Hello boys and girls and welcome to chapter eleven of The New Teen Titans. It has become evident that this is going to be my longest story yet, so I'm going to try to update more often. When school starts my update time is going to take a substantial cut from all the homework I'll be getting so I'm going to try to get a lot more of this story printed before that happens. Well moving on I have to thank all you reviews and special thanks to starfirerobin4eva as my hundredth reviewer. Also iamhollywood thanks for saying my characters were good and I now know how the creators of the show felt when people started supporting Rob/Rea before any Rob/Rea moments existed. Ether way just like those moments eventfully came so will something happen between Red X and Rave, though it will be one sided in the romance division and no real rivalry will form. Instead the rivalry will be between Black Bird and Red X as can be seen in this chapter. Well anyway I'll say again if you want a full bio of any new character of mine just ask and please review because here's chapter eleven of The New Teen Titans.
Chapter 11: X's and O's: Part 2
Jump City harbour is a famous tourists attraction, during the day that is. You see Jump City has beautiful beaches, a series of very industrious and successful shipping companies and from the shore you can get the best view of the famous Titan Tower. But once the sun goes down and the beaches empty, once the ships are all docked and the employees are at home with their families, once even all the lights of the famous Titan Tower are out, it can be a very scary place. In the dockyards shadows are cast easily and no lights are present except for the occasional glow of one of the guard's flashlights as they search for intruders. No sounds can be heard except for the sound of the sea slowly moving back and forth and making the ships crack and sound as if everything is about to fall apart. But today the guards are a bit more easy going in their watching as they know somewhere in the shadows two Titans protect them. Though also in the shadows a thief stares longingly at a large ship rested in the middle of the harbour.
"Well, it's almost the end of our shift," Beast Lad said as he leaned against the wall of the alley between two old warehouses where him and his sister stood to get a good view of the ship but remain out of sight.
"Maybe Alakazam and Android will give us their turns," Black Bird said as she bit her nail and shifted slightly, her eyes never leaving the ship.
Beast Lad moaned as he covered his eyes with his hand and shook his head, "are you going to tell me why you really want to catch this girl so bad yet?" Beast Lad asked the same question he had already asked again and again all through the night.
"I don't know why ok!" Black Bird shouted as she continued her machine-like scanning of the skyline in hopes that Red X would soon appear.
"Do you want to know why I think you want to find her so badly?" Beast Lad asked as he crossed his arms and slumped against the wall more, leaning his head back against the old warehouse.
"Sure," Black Bird said half-heartedly as she stopped looking at the sky and turned to her brother to see his slight smile that was always present on his face flickering slightly.
"You're challenging yourself," Beast Lad said simple as he uncrossed his arms, "you want to beat her to try and prove that you're just as good as Mom was."
"What makes you think that?" Black Bird said as she flicked up her hood in an attempt to hide as much emotion as possible.
Beast Lad sighed at his sister's attempt to hide emotion before continuing, "you're not as good with your emotions as Mom was and you want to be."
"What are you talking about?" Black Bird said harshly, "Mom used to have problems with her powers when she was my age." Anger was starting to get the best of Black Bird and she quickly calmed down as a crow she hadn't meant to conjure came flying from her hand. She quickly closed her hand into a fist and turned away from her brother, repeating her mantra to clam herself down, "Azarath Arella Azar."
"See?" Beast Lad said pointing at the crow as it flew up into the air and disappeared into the darkness, "you need to control your emotions like Mom but you have the emotional control of Dad."
"And what do you know about control?" Black Bird hissed at her brother as she turned back around to face him.
"I know that a lot more of Dad rubbed off on you then you'd like to admit," Beast Lad said which made his sisters anger drop from her face as she pondered this, "just like a lot more of Mom rubbed of on me then I'd like to admit."
"Yeah I noticed," Black Bird as she put her hood down again and smiled slightly, "you never did like people going in your room."
Beast Lad snickered at his sisters comment and then his face went serious, "you know you're just as good as Mom was? Don't you?"
"I could be better," Black Bird said as she turned her head away, "besides how does any of this explain why I don't like this new Red X?"
"That could be anything," Beast Lad said as he now turned to look up at the sky to see if Red X had shown up yet, "it's probably just jealousy."
"Why would I be jealous of her," Black Bird said as she spit out the word 'her' like it was venom.
"I don't know," Beast Lad said putting his hands in his pockets, "you're just now realizing that you want more control and she was the one that set you off first. Plus she seems to be in control of herself and did kick our buts pretty bad."
"When did you start being so much like Mom?" Black Bird asked as she looked at her brother who was starting to act more like their mother every minute, though his sense of humour and personality was still almost exactly like their dad's.
"I think it was some time between our house falling down, and some crazy cat girl started hitting on me," Beast Lad said, counting off the events on his fingers.
"She hit on you?" Black Bird said in a shocked tone as she tried to suppress a laugh but was failing miserably.
"Yeah I'm pretty sure that's what she was doing," Beast Lad laughed as he turned again to look up at the skies, this time to see if Alakazam and Android were coming yet.
"I wouldn't tell Android or Alakazam about that," Black Bird said as she finished laughing and composed herself again.
"Why not?" Beast Lad asked as he stopped laughing, instead focusing on what reason he would have for not telling Android or Alakazam.
Black Bird moaned as she put her head in her hands and shook her head at her brother's stupidity, "at least I know you're still a guy."
"What? Tell me?" Beast Lad whined as he couldn't think of any reasons why his sister would act like he was the stupidest person on earth.
Black Bird let lose a small moan before saying, "can we change the subject?" Beast Lad crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow to show he wanted Black Bird to pick this 'new topic'. Black Bird thought for a second and finally said, "you and Rave have been hanging out a lot lately?" it was a statement but it was said like a question.
"Oh yeah, Rave isn't that bad of a guy," Beast Lad said as he searched the skies again to see that Android and Alakazam were still nowhere in site, they were late. "Can you believe that he never played a video game before." Beast Lad said as if it was impossible for anyone to have never played any kind of video game. Black Bird opened her mouth but Beast Lad predicted what she was going to say and quickly cut her off, "and no, just because we're friends now doesn't mean I'll help you with your crush."
Black Bird shoulders slumped and she grumbled, "fine! See if I care," she then crossed her arms like a small child having a tantrum. It was only then did she remember the true purpose of her original question, "no, I meant all that time you've been spending in the war room and evidence and all that team oriented stuff."
"Oh, well I help out with all that stuff," Beast Lad said modestly as he scratched the back of his head, "Rave's even going to make me second in command," Beast Lad said this proudly but there was an underlining sarcasm, like second was an insult. Black Bird ignored this though and smiled widely.
"Well that's great," she said, very happy for her brother, she then realized something and said bluntly, "you're going to hold that position of power over my head for the rest of my life aren't you?"
"Basically," Beast Lad said proudly as he smiled slyly at his eye rolling sister. Black Bird opened her mouth to respond but no words came out until she eventfully closed her mouth slowly. "What is it?" Beast Lad asked as he began to worry.
Black Bird raised a finger to her lips for silence and said on a breath, "look," she then pointed up to the sky where a black figure was flying. The figure landed on the top of a crane and looked down at the boat housing the zinothium. A spotlight briefly trailed over her, assuring the two teens of what they already knew, Red X was here. She took her gun from her waist and pointed it at the ship. A red X shot from the gun and rocketed towards the ship, a cable stuck to the X and stayed in the gun, connecting Red X to the ship when the X attached itself to the hull. She pulled the line tight and then pushed a button on the gun sending her rocketing towards the ship and she smashed right through the side.
"Why didn't she just fly?" Beast Lad asked in confusion as he raised an eyebrow.
"It doesn't matter," his sister said as she put up her hood and flew at top speed towards the ship, everything else forgotten.
Beast Lad quickly took out his com-link and yelled into it, "we got her," he then spouted wings to fly after his sister.
As he was flying towards the ship he heard Rave on the other end shouting, "we're on our way," before the com-like went dead.
As this was going on Red X had just entered the ship and was now looking at a large glass wall that stretched across the middle of the room. She approached it and saw behind it the glowing red light of zinothium. There was a panel in the middle with many different numbers and a single screen like a calculator. Judging by how the glass divided in places it looked like when the right code was entered the glass would withdraw into the middle making one beam of glass which could be walked around easily. Red X had no time for this though, so she carefully placed an X on the glass and turned her head and covered her ears as the X began to flash and beep. It exploded, completely getting rid of the thick glass and she smiled as she turned to look at the zinothium, the red glow lighting her face.
She was jut about to reach out and touch it but just before her pointed finger could grasp the red substance she heard Black Bird shout, "stop right there!"
"You do realize you just completely ruined my moment," Red X said as she slowly turned around to look at the darkly clad heroine. Just then Beast Lad came in, panting from his chase after his sister as he made his wings disappear with the usually burst of black magic. He panted for a minute longer before regaining his composure and standing up straight.
"Like I was saying," Black Bird said as she sent a glare over at her brother for steeling the spotlight for a moment, "step away from the zinothium."
"Like that's going to happen," Red X said as she held her hand a couple of inches away from the gun on her waist, it then shot from her side into her hand by some unseen force. She raised the zinothium powered pistol at Black Bird and said, "now don't be stupid and try to move."
Black Bird just smiled and said, "I saw you use that as a grappling gun like two seconds ago," she then smiled and crossed her arms like she had called Red X's bluff.
"Please," Red X said as she raised an eyebrow slightly and turned the gun a little so that it was facing Beast Lad and she fired. A small red X shot out and hit Beast Lad sending him flying back as the X sent electricity through his body knocking him out before he hit the ground. "Like I wouldn't make it have multiply options," Red X said as she turned the gun back on a shocked Black Bird, "now don't make me set this fazer to kill."
Black Bird looked down at her brother and growled as she said through clenched teeth, "you just made a big mistake." She then picked up into the air and her hands began to glow with magic before she shouted, "Azarath Arella Azar!"
A monstrous seven foot tall gorilla popped up right in front of Red X and let louse a loud roar as it stood at its top height. Red X was shocked and quickly fired the gun at the gorilla's head to find the X just fazed right through the gorilla's face and then it disappeared. Red X raised an eyebrow before she looked down from where the gorilla's head had been to see Black Bird charging at her at top speed. The two girls colluded and Black Bird ploughed Red X right through the hull of the ship making her drop her weapon and sending them rocketing across the dock. Red X was able to detangle herself from the pale heroine and did a back flip in the air as she nimble landed on the top of a crane. Black Bird floated in the air facing Red X, a good distance from the crane where she stood.
"Nice move Song Bird," Red X said as she decided Black Bird deserved to have a nickname.
"Thanks," Black Bird said as she smiled slightly before sending out a hawk and a vulture from both hands. They tried to dive-bomb Red X but she quickly jumped up and landed on the hawk's back, using it as a stepping stone she got on top of the vulture. She then launched herself off the vulture and did a spin in the air as she put her foot out to deliver a drop kick to Black Bird's head. But Black Bird quickly moved out of the way just in time and Red X did another flip right before hitting the ground. She landed on her feet with out showing any sign that the landing had hurt her in anyway. Black Bird landed across from her and glared at the villain.
"So you seem close to your leader, Rave I believe," Red X said as the two girls circled each other.
Black Bird raised an eyebrow at Red X's attempt to start a conversation but answered anyway, "I guess I am a little," she said meekly as a blush came to her face. Red X didn't see this because Black Bird's hood was still up so she just smiled and continued.
"So are you dating or something," Red X said making Black Bird blush so hard that a few bloats came shooting out of a nearby warehouse, this time Red X noticed.
"No," she said angrily, though the blush remained on her face, "why do you ask?"
"Oh just wondering if I'd be having any competition," Red X said simple as she shrugged her shoulders and stopped circling.
"What?" Black Bird asked sharply as the blush left her face along with any other emotion besides rage.
"Well I didn't really get a chance to fight him," Red X said simple, "but he looks really hot in that uniform of his."
That was enough for Black Bird as she screamed, "Azarath Arella Azar!" picking up a large dolly she threw it at Red X who quickly jumped out of the way of the machine as it went right through the dock and into the water below. Red X quickly picked up off the ground and flew to the top of a nearby warehouse. Black Bird then looked up to see where the team was.
"Looking for the other Titans," Red X said slyly as she paced the roof of the warehouse.
Black Bird flew up to the roof of the warehouse as well and landed in front of Red X as she asked angrily, "what did you do to them?"
"Do you know how easy it is to hack into your com-link and change the coordinates to downtown?" Red X asked to answer Black Bird's question. Black Bird growled and was about to attack when suddenly there was an explosion from across the dock. Both of the girls turned to look at where the explosion had come from to see smoke raising from the hole in the side of the ship where the zinothium was.
"Beast Lad!" Black Bird shouted as she took off towards the ship, the worry for her brother overwhelming.
"My zinothium!" Red X said as she took off after Black Bird, the worry for her power source overwhelming her.
Black Bird arrived first and entered the ship to find the same red smoke that had come from the small amount of zinothium the Android had exploded was now filling the room. She quickly covered her mouth and nose with her cloak as she searched the room for her brother through watering eyes. She only acknowledged the sound of Red X entering the room in the back of her head as she couldn't see her through the fog of red smoke. She soon ran into something and fell back to the ground, she looked up thinking she had hit a wall but instead she saw a very muscular man standing there. He had a gas mask on and in his hands was a large trident like rod that had electricity moving through it. Behind him stood two other large man who had both Red X and Beast Lad unconscious in their hands.
"Who are you," Black Bird asked the huge figure angrily, but he was quickly pushed out of the way by a slightly shorter figure wearing the same gasmask who Black Bird hadn't noticed before now as he had been completely eclipsed by the large man. He had on a lab coat and was skinny with the posture you would expect from a tall lanky nerd type. Behind the gasmask you could see the reflection of pair of small glasses that sat on the edge of his nose. A sly smile crossed his face behind the gasmask and he stepped out of the way of the tall man. The tall man then brought the rod down towards Black Bird's head. She only had time to let out half a gasp before the rod hit her and then the world went black.