Disclaimer- I don't own the TT. Points for those who know what the girl's names mean!
Novorum Nominum
Story By StormDancer
Chapter 1
It is not light that we need, but fire; not the gentle shower but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.
A squelch drew Starfire's attention from her messy hair that she was brushing. It wouldn't have been audible to normal humans, but the woman had spent years honing senses to perfection. The screams also drew her attention.
"Raven?" Starfire observed as the other woman stretched awake from their make shift camp, 'There is a commotion nearby."
Raven was instantly awake, a habit long burned into both of them.
"True," she agreed. She concentrated a second, "It's Plasmus. I would know that roil of emotions anywhere."
"The Titans may not get there in time," Starfire said slowly, looking pleadingly at her friend, "And you are capable of doing the taking down of Plasmus much more quickly now."
Raven sighed, twisting her long, purple hair into a bun.
"Okay, let's go. Hopefully, I'll be able to finish before they get there."
The two women took off down the road towards the chaos, Starfire soaring above her jogging friend.
o0O0o0O0o
The most annoying thing about Plasmus was twofold, all the Titans agreed. One, he inevitably escaped, and two, the only way to defeat him was to fight him to exhaustion. This led to draining, messy battles that left the Titans smelling and drooping, frequently. Needless to say, Nightwing's curt announcement of "It's Plasmus" was always greeted with a groan approximately the size of a small country. But they still went, albeit reluctantly.
Today was no different. The Titans had rushed, to the music of whining and groaning, to the scene. The only change was today would be even worse then usual. Half the Titans were off stopping Overload across the city, so Nightwing, Arsenal, and Changeling were not looking forward to a battle that promised to be exhausting and pointless.
The motorcycles (and mopeds) pulled up at the scene. Plasmus was raging, but he seemed subdued, less insane then was normal. As the boys pulled off their helmets, though, a flash of purple and red caught both their eye and Plasmus. Someone was standing a few yards away from him, apparently unaware of the monster at her back. Plasmus and the heroes moved at the same time, the former at tacking, the latter hurrying to her defense. Quicker then any of them (even the one once named Speedy), though, was the woman. She spun and leaped into the air, nimbly dodging the streamers of goop Plasmus shot at her. Nightwing stared at her in amazement.
"Starfire?" he murmured. Changeling shook his head.
"Couldn't be, dude. Starfire's be using her starbolts."
Nightwing nodded, head dropping slightly.
'What are we doing just standing here?" Arsenal demanded pointedly, "This girl doesn't look like she can take Plasmus down by herself."
"Right." Their leader cleared his head quickly. "Titans-"
Before he could finish his cry, Plasmus imploded to reveal a slumbering man beneath the goop which sprayed everywhere.
"What the hell!" Changeling exclaimed. Plasmus hadn't fought nearly long enough to put him to sleep.
Arsenal put a warning hand on Changeling's shoulder. He got the hint and shut up. The men approached the lone woman cautiously in a tight triangle formation.
Nightwing felt his throat tighten as he neared the woman and she drifted down to the ground. She looked so much like Starfire, even down to the Tameranian outfit and mane of scarlet hair. The only difference was her emerald eyes, which were as jaded as his Star's had never been.
"Excuse me, Miss?" he asked. She smiled graciously at him.
"Yes!" her voice was a melodic soprano.
"How did you do that?" he asked curtly, trying not to show his immediate reaction to her.
She grinned.
"I didn't!" she declared.
"I did," a gravely alto added. The three men spun. A cloaked figure melted out of the shadows.
"Raven?" Changeling asked incredulously. The figure removed the hood and smirked slightly. The bones of her face were more regally defined then Raven's had ever been, and there was no charka at the point of her plaited bun. Their hearts fell.
"No," the first girl chirped, "She is-"
"Hecate," the dark girl cut her companion off again smoothly, a hand emerging from the cloak for the men to shake. Nightwing and Changeling shook it firmly, but Arsenal took the gloved hand and brought it gently to his lips.
"Arsenal," he said silkily, "Charmed."
"I'm sure you are," she drawled. Changeling elbowed his friend.
"Shut down!" he taunted. Arsenal simply grinned and let her hand go.
"How did you do that?" Nightwing inquired of Hecate.
"Projective empathy," she stated. The heroes looked blankly at her. She sighed.
"I made him feel what I wanted him too," she explained slowly, "In this case, exhaustion."
"Oh…" Changeling obviously had no idea what she had said, "I get it now."
"No you don't," she contradicted, "But I can accept that. I wouldn't want to over tax your brain."
Kore was bouncing up and down on her feet in barely contained enthusiasm.
"Hello friends!" she cried when it seemed that the conversation was at an end. Nightwing's eyes widened at the greeting. I t had sounded so much like Star's used to be…
Starfire noticed Nightwing's gaze and gulped. Perhaps she was not as good at fooling people as she had thought. Luckily, Changeling noticed nothing and was as quick to draw attention to himself as he used to.
"Hi!" he replied happily, "What's up?"
She shrugged. She wasn't as confused by statements like those as she sued to, although they still made no logical sense to her.
"The sky?"
Changeling burst into hysterical laughter. Nightwing and Arsenal's eyes widen beneath their masks, and Raven rolled her eyes.
"Why'd you take down Plasmus?" Arsenal asked once Changeling's laughter had died down. Hecate shrugged.
"We were in the neighborhood."
"And just decided to stop in for a fight?" Nightwing demanded suspiciously.
"Oh, no!" Kore exclaimed, "WE are heroes and it is our responsibility to do as we did!"
"You're heroes?" Nightwing inquired, "Professionals?"
"Of a sort," Hecate replied enigmatically.
"Then why haven't we heard of you?" Arsenal demanded, "We know all the heroes around here."
"We travel!" Kore chirped.
"We know most of the traveling heroes too," Nightwing replied.
"We haven't been on earth for a while," Hecate informed him, "We tend not to stay here."
"Like other planets!" Changeling asked excitedly.
"And dimensions," Hecate agreed in a determinedly bored tone.
"Are you Tameranian, then?" Nightwing asked, trying to sound casual.
"No," Kore answered, "I simply acquired this outfit on Tameran."
Nightwing's face fell. Starfire swallowed nervously. She couldn't tell him without defeating the point of leaving, no matter how handsome his grieving face looked.
"Why were you in this neighborhood?" Arsenal had been surveying the dirty streets.
"We don't have much conventional money," Hecate replied, "We had to camp out somewhere."
"You were staying here!" Arsenal exclaimed.
"Yes," Kore agreed, tilting her head in confusion, "Why?"
The men exchanged looks.
"You aren't any longer," Nightwing stated, "You are coming with us."
"Why?" Hecate was no less obviously suspicious the Nightwing.
"Because it's dangerous out here," Arsenal informed her.
"We can take care of ourselves," she retorted, freezing the air between them with her tone, "And do not patronize me."
"But even you can be overpowered," he replied, unfazed by her ice, 'and with two such beautiful women as bait, what man wouldn't try?"
She opened her mouth to retort, but Kore cut her off.
"He is correct, Cate."
Hecate subsided slightly. Arsenal raised his hands in surrender.
"But we were planning to move on this morning," Raven gave Starfire a significant look. Star shrugged.
"I will be fine. We have nothing else to do."
"True. But only if you're sure…"
"I am"
"Fine then," Hecate turned to the boys, who were attempting and failing to follow the conversation, "Lead the way."
As Hecate mounted the bike behind Arsenal (at his insistence) and they left, Starfire flying above them, she felt the familiar brush on her mind. She lowered her shields as Raven had taught.
"Are you ready for this?" Raven asked, worry soaking her thoughts, "We can't let anything slip, unless you want to."
"I do not," Starfire thought back. Telepathy was not a gift of hers, but if Raven opened the conduit she could communicate back, "Not yet. For the moment, I am Kore and you are Hecate."
"Fine. So don't let anything slip."
"I will not. Be sure of it."
The force behind the thought convinced Raven.
"You're in luck. He's already falling for you. Again," Raven teased. Starfire blushed, but was not so fazed that she couldn't retort before she raised her shields again.
"Well, what about Speedy? Or Arsenal now, I suppose? That was most definitely flirting by both of you, friend."
Arsenal, glancing back at the woman behind him, wondered why her face went so suddenly red.