"Insanity: doing the same thing, over and over, expecting things to change."

-Albert Einstein (or Vaas Montenegro)

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OC's in this story. Except Wolf.

I'm not insane. I'm not. But that... that was insanity. That was mind-breaking. That was enlightening.


Ace blinked himself awake, his ears ringing. He winced against the bright lights, a pounding headache assaulting him. Something warm trickled down the right side of his face.

He blinked repeatedly, adjusting himself to the light.

"Ah, the first chickie's awake. Excellent, now ta wait for the others and the lesson can begin!" The voice said, echoing all around him in a British accent.


Ace peered around the room boredly. To his right were the Teen Titans; Raven, Beast Boy, Starfire, Robin, and Cyborg, all asleep. The room was grand, white marble covering the whole of it. Each of the teens was strapped to wooden chairs, the majority of which were ironclad; Raven was trapped in a thin floating circle of white light.

"Oh, my head..." Robin muttered, slowly raising the aforementioned appendage.

Ace peered around the three Titans, looking to the vigilante. He sighed and slumped back against the chair. A slight chorus of groans erupted from the team as they slowly regained consciousness.

"Am I the only one who doesn't know where we are?" Beast Boy muttered.

"Oh shut up." Ace snapped, headache assaulting him.

The Titans turned in near synchronized shock at him. He was minus a shirt and his mask; bared to the world.

"Why, you're right where you belong, my duckies," The British man exclaimed from the top of the stairs. "You're in school!" The man jumped and slid down the railing, revealing a middle aged red headed British man with a jacket designed as the Union Jack, and white jeans.

"Oh my God, he's so chic." Ace giggled, ignoring the pounding in his head.

"That's right, loves, you're the only students at Mad Mod's institute for bratty teenaged do-gooders," Mod continued on. "It's high time that someone taught you sprogs a lesson." He said as he lifted his ruby tipped cane that was now sparking.

"Uh-oh" Beast Boy said, putting in his two cents.


Ace blinked and looked around, craning his neck to look behind him. "Did... did anyone else hear the Japanese?"

"Titans?" Robin asked, prompting his team to attempt to escape. The teens squirmed and concentrated, but couldn't break their bonds.

"My starbolts are useless!" Starfire gasped.

"Specially designed chairs, love. Can't have those nasty superpowers interfering with my lecture now, can I?" Mad Mod said with a smug smirk, leaning into the orange teen's face.

"Get away from her!" Robin shouted.

"Now, don't get your knickers in a twist, my little snot," He said, leaning back. "I didn't go to all the trouble of building this school and filling your tower with knockout gas just so I could finish you off lickety-split. And you, Acey, were very hard to find."

"Then what do you want?" Raven asked.

"Just what I said, dearie- to teach you lot a lesson! Yes, I've been watching you children misbehave. And I hate misbehaving children! Fighting crime! Saving lives! Interfering with the plans of hardworking villains! Why, you lot are nothing but a bunch of troublemakers! But you'll learn your place soon enough." He said.

The Titans' resumed their struggling in various states of over exaggerated anger, becoming almost caricature-like.

Ace moved as far left as he could away from the team, eyes wide in shock. "What the fuck?"

"You see, I'm older than you, so I'm bigger, badder, and better." Mod said, pointing his cane at the teens.

"Say wha-" Cyborg was cut off as Mad Mod hit him over the head with his cane. "Jeez, ow!

"You're in my world now. And you won't be getting out until you've learned some proper respect." The Brit marched back and forth in front of them.

"We will get out. And when we do-" Robin was cut off by the sound of a bell ringing.

"Oh, dear. There's the bell, my duckies. Off to class!"

Ace blinked at the sound of something opening before gravity took over and he and his chair fell downwards in to darkness. "Fuuuu-"


-uuuck!" he shouted as his chair fell down the impossibly high fall.

He opened his eyes as he realized he wasn't dead. Looking around, he noticed the enormous art supplies laying about.

In the front of the classroom there was a bust of the British psychopath. It's eyes opened and it grinned cockily. "Now, now dearie, stop struggling and enjoy today's lesson: Art!"

Ace looked next to the bust. A Mona Lisa replica with Mad Mod's face flipped, replacing the painting with a swirling pattern of black and white. His eyes unfocused and he stared at it, unable to drag his gaze from it. His mind went blank and he slumped in his chair.

'Hehehe...'

Ace blinked repeatedly and his eyes gained a sharp edge to him. He licked his lips and looked around, ignoring the painting entirely. His gaping mouth slowly closed and he scowled. "Second rate piece of shit."

He moved onto his tippy-toes, balancing the chair on his back; and pushed upwards with all of his might, landing on his back and smashing the chair into the ground. It shattered beneath the impact, the steel bars harmlessly slipping down his body. He pushed himself to his feet, wiping dirt off of his shoulder, cracking his neck to the side.

Ace calmly walked over and gripped the painting ripping it off of the wall.

"HEY! What in the- you… you just… how did you ignore the trap?"

Ace spat on the ground. "I'm going to kill you, Mod."

Letting out a low growl before composing himself, Mad Mod continued on undaunted, "Well now, we can't have you breaking school prop- Hey, where are you going?!" He yelled as Ace left the room.

"Leaving." Was all the teen anti-hero said as he stepped into the utterly disorienting halls. They were strictly black and white checkers, making it difficult to differentiate walls from... anything else.

"Oh Jesus, this place is giving me a migraine." Ace moaned.

Walking forward, he started going upwards, as if walking on stairs. Lifting an eyebrow, he took a step backward... and fell upwards, slamming against the ceiling- or the floor, he realized, pushing himself to his feet.

"I'm going to go insane- where are the physics?" He growled to himself.

Continuing on, he hadn't realized that he was walking in vertical circles. When he did realize it, he looked up, or down, and immediately fell to the ground.

"AH WHAT THE FUCK! I HATE THIS PLACE!"

He continued walking forwards, hands clenched into tight fists and his face pulled into a snarl.

He let out a grunt as something hard collided with his side.

Mad Mod hopped to his feet and grinned, jogging backwards. "C'mon, lad, catch up!" The Englishman shouted out.

Growling Ace picked himself up and charged in the direction that the Brit had went, before slamming into a wall. Ace watched past the invisible barrier as Mod turned right. The teen smashed his hand against the wall and ran to his right- smashing into another wall.

"I FUCKING swear, I will rip this godforsaken hellhole to pieces and shove them down his throat, so help me God." He snarled.

"Now, sir, you're going to have to be faster than that!"

Ace turned around. Mad Mod was standing in front of a large wooden door, twirling his cane with a smug grin. He bowed and walked through the door. The teen barreled after him, kicking the door open.

He was back in the main hall. To his right was a grand staircase. The Brit chuckled from his position at the top. "Haven't you learned anything?" He walked backwards, exiting through a door at the top.

Ace growled and ran towards the second level, climbing three steps at a time. His foot hit a step and he slipped, falling face first onto the now slide-like passage, scorpion-ing himself onto it. He slid back down and groaned in pain.

Jumping onto the railing, he shakily balanced himself and walked up, eventually landing on the second level and he ran to the door that Mad Mod had went through, only to be stopped by more white and black hallways.

The shirtless teen's face fell in horror. He closed his eyes, ignoring the urgent pounding in his head.

Despite the disorienting halls, he went uninterrupted as he made his way slowly forwards. He stopped in front of a door.

Opening it, he saw Raven facing a green screen with the hypnotic design. Enormous weight-lifting equipment lay around the place.

Ace stared at the Titan for a few moments. His face was blank of emotion. He took a step backwards to the door, slowly pushing it back open. He sighed and walked back into the room. He grabbed the chair by the headrest and slammed it with all his force into the ground. It shattered, the white circle disappearing. Raven blinked repeatedly, bringing herself back to consciousness.

She looked up at him and jumped. He licked the corners of his mouth where his scars began and stepped backwards, adjusting his black gloves.

She slowly pushed herself to her feet. "Did you..."

"Free you? Yes."

"Thanks."

"Mmhm." Ace said casually, turning back towards the door. Raven walked a short distance behind him.

They walked in silence before coming to the end of the hallway. There was a door to the left and the door in front of them. The door to the left was slammed open as Cyborg stumbled out.

"Aaaah-oh, hey. Raven. And..." He blinked in slight surprise. "Are you-"

"Ace, yes." The black-clad hero said boredly. Raven pushed the double doors in front of them open, stepping out into the main hall. Cyborg walked after her, giving Ace a slight look.

The lone teen turned over his shoulder for a moment, flexing and unflexing his hands. He sighed and followed the trio.

"AH!" Someone yelled out. Ace raised an eyebrow.

Raven and Cyborg had reached the other side of the enormous staircase, and someone had screamed out. Robin and Starfire were standing in relief next to the other two. Ace slowly walked into the room, fists clenched.

"Oh, Cyborg, Raven how glad we are to see you." Starfire said.

"This place is making me crazy!" Robin said.

"Tell me about it! Mad Mod's whacked out computer lab nearly crashed my hard drive!" Cyborg agreed.

"Where did our captor send you?" Starfire questioned Raven.

"Gym." Raven monotoned.

"Anybody seen BB?" Cyborg realized, looking around..

Beast Boy appeared from around the staircase, laying on the ground, crawling like a caterpillar, covered in drool.

"Mad Mod's hypnotism, we can't snap him out of it." Robin answered at the questioning looks. "We've tried everything."

"Did ya try this?" Cyborg picked up BB's pointed ear, burping loudly into it.

"Hahahaha, nice one!" Beast Boy said, awake. "Uh, how did I get here, and why am I covered in drool?"

"Wonderful! Now we need only locate an exit." Starfire beamed.

Robin nodded. "Right, we..." He trailed off. The Titans followed his gaze.

Ace leaned against a wall across large room., head bowed and his black hair falling around his head. His scars were barely visible through the thick curtain of hair.

Robin stared, eyes wide in shock. Ace looked up, his hair rising in alert at the feeling of someone staring at him.

The two shared a look, both in slight shock.

"C'mon, won't you lot ever learn." Mad Mod cut in. A panel on the wall jutted out, right in front of Beast Boy. It began swirling in black and white. The green teen's eyes went blank again and drooled pooled out of his mouth as he slumped down.

"After him!" Robin ordered, ignoring Ace for the moment.

The Titans, with the exclusion of Starfire and Beast Boy, and Ace chased after the crazed Brit, now riding a moped down the hallway. Ace scowled and picked up his speed.

Robin blinked and skid to a stop as they reached the end of the hall, a painting hanging on the wall.

A banana hit him in the back of the head.

As they turned around, Mod gave them a taunting look before high-tailing it back down the other side of the hall. After a moment to recover from their shock, they turned and continued their chase, sprinting after Mad Mod. Ace and Robin ran in front of the group, Raven flying above them. Beast Boy joined them, shaped like a green cheetah as Starfire flew alongside the telepath.

Ace looked to the left while they ran, a statue seemingly superimposed on the wall while simultaneously existing as a 3D object. He blinked. "What the fuck kind of plane of existence is that statue in?"

Running forward, Ace looked to his right to see a fountain, "Is that fountain a painting? What the fuck is this-" He cut cut himself off in shock. "Is that... a rocket? Run."

The Titans followed Ace's suggestion, turning around and sprinting back down the hallway. Ace slammed a door open and the team followed after them. The room was completely white, giant black spots covering the area.

Mad Mod grinned and tipped an invisible hat to the teens, jumping into a black dot, disappearing.

Attempting to follow him, Robin leapt head first into the hole- and face planted onto the ground.

Ace stumbled backwards, mind whirring as he attempted to decipher the entire situation. The Titans ran from hole to hole, searching for the correct one. Eventually, Robin nodded at one, and the team jumped in.

Then popped back up, dressed in baggy, mismatching, colorful outfits right out of a Beatles' music video.

They shook the outfits up and Mad Mod appeared next to a door. "Come on, kittens, pick up the pace now!" He exited the door and the Titans, and Ace, followed after him.

Into a hallway with a skinny, long staircase dominating the majority of it. Mod was already sprinting up. The team gathered together and chased after him. The top of the staircase seemed to stretch on forever, never getting any closer.

Mod reached the top and tapped his cane against the floor. The stairs fell into the shape of a slide beneath the Titans. Raven and Starfire flew while Ace jumped and grabbed onto the former's cloak. Beast Boy turned into an octopus and saved the other two, snatching onto Robin and Cyborg, Starfire grabbing another tentacle.

They flew quickly to the top of the staircase, following the Brit through a door. After a moment of walking endlessly, they spotted Mad Mod casually jogging along and followed him into a room with a row of doors on each side.

Walking through one, Ace came out of the way they had entered.. Stumbling to the back of the room and leaning against the door, he watched in confusion as the other six defied physics, walking through one door in the hallway, and emerging from another. Mod lead them on a chase, expertly guiding them along, door by door, in an overtly cartoon like way.

After a moment, Robin went to the back with Ace, staring at the doors. Mod disappeared into the doors, and Robin walked up to it, the Titans following suit with four of the other doors. They opened them simultaneously, revealing nothing but darkness.

With four doors revealing nothing, they tip-toed as a unit to the final door, smiles on their faces.

Pulling it open, a T-Rex's head popped out and roared, causing them all to jump back in fright. Mod appeared at the opposite side of the hall, using the bust of his own head in the back to open a door. They quickly followed suit.

And walked into a hallway with the outside exit at the other end.

"No way, is tha-" BB began.

"Shut up." Ace cut in, snarling as he stomped forwards. He ripped the convincing tarp off of the end of the hallway; revealing the enormous room they had woke up in.

"Right back where we started!" Robin yelled, frustrated.

"Of course you are, my duckies," Mad Mod said, tauntingly. "Class is over, and you lot haven't learned a thing. That's a failing grade for each bloomin' one of you! There's only one thing for it: You'll have to repeat the enti-"

"Shut up, you British fuck!" Ace yelled out. "I've figured you out. Illusions; this is all fake; someone find the goddamn exit along the walls."

The shirtless teen stomped forwards, stepping through the hologram of the Brit. Walking up to one wall, he extended his hand forwards; and gripped something pliable in his hand.

"No, stop!" Mod yelled out, raising his cane.

Ace snarled. "Bite me." He ripped his hand backwards, tearing a huge portion of the enormous green screen off, revealing a wall of dull pipes and wires. Ace squeezed into a narrow opening, disappearing into the heart of the machine.

"No, no, no!" Mod's voice repeated from further down the small corridor.

Ace turned a corner; right into Mad Mod.

The Brit was old, at least sixty, and pale, with liver spots and a balding head. He was hunched over, his cane holding him up.

Ace slammed his fist into the Brit's nose. Again. And again. He let the villain drop to the ground and spat at him. "Second rate piece of shit."

Walking back to the now significantly smaller room, the teen sent a look around; the entire room was filled with electronics, green screens dropped to the floors beneath the walls. Ace threw Mod at the feet of the Titans.

He wordlessly made his way to a ladder in one corner, climbing out towards freedom.


Ace sat, perched on the edge of the building hidden deep in the coast of Jump City. He listened to the ocean, soothing his building rage.

"Ace?" Robin asked as the Titans joined the dark haired teen.

Ace turned slightly over his shoulder at his name, dark hair concealing the majority of his face.

"Hm, yeah." He said sitting up. "I don't care what you do with him, just get him out of my sight."

Robin nodded slightly, unable to tear his eyes from the young vigilante. "Ace... we need to talk."

The lone teen turned back to the city silently.

"Hey, Rob!" Beast Boy said. "He's waking up."

"Okay." Robin said, turning from his team back towards Ace.

Ace was scowling. "No. We don't."

He slipped off the edge. Robin rushed forwards in shock, staring at the water beneath him.

Ace disappeared.

Robin sighed and stepped backwards, wiping a gloved hand across his face.

"Are you alright, Robin?" Starfire asked, floating towards him.

Dick nodded. "Yeah. I... I'm alright."


A/N: Yay... mystery. Mystery. Mystery. Not as light-hearted as it was once upon a time; but oh well.

Review! It gives me happiness and more motivation to write!

LOL, R&R

-Infernokota