Chapter 10
10 Days Later
Predator landed on a rooftop, taking view of the city before him. The lights shined bright and the nighttime wind carried the scent of the city through the air. Everything was so peaceful and quiet. He dropped his hood, feeling the air blow against him. Predator cracked his neck, relieving a tense muscle. He shrugged it off, and turned up the volume on his communicator. The music rang louder over the distant city sounds.
"So don't let me down again,
Praise me, free me.
Don't let me down again,
Hear my disaster.
Don't let me down again,
Blame me, bleed me-"
His music was interrupted when his Communicator started beeping rapidly. Letting out a sigh, he opened it and pressed the button, allowing the Titans to appear on screen.
"What?" Predator said, bluntly.
"Well hello to you, too, Stripes." Cyborg said sarcastically.
"Funny. Whaddya want?"
"Just wanted to check and see how're you enjoying the new radio system I added to the T-Coms? Figured you could use it to occupy yourself."
"Well I was listenin' to somethin' good but then ya cut me off. But...it ain't bad."
"How's your patrol going?" Robin asked.
Titans Tower
Cyborg, Beast Boy and Robin looked at the screen while Raven sat on the couch reading her book. Starfire sat next to her, feeding Silkie his bottle of pink liquid zorchaberries.
"It's really quiet." Predator answered. "Nothin' outta the ordinary. It's kinda buggin' me."
"You sure you can handle night patrol on your own?" Robin asked. "You haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately."
"I'm good."
"You sure? One of us can come help you out if you want."
"Ooh, ooh! I'll go!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "I'm always up for Wild Boys 2."
"No way, man! I'm not gonna go viral again 'cause you can't stay up all night. Look, guys, I'm fine; I can handle things myself. I don't need sleep, I don't need help and I definitely don't need charity, okay?"
"Man, you're starting to sound like Robin." Cyborg said, receiving a scowl from Robin.
"Don't you think he kind of looks like-"
"You better not bring that up again!" Predator growled, pushing through the huge screen and pointing a finger at Beast Boy. "I swear to God!"
"Dude, is there anything else you worry about other than vigilantism?" BB sighed.
"Whaddya mean?" Predator said, shrinking back into the communicator.
"You hardly do anything except go on night patrols; you barely even come out of your room anymore."
"I hate to say it, but BB's right, man." Cyborg said. "You've been a pretty inconspicuous lately. Is something on your mind?"
"No, seriously I'm good." Predator said. "I'm just...not much of a social guy, y'know?"
"Who does that remind you of?" Beast Boy glanced back at Raven. "So literally all you do is fight crime. I mean, you barely hang out with us, you don't sleep much; not to mention you have a pretty picky interest in girls."
Raven and Starfire looked up at them.
"What's that gotta do with anything?" Predator asked, bewildered.
"All I'm saying is you lack interest in anything, especially girls. Remember yesterday…?"
The Mall of Shopping
Yesterday, 3:56 PM
The six Titans were hanging out at the mall doing a series of different things.
Robin was in the makeup department with Starfire, carrying an unbelievable load of pink plastic bags for her—his legs trembled from the weight. She browsed over the numerous bunches of makeup until she noticed a brand of eyeliner that matched her hair. She smiled and threw it into one of the bags, causing Robin to lose balance and drop them on the floor.
Raven was sitting on a bench reading one of her recently purchased books from the library.
Finally, Beast Boy, Cyborg and Predator were in the arcade. Cyborg watched as Predator and BB duked it out in their favorite fighting game 'Robot Mayhem 2'. Beast Boy clenched his teeth as he struggled, trying to get the upper hand against Predator's character.
"Come on, come on." Beast Boy grunted as sweat fell from his forehead.
Predator blankly stared at the game as he effortlessly threw BB's character around until:
"POW! Player 2 Wins." The game announced.
"NO!" Beast Boy cried as he banged his head against the controls.
"Okay, how many times was that?" Predator asking Cyborg meekly.
"Five." Cyborg answered. "And you've never even played this one."
"Huh, sounds like a record."
"It's totally a record." Cyborg laughed.
"Best 6 out of 10!" Beast Boy pointed. "There's no way you haven't played this game, dude. You must be cheating."
"How the heck do ya cheat in an arcade game?"
"You can't." Cyborg said. "Don't sweat it, Pred, he's just got a bruised ego."
"I so do NOT!" Beast Boy defended himself
"No, man, you really do suck."
"I DO NOT!"
Predator grabbed his plastic beverage and took a sip of it before stepping away.
"Alright, I'm gonna let you two work this out." Predator said, stepping out of the arcade.
"There's only one way to settle this." Cyborg glared at BB.
Beast Boy flared his nostrils as they both turned to the game
Predator leaned against the wall and took another sip of his beverage. He caught eye of Raven sitting on the bench across from him. She glanced up from her book at him as well. Predator stopped drinking his soda and smiled lightly, giving her a relaxed, friendly wave. There was something about Raven that always made him feel pretty serene; he couldn't really tell what it was but to him, it was definitely a good feeling. Raven smiled back and waved at him, also. She then went back to reading her book. He sighed quietly as he took yet another sip from his drink.
Unbeknownst to him, two teenage girls were staring at him from inside the arcade. One was a brunette haired girl wearing a gray t-shirt and blue pants. We'll call her Mary. The other was a black ponytailed girl wearing a red sweater and skinny jeans. We'll call her Amy. The girls redirected their attention to each other and chuckled—a dark red blush on both of their cheeks. They suddenly began to approach Predator.
Predator raised an eyebrow once he noticed them—a question mark appeared above his head.
"Hi." Mary greeted him, flirtatiously.
"Uh, hey?" Predator said, bemused.
"You're kinda cute."
"I'm pale..." Predator said matter-of-factually, rolling his eyes internally.
"We don't judge." She reassured.
"You're... one of the Teen Titans, aren't you?" Amy asked. "Carnivore, right?"
"Predator, actually, but yeah."
"Cool." She sighed.
Beast Boy suddenly looked up and noticed the girls talking to him.
"What!?" He exclaimed, his mouth agape.
"What, finally starting to realize you're a sore loser?" Cyborg asked, keeping his eye on the game.
Beast Boy frowned, grabbing Cyborg's jaw and turned his head in his direction. Cyborg quickly became attached to Predator and the girls. Cyborg and Beast Boy left the game and slid outside, a few feet away from Predator. Raven looked up from her book again and noticed them. She furrowed her brow and immediately turned right back at her book.
"Huh, I didn't know he had it in him." Cyborg said, impressed.
"I did!" Beast Boy sulked. "Why do all the girls always go for him? What does he have that I don't?"
"He doesn't have green skin, for one…" Cyborg said.
"Shut up." Beast Boy scowled.
"Hey, you asked."
"I thought it was so cool the way you took down that monster guy." Amy said to Predator.
"Yeah, and on the news when you took down that truck in Gotham City?" Mary added. "That was so hot."
"Hey! I was there too, you know!" Beast Boy yelled. The girls ignored him completely.
"Yeah, if you say so." Predator said blankly. "It's no big deal, really. It's what I do to keep the town safe."
"Well we definitely feel safe with you around." Mary said, leaning towards him. "Actually we thought we should… you know, reward you. How about we take you to a movie, tonight?"
Predator glanced at Cyborg and Beast Boy. Cyborg winked at him while Beast Boy kept a jealous glare, a small rain cloud rising above his head. He redirected his attention to the girls, who gave him flirtatious smiles—their eyes now in the shapes of hearts.
"I'll pass." Predator answered bluntly, without any hesitation.
Their smiles immediately dropped as he took another sip of his drink and walked away. Both Cyborg and Beast Boy shot him looks of disbelief—their mouths agape.
"What?" Predator said, in response to their looks.
Present Day
Predator's POV
"And then you tried to chase after the girls, slipped on a wet floor, and fell flat on your face." Cyborg finished the story.
"I thought we could leave THAT part out." Beast Boy growled.
"And then they laughed at you." Predator smirked. "That was hilarious."
"Shut up."
"Why're we even talkin' about this?" Predator insinuated. "They weren't my type, alright? It's not a big deal."
"Not a big deal? Are you kidding me!?" Beast Boy shouted hysterically. "Those were two of the hottest girls ever! How could they not be your type? If they weren't your type, then who is? Girls, guys, sock puppets?"
"I'm not even answerin' that stupid question." Predator groaned, rubbing his forehead.
"Will you stop screaming already?" Raven said sternly, to Beast Boy. "This argument is pointless, and I'm tired of hearing it."
"See, even Raven thinks it's stupid." Predator said. "Then again, she thinks everything is stupid..."
"Oh, yeah?" Beast Boy retorted. "I saw the way you smirked when those girls left. I'm starting to get the feeling that-OW!"
"Please tell me she hit him." Predator asked.
"Yep, she did." Cyborg answered.
"Thanks, Raven." Predator said. "Look, I've got my own sense of tastes, okay? Everyone does! You know, I don't even know why I'm talking about this. I'm on patrol and you guys got me talkin' about my datin' life! I really don't have to share this with any of you."
Predator suddenly caught the scent of aerosol paint cutting through the air. He smirked in delight.
"Ugh, finally an excuse." Predator mumbled.
"What was that?" Robin asked.
"Nothin'. I gotta go." Predator said, abruptly signing off on the communicator and pulling his hood back up.
He jumped onto the next rooftop and crawled about on all fours. Looking down, he noticed a figure wearing a black hoodie, blue jeans and tall, black and blue punk boots; they were spray-painting on the wall of the building. The image was of a donkey and an elephant—both colored in red, white, and blue—driving small cars that had crashed into each other. Predator glared at the individual as they finished up on the graffiti.
"Hey, pal." Predator called out to them. "Aren't ya a little old to be drawin' on the walls?"
The figure turned around in surprise, and Predator jumped down from the roof and landed on a lamppost. He couldn't see the figure's face, as they were wearing a black balaclava and a pair of goggles.
"Huh, now that I got a better look, it kinda speaks to me." Predator commented getting a clearer look at the graffiti. "Then again, vandalism's still a crime."
As he jumped off the pole and onto the ground, the figure began to step back, cautiously.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Predator warned.
The figure quickly turned away from him and took off running. Predator smirked and stretched his legs out, and his eyes shifted to a bright yellow.
"And ya did it anyway. Well, I did ask for some action, so..." He swiftly jumped onto the wall and scaled it.
As the Figure turned around the corner of the building and ran all the way around the back, it began to rain. The Figure turned around the corner to the other side of the building, only to run straight into Predator. The figure let out a high-pitched gasp and jumped backwards in alarm.
"Look, I love the thrill of the hunt…" Predator smirked. "But I'm getting kinda hungry, so you think we can cut this short?"
The Girl tutted and turned around, running off again. Predator sighed and took off after her, taking the rooftop way. The Girl made a series of turns—running as fast as he could—ignoring the slippery ground below. She turned down a dark alley, only to find herself running straight into Predator again.
"Ya know, I could just let you off with a warning." Predator said. "S'not like ya robbed a bank or nothin'."
The Girl took off in the opposite direction and ran off again.
"Or we could just keep playin' Cat-N-Mouse." Predator sighed and jumped up again. "Why don't they ever just play Chicken?"
The Girl slid, almost tripping as she turned and ran into another alley, only to find a dead end.
"Look, pal." Predator said. "You're just making it harder on yourself. Ya got nowhere to go so let's get this over with."
The Girl smirked underneath and ran towards the wall to her right. She jumped onto it and scrambled up to a ledge, and then swiftly turned and jumped to a ledge on the other wall across. Predator's eyes widened as he watched her scramble all the way up and onto the roof.
"Okay, didn't see that comin'." Predator gritted his teeth and jumped up onto the wall.
The Girl breathed heavily as he ran across the rooftop. Predator scurried onto the roof and charged at her, full-speed. He tackled her and knocked her onto the ground.
"That's enough!" Predator growled as he stood back up. "I tried to be the nice guy, but now ya just ticking me the heck off."
The Girl swiftly flicked her legs at Predator's legs. His instincts alerted him just in time to jump back from the attack. The Girl popped back up to her feet and gracefully flipped backwards, distancing herself from Predator. She stopped several meters away from him, and took on a battle-ready stance.
"Oh-ho, so now ya wanna play Chicken, huh?" Predator readied himself, his eyes morphing into those of a lion's. "Show me whatcha got."
The Girl charged at Predator with her fist raised. Predator swiftly moved out of the way to avoid it. He grabbed her by the arm and moved around her. Without turning around, she kicked at him. Predator caught her leg and tossed her up into the air. He swiftly drove his foot into her back and kicked her away.
The Girl groaned as she slowly stood back up, rubbing the injury on her back. She glared at Predator and charged towards him again, letting loose with a series of punches. Predator's speed prevailed and he swiftly avoided all of the strikes. He stuck his leg out as she threw another punch. She tripped over, losing her balance but quickly cartwheeled back on her feet, regaining her balance The girl shouted as she charged at Predator at full speed - Predator doing the same thing. Once they drew closer together, he pounced and tackled her, overwhelming her with his superior strength and pinned her to the ground. Even so, the Girl continued to struggle against him. Predator growled and punched the ground next to her face, leaving a large hole in it. The Girl's eyes widened as her whole body tensed up from the shock, and she finally stopped resisting.
"You shoulda quit when ya had the chance." Predator growled, grabbing the top of her mask. "Who the heck are you, anyway?"
Predator pulled the mask off the Girl to reveal her face. She had thick black hair that hung down her face and completely covered her right eye. She had grayish-purple eyes, seemingly colored by contacts, and black eyeliner circling her face, and a black double cross around her neck. Predator found himself stunned by her appearance, even though her expression vented nothing but anger and contempt towards him.
"Get off me, you freak!" She shouted at him.
"I..." Predator mumbled, lost for words.
The Girl took advantage of Predator's fixation, and reached into the pocket of her hoodie. She took out a can of pepper spray and held it directly in front of his face. Predator's eyes widened as he reacted too late and the Girl sprayed it in his face.
Predator shouted loudly as he fell backwards off of her. The chemicals shot searing pain though his face as it burned his eyes, nose and throat. He instantly shut his eyes tight and brought his hands up in an attempt to wipe his eyes clean. His efforts only spread it across his skin and made it burn. His body instinctively began to produce tears… though it felt as if his eyes were boiling.
Predator forced his eyes back open in an attempt to allow the rain water to soak them and provide a rinse. He caught sight of the Girl as she ran away from him, skillfully jumping from the rooftop and onto another, and eventually disappearing from view. Predator ignored her, and desperately attempted to soak his eyes in the rain. It seemed to provide little help to him, as the chemical didn't seem to wash away at all.
There was a certain irritant in pepper spray that made it completely waterproof. It would take a significant amount of time before it wore off.
A Significant Amount of Time Later…
Titans Tower
Predator stepped out of the elevator into the living room; his uniform completely soaked, his hood was raised over his eyes in an attempt to cover the orange remnants on his face. He attempted to bury the humiliation and defeat, only to no help. He appeared completely unapproachable, as he was practically fuming with anger and annoyance. The other Titans looked straight at him as they heard him enter the room.
"There you are." Robin said.
"Jeez, what happened to you?" Cyborg said, noticing his eyes and face.
"What're ya talkin' about?" Predator groaned, further lowering his hood.
"There's orange stuff on your face, dude; you look terrible." Beast Boy added. "Did you get pepper-sprayed or something?"
"Pepper spray?" Starfire asked. "That sounds most delicious."
"It's not what it sounds like, Star." Robin said.
"I don't wanna talk about it, alright?" Predator said, plainly, trying not to project his anger onto them. "Look, I'm tired and I'm hungry. I'm gonna go hit the shower for a bit."
The other Titans glared at each other, then back at him.
"Uhh, okay." Cyborg acknowledged. "Food's still on the stove. And don't worry, I cooked this time."
"Got it. I'll be back in a minute." Predator said, heading for the exit.
"You should at least stop by the medical bay." Robin insisted. "We have solutions that can help you wash the pepper spray from your face."
"Fine, I'll do that on the way over!" He said, turning to leave the room.
Predator made his way down the hall towards to his room and entered, heading straight to the bathroom. He scowled at the sight of himself in the mirror, glaring hard at the orange marks around his eyes. He took off his mask and set it on the counter. He picked up a rag and wet it under the sink, and began to scrub at the orange marks.
Predator finished with the business and left the bathroom, walked to his bed and fell flat on his stomach. He thought about the Girl… and found himself confused that he was both aggravated, yet somehow intrigued regarding their encounter. Something told him he had to see her again, which he planned on doing so the next night.
To Be Continued
Author's Note: The name of the song is 'My Disaster' by Seether. Hope you enjoyed it. Thank you and goodnight.