Turning Point 1
For Karai, who gave me the inspiration.
"See-More?" Kyd asked tentatively.
See-More was in the kitchen trying to make something partially edible out of the half-decayed food that was in the fridge. The rest of the team was watching a wrestling match and had the volume raised as high as it could go. To work out the right combinations to make sure no one got food poisoning above all the noise required extreme concentration. He was concentrating so much, he didn't even notice Kyd was on the other side of the counter until he spoke. He seemed extremely nervous.
"Yeah Kyd? What is it?" See-More asked.
"Could I-uh- talk to you for a minute? Alone?"
See-More pulled Kyd into a corner, checking to be sure the rest of the team was still watching the wrestling match. They were.
"Go." See-more said.
Kyd took a deep breath. "Well, I have this friend. We've been friends for a while and there's something very important I want to tell said friend."
"Then say it." See-More said.
"It's not that simple See. My friend is a little on the crazy side."
"Then say it behind Plexiglass."
Kyd shook his head. "No good."
"How about a couple inches of diamond reinforced titanium?"
"That'd just make the situation worse!"
"Okay, fine. A text message."
Kyd looked at See-More in horror. "What? Are you serious See-More? She'll kill me!"
Suddenly the entire room fell silent. Billy Numerous, Gizmo and Mammoth had turned off the TV and were looking at Kyd mischievously. See-more's eye widened.
"She?" he asked with a growing grin.
Kyd almost slapped himself. He had been trying to avoid this.
The acute silence was shattered when the entire team burst out laughing.
"He has a girlfriend!" Mammoth said between laughs.
"I wonder what poor girl has the rotten luck of being this snot-moocher's girlfriend." Gizmo sneered.
"Maybe it's the dame from the portrait he drew a couple months back." Billy offered.
"Ha!" Gizmo barked. "His girlfriend's a portrait!"
Kyd blushed furiously and See-more cleared his throat.
"C'mon guys. The girl's not Kyd's girlfriend yet. He needs our help to give him the right push out of the friend zone. Isn't that right Kyd?" he said.
"No!" Kyd said shaking his head firmly. "I don't-"
"You see guys! He's going back into denial!" See-More exclaimed. "We have to be fast!"
At that, See-More and the rest of the team forcibly rushed Kyd into his room.
/
"There. I don't think there's anything more we can do for him." Mammoth said,
"Listen guys, I appreciate the effort… but you've got the wrong idea!" Kyd whined.
Kyd was dressed as Elliot, at See-More's suggestion. See had also given Kyd a giant stuffed white bear that was covered in glittering red hearts that reached his shoulders. Billy Numerous had added his own special touch by spray Kyd with a strong, albeit pleasant smelling, cologne that made his eyes water. Mammoth had for some reason giving him a small knife with a delicately engraved handle in case things got 'frisky'. Gizmo was saving his contribution for the last minute.
Kyd was immensely touched by his friend's gestures, even though they misunderstood the entire situation.
"Gizmo! Hurry up! He's going into denial again!" Mammoth hollered.
"Why the heck are you yelling you idiot?! I never left the room!" Gizmo shouted.
"Well, what did you get Kyd?" See-More asked.
"Something better than all the crud you morons gave to him combined." Gizmo bragged. "Everyone knows there's only one way to a woman's heart. That's-"
"Care and compassion?" See-More suggested.
"Of course not See. Everyone knows chicks dig muscles." Mammoth said flexing for emphasis.
"You're both wrong. Its crude jokes!" Billy exclaimed.
A vein in Gizmo's head throbbed. "No you overgrown imbeciles. Its shiny things! Chicks dig shiny things!" he shouted jumping in fury.
"What? We're talking about girls here Gizmo. Not crows or ravens." See-More.
Kyd blushed slightly at that. Thankfully, the rest were too preoccupied to notice.
"Shut up and bask in the awesomeness of….the O-phone 7!" Gizmo exclaimed proudly.
He whipped a sleek, incredibly thin touch screen phone out of his pocket and held it proudly above his head. The whole team crowded around him except Kyd, who gawked at a distance.
"The O-phone 7?! How did you get this? The O-phone 6 just came out last month!" See-more said.
"Who do you think designs the O-phones? Those idiots at the Orange Corporation can't even sign their names." Gizmo said proudly. He walked over to Kyd and gave him the phone.
"Thanks guys. But this is all a bit…much. She really just appreciates the little things."
"Then she'll love you for this." Billy said.
"Yeah Kyd, now you've totally got her in the bag." See-More said.
"Yeah but-"
"Go get her tiger." Mammoth said,
"Don't muck it up!" Gizmo added.
Kyd sighed silently in exasperation. Nothing he could say could change their mentality,
"Thanks guys." He said with a fake smile. "Wish me luck."
With a rush of black energy, he was gone.
/
"Friend Raven? I am sorry to disturb you during your literature hour, especially since you strictly forbade it, but I have a problem I'd like to address."
Raven looked up from her book into Starfire's worried green eyes. It must have been something very important for Star to disturb her. If anyone obeyed her literature hour it was Star. Then again…it was a good book.
"Go ask Robin Star. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to solve any problems you might have." Raven said.
Starfire grew nervous. "But friend Raven, the problem…is with you."
Raven snapped her book shut and stood up from her seat.
"Maybe we should go to my room."
/
"Why don't you sit down, Star?"
Raven was seated on her bed and was watching Starfire. She had refused a seat, opting instead to pace in front of Raven frantically. She looked very distraught, which concerned Raven.
"I hope you remember the time you were locked in the tower? With the villain Wykkyd?" Starfire asked.
"Yes, what about it?" Raven asked. She wondered what Star was getting at. She couldn't possibly had seen anything. The security system, cameras included were offline at the time.
"Well, this friend Raven." Starfire said, handing her the communicator. Raven flipped it opened and soon found herself staring directly at a picture of her and a shirtless Kyd sleeping together. Her eyes widened and she blushed. She never realized how intimate the position was since Kyd was gone by the time she woke up. She calmly closed the communicator and placed it on her bed. Starfire was wringing her hands in worry.
"I have no idea what to make of the situation. I had myself convinced that perhaps I had misunderstood. But the more I think about it and the more I look at that picture, the more I doubt." Starfire ranted. She stopped pacing and looked at Raven with sad green eyes. "Is there something intimate going on between you two?" She asked.
Raven shook her head vehemently. "No! Nothing's between us. We're just friends" She insisted.
"Friends? How can you be friends with an enemy?" Starfire asked slightly confused.
"He's not exactly an enemy, Star. He's-" Raven hesitated. She didn't know how to describe Kyd.
"I do not understand. Is it that you take the phrase 'keep your friends close, and you're enemies closer' literally?" Starfire asked.
"No Starfire. You see, what happened was-" Raven was cut off by a rush of wind and a flash of black.
"Hey Raven, can I talk to you for a-" Kyd stopped when he locked eyes with Starfire.
He could feel Raven wishing death on him.
He smiled weakly at Starfire.
Starfire screeched and shot several starbolts at Kyd, who dodged them swiftly.
Almost instantly, there was a pounding on Raven's door.
"Raven! Open up!"
It was Robin.
Starfire instantly became still and just gaped at Kyd, who couldn't meet her gaze. Raven sent glares at both of them, warning them silently to be still, and walked calmly to the door. She allowed it to slide open just a crack, just enough for one violet eye to peek through.
"Yes?" she asked Robin calmly.
Robin, who was frantic, was caught off guard by her demeanor and forced himself to calm down.
"I heard Starfire scream." He said.
"Yes." Raven answered.
"Is she okay?" Robin asked.
"Yes."
"But she screamed."
"Yes."
"I heard explosions."
"Yes."
"Did she fire starbolts?"
"Yes."
Robin was puzzled. "So she screamed, but she's okay?"
"Yes."
At that, Robin tried to see past Raven into her room but couldn't see far in.
"Okay. Well, bye." Robin said.
Raven shut the door abruptly in his face and marched furiously up to Kyd, gave him a sound slap on the back of his head and glared at him.
"How many times do I have to tell you to warn me if you're coming over?!" She snarled.
Kyd rubbed the back of his head, grateful he had made the decision to change back into his uniform and ditch the gifts his teammate gave him. He had a feeling it would have made th situation worse.
"I'm sorry Raven. I forgot."
"You forgot? You forgot!? Look at what you've caused!" Raven exclaimed gesturing to Starfire, who was no longer scared but was now observing them with curiosity.
"Friend Raven? Perhaps the three of us can thrash this out? I am finding it harder to resist the urge to strike him." Starfire said.
At that, Kyd took shelter behind Raven.
Raven sighed. "Fine. I'll tell you everything. You might want to sit down."
Raven and Starfire sat on Raven's bed, facing each other. Kyd leaned against the wall a safe distance away from Starfire. Raven spent twenty minutes summing up how she and Kyd became friends, what happened during their lockdown and all the misadventures that happened in between. When she had finished, Starfire was silent for a long time. For a moment Raven was apprehensive. If Starfire didn't accept Kyd, she would surely tell Robin. Raven didn't want to think of what would happen to both of them after that. To her surprise, Star squealed and flew at Kyd, enveloping him in a bone-crushing hug.
"Where are you from? How old are you? What is your favorite color? Would you like to be my friend?" she asked in rapid succession.
Kyd teleported out of her grasp and appeared on the other side of the room. He thought for a moment. "Far away. Sixteen. Any except yellow and sure."
Starfire gasped. "I heard his voice in my head!"
Raven smiled slightly. "He does that." She said. "Remember Star. Kyd is a secret friend. No one can know about him. Not even Robin."
Starfire clapped her hands together. "How thrilling! A secret friend! Do not worry friends Raven and Kyd Wykkyd. I shall tell no one."
Kyd smiled awkwardly. Raven looked satisfied.
"Okay. Now that that's settled, why are you here Kyd?" Raven asked.
"Now you guys might want to sit for this."
Starfire sat next to Raven on her bed and Kyd started pacing in front of them much like Starfire was earlier.
"Raven, we've been friends for a very long time and I know I can trust you with what I'm about to say." He said.
He stopped pacing abruptly and looked Raven straight in the eye. He took a deep breath.
"I want to be a hero."
Raven's eyes became as wide as saucers and her mouth fell open slightly. Starfire gasped and her hands flew to her mouth.
Kyd did not lose face. "Before you even ask, I am sure of this. Yes, I have weighed the pros and cons. I know the sacrifices I have to make, things I have to let go. I know what I'm losing by choosing this. I'm losing my identity, my friends, my life. And I'm prepared to do it. There's only one thing I'm not sure of."
"What's that?" Raven asked, barely above a whisper.
"Will you help me?"
Raven exhaled. "Wow. That's a lot to take in. Since you seem so sure of this, what friend would I be if I didn't help you?"
"Wait. So you will?"
"Of course I will." Raven answered.
"As shall I, new friend Wykkyd." Starfire said.
Kyd beamed at them. They knew more that he did what someone, whether hero or villain, would do to them if they were found out. He wouldn't be as lucky as Jinx.
"Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me. I do have one more request though." Kyd whipped off his mask and ruffled his jet black hair. "Please call me Elliot. Kyd Wykkyd was a villain. Elliot wants to be a hero."
Raven smiled. "Alright Elliot. You will be a hero."
Starfire gasped. "You are the one who destroyed half of the down of town!" she exclaimed.
"Not to mention managed to seriously annoy Robin without breaking a sweat. Nice going on that one." Raven said with a smirk.
Elliot smiled sheepishly. "Yeah. It's amazing what people can do on a sugar high."
"Now Elliot, you do realize this is serious." Raven said, changing the mood on a dime. "The villains can't find out before it's too soon, they'll destroy you. I don't think they took Jinx's betrayal well."
"They didn't."
Raven nodded. "Right. Then we'll have to be extra careful until you make the transition. Don't change the way you act towards them. Don't be too nice or too-"
"I believe he has had enough instruction friend Raven." Starfire said interrupting. "Now he must return to his home and rejoice for he has made a good decision."
Raven was surprised Star had interrupted her. She hardly ever does that.
"Well, you heard the girl. Get out of here and go celebrate." Raven said.
Elliot turned his amber gaze at them one last time and smiled.
In a flash of black he was gone.
/
Starfire and Raven were greeted by the sight of the Titan boys crowding around a box in the living room.
"What's this?" Raven asked.
"We should be asking you. It's got your name on it." Cyborg said.
"It does?" Raven asked crowding with them.
It was rectangular and stood up to Raven's shoulder. With a snap of her fingers the box burst open and its contents spilled out. Starfire went straight for the giant stuffed bear. Cyborg and Beast Boy went for a device Raven didn't notice. She wasn't paying much attention to them. There was one thing at the bottom. A rose. His rose. A black rose covered in intricate white designs. Raven picked it up and slipped it inside her cloak.
"If you need me, I'll be in my room." She said as she hurried to her room.
Robin watched her the entire time.
/
Elliot got back to the Hive Five's lair and met all the guys watching an action movie on high volume, as usual.
See-more turned to him. "How'd it go?"
Elliot smiled. "I'm still friendzoned."
"I knew he couldn't do it." Gizmo said. "The chick's probably got more balls than he does."
/
Dear fans,
There you have it! The first turning point! I hope you liked it. I realize this is long overdue. Let me tell you why.
I was busy graduating from high school.
My country was in an energy crisis and protested which made the problem worse. You can Google 'Dumsor vigil' for more details.
I lost all hope in writing. I have a fictionpress account by the same name which has only two unfinished stories on it. One of the stories, Gothus Daemonicus, Has been stolen! Go ahead and Google it! It's has the same title, the same summary, even the same beginning! The person used the name of a writer who died in 1993 and changed the English to old-day English. Although I came home more than three weeks, I was so heartbroken that someone had stolen my idea. I never planned to write for profit and the fact that someone stole my story, tweaked it, and is selling it on Amazon Kindle under a fake name irks me. I intended the series to be a trilogy but now I won't. I'll never publish and original story again. I'm still working on recruits to help me catch the person. PM me if you're interested. I'll still post here though.
Reviews, opinions and chapter ideas are always welcome.
Your suffering author,
Psyche.
PS The thief's penname is Margaret Landon.