"Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company."
-Mark Twain
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OC's in this story. Except Wolf.
Oh-ho ho, knowledge is tantalizing, isn't it? You and everyone else chases it, and yet when you grab it... you don't share it with any of them...
Ace looked around the shop, peering over the tops of the shelves at the other customers. The black, hooded tactical jacket, covered in pouches and pockets, was slung over his arm. Straps bisected the chest from the arms, more than likely for a knife- or ammo. The thick, army-style black pants were heavy on his arm. The boots, gloves, and Kevlar vest was already at his hideout. He pulled his hat further down onto his face, spreading his shoulder-length, black hair further around his neck.
He scowled as he watched the man standing at the cash register. A customer walked up to the middle aged man, and the cashier turned to something suspended on the wall.
Ace turned on his heel, sprinting towards the door. Someone yelled in alarm.
The cashier turned to the thief. "Hey!"
The anti-hero barreled through the shop door, ignoring the loud alarm echoing in the street. He turned on his heel, running towards the nearest alley, his loot clutched tight to his chest.
Beast Boy ran forwards on all fours, green paws scratching at the ground as his nose followed the fading scent of the thief. The cashier wasn't able to give them much information, other than a hat and black hair.
The shapeshifter turned on his heels- or, paws rather- down an alley. The scent went up a pipe affixed to one of the walls. He transformed back into his human form and picked up his communicator. "Hey, the scent goes to the roofs. Uh... 2109 Rayben. The pawn shop."
"Confirmed," Robin called through. "Have you seen him?"
"No sir. Just the ghost trail."
"Alright. Star, Raven, try to fly over and intercept the thief. I'm on my way."
"Hey, Rob, I'm gonna-" Beast Boy was cut off as a black shape slammed into him, throwing him into the wall. He grunted as the communicator fell from his hand.
"Beast-" The communicator began before a black sneaker slammed down on it.
Ace slammed his knee into the green skinned teen's face, the pads of the combat pants adding to the impact. The anti-hero immediately turned from the alley, running back towards the street.
He turned the corner- only for a boulder to come flying towards him, throwing him backwards. He let out a yell of pain, but rolled with the impact, staggering onto his feet.
The girl standing across from him was definitely his age. She was slighter, with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. A pair of goggles sat on her head. A black long sleeved shirt ending above her belly button was emblazoned with a vivid yellow 'T'. Yellow short shorts finished the color scheme. Brown boots matched brown gloves.
She frowned. "Not cool, dude."
Ace peered around. Where had the rock come from? Did she seriously rely on throwing stuff at people? But where exactly had the rock come from.
The girl looked into the alley. "Hey, BB, you okay?"
A groan greeted her.
The anti-hero scowled and slowly began backing up.
"Hey, guy, don't. Really, just don't."
Ace raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what?" He reached towards his pocket for a smoke grenade- and gripped nothing.
Oh.
The girl grinned, her eyes glowing a vivid yellow as she raised her hands. "I'll throw rocks at you."
Ace almost laughed before several large chunks of asphalt ripped out of the street and she sent them flying towards him. He rolled, dodging the closer ones.
Throws rocks. Right.
"Who exactly... are you?" He asked, frowning.
She pointed to herself with a thumb and a grin. "Name's Terra."
Ace rolled his eyes with a groan. He nodded. "Super cool." He dove to his right, smashing through a window, rolling with the fall. He sprung forwards, sprinting towards the back exit of the shop as Terra climbed into the store after him.
"Hey, no wait, come back!" The girl yelled after him.
"Shove it!" He called back, leaping through the manager's office window. Immediately, he leapt, grabbing onto an old pipe and shimmying up it. His mind briefly registered the fact that Raven and Starfire were on their way, but he didn't honestly care. He couldn't be captured; not now, not now.
His new boots hit the hard roof, the shoe uncomfortable. He pushed the minor pain out of his mind, sprinting forwards.
God, he really needed an escape vehicle-
Ace's thoughts derailed as something slammed into his side, sending him flying towards the ledge.
Starfire frowned at him, eyes and hands glowing green. "Please stop resisting!"
Ace wiped a hand against his mouth, trying in vain to wipe blood from his lip. "Fuck off."
"Please, I do not wish to fight!"
The anti-hero scowled, rising to his feet and backing towards the edge. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a grenade.
Starfire narrowed her eyes, preparing to dash towards him.
Ace dropped the grenade and turned away, leaping into the air.
The alien dashed towards him-
And the grenade exploded.
The blast sent the duo flying in opposite directions. Ace grunted from the force, slamming into the side of one of the buildings. He groaned in pain and fell from the building, falling towards the ground. His ears rang in protest, nearly drowning out all sound around him. His head pounded and his vision swam.
The pain wracked his body as he pushed himself to his feet.
'Keep going,' Something in his head said. 'Don't stop. Never get captured'.
Ace pushed the pain from his mind, limping forwards. Get to the sewers, that's all he needed. He could escape through the sewers. He turned from the small alley he was in onto the main road. He leaned against the wall, using it as support as he dragged himself forwards.
"Ace." Robin said from behind him, slowly edging towards him.
Ace didn't stop moving forwards, instincts driving him entirely.
"Ace, stop." The hero said, walking towards the anti-hero.
Ace didn't turn, continuing to walk away. He stumbled forwards and fell to the ground, hands and knees holding him up. He shakily stood back up, continuing his slow march forwards.
"Ace. Please. Stop." Robin repeated, concern in his voice.
The anti-hero's vision blurred and he fell forwards, the sound of sirens the last thing he heard.
Ace groaned in pain as he straightened up. The metal chair was cold behind him. In front of him was a wooden table and the room was warmly lit. A long panel of glass sat on the wall to his right. Ace pulled his hands up, scowling at the handcuffs wrapped around his wrists.
There was a beat of silence before the door opened. A cop stepped through, a clipboard at his side.
"Ace of Spades?" He asked.
Ace nodded quietly.
"Do you go by anything else?"
"Ace."
The cop sat down across from him. "Listen, kid, we ID'd you. You don't appear anywhere in the system. Who exactly are you?"
Ace rubbed a hand through his hair, horribly conscious of the fact that he was missing his brand new mask already. "No one." He answered shortly.
The cop sighed. "We've got several accounts of assault, vigilantism, resisting arrest, and now robbery. Ace, that's a long time in juvie, and maybe even jail. How old are you?"
16. "I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"I don't know."
The cop ran a hand over his face. "I'm trying to help you, son. You don't seem like a bad kid, and I don't want you behind bars of any kind. You've gotta work with me though."
Ace leaned back in his chair. "I'm not talking without a lawyer."
"Do you have a lawyer?"
"No."
The cop sighed. "The Titans wanted to talk to you before anything else. I'll try to get you a representative, but they don't exactly work on our rules. I'll be right back."
As soon as the door closed, Ace's eyes roved around the room. Two cameras, secured door leading to a police station, one-way mirror on the wall, hands cuffed together, no grenades or anything else.
He was screwed, it was that simple. Any moment now, the Titans would barge in. Robin would slam his hands down on the table, the others would stand back. They'd chip in every now and then, but Robin... Robin would probe him.
The thought was unnerving.
Ace closed his eyes. No. Not now. It couldn't end now. Not now.
He gingerly nudged on the table; screwed to the ground. A scowl crossed his scarred face and he bolted to his feet. Turning, he grabbed his chair and sprinted to the door. He propped it up beneath the door handle and almost instantaneously, pounding began on the door.
"Ace, open the damn door!" A cop yelled.
Ace squared himself, staring at the door in concentration. His hands gripped together and his knees bent, ready to pounce. The anti-hero's jaw trembled- in anxiousness or anger, he wasn't sure.
Robin stared through the window. Ace was sitting calmly in his chair- not calmly, actually. His eyes roamed, and his muscles coiled. He was planning something. The Titans' leader shook his head. "He hasn't said anything?"
The cop shrugged. "Blake went in to try to talk to him, but he wouldn't say anything. Who is this guy, anyway?"
Robin didn't draw his eyes from the teen's Glasgow scars. "...I don't know."
Starfire stepped up to him. "Robin?"
"Hm?"
"How do you know the Ace of Spades?"
"What do you mean?"
"You have always recognized him, every time we have met him. He is someone from Gotham?"
Robin didn't answer for a long moment. "...Star, I'm not sure. I'm honestly not sure. If... if I'm right, then-"
In that instant, almost on queue, Ace bolted to his feet, sprinting towards the door with his chair in hand. He propped it up against the door handle and the cop began pounding at the door.
"Starfire, get the door open!" Robin yelled out, slight panic setting into his mind. Ace couldn't get away now. He was so close. Not now.
Ace's mind ran. What if the Titans were there? They could open the door, easy-peasy. He turned and backed up to the one-way mirrors. He sprinted across the room, using his momentum to propel himself up the wall- his hands latched onto a vent in the top right corner.
His hands worked furiously, swiftly gripping the bolts in his fingers, twisting them until they fell, clinking onto the tile floor. The bars blocking the vent fell to the ground along with the frame, and the anti-hero squeezed himself into the vent, dragging himself into the darkness.
"Where do those vents go?!" Robin shouted at the cop.
The officer backed up. "All throughout the station."
"Where's the next vent opening?!"
"Uh- uh, the next interrogation room, I guess!"
Robin turned on his heel, sprinting towards the exit. "No, no, no."
Ace grinned. "Yes, yes, yes." He repeated to himself as he kicked at the vent bars. They went flying off as he stepped out into the poorly lit supply closet. The station would be on high alert- he'd be better off just smashing through the building to an exit rather than try to sneak out.
Subtlety wasn't his strong suit anyways.
He charged at the door, smashing it open.
Someone in a dress shirt yelped in shock and jumped backwards as Ace barged into the room, sprinting as fast as he could to the side. The darkness of the night greeted him from a window and he sighed. The glass was probably bullet-proof. Shame. Jumping through windows was almost becoming his thing.
He threw open one of the doors, slamming a cop into the wall as he ran. The cool air greeted him, but he didn't take the opportunity to stop. No, he needed to keep going.
'Death before capture. Not again.' A voice hissed over his shoulder. He barely registered it, making his way down the street. He didn't know where he was going- he didn't care. He just needed to escape.
A black wall rose in front of him and he inwardly swore. Raven.
"Seriously dude. For the last time- stop. Seriously." Beast Boy said.
"Honestly, this is getting ridiculous." Cyborg added.
Ace could make out the sound of a motorcycle revving in the background. "Fuck." He muttered to himself.
Robin pulled up behind him as the other Titans revealed themselves.
Ace groaned and slowly fell to his knees, hesitantly raising his cuffed hands.
"Are you going to come peacefully or not?" Robin asked sternly.
"Probably not. Good chance not, at least."
Cyborg walked to the anti-hero's front, a curious look on his face. "Okay, really gotta ask; who are you?"
Ace shrugged. "The Ace of Spades. The guy doing your work for you."
Beast Boy laughed. "Didn't you, like, steal an entire costume from a store?"
"After the HIVE shredded mine, yeah. I don't have a job, if you didn't realize."
"Okay, let me get this straight," Terra said, riding a floating rock over to the group. "You're an edgy anti-hero who does nice stuff but also bad stuff, and you work on your own?"
"Yes."
The blonde girl shrugged. "I like him. He's got spunk."
"He's also a criminal." Robin pointed out.
"And? How many crimes has he done."
No one answered.
"Right. And how many crimes has he stopped?"
Beast Boy raised an eyebrow. "Are you really backing him up?"
Terra shrugged, turning to Ace. "I mean, what's the big deal? He hasn't really hurt anyone," Beast Boy grumbled in protest. Terra grinned. "Hasn't hurt anyone badly, and... he's doing good stuff, right?"
Robin stepped forwards. "So what are you asking me to do?"
"I dunno. Don't let him go to jail, I guess?" Her eyes widened in realization. "Oh! Sign him up for the team!"
The Titans went quiet.
"Terra," Cyborg began carefully. "You're not serious, right?"
"We can't just let him onto the team." Robin added.
"You let me onto the team."
Ace looked around. "First, don't talk about me like I'm not here. Second, what is going on?"
"Shut up. I'm defending you." Terra hissed.
The anti-hero bowed his head. "I hate you all." He muttered.
"Guys, please. I know I'm new here, but... trust me at least on this. I know a wayward son when I see one."
Robin and Raven were silent.
Starfire edged towards Ace. "Ace of Spades. What do you say?"
Ace froze. "I... uh... I... I just don't want to go back to jail."
"And you can avoid jail by joining the good guys!" Terra said with a smile.
The black-masked teen fell from his knees to a sitting position. He shook his head. "If... if you guys'll have me, fuck it, I guess."
Robin sighed. "Ace. We'll... I'll let you onto the team. We will be watching you however. Remember that. We'll all head back to the Tower now. Get you set up."
The Titans began heading towards the coast line; Robin jumped onto his bike, Beast Boy transformed into a bird, and Raven and Starfire floated into the sky.
A blue and white car, matching the design of Cyborg's cybernetics pulled into the street, stopping in front of Cy. He turned to Terra and Ace. "I'll give you guys a ride."
Terra nodded and reached for the door handle.
"Hey, Terra..." Ace began. She turned to him, a grin on her face. After a moment, he nodded slightly. "Thanks."
Her grin widened. "No problem. Wanderers like us gotta stick up for each other, right?"
Ace stared at her as she hopped into the car. Cyborg gave him an expectant look. "You coming?"
Ace nodded. "Yeah." He stalled for a moment as his hand brushed the backseat door handle.
Another choice. Another choice that would change his life.
He opened the door.
-Later That Night-
Ace dropped his bag onto the floor, staring around his new room. A yawn struggled to escape his mouth and he stifled it.
The room was barebone- but large. A simple bed sat in one corner, a desk in the opposite corner. An enormous window dominated the wall his bed was at, facing the ocean.
Ace pulled his mask off, setting it on the desk. He'd work on furniture eventually. He set a laptop onto the desk, fingers lingering over it. Later, he decided.
His mind buzzed as he recollected the events of the night.
He started it by robbing a store, for a new outfit to- be a hero in...
He exploded a grenade, possibly gave himself a concussion. His ears still rang, a physical reminder of what he went through.
He was arrested and held in a police station. Hope seemed to wither and die, and the thought left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Then, not even an hour later, he was a Teen Titan. Sitting in an enormous tower, five- no, six, heroes sleeping soundly around him. The fact that they were all teenagers didn't seem to matter. Not to anyone.
It was too fast. Tomorrow.
He'd figure everything out tomorrow.
He hit the lightswitch, and the room went dark.
"Home sweet home."