Chapter 2 A Walk In The Park
Eyclone leaned against the hood of his newly acquired Audi TT. The very last rays of the sun were still being reflected off the clouds even though the sun had been down for ten minutes.
He'd dealt with the case of Cocaine by handing it to a police officer and then walking around a corner and cloud forming before the cop asked him about the case.
Chang's late, wait Chang's never been late…A limousine pulled up in the nearly empty parking lot. The only other car seemed to be parked close to the exit and was rocking up and down. Eyclone ignored this. C'mon, Hotel rooms are more private then the park
The Limo parked on the far side. Eyclone stood up straight, opened the boot with the remote and pulled out one of the cash "prizes" he'd "won" with the car. Out of the Limo stepped two of Chang's bodyguards carrying metal boxes. The man himself emerged slowly with all the calmness; well Eyclone hadn't seen anyone so calm before…
'I apologise for my lateness, but the modifications proved to be quite fiddly. It's all here though.' Said Chang
Both parties walked to the exact middle distance between the two cars. Eyclone set the case on the ground and opened it revealing the money. Chang's bodyguards opened the cases. One contained all the non-lethal weapons he'd ordered, including the foam squirter. The other case opened to reveal a black body glove with several armoured segments over vital regions, the joints spinal cord and chest.
'What's with the suit?' Eyclone enquired.
'Something one of our mutual friends had made for you, in anticipation of you becoming as his partner.' Chang replied 'It's quite protective capable of resisting bullets of .38 calibre and below. But unfortunately it was never fully tested…' Chang trailed off.
'Why?' Eyclone asked, suspicions running through his mind.
'Because its custom, one size for one apprentice. The requirements for its construction are so rare that only Slade or the government could afford it.' Chang said with an air of pride. 'Although the US Army have been developing it for several years, they didn't have a scientist like myself working on it. They want cheap mass production, but I cannot stoop so low as to insult my crafted quality products, as you well know.'
'Ok I'll take it, but if this is a trap, I will come after you and make you regret the day you were born Chang.' Eyclone said with an expression stating that he would really like to do what ever it was to Chang right now. With that Chang walked over to the suitcase full of cash and slowly began examining notes at random. Eyclone did the same to the body suit and the other devices.
'This seems to be in order. It's been a pleasure doing business with you Mr. Chang' said Eyclone
'Likewise Mr. Eyclone. Remember the rules still apply.' Said Chang
'I don't know anything, who is this guy, if you don't release my lawyer will see to you….' Eyclone replied
'Exactly Mr. Eyclone. Exactly.' Said Chang. With that both parties carried their newly acquired goods back to their cars.
Eyclone popped the trunk of the sports car and it put both the cases in. as we was about to slam the lid down Eyclone stopped and opened the case containing the body armour. Looking at the wonderful invention that had been made for him a few years back, Eyclone slung it over his shoulder and slammed the trunk shut. A nearby public restroom will be an adequate change room.
Eyclone stripped and for the first time in a week checked the injuries his body had suffered. The majority were just cuts or bruises, nothing serious. Looking in the mirror he found a new zit forming on the left side of his jaw.
'Little bastard. I'll end you.' He said as he fulfilled his promise, squeezing the pimple until the pus came out.
Eyclone resumed the examination of his body. Wrapped around his chest, back, upper arms, and upper thighs were thick bandages made of a synthetic material. He unwound the one encasing his right upper arm. Underneath, well underneath was nothing, a few scars that had faded but nothing that would catch the eye.
Eyclone sighed with relief, it wasn't showing.
Repeating the procedure with the other bandages he was unchanging, no marks, a sigh, no marks, and a sigh.
Realizing where he was Eyclone considered getting dressed again. Those stains on the wall suggest that who ever made them probably wouldn't be worried about anything now, except for maybe the worms eating his feet…
Eyclone rewrapped the bandages on his person and slid into the bodysuit.
Meanwhile at a Pizza Parlour Nearby'I'm telling you Tofu violates the very nature of a pizza!' said Cyborg between mouthfuls of pizza.
'Dude your eating animals and your saying I'm stuffing up a pizza!' Beast Boy shot back hotly.
'At least its cause your brain to go retarded!'
'At least I my parents didn't screw me up and make me a retard!' Beast Boy replied, hitting a soft spot, he instantly regretted what he had said.
'What you say about my parents!' Roared Cyborg.
'Calm down, calm down. I don't want you guys killing each other over toppings.' Robin said in effort to prevent any further conflict.
'Err..' Raven said squinting at the waiter's nametag. 'Guys I think Dougie here wants to take your order, before he gets flattened in the cross fire.'
'That will be two super ultramo sized pizzas one vegetarian with Tofu and one Deluxe Meat lovers with extra meat right...' he said nervously, being one of those nerdy guys who faint if they make eye contact with a girl. Raven wasn't making it easier with her hollow stare.
'I will have a pizza of the third size covered in Mustard and this Pasta of Rave and Eolli, no?' said Starfire with that cute naïve expression of hers. 'Ok…' said Dougie now quite unnerved by the group of teenaged superheroes and their strange tastes in food.
'I'll just have a large, with the lot.' Said Robin.
'A small Hawaiian.' Raven said in her deadpan voice. Dougie scuttled away with the unusual order.
Robin lounged in his chair. Today had been quiet, except for Cinderblock and that boy everything was just, well dull. Not that dull was a bad thing, but before Slade's death, dull usually meant that Slade was close to achieving his goal to control Jump City. Slade was dead now, but that didn't stop the strange feeling he got when he woke up, or that gut feeling he got when strange things happened and the things smelt like Slade. Must be getting paranoid…
The communicator trilled.
'Trouble!' yelled Robin as he flipped open the communicator. 'Cinderblock escaped, he's been spotted in the park!'
The titans jumped out of their chairs.
'Titans Go!'
The T-Car sped through the streets of Jump City. Cyborg swerved to avoid the traffic and took a shortcut through an alley.
'Nearly there people, just hold on tight!' yelled Cyborg over the super turbo-charged engine.
In the back Beast Boy had transformed into an octopus and had wrapped his arms around anything in reach, and much to Raven's annoyance this included her head.
Cyborg gunned the engine and the T-Car rocketed out of the alley.
Pulling up at Jump City Park they found several police cruisers that had encountered Cinderblock, the officers were keeping low in a ditch. They waved the T-car on ahead. Speeding down the road they found hastily made roadblock with a few other police cars. Beyond that, the figure of Cinderblock holding a cop car in each hand the lights from other cars illuminated his armoured bulk.
Cyborg screeched the car to a halt.
The Titans piled out. Cinderblock tried to swat a figure in a black skin suit. It leapt to the side avoiding a fender to the head.
The Titans charged Cinderblock. Cyborg's sonic cannon blasted the side of the villain's head.
'Why don't you pick on someone actually capable of fighting back?' Cyborg called.
Cinderblock turned back to the boy who kept moving, sometimes getting close and delivering a punch or kick, or keeping back and zapping the criminal with bolts of white lightning.
One particular bright energy bolt illuminated the boy. Robin recognised instantly it was the same boy from earlier.
The boy looked back and made eye contact with the titan. Cinderblock raised both of the cars above his head and tried to swipe at a purple blur that was unleashing green energy at his concrete hide.
Two rubbish bins floated in the air at Cinderblock, but Cinderblock just batted them away like flies.
He roared again, it was almost deafening. Beast Boy morphed back to human from his rhino form covering his ears.
Cinderblock raised both the cars and swung as hard as he could at the boy who was also covering his ears.
'NOOOOO!' Screamed Robin.
The two cars collided with a thunderous noise; it was a hybrid of bang and crash. The sheer volume hurt the titans eardrums.
And where the mysterious boy had stood, was a pile of bent metal.
But it wasn't over…
Howling even louder, Cinderblock pummelled his fists, again and again.
Each blow crushed the automobiles further and further into the dirt.
Cinderblock crouched and sprang on to the pile, jumping up and down, until the twisted metal was just a heavily compacted crater.
The Titans stood there stunned.
Who ever the boy had been he'd just been hit with the full violence of Cinderblock's rage.
We've locked him up, beaten him and made him pay for his crimes, but he's never been so enraged with us. So why that boy?
'Titans, he's just crushed a civilian. We can't let him escape now!' Robin called. 'Raven, move the wreckage. In the event of him surviving that he'll be critical. The rest of us, we 're going to take Cinderblock down now!' Robin yelled.