Teen Titans © DC Comics

Gan and Tavis

Hours passed slowly. Life drifted tranquilly as the teenaged elemental slept. Lightning dreamed, and for once, it was not the recurring nightmare of being chased out of Hsuan with his brother. His dream was of his clouds, and he and Thunder were playing when they were children, tossing electrical bolts and sounds blasts at each other. Their laughter hovered in the air, echoing in the still nature. Below them was the world as the marshmallow cloud drifted away. The little Lightning had looked down to find them over Hsuan then speeding towards Jump City, home of the five core Teen Titans.

However, the cloud suddenly stopped along with their play brawl. The child version of Thunder and Lightning paused in their merriment, cautiously striding over to the edge of the cloud to inspect the reason why the cloud hesitated to move in the wind. Suddenly, Adeline was there on her hovering device before chortling victoriously. She snatched Lightning by his wrist and carried him far away from Thunder. The brothers cried out for each other as the distance between them became evident, and Thunder was a blue speck on a white dot to Lightning after mere seconds. Adeline grasped his throat, choking the life out of him when she nudged her head. A massive blue hand clamped over his face as he started screaming. The darkness swirled, mixing with laughter and a horrified scream from an off-worldly creature.

Lightning awoke with a gasp. His pale eyes were wide in utter distress, paralyzed at his unusual dream. His body ached as his chest rapidly heaved up and down. A hot sweat overcame his brow, dripping down the sides of his face. Regaining control of himself, Lightning wiped his face with his hands, breathing heavily through his mouth. Sitting up uneasily, he surveyed the room somewhat in panic.

He caught Kole curled up into a ball next to him. The rose-haired heroine's legs were brought up to her chest, and her arms were adjacent to each other, one by her face and the other by her chin. Kole grinned softly, evidently having a pleasant dream while Lightning practically experienced the demon's interference in his own.

Instant jealously aroused in his chest as he leaned back sullenly against the wall. Lightning crossed his arms, yawning loudly and went back to glaring at the door. Stabs of fury etched across his face as he wondered what joys Kole dreamed of while he was plagued with nightmares. Lightning never had a good dream, only remembrances of the Hsuan nightmare and what could have occurred with death as the end result. Lightning shivered, rubbing his arms as he looked up at the ceiling.

All he was greeted with was steel walls snarling down on him with their metallic gaze. Lightning shook his head, shaking off the oncoming dizziness. His stomach growled suddenly, and he recalled that his only food was breakfast with Beast Boy's friends and his brother.

We were only invited to join the Titans when the green one and Starfire asked for us. Feh, the leader boy Robin does not know amusement, and that Raven is rather sardonic witch. Cyborg was not as welcoming as the green one, but he was courtesy to us after our first encounter. Still, he was not as forthcoming as when they deliberated on whether Thunder and I should become Titans, he recalled with an ill smirk. It took the green one and Starfire's entreats and several tasks performed by us to be included in the roster. At least they were kind enough to include us.

Starfire and Beast Boy, out of the five core Titans, had been Thunder and Lightning's greatest friends. While she was alien to several of Earth's customs, Thunder and Lightning did not understand many electronic devices such as the Gamestation or the computer. While they did not grow up as savages, they were technologically deprived, giving them and Starfire a close ground to stand upon together. She was always kind and generous to the brothers, including them in several of her Tamaranean ways and holidays whenever they decided to visit. The only problem Lightning had with her was her abnormal, back-breaking hugs that one time had actually sent him to the emergency room to fix his spine. Lightning secretly held a grudge even though she apologized exactly thirty-nine times.

Beast Boy was different. Like them, he was an outsider because of his skin color. The changeling always joked around with them, saying they were like the three amigos because yellow and blue makes green. His sense of humor matched their's, even though they were more careful in not harming others in their fun. Beast Boy always knew how to cheer them up or make them laugh. Besides, they were probably the only ones except Starfire and Happy Raven who actually laughed at his puns and quips. Thunder was more incline to go to Beast Boy for his arguments with Lightning, finding him more comfortable to speak while Lightning brooded and scorned Thunder until their eventual make up. Beast Boy was also the one who originally invited them to join the Teen Titans while the others-save Starfire-were skeptical because of their past affiliations with Slade.

"Yeah, well, they just screwed up. Big whoop. We all make mistakes like how I got Star with that motor oil joke which I'm still sorry for. I mean, heck, they're good guys! I think they've paid their dues and should be allowed to join. That is the word of Beast Boy as so I decree it to be!" Beast Boy had proclaimed to the others Titans at Thunder and Lightning's briefing on their admission to join.

"I agree! They may have done terrible deeds in the past, but they have changed. I am certain of this face," Starfire had added after an awkward silence.

Needless to say, with Beast Boy's logic and Starfire's pleas, Robin allowed them to be Honorary Titans. Thunder and Lightning profusely thanked them for their kindness, but they simply took it in stride. Then Starfire hugged Lightning, and that was how he was sent to the emergency room for spinal injuries. He was extremely lucky not to end up in a wheelchair.

Lightning smirked as he recalled their friendship. It had always been him and Thunder with no true friends such as them. While they eventually did grow to be friends and acquainted with several Honorary Titans, they found Beast Boy and Starfire as true friends and comrades.

Then there was Kole. He found her as genuine, someone very reliable to count on and go to problems with. She had a nurturing nature that reminded him of his beloved mother. Kole was rather pretty, but he was not looking for any sort of relationship, believing women would slow down his fun and adventure. After all, if he even got a girlfriend…Lightning shuddered at the thought of some clingy woman at his side with disgusted scowl. He would probably roast her if she started to whine.

A sudden whirring noise distracted Lightning from his thoughts. Charging up his hands experimentally, he was pleased to discover that his powers were still at full potential. No machine could ever drain him completely. The steel door shifted to the side, revealing Adeline, Mammoth and Private Hive.

"And what do you want, madwoman?" Lightning demanded harshly.

"You punk, how dare you address the boss lady 'round here like that?" Private Hive hissed.

Adeline placed her hand out to stop him. "That's enough. Do not badger him." She glowered down at him, obviously displeased that her laser was deactivated because of the Titans' assault."

"What do you want?" he asked again, crossing his arms and smirking.

"I hope you recall that I mentioned previously that there are three batteries to my laser. Even if you somehow perish, I will still have my other resources. The third being your brother and the first being someone I found a few months back," the Headmistress explained. She snapped her fingers, and the two muscular Hive students stepped forward. "Grab the girl."

Lightning's fists sparkled and crackled with vibrant yellow energy that he meshed into balls. Throwing them out, they crashed into Mammoth and Private Hive that forced them into the wall. Shaking off the last ounces of sleepiness, the elemental hurried to his fight and rushed at Adeline with a wild punch. Adeline sneered, dodging to the side and snatched his arm. With her two fingers, she stabbed them into Lightning's arm. He gasped as a sudden pain sprang up in his arm, searing into his bloodstream. Lightning watched her fingers as they attempted to stab at his chest. His brother's fallen body instantly popped into mind. Growling, he shot out a wave of electricity with his uninjured arm as it stabbed out. Adeline was hit directly in the stomach, sending her spiraling outside.

"I understand now," Lightning mused. "You use your fingers to pinpoint…pressure points, yes? That is how you defeated my brother?"

"You finally realize this?" Adeline taunted, collecting herself. Brushing off dust from her dress, she sneered a toothy grin. "Yes, when I struck him, I stabbed one of his lungs and heart. The heart will pump either rapidly or slowly, putting him in a near-death situation. Too much or too little could kill him either way. Though, if he is still alive at this point, he should be fine. After all, I'll need him if you die."

"My brother lives?" Lightning's eyes widened exceptionally as he took a pretentious step forward.

"Perhaps, perhaps not. I do not know. I haven't heard of your puny Titan friends ever since they attacked. Gizmo is still preempting what was lost on the Titans Eradicator. Though, I will need Kole for every time this machine is fired. Her power is an excellent converter of energy for every source of electrical power." Adeline's red painted lips curved into a deadly smile as her dark eyes pounced onto Lightning's. "All the Titans will die."

"Victory will be on our side. You will never win," Lightning growled.

Mammoth and Private Hive regained their sense, coming to Adeline's side. Behind them came Kyd Wykkyd and Angel with the former having his arm around her lithe waist. Four confidently cruel smirks were plastered along their faces. Adeline waved her wrist, and the four charged.

Gasping, Lightning looked back to find Kole gone. Befuddlement beseeched him as he frantically searched for her. Had she abandoned him in the heat of battle? Lightning barely avoided a monstrous punch from Mammoth as he lost himself in his thoughts. Private Hive used his shield as a boomerang, tossing it with Angel on it. Lightning moved backwards in time to avoid the shield, but not the high kick the heavenly villain delivered. Grunting, he fell backwards as Kyd pinned him against the wall.

"Fool," he sneered, charging his entire body with electricity, "you do not learn."

Kyd's crimson eyes bulged out as he twitched, falling to the ground. A sudden yelp from Adeline echoed in the room. Kole had tackled her to the ground from behind. In the midst of their battle and Mammoth and Private Hive's delusions, she had awoken and snuck behind them for a sneak attack. In her crystallized form, she had jumped onto Adeline, she nearly broke the villainess' back. Returning herself to normal, she smiled at Lightning.

"What? Think I ran away?" she coyly questioned.

"For a moment, I did," Lightning admitted, returning the grin with reassurance restored.

"Get the girl!" Adeline shrieked, stumbling to her feet. "Kyd, teleport and grab her!"

Kyd nodded, getting to his feet. Angel screeched, swiping her hands wildly. Kole avoided her narrowly as Lightning dealt with Mammoth and Private Hive. The rose-haired girl pivoted and snatched Angel's wings, pushing her away. Kyd suddenly wrapped his arm around her throat, making her cry out. Lightning immediately glanced over, gasping until Mammoth took his head and smashed it against the steel. Pain exploded in his left temple, groaning loudly. With a flash of his cloak, he vanished in a fit of ebony.

"No!" Lightning weakly cried.

Adeline chuckled. "Good, now that she is gone, she will be with Gizmo so he can experiment."

"Experiment?" he reiterated in shock. "What is the dwarf going to do?"

"He won't harm her. Gizmo will just see if she can fit into the laser is all." Adeline swiveled, exiting the room. "Leave him in his defeat. Come, my students."

The remaining three Hive students sneered at Lightning before obeying. Mammoth dropped Lightning to his side. The elemental glared as the door was closing, managing to fire one last electrical ball that zapped Mammoth in the back. His whines seeped into the room as Lightning erupted in laughter.

Once Mammoth's groaning faded away, Lightning turned somber. His pale eyes glazed over as he stared at the spot where Kole once lay. He wondered how weak he truly was. Twice he lost to Adeline and lost his new friend. Lightning slammed his fist into the wall before the throbbing in his head became too painful, and he passed out.

"Blast it…" he murmured softly as his body slumped over.

---

"Perhaps we should poke him with a stick," Gan suggested as he and Tavis gazed down at the unconscious elder.

"Excellent idea! Let us find one," Tavis jeered.

As both looked around for the fabled stick that they planned to continuously jab into the man's side until he awoke, the injured fellow stirred weakly. His eyes scrunched up before revealing them to life as beady black eyes, much like the color of smoke. His wrinkled features twitched as he started to sit up. Looking around, he rubbed his eyes and noticed the two oddly colored boys search around for something.

"…You two brothers lost or something?" he asked slowly.

Gan and Tavis froze, looking up to each other in startled fright. Cautiously, they turned their heads to gaze at the man staring blankly back of them. He cocked his head, and the brothers imitated the motion. The older man started to his feet, but faltered and fell back, but Gan and Tavis hurried over and steadied him. Thanking them, he rubbed the back of his head.

"How did you know we were brothers?" Tavis asked, intrigued.

"You two just gave off that feeling," he answered. "What are you names?"

"We are Gan and Tavis Williams! We control…uh…" Tavis trailed off, ushering his brother close. "…what do we control?"

"Uh…it appears we control energy," Gan replied uncertainly.

"Yes! We control colored energy," Tavis quickly recovered, smiling broadly. "What of yourself, old one?"

"My name is Chan To, and if you call me old one…" Chan suddenly slapped Tavis upside the head. "…I will do that again, only much harder."

Tavis whined loudly, holding his head in pain. Grumbling, he stuck his tongue out at Chan. "That hurt!"

"Wait, you do not fear us?" Gan asked, blinking.

Chan stared at him then towards Tavis. He took equal turns in gazing at the twins before smiling warmly. "Fear not. I have seen worse creatures in my time. In fact, you two look rather normal to me."

"We do not appear like monsters to you?" Tavis questioned in surprise.

"What? No, of course not. I have seen more much…strange beings such as griffons and creatures crafted of stone that came to life," Chan explained. "Where are your guardians? Two youths such as yourselves should not be out by yourselves."

Tavis winced, looking away. Gan placed a hand on his shoulder, stating that they their mother had gone missing. Chan gasped lightly at the sudden realization, bowing his head and apologizing. Gan smiled forgivingly as Tavis shook timidly. Chan stood at full height, which was a few inches taller than five feet. However, he wobbled until the twins helped him stand up straight. Patting them both on the head, he asked if they had any place to live. Gan and Tavis remained silent, pursing their lips. Nodding solemnly, Chan understood that they had no home to fall back on.

"Are you two simply traveling until you find your purpose in this world?" Chan wondered.

"'Find our purpose'? What do you mean?" Tavis repeated. "We were going to find a place to call home somewhere far away from here, and maybe…locate our mother."

"Wait, the woman on the hill?"

Gan's eyes widened fearfully. "A Vietnamese woman, her name is Cara Chi. She is our mother. Have you seen her?"

"Yes, I was going to the train station to venture back to my home in China. I was here to gather these incredible herbs that would cure any sickness, but my research had been proven false so I decided to go back home. When I came up here, I found a young woman whose name was Cara. We spoke for a few minutes, and she was exceedingly kind, saying she was waiting for her two boys to come." Chan hesitated, looking away. "I am old and past my prime, I could not protect her. Please, forgive me."

"We understand, but what happened?" Gan asked urgently.

"A strange man of this nation attacked us with a sword. He cut my walking stick in half." Chan gestured to the remains of the wooden cane. "We struggled for a few seconds before beating me into submission. When I came to, I found you two and your mother gone. I can presume logically that man took her."

Gan and Tavis instantly felt resentment towards the man. Their mother was completely innocent, and whoever attacked her would certainly pay. Tavis snatched the man's tarnished robes, screaming as he demanded to know the cretin that stole their precious mother away. Gan quickly restrained his brother, gripping his waist and dragged him backwards. Entreating for Chan's forgiveness, the older brother finally wrenched Tavis' poignantly fixed grip.

"Who is this man?" Tavis shrieked, breathing heavily. "I will find and destroy him!"

"I am not sure…he was rather tall, middle-aged with a sword. Not one that was long, but a short one on his belt," Chan recalled, stroking his snow white, scraggly beard.

"Hwang," Gan breathlessly murmured.

"Why?" Tavis cried, electricity sparkling off his body in haywire-like bullets. "Why would he do this to us? My brother and I trusted him for years! Why betray us?"

Chan suddenly grasped Tavis' shoulders, suddenly halting his tearful outburst. "Calm down, young one! He is already gone, far away. There is no way we can go after the fiend now."

Tavis frowned, breathing through gritted teeth. "You could not save her?"

"I am sorry."

"Sorry does not help us now!" Tavis swatted Chan's arms away, still screaming. "Our mother did not deserve to be abducted!"

"Brother, please!" Gan begged.

"Shut up, Gan! Just shut up!" Tavis glared at him, retorting, "If you did not agree with Mother to have her stand on this this hill unprotected-"

"It was not my fault! It was Mother's plan!" Gan rebuked, cutting his younger brother off.

"Shut up!" Chan screamed, silencing them.

The powerful intonation forced their on-coming argument to subside. Appalled at Chan's forcefulness, Tavis instinctively rounded behind Gan so that only half of his body could be seen. Gan gulped nervously, timidly apologizing for their rowdiness.

Chan coughed into his fist. Flecks of spittle landed on his aged hand as he wobbled once more. Gan and Tavis snatched his hands as he swayed, straightening him. Wearily, the elder ran a hand through his bald head. Chan grimaced, but thanked the brothers nevertheless. He sighed, asking them if they had anywhere to live.

"We had a home less than an hour ago," Gan lamented.

"Our village abandoned us," Tavis stated miserably. "We gained these incredible powers today, but they feared us and ejected us from our home of Hsuan."

"'Powers'? Can you show me?" Chan asked, brightening slightly with interest.

Gan and Tavis exchanged eager looks, and the former stepped back to the latter could perform as they both dropped their belongings. Tavis stretched his arms out to the side, and twin, jagged streaks of electricity flowed through before Tavis pointed to the side, and the lightning parted the clouds. Gan eagerly stepped forward, not wanting to be outdone and slammed his hands together. A massive shockwave boomed across the forest and into the neighboring towns, uprooting some trees in the forest. Gan blinked, surprised and stared at his hands.

"Incredible, brother! I did not you could do that!" Tavis jeered, slinging his arm around Gan's shoulder.

"Nor did I," Gan muttered in shock.

Whistling slowly, Chan clapped for their performance and chortled. Wrinkles at the corners of his lips raised upwards in amusement. "An excellent display, boys, but I think you could learn to control your powers."

"Huh?" Gan questioned, turning to him.

"How can you help us? You are an old man," Tavis quipped as they collected their cloth bags.

Chan smirked wryly and raised his hand. A mystical yellow aura appeared, stunning the Williams Twins as they gripped onto each other in fright. It sparkled and fizzled like a miniature supernova in its final, divine moment of light and power. The light gold sphere raised into the air and exploded like fireworks. It drove into the ground and burned out, leaving nothing behind. Bewildered, Tavis stepped forward and knelt down where a part of the sphere fizzled out and landed, finding nothing there.

"Most amazing," Gan whispered as Tavis stood.

"Oh, yes, most amazing," Tavis reiterated. "It seems you are not a worthless elder after all!"

Chan slapped Tavis over the head again. "You are such a little punk!"

Whining over being smacked again, Tavis grasped his head and openly complained. Chan raised his hand warningly, and Tavis silenced his gob. Gan patted his brother's head comfortingly until Tavis glared death into him.

"I am a very wise man, if I do pride myself in something. Come with me, and I can help you two control your powers," Chan offered, extending both of his hands. "What do you say?"

The deal struck them as instant surprise. Tavis' smile graced his face, as he eagerly snatched Chan's hand, exclaiming that it would be fun. He looked over expectantly to his beloved brother, staring blankly. Gan returned the gaze with a broad grin, gently grasping Chan's other hand in case if he broke like some priceless porcelain doll.

"Then let us go." Chan guided them both down the hill and into Suing.

Suing was unlike Hsuan, being more technologically advanced with the use of the train station. The homes were much like the ones in Hsuan. Trees were not as abundant, being replaced by the machinery. Trains came and went, dashing to other countries for an expansive price. Chan, Gan and Tavis stood behind the ticket booth, thanking grace that the man on the job was lazy enough to leave his post for a smoke break. Chan wrapped the boys' heads in a hood-like garb, covering their heads so they could easily sneak on. Chan guided them to the back of steel train where stacks of hay were being held. Business was slow that day, and the conductor was off with the man at the ticket booth to have a cigarette. Chan quickly ordered them to jump on in a hushed whisper that they quickly obeyed, scrambling on and climbed into the back. The elder grasped the edge, crawling on and slammed the door shut.

Darkness shrouded them, and the only light came from a window that revealed the outside world. Tavis and Gan immediately stood up and stared outside. From the outside, they could hear the conductor finally scream for everyone to board. Feet shuffled lethargically on, and Chan fiddled with the bar on the door, barring the door from intruders. With it being locked, the trio instantly relaxed.

Suddenly, the outside world shifted. Colors swirled as the train suddenly surged forward. Gan yelped, suddenly falling into Tavis, and they both crashed onto the ground. Chan rolled his at their antics. Tavis smacked his brother on the arm, scowling at him for toppling on him.

"You know, you two are quite possibly the most amusing people I have ever met at your age," the elder snickered.

"It is not my fault Gan is an oaf," Tavis grumbled as Gan meekly tried to defend himself.

"Where are we heading to?" Gan asked in hopes of changing the subject.

"To my home in China," Chan replied, gazing out the window. "There you two shall learn how to use your powers."

---

Beast Boy slowly inched his way over to Thunder and gazed down at his face. The blue elemental was asleep as he figured. He quietly picked up the blanket and put it over his powerful frame. The changeling looked over to Argent, finding her fast asleep with the covers practically covering his entire head and body. Chuckling lightly, Beast Boy crept out the room and silently shut the door.

"They're still out?" Cyborg asked.

"Yep, out like lights," Beast Boy joked casually.

"Not the time." Bumblebee shook her head. "Anyway, we need to infiltrate the Hive again. It must be tonight before they can finish repairing their laser."

"That's right." Cyborg looked over his shoulder, nodding. "Come on over, Naark."

"Gnaark," Beast Boy corrected flatly.

"Right, Gnaark," he corrected.

The burly caveman slowly hobbled over, looking around uncertainly. Gnaark gulped as eyes searched him, whispers murmuring in the air. He waved to his friends, repeating his name several times as a greeting. Cyborg translated with the language converter on his arm.

"Alright, so we go in there and tear the place up, got it? Robin, Star and Raven are coming, too," Cyborg informed. "Rob said that we'd need all the help we would get, and so Bushido, Herald, Jericho, and Hotspot are gonna watch over Jump while they're gone."

"Good, we got more people coming. With Thunder and Argent done, we'll need Robin's advice," Bumblebee added.

"Raven told me she'd bring the others here around nine," Beast Boy informed.

"Gnaark nar naark?" Gnaark questioned.

Cyborg checked his arm as words popped in the translator. "Yeah, that's where Kole's being held. Once we take out the Hive, we got our friends back."

Gnaark whooped loudly, cheering with Beast Boy. "Gnaark!"

As the quadrant of Titans walked away from the outside of Thunder and Argent's hospital room, the silver-skinned heroine's crimson eyes flashed open. She smirked, chuckling to herself as Thunder turned over to stare at her.

"Aw, Beast Boy pulled your blanket up for you. How cute," she teased.

Thunder frowned. "He was just being a friend."

"Still, it was cute," she chortled. "Ready for tonight?"

"I am prepared. That madwoman shall be pay dearly for this." Thunder clenched his fist under the sheets. "I swear I will get him back."

"You know, you should go after they leave. That way, they'll think you're safe and asleep in a bed," Argent suggested as Thunder nodded in compliance. "Blue boy, I wish ya luck because I'm just hoping you get to him in time."

"I will. It is as you say, my brother and I share a strong bond that cannot be broken."

"Alright, now go back to sleep." Argent smirked and waved to him. "You'll need all the rest you can get."

---

Sort of lacking at the end with Thunder's part. I liked making Lightning monologue somewhat in the beginning to show his emotions. Please, review.