Book I: Chapter X
They watched the tower from afar, like eager children awaiting fireworks. Eyes fixated, little fingers curled around metal railings; Mammoth began his second set of seventy push-ups to burn his excess unease. Jinx and Gizmo waited on baited breath, never letting their eyes wander too far from their target. They couldn't afford to miss it.
Titan's Tower poked out from the city horizon, itself the tallest building in any direction. Crisp yellow lights emanated from its windows, clashing against the darkest sky of the morning's dawn. The top of the tower looked abnormally dark: surreal, and yet serene. The water was calm around the Titan's island, rocking little and lightly, barely sloshing against the rocky shore. The HIVE FIVE trio waited on the roof above the second largest building in Jump City, far away from nosey eyes and security cameras. Front row seats.
The time spilled: slow, awkward. Not a sound. Not a sign of movement. Her shoulders began to slouch.
"I can't believe that actually worked!" Jinx's voice hollered out in mock exasperation. She waved her arms with emphasis. "All this waiting, and nothing! Nada! I thought you said Raven was routined."
Gizmo's mouth twisted into a frown. "Hey! I told you it was a crap plan. It only had a small chance of happening tonight. Don't get mad at me!" He groaned. "Either way, who cares if it happens now or later? That tower's toast no matter what. Our explosives won't disappear. Fuck if I know when those snots will get a sudden urge for fresh air. But when they do, they'll get blasted."
"I suppose you're right. But…" Her eyes softened, "It's no fun if we miss it, you know? I wanted to watch their precious tower ignite in flames." She paused for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. "You know what we're missing? Popcorn."
"And hotdogs," Mammoth added with a grunt.
"Why does it always have to be meat?" Jinx groaned. "Why can't it be ice cream? Or cakes? Or brownies?"
Mammoth shook his head in between his forty-seventh push-up. "You can't eat ice cream during a movie."
Her eyebrow rose. "Why not?"
"Duh!" Shouted Gizmo. "It would melt all over the place! It would be too dark to see where the cruddy thing melted. Too much of a mess. Definitely gotta go with hotdogs."
"Too messy?" She questioned them, "That's why you eat it out of a bowl!"
Mammoth grunted again. "No cone? Not worth it."
"Whatever," Jinx sighed and rolled her eyes at her muscular companion. "You wouldn't know good taste if it hit y…"
The sound was faint, but distinct. Like a gunshot, the powdery noise echoed across alley-walls before reaching eager ears. The girl's eyes widened and she pivoted her head to glimpse a view. Titan's Tower remained as still as the mellow water surrounding it for the briefest second, before a cloud of jet black smoke jutted from its rooftop. Like a tea kettle, the smoke shot out in a narrow stream, before growing wider, and dissipating into the air. A sharp red light began to glow from within the windows of the Tower's ground floor.
Jinx stood silent, her fists clenched and shaking. "Oh my god, Gizmo, you're a genius!" She exclaimed. "I can't believe that actually worked! It's so pretty!" She was at a sudden loss for words, as the red grew brighter, and the smoke grew darker. The girl ogled the lightshow for a few minutes. The boys looked with silent reverence. A conflicting sentiment of satisfaction and apprehension filled them all.
The rising sun peaked out from beyond blackened clouds, bringing color to the city's skyline. The fading sunrise caught Jinx's eyes, and she quickly gained her composure. "Time for phase two," She commanded. "Guys, we cannot lose this opportunity! I…didn't think this plan would work," The girl glanced back at the burning tower. "I was wrong. However, we're not finished yet! We can win so much ground if we take control of the situation!"
"What did you have in mind, Jinx?" Asked Gizmo.
"Well, we need to keep them guessing, as well as improve our own information. We gotta see if Raven exploded. And, if possible, we should make them fear our name, too! You know, rub our superiority into their faces."
Mammoth stood up straight, with focus more on the tower than his companions. His deep voice cut in, "How will we do that?"
"We gotta play it safe," Responded Jinx. "It is paramount that we time our next move just right. Not too soon, or too late. Too soon, and they think we choreographed the attack. But too late, and we lose a valuable opportunity to psychologically ruin their confidence! We need to execute our next plan before the Titans can recover from that bitch's death."
Gizmo groaned, "And? We do that how…?"
"Well…I…haven't got that far," She shrugged. "I'll let you know when I have a plan."
Jinx watched her two henchmen for a moment, before glancing away. "You both did a great job. You know that, right? I still need some time to think. So...I'll give you guys the day off. Have a boy's night out, or whatever it is you two do when I'm gone. Just, stay out of trouble, and return here by 5 pm for further instruction. Deal?"
The boys nodded.
Jinx couldn't keep her eyes off the smoldering tower. The smoke symbolized perhaps their first major success against the Titans. A plan of theirs actually worked out, and even better, none of them were being chased for it. Perhaps she felt so much satisfaction because, for the first time in her entire life, she could imagine the impenetrable tower crumbling into dust. She could see Robin bowing before her feet, begging for mercy. She could actually imagine a future where she was a success, and not a continual failure.
"Gizmo really did it..." Her voice seemed abnormally withdrawn, "And I couldn't even think up something myself. Some leader I am..."
Her eyes strayed to the remainder of the city, perfectly casual, perfectly unaware of the impending news. How might they react, knowing that a precious Titan had been killed? Would fear grip them all, or would they bite back and chastise their heroes for being too weak?
"Well, my role isn't finished yet; I can still prove myself by coming up with a plan that will ruin the Titans further. And..." She muttered with reluctance, "I suppose I should reward Gizmo. Treat him to something nice. We all deserve a bit of a celebration. I'd be one shitty leader if I didn't give praise where it's due. Besides...I'm way too hard on him..."
She paused, tracing the metal railing with her fingers. "It's not his fault I make so many mistakes."
They sat innocently on a mall bench, about three department stores away from a large escalator. The behemoth escalator technology had been built to take passengers from the first floor of the mall, up to the third floor in a minute's time. It was the staple of Jump City's mall, wherein a significant number of passengers always seemed to make use of its faster pace than the elevator equivalent half the store away.
"A bit of a safety hazard, eh?" Gizmo asked Mammoth. "You'd think the cruddy owners of this shitty place would worry about the safety of their customers."
Mammoth shrugged, "You can back out if you want. Maybe there's some things you just can't figure out how to do."
Gizmo chuckled, and pressed a couple buttons on the mini-computer resting on his lap. "Just watch this," He muttered.
About twenty civilians stood on the moving escalator, waiting to reach the third floor. A few in grouped clusters, chatting with each other; a few isolated and alone, with a step or two of breathing room. They all waited with poise, faithfully welcoming their nearing destination. Seconds later, the escalator came to a complete stop. Curious faces looked to one another; some raised questions. Those nearest the front of the frozen technology began to climb the remaining steps on their own to reach the third floor. Like a caterpillar's legs, those in behind began to follow closely after. But, after only three had the luxury of leaving the escalator, Gizmo tapped another key on his laptop.
The escalator began to slowly move in the reverse direction, and then faster, until it was as fast as it was going in the original direction. The people began to panic, and those in front began to run up the moving elevator to reach the third floor. Others lost their balance, and fell. Gizmo looked away, no longer interested in the results of his chaos. "Crud people are stupid." He frowned. "Hive mentality—and not even the good kind."
The two HIVE members got up from the bench and walked out of the mall.
Gizmo continued, "All because some cruddy idiots tried to beat the speed of the reversed escalator. Everyone's too busy trying to save precious time. Some push each other, while others follow the person in front of them blindly. None of them bother with the smart choice! Face the opposite direction and wait to get off! What a load of crud. I mean, come on! It's no different than a regular escalator moving in the opposite direction! And yet, all it takes is one cruddy mess up. One person tripping or falling clogs the bottom of the escalator. Then, it keeps dumping more and more people onto that bottom floor. People have nowhere to go, but on top of the snots who fell. This causes trampling and injury."
Mammoth grunted, "You don't sound like you're having fun. You're lucky Jinx ain't here. She'd call you soft."
Gizmo shrugged, "I'm not soft. Pain is part of the job. Just...I don't see why we have to be violent when unprovoked, you know? If we're provoked, sure, we gotta defend ourselves. But otherwise, we don't get anything from harmin' others. This ain't a cruddy video game, ya' know? There's no gold coins for squishin' people's heads, or zapping them with fireballs. I'm in it for the gold, the freedom, and the thrill, not the higher criminal charges."
"She'd still call you soft." Mammoth teased, "Anyway, you were right. You win. Escalators are easy to hack."
"Too easy," The boy shrugged. "I hate it when things are too easy."
"Fine." Mammoth grinned, "Bet'cha can't get us five free pizzas. But you can't sneak in and steal 'em, nor can you use delivery. You gotta outsmart 'em."
"You're on."
Video games, pizza, and a few harmless pranks. It was a normal day of relaxation and not a Jinx to bother them.
It was nearing 5 pm when the two of them returned to the roof and found her waiting. Titan's Tower looked blacker than normal, singed and stained with defeat.
Gizmo was the first to speak. "Come up with anything?"
"Of course," She crossed her arms.
"…And?"
Jinx cleared her throat. "The purpose of our attack is threefold. First, we want to shock them. Make them realize their plan to keep me locked up failed. Absolutely crush any sense of accomplishment those stupid Titans might have had. I want them to learn firsthand: they failed, and I want them to see their failure by witnessing my smiling face. Second, we need to ensure that Raven got killed in this attack. If we see Raven…we'll know we failed. If we don't see Raven—well, my grin will be that much better. Third, we need to hide the fact that we were responsible for the attack. Only outright fools would approach the Titans so soon after directly attacking them. With how many possible culprits there are, the smart move would be to hide; coming out now would only draw attention. If we act the right part, we'll be so painfully out of place, they'll assume we are clueless of this attack." Jinx groaned, "Hell, they might think we were set up…a second time. Remember the bank scenario? We can use this. Robin is conditioned to think we're just being...our pathetic selves." Jinx spat those last words.
"Jeez, and you get mad at me for being longwinded! Just skip to the plan part!" Whined Gizmo.
"Okay, okay. Fine. As soon as we're done here, I want you and Mammoth to go back to that very fucking bank we were at several days ago. This time, go nuts. Break the doors, steal all the gold you can. Just wreck havoc. I don't really care what you do, so long as you draw massive attention. As soon as the Titans show up, you two take 'em on. I'll make my flashy entrance later. Under no circumstances should either of you do anything risky. Highest priority is safety; don't get caught. We can't afford a potential 'take-2' of my own experiences. That jail will fuck you." Her eyes narrowed. "Do you understand? You don't get caught. You don't go to jail. You don't fail. If the plan goes to shit, we all bolt. Deal?"
The boys nodded.
"Now with that out of the way…" Jinx grinned. "That was spectacular, Gizmo! I've never seen anything so pretty. Hell, the tower is still smoking, even now! I can't believe it! Something we did really worked!"
"I wonder if it really worked though," Muttered Gizmo with a bit of resentment.
"You mean Raven? Well…" She hesitantly paused. "I don't really care anymore. Just seeing their tower burn was enough for me. If we can keep up this caliber of attacks on them, we might really start moving up. Deal a blow to the Titans every few weeks—keep 'em guessing, and abused, and defeated. We could become renowned!"
Gizmo sighed. "...Really, I don't think we should be celebrating quite yet. If Raven didn't die, and they really have those prisons you were talking about...we're crud."
"Gizmo, quit being a pussy!" She exclaimed. "They have no way of knowing it was us, and even if they did, Raven's gone. We just watched it. You said it yourself, she's the only one who would get in that elevator."
"Yeah, but...if she did escape, we're so screwed."
Jinx frowned. "Come on, Gizmo. Give yourself a little bit of credit. You did something amazing! You're always like that, too. You have no concept of how valuable you are to the team."
"Amazing?" The boy snorted. "You're joking, right? Just the other day, you were calling me an asshole."
Jinx shrugged, "Well, you can be a bit of both, can't you? But…" She began to stammer, and a slight blush came across her face, "Maybe I'm…a bit…too hard on you sometimes. Maybe I owe it to my team to reword good behavior."
"...I'm not a dog," He muttered.
"Well, no, but you can still take credit where credit is due. So, yeah, that's what I'll do. What do you want as a reward? Name it, and I'll make it happen."
The small boy shrugged. "I don't want any crud. I can steal anything I want. And what I can't steal, I can build."
She groaned, "Come on, there's got to be something! I just want to keep you motivated and interested in doing good work."
"I could care less."
She shrugged, "You sure? I won't offer again."
The boy paused for a moment, chewing on his thumb. "Well, actually...speaking of dogs...that'd be pretty sick."
Jinx's eyebrow rose, "What do you mean?"
"Well...I've been wanting a dog for a while now. Never really had the chance to own one." Gizmo stated.
Her eyes narrowed, "But we don't need one of those dirty animals. It wouldn't benefit the team."
"I didn't know I could only ask for something that benefited the team. I've just always wanted a dog. They seem pretty cool."
"Why?" A frown grew on her face, "He'll only get in the way. At least a cat would be self-sufficient...and silent..."
Gizmo frowned, "Screw cats, they creep me out."
"Besides..." The girl chewed on the inside of her left cheek, "A dog won't help us commit crimes. He'll shit everywhere. We'll have to feed him…"
"I don't care. I don't want him to fight and dogs are easy to take care of. You think I couldn't train a dog? It's cake."
"Dammit Gizmo," Jinx shook her head, "We can't seriously keep a dog in a secret hideout! Let me say that again. Our secret hideout! He'll bark! Our cashier will be like: '...the fuck? A dog?' It'll blow our cover! We can't take him on walks while we're in hiding! There's just no way…"
The boy shrugged, "Well, you did say I could have anything."
"Yeah...but..."
Gizmo turned his back on her. "As I said. I don't need you to do anything for me. I'm not on this team for such a shallow reason. Forget I mentioned it."
"...But..."
"It's whatever, I really don't care anymore." Gizmo looked to Mammoth, "I'm going to get pizza; you in Mammoth?"
"...Fine! Fine!" She stomped her foot. "We'll get a dumb dog. What kind do you want?"
Gizmo's eyes narrowed. "...Get something you won't hate."
Her frown deepened at the word 'Get'. "You're joking, right? Seriously, what type of dog do you want?"
"It's up to you," Gizmo muttered before he left the roof.
"...But...But..." She stammered, "I don't want a dog!"
Jinx sighed in defeat. "Fine. I'll find something. Something that doesn't smell."
Jeez...why do I put up with this kind of thing...
"Sir, it seems there's speculation that the prisoner may have escaped..."
His eyes narrowed, "Yes, yes. I'm quite aware..."
"Really? How so, Sir?"
"Information travels fast. It's nothing to worry about."
"But Sir, she's a dangerous criminal..."
"That is true; she is. But, good news always follows bad news. Something good has come of this."
"Sir?"
"As I said, it's nothing to concern yourself. I'll handle it. As always, good work. Carry on."
"Yes, sir. I just hope she doesn't cause any more harm..."
Author's Note: I apologize for the delay! I'll try to update more frequently. Thanks for reading!