The Second Curse: A TT Fanfic-CHAPTER 42 - Crashing Down
A/N: This is Chapter 42 of my OC Teen Titans Fanfic, The Second Curse. If you have not done so, please read the Prologue first, and then the chapters that precede this one. Note: there is no First Curse; this is not a sequel to anything. Enjoy! : )
PS. I've noticed the formatting on here is a little hard on the eyes, and it's not for lack of trying on my part. This site undoes all my formatting, making everything single-spaced without even indenting the paragraphs. I've tried both uploading files and pasting them in, yet the result is always the same. The desktop view is almost painful. Maybe it looks better in the mobile app, but does anyone actually use that?
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Rain hammered down outside, where the chaos continued. Police had surrounded the school, and several fire trucks were blocking off the street. Ambulances set up shop in the faculty parking lot beside the main entrance, and the chatter of the panicked students was now mixed with that of dozens of emergency responder radios. Countless red and blue lights flashed from all around, and some of the police cars even had their spotlights trained on the school.
Sabbath struggled to maintain control of the situation and get someone to listen to her. As soon as she was outside she encountered a team of firefighters preparing to enter the building. She rushed to assure them that there was no fire, and that she had triggered the alarm on purpose to get the authorities' attention. Some of them looked like they didn't believe her story, but none of them moved to enter the building. "But there are...vessels...of hydrogen gas in the gymnasium," she told them, unable to bring herself to say the words 'bombs' or 'balloons.'
Uniformed police officers were quickly ushering groups of students towards ambulances, treating Sabbath as just another member of the crowd. After telling the fifth officer in a row that she was with the Titans, finally one of them responded. He paused, and muttered something into the radio clipped to his shoulder. There came a response that Sabbath couldn't make out, but it must have made sense to him. He nodded, responded briefly into the radio, then simply asked, "Name?"
"Jane," Sabbath replied. "I've only said it a hundred times now." Sabbath was growing impatient, but she could sense the surrounding police feeling the same way. She needed them to know that the Titans had everything under control. She couldn't let them make that call…
"Identification?" the officer asked flatly, holding out his hand.
Sabbath ground her teeth in frustration. "I must've left it in my other prom dress," she replied sarcastically, her wings flaring to their full span in exasperation as she gestured to her obvious lack of pockets.
The officer eyed her wings suspiciously, then met her surly gaze once more. After a moment, he muttered something else into his radio. There was a lengthy pause as he listened to the reply. Then he nodded and said, "Alright, come with me."
"Finally," Sabbath said with a sigh. The officer turned and walked across the lot to a nearby police van, and Sabbath followed close behind him. She tucked her wings back up against her shoulder blades, but then thought about it and unfurled them once more. She didn't like being so conspicuous, but people seemed to take her more seriously when they saw that she had giant bat wings sprouting from her back.
The side of the van opened as they approached, and a man wearing an earpiece stepped out. A small, black canopy extended from above the sliding door, sheltering the man and a few fellow officers from the rain. Sabbath joined them underneath it and studied the details of the man's attire hoping to figure out exactly who he was. He wasn't wearing a uniform like the rest of the officers. Instead he wore a simple white button-up shirt under a black windbreaker, black pants and a matching tie. There were several badges stitched onto his jacket, but none gave away his name. Some of the insignias Sabbath recognized, and some she didn't. His air of mystery and authority only added to the intimidation radiating off of him. Sabbath swallowed nervously, but forced herself to appear calm and composed. Whoever this man was, she got the impression that he was very important.
"You're not the usual one," he said as the van doors slid shut behind him. "But I suppose you'll have to do."
Sabbath wasn't sure how to take that, so she didn't say anything. She figured it would be best to wait for him to ask her direct questions.
"Alright," he said after a moment. "What have you got?"
Not a simple question, for sure. Sabbath cleared her throat to ensure her voice didn't crack before answering, "Three HIVE agent, plus the leader of the HIVE organization and a potential new recruit," she said, trying to keep the facts simple and clear. "The other five Titans are inside, and they have everything under control."
"Doesn't look like it from where I'm standing," the man replied.
"Um, they caught us by surprise," Sabbath said, hating that she had already used the word 'um' and hoping the man hadn't noticed. From the sudden arch of his left eyebrow, however, she knew that he had.
"They usually call you first, is that it?" the man said.
"I-no, of course not," Sabbath replied. She could tell she was losing this man's confidence by the second. "There was an ambush, and some of us were badly injured in the initial attack. But all of the students were guided out safely, and the Titans have the HIVE agents contained."
"What's this I hear about Hydrogen gas?" he asked.
Another tough question. "The HIVE planted vessels of the gas in the gymnasium as a...deterrent," Sabbath replied, desperate to sound at least somewhat professional. Sabbath paused then, her blood turning to ice. She couldn't remember if she'd warned the Titans about the bombs. In the distance, faint crashes and rumbles could be heard coming from the gymnasium, and Sabbath felt her stomach clench with worry.
The man took her hesitation to mean that she was finished answering his question. He opened his mouth to ask another, but Sabbath cut him off.
"I have to get back in there," she said suddenly.
The man scoffed. "Not gonna happen," he replied. "Sending underaged civilians into the line of fire is the opposite of my job description. You can wait for your friends out here, but I'm only giving them another five minutes before I call the-"
"I don't think you heard me," Sabbath said firmly. She stretched her wings out wide and took a step back, the rain pattering down onto her once more. "I'm not asking for your permission, I'm telling you. I've told you what you need to know, and now I've got a job to finish. We'll let you know when we're done." Without waiting for his reply, Sabbath took off into the air and flew as fast as she could over the school towards what remained of the gym.
Sabbath noticed then how bad the building looked from outside. There were ragged holes in the gym's walls and ceiling, and a large portion of the roof had even collapsed. She didn't blame the police for thinking things were out of control. 'And all of that damage is my fault,' she thought grimly. She descended quickly through the gap where the roof had fallen in, bracing herself for battle once again.
Inside the gym, the fire alarm still blared, and the gymnasium was even more of a disaster than it had been when she'd last seen it. The stage was destroyed, tables and chairs were broken and scattered around the room, her stone structure had collapsed, and the floor was now torn up beyond recognition. The loose hydrogen balloons had drifted in clusters into the corners of the room, and the captive students huddled near the main exit. To Sabbath's relief, however, it appeared that the fight was over.
The three HIVE agents sat tied up in the corner next to what remained of the stage along with Brother Blood. They all looked thoroughly beaten, but they were all conscious. Starfire and Cyborg guarded them carefully, and Sabbath noticed a wide strip of what looked like duct tape covering Gizmo's mouth. The last of their group, Kara, was being secured by Robin as Sabbath approached. Kara knelt on the floor, her head bowed in weary defeat, as Robin bound her wrists together behind her back with thick, yellow plastic ties.
"Robin!" Sabbath called out, hurrying towards them. "Starfire! The hydrogen-!" She stumbled briefly as she landed, but managed to maintain her forward momentum enough to regain her stride. "And there's cops! But all the students got out! And I really thought they'd have shut this alarm off by now! And-"
"Jane, calm down!" he called back, cinching Kara's ties securely before standing and turning to face her. "One thing at a time."
"The balloons!" she repeatedly breathlessly, adrenaline still coursing through her. Starfire was paying attention to her now, too, while Cyborg focused his attention on the screen on his arm. Raven and Beast Boy were nowhere to be seen, but Sabbath didn't let that distract her from issuing her warning. "Kara turned the helium into hydrogen with alchemy!"
The fire alarm cut off just then, and the room seemed overwhelmingly silent in the wake of her statement. Cyborg looked up then, and replied simply, "Alchemy doesn't exist, that girl's messing with you."
"No, she's right," Robin said. "We know, we heard everything."
"You...you did?" Sabbath asked. She had assumed everyone had been unconscious while Brother Blood controlled their minds. But knowing that Robin and Starfire had been fully conscious during the whole ordeal made her heart stop.
"Say what?" Cyborg sounded incredulous.
"You were not functioning," Starfire explained. "The Brother Blood entered our minds and held us captive in our own bodies." She hugged her arms around herself and shuddered. "It was most unpleasant."
"We saw and heard everything," Robin continued. "We just couldn't move."
Sabbath's mind was reeling with panic. The way she'd acted, the things she'd said, the things Kara had said...she hadn't wanted the Titans to witness any of it. She'd assumed Brother Blood had reduced them to brain-dead zombies, but to think that they were fully conscious...She suddenly scrambled to remember every detail. She didn't think Kara had let her legal name slip, but she had revealed Sabbath's adoption history, the fact that she had a sister, and that lie about her mother's cause of death. It was more knowledge than she was comfortable with them having. Not to mention they'd seen her attack the alchemist with unrestrained brutality, and then they'd watched her lose control of her powers.
"What worries you, friend?" Starfire asked, reaching out a hand towards Sabbath's arm. "Your skin has paled considerably. Have you become ill? Did Kara inflict poison on you as well?"
Sabbath took a step back, keeping just out of reach. 'If you saw everything that happened, do you even have to ask?' she thought miserably. She crossed her arms selfconsciously and folded her wings tightly against her back. But the alien girl's mention of poison reminded Sabbath of another concern. "Where's Beast Boy?"
"Raven brought him back to the Tower," Robin replied. He must've seen the fear in Sabbath's eyes then, because he added, "They're both ok. When you broke Brother Blood's control, his psychic effect on Raven was destroyed as well. And Beast Boy seemed to be feeling better already, but we'll run a few tests tonight just to make sure Kara's poison didn't leave any residual damage."
"Good, good…" Sabbath murmured, withdrawing into her own spiraling thoughts. 'At least they're ok...But they know...they know everything. Well, almost everything. Maybe they'll think everything Kara said was a lie, or maybe they won't. Beast Boy and Cyborg didn't see it for themselves, but how long until Robin or Starfire tells them?' Sabbath's mind skipped forward in time, imagining everything coming to light. Robin would discover the details of her adoption history, and she knew all her records painted her in the worst possible light. He'd explain that someone like her couldn't safely remain a member of the Titans. Then he'd report her to the authorities as a run-away. He'd say it was for her own good. That's what everyone always said right before they tore her life apart-
"-ane. Jane, did you hear me?"
Sabbath flinched at the sudden sound of the Boy Wonder's voice. "Uh, sorry. What did you say?"
Robin didn't respond. Starfire looked at her with growing concern, and Cyborg took the opportunity to voice what they'd all been thinking. "Girl, you don't look so good."
"I'm fine, I'm good," she rushed to assure them. She noticed her knees begin to shake, and wondered just how big of a lie she'd just told them.
"Why don't you two head back to the Tower," Robin said. "Star and I can wrap things up here with the commissioner.
'That must be the guy in the van,' Sabbath thought.
"Fine with me," Cyborg said casually, rubbing the back of his neck. "The fun part's over with anyway." Then more quietly he added, "And a diagnostic check probably wouldn't hurt, either…"
Sabbath slowly brought herself back to the present. "Oh, right. Sam."
Robin arched a questioning eyebrow.
"She's the one that…" Sabbath couldn't bring herself to put it into words, and instead gestured weakly at Cyborg. "You know, with the blue hair?". "She should be outside with the other students. Um. Make sure you talk to her, ok?"
Robin nodded, and Starfire replied, "We will make sure she is thoroughly questioned. She will be made to answer for the pain she has caused." The alien girl's tone was uncharacteristically serious, making her look disturbingly intimidating even clad in her lime green prom dress. Sabbath again imagined how unbearable it would be to have the Titans turn against her.
"Well, c'mon then," Cyborg said to Sabbath, fishing the car keys out of his inner jacket pocket. "You look like you could sleep for a week."
Sabbath mumbled an agreement that wasn't quite words, and followed the robot boy out of the gymnasium. He wasn't wrong, either. She didn't want to admit it, but she felt her body growing more exhausted by the minute. The shaking in her knees had only worsened, and her hands felt cold.
Quickly disabling the HIVE's remaining lock on the emergency exit doors, Cyborg led the way through the back parking lot, thankfully avoiding all the commotion still going on out front. The rain had finally stopped, but clouds obscured the quickly darkening sky. Sabbath didn't know when the sun had set. The gentle wind trailing in behind the storm was almost cold and smelled like the seashore.
The parking lot was still surprisingly full, and it took Sabbath a moment to spot their car. The same holographic camouflage system that disguised Cyborg had also been implemented to make the T-car look like a modest, navy blue sedan. Cyborg assumed his position in the driver's seat, and out of habit, Sabbath slid into the backseat.
"You know you can sit in the front if you want," Cyborg offered, glancing at her reflection in the rearview mirror.
"That's ok," she replied, staring wearily out the window at the remains of the gym.
Cyborg watched her a moment longer before giving up and starting the car. "I get it, y'know," he said after they turned onto the main road. "Sometimes a win doesn't feel like a win. And falling for an ambush can make you feel like a failure. But all that really matters is that you get back up and keep fighting. And you did that tonight. I didn't see it for myself, but I know no one else took down Brother Blood. And he's not an easy dude to beat. You did good today. Once that adrenaline crash passes we're gonna celebrate with the spiciest pizza toppings Jump City has to offer."
Sabbath turned away from the passing scenery then. She looked to where the robot boy's smiling face was reflected in the rearview mirror, though his eyes were now focused on the road. 'He remembered what kind of pizza I like,' she thought idly. It wasn't a grand gesture, but she felt her heart warm slightly regardless. 'I really don't want my life here to be over,' she continued. 'I really want things to stay the way they are. Or were, before this whole stupid night happened…'
Dropping her gaze back down to her lap, she spotted a colorful plastic bag squished under the front passenger seat by her feet. Sabbath reached down to retrieve it, and saw that it was actually a clear bag full of different colored ties and pocket flowers.
I brought these fancy belts, ties, and pocket flowers in all colors, Sabbath remembered Cyborg telling them. That way I can match all the girls who'll wanna take pictures with me when the night is through...
Boutonnieres, Robin had corrected him.
I don't care what they're called, Cyborg had retorted. Girls like them and I look good wearing them...
A pang of guilt stabbed through her heart. 'So much for that plan,' she thought. 'One more thing I ruined tonight…'
Cyborg glanced back, his attention drawn by the sound of crinkling plastic. "Oh, you can just leave those back there for now. I'll get them later," he said.
"I'm sorry," she said after a minute, unable to meet his gaze.
"What for?" he sounded surprised. "You didn't do anything wrong."
"This just...isn't how tonight was supposed to go…If Kara hadn't had it out for me, if I hadn't even been there, none of this would have happened."
"If you hadn't been there, Brother Blood would still have everyone under his thumb," Cyborg replied firmly.
"Maybe…" she muttered miserably. She appreciated his attempts to cheer her, but she knew how disappointed he must feel deep down. And not just him, but all the Titans. This was supposed to be their one chance to experience a night out as normal teens. Sabbath remembered how excited they'd all been -well, except Raven, of course- for the dance. She realized then that most of the students had probably felt the same. So many people had been let down tonight, and she felt responsible for it all.
'Some people even got hurt,' she added. Sabbath looked up at Cyborg. He always made driving look so simple and easy, even in the heaviest traffic. Normally he'd have the radio blasting, or have the window down, or at least be talking. But now he was quiet, watching the road and other cars with steady concentration. His holographic disguise was still in place, so Sabbath found it harder to read his expression, but even still she thought he seemed a bit off.
"Are you ok?" she asked after a moment, breaking the painful silence between them.
"Me? I'm fine," he assured her, meeting her gaze in the rearview mirror. "Nothing a good nights' sleep can't fix."
"I'm sorry for what Sam did to you," she said. "I don't know why I trusted her."
"Girl, you apologize too much," he dismissed casually.
"She opened up to me," Sabbath continued, looking out the window again as she heard how feeble her justifications sounded out loud. "She told me about something terrible that had happened to her last year. She even tried to warn me about how dangerous Kara could be. At the time it had all sounded so sincere, but now I realize...it was probably all a lie."
"Rob'll deal with her," Cyborg assured her. "You know him, he won't stop until he's gotten to the bottom of things."
'Don't remind me,' Sabbath thought miserably. She knew Robin would follow up on what he'd heard from Kara tonight. He'd dig up everything he could. Normally Sabbath was impressed by the Boy Wonder's investigation skills, even if she'd never tell him as much. But now that they were working against her, she felt awful. He'd find out everything there was to know about her eventually, it was only a matter of time. Dread bloomed in the pit of her stomach, making her feel sick.
Sabbath closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the seat, her stomach twisting in knots. 'Maybe this is all a bad dream…' she thought to herself. 'Maybe I'll wake up back in the Tower and none of this will have ever happened. No HIVE, no Kara, no Abalone High. Just another day with the Titans...And Dawn will be there, too. She'd love being a Titan; she always used to talk about growing up to be a superhero someday. She even had a name picked out and everything...something that started with a T?' It bothered her to realize that she couldn't remember this detail about her sister. But she didn't have long to worry about fading memories, as a mercifully peaceful sleep soon overcame her.
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Meanwhile, back at the school, things were wrapping up. The HIVE agents were being transported to a high-security facility, and Sam had been brought to the local police station for questioning. The only remaining perpetrator was Kara. Robin wanted to question her himself before the authorities took her beyond his reach.
He knelt down to her level, though she refused to raise her head and make eye contact. "Who put you up to all this, Kara?" he asked sternly. "What's the HIVE really after?"
"If you think this is about the HIVE, you're dumber than I thought," Kara began slowly. "She's in so deep...and she doesn't even know it. This was all just a test. For her. The HIVE was just hired to proctor it." She paused, spitting blood on the shattered gymnasium floor. Her gaze remained there, her eyes bleary and vacant. "You were all just rounding out the curve. Her score was the only one that mattered."
"Who hired you," Robin said, his tone so grim it was more of a demand than a question.
Kara did look up then, amusement all over her face. She studied his expression; the seriousness, the attempt to appear in control, the icy demeanor all so out of place on someone his age. It was truly laughable. She made him wait a moment more before replying softly, "Wouldn't you like to know."
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