Titans West

Vernon Questor whirled around as his office’s window exploded inward. As he backed away, the Overseer known as Breathtaker flew in and fell to the floor. “Help me,” she whispered as she looked up. Her light blue skin was dappled with blood. “Help me find the Titans.”

Questor started for his desk as she collapsed. “Ms. Simms,” he said into the intercom, “have Mr. Logan report here at once!” Questor stepped forward and ensured that she was breathing.

Breathtaker’s eyes fluttered open. “Where am I?” she asked.

Changeling leaned over her. “You’re in our headquarters,” he said.

Bumblebee studied a monitor and helped her sit up. “Take it easy,” she said. “You may feel a little dizzy, but you should be okay.”

Breathtaker nodded, but still accepted the offered arm to help her to her feet. “I need to warn you all,” she said.

“That’s okay,” Changeling said. “We’re heading to the conference room now.”

”We must hurry,” Breathtaker said. “Or else it will be too late.”

Changeling opened the door to the meeting room and helped Breathtaker into a chair. The other Titans were already assembled.

“Okay, Breathtaker says she has some information she needs to share,” Changeling announced. “Go ahead,” he said to her.

Breathtaker took a deep breath and began her tale…

Overseers Headquarters

Harm quickly scanned the databanks. “No time for anything anymore,” he muttered as he brought up another database. “Now where are you?” he asked as he read through the reports. Finally he smiled.

He heard voices out in the lobby, but ignored them. His attention was focused completely on the report. He frowned. The date was several months ago, but it still bore investigation. He quickly logged out of the computer and returned to his room to pack.

Joshua smiled. His surveillance on Harm had finally borne fruit. “So,” Joshua said in the velvety voice that made women swoon for him, “What are you searching for this fellow for?” He leaned back in his chair. “What has this Buzz done to you? All my reports indicate that he’s simply a bumbler who is with Supergirl. But you don’t need to know that just yet.” Joshua watched his computer logs as Harm logged off. He turned and walked to his bedroom.

With the merest thought, the candles scattered throughout the darkened room ignited as Joshua locked his door. Joshua closed his pitch black eyes for a moment. The candles always offered him a sense of serenity. Quickly he pulled the plastic from his closet and spread it out over his floor. With mounting anxiousness, he quickly removed his clothes. He nearly ripped a small hidden door open. Inside was a vial of red liquid over a flame. Carefully carrying the vial, Joshua returned to the center of the plastic and raised the vial over his head. Slowly, Joshua tilted it so that the blood it contained rained down on him. His skin tingled as the warm liquid splashed against him. Soon, he thought as he lay down and rolled around on the plastic to continue feeling the blood against him. Soon. He dipped his fingertip in the blood and rubbed it against his lips. In bliss, Joshua allowed himself to imagine the future.

Risk and Bones were walking through Overseers headquarters as Risk heard Joshua’s door lock. Freak, he thought. He forced his attention back to what Director Bones was saying as they continued their tour of the base.

“It was actually fortunate that the Titans happened along when they did,” Bones said. “The press got to hear about you working together, and that just solidifies you all as the new heroes in town.” Bones stopped as he took another draw off his cigar. “Overall, excellent work. This could have been a disaster, but you turned it into a great positive.”

“Thanks,” Risk said. “But when do we go after the Titans again? I know that some of the others want a little payback after last time.”

“The others?” Bones asked. “Do you feel the same?”

Risk took a deep breath. “I think we need to,” he said. “We need to shut them down.”

Bones took another drag off his cigar and approached the elevator. “I disagree,” he said. “Wait. Soon it will be time. Until then, no moves. Am I understood?”

”Yeah,” Risk said. He frowned as the doors closed and the elevator carried Bones away. Scowling, Risk walked away and returned to his room.

Provoke leaned back in an easy chair and turned on a porno on the TV. He smiled as things really started happening. “Now that’s what I like,” he murmured. He let out a cry as the TV was snapped off. “What’d you do that for?” he demanded.

Breathtaker smiled as she dropped the remote control onto a table. “You know, just when I think that you can’t get any more pathetic, you go and prove me wrong. Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to watch garbage like that when there’s a lady present?”

”If there was a bloody lady present, I’d rather be watching her!” Provoke yelled back. He started gasping as Breathtaker raised a hand.

“And if I was letting air into your lungs, I’m sure you’d rather be breathing it,” she calmly replied as Provoke fell to the floor. Breathtaker took a step back as Provoke grabbed for her ankle. With a smirk she released him. “Oh, look. You seem to have thrown up again,” she said. “I’d clean that up before the Director sees it.”

Titans West HQ

“I don’t understand,” Bumblebee said. “You said you’ve got information for us, but so far all you’ve done is make Provoke throw up.”

”Like that’s hard,” Vibe said. A subdued laughter ran around the table. It even got a slight smile out of Breathtaker.

“I was just getting to that part,” she said as she continued…

An Abandoned Building

Joshua smiled as he lay the young woman down on a steel table. Fortunately the drug he used to cause her to fall into unconsciousness didn’t seem to affect the quality of the blood. With practiced ease he slid the needle into her carotid artery and started pumping the precious fluid out.

High overhead, Dagon soared in his bat-form. His lips drew back over his fangs as he saw a crook grab a woman’s purse and shove her to the ground before running away. Dagon dove after him, ready to feed.

Overseers Headquarters

The first blast threw Breathtaker to the floor. Fortunately, she’d fallen asleep in her costume. As the alarms began to wail, Breathtaker hurried to her door.

The living area was an inferno. “God!” she cried as a blazing timber fell past her. She heard an odd noise and turned. She screamed.

There stood the bomber with a sick look on his face. He casually snapped Provoke’s arm and threw him at her. “Take him,” he said. “I’m through with him.” He disappeared into the flames as Breathtaker picked Provoke up.

”Are you all right?” she asked. Her eyes widened as she saw that Provoke’s jaw was dislocated and he was unable to respond. She instinctively ducked as another explosion went off deeper in the building. “He’ll kill us all,” Breathtaker said, pulling Provoke back into her room as the ceiling began to collapse. She jerked back as the television exploded, embedding shards of glass in her shoulder and cutting her face.

“Can’t believe I’m doing this,” she said as she laid Provoke down on her bed and shoved a blanket under the door to control the smoke. She grabbed her desk chair and threw it through her window. She grabbed the lamp from her desk and used it to knock the rest of the glass out of the frame. She picked up Provoke surprisingly gently and flew the two of them out of the building.

Titans West HQ

“I dropped him off at the hospital and went to the one place I knew we’d be able to contact you,” Breathtaker finished.

“Questcorp,” Gar supplied.

Breathtaker nodded.

“Wait a second,” Flamebird said, a harsh look on her face. “This is the same guy who killed Hero and tried to kill Karen. Who is he?”

Breathtaker took a deep breath as she remembered.

Overseers Headquarters

Breathtaker forced her eyes open against the smoke. Flames silhouetted the bomber and his victim. Provoke was thrown to the side as the bomber burst into insane laughter. The look on his face was sheer madness.

Titans West HQ

“Breathtaker?” Changeling prompted.

“I’m all right,” she said. “It was Cody Driscoll. The person you know as Risk.”

Questcorp

Vernon Questor lifted his phone. “Yes?” he asked.

“Cody Driscoll is here to see you, sir,” Sarah Simms said, returning his smile.

“Send him in,” Questor said, quickly replacing a file in its folder and sliding it into his desk.

“Go on in,” Sarah said.

Cody smiled wider. “Why don’t you come in, too? I’ve got a surprise for him that I think you’ll enjoy, too.”

Sarah stood and opened the door to Questor’s office, leading Cody inside.

UCLA

Alex Richards smiled as she opened her door. A box of roses lay on the floor. She flipped open the card. It read “to my dearest Alex. Just a little something to show I’m thinking about you. Cody.”

“You are so sweet,” Alex said. She glanced at her watch. “But I’ve got to get to work or I’m going to get fired. I’ll open those up when I get back.” Alex walked out, the large box still lying on her bed.

To Be Continued...

Next Issue: Now that Risk has been revealed as the bomber, the team must race to save the lives of his next victims! Also, Breathtaker continues her revelations about his motives.

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