[A week later] [Lair]
True to Edward's word, he was delivering his bi-weekly report to the Circle in person.
He also made a point to report Sosfil's breach of protocol and that he desired a new go-between to relay reports from him to the Circle as he no longer trusted Sosfil to be impartial.
After much back and forth between members of the Circle and Edward, they voted, barely, to grant Edward's petition for a new liason.
They also provisionally approved their joining the Titans as Edward reported that Jason was meditating with Raven more and while it was too early to tell, Edward was hopeful that things would work out for the best.
But, when he told the Circle about the minor incident with her powers starting to be consumed, Feylfil said, "Be careful, Kiinnum. We will have to check out a few things, but, we have a cause of concern: As you know, the Traitor, Oblaan, had several offspring and one of them is a being that can drive a stake of fear into even the strongest of us. His name is Trigon, in the mortal tongue. And, we believe he fooled a human woman into ... mating with him." He shuddered at the thought.
"We don't know of any offspring," he continued, "But, it sounds like your Dark Heritage is compatible with this 'Raven' if you accidentally started to absorb her powers. That might mean you and her could share the same heritage, if not more.
"That said, I think that my daughter will no longer be interacting with you and your brother on official business. I shall remind her of the rules regarding entering other's homes. I appreciate that you make the exceptions for the Circle."
"That is because, like the other dragons, I am honored whenever you desire to visit," was Edward's reply.
Grand Life said, "Kiinnum? Would you accept a member of my clan as liason?"
Edward nodded, "I would allow this, milady."
She nodded, "Expect my daughter, Maldriin, in a week's time. She does not seem to be hampered with any prejudices against others, so, she may be the best one to undertake this mission."
"I thank the Exalted Circle," Edward said.
"Son," Sol said, "Your sister will be very unhappy that she will be relieved of duty here."
"That is her problem, Exalted Light," Edward said coldly, "She has insulted my honor time and time again. Her deciding to invade my apartment and demanding an explanation was far out of bounds. She is lucky that I did not pick her up and throw her into the next state for her actions. Any other dragon who did that without permission would have had their talons handed to them. I refrained due to her being family."
"I shall handle it, son," Sol said, "I shall merely phrase it as coming from the Circle, as she usually complies to the letter with what we need done. Yet, her obsession with being Heiress does not bode well for her right now."
Grand Death let out a withered cough. "Excuse me if I am interrupting, but I do believe our... wayward child has a mission to uphold, does he not?" This caused a minor scowl to form on Edward's face. Grand Death was the most vocal against him being an Heir; it was mainly due to his desire to keep the Circle pureblooded that he was denied the right to be a Potential. "After all... his brother, while making strides toward redeeming himself for his transgressions, is still quite a temperamental being, if the reports indicate. Even now, he still gets irritated by this 'Beast Boy' even for the most minor of things."
"Well, Grand Death, if you remember my report", Edward attempted, "you know that Beast Boy is the youngest of the Titans, and as such-"
"I am well aware, Kiinnum", Grand Death interrupted. "But Filkiin has dealt with many hatchlings before, in his missions prior to his brother's unfortunate fate. And he was indeed excited to become an older brother again. Why, then, does this human mortal seem to know exactly how to get under his skin, hmm?"
"Beast Boy is the least tactile member of the team, Grand Death", Edward stated, thinking insults galore as he attempted to reason with Death. "Even I, at times, can find my patience running thin with him, but he means well, even if he doesn't realize what he's doing is less than helpful."
"Then I suppose it simply can't be helped", Grand Death. "One cannot change who they are... no matter how hard they can try." The double meaning was not lost; the old dragon had no faith in Filkiin actually accomplishing his mission. "If you would, Kiinnum... your presence is no longer required here. You are free to return to your tower."
"Grand Death, with all due respect-"
"Now, Kiinnum", came the rumble. The hybrid dragon couldn't help but wince before looking up, gazing at the large, yellow eye staring down at him. "We understand your perspective... but we do have other matters to attend to. The minor slight - albeit uncalled for - will be ignored; your brother has done much to cast doubts in our hearts. In the meantime, I ask only one thing of you."
"And that would be, Grand Earth?" Edward asked, obviously unhappy.
"Keep a good eye on the shadows", Earth responded. "The Traitors have been moving once more. They may be making another attempt to either attack you or sway you to their side. It would be wise to let your brother know, as well."
"My apologies, Exalted Circle," Edward said, realizing that he had indeed breached protocol, "I shall inform my brother of what you have said. I will intensify my efforts as well." What Grand Death had done was challenged Edward, and, he would find Edward up to the task.
Edward departed and headed to his old home, seeing how attempting to argue the point could be very dangerous, even to a dragon with the powers he inherited.
I will prove you wrong, old-timer, he vowed as he took to the skies and was wondering about this Maldriin who might not care about Edward's mixed heritage. If I do, you will owe me an apology and I shall convince you to allow a hybrid a formal seat at the table. At least unlike Sosfil, I can merely bide my time with patience. I would love to see the look on her face when Dad tells her she's been replaced.
He went over to Iilah's grave as well as Iilahkun's fresher tomb to pay his respects...and apologize to Iilahkun for the way he treated her. He knew that while she couldn't reply, he owed her that much.
"I am sorry for holding you at wing's length, Moonlight," he said, "I should have been more accepting of you being in Father's life as his mate after my mother's death. I will look forward to the day when I can tell you in person and in the sight of the First's Light. I am pleased that Father let Filkiin bury you next to Iilah, my mother. I vow to make up this slight through helping him."
He departed before Sol returned and teleported home.
He was just in time as Beast Boy had managed, again, to annoy Solor.
"Beast Boy," Edward said firmly, "I would appreciate it, greatly, if you would use what little brain the First saw fit to give you before you rile Jason up to the point I cannot talk to him without his glaring at me in anger...and, I do need to talk to him."
Edward's words hit home to the green shapeshifter as his ears drooped. "Sorry..." he muttered. Jason looked over at his brother, seeing he was not in a good mood and decided to try and diffuse the situation.
"I forgive you, Beast Boy", he said, placing a hand on BB's shoulder. "I... I do not know much about video games, and that is why I keep saying no. I don't see the interest... but perhaps, in say... a month or so, I'd be willing to give them a shot?"
That immediately brightened the changeling's mood, and he nodded. It wasn't going to be anytime soon, but now he had a chance to drag another member of the team into the world of video games. With that, he left, grinning from ear to ear, while Solor turned to Unity. "What's going on, Brother? You're usually not in such a bad mood."
"Darkness is on the move again," Edward said, "According to Grand Earth, they may be planning to attack me or try again to sway me to their side.
"I dare them to try again...I tire of their efforts to attack me or flip me to attack Lair. Next time, they will be burying their agent."
"I see," Solor said, "They've made several attempts to take you, yet have always failed in their efforts. They will fail again and again.
"But, that's not has you in a funk."
"That bigot Grand Death thinks I am going to fail in my mission to redeem you, that's all. He's the one that won't allow me to be an Heir Potential, after all. 'Oh, we cannot allow a half-breed to be one of us. He's too dangerous in case he gets flipped and turns against us, and if he's the Light Heir, that would destabilize the Circle. A leopard cannot change its spots and a dragon cannot be changed.'" His eyes started glowing yellow, then orange as his anger grew.
"Calm yourself, brother," Solor said, "You know that until Death is replaced, that you cannot sway the others. We'll prove them wrong about his old fashioned ways. And, when Darkness strikes, the Light shall prevail.
"What about Sosfil?"
That question got a smirk from the wily, older dragon, "She will not be relaying my progress reports any longer. The Circle was not pleased hearing her little stunt back at the apartment and agreed to replace her with Grand Life's daughter, Maldriin."
Solor's eyes widened, "Something that you need to be aware of, then: I've heard rumors that she's been wanting to meet you and that she may have what the humans call a 'crush' on you. And, she has her mother wrapped around her little talon. I guess we'll find out if she can keep her personal feelings apart from her business duties."
"I might not mind this, though," Edward said, "It seems clear that, for once, someone of another clan doesn't care about my mixed heritage."
His phone rang and he groaned when he saw "Sosfil" on the caller ID.
"I probably should take this," he said and swiped right to answer.
"HOW DARE YOU?!" she yelled, not bothering with a greeting, "You went to the Circle and told them that I invaded your space!"
"Damn right," Edward snarled, "I told you that they would be informed of your breach of protocol and the laws pertaining to another dragon's abode. You entered without an invite and certainly without permission. You also refused to leave when ordered out and I had to ask you more times than I cared to. You also demanded to know what I was doing with the Teen Titans. That was none of your concern, nor the Circle's concern. Had you not been family, Sosfil, you would have been thrown out physically and possibly through the wall to accomplish it. And, I am not even getting started. You will rue the day that you threw my being the only hybrid dragon in modern times in my face. That is a promise. Next time you pull that crap...prepare to fight. I have had my fill of your antics and so has Father. I do not want to force him to mourn the loss of a child, and, I hope that you do not as well, but, make no mistake: Invade my abode again and make demands that you have no business making and you will drink in full measure and full strength from the bitter cup of which I would give you."
He disconnected before she could reply. He was through with her for a while.
"Dang," Solor said, "You're still pissed at her."
"She's damn lucky that she is family. Had ANY other dragon pulled those stunts, they would be fighting me and I would not be so willing to be merciful. I tire of the glares in my direction, the looks of dragons who think I should have been executed merely for hatching. Had Father not already been the Light of the Circle, they would have seen me dead! I tire of dragons lording over me that the bigoted light dragonesses in the clan would not give me the time of day. Damn racists!"
Solor sighed, "Brother, please do not be offended. You have to let the grudge towards the dragonesses go or you may never find a mate. And, if you are determined to be an Heir someday, you cannot let this grudge color your views of the Circle. I can't believe I just said that!"
Edward actually chuckled. It wasn't a mean sounding chuckle, but, full of mirth at the irony. "Hehehe...Father told me a bit about your trial and how you called them all 'bigoted old ones!' No offense."
Solor mock glared at Edward before smiling, "Bet you've wanted to say that to their faces as well?"
"Oh, I would love to," Edward said, "But, maybe I should keep that to myself."
"Probably for the best", Solor determined, before getting up. "The team is planning on playing volleyball later. Do you want to watch with me?"
"I may decide to play. I noticed that Beast Boy isn't shy about playing as other animals," Edward said with a gleam in his eye.
"Going to even the odds?" Solor asked.
"You got that right," Edward said with a laugh, "He tends to play pretty rough, so, maybe I can even the odds for my team."
"I think I'll stay on the side with Raven", Jason eventually decided. "I can get competitive, so I think maybe it's best if I can sit out until I've mastered this whole 'team player' mentality that Robin seems to be shoving down my throat."
"Then, watch and learn," Edward suggested, "Each player on the team has a role to play. Trust me, I'm getting the flak as well."
The problem they were having was the lack of missions lately, so, they were spending the spare time in training. It didn't take long for Edward to get the hang of their outdoor training area and Edward actually beat the old record that Terra held by a tenth of a second. Solor, on the other hand, was annoyed at the whole thing and didn't fare as well.
True to his word, when the volleyball game started, Jason sat on the sidelines, watching the game while Raven meditated. He was curious as to why she never tried to play with the team, but he dare not ask while she was in her trance; she explained to him a bit about how her powers work, and he understood how important it was to her to maintain control. He didn't really understand the sport much, either, so he was intent to learn how the rules worked.
As Edward expected, he was facing off against Beast Boy to counter the green shapeshifter's advantage.
In fact, there were several times when Beast Boy would try to smoke the ball past Edward and discover that the wily dragon in disguise would counter the move and spike the ball past him.
However, the ball headed toward Raven and the first time, she caught it with her powers and "threw" it back towards Beast Boy, hitting him in the gut and knocking him down. The second time, she moved out of the way and the ball went over the edge and down to the rocks below. That got a chuckle out of Solor.
That chuckle died a moment later as a young blonde woman came over the edge of the tower levitating on top of a rather large rock. And tossed the ball back and asking, "So? Which team am I on?" She was about 16 years old, wearing a black uniform with a "T" within a circle.
Terra had returned...
[Several hours later]
Terra had reclaimed her room and was surprised that it had not been touched.
Edward was talking to Solor and Raven in his room as it wasn't just Raven who sensed something amiss with Terra, Edward had as well, especially after seeing her control over her powers was nearly perfect in that demo after she returned. What concerned Edward was that tremor that shook the Tower right after that display.
"Something's not right," Edward said, "I sense that someone else may be behind this. From what I saw in the database, Terra almost brought a mine down upon your heads due to her losing control under times of stress. Now, after what? 6 months, she has complete control. It took me a long time to learn to control my powers, especially the various blessings...That time with your powers, Raven, was a rare fluke. And, it took me a while to control my teleportation and shapeshifting. Imagine my surprise when I desired to be on the other side of where my people live and I'm there in the blink of an eye or the first time I morphed and felt my bones and other organs rearranging themselves into something else. My teachers had to take the time to teach me the control I needed.
"I'm sure you've noticed, Raven, that I am also empathic ... and telepathic. So, yeah, I am sensing an ulterior motive with Terra."
"Remember what I told you," Solor reminded her, "Edward's correct, I do not trust her if there's an agent of Darkness pulling her strings...but, I will give her a chance to prove her intentions one way or another."
"I will extend the hand of friendship as well," Edward said, "I will understand if you are wary, Raven."
Just then, the alarms went off and the three Titans raced for the Ops center. As that was going on, there was another small earthquake.
Everyone looked at Terra, who groused that she wasn't responsible for the tremors, and Robin only nodded. "She's right. The earth isn't shaking on its own; something's causing them." He showed on the screen where the tremors were coming from.
"Those seem to be in a pattern", Solor stated, scratching his chin. "And considering that it's too much of a coincidence that we felt them twice in the same day, they're not caused by any natural sources. Something is burrowing around beneath us."
"You're right. Which is why we need to check this out", Robin said. However, the younger dragon coughed, causing a raised eyebrow. "You have another idea?"
"Let me and my brother handle this", Solor stated. "And if need be, we should take Terra with us as well. It will give us a chance to bond with our... potential new teammate, and we both have more than enough strength to handle whatever might be. And on the off chance that we're in over our heads, we can easily call for backup in multiple ways."
Robin nodded, "That's fine with me. Do I have to tell you to be careful?"
Edward chuckled, "Careful is our middle name...right, Solor?"
Solor snorted, "Let's go. Terra, you're with us."
As they ran out, Terra brushed against Raven for a split second and that is all the empath needed to get a quick view of Slade.
Robin noticed her recoil a bit, and figured she probably picked up on something that Solor had warned her about; true to her word, she had shared what the younger dragon told her the day he moved in, and considering he was suspicious as well, this might prove to work in their favor against whoever was planning to attack them.
As the three Titans left, Terra decided to break the ice. "So... are you new members of the team?" she asked. "I had no idea that the Titans recruited more members."
"Probationary", Solor stated. "They're giving us a chance to prove ourselves as valuable members of the team." He looked over at her. "You can call me Solor."
"And I am Unity", the older brother stated. "We're brothers."
"I can see the family resemblance", Terra commented, looking between the two of them.
Edward smiled as he reached over a hand. But, the crafty older brother was wanting a stronger empathic read and when she shook Edward's hand, there was a flash of green that only the observant would notice. He then saw what Raven saw.
[Jason,] he said telepathically, [Your hunch seems to be correct. She is not here for all together good purposes. Slade is pulling her strings somehow.]
[I figured as much,] was the reply, [How should we handle this?]
[Play it cool, as if we don't suspect anything,] Edward reasoned, [We spook her now and we could create more problems. I would like a chance to flip her back, if at all possible. I just have to hope that Darkness doesn't take hold within her any further.] Edward was keeping the warning from Grand Earth in mind. He knew that the Darkness would want to flip Edward to their side, thus, the warning.
[Gotcha] Solor said, looking at the coordinates on his communicator. "We need to head for the city; it looks like that's where the tremors are coming from."
"Think you can keep up?" Terra said in a slightly challenging tone, levitating a stone to get airborne.
Solor blinked, before flaring his wings. "You're on, blondie!" he yelled, starting to fly into the air.
Edward smirked as his wings also flared out and he took off in a running start before flapping his wings. His spine ridges melted into his frame, though, streamlining his form and he caught up with Solor and passed him up.
"CHEATER!" He called out as Edward caught up to Terra and as he passed her, she poured on the power.
"You can't beat me!" she said.
"Try me," Edward said, "I win, you tell me everything about yourself. You win, I will do the same."
Sneaky! Solor thought.
The younger dragon, however, had his pride, and refused to give up. Edward might be able to streamline his form, but Solor learned how to fly faster simply by powering through. Even Starfire, at times, had trouble keeping up. Soon, he also passed the geomancer, aiming to pass up his brother once more. [Make sure to keep an eye on where that trail is going; it looks like our target is moving.]
Edward looked at his communicator and turned around! "We're going the wrong way," he said, "The target is heading towards the Tower itself!"
Needless to say, the three headed towards the source of the vibrations and as they traveled, they got a call from Robin.
"Our sensors are detecting that whatever this is could pose a threat to the tower," he said, "It will be here shortly."
"We're behind it," Edward said, "We should catch up to it in a minute."
"That's good as it's about 90 seconds away," Robin said.
Edward also increased his speed and said, "Last one to this thing does the dishes tonight."
"Have fun, Terra!" Solor shouted, flapping his wings hard to keep up speed.
"Oh, heck no! I've seen how much the others can eat, I don't need to clean up after you my first day back!" Terra shouted. She poured on the heat, her platform speeding as fast as it could to try and catch them... but unfortunately, they got back to the tower before her.
Just in time as a large, green, metallic worm shot out of the ground, taking to the air above the tower.
"That's... new", Solor commented, staring at the thing. More rumbling was heard, and another worm shot out, joining the first. "There's two of them?!"
As the worms, for lack of a better term, flew, they joined together, forming a large ring around the tower. Solor snarled, flying high to take it down. "I'll try to knock it off course! Terra, Unity, head underground and see if you can find out what sent this thing up here!" He then pulled out his communicator. "Starfire! I need your strength!"
Edward couldn't help but smile a bit. Their's his training as a potential Heir coming into play. He then turned to the geomancer. "You heard him; let's head under and shut this thing down."
"Can do, Scales!" Terra said with a smirk, diving down. Using her powers, she made sure the holes the constructs left behind were more than wide enough for them to make the trek.
Edward went into a dive and followed Terra down into the hole. As they descended Edward's hearing picked up a rumbling sound as well as a sound of powerful lasers firing.
"What in the world?" He asked, "Why does this sound like something is being undermined?"
That something was, of course, the Tower.
He pulled his communicator and said, "Edward to the Titans, prepare to evacuate the tower! Whatever these things are, I think are trying to literally undermine the building! Terra and I will try to stop the one underground."
Robin replied, "We already have left the building. Raven's on her way down to help. She can move as much earth as Terra can."
Solor, meanwhile, appeared on screen. "Whatever this thing is made of, it's a lot harder than it looks. I don't think we can break it before it completely buries the tower. If Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy and I had more time, we'd be able to completely smash it up."
Edward said, "Let me try."
He looked at the machine and allowing his ridges to reappear, they lit up a brilliant white and with the roar of a hundred peals of thunder, a single stroke of lightning spewed forth, forcing Terra to cover her ears. The lightning impacted the device with little effect.
"Crap!" Edward said as the ringing in his ears started to fade.
He and Terra went to get on top of it and Edward's talons managed to get through, just as it sped up suddenly!
"What the...?" Edward said over the rush of wind. He didn't know that the tremors had shaken a boulder loose that smashed the controls that were a distance away.
Terra watched as Edward's scales changed color to a highly polished silver color as he tried something. He had already ripped a hole in the top of the machine with his talons and strength and he wanted to reflect one of the lasers into the hole.
He was able to do that, but, was hissing in pain within seconds as the laser was incredibly strong.
"OK," he said as that experiment failed, "this is starting to annoy me." He started glowing and said, "Terra, dear. Close your eyes lest you be blinded by the Blessing of Light!"
She didn't have to be told twice as the glow was growing brighter by the second.
His ridges started glowing as well and he loosed his own beam of light that sliced into the machine's innards and the machine started to swell as an explosion ripped the machine to shreds.
The glow faded as Edward pulled his communicator, "Unity to Solor...use your blessing of light!"
The advice was too late as with a huge groan, the ground under the tower gave way as the lasers from above ground punched through!
"NO!" Edward roared and teleported underneath the column and without thinking morphed to his dragon form and pushed up with all his strength, stopping the descent of the Tower, but, he could not hold that forever and eventually, like the main character in the old song "Big bad John" even his strength would give out.
At this point, Raven had joined underground, and her eyes widened, seeing the beast that Edward had become in an attempt to hold the tower. However, instead of saying anything, she simply chanted her mantra, using her powers to try and hold the tower up with him.
"What the-?!" Terra yelled, staring up at the dragon in shock and awe. "W-What are you?!"
"Now is REALLY not the time, Terra!" Raven yelled. "If you have an idea of how to stop the Tower from falling, by all means, HELP US!"
"I cannot hold this forever, Terra!" Edward grunted, "If this falls...I might very well be killed!"
The geomancer shook her head, letting her eyes glow yellow as she poured more power into grabbing the base. Just as Solor was roaring, attempting to grab the tower and lifting it up in his hybrid form, the combined efforts of Edward, Raven, and Terra managed to push the building back into place. Wasting no time, Solor breathed his laser onto the seam of the ground, hoping the heat would fuse it back into place.
After making sure it was secured and back in place, the three underground let go, and Raven turned to Edward. "You and your brother have a lot of explaining to do", she said to him in a concerned tone. She then turned to Terra. "And YOU don't tell anyone what you saw - especially not Beast Boy."
Edward glared at Terra, "She speaks wisely. I was going to ask my leaders if I could tell you all this, but, to save the Tower, I have broken the law of my people. It is VERY, VERY VITAL that you tell no one because if you do, I may be ordered by my leaders to end your life. And, that is something I do not want to do. I would rather give you a measure of earned trust."
Terra looked between the two of them, her eyes wide. Then she let out a big grin. "Are you kidding? No one would believe me, even if I shouted to the rooftops about how FLIPPIN' COOL that was! Have you always been a dragon?! What else can you do?! Is Solor a dragon too?!"
Raven took that moment to immediately shut Terra up by using her magic to cover her mouth. "Keep your voice down!" However, she noted the genuine joy that Terra was feeling. She might have come here for ulterior motives, but... she was genuinely excited at the prospect of meeting a dragon. Was it because she thought it would help her? Or did she actually just think that Edward being a dragon was just really cool? It was hard to tell. She dropped the spell after a moment, seeing Edward glaring at Terra to shut up.
The communicator rang, and Solor appeared on screen. "Solor to Unity; the Tower is secure and the machines have been scrapped. How's it going on your end? Did you see who was responsible for this?"
He morphed back to his hybrid form and said, "Brother, please meet Raven, Terra and I...we have another problem. I'll open a tear. And, no, we didn't get a chance to see who was behind this. I have an idea who, but, that will have to wait."
Solor's eyes widened as he said, "All right."
Edward opened a Tear and a moment later Solor was there.
The look on Edward's face told Solor a lot, "Brother...what happened?"
"I have broken one of our sacred laws," Edward said, "Raven and Terra know the truth."
"You mean..."
"That he's a dragon?" Raven asked, "Yes, we know and I assume that since you are his brother, that you're also a dragon in disguise?"
"What happened?" Solor asked, concerned.
"The Tower started to fall and I teleported to under the column. I morphed to my true form automatically and was holding the entire mass up before Raven added her powers and after a moment, Terra also added her powers. The three of us pushed up with all our strength," Edward explained, "I will likely be banished for this...unless there's a loophole somewhere."
Solor breathed in and out, obviously upset. "Well... we don't... have to tell the Circle", he stated. "No one knows but the four of us. As long as no one else learns our secret... we should be fine. That way, you won't be banished, I can still go back home after my punishment is over, these two are seen as perfectly sane people..."
"Glad to see you have so much faith in us", Raven said with a glare.
"I do," Edward soothed, "I wouldn't have morphed if there wasn't some faith in you, Raven. Terra, you just got back, so, I am forced to have some faith in you now. Please, don't make me regret that."
"You don't understand", Solor said. "The last time a human found out about my secret, I was ordered to kill them, and I obeyed without question. I might not be given such a lenient punishment, seeing as I'm already banished."
"You see killing people as lenient?!" Terra said, shocked, and Solor realized his poor choice of words.
"I meant that I had to throw away a life that I had built, a friendship I had formed, because I was careless and accidentally revealed that I wasn't human", he clarified. "And the Circle, our leaders, saw that as lenient at the time. Considering I'm already being punished for treason, I have to be extremely careful here."
Terra and Raven looked to each other, and for the first time, seemed to come to an understanding. "Tell us everything from the top", Raven said, "and we promise not to tell anyone."
"Not our friends, not the Titans, not the League, no one", Terra said. "This stays between us. Promise."
"Terra," Edward said, "I need to make this perfectly clear. I was not going to tell you this for a while because I want to trust you...I NEED to trust you, more than the rest of the team now. Should the Circle find out, I will be given a choice: lifetime banishment OR the same order that Solor once was given...Execute the both of you with extreme prejudice. I don't care if Slade were to tempt you with your heart's desires or if Donald Trump offered you half of his fortune, this is NOT YOUR SECRET TO TELL! At some point, the rest of the team will know as well. I will eventually try to sell the Circle on telling the rest of the team the truth. And, I have to hope that there aren't any spies keeping an eye on things...meaning us."
At the mention of Slade, Terra flinched a tiny bit, catching Solor's eyes. He moved one of his claws behind his back, flexing them a bit. He knew she was involved with an enemy somehow, but finding out it was Slade, the Titan's greatest enemy, had him on edge. Eventually, Terra looked Edward in the eye. "Raven can tell if I'm lying", she said in complete honesty. "I promise I won't tell anyone."
Both Raven and Edward could feel the vibes she was giving off; she was being one hundred percent honest, and the young empath visibly relaxed a bit. That told Solor all that he needed to know, and his claw dropped to his side again.
Edward also had noticed the flinch and what looked like Solor preparing to disembowel Terra. When she gave her word, though, Edward sensed that she would keep that promise. He relaxed as well as he said, "I expect you to keep that promise, young Terra. I shall only release you from your word when the Titans themselves can be told, yet, you and they will also have to keep the secret. Please...do not make us do something we'd regret for a very long time. Raven? I hate to ask, but, as a failsafe, can you wipe memories? I won't ask you to do something that you do not wish to do, though? Not unless there is no other choice?"
"I can, but it takes time and effort to do so", Raven stated. "If you or Solor were to hold her, I could get the job done. However, there is the risk of shredding the person's mind."
"I just gave my word", Terra said, "and you know I'm telling the truth. I won't tell anyone." She started to back away, fearful of what the dragons would do.
"I believe you", Solor said simply, looking to Edward. "No need for failsafes. I don't see a threat here." He turned to Raven and Terra. "Take a seat. We're gonna be here for a while."
"Terra," Edward said, sensing her fear, "I'm sorry for frightening you. I was asking Raven, not because of you, but, just in case someone else is a blabbermouth. Please, relax. We mean you no harm. I trust Solor with my life, as he does with me. If he sees no threat, neither do I."
Terra visibly relaxed as well and both sat down.
"Where should we start?" Edward asked Jason.
"Let's explain our situation, and more on why we can shift into human forms", Solor said. "As I've said, I'm technically marked as a Traitor to my home. But in order to understand that, we'll have to tell you about the Circle. Basically, we live in another realm - or a pocket dimension, according to scholars - where dragons flourish and prosper. We have been around since the age of Dinosaurs was ending. We have been observing humanity as it grew, guiding from the sidelines and helping this world develop in a way that would be seen as a benefit to our Alpha, the First, the creator of all life in this world."
"And of course, since we tried to make contact with humans during medieval times, you know that stories of dragons being killed by knights and warriors spread as an utmost honor to humans", Edward continued. "When we were met with hostility and attempted murder, our kind retreated, to keep our lives and our secrets. We've, since then, infiltrated human society to learn what we could and keep an eye on mortals, to keep them from growing too quickly but also to keep your world in balance."
"And that balance is determined by our leaders, the Circle", Solor picked up. "We are lead by the leaders of each clan; Fire, Water, Earth, Life, Death and Light. My father is Grand Light, but I was mostly raised by my mother, who was very dear to me. When Grand Death said she was to die... well, I did not react well, and long story short, I was judged guilty for treason for attacking him. So I was thrown into this world, where my mission is to become 'humble' among the humans... a species that, I will admit... I am not fond of."
"On the other hand," Edward said, "I am here of my own free will, for the most part. While Solor and I share the same father, my story is different. The Grand Light is merely one of seven fathers. My mother, Iilah, was desperate to have even one egg and that drove her to ... mate ... with at least one dragon out of each clan, including one clan that is exiled from Lair...They are Dark Dragons. It turns out that the Dark Dragon that helped was the Traitor...Grand Darkness. His name is Oblaan.
"Well, since I am a hybrid of all the clans, I have the powers of all of them. Terra, you only saw a fraction of my abilities. Even the team itself has not seen everything, as there hasn't been a call for that.
"But, one thing that caused me to leave was the attitudes of the other dragons. I was denied the opportunity to claim a female ... it's like being married in human terms, but claiming property ... because none wanted their blood line sullied by a hybrid. And, Grand Death pulled the race card in preventing me from being Heir of the Light.
"So, I am helping train Solor to take that spot someday. When the Circle deems his penance paid in full, he will be welcomed home as a member in good standing once more."
"If I might ask," Terra said, "Do you have any other siblings?"
"We have a sister, whom we have called Sarah for your sake", Solor said. "She was SUPPOSED to be our liaison back to the Circle and the team was supposed to meet her, but she screwed up and broke our laws, so she lost that position. And our middle brother, Sahqo, has been missing for a couple hundred years."
"There were others," Edward added, a hint of remorse in his voice, "One was murdered by a human in the failed experiment to show ourselves. Others have also passed on for various reasons, including one brood that didn't hatch. That was another reason for what happened recently. Brother, know that I sang for that brood as well. I would have ended my voluntary exile for them."
Solor said quietly, "I didn't know that...Thank you for honoring them and for deciding to come home to help Mother. Maybe, if they had hatched, the gulf between you and her would have been breached."
"Long story, ladies," Edward said, "I was unhappy that my father claimed another mate. At the time, I didn't know he had little choice in the matter as the others in the Circle were quite insistent that he take someone else. I've since forgiven him."
The two girls looked at each other, taking in all the information they had just received. "That... is a lot I was not expecting from you two", Raven said. "But... I can work with this."
"Same here", Terra said, nodding. "Excuse me while I still have my world rocked by the fact that dragons actually exist... that's so cool, by the way."
Edward smiled, "It is, Terra. I would love to give you a ride. The Titams already have, but, I had to play it off like I'm a shapeshifter like BB. Then again, I wasn't using a larger size like I had to here."
"Is there any other laws that we have to be careful about?" Raven asked. "Like anything to do about... I dunno... falling for a mortal?"
"Expressly forbidden", Solor said immediately, not even giving Edward a chance to speak. "Those that do are deemed traitors and are permanently exiled."
The words seemed to hit Raven, and she looked a bit downcast at that. But just as Edward saw the emotion behind her eyes, she immediately squashed it and put the emotionless mask back on. "Good to know. Then I guess Robin doesn't have to worry about either of you getting a crush on Starfire."
"That seems dumb", Terra stated, frowning. "Isn't it better for a dragon to be with those they love rather than being forced into a relationship they don't care about?"
Edward sighed, "I understand, Terra. The problem is that a dragon's DNA reacts in unpredictable ways with humans. A lot of the stories you hear of strange creatures like werewolves, vampires and the like were probably based on a human-dragon mix. I suppose that there could be instances where there's a perfect balance and a human-dragon hybrid is possible. But, it takes a lot of convincing to get the Circle to amend or repeal a long standing law.
"But, there is another consideration, regardless. Since that time, there is a 'generational curse', that prevents the compatibility of dragon and human DNA. Because of that, there's no offspring possible, so, the pairing is seen by the Circle as irrelevant. However, we know that Oblann was not subject to that curse and has had relationships of a sexual nature with humans and there has been offspring."
Solor looked at both girls. "I know we've said this many times now, but this is a secret to all humans. I can trust you both to keep quiet, correct?" A nod from the both of them had Solor sigh in relief. "I thank you both; I am truly terrified of what will happen if the Circle finds out." He then turned to Edward. "I'll head back first. I'm certain Robin is wondering what happened, and will need some explanation."
"We were comparing notes," Edward suggested, "But, he will wonder how the Tower was put back into position. Terra, we may need you to somehow raise another platform to hold the Tower up at some point."
"I can do that", Terra said, looking over at the base of the tower's platform. "As long as there's no one else down here, I can move enough earth to support that piece and keep it from falling down again."
Solor nodded, flaring his wings. "See you both back up... and good luck doing the dishes", he said with a cheeky smirk, suddenly flying up out of the underground lair. Terra and Edward both blinked, before yelling after him.
"HEY, THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Terra yelled up after him. "WE WEREN'T EVEN RACING ANYMORE!"
"I SWEAR TO THE FIRST, FILKIIN, THE CIRCLE WILL HEAR ABOUT THIS!" Edward yelled, shaking his fist after his younger brother.
"Who?" Raven asked, not familiar with the name.
"Ooops!" Edward said, "That's his real name. It means 'Starborn' in English. To head off the inevitable question: My name is Kiinnum. It means 'Born Unique'. Keep that under your hat. Come on, let's get out of here...as soon as Terra completes her little task."
Terra nodded, raising a platform up with all three of them on it to move them out of the way. Then, with some serious effort and a loud grunt, she started raising the earth, destroying the machinations of the underground base as the ground met the base, holding the tower in place permanently.
Raven, meanwhile, seemed a bit distracted by the names she had learned. "'Starborn'", she said, testing the name for herself. "I'm guessing that I shouldn't say either of those names in front of the team, too. Gotta admit... you two keep surprising me."
Edward smiled, "Yeah, probably a good idea. In private, I do not mind, but, I will not speak for my brother here. You will have to ask him.
"Terra, I have another cool surprise for you." He morphed to his mini-dragon form and lowered himself to the ground saying, "Get on. Hold the ridge in front of you, though."
Raven said, "I'll meet you two in Ops. Robin's going to want to be debriefing us." She used her own teleportation to leave and Edward smirked.
Terra, meanwhile, grabbed onto Edward's ridge, and he could feel her excitement. "Probably said this way too many times... but have I mentioned how flipping cool this is?"
"Oh, what I am going to do will literally be cool," Edward said. There wasn't much room for him to fly out, so, he teleported to Ops.
When they got there, Terra was all smiles, "That was WAY COOL!" she exclaimed, not even bothered by the "coldness" at all.
"Can you teleport to anywhere?" she asked.
"As long as I know where I need to go, yes," he said, "If I don't know or haven't been there before, I'm stuck. I can't risk emerging into solid rock or the bottom of the ocean."
She jumped down and Edward morphed back to normal.
"Lucky you," Raven said, "For some reason, when I travel with Edward and his teleportation, I end up chilled to the bone."
"That is interesting," Edward said, "none of the others are as badly affected. Would you mind if I asked my leadership to look into this?"
"Go ahead", Raven said. "I'd rather figure out why this happens and get over it than be left in the dark and hope it gets solved by some stupid fluke."
Edward nodded, before turning to Terra. "Well, since my little brother 'won' our little challenge, I'll help you with the dishes. It wouldn't be fair to claim I won since I got us both here, right?"
"You don't have to", Terra said. "I'm just happy to be back... and besides, you shared a big secret with us. I at least owe you for that."
Raven reached out, sensing one more time about Terra's loyalties. She still had her plan; she was still going to betray them at some point. But... she was genuinely happy to be back. When the time came, would she be able to go through with Slade's plan? Or could their newest members find a way to change her mind?
"Come on in, you three!" Solor yelled from the roof entrance catching their attention. "Robin said that we can give our reports over dinner, and Cyborg is making ribs!"
The three Titans began heading inside. It was only a matter of time before more secrets were going to be spilled.
The only question was, who would be the first to spill theirs?