Legal Matters: The Teen Titans and all officially endorsed items related to the Teen Titans are the property of DC Comics and Warner Brothers Studios. The Teen Titans and all related items do not belong to this or any other writer unless otherwise stated by DC Comics and Warner Brothers Studios, and should not be used without the consent of said companies. This is a fictional story of the author's creation and is not to be copied or used without the consent of the author, nor is it to be interpeted as an attempt to infringe on the copyrights set by DC Comics and Warner Brothers Studios. The character "NightBlade" is copyrighted by Naito the Shinobi and cannot be used without the author's consent.
Teen Titans, The Lost Files: "Shadows of Ourselves"
NightBlade lunges for Robin with his scythe, swinging downwards in a left diagonal path aimed at the Boy Wonder's head. Robin barely manages to roll out of the way as the scythe's blade comes down and buries itself cleanly into the floor, evaporating into black mist shortly after its impact. NightBlade turns and stares coldly into Robin's eyes. A metallic squeal is heard. The shelves that were previously behind Robin begin to slide downwards along a fine diagonal cut. Suddenly, NightBlade charges at Robin. At the same time, the shelves of soft drinks behind the two opponents crash to the floor in a heap. Soda spews into the air in fountains, drenching both Robin and NightBlade as they grapple. Robin pulls away enough to slam his fist into NightBlade's face, but NightBlade responds by grabbing Robin by the front of his vest and delivering a vicious headbutt that causes Robin to see a bright white flash as it connects. Both of them are sent staggering backwards from the blow.
Explosions of green energy erupt all around NightBlade. Starfire and the other Titans rush through the gaping hole to Robin's side. At a disadvantage between the confines of the aisle and the Titans standing before him, NightBlade quickly climbs up the the remaining shelves of soft drinks and begins to leap from the top of one aisle to the other.
"Robin, are you injured? Your transmission ended abruptly and we feared that you were hurt.", Starfire says in a concerned tone.
Robin rubs his right temple, shaking off the effects of the headbutt. "I'm fine.", he replies as he looks up at where NightBlade jumped. "Beast Boy, I need you to push this aisle down. It doesn't look like he can fly, so knocking down these aisles should trip him."
Beast Boy smirks and transforms into a ram which throws itself headlong into the aisle, sending it crashing into the next one and causing a domino effect among the other aisles.
"Starfire and Raven, we'll need you to grab him if he doesn't fall.", Robin orders.
The two of them give a nod and fly over the collapsed aisles, beginning their chase.
"Cyborg and Beast Boy, you're with me. We'll head him off if Starfire and Raven can't get to him.", Robin says before he sprints towards the opposite end of the store. Beast Boy and Cyborg follow closely behind him.
Meanwhile, NightBlade continues to jump from aisle to aisle. He discovers that the aisles he previously leaped from are rapidly collapsing behind him. He also sees that Starfire and Raven are closing in on him. To make matters worse, there are only a few aisles left before NightBlade is forced to head back down to the gound and risk being captured by the three figures below. Starfire's starbolts rock the aisle below NightBlade, nearly throwing off his balance while sending bits of potato chips and breakfast cereals into the air. Broken shelves fly by NightBlade's body as Raven uses her telekinetic powers in an attempt to slow him down. The shelves miss their target and instead crash into the glass doors of the frozen food section, shattering them into hundreds of pieces.
NightBlade can see Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy waiting for him several feet the final aisle. With only two leaps left, NightBlade's right hand becomes surrounded by the familiar black mist. Raven and Starfire increase their speed, knowing that they only have one chance to catch their enemy. NightBlade's foot makes contact with the last aisle as it begins to fall due to the previous aisle smashing into it. At the very last moment, NightBlade throws himself headfirst off of the collapsing aisle. Robin and Cyborg launch a barrage of birdarangs and sonic blasts at NightBlade while Beast Boy makes an unsuccessful jumping swipe at him in the form of a cougar.
Time seems to slow to a crawl for NightBlade as he rotates to his left onto his back in mid-air, barely clearing the danger from below. He can see the look of surprise on Raven and Starfire's faces as swings his right hand from the left side of his body to his right. A trail of dark mist follows his hand, which unexpectantly unleashes a storm of small, flat, and black shuriken-like objects. They slice through several signs and aisle markers hanging from the cieling as they scream through the air towards Raven and Starfire. The two of them dive towards the collapsed aisles with barely a moment to spare, but not before Starfire recieves a glancing blow to her upper right arm from a stray shuriken. She winces and holds her arm in pain as she lands and looks towards the others. Robin's eyes widen while baring witness to Starfire's injury, but something else soon catches his attention.
Behind the Titans, NightBlade crashes to the store floor. He rolls and slides several feet across the floor from his hard fall before coming to a stop near the check-out counter. Groggily, NightBlade readjusts his vision in time to see an angry Robin plant a jumping kick into his chest. The force of the blow sends NightBlade rolling backwards twice before he stops in a kneeling position on one knee. A furious cry from Robin acts as a cue for NightBlade to duck, just as Robin's metallic pole whistles through the air inches above NightBlade's lowered head. In response, NightBlade shoots his right leg out in sweeping motion sending Robin to the polished store floor.
The other Titans watch the fight from several feet away while tending to Starfire's wound. Beast Boy looks down towards the floor for a moment, noticing a large pool of water and soft drinks forming nearby. An idea creeps into his head.
"Hey guys! Keep that dude distracted. I've got a plan!", he cries right before transforming into a giant ocean bed sponge. A sucking sound is heard from the massive sponge as it soaks up the liquids from the store floor. The others look on in confusion, but eventually go along with Beast Boy's request as they begin to attack NightBlade from afar.
NightBlade frustratedly crafts a large scimitar-shaped black blade in each hand to deflect the barrage of starbolts, sonic blasts, and chunks of ruined metal aimed at him. His movements with the blades resemble a deadly dance; every slash and swipe resembling a cross between the fierce resolve of a samurai warrior and the grace of an Arabian swordsman. However, NightBlade's finesse is slowed by exhaustion, resulting in many of the projectiles hitting their mark. He is eventually forced near the glass doors of the store's entrance. In the distance, the green mammoth lumbers closer and its eyes narrow in concentration. Robin looks away from his opponent long enough to notice the massive green beast, then wisely runs back to the other Titans to give Beast Boy a clear target. In an instant, the mighty trunk of the mammoth takes aim and unleashes a torrent of soda and water in the direction of the store's entrance. The stream of liquids is too large and powerful for NightBlade to escape. His eyes widen as the flood of water and soda engulf him and smash him through the glass doors behind him. Nearly half the front of the store collapses and bursts from the force of the flood. Millions of glass shards explode into the city street along with a river of soda-water and large pieces of brick.
NightBlade is flung backwards against the side of a parked blue pick-up truck. The impact rocks the vehicle hard and nearly forces NightBlade into unconsciousness. He fights to stay awake while sitting limply against the passenger side of the truck. A nearby streetlight reveals to him the ruins of the storefront. It also reveals a giant green bull barreling towards him at full speed, crashing through the wreckage of the storefront with ease and mooing angrily. Looking down at his sides, NightBlade realizes his hands are still tightly gripping the blades he created from before. He then notices the nearby streetlight shaking from the green bull's heavy galloping. With the bull only a few feet away and quickly closing the gap, NightBlade struggles to lift his right arm. He winces from the soreness in his body, but manages to summon enough strength to toss the blade sideways and send the weapon spinning through the steel pole of the streetlight. Electrical sparks pour out from a cut made near the base of the pole before the entire top section of the streetlight comes crashing down. The bulb portion of the streetlight smashes heavily across the green bull's head in mid-stride, knocking it out cold and causing it to collapse merely two feet away from NightBlade's outstretched legs.
Slowly, NightBlade lifts himself onto his feet using the side of the truck for support. Through the shadows of the store's destroyed entrance, NightBlade can make out the other Titans making their way towards him. Looking back towards his right, he notices the cover of the truck's fuel tank. NightBlade reverses his grip on the blade in his left hand, then quickly passes the blade to his right hand and drives the weapon halfway through the truck's fuel tank. Its contents spill out onto the pavement below and soon forms a lake of gasoline.
Afterwards, the four Titans cautiously step out of the ruined storefront. Starfire gasps as her eyes fall on the unconscious Beast Boy. She quickly flies to his side with a torn piece of Robin's green sleeve wrapped tightly around her injury. The faces of Robin, Raven, and Cyborg are deadly serious.
"Alright...", began Robin. "... we tried doing this nicely, but I can see there's no reasoning with the likes of you. We're taking you to jail. But before we do, I only have one question: why are you doing this? We could've helped you. It didn't have to happen this way."
NightBlade scans the group with his eyes, then awkwardly adjusts his posture until he stands upright. Most of his joints crack as he moves.
"This is something I have to do alone.", he says. "Someone in this city took my father away from me and I refuse to let that someone answer to anyone else. Not even you. Finding my father's executioner is something I have to do on my own. "
"So that's who you're looking for.", Raven says as her eyes narrow. "Revenge isn't the answer. In the end, it'll only consume you. The people you hurt won't make things any better either... and it won't bring back what you lost."
NightBlade lowers and shakes his head slowly from side to side.
"Do you think I haven't learned that already? I know that nothing I do will ever bring him back. But I also know this...", he says as he slides the black blade out of the truck's fuel tank, causing even more gasoline to spill onto the ground. The Titans notice this as NightBlade continues.
"... taking me to jail won't matter all that much. You see, I've become a prisoner of my own hate and taking down that scumbag has become my only key to freedom from all this. I'm sure it sounds pretty cliche to you by now. I'm sure you've dealt with crooks, criminals, and psychopaths just like me. That same old song and dance with the dark avenger on his obsessive quest for revenge. But I'm nobody's hero, and I couldn't care less about what you think of me. We all have our reasons for being here. So you can either stay out of my way or I swear I'll cut my way through you, just like I've cut my way through everything else that tried to stop me."
Without warning, NightBlade simultaneously strikes the ground with the tip of his blade while jumping and rolling across the hood of the truck. The Titans shield their eyes and recoil as a spark from the black blade ignites the gasoline, explosively transforming the truck into a raging inferno. A large wall of smoke and fire obscures the view of the rest of the street. Cyborg fires a sonic blast into the heart of the flames, snuffing out the blaze with the sonic vibrations of the blast. Nothing remains of the truck except a smoldering heap of metal, rubber, and charred upholstery. The street is completely empty and silent except for the chirping of birds. Over the horizon, the sun begins to rise. Beast Boy stirs and shapeshifts back to his human form.
"Ugh... did we get him?", he asks with a small smile while rubbing his head.
Robin turns to face Raven. "Is he still here?"
"No.", she replies. "I can't sense NightBlade anywhere. He's gone, for now."
"Just what we need. Another angsty wacko on the loose.", Cyborg comments before looking down at an annoyed Raven. "Err... no offense, Ray."
Raven shakes her head and pulls down the hood of her cloak. "He calls himself a pyscopath, but I don't believe that. Sure, he doesn't play by our kind of rules. However, I think the only reason he hunts criminals the way he does is because that is all he knows. His rage won't allow him to see any other way."
Starfire looks back at the group as she helps Beast Boy to stand. "Your logic seems very accurate Raven. In ancient times, many people on my home planet were ruthless and savage warriors who knew little besides war and destruction. In fact, there are many people on my world who fit that description as we speak!"
Cyborg crosses his arms while surveying the damage done to the store. "If that's the case, then why did he say he didn't want to fight us when we first met him?"
"Because it's like what NightBlade said before.", Robin replies. "We stopped him from getting to that kid. We were in his way and we refused to back down, so he saw us as just another obstacle to get by."
"Whoa... hey guys, check this out!" Beast Boy says as he points to the ground near the fallen streetlight. The black blade that NightBlade had used earlier now lays on its side in the light of the rising sun. A sizzling sound is heard from the surface of the scimitar-shaped weapon as the sun's rays shine upon it, just before it shatters violently and evaporates into black mist. "You think maybe that's why he ran away? Maybe he's like some kind of vampire? He's definately creepy like one, that's for sure."
"I don't think so.", Robin says as he stoops down and runs a gloved finger across the pavement where the blade had been. "That weapon was definately made from the same metal Cyborg's scanners found earlier. Somehow, NightBlade can make that metal from his own body and turn it into whatever weapon he needs. But from what we've seen, he only made simple hand-to-hand weapons. I think his powers limit him from making anything more complicated than that."
"Then how did this 'NightBlade' vanish the way he did during our battle? We all witnessed how he went through the ground, then fell from the sky. Perhaps he also has the ability to instantly transport himself from one location to another?", asks Starfire as she thinks aloud.
Robin stands up and wipes his hand across his vest. "Maybe. But if we're going to learn anything more about him, we should head back to the Tower and see what we can find in our database. We should also take a look at that metal to get a better idea of what we're up against."
As the Titans leave, a dark figure watches them from around the corner of the ruined store. Its inhuman and melancholy red eyes glow softly in the shadows. In the distance, a blaring squad of police cars and fire trucks race down the street in the direction of the store. The red eyes vanish. All that remains is a set of three claw marks dug deep into the building's masonry.
TO BE CONTINUED...