The Boom Tube closed behind him, and silence fell in its wake. Jacob stood in the middle of Titans Tower's main lounge, a massive T-shaped fortress rising out of San Francisco Bay. The glow of city lights in the distance glittered across the water, but within the Tower itself, it was quieter than he expected.
The Titans were there to greet him — or rather, to size him up.
Miss Martian smiled warmly, her green features softened by genuine kindness. "Welcome, Jacob. This is your home now… at least for the time being."
Wonder Girl offered a polite nod, though her eyes held the sharpness of someone already judging his strength. Aqualad, ever composed, introduced himself formally, his voice steady like the tide. Beast Boy grinned wide, though his smile flickered with nervous energy — excitement mixed with the awkwardness of sharing his room with a stranger.
Robin, however, remained at the back, arms crossed, his mask hiding whatever thoughts churned behind his eyes. Superboy stood beside him, expression unreadable but gaze heavy, as though he was silently weighing Jacob's every move.
Aqualad noticed the tension and stepped forward, diffusing it with his calm authority. "Some of us… express our feelings differently," he said, glancing subtly at Robin and Superboy. "But do not mistake silence for hostility. You are among allies."
Jacob inclined his head in quiet acknowledgment. "Allies," he echoed softly, though the word tasted foreign on his tongue.
That night, when it came time for bed, Beast Boy led him down one of the long, brightly lit corridors of the Tower.
"You're bunking with me, Spidey, and Wally," Beast Boy said, opening the door to a room decorated with posters of superheroes, rock bands, and more than a few scattered snack wrappers. Two bunk beds filled the space, one already cluttered with Spiderman's gadgets and spare clothes, the other with Beast Boy's… less-than-organized belongings.
"Kid Flash isn't here," Raven's voice called from the hallway, calm as always. She didn't step inside, but her presence carried like a shadow. "He knows you're here, though."
"Cool, cool," Beast Boy said, scratching the back of his neck. "Guess you're stuck with me then. Uh… sorry about the mess."
Jacob looked around at the chaos of socks, comic books, and energy drink cans. Compared to the sterile, white cell he had known for fifteen years, this was paradise.
"It's fine," Jacob said simply, setting down the small bag Cyborg had given him with essentials.
"Hey," Beast Boy added suddenly, rummaging through a drawer. "Ever play games?"
"Games?"
"Yeah, like video games. Here." He pulled out a well-worn Nintendo DS and handed it over. The little device clicked open with a familiar chime, and on the top screen, the logo for Bakugan: Battle Brawlers flashed brightly. "It's old school, but it's my favorite. You can start with Pyrus — it's the fire one. Figured it'd fit you."
Jacob blinked at the tiny screen. He had never held anything so… trivial. So unnecessary. But when his fingers brushed over the buttons, when the music played through the tinny speakers, something in his chest loosened.
"Thank you," he murmured.
"Don't thank me yet, man. You're about to lose badly."
The hours drifted like a dream.
Peter Parker — Spider-Man — finally introduced himself properly, cracking awkward jokes as he called his Aunt May to assure her he was "totally fine" and "definitely not fighting death robots tonight." Kid Flash's absence was filled by his voice on a voicemail Beast Boy played aloud, a cheerful promise to "be back soon with snacks." Beast Boy himself sprawled across his bed, shape-shifting into different animals mid-conversation just to amuse himself.
Jacob, seated quietly with the DS in his hands, found himself immersed. The battles were simple, the colors bright, the victories meaningless — and yet he felt alive. For once, he wasn't a donor, an experiment, or a tool. He was just… a boy playing a game.
By midnight, the room fell into a comfortable rhythm. Beast Boy and Wally finally passed out, snoring lightly. Peter had dozed off mid-conversation, mask half on, half off. And Jacob, sitting up in the dim light of the DS, completed the Pyrus arena. A small smile tugged at his lips when the screen flashed "VICTORY!"
A/N: BTW the games great, so is the (original) anime, the new ones isn't bad either, but you'll understand if you watch both the anime, now that I think about it, it's basically Ben 10 all over again huh?
His first win.
Closing the DS, Jacob realized his throat was dry. Quietly, he slipped out of bed and padded down the hall, barefoot against the cool metal floors. The Tower was silent, the hum of the bay's wind against the windows the only sound.
He found the kitchen easily enough — and someone else found it too.
Raven sat cross-legged on the counter, eyes closed, levitating slightly above the surface. Shadows curled faintly around her as she meditated, her face serene.
Jacob stopped, hesitant to intrude. But the moment lingered only briefly. Because then — it hit.
His chest tightened. His vision blurred. And then, like fire blooming in the dark, Prometheus's foresight surged through him.
Images flickered — not the future as it was, but as it needed to be. Threads of choices, lies, truths, contradictions, weaving into something larger. And at the center of it, Raven's face, caught between shadow and light.
Jacob smiled. A weak, tired smile, but real. He stepped forward, gently resting his hand on her shoulder.
Her eyes snapped open, startled, but before she could speak, Jacob whispered, "Lies are a sense of contradiction. Some are… yes, with bad intent. But others are truly for good intent. Even if the methods are crude, per se."
Raven stared at him, her expression unreadable. But something flickered in her violet eyes — recognition. As if she knew he wasn't talking about lies in general. As if he had glimpsed something deeper in her, something she kept carefully hidden.
The foresight faded as quickly as it came, leaving Jacob dizzy. He pulled his hand back, steadying himself.
Raven didn't move. She just… watched him. Finally, in that calm, monotone voice of hers, she said, "You're strange."
Jacob chuckled weakly. "So I've been told."
He turned to the counter, filling a glass with water. But when he looked at the clear liquid, his throat tightened. Water — sterile, tasteless, the only thing he had been allowed for years. He couldn't bring himself to drink it.
Instead, he opened a nearby drawer, finding a stash of flavored drink packets. One had "PROPERTY OF SUPERBOY" scrawled across it in marker. Jacob stared at it for a moment, then shrugged.
"Sorry, clone," he muttered under his breath. He tore it open, poured the powder into the glass, and stirred. The water shifted to a bright, artificial red.
He raised it, not to toast, not to celebrate, but simply to live. And he drank, downing the glass in one long pull.
The taste was sharp, sweet, artificial. But it wasn't water. And that was enough.
Setting the glass down, Jacob sighed softly. "First real night in a long time…"
Without another word, he left the kitchen, heading back to the room where his new companions slept. For the first time since he was five years old, he lay down on a bed that wasn't a laboratory cot.
And for the first time in forever — Jacob slept.