Regarding Damian getting the drop on Supergirl - It may have been my bad in not explaining it, but I thought everyone would get what he did. Damian did not beat Supergirl, only irritated her by using her cape to blind her. (Check the Incredibles movie for examples of why not to wear a cape.) He only blinded her but didn't beat her in training, which she did not like and felt as if she were made a fool in front of everyone given her time as the leadr of the Furies under Granny. Cause let's be serious, anyone with the best martial arts training in the world would still lose to someone like Superman. There are exceptions like if he uses Kryptonite, or blocks out the sun, or use magic. I'll add something on this later in the story, just wanted to make that clear to everyone in the meantime. On to the next chapter.
Now for Raven's shadow step, it's like when she was first introduced in Darkness Falls. She Can merge with the shadows and reform in another if it's dark enough and large enough for her. It's not really like teleporting, but kind of like a doorway for her.
And for the suggestion for the one shot, they could get into so much trouble if the current team met their former selves. It would be like Back to the Future meets Grown Ups funny.
4.
Jump City
August 07
21:41 UTC
"Okay, that was a nice break, but back to action." Slapping his hands together to be rid of any access crumbs from the pizza's crust, Beast Boy was ready to get back to the mission exam and hopped on the ledge of the building, bringing up his holo-map while doing so.
"And who made you leader?" Arrowette asked as she tossed one of the empty pizza boxes down into the dumpster on the ground floor of the alley.
In what was seen as a freak accident, a green pig had wandered from out of nowhere and tripped the would be pizza thief, Punk Rocket, into a light pole. The result was him breaking his already crooked nose and losing the pizzas he carried to a nearby trash can. The employees of the store let the food go for a loss, but were glad he at least was caught. What they did not see was the trash can lifting into the air and drop the boxes into Raven's arms, just as Green Lantern had planned with the pig disappearing soon after.
"No one," Beast Boy answered. "It's just time we get a move on, that's all."
"We still need to choose a leader," Lantern said. "And I, of course, elect me."
"A leader is more than powerful," Raven told him while putting her hood back on. "A leader must have experience and a know how of what to do in any situation."
"And who better than a guy chosen to be a Green Lantern?" Forming a construct, the teen Lantern had a large fist appear in the air. "I'm a Green Lantern," he then had the fist count 'one' with another finger adding to the count with each example, "I have been trained by several veteran Lanterns, I'm strong willed, unorthodox, and quick thinking, just to name a few examples."
"But we all have been trained by veterans," Terra pointed out. "I'm not wanting to be leader because I'm still too new, but we've all spent time with the others in the gym."
"She's right," Arrowette said. "Artemis and Wally trained me."
"Zatanna and Doctor Fate trained me," Raven added.
"Sis and Conner," said Garfield.
"And if we go by seniority, Gar leads us in that as he's been with the original team the longest," Arrowette stated.
"But he has no military-like training like I have," Lantern told her. "I've basically been trained by an entire army. Including a squirrel."
"I've been a squirrel," Garfield pointed out. "Look, I don't really care to pick a leader right now. We all have points to lead. I have seniority, Raven has stealth, you have power, Arrowette's got strategy, and Terra should be good with computers and how to mobilize with all the time she spends in the control hub. We can pick one later. We still have several more stops before we report back to the tower. We need to get moving or else we'll fall behind."
"Well if I were leader," Lantern said as he floated into the air, "I would have us travel to the next one, split into two teams with the second one heading for the next checkpoint, then once they reached that one, the first will already be heading for the one after that and so on."
"No, we have to stay together," Terra told him.
"Just a suggestio- wait."
Catching the teen's attention, Green Lantern's power ring began to pulsate with its light becoming brighter then darker, then repeating. It was its way of alerting him to evil in his vicinity.
"Oooh, Kyle feels a disturbance in the Lantern force," Terra joked.
"I thought he called it his pants," Garfield said as he remembered Kyle taking a liking to Cassandra.
"Heh, his pants," Raven muttered.
"Whatever. Someone's being naughty close by," Lantern said with a grin.
"Let's say, the one who takes them down, is the leader." Pulling out an arrow and readying it in her bow, Arrowette glanced at the others who all silently agreed as they stood motionless.
"Go!" On Beast Boy's word, the group took off for the nearby perpetrator and the shot to be the leader after Superboy and Mrs. Martian.
Happy Harbor
August 07
21:43 UTC
Standing before the kitchen sink in Lilith's apartment, Kaldur kept an eye on her while he finished washing the last of the dishes he and the Brazilian girl used. It took him some time, but he had finally got her to eat a complete meal and not a few bites like she had been doing since the night she went into a severe panic attack after touching him. He still could not get her to talk and it looked as if she were in a daze. Not only did he have her to deal with, but there was the matter of Robin's unsanctioned mission, which cost them the life of a close friend, not to mention the sudden disappearance of their resident speedster, Kid Flash, who had gone AWOL for a day before coming back. Everyone was entitled to some downtime, but he was disappearing more and more without any explanation. Then there was the new information on Scarecrow and what role he may be playing with the blood cult. And there was Raven. There was just so much on his mind right now, it was getting hard to think.
With the last of the plates now drying, the Atlantean drained the water then washed his hands before joining Lilith in the living room. She had taken to watching game shows while in a trance-like state, nether aware or unaware of what was around her. He took a seat on a chair a few feet from the sofa and studied her in the dim light provided by a small lamp and the TV.
He had to admit, she was attractive. Her skin was nearly as dark as his with hair matching his own. Her eyes reminded him of Tula's, the girl he wished to spend his life with but gave up to become Aquaman's protege. There were nights he wished he had the chance to confess his feelings to her before leaving to train with the Atlantean king and those missed opportunities were what caused him to lose sleep some nights after her sacrifice. However, this was not the time for him to be dwelling on things of that nature as he was needing to keep his head in the game and protect Lilith as well as help her.
Sliding all feelings he strangely found he was having to the side, he moved his chair in front of her, blocking her view of the TV and the game show she was partly watching.
"Lilith," Kaldur said softly. "It is nearing time for me to head back to base. I only wish to know how you are doing before I take my leave."
She stared at the floor, not acknowledging him in the slightest.
"Lilith, you need to speak to me. If I and my friends are to protect you, I need to know-"
"You are a dead man." Taking Kaldur by surprise, Lilith spoke so loud and clearly, he could feel his skin crawl. "You, and everyone are dead men."
Rising in front of her, Kaldur narrowed his eyes. "And what do you mean by that?"
Lilith remained quiet after that.
"As someone who wants nothing but your safety," Kaldur began, "I must demand you explain to me what it is you..."
Seeing the young woman ignore him, the Atlantean moved to stand directly in front of her. "I do not wish to do this, but with my friends lives in danger, I will resort to whatever measures I have to."
Grabbing Lilith by her sleeve, Kaldur pulled her hand up as she struggled to break his grip.
"No. No! You can't make me see that again!" Pulling her arm every which way, Lilith tried to slip away from the normally kind man she had gotten to know, but it was useless.
The moment their hands touched, she went into a trance-like state. The world around her shattered, breaking apart like glass with a new red world taking its place. Kaldur ceased to exist and in his place lay a skeleton with his clothing adorning it. The ground around where she stood was completely scorched and surrounded by a flowing river of molten rock.
In the distance, she could see the building the man known as Roy Harper lived in. It crumbled to the ground with dust filling the sky. As the wave of gray debris made its way towards her, Lilith covered her head and let out a scream. After the wave of dust blew over her, she looked up and saw a scorched field with the bodies of hundreds of people laying in pain-filled positions with a long line of others shackled together by the necks as they made their way up a steep cliff. Each person worked to build what looked to be a monument with thousands of others slaving away with tools to carve massive blocks of stone.
Raising her head, the last she saw was the building dubbed Titan Tower, now serving as a throne for a gigantic, demonic being sitting in front of it. Red eyes glowed bright on a face hidden by shadow as they locked in on her. Beside the being, on ether side of the tower's roof, stood several smaller individuals, each at the ready for any orders they may be given.
The entire world was on fire. Nothing was alive save for the slaves and the beings around the larger one. All the pain and suffering the people of Earth experienced would continue to go on with nothing to stop it. She then began to cry.
The entire scene lasted only a few seconds, but its effects would last permanently as Lilith came out of the trance with chattering teeth. Every time she made skin to skin contact, it was like a piece of her would go missing.
"Now," Kaldur said as he held her wrist, making sure her sleeve was between their skin, "will you tell me what you see through touch, or do I have to make you experience it over again?"
Jump City
August 07
21:58 UTC
After arriving in an alleyway several blocks away from where they had their break, the Titan group searched high and low for the cause of Green Lantern's ring glowing. With their bet still going, each member, except Raven, hurried to be the first one to catch the criminal in the area. The Goth girl only wanted to catch them to increase her score and planned on passing on becoming the leader.
"You sure that ring of yours ain't broken?" Arrowette asked as she had her arrow drawn back and searched the shadows of the large, open alley.
"It's right," Lantern told her. "It only alerts me to trouble in an area, not an exact pin point with a sign that reads, 'Hey, here's trouble. Come and get it, quick."
"Ew, rats," Terra said as a fat rodent fell out of a trash can.
The area they were in was large and was surrounded by four buildings with alleys leading to the street. Trash littered the area with two dumpsters overflowing with bags, some torn, some shredded. What little light there was came from three of the four non-broken lights above the rear entrances of the building's doors and the single security light sitting on top of a tall wooden post with a basketball goal positioned half way up it. Adding to the clutter were several shopping carts and half of a car missing its engine, tires, and side windows.
Scampering about, Beast Boy sniffed around the area as a blood hound. After a series of sneezes, he morphed back to his human/monkey hybrid self and looked around the alley with snake eyes to pick up on any heat signatures. "Huh, that's weird."
"What's weird, BB?" Terra asked while making sure she was between him and a nearby Raven.
"I can smell something but I don't see anything."
"What's it smell like?" asked Raven.
"Kinda like Conner's barn room in Smallville. Lots of hay, or straw."
"Weird, considering this is the city," Arrowette said.
Above the group, crouching on the top of the lamp post, a figure hidden in the shadows watched the teens search below. Tilting a hat up, the figure narrowed yellow eyes and let out a hiss.
"Okay, enough of this being stealthy." Holding his ring hand above his head, Lantern shot a line of green light and had it dome over the open area, illuminating everything in a glowing lime color.
"Okay, that ring has to have been wrong," Terra said as she searched the now lighted alley.
"Children," came a deep hollow yet whispery voice around the group.
"What was that?" Arrowette asked.
"Who was that?" Beast Boy said at the same time.
"Everyone, keep calm," Lantern ordered.
"Such innocent children."
"Back to back," Arrowette said. Instantly, the teens did what she said.
"Such...fright filled children."
"Watch the shadows," Raven muttered.
"I can sense your fear. Taste it."
"Keep close," Terra said as she placed her goggles over her eyes.
"But I think you can use a little more."
"Remember, stay together and watch each other's backs," Beast Boy told them.
"Up there!" Looking at were Arrowette aimed her bow, the teens saw the crouching figure on the lamp post.
"What the-" Terra said as they tried to get a good look at what or who they were dealing with.
Flicking his wrist, the figure displayed a hand with sharp objects on each fingertip. Each one dripped a greenish liquid as the form ghastly grinned with a yellow light coming from it's throat. "Give into your fears, young ones. Give in to, the Scarecrow."
He then leapt at them with his needled hand extended and a roar flowing from his mouth.