[Chapter 3]
[Susie's Room]
Susie stared at the device in her hand, looking at the communicator warily. She knew that Edward had said it was okay, but there was so much temptation in using this device. She could try to contact her counterpart, swap stories, learn so much about a world she shouldn't even get close to. But she knew that wasn't meant to be.
So, instead, the young Twilight Hatchling pressed the call button, thinking carefully. "Hello... my name is Susan Roth. I was wondering if, perhaps, I may speak to the Titan's computer? I believe Edward Barnes called her 'Alice'."
After a moment, the feminine AI spoke up. "Hello, Susan Roth. I am Alice. It is nice to meet you."
"Hello", the young girl replied, giving a small smile. "Alice, I was wondering if you could help me with something..."
"What can I do for you?" Alice said patiently, "Edward has already cleared you to talk to me and to use the communicators. So ask away."
"Would you... be willing to record a message for me?" Susie asked. "I want to record something for Edward, in case our departure from each other is... not as pleasant as our first day together."
"I can", Alice started, "but I will need to know why you want to record this. You have only known him for about six hours at this point, Soskrein."
"When you hear my words, you'll understand", she replied. "May I...?"
"Of course", Alice said. "You may speak whatever you wish now, and when you don't want me to record anymore, just say so."
"I will", Susie said, before clearing her throat, getting ready to talk.
XxXxXxX
Solor was the first one to awaken the next day, looking over to his wife. He smiled at her sleeping form, kissing her forehead gently before slipping out of bed, content with seeing that smile on her visage as she slept. He grabbed some clothes, getting up and heading for the roof of the tower to think of the day ahead of them. He remembered that Edward was visiting and would want a tour of the city, so he knew he should probably wear some civilian clothes, like the pair of jeans and shirt he was wearing now. He flapped his wings, rising up into the sky, and allowing the rising sun, barely peaking over the horizon in the east, towards the city, to hit him with its warming rays.
As he was flying, Edward was waking up and he headed to the roof as well. He had come to terms with having to recharge by solar power as well, given his Light heritage. He spotted Solor floating on the air currents and smiled as Nightwing came up to watch the sunrise.
"Morning," Edward said, "It's going to be a nice day, I think."
"Good Morning, Edward," Nightwing said, "What's the game plan for today's research?"
"I'd like to borrow Solor and Raven part of the day for a tour of Jump City...or anyone else who wants to come with me," Edward requested.
"The team is yours to borrow as you see fit," Nightwing said, "But, if any missions come up..."
"No need to say it," Edward said with a smile, "I'll hang out here to keep interference to a minimum and keep an eye on Susie if necessary, since I do not know if you allow her on missions."
Solor looked down, spotting Edward and landing on the roof, smiling at the hybrid. "Good morning, my friend", he said. "And good morning, Nightwing. So, today's a tour day, correct?"
"Yep", Edward said. "I need a tour from you and your wife, if you guys don't mind."
"I think we should take Susie with us, then", he told the older dragon. "I'll be taking you to a few places that I'm not sure you'll know of, and one of those is an ice cream shop in the afternoon. I can also try to contact my father, see if he can spare some time to spend with us as well. He doesn't usually, but since the war has ended, he has made attempts to try and spend more time with me and my family, which is a start."
"I'll agree to this under one condition," Edward said, "Do not introduce me as a soul-brother or a brother or any relation at all. I know you broached the subject of me with him in, I hope, an indirect way. I'll understand if you said I was visiting from an alternate universe, but, if you even hinted that I could be your brother, had history played out here the way I had hoped for...forget it. You can say that I am a friend of yours, and if you did tell him of my mission, that I'm a NEW friend. I do not want to get into a roaring argument with the Grand Light of the Circle."
"Good idea", Solor stated. "I think if I tell my father that you're my brother... he may not react well. If he figures it out on his own, though, that's his own deal." He then turned to Nightwing. "Have you made coffee already?"
"Yeah, go ahead and grab some", Nightwing said. "What're you gonna make for breakfast?"
"Waffles", Solor said, intentionally forcing his voice into a monotone. "I love them more than life itself." He then walked into the tower, not making another comment on that as he got to work on breakfast.
Nightwing shook his head. "Ugh, sometime's he's ridiculous."
Edward laughed immensely, "I wasn't with the team during the virus incident, but, Rachael told me all about it in precise detail. Would you rather have this Solor or the arrogant ass he used to be?"
Nightwing looked at his guest and smiled, "This one is better, Edward. Don't tell me you had the 'I'll rip off your head if you look at me funny' version as well?"
"Man, I made the huge tactical error of insulting Iilahkun without knowing she had recently passed on during our first sparring match," Edward said, "He was beyond livid when he hit me full force with his Light beam. Luckily I reflected the worst part of the weapon away, but, it still caused a bit of damage. I ended up in the med bay for a few hours while the third degree burns healed and the charred scales regenerated.
"But, I made the first steps towards friendship after asking his forgiveness. I even offered to mentor him. But, what really changed Starborn was Kreinyol. She was also taken by a Tear of Oblivion. There was so much residue from the first usage that it reopened on its own and sucked her into my universe. She might have died had I not seen the tear reforming and caught her with a moment to spare before we both hit the bay. She was out cold and I covered her face to prevent her from drowning. After that, he started to calm down. A few days later he opened up and told her that he loved her and wanted to be with her forever. They didn't look back."
"I think that might've happened here, if it weren't for the whole... birthday fiasco", Nightwing commented. "Did you have to deal with his pheromones, or did he confess to her before his 750th birthday?"
"My Starborn confessed to her before his birthday", Edward said, deciding not to mention that he was here before in another timeline.
"Well, I'm sure you know this, but dragons on their 750th birthday release an excess of pheromones to attract a mate... and we got hit hard by them", Nightwing said. "Cyborg and I made a system to filter them out of the tower, but he ended up filling up the system quicker than we could filter it, and the machine broke. Raven was in her room, we had to rope Terra in, and Solor made his escape, with Starfire charging after him. He was forced to take her out, and during their battle he decided that she wasn't a suitable mate for him. So... yeah, that was fun to deal with."
"I take it that's how she knows the dragon language?" Edward asked.
"Yeah," Nightwing replied, "Solor accidentally knocked the wind out of her hard enough to cause respiratory arrest. She learned his native language during the attempt to revive her. He personally apologized to everyone that day, and made sure that everyone was safe and no longer being affected, before telling Starfire that he was interested in staying friends... and he pushed her to try and form a better connection with me."
Edward smiled, "Good call on his part. Back home, Nightwing and Starfire are a couple as well. It really works out well regardless of who she ended up with."
"Do they have any kids?" Nightwing asked.
"No, but, she is pregnant, come to think of it," Edward said, "You should have seen his face! Starborn noticed her scent was off and, sure enough, when I focused on finding a difference, she had a blend of her scent and his. He was stunned as she hadn't told him. She's about 3 and a half months into the pregnancy and, I think that might be the turning point with that team. Neither of them will want to stay too active with fighting crime. I wouldn't blame them at all if they both moved on after the baby is born. I know that after my vacation ends for real, the team will be different. We do have several candidates, though, who can step up. I can see Kole on the team, for example. Maybe Mas Y Menos or Kid Flash for a while, but, I think he will end up with the Justice League at some point. Then, there's my girls. Callisto and Yolstav are already allowed to take part in some missions as their training allows. Soskrein is up to her dad's discretion, but, she will need some more seasoning, I think. All three are well versed in how to interact with the two AIs and their physical combat skills are pretty good. Komi may take a different path, but, no promises there."
"There are a bunch", Nightwing said. "I think when I'm done here, done being a Titan... I might take Kori to a nice place and finally settle down. I don't know when that'll be yet, though. Solor said that he'll probably be fighting crime for the rest of his life... though he'll want to take a break if he can ever have children with Raven. He's thinking he's slowly wearing the Circle down on that, but I wouldn't know; other than dealing with the Justice League and thanking humans for their help, they haven't done a lot of public appearances."
Edward replied with a wry smile, "You should see Grand Fire. He gets real annoyed at the media folks, and, he's one dragon you do not want annoyed at you. There will be new powers I will be given when he decides it's time for me to uptake his title, and, one of those new powers is heating things up to the point that someone will get burned. On the flip side, Grand Fire was able to put out a major oil refinery fire when it proved too hot for me to handle. He compressed the fire and heat and absorbed it.
"Grand Light tolerates it a bit better, but, mainly has either Starborn or myself dealing with the media. There's a couple of friends we have at the Daily Planet who we work with. I'm sure you know who I am referring to, though, right?"
"Clark Kent and Lois Lane", Nightwing answered, smirking. "Though, we usually tend to deal with Lois... Clark doesn't like Solor particularly. Probably due to Solor's hearing at the hands of the Justice League."
"What happened? The Justice League doesn't give suspects a hearing, unless it's a special case, merely handing them over to the local or national authorities, and sometimes the authorities on other worlds," Edward objected.
Nightwing was silent for a minute. "It was... when he originally killed Slade. I'm sure he told you about him being kidnapped by Slade and Vilea... well, when he got loose from that inhibiting collar, he immediately targeted and killed Slade. Back then... I was not experienced in this area, I didn't know what to do. On the one hand, he was one of the strongest Titans, one of the strongest heroes I ever worked with, but on the other, he had killed a human, something he told us he was simply not allowed to do under any circumstances. So, I called the Justice League, to ask them what to do. In response... they sent Superman to pick him up and take him to the Watchtower, probably one of the only places manmade that could hold him." Nightwing looked over at Edward, his eyes full of regret. "The worst part of it all, for me, was that he didn't blame me. He knew he did wrong, by killing Slade, but he didn't care, and he didn't blame me for calling the League. Eventually, we managed to get them to let him go, by convincing Solor to let J'onn read his mind, see what he really is... but that's the biggest regret I have about the early years of the Teen Titans, not trusting him more than I should have."
Edward sighed, trying not to be angry at something he had no say in, "I'm surprised that the rest of the team didn't tear you limb from limb, Nightwing. Trust between the members of the team, by then, should have been automatic. Dick, I know you felt that you were doing the right thing here, but, you should have given him the benefit of the doubt as well. If your history played out similar to the others, you gave each member of the team multiple opportunities to redeem themselves, so, you should have given the strongest member of this team the same courtesy. When I am acting as a member of the Titans, I follow the same 'no kill' rule. Yet, when the other two Nightwings know I'm dealing with Lair matters, I am not representing the team, so, any rules with the teams are not relevant. I do try to honor the spirit of those rules regardless.
"But, back to the story, I know that when Starborn was rescued, he was catatonic. Feylfil, the Grand Light, asked Rachael and I to help. It was our first trip to his universe, yet, her and I dropped everything and went to help. It took Rachael, Raven, Starfire and I to go into his mind and start the healing process from that aspect. We had unexpected help, though: Starborn's mother. Her avatar guided us through and that kept him from kicking us out. As for Slade, he is not an issue anymore, and, I for one, am glad he is deceased. We didn't kill him. He did that to himself. He learned necromancy from Malchior. Guess Malchior got the last laugh from the grave: He didn't tell Slade that a human raising a dragon corpse lowered his life span and caused insanity. Even Oblaan forbade that, with good reason."
"It looks like no matter what world, Solor goes through a lot of trouble", Nightwing said, smiling. He patted Edward's shoulder. "Come on. Solor's probably done with the first batch of waffles now, and Raven's probably awake now. You might want to talk to her about the plan for today... if she's awake enough."
Sure enough, downstairs, Solor had already made a couple plates of waffles, with chocolate chips cooked into one batch and blueberries mixed with the other. Raven was awake, her hair left untied and not brushed at all, wearing a blue robe around her pajamas as she sipped from a mug of tea, while Solor was pouring the blueberry batter into the waffle-maker.
"Good morning", she said, looking a little tired. "How are you guys doing?"
"Doing fine. Had to tell Edward about Solor's hearing with the League, unfortunately, but that was bound to come out sooner or later. He appeared to get angry for a moment", Nightwing mentioned.
"I said it then, I still say it now", Solor said. "For a 'Man' of Steel, he's as naive as a hatchling."
"Statements like that are why Superman doesn't like you", Raven commented.
"Hey, I get along fine with the others. Superman can kiss my tail for all I care."
Edward raised an eyebrow, "Ouch. It sounds like you and Superman have a lot of issues. You two will have to someday work side by side again, and if I were able to stay, I would try to be the peacemaker. Alas, though, my assistance is futile. How long has this mutual dislike or grudge match been going on?"
"Too long," Raven replied, "Superman did what he thought was necessary, but, Robin came really, really close to being tossed into the Trash Hole for a long time. We all begged him to not call the Justice League, but, did he listen?"
[Easy, Raven,] Edward urged, [I'm empathic as well and I can tell this still angers you. I would be livid as well, to be blunt. There was one time my Titans almost sent him packing...or worse, drop him at Wayne Manor in his BVDs.]
That had the desired effect of getting Raven to giggle at the mental picture.
Solor heard that as well, snickering, while Nightwing was clueless for a moment. However, he soon groaned. "Oh, great... Edward can pick up on your link, too, can't he?"
"Well, he is married to Raven in his own world", Solor stated. "He's soulbound to her, like I am to mine." He walked over, offering Nightwing a plate of waffles. "Here you go, breakfast fit for a Titan."
"I can't help that we're on the same wavelength," Edward said with a chuckle, "Guess I'll be fair, though. Picture your younger self being teleported to Wayne Manor...in your 'Tidy Whities' or BVDs."
Nightwing pictured that and groaned, "What did he do to earn that humiliation?"
"Well, for one, it didn't get to that point, luckily," Edward said, "Richard decided to try to stop Starborn and Kreinyol's budding relationship. Starborn challenged Richard to a simple sparring match. If Richard won, Starborn would leave the Tower and likely forfeit his chance to be rescued. If Starborn won, Richard would give his blessing to their being together. So, they sparred. It was rather one-sided: On Richard's part. He attacked Starborn with everything he had. Starborn merely sat in the lotus position and allowed it. Fifteen minutes later, an unscathed Starborn merely cracked his neck when Richard ran out of steam. It was vicious, even for him. Richard conceded defeat and well, the team lost a lot of trust that night. We met and decided that it was best to relieve him of leadership duties for a month. We did not remove him from the team, following the example of giving another chance. It would have been in bad form to kick him out when other members had done stuff to be kicked out, and they were not removed from the team. It was fair to all." Solor handed over Edward's share, then, the others who were walking in got some as well.
Solor made sure Beast Boy got his vegan friendly waffles, before handing everyone else their plates. He finally picked up his own, starting to eat as he sat next to Susie and Raven. The Twilight Hatchling handed the communicator she had borrowed back to Edward. "Thank you", she said softly, still looking a bit tired before she began munching on her breakfast.
"What's the game plan for today?" she asked.
"How does giving Edward the grand tour of Jump City sound?" Solor asked.
That perked up the Twilight Dragon's mood and said, "I'd love to go, if I could?"
"Of course", Raven said. "We'll be stopping by a few good areas... including Jimmy's. We need to restock our ice cream, since someone keeps eating it all."
Susie blushed, but still grinned. "Cool. I'll get ready as soon as I'm done with breakfast."
"Susie has an affinity for ice cream, eh?" Edward asked with a smirk.
"You have no idea. One of the first stores we went to together ended with me paying for five tubs of ice cream being eaten in a feeding frenzy", Solor commented. "Her favorite flavor is strawberry, so I have to make sure there's a steady supply in the house."
"Actually," Edward said, "Soskrein also loves strawberry, but, she knows better than to pig out on it. First time she did that, she ended up grounded for two weeks. Krein and I were most unhappy about it. As you know, growing Dragons require proteins more than sugar laden Ice Cream. But, she still gets some regardless. We just limit her to a pint...haha!"
"Oh, believe you me, Solor was pissed", Beast Boy said, chuckling. "She was grounded from tv and internet for a month, and even now, she's only allowed one bowl every few nights. The only problem is that we all like the same brand of ice cream, so we have to buy a lot in excess."
Cyborg nodded. "The girl was so bored during that month. She eventually started reading War and Peace just to pass the time while she waited for her grounding to eventually pass."
Susie decided to hide in her hood then, but, Edward could sense her embarrassment regardless.
[I still can't live it down,] she griped to Edward.
[It must be some awesome Ice Cream, kiddo,] Edward replied, [Listen, Dad wouldn't have been that strict unless he truly cared about you. But, Tolstoy's War and Peace? Did you manage to read the whole thing? My Soskrein hasn't read that one, yet...but, I think I will pass this idea onto her dad. She'll probably glare at the both of us for a while...Seems to be a standard non-verbal 'You son of a you know what.']
Susie giggled at his phrasing. [I'm a twelve year old dragon, Edward. I can swear, you know. But yeah, I read the whole thing. I didn't have to... I chose to. It was better than sitting and staring out the window at the ocean all day long... which is even less fun than it sounds.]
[I try not to swear in front of Soskrein...Terra tends to give out the 'Gibbs Smack' even now. Starborn's of the opinion that his daughter is old enough to use a few swear words, but, draws the line at the 'F-Bomb'. I don't even use it that much, but, when I do drop it, my guys know I am downright angry,] Edward replied, [And, sweetie? Don't knock staring at the ocean. There's been hundreds of times I've sat in Beast Boy's spot to meditate...and Rachael used that to calm my moods down. It does help a lot. It's peaceful. You see, and I'll be quick here. Since an incident happened a year after Cally was born, Rachael and Ruuvak both have the responsibility to make sure that my rage never gets so out of hand that I lose myself again. It's a long story.]
[I'm guessing it's from that time you were forced to 'visit' this universe before], Susie mused. [Well, don't worry; you don't have to go into detail.] At that point, she finished her waffles, and got up, putting her plate in a dishwasher. "Alright, I'll be back once I'm ready. Mom, Dad, can you guys hurry and get ready, too?"
"Of course, your majesty", Solor teased. "Go get your shower and brush your teeth, we'll be by the front door shortly." He did the same with his own dishes and Raven's, before the three moved to get ready for the day.
[Actually, Susie,] Edward replied, [This was after the war ended in Starborn's universe. There was a rebellion of Dark Dragons and they released Malchior. He attacked Ruuvak and Rachael. I got Ruuvak out of there, but, that fucker killed Rachael. I'll NEVER forgive him for taking my wife away from me. I...lost it. It took Soskrein to snap me out of it because no one else could get through. Maldriin intervened and restored Rachael to life, though. Regardless, I was harshly punished by the Circle as well. I lost being Heir to Life and was banished until Starborn and Vicky deemed me fit to return. Mally, that dear, sweet life dragon with a huge crush on me is now Heir to Life...and she deserves that century back, with interest. She's already claimed me as her future mate...haha!]
[Bold move], Susie noted. [Most dragons know that trying to make a claim on a dragon as strong as you are is a poor decision, especially when said dragon is already married... but I think I can sense how you feel for her. I just hope she'll be good to you. And before you ask, she is Heir of Life here as well, but she's already claimed a mate, a Death Dragon that's about as old as she is, and we should be seeing hatchlings from them very soon. She's laid her first brood.]
[It's OK,] he replied, [Rachael's not only aware of Mally's crush, she totally supports it. She wants to make sure that I don't lose my capacity to love. And, I know that once she wants to formalize the claim, she will have some very strong whelps. You'll laugh at this one, but, the day Starborn and I met Maldriin, Vicky told us that we both had some serious fangirls in Lair. They are all wanting to get the chance to produce strong whelps with either of us. Needless to say...he and I were both quite red in the scales!]
Susie had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing so hard, and couldn't continue the conversation. Solor, however, piped up at that point, saying, [Please don't remind me of the fan girls], which elicited loud laughter from both his wife and daughter.
Edward was also chuckling...leaving the other Titans wondering what was so blasted funny.
"Spill it," Nightwing asked nicely.
"Solor plus dragon fan girls...all wanting a shot at the Killer of the Traitor," Edward said, "They all know that if a dragon is strong enough to take down a member of the Circle, especially the Traitor, they will line up to have whelps. I'll have the same problem as well given my strength. But, I have pretty much decided to grant one Heiress' claim after Rachael's death. It's part of honoring a debt that I know Maldriin there will say is already paid in full, but, this is a special life debt that I must repay somehow. Maldriin has earned my respect, many times over. She's a sweet 'kid' and being Heiress to her mother's legacy is quite an honor."
"How special?" Cyborg asked.
"Mally forfeited a century of her life to bring Rachael back to life," Edward said, "Forgive me, though...It's not something I especially like to rehash as it remains a dark stain upon my honor and the darkest time of my immortal life. You can get the Cliff Notes from Susie later on. It's not something I will ever be proud of. When one loses themselves to the Dark Side and expresses a desire to destroy Tokyo and almost killing his brother before a 2 year old whelp is able to break through...the sense of dishonor is unbearable. I wished to die that night only to have that same whelp give me more than a simple 'Gibbs Slap' and sobbing her eyes out."
Everyone turned to the hatchling, who had finally calmed down, and she glared at them. "Not now! We've got a tour to go on!" She grumbled as she walked away. "Jeez, everyone expects something right away nowadays..."
Solor chuckled a bit at Susie's behavior, before moving as well. "Edward, there should be a shower connected to my old room, if you still need it. We'll meet you on the roof when we're ready.
"And, for what it's worth...You emerged from that time a much stronger dragon. It takes great strength of the heart to admit your weaknesses to us. Then again, I know you have transferred some of your deep love for your family on all of us, especially my daughter. Most of the dragons in Lair could respect this as well. It's not easy to be so open about one's weakness. And, I will assume that the dragons of your world were forgiving of this weakness, seeing how you're still their Commander."
Edward chuckled at Susie's reaction and said, "Don't pressure her, Titans. I may just tell her to clam up and you know she will. That said, thanks for the amazing waffles, Solor. Give me 15 minutes and I'll be ready.
"And, yes, they not only forgave me, but, stood by my side in heart and spirit during my temporary banishment. Starborn and Golmul put together a video with all the soldiers under my command and they all voiced their forgiveness and loyalty. It was totally voluntary, and every single soldier showed up. When my penance was deemed complete, you should have seen them all. From the new recruit to my inner circle of advisors and the CIrcle itself, I was welcomed back with open arms. We sang that day, to mourn those lost during the rebellion, my various sires and, in keeping with tradition, we honored the Grand Darkness as well.
"That's why I owe Maldriin more than I can hope to repay."
The team wanted to glare at Edward, but, their instincts were waving a Yellow Flag, saying, "Don't annoy our guest."
It didn't take too long for everyone to get ready. Susie was on the roof first, wearing a long-sleeved shirt with a tank top over it, an image of a feather on the top shirt. Solor was next, wearing a grey shirt with a black dragon claw depiction on it and a pair of blue jeans. Raven, lastly, arrived on the roof wearing a shirt with a star design on it and capris.
"Do you want to fly around, or teleport?" Raven asked. "Either way, we might get swarmed at one point by fans."
"I want to fly today", Solor commented. "I haven't had a good day to just fly around lately, so it might be nice to just glide around the city today."
Edward came over, wearing a muscle shirt and jeans that he found in the closet. He was a bit smaller, though.
"You're looking a little smaller," Solor said, smirking.
"Yuk it up, wise guy," Edward said, "I had to morph to a slightly smaller size to fit these. Seems that they belonged to a smaller dragon at one time."
"Sorry," Solor said, "We'll pick up something more your size, then. Mind flying?"
"Not at all," Edward said, "This shirt has holes for a hybrid form, so..." he morphed to his hybrid form.
"Nice!" Solor decided, "Who taught you?"
"You did, actually," Edward replied, "When I was here last, dragons were still hidden and you suggested a hybrid form to use. This is also one of my fighting/sparring forms now. I have access to my breath weapons, durability, and everything else."
"Just how many breath weapons to you have?" Susie asked.
"Lightning is my primary range weapon," Edward said, "I also have flame and ice. When I access the Blessing of Light, I have a light beam."
"That's quite an array", Solor mused, shifting into his own hybrid form. "We'll head for where the Pizza place is. There's a statue of commemoration there for us Titans, and in the central park there's a new statue I think you'll like." Susie also shifted into a hybrid form, although it meant showing how much of a hybrid she was. From her lower lip to her stomach, there was a trail of black scales, as her hair shifted to a darker color as well. Raven, in the meantime, was lifted up in Solor's arms, similar to how Lois Lane is seen in Superman's arms from time to time as he flapped his wings, flying into the air.
"She enjoys days like these, doesn't she?" he asked Susie, who hadn't taken off yet.
"Everyone does", Susie told him. "Ever since the war ended, everyone has gotten a really good break. Now, even constant threats like the H.I.V.E. or some of the villains that joined the Brotherhood of Evil are even a minor annoyance anymore."
"Same at both homes," Edward said, "Everyone got tired of getting their rears handed to them. Gizmo hates when I tear his tech into shreds. Mammoth got tired of being slammed into the mountains 50 miles away...from here. Cinderblock is tired of Terra using his person as a punching bag. Plasmus hates with I blow a little ole fireball at him. Dr. Light is utterly terrified of Raven to this day...and he really doesn't want to tangle with me, either. Jinx is the only one who decided to give us a shot and I think she will take Raven's place at some point for a few years. Mallah wants no part of me again, especially in the joint universe. He and the Brain made a huge error of judgment freezing Soskrein. They made it deeply personal and, like her biological father or Niko Bellic...no one fucks with my family...excuse my 'French'".
Susis giggled, "Still angry at them, huh?"
"Kid, they not only saw my inner Darkness up close, they reactivated my Blessings. They saw me glowing as bright as the noon sun...on Mercury. Ruuvak told them that I was building up to a killing level of power and would likely die if they didn't surrender. Needless to say, when Mallah put his paws in the air, the Brain didn't have a leg to stand on...HAHA!"
The joke fell flat, though.
"Hmph, at least that was better than 'Check it out everyone...BRAIN FREEZE.'" he griped.
"Don't tell me," Raven groaned, "Beast Boy in the joint universe also said that stupid joke?"
"Yeah...but the then thawed Soskrein used a Tear to get behind Beast Boy and took a page outta your book...smacked him pretty hard. When we showed the footage to Starborn, he was wiping tears of laughter away watching Soskrein taking a bow as the assembled Titans cheered her as Beast Boy grumbled that she was hanging around both Ravens too much."
Solor, Raven and Susie had also started to laugh, picturing that scene in their mind.
"Did she get punished?" Susie asked.
"Are you kidding me?" Edward said, "I was laughing too hard to chastise her, so was Kreinyol. Hard to chastise her for that when everyone would have been giving me the glare of doom. Dragons, my dear, aren't the only ones who glare when they are angry. Heck, Glaring from a dragon is mild. When they are growling and snarling at you or breathing smoke your way...you've incurred their wrath. If memory serves, that night, I allowed her an extra dessert of ice cream. She had earned it. In fact, I gave her Beast Boy's dessert. He was not happy that night."
They took to the skies and started over to the City. Solor leading the way, flying towards the Pizza joint. Edward could see a few different stores in the buildings nearby, but the favorite restaurant was still standing tall. In front of it was what looked to be a large T-shaped sculpture, with a plaque that said "In Thanks of the Valiant Acts of the Titans of Jump City". It was marked to say it was paid for by donations collected from all over the city, and created by a single artist in the year following the Dark War.
Many people looked up, seeing the Titans flying through the air and waving at Solor, Raven, and Susie. A few of the braver pedestrians also waved to Edward, recognizing him as a dragon like Solor. The group smiled and waved back as best as they could, moving onward.
"So, someone gathered all the donations to make that?" Edward asked as they landed near the statue.
"Yeah", Solor said. "It was anonymously donated to the city and offered to us as thanks for our constant vigil. Of course, that's not the best part of the tour. Next big landmark is in the park further south from here."
"Impressive," Edward said, "It captures the feel of the tower."
"Glad you like it", Solor said. He then took the group to the park, where a much more impressive piece was. A large, metal dragon sculpture stood there, and when they got close, Edward could see it was almost a perfect scaled replica of Solor in his true form. His wings were spread wide, his head pointed and at attention, while his tail was wrapped around his own feet. The plaque at the base of this 10 foot tall statue held the information Edward was looking for on it. It was a present of good faith, given from the humans to the dragons, and upon Solor's request, placed here to show he watches over them all, from the old to the young, and he would not abandon them in their time of need. Some children were even sitting at the metal dragon's talons, reading or playing games or drawing on the ground nearby.
"Solor," Edward said, looking at this statue, "I am so proud of you...Brother. You are not a brother by blood, but, a soul brother. This captures your true heart. The one that Iilahkun did not live long enough to see, however, I know in my heart that she is smiling with a mother's pride. She would be so proud of the dragon you have become. You have gone from a long held grudge against humanity, to one who I can see considers mortals as equals. This is the dragon I helped Starborn become, but, I cannot be any prouder of you, Filkiin, Heir of Light."
Some folks had gathered and when Edward stopped talking, they applauded.
"Edward," Solor said, "You honor me greatly with your words from the heart. It took me a long time to learn that lesson, even without your assistance here. And, thank you for speaking for my mother as I see now that you do know her." That got a blush out of the elder Dragon for a moment.
Edward pulled out his communicator and set it to take pictures.
"Excuse me, sir?" Edward asked the nearest guy, "Would you honor us by taking a group picture next to the statue?"
"It would be my pleasure..."
"Name's Edward," he said, "I am a friend of Solor's from Lair." It was technically the truth.
"Push this button to take the picture. Give it a moment to focus," Edward said next.
"Susie, Raven...You're part of this as well," Solor said gathering his family and one new friend close.
The gentleman snapped several pictures and handed the communicator/camera back.
Solor was about to tell Edward about their plan for their next stop, but he paused a moment, looking behind the hybrid. Quickly, he averted his eyes, and for a second, Edward was confused... until a familiar voice spoke up. "I would like to see your face, Child of the Circle." When he turned, he was greeted with Sol's human face, and Edward immediately knew this wasn't his biological father.
"Hello, father", Solor said. "This is the dragon I told you about, Edward Barnes. He is-"
"I know who he is", Sol said in a monotone, showing no emotion. However, Edward could feel the maelstrom under his demeanor. "He is a hybrid, like your daughter, my son. Born of all seven clans, immortal, powerful beyond his years." Finally, the maelstrom seemed to calm, and all Edward could feel was a reluctant acceptance as Sol put his hand on his shoulder. "And... my firstborn son, had my Iilah laid an egg. I would recognize the kindness in those eyes anywhere."
Edward merely averted his gaze as tradition dictated and said, "It is an honor to be in the presence of the Grand Light, and, you honor me with your words."
Sol shook his head, surprising Edward by pulling him into a hug. "You honor me, Edward of the Circle. I know now that, should you have been born in this world... you would make me proud to be your father." He pulled back, smiling a bit. "As soon as Solor mentioned a visiting dragon and my first mate, I knew there was something going on. And I am sorry for the sudden contact... I could not contain my emotions when I saw my late wife in your eyes."
Edward had returned the hug after recovering from the surprise and said, "There's no need for apologies, Grand Light..."
"To you, I am merely Sol," he said, "While I appreciate the respect and honor, you are the son I should have had. Tell me...is Iilah alive in your realm?"
Edward nodded, "She is, Sol. She is elderly as you can imagine. And, she does not have many years before the First takes her home. She lives with me and my team of Titans, but, when it is her time; she has requested to be laid to rest next to Iilahkun and eventually your counterpart's cairn. If I am permitted to, I would like to show you a picture. However, I know from your counterpart, it took centuries for him to move on, so, if you desire to turn this down, I will understand.
"You have my heartfelt condolences, though. I am grieved to the heart that Iilah is with the First and that her efforts to have me failed."
"I... I cannot", Sol said. "I buried her before. I cannot go through with this." He felt a stray tear fall down his cheek, and hastily wiped it away. "I came only to meet you, my son. And I know now that I will not remember this." He looked to Solor. "You know my son so well, but he does not know you, so we must be the Prime. But... for all that counts... you have made an old dragon very happy. I appreciate your coming out here."
Edward smiled and replied, "You're very welcome. I do understand where you are coming from, Sol. Might I be permitted to visit Lair? Visit Iilah's tomb and honor her life in the old tradition, perhaps? Forgive me if I presume too much, though."
"You will be hurt enough when you will lose her in your time", Sol said, shaking his head. "She may not have birthed you, but she is still the same dragon you know. There is no point in seeing what this future holds for you when you know you will face it so soon. But if you wish to honor her... then spend time with her in your world. She may be watching you with pride and love in her heart.
"Outside of that, I would invite your presence within Lair, my son."
"That is true," Edward said, "She does look upon me with a mother's pride whenever she sees me. As for love, when I was born, Feylfil was stunned to see my scales changing colors and brought me to the Circle where they made the difficult decision to send me to the universe I call home. I'll call Mother Nova here. Well Nova was so desperate to have me in her life, when the Circle refused to recover me, she cast a Tear without permission. It spat her out in my universe and in my time. In fact, her arrival pulled me away from Starborn's universe as the final acts of the war played out. That is how deep her love is for me."
Edward gave it a thought and said, "I'll be here for a few more days. There is one thing we could do, with your permission: Get a picture of the two of us and then the 'family'. My teams and Circle would be pleased to see that at least. And, as I will have to remember for all of us, I'd like the picture to keep close to my heart."
Sol nodded, "That, I will consent to."
"Of course," Edward said, "I am a guest here and as the Lair here is not my home, I will respect your rules, regulations and restrictions like any other Dragon."
"I will hold you to that one," Sol said, "Even though it won't matter after you leave, I would like to know what your name is in your Lair."
"Starborn named me 'Kiinnum', and that is the name the dragons in Lair call me during my visits as well as handling other Lair business," Edward said.
Raven offered to take the pictures this time around and Edward merely nodded.
After the pictures were taken, Sol pulled Edward into a hug and said, "I wish that you could stay longer, son." He was trying not to show any weakness due to the strangers around and Edward said quietly, "You should deal with these feelings, Sol. I can shield us from prying eyes."
He said the mantra and a dome formed to give Sol some privacy for a moment.
"It's just family now," Edward said, "If you need to vent or sing for a bit, it's all right. You are going through the same feelings Nova and I went through, if I understand my parents right."
Sol did sing a short song that only they heard.
When he was done, "I have overstayed, my sons. Ed...Kiinnum, thank you for allowing this old man a chance to see, even temporarily, the son I should have had. The son who could have been my Heir. You certainly have the strength that Solor has on so many levels that would have made you worthy, and, maybe ended the war sooner. I must depart. Solor, between us: I apologize for speaking so harshly to you yesterday."
Solor replied, "It's all right, Father. I was not offended. I will see you back in Lair soon."
"I know," Sol said.
"One thing I wish you could remember after I leave, though," Edward said, "Let Solor and Raven have a child. I know the unpredictability of mixing Dragon and mortal DNA first hand. Starborn's daughter with his Starfire has a unique mix. She has a Tamaranian's upper body, plus wings. Her lower half is the tail of a dragon. She prefers to be called a naga...and we all adore her immensely despite her form."
"I'd like to help him, but, the Circle ruled against that," Sol said, "Maybe someday, we may reconsider it."
Edward said, "That's all anyone could ask regardless. But, there's a strong chance that a child of Raven and Solor would actually be OK. I'll leave you with this picture of my daughter, Callisto." He pulled the copy and showed Sol the two pictures of Cally: One in her native dragon form, the other in her human form.
Sol said, "Interesting. But, you know it's your Dark DNA that is balancing everything out. As she has children, and future generations as well, that will become diluted and it becomes unpredictable. But, I really need to leave, sons."
"My apologies," Edward said, "I should not have detained you. But, I hope on some level, you will find peace. May the First bless you and keep you."
The dome collapsed and Sol smiled, "Thank you for the honor of seeing what could have been. Farewell, Edward. Susie and Raven, I will see you two again. Take care of my granddaughter."
"Rest assured in that," Raven said.
"Bye, Grandpa," Susie said. Sol walked over and actually hugged them for a moment.
He departed then and Solor said, "That was a surprise. I did not expect Father to want to see what could have been. His reaction yesterday was rather angry. To see him this emotional is rare."
Susie nodded. "I was surprised he hugged me... he usually just... talks to me sometimes. I don't get a lot of interaction with him."
"He doesn't know how to act, sweetie", Raven told her. "You're technically the first hybrid dragon... ever. He's swimming in unfamiliar waters. Just give him more time... he'll be spoiling you crazy soon."
Solor turned to Edward with a smile on his face. "Thank you, Brother... even if it's a small act, you seem to bring out the best in everyone."
"Tell that to the enemies of the Titans," Edward groused, "Or some Dark dragons like Nightmare and especially Malchior. Both found out as they were killed just how angry I truly can become. Makes the old Solor look like a mewling kitten. No offense."
"None taken", Solor said, smirking. "I don't want to be old Solor anymore, anyway. He was angry, and distant. I like who I am now."
"The old Solor was an ass, I'll admit," Edward said, "When I was here before, you were starting to undergo this transformation on your own. First time I met him in my home universe, he came really close to getting a serious attitude adjustment insulting my family, and, I wasn't even at my full potential. However, I am glad that didn't happen.
"And, I know Raven here loves this new Solor. Part of me is a tiny bit jealous, but, make no mistake. You and Raven make one awesome couple here."
"You know me too well, Edward," Raven replied with a smirk.
"You're a carbon copy of my wife and her own counterpart," Edward replied, "Soon as I realized you and Solor are mates, I knew that both of you treat each other very well. I know that you two get into disagreements, but, come through the fire stronger. Same with Rachael and I. We sometimes disagree on things and we both compromise in the end. I think I can count on one hand the times we really argued. Thing is, we always kiss and make up. Sometimes, it takes a little..."
"Can we fly and talk?" Susie asked, "I'm getting anxious for the Ice Cream!"
"That's the last on the list, kid," Edward said, "And before you give me the glare of doom, you don't want the sugar rush to exhaust itself in flight, right?"
She still glared for a moment before sighing.
"I think we can make a change", Solor said. "There isn't too much changing, though there's a new residential district at the forest where Thunder and Lightning started their hero debut. Besides, I'm sure you'll like meeting Jimmy."
Raven nodded. "Afterwards, if you want, Solor can take you to Lair for your flyby. Sol already okayed it, so the only thing you gotta worry about now is facing the Circle unexpectedly."
"I do think that a flyover is the only thing that I should do," Edward replied, "Granted, I cannot expect to get away with greeting some dragons, and, that includes the other members of the Circle. I know that they will have to be curious at best."
"Knowing that they'll be wondering why my father made an unscheduled visit here... yeah, they're gonna be curious", Solor stated. "But, that's not a big deal. If they want to talk to you, as long as you remember our customs, you should be fine." His wings unfurled again. "Now, come on. There's a really good ice cream shop we should be going to."
"Yes!" Susie immediately agreed. "The best ice cream in the world!"
"That good, huh?" Edward stated. "I dunno, I've tried-"
"IN. THE. WORLD."
"Well, then I have to check it out, don't I?" Edward responded with a grin. "Someone's excited."
"She's just excited because Jimmy's sweet on kids, and gives her an extra scoop for free", Raven told Edward. "We'll pay for one... discounted for us, of course, and he'll give her a second scoop."
"He might try to give you a scoop for free, too", Solor stated. "Refuse his offer and let us pay for it. You're our guest, and besides, if you don't have this in your world, you'll never get another chance to have any."
"Works for me," Edward said, "Lead the way, Susie."
The youngster didn't have to be told twice and she was off to the races.
"Me and my big, fat mouth," Edward groused as they raced to catch the excited kid.
"Susie!" Solor called, "Wait up...Us old folks can't keep up!" That got a mock glare out of Edward and a for real glare out of Susie for a moment.
But, she did slow down regardless.
"You're no fun," She said as the rest of the crew caught up.
"We just don't want you flying headfirst into a billboard", Raven stated. "Lord knows your father has done that enough."
"You can't be serious", Solor said, letting out a groan. "None of those count! Every time that happened, that was Mammoth, Cinderblock, or a dragon hitting me with a golf swing!"
"Does to. It caused your face to end up on the front page showing you replacing a woman advertising McDonalds."
Edward broke out laughing.
"HAHAHA...You know I shall have to look that up in the archives, right?" he asked.
"Yuk it up," Solor groused, "You can at least teleport out of the way."
"Sure thing, Prey," Edward said, causing Solor's eyes to go wide, "Just kidding! I want to get this stuff done...and taking time for even a short chase might get too many people curious."
"Probably a good idea", Raven stated. "One time, Susie tried to make a break for the city in a game. We had to calm down a lot of people, who were all wondering why our daughter was trying to escape into the city from the tower."
"And Edward, if we do play that game", Solor began, glaring at the older dragon, "we do NOT play by that alternate rule. I'm not getting tickled again."
"You tickle the prey if you catch them in your world?" Raven asked, startled. "What started that tradition?"
"Soskrein did by mistake," Edward said, "When she was a couple of months old, she had accidentally discovered her dad's extremely ticklish. It was supposed to be just between he and Kreinyol, but the rest of the team found out via Beast Boy and Terra. And when Starborn introduced the game to us to help Susie learn more about tactics and strategy, it became a thing, since she herself is inherently ticklish as well."
Susie glared at Edward. "Dad's right, we're not playing by those rules ever."
"I dunno, now it sounds like a fun addition", Solor said in a teasing tone.
"DAD, I SWEAR TO THE FIRST-"
"Easy, Soskrein, I'm only joking", Solor said, chuckling. But Edward felt a twinge of panic in the prime's heart, and one from Raven as well. There was something they hadn't told him about, and he would have to ask later on when Susie wasn't nearby.
Eventually, the group arrived at a large ice cream shop, labeled as Jump's Scoop. As they entered, a large man, who looked to be in his mid thirties, looked up from the ice cream tubs, bearing a huge grin. "Hey, if it ain't my favorite customers!" he said, his eastern accent very apparent. "How you guys doin'?"
"Doing alright, Jimmy", Solor said, walking over and shaking the man's hand. "It's a nice day, so I figured I'd take the family for some ice cream. Plus, we're running low on our favorite flavors back home."
"Of course, it's been about two weeks", Jimmy said, the grin never fading. "I'll get your usual order ready." He turned to Soskrein, reaching over and ruffling her hair a bit. "How ya doin', Susie?"
"You're lucky I like you", she grumbled, fixing her hair a bit. "Otherwise, you'd be in Antarctica for that."
"You love me all the same, Miss Grumpy Scales, or else you'd've done it by now", the man said, chuckling. He reached out for Raven's hand. "And of course, I have to say hello to the lovely Raven Roth, don't I?"
Raven smirked, allowing him to take her hand and gently kiss it. "Why can't you be more like him, Solor? He knows how to treat a woman", she teased.
"Yeah, but he knows that he's the only one who can get away with it", Solor said, smirking. "If he tried anything else, he'd be long gone by now. Plus, I know your heart already is mine."
"Cocky jerk", Raven said, but smiled anyway, as Jimmy turned to Edward.
"And this is a new face!" Jimmy exclaimed, throwing his hands up. "Solor, if you keep bringing me more customers, I'm gonna have to hire more employees!"
"Jimmy, this is Edward, he's visiting from Lair, actually," Solor said, "He was sent by the Circle to see how things are here."
"Well, it's an honor to meet you, Edward", Jimmy said, smiling at the hybrid. "Tell you what; I'll give you any flavor of your choice for free. You got the run of the store."
"That won't be necessary", Solor said. "I already offered to pay for him."
"And I'm tellin' ya, you ain't gonna tell me how to run my damn store", Jimmy shot back. "Now, either ya let me give away a scoop of ice cream, or I take away that Titan's discount."
"I want to pay full price!" Solor stated, starting to sound exasperated. "I have no problem paying for the ice cream in full!"
"And we've lost them", Raven said, as the two men started bickering. "They're gonna argue over this for five minutes, Jimmy'll eventually win, and you get a scoop for free."
"Really?" Edward asked, staring. "If you knew this was gonna happen, why didn't you say anything to Solor earlier?"
"She's tried before", Susie interjected. "He never listens."
"Fine," Edward snarled, "I know how to settle this." He started heading out the door saying, "i did not come here to be the cause of a blasted fight. When you guys decide to let Solor pay, I'll be outside."
Jimmy's eyes widened as Edward headed out the door.
"All right!" Jimmy said, "You win this one. Solor can pay, and, I'll even keep the discount. But, would you allow me to give an extra scoop, like I do with Susie?"
Edward pretended to hesitate for a moment and turned around, "That's a fair compromise, if Solor is agreeable, that is."
"... I'll allow it this time", Solor finally conceded, sighing. "But Jimmy, you gotta let us pay. We may be your favorite customers, but you're gonna lose money if you keep giving us ridiculous discounts and free stuff."
"Are you kidding? It's because of you that I got this shop in the first place!" Jimmy stated. "If you guys didn't start coming here, I wouldn't have made enough money to not only keep the store, but make my own ice cream! I'd probably still be selling cheap, crappy slop instead of the high quality stuff!"
[Well played!] Susie commented.
[Works 99% of the time, kiddo,] Edward replied, [I figured that Jimmy wanted the business more than losing several customers...or the prospect of that happening here.]
Edward smirked as he walked over to the freezer bins and saw the standard fair, but, he also saw a couple he had never seen before that looked, at least color wise, like a bronze dragon he knew, and there were others that looked like they were based on the other Titans. He saw one that certainly looked like Cyborg's cybernetics when he was powered up. Another was orange with hints of lime green.
"What is this flavor?" Edward asked.
Jimmy got a small wooden sampler spoon and got Edward a taste.
Edward tasted it and his eyes widened, "Oh...my. I've never tasted anything like this. I'm not sure what to say this is, but, I will take a bowl of this. Is this color based on Solor's scales?"
"It is, actually," Jimmy said, "He was a customer before those Dark Dragons attacked and took care to make sure that I didn't lose my shop. Sure, there was a little damage to the building, but, it wasn't anything that wasn't fixable. Heck, we might squabble a bit, but, this Titan's discount goes for the whole team, not just Solor and his family. Yes, I do lose a little bit with this discount, but, it's covered by the amount of people that visit, especially when there's another award or plaque to put on my wall. Also, this is where Susie really went on a feeding frenzy. It's an interesting story."
"I heard about that earlier, actually," Edward said, "Much to the munchkin's chagrin, I must say."
"Please don't go into detail", Susie begged quietly, wishing she had a hood to hide her blush.
"Ah, don't worry, Miss Grumpy, I won't." He smirked as he went into the back. "I actually have a new flavor, so hold on just a minute." It only took a short while, and when he came back, he put the huge tub into an empty space on the counter. What the team saw was what looked to be a swirled tub, filled with vanilla and chocolate intertwining, mixed with chocolate pieces, both milk chocolate and white. Susie's eyes widened by a huge amount, her blush fading almost instantly as she stared. Then she looked down, seeing the new name being put in place.
"'Soskrein'", she read out. "Jimmy, you didn't have to-"
"I know", the man said, pulling out a scoop and handing it over to her. "But I know you like Strawberry more. This is more of my own way to honor you, since people still come in to hear the story, and you've become an important part of not only the dragon world, but this city as well. So, just accept this one, on the house, and tell me what you think."
Susie was silent for a moment, taking a tentative lick. She gave a small smile, looking to the man with gratitude. "It's delicious... I'm sure it'll become really popular."
"Glad you like it", Jimmy said. "Now, how about I get you a scoop of strawberry to go with it, and your parents' usuals as well? What would you like, Edward?"
"One scoop of the Solor based ice cream and one of Soskrein's flavor, please, in a bowl, though," Edward requested, "Based on the namesake's reaction, that's good enough for me."
Jimmy complied and got the order ready. When he was done, he rang up the same, with a deep discount.
They found a table to occupy and dug in. Solor was enjoying his Chocolate while Raven liked her vanilla.
Susie was beside herself, though having the extra Ice Cream. Edward was of the opinion that this was a rare exception to their rule, seeing how Jimmy honored the teenager with the first scoop of the new flavor. It was something that Edward would approve of back home.
"You know..." Solor stated, thinking carefully. "If he does exist in your world, he might still be working in the old shop. It was called Jim's Ice Cream. He couldn't afford anything really fancy before I found it and kept him afloat."
"What drew you to this shop?" Edward asked, "Jimmy said he was selling 'cheap, crappy slop' before. Almost like he was buying mass-produced ice cream."
"Well, I kept the store from being destroyed during a mission", Solor stated. "Cyborg was sent flying to it, and I managed to intercept him in time, keeping the store from being destroyed. He sent me some of his homemade ice cream as thanks, and I helped him out by investing in his shop so that he could make the gems he has today. Naturally, his business skyrocketed, and I've got my investment back in interest, though I still wish he'd let me pay fully for it. It's worth every penny."
"It's not cheap to make your own Ice Cream on site, yet, I think Jimmy is onto something here," Edward replied, taking another bite, "I wonder if he'll consent to letting me take a look around, maybe get some recipes. Not like I'd be competing with him."
"Go ahead and ask", Solor said. "He might be a bit tight lipped, though... so if you want some ice cream, you'll want to buy some tubs for yourself." He then tapped into the link. [Especially if you're gonna do what I think you're gonna do and take some with you for your Jimmy, if you can find him.]
[Crap,] Edward said, [I did not bother bringing any cash due to the possibility that the paper money would be different here...There went that idea. Certainly can't tell Jimmy that I'm from a different Lair. I certainly cannot ask for someone from my realms to ship me over a couple hundred dollars.]
Solor smirked, then called out to Jimmy. "Hey, would you mind doubling our order for the Tower? Edward would like to take some home to Lair with him."
"You got it!" Jimmy said casually. "I'll get it all together when you're ready!"
Solor glanced over at Edward, giving him a kind smile. [Will that do, Brother?]
[Hell, yeah! Thanks, Brother!] Edward exclaimed. That got a chuckle out of Raven and Susie, though.
[Do I have any reason to get jealous, Edward?] Raven said in a teasing tone. [You keep up the praise and I might not get any time with him anymore.]
Susie, on the other hand, mentally groaned. [I really don't want to know what you and Dad do behind closed doors, so please don't go into detail...]
[Says the pre-teen who says she's allowed to use swear words,] Edward teased back, [Your parents shouldn't have to go into intimate detail if you're also deemed mature enough to watch R-Rated films.]
[Hey, I fight crime part-time] Susie countered. [I fight way worse than some dumb robot.]
[Did she just call the Terminator a dumb robot?] Raven asked, smirking. [Cyborg would be ashamed of you, young lady.]
[Stop ganging up on me!]
[Susie,] Edward said, [It's all in good fun, all right?! Man, you're worse than Spock and McCoy sometimes...Haha!]
[ARE YOU OUTTA YOUR VUL...I MEAN DRAGON MIND?!] she said.
[Told ya,] Raven said, [She takes after McCoy at times, but, then, she goes all Spock with the cold logic.]
However, before anyone else could interject, Solor decided to cut it short. [Alright, I think she's had enough. Susie, you okay?]
[I'm... I'm fine. Just a slight flare up... as soon as I meditate, I'll be okay], the Twilight hatchling said, all humor gone from her voice. Apparently, something happened that only Solor sensed.
[Go on home, then. We'll handle the payment.]
Edward was worried, though, [Hey, kid...I didn't mean to set you off. My bad. Listen, we'll be back later and we can meditate together, if you'd like?]
[No, it's okay.] She got up, sighing as she took her remaining ice cream with her. [It's not you, Edward... it's... her.] She didn't say anything else, and started to leave via a portal. Once it was down, Raven turned to Solor, frowning.
[It was her again?] she asked. [We haven't heard from her in a long time...]
[I know... I wish we could have gone a little longer, but I suppose it can't be helped.]
[Who?] Edward asked. [I've never dealt with whoever you two are describing. Is something wrong with Susie?]
[We're talking about Susie] Solor said, sending Edward a mental image. It was the same Soskrein, but instead of red eyes and a warm smile, her eyes were glowing a bright purple, and her grin was full of malice and sadistic delight. [Or... her darker side, Sosvulon. You know of Raven's emoticlones, correct?]
[Of course,] Edward said, [They tend to pipe up in our link at times, and, I do visit Nevermore a bit. Timid is rather fond of me as I take the time to help her deal with her timidness. When Trigon invaded, he injured her before tossing her aside. That alone warranted a rather severe beatdown. But, corrupting my fiancee at the time...I ripped his god-damned throat out. But, who is Sosvulon here? I don't have a memory of a counterpart in my realm.]
[Sosvulon is... a very powerful emoticlone, to put it in simple terms], Raven said sadly. At this point, her ice cream was gone and she threw her cup away. [Susie, as soon as her dark powers woke up, began training with me, and tried her best to keep to her father's teachings about morality. However, Sosvulon is her dark nature. Every selfish wish, every angry thought... Sosvulon is all of her darkness, while Soskrein clings to the light.]
[She's come out in very extreme circumstances], Solor continued. [One time was when she was fighting Vilea during the war. She actually managed to scare her and force her to retreat. But... we can't help her with her inner darkness. It's as much a part of her as every smile that I love to see on her face. As much as I wish that we could be rid of it... I know that Sosvulon will be with my daughter for the rest of her life.]
[Vilea...the one I know...doesn't scare easily. To hear that she was forced to retreat is troublesome in itself,] Edward mused, [That explains the tinge of Darkness I heard in the link. Soskrein back home has a similar problem, but, she has two Ravens and her uncle by her side. My Darkness does emerge as well and it took a while for me to be able to let that out in measured doses. It's escaped my control once and I paid a heavy, heavy price for it. The loss of respect of the Circle, the loss of trust from them after an incident in Japan triggered a deep depression. The Vilea I know and actually have learned to love despite her crimes and Starborn teamed up to help. She's a half-sibling to me and she really wanted to repay me. But, I wonder if my niece also has this issue. I will have to check, but, her darkness seems to be under control. Her powers awakened when I was banished here the first time...and was barely two at the time.]
[She was three], Solor said. [She saw me protecting Raven from a dark dragon, and her powers awakened to fight off another dragon that was trying to sneak up on me. And before you ask, no I didn't take her to a mission, there was a sneak attack.]
[I wasn't gonna ask], Edward countered.
[Sorry, everyone just asks that because she's a Titan at a really young age], Raven said. [It's second nature.]
[She was protecting her father,] Edward said, [That's all I needed to know.] He also had finished his treat and tossed the cup away.
This is something I have to note in tonight's report, Edward thought, Maybe Vicky might have some insight?
[How dangerous is Susie's Darkness?] Edward replied, [This isn't for my report to the Circle. It's something that Starborn and Kreinyol need to know as well.]
[Very], Solor said. [If she loses herself, Susie will likely attack anything near her before she regains control. Sosvulon has never actually been in full control, though, so I can't tell you how dangerous she is. But if I can get to her, or Raven can, we can calm her down.]
[It takes someone she loves deeply to break through, then,] Edward surmised, [I'm the same way, actually. Of course, my Rachael can break through by calming those emotions with her empathic powers...But, I also listen to her. Not saying you two do not listen to one another. Ruuvak also can get through because in my mind and heart, they are twins. Starfire can as well as my Terra. Susie, though...she's had to practically knock me out a few times, but, that was when I was in a very dark place. Usually, though, she doesn't have to resort to a 'Gibbs slap' to get through.]
[Well, at last you'll be all set if it ever comes to that], Solor said. [I wish I could tell you more about this, but I'm still learning myself. You know as much as I do.] He finally turned to Jimmy, speaking aloud. "Jimmy, I think we're ready for that delivery."
"Alright, I'll get it all set for you. Are you guys just gonna send it to the Tower?"
"Yeah, we are", Raven said as well. "Edward, could you go check on Susie? Solor will be there shortly to take you to Lair for your flyby... I just want to make sure she's alright."
"Of course," Edward replied, "Take your time coming back, though. Jimmy, I'll take it with me. I can get it to the Tower the same way Raven and Susie can teleport."
"We will," Solor said as he got up to pay for the ice cream.
[There's a reason I want you two to take your time,] Edward said, [Mainly for what Raven said. The other part is for the mission. There will be a day or time when I might not be available to calm Soskrein's darkness even though she currently has a handle on it. Knowing more about Susie will help everyone back home. I know when Kreinyol does join the First, Susie may not react well. Then again, I would have two very hurt dragons on my hands, plus my own emotions. Please give me 15 minutes or so, I'll contact you through the link if needed.]
[That's fine,] Raven replied.
Jimmy had put the order into two crates and even marked who got what.
"I threw in a couple containers of Susie's new flavor, Edward," Jimmy said, "Solor's already paid for them."
"Thanks, man!" Edward said, "I was pleasantly surprised by the taste, texture and overall quality in the ice cream. I think my friends will enjoy this as well. I'll make sure to keep this well below zero."
"Don't go under -50, though," Jimmy said, "Everything would be..."
"Hard as steel," Edward finished, "Trust me, I know all about temps that cold. My ice breath, at full power, can actually leech liquid oxygen out of the air."
Jimmy whistled, "Damn, that's COLD!"
"In fact, Jimmy," Edward said, "The best way to get crystals of water ice any finer is to use Liquid Nitrogen to mix this up."
"How did you know that?" Jimmy asked in a lower voice, "That's my secret: Using liquid nitrogen to help set the ice cream. But, it's tricky stuff."
"Also quite dangerous," Edward noted, "But, we know that, so, I won't state the obvious dangers here. You take care, man. I gotta get back to the Tower. Solor, Raven, I'll meet you back there."
Jimmy extended his hand and said, "Thanks for not leaving earlier."
Edward said, "Actually, I would have come back in after a moment. Susie would have been most angry and, I have a feeling that is not advisable." He shook the man's hand and picking up the two crates said the mantra and teleported back to the tower that way.
"Whoa!" Cyborg said when Edward emerged from the dome, "You guys went all out on the Ice Cream!"
"Half of this supply is for my teams back home," Edward said, "Jimmy has a new flavor, though. It's named after Susie, and, I must recommend that the team try it after dinner. Where's the deep freeze at?"
Cyborg's eye widened as he relieved Edward of one of the crates and headed to the walk in freezer.
"Susie came home a few minutes ago," Edward said, "For some reason her Dark persona almost emerged at Jimmy's. Is she around? Raven asked me to check up on her."
"That explains the funk she was in," Cyborg said, "She's down by the water, I think."
"Nice relaxing and calming spot," Edward noted with a smile, "Tell you what...you keep the others away from the treats and make sure that they don't bother Susie and I; I'll talk Solor into letting you get an extra bowl. If you're like your counterparts, I know that Ice Cream is a top five food for you. Or I'll make my ought to be patented lasagna...so good that it would send Garfield the Cat into a state of ultimate Nirvana. And the vegan I make for the green guy is just as good."
"Ohhh...I'll take the lasagna, then," Cyborg said.
"And, later on, I would like to enjoy your triple meat pasta sauce," Edward said, "I really like when Stone and Victor make theirs."
"I would, but, Solor banished me from the kitchen," was the reply.
"Leave that to me, then," Edward said smirking.
When the ice cream was all stored, Edward headed to the rocky shore of the tower, where Susie was meditating calmly. She had a similar mantra to Raven, and it seemed that she had control now. But Edward could feel that inner darkness twisting around inside of her, obviously not pleased.
"Susie?" he asked, getting close. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine", she said. "She's just been... antsy. I haven't gotten into a fight recently, so she's been acting up a bit."
"Susie, your parents told me about one of the few times Sosvulon got out", Edward said, sitting down beside her. "Can you explain how that happened? If you've been training as long as I think you have, you must have been severely hurt, emotionally."
Susie remained silent for a moment, forgetting her mantra as she switched from the lotus position to a regular sitting position, with her feet dangling above the water. "... I didn't tell my parents... but when I attacked Vilea with my darkness... I let her out. I saw Vilea... and I heard about what she did... and I was so angry. I wanted her to pay. I wanted her to die. So... I contacted my darkness." She let out a humorless chuckle, tears filling her eye. "'Do what you want', I said. 'Torture her, kill her, make her suffer. Do whatever, just make her pay for what she did to Dad.' I relinquished all control. Eventually, she escaped... and my Darkness didn't like that. So it started rampaging, and I couldn't rein it back in. I was... too lost in my own anger."
Edward pulled her into a hug and said, "Letting the inner Darkness out is always a risk, I have learned. It wants whatever it can get for its own ends and doesn't care who gets hurt in the process. It's all your negative emotions wrapped up in one emoticlone. All your anger, selfishness, jealousy, Envy and your hatred. You're angry at Vilea for what she did to your dad and you hate her with every fiber of your being.
"I hated her counterpart as well for what she did to Soskrein's dad, and I hated Oblaan even more. But, what I hated most is what I am capable of doing. In my realm, Soskrein had two other siblings. Starborn and I infiltrated the Dark Lair to try to prevent the summoning of Trigon. They had captured Ruuvak's soul-self and one Twilight dragon has already hatched, so, I caused a distraction and ... broke the little one's neck. I should have teleported it to a safe spot, but, my mission didn't allow for that.
"The second one also died. Sacrificed to bring Trigon into that realm. But, Trigon didn't get the chance to take over. Starborn and I combined forces to defeat him. Rachael, Raven and I expelled Trigon forever. Oblaan then arrived and, boy was he PISSED. He petrified everyone, except Starborn and myself. But, when Kreinyol was petrified, it was Oblaan's last mistake, ever. Starborn's body shone as bright as many stars as he accessed a Primal Blessing. Oblaan's last feeling was one of terror as his body was vaporized.
"When we were in Lair a month later to determine Soskrein's fate, the Circle decided to let her live. Vicky decided to let Starborn and Kreinyol raise Soskrein and departed. I flew after her and told her that I was forgiving her, despite what she had done."
Susie looked surprised, "Why would you forgive someone so evil?"
"Because she had changed sides, sweety," Edward said, "I was remorseful for taking the life of a completely innocent newly hatched whelp. Starborn and I had captured her and Soskrein hatched at the same time. Starborn refused to kill the baby and those two acts, I think, got her to switch sides. For there to be healing, dear Susie, there must be forgiveness as well. She asked me why as well."
"You've mentioned a very dark time in your life," Susie said, "I take it something happened that caused your inner Darkness to get loose?"
Edward then spent the next 5 minutes telling Susie about that night in Japan and when he was done, Susie wept. Her heart breaking over Edward's pain from that time.
"How did you manage to keep in control all this time?" she asked a few minutes later, after she calmed down.
"Usually my Darkness is content to let me fight the battles," he said, "But, there are times when I let it out to help me deal with a villain or even in a sparring match. But, I still am in control, for the most part. There's been a few times when it's come close to taking over completely, but, it knows one thing: I would rather die before letting that happen again. My Darkness knows this all to well and doesn't cross that line. It's something I have learned to live with. It's always there, coiled like a rattlesnake waiting for the right time.
"What helps Soskrein as well as myself is that there's family beside the both of us. A family of Titans who has our backs. It's interesting, but, highly beneficial."
Susie looked at Edward and sighed, "She's never going to go away, though."
"As you get older, you and her will have to come to an agreement," Edward said, "When I was in Colonial New York in the year 1750, I stumbled across a man in his early 40s and his family. I was taken back by their lack of survival skills and their, at the time, odd clothing. It turned out that this man and his family were banished from their home...and their original time.
"You see, they were from this time period. One of their enemies who eventually became one of my enemies altered the timeline and changed history. When history was restored to what it should be, he, his wife and baby were sent back. They were actually supposed to die in the wilderness, except there was one unforeseen variable: Me.
"Now, the reason I am telling you this is because my eventual honor brother back then has his own inner Darkness. An entity merely known as the Child. He was an alternate personality to my friend and, well, those who tasted of the Child's wrath, unless they were really stupid, did not want another taste. He had the ability, for one, to shoot Dark Fire that would burn flesh and freeze the soul at the same time. He could also split off of David's body totally. But, he and I were allies due to being on the same side and battled together many times."
"Didn't folks back then want to kill him for being a witch...or you for being the spawn of the devil?" Susie asked.
"Some folks tried to kill him, some several times," Edward replied, "But, the Child had an extreme form called the Destroyer who would emerge. Sweetie, the Destroyer would have killed Vilea and even without a Primal Blessing may have done serious damage to the Traitor. Both the Child and Destroyer ate Darkness like it was candy and that fueled their respective powers. I know Oblaan shot a beam of Darkness. Either the Child or the Destroyer would have laughed.
"When my Darkness emerges, I have similar powers as Oblann did, and can access that blessing."
Susie almost smiled, but, didn't.
By then, Solor and Raven had returned to the Tower and saw Edward consoling Susie.
"I'm beginning to really see why Edward's so vital to his Circle," Solor said, "He wasn't raised in Lair and learned how to be warm and caring as a result."
"Considering most of the dragons I've met are cold," Raven said, "I get that they do not show weakness, yet, Edward doesn't seem to worry about that. He's letting our daughter show her own weakness and, I sense that he's not holding that against her. We best be careful...if she gets too attached to him, when he does leave...she may try to get him to stay."
"Well," Solor said, "Once he does leave, we will continue our lives as if he never was here, anyway. He'll be the lucky one and remember all this...we will not."
Raven nodded solemnly. "It'll be like he was never even here..." She let out a low sigh. "I'm not sure he's the lucky one at all."
Solor thought over her words, and gently wrapped an arm around her, letting her feel his hidden sorrow. "Yeah... me neither."