"I thought I told you guys to leave me alone."

"You don't boss us around anymore, horse-face," spat a familiar voice.

Jinx turned around to face her old team. Gizmo looked down at her from his jetpack. In the streetlamp's harsh light, his snide smirk looked like a Cheshire cat's smile. Mammoth loomed behind him, arms crossed, while Kyd Wykkyd's red eyes gleamed from the shadows, looking bored. See-More hovered behind them. He wouldn't meet Jinx's eyes.

"I guess Billy wasn't the only one his clone released," she said.

"The butt-muck had pies for brains, but at least he's loyal," retorted Gizmo.

"He's an annoying twit and you know it."

"Yeah, but he knew his place! What made you so high and mighty, huh?" He sneered, his face flickering in and out of the streetlamp's beam. "What, couldn't resist Prince Charming sweeping you off your feet?"

See-More glanced up. Jinx met his eyes before he could look away. "I'm not," she said. "High and mighty. And I'm sorry I hurt you. We can all walk away right now. I'm not looking for a fight."

"But we are." Gizmo thrust out his hand. "H.I.V.E. Five, turn the tide!"

Mammoth charged headfirst with a roar—always one for subtlety—and Jinx flipped away—her eyes widening as an orb rushed towards her. Yellow—capture bubble. Mid-air, Jinx brought her hands together and pink light burst from her palms. She heard See-More groan, the bubble retracting when he winced.

Her feet barely touched the ground when a rush of air made her recoil. Kyd Wykkyd swiped at her, his ashen, expressionless face the only thing visible in the night. Only sheer luck and fast reflexes kept her from getting sliced. A flick of her hand, and he stumbled on his cape.

"Told you capes weren't prac—" Her words were cut off as thick arms squeezed around her waist, lifting her off the ground. Mammoth. She knew better than to fight back—he was too strong. She twisted her hand to reach her communicator, but Mammoths' grip tightened, and she gasped, her communicator clattering to the floor as pain flared in her ribs.

Gizmo cackled, rushing at her. Her eyes flashed.

"Whoa-whoa-whoa—" Sparks shot from his jetpack, and he screamed as he spiraled out of control, crashing into Mammoth. The pressure around her released, and she dropped to the ground. Her ribs ached as she sucked in oxygen, but she didn't have time to rest before she was getting shot at by See-More.

She leapt onto a nearby fire escape. "Your heart's not into it, See-More!" she shouted in between dodges. "And neither is mine! I don't want to fight you!"

But Gizmo was already recovering, and See-More's shots were soon joined by his blasters. She managed to be one jump ahead of them, but suddenly the ladder shook, and her footing slipped. She grabbed onto the railing, and looked down to see Mammoth shaking not just the ladder, but the building itself.

Pew!

She yelped, turning just in time to miss a blast to the head—then screamed when Kyd's face was suddenly an inch from hers. Her grip slipped.

One second she's plummeting through the air, and the next she's already on the ground, safe, body unbroken. For a second she thought the pain hadn't registered yet, but then she realized Kyd Wykkyd was blinking down at her, one arm around her back.

He'd caught her.

Fuck.

She mentally apologized, before slamming her hands on the ground. The pavement cracked as shockwaves rolled outwards, knocking everyone back. She took the moment's advantage to spring away—

"ACK!"

—pain blossomed in her back, and she was knocked to the ground. Before she could get up, See-More's yellow bubble encased her. She scowled, turning around to see Private HIVE's ugly mug smirking at her. He was more repulsive than she remembered.

He strutted up to her, and her eyes flashed again— "Ah, ah, ah!" He reached through a hole that appeared in the bubble, and clasped what looked like thick metal bangles onto her wrists; the pink light in her eyes died. "None of that now, ma'am." He turned to a grumbling Gizmo. "Your new toy worked like a charm."

"'Course it does, beeswax," he snapped, already tinkering on his broken jetpack. "Made it myself."

"Weren't you supposed to be training army brats?" spat Jinx. "Why're you with these idiots?" Pain still stung her body, but she ignored it as she stood up, crossing her arms. The last she heard of Private HIVE was almost a year ago, when the original Teen Titans fought him and the new supers he had trained. He was the reason all the branching Titan teams existed, Keystone included.

The Ugly Bee reattached his shield to his arm, not meeting her glare. "Unlike you, my loyalties lie with our commander." He started to stride away, but looked back just long enough to grin at her over his shoulder. "He'll be thrilled to see you."

T*T*T*T*T

Kid Flash was notorious for burning any food he touched, but the one thing he could rustle up was breakfast. Balancing a platter of eggs benedict, crispy hashbrowns, and drinks—a cup of orange juice for him and a mug of black coffee for her—he tucked the receipt in his pocket before rapping on Jinx's door.

"G'morning, Sunshine!"

He listened, but no reply. Strange… She wasn't with him when she woke up, so he figured she must've stayed in her room for the night, something she occasionally did when she wanted time for herself. He glanced at the time. It was early in the morning, but that shouldn't be a problem; she was the earliest riser of them all.

"Out in the doghouse?" Hot Spot smirked, passing by.

"Hey, have you seen Jinx around?"

He frowned, pausing. "No, I haven't. Everything okay?"

But Kid Flash didn't answer, already typing in the override code. Jinx was used to his bad habit of entering unannounced; he might get a riot act if he woke her up, but it'd be worth it once he sees her—

The door slid open. No one was there.

Kid Flash stepped inside, while Hot Spot said behind him, "You sure you should be doing this?" But the pyrokinetic's words seemed to come from far away as Kid Flash set down the platter, his eyes narrowed. The bed was tousled, unmade, and the window was open wide, the curtains rustling in the morning breeze.

"No signs of a struggle," the speedster muttered. "She could've gone for a stroll…"

Hot Spot pulled out his communicator, flipping it open. "GPS says she's right outside."

But Kid Flash's eyes had locked onto a small, black gadget on her nightstand. He grabbed it, and felt his heart drop. "This says otherwise." He showed the screen and its blinking red dot to Hot Spot. The dot was moving.

"Get Argent."

T*T*T*T*T

They kept her in the back seat of their van. She wished she'd been thrown in a trunk. At least then she could've kicked out the tail lights and have a shot at getting help—never should've taught them that. She kept her head down, but her eyes open and flicking between her old team members. Outside of Gizmo growing an inch or two, they looked the same as ever. It was almost surreal, as if no time had passed at all, and she was still part of the pack.

...Except now she was handcuffed to the back of the van and a new loudmouth was in charge.

It didn't take long to realize who had filled the pants since she left. Private HIVE had barked instructions on where to put her, ordering the team to hurry up and do their repairs in the van. And by the pulsing vein in Gizmo's temple, that was rubbing him in a worse way than she ever did.

"Hey, dimwits," she called out. "I need to use the toilet."

"No bathroom breaks," grunted Mammoth.

"C'mon, seriously? A girl's gotta go when a girl's gotta go. You don't want to clean up after me, do you?"

Mammoth squirmed in his seat. He certainly hadn't changed. "Boss, maybe—"

"Pipe down!" snapped Gizmo, looking up from his repairs to glare at Jinx. "How dumb do ya think we are?"

She smirked. "Pretty dumb if you're letting a nobody take charge when you've been here the longest."

"Hey, it's not like I had any choice in the matter!" Gizmo grumbled as he tinkered with his jetpack. "I kept telling him the guy had beeswax for brains, but does anybody listen to me?"

"Him?" she prompted.

Gizmo opened his mouth—then froze. He smirked at her. "Wouldn't you like to know, fart-breath? I know what you're doing, and it's not going to work."

Mammoth blinked at him. "What's she doing, Boss?"

Gizmo groaned, but turned back to his repair job.

Jinx turned her attention to See-More. If anyone looked like they had changed, he had. He had been quiet the whole time. Not a single laugh or joke. "What about you?" she asked. "Do you hate me, too?"

He blushed, but looked down. "No. I just...don't understand. We were a team. We counted on each other. Why'd you choose them over us?"

She felt a pang in her chest even as she shook her head. "I didn't. I chose me."

"Jinx…"

Kyd Wykkyd nudged him, shaking his head. See-More sighed and looked away. She couldn't help but sigh herself. This was getting her nowhere. She tried probing some more over the trip, but the only replies she got were vague monosyllables, and eventually Gizmo threatened to super glue her mouth shut if she didn't zip it.

When they had dragged her inside the van, she noticed the windows were tinted black, and inside, they were covered up by sheets so she couldn't see out. The only clue she had of their destination was the terrain. The roads were bumpy and their drive often slowed to a crawl, as if they were driving uphill.

She didn't know how long they drove, but it felt like hours. That could work to her advantage. Her team could catch up to her.

"We're here," Private HIVE finally announced. "Blind her."

Jinx struggled to get away as Mammoth sat up, grabbing a cloth bag from the floor. Gizmo chuckled while See-More didn't meet her eyes.

"Baran, don't," she said, using the "mom voice" that'd gotten her so much compliance and resentment from her old teammates before. To his credit, he looked abashed as he drew closer, holding the bag out.

"Sorry, Jinx, but...you kinda deserve it."

"Not helpf—" Her protests were muffled as her world was shrouded in black. Big hands—Mammoth's—led her out of the van. She stumbled, and he pulled her up firmly, but with surprising gentleness. They guided her through the darkness as they headed downwards, his hands on her upper arms to keep her from falling. The others' footsteps peeled off, but she could hear one pair following them—Private HIVE's, knowing her luck. Even through the bag, the air felt cold and damp, and she shivered. Were they underground?

After a few minutes, they stopped, and she heard the creaking of metal.

The bag was yanked from her head, and she was suddenly blinking into Private HIVE's disgusting yellow mug.

He jerked his head at an empty cell. "Get in." Anger boiled up in her, and she stayed rooted to the spot. "Mammoth," he snapped, warning.

"Sorry," the giant muttered, before shoving her inside. She landed in the cold dirt, the cell creaking closed behind her before she could get up.

"Ah, seems like I arrived just in time," an all-too familiar voice floated down, sending a chill along her spine.

"ATTENTION!" barked Private HIVE, saluting. He kicked Mammoth until he was saluting, too. Jinx felt the urge to hide in the corner of the cell, but she clenched her fists, forcing herself to stay rooted. A cloaked man floated towards them. Brother Blood.

He looked different than she remembered. His cybernetics were rebuilt, this time black instead of red. And...something else was off, too, but she couldn't tell what it was. His robes seemed to rustle, even when he wasn't moving.

"Headmaster." She spat out the title like rotten food.

He sneered at her. "The traitor returns home. How good of you."

She lifted her chin. She used to think he was her savior, teaching her how to control her powers, giving her a home. But now he held no more significance than an ex-boyfriend turning up on her doorstep. "If you want me to be your perfect teacher's pet again, you might as well give up now. I refuse."

He laughed, a controlled sound that echoed in the walls. "Oh, come now. As if you could refuse me if you tried." His eyes flashed red, and Jinx instinctively shuddered, looking away. His lips curled into a grin.

"No, I don't want you as my student. Far too late for that," he purred. "You're the sacrifice."

T*T*T*T*T

The Titans, plus Siren, followed the GPS to Mount Davis, the largest mountain in Pennsylvania.

"No complex there," muttered Hot Spot, parking the car at the base of the mountain.

"No, none at all," Argent muttered back.

Kid Flash ran up to them before they had even gotten out of the car. He had gone ahead with the tracker, never letting its target out of his sight. "I'm certain Jinx was in the van, but I couldn't see how many people were in there without getting seen. They took her to a base in the mountains." He nodded at Siren. "You were right: it's her old team. And another guy I didn't recognize. There were reinforcements as soon as they got out; too many to fight. They're all over the place."

"Who were their reinforcements?" asked Hot Spot.

"Cyclones."

"The same ones we have?"

"Yeah, but the original models. I sent pictures to Cyborg, and he said they're the work of some guy named Brother Blood."

"Who's he?" asked Argent.

"One of the big baddies they fought; a strong psychic. Known for brainwashing."

"Well, that sounds peachy," she said. "Can the Titans help us?"

Kid Flash shook his head. "They said they'll send help as soon as they can, but they have their hands full already—some type of outbreak in Jump—so the most they can do is send advice. None of the other Honorary Titans are nearby or available, either." He was frowning even as he talked, his eyes restless and his hands jittery.

Argent put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll get her back, Kid."

"And my sister," scowled Siren.

Kid Flash opened his mouth, but stopped when the GPS beeped. His face paled as he stared down at the screen.

"What? What is it?"

Silent, he showed them the screen. The red dot was gone.

Hot Spot grabbed the speedster before he could even think of charging in.

"Don't do something stupid," he ordered, holding him to the spot. "If this Brother Blood really is psychic, the last thing we need is to get brainwashed and waste even more time fighting each other."

"He's right," Argent said. "We need a plan."

Kid Flash tensed. He knew he could just vibrate out of Hot Spot's grip, but...they had a point. They had to fight smarter, not harder. "Didn't think you were the hugger," he said to Hot Spot. The joke sounded flat even to his ears, but Hot Spot rolled his eyes, and let him go. Kid Flash flipped open his communicator.

"What are you doing now?" Siren asked.

"Getting an expert's opinion."

T*T*T*T*T

"Sacrifice?" Jinx repeated, suddenly numb.

"Yes." Brother Blood paced outside her cell. "You'll make a lovely offering for my new master. Once your blood has been split, Lord Trigon will rise again."

Mammoth started. "Boss—"

"Quiet." Brother Blood's eyes flared as he whipped towards him. Mammoth's eyes flashed red, and he straightened, silenced. Jinx's heart pounded against her chest. She had thought her biggest worry was getting caught, not killed. What if her teammates didn't find her in time? What if he actually revived Trigon?!

"You're mad."

"I prefer eccentric." He curled his fingers, and she flew forward, slamming into the bars. His hand reached through the cell and gripped her hair, yanking her head back until his eyes were staring into hers.

"Ah, you were always a clever one, weren't you?"

The tracker she'd hid in her shoe floated up to his open palm. He smashed it, then let the crumbles fall to the floor. "But not clever enough." He let go, and she dropped to the ground. "To have joined those riffraff. Tsk, tsk. I thought I raised you better." He sighed. "Ah, well, that's gratitude for you."

"And what do you think Trigon will give you?" Jinx snapped, getting up. "Why do you want him, anyways? He turned this whole planet into stone!"

"He saw the weakness of this world and sought to purge it."

Jinx scoffed. "Sounds like your latest obsession. First cybernetics, now this."

"Cybernetics are weak," he hissed. "So is flesh. But demons…. When I heard the tales of what Raven could do, I knew I had been chasing the wrong goal all along."

"Then why aren't you after her?"

"I have wasted enough time with those fools. She may have defeated her father once, but with the power of a god and my loyal students by my side, she will fall. The Brotherhood of Evil were almost successful at uniting the villains, but whereas they took in anyone who so much as stole a lollipop, I will train my disciples from scratch. But first things first: Trigon must be reawakened." His eyes glinted. "And that requires the blood of demonspawn."

Jinx swallowed, taking a step back. "Kyd Wykkyd is part-demon, too. He was here before I was."

"Yes, but he isn't a traitor," he seethed. "I want to make an example for my disciples of what will happen to those who betray me." His thin lips stretched into a smile. "Although, I will admit, choosing you was partly a personal choice. For I wish the last sight my mortal eyes to see is your broken body burning to ash."

T*T*T*T*T

"Are you sure this'll beat the Cyclones' sensors?" Kid Flash asked, as he and Hot Spot made the final touches to their holo-rings. The speedster had run to the Tower and back to collect them in a blink of an eye, but he was still fidgeting in the seconds it took for Cyborg to reply.

"If you follow my instructions, they'll work like a charm. Just—" he broke off as the building he was using for cover shook. "YO, WATCH THE PROPERTY DAMAGE!" He turned around to fire a sonic beam, before addressing them again. "Just remember, the rings' new signature will fool cameras and the Cyclones' sensors, but Brother Blood's smart. You can't just zip around as a Cyclone at the speed of sound without catching attention." He looked pointedly at Kid Flash. "And whatever you do, don't get hypnotized. We'll check back in twenty-four hours. Sorry I can't be of more help." He ducked as the building shook again; this time crumbling. "Ooh, that's not good. Gotta go!"

The call cut off in the middle of his battle cry.

Kid Flash closed the lid. "That's it. Stay hidden until we break out Jinx and Nixie, and then we'll take down Brother Blood."

"Better than most plans you have," grumbled Hot Spot. "Not that that's saying much."

Kid Flash ignored him as he passed out the rings, hesitating just a moment before giving Jinx's to Siren. They slipped them on, and instantly their forms were covered by the Cyclone holograms.

"Space ourselves so we don't stand out," Kid Flash instructed. "We'll probably have to split up, so if anything happens, use your communicator. Hot Spot and Argent, go together. Siren, you're with me."

The others followed behind him as they entered the cave. They seemed to collectively hold their breaths as they passed their first Cyclone. It eerily resembled their friend, and yet their eyes were hollow. The robot didn't move its head as they passed, but its eyes glinted, and their breaths only released when it moved along without any reaction. Kid Flash glanced at the ceilings. The red dots of cameras blinked at them.

At the first fork in the road, they broke off into pairs without a word. Kid Flash and Siren passed by mainly Cyclones and a few supers, ones that he didn't recognize. Looked like Brother Blood had friends.

They came down a hallway with multiple doors along its sides. They waited until they were alone before checking the doors. Most were locked—a quick phase in and out from Kid Flash fixed that—but none of them held what they were looking for. At the end of the hall, they found a door with a plaque that read: LABORATORY. Finally, something promising. But it was locked with a keypad.

They'd already gone through this routine enough times that Siren knew to keep guard as the speedster's body vibrated until his outline was just a blur, before phasing through the door. The room was dimly lit. Splashing sounds came from the back, and a camera blinked in the corner of the ceiling. He ran up the wall and tilted the camera away. That would buy them a little time.

With his eyes adjusted to the dark, he could make out something in the tank: a girl, smaller than Siren, with the same black hair that looked like ink in water. Her hands were tied behind her back, and some type of metal gag covered her mouth. She banged on the glass with her shoulder, her large, bottomless jet eyes pleading as she looked at him.

"Don't worry, we'll get you out." He raced to the door, opening it.

Siren instantly spotted the tank. "Nixie!"

She ran towards her, then threw out her hands, before yanking them back. The tank rumbled. Then, suddenly, the glass shattered and water gushed out, carrying the girl with it.

"Nixie!" Siren hugged her, murmuring in an unfamiliar language, while Kid Flash untied her hands. The rope fell away easily enough, but the gag was a strange metal device, with buttons at the back. Locked by a code? Not that that could stop him. Kid Flash vibrated his hand and reached through the device, careful not to touch the girl, before yanking back. The material flew apart at the same time the alarm blared.

"Oh-oh," he said, red light saturating the room. "That's not good."

Immediately, his communicator buzzed. He opened it, and Hot Spot growled, "What'd you do?"

T*T*T*T*T

Jinx jumped back when the cave was suddenly flooded with red light.

Brother Blood smiled. "Ah, it seems your friends have arrived. Right on time. Sit tight. I'll go and give them a proper greeting."

He turned away, Private HIVE and Mammoth following his heels. The door echoed as it slammed shut. Jinx swore. This was bad. She had counted on her friends coming after her—that was textbook hero stuff—but they didn't know that Brother Blood had no qualms about killing someone, or about his plans to summon a god. They were in over their heads!

She couldn't just sit here and wait for them to join her on the death march. She took in her surroundings. Metal bars, of course. Cameras were posted alongside the cave's ceiling. She could've exploded those in an instant if the metal bangles on her wrists didn't inhibit her powers. Level Two containment, by the looks of it. Jinx felt insulted. She may not be able to phase through solid material like Kid Flash, but she'd hoped for a Level Four, at least. Then again, Brother Blood was always a narcissist.

A quick search of her cell revealed there were no built-in weaknesses, no dent or even rust she could exploit. The floor was earth—if she had her powers, she could try and disrupt the dirt around the bars to compromise them, but it'd take too long. The lock on her cell was pristine metal, too. No electronic locks, interestingly. Blood probably knew she could've fritzed those in a second.

She sighed. Oh, well. Guess she had to go the old-fashioned route. They might've bound her powers, but not her hands. She took two bobby pins from her hair, bending one in half and straightening the other. She inserted them into the lock of the metal bangles. Advanced lock, of course. She was still a little rusty, and the bangles didn't allow for an easy range of motion, but the muscle memory came back quick. A few broken bobby pins and a quick hex later, and the lock sprang open.

Jinx grinned. Still had it. Discarding the bangles, she made quick work of the cell's door.

She took a step outside—and heard a clang by the entrance. Jinx quickly pressed herself against the wall outside the cage. The door opened, and a shadow fell over the floor. Jinx leapt out, hexes flying.

"Aargh!" A heavy, solid crash to the floor. Mammoth.

"You deserve that," she spat, turning on her heel, her eyes flaring with light at the next movement.

"Wait, wait, fart-breath!" Gizmo threw up his hands. He was wearing his jetpack, but he wasn't using it yet, standing on his own two legs. Behind him were Kyd Wykkyd and See-More.

"Why should I?" she growled, pink light sparking from her fingertips.

"'Cause we're trying to break you out!" the boy hissed. Kyd Wykkyd nodded eagerly. She glanced at See-More.

"He's telling the truth," he said.

"Why would you break me out? I thought you all hated me."

"We do," spat Gizmo. "But we thought the old geezer was going to punish you, maybe convert you, but not kill you! We aren't dumb enough to stiff a hero! We break the law, they try to catch us, and the day's done! But kill a hero, and the goody-two-shoes would never give us a break again."

Jinx frowned. That was the general consensus the Academy had taught them. Look after yourself first and wreak havoc as much as you like, but unless you want a target on your back for every superhero to hunt down for the rest of your life, don't kill.

But Jinx didn't lower her hands. "How'd I know you're not just Blood's brainwashed meat sacks?"

Gizmo snorted. "As if I'd let myself get brainwashed again after Mother Mae-Eye." Everyone shuddered. "After that, I worked on how to stop brainwashing, the old man's included." He tapped his temple. "Contact lenses. We're all wearing them. ...Except Captain Beeswax and his drones. They're turds, anyways."

See-More chuckled. "Gizmo had to make an extra special one for me."

Jinx frowned, but lowered her hands, the light in her eyes fading. "You sure they work?"

"Been wearing them for months. They flash red whenever Blood does his thing. Then all we have to do is play zombie until he leaves. His breeches are so big, he doesn't even think to doubt it."

She quirked an eyebrow. "And that little ditty about raising a demon lord?"

"...Yeah, we didn't know about that," admitted See-More. "He's been...off lately."

"Gee, what gave it away? Him starting a cult or needing a human sacrifice?"

See-More flushed. "Mammoth told us about that as soon as he heard."

Jinx eyed the giant. He was still knocked out on the floor, snoring loudly. He always was a heavy sleeper…. "Fine." She sighed, lowering her hands. She nudged Mammoth with the toe of her boot. "Get up, you big knuckle-head. We have work to do."

Mammoth grumbled, before stirring. He rubbed his head, blinking at her. "You're back?"

She smirked. "Temporarily."

"Put this on." Gizmo shoved a pair of contacts and a ring at her. She put on the contacts, then looked at the ring. It was of a different build than the holo-ring she was used to, but wasn't surprised when she slipped it on and a Cyclone's visage fell over her. She stuck out her tongue. Why did reminders of Cyborg keep popping up? "Got that when your tin can ex decided to crash the Academy," wheedled Gizmo.

Jinx was tempted to crash him into the wall, but she reminded herself he'd have to be on the waitlist. "C'mon, we should hurry before Blood finds us."

Kyd Wykkyd passed his cape over the door and peeked through the created black portal. He waved them the all-clear, and they followed him out. "Why'd you stay with Blood in the first place if you're not forced to?" she asked.

"Place to lie low," See-More said.

"Resources," Gizmo said.

"Food," Mammoth said.

Kyd Wykkyd nodded in agreement, although to which one in particular, she didn't know. She rolled her eyes regardless. "Simple needs," she muttered. The alarm had gone off awhile ago, but they hadn't crossed paths with any Cyclones. "Do you know where my team is?"

See-More shook his head. "My guess is they probably found that mermaid girl. Blood could be there now."

"Why'd he want her, anyways?"

"For her power, obviously," snarked Gizmo. "He's a textbook megalomaniac. He wants to be the only one who can brainwash others."

Ah, so Siren and her sister did share the same power. Before Jinx could reply, they turned the corner and came face-to-face with the devil himself. "Where were you?" he snapped, glaring at her old teammates without sparing a glance at her. Her disguise. Jinx kept walking, trying to make her movements stiff and robotic.

"We were checking on the prisoner, Headmaster," said Gizmo flatly, for once his voice devoid of any sarcasm or impudence. So that's what he sounded like when he wasn't being a royal pain. "We heard a disturbance."

"And all four of you were needed for that?" he seethed. "You did not think apprehending the Titans was a more pressing issue?

"We thought you and your other students could handle them, Boss," said Mammoth.

"And handled them we did," said Brother Blood.

Jinx held back a gasp, her step stuttering. She was almost at the end of the hallway.

"As you were."

The others hurried forward, and Jinx struggled not to break out into a run. ZHEEEE—! She yelped as her ring sparked with electricity, the illusion shattering before she yanked it off.

"Did you truly think you could fool me with that parlor trick?"

Jinx spun around. Brother Blood was seething at her. As she watched, his body seemed to swell, taking up most of the hallway as he charged at them.

"Now!" Gizmo screamed.