A. Note: Soy milk and skim milk both taste kind of odd, I conclude. But chocolate soy milk was kind of nice, though it gave me an after taste that I can't seem to dispel. Anyhoo, this chapter will begin the one of the many aspects that makes the Teen Titans a great series, actions. In part, it might make the plot line look iffy, me thinks, but it's just no fun leaving everything to character interactions, there has to be some fighting. Also, one of the more important new characters is to be introduced, further information will be given in the story itself. Also, the storm represents an oncoming horror more so than the trauma in the tower or in Robin, though it could be applied to both.
Standard disclaimer of ownership and properties apply readily.
---TT
Chapter 3
--
The thunder storm had finally eased. Much of the dark clouds have diminished and the thunders and lightning were gone. But the rain still poured like a maelstrom, which is why not a single soul was on the streets.
Except for one person.
A man, tall and lean, wearing an outfit that resembled a huge amount of bandages wrapped around his entire body, was treading casually through the rain that resembled a widespread water fall.
He sported combat gloves that seemed to be made out of leather and had a few metal studs mounted on the knuckles. His hair was hazel and long, reaching to the back of his neck, of course, since he was in the rain, it was plastered to many different areas on his face.
Casually, he looked up to the skies, allowing the rain to impact his entire face. He appeared to be chuckling, or shouting, either could be plausible, since the roaring sound of the rain drowned out everything.
His mouth formed a maniacal grin, and he raised his hands and arms upwards, in a welcoming position. With his mouth wide, the man allowed the pouring rain to enter his mouth, drinking it greedily, and breathing much of the volume out.
The man remained standing in that position, taking what is possibly the most outstanding shower known to man. One of his eyes glowed crimson, like a beacon.
Oddly enough, the storm quickly subsided afterwards.
--------------------
--------------------
The termination of the very unappreciated storm was like a boon from heaven. The entire city seemed to have lightened up, and regained its usual luster. People merged from their homes in elation to see the sky blue instead of grey. Clear sky greeted the Titans as well, and the team was glad to see the good weather. Though, some of them didn't really cared. Since the weather had cleared, Fixit announced that he was returning to his lab.
Fixit had set up temporary laboratory in the hills of S.H.E.L.L, an organization that branched from a corporation known as M.A.R.S., a large international company that is rumored to have more skeletons in their closets than the number of times Beast Boy lost at video games.
It was also said that M.A.R.S. had affiliations with S.T.A.R. Lab, though any facts or concrete information are not known.
But since Cyborg's parents had affiliations with S.T.A.R. Lab, Cyborg had decided to encourage Fixit to pay a visit to the shady place, since Fixit did needed an impermanent location to stay, until further arrangements could be made.
Of course, Cyborg had thought about asking Fixit to stay at the tower with the Titans, but after the visit to S.H.E.L.L., Fixit decided to remain there.
As it turned out, Fixit had connections to the facility and its various projects, although most of its existences and plans had disappeared along with some missing scientists, cue in Cyborg's theory on conspiracies.
S.H.E.L.L. was hidden in the hills more to the east of Jump City, where a steady supply of water had flowed near. It was because of its more or less hidden state that caused Cyborg to be suspicious, but he eventually figured it was because the organization wanted to have a strategic standing ground in defense, in case some lunatic with powers decided to raid them like a barbarian.
Fixit was immediately welcomed, though constantly monitored, by the S.H.E.L.L. members. After Cyborg had contacted them to forego a visit, the staff instantly began working through resources to identify the half man, half robot in question. They had recognized him through some data files that were left in the computer storages of S.H.E.L.L., and were surprised to find the information of Fixit readily saved. So when the two parties met, Fixit was instantly greeted eagerly. And so he had decided to set his lab there to stay, temporarily. Some of his memories were recovered there, when he took a tour of the slightly hidden facility. The equipments, the environment, the simple glasses and burets, all of these brought back date files he thought that were long gone.
It was a shame that Fixit had already lost the ability to smell, for the scent of chemicals and odd metals in the area could have most possibly triggered more memories. Cyborg had helped him through his recovery procedure, and it was during that time they became rather unorthodox friends.
Fixit's return was two days after he arrived at the Titans Tower.
-------------------
Fixit, for the second time since he met Cyborg, was perplexed and baffled. Robin had suddenly become much more passive, more introverted than how he was acting before his syncope.
There was no sign of any irrational behavior. In fact, the Boy Wonder seemed to have become the most meticulous individual in the whole tower. Not that he wasn't detailed before, but it seemed to have intensified.
But as long as he wasn't trying to beat up everything and himself, no one wanted to complain. Beast Boy and Cyborg had relaxed considerably, and Starfire was only too happy to see her best friend well and up again.
Raven, on the other hand, reacted rather differently. Apparently she shared some concerns relative to Fixit's. She had worn a cautious and circumspect expression on her face whenever Robin was within her vision. It was if the girl was watching an enemy, an enemy in the same room as her. She was constantly alert and on a look out for any sudden moves or dangerous implications. She even flinched a little, when Robin just held a cup and stopped for a moment before he actually drank from it.
Raven had felt foolish and dopey. It wasn't as if she would care, she rarely cared, unless one of her friends was on the verge of life and death. So, she couldn't comprehend the need to be wary of the Boy Wonder, to be keeping an eye on him. She had felt the slight lost of control in her, supposedly, unnecessary worry, and so had indulged herself in constant meditations for the two days.
Of course, the others weren't oblivious to Raven's odd behaviors and their leader's sullen attitude.
Cyborg and Beast Boy tried to cheer the boy up by, actually more or less forcing, asking him to play the newest edition of Twisted Metal with them. He had politely and weakly declined, saying that he was 'not up to it', or 'I think I'm just going to rest for awhile'.
Starfire had asked Robin to read a few interesting books with her, hoping that maybe some mellow activities were more acceptable to the Boy Wonder. He didn't exactly shun her, but wasn't polite about it either. This gauged her to work on whatever she planned in her room, which is where she spent most of the time during the storm.
The Teen Titans didn't know which was worse, having their leader acting irrational and ireful, or having him gloomy and inactive.
They all said nothing of the situation, each of them wary and uncertain. When Robin had threatened them, it was easy to just decide to restrain him and look for the cause and find a cure. But now that the boy was under control and sober, there wasn't really anything they could do but label him as depressed.
Fixit was a physician, not a psychologist, so they couldn't really ask him for help. Besides, he was leaving as soon as the storm lifted.
Raven was the next logical choice, with her empathic abilities and a rational comprehension of the human psyche; she was the other one with the chance to decipher Robin's unwonted behavior, even if she probably truly didn't care much.
But she was like how Starfire was, almost a day ago-afraid. Of course, she didn't admit to such a sacrilege out loud. Raven didn't want to confront the boy, not now, not when the boy's shady behavior was irking at her own insecurities, her own emotions. So she kept her distance from her friend, had feigned to be impartial, and sought sanctuary in her room, alone.
By the end of the mentioned almost two agonizing days, the storm stopped, and Fixit left with Cyborg in the T-car.
One storm came, another arrived. As they say, misery loves company, and right now, it's infatuated with the Titans.
-------------------
Beast Boy was lying upside down on the couch, pondering.
"Hey, Raven?"
"Yes?" She didn't understand why she was out of her room reading, being pestered by a green elf.
"Maybe I should give Rob some of my Pepsis, people say those things are high on caffeine. Maybe that'd give Mr. crappy attitude some life." He scratched his nose.
Raven was extremely tempted to levitate a huge piece of rock and end her own friend's consciousness, not life, that'll need to be orchestrated professionally.
"Beast Boy, I know your green skin must have killed all your capacity to be intelligent, so I'll say this in simple terms: you can't drug Robin with caffeine."
"Harsh." Beast Boy said, and scratched his nose again. "And people say everyone should be nice to animals." He began pounding his legs against the couch.
Raven resumed reading. Beast Boy fidgeted.
"......are you sure you can't like, read the dude's mind or somethin'?"
Raven sighed. "I'm an empath."
"Riiiiiiggght........." He didn't really understand the difference.
"Oh man........." Beast Boy grunted from his upside down position. He shifted his body and plopped down on the floor, and stayed there.
"Where's Starfire?" He mumbled.
Raven folded her book, ready to leave the presence of annoyance. "She's been in her room, doing.....something."
"Something.....?" Beast Boy looked fearful mockingly.
Raven sighed. "I doubt she'd make another attempt at creating the world's biggest rubber band ball."
That, had been an interesting day. The day when Starfire discovered the contests of world records.
"Hehehehehehahahahaha....! That was great! When she rolled the ball out of her room! I thought I was in some Indiana Jones movie!"
Raven picked up her book and ignored the green teen. She was about to return to her room for silence when a very unwelcome noise intruded into their home.
Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning!
".....you've got to be kidding me." Beast Boy groaned.
"It's not an illusion......curses." Raven spat, and ran to the computer, going through the systematic procedure.
Starfire came flying out her room. "What is the trouble!?" she asked.
Raven was seen typing furiously on the keyboard. Beast Boy noticed that Starfire had several strings and patches sticking onto her outfit.
"Hey, Star. You got something on your boots."
"Eeep." She squealed as she quickly swatted the material off, and smiled nervously. Beast Boy just raised an eyebrow questioningly, too annoyed by the sudden alarm to be interrogative.
"It's at the south side of the city, a jewelry store near Koran Street. It's Mumbo Jumbo."
Starfire frowned. "The very unattractive and annoying illusionist has returned yet again?"
Raven nodded. "Senior citizens never do rest easy."
Beast Boy was about to talk when a piercing voice broke his concentration.
"Where's Cyborg?" Robin had showed up suddenly, and none of the Titans had noticed his entrance.
Beast Boy leaped into the air, caught off guard, and spiraled to the ground.
"Okay, I'm not getting up anymore."
Raven kicked him.
"Cyborg has volunteered to escort friend Fixit back to his shelter." Starfire informed the Boy Wonder eagerly.
Robin nodded. His face carved with determination, a gigantic contrast to his melancholy attitude from before.
Raven noticed that his cape somehow appeared shrouding, covering his body like a robe. Perhaps she was just seeing things, but the leader appeared darker, more vigilant. But if he was out of his hellhole, then no one should complain.
Robin moved forward. "Let's go. I'll contact Cyborg on the way. Where's this S.H.E.L.L. located?"
Raven spoke up. "Cyborg said it's near the Addison's Bay."
Robin sneered. "That's too far from our destination, we'll just have to deal with Mumbo ourselves."
He motioned to leave and the rest of the Titans followed when suddenly another alarm rang through the tower.
Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning!
Robin immediately dashed back to the computer, receiving the system's analysis.
"Why has the computer emitted a second siren? What is the trouble?" Starfire exclaimed worriedly.
The Boy Wonder gave her an answer she didn't like.
"It's the H.I.V.E."
Beast Boy groaned.
"......you've gotta be shitting me!"
-------------------
-------------------
Robin was on the R-cycle, speeding on the road and avoiding traffic with magnificent maneuvers, some may say that the movie Torque might actually be filmed with real stunts.
Several lucky pedestrians who got to see the Teen Titans speeding to action were gaping and cheering.
Starfire and Beast Boy, who morphed into a falcon, flew close to the speeding motorcycle.
--T--
"What do we do?" Raven asked.
"We'll divide the team up." Robin answered.
'Dude, it'll take all of us to take on the H.I.V.E.! And I only have eight hands at most!" Beast Boy whined.
"There is substantial possibility for an ambush if we are separated in combat." Starfire pointed out.
--T--
Raven is seen descending from flight and lands near an intersection on a street.
--T--
"It's not Gizmo, Mammoth, and Jinx." Robin said.
"Huh?" the other three chorused.
"It appears to be some of their newer recruits. This might be their training mission." Robin turned around and began walking out the tower.
"In this case, Mumbo Jumbo would prove to be more of a threat, so most of us will be dealing with him."
--T--
Robin sees traffic up ahead, his brows furrows. He leans his weight backwards and pulls the front of the R-cycle upwards to perform a backyard jump onto a stopped vehicle. He then proceeds to execute several 'Miami hoppers' related bike tricks to jump through the traffic.
--T--
"Which of us will form the force to stop the H.I.V.E.?" Starfire asked.
"Cyborg's destination is on a route closer to the science facilities. The landscapes there are treacherous, so Raven's powers are suited to provide assistance." Robin explained.
--T--
Starfire and Beast Boy flies higher in the air, scouting for any preemptive sight of the magician.
Starfire spots some mayhem up ahead and calls to Beast Boy, who nods, shrieks, and soars to the sky quicker.
--T--
Robin dials into his communicator. "Cyborg, do you read?"
Psssss. An image of the android shows. "Loud and clear, boss. Over."
"Where's Fixit? Over."
"I managed to get Fixit back to his lab, so no worries there. I'm on my way back. Over."
"Be prepared to rendezvous at Raven's communicator coordinates and give her a lift. She'll be your personal assistant. Over."
--T--
Raven teleports through a building via a portal. She walks over to the middle of the road, and waits.
She hears some loud noises and looks over to the source. She sees the T-car coming at her fast. She remains waiting on the road, patiently. Just when the vehicle is about to collide with her, she uses her powers to faze through the exterior of the vehicle and cuts off immediately, to land softly on the cushions of the passenger's seat.
Cyborg gives her a 'thumbs up' and shifts the T-car into overdrive.
--T--
"You get what cha ordered. Over."
"That's all, over and out." Robin shuts the communicator off, and begins to dart towards the garage wordlessly.
"Ummmmmm, don't we usually get a 'Titans, go!', or something?" Beast Boy scratches his head.
"........................"
-------------------
--------------------
"That's all for the show today, boys and girls! You were too kind!" The Amazing Mumbo exclaimed as the customers and clerks all gaped in fear but also with slight amazement.
Grabbing a stuffed bag, Mumbo waltzes to the door, and bows.
"I'll be taking my fee for the show now." He jingles the bag containing the diamonds and various jewelries for effect, then magically shoved the bag into his hat.
"Oh, and I'm not here all week." He cackles as he leaves through the broken door.
As soon as Mumbo's foot made contact with the sidewalk, Robin on the R-cycle charges over Mumbo's head and lands dramatically, creating a loud screech from the tires as well as a slight upheaval of dust.
"Waaaaaaaahhh! By the love of Houdini's grave! It's you pesky heroes again! Why can't you ruin someone else's act!?." Mumbo points and hops slightly place.
Robin, with the helmet fastened securely over his head, frowns and accelerates the R-cycle again, seemingly intending to ram the irksome magician.
Mumbo managed a 'bwah!' and took out an umbrella.
The umbrella somehow picked up on a wind current, and also somehow made the crafty thief light enough to ascend with the umbrella. He dodged Robin's charge rather comically.
"And they say Mary Poppins isn't a magician!!! Ahahahahahaha!!!"
Zing! Zap! "Hya! Ha!"
"Ooooooo.....poops." Mumbo Jumbo's umbrella was disintegrated by the Tamaranian girl's powerful star bolts.
Mumbo Jumbo began to feel the effects of gravity. "Well, now, what would Houdini do in a situation like this!?"
He didn't really have time to effectively express his intentions or joke as Beast Boy charged in, morphing from a falcon and into a monkey. He dived straight for the man's very oddly blue face.
"Wooohaahahahahaha!" The green monkey shrieked.
"Ayiiiiiii! Get off me, you mangy animal!" Beast Boy's intention was to let Mumbo fall to the ground when he distracted him with primal action, but Mumbo Jumbo suddenly pulled out a flower and squirted massive amounts of water at the green monkey.
Beast Boy morphed back into human as he was washed away, "Tidal wave!!! Wipe out!!!" and collided headfirst with a trash can.
"Okay," said Beast Boy, with his head on the ground and legs in the air, "No one told me the screwy lunatic was using clown tricks!"
SHOOOO!!!
"Cease your illusions and trickeries!!!" Starfire cried as she charged straight for the magician.
"Why, if it isn't my lovely assistant! Have you finally decided to return to aid in my stardom!?"
A couple of well aimed star bolts answered that question.
"Hah! Hya!" ZING ZAP!!!
"Waahhhh!!!"
The Amazing Jumbo yelped as he did some Macarena styled moves and dodged the emerald beams.
Just when Mumbo was about to pull something from his sleeve, a grappler hook entangled itself around his wrist. and he was forcefully hauled back by Robin.
"Ugah!" Mumbo was forcefully hauled back by Robin.
Robin had used one hand to fire the grappler hook and the other maintained his direction and balance on the R-cycle as he came intending on ramming the crafty villain again.
ROOOOOMM!!!
Mumbo Jumbo used the time gape between Robin's attack to pull out what he was about to-a series of multi-colored cloths, and in unbelievably endless supply.
"Nothing up my sleeve......but these!"
The clothes tangled around the charging R-cycle and Robin's helmet, impairing his vision.
"Arrggh!!!" He shot another grappler hook into a building and hauled himself up, but not before setting the motorcycle's automated safety system.
The R-cycle parked itself safely on the road.
Robin took off his helmet and threw it at Mumbo, and took out three explosive discs from his utility belt at the same time.
"Wowzers!" Mumbo did a back flip and the helmet passed where his shins would have been.
"Hah!!!" Robin then flung the discs.
With the Boy Wonder's previous intervention, Mumbo had forgotten about the Tamaranian warrior's presence. He was assuredly reminded as he felt a strong force impact him during the flip.
CRUNK!!
All of Starfire's knuckles dug into Mumbo's back and the impact sent him flying back towards Robin's thrown explosive discs.
Mumbo's eyes widened as the discs got closer, but he suddenly grinned and took off his hat and allowed the discs to enter, which oddly, didn't explode. More oddly, is that the discs came out of the hat, as if they went through a two-way portal.
The explosive discs thus reeled back towards the Boy Wonder.
Robin's eyes narrowed.
BOOOOOM!!!
------------------
The facility that was being attacked was the SCR Grand Central Station. Four H.I.V.E. members were present, each apparently doing their own various tasks of retrieval and theft.
One of the four was a young lad with a flame flowers on each of his hands, the curious thing though, was that he had no obvious fuel tank to draw the flame from. The young lad was the one to have melted through the facility exterior security armory. His red suit glittered from the explosions and fire sparks of the destroyed machines, and grey eyes danced along.
Immediately, at least over a dozen guards in the standard protective suits armed with laser rifles came rushing.
The trained guards immediately went into offensive line formation, as judging by the looks of the intruders, they were sure that lethal attacks were in order, and thus all of them began firing at will.
But no matter how trained they were, the opposition would still prove too much for them, especially since they've only seen half of the intruders' forces.
A girl, perhaps in her early adolescence, wore a green leotard and had flowing blonde hair. Her eyes are covered just like the way most criminals and heroes are, with an eye mask. She had some simple bracelets on her wrists, and a headband that had the initials 'S.P.' on it.
She was going past the security guards and laser attacks like wind, literally.
When the guards were bewildered and confused, another one of the H.I.V.E team members emerged from the ground the guards stood upon. He was colossal, and pummeled them relentlessly. He was apparently a genetically engineered being like Mammoth, though there seemed to be some powerful animal genes spliced within him as well. His body was covered with a coating of fur, as well as a seemingly green armor plating that only reached to his knees.
The giant grunted as several more guards arrived and were already shooting at his easily targeted body. He held his palms and arms to his face to prevent any serious damage to the facial area.
The guards were too focused on the giant and the other two villains to notice the last H.I.V.E. team member sneak up behind them.
FLASH! FLIN! SLICE! SHRING!
A flash of light and metal skewed through and the last member was seen crouched in front of the guards now, holding his metal claws out, which would be the his weapons of choice.
The guards' rifles were sliced and diced rather cleanly, and they all gasped in fear as the front portions of their weapons fell to the ground, like well cut vegetables.
The last member now stood tauntingly and menacingly, chuckling at the fearful behaviors of the guards, though he couldn't see their expressions since they all had the gas masks on.
Now standing, the young man was defined by his dark colored, light weighted outfit. It resembled a diving suit in certain respects. His skin and eyes showed the prospects of a feline, which is further enforced by the ferocious attitude and tendency to toy with his prey.
"Nice job there, Cleave." The giant thanked as he walked to his side, each footstep creating a small crater.
"Nothing to it, Grout. Standard training, really. These idiots just aren't challenging enough." Cleave licked his claws. "Hey, I wonder how their blood tastes like." He hissed.
At this, the guards decided that retreat was the most pragmatic and idealistic plan they could come up with.
"Hahahahahaha!!! That was tight you guys!" The flame thrower laughed as he approached his two teammates.
"Stop laughing, Blaze." The girl materialized from the air. "Hyenas are less annoying."
"You've never seen hyenas, Fiona." Cleave commented.
"Lion King was enough." Fiona sneered.
Blaze chuckled. "Hahahahehehehe, Fiona, you have got to get a cool name soon."
Fiona fumed. "I'm still thinking about it, a girl's gotta be thorough and careful in her decisions."
Blaze smirked. "Yeah right, you're just mad because you couldn't be called Hello Kitty!"
Cleave licked his claws. "Shut up, you jackasses, we've got a huge corporation to plunder." Cleave walked shrewdly and motioned for his giant teammate to follow.
"Grout, will you be so kind?" He motioned to the now sealed metal doors.
"Huh? I am kind?"
Cleave frowned.
"They should have spliced some brain cells."
ZOOOOONNN!
Blaze was about to interject when a sonic blast suddenly impinged Grout from the back.
"Huh?" They all reacted slower than they should have. The T-car came straight at them.
Fortunately, the three managed to jump, fade, and roll away before the T-car could collide with them and make them into road kill.
The T-car turned to the side and stopped as Cyborg stepped on the breaks. He was sweating and his teeth were chattering.
"You're lucky nothing happened to my baby." He said to the shady girl beside him.
"And here I was hoping." Raven said before she exited the vehicle.
"Oh! I hope, I say, I hope some greasy old hobo finds his way into your room!"
The four H.I.V.E. members recovered and grouped together. Cleave sneered.
"It's the Teen Titans!"
Raven floated in the air.
"What do we do!?"
"Duh! We kick their-"
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" she levitated the broken and abandoned parts of the rifles and threw them at the H.I.V.E.
"Ackies!!!"
Cleave leapt out of the way.
Fiona just fazed through the materials, as she was unable to dodge quick enough.
Grout just took the hit, though it didn't affect him much.
FOOOOON!
"Hahahahahaha!!!" Blaze laughed and used his flame throwers to melt the metal pieces, but was knocked down by a clear shot from Cyborg's sonic cannon.
ZOOOOOON!!
"Booya! You kids really need to watch your own backs." Cyborg exclaimed with his mechanical arm turned into his powerful sonic weaponry.
"Spread out!!!" Cleave yelled as he and Fiona dashed to the sides. Grout charged headstrong towards the two Titans, probably his only effective attack as of yet.
Cyborg crouched and aimed his sonic cannon at the ground, waiting for the gigantic monster to approach.
"Yo, Raven!" He shouted. "You know what I just learned about these pansies!?"
Fiona fizzled into the air molecules and flew towards Raven.
"Let's see how you handle vapor labor!!!'
Raven raised her hand, palm towards the girl.
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"
Fiona found herself running into a wall of black energy.
"What?" she cried as the black wall suddenly folded and caged her in.
When Raven had previous attacked them with the broken parts of the rifles, it was merely to test their opponents' abilities. Unexpected though, was that they each pretty much revealed their abilities on sight, especially with Fiona's unprofessional usage of her mist skill. And as it were, they seriously lacked experience.
Raven looked towards the crouching Cyborg. "Rank amateurs?"
"Couldn't be greener!"
ZOOOOONN!!!
A gigantic sonic wave coursed through the ground and the upheaval of the concretes flew as Grout's charge neared. Grout was unceremoniously taken off balance and blown away.
"Uuuuuuhhh..." Blaze groaned as he tried to get back up, but was struck to the ground by Fiona's body landing on him, encased in black energy.
"Rah!!!" Cleave leaped from the side and ferociously swiped at Raven with his deadly metal claws, desperate to land a blow somewhere.
Raven used her powers to create a black shield against the strike.
"I'm going to skew you!"
FLASH! Cleave's attack.
"Do I look like a scratching post?"
ROOON!! Raven's defense.
Cleave growled as his attack fell short.
He tried some lower ranged attacks. "Arrgh!" ROOON!! Raven just met him attack to attack.
Cleave soon became too enthralled by the prospect of needing to hit the gothic girl, and neglected the other Titan.
"Ha!" ROOON! "Ya!" ROOON! "Gah!" ROOON! "Ha-ack!"
Cyborg picked up the teen by the edge of his suit. He smiled purposefully at the cat dude, before giving him a taste of a good android punch.
WHACK!! And the feline human teen was out cold.
Cyborg wiped his hand. "Now, there ain't gonna be any pussy cats nagging our ice queen from hell."
"Mr. Teletubbies is angry with you kids." Raven said in monotone.
"Wha!? Yo, Raven! What you saying, girl!? That was low!" Raven grinned, however slightly, and began using her powers to control some broken wire parts to tie up the grounded villains.
"Awwww, man, I think I broke a rib." Blaze groaned as the wires wrapped around his bodies.
Cyborg began walking over. "I'd be more worried about what your parents are gonna think, that, and how you gonna live the rest of your life with dignity."
Raven suddenly sensed something. "Cyborg! Look out!"
SHUUUNN!! A stream of violet waves coursed into the grounds before Cyborg.
"Whoaa!!" He stumbled a little as the ground began shaking and collapsing.
Cyborg instantly readied his sonic cannon again, but he knew who attacked.
Raven flew next to him but several feet above him, powers glowing dangerously and hood over her head.
The attacker jumped in front of the two Titans, on the other side of the broken surface of the ground.
Cyborg's brow narrowed. "Jinx........"
------------------
Smoke filled the entire area as the discs exploded tremendously.
"Robin!" "Rob!" shouted Starfire and Beast Boy respectively.
Robin flipped out of the exploding smoke and landed a little far from the other two. He immediately began searching for Mumbo.
Starfire and Beast Boy sighed in relief.
Beast Boy turned into an elephant and used his green trunk to blow the smoke away, and the three tried looking for Mumbo.
"Okay, where's the old fart!?"
Mumbo had used the distraction to leap unto the roof of the buildings.
Starfire saw the crafty magician's escape, and shouted, "Friends, on the buildings!" before flying swiftly after.
Robin narrowed his eyes again and shot another grappler hook and gave chase, followed by a green hawk.
Mumbo ran quite relaxed but considerably fast, and it was rather frustrating.
He turned his head briefly and caught the sight of the Titans still on his trail. He pulled his wand from his coat and pointed it at Beast Boy.
"Alakazam!" A magical beam shot from the wand. SHRIIIIING!!!
Beast Boy shrilled and dodged the beam.
"Abrakadabra!" SHRIIIING!!!
"Eeek!" Starfire gasped and flew higher to avoid the beam.
Robin was running on the building tops of the other side of the block.
The Boy Wonder sneered and his eyes became dark, as he watched Mumbo shooting magical beams at his teammates.
With one hard step on the edge of the building, Robin leapt all the way over to Mumbo's side, and landed right next to him.
"Raugh!" Robin was in a crouching position as he used his leg to perform a sweep attack.
Mumbo bounced into the air, avoiding Robin's sweep, and shot several more magical beams at Starfire and Beast Boy while tugging at something in his coat. He ended up pulling out a red carpet, scratch that, a magical red carpet.
"Tada!" Mumbo chuckled as he laid the carpet flat and stood on it, struggling to balance.
Robin growled, looked at his surroundings, and darted off in a different direction.
---
On the bottom of the streets, a crimson eye flared.
"Hehehehehehehehehe.......joy to the world, and all its crazy little munchkins......"
---
Once he got the hang of balancing on the carpet, Mumbo turned back around to face the two flying Titans. Now that he didn't have to divide his attention into running, Mumbo could just concentrate on shooting.
"Well now, this is more like it!!! Alakazam! Abrakadabra! Hocus Pocus!"
SHRIIIING! SHRIIIING! SHRIIIIN!
Starfire's eyes glowed bright green and she powered up her hands with star bolts.
"Huh!" The girl avoided the consecutive beams and shot back.
ZING! ZAP! ZING! ZING!
"Waaaaahh!!!" Mumbo now didn't have much leg room to maneuver, as the carpet was basically on autopilot. So he had to strain his waist and back to move out of the star bolts' way.
Starfire immediately noticed this and began aiming for the carpet instead.
She gathered much more energy in her fist. "Yah!" And let loose a single strong star bolt.
Mumbo covered himself with his arms and one lifted leg when the star bold neared.
"Eh?" He squeaked as he saw that half of the carpet was burned to ashes.
"Now you're just burning my act!" He took one step off the carpet and dropped straight down towards the ground.
Beast Boy shrilled and dove beeline for the descending magician, though uncertain whether to assume an attack or be concerned for the dropping villain.
Beast Boy needn't have cared, for Mumbo hooked onto a clothes line with his now curvy wand. So Beast Boy decided to peck his oddly long nose, or use his talons to squeeze it.
Unfortunately, the magician was still yet to be helpless.
"Alakazam!" Mumbo shot at a pink dress with his magic. It glowed brightly before dozens upon dozens of pigeons flew out, colliding and blinding the green hawk.
And since Beast Boy couldn't just continue plowing through the flying vermin, he paused, which caused him to drop as hawks aren't famous for hovering.
Beast Boy transformed into a monkey again, and held on to a clothes line on the lower levels.
Mumbo decided not to pass up on the chance, and shot a beam at the clothes line and turned it into what looked like silly strings, a LOT of silly strings. He then flung himself onto the roofs again.
"Aaaaarrrrr!!" Beast Boy cried as he tried pulling the silly strings off, buy they were glued onto him quite adhesively, which now proved to him that it probably wasn't silly strings.
"I am so gonna just shave my head." he morphed into larger animals, in hopes of stretching the strings beyond their potential, but to no avail. If anything, the strings held on stronger and the sticky substances now covered his eyes as well.
"Aaaahh!! This is not bueno!!!!"
"Beast Boy!" shouted Starfire, concerned. She turned the concern for her friend into righteous fury and chased after Mumbo.
ZING! "Ack!" Mumbo moved his foot in time to avoid having it singed with a hole.
"You have made my friend Beast Boy uncomfortable with viscid substances! And I shall have to be the one to snip his hair with scissors!!!" She powered up more star bolts and charged at the magician.
Mumbo actually jumped towards Starfire, hand and wand extended. "And for my next trick! Wala!" He produced a disappearing box, and Starfire was flying too fast to avoid being trapped inside.
"Aaaahh!!!" She screamed as the door of the box closed.
"Abrakadabra!"
SHRIIIING!!!
"Aauuughh!!!" Starfire used her immense alien strength and punched through the box, flying outside to find......... the junkyard!?
"When..!? How...!?" Starfire looked around frantically and discovered that she was somehow was indeed teleported to the junkyard of the city.
"Ooooooooo!" She complained as she took off for the general direction of the area where she was last.
Mumbo bowed. "Thank you! Ladies and gentlemen! You were, too kind!"
He was sure that he had successfully rid himself of his pursuers until a few smoke bombs exploded next to him.
"Huh!?" Hack! Cough! The smoke was rather unexpected so he hesitated before looking for a way to escape.
Mumbo used his cape to cover his mouth and used the hand holding his wand to try and swat away the offending cloud of particles.
"Raaaaagh!!!!" A bo-staff cleaved through the thick, grayish vapors and struck against Mumbo's arm, hard.
POW!!! Mumbo's form was sent flying over the edge of the building and downwards to the ground.
Not one to be outdone during his acts, Mumbo quickly magically extended his wand towards the ground and used that extended wand as a pole-vault to slow his fall.
He moaned as the Boy Wonder actually landed on the streets more graceful and faster than he did.
"Now you're just being persistent!"
Robin glared at the man, and his hand went to his utility belt.
Mumbo was now curious why the teen had yet to say a word since the pursuit began, though he knew he couldn't really just ask him and voted off thinking about it when he was being chased.
"Hocus Pocus!!" Mumbo used one finger to pull down one of his sleeves to reveal a stream of poker cards, hundreds and hundreds of pokers cards.
"Pick a card! Any card!"
His position left him wide open for Robin's next attack.
Robin used his cape as cover and dove into the massive numbers of poker cards, unafraid of their supposedly sharp edges.
CREEENN!!!
"Huh?" Mumbo gawked as he watched his wand sliced by Robin's birdarang. Robin emerged from the storm of cards unharmed.
"Nooooooo!!!" As is the effects of the broken wand, Mumbo turned into the overall wearing, long nosed, half bald man he really is.
The big bag of jewelries fell out of his black coat before he transformed back.
Robin began walking towards the hapless villain.
Mumbo sighed and sat down tiredly as the Boy Wonder walked over. "I guess my act is over now, and now it's you bratty kids' act to give me some backstage time in jail..."
Robin stood silently, looming over the old man.
"But count on a reemergence, The Amazing Mumbo will live again! That is, if I can find where I put-"
WHOMP!!!
Mumbo flew to the side of the street, close to a fire hydrant.
"Owwww!!! W-what are you doing!?" Robin glared, the fist he punched him with still held in front of the leader of the Titans.
There is no distinction between good and bad, they're all the same....
I will never stop. I am what keeps you up at night...
It's supposed to be simple, but it's not...
"Stay a-away! N-no d-don't!" SLAM!!!
Robin kicked him hard in the ribs, and Mumbo flew across the pavement.
The Boy Wonder's breath was now ragged and harsh.
"Simple ......... exist....... must stop........"
--------------------
"Stone...." Jinx whispered back.
Cyborg kept his sonic cannon ready. "It's Cyborg. You should know that by now, or are you really just an airhead?"
Jinx shook her head. "No, your real name was Stone, I checked your background."
The teen managed to look surprised a bit before narrowing his brow. "That was a long time ago...and if you didn't notice, I'm running on batteries now."
Jinx had wanted to point out the fact that Cyborg still used the name during his infiltration of the H.I.V.E., but decided not to voice it here.
Instead, she turned to the fallen rookies, and fired a stream of purple spells, destroying the restraints.
The four villains stood up weakly, some holding their head and some their stomach.
"Azarath, Metrion-" Raven stopped as Cyborg held a hand up to her. The android readied his cannon, geared from 'stun mode' into 'lethal mode'.
"We're leaving, we won't bother you anymore...." Jinx said, passively.
"I can't let you do that, they've attacked a part of the city, and now they need to pay for their crimes. It's how things work." The two stared at each other.
Raven floated right next to Cyborg. Her eyes glowed as her powers readied.
Jinx's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Uuuuhhh, hey! It's Jinx!" Fiona exclaimed as she regained more of her bearings.
Cleave was about to say something when Jinx gave a command.
"Retreat. Orders from the headmaster." The four nodded dumbly and scattered off.
Cyborg fired a shot, shocking the four rookies in their steps. Jinx didn't flinch, but her eyes were still pleading.
"Not gonna be screwed over that easily." Raven remained silent.
Jinx sighed. "Stone, listen-"
"I thought it was Cyborg."
Jinx's expressions did not change, but changed the sentence.
"Cyborg." She waited. Cyborg's cannon did not lower.
"I want you and the Titans to stay out of the way, better yet, leave the city for awhile."
Cyborg frowned. "That was a really lame threat, you can do better. You know we're not going to just let the H.I.V.E. have its way, especially when Brother Blood things he can mess with my friends."
"Most of the H.I.V.E. will be evacuating the city as well, headmaster's orders." Jinx said, with a distressed tone hindering her words.
Cyborg and Raven are now both curious, but still kept their guard up.
All the while when Cyborg and Jinx were conversing, Raven had been using her empathic abilities to judge Jinx's tone and voice, acting as a lie detector and a radar for the surrounding area.
She didn't like the slight distress she picked up.
"What's going on here, Jinx? The H.I.V.E. is evacuating?"
Jinx closed her eyes, and spoke. "Something big is coming up."
"How big?"
"D-day big. It's colossal, and even the H.I.V.E. isn't sweet with it."
Cyborg looked towards Raven, with his arm still posed.
Raven shook her head and waved her hand, indicating that she couldn't tell. Jinx was another spell caster after all, and wasn't exactly to most obvious of individuals.
"Most of the H.I.V.E. members were hired by someone, I don't who this person is, but those four," she pointed to Cleave and the others, "and a lot of the other students were hired to attack and steal something from these facilities."
She took a breath. "But the headmaster had just told us we are to retreat, and abandon the project immediately until further orders."
Raven moved forward a bit, though she wasn't sure why.
"So? Maybe that Edgar Allen Poe wannabe just got diarrhea."
Jinx frowned. "You should know during your one-man-army time in the H.I.V.E., that we never break contracts, unless we fail."
Cyborg smirked. "Guess there was a lot of shredded paper works and disappointed madmen."
"Not as disappointing as your dancing skills. I wondered why your feet made dents in the floor." She countered.
"Whatever, I still got nightmares from touching you."
Raven raised an eyebrow. "Touching......Cyborg?"
"Uhhhh, it's complicated."
"And I don't hate tofu."
"Rrrrghhh! Just leave this alone!"
Jinx didn't look too pleased with this conversation.
Cyborg refocused himself on Jinx. "Talk, wiggy."
"Wiggy? Pet names already? You're smooth, Mr. Teletubbies."
"Raven, shut up before I unkindly shut it for you."
Raven was about to make another wisecrack when the four rookies began moving again.
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!!!" Broken parts and metal scraps hovered around the entire area.
"I've seen enough horror flicks to know how to make this scene really messy." No one dared to move, including Cyborg.
Confident to a degree that the dark girl wouldn't kill him, yet, Cyborg tried again.
"Jinx, talk."
"Let them go first, they're only new recruits, you've already bullied them, be satisfied."
"After you spill the damned beans."
".......I-I don't know."
"Stammering and controversy are the first steps towards an utter clichéd confession of dark crappy secrets. Raven's words."
Raven folded her arms and glared at the teen slightly. Cyborg still kept his cannon aimed at the witch.
"................................."
"....................."
ZOOOOON!!!
Cyborg shot a sonic blast, very close to Jinx's pink cotton hair. Cleave flinched as the attack also almost bore a sizzling hot hole through his arm.
"..............." Jinx stood firmly and unwavering, though her eyes shined with ambiguity.
"Damn, I missed." Cyborg deadpanned, without emotion.
The four idiots still didn't get it. Raven moved the objects around, particularly close to Jynx.
"Run, before you're unidentifiable." They scrambled off.
Now only the three remained, and Cyborg finally lowered his cannon.
"Speak."
"........the headmaster broke the contract, because this job is too dangerous to handle, and if the headmaster deems this project too enormous and dangerous for the H.I.V.E. to take, then I can only say it's the same for you."
"What was the H.I.V.E. hired to do?" Raven asked, although still voicing Cyborg's question.
But Jinx didn't look pleasant about answering to the other witch-person.
"I'll talk to you when I need to vomit." Cyborg frowned.
"There are lines never meant to be crossed, girl, and you just smeared it across the pavement. Don't ever insult one of my friends, Raven included." He mentally felt guilty as Jinx appeared slightly more upset.
"Think of her as the secretary of demonic minds and anguish. What she asks, is just what I'm too slow to process."
"And I thought that computer in your brain was real." Raven whispered.
Cyborg groaned. "Never knew compliments and insults worked the same with you."
"You called me a secretary."
Jinx interrupted their not so inconspicuous quarrel.
"We were, more or less, hired to steal some information, that's all. Most likely the first step of the project."
"Is this the first step?" Cyborg asked, indicating the damaged building and flaming debris.
"Yes, I don't know anything beyond this, like I said before, we've just quit."
"Name, I need a name."
"Cyborg, can't you just leave this-"
"Name."
Jinx sighed, in defeat and frustration. She didn't understand why she was so uncontrolled. At least acting calm and collected was one of the first lessons learned in the academy, and yet she is fumbling with words and showing vulnerability.
"I-I don't know, I've never met the person. None of the H.I.V.E. students have. We just receive orders, like how it always works."
Cyborg remained silent for awhile before walking back to the T-car, Raven trailing behind.
"Wait! You're not thinking of staying here, are you!? This is serious, even Brother Blood stepped out! You can't stay!"
Cyborg turned to look at the frantic girl. "The Titans never surrender." And he continued walking.
Jinx bit her lip, cursing herself. "Loki."
Cyborg and Raven stopped.
"Loki. That's the only thing I've managed to rig from this. I don't know anything beyond that."
Cyborg nodded. "Thanks, Jinx." And he continued walking.
Jinx watched the android's back for a few moments before running off.
Cyborg leaned on his baby, and remained silent. Raven stood next to him, waiting.
He looked at the girl. "Get in the car, we're gonna get the others."
--------------------
Starfire flew around frantically, unable to trace her way back to the fighting area. Just when she was confused and trying to think hard, a sudden dark feeling surrounded her, a dark and most unpleasant feeling.
"Who is there!?" she shouted. When no sound perceived, she was about to cast the thought off as paranoia when a voice rang through her mind.
Pretty girl, what are you doing all alone? Come with me....
The voice sounded both masculine and feminine at the same time, a very icky and twisted combination.
"Cease your unpleasant voice! Please show yourself! I do not wish to go with you!"
Come with me..... to a place of happiness and jovial plains......where the sun never sets....
"I already have friends and a place of happiness! And a planet that does not have sunsets is likely to be submerged in high ultraviolet rays, and is so very unhealthy!"
No authorities ...... only joy and freedom...... a perfect dream......
Starfire suddenly felt a strong tug at her chest. She winced as she found her head spinning, and felt the need to obey the voices.
That's right, come with me......to the true utopia......for you have been chosen......to live in such a grandiose paradise......
Starfire began flying towards a direction shortly, before she instantly steeled herself.
"I will.....not obey such....an unseemly..... invitation...!"
Come with me.........you'll be happy......
"I can feel the essence of evil....! I will not obey!" Starfire's eyes shined brightly, full of her powers. Her powers caused the air around her to heat up as well, creating a slightly visible mirage.
Ack......
And the voice was gone.
Starfire panted a little, and floated onto the rooftop of a nearby building, gathering her bearings.
She didn't know whether to be scared out of her wits, or proud that she just successfully overcame a powerful mind control attempt. She was probably both. The Tamaranian immediately thought of informing her friends of the creepy situation-
Her friends!!! Robin! Beast Boy! She had to know if they were all right!
The evil source will be discussed later, she thought. And so gathering her solar powers, Starfire flew faster in search of her friends.
--------------------
SPUNK! THUNK! SLAM! WHAM!
Robin had begun seriously beating the defenseless old man, and seemed to only gain more anger as he relentlessly tortured the man.
Mumbo was crying and crawling to get away by now, but his body was harmed too much to be usable, so he only had one hand stretched before him, yearning for a miracle to save him.
"P-p-please...." Blood dripped from his chin.
Robin growled. "Black stains shouldn't exist. You'll always come back, unless you're dead."
It's always been about you.........
"There's no room for the confused, no room for hesitation."
"P-p-p-p-please....."
You are not pure of white.......
"Righteousness is what keeps people going, it's what keeps people safe."
You're lying and running away again......
"It's because of criminals like you......that people's lives are miserable...!"
"Hahahahahahahahahaha!"
"I'm the one who stops villains like you."
He raised a birdarang.
"p-please s-s-top...."
FLASH!
Robin's eyes went wide and he dropped the birdarang.
"Stop..........Slade...."
"I will never stop."
He stared at his hands in pure horror, gaping at the small blood stains on his gloves. The Boy Wonder backed away from Mumbo, who was still crying out for help. The strain and fear was too overwhelming and the old man passed out.
Robin continued backing up, until his back touched a wall.
"So, I ask you: who stops you?"
The teen stares at the ground, passively, until a voice breaks his reverie.
"Quite vicious, and here I thought superheroes would risk their own neck to save the lives of villains as well." A crimson eye glowed.
"Very refreshing to see a change. Hehehehehehehahahahahaha!!!"
The man in the rain storm walked out of an alley, and stood before the Boy Wonder. The teen now looked pathetic and weak, and the man was rather amused.
Robin slowly looked up at the man, scrutinizing his appearances. Even in deep shock, the Boy Wonder still has the second nature of analyzation.
As mentioned before, the man had long hazel hair, and now that it's dry, flowed freely with the wind breezes.
The man's skin was rather tanned, and made a huge contrast with the color of his outfit. What resembled massive amounts of bright, yellow bandages formed his clothing, though they were all sewed together.
His combat gloves were dirty brown, and several stains on it indicted dry blood. The metal knuckle nubs reflected the sunlight.
His boots were long and reached almost to his knees, and they had unnecessarily a lot of buckles.
To describe his built would be difficult, but the man was rather tall, almost to Cyborg's height, and was lean in the prospects that he had some strong muscles. Scars ran across his shoulders and chest, showed through the gaps of his clothes.
His right eye was black, while his left eye was crimson, as it glowed many times before.
Robin reacted to the red eye immediately and gritted his teeth.
"Huh?" The man grunted as he noticed the boy's sudden change in attitude.
What Robin saw, were the overlaying images of Slade and the man before wielding the despicable red eye.
Both men's left eyes stared dauntingly, calmly, and amusedly.
"Aaarrrrghhh!!!" Robin darted fast towards the stranger and threw a quick punch right at his face.
The man caught it easily, and kicked the boy back into the wall, which created a slight crack.
"Hahahahahahaha!!! Insanity! I like it, you're an interesting kid!" He waltzed towards Robin casually, taking each of his steps uncaringly.
Robin lifted his head, and what was shown was not the expression of the leader of the Teen Titans, nor the face of the Boy Wonder. What was revealed was the tormented and berserk face of a spirit that belongs to a crazed warrior.
"Gaaaarrghh!!!" Robin advanced again, in awkward movements, but proved effective as the man was caught slightly off guard.
"Hehehe." He smirked as he blocked and dodged the various attacks.
Robin made a round kick to his waist. He blocked it with his elbow. Robin followed it up with sweep kicks to break his balance. He jumped to avoid the attack and countered it with a heel drop.
Robin flipped backwards, dodging the kick by a few inches.
He charged again and attacked his with consecutive punches.
One of the punches landed on the arm and the man grinned. Quickly grasping the arm, he pulled the boy in, swept his feet off balance, and tossed him over a distance of 20 feet.
Robin landed on the ground and bounced off, successfully landing on his feet. He took out a bunch of explosive, freeze, and electric discs.
The man whistled at the impressive display of arsenals.
"Though, you're not going to do much with those."
Robin flung them sequentially but almost all at the same time.
BOOM! ZAP! BIN!
Electricity and explosions filled the entire area, and after the smoke cleared, a huge patch of ice was seen.
Robin took out his bo-staff, extended it, and leapt up into the air. He struck at the man, who had dug his fingers into the building's walls to avoid the discs.
He blocked the attack with his combat glove covered hand, and sneered. "Che, and I thought you couldn't keep up."
He was answered by a clean blow to the skull, followed by a swift kick to the torso, and finally propelled to the ground by another smack with the staff.
WHOMP!!!
"That hurts." He said as he lay on the ground. His red eye shined again.
"Raaah!!!" Robin gave a war cry and came straight down at the fallen opponent, bo-staff held above his head.
The man stood quickly, and readied his right arm. As Robin's bo-staff struck down, he used his right arm to allow the staff to get close before he shifted his arm's position and made the staff slide to the side. His left hand then quickly caught the end of the staff, giving him the leverage now.
He pulled the staff towards him, which caused Robin to be pulled in as well. With his right hand still free, he gave a hard punch to Robin's torso, and the Boy Wonder flew back into the sky.
Following this attack, the man dropped the staff and jumped up along the teen, and kicked him back towards the ground.
POW!!!
Robin began the hard task of getting back up.
The man landed and watched in amusement at the struggle.
"I'd stay down, don't want to break anything worthwhile, now do we?"
Robin just panted and gradually stood to a fighting stance, but his knees buckled and so he landed against the ground with his hands supporting his body. The man chuckled.
"You're...... that man's protégé....aren't you?" He suddenly asked, with his smile faded.
"Hah.......hah..........gah....." Robin panted, with both palms against the ground.
"Hahahahaha!!! Rather unfitting! But who am I to judge? You children these days are nuts anyways!" He took a step towards the teen.
With sudden vigor, Robin charged at the man again, and did a flip kick, which he still caught.
"Good technique, but not perfect." Robin's eyes widened, pulled his upper body up in that upside down position, and punched him in the face.
WHAM!
He stammered backwards, head propelled backwards, and then smirked. "Did I say something offensive?"
"Aarrrrrgghh!!!" Robin shouted as he did a flying kick.
WHAM!!
The man flew into a wall, his head and body limb. Robin growled as the man lifted his head to grin. The red eye shined tauntingly.
"Yah!!!" The Boy Wonder jumped, giving himself height to perform the deadly heel drop.
Catching the attack at the last moment, the man slammed the boy on the ground, creating big cracks.
Robin laid on the ground, but was visibly still trying to get back up. However, the injuries and strains were too great, it was just like how he was after the incident two days ago.
The man walked over, and knelt by Robin. "You're interesting, kid. I like it. You're vicious and impulsive."
His red eye glowed and Robin bore his teeth. The man frowned.
"Che, you're just confused. Blinded by hate and rage, and here I thought it was innate." He paused.
"Though I do feel some harsh battle lingo....hehehehehehehe." He chuckled.
"What are you afraid of, huh?"
Robin clenched his fist.
"The power of darkness is seeded within you, I can feel it."
Robin huffed and puffed harsh breaths of air.
"But you seem to have forgotten something........something important." He frowned.
"I don't like confused people, they're hard to deal with, and weaker." He crouched closer.
"Just what are your problems? You're that man's protégé, aren't you, Robin?"
Robin seemed to be affected by this, for his frown disappeared and his eyes showed confusion.
"Hehehehehehahahahahahahaha!!! Maybe I should have a little look inside." His left eye glowed again.
"Robin! Where are you! Please respond!" Starfire's voice shouted from Robin's communicator.
The man frowned, then smiled. "Next time, then. We will meet again, Robin, Boy Wonder." He stood straight.
"Your friends will be worried about you, che, and it isn't going to be easy for you as well." He grinned. "Not when I'm around."
He began walking away, slowly fading into the darkness of the alleys. "Oh." He stopped.
"Remember this name, my name, Kahn. You'll be hearing it soon enough. It's been nice beating you, but I have business to attend to. Wahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.......!" And the man now known as Kahn was gone.
Robin laid on the ground, brooding. The source of infernal fury was gone, and the boy's spirit suddenly relaxed, though his thoughts were still haunted.
He never lost consciousness, and remained aware of his surroundings. He had clicked on an indicator button on his communicator, allowing the Titans to see his location on the map, and then just waited.
He had lost again, now to someone who came out of nowhere. But oddly enough, the man known as Khan had struck some hard notes on the Boy Wonder's frustration.
He had forgotten something? What was that mad man talking about? Did he know about his time in Gotham? Why did he attack someone who just showed up, who didn't even seem to be doing anything wrong? That red eye, what was it? He felt the lost of control when he saw it. He saw Slade's abominable eye in that bloody glow, and other images long forgotten......
Was that what he forgot? Those memories...... he didn't know, and he didn't want to know.
Robin turned his head to look at his right hand, dusty and bloody. He clenched it, and bore his teeth again.
---
Closing notes: Darkness consumes everyone once in awhile, and now, it's Robin's turn to feel the horrid feeling of it. So, there's the new character, and the plot thickens, at least I think it does. Anyhoo, Robin was slightly OOC, perhaps, though it's because he's still haunted.