Titans: The Revised Adventures RP

[Gapperjack]

Rupert reached the drugstore on the corner, still a fair distance from where he lived, and stopped. He checked his wallet to see how much cash he had on him. There was enough for some chewing-gum and not much else.

'Still better than nothing,' he thought to himself, stopping and turning to go inside.

Suddenly a scream from inside the store made him jump and he was shoved to the ground as a unshaven man with a gun pushed past him. Rupert stumbled and fell to the ground, grazing his hands. The man was already some distance away, running the way Rupert had walked before.

Getting to his feet, the teenager ran to an alley a short distance along the way the criminal had run. He ducked inside and checked quickly to make sure no-one was watching him. When he was satisfied he shut his eyes and gritted his teeth.

'Don't scream... don't scream,' he repeated the words in his head over and over, a mantra against the coming pain.

Molten metal began to run from his pores like sweat, though it didn't drip, instead the liquid metal rushed over his skin, tiny rivulets joining together to form streams, rivers until finally the teenager's entire body was enveloped in swirling red metal. The metal rapidly grew outwards, solidifying and transforming the short nerdy teenage boy into an eight foot tall humanoid armoured robot... Vulcan.

Vulcan stepped out from the alley, cracking the stone with his weight. He used his enhanced electronic vision to pick out the figure of the criminal, now some distance off. The man had stopped running and had hidden his gun away, confident that he had made a clean getaway and no-one was following.

OOC: This could be the drugstore near Donna's apartment, Lil Squirter, if you want. I thought it might be a good way to bring Vulcan to the attention of the Titans, since Rupert is far too nervous and shy to ever even consider approaching them himself.

 

[dragonrazor]

“Yeah,” he turned to Ashton. “It has the garage, two floors of open space, two floors of offices, and door to the roof. It would be ideal.” He saw look on Ashton’s face. “Dude, I was there once, remember? That’s how I know old man Spinter is selling it. He also owns a few apartment buildings, and I went to ask him about one, and his assistant directed me to the old building where he was storing some old furniture. He showed me around a bit, but told me that all his apartments were rented out. Then he offered to sell me the tower, and told me a bit about its history. It used to be the home of the old local newspaper, the Daily Record. I guess back in the late sixties or early seventies the name was bought by a larger company who didn’t want the tower, relocated downtown and renamed the paper to what we know it as today, the Vector City Times. Ever since, Spinter has been trying to sell the old building. I declined at the time, but I think I’ll give him a call on Monday.”

Ashton nodded, having suspected that was the case. "I remember you going there. I didn't know the guy tried to sell it to you already. I agree, the place would be perfect. We could put your motorcycle and my truck in the garage. I think Dad's been working on some aerial transport for us, which would go well on the roof. I'll take care of the moving arrangements."

Raven actually gave a light laugh at that. "Ladies man, huh?" She shook her head. "Good luck with that." She gave him a look, then turned back to Ashton. "I'm Raven. At school.. Its.. usually Rachel. I don't really like that name, though. Raven is fine."

Ashton bowed his head slightly. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Raven. Don't mind the chatter. Some of us are just meeting each other for the first time. It's difficult on loners like you and I, but being part of a team opens options you might not have thought of."

 

[lil_squirter]

A few necessities, shampoo, conditioner, red liccorice.. things one couldn;t live without. Donna had only dropped into the store, run by a charming family wo seemed intent on her meeting their college age son. She smiled and waved off the set up yet again as she set her things to the counter. A pleasent conversation with the older mother of the family, Vivian, as she paid for her things.

With the chat she never paid much attention to the twitchy man who came in thr front. His glassy eyes, ragged breath and nervous steps would have made his intent obvous had she been looking. Donna turned to leave when she heard the man order Viv to empty the cash register. Donna was out of his line of sight but she could hear him just fine.

"Rhea!"
No time to change, she was going to just have to hope for the best, Donna tucked her bags behind the stand of newspapers and followed the man once he exited in a flurry of shouts and brandishing his gun.

She was a streak of dark hair as she flew, yes feet leaving the ground to give chase. Her arms hooked under his and she hoisted him up into the air, lifting him up high above the street. She did her best to keep out of his line of sight, lowering her voice as it growled in his ear.

"Those are good people, those are the kind of people who would have helped you if you had asked. They deserve better then to be threatened and robbed!"

She wrenched the paper bag of cash from him, leaving him dangling in the grip of one impossibly strong arm. She could have let go, but Donna was not about trying to hurt or kill, she was trying to scare a lesson into him. Fear could be used both ways and this was hers.

"Should I let go? Save the world more crimes by you? Or can you possibly be trusted to never do this again?"

The man wriggled and cried, begging at first and then promising he woudl turn over a new leaf. She wasn't entirely sure she believed him, but she couldn;t exactly hover even here in the shadows for too long. Someone was going to see them.

Slowly Donna eased them down until her feet and then his touched the ground. She hoisted him and gave a powerful heave, enough to send him into the dumpster across the alley, the lid slammed down neatly with only his whimpering cries and prayers issuing from within.

Donna took a moment to collect herself and walked back to the store, trying to look shaken as she handed over the cash back to Vivian.

"I heard the shouting...came back and the guy dropped this and took off. I think he must have thought he saw the police or something."

It was lame but the woman bought it and hugged Donna greatfully for the return of the money. Donna just felt good about doing the right thing, she walked back out of the store, grabbed her bags and began the slow ambling walk home.


(OOC: Randal, go ahead and jump in after and he could have seen, followed her and catches up with her outside or deals with the man after she goes back tot he store. I'll follow your lead here)

 

[Gapperjack]

Vulcan was about to run after the criminal when he saw a girl swoop down and grab the man. He watched as the girl soared into the air and then dangle the man. His face was twisted in blind panic as if she had threatened to drop him to his death. The man said something to placate the girl and she threw him into a dumpster by the side of the road.

Vulcan watched this all with interest, stepping into the cover of the alley while she was still a while away to avoid being seen by her. He thought he recognised her, had seen her around maybe, but couldn't be certain.

His feelings towards her were torn. On one hand she had done the right thing, chasing after the thief and stopping him, but on the other it stung that she had beaten Vulcan to the punch on that account. The transformation was excruciating, and he tried to resist shifting into Vulcan when he didn't have to. He felt a little bitter that he had changed when his help hadn't been needed.

'MAYBE THIS CITY HAS ITS OWN HEROES,' he thought. 'MAYBE THERE IS NO PLACE FOR VULCAN.'

He decided to follow the girl, since he had to go that way to get home anyway. He focused and the process that had transformed him into Vulcan was reversed, his skin absorbing the metal as quickly as it had secreted it, the eight foot metal warrior reduced back to a short nerdy teenager.

Rupert stepped from the alley and began to walk for home, watching the back of the girl he had spotted as Vulcan. Out of his robotic form, he already felt a lot less brave, and following a girl who could fly and was strong enough to dangle a man with one arm was already seeming a far less good idea. Things always were simple as Vulcan, but as Rupert every decision became hopelessly complex. Sometimes he thought that the pain of transformation was almost worth it for the clarity of mind it gave him.

OOC: I couldn't see him talking to Donna after seeing her in action, but I think this should set something up quite nicely.

 

[Armphid]

Grant yawned, stretching his arms up over his head before he let himself fall back on the rotting floor of the living room. He could here the braces groan under the sudden shift of weight. Homework finished. Nothing too bad, though he wasn't sure that he'd gotten all the problems for Trig right. But his mind wasn't really on it. It was on this city, on his life as it was, on Donna Troy.

He'd thought it would be easy enough to live like this. No entanglements, being careful not to get close to anyone, not being hurt or be able to hurt anyone else. Then she'd come in with that dazzling smile, and those eyes that seemed to look inside him. He never liked hiding out in this decaying husk of a house, but now it seemed truly repugnant.

He knew why. He wasn't really living life, he was just going through the motions. Donna was so alive, so vibrant, so true...she reminded him of everything that he'd lost. All the things he could never have again. All the things he could never offer her.

Whoa. Where had that come from? Grant absolutely did not need to even think about a girlfriend. He was an outlaw for all he knew, and he bet that those goons were still after him. Even if they weren't, he had wierd super powers that he could only kind of control a little bit. And when he couldn't control them, he blew the hell out of whatever was around him. Or whoever was around him.

"Hell, quit whining." "You're pissing yourself off," he said to the dark of the house. Get out, bust some bad guys, blow off some steam. That'd make him feel better. He carefully made his way upstairs, noting which steps seemed weakest today. Three had broken on him since he started squatting here. In the least filthy of the torn rooms, hanging in the closet, were the four sets of clothes he had to his name. Taken off of clotheslines in three different states, except for one. The "costume" that Manda had made for him before Metallo, before he blew up the school.

It was simple enough. Grey denim with an orange strips down the outside of one leg, the same brown boots he always wore, a pair of brown leather bracers, and the shirt she's made herself. Orange with the stylized black radiation emblem. In the faint light that streamed in from the street lights outside, he changed, the cool air tingling on his skin. He pulled the shirt on over his head, thinking that sometime he should have thought to wear a mask.

Minutes later, he was riding atop another train as it hurtled through the night. He had to admit, for all that his powers had cost him, there was still something about this. An energy to going out in the night to help people (and himself), hidden protector of the city. As the elevated train approached a curve, he stood. "All right, Vector City." "Let's hope we can both survive having Damage around." As the train took the curve, he leaped off, flying through the dark night toward whatever awaited him.

 

[showdolly]

Di smiled and shook hands with all as they introduced themselves, then her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open at Dick's announcement of their dealings with a ghost at STARR today.
Turning to - who? Angel and Star? Star like the lab? and who was the dark chick again? whoever she was, Di liked her already - the gals in the room she knew they'd already been "initiated" as it were.

"A GHOST? Really? At Starr? What'd it want?" SHe wanted to ask badly what the other girls could do, power/ability-wise, but shot Dick a glance to try and warn him about her hesitations with Reikka. Well, the hot girl and Ashton had obviously already met, probably before the choir thing - must have been. Still, until they were sure, she thought it might be best to keep things a bit from her... and she'd need to let Dick know as soon as she could about Reikka's mind tricks. Those would be NOT good should the almost-good girl decide to go all-bad. But oh so helpful should she stay....

A little surprised at the girl named Star's reaction, she giggled a bit and made eyes at Ashton, who simply rolled his own in response, leaving her to fend for herself. Glancing at Angel, the dark girl having pulled her hood over her face again, Di smiled and welcomed the girl to the group again.
"So what went down exactly then? You guys get him or what?"

 

[lil_squirter]

Feeling safe enough in her ability to have covered her tracks, Donna once more was heading for home. She had only made it a block or so when the bag tore fomr the bottom of her groceries.

"Ohhh! Fudge."

Comical, anyone else wouldhave swore but to her it just rarely seemed the right thing to do. Donna folded the bag over, and tried to catch her shopping before it all rolled away.

 

[The Jeffinator]

Ashton nodded, having suspected that was the case. "I remember you going there. I didn't know the guy tried to sell it to you already. I agree, the place would be perfect. We could put your motorcycle and my truck in the garage. I think Dad's been working on some aerial transport for us, which would go well on the roof. I'll take care of the moving arrangements."

“Shit!” Dick snapped his fingers. “My bike is still at the lab, hidden.” He pressed the summon button on his watch to call his bike to him.

Di smiled and shook hands with all as they introduced themselves, then her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open at Dick's announcement of their dealings with a ghost at STAR today.
Turning to - who? Angel and Star? Star like the lab? and who was the dark chick again? whoever she was, Di liked her already - the gals in the room she knew they'd already been "initiated" as it were.

"A GHOST? Really? At STAR? What'd it want?" SHe wanted to ask badly what the other girls could do, power/ability-wise, but shot Dick a glance to try and warn him about her hesitations with Reikka. Well, the hot girl and Ashton had obviously already met, probably before the choir thing - must have been. Still, until they were sure, she thought it might be best to keep things a bit from her... and she'd need to let Dick know as soon as she could about Reikka's mind tricks. Those would be NOT good should the almost-good girl decide to go all-bad. But oh so helpful should she stay....

A little surprised at the girl named Star's reaction, she giggled a bit and made eyes at Ashton, who simply rolled his own in response, leaving her to fend for herself. Glancing at Angel, the dark girl having pulled her hood over her face again, Di smiled and welcomed the girl to the group again.
"So what went down exactly then? You guys get him or what?"

Dick noticed Di’s silent warning, and nodded back slightly. Then he explained all about theuir encounter at the lab.

 

[showdolly]

Di nodded, seeing Dick's apparent catch of her warning, and listened to his explanation. She almost said, "Well holy ghostie creeps, Batman," and then decided against it, giggling instead.
Glad to meet a few gals at the school, Di perched herself on the other end of the couch from Raven and made some on-the-fly comment hoping to comfort the girl, bring her out from the hood a bit maybe. Then she turned her attentions back to Angel and Star, obviously the more outgoing of the crew. She smiled and nodded, and soon the girls were giggling over the boys in the room, quietly, and Di wondered if Reikka was probing anyone's mind.

 

[dragonrazor]

Ashton nodded, then pulled out a notebook. He started taking notes of things to do. Mainly, this was things they'd need, but he figured he'd probably better hold off on that till they all got to brainstorming. He wrote down as the first thing they should do, talk to his father. He also wrote down 'redesign tower'. Turning back to Dick, he raised an eyebrow. "You know, once we graduate, we may want to consider going full time hero. Also, we should talk to my father, he might have suggestions and know who to contact for equipment and stuff. He'd probably get in trouble with his boss if he provided it all himself. He also knows a lot about building design, so we should talk to him tonight about redesigning the Tower."

 

[The Jeffinator]

Ashton nodded, then pulled out a notebook. He started taking notes of things to do. Mainly, this was things they'd need, but he figured he'd probably better hold off on that till they all got to brainstorming. He wrote down as the first thing they should do, talk to his father. He also wrote down 'redesign tower'. Turning back to Dick, he raised an eyebrow. "You know, once we graduate, we may want to consider going full time hero."

“Nah,” Dick shrugged. “We have to maintain jobs to generate some kind of income. After funding the design of the Tower and all the new equipment, my savings will be pretty much gone. I’ll have enough to buy us food and necessities until the school year is over, but that’s about it. We can build a generator in the basement to cover major utilities, but this summer we’re going to have to find a new source of income.”

"Also, we should talk to my father, he might have suggestions and know who to contact for equipment and stuff. He'd probably get in trouble with his boss if he provided it all himself. He also knows a lot about building design, so we should talk to him tonight about redesigning the Tower."

“Good idea,” Dick agreed. “Let me change, and we’ll go. If anyone wants to come with, get ready.” He handed communicators to the ones that had not yet received them, told them what they meant, and then proceeded to his room. He changed out of his Robin suit and reappeared wearing blue jeans and a white t-shirt, with a jean jacket over.

“Let’s go,” he motioned the one who were coming to follow him, and they headed down to the ground floor. He noticed his bike had returned to its normal state and was parked. “Okay all, we’ll just use the vehicles we all came in, and follow Ashton. Starfire, would you... uh.. Like to ride with me on my bike?” he asked as he mounted the Harley.

 

[dragonrazor]

“Nah,” Dick shrugged. “We have to maintain jobs to generate some kind of income. After funding the design of the Tower and all the new equipment, my savings will be pretty much gone. I’ll have enough to buy us food and necessities until the school year is over, but that’s about it. We can build a generator in the basement to cover major utilities, but this summer we’re going to have to find a new source of income.”

Ashton nodded, then made a note about that. Finding a job would be easier than keeping one, he figured. Still, Dick was right about the need for income. They couldn't rely on family members forever, after all.

“Good idea,” Dick agreed. “Let me change, and we’ll go. If anyone wants to come with, get ready.” He handed communicators to the ones that had not yet received them, told them what they meant, and then proceeded to his room. He changed out of his Robin suit and reappeared wearing blue jeans and a white t-shirt, with a jean jacket over.

“Let’s go,” he motioned the one who were coming to follow him, and they headed down to the ground floor. He noticed his bike had returned to its normal state and was parked. “Okay all, we’ll just use the vehicles we all came in, and follow Ashton. Starfire, would you... uh.. Like to ride with me on my bike?” he asked as he mounted the Harley.

While Dick was changing, Ashton ducked into the bathroom long enough to change back into his clothes, and then came back out. He picked up his backpack, and stuffed the designs and his notes back into it. He looked at each of the others. "I've got plenty of room in my truck. Let's go."

 

[Mephistophelily]

Raven just watched all the goings-on, confused as ever. Far too many people. She didn't feel comfortable at all. *Better get over it soon,* She reminded herself. *You're going to be spending a lot more time with these ones... Aren't you the special one.*
She glanced up as Ashton said something about his van. "Ah.. right. Let me get changed as well." She noticed Robin- wait. Dick? The guy that had introduced himself at lunch that afternoon... Well. That made a bit more sense. The black clouds formed about her hands, quickly engulfing her form... then left her standing there in a pair of jeans and a ripped black tanktop, her purple hair still just as noticable.

 

[Gapperjack]

Feeling safe enough in her ability to have covered her tracks, Donna once more was heading for home. She had only made it a block or so when the bag tore from the bottom of her groceries.

"Ohhh! Fudge."

Comical, anyone else would have swore but to her it just rarely seemed the right thing to do. Donna folded the bag over, and tried to catch her shopping before it all rolled away.

Rupert saw the girl he had been following stop as her grocery bag tore. He hadn't been doing a very good job of tailing her, and had only been a few meters behind her when her bag had torn. His first instinct was to find cover in-case she turned and saw him, but there was no-where to hide on the street, and it felt a little stupid, hiding from the sort of person who says 'fudge' instead of swearing.

He walked up to her and started to pick up any loose items that had fallen from her bag and pass them back to her.

"Here," he said, then no more words came. At a distance he could handle girls, but this close up in the flesh, he felt his mouth become dry and his hands sweaty as he tried to think of something to say. Nothing came so he bent down again to pick up some more items and realised there was nothing left.

 

[Armphid]

Detective Amy Rohrbach shook her head as she looked over the crime scene. The vehicle that lay all over the street had been a beater, old, still heavy with a steel frame, not aluminum and plastic like modern cars. Nonetheless, something had torn it apart. Someone, rather. Det. Rohrbach traced the outline of the fingers that had grasped and torn the engine block free, presing into the metal. "The perps say some kind did this?"

Detective Gannon, her partner, flipped through his notebook. "Yup." "Those two had just knocked over the Food King and were burning out when this kid jumped in front of their car, one second he wasn't there, than bam!" "They gunned it, and he jumped on the hood, punched through the hood, and tore out the engine with one hand." The kid then ripped the windshield off and pulled them out, wrapped them in the bumper, took what they had in their wallets, though he left the swag from the store alone, and ran off."

Det. Rohrbach frowned, "We've had reports of Robin in the city...and some other kid heroes, but none who operate like this." "This one...he demolished the scene."

Gannon snorted, "He ain't exactly a hero either, he robbed these guys."

"Yeah." "There's that too." She sighed, pulling out a crumpled pack of cigarettes and knocking one out of the pack. "Why do I get the feeling this is going to be a huge pain in the ass?"

********

Ten blocks away, Damage was perched on a gargoyle high atop the city's largest Catholic church. Yeah, it was cliche, but he'd wanted to do this ever since he'd read his first comic book. He'd punched out two dealers, broken up three muggins, and then busted up that convienience store robbery. "And all I've got is 15 dollars and 41 cents." He sighed. Well, if criminals had money they wouldn't be criminals.

Still, it was good work. He'd helped people, even if he hadn't stuck around for any thanks. It still felt good. There was something to this hero thing, one of the only times he appreciated these damn powers. "Always wanted to be a superhero...just thought it wouldn't involve living like a fugitive."

He shrugged, patted the gargoyle on the head, and stood. "Take it easy, man." He jumped out into the night air, landing hard in an alley a block away, the concrete cracking. He had to learn not to do that.

 

[lil_squirter]

Rupert saw the girl he had been following stop as her grocery bag tore. He hadn't been doing a very good job of tailing her, and had only been a few meters behind her when her bag had torn. His first instinct was to find cover in-case she turned and saw him, but there was no-where to hide on the street, and it felt a little stupid, hiding from the sort of person who says 'fudge' instead of swearing.

He walked up to her and started to pick up any loose items that had fallen from her bag and pass them back to her.

"Here," he said, then no more words came. At a distance he could handle girls, but this close up in the flesh, he felt his mouth become dry and his hands sweaty as he tried to think of something to say. Nothing came so he bent down again to pick up some more items and realised there was nothing left.

Donna snatched up the oranges, rolling shampoo bottle and some of her things. She was trying to round them all near the bag when someone else came up to help her. Crouched as she was hunting for her things she could see nothing but the shoes of the good samaritan.

"Thanks. I don't know what happened, just all of a sudden..whoosh."

Her energy from the fight was the more likely cause, still not quite having finesse in the balance of power verses fragility sometimes. Well when one was goddess blessed to be able to do the things she did, it was hard to snap back to normal girl mode on a dime.

Once the bag was refilled and hled the bottom closed and stood, finally now seeing her rescuer and that he was a teen like herself. Well not exactly like herself but around her age anyway.

"Well, thanks. I appreciate the help. I'm Donna by the way, Donna Troy, just started at Vector High."

She shifted the bag and held out her hand to him with that patented Wonder Girl smile.

 

[Kuuroinochou]

While Dick was changing, Ashton ducked into the bathroom long enough to change back into his clothes, and then came back out. He picked up his backpack, and stuffed the designs and his notes back into it. He looked at each of the others. "I've got plenty of room in my truck. Let's go."

"I would have perfered to take my bike..." Reikka chimed in but sighed and decided she'd go with Ashton, being one of the only ones she felt most comfortable around. "You don't mind if I tage along, do you?" she questioned though didn't care either way.

 

[FenixZero]

Hands resting comfortably in his pockets, shoulders slouched and wearing a bored look on his face, Ghost phased through the thick titanium walls as he made his way through the massive underground complex. He had heard that this HIVE was supposed to be the majors but he had expected it to be as massive as it was. Cameras and security sensors lining each wall and corridor watched everything that went of inside, forcing him to stay in his ethereal form, and he was in no mood to test the security measures.

Letting out a sigh, Ghost poked his head through a wall and was finally treated to something intresting. The chamber was massive, colossal moniters displaying every square inch of the HIVE academy, and sophisticated computer systems that shamed even STAR labs all rounded out by a holographic display of the planet that dominated the center of the room.

Moving fully into the room, Ghost dropped back into his normal form and addressed the man standing before the bank of moniters.

"I'm looking for Slade"

 

[Gapperjack]

Once the bag was refilled and held the bottom closed and stood, finally now seeing her rescuer and that he was a teen like herself. Well not exactly like herself but around her age anyway.

"Well, thanks. I appreciate the help. I'm Donna by the way, Donna Troy, just started at Vector High."

She shifted the bag and held out her hand to him with that patented Wonder Girl smile.

Rupert stood silent for a moment, his eyes slightly wide, his expression pure rabbit in headlights. He was willing his hand to move, or at least his mouth to move. After a moment, some words came, but they were far from an introduction. "I'm er..." he said, his voice slightly hoarse, his throat dry. "That is to say, I think we umm..." he tripped over his words. "we, er... go to the same school, I think?" He realised that he hadn't even said his name, and fell over his words again. "I'm terribly um... I mean, well I haven't really... What er... I'm trying." He stopped, took a deep breath and finished. "I'm Rupert."

He looked down at his shoes and shifted his weight from one foot to the other, then he unconsciously brushed a strand of his hair away from his face with a slightly quivering hand.

 

[dragonrazor]

"I would have perfered to take my bike..." Reikka chimed in but sighed and decided she'd go with Ashton, being one of the only ones she felt most comfortable around. "You don't mind if I tage along, do you?" she questioned though didn't care either way.

Ashton smiled, then opened the doors on his truck. "After you, ladies." He smiled at Reikka, and Raven...er, Rachel.

 

[Kuuroinochou]

She got into the van with little fuss, taking her seat near the window and waited for the next portion of their little field trip. Yay! Sarcasm abound.

 

[The Jeffinator]

The room was silent for a few moments, then the man standing by the monitors turned around and stepped out of the shadows.

http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/7859/180pxslade001ak6.jpg

“I commend you on getting past my security measures,” the man said in a deep, dark voice. “So I get to meet the living phantasm known as Ghost. I assume that was you that frightened one of my guards? No matter, it will be taken care of.”

The man walked over to a desk behind the holographic planet, and pressed a button on what looked like a telephone. “I want Guardsman Trinn in my office immediately.”

“Yes, Headmaster, of course,” said a female voice on the other end. Although the man spoke with a sort of dark politeness, the female seemed frightened of him. Moments later, the same guard that had been terrified of Ghost arrived in the room, and his eyes grew huge at the site of the now-physical man.

“Is this the man you were scared of? Is it?” the Headmaster sounded very polite, and the guard nodded.

“Y-yes Headmaster Slade, I thought he was a g-ghost...” Trinn was slightly trembling. Slade nodded and patted him on the back.

“It’s okay, Trinn.” he said quietly.

“R-really?” Trinn looked hopeful. Slade shook his head, and the next second, a katana had appeared out of nowhere and was now stabbed into Trinn’s chest and sticking out his back. Slade yanked the sword out and the man fell to the floor, a look of horror frozen on his face.

“Silly Trinn,” he spoke as though what had just happened was no serious matter, “you know I do not tolerate cowards.” Walking back over to his desk, he used a rag to clean off his sword, set it aside, and called for someone to clean up the body. Then walking back over to Ghost, Slade looked him in the eye. “Yes, I am Headmaster Slade. How may I help you?”

 

[FenixZero]

Behind the dark glasses, Ghost's eyes went wide at the horror before him. Slade had just killed that man with the same disregard as killing a fly. Ghost stole, he scared people, occasionally he scared them so bad they never fully recovered but to simply execute someone like that. He thought only villians in movies actually did that.

Ghost felt a ripple go through his body as the man's soul was seperated from the body in an instant. No chance of reattaching it to the body, no hope of saving the man. He was dead before Slade could even withdraw the blade.

Turning his attention back to the Headmaster of the HIVE, Ghost gathered his thoughts back up. This Slade wasn't a man to be trifled with. He didn't even bother dropping the temperature. Ghost had the distinct feeling that nothing short of a full-powered Ghost Touch could possibly hope to scare the man in front of him.

Reaching into his jacket, Ghost removed the small metallic shard, holding it up for Slade to inspect. "I stole this from STAR labs. My sources tell me it's an actual piece of the scythe of the Grim Reaper, but the lab techs only know it's a metal that dosen't appear anywhere on the periodic table."

Pocketing the fragment again, Ghost continued, "There are other pieces that I need. But I ran into the Teen Titans"

He hated this next part. But it was why he'd come in the first place.

"I need your help Headmaster Slade. I need the power of your HIVE academy"

 

[Mephistophelily]

Raven hung back a moment in the driveway, watching as Angel climbed into the front seat of the van and sat waiting for Raven to get in. "Ain't ya gettin' in?," Angel asked, looking to her curiously. "It's not that far. An' Ashton's a pretty good driver," She teased, glancing at him over her shoulder.

"I'm....not that comfortable in cars," Raven replied, her body hidden completely in her cloak as she shook her head. "I'd much rather get a better take of the city from up there." She guestured towards the sky. "If you could keep those lights atop the van on, I can keep track of where you are in the streets. I'd like to get the city mapped out a bit better in my head before I get going too many places...."

 

[The Jeffinator]

Slade was silent for a few moments, then walked over to his desk and sat down, leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head. “It’s so hard to find good help these days, isn’t it? The Hive is made up of about two hundred cadets and officers, but I have yet to recruit someone of your skills. It’s obvious you don’t need any training, so I’ll bump you up to a Junior Officer. Choose however many cadets you need and get your pieces of metal. I seriously doubt you will need anymore than five or six to defeat these Titans brats. Oh, and you may renounce your Hive Commission any time you wish, for a fee. But I don’t think you’ll be quitting anytime soon... Nobody ever likes to pay the Discharge Fee...” he seemed to chuckle a little bit under his mask.