The Outcast

Chapter One

A walk in the park. That's how this story begins. Seeing it through to its conclusion, however, was a far cry from such a thing, figuratively or literally. And incidentally, as you shall see later, I wasn't really in a park.

We had gotten back from our "world tour" of fighting the Brotherhood of Evil. For times, I had doubts we would survive those missions. But that spark of hope that resides within me that Robin admires kept me going.

We'd been back for nearly a week, and all I wanted to do was to relax and meditate. I also curled up with a good book or two, but something would always happen in the tower that would distract me from my enjoyment. True, I wasn't as obsessive when I met Malchior, but still it was irksome. I promised myself that I would find something relaxing. It was a promise I intended to keep.

I was walking along the edge of the woodlands, not far from the city limits. I had been there many times before, but often in response to an emergency, such as when Thunder and his brother Lightning were wreaking havoc under the misdirection of a disguised Slade, and another time when Beast Boy was apparently abducted by a dim witted alien. How the hell such a creature achieved space flight was beyond me.

It might not seem wise to many for a teenage girl to be walking by herself at night near some empty woods. However, I was confident that I could handle any potential foe; I had martial arts skills that I learned from Robin, not to mention my dark energy powers. So, with confidence, I enjoyed the sights, sounds, and smells around me.

I paused in my walk and noted the sky; save for some clouds near the horizon, it was clear. I saw the full moon rising the in east, casting an eerie glow over the clouds. Further up, was planet Mars, shining brightly. Facing west, I saw Venus, a brilliant point of light, casting its reflection in the calm bay waters. I inhaled deeply, already feeling relaxed.

I entered the woods without hesitation, hovering inches about the ground. True, it did take some effort to fly, rather than to walk, but I was so practiced, that it required little concentration to fly. After traveling a few yards, however, I decided to walk again, and really enjoy the woods.

Being a creature of darkness myself, I reveled in the nocturnal environment, feeling at one with all that was around me. I feared no shadows, no sounds, and no movements. All was peaceful.

Then, I sensed something in the distance with my powers. It was a vague sensation, but it was enough to cause me alarm; there was danger here. Or at least, potential danger.

I put up my hood and proceeded to once again fly. I felt that the danger merited investigation, and so took it upon myself to determine what it was. If it was serious, I would call the other Titans. If not, then I would handle it myself.