Garfield: And we're back!

Ron-Pool: Come on. Be alittle more cheerful man.

Danny Phantom: At least you have a fic. I still don't have one yet *grumbles*

Ron-Pool: Rain is working on it!

Danny Phantom: I hope people will be interested in that…

Wanderer: Relax. Start my chapter.

Silent Shout: Echoes of a Changeling's Heart
Chapter Five: Of Emerald Eyes and Black Birds

With a clash of fists, Wanderer and Starfire continued their trading of blows in the middle of the room and honestly, Wanderer was having the time of his life.

It had been so long since he fought someone on an even playing field that he was honestly starting to lose hope on anyone being able to challenge him, outside of the Justice League and a few other sparse heroes around the world.

He blocked a right hook the Starfire delivered and landed a hard jab to her face but she grabbed his arm and launched him over her head, sending him across the room towards the large office windows. Wanderer scrapped a hand against a wooden desk and morphed his hand into lion claws to slow his flight down and landed on the ground before he morphed the hand into an octopus tentacle, spun his body then launched it at Starfire.

Wanderer then morphed his arms fully into octopus tentacles with the end of the tentacles having the fists of a gorilla and launched them both after the launched desk.

Starfire punched the desk but was immediately struck in the chest by the two fists, which sent her through a wall behind her. Wanderer pulled back his arms and morphed them back into his own. He knew that would keep her down for long and he was proven right when two beams of green light exploded from the room towards him.

Wanderer morphed into a flurry of butterflies to avoid the beams, which shattered the glass behind him and regrouped on the ceiling where he sat upside down. "Still alive in here," Wanderer announced.

Starfire stepped out of the hole and looked at him but instead of anger, she was satisfied. "Very good. I did the hoping that you would still be in one piece."

"Oh really?" He questioned as he stood upright on the ceiling. "Good. Now as much as I am enjoying this test. Why are you attacking me?"

"You attacked Friend Raven and I at the mall," Starfire stated angrily.

"How odd," Wanderer responded. "I was in the middle of fighting during that time and despite my skill, I'm nowhere near creating a clone…yet."

"So you didn't attack us?" Starfire asked.

"No. I did plan to combat all of you but if I'm going to fight the famed Teen Titans, I will do it honorable. Not underhandedly," Wanderer replied.

Starfire stared at him for a moment before she asked "So you didn't attack us but you wish to fight us?"

"Yes. Tomorrow morning, I was going to issue all of you a challenge," Wanderer told her. There was no point lying to girl. He was going to fight the Teen Titans and that wasn't going to change. However, he didn't want to be framed into it.

"Your words ring true to my ears," Starfire said with a noticeable frown. Wanderer felt something dull in his heart but brushed it aside. "How did this venture start, Friend?"

Wanderer could see trust shining in her eyes and it made him almost shake his head.

She was so naïve. She shouldn't let her guard down for some stranger.

"You aren't going to fight me?" He questioned.

"We are in the fire of ceasing," Starfire replied.

Sensing that their fight was done for now, Wanderer narrowed his eyes and fell to the ground while rotating his body to land on his feet then leaned back on a surprisingly still whole desk and began to talk.

"I had just defeated a villain by the name of Ragnarök in Steel Ridge City when a man approached me. He disguised himself as a homeless man I had met prior to the battle. I told him previously that I wanted to test my strength. When my battle was done, he introduced himself as Wilson Wintergreen. He was the one that told me that your group was evil and taking over Jump City."

"That is outrageous and lies!" Starfire exclaimed.

"Hold it," Wanderer said with a raised hand. "I knew this already. The Teen Titans are hailed as heroes in some of the cities I have traveled through. As I mentioned, I wanted to test my strength and while I knew he was lying, I wanted to test myself to see how far I've come."

"What was his name?" Starfire questioned.

"That I will keep to myself for now Princess," Wanderer responded. "For when our fight is done, I will deal with him."

"But we are not enemies," Starfire said as she took a step closer to him, her eyes brimming with an earnestness that made Wanderer blink but once again, he pushed aside whatever feeling that tried to form.

"This person you speak off tried to do the framing of us. He needs to be brought to justice," she continued as she took a step to him, offering a smile as she added on "We don't need to fight any longer. We can be friends."

"And he will," Wanderer told her as he pushed himself off the desk and walked towards the large window to gain some distance from her. "But the fight between us is far from over. I told you why I am here. And that is to test my strength against the Teen Titans."

He wouldn't even dare touch upon the last little bit of her statement.

"I see…" Starfire murmured. The disappointment in her voice made Wanderer frown a bit but whatever feelings that once again tried to build up was brutally crushed down.

"There should be security videos showing my brief battle during the time you all were attacked," Wanderer told her as his body began to slowly break apart into fireflies from the legs up. "But that should clear my name. But you will see me again. That much I can assure you."

And with those words, Wanderer had fully broken apart and he flew through the glass, causing dozens of small holes in the glass as he flew through the air.

Starfire watched her opponent leave and felt a sadness she couldn't place in her heart. He seemed so closed off but in his eyes, she noticed a flicker of something in those emerald green eyes that told her of an unspeakable sadness.

Why was he so intent on testing his strength?

"Yo Star!" A voice said from above her. When she looked up, she saw Static floating down on a metallic disk, shimmering in electricity. "You alright?" He asked as he leapt off and landed beside her.

"I am fine Friend Static," Starfire replied softly before she looked around. "Where is Friend Orphan?"

"I dropped her off at the tower at her request so she can check in with Robin," Static explained before he quirked an eyebrow at her and asked "So, where is that guy you were fighting?"

Starfire remained silent for a moment and said "It matters not where he is. We should observe some of the tapes of video of the area before I fought him. He may have been set off."

"It's "Set up" Star," Static said with a grin before he leapt back onto his metallic disc and challenged her with "Race you there."

Starfire nodded but she couldn't take her mind off those emerald eyes.

The swarm of green fireflies floated through the window of the hotel room Wintergreen had paid for him and slowly formed back into Wanderer's form. What had happened to him? Why did he do that?

He was never one to shy from a battle or even stop once it began and yet, the minute that Princess had let down her guard, he did as well.

And those little burst of…Something in his heart.

What was those?

Wanderer removed his cloak and tossed his cloak to the side, revealing his scared up but fairly muscular chest, his forest green hair that was long enough to nearly cover his eyes along with a long ponytail that fell to the curve of his back and green wild looking sideburns.

Despite his calm, almost detached demeanor, he looked like a wild and uncaged animal ready to strike.

He rubbed his neck and began to make his way to the bathroom until, a chill went down his spin.

Wanderer quickly turned around to the window with a low growl and it was there.

A black and white swirling portal stood in front of it and through the portal, he instantly recognized her as Raven, thanks to the pictures of each Titan in the folders Wintergreen had given him.

"You must be Raven. The Empath of the Titans," Wanderer said with bared teeth, still on edge by her sudden appearance. "I already fought one Titan tonight, I will fight another one now," Wanderer warned as he flexed his fingers, allowing claws to grow slightly.

"And you are the one that "attacked" us at the mall," Raven said dryly.

"So you know I wasn't the one," Wanderer stated, his edge dulling slightly.

"Your aura is different from the one that attacked us," The Empath replied with a bored expression but Wanderer could see the curiosity buried deep in those purple eyes of hers. "But that still begs the question. Who are you?"

"I am nothing but a wanderer," he replied with a blank stare. "Looking for his next test."

"Yes. As I heard from your conversation with Starfire," she replied. "If you're looking for a fight, I am more than willing to give one. However, I must know the name of the one who hired you."

"You should know my answer then if you heard me tell the princess," Wanderer said with narrowed eyes. It was then he felt the entire building rumbling. "What is this?" he questioned while Raven looked around.

It was then the sounds of screams was heard in the hotel.

Along with the smell of smoke and fire.

Rain: And that is the end of the chapter. Stage two of Slade's plan has started but again, what is that plan and it looks like Wanderer and Raven are in the middle of it. What will happen next? Only one way to find out!

Wanderer: Hm.