Author's Note:

Since I'm grown up (how many times can I say that before it gets annoying) I find myself drawn to more serious or "adult" topics, and my love of TT and childish cartoon lives combined with that makes for quite the interesting pairing. In this set of one-shots I'm gonna explore some of those adult-content themes, which is why I rated it the way I did.

What better way to start out than with politics! Hey-o!


Starfire's eyes fluttered apart. As the sun streamed in through the open curtains of her floor-to-ceiling bedroom window, she sighed happily. Her blanket cocoon felt like a cloud and her head had never rested so easily on her pillow before. She almost didn't want to rise and begin the day, she was so comfortable. But she was fully well-rested, and the birds chirping outside informed her that today was going to be a wonderful day!

As the door to the Tower's living room slid open and Starfire floated in, she felt an unknown tension in the air. She brushed it off.

"Good morning, friend Cyborg!" she called to the robot man sitting on the couch. He, in turn, shifted his weight on the cushions with his eyes glued to the TV screen, but otherwise did not acknowledge he had heard his friend's greeting. She whisked over to him.

"Tell me, what is it that you are watching so intently?" she asked curiously.

"The News, Star," Cyborg replied simply, his voice gruff and tired. Starfire turned her face to the giant flatscreen image of a man standing at a podium and talking.

"That is highly unusual for you, is it not?" she cooed cheerfully. "Where are 'the video games'?"

At that moment, the door slid open again and Beast Boy walked in, yawning and stretching out his arms. He turned into a lime green cat and stretched out his back, then an emerald dog and stretched out his hind legs. When he returned to his human form, he walked up behind Cyborg.

"Cy, did you get any sleep?" he asked. "You're sittin' in the same spot I left you in at like 1 am."

"Yeah, I went to bed," Cyborg replied, finally breaking his gaze at the TV screen. "I woke up about 4 times in the middle of the night. Had a rough time getting to sleep."

"What troubles you, my friend?" Starfire inquired, confused. Beast Boy and Cyborg shared a look of hesitation and pity, and Starfire felt herself get anxious and heated.

"What is it you do not wish to tell me?" she slowly demanded, her eyes narrowing. "Perhaps I have done something you are keeping from me?" She almost came all the way unhinged before Beast Boy snapped into a frantic physical denial, waving his arms to derail Starfire's frustration as his eyes shone like a small puppy. Cyborg shook his head and rubbed his face with his large hands, obviously exhausted.

"No, Star," Beast Boy said, "It's not you at all, it's… Well…" he looked at Cyborg for help.

"It's a long story." Cyborg finished for him. Beast Boy's face and shoulders fell and he circled around the couch to sit next to his best friend. Starfire floated closer, timid.

"Please," she said with a kind smile, "I would like to hear. Perhaps I may be of assistance in the 'cheering up,' yes?"

"I'm not sure if there's anything you can do, Starfire," Cyborg sighed, and he launched into the story of the past several months; all of the news coverage, the debates, the hateful events between members of their own community (though not many- it was Jump City, after all), and everything leading up to yesterday's race. It took several minutes and was a long, convoluted explanation as Cyborg attempted (sometimes unsuccessfully) to keep his opinions out of it and remain impartial. Starfire cocked her head quizzically.

"So now the elected man is not what the people wanted?" She felt herself rise in anger again, and starbolts formed in her clenched fists. "It should be about what the people want!" she growled.

Cyborg chuckled callously. Starfire's bolts flickered and she dropped to the ground, saddened by Cyborg's unpleasant demeanor. She took a few steps to gently touch his arm.

"No Star," he corrected her, "It was what the people wanted."

"I do not understand," Starfire said quietly. In walked another Titan, and as all three of the couch dwellers turned to face the noise, the door slid shut behind him. Robin scowled when he saw what was on the TV. He crossed to the refrigerator uninterestedly.

"You're still watching that crap?" he grumbled to Cyborg. Beast Boy and Cyborg shared another look, though this time it was scornful.

"Yeah, man," Cyborg replied despondently, visibly too tired or upset to argue. "I'm still watching it." He turned back to watching the man speaking as a woman in purple came to take his place at the podium. There was thunderous applause that did not stop for a few long moments.

"Did she win?" Robin asked from the fridge as he pulled out a half gallon of milk and reached for a bowl to begin to make himself some cereal for breakfast.

"Man, does it look like she won?" Cyborg responded, laughing sardonically and sighing in frustration, hanging his head.

"Is she for whom you voted, Robin?" Starfire asked. Robin shook his head.

"I'm 17, so I'm not old enough to vote, Star," he replied with a halfhearted shrug.

"Would you have?"

Robin hesitated nervously.

"They're both crooks to me," Robin decided to say. "And I don't take well to criminals. Besides, I don't really know enough information about it to make an informed decision. I'm sure it'll be ok."

"And you, friend Cyborg? Are you past the required age?"

"Yeah, I'll be 19 in a few months," came Cyborgs tired drawl. "I was really excited to vote for the first time, too."

"There'll be other elections, Cyborg," Robin consoled from behind the kitchen counter. "The sky isn't falling. Life goes on."

Cyborg ignored Robin and stared blankly at the screen as the applause finally died down.

The Titans watched in silence as the woman Starfire did not recognize spoke to the crowd. The tower door opening in the silence was almost deafening.

Raven paused for a brief moment to register what was happening, then crossed to the kitchen to get an apple and make herself some tea. Starfire flew over to her after the woman's speech ended.

"Did you vote for the woman or the man?" she asked her friend innocently. Raven stirred honey into her tea with a spoon controlled by her telepathy as a book floated in the door from down the hall in Raven's room.

"Voting is pointless," Raven muttered in the same uninterested tone as always, "the system is flawed." She took a bite of her apple.

"You did not cast a vote at all in this earth ritual, friend Raven?" Starfire asked as Raven levitated past her to the far end of the couch with her book, tea, and apple in tow.

"She's not old enough either," Beast Boy chimed in. Raven shrugged in agreement.

"Even if I was, I probably wouldn't have anyway. My vote does nothing. Like I said, the system is wildly ineffective."

"On my planet," Starfire offered sheepishly, "we have a true monarchy in which the people of Tameran do not vote, but the royal family conducts inter planetary relations with only the citizens' good will in mind. And if there is a corrupt ruler, we then challenge-"

"We remember, Star," Beast Boy cut her off. "We were there, you were like, queen for like a day. We know." He smiled helpfully to lighten the tone of his interruption. "How old are you anyway?" he asked with a teasing grin, trying to change the subject.

"I have 16 years of age," Starfire replied proudly, "but on my planet, that is half a life time and by now I would have a large family and be ruling over the people of my planet had I not chosen to reside here on Earth with-"

"Man, this isn't fair!" Beast Boy exploded. "You guys are so much older than me! It's like I'm just a kid!"

"I would hardly call 15 a 'kid,' Beast Boy," Robin replied with a gentle scowl.

"Though 15's not really an exciting year either in my opinion," Raven droned, not looking up from her reading. "Unless you count learning how to drive. But who needs that when you can fly." She turned a page of her book with her mind.

"Now that's just not fair," Beast Boy pouted. "You don't even have to turn into an animal to fly!"

"I don't fly, I levitate."

"Still!"

"Would y'all keep it down!?" Bellowed Cyborg. "I'm trying to watch this here! I must be the only one who cares about any of this right now!"

"Please, friend," Starfire chirped. "I care much about lifting your sorrows."

"You don't have to lash out at us," Raven glared, "just because your candidate didn't win."

"Man, it's not about the candidate! It's never been about the candidate! Don't you know that! Did you even pay attention the past 6 months!?"

"As a matter of fact, no," Raven responded as she rose demonically. "And I don't appreciate your condescending tone."

"You're kiddin me, right? After all this, after having a total meltdown and being afraid to leave the tower, my friends are gonna turn against me!? That's just great!"

"Stop arguing!" Shouted Robin, silencing the group. "We can't let this divide us. We're a team, and we have to be ready at all times if something were to happen in the city! Understood?"

Almost as if on cue, the crime alarm went off in the Titans Tower. Robin flipped open his communicator.

"Riots?" Cyborg growled knowingly.

"Cyborg," Robin responded. "It's going to be fine. He's not going to do anything to you, he can't touch you."

"Man, it's not him I'm worried about." Cyborg glanced hesitantly out the tower window. "It's the people that voted for him. I don't know what they're gonna do. Have you even thought about Starfire in any of this? Or how about Raven and Beast Boy, they're minorities too!"

"Cyborg, not everyone who voted for him is like that."

"Whatever you say, man."

Robin glared up at him for a millisecond before turning on his heel and bolting, his cape bowing behind him.

"Titans, go!" And the five teens followed their leader's orders and flew out the doors to fight crime like they do on any normal day… though Cyborg hesitated if for only a moment, before turning off the TV and joining his team.


I'm also drawn to dialogue, to trying to master their characters. Let me know how I did!

I've always wondered in my mind how old the titans would be. This is my opinion/preference. Might change, just a rough idea. Thanks for reading!