Flickering Shadows

By: Pakkrat

Chapter 4: There's TWO of him?

Disclaimer: Teen Titans to their sections of the world. No others belong to me, oh jiminy-Christmas! Why must I say this EVERY TIME!

Note: Evening! Strangely takes our character Pakkrat on a small quest into other shows, some you may or may not recognize. They each are in no way belonging to me or my associates. The fun thing to try, can you recognize the many side-show references before the end? Have fun, simply a more humor segment for many who may like it! Sorry for the wait but my other story Too Much Red is close to an end, it is my pride and joy which takes an epic tale of the Teen Titans and my other fics greatest demonic apparition Akaige. (Red Shadow). It is long though many find it hard to read in some chapters. Enough about it, on with this story! Today we see a glimpse to the past (Comic world history of Slade used to be factual) of Slade who we all see as a madman, but what drives one to cruelty and madness? Nightmare, I like your idea, but I don't take kindly to threats unless they are simple jokes which yours does not seem so joking. Please clear that Curse thing of yours up for me.

…Titans Tower…

Beast Boy is moaning on the couch, "Dude… we really better work on our fighting skills. I mean falling into traps like that?"

Robin who sits behind them at the table eats a bowl of cereal. "Enough B.B."

Beast Boy looks back and his ears drop, "Eh-he, sorry boss."

Cyborg who hears a ring to the door goes to a monitor to see who it is, "I know one thing, the next time we see Pakkrat it's going to be too…" he sees the monitor and turns pale, "Soon…"

The other boys notice and walk over. All give startled gasps with the black and white image showing Pakkrat at their door! Not only was this weird but he has what seems to be a white coat on. "He's here?" Beast Boy is turning all around, "Where's his evil plan? The mind devices? Come on people we have to do something!"

Robin nods, "That's what we are doing!" he storms the door with his staff. Instantly as the door opens he launches out, Pakkrat screams and cringes with tear waterfalls. Robin blinks, Pakkrat slowly looks up with his trench of white, white jeans and shirt, and yes all white apparel even glasses. "Um…" Pakkrat asks with some fear, "Is this the home of the heroes known as… Teen Titans?"

Robin blinks; "Uh, yeah…" he puts his staff down "You don't know us?"

"No I…" he screams again as the giant green tiger leaps out from Robin soon it stops and with a confused snort sees Pakkrat in a fetal position shivering in fear. Beast Boy turns to human, blinking he asks "Did I break him?"

Cyborg is also confused, "He isn't the Pakkrat we know is he?" the difference in attitudes and apparel made him look to Robin for an answer. Robin simply shrugs, "If not who is he, and where is the other one?"

…Somewhere called Townsville?...

Pakkrat who was the black wearing version takes to the newspapers looking for a new place to stay. He looks at the white home with a red door, three windows to the upstairs, and some small crappy car and raises a brow. "Beggars can't be choosers…" he read the bumper sticker, "My daughter's not only an A student, she saves the day before bedtime?" Pakkrat gets a shiver down his spine; somehow he felt this was not a place for him. Even so he knocks on the door and waits for the answer.

A man in a white lab coat, nice black hair slit back and strangely smiling like he was on Prozac opens the door, his eyes in the anime slit smile form he shows his hand to the hallway, "Hi! You must be here for the room for rent. Come on in and make yourself at home!"

Pakkrat slowly enters, "Okay, thanks Mr…"

"Professor!" the man smiles on as he walks the hall, "They just call me The Professor normally but my full name is Professor Utonium." Pakkrat shoves him finger in his mouth before the Professor turns around smiling, "So how did you hear about the room?"

"Paper." Pakkrat looks to the pictures of three girls with the BIGGEST freaking eyes and always in matching dresses, "You live with your kids? No pics of the wife."

Professor nods, "I don't have a wife." Pakkrat raises a brow, "Witch left you with the brats? Now that is cold man."

Professor stops, and with his eyes open but still curved in a smile he asks "Excuse me?" Pakkrat sighs, "Oh you know, women say they want to have kids and a family but second they have the money they poof leaving you with the little monsters right?"

Professor sighs, "No, I never had a wife. I never married." Pakkrat nods, "Oh, just didn't give the old general his helmet before mounting for war eh?"

The Professor blinks, "Um… I grew the girls in my lab. They are the perfect little girls! Sugar, Spice, and everything nice, those were the ingredients to the perfect little girls. However, something accidentally made it into the mix, Chemical X. Then…"

Pakkrat holds up a hand, "Hold up! So you're telling me…" Pakkrat raises a brow in inquiry, "That a single man, who has this obsession on smiling all the time, has the goal to make the perfect little girls. He does this in his LAB, away from the eyes of the public. Then lives with these three girls, GIRLS that have NO blood ties to him?" The Professor nods, "Hm… you like Woody Allen movies don't you?"

5 seconds later Pakkrat is skidding on the blacktop to the house, Professor screams out, "Get off of my property!" the door slams. Pakkrat stands then wipes himself off, "Whatever… guess that's one down!" Pakkrat holds up the paper and marks out the slot. He turns to the car and grins deviously before walking over to the gas tank while pulling his zipper down.

…The Hideout…

Raven was awake in time for Slade to enter and view her stirring. Raven quickly turns to him and narrows her eyes, "Well?"

Slade nods, "I said I would take you with me to train IF you were a good girl." He has a bowl of cereal that he lays on the end of the table. Raven reaches for it but the table now moves, Slade is pulling it outside of the room as she sat there watching. She glares, but stands. Raven slowly hobbles up to a stand and then makes a gradual walk out the door. During this she feels deeply winded so she grabs her side before getting at the door. She takes several breaths and before actually exiting she stands tall and grabs her hands as fists to her side. Raven now calmly walks out towards the hall and sees at the end she has Slade, the table, and the cereal waiting for her. Raven makes her way slowly with stomping steps.

Raven feels something hit her chest; she gags and falls on her knee. She looks to see the S disk, then hears Slade yell "Get up!"

Raven quickly darts to him, he has become stricter again, more his own pace of training… "What's wrong Raven? Can't stand it?" He has his arms crossed; his eye looks in disgust "You are a weak child even Terra moved faster than you!"

Raven gets up, her one leg shook but she ignored and walked like before. Slade flings out his one arm letting a disk fly Raven channels her power and swats it back. She then feels the second one he launched as the other arm came forth. She stumbles but stands again before falling. Raven glares with rage, and Slade sees her eyes glowing red, "See how weak you are! You can't even push back the influence of Trigon! You are showing me just how pathetic you truly are!"

Raven snarls, her eyes close and then show lavender orbs. She walks again, Slade stands with his one hand reaching into his pouches where he launches three disks that do not spin at her but hover around him. Raven readies for it, the disks fly forth and she stands to hear Slade scream "Who told you to stop marching?"

Raven glares at him, "Bite me!" she collects the disks in her fields and crushes them, Slade is enraged so he grabs a new weapon, a sphere the now he rolls out. The sphere opens four slots that allow legs like a spider to come out. The orb now skitters at Raven; she simply continues the march and waits for it to come closer, a mistake…

The spider now splits into four orbs; they are faster and now spin at her on each leg. Like some sort of tops they spiral around her and then jolt forth an electrical current. Raven is caused a siring pain and so she falls face first. Slade closes his eye, 'Must have been too soon…' he makes a step forward but instantly he has the floor panel rip up, he looks at Raven as she had done this, "Keep back there!" she growls, showing a form of determination to show him she was not weak. He smiles under his mask, his eye slinks in pleasure, 'She has the fire… perfect…'

Raven gets up; the orbs are spinning still and jolting her with electricity. Raven growls then screams as her power jolts in black energy pushing back the electrical energy. Soon her power overloads the orbs making them explode. She huffs and wheezes before making a full stand. She was only a few steps away when Slade steps in front of her and the table, she sighs, "I should have known…"

…The Castle of Doctor Weird…

"Mwah-ha-ha!" laughs the crazed thunderous laughter. Pakkrat has leapt from a window and stomps to the ground. He huffs and pants, "Freaking psycho!" he looks back remembering the corn… the evil corn… "SO not staying there tonight!"

Pakkrat looks around, an address nearby shows promise, "Hm, says here room mates are… what? Food Products? Must be a typo…"

…Titans Tower…

Robin has his hair moving as he rubs it, confusion spread his face. Beast Boy has dazed drool mode going and Cyborg who awes in the complexity simply listens to Pakkrat the Good tell again. "You see, my other self and I have a strange existence. Where as most are able to attain a perfect harmony he and I do not. The good and evil sides continuously break apart and sure enough we falter into many realities acting as… well, I believe we sort of teeter the balances of worlds." Pakkrat nods, "Yes that sounds best in our dilemma. It all begun in a strange battle where we merged into one helping this alternate reality sort of thing occurs. In it, well, I can not truly explain all the matters that occurred." This Pakkrat knew telling these heroes their existence was merely a fictitious ploy kind of kills his affect. In the battle these heroes already took on the form in it, facing great and unmentionable tortures. Pakkrat knew from how he was also partially responsible in the tortures via his own darkness. Pakkrat slowly sighs before rubbing his head, "Please, understand I merely wish to return my other half to myself, in hopes we can be unified again and defeat our nemesis."

Robin raises a brow, "Who is your nemesis?" Pakkrat looks to the side, "A being called Pakkurath. He is like us but far darker. Only when we are unified do we truly have an actual chance."

Robin smirks, "Pakkrat… er, the other you said he stole something from him."

Pakkrat sighs, yet again more trouble, "That is true. We wanted to kind of play a sort of trick on Pakkurath so we kind of snuck in and stole something. Unfortunately it separated us in soul and now I am holding this pendant," he raises a medallion of a rat with a halo, "While my other half has his. The problem is Pakkurath will surely try to find his medallion and have no trouble destroying you all if he need be. Could you please assist me?"

Robin looks to the others, they shrug so he smiles, "We're the Teen Titans, and it would be a pleasure to help you out."

Pakkrat smiles wide, "Oh thank goo…" he is struck by an orange fist, Starfire is being grabbed by the boys with her flaming green eyes. Pakkrat stands rubbing his cheek, "Oh dear, is there something the matter?"

…Road To The Next House…

Pakkrat has a brow raised to the headless guy with a rainbow coming out of his head, "Okay… what the hell?"

"Oh, that's Carl." Pakkrat looks around; the strange squeaky voice caught him from surprise. "Down here cuz…"

Pakkrat looks down and gags, rolling on the ground was this round ball of meat with eyes and a mouth, "Dude! What the hell are you?"

"The name's Meatwad." He gives a narrow look ahead, "Yeah, and this here is Boxy." The box with a black afro and Malcom X like features sits behind him, "Now you best watch out, or he'll cut you. Boxy is upset, because the white man still keeps him down."

Pakkrat looks around, "Uh, can you tell me where this address is?"

Meatwad looks at the paper, he then look at Pakkrat, the paper, Pakkrat, the paper… "Oh, I forgot." Meatwad rolls back and sighs, "I never did learn how to read. I did learn how to do this." He turns into a strange meat igloo. "Then, I got this going for me." He now transforms to a meat hotdog, "Pretty cool huh?"

Pakkrat raises a brow, "…." He marks off the paper and makes a small run to the distance. Meatwad turns to normal, "Hm, wonder what's up with him." He turns to Boxy "Say Boxy, you want to go to the mall?"

The next voice of a giant shake with yellow gloves, eyes, mouth, and straw runs in screaming "Watch out! Here comes Dracula to drink all your meaty juices!" Meatwad screams and rolls off as the shake laughs to himself, "Oh boy, what a hoot! He-he, Frylock! You have to come check this out!"

The giant set of fries with a beard and eyes floats over asking, "What is it Shake? Another pornography pyramid scheme?"

Shake stops and thinks for a moment, "You know, now that you think about it that might work. First, we'll buy hundreds of magazines…" he stops, Frylock raises a brow and Shake says, "Yeah, that might just work!"

Frylock sighs, "I had to be housed with a bunch of idiots…"

Meatwad rolls by screaming and crying, Shake laughs until he strangely explodes and Frylock simply glares to the scene, "Idiots…"

…The Hideout…

Raven is tossed back from a strong jab. Slade steps forward in loud steps, "What's the matter? I thought you could take this kind of training. I mean, you are the all powerful Raven after all." Raven flies up and launches forward, a frontal kick and push makes her fly into the grating again, Slade sighs, "My, what a waste. You can't even show any real aptitude for battle." He taps his chin, "You are Raven right? I didn't save the wrong girl did I?"

Raven looks up in seething distaste of his games, she grits and bears it before a fast dash again, Slade tries a punch but she grips his wrist, twirls on it to pass about his side, then before he can fully turn she screams "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" and he is smashed by the grating she originally pulled up on him before. Slade is tossed back; he looks up and sees she now lays herself over the cereal on the table, panting and huffing she sweats profusely. She then feels faint, her body weak she falters on her left leg until an arm reaches her waist hoisting her up. She turns up, Slade has her and with his least amount of effort he motions her into a chair near by.

Raven looks at the cereal, she was not hungry but VERY thirsty. He retrieves it for her; she quickly drinks the cold white milk and ignores the small bits of cereal rolling down her cheeks. The milk trails her form and Slade glares away, "Thirsty?" she stops to pant then snarl, "No… just missing my calcium fix."

Slade raises his chin, a sort of pleased fashion his eye is closed, "You always have something witty to say, don't you?" he looks from his tilted face and sees her still drinking again. She has slowed down, her one arm under her stomach he realizes her injuries are still very problematic. Still, her very own perseverance far takes to affect her own injuries. She was perfect, the thing he needs in an apprentice. Think of the power and attitude, he never thought he could find this! Raven was by all means the perfect candidate and if he looses her, he's going to be one angry Slade.

She finishes and lands the bowl hard on the table, she looks at Slade to clean her mouth of the milk and cereal with his hand, "Well… can I get some help back to my room?"

"What?" Slade shakes his hand of the cereal bits, "You think you're going back? What about your treat?" he glowers his eyes on the worried Raven, "You still have one special gift from me…"

…Strange Rates Motel…

Pakkrat storms off snarling, "Perverts looking through holes in walls! What the hell is wrong with this world?" he looks up, the 'R' in 'Rates Hotel' flickers to show a 'B'. Pakkrat cruelly flares his nostrils, "I was wondering what was up with that guy and his mom…"

…Titans Tower…

After some explaining and apologies Starfire sits to shakes hands with Pakkrat. "I am glad you do not act as your other half does." Pakkrat nods, "No, I am much sweeter!" he kisses her hand and a blush reaches her cheeks, "Please, truly forgive my other half it is obvious from your magnificent beauty… why he would act in such a devious manner."

Starfire tucks her hands in her legs, "Yes… thank you." She smiles in a blush as Robin glares aggressively, "So do we have any clues on what to do?"

Pakkrat grabs his chin, "Sadly, no I have no clues." He tucks his hands under his coat, "If only I could fuse with him once more, we would be balanced and could return to our own realm again."

Beast Boy shrugs, "It's too bad we can't just find him."

…A strange green van…

Pakkrat jumps out the back coughing, "God! The smoke! It burns!" Pakkrat starts coughing more raggedly as the skinny guy in a green T "Like, zoinks! He's not up with the green man!"

"Re-he-he! Rhat ra rhimp!" says a strange brown talking dog. Pakkrat snarls as the van pulls off towards that haunted mansion down the road. Pakkrat snorts, "Freaking should have known with all that talk about haunted houses, shish." Pakkrat then snarls as he walks, "That and a green freaking van, no mystery there if you ask me!"

…The Hideout…

Raven slowly makes her way awake; she hears the strange noise of humming. She sees she was in some strange room with Slade sitting opposite of her with his legs crossed. The next thing she recognizes were five of Slade's robots laying on the ground flat on their backs. "What is this?"

Slade opens his eyes, his hands were in meditative ninjitsu styles as she viewed him, "You did well Raven so as I promised I will give you a treat." Slade stands and waves his hands out, "These drones have no AI simply put they were just built like giant dolls. For my training, and yours, I want you to manipulate them and attack me." He sees her sneer, "Come now, you want to hit me without any repercussions yes? What harm can come from my sparring with dolls and your own powers?"

Raven looks at the drones and feels slightly relieved, after the last test this did seem more enjoyable. Not to mention she could pay Slade back from his recent actions. Slade is standing with his arms cocked at his hips, "Well? What are you going to do?"

Raven answers as she levitates, chanting "Azarath Metrion Zinthos." The five drones lurch up slowly with glowing eyes like Raven and soon they ready to several fighting stances, Slade is glad he has something like this for training. The battle begins Slade dodges with bobs and weaves the attacks and soon he catches sight Raven is diving his mind, using his minds reactions as signal to try again. Slade is gleaming in his eyes at the quickening pace of the drones as Raven pushes their mechanical forms to the limit. Slade passes barely from one drones attack, it nearly caught his lost eye and his mind wanders to her… he quickly calls out the memory and fights strong. Slade leaps over the drones and quickly backs the many strikes, his arms in simple blocks he moves the drones apart so they have circled him. Slade uses their movements, all a strike to him as a possibility. The one to his left strikes so he weaves back and pulls that stabbing hand through into another drone, and then he takes that drone and plows its hand through that one. The two are stuck together; Slade has made it a match of three to one.

Slade ducks then rolls under the leg of one drone, turning he sees their stances change, Raven is going for using one as a simple speed weapon, the other is low to the ground like a grappler, force and speed eh very clever! The speeding drone runs out and goes for simple swipes and slashes, nothing he could not handle. The grappler, that one now tries to circle around and take his backside. Slade readies for the grappler to come in one his back, the striker makes the mistake of attacking and the grappler is torn apart. Slade looks back, two on one… what, where is the… "Oof!" he is struck hard from behind, Slade looks to the last drone twirling the metal pipe like a staff weapon, Slade nods, pulling out his staff weapon he says "Not bad for a first try!" he now begins minor strikes against the pipe with his staff. The two bout hard soon and begin taking long swings. The other drone was going to grab Slade from behind but he turns and with a roar he smashes its head with his staff, the drone reels back but lunges forward again so Slade kicks of the pole arm drone and now with great force he swings the staff and crunches the chest in destroying its gears.

Raven has noticed some things about Slade. He was ruthless yes, but so powerful. His arms and chest flexes hard as he strikes on the metal drones. Sweat beaded out of his outfit and sure enough Raven in her trance sees all this. This was what she admired about Robin, the warrior blood as it boils in battle. What is Slade, who is he and why does he fight? His fighting is somewhat a dance, his muscles tense under his swings and lunges, and Raven becomes a fluster as she sees the tensed frame bulge under strain from enemy attack.

Slade makes his target the final drone. The drone swings the staff in a swirl before its frame like a taunt, then Slade simply leers his eye swinging the staff under his arm and with his free hand he playfully taunts the drone with his fingers curling out and back. The drone runs to strike hard strikes to the blocks of Slade, Slade tries a thrust but the drone turns on its side to push Slade past it. Slade stumbles past it, but swings his staff over his back to block the pipe then swing the pipe off to swing his staff like a club to the drone's ribs making it buckle on its side. Slade twirls the staff in his fingers, the drone glares to then toss the staff at his face and Slade merely cocks his head out of the way. The way that nearly struck him made him flash to a memory… one he hates…

"Addie?" Slade looks back and gasps to the gun before it fires.

Slade merely from shock she would do this made him for once in his life actually not rely on his reflexes. The bullet burns his skull, tearing the flesh of his face and soon, silence, darkness, the flickering… of shadows in his mind. Slade shakes his head, seeing the drone gone he lays his hands at his tailbone. Slade maneuvers out the door saying, "My butler will collect you soon he will take you to new accommodations as you stay here." Slade looks back to the perplexing stare of Raven, "What? You did not expect a true reward for your hard work? I reward hard work with proper gifts." Slade was about to leave when Raven asks "Who's Addie?"

Slade's eye grows wide he looks at Raven who asked the question. He seems to falter onto the doorway, Slade grabs it hard and grudgingly he turns with a hatred bore in his eye, "Never speak that name again." Raven sees another thing in his eye, a small tear, "I repeat, never speak that name, and never reach into my mind!" he storms off with some rage. The figure entering the room was a man in a white suit and elderly form. Slade's butler Wintergreen slowly makes his way to Slade with a wheelchair, "My name is Wintergreen. Please, come with me."

Raven looks to the chair and slowly stands to then sit in it. Wintergreen walks Raven down the halls to another room. This one was with an armoire, cushioned bed, dresser with a mirror, and some small trove of books, "What is this?"

Wintergreen smiles, "I tried my best to make a proper room for you madam. Master Slade asked me to do so." Wintergreen rolls her to the bed, it has fine sheets and a blanket, cushiony and everything. She motions onto it and waits for Wintergreen to bow saying, "I will retrieve a proper meal for you. The master will be resting, please rest for you seem quite parched, if not pale."

Raven blushes, "Um, I'm always pale." Wintergreen blinks, "Oh…" he nods, and smiles, "Yes, I see. Then I will return with a nice sunlamp!" he walks off, Raven kind of rubs her head not from the statement, but Slade's actions earlier. Who was Addie, and why when she mentioned that name did he seem so angry if not… upset with himself?

…Titans Tower…

Pakkrat lies with his white trench snoring loudly on the couch as the other four stare at him with bloodshot eyes. Robin asks, "Wonder what the evil guy is doing right now…"

…The Park…

Pakkrat Evil decides he could just sleep in the park… "Hey-hey! Boo-boo! Looks like an average bum!"

Pakkrat with his eyes breaking off his shades quickly leaps up and screams as he runs out of the park, "Freaking pollution induced mutation talking bears!"

…The Hideout…

Raven sees Wintergreen return, she now wonders why someone like him would work for Slade, "Wintergreen," the butler looks up to her as he lays a platter for her, "Why do you work for Slade? Was it Money, or Power?"

Wintergreen sighs, "The last young madam asked me the same thing." Raven realizes it was Terra, "How I answered was simply, he saved me." Raven blinks, "Master Slade was a soldier and ordered to leave me to my fate. He disobeyed his orders and my life was saved, but he was then disbarred and I vowed my life to him."

Raven looks at this oddly; he saved a man's life, really? "Wintergreen who is Addie?"

To this Wintergreen stumbles slightly then lays the food and tea on the table, "Pardon?" he looks to Raven as if shocked she knew this name. Wintergreen tucks at his collar, "That is not a concern you should have. Please refrain from asking that question again." Wintergreen leaves to his duties. Raven looks around somewhat confused, what is this? Slade has a secret she needs to know. She has a feeling, this was something important and perhaps she could find the secret to use as her advantage.

Slade sits in his control room, he holds onto his mask where his face has no eye, he slowly moans, "Addie… why…" he closes his eye slinking into his hands, he stands then walks to a small compartment at his control panel, opening it there he pulls the picture of a black haired woman, "Addie…" his eye glares in anger before putting it back. The memories are still fresh so Slade makes his way to his room. He did not feel like eating, nor training as that was passed. Slade only wants to sleep and hope the shadows… shadows that flicker his memories… would just… stop…

Note: Sup? You ever read the old Teen Titans bios from the comics? I never got into them so much so reading them made me come to some interesting twists. Nightmare, I'll make it a romantic story and yes, his disfigurement was always important to the story. I liked your idea though, Phantom of the Opera (Movie) was very good and makes to my favorites I loved it, very addictive musical numbers in my opinion. Secondly on that, I am NOT making this story with sexual pieces, I don't have that in mind for this story it is Romance and T rating. If I do this it will be another story which will be M and still, I find I have some trouble writing the graphic sexual scenes I don't find it in me to sit there and write that stuff. Move along everyone, I hope you enjoyed I will continue this story after I finish Too Much Red, one chapter and my longest story will be finished YES! The shows used, (Powerpuff Girls, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Scooby Doo, and Yogi Bear cartoons. Mainly simple inside humor, may not catch many but it will be funny if you can catch on. Have fun everyone, I have things to do hope you liked the latest chapter.)