Chapter One
Beginnings
Robin looked out from his bedroom window. The city was beginning to awaken, as were all of the criminals it held. Yet, somewhere out there, hiding in some old abandoned building, was Slade. Robin was going to find him, even if it killed him. There was a knock on the door and Robin walked over to unlock it letting in one of his friends.
"Breakfast is ready if ya want to eat with us." Beast Boy stated slowly as Robin remained silent. "If not I mean we'll understand it's just that I figured you might want to be with us for awhile before you have to train and everything." Beast boy rambled as Robin walked out into the hallways towards the kitchen.
"Morning." Robin muttered as he walked into the kitchen where the entire group was sitting.
"Hey Robin! What do you want for breakfast?" Cyborg asked as he continued frying bacon on the stove.
"He wants a large cup of coffee," Raven started as Robin nodded his head in agreement. "With a side of Slade." She finished as Robin did the quickest 180-degree turn of his life.
"What!" Robin exclaimed as Cyborg twisted to avoid dropping the carton of eggs.
"You're obsessing again, and it's ruining my meditation." Raven stated calmly as she drank her tea.
"Friend Raven is correct, you have been acting most strange." Starfire nodded as she bit into her waffles.
"Yeah, because I want to find this guy and throw him in jail!" Robin yelled.
"I don't know dude, you haven't been able to focus on anything else every since he came to Jump." Beast Boy said with a shrug.
"You guys are impossible." Robin muttered as he sat down next to Starfire.
"That is good, yes?" Starfire asked slowly.
"Here's breakfast!" Cyborg yelled setting down a large plate of bacon and eggs in front of Robin.
"Thanks Cy." Robin murmured as he quickly began to consume the food.
Meanwhile, deep in the dank darkness lurking in the secluded corners of Jump City….
Yes, everyone's favorite villain had once again relocated to another hidden base.
Wintergreen, Slade's manservant, walked into the 'work room' of the newest lair with an air of slight hostility. His distaste for the sudden relocation was masked only by his detestation of Slade's newest obsession; a teenaged super-hero boy. He wasn't sure what bothered him more the hero or the boy part. Wintergreen walked down the steps in his black suit, his gray hair carefully parted on either side of his head as he balanced the tray he was holding with dangerous precision. Slade, however, was ignoring Wintergreens' very existence as he pulled out new designs for machines from a storage box.
"Are you ready for your breakfast, Sir?" Wintergreen asked patiently.
"No, thank you." Slade said as he threw the two pieces of paper he was looking at to the floor to search through another box.
"Sir, you must eat." Wintergreen stated as he set the tray down on an uncluttered table.
"Later Wintergreen, have you seen my plans for the, ah, never mind, found it!" Slade exclaimed as he pulled out a binder from the bottom of a cardboard box.
"Very well, Sir." Wintergreen sighed as he walked out of the room to move furniture.
Slade examined the binder and smirked, unmasked and absolutely arrogant in his own lair. He had in his hand a binder listing everything that had ever happened to Robin in the course of his life, full of wonderful details. Slade walked over to a chair, yanked the dustcover away and sat down to read and eat his breakfast.
Meanwhile…in an even darker, deeper, and possibly deadlier part of Jump City…
An explosion echoed in one of the many underground sewage tunnels, light bouncing off all of the walls scaring away the rats as something suddenly appeared from the air. A yelp was heard as a form landed in the water, the light having vanished the underworld was once again left in total darkness. The girl picked herself up out of the knee deep water looking around at her surroundings in confusion.
"Where am I?" She questioned aloud as she looked around.
A small stream of light shot through the darkness as a manhole above her was rocked by the speed of a passing car. She peered up at the light and started out of the water towards a nearby maintenance ladder. She climbed up to the manhole and quickly pushed it aside. She paused before climbing out letting her eyes adjust to the light. She stood and stared in shock and wonder at the new world she had suddenly found herself in. This was not her world but it would do until she found a way back. She quickly made her way to a dark alley, which was not hard to do in this part of Jump City. This young female was looked to be 17 and stood close to five foot five inches; she had very fine pale skin and waist shoulder length black hair. A sword was attached to her belt and a quiver and bow were slung around her shoulder. She was wearing a green tunic with light brown breeches that were smeared with blood. Her radiant emerald eyes searched her surroundings. She scented the air and finding no remain of her quarry she went through the many dark alleys of lower Jump City in search of items that she would require during her stay in what seemed to be the legendary 'Human Realm'.
3 Weeks Later…
"I can't believe we can't catch Slade!" Beast Boy complained as Robin looked at the morning paper disgustedly.
"Look at this; he killed three more guys last night!" Robin exclaimed in frustration.
"You could probably paint Jump City red with all the blood that has been spilt in the last three weeks." Raven stated morbidly.
"What would cause Slade to suddenly kill all of these people?" Starfire questioned as she picked up the paper.
"I don't know but we need to do something about it before there's no one left to protect." Cyborg the officially unofficial chef stated as he flipped the pancakes.
"Genius, but how do we find Slade? We've been chasing the guy for what a couple months and the only reason we CAN find him is if he wants to be found!" Beast Boy exclaimed.
"We've been chasing him for eight and a half months and we're no closer than we were on the very first day." Robin stated with a depressed sigh.
"Robin, we will find him. We must because we are good and he is bad and he will soon be defeated." Starfire stated as she tried to cheer Robin up.
"Somehow I doubt it, Star." Robin stated with a sigh.
"You never know, Rob, maybe things will turn around." Beast Boy said hopefully.
Just then, the alarm sound and the Titans rushed to get their necessary items, praying it was Slade.
"Gosh darn it ya'll my pancakes are gonna burn now!" Cyborg exclaimed as he turned off the burner and threw his apron on the countertop.
Slade stood on the rooftop of one of the many million-dollar companies in the city. He had an executive by the shirt collars and was threatening him mercilessly.
"Tell me where the safe is now and I won't snap you spine in four places, I'll only break it in two!" Slade yelled as the Teen Titans suddenly appeared on the rooftop.
"Don't even think of killing him, Slade!" Robin exclaimed as the group moved closer.
"Robin, I may be an assassin but this is merely an idle threat, I haven't killed anyone in Jump City…yet." Slade stated looking at the other Titans contemplatively.
"Don't lie! We know you've been going around murdering people!" Starfire yelled her eyes glowing green.
"Yeah, don't you read the paper to see all the wrong you've done?" Beast Boy asked his eyes narrowing in hate.
"Really, you children are becoming delusional. That wasn't my work, it was much to sloppy." Slade stated shaking the executive threateningly.
"Well if it wasn't you then who was it?" Raven asked unbelievingly.
An arrow shot past the Teen Titans and embedded itself into Slade's hostages' chest. Everyone gasped and looked around for the source.
"Maybe it was from another building?" Robin questioned as they looked around.
"Well I didn't do it." Slade stated dropping the man in disgust.
"That doesn't mean you're free to go." Cyborg stated as Slade gave him a condescending look.
"And what exactly are you going to do to me?" Slade asked arrogantly.
Any answer the team was about to give was stopped short as a black haired female climbed over one side of the building and landed between Slade and the Teen Titans. Her hair was in a tight braid and she was no longer in her foreign tunic. Instead, she had modernized herself and was wearing snug blue jeans, black boots and a black long-sleeve shirt. Her emerald eyes surveyed the situation with a strange calm. She walked over to the executive and savagely pulled her arrow from his chest as more blood began to flow from the wound. Slade eyed the girl curiously, she was mere feet from him and yet she seemed unaware of the potential danger. Robin also stared on in wonder as the beautiful assassin started to walk back to the side of the building.
"Hey! Where do you think you are going!" Starfire yelled.
Normally everyone would have been surprised that Star had yelled but today everyone seemed to be distracted by this new female. Starfire charged the girl her eyes blazing green as she neared the assassin. The girl kept walking until Starfire swung a punch at the back of her head. The assassin swung around snapping a roundhouse kick off that sent Starfire flying into the opposite wall. Everyone turned to look at her in shock and, in Slade's case, approval.
"Who are you?" Robin asked stunned by the girls' dramatic entry and amazing martial arts skill.
"My name is Bryn Demitrius Larkin, what is yours?" She spoke the words slowly as if she was still grasping English, her accent was slight though almost Russian in tone but not.
"My name is Robin and you just killed a man." Robin stated, trying to get her to understand.
"Yes, this I know." Bryn stated with a nod of her head.
"That's wrong, it is illegal." Robin stated again as everyone watched Bryn.
"Ill-gal? What is this word?" Bryn asked mispronouncing the word.
"Against the law." Robin explained.
"Oh, interesting." Bryn replied with a shrug and a slight nod.
"Uh, dude, where's she from?" Beast Boy wondered aloud at her lack of knowledge.
"I don't recognize her accent at all." Cyborg agreed.
Bryn looked at the strange group of people and cocked her head as she saw Slade watching her with a look of interest.
"What is your name?" Bryn asked Slade as she watched Starfire move from the corner of her eye.
"My name is Slade, I am also in trouble for doing illegal things." Slade said as he smiled beneath his mask.
"Oh, interesting." Bryn replied as she nodded in understanding.
"My name is Beast Boy!" Beast Boy exclaimed as he leapt over to Bryn.
"Why are you green?" She asked in curiosity.
"Uh, I just am. I can turn into animals!" He said with a smile as Bryn eyed him warily.
"I'm Cyborg and this is Raven." Cyborg introduced indicating Raven.
"Your eyes, they're kind of slanted up, why?" Cyborg asked curiously.
"It is how my kind look." Bryn stated as the two boys looked at her in amazement.
It was true Bryn's eyes were at a very slight angle, not like the eyes of an oriental angle but almost at a feline-like angle. Her ears also had a slight almost elf-like quality to them as they pointed towards the tip. Her cheekbones were slight and her jaw was very well sculpted. Her nose was straight like a knife blade and her lips were full.
"I think it's pretty cool!" Beast Boy stated with a smile.
"Thank you, correct?" Bryn asked hoping she had the expression correct.
"Yeah, that's what you say when you are thankful for something or you like what someone says." Cyborg stated with a smile.
"Since when did you become the smart one?" Beast Boy asked folding his arms over his chest.
"Shut up!" Cyborg said with a blush.
Bryn smiled revealing impossibly white teeth with impossibly sharp and animalistic looking incisors.
"Dude! Check our her teeth!" Beast Boy squealed.
"What is wrong with my teeth?" Bryn asked slightly confused.
"Your incisors are incredible! Are you vampiric?" Cyborg asked.
"No, definitely not, vampiric teeth I believe are more set forward and larger. Mine are still in the correct and normal setting except they're sharper and perhaps a tad larger." Bryn stated with a small smile.
"Wow." Was all Beast Boy could say.
"Why aren't you doing anything?" Robin asked Slade who was leaning against the wall.
"Why would I want to?" Slade asked stretching.
"I don't know. I just figured you'd take advantage of the situation." Robin stated eyeing Slade.
"I'm not the one who killed all those people." Slade stated watching Robin.
"What?" Robin breathed.
"Isn't it obvious? She's an assassin. She's in this strange new country so she does the first thing that comes to her mind in order to get money; kill people. Yes Robin, in this situation I'm going to get let off Scott-free." Slade stated.
"She killed them?" Robin questioned.
"She killed that man, and I didn't kill the others, so why wouldn't she?" Slade asked looking at the dead and yet still corrupt executive.
"What am I supposed to do, she didn't even understand it was wrong!" Robin moaned.
"Life is difficult, get used to it." Slade stated.
Before Robin could reply, Starfire propelled herself forward and directly at Bryn. Bryn, who had already seen this one coming, easily jumped into the air and down kicked Starfire as she flew beneath her. Starfire's face slid into the ground and she let out an audible growl as she shook herself. Bryn landed several feet away next to Robin who looked like he had just witnessed a horrific train wreck.
"Does she always act like that?" Bryn asked calmly having not even broken a sweat.
"No, actually." Robin stated as he looked in shock at Starfire who was now stalking towards Bryn with a look of hatred in her eyes.
"What exactly is she?" Bryn asked ignorant of the fact that said female was no more than three feet away.
"An alien." Robin stated his voice cracking as Starfire brought her fist up to smash into Bryn's right shoulder.
Bryn flew forward a few feet groaning at the impact as she turned back to face Starfire.
"Listen you stupid alien, I don't know what your problem is but stop before you get yourself into trouble." Bryn stated as she rubbed her shoulder.
"Stupid? I am stupid!" Starfire exclaimed her furry flowing into her glowing green hands.
"You said it not me." Bryn stated as she sat on the wall next to Slade.
"Starfire calm down." Robin soothed trying to get the teen to listen to him.
"So you're the bad guy then?" Bryn asked Slade as if they were talking about the weather.
"Yes I am. Actually Robin use to be my apprentice but then he decided that his friends were more important than learning." Slade stated as Robin caught on to the conversation.
"What! No, I didn't! That wasn't it at all!" Robin exclaimed.
"Do you not wish to learn?" Bryn asked curiously.
"Well yeah but I want to keep my friend to." Robin stated.
"Oh, interesting." Bryn stated with a shrug.
"She called me stupid!" Starfire screeched pointing accusingly at Bryn.
"Does she always sound like that?" Bryn asked annoyed as she covered her slightly sensitive ears.
"Can't you two just get along!" Robin exclaimed frustrated.
"I refuse to get along with her!" Starfire yelled.
"Obviously not." Bryn muttered as Robin tried to talk to Starfire.
"So why did you kill those people?" Slade asked slowly.
"Because it's what I'm good at." Bryn stated calmly.
"Really?" Slade asked genuinely curious.
"Yes. An assassin killed my family so I thought the only way to get back at him would be to become better than him. When I did I went out and found him, I was actually about to kill him when I was transported here." Bryn stated casually as she looked over the side of the building not liking the straight drop.
"That's very interesting, have you ever thought of apprenticeship?" Slade asked glancing at Robin.
"Not really, it's a long way down isn't it?" Bryn asked trying to keep her voice calm.
"Yes it is, don't try and jump." Slade stated as the rest of the Titans walked over to the four.
"Yeah, I can't fly." Bryn laughed.
"Oh that's to bad." Starfire said beginning to pout.
"Why?" Raven asked slowly watching Starfire walk over to Bryn.
"Because I can!" Starfire yelled as she flew at Bryn, knocking her over the edge of the building.
"BRYN!!!" Everyone yelled as the girl plummeted like a rock.
"Help!" She yelled back.
Beast Boy quickly transformed into a bird but wasn't big enough to carry her. Cyborg tried to contact the local fire department but merely got a busy signal. Raven called upon her powers but Bryn slipped through her nets like they were air. Robin tried to swing and catch her but he missed went through a window and finally watched his newest ally fall to her doom. Starfire floated in the air the only person who could possibly save her and laughed in triumph. Slade stared in curiosity at what the girl would do.
Bryn did nothing, could do nothing and hit the pavement below with a sickening crack.