Teen Titans In The Field (3)

Don't tell my Parents

Kara SorEl

I did not find myself a stupid blanket, although Sharkie offered me one. Twice. He had shrunk back down to a little bigger than his usual size, skin still gray and teeth shark-like, but was sporting a blanket of his own and an identical cup of soup to what Robin had been holding.

It was almost as though there was a hospital guideline for dealing with shocked or scared people! I wondered if they learned about it at college? Soup; vegetable, salty with lots of oil. One warm blanket, apply until shivering stops!

Instead of wearing a blanket, I chose to argue with the local law enforcement: "You let the Original LEAVE! How and why! He's a suspect for the assault of a minor!"

The cop dealing with me was all sarcastic patience, a Detective Fischer who looked like a reject from an old school novel. He had the salt and pepper moustache, the look of having seen way too much shit in a short life, and he recorded stuff on an old school tape-cassette recorder.

"No, no. I get it, you ran into the criminals and the Original did his voodoo and now you got a kid in hospital. I'm on board with you, but his Hero License technically puts him above me!" The man talked with his hands in a very jewish manner, and possibly could have been, although none of the other tropes were present. Instead he spoke calmly and concisely; "To hold him I would have needed the Chief of Police to override his jurisdiction!"

"Jurisdiction my Ass!" I found myself yelling. At the amused look and the officer's waggling eyebrows I scowled, punched the nearest thing that wasn't a wall or support pillar and drove it hard into the cement beneath me. It happened to be an information screen and it crumpled against the floor. It was a good thing we were on the ground floor and that Detective Fischer was so tired of putting up with shit.

He didn't even make a sarcastic remark.

"Look, there will be an inquiry. I don't know how or what but all the information you've given us, will be passed up our chain and seen by the league." he explained, shortly after that a nurse and a security guard promptly arrived to kick us out.

"This is a place of healing, officers. If you two are going to fight then-"

"We got it!" we said in unison.

It was a few minutes later that we had calmed down enough to talk. Rather, that I'd calmed down enough. Soon as we got outside Fischer pulled out an E-Cigarette and started quietly puffing until I was coherent.

"It's just, not right!" I demanded, getting a sympathetic look. "The jackass was gloating about how easily he could cut Bolt to pieces, then he's allowed to walk away scott free!"

"Not completely scott free!" was the reply. He smoked a bit longer, "There's a process. It's all this truce fault, once upon a time we'd just arrest whoever looked like the bad guy, then sort it out later. Now we have to submit reports through the Villain and Hero consultants and then somebody else makes a decision. Best case, The Original is found guilty of 'Endangering Civilians' and the Martian Man-hunter makes him forget his magic. Most likely he'll be made to pay reparations somehow."

"That sounds horrible. If you like, I can arrange for a more powerful villain to cripple his legs somehow?" Both of us turned, then stared at the new voice.

"AAAAAH" I jumped into the air opposite the wall we'd leaned against. "E-Claire! How LONG! When!"

"Oh, not long. I'm here as a representative from the Villains. Since it was our crime and Bolt is one of my Patsies, I'm on site to help deal with Parents. Also I brought Raven's Sister!"

Behind me another voice piped up, this one meek and calm. This time I did not swing around to stare at her, I just dropped to the floor with a dramatic sigh. "Okay, got it. You're siblings are inside, they're being held under guard in the day ward!" Then turned back to face her.

Like her Sister and Brother, This girl was a way too pale figure with high cheek-bones, dark hair and shining eyes. Where Raven's eyes were violet, and her brother's were green, this girl had dark orange eyes. Outside of that, and their genders, the three kids could not have more blatantly been siblings.

"Wait, I know you." I hedged, thoughts clicking into place slowly. "I've seen you at the mall. You're not a villain, but you have helped heroes to calm She-Who-Wots during some hard encounters."

"My sister, yes."

I blinked, gesturing to the door. "Oh... Oh... Anyhow, both of you come inside." my thoughts clinked together, "there are four of you? Quintets?" I asked cautiously, "If that's not prying!"

Raven met us just inside, along with her brother and two guards. "If you must know, there are Seven of us. And yes, it is prying so you better not go putting that in a report. Most of us aren't part of the community, just doing our best to cope with our illnesses."

Explaining to the nurses, we were shown through to where the doctors were going over Bolt's injury. I watched from outside, listening to the conversation through the wall where I wouldn't have to deal with the blood and gore. Momentarily, Charlie stomped up. He'd apparently found a sweater at the gift shop, a bright smarting blue one, and he slumped against the wall beside me.

"What are they saying? Is the kid gonna be fine?"

I nodded, relaying the conversation; "The spell didn't just sever the legs cleanly at one point. About four inches of the girl's legs were mangled or just plain missing. They say the girl can still wiggle her toes!"

"What?" I looked over at Charlie and understood his confusion. "But, all that blood. They are clearly severed!" he announced.

"Dunno. That's what the doctors are saying. Somehow even though the limbs are cut off when they put the dying stumps where her legs were, she can make her toes wiggle. Like there's some kinda spirit foot still on the end of her leg! The magic users are testing it now, trying to figure out whether the leg can be reattached with, like, a prosthetic or magical bit in the middle?"

I wrinkled my nose at that, it sounded unpleasant.

"Maybe if it's a ghost foot, they can give her a zombie leg. Or a golem leg! That might last longer!" I wondered at Charlie's suggestion.

"I mean, what would define a golem? Would it have to be clay? Wood? might metal work?" I shrugged, mentally shifting away from the ER.

Not much further away, E-Claire was being E-Claire, sitting with the poor girl's parents.

"We do not believe your daughter was there for any villainy, honest. Please, trust me. There were civilians in most of the Incredible Machine's crimes today and Alinta just happened in the wrong place." I gulped, ignoring the name drop as E-Claire talked the parents down.

"You say that a Hero Did this? How, how could that be allowed. Aren't they trained to evacuate civilians?" that sounded like a father talking, but there was no aggression in his voice. Our villain was turning up her charm.

"They are. An inquiry has been started, we're not at liberty to discuss the Hero responsible but the League promises to do something about him! It's not the first time this particular hero has been found endangering kids and -"

"Then they should take away his licence!" A woman tried to yell.

"Yes, yes. Maybe. Unfortunately that's not my decision. I promise you it will be dealt with! And your daughter is getting the best care from surgeons and magicians. She's in no danger, and while we may not be able to repair her legs, we promise the best minds will try everything in their power!"

Covering my face, I went and punched a vending machine until the glass broke. Then I grabbed a couple of drinks and threw in a fifty dollar note. As an afterthought.

"Hey Sharkie!" I hedged a bet on the conversation. "I wanna get out of here, wanna bust some pavement with me?" then threw him a drink.

With a sad nod we walked outside.