Author: I've decided to go ahead and post chapter 3 even though I'm still working on chapter 4 currently. My brain's dead-ish so I'm forcing it to work because I'm in a writing mood. Gonna try to get more done on Ch 4. I don't really have much to say 'sides I hope you guys like it. cx Enjoy!
Disclaimer: DC totally isn't mine. I just own the Energy Court users and whatever else I create.
[MaraJade57]
Hahaha. There's going to be a LOT of foreshadowing; but hopefully I'll write it out to where it all connects, making sense and whatnot. Yes, you get to see more energy users such as Vito, Jack and Ember. :P That's all I'm saying for now! Ahaha, I'm so cruel.
The heat that pounded the beach in Panama, Florida, was like no other. It stung, a beaming ray that baked everything it touched. The sand was hot beneath it's glow, the water was warm and the people hid beneath umbrellas and whatever construct was close by. Here was where Vito made his perch, his nest so to speak.
He had become quite exceptional at surfing since he arrive all those double-digit months ago. Julius Albana was really enjoying this area. Money was easy to make, that was no problem for the Elusive Magician, as people called him. He had discovered that he could not only manipulate purple energy but he could replicate the things he saw. Gambling? Easy. Surfing? A breeze! It was all so simple. Things merely tucked under his belt.
It was beginning to slowly descend into spring and his desire to change scenery was growing rapidly. He had been here too long.. but he had made friends. It would be a shame to lose them.. yet he couldn't stay, he had to go sometime. He was not normal, having normal friends made him ache in pain for some reason.
Probably because it reminded him of his older brother. He put his board down, having been swimming all morning. He dried his hair with a towel just as his cell phone rang. He snapped it open, checked the ID and frowned. Speak of the devil.. it was one of his friends, Maverick. He accepted the call and pressed the device to his ear.
"Hey, what's up?" He asked with a peppy chuckle.
The soft voice of his male friend answered. "Jay's throwing a party down in the lake-house tonight if you're interested." Such a kind offer!
"Perhaps. I'll have to get back to you on that sometime later." Just as he had started to talk an approaching form caught his eye, chilling him to the bone. For some time now this person had been tailing him and when he tried to study the form something would happen; a car would pass between them and the person was gone, or the rounded a corner and vanished, things of that nature.
"Alright man, I'll talk to you-" He had snapped the phone closed, shoving it into his pocket as the person drew closer. He couldn't tell what gender they were, but they were shorter than him, most likely someone younger.
Something told him this time would be different. He was close to one of the shacks and so went in to place the board up, since it was a rent-a-board. He waited patiently and soon the door opened, in entering the form from the distance. He, having been hiding behind the door, slammed it shut and then moved to stand in front of it, folding his arms against his chest.
"Well, well, my wonderful mystery stalker, finally a pleasure to meet you." His words were heavily sarcastic and he resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
The figure stood in the middle of the room, the shadows of the walls concealing the appearance, but turned as if to address him.
"So you're Vito?" A low drawl vibrated the air and he realized this was a female.. and she somehow knew him. A member of.. the project, perhaps?
"What's it to you?" He asked with a tilt of his head.
The female drew back her hood to reveal short violet hair and matching eyes with a red and black gemstone on her forehead. His eyes widened as they connected with hers and the curiosity of this person rose, but on a new level. Why was she here?
Why was a Teen Titan here, stalking him to this shack?
Raven twitched her lips. "I came to find you, to make her job easier."
"Her?" He arched a brow.
"San." She sighed. "Lots of stuff happened back then-"
He cut her off. "Explain simply, a summary." He demanded with a growling scowl.
"Ruba and Sari arrived in Jump City awhile back.. but so did San and Silvy. San predicted Ruba would get under Slade's control then kill Sari and Silvy, but when she finally connected with the two males she learned Slade already had Ruba." She took a breath. "They tried to get her back, even stormed his haunt.. but she escaped after they brought her back unconscious to the tower. The Brotherhood of Evil captured her, along with Sari who had went to find her. San and Silvy went to find them.. and San knew the location of where they were being held- a vision of the machine the Brotherhood of Evil were making was some kind of brain-washer and they needed a new power source, enough to use it. They hid in a magical forest just outside of Jump. Ruba was their target. Ruba escaped, teleported into the tower and the trio went to go save Sari.. where they ran into Atty, who is a mercenary now, and together they saved Sari, defeated the Brotherhood of Evil and returned to Titan's Tower." She paused, thinking.
He urged her on with a wave of his finger.
"Slade hacked the system and entered.. a lot of verbal stuff was said.. Ruba got emotional, snatched Slade and teleported after discovering Atty was working with the villain. They fought in Central Park.. before finally it came to a stark conclusion. Slade did something, I don't know what, but suddenly she was freaking out and her energy.. was going crazy. Sari tried to stop her, but couldn't.. Silvy tried to get Sari.. contact was made.. both are dead. San's prediction came true. Slade left with a crying Ruba.. and we dealt with the dead, had a funeral and buried them. Ever since then San's taken up Silvy's goal; to unite the energy users." Raven finished explaining, hands now on her hips as she watched him.
"Wow.. that's.. quite a lot to take in." She nodded when be said this. "So where is San now?"
Raven shrugged. "She was going to find Ember on the East Coast, she was somewhere in the central area of that region."
Vito unfolded his arms to rub at his face. "You expect me to believe you? You could be someone like Madame Rouge for all I know."
She scowled, stepped forth and laid a hand on his upper arm. Darkness enveloped them before they disappeared.. and when it was stripped away Vito gasped, realizing just where they were now. Glass windows stood behind a crescent moon couch, high ceiling supported by wide walls.. and to his right was the kitchen area. Titan's Tower.
He glanced to her when she lifted her arm away. "I believe you.." He muttered. She gave a little twitch of her lips up, almost as if to smirk.
Suddenly the door to the rest of the tower parted and in walked her team.. the Titans.
He smiled at the five members as they now stood before him. Robin was scrutinizing him behind his domino mask, sizing him up.
"This one of the remaining ones, Raven?" The leader questioned
"San only mentioned two others besides her, a male and a female." Raven answered with that strange raspy tone of hers.
"Yeah." Cyborg threw in, rubbing his jaw-line. "Ember and Vito."
At the mention of Ember he tensed drastically, they all noticed this. Ember was.. a totally different topic, one he felt a mild tingle of anger at being raised. She had been close with Jack, the one who killed the scientist, but she had been like a sister to him.
"Ember-" He started on the topic at hand. "-is somewhere in Kentucky last I heard." He pulled out his phone, scrolled through the contacts and found her name. He showed it to Robin with a smile. "I kept in touch with her." The name on the contact said Esper Kisal.. her real name.
He pulled the phone back and sent a quick text; Call when you have the time, need to talk.
He smiled at Raven and her teammates.
"How come you only kept up with Ember?" Beast Boy asked with a frown.
He directed his gaze to the changeling, mirroring the expression. "Well.. It's complicated, but for another reason most didn't have phones. Ember and I were close before all this. Ironically she'd lived down the street, I used to watch her since I was older and her parents were out often. When Silvy and I branched off Ember tagged along. Silvy probably didn't mention her; she has this.. ability she called mind walking. She can enter dreams and make people forget about her. She did that to Silvy in.. Indiana when we went our separate ways. I left her in Kentucky and I headed to Florida." He shrugged. "We both have phones so we text or call each other."
The phone vibrated and everyone stared at it.
Kentucky was a rather beautiful state, full of wonder and amusement. It's glistening green lakes, creeks and rivers met with deep forests and cities of various styles, dipping into colored plains and farmland, but finally touching the caves, rocks and valleys that were hidden among hills.
Louisville is where she had stayed for half a year, the other almost five spent traveling throughout this great state. She had come to enjoy this state. One could clearly say Ember had made a home in this area of the country. She loved Kentucky.
She had visited many areas of the state such as Mercer, Bullitt, Taylor, Jefferson and Shelby County, Lexington, Mammoth Cave, Elizabeth-town, etc. She had come to love a very.. unique thing made in Kentucky. Jim Beam.
Her time on the road offered her much freedom but as she was without a guardian, parent or legal adult there was only so much she could do.. so she made friends. There was one person in particular that she kept in contact with. Vito aka Julius. The pair talked often and she felt somewhat.. secure knowing that she had him. He was her best friend, she told him practically everything.
A vivid feed of her childhood flashed before her eyes and she waited until it parted:
Stony steps were laid out on the front edge of the wooden porch, leading down into a concrete pathway framed by twin lengths of grass and bushes. At the ends were tall and dark trees that waved in the air as a chilly breezed shifted through.
The fresh scent of cinnamon demanded the attention and the head turned to peer back at the two story brick house with it's triangle, grey-shingle roof. A smile appeared and bounding footsteps brought the young Ember into her home. There she was met by a simple show. Her mother was cooking in the kitchen, her father resting in his chair, watching TV. She bounced over and hopped into the chair, startling her father.
"Daddy, daddy!" She cried, snuggling against him.
He chuckled and patted her head gently, beaming a smile at her. "Hello, -" A word faded like mist from his lips, a forgotten symbol of her life.
"Daddy, when are we going to the park? You promisseeeddd!" She whined with a small pout.
"Tomorrow, darling." He answered before focusing back on the TV. She jumped down and rushed into the kitchen.
"Mommy, mommy!" She latched on to the tall woman's leg, who turned at the sound of her daughter's voice.
"Something wrong?" The woman asked, concerned.
The little girl peered up with a giggle. "Are you making cinnamon cookies, mommy?"
The woman laughed and pulled the girl close to her, rubbing her back. "I am, sweetheart."
"Yay!" The girl couldn't help the squeal.
The memories of her once happy life before the project was just a mocking charade now. She was fine as she now was.. yet she missed Jewel and Carmin, her parents.
Her phone suddenly beeped, drawing her attention to it.
Call when you have the time, need to talk.
It was from Julius.. She tapped the back button and searched the contacts for Julius' number, hitting it. She pressed it to her ear as it dialed. After about four rings it clicked and a male voice answered that she was well familiar with.
"Ember, I need to know where you are, right now." She frowned at Julius' words, soaking them in.
"Something wrong?"
"Location, please, we'll talk shortly."
She sighed. "Louisville, by the Sherman Minton Bridge." It was the silver two-arched bridge that connected Louisville, Kentucky to New Albany, Indiana, a large six-lane bridge.
"Alright." She blinked when she heard the sound of the call dropped. "Okay.. weird."
She put her phone away as she turned to walk closer to the bridge; she had just walked away from it after having taken pictures of it with her camera. Just as she reached the area beneath the bridge a strange but soft noise sprouted and drew her attention behind her.
She blinked yet again as she came face to face with Julius standing beside the Teen Titan Raven. She gaped, scanning them both.
"Come, come, Ember, we have much to talk about." Julius urged her over with a wave of his hand.
She stared at them. "Is it Jack? Has he made good on his promise.. to kill us all..?" She asked hesitantly.
"We'll talk back in California, come on!" He sighed lightly and so she nodded, walking over. Darkness consumed them and they reappeared in Titan's Tower.
The ball was set in motion.. and from then on it just moved down hill. How would it fall? Who would survive?
