Chapter 1:Dust in the Wind.
Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans, though the other guy is mine.
It was night on the streets of Jump City, and only the stars shone down on the city. Tonight, the streets were deserted; all the people of Jump curled in their beds with their blankets over their heads. Collectively, they sensed, knew, that something had arrived, as if it was carried on the wind. Then, several forms moved in the shadows. Silent, only the quick, furtive movements of the skilled and dexterous belied their purpose. They were dressed in black, with metal fingers ending in sharp metal claws. The steel around their necks and wrists gleamed in the moonlight, as did the small, stylized S on their chests. They stepped from the alleys, converging on the bank that appeared to be their sole target.
From the roof, a figure watched them. His face fell in shadow, as if the light was afraid to touch it. He watched impassively as the robots infiltrated the bank, expertly disabling the alarms. Bone-white teeth became visible in the shadow, signifying an ominous smile. They emerged from the bank minutes later, circled around a single unit that clutched a plain cardboard box under one arm. They moved in lockstep, perfectly synchronized as they vanished into the shadows.
The shadowed figure followed, appearing on one rooftop after another; always silent, always in shadow. He followed them across the city, towards the docks. They stepped into an abandoned storehouse, the last one looking out before closing the doorway. It did a double take, spying a figure across the street, but before it could do more than narrow its eyes, the figure simply…vanished, no cloud of smoke, no flash of light, no noise. It was as if it had never been. The machine attributed it to a system glitch, did a diagnostic of its systems, and did a scan of the area, finally determining there was no living thing near.
It closed the door, wrapping a heavy chain around the door and padlocking it shut. No key was evident.
On the roof of the storehouse, a shadow detached itself from the rest of those gathered on the roof. The mysterious figure crouched on the edge of the roof, its unnaturally white teeth glinting in the starlight.
The machines took the package to a man who was standing patiently in the center of a multitude of computers and complex equipment. The aged old Asian grabbed it unceremoniously from the robots hands, eliciting a tsking noise from the man who stood behind him.
"Now, now, there's no reason to get angry. You would have been paid handsomely if you had just accepted the commission in the first place." The old man leaned further over his computers, removing a hard drive from the box he held in his hands. "What could you possibly need with a device like this? I object to creating doomsday weapons that will kill me."
"Doctor, you wound me. This device is not meant for you. It was designed with someone far more sturdy in mind." Doctor Chang humphed and turned back to his monitors. "If he doesn't want to work for you, why not just give up? This won't change his mind any more than anything else has." Slade smiled. "You'd be surprised what threatening a few people can make him do. Imagine if I threaten a few thousand."
Both men and all their robot companions looked as a window was shattered behind them. Chang turned back around as the computer monitor creaked.
Leaning on it was a boy of about sixteen, his hair shaven down to a stubble, wearing a black shirt with matching pants and a black leather jacket that looked as if it had seen better days. His black sunglasses reflected Chang's surprised face. He grinned, too-white teeth standing out against his deeply tanned body's darker tones. "Good evening doctor."
All eyes turned to him. Slade's eyes widened in shock, and his machines moved between him and the newcomer. The youth favored Slade with a smile and a nod. "Good evening assassin." Slade's eyes narrowed.
"Who are you?" The youth grinned again, a too wide smile that was slightly unnerving. "Well, that is a question, isn't it?" His smile vanished from his face, as if in a hurry to be away from it. He sniffed the air. His head turned toward Chang. "you have many deaths on your conscience, and you are not long for this world." He inclined his head toward Slade. "You have many deaths on your hands, and you shall live a little longer."
Slade spoke levelly, though there was an edge to his voice. "Kill him." His robots complied with speed. The youth back-flipped away from them, putting his back to the wall. The machines jumped toward him, surrounding him. He smiled, and there was a rush of…something. A tremor ran through the air, like the shock of a thunderclap without sound, and all noise stopped as though the very earth held its breath.
As one, the machines fell to the ground. The boy stepped over them, walking back toward the two stunned humans. He resumed his place leaning on the monitor. He shook his head, a slight smile on his lips. "Machines, so unreliable." He grinned again, doing the Cheshire Cat proud. As he spoke, the computers shut down, apparently robbed of their power. Looking at the young man who stood before him apprehensively, he leaned back and looked at his power cords.
They were plugged in perfectly, still connected to the wall. There was no reason for them to cease to function. He walked around the now still machines, patting Chang lightly on the shoulder. The doctor stiffened in his chair, not moving a muscle. As the boy sat on the edge of the tables, he looked at Slade appraisingly from behind his glasses, his eyes indiscernible.
"You seek death on me." It was not a question. Slade nodded. "Obviously. You have cost me a small fortune tonight." The boy smiled indifferently. "What fortune is worth your life?" Slade lifted an eyebrow, confused. "Are you threatening me?" The boy nodded, still holding his slight smile. Slade chuckled. "Forgive me if I am skeptical." This time the boy lifted an eyebrow. Without preamble, he spun around the chair that Chang was in.
The doctor's face was the epitome of pain, frozen there as if he was carved from stone. "I told him he was not long for the world."
Slade was shocked. It was impossible. "you have the power to-" The boy nodded, his ever-present smile suddenly sending chills down Slade's spine. For the first time in his life, he was truly afraid. And just as suddenly, the boy was inches from him.
"There is an immortal here, frozen by their own power, locked away for eternity in a prison of their own power." He nonchalantly punched Slade in the thigh as he tried to step back. With a cry, Slade fell to the ground, holding his leg with both hands and staring at the creature in front of him in horror. "Where? Where can I find them? What fortune is your life worth?"
Slade nodded in understanding. "You want Terra. The one who killed me once." He nodded. "Where?" Slade shook his head. "She is in a cave, wrapped in stone. There are those who could lead you to her." The boy loomed over the fallen assassin. "You will take me to them." In his voice was…power. A power as timeless as the universe. A power that spoke of untold eons.
He waved his hand over Slade, and the man screamed and clutched his leg as it convulsed. After a moment, he stood shakily. He walked to the door, a key sliding from a hidden compartment in his glove. He unlocked the door and stepped into the night. He pointed across the bay. "They live there." The boy looked out across the bay to the giant building that sat on a small island in the center of the bay. The boy smiled again, and when Slade turned to see him, the newcomer was atop a nearby building.
Slade watched as the figure disintegrated, starting from the feet, until he disappeared, carried as dust on the wind.