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Ty loped through the tower in the form of an ornate spider monkey, adjusting to the new aromas that had been introduced to the environment of Titans Tower. The day prior, he had offered the Green Lantern and Aleea Strange a pair of T-Communicators as well as a place at the Tower. While the latter had accepted both invitations eagerly, the Lantern had only taken the first proffered device and as her fingers had touched his palm, he had sensed her will and drive to prove herself. He had not pressed the issue at the time, knowing that he would have another opportunity to do so, and departed with the team and their newest addition.
Further introductions had revealed that she was the daughter of Adam and Alanna Strange, born on her mother's homeworld of Rann but intent on exploring far beyond a single planet. She was eager to stay upon her father's point of origin for a time and study its cultures, and promised that she would happily lend her skills to the Titans. Her personal ship was perched upon the roof of the Tower and she preferred living out of it rather than setting up a room though she made full use of the Tower's other facilities, including kitchen. Upon Ty's return from his morning hunt, he had been greeted by an acrid scent that still clung to his nostrils, finding Aleea and Mar'i collaborating about the stove. Before he could be invited to partake of a sample, he had vacated the premises and spent his time avoiding the room where the smell still lingered.
"Ty!"
He paused at the hiss of his name and looked back to see a door cracked open as Mar'i peered out at him, hiding most of her body. She waved him towards her and he complied, shifting into a snake to ease through the slight opening before swelling back into the form of a wolf. Her room was sparse, lacking any personal touch yet aside from the brilliant red sheet and a number of small items her father had brought over in his trips. However, her scent was starting to fill the room, a slight taste of smoke accompanied by the sweet, flowery scent of her shampoo.
"Don't shed on my carpet," she requested and he sighed.
"I don't shed," he objected indignantly.
Regardless of his protest, he stood and shuddered as his body formed back into a human shape while she asked, "How's your neck feeling?"
"Better. Maybe I won't need sign -"
His mouth went dry, losing the ability to offer words, as he turned to face her and noted her new attire. Her shoulders and exquisitely crafted collarbones were bared and a purple suit clung to her curvaceous figure, an absence in the form of a V descending between her breasts and ending right above her navel. He was thankful that his odd coloration prevented any obvious sign of a blush as he shifted his gaze to her arms which were covered in loose, translucent gossamer that fed into silver bracers stylized with shining stars. Boots molded along her comely legs, ending in silver stripes halfway up her thighs and leaving bare skin until the bottom of her suit that skirted along the top of her legs. Nervously, she brushed a black lock of hair out of her face, drawing his attention to the tiara from her previous costume and saving him from embarrassing himself too greatly.
"So . . . what do you think?" she asked hopefully.
"Th-that I might be able to save myself from the wrath of your f-f-father if I gouge out my eyes now," he murmured.
"That's not helping," she sighed as she glanced down at the purple costume. "I wanted to get in touch with some of my mother's heritage. This was one of the more tame options."
Unsure whether to praise or curse Tamaranean culture, he offered, "It doesn't look like it would last long in battle."
She brightened, "See, that was part of the problem with a change in uniform -"
"And the other h-half is a staff twirling former protégé of B-B-B-Batman who has more paternal instincts than a Nile c-cr-crocodile."
Ignoring him she continued, "But that new chick, Aleea? Apparently she's been to Tamaran and had some cloth and stuff from it. Like, these sleeves? They look like a good gust could tear them, but I can't even rip them. Trust me, this stuff is functional. I'm just worried . . . I don't look, like, stupid or anything do I?"
He blinked, completely stupefied by her question, and seeming to sense that he was preparing to bolt, she stepped forward and clasped his hands in her own. Her emotions pushed into him, the anxiety over her new wardrobe, a tinge of embarrassment, and the hope that he would offer a good review coursed through him. Before he could dive any deeper, he pulled from her grasp and she pressed, "Look, I'm sorry for putting this on you, but the others . . . well, Dami only ever says there's not enough room for weapons, Colin would say something that would make me hit him, Iris is just sort of out there . . ."
"There is not a star in the sky that can compare with your beauty."
It slipped out before he could stop it and he held himself back from clamping his hands over his mouth as Mar'i blinked and then beamed at him. She captured him in a hug that lifted him from the ground and he brought up his mental barriers against her bright emotions until she finally released him. Holding him at arm's length, she smiled again before pulling him into another hug, surprising him with the second one. Setting him on the ground, she flew for her door and glanced back before departing, "Thanks, Ty. You're the best."
For a moment, he simply stood in her room before pulling up his hood and bitterly muttering, "And yet, still never good enough."
As she flew down the hallway, the young girl's grin did not falter, emboldened by the words of her friend and eager to show off her new look. Her elation kept her several feet off the ground and she had to duck down to enter through the double doors into the common room. Rising into the air again, she glanced about, immediately spotting the bikini-clad Lyta, a thick leather-bound book in her lap and her sunglasses pushed atop her head. Reclining in her chair by the window, she observed the figures on the couch with something akin to amusement. A slightly blurry Iris sat alongside Colin, both of them ducking and weaving as though it had some effect on the characters battling each other on the television screen. Colin grumbled as he hammered at the buttons while Iris chuckled excitedly, Aleea on her other side and looked on with fascination, glancing between the competitors, the screen, and a small pad that she typed furiously into. Noting a distinct lack of the spawn of Bruce Wayne, Mar'i lowered to the ground and drifted forward, catching Lyta's attention first.
The sorceress gave a low whistle, "Wow. Somebody's feeling rather daring."
"Hmm?" Colin swiveled his gaze towards her and then turned to catch sight of Mar'i. His eyes widened, and he was oblivious to Iris's capitalization upon his distraction as she finished off his character with an ecstatic cheer. It brought him back to reality, long enough for him to groan before reaching over to pass Aleea the controller that she accepted uneasily, her grip on it awkward. Colin stood and hopped over the back of the couch, his amazement replaced with a smirk, but Mar'i cut in as he opened his mouth.
"You already owe me for Protocol Alpha-Seven. How much deeper do you want to dig yourself?"
He closed his mouth again and nodded as the final members of the room turned to admire her new suit, Iris flashing over to her for a closer inspection. She picked at the loose sleeves, admiring the soft fabric, "Oohpretty! Nicecolorswheredyougetititlooksreallyawesomeonyoui tllbeanawesomedistractionwhenwefightdudes."
"I knew that color would look good on you," Aleea smiled, draping her arms over the back of the couch. "Tamaranean attire looks good on you. I've never actually managed to muster up the self-confidence to try any of their designs."
"I don't know if I can thank you enough for this," she smiled.
"Consider it an unbirthday present," the blonde waved away the worry.
"Fits you rather snugly," Lyta noted as she stood and approached, drawing Colin's stare with the white top that wrapped about her breasts without any straps over her shoulder or around her neck. She circled Mar'i, musing to herself as she did. "You are going to drive the boys mad."
"ImsureyourdadwouldbehappytoknockthemintoArkham," Iris snickered.
"She said something about my dad, didn't she? Why does everybody keep bringing him up?" groaned the black-haired girl.
"Because when it comes to his baby girl, I'm more scared of Nightwing than Batman," Colin scoffed as though the answer was obvious.
"Speaking of scary people and Batman, has anybody seen Dami?" she asked. A smile flashed across Colin's face, but she cautioned, "Alpha-Seven."
Roaring in frustration, he stormed from the room as Lyta chuckled, "I believe our not-quite-leader said something about going off to do some training when Irey asked if he wanted to play."
"Smartenoughtoknowwhenhesbeat," the diminutive redhead gloated, inspecting her nails in a show of confidence.
"I'd like to posit that super-speed has to be some sort of cheating," Aleea chimed in.
"Silenceblasphemer!"
"Okay, what did you guys give her?" Mar'i demanded at the girl whose outline seemed blurred as though she couldn't settle.
"Strange's fault," Lyta volunteered.
"I was unaware that human's had this sort of reaction. Dad never did," protested the girl upon the couch.
"She gave her some sort of alien fruit. I had to enchant the controller to prevent it from shaking apart in her hands," added the sorceress.
"Whateveritwasitwasthegreatestthingihaveevertasted ," Iris grinned broadly.
Mar'i arched a brow and nodded, "All right. Maybe we should keep the untested alien food to a minimum."
There was a chiming sound and the group looked about for an instant before Lyta realized it was coming from her chair. Iris darted over, seizing the T-Communicator that the sorceress stole from her grasp with a strategically place portal, dropping it into her own hand and flipping it open. She scanned the message silently before snapping it shut and looking over to their newest housemate and gesturing towards the doorway with her head.
"Ty wants to talk to us," she said as she changed her clothes, switching to a burgundy tanktop and tight, dark blue jeans. Aleea tilted her head and squinted her eyes as she considered it.
"Which one is that?"
"He's the one who can't decide what species he wants to be," Lyta clarified, earning a glare from Mar'i. "And I mean absolutely no offense by that."
Aleea's eyes brightened and she bounded over the couch, "Ooh, the beamish boy who has changed several times since this morning. I've been meaning to ask him to demonstrate the form of a tripodal curiosananium."
"Whatsthatoohcanicomealongiwanttoseeiwanttosee," Iris bounced on her feet, taking on the semblance of a jackhammer for a moment as Lyta blinked at her. She stared at the short girl for a moment before abruptly turning and heading from the room.
"Well then, we'll see you later," she gave a wave as she and Aleea headed through the door.
"Awwnofairimtheonethatgavehimhisawesomename," pouted the speedster, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared at the door. She brightened and turned to the frowning Mar'i to announce, "Imgonnagospyonthem!"
She dashed towards the door, which failed to register her at first, leaving her to slam into it and wobble dazedly for a second. Mar'i opened her mouth to ask if she was all right but then the doors open and she charged down the corridor as new voice emerged from it.
"Colin, I promise you that I shall have vengeance for this."
"Somehow, that's still preferable to the alternative," rumbled the large youth who had shifted into his Venom-enhanced form, and succeeded in capturing Damian who was trapped under one tree trunk thick arm that refused to release him.
"You understand that you're only able to do this because I'm allowing it?" seethed the young Wayne.
"Yep," sighed the large boy as he set his friend in front of Mar'i who suddenly turned self-conscious. Damian regarded her new suit with a critical eye, and she could practically hear his thoughts about how impractical it was. She bit on her lower lip as she imagined him scoffing at the translucent sleeves and the amount of skin she left uncovered. Her cheeks blazed and she forced her hands to stay at her side instead of wringing each other in an attempt to relieve her nervousness.
"It looks good on you."
She paused at the grumbled admittance, blinked, and then swung her gaze towards the youth who stood casually, hands tucked into the pockets of his sweatpants. He looked towards the ceiling as he continued, "You're pretty close to invulnerable anyway. It's not like you need to wear armored suits or anything. It'll definitely distract any foes you face. I still think -"
Before he could ruin the mood that threatened to lift her to the ceiling, she streaked forward and looped her arms about him. She pressed a warm kiss against his cheek before returning him to the ground and flying from the room, her heart soaring at the compliment even if it had been said somewhat begrudgingly. Darting through the hallways as she held back the cheer waiting to burst forth, she shot towards the roof, thankful that the automatic doors opened quickly enough for her. As she rocketed out of the final door and shot skyward she basked in the glorious blaze of the sun as an internal warmth of satisfaction spread from within her.
Inside the Tower, Damian scowled at his red cheeks and he snarled at his bulky friend, "You owe me."
"That I do," Colin smiled as he glanced out the window to the girl performing aerial acrobatics. "Still, definitely preferable to the alternative."
Hours before the sunrise was even being considered in Jump City and on the other side of the nation, a young woman's eyes snapped open, like clockwork, four seconds before her alarm went off. Laying still under the silken sheets for a second, the teenager blinked once and then pressed the button on her clock before it had the chance to sound. She rose mechanically and slid her legs over the edge of the lavish bed. A shiver ran through her body at the cold marble tiles and she deactivated the nerves in her feet, ridding herself of the chill as she stood. Her bare feet slapped against the pristine white floor of the penthouse as she ducked into the spacious bathroom.
Gazing into the mirror with soft brown gaze, she ran slender fingers over her smooth, hairless scalp before sighing and glancing towards the wigs arrayed upon white busts. They were arranged in a variety of styles and coloration, their shelves taking up a considerable portion of her wall. After a moment of deliberation, she lifted the long, platinum-blonde hair from its display and fit it to her head. There was a short buzz of electricity as it affixed itself to the nodes implanted inside her head and she smiled at herself, attired in the blue shirt with the Superman shield emblazoned upon it, just in case her father visited, and the dark boxer shorts.
Emerging from the bathroom, she strode across the lonely apartment to her nook where the humanoid robots had already started preparing on her breakfast. They moved with exquisitely programmed grace, evading any blunders as they moved in utter synchronicity. Humming to herself, the girl nestled into one of the leather stools as holographic screens flickered to life, presenting her with the news of the day before being suddenly overtaken by the image of her father, his emerald gaze immediately snapping to her shirt as he scowled. She groaned and dropped her head to the counter, "Daddy, I haven't even had breakfast yet!"
"What, I can't call to wish my favorite girl a good morning?" he tried to grin winningly, but his tone and expression is too obsequious for her to accept it as genuine.
"Not before she's had a chance to get some grub," she lifted her gaze, setting her chin on the table as she looked up at him.
"You're wasting precious hours on all that sleep," he chided gently.
"It's six-o-five. Exactly how much earlier do you want me to wake up?"
"Fine, fine. I'll stop bothering you about your sleeping habits. But, in regards to those designs -"
"Check your email. They're already there," she sighed, sitting up straight as her drones slid a plate piled with French toast, bacon, eggs, and warm syrup. Taking a hearty breath of the aroma, she smiled as it deposited silverware beside the plate, and she began digging in.
Her father nodded, "Yes. Well, thank you. Have a good day, dear. Remember, I love you."
"Yep. Love you too, daddy," she rolled her eyes as the screen flickered out of existence and her international news reports returned to the forefront. She relished the sweet taste of her meal, congratulating herself on the choices of chef personas that she had downloaded into her robots, but her mind was pulled from such thoughts when something beyond the usual civil unrest caught her attention. Reaching out, she dragged a Galaxy Communications news report to the forefront and enlarged it, leaning in as she watched a group of costume teenagers stand amongst the blazing wreckage of an unknown location. The scene shrank to a small clip in the corner of the screen as the news reporter took center screen, continuing her report.
"-defeating an unnamed energy being at the Nexus yesterday in their second public appearance. These new Teen Titans are composed of Robin, Impulse, Nightstar, Abuse, and introduce two unfamiliar figures – Wyld and Lyta. Fittingly, they first showed up fending off an alien invasion in Jump City just three days."
Footage of them answering questions filtered in, but the woman's voice continued over them, "Despite their youth, they already seem to be expanding their operation. In their latest conflict, they worked alongside the Teen Lantern and another as-of-yet unnamed young girl, both of whom they presented with the famous Titans Communicators."
The synthetic blonde pursed her lips as she leaned back, her mind whirling with its usual alacrity before she looked up again. Meal forgotten, she demanded, "Display all hits related to Teen Titans in the last forty-eight hours."
Screens flooded her vision, news reports, amateur videos captured on phone, and thousands upon thousands of blogs and other posts on social media. Her gaze flickered between them, eagerly drinking in the information as one of her drones pulled away her plate before she accidentally put her hand in it as she stood. As the data reflected in the whites of her eyes, a smile tugged at her lips and she ordered, "Bring up Project: Legacy."
New screens filled her vision, including a rotating globe bearing a multitude of red dots glowing upon its surface. Small panels would emerge from beside the dots as they pulled in front of her, showing a picture and basic information about the individuals that they were tracking. Her tongue flickered across her lips as old ideas were given new life and a slow smile stretched across her face.
As her excitement mounted at the prospects that leapt to the forefront of her prodigous mind, Lena Luthor whispered, "This is going to be so much fun."
Nightstar gets a new suit, Iris gets a new friend, and the Titans get a new foe.
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