Teen Titans

Chapter 21: Convincing

A/

Robin's appetite didn't catch up with his stomach's needs for some time. Alfred had been left to dust and spiffy up the place, Ronnie and Robin were to finish some business in town. With a fake shofur in a fake town and city car, in a fake setting driving them to the one place our detective son of the bat would've never perceived otherwise. Going straight up to Wayne Enterprises of Gotham's namely main branch. The city was not at all bustling with avid workers; it was leaving a strange feeling that attached itself to our young hero.

Are you even allowed in? Only Bruce and his associates are permitted past this point. Dick said as he slammed the heavy car door. Her priceless treasure was none of his concern as long as she didn't mind ending up in the general hospital or an in...~why would I even think of that?..He didn't try to harm villains that badly. He sure as heck wasn't a mental case and surely would not end up in the tower of some castle, guarded by some dra-

Agh! Be silenced brain! You don't owe me anything, neither does Roku...

Veronica chuckled as she began to head inside those walls that the bat never left till late.

~Hear that Shifter? Wait until I give you the call of your life!~ She spoke to a man that clearly did not exist in this world until, now.

/

The receptionist was a small petite little red head, with specs that were perched onto the rim of her nose. She typed away at files; and whoever had sent them to her in the first place. Two guests appeared through the sliding doors as a buzzer, maybe a ding alerted her of their presence.

The oldest was apparently popular all around most of Gotham's prestigious scientific minds, as well as those that knew her in the U.K. Being an international sensation wasn't easy...Robin's partially exposed memory of her being the elusive type didn't match up to why she'd suddenly come to earth? Was she searching for that crystal everyone kept talking so avidly about.

Was this quest oh so necessary? Didn't the mission have to do with tracking down, Slade and that dragon scumbag! Why go after the little things? That was just going to get them all-

"Hello? Excuse me, but might I have a moment of your time?"

The dowdy red headed receptionist only blinked up from her paperwork. "I'm sorry, Miss...

Ferguson, deary. Mind telling me where I might locate Annie Truman? She's here isn't she? Or were you too busy with that measly paper cut system!" Ronnie smiled very widely as she leaned over the desk. ~Paper cut system! Good, nice going Ronnie!~

"What?" The lady at the hardwood and metal plated side desk came to realize that she was being criticized by a better working associate!

"This is the system's finest computer they could give me! Don't blame me if your work is folded away some place it shouldn't be!-

"Of course not deary! Who would ever criticize your excellent management skills? Hmm? Or perhaps my doughty assistant should beee..."

She stared up at the ceiling and twirled her hand and her wrist as if to decipher a clue to some riddle. The secretary, that poor soul should have called someone to bonk this nut job in the face! Yet her fox like appearance next to the little guy from the spirit world resembled an ancient power over human's thought.

"Say what you're going to say, I oddly enough thought here and now you might want me to save you from a miserable world of paper cuts...She hissed back to the girl, resembling that of a young standing spirit of corruption. It was written all over the woman's face. Her eyes glowing red like a scorched earth during the end of one to come. The feeling made the poor woman across at the front desk seem enchanted by that glow. That was just the same feeling Robin had felt as he stared into the real dragon's eyes!

"Don't!" just as Ronnie had been about to nab a young woman's soul for good; at least that is what the youngest man believed, he reached out to grab at her wrist. No one could see that they'd been cloaked into the daylight shining through the shock proof glass. Richard knew this was going to end badly for the girl secretary and himself if he could not stop her.

The poor girl felt as if her whole world were spilling forth. Spinning like a wheel into the sea of confusion and despair as well.

When it was all over he just stood by her side. The girl was hiding under her desk with a frightened and tense look to her. Her eyes were bulging with thought, as her desperate attempt to curl into a ball on the tiled floor was almost impossible with her shaking causing her to whimper...

"What..What did she do to you?-

"Dickie! We'll be late!" She seemed to be so calm! Too creepily calm! Was that a grin on her face? There was no need to ask, when she turned to the elevator that smiled turned to a frown.

The elevator ride made him even more silenced by shame.

"You know that I would never allow it." she grinned less when she was being kept awake by shadows. That set Dick off, he turned to face her though she was pretty tall.

"You did all of...that! To an innocent person! I thought you were here to locate that crystal. Not tear apart any innocent lives!" His fist slammed into the side door of the elevator. She wasn't surprised by his defensive move. That was very stupid of him indeed.

"You better watch your mouth, squirt." She simply turned away to stare out the side. ~Where does the bad witch want to show the good guy to, huh?~

"Time's running out for little Calumon b-r-a-t..."

Why can't you just accept the change...~ Roku ordered this not knowing that he was wide open for an attack. Though it did brush off on Robin and not Dick Grayson...

"HUH!" The circle of fire. It was warm and felt very strange as he plummeted towards its depths of destruction.

He braced himself, only to find the fire dismantled and the widening elevator door opening.

/B

Verra was Veravakumu who was Takahara Shoji. That's how it went when something clicked inside that person that basically never was! Takahara was a horrible son. He was never really scientist for thought. He had dreams, too big. That's where Vee had to step in. He was like an outcast and could for to be there as or with Takahara to believe in he becoming a better person.

That worked as well as getting him to be convinced that a new dawn was rising...Roku was back only a few years ago. How did he persuade Mr. Wilson to do something he'd yet again regret...That would mean that he'd had an inter-dimensional demon in his heart and soul as well as a sorcerer, dragon king and out there god all of it!

Hew might be a master at mind games as Bb and Cyborg had told him, But Verra didn't believe that was just it...he was in the spirit world. Wreaking up the place badly in need of glue and tape to break the silence...His friends were astrally unwell, and as well as Tsani, Nina and Maya; Rini was also in danger! Alice was unable to find herself and everything was 'not good' and difficult to handle...

And what was that time traveling child, Rini up to! Why did the council call in a kid?

/D

Rini wasn't chibi any longer. She was fourteen and ready to fight the good fight with her allies. The sailor scouts were long since forgotten, putting away their tiaras to divide and conquer for another day. Rini knew she'd been forgiven for going to the future moon kingdom yeears ago. Century passed and she was already learning to ride a bike after being called to earth once more. Pink was still her very favorite color. And she'd cut her pigtails to remain short and held back by many hair accessories. Not too many, she didn't want to seem childlike. Her classmates were already letting her join in. She was staying with Usagi too. That lady never changed, well..maybe just a little!

The bike ride was down a steep hill that had been lined with houses little by little taking over the prefecture. She knew only a couple of kids who lived in those homes. Her own neighborhood was...safe, secure but Usagi liked to poke fun as if she were the kid and not the adult when Mamoru wasn't looking...Her Fiance! How unbelievable was that! Finally, even

the ladies now all grown up and no longer defending the plane could rest easy...yet why tell them that other worlds were in danger? That would not be any fun if her mama knew...And Daddy Tuxedo mask had, put his cape away and his mask...

The hilly slope down the way made her jerk out of her daydream.

Out of the way! Here comes a new hero!-

"Wha, whoa!"Her feet tried to stall the movement of the wheels of the bike. To her surprise she felt like her voice was being called out. Bumping and with a true lift into the air she found that she was no longer on her way to Himeko's! She was in a city some place far off. The air held the smell of the sea breeze. And on the walkway or boardwalk she saw him...a boy about her age or younger. Her was wobbling with out a clue. His legs collapsed under him. His short blond hair fell right off over his right eye. But his left looked shadowed as well. Was he hurt!

She dropped her bike to the ground and ran as her dress shirt billowed in the breeze. Her temples were not as pained looking as his...he definitely needed an ambulance. But why were they stuck on the docks by a pier over...looking,-

The boy coughed hoarsely. His mouth spattered saliva and a mix of blood. She gasped trying to help him up.

"Take me to..."

The hospital? Where did he get off asking her -

"Please...take me to...T-t-itans's tower..." He collapsed in the wake of a new day. The Titans were going to have a kick out of this! Even Rini felt energies mix with her feelings of a pure heart.

/C

Bruce had just been sitting at a board meeting table when this came up...Ronnie assumed she'd forgotten to call in to say she had a drop off to make. What that might as well be remained a mystery to the billion dollar man of masked intrigue.

Takahara was a part of the oddest business, saying he could make reality turn as if it were all smoke and mirrors...magic science he called it. The time and place did not allow him to forget the feats he'd witnessed. Medicine these days was expensive, he; Shoji said to Bruce that he could make it possible for all to be well when the need called for it, to help the sick. Wound would never fester thanks to cell repairing tech and a slice of something...profound as well. He'd shown Bruce something he'd thought familiar Justice League members like Zattara or magician Dr. Fate, someone like that. Was Shoji hiding something..? Magic did not work unless exchange was made. That was to never harm any one with magic. Yeah he knew. Bruce read about things that caught his interest. Here he'd never thought magic had anything to do with an interest of his.

/C

He calls it magic...Vee was ready to make his big debut at Wayne's enterprise international complex. "I know I'm not just hearing things.." There was a shuffle of feet, four feet it had to-

"Shifter...Come out in the name of the gods!"

The little imp creature from eons of darkness turned up in the blink of an eye. He was present. "Now,where is the one that summoned you-

~She no here...i find them though! I bring back him to master! Yeah yesss!" ~The scraggly bunch of evil shifted to one side. His head cocked to that side impatiently.

~"Let me pass? You let mee!"~

"No shifting demon. There is no need that you be here." Verra turned his head as Takahara. "Who! Doctor? You-you-you're supposed to be dead!" Verra's counter double gaped at the stalk tall doc as if here he were Roku! But he was a sniveling traitor. A ruin of a magical monster.

"Why am I such a shocker to you?" The sad man was Verra. Not Doc Regis...

"Why so soon? You were just a newt with a bad attitude back then," Verra regressed into the past. That known monster was the one to turn Rob into a-

"God! Are you stupid? I'm here to deliver a message to my old college. Veravakumu."

"He's not here!" shifter mimicked the doc's choice of posture. He was after all still fighting in this battle.

"Oh, I don't quite believe that." Vee felt a chill go up his spine. This wasn't right! Regis was once ongoing about modern and old logic, the main branch for magicians. He was also a top student that had one problem, he was cursed by Roku thanks to his believing that the old god could actually help him at his dream. He was transformed into a spiny little gecko or was, it a salamander? Every night he'd continue his studies under the fullest of moons. Next to everyone's favorite dragon teacher...

When Vee never guessed the riddle, he was almost pulled into the dark by his dear, friend...

The next thing he knew, he was gone, Regis..was a dark soul stealer just like the rest.

If you think he'll turn like you did, you're dead wrong! Verra grappled regis's trench coat. His damn lab coat...

"I assume you think just as I do to this day-

"What are you talking about! Roku's nothing to us. The Titans WILL have him turned over to the council-

"The council, yes. Those ninnies without real care for human lives though thy themselves take on human for-

"Shut up!" Verra crashed the doc into a cabinet and watched as glass broke all over his pretty vision. The man magician whipped out a wand and there he stood. The glass took form as it caused Verra to make a mad dash for the door. It shot this way and that. There was no escape. It was even to late for his singed lab coat as he tossed it over the sorcerer to stop the crossfire once and for all.

He disappeared! Yahoo!" Shifter swung from the ceiling as the demon held a fire hydrant and sploshed its foamy wrath everywhere.

"The gods have given you a second time to make things right. Make it worth our while-

"Be quiet! Get out!" having gotten to his feet barely and grunting from the leg wound that was never deeper that a pencil tip, he shrieked to only see that the two had disappeared...gasping for breath he tried to stand.

"As you wish. Mr. Takahara." he scoffed at the voice and almost knew someone was already nearby. The woman came through the door as soon as she'd heard a crash.

"Nance..."

"Oh no! My god...Shoji! What happened to you-

"My...leg..."his smile faded as his reached to get to her height . The desk was smashed to pieces, his files weren't closed in the case he'd taken to saving them in. the lock was a magically encrypted code. Only he knew. "There was a break in...some...cough...someone stole my work..."

"I'm on it." Miss. Nancy was off as she called a working man about the incident. Bruce had been waiting to see the last remaining piece to Takahara's creation. "Guess there is no such thing as a magic pill..." Vee coughed to him self.

/

"Crazy fool..."

"Veronica? We've been here forever...mind if I-

"Sorry kid," she said nonchalantly to the rookie. But I can't have you wandering off to defeat my master-

"Wh-

"Have a seat." The chair scoot over to him, not the other way round. He fell into it as if it were comfortable. "She's using magic...he snorted and fell into it with his hands folded to his chest.

"Got a problem with that?" She wasn't happy. Being from the call? Or from a certain ex Titan?

"Magic is what I am darling!" She sounded like a drama queen. Dick shifted in the less than comforting desk chair. "It may not be your fav topic, but we've all got to deal with those!"

"You're not serious are you? I'm a crime fighter. I don't do props, smoke and mirrors...any of that's not my fault!"

You'r fault for what darling? Making that Tamaran child feel inadequate or, maybe that you were chosen to stand side by side with a-

"He's a monster! Magic...is having known you were feeling something...and I don't feel anything from this!-

"Lower your voice please. Those nice little insects are working their fingers to the bone." Ronnie had caught a soul that was far from fine. "That...was just the way I work. You possibly won't use that spirit energy at all. Depending on whether Roku, wants you to suck out their pretty little souls."

Grimacing Rob looked at her through angered vision.

"You're sick. I'm not going anywhere else with you from now."

"You want to save your friend right?" She slithered up to his face. "Then. Act this part just for me, and you'll be out of my hair, me out of your's.

"What?" Robin's active instincts came to feel a certain danger waiting around the corner of the room. Dick smirked as if his mouth would fall off. "What are you planning? Anything would be better than getting cornered by you..."

"Babble like that and you'll end up as Rokou any time deary. He loves games you know. But I hate seeing you soo sorry for your loss..." She chuckled and leaned in then left the spot to stand up and face the door.

"How do you expect me to trust you?" he grunted as she allowed the boy to get up.

"We all make a pact with some wishing stone." She said with her hands to her hips.. "You just happen to be choosing the difficult path to finding it."

Soo, Takahara just got hit with a load of memories that he'd thought were buried in the past. Rob's stuck with snooty Ronnie until Bruce finds out! And Alice, the Titans, and Rini have to find one another very soon. That or there will be hell to pay. Reviews!