Going into a cave in a snowy region was a large gamble for any creature. While it promised protection from the cold blizzard, there was always the risk that it already had an occupant. And in the tundra, animals were even more protective of their dwellings; lest they risk dying out in the cold if the temperature dropped too far, even for them.
However, this man was betting on it being occupied.
He was dressed in a heavy trench coat; his head covered by a scarf and ushanka hat, hands buried in his pockets for warmth.
He really hated his job right now.
The figure walked in, appreciating even the tiniest bit of warmth the cave granted. With only the slightest of shivers, he brought out a flashlight to get a better look at the cave.
If he were a lesser man, he might have run away at what he saw.
The cave had a nice little mess of bones litered around it, not all of them animal.
"So, you finally arrived," A playful, deep voice echoed throughout the cave, making the visitor turn in surprise, using his flashlight to search the cave, though he found nothing, "I apologize for the cliche welcome," It called from behind him. This time, he wasn't surprised to find nothing there. "But I just couldn't help myself," It teased coyly.
"You're a hard man to find," The visitor said with a chuckle, "But that's why I was assigned."
"Among other reasons," The voice mused, a slithering coming from deeper in.
The man looked inwards again, spotting something on the ground. Stepping a bit closer, he saw that it was a pile of newspapers, "I don't mean to pry, but may I?" He requested curiously.
"Ohhh, a rhymer! What fun. Yes, yes, go right ahead," The voice encouraged with a mirth filled chuckle this time
Smiling beneath the scarf, he knelt down to examine the papers. They were in many different languages, from all over the world: Columbia, Congo, Somalia, China, America, Romania, India, and Brazil. And all of them had similar images on the front. Most of them had pictures of one or more branches of the Teen Titans, having defeated one threat or another. However, the ones that weren't were more repetitive. With his own versatile language skills, he deduced that they were all reports of events or sights of four specific individuals: Nightwing of Bludhaven and the alien Starfire that was seen most frequently with him. Then there was Cyborg of the Justice League and the mysterious Raven, who had mainly fallen off the grid.
"Your old teammates and legacy, eh? That must be heartwarming, I'd say," The man asked with a chuckle, looking over his shoulder at a pair of green eyes.
"Well, it's not like the Titans parted on bad terms or anything, Director," The voice said with an audible smile as something smacked the man's hat off.
If a skeleton could look surprised, Director Bones certainly would have, "You knew who I was?" Bones asked in surprise.
"Yes, just like I know about your invisible, cyanide-covered skin," The voice informed smugly, a snort of flames coming from the mouth of the cave. The Director rapidly looked between the green eyes and the entrance, very confused now.
"Hmm, seems you have me at a disadvantage. Perhaps I should just deliver my message?" The Director mused, a bit off put by the metahuman's knowledge.
"That might be best, before you run out of rhymes," The green eyed being answered toyingly.
"I take it you know what happened in Japan? And not about the Ban," Bones asked with a tilt of the head.
"Word travels fast, but details are slow if you don't speak the local language well," The voice answered, the eyes suddenly gone as a new page flew in the invisible-skinned man's direction. He caught it, seeing a newspaper with an image of The Gate, "But I was able to piece most of it together," It answered behind the director.
"You are enjoying this too much," Bones opined.
"Just a touch," Was the response, finishing his rhyme.
"So, do know why I'm here, Changeling? Or shall we keep on bamboozingly?" Bones asked, raising an invisible eyebrow.
Two, large, slit green eyes peered at him as the large and furred form stepped out of the darkness, the emerald wolf looking down at him with unimpressed eyes, "Bamboozingly? Now you're just cheating," Garfield said dryly, cupping his muzzle in his furry, humanoid hand.
Bones raised an eyebrow at that but shrugged, "Very well, I shall drop it," He offered, taking a cigar out of his coat, "Got a light?" He requested offhandedly. The shape-shifter just snorted a small stream of fire from his nose, to which the Director held the cigar up to for a second, "Lot of stuff on you is out of date, it seems," He mused in professional interest.
"Well, I try not to leave much of a mess where I go," Changeling answered meaningfully, licking his fangs.
"So I've heard," Bones admitted, taking a long drag of the smoke, "I'll get straight to the point. The Japanese are setting up a base on the other side of that Gate, preparing for something of a counterattack, while the other world governments get their shit together and form their own taskforces to go through, get a piece of the pie and all that. But, this world is...a bit different than ours, as you may or may not know. Japan independently and the UN collectively have agreed to send in metahumans and human "supers," on a officially volunteer basis. Several villains are being given get-out-jail free cards for helping in this mess. While the actual army was laughably easy for the JSDF to defeat, we have no idea what else might be over there. And, officially, most of the UN would rather not call the league in on this in case aliens decide to attack now, or something like that," Bones explained with a shrug.
"And they don't want to deal with the headache Superman and the others would give them with the Black-and-White morality, am I right?" Changeling asked in amusement.
"That's another reason," Bones admitted, blowing a plume of smoke, "And we've been...aware of your activities."
"Well, I wasn't exactly hiding them from the world, just the League. So very annoying, complaining over a good meal," Changeling admitted with a dry smirk.
"Yes, well, a killing hero is a bit rare these days," Bones pointed out cautiously.
"Relax, Bonesy. I only hunt killers, rapists and the lot- and mostly just in the more lawless areas of the world, places my fellow heroes don't always think about," He said with a lazy yawn, "So, the govs want little old me to go and help put down some invading rapscalions?" He asked in a fake-British accent.
"Well, we're enlisting many Titans too, new and old, but yes, you are one of our musts. Not only do you kill, but you're perfect for helping us research the Special Region species," Bones elaborated.
"...Special Region? Seriously?" Garfield asked blandly, very disappointed in that name.
"Blame Japan. Their manga might be interesting, but their naming choices don't always pan out," Bones said with a chuckle.
Changeling let out a deep belly laugh at that, rattling the cave a bit, "T-too true! Ahh, I probably have so much anime and manga to catch up on. At least I finally learned Japanese a while back," Changeling said with a toothy grin.
"Lucky. I can understand and speak enough of it to get by, but those symbols will always be chicken scratch to me!" Bones bemoaned, falling to his knees in mock despair, invisible face buried in his hands.
Changeling chuckled, patting the man on the skull, or invisible hair or dome rather, "Don't worry, that's what scanslations are for...unless they cracked down on those," He muttered at the end.
"True, but- HEY! You just touched me!" Bones yelled, looking in surprise, "How are you alive?!"
Changeling cocked his wolfish head, "Didn't I mention? I'm immune to every kind of poison- so far at least," He explained with a dismissive wave.
"Oh...," Bones said, scratching his head sheepishly, "I actually came myself on the off chance you had gone off the deep end and tried to eat me...guess that was pointless," He mused awkwardly.
"Yes, well, that's what the sniper was for," Changeling commented casually.
If a skeleton could pale, Director Bones would have, "W-what sniper?" He asked, trying to sound confused.
"Oh, that one, about two clicks away from the entrance, in that ditch under the arched log at the tree lining. The one you were considering have tranquilize me," He answered offhandedly, the toxic-sweating man staring at him for a moment, "You going to tell her she doesn't have to run away or should I go fetch her?" He asked coyly.
"R, stand down," Bones said absently, having pulled a walkie-talkie out of his pocket, "...You are far more disturbing than I expected, Changeling," He noted, a bit more on edge than he expected to be.
"Good. I've been practicing on it for years," The shape-shifter said in faux-pride, smiling down at the director, "So, Bonesy? Shall we skip the bullshit? A whole other world just opened up to us all and they struck first. And as always, you government types are trying to use us heroes and villains as your personal war weapons," Changeling noted.
Bones shrugged as he stood up again, "In perfect honesty, I don't really give much of a damn about this hero and villain stuff anymore. I was in it for a while. Like you, I got out without really leaving," Bones said, looking up at the wolf with his arms crossed, "Waller doesn't like you, thinks you'll be a liability."
If Changeling looked any more amused, Bones would actually start getting annoyed, "And you, Director?" He asked playfully.
"I think you're exactly what we need. Personally, all I care about is protecting my planet from anyone and anything wanting to screw it over. A sentiment I think you and me share," Bones mused, watching for any subtle movements.
The great beast chuckled at that, "Very much so. But after the Titans, I needed a sabbatical. Go out, see the world, eat a few scumbags, experiment a bit, and let my head sort itself out. Ya know, live a little," He said with a shrug.
"I did...something like that between this and my old job," Bones admitted with a chuckle in his see-through throat.
"We should all have a time like that," Changeling said wisely, his smirk turning a bit dark, "So, Director Bones, will the rest of the original Titans be at this Gate thing?"
"So I've heard, yes," Bones confirmed with a nod.
"Perfect," Changeling said with a fang filled smile, "We need a reunion..."
"Does that mean you're in?" Bones asked curiously.
"Of course! If I didn't show up, they might think something awful happened to me," Changeling said in mock, overdramatic concern.
"I think I'm going to like you, Changeling," Bones decided with a smirk.
"I do too: assuming Waller gets it through her head not to have you try any of those control devices or serums on me. It'll stop being funny quickly and I'll throw her into a closet with Batman," Changeling mused with a deceptively benign grin, "Those two really do need to loosen up."
Bones stared at the "hero" for a long moment before letting out a single laugh, "Ha! I AM going to like you."
"Good, my sometimes-rhyming compatriot!" Changeling declared, shrinking his size down to be just under horse size, "Just don't expect me to go out of my way to make everyone comfortable around me. Human form is sooo boring for me now," He warned, rolling his shoulders and stretching a bit.
"Just try not to give the ordinary soldiers nightmares: They already have to deal with Metahumans helping them out," Bones requested.
Changeling chuckled at that, "Don't worry. It'll be much more fun disturbing my fellow supers with my honesty and wicked sense of humor. Now, shall we go meet up with Rose?"
"Changeling, you've already sold me, no need to keep creeping me out," Bones said flatly as he put his hat back on, heading out of the cave.
"Says the man that looks like a walking skeleton," Changeling countered, not at all phased by the cold as they trotted through the snow, "...Think it'd be a bad idea to do a Godzilla-type entrance to Japan?" He asked with a smirk.
Bones looked to him sharply, probably with wide eyes, "...I think they'd find it incredibly racist, so please do resist," He requested flatly, "You Nitwit."
"Ah, you're no fun, Bonesy," Changeling said jokingly.
End of Chapter
And there we have ,the first chapter of the first Teen Titans Crossover. You know, I might go back and make another one day where the gate opens during Trouble in Tokyo, but for now, you all have this.
I hope you all enjoyed Changeling, even if he is a bit disturbing. Again, he normally only eats the scum of the earth, and often in places where his fangs are the only "justice" they would face anyway.
Which means its going to be very fun having Changeling interact with his old friends, and the rest. Its one thing that he's a killer, its another that they'll keep seeing more and more of BB as they interact with him.
BTW, Dirctor Bones is not an OC. He is a Dirctor of the Department of Extranormal Operations, formerly a villain and a hero prior to that as Mister Bones. I took the character and made it a bit of my own. His rhyming is a reference to his early publications where he spoke in rhymes- its a habit he indulges on and off here. And his main concern is indeed keeping the world safe, be it from outright enemies or the metahumans- mainly the aliens. Think of him as a less paranoid/obsessive version of Amanda Waller.
Until next time, just imagine the reunion between Changeling and the others- remember, he is NOT going to make them comfortable.