Cameron slams away at a punching bag. She grits her teeth and lays on the power until the chain holding the bag breaks and the bag itself slams into the wall. She breaths heavy, sweat pouring down her face. The thought of Slade words not leaving her mind. "Remember what you've learned here tonight." She grabs her gym bag and heads out back to her dorm. Mod watching her from the door way. She glances at him from the corner of her eye.
In Mod's office. "What the bloody hell is wrong with you!" He screams at Blood.
"I assure you it's not a problem." Blood smirks with absolute smugness. He sits relaxed in the office chair while Mod stands behind his desk, slamming his cane on the ground to emphasize points.
"You knew damn well that little bitch is fucked in the head, and YOU go about making her your fucking dog!"
"Quit pretending you don't see it. Her potential. You realize what kind of asset she could be."
"I do. But unlike you, I remember the last time a subject had potential. You know as well as I do how that turned out." Mod sits down in his chair. Blood rests his chin in his hand.
"She's different. I assure you."
"She's dangerous." Mod says leaning onto the desk.
"Yes. That's what makes he so useful. Her complete disregard for anything and anyone except herself." Blood leans in close. "As long as she thinks shes acting in her own best interest, it won't be a problem for us."
"And what happens when your gone and dead and your dog runs wild."
"I doubt you'll be around long enough to see it. You're closer to death than I am."
"All our heads are on the chopping block. I plan to leave the world in good hands." Mod sits back in his chair. "And here you come, fucking my good intentions."
"Good, is a matter of perspective old friend."
The next morning Jinx awakens to the sound of vomiting in their bathroom. After a minute of returning to consciousness she realizes that Raven is in the bathroom. She laughs to herself slightly. It really was Ravens first party. Jinx hops up out of bed as much as anyone with a hangover can hop. She still feels delirious from the night before. She looks over at the clock and realizes that it's only been 2 hours since they got home. She also realizes that she's fully dressed. Besides her shoes anyway. She wobbles over to the bathroom and finds Raven on all fours, face buried in the toilet bowl. "Having fun?" Jinx asks groggly. Raven moans at her between panting and spitting in the bowl. Jinx' barely open eyes catch the sight of Raven hair with wet and messy split ends. Jinx grabs one of her hair ties from the vanity and pulls Ravens hair back behind her head.
"Here." She says to Raven. Slowly, Raven slumps over almost into a fetal position. Jinx carefully sits herself on the ground. She stares at Raven through her own haze. It's all wearing off but not enough time has passed for her to be at all sober. She has trouble organizing her thoughts together. She has things that she'd like to ask. Raven is too far gone at this point to answer anyway.
She hears the door slide open. She looks up behind herself and sees Garfeild standing the doorway. "What's going on?" He asks clearly having just awoken from sleep.
"Her first party...and what the hell are you doing here, beefcake?" She states, looking him up and down in all his shirtless glory.
"I was on my way back from Terra's room and I thought I heard Raven making some strange noises."
"She was...But I think she's done now." Jinx Slurs. Garfield walks in the bathroom and begins to pick up Raven. Barely conscious she instinctively wraps her arm around his neck as he picks her up. He carries her over to her bed. He sits down and Raven passes out in his lap. Jinx flops backwards onto her bed, patiently awaiting him to leave so she can get back to her super important beauty rest. Her eye rolls down to the site of Raven halfway curled up on Garfields lap.
"I figured little miss moody as someone who got fucked up all the time." She states
"You clearly don't know Raven." He replies. Somewhat amused
"Guess not. It's not my fault she never fucking says anything. She's so fucking like...stubborn and shit..."
"Yeah. She's always like that. I don't get it either." He says. His attention focuses back down to Raven who's completely out cold. He places a hand on her upper arm and rubs up and down from her shoulder to her elbow. "How'd you guys get home?"
"Victor carried her out to his car. She almost blew chunks and he was freaking out the whole ride. I swear he loves that car more than me." She says. Garfield chuckles to himself slightly. He continues rubbing her shoulder gently. He himself is about to fall asleep. He doesn' want to leave her side. This is as close as he's ever been to Raven. She'll never remember it, of course its probably better that way. A snore from Jinx catches his attention. He takes that as his que to leave and careful rolls Raven onto the bed while getting up.
Garfield gets to his room to find Victor splayed out on the couch snoring. The light from the TV flickering through the room. Garfield curls up in his bed and quickly falling asleep while replaying memories of tonight. Being with Tara and being closer to anyone than he ever has before. Being closer to Raven than he ever has. And now he's with a roommate and a best friend he never would've imagined.
The next morning a loud knock pulls Raven out of her sleep. Her body remains heavy while her skull hammers in pain. The taste of vomit still in her throat. She lurches up and takes note of the room. Jinx flopped over on her back snoring louder than a motorcycle. Raven realises they are both fully dressed. She doesn't even remember getting back to the room. Another knock reminds her of why she woke up in the first place. She hobbles to the door, realizing that her crotch is sore. It slides open partly, she peers out with one bloodshot eye. "What?..." she questions without realizing that it is a Hive staff member at the door. Her eye widens when she spots the uniform.
"You're required in Room 407 in 15 minutes Ms. Roth." He says without even acknowledging her tone. Her eyes follow him as he walks away. She's never been required to report to any special room on a saturday. It is a saturday right? She makes her way into the bathroom. She flips on the light and sees herself in the mirror. She looks like a zombie. And she has her hair up. She lets it down to find the ends of the strands dried and crusty. She doesn't have time for a shower so she splashes water on hair face and rinses out the ends of her. She gargles some mouthwash to get rid of the awful taste in her mouth. It helps, but it doesn't remove the dryness. She sits back down on the bed, wanting so desperately to curl up and sleep. But she can't.
She slips on her boots from the night before. One of the pairs bought at the mall. Knee high thick soled combat boots. Perfect for curb stomping people's faces. She laces them up, grabs her phone and heads down the hallway leaving Jinx in the room asleep and unaware. She notices Garfeild up ahead. She walks slow to avoid any conversation with him. She doesn't want to talk with anyone. Just then a hand rests on her shoulder. She looks to see it's just Victor.
"How you feeling?" He asks.
"Like ass..." She replies quietly, not wanting Garfield to hear her. Victor has no reply, just a subtle chuckles to himself. She isn't able to focus her mind enough to peek into his head and see what he's thinking. But she is able to feel that he's relieved. Strange that this guy who she always saw as a big dumb jock is just about the nicest guy on the planet.
"You heading to 407?" He asks.
"Yeah. I don't know why." She replies.
"I don't either. I can't even guess what it's about." they make it to the room. It's this moment that Garfield notices Raven.
"Hey Raven, how was-" He begins
"Not Now." Raven cuts him off without eye contact and makes her way to a desk in the class room. The expression on Garfields face reads 'what gives?' The room is simply a classroom. Slade stands like an omnipresence looming over them. In front of him is a projector pointed at the whiteboard behind him, not turned on. Behind a teachers desk sits Mod. On the opposite side of Slade stands Blood.
As the last of them enter the room an armed troop shuts and locks the door. He pulls down a shade to block any prying eyes. All the teens sit nervously. Half of them nursing a hangover.
"The time has come to see if all your hard work will payoff." Slade begins. He nods his head at the troop in the back of the room. He kills the lights. Slade fire up the projector. As it warms up he continues. "But first, we'll answer a question all of you have had since you first got here." The projector fires an image of the words 'The Titan Initiative Phase 2' on the board. "What is the Titan Initiative? It's been on your minds whether you realize it or not." His eye scans the students. "The short version is, it's a military funded program the specializes in the development of enhanced soldiers. The program was started by Mod, Blood, and Myself. We all fought different battles in the same war. We sustained various injuries, and watched our friends die." His eye looks at Raven upon he word friends. " We all asked the same question. Was it possible to give people something to help them fight harder, last longer, and make it out alive. Supersoldiers is the term hollywood uses for it. But for us it wasn't a movie, or a book, or a cartoon." He motions to Mod who hobbles up out the chair. You can almost hear his bones crack as he positions his weight on his cane.
"Your parents we're all volunteers." He clicks a remote and the slide changes to an image of a scientist in a full body protective suit and gear holding a test tube and dropper. "We developed a serum that tapped into human potential. A nasty urban legend has been circulating for a long time about humans only using 10% of their brain. In reality it's much closer to 25% at rest. When injected with the serum, subjects nervous system and brain activity all increased. Neurons fired at more intense rates than natural. It's similar to how many SSRI drugs work only it affects broader range of nerve activity. Effects varied from person to person, some people experienced increase in physical ability. Others it was mental."
He clicks the remote again and it's replaced by a picture of a doctor holding a newborn. "Then comes you lot. Phase 2. The chemicals that lied dormant in your parents were passed on to you all, in a similar fashion to the way nutrients or drug abuse gets passed on via the umbilical cord. You all were never given the formula because you were born with it inside of you. A few of lied dormant." He looks at Garfield. "Others have been quite aware of it for sometime." He looks at Raven.
Blood steps forward to speak. "And we brought you all here one way or another to train you and hone your abilities. Now it's time to test them out. So we've chosen a few of you for a very special mission. Robin, Cyborg, Beast, Raven, Starfire, Speedy, Bee. All of you will be sent here" He motions to the new slide of a satellite view. "We've found a man in South Africa, a leader of a group of mercenaries who are responsible for the death of over 100 American troops. Many of which were friends of your families."
The teen all look around each other in confusion. Garfield and Raven look at each other in confusion. "You can't make us do that." Garfield protests.
"And how do you figure? Everyone of you in here is more government property than citizens." He hobbles over to Garfield and get in his face. Garfield wears a scowl. "We made you lot. Every one of you. A lot of people have paid money for you to be here. And those people want to see some results."
"Who says any of us are going to fight?" Robin stands up.
"None of you realize how little choice in all of this you actually have." Slade interrupts. "Neither do we. Too many gears are turning to stop now." Slade and Robin stare at one another. "You don't think we would send you in un-prepared or un-protected do you?" Slade motions to the door. The troop opens it and six men enter the room. "All of these troops are navy seals. They are going on the operation. You all will be shadowing them, following their every word. They will keep you safe, or they don't get to come back home."
A few nights later at a local billiard room, Arella walks through the place carrying a tray of pitchers on her shoulder. The cigarette smoke fills the air. The sounds of clacking pools balls and loud music over the PA echo off the walls. She makes smiles and small talk as she passes through to the group of guys who ordered the pitchers.
"Alright boys, anything else I can get you?" She says with a smile she's learned to make genuine over the years.
"I think we're good." One of them replies. The rest nod in agreement. She feels a tap on her shoulder. She turns to find and old friend.
"Scott!" She hugs him quick. He's a few years older than here. Both of them showing age in their weathered faces. In all the years since she's seen him, he hasn't lost his hard edge. Or his chin she's always adored so much. He grins at her appearance as it is now. One of the most skilled warriors he ever met working as a shift lead in a dingy pool hall. Her dark hair that normally flows straight to her shoulder blades is tied up in a bun on her head. She carries herself as a mature woman with experience. With all that she's been through, she should.
"What are you doing here?" She asks.
He sips his beer. "Schooling some younglings. And I have some news for you. Can't say it here."
Her face doesn't shift in appearance. Though she doesn't have to. "My shift ends at 2:30"
"You'll find me." Is all that he says and turns back to his game.
After her work is done Arella finds Scott's car in the parking lot. He sits inside waiting. She opens the passenger door and gets in. She pulls out a cigarette.
"Please smoke in..." The flick of her lighter shuts him up. She take a hurried puff and rests her hand on her fingers without looking at him.
"What do you need to tell me?" She asks. Given her body language she already knows, she just wants him to tell her something else. Anything else.
"Raven has been given her first assignment." Arella inhales hard through her nose in anger.
"That lying mother fucker. This was never supposed to happen. " She takes another drag an bites her lip in frustration.
"I'm only telling you this because I'll be going with her."
"Why?"
"So I can keep her safe."
"Not that. I know why you're going I just... I just wish that for once I didn't have to worry. I've spent years worrying that none of this would catch up to her, and it does. Then I'm promised that she'll be safe there and now she being shipped off to be shot at. She never needed to know."
"She doesn't know. She doesn't know anything about her father. She doesn't know anything about the things he did. Or what any of us did. As far as she knows you never saw combat. I'm telling you, she doesn't know."
"Fine... Just..."
"I don't want to make a promise you're scared I won't be able to keep. But I will."
"Unlike almost anyone else out there, I trust you."
"I thought you trust Slade to after everything he's done for you."
"I've never trusted him. I just never had much choice."