With Fixit and the moths squared away the Titans and I then immediately made our way straight to the police station. I remember all the looks we got from several of the officers and detectives as we entered the building and approached the front desk. Considering that the Titans were known for defeating their city's criminals and therefore probably made regular trips to the police department long before I got there, I was very certain that the looks they were receiving at that moment were due to me.
Once we made it to the desk, the woman behind the counter called for two more officers, who they escorted us to one of their interrogation rooms towards the back of the building. As I had mentioned to the Titans earlier, this was nothing new to me. Most humans, especially law enforcement, had a hard time accepting or coming to grips with my mutation and what I was capable of, so to get a better understanding of what they were dealing with, they would often summon me to their stations and bombard me with questions ranging anywhere from curiosity about the mutant and supernatural communities, to ignorant and arrogant interrogations fueled by superstitious paranoia.
"This is getting ridiculous", said an irritated Cyborg as he continued pacing back and forth as he waited. The six of us had been waiting in the interrogation room for the Police Chief for about a good twenty minutes at that point, and the wait was starting to get to us. Even I, who was used to waiting for the expected "talk" that was coming, was a little high-strung as I found myself tracting and retracting my claws on my human hands in time with the ticking clock on the wall, as that was all that could be heard in that quiet, metal room.
"Is the wait always this long", asked Raven as she sat in the chair to the right of me at the corner of the rectangular table. I was seated in a chair at the end of the table.
"Eh, I've come to expect this kinda treatment from my first encounter with police. Werewolves don't exactly have a positive reputation among humans. Though I will say that I'm surprised that they were kind enough to get us a bigger table", I said in response to the table being big enough to seat about twenty people if the all squeezed in together. Usually the cops would have me seated at one of their smaller square tables that they interrogate their suspects at.
"Just so I am clear, we are not prisoners, correct", asked Starfire as she floated up to examine one of the cameras in one of the corners of the ceiling. Each corner had a camera, each equipped with motion and audio sensors, which was made apparent by the way the four of them independently moved and adjusted angles based on what was seen and heard in the room.
"Might as well be", grumbled Cyborg.
"Let's just try to stay calm", said Robin.
"So you've been arrested a lot", asked Beast Boy. I simply looked at him in response to his blunt question. "Uh, that came out wrong."
"No kidding", said Robin, who was leaned against a wall next to Cyborg, who was still pacing.
"Look, I didn't mean—", before I cut him off. In the middle of his sentence I turned back towards the door on the other side of the room and began growling. I could sense somebody approaching the room in the hallway, somebody supernatural. My claws dug into the table as the stranger got closer and closer, and my growl got louder and louder. Fortunately Raven, like she does, began comforting me with her aura yet again, which calmed me down just as the door opened and the stranger walked in, accompanied by the Police Chief.
"Good afternoon, my friends", said the stranger as he placed his clipboard on the table. He had a strong build considering he looked to be about 60 or so. He wore a small pair of glasses that hung on the bridge of his nose, and his face was covered in an all-white beard, to the point where he kinda looked like John Hammond.
"About time", I said.
"Forgive my tardiness, your majesty. I had to make a few calls to some guests. They will be joining us shortly."
"And just who are these "guests"", asked Robin.
"Never mind that, how do you know who I am", I asked interrupting Robin.
"My boy, you and I have known each other for what, a little over two decades now?"
"Really", I asked him in suspicion.
"Can it be that you truly don't remember me? Because I sure do remember you, Fernando Adams, son of Franklin and Mildred Adams, 21 years old, born in Oklahoma City—", he continued to rant my personal information before I interrupted him with a roar.
"Hey! Don't get snappy with us, you little brat! Nobody told you to bring your friends with you to this private meeting", said the Chief.
"Yeah, well that was before I knew you two were going to go poking around in my business. And besides, if this meeting is so private, then why are those two goons still doing waiting outside", I said as I pointed to the tinted window to my left.
"How did you—", began the Chief in disbelief.
"X-ray vision", said the stranger. "He can do that, you know. Please have your two officers give us some privacy."
"With all due respect—", he tried to reason with him before he interrupted again.
"And while you are at it, please see to it that the cameras are deactivated as well." The Police Chief just stood there for a moment awkwardly, as if in disbelief to what he was hearing. "Go on, it's quite alright."
"You heard him, Boys", said the Chief to the walkie-talkie on his shoulder. In response to his orders, the two officers outside the room began walking away down the hall, and the four cameras on the ceiling began facing downward as they began shutting down.
"Well, now that that has been settled, won't you all please have a seat", asked the stranger as he motioned to the other chairs at the table. Robin and Starfire then make their way to sit next to Raven, while Cyborg and Beast Boy sat on my left. "Ah, here they are", he continued as he turned to face the door. It wasn't until about another few seconds or so that the sounds of footsteps could be heard by the rest of us, and that was including me and my werewolf hearing. Upon noticing that his hearing was stronger than mine, and that I sensed a supernatural vibe about him, I realized that the man that accompanied the Police Chief was not entirely human, but something else altogether. However, before I could call him out on it, I got distracted by a familiar scent, which was enough to cause my tail to materialize behind me and begin wagging.
"Sorry we're late", said Liv as she and her partner opened the door and entered the room. Walking beside her and holding her hand was their daughter, who was holding a little pink ball with a picture of a few Disney princesses on it. "Say "hi", Serenity", said Liv urging her daughter to greet us. The little girl hesitated for a moment, but then waved at us with the hand that her ball was in, dropping it in the process as it bounced towards Beast Boy.
"I've got it", said Beast Boy as he got out of his chair and crouched down to pick the ball up. "Here you go", he continued as he held out the ball in front of him, urging the girl to come and take it. In response to this, Serenity ran and hid behind her mother's leg. "It's okay, I won't bite", said Beast Boy as he took a step closer. Serenity's grip on Liv's leg tightened in response. "Ow", exclaimed Beast Boy as Cyborg bonked him on the head.
"Knock it off, you're scaring her."
"Pfft, amateur", I said as I got out of my chair. "Give it here, Beast Boy", I said as I took the ball from him.
"Knock yourself out", he said in a tone as if to say "pfft, good luck". I then dropped to my hands and knees and put the ball in my mouth, which grabbed Serenity's attention as she was now looking at a grownup acting silly. I then lowered the top half of my body to the floor, slowly Changing into my wolf form as I did so. My reason for doing this was so that I could assume the playful dog position and whine so I could show her that I was harmless, but before I could even do so, she recognized me immediately.
"Doggy", she says excitedly as she bolts away from her mothers and makes her way towards me. Liv and her partner giggled in response to their daughter's cute response. Once she was close enough, the little girl wraps her arms around my face and embraces me in a hug. She then giggles as I lift my head up and down, picking her little body off of the ground as I did so. To her it was a fun ride. I eventually brought her back down to the ground to stand. I then gave her back her ball. Expecting her to take back her toy and go back to her mothers, Serenity surprises me yet again.
Instead of walking away with her toy, she throws it behind her, but then immediately begins exploring my face again. I noticed a look of confusion on her little face as she did so.
Hmmmm, I wonder, I thought to myself as I watched her. Curious as to how she would respond, I then Changed back into my human form. I don't know what I was expecting her to do upon seeing a dog turn into a human, but her reaction surprised me just the same. I'm not sure why, but for some reason, she thought my little magic trick was amusing as she giggled and playfully patted my cheek with her hand. I responded to this by Changing back into a wolf. She patted my face again, and I Changed back into a human. Our little game went on for a few minutes more before the Police Chief obnoxiously cleared his throat, ending our game. Irritated by his intrusion, I shot him a glare for a moment, but then returned to Serenity as I licked her face. I then turned her around and nudged her bottom with my nose, urging her towards her mothers. The two women then took their daughter to the other side of the table to have a seat, as I rose back onto my feet in my human form and returned to mine.
"Showoff", mumbled a slightly jealous Beast Boy.
"Okay then, for those of you who are not aware, may I introduce to you Nurse Olivia Grayson, and Mary Jane Grayson, attorney of law", said the stranger as he motioned towards the two women.
"May I ask what brings you here, Ma'am", asked Starfire.
"When I heard that the Wolfman was being charged with murder, I had to step in, for you see, I was the reason he got into that mess in the first place", said Liv.
"Don't blame yourself. It wasn't your fault", I said.
"What happened", asked Robin.
"You see, this family of three has had a couple of run-ins with the Wolfman over the course of the past few days. Most recently was two nights ago, when the Wolfman protected Ms. Olivia from an attack orchestrated by Mr. Mackenzie Daniels."
"And their daughter is the same little girl I told you about when we recruited him", said Cyborg to Robin. Out the corner of my eye I noticed Robin shooting me a look as if to say, "why didn't you tell us?", to which I responded with a look that said, "you know why I didn't", because the truth of the matter was that he did. The Titans, especially Robin and Starfire, were too furious with me at the time to be reasoned with, so there was no point in bringing it up to them then, if at all.
"She also informed us that although you did kill Daniels, his two accomplices were killed by him some time before that", added the Police Chief.
"Yes, that's correct", I said. "Now tell us what this is all about."
"Don't tell me what to do", retorted the Chief.
"Look, you have a problem with me or something?"
"As a matter of fact, I do."
"Now hold on a minute—", began Robin.
"No, let him speak", I said, interrupting him. The Chief didn't bother waiting for further commentary as he took my invitation immediately.
"You come to our town, start causing trouble for several of our citizens, kill a few people, resisted arrest, and terrorized a public event while holding several people hostage. All of those reasons and more is more than enough reason for me to bury you under the jail right this second, but apparently I have to bend the rules for you because you're "special". And now you're sitting across from us all high and mighty because you think you're the toughest guy around since Bruce Lee, making demands and looking down at us because you think you're so much better than us because of your little powers."
"Are you done", I asked him at the end of his little rant. A look of shock appeared on the Chief's face upon realizing that I couldn't care less what he thought of me. "First of all, if you're going to guilt-trip me for criminal activity then you might want to get your facts straight. I've only killed one person since arriving here, and it was in order to save another's life. Refusing to fight the Titans is not the same thing as resisting arrest, and the whole hostage thing was in no way life-threatening for anyone at the fashion show, in fact I held them hostage for their own safety. Second of all, I'm making demands because between you summoning me here via a television broadcast, having me wait for you here for over twenty minutes, and then beating around the bush when you finally get here, so far you've done nothing but waste my time, and that's not even mentioning your clearly obvious, disrespectful prejudice towards me and my kind. And third, I'd choose my choice of words carefully if I were you, before you say something you might regret, given the fact that of the eleven people in this room, I count five non-humans."
"Wait, five", asked Beast Boy as he began counting off everyone in his head.
"He's referring to the white-bearded gentleman", said Raven.
"If he's not a human then what is he", asked Beast Boy.
"He's a banshee", I said. Due to him being among a select few humans that are immune to the effects of werewolf venom, when he was bitten, the bite transformed him into a banshee, a creature with the ability to sense and detect any and all supernatural creatures and occurrences from great distances, among other abilities. Considering that banshees are born from humans who are immune to a werewolf's bite, they are an extremely rare find, even moreso in males."
"Very good", said the stranger. "So you do remember me."
"Well now I do. It took me a minute, but I remember your peculiar scent. You're Doctor Lector Von Goat, a friend of my grandfather's. As I recall, he was the one who bit you."
"Indeed I am. And as I'm sure you're aware, I was the one that brought you into this world."
"Wait, he's your father", asked Beast Boy. I heard a few of the Titans groan in response to his question.
"Not quite", I said. "He delivered me when my mother was giving birth."
"And what a birth it was", continued the doctor. "Once I realized that you were being born under a blood moon, I knew you were going to do great things."
"Yeah, yeah, enough flattery. Why am I here?"
"Despite the wishes of your parents, I have been keeping tabs on you and your friends as requested by your grandfather before he died. And I am aware of your current situation, and the battle that will come of it", he continued as he slid a tablet down to my side of the table.
"What's this", I asked him as I began turning it on. The other Titans leaned in to see for themselves.
"You used to work with an older gentleman back in Anchorage, I believe you know him as Clifford Johnson."
"The hairy labor guy?" The doctor chuckles for a moment before continuing.
"Fair enough. Anyway, he is an old friend of mine, and I have been keeping my eye on you through him for the past few months. Earlier this week, when he reported that you disappeared, he also sent me this", he said in reference to the fact that the first thing that appeared on the tablet's screen was a video. Naturally I pressed "play".
The video itself was even shorter than that of the footage of Adryen's capture, but it was just as painful to watch. Rather than show me the process of capturing one of the missing Elementals, it was moreso a glimpse of the aftermath, as the video consisted of the camera holder, who I assumed was Cliff, hiding in the brush of a nearby forest. From there, he observed a group of ten masked men, the same masked men who captured Adryen and who attacked me inside Chang's secret lab, lifting a large cargo into the back of a trailer truck. Once the men dropped the cargo and left the trailer, the camera zooms in to see the cargo up close before they closed the door. Inside the trailer, lying on his side with a net draped over him, was an unconscious white rhino with whip marks all over his hide.
"Taiyo", I growled to myself before slamming on the table in anger. I then slid the table back to the doctor, as I didn't trust myself to hold onto it any longer. "What of Asia", I asked him in reference to the fact that there has been no word of Asia's capture as of yet.
"Unfortunately, we know no more than you do about the missing princess."
"No", I roared.
"You've got to relax, Man", said Cyborg as he tried to calm me down.
"You guys don't get it", I grumbled.
"Fernando, we are here to assist you. I have told my three guests here about who and what you are."
"Oh really? And what exactly did you tell them", I asked in suspicion.
"He said something about you being a prince, and that you were one of six individuals with special gifts", said Mary Jane.
"He also told us that it was important that the six of you joined forces for some upcoming battle with some "great evil"", added Liv.
"Hmmm, so she's been in contact with you as well." The doctor nodded in response.
"Who's "she"", asked Raven. I ignored her question as I let out a large sigh.
"Listen, Olivia, Mary Jane, you two are lovely ladies, and you've a wonderful daughter. Doctor Goat, I have no initial memory of you, but I do know that my grandfather thought highly of you. And as for you, Chief, I'm sure there's somebody out there who likes you, I mean I don't, but I'm sure somebody does, which is why I can't ask any of you to help me with this."
"But Mr. Adams—", began the doctor.
"You can't do this alone", said Robin.
"We can't just sit by and watch you fight this battle without us", added Cyborg. I ignored them and continued to speak to the others.
"The Titans have no idea what they are getting themselves into by trying to assist me. Hell, I don't even know what I'm getting myself into, so I highly doubt that you all do. This isn't merely a battle with a villain, this is a war. Lives are in danger, entire futures are at risk, people will get hurt, or worse. This is my battle, and it would be unfair for me to ask you to fight in it. If you truly want to help, then continue what you two are doing", I said to the two mothers. "Continue to watch after Serenity, and I will do my best to make this world a safer place for her", I said finally as I rose to my feet. "Now, if you'll excuse me, it's been a pleasure, ladies and gentlemen", I said with a bow as I began sinking into a shadow portal under my feet.
I emerged from the Shadow Zone in my wolf form at the top of City Hall. I walked over to the edge and looked down below. The fashion show had ended a little while ago, and most everyone had left the area already. Among the few that stayed were Monica, Pierce, and Lucas, who were all just hanging out on the steps. I let out a howl to grab their attention.
I must speak with you all privately, I thought to myself as the three of them looked up at me. I then Changed into my armored form as I dove off of the roof and took to the air. I then led the three of them towards the outskirts of town, towards the forest area where I first met Serenity. I flew further and further into the forest, until I found the group of trees I hid from the rain under the other night. There I waited in my human form for the others to catch up. After a few moments of waiting, Monica came in for a landing as she flew up into a nearby branch that hung so low that it was right by my head, while Pierce ran behind her with Lucas on his back.
"What's, up", asked Pierce as he struggled to catch his breath as Lucas dismounted him. The nine-foot tall bird was exhausted from running with a human rider on his back.
"Let me just get right down to it, what did Ryan tell you two?"
"He told us that three of the Elementals have been kidnapped, and that you were in a weakened state", said Monica.
"He also told us to stay on high alert, and to report any strange or noteworthy activity", added Pierce.
"Is what Monica says true", asked Lucas. "Are you a prince?"
"Yes, I am."
"How exactly does that work? Do you have a throne, or a crown, or anything?"
"It's a long story for another time. Let's just say that I have a mission, and that it's important."
"Seriously though, what's going on", asked Pierce.
"When do y'all leave Jump City?"
"We leave tomorrow morning for San Antonio", said Monica. "And then later on we make our way towards Miami, which will be our last stop for the tour."
"Good, then there will be more of you all nearby."
"Okay, hold up", began Pierce. "What the Hell is going on? You're really starting to scare me here, Man."
"I just need you all to be careful in the days to come. I don't know what will happen, but I need you two to promise me to stay safe, and as far away from the fighting as possible."
"Sorry, but we can't do that", said Monica without so much as missing a beat.
"Monica—", I began.
"Save it, Dude", began Pierce. "We know what you're going to say, and you can forget it. If you're in this fight, then we're in it, too."
"But Pierce—."
""But" nothing. We're going to help you, and that's final. Aren't you always the one telling us that there is strength in numbers? And haven't we helped you take down bad guys before back in the day?"
"This is different Pierce. This time we're not high school children defending our one territory from some local looney, this is serious. This time we're facing a whole new enemy that's working on a global scale. He's captured three Elementals on three different continents, and forced the rest of us into hiding. And besides, gone are the days when we were all in school and you all called me "Alpha". We've all gone our separate ways, most of you all I don't even regularly talk to anymore, and you all have your own lives to live. I've given you the knowledge you need to live with your new powers, but I cannot ask you to be a soldier."
"Good, because you don't have to", said Monica.
"But—".
"Look, Fernando, we understand your concern. You don't want us to get hurt and you're scared. But like it or not, you're our friend, and we're not deserting you, not when you need us the most. You've always had our backs, so it's time that we helped you for a change, so it's only fair to warn you that no matter what you say, not only will we fight with you, but we will recruit any and all members of the Horde who're also willing to fight."
"Absolutely not!"
"I'm afraid you don't have a choice", said Pierce.
"Pierce—".
"Fernando", began Monica, "you're my cousin, you're my friend, you're my family, you're my prince, and like it or not, you will always be my Alpha, so I will follow you into this battle and any other battle you face."
"I also will fight alongside you, to the bitter end", added Pierce.
"And if you get Monica, you get me, too", said Lucas. A part of me wanted to cry due to how passionately the three of them wanted to fight with me.
"Well then, if you all truly feel that strongly, then I have one request."
"What's that", asked Pierce.
"I need you to promise me something. Promise me that you will always stick together. Promise me that you will always look after our family, and that no matter what happens to me, you will honor the Elementals and continue to do what is right and look after those around you."
"What're you saying, Fernando", asked Pierce.
"Promise me", I repeated. Monica then flew down from her branch towards me. I responded to this by offering her my left arm, which she made her perch upon.
"I promise", said the three-foot eagle.
"Me, too", said Lucas as he dropped to one knee and bowed. This alone was enough to earn my respect as he was only a human. This was a lot of information to absorb at once, yet he was willing to enlist in this supposed resistance that Monica and Pierce were forming.
"And I promise, too", said Pierce as he opened up his wings and bowed as well.
"Thank you all", I said as I looked over at Monica. The eagle responded by nudging me with her head. I then began petting the side of her neck with my right thumb to thank her further.
"Robin calling Wolfman. Come in, Wolfman", said Robin from my communicator.
"What is it, Robin", I asked him as I pulled out my communicator.
"We need to talk. Meet me on the roof." Robin then hung up without another word. I growled in response to this.
"I hate when he does shit like that."
"Monica then leaves my arm and Changes back to her human form.
"Go, and we'll have to go out for burgers another time."
"You sure?"
"Of course", said Pierce as he too returned to his human form. "It's like you always say, there's strength in numbers."
"And it sounds to me like you can use all the help you can get", added Lucas. I chuckled in response to his comment.
"Goodbye for now, Cuz", said Monica as she opened her arms. I then pulled her in for another hug.
"Be safe, okay", I asked her.
"I will. Now go be a hero", she said as she released me. I then shook Pierce and Lucas' hands, Changed back into my armored form, and began my flight back to Titans Tower.
Once there, I found Robin right where he said he'd be, on the roof. He was looking out over the ocean, with his back turned to me. His cape gave him a dramatic look as it danced in the wind.
"Glad you could make it", said Robin just before turning around to speak to me. I had just come in for a landing and Changed back into my human form at the time.
"No problem. Now what's on your mind?"
"Just wanted to make sure you were okay. You seemed pretty upset when you left, not that I blame you."
"You could say that. Just a lot on my plate at the moment."
"Well, like we keep telling you, you don't have to do it alone. Take it from me, you don't want to take this on by yourself. It will destroy you, drive you insane. You'll end up losing yourself in your rage, until nothing else matters."
"So I've heard", I said in reference to Raven vaguely mentioning that very same thing to me earlier.
"I also wanted to talk to you about Daniels."
"What about him?"
"Though I'm glad that you're a part of this team, I'd be lying if I said that you killing him still didn't bother me."
"I see."
"I need you to promise me that there won't be anymore killing as long as you're a part of this team."
"I regret to inform you, Robin, but I cannot make that promise."
"Why not?"
"I understand that killing is usually an unforgivable act, and that you like many other people have issues with it, but the fact still remains, I'm an Elemental werewolf, and though you don't realize it, that alone means that I have to be a killer in order to survive. My mission is to defend the Earth from evil, and sometimes evil can't simply be locked in a cell. Though I'm aware you don't always agree with my methods, I hope you at least understand that if and when I even consider killing someone, I am doing so as a Titan, and not as an impulsive murderer." Robin hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Alright, I'll trust you to do what is right, but I do have one more request."
"I'm listening." Robin then began walking back towards the doorway that led to the stairs and elevator, so I followed him. We walked down the stairs until we made our way back to the Ops Room. There, the other Titans (from left to right: Raven, Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Starfire) were seated on the couch watching a movie, though Raven was also multitasking as she still was reading a book as she watched. The movie they were watching was the 2010 remake of the classic monster movie, "The Wolfman".
"I'll honor your request and trust your judgment as a Titan, in exchange, I ask that you remember that you're not alone. Your a Teen Titan, which means you're part of a team. We look after each other and we fight together as one, no matter who we have to defeat, or how impossible the challenge. You've already helped us more than once, so let us help you", he said as he offered me his hand. I responded once again by grasping it with my paw.
"Very well, Robin." The two of us then made our way to the couch to meet the others.
"Hey, Cyborg", asked Beast Boy.
"Yeah?"
"What's the difference between a werewolf and a wolfman."
"Well, based on what I've been gathering so far, I'm thinking that the difference might be in their methods of transmutation, or some other key genetic component in their genetic code. Or perhaps some other variable factor in their anatomical makeup in correlation to the Earth's global lunar cycle." Based on Beast Boy's response, it was clear that he either wasn't listening, or he got lost in Cyborg's use of large words.
"Yeah, but what is the difference between a werewolf, and a wolfman", repeated Beast Boy.
"Amateur", I said as I Changed back into my wolf form and jumped over the couch to sit by Raven's feet. ""Werewolf" or "lycanthrope", is a species, "wolfman" is a breed. Actually, as an interesting fun fact, humans have actually managed to recreate how a wolfman both looks and Changes pretty accurately in movies in recent years", I said in reference to the fact that Lawrence Talbot's wolf form looked almost exactly like a younger version of my friend Maury.
"Welcome back", said Cyborg.
"You okay", asked Raven.
"No, I'm not. But I will be", I said as I focussed my aura on Raven behind me, again, as a "thank you" for her concern. "Ever notice how people in movies are always terrible shots", I asked in reference to the fact that Talbot ran straight into a fleet of like twenty armed men, all firing at him, but not one of them managed to shoot him.
"Oh my God", said Cyborg as he watched the scene as well.
"What were they even aiming at", asked Robin as he took a seat next to Starfire.
"He was like three feet in front of you", shouted Beast Boy to the screen. I assume that the others were all focussed on the movie, because Raven then reached her left hand out and petted the back of my head and neck. Though it took every ounce of my being to keep myself from purring, I didn't want the others to hear, I had no shame in wagging my tail in response to her orgasmic fingers. It was like I said, I was going to be fine, and as long as Raven was around, it was true.