It was Tuesday morning, and Rain was on her way to school. She had her backpack filled with her books and all her homework was done. She was ready for another day at school. She didn't mind not having a ride from Speedy. The sound of her boots hitting the sidewalk with every stride fell onto her ears. She smiled as she walked along, just thinking about the day ahead of her. But her thoughts were disrupted when she heard some footsteps behind her. They were coming up fast, so she stopped and turned around to see who it was, but she saw nothing.
This puzzled her, and she just continued walking. But soon after she commenced walking again, she heard the footsteps. This time they grew louder. She began to get an unsafe feeling and she turned around to see who it was again, but she didn't see anyone this time either. So she began walking again, faster this time, and the steps came back quicker than ever! She heard a chuckle from behind her and then she made a sharp cut into an alley. She stopped in there and stayed with her back to the brick wall. She slid her way down further into the alley until she touched the dumpster. She moved from the side of the dumpster and walked further into the shadows.
Things got dark quick, and she fumbled her way through scattered garbage. She looked out and began to walk backwards…until she felt a hand grab her shoulder. She spun around quick and went to scream, but another hand slapped over her mouth! She tried to pull the hand off of her mouth but couldn't! "Where do you think you're going?" asked another girl's voice. Rain turned to see who it was, and she saw that it was a girl with white skin and pink hair. She had pink, cat eyes that glared into her own. Rain went to struggle more, but when she turned back around she saw a small child standing in front of her, and he began to tie her feet together! Rain kicked him and he fell back.
"Watch it you stinking, barf brain!" the small boy complained in an irritating voice. Rain felt her hands get tied together and then some tape was slapped over her mouth! This couldn't be happening! She was being kidnapped! She wanted to bad to yell, to anyone, to Speedy. He would help her!
Three more boys walked up to her. One was in a red suit with a division sign on his chest, and another one dressed up in a lot of black and yellow armor with a shield with a large H in the middle of it. The other boy was huge! He had shaggy hair and a well built body. They all crowded around her and looked at her. Rain struggled more but couldn't break free of the ropes! "Is this her, Jinx?" asked the biggest kid.
"Of course it's her, Mammoth. She looks just like the girl Headmaster showed us." The girl replied.
"Someone has to carry her." The boy in the red said. He had a country accent. Mammoth growled and picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. Rain began to squirm frantically and kick her feet! She screamed through the duct tape on her mouth, but only a muffled sound came out.
"You might as well stop screaming. No one's gonna hear you, pea brain!" the smallest boy taunted as he flew up to her using a jetpack.
"Leave her alone, Gizmo! We're not after her." Jinx reminded him. "She's just the bait."
"You think those losers, Titans East, will come?" the boy with H on his shield asked.
"Of course. We have their little friend." Jinx said. "And once we catch them, the Headmaster will let us graduate."
Rain couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was being kidnapped for a trap. Speedy would be in trouble! And then the others! What could she do? She just continued to try and break free of the ropes as they carried her off, wondering what she could possibly do to help her friends. The girl and the four boys brought her to an empty warehouse near the docks, where they tied her up to a chair. By now she knew all of their names from them fussing at each other about what to do with her. The one named Billy placed a hand under her chin and directed her gaze up into his. "She's kinda cute, ain't she?" he asked, and he laughed. Rain was horrified and began to let tears stream down face. "Awe, don't worry princess, we're not gonna hurt ya'." He reassured her, though it was little reassuring. "Daggone, look at those eyes! They're different colors!" he pointed out.
"No duh," Jinx said with her arms crossed, "The Headmaster said that she's a mutant." Rain shook her head furiously. "Don't lie!" Jinx yelled at her. "You're among friends. Take her tape off." And Gizmo ripped the tape off of her mouth.
"Ouch!" and she growled, "You guys ARE NOT my friends! The titans will come and stop you! You'll see!" Rain got it all out before Gizmo slapped the tape back over her mouth. Jinx got out her communicator.
"It's time to make the call."
Speedy got off the phone back at the tower and hung up. He turned to the other titans and looked worried. "What's the matter Speedy?" Bumblebee asked.
"It's Rain, nobody's seen her in hours." He said.
"What do you mean?" Aqualad grew interested. He jumped over the back of the couch and walked over. Mas y Menos raced up to them.
"She left for school and never showed up. The school called the head of the orphanage and she doesn't even know where Rain is." Speedy explained.
"Maybe she's playing hooky." Aqualad offered. Speedy shook his head.
"That's not like Rain. She'd never skip school." Speedy said. "I'm really worried."
"I'm sure she's fine." Bumblebee said.
But then the main screen in the tower came on and began to blink the words, "Transmission". They ran over and Bumblebee began to type on the computer. Soon the screen turned on and there stood Jinx in the picture. "Jinx!" they all said at once.
"That's right." She said. "And I have something you might want to see." She said. And she stepped to the side to reveal Rain tied to the chair, bound and gagged.
"Rain!" Speedy cried. "Tell us where you're hiding her!" he demanded.
"Hmm…no. I think I'll leave that for you guys to find out. Until then, she'll be with us. Oh and don't worry, we'll keep her nice and comfortable." Jinx lied as the boys laughed and began to rattle the chair she was in. "Bye, bye!" and the screen cut off. Speedy slammed his fist down on the computer and grabbed his bow and arrows.
"We have to find her!" Speedy said.
"I agree!" Aqualad concurred. "Let's go."
"Wait!" Bumblebee stopped them. "I didn't give the word."
"Then what are you waiting for?" Speedy asked. "Rain's in danger and we're just standing here!"
"It could be a trap!" Bumblebee said.
"So? We have to go! She needs us!" Speedy fussed.
"Maybe someone else will help her!"
"Like who?" he demanded to know. "Just because you don't like her, doesn't mean that we can stand here and ignore this!" there was no answer. "I'm going!" and he turned and went to walk out.
"Where're you going?" Bumblebee asked.
"To save Rain." Speedy replied. Aqualad looked at the twins, who looked back up at him.
"We're coming with you!" Aqualad stated. And he and Mas y Menos raced out leaving Bee all by herself, alone and angry.
The titans jumped into the T-car and searched the city. They tried to get a pinpoint on the transmission but Jinx must have used a trace buster because they had nothing. They frantically searched all over the town and asked people questions for help, but they got nothing. Speedy grew more and more frenzied as the search went on; he kept saying "We have to find her. We have to find her!" Aqualad would reassure him for the millionth time that everything would be okay.
Their search came to a halt after they had checked every warehouse in town. But still they found nothing, not even a clue. They stopped outside the city limits and got out of the car. "Okay, let's look at the little bit of clues we have." Aqualad said. Speedy was pacing back and forth. "Okay, we don't have any clues." And then he sighed and turned to Speedy. "What're we going to do? We have nothing!" he asked his friend. Speedy kept pacing.
"I don't know what to do!" he snapped back.
"Pobre Senorita Rain!" Mas y Menos cried and Menos began to cry. Mas patted his back.
"We've looked just about everywhere." Aqualad said.
"All except the docks!" Speedy realized.
"Great idea!" and they all jumped back into the car and drove off to the docks.
In the car, Speedy thought to himself. How did he let his happen? He should have been there! Rain was his responsibility. She trusted him. He even told her that he would always be there for her. Now she was in danger, and he couldn't even find her to help. He swore that when he got his hands on the Hive Five, he would crush them into pulp! How dare they kidnap her! But he couldn't help to be mad at himself for allowing it. "This is all my fault." He said to himself.
