Renegade
Chapter 8
It is imperative that your endeavor is successful. It was fortunate that the Renegade chose to seek refuge with the Titans; it will speed up our plans greatly. After you catch both the Renegade and the Titans Jump city will need protection. The Visor's Protectorate would step in at that point and take charge of the city, making it ours. I'm sure you've heard of their work in the Gotham Restoration Project. If Jump City is under as much control as Gotham is now, then I don't need to tell you how this will aid our efforts. Your victory would be just what we need. Failure is not an option.
-Them
Vincent read aloud the letter given to him by one of the marines. Sitting there in the dark abandoned subway, he smiled at reading of his master's confidence. As he lied there in preparation, consolidating his forces, it became abundantly clear that today was the eve of battle. What's more he knew that the Renegade realized this as well.
Ark rushed through the halls with a look of terror. Heading past hallway after hallway he finally made it to his room. He couldn't stay there. He opened the door and began gathering his belongings, five silver balls, an old paperback book, and a simple digital watch. He was still missing another ball. He began rummaging through a dresser he came across a silver heart-shaped locket covered in dust. Ark took it out and eyed it curiously. He wondered what it could be. He flipped it open to reveal a picture of two people, obviously a couple. One was quickly identified as Beast Boy due to the green skin. The other wasn't as easily identifiable. He couldn't tell who she was. So he began studying her. She had on a black T-shirt with a yellow circle encircling a "T" in the same shade of yellow. She had long blonde hair, and had a face that screamed, "I'm keeping a secret" He decided that he would show it to Beast Boy before he left. Finally he found the last of his simple silver balls. He put them all in the right pocket of his red jacket. He put the locket in the left. He began walking toward the door. He was hoping to be able to get out before they noticed. He opened the door. It looked like they already noticed. All the Titans were huddled around the doorway Starfire had he hand up, clenched in a fist, which told him they were about to start knocking.
"Friend Force, what troubles you? Why are you in "the hurry?" Starfire was very worried.
"It's nothing," Ark didn't want them to know, then even if he left, they would hunt them. "I just have to leave."
"You WHAT? What do you mean you're leaving?" Ark's announcement didn't register with Cyborg. He was worried like Starfire, but he and Robin also still had a look of questions. They wanted to know the secret of Ark's profile.
"If this is about who's chasing you," Robin began. "Don't worry. We'll help you fight them."
"You don't understand do you? If I die, I would be just a voiceless martyr! Nobody would care! If it were you, an entire city would be lost!" Ark snapped with anger.
"That's where you're wrong. First of all, we would care if you died," She thought about saying that she would care if he died, but she didn't think it was appropriate at the time, maybe later. "And secondly, we won't fail."
All the other Titans shared her sentiment.
"Look man, you don't have to worry yourself so much. If anyone did have the right to worry, it'd be us. Think about all we know about you is that you're name is Ark Magnus and you're some kinda Renegade Specter or whatever." said Robin
"How did you know my name was Ark? How did you know about the specters?"
"I did a search for your information, though I had to go through endless encryptions and firewalls, that was all I found." Cyborg confessed.
"You don't understand, now you know too much. I can't even leave now you guys are marked."
"Then tell us friend, tell us your troubles. What is it that chases you?" Star said.
Force gave out a sigh. "I guess if you're going to be attacked you should know who it is. Now, I only found this out two months ago but it is my beginning. The organization employs several undercover agents. One of which are nurses. They are given orders. Take any child with significant physic abilities. This is what happened to me. On the day I was born the nurse serving my mother noticed I had these aforementioned physic abilities. She knew her orders and carried them out. At a time when nobody was looking, she took me. She had the ability to cloak so it was a simple matter after that of waiting for someone to drop me off to. She placed me in a car as standard procedure, and it drove off, to the nearest school that the organization offered. That was how I came into the organization. My birth name was Ark but they decided to give me a different name, Force. I was trained to be a Specter, a warrior in their physic army. There are three professions in that school, a Specter, a Phantom, someone like Vincent, an invisible spy. Then there are the Ghosts, the assassins and hunters of the three."
"Man, I didn't know it was like that. I'm really sorry for you." Cyborg tried to comfort him.
"Duuude." Was all that Beast Boy could get out.
Raven, was very sad for him, now she knew his past was as dark hers, and nobody knows her past.
"How unfortunate! To cheer you up I shall sing the Tameranian song of happiness. All one hundred and eight verses." Star said.
"Let's not Star. Look, I'm sorry for what happened to you, and I'm glad you told us. I would be more than willing to defend you." Robin said.
Reflecting on the bad times that he had. The evil crimes committed against him, made him want to be alone. He told to Titans how he felt and then one by one they all left. Beast Boy was the last there.
"Wait Beast Boy. I found this in my room." Ark gave him his locket. Beast Boy opened it and tears came over his eyes and all the good memories of the former Titans came to him. "Terra." He said.
"Thanks, dude. Really, this thing means a lot to me." the green teen said.
"It's no problem." said the Renegade. It was clear that he had earned Beast Boys trust.
There, on the eve of battle the Titans, and Ark, made their preparations. Force didn't expressly say that tonight that battle would come, but they all just felt it. On that note the day ended, and a dark night began.