A/N: Well, since review responses are technically forbidden now, I can't officially respond to any of your reviews in this.
That being said, thanks for the reviews, and... well, I'm tempted to modify "Thanks for all the Fish" to "Thanks for all the cookies" :)
There is some fighting in this chapter, actually. As in actual battles, though not very drawn out. Dunno why I felt like I needed to say that, but I did.

Nightmare offer:

I was inside the tower, in the 'main room', when an alarm went off. Robin raced in, typed in a few commands into a computer system, and turned to the others, who were already there. "It's him. He's back."

Most of the Titans looked disgusted. Robin said in a dark tone, "Slade."

Kori looked over at me, and then said, "Friend, I must ask you to stay here."

I nodded, and she smiled, relieved. "Go deal with the problem. I will not cause chaos, and I am not good with computer systems, so your systems are safe… I will take a nap or something."

The Titans raced off, either running for a lower level, or flying out the windows.

&&&&&

I sat in the main room, resting on the sofa, my legs crossed, Toiréasa still on my back and in my mind. When the Titans were gone, this tower was quiet. Beast Boy and Cyborg made most the noise, true, but this place seemed… dead without their presence here.

The blackened wall panel (a TV, they called it) flickered to life, showing a bronze and black mask, with one eye visible. "The newest arrival… interesting."

I looked at the face, then scowled slightly. "And you are…"

The mask didn't move, but I got a sense of arrogant pride. "You don't need to know my name. I am only here to make an offer."

Tell him to ruddy make it, and be done with it. I met the one eye's gaze, and said, "Then make it. I don't have eternity, even if I outlive your kind."

"Join me, and I will provide you with an army. An army to help defeat your people's enemy. You'll be the hero of your people, and all I ask for is your service."

I thought for a second (the mental image of fleeing Rationalists, and dead ones filling my mind before reality hit), then laughed. "Feh. If you think any amount of technology from Earth is worthwhile against the Rationalists, you are a naive fool."

"And if it isn't from Earth?"

I snorted quietly, knowing that it wouldn't help. You can't help those who have given up hope. "We have our own technology… and we have accepted our fate. We knew sooner or later that we would be the targets of elimination by one of the technologically advanced worlds that felt threatened by our abilities. The Arcanus gift we posses is our gift, and our undoing, we all knew it. You have nothing to offer me."

The one eye narrowed, and he said as a last remark, "We shall see." The… TV flicked off, and I sighed, then went back to my half meditative 'nap'.

&&&&&

&&&&&

Beast Boy walked in, saying, "Yeah, but Robin, you need to take it easy, man. So he's back. We'll still kick his butt."

Robin smacked his fist into his other hand. "But Slade wasn't there, just those robot lackeys. Which means he was after something else."

The still form of Tuán (who they had assumed was sleeping sitting up) spoke, saying softly, "And what does this Slade look like?"

The four Titans (Raven had gone to her room) exchanged looks. Beast Boy said, "He's got a split mask. One half is bronze, the other half is black…"

Tuán finished, "And one eye visible. Someone resembling what you described appeared on your communication device, tried to make me an offer to join his side."

The four Titans, especially Starfire, looked worried. Robin said, "And…"

Tuán's eyes flicked open, and he turned to them, his wings making a soft noise as he turned. "I turned him down. No amount of help will save my people, we know our home planet is doomed."

Robin went over to the computer, and began to type furiously, Cyborg joining him. Beast Boy blinked a few times, then said, "Dude…" Starfire rested her hand on his shoulder (Beast Boy's), and shook her head. "Friend, you must not give up hope. Your people will survive."

Tuán nodded, his features reflecting a quiet sadness. "I know that, Kori. But we'll loose our home… and even if we could go back, the Rationalists will destroy it out of sheer spite, because they can't kill all of us."

&&&&&
&&&&&

The screen, which had been flashing commands, showed the same mask I had seen before. It spoke the exact same words, with mine being repeated as well.

After the recording was over, there was a silence. Cyborg said slowly, "How did he know you were here?"

I shrugged. "I do not know your technologies all that well, so do not ask me."

Cyborg sighed, and pushed Robin away from the terminal. "Damn, looks like someone opened up a hole in our firewall." Cyborg turned to Beast Boy, and said, "And the change was made under Beast Boy's access codes…"

Beast Boy blanched, then said, "I can't play Mega Space Monkeys Online with your stupid security blocking it!"
Cyborg glared at him. "I put up the security so that way WE DON'T GET HACKED!" Beast Boy blanched, somehow turned tiny against the yelling Cyborg.

I blinked. What in the world was going on?

Cyborg stopped yelling, and Beast Boy slunk away, a cloud of grey over his head. "I'm gonna go sleep."

Cyborg called, "You do that. And mess with my security again, I'm locking you out."

I nudged Kori, and asked, "How did that shrinking effect happen? Or the grey cloud?"

She shrugged. "It is… an Earth thing. Eventually, you get used to it."

&&&&&

I sat on the couch, just thinking, while Cyborg grumbled with the computer system, and Kori fiddled with some food she was making for herself. She called out, "Lugh, where have you been staying before you found us?" She was a lot more practiced with UCT , so she used that whenever she had questions for me that the other Titans wouldn't care about.

I shrugged, and said back, "A pocket dimension. Just for sleeping, and hiding if there's trouble."

She stared at me, wondering if I was joking again I suppose. After I met her gaze, she blinked a few times, and went back to her preparations.

I turned back to my thoughts… and memories.

&&&&&

&&&&&

Robin walked up, and said, "Uh, I'd like to test out your skill in…" He trailed off - Tuán hadn't shown any indication that he'd heard what he had said. Robin tapped his foot for a moment, and said, "Tuán?"

He walked up to him, and poked him. After a few seconds, Tuán opened his eyes, and said confusedly, "Shna'elia?"

Robin arched an eyebrow at him, and the alien shook himself, before switching to plain English, "Huh?"

Robin repeated, "I'd like to test your skills in hand to hand…" His eyes flicked to the staff in the winged alien's hand, and added, "Or staff to staff."

Tuán nodded slowly, and Robin asked curiously, "Did you nod off?"

Silently, he shook his head, and got up. He muttered something that Robin didn't catch, then motioned for the Titan leader to show him the way.

&&&&&

Robin charged forward, his fist flying for my stomach. Rather than dodging, I instead moved my arm in to intercept it at an angle, causing his hand to strike my arm, and continue onward at an angle. Robin caught himself, and re-took his stance. I breathed deeply, then purposefully muttered something that was in fact nonsense, but made the human look worried for a second (well, as far as I could tell, behind the mask).

He rushed me with a sweeping kick, and tripped me up. I rolled on the floor, then scythed my legs out, catching him by surprise, making him tumble as well, as well as receiving a literal slap on the face from an out thrown wing.

Slowly, we both got back to our feet. I'd managed to hold my own against him, but Robin had the advantage over me in both staff fighting, and unarmed combat. But summoners… well, we weren't expected to need a lot of our martial skills. My strength was not actually focused upon fighting skills, but on calling aid into battle.

Robin said, "Alright, that's enough." He took a breath, and grabbed a nearby cloth to wipe of some of the beads of liquid (sweat, I suppose) of his face. "You're not bad. Could use some work, though."

I smiled mirthlessly. "Robin, I was not expected to hold my own in physical combat. I was expected to be a good little boy, and call fierce monsters from the background, and send them into combat." I smiled wickedly, and added, "Not combine some of those 'monsters' with my own form, and rush recklessly into the fray."

Robin's eyemask narrowed. "Fusion?"

I shrugged slightly. "A form of it, yes. It is a very stupid thing to do, but I have gotten away with it a few times. But they have to be similar in body structure, or be a personal friend that I know very well. Otherwise… well, we found out the hard way what happens when one of the two isn't true… it's not a good result."

Robin finished wiping off the sweat, and said, "If it isn't safe, save it for a last resort. We don't need dead heroes."

I nodded, and wearily leaned upon a wall with my right shoulder, closing my eyes. "I understand. There are a few I know are safe, but I'll save those few for a surprise attack or emergencies. Because after I use it, and then de-fuse, almost all of my energy will be drained."

I opened my eye enough to catch Robin looking thoughtful, before he nodded. He gave me a slight smirk however, saying, "You're not in the Titans yet, you know."

I laughed softly in response. "Feel free to keep on testing. Kra'da… probe my mind if you want, there's nothing worth wasting your time about." I smoothed a stray feather, then started walking back the way I came. Robin called, "You need a shower?"

I looked back towards him, then at myself. I shook my head slowly. "I don't sweat. Not like you humans. My kind… we deal with excess heat through other methods." I then pointed to a little corner of the room, where there were small blue flames dancing in the air. Robin didn't seem to have noticed them before, because he looked from them, then to me. "That's your sweat?"

I shrugged slightly. "It's extruded heat, in the form of weak flame elementals. Keeps my core temperature low. And in battles, those things serve as useful pests, because even the least gifted automatically does that with their excess body heat… they'll die on their own in about…" The first one flickered, then faded, and I trailed off, as another one became less bright. Robin carefully asked, "They won't damage anything, will they?"

I shook my head in response, and he walked away, the cloth hanging from his shoulder.

I walked into the hallways, and passed by a blue-cloaked silent figure of Raven. I caught a flash of purple eyes gazing at me for a moment, then the eyes looked elsewhere.

She didn't trust me, I could tell that much.

&&&&&

The alarm went off again, and Robin rushed in, along with Kori and Raven. Cyborg and Beast Boy were grumbling about the game they had been playing (I'd been watching from a distant seat).

The screen switched to a mass of robots in a cube-filled area, with obvious metal supports for the roof, and then a maplike image appeared on the side, with an emblem on it.

Robin smacked one gloved hand into another (humans… sheesh), and said darkly, "He's at it again."

Kori looked over towards me, and said timidly, "Robin… Tuán should come with us. The last time we left him…"

Robin turned towards her, as she trailed off. But the cloaked Raven gave me a suspicious gaze, not saying a word as Robin quickly thought. Finally, he (Robin) said, "Alright." He pulled an object from somewhere, and tossed it to me. It had a T emblem on it, and was circular. "Keep this on you at all times, and don't do anything reckless."

I nodded, and Robin said to his team, "Let's go."

Kori gave me a small smile, as she raced out a window, easily hovering in the air. I eyed it, then shrugged, jumping out and following her. Joys of having bi'waga wings are that they are not all they appear to be, the bi'waga, when transformed, are (I believe the word is 'magical') enough to allow for increased flight speed when logically I could not travel very fast.

I flew silently behind Kori (Starfire, now), before asking, "Should I call for some help?"

She gave me a questioning gaze, before nodding, and continuing her headlong flight towards somewhere. I was merely following her, I did not know where to go anyway.

&&&&&

&&&&&

Robin and Cyborg arrived just as their three fliers arrived. Robin called, "Titans, whatever Slade's after, don't let him get it!"

A large truck rushed out from the warehouse, only to be stopped by Raven's telekinetic powers. Cyborg threw open the door, and smashed in the robot driver's head.

Robin charged into the warehouse, followed by the other Titans. Tuán, on the other hand, raised his staff from his perch on a nearby building, a ball of electrical energy beginning to dance upon the rising image of a phoenix-like emblem.

&&&&&

Robin shouted desperately (there was almost no end to the robots), "Starfire? Where's Tuán?"
Starfire shouted back as she threw starbolt after starbolt at the robot army, "He said he would be calling for aid!"

The room rumbled, and suddenly a small army of lizards 'raced' in, jumping onto some of Slade's robots. The things looked at them in befuddlement, while the lizards glowed once they settled on the chest of one. The strange part was that they resembled geckos, except for the odd silver coloring, though from the way they glowed, they definitely were doing something.

Then the robots started to collapse, and Cyborg said in shock, "Energy-sucking lizards?"

Tuán jogged in, and struck down one that was shooting some of the 'lizards' with a laser-gun. He said by way of apology, "Sorry I'm late; I believed that they would be able to help." He dove into a mass of robots, as did the other Titans. Robin produced a few explosive disks, and flung them at a truck that was starting up. They blinked almost harmlessly for a few seconds, then exploded.

&&&&&

I struck one robot with a strong staff blow, completely knocking off the head of the thing. Something struck me from behind, and I threw out my wings, knocking it off. I spun in a circle, knocking back more robots with 'bitchslaps' of a wing (which also hurt, but I ignored the pain), then raced forward again, tripping one before I smashed the sharp part of the staff into the core of the thing, then jumped away as it exploded, damaging two of it's fellows. Slowly, the others and myself were pushing them back, the army of 'lizards' as Cyborg called them (they were energy parasites) weakening the army of robots, even when they fought back to destroy their attackers (and I kept on feeling summoning bonds being broken, so they were 'dying').

The robots gathered into a group, then pulled something out, and smashed them into the ground. A thick stream of something that made me… cough issued from them, and I was forced to take a knee from 'coughing'.

&&&&&

&&&&&

As the smoke cleared, Robin smashed his fist into a wall, growling.

Beast Boy, on the other hand, peered at the small lizard-army that remained, and seemed to be surprised that there weren't lizard corpses everywhere. "Dude, what happened to the ones who got hit… and what are these things?"

Tuán pointed his staff at the gathering, and their 'solid' forms flickered, then faded away. He said softly, "Returned back to 'home' with no harm done. They are energy-parasites that we use often for hit and runs against the Rationalists, for they 'eat' a large amount of electrical energy."

Starfire walked over to her old friend, and smiled at him. He gave her a return half-grin, then looked away. "What were they after?"

Cyborg began to scan the crates and boxes, then scratched his head. "These things are just full of packing peanuts. Dunno what Slade wanted with this stuff."

Robin growled, "A trick! Cyborg, any reports?"

Cyborg blinked his human eye, then shrugged. "Slade tried to reach our little friend here…" He reached over, and rested one hand on Tuán's shoulder, even though the 'little' friend was close to his own height, "But he didn't get through."

Robin flipped open the communicator, and Slade's image appeared on it. "Have you… what is this?" Slade's voice became slightly irritated, then somewhat different. "Interesting… sheltering a fugitive now, Titans? So much for your vaunted honor."

The transmission cut off, and Robin looked questioningly over at Tuán. The summoner looked almost as confused as Starfire did. "Fugitive? Only the Rationalists would want a piece of my hide, I haven't pissed off anyone else…" He trailed off, and walked around a bit, apparently thinking. Raven crossed her arms, watching him with a glimmer of distrust in her eye.

&&&&&

&&&&&

I muttered quietly as I walked, "Fugitive, fugitive… who did I piss off…" I sighed helplessly, then blinked. Wait… those people who were looking for me… "Uhm, what is the Justice League?"

That question earned a gasp (Beast Boy), and his question of, "Dude, how can you… oh, wait, you're an alien."

I smiled mirthlessly at him, and continued, "Apparently… when I arrived here, they were looking for me for some reason. I have no clue as to why."

Kori sighed. "The earth has been targeted for invasion by several hostile alien groups, Lugh. The Justice League makes sure that those of us who are not from this planet are not hostile."

I sighed softly, and muttered, "That explains why I was Sent… less physical means of transport…"

Cyborg asked, "Huh? Sent? That some kind teleportation?"

I nodded slightly in response. "Yes… and no. It is a mixture of summoning and dismissal, that sends something or someone to anywhere within the universe."

Raven looked closely at me, then her eyes narrowed. "How far is your home system?"

I looked over to Kori, who was smiling slightly. She said lightly, "Across the event horizon of the… Big Bang, as you Terrans call it…" I gave her a rather quiet stare, and she flushed, then corrected, "Almost so, anyway."

Cyborg whistled. "That's some trick. It's all in one moment, or does it take years?"

I answered softly, "Instantaneous. It connects to another realm where distance and location in this universe doesn't matter, just that the energy needed is in enough supply."

Cyborg scratched his head, then chuckled. "Whatever you say, I don't really know a lot about magic."

Robin shook his head, and said, "We're getting distracted again… let's get back to the tower, and call the League. Tuán, you're going to have to talk to them yourself, and explain what you are doing here."

I gave him a confused look, then reluctantly nodded in acceptance. I followed the other Titans outside, before slowly following Kori in the air, a more leisurely flight than the trip to the building. I'd have to trust them on this.

&&&&&

I set down at the base of the massive structure, as the two land vehicles pulled into it. Robin walked out from the opening, followed by Cyborg, then pushed the doors open, motioning me to follow him as he made for the… escalator… no, elevator.

The doors shut, and Cyborg was leaning slightly against the door, saying lightly, "Dude, relax. The League won't lock you up for being a refugee, all they want to do is make sure you're not out to invade the planet."

I snorted quietly at that, shaking my head. "Moronic, if you ask me. There are plenty of unoccupied planetary systems, so why bother taking over this world? It's not that advanced… no offense intended."

Robin laughed softly at Cyborg's reaction, and said, "None taken, we know that we're not advanced as some."

I shrugged in response, saying, "Neither is my race, by all definitions. We've never developed space-flight capacities, it never seemed needed with our abilities… and it's cost us."

Cyborg rested his massive hand on my shoulder, and I gave him in response a weak smile in return. He took it off, and sighed, as the doors opened.

&&&&&

The screen flickered, then the human's face appeared on the screen. "Come again? Robin, I don't think I heard you properly."

I sighed, seated next to Robin, carefully keeping my back off of the furniture, which would be painful if I leaned back against it. I reached up, and tapped Robin in the back, causing him to turn, his lips pressed together. I turned to the screen, and said "I believe that you were looking for me. My means of arriving here was an energy-based Sending… a teleport that causes resonations within very sensitive pieces of technology. And I have it on good authority from an otherworld being of knowledge that you ARE looking for me still…"

The screen flashed, and a new face appeared. It was a more regal face, a bit hardened from years of experience. "If you are here as a refugee, like you claim, then why did you hide from us…" His eyes flicked to something off the screen, and then he continued, "Tuán?"

I sighed. "I have been involved in a war. I am… paranoid. I did not know anything about your culture besides the fact that the side-effects of summoning beings to this world would not affect your technology any, and that you had a bunch of heroes." I paused, then added wryly, "I thought they were out to capture me, and cut me open to examine my innards." Several other planets had a fondness for that, actually. Which explained why they were still playing with stones, rather than traveling among the stars, even if their systems were among space 'highways'.

The face twisted, then smiled slightly. "There's little chance of that happening. But we're going to send someone down, to talk to you… there already is a telepath there, correct Robin?"

Robin nodded, saying quietly, "Raven can tell if someone's lying to her, maybe a bit more… if she's working at it."

The regal face nodded, saying, "That'll be enough." The display device turned off, and Beast Boy, who had been silently watching the whole time, exclaimed, "Robin, you know Superman!"

Robin rubbed the back of his head, while I was slightly confused, until I sorted through the 'memories' again. Superman was an alien like I was… very powerful hero, well known all over Earth. "So this Superman is like some sort of Earth celebrity hero?"

Robin snorted softly. "Sort of. Did you learn about him?"
I gave him a weak grin as a way of response, as well as "Uh… a small portion, yes."