Alright, everyone; I know that Solor is my most popular character, so I'm gonna try to keep up on this one... better than I did for Return of the Dragon. Which means, hopefully, you guys get your chapters on time. No guarantees, though; Writer's Block is a fickle beast and can strike whenever it wants.

With that said, the usual disclaimers are in order.

I do not own the Teen Titans (or else the atrocity known as "Teen Titans Go!" would not exist) or any characters from the DC Universe. I do, however, own the Dragons of Lair, the Grand Circle, and Starborn "Solor" of the Light.

XxXxXxX

Nights at this bar weren't ever really exciting. This location was in the bad parts of Gotham (though any outsider would say any part of Gotham was a bad part), where criminals run a bit more rampant. It was also usually under heavy surveillance from Batman or his clan, so usually nothing too bad ever happened down here.

Unfortunately, that wasn't going to be the case.

One man, in particular, was going to have a particularly bad night. His friends called him Brock, and he spent a long time in Gotham, doing odd jobs for whoever had the most money. He was throwing back a couple drinks, nothing too much. He was talking with his friends, having a good time, unaware of the danger he was in.

And then the door opened.

A tall man, with a thick frame, walked in with ease. His presence was dominating; the entire bar went silent as soon as he stepped in. However, the large man ignored everyone else, walking straight to the bar and sitting only a few stools away from Brock.

"A bottle of Jack, please", the giant said, politely. The tender, not used to someone being so nice, only nodded dumbly, going to fetch the gentleman his drink. The big man then turned his head slowly, looking over at Brock. Something about him set the thug off; his heart was beating faster, and his palms got sweaty really quick. Those blue eyes seemed to pierce his soul, and that permanent frown made him feel like he was being judged.

Then the sapphires became emeralds.

Brock's face went pale, staring at the stranger who averted his gaze. Did he know about Brock's dirty little secret? The thug started to stand, questioning whether he should run.

"I shall give you ten seconds… niivahrin dovah", came the man's deep voice, and Brock immediately shot up, moving quickly out into the street. The bartender came back in that moment, handing the bottle to the large man, who merely reached into his pocket, pulled out a wad of cash, and handed it over. "Keep the change", he said to the keeper, and stood up, moving quickly with his bottle in tow. He stepped into the street, seeing Brock moving towards an alley as quickly as he could. The giant smirked, following at a rapid pace before cornering the thug in the alley.

"Stay back, Scum of the Circle!" Brock yelled out. "You can't expose yourself here! There's mortals all about!"

The giant smirked again, before holding up the bottle. "I was merely hoping to have a drink with you, Dark. And hopefully make it easier to loosen your lips about what I want to know."

Brock snarled. "I'd rather die! I will tell you nothing!"

"That's fine by me", the stranger stated with a shrug. He suddenly chucked the bottle at Brock, before spitting out a ball of fire. The two hit the thug at the same time, lighting him aflame as the dragon in disguise screamed in pain.

The stranger stepped forward, glaring. "Deploy your scales. I need information, and you will tell me or die."

Brock fell to his knees, even as the flames consumed his body. "Never! I say nothing!"

"TELL ME ABOUT THE TWILIGHT!" the man suddenly roared, rushing forward and pulling the thug to his feet. His appearance changed, his eyes turning green and his bronze scales protecting him as he snarled at Brock. "TELL ME OF THESE PETS OF GRAND DARKNESS!"

Brock, however, started laughing, despite his pain. "Lament your loss, Starborn! Vulom evenaar kun!"

Solor, now exposed, snarled, before throwing Brock hard to the ground, smashing his face into the concrete. The dragon in disguise was immediately silenced, either killed or knocked out, and his body burned in the night. Solor shifted the trench-coat, covering up his face. He immediately muttered some words under his breath, and an all too familiar tear in reality appeared, swallowing him into the void. When the giant could see once more, he was in a familiar looking cave, the bright light of the sun shining into the entrance.

"I assume the mission was a failure?" came a familiar voice, and Solor turned to see his father staring down at him.

"Indeed, Father", the bronze dragon said, shifting into his true form as he looked at his father's blue eyes. "These Traitors are tight lipped; even under threat of death, I still know nothing more about their creations. I know not how they are made, nor how they have appeared from seemingly nowhere... though I know it has something to do with what that dragoness, Vilea, did to me."

"No doubt", the Grand Light stated, sighing. "Very well... I was hoping to delay this, hoping that a capture or some new information would be available... but Grand Death has called for a meeting. He says he has come up with a plan on how to learn more of the Twilight."

Solor's muzzle twisted into a snarl, and his father immediately picked up on that, allowing his son to continue. "I do not like this, Father. Grand Death is approaching the end of his term... unless he has already passed it. He has not told anyone of his progress with his Heir in some time."

"And you are certain that your words are truly concern... or are they memories of the days before your mother died?" When Solor's eyes lowered, the Grand Light sighed, in a moment of acting like his true self. "Do not think I have not noticed how you glare at him... and all of us, in turn. You are angered at us taking you from your team, and you still resent what happened the day Grand Death announced my mate's impending demise. We have done what we can to help you, and have even had some of our infiltrators teach you how to use those mobile devices so you could keep up with your team's progress through the internet. Not much has happened since their trip to France, or so you say."

"I am concerned", Solor told his father. "They were fighting for so long, and now, it's almost as if all the villains we fought together have merely vanished into thin air. I want to know what happened, but they've been a little tight-lipped to the media. It has been over a year since I left, Father. It would be nice to visit them, at the very least. They know of our kind, and they hold no ill-will towards me."

"I am glad you made friends in the mortal world, son. I am concerned about them knowing of our existence, but they have been trustworthy, and they have not told anyone of us, and for that I am grateful", the Grand Light said, thinking carefully. "I will tell you this; once we have more information about the Twilight... I will give you a short vacation, where you may go where you wish for one month."

Solor understood the importance of his mission, and bowed his head to his father. "I am humbled by your generous gift, Father", he said calmly. "Thank you."

"The Circle is not without mercy, my Heir", Grand Light responded. "Now... to the Center. Grand Death does not like to wait, even for us members of the Circle."

The two dragons spread their wings, launching out of the cave. Two streaks of bronze soared across the sky, heading to the large volcano to the south. They saw a variety of other dragons in the sky, including two red, two blue, two green, and two grey all flying towards the same location. One rather tall brown dragon, the Grand Earth's Heir, was walking to the mountain that easily stood many meters taller than her, since Earth dragons could not fly. Solor couldn't help but think of the creature known as Godzilla from the mortals' movies of the same name as he looked at the Earth Heir now.

Once everyone had gathered and the Heirs had taken their places on their respective perch, Grand Death looked at his companions, one by one, including taking a long look at the eye of Grand Earth. "This meeting of the Circle and their Heirs shall commence", he said, his voice raspier than Solor remembered. "I am certain you are curious as to why I called you rather suddenly."

"We are, my mate", Grand Life said. "You have been rather tight-lipped about this war lately. Have you come across some information?"

"Grave news, indeed", the Death dragon said, shaking his old head. "One of my children has been able to discover a plan by the Traitors. They intend to raid a mortal city in one week's time."

Solor remembered hearing of these. The Traitors, back in the older days, intended to destroy mortal civilizations, merely for the fun of it or to test their power and boundaries, but the dragons of Lair would always counter them and push them back. The fact that they were planning one now, after a few hundred years of not even coming close to one, suddenly had him worried.

"An what will our plan of action be?" Grand Fire asked. "Shall we set up the defense immediately?"

"If they are making a play in the water, we can easily take them by surprise", Grand Water offered. "They will not be able to counter us."

"No, that will not be necessary", Grand Death waved off, shaking his head again. "I've heard that there will be several high-ranking officers in the enemy's attack. This will be our opportunity to take one alive, and find the location of the Dark Lair."

Solor's face fell. The way Grand Death worded that gave him chills. Was the older dragon really suggesting the impossible?

"And who would interrogate this officer?" Grand Light growled. "I have retired as Inquisitor, and I have not trained anyone to take my place."

"Your Heir has learned much from you over his life as such", Grand Earth rumbled. "He will be able to rip the answers from his scales, if he is like you."

"And what of the mortals?" Grand Life finally asked. "What shall we do to protect them?"

There was a pause of silence. Then, Grand Death spoke what Solor was afraid of.

"Their deaths will not be in vain, my mate."

XxXxXxX

"He can NOT be serious!"

Solor was pissed. He paced back and forth, his face in a scowl as smoke poured out of his nostrils. The other Heirs watched him as he growled, seeing as they all met in the desert to the southwest of the volcano, Earth's domain.

"What are we to do?" Death's Heir, Norokliiv, said. "My father convinced the entire Circle to go with this plan of his. I'm surprised that they're letting him call the shots."

"I'm more surprised my mother agreed", Life's Heir, Maldriin, stated. "She holds all of the First's children in such a high regard. To hear that she agrees to 'weed out' some of the mortals is... unheard of."

"Which is why we must stop it", Solor stated. "We cannot allow the Circle to go through with this! This is NOT balance!"

"And what are we to do?" the Earth's Heir, Yolget, asked. "Filkiin, the Circle voted unanimously to go through with the plan. We are but Heirs. We hold no power over them."

"Something, ANYTHING! We are talking millions of lives being taken away in an instant!" Solor argued. "Yolget, you never back down from a fight! Are you telling me you will accept this sitting down?"

"Were it anyone else, of course not", Yolget snorted, glaring down at the shorter dragon. "But when the Circle makes a decision, we are not to intervene!"

The two other Heirs, Rathlovaas of Water and Kendovyolos of Fire, remained silent. There was no point of arguing with Solor, but they could not go against the Circle. Solor looked at all of the other Heirs, and sighed.

"Very well", he said. "Then you do not have to do anything but buy me some time."

That got their attention. "What are you planning, Filkiin?" Maldriin asked. "Are you to warn them? They will not believe you."

"Not them", Solor denied. "But I know of those who can defend that city. I will go to them, and plead my case. If they are truly as just as I thought they were... then they will grant us aid."

Norokliiv bowed his head. "We will aid you however we can, Heir of Light. My father is pushing too far past his term; we must stop his plan and show the Circle that he is too far gone."

Solor gave a small, sad smile. "I apologize, Death's Heir. I know what it will mean if the Circle finds your father unfit for duty."

"It is alright", Norok stated. "It is for the good of not only the Circle, but all of the First's creations." He muttered a few words, and once more, a rip in reality appeared. "Go now, Filkiin of the Light. May we meet again in victory."

Solor bowed his head to all of the Heirs, as was tradition when he left for a mission. He then stepped through the Tear, reentering the realm of mortals, with only one thought in mind.

I must reach Titan's Tower!