A/N: Yup...nothing like a whole week of thing but free time.

The Truth Lies in Shades of Gray

Chapter 9: Blood Use

By: Finalitylife

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans but hey, I think we all already knew that.

Bump Bump Bump...the blaring music pumped through out the building, inciting the twisting and turning masses with its beat. Lights flashing, bodies moving, and in the center of it all, a pink haired young woman with her cat eyes closed, letting the music flow through her, letting her body move on its own. She enjoyed places like this, where she could blend in effortlessly, where she could just let everything go...just be.

The song blasting finally ended, almost seamlessly going into another one though she decided she had enough. She moved gracefully through the writhing masses with a sly smile, passing gawking eyes, outreached hands, and pleas for her stop and dance. She would have none of it.

Soon enough she found herself outside into the slightly chilly air of the city, away from the noise and the people. The city seemed dead tonight...not even the wind. Jinx did her best to pull her small amount of clothes tighter around her body. The cold never really bothered her, but this was something more...something she had been feeling as of late, had been hoping a night out would help her relax. Something had been causing the hair to stand up on the back of her neck, as if someone had been watching her, studying her, following her for days on the street and at her base though there was never anything there.

Blood had sensed something too, but he like her, could never truly put a finger on what it was. Blood was far more nervous about the situation than her but then he had always been a bit more jittery since he returned from...where he was after Slade broke him out of jail all those years ago. Blood have never said where he had been, what he had done, or for that matter what happened to leave him in such a frazzled and damaged state, only that he needed help and wanted to get as far from Jump City as possible. It was strange desire by someone who so badly wanted to crush the Titans but Blood just wanted to go...Jinx, Gizmo, and Mammoth had followed him to Eastern Europe.

It was there that Jinx started noticing many differences in Blood. He was not as 'evil' as he had once been, no longer desiring world domination and absolute power though he was still far from good, opening up a discreet yet powerful criminal organization on his own. It was as if he didn't want to be seen, but by who...or what, she didn't know. Blood was still her leader, but he really had become more than that over the years...he was the closest thing she had ever had to a father.

Blood regarded Gizmo, Mammoth, and the rest of the minions as nothing but lackeys, but her, he regarded highly, making her second in command, and showing a genuine kindness only to her. He cared for her and she...she cared for him. It all started all those years ago, when a slightly haunted Blood came for help, as if he had finally done something far too wrong even for him, and decided to step back from the madness of it all. In retrospect, it was the best thing that could have ever happened for Jinx...she was happy for the first time in a long time. No longer in jail, no longer a petty thug, and no longer struggling to live.

Again, Jinx found herself shuddering from unknown sensations, her powers behaving strangely, as if they desired to pull from her body. It didn't hurt, but it still was a terrible feeling. Jinx ducked into an alleyway, taking a short cut to her home which underground lied the base of operations where Blood and the central operations were stationed. No one knew it was there and even if they did, no one would dare attack them. It was a formidable place to attack.

Jinx as she walked realized everything had grown even darker which was very strange and that the alleyway was seemingly far longer than it should have been. Something was wrong. Jinx felt her powers charging up carefully, her eyes taking on a pink glow which should have illuminated the alleyway but it did not seem to brighten at all. What was going on? For the first time in a very long time, Jinx was afraid. Her body shook slightly as again, it blatantly felt like eyes were on her.

"I know you're out there whoever you are. Stop being a coward and show yourself. What...are you afraid of little old me?" Jinx did her best to sound her usual arrogance and taunting self but it did come out slightly odd sounding.

"I imagine you've felt me watching for quite awhile now Jinx. I am sorry for that, but I needed to determine your worth to Blood, and it is exactly what I need. He cares for you greatly, and that will work out perfectly in my favor. You have a use to me Jinx. You should feel honored." Jinx mind immediately went into combat mode. This person knew her name, knew about Blood and their relationship. Was it a rival syndicate? An assassin? Some new enemy? She didn't know. All she knew is that this guy whoever he was chose the wrong girl to mess with. He would regret this. Her powers flared to life around her which only brought upon a dark laugh from the unknown assailant.

"You are nothing but a mortal who brings a small bit of chaos to order, who thinks she can manipulate fate with her pathetic powers. I think not. Fate itself bends to my will...aligns to my final purpose and my goal. Finding you and Blood is far beyond anything but a coincidence. It is because it must be...because it serves destiny beyond destiny." The words were filled with unending confidence and power, and Jinx found her powers flowing out of her. She fought to control them but something was stronger than her...pulling them away. Darkness closed in on all sides and Jinx screamed a scream no one would hear.

--

Gizmo and Mammoth sat around doing nothing...well not exactly nothing. Gizmo was absently throwing cards into a hat while Mammoth read through a magazine for possibly the hundredth time. They were forced to sit here and endure this endless boredom because Blood had a bad feeling and wanted them here. Of course he let little Miss Perfect go out and do whatever she wanted. Gizmo grumbled to himself. He never told her what to...his little princess. How he hated her...wished she would just disappear then Blood would have no choice but to depend on them. Gizmo smiled...only a matter of time before he was running the whole show...then he would be the big man.

Gizmo and Mammoth had not changed all that much over the years. Gizmo was only moderately taller, still bald, and still with his backpack. Mammoth who had been hulking from the beginning had only gotten more massive. Mammoth was still the brawn and Gizmo was still the brains.

"Man this sucks. Just because Blood has some stupid feeling we have to sit here all night. This is bullshit." Mammoth grunted in response.

"I mean nothing ever happens. No one even knows we're here." Gizmo received a very unexpected response.

"I know you're here." The two goons watched as a figure seemed to appear out of nothingness right across the room.

"What the fuck?" The response was only a dark smile from a very dark looking being.

"Who the fuck are you?"

"It does not matter who I am. All that matters is I've come to speak with Blood, and I will speak to Blood if he ever wants to see Jinx again." Gizmo smiled ever so slightly.

"So if you don't talk to Blood?"

"Jinx will perish." Gizmo smiled even farther.

"Well then...fuck Jinx. We're just going to kill you now and be done with this whole thing. I don't give a damn about that pink haired whore." Two lightless eyes narrowed at the two goons in front of him.

"How quickly you turn on each other. I guess I gave you two more credit than you deserve. Either way, I must speak with Blood...he has use to me."

"You know what, fuck this...you're dead." A sharp projectile shot out from a device on Gizmo's arm, a wire trailing behind it. It flew incredibly fast, piercing Azrael right through the right shoulder. He grunted in pain. Quickly, electricity started coursing through the line, shocking the impaled body of Azrael...hundreds of thousands of volts pouring into him. All he did was smile.

"What the hell!" Gizmo shouted as he looked at the readings on his device. This guy should have been extra crispy by now, but he just seemed to be drawing more power into him.

"Mammoth...take this guy out." With a slightly uncertain movement, the giant charged forward with all the speed his considerable bulk would allow, pulling back his massive fist and slamming squarely into the jaw of the creepy guy who had appeared. The sound was impressive as the black haired man flew back from the impact crashing harshly against the metal wall, denting deeply into it before slumping to the ground. Electricity picked up again through the still connected device, enough to liquify his organs but it didn't seem to work.

The mysterious arrival's head snapped up, a flash passing across the two endlessly black eyes and a type of feedback caused Gizmo's device to explode burning into his hand. The near midget man let out a yelp of pain as he tried to rid himself of the slowly melting device. The dark man stood slowly to his feet, tearing the object that had impaled his shoulder from his shoulder without so much as a sound, his gaze settling on the giant of a man in front of him.

"So be it..." He charged forward almost faster than Mammoth could see, almost like he was gliding on the air itself.

Now Mammoth was not as dumb as everyone believed him to be though he was far from being intelligent. He was not stupid and was smart enough to know that if people though him stupid, it could be an advantage in a fight for him. He also knew the second this...this person shimmered into existence, somehow appearing without triggering any type of alarm even though Blood had said it was impossible to teleport into this building, something was wrong. He knew the second he stared into those eyes and heard that voice, that something was terribly, terribly wrong. He knew the second that man charged forward...his time had finally run out. The last thing to pass through the head of Mammoth in this life, was not a final thought of clarity, but rather the darkened fist of the stranger he knew would claim his life.

The fist passed straight through Mammoth's face, carrying right through until it erupted out the other side with a spray of blood, bone fragments, and brain matter. The giant's body immediately went limp, falling to the ground, pulling Azrael's almost down with it as his arm was still stuck through his skull. Azrael managed to maintain his balance, placing his foot on the giants chest for leverage to pull his arm free with a wet, sloppy sound. He wiped it off as best he could on Mammoth's shirt.

The whole time Gizmo could only watch in terror as Mammoth was felled with a single punch. He pushed a button, bringing his jet pack to life, intent on escaping with his life. Fuck Mammoth, fuck Jinx, and fuck this were his thoughts as he moved to escape. However, the device which had melted to his hand was still attached to the wire from his projectile which was now in the hands of the one who had killed Mammoth. A harsh yank pulled Gizmo right back, the jet pack carrying right back toward the attacker. The dark beings arm moved quickly, there was a flash of black, and Gizmo found himself hovering in the air for a few seconds before he split straight down the middle in a spray of blood and organs, collapsing into a soggy mess on the ground. Azrael looked down with disdain at the treacherous mortal before turning his attention toward the door that was opening across the room.

--

Blood sat at his desk looking over some papers, unable to shake the strange feelings that seemed to follow him around as of late and Blood truly despised things he could not understand, just like what had happened some years back with the Titans and Slade. Fallen angels, beings of inconceivable evil and darkness, the end of the world...Blood did not want any part of that, never wanted any part in something so vile and destructive. He managed to escape it all with his life and his sanity still intact, and he had no intention of every allowing the Devil's gaze to fall upon him again. Of course, like most of existence, he had no idea Lucifer had fallen completely into oblivion in the final battle 5 years ago.

Blood created a new life for himself, one that was back in the background, where he could use his vast network of connections along with the fear and respect his name inspired to create a new syndicate to bring him whatever he needed...far away from Jump City and world ending prophecies. He had found peace in a way, with this life here...with Jinx who had become the closest thing he would ever have for a child. She meant more to him than any amount of money or power that much he knew.

That was why he was so worried the past few days, when both she and him started sensing something strange that they could not identify. Jinx paid very little mind to it, but she did not know what he knew...never seen what he had seen. A bad feeling could truly mean so much more. However, nothing had shown itself to be any type of threat yet, and the feelings was probably nothing but the weather changing, nothing more...nothing more.

Jinx had minded so little that she had gone out tonight despite his objections. Well Blood had several objections including what she had been wearing when she had gone out but Blood never found himself winning arguments with her. He loved her too much and always bent...just all part of being a father. Blood looked down at the light glimmering off of his metallic parts with a look of regret...so many regrets but at least now, he could do his best to put them behind him. A loud thud pulled his head up, something that sounded like someone crashing into a wall. It sounded like one of the main rooms where those idiots Gizmo and Mammoth were stationed. They probably just had the T.V. on too loud or something. Those two never did anything right. Another strange sound caused Blood to become more annoyed and he rose from his desk with a huff, heading through a few rooms quickly toward where they were. The door final door slid open and nothing could have prepared him for what he saw.

His sight immediately feel to the two carcases on the ground that once were some of his best soldiers. A large pull of blood had been forming around Mammoth and there was clearly a hand sized hole in his head, his one leg twitching from some type of post mortem seizure. The other...a pile of gore that had once been Gizmo. What was going on here?

Blood's cold gaze at last settled on the tall figure who stood triumphantly over the two bodies and recognition immediately flashed in his mind. He was older, his features changed, but that face...he knew that face...

"I know you." A small smile as the dark being shook his head.

"I don't think you do Blood. I am not the being you once controlled." Blood started charging energy into his hands, getting ready for anything.

"Well whoever you are, you made a mistake by attacking this place and killing those two. I don't think you understand who you are dealing with here. You may have easily dispatched them two, but you will never stand against me." Another grin.

"In my present state, you might be right Blood. That is why I've come prepared. I have use for you so I have come here to get it. You will work for me for a time until I've obtained what I need, and when I no longer need you, you can have back what I've taken from you."

"What did you take from..." Blood's face suddenly lost its composure a bit as he realized what this person was talking about.

"Jinx..." The figure he had once controlled as SoulBurn nodded.

"Yes...if you ever want to see her again, you will do as I ask. It is that simple."

"What is to stop me from killing you right now and getting her back on my own?" Blood's response was growled out as more red energy, matching his anger, flowed to life around him.

"Simple...you destroy me, you destroy Jinx."

"I don't understand."

"You don't have to understand, but it is what it is." Blood watched as the figured raised his hand, palm up, energy sparking to life...very familiar energy. A chaotic ball of swirling pink energy appeared, holding steady within his hand...Jinx's energy.

"What did you do to her?"

"Nothing...she is perfectly fine for the moment, if you help me. Do we have a deal Blood?" Blood gripped his robotic hands into fists, the metal bending in from the force.

"What do you need of me?" Azrael smiled.

"Good...very good. The first thing I will need from you is your help to find something...in Egypt."