Our Time in Reverse- What it Takes –
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Chapter 18: Metal Parts and Chasing that Next Class A- Act
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I decided to span the series a bit differently. Forces of nature will be closer to X and Deep Six. Oh, and sisters will be after Mid. I'm making things a bit more foreboding for our teens. The rest, you'll see. Dick comes to understand how important his friendship will be to his current leader, Cyborg. He learns about Cy's inhibitions and starts to feel, something? Slade will tell him to expect this to happen often, yet Richard wonders if he is too soft all if a sudden. Find out!
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Robin did an extensive observation since their win against the HIVE. Though that fight was preordained to be won anyway, by the teens, Robin still had to keep his guard up around the heroes. He was in the group, boxing it out with Cy in the gym and meditation sessions with Raven made him feel a lot better. He had to mask his rehearsed feelings around Kori. She felt nothing else as he, thought that was always the case. The only concern in his book lastly, was a little green Toad that watched his every move.
That day, the sun was bright and that afternoon before lunch, Cy, grabbed up a bunch of items in the fridge to place them in a big picnic basket. "In about a few minutes, we are all going out to the park. I got my A game today and I know that we never got a welcome party finished for our boy over here."
"The pizza in the pan did not the count?" Kori asked as she looked confused as all the rest. "I'm fine, Cyborg. Really. You don't have to go through all of that trouble."
"But WE wanna eat." Bb gruffly added. "Cy? What did you pack in that thing? A ham?? I'm bringing MY dogs before you poison me. Star? Just ignore the whole "welcome" thing. He wants to do this, let em. He's our leader after all –
"Actually, I thought I should tell you while we're getting hungrier here." Grinned Cy as he nudged his arm at Raven.
"I'm stepping down as co-captain, and whatever…sigh…wants the job, can be next to be judged... or, whatever." She went to grab a whistling kettle in the background as the teens all looked at one another. This was it. Slade knew that…if he got to be co – leader, if Cy ended up failing or getting hurt…
Robin's arm was raised by Kori as she did the saw to call out as Bb.
"He –
"I should-
Both the alien and Mutant boy glanced at the other, then at Robin who continued to play the fool. "I…. don't know if you think I'm ready to –
"Rob. you gotta have more confidence in yourself. You helped us stop the HIVE. You got us all out of our funk and we made history with that attack."
"Cy, you did all the work. He'd just freeze up like he did in the gym." Snickered Bb."
"And would you be able to save the city with the tofu, now please? You are the pathetic in making the decisions for this company we the keep." Kori huffed and Bb felt entirely underappreciated. "FINE! I don't wanna eat any of your stupid picnic food. Especially not to celebrate him taking all if your time up! Good luck getting to know the poser. Loser." BB stiffed hos hands down into his pockets and wandered off down the halls. Sliding doors became hos slammed in the face to those he'd once helped to protect this city with. He did go out though. A few bucks could earn him a nice vegan style salad and he didn't want to mar the new kid's vibes.
Out in the city, there was a street performer who was juggling and throwing brightly colored balls in the air. Bb watched as the ling nosed adult had the hat of a magician and at one point, he almost didn't see his own lace.
Untied.
The man toppled and the people who had been eyeing his after earlier, laughed at his fall into the street. The balding adult was slumped over as the balls rolled away. Like the crowd, they wanted nothing to do with this sad, expressionless and untalented hack. He looked into the can he'd placed out to make any fee in tips and sighed. "Still, broke."
"I thought it was cool." Bb walked up to the old timer with his three or five colorful props. "Here, you still like doing this? I mean, being a magician or whatever?"
"Does anyone ever ask why they love what they do? I'm an artist. It's all I know." The man got to his feet and dusted off his worn outfit. It needed to be patched and Beastboy wondered if he didn't have his family like they were, wealthy and stable, what would be his lot in life? Did he even have a passion?
"You're looking more down than me. Hang on a sec. I have this one prop I still didn't get to try out. It's a real wand! Like in the movies!" The man grinned and pulled out a long pouch wkth a white tipped classical wand as he'd said. "I think the shop owner said I had to have a fan for it to work…or was it ambition?"
"Way cool! How does it work? My friend, she can use real magic. Not like on TV. Oh! My name is, Beastboy! Are you from around here?"
"Mumbo the Amazing!" The man said theatrically before nervously falling back with a chuckle. "It's a working title. I have been on the road for some time. I quit my job working at a bank in Star City and the rest was history. No need to worry that my wife and kids absolutely think I'm crazy – but art is about being your better self. Don't you think? Ever since I was a young boy, I wanted to show off like I was a real star on a stage over in New York City! Like those people you can barely ever be like…they are so picky!"
" YUH! They are even bad to animals but claim they are super chill about the environment! Don't even get me started!"
"You're alright kid. Just for that, I will show you something that's gonna knock the pants off of those people over… there! Watch. As the Amazing Mumbo…" He pulled out the wand and soon it began to glow a strong white. His face, all of it transformed as Bb shouted and looked up. At a blue, tall, cape wearing fool of the arts.
"MUMBO JUMBO!! I'M … FREE!"
(HE'S POSSESSED. THAT'S WHY HE TURNS BLUE. BUT DON'T LET THAT SPOIL THINGS.)
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As soon as the last sandwich had been made, the alarms went off. Robin looked at the remaining team and Cy put down his butter knife. "Throw everything on for later, Titans. We got a crook going loco down in the square. You ready, spike?"
Cy's unofficial nick name for Robin due to his gelled back hair was absolutely worth the embarrassment. Robin nodded. "I'm in. How about you guys? What about Beast boy?"
"He's already there…" Raven frowned. "And he's sending a message. That he believes that this villain, is his responsibility."
"He is not the leader of this team; therefore, how could he make such decisions without friend Cyborg's approval?"
"Something must ave' happened." Cy wondered for himself. "Titans, let's go. No more standing around. Our boy obviously is not gonna do this all by himself."
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Cy and Robin drove while Raven and Star flew on ahead. The tires screamed while more screams littered the area. A man with a magician's top hat, blue skin and a domino mask and cape was making a scene alright…
Bb was busy, busy being the rabbit the man wanted in his hat!
~ No! I'm going on a trike! This is animal cruelty! You're not –
"Beastboy!" Raven used her arts as she chanted. The second time Robin had seen her toss her projectiles around. She tried to use her soul self as they care it to entrap the man…but he used his wand in a mocking way to turn that aura arm into a pile of flowers.
"MUMBO JUMBO!!"
She pulled back as the others joined in. "You've all been a lovely audience. I'll be taking checks, wallets, gold and anything you can spare! Funding my next venture…" The blue make looked with a wild grin at the teens. "Think you can upstage me, eh? Your bunny buddy is going with me on the road. So, what are you second rate performers going to do about it?"
~ NO, I'M NOT! YOU'RE NOT THE OLD MAN RROM BEFORE!! HELP!!~
" Old?? I'm not even pushing fifty, thank you for that. And YOU !" He pointed at the empath. "This is a private reception and I didn't ask for any opening acts to follow- my producer will certainly mind –
"He's delusional. I feel a strong presence coming from that wand." Raven told her teammates. "Mumbo! You are outta line, man. Nobody knows about you and they might never get the change. You gotta have whatever took you out, get outta here now."
"Before you are sent to the penitentiary for the good."
"And the only performances you can perform there, will be behind bars." Robin put in. "Drop the rabbit, or you're not singing your tune again." Robin's voice lowered. Cy almost got chills, yet he was raised by assassins and spies. Hopefully, this was a one-time dark quip.
"Gabby over there doesn't get my vision. I'm going to make everyone pay me back. Come to MY SHOW. PAY UP…AND SUPPORT AN EXTRAORDINARY CAREER OF THIS BRILLIANT MIND!! HHAAHAAAA!!"
"He's losing. Whatever took over his body is making it seem like this is his revenge. I doubt we can break that man's hold."
"Beastboy! We're coming!" Robin tossed put a smoke bomb that Cy had helped to make. The few covering up as Raven helped. Cy had no trouble while Robin made sure to swim through the smoke. Beastboy got his chance to bite the hand of his former acquaintance who apparently had been possessed by the spirit inside that wand. "I got it!" He tugged the wand away from Mumbo, only to be kicked back and lose his grip. "THIS IS MINE, YOU HEAR?? MINE! ALL MINE! MUMBO JUMBO !!"
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Down below the streets, a wire arm reached out to touch a stray beam of sunlight. There was only darkness, it sighed. The thing attached to that arm moved away to look through a cracked screen and he gasped.
"Another, of us??" It believed so, and the man's power was being drained with every heavy step into battle. "He must, be fixed. I can fix him." The face nodded; if he ever was one. He didn't know, actually. Finding himself amid a head, Fixit was not a machine as much. Maybe a failed attempt at honing superior intelligence. However that be the case, he could save others. The ones about to fall into his hands. A teenager, with one human eye. Some skin that was not yet repaired.
"He must be fixed. He is, obsolete. I will do that. Find him and help where I can, before it is too late." The android sent his scouts out. They skittered as crabs or were cloaked in shadow. He was not superior by any means. No. He was, aware. This was not a human. Not a man. He was, one of fix it. One with the many parts. Could they call out to him as well? Did they radiate truth?
"He will soon notice us. He will join. I will, not be without those who understand." Fixit was never a human. He had the brain of something old and new, incomplete. Maybe, this boy was the way to his ending? His time on this world was not forever, yet he could also stay. Here…. with Fixit.
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( So, this FIXIT is more like I , Robot in my mind. He's not a good guy or bad. He's working by his programmer's botched commands and because he was never completely without emotion, he may end up under that same trope. I'm going to make this a bit more tragic.)
Later on that!