32 Productions Presents…
A HIVE Team StoryThe HIVE Team In…
"The Return"
Chapter Three
The Fight
Mammoth covered his face as the chunks of rock that made up Chunk's body flew at him. Mammoth, however, was just the distraction, as Jinx cast a hex on Chunks. Chunks fell to the ground in a pile. Vertigo whimpered to herself about how she had gone blind. Krystal had aimed the light directly for Vertigo's eyes. A sonic boom was enough to disperse Speck, blowing his particles away for miles. Gizmo doused Bomb Blast with a chemical spray, leaving a weeping hunk of charred flesh. Apparently she had good reason to keep herself ablaze all the time.
Blackfire: Alright, they're down. Now let's GO! We have to find Krystal!
Blackfire flew off in the direction Krystal went. The others ran after her.
Trial
Raven had called herself up to the stand. Robin didn't care. He was still flirting. Raven would ask a question with her hood up and remove it when she answered.
Raven: Please state your name and occupation for the court.
Raven: Raven Roth. Psychopath.
Raven: That's your occupation?
Raven: If by occupation you mean what I do for a living, yes.
Raven: I see. And what is your relationship to my client?
Raven lowered her hood again and sighed.
Raven: We're very…very good friends.
Raven: You mean lovers?
Raven: I mean very good friends.
Krystal leaned over to Changeling. Both of them stared at the scene with wide eyes.
Krystal: (whisper) Is she always this…schizophrenic?
Changeling: (whisper) Don't think so…
Raven lifted her hood back up.
Raven: I suppose that's not relevant anyway. What did you make of Shade when you first met him?
Raven: Well…he was wild…dirty…malnourished…his hair covered most of his body…to be honest, I would have thought he was a mindless animal if he hadn't just saved me from incarceration.
Raven: So you're saying that by the time he got to you, he looked like a wild animal? He seems much better now.
Raven: A few good meals, a bath, and a hair cut worked wonders for him. But it wasn't until we formed a mental connection that I realized just how wrong about him I had been. His thoughts are organized, clear. He simply can't talk and has a fondness for human flesh.
Raven: And how would you describe his behavior of late?
Raven lowered her hood and turned her hateful glare over at Meredith.
Raven: He's not himself at all lately. He's jumpy, timid, and prone to panic. It's not like him at all. I went into his mind and discovered that he's been having terrible nightmares about a woman who chases him with a metal rod, beating him without mercy.
Raven: Sounds terrible. And…is the woman in his nightmare here today?
Raven: Yes.
Raven: Could you point her out, please?
Raven lowered her hood and pointed at Meredith. Then she raised her hood again.
Raven: Please note that the witness pointed at one of the defendants. No further questions.
Terra stood up.
Terra: Okay, I'm putting some effort into this one. Raven, when you first met Shade, what did you do?
Raven: I offered him a place to stay, food, and clean clothing.
Terra nodded.
Terra: And what did you ask for in return?
Raven: …
Terra: Isn't it true that you requested his blind obedience?
Raven glared at Terra. She wasn't supposed to actually try to defend them!
Terra: Answer the question, Raven!
Raven: …yes.
Terra: AH HA! And, didn't you tell him that he had to be your "little pet"?
Raven: …yes.
Terra: So you treated him like an animal.
Raven: …maybe so…but I didn't abuse him. At the time I thought he was an animal.
Terra: You said after he saved you that you didn't think that.
Raven: I said a MINDLESS animal.
Terra: Hmm. I see. Is it not also true that you nearly killed him once?
Raven slammed her fists down, her soul self erupting from her.
Raven: DON'T EVER MENTION THAT!
Terra: Read that last part back.
Starfire: Don't…
Terra: Is that what's on your paper?
Starfire: ..T, T, T, T, T, T.
Changeling giggled impishly to himself. Krystal rolled her eyes.
Krystal: …grow up. I never thought I'd say that.
Terra: No further questions, your honor.
Terra leaned forward and whispered into Raven's ear.
Terra: (whisper) I told you to stay away from my Gar.
Raven's jaw dropped. She climbed out of the witness stand numbly. Robin sighed.
Robin: Any further witnesses?
Raven: No, your honor.
Terra: I'm cool.
Robin: Begin closing arguments.
Raven walked back over to the plaintiff's table.
Raven: Just look at him. He hasn't taken his eyes off the defendants once. He's utterly terrified. He has faced opponents bigger then him. Ones capable of crushing his head like a grape…and this small woman terrifies him. The cruelty was so bad, that it marks him to this very day.
She sat back down. Terra waved her hand.
Terra: Eh, I'm done.
Robin: Very well. In light of all the…riveting evidence…
Starfire giggled coyly.
Robin: I find the defendants guilty.
Krystal: Hey! You're not supposed to decide that! You're the judge!
Robin: Yeah, and I'm JUDGING them to be guilty. Nobody said anything about this being a fair court. Now then, I sentence you to…
BOOM! The wall blew open and Blackfire floated in the dust, her eyes glowing purple. Upon seeing her sister, Starfire smashed the typewriter and floated up herself.
Starfire: To Hell with this charade.
Robin: It was getting old.
Robin threw off his judge robe and wig, revealing his costume underneath.
Robin: Titans, GO!
Krystal blast Changeling before he could even move. She teleported next to Blackfire.
Krystal: Take them down quickly! They've rigged the atmospheric generators!
Blackfire: Who's got the trigger?
Krystal: I don't know!
Blackfire was about to respond when Robin's metal bo-staff hit her across her face. Krystal received a similar blow to her stomach as Robin jabbed the staff behind him. The other Titans took advantage of their disorientation. Krystal was grabbed from behind by a giant stone hand. It was the very hunk of rock that had once been the defense's desk. Terra smirked and cracked her knuckles before giving Krystal a powerful right hook. Spitting blood and dazed, Krystal almost failed to teleport herself out of her predicament…almost. She appeared on top of the judge's podium. Not that she meant to, of course. Right now though, anywhere was better then in that stone hand's grasp. Raven grinned as her powers grasped Blackfire by her legs and arms and began to pull.
Raven: People used to use horses to do this. I believe they called it being drawn and quartered. Tie a rope to each limps…tie the other end to a horse…slap the horse to make it go…and watch the fun. I wish I had some horses. It would be nice to be authentic, wouldn't you agr…?
Blackfire fired her eye blasts, striking Raven in her chest. Crashing through the wall, she obviously lost her concentration and Blackfire found herself free. Cyborg swung at her but his fist was caught by Mammoth. Blackfire wiped her mouth.
Blackfire: What kept you?
Sonic: Traffic.
Krystal blasted Terra aside. Noticing how she had yet to be leapt on by her growling brother, she turned to see what he was doing. He was gone…and so was her mother.
Krystal: Oh no…
Krystal appeared next to Jinx.
Krystal: (quickly) I gotta go, be back as soon as I can!
Jinx: Wha…?
Krystal disappeared. Before Jinx could further think about what she heard, a birdarang twirled toward her. She flipped out of the way, flinging a hex in retaliation.
Barren Area
Piles of rocks were the only things that seemed to grow out there. The air was a little thin, but Shade was too occupied with running to notice. If he had been thinking rationally, he would know that his mother was no match for him. Unfortunately years of abuse made it impossible for him to realize it. As he got lost in the many outcroppings he realized that he wasn't even sure if he was still being pursued. His hear pounding with fear, he turned and looked around. He was alone. Sighing with relief at having lost her, he slouched down against a rock. How had she even gotten free? Damn it all, he KNEW this was a bad idea.
Meredith: You foul disgusting beast…
Shade froze as Meredith stepped out from behind the rock he was leaning on. In her hands was the familiar metal rod. He could swear it was still stained with his blood. Paralyzed with fear, he couldn't even duck as she swung, cracking him in the knee. Crying out, he fell over and received a blow to his spine.
Meredith: Bringing your devil friends to our home…trying to destroy us…your own parents!
Shade whimpered, wanting to try and explain that it wasn't his idea, but unable to do so. He was struck again for his trouble. For what seemed like a nightmarish eternity, Meredith struck him again and again. It seemed his nightmare was coming true. He was going to be beaten to death by his own mother. That's when a flash of light blinded Meredith, making her back away.
Krystal: Stop, Mama! You're killing him!
Shade struggled to stand up again as Krystal got between them. Meredith raised the rod.
Meredith: Move now, Sara-ari. I won't tolerate this behavior again.
Krystal: And I won't let you hurt him anymore! Look at him! It was your distain that made him what he is! Maybe if he had a loving mother…one who didn't chain him to a tree, he'd be happy…still able to talk…maybe his hands wouldn't be so stained with blood.
Meredith: It always had you fooled. That isn't your brother. That is a mistake.
Shade clenched his teeth.
Meredith: An accident of nature. It's an abomination!
Shade began growling softly.
Meredith: And it is a mistake that I'm going to rectify!
Meredith swung again. Shade winced but no pain came. He opened his eyes to see Krystal holding her mother's arm up in the air.
Krystal: I said I won't let you…
Seeing his chance, Shade tackled his mother and sunk his teeth into her throat.
Krystal: NO! Mama!
Krystal blasted Shade off her mother. Shade got up, grinning to himself and faded away into the shadows. Finally…finally the bitch was gone. Krystal knelt next to her mother, crying.
Krystal: Mama…I'm so sorry. I got so caught up in protecting him I didn't think to protect you.
There was no reply, obviously. Meredith was dead. Krystal wiped her eyes then closed her mother's. She stood up and disappeared.
Krystal's Old House
The HIVE were missing, as were the Titans. Krystal tracked her friends' scent to the atmospheric generators. Gizmo was working on them, obviously in a hurry. Krystal could see why. The hum from them was missing. They had been deactivated.
Krystal: What happened?
Red X sighed and shook her head.
Red X: They threatened to turn off the devices if we didn't let them go. Shade appeared and they took off in their ship. Then the things just shut down. Lying bastards…
Red X noticed Krystal's eyes were puffy from crying.
Red X: …are you okay?
Krystal: My…my mother…she's…she's…
Krystal grabbed Red X and started sobbing on her shoulder. Red X felt extremely uncomfortable. Blackfire tapped Krystal on the shoulder. Krystal looked up and immediately switched to hugging her.
Blackfire: Better let me handle it, okay?
Red X frowned under her mask. Was Blackfire jealous of her? The generators started purring again. Gizmo sighed.
Gizmo: Done.
Jinx: Good. Let's go home. We have to get after the Titans.
Titan H.Q.: Main Room
Raven was delighted to have the old Shade back. She sat on the couch, a heating pad on her back to relieve the soreness crashing through the wall had brought. She also had bandages on her chest, under her top. Shade had long strips of bandages on his back, covering the many welts he now had. Raven had been reading, but put the book down when Shade came in and laid down on the couch, his head on her lap. She started scratching his head softly and he soon fell asleep. Raven watched Cyborg and Changeling play their silly video games, her own eyes feeling heavy. She noted that Shade had a slight smile on his face.
Raven: That's it, Shade. Pleasant dreams.
Raven closed her eyes.
Krystal's Room
Krystal lay on her bed, curled up in a ball. She was asleep and whispering.
Krystal: No…no, Mama…it wasn't my fault…I tried…I always try…
Krystal bolted upright, sweat trickling down her face. It was just a nightmare…
THE END