AN: Hi everybody! I've been lurking around the YJ section for awhile now, and I finally decided to write something of my own for it. I also tried out a new style of writing, so let me know if it sounds weird in any places.

Thanks for reading!

The first time they met, they were on opposite sides of the law: She was a Martian, and one with a secret to keep, one she would not spill to anyone. He was desperate for money, and had disguised himself in a black trench coat and matching fedora, hiding his body and his face in shadow. Kid Flash was the first to respond to the alarm from the bank across the street of the restaurant the team had entered after a mission, and she had flown over a few minutes later.

This bank had a Wayne Tech security system, which made it more or less a perfect system for keeping just about any crazy super villain out and here he was, casually strolling straight through it, alarms blazing and phasing through lasers as though they didn't matter to him. The only reason they had not stopped him yet was out of sheer awe; after all, these lasers were set to 'slice' and not to 'trigger the alarm'.

"Is it cool if I rob this bank? Or are you planning on stopping me?" He had asked, and judging by the way it had cracked mid-sentence, he was most likely in his teenage years. That snapped them out of their little moment

Kid Flash approached first, before anyone could object, running at top speed to stop him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The mystery boy remarked as he seemed to disappear right before impact.

"What the heck-?" Kid Flash was cut off by someone tapping his shoulder. He turned around to see nothing but fading darkness.

"Not what, but where, huh?" The kid laughed as he twirled a sack probably full of money a few feet away. The way his face was hidden showed them nothing but his smile, and it wasn't the usual malice-filled smirk they normally saw; he was just as surprised as they were.

Superboy then attempted to intercede, but he was far too slow; The boy was already behind him and casually walking toward the exit.

"Is that all you got?" Another taunt from the thief as Aqualad and Robin charged at him, Aqualad's weapons at the ready, and Robin throwing in birdarangs. He dodged them with ease, but he had not seen the archer that flanked off to the side. She had gotten him with a Net Arrow… Or so she thought.

"How did he get out of that?" Artemis had asked, and Aqualad remained alert as Robin looked at the net.

"He didn't cut it, so he's probably a teleporter…" Robin gritted his teeth. He had dealt with their kind before, but he had not seen a flash of light or any other sign of teleportation.

"That's a plausible theory. But I'm not so sure." He appeared before them, sitting down next to the net, the sack of money still in his left hand. "But nice deduction, Ace." And then he was gone, without any sign to say what his motive was.

M'gann had watched from the sidelines, while secretly picking apart his memories. Or rather, one memory in particular. "I know where to go!" She flew out of the building, the team following her out.

Calvin Hughes was down on his luck. He was only sixteen, no money to his name and no parents to guide him through life, and stuck in an orphanage that was going to close down due to increasing costs. It was then, walking down the street after hearing the news that the man had come to him. Calvin could not see his face even in broad daylight and it was almost as if the shadows were hiding his face. This man, who would not identify himself, had given him a single gift.

"Should you choose to accept this, it can help you save them." This mystery man had said, and at this point the youngest of the pair was beyond desperation.

"Okay, sure." The second the words had left his mouth, he had felt the change and the pain was beyond extraordinary.

When he awoke, he realized that he wasn't wearing the same outfit; it had been replaced with the trench coat and fedora, complete with shirt and pants all in black. Shadows curled around his feet, and he realized that they were waiting for him to order them. They guided him, in a way, and he learned he could also use shadows as transportation for short distances, as well as solidify shadows to shield and attack for him.

He had use these gifts sparingly, taking just enough money to save the younger kids, but time was running out to pay the outstanding debts before they closed the place down. So he robbed the bank, and he toyed with the superheroes that challenged him because for the first time in his life he could do something to change his luck and he reveled in the moment. But of course, as it was to all villains, that reveling in the moment got him busted. They were waiting for him on the porch of his home and Cal knew right there and then he would not be escaping them a second time. Mostly because he was being held up in the air and the second he was disconnected from his shadows he was powerless.

"Well you caught me. But may I ask how you went about it?" Calvin asked as he was trying to stall for time, waiting for the moment he was put down so he could just leave the money in their office.

"Well Calvin, it wasn't too hard when we can read your mind." The Martian stepped forward with a somewhat apologetic smile on her face. "I'm sorry I had to delve into your personal life, but we can't just let you steal from banks."

"Oh, so you're just going to separate those kids in there from the only home they have left because I stole a few thousand dollars from some rich folks? Spare me the heroics, Greenie." His anger came from his own failure, and it was apparent that she knew it too.

She pried the bag from his hand, and made sure that all the money that was taken was now accounted for. "This money also came from people who worked hard to get it and it isn't fair to them-"

She was cut off by Calvin. "Didn't I say spare me your stupid convoluted version of heroism? Just give the poor kids the money. They need it a lot more than those other people do. Not like you would know seeing as all your messes are picked up by someone else, you're probably backed by some rich person who handles everything, and you don't know a damn thing about struggle-"

He was cut off by another member of their group, the Superman knockoff from earlier. The fist slammed into his face before he even had the chance to blink, and he was out before his body hit the floor.

Calvin awoke sometime later, in what seemed to be a hospital. He woke up groggily, and he realized he still couldn't feel half of his face. There was a mirror on the opposite wall; he didn't waste time getting out of bed to see his reflection, but it was what he saw that disturbed him.

"My shadows are… gone." That struck fear into him; he had to hide his face to make sure no one could see it ever again, but the shadows would not come forth to hide his crimson eyes and sharp teeth. He was borderline panicking when he heard a door open, and the figure who walked through that door wasn't someone he wanted to see this close, ever.

After all, it isn't every day you're face to face with Batman.