Renegade

Chapter 1

It was a calm peaceful night in Jump City. It was a strong contrast to the peril they were in earlier that day of which the Titan's narrowly rescued them from. But as the evening of cities go, the shops were closing, and workers were returning to their families. In the matter of a few hours a bright city was reduced to a collection of dark buildings, and soon there were only two things that illuminated Jump City. One was the gentle glow of the Moon, and the other was a single room on top of Titan's Tower.

Within the tower Cyborg and Beast Boy were playing a game of X Race 3000, they were playing the best twenty-four out of twenty-five upon Beast Boy's request. The rest of the tower was dark as a cemetery, especially (expessily) Raven's room. Starfire and Raven were fast alseep within their respective rooms, and Robin, was recollecting on the day's events.

"Let's see, that's Cinderblock's attack on the construction site, Mumbo's seige on the magic shop, and Dr. Light's rampage on the electronics store, looking for components for some "machine" he was building. Luckily, we stopped him in time. Hmm...busy day, it's nice to finally get some rest." Then suddenly, like a rush of wind, something returned to him. Something...a little out of place. "That man I saw when we were fighting Dr. Light; he didn't run like the others. He..just stood there. He's either really brave, really stupid, or he's up to something."

Once one cog moved within Robin's brain it was nigh-impossible to stop. As every bit of training returned to him, the ward of the Dark Knight was beginning to put things together.

"Something is just not right about him. Now, what can I remember about that guy?" Hmmmm,Trenchcoat, Dark hair, and a cold emotionless face. He was mumbling something to himself. Now what was it?

"You thought you'd be safe here with the Titans didn't you, Renegade? But even now you are being hunted just like the rest of your kind. You cost us quite a lot,
but don't worry; I'll have my revenge on you. I'll take care of y-"

"Hey Robin, something up?" Cyborg inquired. He and Beast Boy finished their game, and you really don't need a narrator to tell you who was the victor. "I was just walking to my room when I heard you talking to yourself. Is everything okay?"

Robin was surprised; he didn't realize that he was thinking out loud. "I'm fine Cy, sorry to have bothered you."

"It's okay man. I was just checkin' with you." Cyborg exited out of Robin's room and walked sleepily in the direction of his own.

Robin stayed up for a little while longer trying to unravel the secret to this latest and incredibly cryptic enigma.

"It's nothing," Robin finally convinced himself. "I just need to get some sleep."
The rest of the night at the tower was fairly peaceful. But peace, was not with all of Jump City's inhabitants

"I got careless," remarked a young man. "They shouldn't have found me here. I thought they would leave me alone since I was so close to Titans Tower; I guess I was wrong. These guys are getting bolder."

He was standing in a dark forbidding alley over three thugs, apparently unconscious; each had a pistol clasped within their hand. The Teen himself looked about fifteen/sixteen and had messy brown hair. He wore a gray T-shirt and faded jeans.

"They were easy enough, but these are Vincent's men. And if they're here, he can't be far behind."

The young teenager lifted up his hand, and suddenly, a red jacket that was laying on the pavement to his left, began practically floating in the air making it's way to the one who beckoned it. With the jacket still floating he put both his arms trough and made his way out of the alley.

He began running. He didn't know where to run but he knew it had to be far. And as he ran, He eventually saw a man in the middle of the sidewalk; he was the dark figure that haunted Robin's mind.

"Hello, Ark." Said the dark figure

"Vincent, I knew someday you'd catch up with me. So what are you here to do? Kill me, or take me in to the others."

"I'm surprised, Ark," remarked the dark figure revealed as Vincent. "I expected more...resistance"

"I won't disappoint you; I will fight. But I know that your power is ahead of mine so it would be no use. But like I said, I will fight. So, what's it going to be?"

"Neither, I had orders to watch you, nothing more. And I dare not go against orders, unlike some others I know. But do not get me wrong, if I could, I would snap your worthless neck right here and now."

"That's comforting, so if you aren't going to kill me why did you reveal yourself."

"Another time, another place, Renegade. For now I must apologize for the behavior of my men; they were far out of line for attacking you, and will be punished."

"Thank you, I guess. Will you be sending anymore?"

"You misunderstand; their actions have nothing to do with me, Renegade. They were acting on their own rebellious accord."

"I'll take your word on that…for now."

"I believe we have said enough now, Ark, and I really must be leaving. You know there are more important Renegade's to attend to. So I bid you goodbye."

Suddenly, and without warning, the dark figure disappeared without a trace. In under a second, what one could easily make out as a figure of a man became nothing; he just...disappeared.

Ark knew full well what had happened, but he was slightly surprised all the same. He began to breathe in sighs of relief and put some of his troubles to rest when a thought entered his mind. This thought was not of his own and echoed Vincent's dark unforgiving voice. "I'll be watching you," the thought echoed. He knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to scare him, frighten him. Well, it won't happen.
It did happen. As he meditated on this one simple thought, sheer terror was released upon his mind.

"Nagga, Sura, Vaggen, Horton." Mumbled a tired and disgruntled Beast Boy as he slowly made his way to where a great force beckoned him. That force was hunger, and that place was the kitchen. He walked in a swaggering manner that made it look like every step he took, he might fall down. When in actuality, it was every three. But even through the bumps and bruises he suffered; he was determined. He was focused. He was extremely hungry. He was-

"Wait. What's that sound coming from Raven's room? Is she still up?" wondered Beast Boy. He put his head close to her door and quickly made out her mantra," Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos."

"Strange, why is she up meditating this late at night?" Beast Boy decided to find out.

"Hey uh, Rae? It's late. Why are you up? Is something wrong?
"Go. Away." Raven said, it was evident to a fool that she didn't want to be bothered. Unfortunately, Beast Boy was apparently, at least at the time, less than a fool.

"But-" He tried again.

"GO! AWAY!" Just at that moment, a bolt of black energy hit the changeling right in the head, forcing him from Raven's door to the hallway wall.

"Fine! Be like that!" Beast Boy quipped, and then added under his breath, "Not like I have enough bruises."

Raven didn't answer and continued her meditation. She was extremely focused, and seemed nervous and shocked.

"Okay now, where was I? Find my center, ready and focus..." She sat there, hovering in the air and searching for answers.
"I'll be watching you..."
"What could he mean by that?" Vincent's psyonic message apparently made it's way to a sleeping Raven disturbing and prompting her to find what was happening in Jump City.

"Now what do I have so far? Two energies, strangely natural, not at all like my own. One stronger than the other. Wait...I'm getting something.

"A young man is running, strange, an energy is around his legs, making them move...faster than normal. He is being chased by three men with pistols. Running. Running. Into an alley. Things are getting clearer now, yes."

"Finally! You put up quite a run, but it ends here," boasted one of the thugs.

"Ark, come now why don't you come back with us? You know you were one of the more gifted students at the 'Organization'," remarked another.

"I'm not coming back! And I'll kill you if I have to!" shouted the mysterious young man.

The young man threw off his red jacket and formed a defensive formation.

"NOW!"

The thugs each fired their weapons once, and, almost like a reflex, the mysterious teen put his left arm up with spread out fingers. The same energy that was moving his legs now made a wall in front of him sending the bullets every which way. The thugs put their hands over their heads for fear that the bullet's ricochet might hit them. The young man, knowing they would not, summoned more energy around his arm and thrust it forward, sending a wave of this strange energy toward the frightened thugs. It sent them flying backward onto their backs and upon the pavement, each of them knocked out cold. He said something; she couldn't really hear it. He then used the 'natural' energy to lift his jacket and put it on.

"That's it," Raven admitted. "That's all I can see. I wonder what it means, or who he is. Whatever's happening, I fear it will not leave Jump City for some time..."