Author's Note

Summary:

When two American alien sisters move to Jump City, both slip into the city's more villainous hands. Slade/OC Mad Mod/OC

Main Pairings:

Slade/OC
Mad Mod/OC
Robin/Starfire
Cyborg/Bumble Bee
Raven/Herald
Beast Boy/(eventual) Terra

Reason of Rating:

Adult language, mature content, eventual sexual themes and dialogue, and violence.

Disclaimer:

Teen Titans rights, characters, story line, etc., go to people who aren't me.

(With the exception of Nina and Bristol Warndhose)

Dark themes, romance, humor, and action throughout.

*TV show-based.

Feedback is always welcome. Enjoy :D


The Potential Recruit

Titans National Headquarters, Newport, Rhode Island
June 30th, 2008

Twin members' Más y Menos of Captain Robin's Program of Heroics Around the Globe, otherwise known as the PHG, had been the only minors left on the team, and so the dropping of the Titans' 'Teen' was officiated a few meetings last to the one at hand.

Today's topic of discussion highlighted the recent and peculiar attacks in Steel City involving frequent bank heists, the perpetrator always looting and making a clean getaway within a heartbeat's space of time, as well as establishing their odd trademark of leaving behind a hubcap, or twenty, in the vaults.

The Titans East were just as diligent in catching the baddies and taking care of their own city's crimes since the day four years prior when Robin permitted them aboard his program, but this series of crimes had the team confused because their villain seemed to have the superpower to dematerialize before anything could be done to put a cork in the hijinks. In fact, the perp had been appearing into the vaults and out with a pop and nothing more, as the security cams had caught. So on their hands was a case of teleportation...

Captain Robin proposed they voice a run-down of any villain they'd come across in the past who'd displayed this ability, but little was offered in their brainstorming except for the recalled hologram of Mad Mod's back in late 2003 and Control Freak's reality-warping remote. These suggestions were dismissed because either villain was currently in Paris, flash-frozen solid, not to mention the old Englishman's holograms lacked the corporeal advantage of taking physical hold of anything, bag loads of money included. Whoever the perp was, he or she was new to the system.

"They've been at it for nearly a month," said Head of Titans East, Bumble Bee. "The videotapes from five banks showed up as a likely man, judging the masculinity and height, but they were wearing that black cloak, too, so we can't be one hundred percent."

"Keep in close contact with each robbed bank's security. I'd get their system hooked up within your tower. Have you looked into the police reports yet?" Robin inquired.

Bee nodded.

"Which bank appears to outnumber the others' heists?"

"They've hit Fleyton's three more times than his six usuals," she noted.

"Patrol Fleyton's tonight and send the rest of your team out to the financial institutions of greater vulnerability. Intervention among bonus sources shall be provided if the heists prove ongoing and the miscreant remains discreet with his or her deeds."

"Wouldn't mind surveilancing as an ant on a vault's ceiling myself," Beast Boy butted-in enthusiastically. "Then I could drop down two tons of T-Rex on the sap."

"Surveilling," Raven quietly corrected beside him, the green of her ally's skin tinging a light pink in minor embarrassment.

"And how has moderating the felonious activity in Roswell been?" Robin asked Honorary Titan and Head of Titans South, Pantha.

"Nicely, I think we'd all agree," she confirmed, glancing at each of her team members to ensure their approval. "The Señor who was polluting our county's water piping is now confined up in Veotre Penitentiary. He was a relatively simple capture," she added with a satisfied smile.

"Excellent," the Captain affirmed, turning his attention to the Head of Titans West, Bobby. "All is well in Springfield?"

The oversized teddy nodded along with counterparts, Melvin, Teether, Timmy Tantrum and Wonder Girl.

These board meetings were held every month's thirtieth or whenever a legitimate emergency struck, however, following the flash-freezing of what most Titans had considered their worst ever and utmost powerful villains, Slade unfortunately excluded, the newbies to rise and wreak their ill purposed vengeance or drive to corrupt with illicit intent were quashed and stashed in their rightful homes of imprisonment easily enough much of the time. In the past two years, Captain Robin had tweaked the PHG so that it was constructed to perfection, with the devising and assistance of his fellow teammates of the planet, of course.

As of their mission in Tokyo almost twenty-one months earlier, Robin and Starfire had become lovers since, shocking no one of the team in their announcing because their obvious formerly repressed feelings for each other had beamed off either teen like sunshine through translucent glass. Cyborg was more than friendly with East's Head, Bee, and that had been a given from the start, too. Even apathetic goth Raven was dating Herald, and although she hadn't openly admitted such, it was evident nevertheless.

Of the team's heaviest impacted threat was Slade, but nothing had been seen of him nor heard since summer of '06 when Beast Boy confronted the Mastermind's robotic replica on carnival grounds while he was depressed over his unrequited relationship with Terra, who was now attending the Jump City University, as observed by Beast Boy during his period of maintaining a very watchful eye on her, all for her own safety and his protective concern, of course. That watchful green eye was put to rest at Captain Robin's request and the recommendation of his friends, for his habit was unhealthy and particularly obsessive. BB was assured of her state of alright-hood anyway. Now, one could say a green mouse hadn't pursued the young blonde woman for six months and counting.

Robin's request failed to deter the kid's dreams, though. From fourteen years of age, the Titans North's youngest member had been deeply in love with the dangerous telekinetic girl regardless of her mistakes and capricious flukes in personality, the latter Raven's viewpoint. Someday, BB believed, he would see and have Terra again.

"Cyborg, rates of this month, if you will?" Robin inquired.

"On it, man," the member second-in-command said, putting his left forearm on holographic projection.

The rates in criminality were disclosed each meeting. Some months the statistics were higher and others they were lower. The team had usually noticed a slight boost in crime throughout the summertime. The reason to it was a mystery at present, but they theorized it was simply because there was no better time to get out and play or cause scandal than during the most humid season.

As anticipated, the graph showed an apparent peak in crime compared to May. The rates indicating a crime total from various regions had elevated just as the overall temperature had, and every Titan grimaced slightly, but Robin was swift to suggest they had nothing to fret quite yet, so long as they continued to contribute their part in fighting against those who bid society nastily to their best ability.

"Gnorck!" Starfire said in her native tongue from beside her boyfriend, his right arm linked around her middle. "The red line is eleven percent larger than May's or April's or March's or February's or January's!"

"And it's certain to increase next month, Star," Cyborg guessed calmly, "but our improvement stats on beating bad guy butts and locking 'em up have strove for the better. Heck, that blue line's the tallest it's been all year."

"Affirmative. Well done, team," Robin congratulated. "Let us move on to review our latest list of potential recruits."

Here and there the vast compass of teammates would come across a super-powered rookie. If the newcomer was interested in joining one of the teams, whether North, South, East or West, they'd be added onto the list of potential recruits, then appointed a tryout interview at the Titans National Training Course located in Odessa, Texas, where their performances in combative skill and agility would be tested and judged by Managers' Robin, Cyborg and Speedy. Those of outstanding fluidity and proven triumph on the course were labeled Honorary Titans and marked into the managers' inventory of contacts. They could work independently as they'd done previously or select any of the four Heads for direction and leadership. Those who performed adequately usually carried on to fight crime on their own or were nominated to the Doom Patrol where Captain Mento might guide them furthermore.

June's list consisted of nine potentials, one added by Robin, three by Pantha, three by Bobby and two by Bee. Monthly potentials averaged five to twelve. Robin advised his group's Heads to be selective in choosing who to add on, although super-abilitied persons were, at times, difficult and rare to spot, so in those times they'd enlist whoever seemed worthy.

"I see you've described Xavier Stretch as having put exceptional use to his elasticity," Robin said to Bee. "You witnessed him bind a couple of street brawlers with the stretch of his right arm even when their guns were withdrawn? He could prove handy to our field. We have yet to hire a Titan with the faculty of exceeding resilience. I look forward to meeting him." He shifted his focus onto Pantha. "Immense strength in Lucas Shatterpine?...We've already dozens aboard gifted with advanced vigor, but I'll take him into consideration."

"You should've seen the brute push the busload of kiddies uphill on Road 64!" the luchadora exclaimed, her Spanish accent thick. "It must have been going eighty miles an hour when he jumped out on the center of the road smack dab, twitching not an ounce when he stopped the vehicle in its tracks."

A brow of Robin's rose in intrigue. "Why was the bus speeding downhill?"

"The brakes had given out, supposedly," she shrugged.

"Well, he sounds promising, as does the list's entirety," Robin said, grinning. "Our team's quality should only enhance as members multiply, right?"

x

Jump City, North Carolina
July 2nd

Orlep Apartments was beheld just up ahead for the young sisters who'd just arrived in town from Redding, California, where they'd grown into adults from infancy. The girls' paternal grandparents were natives of Planet Tamaran who'd moved down to Earth after falling pregnant. The war in the sector where they'd lived had inflated during a vast chunk of the 1960's, and when they were enlightened to Earth's enormous supply in clean water, diverse cultures and lands that made the craterous floor of their home planet look and feel shoddy, the couple immigrated by rocket, landing on the first oddly-shaped continent that caught their fancy. They'd kissed their individually picked earthlings and knew their English in moments and they'd worked and lived onwards as American humans. Their son, Vlagro Warndhose, had grown up to marry and bear two daughters with a native earthling named Suzanna McKay.

Their first daughter, Bristol, was born on February twenty-fifth of 1987 and their second, Nina, on November seventh of 1988. Both girls had inherited traits of the typical Tamaranian, though they were limited to lighting up their eyes and hands with starbolts of six hundred degrees Fahrenheit, and deprived of their father and grandfolks' way of flight.

Through the years Bristol had always been the studious sister, divulged in her studies and aspiring to obtain a Master's Degree in psychology. Word had it that Jump City's university had an outstanding course in her desired occupational route, and so she decided to migrate and settle into the city before autumn when classes for the first semester would start.

Their second daughter, Nina, who was currently an unemployed high school graduate, was laid-back and she held a bond with her elder sister that was so sturdy she refused to live seven states away from her for the next several years. Bris was generous to allow her company in the move, but she enforced one rule for her younger sister if she were to join her in an apartment in Jump. Nina would have be productive by working or going to college. She pouted at this rule, but agreed to it.

"Mom's already left twelve messages," Nina sighed, combing back a curtain of her long black hair with her fingers and zipping her phone up inside a duffel bag, her free hand rummaging her pockets for a hair tie as Bristol lugged two weighty suitcases past her.

"I can't blame her for worrying about you, Neen. You've never been too heedful with your life choices."

"What gives you that idea?" the brunette scoffed, narrowing her round hazel eyes on her blonde sister coquettishly.

"Remind me to dictate the novel later," Bris said, lumbering ahead with strain. "In the meantime, do help yourself to a suitcase or two. Doubt it'll kill ya, lazy ass."

"Pff, I was on the verge of doing just that!" Nina defended, snatching her belongings and skipping on ahead. "Grandpa should have came with us. He would have carried all our shit onto the third floor in a single trip."

"What did I tell you about that mouth, Neen? Cut down the swears or else you won't be employed. This city seems to be of high class."

"It's too soon to verify that, Bris. You know this city's swarmed with crooks. Here we are in the Scout Gazette's thirty-ninth place among the ninety-nine other most dangerous cities in America."

Bristol paused. "Jump's on that list?"

"Yeah. Made the discovery last Tuesday."

"I don't buy into those evidence-lacking tabloids. I'd bet the statistics are way off," the blonde with almond-shaped blue eyes said with a hint of unease in her tone that her sister picked up on instantly and easily.

"Maybe you're right," Nina shrugged, a devious smirk growing as she walked alongside. "Maybe its actual rank oughta be set in the teens or even the tens."

"We'll be fine," Bristol huffed, holding the lobby's door open for her sis. "Hurry. I'm so exhausted I can hardly see straight."

"I think you have a point, Bris. We will be OK. Rumor has it this city's infested with super-powered freaks like us."

"Yes, the Titans, I think. I've heard of them. There's hundreds of members. The four main teams are titled like a compass; North, East, South and West. North lives here according to what I heard, but it might be East. Don't recall."

"So what do they do? Just battle evildoers for a living?" Nina asked.

"It would seem so."

"Who pays them, the mayor?"

"Probably."

Nina smiled broadly. "Don't suppose we could-"

"No, Nina," Bristol sliced in curtly. "We were raised under the rule that we live normal lives, remember? Mom can't zap balls of fire from her eyes and hands, can she? There's a decent reason Dad never told her of his and our...special features."

"More like a damn bad reason," Nina pouted, standing beside Bristol while she checked-in and got their apartment's keycard. "When you shot a hot one through the wall and left Ma in hysterics for a week, Dad should have confessed right then and there rather than try futilely to assure that it was merely a 'post-pregnancy hallucination'."

Bristol frowned in silent agreement once they were inside the elevator. "Dad constantly had her drunk on her favorite wine until we were five and old enough to obey his order that we conceal this," she lit her left hand up into a navy-blue orb for several seconds. "It was for the best, Neen. She wouldn't have understood."

"We're big girls now, Bris. Ma and Dad are across the country and we have the authority to do whatever the hell we want!" Nina reasoned playfully.

"If you're attempting to dissuade me from finishing school and going into the field of my dreams you're nuttier than I thought possible."

"We'd have the time of our lives," Nina said seriously. "Think about it. Running amok with a team of superheroes. Ridding the environment of its villains with a shoot of the hand or eye. Just envisioning it riles me the fuck up!" she beamed.

"I've invested thousands into achieving my career goals, but if saving the nation from its ongoing flaws entices you, then who am I to tell you differently?"

"Yes...who would you be?" Nina let go of her baggage and spun around when they were halfway down the third floor's hall.

"Nina! What—where are you going?!"

"I'll return tonight! There's exploring to be had!" Nina shouted delightfully, the elevator doors closing.

x

There may have been more to see and do in her hometown, Redding, but Jump possessed its fine glut of shops and sites. Nina traveled out a shy two miles on foot, ogling many stores and shops, and when she'd found herself in front of the newly reopened City Library, her hopes spiked.

'I'll be going about my life productively after all,' she thought with a smirk.

The prospect of lounging at a desk for eight to ten hours five days a week in a public library hadn't exactly pumped her adrenaline significantly, but she would be financially capable of supporting herself in her own apartment give some time and patience.

She walked inside to meet her feet with polished and notably new floor tiles; the very vicinity smelt fresh and the wide transparent windows were crystal clear. Boxes stacked with modern books rested against the check-out desk where she was headed, triggering a confident and semi professional inquiry in her head in preparation for the archetypal sternly elderly woman with secretary specs and bunned gray hair who sat behind it.

"Um, hi," Nina greeted nervously, coughing to clear the hushed tension.

The old lady peered at the nineteen-year-old's bare hands to see if she had a book to be checked out. Scrutinizing the girl's empty hands, she snootily said, "Afternoon. How may I be of assistance?"

"I've just arrived here from Redding, California with my sister. She's going to be attending the local uni this fall and I'm...just looking to work." She flashed a pretty smile while also flashing the desk's propped name card a peek. "I wish to know if you're hiring, Mrs. Anne Fowler….for a librarian's position."

The returned expression signified an upcoming answer to disappointment.

Nina ended up walking out of the zone of knowledge sad and morbidly embarrassed. How naive could she be, to suppose a license and proper education wasn't required to be a librarian? All they did was sit around and sort books.

"Holy hell, I'm a goddamn idiot…" she sighed, her cheeks still flushing puce as she strolled down Magnolia Street, onwards back to the apartment where hopefully Bris would have supper and a backup plan ready for her.

'I've gotta contact those Titans. Perhaps heroics is my route.'

She'd try to keep faith that her hand and eye bolts would be good enough for them. That aside, she wasn't incredibly graceful in her movements nor was her hand-eye coordination too good to even her own standards...but hey, these guys just might have been lenient. She'd cross her fingers.

Eight o'clock was minutes away once she was within half a mile of the apartment. The buzzing of citizens in the streets had yet to falter, but upon swerving onto an isolated walkway, she took roughly thirty steps before a brawny, shadily disguised mugger had his thick arms around her skinny frame, wringing her to his chest tightly and roughly as he scavenged her jeans' pockets. Her purse was thankfully stuffed with her luggage back in the apartment with her sis.

"The fuck?! Let me go, you barbarian!" she hissed, thrusting her right foot against his shin as he collected her wallet, shoved her to the concrete and hightailed it.

Slightly dazed on the ground, her palms scuffed and knees scraped, she weakly rose, fury pooling in her gut fast and violently. She broke into a bolt, though it had begun slow and crooked because she'd never been swift on her feet, and her little trip through the city only diminished her common sluggishness more so. In spite of his gained forty feet apart from her, she needed that wallet. Tucked inside it was her drivers license, two credit cards, sixty loose bucks, her favorite eyeliner and her grandpa's home planet coin, manufactured in '46.

As approximately fifty feet separated them, her natural impulses kicked in and her hands and eyes were glowing a brilliant ruby. Seconds later, an orb twice the size of a basketball emanated from her right fist and sped ahead at ninety miles an hour to spank the mugger's back—hurling him forward with smoke-billowing off his flesh. His howl of shock and pain would've unnerved a banshee.

Nina congratulated her spot-on aim, secretly praying she didn't murder the man, but maimed only, as she sprinted up to stop three feet behind his shaking form. His back was naked and charred black as his shirt had been burned open, the rims frayed and crispy. Six feet from his head laid her wallet, unscathed.

"Y-you're...you're one of those damned Titans," the injured mugger wheezed, eyeing her tearfully.

"Yes, I am," she said boldly, strutting up to reclaim what was hers. "And you best keep that bit of info in your tiny brain, or else…" She waved her red-beaming hands in mockery to watch him vomit from agony and fear.

"P-p-please! I-I'll never pester ya again! Oh, I need a fuckin' hospital!"

"I concur. There's a 7-11 out past this alley. Perhaps the cashier can help. Good luck, asshole." She walked in the opposite direction.

"God Almighty! Please! Just call me an ambulance!"

She halted firmly in her place, her blood boiling once more. "As you'd felt, my cell ain't on me," she bit out, then making her official leave, unbeknownst to a hulking man gazing at the action from a shadowy corner afar.

x

Jump City's Police Unit
July 2nd (Nightfall)

The Titans journeyed into the JCPU following their call from Officer Duke Staye, regarding the odd assault and battery incident of earlier that night. Crimes of what could be deemed 'mortal' and regular were generally handled by the city's authorities alone, but the attention was sought of the superheroes whenever an incident would contain apparent supernatural phenomenon.

"Officer Staye," Robin greeted formally, his gloved right hand up for a shaking.

"Titans, how are we getting along?" Staye inquired amicably, leading the heroes into a vacant meeting room, holding a file on the latest.

"Well, sir," the decades' younger Captain started, "you mentioned the suspect has been hospitalized for third-degree burns along his upper back?"

"Yes. Henry Gyonare was seemingly truthful and coherent, although traumatized and frenzied in questioning when he was admitted just an hour ago," Staye confirmed as he and the Titans took their seats around the table. "He told us, out of consequential horror most likely, that he'd assaulted and mugged a young dark brunette woman of her wallet, and when he fled the scene, he was subsequently hit with, well, what he related as a searing blast of fire. His *ahem* colorful expletives excluded, he said it'd felt as if his back had exploded. He was thrown down, and the girl verbally threatened him, grabbed her wallet and left."

"And Mr. Gyonare will be held in your custody once his injuries heal?" Robin asked, making sure.

"Indeed, however, based on his statement alone, and the absence of the victim, it's not plausible he should face solemn charges unless the woman presses them. She could be right out of the picture for the time being." Staye drew a photo from his file and set it on the center of the table. "Any of you discern the damage based on personal experience?" he continued, eyeing the young alien with large verdant-green eyes and lengthy burgundy hair.

"I can discern," Starfire piped in. "My starbolts have damaged and burnt many things like vehicles and building sides. They are very, very hot. I have never shot a mortal with one...except for Robin, a few years ago," she confessed timidly, looking apologetic.

"It was, however, necessary," the Boy Wonder noted, patting his girlfriend's shoulder softly.

"Your exposition leads me to assume the lady is of your race," Staye put. "She presumably acted out in defense, but nevertheless, it would be appreciated if you all would speak with this young woman if you happen to run into her, just to ensure precaution so she doesn't harm anyone other than assailants."

"We shall, sir," Robin affirmed.

"Thank you for your time. Good night, then."

Back at the Tower, the heroes addressed their strategy to keep peeled eyes for the potential recruit. So far, she seemed welcome for the list.