Main Hall, Titans Tower. 2:55 AM.
Kayleth had learned one important thing from his time as a soldier in black ops: when you're surrounded by five angry superheroes with weapons aimed at you, stay still.
So he lay among the wreckage of the broken ping pong table, hands raised, and a big smile on his face—perhaps a bit too big.
"Hello!" he exclaimed cheerfully, like he was meeting old friends at a barbecue. "I'm Kayleth. I'm new here. I enjoy long walks, tacos, and not being shot by sonic cannons. Nice to meet you all!"
Robin didn't smile. He stepped closer, his bo staff extended, its tip just inches from Kayleth's throat. His eyes, hidden behind a red mask, narrowed with doubt.
"I won't ask again," Robin said, his voice cold and controlled, sounding like a leader who trusts no one. "Who are you? How did you get into this tower? And why was Raven screaming in her room two minutes ago?"
Kayleth glanced at Raven, who stood behind the group, her arms crossed and a faint pink hue on her cheeks. She looked away quickly when their eyes met.
"Well, about that..." Kayleth started, but before he could continue—
"Wait!" Beast Boy shouted. He had shifted back to human form—a skinny green kid with messy hair, dressed in purple pajamas with a monkey print. "Is he a villain? He doesn't look like one. Villains usually don't smile like that. They smile in a more evil way, you know? Like this—" He attempted an evil grin, but it resembled a child trying to frighten a cat.
"Beast Boy, this isn't the right time," Cyborg said, his sonic cannon still aimed at Kayleth. His blue mechanical eye scanned Kayleth from head to toe, collecting data. "I'm checking him now. His biosignature is strange. His heart rate is normal, but his cells... they're regenerating at an unusual rate. I've never seen anything like this."
"Mutant?" Starfire asked, her glowing green eyes still focused on him, but her tone was curious, not aggressive. She floated down gently, her long red hair trailing behind her. "Or an alien? Please, tell me—are you from Tamaran? I haven't met anyone from my home since—"
"Not an alien," Cyborg interrupted, pointing at a screen on his arm. "His DNA is human. Sort of. But there are modifications, as if someone reprogrammed his cells on a molecular level."
"Super cellular regeneration," Kayleth said, almost proudly. "I got it from a secret government program called Project Lazarus. The goal was to create soldiers who can't die. The result: me, a guy who can't die even if he wants to." He looked at Robin. "And before you ask, yes, I tried. Many times. It didn't work."
An uneasy silence filled the room.
Robin studied Kayleth's face. He was still smiling, but there was something in his eyes—something old and weary—that made Robin realize this man wasn't joking.
"Why are you here?" Robin asked, calmer but still careful.
Kayleth sighed. He lowered his hands and sat among the debris of the table, brushing some wood shavings off his shoulder.
"Alright, can I call you kids? No? Okay, Titans—the story is long, but I'll give you the short version." He looked at each of them. "I'm from another world. Your world in my world is comics. Fiction. You're characters. But now you're real to me. Zeus—yes, the nice bearded thunder god—accidentally killed me with a lightning bolt, felt guilty, and sent me here as a 'second chance.' Somehow, I ended up in Raven's room, under..." He paused and glanced at Raven, who stared at the floor, her face hidden by her hood. "...in a very awkward position."
"So you're saying," Robin began, his tone skeptical, "that a god sent you to our dimension, and that you're from a world where we're fiction."
"Bingo!" Kayleth said, pointing at Robin as if he had just won a prize. "You're smart. That's why you're the leader."
"This is... ridiculous," Robin said, but he hesitated. In a world full of space princesses, demons, and people who can turn into animals, could this really be more absurd?
"Let me guess," Kayleth said, leaning back with his hands behind his head. "You're thinking: 'This sounds crazy, but I've seen stranger things,' right?"
Robin didn't respond. His jaw twitched.
"Raven," Robin finally said, still not looking at her. "Is he telling the truth?"
All eyes turned to Raven.
She slowly lifted her head, looked at Kayleth for a long moment, then at Robin.
"His energy..." she began in a soft voice. "Is different. Not evil. But... broken. Like his soul has endured... something terrible. When he said he's from another world, I didn't sense a lie. I sensed..." She paused, searching for the right word. "...Truth."
Robin looked at her, then back at Kayleth, and slowly lowered his staff.
"Okay," he said. "Let's say I believe you—for now. What do you want?"
Kayleth stood up and dusted himself off. "I want to help."
"Help?" Cyborg echoed, doubtful. "Help how?"
"I'm a soldier," Kayleth replied simply. "Trained. Deadly. Immortal. I can fight. I can kill if necessary. I know things about this world—your enemies, your future—that could save your lives." He met Robin's eyes directly. "I'm not asking to join your team. I just want a chance to show you I'm not a threat. Give me a week. One week, and if you don't trust me by then, I'll leave. Promise."
"A week?" Beast Boy exclaimed, jumping forward, his eyes wide. "Dude, that's awesome! We can be friends! You can play video games with me! You can—"
"Beast Boy, no," Robin said sharply. Then he turned to Kayleth. "If we agree to this, there are rules. No killing, no matter how 'lethal' your training is. We don't kill. Understood?"
Kayleth opened his mouth, then shut it. He thought for a moment, then sighed. "Okay. No killing. Except if someone tries to kill one of you and killing is the only option. In that case, I'll kill, and we can talk about it later."
Robin didn't look pleased, but he nodded. "We'll be watching you. All the time."
"Expected," Kayleth said, smiling. "Now, can someone tell me where I can sleep? I just traveled across dimensions, showed up under someone, and got kicked out through a magical portal. I'm exhausted."
Starfire raised her hand. "He can stay in the spare room! Next to my room! I'll bring him soft pillows and—"
"No," Robin said quickly. "He'll stay in the guest room. The one next to Cyborg's room. So Cyborg can keep an eye on him."
Cyborg nodded. "No problem. I have a security system that can track him if he does anything suspicious."
"Great," Kayleth said. "Is there food somewhere? Because I'm dying—metaphorically, not literally—of hunger."
________________________________________
Kitchen, Titans Tower. 3:15 AM.
The kitchen was large and modern, filled with shiny appliances and a huge fridge that could feed an army. Kayleth sat on a tall stool at the bar, watching Cyborg make him a sandwich the size of a child's head.
Beast Boy sat beside him, chatting non-stop. "—then I turned into an elephant and smashed through the wall, and it was awesome! Robin was so mad, but we saved the day, you know? Oh, one time I turned into a mosquito and got into—"
"Beast Boy," Cyborg said without looking up. "Let the man breathe."
"Oh, sorry!" Beast Boy said with a big grin. "I'm just excited. We rarely get new members. The last one was Terra, but she..." His smile faded. "Well. It didn't work out."
Kayleth noticed the shift in his tone. "Terra," he said slowly. "The girl who controls earth. Who betrayed you."
Beast Boy looked shocked. "How—how did you know that?"
"I told you," Kayleth replied. "I know things about your world, your past, your future." He met Beast Boy's gaze seriously. "But listen: just because I know doesn't mean I'll share everything. Some things need to happen. Some lessons must be learned. Understand?"
Beast Boy nodded slowly, though he looked puzzled.
Cyborg set the sandwich in front of Kayleth—huge, filled with meat, cheese, and lettuce. "There you go. Cyborg's special sandwich. If you don't like it, it's on you."
Kayleth picked it up and took a big bite. His eyes widened. "Oh my God," he said with a full mouth. "This is amazing. You're an artist, Cyborg."
Cyborg grinned proudly. "I told you."
Just then, Raven entered the kitchen quietly, like a ghost. She still wore her cloak but had lowered her hood. She glanced at Kayleth briefly, then looked away toward the fridge.
"Can't sleep?" Kayleth asked with a small smile.
"I rarely sleep," Raven said softly, opening the fridge and taking a bottle of water. "Meditation helps me—" She paused, looking at him. "You know that, don't you? Because you 'read about me.'"
"Correct," Kayleth replied. He took a sip from a glass of water Cyborg had handed him. "I know a lot about you, Raven. About your father, the prophecy, and your daily struggle to control your powers so the world doesn't end." He looked directly at her. "I also know you're stronger than you realize."
Raven stared at him for a long moment. Finally, she said quietly, "Don't pretend you know me."
"I'm not pretending," Kayleth replied. He set down the sandwich, his tone serious. "I understand you because I'm like you. I carry darkness. Something dangerous. Every day, I fight so it doesn't control me." He paused, then smiled sadly. "The difference is, I use sarcasm to mask it. You use silence."
Raven remained silent. But for an instant—just a moment—something in her eyes softened.
Beast Boy, who had been observing them, whispered to Cyborg, "Are they... bonding emotionally?"
Cyborg whispered back, "Shut up and let it happen."
Raven turned away, grabbed her water bottle, and started walking toward the door. But just before she left, she stopped. Without turning around, she said:
"Tomorrow, I'll watch you during training to see if you're worthy of being here."
Kayleth smiled. "Looking forward to it, demon lady."
Raven's face turned slightly red, but she didn't say anything more. She faded into the shadows.
Beast Boy laughed. "Wow, you're bold. Nobody teases Raven like that. The last guy who did ended up in a demon dimension for two hours."
"I like challenges," Kayleth said, picking up his sandwich again. He looked at you—the reader—and smiled a wide, devilish grin.
"Alright, my reader friends," he said in a low voice. "If you're betting I'll mess things up with Raven in a week, you're probably right. But hey, where's the fun in that? Let's see how far I can push my luck before she sends me to hell. Literally."
Cyborg looked at him. "Are you... talking to yourself?"
"Always," Kayleth replied with a mouthful of food. "It's a sign of genius. Or insanity. One or the other."
________________________________________
Guest Room, Titans Tower. 4:00 AM.
The room was simple. One bed, a desk, and a window overlooking the ocean. Kayleth lay on the bed, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling.
In the quiet, memories returned.
Sarah's face. Lily's laughter. The smell of pancakes on Sunday morning. The sound of piano music from the next room.
Gone. All gone.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"This is a second chance," he thought. "Don't mess it up. Don't let the darkness win."
But the darkness was always there, waiting and whispering.
For the first time in years, he wondered:
"Can I really be a hero?"
Outside the window, dawn began to break over the ocean.
And a new day started.