Can We Get Waffles?

Kevin Grant's pov

"Help! I'm being held against my will and I need to pee!"

"You know cyborg," Garfield said as he pushed me forward in my wheelchair I'm restrained to, "I think I see how annoying I can be sometimes."

"Nah," he smirked and wisecracked, "he's probably half as bad as you."

"Hey!" Gar protested.

"I'm right here you idiots." I groaned.

They had "detained" me after the whole ordeal today and have kept me locked up in a special chair for several hours. I was surprised that I couldn't break out of it but this was the Titans; proficient detainment should be expected. A brace was also tied tightly around my shoulder so I couldn't force it out; activating my non-passive abilities. If it wasn't for that brace, I probably would have melted the chair off just so I can piss like Jesus Chrrrist.

Rolling into the living room the sun was going down and eyes bore into my restrained form. Judging by the looks of some of their faces, a few of them blamed me for their horrible day today. Some of them had helped with clean up duties or the press while I sat in my EZ-chair… restrained… against my will. I don't particularly blame them for the sour mood; the media is of the devil. That's coming from a guy with demon powers okay? I'll say it again, the media is of the bloody devil.

I was rolled in next to Mr. Grayson who was reclining on a recliner. Bandages were over his chest and mistrust, which was both natural and mutual, was in his eyes. We were in the center of the room between two long curved couches that could have the dozen plus people present sit and get comfortable. I was to the right of Robin, like some awkward munchkin, as everyone took their seats. The blonde man from earlier, sat on the edge of the couch with a scarf and a held what looked like an old slide phone but I knew better. I didn't get a good look at the simple device but I saw hints of BatTech on it. Hell, maybe Cyborg made it for him.

Several hours had passed since the little tussle this morning and it was now evening. Raven was focused on patching me and Robin up while Beast Boy and Cyborg were on clean up most of the day. It also turned out that the media swamped them before they could help with Robin.

The others... I don't have a clue what they did. I didn't even know their names but all that didn't matter, what mattered was that I was wheeled into the living room next to Robin who was in a infirmary bed. Surrounded by eyes I stopped my antics and waited for what came next. I was surprisingly calm and calculating as metal shutters blocked out the orange waters of sunset over Gotham's patch of ocean.

Cyborg tossed up an orb saying, "Meeting is in session."

The high tech projector cast a collection of faces onto the wall that pretty much anyone would recognize. No one can forget a Martian. The faces of Batman, Martian Manhunter, and Superman appeared on the wall in the center of the projection. Live stream footage of all our faces formed a border on the edges of the projection so that everyone could see everyone. So they could see me struggling to grasp how in the flyin' hell did they make something capable of this?

"Alright," Batman started, "this isn't a business meeting so we'll cut to the chase and ignore Robert's Rules of Order. You will speak, when spoken to."

"Hello everyone." Superman greeted.

"Greetings." Martian Manhunter followed.

Superman followed, his voice serious and professional. "Raven, it has been told that you were running tech support before initiating a code red. Thus mobilizing B-Team and waking up the tech supports. Could you give us a debrief?"

Raven's cough was worse now, she spoke in a hoarse voice, "At Oh Three Twenty-one (3:21AM military time) a call was made about some supers fighting it out near the dockyards. By Oh Three Twenty-Seven (3:27) a cruiser arrived on the scene and requested that the Bat Sigil be used. Permission was denied by the Commissioner and alerts arrived at the Tower by Zero Three Twenty-Eight and the team investigated the scene by Oh Three Thirty. My..." she glanced at me, "patient attempted to flee the scene with an accomplice. My patient tumbled out of the train in another attempt to escape questioning and Robin sent Starfire to apprehend him. Once apprehended, she was engaged by Solomon Grundy. Vanguard team was spread thin, especially when my patient's accomplice separated the train cars. Robin went forward in the train while Cyborg tried to reason with the accomplice for a planned sandwich attack." Raven let out a breath, "After that I think everything was wrapped up at Zero Four Hundred."

"Raven," a blonde said, "Batman just said no Rules of Order."

"Is that an objection to the minutes as read?" Raven drily snarked.

"Name's Kevin by the way... Rachel."

Oh yeah, I dropped the bomb. Everyone looked at me with wide eyes as Raven glared. I added, "And that oversized turkey wasn't a friend of mine. I didn't even know the man."

"You know her name?!" Robin exclaimed before groaning from stressing his wounds.

"I do..." Mister Grayson.

Raven invaded my mind and I didn't even feel it, declaring, "He only knows the Vanguard."

"Get out of my head!"

"Everyone," Batman's low authoritative voice cut in, "let's continue. Starfire."

The poor girl, intimidated by all the eyes on her took thirty seconds to start. "Well, uh, once I... caught up to Kevin he didn't really resist. I just think we spooked him because once civilians were in danger he threw himself at Grundy to keep him at bay."

"You mean," Superman asked, "he fought Grundy alone?"

She nodded, "I was busy getting people to safety."

Yeah and he basically kicked me in half and almost pimp slapped my head clean off, I mentally commentated.

"So the real questions here, is whether or not he's guilty by association and whether or not he's lying?" Beast Boy concluded.

"Yes." Batman nodded to someone, "Jericho."

Martian Manhunter's eyes glowed and my body relaxed against my will while a man's fingers were placed onto my temples. It took a second, but I could feel my eyes roll back into my head. Then images invaded my eyes, art, music, a chess game and blonde hair.

I was seeing Jericho's past…

***

I was- no, Jericho was gagged. He felt frail, he felt weak and was surrounded in shadow. With the purring of the motor in his ears the boy realized that he was in the trunk of a car. The car stopped and two doors clapped closed.

"Where is he?!" The father said.

"So hasty, call me Jackal, Deathstroke."

The car trunk opened and the small boy was taken out before there was a snap and a blade was at his throat. Jackal wore a ceremonial mask with his namesake on it. Next mother came up behind father.

"I had told you to come alone."

"You weren't alone." Father said.

"Tch, you will give us the information, or the boy gets it."

The boy squirmed as the Jackal finished, "Who told you to target my client?"

"I can't tell you that." Father replied darkly.

Mother yelled, "Tell him! You promised me that you'd tell him!"

"Release the boy first."

"No," Jackal snarled, "I told you to come alone and you think you can-"

Gunshots. The knife pricked the boy's neck as Jackal collapsed. Mother watched and screamed in horror as the knife began it's work.

More gunshots. The boy was alive and mother, in her fury lifted her gun into Deathstroke's face and blasted. The boy wanted to scream, to tell them to stop but father was holding his face as blood flowed from the boy's throat and his father's eye. Scream the boy did, but no voice came out.

Kevin Grant's pov

Titan Tower

I've been waking up with a start, sweating and in pain a lot in these past few hours. Shaking off that "your—bloody—mind—was—JUST—INVADED" feeling I noticed that they were just finishing up talking about me. Wow, it's one thing when talk behind your back, but right in front of you as their buddy cracks inside your head? Dude that's somethin' else...

"That's an order Robin." Batman finished, "He will be part of your team and go out with Vanguard squad."

"Sir?" Cyborg interjected.

"Yes Stone?"

"Robin's right, do we have any members lined up for B-Team?"

"I have a few prospects. I'll keep you updated. In the meantime, get your new member settled in. Batman out."

"Batman-" Manhunter began but it was as if the Bat was expecting it when Batman cut him off,

"Mental conference after we log off."

I could just tell his smile was fake when the Martian dismissed, "Alright, good luck kids."

"Cya around, Superman out."

The hologram dissolved and the silence that followed sent shivers down my spine... and I've fought demons for fun. The only thing worse than demons is freakin' social interaction. Robin, doing poorly to mask the hostility in his voice, shattered the silence with,

"Well, welcome to the team... Kevin."

I waved shyly from my restraining chair but it was more of a regal flopping of my hand than an actual wave. Silence prevailed once again but Raven was the next one to break the awkwardness. She sniffed and coughed,

"Can we get waffles?"

"Yeah guys," Beast Boy agreed, "I'm hungry."

"Mall?!" The blonde exclaimed.

"No, Junior-" Wonder Girl began but Robin spat,

"Go."

Even I was shocked and I just joined the team. The blonde asked sheepishly, "What?"

"Just. Go. Everyone. Just go."

The look on Robin's face was one of bottled up emotion, screaming to be let out... most likely onto me. Gawd it's so friggin' tense, I thought. As if tired of the ice, Cyborg took charge, yelling like Major Payne, "Well?! What are you all lallygaggin' around for? Shower up and meet at the van by the hour, chop-chop!"

Everyone scattered like cockroaches and almost forgot about me.

"Hey! I need to scratch my butt, and take a piss and I can't get up!"

A/N: Fun fact, waffles are Raven's favorite food. Also she's bad at cooking, like she burns boiled water bad. Vote for me as President and get waffles or pancakes 🥞🥞🥞.