!" Kole proclaimed jovially, snapping Lightning out of his troubling musing.

"If they can survive, that is," Adeline jeered. "I wonder how you two will feel, knowing you two assisted in the coup de grace of the Teen Titans!"

---

I read in the comics that Slade's ex-wife, Adeline Kane, once took up the Hive, so that's my reasoning on her arrival. Slade will not be appearing in this fanfic, by the way, like he did in the comic's version. If he does, it will probably just be a cameo.