Book I: Chapter VIII

Jinx looked at the boy with skepticism. "Really? What do you got?" She asked.

Gizmo frowned as his eyes traced the girl's small frame. "I was lookin' through that surveillance information we collected on Titan's Tower a while back. One of the crap-mechanics of that tower is their cruddy elevator. The thing's never been renovated and it's likely they're still using old tech. What a piece of crud. I mean, they have all the money in the world, but those snots can't even…"

She sighed before interrupting him, "I don't care. Skip the narrative, what's your plan?"

Gizmo looked at her for a second, peering into her amethyst eyes. She seemed so excited, like a little kid on Christmas morning. He was anything but excited. However, the look in her eyes kept him from turning away from her bitchy behavior and dropping the matter altogether. He began again. "Those snot Titan's made the mistake…"

"Just give me the short version!" She interrupted a second time. "How do we get her?"

"Crud!" He exclaimed. "Fine, you want the short version? Here it is: We shut down the tower security system, break into the tower, double-check that the elevator is still shit, rig it, then watch the elevator crash from afar."

"What a stupid plan. How does that get Raven?"

"Lemmie finish! Crud, you're so impatient. If you're really serious about doing this, at least let me finish!" She scoffed at him, but nodded in acknowledgment. He took this moment to expand on his idea and explain his methodology. "Look, our records show Raven goes to the roof to meditate daily. She's up there more than anyone else. But, that freaky vampire chick only goes up there during the night. It's a daily routine of hers. She's never missed a day in months, and it's always at the same damn time. She's so routined; we can get in hours before her schedule, rig the elevator to go to shit before she normally gets there, and then watch the cloud of smoke from a safe distance."

Jinx let a bored expression fill her face. "…right, and how do you intend to do this? Elevators don't just fall, you know. I'm sure the Titans have some super-special protection against this."

Gizmo's face twisted into a sly grin. "That part's cake. You know, everyone would like to think elevators are 'super-safe', but they ain't. The Titans only have normal safety precautions on their system; nothing any hotel or large corporation doesn't have. The kind of elevator built to protect against accidents, but would fail against intentional abuse...in other words, it's crap. If the cables are still attached, well, any modern elevator will be fine. Even electronic malfunction won't drop one of those fuckers. But, if you sever the cables from the cart, so the cart is no longer attached to anything...well...they're fucked. This would never happen in a daily circumstance, so modern elevators have no real protection against it. Even one cable snapping won't plummet a cart. All of the cables would have to break all at once, and that just doesn't happen."

His grin grew wider before continuing his rant, "The Titan's piece of junk elevator will free-fall to the ground after I'm through with it. The only safety mechanisms the Titan's elevator has is a pulley system at the top and bottom of the cart which connect the stabilizing cables to the elevator, the hooks at the sides of the cart that spring out as a failsafe, and a cushioning mechanism at the bottom of the shaft that softens impact. The cables are easy to break, and the cushioning mechanism would only help if it fell from like, floor 3. It's shit. The only safety that actually matters is a series of automatic spring-loaded metal hooks. They pop out from the sides of the cart due to centripetal force caused from falling at high speeds, even without electronic assistance. They are designed to hit ridges that rest on the walls of the elevator shaft, which slow the elevator cart down if it falls too fast. But, if we tape these hooks to the sides so that they cannot deploy, the elevator's got nothing. An explosion would sever the elevator cables and destroy the pulley system, detaching the elevator from any support. Gravity then makes it fall downward. Simple physics. It's high enough and it falls fast enough that it'll kill anyone in there, even a half-dead tin can encased in metal like Cyborg doesn't stand a chance."

"Jeez, can you just give a summary of what we have to do once we get in the tower?"

Gizmo grunted, "We tape down the automatic spring-loaded hooks so that they cannot activate. Then, we use a pressure-activated sensing system that will only detonate when touched. Place it at the very top of the shaft, and ensure when the cart hits the top floor to access the roof, it will come in contact with the sensing system and trigger it. Next, link the sensor to some explosives, so that when the cart reaches the roof floor—the floor that that bitch Raven is most likely to go to—the explosion will go off. A large enough explosion at the top of the cart should provide enough force to separate the elevator from the pulley system before the cart can open, causing the piece of junk to free-fall to the ground floor. There will be no way to stop it. It will wreck the tower. Most of all, free-falling 18 floors will toast anyone, I guarantee it. Anyway, this is the best I got on such short notice, and it can work. Satisfied?"

The girl groaned at him. "Gee, that doesn't sound so bad. Well…Except the fact that she phases through walls! She'll just pop out, and it won't do anything. Useless!"

"You can't possibly think I didn't notice that, right? You need to do your math better. There's 18 floors, right? Think of it this way: Gravity is a bitch. If you'll go down, you'll go down fucking fast. That Raven-freak will have about four seconds tops, from the time of the explosion till the cart hits rock bottom. I'm not lying; it's actually less than four seconds, but I overestimate to cover my bases. Now, also realize there's no way Raven will be able to predict the explosion beforehand...It'll just happen. It'll take her completely by surprise, and if it's early enough in the morning, she might be groggy or sluggish due to sleep deprivation, hell if I know. In other words, you can add in a second or two of momentary shock before she even begins to come up with a counter-plan. The freefalling cart won't wait for her. The explosion might even give the elevator cart an extra push due to the impact of the blast, giving her even less time, fuck if I know. It's too complex to calculate...Err," he stopped, lost in thought. The boy appeared to be thinking about the actual calculations involved.

Gizmo blinked and then nervously cleared his throat before he started again. "uh…anyway, when you're freefalling, you won't have any way to orient yourself to your position in time or space. She might even rise up off the elevator, and momentary stall in the air due to the sudden change in momentum. So, consider she needs at least 2 or 3 seconds to figure out what the fuck is going on, come up with a plan, and then execute it. Now, as far as I know, that freak needs a clear ending point to teleport, otherwise, she risks danger. She could accidentally teleport into something solid and kill herself. If she's falling that fast from an elevator shaft, she'll have to choose very specific floors to land on. There's no way she'll be able to locate a specific floor and reach it safely in FOUR seconds. Or, in other words, the bitch has four seconds to collect her thoughts, reorient herself, calculate a clear ending point, and get out of the elevator. Dude…Four seconds is hardly enough time to say 'oh shit'."

"Are you sure that's how her powers work?"

"No. But it's the best plan I've got against those snotmunchers. Take it or leave it."

Jinx sighed. In all honesty, Jinx thought it sounded pretty good on paper. If nothing else, Gizmo presented his case in enough words that maybe he'll shut up if she accepted it. She shrugged, "Fuck it, it's as good as any plan. Even if it fails, it'll scare the shit outta those fools. It'll wreck their precious tower too. I'm in. But, I'm not so convinced Raven will be caught."

Gizmo shrugged, "It won't only work for Raven...Anyone who gets in that elevator and triggers the detonator will die."

Jinx momentarily paused, thinking through the implications. "Then…What's the estimated survival rate of each Titan?"

"If they go in together, it's too hard to calculate. There's no telling what those snots can come up with in a pinch. Too many variables; I won't fucking do it." Gizmo took a brief moment to think through several scenarios in his head, before he continued. "Assuming they go in it alone, Cyborg's scrap. What a bucket of crud. He's got nothing that can get him out. He can't fly. He's crud. Starfire would probably survive…she fucking flies and she's strong. I wouldn't doubt she just busts through the top. Robin may be able to find a way out. It would depend on if he's wearing his cruddy belt or not; I can't imagine anyone wearing that shit 24/7. But, he's probably dead, he'll have nothing to throw his birdarang at. Still, he would need to pop open the emergency door at the top in around two seconds, and then have it hook onto something in the last two seconds…he's probably doomed. We already discussed Raven. All that leaves is that green freak Beast Boy. He's too stupid to come up with anything worthwhile quick enough. He'll probably run around in circles to his death, if he can even circle once in such short time."

Gizmo frowned as he spoke his remaining prediction aloud. "None of them will survive impact. Their only chance of survival is to get the hell out, and I doubt any of those sludgeheads think quick enough to do it. Well, minus that alien girl. Again, she flies. Everyone else…we've got pretty good odds that they're done-for."

Jinx nodded. "Very well, I accept. Let's do this. Go get Mammoth, will you?"

Gizmo turned to leave her room, but he twisted his head and eyed the girl one last time. Her eyes seemed to shimmer, as if she had a ray of hope that good things were soon to follow. Gizmo suspected his own hell was a more likely future than their happiness, but he couldn't tell her that. "Crud…Jinx…are you sure you wanna go through with this? You can back out…"

"What? Are you nuts? You're sounding like a little girl. Grow some hair and man it up. It's time we start acting like real villains."

"But Jinx, this is serious. Once she's dead…she's gone forever. We've never killed anyone before. If we go through with this…there's no turnin' back…"

"Christ, you're like a broken record. I heard you the first ten times. Yes, dead is dead. I'll worry about the psychology behind murder later. Right now, there's ten thousand things more important. Now shut up and do your job." She hated sounding so crude, but their future as a team was at stake. If they took out Raven, then her team couldn't get locked in what seemed like a nearly perfect prison-system. Gizmo or Mammoth would be fucked if they got trapped—and hell, even she might not make it out another time. This was something they probably had to do. No. She knew it was something they had to do, in order to ensure their perpetual freedom.

Gizmo frowned. "Just think about it for a second. Do we really need to kill that freak? There's got to be a better way to stop them from imprisoning us…"

"I gave it all the thought I need. I've never been so sure of anything in my life! I want to see that girl die. " Jinx felt shocked to find the words slip out of her mouth numbly, like a foul liquid. It was difficult to form the words with her lips. She paused for a moment to recollect her composure and bite her bottom lip. Then, she continued to speak, yet this time with a lower tone in her voice, eyeing the floor. "Gizmo…This is our chance to make it big…Think about what it would mean to finally defeat the Titans. We'd be in. We'd actually be IN! Everyone will want us. We'll be rich; famous. We'll be the best." She wrapped her left arm around her back, and let her fingers lock around the inside of her right elbow. "This…is the turning point…After this, there is nothing but good fortune in our future. I can hardly wait. That girl's sacrifice is our glory; we'll never look back at this moment." Jinx forced a smile on her face to reassure her teammate.

"Think about it…it's not too late…" Gizmo repeated. "I won't blame you for turning back. Neither of us will. We don't care about being famous. We just want to relax and get free stuff…"

Jinx turned away from the boy, now glancing at the ceiling. "Do you know how long I've felt like a failure of a criminal? I was born with bad luck, and it follows me everywhere. This bad luck wouldn't let me do what I want, and I could never be any kind of success. You morons chose to be villains because you were lazy. I…I didn't get that choice. I just want a lucky break for once. I want to be successful at something, and villainy is the only shot I've got. I honestly think defeating the Titans will give us this chance to be the best. Just do this for me…and…I promise you won't regret it. Deal?"

"I know how you feel, Jinx, but there are better ways…"

"Gizmo, we both knew it was going to end this way when we signed up. We both knew the Titans had to go, but none of us wanted to admit it. And you know what? I like this plan. You did good. The elevator method isn't us killing her, it's her failing to save herself. There's a huge difference! It's not our fault if she dies. Just think of it this way: If a little thing like an elevator actually gets her, well, she had no right being alive in the first place. Remember, the strong survive, and the weak were too pathetic to live. Think of it as her trial to show how much she wants to live. HIVE Rule #101: No regrets. It's not my fault she was too weak to live."

Gizmo looked to the ground as he heaved a deep sigh. "Crud, you scare me sometimes. But whatever, you're not going to let me talk you out of it. I swore I'd follow ya' to the end, so let's get this over with."

Mammoth peaked his head out from the doorway of Jinx's room.

Gizmo turned to him, and asked, "Mammoth, are you ready?"

He nodded. "I am."

"Jinx?"

She nodded. "Roger."

"I guess it's better them than us, right?" Gizmo chuckled nervously to himself.

"Exactly. If we don't take Raven out now, we might find ourselves locked away in some psycho hole-in-the-ground jail for eternity. We can't possibly let that happen. It's not my fault we retaliated…this is all her fault. She probably laughed the whole time I was locked up, enjoying my suffering." Jinx paused, "Well, the tables have turned. Now, it's my turn to laugh at you. Goodbye, Raven…"

And then, Jinx was once again the commander of her team. Her henchmen followed. They listened. They did not complain. Neither of them continued to laugh at her recent failures and bad decisions. They no longer cared she had looked so pathetic not so long ago, pillow cases on her feet and bruises across her ego. Now, she was pretty, and her nail polish was perfect. Even after all of her faults in the past, the two boys who stood on either side of her and showed their fullest loyalty. She would never let them down. This is for my team, and for our future, she told herself. This has to be done. There are no other options…

Yes, it had to be done, even if she was sweating hard; even if she wasn't smiling anymore. Perhaps fear was irrational. Maybe she really was a good leader, even if she always seemed to fail.

An abrupt yet brief creak echoed throughout the metallic walls of Titans Tower. The hushed morning breeze spilled into the room, causing the relentless curtains to flail and claw away from the opened window. The walls groaned as the heavy winds slammed against the tower's foundation, adding to the unease that clung to the air. The low hum of the florescent lights buzzed from above, shining bright for all who cared to see. The sun had not yet risen, allowing the moon's light to trickle through the thrashing curtains.

Raven's eyes slowly pealed open. With the back of her right hand, she wiped a streak of drool from the corner of her lips. With hesitance, she sat up on the couch and looked blankly at her wet hand.

She tried to tilt her neck to the left, yet the sudden sore pain that rippled down her spine made her wince. Her poor posture while sleeping must have made her neck sore. Raven carefully crooked her neck as far as it would go without causing pain to look down at the book resting on the floor. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she observed the upturned spine. The pages beneath were probably bent.

The girl's face scrunched up in mild confusion. "I fell asleep?" Her soft voice filled the air.

She stretched her arms behind her back and raised them above her head. She yawned, before swinging her legs off the couch and onto the hard floor. The chilled carpet tingled beneath her bare toes as she stood up and stretched her pale legs.

Raven's eyebrow rose when she noticed the TV frozen, with the words 'PAUSE' written across the center of the screen. A silver controller lied on the couch opposite her own. She had a strange feeling the game had been in use only moments before. A slight blush grew across her face.

"Someone played video games while I slept?" She asked aloud, a twinge of irritation filling her voice. "Boys are so…inconsiderate." The person in question had not only refused to awake her, but he—it was far to unlikely for Starfire to be the culprit, given that she didn't know how to turn any of the game systems on without assistance—was only feet away from her slumbering body. He had been in the room, next to her. The thought in itself was embarrassing.

Had she been snoring? Was her mouth open wide? Was she talking in her sleep? Was she…drooling? Well, drooling when the culprit had been in the room? She couldn't know. She couldn't control how she had appeared, nor could the girl be sure she had been appropriately behaved.

The back of her hand still felt damp. It was impossible to know her exact mannerisms as she slept, and thus, could not control her own image. She could have farted, or sucked her thumb. Her hair could have been folded into an awkward position. She could have had a bad dream, and her emotions could have escaped her control. Perhaps her powers had caused something to shatter…and there was hardly anything more embarrassing than sleep-breaking. Even worse, Raven could have harmed or accidentally frighten the culprit. It was part of the reason why she never wanted people in her room. It wasn't safe. She was so…vulnerable…so, out of control, when she slept.

People should never watch me sleep.

Raven frowned, but pushed the thoughts out of her mind. There were more important matters to attend, and at the forefront of them was her current sleeping status. Raven considered going back to bed, as anyone tired enough to accidentally fall unconscious must surely require the rest…

Yet, the girl knew she wouldn't be able to sleep even if she tried. She was still tired, but her mind was now wandering and in further disarray than last night. She would need to head to her room and mediate on this new circumstance. She had never meant to sleep in the first place. The events of the last few days had kept her in a state of perpetual misery. She didn't have the time to sleep. She had so much to worry about—and that was even before this unexcused nap had cut into her duties. There was not enough time in the day, and not enough in the night, either.

It bugged her, though, that the sun had not yet began to rise. I only slept for a couple hours. Why did I wake up?

The feeling was peculiar. The question seemed so pertinent, and all else seemed meaningless. Why am I awake? Raven felt extremely…uncomfortable. It felt abnormal that her eyes were alert and awake. Her heart was beating faster than it should. She seemed to be sweating. Her fists clenched and her breathing was rapid. Her teeth were grinding and her muscles felt tensed. She seemed so filled with adrenaline. She was so… tense…

She froze in mid-step when the sound filled her ears. It was an explosion, akin to the sound of a large car slamming into a brick wall. Her heart stalled, and then pounded heavily against her chest. She heard a higher-pitched sound, similar to a low-vibration guitar string snapping, and then cracking like a whip against a hard surface. A loud screech, and then nothing. Silence. Deafening silence.

It was eerie how quiet it felt.

Before she could inhale, a shattering clash of metal pierced her eardrums. It was deafening, louder still than being next to an emergency siren of an ambulance. The whole tower shook. The grinding clatter of metal against metal seemed impossible to comprehend. The sounds were incomprehensible, but they hurt. They throbbed, and they were relentless. She raised her hands to cradle her eardrums.

The noise was gone before the tips of her fingers reached her ears and her eyes could clench shut to block out the painful, agonizing sound.

She was running.

She had phased through the door; passed into the hallway as the hum of steam filled her ears. In the faint distance, she could make out the hushed cries of a fire, possibly coming from somewhere below the tower. The thick smell of burning rubber was nauseating. She was now covering her mouth, trying to breathe.

She ran faster. She couldn't see down the darkened hallway, but the smell of lingering smoke made it clear she was headed in the right direction. Where the smoke seemed thickest, she turned and saw it.

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