So, just letting y'all know, Splinter and I are working on this story... quite a lot. In fact, we've finished several chapters since we posted the first two. Let's just say you might see a lot of them in the next day or two...
[A month later.] [Edward's apartment]
Progress report for Feylfil, the Exalted Light of the Circle:
Filkiin's training is going well. There's been a few times when he had chafed under my restrictions, but, so far has kept his anger limited to glares and some aggression during our weekly sparring sessions. He is getting used to fighting in the hybrid form. Thank you for talking the Circle into allowing this as it does help a lot.
We've discovered that most of our abilities and powers work in the hybrid form. However, his usage of the Blessing of Light does drain him faster in the hybrid form. Then again, I do feel more drained as well using my different blessings. It depends on which one I access and for how long I use it. I will begin training us both on extending that time before tiring to the point of collapse.
He has had another encounter with the Teen Titans in the last month, though. Their empath, Raven, certainly remembered him and, I think this time, she got a better read on him, meaning, Exalted Circle, she may have an idea what he is, but, isn't certain. We had gone to the local pizza place when the Titans came in to celebrate yet another takedown of some villains from the group known as the Hive Five. Raven looked at Jason and remarked, "Small world. I didn't really thank you properly for helping me last month. Cyborg showed me the taped footage of that fight and said that you took the worst of the hit for me. Please, sit with us." Robin said that I could also join them for dinner, as he wanted to know more about the stranger who protected his teammate before leaving, and that any friend of his would be considered a friend of the Titans. In fact, Starfire the girl from the planet Tamaran, is already calling us a friend, so, that is a good thing.
Raven looked at us strangely, though, and I felt something brushing into my mind for a moment before it stopped. I think she was trying to read my mind, but stopped when she realized it was not a good idea. Jason had to restrain his anger as I know he felt the same thing.
His other training is going better than I had hoped for when I accepted this tasking. He really wants to be able to return to Lair and the good graces of the Exalted Circle and told me why he was banished. He knows that he should not have attacked the Honorable Grand Death like he did. He is certainly not proud of that, and, is regretting it. Yet, he is profoundly grateful that he was allowed to be there when Iilahkun went to the arms of the First and to lay her to rest. He's even expressed his thanks that I was the one to execute his sentence instead of the Grand Light and he wasn't expecting me to be the one. He told me that he would have likely told the Grand Light to find another candidate instead. I am glad he did not, as I see the potential within the Heir Potential to find his redemption and reclaim his right to be heir.
I know that he enjoys the opportunity to learn from me and loves the sparring sessions as it curbs his desire to fight the mortals for real. He is learning how fragile the human body can be and, well, he's on the path to being a superhero. I think when I explained it to him and he saw the Titans in action, it awoke something within my younger brother...
We'll see what happens next.
Respectfully submitted,
Kiinnum.
Normally, Edward would have been more than happy to speak to the representative Sol would have sent. It would give him more of a chance to learn about home, and possibly impress on the dragon that he wasn't as terrifying as others make him out to be, and possibly make a better place for possible future hybrids.
That plan, however, flew out the window when he learned Sosfil would be the one delivering his reports.
The eldest daughter of Sol perused through the reports. She was only to collect them every few months, but for whatever reason was more than willing to check up on her brothers. After finding them acceptable, her amethyst eyes looked up to her older brother.
"So... hybrid forms, you say?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "And the Circle actually agreed to it? Interesting."
"We went through the proper channels, and if the Circle had denied our request, we would have stopped our sessions immediately", Edward said, barely holding the growl back. "You've got your reports, 'dearest' sister. Why don't you head back to Lair now?"
"And miss the chance to see my little brother?" she said, feigning hurt. "I don't get to see him much already thanks to my work. And you wish to deny me the opportunity to catch up with him?"
"More I don't want you rubbing in his face that if he screws up, you'll be appointed Heiress", Edward stated bluntly. "You've been gunning for him since the day you found out he was a Potential. You've said anything you could to make him give up the position."
"And why should we trust him to represent our people?" Sosfil retorted. "He is the worst aspects of our clan all rolled into one. His anger is unchecked, his duty unfulfilled, he is unwilling to obey orders, and he even hates working with other clans. I can do anything that he can and more, Edward. Why must you hate me when you dote on our horrible little brother?"
Edward shot her a nasty glare, "Because you want the clan to fear you, not respect you, little sister. You want them scared of you when they avert their eyes. You want them to fear you more than they fear me. You're fixated on being Heiress, almost obsessed. You want Filkiin to fail at the redemption efforts. Yet, I still see his potential to do great things for us in the Light Clan. Father could have asked you to mentor him, yet, the eldest remaining son of the Grant Light...the firstborn was asked to handle him, knowing just how bad his temper can be. Could you handle him when his temper flares up? And, it has flared up several times since his arrival, yet, a calm answer turns away wrath. I have not taken his bait and his anger does cool after a while. Then, when he is calmed down, we spar to allow him to release that pent up frustration before it explodes on some hapless human who does the wrong thing by accident."
He sighed, "Sosfil, I do care about you as a member of the family and always will. But, I do not think you would be a good fit as Heiress of the Light. I am not deemed able to be Heir Potential of the Light due to my being 'Born Unique', maybe at some point, I could be heir to one of the other Clans if it serves the Balance. But, I do not lust after the position like you do. It no longer bothers me that I am not Heir Potential to Father's legacy. I am 'content' being a soldier if need be. You should be as well. You have a good assignment in Tokyo, do you not? You have made friends there, I assume. You have good broods, giving Jason and I a lot of nieces and nephews. You have a strong, supportive mate, if memory serves. You have been blessed by the First in all that. Be content, sister."
At that point, the air of authority that Sosfil had about her when their meeting began was gone, and her face was twisted into an angry scowl. Her usual tactics didn't work on Edward; he was simply more used to all kinds of behaviors, even from mortals, that dragons could exude. But she knew parts of him that could be hurt, even if only as a petty, minor jab at his pride. She cleared her throat, running a finger through her already neat and tidy black hair. "I suppose you're right, Kiinnum. Perhaps today is not a good day to see my little brother. I should go home... see my children and my mate before returning to my duty in Tokyo." She muttered softly, and the void appeared right behind her. As she began to step in, she turned to Edward, a nasty little smirk on her face. "Parenthood is such a nice reward, brother dearest... when one of our kind finally falls for you in, say, a thousand years... you should give it a shot." With that, the tear collapsed, leaving Edward with that low blow to his pride.
"At least my broods will be more powerful than yours," Edward muttered, "When I decide to take a mate, I'll likely be mobbed by dragonesses from all clans. Yeah, like she'll ever be Heiress with that attitude."
Jason came in a half hour later and seeing Edward in a funk asked, "What happened?"
Edward relayed what happened and by the end, Jason had a look that would cause any other being, human or Dragon to want to run away.
"We'll prove her wrong, Brother," he said, "She doesn't deserve to be Heiress Potential, and, her pettiness proves it. I hope you are not taking it personally."
"How could I not?! She has the gall to take a blow like that?!" He snarled a bit, his eyes flashing a bright green, indicating his annoyance was bordering on outright anger. "When I become Heir, the first thing I'm going to do is force her to apologize to you! She knows just the right things to say to even affect you, and it simply pisses me off!" He took a seat in order to breathe and calm down. "No one should take a jab at one who wishes to be a father some day. It's simply not right."
Edward blinked, for once surprised at where his brother's anger was pointed. "Wait, what? She said all of those things about you... and you're more upset at that jab she shot at me at the end?"
Jason realized what he had said, and looked to Edward in surprise. But he scowled again, averting his gaze. "Well... Father has told me that when you came of age to take a mate... none of our clan wanted anything to do with you. It sickens me to know that someone who's wasting his time on me was refused the same right as most of us... kicked to the side like a Traitor."
Edward sighed, "Thanks TO the Traitor's blood running through my veins. Now, brother, you know why I chose to live in the mortal world. Why I make rare trips back home, even though, like you, I miss it. You will have your choice of mates when you are welcomed home, I hope. They will see that you have changed. Let Sosfil have her opinion. She will live to regret those jabs at a time and place of my choosing. The humans have a wise saying: Revenge is a dish best served cold. And, trust me...I will not let this attack on my pride go unanswered. I may wait a few centuries, but, there will be a response. I won't hurt her, but, her pride is going to take a bruising. Count. On. It."
Jason blinked in surprise at the amount of hidden anger and hurt in his older brother's eyes and it dawned on him that the rejections a thousand years ago is what drove Edward to leave Lair voluntarily. It might have been why Edward was holding even his step-mother at wing's length. He was angry that while Feylfil found a new mate, he was outright refused and basically told, "Even if you were the last dragon on earth and we were on a remote island alone, I would never give you whelps...half-breed!"
"I'm sorry, brother," Jason said, putting a hand on Edward's shoulder, "Now I see why you left Lair...why you were angry at father for taking a new mate after Iilah passed on. I take back what I said before about Mom being dad's mistress."
Edward nodded, "I already forgave you for that remark. I know it was said out of pain at losing your mother. I didn't harbor any hurt feelings for long at that. He had to find a new mate because that is what is expected of a Grand dragon of the Circle. Had he not found her, we would not be getting this chance to have a true family relationship. I am glad that we're working together."
At that, Jason couldn't help but give a genuine warm smile, the first Edward had seen in hundreds of years. "I am too." He patted Edward's shoulder. "Now, scale up. We're going on patrol."
"Patrol?" Edward echoed, watching as Jason morphed into his hybrid form. "Brother, I don't think that's a good idea. We already know Raven got a read on you, and she might recognize our thoughts if the Titans catch us moving in on their turf. And you haven't perfected your fighting style yet, either."
"Well, I'm not going to get any better just from fighting you", Jason countered. "I can fight you for hours on end and probably not make nearly as much progress as I will fighting actual humans. And I can't do that if I'm cooped up in here all day letting my frustration and anger boil."
Edward nodded, "Good points, but, let's not go out of our way to find trouble. If there is something happening that the police or the Titans cannot get to in time, then, we can intervene. But, if the police or Titans are already en route, we let them handle it and observe from a distance. Regardless, we'd stand out like a beacon to such a powerful empath. So, we should be cool when or if she checks us out."
Edward morphed to his hybrid form as well, unsure of what would happen. Would the Titans welcome the assistance or become annoyed at the interference? Regardless, Jason had a point about the lack of experience taking on humans. Edward had fought before and knew how to hold his punches back to a human level of power. Jason may not have had that experience.
As they flew through the air, the younger dragon had to admit, it felt really nice to fly again. He had missed the feeling of the wind against his face. True, it technically wasn't his face but it was nice nonetheless. He made sure to keep an eye out for trouble, just so he could finally get some real action in.
After only a few minutes of flying, they could pick up on the sound of a bank alarm ringing. Jason looked down to see a large group of people fleeing from one building, and determined where the trouble was. "Found something", he said, pointing down for Edward to see. "Let's head down and take them on!"
Edward nodded and said, "Remember to keep your strength to human norms and scales up. We should make this quick, though."
They headed down and landed. Edward kept his wings back where they would be protected. They could see several armed robbers in the building, with several hostages on the ground, each covered by an angry looking thug.
Jason looked around, smirking. This was gonna be a piece of cake! He looked over to Edward. "If I can get them to focus on me, you can get the hostages out of the way. I'll draw their fire."
Edward wasn't sure about the plan, but given he had a bit more mobility, he nodded. Plus, teleporting would be inherently more useful here. He gave his younger brother a nod, and Jason flew up to a window to get a better vantage point. He then burst through the glass, making sure that the hostages wouldn't be harmed by the broken glass before landing near one of the thugs, letting a snarl out as he whipped his tail harder, hitting the armed man in the gut and slamming him against a wall. He'd be hurting for a while, but at least he wasn't severely hurt.
Ha! I knew it'd be more effective against humans!
As expected, the others aimed at the newcomer and one guy said, "You will die for that, then, the hostages will pay for your interference." He fired his weapon to see the bullet flatten against Jason's scales.
His jaw dropped and fired again. It didn't matter. Edward had taught Jason the importance of overlapping scales, so, the bullets had no opportunity to penetrate to do damage.
Edward teleported in and started getting hostages that were out of the line of sight out of there.
Jason, meanwhile started glowing a little bit, meaning his blessing of light was in play. "Can your bullets go faster than light?" he asked before unleashing a low powered light beam that while it didn't push the robber back, heated the man's weapon to a very uncomfortable temperature, forcing him to drop it. The last thing he saw was a right cross heading for his face. He'd wake up in the hospital under police guard.
Edward also took out an armed robber who was about to kill a hostage with his lightning breath. The man jerked as the low amperage jolt went through him and collapsed. He'd wake up with blisters on his hands in the shape of his weapon. Another robber tried to physically attack Edward, only to also eat a tail strike that sent him into the same wall as his partner.
Jason smirked seeing that before punching another robber in the gut. The guy went down, gasping for air. Jason kicked the weapon away from his target.
"Stay down", he told the thug, before turning to the last couple men. He let his bright shine fade, since he knew if he kept it up for too long, he'd be exhausted by the end. "Come on, then! Face me!"
Unfortunately for him, before they could, the two men were enveloped in a black aura, and they were thrown into each other, letting out loud squawks of pain before they crumpled to the floor. The dragon blinked, before turning to find the source, recognizing the magic.
And there they were; the Teen Titans. Jason stepped into a more relaxed pose, motioning to the men he and Edward had already fought. "All yours, Titans", he said. "I would have tried to restrain some of them... but I forgot to bring any rope with me."
Edward also stood down and assumed a non-threatening pose as Raven glared at them.
"We are only here to help," Edward said, keeping his mind at ease, hoping that Raven would sense that they meant no harm.
Raven was, indeed trying to get an empathic feel for the two strange looking beings. She sensed that the one without horns was at peace and not a threat. The other one, she sensed more anger that was under control, as well as a sense that she had seen him before. It took her a moment to connect the dots.
"I guess we owe you again... Jason", she said, as the Titans looked at her in surprise.
"Jason? You mean the dude who caught you when Cinderblock whacked at you like a golf ball?" Cyborg asked, looking between Raven and Jason.
"Same one", she said. "I knew he was hiding something... I just wasn't expecting this."
At that, Jason frowned. "I would appreciate it, by the way, if you stopped trying to enter my mind. I have not given you permission to do so."
"Calm down, Brother", Edward said, stepping over. "She's young and curious. She didn't mean any ill-will toward you."
Raven glared at her 'savior', but did nod in agreement. "And I'm assuming you're Edward. It's nice to meet you again."
"The pleasure is all ours", Edward stated, giving a curt nod of his head. "Forgive us for stepping in on your turf... my brother has been feeling antsy since seeing your fight with Cinderblock, and convinced me to go on patrol with him."
"Well, as long as you're one of the good guys, I don't see a problem", Robin said, walking over and offering his hand. "Thanks for the assist, you two."
Edward smiled as he took the offered hand, "You're welcome, Robin. It's a pleasure knowing that we're on the same side.
"Raven, thanks for understanding as well. We're not at liberty to really show you everything right now. I hope that can change soon. But, I must ask that if you sense what Jason and I truly are, that you not tell anyone, please. We have our reasons, and, I am hopeful that you understand as well."
"Of course," Raven said, "I do owe you guys, so, yes, I would keep that to myself."
Edward went to reply, but was stopped by a rather powerful hug from Starfire!
"It's glorious to see our friends again!" she exclaimed happily as Edward returned the hug. Unlike Jason, he enjoyed the contact greatly.
She released him and went to Jason, who held up his hand and said, "Please... I do not like to be touched." Her face fell and her feet touched down, her joy being softened a bit.
"I'm sorry, Starfire," Edward said, "My brother here is picky on who may be in contact with him. He might accept a handshake, but, that's his call."
Jason looked to the Tameranean, seeing her on her feet and wondering if her powers were affected by her mood, and soon sighed. "I can accept that... but hugging might be out of the question for a while. I do... apologize", he stated reluctantly, knowing it would be better to try and cheer her up a bit rather than keep to his guns and deny that he did anything wrong.
Which seemed to work. Starfire perked up a bit, and a soft smile graced her lips. "No, I am sorry... I assumed I could be as close to you so quickly as I am with my other friends. In that regard, you are much like Raven. She does not enjoy the hugs very much, either." She offered her hand, and Jason accepted, feeling the strength behind her grip. She was surprised, though, that he didn't seem affected by her strength.
"Perhaps, later on, you and I could spar?" Jason asked. "I have not fought someone like you before... it would be a good learning experience."
"I would be happy to", the Tameranean said with a nod, starting to float again. Jason then turned to Beast Boy and Cyborg, the two Titans he had spoken the least with.
"And you are... Beast Boy and Cyborg, correct?" Jason asked. "I apologize we did not speak much last time... I do not talk much to people I don't know." Of course, Edward knew that in truth, Jason wasn't sure what to say because he didn't want to accidentally let their secret out, but that wasn't anything he needed to mention.
"It's all good, dude", Beast Boy said. "Lot's of people can't handle the kind of awesome that's me."
Cyborg looked at his best bud, about to take him down a peg, when Jason beat him to it. "Yep. Because nothing screams 'awesome' more than a bright green elf."
Everyone blinked at Jason's deadpan humor, even Edward, before Cyborg let out a laugh. "Ha! That's a good one, man! Why didn't I think of that?" He chuckled at Beast Boy's soured expression. "You're alright. Say, what's your hero name?"
That made the dragons pause, Jason especially. "Hero name?"
"What we should call you if we run into you on the field again", Robin said. "I doubt it's a good idea if we just call you Jason and Edward whenever we see you in our line of work. Never know who's listening, after all."
If there was one thing that Jason was definitely not known for, it was being expected to come up with a response when put so quick on the fly. His eyes widened a bit, and he turned to look at Edward with an obvious "Help me!" expression on his face.
Edward thought for a moment and suggested, "How does Solor sound? It's a slight variation of Solar."
Jason thought about it and smiled, "That will work, I think. But, what about you?"
Edward blinked as he also had not considered the idea of another alias since he adopted the "Edward Barnes" name a few hundred years back.
The look on Edward's face got a chuckle out of Robin, "You guys are pretty new at this, I see."
"First fight as heroes today", Jason admitted. "I'm used to fighting our own people in spars and whatnot... this is my first time fighting thugs." He tapped his finger against his chin. "If I had to pick a name for you, Brother, it'd be something along the line of Jack, as in the phrase 'jack of all trades', but that's a mouthful."
"Hmmm," Edward said, "Blackjack comes to mind, but, that sounds more a Batman rogues' gallery member." That got a smirk out of Robin who replied, "True. It does sound like a thug nickname or someone who the Joker might want to know. We do not want to attract his attention!"
After only a moment or so, Solor spoke up again. "How about... Unity? Or Union? Since you have multiple abilities similar to many heroes... it's like all the powers work in a balance within you."
Edward thought about it and said, "Unity...Interesting. I can accept that."
"So?" Beast Boy said, "You have different powers?"
"Yeah," Edward said, "There's a lot of different powers and abilities that are tied to my 'unique heritage'. I would actually have to show you ... after swearing you to secrecy. I know that Robin is used to keeping important secrets by reputation as being with the Batman. I'll explain him to you later, Jason. But, I am under orders from my leadership to not let the general population know. In fact, I will have to get their permission to show you everything and I will have to be quite convincing."
Edward was buying some time, because it had been drilled into his head, like with the rest of the Dragons of Lair, that the humans cannot know of their existence unless there was no other choice. He remembered helping to bury Kreinkiin and seeing the terrible wound that claimed his half-brother's life and caused the centuries of pain and anger in Jason's heart.
Jason, however, decided to speak up. "Well, obviously we can't go into detail about our heritage, Brother, but we can show them our powers. I see no problem with that." Meanwhile, he thought hard to Edward, hoping he'd pick up the mental message.
[They simply are not to know we are Dragons, which hopefully Raven hasn't figured out completely] he said to his brother. [They may assume that our people have a pact with some magic entity or something of the sort. We can show them our breath weapons and the like as long as we don't give anything away that might make them think we're actually Dragons. We don't have to wait for the Circle on this one.]
Edward's eyes widened as he "heard" Jason in his head, but, his lips were not moving.
[Sure, with my ridges lighting up, they'll think we're related to Godzilla!] Edward stated.
[God-who?] Jason asked.
[Japanese fictional monster,] Edward explained, [He looks a bit like several Earth dragons and depending on the movie, is a third my true size or at 150 to 155 meters. He has an atomic powered breath weapon and lives on nuclear radiation, having been mutated by an extreme dose.]
Edward nodded, though, and said, "All right, brother. Against my better judgment, we can do this. Shall we retire to that canyon?"
"You mean the one we found Terra in?" Beast Boy asked.
"The very one," Edward said. Beast Boy's face fell.
"Or...we can go elsewhere," Edward said, picking up on the teenager's sudden sadness.
Jason also picked up on Beast Boy's sorrow, and decided to try something different. "How about we take them to one of our sparring grounds? There we'll have no prying eyes watching us as we demonstrate our powers. I am rather partial to the one in Arizona, myself."
Edward nodded, "That will work. And, I can show the team two of my powers."
[Since I can morph like Beast Boy ... ] Edward relayed telepathically.
[Gotcha] Jason said.
He morphed into a much smaller version of his dragon self and said, "Get on. It's faster this way.
"Dude!" Beast boy exclaimed, "You're a shapeshifter! This is so cool."
Jason, meanwhile, frowned a bit, simply walking over to Edward's side and place his hand on his neck. He didn't like the idea of being used as a pack mule, but fortunately, he knew Edward would very willing to help out new friends with a ride like this and be able to pass off as being a hybrid of animals rather than accidentally expose their secret. "Once we teleport, I'd recommend staying in the sun. It can be rather cold."
"Wait, what?" Cyborg asked as he was sitting down, the last in the group to take a seat on Edward's back. Which, of course, meant hilarious comedic timing as the group vanished and reappeared in the Grand Canyon, with the team shivering.
"He tried to warn you," Edward said chuckling.
Raven, having just a cloak and her leotard was glaring at Edward as she wrapped her arms around herself.
"It's just the brain's way of interpreting the lack of senses during the teleport," Edward responded, "It will wear off shortly, and, if you all end up being teleported often, you will get used to it. I don't even feel it anymore. Be glad none of you ..."
He stopped as Beast Boy turned a deeper shade of green and bent over the Colorado River.
"Well, that's a new one," Edward said after he morphed back to his hybrid form.
"Yeah," Raven said in her monotone, "We'll go back my way."
After Beast Boy was done dry heaving, Edward went over and said, "You all right?"
Beast Boy replied, "I will be. That was weird."
"Let me teach you something," Edward said. He reached down and applied a pressure point technique to Beast Boy's wrist.
"Something a friend showed me many years ago," he explained, "This will act to keep the urge to pray to Ralph at bay. But, it will deaden the taste buds for a while. It's a fair tradeoff."
[Smart move, brother,] he heard in his head. Little did they know, Raven was slowly picking up on their telepathy.
[Well, as long as they don't suspect, I can use the shapeshifter as a cover to who we are until I can talk to Father at least. I'm sure that the infiltrators will eventually tell the Circle about what's going on, so, I will head this off personally,] Edward said.
[Crap!] Jason replied [Forgot about them. I'm certain that besides Sosfil, there are others.]
[There are,] Edward replied, [Sosfil is merely my contact with the Circle, relaying messages back and forth. She still has her primary assignment in Japan.]
Jason gave a mental sigh. [Alright... I appreciate you heading this off for the time being, then. I'll do my best not to do anything that I could do to accidentally out us.] He looked over at Raven, who seemed to still be cold. He rolled his eyes a bit, before moving a couple sticks on the ground and motioning her closer. "Here's one of my powers", he said, breathing a small stream of fire onto the stick pile and making a fire to warm her up. "Useful when you're not in a hot climate... or your brother teleports you without warning you." At that, he gave Edward a mock glare, since he had gotten used to the teleporting a while ago.
Raven and the rest of the team huddled a bit closer to warm up. "Wow... like a real-life dragon", Beast Boy said in a joking tone. Jason, meanwhile, couldn't help but glance over at Edward, who gave him a similar look before chalking it up as him trying to make a joke.
[Whoops] Jason said, [Maybe I shouldn't have started with the fire breath...]
[It's OK,] Edward reassured him [I hope. He's not the smartest one of the bunch, but, he planted a seed in Robin. You see, he was trained by Batman, who among his skills is the World's Greatest Detective. It will not take much for Robin to figure things out. That's why, Brother, I will have to worry about smoothing things over with the Circle.]
Edward said, "Well, flame breath is pretty cool, in and of itself. Try having lightning and ice as well."
He looked at the river and his spine lit up a pale blue before he created some frost on the riverbank.
"I could go all out and really freeze the river, but, I don't want the Park Service getting in the way," Edward said.
His ridges glowed white and he aimed into the air before sending some lightning up. There was the crackle of electricity that echoed for a few moments as thunder.
"Gee, "Beast Boy said, "just like that three headed Dragon in 'Wicked Scary XII'."
[Oh, joy joy!] Edward groaned internally.
[What the heck even is 'Wicked Scary XII'?!] Jason asked mentally. [Now I think he knows and is just screwing with us!]
[Oh, trust me, he's not], Edward replied. ['Wicked Scary XII' is the newest horror film in the line. I haven't seen it, but apparently there's a three headed dragon that can breathe lightning.]
[Well, hopefully it'll just be a coincidence!] Jason groused mentally. [Humans don't believe in dragons, or so you have told me! We should just watch and see if Robin figures it out or if, perhaps, he passes it as an impossibility!]
[I would have liked to come out as a dragon a long time ago,] Edward said, [It's the Circle that refused to let us integrate with the humans after how many of our brethren died at their hands? You even said that you were forced to kill some humans to protect our secret. We'll have to play it by ear, but, trust me, Robin will figure it out, if Raven doesn't.
[Also, in the Godzilla series, there's a three headed dragon what spews lightning as well. A very nasty creature as well. Don't expect to ever see me trying that. It would take one head to refuse to merge back and I'm screwed.]
[I can see that being an amusing, albeit serious problem] Filkiin told him with a slight smirk. He then turned to the Titans. "Other than strength, unfortunately my powers are limited compared to my brother. I only have my strength, fire breath, the gift of flight and combat skills. I do have another power that gives me an increase in strength and speed, but I have used it already today; if I try again, I might pass out."
"I got this," Edward said, "You see, Titans, my species has special abilities based upon their clan. Because I am a hybrid of all of them, due to my mother being rather desperate for even a single child, she mated with members of the different clans. It's kind of hard to explain, but, I am able to access all those blessings. Solor here belongs to the Clan of Light and can access a blessing of light." As he finished that part, his body started to glow much brighter than when Solor used his blessing.
The others were forced to hide their eyes as Edward's spine glowed and a beam of pure light blasted into the far wall of the canyon, carving a gouge into the rock.
The light faded and everyone's jaw dropped seeing the result.
"Show-off," Solor said with a smirk. "I think that's the last we should share. Can't give away the grand finale, now can we?" He was thoroughly enjoying himself; it had been a while since he'd been able to use his powers.
The horned boy turned to the team. "And there you go. That gives you the basics of what we can use. What do you think?"
"Those are really cool!" Beast Boy said, smiling. "It's nice to know another shape-shifter, and seeing you breathe that fire was awesome!"
"Seems like you two are packin' some serious heat", Cyborg quipped. "It'd be nice to fight with ya on our side."
"Oh, yes!" Starfire said with a nod. "Plus, I did say that I would owe Friend Solor a spar! Robin, Raven, we simply must ask them to be Honorary Titans!"
Robin's face, however, told the dragons he didn't quite agree. "I dunno, guys... we're still recovering from... our last recruit", Robin said, choosing his words carefully. "As much as we'd love to have you join us... well, it's hard to be so open to newer heroes when our last candidate-"
"Ended in complete disaster", Raven said bluntly. "Solor himself said he has almost no experience fighting normal people. How can we trust you both to fight on our side when there's still secrets that you both are hiding from us?"
"It's not our secret to share", Solor attempted to argue. "If we had permission to do so, I know my brother would be more than happy to tell you more, but-"
"But nothing", Raven said with a light glare. "I appreciate you wanting to help... but we don't need another set of rookies who could be just as much of a flight risk as Terra was." At the mention of the name, Beast Boy's face soured, and he looked away, obviously hurt, but he made no move to argue with Raven. Despite saving the city in the end... she did make some serious mistakes and rushed away the moment she thought something was wrong. The team might be grateful, but that was still a burn that was too fresh to them.
Edward frowned and said, "Titans, I understand your caution. I heard what happened with her to some degree. I am not one to run from trouble. In fact, there are many times I could rush into those problems and fight. Solor might not have the experience, but, please do not paint me with that brush as I have been outside my home and here for a very long time and will be imparting that experience to my younger brother. And, yes, we are indeed brothers. Same father, different mother. I am open to sparring with all of you to prove that point. As for the others, time will tell. I can give my word that Solor and I are on the same side as you are. We fight for what is right...no matter the cost. I have been teaching Solor that the duty of the strong is to protect the weak.
"Beast Boy, I am sorry for your inner pain. It wasn't a huge secret that you cared deeply for Terra. I wish I had been able to meet her. I'm a good listener and my many decades have taught me a lot about human nature...much to some members of my clan's chagrin."
"I did care for her," Beast Boy said sadly, "I wish she hadn't run off when all we wanted to do was help her gain control over her powers, but, she panicked and thought I told the team that she didn't have total control."
Raven went over to Beast Boy and placed an arm around his shoulders, comforting him a bit. Edward raised an eyebrow seeing a rare display of compassion from the normally stoic empath.
Meanwhile, Solor sat there seething. Not only had he been denied what he wanted, but with Raven's words, it felt like his personal honor had been challenged. While Edward attempted to diffuse the situation, he felt his rage growing until eventually it boiled over. Raising his tail, he swung it down, causing a loud, resounding crack as he gained their attention. "I... am NOT... disloyal! I would NEVER turn my back on a team that accepted me! How dare you insinuate such a thing, Raven of the Titans?!"
Edward immediately picked up on his brother's anger, paling considerably. Crapbaskets, that's what he took from that? "Brother, calm down! That's not what she meant! She doesn't have a reason to trust us right now!"
"Then I'll give her one, by the First!" Solor snarled. "I will do whatever it takes to become a Titan, just to prove you wrong! I can be trusted! I fought those thugs without seriously injuring any of them! I understand more than enough that my strength can cause serious harm, and I've already taken more than enough steps to ensure that I will not use more force than necessary to apprehend a criminal! I'm already trying my hardest to fight in a way that I'm not used to! How can I prove myself when I'm not even given a chance?!"
"Blowing your top," Edward replied calmly, "Is not the way. You and Starfire already have a spar agreed upon. If I may suggest something to the Titans, let him spar you. In fact, let us both spar you or go through a training session with you. Thing is, that Solor feels as if his honor was insulted, even if by a misunderstanding. We place personal honor in a high regard. I apologize for my brother's anger, Titans. He's been working on that with me for the last few months. We will comply with whatever you feel is necessary to prove ourselves, short of dying."
Starfire looked over to Raven, an upset look on her face, before stepping forward. "I would be more than happy to spar with him, Friend Edward. I understand a warrior's honor." She turned to Jason, standing tall and proud. "That is, of course, if that is alright with you."
"Then me and BB will take you on, Edward", Cyborg said. "Raven and Robin will watch the fights, so that they can decide how much they can trust you."
"You three sure about this?" Robin asked. "I'm more than willing to fight as well."
"As much as we appreciate the offer, Friend Robin, I think it is best if I take on Solor myself", Starfire said. "He needs a strong opponent to release this anger."
Edward nodded, "This should be an interesting spar. Thanks for understanding, Starfire. Just name the time and place."
"Well," Robin said, "We have sparring grounds near the Tower, but, given that you have some powers that the rest of the city isn't aware of, maybe a wide open area where if a stray shot gets away, nothing's going to be damaged or civilians hurt?"
Edward gave it some thought and said, "I know of a few very remote islands in the Pacific where if there's a misaimed range weapon, the damage would be limited. Say in about an hour or so?"
Solor nodded, his eyes still showing a barely restrained anger, "Agreed...I need to meditate anyway to calm down."
That got Raven's attention, "Interesting. Who taught you?"
"I did," Edward said, "I know many techniques in that area."
Solor knew that his anger had gotten the best of him, and he reluctantly took a knee, bowing his head. "I... I apologize. My honor is one of the few things I have right now. It is... easily my biggest weakness." He turned to Edward. "If you do not mind, please leave me here until it is time for the match. I will remain and meditate so that my anger does not get the best of me in our spar."
The older brother, once again impressed by Jason, gave a nod. "Very well." He turned to the team. "Let's get you back home so you can prepare. We'll be ready in an hour's time."
Raven said, "My turn." and chanting her mantra encased the team and Edward in her teleportation shell and whisked them back to the Tower.
Robin said, "Welcome to the Tower, Edward."
Edward was surprised, to say the least and said, "Thanks for allowing me to visit. Jason will be jealous, but, he'll get over it."
Beast Boy decided to address the elephant in the room. "So... should we know why your brother seems to get angry at the drop of a hat? He looked really mad when we were eating pizza, too, before."
Edward shrugged, "His anger is very deep rooted, Beast Boy. I wasn't expecting him to tear Raven a new one, though. To one of our kind...and I do not mean anything racial here...honor is very important and he is working hard to remove a deep stain upon his honor. Part of the problem is that a long time ago someone murdered one of our brothers and he has been angry at humans since then. But, another source of his anger is more emotional pain...His mother passed away a few months back and that wound is still raw. When the leader of one of our clans told him that she was dying and that her last children would not survive long after being born, he lost it and attacked him. Big mistake for attacking a leader is seen as an attack on all and that usually results in an execution. Jason is being considered to become an Heir to the position my father holds and that stayed their hand. I was asked to train him and mentor him.
"I know Raven did not mean any slight and was merely stating what happened. Jason is still learning when to read past any unintentional insults. I shall have to focus on that for a while in our lessons."
Robin frowned at that, crossing his arms. "That does pose a problem. He does have the potential to eventually become a Titan, but with a temper like that, it seems like he probably wouldn't get along with us if we happened to annoy him. I understand how terrible it is to lose family - God knows I do - but he needs to learn when to let such things go. I know he'll need time, but unless I feel that he's mentally sound to work with a team, I might have to consider not allowing him to join the team."
Cyborg, on the other hand, frowned. "Dude, when someone's grieving family, it's best to be surrounded by people who care and sympathize with them. I know all too well how much it sucks to lose a mom... and if his situation is anything like mine, he probably really hates his dad right now. He should have a place where he can at least know he's supported by people." He turned to Edward. "I have no doubt you're doing the best you can, but it wouldn't hurt to have a little help, right?"
Edward smiled, "Indeed, Cyborg. He needs to see that humans have the ability to change, and, I feel that if he has something to fight for other than himself, he can master his anger.
"Yeah, he is not happy with our father. Before I collected him to begin his indefinite banishment, he was worried that a major rift would occur, so, I deflected that. I wouldn't say he hates our father, but, his duties prevented him from being the father we both deserved. His mother knew him best, and, even I am still learning. But, I think he would have had some very harsh words for him. My father has already thanked me for carrying out the sentence of our leaders as has the rest of the Circle. I will explain that to you more if I am permitted to. They are touchy about who knows.
"Guys, I am sorry that Jason and I have to maintain some secrets. But, I know Robin will understand the importance of this. I gathered that he has a civilian identity that he keeps hidden, as well as whoever the Batman is outside the cape and cowl.
"Robin, I totally understand your concerns. I lost my mother several decades ago, but, to our kind, a decade as as a year to you. You see, we're very long loved people. Most of our kind live to be close to 2,000 years, except the leaders of the clans...and myself. I'm probably giving too much away, though.
"If you give him a chance, I will be his release valve. I can handle his temper. He also needs perspective when it comes to mourning a loss that I cannot fully give despite my experience. He also needs more experience in seeing that not everyone is out to attack him, his honor or his family.
"If I may suggest...give him say 6 months as an probationary Titan and if he can manage to not rip your heads off for glaring at him, then exercise an option to make it a true place on the team? I will make it clear to him that you're the leader of the team, Robin."
Robin nodded. "I can try that... granted that he controls himself during the spar. I need to see him in action, since we showed up just as you two were finishing the job at the bank.
"But, you mentioned that your people are extremely long lived. Might I ask how old you are?"
"I see no harm in telling you that I am about 3,100 years old." That got the Titan's jaws to collectively drop, including Raven!
"How...?" she asked.
"I am immortal," he said calmly, "Due to my heritage, as I said before, I have certain powers. One of those is immortality. When injured, I visibly heal up, unless it is a would that would be otherwise fatal, then, it can take a while. If the injury is very bad, I enter a healing trance to focus all my power into healing the wounds."
Meanwhile, Jason sat, controlling his breathing as he waited for his brother to return for him. His posture was relaxed, his claws placed lightly at his sides as he pondered the reason why he got so mad at Raven. And more images of the night he saved her popped into his head.
Rather than focusing on a failing mission, he opened his eyes, glaring forward. Finally, after realizing he was getting nowhere, he stood up, finding a boulder to punch and beginning his exercise.
Why... of all the Titans... do her words cut me the most?