Blanket Disclaimer: Poison Tonic LX does not own the Teen Titans or any characters therein. Don't sue her, please, because if you do I won't have a home anymore…-Ralph, the muse
"Okay, you guys have ten minutes. Do and use anything you like. The only rule is not to kill or maim each other." The Kid's voice said over the intercom system. The original Titans, minus the Sorceress, were all in another room watching the proceedings via a one-way window.
"Take all the fun out of life…" He muttered under his breath, but naturally the Sorceress caught the remark and smirked at him whilst dropping into her fighting stance, hands glowing black. He followed suit, waiting for the signal.
"Go!" The Comic Relief's voice yelled, but neither of them moved.
That hadn't been the signal he was waiting for…
Her finger twitched and he saw her take a breath.
That was the signal.
He ducked just in time to miss being hit from behind compliments of a shadow-encased barbell, and darted forward, dropping as she moved to defend herself and sweeping his leg out.
She took to the air to dodge the attack, but he was already up and punching her jaw, sending her flipping through the air for a moment before she fell to the ground.
She jumped up without skipping a beat and a long bout of punches, kicks, dodges, and ducks followed at a speed that was almost too fast to keep up with.
To the other Titans it looked more like a synchronized dance than a fight, both participants seeming to know far ahead of time what the other was going to do, as if they'd planned it out and were now just going through the movements. It was almost beautiful.
He grabbed her arms as they flashed out towards him and used them to spin her around, pinning them to her sides and keeping her caught between his chest and arms. She opened her mouth to chant her infamous words, but he maneuvered one hand to cover it.
"I'm not going to let you talk unless it's to say 'uncle'." He said into her ear.
He heard her snort and yelped when her heel came down hard on his toe, causing him to loosen his hold long enough for her to escape it.
"I don't need you to let me talk." She said. "Azarath Metrion ZIN—"
She was cut off when he tackled her to the ground, flipping them over to take the brunt of the fall but almost immediately flipping them back over in order to pin her down, using one hand to hold her arms above her head and the other to cover her mouth again.
"Oh no?" He smirked, chortling when her eyes narrowed into an impressive glare. "You're awful pretty when you're glaring like that."
Her face flushed and in one deft movement she had turned them back over.
'Ah, back where we started, it would seem…' He thought, wondering if she'd get angry enough to turn him in if he repeated what he had said the first time she had pinned him down like this.
She dug her knee into his stomach, uncomfortably close to another appendage he was rather fond of, and he decided not to tempt fate.
"Okay, that's enough." The Kid's voice interrupted her as she opened her mouth to speak.
She huffed almost inaudibly but let him up, standing and pulling her hood down over her face.
He stood as well and brushed himself off. "I commend you on your superior battling skills." He said with an elaborate bow.
She snorted again. "Whatever."
He wondered if she was still blushing beneath that hood of hers.
"Dudes, that was sooo cool!" The Comic Relief exclaimed as he and the others entered the room.
"Yes, you and Friend Raven are very wondrous fighters!" The Dolt gushed.
"Pretty evenly matched." Cyborg commented.
"…I wouldn't mind a spar sometime." The Kid admitted begrudgingly. "But you could use some work. Both of you."
"Ah, don't get your spandex in a bunch." He rolled his eyes. Time for some of that annoying of the Kid he'd been planning earlier. "There's no one anywhere who couldn't 'use some work'. You can always improve on something. Everyone knows that."
"Uh…right." The Kid agreed almost confusedly.
"I still thought it was cool." The Comic Relief said.
"Well, you've only ever seen Wonder Boy here fight hand-to-hand, so that's understandable."
"What's that supposed to mean?" The Kid scowled.
"It means you could use some work, too, hypocrite. Of course, I've only ever seen you fight on TV, so I could be wrong. I'd have to fight you first before I could be sure."
"Alright, then, how about—"
"Tomorrow? So glad you agree." He said, yawning. "If there's nothing else, I would rather like to go take a nap. I didn't sleep much last night. New place and all."
New place…that was probably the worst lie he had ever told. He moved around too much to be thrown off his sleep schedule because of a new place. He prided himself at being able to sleep wherever and whenever he wanted or needed to.
"But New Friend Rush, we were hoping to do the taking you out for the round circular disc of cheesy goodness." The Dolt protested sweetly.
He stared at her.
"Pizza." The Sorceress translated.
"Oh."
"But you're probably still full from stuffing yourself this morning." She added sarcastically.
He looked at his watch. "Yep. No room for more food for another…four hours or so, I'd say. Wake me up then and I'd love to tag along. Four hours ought to be enough sleep."
He yawned again and waved at everyone.
Four hours later he would be awoken not by one of his new teammates, but by a very shrill, very annoying alarm, accompanied by an equally annoying flashing red light.
(THE RUSH)