Teen Titans: Revolution

Chapter 5: Frenzied Uncertainty

Tiempo paced back and forth in his jail cell. In his mind, he went over the six Teen Titans, licking his dry lips as he turned again to walk back to the opposite side of the small room. He looked up, inspecting the hard, rickety cot that was now his bed, and the small toilet, visible from the outside. Other than that, there wasn't much occupying his tiny area.

Tiempo scowled, and ignored that. He had to focus. The moment he escaped, the Titans would be on him like bees on honey. He had to be ready. He would be ready. He'd have a plan. A sly grin appeared on Tiempo's bandaged cheek; Ryand'r's birdarang had slit through the soft skin.

Roman. He was an easy Titan. His past was filled to the brim with tortured memories. A few twists here, a little tapping there, and Tiempo could create some truly nasty visions.

Flare. He had seen that girl's fear, and would have to work a bit harder to exploit it, since she herself had forgotten it.

Changeling. His weakness was a strong point since it was another Titan. That shouldn't be too hard.

Robin. Robin's weakness was his team. If the team got hurt… he would do anything to help his teammates. Who knows, maybe he'd go as far as death.

Tempest. Her weakness… Tiempo frowned, finding that he hadn't been able to figure that out. He had stupidly frozen her in time without analyzing her for future reference. The blond boy shrugged off the thought, pivoting again to cross the tiny cell as he returned to the remaining Titan.

Hiela. The blue girl had wrenched his heart; her poor mind had locked away her memories. Not that they were bad; unlike the dark teen of the team, they seemed to be pleasant up until her blackout. Tiempo, of course, being a manipulator of time –he smiled proudly at this title- had seen everything that occurred to her during the blackout; her death, her rebirth. He could use this girl to his advantage if he worked out the kinks; like Robin's over-protection of his team.

He frowned, remembering Changeling's own attraction to the girl. Looking up, he realized he had met the prison cell's wall, and abruptly stopped. If only he had his staff! It would make things so much easier… Tiempo clenched his fist, remembering the flame-clad girl's escape with his hourglass-topped staff, the center of his power. If only he hadn't been so caught up with torturing that other kid… Tiempo smirked, shaking his head. It was worth the teenager's tormented appearance.

Tiempo sat on the small cot, going over some ideas to snag his staff back. He'd need to use someone who had access to the Tower. Along with this, he wanted to get Hiela. The girl's innocence had given him a sense of… of what? Tiempo shrugged, just knowing he was going to include Hiela in the stealing back of his staff.

"It's about time you stopped… You were making me dizzy…" Came a deep, guttural voice from the cell across from his. Tiempo smirked, and then lay back on the cot, closing his eyes. He grinned, the plan forming in his mind. Soon, it would be over with. He'd be out of jail; Hiela'd have her memory and fall for him for returning her memory and showing her the wonders of the evil side-

Wait… that fell under the category of daydreaming, not master plan. Tiempo stopped himself, and sighed. He had to sleep. All this thinking was making him lightheaded.

"Frickin' huge-ego villains…" He heard the thief in the cell across from him mutter again, and twitched, his brows coming together. Before he left this prison, some people would have to be taken care of…

T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T

Roman skidded into the garage, swerving around in a circle to face the opening. Flare's own bike followed, still going about fifty miles an hour, and stopped an inch away from Roman's motorcycle. She tore off her helmet; her eyes narrowed, and opened her mouth to object Roman's obvious smirk, apparent now that he had calmly taken off his helmet.

What she said would have to wait. Changeling cruised in, his motor echoing through the garage. Roman smoothly got off his bike, the smirk vanishing. Flare sighed, jumping off her own bike.

"I would have beaten you if you hadn't cut me off." She muttered, walking beside Roman as they made their way to the elevator. Roman, who was about to reply, was cut off by the green teenager leaping off his motorcycle. Changeling bounded up beside them, clutching Hiela's wrist to keep her from toppling over. She had a dazed expression on her face due to Changeling's driving.

"Jeez, you guys SUCK at monitoring. You just sped through the city, me and Hiela had to deal with SO many cats in trees it's not even funny!" Hiela twitched at the mention of cats, sick of the furry creatures after being chased by a monster of a cat down an alley. Supposedly, the cat had belonged to a twelve-year old kid, but when she tried to deliver the animal to the child, he and his group of followers had vanished, their laughter still ringing through the street. Roman, again trying to speak, was cut off by Flare.

"What! I spent my time helping these positively enormous old women try to get across Fifth Street; during rush hour!" She walked into the elevator and backed into a corner. Roman waited for Hiela to walk in before entering himself, opening his mouth to respond.

"Please, Flare. You stopped once. Hiela and me had to work for both you and Roman! AND Tempest and Robin, come to think about it!" Changeling's arms were waving, taking up even more space in the already constricted elevator. The Titans were too tired to take the stairs, and Roman wasn't even thinking about teleporting. Flare crossed her arms, frowning. Roman had given up trying to speak, and instead took in Flare's defeat of the race.

The four Titans let out a sigh of relief upon arrival at the living room. Each of them slumped out of the elevator, too beat to fight about who had done more, and separated. Flare and Changeling made their ways to their rooms, resuming their squabble over who'd done more through the hallway.

Roman, though, along with Hiela, moved towards the sofa, awaiting Robin's call. Hiela sat with her hands in her lap. Roman stood, leaning against the giant windows of the Tower. His hooded head looked out over the bay. Hiela was restless; she didn't know whether to speak to him or not. He wasn't making any advances on a conversation, so she just sat, an uncomfortable silence settling around them.

Finally, the door behind them slid open. Both teens turned to face Robin, a frown on his face. He looked up at Roman. "You." He said. Roman pulled his hood back, his brow raised in confusion.

"Me…" He said, his voice rising in a concerned question. Robin rubbed his temples with his fists, sighing. He glanced behind him, as if worried.

"I can't get Tempest to speed up all the way! Tiempo's stupid enchantment keeps her stuck at times. Fix her!" Robin said, pointing behind him. Roman frowned at the command. He walked ahead, hissing a 'Yes, master.' after passing Robin. Robin glanced behind him, frowning deeper.

He looked back at Hiela, and motioned for her to follow him. She stood up and walked after him, her hands clasped in front of her.

"How was patrolling?" Robin quickly asked, turning a corner. Hiela followed him, pivoting on one foot to turn in the same direction so sharply. She shrugged, searching for the right words.

"It was… challenging. A few children thought it would be funny for me to chase the alleyway cat." She said, sighing at the though. Robin frowned, stopping at a doorway. Hiela stopped behind him, feeling his restlessness. "Roman should be able to heal Tempest, Robin. There's no need to worry." She reminded. Robin turned sharply, wincing.

"It's not just her." He countered, frowning. He sighed and entered the room, office-like. "Just take a seat…" He muttered, falling into a hard-looking straight backed chair. He rested an elbow on his desk and rested his hand on his forehead, thinking. Hiela followed him wearily, sitting down in front of him in a softer chair. She felt her body pulse in relief; she was exhausted.

Robin glanced up at her, leaning back in his seat. "So, what did you think of Tiempo?" He asked her, crossing his arms. Hiela shrugged involuntarily. She frowned in thought.

"He was a … determined villain. He had everything planned out… or knew everything that we had planned out." She said, giving him hard facts. Robin nodded, taking in her answer.

"You told me about him. I want to know what you thought of him." Robin repeated, crossing his arms and sitting up straighter. Hiela felt herself go rigid, and she squirmed under his gaze.

"Tiempo… was daring. He was also… nosy. He tried to unlock something. I don't know what it was." She answered. Robin nodded, his mask narrowed in thought.

"What was he trying to unlock? And what did he mean about him being the only one that could help you?" Robin asked wearily. He noticed Hiela's hesitation.

"My memory. I can't remember much… of anything. Up to a certain point, that is." She said, dropping her gaze to her hands, folded in her lap. "He started searching… and I saw things. Parents, family. Lights." She whispered. Robin nodded sympathetically.

"I understand about the memory thing, but you need to build up resistance to things like that. Maybe you should meditate- I'm sure Roman does. Get some tips, but just learn to block your mind from attacks like that. Do I make myself clear?" Robin asked.

"Crystal." Hiela answered. At the sound of the word, she winced visibly, though she didn't understand why. Robin noticed this, and his mask rose in concern. "I mean- Yes, I understand." She said, clearing her throat. Robin nodded, and pointed at the door.

"I need to talk to Roman. Tell him to come up here the moment Tempest is okay." He said, getting out of his seat and turning to a bookcase. Hiela nodded, pursing her lips, and leaving the room before finding out what he was looking at.

She aimlessly wandered downstairs, where she vaguely remembered the clinic being. She glanced around and saw the garage door up ahead, and the red crossed-door beside her. She tapped the door and heard Tempest mumble something. Hiela took it as a 'come in' and entered.

Roman was sitting in a chair in front of Tempest's bed. He glanced at Hiela, and stood up, turning back to Tempest. "… You're okay now?" He asked, frowning. Tempest nodded, shrugging.

"I'll be fine. Thanks a lot, Roman." She said, lying back onto the starch- white pillows. Roman nodded and left, leaving Hiela and Tempest. Wearily, he made his way up to Robin's office. He slumped down in front of him, and waited further instruction.

"Tempest is fine…" he added, pulling his hood up to mask his closed eyes. Robin nodded, pressing his knuckles to his own eyes.

"Listen, Roman, about earlier with that portal thing…"

T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T

Hiela sat next to Tempest, smiling. "You gave Robin one heck of a scare…" She said. Tempest smiled, and looked away, hiding her blush. She nodded, her silver hair falling forward.

"He told me his first name. It's a … glorious name." She said, grinning at the inside joke she held with Robin. Hiela waited, her brow arched in amusement.

"Oh, really." She said, smiling. Tempest glanced at her, grinning back.

"Yeah. It's Ryand'r. He tried to get my name in exchange but… well; it's funnier to have him try to guess. Anyway, I didn't catch why he wanted you and Roman upstairs. Did something go wrong?" She asked; her lips pursed in concern.

Hiela shrugged, showing her lack of interest on the subject. "Tiempo started meddling in our thoughts… Roman cracked and I…" She waved her hand, as if saying that was all Tempest had to know.

Tempest nodded, understanding. She slid off the bed, and got to her feet. "C'mon, I'm fine, so let's get out of here. Hospitals always make me feel sicker." Tempest said, shivering. Hiela nodded gratefully, and the two girls made their way upstairs.

Flare and Changeling joined them on the trip back, refreshed, and obviously over their previous argument. They all lounged on the sofa. Robin came in, twitching slightly, frowning deeply, and his brow furrowed. The small conversation with Roman hadn't gone so well. Flare glanced behind him, wondering where the final Titan went. Robin glanced at her, shrugging.

Flare turned back, and glanced at the book still on the sofa. She reached for it and took it into her lap, and opened it. Tempest sat in between her and Hiela, and Changeling sat as a tiger-cub at their feet, flicking his long, striped tail over their knees. The silver haired teen looked at the small black book as Flare twisted it up-side down and in every other direction.
"How strange, I have no idea what any of this means." She muttered. Tempest rolled her eyes, sighing.

"Of course you wouldn't. They wouldn't let something like whatever's written in there be able to be read by just everyone." She said matter of-factly. Flare smirked, glancing at Tempest.

"Since when did you become the smart one?" She teased, shutting the book with a dusty smack. Robin plucked the book from her hand and set it back on the sofa.

"She's right. You're probably not even supposed to look at whatever's in there." He said, glancing at the T.V. He glanced at Changeling, and pointed at the small box set in the wall beneath the huge screen. "Hey Changeling, wanna try out that new Gamebox-X-I?" Changeling's form became human again, and he looked at Robin with wide eyes. Robin continued, "Nightwing said it was a good thing to have, though I don't know how it functions exactly…"

Changeling's focus went from the Gamebox 6 and back to Robin. "Dude, that is not a Gamebox X I, it's a Gamebox six, and it's not even heard of yet! I didn't realize they had a four! How did your dad… you're asking me if I want to play! Bring out the controller!" Changeling yelped, pushing himself in between the girls to make a seat for him.

With much protest, the girls finally moved out so the other two teens could play their game. Before the boys could get too engrossed in beating each other, Robin turned and picked up Roman's book. He tossed it at Flare, landing it squarely at her stomach, and causing her to nearly topple over with the excess force.

"Give that back, will you?" He asked, then turned back to try to figure out the controller. Flare let out a whoosh of air, and looked at the book that was in her arms. She saluted mockingly at their team leader, and robotically left the room. Tempest and Hiela followed, laughing slightly.

"That Robin is so selfish. He got himself and the others something to do, but what are we supposed to do?" She asked, crossing her arms. The book was squeezed in between her belt.

Tempest stopped walking towards Roman's room, her head bowed in thought. "I never thought about that. What do we do when we're not crime fighting?" She asked. Hiela responded, her voice monotonous,

"Train."

Flare laughed, nodding in agreement. They arrived at Roman's door, and Hiela tapped on his door. They heard a grumble of contempt, then something that sounded like, "Go away". Flare frowned, and waited while the other two girls shrugged and turned away.

"Open the door Roman; I've got something that belongs to you." She said. Roman, once again, told her to go away. Tempest turned around, sighing.

"Come on, Flare. The guy's having a fit. Let him sulk." She said, and turned back. Flare bit her lip to keep from grinning, and heard a rustle from inside the room. She pursed her lips upon realizing it wasn't English.

"Azar Zenthar." The phrase was repeated, and Flare had enough waiting outside the door; she was overwhelmed with curiosity about what was going on inside. She took her communicator out, and opened the bottom part of it. Hiela stopped, her own curiosity blooming.

"What are you doing?" She asked. Flare turned towards her, and held the communicator against the upper part of the wall beside the door.

"Haven't you guys read those papers Robin put in our room? We have override codes built in." She replied, watching as she heard the door click out of its lock. Roman appeared then, standing in the sliding doorway, his face shaded within his hood. He glared down at Flare, who was surprised at his appearance.

Roman snatched the communicator and deleted his override code from the system. Flare gasped, reaching for the small device.

"Hey!" she objected. Roman snatched the book from her other hand and tossed it back onto his bed. The moment he turned his head, Flare realized something wrong with him. Roman was as angry as he had been back at the museum; his face was drawn in a frown. "…Roman?" She asked, reaching to pull his hood away. He grabbed her wrist, turning his attention back to her, and was concealed again.

"When I tell you to go away, it's best for you to listen to me." He hissed, smacking her communicator into her palm. Flare winced, more in fright than pain. She kept her gaze directed at him.

"Well I'm not very good at listening," she replied monotonously as he released her wrist. Roman felt himself twitch, his anger mounting for this mortal girl in front of him, yet moreover, he was surprised. Tempest and Hiela had rounded the hallway, and were now peeking around the corner, their eyes wide and yet neither of them made a move to help Flare.

She defiantly stared up at him and he opened his mouth to reply to her comment. 'Why are you so annoying?' he spoke to her telepathically instead. Flare, obviously, was not ready for this, for she whipped her head around, confused by the voice.

Roman wasn't about to get his answer. The alarm ran throughout tower with fury, its blare deafening the four titans in the hallway. Roman stepped out of his doorway, breaking his gaze with Flare. He rubbed his eyes, trying to reassure himself that they were back to their crystal blue, not his fighting-mode black… not that he preferred that color. He glanced behind him and saw Flare, still gazing at him, but now moving slowly towards him, up to the living room where Robin would give them all commands.

They didn't have to.

"All Titans, report to Jump City prison IMMIEDIATLY. Prepare yourselves!" Robin's voice filled the hallways; his own intercom system overriding the alarm. Roman glanced at the three girls around him.

"Come with me." He commanded, opening his palm. Flare refused to touch him, even as Hiela and Tempest both took his palms. Roman rolled his eyes and moved Tempest's hand to his other arm, and reached out, grabbing the back of Flare's shirt, and pulled her against him as he teleported them to the jail.

In the moment the Titanettes had blinked, Roman had teleported them in front of Jump City prison. Streams of thieves and under-class villains swarmed around the jail, grinning, screaming, and laughing. Flare's hands burst into flame, Roman launched a wall around the area, and Tempest took off into the air, using a stormy cloud as her lift. Hiela stood frozen, her eyes locked on the gaping hole in the jail.

Cell 23550032.

Intensive security.

The H.I.V.E. agents.

"Hiela, move!" She heard Roman's voice pierce through her thoughts, and felt his arm snatch her shoulders and thrust her down. A barrage of bullets swarmed past the two, now rolling on the ground. "This isn't a time for daydreaming!" He snapped, pointing at the prisoners who had acquired the guards' weapons. More laser-like bullets blasted through the air. Tempest was doing her best to shield the titans, swerving the paths of the bullets using gusts of air. Roman's wall was stretching around the prison, and yet the more violent villains were breaking through; monsters that could fly, crawl beneath or even walk through the barrier.

Roman stood up, lifting Hiela to her feet. She pointed at the enclosure, but Roman had already turned away. Hiela frowned, and looked back at the street. Changeling and Robin were speeding towards the jail, trying to round stray villains back into Roman's shield.

"OMPH!" Flare flew through the space beside Hiela, clutching her stomach as she crashed into the ground. Hiela looked up, gasping as she saw a fist coming toward her. She crossed her arms in an "X" shape in front of her, and spears of ice flung themselves in front of her to form a shield. The inmate's fist slammed into the ice and ricocheted back, causing him to tumble back in pain. Flare stood up, dusting herself off. A tear ripped through her black pants, yet she seemed unscathed by the blow otherwise.

"Hiela, you need to pay attention! We can't do this with three Titans." She panted, motioning towards Roman and Tempest. Roman was surrounded; Tempest was rushing through the prison, trying to round up the villains into the still in-tact part of the jail. Robin suddenly tore through the shield, leaving Changeling behind to secure the few villains who had made it through the shield.

"Find the H.I.V.E. agents! Don't let them escape!" He yelled. His voice was carried through the whole prison; all the Titans heard them. Roman looked up, trying to concentrate while defending himself from the oncoming attacks.

"If- you'd get these- idiots away from me," Roman paused to round-kick a persistent man trying to use his chains as whips, "I could find them." He announced, turning as another body moved toward him. Before lashing out, Roman realized it was Flare, and turned again. To his shock, though, a ring of fire exploded in around him.

"Find them now!" He heard Flare shout. Roman coughed, and sat cross-legged to avoid the billowing, acrid smoke. He closed his mind to his surroundings and started to pry through the jail with his powers; peeling away each floor one by one.

Robin glanced at the ring of fire encircling Roman, and the weary villains pacing around it. Flare's eyes narrowed as the petty thieves tried to jump through the flames and the fire encircled them, never completely burning them; always harming them.

Tempest was beyond anger now. The more powerful, flying villains now taunted her with their speed and agility. Zooming through her mode of airborne transport, she blasted the fliers with searing bolts of lightning. They dropped like flies; Tempests' glowing silver eyes narrowed as they each hit the ground, as if saying 'serves you right.'

Changeling ran up beside Hiela and skidded to a halt. She looked at Changeling and grabbed his hand, then proceeded to run into the prison. "Where are we going!" Changeling asked, glancing back at the on-going fight between the remaining Titans. Hiela looked back at him, eyes scanning the perimeter.

"I know the H.I.V.E. is still here. This jail probably holds a lot of their teachers and classmates." Hiela said, rushing through her words, "We have to keep them from freeing anymore people." She said, turning. Changeling swerved, looking at her in question until she raised her hands.
From her palms came ice and she created a wall of frozen water where the gaping holes once were. Villains still trying to escape struggled against the wall, their mouths hanging open in a mixture of dismay and confusion as Hiela continued to block their way. Changeling looked ahead and became a wolf, growling deeply at the approaching men and women, who gasped and backed up, retreating wearily. Hiela ran forward, and with Changeling, forced them into a cell, sealing that with ice as well.

Changeling looked around. "How are we going to know where to look for them?" He asked in exasperation. Hiela looked around, then flinched as she heard an explosion farther ahead.

"Follow the booms." She replied and started running towards the noise. Changeling growled and followed her, worried about leaving the team behind under such extreme conditions.

"Roman would have found them." He reminded her, trotting beside her in his wolf form. Hiela shook her head, glancing down at him, her gaze firm.

"He wouldn't have done it in time. They'd be gone, and we'd have to stay up all night searching." She said defiantly. They came to an abrupt halt upon realizing the whole second floor of the prison had been caved in here, and turned into a new hallway.

Changeling ran ahead of Hiela, trying to stay alert for any foreign objects that could be a potential threat. Suddenly, he was jerked back. He transformed back into a human and gagged as he felt the thrust again. He fell forward, leaving Hiela speechless as he writhed on the ground, being dragged back and forth. She looked around, desperate to find the cause of Changeling's pain.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked pleadingly, leaping to his side. She felt a pull, and suddenly she was being dragged away, but nobody was touching her. She gasped upon realization, and Changeling registered the idea at the same time. "Juliet!" They gasped.

The shadow-manipulating H.I.V.E. agent smirked, and took form before them, holding the necks of their shadows in her palm. Her outfit was new; a dark brown dress that hung above her knees was dotted with skulls. Her hair was cropped short, giving her an aggressive appearance as she glared down at the Titans. Her voice remained a hissing whisper, though, which she proceeded to speak in.

"My name is Silhouette now. You'll do good to remember it." She snapped, swinging their shadows around. The two Titans were pulled against the wall, gasping for breath. Changeling faced her, and tried to get a kick at her, but she disappeared below them, back into her shadow form.

"We can't beat her like this." Hiela panted as Silhouette strangled Changeling's shadow, causing him to loose his breath. Changeling nodded, and looked at the ground. "Use your shadow." Hiela instructed, and stepped onto her own shadow form.

Silhouette was stuck under Hiela's foot, so she stretched away, elongating her form. Changeling pounced, but instead of landing on her, he landed a bit in front of her. He steered his shadow so that it landed over her, and a resounding "oomph" was heard.

Another crash around the corner was heard, along with a call from Chameleon. The two titans used their shadow to grasp Silhouette's shadow-from, and dragged her along the hall. They stopped at an area filled with fluorescent light, where Silhouette was forced back into a human form. She hissed; her entire self semi-transparent as her body took form.

"Chameleon, sta-" Silhouette planned on warning him, but Changeling clamped his hand over her mouth. Hiela stood up, leaving the H.I.V.E. agent with Changeling. Creeping along the wall, she stood, waiting for Chameleon to round the corner.

Chameleon had no idea what to expect; most certainly not what happened next.

First, he managed to slide into a huge, freezing puddle of water that extended past Silhouette, who was held tightly by Changeling. Chameleon tried to reach out to her, but only managed to start tumbling in the water-that-wasn't. The slippery mess caused him to ram at full speed into a wall of ice head first.

Then, after managing to sit up after the smack into the wall of ice, he hit his head again on the ice. To his surprise, he was now locked inside a box of the frozen water. Hiela was on the other side, squatting down. She tapped the ice, causing it to become even colder inside. Blood trickled from his forehead, proving he hit the ice hard.

"You've got to be shitting me." Chameleon hissed, wiping the blood away. Hiela looked back at Changeling. From inside the box, he couldn't understand her, but quickly got her drift when Changeling dragged his teammate towards him. Next to him Hiela was already crafting another freezing cage. He narrowed his eyes at her.

Changeling, holding Silhouette by the scruff of her shirt, dragged her into the box. The girl tried to fling herself out, but met a block of ice, much like Chameleon had, except this was hard enough to knock her out. She slid to the bottom where she laid crumpled; curled in a fetal position and holding her head.

Hiela leaned against the wall. "All we have to do now… is find Caluori." She muttered, looking up at Changeling. He nodded, then looked up, sniffing the air. His eyes flashed precariously.

"Careful, Hiela. Someone else is close." He muttered, moving so he stood in front of her protectively. His eyes darted around the hallway, lingering on the ice boxes before glancing back at Hiela. She looked back at him, worry visible in her eyes. He smiled to calm her down. "Don't worry, it could just be a mouse."

She looked at him, smiling to hide her worry. "Don't try to reassure me, Changeling." She said, sighing ruefully. Suddenly they heard a steady clatter of boots running through the halls, and both turned to face both directions of the hallway, back to back. "Who is it?" Hiela whispered, her knees bent and ready to run- or fight.

"There you are! What part of stay together don't you understand!" Roman appeared, leaping onto the ice boxes containing two of the HIVE agents. His eyes scanned the insides before jumping down and moving the box containing Silhouette into a brighter-lit area. Hiela and Changeling let out a simultaneous sigh of relief, and leaned on each other for support.

"Oh, it's only you." Hiela whispered, shaking her head. Roman glared at her from beneath his hood.

"Robin was calling you back. You both didn't respond. Are you deaf?" He snapped, and continued past them. Changeling glanced at Hiela, shrugging, and took her wrist softly, urging her to follow Roman.

"Sorry. What's going on?"

Roman glanced at Changeling, shaking his head. "Flare is unconscious. Tempest is suffering serious wounds, and Robin is stuck outside trying to protect both of them- and he's worse off than all of us. I'm supposed to run through these halls and secure the remaining prisoners. Not that it'll do a lot of good. More than half of them are long gone." He muttered the last part of his comment, but both of the Titans behind him heard it, gasping.

"Half?"
"You've got to be kidding me," Changeling said, his voice a little above a whisper. "We had the area secure. Everything was going fine!" Roman glanced back at him, shrugging.

"That was before Tiempo got loose." Roman glanced down the next few corridors, occasionally lifting his hand to seal off potential exits. He turned back to Hiela, frowning. "You could help, you know. I saw the ice-walls you did back there." He added, then continued.

"We should split up. We'll cover more ground that way." Changeling offered. Roman, to their surprise, nodded. Hiela stopped, looking down a hallway.

"Are you sure?"

"It's not like you're going to be ambushed. Everyone with a brain left this place ages ago. Caluori's presence is long gone, and so is any other H.I.V.E. agent; that is, except for those two you took care of. The only threat that's still here is Tiempo, and he's fighting outside with Ro…" Roman trailed off, turning around.

"What is it?" Changeling asked, stepping back to guard Hiela again. Roman glanced at this act of protection before focusing on Tiempo.

"He's in the prison. I don't get it. Why would he come back?" Roman thought, pulling his hood down. Hiela's eyes widened in fear.

"Oh! That means that he must have gotten away from Robin. What if he's hurt?" She asked; her eyes wide. Roman frowned, his brow furrowing. He stopped in his tracks, and turned, then stopped again.

"Argh!" He growled, turning to the wall. His hands were clenched into fists. "This is idiotic. It doesn't make any sense! How the hell did those first people get out? Caluori couldn't have opened so many of the cells at one time. The only people who have access to do that are the…" Roman trailed off, refusing to finish.

Changeling looked up, his eyes wide. "The overseers." He said; his voice quiet. Roman looked up at him, shaking his head slowly.

"We can't be sure. I'm going to keep sealing off the prison. You two go find Flare and the others and make sure they're all right." He commanded, running his hand roughly through his hair. Hiela and Changeling turned to go. Changeling reached out to take a hold of Hiela's hand, but she stopped, and turned back to Roman, who was still standing.

"What about Tiempo?" She whispered. Roman hesitated in answer. He pulled his hood up and turned around.

"Try to avoid him. Do not fight him- we can't afford to loose another titan when it's down to us." He said, emphasizing his words. With that, he proceeded to continue down the hallway, and then vanished from view as he turned a corner. All the clue they had to that he was still actually in the prison was the shriek of unsuspecting villains who'd come across him.

Hiela sighed. "Changeling, it's my fault! I shouldn't have separated from the others. What if… oh God, what if they're dead?" She asked, her voice a constricted whisper. Changeling turned, and took a hold of her shoulders.

"Don't say that. They're tough! They aren't dead. Say it!" He said, desperation causing him to shake her slightly. Hiela merely nodded, and whispered his command. "We're going to go back. We're going to save them, and then we're going to get everybody back where they belong- in this prison. Besides, me and you already got two back." He said with a slight laugh.

Hiela didn't return his smile.

Sighing, Changeling released her, rubbing her arms softly. "Sorry. It's something I get from my mom. Wild emotions and stuff. She says it'll be the death of me." He muttered, and turned away. He started walking and Hiela followed, staring at the floor.

"Changeling… do you really think the overseers actually let these people out?" She whispered, hurrying to fall into step beside him. Changeling glanced at her, shrugging.

"It's not like they've done anything to show we're welcome."

"Yes, but would they put everybody at risk just to show their hate for us?" She asked, looking at him with a pained expression that made him take her hand.

"We'll find out soon enough." He whispered. With that they continued in silence, retracing their steps to find the exit. They passed by the ice boxes holding the two shivering H.I.V.E. agents without a glance at them, and continued farther, listening to their steps echo in the almost-empty prison.

The two Titans were at the entrance when they heard it- the moaning of their comrades.

Flare was on her side, lying beside Tempest. Tempest had a bandage stretching down from her arm across her stomach in a diagonal line. Blood soaked the cloth, a thin line that marked the cut exactly. Her tousled hair disguised any further injuries. Flare's eyes were closed, and yet a dark bruise was stretching from her chin to her temple. Blood trickled from her forehead.

Robin was by far worse off. His costume was stripped in several places; below his left leg was entirely bare of clothing. Instead, cuts and bruises covered him. He was on his knees before the girls, panting, his hands on the ground before him.

"Oh, wow." Changeling whispered, shocked, without better words to say. He left the entrance of the prison immediately and sprinted towards his leader. Robin groggily looked up, and Hiela noticed that his mask was sheared in two, half on, half off.

"You're okay…" Robin muttered, slouching forward. Changeling kneeled beside him, turning him over.

"I wish I could say the same for you. Tiempo did this? By himself?" He asked, bewildered. Robin shook his head, then nodded and propped himself up on his elbows. Changeling forced him down. "Stay there, we'll get an ambulance.

His comment caused Robin to shoot up straight. "Arrgh!" He moaned, his hand clenching his head. "No! They … they were in on it." Robin whispered, leaning forward so that his head was in his lap. His cape was severed, leaving view for a trailing slice across his back. Hiela took in a sharp breath as she kneeled beside him and eased him back.

"We can't leave you this way. You have to get medical attention." She coaxed him into seeing the reason in her words. Robin still defiantly shook his head.

"They'll kill us." He whispered hoarsely. "Get us to… to…" Robin trailed off, his face pained as he took a breath. "Tower."

Changeling frowned, shaking his head. "If you say so, Robin." He transformed into a pterodactyl. "Can you get them on my back?" He asked Hiela, his voice a shriek. Hiela clamped her hands over her ears before he could finish, nodding.

Before she could lean down and get an arm below Robin's neck, a loud, piercing yell reverberated from within the prison.

"NO!"

Hiela stood up and gasped. "Roman!" She called, and turned towards the prison. Changeling transformed back into a human and looked down at his teammates. "We can't leave them here… I'll get Roman, you stay with them." He said, and proceeded to go.

"No, Changeling, let me. You're stronger. If civilians start to arrive and really do want to hurt us, you can defend them better than I can. In fact, take them back to the tower. Hurry." She insisted and proceeded into the prison. Changeling growled, and reformed into his dino-bird self.

"Stay safe." He called to her, his voice mangled due to his form.

Hiela rose her hand in acknowledgement and entered the jail wearily. She heard the sounds of a battle echoing through the halls. Her weary steps increased as she heard a victorious laughter drift through the hallway, followed by more grunting, cracking, and yelling.

Hiela traced the noise quickly, worried about the only other Titan available. Lucky for her, the fight was coming to her. Tiempo burst through a wall that had been half destroyed, which immediately crumbled around the three people in the area. Hiela gasped and rounded a corner, watching Roman step out through the opening. His fists were clenched and his cloak was discarded, left behind during the battle. A bruise was vibrant against his neck; giving hint that he'd probably been strangled with the cloak.

Roman's boots crunched the rubble beneath them as he made his way to Tiempo. The blond teenager was on his knees, gasping, holding his stomach. Blood splattered onto the floor when he coughed, yet Roman was far beyond mercy. He grabbed Tiempo by the collar of his outfit and pulled him up. Hiela stepped around the corner and presented herself in full view.
"Roman! Don't kill him!" She commanded, walking closer. The dark teen glanced at her then back to Tiempo, his grip remaining, shifting to his neck. "Think of your future Roman! You'll be no better than him!" She said, anxiously wringing her hands. Roman's eyes lightened until they resumed their blue color. He glanced at Hiela and sighed, dropping the teenager.

Tiempo gasped for breath, and scooted back, looking at Hiela. "Hey kiddo." He called to her, smirking. Roman stepped away, giving Tiempo access to attack.

Which of course, he did.

"Thanks for the distraction!" He added, glancing once more at Hiela before pouncing, kicking Roman back through the opening he'd made. Roman's body smacked into the concrete wall opposite theirs, where he slid down to the bottom, remaining unmoving.

Hiela gasped and moved forward. "Roman! Tiempo, you conniving- you… you…" She drifted off as she approached Roman. The teen's body was slumped forward. She turned and glared at Tiempo, an icy fog appearing around her fists.

Tiempo held up a hand, bowing his head a bit. "Chill out, kiddo. I just wanted to talk to you without anybody else listening. And since our current guest is incapable of… well, anything at the moment, I'll start the conversation." He said, grinning slyly.

Hiela looked at him wearily. Her fists lessened until her hands were by her sides, and the icy air vanished. "What do you want?" She asked, sparing a glance at Roman. He appeared to be out cold, but with him, things never seemed to be what they were.

Tiempo watched her, his eyes going up and down her in a scrutinizing inspection. "I want to help you, remember?" He said to her in a silky voice. He approached her, and Hiela stepped back until she was against the wall. He stopped, frowning. "Hiela, I can help you. I'm just going to need your help, too. Don't you want your memories? I can give you your life back. You just have to trust me." He said, stepping forward again.

Hiela looked away from his bright blue gaze, shaking her head. Tiempo frowned, walking closer. Hiela's hands pressed back against the wall, yet he continued, then rose a hand to cup her cheek. She winced visibly. "Shhh," Tiempo reassured her, "I'm not going to hurt you. Look at me." He whispered, nearing his face to hers.

Hiela's fear-filled blue eyes stared into his, and she took a breath. "I'm going to help you, alright? Just get me into the Tower, and we'll get my staff. I'll show you everything. Trust me." He said, taking his hand from her chin. Hiela stepped forward cautiously, her thoughts racing; as well as her heart. She didn't trust him, not one bit, yet he wanted to help her. If he could, everything would be back. No more blackness when she called up a memory…

"No... I can't do that..." Hiela said firmly, glaring up at him. He frowned, crossing his arms.

"Don't you want to know what your life was like? Your family? Your friends?"

"I have friends..." She looked down at Roman, still unmoving against the wall.

"You really think they are your friends?" Tiempo asked, glancing momentarily at the dark teenager. He watched Hiela, feeling her hesitation, and watched emotion flicker through her face.

"This isn't a time for daydreaming!"

"Hiela, you need to pay attention! We can't do this with three Titans."

"There you are! What part of stay together don't you understand!"

Tiempo could see the unsure look in Hiela's face. "See, kiddo, they aren't your friends." He whispered softly, his voice alluring.

Closing her eyes and bowing her head slightly, Hiela thought, 'They don't want me around... It would be better If I left... But if I had my memories...' Hiela looked up at Tiempo. 'Maybe I could find my old life... My family… perhaps I had some friends...'

"I- I'll...-"She paused, looking away, "I'll help you." She said in a voice that was barely a whisper. She felt something stir below her, and glanced down. Roman's eyes were still closed, yet she was sure he had moved…

"Then let's go." Tiempo said, sliding his arm around her. Hiela's eyes widened and her cheeks blushed a light purple.

"What're you-" She was cut off as Tiempo took her into his arms and sped away from the dark teenager beside them, surprisingly fast and agile for carrying a girl in his arms.

"First we'll lay low for a while. Then we can visit your tower and get my staff. And…" he stopped, and reached into her belt. Her eyes widened and she almost shrieked until she realized he was just reaching for her communicator. "This'll have to go." He stated, smashing it on the floor.

"Hey!" She objected, and proceeded to get out of his arms. Tiempo shifted her again, and they were off. "No, let go of me!" She cried. Tiempo frowned and finally exited the prison.

"You're coming with me, end of story." He hissed, all the while continuing into an alley. Hiela took a breath to scream, but he stopped, let go of her legs, and pushed her against a wall, cupping his hand over her mouth. "Welcome to my part of the town." He smirked, and then ripped off the sleeve of his costume. The girl began to raise her icy fist, but he merely grabbed it. Hiela froze her hand over, causing him to let go for a moment. But Tiempo quickly reacted again. Hiela's eyes widened as she struggled against him, then coughed as he gagged her. "Mmm! No!" She gasped, but he dragged her to her into his arms again, and entered the backdoor of a building, turned, and locked it.

"Now let's talk about how we get in the tower…"

T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T

Roman struggled to his feet. He leaned back against the wall and looked upward; his eyes closed, and released his held breath. "Great. Just great." He muttered, and turned to the hallway. He started walking to the exit, hopefully to where he could help Changeling get the others home.

The two-faced conspirator would have to wait.