32 Productions Presents…
A Teen Titan Fan Fiction
The Teen Titans in…
"A Happy Decapitated Saint Day to You"
Chapter Three
Med-lab
Raven crossed her arms and shook her head again.
Raven: No. I'm not doing it.
Cyborg: You have to help her, Raven.
Raven: You said she's fine.
Cyborg rolled his eye.
Cyborg: Physically she's fine, but she's obviously NOT if she's in a coma!
Raven sighed. Cyborg laid down a bomb shell on them by telling them he was actually dating the girl who humiliated them at Slade's request. Now he wanted Raven to help her?
Robin: Are you sure, Cyborg?
Cyborg: That's she's Hit? Yeah. That's she's physically fine? Yeah. Before she passed out she said she thought something was wrong with her mind.
Terra: You don't say.
Cyborg glared at Terra. She quickly shut her mouth. Raven walked over to Melissa and put her hand on her forehead, closing her eyes.
Raven: I sense…pain. A mental pain so strong it registers as actual physical pain.
Cyborg: Can you fix it?
Raven: …maybe.
Shade: …is it safe?
Raven shrugged.
Raven: Probably not, knowing my luck.
Cyborg: Raven…please.
Raven sighed.
Raven: …you really care about her. Even after what she's done. She's taken lives, Cyborg. Who knows how many?
Cyborg: …we can't leave her like this.
Raven turned to Robin.
Raven: You're the leader. Make the call.
Robin didn't like the idea of helping a killer…but Melissa seemed so nice. She was always polite, never seemed to mind the strangeness in the tower. When it all came down to it…she was somebody in need.
Robin: …do it.
Raven sighed and floated up, getting into her meditative position. Her soul self flowed from her body and into Melissa.
Melissa's Mind
Raven looked around. It was a hallway…no…a file room. Files for all sorts of information lined the walls. Poisons, explosives, guns, all the information an assassin would need was all around her. Raven frowned. This wasn't encouraging. …but where was Melissa's consciousness? Raven walked along until she came to a door. It was a large door with a massive handle. Hit stood in front of it, staring at it.
Raven: …Melissa?
She turned. If she was surprised to see Raven, she didn't show it.
Hit: …when I think of myself, this is what I see in my mind's eye. …I've never quite seen my mind in this prospective before. It's interesting.
Raven wasn't interested in conversing with the assassin.
Raven: I'm here to help you wake up.
Hit: Did Vic send you? He's so kind. Hmm…well…
She turned back to the door.
Hit: You're probably more experienced at this then I am, but as I see it, this door represents a sort of psychological border. More then likely it represents the pathway to my past. I've never been able to remember my childhood. Whenever I tried, I felt pain.
Hit reached for the door's handle. She grabbed it and pulled down, but it wouldn't budge. She put all her weight on it, but nothing happened.
Hit: You see? I can't get through.
Raven: …yes, you can…we can. Let me help you.
Hit: Be my guest.
Hit grabbed the door's handle again. Raven put her hands over hers and helped pull. It was a strain, but the handle slowly went down and the door clicked as it opened.
Hit: Finally…finally I can see it…
A bright light hit them.
Child's Room
They appeared in the room of a little girl. Said girl was playing with toy horses on the floor. She didn't notice the two standing in front of her. She made little horse noises and galloped the toy along the floor, kicking her legs slowly. She seemed carefree.
Raven: Do you know who she is?
Hit knelt down, staring intently at the child.
Hit: …me. I remember…I loved horses. When I was young I always wanted to ride one. This is incredible…it's all coming back.
Raven: This day must be important. What happened?
Hit: …I…I can't…
The lights suddenly began flashing in the room before going dead. The little girl dropped the toy, startled. She stood up and ran out of the room.
Lil Melissa: Mommy!
Hit: …I was scared of the dark. I…I thought the dark was coming to get me.
Raven: The dark is always coming to get you.
Hit: Is now really the time for your gothic insights?
Raven: (muttering) Why does everyone call me gothic?
They followed the girl without moving, like the floor was a conveyer belt. Little Melissa was knocking on a door.
Melissa: Mommy? Daddy? What's wrong with the lights? I'm scared…
She opened the door slowly. Hit suddenly ran forward.
Hit: No…no, no, no don't open the door. Don't open the door…
Raven: Melissa, what is it?
Hit: I don't want to…not again, please…
Little Melissa screamed. Raven peered into the room and winced. Now she understood. On the bed was what she assumed to be Melissa's father. His wrists were slashed. Blood soaked the sheets. Judging from the blank stare and the pale pallor of the skin, he was already dead.
Hit: He…I never knew why he did it. Even at four, I knew he was gone. I had lost my dad and I didn't know why. I was scared and confused. I…I needed a grown up. My mom was here somewhere I think.
Raven: …the bathroom.
Hit looked up. The bedroom was connected to its own bathroom. She noticed water trickling in, soaking the carpet. Little Melissa must have seen it too because she went to see what it was. Hit walked up behind her. This was important, but she couldn't remember why. They both reached for the door. Hit's hand passed through the child's of course. The little girl was just a memory. Raven was sure she knew what was on the other side of the door.
Raven: Melissa…you're not going to like this.
Hit: …I know.
The door creaked open and Little Melissa screamed again. Her mother was in the tub, sizzling. She had dropped a hairdryer into it. Everything went white. Then it changed to a rather poorly maintained looking building. Hit sat down on the ground, knees tucked up to her chest. Raven thought she was going to cry. Still her voice remained monotonous.
Hit: …after my parents died, I was left alone. I had no relatives…none that wanted me anyway. So I was put into an orphanage. My experience left me traumatized. I didn't speak to the other kids.
The scene changed to a shoddy playground. Little Melissa sat under a tree, watching the other kids play.
Hit: Nobody wanted me. They picked the ones with the happy smiles, the darling little boys and girls whose parents had simply abandoned them…not ended their own lives in the same house. Nobody would adopt the quiet girl who sat in the corner…staring blankly at the people as they passed by.
The scene showed pretty much what she described. People would come up and talk to Little Melissa, but she never said anything back.
Hit: Then they came. They picked several kids…myself included and adopted them. The employees thought they were saints. Taking in children in need.
Raven: …but they weren't?
Hit: …I don't remember. I need more time.
Raven nodded.
Raven: You'll get it.
Everything went white again.
Training Facility
When they saw the younger Melissa again she seemed several years older. She was taller and had less baby fat. What she also had were horrible bruises and welts. Raven covered her mouth. Brutality toward children was something you never got used to.
Raven: What happened?
Hit: …training. Now I remember. It was a sort of government experiment. America had several forms of top secret so called "super solider" programs. Canada wanted in on it.
Raven: …you're Canadian?
Hit: Yes. Why?
Raven shrugged.
Raven: No reason.
They watched as Little Melissa was put through harsh training. Target practice, combat practice, even schooling on how to kill somebody.
Hit: …some kids couldn't handle it. They died. Exhaustion mostly, though there were some training accidents.
Raven: But you survived.
Hit nodded. Under her mask she almost smiled.
Hit: I guess that's what I was. A survivor.
The scene changed to a medical room. The kids were being given an injection. A couple more years may have passed, but it was hard to tell. It could just be the training making them bigger.
Raven: …what's that?
Hit: …experimental steroids. The perfect soldiers needed more then training and knowledge. They needed perfect bodies. Stuff was put into our food. It tasted awful. More kids died from that. Yet I hung on. Soon only myself and two other kids remained.
Another scene change. Melissa was definitely older now. Bigger too. She was being strapped to a chair.
Raven: …this is why you're so tall.
Hit: …a side effect. It could be worse.
She pointed to another girl. She was massive from muscle growth. It was disturbing.
Hit: I got lucky in that regard.
Raven: What's happening now?
Hit: …I…I don't know.
Something was lowered onto her head. Then everything went white.
Raven: …brainwashing.
Hit: …they turned me into this. Made me lose my emotions. How could they do this to me? After what I had been through…
Raven: That's probably why it worked.
Hit: Pardon?
Raven: Part of you wanted to forget about your parents…your past. They made that happen.
Hit nodded. That made sense.
Hit: But why the pain?
Raven: Must have been part of the brainwashing.
Hit: …can you reverse it?
Raven: I think we already are.
Hit: I feel the same.
Raven: Do you? I saw you almost cry. You nearly screamed when you saw your parents. You were clearly angry a few seconds ago.
Hit pulled her mask off.
Melissa: You're right. I…I DO feel it. …Raven…what's going to happen to me?
Raven: What do you mean?
Melissa dropped her mask. The instant it hit the floor the scene changed. Another Melissa, this one looking about the same age as she was now, maybe a year or two less, stood in front of a building. Blood ran down her face from several spots and she had a bullet hole in her shoulder. More blood stained her clothes, but it didn't look like it was hers. She pressed a button and explosions rocked the building. The windows shattered and the doors blew open. She walked into the nearby woods, holding her shoulder.
Raven: …you killed them.
Melissa: All of them. I made sure to put the explosives on a container holding experimental nerve gas. If they survived the explosion, they wouldn't survive that. This is what I mean. I killed…I killed so many people. …but it wasn't my fault. This was all I knew. My life was made to revolve around death and murder. But that's no excuse, is it?
Raven: …I think you can wake up now.
Titan Tower: Med-lab
Melissa's eyes shot open as Raven's soul self flowed out of her and back into her body. Raven lowered to the ground and stood up.
Cyborg: Is she okay?
Melissa: …no. …I've done horrible things.
Melissa stood up and approached Robin. He looked like he half expected her to attack him. She held out her hands.
Robin: …what?
Melissa: I'm turning myself in.
Raven: …wait. I have another idea.
Main Room: Some time later
The Titans sat in the main room. Starfire and Terra weren't present. Robin turned to Raven.
Robin: Are you sure this is a good idea?
Raven hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Raven: Yes. I sensed genuine remorse in her. Plus she has a very strong will. Now that she understands she was brainwashed, she'll resist every impulse to take a life she has.
Shade: …she was never evil. Despite all the lives she took, she never got any sort of pleasure out of it. For a murderer, her soul is relatively clean.
Cyborg: She can do it, Robin. I'm sure of it.
Starfire and Terra entered the room, looking very pleased with themselves.
Terra: Presenting…the new and improved Melissa!
Melissa stepped into the room. They sweatdropped. Her costume was now a grey and black skin tight outfit…but over that she wore a black hoodie with the hood up. She had black stuff smeared over the top of her face to hide her features.
Melissa: …I feel foolish.
Raven: …you look foolish.
Terra: Hey!
Starfire: Do not listen to Raven, Melissa. She is merely upset because we…borrowed her hooded look.
Melissa: …it's a crude costume. I'll make it better…but stick with this basic design. Thank you both.
Raven's idea was a simple one. She'd repay society for her criminal activities by becoming a superhero. She could use any method of crime fighting wished, so long as she refrained from killing anyone in the process. They offered to let her join, but she declined, saying she didn't deserve the honor just yet.
Beast Boy: So…what are you going to call yourself?
Shade: Yeah, Hit isn't exactly the name I'd use.
Melissa rubbed her chin.
Melissa: …well…given my abilities, I'd rarely ever miss…so I'll be Sureshot.
Robin: …uh…okay then.
Raven stood up and yawned.
Raven: It's late. I'm going to bed. Shade, you look kind of tired yourself.
Shade tilted his head.
Shade: Huh? I'm not…
Raven: You want your "present" or not?
Shade yawned.
Shade: Well how about that. I am tired. To bed with me then.
Raven rolled her eyes. His acting needed work. They walked into the hall.
Shade: …so…how far are we going here? Am I getting some skin or…?
Raven: …pervert.
Shade: What? I need to know when to draw the line. It's important information!
Raven's cheeks turned slightly red.
Raven: We're just making out, okay?
Shade: So if I grab something I normally…
Raven grabbed his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. After a moment she let him go.
Raven: You talk too much.
Shade: …shutting up.
Back in the main room, the others decided to retire as well. Sureshot was ready to leave when Cyborg stopped her.
Cyborg: I almost forgot…here.
Cyborg handed her a present. She took it and opened it. Inside was one of those little jewelry type boxes. Inside that was a gold necklace. She lowered her hood and put it on around her neck before putting her hood up again.
Sureshot: Thank you, Victor…for everything. You've given me so much…and I still have so little to give. …the process could be slow. I may never recover my emotions completely. Still…I have recovered enough to know that this…
She brought her lips to his, kissing him gently.
Sureshot: …is the appropriate response to the kindness you've shown me. Good night, Victor. Happy Valentine's Day.
Sureshot turned and left a stunned Cyborg where he stood.
Cyborg: …wow.
THE END