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#2
JAN 14 |
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“Reunited”
Provoke frowned as Mal Duncan hesitated. “Do it, mate,” he ordered again. “Kill her.”
Mal’s hand trembled as sweat beaded up on his forehead. As Provoke leaned closer, Mal closed his eyes and forced the gun back toward his own head. Mal pulled the trigger and dropped to the ground.
Provoke ran. He knew that Karen Beecher wouldn’t let this go. And, he reasoned, she’d be calling for backup as soon as she could. Better to head out now and wait for a better time.
“Mal!” Karen screamed as she ran to his side. She forced herself to remain clinical. She ignored the blood, knowing the excessive bleeding that always resulted from head injuries. She gently felt around the wound and discovered that his skull seemed to be intact. She grabbed a sheet from a chair and pressed it against Mal’s head. With her other hand she pulled out her cell phone and dialed 911.
Bette Kane was relaxing in her apartment in Opal City when her phone rang. “Hello?” she asked. “Karen!” she exclaimed as a smile spread across her face. “It’s great to hear from you! It seems like it’s been forever! How are you doing?”
“That’s why I’m calling,” Karen said. “I’m in the hospital now. Mal’s been shot.”
“What?” Bette’s smile vanished. “Was it a robbery?”
“Worse,” Karen said. “It was Provoke.”
“The pervy guy from the Overseers?”
Karen nodded. “That’s him. I think he’s gone even crazier. The news here is covered with footage – apparently the Overseers headquarters blew up a little while ago.”
“You think he’s involved?” Bette asked.
“What do you think?” Karen responded. “I need your help. Mal’s out of action and I’m in no shape to try the Bumblebee thing again either.”
“Don’t worry,” Bette said. “I’m on my way and I’m bringing Paco and Dagon with me.”
“Hurry,” Karen said. “He was totally out of control. I don’t know what he’s going to try next.”
Bette hung up the phone and ran across the hall to Paco Ramone’s apartment. “Paco!’ she called as she threw the door open. “We’ve got trouble!” Her cheeks colored as she realized that Paco was standing naked in the middle of the room, where he’d been performing the Safety Dance.
“Knock next time, Chica,” he said as he dropped behind the couch.
“What was that?” she asked.
“I don’t know either,” a cold voice beside her replied. “I’ve been trying to sleep for hours.”
“Good, you’re here too,” Bette said to Dagon as Paco returned to view, this time with pants on. “Get your costumes. We’ve got to get to the airport. We’re heading back to California. Something’s going on with Mal.”
“Any details?” Dagon asked as Paco started cramming clothes into a backpack.
“Provoke,” Bette said.
She watched as Dagon began to glare. “The Overseers,” he spat. “I should have never listened when Bones tried to recruit me.”
Bette rested a hand on his arm. “You didn’t know. None of us knew how obsessed he’d get with us. But Mal needs us.”
“Let’s go, chica!” Paco said as he pulled a shirt on. He grabbed his backpack and the three of them hurried out of the apartment building.
The atmosphere aboard the plane was tense. Bette found herself drumming on her armrests with her fingers. “Calm down, chica,” Paco said softly. “Nothing we can do from here.”
“I know,” Bette said. “Can’t this plane go any faster?”
“Is she going to be like this for the entire ride?” Dagon asked from the other side of Paco.
“Probably,” Paco admitted. “I’m just gonna try and sleep.”
Dagon smiled, exposing his fangs. “I don’t think that’s going to work for me. I like to sleep in a box.”
“Knock that off,” Vibe said. “You know that creeps me out.”
Dagon’s smile grew wider. “Go to sleep,” he said in a spooky voice, “so I can suck your blood.”
“Can I change seats?” Paco asked as he looked around the airplane.
Bette shook her head, put on her headphones and closed her eyes.
The plane touched down without incident. However, the three Titans aboard didn’t realize that at ground level Provoke was watching the plane come in. He smiled as he watched the plane through his sunglasses. It looked like the travel agent he was controlling was right. The Titans were aboard.
Provoke walked into the terminal. Time to have some fun.
Ray Terrill groaned as he watched his suitcase go around the terminal again. “I hate this,” he muttered. “Why do I have to come to LA? Why can’t people come to me for meetings? Why do I always have to go to them?”
As he made another grab for the suitcase, Ray didn’t realize he was being watched from across the terminal by a young woman with a long bag over her back. Anita Fite studied him through her sunglasses. She knew something was special about him but didn’t know what. She resolved to keep an eye on him until she made it out of the terminal.
That was the moment that Bette, Paco and Dagon entered the terminal. As always, Bette was recognized by tennis fans and had to start signing autographs.
“I’m going to go check on a cab,” Dagon said.
“Sure,” Paco said. “Looks like we’ll be stuck here for a while.”
As Dagon walked through the crowd, he suddenly realized that they were forming a wall of people. “Excuse me,” he said to no effect. He glanced at their faces and realized that their eyes were blank.
Dagon backed up to Paco. “Think we’ve got a problem here,” he said.
“I think you’re right,” Paco said. “Chica, we might be in a little trouble.”
“Wonderful,” Bette said as she looked up from an autograph pad. “Looks like we’ve been expected.”
“You’ve got that right,” Provoke called from the back of the room. “Thought I’d throw you a little welcome home party.” He laughed as he turned around and walked out, leaving the three Titans surrounded by the brainwashed commuters.
Miles away, Karen Beecher sat beside Mal, who was lying unconscious in a hospital bed with his head was heavily bandaged. She held on to his hand as she studied his face and listened to the steady beeping of the monitors surrounding him.
She didn’t even look up as an intern walked in carrying Mal’s chart. “Karen?” a familiar voice asked and jolted her out of her reverie.
Karen looked up and saw the intern for the first time. “You?” she asked with shock in her voice.
Anita Fite slipped into the ladies restroom. She’d seen the looks on the faces of the other travelers and could tell something was up. She ran into a stall, locked the door and unzipped her suitcase, revealing a purple and gold costume.
“Will you watch where you’re going?” Ray Terrill’s patience was nearing an end. Ever since he’d arrived at the airport things hadn’t gone his way, and now people were shoving him out of the way.
He fought back to the luggage carousel and finally recovered his suitcase. “Now maybe I can get out of this nuthouse,” he muttered. He turned to leave and saw the mob surrounding the former Titans. “That doesn’t look good,” he said before rushing to lock his suitcase in a locker. Looks like he had work to do.
Bette, Paco and Dagon formed up with their backs to each other as the crowd began to press in toward them. “This doesn’t look good,” Bette said.
“Yeah, but what can we do?” Paco asked. “Worst they can do is kill us.”
“Speak for yourself,” Dagon said. “I’ve been there and done that.”
“Three of us against a few hundred people,” Bette said. “Sounds about right.” Just then a costumed figure somersaulted over their attackers and took up an offensive stance in front of the Titans.
“Who are you?” Paco asked.
“The name’s Empress,” she replied. “Looks like you could use some help.”
“So we’re up to four against hundred,” Paco said. In response, a burst of yellow light appeared and coalesced into the Ray.
“Let’s do this,” Bette said as the five backed up against each other. With a shout, they started to attack.
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Next Issue: In Titans West: Deadly Reunion #3: While Bette, Paco and Dagon fight for their lives in the airport with the help of the Ray and Empress, Provoke’s plan continues to move toward its culmination. And just who is the intern that Karen recognized?
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