~YJ~

055. Five Years Gone

Rated: T

~YJ~

All was quiet in Mt Justice, the lights turned off and the air thick and muggy from the nearby ocean. A layer of dust blanketed the old base, telling of disuse and neglect. It was obvious to anyone who looked that this place hadn't been in use for some time; sheets covered the furniture, the appliances had been unplugged, and it was clear that it hadn't been disturbed for years. To be exact, the base had been put out of commission a few months short of three years ago.

A pale shadow detached itself from the gloom, making its way across the old training room, stirring up dust in its wake. Seemingly of their own accord, the lights flickered on, illuminating the deserted hideaway and the full extent of its abandonment. The shadow peered around at the old base and shook her head.

"This brings back memories," the shadow murmured, remembering the hours she spent within these walls.

"It sure does."

The shadow turned her head to look at the newcomer. Dressed in black and blue, with long black hair hanging in his face, he was almost a shadow himself, the opposite of her. Slender and lean, he was no longer a child but not yet a man. He looked around at the old base and smiled to himself, and she saw echoes of what he was thinking. The memories were good, up until the point where everything went downhill. When the shit hit the fan and everything exploded in their faces, after everything and everyone they lost…after that day, they hadn't been able to recover, and the team fell apart, everyone going their separate ways.

He eyed the shadow, a mixture of apprehension and curiosity radiating off of him; she knew that when he'd gotten the call, he'd been startled to hear from her, especially after she dropped off the face of the Earth for four years. He couldn't resist her invitation, though, and she knew he was a bit uneasy about coming without knowing what she wanted. She'd refused to tell him unless he showed up, and despite a few lingering doubts, he'd made the journey from Bludhaven to Happy Harbor to see her and answer her call.

"Well, I'm here. What do you want?"

She knew that Oracle had told him about her trip to the Watchtower, where she'd spoken with Batman. She'd been trying to warn them and alert them to the rising problem, but all she could get was the promise of a base if she could assemble a team. So she'd made some calls and requested that each of them come to Mount Justice, Happy Harbor to hear what she had to say. She hadn't been sure if Nightwing would really come—receiving a phone call from someone who's supposed to be spectral dust had to be unsettling and more than a little dubious.

But sure enough, here he was, standing in front of her as if the past four years hadn't happened, and he couldn't deny that she was back now. It was impossible to mistake her cloaked figure for anyone other than the mysterious and powerful sorceress Raven, even if the only visible features were two glowing white eyes shining out from under the shade of her hood, and the outline of a face paler than the moon. She shook her head. No, not yet, Richard, but soon.

"Not yet, Nightwing. Patience. The others should show up at any time."

His eyes narrowed; he had a bad feeling about this. Raven knew she was known for manipulating people into doing what she wanted while letting them think they were in charge, but really, did he need to be this paranoid? Oh wait, trained by Batman, duh! "Others? You didn't mention any others. Who else?"

She didn't respond; she didn't have to, for just then, another guest joined the party. Tall, broad-shouldered, and well built, with dark chocolate skin and blond hair in a short ponytail; she could have smiled, but she didn't. This was no time for remembering their past; there would be time enough for that later, if she played her cards right. Silvery eyes met hers, and she knew Kaldur was thinking the same thing. But he didn't speak to her, instead turning his attention to the younger ex-sidekick. "Nightwing," the Atlantean acknowledged coolly. Nightwing nodded in return. She knew they hadn't spoken in years, but that they had an understanding and were still friends. That was more than could be said about some people.

It wasn't long before the others started to arrive. First Flash, and then M'gann and Ravager. Finally, Arsenal made his appearance, and eventually, even Green Arrow showed up at the old base. Obviously, Connor would not be making an appearance, what with being a statue and all… It was shaky, at first. Tensions ran strong and grudges thick, and she almost choked on the emotions in the air. Clearly, the past had not been forgotten.

Now that everyone had assembled in the old training room sitting on chairs in a half-moon circle, Raven stood before them like Azar before her disciples, and lowered her hood. Her hair had grown, easily long enough to brush her elbows, and her chakra stone glittered in the dim lighting. The insignia on her cloak hadn't changed, but the cloak itself certainly had—instead of the deep blue they remembered, it was pure white, and though they couldn't see, whatever uniform she wore underneath was the same. The glow of her eyes faded, returning them to normal, and amethyst orbs surveyed her friends sadly. She had been so sure she was doing the right thing, but now that they were together, she had her doubts.

No, she reprimanded herself. This ends now, and it means dredging up the past and opening old scars, then I will. Sometimes the only way to heal is to confront the problem.

"At the risk of sounding clichéd, I have brought you all together because we have a problem that needs resolving. A big problem. Crime rates have gone up drastically, and not just in problem cities like Gotham or Bludhaven. All over the world, crime is spiking in major cities and capitals. You must have noticed that in your cities, crime has gone up drastically, and not just gangs and burglars. Most of the spike comes from metahumans."

A few of the young heroes had guilty looks on their faces, which meant that yes, they'd noticed, but they'd hoped it was just in their minds.

"Why tell us? Why not go to the JL?" Flash inquired, looking puzzled.

Raven snorted. "I did tell them this, but they won't do anything about it. They don't want to admit that metahumans are getting out of hand, because if they do, then they have to admit that they didn't do as good a job of keeping Earth safe as they'd like people to believe. They've set themselves up as gods, raising their base above our heads and acting so much more superior than us. They can't see that when those who can make a difference stop looking after the little guy, the little guy tends to get squished."

This time it was Arsenal who spoke up, eyes narrowed behind a domino mask. "What does that have to do with us?" He always was the more cynical, even by her standards.

"How many heroes do you think aren't Leaguers? More than you'd think. I intend to form a new team, a group of heroes and their allies across the world, connected by a central communication system and operating out of a series of bases. We need to get a handle on the criminals soon or they'll start getting more ambitious. Say a hero in South Africa is in trouble or needs backup. They use a communicator to contact another member or to send out a distress signal, and anyone who's close enough to help comes to their aide."

Realization dawned on Artemis's face, visible after she'd removed her mask. She'd probably changed the most. Honestly, if blame were to be placed, Artemis had been at the root of the problems that had unraveled the team in the first place. When she was revealed as a mole and a Shadows assassin, the excrement hit the ventilator. It didn't matter that the Justice League vouched for her as a double agent; she had been feeding the Shadows mostly false information while giving the League real dirt. They didn't care; all they cared about was that she had lied to them, tricked them. She disappeared for a while before turning up as thief-for-hire Tigress. Sometime over the past years, she'd dyed her hair black and cut it into short, feathery layers that danced around her head and framed her face.

But Raven's intuition and empathy, and the superhero community told her that Artemis had reformed. When Oliver Queen had died (Superman vs jet engine, Superman wins; Ollie vs jet engine, the engine turns him into pudding), Artemis took up the title Green Arrow and quickly taught the criminals of Star City not to underestimate a girl.

"Like a network. The communicators will connect us and allow us to pool resources and information, and expand our circles, bringing more heroes into the team. I assume you intend to choose one location as the main base, with a central computer and database. The other bases would branch off of the first, expanding with…"

"With each hero who receives a communicator," Raven finished and nodded, looking pleased. "Exactly. That's the problem with the Justice League. They have one base, the Watchtower. All assignments and communications are routed through that one location, which limits how they operate. If the Watchtower is taken out of commission or suffers a power failure, both of which have happened before, they'll be crippled."

She looked around at the gathered heroes, the remnants of the Young Justice team. They'd all grown so much and the scars were deep and raw, but Raven wondered if it wasn't too late to heal them. Artemis had proven her worth and her loyalties; even Arsenal was beginning to trust her.

"This team won't be under the jurisdiction of the Justice League. Yes, some members of the new team will also be Leaguers—it would be nigh impossible otherwise—but we wouldn't be affiliated with them nor would we have to bow to their rules. I've procured funding and a location for a first base, and all I need now are members. Any questions?"

She was confident that they would all opt to join, even if it was only as a part-timer. How could they resist an opportunity like the one she was offering them? Even though they certainly still had trust issues, she was sure that they could be mended along with the broken friendship that had shattered five years ago. The wounds ran deep, but time heals everything or so they say. What time could not mend, subtle pushes from her empathy most certainly could. She didn't enjoy messing with the emotions of her allies, but she would make an exception if it would benefit their friendships and mental well-being.

There was silence for some time, as each of them considered the pros and cons of her proposition. Finally, after what seemed like hours but was only minutes, Nightwing stood up, face unreadable. He approached her.

"You can count me in, Raven. It's a good idea, something I should have thought of, and I'd be glad to help."

Predictably, Flash rose and immediately pledged his services. Raven internally smiled. She knew that once Dick agreed, Wally would be close behind, always ready to protect his lover. M'gann agreed followed by Roy and Kaldur. It all boiled down to Artemis, the only one left sitting, and all eyes turned to watch her, wondering what her decision would be. Finally, she stood up and gazed at her old comrades with eyes haunted by her past and the uncertainty of her future. Slowly, she approached them.

"I've done some things I'm not proud of, but if you'll take me, I'd be honored to join the team."

Nightwing clapped her on the shoulder, and some of the tension that had hung heavy the entire meeting dissipated. Unseen, Raven allowed herself a small smile. Sometimes, all people needed was a little push in the right direction. Retrieving something from beneath her cloak, she held out her hands, revealing six round yellow communicators, each marked with a black "T" in the center.

"Take one of these." When everyone had grabbed a communicator, she asked drily, "So…who wants to be the leader?"

Nightwing looked amused. "This was you're idea. You don't want to do the honors?"

Raven gave him a withering look. "Not a chance."

The choice was unanimous; even back at the beginning of the YJ, the natural leader was known from the start. It was a little over an hour after the meeting had started when they were ready to make their separate departures. Raven instructed them to meet her at a set of coordinates a week later, and it was as she was forming her portal that M'gann voiced the question they had all been thinking

"What does the 'T' stand for?"

Raven smirked at them over her shoulder, laughing at a joke known only to her. She'd derived the name from the only beings ever to pose a threat to the gods; she'd chosen to ignore the fact that ultimately, their namesakes failed.

She spoke two words and disappeared, her voice still hanging in the air as her inky black portal vanished.

"The Titans."

"The Titans aren't just a group of different heroes. We're one team. And when there's trouble, you know who to call."

~YJ~

Sorry if the end is bad. By the time I got there, I was getting bored. I thought for the number 55, I should finally get the prompt "Five Years Gone" out of the way. As always, tell me of any mistakes you notice, and review, review, REVIEW!