Contritum Aetheres, Detestabilis Cor

Ch 1: Things that Should have Been

He felt the warmth of the sun on his face, much to his annoyance. Rejecting it, he pulled the covers over his head, in a vain attempt to stave off the inevitable.

Finally surrendering to the rising sun, Garfield found himself rising out from his slumber. Heading to his bathroom with drone-like grogginess, he scowled as the fluorescent lights scorched his eyes.

Taking one look at his hair it was non-negotiable that he was going to have to take a shower to tame it.

Standing under the hot bath he revealed in the warmth as his senses opened up as the after-effects of such a long sleep were washed away.

Finishing up, drying off, and getting dressed, Garfield only got his first glance of the time right before heading out his door.

Groaning, Gar could just hear Robin's scolding voice, though he made a quick note to point out to him that no one bothered to come wake him up.

Deciding that there was no need for haste, his pace was casual, his hands resting behind his head.

As he reached the elevator, he breathed a sigh of relief as there was no one in it, before taking it to the commons where he readied himself for a verbal lashing.

Reaching the doors from the elevator he opened them, readying an apology, but never got the chance.

Confetti nearly blasted him clean out the door while a torrent of balloons obscured his vision of the room.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" A chorus of voices shouted.

Wading through the mass of balloons, Beast Boy looked at the four superpowered teens in front of him, a banner hung from the ceiling reading 'Happy 18th Birthday!".

Slowly his mind processed what had just happened, and then the realization that it was truly his day slammed into him.

A soft "wow" was all that left his lips.

Flinching as a robotic hand slapped him on his back, he saw Cyborg's smiling face looking at him.

"Looks like our youngest just became an adult!"

Playfully shoving his cybernetic friend Beast Boy laughed.

Ice cream and sweets lined the counter, the changing smiled as his eyes scanned over all the sugar that he would be ingesting that day.

Robin had let him sleep in that day as they went about setting up for a surprise party. For the next few hours, he opened small gifts from each of them, played games, and when the cake was split it was the best he had ever tasted.

He couldn't believe he had forgotten his birthday.

As they all sat on the couch watching Wicked Scary (this time during the day at the instance of everyone), Beast Boy felt melancholy and perhaps a bit of nostalgia.

"Do you guys think…" he spoke up suddenly and then suddenly stopped.

Pausing the movie, each of them turned to him, waiting for him to go on.

"Nothing, forget it."

Robin narrowed his eyes "It was something a second ago."

Frowning he looked at his friends, unsure of how to put his question.

"Do you think we can do this forever?"

"Friend Beast Boy, what do you mean?" Starfire asked, worry in her voice.

"Jump's safe, every since Paris there's record low crime, and we're all… older, all it's going to take is…."

Raven closed her book she had been reading rather loudly, seemingly unwilling to watch the movie after the previous incident.

"We've made it this far; I don't think the time is going to change anything at this point."

Beast boy smiled.

"Can you guys promise?"

Cyborg laughed, "really you're gonna make us promise?"

Beast Boy shrugged "It is my birthday."

Each member grumbled sarcastically and each gave their word the team would last forever.

Continuing the movie Beast Boy sipped the last of his drink, standing up he went to pour some more from the pitcher on the counter.

Taking another gulp and then filling the cup once again he turned to see his friends all laughing and carrying on without him.

"You should tell them." He heard behind his ear.

Frowning the changeling took another sip of his cup. "just a little longer." He pleaded.

A scarlet figure pulled themselves right next to him, "Why bother, you're out of time anyway."

As the words left his mouth the windows shattered, an explosion rocking the tower as everyone was thrown to the ground.

The room filled with smoke and even laying on the floor Beast Boy was struggling to breathe.

Before he could even change into anything useful, he felt the burning of electricity running through his body, his muscles contracted, unable to move, he could only watch as a silhouette in the smoke strode towards him.

The crunching of glass under his feet was a steady, rhythmic sound, almost appealing, that was until he recognized the face, the black and orange, and one eye staring down at him.

There were no words, no witty quips, just two hands reaching down and grabbing the immobile changeling.

It wasn't entirely clear what happened next, Garfield had always been rather fuzzy after he had been injected with some sort of tranquilizer.

The room blurred, its colors meshing together like some sort of abstract oil painting, but he could tell well enough that there was some sort of fight, and that as every remaining Titan tried there best, eventually he could feel the air rushing past his face, and the speck of Titan Tower fading into the background.

"Why must you always dream of this?"

The landscape froze, and suddenly light burst into his eyes.

Ω¤Ω

Groaning, the changeling sat up in bed, his body protesting every slight movement he made. Smashing the alarm clock next to him he fought the urge to lay back down.

Sirens blared down on the streets below as pulled himself out of bed and stretched. Joints popped and cracked as he made his way across the atrocious apartment, he was currently squatting in.

Flicking on the light switch, the bulbs over the mirror struggled to come to life, but ultimately light shined on his face.

Crimson skin lit up the filthy mirror as hands went about cupping water and splashing it onto the dry face. Rubbing away the sleep, Garfield noted the stubble growing along his jaw and made an absent-minded note to shave when he got back.

Dressing quickly and throwing on a jacket the changeling grabbed an elongated case he made his way out onto the fire escape. He was near the top of the building he was staying at, however, it would take a few careful stories as to not draw attention.

Pulling his jacket tighter around himself as the wind blew and light rain whipped in his face, he made his way up the rusty stairway, the soft clanging noise following him as he made his way upwards.

Finally, on the roof, Garfield admired the view he had chosen this building for, or at least as much a view as Gotham could give him.

Towering gothic buildings towered nearby, while the rain was illuminated by the neo signs advertising any and all depraved and lustful desires of man.

Opening the case, the crimson changeling pulled out a single cylinder. Unscrewing the top, he let the hot steam be pulled into his nostrils as he nearly salivated over the cheap soup that he had made before his sleep.

Scarfing it down, he closed the cylinder only to pull out another, this time slimmer in nature.

Placing it to his eye, the monocular scanned for his target.

S.T.A.R. Labs' Gotham division was not somewhere one was happily assigned. It wasn't polished like the other divisions, a product of Gotham's natural charm and no overly dangerous technology was kept there, as Gotham was prone to be more than a little volatile, even with the caped crusader roaming about.

There was only one piece he needed there, and there was only one man he needed to get to, to acquire it.

Watching over the facility the night proceeded further, his target wasn't one to have a typical nine to five schedule. This was only the start of the second week he had been tracking their habits and even he could tell they were borderline obsessive.

Any semblance of a schedule was thrown out the window, sometimes he would be done as early as eight at night and sometimes he wouldn't even leave to go home.

But he watched, it was necessary, a senior S.T.A.R. scientist acting strangely would arouse some suspicion.

As the rain picked up, Garfield pulled his coat tighter as well as grew some fur under his clothing, a bit of extra insulation, just enough to keep him warm, but not enough to draw his attention from the building.

As time went on, and the soup began to run out, he was thinking it was going to be an all-nighter once again.

Instead, the good scientist started out in the early hours of the morning, an umbrella in hand and started home.

Making sure he knew exactly where he was would be tricky in the sea of umbrella's, but Garfield wouldn't be overly angry, not yet.

As he scaled the rooftops, keeping track of his target, he was surprised he wasn't going to take the subway this time, instead, when he grew tired of calling a taxi, walking would do for him.

So, that was how he found himself, watching a man standing at what felt like the slowest light in the world.

What he wouldn't do for some action.

"You're a hard man to reach."

Why did he have to think that?

Turning around, he saw someone who didn't know him, but he very much knew.

The white hair was unmistakable, hanging past her shoulders and kept behind her by the mask she wore covering only the top half of her face, while on sky blue eye peered out at him.

Rose Wilson was intimidating as always with her armor and favorite duel katanas, Garfield felt a ping of nostalgia as he recalled sparing with those exact two weapons multiple times.

"And what would the daughter of Slade Wilson have to reach me for?"

She eyed him, unsure of what exactly do now that her father's name had been spoken so openly. He had made the first move, and she was going to have to be on edge.

"If it can wait, I'm a little busy…"

"My father sent me here ahead of him, he has a job here in Gotham, with all the chaos your boss has been stirring up, business has been good."

Scowling the changing turned back to see if his man was still standing at the curb, only to see that his night watch was for nothing as he disappeared.

"This affects me how again?" Garfield growled back, suddenly becoming more agitated that his target was lost.

"The has nothing to do with you, but my father… he has an eye for talent, and a partnership would be beneficial…"

"Not interested," Garfield said cutting her off, starting to walk back to his apartment. "And I hope that wasn't an intended pun."

Slightly off-put, but not quite showing it, his unwanted companion followed.

"All that you've been doing in Gotham, from what I've heard… all that you've done under the Red Hood, you don't think your skills could be more lucrative somewhere else."

Frowning the changeling just shook his head "I don't think you understand the situation fully."

"So, it's not for money then, it's a loyalty to your boss."

Turning swiftly, Garfield meets her fact to face, "Who said he was my boss?"

"Just about everyone I've met."

Sighing, he just continued on, already done with this conversation.

Scrambling after him, Rose still wasn't the one to let this go so easily.

"So, if not money and not loyalty, what exactly are you here in Gotham for?"

Stopping and turned the crimson man just frowned at her.

"Survival."

Well well well, look who's back!

Things took a little longer than usual, but I'm back here once more, took me long enough.

Get ready for the next installment, I really want this one to turn out well.

Until Next Time