Later That Night
Hikaru perched atop a warehouse roof, surveying the dimly lit streets below. He'd stopped four muggings and a car theft in the past hour—easy work. The kind of petty crime that barely required thinking.
His wings folded against his back as he straightened, preparing to continue his patrol.
Then he heard it.
The unmistakable sound of destruction—concrete shattering metal groaning. The ground shaking faintly beneath his feet.
It seems like someone brought out the big guns.
Hikaru's wings snapped open. He launched himself into the air, following the sound across the city skyline.
He landed silently on a construction crane's arm, the darkness of the night concealing his form. The scene below made him pause.
A massive concrete golem rampaged through an active construction site. Nearly twelve feet tall, composed entirely of animated stone, it moved with surprising speed for something that size. It grabbed a parked sedan with both hands and hurled it like a baseball, sending it crashing through a partially constructed wall. Concrete exploding into dust.
Cinderblock, has to be.
Hikaru recognised him instantly from his memories—one of the Titans' recurring villains. Raw strength and practically indestructible.
The Teen Titans were already mid fight.
Robin stood at the centre of the formation, hand raised. "Standard formation! Cyborg, Wonder Girl—up front! Kid Flash, keep him off balance! Beast Boy, adapt as needed! Raven, control!"
"Solid strategy," Hikaru thought, settling into a crouch. "Hit hard, stay mobile, contain."
Time to see how they handle a real threat.
Cyborg moved first.
His sonic cannon charging up before unleashing a devastating blast. The blue-white beam struck Cinderblock dead centre, the concussive force rippling through the air.
The stone golem staggered back half a step.
But that was it.
"That should've dropped him!" Cyborg's mechanical eye flickered with diagnostic data.
"Cinderblock's one tough bastard," Hikaru noted. "Sonic attacks aren't penetrating deep enough."
Donna charged in immediately after, her boots cracking pavement as she launched herself forward. She traded blows with the golem—super-strength against animated stone. Her fists connected with brutal impacts that sent cracks spiderwebbing across Cinderblock's torso.
Cinderblock's massive arm swung in a wide arc. The blow caught Donna just as she raised her guard, sending her skidding backwards before she caught herself, boots digging trenches into dirt.
"He's stronger than he looks!"
"She's strong, really strong," Hikaru observed. "But raw power isn't enough here. He's too durable."
Beast Boy morphed mid-leap, green energy washing over him as he transformed into a full-sized Tyrannosaurus Rex. The ground shook as he landed, massive jaws clamping down on Cinderblock's arm.
The sound of teeth cracking against stone echoed through the construction site.
Beast Boy morphed back instantly, clutching his jaw as he yelped in pain.
"Poor guy. Probably just attacked on instinct."
Kid Flash started circling Cinderblock at superhuman speed. He struck at joints, ankles, any point that might constitute a weak spot on a creature made of solid rock.
Nothing.
"Guys, I can't land a solid hit!"
He's right speed's useless if you can't deal actual damage." Hikaru's fingers drummed against the crane's metal surface. "Can't hurt him if you can't break through."
Raven floated forward, hands glowing with dark energy. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos."
Her soul-self wrapped around Cinderblock, encasing the golem in black bonds. He lifted off the ground, suspended in Raven's telekinetic grip.
She immobilized him, but sweats starting to form on her forehead.
"I can't… hold him…"
Cinderblock flailed around in mid air, as he struggled to break free. It wasn't long before the dark energy shattered like glass.
She's powerful, but raw strength isn't her specialty. Wrong application.
Just a Cinderblock dropped back to the ground Robin's voice cut through the chaos. "Cyborg! 'Sonic Boom'—now!"
Cyborg's face split into a grin. "I got the sonic if you got the boom!"
The two quickly rushed forward in perfect synchronization.
Kid Flash, Beast Boy (now a pterodactyl), Donna, and Raven scattered, distracting Cinderblock enough to create an opening for Robin and Cyborg enclose on Cinderblock from opposite angles.
Cyborg's sonic cannon charged to maximum output. Robin's hand went to his belt, producing a small explosive disc.
They struck simultaneously.
The sonic blast hit Robin's explosive disc as it detonated a split second later, amplifying the concussive force exponentially as it hit Cinderblock's chest cavity at point-blank range.
The shockwave rippled outward.
Cinderblock's feet left the ground. He flew backwards, crashing into the street hard enough to embed himself in asphalt. Cracks radiated outward like a spiderweb. Dust billowed into the night air.
Silence.
He didn't get up again.
The team regrouped, breathing hard.
Beast Boy morphed back to human form, still prodding his jaw gingerly. "Guys… I might need to see a dentist."
"That was uglier than it needed to be." Cyborg deactivated his cannon, emitting mechanical sounds as his arm reconfigured back to normal.
Donna flexed her fist, examining her bracers. "He hits harder than he looks."
Robin surveyed the scene, checking for civilian casualties. "Good work, everyone. Containment team's en route."
Kid Flash zipped over to the crater, peering down at the motionless Cinderblock. "Do we HAVE a containment team for living boulders?"
"Belle Reve does." Raven's voice was quiet, emotionless as always.
Hikaru remained perched on the crane, as he reviewed the fight.
They struggled, but they won in the end.
His eyes tracked each team member—their injuries, and their fatigue.
Robin's strategy was sound. He adapted when raw power failed, combined their strengths into something greater.
He ran the fight through his mind again, inserting himself into the scenario.
I could've taken him solo. Light constructs through the joints—sever mobility. Concentrated photon blasts at the weak spots.
Below, Beast Boy was making jokes about Cinderblock's potential career as a statue. Kid Flash laughed, despite the exhaustion.
They joked while waiting. Supported each other. Covered weaknesses as Robin's strategies accounted for everyone on the team.
They're rough around the edges, but… they work well together. I'm used to solo work. Just me, my powers, my decisions
His wings shifted against his back.
Maybe Mom's right. Some backup wouldn't hurt… He paused. Not sure how I'll deal with taking orders, though.
The Belle Reve containment truck arrived, specialised equipment deploying to secure Cinderblock. The Titans helped coordinate the transfer, professional despite their exhaustion.
It's getting late.
He stood, balancing on the crane's edge, before he spread his wings quietly, the white feathers catching moonlight.
Alright. No point in putting this off. Tomorrow night, I'll introduce myself properly.
He launched into sky, leaving the Titans behind as he disappeared into night.'