Disclaimer: Grr…I don't own Teen Titans…
A/N: I know I'm sort of dragging out the mystery of who triggered the dust, but if it's any consolation know that I have the climatic chapter already written. Build-up is necessary. Trust me….
Anyway, back to the story!
"I understand HOW but I do not understand WHY."
-Winston Smith, 1984.
Chapter 15: Adeline
-S-
Starfire struggled to contain herself.
Every second that passed by felt like agony. She wanted to contact Galfore again, but Robin didn't want anyone touching the computer. Once Cyborg came back from the Jump City Maximum Security Prison he would figure out what was wrong.
That is, if something was wrong.
She floated sadly to the common room, where Robin was sitting at the computer. A dossier of a brown-haired woman named Adeline Kane was opened on the screen. Robin leaned forward against the desk and placed his folded hands underneath his chin.
She was the only one who didn't have anything to do. All she wanted to do was fix her technology and affirm that Tamaran had not been invaded. Even Robin, who didn't leave the Tower, was working on another lead.
"Who is that?" she asked.
"I'm not sure," Robin replied. "Her name is Adeline Kane, although at one point she was married and her name was Wilson. Doesn't say who she was married to, though."
He spoke in a slight monotonous tone, as though the subject of Adeline Kane bored him. But knowing him as well as she did, Starfire knew that it merely hid the fear he felt inside.
"Why are you looking her up?"
"My meeting with Wintergreen didn't lead me to a dead end," he said. "He gave me a contact, but told me only to talk to her as a last resort."
Starfire still did not know whether or not to trust this Wintergreen. True, Robin knew and understood the man better than she did…but the man worked for Slade! What if Wintergreen was leading them into another trap?
"Why did Wintergreen believe that she would help you?"
"I'm not sure if she will help in this investigation, but she is connected to Slade. Judging from her age, I'd say she may be his sister or a family member, a friend, a neighbor or…" he trailed off, shaking his head. "No. Not that."
Even Starfire could tell that he was about to say "lover."
"Robin…"
Star had heard the tail-end of Robin's conversation with whoever he called twenty minutes ago. Despite his bravado he could not hide the fear in his voice as he spoke to whoever it was. He turned his head slightly to look at her.
"Are you quite all right?"
"I'm fine, Starfire. How about you? Are you feeling alright?"
"No," she replied, "I am not."
He tried to smile, but failed.
She loved his smile.
If there was anything she hated about Slade, it was the fact that he made Robin smile less even after he came home. He tried so hard not to let her and the others know that he was still hurting inside. Things had changed between them all. They were subtle things.
All five of the Titans lay on the rooftop of Titans Tower. Although it was nearly three in the morning all of them were wide awake as they watched streaks of light flit above them. Beast Boy gasped a brilliant meteor streaked across the sky.
"DUDE!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "That was a big one!"
She turned her head to look at him. Robin smiled widely as he watched the stars go by.
"So where's Tamaran?" he asked, rolling to his side to look at her.
Starfire squinted up at the night sky. These were the same stars she could see from her home world, but in different positions.
"I think it is there," she said, pointing. "The Vega System."
She pointed to a hazy path of sky.
"It's weird, you know," Robin said, "it was always too smoggy in Gotham to see the stars."
At her insistence Starfire had Robin tell her about his life in Gotham. Of course she never asked questions about his personal history, but she was genuinely interested about Robin's life as a sidekick. The idea intrigued her.
"Yeah, the light pollution there must be terrible," Cyborg said.
Robin laughed. He turned his attention back towards the starry sky.
"I never realized how…how vast space is. It must be nice, being able to explore the galaxy without a clunk respirator…"
At once his smile faded.
In that moment Starfire knew what was bothering him. He didn't need to say anything more for her to understand. His chest rose and fell as he closed his eyes, as though trying to contain a nightmare threatening to burst out of him. Starfire didn't know what had caused him to remember his time as Slade's apprentice, but she wouldn't ask.
No one else noticed his sudden change in mood.
The man didn't even have to be here to cast his evil spell on Robin. It had only been a few weeks since he escaped from Slade's clutches. Everyone knew that he suffered from nightmares. There was an unspoken agreement among the four other Titans not to mention it around him.
"Out in the open…" he murmured in a voice so low only she could hear. "Too vulnerable…"
Starfire allowed her hand to creep besides his. In that instant she felt a burning hated for Slade. The criminal had imprinted more than just bruises on him. Robin couldn't relax and couldn't enjoy the simple things in life knowing that Slade was still out there.
Robin stood up.
"Hey, where are you going?" Cyborg asked.
"Inside," Robin said. "Maybe you should come with me."
Without waiting for an answer Robin walked away from them and went back inside. Starfire felt her heart sinking at the sight of him in this depressed state. Tonight was supposed to be a fun night. Tonight was supposed to be a time where they bonded and told stories and laughed. Not as superheroes out fighting bad guys but as regular teenagers having a good time.
Just a night underneath the stars.
"The intruder didn't just steal Slade's things," Robin said, "he messed with your technology. Who knows what else he did?"
"We may be wasting time," Starfire replied, "if the Gordanians have invaded Tamaran then it is my duty to fight for my people."
Despite Robin's calm but assertive assurances that Tamaran had not been invaded, she still believed that she shouldn't be on earth. No one knew what was going on.
"I understand, I feel the same way about the team and this city, but the perpetrator wanted you to leave earth." He turned his attention back to the computer screen. "We can't let this get personal."
Robin was wrong. Already this had gone much too personal.
"What is troubling you? Why will you not call the Batman for assistance?"
His shoulders arched at the mention of Batman.
"It's just that…" Robin paused. "We haven't gotten along in years. I got so mad at him that I…I punched him in the face."
These Earth customs were strange.
"But why would you harm your knorfka?"
Robin merely looked at her. She didn't understand why anyone would do that. True, she may have disagreed with Galfore plenty of times before, but she would never physically harm him. It was obvious to everyone that he had problems with the Batman, but Starfire knew that their relationship was rather like hers with Galfore.
"What is troubling you?" Starfire repeated, her voice rising. "Whatever troubles you troubles me!"
Did she expect an answer? Yes and no. The edges of his mask arched as a concerned expression crossed his face. He placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed them gently.
All she wanted were answers.
She wanted to know the boy behind the mask. She wanted to understand why he refrained from telling her about his past. Starfire understood how Robin felt, but she didn't understand why he felt anger and resentment to his former mentor. It seemed as though he was pushing away the only person who he could relate to. The only person who would truly understand how he felt.
"What's been bothering me…" he said. "So many things…
She would never force the mask off of his face. Slade had done that to him, why should she stoop to such a low level?
"Star," Robin said quietly, "Slade made me steal from my father."
Starfire stared. No one else knew what had happened during the weeks he stayed with Slade. They could only assume the worst. It seemed to take most of his courage to admit this to her. She didn't quite understand. He used to live in Gotham. Did Slade fly him out to Gotham to do this?
"And…does your father know this?"
"Yes."
Was it this guilt eating away at him that caused him to become so abrasive? If it was the case, then by all means Robin should be talking to his father. Robin obviously did not wish to elaborate.
"I think it's time that I meet Ms. Kane," he said, turning. "I'll go alone."
"Take me with you," she said. "I will come with you to see this Adeline Kane."
He opened his mouth to argue, but Starfire wouldn't hear it. She went up to him and looked down.
"You have been alone for far too long!" she exclaimed, sticking a finger in his chest. "Whoever triggered the dust wishes to take us apart!"
When it came down to the basics that was what this was all about: disassembling the Titans. Once they were divided then it would be easy for the criminal behind these attacks to take over Jump City. Starfire could not let this happen. She would also not let Robin purposefully separate himself from the others.
That was exactly what the perpetrator wanted.
"It's just that…this is personal, Star. I don't know who this woman is or what her connection is to Slade."
"All the more reason I should come with you."
For a moment Robin looked as if he wanted to argue some more. However, after considering her for a moment he pulled out his communicator.
"We're going to follow a lead, guys," Robin said. "We'll be back by this afternoon."
"Where? And who?" Beast Boy asked.
"Adeline Kane. Lives close by here."
"Who's she?"
"I'm not sure," Robin said, "but she's connected to Slade."
"Robin…" Cyborg said warningly.
"Wintergreen gave me the contact. She may be able to help us track down whoever triggered the dust." He motioned for her to follow. "Let's go."
-C-
Back at the Tower.
"Yeah," Cyborg said into the phone, "please tell the kids to be careful. It might be best for them to stay home."
He hung up and sighed. Cyborg didn't like the fact that the school for handicapped kids he volunteered at were at risk because of him. He thought about calling his dad—even though they hadn't talked in a while—just to be sure. Anything could happen.
"Raven, is there anyone you need to call?"
"Trust me, there is nothing the perpetrator of the dust can do to me," she replied. "Nothing."
Cyborg's eyes narrowed. Unlike the others Cyborg knew almost nothing of Raven's past. Of course, as her friend he didn't want to pry into things she didn't want to talk about.
"You have people you care about in danger," she said. "Don't worry about me."
She drew her cloak more tightly around herself. Even if she could be a little creepy sometimes Cyborg did worry about her like the rest of the team. When Raven got angry she got angry. There was no telling what she would do if someone attacked her.
A red light and siren began to bleep.
"What's it now?" Beast Boy asked, his voice a whine.
"The HIVE again," Raven said. "It looks like they're on the move."
Cyborg found himself grinding his teeth. During his time at the HIVE Academy he had plenty of opportunities to take out Brother Blood. Hell, the HIVE Headmaster thought that he was one of the best students in the school. To some extent, Cyborg felt as though it was his fault that the HIVE was still running. The next time he saw Brother Blood…
"We should go after them," Cyborg said. "Right now."
"What about Robin and Starfire?" Beast Boy asked. "They're still working on that lead."
"It's the HIVE. We can handle them. If we need backup then I'll call them."
They went.
Fifteen minutes later...
"What's up with Brother Blood?" Cyborg asked himself quietly. "This is the second attack this week."
Whatever the HIVE was up to, they were clearly planning to execute their plan sometime soon. The three Titans faced the squad of HIVE students, who were wreaking havoc in Jump City's main shopping district.
"Whoa, who are they?" Beast Boy asked.
Raven and Beast Boy looked towards Cyborg for an answer. Cyborg did recognize some of these kids by name, but he didn't know any of them personally. One or two were in a couple of his classes. A kid named Billy Numerous, Kyd Wykkyd, and Private HIVE were among the group.
"Hey look, it's Stone," Private HIVE said, sneering. "Hey, do you guys remember his hazing?"
"Ya mean when Jinx dressed him in a tutu?" Billy Numerous asked. "Yessire!"
At this Beast Boy began to laugh, but a cold glare from Cyborg caused him to shut up.
Cyborg cracked his knuckles.
"Bring it on."
-R-
Robin knocked on the door.
A woman answered the door. Locks of curly brown hair cascaded down her shoulders, framing a pretty face hardened slightly with age. She wore an outfit of varying shades of pink, but she didn't look ostentatious.
"Adeline Kane?" Robin asked.
The woman nodded.
"I was wondering when you would show up. Come inside."
As they stepped into the house Robin heard someone playing the piano. When they went into the living room he saw a blond-haired teenage boy at the piano. Robin thought it was a Mozart piece. When the two came into the living room the boy stood up, his fingers hovering over the keyboard.
"This is my son, Joseph," Adeline said.
Joseph nodded in acknowledgement and smiled a little. To Robin's surprise the boy began to sign to his mother. His arms and fingers moved swiftly to form words and phrases.
"Do you want me to stay?" he asked.
"If you want to," she replied, "Titans, would you mind if Joseph joins us?"
Robin looked at the blond-haired boy, who was smiling cheerfully at him.
"No…I guess not, Ms. Kane."
"Don't call me Ms. Kane. Call me Adeline."
How odd. Robin had always been taught to call adults by their last name. Back east it was customary to do that, but out here in California everyone called adults by their first names.
"You were wondering when I would show up?" Robin asked.
"Yes. I knew that it was only a matter of time before you found out who I was." She led them to the back porch and gestured towards two lawn chairs. "Please, sit down."
Robin and Starfire sat down in the chairs. He found himself tense. Well, what was he expecting? To be honest, Robin didn't know what to expect. Wintergreen had only given him a name and nothing more. Despite Robin's best efforts he couldn't figure out the connection between Adeline and Slade.
Adeline took out a box of cigarettes and lit one. Out of the corner of his eye Robin saw Starfire's nose wrinkle as the acrid smell of the cigarette smoke wafted to her. Growing up in Gotham had made Robin immune to the stench of garbage and cigarette smoke. Well, at least they were outside.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Adeline Kane," Adeline said, "I used to be in the military, but retired once I married and had children. I know who you two are, of course. Who doesn't know about the Titans?"
Her tone wasn't mocking, but rather matter-of-fact.
"Are you a friend or a foe?" Robin asked.
"We have a common enemy, Robin," she said, standing up to stare out of the window. "One who is long dead."
"Slade."
She nodded. "I am the one responsible for his missing eye."
He looked up at her, startled. Even as Robin the Boy Wonder, trained by one of the best superheroes in the world, he couldn't defeat Slade by himself. If this woman managed to take Slade's eye out, then she must be extremely well-trained. Or Slade had been careless.
"How?"
"I shot him."
All at once Robin felt a rush of gratitude towards Adeline. He had always wondered whether Slade was really blind in that eye. He suspected, of course, but wasn't stupid enough to ask. She admitted this calmly, as though she shot super-powered mercenaries in the eye every day.
"So, Titans, why are you here to see me?"
"Have you been reading the papers?" Robin asked.
"Every day."
"This morning's edition of The Daily Planet featured an article about an invasion."
"It claimed that my home world, Tamaran, had been invaded by the Gordanians," Starfire said, "our worst enemy."
Robin shifted in his chair. "There was dust in Slade's mask. It released a chemical reagent that infiltrated my central nervous system. It caused me to see, hear, and feel Slade. Now the rest of the Titans are being attacked, with this article being the latest."
He waited for a reaction. Adeline sat still in her seat, quietly smoking her cigarette.
"William Wintergreen said that you may be able to help us," Robin said.
"Ah, Wintergreen…I haven't seen that man in years." Adeline's face hardened. "And he suggested that I would help you."
"Can you help us?" Starfire asked.
Adeline tapped the tip of her cigarette against an ash tray and studied them closely.
"Perhaps. Since he is dead, however, it will be more difficult to locate the perpetrator. We can only assume that whoever triggered the dust was close to Slade."
"Were you?"
Robin didn't know why he asked that. Adeline considered him for a moment, as though wondering whether it would be prudent to answer.
"He used to be my husband."
Robin stood up in shock. For once he was at a loss for words.
"What?"
Slade and Adeline. Adeline and Slade. He felt himself tense, as though getting ready for a fight.
"Calm down," Adeline said, "I said that he used to be my husband. Once I knew that he was the criminal Deathstroke I divorced him. And I divorced him only because I didn't manage to kill him myself."
"As a last resort, Richard," Wintergreen said.
Those words suddenly made sense.
"I didn't know who he was for a long time," she said. "Not until our family was affected because of his contracts."
His contra—oh. The man was a mercenary. He was paid to kill people. A shiver ran down Robin's back as he remembered that Slade tried to train him to become an assassin as well.
"I am truly sorry for what happened to you," Adeline said. "I did hear about the apprenticeship."
"How…?"
Aside from Red X, hardly any of the Jump City criminals knew about the apprenticeship. That was the way Robin wanted it to be.
"When I took out his eye I meant to kill him," Adeline said. "I still followed him, but he's a tactician. He's always one step ahead of everyone, including me."
"So you knew what he did?" Robin asked, his voice bristling with anger. "Then why didn't you help me? Why didn't you warn me?"
"Like I said: he's always one step ahead."
This was a little too much to comprehend. His eyes shifted from Adeline to Joseph, who was watching the conversation in silence.
"He never mentioned…"
Robin trailed off as he looked towards Joseph. He felt his jaw drop as dawning comprehension overcame him. If Adeline used to be married to Slade then that young man must be…Slade's son…
Adeline noticed his gaze and shrugged.
"Never mentioned that he had a family? Why would he mention it to you?"
His head hung slightly at her words. Slade had a family. A wife. A son. How could someone fall from grace so easily? Why would he want Robin as a son?
"You knew him better than I did," Robin said. "Why did he do it to me?"
Smoke curled above her head as Adeline sat still in her chair, considering him. Robin felt more uncomfortable speaking about this to her than to Wintergreen. Here was a complete stranger who used to be so intimately close to his arch-enemy, a woman who was willing to help him. It was just so hard to fathom the man underneath that hateful metal mask as a human being.
"What's more important to you, Robin?" Adeline asked, leaning forward in her chair. "Dealing with your nightmares or figuring out who did this?"
Robin looked at her with wide eyes. Was that the real reason why he was here? The real reason why Wintergreen gave him this contact? To help him understand his own complex emotions and Slade's motivations?
"I…I don't have nightmares."
What a lie.
He swallowed as both women turned to look at him. Robin knew that it was the wrong thing to say, but it was instinctive for him to lie about it. Adeline shifted in her seat and studied him with her stern green eyes.
"When I saw Slade in full costume for the first time he scared the living hell out of me," she said. "Don't pretend he didn't frighten you too."
He folded his hands together and placed them against his forehead. Starfire and Adeline looked at him, waiting for a reply. His shoulders began to shake ever so slightly as he hung his head. He tried so hard not to feel fearful that his fear was consuming him.
"I will annihilate them, Robin," Slade said, his finger over the button, "and I'll make you watch."
"I am the thing that keeps you up at night. The thing that hides in every dark corner of your mind—"
Don't have a mental breakdown, Grayson, he thought, not here…not now.
"I just want to understand," he said quietly.
All he wanted were answers.
He wanted answers to the questions that had been burning inside of him for nearly a year. People don't just do things. People have reasons, even the Joker has reasons for doing the things he did (even if that reason was insanity). Slade wanted an apprentice sure, but why did he want an apprentice? Why did he want a son?
Robin understood how Slade went about to entrap him. He understood how Slade used Robin's weakness against him and understood how Slade controlled him, but he didn't understand the man behind the mask. He didn't understand why Slade acted the way he did. A walking contradiction. With the revelation that he had a family, this only muddled Robin's theories even more.
Adeline sighed.
"I loved him but I didn't know him." Adeline dropped the butt of her cigarette into the ashtray. "He was a hard man to read."
"How could you love a man like him?"
It was a deeply personal question, perhaps one that he didn't have the right to ask. But then again, Robin didn't have the right to do anything while under Slade's control. He couldn't bring himself to hate Adeline, for she seemed to hate Slade as much as he did, but still…imagining Slade as a loving family man was just beyond his imagination.
He didn't expect an answer.
Adeline got out of her chair and walked up to him. He felt her tilt his head up so that they gazed at each other in the face.
"Chin up, Boy Wonder," she said. "Slade is in the past. Our past. He can't hurt us anymore."
Adeline smiled.
That smile went a long way. It was genuine; a mother's smile that calmly comforted him without words. Robin knew that Slade had seen this woman smile like that and had fallen in love. Even though Adeline did not elaborate on her past Robin felt a keen connection with her. Both of them had been hurt by Slade. Both of them had survived. Starfire placed a hand on his shoulder.
"The Bat trained you well," Adeline said, sitting back down. "To understand the benefits you have to understand the motivations. I don't know who triggered the dust, but I might be able to help."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that anyone can benefit from these attacks. News reporters have something to write about. Police have people to arrest. So, who was motivated to do these things?"
His communicator rang. At first Robin ignored it, but Adeline made a gesture for him to answer.
"Uh…Robin," Cyborg said. "We've got a problem."
"What is it?"
"The HIVE is attacking the west side of town."
"What? Why?" Robin demanded.
"I'm not sure, but we've already gone after them. We need backup."
"We're on our way."
Robin closed his communicator and looked back at Adeline.
"Sorry about that. We have to go. Thank you for your time."
Robin and Starfire moved towards the front door.
"I'm not going to go gallivanting off like a costumed crusader," Adeline said, "I'm not like you or my…former…husband. If you need help then you may contact me or my son."
"We don't want you or your son to get into this mess," Robin said at once. "We just—"
"If you do not stop these attacks from happening then you may need assistance."
"We'll figure this out."
An unpleasant knot tied itself in the pit of his stomach. He had said that at the beginning, back when it appeared that he was the primary target. He didn't like what Adeline was insinuating: that they wouldn't be able to stop these attacks.
"We're just a phone call away."
Robin and Starfire walked out of the house. Robin took out his communicator and flipped it open.
"Who are you calling now?" Starfire asked.
"The Man of Steel."
-CK-
4:53pm.
Metropolis.
Superman flew through the air above the sprawling city of Metropolis, a red-and-blue streak in the sky.
He landed on top of a skyscraper and surveyed the city below. Superman was waiting for John Wyatt to come out of the Daily Planet. Due to the sensitive nature of the article, Clark felt it prudent that he interrogate Wyatt as Superman instead of Clark Kent.
Superman wondered what Bruce was planning to do to help. With Clayface running around he couldn't just hop on a plane to California and abandon Gotham. Of course, there was trouble everywhere these days. A week didn't pass by without some sort of crisis occurring.
He leaned forward with a hand on his knee, surveying the city he protected. Even if Metropolis didn't have as many denigrates as Gotham there was still plenty of things for him to do. Superman didn't let the unsettling news about the Titans upset him. At least, he didn't let it show on his face. As one of America's most recognizable and respected superheroes he couldn't let anyone in on troubles within the superhero community. When they started to panic then the public began to panic.
His communicator buzzed.
"Superman," Dick said, "we confirmed the invalidity of the article. Dr. Glen Cipes, the astronomer who called the Planet to inform them of the invasion, admitted to being bribed."
So, this really was part of a larger conspiracy.
"So do you want me to confront Wyatt or not?"
"Of course. We also know that some people involved may not know that they are delivery boys."
Hmm.
Whatever Robin told him Clark planned on relaying to Bruce. He knew that Bruce hated to have information filtered through like this, but if anyone could solve this mystery then Batman could. On the other hand, Robin disliked having Batman coming to the rescue. Clark knew this and respected Robin's abilities as a leader.
But truthfully, Superman put the Titans' safety over Robin's pride.
"What else do you know?"
"Nothing much. Look, I'll call you later. The HIVE Academy is attacking again. I have to go."
He spotted the journalist leaving the Planet.
Like a bird of prey Superman swooped down to the streets. People exclaimed in surprise as he swept past them. Faster than a speeding locomotive…and just as subtle. Bits of paper and trash and ladies' skirts flew upward as he streaked by, heading straight for Wyatt.
"Wh—what the hell are you doing?" Wyatt asked.
Wyatt screamed as Superman lifted him into the air. He wouldn't let the guy drop to his death—he wasn't as mean as Bruce—but he did need the information.
"What do you know about the article on Tamaran?" Superman asked. "The one that appeared this morning on the Daily Planet?"
Wyatt's eyes widened.
"I—I don't know what you're talking about—"
"Mr. Wyatt, I don't want to hurt you. All I want to know is this: did you know that the information concerning the Gordanian invasion was fake?"
Wyatt's dark brown eyes searched the Man of Steel's face. A whoosh of warm air rustled Superman's cape as something large passed over them. Both Superman and Wyatt looked up to see a familiar star-spangled-clad figure sitting in an invisible aircraft. Wonder Woman raised a hand and waved.
Wyatt clutched at Superman's arms for dear life. His legs kicked at empty air as he looked anywhere but the ground. Superman flew to a nearby rooftop and set Wyatt gently down. The haggard journalist twitched, as though he meant to run, but then he thought better of it.
Wonder Woman drove her invisible ship down to the rooftop. Once she landed she hopped out of the plane, her dark hair blowing in the slight wind.
"I'm glad you could make it," Superman said.
"So am I," Wonder Woman replied.
The journalist wilted under the gaze of these two heroes, as though he knew that he wouldn't win no matter what he did. His eyes flickered towards the golden lasso glowing on Wonder Woman's hip.
"So, Mr. Wyatt," Wonder Woman said, unclasping the lasso and throwing a loop over the terrified journalist's head, "what do you know about the Gordanian invasion?"
The lasso tightened around the man's chest and pinned his arms to his sides. As Wonder Woman jerked the lasso he fell to his knees, winching as she pulled to lasso tighter.
"OKAY! OKAY!" Wyatt gasped. "I didn't know the information was fake! God, I'd rather be in prison…please….please stop."
Wonder Woman and Superman exchanged sidelong glances. Wyatt, however, kept talking.
"Look, I had no idea that this had to do with the Batman's kid, alright?" he spluttered. "It wasn't until after I wrote the article that I knew it had to do with the Teen Titans."
"So why did you write it?"
"The Planet likes to run articles about superheroes," Wyatt said, "usually the articles are about the exploits of the Justice League. I thought I would do something different. Yesterday I got a call from Dr. Glen Cipes. He said that the Gordanians are attacking a planet called Tamaran."
"And why did you believe him?"
"I didn't have any reason to doubt," Wyatt replied. "Why should I suspect something?"
Wonder Woman tugged at the lasso again, as though trying to goad him into telling more. But it seemed as though Wyatt had nothing else to say. Superman looked down at him with his arms crossed over his massive chest. Here was just a journalist who made an honest mistake. Wyatt was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. For all Clark knew he himself could have gotten that phone call.
"Let him go."
After shooting Superman a hard glance Wonder Woman released Wyatt from the confines of her lasso. Wyatt scurried past them and headed for the door leading down the building.
"Clark," Wonder Woman said, "what if the kids aren't the only ones who are being attacked?"
"I've thought of that possibility too, Diana. So has Bruce. We just don't know what's going to happen next."
Hopefully, the greatest detective in the world could figure this out.
-BB-
They were losing.
Beast Boy skidded across the pavement as the HIVE student tossed him unceremoniously across the road. He grunted as his back hit a street lamp.
"Dude, where's Robin when we need him?" Beast Boy said.
"I called him," Cyborg said, "he and Starfire are on their way."
The three Titans were having a tough time battling the HIVE students, since they were severely outnumbered. This wasn't the same as battling an army of Sladebots. These were trained metahumans designed to wipe out the Titans. All they had to do, though, was stall until the cavalry arrived.
If they were fighting the normal batch of HIVE students (Jinx, Mammoth and Gizmo) then it would have been easy getting rid of them. But this time there were fighting a different batch of students. If anything, it only alerted Beast Boy to the fact that there were lots of kids under Brother Blood's rule.
"Have you had enough, green genes?" Private HIVE called out. "You look a little tired."
Beast Boy transformed into a tiger and swiped a paw at the nearest student, one that Cyborg identified as Private HIVE. A stupid brick if there ever was one.
The truth was, though, Beast Boy was tired. Perhaps it was because he had been mentally worn down in the past few days. Raven fought against a boy dressed in dark colors, a kid Cyborg called "Kyd Wykkyd" while Cyborg himself fought against another human brick.
"Hey kid," Private HIVE said, his voice taunting, "I heard about your girlfriend. I heard that she got wrapped up like a mummy on Halloween—"
Beast Boy tacked Private HIVE with the force of a speeding bullet. The two tumbled into an ally as they exchanged jabbing fists and kicks.
"You don't talk about Terra," he growled. "Ever."
"Why not, grass stain? Is it because she went to our side?"
He had had enough.
Transforming into a T-Rex, Beast Boy charged forward and opened his jaws wide. The smile on Private HIVE's face faded as he turned tail and ran. At once Billy Numerous split himself into twenty clones and surrounded him. Beast Boy roared threateningly, but this only caused the clones to hoot with laughter.
Cyborg came to Beast Boy's aid as he began to shoot the clones with his sonic cannon.
"BB, chill out," Cyborg said.
"Chill out?" Beast Boy demanded. "They're mocking me! They're mocking Terra!"
"We can't just run into them like that!" Cyborg exclaimed. "You're letting things get too personal, man!"
Raven was thrown backward as the HIVE students finally went on the full offensive. The three Titans were bombarded with punches and kicks as the students surrounded them like some street gang. After a few minutes it was clear that the Titans had lost.
"See ya losers later!" Billy Numerous called out.
With a cacophony of catcalls and insults the HIVE students sped off. Beast Boy helped Raven to her feet. All of them stood panting and bruised. They had lost.
A motorcycle engine roared as Robin slid to a halt on the R-Cycle in front of them. Starfire flew alongside him.
"Where are they?" Robin demanded. "The HIVE students?"
"Well, I don't know," Beast Boy said, his tone mocking. "Uh..where were you?"
Robin shot Beast Boy an annoyed glance. After a moment Beast Boy decided to shut up. So they hadn't gotten here in time. No one was perfect.
"Let's go home," he said.
Everyone nodded. Slowly, everyone turned to leave.
"Do I have to do everything myself?" Robin muttered, hopping back on the R-cycle.
It seemed as though Robin wasn't aware that he said that out loud. No one said anything, though. They just got their butts kicked. And if they didn't figure out this mystery soon then they would get their butts kicked ten times over.
A/N: You know, Adeline is badass in her own way. Also, I stayed up REALLY late watching the meteor shower and was inspired to write that little flashback. I know it's a little slow, but this is an important chapter. I'm sort of pleased with how Superman's POV turned out. I added in Wonder Woman at the last minute and loved it!
Oh, and let's just assume that Adeline lives somewhere near Jump...I really don't know where she lives...
I feel like I'm a snobby English major with all of the literature quotes…
So I wasn't sure if this chapter would be done by the time I had to leave, but look! It's finished! I make no promises about the release date of the next chapter, since I'll be preparing to move back into my dorm once I come back from vacation, but still feel free to PM me if nothing comes out. I'll be updating my LiveJournal, though, so if you're a crazy Internet stalker and want to know when I'll be back then check that out.
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