Teen Titans
Voice of Reason / Voice of Rage
Ever since early childhood Adrian could remember him being there. As a voice in his head or as someone no one else could see. At first his parents thought it was harmless, just an imaginary friend.
Until at the age of ten strange things started to happen. When threatened Adrian would blackout and would wake in strange places surrounded by destruction and chaos. He began to see more of him and he told his parents what had been happening. They immediately shipped him off to the church to be exorcized.
The priest seeing what was happening for what it was the emergence of Adrian's powers. Sending him to the school where he worked to help him grow his power in secret. He had said that Adrian had been touched by the fallen angel Azazel. Who once was an angel of justice but after the fall he changed he became the angel of vengeance.
This did not last long the punishments were cruel and though the priest had tattooed him to protect him from the rage that came with his enhanced strength speed and reflexes. He still had trouble.
Now he was standing at the base of a tower shaped like a massive capital T with his only belongings in a messenger bag and his guitar and amp situated on his back. He pressed the button and waited for them to answer the door.
"Hey Raven you didn't tell us you had a brother," Said Beast-Boy laughing at her confusion. He loved messing with her.
"I don't have a brother what are you talking about?" Said Raven glaring at her constant tormentor only he knew she gave as good as she got so they were on even terms.
She walked over to the screen B-B was looking at and saw a young man of maybe 18. One year older than her. He was wearing a black hoodie and was carrying a messenger bag that was crammed with stuff. On his back was a steel gray guitar and in his hand was the cords and amp for the instrument. Through the camera you couldn't see anything of his face as he was wearing the hood up and his shaggy black hair was brushed into his eyes.
"Can we help you?" She asked apprehensively.
"Yes I'm here to see Raven is she available?" He asked. His voice was soft and she could hear the melodic nature of his voice, He is a singer.
"Yes I am available, why don't you come inside so we can talk in private. I sense that you have had a long journey and could use some rest and good food and company," She said. She could not understand why but she felt drawn to him. She could tell even through the distance of the camera and speaker she could sense his power.
She pressed the button so he could come to the top of the tower. She laughed to herself as she saw Beast-Boy's eyes nearly pop out of his head
"Are you insane Robin is going to lose his freaking mind? You know how he feels about strangers in the tower," Said Beast-Boy.
"Oh, where is your sense of adventure. You break rules all the time," Said Raven.
Adrian rode the elevator to the top of the tower hoping desperately that they would accept him. Raven had been right he had a long journey and needed to rest to settle down, live a life.
"They will never accept you. You will be here no less than a week then boom they'll drop you like a bag warmed over horse manure," Said the voice of Devil in his head.
"Shut up you bastard this will be different I can feel it. They will accept me as they have accepted others like me," Snarled Adrian with menace.
"Ooh, emo grew a spine, I was wondering when you were going to grow a pair," Mocked Devil.
Adrian was going to reply but just when he was going to the elevator dinged and the doors opened. He walked into a large living area with a massive T.V. There was a couch parked in front of what appeared to be a cross between a glass coffee table and a control panel. There was a green boy of maybe 15 sitting on the couch sipping on a root beer. There was also a granite top island table off to the side of the room with stools arranged around it. Adrian could imagine morning breakfasts where everyone sits in the same spot, each one having a role to play in their makeshift family.
Sitting at the granite top was a girl a little younger than him. She was wearing a dark blue hooded cloak with the hood down revealing straight dark purple almost black hair that wreathed a face as pale as the moon with wide searching eyes the same shade as her hair, and at this very moment those eyes were trained on him.
Raven sensed him the moment he walked through the elevator doors. There was an aura of raw barely restrained power coming off him in waves that nearly took her breath away. She stood and approached him.
"Hello I'm Raven may I ask your name?" She as she extended her hand for him to shake. He all but flinched away. He then tentatively took her hand. It was warm and seemed to pulse with power like a live wire.
"My name is Adrian. It is nice to meet you," He said, His voice was soft like silk and it had a slight ring to it as if he could project it loud enough to be heard over a crowd.
"Can I ask how I can help you?" Asked Raven as if she were talking to a frightened animal.
"Yeah, why are you here?" Asked Beast-Boy suspiciously. His animal senses had picked up on Adrian's power and immediately registered him as a threat.
"I was hoping that you would teach me how to control my powers. I have increased strength, speed, and reflexes, but the problem is I'm not the one in control of them," Said Adrian ashamed of something he could not help. But she could, and she would too.
Just when he was sure that she was going to say yes an alarm went off nearly scaring the piss out of Adrian. He looked around as lights flashed and klaxons blared. He knew what was happening the other Titans where ever they were were in trouble. He steeled himself for what he was about to do.
"Are you ready Devil?" Asked Adrian with stubborn resolve in his voice. Devil had never heard his alter-self sound like that, sound like a man.
"Do you even have to ask? And I must say I like the new you. Where the hell has he been this whole time?"
Adrian did not answer he simply pulled back his hood and looked at Raven.
Raven heard Adrian say from behind them as they pulled out their communicators.
"What is happening?" He sounded like totally different person now his, voice rang with confidence and power.
"Robin and Cyborg went with the other girls on a shopping expedition, shopping isn't really my thing and B-B prefers the light of the T.V. to the light of the sun. Now Robin and the others are in trouble we are not sure what the situation is but it can't be good," Raven explained seeing his face for the first time.
He had shaggy black hair that shone like an oil slick when the light hit it. You could just barely see his vibrant emerald eyes beneath his bangs. His face was pale with sharp angles like he had been carved from polished marble. He was stunning and the look of resolve on his face said he was going with them and he was not taking no for an answer.
"Let's go then. What are we waiting for your friends are in danger let get a move on," Said Adrian.
"Whoa there cowboy, you can't just jump in on our thing you have to join the team first," Said Beast-Boy
"Whether you let me go or I follow you it makes little difference to me" He said not taking no as an answer as expected.
Then she heard it a presence in his mind not evil but not nice either and it was laughing. This disconcerted Raven.
"Beast-Boy we don't have time to argue. Both of you stand next to me and hold on to your sphincter …and your souls," She said wrapping them in her cloak and shifting into the dark realm…
Raven dropped them into the middle of a mall turned warzone. There were strange bio-mechanical battle bots all over the place. There were others but he had no time for pleasantries he had to do something or the people who were supposed to help him were going to be killed.
"What in the hell am I doing here Devil?" He asked his alter-self.
"Get your head out of your ass. What the hell does it look we are doing we're saving the damn day. That's what we came here for right," Snapped Devil.
"Yeah… So what do we do?" Asked Adrian uncertain.
Raven watched as Adrian stood next to her and stared off into space as if he was deliberating with himself.
"Someone take out that control tower on the second floor. It will shut down all these robots" Instructed Cyborg the mechanics expert.
Adrian turned to her and smiled a mischievous smile.
"You might want to stand back," He said reaching up to unzip his hoodie. Underneath he was bare chested which made Raven turn three shades of red. He was all lean sinewy muscle that would draw any hot blooded woman's attention. But that was not the most impressive part of his physique. It was the tattoos. On his back was a set of beautiful black angels wings that Raven swore she could reach out and touch them and feel feathers. On his chest was a big and intricately inked Celtic cross. And on the wrist and bicep of each arm was a Celtic ring.
Then with a massive surge of power he began to change. His skin became black as the void. Short but sharp horns grew from his head. A tail grew from his backside. And his tattoos began to glow bright green. This was the entity she had heard in his mind. This was the entity in control of his powers.
With shout of "Yeah baby lets rock this beast!" He became a blur of violence, attacking with a ferocity that was unseen in the Titans since Robin's Red X days.
"Raven who is this guy?" Asked Robin.
"Well I love his enthusiasm," Said Cyborg
"Yes it is infectious. How did he say it? Let us do this beast," Said Starfire.
"E ye on the prize people if he is going to help us take out that tower then let's give him a hand," Said Bumble-bee focusing the team on the job at hand.
The Titans leapt to Devil's aid with as much intensity as the seemingly demonic hero. They helped him clear a path to the tower Raven was to his left and Beast-Boy to his right in panther form. Robin, Cyborg, Terra, and Devil himself were dealing the heaviest damage. Star and Bee were in the air keeping the robots from flanking them.
Together they made it to the tower. "Stand back I got this," Said Devil with a wicked grin pulling his fist back and delivering a haymaker to the tower breaking its foundation. He then leapt onto the tower putting all his weight on it and riding it to the ground floor. He stood up and dusted himself off and turned to the astonished Titans.
"Well that was a hell of a good time, can we do that again?" Laughed Devil with a wild look in his eyes.
After he had calmed enough to change back he began searching for his hoodie so he could cover himself. Now that the excitement was over he was cold. Not finding his favorite article of clothing he sat on a stone bench gloomily.
"I think you over did it a little?" said Adrian sourly to his alter-self.
"Naw, I think we are good, hey look here they come." Said Devil with confidence.
"They don't look happy D I think you over did it." Said Adrian when he saw the Titans coming. He did not see Raven.
They stopped just in front of him keeping their distance as he was rabid animal and they expected him to bite them.
"We have taken a vote and have a small problem. I, Beast-Boy, and Bumble-bee are against you staying with us. Starfire, Cyborg, and Terra are for you staying with us and joining our team. The swing vote is Raven and we can't find her. You got any idea where she is?" asked Robin matter of factly.
"No I haven't the foggiest idea where she is," Adrian said a little worried of offending them and losing his chance at being allowed to stay.
Thankfully she appeared seconds later holding something black in her hand.
"I have something for you Adrian." She said warmly.
"Hold on Raven we have to settle something. Do you want him to stay?" Asked Robin getting straight to the point of the matter.
"Of course I do why wouldn't I?" She asked almost indignant at the thought of abandoning him. Adrian felt warmth spread through him. Never in his life had anyone ever gone to bat for him like this.
"Well for starters he is highly unstable," Said Robin.
"Do I have to remind you of your former obsession with Slade?" Retorted Raven.
"He is aggressive."Continued Robin.
"Red X" Said Raven.
"Damn it Raven he is dangerous!" He exclaimed now completely exasperated.
"So am I, So are all of us. Or did you forget what happened in Tokyo?" Said Raven using everything in her arsenal to defend Adrian He almost cried. Someone actually gave a shit.
"Point made Raven. He can stay, but you will have to train him to control his demon. You should be capable of that right?" Said Robin hitting below the belt.
They turned and left them alone so they could become more acquainted and Adrian decided that he would defend her like she defended him. He and Devil both agreed they would repay this debt for life.
"You said you had something for me?" Said Adrian with a new warmth to his voice.
"Oh, yeah I noticed that you were looking for your hoodie, well unfortunately it has been destroyed but I found this one in some store I'm sure one of the other girls are familiar with. Here let's see how you look." She said with a blush. Adrian wondered why she had taken such an invested interest in him. What was in it for her?
He took the hoodie and unfolded it to see that it was an almost exact reproduction of the tattoos on his chest and back. He slipped into the warmth that it provided and zipped it up and examined the Celtic cross on the front.
"Thanks its perfect Raven," He smiled bashfully.
"No problem Adrian anytime," She said doing the same.