The Wicked One
Chapter 22: Vexing
XXXXXXX
The cafeteria was so packed, so filled with unfamiliar faces. People dressed in costumes. People that she always used to warn us about. But these weren't heroes. Not the kind of costumed freaks that we were told to avoid, not the kind that killed my friend. They were a new thing, criminals, thieves, like I was trained to be, only dressed up. Only gifted. I could feel my cape draped over me, like some kind of cold blanket.
I wasn't gifted. Not like all these other people. What I had was a choice. And I chose wrong.
….
"That kid, he hasn't spoken at all yet has he?" Jinx spoke up, her eyes trained on someone across the cafeteria.
"What kid?" Mammoth questioned, his focus still on the food he was buried face deep in.
"The new kid, the one with the cape and bat ears. Gizmo you see who I'm talking about?"
"Yeah, he's a nobody." Gizmo replied, his back to where the boy in question was sitting, "The scarf for brains won't even talk and he's got nothing special about him, I don't even know why the headmistress let him in, it's not like he's going last long."
Jinx looked from Gizmo and then back to the new kid after he had finished talking. Her eyes seemed intent on something until she finally shrugged before taking a bite out of her own food.
"Yeah, you're probably right."
….
I could hear them talking about me, it sounded as though they were sitting right next to me, talking as though I wasn't there. I hated the new ears, I always had uncommonly good hearing but what I had now…it was maddening.
But it didn't help that I was focused on them. The headmistress told me about them when I first arrived. How they were the first of her students to take on the Titans, how they had the Titans beaten until Robin ultimately defeated them. She said they were the most promising of her students, that with the right tutelage and training they could be hired by worldwide criminal organizations. But I was only half listening at that point. All I needed to hear were two words. Titans and Robin.
"Hey there man! How's it going?" A cheery voice suddenly asked.
Number 72?
And there I was, back in that dimly lit warehouse. Alone in a sea of pale faces and dark leather. And there he was, the only one with a smile on his face. Walking up to me and introducing himself. Holding out his hand like we were some regular children in some regular school.
I looked down at the hand extended towards me. It's glove white, not black. I looked up into the face of the one with the white glove, his skin was dark, not the pale white I was expecting. Nor was I expecting the reflection of myself that I could clearly see in his large green eye.
"The name's See-More, what's yours?" He asked me, hand still outstretched. I could only look from his giant eye to his hand and back again. It was uncanny, how could he have the exact same smile.
"See-More, don't waste your time with him." Jinx spoke up, immediately all the idle chatter in the cafeteria quieted down.
"But…why?" See-More asked, his hand lowering as his eye looked from Jinx to me.
"Cause the guy is a nobody!" Gizmo pointed out, looking at me with squinted eyes, "He's got crud for brains."
"He does?" See-More asked, before bringing his attention back to me, "You do?"
I only looked back at him.
"Yeah! What are you supposed to be anyways?" Mammoth suddenly spoke up, his mouth full of food, "Some kind of creepy little bat boy? I bet he can't even fight!"
I remember someone like him. Another big lug we all had the displeasure of training with. He was the first to call me out on my ears. Number 72 made sure he was the last. I kept my eyes on the big Mammoth, though in the corner of them I could see that See-More was starting to back off, looking very uncomfortable.
"What's the matter little bat? Something I say hurt your feelings?" Mammoth said with a grin. There was dead silence in the cafeteria now. The big lug who called me out in the warehouse was a nobody and was quickly shut down, but Mammoth and his friends were different, they were the big time, the kings of this place.
"Mammoth, you're wasting your time as well. I don't think he even understands what you're saying." Jinx said, and even though she sounded sympathetic I did not miss the mocking smile she then threw me, neither did Gizmo.
"Haha, see! I told you he had crud for brains! I bet he wouldn't understand if I said he was a weak little skuzz-head who wasn't worthy of licking my shoes!" He held his small feet up for emphasis, long mechanical legs extended from his backpack to keep him afloat as he mocked me. His laughing was apparently infectious as the rest of the students soon started to follow.
I stood up then, the seat that I was sitting in falling to the ground, the noise of which cut through the laughter like a heated knife. I never liked laughing. Never liked the carefree recklessness of it. Never liked how it made it so easy to mock others. How he managed to laugh seconds before he died.
"Heh, hey Gizmo I think you made him mad." Mammoth pretended to whisper, still loud enough for everyone to hear. Gizmo's at first surprised expression was quickly replaced with a grin.
"Yeah, not liked he can do anything about it."
And then I was gone, pulled into the ice cold blackness. I returned in the midst of my classmates letting out surprised gasps. With a smooth motion I placed a hand on Gizmo's bald head. The little twerp let out a surprised yelp before flailing forwards, away from me.
"Hey!" Mammoth cried, I did not need to look over to know that he was attempting to attack me. This gave me enough time to grip my cloak and disappear into the darkness again. I returned to see that Mammoth had knocked off all the food on the table in his attempt to strike me.
"NO! Where'd he go! He's going to pay for that!"
"There!" Gizmo cried out, aiming some sort of gadget at me. It soon began to glow red so I vanished again. When I reappeared, on top of one of the tables, Gizmo already had it pointing at me again, a scorch mark on the wall where he had previously missed. Once again I disappeared just as soon as he fired, only to return to him pointing it back at me.
Is he tracking me somehow?
With that in mind I disappeared again, only dodging it by a hair. When I returned I was just where I wanted to be: in front of Mammoth.
"Hah! Got you now!" the giant ape of a man declared, reached for me with both arms. Knowing I had no time to use my cape I simply ducked under him, it was all I needed.
Mammoth let out a roar of pain as the red blast struck him in the face.
"Hey you can't do that! That's cheat-!" Gizmo tried to say but the darkness drowned him out as I vanished again. I reappeared directly behind him and swung an already prepared fist, aimed at the back of his little bald-.
A wave of pink was all I saw before my fist suddenly missed him and went straight into the corner of one of the tables. If I could have cried out in pain I would have. Instead I gripped my throbbing hand as I stumbled backwards.
"You really need to work on your predictability." Jinx spoke up, still sitting in her same seat, studying me with those bright pink eyes of hers.
"Haha! Got you now skuzz-head!" Gizmo declared, pointing his device back at me. I went to pull my cape, only to discover that it resisted me. Looking down I realized in horror that it had tied itself around one of the poles that kept the tables connected to the ground.
"Oh my, how unlucky." Jinx said with a chuckle. Gizmo's grin widened as his device began to glow red.
"And what is the meaning of this?"
"Headmistress!" Jinx, Mammoth, and Gizmo all said at once. Mammoth quickly patted out the small fires that still clung to his hair while Gizmo quickly pressed a button on the device, the glowing instantly died down. I turned to see the small old lady herself standing in the center of the cafeteria, as if she had been there all along.
"Would one of you care to explain why my three best students have resorted to petty school yard scuffling?" She questioned as she approached us. Stopping next to me she then grabbed the hem of my cloak and pulled, the material instantly untying itself from around the pole. She then turned to the three in question. "Well?"
"He started it Headmistress!" Gizmo quickly declared, pointing an accusing finger at me. I could begin to hear murmurings and chuckles rise up from the students around us.
"Yeah! He-!" Mammoth began only to be interrupted when the Headmistress suddenly stomped one high healed boot to the ground, the resulting echo rang loudly in the room and quickly silenced everyone.
"I do not want to hear excuses." The old woman affirmed, looking each one of the three dead in the eyes, one by one all their heads fell, "You three are the pride of this school, you should be setting examples to the rest of your fellow students, not acting like untrained children."
"Yes ma'am." The three of them said in perfect unison. The Headmistress looked at them for a moment before throwing me a sideways glance and looking back at them.
"Now tell me. Did Kyd Wykkyd truly instigate anything? Was he the first to attack? Was he the first to insult you?"
"Well…you see…" Gizmo started to say only to drift off when See-More suddenly stepped out from the crowd. I looked over to him and our eyes met.
"Ma'am, if I may. I saw everything, Kyd Wykkyd didn't start anything, he was just…just defending his honor."
"Oh?" The Headmistress spoke as See-More turned his eye to her, "Are you being honest with me?"
"Yes ma'am." See-More spoke. I could immediately hear muffled cursing from Gizmo and Mammoth, though Jinx only kept her head bowed.
"What of the rest of my students? Surely you all witnessed everything. Does See-More speak the truth? Was Kyd Wykkyd merely defending his honor?"
The room was quiet at first, but as the Headmistress's stern eyes scanned over each and every face there quickly grew a quiet murmuring of agreement between all of them.
"Well then I must say I am impressed." The Headmistress said as she turned to me, I looked back at her, genuinely confused "None of my other students could ever say they took on the three of my best and were still conscious enough to get them in trouble for it."
"But, Headmistress-." Gizmo and Mammoth both muttered.
"Enough!" The Headmistress interrupted before turning on all three of them, "There is a fine line between what is acceptable and what is unacceptable within my school and while I do not pride my students in their abilities to follow rules I do expect them to know where that line is and how they should cross it. You three have not only defied me but have also managed to make me ashamed to call myself your teacher…"
The Headmistress then looked into each of their faces before looking out amongst the rest of the students.
"Let these three's embarrassment be a lesson to the rest of you all. The next student who so blatantly crosses my line will receive more than just a tongue lashing. Now off to class with all of you, I believe the cafeteria will be closing early today."
With that the students dispersed, all mumbling and grumbling and shooting me dirty looks. We all knew who was really to blame. But no one would dare get upset with those three. Not the three that could take on the Teen Titans…
"See-More, I would like you and Kyd Wykkyd to stay behind for a moment."
"A-are we in trouble ma'am?" See-More asked as he walked up to us. The Headmistress waited until all the students left and silence had fallen into the cafeteria.
"No See-More, you are not in trouble." The Headmistress finally replied, See-More in turn letting out a deep sigh of relief, "But there is a favor I would ask of you."
"…ma'am?"
"When I started this school I had always wanted either of two things to evolve when it came to my students relationships with one other. Either complete unity or complete individuality. I still strive for either one to this day, but I am not blind. Students succeed today by forming groups, not one complete one, but numerous, smaller groups, doing all they can to avoid other groups of students. I've seen many a potential child leave my school all because they could never find a group of their own." The Headmistress then turned her eyes to me. "I do not want this to become of you Kyd Wykkyd. There is much potential I see in you, and I do not wish to lose it simply because my other students refuse to accept you. That is why I am asking you, See-More, to allow him to join your group, or if you do not have one, to form one with you."
"You mean…be his friend?"
"Friendship is not necessary, I personally would advise against such attachments. All I ask of you is to accept Kyd Wykkyd."
See-More than turned to me, I looked back at him, trying my best to avoid looking at my reflection in his giant lens. Then he smiled, such a care-free, familiar smile I felt my heart skip a beat and for an instant 72 was standing before me, pale skin, dark hair, and happy, happy smile.
"I think I can do that ma'am." See-More spoke, breaking the illusion, but he then stretched out his hand towards me, smile still firmly in place, "What do ya say, Kyd Wykkyd, wanna be my fr- ah, be a part of my…group?"
And as awkward as he was, as scary as the Headmistress's eyes were, and as forced as this all felt I couldn't help but let the smallest of smiles escape my control as I gripped See-More's hand in acceptance.
XXXXXX
"Whatcha thinking about?" Kid Flash asked, Jinx jumping in response.
"I told you to stop sneaking up on me like that!" Jinx shot before turning away from him, arms folded.
"Sorry about that! You just looked like you were lost in your thoughts…didn't know how else to get your attention without scaring you…" Kid Flash explained as he approached her, "So what-."
"Are Robin and Cyborg still looking for their bad guy?" Jinx interrupted, still not looking at him.
"Yeah!" Kid Flash answered, moving to stand beside her, "No luck yet so far."
"That's too bad."
There was silence between the two then. Kid Flash kept trying to catch her eyes but Jinx kept her gaze focused straight forward, not even giving a sign that she knew what Kid Flash was doing. After a short while Kid Flash gave up and turned his gaze so that they were both looking out to the expanse of the sea.
"You know…if you're upset about how the Titans are treating you-."
"I'm not upset."
"Well it would be natural if you were, I mean they keep a tracker on you at all times and-."
"I used to be one of the bad guys Kid Flash, remember? They aren't going to suddenly welcome me with open arms just because I helped them against the Brotherhood of Evil."
"But that took a lot of courage to leave your friends and your life like you did. More courage than what a lot of these Honorary Titans have if you ask me."
"They weren't friends Kid Flash, they were classmates and accomplices. And in case you haven't noticed a few of them were with the group that attacked the Tower and took Raven and Beastboy."
"I remember you and I were brainwashed to be a part of that group. Who knows what other tricks they could have used on your former teammates to get them to work for them? Robin can't suspect it was you had anything to do-."
"He can and he does." Jinx interrupted finally turning on him, "I knew what Kyd Wykkyd was capable of should he get released, I knew that See-More wasn't with them when they got frozen, but I didn't say anything to the Titans."
"You didn't say anything because you didn't know all this would happen!" Kid Flash argued, "I mean none of us would think that Titan's sister would find a way to come to Earth and be able to bust out any of the bad guys, or that any of the Titans who weren't captured being unable to handle the ones who went for them. None of us saw this coming Jinx, and you shouldn't blame yourself for-."
"I'm not blaming myself!" Jinx shot, pink flashes of energy shooting from her eyes, "I was just standing here daydreaming until you showed up and started accusing me of all these thoughts and feelings that I don't have!"
"Okay, okay!" Kid Flash quickly replied, holding his hands up defensively, "It's just…you've seemed sadder than usual is all…"
"Yeah, well, it's just your imagination." Jinx replied, fire gone from her eyes as she turned away from Kid Flash. It grew quiet again and Jinx was about to turn around to see if Kid Flash had left when a pair of arms suddenly wrapped themselves around her waist.
"Kid Flash? Wha-?"
"I worry about you, okay?" Kid Flash whispered in her ear. Jinx felt a blush rise on her face; her small hands placed themselves gently on Kid Flash's larger, gloved ones.
"I know. But you don't need to. I'm fine."
"You know I can tell when you're upset. That's how I knew you weren't meant to be a villain when we first met."
"Oh yeah?" Jinx asked, allowing her eyes to close as she fell into his body slightly.
"Yeah. And that's how I can tell something is bothering you right now."
"…I'd rather not talk about it."
"That's fine…it's mostly just good to know I was right."
Kid Flash let out a chuckle that was quickly replaced with a grunt when Jinx sent a playful elbow into his side.
"Just kidding, just kidding!"
Kid Flash then slowly sat down on the cool, grassy ground, Jinx going down with him willingly, remaining held in his arms.
"I never thanked you, you know." Jinx said, breaking through the silence this time.
"Thanked me for what?"
"For helping me leave. Helping me realize I could be more than just a criminal."
"Oh I didn't really do anything. When it came down to it you're the one who made the big choice."
"Well if it wasn't for you I could have very well been with the rest of them in one of those frozen cells." Jinx said softly, letting herself fall into him, "Just…thanks for helping me see that there was even a choice for me at all."
Kid Flash chuckled softly before placing a light kiss on the back of Jinx's head. "There's always a choice Jinx, thank you for making the right one."
Despite the turmoil growing in her mind. Despite the guilt and pain hidden deep within her chest. Jinx could not help but smile and enjoy the simple feeling of being safe in his arms. If only just this once.
XXXXXX
We went through each room so quickly; it was just like one long blur of expensive furniture and bright purple colors. It really would have been a great time to flex our stealing muscles if it was a different situation.
Our first few stops were the largest rooms: the throne room and what we suspected to be the royal bedroom, both were empty. Then as we narrowed our search through rooms smaller and smaller something quickly dawned on us.
"This place is completely empty!" See-More exclaimed as we teleported into what had to be at least the 70th room, I had honestly lost count. See-More paced around the room, his eye focusing on the palace that surrounded it. "I was thinkin' that maybe Tamaranians were cold blooded or something and that's why I can't see any of their heat signatures but…"
See-More than looked down to the ground.
"There's something way down at the bottom. Probably the dungeon…not that I really want to go back down in there…"
I looked around the room we were in. It was messy. But only slightly. A drawer slightly open, bed sheets slightly askew. Something I wouldn't have noticed had we not been previously looking at completely flawless rooms for the last hour. As See-More continued to walk and talk to himself I decided to poke around. I went through the drawers first, only to find that they were completely empty. Had some of the drawers not been slightly open I could have assumed this room simply wasn't used. But as I looked around I noticed that the room seemed slightly more furnished than the others…slightly brighter to. I took another look at the bed sheet and realized it was very different than the others. It was bright pink; where as every other bed was a darker shade of red. I instantly recognized the bed sheet and as I looked around the room, every piece of furniture, even the way they were positioned, brought back memories, memories of the time I snuck through the Titan's tower. The time I went through their bedrooms. The time I was in Starfire's bedroom.
Starfire.
The realization hit me as soon as the door burst open. I grabbed my cloak and turned in time to see the Tamaranian herself, clothes torn, hair a mess, and bright green eyes glowing brighter than a fire.
"Uh oh…" See-More mumbled.
"Why are you in my room!" The Titan cried, her fists glowing as green as her eyes, "Explain yourselves!"
"Ah, actually…we were just leaving!" See-More replied before quickly stepping beside me, "Right Kyd Wykkyd?"
I nodded and raised an arm to pull the cloak over us, but before I could do so green energy suddenly shot from Starfire's eyes, slamming straight into See-More's chest and sending him crashing into the vanity behind us. Before I had time to react the Titan was in front of me, her hand holding my wrist and an unimaginably strong grip keeping my arm from rising any further.
"Why are my own people attacking me?" Starfire hissed, her bright green eyes piercing into mine, "Why is my k'norfka's palace empty! Answer me!"
I wasn't sure if the Titan remembered that I couldn't answer her even if I wanted to. What I was sure of was that she was a simple clenched fist away from shattering my wrist. I could see that her glowing eyes were seconds away from blasting me the way she did with See-More. I wonder if he's-
"Kyd! Duck!" See-More suddenly cried, and despite my predicament I reacted in an instant. I lashed out with my one free hand, the claws cutting across the Titan's face. She let out a cry of pain before releasing me and as soon as I was free I hit the floor, narrowly avoiding the large green orb as it sailed over me and into the Titan as she held her face.
The prison orb took her in before bouncing slightly against the wall.
"Release me! Now!" The Titan cried, slamming her orange fists against the bubble, causing ripples to appear but nothing else. Only one eye glowed fiercely at us now, the other closed shut by the deep looking scratch marks that now decorated one side of her face.
"Oh man…did you really have to cut her so bad?" See-More questioned as he stood back up.
I was just trying to escape… I thought to myself as I looked over at my comrade. I could see that the costume around his chest was now completely singed away; the now revealed skin burned a bright red color.
Not that she was holding back either.
I looked down at my clawed hand. The once black tips were now colored red and I couldn't help but notice how much my hand was beginning to twitch.
"Maybe we should get goin'…" See-More mused; I looked up to see Starfire still pounding away at the bubble.
"Do not leave me!" The Titan hissed, then with a cry of rage the green laser eyes appeared again, only now just shooting from one eye. See-More and I were instantly focused on the burning red mark the beam was creating against the bubble.
"Er…maybe we should go…like right now!" See-More suggested, stepping up closer to me, "My bubble wasn't made to handle things like that!"
Starfire is Number 26's sister…
The thought hit me randomly but it shook me to the core. I remembered Blackfire mentioning her sister; I remember the spite that was in her voice. This was our leverage, this was our chance.
"Kyd?...Where are you going?" I heard See-More ask as I walked away from him and towards the Titan in the bubble, I ignored him.
"Hey man…I don't think that's such a good idea…"
I did not stop walking until I stood before the Titan, I could barely see her through the red glow of her eye beam against the wall of the bubble, but I made sure that if it was possible for her to see me that she could. I took in a very slow, very deep breath.
"Kyd?"
Without another moment's pause I threw my clawed hand into the cell, and into the green laser. My glove was instantly incinerated, I couldn't see it any longer but I could feel it burn away. But while I did feel my hand heat up it did not hurt...it did not burn. I slowly began to exhale as I stepped further into the cell, hand still outstretched. The green energy was now behind my hand, being held back by my palm. And despite being able to see the ugly black and purple thing I could not be more thankful for it right then at that moment.
I pushed the beam further and further back as I stepped closer and closer to the Titan, I was now completely within the cell, my hand inches away from the Titan's face.
"Do not stop me!" The Titan cried, still fruitlessly trying to burn through my hand, "Do not get in my way! I must find my people, I must find my k'norfka!"
I look another step closer and suddenly the beam stopped. I hesitated then and it was long enough for her to reach out and grip my arm again. Only this time the grip wasn't painful…it was weak…gentle.
"Please…" Starfire breathed, I looked at her face and was taken aback when I saw that the green glow replaced her one good eye, replaced with tears, "Please don't stop me…."
"You know something…" See-More suddenly spoke up, causing me to jump slightly at how close he sounded. I turned my head slightly to see that he was standing right outside the bubble, his single eye focused directly on the Titan's single eye. "Something that's scarin' you…"
The Titan looked surprised at first, but the surprise quickly gave way to grief before she let her head fall, the hand that gripped my arm falling to her side. The hair that fell around her was tattered and even burned in places.
"I must find my k'norfka, something has happened to him." She said simply, her voice sounding very much defeated, the fire and anger gone. "I do not care why you are here; I just wish to find him."
"Er…is a k'nerfglah like…family or something?" See-More asked softly, the Titan nodding slowly in reply, her head still bowed. I finally lowered my arm, the twitching in my hand finally stopping.
"Well we're actually here to find Blackfire…she's your sister right? Does sister mean k'nafknamah?"
"Blackfire…?" Starfire breathed finally looking up, I instantly took a step back; her one good eye was glowing again. "My sister is here?"
"Uh…yeah?"
Damnit See-More.
"Release me." Starfire spoke, standing straight up, her eye looking past me, focusing directly on See-More, "I must find my sister and stop whatever it is she is planning."
"Um…well maybe I can do that-."
"You will do it!"
"Okay okay I will! But uh…well…do you think you could…take us with you?"
I turned on See-More in a flash, giving him my best 'what the hell' look. To which he promptly ignored, his one big eye looking up hopefully at Starfire. The Titan looked back down at him though her gaze switched between the both of us.
"If I recall correctly you two were working with my sister. You broke into our home and stole friend Raven and Beastboy."
"Well technically it was just friend Raven…the green guy kinda just snuck on…"
"Where are they?" The Titan demanded, pushing past me so that she was face to face with See-More, with only the wall of the bubble between them.
"Ah…well…last time we saw them they were fighting with Blackfire and some really big Tamaranian guy…" See-More muttered, stepping back slightly.
"My k'norfka! He was fighting my friends? Why!"
I tried to catch See-More's eye behind the Titan's back, tried to let him know somehow that he was telling her too much. That he was ruining our best shot. See-More finally glanced over at me, though it lasted less than a second.
"I…I'm not sure…"
I breathed out a silent sigh of relief.
"Then you must know where they are now! You must take me to them!"
"Well I don't know exactly where they are now…but you're in luck! Me and Kyd are a great team for finding people" The dirty look I shot at him quickly vanished when the Titan looked back at me "…we can help…if you promise to let us talk to Blackfire before you do…whatever you plan on doing to her."
The Titan remained silent as she looked between us again. Finally she let out a sigh.
"Robin would be most furious at me if I befriended criminals…"
"We don't have to be friends or anything!" See-More quickly assured, "Just think of us as…er…people with similar interests?"
I rubbed my good hand over my face.
"Are you both sure you could not rethink your paths? Perhaps become good so this 'working together' can be easier?"
See-More and I exchanged glances.
"Well…I wouldn't say Kyd and I are really…bad…I mean we're bad but like…we aren't…evil? Well I'm not evil; I don't know about Kyd Wykkyd over there, he's been acting kind of darker lately. Oh sorry about that scratch by the way, I think Kyd is sorry to."
I quickly nodded in agreement, though the Titan merely looked confused.
"Scratch?"
"You know…the one on your face…?"
The Titan stepped back slightly so that she was facing the both of us and raised one careful hand on her face, her fingers brushing along the cuts. She pulled back her hand, the surprise in her face growing when she saw the blood that now decorated her fingers. I felt my own clawed fingers twitch again.
"I did not even know…is it horrible?"
See-More and I exchanged glances.
"No not at all!" See-More quickly assured as I shook my head to agree with him.
"But why can I not see out of one eye?"
"Er…it'll stop being like that…soon."
"I see…"
"Here, let me see if we can use some of these bed sheets as a bandage or something…er you don't mind do you?"
"No, it is fine." The Titan said simply, still staring somewhat sadly at her bloodied fingers. See-More then went off to go tear up her bed.
It was a wonder what I was becoming. My clawed hand felt stiff and cold, unfeeling, but as I looked into the Titan's sad, more than likely scarred face I felt something. Something I hadn't felt since seeing the cuts on 72's face. And despite my best intentions my more human hand reached out and gripped her shoulder. Starfire looked up at me, looking confused. I could imagine that I probably looked just as confused as her and with great effort I gave my sworn enemy the best smile I could muster.
The Titan looked back at me for a moment before her own smile began to form before breaking out into a full blown giggle. I quickly retracted my hand.
"You know…you are not as frightening as you first appear." The Titan announced, making me really wish I still had my cowl. See-More laughed somewhere behind me, over the noise of torn fabric.
"That's what all his friends say, eh Kyd?"
…I hate you.
XXXXXXX
"No!" Robin shouted, slamming a fist against the wall.
"I'm sorry Robin but scans are coming back negative. None of these guys have the capabilities of space travel."
"Check them again."
"This is the third time I've scanned them. None of them can do it, we need another plan."
"This is the best plan we have!" Robin declared turning to face the rows of frozen villains. "One of these low lives was supposed to actually have some purpose."
"Well it turns out they don't." Cyborg replied, walking up to stand beside his leader. "Robin, we need a new plan."
"Nothing we do will help Starfire in time."
"It's only been a day man, and Starfire is a strong girl, stronger than all of us put together, literally. She'll be fine until we can think of a way to help her out."
"How far a long are Titan's East from completing their ship?"
"A few months at least. Up until this point they were only working on the thing for fun. But even after it's built we still have to test it-."
"I want you with them. And I want the ship to be ready to fly in a week."
"Robin…even with me there I don't think-."
"Cy." Robin interrupted, his somber tone catching his metal friend's eyes, "Please."
"Alright, man. I'll try." Cyborg said with a sigh before casting his sight to the doors that led to outside. "And what about Jinx and Kid Flash? You want me to keep an eye on either of them?"
"No, I am going to have them join up with the Honorary Titans to move these villains to more secure locations."
"Why do I get the feeling you are not going to take part in that particular mission?"
"I have my own mission." Robin announced as he began to make his way away from the wall of frozen cells. Cyborg remained where he stood, looking after his leader.
"You don't think it might be a bad idea to have her out of our sights?"
"Jinx has proven herself on more than one occasion. If we are going to fully trust her we need to start letting our guards down…but I will keep radio contact with the other Titans should that not work as planned."
"Gotcha…mind if I ask what this… personal mission of yours entails?"
Robin stopped just before the door that lead out of the room. He paused for only a moment, his back to his friend.
"I'll just be…catching up with an old friend." And with that Robin left the room, leaving Cyborg with only more questions.
XXXXXX
The three of us walked down the hall in silence. It was an awkward silence, not the kind I preferred. See-More walked ahead of us, his eye scanning every room we passed, I knew without asking that every room he looked into was empty. This whole palace was empty…empty except for the dungeon.
"Pardon me for asking…" The Titan spoke up as we walked; I glanced sideways at her only to see that she was already looking directly at me. She smiled when our eyes met and I quickly looked away. "You are Kyd Wykkyd, yes?"
I nodded.
"And you can…how do you say…teleport?"
I nodded again, still not looking at her.
"Is that why my sister…why Blackfire freed you? For your powers?"
Even if I could speak I could not give the Titan the answer she wanted. It was a question even I was still looking for the answer to. So I simply shrugged, keeping my eyes focused on the end of this hallway, the last hallway that See-More and I were to search before all that was left was the basement…
"Blackfire hired us sayin' that she needed to be busted out of some prison." See-More spoke up as we continued to walk. "Well not me exactly, I kinda joined up on my own…"
"The last I saw my sister she was the ruler of my people. My friends and I defeated her and I had her banished from Tamaran…I do not understand how she has returned…or why my own people have turned against me…"
"Hey, I'm sure it's not all that bad…"
"Do you not see me!" Starfire suddenly cried, forcing See-More and I to stop, "I was attacked before I could even reach my planet! I had to fight…to hurt my own people to reach my own home safely!"
See-More and I could only look back at her. There was nothing we could say. The Titan glared back at us, tears welling up in her one visible eye again, the other covered away by a ripped sheet of fabric.
"Why did you work for my sister? Why did you allow all this to happen!" The Titan suddenly declared, stepping up to us.
"Er…" See-More muttered, looking back at me for guidance. I looked to him and thinking quickly pointed to my neck…really hoping he could see what had changed about it. "Wha…oh yeah!"
"Well you see, my good pal Kyd Wykkyd had this collar thing on his neck that Blackfire put on him…I remember Fixit saying she could use it to track him and even kill him if she wanted to! She said she'd only remove it if we help her…when I found out about everything I had to help Kyd out…he's my…friend… you know…"
"Friend? Villains do not have friends." The Titan asserted, still glaring at us, a single tear breaking free from her eye. "They only hurt and take away other's friends!"
"Well thats kinda harsh don't you think? I mean yeah me and Kyd are criminals but we're still people right? And it's not like we broke into your Tower with the intention of stealing Titans! That's just how it…worked out…"
I let out an inaudible sigh before moving over to stand closer to See-More. Out of all the people who were left from our little group. It had to be two who could not negotiate. Starfire's glare deepened, her fists rose at her sides, glowing green. I gripped my cape and held it like a wall between See-More and I and the Titan. See-More quickly threw up his hands defensively.
"Whoa whoa! What're you doing! I thought we were gonna work togeth-!"
"It was a mistake!" Starfire cried, "Why are we even walking through this hallway! You said my people were in the dungeon so why are we not there!"
"I said there was something down there; I don't know what it is!"
"You are wasting my time on purpose!"
Another step in our direction, we both took another step back.
"This was the last hallway left, we were gonna check it then check out the dungeon place together, we can't be all hasty in case it's another trap…and from what you've said you've been through trying to get it here it probably is one…"
"How can I tell what a trap is! Being with you could be a trap!"
Another step taken forward and back.
"Starfire…" See-More spoke, his voice sounding softer than before, I glanced over at him to see his large green eye reflecting Starfire's face perfectly, "I know you're upset…you feel hurt and betrayed…you can't trust anyone…not after what your own family has done to you…not after what Robin did…"
Starfire's once anger filled face was instantly replaced with surprise and then horror.
"What…how could you…" Anger quickly returned as she placed a hand over her eye, "Stop it! Don't look at me like that! My feelings are my own, they are not for you to see! Do not think you can just look at me and pretend to know how I…how I…"
"I'm not pretending Star." See-More spoke, his tone cutting through the air like ice. I could not take my eyes off of his eye. Was this even the same guy anymore? "Look I know we're the bad guys but you can trust us…we gotta work together if we want to stop your sister and save your friends…"
"I…" Starfire mumbled, hand still over her eye, "I…no."
Suddenly the Titan stood, hand moving away from the eye, which now was glowing bright green. I reacted in an instant, shoving See-More to the side just as the blast of energy connected with my shoulder, sending me sailing down the hallway. I tried to grab my cape as I whizzed through the air, but just as I felt my hand close around the material I hit the ground, the impact knocking the wind out of me and forcing my cape up above my head.
"Kyd!" I heard See-More call. Head spinning I slowly stood up, I could see the Titan, back facing me as she began running down the hall the way we had come from.
"Kyd man are you okay!" See-More asked, running up to me, though his eye went over to the Titan as well. "Maybe we should go…if you teleport…"
We can't win without her.
I took a few steps towards the Titan.
Without her, Blackfire wins.
"Kyd! Wait, man, what are you doing!"
Without her the other students will still be frozen…
I began to run after her, ignoring the frantic calls of my teammate.
Without her I will never be able to escape and punish those who took my only friend from me!
I gripped my cape and pulled it around me as I ran. I ran through the never ending darkness for a fraction of a second before I was again running down the hallway, only now it was towards the Titan who was now running towards me.
"Do not stop me!" She cried, hands glowing green, "I shall not hold back!"
And with that she threw her bolts of energy at me. I danced around them. All I saw were objects. Slabs of stone, little robot drones.
"Man, you're way too good at this thing, I never had a chance."
I ducked, weaved, and avoided the bolts of energy as if they were the wind blowing fruitlessly around me. I could see the surprise and anger more clearly now that I was closer. I expected to see pain as I shoved my fist into her stomach. Instead her anger only intensified.
"Your efforts are pointless." The Titan hissed before raising her arm and back handing me across the face. It felt like the force of a hurricane as I was sent immediately into the wall. "Do not stand in my way!"
I was dazed, battered, and bruised. Through my blurred vision I could see the Titan walking towards me. There was no hero I could see in that face so marred by destruction. I could only see hatred and fury. I smiled despite myself. It was like looking into a mirror.
"Leave Kyd alone!" See-More suddenly shouted, an instant later a red hot laser blasted itself into the Titans back. The alien let out a hiss of anger, the glow in her eyes growing impossibly more intense as she turned on my comrade.
"What do ya say Kyd Wykkyd? Do you want to be my fr- ah, be a part of my…group?"
He was just a kid. A shirtless, battered eye'd kid. He was the first person who was ever nice to me after I left that academy of assassins. He was the first person who treated me as a…
"Don't worry man, even though Fixit is saying a million times in my eye that this is a bad idea. I still got your back!"
And there it was. That smile. That smile that was so much like 72's. It was 72's. Just on a different face. On See-More's face. On the face of my…friend.
I turned my now clearing vision on the alien that was slowly approaching See-More. The Titan with her hands and eye glowing a fierce shade of murder. I tasted blood in my mouth, I clenched my one good hand. Its clawed brother was no longer flinching, it clenched and un-clenched itself on its own accord. It knew what I wanted, and it only wished to obey. I quickly stood on shaking legs, my body ached horribly, but I would not let myself fall. I stared straight at the Titan as I made my run for her.
I will not let a Titan kill another one of my friends!
I raced at her, my claw at the ready. And I screamed, I knew it could not be heard but I screamed all the same. I imagined it would have been a glorious scream, one that would have shaken all the empty walls of this palace, one that would have shaken the Tamaranian to the core.
When I was close enough I did not have to tell my claw what to do before it stroked. With one unconscious sweep of my arm it raked across the back of the Titan, tearing through clothing and skin like a hot knife through butter. The Titan's screams quickly filled the hall instead of my own. Blood poured like a fountain from her wounds as she collapsed to her hands and knees at my feet. I looked down at her and back to my claw, it was coated in the blood and it trembled. I could feel its ecstasy, its hunger, it wanted more…and I would give it all it required!
The claw rose on its own, there was no need for me to persuade it. I stared into the bleeding wounds in the Titan's back. Just one good thrust. That's all it would take. JUST ONE GOOD THRUST AND THAT'S ALL IT WOULD TAKE!
"Kyd no! Don't do it!" See-More cried out. I looked up to see him running at me just as my hand descended. There was not time for him to stop me, no time for-.
"Assuming control." A disembodied yet familiar voice suddenly declared. An instant later See-More's green eye switched suddenly from green to red and before I had time to react a red ball was all I could see before I was over taken.
"Are you truly this much of a fool? To let this go on for so long?" the same voice continued.
"Fixit? Is that you!"
"Yes See-More. I did not wish for you to learn this way but now is not the time. I must deal with the matter at hand."
"But…how come I don't see you anywhere?"
"Like I said there is no time for me to explain. Let's just say I am your eye. Now, about Kyd Wykkyd-."
"Right! Oh man Kyd!"
See-More placed his face and hands against my red prison bubble. I looked at him, but while I did not wish to move the red-soaked claw lurched forwards, digging itself into the space of the bubble where See-More had just been a second ago.
"Hey man relax! It's me! It's See-More!"
I tried to tell him through my eyes that I knew. I wasn't controlling the claw. I couldn't…
"Has the corruption finally seeped into your brain Kyd Wykkyd?" Fixit's voice questioned, I noticed that the red light that replaced the green of See-More's eye flickered as he talked, "Just what where you trying to accomplish by killing her?"
I didn't…I wasn't…I just wanted to protect…
"Yeah man what gives! H.I.V.E doesn't just kill people…we don't kill people man…what's happened to you?"
The claw still tried to tear itself free from the prison. But as I held See-More's gaze I placed my only remaining hand against the ball.
This isn't me See-More. That claw isn't me. You have to believe me See-More. I just wanted to protect you…I just wanted to protect my friend.
I stared into his eye, knowing that both See-More and Fixit were staring back. Out of everyone in the world they were the only ones I had left. They needed me…I needed them. There was no way we could save our fellow teammates and get out of here if we weren't together. We had to stay together…
"I am afraid this is where we part ways Kyd Wykkyd." Fixit's voice spoke up, the usual cold tone of his voice now felt like a spear cutting into my chest. "You have become too dangerous and are too much of a risk at the success for this mission."
There is no success if there is just you! I shouted in my head, hoping that he was paying attention. You can't just sacrifice people and expect anything good to come from it! You can't do this alone Fixit!
"Come See-More. We need to get moving if we hope to escape this planet."
See-More and I held gazes.
See-More…please…if you can hear me…
"What about the Titan?" See-More asked, looking away from me and down to the Tamaranian who now lay motionless on the ground, a pool of blood surrounding her.
"She has lost too much blood. Even if she were to live she is too weak to be of any use. It is time to go now See-More."
See-More…
"See ya Kyd." See-More spoke, not bothering to look at me again as he began to walk down the hall way.
Please don't leave me! I screamed in my head as I slammed both claw and fist against the ball. Please! Come back! You can't do this alone! You need me! You need-!
But See-More was gone. Without a second glance he walked down the hallway and out the door. I was alone. Alone with the Titan that I had killed.
…I need you…
XXXXXX