The Shadow Files 5 – The Future is Now

*Based off Teen Titans Vol. 4*

The team had unsuccessfully been brought back to ten years from their present and things are strange. Superboy has gone to talk to his older self and Shadow has gone to talk to Robin about his older self.

"What's wrong?" He asked sensing her agitation.

"I don't know, something about you… the older you. The way he looked at me… didn't feel right. He doesn't feel right. I asked him where I was… He said I was gone." She told him.

"Like?"

"Yes, it was what his words implied. But if I was dead you'd think he'd be happier to see me. Wouldn't you?" She said.

"Yes, I know I would."

Robin told her as he touched her arm and she smiled, but they didn't get to talk further. Superboy came rushing in and immediately Shadow could tell things were not looking good. Robin tried to tell him that talking to his future self about what to look out for was never a good thing.

"This is different. I went down there to talk to this Superman, to me, and I saw… I just saw the Titans, I mean us… Superman… he burned Deathstroke's arm off!" Superboy finally spat out.

"What?" Robin asked in surprise.

"I'm telling you in the future… we're psychos! We're jerks! We're freakin' Bad Guys!" Superboy exclaimed.

"Calm down Superboy. We're getting out of here." Shadow told him and they headed for the door.

"Sometimes I hate when you're right." Robin said to Shadow quietly as they quickly went to get the others.

"Me too." Shadow replied as they arrived at Cyborg's door.

Soon the team was on their way out but they ran into Deathstroke who was also escaping. Superman then burst through the wall to catch him with the other older Titans. They were running for it after Deathstroke escaped but the older Titans were right on them. Raven tried to teleport them all but they lost Robin.

When they landed this was realized, but Raven couldn't teleport back, she needed to rest. Their destination had been reached and Bart explained there was a time machine in the museum for the Flash. So they tried to go in but ended up not finding what they needed and set off an alarm. Upon exiting the building they meet up with the good guys. Shadow got the shock of her life when she saw herself standing with them. Shadow walked straight up to herself.

"I don't understand… Batman said I died."

"And you knew he was lying…" She replied, "The rest of your questions can wait till we're at H.Q." She added and they were off.

Upon arriving there were a million questions explaining everything but Shadow did not get her answers. Her head felt like it was going to explode and she started grilling herself for answers. All anyone could do was watch.

"Where is he!?" She asked, indicating Bruce.

"Dead."

"And everyone else?"

"Dead. Everyone is dead." Future Shadow said.

Cat was shocked and horrified, confusion clouded her mind.

"Why aren't you with Tim?! What's wrong with him?! This isn't how it's supposed to be! He promised! He promised me!" She screamed at herself as she broke down in a panic.

She fell to her knees and Future Shadow kneeled by her and held her close to her.

"Calm down Catarena." She said soothingly. Cat started to calm down and looked up at herself.

"You know that the minute you set foot here the future will be changed once you return. This possibility may already be extinguished." She told herself, who nodded.

"I want to go. I want Robin back now!" Shadow said forcefully a growl escaping her throat, but she didn't get an answer because future Flash showed up telling them the others were coming. He was hurt and soon Superman burst through the wall and it was a fight. But future Shadow grabbed Shadow and told Vic they were going to find Robin, some of the others followed as well. Superboy freed Robin and just before he and Batman were to fight Shadow ran in at top speed grabbing Robin and throwing him away from the fight.

"My fight!" She snarled.

Robin was stunned but understood slightly when Shadow's future self showed up next to him. Shadow was getting angrier by the second as she stalked Batman in her cat form. He was using her father's house, his name… and sullying it. She snarled as Batman grinned at her.

"Temper Temper Cat. You know it's not good to go into a fight like that."

"Shut the fuck up you murderer! I can smell the blood!" Shadow yelled as she went at him but he blocked every punch and kick.

"Murderer? But Kitten you murdered first." Batman said trying to get her off her guard.

He accomplished his goal by kicking her hard in the chest. Robin tried to go and help but future Shadow stopped him.

"She must fight him alone." She told him.

"Why?" Robin asked.

"So that she is determined not to let hit future happen, and you must watch. To hate what you've become here. You must become one with her. A team of one with two beings. Keep nothing from each other. Our minds are brilliant because of our abilities. Never stop learning or training, together. Share what you learn always. Do you understand? You must become the cat." She told him and he nodded.

Shadow got up growling and snarling, every second she was becoming more animal like.

"Soon we'll see the old ways just aren't solving anything. You'll kill Batman's greatest adversary. You'll have your first taste of blood very soon." He said.

"Never!"

Shadow snarled as she lunged for him. She made contact, breaking his nose.

"Nice move but I've got more. Now I'm stronger than you for sure Catarena." He said as he went for her again but only managed to snag her cloak, pulling it off her and she swiftly got away by using her cat abilities to their fill. She snickered as she stared at him from her perch atop a shelf.

"Don't you get it? Just because you're older doesn't mean you'll beat me so easily! You've become a coward behind a gun!"

"The gun that killed Bruce's parents! I'm redeeming a tool of evil!" Batman said.

"Bull shit! A tool of evil is a tool of evil no matter whose hand it's in! You are not the Tim I know! He would never be like you!" Shadow snarled as she leapt from her perch with a flip and landed on Batman's collar bone. He went down and Shadow started slicing his costume to pieces completely outraged by how horrible he was being as Batman.

"You're in my father's house… wearing his mantel, sullying its good name and using the weapon that killed his parents to murder! You don't deserve that symbol!" Shadow yelled as she prepared to punch him with all her might but Batman pulled out the gun quicker than she could react and pistol whipped her across the room. She was disoriented and bleed from the head briefly. Batman got to her quickly and grabbed her by the neck chocking her and holding the gun to her sternum. Shadow grinned as she saw Robin watching in shock and horror. Her older self was holding him back.

"Shoot me. I dare you!"

Shadow said menacingly and Batman faltered as he realized what would happen if he did. Shadow broke free of him and jumped onto his shoulder while he was still standing. She was on her knees clenching her thies tightly around his neck. She slashed at his head to rip the hard cowl. She dug her claws in and ripped the cowl off his head.

"Stop wearing this costume!"

She yelled angrily as the cowl and cape ripped free. She jumped off him, throwing him off guard slightly but she didn't give him a chance to recover. She was moving faster than she ever had, but it wasn't out of rage or anger but pure determination to stop this future from happening. She slashed his face causing blood to blind his eyes momentarily as she jumped on him again sinking her fangs into his shoulder. Clenching her jaw tightly he yelled and she dug her claws into his back, tearing his costume and flesh. Batman hit her off of him and transformed being the one to attack this time.

"If that's how you want to play…" He said as he sprang on her. He sank his fangs into her right arm and also dug his large claws into her back causing her to bleed profusely. She roared with agony but she wasn't giving up. She used her left arm to punch him off her and she moved like darkness, swift and deadly. She broke his arm with one kick he stumbled and she jumped on him again using her momentum to come down on his collar bone snapping it like a twig. She kneeled on his sternum causing him pain to breathe from some broken ribs.

"I will stop this… at all costs." She said with a growl.

She beat him in the head again.

"Stay down this time!" She said fiercely.

Once she knew he wouldn't attack her again she got off and picked her cloak up off the floor.