Everto of Umbra Lucis

Prologue

As night fell on Jump City, even the resident's superheroes fell asleep, so long as there wasn't a super-villain loose. Unfortunately, this meant that ordinary crime could still happen, such as pick-pockets, smugglers, muggers, street gangs, and others of the like. As, a matter of fact, the crime rate was actually equal to that in Gotham. However, the news never reached the Teen Titans, due to the police thinking they were too busy, and they usually didn't pay attention to the news. However, tonight, everything would change. One way, or another.

Near the city's apartment area, a figure literally cloaked in shadows, watched as a woman looked hesitantly into an alley, uncertain whether to enter it or not. She has good reason to, the figure noted. Already he had spotted five people in hiding, members of the Red Skulls, by the looks of it. Good. If he was going to make a first impression, he might as well make it a good one.

Deciding that it was safe enough to enter, the woman entered the alley, purse hanging at her side. Stupid!, he mentally chided her, You did the worst thing you could do: taunt them! Looking up, he realized that he must have zoned out, because the Red Skulls were already out and threatening the woman. It's show time, he thought as he stepped partially out of the shadows, revealing his outfit: a simple short cloak, a black t-shirt with the symbol of a grey scythe on it, and black jeans. Looking at the gang, he said in an authoritive tone, "I'd step away from the lady if I were you." Looking at him in shock, the gang looked at him for a few seconds before laughing at him.

Arrogantly, the person who must be the leader of this section of the gang walked up to him and said in a tone usually meant for a baby, "Aww, is wittle baby twying to act like a big boy? Is he twying to pwotect his mummy? Maybe wittle baby should - "

Enough of this, he thought, using the shadows to make himself grow twice his height and inwardly chuckled as the gang leader screamed like a little girl and tried to run backwards only to fall over. Looking at the rest of the gang, he said, "I'll tell you one more time: Leave now, or expect the worst." Already, he could see some of the members start to look scared, but before they could flee, the leader had regained his composure and said "So you're a meta, huh? Well, let's see if you can handle this! Light 'em up, boys!"

At this, the gang got braver and started to fire at him. Using the shadows to create an illusion, he got down just as the bullets started to tear through the illusion. Looking up he could see that the bullets had pierced several spots that would've been fatal if he had been there. This is scare the crap out of them, he thought as he rose back to that height, making it seem as though he was healed from the injuries, he said "You just made a grave mistake, mortals."

Fear starting to show the leader, he stuttered "Y-y-y-you aren't human! W-w-w-what are you!?" Then he laughed before saying, "Me, human? Of course not!" Then he looked them straight in the eye and said, "I'm a demon." Then he raised his wings from underneath the cloak and summoned his scythe from the shadows into his right hand while he pointed his left hand at the gang members, panic evident on their faces, and spoke twelve words he knew all so well. Twelve words they would fear for the rest of their life.

"Exsisto existo quod servo mihi, phasmatis of umbra, quod evinco meus foes!1"

1 = Arise and serve me, spirits of the shadows, and defeat my foes!

Title Trans: Demon of the Shadows