Yes, it's once more time for notes from the Author's Desk. This really was a fun chapter to write, and though it's not quite as long as I hoped it would have been, it did the job. Prepare yourself for the next installment, however. I've already started writing, and I'm going a bit overboard with the whole thing. Anyways, we're about done with the evacuation over here, at least for the moment. Things change on the fly around here, and you really never know what's going to happen next. Well, enough from me. Read, enjoy, stay safe, and may the wind forever be at your back.

-The Dark One

Chapter 24

Helping Hands

Brother Blood paced nervously back and forth, wringing his hands together, and wiping his brow occasionally. "You're telling me they tracked you here?"

Nightmare, Gizmo and Mammoth stood motionless in front of them, their collective heads hung.

"Yes sir," Mammoth mumbled.

"How…why…when…what did…oh never mind. We have to assume that they will attack, and we need to prepare for the worst. Nightmare, your team was responsible for the problem, you three are now the guard for the front entrance. It is the only way in, and if they do show, you will be the first ones to confront them."

"Yes sir."

"I doubt they'll come alone, though. They'll call Robin back, they'll call the Justice League, who knows who all will show up…we need to begin evacuation of this facility at once."

"Yes sir."

Blood glared at his three students. "Get out of my sight," he hissed.

All three scampered off, leaving the old man to sweat and worry on his own.

------------------

Four Titans gathered in the main room…well, three Titans gathered, one just happened to be there. Raven was buried in a book that sported a white cover over the bindings, oblivious to everything and everyone around her. The rest of us were gathered around the main screen, studying satellite photos that we had just received.

"I contacted the JLA," Cyborg explained, "But they're tied up with Metallo and some world domination thing. They were able to send me these graphs and photos of the area, but that's all the help we're getting from them."

"Speedy? Green Arrow?" Beast Boy piped up.

"Couldn't get a hold of either one of them."

"What about fish stick?"

"Aqualad's got Trident troubles."

"Is there ANYONE we can call?"

"Well, I might be able to be someone." A decidedly English accent interrupted.

Both my head, and the changeling's jerked towards the new voice, and I found myself staring at a punk looking girl with a taste for red and black.

"Argent," she offered, with the hint of a smile.

Beast Boy beamed. "Argent!"

I had a hundred question marks floating over my head. "Argent?"

Cyborg's arms spread wide. "Argeeeeent!"

Raven peeked over her book. "…yeah…"

Raven dropped back into her book.

Cyborg ran over, and offered a titanium hug to the girl, ignoring her offered hand.

"Heh, good to see you too, Cyborg."

Beast Boy turned green with envy (if that was even possible). "Dude, you know her!"

I was lost.

Our android friend released the British girl, and turned back towards us. "Ladies, gentlemen, Titans, this is Argent. Argent…the Titans."

I smiled politely, while Beast Boy struggled to keep from blushing…or at least from being noticed…both of which he failed miserably.

The girl nodded politely at Beast Boy, but stepped up to me, offering her hand.

"You must be that new Titan that all the buzz is about. It's a pleasure to meet you in person," she said, smiling.

I took her hand, and put a friendly shake to it. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, although I can't say that I know all that much about you."

"Really now? I heard you were the one that could read minds."

I shrugged. "I try not too, I don't like invading people's private lives."

She nodded, and turned towards Cyborg, inquiring of him as to the plan of action. A buzzing in my pocket startled me, until I realized it was my cell phone. Digging it out, I answered it, stepping politely away from the group.

"…………"

"Jinx! How you doing sis?"

"…………"

"Really, that's awesome."

"…………"

"Yeah, we found the HIVE's new location, and we're going to go after it, why you thinking of joining us?"

"…………"

"Yeah, I know how that can go, it is kind of early to be asking you to go against them with me anyways."

"…………"

"WHAT?"

"…………"

"Uhm…ok, I'll keep an eye out."

I looked out the window, and snapped the phone closed. At the edge of land bridge connecting our Island to the main land, I saw a glint of sunlight, and watched as a black sports car sped down our 'driveway', and stopped in front of the tower. A lone figure made its way from the driver's seat, and towards the front door.

I turned, and looked at the rest of the group. "Ding dong."

The doorbell rang at the same moment, and everyone in the room turned to look at me.

"You expecting someone, Ryk?" Cyborg asked.

"I think so," I answered, confused as the rest. "I'll go get it."

I stepped into the elevator, hummed a tune, tapped my foot, counted the numbers down, and rushed the entrance to our tower once the doors reopened.

After stopping and composing myself, I hit the button to open the door, and stood staring at the one sight I never thought I would ever see…

---------------

The elevator door swished open, and the room instantly fell silent. Four pairs of eyes stared back towards where I stood, and my guest behind me. Cyborg clenched his fists, Beast boy turned to a fighting pose, and Raven floated from her seat, her hands loose at her side. Even Argent grit her teeth.

I simpered.

"Uhm…Hi guys," Jinx said shyly, standing slightly behind me.

"Ryk," Cyborg barked, glaring at me. "Why did you let her in?"

My eyes pulsed silver as I stared him down. "She's my sister, family's allowed to visit, aren't they?"

One of Cyborg's arms transformed into his sonic cannon, but he kept it at his side. "Not HIVE family members."

I glared. "She quit the HIVE. I set her loose, remember?"

"Yeah, and what guarantee does that make for us?"

Jinx blinked shyly from behind me. "Uhm…guys…I don't want to interfere, but…"

"THEN DON'T!" We both said in unison.

Jinx sweatdropped as we continued our argument.

"She already knows about our attack on the HIVE, she's here to help."

"Help us into a trap maybe."

"She's my sister, she wouldn't do that!"

"ENOUGH!"

The room shook, and Raven's eyes died back down to their normal blue. Simply put, she had everyone's attention.

"If she really is here to help us, than she shouldn't have any problems proving it to us," the dark sorceress hummed.

Jinx stepped from where she hid behind me. "Wh-what do I need to do?"

"Ryk is a telepath, he can read her very thoughts." She continued. "But since it is his sister, I don't think he should be the one to do this, at least not alone."

Cyborg looked towards her curiously. "Whatcha got in mind Rae?"

"Ryk and I have meditated together before. I know he can move things around, even on the astral plane, with his mind. Why doesn't he check her mind, but take me along with him?"

I was about to dispute the whole idea when Jinx' hand found my arm. "It's ok," she reassured me, "As long as you're there."

I rolled the idea around in my head for a moment longer, before my shoulders dropped, and I gave in. "Alright, Raven, get yourself situated, I'll give you five minutes before I pull you and we…do what needs to be done."

Raven nodded, slid the book she still had in her hands under her robe, and folded herself into the lotus position, meditating where she sat on the couch.

I led Jinx around to the front of the couch, and instructed her to sit down on the floor. I knelt next to my sister, both of us facing where Raven sat on the couch, and waited for the five minute time I gave her.

"Cyborg, I need you to keep an eye on Jinx, and make sure she stays upright. I don't know what will happen when I pull her in with us, but I she doesn't need to be breaking any of our concentration by moving. This is a bit delicate."

The titanium titan nodded, and stepped behind the group, finally shifting his arm back to normal. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead, but it was the only sign of how nervous he was about the whole ordeal.

"Ok, Jinx, I'm going to get Raven, then we'll both make our way to your mind. I'll try to bring you in with us, but no promises, ok?"

The mistress of luck nodded, her pink hair bobbing ever so slightly. I took on my traditional meditative pose, my hands placed on my thighs, and every joint in my body flexed, and threw my mind out and through the room. It took but a moment for me to attune my senses to this feel, and my mind came crashing in on Raven's, following a single line…and old telephone line I had left open with her. My mind rushed into hers like a warm summer breeze, and her physical body visibly relaxed.

------------------

"Hello Raven," I said, stepping onto her mindscape. "You ready to do this?"

Raven's emotions stepped back away from the blue clad copy of her, and she stood, walking towards me.

"We aren't getting any younger," she droned.

I chuckled. "This may tingle a bit," I warned.

"Uhm…"

If her lungs would have still been able to, Raven would have screamed. My body dissolved into the river of light, and blasted towards her, and through her, tearing her mental image apart, and absorbing it in with my own soul. The edges of her mindscape flew past us in a blur, as well as the confines of her mind. For a brief moment, Raven was given an out of body experience as she perceived the entire room at once, from my point of view, before slamming into the back of a pink head, and pouring into her own mind.

Jinx' mind was anything but the organized rooms of my own, and the calm mindscape of Raven's. Here, thoughts and ideas floated freely, emotions were tied to everything, and there didn't even seem to be a solid place to put our feet down. A small island appeared out of nowhere, and my mind, with Raven in tow, swirled around it, before slamming into one miniscule point, creating both of our bodies.

"……"

I stared down at the purple haired girl, who was clutching tightly to my chest.

"Raven…we're here."

She blinked, and realized she had her form back. A blink, her throat cleared, and she released me, stepping back like nothing had ever happened.

"Soooo now what?"

I stepped to the edge of the island, cupped my hands around my mouth, and shouted.

-------------------

Jinx sat, twiddling her thumbs, and watching Beast Boy and Cyborg nervously. Argent stood off to the side, idly filing her nails.

Suddenly, Jinx eyes flew wide open, and her entire body stiffened. Cyborg froze, not knowing what to do, and the pink-headed girl began to tip to the side. In a flash of red, two plasma hands extended themselves, and caught the falling girl, setting her back upright. The British girl stood slowly, and made her way over to hold up the entranced girl.

"Ah'll take care of her," she said, pushing Cyborg out of the way.

-----------------

Jinx fell, plummeting through her very mind. I heard her scream, and my mind blasted away from the island where Raven still stood. For a brief moment, she attempted to follow, but found she was literally powerless here.

I was gone for only a moment. The river of light returned to where she stood, Jinx' form curled gently in its form. Her feet were carefully set down, and the light unwrapped itself from around her, swirled, and collapsed back into my own form. Jinx sat staring, back and forth between Raven and myself. Neither of us seemed phased by the fact that a river of lights had just turned itself into my body, or the fact that she had been falling to her doom just seconds before.

"My powers don't work," Raven hummed, her brow slightly furrowed.

"I figured that," I replied. "You're completely separated from your body right now. It was the easiest way I could get you over here without putting to much of a strain on myself."

Raven's eyes shot wide. "My emotions!"

"Are fine," I droned. "I put your mind into a hibernated sleep. Nothing can change, or even move about until you return there."

"…Very well."

"Uhm…guys, this is entertaining and all…but I just about fell to my death, was separated from my own mind, and I have no idea what I'm supposed to do next!"

I smiled back at Jinx. "You're fine, and you weren't separated, you were just included." Making a grand sweep across the clutter, I continued. "Welcome to your mind Jinx."

"…I need to clean…"

I laughed, and brushed a random thought off to the side as it floated a bit to close. "Most people's minds are like this. It takes years of meditation to create anything that even resembles order. Anyways, on to the show…"

I held an arm out towards Raven, and the whole thing turned into it's energy form, and blasted the dark girl, dissolving her once again.

"You have control of that part of my mind, for now." I explained to the whirling colors that had a moment ago been a Titan. "Use it to search out anything you want to know, and when you are done, return here, and I will take us back to our own bodies."

Raven was overtaken by the feeling of weightlessness, and with a silent nod, disappeared into the depths of Jinx' mind. I stood on the Isle, next to my sister. She had certainly changed a lot since her first days I had seen her with the HIVE. Her hair had grown out, and now hung loosely along the sides of her face, and her cat eyes seemed much softer than before. I plopped to my tail end, and curled my legs around to the 'Indian' position.

"You're just going to let her go like that?" Jinx spun towards me. "What if she…"

"Raven is quiet and dark," I cut her off. "But she is honest. Besides, nobody ever said I had to be in only one place at a time.

-------------------

All three of our eyes popped back open at the same time. I sat next to a smiling Jinx, and a solemn (what else was new) Raven.

"She's clean," Raven hummed. "I trust what she and Ryk say."

The other three in the room nodded.

"Well," Cyborg broke in, "if Raven trusts you, I don't see what our reasons are for not. Alright, everybody in, here's the plan."

------------------

Our motley little team gathered in the garage of the tower. Cyborg looked a train eye over his T-Car, my half finished motorcycle, Robin's R-Cycle, and Jinx' black sports car.

"Right," he said, his mind made up. "Jinx, you take Argent with you, and take your car. You two will be our surprise, they will already be expecting the four of us to be coming, so you two hang back until the need makes itself known. Beast Boy, you and me will take the T-Car, we're going in first, and we're going in shooting. Ryk…"

I caught a set of keys thrown at me.

"Take Raven with you, and try not to break Robin's bike. You know how he gets about that thing."

I smirked, nodded, and slid a black helmet with a silver eagle airbrushed on to it over my head. I offered Raven one of Robin's spares, and swung a leg over the bike, firing up the powerful engine. I carefully placed my blades in the newly added sheathes sewn into my leather armor, and stretched a hand across my back to help Raven onto the back.

Cyborg's voice crackled over the communicator bud inside my helmet. "Alriiiiiight, let's move out."

His car was the first out the door, and I rolled gently out behind him, an Jinx followed us out last, and the door closed behind us. Our little convoy ambled lazily down the land bridge, and all three of us split off once we hit the main road.

---------------

"We have a report of the R-Cycle and the T-Car out in town," a HIVE regular called out from his radio station. "Looks like a regular patrol pattern, but they are headed in our direction."

Brother Blood nodded silently, pacing in a storm back and forth across his 'command center' for the HIVE academy. Banks of monitors on the wall showed his students rushing about, packing everything that could be salvaged onto large hover-sleds, and hauled into numerous unmarked shipping containers. A series of forklifts loaded the full crates into the gaping mouth of an enormous airplane. Several more sat, waiting in line to be loaded, and one more could be seen taxiing to the runway.

Blood swore under his breath, and jabbed a button on the console. "Attention HIVE students. The Titans have left their building, and could be on their way here. Time is short, STEP UP THE EFFORT!"

---------------

I glanced at a map on the heads up display of my helmet. Cyborg was six miles out, I was at five, and Jinx was hovering at about eight. Came up to a crossroad, flipped a switch on the bike, and the light magically turned red. I rolled to a stop, and patiently waited for it to 'turn' back green, carefully watching Cyborg's progress.

5.8 miles out.

5.5 miles out.

5.3 miles out.

5.1 miles out

The light turned yellow for the crossing traffic

5.05 miles out.

"Please don't do the wheel thing…" Raven slurred into my ear.

5 miles out.

The light turned green.

Cyborg's tracker accelerated dramatically.

I did the wheel thing.

-SKRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECCHHH!-

Smoke flew from the back tire, and the front end stretched for the stars. I was halfway through third gear and running about one hundred miles per hour before the front tire even touched the ground. My foot kicked the gear shift, and I released the clutch in an almost musical fashion, and I became one with the bike as I flew between lanes of traffic.

Raven clutched my waist like her life depended on it, which it most likely did.

----------------

Beast Boy smiled like an idiot, and gripped the "Oh Shit" handle for dear life as Cyborg spun his car a full 180, tires squealing in delight, and rocketed the powerful vehicle towards the HIVE academy.

----------------

Brother Blood absolutely panicked. He had been tracking the two Titans' vehicles since about ten minutes after they had left the tower, and now two hours later, they were moving at break-neck speeds directly towards them…and they weren't even halfway evacuated from the site yet.

----------------

Jinx smirked, and turned her sleek back car towards the HIVE, but kept with the regular flow of traffic. A deceitfully powerful engine purred under the hood.

"Remember guys!" Cyborg's voice crackled across her radio, "We're going into the Lion's den, be ready for anything!"

End Chapter 24