Foreword: I have a request to make. If anyone reading this is a capable artist, could you draw the painting I describe in the story and then message me? It holds great significance for this story and would actually be a better way to encapsulate the story then just Slade standing ominously over you as you read =P.
Two wings, mind you. While our newblood has six, the painting does not have that many.
Disclaimer I do not own Teen Titans. Or Dragonball Z. And I honestly did not intend (or even notice) for that to appear in the dialogue. But when I saw it, I laughed.
Chapter 4: Never Enough Time
We cannot stop natural disasters but we can arm ourselves with knowledge: so many lives wouldn't have to be lost if there was enough disaster preparedness. – Petra Nemcova
July 15
Slade's Haunt, Jump City, California
11:15 P.M.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining me this evening."
Slade was dressed in a black suit, jacket laid atop a fine silk shirt with an ebony tie. His pants were ironed pristinely, such that no wrinkles could be seen, and he wore black gloves to conceal his boney hands. The only deviation from all the black he was wearing was his favored mask, half orange and cast aglow in the fire's light. His mansion, once dilapidated and left to ruin, had been quickly brought to a tolerable condition, though it was by no means perfectly restored. The allocated funds had brought in a plethora of people committed to the task, though it'd still be another two weeks before his lovely home was back to normal.
Still, it was an improvement, particularly as he could now entertain guests as he was doing today. A long oaken table, elegantly hand-carved and dating from the 13th century, was now playing host to a menagerie of people.
Ra's al Ghul was seated directly to Slade's right side, a position of honor due to Slade holding the man in high esteem. Seated to his left was Lex Luthor, and throughout the room other nemeses of the Titans and the Justice League could be seen. Brother Blood, Blackfire, Two-Face, the H.I.V.E Headmistress, Doctor Light, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, Trident, and others were in attendance. Villains of major import in opposing the members of both groups were in attendance, as Slade saw fit to only invite the best.
"I must say, Slade, it is truly a wondrous sight to see that rumors of your demise were greatly exaggerated." Ra's said with a smirk. He was dressed in expensive attire, an emerald suit wrought from the finest silks with a black cape draped on the back of his chair. His hair had just a tinge of grey that made him look distinguished, regal even. The man was certainly charming to look at, Slade thought, though beneath all that charm was a calculating persona.
"Yes", Lex spoke up. "I don't think I'd attend a dinner held by someone who was killed by a kid." Lex was the opposite of Ra's in appearance and demeanor. His suit was similarly expensive, but it only accentuated the maliciousness within his character, all grey. And in reality that was fitting, since this was not a gathering of Cub Scout leaders.
Slade ignored the insult. He could just as easily show them who he was underneath, but there was no need to reveal such… sensitive information to these people. His position was precarious already, and he wanted their support. He didn't need it, if he was being perfectly honest, but that didn't mean they couldn't be useful assets. Pouring a glass of red wine, he began to casually swirl it around in the glass, as if it were but a trophy that shouldn't be disturbed too heavily, as he mulled on what to say next.
"The Teen Titans think too much of themselves." Brother Blood said. Blood was wearing a dark indigo cloak emblazoned with the symbol of the H.I.V.E, for all the good it did him. Beneath it, the parts of his body he'd exchanged for cybernetics were glowing. Stealth is lost on this one now. And his ego's far too large for his own good. Perhaps inviting him here was a bad idea.
"They're more formidable then you give them credit for…," Ra's said as he began to cut into a piece of steak. "Or did your experience with them leave your mind along with half of your brain? As I recall they foiled your plans… not once, not twice, but three times in rapid succession."
"Now see here! I will not be insulted by the likes of you!"
"I'm quaking in fear, Blood." Ra's was now sipping his glass of wine nonchalantly, and his expression seemed to be approving of the taste. Truly, his calm demeanor at the most acerbic of moments could put most anyone in an uncomfortable position.
Blood seemed rattled by the insolence Ra's was providing, and stood upright, knocking his chair clear away from the table. The other villains assembled did nothing, either out of curiosity, apathy, or cowardice… though the latter probably wasn't in play for anyone Slade mused. The man jumped on top of the table and pointed directly at the Demon's Head.
Suddenly, a cannon formed from the metal prosthetic limb, similar in nature to that of the Titans' chief engineer Cyborg in every way save for its coloration. Energy began to pulsate at the opening, but Ra's was not showing any signs of fear. All the man did was look up directly at his would-be assailant's face and smirk casually.
"Really, Blood, is this the best you can do? And black and red cybernetics? I realize we're criminals, but you're not even attempting to hide your nature. At least when we wear black, class is our reason, not to showcase our villainy."
"I'd like to hear one reason why I shouldn't blast that damnable grin clean off of your face."
"Because", Ra's began, "it'd be both in poor form for our host's event and… well… there's a gun pointed at your head right now."
"Enough!" Slade shouted, pounding his fist on the table. "I called you all here to work together, not help the Titans with infighting!"
Reluctantly, Blood lowered his cannon and seated himself once more. His paranoia and his anger had only increased lately, since his defeat at the hands of the Titans. He was no less formidable, but Ra's had just shown that he was easily manipulated by those flaws.
Blackfire began to ravenously devour the meal in front of her, with not a care in the world for manners. She wasn't really paying attention, Slade noted. No matter. Her feud with her sister was clear enough, and she would follow his instructions. When she was done, she sat back and let out a large belch that echoed throughout the room.
"How very ladylike." said the H.I.V.E Headmistress. She hadn't even touched her meal. Rather, she had pushed the plate away. Apparently steak was too much for her.
Blackfire's deep violet eyes shot up as she took a toothpick to her mouth, and Slade noted her eyes were like amethysts. She stared right at Slade and smiled slightly, flecked with a hint of menace, devotion, and anger.
"I for one can't wait to see my dear sister once more. I've so missed her."
"I'll bet." Slade said, and beneath his mask he was smiling.
"I'll bite." Lex remarked snidely. "Why in God's name are we all assembled here?"
"A simple thing. When I give the word, we will take down the Teen Titans and the Justice League. Each of you has strengths necessary for such a thing."
"Really, that's a simple thing?" Doctor Light said with a curiously dark level of mockery behind his voice.
"If you work together and none of you act like a bunch of dense buffoons with superiority complexes, certainly."
"Perfection does not listen to the orders of someone like you!" Trident said, slamming the weapon he named himself after down on the floor. Slade mused that perhaps Trident wasn't the best pick for him in terms of oceanic endeavors, given how he never could get over himself. That was the Atlantean's downfall, as it turned out. But Slade had to make the most of this… rabble.
Before Slade could respond, a new voice broke out from the distance.
"Time waits for no man", the voice cried out. "But history… history allows us success. You would be fools to follow your own instincts, ignoring your own tragedies in the past."
"Who's there?" Lex said, arming a blaster pistol to be safe.
The figure stepped out from the shadows, clad in glistening golden armor. His face bore a distinct mustache and goatee. Lex glared at him, ready to fire, while Ra's stared at him with a curious fascination. Blackfire seemed unimpressed and didn't even bother to stifle a yawn. Blood began scanning him with his own technology and came to a conclusion.
"You hail from the future."
"Correct. I am Warp, and the books I read told me of this meeting. Particularly one about your host."
The man took a seat opposite from Slade, at the far end of the table.
"Ah, I was expecting something like this." Slade said evenly. "I'd heard the Titans went up against a time-traveling enemy some years ago. Nice to see there was some truth to that. Otherwise that last invitation I sent out would've gone to waste."
"Very well", Ra's said. "This meeting has… piqued my curiosity. Just how do you propose to take down the Titans and Justice League?"
The League of Shadows was critical to Slade's plan, in more ways then just the one he was informing them of. A secret society of elite assassins – and occasionally eco-terrorists in Ra's goal for a world without corruption – would be handy. Slade knew the value of such killers. How could he not? He had spent most of his life performing contract hits, some easy while others required a level of finesse.
Lex sat there, similarly puzzled by why he was necessary. But Slade suspected the man had an inkling of why he was called there. Out of everyone Superman had faced, Lex knew him the best. They went back many years, as friends and enemies. If Lex was as smart as Slade thought he was, he'd use that to his advantage in dealing with the Man of Steel.
Not to mention, of course, LexCorp had the latest in military weaponry. That was always useful. Slade's robots had begun to be… less then adequate when dealing with the Titans. Oh, they could delay the group well enough, but their tactics were easily pinpointed and thus they were little more then a hindrance in large numbers.
Doctor Light was useful for his intellect in the field of physics, Blackfire for her endurance, powers, and manipulation, the H.I.V.E Headmistress for her capability of providing fodder to distract the Titans in time, the man formerly known as Harvey Dent for his legal maneuvering, and Blood… perhaps for all of his faults for being easily recognizable, his psychic abilities regarding the mind were what really garnered Slade's interest.
Yes, all in all I suppose this group will suffice.
"You'll find under each of your seats a gift. Don't open it here, though. When the end of next June comes, open it and you'll know what to do with it. You'll swiftly see just why I gave it to you within the coming days, and you should know what to do."
"And then we strike?" Two-Face asked.
"Not exactly. You won't strike until long after this event."
Lex let out a grunt of annoyance. "Do you even have a plan, or are we just going to do this without a damn clue?"
"You'll all find out what our dear host has in mind." Warp said with a grin. Truly, it was tough for Slade to keep this a secret. Trigon had lectured him on the follies of speaking aloud of how "he'd show the Lord of All Evil how little he knew of Slade" and it resulted in the man working hard to keep himself appearing as in desperate need of Trigon's aid. That one outburst when Wintergreen had helped him nearly cost him everything.
Thankfully, Trigon couldn't read minds or see what was not visible, and Slade was not one to repeat his past mistakes. So for now, things were kept close to the vest.
"Right, future boy over here knows more then we do." The young Luthor seemed to be uncomfortable with this man's sudden appearance. Perhaps he knew that the greatest threat was someone who had history on his side, knowledge of everything that would ever be done.
"Patience, everyone. We can either do this immediately or appropriately. But not both." Slade said as he stood up from the table and motioned for everyone to leave. "Our meeting is over. If you wish to stick around in my mansion for a time and feast, dismal as it is currently, feel free. Otherwise, you should return immediately to where you reside. I shall contact each of you within the year, some sooner then others, with steps towards our goal."
Most of the guests did indeed leave. Only a few elected to stay. Ra's al Ghul, Lex Luthor, Warp, and the H.I.V.E Headmistress sat there, either puzzled or intrigued. Slade expected as much. Wintergreen now came out, dressed in fine serving attire, and proceeded to remove each of the dishes they had dined upon and escort them to the kitchen. When that was done, a delicious looking dessert cart was brought out.
"So, Lex, I'd like to make a business deal with your company later in the week."
A menacing smile crossed the man's face as he heard the prospect of acquiring money. Relaxing in his chair, he took a strawberry; plump as could be, from the cart and bit into it, the juice trickling down his face.
"What kind of deal?" he asked as he dabbed at the fluids with a napkin.
"Weapons, A.I., equipment that best suits an army of robots, the works."
"The works?"
Slade didn't skip a beat echoing his last words. "The works."
"That'll be an expensive venture."
Slade pulled out a check from his pocket and slid it across the table with ease, as if he didn't mind the idea of how costly everything would be. Lex picked it up and stared at it, first with disbelief and then with smug satisfaction. Finishing off the strawberry, a mild chuckle escaped his lips.
"I trust that will be enough?"
"More then enough. LexCorp is at your disposal."
Good. That's one aspect taken care of.
"As for you two", Slade began as he gestured to Batman's mentor and the queen of the hive, "your gift is something you'll want to share. Ra's, I suggest you pick your best men and have them around you at all times, while you my lady should harness its energy for the H.I.V.E."
The two of them nodded in curt acknowledgement. They didn't quite understand the need for secrecy, he could see, but then they were hardly in Slade's position. Ra's took a decadent triple layer chocolate cake for herself, while the headmistress decided to forego such confections. She was fine with a tall glass of wine to drown her appetite.
"Is it a weapon of some sort?" Ra's probed as he gingerly cut away at the cake.
"Think of it as more of… an insurance policy."
"Permit me another question. Is it necessary to kill the Batman?" He took a small bite of the cake and found it luxuriously sweet to the tongue, mixed to the point of being almost perfect.
"You, of all people, should have no problem with killing people for an end goal."
"Perhaps", he said, stroking his sideburns. "But… his like will not be seen again if he leaves this world. To waste a gift as valuable as he is would be… unwise."
"You mean to convert him to your path."
It was obvious, honestly. Ra's was a man who wanted to see the world in perfect harmony with itself and would go about it by enacting ecological crimes against the world in a bid to purge the greater portion of society. The man viewed the world as corrupt and decadent, existing only to serve its own jaded appetites, never satiated as it destroyed all that was good and pure in the world. Gluttony their main vice, society would destroy itself out of stubborn obstinacy before realizing the folly of its actions and working to rectify them.
So the League of Shadows formed long ago as they caught wind of this progression into obliteration, and so aimed to preserve what made the world beautiful, whatever the cost. The man had been eyeing Batman for years before making himself known, and it was all in the hope that Batman's war on crime would grant him a sympathetic viewpoint to Ra's goals. Slade supposed he couldn't begrudge the old man for wanting to make Batman his heir, as Slade wanted Robin to be his apprentice.
"Very well", he continued. "If Batman can change sides, then there won't be a need to kill him. If he refuses…"
"Then I shall be regretfully content."
"And what of me? I abhor having to work with that simpleminded buffoon that took over my academy." Beneath her breath she groaned that hiring the man was the worst mistake she'd ever made.
"Leave Blood to me. I'll… convince him to relinquish control of the Academy back to you."
She seemed pleasantly surprised by that, though her surprise quickly turned to anger as she remembered the sad fate that befell the Academy. The H.I.V.E was no more, destroyed thanks to the Titans. Its students, scattered to the four winds, were now without a means of honing their powers.
Still… it could be rebuilt. A year was more then sufficient.
"I shall begin finding a suitable location immediately, far from the eyes of the Titans."
"See to it that you also rebuild the Academy discreetly, in that what you order for the effort mustn't be noticed by anyone." Slade added. "Asking for parts to build an academy designed for metahumans will no doubt draw attention, so you may need to go a longer route."
And Slade finally turned his attention to his mysterious guest. He was hesitant about the idea of inviting this man, mainly because he knew absolutely nothing about him. But the obvious benefits, that of knowledge of what mistakes are made, were fruitful. But that also presented the time-worn dilemma of what happens to the future if the past is altered?
Then again, it's not like anyone had actually tested it out. They were only theories on the notion of time-travel. It was restricted to the realm of movies in being "tested", and movies had no merit to them at all other then entertainment value. Time travel was not at all understood, and probably never would be. It seemed that the farther they progressed in trying to comprehend its nature, the farther they regressed.
"Would you leave me to chat in private with…? Warp, was it?"
The man nodded, and politely the rest of the people from this gathering of villains stood up and proceeded to walk to the foyer where Slade had first greeted them.
"Lovely what you've done with the place." Warp said as he took in everything around him.
Slade wasn't sure if that was a genuine compliment or an insult, but he took it for the former. The place was better looking, that much was true. Paintings now adorned the walls that were left bare, a new coat of paint and plaster having repaired them. Slade's favorite painting was an obscure work little known. It depicted one of God's angels, with one side showing his pure white wings and the other showing draconic wings.
The draconic side had him covering his face, as if ashamed of some crime he'd committed, a ruined landscape cast afire behind him. The angelic one had a smile as it took in its surroundings, the gates of Heaven in the background. Slade admired it for its honesty in depicting the fallibility of us all, the potential to do acts of good and evil.
Warp didn't seem to like the silence, so he continued speaking as he approached the painting in question. "Who made this piece?"
"My daughter, Rose, painted it. I found it at a local art gallery one day. No one else seemed to like it, if they even noticed it. I don't know when she made it, but I knew I had to have it then and there." His voice changed from one of mild sadness to one of enormous pride. "The price I paid was nothing compared to how much it should've sold for. I had it moved from a villa I never used that much when I came back here a week ago."
"She has talent."
Slade didn't look as if he wanted to continue on the topic of his family for any longer, so he quickly changed the subject. "Where do my plans lead? I mean for the ones that aren't related to today's gift I doled out."
Warp shook his head, a face of uncertainty now recognizable on him. "History does not say. What books we have on the matter are scarce in their talks of it, most having been lost in some sort of fire thirty years ago. Your own journal was among them, sad to say, and it was only from a small scrap that survived that I knew what to do. Five years after that incident, all the data files were destroyed, either corrupted or deleted. The police believed the two were linked, but could never prove such suspicions."
"Already I regret inviting you. What use is a person who can't tell me of my own plan's shortcomings?"
Warp was mildly insulted, but felt amused as well. "I assure you, there are other benefits to having me here."
"Such as?"
"The identities of the Justice League and the Teen Titans."
Slade could hardly contain his excitement at the prospect of knowing their identities, and in the interests of decorum simply let out a hearty laugh. The only ones he'd had much knowledge of were Batman's and Robin's. Other then that, he had nothing to go on. But now, with this knowledge, he could use it to his advantage.
Yes, this group will definitely work.
O~O~O
July 16
Titans' Tower, Jump City, California.
1:48 P.M
The silence was welcome for Raven.
It was her second time on guard duty, and she enjoyed it. The only sound she had to deal with was the beeping of the medical equipment monitoring the angelic figure – though granting him that epithet seemed rather erroneous, since while he looked the part he did not cast such a vibe - which she could easily ignore. The first day she had brought the story of Malchior and Rorek to read, but she hadn't gotten very far before Robin came in from a daily patrol and asked her to do some research on the boy's powers. She did not see anything wrong with such a request and Robin volunteered to watch over him until she came back from her room, since he knew that she didn't really want anyone going into her room unless she was both there and permissive of such a thing.
Today, she brought the book on superpowers with her. That was what she managed to do here. Reading came easily, as she didn't have to contend with Beastboy's obnoxiousness, Cyborg's mechanical clanking with the T-Car, Starfire's boisterous personality, or anything else that drowned out her thoughts in the Tower. Which isn't to say she hated those things; it's just that they weren't conducive to what she wanted to do here and now.
Starfire, being the first to finish her shift, had told the group of how they should all talk to him. She said she had heard that people in the long sleep – as she called a coma – would respond better if people talked to them. They agreed that it was worth doing, though Robin felt that they shouldn't be too personal, that it should just be minor stuff they talked about – even if the chances of him remembering these things was miniscule. She then told the group that she had told him of Tamaran in its entire splendor. Of the vast city-state that had a beautiful view of the sky at night, with the stars coalescing into a grand tapestry. Of the majestic gardens the city bore in the absence of lush pastures and forests outside, and how native wildlife enjoyed such things.
Beastboy had regaled him with the rules of Stankball on his shift, how it was tied to a points system based on a multitude of factors. How points were doled out by the nature of how you hit an opponent. If you took them by surprise, you earned bonus points. If you struck them in the face, that was worth thirty more points. A simple hit in itself was worth ten points. Then he told him of the lightning round, which necessitated a referee. A time limit was imposed, and you had to hit the enemy with the pungent orb five times with sufficient force. A light tapping wouldn't count. Even then, however, a referee was needed for other rules. Once that was done, he began telling him of his greatest victories against Cyborg, and how he was eager to get Raven to join in the sport in the future.
Cyborg tended to talk to him about his health, wondering why he'd subject himself to such things. By the sound of how he told the group what he had talked about, it was as if he'd seen something similar before, where a person let themselves go without food for so long that they were just a shell of their former selves. He'd also tend to check on his vital signs, making sure heart rate, blood pressure, and everything else was fine. What he was happy to see, though, was that the specialized nutritional meal for starvation patients was having a rapid effect on restoring the boy's body. S.T.A.R labs had guaranteed that within a month, humans could be seen to have improvements.
Unfortunately, it was still in its testing phases which bugged Cyborg about using it, and even then it was astronomically expensive to create, so it'd be years before it could be employed in third-world countries, possibly decades. But it was good to see the boy looking more fit and healthy, his body now back to its peak condition more or less.
Robin didn't really say much to him, as was expected. He kept things close to the vest, so no one expected him to divulge much of anything to him. What he had said was that he was in slight admiration of his powers and how he'd used them against Slade. But immediately… his admiration turned to questioning, repeating those same questions he'd been plagued by. He wanted to know just why he was out in that valley, why Slade was hounding him, how he defeated Slade so easily, and if he knew anything about why Raven was being hounded by him too. None of the group knew if he had gotten any further in the search for answers, as Robin hadn't talked about it. Once his shift was over, he'd head down to the evidence room, like he had always done.
Raven was the only one who hadn't said anything to him at all. She didn't like trusting anything about her to a stranger, and small talk wasn't really her thing with people she didn't know. The most she would do was to stare at him for a moment or two, shake her head, and think again how this seemed wildly reminiscent of Terra. She may not have been in a state like he was, but there were still some disturbing similarities. So she passed the time by reading on the different types of kinetics out in the world.
His powers were mostly centered on the elements, much as she could see. He was a pyrokineticist, a cryokineticist, an electrokineticist, a geokineticist, an aerokineticist, and a hydrokineticist. Technically, the last two would probably fall under the jurisdiction of the third and second, respectively, but there had been much debate in the world as to whether they should be separate classifications or not.
She had highlighted a particular passage in the book that was important, and underlined parts within.
"Kineticists are metahumans with an extraordinary capability to cause destruction. While Superman's abilities deal with his biological state – and are just as capable of chaos – a kineticist's powers are tied to his emotional state. Superman's powers do not function if he's in the vicinity of Kryptonite, a hazardous carcinogenic material to humans and one that renders the famed superhero to experience bouts of extreme fatigue and illness, rendering him unable to perform his powers due to how taxing it is on his body.
Kineticists, on the other hand, are blessed or cursed – depending on who you ask - with tremendous power. As it is tied to how their emotional state is, it can fluctuate at any given time. There is no such thing as mastery over the types of kinetic abilities one may possess, only control, and this takes years to achieve. Sadly, these powers tend to manifest from a young age where the ones who hold these abilities are at an incredibly volatile state. They're more prone to outbursts of sadness or anger, which can cause havoc in their vicinity.
Some are killed as a result due to fear, believed to occur when the child is incapable of displaying their powers (willingly or not) such as when sleeping. Others are scared by what their powers can do, if not what they have done in the manifesting. Others learn to control it and potentially use it for good. Others still use it for their own gains, turning to a life of crime. Physical laws are not beholden to their powers, and so the few ones that turn to villainy liken themselves to gods.
The different subtypes of known kineticists are as follows: Geokineticists (capable of manipulating and controlling the earth), Cryokineticists (capable of controlling ice and low temperature extremes), Pyrokineticists (capable of controlling fire, oxidation, and high temperature extremes), Electrokineticists (capable of controlling lightning and other energies), Hydrokineticists (capable of controlling and generating water), Aerokineticists (capable of controlling gases, the air, and wind), Telekineticists (capable of moving objects with their mind), and Psychokinetics (capable of controlling the molecules of objects).
But these are only what are known. There are assuredly dozens more that we haven't encountered. There is some overlap between these groups in what they are capable of, but it is rare – unheard of even – for anyone to have multiple abilities. Which is not to say it is impossible for it to happen, only that it has never been reported and recorded.
After all, it was once deemed impossible for man to do many things, yet these metahumans are capable of such feats."
Scrawled in the margin was the word Terra, pointing to the word geokineticist. Under it was written "newcomer", talking about the one she was standing guard over, and pointing to the various types of elemental kinetic powers.
And it was the last line she'd highlighted that troubled her the most. If it was unheard of, why in Azarath's name did she have a bad feeling about all of this? Why did this boy have such powers? And how could he have gained control over all of them, when it took her years to achieve even a modest amount of control over her telekinetic powers?
She was not happy about this at all.
Suddenly, the mild beeping of the medical equipment turned sudden and fast, and she was torn away from the soft pages of the book to see that the boy was starting to wake. His eyes slowly fluttered open and he took note that he was not in the place he had last found himself in, but in a stranger's home. His heart rate was accelerating rapidly as he tried to get free, only to notice he was handcuffed to the bedposts.
He fought against the restraints he had been placed in, making loud grunts as he struggled to breathe against the feeding tube that was about to choke him.
Raven immediately removed it and contained him as best she could, but no sooner had she removed it did her hold over him break and she was sent stumbling across the room after he head butted her on accident, and he was left trying to wrest himself free, cursing in his alien language. To her credit, Raven did not grow angry even as blood began to drip down from her nose. She casually wiped it away with a bit of cloth.
"Tag da eig! Tag da gse satt eig eb sara!" he shouted as he glared at Raven. Raven didn't seem the least bit concerned as she flipped open her communicator. With a fizzle of static on the screen, she waited for Robin to appear.
Soon enough, he did. He was in the lounge of Titans' Tower, resting on the couch, the TV blaring in the background and slowly coming down to a dull moan. Starfire was seated next to him, peering over his shoulder at the communicator.
"Robin", she said. "He's awake."
"Good. I'll gather the team and we'll meet you down there. See that he doesn't escape."
Though she said he wouldn't, soon enough he broke out of his restraints and slammed them against the wall in frustration. As they clanked to the floor, his white wings that once wrapped around him like an elegant blanket now unfurled, and they were at least as long as he was tall. For a moment she feared he would break out of the window. But then she remembered Cyborg had administered a suppressor each day, a little concoction that was just potent enough to keep him in a foggy state of mind in terms of using his powers.
Regal the wings looked as they stretched, only for him to see that he was left without clothes and quickly wrap them around his body once more; out of shame Raven thought, though perhaps it was due to anger. She couldn't say, but she did see a lot. His chest, once skin tight against the bones, was now healthy as an aurochs and broad. His arms were muscular, at least more so then Beastboy's or Robin's. Cyborg had him beat in terms of sheer size, but he would not have been anyone to be taken lightly by normal people, were he at all normal as well.
Thankfully, she did not get a chance to look at his manhood, due to how quickly he covered himself. That would have been embarrassing for both of them, and their introductions were already off to a rocky enough start. They didn't need that added onto it; with the awkwardness of it all and him blushing at the fact he'd borne it all in front of her.
"You need to calm down." she said coldly, as if he were but a child throwing a temper tantrum in the middle of a store.
"Nev'g ryaum ge da! Nev'g peda vauh da!"
Sinking to his knees, he began to cry. Tears slowly eked their way out of his eyes, confusing Raven. What did he have to be upset about? His health was back and he was safe.
"Wsq peitnvg qei yaeyta taufa da uteva?" He said in sadness, as he looked up from the floor and out the window, as if he tried to imagine himself free on the other side. This room was hardly a prison, yet he was acting as if the Titans were the bad guys.
In the distance, she heard an elevator ding and the doors open. The footsteps echoed throughout the hall as the group made their way down, and faint discussion could be heard about what he'd be like. Beastboy was hoping that he'd be a vegan or at least a vegetarian, given the wings and everything, and was bringing him a plate of tofu burgers. Cyborg jested that there wouldn't be any superhero on earth that'd eat "that tofu garbage" aside from Beastboy. Starfire was in joyous celebration, happy that his health was back, though Robin cautioned her not to be too excited as they didn't know what he was like.
And then the door slid open, and the rest of them poured in like water down a river, steady in their pace. Starfire flew in with a smile as large as a Cheshire cat's, one that quickly vanished upon seeing the young man distressed and crying. She hurriedly pulled him to his feet and hugged the young man fervently hoping to console him despite the fact she did not know why he was upset, though he was quick to fight back just as strongly, with her not budging an inch. He looked visibly uncomfortable by the physical contact.
"I am most joyful that you are well!" she cried out as she let go of him. "I am happy to meet you friend! I am Starfire!"
He only stared at her in confusion, unable to understand anything she was saying as he wiped away the tears from his face. Quickly, Starfire remembered the language barrier and proceeded to introduce herself in his native tongue.
Everyone was shocked, including the newcomer.
"Starfire… you speak his language?" Robin asked, scratching his head.
She nodded with a smile on her face. "I learned his language the first day, through lip contact. It is truly no different then your own. Each letter of your language is simply a substitute for his."
"Wait… you kissed him?!" Robin's face was now a violent red as he looked shocked by what he had just heard.
"Well, that's certainly a unique way to study distant cultures." Beastboy said with a laugh as he placed the food down on the table beside the bed.
The young man's gaze stared at the food immediately. Though he was in fine health, he licked his lips as if still had gone without food for months. He grabbed the plate from off the table and proceeded to go mad at the fake meat, without any semblance of manners. Beastboy smiled as Cyborg stood there surprised, dozens of fake burgers vanishing in a manner of seconds.
"See, told ya."
"Yeah, well, you don't know if he hates meat. Only that he'll eat that crap. And given that he just woke up from a coma brought on by lack of food I wouldn't be surprised if he ate your boot right now."
Robin told them they could talk about his eating habits afterwards, as he wanted to continue on with the introductions and asked Starfire to translate everything they said. She agreed.
"I'm Robin."
"Cyborg." He extended his hand in courtesy, and reluctantly the boy shook it, seemingly afraid that some manner of trap awaited him, or so Raven saw, and when he felt safe he gave a firm handshake.
"Beastboy." He waved with a carefree smile and tried to ease him into being there. It didn't work.
Raven was last and almost had to be coerced into divulging her name, but she gave it freely enough, though her voice was cold as winter.
Starfire made sure to translate the introductions, while Robin turned the nearby chair around and sat with his legs through the bottom of the armrests as he rested his head on the back cushion to discover something, anything, that could shed some light on what the hell was going on..
"If it's okay with you, we'd like to ask you a few questions. There's… a lot we need to understand."
The teen was relatively calm, for the moment. Whatever anger and sadness he felt had subsided, and Raven guessed it was due to a desire to not see any fighting. She was glad this was the case, not because he posed a threat but because fighting wouldn't help matters. Not to mention Titans Tower had been the victim of so many deadly assaults on its structure that one more would just be adding insult to injury. He coursed his hand through his hair and recoiled slightly, his face writhing about in a grimace. No doubt how filthy his hair and skin felt was unpleasing to him.
"Ob og'r emuq wogs qei, wa'n boma ge urm qei u bew ziargoevr." Starfire said with a humble bow, hoping that might help things.
"O puv'g yhedora o'tt sufa gsa uvrwahr."
"He says he cannot guarantee he will have the answers we seek."
Raven nodded as did Robin, supposing that was fair, though part of her was skeptical that he wouldn't know the answers to their questions as opposed to simply deigning not to give them. She moved forward and, pacing slowly throughout the room, began by asking him his name, which Starfire translated.
"Xoje."
"What kind of a name is that?" Beastboy said with eyes wide. "Dude, you need a better superhero name then that. That just sounds weird." Robin shot him a hard glance that said there was a time and place for everything and this was not either for such questions, while Starfire refrained from translating what the shapeshifter had said.
"Okay Xoje," Robin continued, "can you tell us why you were out in the valley?"
Again, Starfire translated.
"O tofa gsaha."
"He lives there." She said almost wistfully. She seemed… disheartened by the fact that someone would live such a reclusive lifestyle, away from people. The valley was a barren expanse of brown rock, not only devoid of vegetation but any life at all. A bleak place that would cast a bleak view on life itself if one stayed there too long.
The boy known as Xoje sat on the bed, his hands clenched around his knees as he stared out the window. Raven wasn't certain of what he was thinking, but her empathic powers sensed that it was a longing for his life to have no problems, while at the same time regret. What he was regretting, she could not say, and would not attempt to find out unless he told the Titans or allowed her to parse through his mind.
Robin didn't seem shocked by the revelation of him living out there. No one had, in all honesty. On some level, all of them had suspected such, and it made sense. His tattered robes and starved state indicated he lived away from society.
"Why were you in the old library?" Beastboy asked. "Why were Plasmus, Overload, and Cinderblock after you?"
"And Slade…" Robin tacked on.
After Starfire translated once more, he replied that he went to the library many times in the last month out of interest of acquiring books to read. He told them, however, that his capacity to read the language here was… nonexistent, let alone understand it when spoken. He didn't know at all who the names given were referring to, and when he said as much the group assured him he shouldn't spend too much time thinking on it.
But before they could continue, he wanted to ask a series of questions of his own. They saw no harm in it.
"Wsq non qei uon da?"
When Starfire translated, they were shocked by the question. Surely he wasn't serious? Cyborg walked over to the window and leaned against it, before saying that he was in serious danger health-wise and to leave him alone would have been irresponsible. They didn't mention how Raven advocated him being taken elsewhere. Starfire spoke the words so he'd understand, as she had done before and would keep doing anytime her friends said something he wouldn't comprehend.
"Og wur veva eb qeih pevpahv!"
"But it was our concern!" Starfire shouted in dismay, quickly repeating it in his native tongue. Robin looked up and wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words as Starfire continued on. "You were in grave peril! We could not leave you alone!"
"Uvn wsug hokst ne qei sufa ge ovgahbaha ov egsah yaeytar' tofar?!" he shouted in a booming voice, his anger once again surfacing.
A long silence followed. The group, save for Starfire, was unaware of what he had just said, and the wind began to howl in the distance. Storm clouds covered the sky, gray and black, hiding the sun behind their grip as rain began to patter against the windows. Minutes passed, and Raven curiously stared at the boy, arching her eyebrows. Cyborg had a flat expression on his face, his large metallic arms crossed over his titanium chest.
Thunder roared in the horizon like the pounding of a great drum or the growls of a leviathan with such intensity that Starfire jumped at the sound with a minor shriek. Given the image before her, Raven couldn't help but liken it to the Hammer of God, cliché as that may have been. The sky was like a noose, tightening its hold on all that seemed bright and fair within the world and choking the life from it.
Lightning cleaved the sky in two, illuminating the seeping shadows and bringing out the luster of the environment. The sea, now a dark mix of blue and black before the eyes, glittered like gemstones under the lightning's golden aurora. What few seagulls had elected to remain on the beachfront were now taking flight, scattering to the four winds, their cries deafened by the rumbling of the thunder.
Getting up from the bed, Xoje walked over to the window and began to gently trace the rain's flow patterns along the glass pane, his arm striking out of his winged cloak. In the distance lay Jump City, the skyscrapers reaching out to the heavens as the lightning assaulted the horizon. With a low sigh, the boy turned to his interrogators.
"Teem, og'r veg gsug o'd veg khugabit beh gsa uon. Og'r cirg gsug gsaha uha haurevr wsq qei weitn'fa laav laggah ebb okvehovk da."
"Starfire?" Robin asked, hoping for a translation.
"He says that while he appreciates our assistance, we should not have given it so freely."
"I see…" Robin began to mull on the comment. "I have two more questions to ask, for now. First… would you consent to spending two to three weeks here, just until your health has returned?"
Starfire translated, and the boy looked up and nodded begrudgingly, asking for a room of his own. Robin said that arrangements could be made, perhaps, and Raven guessed that he was only agreeing because he knew he wouldn't be able to leave if he wanted to. Much as he didn't want to be there, he would stay if only to placate the group.
"Lastly, just what are you?"
The Tamaranean Amazonian woman translated for the last time today, and the answer she received would chill her blood.
"Uv uredovugoev bhed satt." His voice was growing progressively harder to hear as a yawn escaped his body. "Vew o'd gohan."
With that, he crawled back into bed, nestled under the covers, as he began to stare at the ceiling. His eyes grew heavy, and soon he drifted aimlessly asleep. The Titans all left him to his dreams, walking down the hall and towards the elevator, hoping to discuss the matter in the lounge.
O~O~O
July 16
Titans' Tower, Jump City, California
2:48 P.M.
"So what do you want to do with him?" Cyborg asked the team leader.
The Titans were all gathered around the table in the main ops room that doubled as the lounge. Rarely did they seat themselves at the table, most of their calls to action occurring spontaneously and discussions about major villains happening in a relaxed state.
Why today marked them as using the table, none of them knew for certain. Maybe it was because events in the city had become… darker. Sure, life went on as usual in appearances, but these days Slade was more active in what he was doing. The three lackeys Slade employed had caused much mayhem within the city, thousands of dollars worth of damage and multiple casualties.
The Titans were now bringing out their best to deal with this threat to the city and… potentially the nation.
"For now, we keep an eye on him." Robin said as he looked at a map of the city, their discussion on Slade, Raven, and this boy having reach its apex. "Monitor his health. We've got two weeks to get him to want to stay here, so we'd best work on making the Tower seem like a new home for him as much as we can."
The television was muted in the background, images of a cooking show Cyborg had left on playing in the background, dealing with a dish guaranteed to set your mouth afire. Many of the people tasting it in the audience promptly went for something to drown the pain. Cyborg had a pot cooking on the stove before the Titans were called down to the medical bay, complete with his own little additions, and the timer was about to go off.
Starfire was elated at the prospect of him staying at the Tower, having cheerily forgotten what was going through the young boy's mind on just what he was. She always wanted to make friends, and whether that was naiveté or intelligence was up in the air for most people. The Titans simply saw it as who she was, and that perhaps it may have been a little of both, which didn't make it bad at all. She was by all accounts an astute individual, if one simply unaccustomed to earthly ways.
Cyborg seemed content as well, more from a concerned standpoint then one of wanting new people to interact with in the Tower. He was pouring over the medical charts as a last act to make sure the young metahuman was, if not perfectly healthy, capable of being removed from the medical bay. Robin told him on the walk up that he thought he saw blood oozing out of him during the incident in the valley when his powers manifested, but he wasn't entirely certain. Cyborg couldn't make heads or tails of that, on whether it was at all related to his health. He supposed that time would tell.
Beastboy seemed as happy as the Tamaranean wonder, though was decidedly more reserved about expressing it. But alongside his glad exterior, he was also confused as to why Robin would do such a thing. Robin had made it a point in the past to say aloud that he wouldn't make the same mistakes as before – a comment that had been clear to the emerald changeling and that resulted in a silent rift between the two Titans for a long period of time – and yet now he was changing his tune.
"So, we're going to let him join up with us?" Beastboy asked.
"No. He'll be limited in where he can go, but he is going to have to stay here. If we let him loose again, the city could come under attack. Slade's shown that he has no reservations for sending Cinderblock, Plasmus, and Overload out in search of him… and those three are very single-minded. People would die as a result. Slade knows where he likes to go."
"Yeah, but you've seen the kid fight Robin. He can take care of anyone that comes his way." Cyborg said as he put down the medical file.
"No, he can't." Robin said where his tone was blunt and simple. "I know how Slade fights. He's able to quickly adapt to a change in the environment. He is not one to be taken down so easily."
"Meaning?" Beastboy asked.
"Meaning Slade let him win."
The news came as a shock to the rest of the group, even to Raven. None of them had thought this would be a possible thing to have happened. If true, Slade had taken a mighty gamble by wagering his life on the boy's morality. He could just as easily have sent one of his robots to do the work, or one of his goons, if he wanted to see the boy's powers firsthand. But the fact that he had made the personal trip himself actually… made Robin's assertion more credible.
And that chilled their souls. All of them looked at each other, and Starfire cast a glance to the outside windows. The rain was still pelting the city with fury, the water echoing off of the tower like a reckoning.
"Beyond that", Robin continued, "his powers seem to be very raw. Unstable. Raven knows more about this then I do, but if he is in such a volatile condition regarding his powers and his emotions then even if Slade wasn't the problem, he might be."
"And what if he doesn't want to stay here?" Raven added in. During the entire discussion, she sat with her leg crossed over the other, her arms pressed against her chest and her eyes closed. She took everything in, rarely saying much to contribute.
"Then we may have to take drastic measures." Robin said.
"You do not mean…" Starfire began, but Robin shook his head at what she was implying.
"No, not that. Even so, what I mean is a route I'd rather not take if we can avoid it."
In the background, the oven timer buzzed loudly, with Cyborg getting up from his chair to finish what needed to be done. Grabbing a few bowls from a cupboard, he began to dole out some of it for the group. Knowing Beastboy was not one to eat meat, he also brought out from the fridge a vegetarian meal for the changeling to eat, consisting of a salad and other non-animal foods for him to eat.
"Well, if we're gonna talk about things, might as well do it on a full stomach. Lunch is served!"
The Titans then proceeded to grab their allotted meals and dig in. As Robin took a spoonful of his meal, he began to sweat profusely as his body fought hard to deal with the extreme food before him. Swallowing the bit in his mouth, he ran over to the sink to drink a large heaping of water, while Raven used her powers to try and cool the lava pits that formed in her mouth.
"Jesus Cyborg! What the hell did you put in there?" Robin shouted in between gulps of water.
"Six different types of hot peppers, chili powder, cayenne pepper seasoning, hot sauce from Hell, Michigan called Scorned Woman, eight different types of meat, a few types of beans, and a lot of other stuff. No biggie."
"No biggie? My tongue just melted! You could've warned us that it wasn't going to be an easy swallow."
"Oh you'll live." Cyborg said with a beam. "Besides, I'm planning to enter a chili cooking contest soon and I wanted some honest opinions on my patented 12 Alarm Chili."
"Well, it'll certainly kill the competition." Raven said, meaning her remark almost literally.
The only Titan that was eating it that didn't feel like their senses were destroyed, aside from the chef, was Starfire. She quickly guzzled the contents of her bowl without even pausing, the remnants leaving a red smear across her face. As soon as her dish was drained, she presented it to Cyborg.
"It tastes like the Garkflob of my home world! More please!"
Cyborg happily obliged her as he scooped out another large handful with the ladle, the bowl almost overflowing. As Starfire started on her seconds and Robin and Raven slowly ate theirs, the bionic phenomenon brought the discussion around to Slade, a topic they'd honestly had enough of discussing but knew they needed to keep talking about.
"So Robin… manage to find out anything on that mark of Slade's?" he said as he reclined on the couch, his feet propped up on the table.
"Nothing. I couldn't find any viable leads. How about you guys?" Robin's hands tensed into fists as he lowered the spoon to the table.
Starfire shook her head. "I have found nothing in any of the tomes I took from Tamaran."
"I haven't found anything either in any of the eighteen occult databases I've looked over yet. Still more to go though." Cyborg said with a sigh.
Beastboy shook his head, though he confessed that he wasn't the authority to go to. Still, he'd talked to a few teachers within certain campuses and high schools hoping to get a clue. All of them said the same thing. They had never seen a symbol like it before in any of the historical texts and speculative books on the nature of magic they'd come across.
Raven said nothing through all of this, her silence stemming from nerves she'd try not to let on. Yet for all her attempts, her silence still cut through to the Titans like a knife.
"Raven, did you find anything?" Robin asked.
Truthfully, she knew exactly what the symbol meant. Not just from who it signified, but also who used it. Yet… this was her problem to deal with, and she didn't want to burden her friends with such weighty problems. More then that, she came to doubt that they could do anything to prevent all of this and she just wanted to make their days in the future as happy as could be.
Yet, a year would fly by far too quickly. The world never seemed to allow people enough time to just do what they wanted, to enjoy life's thrills. And for that she was sad, so she vowed that while there was never enough time in the world she'd make the most of it. If her fears proved true, then the Titans deserved as much to celebrate as possible.
"N-no", she said reluctantly. "Nothing yet."
"Well, we need to keep looking. Let's take another look at the security footage."
The screen then changed from the cooking program to showcase Slade beginning his assault on the old foundry, his being conjuring up flames of orange and black and controlling them at will. The flames pursued the recorded Raven no matter where she went, before she morphed into her soul-self to avoid the assault.
"Ever have one of those days where you're just happy to be alive?" Slade cried out as he took pleasure in his new powers.
"So I guess Slade didn't die after all like we thought." Cyborg said as he paused the screen. "Might've come close but it looks like he managed to get out somehow sight unseen."
"Then why didn't he go back to trying to take over the city?" Beastboy asked. "With those powers, he could've kicked all of our butts easily! He had to have died!"
"Man, no one could've survived a fall into all that lava! The fact that we saw him again kinda proves that!"
No one had an answer for this troublesome notion, so they settled for watching the security footage continue. They saw him deftly avoid all of their attacks, turn Starfire's bolts against her, coat his body in fire to phase through an entire metal pump Cyborg had lifted, and too many other things that he was never capable of before. Then, in the midst of it all, he grappled Raven's wrists and sent her flying, her clothes melting away.
"Freeze!" Robin said. He wanted a closer look at the marks that formed on Raven's arm. "Amplify 12-30."
As the image enlarged, he noted that it was a similar marking to the one on Slade's forehead and made a mental note of its shape. Maybe if they couldn't find the mark on Slade's forehead anywhere, they could find different ones pertaining to the issue.
When the video started up again, Slade's body crackled with electricity as he spoke of "it", whatever that was, beginning. The entire foundry was brought down almost instantly, the security footage having failed to keep up.
"Cyborg, flip on the news." Robin said, now content for the time being.
Cyborg picked up the remote and turned it to channel eight for the group to watch the incoming program. As soon as he had, however, the images changed from a light-hearted teen comedy to a sudden newsflash, with a heavyset man in a burgundy suit on the other end near a press conference in front of City Hall. Robin promptly grabbed the remote and turned the volume up.
"Earlier today, Mayor Barelm was forced to resign after allegations of embezzling from the city's funds were brought to light. Barelm, a known spokesperson for mending the rift between metahumans and regular society, has now brought questions with these accusations."
It was true the man had worked hard to make society more tolerant of the heroes' presence. Many citizens now actively cheered whenever the Titans appeared in the fray, but just as many would look at them with scorn and hatred still. The rift was still wider then any of the Titans cared for, but it was slowly being filled.
"Some people are wondering if the Teen Titans have known about his crimes and have allowed them to continue so that the mayor would keep putting in a good word for them with the population of Jump City." The reporter continued.
"Dude!" Beastboy exclaimed. "I know him! He's never once struck me as a criminal! He knew my parents!"
"Not all of them seem the sort." Raven said.
"These allegations were reported to JCNN, among others, by one D. Chans, and now we are awaiting an official response from city representatives on this matter – ranging from who will fill the vacant seat of mayor to how this will affect metahuman-mundane relations."
Turning, the reporter saw a figure approaching the pedestal and rushed to be among the crowd, fighting for his spot. In the background, a man as thin as a rail and bald to boot approached the stand and gathered his voice.
"As you are all no doubt aware", the man began with a rather jittery voice, "Mayor Barelm has left his office a-after embezzlement charges were cast into the l-limelight. We are… deeply disheartened that such a kind-hearted individual would stoop to such heinous acts, and now we are appointing Vice-Mayor Gerden to fill the void for the time being."
That struck a nerve for the Titans. Gerden was a known person harboring a massive distrust of superheroes. That he'd take office for the months to come, if not longer, was only going to weaken their position in the city. The man was stubborn; an old and grizzled war veteran that would not cease until the city actively reviled the Titans' presence. He believed that granting such authority to people that could just as easily destroy the city if they wanted to be nothing short of negligence.
The Titans didn't hate the man, though. He cared about society, and although his fears were well founded he was making it a point to turn allies into, if not enemies, people incapable of providing assistance. Misguided, but not entirely wrong.
"What about how this will impact relations between superheroes and society?" one reporter cried out.
"Is it true that he was using funds to also support criminal activity to increase his prestige when they were caught?" another voice shouted.
"Please, please! Questions will be entertained later." The man was sweating a great deal as he took a piece of cloth to his shining forehead. "Now at this time, local authorities have taken the liberty of contacting the banks and reacquiring the embezzled funds. Most of the funds have been seized, though some of the taxpayers' money has regrettably already been spent. Commissioner Fielding will now say his part, and then we'll accept questions."
Commissioner Fielding was a rather fit man with a big bushy beard sprouting from his jaw line, his hair showing the first signs of receding. Accomplished at a young age in the Gotham police department, Commissioner Gordon had transferred him to Jump City as both a request from the Titans and Batman and as a call to deal with corruption in the forces in the city.
Surprisingly, his honest and amiable demeanor had a resounding effect on the city's forces as he rose through the ranks to his position, one the now disgraced Mayor had appointed him to. Before long, corrupt cops were rooted out like weeds and tossed to the wayside, paving the way for more honest cops to take the reins.
"Currently, we are still in the initial processes of investigating whether he did in fact commit these crimes. While funds have been found in his accounts and we have traced certain purchases back to his accounts, we are exploring all possible avenues to be sure we make no mistakes." Shuffling his papers and taking a deep breath, he began to speak again. "Now, are there any questions?"
"Yes, how will this affect the relationship between the Titans and society as a whole?"
"At this time, we have no predictions on that, but the Titans have always had the well-being of this city at heart. I have no doubt in my mind that has not changed, nor will it ever."
The reporter wanting to know about criminal connections now repeated his question
"We have found nothing to point to such a thing."
"What about your position, Commissioner? Will you also have to resign due to your long friendship with the mayor?"
"No."
The questions continued for some time, but Robin got up from his seat and grabbed his bowl of death stew and a large plate of saltine crackers to go with it.
"I'll be in the evidence room."
And as the door whooshed open, the Titans wondered what prompted him to leave. He must have noticed something about the recent story that triggered an idea or a memory. But whether this was from his obsession taking root or a lead, none of them could say. And they feared they might not ever find out.
As the press conference ended minutes later, it shifted to the actual news desk with some of the day's highlights. First up was how a local CEO of a genomics lab was talking of his plans to run for the state senate. Following that was a story of a fire that occurred in a warehouse on the outskirts of the city believed to have been the result of a gas leak, then a scoop on a local summer camp's accomplishments lately. Yet the cheerful aspects and the normal ones affecting society did little to change their grim outlook, at least for the moment.
And the days only seemed to grow darker as time marched on.
O~O~O
A/N:
My faithful readers, I thank you for your forbearance. These days are proving to be a trial for me as I write this – not because I'm losing interest, but rather because I'm losing time - but each day new ideas sprout forth like seeds in spring's bloom after the first rains of the season. I, as always, view my chapters written as being those of not much praise, but perhaps you shall feel differently. Whether you feel it worth lauding or feel it should be tossed into Hell's inferno, thank you for at least taking the time to read it.
It means the world to me, reviews presented or no.
And it seems like I'm doing a lot of long chapters these days. I wanted to add some more dialogue in various places, but I couldn't think of anything that fit well that wouldn't just draw things out. Maybe my mind couldn't grasp certain things, but c'est la vie. My aim is to make all of the villains assembled in the meeting Slade held seem… competent.
While I didn't mind Teen Titans having a lot of "generic doomsday villains", I didn't like how every single villain aside from Slade and Blackfire fit that bill. There may have been others, but most were really just "Chaos for chaos' sake! Destroy!"
I like interesting villains too, y'know? And most were rather lame, people that don't actually pose a threat. So I've brought in a menagerie of villains, though I'll confess most of the named ones are Batman's rivals. I know more about them then I do Wonder Woman's, Green Lantern's, and so on.
Which, I must state, isn't to say they would not appear. But I'd need to do some research first so I can do their characters justice (if you'll pardon the pun). Sinestro, for instance, wouldn't be appearing as one of Slade's guests because I don't really see him as Green Lantern's enemy in the sense of Lex being Superman's.
And speaking of villains, mayhaps I shall introduce some new ones. Maybe. Certainly, I can't focus on Slade/Raven/Xoje all the time. The former two take precedence since Season four is about them, and while Xoje is going to be an important character he's not going to steal the spotlight.
So maybe we'll see a few new villains, with their own agendas, and that can actually be considered likable (or at least have slightly more depth then the show's villains, if I muck up the writing).
Also, I'm going to have to resort to putting what our newblood says in his language in parentheses. It takes me far too long to translate our words into the language he speaks. So if it's in parentheses, it's in his language. I may edit it as time goes by to be an actual representation, but short of that parentheses.
But, here is the alphabet translation, from English to his.
A - E
I - U
E - O
U - A
O - I
B - F
C - J
D - M
F - V
G - T
H - R
J - X
K - G
L - B
M - K
N - D
P - C
Q - Y
R - S
S - H
T - L
V - N
W - W
X - Z
Y - P
Z - Q
