Chapter 1: The Confused Shadow
Suddenly, out of the darkness of an alleyway burst forth a man on his motorcycle. He had gelled back brown hair. He wore a black tank top and blue jeans. He looked behind himself and laughed at those chasing him and laughed deviously, "Hey! Titan dweebs, there's no way you'll ever catch me! I'm Johnny Rancid!" He zoomed on, revving his engine, pushing it to the limit. On his back was a burlap sack full of what seemed to be cash.
A red and black motorcycle with a big yellow 'R' on it followed close behind. It's rider wore a suit of red, yellow, green, and black. This was followed by a big white and blue SUV. In it were four teens, all dressed in odd clothing, except for the driver, who wore nothing except his metallic body. The driver honked his horn, "Hurry it up Robin! I could get to him if you weren't in the way!"
The green furred boy in the purple and black suit cried out, "Yeah, we're missing the all night monster marathon! It only comes on every other Saturday of the month, and this one has the Great Green Goop!"
Robin, the boy on the R-cycle, simply stated, "Beast Boy, we don't have time to worry about your fake monsters right now! And Cyborg, I'm trying to make sure I can get him away from this housing district." Cyborg merely grumbled.
As the chase continued the tension of the Titan's grew thinner and thinner. Suddenly, not twenty feet in front of Johnny Rancid their appeared a swirling vortex of light. Rancid just barely dodged it and hit a dumpster, launching himself into it. As he hit the bottom, the lid shut, locking him in until somebody rescued him.
Out of the portal, a figure in a black cloak fell to the ground. Robin and Cyborg both jammed on the brakes. Robin got off of the R-cycle and the the other Titans vacated the T-car. They all grouped around the figure just as the portal closed. The figure rolled over and revealed a man. His face didn't seem that much older than a regular teenager's, but he was over six and a half feet tall and was built much to muscularly to be a regular teen.
"Don't get near him." Robin warned. "We don't know who he is or where he came from. He could be dangerous." He then regarded the purple haired girl in the black leotard and purple cloak. "Raven, see if you can track where that portal came from."
Raven closed her eyes and her hands were surrounded by a black light. She began chanting, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos." She repeated again and again. After many minutes she opened her eyes and shook her head, "Sorry Robin, but I couldn't track anything, not a thing." She said in her deadpan, raspy voice.
Robin shook his head and looked at Cyborg who was checking the vitals on the unconscious man. Cyborg shrugged, "All vitals seem to be normal. I don't know if he's like us though, so maybe he's not okay. I say we take him back to the tower."
Robin sighed, but nodded. He helped to load the big heavy man into the back of the T-car and headed back off towards the Tower, with the T-car following. From the dumpster the voice of Johnny Rancid could be heard, "Hello? Anybody out there? I'd rather go to jail than stay in here. It's to much even for Johnny Rancid!"
The Titans watched over their unexpected house guest in their hospital wing. He was a big guy, so they had had to push both beds together. Beast boy had even pointed out that he was taller than Cyborg, Cyborg had then retaliated by telling Beast Boy who was the shortest of the group. The two started to argue even harder and suddenly the man started to open his eyes.
The dark haired man opened his eyes and looked around. "Where am I?" he asked in a deep voice. He got onto his elbows and and brushed his shoulder length hair out of his eyes. He seemed very calm for just appearing in an unknown place.
Robin looked at him suspiciously, "What I want to know is who are you?"
The man shook his head to awaken himself, "I'm Kage, Kage Tenma. It's nice to meet you." he gave the shadow of a smile, "So where am I?"
Robin sighed, "I guess it can't be helped. You're in the Titans tower in Jump City. We are the Teen Titans. I'm Robin." Robin held out his hand, but before Kage could shake it, Beast Boy jumped in the way.
"And I'm BEAST BOY! I can transform into any animal on the planet. Even some that aren't here anymore!" Beast Boy smiled widely. Robyn glared at him for giving away to much information.
Cyborg nodded at him, "Yo, I'm Cyborg, for obvious reasons."
An orange girl with red hair and a scantily clad purple suit floated up and gave Kage a bone-crushing hug, "Hi new friend! I am Starfire" She released him.
After Kage fixed himself from Starfire's hug of death Raven gave a short, half wave, "I'm Raven." The way she spoke and waved gave the sense that she didn't care one way or another if he was listening.
Kage grinned, "Wow, aren't we cheery?
Raven cocked her eyebrow, "You're one to talk, you haven't truly smiled since you got here, Beast Boy and Starfire gave you their warmest welcomes too."
Kage looked away, the light going from his eyes, "Well at least I fake it for the sake of others no?" He gave a sad smile at Raven, who's face became slightly red as she noticed how attractive this man was.
Robin stepped forward a bit to bring the focus back to himself, "Okay, now that that's out of the way, what are you doing here?"
Kage sighed, "I'm unsure. I'm not from here, obviously. I think I'm either from a different dimension or from the past judging on the technology you have," he motioned towards the E.K.G. he was attached to and then to the room in general "and the structure of your buildings." He thought for a moment, "I was in a battle with a demon and there was a flash of light and suddenly I was here."
Raven's eyes grew wide and she looked at Kage with fear, "This demon didn't happen to have four glowing eyes, giant horns, and white hair did he?" Kage nodded slowly, "It couldn't be! How did he get to another dimension? I mean he couldn't have been in the past, I could track Kage's portal if that's what it was."
Kage looked at her worriedly, "I suppose you know this demon? I mean he was a strong foe and all, but not stronger than another demon I faced."
Robin held up his hand to silence the two of them, "The way you talk about demons, you make them sound as though they are normal for you."
"Where I'm from, there are demons everywhere." Kage stated offhandidly.
Robin put his hand on his chin, "We can't jump to the conclusion that it was Trigon. For all we know it could have been a totally unrelated beast." He put his hand on Raven's shoulder, who took a breath to calm herself.
Kage looked at the two confused, but shrugged and let it go. He sat up and then turned. He stood up and looked down at his scarred upper body, "Where's my shirt, cloak, and sword?"
The Titans cringed at Kage's body, it was full of whip, burn, and sword scars. He barely seemed to notice them though and absentmindedly scratched a long one on his chest. Starfire floated over to a chair and back, holding Kage's skin tight long-sleeved black shirt. He quickly put it on and looked around, "Cloak and sword?" he cocked an eyebrow.
Robin looked at him suspiciously, "Well you cloak and sword are being held in a room so that we can study them. They both have odd properties."
Kage smirked slightly, "The sword has the power of light augmenting its power. It was made that way for my grandfather, who gave it to my mother, who gave it to me. It's purely a benevolent weapon, made to harm demons, it is a sword though and can be used as one against any that may wish to attack me. I would never raise it against one such as yourselves unless it was to protect the weak and defenseless. The cloak on the other hand, now that is not a weapon at all. It is meant to carry an almost infinite amount of items which I need for my travels and it is resistance against most elements, except for earth, but that is because it is clothe after all."
Robin looked at the man suspiciously. He seemed so calm and everything, but he wasn't sure if he could trust him. Especially after what happened the last time they had allowed another super powered teenager into their group. "Maybe we could run a few more tests. I think Raven should do them, being as she's the only magical one in our group. Before that though we want her to do a study of you, and we'll run a few more tests with our equipment."
Kage merely nodded to show that he didn't disagree, "I would think that would be best, but if you don't mind me saying, being as I'm not an assured ally yet, maybe you shouldn't tell me that you only have one who can do magic."
Robin nodded at the man's advice, obviously not stupid, nor oblivious, this man could be a serious threat, or a very strong ally. Robin wasn't sure what yet, but he said that Raven should check out Kage while the rest of the Titans examined the sword and cloak.
Raven stared at Kage, this strange man who might have fought her father and survived. He seemed extremely powerful, but also a gentle soul. A man who could fight, but also a man who would do anything to protect the innocent. Raven finally spoke after a full five minutes of staring, "I would like to run a few tests, just a couple to see how powerful your energy is, what kind of energy it is, and how you use it."
Kage, looking frankly a little smug just nodded. He was sure that if she did have the ability to feel his energy it would give her quite a shock, not just for the amount, but exactly what kind of energy it was. It usually did give people a shock when they found out what he was, as for how he used it, he was sure that would baffle her too, being as he hadn't sensed anyone near his level since arriving in this strange world.
Raven sat cross-legged at the edge of Kage's bed and started chanting, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." over and over again. Kage had never heard the enchantment before, but the way it made Raven's energy move he was sure it was almost an all purpose spell, maybe it couldn't conjure up the harder magics, but it was a multifaceted spell, one that could be used for just about any low level magic, probably most medium spells too.
Raven's eyes snapped open as she felt his energy, suddenly feeling a connection to this man. He was at least a quarter demon. Another quarter was an even darker type of energy, something that frightened her to her core. Kage's remaining energy was light, actually light enough to directly equal his dark energy. It almost seemed as if Kage should have been torn apart, but he it would appear he was only stronger because of it.
Kage looked at her with knowing eyes, and in his deep voice said, "I know, it is shocking, most people are who can feel my energy are surprised by it. Don't be afraid of me, I don't hurt those who don't deserve it." He smiled again, but this time it was kind of sad. "My mother was a great woman, but not powerful enough to directly fight my father who took her for his own. I didn't know what I was until I was seven."
Raven heard a sadness in this man's voice that paralleled her own, but almost as if it were a deeper pain. A pain of suffering and loss. A pain that said he had lost everything. "Would you tell me your story?"
Kage looked away, but nodded, "Alright. If it will help you to understand me and my motives. I was born in an Elven village. I grew up training to be a warrior and to fight demons. I lived there with my mother and my adopted brother, who we had to hide because he was a demon. One day my brother and I returned home to find our home destroyed, and our mother killed. It was done by none other than my demonic father. I transformed that day, unleashing the power within me. I still lost and he took my brother with me." Kage's face fell into a deep frown. He looked so sad even the normally unemotional Raven was almost brought to tears.
"I was banished from my village. I found a teacher and learned to control my power. I left before I fully finished my training." Kage continued, "I found friends and love, and thought about leaving my path of revenge. My love and I married and months later she became pregnant. I thought about leaving my path of vengeance. Then my brother, under the control of my father, attacked. I defeated him and then decided that I would stop my revenge, or at least put it on hold. I thought I was finally going to find happiness." Kage gave a sad smile showing how much he had loved his wife and friends.
"Then my brother returned, still under my father's control, attacked and killed my friends. I decided to go and face my brother and father by myself, but my wife would have nothing of it, and traveled with me, even though she was only a month from having our child. We reached my father's lair and everyone died...except me. I killed my brother and Father. I lost control after my wife was slain." Kage's eyes were clouded by the sadness of the past.
Tears actually formed in Raven's eyes as she listened to this dark warrior's sad tale. She laid a hand over his as she looked at him with empathetic pain. Kage didn't pull his hand away, but he didn't look up. They sat there for sometime like that, but didn't say anything. Finally Kage looked up and smiled, "Well anyway, you can get on with your other tests if you want."
Raven nodded and went on with her tests, finding out as much as she could from this inter-dimensional traveler.