The Titans

Chapter 1: The Begining

"Things change. We were not ready for what was coming to us".

It's morning in Jump City. Traffic jams combined with overflowed streets of people indicates that it's going to be just another ordinary day for the Titans.

Who are the Titans? – You may ask. And the real question is How come you don't know the Titans? Have you ever read a comic book? Well, the Titans are just that – Super Heroes. Lead by Robin, a team of 6 members protects Jump City and the entire world from villains, poverty, hunger, diseases and everything that's at their reach. It's one of the most important operative arms of the UN, Titans United.

- Good morning Robin! – Starfire is the first, well the second, to enter to the main room, where Robin is already eating his breakfast. Raven enters the room together with the redhead.

- Morning Starfire, Raven – replied the leader – Would you like some orange juice?

- Oh yes thank you! – answer a typically cheerful Starfire.

- No thanks, I'll get some herbal tea – Raven rejects the offer, in an also classic, calm mood.

As the girls talk about breakfast, Robin loses himself in his thoughts - about how things has changed.

Their "Teen Titans" days are long gone. They've stopped using that name since they've grown up; only Terra and Beastboy are just below their 20s. Even if most of them are old enough to buy a beer, they seem to be the same guys Robin met 6 years ago.

The name "Teen Titans" doesn't fit with an UN sub-organization like Titans United. This organization is responsible of monitoring the activities of various powerful fellows – or super-villains if you want – and deploy a countermeasure if needed. Robin's proudest work up to date; well not counting some notable super villains captures.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

- That's the proximity alarm! – Cyborg enters the room with haste.

- What's going on?! – Terra also enters the room, but dragging Beastboy in his pajama.

- Three objects approaching at Match 1 from the northwest. I'll get some images now – said Cyborg as he was typing in his arm-keyboard module.

The Titans reacted with surprise as they look at the monitor; three army fighters are approaching Jump City. The logo on them is impossible not to recognize. Is the logo of the UN Army: The Global Defense Initiative, better known as GDI.

The surprises wouldn't stop there. The fighter in front of the formation gets shot by the other two planes. The fighter that was shot crashes in the woods near the city.

- Friendly fire? – Raven asks to the air.

- Is there a war out there? – Beastboy also asks without a clue of what's going on.

Usually, Beastboy's clueless questions end with Raven punching him in the face; but now who could blame him? The Titans had no idea of what was happening. Only Robin, as a leader, had an idea of what needed to be done.

- Rescue mission on the pilot of the crashed fighter, Titans GO! – The Titan's leader ordered and his team moved out immediately. The boys went to the T-Car, most of them couldn't fly, the girls on the other hand headed to the roof to fly to the crash site.

The T-Car is Cyborg's solution for the Titans needs for mobility and quick deployment. It has as many functions as you can expect. Robin knows, anyway, that the Batmobile is one step further. Not even his mentor would share all of his secrets.

-Cyborg, we have confirmation on the images? - Robin asked for additional information of the pictures that Cyborg provided.

- As we said - the cybernetic man began his explanation - the logos are from the GDI army and the models are Orca Fighters Mark I, an old but still operational model. Other logos have the USAF insignia on them.

- So why would they shoot one of them? - Beastboy asked the right question.

- I have some theories, but we need more information. Anyway our priority is find the pilot and rescue him if he's alive - Robin answered.

- Shouldn't we leave this to the authorities? - Cyborg asked to Robin.

- No. They will not solve the case. I have the feeling that they will leave this as an accident. Besides, I have a bad feeling about this.

- That's one of Raven's lines - Beastboy pointed out a fact, for once.

All the Titans gather in the crash site. There's no sign of the pilot. Robin asked the girls if they saw anything from above. The answer was negative, they only saw the crash site.

- Raven, Beastboy, try to find the pilot's presence - Robin ordered. Beastboy morphed into a hound and Raven took his meditation position. These two Titans has the best tracking abilities in the Titans team.

- I can't feel an active presence. He could be dead or passed out - Raven couldn't find anything.

- I got a scent - Beastboy catched something - and it stinks! I'm also sensing some fuel and burnt smells.

The Titans follow Beastboy into the woods. A trail of blood starts to get noticable as they get further into the forest.

After a while, they reach a spot in which they see a person lying in the ground with a pilot's uniform. He is clearly injured, the blood trails ends in his body.

- Check his status - Robin orders.

- On it - Raven turns the body and takes a quick look at the injuries - We got time, but we need to take him to the hospital.

-Can we take out his helmet? - Robin asked.

- We shouldn't, but looks like it's already loose so I think we can do it if it's necessary - Raven replied.

Robin takes out the pilot's helmet carefully, he could have a wound in his head.

As soon as the face of the pilot was revealed, the Titans couldn't hide their surprise: a young male, probably about their age, ash hair color and with a beard.

- Take out his pilot suit - another instruction from the Titan's leader.

The pilot was wearing an uncommon vestment under the pilot's uniform. Dark blue, tight and with a visible GDI logo on it.

- This is custom made - Cyborg assured - This is not a regular uniform. I think we got an important guy here.

- As I expected, this is not good - Robin stands up and takes a deep breath - Take him to the tower. Try to clean evidence from our presence here.

The Titans acknowledged and moved out of the area. Raven, Beastboy and Terra stayed on the site for some minutes to clear traces of them.

- Did you get rid of the traces? - Terra asked Beastboy with a nice tone.

- Yes! I needed to go to the bathroom anyway - he replied.

- Gross - Raven showed disgust - Anyway I've altered the psychic field of the area. They won't know what happened here.

- Why is Robin so interested in this case? - Terra asked her companions.

- I think he said something about the authorities hiding the truth - answered Beastboy.

- Is not only that - Raven interrupts - The truth is an ugly one. Didn't you see the guy's uniform? It was a custom uniform with a GDI logo on it. The army was shooting one of his own, that's a fact.

- Why would they do that? - now Terra is the one confused - GDI are the good guys after all.

- We already asked that - Raven replies - The real question is: why would the UN army, GDI, shoot one of their own?

-Something's fishy - Beastboy added.

-Something's fishy in the UN - Raven said - And that's what Robin wants to know.