A bridge.
A girl.
A bystander.
The girl had bright red hair, the ends of each strand were black, reaching just above her waist. Her sea green eyes were hidden behind black thick framed glasses. The wind brushed across the girl's smooth pale cheeks as she leaned her upper body over the edge of the railing on the bridge.
"So far down.~ Surely if I jump right now, I won't survive."
Of course, the girl came here for one purpose. You probably already guessed. I mean, really. There's a bridge. A girl leaning over the edge.
Yeah, pretty obvious.
She came here to never come back alive. Hopefully no one finds her body.
Now that she thinks about it, it might be a bad idea to jump off the bridge right in front of the Titan Tower.
The girl sighed and slipped off her glasses and tucked them in her shirt pocket.
"No. I'm going to do this. I won't chicken out this time." She took a step, a shaky breath releasing from her scarred pink lips.
The scene changed to a nice little neighborhood in the summer. A mother was cooking breakfast. The father getting ready for work. And the little red-haired girl..playing with her doll at the kitchen table.
Everything seemed normal until...
"Mommy! Look what I can do!" The mother turned around smiling. That was until she saw the doll hovering in the air and her daughter seemed to be doing it with her mind. The mother let out a loud shriek and dropped the spatula on the floor with a CLAK.
"Mommy, what's wrong?" She girl dropped the doll into her hands in hugged it to her chest, afraid. "D-Did I do something wrong?"
The father came through the kitchen doorway, huffing. He ran all the way from upstairs after he heard his wife scream. His eyebrows shot up. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. "Dear, what's the matter?"
The woman shot forward and clung to her husband, sobbing. "O-O-Our daughter! S-She's a-a mutant! A monster! She isn't h-human! Get her out! Get her out!"
"Honey! Don't say those things in front of Stella! What happened!?"
"She p-picked up that nasty rabbit with her mind!" The woman pointed at the doll.
"Honey. Go to the living room." The father said calmly. The mother left, sobbing harder.
The man sighed and walked over to the stove and turned it off. He spun around and pushed his glasses further up to the bridge of his nose.
"Stella...show me what you showed mommy."
Stella shook her head, tears running down her pale little cheeks.
The man slammed his hands on the table angrily. "NOW."
The little girl cried out and reluctantly held the doll up with her mind. As soon as she did, she felt a slap on her cheek. "You're not my daughter. You're not even human! Stop crying! Emotions are only for humans!"
Stella touched her cheek as she stood outside the railing on the bridge.
"Asshole." She said bitterly and stepped to the very edge of the bridge.
"Who's an asshole?" A voice came from behind her.
She spun around, almost falling. Stella saw that it was that stupid fishboy she saw once before on TV. "What's it have to do with you, 'fishie'?"
He sighed. "Just like him.. Look, I know what you're doing here."
"And? What, you think you can stop me? Think again. Nothing's stoppin' me today."
"Then do it." Aqualad challenged thinking she was just a lonely girl looking for attention.
"Just take her! She's a mutant!" The father yelled at the old lady who owned the orphanage. The old woman tried to calm him down as he shoved the little crying girl at her.
"Please, sir, she's still your daughter." The old woman grabbed the child into her arms and and shushed it gently to prevent any harm the man might have done.
The girl's father spun around and got into his car, speeding off without another word.
"It's okay, honey. You'll feel right at home here."
Years had passed since that day. The girl finally stopped crying after a month, but now, it's worse. Her emotions seemed to have vanished. Like they never existed before.
Stella was ten now. Perfect grades in school. Her artwork was simply amazing for a child. Though she never seemed to make a hobby out of it. And she never played with the other kids, she just sat under a tree, emotionless.
"Hello!" Stella looked up to see a blue haired boy with blue eyes grinning down at her. "My name is Jake. What's yours?"
Stella looked down and answered in a monotone voice. "It's Stella."
"Wow! What a pretty name! I like it! Do you like mine?"
"I don't know."
"So, why are ya sittin' under this tree? Don't ya wanna play with the others?"
"No."
"That's okay. I'll sit with you." Jake plopped down beside her. "So, what do you like to do?"
"Nothing."
"Aw, but that sounds boring!" When Stella said nothing, he continued. "I like to read! I've been readin' since I was really small! My parents were so proud of me! I could tell they loved me very much-ah!"
Stella jumped on Jake, her hands tightening around his neck. Her eyes stung with tears and she choked the helpless boy. "Shut up! Just shut up! I don't want to hear anymore!" Stella was pulled off of the black-haired boy by one of the workers. The old woman helped Jake sit up, but Jake just stared at the sobbing girl. Her crying face was the most beautiful thing he has ever seen..
Hours later, Stella sat in her secluded room, a pillow propped between her chest and knees. She had always found a way to mess things up for herself.
She was surprised that they haven't sent her to an insane asylum already.
Three times.
Three times she had lost it. She snapped the first week she had arrived there. She threw things around the room with her mind powers. Stella was an utter mess for a child.
The second time was the worst of them all. Stella walked into the kitchen, she was eight by now, it was almost nap time. She opened the drawer and took out a huge knife, and walked out into the room she shared with two other kids.
Stella, remaining emotionless, sat on the bed and took her bunny, setting it on her lap. She took the knife and twisted it under it's right button-eye, making it pop right off. She did the same with the other eye. The other girl in the room was shaking in fear, huddled up in the corner. Stella pressed the knife into the stomach, the stuffing came out around the knife. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the girl press the EMERGANCY button on her necklace. Stella took the knife out and plunged it back in, the point came out the back of the doll and stabbed her legs. She kept going, emotionless, stabbing the bunny and her legs. The blood poured down her legs and stained the blankets. The door flew open and several footstep were heard. The knife was took away from her and the bunny was in the floor now. The old woman slapped Stella across the face and the other worker picked her up quickly to take her to the nurse.
"Hello." Stella snapped out of her thoughts. She looked up to see Jake standing at the closed door. "Are you okay?"
"Why are you asking me that? You're the one who was hurt." Stella stuffed her face into her pillow.
"Apparently not. I must have hurt you with my words. I apologize…" Jake walked over and sat on the iron bed. It had no blankets. Just a pillow.
The boy automatically felt sorry for her. His bed cushioned, with blankets and pillows. He wondered aloud, "Why do they treat you different from the other kids..?"
Stella stayed silent for a while, "Because…I am different."
"Care to explain how?"
"I have inhuman abilities. I can move things around with my mind. My..my father told me I wasn't human..that I shouldn't have emotions.."
"That's not true!" Jake grabbed her hands, making her look up. Her green eyes were shining bright. "So what if you have crazy powers. Both of your parents are human, right? So, that makes you human! Screw them all! You're a great person!"
"Stop it! I don't need useless words! You know nothing about me, you idiot! False hope, that's all this is.." She threw his hands off of hers. "Humans are normal. Humans are afraid of what aren't normal."
"I'm not afraid! I like you a lot. And, I wanna be close with you." Jake leaned down and kissed her cheek lovingly.
Stella rolled her eyes. "Okay." And she fell. Just like that. The fall made her pass out before she hit the water. Her red hair swayed behind her, eyes closed in utter defeat. And she didn't feel it as warm arms wrapped around her protectively and stopped her from a doomed death.
"Crap, didn't actually think she was gonna jump." Aqualad breathed out heavily as he swam up to the Titans Tower. He could hear the alarms ringing through the building, letting the Titans know someone was on their island.
The first person he saw was Starfire. Her eyes were glowing green and she looked ready to blast the first person she saw. But, however, she stopped, realizing it was Aqualad. "Dear friend, why have you arrived this time? And, who is that Earth girl?"
"I don't know. She jumped off of the bridge. I stopped her from hitting the water, but she had already passed out by then. She needs somewhere to stay till she wakes up. Mind sacrificing the couch for tonight?"
Starfire nodded and helped Aqualad carry the girl through the door, where the rest of the team was standing.
"Who's that?" Beastboy poked at her. "Wait, isn't that that one girl on those LOST posters in town? I think her name starts with an 'S'. Umm…dang, what was it?"
"It's Stella." Raven said, scaring everyone. Where'd she come from?
"Stella…" Aqualad murmured under his breath.
Starfire set Stella on the couch as Robin started to speak, "Is she human? Her hair is brighter than Starfire's. Doesn't look dyed either..I can't see her roots."
"Look at the scars.." Cyborg stared at her, eyes wide. "She must have been in some serious fights.."
"He's been adopted?!" Stella clung to the wall, eyes wide. It's only been a week, and Jake was adopted. Taken from her…just like that.. "No..tell me that's not true!"
The old woman scoffed, "Child, shut your mouth. Kids get adopted every day. One day, I hope someone comes looking for an emotionless brat. Cause that's all you are. We'll be lucky to be rid of you."
5 years later..
"I'd be happy to have Stella with me. I'd like to adopt her." A man stood in the room, black hair and green eyes, an army jacket and big green pants tucked into his army boots. Stella didn't looked surprised, she saw the way that man looked at her when he came through the door. She sighed and pushed the thick-framed glasses to the bridge of her nose.
"Do you hear that, Stella? Someone actually wants to adopt you." The old lady cackled and stamped the papers for approval.
"I look forward to having you with me, Stella." The man grinned. "Tomorrow.."
"Yeah, sure, creep." Stella played with the gloves Jake sent her through the mail. They were black and fingerless. Really cool looking too.
"Stella! Mind your manners!" The old woman smacked Stella across the face, growling when she didn't even flinch. "I am so sorry you had to see that. Seems that's the only way I can punish this child. So ill-behaved.."
The man only smiled.
Stella opened her eyes, sitting up, gasping for air. Her green eyes started to glow brighter and she knocked a few things off the table beside her. Wait…where was she? The can't be hell. Too comfortable to be hell.
"You're awake?"
She spun her head around to see a group of kids standing in the middle of the room. She lifted herself into the air and growled, pointing at Aqualad. "What did you do?"
"I guess that solves the, 'Is She Human' thing..heh..heh…" Beastboy scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously, but no one paid any attention to him.
"I saved you."
"Saved me?! SAVED ME?! NO. YOU DIDN'T SAVE ME. YOU JUST KEPT ME IN DANGER. SCREW YOU, YOU LITTLE FISH BOY. I DON'T NEED A FREAKIN' HERO." She used her powers to throw a desk at Aqualad, but Starfire shot it away.
"Thanks, really, for wasting my time. Now, I have to do it again!" She knocked everything on it's side and shot two lamps at the windows and dived down.
"Not again!" Aqualad ran toward the window, but Starfire made it there before him and caught Stella into her arms.
"L-Let…go!"
"I am sorry. Please do forgive me." Starfire flew up into the tower again and they set her on a iron table and barred her up.
She stopped stuggling when she felt the familiar feeling cold metal. Her eyes were wide. "No..why did you leave..me there.. T-The h-hurt m-m-me..Mommy…Daddy.."
Everyone starred at her, confused. All of them except Aqualad. He sat beside Stella and tried to calm her down by running his fingers through her hand and making comforting "Shhhh" sounds. Which worked actually. She stopped hyperventilating and closed her eyes, sobbing quietly.
"That's a good girl.." Aqualad smiled at her. "I'm here..don't worry.."
The Titans talked quietly outside the door.
"So, what, is that Aqualad's new girlfriend?" Beastboy leaned against the door.
"No, he didn't seem to know her before, but now he acted like he knew what she needed to calm down." Robin grabbed his chin in thought.
"I do not know of her species..though I do worry if I upset her." Starfire pondered on that thought.
"She seems insane. Something must have happened to her to make her want to do something like that." Cyborg shrugged.
Raven floated in the air and starred at the door curiously. "Something dark was in there. She could feel it.
As if it was planned, the alarms went off again.
They all went into defense mode and ran into the room. Robin ran over to the computers and checked the cameras. He saw nothing but a couple really dark figures lurking around. What were they..ninjas? Well, whatever they were, they weren't gonna get away with breaking into the Tower.
Robin spun around and yelled, "Teen Titans, GO!"
