Hudson Chasm, Jump City, Years Ago
"There it is, Dean-O. Hudson Chasm. Just begging for an aspiring daredevil to jump her. There's been a dozen mooks who tried and failed but your Pop is gonna be the first."
Young Dean James simply gazed up adoringly at his father, enraptured by the stories and dreams he would tell him about whenever he had a chance. If there was one thing he knew in life, it was that his Daddy always came through with his promises.
"One day, I'm gonna make that jump, kid." His father said, pointing as he gazed wistfully at the ridge. Drawing his son closer to his side, he asked, "You coming with me?"
"Yeah." Dean smiled softly.
"I can't hear ya, boy!" His father jested.
"YEAH!" The boy shouted with gleeful fervor, his voice echoing throughout the ravine.
Laughing, his dad mussed up his hair before leading him back to the car. "That's my boy. Now let's get home before your Momma catches us out here."
Now
"Dean, it's John. We haven't heard from you in a while. We're getting a little worried, man. Listen…the prototype's gone missing…you wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"
Message Deleted.
"Look, James, I've tried to give you time. But time's up. You got 48 hours to pack up your stuff and clear out. I've gotta give the apartment to someone else."
Message Deleted
"Dean, it's me. I know we haven't spoken in a while but the kids are asking about you. Speaking of, I'm still waiting on those child support checks…"
Message Deleted
Finishing up the last piece of welding and spray-painting some flames on, Dean stepped back to admire his work. It was time for a test drive.
I'm ready, Pops.
Jump City Park
"Ready, Star?" Robin asked his friend with a challenging eyebrow.
"I am ready, Robin." Starfire said seriously, eyes narrowed.
"Here it comes!" The Boy Wonder cried as he threw his projectile in the air and spiked it in her direction.
With a defiant roar, Starfire wound back and unleashed her full might on the poor white object.
With a loud pop, the volleyball was annihilated and shred into fragments.
"Uh, nice hit, Star." Robin chuckled. "But next time, use less force. The point of volleyball is to hit the ball back over the net until one of us drops it, remember?"
The girl sheepishly glanced at the ground. "Ah, yes. Apologies, Robin. I must remember to…'push my punches'?" She finished questioningly.
"Pull your punches." Robin chimed in helpfully.
"Yes."
"No biggie." The boy shrugged. "How about we try frisbee instead? That game requires a lot less force."
"Shall we ask the others to join us?" The alien girl questioned.
"I don't see why not." The masked teen smiled easily. "I'm not sure where Cyborg got off to but it looks like Raven is in need of rescuing."
…
"Garfield, for the last time…I am not leaving the comfortable coolness of the shade under this tree to play some inane game with you."
"Aw, c'mon, Rae-Rae—" He was cut off by a fierce growl from the empath. "Raven." He quickly amended. "I'm telling you, one game of frisbee will change your life. All you have to do is throw it. You don't even have to go fetch. I've got that part covered."
To prove his point, he morphed into a green Labrador and retrieved the frisbee from its place on the ground and dropped it on her lap, panting and wagging his tail cutely while giving her his best puppy-dog expression.
Raven didn't appear impressed and wrinkled her nose at the dog drool that was getting on her new book. "I said no." She emphasized, shaking her book free of saliva.
His ears dropped in response before he morphed back into human form, still looking sullen. "Are you completely against the idea of having fun?"
Her eyes flashed with growing irritation as she struggled to call on any meditation exercises that would help her. "I'm completely against the idea of leaving the nice cool shade and my exciting new book to play tisbee with you."
"Frisbee." He laughed.
"Whatever." She huffed, hiding her flustered expression behind the spine of her book.
"Hey, Gar!" Robin called out from behind them. "Are you still using that frisbee?"
Casting a glance back at the Titans' resident buzzkill, he muttered, "I guess not." Picking it up, he tossed the frisbee to the Boy Wonder who caught it one-handed before nodding at Starfire to follow him into an open field.
Motioning for him to wait, Starfire floated over to Beast Boy and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Garfield, would you like to join us?"
"Yes, I would." Garfield brightened, happy to be wanted.
Flashing a winning smile in response, Starfire turned to Raven. "Raven, would you like to participate as well?"
"Ugh, don't bother." Garfield cut in before she could even reply. "That wet blanket can't even spell the word 'fun'."
With that, the changeling walked off to join Robin.
Starfire gave a melancholy glance to the silently stewing empath. "Are you all right, friend?"
"I will be." The girl replied, without looking up. "I think I might be able to recover some of my brain cells now that that idiot's at least 10 feet away."
Starfire barked out a dry laugh at that, shaking her head at her friends' discord, before flying over to join Robin and Beast Boy.
"Garfield." Starfire called as they began tossing the frisbee. "Do you know where Victor has gone?"
"I think I saw him trying to join some guys for a pickup game."
"What are they picking up?" Starfire asked, puzzled.
"A basketball." He supplied.
"What is a basketball?"
"We can play that next." Robin assured her.
….
"Okay, check up!"
Following Victor's command, the young man passed him the ball and he swiped it out of the air easily before crouching and observing the scenario.
Three guys were blocking his path to the hole. Two of his teammates would be able to defend two of them but the third guy was all his.
This one was for all the marbles. Or at least, the bragging rights which counted for pretty little since he'd only known these guys for about 15 minutes.
When he'd asked to join in on their game, the guys had been a little hesitant before one of them had recognized him as a Teen Titan in one of the few instances that his newfound celebrity status had been a benefit.
Anyway, back to the matter at hand.
Easily dribbling the ball, Victor took a breath before charging down the court and weaving his way through defenders. It had been a long time since he'd felt the kind of adrenaline rush he'd gotten from sports. Sure, stopping jewel thieves and super-criminals for kicks was exciting but nothing else did for him what athletics had provided for him his whole life.
Feeding off of that, he bowled over the man in front of him before leaping skyward and dunking the ball with authority.
"Booyah!" He cried out triumphantly, spinning the ball on one finger. "That's game! Who wants to go another round?"
"Man, you totally cheated!" The guy he'd dunked on spluttered indignantly.
"Ay, don't hate the player, hate the game, baby."
"Nah, man." One of the other man's teammates chimed in. "It ain't fair you got them powers and all that. You was probably cheating the whole damn time."
Indignantly, Victor balked. "Look, man, just 'cause I got some enhancements doesn't mean I was using 'em."
"Prove it, yo!" He huffed.
Victor scowled. "Forget it."
Harshly, he passed the ball into the man's chest, making him grunt and double over at the force.
Snorting with a small measure of satisfaction, Cyborg stalked off the court, making the men step back as he shoved past them.
Grumbling to himself, Victor stopped on a path, taking in the sights and sounds dejectedly.
It hadn't been so long ago that he would've been enjoying the day like anyone else. Now he couldn't go anywhere without being reminded how much he wasn't like everyone else.
He sighed and shut his eyes, feeling lonelier than he'd felt in a long time.
He didn't have long to stew on his thoughts due to a sudden impact that totally knocked him for a loop.
"AGHHH!" He shouted, rubbing his cheek in outrage. "YO, who-?" He looked down at his feet to find the baseball that had been his attacker.
"What in the world?" He muttered in irritation as he stooped down to pick it up.
"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!"
Victor turned to the voice that had spoken and was immediately floored.
Jogging his way was a blonde-haired vision with bright blue eyes, ponytail swishing in the wind, and a purple T-Shirt that read 'St. Nieli School for the Handicapped'.
Catching up to him, she clasped her hands apologetically and touched his arm without any apprehension or fear. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry, Nasir's foul ball was way off the mark."
For a moment, all Victor could do was stare dumbly, woefully unprepared to utter a word. Nonetheless, the girl's hand didn't stray as she squinted up at him, her concern growing.
Clearing his throat, Vic finally got his bearings. "It's…erm, it's fine." His voice squeaked involuntarily as if he were Garfield. Chuckling nervously, he continued, "Besides, only the metal side of me was hit. I was more shocked than anything."
"Good." She laughed, removing her hand to his silent disappointment.
She bit her lip and rocked on her heels, appearing to be waiting for something.
Meanwhile, he resisted the urge to pull at a collar he didn't have as he felt his face grow hot.
"Um, is it okay if we get our ball back?" She asked gently.
"Oh." Startling in realization, Victor inwardly cursed himself, as he handed her what she asked for. "Oh, right. Sorry."
"No worries." She waved her free hand easily.
The two of them shuffled their feet for a moment before she spoke up again. "Well, I'd, uh, better get back to…"
"Miss Simms!"
Victor's gaze shifted downward when he saw a young boy who looked to be nine or so run up to them.
"Did you find my ball?" The dark-skinned boy peered up at the blonde.
"Got it right here." The girl smiled down fondly as she passed it to him. "Nasir, make sure you apologize to this man here."
Moving to do as she said, the kid's gaze wandered to him before bugging out in realization.
Oh, great. Victor cringed. Here it comes.
But to his surprise, instead of fear, the boy's face radiated excitement and awe. "You're Cyborg, right? From the Teen Titans?"
"Uh, yeah. That's me."
"Whoa!" Looking back to his companion, he asked, "Miss Simms, do you got a pen?" Quickly moving back to Cyborg, he pleaded, "Can I have your autograph, sir?"
"Nasir, slow down." Miss Simms laughed. "Why don't you go grab the others so we can all meet Cyborg?"
"Oh, yeah!" He agreed enthusiastically, racing back and calling to a group of kids in the baseball field.
"Victor."
Miss Simms turned back in confusion. "Sorry?"
"My real name's Victor."
She smiled brightly and stuck out her hand. "Sarah."
"Nice to meet you." He smiled back, shaking her outstretched hand.
On that note, the two turned to meet the swarming horde of children coming their way, flanked by two men. There was a dark-skinned bald older man wearing glasses with short-cropped hair and a young brown-haired main with shoulder length hair leading the kids in their direction.
Sarah grinned with familiarity while Victor watched as the kids looked at him in wonder.
Before he knew it, he was overcome by a slew of questions.
"Can you fly?"
"Do you eat people food?"
"Can you turn into a car?"
"Does your mom let you fight crime past bedtime?"
Despite some questions throwing him for a loop, he did his best to answer all their questions honestly.
"I'm just a guy." Victor assured them when there was finally a lull in the conversation. "When I'm not on the job, my name's Victor. Victor Stone."
One of the girls excitedly pulled on the older man's sleeve. "Mr. Sellers, can Victor come to class?"
Smiling down at her, the man turned to the cyber hero. "If it's okay with him. What do you say, Victor? Care to join us?"
Eyeing Sarah and the children's pleading expressions, Vic couldn't find it within himself to say no. "I'd love to." He answered genuinely, beaming at the ovation his response brought from the kids.
"Fantastic!" Sellers exclaimed. Addressing the young man next to Sarah, he implored, "Mark, hand Victor a card, will you?"
Once he had done so, Victor committed the address on it to memory and self-consciously slid it into a compartment on his torso but no one seemed to find it too strange.
The peaceful atmosphere was shattered by screams and shouts accompanied by the revving of a souped-up engine that only got closer.
They all gaped in shock as they stared across the lawn at a high-tech roadster cutting through the park, flames sputtering out of the back as it smashed through the park entrance and into the city.
It wasn't long before the squeals of police sirens followed and a swarm of cop cars engaged in hot pursuit.
Before anyone could say anything more, a high-pitched beeping sound cut through the air.
Victor silently groaned, knowing what came next.
Reluctantly, he turned and answered his wrist communicator while the children behind him fawned in awe.
"Cyborg, did you see that police convoy race by?" Robin asked.
"Yeah, I did." He sighed.
"Then let's move. Meet the others by the front entrance."
"What are you gonna be doing?"
"Evening the odds." Robin said cryptically before hanging up.
Turning back to his new friends, Victor awkwardly clasped his hands. "Well, guys, I, uh, gotta go. Duty calls."
The children let out a collective groan of disappointment before excited whispers and questions took over.
"Everybody, settle down!" Mr. Sellers spoke up to make himself heard.
"I'm sure Victor can tell us all about it when he comes to visit our class." Sarah mollified the children while turning to him with a hopeful glimmer in her eye.
"Wouldn't miss it." Cyborg promised, tossing her a reassuring smile before waving to the others. "Alright, ya'll, see ya later. I gotta go kick some butt."
His declaration was met with cheers and a cacophony of goodbyes and waves as he raced down the lawn to meet the others.
Whatever moron was causing the city a headache today was gonna get kicked around extra hard today.
….
Once Victor had rendezvoused with the others, Robin gave out the orders, as usual.
"Titans, go! Starfire, grab Cyborg! I'll catch up with you."
Knowing there was no time to ask what he meant, the team launched into the air, following the sound of the sirens.
Taking on the form of a falcon, Beast Boy used his enhanced vision to scan the situation down the road as they rapidly approached.
He curiously eyed the classic roadster with flames coming out of the back chassis. Whoever the driver was, they had no respect for other people's property. They were mounting curbs, trucking mailboxes, and causing civilians to scatter in panic.
Noting this, Raven used her powers to snatch scattered debris from the air and safely land it, rope unsuspecting children out of harm's way, and rescue an officer whose car was on a collision course with a brick wall.
While Raven handled that, Starfire held Cyborg in one hand rather than two so she could fire her starbolts at the roadster to limited success. Her plan was to melt the road so as to quickly form a tar pit but she would need the usage of two hands for that. Using one hand, she tried to slow it down with a trench but the vehicle simply jumped it without slowing down. The officers in pursuit weren't so lucky. The girl's intention to help had backfired as the cars careened into the shallow lurch and caused a pile-up.
"H'll myg!" She cursed in exasperation, slowing for a moment before continuing on.
Meanwhile, Beast Boy had decided to get up and personal with this psycho. Once he was in range, he morphed into a monkey and landed on the back of the car, crawling until he was at the front window.
Getting a good look at the guy, he saw it was some middle-aged guy with a scruffy beard, a slightly rotund build, and a wicked gleam in his eye as if he was loving all of this.
Must be that Ding Dong Daddy guy we've been hearing about. Gar thought with a chuckle at the man's chosen moniker.
Finally, he got a glimpse of the green primate eyeing him. jumping slightly, he recovered quickly, reaching into his glove compartment.
Gar's eyes widened as he saw a revolver aimed between his eyes. Squeaking, he let go of the window and fell back as the shot rang through his ears.
He hit the asphalt hard, rolling into a curb and groaning as he morphed back into human form.
"Ow." He muttered.
Attempting to be more than dead weight and incensed at his friend's current status, Cyborg extended his wrist and started firing rubber bullets at the dragster. No matter how hard he tried, the driver was able to avoid his attempts to blow out their tires.
"This is getting us nowhere!" Victor shouted over the noise of the wind and sirens. "What the heck is Robin doing?!"
….
Robin anxiously stood on the street corner, awaiting the help he'd called for.
The transponder told him it should be here any minute, but every second counted when his teammates needed him.
The sound of revving engines was like music to his ears.
"Finally." He grinned.
A gleaming red motorbike came screaming around the corner and slid to a stop in front of the grinning Boy Wonder who excitedly eyed his logo stamped on the side.
"Hello, gorgeous." Hang on guys, I'm coming.
…
Dean couldn't tamp down the grin on his face if he tried. The Roadster was working like a dream. The cops and the new kids in town couldn't even slow him down. This had been a fun little test drive and all, but it was time to shake 'em all and pack it in.
No sooner had that thought come to his mind, he was rattled by a shock of explosive force.
Adjusting his mirror, he spotted a red motorbike gaining fast, blasters at the ready.
"Robin." Dean nodded, sticking a toothpick in his mouth. "Knew one of 'em was missing."
Shouting out the window, he cried, "You wanna play, kid?! Let's play!"
Stepping on the gas, he went screaming around the bend into an adjacent alleyway. It was a tight fit but never let it be said Dean James didn't live dangerously.
As expected, the Boy Wonder followed, showing no signs of hesitation himself. "Give yourself up!" The kid shouted, ducking sparks and sprays of debris.
"Not a chance, kiddo!"
On that note, Dean pulled out a trick he'd been saving for just such an occasion. Smashing a button, he released oil slick out of the back of his car and cackled in delight as it tripped up Robin and caused him to wipe out. Stopping briefly to glance at the discombobulated teen left in his wake, he laughed once more and swerved out of the alley, escaping into the afternoon sunshine.
….
Once he'd cleaned up and rested for a minute, Robin regrouped with his teammates who didn't look any happier than he was.
"I'm guessing you didn't catch him either, huh?" Garfield winced as Raven worked on healing his road rash from his tumble earlier.
"What happened?" Robin asked, rather than state the obvious.
"I was a little busy protecting civilians and scraping him off the pavement." Raven nodded down at Garfield who stuck his tongue out at her.
Seeming to accept that, Robin turned to Starfire. "I thought you would've handled this guy with no problem."
"He maneuvered quite well." The princess defended herself. "I attempted to melt the road but had to settle for a trench. It proved ineffective. Fighting crime with one arm is more difficult than it sounds."
Digesting that information, Robin came to a conclusion.
"Uh, Cyborg? I don't mean to sound harsh or anything…but is there a way you could get your own mode of transportation? Your hitching rides with us is slowing us down a little. Building a car of some sort shouldn't be too hard, right?"
"Uh, well, I…it might take a little time." Victor hedged, acting like a deer in the headlights.
"Dude, I've seen the designs in your lab." Garfield chimed in. "You've already got one in mind, huh?"
"Zip it, Green Bean! Those ideas are only experimental. Besides, I'm not slowing you guys down that much, am I?"
His question was answered by the awkward glances away.
"All right, fine. It might take a little while. I hope you guys can stand me 'slowing you down' for a little longer." He huffed, stalking away.
"Cyborg, wait!" Robin called after him.
"I'll find my own way back. Don't let me hold you guys back anymore." He barked over his shoulder, not slowing down.
"Great job, Robin." Raven muttered. "Truly inspiring leadership."
The Teen Wonder glared at her before mounting the R-Cycle and sliding his helmet on. "Let's just go home and see if we can find out more about this…Ding Dong Daddy."
Beast Boy couldn't help his guffaw if he tried.
The others gave him long-suffering looks.
"What? It's funny."
Hudson Chasm
Normally Hudson Chasm was a majestic and romantic spot that inspired shock and awe in all who visited it.
All Victor could do was maintain a sour expression as he tried not to throw up. He hadn't been back here since…that night.
Walking towards the road, he stared at the spot where his life should have ended over 6 months ago. Or maybe it did?
He sighed and stared at his mechanical body as if he was living in a dream he should've woken up from by now.
"I thought I'd find you here."
Victor pivoted around to find his father looking at him with a mix of pity and disappointment. "Let me guess: you've got a tracking device or something on me?"
"Didn't need it. Robin asked me to check on you. He mentioned the idea of driving set you off. I connected the dots."
"Congratulations." Victor responded sarcastically.
"Victor…you'll have to try it again sometime."
"Do I? Can't I have, like, jet boots or something?"
"Son, that sounds ridiculous. You don't have any room to install jet boots. That would require you to have a brand-new paradigm and…" He trailed off, clearing his throat as he realized he was getting off-topic. "Sorry. The point is, if you can take on super-criminals, you can drive a car again. Just take your time." He finished, patting his shoulder. "Also, Beast Boy wants you to bring back pizza."
"Sure. You got any cash on you?"
….
"So, Cy, you good?" Garfield asked around a mouthful of pizza, vegetarian of course.
While still feeling in a fog about his current dilemma, Victor couldn't help but smile as he remembered how the reveal of Gar's vegetarian status had come about.
1 week ago
The team had been gathered together in the kitchen, which was somewhat of a rarity so reluctantly Garfield had decided to make his move.
"Guys, I have a…confession to make."
"Beast Boy, if you are the one who passed the gas last night, you need only have said so." Starfire assured sympathetically.
"What? No! Well, yes, but no! I'm talking about the fact that I'm a…vegetarian."
He shut his eyes, feeling hopelessly lame. Wasn't he enough of a freak already?
"Is that all?" Robin's voice rang out as he continued to scroll through his phone.
"Yeah, man, no biggie." Victor waved a hand dismissively from his place at the stove. "Why didn't you say somethin'? I coulda whipped you up a salad or somethin'. You eat eggplant?"
"Uh…yeah. Eggplant doesn't sound too bad."
"Gotcha. One eggplant salad comin' up."
As Cyborg retreated into the fridge, Garfield turned back to the others. "So…you guys really don't think it's weird?"
Surprisingly, Raven had been the one to speak up. "I have gray skin and can teleport through walls. Starfire is orange and her hands glow and shoot energy beams. Cyborg is half-man and half-machine and Robin's hair is spiked like a porcupine while he's dressed like a traffic light. We live in a giant T in the middle of the ocean. Somehow, when it comes to weird, I don't think vegetarianism tops the list."
"Thanks, Raven." Beast Boy smiled brightly.
Raven looked away from his gaze with a subtle nod.
"Yeah, thanks." Robin had muttered, miffed at her subtle jab.
Present
"Honestly, Gar?" Victor answered, as he refocused. "I don't know."
"Cyborg, do you feel you are able to help us apprehend the Ding Dong Daddy?" Starfire asked concernedly with the utmost seriousness.
Garfield snickered, spitting out pieces of pizza sauce to Raven's disgust.
"I think I just lost my appetite." She groaned, leaning away from him.
Robin heaved a long-suffering sigh as he scanned the news reports. "Can you please take this seriously?"
"Sorry." Gar giggled. "It's just too funny."
"There has gotta be something else we can call this guy, right?" Victor put in. "What about…Triple D?"
"So now we give our enemies nicknames?" Robin asked doubtfully. "Criminals are to be taken seriously no matter what they call themselves…even if it is Ding Dong Daddy."
This only brought further guffaws out of Garfield who hugged his stomach as he chortled, unabashed.
"All right, fine!" Robin threw up his hands, fed up. "Triple D it is. Cyborg, it's clear you're a little shaken up after today. Why don't you take a personal day? Is there something you can do to relax? Somewhere you could go to clear your head?"
Remembering his meeting with a certain blonde earlier in the day, Victor nodded. "Actually, yeah. Yeah, there is."
The next day, St. Nieli's School for the Handicapped
"…Anybody wanna take a stab at what Homer was talking about during the Odyssey?" Gary Sellers asked his class of tired students. "Anyone?"
"It's all Greek to me, Mr. Sellers." A new voice rang out cheekily.
All eyes in the room snapped to the back of the room where Victor Stone stood, escorted in by Mark Wright who had gone to intercept him from the Visitors' Lounge.
The children's faces lit up, the bored air in the room visibly dissipating.
"You made it!" Sarah laughed in surprise from her corner of the room.
"Told ya I wouldn't miss it." He winked. Facing the class, he said, "Mr. Wright here tells me you guys love kickball." Pulling one off the floor, he held it up and spun it on his finger. "Who wants to play?"
4 hours later
It had been a long, fun afternoon of kickball and signing autographs but eventually the school day was over and the kids had to head on home. As much as the experience was good for them, Victor couldn't help but feel it was them doing him a favor. He hadn't felt this normal in so long. Being an inspiration, playing sports, meeting new people…those were the things that really made him happy.
At the end of the day, Gary had told Victor he was welcome to come by any time and that his presence was a huge boost for the class. Not wanting the day to end, Victor had insisted on staying behind with Mark and Sarah to clean up. Mark had seemed hesitant about his staying behind for some reason.
Nonetheless, with the three of them, cleanup took no time. As Victor made his way over to Sarah to say goodbye, Mark lingered as if waiting for him to leave.
Ignoring that, Victor strode over to Sarah only to be stopped short as he found her studying him intensely as if he were a math equation
Sarah scrutinized Victor's face for so long that it started to make him feel uncomfortable. He'd thought she had been able to ignore the whole half-man, half-robot deal but now he wasn't so sure.
Finally, she said, "Hey, I was just about to go and get something to eat. You wanna come with?"
Taken by surprise, he blinked a few times before clearing his throat. "Uh, yeah, sure. Lead the way."
Tossing him a smile in return, Sarah turned to Mark, saying, "See ya later."
Mark's eyes darted from her to Victor and back. "Leaving already?"
"Yeah, me and Vic are gonna grab a bite to eat. See you tomorrow?"
"Yeah. For sure." Eyeing Victor curiously, he simply said, "Have fun, you guys."
Rather than reply, Victor followed Sarah outside into the late afternoon sunshine.
Naturally, Cyborg drew glances from passerby but if Sarah noticed, she didn't let on.
Finally pausing outside a bistro, she stopped to turn and open the door for him, causing him to chuckle in amusement.
"Isn't this supposed to go the other way around?"
"Welcome to the 21st century, buddy."
Deciding he had no choice, Victor played along and stepped inside, breathing in the cool air conditioning.
The environment was quaint and cozy. There were tables spread around along with a lounging area and upper levels. People young and old could be seen across the upper levels chatting and having conversations or working on their laptops and cell phones.
"Order anything you want, my friend." Sarah's voice interrupted his musings as she came alongside him. "It's on me."
"Hey, I already set aside my chivalry once today."
"I thought it was three strikes, Tin Man. If it makes you feel any better, I promise not to pull out your chair for you." She teased.
"Well, you've done so much already you might as well." He jested back. "While you're at it, I might need to borrow your jacket with how chilly it is in here."
"My generosity only goes so far, Victor Stone." She mock warned him. "Don't push your luck."
Once they'd ordered their food (panini for her, meatball sub for him), they sat down once Victor convinced her to leave his chair alone and let him pull it out himself.
"So…" She spoke without preamble, "What's bothering you?"
"How did you know…? Am I that obvious?"
"Trust me, I've seen enough melancholy brooding in my life to know the signs." She chuckled, a tinge of bitterness in her tone. Quickly shaking it off, she brushed her bangs out of her face and prompted, "So what is it?"
"Well, uh…it's about the accident that made me…like this." He gestured to himself.
Sarah nodded wordlessly, her gaze intense but silently asking him to continue.
"I was driving by Hudson Chasm last August. The weather was pretty bad and I wasn't really in the greatest headspace." He licked his lips and swallowed before continuing, "The car ran out of gas and I was stuck in the middle of the road. I wasn't paying any attention and a semi came down the way. You can guess what happened next."
Sarah still said nothing, patiently waiting in case he had more to say.
"People died because of me, Sarah. 3 people didn't get to walk away like I did. I check in on their families from afar but…I feel like no matter what I do, I'm never gonna be able to make up for that." She simply blinked, her eyes shining but unwavering. "Anyway, this new guy on the streets is riding around in some souped-up car. He's nearly impossible to catch and I can't fly and I don't have a set of wheels. The others are urging me to build myself something to compete with this guy but…I can't see myself behind the wheel ever again. I can barely hold it together in the backseat of rush hour traffic. How am I supposed to drive a 100-mph speed demon? This whole thing sucks. It feels par for the course that we would run into a bad guy whose whole gimmick is driving at breakneck pace. I don't know what I'm supposed to do." He finished frustratedly, hanging his head to glare at the table.
The pair were quiet for a moment before Sarah's warm hand covered Victor's cold, cybernetic one.
"Victor, I can't tell you that you'll ever be able to take away the hurt of those families. I could tell you to let somebody else handle this but something tells me that's not the kind of person you are. I won't tell you to man up and get over it because trauma doesn't work that way. But I will tell you this…I believe you survived that crash for a reason, Victor. There's no such thing as coincidence. At least, I don't believe in it. Maybe you were meant to be Cyborg. Maybe you were meant to be in this position to save the day."
"So you're saying we were meant to meet and have this conversation?"
She blushed and retracted her hand. "Exactly."
"So if I'm meant to take this guy on, what do I do?"
"Do you want to hear my opinion as a perky motivational speaker or your friend?"
"Oh, so we're friends now?" He asked playfully.
She put a hand on her chest in mock hurt. "Victor Stone. I bought a meatball sub and held the door open for you. If that isn't friendship, what is?"
He smirked, taking another bite before saying, "Nothing says friendship like a meatball sub. Give it to me straight."
"Kicks fear's ass, Victor. You have the choice of whether to let it defeat you or not."
"And what's the censored version?"
Raising her voice an octave and putting on an unnatural smile, she mimed, "Don't give up, buddy. Follow your heart and you can't go wrong!"
"Yeah, I prefer the first thing. It's more down my street." He paused before saying sincerely. "Thanks."
"Anytime." She smiled before digging into her panini.
A comfortable silence fell over them as they finished their food. He still couldn't help but be a little amazed at how she tore into her meal with gusto. Most girls he knew showed a little more restraint. He grinned a little as Sarah's ravenous appetite reminded him of Starfire.
"Um…do you have a phone?" Sarah asked as they stood up to throw their trash away. "Or, uh, pockets?" She chuckled nervously, facepalming. "Sorry, I am such a moron."
"Nah, it's cool." He assured as they stepped outside onto the sidewalk. "You can still give me your number if you want. Just give me a second."
Still a little uncomfortable with showcasing his cybernetic side, he opened a compartment in his wrist that he used for communications and showed her the Dialpad onscreen where she could type her information.
For a second, Sarah stared blankly, observing it curiously.
"I know it's a little weird." Victor stated embarrassedly.
"Are you kidding?" She smiled up at him before dialing in her number. "This is awesome. I can't tell you how many times I've lost my phone. There's no way you'd ever have that problem."
Victor barked out another laugh, surprised at how well this girl could take things in stride. "I guess not."
"Well, Victor, this has been fun but I am overdue for a shower and some binge-watching." Squeezing his shoulder, she began to back away, asking, "So I'll see you around?"
"Definitely." He smiled.
"Okay then." She beamed, shoving her hands into her jacket pockets and walking away into the sunset, her hair reflecting the golden hour's light perfectly.
As he watched her go, Victor felt like the dark cloud hanging over his head all week just might be starting to fade.
S.T.A.R. Labs, 30 minutes later
"Victor." Silas Stone acknowledged his son without looking up from his project. "I'm surprised you decided to come down here today. Especially this late."
"Whatcha working on?" Victor asked, mainly to make conversation.
"It's nothing." Silas said quickly. "What is it you wanted, Victor?"
"I needed your help, Dad." Victor explained, a little miffed. "Do you know the parts that would be needed for a super-powered vehicle?"
"It's not exactly my area of expertise but I know that the Nitro Corporation was working on something like that. They had a prototype go missing. You know, with your internal systems, you could search it up yourself."
"Oh. Right. I guess I'm so used to going to you for answers it never occurred to me."
"Odd." Silas said absently. "You usually insist on doing these kinds of things on your own."
"Just keeping you on your toes, Dad."
"Hmph." Stepping away from his microscope to pack up, he called out to his assistant, "Sarah, lock up for me, will you?"
"Yes sir, Dr. Stone."
Nodding at them both, Silas went to the exit and headed outside towards his car.
Once he was sure he was gone, Victor sauntered over to his father's assistant. She was of medium build, caramel skin, and hazel eyes covered by the chocolate bangs framing her bespectacled face.
"Dr. Charles." He said formally.
"Victor Stone. What brings the big bad superhero back to the old stomping grounds? I figured you'd be busy playing in the clubhouse with the other Teen Titans."
"Wanted to see a friend. And it's a Tower, not a clubhouse."
"Semantics. So how is that whole thing going? I've seen you guys on the news a couple of times but I mostly see Robin speaking for you all."
Victor chewed the inside of his cheek, mulling over how to describe his new friends. "Well, let's see…Robin's obviously the leader. Most experienced and all that plus he's got all the connections. Kid's definitely a little uptight but he's tough and he's smart. The rest of us aren't exactly leader material, anyway."
"Oh, no? I seem to remember a very bullish young running back who wasn't afraid to call some plays in the huddle in the few games I went to."
"That was football. This is real life."
"Now you sound like Dr. Stone."
"Ugh." Victor grimaced. "Gross. Thanks for the warning."
Sarah merely laughed before asking. "So what about the rest of them?"
"Beast Boy, Garfield…he's a bit of a slob, a little insensitive, and not to mention a total goofball."
"I never would've guessed." Sarah rolled her eyes.
"But underneath all that, he's been through a lot of rough stuff and still turned out okay. He loves the whole hero thing. I'd consider him our official mascot."
"I suppose every team needs one."
"Starfire is a total softie once you get to know her. But before that, you do not wanna be on her bad side. I earned the bumps and bruises to prove that after we first met her. She's a fish-out-of-water but she's a quick study."
"What about the really depressing one? Raven?"
"Raven is…complicated. Admittedly, I didn't think much of her at first. All I knew was that she was creepy and powerful. Truth be told, I still don't know too much more than that. It's just best to give her some space. She's new to Earth, too, so I figure she's still adjusting. But she's on our side and willing to help and that's all I really need to know about her for now."
"I have to say, kiddo, this is not what I expected when you told me you wanted to try to make a difference. I thought you'd stop a few muggers, put out a couple fires here and there. I did not expect alien invasions and supervillains."
"Believe me, I didn't see any of this coming either. And a seven-year age difference don't give you the right to call me kiddo. Besides, I'm not even a minor anymore. I'm not the same 14-year-old kid who asked you to leave herself available until I was 18."
"And you're not the same guy who was pouting around here 6 months ago. There's a different feel around you. Like you finally stop letting that storm cloud follow you around. You look a lot more comfortable in your own…skin."
"Trust me, sharing a house with a gray magician, a green shape-changing elf, a teenage drill sergeant in primary colors, and an orange flying alien princess make Black skin and cybertronics start to feel average in comparison. Speaking of making me feel average in comparison, how goes becoming the youngest doctor in S.T.A.R. Labs history all while being a woman of color, no less?"
Her eyes lit up behind her frames as he knew they would. "I am so close, Victor. Your father has me working on one last big project with him before he finally feels comfortable handing me the reins. It's been a long road these past 5 years. Your mom told me his assistants usually don't last 5 months, much less years." She winced in sympathy as she watched Victor's face fall at the mention of his mother as it was plain to see that her loss was still raw for him despite it being over a year.
Reaching up, she stroked his cheek. "Are you gonna be okay?"
Swallowing the lump in his throat, he nodded. "Yeah." Clearing his throat, he stepped back and took a seat at one of the workbenches causing her to mirror his actions.
Once she was seated, he continued, "Look, the reason I came here is because I needed some advice. Your advice. I don't know if you heard about the car chase we were involved in the other day with that new criminal in town?"
"Ding Dong Daddy, right?" She asked, clearly stifling a laugh.
"We're just calling him Triple D. Anyway, part of the reason we didn't catch him the other day is because I was kind of slowing the others down. Everybody else can fly and Robin just got a new set of wheels but I'm kind of out of luck there."
"So rent a car or borrow someone's (not mine) and get out there. What's the big deal?" Suddenly it dawned on her. "Oh. Victor, you'll have to do it again sometime."
"Now who's sounding like my dad?" He countered. "It's just, ever since the accident, I can't get my confidence back. How backwards is that? I fight aliens, supervillains, and hoodlums every day but I can't find it within myself to operate a damn car." He finished in a huff, punching the desk and making a dent.
"Vic." Sarah grasped his hand with both of her own. "Please don't destroy my lab."
"Sorry."
"It's fine." She assured, still holding his hand. "As to your problem, what exactly are you asking me?"
"I don't know exactly. Do you think it's dumb of me to even make this as big of a thing as it is?"
"It's never dumb to be afflicted by trauma, Victor. That was a huge event in your life and it's not like you can forget it ever happened. I have seen you struggle through at-times absentee parents, injury setbacks, and the pressures of being a brilliant jock and all that entails. Every time, you overcome and bounce back stronger than ever. I don't see why this scenario has to be any different. As a scientist, I say you approach it like any other problem."
Taking a notebook, she plucked a pen from her lab coat and jotted down some numbered headings before handing it to him. "Okay. What's an observation you've noted about your phobia?"
"Are you serious?"
"Completely."
He sighed. "I'm being a total wuss."
"Write it down."
Once he did so, she pressed on. "What's a question you have regarding your observation?"
He chuckled to himself, rubbing a hand over his face. "How do I stop being a total wuss?"
"Good." She replied straight-faced though her eyes twinkled with mirth. "The next step would be research but we both know you're not going to do any. So what's your hypothesis?"
"This fear is gonna have a hold on me for the rest of my life unless I take steps to conquer it."
"Next, we require an experiment. What would you propose?"
He fidgeted nervously. "I get behind the wheel again."
"Now you'd need to collect and analyze data. Ideas?"
"I start driving and see whether or not I have a panic attack?"
Nodding, she stood. "The conclusion's up to you. Either the fear wins or you do. And last time I checked, fear hasn't beaten Victor Stone yet."
"Thanks, Sarah." He smiled gratefully, standing himself. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Probably drown in your own personal puddle of pity and self-loathing."
"Ha ha."
"So what are you going to do?" She asked seriously. "I don't suppose you have enough money to actually buy a car?"
"Why would I do that?" He said, tearing out the notebook page. "When I can build my own?"
Sarah shook her head in fond exasperation. "You've been swearing for the past 4 years that you'll build your own car. Why start actually making progress on that front now?"
"'Cause now I don't have a choice. It looks like I'll have to do some of that research after all."
He turned to go before Sarah grabbed his arm. "Victor, you don't have to do this alone, y'know."
Turning back, he took her hand and raised the back of it to his lips. "I know. With you around, I never have."
Sarah ducked her head to hide her blush before making sure to put plenty of sarcasm in her tone as she responded, "Your 'suave' moves are never going to work on me no matter how old you get, 'Cyborg'."
"We'll see." He grinned impishly before taking his leave.
"Idiot." Sarah murmured, flustered as she packed up for the evening to head home. Once she shut off all the equipment, turned off the lights, and locked up for the night, she gathered her bag and began walking down the corridor to the elevator.
She paused at the bay window, wistfully looking outside as Victor faded away into the sea of people, headed in the direction of the giant T in the distance.
"Good luck."
….
Victor rubbed his human eye as he yawned with exhaustion. He'd been at this nonstop for the past few days but knew he couldn't afford to slack off with DDD ready to strike at any second. There was no way he was going to fail his friends again.
A knock on his workshop door startled him out of his thoughts.
"Come in." He said, going back to work.
He heard the sound of the door open but no footfalls before a warm hand rested on his shoulder.
"Friend Cyborg, you have been working nonstop all week. Perhaps a break is in order?"
"Believe me, Star, when we catch this guy, I'll sleep for a week. But I've gotta be ready. I can't slow you down like last time. We probably woulda nailed him if you weren't lugging me around."
"You cannot be certain of that. And I am willing to 'lug you around' as long as it takes, my friend."
Vic smiled back at her. "I appreciate that, Star. But all the same, I'd like to get this finished."
Sitting on a bench and crossing her ankles, she remained insistent. "If I brought you nourishment from the kitchen, would you promise to eat it?"
Victor sighed. "You drive a hard bargain, sister. If it makes you feel better, sure."
"The goal is to make sure you feel better." She said, floating back up the stairs.
Before long, she returned with a platter of chips, queso, and salsa which he began to dig into gratefully.
Smiling at her mission being accomplished, Starfire began to take her leave before pausing at the door. "I believed Robin to be assisting you. Has he taken a break as well?"
"That guy? Never. He's running an errand for me."
The Nitro Corporation
Robin took a breath as he steeled his nerves, surveying the facility from afar.
This was Dean's place of work and the last place he was seen before he'd gone off the grid. All the necessary parts for his Roadster could be accessed here so it stood to reason that some clues would be left behind.
Stealthily, Robin crept through the window and prowled throughout the seemingly-empty complex.
In the distance, a light was on and the sound of rustling papers may as well have been a foghorn in the dead of night.
Narrowing his eyes, Robin stalked closer, coming upon a man who had no idea he was even there.
"Keeping late hours?" The Boy Wonder asked.
Jolting, the man whirled around, hand on his heart. "Y-you're that kid. Robin."
"And who might you be?"
"John. John Wenski. Is there, uh…something I can help you with?"
"I hope so. You worked with Dean James, right?"
"Yeah. We were partners. Worked on plenty of projects with him. He's brilliant but a total motorhead."
"When was the last time you saw him?"
"Over a month ago. He's dropped off the grid. I've tried calling him but he won't answer."
"I assume you've heard about the car chase downtown the other day?"
Wenski's eyes flashed nervously before he coolly responded, "I must have missed that."
"With all that property damage? Hard to believe. Especially considering it was on every station."
"I don't watch the news as often as I should."
"Well, if you did, you would have seen your missing prototype."
"Um, what prototype is that, son?"
"RR-DD-X9. The Roadster, for short. Stolen a little over a month ago at about the same time Dean James dropped off the map. I suppose it's just a coincidence that that same Roadster was being used by the criminal who fits James' description, height, and build."
"What are you asking me?"
"I'm asking you to give me any information you have on your old friend. Or else you can go behind bars just like him once he's caught."
Taking a deep breath, John leaned against the desk. "In all the times we worked together, he was always focused on building the Roadster. It was his dream project. Said he was inspired by his dad who was a mechanic. He loved '50s films and all that. His old man was always going on about some jump over Hudson Chasm. Dean said they planned to do it together but never got the chance. He passed before they could go. Last I heard, his mom's not doing so hot either."
Robin's face gave nothing away as he pondered all this. "Thank you, Mr. Wenski. You've been a big help."
John rubbed his hands over his face, relieved. "So does this mean I'm not going to jail?"
When he looked up, he found himself alone with no sign another soul had ever been there.
"Guess not." He murmured to no one.
Jump City General Hospital
For the second time tonight, Robin found himself secretly slipping through a window. Considering his status as Titans' leader, perhaps he didn't have to but old habits die hard.
Going off what Wenski had told him, Robin had decided to pay Mrs. James' hospital room a visit. Having checked Dean's background, he'd found that he'd been evicted, divorced, and now fired from his job. That left his ailing mother as his only remaining tether outside of his obsession.
Although he knew it was a long shot, part of him had been hoping to catch Dean visiting his mother and end this whole thing in an instant. Unfortunately, though expected, the room was empty save for the frail woman in the bed on oxygen. Even in his determined state, Robin couldn't help but take a moment to pity the woman. It was obvious she didn't have much longer and was barely holding on.
Nevertheless, he had to get back to the task at hand. He maneuvered noiselessly around the room, making his way to the bedside table where a note lay.
Curious, he lifted it up and scanned it: "Momma, I know you don't have much time but I wanna let you know: I'm ready. It took me a while but we got the Roadster finished. I'm gonna make the jump. I know Pops failed but he just didn't have the horsepower. I can do this. I wish you were there to see it. Hell, I wish Dad were, too. But I'm gonna make him proud. You too, I hope. You've supported me all these years and I can't thank you enough. It's all about to pay off. I'm gonna redeem him, Ma. I promise. Love you-Dean."
Robin laid it back down before eyeing the woman one last time and turning to make his exit. Redeem him? What could that mean? Robin sensed there was a little more to it than just making the jump.
His musings were interrupted by a wizened old voice. "He was here, you know."
Startled, Robin whirled around to find the woman alert and attempting to sit up. Going back over, Robin politely helped her to a sitting position to which she smiled gratefully.
"I assume you're looking for Dean."
Wordlessly, he nodded.
"He came by earlier. He was about as secretive about it as you were. I'm guessing it's because people like you are after him." In the wake of silence, she continued, "That boy has been stubborn and foolhardy his whole life. Sometimes it works out for him, and sometimes it doesn't. His father was the same way. I'm sure you've figured out how that went." Her eyes took on a desperate tone as she gripped the boy's arm in her hands. "Please…you have to stop him from doing this. I don't care what he's cooked up, no one can jump that Canyon. Don't let him end his life the same way his father did."
Robin's gaze became sympathetic as he laid a gloved hand over hers. "I promise, Mrs. James. My friends and I aren't going to let that happen. You have my word."
Letting go and tiredly falling back into her pillows, she muttered, "Thank you."
Robin nodded with a small smile, waiting until she was fully asleep before fading into the night.
…..
"Almost there." Victor said to himself.
Given the extra boost from his 'nourishment' earlier, he'd made some pretty good headway and was about 85% done.
Without preamble, the workshop door opened and Victor wasn't particularly surprised at who it was.
"What took you so long?" Victor asked Robin as he entered with a flourish of his cape.
"I ran into one of James' coworkers. Pointed me to his dying mother. I found out what his plan is and I think I know when it's happening."
"Well, don't keep us in suspense."
"He's planning to jump Hudson Chasm. You heard of it?"
Victor's blood ran cold. "Uh…yeah."
"His father was a motorhead just like him. I just looked him up. He died trying to jump the ravine. It looks like his son inherited his adrenaline junkie tendencies. He left a note for his mother claiming he would 'redeem' him. I called Captain Hall and let him know he should be watching the area closely but I have a feeling I know when he'll strike."
"When's that?"
"The anniversary of his dad's death is in 2 days. I have a hunch he'll make his move then." Nodding to the chassis behind Victor, he asked, "How goes the progress on that?"
"Almost done." Cyborg said, laying a hand on it. "I'll be ready."
2 days later
"Here we go." Dean breathed out as he did a final systems check.
Everything was ready. It was time. There was just one more little touch the Roadster needed.
Taking a picture of his father, he affixed it to his dashboard before revving the motor and peeling out of his workshop.
I'm doing it, Daddy.
…..
Victor stepped back to admire his work, the finishing touches finished in time for the anticipated maiden voyage.
"I'm really doing this." He sighed to himself, nerves and excitement teeming within him.
"Cyborg!" Robin called as he entered in. "I hope you're ready. Captain Hall just contacted me. James has been spotted, headed for Hudson Chasm like I guessed. I'm calling the others." Robin declared, whipping out his communicator.
"Hold up." Victor interrupted him. "Have the cops wait across the other side of the ravine. I've got this."
"Cyborg, this isn't the time to be selfish." Robin reprimanded him.
"It's not selfish, it's just…I need this." Victor insisted, fire behind his eyes.
Seeing the look in his friend's eye, Robin understood. "Fine. But if this goes south, we're intervening."
"Got it."
With a nod, Robin exited the garage, going to round up the team and inform them of the situation.
Taking a breath, Victor took a final look at his creation, hoping he was ready before sliding inside and gripping the steering wheel.
"Okay, Vic. You can do this. Remember: it's your car. Your baby. You know its every schematic from the ground up. You can trust her." He took a breath and revved her up. "Time to take the T-Car for a spin."
Hudson Chasm, 15 minutes later
Despite his nerves being mostly settled, Victor still felt like he was having an out-of-body experience piloting a vehicle doing well over 80. A month ago, he would've been shaking if he was driving 5 mph an hour. But he didn't have time to worry about that now. Right now, he had to stop some idiot from killing himself in the same place he had almost done the same.
The other Titans were stationed at the edge of the Chasm with the JCPD waiting on the other side in case this lunatic actually made the jump which was next to impossible according to Cyborg's calculations.
Victor let out an involuntary shaky exhale of breath as the familiar mountains came into view. Before long, he found his quarry sitting on the hood of his car, knocking back a beer as if he had all the time in the world.
Stopping a few feet away, Victor used his systems to shut the car off. Since it was uniquely suited to his body, there was no need for keys.
The revving had gotten James' attention and he hopped off and whistled as he inspected the new vehicle before him.
"That's some mighty good hardware you got there, son. You here for a race?"
"I'm here to help you, James." Victor stated. "You mom's worried sick about you. You really think she'd want you to do this? Not to mention the wife and kids you'd be leaving behind."
The older man's face softened at that. "You don't understand, kid. This right here…" He said, patting his car. "This is all I've been dreaming about for over 30 years. When my Daddy jumped, he just didn't have the technology or the horsepower to do it right. But this baby can do the job. I can succeed where he failed."
"And if you're wrong?"
James seemed to ponder that for a moment before chugging the last of his beer. "Well, there's only one way to find out, ain't there?"
Without warning, he threw his empty beer bottle at Victor's face. The cybernetic teen was able to block with his forearm just before it hit his face and by the time he looked up, James was inside his vehicle and speeding away.
"Damn it!" Cyborg ran back to his vehicle and hopped inside, activating it and peeling off after his assailant.
James had gained some ground but Cyborg was catching up fast. But not fast enough. The drop-off was in sight and the other Titans noticed the two headed their way.
He couldn't hear what was said but Robin appeared to be barking out orders.
The Roadster almost moved too fast for any of them to react. Almost. Starfire was able to fire off a starbolt to the afterburners that set the chassis on fire which insanely enough, didn't deter James in the least as he launched off the edge of the ravine.
Time seemed to slow as Triple D hung in the air in a blazing inferno before starting to dip.
Using his cybernetic eye, Victor analyzed his trajectory. He was gonna fall just short.
Cyborg just barely caught the shocked faces of his friends as he zoomed past them and followed in the madman's footsteps, launching the T-Car off the cliff. Being weightless was terrifying exhilarating but there was no time to ponder that.
DDD had jumped out of his car just before it blew up but he was way too far away to get a handhold or climb up.
No way anybody else is dyin' here. 'Specially on my account.
There was only one chance.
Sticking his arm out the car window, Victor detached his cybernetic left hand from his body and manually willed it to fly down and grab the flailing man below. Victor's train of thought was cut off as he crunched down, miraculously having crossed the length of the chasm himself to the astonishment of the police gathered there.
He couldn't even process his accomplishment as he ran back to the edge, sighing in relief as he watched his hand ascending back up the cliff, holding James by the collar.
Guiding it, he led it to the police convoy before unceremoniously dropping James into their awaiting arms.
"Good boy." Victor told his hand before summoning it to reattach to his wrist. Fondly eyeing the T-Car to his right, he added, "And good girl."
Walking over to her, he plopped down on the hood, watching as the JCPD cuffed their quarry and began reading him his rights.
I gotta call Sarah. Victor thought gleefully. He paused before adding, Both of them.
A roar of engines made Victor look up to see Robin coming his way on his motorcycle, the thing somehow hovering with the use of a propulsion system.
"You didn't tell me that thing could fly!" Victor called up to his leader as he landed in front of him, the other Titans following behind him.
"It doesn't fly." Robin laughed, taking off his helmet. "It hovers." He smirked before smiling proudly. "Awesome job, Vic. You called your shot and you did it. And you do realize you just made an impossible jump, right?"
Victor returned the smile before saying, "If hanging with you guys has taught me anything, it's that nothing's impossible."
"Not for us." Robin said in agreement as he watched the others coming over. "I'm gonna make a call. There's a worried mother I made a promise to."
Victor didn't have time to ponder what that meant as the Teen Wonder excused himself just as the others reached them.
"Dude, that was awesome!" Garfield crowed, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "You have gotta let me drive that thing one day!"
"Uhhh…no." Victor dismissed, as he activated the T-Car and slid into the driver's seat. "But you can ride shotgun."
"Sweet!" Morphing into a pigeon, Garfield flapped through the open window before changing back to human form and reclining next to his friend. "A guy could get used to this."
"Ladies?" Victor asked, turning to the girls.
Raven shrugged aloofly, pulling back her hood and approaching the vehicle. "Why not?"
Starfire had a much more enthusiastic reaction, clapping her hands and racing to the car, admiring it for a moment before climbing inside.
Once Robin finished his call, he closed his communicator and hopping onto the R-Cycle, slid his helmet on and revved his engines. "Hey, Cy! Race you guys back to the tower?"
Adjusting the mirror, Victor made sure everyone had their seatbelts on before responding, "You're on!"
Robin grinned and sidled alongside the T-Car. "On your mark…"
"Get set…" Cyborg smirked.
"GO!"
As the R-Cycle and the T-Car raced off into the sunset, Dean James looked on wistfully as he was ushered into a squad car.
Thanks, kid. Looks like I made the jump after all.
The End
A/N: Hello, peoples! It's been a while but here's another one! Thank you guys for being so patient. Special thanks to Eris, Song of Shadow, Rollerparty, and slydog148 for reviewing the previous chapter. Big thanks to MegaloArtManiac, Carley Pie, SadieAnubisWalt123, EnderPlaz, Jyheim582, TomoMoon1, and kaorusan2000, qwerfhflgofudnsisoand Pa7adox for favoriting and following this story. You guys' support has meant a lot. Stay safe and God bless!
Next up: Take Me Out to the Ballgame!
