Author: Cyclone
Feedback: Please be gentle.
Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.
Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.
Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Deception for Teen Titans.
Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.
Summary: Deception and betrayal abound when the Titans receive a call for help from an unexpected source.
Author's Note: Whee! New season! Shiny!
Thump! Thump thump thump!
Xander groaned and rolled over. He opened his eyes blearily and mumbled loudly, "Jussamit!"
Throwing some pants on, he undid the seven deadbolts and two chains on the door, then pulled aside the chair propped up under the door handle. He cracked the door and peered out sleepily, "Terra? What is it?"
She raised an eyebrow and held up the phone, "Call on line one. Don't you have enough girlfriends already?"
"Well, I don't have you yet, do I?" he waggled his eyebrows as he accepted the phone. "Hello?"
/Xander?./
All sleep vanished from his mind at that one word. He recognized the voice, in more ways than one. He'd heard that tone of voice more times than he cared to count, and less often than he would have liked. He heard it whenever one of his slayers had gotten in over her head while on patrol and lived long enough to realize it. Too many never did.
As for the voice itself...
"Jinx?" he asked tentatively. "What's wrong?"
/I... I called to warn you/ she said. /The Headmaster, Brother Blood, he's planning something. Something big, and- huh?./
"What?"
/Nothing. I thought I heard something./
"Where are you?" Xander asked, as he felt a sudden chill.
/In the warehouse district, why?./ she asked.
"Stay there, I'll-..." He was cut off by a shriek from the other end of the phone. "JINX!"
The line went dead.
The alarm echoed throughout Titans' Tower. Six Titans scrambled, and eventually, they found their way to the garage.
"Terra?" Beast Boy asked. "What happened? Are you all right?"
The terrakinetic shook her head, still staring down the access tunnel that led to the mainland.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she shook her head and looked at the other Titans. "Xander got a call, from someone named Jinx."
"'Jinx'? Robin repeated with a frown. "What about?"
"I don't know," Terra replied. "I think she's in trouble. Xander just ran off." She frowned, "I'm worried about him. I've never seen him like that."
"We have," Robin said, his voice growing hard. "He nearly got himself killed last time."
"Last time and every time," Raptor snorted. "Don't worry about the Boss. He'll pull through. Nothing keeps him from his girls. Or anyone who hurts them. Worry about whoever was dumb enough to hurt his girl."
At the reminder of how Nighthawk treated Jinx, Starfire and Raven both glowered.
"Uh, are we gonna just stand here, or are we gonna go follow him?" Cyborg asked.
"Funny thing about this, though," Xander said conversationally. "I'm not as strong as Batman, so I can't really keep this up very long. I mean, I don't think I'm asking for much. I just want a few questions answered. Is that really too much to ask?"
From where he was dangling -- by his ankle from Xander's grip over the edge of a roof -- the person he was talking to shook his head, "No, of course not! Not at all! Whaddaya need to know?"
"Nighthawk!"
Xander turned to where he heard Robin's voice and saw the Titans gathered on the opposite end of the rooftop. "Oh, hi, guys. I'm a little busy. Lemme finish up here first. My arm's getting tired."
"What are you doing, friend Nighthawk?" Starfire asked.
"Oh, nothing much," Xander said. "Just having a friendly conversation with Bob here." He looked down at his captive, "Isn't that right, Bob?"
"My name's-..."
"Anyway, Bob, where were we?" Xander cut him off. "Oh, yeah. Girl, about yea tall, pink hair, propensity for goth clothing. Did you happen to see her tonight?"
"Well," Robin muttered, "at least he isn't using a revolver and a blank this time..."
"Watch yourselves," Raptor murmured to the other Titans. "He's way too cheerful. He's about to snap. Again."
"Yes!" "Bob" yelled. "I saw her go into one of the warehouses while I was passing by. I dunno what happened after that, I swear!"
"Which warehouse?" Xander asked. His arm dropped a little, but he caught himself before letting go.
"The abandoned one on Pier Thirty!" shrieked "Bob."
Xander hauled "Bob" up and laid him down on the roof, "Thanks, Bob. You've been a great help." He began to massage his arm as he turned toward the other Titans, "So, what's up, guys?"
Robin watched as "Bob" scampered for the roof access. He looked back at Xander, "Who was that?"
Xander shrugged, "Just some lowlife I found lurking around. 'Scuse me. Gotta run." He turned and vaulted over the edge of the roof. The Titans dashed forward and looked over to see him lowering himself to the street below via grappler. He dashed for the N-Cycle at the end of the street.
Robin looked at Raptor, "Is he usually this hard to keep up with when he's like this?"
"Pretty much, yeah," she nodded, a resigned look on her face. She shrugged... and also vaulted over the edge, slowing herself against the wall.
"Okay," Cyborg said, leaning against the lip of the roof grumpily. "That's gonna get old real quick."
Robin followed. Immediately behind him were , Raven, Starfire, Terra, and a green raven. Cyborg scowled, "I was right. Man, I need to install a jetpack."
A boulder lowered itself in front of him. Terra sheepishly offered him a hand up.
"Thanks."
"Boss?" Abbey asked tentatively as she entered the warehouse. "You all right?"
"I'm fine," he said, not bothering to turn around.
She walked up and placed a hand on his shoulder, "What happened, Boss?"
"She tried to warn us, Raptor," he said softly, crouching down and examining the floor. "Someone got to her first." He clenched a fist.
"Who, Boss?" she asked.
He looked up at her, eyes blazing, "Brother Blood."
Abbey took a half-step back at the intensity of his gaze. "We'll get him, Boss. You know we will."
"'We'?" he repeated, straightening up. He headed for the exit, then turned and look back at her, "Brother Blood is mine."
"But-..."
"Rule Six, Ab," he said quietly. "Rule Six."
Abbey blinked, then snarled, "That's bullshit, Boss, and you know it! So what if he's human? That rule's about killing, not fighting!" She slumped as the realization struck her, "You're going to kill him."
"Or die trying, after I rescue Jinx."
Abbey felt a chill run down her spine, then strode forward, grabbed him by the shoulder, turned him around, and smacked him lightly upside the head.
"Ow!"
Well, lightly for a slayer.
"Brilliant plan, Boss," she scolded, "and just how exactly are you planning on finding either of them?"
He blinked, "Uhh..." His face reddened.
"Remember what you told us?" she demanded. "'I'll make it up as I go' is not the kind of plan someone survives, slayer or not, and we're a team for a reason." She paused and added, "Besides, you don't really want to end up on a broody revenge kick like Deadboy, do you?"
He jerked back, "Okay, now I'm insulted." He glared at her, "And as it happens, I do have a plan to find her."
Author's Postscript:
Jinx is BACK!
Well, sort of. Will be, anyway.
