Dark Titans – Arc 5 - Wedding Party

Chapter 3 - Part 1/3

Hello folks. It has been awhile, but I guess this lockdown is hitting all of us in different ways. In my case, I felt the desire to come back and dust off the old story here. As you can see by the 1/3 thing up there, I've written more than what I'm posting here, but I vaguely recall people mentioning the suffering of having to go through just overly long chaptes, so I'm breaking it up into more manageable chunks.

I'll see about throwing another part up every week or two so I can fine-tune things. Since I have been out of the game so long, I'm going in without beta-readers this time around, but I've been working more on self editing, so hopefully it balances out.

Anyway, since it has been so long, I hope I haven't just posted a steaming pile of garbage. So, let's get to it. And as always...

Enjoy if you Will, Tolerate if you won't.

The dull, rhythmic clanking of iron gears echoed through his darkened sanctum. It had always been a weakness of his, drawn to lairs filled with obsolete industrial equipment. The methodical, precise movements ticking along like clockwork resonated with him. At this point, the smell of oil and ironmongery felt like home.

An armored finger tapped the arm of his chair in time with a piston in the background, betraying his annoyance. He did not, he reflected ruefully, appreciate being a cog in the machinations of another.

"Aww," a mocking voice cooed from the black. "You look so put out. Is our mutual acquaintance not delivering all that he promised and more?"

Speak of the Devil and he appears… how apt. He glanced up from his ruminations to the darkest corner of his central command, across from the multitude of monitors which flickered dimly. Soundlessly, a now familiar silhouette melted out of the shadows. Appearances indicated nothing more than a boy, scarcely even a teen, donning a sharp looking black dress suit.

He, more than most, knew how deceiving appearances could be. Even he couldn't be certain if the two upturned spikes that rose from the youth's raven hair were his actual hair… or something more indicative of his true nature. The faintest whiff of brimstone in the air did offer a subtle clue.

"Don't worry yourself, Boy." He smiled at the rictus of rage that spread across his visitor's face, though the smirk was lost on his guest. Absently, he curled his hand into a tight fist. "After all, they say if you don't have your health, you don't have anything, so I'd be remiss to complain at this point."

"If that's what you call… that," his guest gestured in his general direction, covering his mouth with a free hand and feigning to hide his laughter.

His eye tightened at the disrespect, but before he could reply, a low sound drew his gaze down to the ginger feline that had appeared out of nowhere to begin rubbing against the boy's legs. The animal looked normal, save for the eyes. Twin pools of red, like pits of fire stared up at him with hateful intensity. Something like a hiss rattled in the creature's throat, its hackles raising.

"Now, now, Teekl. Behave." The sinister youth smiled broadly, bouncing on his heels with excited energy. "After all, we are all friends here-" the boy fired an ominous look his way, "...aren't we?"

"Like family, I'm sure," he muttered in a low voice. Finally, he rose to his feet, towering over the darkly clad boy. "Enough banter. The pieces are quickly falling into position. You know what needs to be done. I assume you can find a suitable… distraction?"

The youth's eyes danced with mischief. "Oh yes, I have a temperamental old friend that has been sleeping just far too long that I think I'll pay a visit." With a sharp gesture, the ginger feline leapt up onto the boy's arm and scurried to perch on his shoulder. Absently the child scratched the thing's chin. "After all, Teekl so rarely gets to go on vacation."

"As long as it serves my purpose, then I care not for your vagaries. Go and begin your preparations."

"Oh, of course, my esteemed colleague." The horned youth offered a condescending smirk. "And what will you be doing while I prepare to shake the heavens themselves? I'd hate to think you were just sitting in this drab little scrap heap, cooling your heels."

His glance slid across the chamber to the large bank of monitors that served to track the many pawns in this penultimate of games. In particular, to one flickering screen near the bottom corner, the likeness of a raven-haired young woman completely unaware of her surveillance.

"I think it's time for my first piece to enter the game."

Apprentice.

Ryouga glanced down at the young woman that stood by his side. Her hands were tucked tightly into the green wind breaker she'd borrowed from Beast Boy, and a light breeze played through her long golden hair as they held vigil at the side of the road.

The word didn't really feel right to the martial artist. True, he was training her. He was training Terra more seriously than anyone, even Akane, but merely teaching did not seem to encompass the meaning of the word.

"So, when do you think they'll show?" Boredom laced the blonde's words; they had already been standing by the side of the road for half an hour with little more to do then watch the leaves fall.

He gave a non-committal grunt, not really paying attention to anything outside his head.

The word 'apprentice' was being bandied about pretty freely lately, and Ryouga was starting to ask himself how seriously anyone was taking that sacred responsibility.

Robin often told them of his apprenticeship to that Batman guy. Then Happosai had claimed Jinx as his apprentice at some point. And, as mind boggling as the concept seemed, judging by the Killer Croc fight, the ancient pervert seemed to be taking it to heart. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there were Cologne and Perfume and their 'apprenticeships' of Raven and Starfire. As if teaching a simple trick or two did a teacher make.

His brow furrowed in concentration, something tugging at the edge of his consciousness…

No, wait, that was his sleeve.

"Ryouga! Are you even listening to me?"

The slight blonde pulled his arm again, annoyance crinkling her brow cutely. It took him a second to reorient.

"What? Of course, I am." He flipped open his communicator, the hexagonal device showing it was now five minutes since the last time he'd checked.

"Shouldn't be much longer now. Kasumi said they would be here by ten. They're only a little behind schedule."

Terra gave him a look that spoke volumes.

"No!" he barked, "It's not my fault. I didn't give them directions. Kasumi told them where to find us!"

Her sapphire eyes narrowed in suspicion, but she declined from arguing his point. He huffed loudly and turned his attention back to the road. The chill in the air was invigorating, and the smells of the forest hung pleasantly in the air, pushing his mind to wander since his feet were rooted.

So, where did that place him and Terra on the scale? Apprenticeship entailed more than just training. It implied a relationship, a long term and intimate bond. In the purest sense, you were preparing someone to replace you, after all. Entrusting them with your legacy.

He turned to regard Terra more fully. True, he was training her, but everything they were doing was on the fly. Lessons created from desperation. He wasn't… giving himself to her… in that way. Wasn't passing on his essential experiences.

Terra caught him staring after a few moments. "Ummm, yes? You need something, Ryouga?"

He shook his head and chuckled in a low tone. "No, I was just… considering what lessons to pass on… you know, for the kids."

Terra fired him an odd look. "What, like how to cook Smores, or something?"

He laughed at that (not that he had any idea what a 'smores' was. A pot of campfire rice, now that would be good) "Well, you did say we missed all the proper-" He formed quotations with his fingers for emphasis. "Camping protocol, last night. I'm sure a bunch of city kids would have lots to learn from old pros like us."

The slight geokinetic beamed brightly, jamming her thumb to her own chest. "Hey, you're talking to the girl that taught Beast Boy how to pitch a tent-"

Ryouga coughed loudly into his hand, feeling his cheeks burning instantly. "...Terra…"

For her part the short Titan (in training) was already red in the face. "I realized how it sounded even as I said it. Shut up!"

Only by monumental act of will was Ryouga able to hold in his laugh and look back to the empty woodland road. He gave his head a rueful shake.

What was he thinking? He was, what, three years older than Terra? Even less? By rights, he should be learning with the young hero, not playing at being her teacher. And even if he did want to think along those lines, there was a whole world of styles more suited to Terra than the Hibiki style. That much he was certain of.

Now Starfire on the other hand… or maybe even Shampoo.

He gave his head a shake at that last thought. No, teacher to Terra's student was fine for now. He certainly wouldn't have to wait long for her to surpass him and then she could choose her own path.

The martial artist rubbed his chin, pondering. What if Terra wanted to learn his style?

He found himself imagining Terra, now ten years older and wearing a duplicate of his outfit, down to the umbrella. The slight woman gave a roar, then charged headfirst right into a concrete wall, crashing throu-

Nope, even with ten years of imaginary training, she still bounced right off and collapsed to the ground, stars swirling in her eyes…

"What are you giggling about, Ryouga?" Terra stared up at him, a suspicious glint flashing in her stormy eyes.

Smiling widely, he dropped a hand on her shoulder. "Oh, I just thought up a new training exercise for you. Should be… smashing."

"... You just thought about ramming my head into a wall, didn't you?"

"...Noooo…"

"Gawd! I was just joking!" Terra threw her arms up in exasperation. "Seriously, I don't know how your brain works someti-"

"Wait!" Ryouga raised a finger to shush her. "I hear something coming! I think it's the kids!"

Terra glared at him. "Yeah right, Master, like that isn't the most-" Suddenly her head tilted to the side. "Oh, wait, I hear it now, too."

Thankyouthankyouthankyou! He'd totally been bluffing.

Offering up a few prayers to whatever errant god had decided to take pity on him, he looked down the road, only to do a double take.

An old, beat up looking yellow school bus trundled down the road towards them.

"How many kids did Kasumi invite?" he asked rhetorically.

"Well, she did give us enough food to feed a small army." Terra bounced on her toes, excitement lighting up her face. "I wonder what they're like?"

"I wonder what kind of social worker thinks it's a good idea to take a bunch of kids out into the woods with a pair of dangerous strangers?"

"Ryouga! Don't be a jerk!"

"What? I'm pretty sure this was exactly the plot of one of Beast Boy's horror movies."

Terra punched him in the arm playfully as she burst out into laughter.

"Ryoooouga! Shut up about stuff like that, you'll scare them off! At least save it for the ghost stories."

The bus wheezed to a stop, gravel crunching loudly as it pulled off the road. Several long moments passed before the side door finally swung open.

To be fair, it wasn't like the kids were here to see them. These kids had been hoping to hang out with Cyborg and Beast Boy, you know, actual Teen Titans.

Well, as the Hibiki family motto went, 'Best get used to disappointment early… Because that's life, dummy.' In retrospect, maybe some of his sunny disposition was more genetic than he'd initially suspected.

"I hope these kids are nice, anyway, not like those crazy American TV kids. If we're lucky, their troop leader will be a good guy-"

It was at that point she stepped off the bus. Long blonde hair, pulled up playfully into a high ponytail, danced gracefully in the breeze. A tight red sweater clung to curves that Ryouga had only seen on the movie screen and, frankly, the pale blue jeans were just icing on the cake.

The master martial artist felt his jaw go slack, even as Terra burst out into laughter beside him.

"Oh God! Cyborg missed her to go to Star's fake wedding?" Terra elbowed him in the side and shot him a wink. "Cy's gonna reboot when I tell him, right?"

"..."

He stared blankly, not even registering the gloved hand waving in front of his face. All he could notice was the blonde goddess turning her attention their way.

"Really, Ryouga? Really?" He vaguely heard his student huff indignantly, only to have the ominous sound of stone grinding on stone kick his danger sense into high gear. Survival instincts snapped him out of his daze, and he turned just in time to see an oversized stone fist rearing back.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Relinquishing her frown, Terra unclenched her fist, letting the construct slide back into the ground. She rolled her eyes and blew some hair away from her face.

"C'mon, man. You're my teacher, here." She tucked her hands into her pockets. "You're supposed to be… like… above gawking at hot babes, not like Cy and BB."

Ryouga ducked his head, feeling abashed at the admonishment. "I'm sorry. I was being rude there. She just… caught me off guard?"

His protege shook her head and smiled. "Heh, well I guess I can't blame you too much." She gestured to the woman, tight jeans hugging her hips as she seemed to be organizing her camping supplies. "I mean, even I'll admit she's gorgeous. She's got curves that make Raven look like Jinx!"

"Hey! Don't talk about Jinx like that," he barked more on instinct than anything else. "...Or Raven… I think…" He wasn't actually sure if she was being insulted but decided to hedge his bets in case she had spies in the shadows.

The young hero giggled shamelessly. "Well, it's not like I'm gonna compare myself to Raven. At worst I'd say her boobs make Kasumi's look like mine, but that'd probably just make her feel bad that I was jealous."

"Terra! You can't talk about women's looks and bodies like that!"

"What?" Terra winked teasingly. "I am a girl, so I'm allowed to comment on other girls. Just like you're allowed to talk about how other guys have bulging pectorals or tight butts."

Ryouga shuddered from head to toe. "Why would I ever do that?"

He gave his head another good shake, then gave his pupil a gentle push on the shoulder, sending her stumbling a few feet.

"Whatever. Anyway, you shouldn't get hung up on your appearance." He nodded in a manner he assumed looked very wise. "Besides, Jinx totally has nice breasts-"

Giggling shamelessly, Terra 'aww'd'. "Aw, you are so-"

"And I'm sure one day you will too."

"- Dead!"

Hands began to rise, some in offense, some for defense… when Ryouga noticed something odd.

The woman that had stepped off the bus was still standing by the door, shifting slowly from one foot to the other. Curiosity overcame self preservation and the fanged warrior held up a hand to halt his student's attack. Gesturing to the bus, he drew Terra's attention to their guest as well and began to make his way forward.

The crunch of gravel signaled Terra following close at his elbow. "Something's strange," she muttered.

Nodding absently, the martial artist turned his attention to the bus. If American tv had taught him anything, the vehicle should have been rocking wildly under the enthusiasm of excited children. This bus was stock still, and he couldn't see a single soul from his vantage.

As they approached, the older blonde raised a hesitant hand. "H-hello there. My name is Sarah. Ah, Sarah Simms."

Ryouga glanced to her briefly, but his attention was drawn back to the bus. Not so much as a whisper emanated from the cavernous vehicle. The martial artist turned back to the anxiously shuffling social worker. The look on her face caused a sinking sensation in his stomach. It was a mix of embarrassment and… fear?

Cautiously, holding his hands out to his sides, he spoke as calmly as he could.

"Hello, Miss Simms. I'm Ryouga," he gestured to his waifish ward, "And this is Terra. Is - is there something wrong?"

Odd, he noted that the sweater wearing woman's nervousness peaked as he introduced Terra, even though he was certain he was more intimidating.

"Yeah," Terra chimed in. "I thought you were supposed to be bringing a bunch of kids out for this camping trip?"

Taking a second, apparently to steel her resolve, Sarah took a breath and nodded.

"I thought you deserved to hear this in person, rather than over the phone," she gestured to the yellow bus standing vacant next to them. "Besides, I already rented the bus anyway, so I figured I might as well use it…"

She trailed off into uncomfortable laughter, absently tugging at her ponytail with both hands.

The sinking sensation in Ryouga's stomach only grew; he glanced to his side to see the look of confusion on his student's face.

"The kids aren't coming, are they?" The answer was obvious, but he hoped to diffuse Terra's guilt if he could. He gestured between himself and the geokinetic hero, stepping closer as he did. "I'm guessing it has to do with our… questionable pasts, right?"

Sarah looked at him intently, her glance flashing quickly to Terra's rapidly darkening expression. He certainly hoped she'd caught his emphasis, but the look that dawned on her face gave him pause. Slowly, she nodded.

"I am so sorry. I know you both went to a lot of trouble to set this up-"

The martial artist shifted uncomfortably, having done nothing at all, and not really having been a fan of the idea in the first place.

"- I mean, that lady that contacted me, Kasumi, made it sound like such a great opportunity for the kids to get to know the two new Titans."

He shared a quick look with Terra. Well, that explained a lot. He could also feel the 'but' coming from a mile away.

"But, well, the second I suggested it to the children's parents…" Her head dipped and she twisted her hands in front of her jeans. "Honestly, I'm pretty sure the only reason I wasn't fired on the spot is because my dad's the boss."

Even though he was certain that nothing going on was his fault this time (or even Ranma's, strange as that felt), Ryouga still felt the unpleasant feeling of guilt settle over him. He knew they weren't popular, but he had to admit he'd underestimated just how bad it was.

Suddenly, the tall social worker knocked her knuckles against the side of her head. "What was I even thinking? A night out with the Terra-"

Ryouga's eyes widened and he tried to subtly wave his hands at Sarah. She must have noticed as her expression shifted quickly.

"... and Ryouga?" she added, rather lamely.

A loud sigh drew their attention to the shorter blonde on the scene. Her posture hunched and the look on her face stormy, Terra half heartedly glared at them both.

"I'm not an idiot, you know. I know it's my fault that the kids were too terrified to even consider coming."

The young geokinetic spun away, her fists clenched tightly at her sides and a loud sniff betraying her feelings.

"So stupid! I must have been an idiot to think anyone would let their kids within miles of Slade's pet monster…"

Even facing away from him, Ryouga could see the droplets of water starting to rain down from his apprentice's chin. Gently, he dropped a hand on her shoulder and spun her back to face him. Using a finger, he lifted Terra's trembling chin so he could look her in the eyes.

"Terra, you are no one's monster." He stared into shimmering blue eyes. Tilting his head to the side, he offered her a fanged grin. "You just need time to let your actions speak for you. Once we have you ready to go out into the world again… trust me, the good you do will eclipse all the bad you've ever done."

Terra continued to look up at him, her tears slowly ceasing to flow. With a sharp nod, she took a step back and squared her shoulders. She opened her mouth to say something… when a contented sigh drew their attention.

Still standing next to them, somehow forgotten for a moment, Sarah stared at them, an eyebrow quirked up as she studied him in particular. The tall blonde's lips quirked up into a wide grin.

"Hmm. You are the real deal, aren't you?" An expression flashed across her face… relief?... before she ran her fingers through her hair. "I knew Cyborg wouldn't have said all that stuff on the Cyblog if it wasn't true."

Despite himself, Ryouga couldn't help but grin. "Wait. You read Cyborg's blog?"

Donning a sheepish expression, cheeks tingeing pink, she nodded. "Guilty. I'm… kind of a huge Cyfan." She let out a long sigh. "I was really hoping to meet him again. And all the kids just adore him, too."

Terra let out a loud huff, muttering over her shoulder, "Everyone that read's Cy's blog is a stupid jerk. Those comment sections…"

Sarah had the good grace to look abashed.

Had any of those comments been hers? A sudden surge of anger rose at the thought, but Ryouga forced himself to remember Starfire's first lesson to him. This woman might have every right to her opinion; he had no idea what she'd gone through.

Instead, he grinned and tightened his grip on Terra's shoulder, giving her a playful shake.

"Hey, I read his blog, you know? Are you calling me a jerk?"

Fight as she might, Terra couldn't stop the corner of her lips from quirking up. The slight blonde punched him lightly in the side. "The biggest jerk of them all. Don't think I forgot about the whole thing with the boulders."

Sarah shot him a questioning look, and he felt the need to tug at his collar.

"Um… inside joke?"

"Hm, well, anyway," Sarah segued expertly, "I admit that your friend, Kasumi, talked a good game, but she's not why I'm here."

Terra tilted her head inquisitively. "She's not? I always end up doing anything she asks."

Ryouga just nodded at the self-evident nature of her statement.

The taller woman let out a quick giggle. "I'm sure she's quite charming, but I'm really here because of Cyborg."

Ryouga began to raise a finger to signal his confusion since Cyborg wasn't coming, but she beat him to the punch.

"Or, I should say, I'm here because Cyborg believes in you-" Sarah reached out, dropping a hand on Terra's shoulder as well as his. "Both of you. And that people just need to give you guys a chance to prove yourselves."

While Ryouga felt heartened by the sentiment, he noted an expression blooming on his apprentice's face that escaped his ability to read.

The social worker then pulled her hands back to clasp them before her.

"So, umm… please prove Cyborg right for me? I have faith in the Titans, but I am still kind of a normal person stuck out in the woods with two demigods." She blushed again. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous as hell right now."

The hapless wanderer chuckled at her frank admission, hoping to avoid his more usual evil sounding chuckle this time.

"Don't worry, we'll hold off on any of the more dangerous training while you're around." He ignored the annoyed bark from Terra and offered a grin wide enough to let his fangs peek out. "I gotta say, though, there's trusting Cyborg, and then there is trusting Cyborg."

Looking happier than she had since the start of this entire encounter, Terra smiled and nudged the taller blonde with a narrow elbow. "Yeah. If I were more suspicious, I'd almost think you had a crush on the-"

"Okay, okay! No teasing!" Sarah took a moment to compose herself, her cheeks slowly ceasing their ruby glow. Giving her head one last shake, her ponytail whipping out, Sarah offered them a more casual smile.

"Now, come on. I want to get a real look at the two new, up and coming Titans." She winked teasingly. "This way I can say I knew you guys before you were cool!"

The sweater wearing social worker paused uncertainly for a moment. "So… you mentioned you guys were doing some kind of training? That sounds like it'd be cool to see."

Ryouga felt the return of his evil grin, the most obvious of ideas beginning to form in his mind.

"Interested in our training, are you? Maybe we can kill two birds with making you feel less nervous and showing you a bit of the training, we're doing."

With that, he gestured for the pair of blondes to follow him back to the site (he ignored the fact that Terra immediately took a stride past him, pulling Sarah along).

"How do you feel about a little low intensity self defense training?"

Checking her gear quickly, the older blonde nodded. "Great, that sounds fun. I'm pretty sure I got some sweats in here."

Perfect. Ryouga smiled to himself, already planning the next five to six hours. Should be just enough time for a good warm up before lunch!

He wasn't even paying attention when, brows furrowed, Terra leaned towards Sarah.

"You know, you really shouldn't trust Cy nearly as much as you do."

"Wh-What? Why ever not?"

"Trust me, I learned the hard way. Cyborg always leaves the toilet seat up!"

Sarah giggled at the admission, only to stop dead in her tracks. The queerest look settled on her face, even as Ryouga and Terra walked on without her.

"...Wait. That raises so many questions!"

Speedy waved jauntily to the officer before walking off to mull over the crime scene. It had been a relatively quiet night down here in the financial district. Now the small plaza surrounding the tall office building was circled by police vehicles. A steady stream of uniformed officers entered and exited the building, intent on finding any additional evidence of the break in.

"Gotta admit, this is a new one for me," he muttered to no one in particular.

After all, why would anyone bother to break into a mineral exchange? Contrary to how it sounded, an Exchange like this didn't house any inventory to steal.

Without a thought, the crimson archer fired an arrow up towards the roof, thin cable trailing after. A quick pull on the rope, and he was ascending the side of the exceedingly average commercial building.

No, a mineral exchange was just a middleman, as it were. They connected buyers and sellers, extractors to end users. Either the criminal was a total rookie… or they were looking for something. Something you couldn't find just knocking over some jewelry store.

Speedy chuckled to himself.

Maybe it was another wing bat trying to track down some of the world's apparently inexhaustible stocks of Kryptonite? Lord knew that Luthor was probably sitting on top of the Fort Knox of Special K.

It was hard to say, really. The investigator on the scene told him that the break in was technically well executed, but that the search had been sloppy and untargeted. The culprit had torn through dozens of the exchange's client databases until they did, or maybe even didn't find what they were looking for.

On that note, the archer was glad that Robin and his team had forged such a good working relationship with the Jump City PD. Made his job babysitting the city a helluva lot easier than in a corrupt pit like Bludhaven.

He found a nicely sized HVAC unit near the edge of the building to sit on and look out over the city. The road below was still twinkling with the reds and blues of the squad cars. The building across the street was mostly unlit, the glass face reflecting the streetlights and other light pollution back at him. The cape of the black silhouette on the far roof blew gently in the night breeze-

A sound like a jagged record scratch jolted through his head.

Instantly, he was on his feet, bow in hand. Speedy didn't believe in coincidences at the best of times; just happening to see some shadowy figure on a rooftop minutes after a break in and have them not be involved? Yeah, pull the other one.

The mysterious ne'er do well held their position as he drew back another grapnel arrow, only to finally turn tail and run as he fired. As that arrow flew across the gulf between buildings, he turned and fired another arrow behind and above him into a convenient antenna tower.

Both arrows struck nigh simultaneously, and the wire connecting them snapped taut. Flipping his bow over the newly formed zipline, he ran forward and leapt off the building, letting gravity slide him across the road at breakneck speeds.

He landed with a crunch, just in time to see the caped figure leap off the far ledge and vanish from sight.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," he muttered. He'd played the cat and mouse game enough to know when he was the cat and when he was the mouse.

Moving swiftly across the roof, a trio of stun arrows slid into his hand. He nocked the first, as he leapt off the ledge himself. Soaring through the air, he quickly spotted his playmate for the night looking back up at him from the roof some twenty feet below him.

One, two, three arrows flew in the span of a single breath, closing unerringly on his target. Only to be cut down by blurs of red that whistled through the air.

He landed heavily from the fall, rolling with the momentum. Surging back to his feet, he spun around with another pair of crackling blue arrows nocked and aimed at the shadowy figure.

Though, 'Figure' didn't do this criminal justice. That suit was tight in all the right places. If it weren't for the lame skull mask and the goofy, Robin-esque half cape, he might have wondered if he was up against a far from home Catwoman.

If the curvy villainess felt at all threatened by having two electrified arrows under a hundred pounds of draw pointed at her face, she gave no sign of it. Rather, she touched her fingers to the mask covering her mouth, as if covering a yawn.

"What took you, Robin? You've slowed down since the last time we met."

The crimson archer stopped short, his bow dropping to his side.

"Lady, I am not Robin!"

The empty eyes of the skull face seemed to peer at him, studying him. A moment later, she gestured at him.

"Are you sure? I mean, the same uniform, the silly little mask," He could almost see the grin under the material of her mask. "That absolutely darling coordinating belt? Either you are Robin, or maybe you're… his biggest fan?"

"Hey!" He swiped his hand through the air, taking a step forward. "I'm nothing like that twerp!"

He tugged at his red hair. "Is Robin a ginger?" He shook his long bow as well. "Could his little noodle arms even draw a bow like this?"

The black clad female cocked out her hip and rested her hand on the curve. He could just feel the arching of her hidden eyebrow.

"That certainly is a large weapon. Though maybe Robin just doesn't have as much to compensate for?" She tittered in amusement, though the voice distortion made it sound creepy as hell.

Speedy grinned at the jab. "Oh, don't you worry about me, Miss. I'm more than willing to prove my credentials if need be."

His playful reply seemed to set the woman back a step. She obviously thought she was being clever, or that he hadn't had this conversation a dozen times with a dozen lady villains.

"I - um… well, if you aren't a Robin cosplayer, then just who are you?"

He offered her a charming smirk. "You can call me Speedy."

"Well, you can call me disappointed."

Damn it! He walked into that one every time! He really needed to consider a name change. The old sidekick moniker was making the whole heroic flirting banter routine all but impossible these days.

"Alright, Miss Original. Why don't we cut to the chase? I'll bet my last arrow that you hit that Exchange." He narrowed his eyes, drawing a bead on his target. "So, did you find what you were looking for?"

The caped woman seemed to deflate, and let out a sexy, pouty sigh.

"Unfortunately, not. It seems that the supply in Jump City has dried up." Despite her admission, the black clad villain perked up noticeably. "On the bright side, I did find the other thing I was looking for."

"Yeah? And what's that?"

"My-"

Suddenly, the figure flickered into a black blur. He loosed his arrows, but in the fraction of the second it took them to travel, his target was already erased from reality.

An instant later, he felt a hot breath on his neck.

"-new playmate!"

A heel slammed into the back of his knee, dropping him painfully to the roof. He tried to spin around with his bow, but two more red blurs flew from behind him. Both hit his weapon, then splattered across his hands and down to the roof. A second later, his bow was snapped to the gravel as the goo contracted.

Still standing on the back of his calf, pinning him painfully to the roof, his attacker let out a bored huff.

"You weren't kidding about the 'Speedy' part. Robin did much better on our first… altercation."

He was about to make the standard 'Let me go, you fiend' demand, but another set of the adhesive projectiles, small red X's now that he had a better look, hit his mouth and feet, completing his immobilization.

The dark criminal paced around him, looking quite satisfied with herself. "Well, I suppose I have had a bit of time to train since then, so, it would only be fair to give you a chance to practice, too."

Stepping in front of him, she knelt and ruffled his hair roughly.

"Oh, don't you worry, Speedy, we are going to have a lot of fun this week."

A flicker of black, and she was gone, for good this time. Leaving Speedy essentially hogtied and glued to the roof, unable to even call for help.

He let out a weary sigh through his nostrils, before he began the slow process of working himself out of his gloves and boots. At least there hadn't been anyone around to see him get manhandled like that… or to witness his humiliating recovery.

Honestly, some nights it just didn't pay to get out of bed.