32 Productions Presents…

32 Productions Presents…

A HIVE Team Story

The HIVE Team (and the Teen Titans) In…

"Crossed Paths"

Chapter Five

Jump City: Titan World

Both Krystals watched the Blackfire's fight with wide, unblinking eyes.

Krystal: …this is the greatest thing I've ever seen.

Krystal: Yeah…and I've seen peanut butter and jelly in the same jar!

Krystal: Yeah! I can't be opening and closing all sorts of jars and cleaning who knows how many knives.

Suddenly both Blackfires turned to them.

Both: Baby, it's fight time now, remember?

Both Krystals: Oh yeah…

Both Krystals blasted each other so fiercely that the others froze, stunned. When the light dimmed, both were still in perfect condition.

Krystal: …uh…

Krystal: Oh right….light and heat doesn't hurt me.

Krystal: And me neither. Huh…um…what do we do?

Krystal: Oh, I know. I'll pick off your friends and you try to stop me! Doesn't that sound fun?

Krystal gaped at her grinning double, her own smile in one of its rare states of disappearance.

Krystal: Wh…what?! What did you say?

Krystal: Aw, c'mon…

She teleported behind her, resting her chin on Krystal's shoulder.

Krystal: I can see it in you. You're sick…like me. You want to do what I do, but you're scared. You're holding on to what little sensibility you have left. How can you hope to enjoy senseless violence if you still have sense?

Krystal: I'm not like YOU!

Angered now, Krystal swung at her double, catching her by surprise. Grinning, Krystal wiped her bleeding face from the claw marks she just received.

Krystal: That hurt…

Krystal scowled and leapt on Krystal, punching her in the face.

Krystal: THAT HURT!

Krystal teleported away from her crazed double before she could be hit much more. Krystal followed her and the two began fighting and teleporting at the same time, causing those around them to be very confused. Mammoth swung at Shimmer again, but she barely moved this time. Sighing, she shook her head.

Shimmer: Admit it, Baran, you can't hit me. Not your lil' sister, right?

Mammoth froze before lowering his arm and sighing. Shimmer patted his massive limb.

Shimmer: S'alright, big bro. I know where you're comin' from. I couldn't imagine hittin' you either.

Mammoth: Really?

Shimmer: Damn right! …on the other hand…

Shimmer turned the air in Mammoth's mouth and nose into sleeping gas. When he inhaled, he pitched forward, snoring before he hit the ground.

Shimmer: …that don't mean much. I still win.

Sighing, Shimmer put her hands in her pockets, walking away.

Shimmer: Later guys, I'm done. …beatin' up my own brother makes me sick…

And so she left. Inertia scratched his head.

Inertia: …can she do that?

He punched Seemore in the…huge giant eye thing, knocking him out cold, still watching Shimmer leave.

Inertia: What a wuss…

Shimmer: …you wanna repeat that, mate?!

Inertia: Um…

Shimmer: See how fast you move with lead shoes, bitch!

Suddenly it was really hard to run. Since his "shoes" were actually connected to the rest of his costume, he soon found his whole costume made into lead. It was hard to breathe since he couldn't expand his chest against the skin tight surface!

Shimmer: Ain't so smug now are you, asswipe? Don't worry, it'll change back…in a few minutes. Until then, try to hold your breath, mate. Later.

The HIVE didn't seem at all surprised that Shimmer had decided to go home. Red X dodged another teleport swing, clenching her teeth.

Red X: You just got abandoned! Don't you care?

Kid Wykkyd just shrugged. That did it. Red X was tired of this. She wanted to go home. She wanted to get back in her own bed because she was still exhausted. And above all, she wanted this to end NOW! Hitting the button on her belt, she vanished from sight. Kid Wykkyd's red eyes widened. A blow landed right in his face. Then another. And another. She aimed high and low, never aiming for the mid-section for fear of getting that cape of his. She could only imagine what would happen…and each time she tried, she pictured a bloody stump where her arm used to be. The teleporter soon went down and Red X went to help Gizmo (who really wasn't different enough from his counterpart to warrant a conversation in this story). Jinx rolled out of the way of the falling electrical wires that her double tried to get her with.

Jinx: Why do you break the law anyway?

Jinx: I tried the good guy scene once. It didn't work out for me. I started stealing because my powers were all about bad luck.

The two exchanged blows, Jinx catching her double in the mouth, but got kneed in the stomach in return.

Jinx: And that warrants (cough) thievery?!

Jinx: Well, excuse me, little Ms My Life is Perfect!

Jinx: Perfect?! My boyfriend detonated when he tried to stop a sonic boom from destroying our home! My father was a fing vampire! My mother is locked up in an insane asylum! MY LIFE IS NOT PERFECT!

Jinx reeled as Jinx completed her rant with a kick across her face. Staggering back, Jinx sank to her knees.

Jinx: Sonic…shut up.

And with that, she fell. Back in the air, Blackfire found herself in a painful hold as her double hissed into her ear.

Blackfire: Who's stronger now, huh? Who's the better fighter now? I'm going to give you a front row seat to the painful demise of your lover, bitch. I…GAH!

Blackfire let go and turned around. Krystal panted, wiping blood from her mouth and face. It was easy to tell which Blackfire was which since Blackfire still wore her traditional outfit while Blackfire put on something different.

Blackfire: Why you little…!

Blackfire: HEY!

Blackfire turned in time to be met by a double fisted blow across her face. Groaning, she fell from the sky.

Krystal: CHEATER!

Tackling her good double, Krystal raised her arm up, ready to slash Krystal's throat open.

Blackfire: PLASMA!

Krystal froze and looked up with a smile.

Krystal: Hey, you actually got the reference! That's amazing, nobody ever seems to know what I'm crap you're distracting me.

Krystal looked down and realized her intended victim had teleported away and left a light double in her place. Turning, she was introduced to the business end of a broken parking meter.

Krystal: (dazed) Down I go.

Krystal fell flat on her back. Wiping her face again, Krystal smiled, despite the pain.

Krystal: You heard me use that one before.

Blackfire: Yeah, well…it worked, right?

Jump City: HIVE World

Starfire frantically dodged her furious double's assault of starbolts and eye beams. She had never even seen her own sister like this before.

Starfire: I have spent almost two years on this miserable rock, instilling fear and dread in its worthless populace! In less then ten minutes, you have managed to destroy my credibility! You shall pay with your life!

A flash of anger went through Starfire and she swooped around the blasts, coming up behind her double and punching her, hard.

Starfire: Worthless populace?! Miserable rock?! This is a wonderful planet, with wonderful people upon it! YOU are the miserable one! Never satisfied with what you have, always striving to own more and more!

Starfire: How dare you?!

Starfire took the eyebeam to her stomach, sending her flying into a building. Pulling herself back out, she hurled a brick at her double, catching her in the shoulder with a loud crack. Starfire was furious. Angry beyond words. This…this…MOCKERY of herself was deplorable! She flew back out as Starfire nursed her injured arm.

Starfire: How dare YOU?! The knowledge that I have a double as selfish, as heartless as you will no doubt haunt me for the rest of my days!

She punched her double across the mouth.

Starfire: But I shall take solace in knowing that, for all your power, for all your ambition, you are still just a hated and lonely person who will never, EVER be happy and that I, myself…

Another punch, sending Starfire sinking to the ground. Starfire caught her leg before she could hit the pavement. They were far too high up. Starfire dropped her as soon as the descent stopped, letting her hit the ground…just not lethally hard.

Starfire: …took part in halting one of your many failed plans.

Terra groaned in frustration. She wanted to help the others…but she was currently using her own powers to hold her double in place. She would have to thank Tara Smith when she got home. The original Terra (now called Tara Smith) once used her powers to hold Terra in place when her own skin was made of stone.

Terra: When I get free, I'm going to fill your insides with jagged rocks!

Terra: Yeah, that'll prompt me to let you go, won't it?

Out of the corner of her eye, Terra noticed Beast Boy struggling with Changeling. It was easy to tell them apart since everything Changeling became was a twisted mockery of an animal. …hmm… Beast Boy panted, exhausted from constantly changing shape to avoid Changeling's onslaught. He tried to shift again, but it was like his DNA was saying "no more". He couldn't do it. Changeling's monster form seemed to smile as he moved for the kill…only to be hit in the head with a flying Terra. Both of them fell flat. Beast Boy looked over to Terra who winked and grinned. He smiled back. Both Raven's had stopped fighting and were watching the Shades battle. Due to their mutual control over shadows, they're only real method of battle was to fight hand to hand. Raven watched in horror as Shade's animalistic method of combat drove Shade further and further down the line, causing him to fight back in similar vicious fashion. She had never seen him BITE before. Raven chuckled, patting her on the back.

Raven: Beautiful, isn't it? Like the savagery of the universe being played out before us. Watching the façade of civilization disappear as push comes to shove. It's like…watching truth itself, don't you think?

Raven bit her lip before shouting.

Raven: SHADE! You're NOT an animal! Don't fight like one! Use your head!

Shade caught his double's claws in both hands.

Shade: She's right…I've got one big advantage here, I just didn't see it. I'm smarter then you…

Growling, Shade tried to bite him. Reacting on reflex, Shade kicked him in the mouth with his heavy shoe, making Shade yelp. Shade blinked as he reeled back, clutching his bleeding mouth.

Shade: Huh. Make that two advantages. I also wear shoes.

Raven smiled softly at seeing him regain his mind…only to be tackled by her double, two hands wrapping around her throat.

Raven: You bitch! You disgust me beyond words! You're the daughter of a demon lord, yet you protect these…these INSECTS?! Are you mentally ill?! You gutless swine!

Raven: SHUT UP!

Raven's second set of eyes opened as the folds of her cloak sent dark tentacles out at ramming speed. Raven let out a groan as she was hit and sent flying into the air. She righted herself and looked down at her double…only she didn't have to look as far down as she expected. Raven seemed to have grown to sixteen feet in height, her eyes glowing a hateful red.

Raven: You're nothing more then a slave to your own dark desires! You have no right to talk to me that way!

Raven found herself overwhelmed by the sudden change in her double. As Raven pinned her to the side of a building, she smiled.

Raven: Go on…do it. Kill me. I can feel your murderous desire filling you. You're more like me then you claim…hell, your cloak even looks like mine now.

What was she doing?! Raven let her double go, her anger fading.

Raven: Y…you were messing with my emotions…

Rubbing her arm where Raven had grasped her, Raven floated away from the wall.

Raven: Yes, just keep telling yourself that. Trigon below, you really are spineless. You can't even own up to your own demonic nature. Stop hiding it! You're a monster! A freak! Start acting like…

Raven's rant was cut off as Shade was tossed into her. Shade wiped his bloody lip and spat. He was pretty cut up, but his double wasn't fairing much better.

Shade: God, shut up already. You're so quick to forget that you're half human too. Raven doesn't hide the fact she's half demon, she just remembers that she's human as well. You're a weak willed being, hiding your sins behind the "I'm a demon" excuse. That's the definition of pathetic.

Raven held the wounded Shade in her arms, silently. He whimpered. Suddenly she snapped her head up, her eyes glowing brightly.

Raven: F you!

Raven's soul self launched at Shade, trying to smother him. Raven pulled her foot back and kicked her double across the face, knocking her out cold.

Raven: Bitch. …Shade…thank you.

Shade: …same to you. Now let's help the others…nngh…

He stumbled, shaking his head. Sighing, Raven eased him down to heal him.

Raven: You're such a twit…

HIVE Tower: Main Room

Hikari tilted her head, confused as she played with the odd device the strangers had left behind. She hit the buttons randomly, smacked it around, and just generally played with it like a child would. Suddenly it began to vibrate and flash. Yowling in surprise, Hikari hid behind the couch as the device went off in a flash.

Pocket Dimension

Both the HIVE and the Titans had been transported to the tiny pocket dimension. They looked around, confused. Inertia let out a sigh of relief, breathing deeply.

Inertia: Oh man, that was close…it was really hard to breathe in there.

Krystal: Hey, where'd I go? Where'd all the us go?

Robin: …you must be the HIVE whose tower we were teleported to.

The HIVE jumped upon noticing the Titans.

Red X: And you must be the Titans who live in a giant T.

Beast Boy: Like "H" is such a great letter…um…is Mammoth okay?

Inertia: Yeah, just asleep.

Starfire: What is this place? How did we get here?

Cyborg shrugged.

Cyborg: My teleporter must have been tripped off or something, kicking off a return trip, but something went wrong.

Gizmo: So we're stuck here?! Way to go, genius!

Cyborg: Man, don't make me stomp your tiny ass. Anyway, we're not stuck here. We'll be spat back into our own realities once time and space readjust.

Chewing her lip, Krystal approached her brother carefully.

Krystal: Um…hi.

Shade: …hey.

Krystal: Holy crap, you can talk!

Shade: And I wear shoes. Go figure.

Krystal: …

In a sudden movement, Krystal launched herself forward, wrapping her arms around Shade and hugging him tightly.

Krystal: I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!

Shade: H…hey, hey…for what?

Krystal: I don't know, I just am. For what I let happen to the Shade in my universe and for all the st the Krystal in yours did.

Shade hugged her back.

Shade: …so…you're a hero in your world, huh?

Krystal: That's right!

Shade: But you still do vague references…

Krystal: That's right!

Raven sighed, watching Shade get to know the Krystal he wished was his own sister.

Jinx: Um…hi.

Raven: Hey.

Jinx: Wow, you don't have that creepy reverb thing with your voice.

Raven: I can if I want to. I just don't want to.

Jinx: …um…I kind went through your room…

Raven wheeled around.

Raven: YOU DID WHAT?!

Jinx: Hey, calm down!

Raven took a deep breath, letting it out.

Raven: Right, sorry…I did the same to yours anyway.

Jinx: Hey!

Raven: …you…didn't touch my mirror, did you?

Jinx: Why would I touch a…?

Raven: Never mind, it's nothing. You'd know if you had, trust me.

Jinx: …I wish the Raven in my world was more like you. You're a lot nicer then she is.

Sighing, Raven shook her head.

Raven: Maybe. …maybe you just haven't gotten to know me well enough.

Jinx: Your eyes are purple instead of red. That's got to say something.

Raven shrugged.

Raven: Windows to the soul, right?

Starfire shifted nervously in front of her sister's double.

Starfire: …I cannot help but feel responsible somehow.

Blackfire: For what? My sister's twisted soul? How could it be your fault?

Starfire: Nevertheless, I feel the guilt.

Blackfire put her hands on Starfire's shoulders.

Blackfire: You're nothing like her. I can tell just by looking at you. Your face isn't twisted in that ugly sneer all the time.

Starfire: …how did she become this way?

Blackfire shrugged, rubbing her arm.

Blackfire: Who knows? She wasn't abused or anything. If anything, she took delight in abusing me.

Starfire: Abuse you? But you are so strong…how could she accomplish that?

Blackfire: I was sickly as a child. The experiments fixed it.

Starfire shuddered.

Starfire: Ah…the experiments…but MY sister suffered from no such affliction.

Blackfire: …so because I was sick, my sister became evil?

Starfire: That was purely her choice. Evil does not enter into it. That is flattering to her. For one such as her, "spoiled rotten" comes to mind.

Blackfire smiled softly. Red X cleared her throat.

Red X: Robin…um…I don't suppose you'd tell me who you are under that mask, would you?

Robin: What, why?

Red X: Well, you know, I DO have to catch your alternate self…so…any help would be appreciated.

Sighing, Robin shrugged.

Robin: Alright. My name is D…GAAH!

Others: WHOA!

Everyone started being pulled to their own world.

HIVE Tower: Krystal's Room

Hikari nuzzled against Krystal, trying to wake her up. Groaning, Krystal opened her eyes. Looking herself over, Krystal realized she was back in her pajamas.

Krystal: Just a dream…?

Figured…just when she finally met the brother she always wished Shade was he…what the…? Krystal realized there was something clutched in her other hand. Pulling it out from under the pillow, Krystal pulled out a pair of sunglasses.

Krystal: …what the hell is…OH!

She remembered now! When they started to get pulled back to their own worlds, Krystal tried to hang on to Shade and wound up snatching his sunglasses away. She grinned and put them on.

Krystal: …I can't see crap with these things on. How does he wear these? …what'cha got there, Hikari?

Hikari held up Cyborg's device, smiling. Krystal studied it.

Krystal: …a toy? …look broken. Eh, I'll buy you a new one, kiddo.

She tossed it into her garbage bin.

Titan Tower: Shade's Room

Shade scratched his head, looking around his dresser. He could swear he left them right here…he was a little disoriented from the dream he just had but…

Shade: …where the hell are my favorite sun…oh son of a bitch!

END PART FIVE