Chapter 11: Dark Love

Predator rested his head on his fist as he stared out the window, at the gray clouds filling the sky. He was sitting at the table eating breakfast with his friends, but since last night he had been feeling way more off than usual.

"Are you okay?" Robin asked him.

Predator casualy looked at Robin and the others, who looked back at him with concern.

"Yeah?" He replied. "Why?"

"You've barely touched your food." Robin said. "Is something bothering you?"

"I'm good. I just didn't sleep good last night."

"Are your eyes still feeling the effects of the pepper spray?" Starfire asked.

"No, they feel better now."

"I gotta say, dude, it's hard to believe you got pepper sprayed." Beast Boy smirked.

"Shut up! I said I didn't wanna talk about it." Predator snapped, growling at the memory. "They caught me off guard!"

"It didn't seem like that, yesterday." Raven said.

"Are you sure you're not just losing your touch?" Beast Boy teased.

"I dunno. If I give ya a black eye, will that answer it for you?" Predator retorted, making Beast Boy's eyes widen and slide himself a few feet away from him. "Ya ask me, they got off easy; next time'll be a different story."

"Well, until then we're gonna start calling you Macy from now on." Beast Boy laughed scooting back close to Predator.

"Hey, Mr. Potatohead, you uh...got a little somethin' on ya face."

"Wha?"

Predator chopped BB's plate and it flipped right into his face. It slid down, leaving his face covered in potatoes. The Titans laughed, whereas Predator got up and split from the room.

"Aw man, that's a good one." Beast Boy said, defeated.

The day went by and soon Predator went out for his evening patrol of the city. He was determined to find The Girl from last night. Although he appeared irritated on the outside, something about her made him feel a mix of emotions on the inside. There was one emotion in particular that he had never felt before. It made him feel even more off-edge… and he hated it.

He glared down at the city from above the rooftops—scanning the streets for some sort of sign of her. His search proved fruitless. There wasn't even a sign of her 'artwork.' The only graffiti he could find were chalk drawings that little kids made on the sidewalks.

"Dang it, where the heck is she!?" Predator growled.

Almost an entire hour went by and Predator still couldn't find her. He had practically searched all over the city. After last night, she probably decided to go into hiding. It was likely that he wouldn't be seeing her for a long time.

The smell of methane filled the air, catching Predator's attention. He turned towards the source and spotted an enormous cloud of black smoke pluming into the sky.

Predator eventually arrived at the scene of a burning building. A group of people surrounded the area as the fire department attempted to put out the flames.

"Please, my baby's in there!" A woman screamed as she pushed against the firefighter who held her back.

"I'm sorry but we can't let you in there, ma'am." He said, firmly.

"Look, it's one of the Teen Titans." A bystander pointed as Predator landed on the ground.

"Which floor?" Predator asked.

"Sixth floor, third door on the right. Please you have to save my baby!" She cried.

"Gimme ya scarf." Predator said.

The woman gave him her blue scarf and he quickly wrapped it around his face. He hopped on a light post and then jumped all the way to the sixth floor window

A few minutes went by and Predator had not returned. The flames began to increase and the building itself looked like it was close to collapse. At that point, the woman started to cry and the crowd grew even more concerned. A sudden explosion escaped the building, causing everyone to jump and scream. Predator suddenly flipped out of the building, his arm wrapped tight around a small blue object.

He landed on the ground feet first, his body partially burned and his vision a little blurry. He let out a few coughs and uncovered the blue blanket, revealing a crying baby boy. His vision cleared and he gave him a small smile. The audience cheered ecstatically for him.

"S'okay, kid" Predator panted. "I gotcha..."

"My baby!" The woman yelled and ran up to him. As he handed the baby to her, she immediately held it in a tight embrace. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"You got guts, kid." The Chief admired, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We're glad you're one of the good ones."

"Don't mention it..." He said, falling on one knee.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Fire and I don't really get along." Predator coughed. "I gotta get goin'. You guys stay outta trouble."

With that, Predator stood up and pounced onto a wall, climbing up to the roof. Once he got there, he was met by the hooded figure gazing at him. Predator let out a surprised grunt and he quickly shifted into a battle position.

"I just jumped out of a blazin' building, man, don't try me!"

His eyes widened even more when the figure pulled her hood down, revealing The Girl from the other night. She gave him a blank stare. Her long, shoulder length hair blew against the wind.

"You..." Predator narrowed his eyebrows at her.

"I… saw what you did." She commented. "It was really brave and selfless."

Predator raised an eyebrow. He had been searching for her all night, mistakenly assuming the internal emotion he felt was recrimination but now that she stood there right in front of him, he realized it was something lighter.

"Thanks. It uh...it was nothin'." He said. "It's what I do."

"Mm-hm. You look like you're burned up pretty badly. Are you gonna be okay?"

"I'm good; I heal pretty fast." He grunted when he suddenly felt his stomach churn. He grasped his lower stomach.

"Are you okay?"

Predator looked back up at somewhat surprised; after last night, you'd think all she'd want is some kind of rematch but instead she showed concern. The sentiment made him feel all the more confused. He hesitated before giving her an answer.

"I...didn't eat that much today."

"Hm... come on." She said. "I'll pay for it."

"Say what?" He asked, confused.

"Let's go eat. You said you were hungry, right?"

"Yeah but-"

"Just come on, then." She insisted. She started to walk away.

"What the heck...?" Predator mumbled. He hesitated once again but followed anyway.

A Little While Later

Predator and The Girl sat on another rooftop. Predator munched modestly on his bacon cheeseburger, whilst trying not to let his animal instincts take over. He glanced at The Girl, who quickly looked away from him.

"What?" Predator asked, his mouth still full. "Did ya want a bite?"

"No, thanks." She said. "I'm a pescatarian."

"Really?" Predator gulped. "So ya eat fish, mainly."

"Mm-hm.""

"Huh..." Predator mumbled. "So... anyway, I'm-"

"I know who you are, Stripes." She interrupted. "You're one of those masked psychos."

"Psycho? I'm pretty sure savin' people's the opposite meanin' for a psycho."

"That's not what the guys in the streets are saying."

"Sounds like you've been listenin' to the guys we put in jail; that's not a surprise. But like I was saying, I'm Predator."

"Mm-hm. Is that your real name?" She asked, skeptically.

"Not even. What good's a mask if I'm throwin' around my real name? How 'bout you, you got a name?"

"Why should I tell you mine, when you won't tell me yours?" She glared at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Fine, forget I asked." Predator scowled. "Actually, I'm kinda curious: why'd you feed me?"

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, after how yesterday went, the last thing I expected from you was...friendliness; feels kinda backwards."

"I-I... th-that's just how I am, okay?" She stuttered, becoming flustered.

"Pfft, whatever ya say, sweetheart." Predator scoffed, taking another bite of his burger.

"Don't call me that!" She yelled, a red vein pumping on the side of her head. "I'm noone's sweetheart!"

"Take it easy, it was a joke." Predator assured, unphased by her hostility. "But I appreciate it, seriously."

"Don't mention it..." She said, looking back in the other direction.

"You're not bad fighter, by the way. Ya almost got me a couple times the other night."

"Do you expect every young girl to be helplessly incapable of defending herself?"

"No, but ya kinda set the bar pretty high for all the other girls. Where'd ya learn all that stuff?"

"I took Martial Arts when I was younger."

"That's crazy; I did too." He said a little surprised. "Now about the whole spray-paint thing, it's water under the bridge. To be honest, I was lookin' for a reason to get outta this argument I was havin' with my friends."

"So, you decided to attack a simple graffiti girl." She asked, unamused.

"Well when ya say it like that, it does seem kinda messed up." She glared at him in silence, then shook her head - looking back in the other direction. Predator looked the opposite way, indifferently. "Okay, this awkward uh...so, you're anti-politics, I'm guessin'?"

"Mm-hm. It's nothing but corruption and stupidity."

"Yeah? Enlighten me."

"Politicians don't care about anything but themselves. They only say they'll 'do' things just to gain the public's attention and approval. And when they're elected, they don't 'do' anything at all—they're only in it for the wealth and popularity."

"Huh, I never really thought of it like that. Then again, that does explain why they try to target superheroes so much; we do the jobs they won't and it gives their rep a bad name."

"Yeah, I guess so." Predator took a minute to peruse her, which she quickly noticed. She was immediately repulsed. "What?"

"Ya kinda remind me of a friend a' mine."

"So that gives you the right to stare at me like I'm candy or something?!" She snapped.

"What the- what? No, I- ugh!" Predator struggled for a defensive response. "Look...I'm sorry, alright? I'm just...I've been goin' through a rollercoaster of emotions for a long time and I'm really not the best at socialism. Last night just kinda added to that and I'm not tryna freak you out; I just...thought you were...interestin'."

The Girl's eyes widened and her face let out another bright red blush. His voice and the look on his face seemed all the more sincere. She stared at him once more as he stared at the city below them, then let out a sigh.

"When you say I look like one of your friends..." She said, causing him to look back at her. "Are you reffering to the dark one with the cloak?" She asked.

"Yeah, that's the one."

"Oh...yeah."

"So...are we good?" Predator asked, calmly.

"Mm-hm. I get that a lot, actually. But it's not the reason why I'm goth."

"I figured you were goth." Predator smirked. "That explains a lot."

"I don't go around expressing it to people; most people tend to get the wrong idea about goths."

"Well, I'm definitely not most people. If ya ask me, that sorta thing makes ya more interestin'." Predator finished off his burger and stood up, tossing the wrapping paper off down to the ground. "Man, I needed that. I should get goin'; I'm still on patrol. Hey, thanks again for the sandwich. I'll pay ya back some time...IF I ever see ya again."

"Don't mention it."

"Well, see ya around." Predator started to walk away.

"Luna."

"Hm?" Predator asked, confused.

"My name's Luna." She said, glancing back at him.

"Luna...heh." Predator smiled. "Ya just full a' surprises, aren't ya?"

She nodded with a small smile. Predator turned and jumped off the roof.

The Next Day

Predator stepped into the living room with, immediately taking view of the bright, sunny day before him. The serenity of it all opened up a positive feeling inside him that he hadn't felt in a long time. Ever since he had that chat with Luna, things seemed to have given him a different perspective on everything.

"Hmph." Predator couldn't help but smile.

"Dude!" Beast Boy whispered to Cyborg. He and BB were sitting at the table, playing their favorite card game. "Check it out."

"What?" Cyborg asked, looking back at Predator. Predator dug into the fridge and pulled out a large plate of buffalo wings and fries.

"He's smiling!" Beast Boy whispered in bewilderment.

"Huh, whaddya know?" Cyborg whispered back. "First time for everything, I guess."

"I dunno, dude, that's so different of him." Beast Boy said. "I think something happened to him."

"I can totally hear you guys." Predator yelled, his back still turned to them. He put his food in the microwave then turned to them, still smiling. "S'like ya keep forgettin' I can literally hear from ten miles away, man, hehe."

"There it is again!" Beast Boy shouted, pointing at his smile. "Who are you and what have you done with Predator?"

"Bout time ya said somethin' funny." Predator ignored the comment.

Predator grabbed his now heated food from the microwave and sat at the table. Beast Boy and Cyborg looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Predator grabbed a fry and flicked it into his mouth. Beast Boy suddenly jumped out of his seat and grabbed his head.

"What the heck're ya-" Predator grunted as BB hysterically started pulling his head like some sort of mask.

"How do we know you're not just some maniac in a mask?" Beast Boy asked.

Predator growled as he forcefully grabbed his neck with a tight grip. He growled at him, his teeth now sharpened.

"Ack! Okay... okay, you're Predator." Beast Boy choked as Predator threw him back in his chair.

"Idiot! Can't even be in a good mood around ya!" Predator said, rubbing his jaw. "Can't I get a good day, for once?"

"Well, yeah. It's just that-" Cyborg said.

"You're always in a bad mood." Beast Boy finished. "It's weird to see you in a good mood."

"Hence why ya lucky I'm not rippin' ya to shreds right now." Predator said. "Now chill out and quit makin' a big deal outta the little stuff. So, you guys up for a game or two?"

A While Later

Predator looked over the city from above. So far, he observed nothing out of the ordinary. A smirk rose in his cheeks as he heard a pair of footsteps from behind.

"Figured I'd see you again." He said, looking back to see Luna approach him. "Just didn't think it'd be so soon."

"Mm-hm." She said. "Anything out of the ordinary?"

"No? Why?"

"Let me join you."

"Say what?" Predator asked, surprised. "You're kiddin' me, right?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Predator listened to her heartbeat.

"Point taken. But...why?"

"Well, I'm bored for one thing. Second, you said you'd pay me back for the burger and third, after seeing what you did last night well... it gave me some thought."

"Okay, that's good an' all, but that's not how it works. The stuff I do's a little more complicated than ya think."

"Yeah, I get it. But I've seen you guys in action; I get how it works."

Predator narrowed his eyebrows for a second until his ears suddenly picked up a scream from far off in the distance. He quickly looked down and quickly caught sight of a middle-aged woman being mugged by some petty thug. The man snatched her purse away and pushed her to the ground before taking off and running. Predator let out a growl as he glared fiercely at him.

"Luna, wait here for a second." He turned to see that she wasn't there anymore. "Luna?"

There was a loud grunt which caused him to look back down.

"What the...?" He mumbled, wide-eyed.

Luna had punched the thief in the stomach, causing him to grunt and kneel forward. She kicked him in the skull and punched him in the nose. The thug glared at her and threw a punch, but she swiftly avoided it. She grabbed his arm and swung him against the wall. She kicked him in the stomach and then in the face again, knocking him out.

Predator stared in disbelief as she picked up the purse and gave it to the woman. The woman gave her a gratuitous smile.

"Oh, thank you, thank you so much." The woman thanked. She pulled a few dollars out of the purse and handed them to Luna. "Please take this."

Luna nodded and took the money, and the woman went on her way. Predator jumped from the building and landed behind her. Luna gave him a cocky smirk and placed a hand on her hip.

"So?" She asked.

"Okay, maybe ya do have got what it takes." Predator sighed. "Fine, you can tag along...but don't get any ideas, okay? This's temporary."

"Whatever you say, Stripes."

The burglar groaned as he slowly came to. He gasped loudly once he caught sight of the two newly declared partners.

"Oh, shut up." Luna said, kicking him in the face and knocking him out, again.

Predator gave her an impressed smile.

To Be Continued