Jump City, 10 AM
A lone figure in a gray hoodie maneuvered the streets quickly and near-silently, hardly pausing until he finally reached his destination.
Stopping in the dark alleyway he'd visited three days prior, Victor Stone pushed back his hood and gave a cursory glance around, finding no one.
"All right man, I'm here." Cyborg called out in the darkness. "Ya got something for me or not?"
"Yeah." Robin announced, coming out of nowhere.
"Gah!" Cyborg jumped. "Damn, man, don't scare me like that."
"Sorry." Robin smirked, looking anything but. "Took some digging and some asking around but I found out where the central H.I.V.E. base is."
"Great. Give me the location and I'll check it out."
"Not so fast. It's going to take more than two of us, much less one. The place is huge and it's located on the water. So, unless you can fly or teleport us there…"
"You don't mean…" Cyborg groaned.
"I do."
"Man, I just said I hope we never have to do this again!"
Jump City Zoo, 10:36 AM
If a stranger walked by the petting zoo enclosure of the Jump City Zoo, they'd be in for quite a shock. A green goat was happily munching on hay alongside its momentarily confused brethren.
The day before, said goat had been a peacock. Before that, a Komodo dragon and an elephant before that.
Garfield had been hanging around the zoo ever since leaving Robin's bunker the other night. He'd been too tired and too afraid of Mento's wrath to return home and he'd been too embarrassed to ask the others for shelter.
Luckily, he'd had the brilliant idea to blend in with the animals at the zoo. Every day, he'd be discovered and simply become a different animal. He knew he should probably just suck it up and go home but he couldn't muster up the courage quite yet. If Steve didn't kill him, Rita certainly would.
"Nice place you got, Gar. Although, I'd do a little more decorating myself."
Morphing to normal form, Garfield was stunned to see Victor looming over him. "Victor! Good to see you, dude!" He cried, picking straw out of his hair.
He looked behind him to see Robin and Starfire. "What's the occasion?"
"Trouble." Robin declared.
"How'd you even find me?"
"Heard a lot of green animals were seen around here lately. Didn't take a lot of deductive reasoning."
"Heh. Guess not. What are we up against?"
"I'll explain on the way. We have to make one more stop."
Church Bell Tower
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos. Azarath Metrion Zinthos…"
As she chanted and calmed her thoughts, Raven thought over the events of the past few days.
Her whole life had been completely upended. She'd been practically forced to leave the only home she'd ever known to live with total strangers on a completely foreign world. She was all by herself and she was scared, worried, angry and…
The church bell cracked a smidgen before Raven took another steadying breath, reminding herself why she always had to mind her emotions.
She didn't fully understand why she had chosen to dwell in this place, but something told her it was a holy dwelling. Or at least it was supposed to be. It had also been the first warm place she'd found after leaving Robin's bunker a few nights ago. Since then, she kept asking herself why she wouldn't go see her Aunt Alice.
She'd told herself she wanted to fully process and get a hold of her emotions before being thrust into this new world but that wasn't entirely true. She was anxious and afraid she would be rejected or that they wouldn't believe her. Or worse, that she would be treated as an infectious disease or a fragile piece of glass. She'd never truly been able to be herself. She was forever cast with the label of the Daughter of Darkness and her inability to express herself hadn't done much to help her shed that label. Perhaps meditating in this place of solitude would help her figure out who she was away from the voices that had been in her ear all her life.
Remembering her final gift from her mother, she took the pendant from its place around her neck and lifted it to the light, scrutinizing it before her concentration was broken by the four presences behind her.
"How did you find me?" She ground out, without turning around.
"Placed a tracker on you the other day." Robin answered.
She whipped around, finding the others standing with him. "You had no right to do that."
"Look, the point is, it happened." He maintained. "We need your help. Are you in or not?"
"Fine. What is it?"
Oil rig
It had taken a couple of tries and a near-brush with a watery death, but Raven had managed to teleport the others to the destination Robin had indicated to her.
They were inside an oil rig just off the Jump City Coast. Environmentalist complaints aside, nobody paid it much attention and it didn't appear that much activity happened there.
But Robin had insisted that his 'sources' were accurate when they claimed it was a major HIVE hub. Supposedly, this Damien Darhk man Cyborg was after would be here this afternoon.
Making sure she avoided the other presences' she sensed inside, Raven had positioned them atop a stack of crates, tucked into the shadows. The interior had an eerie warehouse feel to it. Below them was a wide-open space where a swathe of men in fatigues were gathered. They were all facing a platform as if waiting for someone to appear. Presumably Mr. Darhk.
"These guys seem like mercenaries, if I had to guess." Robin whispered.
Cyborg's eyes scanned the area fervently before settling on his intended target. "Here comes our guy."
Beast Boy irritatingly leaned over her shoulder to get a closer look at the man who stepped forward on the stage with a swagger in his step.
He was wearing a dark suit and a devilish smile. Atop his head was a shock of white hair that made him stand out among the throng before him. His eyes gleamed with malevolent delight as he cleared his throat before addressing his army.
"Thank you for coming this afternoon, Gentlemen! Of course, this was a mandatory meeting so you had no choice but let's not split hairs." He paused as if waiting for a laugh but was met only with blank stares. "Anyway, I called this little powwow to ensure that everyone has their orders for tomorrow's weapons shipment. The supplies should be arriving here at about noon tomorrow. So I want all of you in position by 10:30." He nodded to a man in the crowd saying, "Alvarez, you're in charge of coordination. I trust that I won't have to be here personally for everything to run smoothly?"
"No sir!" The subordinate responded.
"Goodie. I'll have to give STAR Labs a fruit basket or something for their contributions to our cause." He mulled it over a moment before murmuring, "Then again, until he completes Project: Cyborg, perhaps I shouldn't butter up Dr. Stone too much, hm?"
He chuckled and this time some of his men joined in while Cyborg visibly tensed up.
Raven wasn't feeling too hot herself. Ever since she'd laid eyes on this man, she'd been feeling sickly. He gave off an odd vibe that felt somehow familiar, but she couldn't place where she might have felt it before.
Meanwhile, Damien continued speaking, "Keep this up, boys, and the Master will be quite pleased."
Raven found it hard to focus on his words as a pressure behind her eyes began to build.
"Raven? Are you all right?" Starfire asked her concernedly.
Suddenly, something clicked. A spike of fear rose in her chest and that was all it took as the crate they were on was splintered by dark energy causing them all to tumble directly into their enemies' sightline.
There was a long beat of silence as everyone in the room froze.
The silence was broken by the sound of dozens of weapons being trained on the intruders as Damien chuckled in the background.
"Well, this was unexpected. I don't suppose you all are here to offer your services and undying allegiance to me, are you?"
Robin spared Raven a withering glare before turning it on the HIVE leader. "No."
Damien tutted. "Pity." Addressing his soldiers, he waved a dismissive hand. "Kill them."
Robin fired a grappling hook to the rafters just as the gunfire let loose. Hidden in the shadows, he began raining down birdarangs and explosive discs, wreaking havoc.
Cyborg was grazed by a couple bullets before he found cover behind a pillar. Lifting up a finger, he began firing mini-beams only designed to stun.
Raven put up a shield just in time to halt the spray before pushing the shield outward and flattening her attackers.
Beast Boy morphed into a marmoset monkey, nimbly dodging and weaving his way through the army before changing into a pig and tripping people up left and right.
Starfire began hurling starbolts onto the battlefield with reckless abandon, only serving to make the scene even more chaotic.
Slowly retreating, Damien took in the scene before him.
The orange girl had to be the alien who crash-landed earlier in the week. She'd vanished without a trace along with the rest of them but here she was. The green kid was a stranger to him, but it appeared he had some remarkable little abilities. Everyone knew who the Boy Wonder was. It was a surprise to see him outside of Gotham. Hopefully Batman wasn't around. The Dark Knight and his Justice League friends lurking about was the last thing they needed. They'd picked Jump City for its anonymity, after all.
The kid seemed to be going through a phase of teenage rebellion if the spiked hair and boots were any indication, so perhaps he and the Bat had split up. He'd still have to die, of course. They couldn't risk him leaking word to Batman or the League about their little hideaway.
He'd definitely never seen the gray girl before but there was something off about her that he couldn't shake. She exhibited some magical abilities but that wasn't it. Probing deeper, he finally sensed it.
The Portal.
Unfortunately, they'd probably have to leave her alive. Although being who she was, it was highly unlikely she'd die until her destiny was fulfilled. If nothing else, this would be a good chance to observe her abilities.
And as for the tin man…he vaguely reminded him of someone. He felt like he'd seen the young man somewhere before but couldn't put his finger on it.
Whoever he was, he seemed hellbent on getting to him. The kid was rather impressively mowing down agents left and right, staring him down all the while.
The poor fool. He'd be in for a rude awakening should he make it out alive. He'd have no chance against him.
Sighing and popping his collar, he made for the exit, deciding to leave the task to his subordinates today. If fate smiled upon him, he'd never see any of these children again save for the girl in the hood.
…
"Damn it, he's getting away!" Cyborg cried as he tossed a HIVE agent into a squadron of his pals.
Robin wasn't exactly enthused about the prospect either but decided to make a quick scan of the battlefield before pursuing. What he saw didn't exactly please him.
Raven was hidden behind a crate, clutching her temple, chanting to herself. She was either having a panic attack or losing control of her powers.
There were men trying to move in on her, but Beast Boy intercepted them in the form of a mountain goat, headbutting left and right while dancing away from gunfire. He couldn't last forever, though, especially trying to protect Raven and himself.
Robin was about to call Starfire to assist them when he heard a yowl make itself heard across the battlefield.
His head whipped down to see Starfire in the center of a circle of smoking unconscious soldiers. She currently had the last man standing locked in a death grip, searing his arms as he begged for mercy.
"FALL BACK!" Robin roared.
"WHAT?!" Starfire and Cyborg yelled in equal amounts of disbelief.
"YOU HEARD ME!"
Swinging down from the rafters, Robin kicked two thugs on his way down before making his way over to Beast Boy and Raven, helping to fend off the enemy.
"CYBORG! STARFIRE! GET OVER HERE!"
Starfire begrudgingly sped over, confused while Cyborg sneered before running over as they were surrounded by those left standing.
"What now, Fearless Leader?" Cyborg scoffed in irritation.
In lieu of an answer, Robin dropped a smoke bomb and by the time the fog dissipated the team was gone.
Jump City Pier, Minutes later
It had taken some swiftly whispered commands, but they had been able to escape alive. Starfire had grabbed a recovering Raven in one arm and a raging Robin in the other. Beast Boy had become a condor and with great effort, managed to pull Cyborg across the bay.
When they finally landed, Beast Boy collapsed, panting and gasping for breath.
Raven shrugged out of Starfire's hold and looked down in shame.
Cyborg looked like he wanted to punch somebody but couldn't figure out who while Starfire appeared confused by everyone's behavior.
Robin's steely gaze scanned over all of them.
Finally, he settled on Raven. "You wanna tell me what that was all about?"
She lifted her head, her gaze burning with rage she was desperately trying to tamp down on for fear she'd blow something else up. Most likely Robin.
"I'm tired of you singling me out and getting in my face." She spat, baring her teeth.
"I wouldn't have to if you didn't keep making mistakes!" He retorted, pointing an accusatory finger at her.
Starfire stepped protectively in front of the younger girl. "I believe you made the mistake in signaling the retreat, Robin."
"Oh, yeah?" He laughed without humor. "What was the better option, keep letting you kill people?"
"They are the enemy, Robin." She insisted. "Where I am from, threats are dealt with immediately, not set aside for later."
"Well, we're not where you're from, are we?" He stated coldly.
She looked away so he wouldn't see her glassy eyes. "I suppose not."
"Hey!" Cyborg strode over, towering over Robin. "Bit of a dick move, don't ya think?"
"It's called leadership." The smaller boy shot back. "You point out mistakes so the team can get better."
"A team? Is that what we are? Last I checked, you came to me, remember? I told you to give me the location and I would handle it myself. Instead, you nearly got BB killed because he was too busy defending the witch girl."
Raven flinched almost imperceptibly.
"Cy, chill out, dude." Garfield tried to intervene. "It's not such a big deal."
"Maybe 'BB' would have had a better shot if he wasn't changing into such useless animals." Robin bit out.
"Excuse me?!" Garfield screeched. "If you can do so much better, why don't you try it? I told you that bigger animals are hard for me. Transforming so often takes a strain. Besides, you're the only one here who doesn't have any powers so who died and made you boss?"
"I'm not the boss. I'm trying to be the leader."
"Well, thanks for nearly leading us to our doom." Raven interjected, dripping with sarcasm. "Fantastic work."
Robin wheeled on the empath, ready with a comeback, when he was cut off.
"STOP!"
Starfire's voice echoed across the pier, instantly silencing everyone.
Once she was certain she had everyone's attention, she began to speak.
"It is quite clear we all have our differences. But our common goal remains the same, does it not? Cyborg, this H.I.V.E. is full of bad people, yes?"
He nodded.
"Then to protect your planet, we must eliminate them." Sharply glancing at a disapproving Robin, she added, "Despite my distaste for them, I will obey your culture's norms. We will defeat them, not destroy them." Nodding at Beast Boy, she said, "We are a team. Which means you do not have to shoulder these burdens alone. If and when you are able to transform into larger animals, you will only be an even greater asset than you are now. But even then, we must make up for each other's weaknesses." She paused again to face Robin. "Such as not having powers." Turning to the others, she added, "Or learning to control said powers."
"I believe true leadership would recognize that." She finished.
If anyone had any doubt she was a princess before, they certainly didn't now.
There was a beat of silence before Beast Boy asked, "Can we make Starfire leader?"
"Hear Hear." Cyborg chimed in, visibly impressed.
"I have no complaints." Raven murmured.
Starfire offered a tiny smile. "As much as I appreciate that, Robin was the one who gathered us all together. Both a few nights ago and today. We would not have even known the HIVE's location if not for him. My ignorance of your planet's culture and customs would also serve as a hindrance. Thus, I nominate Robin as leader."
Her smile in his direction warmed him down to his toes. "Thanks."
"Do not mention it." She grinned.
He smiled back before sheepishly facing the others. "I'm sorry. I'm not used to working with people I don't know intimately. Whether with Batman or friends I've met over the years, I've always known their tendencies and abilities. With you all, I don't have much to go on. And I'm a bit of a control freak."
"A bit?" Beast Boy quirked an eyebrow.
"Anyway, I'd still really appreciate having you guys' help taking down the HIVE. If not for Cyborg, I wouldn't have known how big their operation was. They definitely have to be stopped. Beyond that, it's up to you guys where we go from there."
Awkwardly sticking his hand out, he prompted: "Partners?"
The others stared at him, a storm of emotions on their faces before Starfire put her hand atop his.
Beast Boy shrugged and joined before nodding at Cyborg to do the same. He sighed before copying the gesture.
Everyone else looked at Raven who looked as if she wanted to leave. She shut her eyes tightly before releasing a breath and putting her hand in.
"Don't take this the wrong way. But I hate human contact." She paused thoughtfully before adding, "Or alien. Just contact in general."
The others laughed before drawing their hands back.
Robin cleared his throat before speaking. "So, as leader, I suggest we find a way to stay in contact. We need a base of operations or some kind of meeting place. There's no way we're letting you go back to the zoo, Beast Boy. And Raven, if you want, I'm sure we can find you a better spot than that bell tower."
"I may have an idea about that…" Victor spoke out.
…
What a day, Silas Stone thought as he flopped onto his couch. He'd just gotten off the phone with Damien Darhk. Apparently, a meeting of his had been gatecrashed today and a techno-organic being was among the intruders.
His son had been gone since this morning, saying he had some "business to take care of." It didn't take much to connect the dots.
When asked if he knew anything about it, Silas had obviously said no. Still, he knew that wouldn't sate Darhk's suspicions much if at all.
He closed his eyes, silently praying Victor was all right when he heard the doorbell ring.
Sighing as he got up, Silas tiredly answered his door to find his son standing there with the oddest trio he'd ever seen.
There was a grinning green boy with fangs, a gloomy gray girl who shyly had her hood drawn tightly over her head, and the tall alien girl from the news who had crash-landed a week ago.
"Hey, dad." Victor spoke first. "I made some friends."
"I see." Stepping back, he invited them in. "Come inside. What can I do for you all?"
"Cyborg says you can help us find a base." Robin interjected, melting out of the shadows.
"God!" Silas lurched back, hand over his heart.
"Sorry. He does that." Victor apologized, glaring at the smirking Boy Wonder.
Regaining his composure, Silas straightened up and asked, "What kind of a base? What's going on here?"
"Well, Dad, these are my…new friends." Victor acknowledged. "I told them about HIVE and they're willing to help us take them out of commission."
"I heard about your little excursion earlier. 'Taking care of business', huh?"
"Yeah, it didn't quite go as planned." Victor replied sheepishly, rubbing his neck.
"Son, these are dangerous people. You're all a bunch of children. How are you supposed to stop a global organization like this?"
"Hopefully with your help, Doctor." Robin cut in.
"I can't aid you all in getting killed, son."
"Dad, c'mon." Victor coaxed. "You said you were willing to help me expose these guys. And that was before I had help. If the Justice League isn't coming out here to save the day, why not us?"
Silas mulled it over before looking at the others. "What can you all even do?"
Garfield stepped forward and put a hand on his chest. "I'm a shapeshifter." Jabbing a thumb at Raven, he said, "She's a wizard." Finally turning to Starfire, he said, "And she's a total badass."
"Is that…good?" Starfire ventured.
"Very." Robin answered, a small smile on his face.
That brought a cheery grin to her face.
Shaking his head in disbelief, Silas asked, "So what's your next move?"
Victor nodded at Robin who addressed the doctor. "We overheard that there's a weapons shipment happening tomorrow at noon at the same location. I think we should go back tomorrow and break it up." Looking back at his teammates, he offered a half-smile. "And this time, we're gonna win."
"What's going to make this time around any different?" Raven asked.
"Because this time we're going to work together. Today we were all fending for ourselves. At least as best we could." He paused, glancing at Beast Boy. "We should coordinate attacks. I think Cyborg and Beast Boy should stay together and watch each other's backs. Starfire and Raven, together you can give us an advantage. You can attack from above and keep an eye out for any wild cards."
"And who's gonna watch your back, dude?" Garfield asked.
"I've had enough practice. I can be all over the place, helping where I'm needed."
The others nodded in agreement.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Silas asked.
"Yes." Robin replied. "Keep being our eyes and ears on the inside. You're the only advantage we've got over the H.I.V.E."
"And…" Victor put in, "Would it be too much to ask if the others were able to bunk here for a while? At least until we can find some place to crash."
"I don't see why not. As long as you kids are watching my son's back, I'll watch yours."
"Thanks, Dad." Victor smiled, surprising his father with a hug.
Stepping back, he gestured to the others. "I'm guessing you already know Robin. This is Beast Boy, Starfire, and Raven." He introduced, pointing to each of them in turn.
"Nice to meet you, sir." Garfield said, shaking Silas' hand.
"Thank you for your generosity." Raven meekly nodded as she floated past him to inspect his home.
"Your hospitality is greatly appreciated." Starfire promised, bear-hugging the man with surprising strength.
"You're welcome." Silas wheezed as she released him. Straightening his glasses, he spoke up, "Please, make yourselves at home. Victor can show you around. I'll be in my study."
"We can't thank you enough for this, Doctor." Robin declared once Silas entered his vicinity.
"It's no trouble. Something tells me this city's going to need you kids."
Patting the Boy Wonder's shoulder, he continued to make his way down the hall until he was out of sight.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Robin began to walk towards the front door.
"Where ya going?" Cyborg's voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Back to my place." Robin said over his shoulder. "You guys won't need me here. I'll be back here at about eleven or so tomorrow morning. Be ready."
"Aw, Rob, you're gonna miss the sleepover!" Beast Boy implored.
"Thanks, but I'll pass."
"Are you sure you will not join us, Robin?"
He knew if he turned around to meet Starfire's gaze she would wear him down. He hadn't known her long, but she tended to have that effect on him.
"Sorry. There's still some work I have to do. See you all tomorrow."
On that note, he opened the door and faded into the night.
That kid takes himself way too seriously, Victor thought.
Victor's inner dialogue was interrupted by a loud crunching sound coming from the kitchen.
Laughing to himself, he entered the space to find Garfield chowing down on a bag of potato chips as if it were water in an oasis.
"Is that good?" Victor teased in jest.
"Tin cans and hay haven't exactly been doing it for me, dude." The boy replied, crumbs spilling off his chin.
"Well, help yourself to some meatballs in the fridge if you want to heat them up."
"Er, I think I'll stick to the snacks for now. Thanks, though."
"You sure?" Victor pressed. "I can make some burgers or something."
Gar's eyes briefly bugged out in terror. "Really, I'm good. I promise."
Vic quirked an eyebrow before shrugging in resignation. "Okay then. Have at it, Gar."
Sighing in relief, he returned to the bag as if it were a lifeline. "You don't have to tell me twice."
The sound of an ad for hemorrhoid cream told Victor that Starfire had figured out how to turn on the TV.
By the time Victor got into the living room, the girl had settled on a football game.
"Are these events considered gladiatorial games?" She asked when he joined her on the couch.
"Sorta. Are those common on your planet?"
"All of Tamaran is captivated by such games. The teams are divided into Northern Tamaran vs Southern."
"So you're a sports fan?"
She nodded eagerly. "How is this one played?"
Glancing over his shoulder, he spotted Raven observing some of his father's paintings in the corner.
"I'll explain it to you later." Victor promised, standing up and moving in her direction.
Silently, Victor sidled alongside her. "Hey, I, uh…I'm sorry for calling you a witch earlier."
"It's okay." She answered without looking at him. "You weren't wrong."
"Yes, I was. I of all people should know better than to go around tearing people down. I was just frustrated and you didn't deserve any of that. From me or Robin."
She finally looked over with a wan smile. "Thanks."
"No problem." He smiled back. "Hungry?"
She nodded as she followed him towards the kitchen.
…..
After a hearty dinner of burgers and burritos, the quartet had decided it best to go to bed after a long day.
It had been the biggest dinner the Stones had ever hosted. Previously, the largest number of occupants had been three when his mother was still alive. Victor had never been close to his grandparents and both his parents were only children meaning there were no family events hosted at his house. Even when he'd had Ron and Marcy over, his parents were typically busy with something or other.
Dinner that night had almost felt like having siblings who were all different skin tones. He'd finally gotten Garfield to eat actual food. He'd suspiciously decided not to eat meat with his burrito saying it would upset his stomach. Raven had picked at her burger like a bird and had only taken a few bites of white rice.
Starfire, unlike the other two, hadn't needed any encouragement to dig in. She'd wolfed down four burgers in under a minute and a half and finishing Raven's burger for her had made it just under two. Once she found out they had mustard, it was a done deal. Victor had tried to talk her into drinking something else but she had insisted. He'd eventually talked her out of drinking the whole bottle. Never in his life did he think he would have to limit someone's mustard intake.
Sleeping arrangements had been made pretty easily. Victor had given up his room to Garfield, getting a chance to proudly show off some of his sports trophies. They had never really impressed his father, but Gar looked at them as if they were Olympic gold medals.
To Victor's surprise, his father had given his room to Raven and allowed her access to any reading material that might catch her fancy. Despite her best efforts to hide it, she seemed excited at the prospect of finding something new to sink her teeth into. The light under the door had been left on for a while after they had said goodnight so Vic could only assume she had found something good.
Silas had retreated to sleep in his study after getting Starfire adjusted in the guest room. Victor had overheard her ask his father about all the pictures of his wife he had stashed in there. When asked why, he had said he needed the space. However, Victor knew the truth. It was less painful keeping any reminder of his mom in a room neither of them dared go into.
As Victor laid on his couch, his thoughts couldn't help but wander to tomorrow's mission and all the ways it could go wrong.
Much as he'd resisted it at first, he was starting to grow attached to these guys. He didn't want any of them hurt on his account. It only served as further motivation to take HIVE out. If they didn't stand up to these guys, who knows who else would pay?
Releasing a shaky breath, he finally closed his human eye and let sleep overtake him, determined to protect his city and his new friends no matter what it took.
…..
Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Garfield turned over to see the bedside clock read 6:45 AM.
If he'd had his way, he'd still be asleep. But he supposed Doom Patrol training habits died hard.
At least, that's what he kept telling himself. He'd woken up at least once an hour since going to sleep last night. He was a ball of nervous energy. Despite Starfire's encouraging words yesterday, he still felt a little lame for struggling with larger animals. He'd been trying to "think big" ever since he'd gotten these powers but to little avail. Having the Doom Patrol at his back had always made everything easier. But now he was on his own. Steve and Rita weren't here to shield him. He was going to sink or swim on his own merits from here on out.
His nose twitched as a glorious scent reached his nostrils. The smell of freshly-sliced fruit and smoothies beckoned him to get dressed and blearily stumble his way downstairs.
What he found was a breakfast spread that had something for everyone.
The entire kitchen island was overflowing with bountiful breakfast items. There was toast, bacon, eggs, waffles, fruit, smoothies, coffee, orange juice, and to top it all off? Pop Tarts.
At the center of all this chaos was Cyborg who was picking at a plate of eggs.
"Wow, Cy." Garfield greeted in a low voice. "What's with the Continental Breakfast?"
His friend merely shrugged in response. "I didn't get much sleep last night. With the way I am now, I don't need as much as I used to. Cooking's become a nervous habit of mine. Over the years, I had to pick up a lot of it myself. We're not too big on family meals around here."
"Mind if I dig in?" Gar asked, eyeing the Pop Tarts and orange juice.
"Nah, man." Victor answered with a sarcastic eye roll. "I'm gonna eat this gigantic spread all by myself."
"Har har." Garfield mocked, snatching up a Pop Tart and some fruit.
"My dad went out for some donuts and pastries if you want to save room for some of those."
"Sounds awesome." Garfield grinned. "Thanks, dude."
"Anytime. What kind of host would I be if I didn't hook ya'll up?"
They began eating in companionable silence before a black portal opened before them, scaring them half to death.
"Crap, girl!" Victor cried out. "Give us a little warning next time."
Raven grimaced apologetically as she bit into some toast while Garfield finished choking on some of his orange juice.
"So what's our strategy for today?" Raven asked as she sat down between the two boys.
By the time Starfire had joined them, Garfield was eagerly putting in ideas while talking through a mouthful of jelly donut as Raven glowered with irritation.
As expected, Starfire was a bottomless pit sampling everything there was to offer while giving hearty compliments and letting out even heartier belches.
Raven didn't seem to find it nearly as funny as Victor and Garfield. Even Silas couldn't help but be amused. He hadn't seen his son this happy in a while and for a moment he could forget that they were superhuman teenagers going on a death-defying mission in a few short hours.
Eventually, the kids had moved to the living room to channel surf until Robin arrived. Raven wasn't paying much attention. Instead, she was in a trance, eyes closed. Starfire's gaze kept furtively glancing towards the front door, awaiting Robin's arrival. Garfield was endlessly twiddling his thumbs and silently tapping his foot. Victor was doing his best to appear nonchalant, but his father could see the worry on his son's face that was surely reflected on his own.
Steeling his nerve before he lost his chance, Silas put a hand on Victor's shoulder and motioned for him to follow him to the hallway.
Once he was sure they were out of earshot, Silas asked the big question.
"Are you sure you're ready for this? It's not too late to alert the authorities."
"Dad, I'm not gonna lie to you. I'm pretty sure we're all terrified. Well, except maybe Starfire. But if the cops go in there, it's just gonna be a firefight they might not be able to handle."
"And what makes you so sure you all can?" His father challenged.
"I'm not. But I've got a feeling."
"You'll forgive me if I don't feel comfortable with you entrusting your life on a 'feeling'."
"Robin'll be leading us." Victor offered optimistically.
"The boy looks sixteen at best." Silas deadpanned.
"And he's worked with Batman. When it comes to that, age ain't nothin' but a number."
"You know eventually they'll figure out what you are. I won't be able to protect you anymore."
"They'll have to catch me first. Besides, I don't think I need you to protect me anymore. I need you to trust me."
"I do. It's just…I worry."
"I know. But I tend to do well in high pressure situations. You'd know that if you went to one of my games." He winced. "Sorry. Low blow."
"It's okay. It's a fair point. Just promise me one thing?"
"I'll be safe, Dad."
"Not that. I know you will be. After all, Starfire will be there." He joked, making them both laugh. Getting serious again, he said, "Give 'em hell, son."
Victor gave a determined nod. "Count on it."
Their conversation was interrupted by the door swinging open.
Right on time, Robin entered wearing a grim expression on his face reminiscent of his mentor's. "Everybody ready?"
Oil Rig, 12:00 PM
"Everybody ready?" The commander asked as the weapons caches were transported to the island.
"Yeah, Alvarez. Transport's coming in just as scheduled and not a sign of those damn kids from yesterday."
Despite Chandler's reassurance, Alvarez had an uneasy feeling.
Everything appeared in order. The shipment was coming in as planned. Unbeknownst to the general public, this island had secret passageways underneath that led to the city. Luckily, this complex wasn't completely on the water so trucks were able to make their way from the tunnels up to the main complex fairly easily. Everyone was where they should be from the bottom of the hill to the stairwells and catwalks. Truck drivers, guards, snipers…
Looking around, Alvarez squinted at a catwalk to his right. "Wasn't there a guard posted up there?"
"I dunno. Maybe he went to take a piss or somethin'. Who cares?" Chandler dismissed.
"You know how particular the boss is about stuff. Just don't want anything going wrong."
"Like what?" Chandler scoffed.
"Like this." A new voice put in.
Alvarez turned around to watch Chandler's lights get knocked out by Gotham's resident Bird Boy.
Alvarez hefted his gun, ready to fire when Robin waved a finger at him. "I wouldn't, Alvarez."
"Yeah? And why not?"
"Because you've seen what my friend does to people who piss her off."
Suddenly, Alvarez felt a searing heat on his neck, and he whipped around to see the alien girl, eyes ablaze as her hand glowed with green energy aimed straight at his face.
"What's going on here?"
A black portal opened up down the road and swallowed up the weapons caches on the back of the trucks one by one. Across the bay, another black hole was in the sky, depositing the caches to some very confused police officers on the other side of the bay.
"Party's over, pal." Cyborg said, coming from the side and punching Alvarez out.
A simultaneous cry of outrage rang out.
The other mercenaries had finally discovered what was going on.
"Shall we?" Robin asked.
Starfire smirked as she charged up her starbolts. "We shall."
She began firing rapid fire bursts, scattering the army while Cyborg fired rubber bullets from his arm taking them out.
Meanwhile, Robin began to disarm the snipers up top. As planned, they all began to rush down to assist and were met at the bottom of the staircase by a green kangaroo.
"You gotta be kidding me." One guy pointed out.
Bravely charging forward, he instantly regretted his big breakfast that morning when the marsupial launched a devastating kick to his gut.
His friends rushed forward to avenge him and Garfield hopped outside, leading them to a waiting Raven.
Wrenching metal pieces out of the surrounding area, she spiked them into the ground making a prison of winding metal encasing his pursuers inside, weaponless and neutralized.
Changing back to human form, Garfield grinned in Raven's direction and she gave him a small smirk in return, satisfied by their success.
"I wonder how the others did?" He wondered aloud.
A man's shout of alarm was heard as he crash-landed out of the sky in front of the two teens.
They turned to see Cyborg dusting off his hands, flanked by Robin and Starfire. "I think we did okay for ourselves."
"Did you get everyone out?" Robin asked the others.
They all nodded in reply.
"Good." Robin smiled, pressing a trigger on his belt.
BOOOOOM!
Like a classic action hero, Robin refused to turn around to acknowledge the firestorm behind him. "That should send the appropriate message."
"And what would that be?" Cyborg inquired.
Whirling around to watch the dying embers, he answered, "That we're coming for them."
Damien Darhk's Hideout, Unknown Location
While Alvarez had managed to wake up and escape from the chaos earlier, the look on his boss' face made him wish he hadn't. If it were possible, his wife's cold glare was even more terrifying.
"What. Exactly. Happened?" Damien Darhk asked his underling through gritted teeth as he quickly invaded his personal space.
"It was those kids who showed up yesterday. They got the jump on us, sir. It won't happen again."
"…Mm-hm." Turning to his wife, Darhk prompted: "Ruve? Darling, what do I do to those who fail me?"
"Make them regret it." She responded with a sadistic and knowing grin.
"Oh, you know me so well."
Lashing out as quick as a cobra, Darhk grasped Alvarez by the face and began siphoning his lifeforce away until his former minion was nothing but a lifeless husk.
"Pity. I liked you, Alvarez." Damien tutted at the corpse. "But I can't have weak links in my organization."
"What now, sweetie?" Ruve asked.
"Now I need you to call someone to collect this trash." Whipping out his cell phone, he said, "I'm going to call Dr. Stone and see if he knows anything about Mr. Robot."
Silas Stone's House
"No. No, sir. I'll keep you posted if I learn anything new. Believe me, I'm just as interested in this new development as you are. Goodbye."
As Dr. Stone ended the call, he did his best to fight the smile threatening to split his face in two.
As he turned in his chair to face his son and his new friends, he saw they all seemed to be having the same issue.
"He's pretty pissed, you know." Silas smirked. "His tell is when he's unbelievably calm."
"Good." Victor smiled. "He should get used to the feeling."
Glancing at all five teens in turn, Silas asked, "So you all are sticking to this?"
"We have to see this through." Robin answered.
"Y'know, Doc…" Garfield spoke up. "We had an idea. Well, I had an idea."
"And what's that?"
"With that oil rig all smashed up, all that's left is a pretty sweet little island in the middle of the ocean. Nobody's using it now and we still need a place to hang out…"
Catching on, Silas leaned forward in excitement. "Garfield, my boy, I like the way you think…"
The kid's toothy grin could've lit up the dark side of the moon.
A month later
Where the HIVE headquarters once stood, a new structure was in its place. The T-shaped building gleamed defiantly, looming above the five teens staring up at it.
"So how did you get the city to allow us to have this place built again?" Victor asked.
"I called in a little help." Robin replied, recalling the incident.
One month ago
"Robin, you were supposed to be in Jump for a couple of days. A week or so at best. You are NOT there for this." Batman's glare was no less intimidating through a computer screen.
"I can do this, Bruce! This place needs heroes. I already told you Deathstroke is here and there've been rumors of…"
"I told you not to engage Deathstroke. He's dangerous and more than you can handle."
"How would you know? You've never faced him."
"Exactly."
"I've been trained by the best. You."
"You're only fifteen, Dick." Bruce sighed. "This man has had decades of combat experience. He's a killer, through and through. No gimmicks, jokes, or riddles like in Gotham. Speaking of which, I want you back here. Now."
"And abandon my team?"
"They are not your team. They are a band of misfits who were in the right place at the right time. The alien girl is a threat, the changeling belongs to another team, and the other two are unknowns."
"The kid doesn't seem so eager to get back to the Doom Patrol to me. Cyborg and Raven are okay in my book and Starfire is not a threat."
"Starfire?"
"That's what I said, isn't it?"
Batman's eyes narrowed. "So what now? You build a little clubhouse and chase down Mumbo and Ding Dong Daddy? They're low-level threats. You just want an excuse to be on your own, away from me."
"Is it that obvious?" Robin sneered before sighing and looking away. "Look, these guys need somebody. I don't know much about Raven, but she looks to be all alone in the world. Cyborg feels like a freak. Beast Boy's got a good heart. And Starfire's stranded here. She couldn't even go home if she wanted to. I just want to be there for them the way you were for me."
He was silent for a moment. "You're serious about this?"
"Yes." He answered resolutely.
"What would you do? No hunting Deathstroke, no BS."
"The H.I.V.E. is operating in town."
"They have been on the League's radar for a while." Batman mused, hand under his chin.
"Just give us a chance. Please." Robin urged.
The two's gazes locked in an intense battle of wills, neither willing to flinch.
"Dick? Is that you?" A cheery voice interrupted.
Robin's demeanor instantly changed, melting into a warm smile as a familiar face came onscreen. "Hey, Clark. What's up?"
"Not much." The Man of Steel waved a hand nonchalantly. "Natural disasters, intergalactic despots, the usual." He shrugged, then paused. "Am I interrupting?"
Dick smiled wolfishly at Bruce. "Not at all. In fact, I was just asking the Justice League to sponsor my new team."
"You guys made it into the Planet, you know."
"I'm guessing you're still front page, though."
"Well…" Superman shrugged modestly. "Anyway, we'd be glad to sponsor you."
"Do you have a base?" Batman ground out through gritted teeth.
"We have an idea about that…"
"You got the Justice League to sponsor us?!" Garfield squeaked excitedly. "When do we get to meet them?"
"Hopefully never. The point of having our own base and our town is that we can handle things on our own. We won't need babysitting."
"I'm not saying we will but you couldn't have got us a couple autographs or a meet and greet?"
Robin's glare effectively shut down that conversation.
"Never mind."
"So are we going inside or are we just gonna stare at it all day?" Victor prompted.
Leading the way, Robin led his teammates through the front door.
"So this is it?" Beast Boy asked in wonder.
"Yep. Everybody, welcome to Titans Tower."
"Why isn't it called Teen Titans Tower?" Garfield pointed out.
Gritting his teeth, Robin answered, "Because I wanted us to just be called the Titans. But the press stuck us with Teen Titans. Again."
"Sorry I asked." Garfield murmured.
"But…we are teenagers, are we not?" Starfire questioned.
"Well, yeah, but…" In the face of her logic, Robin decided to drop the matter with a huff. "Fine. Teen Titans it is."
"Anyway, it looks like H.I.V.E. had underground passageways so we can use those to get to the city. Cyborg, your dad refurbished the lower levels to build you some sort of lab. He said you can use it for repairs and whatever other projects you'll be working on."
"Y'know, you can call me Victor."
"Right." Turning his gaze straight ahead, he continued, "There's a garage down here, too. I'm having my R-Cycle sent over as we speak and…"
He was cut off by a snicker. "Something funny, Beast Boy?"
"Nothing. It's just…you're not really calling it the R-Cycle, are you?"
Scowling, the boy replied, "You have a better name?"
"Uh…the Bird-Bike?" The Boy Wonder looked less than enthused. "Forget I said anything."
"I'll do my best." He muttered. "As I was saying…"
While their leader droned on, Cyborg nudged Garfield from behind and whispered, "Don't sweat it, B. I thought it was pretty funny too."
"Thanks, dude." The green-skinned youth answered gratefully. "I never thought Robin would have such a big stick up his—"
"Ahem."
The boy in question threw the duo an arched eyebrow. "Something you guys wanna share with the class?"
"Nope." They answered in unison.
Rolling his eyes, Robin stepped into an elevator and indicated the others join him. The car was able to accommodate them all as Robin continued, "I'll give you all the full tour in a minute but I wanted you all to see the view from up top."
Eventually, the sliding doors opened up on the roof level and Robin exited quickly almost as if he were excited by the prospect of heights.
Offering a rare smile, the Teen Wonder raced to the edge and beckoned the others to drink in the skyline alongside him.
The rolling clouds seemed close enough to touch as the California sunshine made the city look positively radiant. Flocks of seagulls could be heard below along with the tolling of buoys in the bay. All in all, the scene was picturesque and peaceful.
"From our tower, we can see it all." Robin said excitedly.
Starfire giggled in delight as she floated off the ground almost subconsciously.
Raven's eyes drank in every detail of easily the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen. Books couldn't do sights like this justice.
Garfield bent down in a crouch, excited to explore everything.
Victor was familiar with the city all his life but even he couldn't help but be taken aback when seeing it like this.
Robin put his hands on his hips, a broad smile on his lips as his cape billowed in the breeze.
"Ok, Titans…let's go."
The Beginning
A/N: This is definitely my favorite chapter so far! I hope you guys are able to say the same. The Teen Titans have officially formed and our main story can finally begin! Just one more set-up chapter, I promise. Once again, thank you all for reading and following this story. Special thanks in particular to FireShifter, The Darkneon Flash, and slydog148 for reviewing. They really encourage me and motivate me to keep writing. God bless you all!
Next Up: A Day in the Life
