Author's Note: Decided to post this here, to hopefully encourage more readers. I'm going to warn you there are some serious angsty (which I know is not a word) problems in this chapter so the emotionally-vulnerable would do well to read carefully. The title for this chapter may make more sense when you've read it, there's a lot of changes in this chapter.
Contracts Part Two: The Next Step
Titans Tower was quiet, with nothing really happening at the moment apart from the problem Arsenal was dealing with in Hong Kong there really wasn't much to occupy Tsunami's attention. She was flopped on the sofa playing with some pink bubble gum she was chewing, pulling it out of her mouth so it stretched then sucking it back in again. She decided she was going to find somebody to hang out with.
"Hey Robin," she shouted across the training room as she stepped in, "mind if I train with you?"
"Sorry Tsu, this is kind of a solo thing," Robin replied, "maybe some other time?"
"Sure, whatever."
Music blared from the huge speakers in Cyborg's room. He and Kid Flash were sat having a pretty serious chat whilst Cyborg tinkered a little with his forearm display unit. Cyborg leaned back and listened intently to Kid Flash.
"So me and Raven are great," Kid Flash said with a hint of insincerity, "its just something she said to me the other day."
"What?" Cyborg asked, not pushing him about his relationship with Raven.
"She asked me why I was called Kid Flash," he leaned back as well, "she said I'm not a kid anymore so why should I be called 'Kid' Flash. Made me think y'know?"
"About being the next in line to be the Flash?" Cyborg guessed astutely.
"Yeah I guess I never thought about it," Kid Flash said thoughtfully, "until a few weeks ago I'd completely given up the hero business and now I'm thinking I've got a responsibility to the legacy to step up and be the next Flash."
"I know what you mean," Cyborg replied, "my dad was always trying to get me to be a scientist, join the family business, but I was only interested in my athletics."
Cyborg's doorbell beeped and Tsunami came in smiling, "Hey guys, I'm a little bored and thought we could hang. Get to know each other and stuff?"
"Uh…" Kid Flash stumbled for something to say, not wanting to hurt her feelings, "thanks but we're kinda in the middle of something here. Maybe later yeah? We were all thinking about grabbing a pizza or something tonight."
"Sounds like fun," Tsunami said with a closed-lipped smile trying not to show her disappointment, "I'll leave you two to your own devices, see you later," she said as she turned and walked out of Cyborg's room.
"Nicely done man," Cyborg replied, "I'd have just told her to go away."
Tsunami poked her head around Raven's door to see the mysterious girl floating in the air, chanting her meditation ritual. Tsunami smiled widely and opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Raven, "Go away, I'm meditating and you are disturbing me."
Tsunami's eyes became a little wetter as she felt close to tears, she stomped through the halls towards the elevator to the pier. When she arrived at the pier she sat down at its end and twirled her fingers in the air, her tears flew away from her cheeks and twirled in the air in front of her. Small droplets of water rose up from around her and joined those floating in front of her, eventually she had a huge floating blob about a foot in diameter. Slowly she began to concentrate and the water began to separate from the salt to form a tight white crystal at its centre, a hole formed in the bottom of the blob and the crystal fell into her outstretched hand. The tears continued to slowly make their way down her cheeks, she could not stop them, she felt so alone.
Suddenly her communicator beeped its familiar tune and Robin's voice came out of its tiny speaker, "Titans, trouble in midtown," was all he said, Tsunami got up and rubbed the sadness away from her face as she ran back into the Tower.
"My first field mission," Tsunami said starting to smile, "this is going to be great."
The Ravager project was very important to H.I.V.E. and especially to the Jackal. So important he'd had one of his men, an agent Higgins, genetically modified into a smouldering molten lava creature he liked to call Plasmus. He promised Higgins he'd return him to his natural human state with an antidote serum he'd concocted once Plasmus had defeated the Teen Titans. Robin stood at the head of his team of teen heroes on a heavily damaged street glaring across at Plasmus like a character from an old Western. Plasmus screamed and Robin shouted some stupid catchphrase to his team-mates before jumping into attack, he was quick and strong too, the Boy Wonder. Grant would have to watch him. Next up to attack was Cyborg who charged Plasmus throwing his incredibly strong mechanical fists about like a whirling storm of pain. Grant made a note of Cyborg's strength, and also of his simple attack strategy. That one was not a thinker, his unrelenting attack had left him wide open for the sucker blow Plasmus dealt him. Then Kid Flash started running around the monster until a spiral of air had encapsulated it, Grant started to think of ideas to counteract super-speed. Plasmus already had one though and thrust his arm out in a clothesline manoeuvre that floored Kid Flash. Grant noted that Kid Flash could only see in human terms and did not have any form of accelerated perception to go with his super-speed. Robin threw a small golden disc that froze the molten lava monster with an explosion of liquid nitrogen. The small scantily-clad girl at the rear moved up now, Tsunami, and her hands glowed blue as she manipulated the water of the ice encasing Plasmus. Robin stepped in front of her and told her to stay back, he was protective of their youngest member and Grant could see it. Suddenly Grant had an idea.
The Titans arrived in midtown to see an entire road filled with destruction, and in the centre of it a huge monster seemingly made of molten lava that towered over them at about ten feet tall. Robin stepped up to the front of the team and stared down the creature.
"Ew that things is disgusting," Tsunami said under her breath to her team-mates.
Robin turned and shushed her before turning back to the creature, "Titans, go!" he shouted as he leapt into an attack on the creature, whipping out his collapsible metal bo staff and driving it into the underside of the creature's face, it stumbled back and Robin leapt away from its clumsy right hook.
Next up was Cyborg, "Take this you slimy lava-loving freak!" he shouted as he threw his punches wildly, driving the monster back again. The monster roared and thrust a huge burning fist into Cyborg's midsection, throwing him back.
"Me not freak!" Plasmus screamed inhumanly, "Me Plasmus!"
"Wow that's gotta get you bullied as a kid right?" Kid Flash joked quickly as he sped towards the monster dodging its slow fists with ease, "I mean what sort of parent calls their kid Plasmus? Dude, even Monty is better than that."
Plasmus roared in fury this time as Kid Flash began to run around him in a tight circle, throwing up a huge spiral of wind keeping the monster disoriented. Plasmus had enough of this after a few seconds and quickly threw an arm out in a clothesline that took Kid Flash down hard.
"Tsunami, stay back and work defensively, help civilians," Robin shouted as Tsunami tried to join in. Tsunami's hands glowed as she used her power, drawing the molecules of moisture in Plasmus' molten body to his surface, knowing what Robin would do next. Robin threw on of his discus, a golden one that used scavenged technology from Mr. Freeze to make an explosion of liquid nitrogen to freeze an opponent in seconds. The thin layer of water on Plasmus' body made this freezing more complete.
Tsunami ran forward but Robin stepped in her way, "I need to get close to stop him melting the ice, I can feel him doing it now," she shouted to Robin, "trust me I can do it!"
"Its too dangerous," Robin replied, "stay back and do what you can from a distance."
Tsunami scowled at Robin and stood back, sweat dripping from her brow from the effort her entire being focused on not letting the ice melt. Steam rose from Plasmus' frozen form.
Up on the opposite rooftop Grant Wilson picked up his favourite weapons, the steel javelins given to him by his boss at the H.I.V.E. the Jackal. One was coated in Plasmus' antidote and the other held a message, he set them down on the roof next to him and picked up his second faourite weapon. His father's hunting rifle.
Suddenly the monster broke free from his ice prison and Robin whirled around trying to find something he could use, as he turned to his right he saw something the Batman had always warned him to look out for, the sun glinting off a rifle. Robin shouted to his team-mates, "Sniper!" but it was too late, the loud retort of the gun was followed instantly by a wet-cracking sound. A sound almost like a watermelon exploding. Blood spattered Robin's cape. Suddenly the street was silent, then Plasmus roared. It keeled over and fell to the ground, a spear sticking from its leg, and shrank to the body of a fat balding man who Robin recognised as the H.I.V.E. agent, Higgins. Another spear sailed just past Robin and embedded itself in Tsunami's fallen corpse, the straw that broke the camel's back. Her crumpled and gore-covered form lay in the street, her face not only unrecognisable but almost gone, a cruel remnant of the youthful beauty remaining in her soft pouting lips. Robin sank to his knees and put an arm on the floor to steady himself, his eyes were dry, he could not cry. He had to stay strong. Cyborg was lifting himself up off the floor, Higgins draped in his arms, as he caught sight of Tsunami. His human eyes lowered to the ground and a single tear fell down his cheek.
"I, I never even knew her…" was all he could say. He looked to his left to see Kid Flash laid on his back with his forearm covering his eyes, the young speedster was crying his eyes out. Not only had they been saved by another, but that same person had killed their youngest team-mate. The one they all looked out for, tried to protect. If they couldn't protect themselves, what chance did they have of protecting normal people.
The funeral was a sombre affair. All the Teen Titans were there, except for Arsenal who could not be found to be notified. Many of the mainstays of the JLA had turned up to pay their respects to such a promising young life cut short trying to help others. The body had already been given back to the Atlanteans, but the Wayne Foundation had paid for a statue to be sculpted in black marble and this was displayed on the beach in the shadow of Titans Tower. Robin made a sorrowful speech about Tsunami's time as a Titan and Wonder Girl turned out in a floaty black dress to talk about the energetic young girl who only wanted to help others, whose lust for life had rubbed off on all of them. There was hardly a dry eye on the beach, save for Robin and his mentor, it was an emotional time. Eventually they all dispersed and slowly filtered into the tower to talk and reminisce. Ever so slowly all the guests left and Robin returned to Tsunami's statue, staring at her proud monument. A voice came out from the shadows.
"We need to talk Dick."
"I know Batman," Robin replied.
"I won't allow you to continue this anymore. Lives have been lost, this is a job for adults. Not children."
"Sorry." Robin replied, still not turning from the statue to look at the Batman.
"I'm sure you are. That will not bring this young girl back."
"No, I didn't mean that."
The Batman was silent. Robin turned to face him.
"I meant I'm sorry, but I won't. If I give up now then her sacrifice was just a waste, I'm going to find her murderer."
"You've got two weeks. Do it, then take off that costume for good. Understand?"
"Yes," Robin replied, knowing that the Batman was already gone anyway. He lifted his right hand to see the broken end of the spear that had sliced through Tsunami's young flesh and read its message aloud, "One by one, Ravager."
Kid Flash went back to his room, "Raven? You still here?" he shouted. There was no response. He flopped down on his bed and held his head in his hands, despairing, "Where is she?"
His doorbell chimed and the Flash entered, "Hey kid, can we talk?" Kid Flask noticed a tiredness to his voice that he'd never heard before.
"Sure Barry," Kid Flash replied with concern and moved over so Flash could sit next to him, "what's wrong?"
"This whole thing got me thinking," the Flash replied, "my first reaction was almost like the Batman's, kids shouldn't wear costumes," Kid Flash's eyes tightened in expectation of bad news, "then I remembered that I was the Flash by the time I was your age. Now I want to ask you something."
"Okay Barry, sure," Kid Flash replied nervously, he thought he knew what was coming.
"I've decided to retire," the Flash replied, "next year my Bart's going to be starting school, and I couldn't live with the fact that if I died he would be left without a father. I always promised Iris I'd give up the business when we had kids, but I didn't think you were ready. This whole thing's shown me you're as ready as you're ever going to be."
"Wow," Kid Flash replied, "this is a lot to take in. When?"
"Soon Wally," the Flash replied, "soon."
An elderly English man walked through the halls of a large house, past a wall full of mounted heads and into a room lit only by the burning embers in its fireplace. His master sat in a high-backed green leather chair facing the fire facing away from the door.
"Yes Wintergreen?" he asked.
"It's Grant," the English butler replied, "he's killed a Titan. Calls himself the Ravager now."
The butler's master stood up and pulled a two-coloured mask over his head, he turned to face Wintergreen and his one eye stared out through the single eye-hole. His posture was one of readiness but in his eyes was a look of sadness. He picked up a sword that rested against the chair and slung it over his shoulder in a long golden scabbard, "I always knew I should've beaten that boy when he was younger."
Author's Threat: I don't like doing this, but I have to. No more reviews, no more story. I'm being completely serious, I'm writing this as part of a degree course and I need criticism, good or bad, to improve my writing. Getting reviews and improving my writing is the only reason I post on here, if I don't get reviews then I don't see the point.
