Chapter Thirteen: Fights and Nights
Robin ran into the main room with Cyborg and quickly found the site of the alarm. There had been a disturbance in the mountain range
"Titans Go!" he yelled.
Gar yawned and stretched like a cat. The sun was just starting to rise over the large canyon walls casting orange, red and black light everywhere
"Dude! This is almost perfect!" he exclaimed lifting his hands up towards the clear blue sky
"I'm glad you think so Garfield." a female voice chirped.
Gar whirled around and was punched straight in the jaw. He flew backwards almost sliding off the edge of the cliff. The changeling popped his jaw back into place then flipped up onto his feet.
A woman with blonde hair, and a skintight mask on watched him with a small smile. She was about five and half feet tall. Her outfit was much like Starfire's but all black and she wore pants instead of a skirt. She lunged again.
Gar dodged out of the way
"How do you know my name?" he demanded ducking another punch
"You don't remember me Gar?" the woman asked in a sweet voice
"Not really. And I think I'd remember you. It's not every day I meet a psycho."
"Oh Garfield. You haven't changed have you?"
Gar raised a brow and started to morph into a tiger. The woman threw a bomb-like weapon at him. It exploded and covered the changeling in a sticky substance
"Hey lady," a voice yelled "Heads up!" a huge boulder dropped from the sky nearly striking the woman but she vanished at the last second and reappeared a few feet away
"Gar, incoming Titans!" Jessica yelled.
The changeling nodded and turned into a bird flying into the nearby cave. Then the other Outsiders attacked the woman.
Robin jumped off his motorcycle and started running for the ledge. A cloud of dust was whirling around like a tornado. Behind him the other Titans flew or ran into view
"Let's go." Cyborg said turning his arm into a sonic cannon ad preparing to charge.
"If it's those kids try to keep them from running." Robin ordered.
Kid Flash saluted and bolted into the fight. Jinx cartwheeled after him.
Jessica landed harshly on the ground with a grunt. Above her the woman snarled angrily
"That'll teach you little rat."
Jessica's eyes flashed pure black and she threw one hand into the air. A pillar of fire wrapped up around her arm sending smoke billowing into the air
"Ha!" she yelled throwing blast after blast at the woman
"Titans Go!" another voice yelled.
Jinx spread her fingers wide letting the pink waves rush at the woman. Earth cracked and rumbled dangerously as the blonde boy made violent slashing motions with his hands. The air crackled with electricity and several times lightning struck the ground. The sky was black with smoke and quite a few X weapons were sticking out on the canyon wall.
Suddenly the smoke and dust settled. The woman was gone.
Jason lowered his hands and swore loudly
"Come on guys!" he yelled starting to run for the cave with the other teens behind him. Jinx and Cyborg appeared in front of him
"Hold it. We want to talk to you kids." the large cybertronic man said crossing his arms trying to look tuff
"We are not kids." Jason growled. His gloves glowed slightly and the ground trembled
"Jason, chill. The ground can't take much more." X said sharply.
Jason took a deep breath and nodded. Jessica leaned against the canyon wall looking slightly amused
"Alright, you've got five minutes." she said in her no nonsense voice she'd adopted on the streets of Gotham City
"Who are you? And why did you help us the other day?" Robin asked
"The Outsiders and we needed some hands on practice." X replied
"Okay, why are you out here?" Cyborg asked
"We don't want to be bothered."
"You could've come and asked to join the Titans." Starfire pointed out eager to meet these new heroes
"We didn't want to. The Outsiders is for kids like us who can't control their powers. We stay here and teach each other. We are not judged and no one calls us freaks." Robyn said softly
"And you have no association with a man named Garfield Logan?" Robin questioned glancing at Raven out of the corner of his eye. The Goth was silent and her face was impassive
"Never heard of him. Time's up. Adios." the group disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Robin looked at Cyborg "Did you scan them?"
"Yep. We can go over them back at the Tower. I also got this really funny reading but I dunno what it is."
"We'll find out soon enough. Come on team let's roll." Robin said waving a hand towards the distant T-car.
Raven lingered for a moment. The wind blew her hood off and sent her hair flying in all directions. A small smiled graced her lips and she sent out a thought to the familiar aurora
"Tonight?" she asked hopefully
"As you wish." came the reply
Raven's smile widened and she turned to leave the ledge. As soon as the T-car was out of sight Gar dropped onto the cliff and smiled a little
"See you then, my sweet Raven."
Raven yawned and crawled under the blankets. Her powers flew to the door locking it. She muttered a spell under her breath enforcing the sound proofing. She'd already disabled the security cameras with Cyborg's permission. Now all she had to do was wait for Gar
"Hey Rae." speak of the devil. (No pun intended)
Gar crouched on the window ledge looking at her. His cloak had been discarded. A baseball cap was jammed on his head. He wore jeans and a black tee shirt and his trademark silver gloves
"Hey." Raven replied trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach.
Gar stepped onto the carpet softly. Raven slid out from under the blankets. She wore a tank top and a pair of hip huggers
"I've missed you." Raven whispered tucking a strand of hair behind one ear. She looked up at Gar who smiled gently
"Me too." he took her hand and pulled her into a hug. Raven's body relaxed instantly and she felt Gar rest his chin on the top of her head "I'm sorry, Raven."
"Why?" Raven asked drawing him towards the bed. Gar complied and sat with her on his lap. He sighed a little
"That we have to hide like this. I hate it." his voice rose a little and he flushed in the darkness of the room
"Gar… I know but… it really doesn't matter to me. I just like being able to see you. That's all I really want."
The changeling gave her a small smile "I know Rae. But I want to be there for you all the time. And I can't do that until Robin gets off his high horse."
Raven placed a finger over his lips hushing him "Let's talk about that later." she whispered softly.
Gar started to say something but was cut off by Raven's mouth pressing over his. He gave into her and returned the kiss.
An hour later Gar slipped out of the window and flew away. In his claws he clutched a spiral notebook. The first page was filled with symbols each with a meaning written beside it. Raven had gathered the information from her books from Azarath. She'd given Gar careful instructions to have Shadow put them on the inside of his right arm with a marker. It would repress his demon side when the dark of the moon came around again.
Transforming into a human he landed on the ridge in front of the Outsider's cave. He entered and looked around.
Kid Flash had brought a generator and a couple of lights for the group. One hung in each corner. Gar groaned and tossed the notebook on Shadow's cot.
Jason and Jessica were sitting on opposite sides of the room looking angrier than Raven when she was in one of her moods
"What is wrong with you two now?" he asked flopping onto his pile of blankets. Lately the two had been fighting and it was starting to get on everyone's nerves
"Nothing." they both said at the same time. Jessica rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and crossed her arms.
Robyn looked up and blinked a couple times. A smile crossed her face "Have fun at the Tower Gar?"
"Huh?" the changeling asked feigning innocence
"Her aurora is all over you." Robyn replied.
Gar rolled his eyes and looked over at Shadow who was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. He paid no attention to anyone. In fact he seemed… in a trance
"Shadow?" Gar asked lifting his head up. He got to his feet "Shadow? Anyone home?"
"He's been like that since you left." Red-X said shifting through a pile of metal scraps
Gar frowned and shook the dark boy by the shoulder. The silver eyes flickered open slowly and Shadow shook his head as if trying to figure out where he was "You okay?" Gar asked
"Ya, until you shook me. I've never came back to my body that fast." Shadow replied pinching the bridge of his nose
Gar and the other Outsiders gave Shadow quizzical looks. The boy stared back at them. He moved his hand from his nose "What?"
"What do you mean come back to your body?" Jason asked turning around on his cot to look at the dark teen
Shadow shrugged and sat on his bed "I can leave my body in the form of dark energy and kinda… drift around. Like a shadow."
Gar snapped his fingers "That reminds me." he pointed to the notebook that sat at Shadow's side "Raven told me to give you this. You have to-."
Shadow looked at the symbols solemnly before interrupting him "I know how to use them. I had a binding spell on my arm at the dance but I must've sweated it off and… he took over." Shadow cast an apologetic glance over at Jessica who just smiled as if to tell him she forgave him
"Well, I'm going to bed then." Gar announced flopping on his blankets. No one did so he fell fast asleep.
The next morning Red-X was alone in the cave. Jason and Shadow had gone to get some clothes. Robyn and Gar were training down in the canyon. Jessica had taken a walk. So this left the former thief alone. Not that he minded. On the contrary Red-X enjoyed the silence when he worked. And with Jessica and Jason fighting, Robyn yelling and the usual chaos it was hard.
Fishing a small wrench from his nearby pile of tools he put the finishing touches onto a communicator for Shadow. Putting the wrench back he clicked on the device
"Can everyone hear me?" he asked pressing the button down. He released it then listened carefully.
There was a few seconds of silence then four chimes of "Loud and clear." come over the line.
X signed off and stepped outside the cave for some fresh air.
The air was thick with engine exhaust and he could faintly hear a motor running nearby
"Anyone home?" a voice yelled.
Red-X ducked behind a boulder his heart thudding in his chest. He pulled out his communicator but dropped it as a hand gripped his shoulder…
(Suspense! Who do you think it is? Robin? Raven? Jessica? Someone else? Who knows besides me? Hahahahaha)