Harsh Lessons

Summary: Teen Titans/Marvel Comics crossover. Brother Blood has hired a new teacher for the Hive Academy, and he just might put the Titans 6 feet under, if the newly trained Academy students don't.

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans or anything from it. It's DC's property. And I don't own the mystery teacher either, he's property of Marvel Comics. And yes, he's a real Marvel character, an old villain against The Avengers. And I'd upgrade him for the crossover, but he's darn tough enough! Plus it won't be hard to imagine him being a teacher for baddies. He already is one. As for when this is set, it's after Cyborg destroyed Brother Blood's first HQ, but before the second HQ. However, I'm assuming "The Quest" could have happened in that time, before this story. You'll see.

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New Blood

Early dawn, the sun shining magnificently over a small village and a river at the foot of a towering mountain, the land beautiful and full of life. There are already people awake and active in this village, a stone monument to a hero of the village next to a field of turnips, being harvested by an old woman. She is not alone, as a silent figure shrouded in a cloak of white, a hood obscuring his head, looks on to a path from the village, to the top of the mountain, where a dojo sits overlooking the land. He then brings his eyes down to the old woman, and walks over, boots of white clothe and other materials padding on the soil. He then spoke to her, with an unusual accent.

"Well now dearie, may I ask ye' where t' find the True Master?"

"Bah, go away." she muttered, throwing a turnip back at him, without looking. An action familiar to her.

The cloaked figure merely sighed, and stepped to the side to avoid the turnip, but also caught it from it's flight with a white gloved hand, and took a bite from it.

"Yeeeckk...remind me not t' eat these straight from the ground agin'. They're mighty awful covered in dirt an' worm spit."

The old woman stopped, looked at the turnip in her hand, then silently made a face of revulsion, putting the turnip back down. Apparently the thought of worm drool wasn't exactly appetizing.

"You're a very rude man." She answered, looking at him, "You are also the second person that has come seeking the True Master, who hides his face behind a mask."

It was true, this man hides his face behind a mask, a skull-like disguise over his head.

"I feel no true'r as me self than garbed as this."

"If you seek the True Master, you must leave everything from your world behind." The woman told him, picking up a basket of turnips.

The man scowled, before he sighed, and threw back his cloak. The sheer amount of things he had to remove surprised the woman, as he removed arrows, a shield, a sword, a few belts of assorted items, pellets, a bow, and other weapons and devices, setting them next to the statue. He then removed the cloak itself, showing off a blue body suit with orange shorts and bands on it, with white boots and gloves, before wrapping his things in the cloak. He still had his hood, however.

"You rely on too much!" She scolded.

"I prepare for anythin' darlin'."

The old woman tapped her foot a minute.

"I'll not be removin' any more clothin' 'fore trekking up that mountain. I feel inadequate without it. 'Sides that, I don't think it'd matter much."

"All right. You must make it up to the top of the mountain before sunset. I will take you to where the path begins."

The old woman then led the man to the beginning of the long and winding path up the mountain.

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After only 2 days of training with the True Master, the old woman herself, the mysterious man descended from the mountain. The guardians, though wary of him, had nothing to fear from him except for fair combat, which he was excellent at. He took his things from the statue, returning them to their places on his body.

"There now. One more mastery under me belt. Now t' find another to learn."

He then stopped, able to tell someone was behind him.

"You're a very hard person to track down, my friend." the person behind him said.

"I don't like bein' called 'friend' by a stranger, ye know." he answered, turning to face him.

He was robed in white, with gray hair that flowed back somewhat, to spike on either side. He also had a smirk on his face.

"Now you be ye' anywho?"

"I'm known as Brother Blood."

"Ah, yes, the Headmaster of the Academy for the powerful lil' kiddies to be wicked lil' brats, right?"

Brother Blood grimaced a bit at the man's attitude of kids.

"I take it you haven't instructed many youths..."

"My trade is a teacher, Blood, for those 'spiring ta be skillful lawbreakin' citizens. Ye should know few of me students are children."

Blood sighed, and stepped towards the figure.

"Yes, but my students seem somewhat lacking. I thought that perhaps a new teacher would be what they need to get on the ball."

"An' that be when ye' thought of me, am I right?"

"I did read into your history as a teacher. Your just the type the Hive Academy needs. And you have quite a record for experience against super-powered 'heroes' as well I understand."

The unknown figure grumbled, fastening his cloak on, and letting it flow around himself.

"If ye kin' call mostly stalematin' aginst' folks like Cap'n America a good one. It's short comin's like that which got me travelin' t' train."

"As you've said, you're a teacher, not a villain."

"True Blood, true. But let me tell ye', I'm a strict teacher. I'll flunk any student that turns tail an' runs when the going gets tough."

"We'll iron out the details when we get back to the States, shall we?"

"All right then Blood, ye know me name I 'spose. Then know this..."

The man then looked up, and had an evil grin on that skull face of his.

"Taskmaster will due."

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Yep. The obscure, over 25 year old comic wise Avengers baddie is back. You didn't think a lil' thing like Elektra would keep him down, did you?