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Disclaimer: The Teen Titans aren't mine, obviously, or I wouldn't be sitting here typing... I'd be RICH!

A Dish Best Served Cold-Chapter Four

The last time we left the Titans, they were trapped helpless in Gizmo's sinister new sludge...and, unfortunately, they still are. Cyborg strained valiantly against the ooze, but it didn't give.

"Oh, man.... we're stuck, but good!" He groaned softly.

Beast Boy attempted to break out by transforming into an elephant...but the gunk just stretched and grew with him and covered the elephant as well. He changed back and sighed half-heartedly. "Dude...this stuff is, like, unbreakable."

Raven just scowled. Mammoth had tied her mouth shut with a window curtain before he and Gizmo left to steal from another area of the store, so she couldn't use her 'Azarath Metrion Zinthos' Chant to summon her magic.

Robin just remained silent and Star was straining against the ooze with her eyes glowing green in anger. "Chill Star...if I can't break it, you probably can't either." Cyborg said. She just went limp and sighed because she knew he was right. "But there must be some way to escape from this foul muck!" She moaned.

Robin nodded. "Don't worry yet guys...we'll think of something."




Back at Titan's Tower...



"...Hello...anybody home? Anybody at all?..."

Sub-Zero walked into the main entrance of the tower, met with only silence. He had come to the decision to join with the Titans, and had come to tell them, but how was he going to do that when he couldn't even find them?

After walking a bit, he finally got to the main room of the tower, and noticed a small piece of paper taped to the table by the sofa. Curious, he walked over to inspect it. It was a note, which read:

S.Zero

Had to go out. Will be back soon. If you come by, feel free just to sit and wait for us to return.

- The Titans.



He blinked. "Well...that explains it." He sat down on the couch to wait. He noticed the remote control to the T.V., and after looking around (although he knew good and well he was the only one there", he picked it up and turned the T.V. on. He had always been somewhat fascinated by television sets... back home, they didn't have them, so he had only seen such technology a few other times in his travels.

For several minutes he flipped channels, looking for something to watch.
"Hmmm....Jump City's most wanted....too boring.....All my Children.....too melodramatic....South Park...too crude......hey, wait a minute,...this doesn't look too bad."

But just as he sat back to watch T.V., the picture fizzled out, only to be replaced a moment later by a young brunette woman with a ponytail sitting at a news desk. "We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you an important News Bulletin."

Sub-Zero stared 'what could be so important to broadcast it this late.' "The old Deluxe Surplus Dept. Store downtown is rumored to have been broken into. The store's pricy merchandise makes it a common target for burglars, but this is the first time criminals have ever made it past the security system. However, there is nothing to worry about as the Teen Titans have already been called into action."

Zero did a double take at the TV. "WHAT?? So that's where they are! I should go help 'em!" He got up and ran out.



Back at the Store


About an hour had passed since we last left the Titans, who were still unable to get out of their gelatinous bindings.

"Let's face it. There's no way out of here." Beast Boy moaned.

"Eu contraire! Where there's a will, there's always a way!" says a mysterious voice from the shadows.

Robin blinked "Sub-Zero!" he shouted

Starfire beamed "Thank goodness you are here!"

"Yeah, hold still a minute guys and I'll try to get you outta that stuff..."

Zero hacked and slashed at the green gunk with his sword, but to no avail---whenever he sliced a chunk, it grew right back. He ran a hand through his snowy hair and sighed in frustration. 'Think, man, THINK!' All of the sudden, he had an idea.


"Don't even think about it." Hissed a silky feminine voice from behind.

He turned around to see the three hooligans in question right behind them. Sub-Zero was the first to speak "You're the ones behind all this?"

"That's right...and it's too bad you got mixed up with those stupid Titans...now you'll just have to get beat up too." Mammoth bellowed, right before charging at Zero. To everyone's surprise, Zero just stood calmly.

Until Mammoth almost hit him, at which point he literally leapt over Mammoth, landed behind the now-confused behemoth, and hit him with a gust of icy wind that sent him reeling.

Then, faster than you can say "Move over, Zorro!", he whips out his Eviglasere, and breaks into a run at the two remaining thugs, causing them to scatter. Gizmo brought out his 'G-Cannons' and smirked. "Looks like I'm just gonna have to slime ya again!" he cackled, but before he got a chance to fire, Zero fired off a quick volley of freeze rays, turning the cannons into big, metal Popsicles.

Gizmo was shocked. "HEY! No fair!"

Zero chuckled "All is fair in love and war, sir.... and, obviously, this is not love."

Jinx scowled at him. "Hmph. Lets see you freeze these!" she did an odd maneuver, like a ballerina spin almost, and started slinging neon-pink hexes at him, but he dodged with ease.

"I'm giving you the chance to retreat now... my codes of honor forbid me from striking a lady, but still, it's obvious you are outmatched."

Jinx just laughed "Outmatched? Why we've got you three to one! Mammoth get him!"

Mammoth roared and charged again, but Zero, angry by this time, grabbed Mammoth's arm and, with strength that shocked everyone present, flipped Mammoth over him and right into Gizmo.

"Umph! Get offa me pea-brain!" he squeaked while Mammoth just groaned loudly. They were suddenly aware of an icy sword being pointed at them. "NOW, will you surrender?"

Mammoth and Gizmo immediately swallowed their pride and got hastily to their feet and ran. "This guy's insane! Let's get outta here!" Gizmo squealed. Jinx ran after them "HEY! Wait for me!".

After they were gone, Zero turned to his friends. He rolled up his sleeves and shot several small freeze rays at the blobs holding them, freezing them solid and then he smashed them into pieces with his sword. "phew...Free at last!" Cyborg shouted. Robin stared at Zero. "Listen...uh...thanks for the help....if you hadn't of come when you did..."

Sub-Zero held up a hand to silence him. "Don't mention it...look, the main reason I came...besides helping you, I mean,....was to take you up on that offer of yours." He said with a broad grin. Robin smiled "So you're in?" Sub-Zero was silent for a minute. "Yeah...I'm in."



Meanwhile...


"Grrrr...I can't believe we lost AGAIN!" Mammoth snarled. He suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Wait....where'd Jinx go?"

Gizmo looked around "Well...she was hollering at us to slow down...maybe we accidentally lost her?"

Mammoth groaned. "Well, I guess we better find her."

"I'm afraid there's no time...you are being pursued." They both turned around to see who just said that. Behind them stood a tall man with grayish hair in white, gold, and black robes.

"Headmaster? What are you doing here?" Gizmo said.

He scowled at them. "What do you think? I'm bailing out a couple of my untalented students before they get caught."

Mammoth looked confused. "But what about Jinx?"

"Leave her."

They both looked thunderstruck. "B-but headmaster! We can't just..."

The headmaster's eyes began to glow red. "DO NOT QUESTION ME! WE SHALL LEAVE AT ONCE!!" Mammoth and Gizmo's eyes began to glow too.

"Yes, Brother Blood....." They groaned in a zombie-like monotone.

Blood nodded "Good. Now come with me...oh, but first...." He reached into his robes with a sinister smile and pulled out a small disk-shaped mechanical device and stuck it to the wall. He pressed a few buttons and a small timer appeared on it and immediately began counting down.

"There....that should take care of the Titans and that useless girl all at once...now come along, we should make haste! You'll see...you'll be much better off without her anyway...and you know what they say: out of sight, out of mind."



Back with The Titans



"Oh dude...you totally saved our butts back there!"

"Yeah, if it weren't for you, we'd still be floatin' in that green crap."

Beast Boy and Cyborg showered Sub-Zero with praise, much to his embarrassment. "Aw, really fellas, it was nuthin'" he muttered, still looking pleased with himself.

Raven came up to him. "I guess I owe you some thanks as well." Sub-Zero shook his head. "Nah, you're the one who saved me in the first place, I guess this just makes us even." He grinned, and, to his surprise, Raven gave him a smile of her own. 'Odd' he thought 'I think that's the 1st time so far I've seen her smile.'

Zero was suddenly knocked to the ground by a purple and red blur. "Oh, thank you so much for saving us! We would have been lost without your intervention!"

"Uh...It's okay...really...just.... could you loosen up a little?" He groaned as Star gave him another bone-crunching bear hug. "Yeah Star...I think he's had enough for one night!" Robin joked. Robin walked a little closer and handed Zero a small walkie-talkie looking device.

He blinked. "What's this?" "It's a Teen Titans communicator... you can use it if you ever need to get in touch with us." He explained. "You know, they're absolutely right...we owe ya one, man." Robin said. Zero just grinned sheepishly and nodded.

This happiness, however, was short lived.

A massive explosion briefly turned night into day, and the ground shook violently.

The entire building exploded with no warning whatsoever, sending the Titans reeling in all directions. By the time they got up, the building was nothing but smoldering rubble.

"DUDE!! What the heck just happened?!" Beast Boy screamed loudly.

"Damn! They must've left a bomb or something..." Robin muttered, "Is everyone all right?"

Fortunately, none of them had been hurt in the blast. "HEY, LOOK!" Cyborg shouted pointing.

They followed his finger and saw, in the distance, Brother Blood, Mammoth, and Gizmo escaping on a floating mechanical platform. "After them!" Robin shouted. But Zero was confused. "Wait...wasn't there another? That cut---er, I mean, that strange looking girl?" he sighed...he had almost said 'cute'. He thought so anyway, but she was the enemy after all. "Yeah Jinx.... but where is she if not with them?" Robin wondered

Sub-Zero stared at the smoldering store ruins.... and that's when it hit him. "Good Lord! She's still in there!!" He moaned mortified. "You guys go after them! I have to get that girl out of there!"

And before any of them could object, he hightailed it towards what was left of the store. "Why is he so concerned about her?" Raven mumbled. Starfire shook her head. "I do not know...but he is right. We should pursue the H.I.V.E. Students!" "Titans, GO!" Robin yelled, yet again, and they ran off after the fleeing enemies.





Inside The Building Ruins


Sub-Zero searched fruitlessly for about thirty minutes, finding nothing more than smoke, flames, and rubble. He groaned softly, the heat in there was really getting to him, and his vision was blurry. His body ached and threatened to collapse at any time...he had to find the girl and get out.


He made his way through the rubble and dodged the small pockets of fire and smoke as best he could.... He looked around frantically, but was unable to find her. He feared the worst.

Then, he thought he heard something...like a soft moan. He looked around madly trying to discover the source of the sound. He heard it again, and realized it was coming from his left, and sounded strangely muffled.

He jogged over in that direction, and was horrified to see a pale, slender arm in a black sleeve sticking out from under a large smoking pile of debris. He ran over and immediately started kicking away chunks of debris and even picking up armfuls of rubble and tossing them aside.

After a couple minutes of this, he reached the girl. Picking her up in both arms, he hastily removed his gloves and put a couple fingers to her neck.

(Thump...thump.... thump)

'A pulse! Thank the lord, she's alive!'he thought, relief surging through him.

She may be an enemy of his friends, and a troublemaker, but leaving her in a burning building to die was out of the question for someone like Sub-Zero.

He put his gloves back on, and ran with Jinx cradled in his arms, getting out of the burning building like a bat out of Hell. While he was running, he took out his communicator and turned it on. Robin answered. "Zero? What's goin' on? Did you find Jinx?"

"Yeah, I...."

Zero stopped and looked down at the unconscious girl in his arms...if he told his friends, they would probably have her thrown in jail, and, even though he knew she probably deserved it, he just couldn't do it.

"I...er...found her, but...she...got away." He finished lamely.

Robin looked surprised. "She got away? Dang..."

"Yeah...look, I'm headed back to the ship...did you catch those guys?"

"Nope...those scumbags got away too." Robin said dejectedly.

Sub-Zero tried to cheer him up. "That's okay. You'll get 'em eventually. Look, If you guys don't need any more help, I think I'm gonna head back home and get some sleep...I've had a long night..."

Robin nodded "That's fine...we're on our way back to the Tower anyway...I guess well see you in the morning...later."

"Yeah, G'night."

He switched off the communicator and realized that he had to hurry back to the ship...he wasn't sure just how bad shape this girl was in...

Villain or no villain, she needed help.