Tokyo
For several days Shinku was training Terra, getting her used to absorbing the items around her, and beginning to teach her to use multiple elements at once.
"This… this is… ridiculous." Terra gasped.
"If you want to master you powers you need to train like this. By the time I am done with you, you will be able to use several elements at once." Shinku grinned as he had her use fire and water at once, and extend her limps to attack him at a distance. After they stopped for a break the alarm went off and the two of them ran out to see that some kind of tech warrior that was half pink and half light blue was attacking the tower while the Titans were arriving after chasing this thing around the city.
"Alright Terra, let's see what you can do." Shinku grinned as they ran out, leaping up to the face the flying foe who was throwing bombs at the tower, destroying it slowly. Activating Kage To Hi Ryu, Shinku took to the air and began to fight the foe that seemed to be lithe and not willing to stand and fight. Soon Raven appeared and created a spear with magic and pinned the enemy to the side of the tower while Terra, having become metal, manipulated the metal to hold his hands and legs in place. Once the other Titans arrived Robin took the foe, now identified as Psychotech, to the interrogation room while the others began repairing the tower, with Cyborg in distress over the destroyed couch.
"So what happened?" Shinku asked as he used the flames of Kage To Hi Ryu to weld some of the destroyed pipes into place.
"This guy started destroying the city and then came here to destroy the tower. No known motive didn't even show up in the criminal database." Cyborg sighed. Once they had finished the basic repairs Robin came out saying how Psychotech had disappeared when he had activated the sprinkler system.
"Maybe he melted." Beast Boy laughed while Robin and Raven gave him a look "I know, "Shut up Beast Boy.""
"Did you get any leads out of him?" Shinku asked.
"One. He worked for a man named Brushogun." Robin said "We're heading for Tokyo."
"SWEET! Road trip!" BB shouted. With that the seven of them went about packing their things for the trip with Shinku and Raven travelling the lightest.
"You guys can take the ship. I'll teleport there and start snooping around." Shinku said as he opened a portal.
"You sure Shinku?" Terra asked as they started loading the luggage.
"Yes. This seems too easy, I will look around for a while, you have my communicator and my cell number. Contact me if anything goes wrong." Shinku nodded as he walked into the portal arriving in Tokyo. Taking a few hours to familiarize himself with the city and any ways he could use to escape in case he was ambushed and didn't want to fight. After searching the city he began his investigation and was turning up nothing quick.
"It's as if this guy doesn't exist." Shinku muttered as he continued his search for another few days. Finally losing his patience he went into the underground to see what he could find but most of the thugs knew of him and when he appeared they ran, thinking that he was there to arrest them. Finally he found someone who would talk.
"You're looking for Brushogun? That guys a myth, nothing more." The punk said.
"Then tell me this myth." Shinku growled.
"Alright, alright. Calm down, Brushogun is supposed to have been a guy who made a deal with the devil to make his artwork come to life. He then started terrorizing Japan until he was captured." The punk said.
"How was he supposedly captured?"
"Don't know. He just disappeared one day."
"Thanks." Shinku sighed as he tossed him a small thing of bills. Walking through the alleys he looked up and saw a giant green monster that was destroying the town.
"Nothing is ever easy. BLAZE!" Shinku growled as he leapt into the air channeling the flames to his right index and middle fingers and using his free hand to pull the flames back "Draconic Arrow!" As the flames shot off piercing the back of the beast head as a blue energy cannon hit it.
"SHINKU!" Starfire yelled.
"It's about time you slow pokes got here." Shinku laughed as he flew landed on top of a building, channeling the power of his predecessors "INFERNO BLACK DRAGON!" as the tattoo launched the dragon at the green beast causing it to roar in pain. Turning to face him he tried to blast him with some kind of green fire but Shinku simply leapt into the air and down to the street as Robin began to distract the monster and lead it away.
"Shinku." Raven said as she landed next to him.
"Come on, let's go help that idiot." Shinku sighed as they ran after Robin, only to see the Japanese police capture the monster.
"Thank you for your assistance." The chief said.
"You're welcome, Chief-san." Shinku said in perfect Japanese.
"So you can speak our language. Please come with us." The chief said as he led the seven of them to the station where all of the officers were training.
"No offense but I will be going." Shinku said as he looked at all of the matching police officers with the helmets covering the upper half of their faces.
"Of course. Just remember that as long as you are in Tokyo that your vigilante ways will not be permitted."
"I bow to no law." Shinku grinned as he left. Leaping up to one of the buildings his thoughts were troubled as he searched for any signs of magic that might give away where Brushogun would be. As he searched he suddenly felt arms around his middle and gentle kisses on the back of his neck.
"Hello my dark princess." Shinku smiled.
"So what are you doing up here Shinku?" Raven asked.
"Searching for Brushogun. Despite what I have heard I think that he exists."
"Don't worry about it. We have no leads so we are just going to enjoy a brief vacation." Raven smiled as they went down to street level and headed for the cities occult area. After walking around for awhile they stopped in a book store and found something that surprised them.
"It's about Brushogun." Raven said.
"They did say that he was a myth. Let's buy it and take a look at it later." Shinku said as he grabbed the book and walked towards the counter. Once they had paid for it they walked through the graveyard except Shinku could sense something following them.
"Raven. When I give the word, run. Something is following us and I doubt that it is friendly." Shinku whispered as they continued to walk. Before he could give the word, a dark grey specter like foe attacked Raven, who was carrying the book while a crimson samurai tried to cleave Shinku in two.
"Raven, guard the book!" Shinku yelled as he dodged another slash. Unsheathing the Magus Sword he prepared to duel the warrior. Using quick slashes he soon found that this foe was a far better swordsman but Shinku had no intention to play fair.
"First strike: Crescent Arc!" he barked as the energy smashed into the crimson colored foe who stood and charged at him again. Blocking the slashes he was hard pressed to fight this foe until an idea struck him.
"BLAZE!" Shinku shouted as the black flames appeared on his wrists and ankles. Channeling the flames he soon held a Magus Sword sheathed on black fire that seemed to emanate a terrifying power. Swinging the sword at the samurai he cut through the sword and the enemies' whole body, leaving two halves.
"Shinku." Raven whispered.
"He wasn't human. The way he took that Crescent Arc proved that."
"What do you mean?"
"I had enough power to stop a bull elephant with that strike, so when he got back up and continued to fight as if nothing were wrong that proved that it wasn't human." Shinku explained as he walked over and showed her that there were no internal organs.
"Whatever it was it didn't want us to have that book." Raven muttered.
"Agreed." Shinku said as he opened the communicator "This is Shinku, is anyone there?"
"This is Starfire." Starfire's voice came through the communicator.
"Do you know where Robin is?"
"No. I have not seen him."
"Alright. I am sending you the coordinates for where I set up our base of operations. Find Robin and take him there, something is not right." Shinku said as he typed the coordinates into the communicator.
"Alright. So now what?" Raven asked.
"We head to our base and then we plan out our next move. At the moment if Robin didn't answer than that means that he is some serious trouble." Shinku said as they walked "And if Robin is in trouble than that means we won't be far behind." With that chilling thought the led her to the older district of town and arrived at the same time as Beast Boy and Cyborg. They walked in just as Robin and Starfire were about to kiss which made Shinku chuckle inside. As they sat down Raven read through the book and Cyborg explained how these things that had attacked them had been made of ink.
"So Brushogun does exist. Now I if I were an art villain where would I hide?" Shinku muttered to himself.
"I have an idea." BB said worrying them all.
"What?" Terra asked.
"Well what is the only place that someone could hide in that no one else could go to and that would b suitable for art work?" Beast Boy asked.
"The manga production plant?" Cyborg asked in disbelief.
"It makes sense. That was the only building that is closed, and it would be a suitable place for Brushogun to hide." Shinku mused to himself.
"So we go there first and search?" Raven asked.
"Exactly. Titans move out." Robin ordered. With Shinku leading the way they made their way through the back alleys and side streets until they stood outside the manga factory.
"So we go sneaky, or bold?" Shinku asked.
"Sneaky if at all possible." Robin replied as they entered the complex. As they entered they could hear the sounds of moaning and followed it to the back to a printing press where an old man was attached and obviously being used to create monsters.
"Brushogun." Robin said looking at the poor man as he explained what had happened to him, when the police chief walked in with his soldiers.
"Hold on a sec." Shinku said as he placed his left hand on the ground and used the dragon pulse to only feel nine living bodies instead of the dozens that were in the room "They aren't real; those police officers are all ink, just like every other thing that we've fought since we got here." With that they began to fight, Shinku Slashing through the officers with swift strikes and watching as they fell in pools of ink. Once he stopped he saw that the chief had fallen into the press and was now becoming a giant ink monster with Brushogun at his core. Running outside as the building was destroyed the monster let the ink fall, creating rainbow streaked images of all the ink foes that they had fought.
"TITANS GO!" Robin shouted as they spaced themselves out to fight. Shinku wasn't showing mercy as the Magus Sword whistled through the ink foes with speed greater than they could be created. Once the ground was basically cleared Robin had done something that had destroyed the ink monster as the rain began to fall revealing Starfire in a pile of ink. Shinku walked a little ways off with Raven to give the two some small amount of privacy.
"It's about time." Cyborg said.
"What are you talking about Tin-man? You are the only one of us without a girlfriend." Shinku asked as Terra hugged Beast Boy to help make the point.
"He's got you there." Beast Boy laughed. The next day they were all present at an awards ceremony for the service that they had done for Tokyo, with each of them being presented with a medal.
"Hey Robin, do we have to go back right away?" Beast Boy asked.
"You know Beast Boy, I think even heroes need a vacation." Robin smiled as he wrapped an arm around Starfire. Smiling to himself he did the same to Raven who gave him a look saying that he would be hurt later.
"OK but next time we go to Mexico!" Beast Boy shouted as Raven used her powers to hurt him.
"Next time we leave you at home." Shinku laughed as they went off into the city to enjoy their small vacation.
AN* I wasn't origanilly planning on putting this in but since I couldn't decide on how to start something different just yet I figured to use this so you all have something new to read. As I always say, leave a review, i enjoy seeing what all of you think of my work.