32 Productions Presents…
A Teen Titan Fan Fiction The Teen Titans in…"Shade"
Chapter One
SPAAAAACE!
He sat hunched in the black sphere. It flew at high speeds, unfortunately not as fast as the person he was chasing. There was no way he'd beat her there. He was still trying to figure out why she picked there of all places. Until she screamed her plans at him for some reason that was beyond his understanding, he never even heard of this…Earth.
:CUE THEME:
Titan Tower: Main Room
Raven sat on the couch, reading her book. It had been a relatively peaceful day. The alarm hadn't gone off. Beast Boy and Cyborg eat their separate meals without argument. She was still in awe about that. Wonderful day indeed. It was a wonderful day that was shattered like so much glass as Starfire entered, busily trying to do…something. It looked like something got tangled up and she was trying to fix it. Raven tried not to look, but it was hard not to. She just had NO idea what that was in her friend's hands. Finally she could take it no more.
Raven: …what are you doing, Starfire?
Starfire looked up as if she just noticed Raven was in the room.
Starfire: Oh, good morning to you, friend Raven!
Raven: …it's seven o'clock at night.
Starfire frowned.
Starfire: Is it? How time flies. I was working on this delightful puzzle game.
Raven felt her eye twitch.
Raven: Puzzle game?
Starfire: Yes. I was in the garage with Cyborg asking him many questions when he handed this to me. He told me it was a puzzle game. If I solved it, I would receive a glorious prize! Is that not exciting?
Raven sighed.
Raven: Starfire…I think that's a wad of cables all bound together.
Starfire looked at the object in her hand again the back up at Raven. Then she looked at the object. Then back at Raven.
Starfire: …I have been tricked, have I not?
Raven: I'm afraid so.
Starfire sighed and sat down next to Raven, still trying to undo the cables.
Raven: …Star, it was a trick.
Starfire: I realize this, but it is so addictive that I cannot stop.
Raven put the book down and turned toward her.
Raven: Let me see it.
Starfire: No, I almost have it.
Raven: Starfire, let me see it.
Starfire huffed and handed her the ball of cables.
Starfire: Fine. If you are so clever, then you so…
Raven tugged on a cable and the whole mass fell out of her hands, completely undone. What remained in her grasp was a piece of chocolate. Raven stared at it for a minute before unwrapping it and putting it in her mouth. Raven wasn't one to question chocolate. Starfire stared at her with an open mouth.
Starfire: But…you said it was a trick.
Raven: (swallowing) Guess I was wrong. Good though.
Starfire: Raven, why do humans shout "heads up" when they wish for you to duck down?
Raven sighed and picked up her book.
Raven: Ask Robin.
Starfire: Very well, I shall do this.
Before she could, the alarm went off. Starfire mumbled something in Tamaranian. Everyone ran into the room and Raven put her bookmark in her book.
Beast Boy: What's up?
Robin: Bank robbery.
Raven: How original.
Bank
Yes, just a regular generic bank. The Titans ran toward the bank but before they could enter the door burst open and someone wearing a ski mask dashed out in a blind panic. He was snatched by a long black tentacle and pulled back in with a shriek of terror. The Titans stared for a moment.
Cyborg: Ooookay.
They quickly entered the bank, prepared to fight off the creature that had just grabbed the robber. Instead they found them bound up in what looked like black ropes. There was a loud popping sound. They turned to see a teenage boy in a long trench coat, popping his neck. He wore sunglasses and had a several scars on his face, the biggest along his right check. His hair was a silverish gray and ridiculously spiked. He seemed to be ignoring them. He tugged at his gloves briefly.
Robin: Uh…excuse me?
The only indication that he was heard was the boy's ear twitching. They were slightly pointed, but nowhere near as much as Beast Boy's. Now he was adjusting his shoes, which were rather heavy looking black boots.
Robin: Did you do this?
Boy: Which part? The blown open safe, the picked lock, or the beaten and tied up crooks?
Beast Boy: Last one, dude.
Boy: Yeah, that was me.
Raven: And the tentacle?
The boy pulled open his coat's sleeve and a tentacle slithered out for a moment. Then it faded away into nothingness. The Titans looked ready to fight. Whoever this boy was, he was creeping them out. The boy cocked his head.
Boy: …Koridan'r?
Starfire blinked and lowered to the floor.
Starfire: …yes? Do I know you?
Boy: Hell yeah, you do. Come on, how many white haired kids with pointed ears and sharp canines do you know?
Now that he mentioned it, he did have rather sharp teeth. Starfire frowned for a moment as she thought then beamed brightly.
Starfire: Derk-avian!
She flew forward, much to her friends' surprise, and embraced the boy. He gasped in shock and pain.
Derk-avian: (pained) Nice to see you too.
Robin frowned, not liking this a bit.
Robin: Star? Who the hell is this?
Starfire let him go, much to Derk-avian's relief.
Starfire: This is Derk-avian. He is a friend from my childhood. I have not seen him in…how long as it been? Nine years?
Derk-avian: Give or take. By the way, it's Shade now.
Starfire: Ah, because of your talents, no doubt.
Shade: Yep. Starfire, huh?
Starfire shrugged.
Starfire: It is the closest I could translate.
Beast Boy: Hello? Still very confused here!
Starfire's eyes brightened. She smiled and pulled him over to the others.
Starfire: Shade, these are my friends. This is Robin.
Shade sniffed, which they found to be very strange, before talking.
Shade: …so…is cutting of your circulation in on this planet? I mean, those are some very tight pants you got there.
Robin: At least my clothes don't smell like I got them out of a dumpster.
Shade shrugged.
Shade: I take what I can get. …reminds me that I probably should wash the blood stains out of my clothes… Oh well.
The others sweatdropped.
Starfire: …er…and this is Beast Boy.
Beast Boy: How's it going?
Shade gagged and backed away.
Shade: Ugh! Your breath smells like bean curds!
Beast Boy: Dude! What is your problem?
Starfire sweatdropped.
Starfire: Shade's nose is rather…sensitive.
Raven: He's not from Tamaran, is he?
Starfire: No. He is from a mobile planet. A planetoid. It has it's own artificial environment.
Cyborg: Must be very advanced people.
Starfire shook her head.
Starfire: I do not believe it was them who invented it. They are…rather primitive.
Raven noticed that Shade was looking at her. Not that she could see his eyes under the sunglasses, but because she could actually feel his eyes on her. Great. Starfire's friend was a pervert. She allowed her cloak to drape over her body completely, giving that illusion of just being a head in a cloak with a hood over it.
Raven: Can I help you?
He turned away, his face red.
Shade: Ah…no…I just…
He cleared his throat.
Shade: Besides being able to manipulate shadows I can sense the darkness in others.
Raven kept her face blank but inside felt her stomach twist into a knot. He couldn't possibly know, could he?
Shade: I think we've got a lot in common…uh…
Raven: Raven…and I doubt it.
It came out harsher then she had meant it, but she felt like he had almost blown her big secret. Starfire cleared her throat, regaining everyone's attention.
Starfire: Yes…well…this is Cyborg.
Cyborg: Wassup?
Shade nodded in response, making Robin and Beast Boy scowl.
Beast Boy: Hey! Why do we get insulted and he just gets a nod?
Shade: One. He doesn't smell like bean curds or cut off his own blood flow. Two. …he's bigger then me.
Starfire: That has never bothered you before.
Shade: I've grown tired of being beaten up for little reason.
Robin: Speaking of reasons…what are you doing here?
Starfire looked a little surprised by how rude Robin was being. He tried to tone it down some.
Robin: I mean, you didn't know Starfire was here, right?
Shade: No, no, you're right. I came here after a psychopath.
Silence.
Raven: Great. They can never just be here on vacation, can they? Aliens…
Shade: Her name is Krystal. She's killed countless people without mercy and for reasons only she understands. I've been chasing her for a long time, but she always gets away. The reason being that nobody ever trusts me, while she, looking like the living epitome of innocence, always gets people on her side.
Cyborg: No offense, man, but dressed like you are, you do kind of look like the bad guy.
Shade sighed and ran his hand through his hair. They noticed that his gloves were fingerless and his nails were kind of pointed.
Shade: I know that, but it's more then just the clothes. I just seem to give off a bad vibe as a result of my powers. They take one look at me and assume I'm the bad guy without even knowing me. I've been attacked by the people I'm trying to help too many times to count. Then she wastes as many as she can and takes off again.
Robin: Thanks for the warning.
Robin turned to leave. The police could handle the would-be robbers.
Shade: Hey! I didn't come here just to warn you! I've been chasing her all over, or didn't you hear that part? If you're going to look for her, then I'm helping.
Beast Boy: Help? We don't need no stinkin' help.
Raven elbowed him. Now was not a good time for impressions.
Robin: We can handle it.
A wall formed over the door before they could leave.
Robin: …move that.
Shade: I wasn't making a request, pal.
Robin: Neither was I.
Starfire flew between the two.
Starfire: Robin, please! He only wishes to aid us.
Shade: Yeah, don't be such a dickweed.
Starfire: Shade, you are not helping.
Shade: Right, sorry.
Robin sighed. There was a way out of this, he was sure. Suddenly he had an idea.
Robin: Okay, we'll be democratic about it. All in favor of letting Shade help, say aye.
Robin suppressed a smile. That would do it. Starfire would have nothing in his defense if the vote came out against him, and it almost certainly would.
Starfire: Aye.
Cyborg: (shrugging) Aye.
Silence for a moment. He opened his mouth to ask for the counter vote when Raven's emotionless voice interrupted him.
Raven: Aye.
Beast Boy: Say what!
Robin was thinking the same thing. He gathered that Raven didn't like Shade either. Raven sighed.
Raven: You're letting your emotions get the best of you. Think logically. We're going to face a villain we've never fought before, one that has killed on other planets and never been caught. Someone who has fought this villain before…you have fought her before, right?
Shade: Yeah.
Raven: …offers to help us and we're supposed to reject that offer just because he's a little rude?
Beast Boy: He made fun of my breath!
Raven: It DOES stink.
Shade: HA!
Raven glared at him a moment before continuing.
Raven: Starfire says we can trust him and I trust her judgment. Furthermore, he does seem sincere from what I can tell, just a bit of a jerk.
Shade: Hey…
Robin scowled. Well, this threw a wrench in his plans. He couldn't just say no, Starfire would insist. Besides, they voted. He had another idea.
Robin: Okay, he can help.
Starfire: Oh thank you Robin, I…
Robin: He can help IF he can spar with me and win.
Beast Boy: Ooo.
Starfire pouted. Robin was being unfair. They had voted and everything.
Starfire: Robin, I must protest…
Shade: Relax, Kori. I got this.
Robin clenched his teeth. "Kori"?
Starfire: But you do not understand. Robin…
Robin: Star, he said he'd do it. No backing out now.
Starfire sighed. Robin was one of the most skilled fighters she had ever seen. He could more then likely beat them all. True he has no idea what Shade is truly capable of, but Robin losing didn't seem likely. It was a shame. She really did want to catch up with Shade and find out what he's been up to.
End Chapter One