32 Productions Presents…

A HIVE Team Story

The HIVE Team In…

"Sins of the Pseudo Fathers"

Chapter Three

Unknown Location

Robin groaned as he woke up. He found himself strapped in a chair tightly. As he looked around he noticed the others in similar conditions. Their chairs however were special. Changeling had something around his head as did Raven. Shade had a bright light shined on him. Cyborg had numerous devices strapped to him, what their purpose was he couldn't say. Starfire had things over her hands. She also had someone leaning over her with a scalpel in his hands. Robin gritted his teeth.

Robin: Leave her alone!

The stranger's head snapped up. He wore a metal suit, complete with a mask resembling a grinning demon. Almost like the Japanese devil mask, but without the sad looking eyes. The eyes were glowing softly and rather fierce looking. The suit was covered in strange devices. The most notable was a panel on the arm with numerous buttons on it. Over the suit was a smock, like a surgeons.

: Ah, you're awake. I was hoping the gas would wear off soon.

He twirled the blade in his hands then gestured toward Starfire.

: I was considering some impromptu plastic surgery on the nice lady here. I've been practicing.

He walked over to a nearby wall and pressed a button. The room went dark, save for the bright light over Shade's chair and a slide show began. They were of people…gang members most of them, if the wardrobe meant anything. Of course, it could have just been posers. They were all horribly mutilated.

: I guess I could still use some work. Maybe you'd prefer if I worked on one of the others before I moved on to her. I think you can agree that I need all the practice I can get.

Some of the others started waking up. The metal garbed man sighed.

: So much for that idea.

Changeling: Hey! I can't move…or change!

Raven: My powers aren't working…and who took off my hood!

Cyborg's lights were back on but that was the only indication that he was awake again. Shade snarled but he couldn't move either. Starfire groaned and woke up. Her strength wasn't working and she couldn't form starbolts.

: Ah, everyone is up and about. Then let's not waste time and get on with your lesson. First off, my name is Gremlin. Secondly this lesson in question will be about your activities. The senseless killing…the constant disregard for law and order. SHAMEFUL!

As he shouted the last part, Gremlin pressed a button on his arm. They all received a painful shock.

Gremlin: I'm going to ruin your lives…just like you ruined mine.

Changeling: Dude, we don't even know you.

Gremlin snickered then burst out into laughter.

Gremlin: Don't you? We'll get to that later. First off…the mental portion of our lesson. Who to start with…? Ennie meenie…minee…moe.

He pointed at Changeling. He pressed another button on the wall and the slides changed to show Changeling with the Doom Patrol.

Gremlin: Garfield Logan…formerly of the Doom Patrol. Used to go by the name Beast Boy until he was dumb enough to put that stupid looking Mento helmet on his head. Tell me something, Garfield…do you miss them?

Changeling: …I…

Gremlin: I know Mento was a bit tough on you, but what about the others? Larry, Rita and Cliff…or rather Negative Man, Elasti-girl, and Robot man were your friends. Hell, Rita was your foster parent wasn't she? Birthday parties…Christmas…you had it all with them. Great friends…great parents, if a bit strict. Of course strictness is not a sign of a lack of love.

Changeling looked down at the floor. Gremlin walked over and grasped him by his face.

Gremlin: Look at teacher when he's talking. What would they think of you now? I'll tell you one thing. Rita cries herself to sleep, blaming herself for what happened to you. Does she deserve that?

Changeling: …no.

Gremlin: I didn't think so. …so why do you do it?

Changeling: They…they tortured me…experimented on me…

Gremlin: THEY? You mean STAR labs. Yes, they did. That's not the question here. Why did you do it to the Doom Patrol?

Changeling shook his head.

Changeling: If…if they cared so much, why didn't they help me!

Gremlin: This.

He pressed a button, changing the slide. It showed a letter telling Steve Dayton about the tragic death of Garfield Logan.

Gremlin: You were already dead. How would they know to help you?

Changeling: I didn't know…

Gremlin patted him on the head.

Gremlin: There there. At least you made a friend at the labs, right? Victor Stone…Cyborg.

He walked over to Cyborg and knocked on him.

Gremlin: You hear me in there? Helloooooo?

Robin: What the hell do you want!

Gremlin just shocked them all again.

Gremlin: No outbursts please. Where was I? Oh yes. Victor Stone. Promising athlete. Got A's on his report card. Had a bright future ahead of him…until…the accident. And what an accident it was. A monster from another dimension? Wow. Ate poor old Mom and did a number on your body, didn't it? So bad your pappy had to fix you up by replacing your human parts. You didn't take it well. Later Dr. Stone had an accident in his lab. How tragic…yeah right. Accident. Feh. But you grew to like this new power you had. You wished to hide all of your humanity from everyone. While you were in the lab you found poor Gar. You sprang him from his cage and the two of you ran off to the junk yard. …did you know your Grandma had a heart attack shortly there after? It was when she heard what you did. …didn't know that did you?

He knocked on Cyborg again and moved on.

Gremlin: This IS fun. Let's see…who's next. Ah. Raven. Mother, Angela "Arella" Roth. Father, Trigon the Terrible. Owner of a face not even a mother would love, right? Every time she looked at you she saw his sneering face, didn't she? Oh you tried your best to be a good little girl…but you WEREN'T a good girl in their eyes were you? How could you be?

Raven: Shut up.

Gremlin: You're just the spawn of a demon. You hide behind your cruelty and sadistic mannerisms. And what is it you hide?

Raven: I'm not hiding anything.

Gremlin: Is that so? Then it's not true that you're doing all this for Daddy's approval? You couldn't get your mother's love…so what was left? Dear old Dad, that's who.

Raven bit her lip and shook her head. Thoughts that never occurred to her before on a conscious scale began to bubble to the surface.

Raven: That's a lie.

Gremlin: Heh. Sure it is. Or maybe you just never realized it until now. Being a good girl got you nothing but grief and hate…so maybe being a bad girl would get you the love you sought so much.

Shade was thrashing angrily in his chair. Gremlin turned his head to regard him for a moment.

Gremlin: And maybe it worked. This poor wretched creature sees you as the single most important thing in its miserable life. I confess, I don't know much about him. His inability to talk makes it hard to find out stuff. From what I gather, he was abused as a child by everyone on his planet. The only loving person he had was his sister. She gave everything for you…and how did you repay her?

Shade glowered. He didn't want to hear this.

Gremlin: You tried to kill her. And still she chases you, hoping against hope that you can be helped. She risks her life to save your soul and you give it to this demon.

Raven: Leave him alone!

Gremlin: Well, guess what? She doesn't see you as anything more then a tool to be used and thrown away. You're an animal to her. No more meaningful in her life then an ant.

Raven: He's lying, Shade! Don't you li…

Gremlin turned and smacked her. Raven spat blood, stunned into silence.

Gremlin: See? She was going to ORDER you not to listen to me. She didn't ask you to have faith. She didn't beg you to trust her…she ORDERED you to ignore me.

It was obvious that his words were having little effect on Shade, at least as far as Raven was concerned. The statements about his past made him upset. Gremlin turned toward Robin.

Gremlin: Now here's a tragic story. Robin, sidekick to the great Batman. Of course just beating up crazed clowns wasn't enough for you was it?

Robin: You son of a…

Gremlin pressed a button and the slide switched to a news article about the tragic death of the Flying Graysons.

Gremlin: And what would they say if they could see you now?

Robin was silent. Gremlin shoved his masked face in front of Starfire.

Gremlin: And YOU. Oh yes, you. You're the worst of them all. They all have histories of abuse or great trauma to blame for their behavior but you? You're just a spoiled brat.

Starfire: I am not a brat.

Gremlin: You taunted and teased your poor sickly sister every chance you got. That poor pale little girl had to put up with her LITTLE sister picking on and there was nothing she could do because of the strength difference between you two. If anyone has an excuse to be homicidal it's her, but she stood tough. Then after she's finally cured of her illness, what do you do? You send her off to be sold in slavery.

Starfire: She…she was a threat to…

Gremlin snorted.

Gremlin: Your throne? What do you know about ruling a planet? You'd be ousted in a month tops.

Starfire: …no…

Gremlin: What do you know about ruling a planet? Tell me.

Starfire: Crush all opposition. If the people wish to live, they bend to my will.

Gremlin sighed and shook his head.

Gremlin: You do realize you'd be outnumbered, don't you?

Starfire went silent as well. Gremlin let out his breath and clasped his hands.

Gremlin: Well, that was fun. Now, for the grand reveal. Ladies and gentleman, do you know…this face?

Gremlin removed his mask and the Titans gasped. Not that they recognized him, he was just…ugly. His face was twisted painfully and showed signs of acid burns. One eye was completely red and blood shot but somehow the right one remained normal. His lips had shriveled up so that his teeth were always exposed.

Changeling: Dude, that's sick! I'm glad I didn't just eat.

Raven: Even I'm nauseated…and I usually DO things like that to people.

Gremlin: I told you this wasn't over, didn't I?

Robin's eyes widened.

Robin: Jason!

Gremlin put his mask back on.

Gremlin: Right you are, "Dad".

Starfire: …my son…I…

Gremlin punched her across her face, hard. Her nose bled as a result.

Gremlin: Don't you ever call me that again! You tried to kill me! I was no son to you then, was I!

Starfire: …I did not wish to…

Gremlin backhanded her this time.

Robin: STOP IT!

Gremlin shocked them all again.

Gremlin: SHUT UP!

Starfire: …how did you survive?

Gremlin: How do you think! I swam. Then I spent months building all this.

Starfire: …but your illness…

Gremlin laughed and sat down on a chair at the end of the room.

Gremlin: There was no illness. I was cloned from Robin, right? His cells were sixteen years old. I was merely progressing to that age.

Robin: Of course…why didn't I think of that before?

Gremlin: Because you're an idiot. I, on the other hand, seem to be a genius for some reason. It must have been the sample you got from Slade. My capacity for knowledge is greatly surpassing yours and after reading hundreds of mechanical books and numerous physic theory papers, I've become the smartest 16 year old on the planet. Those police men that arrested you were robots of my own design. Perfectly flawless. Just like this battle suit.

Raven: …so what are you going to do now?

Gremlin: …kill you, naturally.

Suddenly Cyborg broke free, much to Gremlin's surprise.

Gremlin: That's impossible!

Cyborg: Nope. My systems just needed the time to adjust.

Gremlin: …well, shit. Ah well. I'll just kill the others then.

As he reached for the button on his arm, Cyborg fired his sonic cannon at the device above Shade. Shade broke free of his bonds by sliding out of them. He quickly freed the others.

Gremlin: …again, shit.

The Titans attacked him. He fought back the best he could…which was surprisingly well, taking out Changeling and Shade before being subdued.

Raven: This time we make sure you die.

Starfire: No.

Raven stared at her, surprised.

Raven: Why not!

Starfire: …I was wrong to try and kill him before. …I wish for him to receive help. He is not well.

Robin: What was your first clue?

Titan H.Q.: Starfire's Room

Starfire sighed as she disassembled the crib and put it into her closet. Jason was now being held in an asylum where hopefully they'd be able to cure him of his violent psychosis. The Titans had been quiet since they had escaped, mulling over Gremlin's words. Starfire wondered if Gremlin ever meant to kill them at all. Maybe he knew that Cyborg's systems would free him. …if that was the case, then no doubt he expected them to kill him. They would have if she hadn't insisted otherwise.

Starfire: …am I wrong? Is it impossible for me to rule over a planet? …no…no, it is not. Not if I have the Titans as my allies…

She grinned.

Starfire: No army on Earth or on Tamaran would be able to compete!

Surface: Cliffs

Shade stared off at the setting sun, sitting up for once. He usually laid down when he was on the cliffs. He heard something behind him, something familiar. He didn't look. He didn't even turn his head as Raven sat down next to him.

Raven: I knew I'd find you up here.

Shade made no indication that he had heard her.

Raven: …it wasn't true you know. …you ARE more then a tool…more then even a pet to me.

Again she received no form of reply. She was beginning to get angry. It wasn't often that she felt the need to comfort someone. Raven was trying her best, but she was getting nothing out of him. She sighed and decided to keep her cool.

Raven: The truth is, Shade…you're my best friend.

Shade finally looked at her, his expression doubtful.

Raven: I mean it. You're closer to me then anyone else. I know I'm sometimes mean to you…that I hit you and yell at you...but I don't mean it.

Shade looked back toward the setting sun…he was sad about something. Raven could feel it.

Raven: You're thinking about what else he said?

He nodded. Raven sighed and lowered her hood.

Raven: So have I. …what if he's right? What if I'm just some pathetic little girl looking to make "Daddy" happy? It makes everything I've done…meaningless.

Shade nuzzled her. It was his way of comforting her. Raven patted his head and kissed his cheek.

Raven: …if you ever tell anyone about that, I'm throwing off this cliff.

He nodded.

Raven: …you shouldn't be concerned about your sister. …she let it happen. She stood by while you were tormented. She may have been kind to you, but she could have done so much more.

Raven's eyes widened as she watched a single tear trickle down Shade's cheek. She was overcome with rage. Not toward him for once, but toward the people that made him what he is. She growled then stood up, shouting. The image of a four eyed bird erupted above her. Her rage spent, the image faded away and she put her hood back up. She held her hand down toward Shade, who looked at her with confusion in his eyes.

Raven: Let's go home.

Shade took her hand and she helped him up. She rubbed his head, messing up his hair before turning to walk home. Shade followed close behind.

Terra's Resting Place

Changeling sat on the pedestal, his chin resting in his hands.

Changeling: I never told anyone about the Doom Patrol. …about how I used to be a "super hero". I was a dumb kid. …but I was happy. I had a family…sort of…Mento was a prick, but Elasti-girl was a great mom. Cliff was a great guy, you'd have liked his sense of humor. Just never call him Robot man.

Changeling sighed.

Changeling: …wonder what their doing? …they never came looking for me. Guess they knew they'd have to fight me. …maybe they just didn't want to look at me.

Changeling wiped his nose. He wasn't crying and he didn't intend to.

Changeling: …they're probably so disappointed with me. Beast Boy, member of Doom Patrol turned into a monster. You know, until today, I never had a single regret about what I've done. Damn him. And I actually liked the brat.

Cyborg: Thought I'd find you here.

Cyborg hissed through his mask as he leaned against the cave wall. Changeling snorted.

Changeling: What do you want?

Cyborg: Hey, don't get all pissed at me. I didn't do anything.

Changeling: …you know about your grandma?

Cyborg nodded.

Cyborg: I was got over it.

Changeling: Cold, dude. Cold.

Cyborg: Eh, you're just pissed because he didn't bother me.

Changeling shrugged.

Changeling: Yeah, maybe.

Cyborg: You want a lift?

Changeling: Yeah…just hold on a sec.

Cyborg shrugged and left the cave. Changeling sprung to his feet and pecked Terra on her cheek.

Changeling: I'll be back.

Terra would have smiled if she had the ability to move. Changeling left.

Asylum

Jason sat in the corner of his cell, thinking. His plan went pretty well…save for the part where he survived. He would need a new plan. How best to get back at those bastards? Hmm…maybe…maybe his OTHER dad could help. Yes…yes, that might just work!

THE END