Reviews:
Mttmercado: oh snap, i hope jinx isn't on this list of the shadow man
Yeah, that wouldn't be good!
nada129: You were right I love this chapter I feel sorry for the girls who died. Lol Starfire makes me laugh when she speaks she gets faster I would of lost 2 years of brain activity from her so keep up the awesome work
Good! Ahah yeah, I wouldn't fancy trying to keep up with her when she's talking like that.
Dak Hamee: When Starfire has her moments it's always funny, especially when Raven gets owned, finally somebody points out that all the victims r similar to raven, in looks and past, that point was never mentioned last time around and it was slightly annoying
I like Starfire's moments. Especially if it involves getting one on Rae xD I am rewriting it for several reasons haha, that being one of them.
Deathnoteuser: Haha, comic Kori is definitely more appealing than Starfire is. I thought that bodies didn't bleed once the heart stopped beating since the blood isn't circulating. If she was found on her back, then the blood should have accumulated in her front, and I suppose that bleeding could have occurred like that. Domestic abuse... Interesting theory Robin. Guess the Bat did teach you something after all. Raven is way too stubborn. Hopefully a certain bad luck charm will be able to talk some sense into her. If this is going in the same direction as your original story, Raven's gonna hate that she was wrong.
Bodies still bleed when they're cut into because there will usually still be some blood that's settled into the vein/artery/capillary you've cut into, but after a certain amount of time, it will clot. So it won't be enough to squirt the poor Forensic Pathologist in the face, but enough to get his gloves dirty. Gravity will pull the blood to settle at whatever's classed as the 'bottom' of the body, often causing capillaries to burst, thus causing bruising. In our first's vic's case, that would be the back of her body, since she was found on her back. It is an interesting Theory Robin has. And you're right, it might do Raven some good to listen to Robin this time.
Why881992883840002882818839: Your story "Clandestine" is my favorite, actually I think I'm going to go retread it now, but this is certainly a good one and the update rate on all your stories is phenomenal. You have been making significant improvements to the story, which makes me wonder; are you planning on making any large changes to the plot? Or will you still keep things basically the same? If you have already told us please forgive me, my memory for most things isn't great.
I think Clandestine is one of my favourites too. As for how many changes I'm going to make to this… original, I wasn't going to make THAT many, but recently I've been thinking I'm definitely going to be changing some details about the Shadow (or, technically ADDING detail he was very much missing) which will, in its course, change the plot that little bit. The simple answer, no, I won't be keeping it the same.
Discb: Yummy dead bodies.
Soemtimes helpful, but not the most attractive things to look at haha.
Spikesagitta: Nah, she definitely being targeted. I mean, that should be the obvious connection. Raven might know so, but she just refuse to acknowledge that, so it won't be true.
If you don't acknowledge it, it can't be true. If you don't look, it can't be there. If only that were true, huh.
Starfire and Beast Boy had joined Cyborg in the common room by the time Raven and Robin had made their way back to the Tower, Cyborg still typing away on the computer's keyboard while Beast Boy watched over the robotic teen's shoulder. Starfire had her head buried in one of the books, but looked up as the two titans entered the room.
"Cyborg informed us you had gone to see the body of the first victim. Please, did you find anything useful?"
"Nothing to confirm if she was killed by a sort of magic, but I did notice something… odd about the body." She moved to join Cyborg and Beast Boy at the computer. "Have you found anything?"
He shook his head. "Gotham isn't the only city with a high monthly rate of murders, missing people, and accidental deaths. Trying to single out a particular town or cit… it's gonna be impossible."
Starfire looked at Robin for an answer to the question Raven had only half answered, and Robin told her, "The blood in the girl's body had failed to settle after her death. Raven thinks it might point towards Blood Magic."
"So, more books?" Beast Boy asked unhappily, but Raven shook her head.
"Not this time. It's one of the few subjects I don't have books on. I do, however, know someone who should be able to answer my questions."
"One of your… acquaintances?" Robin asked unhappily, saying before she could reply, "When you've organised to meet them, tell me, and I'll accompany you."
"I can't guarantee they'll talk with you there." Raven told him, somewhat impatiently.
"They talk to you."
"Because I found them. Because I've got as much to hide as they have."
"I'm coming with you. If they don't talk, I'll wait outside."
"They could view me bringing you as some sort of threat." She argued. "I don't think-"
The klaxons sounded, cutting Raven short and warning the team of an emergency. The main computer minimised the webpages Cyborg had open, before opening a GPS map of Jump City, a red blip over the area the alarm had been triggered. A short diagnostic popped up next, informing the team the alarm had been set off from the bank on Main Street, followed by a video feed of the bank. That was a new system, and Cyborg had only installed them in a handful of locations so far. This one showed the H.I.V.E Five entering the bank, Jinx and Gizmo staying in the lobby while Mammoth moved towards the back of the room. The security guard tried to fire his gun at the giant, but it didn't fire, and the man threw the gun aside, grabbing for his backup. The titans saw this one fizz with pink static and knew the thief had somehow broken it before the man even tried to fire.
"The H.I.V.E Five." Robin said, relief in his voice as visions of shadows and lifeless women left his mind. "Beast Boy, you and Starfire deal with Mammoth. Raven, Cyborg, you two get Gizmo. I'll deal with Jinx."
Raven had to fight to keep her stoic mask as relief flooded through her. While she liked to think she'd still be able to fight against Jinx just as she would another super villain, she didn't want to test it. Robin would instantly notice is she started holding back, or pulling her attacks up short. Robin moved to leave the common room and everyone followed, the T-Car their first destination.
The titans arrived within minutes, but an array of cop cars and reporters had made it there before them. Robin cursed and quickly left the car the moment it came to a stop, marching over and asking after whoever was in charge. Raven moved to join him, her eyes on the five cops aiming at the front of the bank with their guns, taking cover behind their patrol cars, waiting for a clear shot. Raven wanted to go up to them and disarm them one by one, to break their guns into dozens of pieces. Instead she did her best to ignore them and tried to forget it was Jinx inside the building.
"…Know how we dislike having police on and around the scene when it involves a criminal or meta-origin or anything not strictly human. We can't fight them and watch out for your safety." She heard Robin say, his voice louder than usual and sounding agitated. "Please, send you men away, and take the damned reporters with you."
"A woman called in a bank robbery. We just responded." A man in uniform shrugged. "They didn't say who was robbing the bank."
"Well I'm telling you it's a group of meta-humans who call themselves the H.I.V.E Five." Robin motioned towards the cops spread out across the road. "So call your men back."
The cop hesitated, before doing as the Titan told him, calling back his men on his radio, before telling Robin, "Myself and one of the vans will remain here for when you've captured them.
Robin nodded before waving his team forward. Cyborg and Beast Boy headed for the front entrance while Raven, Starfire and Robin grouped together, the empath teleporting them inside the bank. The H.I.V.E didn't see the three titans appear behind them, entirely focused on Cyborg and Beast Boy as the broke through the front door. Starfire didn't waste any time, quickly taking to the air and flying towards the back of the room towards the main vault situated in one of the back rooms where they'd seen Mammoth go on the camera. Robin was the next to act, pulling out his boa staff as e sprinted forward and swung it at the bottom of Jinx's legs, knocking her over. Startled, Gizmo yelled and turned around to see Raven.
He activated his energy guns and fired, but Raven easily blocked the attack with one of her shields. She saw the blue beam before Gizmo did, Cyborg's attack sending the small villain flying across the bank lobby and into one of the walls. The empath watched Beast Boy run past her to find and help Starfire with Mammoth before flying up to Gizmo, blocking some sort of gadget he threw at Cyborg. A large bang vibrated through the floor, letting them know the changeling and Starfire had Mammoth covered. Raven wasn't sure about Robin's own success, however, seeing flurries of pink hexes out of the corner of her eye. The meta-human struggled to use her hexes in close quarters without risking damaging herself, which meant Robin had gone on the defensive.
Speaking tactically, Cyborg was perhaps one of the best suited to fight all three members of the H.I.V.E. Against Jinx, he had his sonic cannon for ranged attacks, and enough strength to overpower her during hand to hand combat. His strength almost rivalled Mammoth, but what gave him his edge over the giant was his speed, being much nimbler than the criminal, and who else would better understand Gizmo's gadgets but Cyborg? After his time undercover at H.I.V.E Academy, though, Cyborg had asked Robin not to be put against the hex-caster. He'd told Robin it was because he had a more personal vendetta against Gizmo, and Robin took it at face value. Raven and Bumble Bee – a fellow hero situated at Titans East – seemed to be the only two aware of the crush Cyborg had for Jinx.
Since the Robin usually pitted Raven against the meta-human, and it wasn't too bad a pairing. Raven, like Jinx, was best at using ranged attacks, but she had enough skill at hand to hand combat to be able to keep the hex-caster at bay and to, occasionally, overpower her. So long as Jinx could keep the leader of the titans at bay and destroy any gadgets he threw her way Jinx had the definite advantage. Raven couldn't quite understand why Robin hadn't chosen herself or Starfire to fight the leader of the H.I.V.E Five.
She didn't see the small rocket Gizmo sent her way, too busy watching Robin and Jinx. It hit her side and exploded upon impact, throwing her back and releasing a forest of flames that crawled across her skin. Something hit her in the middle of her back, halting her flight and interrupting the burning pain spread across her side between her bottom rib and her hip. She saw Cyborg run towards her, almost looking panicked, but when she glanced down, her leotard seemed to have taken more damage than her skin. The black material, made from a thin Kevlar, had burnt away where the small rocket had hit her, the edges still flaming, which she quickly patted out, the hole revealing baby pink skin that was tender to the touch, but otherwise undamaged. Her eyes met Cyborg's and she knew they were both asking the same questions.
'Since when have I been fire-proof?'
They heard Gizmo curse, having seen Raven's 'wound' himself, and watched the empath rise to her feet, glancing behind her to find the main reception desk that had stopped her flight. Eyes going back to Gizmo, she saw him launch another rocket at her, blocking this one with her shield. Cyborg hit the villain with another blast from his sonic cannon while Gizmo had his attention on Raven, saving his own questions he wanted to ask the empath for later.
Raven acted quickly, her dark energy surrounding the small villain's pack of gadgets as he hit the ground, and ripped it from his back before crushing the metal into a small ball and throwing it aside. Gizmo yelled out in complaint, throwing dozens of childish insults at the titan while Cyborg moved forward and grabbed the back of the villain's green jumpsuit, lifting him into the air so he didn't have to stoop to cuff his wrists.
"I'll go and help Star and BB bring down Mammoth." He told Raven, dropping Gizmo. "You help Rob with Jinx.
Raven nodded, despite cringing internally, and turned around. She saw she'd been right, Jinx keeping Robin at a distance with her hexes, any gadget Robin threw crackling with pink static and landing harmlessly at her feet. As she watched some sort of disk malfunctioned moments after Robin and thrown it, exploding in the air right next to him, the blast sending Robin stumbling back.
Raven quickly scoped the room for something to throw at the girl, ending up with a computer in the grasp of her soul self. She flung it at Jinx, and the meta human only just saw it, jumping to the side and watching it pass her before her eyes went back to Raven. Looking at Robin, still recovering from the blast, she suddenly ran forward, past the two titans and towards the back of the bank.
"I've got her!" She told Robin as she ran past, round the back desk and towards the main vault, Jinx only just managing to stay out of her sight.
She heard the door open and assumed Jinx was trying to escape via the back door. Raven sprinted past Mammoth and her two teammates, hearing the start of Starfire's sentence as she began to ask Raven if she needed help before she was out the door, out of hearing range, and quickly gaining on the meta-human.
Jinx looked behind her, her eyes widening slightly when she saw the quickly advancing titan, deciding the empath didn't look all that happy, and that she really didn't want her to catch up. She wove her way through the alleyways, choosing what she thought was the right path back to Main Street. Soon enough her luck ran out and Jinx found herself being backed up against a dead end.
She forced herself to smile, weary of Raven's expression. "Fancy seeing you here."
Away from everyone, Raven let herself get angry. "What on earth were you thinking? Targeting a bank in broad daylight? There were cops outside waiting for a clear shot at you!"
"Really? I'm flattered. I had no idea we were so important."
"This isn't funny, Jinx."
She shrugged, her eyes dropping to find the large hole in the Titan's leotard, saying with a smirk, "Nice alteration to your costume."
"You can thank your teammate for that. He hit me with one of his small rockets."
The smile slipped off her face to be replaces with shock. "What?" She moved forward and touched the pink skin showing with tentative fingers, pulling back when Raven winced. "Shit girl, how resilient are you?"
She shook her head, ignoring the question. "What on earth possessed you to rob a bank in the middle of the day?"
"That's none of your-"
Jinx stopped, having heard something hit the ground, followed by a metallic clash of a trashcan tipping over.
"Buusted." Jinx whispered, grinning.
Raven ignored her – she couldn't sense anyone near them though opted not to inform Jinx that – and made her way out of the dead end and towards the area the sound had come from. Going to the turn off before the one Jinx had run down, Raven found another dead end, a metal door set into one of the wall, next to a line of trashcans heading away from the empath, the last two on their sides, their content spread out across the alley.
She started down it, her hands raised and glowing with a black light, worried she was going to encounter the Shadow. What she found was worse.
Growing impatient, Jinx moved to the mouth of the alley, instantly spotting Raven, when searching the alley for a sign of the other titans, only then noticing it was a dead end.
"Great, it wasn't your friends. What are you staring at?"
Raven didn't answer as her eyes went to the top of the walls, expecting to see the Shadow looking down at her. She didn't notice Jinx moving towards her, didn't realise the meta-human was beside her until she heard Jinx's gasp. The thief quickly stumbled backwards, tripping over one of the trashcans, Raven quickly grabbing the girl's arm and keeping Jinx on her feet. While the meta-human couldn't exactly get any paler, her cheeks – usually hinting at pink – were drained of colour and her breathing coming too fast.
"Calm down, before you make yourself sick."
"Calm down?!" Her wide eyes fixed on Raven. "There's a body three feet in front of us, and you want me to calm down?!" She saw Raven's eyes go to the edge of the buildings above them. "What are you looking for?"
"That bang… she was dropped here, and I think I know dropped her."
"Oh, hell no!" Breaking the grip the empath had on her arm Jinx quickly backed up, reminding Raven that while Jinx had no issues with breaking most laws and dishing out injuries, that's all she was – a thief. "What are you waiting for? We need to get out of here, now, before whoever killed her gets us!"
"I need to call the titans over." Raven disagreed, but followed Jinx back out into the main alley. She could feel waves of distress pouring off the meta-human and found she wanted to comfort her, growing frustrated when she realised she didn't know how. "You really will make yourself sick if you don't slow your breathing down."
Jinx's eyes dropped to the floor as she wrapped her arms around herself. "It's not fair. I'm the bad guy – how come you get to act like it's nothing while I…"
"You're upset. It's understandable, Jinx."
"She kinda looks like you."Jinx barely even whispered, too quiet for Raven to make out her words.
"What?"
"I said she…" Her eyes flickered back to the alley then down to the ground again. "…She kinda looks like you." Her pink eyes found Raven's face. "That can't be a consequence. Rae, what if he's-"
"He is not targeting me!" Raven interrupted, louder than necessary. "Get out of here. I'm going to call my teammates over."
She grabbed her communicator, and when Jinx still hadn't moved, she snapped.
"Do you want to be caught or not?"