Unknown Location. Titans Tower. 2:47 AM.
The first moments after traveling between worlds are always the hardest.
No, wait. That's just trivial talk. The first moments after you find yourself under a half-demon girl's butt in a dark room full of candles and strange symbols? Those are truly the worst.
Kayleth—or Ethan, or whatever his name was now, since he wasn't sure anymore—lifted his head from the cold stone floor and looked up at the girl towering over him. It was Raven, daughter of the demon Trigon and one of the most powerful sorceresses in the DC universe. She wore a dark purple cloak, and her pale face resembled the color of boiled tomatoes.
Her violet eyes widened in shock. Her lips trembled. Her hands, which had glowed with black magic just moments before, froze in place.
Silence.
Heavy, awkward silence that made you wish the ground would open up and swallow you whole.
Then Kayleth said, still lying on his back and staring at the ceiling decorated with mystical symbols, "Are you... are you Raven?"
She didn't respond. She continued to stare at him as if he were a ghost. Or worse—as if he were a creep who appeared out of nowhere.
Kayleth slowly raised his hand, trying to calm a frightened animal. "Okay, before you blow my head off or send me to a hellish dimension, let me clarify: I did not mean to appear under… under..." He paused, searching for the right word. "...your rear."
Raven's face turned even redder. Was that possible? Could a human really turn beet red?
"Who. Are. You." Her voice was calm but carried a real threat, the kind of calm preceding a storm.
"My name is Kayleth," he said slowly as he pushed himself up. He looked around. The room was small and dark, lit only by dim candles scattered about. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with ancient volumes about magic. A purple meditation rug lay in the center. A small poster of a band—The Cure—hung on the wall. "I'm... new here. Sort of."
"How did you get in?" Raven asked, stepping back. Her hands glowed again with black energy. "This room is protected by spells. No one can enter unless—"
"Unless they're a god?" Kayleth finished, smiling sarcastically. "Yeah, about that… Zeus sent me. Sort of. Just a divine mistake. You know how the gods are. They mess up, and instead of saying 'sorry' while killing you, they send you to another world. Classic."
Raven didn't smile. In fact, her expression grew more suspicious. "You're... from another world."
"Bingo!" Kayleth said, pointing at her like she had won a prize. "Earth-Prime, to be specific. The place where DC Comics exist. Yes, you're a fictional character in my world. And no, I won't tell you what happens in the future, because that would spoil the surprise."
"You're insane," Raven said simply.
"I hear that a lot," Kayleth replied as he stood up and dusted off his black armored clothes. He checked the katana swords mounted on his back. Still there. Good. "But look, I'm here now, thanks to a divine mistake, and I don't know how to get back. So either you kill me—which won't work because I'm immortal—or we can talk like adults about how to handle this awkward situation."
Raven stared at him, then slowly lowered her hands. The magical energy faded. "You're... immortal."
"Super cellular regeneration," Kayleth explained, as if sharing a cooking tip. "Cut me, I heal. Shoot me, I heal. Blow me up, I heal. Annoying, isn't it?" He smiled sadly. "Believe me, it's more of a curse than a blessing."
Raven studied his face. He seemed serious, despite his sarcasm. His dark green eyes, tired and weary, conveyed a pain she recognized. The pain of living too long.
"Why are you here?" she asked, calmer now. "In my room. Why exactly did Zeus send you?"
Kayleth shrugged. "Believe me, if I knew, I'd tell you. The gods aren't known for their accuracy. Maybe he wanted to send me to the main hall of the tower, but he messed up and sent me to…" He paused and surveyed the room again. "...the only girl on the team who meditates in the middle of the night. Great. This is not awkward at all."
Raven's lips trembled. Was she about to laugh? No, she regained her composure. "I have to tell the team."
"Wait!" Kayleth said, raising his hand. "Before you summon the entire Teen Titans to surround me with weapons, let me say something."
"...What?"
He looked directly into her eyes. For the first time since arriving, he was completely serious. No sarcasm. No smile.
"I'm not your enemy," he said quietly. "I'm not here to hurt you or your friends. I'm here because I… because I want to do something right for once in my life. I've killed people. A lot of people. Innocent people. And I can't undo that. But maybe, just maybe, I can save some lives in this world. Even if it means being…" He searched for a word. "...an annoying mercenary who breaks the fourth wall and makes jokes about everything."
Raven said nothing for a long time. She examined him, trying to gauge his energy. There was darkness in him—deep and painful—but also something else. Something genuine.
"You're telling the truth," she finally said. Not a question. A statement of fact.
"Always," Kayleth replied. "Well, almost always. Sometimes I lie to save someone's life. Or to steal a taco. But in important matters? I'm annoyingly honest."
Raven sighed and covered her face with her hand. "Gods. Why is it always me?"
"Because you're the only person in this tower who understands carrying something dark inside you," Kayleth said quietly. "Isn't that right?"
Raven looked at him, her eyes widening slightly. How did he know?
"I read about you," he said, as if reading her thoughts. "Comics, remember? I know about Trigon. About your struggles. About..." He paused. "About the darkness you try to control every day. And I... I get that. Because I carry my own darkness."
Silence.
Then Raven said in a very quiet voice, "I'm going to wake the team. They'll decide what to do with you."
"Fair," Kayleth said. He smiled a small smile. "But before that, one question."
"...What?"
"When I said 'Are you Raven?', I actually wanted to know: were you sitting on my face or on my chest? Because I couldn't see anything, and I just want to clarify things—"
"Get out."
Raven's voice was calm. But black magical energy erupted around her like a storm. The candles extinguished. The room shook. And Kayleth, in all his wisdom, raised his hands in surrender.
"Okay, okay! I'm out! Got it!"
Raven waved her hand, and a black portal tore through reality before him—a magical gateway leading to... somewhere. Maybe the main hall. Maybe a hellish dimension. Who knows?
Kayleth looked at the portal, then at Raven, and finally at you—yes, you, dear reader.
"So, great start, right?" he said with a wide smile. "I appeared under a superhero's butt, embarrassed her, and now I'm being kicked out of her room. If this is a sign of my life ahead in this world, I owe you all an apology in advance."
"Now!" Raven shouted.
"Alright, alright, beautiful demon lady!" Kayleth said, jumping into the portal. "See you in the next chapter, where—I predict—I'll be surrounded by the Titans' weapons and asked to explain myself again. Fun!"
The portal closed behind him with a snap.
And Raven remained alone in her room.
Standing in the darkness.
Her face still red.
Her heart racing.
And somewhere, in the depths of her mind, a small voice whispered:
"...Did he just call me 'beautiful demon lady'?"
Raven covered her face with her hands and let out a long, frustrated groan.
"I hate the gods."
Main Hall, Titans Tower. 2:53 AM.
Kayleth fell from the portal directly onto a table.
No, not onto the table. Through the table. He crashed through it, sending shattered wood everywhere. He felt a sharp pain in his back, then instant healing.
"Ow," he said, lying among the ruins of what used to be a ping pong table.
Then he heard a voice—a teenage male voice, angry:
"Who the hell are you?!"
Kayleth lifted his head. Directly above him stood five people.
Robin—leader of the Titans, wearing his red and green suit, holding a bo staff, his masked face staring down at him with absolute suspicion.
Starfire—space princess with fiery red hair and glowing green eyes, her hands burning with green energy.
Beast Boy—green kid, looking half asleep but now a giant green tiger, growing and roaring.
Cyborg—half human, half machine, his sonic cannon charging with a threatening whir.
And Raven, who had just stepped through another portal behind them, looking completely exhausted.
Kayleth looked at all of them.
Then at you.
Then said, with a wide smile:
"Well, this is going to be fun."