Chapter 1 - The Twelve Titans

It was 8:30 at night. The moon was hidden behind dark clouds that permitted only the thinnest streams of silver light to graze the cityscape below. It was quiet in the city. There were few cars on the road and people walking on the sidewalks in various groupings. Everything seemed normal and ordinary. The people below knew that they could only live worry-free lives like this because they were always being protected by heroes. These "heroes" hide in the shadows to protect the citizens from danger and to mete out justice where justice is needed. Every operation they perform is done covertly away from the public eye. No one has ever came face-to-face with these heroes before, however, but the fact remains that they exist. This is because the heroes themselves work for the government agency known as "Justitia", and the agency has made it clear in press releases and interviews that the heroes do in fact exist and are more than just simple urban legends used by the government to alleviate fear. It has been more than five years since the heroes made their debut and helped to decrease the crime rate of the city as well as prevent natural disasters. The heroes were known collectively as the Twelve Titans.

Up atop the buildings, watching over the people below amongst the shadows, were none other than the Twelve Titans themselves. They were split up into groups of three to watch over each quarter of the city. On top of one particular building watching over the northern district were two boys and a girl.

"Late night patrol is soooo boring!" complained one of the boys.

"It's our job," snapped the girl.

"Yeah, yeah," replied the boy dismissively. "We'll be able go home soon, right? Don't we have training tomorrow morning at 7:30 anyway?"

"We'll go home once we take care of this problem," the other boy promised his teammate. "Rhea, what time will it occur again?" he asked the girl.

"Based on my calculations, the crime is set to be committed about ten minutes from now," Rhea replied. "It will be three men using low-grade weapons."

"I can take them down in a cinch!" said the other boy with a scoff. He put out his right hand and produced a bright ball of fire.

"Even so, we have to be careful, Oceanus," said their leader.

"Whatever you say, boss Kronos," Oceanus said with a smug smile. "So what are the others doing?"

"The South Team is taking care of a rape case, the East Team has to deal with a car theft, and the West Team is helping with an arson case," explained Kronos.

"I wish I could've been assigned on the West Team tonight," Oceanus whined. "Wait, isn't Coeus on the West Team tonight? How will they expect to put out the fire without a water manipulator like me?"

"Don't worry," reassured Kronos. "They have Mnemosyne."

"Actually, I'm glad I'm on this team tonight," Oceanus said with a small laugh.

"You're afraid of Mnemosyne, aren't you," Rhea teased with a straight face.

Before Oceanus could reply, Kronos held out his hand to signal them to be quiet. The three of them watched from the side of the building a large black van approached the front of the bank on the other side of the street. The car stopped abruptly and three men dressed in black clothing and masks and each wielding shotguns exited the vehicle. The criminals broke into the bank and the building's alarm rang. It was then that the three Titans jumped from the building and crossed the street.

When the men came back out with bags of cash, they were surprised to see three masked teens blocking their path. "Who the fuck are you?" asked one of the men.

"Have you heard the name of Twelve Titans?" Oceanus asked them with a cruel smile.

"It can't be!" exclaimed one of the other men.

The man in front dropped his bag of money and raised his shotgun. He shot a few rounds without any hesitation. Rhea simply touched her right arm with her left index finger. A blue circle illuminated under her skin. Suddenly, an invisible barrier made of electromagnetic energy surrounded the Titans, protecting them from the rounds. She released her finger and the barrier disappeared. The criminals took a step back in fear.

Then Oceanus summoned a ball of fire with his right hand and tossed it over to the black van, setting it on fire and burning the vehicle to a crisp. "Sorry about that, boys," Oceanus taunted with an innocent smile.

Kronos pulled from behind him a tanto—a Japanese short sword. Like a flash of lightning, he dashed forward and sliced through the first criminal's shotgun. Before the criminal could react, his weapon fell into the pieces on the ground. The other two immediately threw down their bags and focused their shots on Kronos, who they have now deemed to be their most dangerous enemy. The rounds struck Kronos everywhere, ridding his entire body with holes, yet he took it in stride as if they were nothing but harmless droplets of rain.

"What kind of monster are you?" whimpered one of the criminals.

"He's a demon!" screamed the other.

Suddenly, every little hole in Kronos' body began to close up. His injuries quickly disappeared as if it was all an illusion before. However, the blood that now stained his clothes were the only evidence that those injuries were no illusion at all. Kronos immediately hacked their weapons into pieces and incapacitated them with the hilt of his sword. He turned his attention to the first criminal, who was now whimpering in fear on the ground. "I surrender! I surrender!" the criminal begged. Kronos sheathed his tanto and walked back to his friends. Just then, the criminal rose back and pulled a dagger hidden underneath his clothes and attempted to stab Kronos in the back. Rhea anticipated this and held out her right hand with her fists closed. From her wrists, a small metal bead shot out and attached itself to the criminals head, sending an electrical shock and immediately incapacitated him. As the criminal fell, the knife was unconsciously driven into Kronos' back near the base of his spine.

"Shun!" Rhea screamed. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry!"

Shun, which was Kronos' real name, simply took out the dagger and threw it on the ground. Blood dripped from his back onto the ground. "It's fine," Shun reassured her. "It wasn't your fault. You just tried to protect me." His injury quickly closed and his back was healed like new. "Thank you, Airi."

Airi, Rhea's real name, nodded ashamedly to herself.

"Hey, aren't we supposed to use our codenames while out on missions and in public?" Oceanus teased.

"I doubt they can hear us while being knocked out like that," Shun said.

"Yeah, yeah," Oceanus said dismissively. "Well, good work everyone! Let's go home!"

The North Team gathered back at their base in a secluded warehouse in the back of a government military compound. The South Team and East Team were already there, having finished their missions a few minutes earlier. The North Team entered the building with Shun in front. A few steps in and he felt someone rush up to him and tightly held onto him in a tight hug. Shun looked down to see Hina grabbing hold onto him with a happy smile on her cute face. "Onii-chan! You're back!" she squealed.

Once she finally let go, Shun patted her head and said, "Of course, Hina. I'm back."

"Glad to see you back, Shun-niisan!" shouted Kota, waving wildly from behind his sister.

Shun and his team joined the others and rested on the chairs in the center of the warehouse, one of the only luxuries granted to them by the military. He glanced at each of the Titans currently here. The team as a whole were well acquainted with each other since childhood. All of the Titans started off as regular orphans. They were then suddenly adopted by the newly established government agency Justitia to be used as human test subjects for a project—Project Titan. The kids were offered a home and the chance to do good, or as the agency had put it, "become heroes". Project Titan was spearheaded by the famed scientist Tagami Kosuke, the leading expert on bioscience and bioengineering. Each kid that would eventually become the Titans were submitted to undergo various scientific tests and experimentation. Their candidacy were determined through various tests before undergoing experimentation as a way of lessening unnecessary deformations and casualties. After being selected and successfully surviving being genetically engineered into a superhumans, the Titans were then forced to undergo training to become the heroes they are now.

Starting from Shun's left was Hina—codename: Theia. She was a small girl around the age of thirteen and had strawberry blonde hair and golden amber eyes as result of her genetic alteration. She's a very kind and sweet girl, but sometimes she lets her emotions get the best of her. Her innocence and naivety about the real world often causes the others, mainly the guys, to tease her on a daily bases. She is very attached to Shun, who she looks up to as a big brother and possibly something more. Her genetic alteration gave her the power to manipulate light on all levels.

Next to her was Kota—codename: Iapetus. He is a small boy around the age of thirteen and is Hina's older twin brother. Prior to their genetic alterations, both Kota and Hina were identical twins with brown hair and eyes. Now, he has short jet black hair, dark red eyes that often carry a sinister glint, and his skin is of a grayish hue. He's a very boisterous boy with boundless curiosity. Out of all of the Titans, he's the one who wants to see the outside world the most and escape life being "prisoners" of Justitia. Opposite his sister, his genetic alteration gave him the power to manipulate darkness and shadows.

Next to him was Hana—codename: Tethys. She is a teenage girl of around sixteen. She has long green seaweed hair and soft green eyes—a result of her genetic alteration. Her skin tone was a tan color, reminiscent of tree bark. Out of all the girls, she had the biggest chest and the most defining curves. She is very kind and often acts a surrogate mother-figure to the rest of the team. She is very cheerful and empathic, knowing exactly what to say at the right time. Because of her comforting nature, all of the Titans always heed her words and take great care to not upset her at all. Her genetic alteration allows her to manipulate plants, including communicating with them, generating them from her body, and shapeshifting herself into plants.

Next to her was Hanzo—codename: Crius. He is a teenage boy of around fifteen and is Hana's younger brother. He has spiky black hair, light brown skin, and bright black eyes. Around his neck was a necklace of animal teeth. As a result of his genetic alteration, his own teeth took on a more fang-like appearance, similar to that of wolves, albeit still the size of normal human teeth. He's normally a very friendly guy, but is the first one to become hostile against strangers. His easily irritated and jealous nature often makes him the butt of many jokes and taunts by the other Titans. However, he's also one of the most reliable of the Titans and is very protective of each and every member. He's also a big anime fan, he's often found watching the morning anime show on the TV given to them three years ago as a present by the agency for their good behavior and successful missions. His genetic alteration gives him the power to shapeshift into animals and to communicate with them.

Next to him was Hiro—codename: Hyperion. He is a very muscular teenage boy of sixteen, the strongest member of the team. He has short grey hair and grey eyes—a result of his genetic alteration. His body is riddled with muscles like a professional athlete's. Despite his tough muscular appearance, he possesses the chiseled facial features of a model. He is also the tallest of the Titans and could easily be mistaken for an adult. He is the most amiable and approachable of the guys. Though his tough exterior would make many weary of him, his charm easily diffuses any feeling of shyness and reinforces comfort and a sense of familiarity. He's also self-proclaimed comedian, often trying his hardest to try out new jokes and puns, usually at the chagrin of his teammates. His genetic alteration allows him to transmute his biological body at the atomic level into any other material in existence, such as steel, plastic, sand, and glass.

Next to him was Nao—codename: Phoebe. She was a teenage girl of about fifteen and had short pink hair in a bob cut, pretty ruby-pink eyes, and always wears a happy smile on her face. Whenever she wasn't on missions she would often wear a ribbon headband in her hair, which she had already replaced since coming back to the warehouse. Out of the Titans, she's the most expressive and cheerful, which sometimes borders on the annoying and would often get her into trouble with the other members. However, her cheeriness and happy-go-lucky personality would always bring everyone together and improve team morale as a whole. Her genetic alteration gives her the power of teleportation and spatial warping.

Next to her was Kaito—codename: Oceanus. He was a teenage boy of around sixteen with long black hair and warm brown eyes which, as a result of his genetic alteration, often changes color whenever he uses his powers. He is also the slimmest of the boys, but is far from being lanky. Out of the Titans, he's the most proud and arrogant. Although he's a pretty friendly guy, he's very quick to make his own presence known and would often inconspicuously make himself the center of attention while also praising others for their actions. He considers himself the most powerful of the Titans and capable of going on missions by himself. However, despite his giant ego, his only redeeming qualities is his unwavering will and sense of duty. His genetic alteration gives him the power to manipulate the elements: fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, and ice; as well as transform his entire biological body into any of the above elements.

Next to him was Airi—codename: Rhea. She was a teenage girl of around sixteen and had dark purple hair worn in a ponytail, and piercing light blue eyes. Compared to the other girls, she's a natural beauty. However, she often wears an expressionless mask on her face with the only emotions in her arsenal being that of indifference, annoyance, contentment, and depression. Though she's not the most distant of the Titans, she is known for keeping herself isolated from the others on a daily basis for personal reasons. However, she does care deeply for her teammates and is very dependable on missions. Personally, however, she feels that she does not fit in with the others and sees herself as an outsider who will only ruin the happiness of others with her presence. This line of thought came to be ever since the completion of her genetic alteration. Unlike the others, her genetic alteration was not based on purely biological manipulation. Instead, her genetic alteration saw her becoming a living cyborg—a creature that is half human and half machine. Her legs and right arm were replaced with mechanical parts, her brain was outfitted with a bionic computer chip, and her left eye was replaced with a robotic eye. With these alterations, she is able to travel faster than a normal human, possess unrestricted access to the internet and technological data, as well as being outfitted with various sensors, weapons, and functions. Her most powerful ability, however, is her superhuman ability to perform precise calculations to accurately predict the future. It's due to her cyborg nature that she feels herself to be personally alienated from the rest of the group.

Next to her was Shun—codename: Kronos. He was a teenage boy of around sixteen and had medium-length black hair and heterochromatic eyes (a brilliant blue left eye and a glistening golden right eye)—which was a result of his genetic alteration. He's the leader of the Titans. He's typically a very kind and friendly person. He treats his teammates like his family and cares deeply for each and every one of them. Out of the Titans, he's often considered by Justitia as the "most human", as well as their greatest success. As such, he's often given special treatment, such as the opportunity to travel outside one day each week. Because of his exposure to the outside world, Shun was able to become acquainted with how the real world works, much to the envy of the other Titans. However, he is well respected by the Titans and is seen as the perfect example of a leader—brave, kind, fair, and strong. But on the battlefield, such as during missions and training, Shun is known to possess a colder attitude towards his enemies, bordering on mercilessness and sociopathy. But his treatment of his teammates remain the same, albeit not as warm and comforting as off the battlefield. His genetic alteration allows him to heal and regenerate from any and all injuries and diseases at a superhuman rate, right down to the genetic level. Because his ability does not possess any offensive capabilities like his fellow Titans, Shun was also trained by the agency in many forms of martial arts and weaponry.

"So how was the car theft case?" Shun asked Hina with a friendly smile.

"I had to the blind the man while Kota used his shadows to restrain the car before it can crash into a nearby shop," she replied with a sheepish chuckle.

"I see," Shun said, patting her on the head. "Good work, you two."

"Nao was also there to provide us with transportation," Kota added.

"Yes, yes, Nao here!" Nao announced excitedly.

"Great job, East Team," Shun congratulated. "I knew you kids could do it," he told the twins. "And thank you Nao for taking such good care of them."

"Of course, boss!" Nao said with a salute.

"Geez, what are you, their dad?" Hanzo scoffed.

"I take it that the South Team was successful too?" Shun asked.

"Of course!" Hanzo quickly replied. "I still can't believe just how stupid those criminals were. Three guys cornering two young girls!" he shouted in disgust. "Can you believe that? Well, we took care of that easily. Sis was able to protect the girls and help them leave the scene while Hiro and I messed up the stupid bastards." Suddenly, his expression became more livelier and a sinister smile crept onto his face. "Hiro changed his body into steel and knocked out this one guy in one punch. Meanwhile, I transformed into a wolf and easily took down the other guys by knocking them down to the ground and rendering them unconscious."

"Good job," Shun congratulated.

"As if I needed your approval," Hanzo said with his arms crossed and his eyes closed in irritation. Just then, the doors to the warehouse opened and the last three members of the Titans entered—the West Team. They joined the rest of the team on the chairs.

Sitting next to Hanzo was Mari—codename: Mnemosyne. She was a teenage girl of about sixteen and had long navy blue hair styled in twin-tails at the front and brilliant light blue eyes. She also wears thin square glasses which is replaced with battle-grade goggles for missions. She's the coldest of the members and the most sardonic. Her pessimistic attitude often causes the others to be wary of her presence. However, she wasn't alway liked this. Though she was just as sarcastic and deadpan when she was a young child, she was also known to be courteous and considerate to her friends. Her cold ice queen demeanor didn't really take hold until after her genetic alteration. Now, she's far more crueler and aloof than before. Her genetic alteration gives her the powers of telepathy and telekinesis.

Sitting next to Hiro was Ryo—codename: Coeus. He was a teenage boy of around sixteen and had shoulder length spiky white hair and a mysterious light brown eyes. He wears a chain earring with a hanging diamond shaped pendant on his left ear and a silver chain necklace with a skull pendant around his neck. He's the most distant and isolated member of the group. His isolation stems from his introverted personality. Though he's not opposed to being in the company of others, he's often found privately sitting in a corner and playing his electric guitar, a gift given to him by the doctor. He's also the most silent of the group and rarely speaks more than he needs to. His mysterious personality makes him a very hard person to read. His genetic alteration allows him the ability to manipulate vibrations at the molecular level, including molecular frequencies, molecular speed, and sound.

Sitting next to Ryo was Rei—codename: Themis. She was a teenage girl of around fifteen and had shoulder-length light blue hair and pale blue eyes. Clipped onto her hair just above her left ear was a lotus-shaped barrette. She often wears an embarrassed look or anxious expression on her face. She's the most apprehensive and fearful member of the group. She's also known to be heavily apologetic and emotionally unstable, often breaking into bouts of apologies and tears whether or not the situation warrants it. Even as a child, Rei was known to be very jittery and easily frightened. She's also the most vulnerable to criticism and often takes the words of others toward her too literally. Yet, despite her otherwise cowardly personality, she's a very capable hero in her own right and very dependable. It has been noted that while on the battlefield, Rei often acts without much thinking, which gives her less time to worry and more time to act. Her genetic alteration gives her the ability to manipulate the density of her own body, allowing for feats such as intangibility, invisibility, and levitation.

"So how was your arson mission?" Shun asked the West Team.

"It went smoothly," reassured Mari coldly.

"That's good to hear," Shun said.

Just then, a knock could be heard coming from the front door. Hanzo rose up and offered to check it out. He opened the doors and was greeted by two of Justitia's officers. "Where's Kronos?" one of the officers asked. Hanzo called Shun over. "We just want to confirm that your missions were successful."

"100% success achieved," Shun told them.

The other officer nodded and punched it in on his tablet. "We'll be sending troops to collect the criminals now," the other officer said, pressing a button on his tablet.

"Thank you," Shun said.

"You know, Kronos," began the first officer, "why don't you come hang out with us? Instead of hanging out with those monsters in this dump, you could be enjoying fine dining with us and join in on some card games!" Both officers wore ugly smiles on their faces to threaten Shun into accept their proposal. Their horrendous smiles revealed just how discriminating they are towards the other Titans like Hanzo, who was standing to the side while the conversation took place.

Shun's expression suddenly turned dark. He wasn't at all amused by the soldiers' threats and insults. He stared at them with the eyes of an alpha wolf protecting its pack and declared, "If you haven't forgotten, I am one of those monsters." He then slammed the door shut and walked back to join the group.

With a huge grin, Hanzo remarked, "That's why you're the boss, Shun!" and ran back to join the group.

"Why do we have to work for bastards like them?" Kaito said. "I mean, I hear what they say behind our backs."

"And what they think is even more disturbing and a crime worthy of death," Mari added grimly.

"Sometimes I just want to kill those bastards myself!" exclaimed Hanzo through gritted teeth and jumping onto his seat like a mad monkey. "They should just die in a fire already!"

"But we can't really do anything, can we?" asked Hana rhetorically.

"Oy, Kaito!" Hanzo called. He jumped off from his chair and walked over to Kaito with a sinister smile on his face. He bent to whisper into Kaito's ear a rather amusing plan. A large smile began to show on Kaito's face as Hanzo's plan took form in his mind. Just then, Hanzo's feet were mysteriously swept from under him and he found himself falling on his butt. "Ow, ow, ow," he uttered while rubbing his bruised bottom. "What did you do that for?!" he shouted in an irritated tone.

"Stupid people should just die!" Mari told him bluntly with closed eyes.

"Who you calling stupid?" retorted Hanzo, sticking out his tongue in a diss.

A knock from the front door caught the Titans' attention. Shun walked over and opened the door. Standing before him with a warm smile was Dr. Tagami, the man responsible for the Titans' creation. He was a healthy old man with shoulder-length white hair and shiny brown eyes. He had a fairly pointy nose and dark red liver spots on his forehead. He was a kind man who takes pride in the Titans and their care. Though the Titans are officially adopted and "owned" by Justitia on paper, the agency heads regarded the entire process as nothing more than a formality and do not view it as their duty to act as the Titans' caretakers apart from providing training, work, and living quarters. Therefore, they assigned Dr. Tagami as the Titans' official caretaker and guardian, which the doctor himself was more than happy to accept. The Titans all loved the doctor dearly and truly view him as a real father-figure. Despite the fact that he was the one responsible for their genetic alterations, the doctor never treated them as freaks and had always fought on their side against the abuse of the agency. To him, they weren't just weapons, but actual human beings.

Shun smiled and greeted warmly, "Hello, doctor."

Dr. Tagami had in his hand a bag from a fast food restaurant. "I thought you Titans would like some burgers for dinner," the doctor said with a kind smile. He handed the bag to Shun who accepted it gratefully. "I remembered each of your preferences too and made sure that each of those burgers are to your likings and tastes. I made sure to get Hanzo a triple-meat burger with no vegetables except for lettuce, and Hana a vegie burger with no cheese. For Kota I made sure that they didn't put in any onions or pickles, and for Hina I got her a triple-cheeseburger. Kaito loves his burgers with extra sauce so I made sure that they included extra sauce packets. Mari likes her burger buns toasted and Rei doesn't like tomatoes. I also know that Hiro likes to double his meat and greens, and Ryo likes extra bacon on his. Nao likes extra cheese on hers and Airi prefers a basic burger with no sesame seeds on the buns. And of course for you Shun, I made sure that they remembered to add extra pickles."

"Thank you very much, doctor," Shun thanked him gratefully.

"I truly love you kids," the doctor told him with a small smile.

"We love you too, doctor," Shun responded back. The doctor's expression saddened a bit upon hearing those words.

They exchanged farewells and the doctor left. With the bag in their hand, Shun brought the Titans' their dinner. The warm greasy scent of the burgers captivated everyone's senses and drew their attention to the bag in Shun's hand. "Here's dinner!" he announced to them.

"Are those burgers from American-Nippon Burgeria?" asked Hanzo excitedly.

"The doctor bought it for us," Shun explained.

"We love you Dr. Tagami!" Hanzo and Kaito screamed at the top of their lungs as thanks. They suddenly fell down as their feet were swept out from under them.

"Shut it you doofuses!" Mari coldly threatened them.

"Do you not like the doctor, Mari-onee-san?" Hina asked innocently.

"Of course I do," Mari answered. "He's the only true human person in the entire agency."

Shun opened the bag and everyone reached in to grab their respective burgers. They opened the wrappers and said in unison, "Let's eat!"

Dr. Tagami left the warehouse and entered his black car. He wore a grim expression that dulled his brown eyes and gave him the impression of a condemned man. The car took him to his next destination, which was the main reason behind his condemned look. He exited the car and entered an office building that was the agency's main base of operations. He took an elevator to the fourth floor. Upon getting off, he walked down the long hallway, passing by various office spaces and meeting rooms, to reach the agency's executive meeting room at the end. He entered the room and sat down at the table across five men: the three agency heads, the agency's head criminal officer, and the agency's head of engineering research.

"Hello, Dr. Tagami," greeted the middle of the three agency heads. He was a scary man with a large chiseled face, piercing brown eyes, and finely curated short black hair.

"May I ask what this meeting is about, 2nd Leader?" asked Dr. Tagami.

"We wanted to discuss the future of Project Titan," replied the agency head.

"What is there to discuss?" the doctor asked suspiciously.

"We plan on selling the Titans to the highest bidder on the international market," the agency head replied nonchalantly.

"You can't be serious?!" exclaimed the doctor angrily.

"Of course it might mean that the Titans may have to be sold separately," the agency head continued.

"Don't treat them like toys!" the doctor snapped back. "Frankly, you disgust me, Endo Daisuke."

"I agree with the doctor's sentiments," interjected the head criminal officer. The officer was a man with a haggard face, jaded dark brown eyes, and messy grey-black hair that creeped out of his cap.

"The reason behind creating the Titans was to create beings capable of protecting humanity, correct?" Endo Daisuke said. "Therefore, our duty is done. We have created the products and went through various tests to assure their product quality. Now, the only thing left to do is to apply them to the real world by selling them to international security agencies and militaries, thereby putting them to good use."

"Don't mess with me, you greedy bastard!" the doctor yelled.

"Think about the good this will be for the world, doctor," attempted another agency head in a soothing tone. Unlike his more robust colleague, this man had a fresh young face comparable to that of a teenage model's, smooth silky light brown hair, and laughing chocolate brown eyes. "This is for the best. My partner may be in this for the money, but I assure you that our main goal is to allow the Titans to live their purpose in life. And their purpose is to protect humanity, correct? Therefore, this is the only sensible way. And what's wrong with making a little profit?"

"I expected you to be better, but I see now that you're no better than a conniving snake, 1st Leader Hamada Kotaro."

"What good does it do if we keep the Titans to ourselves? Soon enough, their secret would be exposed and the problems that will cause will be great. Our country will be blamed for creating superhuman armies and we will be convicted as criminals. Additionally, the Titans will be subjected to inhumane testing by international governments in an attempt to replicate our findings, which will lead to the outbreak of a major war of superhumans," added the third agency head logically. He had a sharp face and even sharper reddish-brown eyes, wavy black hair, and he wore a pair of thin-framed glasses.

"Well said, 3rd Leader Sakurai Junpei," applauded Hamada Kotaro.

"I don't have time to deal with this foolishness," announced the doctor. "Good day, gentlemen!" The doctor stomped out of the room and quickly exited the cursed building.

"What is the deal with selling the Titans?" asked the head criminal officer. "I thought that we were a security company founded on the principles of regulating crime and protecting the citizens. The Titans are responsible for the dramatic decrease of the city's crime rate."

"Which is why they are very valuable," reasoned Hamada Kotaro. "They are valuable to the world as a whole. Therefore, it is only right to share their powers with the world. The whole monetary ordeal is just icing on the cake! Saving the world isn't free, you know."

Meanwhile, Dr. Tagami quickly exited the building in vehement disgust at what he just heard. He entered his black car and told the driver to take him home. "Those bastards are really asking for hell," the doctor cursed under his breath. The driver started the car and began to drive. A minute hadn't even passed by when suddenly Dr. Tagami saw a bright flash that signaled the end of the line for him. The bright destructive colors of red and yellow filled his vision until quickly blending into a cold black darker than the night sky and colder than the touch of death. The massive sound of an explosion slowly faded from his ears in a diminishing echo. His entire body began to grow colder by the second.

The massive explosive boom could be heard from a mile away, catching the attention of the entire agency. Officers and personnel alike came running to investigate the source. Immediately, a state of emergency was declared and the following statement was circulated through the agency's speakers: "An explosion occurred with two casualties: staff driver Sawada Junichi and head of the scientific research division Dr. Tagami Kosuke."

The sound of alarms grabbed the attention of the feasting Titans. Shun ran to the door and opened it to see officers and personnel hastily running in the same direction. He called to one of the officers among the crowd and asked what was going on. "There was an explosion," the officer quickly explained. "Dr. Tagami is dead."

Shun had trouble processing the words that was coming out of the officer's mouth. "What was that?" he asked in a shaky voice.

"Dr. Tagami was one of two casualties in the explosion," the officer answered. Shun remained quiet and didn't breathe another word. The officer saluted and continued on to join the mass gathering at the explosion site. The other Titans were standing behind Shun when they heard the dreadful news.

"Impossible!" gasped Airi.

"How did this happen?" wondered Hiro, slamming his fist against the wall.

"I bet it's those Justitia bastards who'd done him in," cursed Hanzo through gritted teeth. "I bet they were getting tired of the doctor treating us right since we're nothing but a group of freaks in their eyes." His eyes, red with anger, was starting to transform into that of a tiger's. A low growl could also be heard escaping from his throat.

Without a word, Shun quickly ran out the front door to join the fray. "Oi! Shun! Don't forget about us!" shouted Kaito. The Titans all ran outside to join their leader. They all came to front of the agency's main base of operations—a tall red stone office building. In front of the building was a the most horrific scene the Titans had ever witnessed in their lives. Scattered throughout the circular driveway were pieces of the black car that had exploded. Officers and personnel were busy putting out fires and examining the scene of the crime. Right there, laying down in the middle of the ground in between broken car seats was Dr. Tagami with his head burned and soaked in blood. Shun quickly ran to the doctor, ignoring the warnings and orders of the surrounding officers and personnel. The rest of the Titans, however, were contained by the chain of officers who blockaded them from continuing on forward.

When Shun arrived, he bent down and, with shaky hands filled with despair and fear, caressed the doctor's face. "Doctor," he whispered desperately. Tears were welling up in his eyes as the image of his dying father were being imprinted in his memory forever. A pain formed in his chest that felt like a beast wanting to escape from his skin and roar for the world to hear. The lights and sounds around him became a jumbled mess that slowly disappeared into the background and eventually dissipated into the void of space. He was now a broken statue of despair that has become isolated from reality. All there was left was void. Behind him, the other Titans lowered their heads in grief; both Hina and Rei burst into tears while Airi tried to hide her face in Hiro's shoulder. Hanzo let out a scoff while Kota tried hard to fight back his own tears.

Just when Shun was about to be completely swallowed by the void, he heard a little sound that ignited a small flame of hope inside of him. "Shun," spoke the doctor. Shun wiped the tears from his eyes and realized that the doctor was still somewhat conscious.

"Doctor!" Shun called happily with a tearful smile.

"Shun," the doctor began, "I'm sorry." Shun didn't understand at all what the doctor was telling him. The doctor coughed and blood began to spill onto his already red-stained shirt. "I am truly sorry," the doctor repeated. "I know that this is too late." He let out a very self-deprecating laugh and continued, "This is truly not how I imagined telling you this. Pathetic, right?"

"Doctor, what are you talking about?" Shun asked him worriedly.

"I truly loved you kids," the doctor told him. "I knew that you all didn't hate me despite everything I did to you all in the past. I truly am a contemptible man. And for that, Shun, I am sorry. Even if you don't forgive or if the other Titans never forgive me, I will still apologize for my sins. It is the only way for me to express my regrets and come face-to-face with my sins. Especially since I'm not that much far away from death's grasp. Truly, this is the most shameful way to do this."

"Doctor, please," Shun begged tearfully. "Please, don't say another word. What do you mean by forgive? Of course we forgive you."

The doctor, with his eyes now dull and lifeless, attempted a smile. He took in a breath that shook his entire body. "You know," began the doctor again, "I had always wanted to let you kids have a chance at living a normal life or at least experience the real world. After years of seeing you all being treated as mere tools when in truth you are creatures of flesh and blood like me, while I myself am indulging in your own pain for my own gain, I couldn't face the disgusting creature I have become." He closed his eyes and drew in a breath. After a few seconds of silence, he opened his eyes and looked into Shun's. "Promise me," he pleaded Shun, "try whatever you can to escape this cruel fate that I have foolishly laid out for you all. This path will only lead to death and regret. Enjoy life with whatever little time you have. That is my final wish for you all." Shun simply nodded his head in answer. With a content smile, the doctor too nodded. And then, for the last time in his life, the doctor settled down and whispered, "I'm sorry." The light from his eyes disappeared and he took Death's hand and departed from this world.

The doctor's body became limp in Shun's hands. The pain in his chest grew evermore unbearable, eventually allowing the beast inside to be released. Shun raised his head to the night sky and let out a roar that echoed through the world of the living, signaling his despair and the departure of a respected soul.