AN: Dudes. It's been awhile. How YOU doin'?

Disclaimer: Course I don't own the Titans.

"Time for truth or dare!" Argent yelled. The Titans East, Titans North, and Kid Flash (just for the heck of it) were hanging together in the TE Tower, where they were having a sleepover. "So... Jericho, truth or dare?"

Dares at the beginning of the game were always more creative and cruel than the ones at the end, Jericho remembered. "Truth."

"What's your backstory?"

The cheery blond's expression turned grave, but he wasted no time answering. If she wanted to know, he would tell her. "An assassin kidnapped me as a child and slit my throat when my dad wouldn't pay up. That's why I'm mute." He wouldn't get into how he became a hero, where he came from, or who he belonged to, because they didn't need to know. The answer he gave would suffice, he thought to himself.

"Dark," Hot Spot commented. "Why'd you ask him that, Arge?"

"I dunno! I've always wondered!"

"Stop wondering! That's gruesome what happened to you, Jerry."

"Thanks. I won't pick you."

"Nice!"

"Aqua, truth or dare?"

The ocean-dweller smirked. "Coming from you, I think it's safe to take an early dare."

Jericho smiled in amusement, signing, "Really? Have you never seen my dark side?"

"You have a dark side?" Aqualad chuckled. "I don't believe it."

"Do you want to see it?"

Hot Spot began to lose his mind. He screamed, "Answer no! Answer no!" in genuine terror, for he had seen Jericho's hideous dark side. "You don't know-! He made me do things! Things I can't even remember! An entire week, lost."

"Haha, great acting, Hot Spot. C'mon, Jericho, you're smart. You knew I wouldn't fall for those dramatics. So show me this 'dark side', if it exists."

It existed, and it asked the Herald to transport the whole group to a Japanese restaurant, one famous for its scrumptuous sushi rolls. The waiter came to their table, and Jericho pointed to what he wanted on the menu. Aqualad's dread mounted higher by the moment. Then he saw the octopus, the fried octopus. They had taken the octopus, the poor, innocent octopus, killed him, breaded him, and fried him in boiling oil. Barbaric! He would never forgive Jericho if he made him eat it.

The plate of calamari was set in front of Aqualad. Time to beg.

"I believe in your dark side. Now, I am begging you-"

Jericho held up a hand, and shook his head.

Kid Flash looked up from his plate of food, which he had filled with goodies from the buffet. "Bro, that is cold. But the rules do say you must complete the dare or have another dare placed on you more terrible than the last! I have a few ideas for that one, Jer, if you're interested."

With a final whimper, and a resolve to not give KF a chance to dare him, Aqualad picked up the fried calamari. He said a prayer, and swallowed it whole. Jericho clapped proudly and signaled to the Herald that their work was done there.

"Ugh..." Aqualad's stomach turned. "I never wanna go back there again."

Speedy laughed. "Not even for your birthday?"

"SHUT UP. Do you want me to pick you?"

"Bring it, Fishbreath."

"Hum, no." Aqualad wanted to get revenge on Jericho, but the rules said no backsies. How could he get him back in the next minute? How could he avenge his fallen comrade the calamari? "Kole, have you gone yet?"

Kole shook her head. "I've never even played this game, but I think I know how it works."

"Gotcha. Truth or dare, Kole."

"Dare!" Argent egged her on. "Choose dare, Kole! Live dangerously!"

"Ehhhhhh... dare."

He answered immediately, "Kiss Jericho, on the lips, even if he struggles, for at least thirty seconds."

"THIRTY?"

"I'm sorry, Argent, is it YOUR turn?"

Argent rolled her eyes. "Uggghhhh... Do it, Kole. I'm sorry, but you have to."

Kole quivered and shrank away from the group. "I really don't want to." What a lie. If Jericho knew what a dirty liar she was being he would think she was a bad person. Then, if she kissed him against his will, would that be any better? Jericho's attitude toward her had been unaffected and friendly since the day they had met as fellow Titans. Nothing in his attitude or actions implied love beyond that of a friend's. Would this friend mind a long kiss on a dare?

"If you didn't want to do anything against your will, then you really shouldn't have chosen dare. Now do it."

She tried. She bucked up enough to touch her lips to his for a second, but her true feelings for Jericho burst forth and ruined it. Shame dyed her face red, although no one had said a word to make her self conscious. She felt overwhelming heat, and blamed it on all the bodies in the room. Then she ran out into the hall to escape the situation, wiping tears from her eyes.

Argent jumped up and followed her, because she felt guilty for pushing Kole in the beginning. Jericho stayed for a few extra seconds, just long enough to pop up and pop Aqualad in the nose. Then he left to pursue Kole also.

Opinions flew like bullets then.

"Dude!"

"Not cool. At all."

"Way to go, ladies' man."

Aqualad sprung to his own defense. "I didn't mean to hurt Kole! I just wanted to get Jericho back! How could I have known that she liked him that way?"

"By watching and paying attention!" Bumblebee snapped. "She is ALL OVER that boy, and he ain't complainin'."

"He likes her back? I thought-"

"Uau..." the twins drawled in unison, "¿Qué estás? ¿Ciego?"

"No! I have perfect 20/20 vision, thank you!"

Rolling her eyes, Bee demanded that the guilty party leave and apologize to Kole. He didn't argue, and slinked away.

After a little searching he ran into Argent, who told him that Jericho and Kole were in the common room sorting things out. Argent meant making out, because that was what he caught the two doing on the beloved commom room couch.

Still believing them to be alone, Kole hummed happily into the kiss. Jericho heard her satisfaction and smirked, pulling back. Kole's eyes roamed over his face, and it pleased her to see that he was blushing pink. Then she saw Aqualad in her peripheral vision and yelled triumphantly, "I did it! Thank you for helping me, Jericho!"

Jericho smiled widely. Aqualad gave him a pointed look that said "I'm onto you." The mute rolled his eyes, as if everyone wasn't already onto him.

Aqualad shrugged at Kole. "I was gonna give you a pass, but... good job. And I'll let what YOU made me do sliiiiide, Jerry, for helping her out. Now, do you guys want to stay out here or get back in the game? It'll be your turn, Kole."

"Oh, yay! Let's go, Jericho! I'm gonna pick Kid Flash!"

"What are you gonna make him do? 'Cause I'm sure he'll pick dare."

"Something funny or embarrassing, even though that isn't my style usually." She glanced at Jericho, an evil glint in her eye. "It is fun to play like that."

Jericho slowed his pace, signing, "This game is bringing out your dark side too, I see."

Kole blushed, but maintained a façade of innocence. "What dark side?"

"You're cute."

"Sorry, I don't know that sign."

The game had paused while they were gone, but picked up shortly after the trio's return. Kole took her original seat to Bumblebee's right. Aqualad and his new adversary sat next to each other a few seats away.

"Oh, yes she did..." Bumblebee observed. Her pink-haired companion was red-faced and could not stop smiling, which meant one thing.

Kid Flash asked, "Who's next, Koley?"

"You!"

"Truth!"

"Umm... Since you're dating a girl who can cast magic spells, have you changed your mind about magic?"

"Well, I can't deny that something happens whenever Jinx activates her powers, but I'm not so quick to call it magic. It could be anything, like the air reacting chemically to her bodily vibrations." He giggled, but stayed on point. "Saying that her energy blasts are magical would be, for me, like saying Terra's earth manipulation is magic. Her metahuman genes can move dirt, so maybe Jinxie's genes can manipulate light into concentrated energy blasts. If so, Jinx and Terra's powers would rely on their genetics, not magic. In summary, I don't even know if Jinx's powers are magical, so my opinion hasn't changed."

Kole blinked. "Oh."

"Good question! And I pick... Herald."

"Yo."

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth. You are NOT using my powers for anything stupid."

"Smart move. I was gonna dare you to take us all to the genderbend dimension so we could be freaked out by our genderbent selves. Now I'll ask you how many dimensions you've visited."

The Herald scratched his hood, or head. That was a toughie. "I dunno. I've been a Herald for years. Probably thousands."

"Ooooh! Then answer me this, since you couldn't answer my other question. How does one become a Herald?"

"It is complicated."

KF smirked devilishly. "Try me."

The Herald sighed. This explanation was gonna be long and convoluted. "You inherit the position." Thank God he had thought of a way to shorten it. Truly, he was a man of few words.

"Wow-ow. That WAS complicated," Kid Flash said dryly. He didn't know why he had expected a cooler origin story. Often, superhero origins were mega boring, especially the origins of secondary heroes like the Herald.

The Herald largely ignored KF's sarcasm. "Speedy, truth or dare?"

"DARE!"

"Go make me a sandwich - turkey on white, no mayo. And bring back some spicy chips for my crew. Spicy food is their jam."

"Woooo~! Herald, you are the BEST!"

He saluted, saying, "Just doin' my job as... *LEADER*."

Aqualad, and his stomach, grumbled. "I wish OUR leader made Speedy go get US snacks."

"Sí. Tenemos hambre."

"Don't you two have super speed? Run into the kitchen and get yourselves something. And bring me back a slice of cold pizza, would ya?"

"¡No!" Menos replied. "¡No soy tu mayordomo-niñero!"

"¡Bueno!"

Kole tentatively asked, "Are they hungry? I'll share some of my chips if they are."

"What about ME?"

Giggling, Kole said, "Didn't you just eat?"

Aqualad paled at the memory of the fried calamari. "Don't-! Nevermind."

"So, do you boys wanna share with me?"

Más jumped up, and Menos mounted his shoulders so that one of them could be eye-level with Kole. They stood in front of her with their hands clasped in front of them. "¡Sííííí, por favooor!"

"Aw! Okay! Once Speedy gets back..." she promised.

The twins chuckled awkwardly, rocketing away. They were seated near Jericho, who heard them exclaim, "¡Que angele perfecto!"

Jealousy seized Jericho violently and suddenly, so violently that it scared him. He knew that he was peaceful by nature, but he really wanted to take those two, knock their heads together, and threaten them with very real threats. Their little crushes looked like big problems in the moment.

He checked himself. Were two preteen boys really going to separate him and Kole? He didn't think so, because Kole seemed to like him alot.

"She is sweet," Jericho signed at them, at peace again.

They narrowed their eyes. "¿Qué haces, hermano? No comprendemos señas. Como nadie no nos comprende."

Jericho sighed while Aqualad translated for him. How many languages does that guy know anyway? The boys giggled at the thought of Kole, and Jericho smiled at their embarrassment. He could remember a time when he reacted like they did to any pretty girl.

That wouldn't divert his teasing though. "Starfire?"

The boys colored, and they asked each other how they could have forgotten about her. Clutching each others' arms, they started to bawl. The older boys tried to calm them, except Kid Flash, who felt that they would get over it soon. The Herald leaned on the other wall, chill to the max.

"I'm back," Speedy said unenthusiastically, shutting the door behind him. He handed out the snacks. "Lamest dare ever, by the way."

"But the tastiest." The Herald took a bite. "Definitely the tastiest."

"Whatever." Speedy opened his own bag of chips. "Más, truth or dare?"

Más frowned, and looked enviously at his brother, who was basking in lovely Kole's attention, eating practically out of her hand. "Pero..." He decided to be a man and not complain or make excuses. "Truth!"

"Can you speak English? Fluently?"

"Yes! Not like you Americans, who are not pushed by superiors to learn a second language, I know my idioma nativa (first language), my second language, and a third one too."

Kid Flash cocked an eyebrow. "Only three? You're a speedster! You could learn all the languages in, like, a day!"

"So..." Speedy seethed, "I learned Spanish for NOTHING?"

Blushing, Más thought of the great service Bee had done for him and his brother when she had committed Speedy and herself to learning Spanish. The brothers were outgoing by nature, but the language barrier had often stunted any attempts to become close friends with their teammates. When that problem was eliminated, Más and Menos had more than action to win the team over with. Speedy still messed up alot of words, but he understood enough to hold a conversation, same as Bumblebee, although she was more pleasant to speak with.

"You learned Spanish for us. I heard you say that it was more easy than learning Japanese had been."

"Yeah, get over it, pretty boy," Menos snorted.

"But I WANTED to learn Japanese!"

"But you NEEDED to learn Spanish," Aqualad reminded.

"¡Oyé, hey, hey! My turn! ¡Chhhhhh!" The room quieted down. Más asked Menos, "¿Verdad o reto?"

Menos shocked him by choosing truth.

"Ohque... ¿Quién te gusta más - Kolita o Starfire?"

"¿Estamos llamar Kole 'Kolita' ahora?"

"¿Por qué no? Ella es pequeña y linda, y muy amable."

Kole was very nice, and small, and cute, Menos couldn't deny. "Sí, pero todavía me gusta Starfire más. Ella es la mejor."

"La mejor..." Más and Menos mentally pictured their alien princess with sparkling eyes and shining hearts encircling her head like a halo. Then, without warning, Kole's image replaced Starfire's, and the effect remained the same. The two girls looked so alike! The lover boys were torn! "¡Ayyyyyyyy!"

Everyone stared. Bumblebee had an inkling what was going on inside those preteen heads.

She pulled Kole aside and explained, "Kole, do you know that you are simultaneously screwing with the heads of not one, but THREE young men who admire you? Jericho, of course, and the two Latinos losing their minds in the corner."

"What's wrong with them?"

"They love Starfire, but now they love you too. There's the conflict."

"They love me?"

"No, they THINK they love you. What they're experiencing is actually infatuation. You're pretty like Starfire, and nice, like Starfire. Más and Menos have a strangely specific type." Bee snapped her fingers. "And another thing - if they start bothering you, let me know. I'll put a STOP to it."

Kole held up her hands, as if Bee was holding her at gunpoint. "I think I can handle it."

"Kole, girl, you aren't that type of person. Sometimes the twins need a good kick in the pants, and I don't think you could ever hurt them, physically OR emotionally. Your boyfriend would probably deal wirh them after awhile, and nobody wants to see that. He's... kind of a wild card. I don't want the boys to have to deal with him, just in case."

"You make it sound like he's some kind of villain."

"Yeah..." Bee glanced over to see how Jericho was reacting to the twins. He dozed near them, she perceived, apparently unaffected by their screaming, except that he would crack an eye open when the meltdown got too intense. He had really taken a page out of the Herald's book, and KF's. "He's being cool so far... I take it back. Your boyfriend can deal with 'em."

Imagining Jericho as her knight in shining armor made Kole happy. "And you're talking about Jericho?"

"Duh. Who else?"

"But we aren't dating."

"But he ACTS like your boyfriend, and actions speak louder than words."

"WORD," Argent supplied while she filed her nails.

Más and Menos suddenly appeared in front of them. "Bumblebee! Truth or dare!"

"Dare, you little scamps!"

They giggled. What were scamps? Menos dared Bee to take out her high pigtails, because he wanted to know how different she would look without them.

Bumblebee took out her scrunchies, glad that humidity was low in the Tower. If it had been high enough, everyone in that room would have seen how crazy her hair could get. It was manageable that day, and frizzed out to the tops of her shoulders. "Easy peasy."

Argent ran her freshly manicured fingers through it. "Pretty."

"Thanks, but don't touch it."

"Looks real nice," the Herald commented, smiling.

Bumblebee's expression became smug. "Truth or dare, hon?"

"Truth," was his confident answer. "You aren't using my powers either."

She rolled her eyes. Like his interdimensional travel ability could interest her half as much as correcting his smug attitude did. He always acted like he knew something that she didn't, and that irked Bee. From his look, she suspected that he might have a crush on her. Unlike other girls, she would skip the shyness and get right to the meat of the question.

"You got a crush on me?"

"Yep. 'Fraid so."

"... Hmph. No further questions."

The Herald let her words roll over him as water runs over a smooth stone. Inner zen maintained, he hollered, "Yo, Jay! Truth or dare, man?"

Hot Spot scoffed. "I haven't gone yet! Jericho, pick dare!"

"Sure. Dare. Bring it."

"Beat me in a fight! I know you hold back." The determination in the Herald's eyes frightened Jericho, but not as much as these words: "I have a THEORY."

Terror made Jericho's blood run cold. Had this Herald found the well-hidden link between his fighting style and Slade's? Even if he had, and even if the fight would supply the Herald with information pertaining to his unfortunate relation to the criminal, Jericho had to complete the dare.

The mute nodded resolutely, a signal that he was ready.

The Herald mimicked the gesture, teleporting them all to the training room. Once there, he observed that Jericho was shaking in his boots. Although the blond teen was a pacifist at heart, he was also a confident fighter who could deal decisive blows on the battlefield, when he needed to. He had swift mind and moderate strength, not on par with Hot Spot's strength, but equal with the Herald's own. If Jericho never held back, the Herald believed that he would claim merciless victory over his opponents nine times out of ten. That was the high opinion that the leader held of his underling, his friend.

"No weapons," the Herald said, handing his trumpet to Argent. "Only our fists and fury."

Jericho agreed to the terms readily. Slade's techniques made him rely heavily, though not completely, on weaponry. With no weapons in-hand, it would be harder for an untrained eye to draw parallels from Jericho's nonlethal strikes to Slade's deadly maneuvers.

"I hope you win," Jericho signed with sincerity.

"I hope you prove me right," the Herald shot back cockily, arms already raised in defense.

The pacifist smiled ironically, taking a more aggressive stance. If he had to fight, he would fight and be done with it.

"Ready? FIGHT!"

Two things immediately became apparent to the Titans in the audience. One, both heroes were experts in their own fields, the Herald in the element of surprise, and Jericho in strategy and execution; and two, the Herald's surprise tactics gave him a temporary edge in the beginning, but Jericho's brutal combat experience and ruthlessness would bring him victory in the end. Both observations were proven correct when the Herald's surprise kick failed to be surprising, and his leg was caught.

Jericho forced the leg to bend at the knee while he held it fast. He blocked a swing from the Herald with his free arm, and followed through with a hard elbow to his opponent's temple. It all occurred in the span of a second, and won Jericho the coveted title "Dude You Do NOT Wanna Mess With."

The Herald cried out as he fell backwards onto the training room floor. Jericho released him so he could lie down and catch his breath, and maybe surrender.

"Heh..." the loser mumbled, "everything's fuzzy. I don't think I can fight like this. It'll take too long to wear off, and you probably won't come after me until I can defend myself." Jericho wouldn't attack a fallen enemy, not even a mock one.

"Jericho should win," Hot Spot decided.

"He already has. As suspected..." The Herald rose and dusted himself off. "You rely too much on your fists. Legs aren't just for running."

"A test?" Jericho asked. He had been so worried over a test?

The Herald shrugged, oblivious to the heart attack he had almost given his friend. "You passed."

Jericho narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "A test for what? Titan of the Month?"

"No. Paranoid? I saw your face all out of whack before we fought."

"All heroes have secrets. I was afraid you were onto one of my worst ones." Jericho signed that in the smallest way he could. The other Titans were discussing the battle loudly near the door, but Jericho was afraid one of them might catch his movements.

Who did Jericho think he was? The Batman? "I'm not after you secrets, unless they have something to do with a mission I have on K.O. Planet, the Fighting World - the Colisseum of the Cosmos. I need a fighter to distract the arena officials while I go do detective things in their offices. The fame and glory would go to Hot Spot's head, and I need Argent to stay and take care of our city while we'really gone, so that leaves you as my main distraction. You in?"

After thinking about it, Jericho replied, "In. Just don't make me wear a stupid wrestling outfit."

"Done deal. And Kole is coming."

"She doesn't fight."

"But she has the ultimate defense. Tag out when things get rough - you two'll do alright. And, I warn you, I'm gonna go all Hunger Games on their media and say that you two aren't just partners, but PARTNERS. Feel me? It'll be more distracting, and it'll give you more quality time with Kole omy the side."

"Devious, on both fronts."

"You like my plan?"

Jericho shrugged coolly, wearing his best pokerface. Did Kole know? Was she nearly as excited as he was to see a new planet, or to go on a trip together?

Before Jericho could ask whether Kole had been told the particulars of the mission, Hot Spot stomped over to them. He wasn't angry, that was just how he walked. "Having a conversation, I see. I just came over to say that that was a good fight, and... to ask Jericho to pick me next. 'Cause I've got a good truth AND dare for Argent!"

"K. Truth or dare, HS?"

"Truth, definitely."

"Do you really not remember what you and I did together in May?"

Hot Spot felt embarrassed answering, "I think I have a mental block where the memory used to be. What'd you DO to me anyway?"

Jericho blinked, reminiscing. Visions of Mayday cards, baskets, flowers, and chocolate candies filled his head. Yes, Jericho celebrated Mayday, the first of May, the day that children went out to give presents to their neighbors and friends in secret. He had prepared everything in his room, and had returned there after possessing Hot Spot's body on assignment. Sleepy Jericho, while still inhabiting Hot Spot's body, had begun the happy tasks of arranging bouquets and dividing candy equally between all the baskets. Occupied with thoughts of the joy he would be spreading the next morning, the bodyhopper hadn't noticed his and Hot Spot's shared location until most of the work had been completed. The second he realized where he was, who he was, Jericho exited Hot Spot, leaving him in a dream state so he could be carried into his own room. The deep sleep had lasted an unintended five days.

"Nothing," Jericho replied. It was better this way.

"I DON'T believe you, but it's my turn. Woo!" Hot Spot ran to catch up with the others, who had gone back to the original room. "Argent!"

"What!"

"I CHOOSE YOU!"

"Oh, YES! Truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, baby!"

Her enthusiasm caught Hot Spot off-guard, and he asked, "Why do you call me baby?" without thinking. He wanted to take it back and ask about something more personal, but the rules forbade it.

Argent smirked at the simple question before replying, "I just do," which was a half-truth. "Baby" was a name that women who Argent admired gave their hot boyfriends, and Hot Spot would have been the hottest! Regardless of the status Argent knew dating such a jock would bring her in her social circle, she knew in her heart that she didn't actually love him, just his bod. Perhaps, if she could land him - spend time with him - then she could learn to actually love him. However, Hot Spot was not her boyfriend, and Argent had not yet taken on the challenge of peeling back his layers. Those reasons kept her from divulging the meaning of her fun little nickname for him.

"I'll take it. It's not the WORST nickname I've ever had anyway."

Hot Spot readily accepted her answer, but the other teenage girls in the room did NOT. Something had been brewing between Hot Spot and Argent for awhile, something akin to romance, but not quite romance. It perplexed Kole, the novice, and angered Bee, the logical one. Why couldn't they JUST date already?

Bumblebee was sick of the game, which, in her humble opinion, had devolved into stupid dares and weak questions. "Twins, bed," she commanded. They would go first, and she would follow them to their room. Menos, especially, liked to sneak out. With Kole's assigned room close to the twins', Bee feared that the crystal heroine might have some late-night visitors. So the boys WOULD get in bed and Bee WOULD see them fall asleep with her own two eyes.

Más and Menos pouted and sluggishly obeyed her. "Goodnight, everybody."

"'Night. Don't let the bed bugs bite!" Kole said sweetly.

"Ohque..." the boys droned, smitten a second time by Kolita.

"Move it, Casanovas," Bee snapped as she herded them out the door. She waved goodnight to the Titans North. Kid Flash had vanished. "Enjoy the rest of your stay here."

"We will!" Argent assured. "Now," she created a red bottle out of thin air. "Who's up for spin the bottle?"

AN: Thanks for reading!