A/N: Hey, hey! To those of you who've so kindly decided to read, thank you. I really hope you like my work. And I really hope you leave a review, good or bad, I don't care, just leave one, damn it!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans in any way.
Back uncomfortably rigid, Slade stood stock-still, his single eye sweeping over the dozens of monitors before him. Each individual screen relaying a different channel, in their combined glow, Slade's ominously dark personal chambers were covered by a multiple of flickering, ghostly shadows. Adding to the shady mystique that surrounded the villainous crime-lord.
"...and in a startling turn of events, the Teen Titans..."
"...saved from an burning apartment by the Teen Titans..."
"...bank robbery prevented by the Teen Titans..."
The face underneath Slade's cold mask curled into an annoyed sneer. The Teen Titans...crime's bane. Rape, murder...suffering, it had all become...so scarce. Wherever there was trouble, the damnable team of children weren't far behind. Always ready to squander the beginnings of crime. It was to say the least...irritating.
Slade's single visible eye narrowed to a miniscule slit, his mind leaving the task before him to wander to times long past. Perhaps what irked Slade more than anything else was the complete infallibility of the Teen Titans. Against impossible odds, against all reason, against all logic, they emerged victorious. They were like weeds, no matter how hard he tried, they kept coming back, again, and again, and again in a maddening cycle. Always ending with his failure.
Plasmus, the Hive, even Terra hadn't been enough to end the thorn in Slade's side. What was it that kept them alive? It was like some imperceptible force, always there, ensuring the Titans' eventual success. With a small, surprisingly human sigh, Slade's broad shoulders slumped slightly, would he ever beat them?
The barely audible shift of foot against floor sent alerted Slade of a new presence in the room. Whipping around, he assumed a fighting stance, keen eyes finding the faint shape hidden in the shadows.
"Who's there?"
"Me," was the reply, the feminine voice laced with amusement.
Slade was...impressed, someone had discovered his safe-house. And from the looks of it...she wasn't a Titan. Indeed, the shadowed outline of a slender female form bore little resemblance to any of the five infuriating do-gooders.
"How did you find me?" He said, his calm tone masking the surprise underneath.
The reply was equally as smooth, her voce deceptively calming.
"I have my ways, Slade. I have my ways."
Slade relaxed, but only slightly. From what he could see, this newcomer bore no weapons, and her easy stance showed no hostility.
"I've been searching for you Slade, longer than you know." He didn't like the idea of that, it was...unsettling, to find himself, the predator, made prey.
The woman stepped forward into the sickly light of Slade's TV screens, the intruder continued to surprise Slade, she wore a mask. But it was one very different from his own, carved of wood, her mask was sculpted to resemble a human face. Painted a dirty grey, the mouth was stretched wide in a eerie grin, the eye holes arched slits. Slade was impressed by the detail, even the most minor of wrinkles had not been forgotten.
The young woman's body was of perfect build, her alluring form curving in the most excitable of ways. Yet, for all her delicate, slender features, Slade could sense...a certain danger that surrounded her. A quiet strength, just bubbling under her deceiving exterior. She had found his base of operations, infiltrated the maximum security construct, and now, she stood before Slade, somehow managing to bypass the door and the agents guarding it, that annoyed Slade. That annoyed Slade very much.
"And why, pray tell, have you been searching for me?" Slade asked, his single eye boring into the black eye holes of his dangerous new acquaintance.
"I see in in you Slade, power, I see control," there was a hunger in her voice now, a passion, "I see an ally."
"An ally?" Slade laughed, a harsh, cold laugh. "I have an army of minions under my command, little girl. Hoards of machines, unquestioning, unthinking slaves. The perfect enforcers of my will. What need have I for an ally?"
"Unquestioning, unthinking," the masked woman echoed, "with such restricted slaves, your options are...limited. The Titans-their strength lies in innovation, their victories rely on the flexibility their unique abilities provide. Something that far outclasses the blunt, repetitive assaults of your inferior creations." The woman tossed Slade a folder, who caught it with a deft hand.
"The defeat of the Titans can be achieved in a much more...efficient manner," the woman stated, watching as Slade read through the papers inside, "it's already begun, all I need are the resources I know you can provide, and together we end a...mutual annoyance."
Slade had finished reading, but his eye stayed locked on the papers in his hand as he thought hard. This was ludicrous, this "plan" would never work, it depended on too many factors, too many things had to go right, and they all had to do it in a very precise way. And yet...
While he couldn't see the face behind her mask, Slade could feel a sense of calm emanating from her being, an absolute confidence.
He sighed inwardly, he knew he was going to regret this.
"What should I call my new ally?" He questioned, approaching his new partner to hand back the insane plan.
"Marionette."
The automatic doors slid back, allowing an irritable Raven to step out into the empty parking lot, her cloak billowing in the cool night air. Floating behind her was a plastic bag, stretched thin as it sagged with a generous amount of sweets and other unhealthy goods. It was movie night at the Tower, and as usual, there had been an argument as to who would go to the grocery store to buy the unnecessary and unhealthy snacks that Raven's companions so adored. She had at long last volunteered, knowing she'd never get the peace she needed if their bickering continued.
Brushing a strand of violet hair behind her ear, Raven looked out on the city, a small smile tugging at her lips. The city seemed strangely serene, without a criminal to wreak havoc, the day had passed mercifully uneventful, giving Raven much needed time to simply curl up with one of the numerous books on her various shelves.
In fact, the unusually peaceful day had given everyone a chance to relax. A day to kick back at the Tower was very welcome. And the team had taken advantage of it. Cyborg had whittled the hours away tuning up the T-Car, Beast Boy continued to rot his brain with TV, Robin had spent a good part of the day in the gym, and Starfire...was Starfire.
Pulling her hood over her face, Raven set off at a brisk walk. While flying was the easier option, it felt good to stretch her legs, and Raven had been inconvenienced by this task, making her companions wait was a form of payback she deemed suitable. Passing the odd car or two that still inhabited the massive parking lot, Raven was almost onto the sidewalk when behind her, she heard a soft giggle.
Turning her head, Raven spotted a good ways to her left the shape of a man. The chuckling form illuminated by the streetlight that hung directly above, immersing him in a pool of light. Though far off, Raven thought the man looked rather shabby. His raggedy figure shaking as he continued to laugh, she could sense his mind, hazy and unclear. It was obvious the man had been mentally impaired, Raven had felt this same sensation pulsing from the dives around the city, this was the mind of a drunk.
Sighing, Raven approached the man. The prospect of a good book pushed from her mind as a new and more annoying task prevented itself.
"Sir?" She began, keeping her voice as friendly as the circumstance would allow.
The giggling man seemed to respond to Raven's voice. Still laughing, the drunk tilted his head limply in Raven's direction, glazed eyes staring up at her.
"Mmm?" He muttered through numb lips. "Wh...wha' ish it?"
"I need to get you home," Raven said, crouching down to look the slumped over drunkard in the eye, "do you remember wh-"
Raven stopped herself, spotting the plastic bag at the man's side. Peering inside, she gaped in awe, empty glass bottles reflected the dull yellow light that came from the droning streetlight overhead. A strong smell of liquor wafted up from the bag, the overpowering stench causing Raven to recoil.
"Wait...you drank all this?"
The strange man nodded, looking rather pleased with himself. His dirty brown hair hung in his face, wet with what, Raven couldn't say. It hadn't rained in weeks.
"Yup! Yup! I drinksh alls of itsh!" He mumbled gleefully. Raven was surprised he could even talk at all.
She groaned, rubbing her temples with long, pale fingers this was going to be harder than she thought.
"Do you remember where you live?"
This was of course, a very long shot.
"Home?" He said. Eyebrows askew in puzzlement. As if the word were in some sort of strange and foreign dialect. "Live?"
"Ok, maybe that's a bit too hard," Raven said. Irritation marring her normally expressionless face. "Name? Phone number?"
"Name..." the drunk said. "Uh...name...uh..." he scratched at his stubbly chin, eyes rolling lazily towards the sky. A slight flame of hope was kindled for Raven. It was the expression of a man trying to recall something.
"Lan!" He said brightly.
Raven blinked, echoing the strange name, "Lan?"
"Lan Caihe!"
Well, it was a start. Grasping her new acquaintance by the arm, Raven stood, hoisting Lan up with her. Digging into her cloak, Raven produced her communicator. The Tower's computer had a list of all known residents in the city, all she had to do was give a name, and Cyborg could find her an address. Punching in her personal password, her communicator gave a series of beeps before attempting to make contact with the Tower and its residents.
She didn't have to wait long.
Instantly, the tiny screen on Raven's handheld device flickered to life, Robin's masked face coming into view.
"Raven? Where are you?"
"Er..." the sorceress mumbled, "I um...came across this drunk," as proof, Raven turned her communicator towards Lan, who waved cheerily.
"I don't suppose you'd have anything on a Lan Caihe?" Raven asked, stumbling over the drunk's odd name.
Robin sighed, walking off screen, "hang on, I'll get Cyborg."
There was several moments of silence, then Cyborg slid on screen. His face the image of pure indignation.
"Rae? What's keeping you?"
"I'll explain later, just run a search for a Lan Caihe, will you?"
"Lan Caihe? How's that last part even spelled?"
"Dunno," Raven said sheepishly.
"Alright, just Lan then," there was final few taps, and then a moments silence as the Tower's computer ran a search for the name "Lan".
"Must be from outta town, Rae," Cyborg said. Looking slightly disgruntled at his own creation's failure. "The computer's not gettin' anything for 'Lan'. Just dump him with the cops will you? BB's gettin' impatient."
Raven could faintly hear the green changeling ranting, "Dude, where is she? We can't watch Death Ninjas Seventeen without pop and chips!"
"Or the mustard!" Starfire added.
"Er..."
Raven closed the communicator with a snap. The police station wasn't too far off, a quick fly and she'd be there in no time. She'd spent far too much time in this parking lot, and was more eager than ever to go back to her book.
Raven turned back to Lan, "Alright, lets get y-"
He was gone.
Raven heard yet again another giggle, but...this one sounded like it was coming from...
Oh no.
Whipping about, Raven stared, horrorstruck at the scene before her. Lan stood in the street, laughing. Apparently oblivious to the blaring headlights of the oncoming truck. Panicking, Raven attempted to hastily conjure a protective barrier for the drunken lout, but to no avail, the car already too close. Mere feet from him, the same expression of ignorant amusement on his face, Lan held out his arm.
The vehicle came to an abrupt, unpleasant stop.
With an earsplitting crunch, the truck's entire front crumpled as it rammed against Lan's hand. The windshield shattered, sending bits and pieces of glass whipping past Lan, who looked highly amused, as if stopping a several ton contraption with a single hand was a simple matter.
Her wide eyes fixed on the sight, Raven produced her communicator once more.
"Robin?" She said as she made contact with her comrade. "We've got a problem."
A/N: Well? What'd you think? Leave a review and let me know.