Author's Notes: This is a spinoff story based on similar events as +AmTT (Plus Anima meets Teen Titans) but taking a decidedly different direction. In this slightly darker story, Husky is rescued from the collector by the Teen Titans, and the four +anima spend a very happy several months under the tutelage of the Teen Titans, while the Justice League researches their dilemma and decides what to do with them. But before a decision is reached, Husky is kidnapped by a researcher who had discovered the collector's research documents and is kidnapped and quickly medically brainwashed. This story takes place two years after the kidnapping. No traces were ever found of Husky, despite everyone's best efforts.
Special thanks to 0m3ga's Z3r0, who inspired the initial idea. This was originally meant to be a sequel to +AmTT, but that just wasn't working out with the direction I wish to go in with that story. The idea was too good to let go of, however, and thus this new story.
Beta-read by Moofy-Fan.
Harley was beautiful, even for a guy. No pair of eyes didn't follow the perfect lithe figure of the fifteen year old as he walked (and sometime stalked) down the hallways of the elite Gotham Academy.
No girl didn't sigh at the waist-length silky blond hair, tied back in a low ponytail in a futile attempt at masculinity. No guy could tear his eyes from those enormous light blue catlike eyes in that perfectly shaped face. When he flipped and practically danced his way through gym, with an unheard of acrobatic ability, even the teacher was caught staring.
Of course, Harley's personality was anything but feminine – though many of the children of Gotham's elite found the boy's fits of anger absolutely adorable, and the child was never without some pretty girl on his arm (to his disgust) and a guy 'friend' tailing behind him and making teasing comments.
Life had been much the same since Harley's recovery from his accident and his enrollment in Gotham Academy. The only real difference was he finally was catching up with schoolwork – his accident had put him really behind. He hadn't been able to remember any history or literature at all, and it was like he'd never even been taught the basics of science – though his math and English skills were uncommonly good and attested to his once-ability to be a straight-A student, as his student records attested to.
That was until the new kid arrived. A weirdo with the strangest name.
Cooro.
"And Cooro – you're going to attend Gotham Academy as a sophomore, starting next week."
Nana, Senri, and Cooro just stared at Robin with enormous eyes.
"Why is…?" began Nana doubtfully.
"Nana will join you in three months – there are no more openings for girls at the moment. Senri will move to Gotham along with the rest of you. You will enjoy a hospitable reception by Bruce Wayne of Wayne Enterprises, a top funder of the Justice League of America. He has direct contact to the Justice League if you should need it, and plenty of room in his mansion for the three of you. He even has an adopted son for you guys to play with, a kid around your age named Tim Drake."
"Are you…?" Nana started again, mumbling in uncertainty.
"Giving up?" finished Senri, frowning.
Robin, who was planning on ditching the name for Nightwing, sighed and leaned back in his chair. "It's time for you guys to move on. Besides, you may find something of interest in Gotham. It is one of the most exciting cities in America. You've been in this world for going on three years now, and you've never stepped foot out of Jump City."
Cooro's hands fisted at his side. The black crow wings of his anima, which he'd taken to just leaving out lately as he sulked around Titans Tower, arched angrily.
"We are not quitting!" he shouted. "We'll never quit looking for Husky! We know he's here somewhere, no matter what you or anyone else says!"
Nana and Senri's faces firmed and they nodded in agreement.
"Then maybe you'll have better luck in Gotham," said Robin decisively, waving a hand and turning on his foot.
"Maybe that was a little harsh?" confided Nana to Cooro later. "We know how close Robin and Husky were in those few months. And Robin seems to have taken it personally that Husky disappeared right in his city, practically under all of our noses."
It was true, and a slight surprise to all of them once they'd finally gotten Husky back for that oh so short amount of time all those years ago. Robin had even taken to continuing the boy's study in staff fighting, something he had already been almost inhumanly good at. Everything seemed like it was going to actually work out for once, and it was clear that the titans had been nearly as distraught as the children when that peace was ripped out from under them.
The two were sitting beside each other on a jet belonging to Wayne Enterprises, on their way to Gotham to settle in. Senri slept peacefully across from them.
Cooro stared out the window, and for a minute Nana wondered whether he had heard her.
"I can't get over it," said Cooro. "My best friend. My first real friend, before we met you and Senri. He's in this strange world, same as we are, and has been all alone for years now. I know he's out there, even if I can't really feel him anymore – I know he's here somewhere."
Nana smiled a bit sadly. "I do too, Cooro. And we will find him. Someday. But maybe it is time to try something new? Husky was never the sort of person to be content just waiting."
Cooro finally looked at her. Both smiled, despite the deep sadness in their eyes.
"We will find him, Cooro. We will," said Nana, her eyes and voice strong and firm.
And thus Cooro found himself in a stiff blue school uniform, his unruly hair combed back as best possible, backpack slung over a shoulder, and standing in front of a classroom full of bored looking rich kids. He shuffled uncomfortably as the teacher introduced him, feeling awkward for perhaps the first time in his life, and only looked up when the teacher pointed to an empty chair near the middle of the class for him to sit in.
It was so weird, not having his friends nearby. A slightly scared part of him remembered the time he wandered around before meeting Husky. All alone, trying to make friends but getting chased off and screamed at. Weird how some things are more scary in hindsight – at the time he'd just figured that's the way people were and was fine with it.
He set his backpack on the ground and got out a notebook and began to doodle. He wouldn't get his books until after school that day anyway, so what was the point of paying attention? The Teen Titans had given him a basic education, and while he'd never be a good student, he'd scrape by. As Beastboy had whispered to him, C's were still passing.
"Do you intend to play all hour?" hissed a freakishly familiar voice, and Cooro nearly fell out of his chair as his head whipped around to stare at the boy sitting next to him.
"I'll share my book with you, so scoot your desk closer," practically ordered the blond-haired boy.
It couldn't be. There was flat out no way. He didn't feel Husky's anima, for one thing. And Husky had silver hair, not golden blond!
The boy was quickly getting annoyed with the dark-haired brat sitting next to him. Totally the type of kid to play all day and never work. The teacher wasn't paying attention, so he turned his head quickly to glare at the boy.
Those eyes were unmistakable.
"Stop messing around, Cooro! We're here to work!" he hissed.
But the other boy's mind had already stopped trying to process what he was saying.
"HUSKY!" screamed Cooro, launching himself at the beautiful, blond haired boy.
The class and teacher stared in shock at the cry and the two figures crashing together and falling to the floor, in a nasty mix of desks and chairs, scattered papers and books.
Harley blushed a bright red as he struggled to free himself from the tangle and the strange boy's arms.
"My name's Harley, you idiot! Now get off!" he shouted.
The boy's smile dropped in horror, and for some reason his eyes dropped to Harley's exposed neck.
No markings of any sort.
And he couldn't feel an anima.
"You… lost it?" he whimpered.
"What the heck do you…"
"You… don't remember?" continued the new kid, on the verge of tears.
By now other hands were grabbing at the two, pulling them apart and helping to right Harley's desk and gather his things.
"Husky, it's me!" he protested. "Cooro! We're best friends! We went on all our adventures together! We…"
"For the last time!" shouted Harley angrily. "My name is not Husky! My name is Harley, and I've never met you before in my life!"
Just what in the world was wrong with this kid? He looked like he was about to cry, but at the same time desperately trying to keep himself from attempting to jump at the blond haired boy once again. Nothing he was saying made any sense either!
And then Harley was struck with an incredible migraine.
"Mrs. Teche? May I be excused?" he asked politely, pressing a palm against the back of his head as he grimaced. "My head hurts..."
"Of course, Harley. Cooro – please be seated already!"
And Cooro watched in horror as the boy, who wasn't but had to be Husky, walked right on out.
He wanted to run after him. Nothing was really stopping him. He should whip out his wings and just fly after that boy with long golden hair and Husky's eyes and voice. Scream at him until he listened. Beg him to come home with them.
But what if it really wasn't Husky?
"My name is not Husky! My name is Harley, and I've never met you before in my life!"
Cooro hid his head with his arms as he returned to doodling, hoping no one noticed that he was desperately trying not to cry.
Harley's headache was growing worse as he made his way to the nurse's office, only stopping to return his books to his locker.
"Husky, it's me! Cooro!"
He growled to himself as he rested his forehead against his locker, flickers of the new weird boy whipping through his mind in a hopeless spiral.
"We're best friends! We went on all our adventures together! We…"
Why did his injury have to act up now? It made him look weak. Having to leave in front of the whole class like that… pathetic.
Lame.
"…best friends!"
He'd never seen such an idiot in his life!
… Not that he remember most of his life. But his uncle had told him all about it! And her certainly hadn't mentioned anyone with a weird name like Cooro, or going on adventures, or anything of the sort.
He walked towards the nurse's office, trying to shake that boy and the strange things he said from his mind. It wasn't possible. Surely it wasn't.
"Husky!"
Because his name wasn't Husky. It was Harley. Harley McLavain.
The nurse had probably gotten a call from his homeroom teacher, because she was waiting in the hall for him, a concerned look in her brown eyes.
"The migraines, Harley? I thought you'd recovered…?"
"I'm sorry for the trouble, Ms. Larns. Do you still have any of my medication?"
"Of course, Harley. I'd best call your uncle as well. He said to alert him to any changes in your health. He'll probably recommend you leave early."
"Damn…" whispered the golden-haired boy weakly. The nurse didn't bother correcting his inappropriate language – not when she knew how proud the beautiful teenager was.
She distinctly remembered the first time his uncle had brought him to Gotham Academy and explained his issues. The traumatic loss of his parents, resulting in his memory loss. Having to be on medication for so long to combat depression, on top of all the medication to help recover from his own extensive injuries from the accident.
Through the whole explanation, the boy had remained silent and sullen, only to blow up in fury the second his uncle was out of the room. Insisting he didn't really need the medication, that he was perfectly fine all on his own! Only to come back in, head hung low, that very afternoon, escorted by a teacher who'd found him hiding in the restroom crying because his head hurt so badly.
She'd been kind and patient, not remarking on the incident at all. In return, the boy had been much more willing to return to her office when he was in pain.
Ms. Larns unlocked the cabinet where the drugs were kept, taking down the prescription with the name Harley McLavain on the side. She poured two small white tablets into her palm and handed them to the teenager who had already gotten himself a glass of water. He swallowed them right down, then lay down on the bed to wait for his head to stop pounding and swimming.
While the boy rested, she lifted the phone in her office, checked a number against a list of emergency contacts, and dialed Yuri McLavain, the boy's uncle and guardian.
Author's Notes: In case you didn't catch on, yes, Harley = Husky. Whether or not he's lost his anima, why you'll just have to read on and find out, now won't you?
Please note this story probably will not have regular updates, as my main focus will be on Plus Anima Meets Teen Titans, rather than this spinoff. Thanks for reading, and as always, please review!