Hive Freedom

chapter 1 declaration

Note: After the events in "Deception"

Cyborg looked at his arm display. The light of the display light up both his face and the pillow he had his head against for the last two hours. "Damn, its midnight." Whizzing sounds accompanied the panel in his arm as it shut. Cyborg gave a heavy sigh and looked at the Polaroid picture that was taken only 3 hours ago. Cyborg smirked, remembering how both groups of friends were the same. "Damn, there I go again thinking the Hive as friends." The picture was a red faced Cyborg wearing a pink skirt and leotard walking down the hall way that lead to the war room in Titans tower. Cyborg just remembered something and finally got out of bed and walked to his computer. He plugged himself into his computer and called up a picture he had in the back of his mind the whole night. The image was copied and printed as a picture. He cut it and framed it. When he set it down next to its sister picture he finally felt a little better about the whole ordeal of leaving the Hive and "officially" rejoining the Titans.

Cyborg laid back down on his bed. "I really do need to fix that maintenance chair if I want a decent nights sleep. This bed keeps bending." Cyborg rolled to one side and the specially made springs creaked under his weight. He looked at both pictures again. The new picture was Cyborg along with jinx laughing and smiling at a dance he went to while he infiltrated the Hive as a student.

Cyborg raised his metallic hand and looked at it. The temptation was almost enough.

Real hands...

No more machine building .

no more night long maintenance...

In exchange for it he would have to work as a hive agent. A sudden image of Jinx flashed in his mind and he heard her giggle.

Cyborg looked at the image of Jinx again shouted. "ARG! How can I sleep when I keep thinking of her!" Cyborg had spent a lot of time with Jinx as his alter ego. And slowly Cyborg realized he like what he saw in her.

A sudden knock came from the window. Cyborg half jumped in surprise. Not so much from the knock but from the fact he was on the highest floor in Titans Tower. Cyborg didn't want to alarm the others yet, but transformed his arm just in case. Cyborg unlatched the window and opened it. Jinx floated there looking very shy and young at the moment. Cyborg didn't' know if he should raise the alarm but saw her pleading eyes and he grudgingly transformed his arm back to a hand. "Is it alright if I come in? I won't do anything I swear." Jinx's voice was very small at the moment.

Cyborg felt his throat dry and he simply nodded.

"Sorry for coming by so late, I just, err, well I wanted to just talk to you alone." Jinx bit her lip.

"Grab a seat Jinx." He gestured to the couch against the wall nearest to the window. Jinx obediently went to the seat and sat. She noticed the picture of her and Cyborg together and gasped. Cyborg smiled and said, "Yeah I did have a good time with you." Cyborg couldn't look at her and see her reaction. He was struggling with her as an enemy and her as a friend with neither side gaining much leverage over the other.

"Cyborg, God, its going to be weird calling you that." A small smile crept onto her face. "I just wanted to know you did like me right?"

Cyborg jerked his head up then and before he thought of anything he said, "of course I did I do, err I mean... Hell. Jinx I like you a lot..."

Jinx was near tears when she said quietly, "Then why did you leave? Why not stay?"

"Jinx... Do you know what your boss offered me?" Jinx shook her head. Cyborg surprised himself when he found he had been fingering the ring he had used to make himself look normal.

He exhaled slowly and then turned on his ring. Cyborg suddenly looked human. "He promised me this. Not just a hologram but real flesh and blood limbs. I could be normal again." Cyborg closed his eyes and remembered what Starfire said to him after he came back form the mission. That he is normal now, since that is all Starfire had known him as. Suddenly Cyborg turned it off and sat on his bed a few feet away from Jinx and hunched his shoulders while he leaned forward.

"And you turned it down." Jinx looked at her own hands and felt like crying.

"I had to. I can only be who I am meant to be." Cyborg looked at Jinx sadly and she nodded understanding. "Jinx you have to understand it was so hard to turn down. I could be a normal human and also... I could be with you." Jinx colored and she nodded slowly understanding him better. "There is one thing I wanted to talk to you about though. I am actually really glad you are here and we can talk like we used to. When I was being tempted and was ready to give in I felt something strange about the offer. Part of me wanted to accept but then my computer half knew that I was being manipulated somehow. Later I could see it in everyone's eyes at the Hive institute. When he talked to the whole school all of our eyes glowed like he was controlling us."

"I know. He has been doing it since he became the new headmaster." Cyborg looked surprised. "What did you think? I wouldn't be able to know when my mind is being messed with? I am a witch remember?" She smiled at him feeling like they were both still in the Hive and just come out of class.

"Then why stay? What does it do you to be with them?" Cyborg suddenly felt tired and frustrated.

"Well you know I have no family, but the Hive, they been my family for a long time. Mammoth... and Gizmo.... They might be idiots sometimes but they are my friends and my only family. I can't just leave them there with what ever the Hive have planned. But also I think I owe the Hive for just not letting me rot in an alley." Suddenly she look sad as she said, "So where does that leave us?" Jinx blinked back unwelcome tears knowing how Cyborg would likely answer.

"I don't know Jinx, unless you reform and not be a thief, or follow evil leaders I don't know how we could do it otherwise. I have already chosen not to be a Hive agent or anything else other than a Titan." Cyborgs' face was very grim as he looked at Jinx.

Jinx shook her head sadly. Cyborg felt a sudden ache in his chest as she said. "You said it your self, we can only be what we are meant to be. But that is also why I am here right now. Cyborg... If it is for you I think I can be normal and give up this life."

Cyborg wanted to pick her up and kiss her then but sat still daring only to listen to what she would say next. "But I can't do it with out at least trying to save Mammoth and Gizmo first. They are as brainwashed as anyone else in the Hive. After that, for you I would do anything." Jinx as deep red when she finished. Cyborg heard he sniff and stood up form his bed and took her into his arms.

"Shh it will be o.k. I'll make sure we free not only Gizmo and Mammoth but all the hive students. They may become evil but right now they are all victims."

Jinx looked up from his chest and felt relieved that he would stand by her with this.

Jinx hugged him tighter and thought to herself, it will be ok. as long as he is with me everything will be ok.