RRXI: The thing won't let me use 76 anymore... so I'm going with XI. Don't like it? Tough. Just read it.
Review Responses:
Fourthelement: I had that scene in mind before I wrote the first chapter. Thanks!
Poopy Penguin: Thanks. Like I say, if your fight scene sucks, then so does the story.
Queen-Of-Azerath: Heh. Thanks. I'll take that 'better than your other stories' thing as a compliment. I had another that was supposed to be my best story... but it never really panned out. Better luck to this, eh?
SaintH: I'm sorry! When I first updated this, I forgot about your review! So sorry! Please forgive me and all that! Anyway, thank you. I do try.
He was tall, maybe 5'9" and wore a grey jacket. In his left hand was a still-smoking Colt .45 revolver. He had thick, unruly dark hair that conceled his face, to a degree, giving him an intimidating appearence. On his back was a military style sword, maybe a saber. His face was expressionless as he stared at Johnny Rancid's form lying against the wall.
Johnny Rancid pulled himself from the debris and tossed off his jacket. "You little bastard..." he snarled, drawing a curved, black knife. He charged at the newcomer, who stood there stoicly, unmoving. At the last second, he leapt upward, turned in midair and slammed the side of his foot into Johnny Rancid's face, sending him flying against the far wall of the warehouse.
The boy smirked and pulled the sword from it's sheath. He drew back his arm and flung it like a spear at his opponent. Johnny Rancid ducked and charged again, holding the knife over his head. "Ever wonder what a bare-brain feels like!" he shouted ferociously at his victim. The boy stepped down from the crate and stood unmoving again.
Suddenly, Johnny Rancid lowered his shouldar and slammed into the boy, hurling him across the room into a support pillar, sending a catwalk falling onto him with a sickening screech. Johnny Rancid grinned evilly at his fallen opponent and picked up his gun. Turning his attention back to the Titans, he said "You kids wanna see a dead body?" and threw the knife at Robin. Robin ducked, but the knife hit his cape, pinning him to the crate behind him. Robin struggled to pull the knife from the wood, but it wouldn't budge. Johnny Rancid grinned again and aimed the gun at Robin. "Move one step, and the kid gets it," he threatened the Titans.
An explosion erupted under the fallen catwalk, a bright light stunning the combatants. When the light faded, they saw the boy, enveloped in an aura of flames. His eyes glowed black and when he spoke, his voice sounded inhuman, almost demonic.
"Filthy mortal," he snarled, raising his right hand. "Allow me to show you the essence of pain!" A light like a blue flame shot from his arm, hitting Johnny Rancid in the stomach. He screamed in agony and begged for mercy before his tourturer. After a moment, the attack ceaced and Johnny Rancid collapsed against a crate, not moving. A moment later the aura of flames disappated from the boy and his eyes cleared. His face was still expressionless, though for a moment it flickered, an expression of shock replacing it. It was only a moment, and the confident, emotionless face reasserted itself. His jacket was torn to shreds, but physically, he seemed almost unharmed.
Starfire carefully crossed to Johnny Rancid's unmoving form and felt for his pulse. "He is alive," she reported, turning to Robin.
"What was that?" Robin asked, still in awe over the teen's power. He suceeded in pulling Johnny Rancid's knife from the crate and turned back to the Titans. He noticed that Raven seemed to be worn out. She was sweating and panting heavily, her face flushed, and was leaning against a crate for support. "You okay?" Robin asked. Raven nodded.
"Just... I felt his power," she said. "And it wasn't human. If I wasn't in total control over myself... I'd probably have lost it." She tried to stand on her own but collapsed. Beast Boy caught her and helped her to her feet.
"You sure you're okay?" Beast Boy asked, slowly letting go of the telepath. Raven nodded again and stood, still shaking. "I'll be fine," she reassured him.
"Back to the topic at hand..." Robin said, indicating the unknown teen, who was checking his joints to see if anything was broken. "What do we do about him?"
"Talk to him," Cyborg said. "You're good at introductions."
Starfire squealed. "Oh yes, it would be most joyous to have another friend with which I can talk to and train with and have the 'girl talk,' and-"
"Okay, that's about enough Star," Robin said, looking slightly annoyed, almost as if he was considering against talking to the newcomer.
"Besides," Raven said dryly. "I'm not sure he'd be too interested in girl talk." Starfire looked disappointed. Robin scratched the back of his head, unsure of what to do.
"Well!" Beast Boy said impatiently. "What are you waiting for! GO TALK TO HIM ALREADY!"
The teen was reloading his revolver when Robin stepped onto the pile of debris. "Um... hi?" he said.
"...hi." the other teen said, seemingly uninterested.
Robin sighed. This wouldn't be easy. "I'm Robin," he said, extending his hand. The teen looked at it for a moment, then took it and shook it lightly. "Carson," he said.
Robin seemed to gain confidence. He motioned to the Titans. "These are my friends-"
"Cyborg, Stafire, Beast Boy, and Raven. The Teen Titans," he finished, closing the chamber to his revolver. "I'd heard of you." He holstered the revolver and stepped down from the pile of debris, striding to where the other Titans stood. He stooped over and picked up Johnny Rancid's knife, walked over to the aforementioned thug's unconcious form and removed the knife's sheath from his belt.
"Um... we kinda need that for evidence," Cyborg said, pointing to the knife. Carson sheathed the knife and attatched it to his own belt. "I need a trophy," he said darkly. He turned to face the Titans.
There was silence between them, then Beast Boy spoke up. "You aren't from around here, are you?"
"Not really-" Carson begain, but Starfire interrupted him, grabbing him by the shouldars talking rapidly.
"Where are you from how did you get here what is your favorite color do you wish to be my friend?" she said gleefully.
"Gotham, walked, black, and why not?" Carson said deadpan. Starfire squealed in delight, threw her arms around him and squeezed as hard as she could... only to realize she'd been squeezing the air. Carson had jumped back onto a crate and was staring down at the bubbly alien. "I don't hug," he said darkly, and stepped down from the crate.
"You're from Gotham?" Robin said, surprised. "And you say you walked here?" Carson nodded and Robin sighed, dropping it.
"So..." Raven said, trying to break the ice. "What's with the exploading catwalk?" Carson stared at the rubble with a thoughtful expression on his face, taking his time to answer. "I don't know," he said quietly. "That's never happened before..." he trailed off.
Beast Boy changed the subject. "So you lived in Gotham?"
"I still do," Carson said. "I'm here on buisiness, not pleasure." He looked at the robot parts scattered around them. "I was a merenary in Gotham. Usually worked in the slums. It was pretty small time. Then I found out about a job here in Jump. Has to do with some crime lord named Slade."
The Titans fell silent. Carson broke the silence. "I take it you've heard of him before?"
"Fought him," Robin said bitterly. "Haven't heard from him in a while. We kinda figured he went undergound."
Carson shook his head. "Doesn't matter. My job is to find him, wherever he is, and bring him in. Dead or alive."
Robin stepped forward. "And who do work for?"
"My client prefers to remain anonymous," Carson said automatically. Obviously, they weren't going to get much out of him. Carson was way too secrative.
Starfire spoke up. "I am curious: If you live in the Gotham City, where are you staying now?"
Carson motioned around him. "Welcome to my humble abode. Which, incidentally," ha added, "isn't a very good place to stay anymore."
"Why not stay with us then?" Robin asked. "I mean, we're after the same guy, and you've got nowhere else to go."
Carson shrugged."Got nowhere else to go. Might as well."
Cyborg grinned. "Car's this way, come on."
"You go on ahead," Carson said. "I'll be there in a moment." He motioned to Johnny Rancid. "What about him?"
"I'll deal with him," Robin said. "You go home without me.
The Titans turned and left the ruined warehouse, their new comrade still standing in the rubble. Carson walked to the far wall where Johnny Rancid had landed and felt around for his jacket. He found it, threw off the shreds of his old one, and put on his fallen opponents. He turned back to follow the Titans out the exit, but stopped to look at the catwalk, the twisted metal a testament to his rage. Carson shook his head and left the ruins of his old home.
RRXI: Got kinda clunky towards the end, I thought, but hey. Please review.