32 Productions Presents…
A HIVE Team StoryThe HIVE Team In…
"Forming the Wedge"
Chapter Three
Green Grove High School
Jinx awoke to a powerful smell under her nose. Her head snapped up and Robin put the smelling salts away.
Robin: About time. We were getting bored.
Jinx tried to move but found herself bound tightly to a desk. Her arms were chained to the legs of the desk. She could reach just above her head, but no higher.
Terra: Don't bother trying to cast a spell either, witch. Raven put a symbol that cuts you off from your magic on your back.
Changeling: And I put a "kick me" sign above that.
That explained the pain in her legs, back, and butt. Jinx took a moment to assess the situation she had gotten herself into. She was stuck in a desk. Robin was standing in front of the class room with a pair of small reading glasses on his face, obviously fake and the others Titans were seated with her. Robin was apparently the teacher and she and the others were students…so what, dare she ask, was the lesson? Something told her she would be better off not asking.
Jinx: Couldn't just let me jump, could you?
Raven laughed, sending chills down Jinx's spine. Raven's laughter had that effect on everyone.
Raven: Of course not. I didn't go through the trouble of making you jealous and suicidally depressed just to let you die easy.
Jinx turned toward her the best she could in shock.
Jinx: What?
Cyborg: Raven played your emotions like a violin, girl. Filled you up with so much paranoia and jealous you couldn't take it anymore.
Jinx's eyes widened. All this time…all the feelings of heartbreak and betrayal…were they all faked?
Raven: Oh, it gets better. All the while I hung out with your pathetic perverted lover, I toyed with his mind too. I tried to get him to forget about you and love me instead. And you know what? …I failed. He was so loyal to you that I failed. …and you accused him of cheating on you and broke his heart. He was almost in tears when I left.
Jinx felt lower the scum at this point. She blinked and shook her head.
Jinx: You're doing it again aren't you? Messing with my mind…
Robin picked up a yard stick and swung, catching Jinx across her face. She a large reach welt appeared. Robin waved his finger at her.
Robin: If you want to address the class, Ms. Jinx, you have to raise your hand.
Jinx kept silent. She wouldn't humiliate herself by following his rules, but she didn't want to be smacked again. Starfire raised her hand. Jinx bit back a groan of disgust at her attire. She was dressed in a schoolgirl uniform…that looked a bit too small for her. Robin smirked and pushed the glasses up on his face.
Robin: Yes, Ms. Anders?
Starfire giggled before answering. She was apparently enjoying herself.
Starfire: Mr. Robin, I was curious as to when you were going to collect our homework?
Jinx frowned. This couldn't be good. Everybody passed up a piece of paper. Of course, Jinx didn't HAVE any paper. From what she could tell, there was nothing ON the paper they passed up.
Changeling: Uh oh…somebody didn't do their homework.
Cyborg and Terra: Ooo…!
Robin: Care to explain to the rest of the class why you chose not to do your homework?
Jinx: This is so childish…
Raven: Actually, I agree, but they wanted to have their fun. I just wanted to use red hot pokers on you and Shade wanted to eat your skin, but they said no.
Raven sighed and drummed her fingers on the desk.
Terra: Lighten up, Raven. This is so much fun.
Robin: Where was I? Oh yeah.
Robin pulled the yard stick back. Jinx gulped as he swung.
Park
Everyone sweat dropped as Krystal sniffed the ground. It just looked…funny.
Sonic: Anything?
Krystal: Would you give me a second? There's dozens of other scents here and I have to pick out one of them! Can you even grasp how difficult that is?
Sonic was silent. Krystal continued to sniff until she picked up Jinx's scent.
Krystal: Got it! …she stepped in gum. Strawberry I think…
Blackfire: Stay on target, sweetie.
Krystal: Sorry. She ran this way.
Krystal ran after the scent, her friends following her. It was a long hike, but eventually the scent led to the largest building in the city. Krystal froze.
Mammoth: What's wrong?
Krystal inhaled sharply. Her voice was starting to sound odd…congested.
Krystal: Titans…they were here. I recognize Raven's lilac perfume…or maybe it's a shampoo…I'm not sure. Most of all though, I know my brother's smell anywhere.
Red X: Can you track them?
Krystal rubbed her nose.
Krystal: No good…I think I was allergic to one of the plants in the park…my nose is stuffing up rapidly here. It won't be long before I can't smell anything at all.
Sonic swore and punched the side of the building. He hissed and held his hand.
Red X: …that's a good way to break your hand.
Sonic glared at Red X.
Sonic: I don't care…dammit, this is my fault…we've got to find her.
Krystal: …wait…if it's recent enough…I might be able to detect the trace of Shade's power in the air.
Gizmo: You can do that?
Krystal closed her eyes. When they opened her eyes were glowing. She could see a faint gray mist leading off.
Krystal: I see it…but it's very faint. We don't have much time!
Sonic pressed a button on his watch and the H-car pulled up. It was a special feature Gizmo added some time ago. Krystal climbed into the passenger's seat (she doesn't know how to drive) so she could direct Sonic where to go.
Gizmo: Man, I hate riding with Mammoth in the back.
Blackfire: Don't you wash at all!
Blackfire held her nose.
Mammoth: Hey, I sweat a little, okay? I'm wearing deodorant!
School
Jinx spat blood. Her jaw had broken a while back, but somehow her teeth remained in place…though she probably chipped one by now. Robin sighed and cleaned his glasses with his cape.
Robin: Well, I hope your parents can afford to buy me a new yard stick, Ms. Jinx.
Robin tossed the broken hunk of wood behind him. Jinx bit back tears. Raven was messing with her mind, she could feel it. One moment she was scared. The next moment she felt like she was getting what she deserved. Fear, sorrow, and hate bubbled inside her at random. The physical pain was nothing compared to what her mind was going through. She feared for her sanity.
Jinx: How much longer until they just kill me? No, I can't think like that. Raven's putting these feeling in me. Planting the seeds then feeding from what grows. This is all Sonic's fault…stop it!
Terra yawned.
Terra: Hey, this is getting old. Let's just let Raven do whatever she wanted to do and go home.
Robin: Anyone else tired of this?
Everybody agreed. Robin threw the glasses behind him with the broken yard stick.
Robin: Fine. Knock yourself out, Raven.
Raven: Finally.
Raven put two fingers into her mouth and whistled sharply. Shade hopped onto Jinx's desk. Jinx shivered as she saw drool forming along his mouth. He looked hungry…
Raven: Go ahead, Shade…I want to feel her pain and terror.
The window shattered as the HIVE broke in. Caught off guard, the Titans were no match for the furious HIVE members. Krystal blasted Shade from his perch on Jinx's desk, sending him into the blackboard. Red X kicked Robin across his face. Robin pulled out his bo-staff and swung at him, catching him in the side. Red X grabbed Robin by his shirt and head-butted him in the nose. Robin gurgled as blood flowed down his face. Red X took that opportunity to slam his head onto the desk. Robin slumped against it, out like a light. Starfire kicked her sister in the stomach. Blackfire retaliated by picking up the desk and smacking her aside with it. Starfire hissed in pain as she hit the wall. Mammoth grabbed Changeling and tossed him upward before he could even change shape. His head hit the ceiling, rendering him unconscious. Sonic punched Raven across her face. She staggered back, grinning despite the blood running down her mouth.
Raven: Hitting a woman, Sonic? How despicable of you.
Sonic: You lied to me!
Sonic swung at her again. She put up a shield, stopping his fist from reaching her.
Raven: You know…you should have heard Jinx scream…it was like music.
Sonic growled with anger and fired a massive blast of sound at Raven. Her eyes widened and she put more strength into her shield. It didn't help as she still sailed into the door and crashed through it. She groaned and laid still.
Cyborg: Well, this is going downhill. Starfire, Terra, grab somebody and let's go!
Gizmo: You're not getting away this time.
Cyborg: Watch us.
Cyborg's chest plate opened and a bright light filled the room. When it cleared, they were gone.
Blackfire: Dammit…they got away!
Gizmo: …Cyborg must have some sort of teleportation device set up for their base…he'll probably destroy it to prevent us from tracking them.
Krystal: Actually, guys…
They turned to see Krystal sitting on top of a box made of light. Judging from the animal like noises from inside, Shade was in it.
Krystal: (Southern drawl) I reckon not all of 'em got away.
Red X picked the locks on Jinx's chains and removed the symbol from the back of her clothes. She rubbed her wrists slowly.
Gizmo: …you look like crap, Jinx.
Mammoth: And you wonder why you can't get a date.
Gizmo: Huh? What's that supposed to mean!
Sonic: Come on, Jinxy…let's get you home.
Titan H.Q.: Med-lab
Raven woke up, her back sore and her head throbbing. She put her hood up as soon as she could. She preferred to have it up, though she wasn't sure why. Having it down made her feel…exposed. She got up from the bed and walked out. She tried to float again, but her head felt weird…maybe she had a concussion? That would explain the bandage around her head. She entered the main room. Changeling and Robin were playing video games. Robin had a bandage and gauze over his nose and nasty bump on his forehead. Raven sighed. They must have lost. Wonderful.
Raven: Already it's business as usual I see.
Changeling: Raven!
Robin: Jeez, do you have to surprise people like that?
Raven smirked and shook her head. So intent on their little game that they didn't even hear her come in. Typical. She stuck two fingers into her mouth and whistled. Nothing. She frowned and tried again, louder and longer this time. The boys looked at each other nervously.
Robin: …you tell her.
Changeling: No way, dude. You tell her.
Robin: You.
Changeling: No, you.
Raven lifted them both up from the couch, despite the pounding in her head.
Raven: Tell. Me. What?
Changeling: …Shade's been captured.
Raven's eyes widened. She opened her mouth and took a deep breath.
Starfire's Room
Starfire swore in Tamaranian as she looked at the bruise on her arm where the desk struck her. Suddenly she shot up and turned around, covering her mouth.
Starfire: That was the loudest obscenity I have ever heard…
Main Room
Raven held both of them by their shirts.
Raven: What do you mean he's been captured!
Robin: …well…we kind of had to leave him behind.
Changeling: Yeah, don't blame us though. Terra, Cyborg, and Starfire were the ones who were still awake.
Raven: Where is he now!
Robin: Could you let us go now?
Raven scowled but released them. Robin sighed and straightened his shirt.
Robin: We're not sure, but given his state of mind, I'm sure they put him in the asylum.
Raven: Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn! I want him out of there.
Robin: We'll get to it. They'll be expecting us to go in right away. We need to wait a bit…come up with a plan.
Raven sighed. She didn't feel like arguing right now. Her using her powers seemed to aggravate her headache.
HIVE Tower: Main Room
Jinx let out a muffled sigh as she watched TV. The others were training. Honestly, she thought she could train as well, but they insisted that she relax. She had a cloth tied around her head to keep her jaw in place as it healed. This meant for a few days her diet would consist of things she could suck out of a straw. Before this was over she knew she was going to hate apple sauce. Her emotions were slowly returning to normal. Sometimes she would feel inexplicably depressed, angry, or even scared, but it was becoming less frequent and less intense. Since she knew what was happening to her, she was able to fight it off. Whenever it happened she just kept repeating to herself that it was Raven's doing until it went away. Gizmo came in and sat down next to her.
Gizmo: …just finished. Man, it's scary that I know what you'd say.
Jinx nodded. She would have said something about him training.
Gizmo: …you really watching this?
He pointed at the Hollywood gossip shop that was on TV.
Gizmo: Because I wanted to play a video game…if you didn't mind.
Jinx sighed. He was treating her extra nice because of her ordeal. She HATED that. She shook her head and motioned toward the TV, indicating it was his to use.
Gizmo: Thanks.
He put the game in and started playing. Not having anything better to do, Jinx sat back and watched.
Gizmo: …Sonic talk to you yet?
Jinx shook her head. Sonic had been pretty quiet since they brought her home.
Gizmo: Figures. I think he blames himself for the whole thing.
Jinx picked up the little PDA thing they gave her and wrote on it with the electronic pen. Her handwriting converted into text and she held it up to him.
Jinx: (PDA text) It's not his fault.
Gizmo: We tell him that, but he doesn't listen. It sucks to see him so depressed. I almost wish he'd make fun of me. It be closer to normal then.
Silence. Game playing.
Gizmo: Come to think of it…he's been avoiding Blackfire and Krystal too. He doesn't say anything to them, gives one or two word answers…hell, he barely makes eye contact.
Jinx: (PDA text) Why? Did something happen between them while I was gone?
Gizmo: Nah. I think he's afraid to look at other girls now. You really did look like hell, Jinx and it all happened because he was with Raven.
Jinx was hit with a surge of anger and depression. She struggled with it for a moment before it vanished.
Jinx: (PDA text) Where is he now?
Gizmo: Still training I think.
Jinx nodded and got up. She went to the training room and found him doing pull ups. She came up behind him and cleared her throat. Sonic noticed her and dropped down. He didn't look her in the eye.
Sonic: …doing better?
She nodded.
Sonic: …listen, Jinx…I'm sorry abou…
Jinx put her finger over his mouth. Taking him by surprise, she gently (and carefully) pecked him on the lips. Before he could say anything she held up the PDA. She had already written on it on the way over to the training room.
Jinx: (PDA text) Stop beating yourself up, Mikey and give me a hug.
Jinx held her arms open expectantly. Sonic smiled softly and wrapped his arms around her. She did the same and wrote on the PDA while it was behind his back. She held it up.
Jinx: (PDA text) L Iowe yau.
Noticing his confused expression she looked at it. She sweatdropped and deleted the text. Apparently it was harder then she thought to write with her arms around somebody. She tried again.
Jinx: (PDA text) I love you.
Sonic: Now that I understand…and I love you too.
Asylum
Shade struggled with his straitjacket for the umpteenth time. The jacket was no closer to breaking then the last time he tried. His head felt funny from the drugs in his system and the bright lights were hurting his eyes. He wanted to throw himself against the door again, but he was too off-balanced. A result (and the very purpose of) the injections. He whimpered softly. He hoped Raven missed him. They wouldn't just replace him, would they? …no. Of course not. Raven loved him…well, as much as a demon-girl could love…and the others were his friends.
Shade: They'll come for me. They wouldn't leave me here to rot. If they don't come to free me, they'll come to kill me. It would be dangerous to leave somebody who knows their secrets in custody, after all.
He pushed that from his mind and focused on other things…namely his upcoming session with one of the doctors. Oh, he was looking forward to that. Just let the fool try to get into his head. He'll found out how unpleasant it is in there. Shade grinned, evilly.
THE END