Brave New Future.
By Erik Howlett.
Disclaimer: The Teen Titans and the heroes of the DC Animated Universe, such as the Justice League, belong to DC Comics and DC Entertainment. I do not claim any elements of DC Comics as my own, and am only writing this story as a leisurely past time and because I am a humble fan of this genre simply telling a story. Some of the Legionnaires featured here are a mixture of their comic-book and animated incarnations, hence the different pairings, codenames, costume designs, and so on. This story will be labeled "T"for teen, just to be safe, considering there will be swearing, blood, and intense action-violence, everything that makes T.V. great, am I right?
""The time has come," The Walrus said, "To talk of many things.""
And the Future is one of them. Now, the battle has come full circle. Nightwing has accepted the League's offer to join them, and now the festivities of his birthday can begin. But, with the promise of a new alliance between the Titans and the League, comes a myriad of questions. Where will they be stationed now? Will they be allowed to operate as a splinter-group that still reports to the League, or be separated? If they are to leave Jump City to establish themselves in a new metropolis, who will fill the void in their absence? And what does this all have to do with the prophesy mentioned by Dr. Fate in the first chapter? All these questions and more will be answered as this fan fiction, a prelude to the main event, comes to a close, making way for the true story to be told...
Epilogue; Prelude To A Brave New Future...
Salem, Massachusetts, 8:00 pm the day following the Titans' indictment into the League.
Kent Nelson, known the world over as the enigmatic sorcerer, Dr. Fate, sat silently in the sanctity of his Tower's library, his mind abuzz with the events of the past day. The moment he heard the alert come over the Monitor Womb in the Watchtower, seen the path the villains would take in their attempts to escape, and bore witness to Nightwing's tenacity and valor as he spoke with the core members of the Justice League with such passion and courage, he knew that the time was at hand. He remembered the first time he had seen the prophecy of the Endless, how it came to him in a dream one night after he had finally fallen asleep, cradling his beloved Inza passionately in his arms. It was in this dream that he came face to face with he whom his master spoke of so often, the ruler of that realm, and the oldest of beings in the universe, save the Presence himself. He remembered the awestruck wonder and mind-numbing horror that washed over him as he heard the prophecy in full, the things it detailed, both terrible and wondrous, of the world that would come to be following the ascension of the Titans into the Justice League. It both amazed and frightened him, and yet, it gave him hope for the future, for he knew that all was to come to pass as it was meant.
Such was the will of Destiny.
Silent, soft footfalls echoed behind him, a faint breeze rustling through the air and causing the candles to flicker about upon their pedestals throughout the library's endless platforms and corridors. Inza. He needn't look for her to know his wife, he always knew it was her. The scent of lilacs that wafted from her perfume, the steadfast stride in her gait, the warm softness of her skin, the fluttering of her hair through the heavy air, the subtle presence of magic about her that was so uniquely hers. She was intoxicating, she was beautiful, she was powerful, she was strong, she was intelligent.
And she was all his. In all of his life, whatever reincarnations he may experience or whichever afterlife he may end up in, whenever she was near to him, Kent was in paradise.
"My love," said Inza softly, in a voice life that of a gentle dove as she came up behind him, cradling the last artifact required for the ritual he was about to perform in her arms, eyes soothing to his gaze as he looked up into them. Pools of lavender that he wished he could be lost in forever. Of all the magic in the world, he found none greater, none more powerful, none more strong than that of his love for his wife.
"Thank you, Inza," replied Kent as he carefully took the icon from her soft hands and placed it in its proper place along the edge of the summoning circle in the center of the library, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the plith as he steadied himself for what he was about to do. Knowing his wife far better than anyone else he had ever met, Dr. Fate gestured for her to join him in the circle, having realized long ago that his powers were strongest when he was with her, and her own stubborn nature wouldn't let him try something as dangerous as this spell was without her there to aid him and to witness this new rite with child-like wonder, as she did with all magicks. "Come, sit. Let us perform this ritual as one, I know you wish to see Lady Teleute anyhow."
"As always, Kent, you know me far too well," chuckled Inza happily as she stepped up to the plith and sat back to back with her paramour, leaning her head back against his as she felt the closeness between them grow even stronger. For a moment, both magicians simply sat there in silence, enjoying the quiet of the library and the other's presence. Then, something clicked in Inza's mind, and she spoke up. "Kent."
"Yes, my love," replied Dr. Fate calmly.
"What was their reaction, to the prophecy, I mean." Inza had been curious to know how both the League and the Titans had taken the news. Not everyone reacts the same to the news that the fate of the universe as the know it rests in the hands of six strangers meant to replace the former Teen Titans as they moved on to join the Justice League as just, "The Titans."
"Oh, I'd say they took it rather well, all things considered," replied the Master of Magic nonchalantly, remembering how the two super-teams had reacted to the news only hours ago…
Titans Tower, Jump City Harbor, 7 hours ealier.
"…," was about the right reaction all around as Fate delivered the news of the prophecy to those gathered in Titans Tower, both to commend the Titans on their victory and to celebrate Nightwing's birthday.
At the beginning, things were incredibly festive as congratulations were exchanged, presents were passed out, goodies were served, and laughs were shared by all. Starfire, Wonder Woman, and Hawkgirl, all three having come from a warrior society, had been pleasantly discussing their people's cultures and ways of waging war. From what Diana observed, Starfire would be an excellent addition to the Justice League, her skill in battle and her tactical genius nearly rivaling that of her own. Cyborg had struck up a conversation with Mr. Terrific, either hero relaying the technologies either team had to offer the other as they would be working as one in the future. Needless to say, Terrific was impressed by Victor's mastery of alien technology, and was eager to put some of the Titans' gear to use when they joined the League. Changeling and Flash were sharing a few laughs with one another, while taking time for Gar to impress Green Lantern with some tales of his time with the Doom Patrol and some of the more difficult battles the Titans had fought over the years. At first glance, John had taken Changeling for just another practical-joker like Flash, but after hearing some of the shapeshifter's tales, the darkness he had faced and had overcome, the Lantern couldn't help but see him in a different light. Raven, while staying near her husband to bail him out if he started into one of his corny jokes that no one really liked, had found a partner in conversation with J'onn. Both were outcasts on the human plane that had found friends in the superhuman community, so both had much to talk about.
However, the most heartwarming of moments was when Batman took Nightwing aside for a moment to speak with him privately. Kent didn't have to have superhuman hearing to know what was going on, and he smiled under his helmet at what he managed to catch from across the room. Batman, the stoic, brooding loner, put his hands on Richard's shoulders, and told him in a firm, compassionate voice, like a father to his son, how incredibly proud of him he was, and how amazed he was of the man he had become. It was no surprise to anyone when Nightwing immediately teared up and threw his arms around his adopted father in a heart-felt hug, Batman stiffening in surprise for a moment before relaxing and returning the embrace.
And so, after the cake had been cut, presents passed on to the birthday boy, and rousing rendition of "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" sung in honor of Nightwing himself, they came to this, with Dr. Fate giving them a small picture of the future the way he had seen it in his dream. Needless to say, it was something of a mood-killer, but, no surprise, both teams took it in stride, having faced doomsday-level threats in the past and surmounting them completely.
"So, you're telling us that there's some new evil coming to our world, unlike anything we've ever faced before, and that we'll never be able to defeat on our own, but that these six heroes will?" Superman summarized questionably, having worked with Kent in the past and knowing all too well how most of his prophecies came to pass, but still feeling skeptical about it because of one crucial element. "That's a little hard to swallow, Kent, even for you."
"Yeah, Fate, maybe you just ate something you shouldn't before going to bed that night or somethin'," reasoned Flash through muffled tones as he snacked on yet another bag of potato-chips from the table. Somehow, Changeling couldn't help but see the irony in Flash's statement as he stuffed his face.
"Still, we shouldn't take this warning for granted, Clark," Batman remarked logically, not leaving anything to chance, especially since he couldn't shake the feeling that something ominous was looming on the horizon as the world began to settle after Darksied's apparent demise. Something didn't fit right with him after seeing those to suddenly disintegrate like that after finally claiming the Anti-Life Equation; it seemed like too easy a victory for the League. And now that he heard Kent's prophecy, his fears had been all but affirmed, though thankfully there was a way to stop this as well. "Fate, you said that these strangers, they'll have to take the place of a 'departing generation of heroes,' does that mean-"
"Yes, the ascension of the current Titans into the ranks of the Justice League is in line with the perimeters of the prophecy, though vague it may be." Dr. Fate sighed deeply as he cast a glance out the window of Titans Tower over the twilight skyline of Jump City, wishing that the prophecy he'd received from Lord Dream was more clear than what had been given. Still, the Lords of Order worked in mysterious ways, and the King of All-Nights-Dreaming was the wisest of them all. If anything, he knew what he was doing when it came to the fate of all humanity, whom he loved and cared for so deeply. "Now that the Titans are moving into the League, there will need to be someone to watch over Jump City in their absence, a new generation of young heroes, and these six strangers to our reality are it."
"Well, that takes care of my worries over who's gonna protect Jump City with us gone," admitted Nightwing thankfully, rubbing the back of his neck as he spoke. With him and the team moving out of the Tower and into their new digs in the San Francisco Embassy up the coast, he'd been a little concerned about what would happen to Jump City with them out of the picture. Sure, they were only a call away, but with them gone, word would spread to some of the worst of their rogues gallery, and the villains would have a field-day. Now that this fear was alleviated, Nightwing felt a lot better about moving away from their former home-base and into the new Tower. "Whatever you need us to do to make the Tower more comfortable a home for these kids, will do it."
"I will be sure to let you know, Richard," replied Kent sincerely, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder firmly as a show of good faith. Turning to the rest of the gathered members of the League and the former Teen Titans, he gave them a deep bow of respect, sweeping his cape before him dramatically before rising into the air. With a simple turn of his hand, the window behind him seemingly disintegrated into a fine mist as he slid silently through the air into the open night-sky. "I will confer with the Lords of Order at my Tower in Salem, to learn more about this prophecy. I promise you, when I return, I will pass on what I know." Not one to be a continual mood-killer, Fate cast the mental image of his smiling visage onto the glass of the Tower window as he left and it reassembled in his wake. "Now, enjoy the festivities, my friends, and know that all will be well."
And with that, Dr. Fate abruptly vanished into the night.
Inza laughed upon seeing Kent's memories flow past her eyes telepathically, a bubbling, sweet song to his ears. "Always one for the dramatic exit, eh, Kent?"
"Heh, yes, I've been meaning to correct that little habit," admitted Dr. Fate in embarrassment, smiling beneath his helmet at his wife's laughter. Knowing that time was of the essence, he reined in his emotions, a reaction that Inza sensed immediately and followed his example, centering her thoughts on the task before them: the Rite of Endless Council, a spell of summoning so powerful and so deadly, it took the most talented of magicians to perform it, let alone control it. What they were attempting now was suicide for an amateur, a threat for sorcerers of their level, but something they needed to do now to make sense of the prophecy that was given to Kent. "Now then, Inza, my beloved, let us begin."
Seated around them on their own special pliths about the summoning circle were the artifacts required to perform the Rite, each a rarity to this plane of existence, gleaned from both sorcerers' trips around the netherworld, and placed in Fate's Tower for just such an endeavor. As she had entered the room only moments earlier, Inza had recognized each artifact, an icon of power for seven beings far older than even time itself: a bottle of some unknown grey mist that had been uncapped to allow its contents to be freed, now filling the whole of the library; a cruel, barbed hook that was stained with rust-colored blood; a silver ankh talisman that shimmered in the dim light; a Scottish claymore blade, wickedly sharp on its edge; a heart that was made from finely cut glass, glistening in the light; a energized swirl of colors, each as unique as the rainbow that shifted every other second as it hovered soundlessly above the ground; and finally, an exquisite painting that depicted a beautiful garden of winding paths. As the mystic energy in the air began to thicken and weight down on them heavily, as though there were an ocean above the sky, Dr. Fate began the incantation.
"I call upon those who are both immortal and deceased, upon those thought idea and shadow, upon those who are both fleeting as the stars and as eternal as the Presence Himself. I ask that you would attend us now, and aid us in our darkest hour. By the ever shifting mist that shapes our thoughts, by the rainbow swirl that spins unto madness, by the ankh that guides our eternity, by the blade that devastates those in need of destruction, by the blood-stained hook that renders sorrow, by the clear-cut heart that holds no lie, and by the portrait of the paths ever changing, I call you. Come! Impart upon us your knowledge and your sage council. Come! Show us the path to victory over our foes. Come! Let us find Justice!"
Suddenly, an almost divine wind swept through the room, powerful enough to send Fate's cape snapping about like a sail in a typhoon. Caught by the gale, the mist from the bottle quickly began to enveloped the room even further, obscuring any visibility like unto being lost in a thick fog. Everything outside the circle was shrouded by the mist, invisible and clouded from sight. As if on cue from some unforeseen force, the artifacts suddenly erupted into seven columns of light, stretching high into the veil of the mist and continuing on for miles above, just out of view before vanishing into nothingness. Then, silence. The minutes seemed to crawl by for husband and wife, the quiet nerve-wracking as they waited in the mists. After what seemed like an eternity, a voice finally broke through the barrier of cold noiselessness. It was resonant and deep, seeming to make the couple's very bones vibrate even as the hairs on the back of their necks stand on end.
"Hm, you truly are Nabu's student, aren't you Kent Nelson?" questioned the voice knowingly, causing the two magicians to turn in its direction as they literally leapt to their feet. Before them stood a tall figure clad in long black robes with long, unkempt hair the shade of midnight, his skin as pale as the winter-moon and eyes like pools of darkness dotted with stars that drew them in. "Showy and authoritative in your spell-casting, yet you have a good heart and are dedicated to ensuring the balance of this world and the next." Saying this, a well-meaning smile played itself on the man's lips. "Your mentor would be very proud of you."
"Thank you for your flattery, Lord Dream," replied Kent earnestly, prostrating himself before the most well-known of the Endless respectfully. "And thank you for the gift of your prophecy, I know it will be for the betterment of our world."
"Oh come now, no need to be so formal, Kent," said Dream in a friendly tone, waving away the gesture as thought it was too constant and overdone, causing Kent to relax a bit. "And, just 'Morpheus' will do."
"Yeah, can't let my big bro get a big head now, okay?" said another voice to the right of Dream, this one more effeminate and youthful, with a bubbly quality to it. From the confines of the mist appeared a young girl, who looked as though she was in her mid-teens, dressed in a black tank-top, mini-skirt, jacket, and fishnet gloves with fishnet stockings over her otherwise bare feet. She had multi-colored hair that was short and wild, and heterochromatic eyes, one green and one blue. As she approached them, she tilted her head to one side, as though in curiosity. Smiling at them, she gave them a short, friendly wave that caused a small flock of lime-green and purple butterflies to pop into existence in its wake, circling her head for a moment before vanishing. "Ooh, did you see that, Dream? I love flutter-byes."
"Yes, Delirium, they were very pretty," said Dream, humoring the girl as he patted her on the head, causing her to squeak in delight.
"Stop spoiling her, brother," said new voice, one that sounded both male and female at the same time. Turning their heads, Kent and Inza saw someone that looked to be neither male nor female coming towards them from the mists. This individual had a slender build and delicate features like the finest porcelain, but had raven-cropped hair and wore very masculine clothing. Another thing was the stranger's entrancing golden eyes, which seemed to mesmerize them. "If you don't, she'll never learn anything now, will she?"
"Oh, get over it, Desire," snapped the next Endless who came from the mist, this one a young woman in her early to mid-twenties. Like the rest, her skin was pale and she had long, black hair like her brother and sister-brother, but she wore clothing that was very gothic in nature. Her attire consisted of a spaghetti-strap shirt, leather jacket, black jeans that hugged the curve of her hips in an attractive manner, boots, fingerless gloves, and a silver ankh necklace. Another interesting feature was the eyeliner she'd applied to her left eye, which made it look akin to that of the wadjet eye, the all-seeing eye of Egyptian mythos. "She's still a kid, give her some slack why don't you?" Ignoring Desire's wrathful gaze as Delirium stuck her tongue out at her sister-brother, the woman turned to Kent and Inza to introduce herself. "Nice to see you again, Kent, Inza."
"It is good to see you too, Lady Teleute," greeted Inza with a smile.
"Please, Inza," laughed the young Endless good-naturedly, "I told you before, it's okay to call me by my real name. Death is what I am, and Death is all I will be."
"Can we get on with this," growled a scratchy voice from behind Kent, startling him to the point where he actually jumped a bit and snapped his head around to see the new arrival. Before him was a squat, short woman, hair unruly as she hunched over naked like some kind of animal, her eyes dull and lifeless and her skin the gaunt color of a corpse. On one finger, she wore a ring that looked as though it had been tarnished with blood for centuries, and attached to it was a barb like a fishhook. With a hungry sound, she slowly moved towards Dr. Fate, extending her ring hand to him as she spoke through jagged teeth with a voice that was hoarse as though she had spent hours screaming or crying in agony. "I have work to do, you know."
"Calm yourself, Despair," commanded a strong, raspy voice, reigning in the frightening Endless as its master appeared. The more simply attired of the group, the man that stood before his brothers and sisters was garbed in a purple hooded-cloak, his eyes covered with a blindfold. About his arm was a heavy iron shackle, and attached to it was a long chain, linking him to an incredibly thick book whose pages were old and worn. "There will be more time to spread your anguish later, believe me. But for now, we have business to attend to." Abruptly, he turned his blind eyes to Kent for a moment, his very gaze sending am eerie chill of terror up the sorcerer's spine as the future itself looked him in the eyes. "And forgive his rudeness, but as you observed, Destruction has resigned from his duties for the time being due to personal conflicts. Rest assured though, he shall return to them. Now, you have summoned us here to speak of the crisis looming o'er your world, yes?"
"Yes, Lord Destiny," answered Fate truthfully, leery of the aged Endless as he continued to stare at him with his unseeing gaze. "The prophecy given to me in my dreams by Morpheus has begun to realize itself, as the Teen Titans are now moving on to become a branch of the Justice League. You know very well the whims of the Lords of Order and Chaos, the existence of the Titans in Jump City is critical to the stability and continuing existence of our world, as it was told in the prophecy that the evil to come would enter by way of the city. I have summoned you all here in hopes of learning more about these new heroes you have planned for continuing the legacy of the Teen Titans, so that I may aid the current team in making their home a more comfortable place for their successors."
"Of course, Doctor," replied Destiny stoically, waving his hand dramatically. "As Brother Dream has already told you, 'There will come a day when the guardians of the earth lack in rank, and the next generation will take up the torch and leave the home of their youth to take up a new mission and a new name. In their wake, a great darkness from beyond your world will arise in their old territory, an evil that they and their mentors will have no way of defeating, as it will be unlike any evil present in this realm. However, six neophytes from worlds unlike your own will appear to take up the yoke of the departing generation of heroes, and stand astride this evil's path to victory. It is their example that will lead your world to a brighter tomorrow'." Having said this, he licked his thumb and index finger, then opened his book to an unknown page and began to read. "However, you must know more of who these young heroes are, if you are to help them ease into their roles as the New Teen Titans. They will come to our world from different realms of reality, each with their own unique abilities and backgrounds."
"The hero, whose web has drawn in both friend and foe," said Dream.
"The guardian of two worlds, whose heart holds a power beyond all measured before as she protects the veil between," added Death calmly.
"The cyborg knight, whose power comes from within himself, though he cannot find his true self," Despair grumbled.
"The angel of night, stone at dawn and warrior by dusk," sighed Desire in a bored tone.
"The medium, to whom the forces of nature and soul do bend," Delirium chimed in with a bubbly giggle in her voice.
"And the intellect, whose skill is only outweighed by her peculiar nature," concluded Destiny.
"Their presence shall inspire and enlighten," said Desire hauntingly. "They will prove vital to past, present, and future generations of heroes."
"They will bring with them the thoughts and ideals of their worlds," intoned Dream thoughtfully. "They shall share many things with your plane of reality, and help to bring understanding and unity for your own heroes in future times of trouble, and bring about a new age of peace and prosperity for your world, changing it for the better."
"There will be chaos in the wake of this event," said Delirium in a bubbly voice, more butterflies taking wing from her hair as she spoke. "Many people won't know what to think of them, or how to move on after all is said and done, kinda like after you lose a buncha files on one of those computo-ma-bobs in a lightning storm."
"Innocents will have a brush with eternity at one point," admitted Death sheepishly, almost as if she felt responsible for this future turn of events. "Though they will survive, it will spark a crisis of faith among many, while strengthening the faith of others."
"Gloom and horror will wash over them like a flood at a time during their stay here," rasped Despair throatily, a jagged smile forming on her face once more. "A dark figure from the previous Titans' past shall reappear and attempt to take the strongest of their number as his champion, though he shall be dealt a mighty blow for his troubles."
"And in the end, a new dawn shall arise for your world, one that shall carry on though they may splinter and divide, for they shall one day meet again as one," reassured Destiny solemnly, closing his book suddenly with a rush of wind following it. "This has been written, and is now coming to pass. The Presence has willed it, and so it shall be." From the folds of his robe, Destiny produced an aged sheet of paper, its musty scent and dulled color indicating that it may have been a part of his book at some point. With his other hand, he gave Inza what looked to be a strange new artifact, one that was alien, even to the Master of Magic himself. It was a blue, crest-shaped talisman, lined with gold and an emblem of a Phoenix emblazoned on its face. The very air about it crackled and practically blazed with untold and incredible, ancient power.
Without any hint of emotion or hesitation, he walked up to Dr. Fate and placed the parchment in his hands and folded them over it before stepping back to be at the center of his siblings. "In your hands rests the knowledge of each member of these new Teen Titans, their worlds, their lives, their abilities, and their hearts. Use this to help them understand why they have been brought here, and how they will serve your world in the coming crisis. In your wife's hands rests a talisman from beyond your world, The Phoenix Gate, once thought lost to tumultuous flow of time. Instructions for its use are listed on the parchment, as it will be your means of summoning these young heroes. It may take some time to master its powers fully, as you will need to bring the chosen to this world without disrupting the balance of their own, but I know you will be able to accomplish this feat. Now go, prepare for the arrival of this new generation, and may your journey through this life be a smooth one."
"So speaks the Endless, those who govern the whims of all that has and that will exist,"said the Endless as one, their voices echoing across the magician couple's ears and consciousness as they stepped back into the mist, disappearing back to their own realms and galleries. All that remained of their presence was the paper that Fate now held in his trembling hands.
'And so… it begins,' thought the Sorcerer Supreme as he stared blankly at the document in his hands, marveling at the terror and wonder it held for his world. 'A brave new future for us all…'
AN: ... Wow. I guess the future of the DCAU is going to be quite an interesting one to say the least. With the Titans moving on to the new Embassy in San Francisco, what will these new heroes be like who will take there place? Where in the multiverse will they come from? What lives do they lead? How will they react to being brought into this world so alien to their own and to the expections that they are the ones to protect it from evil as the New Teen Titans? All these questions and more will be addressed in the fanfiction that continues where this one leaves off, Teen Titans: Generation Next. Well, that's all for now, True Believers. If anyone cares to take a stab at the identities of these new Titans, feel free to do so. I enjoy hearing your ideas of who might appear to defend Jump City in the wake of the old guard's departure. Please remember to R & R, keeping in mind that flames will be extinguished, trolls will be flattened by bridges, and constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. Until next time, True Believers.
-EXCELSIOR!