I stormed out of the room feeling my friends' eyes on me. Sure I felt bad about my outburst, but at the same time... I really did hate Zucco that much. I still do. I always will. And I felt a little bit better knowing my friends knew the full story... well, most of it anyway. As I walked down the hall, I heard my friends muffled voices behind the door.
"Why'd you have to push him like that, man?"
"How was I supposed to know the dude killed his parents?"
"You weren't, but that's not the point."
"Robin's our leader, why can't you just shut your mouth for once, and trust his decisions?"
"We don't have any reason to trust him! You were there when he had that whole stunt with Slade! You were there when he became Red X! We don't even know what his face looks like! He could walk out, fight us as a villian, and come home and we wouldn't even know it!"
"Just give him some space. You guys can trust him, I'm sure of it. And don't worry, he won't stay mad long. He's just like Batman and Batgirl described him to me, I can tell." Hearing that made me stop for a second. What had Batman told him? Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. I continued down to the gym, planning on letting out some steam. The previous conversation dug up memories I had tried to lock away. Memories of Zucco. That creep.
The alarm suddenly started wailing, rather annoyingly. I sighed, and ran back to the main room. Fight aside, I had to lead this team. "Who is it?" I asked, watching Raven type away at the computer.
"They're coming up as unknown. It must be one of your friends from Gotham," she said ruefully. "They've got a few hostages, holding up the bank. Sound familiar?"
"Sounds like every creep within city limits," Tim said smirking. "I'll come incase I'm needed." I nodded my approval.
"Just stick to the shadows, we'll keep you updated through the comm. link. Come on!" My friends followed me, them piling into the T-Car, and myself on my R-Cycle. Tim followed on his own motorcycle, in civilian. He'd blend right in, and have his costume need be.
We reached the targeted bank about 10 minutes later, and went over to the police comissioner. "Who's in there? Report said there were hostages?"
"Well, there were... we have reason to believe they've been moved."
"Moved?" asked Beastboy. "Like, they got teleported somewhere, or...?"
"Like a cammoflaged helicopter flew away from the building. The only reason we knew about it was that a plane had been flying overhead at the time, and saw it on the radar."
Raven, as usual, had a dry remark or two. "Well, that's just super. We've got no proof that the badguys are even in there still, or the hostages. For all we know, they're on a cammoflaged helicopter headed for Aruba. Great."
"Any bomb threats, or...?" Cyborg trailed off, looking for some answers.
"Bomb squad went in there a few minutes ago, but they're taking a bit longer as a precaution, depending on the hostage situation. They should be calling in any minute. We don't think there's a bomb there, but we aren't ruling it out." I nodded at the commisioner, as did my friends. We stood in silence, neither sides trying to start a conversation. We got along, sure, and he was a nice guy, but I suppose I've always been a bit cold towards him. He was no Jim Gordon.
"Bomb squad to commish! We've found something in here, but we aren't sure if it's a threat! Also, there's no sign of the hostages!" came the disembodied voice of one of the bomb sqad team.
"This is the commissioner, report! What'd you find?"
"Nothing I've ever seen before. Big box, sorta glowing. Only one of us that's gotta clue as to what it is, is Jimmy- said he'd seen something like it before, back in Gotham. He couldn't place what it was though, since he was only in the precinct over in good ol' Gotham for a month or so."
"The titans are here, would you like me to send them in?"
"Don't know if it'll do much good with them here. Scanners are saying it's clean, but there's definately something inside. We aren't sure how to open it though. So unless one of em' has X-ray vision, I don't know what they could do."
"Any X-Ray vision?" he asked with a smirk. We shook our heads.
"Didn't the guy say someone recognised it from Gotham?" I Robin quietly.
"Yea, you recognise the handywork fromt the discription? You're from Gotham, aren't you? Worked with the Bat there, right?" A bit tensely, I nodded. I couldn't stand being afiliated with Batman, but at least the commish hadn't asked if I was his sidekick...
"Sounds familiar. You want us to head in?"
"Be my guest."
"Come on!" I called to my friends, who seemed a bit out of it. Why...? Oh. I didn't say the usual 'titans go.' Whatever, it was getting old. As we walked in, Tim asked for an update.
"If it's who I think it is, it'll be better if you aren't seen. Not yet anyway."
"Who is it? Gothamite?"
"Yup. Big glowing box that can't be opened, glowing, and probably covered in question marks if I've got it right. Sound familliar?" I could almost sense Tim smirking on the other end of the line.
"Hmm, gonna take a wild guess here... Who's one of the smartest Gothamites, yet one of the stupidest, commits crimes, and then leads us to the answers?"
I smiled. "Edward Nygma. The Riddler."
*sorry bout the uneventfullness of the chappy, but the next one will be a fun one, I promise you that :D
