Disclaimer: We own neither the Teen Titans nor Jackie Chan Adventures. We only lay any claim to this story and any OCs we may employ.

Betaed by Zim'smostloyalservant

A Shadow of the Titans:

Written by

Nocturne no Kitsune

Eduard Kassel

Chapter Three:

"Pass or Fail"

Sudden Death Elimination

Jade didn't waste any time, and with a silent prayer she was off like a streak. All the while, as she raced along and others fell into place behind, beside, or even just in front of her, she chanted to herself in her mind; not any spell, but just to motivate herself. Looking at the room before had made it seem treacherous, but now up close as they neared the entrance gate Jade could see that it was more so. Even with the obvious traps and obstacles, she knew there had to be more.

And she was right.

For just as soon as she passed through the entrance gate and onto the course, the floor opened up beneath her and a few of her fellow runners, revealing a drop into a deep pit, complete with net at the bottom which was slightly comforting in its own way as she started to fall.

But she did not.

Instead, Jade experienced a sense of flying as her body seemed to move and her foot found the back of a student in front of her as he started to fall. She felt her legs tense and coil without her actual direction, and in a shot she had used the hapless teenager as a springboard, propelling herself up and out of the pit and back onto the course. Jade spared a moment to look as the others dropped into the net before realizing she was still in a race, and moved on.

Which was actually good and bad in its own sense. If she had stayed to watch, she would have seen the unlucky students fall 'through' the net, as it seemed to fizzle in and out of existence at their passing into the darkness below. As it was, Jade ignored the screaming.

Jade pushed herself onwards, only now realizing how strange it was. She was running, but the way the way she was running… It was incredible.

Jade felt strangely free, almost in a trance as she moved. She only noticed just how fast she was running, the scenery of the training course passing her by as she outpaced a few older looking students in a blur. She could feel her legs pumping, coiling and recoiling and striking the hard metal rapidly as wind rushed passed her.

She had never run like this before. Jade was fit; she knew she was physically more conditioned than other kids her age. A life of adventure and peril taught you to stay in good shape and how to run, but this was just insane. She might not be any Red Bolt like from her comics, but she was moving so fast…

And then came another obstacle.

Without warning, the wall rocketed out like a piston hammer. She saw one especially muscled teenager get hit by it, flying off and colliding with another wall with a yelp and a groan. By the twitching, she could happily guess he was still alive.

But she might not be for much longer.

The wall had receded, but Jade knew it was coming. Thinking it might be triggered by a pressure plate, she tried jumping over the spot only to be met with the sight of the wall rocketing out once more. Jade just watched as it seemed to approach in slow motion and she honestly thought she might be dead.

But once again, it was like a mental jerk as Jade felt her body move of its own volition. Her hand reached out towards the wall, and with just the palm seemed to catch it for a moment before using it to pull herself up and over the edge, flipping onto the top portion of the wall. With a leap, Jade was off again and proceeding along the course.

The stinging sensation in her hand seemed dull as fear and other such emotions crept into her head as she continued. The strange feeling before, a mix between pleasure, freedom, and the rush of adrenaline, faded away as Jade seemed to notice that she was more like a passenger in her own body. Like she was simply telling it where to go, and it was doing the rest on its own.

Later, Jade would admit it was like watching an action movie in first person as her body reacted to the threats rather then anything else. But all the while, Jade could feel it. The way her body bent at just that right way to avoid the sudden swing-beam, the way she danced around as parts of the floor rose up in columns. It was like the strange mix of martial arts like she had seen Jackie do and something else.

She also felt the pain, from the small scraps and bumps. Her body seemed more to care about getting to the end like she wanted, rather than anything else. The close calls were plentiful as she just barely avoided some of the traps.

That was the other thing. It left Jade numb, as she not only seemed to watch and feel as her body went through the movements, but to see other racers that were not so lucky, as they were knocked out, knocked about, and more as they tried to avoid the plethora of traps and failed.

Unfortunately, she really did not have time to think about it as she (or was it her body?) came across a sort of artificial moat complete with a set of monkey bars. Jade would have laughed if not for the electricity visibly running through them at seemingly random intervals and the groaning and moaning applicants below in the water. And just her luck, they were already full as a set of teens swung their way across.

But apparently, her body had other thoughts, and waiting was not one of them. Jade, while scared and fearful of this new turn of events, kept pressing forward and simply allowed it to happened rather then fight it.

Without stopping, she launched herself off the "bank" of the little moat and to one of the metal struts holding the monkey bars up. The moment her foot touched it, it shifted and Jade launched herself to another pole, zig-zagging from one to another, till she was at the other side and continued on.

Now, Jade realized exactly what was happening. It was her instincts. Jackie had told her – and she had learned from a few other sources – that once trained, someone could do things almost automatically. Their body would handle it, seeming to know the motions already. Action without thought.

For some reason, that scared Jade more then anything else so far, as she used a hidden springboard that was supposed to fling her back the way she came to instead propel herself forward once more.

And so it continued. Jade allowed her instincts control, and her body did the rest.

Jade considered it a miracle, although an unwelcome one, as she crossed the finish line at the seven minute mark and part of the first ten. Without much celebration, she quickly moved to the side of the group and found a corner to just sit in as she tried to process what had just happened.

And when she did, she had to hug herself just to control the sudden shivering and quell the pain that wracked her arms and legs. If she had not already been on the verge of breathless, she would have been absolutely panting.

Nearby:

"You might want to close the window before a bird flies in," Jinx smirked. Gizmo closed his mouth with a clang and glared at his squad leader, who was leaning with one hand on a divider watching the obstacle course conclude. Not only had the blue girl reached the goal in ninth place chronologically, she had placed twelfth in over all performance.

Considering the ranks had just been cut down to forty-three, that was nothing to sneeze at.

"She didn't have those moves in the mall," Gizmo ground out.

"Guess she was holding back, or just not feeling well," Jinx shrugged, sipping her drink.

"Whatever, that was just a jock strip; the real fun is when you can really strut your stuff. She won't last through some real action," Gizmo assured himself. They both quieted down as Blood's image appeared in a new screen.

Meanwhile:

Jade had settled back into another shadow as she unwound from the obstacle course and let the pain fade from her extremities, as well as see how many of the other applicants made it through the course. So far, there were only a few stragglers left, but they were pretty much clear. From her count, she could see at least forty-three teens that had completed the course.

She frowned slightly as she did the math and realized that meant only seventeen out of the previous sixty had not made it. She had honestly expected more, especially after that course. Jade had to admit that she really couldn't see even Jackie running that course without some trouble.

A flare of pain in her arms made her remember though, that she just did.

With something akin to a shiver, she idly rubbed her arms, trying to massage the pain away. She honestly couldn't remember ever hurting this much, unless she counted earlier at the mall...

She shook her head, not that anyone saw. She was still wondering what had her so hair-triggered back there. Sure, she hated being ignored and underestimated, but going off like that?

Either way, the thought process ended with another, albeit duller, stinging wave of pain up and down her arms. It felt like she had pulled a muscle, except she had pulled every muscle. But she noticed that the pain was getting less and less intense and becoming more like a dull throb then a red-hot needle each time she moved. She guessed that it was just not as bad as it felt. She bet even Jackie would be sore after that.

She sank a bit deeper into her little shadow as the thought returned. No matter what, her mind kept coming back to what had just happened, what she had just done. She had only ever imagined moving like that in her dreams and fantasies, or perhaps if she had the power of all the Talismans. Instead, she had three and none of them really could be used to the do the things she had done.

And the feeling!

She had felt so strangely free at first and yet in a trance. She could feel her body move, and see it, but she wasn't really doing anything. She had been like an observer in her own body as she moved through the course and pulled incredible moves.

But she hated that feeling, and was honestly scared of it. She just wasn't in control, and that lack of freedom...

Either way, the thoughts would have to wait for later as a nearby and previously hidden door opened and beckoned the applicants through.

Jade was a bit cautious at first, but after watching some teens step through and not hearing the sounds of something unpleasant happening, she figured that it was the next part of the test. Not wanting to get left behind, she waited till no one was paying attention and slipped out of her shadow and followed the rest inside.

Once again, another room similar to the first she had been waited in was what greeted her, and the other applicants milled about as before. This time though, the feeling was not as carefree as before. The groups were more tightly packed, the conversation more hushed, and a general feeling of anxiety pervaded the atmosphere.

Jade was just going to slip into another corner and find a nice little shadow – as she was discovering was a decent method for going unnoticed – when she saw something that caught her interest.

Nearby was a small station of sorts, a table with towels and bottled water and even stacks of small white boxes that she quickly recognized as being First Aid kits. Actually taking note of her sweat-laden brow and noticing the fine collection of scratch and scraps along her hands and forearms, she found it even more interesting. Toss in her somewhat parched throat and it looked pretty tempting.

But memories of the course were still fresh in her mind, and she glared at the table with suspicion. This was a school for villains, and as far as she knew they were not above trying to eliminate some extra applicants before they declared the first part of the test officially "over".

But before she could stew on the matter, someone else decided that the table looked too tempting to resist.

One of the many teens, this time a young African looking girl, approached the table and went right for a towel and a bottle of water. Jade was only the least bit surprised that she was wrong when nothing happened. She snorted at the fact that this place was already making her paranoid. If she stayed here too long, she might end up belonging here.

The thought made chills run up and down her spine and she shook her head violently and thought to herself.

'Sooner I get out of here, the better. How in the world am I ever going to explain this to Uncle and Jackie when I get back? "Oh no, Uncle Jackie, I was just fine. I even managed to get my education! Look at my nice diploma! See? I graduated from the High Institute of Vengeance and Evil. Wha? Oh no, Uncle Jackie, it's nowhere near as bad as it sounds".'

Jade could not help but giggle slightly at the thought and the chills she had vanished. It was actually kinda funny when she thought about it. But just then another screen descended from the roof, and Brother Blood's face appeared, once more warmly smiling.

"And that, my dear applicants, marks the end of the first test. The forty-three of you have successfully passed this portion of your Practical Entrance Exam, and shall be permitted to continue on to the next test. As Miss Ula'umba has already discovered, we have made available to you some moderate supplies to make sure you are ready for the next part of the test. Please, help yourselves."

Blood kept smiling, although he did seem bit more serious.

"You shall have a total of ten minutes to refresh yourselves, and then the next test and its rules shall be explained. Use it wisely."

The screen went blank, and retreated back into the ceiling. Jade just rolled her eyes and grabbed her own fair share before retreating to a little shadow in a corner once more.

Titan's Tower:

Raven walked into the main room to the familiar sight of Robin standing in front of the main terminal that doubled as their television. Cyborg was seated on the couch and looked over to her, raising his hand and greeting her with a smile. She nodded, returning the greeting, and noted Robin's attention remained fixed on the screen; not unheard of, but it usually meant something when he was rude.

Walking over to the couch with a book tucked under her arm she saw he was creating a villain file, for the blue girl. Raven now gave him her undivided attention as she sat down.

"Cyborg turned up nothing on the net or the League database. No criminal record or legal record, she legally doesn't exist. Nothing on her species or power combination either, except an apparent affinity with fire judging by her powers and eyes," Robin stated, turning his had so she could see him in profile.

"Well, she felt young, so I didn't expect her to personally appear in any texts. As for her race, only one thing seems to come close and it doesn't match up," Raven admitted. Robin turned to face her fully and Cyborg's interest perked up as he glanced down at her.

"Show us," Robin ordered stepping forward. Raven frowned a bit at the order before opening her book to the relevant page. The two Titan lads' eyes were drawn to an illustration dominating one of the pages Raven had revealed.

It depicted an Asian child with light blue skin and his body pierced by a broken spear. He wore a forlorn expression, as darkness seemed to coil about him.

"Shadow Children, a rare kind of ghost that were formed from children abandoned to death in war time. Violent deaths shackle them to this plane for a time and they are ensorcelled by chi wizards and given a physical form made from the shadows of still living humans," Raven explained grimly. Cyborg scowled at the cruelty of such a creature's existence, while Robin too the news stonily.

"Fire powers?" Robin asked.

"They could allegedly use fox fire, but nothing like we saw today. They were mostly servants and messengers for wizards, slaves that lingered until the wizard who ensorcelled them died and they moved on. The wizard who made them could give them additional powers, but there isn't much on that.

"Chi sorcery became extinct with the Great Decline of Magic that heralded the Industrial Age. Little is known about it and there aren't supposed to be any practitioners left," Raven reported.

"Still, it's good to know, she could be a survivor of that time; it wouldn't be a first, she could be the result of some experimentation by a wizard," Robin speculated.

"Robin, she is alive, not undead, I can tell," Raven interjected with some irritation.

"Even so, we have nothing else to go on. Thank you both," Robin told them before shutting down the computer and began take his leave in brooding silence.

"Hey, these Shadow Kids are ghosts right? Ghosts can possess people, could that girl be possessed by one of them?" Cyborg inquired. Robin stopped and looked to Raven, who seemed to ponder the question; after the silence he spoke up.

"Is that possible?" Robin asked. Raven nodded her head with eyes closed.

"Possession is part of their listed abilities. But unlike normal ghosts they are not suited for it. Prolonged exposure would damage the host and they could only possess children.

"The host would be a prisoner in their own body and their ageing would stop to affix to the age of the possessor. More importantly, the dark energies would in a few short years riddle the body with damage akin to cancer.

"A Shadow Child without a wizard to draw from would need a host with magical energy to feed off of. But even then, in about three or four years the host would die and they would need a new host or risk crossing over whether they wanted or not.

"But I think she may be something else. Perhaps an experiment created by some ambitious twit trying to uncover the lost secrets of chi magic? Maybe an attempt to create a Shadow Child using a living mortal girl? That could produce the conflicting energies in harmony that I sensed in the girl," Raven answered, and offered her own speculation.

"Zatanna once told me Fae, while normally limited in our plane, can acquire dark powers to traverse this plane with by turning from the light," Robin stated.

"Well it's as good as the other guesses. We just don't know enough, and unless she feels like turning up and giving an origin story that isn't likely to change soon," Raven sighed, shutting her book. Robin accepted it with a nod and took his leave in silence, the atmosphere become almost tangibly less tense with his departure.

"Strange, he's usually only pushed to obsession by Slade," Raven remarked. Cyborg turned the monitor over to TV mode and started to flip.

"Ah, he's just sore an unknown managed to knock him on his ass. No one here's harsher on themselves than Robin," Cyborg waved it off. His attention on the stream of programs and ads, he failed to notice the slight flinch his idle comment incited.

"If only you knew," Raven cringed inwardly with guilt. She reflexively caught the remote when Cyborg tossed it to her. Gazing at the often-coveted device, she looked to Cyborg, who had stood up.

"Nothing on and it's too late. I'm going to charge, night Rae," he told her before taking his leave. Raven turned off the cooking show he had left on and soon found herself alone in the dark.

Robin wasn't the only one to be thinking about the new villain. Raven couldn't explain it; a vague feeling that she couldn't even be certain was real or imagined. A pang of… guilt?

"Time to burn stars!" Beast Boy proclaimed with unnecessary volume as he burst into the room wearing a green jogging suit and knit hat with a towel over his shoulders. He and Raven looked at each other a moment before Beast Boy took off his hat and held it sheepishly in front of him.

"You see, Cyborg has been whooping my butt lately at Galactic Racer IV, and that don't fly. So I every night I've been-" Beast Boy began to explain, before dark energy engulfed Raven and formed into a bird that flew through the opposite door.

"Did I miss something?" Beast Boy asked the empty room.

HIVE:

Jade was feeling refreshed and terrible. She had cleaned herself off and applied ointments from the aid kit to the aching joints, and the tiny wounds to tend to. The water was most welcome, quenching a dryness in her mouth she had not been aware of.

But there was no relief as she sat cross-legged in her shadow. She could feel it in the air, that aura of tension crackling through the air. It wasn't like the last test; the absent, eliminated, contestants drove home the seriousness of the endeavor. Despite Blood's congratulation everyone knew it was empty – two tests remained, and it was only going to get worse.

Worse, like the fact that not everyone was nervous tense; she could pick out individuals who looked like they were eager to proceed. Crazy confident or just plain crazy, either way it drove home again the company she was keeping here.

The screen lit up revealing Blood's face, patronizing smile and all. Jade stood up and stepped out of the shadow joining the throng of students to listen to the headmaster.

"I hope you are refreshed and ready, for now we commence with the second test.

"This test is less straightforward; you have a task to complete. The second exam will take place in the Labyrinth Course; you must not only navigate the Labyrinth but must retrieve one of these cases and escape the Labyrinth with it and proceed to the final examination," Blood explained. The screen switched to an image of a steel briefcase with a combination lock on it. The screen winked back to Blood, who continued.

"The Labyrinth is being patrolled by Alpha-class security robots. Their orders are to destroy any intruders, namely you. Destroying them or avoiding them are both valid tactics, your only requirement is to escape with the prize.

"All powers and equipment are permitted, though you cannot violate the boundaries of the labyrinth. Failure to respect the assigned boundaries will bring about consequences quite unpleasant.

"Finally, while forty-three of you stand here before me, only twenty precious cases wait below. Barring mentioned restrictions you may use whatever means you wish to obtain or keep your prize," Blood concluded with that same empty charm.

This time, five new doors opened in the wall, beckoning them as Blood's screen flicked to an image of the HIVE crest.

HIVE Labyrinth:

Breath in.

Breath out.

Eyes barely visible in a sea of burning red took in her environment, as Jade did her best to channel Viper into her every move. This was not entirely hard, since she already had a few stealthy tricks up her sleeves, but still. Never hurt to have just a few more tricks, and never hurt to have something extra handy. The scene below her was that of a dark and shadowy hallway, which was actually more conductive to her efforts than whoever made this course would have realized.

She smirked at the thought, one with only a hint of mirth, as she floated down from the "roof" and landed silently on the floor and already deep in another shadow hiding her from view. Casting her crimson sight both ways, she was glad that her apparent "upgrade" came with included night-vision. That or her eyes glowed brighter than she thought.

Once she was sure that the bot had passed, it was a silent dash down the hallway from shadow to shadow and avoiding the security cameras. She was not entirely sure if they were for show or not, but Jade figured it was better safe then sorry.

The smirk returned, as Jade felt the thrill of a more easy rush and her tense muscles loosened. This was so easy it was almost criminal. The bots were dumber than the Section 13 agents, and this place had less security than the Talisman vault. Sliding into a corner and another shadow, she cast a look around the corner and at the small podium holding a single briefcase, which was her objective.

The smirk widened.

Later:

There were towels and water again after she exited the maze and turned in her case. The robed figure waiting there, acting as some kind of official, had let her and the others keep it, giving them the combination.

It turned out to contain a roll of crackers. She wondered how many people were suffering for such a flimsy prize. She had also been told she was being ranked third overall for this test, a bit of praise which while soothing to her ego made her a bit uneasy. After all, while failure was not something she dared, A-listing here could bring some very unwelcome attention.

Jade didn't need the towel this time; she ate the crackers trying to settle her stomach some, and she was hungry after the stress and exertion. She made sure to drink the water sparingly, as she doubted a need to pee would be useful for the final test. After all, if this was anything like comic books, whatever was behind door number three would trump everything.

She was naturally in a shadow – Jade wasn't certain how much safety her concealment provided, but it was more comfortable than rubbing elbow with teens and preteens out to take over the world some day. Licking the crumbs from inside the cracker wrapper, Jade tossed it out of the shadow, settling down to rest before Blood's next attempt to eliminate them.

She heard the crinkle of plastic as a foot crunched the wrapper casually. Jade glanced up, her eyes widened as they hung in the darkness. She had someone's undivided attention.

She recognized him as another applicant; she had seen the young man beating down the robots in the maze, laughing his head off while doing it. She placed him in late teens, maybe among the older applicants, but then he may just be big for his age. He was one of the taller humans here, but he didn't look it with a stocky build, a hairy belly exposed by his unbuttoned white shirt. But she doubted that her punches would sink far in that belly, as short sleeves showed arms wired with muscles, and she had seen him run like a rabbit to leap up and punch a robot's eye in.

He was heavily tanned looking, which with the red bandanna he wore and a yellow cloth belt reminded her of a stereotypical gypsy a bit. The curly dark hair and knowing grin didn't help. But then again comic books and the like thrived on over the top characters and looks; frankly the guy was tame in appearance next to some of the freaks here.

'You're one of the freaky ones,' Jade reminded herself. Still, she felt distinctly uncomfortable as this human found and met her gaze.

"You act weak, Little Shadow," he commented out of the blue. His voice was a scratchy baritone that seemed made to laugh unkindly.

"I see you and not see you, sneaking about avoiding good fights and a chance to test yourself against these others. I took my prize from such a weakling; he fell with ease once he couldn't run. Running is a resort to be endured; those who embrace it will always end pathetically.

"But I see you on the run before. Very skilled, much power in your techniques. I think you may be mighty, yet you do not use it? It's a mystery," the young villain stated grinning at her. Jade instinctively found herself pulling the shadows closer, inadvertently shrinking the shadow as the darkness around her became denser.

"But Gadjo likes mysteries, even if he has to keep breaking things to see what is inside. Its fun and I think your mystery will be fun. You will pass, and I will see if our fates cross with fun," the now named young man laughed, reaching into the shadow to slap her on the shoulder. The cloak of darkness dispelled, revealing her standing in the shade looking quite intimidated. Fortunately Gadjo's bulk concealed her slip and as she pulled it together into a look of annoyance he laughed and turned to walk away.

Jade knew it was in her best interests – maybe everyone's best interest – to give that guy a wide berth. The screen lit up again and her attention was drawn to it like everyone else's. Unsurprisingly, Blood's image filled the screen and he wore that smile that Jade was starting to hate.

"Congratulations my nineteen hopefuls, you have passed two out of three and now stand on the cusp of joining the HIVE student body," Blood congratulated them all. Jade glanced around and realized they were short a member; hadn't there been twenty cases? Blood was still speaking, and knowing the devil could well be in the details, Jade walked toward the screen with the other congregating students.

"But still there are too many of you. In the new HIVE, we take the best and leave the rest. As I said earlier, only twelve will be permitted entrance, which makes you seven too many. The final test will produce my twelve new students, a trial of combat," Blood announced as the screen flicked off and the section of wall it resided on slid away to reveal a massive arena like the one Jade saw from Blood's office.

The students walked out into the arena onto a grassy field of all things, most warily, some like Gadjo looking around with unmasked appreciation for the scenary, as if a battle wasn't about to break out.

The arena was divided into five segments; the field they were standing on, a sandy stretch that looked like a piece of the Sahara, blasted urban landscape, rocky terrain, and a large pond in the middle where the wedges converged. Jade had to admit she was impressed by the set up. A screen lowered from the distant hexagon patterned ceiling and Brother Blood's face appeared again.

"The final test is a battle royal. With the exception of leaving the arena, anything goes. The test will not be over until seven applicants have been eliminated from the competition. You have two minutes to prepare for battle. Best of luck," Brother Blood grinned.

The applicants nearly exploded outward from the knot they had formed, desperate to gain some advantage in the fight that was about to break out. Jade was no exception; no holds barred with villains competing for a prize implied too much lethality for even her to make light of. For some reason, she settled on the trees as the natural choice, once again propelled by speedy autopilot.

Feeling eyes on her tiny back, she glanced over her shoulders to see Gadjo standing still on the field, arms crossed and grinning; watching her. She added her own wish for speed to her body's impulse and under the trees swiftly set to pulling shadows around herself.

Narrowing her eyes into red slits, now the only thing visible of her, she spotted a niche between two large tree roots and swung into the spot.

The buzzer that obviously marked the start of the test was something out of a hockey game. Had it really been two minutes or had Blood moved it up just to mess with them?

Regardless of punctuality, it had clearly begun as the sounds of battle erupted. No, it sounded more like war, and she was thankful she might be able to sit out of it. Surely that wouldn't be suspicious? After all, isn't it like a villain to let their enemies do all the work for them?

A creaking in the branches above her shattered those rosy thoughts. She looked up to see what couldn't be anything but a werewolf in green swimming trunks, and it was sniffing the air.

"Oh crap," Jade let slip. The creature's eyes snapped open, the sound confirming its suspicions. She was already moving, springing from the failed hiding spot before it descended, claws and fangs bared. The Rooster let her flip in the air and she let loose twin fireballs from her palms.

The werewolf was no less prepared for a counterattack, leaping up and over the attack, coming for her. Not caring or ignoring the power she just displayed, it rushed her and only the reflexive use of the Rooster pulling her back kept its jaws from closing on her face.

She fired her eyes point blank into its chest.

As fire erupted over its fur, the wolf howled and loped into the darkness, the fire going out before she lost sight of it. Jade hardly heard it over her heart pounding in her ears. She could feel the attention she had drawn, and the shadows coating her did not relieve the sense of foreboding crashing down on her.

The sound of a chainsaw roaring to life triggered too many horror movie recollections, and Jade flung out her arms, sending fire into the woods as she rose. Breaking the meager canopy, she spun in the air, shooting off a round of fireballs as her eyes cut crimson paths from the foliage. After two rotations she stopped, realizing she was draining herself.

Panting, she looked down on the forest fire she had started. Well, it was something to keep the others occupied. Though she was now hanging up against the sky, which made her an easy target, demonstrated by a laser beam barely missing her thigh.

Growling, Jade floated backward, sending an eye blast back from where the attack had come from, when something cracked her over the head. She saw stars until she hit the branch.

Shaking her head back to her senses, she saw she was lying on a wide branch, holding on by what was likely more of that instinct. Glancing up through the thickening smoke, she saw a man with a staff and Japanese classical attire fighting a blue birdman.

She didn't remember blue birdman or the werewolf from earlier, much less the jerk that whacked her. Did they pull costume changes or did Blood have goons jump in?

Either way, Jade realized she needed to keep moving and that being in the sky when she couldn't move fast made her a sitting duck. Jumping down to the ground, she dashed through the still unburned section of the forest, senses searching for potential danger.

Headmaster's Office:

Brother Blood watched the monitors as the fight progressed. Some were behaving as expected. Gadjo was living up to his reputation and taking any challengers, not even attempting stealth. True, he was winning, but there was something to be said for subtlety.

The blue child had made things interesting by setting the forest arena on fire. She had also lured two contenders into a match while seemingly unharmed. Not to mention, while only wounding Green Wolf, she had made him blood in the water to pull off the fire stroke.

She was also withdrawing the hazardous terrain as the fire and the fight between Susano and Daizel became more intense.

She was increasingly a student of interest. If she survived that was, Blood thought as he watched Green Wolf become too acquainted with a chainsaw. Blood shook his head at the poor showmanship and took a sip of his tea.

HIVE Arena 5:

Jade dove into a shadow as she rounded the boulder, pressing herself against the stone. Her pursuer, a fat faced but otherwise buff teenager with a Mohawk and punk look, kept running. He stopped in confusion in her line of sight. The idiot was standing right under an outcropping; a girl completely covered in camo spandex dropped silently and he only just dodged being skewered by her machete.

Jade gulped and emerged from her shadow, edging away from the new fight. She had been lucky so far. Most everyone seemed so eager to fight that if she kept moving they seemed to find other dance partners.

It was too good to last.

"So there you are," someone commented above her. Jade twirled, already backpedaling, and fired from both her palms. Susano twirled his staff, dispersing the blast safely around him. He cracked the butt of his staff against the boulder he was standing on. He fixed her with a look that made Jade's skin crawl as he frowned.

"Elemental vermin," he spat.

"Excuse me?" Jade retorted, stunned at the unprovoked disgust coming from the villain.

"I, a descendant of divine beings, am required to prove my worth testing these rookies, and what did I find amongst them but a little abomination. To even be put to the same test is an insult," he stated, leveling his staff at her. Electricity coiled down the length of his staff while Jade's eyes flared.

What the hell! Was she catching racist crap from this freak? Forget how bizarre it was, no one would look down on her like this!

She jumped before he made his move, shooting lightning from his staff like it was a rifle. Her palms were facing back as she got a quick and crazy idea. Speed plus levitation equals flight, Shendu's little lesson. Now she put explosive force with levitation for missile action.

He was still very fast, brining his staff up to block her. She caught it on her forearms as he knocked her to the stone, pinning her under the staff. But Jade still had her eyes on him, with a fang filled grin she shot him in the face.

Susano avoided being hit near point blank with the heat blast only by recalling seeing her use it earlier and battle reflex. With no time to change his footing and his staff in a poor position, he bent to the side at his waist. Instead of striking about his nose, one beam missed him entirely while the other burned a thick line on his left cheek.

His hiss of pain marked his moment of weakness; Jade pushed the staff away with her arms and gave him her strongest Rooster push, sending him hurtling back into another rock formation.

Still he was too strong to mess around with, Jade decided. Didn't he say he was a demigod? Bigot or no, she wasn't about to go one on one with someone like that. She didn't get far before a thunderclap roared across the landscape. Jade turned and her eyes widened while her hood was blown back in the fierce wind.

A tornado was rising in the area she had just fled from, lightning cackling along its length. Though what was really disturbing was Susano rising up in what she assumed was the eye of the storm, twirling his staff over his head and eyes aglow with electric light.

"Oh crap," Jade cursed.

"Impudent upstarts! I've had enough of your feeble efforts; I will wipe you all out with the might of the storm god!" Susano bellowed in a far deeper voice than he had earlier. Lightning began to surge out of the cyclone in streams, tearing up the landscape around Jade as the wind picked up even further.

Jade fled for cover only for the selected formation to be shattered by electrical fury. The explosion knocked her onto her back, and she was spaed being pelted by debris onl by most of it being pulled into the rising winds.

"He talks a big game no, Little Shadow?" Gadjo asked as he loomed up behind Jade. Jade looked up wide eyed from her spot sprawled on the ground and was alarmed to see the dark haired young man holding a small boulder in his hands.

'I'm gonna be squished,' she thought. The grinning lunatic seemed to have other ideas, as he adjusted his footing and tossed the rock like a shot. It slammed into Susano, knocking the demigod from the sky.

"Fighting is to be about fighting, not speeches and special effects," he spat to the side as the air began to clear.

Jade almost thanked the scary man before she realized she was most likely next. The look he turned to give her seemed to confirm that sentiment.

'Okay Jade, hit him with everything we've got, then run like Shendu is chasing us,' Jade told herself as she clamped her hands into a fist and assumed a stance.

Fortunately for Jade, Susano was not all talk when it came to the matter of demigods. Propelled by a small cyclone, he roared back onto the scene, blindsiding Gadjo with a tackle that sent the larger man onto the ground but did not send him flying or anything more dramatic.

Several voices in her head were saying to run for it, but this fight was like watching a train wreck, you just can't look away.

Susano, his hair messed up but looking barely worse for wear with only his clothes torn and some blood running out of the corner of his mouth, landed hard, planting his feet on Gadjo's chest.

Jade immediately labeled that as a bad move; trying to pin someone that strong without bracing yourself was not a good idea. Then Susano slammed his staff into Gadjo's face so hard she could hear his nose crack before lighting began to surge into the would-be-villain's skull.

"Gaijin," Susano literally spat, the liquid fizzling in his lightning before it struck Gadjo's face. Jade began to back away at the sound of the suffering bad guys scream. But what stopped her was the look of puzzlement replacing sadistic vindication on Susano's face. Gadjo wasn't screaming, in fact it was like what Santa's laugh might have sounded like if he was coming down the chimney to eat the naughty children.

The Romany man's arms snapped up like a bear trap, grabbing the staff. The electricity poured down them now rather than the length of the staff. Still laughing, Gadjo rolled; unable to free his staff, Susano chose to abandon it, springing back.

Gadjo came to his feet quickly but without any feeling of urgency. Holding the staff in his right hand, he used the left to snap his bloodied nose back into place. The crazy bastard was still grinning as he panted, watching Susano alight unto a boulder, watching warily.

"More, more, little lightning bug; I want a good fight out of you!" Gadjo screamed with excitement, tossing the staff back to its owner before charging.

Jade turned and ran, thunder calls and laughter following her.

Shortly:

Surprisingly, nothing happened till the siren chimed out and Blood's voice declared over unseen loudspeakers that the test was finished and all fighting must cease immediately or the violators would face severe consequences. He asked the applicants to report to the entrance field and congratulated the surviving students for proving their worth to the HIVE.

Jade sighed from her hiding place on the edge of the rocky area. She stepped out of the shadow she had been using and started to walk towards the lake with the intention of skirting it back to the starting point.

She heard Blood congratulate her, Gadjo, and three others for making top five, but she didn't care. She was worn out and it was only adrenaline and knowing it would be blood in the water if she collapsed that kept her standing.

Though to be honest, a part of her was psyched. Not for the ranking, but just for surviving. True, she hadn't beaten anyone, but making it through this ordeal with no one coming to bail her out…

"Looks like no more fighting today," Gadjo commented as he broke her out of her exhausted introspection.

'Seriously,' she thought, 'big guys aren't supposed to be that sneaky.' Then she recalled some of Tohru's escapades and realized that just wasn't true.

Gadjo didn't seem interested in conversation as he fell in besides her, whistling tunelessly. He had some new burns on his clothes and bare skin. Round ones roughly the size of her palms, presumably from Susano's staff.

Speaking of the bigot, Gadjo was dragging him behind them, holding his left foot in the corresponding hand. Jade glanced back at him and winced. While he was alive and recognizable, his jaw was obviously broken and in addition to the burn Jade gave him earlier Gadjo had returned the favor on the broken nose. She was willing to bet there was more to be seen under his tunic, but it wasn't her problem.

Gadjo followed her along the shore as some other applicants joined them. The only one that registered in her mind was the camo-girl with the machete, which was now sheathed at her belt. Gadjo without comment or insult let Susano go, leaving him on the lakeshore for someone else to collect.

They reached the field where exactly twelve of the applicants stood about in varying states of injury and exhaustion. The tension in the atmosphere was gone now; whether they were merely relieved to have made it or pumped from their achievement, all shared the satisfaction in making the cut.

Jade frowned under her cowl, finding herself joining in the mood. She called to mind the dubious fates of those who had not made it back. She was a hero among villains; she needed to stay sharp.

One of the hexagons on the high ceiling came loose and slowly lowered onto the ground. Jade wondered if they all did that, or Blood just had a few of his hexmobiles planted in each room's ceiling.

Unsurprisingly, Blood was riding this one down in person, still in his crisp white robes in contrast to the battle worn students who had just survived his sadistic game. No passed, the others weren't dead; surely even a complete bastard like Blood wouldn't do that.

"Now, my students, it is time for you to officially join the HIVE and begin your journey to heights of malevolence. Behold, the Student Registry," Brother Blood proclaimed with relish. He stepped aside to reveal… an altar? That was the first thing to come to mind; the thick large scroll resting in it reminded her of a Jewish temple she had stumbled into in the midst of an adventure.

Not a pleasant parallel considering circumstances, Jade grumbled internally. Blood gestured to a set of quill pens lying on the flat of the altar. All the students realized they matched the new students in number, and a few realized the pin tips were razor sharp.

"You will sign the Registry with the name you would be known by, and in your own blood or nearest bodily fluid. No sharing pens, sanitation and all," Blood cautioned, as if he hadn't just done his level best to kill them all.

Jade stood and watched the others perform the task, most pricking a fingertip and signing. Some signed with a flourish, others meticulously, and still others like they were signing for a sandwich delivery. The last one before her was Gadjo, not because he had not been eager to sign, but because he was actually having trouble drawing blood. Jade found herself wondering what robot students would do. Stabbing himself in the palm, the big guy finally got enough blood to sign, and there was no more delaying. Jade stepped up and saw a convenient blank space. What now?

She didn't want to sign something in blood; that was just wrong on so many levels. But if she said no… well, just consider the company.

Fine, she would have to sign, but she wouldn't give them her name, that they could not have! And it wouldn't be binding, surely, if it were another name and a Shadowkhan girl that signed it.

But what name?

Jade pressed her lips together as she cut the little finger on her left hand with the quill. She needed a name fast; the last thing she wanted was drawing more attention.

A sarcastic part of her mind told her that crow outside her window that morning, and a dimension away, should have told her it would be one of those days. Bad omen…

Jade couldn't help but grin in satisfaction as inspiration struck her. As it was, only Brother Blood was in a position to see, her cowl shadow showing off her pointy pearly whites along with her ember eyes. He appreciated the possible intimidation value of the gesture as she wrote her name out in blood.

When she hovered back, joining the other new students on the periphery of the platform, he walked around to the altar to pick up the register.

The Headmaster glanced down out of curiosity at the drying blood and saw Chinese and Japanese characters at the bottom of the list. Zhu Chan, "Bad Omen" with an affectionate tone. Somehow it seemed to fit. Holding the scroll in his hands, he turned to face the new students and by extension the current students watching over the screens.

"I welcome you all to the HIVE; you have earned your place here, for now. Rest and celebrate as you see fit tonight, but tomorrow the true work begins, my students," Blood gave all those watching a grin that while at first seeming warm and encouraging, seemed to hint at sadistic anticipation.

With those words, the platform rose back up, leaving the blasted arena below. Returning to its place in the ceiling, the Headmaster and the newest members of the HIVE vanished from view.

Later:

Jade sighed as she easily pulled off the outer layers of her new outfit and tossed it uncaring to the side, followed by the lab space application, to the closest thing resembling a table. After that, she just stretched out before looking at what she guessed would be her new room until she could get another chance to try and defect.

The room itself was rather plain, unlike Jinx's heavily customized room, and she figured that personal decor was left up to the inhabitant. Uniformly grayish yellow walls and sparse furniture. She huffed at the little bed, more like a cot then anything. Sure, she was used to strange sleeping arrangements, but she still liked something that could be comfy. This was more like a white brick with grey sheets tossed over it.

There was a table in the middle of the room, along with a desk along the wall. Remembering that her "High Score" had earned her a Level Two room instead of whatever a Level Three was, along with a application for personal lab space, she started looking around a bit more. Besides the desk and table, there was a small door off to the side. Approaching it, Jade let out a low whistle as it popped open.

"Nice! Not too shabby if I say so myself."

The sight in question was a small kitchenette, complete with mini-fridge, counter with built-in hotplate, and a set of cupboards. Walking in a bit farther, she spotted another door that after some exploration revealed a fairly nice bathroom, complete with shower and toilet. Walking back out and into what she labeled the bedroom/living room, she almost jumped as a section of wall slid open with a beep and the tell tale grind of a printer was heard.

After calming her heartbeat to something more humane, she looked only to see what appeared to be a sort of built-in computer console in the wall. Below it, a steady stream of paper printed out into a handy tray that had also popped out of the wall. Stepping up to it, she caught the next piece of paper it spit out and read it only to blink in surprise and confusion.

"Huh?"

It was a list, divided into a grid with dates, times, and numbers along with acronyms apparently. Looking over it, it took Jade a moment to realize and recognize it for what it was.

"It's a school schedule. An actual schedule, for classes."

Jade was off put and similarly disgusted by the thought that unless she did manage another contact with the Titans and soon, she would actually be forced to go to school. She waited till the rest of the papers printed out and then tossed the pile on the desk next to the application and resolved to continue looking around.

The next few minutes were spent exploring in detail her room beyond the currently sparse furniture. She discovered her closet, hidden and activated by movement, if the panels springing open at her approach were any clue. Jade also found a few hidden compartments out of sheer luck, if nothing else. But it was what she found on the nightstand next to the bed that actually ticked her off a bit.

A small pile of books, all of varying sizes, and a note. The books themselves were fairly harmless, if comical in a sense that it made her want to hit something. They were guidebooks, each printed with the HIVE symbol, on the aspects of the world and how new students from other worlds and dimensions could adapt and prosper.

Leafing through it, Jade was partly insulted by how dumb they apparently thought she was, considering all the propaganda and point-of-view the books contained. The note was what set her off, or almost did. A simple piece of stationary, addressed from Blood, congratulating her on passing the test with such high scores. Next were a few lines of "praise" with subtle threats beneath as well as treating her as totally ignorant when it came to Earth.

She frankly wanted to go and light the man's robe up like a holiday firework.

After vigorously restraining herself from ripping the paper to shreds, she almost jumped as the wall console bleeped again. Quickly moving to see what it was doing this time, she blinked as the somewhat gothic writing on the screen. It was a message from Jinx.

"'Grats on your Test, very nice. You made me quite a bit richer too, and Gizmo is foaming at the mouth with how completely screwed he is at the moment. Teach him for running bookie on the tests. Anyways, next time I see ya I got a cut of the action for you, and some good news. In the meantime, you should give yourself a pat on the back for making the front page."

The little text message ended, just in time for a heavier, more solid clunk to come from the machine as a much larger slot opened. Watching with curiosity, Jade almost jumped when it spat out a thick wad of paper, which she could immediately see was a newspaper. Dreading yet unable to resist, she pulled it free and opened to the front page, only to bury her head in said paper and groan at the headline.

AN:

And so the intro chapters finally conclude with Zhu Chan inducted into the ranks of villainy. What adventures await the newest conscript of darkness? Will she escape to the side of good, or be seduced by the allure of villainy? Well, if I told you, that would rather take the fun out of this wouldn't it?

On behalf of Nocturne no Kitsune and myself, I thank you for reading and ask you give other PDJ stories a look if you haven't already.

Long days and pleasant nights to you all.