Here Comes Tomorrow

Chapter 1: Brave New World

In the first episode of Season 2 of Teen Titans, How Long Is Forever, an errant time warp forced Starfire to look at a future without her presence, and it was not good.

And in my fanfic, Time and Time Again, Slade attempted to utilize a similar device to defeat the Titans. He failed, and the fallout caused the Titans to be tossed across timelines, seeing all sorts of ways that things could have been…and may yet be.

Some were weird. Some were bad. Some were terrible. And there was one where a shining Jump City stood, a proud legacy of the efforts of its teen protectors. And the Titans saw another possibility: a child. The daughter of Raven and Noel Collins, the metahuman known as Savior. Her name was Myth, a once and future Titan. We got but a glimpse of her…

Until now. There is a story to be told here, and I feel it is time to tell it. So let us step into my vision of the future. It has been 17 years since the events of the Teen Titans show. Many battles have been fought, and there has been their share of happiness and tragedies. But eventually, the Teen Titans went their separate ways. Time changes all things…

But destiny is, above all things, circular…

******************

Jump City.

Time had been kind to this seaside metropolis. There have been battles fought here, battles that have changed the face and mood of this place, but much like a body, Jump City has always rebuilt stronger and better then ever.

Now, let's move along it's towering skyscrapers and pretty clean streets, until we come to a certain structure.

A school.

Its name is not important (named after some celebrity who gave a bunch of money out of guilt, most likely.) As we pass through the halls, we pass many students, but they are not important either. Indeed, as we come to the end of the hallway and pass through a door that says "Principal's Office", we just need to see one person.

She's sitting in a chair, one leg crossed over the other, her fingers silently drumming on one of the arm rests of the chair. The girl wears jeans torn at both knees and frayed at the cuffs, and a black T-Shirt that says "VAE VICTUS" on the front. Her hands are encased in black vinyl gloves that have the strange word "Mechananix" or something like that written all over them.

What is most striking is her hair. A very deep red, almost black, it is suspended above the girl's head in a Mohawk style. Normally gelled to perfection, the style is somewhat limp by now, via heat and sweat, assumingly. The girl stops her drumming to examine her pink and black painted fingernails. Then she looks at the man sitting behind the desk, who has spent the past twenty minutes staring at her.

His name was Stuart Clause, and he was the principal at this school. The girl he was looking at was in his office for a very good reason, and he had kept his look stern, abet non-persecuting. The girl looks back at him, not in anger or disrespect or guilt or even boredom, but almost resignation. As if she had seen this all before.

A slight noise suddenly sounds outside the office, a muffled voice that people would good hearing might have discerned as "Go right in sir…" and then the door opens.

And in steps Noel Collins. Not the white haired, white clad Savior, but the redheaded, ponytailed and human "secret identity ." Not so secret now, as Noel had revealed it to the world four years ago in order to avoid certain problems.

Noel hasn't changed much. He's a little taller, and his face is a lot more mature, but besides that he is the same Noel we knew from such marvelous epics as Black and White and Wings of the Eagles and…ok, enough ego stroking. Those who know him, know him well. Those who don't can…just read on.

"Mr. Collins!" Principal Clause said, leaping to his feet and almost lunging over his desk in his effort to shake Noel's hand. "It is…!"

"Stop that. I despise ass kissers." Noel says, dryly and tersely. "Get to the point."

"Well uh, Mr.Collins, uh yes…" Principal Clause says, scrambling to sit back down. "I'm sure you realize that what your daughter stands accused of is very serious. She crossed that line and we can't have things like what she did…"

"SHE has a name, PRINCIPAL." Noel half-snapped. "Also, SHE is sitting right here. So SMARTEN UP. Now, what happened exactly?"

"Well, according to witnesses, your daughter…"

"KYRA. Her NAME is KYRA."

"Yes, sorry, Kyra approached several of our, um, higher students, wielding a chain of all things, and unprovoked, VICIOUSLY attacked them…"

"Stop right there. Did these students happen to include Terrence Prum, Fredrick Pendarvis, Evan Olsen, and Rene Icenhour? All of whom happened to be twice Kyra's size, on this school's football team, and two of whom happened to be in relationships with Carissa Alfieri and Isabella Aungst, the so called "Queens" of this school?"

"….Why, yes, how did you find out?" Principal Clause said, a tad bit flustered.

"Lucky guess." Noel said sarcastically.

"Mr. Collins, this is serious. Mr. Prum has suffered a broken nose and blown orbital socket, and Mr. Olsen has had his jaw broken very badly! Your daughter was responsible for these acts, we have several impartial witnesses…"

"STOP. RIGHT. THERE." Noel hissed. Stuart Clause shut up. "It has become EXCEEDINGLY clear you have NO idea what is going on in this school. So you can stop your account of the story and discard it as irrelevant, because I am going to lay down what REALLY happened, without having witnessed any of it."

"Mr. Collins…"

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

Principal Clause did.

"My daughter started here several weeks ago. The freak taunts started a record 3 days after she had arrived. People calling my daughter a mutant, a mistake, something that doesn't belong. But that doesn't matter. I've taught Kyra well, and she can handle insults. I had hoped, HOPED, that once people got to knew her, they would see her as a person, not as my daughter. But no, it just got worse. Kyra signed up for several athletic teams, teams she excelled, even dominated at, not because of ANY exertion of the abilities she was born with, but because of her great natural athleticism and high amount of discipline and training. People didn't buy it for a second however, and began petitioning to get her kicked off. She withdrew quietly, trying to just make peace. But these stupid morons, these would be Heathers, wouldn't stop. My daughter's locker was vandalized several times, her books and homework destroyed. I've had to replace her cell phone three times because people keep finding out the number and text messaging her harassing messages as well as death threats. She has had food and drinks thrown on her and at her, some at enough velocity to cause serious harm. And when she was changing in the locker room last week, someone attempted to take pictures of her, pictures that would have probably made the rounds of this school and been on several disreputable sites on the Internet by now as she not noticed the flash and smashed the camera. The girl who was taking those picture's father had the gall to try and sue me. My lawyers are currently ripping him a new one. They're going to get a big bonus for it too. All these attacks were masterminded by the previously mentioned Carissa Alfieri and Isabella Aungst because of Kyra's utter refusal to worship them like all this school does, and refusal to fear them like all their other "targets". So, the two decided on something drastic. And I think we just witnessed it."

"But…"

"WASTE ANY MORE OXYGEN AND I'LL PUT YOUR FACE THROUGH THIS DESK! Lemme tell you but what, MR. PRINCIPAL. My daughter spoke to me yesterday, said she heard rumblings that those two girls were planning something really big. She asked my advice. I told her the truth: despite all that has happened, she should try and settle things peacefully, and if they simply would not take that option, then take suitable steps to defend herself. Hence, the chain. My daughter wasn't attacking ANYONE, Mr. Clause. She was DEFENDING herself from four big, strong, vicious PUNKS who were acting on the orders of those two girls to hurt my daughter so that "the freak would fall in line". This isn't a school, Mr. Clause. This is a HIERACHY, a nest of vipers, that tried to bite my daughter despite her best efforts to make peace and not bother anyone. Four against one, twice her size. They might have had more ideas then just harming her, as well, and if I find even the slightest scrap of proof to that I will personally hunt them all down and break their stupid, worthless necks."

"But…"

"DO YOU WANT TO GET HURT? SHUT UP! Your witnesses are crap. They're terrified of the popular cliques, and they'll gladly fall in line to avoid persecution. And you'd rather sit her and listen to those cruel sick sociopaths because it's easier then listening to the outsider. At least your predecessor had some brains and balls. You, on the other hand, are an impotent joke, Mr. Clause. You have no power to change anything or any guts to try. Therefore, I am withdrawing my daughter from your school, and you better count your lucky stars I don't throw a lawsuit at you for aiding and abetting slander, destruction of property, and attempted assault!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Principal Clause suddenly roared, the mouse turning into a lion. "HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME OF SUCH THINGS! WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT…!"

A giant flash of light filled the room, followed by a thunderous crack. When the light faded, Noel Collins had disappeared, replaced by Savior, his Shimmer-enclosed fist removing itself from the ruins of Principal's Clause's desk. Stuart Clause was backed up against the window, the lion a mouse again, as the Shimmer retracted into Savior's palm as he glared daggers at Principal Clause.

"The right of power. A right I paid for in blood, sweat, and tears. More then you ever did. Do yourself a favour and go running away with your tail tucked between your legs like you usually do. Take the path of least resistance. And hope I never see your face again."

FLASH! Noel was back again.

"You disgust me." Noel finished, and gestured to Kyra. Kyra got up and the two left the room, leaving Principal Clause behind.

"Kyra." Noel said, putting his hand on Kyra's shoulder as she stepped ahead of him. She turned to look at her father as he looked into her eyes.

"What I just said. That's what happened, right?"

"Yes dad. You nailed it again." Kyra said quietly. And she was telling the truth. Noel nodded.

"Let's get your stuff."

************

"I think she'll get expelled for sure!" Isabella Aungst giggled.

"Well, let's make sure she gets a worthy goodbye, worthy of the freak she is!" Carissa whispered, as she carefully sprayprainted the inside of the locker. She had a fair amount of grace, and hence was able to write rather neat slurs on the inside of Kyra's locker and on her stuff. All the other students passing by saw this, but they looked the other way.

"Ha! I wish I could see her face when she gets a load of this!" Carissa laughed as she finished and closed the locker door.

Revealing Kyra standing behind the door. Carrisa's eyes widened.

"Wish granted."

Kyra's fist shot out, slamming into Carissa's face with a wet crunch and a muffled yelp as Carissa pitched backwards, landing ungainly on her rear as blood began to pour from her broken nose.

"Next time, fight your own fucking battles, you bitch." Kyra said, as she reached into her vandalized locker and retrieved her carefully stashed personal artifacts.

"You…YOU WHORE! YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" Isabella screamed.

"She just did."

Isabella paled, and her eyes slid over to where Noel Collins was leaning on the lockers. He cocked his head and looked from Isabella to the whimpering and bleeding Carissa.

"Disgustingly irrelevant." He finally said, as Kyra slung her backpack over her shoulder, and then the two left.

Almost. At the door, a small, slightly chubby boy shyly stepped in front of the two.

"Um…Mr. Collins…sir…" he asked.

"Yes?"

"Um…eh…can I…?"

"You want an autograph?" Noel said.

"…Yes sir…"

"Sure then. Got something to write on?"

"Yeah, here!" the boy said, fumbling for something.

Kyra watched as her father signed a long and personalized autograph to the fan, and though it was brief, for a moment a terrible anger flashed in her eyes.

It would not be long before it was back.

*******************

Titan Tower.

The Tower has changed little in the years, besides a few occasional touches to fix wear and tear. Once the home of the world's premier teenage superteam, it has since been deactivated. It now serves as a home, as the original group moved on to new things.

Noel and Kyra walked down a familiar hallway, from which pictures of the team rested on the wall in chronological order. The wall started with the original Dick Grayson lead Titans and moved on. Her father showed up about 2/3 of the way down the wall, her mother slightly before that. And after that were many faces familiar to her. She still viewed many as her aunts and uncles, lack of genetics notwithstanding.

She could hear her mother before she opened the door, meditating as usual. Since retiring, her mother did that a lot.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion…" Raven was saying as the door opened. She stopped. "Hello Noel. How did it go?"

Raven put her feet down and turned. She was a little taller, her hair a little longer, and her face much wiser, but once again, Raven has not changed much.

"I wish I didn't have to say it, but the usual. I had to withdraw Kyra."

"What? Noel, that's the third school in two years…!" Raven protested, but only a bit. Her husband was not prone to doing things on a whim.

"It was another little society, Raven. Rotten to the core. As always. I'm thinking we may have to home school Kyra…" Noel said as he moved in and gave his wife a brief peck on the cheek. He then turned to the nearest table and began unloading the briefcase he had picked up before he had taken Kyra home and Raven went over to her daughter.

"Hi Mom." She said.

"Hello my child." Raven said, giving her daughter a kiss on her forehead. The kiss served not just as a mother's greeting but as a test of something. "Oh Kyra, I'm sorry…"

"It's ok. Not like I had any roots down there." Kyra said, walking away. "Not like I can ever put roots down…"

"Kyra…you must…"

"Mom, please, not now."

"Don't forget what she says, Kyra, or what you knew she was going to say. It's the truth, no matter what the world seems to say to the contrary." Noel said, looking at some papers.

"Yeah…right…the truth…that only gets spoken by you and…well…just you…" Kyra said.

Raven felt the sudden rise of rage before she saw Kyra's body language adapt to it, her empath abilities reading Kyra like the proverbial book.

"Kyra…!" she began, but she didn't get to finish as Kyra suddenly screamed, her body tensing up as his fists clenched.

The doors of the cabinets flew open and dishes came crashing out, broken glass swirling around as Kyra hit the marble counter so hard it cracked. Noel's head snapped up at the sudden racket, and he closed his briefcase.

"Kyra?" he said. "You want to say something?"

"I HATE YOU!" Kyra suddenly screamed, and the doors of the cabinet were ripped off their hinges and tossed across the room, embedding themselves in the far wall.

Contrary to the chaos surrounding him, Noel was the picture of calm.

"You hate us." He said, as if Kyra had just told him the weather. "Mind telling me why?"

"YOU KNOW WHY! DAMMIT DAD, SHOW SOME EMOTION AROUND ME! DON'T STAND THERE AND BE MR. PEACEMAKER! I WANT ANGER! GET MAD! DO IT, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Kyra screamed, and amazingly her dark red hair suddenly changed color, going from deep red to bright white in half a second.

Noel would have reprimanded Kyra on her language, except he made exceptions when strong emotions were involved. And he had expected this. It had been a long time coming, and Kyra deserved it.

"STOP IT! STOP ACTING LIKE EVERYTHING WILL BE ALL RIGHT! IT'S NEVER ALL RIGHT! NO MATTER WHERE I GO…or do…why…why why why…" Kyra said, her anger shifting into sadness as tears began to well up. Raven approached and put a hand on her daughter's shoulder, but Kyra slapped it off. Raven retreated, knowing when her daughter needed space and when to keep going, and this was the former.

"I wish I had a magic answer, Kyra. But it's the same."

"Because I'm SPECIAL? Is it special to be hated everywhere I go? To have people wanting my death? You might have been content to live with that shit Dad, but this isn't the Teen Titans! I am not following in your footsteps! I hate that fucking road! But I'm walking it anyway, aren't I Dad? Just because I'M ME!" Kyra screamed.

"Pretty much." Noel said quietly.

"NO! NO NO NO! I WON'T ACCEPT IT! I HATE IT! I HATE YOU! WHY WAS I EVER BORN! WHY THE HELL DO I HAVE TO BE SPECIAL!?!?!?!?!?!?" Kyra screamed. The chairs flew into the air and the fridge tipped over, and then everything finally went still, and Kyra leaned on the table, breathing heavily.

"It's not fair…not fair…" she whispered.

"I know Kyra. But that's the way it is. People are people…I'm just sorry you have to see so many bad examples…but the bad is not the absolute…" Noel said.

"Bullshit. Maybe in your day, but things have changed Dad. This nice city you and your friends built can't hide its rotting heart. Maybe you should have let the Lord of the Night raze it to the ground."

"I doubt any world built by the Lord would be any different. Or Whim. Or Zenith."

"How do you know for sure?"

"Kyra, there's no real solution. All you can do is just keep living, and maybe just find something…worth living for. Even worth fighting for. I know there's a lot of bad in humanity, ESPECIALLY in your peer group…but all I can offer you is time. Trust me. Some day you'll find your place in this world."

"Yeah Dad, maybe, but let's get one thing straight." Kyra said. "I know what I did when I was young. I know why you and Uncle Tim taught me what you did. But it won't be happening. The Teen Titans are dead! And they won't be reborn through me!"

"You don't want to be a superhero?"

"Superhero? Yeah, like I'm the next Delusionman. No Dad. I know what I know. I won't protect that sick thing you call society. I HATE PEOPLE." Kyra said.

Kyra turned, walking away.

"I'm going out."

"Be careful." Noel said. Kyra stopped, stood there for a moment, and spoke her next sentence genuinely.

"I will."

Once Kyra was gone, Noel sighed and turned back to Savior and began tidying up the kitchen.

"What are we going to do Noel? Are we bad parents?" Raven asked.

"Only good parents ask that question Rae. We raised her with love, caring, and compassion. We taught her all we know, the good AND the bad. We really do forget what that age was like."

"But…I miss those days when she ran around with a towel around her neck, with a new name every time…what happened Noel?"

"Life. She got older. She saw the world for what it was: a place where you have to survive. And in this civilization, in which we really don't have to worry about that in the way animals do, it gets twisted up in so many ways. They hate her because they fear her, Raven. Nothing can change that. She was born different. Difference is innately feared, especially when the brain reads it as a threat to survival. But there are people out there, Raven, who WILL accept our daughter for who she really is."

"And if she doesn't find them soon?"

"Well…all we can do is help her."

"I think you indulge her too much, letting her wear those clothes and that hair, and those piercings you got her for her sweet sixteen…!"

"We all need to try and find our individuality, Raven. I'd rather guide her and keep her from the bad paths then try and forbid her stuff and risk her going off the edge in attempted rebellion. If this is what Kyra wants to be, I'll let her. Better this then her doing drugs and sleeping around."

"She is still a…"

"Yes, I'll be keeping my eye on THAT for two more years at least."

"Man, I just realized you are a good father."

"No. I'm just a human, trying my best. That's all one can do."

"And what if Kyra keeps getting scorned for doing just that?"

"Then the world is going to rue it. A hell of a lot."

****************

Kyra shrugged off her jeans and put on new ones, black and slightly better stitched ones. She fixed up her mohawk and checked her piercing for infections. Finding none, she inserted new trinkets, small ones that couldn't be grabbed. She opened her closet and pulled out a long black leather coat. On the back was written "Your Future is Bleak".

"My whole damn LIFE is that way, never mind my future." Kyra said. She checked her special chain attachments that rested inside the jacket.

Kiyra had not been born with another Shimmer, but she had inherited several of her mother's abilities, including a fairly strong telekinesis ability and the ability to cast spells. Using that, along with the chains, she had her own Shimmer, one that was not as versatile as her dad's but still pretty damn tough. Plus, Uncle Vic had made her special chains that had various attachments, though Kyra preferred the chains that wrapped through her jacket now: a gift from Superman, made of pure promethium, for her 12th birthday, back when her Dad was part of the Justice League. Those had been the last days that Kyra had really been happy.

Then she saw people for who they were.

She opened up her window via a telekinetic push and stretched a bit. Late afternoon was beginning to slid into night, and it was nice out. Kyra cracked her neck.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" Kyra chanted, seizing control of her chains. She shot out and wrapped around a grip, and then they tossed her forward, out of the window, and she was off, swinging and leaping as well as her dad had in his youth.

Like father, like daughter.

*****************

"Her abilities are getting stronger then we expected." Raven said as she finished putting the fridge back into place.

"It's ok. We taught her well as a child. She's very disciplined, and she knows what she can and can't handle." Noel said. He had finished his own clean up and was now looking through his briefcase again.

"That the usual?"

"Yep."

"Any changes?"

"Nope."

"Enemies?"

"Either still dead or still in jail. Don't worry Raven. We've done everything we can to protect our family. All of us. If something appears, we'll see it coming." Noel said, closing the briefcase.

"Noel, I was thinking, considering how much trouble Kyra is having with normal school kids, maybe we should send her to Ubertron."

"I think we can save that as a last resort Raven, and we aren't quite there yet."

"But…"

"NO."

"Noel, you have GOT to get over…"

"Get over NOTHING. We are NOT sending her to Ubertron unless we have no other options at all and that is FINAL."

"You have to forgive him eventually Noel."

"No Raven. Everyone has failings and this is mine. He should have obeyed the spirit of the law and instead he went for the letter and because of that I almost lost you AND Kyra. So no, I will NOT forgive him, and if I never see him again it will be too soon!"

*****************

But enough of these hintings, let us return to Kyra, as we join her as she realizes she did indeed forget something at her school. With heavy annoyance, she had headed back. Locks meant little to her: Uncle Tim had taught her well.

And as a result, she came across this scene.

*****************

Had we seen the scene where Kura had defended herself, we may have recognized two of the large teenage boys as Rene Icenhour and Fredrick Pendarvis. With them were three of their friends, two more football players and a hanger on. Their names were Luther Oros, Enrique Noda, and Kent Clairmont, respectively.

The five large teenagers were closing in on a semi-cornered and considerably smaller teenage boy, a lanky lad with neatly combed brown hair and glasses, abet rather thin ones. He was dressed in slacks and a blue and green sweater, a medium sized backpack on his back, and he was holding up one hand. He looked a bit worried, but his face was more in an expression of attempted negotiation.

"Now look Fred, I did give you repeated warnings…" the smaller teen was saying.

"She failed me! She said I was cheating!" Fredrick Pendarvis spat, holding a crumpled piece of paper.

"As I pondered. I told you Fred. Your grades in science were not that great. I offered to write the report as if you had worked you ass off to get a respectable grade, say a B. But no, you INSISTED I put all my effort into it and give you an A+. Fred, the teachers KNOW you aren't that good at science. But you INSISTED. So I only did what you asked me. That really isn't the best motivation to inflict gratuitous bodily harm on my person."

"I'm not going to do that. I'm just going to kick the shit out of you!"

"My lord, MUST you perpetuate the odious stereotype that all players of the ball and foot are unchangeable dunces? Then again, it is a precision discovery in your case. I really suggest you quadruple your scholarly efforts, my dear not-exactly-a-friend. It will prove highly beneficial in the long run."

"GET HIM!"

"Or you could resort to your usual brutality." Glasses sighed. "And I wanted…"

That was all Glasses got to say, as Enrique had reached him first and was swinging back his fist. Strangely, Glasses was not trying to defend himself: in fact he had his hands behind his back.

Good thing, as a chain suddenly snapped out, wrapping around Enrique's hand and bending his fingers in ways fingers should not be bent. Enrique screamed in pain, and then another chain grabbed his waist and tossed him backwards across the street and into some garbage cans. The other large teenagers froze, and then turned around.

"You aren't people, are you?" Kyra said as her chains retracted and floated around her. "When someone who you think is weak proves to be strong, you go after someone else. You aren't even ANIMALS. At least they do it for a cause. You just do it because you like it. You call ME a freak? You're more subhuman then I could ever be, even if I tried." Kyra said.

"Hey, YOU!" Fredrick yelled. "You…boys, new target. This bitch hurt my friends. I say we pay her back in kind."

"I say you turn around, except you won't." Kyra said, as the boys advanced on her.

"Things will be different this time bitch. There's no one around to stop us. No one around to save you. You're dead meat." Fredrick said, sneering.

"So…there's no hope?" Kyra said, pretending to be frightened.

"NONE!"

"You're right. None. For you."

The chains snapped out, seemingly materializing right in front of Fredrick's quivering eyeballs. And as suddenly as they appeared they began to spin in a wheel, blistering Fredrick with a storm of sharp lashes before the chains balled up and slammed against the side of his head, tossing Fredrick four feet before he hit the ground, spitting out broken teeth.

"Last time was just me and a chain. This time it's me USING a chain." Kyra said, and lashed out. She grabbed Kent around the neck and waist and yanked him forward into a powerful knee strike, and then slammed her elbow into the back of his head. Bellowing, Luthor charged in, and Kyra leapt and slashed out her foot, slamming it across the side of Luthor's jaw, and then pulled an amazing move as her chains slid down and grabbed her lower foot, and then yanked it up as she did a flipping heel kick under Luthor's chin that knocked him ass over elbows backwards. Kyra landed and skipped back a few steps, near where Enrique was groaning, and then she gestured to the last one standing, Rene, and then put her hands under her arms.

"No hands!" Kyra said. Taking the challenge, Rene charged at Kyra.

And twin garbage lids lifted up and slammed against either side of Rene's head. Rene staggered from the impact, as Kyra removed her hands from her armpits and began swinging one chain around her hand.

"Changed my mind." She said, and drove her chain-wrapped fist into Rene's gut. Rene fell to his knees, puked, and then passed out on his side.

"At least your position matches who you are now." Kyra said, and walked over to Glasses. Unknown to her, Fredrick had gotten up and had pulled out a switchblade.

"You ok?"

"Yes, thank you. Though I was in no real danger." Glasses said, his hands still behind his back. "Though to totally avoid it for your person I suggest you lessen your vertical posture."

"What?" Kyra said.

"Sorry, force of habit. DUCK!" Glasses said, as he brought his hands back.

And Fredrick lunged at Kyra, swinging his knife and screaming.

Kyra ducked.

And Glasses hurled a small glass tube at Fredrick. It hit his chest, and with a sudden disgusting wet noise, something exploded into being, forming at a speed that amazed Kyra as it enveloped Fredrick. In a second he was stopped dead in a thick pink blob of gunk.

"AH! WHAT THE FUCK!" he screamed, only his head and right hand sticking out.

"I did it without looking! Yes! I rule." Glasses said, something sounding modest even in a victory chant.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS STUFF!?!?!?"

"If I told you the proper names for the chemicals your head would probably explode. Basically, it's my own special mixture. You're basically enveloped in a big wad of chewing gum, Fred, abet one that's 275x stronger then actual gum."

"LET ME GO!"

"I can't. You'll have to wait until it dissolves. That much should take about…nine hours. Hope you used the bathroom lately."

"YOU ARE DEAD, YOU FUCKER! I'M GONNA…!" was all Fredrick got out before Kyra slammed her foot into the side of his head, knocking him out.

"He talks too much." Kyra said, calling her chains back and slipping them back inside her jacket.

"And never has anything to say." Glasses said. "I think this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back. I had better find another school."

"Yeah, this place sucks ass." Kyra said. Glasses finally took a good look at his "rescuer" and his eyes widened as he adjusted his spectacles.

"Say, I know you! You're Savior's daughter. What did the papers call you?"

"They can call me anything they want, it's all lies anyway." Kyra said. "Who are you, Test Tube Boy?"

"Actually, these are technically called beakers."

"Fine, Beaker! Hiya Beaker! You related to the Muppet?" Kyra said, offering her hand.

"That is not my name. Or should I call you Myth?" "Beaker" asked, crossing his arms and looking wryly at Kyra.

"Please, I gave that name to the paper when I was 8. Forget it! Ok ok, my name's Kyra. What's yours?"

"Walt. Walt Rod. A pleasure." The finally named Walt said, shaking Kyra's hand.

"Well Walt, I'm thirsty. You drink coffee? I'll buy you one if you can tell me how you did that instant bubble gum thing."

"You're interested?"

"Buddy, I had met gods and demons before I hit the double digits, it takes a LOT to interest me, and I don't lie…" Kyra said, as she walked down the sidewalk with her new companion (friend?).

Destiny is circular, indeed.

In more ways then one…

*****************

He had the strangest hands the bartender had ever seen.

Not that he could actually see them. The man's hands were completely covered with black leather gloves. But in the brief glimpses he caught, the bartender could have swore that the hand was constantly SHIFTING, like it was made of liquid. Add that to the guy's strange outfit and the pirate eyepatch, and the whole think made the bartender very uneasy.

He wasn't buying a lot of drinks either, which irritated him. He just sat and nursed, his head down, his hair hidden under a baseball cap. And that accent…

Finally, he had had enough.

"Buddy…" the bartender said. "I think it might be time for you to pay and move on." He said, his hand gripping the baseball bat that he kept under the counter. He wasn't afraid of the stranger: as well as the bat, the bar was filled with regulars who would help him if there was trouble. Better then any bouncer he had ever hired.

The strange man looked up, and then finished his shot and slammed it down.

"Kicking me out, mate?"

"I think it's just time for you to pay and leave."

"Well mate, we got a problem. I don't have any money."

"WHAT?" the bartender said, looking incredulously at the stranger.

"Would you accept a glove?" the stranger said, holding up one hand.

"What the fuck are you talking about! HELL NO!"

"Yeah, I think you will." The Stranger said.

And the man's glove suddenly SHREDDED, flying apart as whatever was beneath it flared to life. All the bartender saw was a blood-red strand of something fly out before it impaled itself through his eyes and smashed the back of his skull out.

As blood and brains exploded against the mirror behind the bartender, the rowdy crowd suddenly went dead quiet.

Then…

"HE KILLED CHARLEY! KILL HIM!" Some fat patron yelled.

"Please, tell it to the cops." The stranger said, as his other glove tore apart, and the blood red whips flew everywhere, sharp and deadly as they lashed and slashed across the entire bar, slicing everyone in arm's reach into pieces. As blood soaked the floor, the only survivor tried to flee out the back, only to have the lines wrap around him and pull him back, smashing him headfirst into the mirror. The alcohol bottles above and around the mirror came crashing down from the impact.

All but one, of the finest whiskey, as a line caught it and brought it to the strangers mouth. He took a long drink and then tossed it behind him.

"Enough fooling around with the yobbos. It's time to finish this once and for all." He said, as the red lines retracted and formed into a pair of hands at the end of stumped wrists, the original hands long lost. The energy formed hands reached into the man's red jacket and pulled out a picture.

It was old, and clearly taken out of the newspaper, but we know the people in it. Noel, Raven, and Kyra, posing for the camera. The man chuckles.

"Thought I was dead, did you. BIG mistake, Collins. It's time."

And Jack Djinn shoved his hat off, his blood red hair flaring up as he turned, his feet making squishing noises as he walked in the blood pool.

"You've done me a lot of wrongs, you thief. So it's time I stole something back. And I think I have the perfect idea…" Jack said as he looked at the picture. Then he crumpled it up and dropped it in the blood as he walked on.

"I'm back, mates. And all of hell is riding with me."

To Be Continued.