The Legend of the Titans

by Silent Bob

Chapter X: Titans Together (Part IV)

Slade's apprentice raised an eyebrow, her black, shadow-like eyes gazing at the multitude of machinery. They were currently hard at work, creating a small army of strange, Pegasus Pony-like robotic drones.

"I've gotta ask, master," she grunted. "What's with all the droids?"

Slade remained silent. Instead, he seemed fixated on a monitor currently showing the recovery of Robin.

She gave an annoyed grunt. "Slade?"

...

"It's funny, isn't it?" he said.

"What's funny?" she asked.

Slade turned towards her, chuckling.ever-so-slightly. "For years I've gotten used to this world: this new body of mine... the new bodies that surround me. A land where equines have replaced humanity as the dominant species. It was strange at first - but after two thousand years, anything strange can become the norm." He then glanced back at the screen. "But still - seeing the Titans like this brings me back to old, old times. I wonder how they'll adapt? Will they embrace this new world or long for the old?"

"Do you?" his apprentice asked. "Embrace it, that is."

"Of course," Slade said. "Everything is relative, my dear. Darkness defines the light and vice-versa. On the world where I came from, darkness hid in every crack, yet here - everything shines. It's so innocent... so pure. Barely ever bothered... and that makes any act conducted by one such as myself all the more sweeter. It's no wonder the artifact called for me."

She shook her head in disbelief. "I still can't believe you come from another planet - another universe. And it's all gone, now isn't it?"

"Indeed," Slade said, without a care in the world. "That playground has been rolled over by the will of gravity. My universe collapsed, and this one formed. Who knows how many others have gone this way in the end?"

"Beats me," she shrugged.

Slade gave her a blank look. "If there's one thing I have left to teach you, it should be a gratitude for mystery. It is one of the things that keeps me going. The unknown will always be there right out of reach."

"Hey, I have an aptitude for the unknown, I'll have you know," she smirked. "It's why I became your apprentice after all. It's why I gazed into the Black Orb..."

"True, true," Slade mused. "Yet my curiosity is still not sated. I have something I've been wishing to know since the Titans' arrived here."

She tilted her head. "What - whether or not they're worth your time anymore?"

"Very astute," Slade nodded. "You are correct. While Robin seemed to be capable of defending himself just as well as he did years before, the rest of the Titans... I'm not so sure. And who knows when the next monster will pop up for them to fight?"

"So... you want to give them something to fight?" she smirked. "Heh - hell yeah, it's about time-"

"Sorry, my dear, but you're not ready just yet," Slade interrupted.

"What?!" she cried. "I've beaten them twice in the simulations! I'm ready to take them down whenever-"

Slade shook his head. "Your skill is not what I'm questioning. I simply do not want to reveal my wyldcard just yet."

His apprentice opened her mouth to argue more, but was interrupted.

"Heh. I suppose that's what you want us for, then?" a voice called from the darkness.

The apprentice's eyes narrowed. "You're sending them?!"

"And more," Slade chirped, as two, bright-eyed female changelings stepped out of the shadows. They were nearly identical save for some minor facial features... and their opposing blue and red eyes.

"Come now, dearest," one chirped in a dignified accent, propping up the apprentice's chin with a hoof.

She quickly smacked it away, disgusted.

"Mmmm, envious, I see," she laughed. "Don't be. It's not your fault you only have one form. You can only ever be one wyldcard."

"Maybe - but if you're dead you'll only ever be one corpse," the apprentice hissed.

"Play nice, children," Slade sighed.

...

"She started it," his apprentice muttered.

Slade ignored her, continuing with: "Still: Requiem. Silent Shadow. I'm glad the two of you could make it on such short notice..."

Requiem gave a disgruntled moan. "Why have you brought me here, though? Making an unexpected absence from Queen Chrysalis' inner circle tends to raise eyebrows, you know. And for what? A chance to fight your millennium old obsession?"

"Ooooh quit being such a spoil sport," Silent chirped. "How often is it that we get to have this kind of fun? A chance to beat down legends? I'll take that any day."

"We have more important things to be doing," Requiem snarled. "Not everyone fights just for kicks, you know. Some of us have a greater-"

"Blah blah blah," Silent Shadow groaned, annoyed. "I've heard the speech before. And no: I still don't care." She then turned towards Slade, smiling sweetly. "But Slade, dear: she does have a point. There must be those better suited for direct fights than two changelings..."

"Actually, only one of you will be taking on the Titans," Slade mused. "And despite you being shape-shifters, I know what you two are capable of when cornered... or when properly motivated."

Silent Shadow grinned. "Well then: if you're giving out compliments... where can I find them-"

Slade shook his head. "I have a different priority for you, actually..."

She gave him puppy-dog eyes. "But Slade! This is an opportunity of a lifetime-"

"You'll have later chances, provided they survive," Slade said. "And knowing the Titans, they probably will..."

Requiem narrowed her eyes, two slithers of green mist constantly rising from them. "So, let me get this straight - you want me to lead a team against a group of practically handicapped heroes so you can get a taste of how suited they are to their bodies? Just go fight them yourself!"

Slade narrowed his eyes. "Don't presume you know what my objectives are. I don't need to explain myself to you..."

Requiem opened her mouth to say more, but was interrupted.

"However, I knew you'd object - and that is why I'm willing to give you an additional incentive."

She raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"One hundred advanced energy rifles - hoof fit, of course - far ahead of anything both Equestria and the Changeling Kingdom may have... and this is if you lose against them."

Her eyes widened in glee. "You can't be serious! With that kind of firepower, I could-"

"Perhaps," Slade mused. "But if you want it, I'm going to need to you gain some... different kind of leadership experience."

She raised an eyebrow. "So I'm not doing this alone?"

"There goes the fun of it," Silent Shadow muttered, and Slade's apprentice had to nod in agreement.

"Going alone would be foolish," Slade stated. "Even if the Titans can't handle themselves at all in these... interesting forms... there is still a small matter of their two new fans."

Slade blinked twice, which somehow activated a new image on his monitor: this one of both Celestia and Luna - each trying to hold back grins as Beast Boy performed a series of intricate shape-shifts (on their request, of course); a lion, a dog, even a green-furred human at one point (which he quickly seemed to be forced to switch from for some strange reason)...

Silent Shadow raised an eyebrow. "That... is one skilled changeling. Animorphisis can take a lifetime to master. Yet they are the Teen Titans, aren't they?"

"I thought you'd start to appreciate them," Slade chuckled. "Once you had a chance to view their abilities, of course."

"I still don't understand this obsession of yours, though," she muttered.

"Nobody but myself can," Slade whispered.

Requiem rolled her eyes. "Alright - fine, why did you show us that, again?".

"I'm showing you it because the two most powerful beings in Equestria - perhaps Trinity, happen to be in the very same location the Titans' are... and they're quite the fans."

"In all my time infiltrating high command," Silent Shadow said, shaking her head in disbelief. "I've never seen them act this..."

"Childish before?" Requiem grunted. "Chrysalis' is worse, though in a different way..."

"Why don't the two of you just date already?" Silent Shadow grinned.

Requiem shot her a glare, before glancing back at Slade. "Before I'm tempted to kill her - how are we going to deal with the two of them?"

Slade's eye practically twinkled. "That will be Silent Shadow's job... and I want all three of them taken care of, including Celestia's surrogate daughter - Princess Twilight."

"Oooooo," Silent Shadow giggled. "Do you want slow deaths - or quick ones? I've been waiting a long time to keep Luna from waking me up every night with her... vocal skills, you know. She seems to have a thing for singing Evernescence karaoke... loudly."

"That - I will explain later," Slade said coldly.

"Hmph - party pooper," she muttered. "No cake for you..."

"With the three of them out of the way, Requiem will have a clean shot at the Titans," Slade whispered, before looking back at Requiem. "And as I said - you aren't going alone."

She rolled her eyes. "So - who's the lucky bunch of idiots? A bunch of canon fodder for your curiosity? I don't understand why you just don't send Diesel and Videntis with me... at least those two I can predict."

"They're going to be busy with other priorities, as well as my apprentice here." He gestured towards his ever-growing droid army. "I have multiple objectives to complete in a short amount of time since the Titans got here. Their coming marks the beginning of a new-age, but the world doesn't center around them..." He narrowed his eye. "However, I still have a keen interest in them. That's why those I've acquired are much more than canon fodder. Take a look."

Slade blinked twice again, bringing forth yet another screen. Upon it was a split-image of four different beings. There was a strange, humanoid lizard-like being with the build of a minotaur, a strange, young looking female draconequus with a massive eagle perched on her shoulder, a grinning, five-hoof tall goblin riding atop a massive, nasty-looking troll/ogre hybrid, and finally, a vicious looking, though significantly young (for what he was) bipedal dragon, barely ten hooves high.

"Interesting lot," Requiem said in a bored tone. "What gutter did you drag this rag-tag bunch of misfits out of?"

"Ooooh, I got them from an old friend," Slade said, smiling slightly. "He runs the Neo H.I.V.E., a mercenary loaning agency and academy based in Manehattan. And I have to say, even if you'll have no idea what I'm talking about - It's almost amusing how much of a rhyme this is... to a similar situation on my homeworld." He gave a mock, nostalgic sigh. "Jinx, Mammoth, Gizmo... I miss your services. Predictably sloppy and arrogant. These new ones I haven't seen in action yet... I don't know what will happen. Though even if they lose against the Titans, I might have further use for them if they prove themselves worthy of it..."

"Alright," Requiem grunted. "I've actually heard of that organization, believe it or not. If they're H.I.V.E. mercs, they should last more than a minute, I suppose. I'm going to need information on them, however, if you want to give the Titans a good fight. Strengths, weaknesses, even personalities. But let's start simple - what are they called?"

Slade nodded.

"Very well - meet Ender, Nyx, Gnarl and his... associate, Grimoire, and finally: Shadowmist - the best the H.I.V.E. has available at the moment."

He cocked his head, and Requiem could practically see him smirking.

"Let's see if they're worth the bits, shall we?"