Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or any thin' else that needs a disclaimer.

A THUNDER AND LIGHTNING AU STORY

CHAPTER 5

So, after we ran a couple miles or blocks Tavis and I ended up stopping at a bar for some cola because we got thirsty after all that running.

I would be lying if I said we didn't get any mean looks when we walked into the bar. We werent particularly naive because we honestly forgot that we had to be past a specific age to be inside a bar. But we passed this bouncer and he didn't seem to notice. So Tavis and my immediate thoughts were, "okay, cool."

We had a couple colas and was laughing at some stupid Rita Farr movie on the TV. I guess the leading man really didn't give a damn about her character. Especially if he just left her like that, and said something so frank to her,

This continued for a couple minutes until we were approached by this dude who had a giant tattoo on his cheek, it was of an X.

"You guys look under age," he said with this hard demeanour, like he was the one to own this bar or something. He had a couple of cronies behind him.

Tavis gave the dude this look like he didn't very well give a crap, but I did. I about broke out in a cold sweat when Tavis gave me a reassuring look, like any minute now we weren't gonna go to jail under suspicion, or for breaking the law.

"Hey," the X dude said pointing at me, "I bet I could beat you at arm wrestling. You look like you lift weights."

That was particularly true. The only time I did actually work out was when I was made to do pushups in gym, or when playing the drums... If you considered that working out itself. Truly, playing the drums did a number on my arms. Therefore I say to X cheek dude, "ah, we'll leave. We probably aren't supposed to be here as it is—"

Tavis cut me off. "Bro, stop being such a pansy. You probably can beat this dude at arm wrestling and all of his cronies too."

X dude frowned at Tavis's remark scratching his nose. "Well, I'll be the judge of that when we get this thing started. Are you in?"

I was going to shake my head, but my brother glared at me with scrutiny and maybe I could give this dude a talking to with my strength.

Arm wrestling started immediately. Tavis was behind me rooting for me, and tables and chairs were shuffled out the way. Everyone in the bar who had drinks in their hands and buzzed smiles, as well as waiters and collar workers looked on at Jason and me. Yeah, I found out that the dude who I was arm wrestling's name was Jason Todd, but he went by the pseudonym Xavier Redding for some reason. But Jason Todd was a name easier to remember, and he was a mean guy.

Admittedly, the dude had strength, he had the flex and ability to arm wrestle me without straining anything, but I had that too. So that is why the game was at an anticipating standstill. Who was going to beat the infamous Jason Todd?

"Gan, you can so do this!" Tavis said encouragingly, "'member when we were eight and you broke my arm. We were doing the exact same thing!—come on! You can break this pricks arm too, can't ya?!"

Sweat beads came about on my temple, and Jason almost got me. But my leverage stopped that diabolical from happening. Thank The Lord.

Eventually my arm was going to art smart his arm. For real, it was. Yet, you know who kept that from happening? The very man who started this competitive ordeal.

He broke his hand away from mines so abruptly that I almost fell back in my chair, Tavis prevented that though. Man, I have the greatest brother in the world.

Anyway, Jason stood up(his cronies appeared behind him again once more) and he held out his hand in a way that said "gimme!" "Gimme!"

Tavis said, "what are you tryin' to say dude?"

The tattooed guy laughed and everyone else in the room along with him laughed too. Every one stared at Tavis and me like we were to know better.

"Pay up," one of the cronies said, "you owe X some nuggets."

"What?" My brother said. "We owe him some take out?"

"No! Stupido! You owe him some money!"

"We don't have that!" Tavis and I say in unison.

"Gan was about to beat you Jason, and you didn't like that. You a-ss!"

"What did you jus' say to me? Hold up! Everybody what did this litte twit jus' say to me?"

Yeah, I knew that his question was rhetorical. But his repertoire was obnoxious.

"My bro called you a donkey!"

Tavis continued, "I mean, what stupid nymph has a tattoo on their face? Yeah, you!"

Jason balled up his fist. "Watch it!"

Gaily my brother still continued, "you probably need some money to take that X off your face. What does the X stand for? That you're wrong, that you're an error, an imbecilic little—"

"You called for it!"

We ran. Out that bar. Into the unknown. We didn't want to be mince meat.

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