Hello all!

It's kenmadragon, back again, with the next chapter in Wykkyd Shadows! Yay!

And yeah, this will be shorter than chapter 1, mostly because...well, chapter 1 was massive, and took me three weeks, and I wrote this while studying for finals, so sorry if it's a little crappy. But it should be good, and forwards the plot much more than chapter 1! That's a good thing! (I think...)

Anyways, you know the Disclaimer from chapter 1? Yeah, it continues into this chapter. (Starting to wonder whether I need to mention it every chapter...hope not, that would be a pain).

So, back on topic. READ & REVIEW!

I thrive on reviews, and it helps me to write and make sure the story is interesting!


Darkness.

It swallows us all.

Just close your eyes for a second, and it does so.

Darkness surrounds, envelops, drowns, steals

It takes hold of you, and for a little while, it doesn't let go.

And you are lost, drowning in this world of shadows, sinking into forever oblivion searching for a way out of this abyss when you realize something.

You realize, that it has always been like this.

The Darkness is all about us.

We can use it.

We can fight this darkness with darkness.

People have done it before.

Accept the Darkness.

Embrace it.

And you shall be free.


Robin's eyes snapped open. The world was swimming. Head filled with confusing thoughts, emotions. He struggled to make sense of it all. Light filtered into his eyes, but he had trouble understanding it. The boy wonder tried to move, and found his body resisting. His vision was too blurred to make anything out. Robin focused on his other senses. He could hear little, sound was dilated for whatever reason, as if he were immersed under water. A sharp intake of breath informed him of a steady stream of oxygen coming near his mouth, which was dry.

Touch then, Robin focused there, on his tactile senses, trying to discern his surroundings from that. He felt light, almost weightless. His body still didn't seem to want to move, but as he could feel, there was nothing holding him. He felt naked, wearing only the smooth and form fitting mask that constantly adorned his face, and a pair of shorts. The pressure, though, was constant, as if there were some force gently pressing down on him from all directions, save around his mouth, nose and part of his chin. The pressure seemed fluid of a sort. There were also strange sensations over various parts of his body, small isolated patches that felt different from the rest: over his arms, his legs, chest and back, his temples...

The quick thinking boy wonder's mind found the answer. 'Healing Tank' his mind reasoned. 'I am being healed somehow...but why? Where? What is going on?'


The boy wonder perused his memory, trying to figure out what had gone wrong. He had given into suicidal rage and fury. Charging at the villain like that, it was insanity. What in the world was wrong with him?! Had his time under the Dark Knight taught him nothing? But no, mind consumed with rage, he had attempted to end it all, even if it cost him. Then, the villain had disappeared, and all he saw was flame. His body had given out, and he remembered being in a room of flame and burning stone. He had thought he was in hell, especially when the dark figure of shadow had picked him up. But he had blacked out once more, and given into what he thought was death.

'Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!' he chastised himself. His memory from then on was fragmented still. The feel of cool air and grass, and the call of his heroic name. It had seemed so foreign to him at the time, and he had almost asked, "Who is Robin?" But he hadn't the strength, and he knew the voice. The boy called Beast Boy. His friend, teammate, comrade, brother in arms. There was pain as they tried to have him stand, he had the urge to chase the villain. He could not give up. But he couldn't and he had sunk back into unconsciousness. From then on, he had the vague feeling of being carried away, then put on something that rolled away. Then there was a crossing of the water, and he was back in his domicile, his current 'home'. The Titan Tower. There was the feeling of intense singeing pain, and he was immersed in the healing salves and water, and left for healing. And now here he was.

Robin blinked.


He tried to move, and his body responded. Fingers twitched, and toes squirmed. The movement crawled up along his limbs, as he felt his chest began to heave, as he breathed in heavily on the oxygen. The tight space of the tank was too confining. He wanted out. There was work to be done. He had to get back out there.

His arms began to move in earnest, and thrash about inside the tank. His vision began to heighten in acuity, and he could make out the various tubes coming off him and monitor pads. He could make out the faint outlines of the medical bay beyond the glass, and he noticed the rapid beeping on one of the consoles. He continued to move, try and break free. His hands met the glass of the tank, and he slammed upon them, a dull motion resounding in a slight thud on the glass, barely audible. He was still weak.


There was motion from beyond the tank, Robin moved more, trying to get it's attention. The motion stopped, and started again, and he could make out a large figure. Tall, bulky, sort of mechanical in gait. The figure crossed over the room quickly, paused before a few monitors before pressing a rapid series of buttons and keys. A loud hiss escaped the outsides of the healing tank, and Robin could feel the tank moving with him within. The tank shifted, sliding out from an upright position to a more reclined diagonal, so for a while, Robin floated in the waters, before they began to drain away, and he slowly lay upon the tank. Another loud pop of suction came off, and Robin blinked as the light from above blinded him.

"It's good to have you back," the figure said in an exasperated voice. The robotic teen's voice was rough, yet had a certain roll to it, that put one at ease, if Robin was ever at ease. But rather than that, Robin's concerns were elsewhere.

"How long?"

"What?"

"How long was I in there?"

There was a pause. The robotic teen looked away, hesitant. Robin's eyes went wide, as he tried to lift himself upright. There was a rapid slash of pain from across his chest and back, and he slumped back into the tank, cringing.

"Careful. You've healed from most of your injuries, but you gotta take it easy for a bit. Those burns were nasty, and will probably ache for a while."

Robin ignored the advice, and tried to bring himself up once more, gritting his teeth as pain shot through his body. It was almost too much to bear, but he had to. He had to stay strong. Through sheer force of will, Robin brought himself to an upright position, and was almost off the tank. Sliding his legs to the ground, he found Cyborg's hand gripping his arm and helping him to stand. Finding his footing, Robin balanced his weight, and took a few tentative steps. His chest and back ached, but he ignored the pain. Turning to his teammate, he demanded once more.

"How. Long."

"Three weeks."

Robin froze there. 'Three weeks?' he thought to himself. It was too long. How could he have been out for three whole weeks?! How badly had he been hurt that it would take three weeks to heal in that tank, and that he would still feel the pains for? What had happened? Where was every...

"And Starfire?" Robin demanded, anxiously, anger beginning to rise to his face.

Cyborg turned from Robin, and grabbed a towel and a large blanket. He passed them into Robin's hands, before sighing.

"We're looking, but we haven't got anything yet. We aren't even sure she's..."

Robin cut him off with a cold and deadly glare. Cyborg instead hurriedly changed tact.

"We know she has to be somewhere, but, man, he was a teleporter. She could be anywhere!"

"NO. She will be found. And if she's hurt, there will be hell to pay," Robin venomously growled, then turned away, and on shaking legs left the medical bay, drenching wet with the heavy blanket draped over his shoulders. Cyborg sighed, fatigued by the events of the last few weeks, the pressure and stress of everything that had happened, and now unable to stop Robin or calm him down. Cyborg just hoped that his team would be okay, and things would go back to the way they were.

Wishful thinking.


Elsewhere, a lone figure in a black cape and pointed cowl stood atop the roof of a massive skyscraper overlooking the city. The figure is cloaked in darkness, a black wraith upon the iron and steel edifice to human creation, the wraith's eyes glowing slight red.

Then it smiled, a mischievous smile, that glinted of sharp, slightly pointed teeth, and betrayed an air of a joke to which only the ghost was privy. Then in a swirl of darkness, the figure vanished from the night sky, moonlight flooding the world in a luminous glow.


The figure appeared in the middle of a large section of forest, standing upon the massive branch of a gargantuan tree. The figure in black stalked down the branch to where the wood changed hue and shape. Rather than wild, and covered with foliage, the figure stepped upon the small wooden planks of a rough building high in the tree branches. Pulling the small cloth curtain aside that marked a door, the figure entered the small tree house, and made his way towards the small construction of pillows that were strangely grouped in one corner in the shape of a box of sorts. Removing a single pillow from place, the figure leaned over and glanced at the prone being inside, a tan-ish girl with flowing red hair and purple clothes, who lay resting. She was still asleep. Lightly touching her forehead without leaving an impression to wake her, the figure checked up on the girl's condition, before nodding, and disappearing once more.


"Kyd!"

Kyd Wykkyd turned as he took notice of the caller. He was back at home, in the HIVE FIVE hideout with his team. He noticed the one who had called to him, an African American boy who dressed in green and wore a visor with a single eye upon it, waving his hand to come over.

Kyd Wykkyd walked over to his friend, and plopped down on the couch next to him. He glanced over across the room to a whole group of boys who looked exactly the same, wearing a red suit with a division sign emblazoned upon the chest in white and black, and a black mask, arguing in a rather pronounced Texan drawl over some video game. Figuring that they weren't likely to be interested in the conversation, Kyd ignored the many Billy's that were Billy Numerous, and turned to the one-eyed teen, See-More, and tilted his head to the side, as if to ask, 'What is it?'

"I was wondering, where have ya been disappearing too? We haven't planned a heist in weeks, so what in the world are you doing?"

Kyd merely shrugged, and a rather childish smile came to his face. 'Nothing much'.

See-More sighed and smiled at the same time. Then he put on a mischievous grin as his voice turned from conversational to conspiratory.

"Ya know, I hear Gizmo's been working on a new plan for a heist. What'dya say? You game?"

Kyd Wykkyd responded only with a mischievous grin.


Again, Read & Review! I need your reviews!

I must have them! So please have the courtesy to review! Thanks!