Is It the Concussion Talking?
After it all was over, the dust was settled, and you could begin cataloging the injuries, that is when you can take a moment and really reflect on what the hell had happened.
Victor had decided on bringing the extra firepower from the T-car. Call it a spontaneous decision. Based on what he overheard through the comm links, it kinda sounded like they could use it. However, why blast through the metal gate that was keeping everyone in and instead hack his way through?
Well, that had taken a little time and when he had gotten through, he found much of the fighting involving some new guy and then he himself getting swept into it. What had that amounted to? Checking everyone for any lingering effects from a flashback grenade and disinfecting a variety of scraps that had been collected by Bart, Kori, and Green Bean. Oh, and let's not forget the new tagalong.
They were mostly gathering in the Tower's infirmary. Not quite standard procedure, though in retrospect they should probably do so more often. Just another idea he was going to forget about, even if his digital side wouldn't. Still, they didn't have much experience with a flashbang and Tim had taken it upon himself to have them go there.
It was proving to be a good distraction for him. For the most part, Victor had missed most of the fighting. His bad. This meant he could at least use the equipment here to help the others like a belated apology. Then there was what else was going on.
He knew Tim was having some test run on some blue stuff. There was a squeeze bottle also recovered. Next there was, well…
"They get away. Again. Why does this feel like amateur hour?" Cassie groaned. Her armor was back in its default setting, so that meant most of her red leotard was visible.
"They wanted their guys back. They had backup. We should have expected it," Victor summed up grimly. "They might be some oldies, but they came with a new trick that they're repeating. We'll be better, and ready, for the next time."
From one of the beds, sprawled out on it, BB moaned, "Can we make sure next time is the last time? I'm tired of fighting these assholes all the time."
That sounded like a great idea. Maybe there was something he could do or work on that would make sure they took these guys down once and for all, and take into account any other friends they brought with them. Speaking of, there was something else to talk about.
"So, anybody get a name or number on that new guy? The one that nearly shish-kabobbed Red's head?" he asked aloud.
Surprisingly, he got another groan from BB. "He stole that name, I swear to Buddha, God, and everyone else."
Cassie raised an eyebrow at that. "You're the one that got that name. Alright, shoot, what is it?"
The shapeshifter had one of his arms draped over his eyes, but now pressed for an answer, he slipped the limb off but looked to Terra who sat next to his bedside. "It's the old name. You know the one. He thinks he's being original, calling himself Ravager."
Terra scowled. "Really? He's calling himself after the old group?"
BB nodded solemnly. "We definitely need to sue."
Ravager, huh? It really needed a lot more work and originality. Why did people keep lifting names from other people or teams or anything else he was missing? Victor understood the pain now, though maybe not to the same degree two former Ravagers did.
"The name is irrelevant," Raven interrupted calmly. "We should be more concerned about his abilities and skills. He was able to get around Kori on fighting skill alone. He's not an opponent to take lightly."
So, someone who could handle their PE teacher in a hand-to-hand fight. That wasn't good. Kori was the best hand-to-hand fighter they had, and many of them still had the bruises to prove it. Tacky and infringing name aside, Raven was right that they should be up and arms about this new guy. And speaking of the resident Tamaranean, she was sitting up on one of the beds, staring at the floor with a troubled look.
He was aware that Kori had been spending a lot of time training, and he knew what it was for. To have some guy come out of nowhere and get one over her had to be demoralizing.
"I did notice the longer I grappled with him, the faster he became," Kori spoke up, expressing none of the depression that Victor had perceived in her. Her green eyes lifted off the floor and focused on the rest of them. "I had the advantage initially, but the longer the fight extended, I found his speed increased. His attacks were faster and his blocks and parries just as quick. He was improving while I fought with him. Is it possible that he has a mutant gene as some humans do?"
Was he a metahuman? Now that might be a scary thought, especially with how the Tamaranean described her encounter. Special powers and fighting skills rolled into one? That was something to be concerned about.
"How could he get faster?" Bart asked, pacing around the infirmary. "I got a good look at him and I didn't see anything that made it look like he's connected to the Speed Force. But I only saw him for less than a minute. But what I did see, he moved more like Red but better. And he was faster than Red. But then I saw Red holding his own. And then I'm in a car. I think I slipped but I don't remember how."
"Enlightening," Raven deadpanned.
The doors to the infirmary slid open, and in walked Red. Here was the last of them, and by extension the last who needed to be checked over. Behind him, following in his wake was also the other new guy. This new guy was looking around, eyes wide and taking in the sights.
Victor kept his attention on Red, though. "I just got done talking down the cops. They're not happy about how things went down. Down right pissed in fact. But it's not all bad. They're still at least willing to talk to us, but they're shoving the whole thing on to us to handle. They want nothing to do with metahumans unless they absolutely have to, so we gotta come through here. Cyborg, how's everyone doing?"
Vic—ahem, right. New guy was with them so he needed to get back into the frame of mind of using their code names. Cyborg answered, "Shouldn't be anything too bad. I think the most damage was to our egos. Nothing a little payback can't fix."
Red gave a sharp nod. "Then that's a better outcome. There was a lot more to tonight than we had expected."
"Ya think?" Wonder Girl drawled out.
"Why? What makes you think that?" Kid Flash wondered aloud.
"We can assume this attack on the precinct had two purposes. The first one is obvious: to grab Gizmo, Shimmer, and their other teammate and spring them loose. The other was assassination."
Cyborg frowned at that second part. Assassination? On them?
"This man, Ravager, pretty much said it himself. He was there to kill us. Jinx's group from the mall was to draw us out into the trap," Red continued to explain. "Someone has it out for us, and we need to figure out who. Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of clues other than a strange substance that Ravager left behind. Cyborg, let me know when those tests are done. We need to know what it is, how it's made, and through that try and track down who is capable of making it."
"That's two times," Raven said, her dark eyes on their masked leader. "First the Highland Mall, and now one of Jump City's police precincts. The same individuals are involved. What should we be expecting for a third?"
Red sent a look to Wonder Girl, which made the cybernetic teen a little curious. "We found cameras at Highland Mall, ones that aren't part of the mall's own system. Our fight there was broadcasted elsewhere, meaning someone was watching our fights. This time we have an assassin show up. There is something we're missing, one piece that will explain it. Right now, JCPD is conducting their own investigation and I will be getting in touch on what they find out."
Oh, so the cops were trying to do something. Well, good luck with that. Why those guys would be willing to share anything with the Titans, well, on that point Cyborg had his doubts. There was little he could do about it, though, so he focused on something he might be able to do something about.
"And what about him?" With a titanium arm, he gestured to the other new guy, the one that had wandered further into the infirmary and was poking around and looking like some kind of tourist.
Turning away from Wonder Girl in all of her armored glory, Red faced the cybernetic teen. "His name's Miguel Barragan. I learned that much before I had to put all my energy to dealing with the police. He did mention he wanted our help."
This Miguel had turned to look over at the rest of them once his name had been brought up. With an easygoing smile, he gave a wave with one of his hands and said, "Oh, is it my turn now? I'm really hoping you'll hear me out."
Cyborg crossed his arms and let Red take charge of this. This guy—hold up, he was starting a background check for any Miguel Barragans—was looking to them for some kind of help? While it wouldn't be the first time, it was a first that some civilian or person who had no connection to the League was coming to them for a problem. As long as it didn't involve getting a cat out of a tree, he supposed he could listen.
Not that he didn't like cats. It just wasn't a huge mega crisis compared to some of the stuff he had seen so far. But on second thought, he couldn't leave a feline stranded like that either.
"You have our attention. Who are you and why do you want us to help you?" Red asked, taking several steps towards Miguel which placed their leader in the center of the rest of the group. He was drawing attention to himself deliberately, which meant if things went south, Cyborg wouldn't be the first targeted so he could go on the attack before things got too bad. Red's reflexes should keep him a step ahead of any attack here.
"Great!" Miguel said, brightening up. "I'm not from around these parts. South of the border if you know what I mean." South? As in on the other side of the border? The Mexican side? Broadening his background check criteria then. "I had no plans coming up north, see. Minding my own business, having fun, spending time with my family, friends, you know. But my problem starts when those guys show up and they are something else."
He was picking up some of the tropes and could guess where this was heading. Though, for once, hearing that someone was having a good time with family was a bit of a curve ball here. Most people in this tower had a family situation that could at best be described as "it's complicated."
"So raise a fuss, make some noise, and they hurt people. They hurt people I know, people I love, and then they leave. I don't know what they were after, but no one starts something like that unless they had a good reason," Miguel continued, his tone of voice hardening some. There was some anger there, he could tell. He had some of that anger himself, but so far had been using it constructively.
"What can you tell us about your home? Is there anything special about it?" Red was in question mode, so he could keep taking the lead here.
Miguel shrugged his shoulders. "Beats me. They went for a local. His name's Abejas, and he was just one of the elders. He did beekeeping in his spare time. Those people got really mad with him, and they were carrying some serious hardware and they used it. I got involved and chased them off. I've been trying to track them down ever since."
"Were they cartel?" Red asked.
Miguel shook his head in the negative. "No. If they were cartel, they'd look a little more like me, but more ugly. These people were gringos. They did not blend in."
And background check was done. With facial recognition, Cyborg was seeing what came up for Miguel here. Born and bred in some place called El Chilar, definitely not a tourist destination. Oh boy, nothing to connect him to anyone north of the border and there were no records of him entering meant this guy was here illegally. That might be something they'd need to keep on the downlow until they figured out what to do about it.
Since he still had the program up and running, he imputed this Abejas into it and made sure El Chitar was attached. While waiting for that to come back, he refocused on the session of twenty questions
"I figured you'd be willing to help. You have the Justice League backing you, so you have to be the good guys," Miguel was saying. "I've been looking around but I don't have any leads. So, will you help me?"
A corner of Red's lips pulled back. It was easy to see that the team leader was uncomfortable. Yeah, Miguel had a nice sob story, but even Cyborg could say that without a lead, there was little they could do. Sure, he was doing a check on this Abejas guy, but if nothing came from that, then what?
Wonder Girl was making a face, one that indicated she was making an attempt not to let Miguel here know what she was actually thinking and was attempting to be polite. Cyborg took pride in that he kept himself stoic and like a rock. Raven, well, she did have the best poker face around. You couldn't say the same for the rest of the team.
Between Kid Flash, BB, and Terra, those there had been acting like ping pong balls, their eyes moving from Red to Miguel and back to Red, always watching who was speaking. If anyone would jump on the help train, it would be one of those three, he felt. Lastly, there was Starfire and she hadn't spoken up yet either. If she were to speak—
"If you do not know who attacked your home and no clue how to find them, then how are we suppose to help?" the Tamaranean asked, her eyes curious.
Miguel had turned to look at Starfire, his mouth opening to speak only for nothing to come out. Seemed like this logic bomb had destroyed any and all arguments he could use, other than the one about them being the Teen Titans and all and being able to handle something like this with ease even though that argument hadn't been brought up yet.
Maybe he was underestimating this Mexican national. The absence of words was not a sign that he had come to a wrong conclusion, but was something else. The brown-skinned male slid the strap of a backpack he wore and opened up one of the zippers. A hand slipped in and he searched for whatever it was he was keeping in it. Odd words that sounded Spanish and were more than likely swears were being muttered while this search took place.
"Aha!" Now that was a bit loud. "They dropped this!" Pulling his hand out, Miguel withdrew a small object. From where he stood, Cyborg could see it was about the size of Miguel's hand, smaller but not by much, and was hexagonal in shape. It was thin too, so that meant it was suppose to be portable. Its primary color was black, but on the side facing everyone, there was a yellow H that really stood out. "Forgot about this, but maybe you can figure out what it is? Maybe it will lead me to where these people are hiding?"
His robotic eye was already scanning the small—metal, that was what the first scans were identifying—object. Uncrossing his arms, he made his way over to the smaller Mexican. Holding out a titanium hand, he asked, "Mind if I take a look at it? Give me a few hours and I might be able to make heads and tails out of it."
"How is creating limbs necessary for identifying this object?" Starfire asked, confused.
Cyborg didn't hold back his wince. He had practically walked into that one. "Poor choice of words. I want to look it over and see what it is."
"Sure." Without any argument, Miguel handed the thing over to him. "Please don't break it. It's the only clue I have."
"We can't make any promises, but we'll do our best to see what we can't figure out," Red offered. "You have a place to stay or need help with any arrangements?"
Scratching the back of his head, Miguel gave a chuckle. "Ah, yes, I am in need of a place to stay, if you don't mind. I'm…broke."
"You have sustained an injury?" Starfire asked worriedly.
"We'll get a room ready," Red cut in. To the rest of them, "Everybody take the rest of the night to yourself. We've got a lot to do in the morning."
Yeah, and it sounded like an all nighter for him. Not waiting to see how Kid Flash was approaching Miguel from behind, though definitely hearing the speedster's cheery voice, Cyborg began to make his way out of the infirmary.
Hmm, he hadn't gotten Red checked out yet. Forgot about that, but maybe he'd leave that to Wonder Girl who he had noted was staring at their glorious leader. So was Raven, but again, perfect poker face there.
Right now, he had stuff he needed to get to. Everything else could wait until morning.
"Last night, the people of Jump City were woken to the sounds of explosions and metahuman violence. During a routine transport, law enforcement found themselves under siege by a group of metahuman terrorists and criminals. Jump City police officers and SWAT were able to fight off the attack but it resulted in numerous injuries and several officers in the hospital. No arrests have been reported as of this broadcast.
"Sources say that the members of the T.I.T.A.N. Initiative, the Teen Titans, were on the scene as well. Jump City Commissioner Marv Perez had no comment about such reports during this morning's press conference about last night's attack. Descriptions of the perpetrators have been released onto the JCPD's website and members of the public should be warned that these individuals are considered armed and dangerous. If you recognize any of these individuals, do not approach, do not confront, and contact 911 or the nearest JCPD precinct on the tip line.
"I have with me this morning Councilwoman Elizabeth Alderman, vocal critic of the T.I.T.A.N. Initiative and founder of the Mothers Against Adolescent Superheroes organization, or MAAS. Councilwoman Alderman, what are your thoughts about last night's attack?"
"This is what I have been afraid of happening. Metahuman violence is increasing in our city ever since that Initiative was set up. We did not have these acts of violence until after the Justice League forces their demented idea of a school upon us. What happened last night was a symptom of our problems, not the cause."
"Councilwoman Alderman, there have been no confirmed reports that the members of the T.I.T.A.N. Initiative were there."
"Of course they were there. I have no doubt about it. It speaks to me that our law enforcement may have closer ties to that Initiative than anyone here could have thought. That Commissioner Perez would even consider seeking help from a group of children who should be at home, in bed, and attending school in the morning is beyond all decency. Does he not care about our children? And what kind of example does this set for them? That dressing up in ridiculous costumes and putting themselves in danger is okay?"
"Commissioner Perez has made no public comment about his thoughts about the T.I.T.A.N. Initiative. He has been one of the most silent public officials on the matter."
"Because he does not have the courage or the guts to stand up to the tyrannical Justice League. We will continue to suffer this new wave of crime so long as we do nothing. I am calling upon anyone in our city who believes we need to remove this cancer from our lives to attend MAAS' protest this weekend. Make your voices heard. Let the world know that we do not approve of this."
"I am obligated to say that views of Councilwoman Alderman do not reflect those of the network's and she is entitled to her option. For those who are interested, MAAS' Rally for Child Protection is this Saturday, it takes place at the intersection of Cardy and Haney Boulevard at 10 AM. All participating are encouraged to bring water and other means of hydration as our forecasts predict record high temperatures for the weekend."
"Yes everyone should be careful and we will have emergency services standing by in case of heat stroke and anything else that might happen. MAAS is dedicated not only to the safety of our children, but for those who support us. If you are not able to come in person, we would definitely accept your financial support and any donations you can send our way. Every penny helps as we try our best to make Jump City a better and safer place to live."
"Now Councilwoman Alderman, there has been some pushback lately over your efforts. Many people online have been voicing their support for the T.I.T.A.N. Initiative. There has even been a counter protest suggested against yours this weekend."
"These people do not know what they are talking about. You just need a pair of eyes to see how wrong this has been going. It has always been my mission that our children have a safe and healthy environment to grow up in. I remember a time when people did not lock their doors and they trusted their neighbors. Children played in the neighborhoods, learning and growing into fine adults, but now our society has deteriorated and become a cesspool where we do not trust anyone, our children idolize people who live unhealthy and unsafe lifestyles, and our government does nothing to fix it.
"So everyone watching this, please, come out this Saturday for MAAS' two day protest to make things right again. To make Jump City the great city we all know it is. Our children demand no less. Future generations demand no less. It is within our power, and so we must use it and use it now. Let us speak with one voice that makes it known to the world that we know what is best for us, and everyone that would force their views on us will be unwelcomed. So let us show the world that we mean business and we won't be silent any longer."
"You're very passionate about this, Councilwoman Alderman. While we are on the subject, what are your plans to address metahuman criminal activity? Recent statistics show an uprise…"
"You know what I don't get? I still feel sore even though everything about me is different. I can have the head of a ram, but my brain feels like someone did the Riverdance on it. I take a hit as an elephant and power through it, but then as soon as I get a bitchslap, my face still feels it. How does that even work?"
"Why does the earth answer my every beck and call? Why can I feel tectonic plates moving in my head? I have a planet that can respond to my will. How does that work?"
Green eyes looked upwards, one squinting thoughtfully.
"I dunno."
Terra rolled her eyes, shook her head, but she could hide the small smile. No matter how much time had passed and how much he had changed, it seemed deep thinking would never be Garfield's strong suit.
She had heard the saying the more things changed, the more they stayed the same. Garfield, to her, seemed to be living proof of this. See, there had been a time when he had been shorter than her, not by much, but every inch counted…
Skinny and scrawny, and because any loose piece of cloth would be torn to bits by a shapeshift, the green teen had only been given the barest and most tight fitting of clothes back then. If tight enough, those garments would disappear and only reappear when he became human again. It was weird. But as a result, Terra was often exposed to how much of a rail the shapeshifter was.
Time was funny, and apparently a much healthier lifestyle agreed with him. Now the boy she had once taken pity on was taller than her and with a lot more definition if you understood her meaning. Baby fat that made him look so much younger had been burned off and left behind a much thinner face that somehow kept a boyishness to them. He had changed.
Hell, her approaching him after so long and he just…brought her in. Simple as that. As simple as thinking that way of thinking always and still hadn't changed even after everything the two of them had been through. Sometimes, she really envied it. To just let go of past wrongs and to really live in the moment.
While she had been gone, he had built some kind of life and somehow hadn't really changed all that much.
But why was she thinking about this? Why was she doing that when he was just right there, complaining about how things had ended in that last fight? It was no secret that she kept close to the shapeshifter, hardly away from his side and always hanging out. Maybe that was because even in the bowels of what had to be Hell, where feelings were something to be burned out if you wanted to survive, he had found her one soft spot and then had become it.
How many times had she seen anyone try to hurt him and there she went, ready to do some crushing or just seriously injuring whoever had the balls? Right now she could count it all on one hand, but it was a steadily growing number.
Garfield could be so careless. This last time, there was a gun, she knew that much. The sight had stopped her, and she hesitated. If Bart hadn't done his thing, she had no doubt things were going to get messy. But Bart had done his thing, and then Garfield got himself removed from the fight so she ended up using more control this time around. No massive mountains or anything, and Red had unexpectedly tagged teamed with her. They gave the bastard a good one, but still he had gotten away.
He had no idea, but Garfield was lucky to be alive right now.
"Why did you get so quiet?" The question broke through her thoughts, and Terra found that she had been looking downwards. Her head tilted back up and she found those green eyes of his watching her, curiosity and maybe a little concern. Still the sweet guy, wasn't he?
"Just…just thinking," she said.
"Oh?" A green eyebrow cocked upwards, and then a mischievous grin exposed teeth. "Let me guess. Is it about how handsome I look? I don't blame you."
She rolled eyes again and swatted a hand against his chest. Where did he come up with that stuff? However, he had asked, so… "I was thinking about your close call. You almost got a bullet to the brain."
Garfield groaned. "Please don't do this. I thought we were done with that stuff. It's alright. I'm right here, still alive. I'm fine. And everything worked out…kinda. Still gotta catch those guys. But we're gonna do it and everything will be better."
"I can't believe I'm having to tell you this again, but please, be more careful." It felt like old times again, except she wasn't as hard as she was before. Maybe she needed to be. "Is your shapeshifting faster than a bullet? If it isn't next time…"
Did it really need to be said what could happen next time?
"But that's why I got Kid Flash on speed dial!" Gar tried to assure her before he paused…and snorted. "Get it? Speed dial? Because speed's his thing? That was a good one, you know it!"
"This isn't a joke," she huffed. The more things changed, the more Gar's thick head remained the same. "What if he's not there next time? What if Kid Flash isn't fast enough?" the blonde girl asked softly. "What if…" Then she couldn't go on.
"Hey, hey, I promise, nothing's going to happen to me," the boy who was younger than her tried to comfort, his hands up and moving as if to try and take a hold of her. Provide some ground to a girl who was feeling as if the very earth was slipping under her feet. There was something ironic about that.
"You can't promise that. After everything the two of us have been through, the things that we've seen, you can't make that promise." Terra turned away, facing away from a green-colored boy who had no idea how to handle this.
Blue eyes shut, but they still saw. Memories of cramped, closet-like rooms, the stench of blood, unending disapproval, gaslighting galore, funky voodoo or whatever it truly was, groveling that would never earn mercy, the cruelty of hope given time again, and lastly, and perhaps worst of all, the recoiling of the earth itself as if whatever was taking place within it was…unholy.
It had been with relief, and no little gratification that she had brought it all down, crushing any of the brainwashed flocks and the true believers alike. Burying a terrible, horrible place, making sure nothing would ever grow out of it again…
…and then…
"I know I say that I was safe. When I brought down that church and everything…but to this day I still don't know when or how I got myself out of it," Terra confessed. "I remember…I remember feeling so happy. Boulders and slabs and dirt, it was…all coming down. I didn't look away. I know I didn't. And I know…even though…even though I did say I would come looking for you, there was a part of me that felt that it wouldn't be so bad. Taking a nice little nap under the earth. And then I open my eyes and I'm right beside where it all used to be. I don't even remember how I got there. Did I make a tunnel? Burrow my way out? I don't know."
Hands placed themselves on her shoulders. Were they hers or…? Arms seemed to slip around and hold onto her. A warm, firm body pressed into her back.
"It's okay, Terra. It's okay," a voice breathed out. "It's over. We're out of there. We're here, in the tower. Remember? It's like old times, but better. TV. People who don't hate us except maybe Raven. Pizza. Pizza whenever we want. We've made it. We've landed on our feet. We're good."
How much she really wanted to believe that. And so she did.
"It just feels so unreal. It's like I'm in a dream and I don't want to wake up from it," Terra admitted.
Her head turned, and blue eyes cracked open. She sought out the face of the kid that had once depended on her for navigating through life itself, who had grown into someone who held so much more confidence and strength.
She found…oh. Oh. That was…unexpected. Unexpected and…nice.
Now it was becoming hot. Her face, her body, and like this dream-like life, she did not want to leave it.
It was hot. So very hot. Humidity, ugh. You could get sticky just by standing outside.
But outside was where Cassie was, and what she was doing was walking alongside Tim for the local bus stop. Early morning, a school day, though you could say she was in the wrong neighborhood. So sue her, she could fly to school if she wanted, but she didn't feel like it.
Trudging out of her home with Mom ribbing her wasn't something she wanted to do either. She flew to Tim's house to fix that, plus she was still wrapping her mind around how last night went down, and needed someone to talk to about it.
It wasn't enough to have more superpowered teens trying to kill them. Now they had some new guy with a sword and a generic name that the asshole probably thought made him sound tough. Ego, perfect, just what they needed.
But wait, there was more! There was another new guy too and so far he hadn't been trying to kill them yet so…progress?
Why did it seem that the role of suspicious, paranoid…she didn't know, just the overall party pooper, she supposed, belong to her? Damn it, but right now that was what they needed. So as she was walking down the sidewalk in this ugly heat, Tim at her side, she started getting the ball rolling.
"What do you make of this Miguel guy?"
She didn't need to look to know she was being side eyed. However, she did look and did an internal groan of how right she was. Nice profile there, Tim.
"We'll know more once the background check clears," the dark-haired teen answered. "I looked up El Chitar; yes, it's a real place. Yes, it's out of the way. Yes, it's not so out of the way that Google Maps can't get satellite imagery on it. It's pretty small and off the beaten track. Not much information either. They skirt the edge of a natural dead zone so the internet there isn't the most stable, meaning there's not a lot of presence on the web. No website, no advertisement for tourism, just a small village in Central Mexico."
Hm, someone had done some digging. It seemed like she wasn't the only one who was suspicious. "What about him? Without the background check, what do you think about him?"
Not even his profile could hide how his brow furrowed slightly. "I don't have an opinion just yet. His arrival could either be nice timing or planned, but there's not enough information to know which. His personality so far hasn't rubbed anyone the wrong way with perhaps the exception of Raven, but she's like that with everyone until they prove themselves. His power is definitely interesting. That was some kind of energy barrier. A lot more time, testing, and investigation would go a long way into figuring out just what it is.
"Whatever it is, it's strong. It took Ravager effort to pull his sword out. Then more energy constructs formed out of midair. Miguel literally chased him off. When you consider the fact that Ravager was holding the rest of us off, then Miguel conveniently shows up and stops him, it is suspicious. Then there's the device he handed over. We need to know what Victor learned about it and how relevant it is. Maybe this is coincidence, maybe Miguel's matter is something different and unrelated."
"Or we're being played again," Cassie summed up. "You sure you don't know which one it is?"
"I'd be at the Tower if I knew for sure, not heading to school," Tim replied. As if to emphasize that, the teen that had once been one of her worst annoyances turned his head enough that she no longer was dealing with his profile.
There had to be something to the angle. Really, there had to be. It was still the same Tim, but for whatever reason, she felt as if her breath was a little short.
"Right now, keeping him close is the best we can do." He had turned back to look straight ahead once more. Her breathing hadn't improved. "If this is a trap, he'll have to deal with the other six. Victor, Kori, and Terra are our heavy hitters. Bart and Gar can act as distractions. Raven can come at him from an angle he's not prepared for. The only thing we're not ready for is the extent of his powers. Who knows what he's capable of?"
Now he was all talking tactics and strategy. Somebody had been boning up lately. Was it because of all the scrutiny Raven was giving him and now her? She'd like to say the thought of their resident goth who wasn't really a goth—but who could truly say?—was enough to cool her down, but surprise, surprise, it wasn't.
Wait, why was she feeling hot? Sure, she was complaining about the humidity earlier, but this felt like a heat from within.
"Until we know more, we'll have to keep an eye on him. Once we know more about that device and that blue stuff, it should give us some direction to go in." Oh, he was talking again. Focus, Cassie.
She turned her gaze straight ahead. "You got a feeling that we're in something big yet again?"
"No doubt," Tim readily agreed. "This is just the beginning and the only thing we do know is that whoever is behind it wants us dead. There's gotta be something else. Killing us is just a steppingstone."
Cassie frowned at that. "Downplaying us already?"
"Who benefits from our deaths? Who is willing to risk the League coming down on them?" Tim challenged back. "Why not just pull off your big scheme without letting anyone know? Had we not stumbled across Jinx and her crew, we wouldn't have found ourselves down that particular rabbit hole. We're too close, but to what, I don't know. I need to find out. That'll give us the edge we need."
A blonde eyebrow raised up. While she understood the need to be serious, it felt like Tim was really taking it seriously. As much as he was a guy who liked finding out answers, trying to be the only one doing that smelled of disaster to her. He wasn't alone here and while he might be de facto in charge, the rest of their ragtag group could pull their weight as well.
If he wasn't careful, he was going to burn out. He needed to relax or find a way to. Lucky him, she found herself willing to do it.
Wait. She was willing? Where had that come from? There must be something in the air or the water or something. She didn't normally have these thoughts and she was fully aware of that.
Maybe whatever was up Raven's butt and was turning its attention to her now was the driving force here. It was in the blonde's nature to be, how could she put this, conflictual. More often than not, she found herself always being the devil's advocate to one degree or another. Sure, Red bore most of the brunt of it, but it seemed like her special brand of attention had found a new target in Raven.
"Anyone tell you need to relax?" she put out there. Before Tim could say anything, "You keep yourself tense and stressed all the time, you're setting yourself up for a fall and a big one."
"You're not taking this seriously, are you?" the dark-haired teen questioned.
Cassie shook her head. "I am, but I also know that we're not going to have all the answers plop into our laps oh so conveniently. It's gonna take time, and it's going to be all stressful. Instead of pulling our hair out, let's let this pan out however it's going to and be ready to kick some ass when we have it all."
Tim was quiet for a moment. "And you have any ideas on what we can do while letting it 'pan out?'"
Her lips curled. "Oh, I think I have an idea or two. If you're up for it."
