Hikaru glided above Jump City's neon-lit streets, wings catching the evening breeze as he banked between skyscrapers. The patrol had become almost meditative over the past few days—a routine of observation that was about to end.
The school day earlier had been surprisingly uneventful. Raven had been uncharacteristically quiet, her usual intensity replaced by… what? Patience? She hadn't pressed him with questions, hadn't tried to read him again. Smart girl. She'd probably figured out he wouldn't give straight answers even if she asked.
Well, she won't have to wait much longer, Hikaru thought, adjusting his trajectory. After all, tonight's the night we meet officially.
The sharp crack of gunfire echoed through the streets below.
Hikaru's grin was immediate. He angled his wings, tucking them close as he dove toward the sound.
The electronics company's front window was a mess of shattered glass scattered across the pavement. Ten armed criminals worked with practiced efficiency, loading crates of high-end tech into a waiting van. The weapons they carried weren't standard hardware—energy-based rifles. Black market stuff, probably the same weapons Robin had mentioned.
No civilians in sight. Good.
No Titans yet. Even better.
Hikaru landed silently on a nearby rooftop, surveying the scene. The criminals were focused on their work, backs turned to the shadows where he perched. Five near the van, three inside the store, two standing guard.
Time to work. Let's leave an impression.
He dropped from the rooftop without a sound, wings folding against his back as he descended behind the group near the van. Light coalesced in his palms, forming into thin, glowing threads that shot out like striking serpents.
The threads wrapped around two criminals simultaneously, yanking them together with enough force to knock the wind from their lungs. They collapsed in a groaning heap, bound tight.
"What the—?!" one of the guards shouted.
"Evening, gentlemen," Hikaru said pleasantly.
The remaining guard spun, raising his energy rifle. His partner did the same, both weapons charging with an electric whine. They fired.
Hikaru dissolved into light particles, their shots passing harmlessly through empty air. He rematerialized between them before they could track his movement, delivering dual palm strikes to their solar plexuses. Both dropped, unconscious before they hit the ground.
Four down.
The commotion drew the attention of the three criminals inside. They emerged with bags of stolen goods, eyes widening at the scene before them.
"Who the hell are you?!" the one in front—clearly the leader—demanded.
Hikaru spread his wings to their full impressive span, light gleaming along white feathers. "Neighborhood watch." He formed a sword of solid light in his right hand. "I'm making a citizen's arrest."
The leader raised his weapon. Hikaru moved first, his blade slicing through their rifles in clean, precise cuts. The weapons clattered to the pavement in pieces, sparking uselessly.
A sweeping kick took down two of them. The third lunged forward with a desperate punch that Hikaru caught easily, twisting the man's arm until he dropped to his knees with a grimace of pain.
Eight down.
The screech of tires announced new arrivals. Hikaru glanced over his shoulder as the Teen Titans got into formation, combat stances locked and ready.
Robin led the charge, birdarangs in hand. Kid Flash skidded to halt, ready to blur into action. Cyborg's sonic cannon was already powering up with that distinctive whir. Beast Boy shifted a falcon into a gorilla mid-dive. Wonder Girl's hands clutching a silver lasso, and Raven hovered above the ground, cloak billowing, eyes glowing white.
They froze when they registered the scene before them—criminals scattered across the pavement, a figure with glowing eyes, wings spread, standing in the middle of it all, with a sword made of light.
Hikaru gave them a cheerful wave. "Oh? Hey guys."
Beast Boy's gorilla form shifted back to human. "Uh... hi?"
Kid Flash scratched his head. "Did we miss something?"
"Who is this guy?"Cyborg muttered, his arm still in his cannon form.
Robin's hand moved to his utility belt, eyes narrowed behind his mask. Donna crossed her arms, assessing. Raven stared, recognition dawning in her violet eyes.
Before any of them could react further, Hikaru dissolved into light particles and crossed the distance between them in an instant. He rematerialized directly in front of Robin, hand extended with a genuine smile.
"Robin, right? Big fan of your work. You were always my favorite of the Dynamic Duo."
Robin blinked, clearly caught off-guard. He started to respond when movement flashed in Hikaru's peripheral vision—one of the criminals, apparently not as unconscious as he'd seemed, charging from behind.
Hikaru's free hand snapped back casually, catching the man's jaw with a precisely measured blow. The criminal crumpled.
"Oh, my bad." Hikaru glanced at the fallen man with a sheepish grin before returning his attention to Robin, hand still extended. "Introductions later?"
Behind them, the van's engine roared to life. The two criminals Hikaru had initially bound had worked themselves free and were scrambling toward the driver's seat. The remaining unrestrained criminals saw their chance and bolted in different directions.
Hikaru gestured toward the chaos with his thumb. "Want me to handle it, or is this where we do the teamwork thing?"
Robin studied him for a long moment, calculating. His gaze swept over Hikaru's wings, the light constructs still glowing faintly around bound criminals, the casual confidence in his stance. Threat assessment and strategic evaluation.
"We'll handle it," Robin finally said. "Together."
He spun toward his team without waiting for a response. "Cyborg, Wonder Girl—disable the van! Kid Flash, round up the runners! Beast Boy, Raven—restrain the ones on the ground!"
The Titans moved with practiced coordination. Cyborg's sonic cannon fired, the blast shredding the van's front tires in an explosion of rubber. Wonder Girl landed beside it hard enough to crack the pavement, ripping the driver's door off its hinges and hauling out the would-be escapees by their collars.
Kid Flash became a red-and-yellow blur, collecting fleeing criminals and depositing them in an unconscious pile faster than they could register movement. Beast Boy shifted into a gorilla, his massive hands securing restraints while Raven's dark energy wrapped around the groaning criminals in unbreakable bonds.
Hikaru watched with genuine appreciation. They'd neutralized the situation in under thirty seconds.
"Not bad," he said.
Robin turned back to face him, the rest of the team regrouping at his flanks. Six pairs of eyes locked onto Hikaru with varying degrees of suspicion, curiosity, and—in Raven's case—knowing resignation.
"Now," Robin said, voice steady and controlled. "Who. Are. You?"
Hikaru's grin widened, but just as he opened his mouth to respond, he paused. I probably should've thought of a name…