Disclaimer:
We own neither the Teen Titans nor Jackie Chan adventures. We only lay any claim to this story and any OCs we may employ.A Shadow of the Titans:
Written by
Nocturne no Kitsune
Eduard Kassel
Chapter Two:
"H.I.V.E."
Earlier:
The door slid open, admitting Jinx to the Headmaster's office. She was on her guard entering the familiar chamber – after all, it was under new management – and she realized it was not nearly as familiar as expected. Gone was the business like sensibilities of the Headmistress, when the only décor had been the models of old naval warships and a banner of the HIVE crest behind the desk. The new Headmaster had wasted no time making the office his own. The electrical lights had seemingly been removed in favor of candelabras and a fireplace off to the side. The walls were lined with books and the HIVE banner replaced with a banner carrying a red rune on black she had formerly seen in Blood's old office. The desk was the only thing to remain the same, Blood sitting behind it in his gold and white robes.
Gold and white… to some those colors meant light and purity. Jinx n this case thought the more secondary meanings applied, greed and death.
"My dear Jinx, so good to see you again, we haven't had a chance to chat since my promotion," Blood greeted her, remaining seated while he motioned her to the stool before the desk. Compared to his throne like seat this made it clear what he truly thought beneath those manners.
"Congratulations, Headmaster," Jinx said as she took a seat gingerly. Blood had seemed to take an interest in her a few months ago only to lose it. She guessed now he had been gauging her as a participant in his coup.
"You know Jinx some say your lack of support for me in the recent troubles should be made example of. After all, while most students sat the unpleasantness out you are not just any student. Your teammate Gizmo in particular thinks his service to me merits promotion at your expense.
"But though you did not help you did not hinder me by clinging to the old guard. Unlike my more zealous supporters I see your actions as merely a reflection of your nature; you look out for yourself before anything else. A fine trait for a villain, so I forgive you your lack of initiative.
"You will remain head of your squad as well. Young Gizmo, while loyal, is rather lacking in the temperament and maturity for leadership, so his reward will needs take a different form.
"Though from this day forth, it is in your best interests to be loyal to me first and foremost," Blood concluded. His voice remained calm and gentlemanly throughout the monologue. He could have been talking about something as simple as weather, though he had let his eyes flash red for an instant in that last sentence. Still, Jinx was relieved at the outcome; it seemed she had weathered the storm successfully.
"Now that that is out of the way, I have a new assignment for you. It is out of your normal niche, something special," Blood told her with a ghost of a groan on his face. Jinx's face perked up at this as the banner behind Blood rose to reveal a monitor that flashed the HIVE crest before switching to a video feed.
"Though matters are returning to normal in the school, the fact remains a significant amount of resources were lost. Now we must replenish our ranks and coffers for the glorious new era of the HIVE.
"This new entity is of particular interest to me. As you can see she is demonstrating a significant array of powers. Observer's readings indicate she is a new arrival to this world, possibly reality. That combined with her apparent youth makes her a fine prospect for our student body. She even seems to be moving in the right direction in public relations," Blood informed Jinx as the recording detailed Observer's findings up to an exploding hot dog cart. Jinx grinned a bit at the last; it was always nice to see Normals get hit back for their bigotry.
"So you want me to bring her back to the HIVE?" Jinx inquired, with a lack of enthusiasm.
"You think mere recruitment beneath you my dear? I took you to be woman of ambition – manipulation and deception of others is the key to true power, it arguably surpasses the ability to personally level cities.
"You will make contact with this girl before the police or Titans have a chance to interfere, and you will convince her to come back with you of her own accord," Blood commanded with a superior air. Jinx rose, realizing the meeting was at an end.
"What about when I bring her back?" Jinx asked with a bowed head.
"Oh, succeed and you will receive further instructions. Now, be quick and clever young witch," Blood waved her out. Jinx turned around and raised her head, walking out of the candlelit office, the door opening and closing behind her of its own accord.
Now:
Jade was not sure where they were, a fact which infuriated her more than a little. Bad enough Jinx had led her through a twist of alleyways and back tracking, then the Goth had the gall to ask her to wear a blindfold for a bit! It had taken considerable effort not to blast the pink haired girl with all four barrels when she spun Jade on her feet after blindfolding her.
Fortunately for Jinx the blindfold had come off soon enough and now they were making their way through some sort of underground complex. Well to honest she wasn't entirely sure it was underground, but she saw no other way she could have been quickly brought here from the slums.
It certainly put Section 13 to shame with its geometric designs and admittedly impressive aesthetic appeal.
Just as Jade admitted the structure was impressive she stopped in her tracks as they finally ran into someone else. He looked like he had stepped out of a comic book; he was wearing a purple cape, and was that SPANDEX, Jade thought! ?
"Come on kid, the Headmaster wants to see you, as in immediately," Jinx called back to her, placing a hand on her hip in annoyance.
"Headmaster?" Jade asked, using skepticism to cover her confusion.
"Yeah, this is a school, and he's in charge. So if you want to avoid your time here in Jump taking a bad turn, mind that temper of yours," Jinx told her with a grin and an air of foreboding finality. Jade waited till the older girl had turned her back to her before allowing a gulp.
Jade had the feeling she had jumped into still deeper water and was still sinking.
They continued through the corridors, Jade catching occasional glimpses of robed figures in purple and other comic refugees, before apparently reaching their destination, a set of finely crafted wooden doors with a crest displayed on them. It was a classic shield checkered in black and gold with white designs surroundings it. The letters H-I-V-E were engraved on a white scroll crossing the shield.
The doors swung in of their own accord, revealing a book-lined office and a man in a white robe seated on the other side.
"Ah, young Jinx and the young miss that has been creating some stir in the city. Do come in young miss, but I would trouble you to tarry Jinx. After this meeting I would have some words with you," the old man, apparently the Headmaster, addressed them. Jade was thrown another curve ball as Jinx politely inclined her head and stepped back. Though she had only just met the Lolita Goth, she could tell she wasn't the type to do as the man commanded.
Conclusion, either she respects the guy, or he is the type to make you swallow your pride quickly. Jade decided it might be just to play it safe for the moment; blasting could happen later if needed. She crossed the threshold into the office as the doors swung shut behind her, with a soft but poignant bang.
She resisted the urge to look back at the door, instead heeding the old man's come-hither gesture and padding across the room. She wasn't sure where to place him age wise, he didn't look too old despite his white hair and bad due. His posture reminded her of the old masters she had encountered – old, powerful, and quite comfortable with both roles. If the fancy black and gold mantle on his robes were any indication, he had clout here on par with the vibes she was picking up. She grudgingly conceded as he smiled sown at her this may not be someone to take lightly.
"Welcome to the HIVE young miss, I understand you have come to us from quite a distance, please have a seat. I am Brother Blood, Headmaster of the High Institute of Vengeance and Evil," the man introduced himself. Jade would later be thankful from the shock that kept her jaw from dropping at those words.
"Evil?" Jade asked, her stunned tone easily mistaken for just a dull statement.
"The name comes from before my time as Headmaster; I would have preferred something a bit more restrained and elegant. But some traditions are not meant to bend to a changing of the guard; as it is near everyone knows the school by its acronym, the HIVE. Which I do approve of, for that is what we are.
"A place for those the world would treat as unwanted pests to find refuge and strength against those that would thwart their ambitions and strip them of their natural rights. A place for people like you my young traveler."
"Me?" Jade asked her mind snapping back into focus. Blood gave a disarming grin as he pushed back his chair and rose to his feet. Jade found herself disliking that robe; it concealed too much, and bad guys are supposed to wear dark colors!
"Indeed, I am well aware you are a visitor to our fair world. Though by your actions since arriving I can guess both that you lack means for a swift departure and that the more crude natives are not being gracious hosts," Blood told her as he swept around the desk. Jade was clenching a fist ready to blast him if he got too close – unknown to her, Blood noticed and was more amused than anything as he stopped just outside her comfort zone looking thoughtful.
"Yes, a most regrettable turn of events. The unwashed masses and those they lift to office are so intolerant of those who are different, and so much more unforgiving of them breaking the rules. I am just grateful Jinx managed to bring you to us before something unfortunate happened," Blood continued, faking mild concern. Jade rolled her eyes, but you couldn't really tell with her eye shine concealing her pupils to most. She was fairly certain this guy's face was on the dartboard of many a social worker – this stank of a set up. Though, he was dead right about the people here being jerks.
"Well I can see where this is going, thanks for the thoughtfulness but I'm more the solo independent type. Besides, you saw I can handle jerks," Jade said hastily, hopping down from the chair. Blood held his smile but she saw his eyes harden enough to make her pause.
"Oh but I insist," he told her, and for some reason a knot of ice fell into her stomach at the words.
"You see, we are offering you so much more than a place to stay beyond society's judging eye. But why tell when I can show you?" Blood continued. He turned to face the wall and Jade turned with him to see the twin bookshelves slide apart to reveal a transparent wall behind. Her jaw dropped as she hypnotically stepped forward to see the massive room beyond better. Or rather, the people in the chamber had captured her undivided attention.
For a moment, Jade was pretty sure that someone had stolen the Talismans from the vault again. But then she took notice of just how many wildly dressed teens there were in the room, and the strange and wondrous skills they were displaying. She had never seen the Talismans, for example, allow someone to simply turn to living sand and annihilate a couple of androids (actual robots!) in a small scale duplication of a sand storm.
But there was more. Jade could not but watch as the group of teens continued to display incredible skills. When Jinx had mentioned Metahumans, she had thought of one of her superhero comics. But this was on a whole different scale.
"Ah it warms my heart to see students so diligent in their studies. And many of them came to us reluctant and confused, like you. But guided by the firm and knowing hand of the HIVE they draw ever closer to their true potential," Blood remarked wistfully, stepping up to join Jade. Her first thought was that if his heart was warming it was not with fuzzy bunny thoughts.
The second was the realization that this Brother Blood guy was in charge of these teens. She couldn't see someone really controlling the likes of the Dark Hand for long if they had the Talismans long enough to realize the true meaning of that power. But these powerful people, and presumably many, many more, were answering to Blood and this HIVE. It spoke of power on so many levels Jade found herself shivering.
Blood gave a smaller but far more genuine and nasty smile as he saw the girl break a little in the corner of his vision. The first round was his, everything would now fall into place as he dictated.
"You come to us at a most fortunate time. Due to recent events we have moved up the entrance exam to expand our student body. Though before that you will need something more appropriate to wear, but we will help you with that.
"Would you be a dear and send Jinx in?" Blood asked, turning and heading back to his desk. Jade nodded, making sure to stay on the ground as she stiffly walked out of the Headmaster's office.
Blood kept his smile in place after the door closed behind the blue girl and a moment later opened to admit Jinx. Lifting his hand with a snap of his fingers, the electric lights shut off and the wall slid closed, once more concealing the training arena. A bit theatrical, but Blood knew the value of theatrics and casual displays of power.
"Well done young Jinx, you completed your task with professional diligence," Blood congratulated the witch.
"Thank you Headmaster," Jinx accepted the approval with a nod of her head.
"Did she give you her name?" Blood asked, turning back towards the sliding wall.
"No, she made a point of not doing that," Jinx replied. Blood turned back to her with a solemn expression and she raised the urge to take a step back.
"I see, so what did you learn?" Blood asked with neither warmth nor coldness.
"She does come from another dimension," Jinx stated.
"Which we already knew; so is that useful, can it be used? What sort of dimension, is it a mirror of ours or completely different? Does she actually speak those languages or is that some kind of learning spell? Does she have values that would be inconvenient?" Blood demanded calmly but with increasing firmness. It put Jinx in mind of someone gently but steadily pushing you off a building.
"She does not know what metahumans are. She seems to have some knowledge of heroes, but they are not contemporary," Jinx told him hastily.
"Ah, that is useful; heroes consigned to history, as they should be. You will carry on," Blood announced. Jinx blinked at the last bit, wondering what he meant. Brother Blood frowned, sensing the confusion.
"It is my wish that you look after this girl a while longer. Give her a brief tour, a meal, and have her accompany your team on your scheduled assignment. Jinx restrained herself from a more vocal protect before actually responding.
"She's a rookie, isn't this against regulation?" Jinx asked, trying to hide her annoyance. Blood seemed amused by her.
"I determine what lies within regulation. I understand you were planning on hitting a mall; it's an opportunity to acquire material for her new uniform. It wouldn't do much for the HIVE's reputation to have her committing crimes in civilian attire," Brother Blood explained. Jinx knew she had no grounds to protest but she wasn't going to lightly accept more babysitting.
"What if we encounter the Titans?" Jinx inquired.
"I am hoping you will, though the good men and women of the police force would suffice," the Headmaster put his hands behind his back.
"Sir?" Jinx asked.
"Our little blue friend is drifting into our camp, but I despise drifters. Something is needed to anchor her allegiance. What better way to turn her on the authority of this world than some of its fine young champions roughing her up? All the better if your team is present to whisk her back to the safety of the HIVE.
"And if she should surprise us and deliver an upset, well, the heroes recognizing her as a threat and enemy is quite acceptable.
"She seems to have something of a temper, weakness to be sure, but for now it works to my favor. Whatever resistance you encounter, be sure to place her in its path. In one stroke we will tie her irrevocably to the HIVE," Brother Blood outlined, smiling at the end unnervingly.
"As you wish Headmaster," Jinx bowed her head. It snapped back up when Blood suddenly closed the distance and looked down on her with red eyes aglow.
"Do not fail," he instructed her calmly. Stunned, she simply nodded before he stepped back and dimmed his eyes. Taking this as a dismissal Jinx hastily turned and escaped through the door.
Jade, for once, was at a loss for words.
As she stood outside the office of the apparent leader of this hidden little school, as it apparently was, Jade had to admit to herself that from the moment she had walked into that room she had lost the advantage. Didn't matter if she ever had it or not, she lost it either way. She was now officially in over her head, and no amount of Talisman power was going to get her out of this mess easily. Her newfound Shadowkhan powers might have been able to, but she had to confess that she had no real idea on how to use them. So far, everything had been by instinct.
It was like walking into a comic book, only real and far grander in scale then she had ever thought. She was in a honest to gods school for up and coming supervillains of all things, and was apparently being drafted as a new "student".
Oh, Jade knew that was how it was. She had not missed the subtle and half-veiled warnings in Brother Blood's speech, and she had seen enough displays of power in her short time to know that showing off the training room had just been his way of telling her exactly what she would have to go through if she turned him down. A veritable legion of junior super powered villains all aiming to be the one to take over the world when they grew up.
If she were in any other situation, Jade would have laughed. As it stood, she was pretty much waiting for her application to be processed so she could be one of them.
So, she settled for leaning up on the wall and letting out a sigh while she soothed her temper. The fact that Brother Blood held all the good cards at the moment had made her want to lash out, and Jade blamed it on the empty stomach. Even if she did lash out and give Blood a good beating, she would then have to fight her way through a whole building full of teenagers with enough super powers to constitute the military might of a small country.
Jade was many things, but she was not stupid or suicidal regardless of what some people said.
And the fact was, that someone did not get to be "Headmaster" without being pretty badass themselves. Her comic book experience all but screamed at her that he was the scariest guy here for a reason, and she could tell that even Jinx seemed a bit cautious around him.
Either way, she put the train of thought aside as her gut growled and she rubbed it, trying to sooth the hunger pangs. She had been hungry before, but after that walk with Jinx to who-knows-where, she was absolutely starving. She just slumped against the wall and groaned as she slid down to a sitting position and thanked her lucky stars that the Headmaster's office was apparently in a non-public part of the school. The last thing she needed was some super-teen to come along and see her in such a pitiful state.
Thankfully, Jinx emerged from the office at that moment, albeit looking slightly shaken before she seemed to collect herself. Looking around, Jinx spotted Jade sitting slumped on the wall and looking generally ravenous. Sighing internally at the babysitting before her, she put on a smile and held out a hand.
"Hey, Blue, come on and get up. It's just past lunch, so the cafeteria should still be open. We can grab a meal and get a quick tour in, before we have to meet a few friends of mine."
At the mention of food, Jade perked up visibly and was on her feet in seconds and ready to go. She might not have been entirely comfortable with the tour bit, and the mention of "friends" left her feeling dubious, but it was apparently a package deal. So looking up and over at Jinx she nodded with a grin and played along.
"Alright then, lead the way. You're the one that knows where we're going here."
Jinx rolled her eyes (internally) at the small bit of snark in the response, but smiled and nodded before she headed off and led the way towards the cafeteria. Honestly, why was she being pinned with this? There had to be other students that could handle brat duty better then her, or deserved it.
It did not take long to reach the HIVE cafeteria, which was more like a mall food court. Various automated outlets lined the walls and there was even one or two that could actually be manned by real chefs. But since both were in a hurry, one to get it over with and the other to eat, they settled for an automated one.
After that, it could be considered less a meal and more like a small-scale war, at least in Jinx's opinion. Apparently the nameless girl was hungrier than she had thought as the blue skinned pre-teen settled into her pre-prepared meal like a swarm of bloodthirsty piranha, and she had to wonder that if she blinked the food tray would vanish as well. She was almost afraid to reach over and take the tray after the kid was finished, since she still looked peckish and Jinx did not want to risk the appendage. She was, after all, rather attached to her hand.
Thankfully, it didn't come to that as the girl let out a small sigh and a smile.
"Alright, much better! Uncle always said nothing like a good meal to make everything easier."
Jade looked over at Jinx, the smile vanishing as an eyebrow rose slightly in question.
"Uh, you okay? You look a little green."
Jinx just smiled oddly and blamed it on the food out loud. Hopefully, after the tour, she could get Gizmo and Mammoth and they could get this over with. With that in mind, she put the trays away and motioned Jade to follow her on her official tour of the HIVE.
For both, the tour passed by too quickly and too slow. Jade was actually amazed by some of the things she saw, including some of the labeled classrooms and had to stop herself from faulting at a few. One of which was rather brazenly labeled "Vengeance Plotting 101" and made Jade think to herself.
"Whoa, a class for actually plotting revenge. Can that you get any more corny?"
Unfortunately, a few doors later it did. Enough that Jade actively chose to ignore the door in question.
For Jinx, it passed by far too slow as she was forced to drag the kid along to some of the more notable places in the HIVE. Thankfully, there were not too many of them that she was actually allowed to take her to yet, but still.
After that, there were a few more places that left Jade either shocked or weirded out and quickly made her resolve to herself that the sooner she got the chance, the sooner she was going to find someone that could help her get the hell out of this place. If there were supervillains and even a school for them, that meant there had to be superheroes out there chewing them up at a pace that they actually need a place pumping out villains at a constant rate.
Unfortunately, that line of thought also concluded the tour, as Jinx led her back the other way, commenting that they needed to meet up with her team.
Jade could not help but have another case of the shivers and help but feel that something bad was going to happen.
Robin slipped through the revolving door with ease, Starfire flying through a narrow opening, Raven phasing herself and Cyborg through the glass. Beast Boy missed his exit and became trapped by his own momentum before it spat him out, stumbling and dizzy. The shape-shifter shook his head, regaining his senses, and morphing into a stag to catch up to his team.
The source of the problem was easy to find, just go in the direction everyone was running from. Beast Boy was quite ticked, as he frequented this mall; he hated how villains just trashed cool places like it was no big deal. Thankfully it seemed the focus of their attention was a mere fabric store. Yeah, fabric, not even real clothes!
Beast Boy supposed it was too expected when the team leader was a girl.
As usual, Robin was a bit more focused on the task at hand than his younger teammate.
The mall was a mess; his quick assessment concluded it to be Mammoth and Gizmo's work, ballistics and brute force. Unsurprising, Jinx was more precise and dangerous, not into raising havoc for the sake of it. She was goal oriented, and as such, far more of a threat.
Sure enough when they found Mammoth and Gizmo lurking outside the store apparently bored and actually happy to see the Titans because of it, Jinx was the one to emerge from the shop.
"Robin, they have an adorable hostage!" Starfire called out, clearly distressed. Robin glanced up at where she was hovering in the air before looking over the HIVE again. Yes, he saw her now; she was behind Jinx carrying bags? Well, Jinx did seem prudent enough to make a hostage do work.
Though Robin would be hesitant to call her cute; it was a metahuman girl, preadolescent with dark blue coloring and red eyes. He'd seen stranger and he knew his priorities in this scenario.
"Starfire, Beast Boy; extract the girl. Raven, Cyborg; I have Mammoth. Titans Go!" Robin ordered before rushing in.
Beast Boy leapt into the air, taking the form of a humming bird and dropping out of sight of Gizmo before he closed the distance and became a gorilla, swatting the pint-sized genius aside. He didn't follow up, instead pressing on, letting Cyborg take over. The shape-shifter was proud, but he knew his procedure – saving innocents took priority over bashing bad guys. People often forget how fast a gorilla can be, thinking them hulking brutes and thus slow. Well this green gorilla was far from slow.
"Hey, you're heroes right?" the blue girl called out as he bore down on her. He gave a nod before scooping her up despite a squawk of protest.
"Beast Boy!" Starfire called to him. The green gorilla looked up and to the right, and saw her hanging in the air, her arms held out. He nodded in understanding.
"Wait a minute, I-," the kid began as Beast Boy drew her back and tossed her like an American football. Jade yelled in alarm as she was sent flying, before scrunching her face and slowing her speed by will. She didn't get a chance to stop fully since she was scooped into the most bone-crushing hug of her life.
"Fear not small one, my friends and I have saved you from the doers of wrong. I will now deposit you safely on the ground, you cute snanderut," Starfire counseled the child, oblivious to her flailing as she struggled to breath in the passionate hug o'doom. Flying three storefronts over, Starfire set the child on her feet and frowned as the child wobbled and coughed, apparently having to recover from the hostage experience with physical symptoms. The HIVE were truly despicable in the utmost, she furiously concluded!
"Listen I need-" the child began before Starfire grabbed her shoulder.
"There is no need to thank me; you must rejoin your family now or hide yourself until the police arrive. A frail child like you should not be on this battlefield," Starfire inadvertently tossed a match into the powder room before flying off.
Jade practically had her mouth hanging open, watching the fight unfold without really seeing it. Again! ? It happened again! Even with a Shadowkhan makeover people underestimated her! Jackie even with all she did, Uncle telling her she is still too young, and here these guys, actual super heroes, treated her like a freaking damsel in distress!
No way! That you cannot do, you don't toss Jade Chan aside and get back to work like she's freaking speed bump! Jade's increasingly furious thoughts showed as her eyes began to glow brighter, steam rose from her balled fists, and her hair blew in a ghost wind as she rose off the ground.
Mammoth grunted, as he had to take an exploding birdaranng on his bicep only to get a kick to his jaw. Falling back with a leap, he rubbed his jaw and glanced to Jinx, who had managed to lose Raven at some point.
"Where's that rookie?" Mammoth demanded of his squad leader. He wasn't worried about handling the Titans, but the giant absolutely hated it when people didn't carry their own weight. Robin heard him and threw darting glances about at this information.
"Titans, there's another HIVE student here!" Robin warned his team. Beast Boy stopped his bull charge, glancing around in concern, while Raven remained focused on attacking Jinx again. Cyborg, picking up a spike in energy on his instruments, turned and his organic eye widened at the sight he saw.
"Uh, guys!" he called out. Jade hovered nearly a meter in the air, her hair blowing and fire smoldering in her fists and eyes.
"Don't dismiss me you dorks!" Jade screamed, thrusting out her hands. Twin fiery explosions erupted from her opening palms, heading towards Cyborg and Beast Boy. Beast Boy escaped upward as a bird while Raven moved between Cyborg and the blast, a black shield already forming. The shield buckled and gave way, but the blast had passed, leaving the Titans unharmed.
"Little one! ?" Starfire called out, confused in the air. Jade's head jerked up and her eyes narrowed before heat rays erupted from them, striking Starfire squarely in the stomach, knocking her from the sky.
"Shut up about my size airhead! Size doesn't equal ability!" Jade roared. The sound of something rushing through the air drew her attention back to the ground, in time to see a pair of birdarangs whizzing toward her.
"Crap, those things can explode!" Jade recalled. She wished they wouldn't hit her and sure enough they went wide. Oh, right, telekinesis.
Robin frowned as the birdarangs detonated in the air; his aim hadn't been off, she had altered the trajectory. At least four powers already, possibly more, and there was still the usual HIVE trio. He had to end this.
"Azerath, metrion, zinthos!" Raven chanted, as Cyborg covered her from Jinx trying to take advantage of the new fight. Black energy enfolded a metal bench and sent it hurling at Jade, who lifted her hands; but instead of fire erupting from them the bench halted in mid air and began to vibrate, caught between opposing forces. Raven scowled as Jade smirked.
"Ha! I know that trick too. Though I don't know the cool color effect, neat trick," Jade laughed a bit too maniacally. Raven narrowed her eyes; this girl didn't sound or feel right.
"Perhaps I'll show you the trick when you're in juvenile," Raven answered. Jade scowled and realized someone was behind her. The transformed dimensional traveler didn't have time to turn as white pain erupted in her back and clouded her vision.
"Right on the talisman," she whimpered internally, before her ears rang with a massive boom. After that she was lost in the hot darkness of a K.O.
The Headmaster was smiling again when Jinx entered his office; he seemed to be doing that more of late. It actually made her miss the Headmistress' icy demeanor; Brother Blood had always felt like some kind of predator behind his courtesy, and that hadn't changed since he acquired even more power.
"Congratulations young Jinx, the affair was settled to my satisfaction. I daresay my expectations were surpassed," Blood remarked, steeping his hands. Jinx was surprised he already knew, he caught it and his monitor was unveiled and played the mall incident at fast motion.
"I admit I was somewhat concerned when the Titans managed to grab her, but it seems young – Miss Blue did you call her? – has quite an ego to go along with that temper," Blood stated smugly.
"Like you're one to criticize someone having an ego," Jinx internally remarked.
"She not only gave a strong showing but suffered a humiliating defeat due to a 'cheap shot.' It has all the makings of a fine vendetta.
"I trust, despite her little self-combustion, she will be fit to take part in the entrance exam with the others?" Blood inquired with a sharp edge lurking under the words.
"Yeah, other than being out like a light she isn't hurt. In fact her magic feels a bit more stable, I think Robin might have released some pressure she got from crossing the Veil or something," Jinx speculated. Brother Blood glanced to the side, factoring this new possibility into his theories and equations regarding the HIVE, before turning back to Jinx.
"You succeeded in acquiring the materials from the mall and the design preferences for her uniform?" Blood asked with light interest.
"Yes, we have everything but her measurements," Jinx replied with a grin at being prepared.
"Take care of the measurements and then give everything to the tailor; I want her suited up and prepared for the exam once it starts. With my modifications I expect the test to produce a fine crop of up and coming villains," the Headmaster declared, waving Jinx away.
Titans Tower:
"This new HIVE student, she could be a problem," Robin stated with a solemn air.
"Could be? Dude, the exploding creepy midget nailed you!" Beast Boy shouted with a hint of enthusiasm at his leader's expense. The Titans stood around their med bay – which despite its often grim function was cheery with its light colors and inspiring view of the bay – with the exception of Robin, who sat on one of the cots as Starfire applied bandages to his burned leg and torso. Cyborg unhooked his hand from a computer terminal turning back to the group from his analysis of the medical data.
"That's stretching things a bit BB, at best it was a double knock out," Cyborg grinned. It wasn't funny, but he just knew it hurt Robin's ego more to be injured by an admitted amateur than his skin.
"Explosive blasts from her hands, heat vision, flight, and telekinesis; the powers alone would make her a problem and she seems to have some experience with them," Robin deadpanned, trying to keep the conversation on track.
"How much experience, creepy kid is what, ten? Either that or she is a midget, maybe some mutated Smurf," Beast boy speculated in a thoughtful pose as he imagined a giant red-eyed Poppa Smurf.
"She is not human and has magic pouring from her body, her appearance might not reflect her true age in the slightest," Raven stated, replacing the cream she had used on Robin in its cabinet.
"Besides BB, I think midget is politically incorrect these days," Cyborg interjected, taping Beast Boy on top of his head.
"Dude, I'm green and funny, the ladies will forgive a little incorrectness," Beast Boy answered, before Raven slapped him lightly on the head.
"Focus," she told him and Cyborg, earning a grateful nod from Robin. Who did a double take when he realized his leg and torso were starting to resemble a mummy.
"Uh, Star? I think that might be enough bandages, I'm not looking to be mummified," Robin told the alien girl a bit awkwardly. Looking up from her work she smiled at Robin and glomped him, oblivious to his pained expression.
"Oh Robin, you look very manly," Starfire reassured him. Beast Boy and Cyborg chuckled under their hands at the scene while Raven rolled her eyes.
"Starfire, burns," Raven reminded her teammate. Starfire blinked in confusion for a moment before unglomping Robin and scratching her head, wearing an embarrassed expression.
"Raven, you said her powers are magic. Anything you can tell us?" Robin inquired, schooling his features as he pulled his tunic over his bandaged chest.
"She felt different from the magic users I've faced before. I would guess she's part or maybe even full fae. Not a variety I'm familiar with, but its safe to assume magic is second nature to her.
"It wasn't an attack that injured you though," Raven supplied.
"If she was playing nice, I'm the King of France," Beast Boy interjected. Raven silenced him with a mild glare.
"I know magic and there was no intent behind it. I could almost call it accidental," Raven explained to the team.
"You mean like a knee jerk reaction? She gets hurt and she does boom to get rid of the problem?" Cyborg ventured, thinking of a booby trap.
"No… well, I don't think so. It seemed to actually hurt her, so it may have been some fluke her body wasn't prepared to handle. I don't think we will have to worry about that happening again anytime soon though," Raven admitted. Robin had pulled his uniform back on and now fastened his cape into place as he stood.
"Even so, until we know more about her powers and motives we will treat her as dangerous and to be apprehended," Robin told his team. Except for Starfire they all nodded; the Tamaranean hung her head, looking put out.
"It is sad, she is such a cute little zundervroqt. We shall have to try and make friends with her and seduce her from the evils of the HIVE!" the princess declared determinedly. The guys looked at her uncomfortably while Raven sighed in exasperation, pulling up her hood.
"Starfire, you don't know what seducing means exactly do you?" the dark Titan asked tiredly.
HIVE:
To Jade, waking up to strange surroundings was not exactly something weird. She had woken up to all sorts of things, most of them bad. So, waking up to an unknown ceiling in a strangely lit room was nothing new.
The feeling of being generally abused by a couple of Pro-League baseball stars was a bit new, but it was a numb pain. Toss in the fact that she felt abnormally relaxed after her period of being on a hair trigger, and she felt fairly good. Perhaps getting sucker punched was just the thing to set her right.
Not that she would like to make a habit of it, especially if she had any plans of eventually defecting to those Teen whatsits.
Either way, she had to admit that for a first meeting, it had gone snafu right from the start as she laid down on whatever bed and stared at the roof with half-lidded eyes. That is, until she couldn't help but feel an especially sore spot in the middle of her back and rolled over to relive it. When she did, she froze as she felt something other then her hoodie and jeans slide across her skin.
It didn't help that right in front of her was Jinx, smiling that cursed Cheshire grin of hers while she knelt at the edge of the bed. With those slitted cat eyes, it was doubly effective. Unfortunately, Jade could not help but get the feeling she would be seeing that grin a few more times in her life, and sooner rather than later.
Either way, Jade had to find what the heck she was wearing if just to put her mind at ease. She sat up, and blanched at what she was wearing. She was wearing… Dear gods, she was wearing…
She was wearing a schoolgirl uniform, of all things. And worse yet, she could tell right off the bat that it belonged to Jinx. After all, it carried her same theme, Gothic Lolita but mixed with your classic long skirted English schoolgirl look. She looked girly, and Jade did not do girly. She looked at Jinx, a quiet bite to her voice and her coal red eyes all but burning subtly in the dim lighting of what was apparently also Jinx's room. It had to be, considering it followed the same Gothic Lolita that Jade was quickly connecting to being Jinx's "Villain Thing".
And though it was an obvious question, she still had to ask it.
"What in the world am I wearing Jinx?"
Jinx just kept on smiling as she used an idle hand to straighten up a crease in the skirt. She seemed unperturbed by Jade's tone. If anything she seemed rather more relaxed then before, and if nothing else she was looking at Jade as if she was actually impressed.
"Oh, nothing much. After you blew up, your clothes were a mess. Something between rags and tatters really, bordering on jailbait. Really, it was kinda cool. Like a self-destruct, but without the self. You should have seen the look on the bird boy's face when it happened. I think Gizmo took a picture, something about it going on his Facebook or something. Either way, you blew your clothes up as well so I had to bring you back here and change you into something more decent. Thankfully…" She pointed at an open closet with a half-dozen different styles of clothing pulled out.
"I managed to find something in your size. My old Prep School uniform of all things, didn't even know I still had it, really; rather lucky though, especially for you."
Jade just looked down at the strange and somewhat cutesy looking outfit disgusted and plucked at it while she grumbled.
"It's too girly. I hate girly."
Jinx's smile got just a little bit wider, and quite a bit creepier as Jade felt a shiver up her spine. Jinx reached beneath the edge of the bed, and pulled out a plain-wrapped package.
"Well then, you will be happy to know your outfit is back from the tailor. I even saved you the trouble of standing around and took your measurements and your preferences for you. You should be thankful really, Little Girl Blue (1), it was such a pain to sit around and fill the man in on how you wanted your outfit designed. Just consider it a favor really. But the tailor did say that this is a fairly complex piece and that you would need help putting it on for the first time..." Jade had to scratch the last thought of creepy off the list, as the look on Jinx's face easily trumped the last one in terms of sheer creepy. She idly wondered if this was what it meant to be a deer in the headlights.
Moments later, and a half-indecent Jade was standing in the middle of the room trying to preserve her decency with a rather vivid blush. With her blue skin, it showed up like a neon light. Thankfully, Jade was still young so there was pretty much nothing to cover and Jinx had apparently seen fit to lend her some of her unmentionables, but still.
When she had managed to fight down the blood to her face, she looked up to see Jinx ripping into the package and whistling lowly, apparently impressed. All Jade could really see was a darkly colored wad of cloth as Jinx made her way over and behind her. She fully expected Jinx to make another comment and to start tossing the clothes on her, and she couldn't help but tighten her arms around herself and wonder if this was one of those moments you're supposed to need an adult.
Strangely enough, the clothes never came and neither did the comment. Instead, Jade went straight like an arrow as she felt Jinx's finger trace the Dragon Talisman in the back of her shoulder. When she heard her speak, it was less in her humored tone and more a curious one.
"Hey Blue, what are these things for? They don't exactly look comfortable. I was kind of wondering, especially after I brought you back here and had to get you changed."
Jade stumbled a bit at the question, having honestly forgotten in light of her current situation that Jinx had indeed apparently changed her clothes, and would have noticed the Talismans. Not exactly wanting to risk losing them, and most likely painfully, she quickly and easily lied right through her teeth.
"It's a tradition back from where I'm from. Sorta a right of passage, and they even serve a purpose. They're really neat, really. When I started learning magic from my Uncle, he had these three made up for me. They help me focus magic and make it easier to cast apparently, not that I have ever really gotten a chance to find out. Either way, they don't hurt or anything, unless you try to remove them. These ones are still new, so they are a bit sensitive."
Jinx stared for a moment, before making a response and sounding honestly intrigued.
"Wait, you study magic? Like you a Magi in training or a Sorceress?"
Jade blinked at the question, before nodding.
"Ya, you can say that. It's how I did some of that stuff before. I also know a few spells, but nothing serious really. But I can do a mean little thing with a flower, I'll show you later."
Jinx smiled and pulled out the first few pieces of Jade's new outfit.
"I'm going to hold you to that Blue. Now, let's see about getting you into this outfit in one piece."
Jinx sighed as she left the blue girl at the door to the chamber designated for new arrivals. The witch ducked into a side corridor and leaned next to a support column, allowing her some concealment.
Well, mission accomplished. She had known when the coup went down that things would be dicey for a while and she would have to ride it out or drown. Letting out a sigh that held weeks of stress Jinx decided she had indeed ridden it out. If just barely, judging by Blood's choice of words.
Once more she could focus on her goal of becoming a powerful villainess with wealth, infamy, and far-reaching influence. The witch nodded to herself as she could finally settle back into familiar goals and ambitions. Brother Blood could be a problem, but she would figure him out now with plenty of breathing room and find the proper balance to strike, just as she had with the late Headmistress.
She wasn't exactly saddened at the elderly villainess' death, despite having worked under her for years. After all, the woman had been called Ice Queen by the students for a reason. Though, it was a bit chilling to see a major player taken out in her own HQ. Jinx chalked it up as the old woman's final lesson to the HIVE – nowhere is truly safe.
Jinx counted herself fortunate that she wasn't in the group that was going to have to fight its way back into the HIVE alongside the new applicants. They were mostly greenhorns and incompetents that Brother Blood thought may have some potential. But there were a few upperclassmen of dubious loyalty that were being put through the grinder, and rumor had it Blood was using the test as a cover for another purge.
Thinking of the entrance exam brought Jinx's mind back to the new girl. She was just a kid, albeit a kid from another dimension with super powers. At least so Jinx had thought.
The kid had… well, she guessed you'd call it spunk. Not arrogant so much as confident, and judging by earlier not wholly unfounded. It wasn't something you tended to see in the HIVE.
Of course all the efforts today would be for nothing if Little Girl Blue flunked.
Jinx decided to head up to a viewing room; Blood was going to let the seniors watch the exam. Not just for entertainment but also a lesson of some kind. She had heard earlier squad leaders were encouraged to attend to see if they had any prospects they wanted in their squads. As if she would play babysitter to some rookie voluntarily.
Jade was honestly happy now for strange Shadowkhan powers, as she took cover in a darkened corner and away from the mass of wildly dressed teens that took up the center of the small room. Just as she had observed earlier, simply by walking into them the shadows would seem to reach out and pull her in, hiding her from view. She was like a shadow within a shadow, easily overlooked.
The new clothes seemed to help a bit too, and she was actually somewhat thankful now towards Jinx. When she had heard that the older girl had not only taken her measurements, but also helped the tailor design it, she figured she would be walking about in something like Jinx, all Gothic Lolita and frills. She shivered at the mental image of her in a skirt and thought to herself.
"No, just no. Not in a million years. No. Not even Shendu could get me in a dress."
Instead, she had been pleasantly surprised to find herself wearing a strange mix of Oriental robes, Karate Gi, and a few other styles she could not really identify. Apparently Jinx had simply decided that something flexible would suit her as she idly plucked at the first layer of the outfit, mostly thin but durable cloth that covered the rest of it and looked like a strange cross between a cloak and something else. The second layer was the one more like a robe, and the final one was like a Gi or some sort of martial artist's outfit.
It all layered together to create something that made her look like a tiny evil Oriental witch complete with hood. And while she liked the styling, the colors were not so much. All blacks and blues and made her feel depressed for some reason. Thankfully, she now had the trick to putting it on down pat, and Jinx had even shown her a neat trick for the outfit that let her remove the outer two layers in a hurry if she needed to.
Speaking of feelings, Jade was feeling much improved. Although no one could see it, she smiled slightly. The strange unbalanced feeling from before was gone, and she had noticed the temper she had been sporting vanished as well. It was a load off her mind she had not even noticed having. She actually felt relaxed in a way, regardless of the slight nervous edge pervading it thanks to the "exam" she was about to take.
Maybe it was because even with everything that had happened, she was still in her element, so to speak? All she had to do was treat it like another adventure, and she would be just fine. Jinx wasn't too bad, for a villain, and Gizmo and Mammoth seemed more then content to keep their distance. Until she got another chance and managed to explain things to the Titans, she should be able to keep herself together.
After all, she was Jade Chan, and nothing kept the Chan Clan down!
Heck, they had a veritable trophy list of defeated Demons and evil Chi Wizards to prove it too!
After that thought, Jade perked up considerably, and the nervous edge faded to one of anticipation. She would ace this test, just to show them what they were dealing with. And not long after, she would be the one laughing after she dealt that Brother Blood a bum hand and showed him who really had all the cards.
This time she smiled widely, and if she had a mirror she would have seen her coal red eyes fade into view in the shadows before fading out again. But even if she didn't, some of the other prospective applicants did, and received their fair share of the creep factor.
Evil overlords the multi-verse over would have been proud.
Either way, Jade settled back into the shadows and actually started to listen to the animated chattering and boasting going on between the would-be students. And while she did, she had to admit that for a bunch of super-powered teen villains, they were still teens. The girls gossiped, the boys boasted, and the quiet ones lurked in the corners. It really had the atmosphere of a school. If not for the knowledge that this really was a school for training supervillains, Jade would just guess it was a high-school costume party.
"Ya, and you know? Like there was this totally awesome set that I saw in a store the other day, and I couldn't help but just-"
"Ha! I'm going to show all these wimps who's really up to being part of the new HIVE. Wait till Blood gets a look at me, I'll show the rest of these squirts who really is the best of the best."
"I wonder if this will impact my lesson plan if I pass? I was doing so well in Machiavellian Anarchy, and my grades in Global Power Structure were going up…"
Ok, so Jade had to admit, it was an evil school one way or another.
The northern viewing room hadn't been changed much. It was what she imagined a stadium's high roller lounge would look like, minus all the teenagers in tights and other strange apparel.
Jinx walked over to the bar set up in the corner and ordered her usual mixed drink. A less publicized perk of villainy was no one carried when you broke the small rules like age limits. The android behind the bar made it flawlessly as usual, but she didn't waste a compliment on the glorified toaster. Speaking of which, she heard a tell tale clinking as her more annoying teammate approached.
"Didn't think you were going to show, aren't rookies and losers jumping through hoops a waste of time?" Gizmo recounted as his robot legs sat him down on a bar stool next to Jinx. The witch got up, sipping her drink delicately and looking at the small scientist like she had scrapped him off her shoe.
"It is a waste of time, but everything else going on is even less interesting," Jinx told him with a superior air. Gizmo grinned, not the least bit phased by the habitual verbal sparring. In fact, he saw an opening.
"Well why don't we make it a bit more interesting?" Gizmo inquired with that same grin. Jinx cocked an eyebrow which he took as a positive; whipping out a laptop, the screen glowed to life showing faces she recognized as some of the rookies arranged on the end of a table with numbers next to them.
"What's this?" Jinx asked, cautious but curious.
"I'm doing some bookkeeping on this. Twelve of the crump stomping losers will be in the HIVE after today and the rest will get knocked off. You can bet on people to win or lose. Or how far they will get before they lose," Gizmo grinned as he cleared the table with a keystroke, replacing the formulas with odds next to each participant.
"Gambling is for idiots, guess I should have known you would be involved," Jinx sighed. She got up from her stool and began to walk away before snickering stopped Jinx in her tracks. Jinx's look was far from friendly when she turned back to her teammate, who was facing her in his stool, the computer facing towards her in his lap. A student with scuba gear on decided to take his drink to go rather than linger near the two.
"Something funny?" Jinx asked too calmly.
"Yeah; you say gambling is for idiots but everyone knows that you don't gamble because you're unlucky. You didn't get the name Jinx for no reason after all," the green clad boy chuckled.
"I am – bad luck for others, not myself," the witch told him with a slight glare.
"Prove it," Gizmo told her, fiddling with his goggles. Jinx frowned but walked up and handed him a twenty and a five-dollar bill. Gizmo grinned as he confirmed it was twenty-five dollars.
"Who you betting on?" he asked smugly. Jinx frowned for a moment as she touched the screen and scrolled through the hopefuls. Gah, none were the type she would bet on, but then she came to the last entry, Little Girl Blue's picture, with the legend "name unknown". Gizmo gave her one to eight odds. That surprised her but on impulse she touched the girl's name. Gizmo flipped the computer back to face him and in a sec printed her up a receipt, looking far too satisfied.
Not giving him a second's more attention she made her way to the viewing screen meant to look like a window to watch as the Headmaster gave his address.
The hustle and bustle in the room died down as the ceiling parted to allow some sort of floating hexagon platform with Brother Blood atop it to descend, killing the random conversations as well. All the applicants turned their attention forwards and upwards towards Blood, including Jade, who saw fit to step out of her little shadow and into the room. Last thing she needed was for things to go downhill if they called for attendance and she was off in a corner.
Personally, she found that warm smile on his face as he looked out over them both disarming and threatening in its own way. It hit Jade as being in-between one's homeroom teacher and the look she expected to see on the face of someone about to press the big red button.
Either way, she made her way into the edge of the crowd of potentials and paid her own piece of attention albeit with something of a scowl. It was not hard, her small size and slim profile allowed her to slip in between the larger teens fairly easy and she made her way to the front of the crowd quickly.
She even did it with a minimum of bumped elbows and shins.
Thankfully, her time slipping her way through the crowd had apparently earned her a short mercy as Blood started reciting a speech. Not so thankfully, being at the front now meant she got an earful of the rest.
"-And so my new students, this day, this test, shall decide and pave a glorious future for the HIVE! There are many chances, many opportunities, for those that are willing to seize it with all their strength. Here at the HIVE, we shall give you that strength! We shall give you the power to achieve your wildest and darkest dreams, and show the world what real evil is made of!"
Blood's smile grew large and his eyes gleamed as he looked out over the crowed from his platform. At the sight of Jade and a few others, his grin grew a tad bit wider, and a tad bit slyer.
"Yes, we shall give you this power, or help you shape your own. Regardless of the how, or the why, or the when that brought you here among us, when you leave you shall leave as a graduate of the HIVE ready and able to take the world and its champions by strength, storm, steel or spell. You will be stronger, you will be smarter, and you will all but have the world and its riches in your hands. All we here at the HIVE ask…"
Blood's pose and face became contemplative, as he seemed to be in great thought before he continued.
"Is that from time to time, you remember us here at the HIVE and our generosity, as well as one simple fact."
Blood's face become as stone and ice and lethal tones drifted their way under his voice and his eyes looked hard on those below.
"Here at the HIVE, only the strong survive and only the loyal prosper, and that you will indeed leave as a graduate of the HIVE and with honors, or you won't leave at all."
Okay, Jade had to admit, that was very badass in a classical sense as she repressed a shiver down her spine. But it did help her keep in mind that this was indeed a school for villains. She didn't doubt for a moment that Blood wouldn't follow through. She honestly did not want to think about what was going to happen to her if she flunked this "test".
It was also not hard to know that her feelings were not singular as she felt a few people who did not repress their shivers as well as she did.
Either way, the speech was over with apparently and Jade watched as Blood rose up as his platform returned to whence it came. Instead, a screen descended from the roof and Brother Blood appeared once more, looking rather smug.
Jade had to seriously resist blasting the screen, just to relive the sudden heave of her stomach at the sight of it.
Blood's image shrank to one corner of the screen as a diagram filled the rest, and Blood started to speak once more.
"Now then, my dear applicants, it's time to start your Practical Entrance Exam! This is how it shall proceed: The Exam shall be divided into four separate tests, each designed to test your limits and allow the Judges to examine your strengths and weaknesses. Each test is different, and will feature separate sets of rules for each test. You will follow these rules to the letter. Any disregard for these rules will be punished, intentional or not. Those that fail this test, and the subsequent tests, shall instead be allowed a very gracious chance to reapply at a later date, and until then shall be sent to lend aid to our Branch School in the heartland of Russia."
Jade, strangely enough, could tell the last part was an outright lie. But she needed to stay focused, and ignored it for now. It would be better, to just worry about herself. If she thought about what might happen to her or anyone else if they failed…
She stopped herself from shaking her head and covertly bit down on her thumb instead and continued listening.
"For your first test, you will be challenged on a physical level. You will traverse an obstacle course in a race to the goal and against the clock. You will put your strength, speed, endurance, and agility to the test as you move to navigate the course and its traps and pitfalls. The rules are simple."
Blood smiled, as if at some hidden joke.
"You will have fifteen minutes to complete the course and reach the goal. The use of teleportation, phasing, flight and similar abilities are forbidden. For those capable, destruction of the course is also forbidden. You are forbidden from directly attacking the other racers or hampering their progress. The use of supernatural or mechanical powers is forbidden as well. Attempting to quit the race is forbidden. Those are the rules for this challenge."
Jade scowled even more behind her hood, but was ultimately thankful. She had been a bit worried that she would have to not only deal with the test, but some jerk with powers attempting to trip her up in someway. But she did catch the "directly" in Blood's rules and figured she just might have to deal with it anyways.
The diagram on the screen shrank, having been showing diagrams during Blood's revealing of the rules. Now his smiling face took up the screen once more.
"And as a final note to you all. At the end of this exam, only twelve of the sixty applicants here will be allowed the honor of joining the HIVE as a full-fledged student. I wish you all the best of luck. For the test starts…"
The doors beyond the assembled slid open, forcing Jade to gulp as she saw the treacherous room beyond. In the distance, a buzzer sounded.
"Now!" Brother Blood proclaimed.
1). This is not going to be Jade's villain name. Though it may linger as an annoying nickname.
AN: Well this chapter was a very unexpected treat. With Nocturne's return my muse is positively singing. Both of us were eager to get back to collaborating and since I was already working on this we tag teamed this chapter assigning one another scenes to write and before you know it we had more material than needed for the next chapter.
Fun, fun, FUN! But now we place it in the back seat for a bit. I have JF to revive and my other main projects, and Nocturne has a hiatus to kick. So I hope you enjoyed this and will enjoy future chapters of this and our other stories.
Project Dark Jade signing off!