shadehuntsman666: Huh... We technically got our own Alfred

Re: Not explicitly my intent, but I can see how that comparison could be made.

LoamyCoffee: Binge reading complete~ So far, I like where this story is going. I had been wondering if they had such a system in the show, but I don't think they addressed it. It certainly accounts for some of Robin's behavior, if was just him looking over all that. Mental exhaustion is awful. And with the delightful Wintergreen, they're likely to be even better prepared~

Re: A division of household responsibility was a bit of World Building that never got touched up on in the villain-of-the-week-style narrative of Teen Titans, and I thought it'd be good to help THIS iteration of the Titans grow as characters if they had different responsibilities. Plus, if Robin has to micro-manage EVERYTHING in that tower, he never has any free time to himself, which CANNOT be healthy. Also, Wintergreen as a CHARACTER is very interesting, though I went with a more Mainstream version because the ACTUAL version of Wintergreen shown in Earth-12 isn't as aesthetically appealing; mainly because he has no FABULOUS mustache.

dperson3569: Why are you so hard on Robin? It seems you are really content on making him a Butt-Monkey.

Re: Robin just needs to take a chill pill. Being angsty all the time's bad for the blood pressure.

*TEEN TITANS*

Despite the absurdity of having Slade's former butler in the Tower, Wintergreen swiftly became a fixture in the Teen Titan's lives.

Having a butler was literally "that awesome".

While Vincent and Terra received the bulk of his attention due to previous connections to the two, though not to the point of coddling, he would in-turn attend to the needs of Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, and even Kitten on occasion as long as doing so didn't conflict with tending to his previous, now-current, charges. Whenever he wasn't cleaning around the Tower or making the most-awesome of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, he was sitting by the panoramic view windows on a reclining sofa and reading a book accompanied by a cool glass of tea; brandy on the rocks in the evenings. Whenever the Titans trained outside, Wintergreen would walk the sandy beaches Terra practiced making, and miraculously, he'd always have a cool glass of lemande on hand for those that needed it.

Of course, it quickly became noticeable that Wintergreen refused to do any sort of housekeeping for Beast Boy.

When pressed for comment-

"I don't clean biohazards."

A sane response from a relatively sane person, since when Beast Boy was previously asked when he'd last cleaned his room-

"There was no last time."

When Robin asked why he wasn't being served, Wintergreen replied with-

"You already have a butler."

"Dude, you do!" Beast Boy gawped while Robin minutely flinched.

Robin of course was paranoid-as-hell of having the butler of a deceased nemesis galivanting about the tower like owned the place, regardless of the fact that everywhere he went was sparkling clean in his passing. He was doubly-paranoid because of the implication of knowing about Alfred Pennyworth, and by extension, his and Batman's secret identities.

'Does this mean Slade knew our identities all along?' Robin ruminated in his room, a new conspiracy board on the wall dedicated to the exploits of William Randolph Wintegreen.

An interesting change that took place was how Kitten asked for housekeeping lessons from the super-butler; particularly in the arts of cooking, something the aged man was more than happy to grant since, as a retired man, he could do whatever he wanted and was eager to teach.

In the meals that followed, it was clear that Kitten was catering to Ventus in particular, which of course resulted in Terra "intruding" -as Kitten put it- on "Wintergreen's Cooking Corner".

Raven found the byplay between the two blonds amusing, but that amusement quickly died when Starfire sought the aged man's wisdom.

Which of course resulted in Wintergreen taking up arms once again as the most-recent of Starfire's crimes against nature raised itself from the cookware which thusly had to be incinerated after Wintergreen took a military-grade flamethrower to whatever it was Starfire's "culinary artistry" -aka "mad science"- spawned.

Since the criminals in Jump had continued to lie low, the Teen Titans felt very little need to get involved unless asked, thus their days passed by in tranquility. Wintergreen's presence in the Tower freed up the Titans from having to clean or cook their own meals, but the biggest change in Wintergreen's wake was his participation in their training.

"OW!" Starfire yelped as her back hit the mat in the gym, Wintergreen standing over her with a bo staff in each hand; one he'd started with, the other he'd disarmed from Starfire's grasp a minute into their bout, once it had gotten out he had helped train Deathstroke into the warrior he was.

"How did you even do that?!" Beast Boy gawped. "Starfire's got super-strength and you're just..."

"Human?" Wintergreen asked with a raised brow.

"Well... I mean, yeah..." Beast Boy trailed off nervously.

"Strength means nothing before technique," Wintergreen answered sagely.

"You are... quite the accomplished warrior, Green of Winter," Starfire said as she got to her feet. "You would not be out of place with the Warlords of Okara."

"I am humbled by such praise," Wintergreen returned with a bow.

"Nice to see you getting along with everyone," Ventus hummed with a smile.

*TEEN TITANS*

The day following that however, everything changed...

"Huh?" Beast Boy questioned as he saw Starfire beginning to pack her belongings, the alien girl utterly oblivious to his presence at her doorway as the other Titans formed a crowd.

"Uh, Starfire?" Cyborg asked once the Titans were made aware of her unusual behavior; or at least more-unusual than usual.

"Hmm?"

"Going somewhere?" Beast Boy asked.

"I am leaving for Tamaran," the red-head answered.

"And you're taking all of your stuff because…?" Raven groused.

" . . . I am not ever coming back," she returned with a tender, wistful smile.

" . . . SAY WHAT!?" the Titans gawped.

"Starfire, what's wrong?" Robin asked worriedly.

"Nothing is wrong. I am…" she paused before giving them a megawatt smile. "…getting married."

" . . . I reiterate. WHAT?!" Cyborg and the others gawped.

"You're getting married?" Robin asked in a state of shock.

"Indeed. And I cannot wait to see Tamaran," she said, eyes tearing up. "I have been having a bit of the sick-home feeling lately, and am eager to introduce my home planet to you, my friends. First, you must ingest the fresh-squeezed glorg. Or perhaps the sputlinks? Oh! And wait until you see the portkins; they are as big as a flornop!"

"Is a flornop big?" Kitten asked over her shoulder.

"No point of reference," Ventus answered.

" . . . You're getting married?" Robin repeated, still dumbstruck.

"Anyone we know?" Raven asked.

"Oh, I have never met him. My betrothed has been chosen for me by the Grand Ruler of Tamaran."

"You're getting married? And to someone you've never met?!" Robin shrieked.

"Of course, Robin. It is the way of my people."

"But, Starfire…"

"Master Robin," Wintergreen said with a semi-sarcastic tone, making his presence known. "I realize that this idea may be unusual to you, but people do have customs different from those of Americans."

"Oh put a sock in it you British fop…" the spiky-haired teen grumbled.

"You're a fop," Ventus bit back.

"I appreciate the sentiment but I don't need you to defend my honor," Wintergreen hummed aloud.

"Do you even know where Tamaran is from here?" Terra asked worriedly.

"Oh of course! I have new star maps and everything!" Starfire said with a beaming smile, holding up a pink spherical device. Pressing an orange finger into the side, a massive starmap made of light burst into being, Beast Boy tripping out on the strobelights. "We are here in the Sol System, and Tamaran is over... here," she said tracing a line with her finger.

"So I guess we're going into space again, huh?" Ventus asked. "Well, you guys are going 'again'. This' gonna be my first time."

"I'll go prep the T-Ship. We can be spaceside within the hour," Cyborg stated realizing they were going through with this.

*TEEN TITANS*

"Guys, I've got bad news," Cyborg said coming into the Ops Center where everyone had gathered their luggage together. "Our Slipspace Generator's busted."

"What? When?" Robin demanded.

"During our last foray into space. Maybe we used it too many times in a row with too little cooldown inbetween while looking for Starfire, but either way, we won't make it to Tamaran within our lifetime unless we get a replacement. FTL's the only way to go."

"Do you know what the waiting list is for one of those?" Robin groaned. "The only way we could get one before Star's deadline is if we were to go up to the Watchtower ourselves, and I seriously doubt they'd appreciate us teleporting up there unauthorized."

"Dude, you're Batman's sidekick. Can't you ring him up and get us a lift?" Beast Boy asked.

"It doesn't work that way," Robin sighed tiredly. "When I set off on my own, to become my own hero, I stopped being Batman's 'young ward'. That means I can't call in favors or get any special treatment. I have funding, sure, but when I left home... Look, it doesn't matter. Point is, we're on our own."

"So what now? Without a new Drive, we're up shit creek without a paddle," Cyborg hummed. "Either we get a new one or Star's going to space alone."

" . . . "

"Ventus… Is there something you want to share with the rest of the class?" Raven asked as a nervous look spread across the wind-wielder's face.

" . . . "

Getting up from his seat and turning around, Ventus strode over to one of the consoles before going to work at it. A line opening up, the screen lit up a minute later revealing a plain-looking man in a gray uniform and a headset, the backdrop of outer space at his back.

"Justice League Watchtower. What is the status of your emergency?"

"Ventus of the Teen Titans responding to the correspondence with Mr. Terrific."

"Ventus… Ventus… Ventus…" the man hummed as he tapped at his console. "Ah, here you are. Yes, we have you on file. You have clearance to come aboard. Key in your communicator to the frequency I'm forwarding you so we can get coordinate lock."

"Frequency received. We'll be ready in five minutes," Ventus said cutting the line.

"Dude, what's going on?" Beast Boy asked nervously.

"I'll explain when we get there," Ventus said getting up from his chair, heading out of the room. "Wintergreen, please watch Kitten for me while we're gone. I don't wanna push my luck with them."

"Of course, sir," the butler returned with a bow, grabbing Kitten's arm before she could follow.

*TEEN TITANS*

"No, seriously, how did you get a direct line to the Justice League Watchtower?" Cyborg asked as they all stood on the roof, Ventus fiddling with the settings on his T-Comm.

"Yeah, only world leaders have that kind of pull," Beast Boy added.

"Like I said, I'll explain when we get there," he answered tersely before pressing another button. "This is Ventus to Watchtower. Seven for the Watchtower."

"Coordinates locked," a voice replied from the T-Comm, the air around the Titans illuminating in a brilliant white light, a brief feeling of weightlessness overcoming them before they found themselves in new surroundings.

"No way…!" Beast Boy gawped as he took everything in, whirling around like a dog chasing his own tail.

"Way," Ventus smiled at everyone's dumbstruck faces. "My fellow Titans, I give you… the Justice League Watchtower," he said holding out his arms wide to the teleporter platforms around them and the panoramic view windows at his back, the visage of the planet Earth looming large behind him, the sun cresting the horizon in a brilliant display of stellar beauty.

"How…?" Cyborg gawped.

"Explanation. Now," Robin demaned.

"Yeah, sooo… Remember that time Slade took over Jump City with that robot army and I led a three-man resistance effort with Grey-Wing and Jadework?"

"Yeah…" Robin said slowly.

"Well, apparently I caught someone's attention up here, because shortly after, I received an invitation to become a Justice League Reserve Member; like our friend Speedy," Ventus answered. "I didn't really have any reason to follow up on it and make it official… at least until now."

" . . . Dude, how come you didn't tell us?" Cyborg gawped.

"Yeah, man! Being on the Reserves is like being a step away from the Justice League!" Beast Boy added. "That's the biggest of the big leagues!"

"Being a Reservist is 'a step away' from the Justice League," Terra huffed. "But yeah, why didn't you tell us? At the very least you could've told me."

"Smooth," Raven said flatly.

"So wait, what are we? Chopped liver?" Beast Boy asked.

"Remember how you all spent a week playing dead…?" Ventus asked dryly.

"I… Okay point taken," Beast Boy wilted after a moment.

"And you finally accepted their invitation because…" Raven paused.

"Because as a Reserve Member, I have limited access to Justice League resources, including but not limited to-"

"A new Slipspace Generator!" Cyborg gawped.

"Yeah, that's why."

"But why keep this a secret?" Starfire asked curiously. "Is not joining the League of Justice a great honor amongst Earth heroes?"

"I uh… didn't want you feeling bad I got this promotion before you guys," Ventus returned after a moment.

"Dude, we're not-! . . . Okay maybe we're a little jealous…" Beast Boy trailed off as his eyes followed the shapely figure of a female Hero with vibrant green skin. "But we're not angry-jealous with you!" he said tearing his eyes away from her.

"If anyone's earned this," Cyborg said gesturing to the area around them, "it's you."

"Yeah, you're the guy who took down Deathstroke the Terminator!" Terra added causing a multitude of eyes to land on them. "If that doesn't get you on the Reserve Roster, I don't know what would."

"For the last time, I did not kill Deathstroke! I just happened to be standing next to him when he fell off that cliff and took a hot lava bath!" Ventus cried with an embarrassed flush as the eyes of heroes and League staff alike fell upon him.

*TEEN TITANS*

"Wow… Just. Whaow…" Terra gawped as the Titans stood at the observation platform, waiting for Ventus to finish his business with Mr. Terrific. "I never thought I'd ever see the Earth like… this. Really puts everything in perspective, you know?"

"Yeah. It really is something, isn't it?" Beast Boy asked.

"The view is rather magnificent," Starfire hummed.

"Starfire, you can go into space whenever you want," Cyborg stated. "For Humans like us, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If you aren't a superhero at least," he amended.

" . . . The view is 'rather magnificent', though," Raven added.

"I wonder what Mento would think if he could see me right now," Beast Boy hummed as he planted his fists on his hips and struck a pose before the splendiferous view.

"Technically we're just the 'plus ones'," Robin huffed dejectedly from the corner, his back to the window.

"Yeesh, what died in your cornflakes?" Cyborg asked.

"Robin's probably butt-hurt he didn't get the Reservist invite even though his dad is the Batman," Terra chuckled. "Of course, you guys playing dead did hurt your chances."

"Hey, don't forget your role in what happened," Raven huffed.

"Hey, that dead asshole indoctrinated me!" Terra yelped back.

"Friends, please do not fight. Can we not simply enjoy this splendiferous view?" Starfire asked with clasped hands. " . . . Do not worry, friends. I am sure we will all join the League of Justice someday," she said with a beaming smile. "Now is not yet our time."

" . . . It is a little petty, being jealous of him for something he earned with his blood, sweat, and tears," Robin admitted.

"If there's anyone who deserves to be here… its him," Terra said with a soft smile, her hands going to her heart. "He didn't just save my body, or even my heart. He saved my future as well, and was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice," she said wistfully.

"Aw, how sweet~"

"S-Supergirl!?" Terra squeaked.

"Hey there! Haven't seen you since the Tournament of Heroines," the Kryptonian greeted. "How have things been?" she asked casually, Beast Boy and Cyborg gawping at the Supergirl in their midst. "You been staying out of trouble?"

"Oh… uh… You know… I try…" Terra replied nervously.

"Relax, I know what went down," Supergirl said clapping the girl on the shoulder. "For a while there I was worried, so it was actually a relief to learn you were hopped up on drugs and brainwashing."

"That isn't normally something you should be relieved to hear," Raven hummed.

"Yeah, well, forgive a girl for wanting other strong female heroes up here," Supergirl shrugged. "Between you and me, it's a bit of a sausage party up here," she whispered.

"Friend Supergirl, what is the party of sausages to which you are referring?" Starfire asked boldly, causing most of the men nearby to flinch.

"Uhhhh… So!" Supergirl said after an awkward pause. "What're you all doing up here? Did you finally get an invite to the big leagues?" she asked changing the subject.

"No, just one of us," Raven answered. "Starfire's getting married and we needed a replacement Slipspace Generator for our ship to make the trip."

"You're getting married? Who to?" Supergirl asked with rapt interest. "Anyone we know?" she asked with a raised brow.

"Oh, I have never met him. My betrothed has been chosen for me by the Grand Ruler of Tamaran."

Suffice it to say, Supergirl's retort to that piece of info could've easily been mistaken for Black Canary's.

*TEEN TITANS*

"Soooo… The Grand Ruler of your planet tells you to get married, and your answer is 'when and where'?" Batgirl asked confusedly, the teen heroes meeting up in the mess hall, the black void of space over their shoulders.

"Of course. The Grand Ruler is the highest authority on Tamaran. His or her word is law and as a… citizen…" she awkwardly paused, "I am honor bound to carry out this duty."

"Well, nice to know your planet's Grand Ruler isn't limited by gender," Supergirl hummed aloud.

"So you're all hopping on a ship to see her off, then?" Batgirl asked.

"We have a ship of our own, but we needed a new Slipspace Drive after the last time we went into space. Since it'd take weeks to get a replacement through conventional channels, Vent got around to becoming a Reservist so he could just get one from up here," Cyborg answered.

"Oh, cool. If anyone's earned their Reserve Card, its him," Batgirl nodded, already familiar with what went down in Jump City. " . . . You think there'll be another incident like last time he was up here?" she asked turning to Supergirl.

"Rao, I hope not. That was so embarrassing…" Supergirl groaned with a flushed look.

"Uhhhh... Are we missing something?" Cyborg asked.

"Yeah, what happened the last time he was up here?" Beast Boy asked.

"Did it have something to do with you guys teleporting into the living room?" Robin asked astutely.

"You could say that…" Batgirl began nervously. "It happened shortly after the Tournament of Heroines concluded when Raven pulled a cheat code out of her ass…"

To Be Continued…