Fan Fiction ❯ Promise ❯ New Schemes ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

By: DavCube

Chapter 2 - Familiar Faces, Strange Schemes

Author's Note: OK, first off, I sincerely thank those who have reviewed my first work for your generous complements. Secondly, this was supposed to be a one-shot fic, but everyone is suggesting a continuation, so I said “what the hell?” Ikuzo! (Here goes!)

The next day at Titans Tower was about as normal as the day could get; Cyborg complains about Beast Boy's cooking, Robin gets on both their cases for it, and Starfire simply watches as the boys start a fistfight, with the cartoon-like cloud and everything, waiting for the opportunity to actually talk with someone. Raven, at this point, usually sneaks by the action to fix up a pot of herbal tea, and today was also no exception. She slid herself across the wall to avoid the flurry of punches and claws to get to the stove, where she would meet an eager-to-please Starfire.

“Good morning, Raven.” She greeted cheerfully, waving. Raven smiled faintly at her, returning the greeting. “Morning, Starfire.” She said as she began to boil some water. Starfire took a plate from the side of the counter and began to fill it with some of the leftover tofu eggs and bacon that Beast Boy cooked. (A little too long at that.) Silence remained between them while they prepared their meals. Soon, Robin was able to escape the fight and make his way to the table. (He had already made his plate.) Other than a dent or two in his belt, he seemed relatively unscathed.

Soon, the girls came to the table as well. Robin smiled as he saw them coming, for one, Starfire was, his best friend, and he was also glad to see that Raven was doing a little better.

“That must really be getting old, huh? Every day the same thing.” He and Starfire giggled as they watched the gruesome twosome on the other side of the room, who instead of battling, were now playing a match of Super Smash Bros. Melee on the monitor. Raven, unsurprisingly, didn't laugh. She kept her eyes and mind focused on her tea, physically and mentally drinking in the benefits of the soothing liquid. Robin then decided to speak.

“Hey, Raven. You feeling better?” He asked, taking a bite of the tofu. Raven glanced at the Boy Wonder and quirked an eyebrow slightly. “Yeah, much. Thanks.” she said in her normal monotone voice. Starfire smiled at the both of them and put her arm around Raven's neck from behind, pulling them close. “Yes, We talked last night, and I believe I she gave signs of improvement.” She explained. `In more ways than one, I think.' Starfire finished in her mind. Raven was a little startled, she didn't think that Starfire would talk about their conversation to anyone, at least so soon.

`Heh, but I guess that's Starfire for you… innocent, sincere; things that anybody would like from someone.' She thought after Starfire let go of her.

After a while, Robin dumped his plate into the dishwasher and stood at the doorway at the back of the living room. The rest of the Titans gathered with him.

“Okay guys, training time. Let's go.” He then opened the door and allowed the others through. Raven, of course, was last. She didn't train with the others, she meditated. Raven was startled as she felt someone's hand touch her arm, but looking at her then, you wouldn't have known that. She turned around to see Robin there. “Yeah? What is it?” she asked in a slightly harsh tone, but this of course didn't faze the Bird Boy. “I was just wondering, do you want to train with us today? You know, just to get your mind off of…”

Raven cut him off quickly, the volume of her voice beginning to escalate. “No, if there was a time I needed to meditate, it's now. I need to repair whatever damage Malchior may have caused in my mind, for all our sakes.” Raven started to walk faster, ignoring Robin as he started to speak again, but his words couldn't escape from his mouth.

Raven's quicker pace began to surprise even herself as she passed the Titans on her way to her room; a certain green boy caught her attention and triggered something in her head.

`Oh yeah, him…'

“Hey, Beast Boy, wait up.” The changeling stopped in his tracks as he turned to Raven. “Um… Yeah, Raven?” Beast Boy wasn't exactly used to continuing a conversation with Raven, he was usually the one who started it. They started walking toward the training grounds again when Raven spoke again. “I never really got a chance to thank you for cheering me up last night, so… thanks.” Beast Boy beamed with pride and patted Raven on the shoulder. “Hey, anytime! You need some laughs, you've got the joke master right here!”

Almost on cue, the tower's alarm system went off. `Thank you, crime wave.' Raven thought in her head, relieved to have Beast Boy's bragging stopped. Robin ran out to meet the team and inform them of their mission. “Trouble at the east-side warehouse. Titans, move!” The team immediately ran for the T-Car hanger and they were off.

“The warehouse is supposed to house parts for dirt bikes and other sport gear right now; this'll probably just be a routine job.” Robin said as they got out of Cyborg's “baby.” Cyborg grinned and cracked his mechanical knuckles. “Well, we may not have much of a challenge, but let's at least give them a good show.” Cyborg then proceeded to force open the door that led inside the structure. Beast Boy became a lizard and crawled his way through the hole Cyborg created in the metal. Moments later, he signaled for them to come in. He stretched after he changed back into a human.

“So, any idea who our mystery crook is today?” He said with audible strain as he straddled his arms across his body, stretching his upper arm in preparation. He was not responded with an answer, but another puzzle. As the team gazed across the walls of the warehouse, they didn't see boxes that depicted anything related to sports. Robin opened one of them and gasped as he lifted out a small vial with a red substance inside.

“I think a better question is `Why is this place storing zynothium?'” He asked no one in particular.

“It's for us, of course.” Answered a voice up in the rafters.

The Titans looked up where the voice was heard. Sounds of shock and disbelief were heard as memories of these criminals resurfaced. One of them looked fairly old, and wore a cloak that depicted a strange skull around the chest area.

“Brother Blood…” Cyborg called out.

The other was just as unexpected as the first. Clad all in black armor and a red cape, this figure was smaller, around the size of the team's leader, and he had almost all of his traits as well, right down to the utility belt. The similar skull-shaped mask on his helmet and the crimson `X' emblazed on his chest struck a foul chord in Robin's heart.

“… and Red X.” Robin snarled.

“Long time no see. To all of you.” Brother Blood said calmly to his nemeses. “And I see you recognize my new partner.” Blood grinned devilishly as he jumped down from the rafters, his `partner' not far behind. Cyborg and Robin gritted their teeth, just barely able to harness their desire to run at their rivals in a rage. “Why aren't you at the HIVE, Blood! Don't you miss your students, or should I say hostages?” Cyborg demanded. “And why do you want Red X? Why did you store this place with zynothium?” Robin commanded just as forcefully.

(If no one remembers what zynothium is, it's the element that powered Red X's suit.)

“Always asking questions, huh kid? Blood's not controlling me.” Red X proclaimed.

“And HIVE is basically dead to me.” Blood finished for him. “As for the zynothium…” he paused as a symbol began to appear on his forehead that looked something like an `S'. The crimson insignia also appeared on Red X's helmet. Raven, standing farther back, gazed in horror when the symbols appeared.

“No… Not now…” she said in a stammering whisper.

“You'll have to find that out for yourself.” Red X exclaimed as he ran toward the group to initiate his attack, his hands literally blazing with fire.