Author's Note: Thought or Emphasis; Flashback; Thought or Emphasis in Flashback
I don't own Teen Titans, nor adult Titans, and especially not baby Titans. See, once they start teething on criminals, it's a real hassle to get them loose…
Read and review.
Teen Titans: The Titans of Tomorrow
Episode I Part 1: The New Dawn
With the rise of the summer sun, another tomorrow greeted Jump City. Sol's light and warmth spread over every block, promising some of the city's inhabitants a new start and new joys.
It certainly helped that the city had a group of guardians who made sure the city made it to another sunrise:
The Teen Titans.
While the day was just beginning, however, a challenge was still in progress, last night's obstacles not yet conquered.
"HA!"
One of the Titans opted to face one obstacle with the end of his fist, another with a boot, and another with a metal staff. Such simple solutions came with the job.
Today's job was capturing a band of bank robbers who decided to get an early start to the day. Robbery was usually nothing serious for Jump's resident heroes…
Except that the band of bank robbers was actually one bank robber. Like a past minor foe of the Titans, someone new apparently exploited the power to multiply for criminal ends. He went by the name of "Legion."
Legion wore a cobalt blue bodysuit with a white X encompassing the upper chest and wrapping around the shoulders, resembling the symbol for multiplication. One of his arms sported a particle blaster, also the same hue. The mask, covering all but the mouth and hairless chin revealing a Caucasian skin tone, displayed white eyes without pupils.
He and his clones, self-named "Legionnaires," grinned at the thought of making off with millions of creds and spreading some mayhem in the process—and of course, giving more than a little trouble for the Titans.
Other faces twisted in pain, as a flurry of birdarangs found soft spots to strike, courtesy of Robin, the leader of the illustrious team.
The original boy wonder, secret identity Richard Grayson, had led the Titans for over twenty years against threats foreign, domestic, and otherworldly.
The leader dishing out a three-hit combo on a hapless enemy, however, was a different Robin, the elder having grown out of the old name a decade ago.
Like the first Robin's suit, this one featured a red sleeveless vest; the insignia, a stylized golden "R" on a black background, emblazoned over his left breast—over his heart, in fact, a symbol of his dedication to the war against evil. The utility belt wrapping around his waist, filled with crime-fighting tools beyond his brain and fists, was still a shining gold.
That was mostly where the suits' similarities ended. Rather than the green short-sleeved shirt under the vest, leaving the rest of the arm up to the gloves bare, the red vest instead lay over a black under-armor that stopped at the wrists and ankles. His gloves and lace-less boots—the latter planting themselves into a villain's back—were a darker metallic green than the original's, as was the domino mask concealing his serious blue eyes and handsome face. Instead of spiking up and back, the teen's black hair was cut short and appeared tousled. It was sometimes hidden under a black hooded cape with a canary-yellow fringe, though the current battle had removed it from his head.
Robin took a moment to check on one of his teammates. A girl two years his junior donned a royal purple long-sleeved shirt exposing her smooth midriff and a smooth skirt of the same color. The shirt's loose, robe-like sleeves tapered at the wrists by bands made of an alien metal, and similar bands at the knees tapered her thigh-high purple boots. A metallic belt also wrapped around her waist. Crossing her forehead was a diadem, adorned with a purple five-pointed star design at the center. Straight, voluminous black hair cascaded down her back and framed her face.
The girl held her fists forward as she plowed down a crowd of criminals. The blaster bolts fired at her merely bounced off her glowing skin, which under the purple aura possessed a subtle orange tone. Dodging a swing of a still-shooting blaster arm, she delivered a right palm thrust to a Legionnaire's sternum. Her super-strong arms ripped his weapon away and launched it into the sky, where purple beams from her sternly glaring fluorescent-green eyes demolished it.
The few conscious clones in the downed crowd stirred again, targeting her for their revenge.
"Great," she huffed. "One laser down, about three hundred to go."
Robin smirked in approval while his staff tripped another duplicate.
Keep it up, Mar'i.
Mar'i Grayson was the daughter of Jump City's literal power couple, the former Robin and Starfire. A living union of two worlds, the half-Tamaranean had her alien inheritance awaken at an early age, and she quickly learned through her parents' and extended family's exploits that her abilities could be used to accomplish great things. While her father was at first reluctant to introduce another child to the superhero life, he gave in when she was 14, and so Nightstar joined the Titans roster.
Nightstar wouldn't admit it to anyone but herself, but she was partly inspired to join not just from the Titans' adventures, but by meeting Robin years ago. She thought the older boy was a bit strange with his love of wearing cloaks, but she also discovered he was skilled, sure about his purpose in life, and…
…well, he wasn't too bad to look at either.
A certain teammate of hers would never stop teasing her about the crush she'd constantly deny.
Said teammate, a little brother both emotionally and currently literally, stood on a Legionnaire's shoulder at a height of about three inches tall. The slender, brown-eyed and brown-skinned teenage boy wore a sleeveless shirt patterned with neon-green and black horizontal stripes. His pants were the same neon-green with a black vertical stripe going down the outside of each leg. Circuits ran through the fabric-like material. His visor sunglasses continued the color scheme in neon-green, as did his lace-less boots, green with metallic black soles. His hair was cut into a bald fade, his favorite style.
His gloves—black on the palm's side, green on the other—sparked with green bio-electricity, channeled through metal bands on his wrists. With insect wings made of light, he flew as a shining streak around his opponent, who grasped here and there to catch the annoyance. Finally thinking the fool had enough, he wound up and fired an uppercut to the chin, knocking the Legionnaire off his feet.
Nightstar called out to him. "Are you doing okay over there, Hornet?"
Hornet was the son of Bumblebee and Herald, members of Titans East, inheriting powers much like his mother's. He had moved to Jump City years ago permanently with her permission, giving him a chance to spread his wings.
"Okay?" Hornet shook his head knowingly—she was a worrywart as usual. "I could take down these dregs all day!" He grew to his normal height, a sly grin on his face the whole time. "Is that the best you got?"
One Legionnaire spoke from among the dozens. "Oh, I have more, hero!"
Then, another. "Many more!"
The multiplying miscreant decided to demonstrate, more clones crowding the financial district.
"ALWAYS MORE!"
Unfortunately, a score of the new arrivals now pointed their weapons at the Titan, who only had one thing to say now as his confident grin dropped:
"Aw, slag it."
With moments to spare, he created an energy shield against the blue blaster fire. Over the cacophony of particles bouncing off his defense, he managed to ask:
"GUYS, A LITTLE HELP?"
He got it when a dark-blue, yellow, and red blur crossed his path. With a spin, the tri-colored tornado deflected the attack. The streak zipped into the crowd of Legionnaires and swept past each one; though the assailant was unseen, it was easy to hear the rapid repeat of fist meeting face.
Once the crowd was on its collective back, the phantom retraced its steps, growing more solid as it slowed to a stop.
"Gotta watch your mouth out here, Hornet," it—she teased. "I won't always be there to save that bug butt of yours, ya know."
Halting in front of Hornet was a light-skinned girl his age in a costume that could only be described as... flashy.
Yellow lightning still randomly crossed over her athletic frame, clad in a spandex-like bodysuit. The sun-yellow sleeveless top of the suit connected to her equally yellow face mask, revealing her grinning mouth, playful green eyes currently concealed by opaque scarlet goggles, and short red hair that spiked up and slightly spilled over the sides. The yellow went down to her belted waist, save for the scarlet lightning bolt design from her neck to her waist, encompassing the center of the shirt. She wore red gloves fitted to the suit's seam. Scarlet lightning bolt attachments at the sides of her head connected to the ends of her goggles.
The scarlet bottom half merged with the top's lightning bolt and made up the pants. Yellow lightning designs "arced" down her thigh from hip to knee, similar to Hornet's stripe design. Her sneaker-like shoes were scarlet as well.
Draped over her arms was an open jacket of dark-blue leather, thin scarlet borders on the lapels.
Hornet had always found her jacket to be an odd thing for a speedster to wear, but he wouldn't judge, considering his and his mother's fashion choices.
Hornet gave a smile of gratitude, glad that he could keep fighting (and stay alive) for a few more minutes.
"I guess I owe you one… again." He chuckled. "Thanks, Kid Flash."
Kid Flash was the second to hold the name, and the latest person chosen to ride the lightning—not only by fate, but by blood, as the daughter of her predecessor.
When the new Kid Flash made her debut in Jump City, the Titans took notice—especially Hornet, who found her a fun addition to the team, since no one could prank quite like a speedster.
Robin thought she was a little unpredictable, and her refusal to talk to the Flash was suspicious. Still, as he saw moments ago, she was helpful in a fight.
"You bet you owe me!"
"Kid," as she was sometimes called, was also loyal to her team, which is why she moved without hesitation at a surprising sight, grabbing Hornet and spinning him around to her position.
"Kid? What-"
His confusion halted when he heard a shot go off, and his teammate cry out.
"AGH!"
She stumbled, nearly falling into his shoulder.
"KID!"
She winced at both the pain in her back and his scream in her ears. "And now that's two, heh heh-ow! Dangit…"
Hornet didn't hear the joke. With a speed rivaling Kid's own, he left her side and flew fist-first into the idiot who chose to shoot his friend. A right hook with more than enough power hit the Legionnaire so hard, his body spun before it hit the ground.
Behind the green visor, brown eyes squinted in anger.
"Don't even think about getting up again."
A pained groan was the reply.
Robin could see it from where he stood—if Hornet was getting more serious, he would need to change things up as well.
"Kid Flash, Hornet: containment!"
"On it!" Hornet clenched his hands to activate his "stingers," pairs of pointed antennae protruding from each wristband, then turned to his partner. "You up for this?" A hint of worry crept into his voice.
"You know me." She nodded, her eyes unseen but her voice determined. "I'm always ready to run."
While the duo sprang into action once more, circling the Legionnaires with shocks and speed that corralled them into a busy street, Robin gave a new order.
"Nightstar, search from the skies!"
"Right!"
She quickly picked up on what he meant: there may have been dozens of clones, but the original had to be around there somewhere. She just had to find him…
"There! Three buildings north from the bank!"
The boy wonder fired his grapnel gun, removing himself from the crowd of foes and taking to the rooftops.
Meanwhile, the copying criminal cursed his slowness, but clutched onto his ill-gotten gains with one hand. He dared to look back and immediately regretted it—two Titans were right on his tail.
Losing his nerve, he messily fired his blaster behind him at all angles. He hurried to plan B, which was a lot like plan A: "More of me will do it!" As he concentrated to create his next diversion, however, he neglected to notice that he was running out of roof.
Legion tripped and, with a scream, fell over the ledge, covering his eyes so he wouldn't see his fateful encounter with the asphalt. He let go of the bag of creds, knowing that it was pointless. No one would save someone like him, he figured. A two-cred thief would meet a two-cred death…
Suddenly, the sense of falling stopped. He opened his eyes.
He was… floating?
"I'm alive?"
Sure enough, about ten feet from the ground, he was frozen in place, both he and the heroes on the roof above in shock.
"Heh… heh heh, I'm alive! I'M ALIVE!" Maybe he had more powers with this suit on than he realized! Cloning was one thing, but flight too?
He wasn't some two-cred crook after all!
With the power of the suit, he was going to be unstoppable!
"Yeah, that's right, EAT IT, TITANS! Now I can fl-"
Gravity and blackness abruptly ended his rejoice.
By the time he returned to consciousness, someone had assisted him to his feet: Robin, who held Legion's hands behind his back and prepared to hook on a pair of handcuffs.
He slammed his head back in an attempt to bash Robin's nose, forcing the boy wonder to back away. The villain pointed his arm to fire his—wait a minute...
"Don't bother with that gun of yours." He followed the voice to Nightstar, holding his removed blaster, crushing it in her palm like so many others today.
This minor frustration convinced her to scoop him up under his arms and stare right into his eyes. "Call off the clones. Now." She started to rise off the ground, taking her with him.
He got desperate. "W-w-what are you talking about? I'm not the original!"
"Are you sure you want to lie to her?" Robin inquired.
Floating ever higher, Nightstar had her own suggestion.
"Or maybe you'd like to take another flying lesson?"
Having acquired a deep-seeded fear of heights today, Legion kept his mouth shut and shook his head no.
"Good."
After the original was brought over to Hornet and Kid Flash, the corralled criminals dwindled to nothing, disappearing in bursts of light.
Soon enough, the Jump City Police were ready for cleanup, taking Legion away to his new home.
And speaking of home:
"TITANS! Another mission accomplished!" Robin would not know this, but he sounded a lot like his predecessor. "Now," he sighed in relief, "let's get some rest."
"I hear that," Hornet joked, "My stingers are killing me!"
"You're so lazy," the red-headed racer remarked.
"Oh yeah? I kept pace with you all day, didn't I?"
"Kept up with me? Maybe in your dreams!"
Robin ignored their arguing, thinking about that future nap; even a would-be assassin appreciated some shut-eye. Still, there was a question bothering him.
"Hey, Robin…"
Luckily, Nightstar could sometimes figure out what he was thinking.
"Who stopped Legion from falling?"
He stared back up at the building. "I don't know, Nightstar..."
Unseen by the heroes, two red eyes had ceased their glow. The unassuming figure who possessed them sighed in relief, fading back into the crowd.
"...I don't know."
To be continued...
And with that, a new team of Titans has saved the day!
But of course: questions emerge:
What happened to the other Titans, the fabulous five from the TV show we know and love?
Who's the mysterious person who saved Legion's sorry hide?
Where's the beef?
All of those questions (okay, maybe not that last one) will be answered in the next installment of "The Titans of Tomorrow."