Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. So please don't sue me!
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Chapter Six: Slade
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Jinx jumped over a lawn chair and spun in a circle sending a hex behind her. The attack came about a foot from hitting her pursuer.
It was Kid Flash. He'd been trailing her since she passed Market Square. About five minutes ago she'd really started running. The hex was a warning. The only warning he was going to get.
Jinx forced herself to keep running even though her legs were begging her to stop. Her chest heaved as she weaved through the various rooftop obstacles.
The next thing she knew, a hand was gripping her wrists and holding them above her head. Her back was pressed against a roof access door. And it was blue eyed idiot that was holding her.
"Let me go!" Jinx yelled, twisting in the speedster's grasp. She felt the power play over her fingertips, anxious to be released "I'm gonna hex your sorry butt to Gotham City!"
Kid Flash scowled. It was a very strange expression for him. "I don't have time for this. Who're you working for?"
Jinx's eyes glowed maliciously "My friends and I don't work for anyone Speed Freak. What gave you that idea?"
Before Kid Flash could reply he was struck in the head with a long silver pole. The speedster's grip on Jinx faded away as he slid to the rooftop with a groan.
Behind him was a huge bulk. It resembled a man. He was dressed in a black battle suit with a silver, utility belt around his waist. He was holding the silver pole over one shoulder. His face was covered by a skin tight mask that was half black and half orange. Only one eye showed through the mask. "Jinx, I presume?" his voice was like stone; cold and unforgiving.
The witch stepped over Kid Flash's fallen form and brought her powers forward "Better talk fast big guy; unless you want a one way ticket to Gotham City with Hexing Express."
The man chuckled darkly "I'll take that as a yes." he folded his arms over his chest "Now why would you want to protect the Titan?"
The pink haired girl ground her teeth. Her eyes glowed angrily "I'll give you ten seconds to tell me who you are and what you want before I kick your butt. 1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…"
"My name is Slade. Allow me to introduce my apprentice Terra." he stepped aside to reveal a tall, blonde haired girl with bright blue eyes. The same girl they'd fought the other night.
Jinx's scowl deepened "We've already met." she retorted. She wasn't sure why she felt such hatred for the girl. It was very odd.
Slade nodded "I see…" he reached into one of his many pouches and pulled out a CD. He held it out to Jinx "I'll be waiting." he said stepping into the shadows that enveloped the rooftop.
The sorceress looked at the disk in her hand. She scowled and stuffed it in her pocket. Then she leaned over Kid Flash and put an ear to his chest. He was breathing. She sat back on her heels and studied the young man's face. She reached out hesitantly and brushed her fingers against his cheek. She yelped as he grabbed her wrist.
"Don't touch the mask." he told her keeping a tight hold on her arm.
"I wasn't going to."
"So… why were you trying to protect me?"
"You were awake for that?"
The speedster rubbed the back of his head then looked at his glovedhand. No blood thankfully. "Depends on how you would define awake."
Jinx shook her head in half amusement and half disgust "In answer to your question… I don't need 'murdered a hero' on my rap sheet."
The boy laughed and sat up slowly with a slight groan "So you were telling the truth."
"What?"
"You're not working for anyone? From what I could hear it didn't sound like you knew that guy very well." he lay back down and closed his eyes trying to make the colors stop swirling
Jinx stood up and brushed herself off "I've never seen him in my life… but that blonde girl, the one you guys were fighting the other night, was with him… I wonder…"
"What?" Kid Flash asked sitting back up. The rooftop was empty. "Jinx?"
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Starfire examined the disk carefully. She popped it into a laptop computer and did a quick virus scan. Nothing came up. She extracted the disk and popped it into one of the larger machines.
Jinx walked over with a towel draped over her neck. Raven slipped out of her meditation trance and watched the screen with quiet lavender eyes.
Slade's face appeared on the screen. His chilling voice filled the speakers. "Hello girls." he said "I suppose, which ever one of you I gave this tape to, has explained what I already told them." he leaned forward into the camera "I have a deal for you three." he held up a news clipping of a rather large collection of jewels "These jewels are being held at the Jump City National Bank. They will be there for a week. If you accept my offer I will ask for a demo job." he leaned back in his chair and made a tent of his fingers "If you're successful each of you will be paid ten million dollars. That is three times what the jewels would be worth on the black market. Think it over, I'll meet you on the rooftop of Market Square at midnight in two days." the screen went blank.
Starfire grasped the desk with one hand and spun herself in a slow, thoughtful, circle. "He's lying about the money." she announced.
Raven looked over at the tall girl and raised a long thin brow "How much could we make if we stole them for ourselves?"
The green eyes girl tapped her lip for a moment and grabbed a calculator off the desk. She punched in a few figures "Depending on who we sell it to… about fifteen mil between us."
Jinx cocked her head "So we'd get paid twice as much? Man I'd take that job in a heartbeat. We're kinda getting low on cash."
Raven bobbed her head in agreement "It is pretty tempting… I don't see why we couldn't work with someone just this once."
"But why would he pay us each twice as much? It doesn't make any sense. Call me paranoid but I don't think it's a good idea. Haven't we learned not to trust anyone?" Starfire said.
"Why don't we just meet him and talk to him. Maybe Raven can read his mind and try to figure out what his motives are." Jinx suggested.
Raven stood and picked up her cloak from the floor "Fine with me but if I find something perverted I'm not going to be very happy."
The two girls exited the room. Starfire stayed behind staring at the computer. She spun her chair in another circle. She wasn't sure what it was but for some reason she had a very odd feeling about this whole thing. She started up a search program on her computers and put on her headset. She cracked her knuckles and started typing. "Okay Slade. Let's see who you really are." she whispered to the empty room.
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Richard slammed his locker shut and swung his backpack onto his shoulder. He glanced down the hallway. There she was.
Today she was wearing a pair of hip hugger jeans with a jade green halter top. Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled up into a high ponytail with several strands falling in her face.
Swallowing rather loudly Richard walked down the hallway towards the girl. She closed her locker and smiled as he approached "Hello Richard. Did you have a good last period?"
"Ya thanks Kori… hey um do you wanna go get some pizza? Just the two of us?" he asked nervously.
The girl smiled and nodded "I would love to Richard, I will meet you outside in a few minutes. I have to tell Rachel and Jennifer I will not be accompanying them home."
"Cool, see you in a few." he jogged off into the crowd.
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Kori had been pretty skeptical about the motorcycle but Richard assured her he was an excellent driver. She had smiled and nodded trustfully.
When they walked into the pizza parlor Richard could feel the stares of several boys from Jump City High. He threw them a glance and they all quickly averted their gazes. Richard had gone to public school for his freshman year. About two weeks into the semester he'd been in three dozen fights. He'd won all of them. No one messed with Richard Grayson. He messed back.
"Richard may I ask you a question?" Kori asked as they waited for their pizza.
"Sure Kori. Shoot."
The green eyed girl swirled her drink slowly "I tried to find your phone number in the school directory but it was unlisted." she looked up and met his gaze "May I ask why?"
Richard leaned back in his chair and raked his fingers through his hair "It's… complicated."
"Oh I am sorry I did not realize. I apologize."
The blue eyes smiled at her "No reason for you to do that Kori. It's just… when I was about eight my parents died in an accident. I was adopted by Bruce Wayne in Gotham City." he caught Kori's look of surprise and chuckled "Ya it was kinda strange… I never really thought of Bruce as my dad… more like a weird uncle."
One of the girl's thin eyebrow's went up slightly "A weird uncle?" she repeated with a giggle that made Richard's heart jump into his throat.
"I know, funny way to describe him. He's always real quiet and secluded. Not anything like you'd imagine. I was always the talker of the family I guess. Alfred had his journal,"
"Alfred?" Kori interrupted with a slight note of confusion.
"Bruce's butler. But more like a second parent really."
Just then their pizza came and the subject was dropped as they grabbed pieces and ate to satisfy the after school cravings.
"So what about you?" Richard asked setting down a piece of crust.
"What about me?" Kori replied sipping her drink.
"Where are you from? You've never said anything about parents or any siblings… actually you, Jennifer, and Rachel don't even complain about parents or anything."
Kori looked at her plate"…All of our parents are dead. My uncle took my sister and me in after the death of my mother and father. Jennifer… I don't know if Jennifer even knows who her family is. Her foster mother lives in L.A. Rachel… promise you won't tell anyone."
"I won't." Richard said curious to know more.
"Rachel is only seventeen but she lives on her own. She would stay with either Jennifer or me a lot but I do not know much about her life before we met her. We all received scholarships for JCA. We got special permission to all live together in an apartment while we studied." she smiled a little and covered Richard's hand with hers gingerly "You needn't worry about us. Rachel and I have managed to keep Jennifer's raging hormones under control."
"That's a relief. The boys of Jump City can rest easy."
Kori laughed. She hid her mouth behind one hand "I thought only Gar and Wally were allowed to make jokes like that."
Richard smiled "They don't know about my humorous side. You keep it a secret and I'll keep Rachel's secret."
"Thank you Richard. You are a good friend." she squeezed his hand reaping a blush from her male companion.
The two left the restaurant after paying. Richard tapped Kori's shoulder as she reached for the spare helmet. "Hey Kori do you have a date for the Halloween Dance yet?" he asked with more confidence than he felt. Surely someone had already asked.
"No I do not." Kori replied looking at him hopefully.
Richard's eyes almost bugged out of his head "Really? Well then," he bowed slightly "I'd better take the chance while I have it."
Kori giggled and leaned over and gave the boy a peck on the cheek "I would've turned down any other offers anyway." she said pulled the helmet on over her head.
Richard grinned and mounted his bike. Kori climbed on and they took off down the street.
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... I don't really have anything to say except... PLEASE REVEIW! OR SEND ME ONESHOT IDEAS! OR SONGS FOR SONGFICS! ANYTHING!
