This is a work of fanfiction. I do not own Teen Titans or any DC comics alluded to in this story. Kenkaku and his swords are mine, however.
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Waves of Fate
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"text": spoken English
"text": spoken Japanese (translated or flavor text)
"text": war cry, English
"text": war cry, Japanese.
text: thoughts
-text-: stressed word
text: printed or typed English
text: printed or typed Japanese
'text': sound effect
Japanese flavor text will be in a glossary at the end of the chapter.
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Robin finished binding up the unconscious tank hijackers and looked over at Cyborg, who was looking down into the water. Starfire swooped down to cart the villains off to jail. "Cy! Didn't you catch them!?"
Cyborg turned around and looked at Robin. "I caught them, but the girl fell!"
"So where's the guy?" asked Robin as he ran over.
"In the water."
"WHAT?" Robin looked ready to strangle Cyborg. "HOW?"
"He cut off my hand, man!" Cyborg held up the stump of his wrist.
"What the…" asked Robin as he stared at the sparking amputation.
"I caught him, and he caught her shirt, but the shirt ripped. So she goes into the bay. I told him we'd get her but he yells something at me, whips out this sword, cuts my hand off and dives into the bay, sheathing the sword as he goes!" Cyborg flailed the stump of his arm around. "And now they're both in the bay! With my hand!"
"You've got spare arms. We need to figure out how to get them out of there."
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In the cold waters of the bay, an unconscious body drifted slowly downwards. A sword of wood and one of steel graced his hips. Air spilled from his lungs as his body slowly sunk.
Suddenly, an obsidian field formed around his body and he floated upwards in the company of a purple-haired girl.
His jacket slowly drifted off his body and covered the girl's nude upper torso as light graced them from above.
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An obsidian bubble broke the waters of the bay as Cyborg and Robin looked on, dumbfounded. Raven stood in the middle of the sphere of black telekinetic energy, Kenkaku lying facedown 'at her feet'. Water poured out of the swordsman's mouth as they floated up to the bridge.
Robin and Cyborg stared. "Raven? We though you were dead."
"I'm not," snapped Raven as she floated to the road's surface. "But what about him?"
Cyborg scanned the unconscious metahuman. "He's alive. Has a pulse and he's breathing. Sorry Raven, no excuse to give him mouth-to-mouth."
"Shut up."
Beast Boy flew in. "You let us think you were dead and then go off and find a boyfriend? What happened to your powers and emotions?"
"Shut up, Beast Boy. He is not my boyfriend." Some of the road started bubbling.
Robin took control. "This of course begs the question, who is he?"
"His name is Kenkaku, and he's a registered vigilante. He found me on a beach."
"Oh. So you go for a vacation, Rae. Not nice."
"Face down in the surf. And don't call me Rae."
"Here's another question," said Cyborg, holding up his sparking arm. "Why is he unconscious? He was sure awake when he did this."
A cough and a groan from the ground got their attention. "Kiaijutsu. I screwed it up."
"Nani? What do you mean?"
"I meant to simply wake you up. Instead I healed you completely and knocked myself out. Oh, and tell the black guy I'm sorry about his hand."
"What did he say?" asked Robin.
"I'm not to clear on it, but he seems to have done some martial arts technique to wake me up but he didn't do it right, so it healed me and knocked him out. And he's sorry about your hand, Cyborg."
"Oh it's okay. I got spares." When she didn't say anything he looked at her funny. "Aren't you going to tell him that?"
"He understands English, he just can't speak it. We should probably get him to the hospital."
"I just need a few days to rest. There is nothing physically wrong with me, I just need to regenerate my ki."
"So ka."Raven turned back to the others. "Apparently he just needs to rest for a few days."
Robin nodded. "We'll take him back to the tower. Cyborg?"
The African-American android scooped Kenkaku's limp body up carefully, keeping the forcible amputation from burning him. He carried the other boy to the T-car, followed by Raven. The Titans set off for home, with a visitor.
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Astaroth's axe crushed Ivy as Cyborg laughed. "Boo-yah! Another win for Cy! You can't even come close, BB! Hey! Kenkaku! You want in?"
The long-haired teen looked up. "Un."
"Uh," said Beast Boy, "What'd your boyfriend say, Raven?"
Raven sighed from behind her book. "He said yeah. And he is not my boyfriend."
"Oh. Well, here you go man. Hope you have better luck than me."
"Luck has nothing to do with it. I'm going to win."
"Luck has nothing to do with it. I'm going to win," translated Raven before Beast Boy got in an off-color remark.
"And how are you going to do that?"
"Sore wa himitsu desu."
"That's a secret," said Raven, putting down her book. "Kenkaku-san, am I going to have to translate everything you say?"
"Shutting up."
"Oh! So the new guy thinks he can beat the master? Care for a bet?"
Kenkaku glanced apologetically at Raven. "Gomen, Raven-san. Anou, I have nothing to bet, Cyborg-san."
"He doesn't have anything to bet, you bucket of bolts."
"That's not what I said!"
"So sue me."
"You can tell us some stories of your previous adventures if I win…
"Isn't that more like torture for Raven-san?"
"Hai," replied Raven, glaring at Cyborg.
"And if you, by some small, infinitesimal chance, beat me, you get choice of next game."
Kenkaku's eyes lit up and an evil smirk crossed his face. "Oh, you're on."
"Nani!?"
"Don't worry, Raven-san, this one's in the bag." He gave her a thumbs-up.
Raven looked at him, then turned to Cyborg, reluctantly. "He said the bet is on."
"OH! BOO-YAH! Well, come on, little man! Show me what you got!"
Kenkaku just smiled…and picked Mitsurugi. Cyborg looked at the sword resting next to the Japanese-speaking teen, then looked at the sword in Mitsurugi's hands. Same style. Katana. "Told you, Raven-san."The ronin laughed. "Now, he doesn't have Kanesada, and he's not using Touki no Fenikkusu-ryu, but I guess I'll have to make d…"
Raven cut him off with a slight smile. "Un. You did. Now get on with the fight."
"Um, is it too late to back out now?"
"Hai," replied Kenkaku, grinning evilly. Cyborg knew what that meant.
Beast Boy laughed all the way through Cyborg's embarrassing defeat. Tears were brought to his eyes when he saw Kenkaku's game selection. Heck, it even got a chuckle out of Raven. It was an oldie but goodie.
Bushido Blade 2.
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Robin was chatting with Starfire when Cyborg came stumbling past, his gaming ego in tatters.
"What the…"
Cyborg looked over at him wearily. "Don't -ever- challenge that guy at a weapons-based fighting game with a katana in it." Having dispensed this sagely advice, Cyborg continued on his weary way.
Robin and Starfire shrugged, and went back to chatting.
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Beast Boy threw up his hands. "I give up! You're a beast at these games!"
"Aw, poor little Beast Boy-san, giving up already?"
"I'm not translating anymore."
"Well, night, guys. If you must do -that-, clean up after you're done."
'WHACK!'
'THUNK!'
A telekinetically thrown controller and Muramasa both hit Beast Boy. "OW!" He threw the controller back at Raven, who caught it. The bokken went back to its place on Kenkaku's hip. Beast Boy scurried out the door.
"So? You up for a round?"
"Of video games? Iya. I would not be caught dead with a controller to one of those childish simulations in my hand".
"What about alive?"He pointed to the controller she was still holding.
"You know what I mean."
"Come on. Just one round. Ichi. I'll even tell you about a book that should be right up you alley."
"And how would you know what that is?"
"You've been trying to read a -very- well used copy of Lord of the Flies. I can think of a much better book along the same lines."
"Fine. Ichi, ka?"
"Hai, Ichi. But you have to actually play."
"Ii ka. But just ichi."
Kenkaku put in Kengo 2. They both picked characters, Raven's being the one her cursor started on. He explained the controls, and they started the fight. Raven listlessly moved her character forward and attacked, only to have her eyes widen as Kenkaku's character block her blow, lock swords, twist them around, and kick her character in the stomach. She looked over at him.
"What was that?"
"Parry. Square button."
She attacked again, his character warding off her blows before, at the start of another combo, he parried again, spinning her character behind him, her back exposed. He took the opportunity, his character's katana slashing hers to ribbons.
"And that?"
"Block, parry, step forward, Stance 1 combo. Triangle, Square, Forward, X, X, X."
"Ah."
Kenkaku stretched and moved to turn off the machine. "Should've drawn that fight out longer. Anyway, the book is by a guy named Koushun Takami…" He trailed off as he realized that his controller cord was glowing black, and keeping him from turning off the console. "Anou, Raven-san…"
"I want a rematch." Her eyes were glowing as she kept the cord restraining him.
"Nani?" Kenkaku was more than a little confused.
"Rematch," said Raven firmly.
"Okay," replied a still confused but happy Kenkaku, moving back onto the couch. "Bring it on."
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Robin was barely missed by a flying package of tofu as he walked into the main room for a midnight snack. Most of the room was flying about in fields of obsidian energy as two digitally rendered samurai dueled on the main screen, sparks flying from their swords. Taunts from the players filled the air. Suddenly one of them jumped back, sheathed his sword, then unsheathed it in a slash that opened the belly of his opponent, coming in under the overhand attack of the other samurai.
Cyborg and Beast Boy up late again, thought Robin, chuckling. Probably pissing Raven off too, the way stuff is flying around like this.
That was when he realized that all the taunts were in Japanese.
"Waii! Iaijutsu!" came the male voice.
"Mou! Anfea! Matashitemo!" Definitely a female voice. And Robin was sure Starfire was in bed, so…
The players restarted the match, the previously slain samurai taking the offensive.
The male voice laughed. "Akawarazu ii dokyou da na, Raven-san!" The defending samurai parried and got in a quick slash before jumping back and shouting to build up ki.
Raven stood up as she commanded her avatar to attack Kenkaku's, her hood off and cheeks flushed, a predatory grin on her face. "Monshi!"Her grin crumbled as a stab combo stopped her attack, piercing her character, and a follow-up two-handed horizontal slash finished her. "Shimatta!"She stood stunned.
Kenkaku laughed his head off. Robin wanted to as well, but he had to sneak out of there, with his information. Beast Boy and Cyborg would love to hear about this!
He had just gotten out the door when he heard Raven restart the battle, yelling: "Matashitemo!"
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Japanese Flavor Text Glossary:
Kiaijutsu: "Art of the kiai." (see previous chapter)
Nani: "What?"
Ki: Roughly "Spirit." But the word cannot be accurately translated due to its broad definition. Kenkaku is talking about his kenki, or 'swordsman (warrior) spirit'.
So ka: "I see."
Un: "Yeah."
Sore wa himitsu desu: "That's a secret."
Gomen: "Pardon/Sorry."
-san: General use honorific: "Mr./Ms./Mrs."
Anou: "Errr/Well."
Hai: "Yes."
Iya: "No." (Strong)
Ichi: "One."
Ka: Question mark.
Ii ka: "Fine then."
Waii: "Yeah!/Yay!" General exclamation of happiness.
Iaijutsu: "Art of the sword draw." See last chapter for more details.
Mou: "Again?" (Complaining)
Anfea: "Unfair."
Matashitemo: "Again."
Akawarazu ii dokyou da na: "There's the old spirit!"
Monshi: "Die in agony!"
Shimatta: "Damn it!"
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A/N: Well, this was another fun chapter to write. As for Raven being OOC, it will be explained. Please review, and if you have any questions, leave your e-mail address in the review, and I will try to answer it for you. I am also working on a picture of the good guys that I should get up on the internet soon. Remember, review! Ja na.
