Thanks for waiting, Hope you like!
The original titans are not mine, will never be mine...unless I sell my soul...hm...I've got to work on that...
Chapter 3
The Hostage
Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
"Okay class if you would pass your homework to the front of the row, I'll ask Sam to take the offending papers off your hands and place them into mine."
Mr. Hibbs, the A.P. Calculus teacher stands in front of the class. He is a relatively tall man in khaki pants with a Hawaiian shirt. The shirt is hanging partly open showing off the white muscle shirt he has beneath it. His spotted flying hat gives the impression to anyone who is seeing him for the first time that he has a great love of humor beneath his stern yet flawless face. His posture is stiff and straight. With his twinkling green eyes and his well-groomed dark brown hair he is the teacher that the girls can't help but have a crush on. All eyes are on him. Except for one pair of blue eyes in the back of the room that are glued to the paper in front of her as though it had the secrets of the universe scrawled on it. Shaking herself the white haired girl passes her paper to the front, just like everybody else. (Sheep! Sheep!)
RRRRIIIIINNNNNGGGGG!!!
The sound of the bell evokes several great sighs of relief as the room is instantly filled with the unintelligible gabbing of many teenagers feeling the weight of math taken off their shoulders. Zephyr stands grabbing her backpack and heads to the door like all the other students.
"Ms. Wincloud, if you would stay for a moment, please?"
She turns around and with that ever present smile sits calmly in a seat closest to her. Once the classroom is empty of everyone except the girl and the persistent teacher, Mr. Hibbs walks over to her and sits on the hood of the desk in front of her. He props his long legs on the chair and rests his elbow on his knees and his head on his hand.
"I have one question for you." Zephyr raises an eyebrow as the sound of gibbering rises in intensity, signaling the release of many more students.
"Why are you failing my class?" she remains silent a slight smile on her face, "I don't understand. You get A's and B's on all of your tests. What homework you turn in is flawless. I know you're very intelligent by the way you explain the problems to the other students, so why are you failing my class? I just wish to understand how someone as intelligent as you could fail at something so simple as Calculus." The sound from the halls grows louder.
"If you would like I could say that I'm a foolish child who thinks there are more important things than school in this world. Now, if it's alright with you, I would like to continue on with this day." She stands up still smiling, grabbing her bag and heading towards the door. Hand on the knob she turns her head to look at the frowning Mr. Hibbs. With a slight yank she pulls the door open.
A giant cement hand bursts through the doorway, wrapping its fingers around the waist of the startled girl.
The scream of the teacher follows her as she's pulled from the room and thrown with great force across the fifty-foot wide commons area. Her body rams through a window, the shattered glass flying every which way. She lands with a thud in the snow, her body skidding across the white substance. When she has stopped rolling the girl remains still for a brief moment. Ignoring the chill of now wet clothes and the pain of many cuts, scrapes, and bruises all over her body, possibly broken ribs and the blood oozing down her face from a possible concussion she pushes herself up into a semi-sitting position. Her eyes instantly lock onto a huge human shaped concrete form wading through 806 fleeing students and teachers.
Cinderblock. What's he doing at my school, and where are the Titans? Hm…I can't do anything in front of all these people without giving myself away… Zephyr quickly starts rummaging through her backpack. Please don't be broken.
"Where is it?" She mutters. Her groping hand closes around something cold and round. With a smile of triumph she pulls the communicator from her bag. The prickling of hairs on the back of her neck is the only warning before a giant hand comes crashing down onto the ground, sending snow flying and smashing the contents of her backpack. With desperation quickening her movements she just barely manages to flip out of the way. Landing in a crouched position, one hand on the ground, she holds the communicator tightly.
"Why's it following me?" She mutters under her breath as she looks around for a place to hide. If I can just distance myself enough for a few moments I might be able to… Her eyes spot a dumpster that's laying on it's side, garbage leaking out the top obviously tipped by Cinderblocks first entrance into the school. Without another moments hesitation she sprints over to it. Vaulting over the top she lands on the other side in a low crouch. Holding the communicator to her face once again she quickly presses the main button at the bottom.
"Titans come in!" A green face flashes onto the screen.
"Uh… This is Beast Boy." The boys voice holds uncertainty as he looks at the pale wet face of the girl on the other end, blood running in thin rivulets down the side of her face and her hair plastered to her forehead.
"Beast Boy! Please you have to get the Titans out here as soon as possible."
"Is this a joke?"
"No. Cinderblock is destroying Jump High."
"But Cinderblock's in prison."
"He escaped. Please get here quickly, I'm afraid he might hurt someo-ack!"
Beast Boys eyes widen as he watches a great gray thing come around the other gray thing to grab the girls disheveled head a moment before the communicator fizzes out.
"Okay…that was weird…" Walking out of the kitchen he opens his mouth to tell his robotic friend about it when a red light starts flashing and the alarm goes off. Robin runs into the room.
"Cinderblock's escaped from jail and is attacking Jump High! Let's go!" Robin turns and runs towards the elevators, the other Titans following close behind. Beast Boy pauses a moment looking down at his communicator in confusion. Shaking his head he turns and runs after the others.
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Showing great stamina Zephyr pushes herself to shaky feet. After being swung around and thrown like a baseball her vision has become blurry and unfocused. Before she can make a stumbling move Cinderblocks hand reaches down to grab her once again. Just barely managing to doge the grab she lands on the top of his closed fist. With surprisingly swift movements despite her injuries she climbs up his arm to his shoulder. Her eyes widen. The air above and below his fisted left hand seems to be moving around an invisible form.
There's someone in his hand? But how could I not notice this before? Her sight shows her the form of a struggling woman, probably an older one, with her hair pulled up into a now messy bun. Before she can get any more from her glance Cinderblocks hand grabs her arm, trapping it in a tight hold. Lifting the girl up he starts to shake her like a rag doll until he hears a loud crack and a pop. He then throws her with great force, finding that is the most enjoyable thing to do with this little toy of his. She flies through the air like a plummeting bird, and with the sense knocked out of her is unable to do anything but feel the wind rush past her.
A black cloud of magic engulfs her and gently lowers her into the waiting arms of Cyborg. The girl curls up against him, her broken-dislocated arm twisting at a strange angle. Her eyes are wide, pupils dilated from the pain.
"Titans go!" Robin shouts. Raven uses her power to send large chunks of rubble at the cement man. Each hit knocks him back a couple of feet, but doesn't knock him down. Reaching down he grabs a huge pile of rubble and throws it back at Raven. Raven manages to block a lot of the debris but is then overwhelmed and partly buried. Starfire takes the stage as she throws green bolts at Cinderblock. With each blast cracks appear in the man but they don't do more than that. Cinderblock reaches out and plucks the flying girl out of the air like a fly. With a casual toss of his hand she goes skidding across the ground. Robin runs over to her and helps her to her feet. Beast Boy then tries his hand on Cinderblock, changing into different animals and trying to ram him.
"I do believe that he has greatly gained in strength." Starfire says to Robin, her eyes on Cinderblock as he throws a t-rex Beast Boy away from the battle and towards the city park. He then turns and heads toward Cyborg and his burden, "Why does he not attack us, friend Robin?"
"Maybe we aren't his targets." Robin suggested, his eyes on Cyborg's burden.
Cyborg shifts the girl until she is being held up by one arm.
Cinderblock is ten feet away.
Raising his sonic cannon he aims.
Cinderblock looms over him.
He fires.
The point blank blast throws the giant through the already crumbling walls of the school and into the large commons room, where he lands with a thud and doesn't move. A loud roar emits from the now unstable ceiling.
"Boo-yah!" Cyborg exclaims in triumph. The girl in his arms stirs, snapping out of whatever held her immobile. She turns her head in the direction of Cinderblock and the soon to collapse ceiling.
"No!" The girl whispers just loud enough for it to reach Cyborg's ears. He looks down at her in confusion. Instead of explaining she begins to wiggle around trying to escape from his strong grasp, "Can't you see there's a woman in his hand?" Cyborg's eyes shoot to Cinderblock. Cinderblocks hand looks as though it is closed around something, true, but… what?
"I don't see anything- hey!" Taking advantage of his distracted state the girl escapes and begins to run-hobble toward the building, "Even with all of her injuries she's fast." He runs after her but is unable to catch up.
"Cyborg! What's she doing?" Robin yells running up to the metal man. Slowing Cyborg turns toward his leader.
"I don't know, man. She says there's a lady in his hand but I can't see anything." Robin looks over at the running girl, his mask narrowing in thought. Looking over at a now standing Raven he nods towards her. Raven nods back and turns towards the girl. Mouthing her mantra, a cloud of black tendrils out and flies toward the building.
Zephyr slows to a pained walk and limps up to the immobile being. A loud screeching sound echoes all around her. Her head tilts upward as she takes in the drooping dark ceiling above her, eyes narrowed in calculation.
Trying to ignore the pain she limps towards Cinderblocks fisted left hand. When it is fully in view she freezes briefly, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Where'd she go? Squinting her eyes she is barely able to make out the form of the woman that she saw earlier. A cloaking device. Keeping her eyes squinted she hurries over to the hand.
As Zephyr approaches she notices that the woman is face down in the debris. Kneeling next to the invisible lady her senses scan her for a small button-like device. Hands an inch away she follows the body.
"Got it." A small round device is attached to the woman's shirt. With her index finger she presses the middle of it. The woman's form flickers before coming into full view. Using her medium length fingernails Zephyr gently pries the device off the woman's shirt. Holding it between thumb and forefinger she studies it briefly before sticking it in her back pant pocket. Reaching out she gently touches the woman's shoulder. I hope she'll be all right. Her worry is rewarded when the woman shudders and begins to struggle.
"Hold still for a moment and I'll try to get you free." Zephyr murmurs soothingly. With her unbroken arm she tries to pry the fisted hand open. The ceiling groans again. Causing her actions to become a little more desperate. As she pulls the grip of the hand loosens slightly.
"Okay, do you think you can get your hands out?" The woman nods, twisting and struggling. After a moment she manages to pull one from Cinderblocks grasp, "Good. Now try to pull yourself out." Zephyr whispers, sweat pouring from her brow as her face twists in pain. The lady squeezes all but her legs out. In the process she turns herself around to face the girl who is helping her.
"Thank y-." fully expecting to see the Titans, she halts at seeing Zephyr.
Freezing at the frightening familiarity of the voice, Zephyr slowly, oh so slowly looks down at the trapped woman. Her eyes widen in shock and horror.
"Grandma?"
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So I hope this is an okay chapter. There are a lot of mistakes but, hey! at least I'm writing!
Please rate and review, tell me what you want to happen, what you don't want to happen. What you think should be changed. Anything.
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