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S.E.T.I. Institute Research Station
Jump City, California
6:58 P.M.
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The sun slowly set over a lonely stretch of desert, the sky a mass of orange and purple clouds that were slowly fading into a dull blue. The winds stirred little , casting small puffs of dust and tumbleweeds into the air, but little else. The whole terrain was fairly flat with a few rocky outcroppings dotting the area.
The only man-made structures in the area was an immense satellite dish that was out of place in the bleak landscape, and a nearby two-story building that was as unimpressive as the region was desolate.
On the side of the building read the words, "S.E.T.I.", the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. The endless hunt for signals or messages from U.F.O.'s. Most people would imagine a massive facility with rows of computers and people in suits hard at work combing the stars for some signs of life. That was the vision of S.E.T.I.
Most people were wrong.
Inside it looked less like a research station and more like a warehouse. Computer towers were stacked all the way to the ceiling in some areas, and sheets of paper littered most the floor. Metal shelves with just a hint of rust lined the walls, and dull lamps hung from the ceiling leaving little spotlights on the floor below.
Near the center of the facility a young man was reclining back in his chair in front of a series of screens and keyboards, each one independent and at the same time related to one another. The intern sighed with a bored look on his face, scratching the chest of his "Stargate SG-1" T-shirt, then he reached into a nearby cooler.
Kssssh!
Fingers cracked open a can of beer, Guinness to be exact, before he raised it bottom upwards and took a long swig of the brew.
"Will, what did I tell you about drinking when your on station duty?" A stern voice from behind him asked. Will stiffened and turned his blue eyes back to the professor, a short elderly man with a sparse white beard. The teacher's bald head was currently covered with a cap that read "U.S. Navy".
"...To bring the good stuff, Mr. Levin?" He brought his can of beer into the light, showing the teacher the brand.
The professor grinned, "Atta boy!" He eagerly dug into the ice-chest and grabbed himself a can of Guinness. The two took a long drink together, letting loose an "Ahhhh..." as they savored the aftertaste of the alchohol.
Mr. Levin gave the screens a once over with his gray eyes, "Slow night, eh?" He asked, chuckling as he patted the young intern over the shoulder.
He could see the disappointment in the young man's eyes. Sure, it sounded like loads of fun, the idea of hunting for extraterrestrials, the cute little E.T.'s that say your name in that slow almost childlike way. The sad fact was that the job was beyond mind-numbingly boring.
"There are busy nights?" The student remarked with a raised eyebrow.
The older gentleman nodded, "Oh yes! I remember back in 1975...or was it 77'...Anyway, we got a signal once from outer-space. 'Course we replied and didn't-!"
Will was already tuning him out, content to sip his beer in boredom. His teacher was a retired Navy Captain, nice guy, but he had a penchant for going off into little tangents which were interesting...Until you'd heard them about eight times over.
It was then that his blue eyes fell on a round display that looked like the night sky, and a curious dot moving across it.
"Sir...Mr. Levin?"
"An' we all thought we would die in a fiery blaze of doom, it wa-"
"Captain!"
The old man shook his head, annoyed that his rant had been disturbed. The intern pointed at the screen and the lonely dot moving across the night sky.
"That's from the M-2775 Satellite feed right?" The professor asked. His pupil nodded. The two glanced at each other briefly, and immediately went into a flurry of motions, grabbing thick plastic binders and putting them on the table, furiously looking for information on the satellite and marked objects.
"It's not marked sir...It's not marked sir!" The student kept repeating it over and over again like a mantra, his excitement growing.
"Quiet and make sure, we have to rule out everything else before we can start breaking out the champagne. Fire up the initial message sequence," The professor ordered, eyes still running over the books, but the giddiness in his voice was just as apparent .
The student was already typing on the keyboard, activating the signal that would reach out and try to contact whatever it was that had been picked up on the feed. Then he turned on the receiver, just in case the U.F.O was trying to make contact.
A loud screeching noise erupted from the instruments as soon as he hit the "on" button. He quickly turned it back off, rubbing his ears, "What the hell was that?!"
The old man's grin widened, "Definitely not from around here!"
"Mr. Levin, it's moving really fast. I mean REALLY fast!" Will exclaimed.
Professor Levin raised his head from the book, "What?" The student was pointing at the screen once more, tapping the glass as he did so. The object had picked up speed, turning into a streak of white.
"It's gonna crash sir!"
"What's it's E.T.A.?"
"Fifteen minutes..."
The teacher took off his hat and wiped his bald head, "In all my years...Now we get a signal AND contact." He began to hyperventilate, his breathing going ragged.
"What do we do, Sir?"
"Contact the air base...Oh, I've got to sit down," he said shakily, finding his seat to rest his weak knees.
"What does this mean...Mr. Levin?" The student was already dialing the number to Jump City Air Force Base, looking at his mentor with concern.
The old man continued to look at the screen, smiling despite the anxiety and nervousness. It was excitement, joy, and fear all mixed into one expression on his wrinkled features.
"First...Contact."
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Mojave Desert
7:45 P.M.
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The craft rocketed across the black sky, it's golden yellow frame burning red from the friction of atmospheric entry. It was an odd shape, almost like that of a manta-ray fish that lived in the sea, but with two large engine pods on either side of it. Even with the smooth frame a hot red, it was apparent that the craft was damaged, with large holes peppering the ship all along its length.
It quickly penetrated the veil of clouds beneath it, the sight of barren desert now visible below. The twin pods quickly did an about face, and flared with great intensity in an attempt to slow the damaged craft.
ScccerrrrCRASH!
It was to no avail however as the spaceship smashed into the ground, sliding along the desert sand. It flipped several times, pieces of the ship littering the blackened earth in its wake. Finally it came to a stop as it slammed into a mass of rock, sending dust and bits of debris skyward.
The craft remained there against the rock, motionless as the stone it had crashed into. The rumbling of trucks and the whipping of helicopter blades could be heard in the distance.
Searchlights scanned along the scorched path in the ground, until the bright beams bared down on the craft. Four helicopters hovered around the ship, creating a 4-point perimeter. The trucks stopped barely 20 yards away as men dressed in military fatigues hopped out, bringing rifles and guns to bare on the alien craft.
A single jeep rolled up the middle of the trucks before coming to a stop.
"I'll be damned...Levin was right," whispered a tall stone-faced man who stood up in his seat to get a better look at the craft. His gray hair was neatly cut, almost sterile in its style and his dark eyes gazed at the ship with a mix of skepticism and wonder.
"Lieutenant Brady!" he barked.
A younger man in fatigues rushed up, slinging his rifle over his shoulder before saluting, "Sir!"
"I want that craft inspected on the double. Do not attempt to open it just yet. I don't want any surprises," The commanding officer ordered. The lieutenant saluted once more with a "Sir Yes Sir!" before rushing off carry out his orders.
Before long a group of eight men approached the craft; two of them in white lab coats carrying sensors and equipment, while the other six brandished rifles and tranquilizer guns at their hips. The croak of the scientists' instruments were dull as they passed over the wreckage of the craft.
One of them pushed the glasses up on his face and gestured to the armed men, "No radiation. It's clean!" The six soldiers nodded and they continued to approach the craft, sights lowered a little as they began to relax. One even slung his rifle and began to help the other scientists carry their equipment.
Fssssshhh!
A sizzling hiss erupted from the cockpit of the craft, the dark casing sliding off the top of the ship. Steam and heat erupted from inside of it, sending vapors skyward. The soldiers stiffened, aiming their weapons at the cockpit. A few of them even put their fingers on the trigger of their guns.
The tension was as thick as the steam that was flowing from the cockpit, but nothing had risen from it. One of the soldiers approached, getting so close to the craft that he could reach out and touch it. Slowly he reached up and began to climb up the side of the ship to get a better look.
"Damnit! Johnson get back in position!" shouted one of the soldiers who dropped the equipment he had been carrying and broke into a run, hoping to catch up to his friend.
Johnson reached the top of the craft and began to look at its surface. He had to step carefully to avoid the holes in the hull as he neared the cockpit. He aimed his rifle at the gaping hole and inched closer. An emerald green light blinked from within the mist and the soldier stiffened, cocking his rifle to chamber a round.
His friend had just reached the craft, "Johnson, get your ass back down here."
"It's okay! I think it passed out," Johnson replied with a smile, looking down at his friend on the desert floor.
He was wrong.
A stirring brought his attention back to the cockpit, and Johnson brought his rifle to bare on the cockpit one last time, before a green blast of energy struck him dead-center in the chest, hurling him back onto the ground several feet away. His chest was burned badly, sizzling from the burns of the bolt.
Johnson's friend rushed to his side, but did not make it as another bolt shot forth, slamming into his back. The other soldiers and scientists didn't have time to register what had just happened, as a flurry of green energy rained down upon them. They all scattered for dear life, one man getting struck right in the face, as another beside him stumbled after taking a bolt in the leg.
The commanding officer watched in horror from a distance. He heard the cocking of weapons, "Do not fire! Repeat, do not fire! Switch to tranquilizers! I want that thing taken down!" he shouted into a loudspeaker so that all of the men in the area and in the helicopters above could hear him.
A dark slender shadow arose from the downed spacecraft, its hands glowing with green fury. It shot high into the air, flying directly towards the nearest helicopter. The gunner of the bird had no choice but to open fire, igniting the machine-gun in the nose of the copter.
The nimble alien quickly swerved out of the way and hurled a massive ball of emerald energy at the tail of the helicopter. The tail rotor melted, before popping to pieces in a loud explosion. The whole craft began to spin out of control, careening straight to the earth.
The shadow immediately made a beeline towards the ground, aiming for the mass of trucks. It did not hurl any deadly beams of energy this time, but simply crashed into one of the trucks in a green blur. The explosion was massive, tossing men into the air like rag dolls. The officer in charge covered his ears from the deafening boom.
"Take that thing out! I want it down now!" He screamed.
A large wave of soldiers rushed towards the smoldering mass of metal that had once been a heavy truck. Even in the flames they could make out the outline of the creature as it stepped forward.
The alien was definitely female, with a slender frame that looked almost delicately thin and yet there were more than enough curves to let them know it was a girl. She looked young, maybe around the age of sixteen or seventeen with long fiery red hair that was only enhanced by the flames. Her skin was bronze, nay almost orange in its appearance.
She wore purple that had the texture of leather; long boots that went up longer legs, and something like tight pants covering her lower half. Midriff was left bare, leaving a long-sleeved top to cover the rest of her body. A diamond of material had been cut away from her chest, leaving plenty of cleavage. Shiny metal gauntlets covered her forearms and the same material lined most of her clothing as well. On her head was something like a metal crown that outlined her elfin face.
Despite her attractiveness her green eyes blazed with a fury that could put the fires of hell to shame, and her lips were twisted into a hard frown.
One of the men fired off a tranquilizer round, hitting her square in the shoulder. The alien jumped and ripped the needle from her skin with a growl, before unleashing a loud battle-cry and another barraged of starbolts at the men. They all returned fire, sending waves of tranquilizer darts her way.
The alien girl managed to hit and injure many of them, but for each soldier she took down her body jerked violently as more darts cut into her skin. Men fell by the wayside as more came to take their place, dart-guns bared on the aggressive creature.
Finally, the creature fell to the ground, her body riddled with darts as she fell into a deep sleep. The men were unsure of what to do next, backing away from the creature inch-by-inch. The gray haired commander took the initiative, running towards the scene.
The men parted like the Red Sea as he came forth, dropping to one knee as he reached the alien. The officer gently slapped her face a little to make sure that she was completely out of it. She did not respond, instead murmuring a little to the stinging sensations on her cheeks.
"She's out...I want another full dose in her before we leave...Don't want her waking up in the middle of the city," The commander said, wiping some sweat from his brow.
One of the scientists approached him, a worried look on his face, "Sir, they gave her enough sedatives to knock out twenty elephants. Her system is completely foreign...We have no idea how much her body needs to keep her incapacitated."
The commander shook his head, "Then give her enough to knock out forty. Uncle Sam is pickin' up the tab so don't worry. Just make sure she stays nice and comatose. And contact Levin. Tell him he'll be receiving notice of a gag order in a day or two. He, nor anyone else is to mention what they've seen here tonight. As far as anyone is concerned, we were never here. Understood?"
The scientist nodded and grabbed a big metal case filled with concentrated doses of the sedatives the soldiers had used off the back of one of the large trucks. As the white-coated man plunged another needle in the alien's skin she cried out, wincing in a haze of weariness and drugs.
"X'hal norvack komand'r...norrrvack...Komand'r...," she managed to say before falling into complete unconsciousness. She looked almost peaceful on the ground like that.
The gray haired military officer raised an eyebrow, but didn't bother asking what she had said. No one on Earth could take a whack at what she said and be even close to right. His dark eyes almost showed a glint of pity for the creature. They'd probably go all "X-files" on her, cut her open like a frog and see how her insides worked.
'A shame', he thought to himself.
"Get this wreckage up too. Load as much of it as you can onto the trucks. On the double! And call in a crane while your at it!"
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3rd. Street
Jump City, California
8:23 P.M.
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The city was the exact opposite of the desert. A hard rainstorm had descended upon the city, casting the bright lights of the metropolis into a white haze of buildings and black asphalt. Jump City could count itself as one of the best and worst cities in the country.
The inner-city was the epitome of capitalism and progress; towers that reached so high they could have touched God, bustling business districts where international trade and commerce was booming, five-star restaurants, luxurious apartments, and all the amenities of the rich and wealthy.
Farther away however, it was a different story. The southern part of the city was decaying, or rather almost rotting to pieces. The old part of the city had become a breeding ground for the poor, the destitute, and the criminal. The signs of the collapse were all around.
Factories that once produced quality goods were now silent and collected dust and vermin, business that had flourished fifty years ago were now boarded up or abandoned. Graffiti, trash, and the dregs of society were the marks of "Old Jump City". Even the massive deluge of rain could not wash away the filth and grime.
'Reminds me of Gotham...' Dick Grayson thought to himself as he looked at the rainy dark sky above. The bus that had brought him to the end of his long pilgrimage had finally let him off in probably the worst part of the city. Maybe Grayson looked the part of a thug.
His black hair was a complete disheveled mess that nearly obscured the shades that he wore. The long white coat was now soaked in rain water, as well as the red shirt beneath it. Black trousers had faired better, but his steel-toe boots were made for this kind of weather. A long black suitcase was held firmly in his grip despite the chill of the storm.
He had been wandering around the harsh part of the city for a long time, taking in the sight of it all. The Boy Wonder or as he was better known "Robin" was still in shock from the whole experience, for he had left Gotham with no warning, packing up his meager possessions and gear to fight crime in a city on the opposite end of the country. It wasn't impulse, rather a desire to do things his own way. He was seventeen after all, practically a man now.
And He had no right to run his life anymore. This bird was flying solo now...Except he had few contacts in Jump City, and it took more than skill to fight crime in a city this large. 'And I don't know anyone here.' the thought flashed in his head, until he remembered the other reason he had come to the city.
He quickly found an awning that shielded him from the rain before reaching into his pocket, to pull out a note that he had received weeks ago.
A simple letter that was terse and cryptic in its intentions. "Help Me," in black lettering, and below that it gave the zip code for Jump City. And that zip code was in fact a large section of Old City. On the back of the letter was the image of a dark bird with wings outstretched.
A raven to be exact.
Robin had no idea what it had meant, but he had been planning to leave for months. This was simply a convenient excuse. If Bruce knew, he would probably be furious.
'Good.' Robin smirked.
Once he had dried off a little he began his trek once more. Robin figured that a hotel would be a good start, after all, he needed a place to crash. Blue eyes began to look at the neon signs, hunting for a place where he could get a good nights sleep and plan his next move.
"Help me!!!!" A voice screamed from the darkness of an alleyway. A man's voice, shrill and full of fear. The Boy Wonder simply acted, running into the alleyway to save whoever was in trouble, an instinct that he had learned from his years in New York.
His determined stride quickly skidded to a stop as he roamed deeper into the alley, and the screams turned into dark laughter. All around Robin the thugs in leather emerged. There were six in all, that closed in surrounding him, but not attacking yet. It was easy to surmise that these criminals were used to getting their way, or they would have beat him to a pulp the instant they saw him.
The lead one rubbed some of the rainwater off of his shiny head, a massive "Rip Van Winkle" beard reaching his large belt buckle. He held a large pipe in his hands, slapping the metal against his palm over and over in a show of impatience.
Robin slowed his breathing down, calming his racing heart. Even with all the practice, the adrenaline rush and unsteadiness always came. The trick was controlling it, to use it to your advantage.
"You know the drill kid," the bald thug grunted, "Hand it over."
Dick remained silent, holding his suitcase firmly. His body was loose, but still as a statue.
"Didn't ya' hear me?" The man spit nonchalantly onto the wet ground, signaling his approach as he walked towards boy. "Oh...You not from 'round here...Didja runaway from home little boy?"
"Something like that," Grayson replied coolly.
"Well then, let me fill ya' in. If I tell you that the sky is green, and it looks blue, then it's green. If I tells you that that its beef, and it looks like chicken, then its beef! And if I tell you to give me your case..." He grabbed Robin's coat in a meaty fist.
Crack!
Robin swung the wet suitcase with all his might, hitting the thug in the temple with the metal corner. The bald head jerked hard to the left, rolling under the weight of the blow. A little blood was drawn, and the man quickly stagged off a few steps before his legs gave way and he landed with a loud splash.
"Then I give it to you. In the face," Robin smirked to himself, as the rain slowly began to wither away, the sound of falling water vanishing into silence. He glanced up and raised an eyebrow at the rest of the thugs.
"He should be more specific next time," Robin said.
One of the thugs, a skinny guy with ratty brown hair, drew a knife, "Slit his chicken neck open!" he screamed, charging towards the teenager. Robin immediately dropped the case and sidestepped the knife. He grabbed the knife wielding thug's arm firmly in his right hand and sent out his left to the thugs elbow joint. There was a sickening crack of bone and ligaments as the kid snapped the criminal's arm, causing it to bend in the opposite direction.
The long-haired tough crumpled to the ground, fingers no longer able to hold the knife that clattered against damp cement.
Robin turned, facing the other four. All but one charged. They were all going to dogpile on him and beat him senseless. The teenager reached under his coat and produced a round white orb, no bigger than a golf-ball. He threw it to the ground just as the thugs came upon him and a white flash erupted all around them, along with a loud bang and the hard ringing that only a stun grenade could produce.
The Boy Wonder went to work, the whole event happening so fast as he broke one man's jaw with a powerful punch to the face. A swift kick to the stomach sent another man reeling on the ground. The third one caught an elbow to the stomach that caused him to double over, until a knee smashed into his chin, sending him to the floor as quick as the others.
The remaining thug had been too chicken to join into the fray, rubbing his eyes as they readjusted to the light. When the scene came into focus, his jaw dropped. All five of his friends had gotten their butts handed to them, each one either writhing in pain or laying there unconscious. The guy didn't want to stick around and went to run in the opposite direction, until he crashed into something that felt like as strong as a wall and he landed on his butt.
The thug's eyes widened. It was the kid. How could such a skinny little punk be that strong? He scooted away from the boy as fast as his legs would take him.
"Tell everyone."
"Wh-uh huh?" The thug said with panicked breath.
"Tell everyone what happened here. Tell them that things are going to change. Tell them Robin said so."
The hood nodded vigorously, taking off down the alleyway as fast as his legs would take him.
'Just like Gotham...' Robin shook his head with a tired smile as he picked up his suitcase and walked out of the alley. High above perched on a building, a little green bird fluttered its wings and flew after him.
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Pizza. Greasy artery-clogging pizza. Best food on planet Earth, at least Robin thought so as he wolfed down another mouthful of cheesy goodness. The open air pizzeria known as "Tony's" was bustling with activity, even this late at night. All of the college students and night-owls hung out there, at least from what he heard.
The whole building looked a lot like a mini-Times Square, for the front of the store rested on the corner of of the intersection. There was even a large screen television perched above so that people could watch sports or the news while they ate. The whole restaurant even rested on a kind of balcony, so that one could sit and simply watch the cars and people go by.
"Damn metahumans," muttered Tony who was busy kneading dough to make another large pizza. Robin had chosen a seat close to the checkout, so he could listen in on the people making small talk. "They're coming here in droves. As if the thugs in Old City weren't bad enough."
A man nodded in agreement, his business coat slung over his shoulder, sleeves rolled up after a long days work, "I heard that. Did you hear about the two they caught recently. One was as big as an ox, the other was a tiny girl. She could transform things. Nearly set the warehouse district on fire."
Tony chuckled, "Yeah well, they put a bullet between her eyes didn't they?"
"I think so. It's a shame. Most of them are just kids aren't they?" The salary-man sighed, "Can't they get em' help or something?"
"Trust me, people like that are better off dead. All they do is cause problems." Tony muttered as he flattened out more of the white dough. "Too much power, too young. Its like a kid who finds his dad's gun. Don't know what to do with it, and most of the time all they end up doing is hurting someone."
A young red-headed kid put in his two cents, "What about Superman? Or all the other superheroes around? They were kids once!"
"Yeah, but what are they doing now? Fighting all the nutjobs that have powers like them. One big cycle," the salary-man rebutted. "If they want to fight crime that's fine, just leave us normal people out of it."
Grayson finished his slice and threw his plate and cup in the trash, heading down the steps to the street below. He detested ignorance just as much as he detested people who broke the law for selfish reasons. After all, vigilantism wasn't exactly protected under law. Still, doing something about it was much better than sulking about the state of the world.
And that meant bird boy had to keep hunting for a place to stay. Shade-clad blue eyes went skyward once more, looking, hoping for a sign that read "No Vacancy."
For over an hour he wandered around with no luck, seeing only birds perched on the signs. Robin raised an eyebrow upon seeing the birds, lowering his shades just a bit to get a better look. 'Been a while since Alfred's biology lessons, but I don't think birds are THAT green.' The bird seemed to be looking right back at him, squawking before turning its head from side-to-side, as if feigning a random glance.
Robin continued, only this time he walked until he came upon a basketball court. It was not very well lit though, and would serve his purpose. Robin remained there, finding a dark corner to hide in. Pulling out a pair of small binoculars he waited to see if the little green bird would follow.
Minutes passed away as he waited and still nothing. No flap of wings, no quick flyby. Robin sighed and looked off to the street, 'Maybe I am going crazy. This city is making me paranoid.'
It was then that his eyes spied something crawling up the wall beside him. A green lizard that blended well with the darkness, creeping up slowly beside Robin. The Boy Wonder kept his gaze on the street, but out of the corner of his eye he continued to watch it creep closer and closer.
With lightning reflexes his hand shot forth, grabbing the reptile and holding it tight in his palms. It squirmed and writhed violently, almost growing in Robin's hands. Then he realized it WAS growing and he dropped the lizard quickly and backed away.
The lizard was free to transform, taking shape in the form of a young boy. Strange, that clothes formed over his green shape, taking the colors of black and purple. Finally he stood on two legs, enough for Robin to get a good look at him. A black jacket covered skinny shoulders with magenta rings that covered the elbows, as well as a purple shirt that covered his chest. Black pants hid his legs, and his feet were clad in a pair of black and silver sneakers.
His strangest feature was his green skin though, marking him as a metahuman, even his spiky hair was a dakr shade of green! And to top it all off, pointy Spock-like ears. Altogether, he looked to be about thirteen or fourteen years old. He gasped for air, holding his neck.
"Dude! Not cool!"
Robin grabbed the front of the green elf's shirt and lifted him off of his feet, "Talk." Although he knew the kid probably meant no harm, he didn't like people following him.
"Lemme go!" the kid cried.
"Not until you tell me why you were following me."
He wriggled under Robin's grip, "'Cause I saw you drop those guys like they were nothing! I wanted to talk to you, but I couldn't!" Grayson pondered the elf's words, not really sure what to make of him. He wasn't dangerous, at least not enough to harm him. But at the same time, what kind of idiot would follow a guy like him?
"Why?" Robin asked, finally letting him go.
The kid gave a toothy grin, "Because it was awesome!" His voice was squeaky...Childlike. "You went all Jackie Chan on em, and was like 'Woohaaa!!' 'Hah!' 'Ooooo' 'Hiyah!' and they went all 'Ouuaahh!'" He even started doing a few kicks and punches, imitating the entire fight and exaggerating nearly every detail.
"There were like twenty of em' and you were all like 'bring it on...I know kung-fu.'" he said, Keanu Reeves voice and all.
'Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the idiot.'
"Look kid," Robin interrupted. "Don't follow me again. I was ready to hurt you, possibly even kill you if I had to, and your obviously not a bad seed, so...Just let it go."
The kids eyes watered, but not out of fear or sadness, but sheer admiration. "You...Are...Awesome."
"I know. Now leave me alone." Robin started off back towards the street. He only hoped the fanboy wouldn't ask him a really stupid question and just let it end there.
"So...Looking for a sidekick?"
'Damn.'
"No, I work alone."
"Nah-uhn, you work with Batman, why else wou-!" A hand clamped over the kid's mouth and he was quickly brought back into the shadows. Robin looked furious, "Don't ever say that out loud! What are you thinking? Oh wait, who am I talking to? You hunt me down, have me looking over my shoulder, then you go on about how cool I am. THEN, you start going on about my identity. Do you have any idea how dumb that is!?"
"...It does sound kinda dumb, huh?" The elf relented.
"Look ki-!"
"Garfield. Garfield Logan."
"Look Garfield, your a good kid. I like you, really. But your annoying and causing me more grief than I need right now. Go home. Your parents are probably worried about you," Robin tried appealing to the kid the only way he knew how.
"They're dead...," Garfield's ears drooped a little. The cheerful face went hard, a mix of anger and sadness.
Robin felt like kicking himself, "I'm sorry. Don't you have anyone out here?" Logan shook his head, an emphatic "No". The Boy Wonder rubbed his temples. This kid was like a thorn under the fingernail, a thing that had to be forcibly removed in a painful way, or a thing that one dealt with and accepted. That and somewhere, deep down the kid reminded Robin of himself.
"I...I know this city pretty well though! I could help you!" Garfield smiled, finding something useful to latch on to. Robin raised an eyebrow, "What makes you think I need you?"
Garfield grinned, flashing a fang, "'Cause you've been wandering around all night. You don't know anything about this city, and I've been here for quite a while. Come on! You need me!"
Robin wouldn't have gone that far, but he could have used the kid's help, as much as he hated to admit it. Besides, he didn't have any contacts in this place and needed some connections as soon as possible, "Alright...You know anything about this?" Robin flashed the letter, the symbol of the black raven.
Garfield picked it up and looked at it. His lips went tight, and he furrowed his brow, appearing to be deep in thought. A few times he even looked like an idea struck him, only to be quickly discarded. Finally after all of the motions he snapped his fingers and handed it back to Robin.
"I have NO idea!" Garfield proudly proclaimed. It took all of Robin's willpower not to strangle him, but a low rumbling noise caught their attention.
The sound of an green elf's empty stomach.
He chuckled sheepishly, Robin's face fell to his right hand.
T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T
All eyes were on the duo; the mysterious kid in shades and his new green friend. A few people looked at Garfield with disdain, others with curiosity. The elf ducked low into his seat munching on his slice of pizza, "Dude...I'm feelin' a little exposed here."
Robin the crowd of people a hard look. A few seconds past before they began to mind their own business. Something about the kids personality made the people realize they shouldn't mess with him, or those he associated with.
He was somewhat grateful for little trick Batman had taught him, how to make people squirm in their seats. Tony had even offered to make them a whole pizza to make up for the initially telling Garfield to crawl back to the ooze he came from.
Garflied sighed, "It ain't easy bein' green..."
Robin shook his head, sipping on a cup of soda, "Don't worry about it Garfield. I'll watch your back." Something in the dark-haired teen's voice was deeply sincere, as if it meant it.
"Beast Boy. Or BB for short"
"Huh?"
"My nickname. 'Cause I can change into animals."
"Ah...Makes sense. You a superhero?"
Beast Boy buried himself even further in his seat, until his head was almost under the table, "I don't wanna talk about it..." Robin nodded, "Fair enough. Then maybe I can ask you something else. Know a good place to stay?"
"Err...Well, there are a few motels around here, but they're pretty expensive, except in Old City. Those get robbed a lot though. Unless you've got money your kinda up the creek without a paddle," Beast Boy said. The way the kid looked, he probably had been sleeping in a park or under a bridge.
"Say, something I've been wanting to ask. How do your clothes do that?"
"Do what?"
Robin smirked, "How come your clothes vanish and reappear when you change?"
Garfield blinked and then chuckled, scooting back up in his seat, "Oh yeah! Heh, a brainy friend of mine made em' for me. It would be kinda weird if I saved the day and had to give a TV interview in the buff!" He laughed out loud. "How does it feel to be a hero young man?" he began to mimic a television reporter. "Drafty ma'am, very drafty!"
Robin nearly spit out his soda, laughing. The two had a good long laugh together, slapping the table. The Boy Wonder had to wipe away a tear. He hadn't laughed that hard in a long time. Bruce never laughed, the most the dark knight ever did was grin and it wasn't a cordial friendly one. More like the grin of a superior to a lesser. It was a grin Grayson wouldn't miss.
"Robin, you okay?"
"Yeah," he realized his face had gone hard and cracked a smile. "Come on, let's go hunting for a place to sleep. We'll figure out what to do in the morning."
"You mean.." Beast Boy's eyes lit up. Robin shook his head, still grinning, "Yes, you can tag along for a little while. At least until we find someone who would be willing to take care of you."
Beast Boy looked ecstatic and quickly followed Robin out of the pizzeria. Even though Robin wouldn't admit it, the idea of finally doing things his way was exciting as well. So exciting that neither of them noticed the motorcade of military trucks shuttling through the intersection...
"Oh God she's awake!!!" A voice cried from inside of the trucks.
BOOM!!!
The deafening explosion, they did notice. The fireball that erupted in the middle of the intersection was intense, so powerful that the two had to back away from the heat of the explosion.
"DUDE!" Beast Boy's eyes were wide as dinner plates. Robin grit his teeth, not liking it one bit. The hero in shades backed away a little farther, not too eager to engage a threat with so many people around. The way the situation was looking though, he might not have a choice.
Green bolts of energy arose like the spouting of a volcano, slamming into nearby buildings, crashing into windows, and even blowing a few parked cars to pieces. Particularly a sleek black jaguar, much to the lament of a certain businessman.
Beast Boy ducked low, trying to get out of the way of the deadly energy bolts. His green eyes glanced up at the fireball, noting that a figure emerged. The angry figure of a girl, a smoking hot girl with glowing green eyes furiously boring into him. It was like something out of science-fiction horror, her slender fingers balling into fists that glowed with emerald flame.
"I think I just wet myself!" Garfield squealed, shuffling away from her advancing steps.
"Glor 'kuroth morbo! Liet nar rock cha!!" she shouted at him angrily.
"No No! No rock cha! Don't like the rock cha! I don't even know what that means! Dude help!" he cried, looking back. Robin was long gone. "Not cool!" He turned back to the alien that had wandered to the side of the street. Fingers dug into the side of a car as she easily picked it up over her head, marching menacingly back to the green elf.
Beast Boy realized that he was completely alone. All of the people had either fled or were hiding behind walls and cars.
He knew he was now all alone, and a very angry alien was ready to drop two tons of metal on his tiny frame. He was too scared to transform, too scared to move.
Beast Boy realized that he was doomed.