"Brother?"
Thunder gave no reply and looked away.
"Brother, stop trying to ignore me. You know it will not work."
"Just like this. You are wasting your efforts, Tavis."
Lightning sighed, looking to the floor. "They say I might never use this arm again, Gan. I am left handed! How am I supposed to do anything?"
"Try using your right." He replied airily, but at least he looked guilty. He was unwilling to meet his brother's eyes.
"Why did you betray us?"
"I got an offer."
Lightning leaned forward slightly, interested. "What did this mad man offer you?"
"What he offered me is none of your business, brother. This is childish. You cannot fix anything that has happened."
"I can try."
Thunder shook his head. "You are so stubborn. This is a fruitless effort. Spend your energy elsewhere."
"You keep saying that, but I do not believe all is lost."
"Perhaps you should start."
Lightning gave a little growl of anger. "I shan't. I do not care what you have done. You are my brother and I love you."
"Touching."
He lost his temper and slapped his big brother. "Stop it!" He shrieked. "Why are you doing this? Do you have to be so horrible?" Slowly, he sat back and quietened down. "I want to help and I want my brother back."
Thunder sighed, looking away and spreading his arms. "I am here, as I am." There was a hesitation before he looked back to Lightning. "I tried to protect you, to keep you separate from this whole thing, for a reason. Because I truly have not changed that much."
"You still broke my arm and made me almost fall to my death, twice!"
"Those were my orders. I must follow my orders, no matter how...macabre."
"You could have objected! Objected to hurting your friends, your family..."
He shook his head quickly. "Risks of such behaviour were too high."
"What does that mean?"
"If you couldn't stay out you would be hurt, simple as." He insisted, crossing his arms. "If I did not fight, I could be punished severely. I knew what I was getting into when I got into it, and I have unlocked my full potential. You saw I have new powers. I have more yet than you have seen."
"So these guys just call out of the blue with the idea that they can bribe us?" Jinx asked sceptically. They had called in some other Titans to help, getting Titans East, Kole and Gnaark and Herald involved. They had tracked the mystery caller to a warehouse. The same warehouse they had fought Thunder at.
Lightning refused to come with them, so it was that team plus Herald, Kole and Gnaark. The place seemed empty at first, but "Nice little squad ya got there." alerted them to the presence of someone else. Girl's voice. They turned, and found themselves facing a girl with long, white hair and a mask reminiscent of Slade's.
"What is this?" Jinx yelled. The mystery girl held up her hands and chuckled.
"Don't worry, I'm not on his side. Think of me as...an anti-hero."
A much older man stepped out beside her and put an arm protectively round her shoulder, which she shrugged off. He was wearing all grey and black, a small tuft of blonde hair visible where it was poking out from beneath his mask. His smile seemed directed at one Titan in particular.
Jinx scowled. "Who are you?"
"Not important." The man insisted. "I think you know what's important, and that's finding your friends."
"How do we know we can trust you?" Kole asked.
"You don't." The girl stated. "Thing is, we have information you need, and I think you've something for us."
"And what would that be?" Asked Flash.
The two contacts looked at one another for a moment before the man spoke up. "My sister and I think you stand a chance against this guy, and we gotta say, we've a thing against him too."
"Even though your sister dresses like him?"
The girl shrugged. "Unfortunately, it suits."
She gestured for them to follow her, and her brother did so immediately, but the Titans all hesitated, for varying lengths of time. Jinx and Jericho made the first moves.
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