Guardian Angel

This is a Teen Titans fanfic in which the Titans meet an angel saving lives in Jump City and struggle to defeat his evil brother. It was published on fanfiction.net on October 7, 2006.
==Plot==
It was a dark, starless night in Jump City. Everything was quiet, except for the slight chirping of crickets in the night. Then, the silence was broken. What appeared to be a shooting star tore across the twilight sky. It started off slow but slowly began picking up speed and headed towards the streets. Inside the Titan tower, Robin and his fellow titans were getting ready to hit the sack after a long day fighting crime and saving lives. "After a long day, it's always nice to rest and recharge," Cyborg said, shutting down. Robin, who was heading to his chambers, replied, "Ya know what they say, Cy. Evil never rests." Raven, who was in her dark eerie bedroom, suddenly saw a bright light flashing in the distance. She exited her room-one of the several rare occasions she did-and said to the gang, "You really need to see this!" "What?" Starfire asked. "Titans, let's go!" Robin cried. For now, a well deserved rest could wait.
The gang raced out into the street-with Cyborg riding on Beast Boy in the form of a smilodon. They arrived to see a building on fire and as they raced to save the people inside, something stopped them. The people in the building were being safely carried out by a mysterious man. The man had brown hair and piercing cyan eyes. He was clad in silver armor and was armed with a sword. What was most amazing about the man was he had white wings sprouting from his shoulders. "Woah. Looks like our work's being done for us," Robin answered. He approached the man and asked, "Who are you? We want to..." But by that time, the fire services had arrived and the mysterious winged man had vanished. Odd, Robin thought. He decided that it was time for the Titans to call it a night and head back to the tower. However, if they had looked up, they would have seen the man hiding in plain sight, crouching amongst the many gargoyles sitting atop a church.
"The Teen Titans," the man whispered to himself. He then flew off into the night. The following morning, Robin was lost in thought and picking at his breakfast. "Is everything alright, Robin?" Starfire asked. She seemed concerned about him. Robin answered, "I'm fine. It's just...I hardly got any sleep last night." In fact, Robin was telling the truth. He looked rather tired and had hardly got a wink of sleep. "It's just that man we saw last night. The angel." Unknown to them, the man from the previous night was eavesdropping on them. If I show my face to them, he thought, I can talk to them. The rest of the day passed rather uneventfully. Just then, the alarm went off. Just as the Titans were ready to attack, they saw it was the man who said, "I come in peace!" The Titans halted in their tracks. "We saw you last night," said Beast Boy, who had reverted from a snarling jaguar to his human form. "Who are you?" The man cleared his throat and replied, "I am Albus. The White Angel."
"I'm Robin. This is Beast Boy, Cyborg, Starfire and Raven." Robin introduced the Titans. Albus smiled. "I've heard quite a lot about you, Robin. About how you and the Teen Titans save lives and protect the weak." Robin had a dumbfounded look on his face. Raven suddenly asked, "How do you know so much about us?" Albus cleared his throat. "I am, of course, a wandering spirit. I've roamed the earth for milennia." He then continued, "My real name is Sir Albus the White." A flashback started. It showed a 5th century European kingdom. Albus was riding on a horse flanked by an enormous army of knights. He looked relatively the same, except that he lacked wings, evidence that he had yet to become an angel. "During the Middle Ages, I was a knight in the court of King Joseph, who ruled the ancient kingdom of Charos." Albus was standing in the enormous throne room of King Joseph's castle. He was accompanied by another knight. He had ebony hair and a goatee, indicating that he was the older of the two. He also sported black armor and was armed with a sword. He also had dark, lupine eyes.
"You two are my most trusted, loyal and brave warriors," the king announced. "You have both served me well for many years." The king, a bearded man with brown hair dressed in red ermine robes and wearing a golden crown, was also accompanied by his wife, Queen Lara, a dark-haired woman dressed in long red and gold robes, and his son, Prince David, a strawberry-blonde haired young man dressed in red and white robes. The older knight, called Jonas, interrupted, "I, of course, am more experienced in battle. My brother is still--" He was silenced by Joseph. "Jonas, as I was about to say, you have both served me well, but I think Albus is more willing to put the needs of my subjects before his own." Jonas gasped. "But, you don't understand! I think that..." The queen cut him off. "You only value your own needs. The only reason you became a knight was for your own personal gain." Jonas  screamed in anger and proceeded to kick over a table, before storming off. "Your Majesty, I will talk to him."
Albus continued his story. "When my brother Jonas and I were young, we had been very close. But as we got older, we started growing apart." The next scene in the flashback showed an extravagant banquet in the castle's feasting hall. "This feast was an excellent idea, Albus," said the king. Albus nodded and replied, "This is an excellent way to celebrate our victory in battle." Suddenly, the queen asked her husband, "Have you seen Jonas anywhere? I can't seem to find him." "Don't worry, Lara. I'm sure he'll turn up at some point." Meanwhile, a hooded figure on horseback rode off into the forest. He approached an encampment where a group of vicious looking warriors were. One of them said, "King Joseph is too powerful. We have to find a way to breach his defences," "I can lead you to him." The hooded figure dismounted and revealed himself to be Jonas. "And who are you?" another warrior asked, drawing his sword. Jonas, who was surprisingly stoic even when being threatened with death, replied, "Sir Jonas. One of King Joseph's knights." "You are one of the King's men?!?" the warrior asked, dumbfounded.
"Exactly," Jonas replied, still unfazed by the fact he was being held at sword point. "I am also, in a sense, the black sheep of King Joseph's knights. Of all of them, the fool seems to favor my younger brother Albus, over me! I would personally like it if you would help me destroy that fool!" Jonas picked up a handful of stones and crushed them into gravel. The warriors grinned wickedly. "Once I kill that traitor like the filthy dog he is, I will take over and nothing will get in my way!" He laughed and the warriors cheered. Jonas returned to the banquet, which by this time was drawing to a close. "Jonas!" King Joseph cried, walking up to him. "Where in the world have you been?" Jonas simply replied, "I was simply..." He thought hard, "...scouting the area for attackers." The king nodded, albeit not 100 percent convinced. "Of course..." he replied. "Well, grab yourself something to eat. You must be starving!" The king walked off, and Jonas followed, but not before signalling the warriors outside the castle for when to strike.
The feast ended and the king, queen and prince were heading to their sleeping quarters. "Tonight was a very successful night, Albus," said the prince. "Thank you, Prince David. It was a successful night." The royal family headed to their rooms to sleep. A few moments later, the silence was broken by a clattering sound. "What now?!" the king sighed. He climbed out of bed and went to see what it was. Probably some stragglers from the feast or maybe a dog got in, he thought to himself. "Hello! Is anybody here?" He entered his throne room, which was eerily still. Odd, the king thought to himself. Then, an arrow shot past, narrowly missing the king's shoulder. It hit a tapestry and Albus and Jonas came running in, swords unsheathed. "What is it, your majesty?" Albus cried. A gang of hooded attackers came charging up with their weapons at the ready. Albus tried fıghting off one of the warriors with a spear, but he was incapacitated. Then, Joseph tried to defend himself. "Albus!" he yelled. "Get the guards!" Albus ran off and Jonas tried defending the king. One of the warriors cried, "Alright, Joseph. You may have been born a king but you will die like a filthy mongrel!"
The warrior drew a spiked mace and brought it crashing down on the king's head. Then, another warrior saw shadows approaching and yelled, "Move!" The assailants disappeared just as quickly as they came. By this time, Albus had returned with some guards and Lara and David had joined them. "What happened?" the queen asked. "Attackers..." Jonas panted. "They broke in...I tried to defend the king but they were too strong." Queen Lara kneeled down next to her fallen husband. "Joseph...please. Don't go..." she sobbed. "Lara..." were the king's final words before he lost consciousness and died. "No!" Lara screamed, and she broke down sobbing. "Give me a few moments, brother," Jonas said, walking off. Jonas rode off into the forest towards the warrior encampment. "That's phase one of my plan completed," he addressed the warriors. "Now, the real fun begins." The next day, at the king's funeral, Jonas delivered the eulogy. "Joseph was a wise and noble king," he said, with crocodile tears in his eyes. "He always..." He stifled a fake sob. "...put the needs of his people before his own. He was a great man and will be..." He inhaled. "...dearly missed." 
Jonas said the word "dearly" with emphasis, like it were some filthy obscenity. He then continued with his speech. "I know this is a difficult time for us all, but fear not! I will be your new king and make the kingdom greater than it has been for thousands of years!" After the funeral, he turned to the warriors, who were waiting in the background. "Phase two completed. Now, complete domination!" Albus went on with his tale. "Within a few short weeks, Jonas gained complete control over the kingdom. The people became his slaves and everyone answered to him without question."
Jonas was reclining on King Joseph's former throne. It was now shaped like a wolf and the room was piled high with ill-gotten treasures. "This is the life, my brother," he proclaimed. "I'm rich! I'm respected! And nothing can get in my way!" "But at what expense?" Albus asked. The queen and prince were in the room with him. "Jonas, this is wrong!" the queen exclaimed. The prince added, "You're abusing your power! It's not to be used lightly!" Jonas smirked. "This, coming from a beginner!" As soon as the queen and her son left the room, Albus, who was normally a calm and collected person, yelled, "Why are you choosing to run the kingdom like this?!?!" Jonas simply replied, "Nobody tells me what I can and can't do. We're grown men, Albus. Not children." He smirked as Albus stormed out of the room.
Albus paused. He took a long breath and then Robin asked, "What happened next?" Albus inhaled and continued, "The relationship between me and my brother was tearing at the seams. But one event would break it beyond repair." The scene changed to the kingdom being attacked by invading warriors. "The kingdom was being attacked by barbarians. The armies fought valiantly to stop them." Archers stood atop the city walls and fired arrows at the invaders trying to climb up it. The ones that successfully managed to breach the barrier climbed up and battled several of the soldiers. The leader was none other than Jonas, the snake in the grass. 
"The kingdom is ours to conquer!" he proclaimed. "The heavens have granted us victory! Storm the castle and take no prisoners!" Meanwhile, Albus was helping the queen and prince leave. "My queen, you and the prince have to go!" "But Albus, what if you die?!" Albus kindly replied, "It is my duty as a knight to protect my kingdom, no matter the cost. Lara, take David to the neighbouring kingdom. You'll be safe there." "I will," the queen said. As much as it pained her and the prince to leave their home, they had to in order to survive. As a group of guards led the prince and his mother away, Lara said, "Good luck, Albus." 
Meanwhile, as the barbarians began ransacking the city and taking escaping citizens prisoner, Jonas snuck into the castle and ran into his younger brother, now his mortal enemy on top of the castle roof. "Well, look at what the cat dragged in," he smirked. "Brother, stop this madness at once!" Albus yelled. He ran towards Jonas with his sword unsheathed. They fought, then Jonas used the butt of his weapon to hit Albus in the head. The younger knight cried out in agony, but that didn't stop Jonas. He kicked his younger brother hard in the chest and threw him against a gargoyle, before-quite literally-stabbing him in the back. Laughing cruelly, Jonas picked up Albus-who was by now on the verge of death-and held his sword to his chin. "You've got nowhere left to run, brother," Jonas smiled wickedly. "You will die like the filthy dog you are. But, look on the bright side. At least you'll see King Joseph again." He cackled and then asked, "Any final words?"
"Yes," Albus replied weakly. "Look behind you." Jonas sighed and did so. Then he noticed something that made his blood run cold. A group of soldiers had rolled in a catapult and were loading a boulder into it. "No..." Jonas whimpered. "FIRE!!!" The soldiers cut the ropes holding the boulder back and let go. The boulder flew through and locked onto its target like a heat seeking missile. Jonas dropped Albus' lifeless body and screamed "NOOOO!!!" as the boulder slammed into the castle, causing the wall and roof to collapse in on itself, taking Jonas and Albus with it.
The flashback ended and Albus continued, "After Jonas and I died, we both became wandering spirits. I have continued to protect humans while Jonas seeks to harm them." "Woah," replied Beast Boy. Starfire asked, "The same is with me and my sister Dark Fire on our world of Tamaran." Albus nodded. "You're right, somewhat. It seems me and my brother had two different destinies. I was destined to protect the living, while Jonas was destined to bring harm." Robin smiled. "Albus, you would make an excellent member of our team." "Hmmm, I'll think about it." 
Meanwhile, at the H.I.V.E headquarters, Gizmo was screaming, "Those snot-muncher Titans are beatin' our hides every time thanks to that stinkin' angel!" at the top of his lungs. Jinx sighed, "Gizmo, could you make any more noise? And this angel seems to be making headlines." She held up a newspaper with the headline reading "MYSTERIOUS ANGEL SAVES HOSTAGES IN BANK AND HAS CROOKS JAILED". The picture depicted Albus standing next to two bank robbers who were out cold and a crowd cheered him on. Mammoth, who was flexing, grunted, "If this keeps happenin' to us, we'll be shamed!" He envisioned the H.I.V.E getting mocked by the Titans. That's when a steely voice said from nowhere, "Typical Albus. Always the little goody-two shoes saving lives and helping the weak."  "Who's there?" Gizmo whimpered. The voice replied, "Look up." They looked and saw what looked like a gigantic cocoon hanging off the ceiling. Then, to their horror, the "cocoon" split open and dropped to the floor. The figure that was inside stood up and strode towards the cowering villains. It was Jonas, Albus' brother, the wolf in sheep's clothing. He looked relatively the same-coal black hair, armor and all-except for one major difference. Erupting out of his shoulder blades were a pair of ebony wings; evidence that after he died, he too had become an angel-but a dark one.
Gizmo, who was on the verge of soiling his pants in fright, whimpered, "W-who are you?!" Jonas simply grinned and proclaimed, "I am Jonas. The Dark Angel. And I am back to take my vengeance." Gizmo timidly introduced the team. "I'm Gizmo. This is Mammoth, Jinx, See-More..." Jonas held up his hand. "Spare me the details. I've heard a lot about you." Jinx opened her mouth to ask how, but Jonas replied, "I've wandered this earth as a spirit for thousands of years. I've seen how the famous Teen Titans have bested you in conflict and every time they've come out on top!" Gizmo replied, "Yeah. Now the Titans have a new friend to help them." Jonas' lupine eyebrows twitched. "Would this new accomplice happen to be Albus, by any chance?" he enquired. "Yes," nodded Jinx. She showed him the newspaper. "Who is Albus by the way?" Jonas clutched the newspaper so hard, it caught fire and turned to ash in his palm, which he blew away. "Only my little brother, who was always teacher's pet and always rushing in to save those in need. It makes me positively sick."
"How do you know so much about him, anyway?" Jonas scoffed. "I know Albus better than anyone. Back in the Middle Ages, we were knights in King Joseph's court." The flashback started. It showed Albus being praised by the king and his family, while Jonas watched from a distance, with a look of disdain on his face. "Albus was always receiving praise and glory from those near to him. He got everything served up on a plate to him, while I was treated no better than a common mongrel!" Joseph and Albus were later seen getting the fateful banquet arranged, while Jonas snuck out to the courtyard and mounted his horse before riding off towards the forest. "I bargained with some warriors from a neighboring kingdom to help me get rid of Joseph. Weeks after his assassination, I got to work taking his place as king." Jonas was later seen sitting on Joseph's former throne, while a servant brought him a chalice of wine. "For once, I was enjoying the high life. The kingdom was eating out of the palm of my hand!" He breathed in sharply, then exhaled. "But, as always,my brother complained to me about how this was unfair and totally unethical! But of course, I ignored him." He paused. The villains waited, on tenterhooks.
"Well?" Jinx asked. "What next?" Jonas took in a sharp inhale and replied, "Albus and I used to be close. But my lust for power tore a rift in our relationship. But soon, one event would tear that rift beyond repair." The next flashback started. It depicted soldiers fighting off a mass of invaders while Jonas and some of the soldiers ransacked the city. "I knew Albus would protect the kingdom at all costs so I battled him. I came within a whisker of killing him. However, I didn't realise that I was about to be killed as well." The boulder from the catapult slammed into the castle, causing it to collapse taking the two knights with it.
The flashback ended. "After Albus and I were killed, our spirits went on two separate paths. Albus protected the living while I intended to cause them harm." The H.I.V.E villains were taken aback by this. "Why would you choose to continue harming people?" Jinx asked. "Because humans are nothing more than craven, insolent beings! They care for nothing except their own selfish needs!" He paused. "But, with you, I think I've found myself a kindred spirit. Together, we can bring down the Teen Titans and Albus and then the world is ours!" They laughed evilly, then the wicked knight asked. "Where do those infernal Titans live?" He conjured up a ball of black smoke and an image of the Titan tower appeared inside it. "Of course! To the Titan Tower!" The villains exited the headquarters and Jonas flew out through the roof.
At the Titan tower, Albus was talking with Robin. "Robin," he said, "your city and the whole world is greatful to have heroes like you." "Thanks," Robin answered. "You risk your lives to protect those who can't defend themselves. I gave my life doing just that."  That's when the alarm went off and Cyborg cried, "We've got company!" As if on cue, the H.I.V.E burst in through the roof of the tower. "The H.I.V.E!" Robin cried. He was ready to attack when an all-too familiar voice rang out, "Before you go all willy nilly and attack, perhaps you'd like to meet the newest member." A plume of black smoke rose up and began taking shape, until finally Jonas materialized in front of the Titans. 
"Are you Jonas, Albus' brother?" Robin asked, still in attack mode. Sarcastically, Jonas replied, "Gold star! How did you know?" He then turned his attention to Albus. "Albus! Long time, no see!" Albus unsheathed his sword. "Jonas, why are you here? You traitor!" He was about to strike, but Jonas held his hand up. "Brother, I can see you've made some new friends." The Titans charged at the  enemies, and Albus and Jonas exchanged blows from their swords. Robin then came to the good angel's aid and began attacking him with his staff. Gizmo screamed, "Stop him, Jonas!" 
The black knight grinned. "I have something that might help." He produced a small leather satchel. "And how will that help?" asked Mammoth. "You'll figure that out, soon enough. Think of it as David's little stone that can take down the mighty Goliath." He scooped out of the bag a handful of black dust. "You know how dogs are ever obedient to their masters, don't you? Let's try it on this young hooligan, shall we?!" He blew the dust into Robin's eyes, causing him to scream in agony. He then fell down on all fours and struggled to stand upright, but couldn't. Robin then began growling and his teeth sharpened. Fur began sprouting all over his body and a thick canine tail erupted out of his tights. His hands and feet turned into paws, his face became elongated and canine and his ears pointed, until he had completely transformed into a wolf.
"No!" the Titans screamed. Jonas stood back, pleased with his work. "Easier than I thought," he murmured to himself. That was until Robin's hackles stood erect and he growled, ready to attack. Too easy, Jonas thought, backing up. "Jonas, any ideas before we get turned into dog food?" Gizmo whimpered. Jonas smiled wickedly. "In fact, I do," he grinned. He turned to Robin and yelled, "Attack them, beast!" Robin turned to his friends, but rather than attacking them, he whimpered sadly. "I don't see much attacking going on!" Jinx snapped.
"I'll soon change that!" Jonas cried. His eyes glowed white and he cried, "Attack your enemies, the Titans!" Robin began snapping at his teammates, his eyes glowing. The black knight grinned wickedly, as the Titans tried to fight off their transformed leader, but to no avail. Robin walked up to Jonas, and the black knight patted the wolf's head. "Good boy!" "Let's move!" Gizmo yelled. "Give me a moment, my diminutive friend." Jonas waved his hand in the air and a leash appeared. He secured it around Robin's neck, and as he did, Robin took one last look at his friends and whimpered. "Alright, let's leave!" Jonas raised his arms and they disappered in a cloud of smoke.
Later, the Titans brushed themselves off after the attack. "Woah, what happened?" Beast Boy asked. "Where's Robin?" Starfire cried. Albus, who had been hiding in the rafters, descended to the ground. "Jonas has taken him." "We have to go after him! We need to save Robin!" yelled Cyborg. "I think I know a way there." Albus threw a handful of white dust in the air and in it an image of the H.I.V.E headquarters appeared. "Let's move!" Albus, Starfire and Raven flew out through the roof, followed by Cyborg and Beast Boy (who had transformed into a pterodactyl).
Meanwhile, at the H.I.V.E headquarters, Jonas was sitting on a giant black throne with his feet up. Robin, in wolf form, was tied up and whimpering. "Shut up, ya mangy pooch!" Gizmo screeched, kicking the wolf in the chest, which made him yelp in pain. Then, Robin's hackles rose and he began snarling at the diminutive villain. "Nice doggy..." Gizmo whimpered. "Please don't eat me." Jonas, standing up, answered, "Hungry, is he? Well, I can rectify that problem." He drew out a dog's bowl (possibly stolen) and placed it on the floor and the produced a can of dog food. He cracked the container open with his sword and then used it to scrape the contents into the bowl.
"See? Problem solved. Eat up, my little lupine friend." Robin stared at the brown slop in front of him, but then began eating. Albus stroked the wolf behind the ears as he gorged. "Good boy, Robin." Jinx approached from another direction and blurted out, "I don't think you should stroke him while he's eating." Jonas glared at her. "Lucky it isn't you I'm feeding to him." By this time, Robin had finished eating and Jonas continued to scratch him behind the ears. "Suddenly, I feel welcomed. Now that I have defeated the Teen Titans by turning their leader into my personal companion..." As he said this, the tips of his giant ebony wings began stroking Robin's head. "...the world will be in the palm of my hand, and there'll be nothing the Teen Titans or my golden boy little brother can do to stop me."
Just then, Gizmo came running up, screaming, "Jonas, you might wanna see this!" Jonas sighed in exasperation and rose from his seat. As he walked, his massive wings began trailing behind him like a giant black cape made from feathers. He approached the villains and asked, "What?" On the massive screen of the H.I.V.E computer an image of the Titans and Albus appeared. "No!" Jonas screamed. "I don't believe it! Those infernal Titans are here already?!?"
The Titans burst in through the roof of the H.I.V.E headquarters. "Well, well, we meet again," Jonas smirked. Robin began pulling at his restraints until they snapped and he ran up to his teammates. He jumped on top of Cyborg and began licking his face. "OK!, Rob, calm down! Good boy!" he laughed, as he playfully pushed the wolf off of him. "Touching. Let's end this."
==Disambig==
*Guardian Angel (Race)
Category:Teen Titans
Category:Fan Fiction