Chapter 7: Titans’ Trial

The safehouse was a step up from Gotham's alleys—barely. Tucked in Blüdhaven, it was a rundown warehouse with peeling paint and a roof that groaned under last night's rain. Inside, though, it buzzed with life. Nightwing had dragged Kai here after the Grid Seekers' ambush, promising answers and a mattress that didn't smell like despair. Red Hood peeled off to "handle something," leaving Kai with Batman's parting glare burned into his brain: "Don't leave the city. I'll find you." Comforting.

Now, Kai sat on a crate, morpher dim but heavy, watching a mismatched crew size him up. The Titans—or some of them. Dick Grayson, sans mask, tossed a pizza box onto a rickety table. Donna Troy, all Amazon poise, leaned against a wall, arms crossed. Raven stood in the corner, hood up, eyes glowing faintly as she studied Kai like a riddle. And Beast Boy—Garfield Logan—sprawled on a couch, green skin clashing with the red sauce he was smearing on his face.

"So," Gar said, mid-bite, "you're the new guy with the shiny toy. What's your deal?"

Kai shrugged, snagging a slice. "Dead kid, back alive, got a morpher. Still figuring out the rest."

"Dead?" Donna's brow arched. "Like, metaphorically?"

"Nope. Truck hit me. Woke up here." Kai bit into the pizza, hoping the grease would drown his nerves. The Titans swapped looks—skeptical, curious, but not dismissive. He'd take it.

Raven drifted closer, voice soft but piercing. "Your energy's… fractured. Two souls in one body. How?"

Kai choked on his bite. "You can see that?"

"She's creepy like that," Gar said, grinning. "Spill, man. You possessed or what?"

Kai wiped his mouth, morpher glinting as he shifted. "Not possessed. Reborn, maybe. Used to be some knight—Kaelric. Died a long time ago. This thing—" he tapped the morpher, "—picked me up for round two."

"Reincarnation," Donna said, nodding like it wasn't the wildest thing she'd heard. "Explains the vibe. You've got an old soul."

"Old soul, new problems," Nightwing added, leaning on the table. "Those Grid Seekers aren't random. They're after that morpher, and they're not playing small-time. We need to know what it can do."

Kai sighed. "Armor, speed, animal shifts. Wolf, hawk so far. It talks, too—bossy as hell."

"Animal shifts?" Gar perked up, morphing into a green wolf and back in a blink. "Dude, we're twins! What's your best form?"

"Dunno yet," Kai said. "It's still throwing surprises at me."

"Then let's test it," Nightwing said, clapping his hands. "Training room's downstairs. Titans, you in?"

"Hell yeah," Gar said, bouncing up. Donna smirked, and Raven just nodded, floating after them. Kai followed, pulse ticking up. A trial with superheroes? No pressure.

The "training room" was a gutted basement—concrete floors, steel beams, and a mishmash of gear: dummies, weights, a climbing wall. Nightwing pointed at a padded mat. "Show us the basics. Morph up."

Kai flexed his wrist, and the armor snapped on, green light flaring. "Form: Wolf," he said, testing control. Claws sprouted, and he dropped into a crouch, faster now, smoother. Gar whooped, shifting into a tiger and circling him.

"Race me!" Gar said, bolting for the wall. Kai lunged, claws gripping concrete as he scaled it, neck-and-neck until Gar leapt, tagging the top beam first. Kai hit it a second later, panting.

"Not bad!" Gar said, shifting back. "You're quick for a newbie."

Donna stepped up next, twirling a staff. "Defense. Block me." She swung—hard—and Kai dodged, then parried with a gauntlet, the force rattling his bones. She nodded, impressed. "Solid instincts."

Raven floated over last, eyes glowing. "Offense. Hit me." A shield of dark energy flared around her. Kai hesitated, then shifted to hawk form, wings beating as he dove. He struck the shield, bouncing off with a grunt, but cracked it. Raven smirked faintly. "Persistent."

"Score!" Gar yelled. "You're hired, man!"

Nightwing grinned. "You're raw, but you've got potential. The morpher's adapting to you—maybe more than you think."

"Adapting?" Kai asked, armor retracting. The morpher pulsed, and a memory flickered—Kaelric wielding a glowing shard, fighting shadows that bled black. The Grid Seekers' leader flashed in his mind, those red eyes. A connection?

Before he could chase it, the warehouse shook—dust raining from the ceiling. An explosion roared outside, close. Nightwing's comm buzzed, Red Hood's voice crackling through. "Dick! Seekers hit a STAR Labs convoy two blocks out. They're packing heat—big heat."

"On it," Nightwing said, already moving. "Titans, roll out. Kai, you're with us."

Kai's stomach flipped. "Me? I'm not—"

"You are now," Donna said, clapping his shoulder. "Suit up."

The morpher blazed. "Mission parameters updated. Engage?" Kai nodded, armor locking in. Wolf form felt right—fast, fierce. He bolted after the Titans, heart pounding. Kaelric's echo whispered in his skull: Protect. Whatever the Grid was, it was calling him to war.

And this time, he wasn't alone.