The last chapter. I'm a little nervous.
-T-
Robin put the phone down on the receiver, ending his call with the California airlines with a sharp click. He had just booked a flight to Tibet, which had not been a very simple thing to do with all of the times he had been put on hold. It was lucky for the Titans that they had enough money to pay for it alone, and not to mention six round-trip tickets.
He headed down the hall towards his room, for once wearing jeans and a plain black t-shirt. He strode across the carpet lazily and was hit with a flash back. It had been a long time since he had been on a plane. The last time he could remember was on a vacation with his parents; while he was still young, still just Dick Grayson. Before he was a Titan, before that fateful night at the circus.
The thought left his head as Starfire approached from the other end of the hall. She smiled sweetly and they both stopped when they got close to each other. "Have you reserved the flight for us?" she asked innocently.
Robin had just planned on taking the T-Sub at first, but later took into account that there would have been no room for Jericho. "Yeah. We'll be ready to go in the morning."
"I do not know if Jericho is willing to wait that long," Starfire said, her small eyebrows crinkling a little. "He is seeming to be very intent on finding the Jackal."
"I wonder why," Robin said, more to himself than to Starfire. He put a finger to his chin as he thought deeply. There had always been something a little strange about Jericho, something almost familiar. Robin had lost a few nights of sleep thinking on it, and he told himself to be prepared if this whole trip and friendship was a trap. That familiar feeling he got around Jericho was nearly disturbing, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not place it.
Well, no matter now. It was time to get down to business.
-T-
Raven placed two fingers from each hand on her temples and massaged gently. The news she had just received came as a shock, but not entirely a surprise. The visions that had flashed in her mind when Jericho was present had given her enough information to know. Right now Jericho looked afraid of what she might say. She wanted to reassure him. "I already suspected it. Maybe not that he's your father exactly, but I saw Slade in the visions I saw of your past. Somehow I just knew."
Jericho lowered his head, as if he was ashamed. "I won't blame you if you want me to leave now."
"Leave? Jericho, no." He glanced up and met her eyes. "We are not going to disown you just because of who your father is. Even if he is our arch enemy."
Jericho cringed at that last sentence. "I'm sorry, Raven. I'm really sorry."
"For what?"
Jericho paused. He didn't really know, exactly. "For not telling you sooner. And just for the fact that I'm related to him."
Raven's jaw set tightly and her eyes flamed. "Jericho. You cannot help who your father is. Believe me, I know." Her last sentence seemed to be said as if it was a defininte fact. Jericho wondered what she meant by that, but he thought that it would be better not to ask.
"I know, but I can't help but feel bad about it. I guess I'm kinda ashamed."
Surprisingly, Raven reached out a hand and laid the arch of it over his shoulder. "Don't feel that way. I've spent a lot of time doing that, and it doesn't help anything at all. You just have to deal with it."
Jericho sighed silently. "So what now?"
Raven exhaled slowly and stood up. "I think Robin just got us a flight to Tibet." She smiled a little. "We're going to get this Jackal character. And if there's any help you want, you'll get it."
-T-
The 747 airplane landed at the small airport in Tibet, right in Jericho's hometown. The Titans had flown first class all the way, and though they had been comfortable, the flight had been a long one.
As the plane touched down on the runway, Jericho was tempted to go to his house to see his mother, but he knew that if he told her why he was home and what was going on, there was no way she'd let him go. Ever since the day he lost his voice, Adeline had had a protectiveness of her son that was more fierce than thought possible. She had struggled not to be unfair to him, but even if she was in the least, he had not complained. So now it was better not to go see her until he got this straightened out with Jackal. No need for her to worry even more.
Jericho had not known what jet lag had felt like until now. He unbuckled his belt at the command of a passing flight attendant, along with the Titans, and waited his turn to exit the plane. Raven was at his shoulder as they slowly descended the steps, and he noted how shiny her violet hair was today.
Cyborg squeezed his broad metal shoulders through the doorframe and sucked in a large breath as they descende the stairs and reached the pavement. "Whoo! Check out that fresh mountain air, ya'll. Sure is a change from all that city smog."
"Yes, it is glorious!" Starfire said, enterlacing her fingers in front of her with glee.
"I've never seen such green mountains," Robin said with admiration, surveying the view of hills which stretched for miles in the distance. "It must be great living here, Jericho."
Jericho nodded. "I was a little out of place when I came to the city."
Raven glanced around from face to face and raised an eyebrow. "Did anyone bring any luggage?"
The silence that followed answered her question. Beside Jericho, who had only a small duffel bag, they had been too much in a hurry to think about it, and now they were stuck with only one uniform apiece. Cyborg went into the airport terminal for sodas while the rest of them waited outside in the cool breeze. Beast Boy streched and looked at the sky.
"It sure is a lot cooler here than in Cali," he said.
Jericho smiled and nodded, but on the inside he was more nervous than he had been in a long time. He was sore and tired, but most of all unsure of what he was going to face here in his hometown. Jackal was obviously a force that was not to be trifled with. And following the man's request for a face-to-face meeting could be like walking blindly into a death-trap. But maybe it could be worth it in the end. What else could Jackal have that Jericho wanted besides his brother?
Cyborg came back outside with an armful of sodas and passed them around. "So Jericho, what next?"
Jericho looked down at the unopened can in his hand uncomfortably. He was not used to being looked to for direction, but now it was obvious that he had no choice. This was mainly his problem, his fight, but now he had others to back him up. Might as well start learning how to give orders. He pushed the can down into his open duffel bag and met the eyes of the Titans one by one. "I know more than likely where to find... our adversary. Getting there safely is the hard part."
"We can handle it," Robin said. "Just show us the way."
Jericho nodded nervously and turned to face north-east. "We just need to go in this direction until I say to stop. I'll know when we get there." Seriously he only hoped he would know, for it had been years since he had been to Jackal's lair, and he had only been a young child then. So he would have to just trust his instincts on this one.
-T-
"Dude, are we almost there yet? I can't take much more of this," Beast Boy whined a few hours later. His hiking stance had turned into a slouched over, arms dangling, slow pace. Robin and Cyborg marched on without complaints, and the girls flew comfortably overhead.
"Be quiet," Jericho signed gently, hoisting himself over a large rock. "It won't be too much farther."
"Yeah, Beast Boy," Cyborg said from behind
When the six of them made it over the next rocky hill, the view that plummeted down from them was nearly breathtaking. Miles and miles of green grass stretched out over the flowery hills without a speck of an unnatural blemish. Except for one.
A squared off, concrete block building stuck out like a flame in the middle of a snowy scene. Jericho stiffened at the sight of the familiar grey, one-story building and tried to calm his breathing. After coming in contact with this place again, he was being hit with flash backs of years before. Slade. Jackal. That dagger that had been meant to be deadly.
Jericho took a few steps down the steep hill, balancing between rocks, and Raven followed. Now out of sight of the other Titans, Raven pulled her hood over her head, the shadows now hiding her face, and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Good luck," she said plainly.
Jericho nodded his thanks. "Do the others know what we're up against? Do you?"
"They only know what you've told them," she replied quietly. "I know by seeing visions of your past." She blinked once, her expression dull. "And by the way, no one else knows about your father."
Jericho looked at her in surprise. "You haven't told them?"
"No. And I won't unless that's what you want. I'm just wary of what Robin would do if he found out. He's been very obsessive over Slade for a long time."
The rest of the team came over the hill as she quietly finished her sentence. Robin crossed his arms, his cape blowing in the wind, and leveled his eyes on the building below. "Is that where we need to go?"
"Yes," Jericho signed. "Someone please take me over. Everyone else can follow after I get inside, okay?"
Starfire flew forward and took Jericho's wrists, taking off at an even pace and supporting his weight without effort. "We will be close behind you for assistance," she said. "And we wish you the luck."
He wanted to sign a thank you, but his hands were occupied with holding onto Starfire's arms. He smiled at the support he was getting, but his nervousness was getting nearly too much to handle.
In no time they had reached the top of the building, and Starfire let him drop from a few feet up, then hovered in the air silently. Jericho landed lightly and turned back to give her a small wave. She nodded, then turned and flew back up the hill to join the Titans.
Now Jericho just had to find an entrance. If he had offensive powers, he would just make one himself, but mere possession wouldn't help him much at the moment. He sat down on the edge of the roof and dangled his legs off before letting himself slide down to the ground. It was just his luck that he landed on his bad ankle, but he managed to ignore the pain and limp around the side of the building to find a door.
After sneaking around for a minute or so, he finally found a tall window that appeared to be spray painted over on the inside with black paint. Since there seemed to be no other way in, he had no choice but to make one somehow. His body suddenly froze as his thoughts seized him. What if he went into this building, confronted his nemesis, and never came out? He shivered at the thought. He had never really thought about dying until the day he had lost his voice, and rarely did afterwards. He realized that what he was about to do was dangerous and could possibly cost him his life if things went too far. A doubt in his mind suddenly told him to back out. It would be better for him; safer.
But that was not the way Jericho functioned. He usually thought of himself last, and that had been the case until now. Butthere was no way he was letting himself back out; there was possibly Grant to think of. He wasn't even sure that his brother was involved in the situation, but Jericho found it more frightening if he was. What if Jericho didn't act and Grant was killed? He would feel awful for the rest of his life. But what if Grant was not even involved at all? Well, it was better to risk it. For Grant's sake.
Jericho silently laid a hand flat on the window and pondered his next move. Should he just break in or call the Titans now? He decided on the former and searched the ground around him for something hard. A crow bar, a rock, anything. But there was nothing. The only choices he had now was either a kick or a punch. He decided on a kick.
He took a step backwards and braced himself for the move. Once he shattered the glass he would have to move quickly and not waste time. He shifted all his weight and hurled a spin-kick into the dark window, driving in his heel and shattering the glass in large chunks.Bright light poured from the inside and voices sounded loudly. Jericho hoisted himself over the remaining glassin the window and landed gracefully on the tile floor inside in one swift move.
He was nearly blinded by the bright lighting of thelarge room, and he squinted his eyes and struggled to gain focus. A masculine yell from his right warned him that he should move; and that he did. He ducked towards the floor and heard someone literally fall over him and land on his left. Jericho stood up and regained sight, caught off guard at the number of men around him and weapons they were carrying. It seemed all the eyes in the building were on him.
"Hey, looks like we've got company," one of the men said, cracking his knuckles.
Jericho wanted to yell to the crowd what he had came for, but that being obviously impossible, instinctively signed what was on his mind.
Hesigned quickly, "I'm not here to fight with you, I'm here for Jackal."
A man with dark hair and a heavy New York accent laughed scornfully. "You don't get to Jackal without going through us first." He slammed his fist into the palm of his hand and cracked his knuckles. "We don't wanna hurt ya, kid. Just following orders."
A cluster of men tackled Jericho from his right, who tried to shield himself from the pain and failed, dragging him to the ground mercilessly. He could do nothing but cover his head and grit his teeth as each of the men proceeded to get their own hold on him, but seemed to merely get in each others' way. Jericho heard the sound of a blow and a loud grunt of pain from the top of the pile, then the weight on him shifted and was gone. He uncovered his head and opened his eyes in time to see the men go crashing into a wall as one. He pushed himself to his elbows and looked over his shoulder to see Raven with her glowing hand extended in front of her, eyes smoldering under the shadow of her hood. The rest of the Titans stood silently motionless behind her; and then the calm before the storm was broken.
The crew of men at the left side of the open-spaced building shot towards the Titans, as the latters did the same from the right, and they met in a clash of powers, weapons, and hand-to-hand combat. Jericho was unsure at what to do at first. He stood and scanned the chaotic room with his eyes in search of Jackal, but there was no sign of the man anywhere. Jericho ducked as a man flew by his head in token of Cyborg's metal fist.
Jericho watched the fight from the corner of the room and set his sights on a young, red-headed man who was good in agility and nearly matching Robin move for move. Jericho made his way across the room and dodged a starbolt on the way, never taking his eyes off man who was in deep battle with Robin.
A swift punch from the young man knocked Robin's bo staff from his hand, and the former grinned evilly. Jericho dived through the air and caught the staff before it hit the ground, landing in a somersault and coming to his feet in a hard swing that landed itself in the man's stomach, causing him to double over and hit the ground on his back. Jericho let himself fall with one knee on each side of the man, staring down hard into his victim's eyes, who panted hard and stared back. Jericho's eyes started glowing, and he felt the sensation of possessing the man's body.
His new build was thin yet muscley, and he flexed the man's arms before picking up the bo staff off the ground and stretching his back. He threw the staff backwards and met eyes with Robin briefly, who caught the weapon without effort.
"You'll probably be needing that," Jericho said in the young man's deep voice. It felt good to be able to speak again, even if it wasn't his body.
"Thanks," Robin replied, nodding once. The dialouge was cut short and the fight raged on once more. Jericho felt stronger and more able to do damage in this body, and the man he had possessed's comrades seemed shock that their friend had turned on them, until they realized that the small blond boy had the power of possession. They seemed hesitant to fight their teammate at first, until he had taken out nearly a dozen of them in just a few moves.
On the other side of the room, Starfire and Beast Boy were doing their own amount of damage on their opponents. Starfire zipped through the air, dodging attacks, and rained starbolts down furiously on the men below her. Some of them had laser-like guns, which she knew burned on contant with skin; she had been hit in the shoulder with one. Beast Boy was shape shifing down below like mad and taking out his own share of enemies. Starfire had seen Jericho possess the red-haired man out of the corner of her eye, and now she saw that he was taking a beating. She caught Raven's attention, who had just floored three men at one time, and pointed in Jericho's direction.
"Raven, look!" she cried. Raven followed the trail of Starfire's finger and levitated over to Jericho's attackers, throwing them off with the force of her powers and helping him to his feet with his hand.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Yeah," he replied. "Thanks." Raven secretly thought it nice that he was speaking to her, despite that it wasn't his own voice. Suddenly Jericho let himself jump from the man's body, which fell to the ground behind him, and grabbed Raven's cloak. "Help me find Jackal," he signed.
Raven had been sensing where the man was since she had entered the building, and she turned to point the way out to Jericho, but was cut short by an explosion to her left. Jericho fell on her on the way down, and they landed in a heap on the floor. They looked at each other strangely for a moment, then Jericho got up and whirled to face the large hole in the wall beside them panting heavily yet silently.
The smoke and dust cleared out to reveal two figures standing in the way of the hole, one obviously a large man, the other smaller. Jericho bristled and anticipated with dread what was going to happen next.
The smaller figure leaped gracefully into the light, and Jericho turned and followed the moving figure with his eyes, his mouth open in shock. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The other figure behind the wall of smoke followed the smaller one, and when they were both in the light, Jericho turned to gape at the Titans in disbelief.
But they didn't seem to notice. Jericho turned his attention back to the two newcomers who had suddenly joined the battle. Slade and Ravager. He had never expected them to come, especially not so right on time. Ravager's one-eyed gaze met Jericho's eyes and held for a moment, then turned viciously on one of Jackal's men who attacked her from behind. She slammed him to the ground with her bo staff and moved on to the next bunch, Slade close at her side.
Jericho didn't know if he should attack his father and sister or fight along with them. Why were they here helping him, anyway? It was all too confusing and Jericho felt light-headed and just wanted to sit down. But he stood frozen to the spot he had been in since his family's arrival.
Beast Boy suddenly noticed the new additions to the room and cried out in alarm, "Slade!"
Robin whirled around. The look of shock on his face turned to anger at the sight of his nemesis, and he hurled a few birdarangs without warning; they missed their mark but whizzed by Slade's head and stabbed into the wall. Robin rushed foward with a flying punch that was aimed at Slade's face, but the latter turned around and caught the former by the wrist.
"Don't act in haste now, Robin," the man said, shoving the teen away.
"Yeah, we're trying to help you," Ravager grunted, throwing another of Jackal's minions over her head with both hands.
Raven threw up a shield to protect herself and said accusingly from a few yards away, "But why?"
"We have no reason to trust you!" Starfire yelled from above.
Slade took out nearly half a dozen men with one swing of his bo staff and turned to face Jericho. "We all have our own reasons."
Raven clenched her jaw. It was unknown that she was the only one with the slightest clue as to what was going on. "You don't know who-" She was cut off by a shot from a laser gun and went smashing into Cyborg's chest, hitting hard with a sharp ding. She and Cyborg fell to the ground in a heap.
Jericho rushsed to go help Raven but was jerked to a stop by being grabbed around both arms at the biceps. The grip was tight and somewhat familiar. Jericho struggled and craned his neck to see who had captured him.
Jackal.
Jericho's eyes trailed down to the man's hands, and one of them held a long-bladed hunting knife that was cold through the sleeve of Jericho's shirt. Everyone in the room froze in mid-fight, but only Slade and Jericho seemed to know the seriousness and the familiar feeling of the situation.
"Slade," Jackal said from the corner of the room, his broad chest rising and falling calmly as he turned to face the other man, still holding onto Jericho's arms. "It's been a long time. And this does bring back memories, doesn't it?"
Slade rose to his full height and gripped his bo staff with a calm touch. No one saw the real fear in his eye. "I'm aware of all of your tricks. And I will not let this happen again."
Jackal lifted Jericho's chin up with a finger and looked down at the boy's face, though pointedly avoiding his green eyes. "He has grown up somewhat, hasn't he? No doubt he'll take his looks after his father."
Slade took a step forward, but Jackal held up a hand. "I wouldn't do that, Slade. You know very well what I'm capable of doing. And I'm sure you remember that I will do it." He looked back down to Jericho. "Now. Whatever happened to that great gift you possessed, Jericho?" He chuckled evilly. "Excuse the pun. Now don't move."
Jericho looked out briefly on Slade, Ravager, and the Titans. His gaze fell on Raven, who was levitating a few feet from the ground, looking distressed and nearly as if she wanted to tear her hair out from the bad situation. The air seemed to have been sucked from the room as soon as Jackal had made his appearance. And there was no exception now.
Jericho was suddenly overtaken by a flashback, very similar to the reality he was in now. Sitting at the mercy of Jackal with a knife to his throat, young, scared, powerless to do anything. And he was scared now, but something was different. Something in the look on Raven's face made him make sure this time it was different.
He shifted his weight as quickly as he could manage, bending hard and contorting his body a bit, his weight suspended over the ground by Jackal's large hands, and landed a hard kick into the man's face that drew blood and sent the villain stumbling backwards. Jericho landed on his knees but quickly scrambled up, and the whole room went into a frenzy. Slade and Ravager went straight for the stunned Jackal, the Titans went for Jackal's men, and Jericho went for the knife of the ground. Only inches away from the dagger's handle, he was kicked off his feet and sent crashing straight through a wooden door, sliding hard into a dimly lit room.
He sat up in the middle of the splinters of wood and touched his shoulder gently. He was already covered with bruises. What else was a few more? The height of his adrenaline had dulled the pain, but he was more hurt than he thought and discovered so as he tried to stand. His legs didn't hold his weight and he sank back down to his knees. He felt lightheaded and could barely hear the fight going on the other side of the wall, despite the noise of it, and so badly wanted to lay down and sleep. With his senses dulled and pain being the only thing he was aware of, he was seconds away from lying down and giving up when a voice cut through the blackness and was the only sound he heard.
"Joey."
Jericho perked up and turned to the direction of the voice. It was male and sounded familiar. He couldn't find the source at first, then finally laid eyes on a figure that was close to the wall across the room. The dim light reflected off of something metal, and Jericho realized the person was chained to the wall by shackles. They probably needed help. He dragged himself to his feet, and while halfway up, suddenly realized who the voice belonged to and forgot all pain. How unbelievable. Grant!
Jericho wanted to cry out in joy as he kicked the splinters of wood aside and limped across the room at a run. His brother was alive! Alive and talking; bruised, yes, but alive nonetheless. Jericho focused on his older brother and was comforted by his familiar, masculine face and shaggy blond hair. It was such a relief to see him that Jericho didn't know what to do except hug him. And that he did.
"Hey kid," Grant said with a smile. "How are ya?"
Jericho looked up at his brother's face in admiration. What a miracle.
Grant flinched. "Watch the ribs. I took a beating for the team."
Jericho frowned in concrern. "Why?" he signed.
"Can anybody explain Jackal? Come on, get me out of these chains and I'll show you how to work revenge."
Jericho looked around the room for something to break the chains with, but there was nothing sturdy enough. He suddenly had an idea and buzzed Starfire on his communicator, who flew into the room after a few idle moments.
"You have called for me?" Starfire asked. She looked at Grant and gasped. "What happened?"
"Help me get these off him," Jericho signed, rattling the chains.
A voice from the broken door suddenly echoed through the dim room. "Hey! Get out of there!" One of Jackal's minions. Starfire turned around, her eyes glowing in frustration, and let a starbolt fly. It landed hard in the man's stomach and took him right out the way he came in.
"Hurry," Jericho signed. Starfire grabbed the chains close to Grant's wrists and snapped them without effort. Now Grant had thick bracelet-like clasps on his wrists, but at least there was no chain attatched and no wall to be smashed against.
"Thanks, cutie," Grant said, and Starfire blushed briefly. "Come on Joseph, we're gonna catch Jackal if it's the last thing I do."
Starfire made a new doorway in the wall with a huge starbolt, and the three of them exited back into the well lit room, where only a few of Jackal's men remained conscious. The rest were scattered out about the floor.
"Jericho!" Raven exclaimed.
Slade and Jackal were nowhere to be seen, but Ravager stood beside Robin in the middle of the room. She looked at Grant with no expression. "A friend of yours, Jericho?"
Jericho frowned at her. She knew good and well who Grant was. "Where's Jackal?" he signed.
"Him and Slade busted out the wall a few minutes ago," Cyborg said. "They ain't come back in yet. And I don't think they plan to."
Grant's large hand engulfed Jericho's wrist. "Come on."
The two of them rushed outside into the hazy darkness. The sun was still in the sky, but storm clouds had rolled in some time during the fight and now covered the sky. Jericho had never seen such lightning.
A thud on the roof of the building gave away Slade and Jackal's position. Grant was somehow up the side of the wall and onto the roof, Jericho being dragged behind, in a heartbeat.
Slade and Jackal were engaged in deep battle, and Grant jumped into the middle of it without warning, catching both men by surprise, but mostly Jackal who was practically being beaten into the concrete roof. Jericho suspected that Grant was getting revenge for himself, but mostly for his little brother and what had happened years ago. Grant's light blond hair was the only part of him that could be seen against the dark sky. Jackal had begun to fight back, and now Grant, as well as Slade, were giving him a tag-team beating that was pushing him back towards the edge of the roof. Jericho stood back and watched the scene, marveling silently at the likeness of his brother and father's style of fighting; exactly the same. Jericho closed his eyes and remembered how he had used to watch Grant's training and later mimick the moves when he was alone. He wasn't as well as a fighter as the rest of his family, but he knew enough to hold his own.
He quickly opened his eyes when he heard a grunt of pain from Grant, and saw him go sliding across the roof holding his stomach. Jericho had the urge to help his brother, but as soon as Jackal had knocked Grant down, Slade had taken his place and, in a sense of speaking, was proceeding to beat the family's long-time foe into the dirt.
The Titans burst out from the building, unsure if they should attack Slade or Jackal, but decided on the latter. The team was ready to rush in and fight, but Robin held up a hand to stop them. They looked at him, puzzled, as the Boy Wonder stared at the ongoing fight on the roof with a look of stubborness.
"What are you doing, man?" Cyborg exclaimed. "We gotta help them."
"We will if they need it," Robin replied gruffly. "'This is their fight."
Cyborg was knocked into silence with the truth. None of the Titans, save for Raven, new Jericho's backstory, but somehow they knew that this fight belonged to their mute friend. Why Slade and this other blond boy were involved, they didn't know, but they had learned to trust Robin's judgement.
Back on the roof, the fight was heating up. Grant had gotten back up to his feet and was engaged in a close hand-to-hand battle with Jackal, each of them blocking the other's moves and getting nowhere. Grant talked while he fought.
"You thought you could just get away with all of this, didn't you?" he panted, throwing a hard roundhouse kick that Jackal merely blocked. "The things you did to Joseph were sick; it should have been me or Slade, Joseph's innocent!"
"You've been a thorn in my side long enough yourself," Jackal said. "I should have gotten rid of you while I had the chance... of course, I had to have something to lure in your father and brother with."
Grant cursed savagely and caught the man's oncoming fist in his hand, bending backwards swiftly and giving it a crack. Robin saw the classic Slade move from below, and he was in utter confusion.
"Something's up with all this," he said to Raven, who merely levitated silently. "Something's up. It's just too coincidental that..." He trailed off as he saw Jackal pull out what seemed to be an infamous dagger and go at Grant unmercifully. Slade whipped out a bo staff, but Jackal dodged the blows and with a hard kick sent Slade flying off the side of the roof to the ground.
"You're not going to mess things up for me again," Jackal growled, making quick stabs with the dagger at Grant, but each thrust either missed its moving target or was blocked.
One last hard thrust almost hit its mark, which was the middle of Grant's chest, but the boy had barely managed to throw up his arms and cross them at the wrists, Jackal's lower arm pressing hard down into the X shape between Grant's curled fists. The knife's blade was pointing in a deadly position at Grant, and the two of them stood motionless, struggling, until Jackal's strength had the advantage and began pushing down hard until eventually Grant slowly ended up on his knees, sweating hard and pressing back against Jackal's arm for all he was worth.
They were suspended that way for what seemed like an eternity, until a flash of black and purple shot across the roof and Jackal was somehow laying sprawled out on the roof, the dagger no longer in his hand, but now in Jericho's, who stood looming over the man, flexing his fingers around the knife's handle and staring at the man who had caused him and his family so much trouble. Jackal was at his mercy now, and he knew he should make him pay.
"Do it, Joey, stab him," the expression on Grant's face read. "Get your revenge on him. You're justified. Do it."
Slade was suddenly standing on the roof as well. His lone eye narrowed. "Kill him and join me. Be my apprentice. Do what your sister has done and serve me."
Jericho looked down at Jackal, who lay motionless, his face as if he was about to meet death. The Titans were still on the ground, watching the scene in shock.
"Do it."
"Join me."
"Do it."
Jericho closed his eyes and clutched the dagger tightly, his hand trembling. Everyone seemed to suck in their breath with anticipation, and then Jericho made his move.
His grip relaxed and the dagger clattered to the roof, sliding a few feet and laying idly on the concrete. Jericho opened his eyes and looked hard at Jackal, who breathed again.
"Well," he said, "Slade, it looks like only one of your sons take after you."
There was a hush before Robin exclaimed, "What!" from below. The Titans were in disbelief. Slade was Jericho's father! It seemed nearly impossible.
"Take him to jail," Jericho signed, and Beast Boy, who was still in shock, pulled out his communicator and called for a squad. Starfire bent a large beam of metal she found and tied Jackal up with it, then joined everyone who had moved back down to the ground.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Robin yelled at Jericho once the smaller boy had come down from the roof. "We should have known! How dare you keep something like that from us!"
"I couldn't tell you," Jericho signed. "After I found out he was your arch enemy, I didn't know what to do at first. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I felt like I just couldn't."
"Do you know how much danger you could have put us in?" Robin yelled.
"Hey, don't talk to him like that," Grant snapped, glaring down at Robin. "I don't care what he didn't tell you. Nobody talks to my brother that way, okay? So shut up!" Grant shoved Robin backwards, and Cyborg quickly interfered before another fight was started, pulling Robin back by the arm.
Slade took a step forward in the grass with his hands clasped behind his back, Ravager close beside him, and settled his gaze on his sons. "I want you to join me. Become my apprentices."
Robin fumed beside Cyborg, and all was silent for a few moments. Police sirens could be heard in the distance.
"No," Jericho signed flatly, taking a step towards Slade with determination. "No. This is not going any farther than it already has. You think you can talk me-" he looked at Grant "-us into joining your side, committing crimes and causing pain, but it's not going to happen. I don't know about Grant, but I'm going home. And I don't want to be harassed by you anymore."
The words meant what they had said and cut deep, but Slade showed no emotion. He was confident that if he wanted Jericho as an apprentice, someday he would get it. He looked at his oldest son.
"I'm with Joey," Grant said flatly.
The sirens wailed loudly and police made their way over the hill as Slade and Ravager vanished off into the shadows. The Titans still stood in shock over what had just happened, but Raven flew over to Jericho and casually slipped her hand in his, concealed behind her cloak so no one could see. "Good answer. You really told him off."
Jericho blushed and smiled at her gratefully. She had been with him through this whole ordeal.
"Who was that chick that was with Dad?" Grant asked bluntly.
Jericho turned to look at his brother. "I'll tell you later when we get home." Police swarmed the roof of the building and carried Jackal away in handcuffs as everyone else looked on. "Mom will be so glad to hear from you. Thanks to Slade, we've thought you died in the bombing at your college a long time ago."
"I think that little masked chick did that," Grant said, referring to Ravager. "It was set up to look like I had died. Man, I can't want to see Mom too."
Jericho squeezed Raven hand and thought about the events that had happened ever since the day he heard the news of the bombing. It all hadn't sunk in yet, but one day soon he would realize what had happened, what had been accomplished. Slade was off his back, at least for now, his brother was alive and well, his relationship with Raven was doing nothing but advancing, he had had made five new friends... he almost teared up at the thought of it all, but refused to cry in front of everyone and looked at the Titans.
"I guess you'll be going home now," he signed.
"Eventually," Robin said.
"We have talked it over," Starfire said, "and we wish for you to come back home with us and join our team! The both of you."
Jericho smiled. What a generous offer. "I'll really think on it. But first we've got some things to do here, me and Grant."
"Great," Beast Boy said. "Guess we'll see you later, then?"
Jericho nodded. "Sometime. I want to thank you for everything you've helped me with." He looked at Robin. "Please don't be mad at me. I wanted to tell you about Slade, but I didn't know how." He didn't mention that Raven had already known.
"I guess we're cool. We'll see ya later. Just come to the Tower whenever you want."
Grant slapped Jericho on the back. "Come on, Joey. Looks like we've got a lot to clear up here." He laughed. "And it looks like we'll have quite a story to tell Mom when we get home!"
Life as Jericho knew it was finally beginning to be restored.
-T-
And there you have it. The end.