Cyborg
Crossed Frequencies
"C'mon, Cyborg. Give it a rest already."
"BB, for the last time, I'm not gonna play video games with you right now. I've gotta track down Brother Blood."
Beast Boy groaned. He was perched on the computer console next to me as I typed furiously away.
"But you've been at it all MORNING. How do you expect to find him?"
"I'm keeping in touch with Aqualad and Bumblebee, they're tracking him."
"Why do they need you? Are they your new best friends now?" Beast Boy sulked. "I don't see the point. Brother Blood's gonna show himself soon enough when he hatches his next diabolical scheme, so why can't you just chill until he does?"
"What if people get hurt when he hatches his next diabolical scheme? We should do everything we can to catch him NOW."
"Yeah, but I don't think this is ABOUT you being worried about people's safety," Beast Boy said pointedly. He was really starting annoy me now.
"Oh yeah? Then what's it about, huh?"
"I don't know. But you've been acting weird ever since our mission with Aqualad. Now you won't hang out, plus you seem really upset with Robin."
"Well, I guess Robin is bothering me a little bit," I admitted.
"Why?" said Beast Boy flatly.
"Just…I mean, he orders me around like…and he's younger than me, but he acts like…c'mon, man, doesn't he ever annoy you?"
"Dude, all the freakin' time. But he's just Robin. He doesn't mean it, it's just how he is. He could be a lot worse, y'know."
I snorted. "I don't see how."
"Just trust me, okay? But he was just telling you what to do because he's our leader. What else is he supposed to do?"
"Yeah, well, sometimes I don't get why he's the leader. He doesn't have any powers, we could all take him down easily, if we didn't hold back."
"I dunno about that. He is really smart."
"So am I!" I said, offended. "I have an IQ of 170!"
"Um, is that good?"
"Never mind," I sighed. "It's just…he's unreliable sometimes…that whole thing with Slade…"
"That's over, dude. He got over it. Mostly. And so he's screwed up. So are most of us. Except me, of course, but that goes without saying," Beast Boy shrugged.
"Since when did you become Robin's number one fan?" I snapped.
"Since when did you decide you hate his guts but started imitating him?" Beast Boy snapped back.
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh, c'mon. The obsessing over Blood. The brooding. You're acting just like him! What do you want to replace him or something?"
"That's ridiculous…" I sputtered. "I'm not…"
"Then stop it, and come play video games with me! Brooding is boring!"
"There's more to life than video games, BB! We've got a criminal out there!"
Beast Boy threw up his hands. "Whatever! I am so sick of this! Tell me when Cyborg comes back, okay?"
He stalked away and I glared after him. Stupid accusations. He was just trying to get me to gorge on junk food and play Ninja Fury with him. That's all life was to him."
I picked up the walky talky.
"Bumblebee? You read?"
The speaker crackled to life. "Yeah, Sparky. Chill, it's only been a half hour since you called. Though something interesting did happen. Y'know Brother Blood's heading east, either towards Gotham or Steel City. Hopefully the second, can't imagine what he'd get up to in Gotham. Aqualad ran into a friend, though, this red headed guy with a bow and arrow…"
"Speedy?" I exclaimed.
"Yeah, Aqualad said you knew him too. He's skipped out on his mentor as of a couple days ago, wants to join us. We're getting a pretty decent team here, I think we could actually take down Blood when he settles."
"Yeah, 'specially because as soon as he does, I'm coming up there to fight him with you guys," I said confidently.
"Really? Robin won't mind you leavin' the team?"
"Robin ain't the boss of me. And this thing with Blood is personal."
"Well, okay," Though I couldn't see Bumblebee, I imagined her shrugging. "Always good to have extra muscle. We'll call ya when we get there. Bumblebee out."
"'Bye," I set down the speaker just as Robin came in to make himself breakfast.
"What was that?" He asked.
"Bumblebee," I said shortly. "They're following Brother Blood. They met up with Speedy. Blood's heading to ei- Steel City." I nearly choked on the half truth. If it was Gotham Blood headed to, Robin would want to come, and he'd have a point. Nobody knows Gotham better. But I thought Blood would go for Steel City anyway, too much competition in Gotham. I hoped I was right. "I'm gonna go up and help them set up base."
I waited for Robin's reprimand.
He shrugged. "Okay. If that's what you really want."
"It is," I said sharply.
"But you'll come back after a few days?"
"Of course. Whenever you command, fearless leader," I couldn't keep the sarcastic edge out of my voice. I flinched as I remembered Beast Boy's little rant. Why WAS I acting like this.
Robin ignored my barb. "Are you okay? You seem agitated lately."
"I just wanna catch Blood."
"All right. Just don't…" he trailed off as I glared at him. We both knew he was the last person who should give advice on not being obsessive… "leave the computer on when you're through. Trying to save electricity."
"Okay." I said.
He turned his back, finished fixing his breakfast and disappeared into the dark hallway.
After our first day of fixing up the tower, the Titans East and I sat down in the half finished mess to eat the rest of the food Speedy bought.
There was an awkward silence, and the source of it was not entirely Aqualad glaring at Speedy downing salmon.
"Sooo…" I broke the silence. "How'd y'all get into the hero biz?"
Everyone was quiet for few minutes. Finally, Speedy broke the silence.
"I was, uh, raised by the Navajo. Green Arrow found me…noticed my mad skills with the bow and arrow…rest's history."
"Why'd you leave?" I asked Speedy curiously.
"He was a jerk," Speedy said bluntly.
"Okay…"
Bumblebee scratched the back of her head, and for once looked solemn. "I….always had the shrinking ability…but a friend needed help…so I invented the lasers and the wings and some mild superstrength and invulnerability from the suit…and went to help him. When Brother Blood cam recruiting, I decided to go undercover…there wasn't…much for me at home."
"Dang, girl," I whistled. "I knew you were cocky, but you invented your weapons and suit by yourself? You must be pretty damn smart."
"And don't you forget it, Sparky," Bumblebee smirked.
"What about you, Aqualad?" Speedy asked.
"I was abandoned as a kid because of some prophecy that said I'd bring doom or something. Lots of kids ended up like that in that part of Atlantis, the Idilysts were kind of crazy. I didn't bring doom, but I had some nice powers, who knows why. That's why I survived, and met Aquaman. We've always worked with each other, but not necessarily sidekick and hero. So I'm my own man."
"Well, congrats," Speedy said sarcastically. "What about the twins? Oh wait, I forgot.
"Nacimos con siete veces la habilidad de ser mas rapido que el sonido, pero solo somos poderosos cuando nuestros cuerpos se rozan asi!" They said together.
"Yes, we know you were born with the ability. But how did you end up on your own?" Aqualad sighed.
"Que? No hablamos inglais," they said together again.
"Fine, don't tell us then," Bumblebee said. "What about you, Sparky?"
"Eh. Had an accident. Ended up like this. Joined the Teen Titans."
"Man of few words when it comes to YOUR past, huh?" Speedy smirked.
"Don't think I can't kick you butt, boy-with-funny-name-who-lost-to-Robin."
"Oh, shut up."
"And the drama erupts," Aqualad muttered. "I'll wash the dishes!"
He was done with in three seconds, and though somehow during the process Speedy's hair got splattered with dead fish remains.
"Cyborg? Shouldn't you be on your way home by now?" Robin sounded mildly annoyed. It irritated me, that he'd assume I'd come home as soon as he said when. Made it easier.
"Robin, we got attacked by Blood. I'm staying."
"Oh. For a few more days?"
"No. Forever. They asked me to be team leader and I…said yes."
"WHAT?" The noise came not from Robin, but Beast Boy, who suddenly bounded over into the veiwscreen. "Dude, what?"
"Sorry, B. I…they need me here." The look of betrayal on BB's face made me feel guiltier than anything else could have done.
"But WE need you here! We don't even have that Cyborg robot anymore, since you broke it over at the HIVE."
"You sure do know how to make a guy feel wanted," I rolled my eyes.
"Why would you leave us? We're friends!" Beast Boy continued desperately.
"I really will miss you, Beast Boy, but it's about more than you. It's about being…my own person…helping the guys over here…being a leader…being a man…"
"So, basically, you've gone nuts and now think in clichés," he said, raising an eyebrow.
"What?"
"RAVEN! STAR! CY'S GONE NUTS AND DECIDED TO QUIT AGAIN! COME HELP STOP HIM!" Beast Boy screamed.
"What?" I heard Raven's voice chime.
"Pray tell this is not the truth!" Starfire's voice pierced through.
"Guys! GUYS!" Robin slid back into the view screen. "Stop it. I need to talk to him. We can't all come at him at once."
"Yeah, sure, you'll convince me better than Beast Boy would," I rolled my eye.
"Try to cut the anger for a second and talk about this logically," Robin snapped.
"Yeah, you don't sound angry at all," I could feel my dander rising so I began to work around the room, setting up the equipment while Robin gave a loud sigh, massaging his forehead.
"So," he said, and I could hear how his voice was suddenly controlled. "You want to leave us."
"Yup," I said shortly. All non-angry like this, he was starting to make me feel guilty like Beast Boy did.
"And there's nothing I can do to change your mind?"
"No, man."
My mind is tired of people trying to control it.
I couldn't bring myself to go into sleep mode that night. I kept thinking about the most random things. Robin. Beast Boy. The team. Jinx. My mom. My dad. Brother Blood. Even my old girlfriend from high school popped up for some reason.
I'm losing a member of MY team.
This Cyborg is way more fun!
CY'S GONE NUTS! COME HELP STOP HIM!
You could have been one of us.
You're disappointing your father, Victor.
You're disappointing me, Victor. You're wasting your life. You're going to be nothing if you keep going on like this. Nothing. Is that what you want?
Serve me and I can make you what you once were.
C'mon Vic. Do what I want. C'mon.
Everyone's already tried to control me. My Dad…Robin…I just want to make up my own mind. Be my own person. Be a leader instead of a follower.
What's wrong with that?
Nothing.
Nothing at all.
I switch off.
A/N: Next: ORIGINS OF TITANS EAST MEMBERS! In detail I mean