Four Strands of Steel
By: Wave Weaver
Anyone that has ever stood too close to an emergency warning bell will comment on how loud and obnoxious the high pitched wailing tends to be, even more so if dragged on for long periods of time. The red light that twirled around in its glass like it had been taken from the top of an old fashion squad car had been spinning and spraying the room with its red light for nearly three minutes. One minute more was the average response time for any kind of police or anti-hostile threat force in the near area. It would be a much shorter time normally, but the guards stationed in front of the elaborately large door had been out cold long before the door had been blasted inward with a few well placed charges from a small bald kid in a green jumpsuit. The mechanical, and very irritating, wail of the security alarm was now ringing constantly, alerting all trespassers that they were known and were running out of time before the inevitable fight with the authorities.
A very large fist connected to a strong hairy arm couldn't stand the noise any longer and silenced the mechanical device with a quick blow to the console face. There was a shuddering cry of almost recognizable mechanical agony before it wailed no more.
"Stop wasting time and give us a hand." A pink haired girl in an outfit with open ended sleeves and black and purple color design ordered. The sorceress was currently picking certain jewels from a rather large meal crate with a broken lock, no doubt a bit of bad luck for the company that was to receive the precious stones. Each one she inspected under the watch of a cat-like eye before tossing them back into the box, not satisfied with any thus far. The small kid in the green jumpsuit was not nearly as picky as his female cohort, and was currently tearing pieces of electronic equipment from the opened computer terminals and dropping them into a large sack. His beady eyes were squinted into concentrated circles of joy as each board was looked over quickly before shoved in with the rest.
The burly beast of a person who had ended the miserable existence of the alarm turned and spotted his two partners, moving to aid the female. He watched her select each stone and return it for a little while before his brow furrowed in agitation. The pink haired magic user got one last look at the stone she was holding, a fist sized ruby cut into the pattern of a hexagon, before the entire crate was lifted from in front of her. Mammoth, the crate resting on his shoulder, gave her a fanged grin before walking over to the wall nearest the small techno junky Gizmo. Jinx pocketed the ruby and followed, arriving next to the two males as Gizmo finished selecting the last of his computer boards.
"We're out'a here!" He proclaimed, the bag over one shoulder. Jinx nodded and raised a hand to the wall. Pink energy glowed around her palm before extending outward in an arch that flowed into the concrete wall, which cracked and shattered as though it were glass. Light from the tower spotlights flooded their vision and both Jinx and Mammoth shielded their eyes with one hand. A visor and slipped itself from Gizmo's pack over his own, and he was currently messing with a small game controller with one hand. With a single press of a button, a sniper cannon poked from over his shoulder and fired a yellow blast of energy at the spotlight, knocking it out in a blaze of sparks.
"Showed those piff sniffers who's boss." Gizmo taunted.
"Don't look now, but I think we've got company." Mammoth said in a gruff voice. Sure enough, standing not much more than 20 feet from the three robbers were five costume clad teenagers, five teens that were known all too well. Mammoth dropped the heavy box onto the ground beside him, Gizmo readied metal spider legs and more laser cannons, Jinx's eyes and hands began to glow. It seemed everywhere they went, everything they did, there they were. The Teen Titans.
"The New Guy" (or) "Off the Streets"
All three of the Hive academy graduates, known as the Troika, were waiting inside the furnished office of their new Head Master. Though graduates already, they had been ordered back to the academy before they could live up to the expectations placed upon them. They were supposed to be a force that could match and beat the Titans of Jump city. But each time the two forces clashed, the Titans were the ones that could walk home with another victory on their belts, leaving the Troika to stumble home in defeat.
Their Head Master, the replacement for Brother Blood (whereabouts unknown), was a woman who could not a have been out of her thirties, yet the way she carried herself was something much more ancient than her appearance. Her eyes were the one figure that set her out as something other than anyone else on the street. She could be seen wearing the same thing every day; white dress suit with a black tie, high heels, and gold chains about her wrist. Her hair was a wavy black that fell between her shoulders and swayed when she walked. Well manicured nails, never painted, and eyebrows were accessories to a face that never wore any makeup. Already some of the older Hive students had tried to hit on her but all she had to do was turn a single eye on them and their feeble attempts withered before her like dead plants. Those eyes were remarkable, black pupils surrounded by brilliant red rings that seemed to jump from her head like fire. Much like Brother Blood, she was a telepath with abilities over the mind. Unlike the former Head Master, she did not use her abilities to control the students, though what she was rumored to be capable of was enough of a reason not to get on her bad side.
This woman, whose eyes were enough to stop all the students in their tracks, now rested behind her oak desk and kept those hellfire eyes on the three before her.
"You were unable to take either the computer hardware or the jewels with you after your defeat." The last word was like a sting to the three, and if they had not been under such a strict eye they would have flinched. "Then you must have at least some good news for me, or else you would have already started running." Though her tone was light, it was obvious that having some form of good news was their only salvation. This was the second time they had failed in a mission under the new Head Master's rules, and they were not about to repeat the punishment for failure. The memories still gave Mammoth the chills.
There was a pause that seemed to choke the life from the throats of the three, before finally Jinx moved forward. Digging her hand into the pocket of her outfit, she produced the one gem she was able to keep. She placed the large ruby down on the table before the Head Master, who let her step back before reaching out with well maintained nails and grasping the jewel. Red eyes looked over the trinket before shifting back to the Troika.
"You three are very fortunate, and the two of you should thank Jinx. She happens to have just given me what we need. This makes up for the loss of the rest." Though their straight posture did not change, all three let out a collective sigh inwardly. They were off the hook, and the glimmer of mischief was evident in Jinx's eyes. It was obvious she was already planning the ways the two boys would have to pay her back.
"There is just one more thing before you go." She said, rising from her desk. "A new recruit has entered the Academy. You three are to watch him temporarily till we are certain that he is trustworthy." She made sure the last words were very serious, as it was well known that security had been an issue thus far. Already it had been revealed that there had been two spies within Hive, and all the students had needed to undergo a rigorous reassessment before allowing any more activity at the school.
"Dismissed" The three bowed their head and turned to the door, moving out into the hallway.
"What kind of scrumbuffer are we stuck with now?" whined the little techno geek, his short arms crossed over his chest. Jinx didn't pay attention to him, her cat eyes moving around as if she were not recognizing anything around her despite all the weeks of living within the walls.
"Head Master said we look after the guy to see if he's legit. Doesn't matter who he is, as long as he's not another spy." Mammoth said in his deep throated growl. The three turned the corner together into a branched hallway that would inevitably lead them back to their dorms. The path forked before them, one direction led to the female dorm room and the other to the male dorms, but the Troika stopped before they got to the branch. Something had caught their attention.
Standing before the fork, in a posture that was enough of an indication that he had no idea where he was going, was a guy that couldn't have been much older than any of the three watching him. Though he was about the same height as Jinx, his frame was lean and showed little in the way of muscle or fat. Black hair swept back from his brow down to his neck in the style of a certain super hero they knew, and already they were on edge. When Cyborg had infiltrated the Hive he had masqueraded as someone similar in build and looks as him without all the cybernetics. This guy could have been Robin with some height added on. The main difference was that Robin was never seen without the eye mask, while the person standing confused in the hallway had no such mask. Instead there was a clear view of his brilliant eyes that were a color that was closer to gold than anything else.
As for attire, the guy was far from anything too fancy or expensive. If anything, it looked as if the clothes he wore were the only ones he owned: jeans of a faded blue that were frayed on the pant legs and had holes in various places, a white shirt that looked as if the sleeves had been torn off a long time ago, and black shoes that were falling apart. The only thing that seemed of any value was the silver chain around his neck, a set of dog tags dangling from it. There were white bandage wrappings on his palms, though they looked a few months old and not regularly changed if at all.
The newcomer must have heard the three approaching, because he turned his head to look at them with his oddly colored eyes. Then again, Jinx herself had eyes like a cat, and they had seen even weirder optics before this guy. The Hive academy was not the kind of place where people were judged by their appearance, and perhaps that was one of the leading reasons they had collected so many new students. This was a place for outcast meta-humans to come and train their powers and grow without being ridiculed for what they were.
There was a stiff moment of silence as they all stood staring at each other.
"Hey." The new guy said with a tone and voice that sounded as if it could crack ice. The three stiffened, as if they were being addressed by their headmaster. Then the kid broke out into a cheesy grin and scratched the back of his head. "Which way are the dorms?" He asked.
The Troika felt like falling over out of surprise. The new guy had sounded as if he were going to smite them, and it turned out he was a goof without a sense of direction.
It fell to Gizmo to act first. "Who the frag are you?" He asked irritated.
The guy looked puzzled for a moment, as if either he wasn't expecting the question or he was not exactly sure how to answer. "Me? Well… I'm…"
He paused, and the Hive graduates really began thinking he didn't know who he was, but then he broke out into a big childish smile.
"I'm Coil. Who're you guys?" He paused, his face falling back into a soft sternness. "And gal?" Jinx arched an eyebrow.
"We're your betters, and you'll do well to know it." Mammoth answered, his mouth cracking to reveal a few animalistic teeth.
The new guy threw his hands up in front of him and smiled stupidly. "I only asked where the dorms were. No need for violence between classmates, right?"
Jinx moved down the hallway towards the new guy. She stepped passed him but paused and turned her head to look right at him. Gold eyes met cat optics for a moment before Jinx's face stretched into that crooked blade of a smile of hers.
She raised her arm and pointed down the other hall. "The dorms for the guys are down that hall. Try not to get lost." She said humorously.
With that Jinx walked in her lazy skipping way to her dorm. Coil watched her as she went off while Mammoth and Gizmo moved down the hall to the guys' dorms. Mammoth nudged Coil with a football player shoulder, knocking him to the ground. Coil was on his feet soon after they were out of sight, dusting off his jeans and listening to the two of them snicker as they walked to their dorm.
"Round One" (or) "Test Your Might"
The new semester of courses was upon the students. They got every thought-out piece of villainy that could be imagined: from demolitions, to scheme planning, to good old fashion combat training. Hive was known for two things by those who attended: the not-so-hospitable attitudes of the students and faculty, and the combat training. Training skills and powers was somewhat of a spectacle, where dozens of students would gather in stands to watch their classmates run obstacles.
It was not something the Troika were new to, having run the gauntlet of robots and traps more than enough times, but this time it would be different. There was a new member on their team, and this would be his first time in actual combat as far as the three knew.
Thus they stood, the four of them, upon the raised platform on one end of the oval course. The field before them was barren now, but in a moment any kind of weapon could spring from the mechanical panels on the floor. The three were in their battle attire, while their newest companion was wearing a black sleeveless and a pair of black jeans with a silver gray leather jacket. The wrappings were fresh around his palms, his hair was slicked back against his skull, dog tags beneath his shirt. Beyond that, he still looked the goofball they had recently run into on their way to their dorms.
Two electrodes rose from the ground on the other end of the ring, and the buzzer rang telling them to begin. Gizmo immediately took to the air, soaring via custom rocket pack. Jinx and Mammoth went on foot, running full sprint. Coil hesitated only a moment before following the two runners. The first obstacle sprang up in front of Mammoth, a large octagon column rising from the ground and displaying three laser guns, two more appeared quickly beside the first, and soon yellow streaks flew at the runners. Gizmo was quick to act, popping shots at the first cannon the second it was out of the ground. A good shot with a blaster overloaded one of the guns, the tower exploding. Mammoth rammed a fit into the second, punching his way through the yellow metal and tearing out wires as he went. He tore the tower from its holding in the floor and tossed the whole thing overhead at the last gun tower like a log. The two erupted into flames and black smoke, which Jinx and Coil ran through with Mammoth close on their heals.
Then things began to get complicated. Holes opened in the walls and shot metal spheres the size of soccer balls through the air. Little antennas poked from the metal balls' surfaces, and blue sparks danced across the space between them. They sped through the air towards Gizmo, who had to break away from the group to dodge them, only to find them hurtling back at him for another pass.
Meanwhile, part of the ground had slid open and a platform was rising from the chamber underneath. Three massive robots, hands like giant metal lobster claws, watched the three on the ground with single blue eyes. As Jinx ran forward, the first of the robots lunged at her with a metal claw. She planted her hands on its arm and vaulted over onto its shoulder, where she released a blast of pink into its neck. The robot stumbled, and Mammoth drove his shoulder into its wobbling leg, tipping the whole thing over. As it fell, Jinx back-flipped off, right into the waiting grasp of another metal giant. Mammoth was busy driving his fist through the fallen robot's head to help, and Gizmo was still trying to loose the soaring electric balls.
As Coil ran towards Mammoth, he yelled out, "Hey big guy!"
Mammoth stopped to look up, and got a great look at the sole of Coil's new boots as he used him for a stepping stone. Mammoth was knocked backwards as Coil launched himself into the air. "Thanks for the lift!" He called back.
Mammoth growled and followed after him, a red mark in the shape of a foot still throbbing on his face. Coil saw the third and final robot in front of him before it saw him, and he landed on its back with his arms locked around its dome head. The entire head twisted around to look at him with that bit blue orb of an eye, and Coil smiled at it.
Jinx was firing a hex blast into the joint of the arm holding her when she heard was sounded like tearing metal. She looked over expecting to see Mammoth breaking his way through another of the hulking robots, but instead saw the new guy standing on the now decapitated body of a standing one, the head lying on the ground with wires sparking into the air. White cotton bandages now hung is shreds around Coil's palms. The arm holding the cat-eyed sorceress gave way and she fell to the ground, landing on her feet and palms with the metal pincer smashing into the floor behind her. She decided that there would be time for questions later, as their trial was all being carefully observed by other classmates as well as their Head Master.
Jinx sprinted for the end of the course, catching a glimpse of a struggling Gizmo in the corner of her eye. He had gotten too close to one of the antenna on the silver balls and his system was currently overloading. He was flying out of control as more of the electric spheres closed in on him fast. Jinx charged pink energy and shot it at the tiles of the roof. Pieces of metal fell down through the air and slammed the balls into the ground, leaving Gizmo to ditch his scrapped jet pack for a mechanical set of spider legs. Mammoth was done beating the last robot to death with its own arm and followed quickly behind Jinx, Coil bringing up the rear.
Mammoth suddenly stopped dead, turning his body to look at Coil. As he ran towards him, Mammoth dropped his fist and slammed it into the new guy's gut, doubling him over.
"That's for using my face as a floor mat." Mammoth growled. He grabbed Coil by the collar of his jacket and threw him the rest of the way to the finish line. Unfortunately, his aim was off, and Coil flew limply right into Jinx, knocking them both over and into a tumbling mass that skidded over the painted line between the posts. Jinx put a hand to her head and got to her knees, that was when she felt something moving on the inside of her thighs. She looked down confused to see she was sitting on Coil's mid-section. He was groaning and shaking his head, his gold eyes coming back into focus and also noticing the position of the two. Before he could get a word out, Jinx flattened her hand into his face and pushed back, slamming the back of his head into the floor, her face dropping dangerously close to his.
"You should ask first next time," She whispered menacingly to him. Jinx pushed herself off, driving a platform shoe into his injured gut as a final insult. Mammoth and Gizmo were right behind them, and by the time Coil got to his feet, rubbing now his head and his stomach, the two of them were rolling on the floor with laughter.
All four were over the line, the buzzer sounding and a large electric time clock that had been present overlooking the area now stopped its recoding dead. Their Head Mistress walked out along the balcony she had been sitting upon, now within sigh of the attendees for the show.
"That was acceptable. You four are to work together until further notice. You are to never leave alone anymore; we have had too many incidents to allow students to run around without backup." There was a grumbling from Gizmo at this; he didn't like not being able to do his own thing. Neither did Jinx, who was already planning how she would ditch whoever decided to follow her. Mammoth didn't care so much, as long as his tag along was willing to let him eat his food.
"Also," Head Mistress went on. "You four…" she smirked wickedly, "Have a job to do. Meet me in my office for your briefing." With that she walked back into the shadows. The crowd dispersed, and the four remaining Hive Academy members went their separate ways back to their dorms before they were to meet the Head Mistress.
AN: Thus ends the first two chapters of my first Fan Fiction. Reviews, Comments, Flames, and Suggestions are all welcome and appreciated. From this point each update will probably include multiple chapters, so updating may space out unevenly. If you are waiting, please be patient with me, I do have a life beyond the computer monitor.
Next:
The team of four must now set out on theri newest assignment; a task that leads to new faces, and old enemies alike.