Happy Harbor High
September 29
15:32 UTC
"Oh, come on, man! You're blowin' me off again?! That's everyday this week!"
Walking down the hall of his school while stuffing his supplies I to his backpack, Carter and his friend, Carlos zipped between the other students making their way to their lockers or out of the doors. Loud conversations filled the hallway with more students adding to the noise by talking, joking, horsing around, and slamming lockers. It was the usual noises in every school at the end of the day as the students ran from their classes for home. Carter was no different. Actually, he was. Unlike his peers, the Krypto-Martian-Human hybrid had other plans he needed to attended to.
"Sorry, Carlos," Carter said. "But I Forgot I'm doing things with my uncle and he needs me to work as soon as I can.
"Can't you schedule another time? I just got Battleline Three and it's so awesome. They added more vehicles and a new infantry type. It's epic, dude!"
Turning and walking somewhat backwards, Carter finished shoving his last text book into his bag and apologized again when he bumped into someone, causing an avalanche of school supplies to hit the floor behind him.
"Oop," a female said.
"Ugh, s, sorry." Gland at who he bumped into, the young super powered teen saw a girl his age with long, black hair tied in a ponytail and the most amazing hazel colored eyes he had ever saw.
As cliche as it was, Carter started at the girl with her staring back. Carols stood to the side and glanced at them both for what felt like several minutes instead of seconds when he finally said something.
"Dude, CK, snap out of it. Earth to wherever you are." Poking is friend in the bicep, and surprised by how hard it felt, the Hispanic teen got him to come back to reality.
"Oh, uh, sorry," Carter said.
"No, it, it was my fault." Sweeping the hair behind her ear, the girl smiled and blushed slightly before kneeling down to collect her things.
"Um, here, let, let me." Getting on his knees, Carter helped her by grabbing some of her books and supplies. "I'm, uh, Carter. But everyone calls me CK."
"Hey, you look familiar," Carlos said. "Are you from around here?"
"Um, actually, I just transferred a few days ago from Metropolis High." The girl's gaze never left Carter who handed back her stuff, and neither did her smile. "I'm Mar'i. Mar'i Luthor."
"You're Mar'i Luthor?!" Carlos all but shouted. His outburst was enough to gain the attention of the surrounding students.
"Um, y, yeah." Standing, Mar'i held her items to her chest. "I got tired of the city and my brother helped me move here. Nothing but nosy reporters wanting to know about my life and junk."
"Jeez. You must be loaded."
Giving something of a half laugh, Mar'i shook her head. "Not really. I only get so much a month until I go to college then, well, I get what my mother and father put away for me."
"That's like CK here," Carlos told her. "His mom writes cook books and his dad owns a couple of garages. But I bet he's not as rich as you." Grinning, the Hispanic teen nudged his friend's arm. "Right, CK?"
"Uh, yeah." Handing the rest of Mar'i's stuff back, Carter took in the rest of her.
Mar'i was not dressed like anyone known for having money. Unlike the high end clothing and jewelry one would associate with money, she was dressed in skinny jeans and a tank top with a light vest. She blended in with the other students in Happy Harbor High and if it were not for Carlos blabbering she were rich, it may have stayed that way even longer.
"So your new here?" Carter asked.
"Dude, she said that already," Carlos told him.
Giggling, Mar'i clutched her belongings tighter to her chest. She smiled as an embarrassed look to over Carter's face, causing him to blush.
"Oh, yeah. Right. Sorta forgot," Carter said as he scratched the back of his neck when the alarm on his phone went off. A glance at it made his eyes widen. "Guh, I'm late!"
"Oh, hold on. Do you have to go?" Mar'i asked.
"S, sorry. But I have an appointment I need to keep! Call you later about that game Carlos!" Running through the hall to the nearest exit, Carter waived at his friend but looked at the new girl.
"See ya!" Carlos shouted. "So, since you're new, wanna to on a tour of Happy Har...bor? Hey, where did she go?"
Looking around, Carlos failed to find the new girl who had somehow vanished. "Aw man. She was hot."
Titan Tower
September 29
15:39 UTC
Running into the training center of the Titan headquarters, Carter joined the others who were waiting for the rest of the group. Irey and Carrie stood in workout clothes talking as Lorena stretched a few feet away. Released he was not the last to arrive, the hybrid morphed his clothing to a tank top and sweatpants. No sooner had he joined the girls when Zachary entered the gym. A spell later and he was in workout clothes as well.
"Well, I see everybody's here." Walking into the gym, Garfield, in an older red and white uniform, stood before the teens. "Ready to get started?" His tail whisked back and fourth with each step and his skin was the same shade of green as it always was. As an adult, the emerald colored hero had stopped using a human/monkey form and kept a more human look with only a small amount of stubble and semi-long sideburns. His hair was even a tad longer with a stylized shaggy look to it.
Giving a couple of 'yeah's' and a 'duh' from Irey, the group excitedly gathered around the Titan leader.
"Okay. First things first, we'll start with a mile run around the island without any powers as a warm up. Hawk ad Dove will man the obstical course on easy mode and keep track of how you improvise while also keeping our Meta dampener on while you're running the coarse. Think of it as one of those Japanese game shows I watched with y'all growing up. Then we'll come back in here to see how well you can recover with. Game of dodgeball against a special opponent."
"I thought we would be training, not playing games," Lorena said.
"This is training," Garfield told her. "Titan training. We do things differently around here. In order to get you ready for what the others have planned, we want you to be able to think fast and act faster. An obstical course and game of dodgeball will draw out your instincts and show us how you think and work together as a team. So, without further ado, let's get this shindig started."
'Easy' was the word Garfield used to describe the obsticals on the mile long trail around the tower, one of a few actually. But 'easy' was not the word the teens would use to describe the same course. Sure one or two obsticals were simple for each runner, but overall, it was still challenging, something that would have been easier if they actually worked together as a team rather than individuals. Something noted by the brother and sister duo, Hawk and Dove who kept an eye on the from the air.
The first challenge was a series of walls at a forty-five degree angle. Water flowing from their tops made them slick and the muddy area around the bases kept the group from attempting to climb them after a full sprint. All but Lorena had trouble climbing over them as her hands were made for wet surfaces, ensuring a good grip.
The second challenge was a twenty foot swing over a five foot deep, water filled gap. Carrie had no problem as the first ten foot swing involved landing on a two foot wide platform before continuing on with the second.
Everyone had problems with a line of sinking steps situated on the surface of a fifteen foot moat. Not one crossed without falling into the water and having to start over again. Carter was the first up a steep hill where they each carried a log on their shoulders. Carrie made a ring swing pit look easy. Zachary all but showed the others up when they had to cross three rotating platforms. And at the end of it all, Irey managed to cross the finish line first after a thirty meter run downhill. As if that were not enough, the teens were not given a rest as they had to climb the stairs back up to the gym on the top floor. Death looked a lot better than they did at this point.
"Okay, great run, guys!" Greeting the youths in the gym, Garfield looked each one over as they made their way to the water coolers. He held back a laugh as they greedily drank as much as they could and shot him angry 'boo boo' faces. "You got thirty seconds to get ready for the dodgeball game."
Giving a collective groan, the teens gave in and collapsed to the ground as fatigue took them over.
"And still, no powers."
The group gave an even louder groan.
"Now, now," the green Titan started. "You only have to avoid being hit while trying to hit your opponent."
"Opponent? As in, only one?" Irey asked.
"That's right."
"Just one?" Carter asked.
"Only one," Garfield reassured.
Standing, Zachary was the first to his feet, albeit sore feet. "One on five. Bring it on."
Grinning cockily, Garfield turned and headed for the center of the gym floor. Standing with his hands on his hips, he gave a loud whistle as the rest of the teens stood in anticipation of who this poor, unfortunate individual would be when the doors to the ladies dressing room opened with a loud burst.
Darkness flowed from the changing room as a black bird-like shape ascended into the air with a cry. Emerging from the center of the darkness, a lithe figure came into view as if the shadows formed her from nothing and the Titan known as Raven set foot on the gym floor.
"Oh, oh we're dead, man," Carrie said once she saw the Titan's second in command.
"Her?!" Zachary shouted.
"Great. Just great." Lorena shook her head as she looked at the ground.
Raven's reputation was well known among the teens as she made up the muscle of the Titan team. Her and Garfield were known as a battle couple, one of the known romantically involved duos that were near unstoppable when in combat and worked so well as a team, words, verbal or mental, were not needed. Both had a long list of successes as a two person team and as lone operators. These facts were what made the teens severely rethink their situation.
"Yeah, yeah!" Garfield shouted, "That's right! Your opponant in dodgeball is my one and only bae, Rae!"
At the announcement of the Gothic woman's name, Garfield wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tight. In the years of being on the team and welcomed into a makeshift family, Raven had become more accustomed to her emotions, mostly with her long time boyfriend, Garfield and gave a one of a kind smile at his affections. Still, she was known for being a monotone speaker and serious when it came time to be so.
"So I take it Gar here told you five you won't be using your powers?" Raven asked.
The teens nodded nervously.
Turning, Raven looked at her green skinned beau. "He tell you I'll be using my powers?"
The teens shook their heads in fright. They had heard stories of what the Titan woman was capable of and wished to not find out first hand if the stories were true.
"Just relax," Garfield told them. "This is an excorcise to see how well you work as a team in a one sided situation. She'll go easy one you."
"No I won't," Raven told them.
"No she won't," Garfield reiterated.
She didn't.