Fan Fiction ❯ One in the Pheonix ❯ The Stranger ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: Do not own the TT. But I do own Kaelyn Pyros, Lyra, and Talithia. I made them up, obviously.

Title: One in the Pheonix

Chapter 2:

The Stranger

 

Just after Robin rang the bell for Cyborg and Raven to begin their training, the alarm went off. “Titans! Trouble!” Robin shouted as he typed a command into the computer in front of him. A video feed from a camera on the roof of the Tower cam eon the screen.

“Looks like will have to finish this later, Rae.”

“Whatever.” Raven didn't really care about this new, and not very exciting, method of training.

“That's not fair, Cyborg, you didn't have to get beat up by a girl!” Beastboy whined.

“HAHA! Yes!” Cyborg pointed at Beastboy and laughed.

“Cut it out you two! We have more important things to worry about right now; such as a giant, flaming meteor heading toward the city. Let's go!”

They exited the tower to see what they thought was a meteor floating: yes, floating, in midair!

“Uh…Okay. Is that thing supposed to be floating?” Beastboy asked skeptically.

“That isn't supposed to be possible! All the natural laws of science say that: `a floating meteor in Earth's atmosphere is not possible `cuz of gravity!' ” Cyborg raved.

“That's not a meteor.” Raven stated plainly.

“Huh!” The three boys all turned to stare at Raven.

“Then… what is it?” Robin finally asked.

“It's—

“Star! What are you doing! Don't get too close to it! You don't even know what it is, or even what it can do!” Beastboy yelled.

“Oh. But I do know what it is.” Starfire said in return.

“You do?!”

But before Starfire could answer, the ball of flame lowered itself slowly in the Titans' direction.

“Titans! Get ready!”

As the orb of flame closed in, the Titans were able to see that what Raven had said was true. This was clearly no meteor. Robin could just barely make out two forms within: one appeared to be a boy lying unconscious on the concave floor (if you can call it a floor) of the sphere. The other form was smaller, and it appeared to be some sort of bird. The orb stopped drifting, and it hovered just above the ground for a moment.

“There is no threat, friends.” Starfire said.

“What are you talking about, Starfire? How do we know that that kid isn't some kind of threat?” Robin put out.

“Because he is not.” Starfire wasn't making any sense to the Boy Wonder. Not that she ever did sometimes. “I will show you.” Starfire walked towards the ball of flame and reached out to touch it. Robin, Cyborg, and Beastboy tensed as Starfire reached out towards the strange otherworldly object before them. Before Starfire's fingers got burned by the nearest flames, the orb suddenly disappeared!

Beastboy shouted frantically, “What the heck is going on!”

The boy's prone form dropped to the ground. Raven stepped forward but was stopped by a voice, seemingly from nowhere at all.

`You must help him.'

“Okay. Am I the only one who heard that?” Robin looked at the surprised faces of his friends.

The voice sound strangely musical and had a pleasant yet urgent tone to it, `You must help him, Starfire, daughter of Tamaran.'

“Dude, did that bird just talk!”

“Not just a bird.” Raven was interrupted by Starfire.

“A Pheonix.” Starfire gasped, “They were only legend on my planet. But how did it---know my name?”

“Star, you know this thing?” Cyborg asked.

Starfire was too incredulous to respond. Besides the whole thing was overwhelming. Only the phoenix brought them back to reality, `You must help him, Raven, daughter of Azarath.'

Raven was about to respond when the bird, seemingly made of fire itself, landed on her shoulder without even scorching her cloak. Raven took a closer look at the boy, who appeared to be about 17, maybe older. And wearing a lavishly coated red shirt (reds that go from dark red at the waist to yellow at the shoulders) with tight black pants to match but weren't as decorated. The clothes would have been lavish if they weren't ripped and torn all over the place, as if the boy had been in a rough battle.

“He will need medical attention.” Raven stated, after noticing that the boy had countless bloody bruises and injuries. She was startled to find that the boy was cold to the touch. That's not good…

 

`Do not fear, Kaelyn.'

`How can I not, Xanthos. Lyra has been taken, and I have been defeated. How can I possibly triumph over Talithia if cannot control the Power Within?'

`I will guide you.'

`That is what you always say. Can you not say anything else?'

`I have brought you to those who will help you.'

`Who?'

`You will soon see.'

 

The stranger was laid on a hospital bed in the med-lab. His various open wounds had been patched up and bandaged. His torn clothes were another matter entirely. The Titans didn't know what to do with those. They didn't know what strange material they were made of so they didn't know how to repair them. The bird had told them that he had brought the boy to Earth, but would explain no more, or how he had known the girls' names.

Robin, Cyborg, and Raven had worked furiously to keep the boy's heart rate and temperature as stable as possible. They tried as hard as they could to keep the boy's temperature up on the standard 98.6 degrees. The boy was now covered in multiple blankets in order to accomplish this.

Starfire sat in a corner watching Robin and her friends tend to the stranger. When suddenly, the fire-bird perched itself on the boy's chest and leaned its head sideways over a long scratch across his shoulder.

“Get off! I thought you wanted us to help him!” Cyborg tried to shoo the bird off but it replied.

`I am healing him.'

While the bird was doing this, the boy woke and got up abruptly, “Lyra!” This knocked the bird off its perch and it had to flap its wings a little to keep from falling to the floor. Strangely, the bird's wings created no wind within the lab.

Cyborg asked, “How'd you do that?”

The boy turned at the sound of Cyborg's voice, leapt off the bed, and made for the door.

“Wait! Stop!” Robin shouted at him. But the boy escaped before anyone could stop him. Unfortunately, the boy ran straight into Raven, who was standing right outside the door.

“Where do you think you're going?”

“Hysathoine!” (Translation: Out of my way!)

“What'd he say?” Beastboy asked.

“Relax. We just want to help you.”

The boy didn't appear to hear or understand what Raven wanted to say. He just looked around for a way out.

“Quisa Nolea Taneo!” (Translation: You do not understand!)

Starfire approached the boy from behind and said the following in a strange voice that none of the Titans, even she, knew that she knew, “Rtian tsro mikcas?” (Translation: Who are you?)

Startled to hear his own language being spoken, the boy turned around to face Starfire. “I am Kaelyn Pyros.”