“More Answers, More Questions”
Changeling leaned back in his chair and studied Breathtaker. “How are you so sure?” Breathtaker closed her eyes. “I saw him. Haven’t you ever seen his savage side?” Memories of Risk strangling Vibe in a dry pool suddenly jumped into Gar’s head.* (* It happened in TW #22 – db) “Yes,” Gar finally admitted. He heard a slight sniffle and looked to his side, where Flamebird was wiping her eyes. He reached out and clasped her shoulder. Bette just nodded. “I just can’t believe it,” she said. “How could he do this?” ”I can believe it,” Vibe said. He sat there with his arms folded. “I remember what he tried to do to me.” ”He’s right,” Breathtaker said. “What do you mean?” Gar asked. “I think you need to learn why I was selected for Overseer membership,” she said. Then Provoke hurried out of Director Bones’s office before the director changed his mind again. “So long, you bloody pink bastard,” he muttered, Major Force still on his mind. “I don’t understand something,” Breathtaker said inside the office as she laid a pen on the desk. “Why us?” Bones’s lips stretched back in an invisible smile. “Don’t you mean, `why him’?” Breathtaker nodded. “Well, yes. Provoke does have his moments of incompetence.” ”Simple,” Bones replied. “That’s where you come in.” A gloved hand slid a photo over to her. She picked it up and looked at the person pictured. “It’s Cody Driscoll,” she said, replacing the photo on the desk. “Yes,” Bones said. “He’s going to be joining our little team, but he’s been a bit… uncooperative thus far. I need Provoke to keep him in line.” Breathtaker leaned back in her chair. “And why do you need me?” ”I need you to keep Provoke in line.” Now “Then what happened?” Mal asked. “Why couldn’t Provoke have stopped him during that attack he made on your headquarters?” ”I can answer that,” Bumblebee answered. “One of the first things Cody did was dislocate Provoke’s jaw. His powers don’t work if he can’t talk.” Red Star scowled. He thumped the table with his fist and stormed out. Concerned, Gar looked after him. Bumblebee nodded and followed him out. “What I still don’t understand is why,” Gar said. “Why us?” ”I don’t know,” Breathtaker said. “He never discussed it.” Gar stood and began to pace. “We know where Provoke is, and you’re here, so where are the others?” Las Vegas “Where is he, Curtis?” Harm asked, blood dripping from his sword. The former blackjack dealer turned casino owner looked around at the corpses of his bodyguards. “I don’t know!” Harm stepped forward. Curtis closed his eyes as Harm’s boot came down on a bodyguard’s hand, snapping the bones. “I know he was here. What did he tell you?” “Nothing!” Curtis screeched as Harm’s hand shot out and grabbed his collar. “He just let me know he was here! He didn’t even tell me when he left!” Harm scowled and leaned in closer. “And when was that?” Curtis’s hand scrambled for the phone. “Let me call the front desk, and I’ll get that.” Harm released the man who dialed with a shaking hand. Harm stood there leaning on his sword so there would be no misunderstanding. Curtis hung up the phone and gave Harm the date. Harm nodded. “That’s all I know! I swear!” Harm’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, I believe you,” he said. “Tell no one I was here.” ”No problem,” Curtis said. ”And just to help you remember…” Harm’s sword stabbed through Curtis’s leg. Curtis screamed and went down. ”Oh, please,” Harm said as he replaced the sword in its scabbard. “I worked to miss the artery. Some people are such crybabies.” Harm exited through the window and was gone. San Francisco Joshua’s face itched under the makeup, but he didn’t dare scratch it. The security here knew him, or at least to keep an eye out for someone with red skin. The guide droned on about the building’s history, yet Joshua wasn’t listening. He was looking around at everything. The small camera hidden in his sunglasses captured the building on video. As the guide pointed out a statue, Joshua ran through his plans for the evening in his mind. He fought down a smile as the group was led past a door that the guide ignored. He knew that was where his goal lay. Overseers Headquarters Deep within the ruined building, a metal box has survived intact. Inside it is an old wooden coffin. Here Dagon sleeps until night falls again. Titans West HQ Gar Logan sat down behind the table as his head began to swim. Terra laid a hand on his arm. “Are you okay?” she asked. “Give my regards to Cruz!” Cody yelled from the screen. Gar’s blood ran cold as Cody blinked off and a red digital counter appeared. 30. 29. 28. 27. “Gar?” Terra asked. Gar shook his head and returned to the present. “You’re right, Bette,” Gar said. “Something just clicked. Right before he blew up the old base, he had to taunt me. He said something about Cruz. Cody killed him.” “Now you see how dangerous he is!” Breathtaker said. “Are you okay?” Bumblebee asked as she walked up next to Red Star. His shoulders were shaking. She laid a hand on his shoulder that he immediately threw off. “I’m sorry, Leo,” she said. Red Star turned around. Tears were running down his face. “Why is this happening now?” he asked. “I don’t know,” Karen replied, pushing her cowl back over her head. “Why?” he asked. “First Baby and Pantha, and now…” ”Leo, I –” Karen stopped as Leonid kept speaking. “Do you know that I can never have children?” he asked. “I got my powers from a meteor’s radiation. I was tested numerous times back in Russia, and no one could tell me what the effects would be on a child. But I found Baby and Pantha, and I had a family. Until…” ”Until Deadshot,” Karen finished. Leonid nodded as he leaned back against the wall. “But through it all, there was Cody. He was like the teenage son I can never have. And now we discover that he is murdering our friends.” Leonid slid down the wall to the floor. Karen knelt down beside him. Leonid looked into her eyes through a wall of tears. “How can I help hunt down my son?” Karen had no answer. UCLA Tina, Alex Richards’s roommate, walked into the dorm room. “Flowers!” she said, grabbing up the box on Alex’s bed. “Ooh,” she said, reading the card. “Cody.” She looked at the box. “You got flowers and didn’t even open them?” Tina looked around and made sure the door was locked. “Well, I’m sure she won’t mind if I just take a little peek.” Tina carefully untied the ribbon around the box and opened it. Questcorp “Mr. Driscoll,” Questor said as he shook Cody’s hand. “To what do we owe the pleasure?” ”Oh it’s not you who’s getting the pleasure,” Cody said as he opened his coat. Sarah Simms gasped as she saw that he had explosives wired around his waist. “Get behind the desk!” he ordered her. “That’s all right, Ms. Simms,” Questor said as he pulled her behind the desk with him. “I’m sure everything will be fine.” ”Wrongo!” Cody yelled. “You want to know what the best thing about being invulnerable is? I get to be a suicide bomber more than once!” Sarah screamed as Cody’s thumb depressed the trigger. Titans West HQ Mal ran to the computer as alarms started sounding. “What’s going on?” Gar demanded. ”It’s an alarm from Questcorp,” Mal replied. “Looks like there’s been a massive blast… in Questor’s office.” ”Cody,” Gar said angrily. “I’m also getting reports of a blast at UCLA.” ”Alex!” Golden Eagle yelled as he jumped up. “I’ve got to see if she’s okay!” Eagle ran out, launching into flight as soon as he was outside. Gar looked around the room. “Let’s go after him,” he ordered. “Breathtaker, you’re welcome to come with us.” Breathtaker smiled. “I wouldn’t miss it.” The Titans ran out of the meeting room, heading for the T-Jet. Next Issue: The Titans fight to save Questor and Sarah from the ruins of Questcorp. Plus, Risk’s new benefactor is revealed! Previous Issue | Next Issue |
