A Tamaranean's Grief
The only way to tell that the ocean was speeding underneath them was the sight of the mainland and how quickly they were approaching it. Red Robin could not wait to get back to the tower, and the ridiculous T-shape was something that was so beautiful to see from his seat in the cockpit.
Note to self, have Cyborg complete the next T-jet with enough space for a small crew as soon as possible. Being forced to sit on someone else's lap was uncomfortable for multiple reasons.
As the image of the tower grew larger, so did the backdrop of the Jump City skyline behind it. It felt like coming back home. There was so much that needed to be talked about and planning to be done. The situation with their mysterious enemy would need to come to a head sooner rather than later.
"Home again, home again, jiggety jig," Cyborg sang through the comm. "Thank you for choosing Cyborg Air. We know you have your choice in air travel, and if you're Red, you chose wrong. We'll be landing in the next two minutes."
Oh ha ha, a laugh at his expense. Speaking of discomfort, he would like shift his weight a bit, but again, Miguel was not the most comfortable of seats and his refusal to remain behind only increased the awkwardness. If there was one thing Raven was right about, he did need to be more firm in his decision making and not let the others walk all over him.
Next time there would need to be a lot of justification.
The T-jet was nearly at the small island the Tower resided on. The aircraft kept low to the water, keeping under the radar as much as it possibly could. They were trying not to alert anyone of their crossing of the border, be it the U.S., Mexico, or even the Justice League. Red Robin had a feeling that international travel had not been one of the intentions when forming the T.I.T.A.N. Initiative.
Some caveats were allowed, of course. For the rest, there would be multiple government agencies trying to go down their throat and they already were dealing with the anti-Titan opposition in Jump, which was enough as it was. Those were going to be long, painful headaches, but for now they would have to wait.
Kept out of sight from the city and taking advantage of the sheer drop of land on the west side of the island, an entrance to the subterranean portions of the Tower opened and allowed the prototype T-jet inside. Speed was decreased as the aircraft traveled down the long corridor that had initially been used as a takeoff strip and now for landing.
They were entering what had become Cyborg's realm, and as the T-jet came to a stop, along with a parodied thank you for using Cyborg Air, freedom was at hand when the cockpit opened. Red Robin was out and dropping down to the floor, rolling his shoulders and giving his legs a shake while taking a few steps.
Never again. Never again without enough seating. A fully functional and spacious T-jet was going to be a higher priority effective immediately.
The top priority, though, was to assemble the rest of the team, brief them on what they found, and then see how it all added up. Maybe one of them had caught on to something, something that maybe at the time didn't seem like much but with new context may have been so much more.
His eyes caught sight of red and gold—Wonder Girl. That was one down. She was leaning against the wall, right next to an open door. As he walked closer, he began to notice a few more details about her, such as how she had her arms crossed, the expression on her face that looked troubled, and also how she didn't move to greet him. Normally Wonder Girl would have called out, said something to either tease or taunt. Not now, though.
Why was it that his gut was saying something was seriously wrong here?
Cyborg was finishing up shutting down the jet. Miguel was climbing out of the cockpit, and that was another issue to deal with but later. Red Robin only had eyes for the blonde-haired girl and not in the way you would do if you were at, let's say, a boardwalk.
"Did something happen?" he asked.
Blue eyes locked onto him. Arms uncrossed and a body clad in a red leotard pushed off of the wall it had once leaned against. "Red, you have no idea."
Great. Something had gone down while they were in Mexico. Was it too much to ask…yeah, yeah it was. Let's just get to it.
"What happened?"
The sun was not as reassuring this day. When she needed to relax and reorganize, Koriand'r would escape to the roof. The radiation from the planet's sun, primarily its heat, served as both rejuvenation and comfort, for the restoration of energy and to recall a home that she now could never return to. Earth did have its warmer climates, and while many of its natives would claim this portion of it possessed too much warmth, for her it was much too cold at times.
The sun itself from which life could be tied to was the only connection to that long lost home she had, though it could be closer in her opinion. Just a few increments closer. The blazing heat that caused humans to seek cooler climates was much too delicious and nostalgic.
Yet, it could not grant her comfort this day. The overwhelming presence that was failure weighed on her spirits and depressed her mood. She had been entrusted with the safety of her friends, and she had not risen up to be worthy of that trust. Garfield and Terra were in the bay of medicine and Raven…Raven…
…she had utterly failed Raven. The human child who kept to shadow and darkness, shying from the light of companionship yet fought for it with a zeal she did see in others was nowhere to be found. She had searched, she had bid the others—Cassie and Bart—to search as well, and they could not find her. From the top of the incomplete structure to its base, through the destruction and the controlled chaos of its contents, everywhere was searched.
Raven was gone. She had failed Raven.
The Tamaranean had noticed the arrival of Cyborg's aircraft and she knew it would be a matter of time until the one-sided confrontation that would review her performance would take place. There was no way to hide her failure, and while she would not cower from the review, she was not motivated to engage with it currently.
She felt alone. This was not a new feeling; she had felt alone for a very long time. In this moment, though, while she was wallowing in the loneliness, it could be argued that she was not alone at the same time.
Bart had followed after her. He would speed away for short periods of time, and he would always return, crouching or sitting next to her and talking. He would talk about how their injured friends were, how Cassie had ventured to the lower levels of the complex to await their returning friends' arrival, and he would speak at length to give reassurance to her that things were going to be alright.
More than once did he say "We're Titans!" as if the phrase held such import that it could single-handedly contest the grip of her sorrow and gain victory over it. If only it was that simple. There had certainly been a time when life itself was simple, but it coincided with childhood as it often does. Hers had ended horrifically, and her friends were about to end theirs as they reached the arbitrary line that humans had decided was the boundary between the youth and the old.
"—getting sad too. I don't get to see you like this a lot, and it's totally wrecking my mode here. It's not as bad as you think it is. Okay, maybe it is a little bad, but it's nothing that the Titans can't beat!"
Koriand'r wiped a hand against her face. Sometimes it was difficult to understand what her friends were saying. She may have had the same vocabulary they did, understood the grammatical rules, but that did not mean she could grasp the nuances embedded within them all. Words that had multiple meanings, slang, doublespeak, these were concepts that she continued to have conflict with.
Emotions tended to help with identifying meaning. She could understand that Bart was trying to soothe her guilt, and she did appreciate it. However, she was much deserving of it. This failure exposed how far she was from challenging and defeating her sister and taking responsibility for the future of their people. If she could not protect a teammate, then how could she protect a whole population?
"C'mon, Kori. Say something," Bart pleaded. "I don't like how quiet you are. Not that you can't be quiet, but you're quiet then, there's not too much wrong happening. I know it's not really crash right now, that it's bad what happened with Raven, but it's not over, right?"
Lowering her hand, "I know that you wish to see a response of positivity from me, my friend, however as of now I do not feel I am capable of such right now."
"Alright, you're talking! Okay, gotta keep this up. You didn't hear that. Anyway, I don't think Raven's blaming you. I mean, Raven would be blaming herself for getting caught in the first place and because she would say something like she expected me or BB to do it first. And she's not wrong because remember that one time I got caught and it took you guys forever to figure that out and…why do I feel like that was the worst possible example to give you? Can I get a redo?"
Kori would not deny that it was amusing how Bart was trying to assuage her guilt. She did agree, Raven would be most frustrated with herself. The example that Bart brought up, though, did cause some shame to return because that was not a pleasant experience either.
"You may have a second attempt."
"Right, got it. But even with that, I still got rescued and all the other times, we rescue whoever was caught so, why would this be any different? Right? Right. We're gonna get her. And Red and Cyborg are back. You know Red won't blame you, right? Even Red's messed up before. He won't hold it against you; and if he does, I'll get your back. Have your back. I'll be on your side. But it's not gonna come to that because we're going to find where the bad guys are hiding and we're going to show them why they don't kidnap one of us. And we're going to save the day because that's what Titans do."
Her eyes gaze out into nothing, even with the vision of the ocean that stretched out to the horizon beyond in front of her. As much as she thought to drown herself in her sorrows, with Bart fighting to buoy her, she found what some would consider simple to not be as easy. She did know that Red Robin had made his mistakes. He owned them and did not reduce their magnitude. It was so easy to see when he was struggling, but what did it say about her that she allowed the struggle to occur?
She needed to be stronger, not just in martial ability, but everything else. She needed to be a stronger friend, a stronger leader, and a stronger…a stronger…the Earth Rule of Three was starting to frustrate her now.
When one has a failure, did one not learn from the failure so as not to commit it again? It was clear what the answer to that rhetorical question was, and yet she still hesitated.
"It's going to be okay," Bart said softly. "I promise."
Ah yes, the promise. She knew that word. Knew how it felt when it was broken. Much like how she with Raven. Maybe she did not say the words, but it was implied. One did not take up the mantle of leader without making the promise of not allowing harm to come to those that followed. Yes, upholding the law and fighting those who broke it did put them in harm's path. There were some allowances.
But she understood what happened to those taken into captivity. Koriand'r knew the pain that came with such a position. To be at the mercy of those without mercy. To be subject to their whims and forced beyond your limitations for no other reason than the captor's amusement. No one should ever be allowed to suffer that fate, and that that might be Raven's fate was an ache that needed to be addressed.
Her friends had on more than one occasion helped with that ache. For as many words as Bart would speak, to keep it that simple was almost beyond him. She appreciated it regardless.
The team was nearly whole again. Koriand'r would see to it that they would be complete once more.
It wasn't too hard to find out that the away team was back home. Jinx had made it a point to be close by when they made their triumphant return.
From their postures alone, and Pantha's tantrum, she could tell that things hadn't quite gone to plan. Heh, for once she was happy that those twerps were managing to remain the thorns in the side that they were. It meant she and her team would get another chance.
At least, provided if Immortus would get over himself. Seeing how old he was, she'd have to be older than dirt to have a hope of that happening. Old people never did know when to give something up.
The snarls of "Release me!" and "I'm not finished" echoed all the way to where Jinx was keeping out of sight. While she could guess what had gone down; somebody was very unhappy and still wanted to duke it out.
A British voice suddenly said, "You want down? Fine!" There was a crash that followed, silence foreboding after it. Okay, this was starting to get interesting. What was going to happen next?
"You will pay for that," Pantha growled.
"If you could, you already would have. Better get stronger." Okay, that was that freaky thing called Ridge. Why the name Ridge? It didn't have much meaning unless you counted those ridges on his head, but why use those things to name yourself? Well, it was better than Creature Feature, she'd give him that much. If he wasn't such an ass, she might have tried seeing about getting him on her team, though she was real hesitant to replace any of them. Ridge knew how to fight and hold his own; good enough.
But no, Immortus had his rules and regulations; everything had to be ordered his way unless the Queen herself spoke up. Miserable old geezer. How had he survived the meteor that killed the dinosaurs anyway?
"Private Hive," a very unwelcomed voice drawled out. "Get your team in line, thank you." Ignoring the fake courtesy there, Psimon really got under her skin for all the wrong reasons. She didn't mind seeing his brain and the case it came in; it was everything else.
From where she hid, she took a peek. Quite a huge group there, two teams and that newbie Ravager. Hmm, that newbie didn't look like he was doing too hot. She had been hearing something about him, how he was supposed to be hot shit somehow, but look at him. Slumped shoulders, feet dragging, and looking like he had been on the wrong end of someone's fist. So much for him.
The fact there wasn't a lot of cheering was confirming the idea that the Tween Twerps were still rocking it out there. If they had managed to kill one of them, there would have been some bragging. Nothing but Pantha throwing a bitch fit though. Wait a second.
Psimon was at the front, leading the way back into the depths of this base. Nothing too odd there; like many team leaders here, he was leading his team. That's not what had her attention.
It seems she had miscounted. For once, Psimon was doing his own dirty work and was carrying someone in his arms. Didn't know those twigs could hold anything. What was concerning was that she recognized that particular shade of blue there. It looked like the same color of the cape that the twerp Raven wore. Could it be…?
So capture, not kill. Since when had the orders changed? Damn, while the color drew recognition, she was too far away for confirmation. Damn it, she was going to have to follow, wasn't she? Risking the fact that she wasn't attending to her new grunt work duties would get her into trouble, but screw that. The others could hold down the fort while she found a way for them to come out on top.
If that was indeed Raven, though, what would be a way to take advantage of it? First and foremost, figure out what the big plan was. She had made the mistake of going along with the big, mysterious plan before, and look where that had got her and her team. Demoted and ridiculed.
Play this smart. Look for some opportunities. Then, oops. Play the long game and you were sure to come out on top instead of looking at everything quarter by quarter. It was just like getting Gizmo to do some digging, though this time it would be better to not do that. H.I.V.E. would be looking out for anything Gizmo did, knew his M.O.s and how he operated. Smart as he was, and smart as he thought he was, ego was always Gizmo's problem. A different kind of subterfuge so long as it was kept under the Queen's radar.
After everything that had happened, Jinx figured she had learned some new skills over that time. You keep doing the same thing over and over again, and you were begging to be torn a new one.
The brass had some plan for Raven. Let's find out what it is.
Immortus stood over one of the foes that had been troubling them for some time. She was smaller than he had anticipated. Size, though, was an illusion. Many of their metahuman troops attested to that.
What mattered was that she had interested the Queen; there was more to her than he was aware of and so he needed to bow to his superior's will. He was a general, he understood tactics, goals, maneuvers, victory, and defeat. Sacrifice, obedience, determination, persistence, and dominance were his tools.
Many armies had he led; this was just the most eclectic one. Rank was still a factor, and the Queen outranked him. Her orders were to be obeyed, and so he would. He was curious about what this recent venture sought to accomplish. What did the Queen know that he was unaware of?
Those questions would be answered soon. For the time being, he would remain in the present. Of which, "You are ensuring she remains pacified, correct?"
Psimon looked up to him, his eyes flickering down to the unconscious Teen Titan. "Naturally. We do not need her to wake up and cause a commotion, do we?"
From what he understood about psychic abilities, it was easier to manipulate a subject that was not conscious. With consciousness, there was resistance, whether weak or strong depended on the individual in question. Unconsciousness and sleep lowered those defenses and subjects were more suggestable. Psimon was using his talents to ensure that consciousness would not be achieved any time soon.
This was an acceptable precaution for the General. Even with this knowledge of the enemy, the full understanding of this one's powers had eluded them. There was a telekinetic component, constructs that could interact and manipulate the physical world, and some sort of detection or sensory-based feel similar to telepathic abilities. Generic for the most part since H.I.V.E. was able to obtain similar individuals.
There were reports that offered contradictions. More than one included the now disgraced Shimmer. There was more to her abilities, of this the Queen believed. Unfortunately, these reports were few and far between. Nothing to make any conjectures from, and the lack of intelligence was frustrating.
Soon, this deficit would be corrected. Then perhaps this Raven could be used for H.I.V.E.'s ends. Failing that, she could still be eliminated which would still fulfill their objective.
The Titan laid on a table, one similar to those in the medical wing. Physical restraints ensured no bodily movements which left Psimon to battle the extraordinary ones. For now there would be no experiments, not until the Queen gave the go ahead. Waiting then, waiting for her arrival and end to the monotony of this new duty.
A door opened, sliding open with a hiss. Immortus glanced, then straightened his posture as much as his aged body would allow, standing at attention. To his surprise, it was the Queen outside of her chambers. What had this Titan done to warrant such attention? Queen Bee rarely, if ever, left her chambers, content to allow her inner circle and subordinates to lead and govern the organization. This was a very special occasion.
Golden hair wafted in her wake, the steps she took strong and with purpose. Her eyes continue to illuminate and yet obscure her pupils, but he knew that she was observing the captive with all of her attention. Immortus stepped aside for her, allowing Queen Bee to take her rightful place next to the unconscious female, towering over the metahuman both in prestige and in physicality.
"You have pleased me this day," the Queen remarked. "Though small in the present, this victory possesses the potential to remake the board itself. You have proved your worthiness."
"In your name and in your glory," Psimon greeted, bowing his upper body in respect as he should. "The girl remains in my thrall, and I may keep her there for however long you desire."
The Queen gave a nod, the antenna-like protrusions slicing through the air. "Release her to me."
Ah, so did this mean that the Queen desired Raven's powers? To claim and use them for the benefit of H.I.V.E.? It was certainly within her authority, but it made him question as to why the reversal of policy now when the objective had been to terminate her from the beginning.
"With all due respect, are we not trying to eliminate her as a threat to our ambitions?" Immortus voiced his concern.
"There is more than one way to eliminate a threat, my General," Queen Bee answered as Psimon backed away. "Enslavement can serve the same end while granting a boon in bolstering the ranks. Free will is not a necessity to serve me."
Enslavement. So, conversion it was. What information had their Queen come across that would have her choose this course of action then? High ranking as he was, Immortus was under no illusion that he fully understood the mind of his sovereign. She operated at a level that he could only dream at, and was privy to the secrets of mankind that were intended to be known only by singular minds alone.
Raising a hand, almost dainty in appearance, Queen Bee placed her regal limb onto the forehead of the unconscious Titan. The glow of her eyes strengthened in intensity; she was entering the Titan's mind.
This was necessary and common practice. Everyone here had had the honor of her entry and were proven worthy of a place within her service. There was no doubt in his mind that Raven possessed the same traits, otherwise she would not have garnered the attention of their Queen in the first place.
Though, it was plain as day that the girl would not willingly join their ranks. She had already sworn her loyalty to the training program overseen by the Justice League. The Queen would need to change that, strip away the will, or in the worst case, implant an obedience chip of which all metahuman operatives were forced to have. One way or another, Raven would be brought under their control.
Then the unexpected happened.
The Queen's body jerked and jolted. Immortus had never seen so much as a wince from that lithe body before. The hand that once rested on the unconscious girl's forehead ripped itself away in a gross movement that was unheard of. Queen Bee grasped at her own hand, physically stepping away from the comatose body, eyes wide in panic that could be read even with the glow in her eyes. The powerful posture of their Queen broke down, hunching unseemly as if she was trying to shrink herself physically.
This made Immortus stand taller in alert, his eyes darting to the only threat in the room, though that threat was still unmoving. A hand drew out a pistol and aimed it at the girl, yet he did not pull the trigger, not yet. Only by the Queen's order would he do so, but the precaution would be taken nonetheless.
Psimon stepped closer to the girl, already uttering the words, "Psimon says remain in slumber." Even he was on alert, no longer casual and relaxed.
Queen Bee shook her head slowly, the words, "No. No. No," repeating themselves, as if they could deny whatever it was that had struck fear into her.
"My Queen! Are you alright? Shall I kill her?" the General inquired.
His voice served as the anchor the Queen needed to regain her composure. Hunched posture straightened, arms lowered though one hand still did grasp the other, and illuminated eyes refused to leave the visage of their captive.
Cautiously, Psimon asked, "What did you see?"
Breathing that had been unsteady steadied. From her facial features alone, Queen Bee regained full control over herself and that included the regality she wore like a cloak.
"This one…this one is much too dangerous," she uncharacteristically hissed.
Those were not words Immortus had ever thought he would hear. Now he regarded Raven with a renewed distrust. Who was this girl, and what did she possess that could unnerve someone like their Queen?
"Shall I terminate her?" Immortus reiterated his question.
Queen Bee did not answer, not immediately. When she did, her declaration was again another surprise for the General. "No. No, she will still serve my H.I.V.E."
How? How could this girl serve them when it was becoming clear that control may not be an option? They may not have implanted an obedience chip yet, but that could be easily rectified.
Fortunately, their Queen elaborated for their benefit. "She is much too dangerous to keep here. Her powers are otherworldly and great. Too great. Its limits I could not identify."
Alarming. Was this Titan truly that powerful?
"I was interested in her capabilities of manipulating reality, but they are beyond my ability to control. Any mortal's ability to control. But she will still serve in another capacity. H.I.V.E. will reap benefit from her contribution one way or another."
Both Psimon and himself remained quiet, awaiting the final verdict. Immortus still kept his pistol trained on the girl, perhaps a pointless gesture but one that afforded him an illusion of control over the situation.
"If H.I.V.E. cannot control her powers, then she shall contribute the only other way she can. Financially. Put her on the market and sell her," Queen Bee decreed. "Another will gamble their fate with her, and not I."
Ah. One of the methods in which H.I.V.E. used to enrich itself was through human trafficking, and more lucratively, metahuman trafficking. With a new generation of metahumans emerging into the world, the older generations wished to make use of their powers in any way they could. The best would be reserved for H.I.V.E. and everything else doled out to the rest of the world, scraps if you would.
"As you command," Immortus agreed as he holstered his pistol. Psimon could watch over the girl in the meantime. "I will put her into the system and on the market immediately."
With her back turned to them now, it was not easy to tell that she nodded in acceptance. How her flowing hair glided upwards against her back was the tell, and this was followed by her leaving, returning to her quarters to recuperate.
Immortus returned his attention to Raven, and for a moment he wondered what it was within her mind that could terrify one such as Queen Bee. What power was in there, dormant thanks to Psimon's manipulations? Was it so great that it would destroy H.I.V.E. if they attempted to master it?
If so, while he preferred a more permanent solution, they still had the primary operation moving ahead. Another fool could try and fail to use these mysterious powers of hers and who knows, create the calamity of which H.I.V.E. anticipated. They could certainly take advantage of that chaos to enact their plans with no one the wiser.
No more thought was needed now. Immortus acted as he marched his way to the only exit, the doors hissing closed behind him.
