[2 Weeks Later]
It has been a rather stressful time here at the Titans' Tower, Exalted Circle. I'm not really sure how to begin.
The plan with Slade went off without a hitch. Terra managed to convince the villain that she is on his side, and we've already gotten a good bunch of information about his plans, including the location of his base. We intend to confront him later this week, but that's not to say that the plan is without complications. Apparently, Slade is building a suit that will enhance Terra's natural abilities, and give her more strength through her powers. The only catch is that he will have control over her body, seeing as the suit will attach to her nervous system. The fight with his robots was intense as I could not blast them with my range weapons without causing severe damage to the Tower itself. I am worried that this suit, if Slade uses it to control her, she cannot be freed from it without causing a lot of damage to her. I know she will fight the effects. But, Robin is reminding us that Slade will have backup plans. We can plan for his alternate plans as well, even if that outs her as a double agent. If we can confront him before this suit is ready, all the better. She has not used her 'safe words' as yet. When that happens, that is our cue to attack and take him down. Hopefully, I will not have to kill the man and Solor agrees with that sentiment. I am ready to do that, though, especially if Solor or I are forced into revealing ourselves to Slade.
However, she has not been in contact lately and missed a report time last night. That is of concern and we're on stand by to go in on a moment's notice. I hope that she is all right, but, I can't sense her from a distance, so, it's anyone's guess.
Honored and most Esteemed members of the Circle. While we have not shown the Titans what we are, I petition for the eventuality that we may need to drop our cover around the Titans as a last resort and I ask that we not be ordered to try to take the Titans down. They are all highly trained, and, know our attacks and how we defend ourselves in our hybrid form. I can assure you that they are well versed in keeping secrets and should they find out the truth about us, that they will not divulge their knowledge to others without express permission. I am respectfully petitioning for a waiver in our laws. I am also requesting another consideration: To teach Maldriin a hybrid form so she can better defend herself. I will understand if permission to all this is denied, though.
Sosfil has been in contact and while I am trying to mend some damaged fences, she is still determined to find cause for the Challenge. That has me concerned. She did actually apologize to me for invading the apartment and explained a little bit why she is so set on being the Heiress of Light. It seems that she was angered, not by Fiilkin, but, by the glares other dragons would send my way when I was a relative teenager. That has humbled me a bit, enough that I am considering that incident closed as forgiven. Yet, I do fear that she will issue the Challenge and demand a Bloodbath to settle the matter.
And if that wasn't enough, Filkiin has reported a Dark Dragon sighting. I was spending an evening with Mally, and while on patrol, he spotted the dragoness spying on me. Though I am disappointed he wasn't able to capture her, he was able to confront her without causing a scene, so for a plus, we have avoided drawing any more attention to ourselves than necessary. I suspect, though, that Solor may have run into the Dark Heiress herself. I pray this is not the case, as I am aware of how dangerous Vilea is capable of being when carrying out a mission. It will be a Dark day in Hades before I let her or other Dark agents near my family. Others have tried and paid with their health.
Exalted Light and Life...I am considering asking Maldriin to accept a formal claim on her. The time we've spent together has convinced me that she could be the one. But, before we approach the Circle formally, I would respectfully ask how you think the Circle would vote and if we should ask now or wait a while longer? Informally, of course, though.
But, back to the subject at hand with Filkiin: I am impressed by the leaps and bounds he has been making in his quest for redemption, and, eventual restoration of his right to enter Lair. While his anger still emerges at times, it is happening far less often. Some of the local villains have started to get the hint that to anger "Solor" is a very bad move. But, Solor is not always goaded into anger. I would say at most, 3 out of 10 times, he allows his annoyance to show. And, maybe 1 out of 10 they see his true anger, even if for a moment. The friendships he has forged with the Titans and the meditation sessions with Raven and myself has had a very positive effect. Oh, don't get me wrong, Beast Boy still manages to get under his hide, but, instead of it being daily or several times a day, it's more like a couple times a week instead. Mainly, I think, because Beast Boy knows I won't put up with it for long as it would undermine my efforts. I've had to pull him aside and let him know that his antics aren't always appreciated and if he undermines my mission, he may not like my own reaction, but, that's neither here nor there.
He is learning the value of being part of a team, something that should he be allowed to take his place among the next class of Heirs, will come in very handy. He is not the most selfish member of the team anymore as a result of his having to adapt to a team mentality, he still can be selfish at times, but, he's got some great examples. It will take more time to get him to really see that humanity has evolved a lot since Lair's failed experiment in revealing ourselves. I really think that there will be a day when we can show our snouts to the world again. At least in the more open-minded countries, not so much places in Africa, let's say.
Usually, Robin will assign him with other members of the team during missions that do not require all of us as well as myself. He sometimes chaffs under Robin or Cyborg, but, he keeps that buried and only gripes to me as the team's counselor. Respectfully, when I wear that hat, I have given him my word in the Name of the Light, that I will keep those between ourselves.
I am thinking that within a year, I may be able to recommend that he be permitted provisional access to Lair. Time will tell, I suppose.
Respectfully submitted,
Kiinum.
Edward printed out the report and put it into an envelope. He was expecting to see Mally that evening anyway but, only long enough for her to get the report as she was taking care of some other business. He would have to make sure to ask her not to read this one, though. He did not want her knowing that he was seriously thinking about asking her to be his mate. He had asked the only other female on the team that knew his secret what she thought and Raven, for her, was rather thrilled and told him that if he didn't ask her to marry him, she'd have to send him to the Trash Hole for a while.
Needless to say, Edward got the hint pretty fast.
He would wait until their next date night to ask...
[Three days later.]
[Titan Training Grounds]
Jason let out a low breath, looking at his target. The Titans had designed this "shooting range" to help determine how much power was being output into their attacks. It was, honestly, only useful to Cyborg and Starfire in order to keep an eye on how much they were exerting themselves, but Solor found another use. He was learning how effective his abilities were, as fighting in this hybrid form was still a learning experience.
So, when no one else was in here, he tended to practice with his Blessing of Light, in hopes of building up his stamina so that he wouldn't use it only as a last resort. True, there wasn't much practical use for it, but since that Dark dragoness made herself known, he couldn't help but feel a bit paranoid.
After gauging how much energy he needed to output, Solor activated his Blessing, his scales growing and beginning to shine with that Light. He took aim, deciding to hold the beam for ten seconds and see how it affected him. One more breath attack, and ten seconds later, a burn mark the size of a quarter was left on the target... with two lines burning around it and hitting the wall as well, leaving considerable damage. Once the attack was done, Jason immediately deactivated his scales, walking over to look at the damage.
"Well, I don't feel as drained as I was before... that's a good sign." He looked at the burn marks and the target as well, assessing his attack's remnants. "Not nearly close to full power, but I can at least last longer if I don't go full Blessing..." He decided to check the readings, eying them carefully. After reading the output, he couldn't help but raise a brow at the history of his readings.
"Gradually rising... even tiny, nearly negligible changes... no matter what I try, my Breath attack seems to be getting stronger..." That put a frown on his face. "Why? I am nearly full grown. Why is my power still rising?" He gave a sigh. "I'll need Edward to ask father... perhaps a 'gift' from our ancestors?"
"Ask father about what?" Solor heard as Edward had come in.
"Take a look at this," Solor replied showing Edward the results. That got Edward to raise an eyebrow.
"Was this with or without your Blessing?" he asked.
"With the Blessing," Solor replied, "I've been training myself to use it longer without tiring as easily. I'm no good in a hard battle if I use the blessing and I run out of stamina too soon."
"Logical," Edward said, "and correct. When I discovered that I had all the blessings, each one would tire me out at different rates, so, like you, I would slowly increase the amount time I could use them and now, after so long, I can use them as needed for as long as necessary.
"I do see where your overall power is increasing as a result. It's only a few percentage points above our baselines. I think because we're both descended from the First Light is the reason. Would you like me to include this with my report that Mally will be picking up tomorrow?"
"Please do," Solor replied, "I am concerned."
"Don't be," Edward said, "You're not quite 750 yet, so, some further strengthening is possible, I think. I will ask Father and get his advice as well as the rest of the Circle. Even Grand Death does take the time to answer my questions fairly."
Edward reset the machine for his baseline and said, "Watch."
He went to his hybrid form and activated his own Blessing of Light, causing Solor to have to shield his eyes for a moment until Edward lowered the output a bit.
He fired his own laser breath at the replaced target and while the target was damaged, it wasn't quite blown apart.
A few seconds later and the glow faded.
The readings showed that Edward was also a bit above his baseline, getting another raised eyebrow.
"Interesting. I was shooting to stay at the baseline and, this shows that even at a low level of power with the Blessing, it's gotten more powerful as well," the older Dragon said.
He put up a new target and set the device to account for his lightning breath. He fired and as soon as the ringing in their ears stopped, Edward went over and checked.
"Oh my," Edward said, "My powers are still increasing, looks like. Looks like I have the same questions as you."
"Great", Solor said with a sigh. "Looks like Father needs to look back at the Crystals, and see if we can get an answer to that question." He shook his head. "But I suppose that's not here or now. Have you heard from Terra? She's a little late with her report, isn't she?"
Edward frowned, "That she is. I wonder if Slade's suspicious of her or he's giving her additional instructions. She hasn't triggered her safe phrase as yet. And I haven't sensed a sudden spike of fear within 20 miles, well, none that aren't the result of someone suddenly fearing for their life cause of a mastermind being pissed off."
"Not a good sign then", Solor stated, bringing a claw to his chin. "Unfortunately I'm useless there... I'm waiting to be given the okay to rush in and kick some butt, I'm useless when it comes to the planning for this stuff."
"You'll get a chance," Edward said, "You did well helping to fend off Slade's robots, and, we'll be the ones to go in to extract Terra. He will not be happy at all when he discovers his agent has been doubled. I fear he will try to murder her in cold blood. That, brother I. WILL. NOT. ALLOW!" His eyes glowed red for a moment before he calmed himself.
"Sorry," he said a moment later.
"You're talking to the Heir Potential that got temporarily exiled for his anger", Solor said. "I don't hold it against you, Brother. Plus, I think your time with Mally is helping you. You seem to be more relaxed the longer you spend time with her." His eyes then flashed a bit in green. "And believe me, Edward... I have no intention of letting ANY of the team die. I will not allow Slade to have his way."
"I have to set the example," Edward explained, "If I allow my own temper to erupt, it could undermine the whole mission to help you return to Lair and prove that Oblivion damned Grand Death a thing or two. I still want to see him kissing my tail someday before the ceremony to replace him is held. But, other than that, I am glad to see that we are in automatic agreement on protecting Terra or anyone on the team. This is progress, man. Would you have thought this way when I came to get you?"
"Possibly not", Solor said with a sigh. "I think not long ago... I wouldn't have considered trying to protect any human... not even Raven the night that I met the Titans..."
"This is the results I have been wanting," Edward said, "And what the Circle is wanting as well. When you are elevated to Grand Light, you will be part of a team with an incredible duty to maintain the Balance. And, Brother, you will be elevated to that position someday, I will see to that personally. I respect Sosfil's position, and, well, I would hope that you'd agree that her underlying reason of righting wrongs against me are honorable. But, that's irrelevant right now.
"And, yeah, being with Mally is helping me a lot. I've noticed I am slower to get annoyed when she's around. I just hope that she is not being harassed over how she feels towards me. I am going to ask her the Big Question pretty soon, I think."
"Really? Congratulations!" Jason said, actually surprising his brother by pulling him into a hug. He gave a smile as he pulled back. "I knew she won you over after the first day we met her. I was hoping she was the one for you."
"She doesn't know when I will do that, though," he said, "I know that we don't really place much into the giving of rings...but, I am wishing I had an emerald to give her as a ring."
Solor smiled, "Stay here for a few minutes."
He left and Edward wondered what Solor had in mind.
Solor came back and said, "Hold out your hand." Edward did and Solor dropped a flawless emerald into the outstretched hand.
"Don't argue," Solor said, "I am giving you one of my own gemstones. Just make her happy is all I ask in return."
"Brother... you'd give me one of these?" Edward asked. "But... they're precious to you. These are the only things you brought from home."
"They are indeed precious to me... but they aren't mine", Solor said with a small smile. "They are from Kreinkiin." He let out a sigh. "If anything... he would want you to have this. He would be happy, even alongside the First, to see that you have found someone to give your heart to."
"Kreinkiin gave you these?" Edward said, shocked, "Filkiin, I am speechless, for once. I am humbled and honored. Thank you."
Solor nodded, "I said that they are his. Just treat her like a queen is all I require in return."
"She'll love this," Edward said as he examined the cut gemstone. He knew that Solor did not have any diamonds, but, that didn't worry Edward. She'd want the emerald more than anything else regardless.
That was when Solor's communicator sounded off, and he looked at the call. He raised an eyebrow, before opening the device. "What's up, Beast Boy?" he asked, concerned. "You tend to avoid calling me."
The changeling, meanwhile, looked a bit upset. "Um, I know that I'm not smart, but I think Terra's in trouble. She hasn't contacted me in a long time, and I just got a message from her."
That gave Edward a red flag, and he took the communicator. "What does it say? Is it in english?"
"No, it isn't", Beast Boy confirmed. "I'm not good with other languages... but I think it says 'Rut daal hofkiin'."
The two dragons turned to each other, already knowing what that phrase meant. "I'll get a head start", Solor said. "You gather the rest of the team and meet me there, since you're their fastest mode of transportation."
"I should probably try to convince you otherwise, but since Terra's been adamant about not wanting to use that phrase, something really bad must've happened", Edward confirmed. "You have the coordinates on your communicator?"
"Downloaded the minute we got them in her reports", the younger brother said. He already shifted to his hybrid form, rushing for the exit. He was the fastest flier of the team, and with Edward needing to teleport the rest of the Titans, they both knew it would probably come to this.
"Computer, Sound the general alarm!" Edward said into the nearest voice interface. The alarm sounded and red lights started flashing.
"Terra's in trouble," Edward announced as the team gathered, "She sent Beast Boy the 'safe phrase' I gave her."
As soon as he got outside, Solor flapped his wings hard, launching into the air at a breakneck speed. A simple tilt in the air, and he was already on his way to the base hidden in the dormant volcano, scanning the mountain face for the entrance. After not seeing one for a moment, the bronze dragon lost his patience and broke through the stony cliffs, breaking inside and, fortunately, landing smack dab in the center of the lair.
And there he was. Deathstroke the Terminator, aka Slade Wilson, standing in all of his 'glory'. His eye glared from behind that orange mask, and Solor wanted nothing more than to smash him right then and there.
"It's good to finally meet you, Solor", Slade said, his voice icy and proud. "Terra has told me a lot about you."
"Where is she?" Solor asked with a growl.
"Right here... safe and sound... for the most part." A beam of light shone down from above, showing the bound geomancer. Solor could hardly recognize her; she had bruises all over her exposed skin, cuts and scrapes. And from what he could tell, a good chunk of them were fresh.
"So you found out that she was a spy", Slade said with malice dripping from his tone. "And attempted to flip her over, and have her spy on me instead. It would've worked... if I hadn't taught her everything she knows about betrayal."
The dragon let out a snarl, his tail slamming against the stony ground and causing a crack. "You disgusting monster... how dare you?! She is only a child!"
"A child? Please... she is no more a child than you are a monster", Slade refuted. "She knew full well what she was getting herself into. And she knew what would happen if she betrayed me. And she's the one who decided to try and pull it off. She can't use the 'ignorant victim' card against me."
Solor snarled, shifting into a battle stance. His claws lengthened in the cave's light, gleaming like knives. "I should kill you where you stand, Slade. You dared to hurt my family, and you mock and spit on them."
"Family?" Slade said with a scoff. "What do you know about family?"
"More than enough", Solor said.
"Then why did you let your brother die?"
Those words struck Solor's heart, and an icy chill flowed through his veins. He stared at the masked man. "W-what...? H-how-"
"I have my ways... Filkiin, Heir Potential", Slade said. "I have friends in very... very dark places. And they know all about you and your brother, Kiinnum. And they told me an interesting tidbit about your twin, Krein."
The anger began to boil inside of the bronze dragon, who was doing his best not to fall for the taunt. "Slade... you will regret what you say next if you do not choose your words very carefully", he said with a snarl, his eyes slowly changing to a red color.
"They told me how you were tricked into being used as bait for him", Slade continued. "The time you had to kill your friends. They found out what you were, and overpowered you so they could lure their prey. And of course they were successful; the moment Krein saw you bound and gagged, he came immediately to rescue you. Like he always did."
"SLADE, YOU WILL BE SILENCED IF YOU-!"
"But you couldn't be saved... because you weren't the target. And you watched as the leader of that squad beheaded your twin", Slade finished, bringing up those painful memories that he had done his best to shut out. "And no matter how hard you try, no matter how many humans you killed to avenge your brother... you know that he would hate you for letting him be killed like that."
Solor's roar echoed through the cave, full of malice and sorrow as he charged at the mercenary. With all of his power, he could cleave the human in two no problem. But his anger made him telegraph his movements, and Deathstroke was easily able to move around his attacks, countering with his own punches and kicks. The more Solor fought, the more animalistic he became, both in his fighting style and his appearance. He wanted Slade dead, even if it meant falling for the taunt and showing the man what he truly was.
Meanwhile, moments before, Raven tapped Edward's back as they flew to the mountain. Without knowing exactly where he could end up, Edward knew he had to fly rather than teleport, lest someone get stuck in a cliff wall. [Something's wrong. I'm sensing huge spikes of anger from Solor. Whatever's going on has him MAD.]
[All I need to know, then,] Edward said, his eyes glowed green, of all colors as he reached out with his empathic senses to their limit and finally tapping into what Solor was seeing.
[My god!] Edward exclaimed, [Slade has Terra and has hit the one spot in Solor that will cause him to lose all control.]
[Solor! Calm yourself! You are going to make mistakes in your anger and get Terra killed! I'm on my way. Do not tell Slade that backup is coming.]
[He knows how our brother died!] Solor wailed.
[I see. Then, he knows about us.] Edward said and knew what must be done.
"Robin," Edward warned, "Slade may die, here and now. He knows about my people and wouldn't hesitate to tell the world. I am sorry about this, but, there may be no choice. I'm seeing that he has badly hurt Terra through Solor's eyes. Yes, that's how close he and I are."
"Do what you gotta do," Robin agreed after a moment's thought, "It must be important for you to go to great lengths to keep this secret."
"I do have a request in with my leadership to let you all in on the secret," Edward said, "There's a chance that I can prevail upon them to grant this favor, seeing how I am doing this whole redemption thing as a favor to them.
"Hold on, I am opening a Tear of Oblivion."
He chanted the words to open the portal and as there was an end point, they flew through it.
Solor was still trying to fight, but, his anger was so immense that Slade saw every move coming.
Edward landed and the team got off, Slade being focused on attacking Solor.
He went over to Terra, who looked at him sadly, one eye swollen shut and a collar around her neck.
He reached up and snapped the chain like it was a thread. That got Slade's attention as he did a backflip to land near the Team.
"So...the hybrid has arrived," Slade sneered.
"You might say that," Edward said calmly, "Then again, what do you know about where I come from?"
"Like I told your brother, Kiinnum, I have friends in some Dark Places who gave me a lot of information on you as well. Like how you were rejected until recently. How everyone feared you, especially after you rebuffed one too many Dark offers and one of their agents was badly beaten. In fact, he didn't survive long after he was recovered," Slade said, "What you didn't know is that you killed an Heir Potential. Yes, he was one of the sons of Oblann, just not the Worldeater."
Edward said, "So what? Oblaan, the Traitor of the Circle, has made many efforts to sway me. He should have known that I cannot be swayed. Thing is Slade Wilson. You know too much about my people. Prepare to die."
That said Edward morphed to his battle form with one exception: A pair of deadly looking horns as well as his first three headed form that the Titans had seen. Unlike Mally's use of her arms, Edward's practice had finally paid off.
"Three Heads?" Robin said in surprise.
The head closest to Terra appraised her wounds and said, "Raven, get her to the Tower."
"Uh uh," Slade said, holding a remote control, "You try to remove her, I press this button and the collar she is wearing will send a fatal current through her body."
Edward's body appeared to turn a sick gray color as his appearance became almost skeletal.
The left and right heads moved to the side.
[Cover your ears,] all three said to Raven, [In fact, use your soul self to cover the team. I will heal any harm to you.]
Raven chanted her mantra as a triple roar was released of such intensity that Slade yelled in agony before he collapsed. He didn't get a chance to press the button as the device itself was tossed. He was being subjected to the Blessing of Death, Edward's deadliest attack. It was so powerful that even though Slade was the target, the high decibel roar that siphoned Slade's strength was still enough to cause harm with the others, so, despite his desire to kill the man, as Dragon Law demanded, he had to stop after a two second blast to protect the others. He would deal with whatever the Circle decreed later on.
Edward's form reverted back to normal, albeit with three heads still.
Reven's shell had, indeed, cracked a little under the strain, but, unlike before, she was unharmed as it collapsed, releasing the team.
Solor had seen his brother accessing the Blessing of Death and covered his ears the best he could.
Edward walked over to Slade and said, "Raven, please take you Cyborg and Terra to the Tower and start treatment."
"Dawg," Cyborg said, "We can't move Terra. She's too badly injured. Slade has caused severe internal injuries."
That got a snarl out of Edward's three heads.
"I took an oath to kill this man if he harmed Terra," he said, "Yet, death for him will be a reward. I will know all that he knows before exposing him to the world then, getting my government's permission to banish him from this plane of existence or maybe send him to a distant time where he cannot affect human history since where I would send him would predate life itself. Then again, I have to turn this matter over to my leaders, Robin. I can predict what they will say: Execution."
"Shouldn't our laws have any sway?" Robin asked.
"Let's see," Edward's center head said, pondering the idea, "We got him on felony assault, assault with intent to do great bodily harm, attempted murder of the Teen Titans, use of a weapon of mass destruction, attempted destruction of the Titan Tower, and, statutory Rape and possible Mann Act."
Beast Boy's jaw hit the floor, "Statutory Rape?! Mann Act?!"
"I am afraid so, BB," Edward said softly, "She was too ashamed to tell you. Please, don't hold against her, man. We're here for you as well, you green goof-ball."
Solor held up the comatose Slade with a snarl on his face. He said nothing, but the anger was very evident.
Edward's other heads melded back and he rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, I can't do that for too long right now.
"Robin, Slade will be out for several hours. Had I used the full Blessing of Death, he wouldn't have been able to yell as his life force would have been instantly snuffed out. It would have also killed Jason and especially Terra."
"Then we'll take him to the Tower for now.", Robin said, walking over and cuffing Slade's hands and legs together. "Is there anything you can do for Terra?"
"I do have another blessing, but I'll be exhausted after I'm done", Edward stated. He glanced over at his brother.
"I will aid you in returning to the tower", Solor said with a repressed growl. "Just help our friend."
The hybrid nodded, stepping over to Terra. Now his scales began glowing again, this time in a shade of green. He brought his hands to her face first, and everyone was astonished to see how quickly he was able to heal the bruises and cuts. Once her eye wasn't swollen anymore, she blinked, looking over to him.
"Scales..." she said in a pained tone.
"Easy, T, you've still got internal damage", Edward responded. "I can heal most of it, but you might be out of commission for a while."
"Better... than a... punching bag..." The geomancer said with a smile. "Thank you... Edward..."
While Edward worked on healing the blonde, Raven found her way over to Solor. She wouldn't even bother asking if he was okay; it was obvious he wasn't. He was glaring at Slade, clenching his claw into a fist, almost pressing into his palm. With a calming breath, she placed her hand on his shoulder, and instinctively he almost shrugged her off. She could feel him tense under her palm... but after a moment, he relaxed a bit, accepting her touch.
"He should die", Solor stated.
"He will, but your leaders need to decide first", Raven commented. "They're in charge of his punishment."
"He knows our secrets."
"Secrets that the world doesn't know," Edward added.
"... he recited, word for word, how my twin brother died."
At that, her fingers flinched a tiny bit. Slade knew something about Solor's past? Something he hadn't even shared with her? For a moment, she could barely contain her Rage, now wanting to hurt that despicable, vile man for hurting her sort-of boyfriend, but she needed to be his anchor. "... if you want to talk to me about it later, you can", she offered. "But we need to wait to hear from your people before it's decided what to do."
The monotone voice would have probably put off anyone else, but to the Heir Potential, it was comforting. Slowly, he relaxed, finally letting the tension in his shoulders pass and unclenching his fist. He still didn't like being unable to exact his own justice, but he knew the Circle would not be lenient, no matter how they decided.
Meanwhile, Edward had stabilized Terra to where she could be transported to the Tower. Her injuries were still pretty bad, and, because he wasn't Grand Life, she would need multiple treatments plus plenty of bedrest.
"I've done all I can for a little while, T," he said. You will need to have several bones reset. I merely stabilized you enough to be moved."
He had to sit down, as the Blessing of Life was, indeed, draining. He gave instructions to the team in how to move her and opened a Tear to the Tower's medical bay. Cyborg and Beast Boy went through and got a stretcher and several splints before returning.
They also brought some morphine to dull the girl's pain.
He was also concerned for Solor. He knew how Kreinkiin was murdered, but, not the underlying "Why".
"Robin," Edward requested, "I would like to interrogate Slade before we take him to our homeland for trial. As much as I would love to hand him to the FBI, my leaders will have to decide how best to deal with him. Unless he agrees to a mind wipe of the memories of what he was told to preserve our secret, you will probably never see him again. My leadership will order his execution. That's how serious this is to my people. We do not treat human lives as something to be carelessly thrown aside, though.
"Friends, my people do not make is a habit to be cold-blooded killers. It pains me knowing that there are times when we must impose our laws over those of humanity, writ large. This is one of those times, I think.
"I suspect that the Circle will eventually allow Solor and I to tell you our secret in the near future."
Robin nodded, "I understand, Unity. I know that everyone wants to know where you got all these powers from, but, let's handle our business here."
Edward said to Raven, "You'll need to levitate Terra onto the stretcher, please. Make sure that her broken bones are not jostled."
She complied and Terra was carefully moved to the stretcher.
Edward went to remove the collar and Cyborg said, "Let me scan it first, dawg."
He did and his face fell, "It's boobytrapped. We try to remove it and it will blow her head off."
"We just can't leave her like this," Beast Boy objected.
Edward walked over to the fallen remote and it was a simple device. It had a small keyboard as well as a green light, indicating that it was unlocked
The device was a pin encoded device that still had the code input. There was a button that showed that the collar was in an armed state and Edward typed in "disarm" and was greeted by a prompt to confirm the selection. Edward pressed "Y" and the collar was disarmed.
Edward tried to type in "Remove" but, didn't have to as Cyborg had been able to do that.
"Put that collar on Slade," Edward said, "See how he likes it."
Solor stepped forward. "Allow me. I'm likely not to be welcomed back home, seeing as I'm still in exile." After a nod, the collar was placed in Solor's claws, where he moved to place it on the mastermind's neck. As soon as it was fastened, though, his claw lashed out, and the team flinched, but no blood was shed; all that happened was Slade's mask was destroyed, cut cleanly in two to reveal his grizzled, war-scarred face and white goatee and hair. The dragon let out a huff, smoke pouring out of his nose before he headed to Terra, looking over to Cyborg and Beast Boy. "Let's get Terra back to the tower", he growled, not wanting to stay in the cave anymore.
With that, the team left, taking one badly injured Titan and one prisoner who would wish for death when all was said and done.
[Four hours Later]
Terra had been diagnosed with a broken Tibia, three broken ribs, a partially collapsed lung and several other severe injuries. As Edward and Cyborg worked on setting the bones, it was obvious that she would have to be partially stripped to get a chest cast put on her.
"I'm sorry, Terra," Edward said, "But, to put you into this cast, you have to be totally topless. I have seen breasts before, though, so, please, don't be too embarrassed."
She snorted, "Do what you have to do, Edward, but, I want Cyborg to leave." She winced in pain, wishing that Edward could have healed her completely.
"Would you like Raven or Starfire to help me, then? I will need the extra set of arms," Edward said.
"Starfire's said that on her world, modesty is not a problem," Cyborg said, "I'll have her come in and she'll be discrete as well."
He left and while they waited, Edward administered another 1/4 grain of morphine.
Starfire entered and said, "You need my assistance, Friend Edward?"
"That I do," Edward said, "I will have to remove Terra's top and undergarments to apply a torso cast. this will protect her from further injury and her broken ribs as well."
Starfire got to work and grabbing the scissors carefully cut off Terra's top and bra. She gasped seeing the fading bruises.
"It was probably a lot worse looking," Edward said, "I merely sped up the healing process a bit. Once she's had time to heal more, I can finish the job."
It was deemed too risky for Edward to use his healing touch further and he would have to allow her to heal normally for a week to ten days before he would finish the process.
After all first aid moves were finished and she was in a full cast Edward stepped back and said, "She's young, so, she should physically bounce back. Mentally, though, I don't know."
Terra said, "You know I'm right here, correct? Please, tell me how bad he beat me."
"Terra," Edward said, "You were almost beaten to death. You will recover, though, but, you're on the DL until further notice. You had several broken bones and severe internal damage.
"Why didn't you defend yourself?"
"I tried," was the sad reply, "The suit had not been perfected, yet, but, when I balked at using it, he got suspicious and grew angry. He was furious that I did not wish to wear something that would take complete control over my body and discovered the bracelet. I barely had time to whisper the safe phrase when he stepped out for a few moments. But, he was able to attack me before I really could use my powers and when he put that Collar on me, my powers disappeared. Leaving me defenseless."
"So, he realized that you had become a double-agent," Edward said, "I promise, T...you will never have to worry about him again. When you are released back to your room to recover, I suspect that we all will be stopping by to give you whatever morale support you need." That got a smile out of the wounded warrior.
That was when his communicator chirped, and upon opening it, he was surprised to see Mally's face on the other side. "Hey, uh, Edward? Do you think your tower's alarm will react to... um... tears in reality?"
"... what's going on?" he asked, looking worried.
"Well, your reports have been filled to the brim with not only what's going on with Jason, but also... the Titans... and with your request... they want to determine their worth themselves", Mally said, slightly panicking. "Edward... the Circle is coming to visit you... like, RIGHT NOW."
That was when the alarm began to blare, the red lights filling the tower rooms.
"Computer, Cancel alarm! Authorization Barnes 7 Alpha 95" Edward shouted, "They are friendlies." The computer's recent upgrades cancelled the alert and Edward said, "Sorry, T. I gotta handle this." He muttered several choice words in different languages, mainly because he didn't want to cuss in English in front of Terra.
He ran out towards ops where the Titans were ready to deal with the invaders.
"Titans! Do not attack! These folks are the members of the Circle...My government and clan heads," Edward called out, "They are here to follow up on my request to allow you to know the secret."
"Stand down," Robin said as he put his staff away. The others complied as well.
"Exalted Circle," Edward said humbly as he averted his gaze and kneeling, "Welcome to Titan Tower. My apologies for the alarms and stuff."
His father stepped forward first, looking the same as he did almost a year ago. "It is alright, my son. We figured, going into a super-hero base, there'd be some complications. I am glad you were here to negate any conflict before anyone jumped to conclusions." He placed a hand on Edward's shoulder, giving a proud smile. "It is good to see you. You don't have to kneel." He then turned to Solor, who had knelt down and closed his eyes. "You are free to stand, Jason. You are not being judged."
The younger brother opened one eye, looking at the visitors. "I think Grand Death would disagree with you."
Grand Death gave a hoarse chuckle, his large stomach shaking with that laugh. He looked like a very friendly old man, his face wrinkled and smile lines adorning his face; very off putting from his original form. "What do you know; he's learned some respect in the time that he's been gone. Mayhaps I was wrong about him, Sol; perhaps your son can find worth over his sister."
Edward couldn't help but glare at the old man, but said nothing. Grand Life, meanwhile, slapped her bony hand against his shoulder, giving a glare. "Enough, Grand Death. You don't need to take a jab at the boy whenever you see him. He's being punished enough as it is."
The older woman merely chuckled again, while she stepped forward, bowing her head. "I am terribly sorry for our sudden visit, Titans. But after hearing so much about you... and our child's request to tell you our secret, something that has almost never been asked before... we felt it necessary to introduce ourselves. I am Grand Life. You've met my daughter, Mally."
The Titans were eying the group with wary expressions. Considering that their personalities did not match how they looked, they weren't sure how to react. Beast Boy shook out of it first. "You're Mally's mom? Uh... no offense, but you look more like-" That was when his mouth was covered by Solor's claw, keeping him from finishing that sentence.
Grand Life laughed at that, smiling wide. "It's alright, child, I know I don't look like I'm young enough to be her mother right now. Considering I'm only a thousand years older than Edward himself, I don't blame you."
That caused their eyes to widen. "Older than... you're more than 3000 years old?" Raven asked, flabbergasted.
"4075, to be exact", she responded, winking. "And still young enough to cause some mischief every now and then."
Grand Fire stepped forward next. He had opted for a lithe form and short, scarlet hair, with no facial hair on his jawline. He observed Starfire carefully, moving all around her. "Interesting... I never knew there were mortals on other worlds... especially ones that could fly."
"It is natural to my people", Starfire replied. "I simply have to feel the joy of flight, and I can move through the air as easily as I could walk."
"A spirited one", Fire laughed, giving a smile. "And a burning spirit, at that. I like this one."
"Calm down, Brother", came a smooth, elegant voice, and the Titans turned to a young woman with long, flowing blue hair. She was wearing an elegant dress that pooled at her feet. "She might burn with that spirit you seek, but she is still a mortal. Don't go planning to share our secret just yet."
At that, Solor's eyes widened. "Wait... you're actually considering it?"
"Of course we are", Sol said, looking to his youngest son. "You've been living with these people for months, and I'm certain they deduced from day one that you are not normal. Edward has kept us filled in on what's been going on in this tower, and after hearing that this team understands the importance of secrets, from their own true identities, to the identities of many heroes, such as Superman and Batman... it is possible that we can trust them. Only, however... if we deem them worthy."
The last member, the mountain of a man, stepped forward. His yellow eyes caught Edward's, and he gave a low grunt. "Edward Barnes... you have requested that we allow them to learn our secret. This is not sought out lightly, so we must ask... why do you think they are worthy?"
Edward said, "Honorable Circle, up until now, I have myself wondered who among the humans of this world would be the most open minded about who we really are. This team has proven to me and to Jason that they are the most open minded. Here, we have several walks of life. Robin, the team leader, does not possess any superhuman abilities, yet, is a born leader. He was the ward of a very rich man and was able to get trained by the Batman. He fights for what is right and honorable. His fighting skills, even I have rarely come across.
"Cyborg is half man, half machine, having been injured and for most of his teenaged life, hid what he is. That is until he met the team who said that they did not care what he looks like on the outside. Since assuming this mantle of being one of the city's protectors, he has found acceptance.
"You should have seen Mally's reaction to Beast Boy. She sees what I see: While not the most tactful of the bunch, under this green skin lies the true heart of what we are about. He's got a big strong heart for being here and for wanting to be with Terra. She is recovering from a brutal attack from the Slade Wilson I mentioned recently. I will reserve some time shortly to inform the Circle of a related problem.
"Starfire of the planet Tamaran is certainly worthy. She is actually a member of their Royal Family and every day, she has shown, time and time again, that she has earned the trust of the entire team. I trust her with my very life, Exalted Circle, and she trusts me with her life in return.
"Raven is a very unique person. She has found a way to harness her inner Darkness and works daily for the side of the Light. She makes her demon heritage work with her human side, and, has shown me that she is extremely worthy and worthy of our trust.
"Finally, there's Terra. Like I said, she's in our medical bay beginning a slow path of healing. She suffered many internal injuries that even I could not fully heal. She was an agent of this Slade - a prisoner in a secure room in this very building - until we discovered her actions and turned her into a double agent. While she was permitted and encouraged to relay reports to him, she was telling us everything we needed to know. Except for one thing that according to what I pieced together a short while ago...the man knows about us from a Traitor from the Dark Lair. He knows about how my half-brother, Kreinkiin was cut down."
Jason said, "If I am permitted to speak?"
Earth said, "Proceed."
"It is true that Slade knows about our people. For all I know, he has been talking to the Traitor's daughter," he said, "Slade is a dangerous human in all senses of the word. He knew exactly what led to my brother's decapitation and, there's not many who would have had such intimate details. He knows almost everything about Edward and myself and should he be allowed to escape punishment, even if no one else believes him, he will continue to terrorize Edward and myself with just knowing that he could cause far more harm to everyone in this room than our failed experiment at revealing ourselves. I will admit that this team has proven their worth to me."
The Circle all looked at each other, determining their decision. Grand Death decided to break the silence first. "If this... Slade is as big a threat as you claim... then why is he not dead instead of simply imprisoned?" He snorted in annoyance, a puff of smoke escaping him. "Is it not our laws that determine any human who discovers our secret is to be executed immediately?"
"Honorable Grand Death," Edward said, "We only captured him a few hours ago and I wished to learn all that he knows about us. He will be executed in accordance with our laws. It is his choice to determine if he is granted a quick death or if he dies slowly and painfully. That said, if he is to die, here and now, I will administer the Blessing of Death and forgo finding out how he discovered us in the first place.
"Had I used the Blessing of Death at its full power, I would have likely killed everyone else, so, I was forced to use enough to put Slade into a deep sleep."
Grand Death seemed to accept that answer, but his smile was gone now, as a cold glare formed on his face. The rest of the Circle nodded, looking at the Titans. Fire looked over to Sol. "What do you say, Grand Light? Are they worthy?"
Sol looked at them all, especially Raven. She could feel his presence brush against hers, getting a taste of who she was. He gave a grunt, before closing his eyes. "They... are indeed. I will grant my sons permission to share this secret... after we have dealt with this Slade Wilson ourselves. Once we have determined what he knows of us... Filkiin, you will be granted with the honor of killing him."
Solor's eyes widened, not only at his father's declaration, but also at being given the opportunity to finish off Slade. He bowed his head again. "You honor us, Father. Thank you."
Edward kept a neutral look upon his face as he said, "As you wish."
"Wait", Robin spoke up, catching their attention. "Slade is a criminal that my team has been hunting for a long time. He's a despicable person... but is there any way that we can keep him incarcerated instead of killing him? We could find a way to-"
"I understand your desire to not kill... to not be responsible for not taking another life", Sol said. "However... if he knows how Kreinkiin has died, and used that against my son... that is a very... very personal matter that no mortal should know of at this time. Not even Edward knows the exact details." Raven shuddered as she could feel the hidden rage underneath Sol's demeanor. "He has, no doubt, allied himself with our enemies... and we show no mercy to those who seek to destroy us."
"Robin," Edward said, "Please accept this. It's for the best. I am currently a soldier for my homeland and while I do at times have the Circle's attention, most of our laws outdate even the earliest laws of humanity. I speak for myself, but, I would absolve the Titans of all responsibility for Slade Wilson't fate. I hold no fault in this team. Slade made his decision, now, he will be sent to the flames of the First's rage for his choice. There's a reason that I do not have the full details and that was probably the Circle decreeing that it is 'Most Secret-Need to know'. That is a guess, though.
"Honorable Circle, I am not asking for mercy for this monster, and I do not desire to be seen as weak for wanting to know how he got this information. Raven and I both sensed Jason's rage skyrocketing and that told me that it had to be a very personal blow as his rage has not been seen since I collected him. So, yes, I agree that my brother should be permitted to kill Slade in whatever manner is decreed. Let the man die the death you decree."
Sol nodded. "Then we are in agreement of both matters, correct?" When no one voiced any objections, he nodded in affirmation. "Kiinnum... your request is granted. Filkiin... come with us. Let us determine how Slade learned of this information... and possibly tell him his foolishness for believing the Dark wished to aid him, if that is what he believed."
Solor stood up, walking to join his father. He turned back to Edward. "You mind waiting for my return? I'd rather see their faces when they hear what we truly are."
"Of course", Edward responded, nodding his head. "Give him one from me, Brother."
The Heir Potential nodded, before motioning the Circle to follow him, and one by one, the entirety of the Circle followed Solor out of the ops center, ready to serve justice to Slade.
Once they arrived, Solor walked forward, smacking Slade's face to awaken him. The mercenary let out a grunt, waking up and glaring with his one eye. He looked at the strangers around him, before figuring out who they were.
"The Exalted Circle", he said with a sneer. "You humble me with your presence."
"Slade Wilson", Sol said. "I am certain that you know why we are here."
"My death, I presume", he responded, clenching his fists. "After all... I know so much about your sons and your people. And your laws dictate that I should die for knowing this."
"For a mortal facing death, you are awfully calm", Grand Death said.
"Because my allies told me this would happen. I have no reason to be afraid", Slade responded. "Either I live or die every day. I suppose my luck has simply run out."
"Indeed it has. Do you think your 'allies' are coming to help you?" Grand Fire asked. "Do you think they care whether you live or die?"
"I assume not", Slade affirmed. "But I am certain that, since your son is now a hero..."
"I am your executioner, Slade", Solor interrupted. He stepped forward, his claws being placed on the human's neck. "I am a dragon first. And you hurt me in a way no other can. I will only ask once. How did you know how my brother died?"
Slade was silent, looking up at the bronze dragon with defiance in his eyes. Solor looked back to the Circle. "I assume that you don't actually care how he learned about us. May I proceed?"
To Slade's widening eye, the Circle nodded. "How he learned is irrelevant. Who he learned it from is unimportant", Grand Life said. "Execute him."
"With pleasure", Solor said, reaching back with his claw. He leaned forward, whispering into Slade's ear. "I hope that, wherever the Alpha sends you... your afterlife is filled with misery and despair. For Kreinkiin ...and Terra!"
With that, his claw struck down, and Slade let out one final scream. The claw struck Slade in the heart and his scream was silenced.
The body shook for a moment as his nervous system spasmed the now dead corpse.
"It is done," Solor said, "I release his body to you for disposal. Whatever he learned is gone with him to the Flames of the First. Terra's also been avenged and I will not sing for Slade." He loosened the bonds that were no longer necessary.
The Circle nodded, with Grand Death stepping forward and taking the body from it's bonds. "We will see ourselves out, Filkiin", Grand Fire said. "Tell your brother it has been good to see him."
"I shall", Solor said, bowing his head. "May the First be with you."
"May the First favor you", Grand Water responded, as a Tear opened up behind them. Just like that, any evidence of Slade or the Circle was gone. Solor began walking back, thinking back to what had happened and what he would tell the team when the big reveal came. He stopped to wipe the blood off his talons. His aim had been true and there was, oddly enough, very little blood where Slade met his doom.
He returned to Ops and said, "It is over. Slade will be buried by the Circle. My brother's memory has been avenged, as was Terra. Grand Fire says it was good to see you again, Edward.
"Shall we retire to the Med Bay, though? I want to see how Terra responds."
"I hope that no one outside the Tower finds out, Solor," Robin said, "I mean about what happened to Slade."
"You did not witness his death," Edward said, "There is nothing to worry about." He stood up and headed for the Med bay, and, hoped that Terra wouldn't let on that she had known for a while.
They went into the Med Bay and saw Terra there, resting.
"So?" she asked, "I gather that Edward's leadership showed up, given he looked rather panicked when he left here. He was uttering some words in different languages."
"They were here," Edward said, "You will never see Slade again, to head off that question. They ruled that as he knew too much, that he had to die.
"Terra, you have earned the right to watch as well as the rest of the team.
"Folks, you've seen me morphing into a small dragon and assumed that it was just another animal I can change into. Well, I have a confession to make...a couple of them actually.
"First is that I am sorry I had to mislead you a bit. But, that mini-dragon form is a much, much smaller size version of my true form. You see, I am actually a dragon. Jason is also one, as are the members of the Circle, and so is Mally, as Beast Boy probably figured out.
"The second one is that Raven and Terra knew weeks ago. Remember when the Tower was almost destroyed? Well, the only way I knew how to save the building was to go to a much larger form and using my strength was able to hold the Tower until Raven and Terra teamed up to shore the building up more. Since then, they were sworn to silence as if they had said anything, they would have also been killed."
As he was talking, he morphed to a dragon, as did Solor.
Needless to say, the team, save for Raven and Terra, was stunned.
"You let Raven and Terra see your true form?" Robin asked.
"No choice, Robin," Edward said, "I am immortal for the most part, not invulnerable to having my bones crushed. Going to my true form was the only solution feasible and, it was enough combined with Raven, Terra and Solor's strength and powers to put the building back. Terra, after she recovered said 'How Flipping COOL is this?!'"
Terra tried to laugh, but, she could only manage a smile.
"What happened to Slade's body?" was the next question.
"I allowed the Circle to dispose of the sumbitch," Jason said as he finished cleaning his talons, "This was to protect you to be perfectly blunt. They will bury him in a special section of Lair - our home."
"I am curious," Beast Boy said, "You said that you'd kill Slade, Edward. Why would the Circle want Solor to do it?"
"I guess is that they wanted to see if he would carry out their orders," Edward said, "Then, given Grand Death's glare at me, it was more likely to avoid any issues. He's more into the whole purity thing. I'm used to his treatment...not like I can do anything about it regardless. The Grand Dragons are just as immortal as I am, if not more. I can be injured, even in this form if something punches past my scales. The Grand Dragons cannot be hurt unless there is a major attack that can get through their scales."
"The death of Slade... well, he hit a personal subject... something I have not even told Edward... and I asked not to be shared at the time", Solor admitted, lowering his head. He lowered himself, laying on the ground in his true form as he stared at the floor. "He said, word for word... how my twin brother died. It told me that not only did he know what I was... but that the Dark clan had someone watching as the incident happened. It... needless to say, it hurt. A lot. I believe Father was giving me the peace of my personal vendetta... to regain what little of my honor I could from the incident.
He looked up, sighing. "This isn't the first time that dragons have lived among humans. In fact, there was a time where we tried to reveal ourselves... but the humans at the time feared us. Few revered us as powerful gods or spirits, but the ones that did not actively sought to destroy us. And we, having underestimated the humans, were devastated by how many of us they could kill. Among them was my brother, Kreinkiin... who was murdered when he attempted to rescue me from my 'friends'. Companions who had discovered I had a connection to dragons, and used me as bait to lure him in... and then, when he fell for their trap, he lost his head before my very eyes." He looked down again, growling a bit at the memory. "Needless to say, those men did not live to see the sun rise, and I buried them in unmarked graves before returning to my home and refusing to return to the mortal world, until I was exiled."
"I was there for the aftermath," Edward said sadly, "Kreinkiin is part of the reason I am who I am. I knew of his good and kind heart. I didn't know the whole story, seeing how the Circle decreed that what happened was on a need to know basis. Yet, I strive to honor his memory.
"My father was torn apart, as was my step-mother. Father had to go retrieve the body and he vowed that day, that until mortals were ready to accept dragons, that we would never allow them to know what we are. Today, friends, you saw my father relent on that vow and place a major amount of trust, based on his oldest son's recommendation, on all of you.
"I was bitter for a long time as well over what happened. Kreinkiin was such a gentle soul, yet, he embodied a favorite phrase from the Christian Bible: 'That there is no greater love than this: That a man lay down his life for his friends'. Kreinkiin laid down his life not for friends, but, for family. That, to me, is another great love and stands alongside what Jesus said.
"But, unlike Jason...I eventually let go of that bitterness. I cannot forgive Kreinkiin's murderers that easily, and I ask the First...God... to not hold this against me. Someday, I will forgive those murderers. But, that's neither here nor there now.
"I saw my half-brother's headless corpse and saw Jason vow a terrible revenge. That, friends, is one of the main reason why I stepped aside without a protest (outside of it being REALLY frowned upon to challenge the Circle). Jason was not permitted to take his revenge directly outside of killing those who murder our kin. Personally, I would have left them to rot in the open air, the birds and beasts feeding on the bodies and scattering their bones to bleach in the sunlight.
"That ended the attempts to make ourselves known and the Circle has, until today, refused to consider the question again."
He walked over to Jason and draped a wing around his grieving brother as Slade had been merciless in his taunt. Raven also came over to hold her friend and comfort him. Before Jason knew it, the entire team, except for Terra, was in the group hug. But, even the wounded one reached out a hand to try. Edward wrapped his tail gently around the outstretched hand, letting her join that way. She even squeezed his tail to let him know that she was there.
There were silent tears flowing as well...Jason had accepted the Titans as family.
Edward sighed softly, trying to withstand the onslaught of his own emotions and wishing that Mally could be there.
There was an announcement through the Tower, "Recognize Mally...access to the Tower granted."
Edward smiled hearing that, "Impeccable timing!"
She took the elevator up and Edward said, "I'll be right back." He removed himself from the group morale support session and met her at the door.
"Hi, babe," he said smiling.
"Well," she said, "What happened?"
"Well, good news and bad news," he said, "The good news is that the Circle approved my petition. The bad news is that another mortal learned of us via the Darkness. You remember my reports talking about a Slade Wilson, right?"
"I have read almost all of them, except the last one per your request. What happened to him?" Mally asked as they walked back to the Med Bay, "Wasn't Terra in his lair?"
"She was," Edward said, "He somehow realized we turned her and beat her up very badly before she could use her safe word. I had taught her 'Danger return home' in our language and, she used it a few hours ago. Beast Boy got the message first, for some reason, and relayed it to us. Filkiin got there first, only to be painfully reminded of how our sibling was murdered in the late 15th Century.
"Long story short, Slade was knocked out by my Blessing of Death. I probably should have just killed him outright, though. No matter, Jason was permitted the honor of ending Slade's existence. I pray that he is the last mortal to have to die for knowing our secret."
Edward would hold off on his other surprise until he could get the stone Solor gave him mounted. He even had an idea for it.
"Let's go see how they are doing," Edward said, guiding his girlfriend to the Medical Bay.
When they returned, they saw Solor, still in his true form, laying next to Terra's bed. It had been quite a while since he had been in his real form. He wasn't quite willing to change back yet. But he did try to bring comfort to the pained Terra. Her hand was placed lightly on his snout, giving her moral support, while Raven sat next to him.
Mally sighed as she looked to him. "I'm sorry about what happened... I don't know what happened to Kreinkiin... and I know you're really sensitive about him."
Solor glanced up at her, before letting out a puff of smoke from his nostrils, the tear streaks obvious even on his scaly face.
She bent down to comfort Jason and for once, he accepted the gesture. "I lost him, Mally. I am responsible for his death."
That angered Edward who said, "You listen to me, dammit! You are NOT responsible. Those humans were responsible. They killed our brother and they paid for it with their very lives. You did not kill him. And, do not try to convince me otherwise, Filkiin! Had I known what was happening, you think I wouldn't have rushed in as well to rescue you? Even knowing that there was a chance that I would die, I would have done everything in my power to protect you or anyone else in my family." He took a breath to calm down.
"Brother, you are the only one left, since we don't know where Sahqokrein disappeared to. I am NOT going to lose you as well, especially to self-loathing. You got your vengeance and avenged Kreinkiin. His murderers are in the flames of Hell, justly punished."
The younger dragon could only look up at his brother, before slowly nodding. It would take time for him to accept this truth, but he was willing to do so. He glanced over at Raven, who in turn gave her opinion. "The way I see it... you are just as much a victim as your brother was. You may hate that you survived and he didn't... but do you think he'd want to live and you die instead?"
"...I suppose not", Solor admitted. He lifted his head, slowly shifting back to his hybrid form. "... thank you." He looked over to Mally, who also gave a reassuring smile. "All of you... I think I have no place I'd rather be right now. I'm... I'm glad I met you." He wiped his tears again. "I think I'm done for today... I'm going to head back to my room." He patted Edward's shoulder as he walked by, silently thanking his brother for his words.
Starfire, however, approached and asked, "I know you are not fond of hugs...but would you...?" Jason gave the alien a hug instead, which was returned at a more human level instead of a bone crushing hug.
"Thank you, Starfire," he said gratefully, "I think that I will accept your hugs from now on. I let my family hug me when needed, and, you all have shown a strong sense of family."
Everyone beamed, especially Edward. He's crossed over his last hurdles, I think. The Circle will welcome this news, even Grand Death. I give it another 6 months and I will happily recommend his return to Lair...even if it means they have to return here to question us both. I am so proud of him right now!
Jason left then and headed to his room to meditate and get his emotions under control. It would take a while, though, but Edward's words were a salve on his conscience that was long overdue.
Back in the Med Bay, everyone had pulled up some chairs and Edward said, "Enough talk of death and revenge. I know you have a lot of questions on your minds. Since the Circle granted my petition, I am at liberty to 'spill the beans', as it were. You, too, Mally. You're covered if you want to help."
Beast Boy said, "Mally...You really do look like your mother's human form. What do you look like for real?"
Mally smiled, "I have been wanting to show you guys for as long as I have known you." Her form shimmered, much like Edward and Jason. A moment later, there was a lime green dragon with light green wings and a tuft of bright green hair on her forehead. Her underbelly was a darker blue-green, though.
"Well, this explains why you love green, my dear," Edward said, "I need not tell you that I like this as well."
Mally grinned, "Thank you, Edward."
The others were just as impressed, even Raven risked a light blowing up with a broader grin.
Terra grinned as well, the added morphine making her feel a little loopy. Mally took a closer look and said, "Edward, you have the Blessing of Life, right?"
"I have all of them, Mally," Edward said, "Terra's injuries are too severe, currently, for me to give her a second dose. I was able to take care of the more minor wounds."
"Well, that simply won't do, will it?" Mally said, moving a bit closer. "Then how about I give it a chance?" Before Edward could react, her body began glowing green. It wasn't the same feel as when Edward used his blessing, though; instead, the aura slowly grew, reaching out and wrapping around the geomancer. Her eyes widened for a bit, before they slowly closed, placing her in a gentle, calm sleep. Meanwhile, the aura that wrapped around her split off from Mally, turning a shade of yellow before dissipating, vanishing into the air.
"That should do it", Mally said. "She might be sore for a day or two, but I'm much better at healing humans than I am healing dragons." She shifted back to her human form letting out a sigh. "And hopefully, when she wakes up, she won't need that morphine anymore."
"You can heal?" Raven asked.
"All Life dragons can", Mally explained. "We are linked to the natural world, and can use our own life energy to heal others. The more powerful the dragon, the better they are at healing others." She gave a soft smile. "In fact... the most powerful of us can give up years of our lives to heal others... and even return them from the dead if we so choose. Of course, the circumstances have to be very special, though."
"You have to show me that, Mally," Edward said, "I'm pretty powerful, but, I couldn't risk further harm to Terra. I know I can heal pretty much anything, including something that I recently discovered. When I joined the Titans, Jason and I were auditioning and Raven trapped me in a dark sphere. I didn't know that her soul is tied into her powers, so, I went to my Dark Blessing and when I started to absorb her powers, I could have killed her instead by sucking in her soul. Needless to say, when I heard a strangled gasp, I stopped.
"She was really mad after I used my Blessing of life to heal her soul-self. Never knew I could do that one."
Mally placed a hand to her chin, pondering that. "Well, the soul is usually an intangible part of any creature. However, I suppose in Raven's case, since her soul can literally be used as a weapon, it would make sense that it can also be hurt and healed, in turn. As for me teaching you that trick... well, you might want to go to my mom for that. I'm not sure how I'd be able to teach you that, and I'm not the best teacher."
"Looks like a trip home is in order, then," Edward said, "I know Raven can also heal some wounds, but, having a second healer here wouldn't hurt."
He thought about something else, "I also need to have a stone fitted in the near future, come to think of it."
"Oh?" she asked, curious. "What for? I've never heard of you being one to collect jewelry... the only dragon I know of that still does that is Filkiin."
That was when Beast Boy got curious. "Jason collects gems and stuff like that?"
"He does", Edward explained, a bit morose. "His brother - the one we told you about - used to collect gems and treasures for those precious stones. He liked how, even though the stones were of the same type, they could form and be cut in so many different ways. After he passed, apparently Jason picked up the hobby to continue it for him. I didn't find out about that until today, though.
"And, I have collected a few 'treasures' as well, but, the gem I want to have fitted is very special. You could say, it's a family heirloom that I want to give to someone who is also very special to me now."
Oh my! Is he talking about me?! Mally thought as her excitement grew.
[Edward,] Raven said telepathically, [Mally's excitement just went through the roof. I hope you know what you are doing.]
[Come on, Raven,] Jason said, [Edward is quite certain. He's found the one, I think. He got the gem from me, actually. I hope he takes her someplace nice first.]
[I plan on that, you two, now hush,] Edward said.
[Sorry], the two said in stereo, as Raven let her hood up so she could hide her pinkening cheeks.
"You'll find out soon enough, folks," Edward said smirking.
He looked at the clock and said, "Anyone hungry?"
Everyone nodded and Edward said, "since it's my turn to cook, I think a celebration is in order."
That got Robin to frown, "How can we celebrate?! We stood by and let a villain be executed IN OUR TOWER! Terra was beaten nigh unto death and we're celebrating?"
Edward's annoyance was triggered by that and he said, "Robin, had I told the Circle that Raven and Terra knew about us two months ago, Solor and I would have been ORDERED to kill them both. You need to understand that the Circle, until now, had not been approached since our experiment to show your ancestors 600 years ago what also shared the planet with them was an utter failure. We are not gods nor agents of Satan. We have no interest in ruling over the nearly 200 countries that exist. We wanted to live out in the open and because several of our kind were murdered in cold blood, not just my half-brother we were forced back into the shadows. Some of us died because human attached magical attributes to our blood or our tears or something else.
"Today, the Circle did something that I had not expected to be granted...that is sharing what Solor, Mally and I are. At some point, Titans, either Jason or I would been forced to reveal our true selves, like I was with Raven and Terra. If that had happened before today, the Titans would be no more and the Justice League would have become aware of us then, and, we'd have to fight and kill most of them, except for Superman.
"Robin, we would have had to kill your mentor or open an untargeted Tear and sent the League or the Titans to who knows where, never to been seen again.
"So, yes, this is a celebration of life for all of us. The Titans are free and clear, and, should anyone show up asking where Slade Wilson disappeared to, Jason or I will tell them that he is dead due to being defeated in a fight and buried in an undisclosed and unmarked grave."
"Wait," Mally said, "Raven and Terra knew?"
"I'm sorry, Mally," Edward said, "I couldn't tell you or put that into my reports home. I was worried that because I broke that law, you'd have no choice but to report this to your mother had you known."
Mally gave him a kiss on the cheek, "It's OK, Edward."
Edward gave her a squeeze and asked, "Have you ever been to Niagara Falls or Honolulu?"
She raised an eyebrow and said, "I've always wanted to go to Hawaii."
[That clinches it,] Raven said to Jason, [He's gonna ask her to be his mate.]
[Told you,] the dragon responded, and Raven could feel the smug smile through the mental link.
Raven decided that Jason probably wouldn't mind the company, and got up. "Well, celebration aside... I'm not that hungry, if you don't mind saving some leftovers for me."
Edward raised a brow, but soon nodded. "If you're sure."
"I am." She turned to the rest of the team. "Have a good evening, everyone." And with that, she floated out of the room.
"I need to save some for Terra anyway," Edward remarked, "I don't know when she ate last, but, she needs a decent amount regardless. Star? You got any of that Tamararian food left that she likes?"
"You mean the glorg?" she asked, "I made some yesterday."
"Glorg?" Mally asked.
"It's something from Star's homeworld," Edward said, "I've had some and, well, it's an interesting taste. Like sushi and ice cream mixed. Terra loves the stuff. It's an odd texture for us, but, I don't mind it."
"I'll get some ready for her," Starfire said, correctly guessing why Edward was asking.
Edward nodded and said, "I think I will fix her favorite meal...What is her favorite meal?"
"She likes pretty much everything," Robin said, "you should have seen when we met her a year ago. She ate us out of house and home."
"Heck," Cyborg said, "It took a week to get the mud out of the bathtub in the guest bathroom."
"Dang," Edward said with a chuckle, "Did she accidentally pull that through the pipes or something?"
"Probably both," Robin said.
"Well, she does tend to favor my lasagna," Edward said, "if we can wait about 90 minutes to two hours, I can make some from scratch. Mally, why don't you hang out with the team for a bit, if you'd like? I need to run to the store and get a few things."
Mally hesitated before agreeing to it.
Edward hurried to his room and grabbed his wallet containing his money and a debit card. He also grabbed the emerald that Jason had given him and headed out.
He decided to take the T-Car since Cyborg had given him a set of keys. He got in and headed into the city to get what he needed.
The first stop was the jeweler where he dropped the gem off after choosing a nice layout that would really show off the stone along with the other gems. It would take about 14 days to get the ring back and Edward had to mimic Mally's smaller hands to get the right ring size. As the folks in Jump City were used to him now, it was easier to morph. The jeweler did knock 10% off the ring's price, which suited Edward.
After he left his contact information, he had to get to the store to get the materials for the dinner, and, that luckily didn't take that long to get. He got back to the Tower within 45 minutes and was carrying the bags up when he heard some laughing from the Ops area.
"I'm back!" he announced and Mally was the one laughing.
"What's the joke?" Edward said.
"Starfire was telling me about Jason's luck with electronics, that's all," Mally said chuckling.
"In his defense, he has gotten better," Edward said, "He hasn't crashed the mainframe here, yet."
"Mainly 'cause we won't let him touch it", Cyborg quipped, getting some chuckles.
Mally smiled a bit. "It's a good thing that he's working on his weaknesses... though there is one he might not be able to do anything about."
"Oh really?" Beast Boy asked, getting a mischievous grin. "And what would that be?"
Mally realized what she had accidentally let slip, and shook her head. "You know what? It's better if I don't tell you. Considering it's very possible that a lot of dragons have that weakness, I'd rather you not use it on me or Edward." She gave a cough. "In the meantime... it looks like the Heir Potential is growing in leaps and bounds... in less than a year, he could be accepted back home... and, very possibly be named as Heir on the spot. Sosfil might object, though."
Edward's voice turned icy, "As much as I try to care for my wayward younger sister, she best not present the challenge. I am not helping to train Jason only to be undercut and undermined at the last possible second by an obsessed family member who thinks she is more deserving."
"Why won't you challenge?" Beast Boy asked, "It sounds like your birthright was ripped away from you."
"Because to go against the decrees of the Circle," Edward said, "is considered to be treason and until the Circle made an exception for Jason, the penalty for treason in the Dragon world is the same as it is for many countries: Execution."
"Edward can be reconsidered to be an heir at a later date. I'm friends with the Heir of Death and he is more accepting of hybrids," Mally said, "Grandfather has been Grand Death for a long, long time and there is an upper limit where a Grand may serve age wise. You see, being the head of that clan takes a lot out of them. They are charged with knowing when a dragon is supposed to die as well as the Life Clan, yet, the Death Clan has to inform other Dragons when they will die and that is usually that same day. They have to deal with the family of the dying dragon as well. My grandfather has seen a few of his children pass to the First. I know he and mother would want grandwhelps before they end their terms. Well, grandfather would want great-grandwhelps, obviously. But, he's a decade past the limit and, well, he is losing his way, I think. It might come down to the Circle having to force him to step aside."
Edward was starting the process of putting the dinner together and asked Mally to give him a hand. He wanted to see how compatible they were in the kitchen for one, even though he had reached a decision.
He also invited Beast Boy to put together the salad, knowing that the shapeshifter knew his way around a salad quite well.
In the meantime, Raven arrived at Solor's room, and knocked gently. She only blinked when she opened the door and saw Solor, in his true form, laying on the ground. "... I shouldn't be surprised", she said with a sigh.
"I haven't been allowed to use my true body in quite a while", the dragon responded, looking up at her. "Cut me some slack. At least I'm not trying to use my true size."
"Good point", Raven stated, before stepping inside. "So... your brother is cooking. You want to head to the ops?"
"I think I'll be fine today", he said after pondering. "I'm more surprised you aren't heading back. You do not have to keep me company, you know."
"I know, but I have more questions, now that you aren't sworn to secrecy", the empath responded. "But, since you kinda went on an emotional roller coaster today... I thought, maybe, since I'm... sort of your girlfriend, you'd appreciate some company."
The dragon gave a smile, before motioning her to have a seat next to him. She found herself sitting in the curve of his body, right next to his stomach. She cast a spell, summoning a book to her side. The two exchanged no more words, and simply enjoyed each other's company for the evening.
