Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans but I do own The Eight.
Normally origin stories are easy for me. All the ones before this one I wrote in a day or two. But for some reason this one was one of the hardest chapters in this story for me to write.
Oh well…on with the show.
In a secluded house on top of a hill a birthday party for a little girl is about to start.
As the party kicks off Katsu places the gift on the table.
"OOOHHHH!" a little girl next to him yelled enthusiastically, "What did you get me dad?"
Katsu smiled at her.
"Can't tell you." He said with a smile.
"Ahhhh, come on! It's my birthday!" she said.
"You'll just have to wait until it's time to open presents."
The little girl stomps her feet.
"Fine." She said as she ran off to play with her friends.
Katsu shook his head with a smile as he watched her run off.
"Dear." A woman's voice called from the side.
Katsu turned to his wife.
"Yes." He answered.
"There's a man at the door that says he knows you."
"Ok." He said as he kissed her, "Watch the cake, make sure none of her friends tries to steal a bite."
"Easier said than done." His wife joked.
Katsu walked through his house with a smile.
Fate had been good to him.
As he opened the front door an old man looked at him.
"My," the old man said, "You've done pretty well for yourself."
Steer opens his eyes as he felt himself being pulled by the arms.
"What the hell?" he thought as he looked up.
He saw a girl with pale skin and red and black hair lying him down on the ground.
"You alright sir?" she asked.
Steer didn't know what was going on but nodded.
"ARGENT!" a voice yelled from the side, "GIVE ME A HAND!"
Argent left Steer, flew into the air and lifted up her arms.
Two giant red arms emerged from her and picked up some debris.
"Are you sure she's here, Herald?" another voice said.
"Positive, her communicator's signal is coming from right under here." Herald answered.
"Just keep digging guys and help any survivors you find." Another girl with long black hair said.
"Gnarrk!"
"What is it?"
"He's found another one! Help him out."
Gnarrk grabbed some rubble and lifted it up.
The long black hair girl quickly flew under and pulled out Barracuda.
"She alive, Wonder Girl?" Herald asked.
Wonder Girl checks her pulse.
"Yes." Wonder Girl answered as she placed her down gently next to Steer.
Barracuda coughs up some dust and blood as she opens her eyes.
"Don't try to move miss." Wonder Girl said, "You're lucky to be alive."
As Wonder Girl flew back to the wreckage Steer, with a smile on his face, put his hand on Barracuda's mouth and places his finger over his.
Maybe it was the dust that covered them, maybe they never saw the pictures that Rex X took, or maybe they were too preoccupied with finding Starfire, but for whatever the reason the titans didn't recognize the fact that they just saved two members of The Eight.
Katsu and the old man sat at a picnic table with colorful balloons tide to it and children running around.
"Didn't expect to see you so soon." Katsu said.
The old man smiled.
"Just wanted to see how my best student is doing."
"Really…that's all?" Katsu said with a stern tone
The old man's smile faded.
"Yes, really." The old man said, "Why else would I come here?"
"To get me to come back."
The old man laughed.
"Come back? You read the report. There's no way in hell they would want you back."
"Good."
"Look," the old man said, "I'm only here because I wanted to make sure that you're fine, nothing more, and look."
He pulled out a small gift.
"I even brought your daughter something."
Katsu looked at the gift suspiciously.
"It's a snow globe." The old man said.
"It better be."
"Protective aren't we?"
"Wouldn't you?"
"Yeah…I would."
Katsu's daughter ran up to the table.
"Oohhh! Is that for me?" she said as she looked at the gift.
The old man looked at Katsu.
Katsu looked at his daughter then at the old man and nodded.
"Yes it is." The old man said.
"FOUND HER!"
"WHERE?"
"OVER HERE!"
"GIVE ME A HAND!"
The titans swarmed over the spot as they pulled out Starfire's body.
"Gently…GENTLY!"
"Don't worry girl I got ya."
"Ro..bin…"
"Hang in there! Herald, open a portal to the hospital. Everyone else help the survivors go through."
"No problem."
"Hot Spot come in!" Wonder Girl said into her communicator.
"What is it?" Hot Spot answered.
"It's Starfire, we found her. She's in bad shape though. We're heading for the hospital right now."
"Everyone!" Herald yelled to the survivors they pull out of the wreckage, "If you need medical attention the portal on your right will take you to the hospital! If you need help don't hesitate to ask!"
Steer couldn't help but smile as one of the titans pick up Barracuda and carried her through the portal.
"Need help sir?" Wonder Girl asked as she put away her communicator.
Steer shook his head.
As Wonder Girl went to help someone else Steer pulled out his head set and places it against his ear like he was holding a phone.
"Hello dear." He said as he walked through the portal and arrived at the hospital.
"Steer? Is that you?" Eel's voice came in over the headset.
"Yes it's me dear. I'm fine." Steer said as he walked into the ER, "How are you?"
"Where the hell are you?" Eel yelled.
"I'm at the hospital." He said as he walked by two titans, "the teen titans saved me and our daughter from a falling building. In fact they're standing right next to me."
There was a pause on the other end.
"Ok…" Eel finally said, "Look, they have Black Widow and Wolf. Have you seen them?"
"I'm afraid not dear." Steer said as he sat down.
"…alright…what about Owl?"
"No, I haven't seen your brother either. But I'll keep an eye out for him."
The party was finally dying down as Katsu and the old man sat on the front porch enjoying a cold beer.
"Beautiful life you've made for yourself." The old man said.
"Thanks."
"So how did you meet your wife?"
Katsu smiled as he remembers.
"I was working at a lumber yard and she needed help to build a gazebo."
"That nice one in the backyard?"
"Yup. We even got married on it."
The old man laughed.
"What about the girl? She looks too old to be yours."
"She isn't. She's never even met her real dad. She didn't even start calling me dad until six months ago."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You wouldn't believe how good it felt the first time she called me dad. One of the best days ever."
"I bet it was."
The old man then looked around to make sure that no one was around.
"So," he asked, "how much do they know?"
Katsu turned to him.
"Not a damned thing. And I plan on keeping it that way."
Steer walked through the hospital with one hand covering his face any time a Titan walked by.
So far he had been lucky enough that no one recognized him.
"Where is she!" he heard a voice yelled.
"Calm down. They just moved her into surgery. Everything will be fine."
"What room?"
"I'm not telling you and you know why? Because the second you know you'll bash into the room like an idiot."
"I will not!"
"Bullshit. Now look they've got good doctors working on her and you need rest so let's go before you make a scene."
As soon as Steer started to walk away he heard a voice.
"Hello Steer."
Steer quickly turns around and sees Fox looking at him.
"Steer is ok? Fox is very happy."
"Dear!" Katsu's wife called out, "Help me clean up."
Katsu got up.
"Well," the old man said, "I must be going. It was a pleasure."
"Yeah," Katsu said as he shook his hand, "It was."
As the old man steps into his car Katsu had one last thing to say.
"Hey."
"What is it?"
"Do you…do you think that heaven will forgive us for what we've done?"
The old man looked at him with a stone cold face.
"No." He said as he drove off.
"Me nether."
Steer quickly grabbed Fox and pushed him into a corner where no one could see them.
"Has anyone one seen you?" he said.
Fox shook his head.
"Good." Steer said with relief.
"Is Steer mad?"
"No Fox, I'm not mad. What's going on?"
"Fox brought Boa here. Other team here too. Other team has friends…lots of friends."
"Great." Steer grunted, "Do you know were Owl is?"
"Owl here."
"What?"
"Owl here in building."
"Take me too him."
Katsu walked into the living room where his wife was picking up the trash.
"Well," he said, "I would call this party a success."
"Yeah," his wife said as she went up and kissed him, "Good job dear."
Katsu smiled as he held his wife.
Everything he had done in the past didn't matter anymore.
Steer and Fox glanced around the corner and saw Owl tied up with Pantha guarding him.
"Fox rescue Owl." Fox said as he was about to run at Pantha.
"Not so fast." Steer said as he grabbed Fox.
He knew Owl for years.
He knew that Owl could easily get out of those chains and kill that guard.
"Something's not right." He said as the two started walking in the other direction.
"What is not right?" Fox asked.
"I don't know." He said as he pulled out his headpiece.
"Hello dear," he said to Eel, "We found your cousin Leon. As for your brother he's a little tied up at the moment with the titans."
"WHAT!" Eel yelled over the headsets, "I'M GOING TO KILL THOSE LITTLE SHITS! FIRST STARTING WITH THESE TWO!"
Katsu woke up early in the morning and sat in the living room to meditate. It helped him relax and to forget.
After a successful session he headed to the kitchen to make breakfast for his family.
As he started the coffee his wife walked in the kitchen.
"Good morning." She said as she wraps her arms around him.
Katsu smiled and kissed her.
"Eeewwww." Their daughter said as she entered the kitchen and sat at the table. In her arms was the present that Katsu got her, a stuffed horse.
Katsu and his wife gave a short laugh together.
"What would you like?" Katsu asks his daughter.
"Ummm…pancakes. And Starburst wants some too."
"Starburst?"
"Yeah." She said as she held up her horse, "that's her name, after my favorite candy."
His wife smiled as she went to the regenerator.
"Pancakes do sound good." She said as she started to get out the ingredients.
"Ohhhh I almost forgot." Their daughter said as she got up from the table and ran to her room.
Before her parents could ask her what she was doing she bolted back in carrying the snow globe that the old man gave her.
"There." She said as she placed it on the table, "Our new centerpiece."
"Hmmm," his wife said, "it does look nice."
"Yeah," Katsu said, "it does."
As the three of them ate breakfast Katsu's wife turned to him.
"Dear?" she said, "Can you check the backyard? I'm not sure if I put all the balloons away last night."
"Sure," he said as he got up.
He kisses his daughter on the head.
"Like your gift…I mean Starburst?"
"Yup," she said, "but you know what would be even better…a real one."
"Well if you're a good girl I'll get you one when you're older."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Promise?"
"Cross my heart."
"Yessssss!"
His wife gave him a funny look.
Katsu just shrug with a smile as he went to the backyard.
Sure enough there were balloons everywhere.
As Katsu started to collect them he saw the old man out of the corner of his eye.
"What are you doing here?" Katsu said as he let go of the balloons.
"I'm disappointed." The old man said as he held up a detonator, "and you where my best one."
Katsu never had time to stop him.
Never had time to warn his family.
Never had time to say goodbye.
The snow globe on the table, where his wife and daughter ate exploded and in an instant Katsu's new life shattered as his old life came crashing in.
What happens next he doesn't remember.
All he remembers is him standing over his old mentor, with blood on his hands, and the old man's face caved in.
"What are you talking about?"
"I have two of the Titans. I took them as I left the school."
"Mmmm," Steer said as he and Fox walked outside of the hospital, "Hold off on killing them, we'll be right there."
Fox stopped.
"Fox stay."
"What?"
"Fox stay with Boa."
Steer smiled.
"Ok Fox you stay with Boa. Barracuda is also in there can you watch her as well?"
Fox nodded.
"Good. Call me if you're in trouble or if anything new happens ok?"
"Yes Steer."
As Steer left Fox he called Eel again.
"Ok," he said, "So you have two hostages?"
"Yes." Eel answered.
"Ok," Steer thought for a second, "do you have a knife on you?"
"Yeah."
"Good. That's all we need."
Katsu was in his backyard digging two graves next to the gazebo that still stood.
As he dug he heard footsteps behind him.
He turned quickly and found a man with a gun looking at him.
For a brief second the two just looked in each other's eyes.
And then the man put his gun down.
"Need help?" the man asked.
Katsu shook his head.
"Alright…I'm just going to examine the body over there, ok?"
Katsu's eyes never left the man as he knelt next to the old man's body.
"That's him alright." The man said.
"What the hell are you?" Katsu demanded.
"Just someone your government hired to clean up a mess they made." He said, "Sorry I wasn't faster."
Katsu just turned back and finishes the graves.
Everything was going fine…until he had to move the bodies.
Overcome with grief he fell to the ground sobbing.
"Here," the man said, "I'll finish."
The man put the bodies of Katsu's old life into the graves and covered them with dirt.
"You want to say anything?" he asked.
Katsu just looked at the two graves and said "Sorry."
The man nodded and started to walk away.
"You want to come?" he said.
To Steer there are three types of people in the world.
First there are the people who are dealt a shitty hand and complained about it. Like when he was in the special forces with the old man. And ordered to do...terrible things.
Second, there are the people who are dealt a great hand and run with it to the top. Like when he was dishonorably discharged and started a family.
And third, there are the people who are dealt a shitty hand, but play with it. And with a little luck you could run with it to the top or come crashing to the ground.
Like the day he met Owl.
Katsu died when he lost his family.
And Steer was born when he found a new one.