Disclaimer: see chapter one

A/N: Once again, many apologies to my reviewers, this time for any implication that chapter seven was the end of the story. It most certainly is not! It merely is a transition to the next segment of the story.

Another apology is required for the lateness of this chapter as well. Thanks to my friend Tsukikage1213 that it wasn't any later than it was. Her nagging kept reminding me how long it has been since I last updated. And when I say nagging, I mean that in a caring way, so please don't slap my like you did ThSamurai!

Speaking of you, ThSamurai, it's most ironic you should quote that particular biblical passage for the funeral in your latest chapter. You'll see why when you read this chapter.

The moment the last Titan entered the corridor, one of the unknown combatants drew something out of a pouch at her waist. It couldn't be properly seen, but its effects as she dashed it to the ground were all to clear. Thick, billowing clouds of dark smoke rapidly filled the hall, completely cutting off vision; a chorus of coughing and wheezing began a moment later.

It didn't abate; there were few places for the smoke to go in the confined space. And if they could have but seen, the Titans and the HIVE would have marveled at the fact that not one wisp of it entered the all-important room.

Evidently, though, someone managed to get away from the smoke, because there was a loud bang, and a crunch of building material giving way. The sound of coughing diminished, as did the confounded smoke, and visibility slowly returned, by very small increments. The Titans could see their hands in front of their faces. Now they could see them extended a few inches away.

And now there were barely a few traces in the air. The Titans could see clearly that the HIVE was gone, and it didn't take a genius to figure out their mode of exit. The Mammoth-sized hole in the wall was evidence enough.

The other combatants, presumably the Vampires, were gone as well, and the phrase "good riddance" made itself known in each hero's mind.

However, one person was slumped unconscious against the wall near the hole, the staff on the floor beside his limp form. Robin retrieved the weapon and began examining it closely. But he was not so engrossed as to forget why they were here. "Beast Boy, check on Mr. Spencer." The changeling grumbled, but did as he was told. "Cyborg, make sure we don't leave this boy here. We'll want to interrogate him."

"So, Raven, who is he?" Cyborg asked as he bent down to pick up the boy in question.

She shook her head slightly. "I don't know his name, but—"

"Hey, you guys! He's gone!"

All questions temporarily forgotten, they raced back into the room, all except Cyborg, who had to be careful with his burden.

It was true. The man was no longer there, though the scattered weapons and scorch marks on several pieces of furniture indicated a furious struggle. Grimly Robin ordered them to spread out and find their charge.

But after five, long hours devoted to an exhaustive search through the mansion and every inch of the surrounding property, the Titans were forced to admit defeat. The subject of their search had disappeared, seemingly into thin air, and they were getting tired. Even Robin was yawning as he revved up his bike, though he did his best to conceal that fact from the others.

It was a long, silent journey back to the tower, and upon reaching their destination, the passengers of the car piled out, yawning so widely their jaws threatened to crack from the strain. Most of them began making their way inside, thinking only of the gentle embrace of sleep in warm, comfortable beds. However…

"Cyborg, aren't you forgetting someone?" Robin pointed out gruffly. He couldn't help it if he was cranky. He hated it when he couldn't solve a mystery. But at least some good had come out of it all. They'd managed to capture someone who shouldn't have been there, someone who had undoubtedly been with the HIVE.

"All right, all right," Cyborg responded, too tired to make an issue of it. He reached back into the car, hauled out the unknown boy by the shoulders, and slung him over his back. He absently noted that whoever it was possessed a lean, wiry frame and unusual height. In fact, standing at his full height, he probably could have looked Cyborg straight in the eye without the need to tilt his head back.

"And make sure he's put in a top-security cell. When he wakes up, I want to know exactly what he was doing there."

"Okay," Cyborg managed to say between yawns. He trudged inside and up the stairs to the top level with his charge limply draped over one shoulder, so completely out of it he didn't think to use the elevator. Practically on autopilot, he dropped their unknown prisoner none too gently on the metal slab that served as the cell's bed, engaging the force field and alarm on the way out to his own room…

Elm remembered his name again. He grinned, pleased with himself. He was getting better at this. But the grin slipped off as began to notice what surrounded him. A dark, dense bank of fog cloaked him in blackness and cold. Once again, he couldn't see, though instead of a mere absence of light, a thick, suffocating miasma blotted out the heavens along with everything else. Shivers not entirely due to the frigid temperature made themselves known to him. And it stunk. Not just figuratively, but literally. He took shallow breaths in an attempt to avoid gagging on the awful smell. It didn't help. In fact, the odor got even worse, and if possible, the moisture in the air grew thicker.

He grew lightheaded from lack of air. His staff fell from nearly lifeless fingers as he futilely tried to wave the fog away just a fraction of an inch. His knees grew weak, and finally refused to support him without much-needed oxygen.

Collapsed, Elm frantically clawed at the ground as his lungs tried to take in air that wasn't there. Lights sprang up in front of his eyes in a warning that was all too clear even at that moment. He was suffocating.

Then he felt something. A slight stirring that caressed the exposed skin of his face and hands. Suddenly he could breathe again. Gratefully he inhaled the fresh air brought in under the fog, sucking it in with huge, ragged gasps. And he wasn't the only one. At least two (possibly three) other sets of lungs could be heard coughing out the poisonous fog and taking in the life-giving oxygen.

The breeze picked up, beginning to eat away at the fog like a highly corrosive acid. Small gaps in the mist turned to larger and larger ones; smaller pockets of fresh air merged as the moisture receded, and shafts of sunlight began piercing the gloom.

A minute later, the air was completely clear, and instead of darkness, the sun shone brightly down upon the earth.

Elm lay there for a moment, offering a simple, heartfelt prayer of thanks to whatever had brought about the wind. As the sun warmed his flesh, bringing additional life back into his body, he remembered he'd had companions in his near-death situation. Slowly, he lifted his head and scanned the area around himself.

There they were, off to his left. Shakily, he sat up, but was unable to muster the energy to stand. So, he crawled.

The first was his mother, sprawled out facedown. No doubt about that. The red hair, so vivid he'd heard his father affectionately call her "carrot-top" at times—and which he'd inherited from her—told him that even before he turned her over to check. She was unconscious, but still among the living. He crawled to see the next one.

This figure was smaller. Her blue cloak, lavender hair, and pale skin were familiar, but he didn't know her name. She'd been the one to rescue him from the fire, and he seemed to recall that she'd been in the hallway when he was incapacitated. She was also unconscious but alive.

The third one, who was just now beginning to stir, was totally unfamiliar. This one was a male in his late teens, with brown hair, and apparently just a couple inches shy of Elm's own height. When he finally turned over, he revealed a tanned skin tone and facial features that clearly indicated Asian ancestry. Japanese, undoubtedly, judging from the samurai armor and the accompanying sword at his side.

Whoever it was, he groaned and sat up, shaking his head as if to clear the last vestiges of fogginess from his mind. Slowly, he opened his eyes, blinking a couple times at the brightness of the sunlight. Then he turned, sensing another's presence, his azure eyes made contact with Elm's…

And all three souls woke up once again.

This time, once she calmed down, one of them decided she had finally had enough and decided that she would get some answers.

Early in the morning, just before dawn, three individuals were up and awake in Titan's Tower. Starfire was on the roof, staring up at the slowly brightening sky. Robin was at his desk, filling out paperwork. Raven was wearing a hole in the floor of her room, trying to make up her mind about something.

At the exact same moment, several things happened. The sun began shyly peeking up over the horizon, like a great big yellow eye, curious to see if there had been any change in the world below; Starfire awed at the beautiful colors it produced in both the sky and upon the surface of the ocean. Robin set down his pen, stood up and stretched, then left his room. Raven abruptly came to a decision and hurried out her door. She very nearly collided with Robin at the foot of the staircase.

"Raven? What are you doing up so early?"

"Surprisingly, I couldn't sleep."

He raised an eyebrow, wrinkling his mask. "I see," he commented, and left it at that.

Forgoing the elevator as Cyborg had done the night before, they walked side by side up the stairs in silence. The only sounds were their footsteps and the slight echo of these produced in the enclosed space.

Light began to filter in the windows as the sun began rising, casting a dark pair of human-shaped shadows on the grey, featureless wall as the two young heroes passed each pane of glass. As the light from outside grew brighter, the lights above the staircase silently switched off, unneeded.

They reached the top of the staircase and turned left into a branching hallway, another long stretch of featureless grey metal, lit by evenly spaced panels of lights in the equally unadorned ceiling. No doors were handy to provide an exit from that place; no windows to offer glimpses into other rooms of any kind.

There were only two exceptions: the entrance from the adjoining hall that connected this one to the stairs, and the single, heavily armored security door at the other end leading into the tower's miniature jail.

Robin apparently made note of the fact that she was headed for the same destination he undoubtedly had in mind. "Did your sleeplessness have something to do with our guest?"

One nod was all the answer she needed to give, and it was all she had time to give before arriving at the door.

Robin silently took off one glove and pressed his palm into the waiting stand, letting it scan his fingerprints to confirm his identity. A moment later, apparently satisfied, it sent an electronic impulse through the circuits connecting it to the system. The security door lifted from the floor and slid into the ceiling with a faint, almost unheard hiss, granting them passage into the domain it guarded.

Robin's glove was back on before they took two steps inside—and heard the prisoner speaking.

His words were indistinct, being spoken almost in a whisper; it didn't help that he had a voice that was already low-pitched, and he was in a cell across the floor about twenty feet from the entrance. In addition, he sat with his back to them, meaning he probably hadn't heard or seen them, and he didn't turn as they moved quietly toward the engaged force field.

As they drew closer, they began to make out parts of what he was saying, though some phrases were still too low for them to make out.

"… me to lie down…green pastures…leadeth me beside still… my soul: he leadeth…paths of…his name's sake."

By this time they were as close as they dared come without touching the force field, close enough to hear every word.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for though art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

Robin and Raven exchanged bemused glances, unsure what to make of this.

They were startled when the boy whipped his head around to face them, interrupting his own recitation. "You believe right. It is indeed."

Absolute silence reigned in the room for a span of several seconds. One could have heard the proverbial pin drop. The unflappable Raven, the girl who almost never let herself get caught off-guard, stared open-mouthed at the person addressing her.

"B-but I didn't…I didn't say anything!"

Robin, perceiving her reaction, narrowed his eyes, glaring at the unnamed prisoner. "What did you do to her?"

But that prisoner shook his head, seemingly just as perplexed as Raven. The baffled look on his face was hard to miss. "I clearly heard her say that she believed she knew what I was reciting. Are you trying to tell me you didn't hear her?"

"She said nothing."

"But—"

"She said nothing," Robin repeated firmly. "Now, you will be silent unless you are answering OUR questions. Who are you? And what were you doing with the HIVE in Spencer's mansion?"

A sigh escaped from the captive's lungs, and slowly, shakily, he stood up. He put out a hand to steady himself against the wall for a few seconds, then straightened up with his arms at his sides, standing stiffly at attention as if he were in the presence of a drill sergeant. He looked Robin in the eye, having to bend his neck down slightly to do so, and stated, "My birth name would be useless to you. I tried calling myself the Elementalist, until one too many jokes about my sanity prompted me to shorten it to Elm." He paused for a moment, as if to gather his thoughts, but as he opened his mouth to continue, a loud growl came from the vicinity of his stomach, and whatever else he was planning to say never got said. Instead, his face took on a pained look, and he put his hands over the audibly protesting portion of his anatomy.

"You wouldn't happen to have some food, would you?" he asked, strain creeping into his words.

"You'll get what you need when our questions are answered. Now—"

Elm interrupted Robin's question, a note of desperation in his sentence. "You don't understand! I need food, now!"

"No. You can last five minutes without it."

Elm gritted his teeth as his stomach growled again. When the moment passed, he once again looked Robin in the eye. "Want to bet on that?" he asked, right before he collapsed to the floor and began shivering violently. In a futile effort to stop the shaking, he wrapped his arms around himself.

Finally, Raven spoke up, perhaps sensing something from the boy in the cell. Her voice quavered as she spoke.

"Robin, I don't think he was joking."

Beast Boy was sound asleep, dreaming of the time Terra had been part of the team. His lips curled up in an unconscious smile, seeing a particularly happy memory of them soaring together through the night sky. But it only lasted for a few moments, as some darker entered element entered the dream. His joyful expression morphed into a frown of puzzlement as a shadow crossed in front of their path. He squinted, trying to make out what it was, but the shape eluded him.

Within the dream, he became an owl, but the improved eyesight didn't help, as the shadow glided swiftly down and away. He pursued, not noticing that Terra had mysteriously disappeared.

Whatever it was, it possessed a remarkable aerial agility, diving through narrow gaps between buildings and signs with amazing precision. He was forced to rapidly shift to other flying animals just to keep up, and once he even had to turn completely around when his quarry abruptly reversed its flight path.

However, no matter what it tried, it couldn't shake its determined pursuer. It slowed down and landed, finally coalescing into a semi-discernable shape and size—that of a small human or human-like being. It wore a dark cloak with the hood up.

When a slightly winded Beast Boy landed, shifting back to his green, elf-like appearance, the unknown being's back was to him. He circled around, trying to get a glimpse of its face, but it turned its head away, the body following a moment later. So Beast Boy tried a different tactic. "What, afraid of being recognized?" He inserted as much humor into his voice as possible, trying to put the being at ease.

It must have worked, because it rotated toward him. Finally, a stray beam from a nearby light pole managed to illuminate the eyes. Purple eyes.

He woke, the imprint of those violet orbs still imprinted firmly on his retinas. Only one person he knew had eyes that color. But, it couldn't be her, could it? After all, why would he have been dreaming about Raven of all people? He'd rather dream about Terra. The girl he loved. He did, didn't he? A trickle of doubt entered his mind.

He shook his head and turned over in an attempt to get just a few more minutes of sleep, but it was a futile attempt. His mind wouldn't let go of that last, illuminated image. Plus, the sun was shining through his window directly into his eyes.

He sat up, his blanket falling off in the process. Well, I guess it's time to get up. Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll beat Cyborg to the kitchen. He heaved one big sigh and got up. He absently shunted bits of discarded clothing out of the way with his feet as he shuffled to the door, yawning as he entered the hallway.

That overgrown hunk of tin just doesn't get it. Not only is unhealthy, but as I keep telling him, I've been most of those animals! Beast Boy was so absorbed in this thought that he almost ran into someone. His sharp ears heard them coming only just in time to step out of their way. Then he noticed who it was, and stopped in his tracks, staring at the rapidly retreating back.

What? Raven never hurries anywhere! But unless he was seriously mistaken, which he doubted, she was indeed hurrying. And what made the matter even more baffling was where she seemed to be heading. Surely she wasn't planning on making breakfast too?

A moment after had he digested this startling thought, she came zooming back the other way with her arms full of food. He had to jump to get out of her way in time.

Hey, what's going on around here? Have I gone crazy?! Well, there was only one way to answer that question, and that was to follow her.

The HIVE's hideout

After a brief glance over her assembled team in the common room, Jinx resumed her pacing.

"All right, we've had time to sleep. Now it's time to think. How are we going to rescue him?"

Mammoth grunted. "Why don't we just go in the front door, like last time?" he asked.

"After all, we outnumber them!" See-More agreed, sending a pointed glance in Billy's direction. For a change, the multiplicative teen hadn't replicated himself even once for this meeting.

"Because, barf-for-brains, they've undoubtedly upgraded their tower's defenses since then. We'd get our butt's kicked trying to get inside that way."

"There's no need to be rude about it," See-More's lips curved downward in a frown as he responded to Gizmo's insult, and he crossed his arms across his chest crossly.

"Whatever." The techno-minded teen brushed him off, something else having occurred to him. "I don't see why we even need to rescue the snot-muncher. He hasn't even been initiated!"

"Yeah!" Billy spoke up. "Why should we all risk our necks for someone we aren't all that acquainted with? Unless…" He stared hard at Jinx, who had trouble meeting his gaze. A slight tinge of pink showed on her cheeks. "Well, shucks. I think our lady of a leader likes him." The flush on her cheeks deepened.

This provoked a variety of reactions from the various teens. Billy and Gizmo smirked. Mammoth shrugged his shoulders, as if to say "So what?" Kyd Wykkyd, predictably, didn't react at all, being his usual impassive self.

But the most unusual reaction came from See-More. Like Billy had before that statement, he stared hard at their leader for a few moments, eyes unreadable behind the lens. His lips tightened, but he didn't say a word, instead choosing to get up and walk out of the room.

Relieved at the excuse to get away from all those pairs of eyes, she followed him into the hall.

See-More heard the door open and close for her, and turned. "Is it true?" he asked quietly, almost hopefully. Jinx opened her mouth to deny it, to say it was absolutely ridiculous, but instead found herself stiffening, and in a cold, almost frosty tone, answered "Whether I do or not, it's not any of your business. What does matter is that he is a teammate. And teammates stick together."

He slumped, turned around, and walked dejectedly out of sight.

Jinx watched him leave, her thoughts and emotions a violent storm of uncertainty.

Across the world, in a mountain fortress near the Yangtze River in China

The dim room, though narrow, was long, and gave the impression of a throne room. Carved, decorated pillars lined both sides, casting dark shadows on the walls behind them. The shadows flickered slightly, the source of light causing them being torches hung on the self-same pillars.

At one end of the grand hall was a wide set of stairs terminating in what could only be a throne. At least, the man sitting in the carved marble seat treated it that way. This man was dressed in black from head to toe, the only sign of color being the blood-red ribbons hanging from the tops of his shoulders, and the silver staff in his left hand.

He held this weapon almost as a king would hold his scepter, or perhaps as a wizard would hold his most valuable instrument.

His face was inscrutable, being entirely masked behind a dark veil. Not even his eyes were visible.

Someone else entered the hall from the end opposite the throne and began making his way across. His slow, unhurried steps against the stone echoed off the distant ceiling, a ceiling high enough to remain hidden from the light.

The man walked up the steps until he was level with the throne's occupant, who rose to meet him, and offered him his hand.

"Slade. It's been a while."

The newcomer, whose face was masked, accepted the hand, shaking it firmly with his own. "Indeed it has, Gladio."

Releasing his guest's hand, Gladio sat down once more, laying his staff across the arms of the chair. "So, what news do you bring from your far city?"

"The Titans remain unchanged," answered Slade. "Their leader, Robin, steadfastly refuses to become my apprentice, the ungrateful boy." A bit of an edge entered his voice at those words. "However, there is something else…"

"Yes?" Gladio prompted when his partner didn't immediately elaborate.

"Just before I left, there was a small battle, between the two sets of immortals."

Gladio was silent for a moment, considering this. "Who won?" he finally asked.

"It is not important. What is more interesting is one of the mortals who participated in it. He is not as skilled as Robin, but I believe he would be more amenable to our way of life."

Gladio tilted his head slightly. "What makes you say that?"

"He was with a group known as the HIVE, a mercenary group well-known for their thieving ways. And before you ask, I don't think we could recruit the rest of them. They are very costly to hire, and don't enjoy taking orders from others."

He fell silent, letting the other man consider this latest information. After a lengthy silence, Gladio spoke once more. "What do you recommend?"

"That we observe, and don't interfere with his development until the time is right."

"Our Waterbending operative has fled and is presently being pursued by her sister, so currently, you are our only source of information in Jump City. Would you mind being the observer?"

Slade's one visible eye narrowed, and if he had been a cat, his tail would have been twitching. "I would be delighted."

I certainly got the shock of my life when I discovered just who had captured me. What I had thought to be another band of heroes in fact turned out to something else entirely, certainly something that was not on the same side as the Titans. But that comes of leaping before you look, I suppose. I should have listened more to my mother, and asked questions before getting entangled in something I didn't understand. By then, though, my options were limited. I felt it was too late to back out of the HIVE gracefully. Some other solution had to be reached…

More A/N's: Whew! I finally finished this chapter, and quite a lengthy one at that. In fact, I believe it's my longest chapter to date.

Sorry, Tsukikage1213, this was the best I could do for introducing your characters—a mention, if not an actual appearance. A bit more has to happen before Elm can finally meet them. Again, sorry.

And the chapter title may be a slight stretch, but I couldn't think of anything better.