Disclaimer: I own no part of the Teen Titans or their associated canon though I do own the other characters associated with this story.

(A/N): Sometimes I get flash of inspiration for a story. Sometimes I write it out, sometimes I don't. This is what happens when I do.

Chapter 2

From a Distant Land

Raven stirred as a few rays of sunlight somehow found their way into her room past the various levels of curtains. Trough a bizarre occurrence a single beam bounced off two mirrors, was refocused through a crystal sphere and landed directly on Raven's left eye lid. Waking slowly at the unexpected light, which dissipated as the sun moved, she rose and rubbed the side of her head. There was a small lump there…and would be for a while. Though she could have healed it she decided to keep it as a reminder of the dangers she faced. She slowly replayed the previous night through her head as she showered and dressed. At the end she came to two realizations. The first was that she had had a solid night's sleep for the first time in weeks and the second was that she still didn't know what Hunter looked like.

Drifting through the silent halls of the Titan tower she rose a couple floors and up a stairway to the roof door. Gliding through it she pulled up her hood to block as much of the sunlight as she could and prepared for her morning meditation. It took several seconds before she realized she was not alone. Instinctively slipping into a dark corner she observed the other person on the rooftop. Six feet tall with a slender build, he wore a loose white shirt and a pair of jeans, he stood oblivious to her presence. His heavy brown shoes moved gracefully as he went through a series of preconstructed motions, obviously drawn from some martial arts discipline. Close-cropped brown hair framed his face as he flowed from one position to the next. Suddenly she realized it was Hunter. Part way through a motion he stopped, opened his eyes and turned to look directly at her. Golden brown eyes pierced through the darkness to her face.

"Good morning Raven." Raven, of all people, actually let out a small eep before stepping from the shadows.

"Morning." Try to hide a faint redness in her cheeks from being caught spying she headed for a ledge away from him.

"I didn't figure you for a morning person." She turned back, caught off guard by his statement.

"Oh…uh…it's the only time it's peaceful around here. It helps me meditate."

"You meditate a lot?"

"Everyday. I have to."

"Really? Why?"

"Uh…"

"I'm sorry. I'm asking rather personal questions. Forget it."

"No…it's…alright. Meditation keeps my emotions in check. When my emotions run wild, my powers make destructive things happen…" She didn't know why she was suddenly opening up to him. But it felt okay.

"Oh…"

"…excuse me…" stepping off to a ledge she sat cross legged, closed her eyes and began her chant under her breath. Hunter returned to his motions as the sun rose over them. Several minutes later he spoke again, drawing her from her trance.

"My instructor had a student one time who was perfect in practice, never missed a move. But in a fight he was completely overcome with fear. He could never commit far enough to win because he feared what might happen. He was ruled by his emotions. Finally the instructor took the student aside and spoke a few sage words to him. After that…he never lost a fight." After several moments of silence Raven spoke as well.

"What did he say?"

"He told the student that the way to win was not to banish his fear but to use it. He told to the student to focus the fear into a weapon. His desire to survive then became so strong that he gained the power to defeat any opponent. By taking advantage of his emotion he became stronger than he could have ever been before."

"What happened to him?" Raven was fairly certain she knew the answer. He was standing thirty feet away on the roof.

"Arkanus killed him. He bought me time to escape and paid with his life."

"…sorry…" They lapsed back into silence which neither of them broke until they headed back to the main room an hour later.

Meanwhile…

Beast Boy was the first of the other titans to wake. Groggily getting ready he made his way to the empty kitchen. For a change able to make his tofu without a fight with Cyborg he was nearly finished when Starfire floated in followed by Robin.

"Morning guys."

"Good morning friend Beast boy!"

"Hey, B. Starfire…I'm gonna make some eggs…want any?"

"Yes friend Robin, that sounds delightful. I was going to have some broiled gundark but I believe it will still be good tomorrow. Now that I think about it, I do not believe I have ever heard of gundark going wrong." Robin and Beast Boy each cocked an eyebrow, a little scared to ask just what gundark was.

"O…k… Coming right up." A few minutes later Cyborg joined them, feasting on pizza left over from three nights previous. Beast Boy looked at him with a slightly concerned look on his face.

"Uh…dude, you sure you should be eating that?"

"Hey just because you're a vegan doesn't mean I can't eat sausage."

"No…I mean that was a cheese pizza…" Everyone's eyes flew open staring at the aged slice in Cyborg's hand. Carefully he replaced the slice in the box, closed it and stood.

"I'll be right back…" With that he disappeared through the door at top speed. After a few seconds Beast Boy turned the box so he could get a clear look at the label.

"Oh…my mistake. This is sausage. Cheese was the night before…"

"Beast Boy…" Robin looked at him with a crooked grin.

"What?" Robin merely shook his head in response. After rapidly finishing her breakfast Starfire's head popped up intently watching Robin finish his meal.

"So," said Robin between bites, "either of you seen Hunter this morning?" They both shook their heads. "I want to find just who he is and who this guy Arkanus is."

Beast Boy looked up from the dishwasher. "I don't trust him."

"Why not?"

"There's just something about him I don't like…"

"Like the fact he and Raven are hanging out on the roof?" Cyborg entered the roof again looking for a glass of water. Beast Boys eyes shot open.

"He's what!"

"At least according to the sensors they've been on the roof together for the last couple hours. Why do you care anyway…unless…you got a little thing for Raven?" Beast Boy's turned away quickly and the others tried hard not to laugh.

"No!'

"No, what?" Raven asked gliding into the room. At her heels Hunter followed. This made the others snigger even louder. Raven just shook her head in annoyance and started fixing her tea. Hunter surprised everyone by asking her to brew some extra water. As she removed two steepers from the cupboard he disappeared again.

"Okay," said Cyborb, "so he's talk, dark, a total badass in a fight and he drinks tea." Raven turned and spoke in her usual monotone.

"It's very relaxing, you should try it sometime. Keeps you from spazzing out."

"Well, so's Raven," said Beast Boy. When everyone glanced sharply at him he quickly added, "just not tall, I mean."

"She's taller than you Beast Boy." Robin half laughed as he said it.

"Oh, can it." Before the boy wonder could reply Hunter returned carrying a small brown paper packet. He handed I to Raven who looked inside. Surprise crossed her face as she sniffed the contents.

"Where is this from? I've never seen this blend of tea before."

"It's a custom blend my instructor created. It's like a little reminder of home wherever I am. Go ahead and try some." She nodded as the teakettle began whistling and set the tea to steep. Robin finally broke the room's silence.

"So…Hunter. Care to explain a few things such as…"

"Who I am, where I'm from and who the hell this Arkanus character is?"

"Uh…yeah."

"Fair enough. Let's see…where to begin…ah, of course. I was born in America but my family moved to Japan when I was very young. They felt it would be easier for me to grow up there, for some reason. We joined a small village in the hills where I was taken under the tutelage of an elder Wado-Ryu master. I was one of his three main students. One, Seto, was my age. The other, Hiro, was older. Only a few weeks after I arrived, Hiro grew angry at what he saw as slow progress and left. Where he went I know not, but after that day our Sensei began training us differently. Later I realized he was teaching us how to defeat Hiro should he return.

One day he did return. Arkanus as he now called himself had changed completely. Our master recognized the weapon he now carried. It's called the Soul Sword of Tagowa."

"Sword," said Raven handing him a cup of tea, "looked more like a club to me." 'Felt like it too.'

"We weren't able to understand the name either. I've come to believe it can be wielded as a sword. I have no idea how though. Using his newfound powers Arkanus began leveling the city. Our master tried to put an end to him but was soon defeated. As we reached his broken body his last words were of the sacred text of our dojo. Running back to his chambers I found the book hoping for someway to stop him. By the time I returned the entire town was in flames. Hidden behind a ruined building Seto and I had few options. We needed time to learn and figure out how to beat him. We didn't have it. One of us and the few surviving villagers had a chance to get away. To do so Arkanus had to be distracted. I lost the flip. From a spot on the hill overlooking my home I watched him slaughter Seto as the village was engulfed in flames.

After the escape I read the book and I learned. I've been hunting him ever since, trying to destroy him once and for all. Unbeknownst to me however he has been hunting the few survivors as well, looking for the book. One by one he found them. He slaughtered everyone he found. Now…I am the only one left. And I have just one thing left to do before I die." He took a sip of tea and each of them could see the pain of loss and hate in his eyes.

Everyone else was silent for several minutes, each contemplating his story in their own way, before Starfire spoke. "That is…terrible." The others nodded silently in agreement.

"Did you find out how to stop the Sword," Robin asked.

Hunter shook his head. "The book spoke in riddles on the point and I'm still trying to figure out exactly what it meas. I do know it requires some sort of sacrifice. I can only hope it will become clear when I face Arkanus."

"Any idea on what he plans to do in Jump City?"

"Cause as much mayhem as he can. He wants the book. Unfortunately he's the patient sort. He'll wait until he's sure he has the upper hand…and then strike. I'm sorry he's here. Had I been able to stop him sooner…"

"I'm sure you've done what you can. But hey, now you have the Teen Titans to help."

"Thanks. Now if you'll excuse me…I have some training to do." When no one moved to stop him he sat down his cup in the sink, headed out the door and toward the roof access. The others huddled and Robin started barking orders, not noticing for several moments that Raven had quietly slipped out.

(A/N): If you feel it is warranted fell free to review. I welcome any and all opinions.