G'day, mates. How is everyone? Good, I hope. Shall we jump into the next chapter? I say yes. So let's.
Fair warning, there won't be much action this chapter. This will mostly be our new Titans building up their friendship with one another as they get more acquainted. Rest assured, there will be a bit more action in the next chapter. Until then, let's get into this one.
Before we begin, just a quick reminder. I'm still looking for a beta reader for this story. If you're interested, let me know. I'd be glad to chat with you about it.
Ruby: I'm happy that you liked the chapter. I think it's my favorite up to this point. I never considered using that cliché for the first meeting, and I'm glad I avoided it. Also, know there will still be more villain appearances in this later on down the line. I hope you enjoy them as much as you did Jack Spicer. I hope you like what's coming and thank you for the luck with a beta reader, even if you can't do it yourself.
Eris: Glad you liked it. And here's the next chapter for you. I hope you enjoy.
Let's go, peoples!
All characters © Their respective owners
After returning to the tower following their battle with Jack Spicer, the Titans made their way to the roof, hoping Jinx wouldn't be too mad at them for being late for the training session she told them to attend. Luckily, she knew they were fighting a villain, so she let them off the hook. She even told them that this fight was enough training for the day, and told them to take the rest of the day to get better acquainted. But she warned that she would not be this lenient for very long, so they best enjoy it while they could.
Since it was only a little past noon, Danny suggested taking a walk around town in order to get to know their new home a bit more, while also talking with each other in order to learn about each other. Since she had lived in Townsville her whole life, Blossom offered to be their tour guide. But before they left, Jinx stopped them at the door.
"Hold it. I don't think you can go out like that." Jinx said.
"What do you mean?" Jake asked.
"Now I know you guys trust each other with your secret identities and all, but I don't think you should go out in public outside your hero forms." Jinx explained.
"Huh? Why not?" Manny asked.
"Well, you two…" Jinx started while gesturing to Blossom and Jenny "…don't have any secret identities. If you're seen hanging out with the others in their normal forms, then it won't take long for a clever man to find out that the guys you normally hang out with and the heroes you save the day with are the same people."
"So what? Back home in Miracle City, everyone knew that I was El Tigre." Manny stated.
"Well, this isn't Miracle City." Jinx retorted with a stern look.
"I think she's right. We can't risk anyone finding out who we are. I'd rather not put myself or anyone I care about in danger by letting them know who I really am." Danny said while turning into his ghost form.
"Good move. You guys should take notes from your leader here." Jinx commented.
"Aw dang. And I went out of my way to look cool. Ah well, being a dragon is still pretty cool." Jake said before turning into the American Dragon.
After Manny turned into El Tigre, the heroes flew out of the tower with Blossom leading the way. Their first stop was Blossom's favorite restaurant. They all decided to get lunch and talk to each other. Danny was the one who broke the ice.
"So, what did you all do before you decided to be Titans?"
"Well, I've been living here my whole life. Ever since I can remember, my sisters and I have protected Townsville. Pretty much every day, we would have to fight off a new criminal or supervillain or giant monster going through town. I think part of the reason they agreed to put the tower here is because of how much crime there is in the city." Blossom explained.
"How old were you when you first got your powers and started fighting crime?" Danny asked.
"Well, I've had my powers my whole life. And I first used them to fight bad guys when I was a few days old." Blossom answered, looking as if that didn't sound insane.
Everyone looked at Blossom like she was crazy, and she realized what she said did sound kind of weird, so she decided to elaborate.
"I know this may sound weird, but my sisters and I weren't 'born', like normal people. Believe it or not, we were created in a lab by our… well, 'father', Professor Utonium, by combining sugar, spice, and everything nice. But just before he finished making us, he accidentally added something else to the concoction. A dangerous element that he calls 'Chemical X'. That's what gave us our powers. The Professor's a brilliant scientist, and has made a lot of genius inventions over the years, but he's still prone to mistakes every so often." Blossom said.
"Huh, so you were made, not born. Didn't know that was possible. Still, kinda cool that your old man was able to do that. I didn't think even magic would be able to pull that off, and here he is, doin' it with science and stuff. So you came out lookin' like you were five?" The American Dragon asked.
Blossom nodded at the question, and everyone looked at her in understanding. They were surprised at what they had just learned about their youngest teammate, but since none of them were exactly the most normal people either, they felt they had no place to judge.
"Wow. I thought I was the only one here who was made instead of born. It's nice to know I have a kindred spirit here. Even if you're not a robot like me." Jenny stated while putting an arm around Blossom's shoulder.
"Thank you, Jenny. Maybe when I find my sisters, we can all have a talk about it. I'm sure they'd love to hear that they're not the only ones that were created. And the Professor would like to as well, I know it." Blossom said.
"That reminds me, I meant to ask, what did happen to your dad and your hermanas?" El Tigre asked.
Blossom's demeanor instantly dropped at this question, which did not go unnoticed be the others. The American Dragon harshly nudged El Tigre with his elbow.
"Dude, ix-nay on the sad estions-quay." The dragon sharply whispered.
"N-no, it's alright. It was bound to come up eventually, since all of you said you have missing family members." Blossom started. "Like I said earlier today, a villain broke into our house and took them with some kind of purple cube. He called himself the Nega-Chin. Does that name mean anything to any of you?"
All the other Titans shook their heads 'no', causing Blossom to slump in sadness once again.
"I didn't think so. He said he was hired to kidnap the Professor for some other villain. He also managed to grab my sisters while he was at it. I haven't been able to find any of them since." The pink puff said.
"Hey, don't worry about it. Soon as we can, we'll all help you find this guy and get your family back. Right guys?" Jenny asked.
"Right." The male Titans all said at once.
This made Blossom feel a little better. After finishing their food and settling the bill, the Titans flew off to explore more of Townsville. Blossom showed them all her favorite spots and all the places of note in the city. After flying around for a few hours, they decided to take a break on the roof of one of Townsville's many skyscrapers. It was at this time that the American Dragon began sharing his story. He told them all about the hidden magical community he had been tasked with guarding.
"Wow! So there's really all sorts of magical creatures all around the world, and a lot of them are just hiding in plain sight?!" Jenny exclaimed.
"You got it, girl. And it's a dragon's job to watch over them and keep them safe. At least, that's what my Gramps says. He's the real expert on magical creatures." The American Dragon answered.
"Are there any here in Townsville?" Blossom asked.
"Maybe. But I'm not sure yet. I only just got here earlier today. But if I do meet any, I'll be sure to introduce you, just as long as you keep in on the down low. We're supposed to be a secret, y'know?" The dragon replied.
"Wait, if you're supposed to be a secret, how are you going to explain the fact that a dragon has visibly joined a team of superheroes and is flying around and fighting crime with them?" Danny asked.
"… Crud. I didn't think of that. Maybe that's why Gramps didn't want me to join. Ah well, I'll come up with some excuse. Just 'cause they know about me doesn't mean they have to know about other dragons and magical creatures. But again, you guys need to keep quiet about this whole thing, dig?" The American Dragon said.
Everyone agreed so the American Dragon kept talking.
"Anyways, it's not like you guys are the first to know. Back in my old crib, I had to deal with a group of wackos called the Huntsclan. They always wanted to take down all magical creatures all over the world, starting with the dragons."
"Yikes." Danny said.
"Yeah, 'yikes' is right, my man." The dragon commented.
"I hope I'm not overstepping when I ask this, but are they the ones who took your sister and grandpa?" Jenny asked.
"Nah. They were taken by some other freaky guy, called himself 'Monkey Fist. ' Don't know who he is, but he said someone else put him up to it. Like I said, he also used some kinda cube thing to suck 'em up like a vacuum cleaner." The American Dragon explained.
"Is it just me, of does that sound a little too similar to Blossom's story?" Danny commented.
Everyone tensed up at this question, realizing that Danny was right. Jenny then tried changing the subject in an attempt to alleviate some of the tension.
"Anyway, why don't you tell us a little about yourself, Danny?"
Luckily, the distraction worked, and Danny shared his own life story. The team was surprised when he revealed how he acquired his powers, and what some of his more insane abilities were. But that wasn't the biggest surprise they received from this conversation.
"You're joking, right? You're actually kidding, right? A parallel dimension full of ghosts? You expect us to believe that?" El Tigre questioned.
"It's true. And like I said, the portal to the Ghost Zone in my parents' basement is what gave me my powers." Danny explained.
"Why do your parents have a portal to a ghost world in their basement, anyways?" Jenny asked.
"Studying ghosts is what they do. They have all sorts of ghost equipment at home. The portal to the Ghost Zone is just one of them." Danny responded.
"Well, why haven't you told your folks about your powers? Seems like you could be a big help to them, dog." The American Dragon asked.
"Maybe I misspoke earlier. My parents don't exactly study ghosts as much as they hunt ghosts. I didn't tell them because I didn't want them ripping me apart molecule by molecule." Danny answered.
Everyone kind of tensed up at Danny's answer, so one of them tried easing the tension with another question.
"Well anyway, what is the Ghost Zone like?" Blossom asked.
"Eh, kind of like what you'd expect a world full of ghosts to be like. Really creepy, spooks and monsters everywhere, and everyplace looking like the set of a Halloween movie." Danny answered.
"Sounds like a place I should visit sometime. Sounds rad." The American Dragon commented.
"Well, if we ever find ourselves back in Amity Park, I'll show you." Danny stated.
"So, was it one of your ghostly enemies that took your parents and sister?" Jenny asked.
"No. It was a ghost, but not one I've faced before. He said he was from another world. An alien, I'm guessing. An alien ghost who called himself Ghostfreak came in and captured all of them." Danny answered.
"Do you know why he captured them?" Blossom asked.
"No. But I do know that he was holding back during our fight. He could have easily killed me, or them, if he wanted to. But instead, Ghostfreak just captured them." Danny replied.
"Was there a purple cube like in Blossom and Jake's stories?" El Tigre asked.
"I'm not sure. He hit me hard and I wasn't able to get back up until after he captured them. But I do remember a purple glow coming from inside the jet my family was in before it flew away."
"Maybe this Ghostfreak guy was put up to it like the guys who took mine and Blossom's families." The American Dragon suggested.
"Your family has a jet?" El Tigre asked.
"You might be right, American Dragon. I hope that's not the case, but we'll see. I'll find them." Danny said, ignoring El Tigre's question.
"Well, there's still a lot of Townsville to see, so should we keep moving?" Blossom suggested.
The team then flew off to explore other parts of town. With Blossom leading the way, the team learned how to navigate their new home fairly quickly. Eventually, they came to a rest at the park in the middle of town. As they sat, they convinced Jenny to share her story.
"So, I was created with the sole purpose of saving the world, but I wanted more than that. I wanted to experience what it was like to be an actual teenager. You know, hang out with other teenagers, go to the mall, see movies, things like that." Jenny explained.
"It can be hard to balance your social and hero lives, trust me." Danny said.
"Well, eventually, I found that balance. It just took me a while to convince my mom I could. She wanted me to focus solely on saving the planet. That's why she made me. She's the best at creating robots, but sometimes it takes her a while to listen to me. Anyway, a few years after I was created, she let me actually go out and have friends, as long as I didn't forget to save the world when I had to."
"So when you finally got what you wanted, was it as good as you hoped?" Blossom asked.
"It was. I was so glad to have people to talk to other than my mom. And they even helped me stop bad guys every now and then. Even if I did have to save them more often than not. I think part of the reason I wanted to join the Teen Titans was because I wanted more friends, specifically ones who could help me save the day. But my mom never let me." Jenny continued.
"Well, you're a Titan now." El Tigre commented.
"Yeah, how did you convince your mom to let you join?" Danny inquired.
"Well, she didn't. But like I said, she was taken by a bad guy. After that, I knew that the Titans would be my best shot at finding her." Jenny answered.
"Who took her?" The American Dragon asked.
"He said his name was Professor Finbarr Calamitous. Right after my mom was taken, I plugged myself into the local wi-fi and looked him up. He's a scientist from a place called Retroville who has tried to destroy the world many times, only to be stopped by a boy genius. I wonder why the Titans didn't recruit him. Anyway, Calamitous hasn't been seen in Retroville for some time, and I don't know where to start looking for him."
"Anything else?" Danny asked.
"He said he was there to settle a contract. A contract to collect my mom and deliver her to someone who hired Calamitous." Jenny said as she realized her story sounded too similar to the others she had heard today.
Everyone else had the same look of surprise on their faces. This look only disappeared when one of the Titans broke the awkward silence.
"Wow. And this happened right before you joined the Titans? Did all of you lose your families just before you joined?" El Tigre asked.
All eyes turned to the Mexican cat themed hero. El Tigre looked back at them with a look of confusion.
"What? What?! It was just a question."
"Well, here's another question. What's your story, El Tigre?" Danny asked.
"Yeah. We all shared ours. Now it's your turn." Blossom added.
"Alright, alright." El Tigre conceded. "Well, unlike the rest of you, who have natural powers, all my power comes from this belt I wear. It's what makes me El Tigre."
"Really? All that power in just a little belt?" Jenny asked.
"Yep. It belonged to one of my ancestors. He was the original El Tigre."
"Was he a hero like you?" Blossom asked.
"…Not exactly. Unlike others in my family, he never chose whether to be a hero or a villain. And the indecision eventually drove him muy loco. I can't say I blame him for not making a decision, though." El Tigre stated.
"Whaddya mean, man?" The American Dragon asked.
"Well, I may not have exactly chosen whether to be a hero or villain myself." El Tigre confessed.
"Wait, what?" Danny asked.
"My dad's a hero. A good one, too. Back home, they call him White Pantera. Like me, he gets his powers from a magical object. Only his are called 'The Bronze Boots of Truth'. He always wanted me to be a hero like him. But my grandpapi is a villain. And with his magical artifact, 'The Golden Sombrero of Chaos', he's easily one of the most vile villains in Miracle City. They call him Puma Loco. And he always wanted me to be a villain like him. I want to be good like my dad. I do. But my grandpapi has shown me that being a villain is often a lot more fun than being a hero. I don't know which to pick." El Tigre explained.
"Well, isn't choosing to join the Titans technically picking good over evil?" Blossom asked.
"Maybe, but I'm still not sure. I only decided to join because I knew that going up against other villains, like the ones who kidnapped my dad and grandpapi, would require the help of other heroes. After I find them, who knows what I'll do?" El Tigre answered.
"Who took them, anyway? Maybe one of us knows who it is." Jenny commented.
"Some big space whale alien guy. Said his name was Gantu. He also said he got paid off to take them. I only hope they're okay, wherever they are." El Tigre said solemly.
"Well, we'll add finding them to our list of people to find. And I know we will find them eventually. We just need to… Blossom, what's wrong?" Danny asked, noticing a puzzled look on his pink clad teammate.
"I just… can't help but notice a lot of similarities in all of our stories. All of us lost family members just after we were invited to join the Teen Titans. All of them were taken by villains none of us were taken before. And all of them said they were paid off by someone powerful in order to do it!" Blossom stated.
After Blossom finished her observations, the Titans stared at each other in shock. All of their stories were basically the same, which led them all to the same conclusion.
"Our families' kidnapping was all the work of one person!" Danny said what they were all thinking.
"Yeah, I think you're right, G. The question is, why?" The American Dragon asked.
"I may have a theory." Jenny started. "From what I gathered during your stories, I noticed that all your missing relatives seem to be experts in certain fields. For example, Blossom, you said your dad is an accomplished scientist. Danny's parents are experts on ghosts. Jake's grandpa knows all about magical creatures. And my mom is second to none when it comes to robotics. Maybe whoever took them is looking to use their knowledge for some evil purpose."
"But what about my dad and grandpapi?" El Tigre asked.
"I don't know. Maybe it has to do with the objects that give them their powers. Or maybe the bad guy wants their knowledge of other heroes and villains." Jenny stated.
"Well then, why take my sisters?" Blossom asked.
"Or my sister?" Danny added.
"Or my sister, for that matter?" The American Dragon continued.
"I'm not sure. It's just a theory. Besides, we don't even know who our enemy is." Jenny pointed out.
"So we find out." Danny declared.
"Huh?" Blossom asked.
"You heard me. I say we all swear to each other, here and now, that we'll help each other find our families and take down whoever's behind this. Together. Who's with me?" Danny asked.
"I am. I want to save my sisters and the Professor as soon as possible." Blossom said.
"I'm in. Anything to save Gramps and stop the bad guy." The American Dragon affirmed.
"Count me in too. Whoever took my dad and grandpapi is going to pay!" El Tigre declared.
"I'm with you too. I know that together, we can stop whoever's behind this." Jenny stated.
All five heroes looked into each other's eyes, clutched each other's hands, and bowed their heads once as they affirmed their vow.
"So now what?" Jenny asked.
"I think we should get back to the tower. It's getting late, and Jinx wants us to start training early tomorrow. After that, maybe we can ask her to help us with finding our enemy." Blossom suggested.
Everyone agreed to this and returned to the tower for a good's night's rest. They wanted to be ready for the training Jinx would be putting them through tomorrow.
Well, that's that. I'm another chapter closer to the end. But I've still got a ways… a long ways… to go before I get to the end.
Sorry this took forever to get out. As I stated earlier, chapters I'm not particularly excited about take longer for me to write. And I wasn't particularly excited about this one. It was mostly just talking. Hopefully the next one will be a bit more exciting.
Speaking of which, the next chapter will cover the team's first taste of training under Jinx. How will that go? Well, stay tuned to find out. Unfortunately, it will be some time before I get it out. I have something I need to do before I can begin working on the next chapter. But, rest assured, the next chapter will come, sooner or later.
Until then, farewell, my faithful readers.