Gotham City Concerto
A Teen Titans Fan Fiction by Jacob McDonald
Opening Notes: The delay in the chapter's posting was caused by the fact that I couldn't stop writing it. Not including my notes, it's 14,800 words long. That's twice as long as most of my chapters. Literally. Fortunately, I've broken it down into sections, so feel free to read it a little bit at a time. I know you're all just as busy as I am... frankly, I'm surprised I found the time to get this done at all. Insomnia is great, isn't it?
Standard disclaimers apply. I don't own Teen Titans, but maybe I will someday. (Yeah right.)
Chapter Ten - Titans Together!
August 6th - Terra
"Man! What a haul!" A beefy man with dark clothes and tattoos running the length of his arms dug through a sack he'd just dropped to the floor of the ally way on in the industrial section of town. He pulled out several stacks of bills and grinned.
"I told you it would work!" The beefy man's accomplice, a shorter man, but still well built, dropped his own sack and opened it, grinning at the money inside, "We just needed to blitz the town! Hit all the small time shops we could and take all the cash! We'll live like kings!"
"We'll be able to get all the stuff we want!"
"We'll get all the booze-"
"And the girls-"
"I don't know about the girls..."
Both men jumped slightly and looked up to see a dark figure blocking the moonlight from shining down on them. The silhouetted person stood on a floating chunk of what appeared to be sidewalk, and had a female voice.
"What the fuck-"
"Oh, didn't anyone tell you boys?" Terra swooped down with a grin, "Terra's back! And she's bringing a royal can of whoop ass to any punks stupid enough to commit a crime in this city!"
"Shit!" both men dove to the sides, as the hunk of sidewalk flew past them. Terra landed between them and straightened from her crouching position with her fists clenched.
"Hope you boys are ready for a beat down..."
"Hey! Aren't you the chick that took over the city for Slade?" the beefy one asked, squinting at her. Terra's body tensed.
"Yeah!" the shorter man nodded, "You are! What the hell, girl? You want a cut? We could use some muscle like yours!" Terra began to shake with rage, "We'd take every last cent in this whole damn city!"
His nose buckled under Terra's fist, and he fell back into the building on the left side of the ally. Spinning back to the larger man, the blonde crime fighter growled and raised her fists, "I am not Slade's apprentice any more!"
"Whoa!" he jumped back a little ways, "Calm down! We didn't mean to hit any nerves or anything, it's just-" he never got the rest out, because Terra had charged him. He shouted in alarm as he swatted away her first few wild punches, then retaliated with a right cross of his own, which she ducked easily.
"I am not evil!" she dodged another punch, then jumped over a low kick he aimed at her legs, "I'm not a murderer!"
Three rapid rabbit punches to his gut later, Terra jumped into the air, coming down hard on both of his collar bones with her knees. He gasped in pain, and she grimaced as she shoved up off of him, flipped over the top of him and grabbed his head on the way down. A simply application of leverage and a burst of strength that seemed impossible for her lean body, and he was flying down the ally way, slamming into a dumpster and loosing consciousness instantly.
"Ahhrrrrraagg!" the shorter man with the broken nose was suddenly behind her, a knife raised and ready to strike. She turned and dodged, still receiving a slight cut across her left arm. Ignoring the blood, she prepared to hurl a few loose bricks at him, but was beaten to the attack as a strange looking black item struck the man in the forehead with a loud WHANG!
Terra blinked, and watched as the man with the knife went cross eyed, then fell over backwards, out cold. She looked back over her shoulder, where the object had come from, but didn't see anyone. With narrowed eyes, she walked over and picked it up. Looking at it in the moonlight, her eyes widened.
The thrown weapon was a strange variation on what she assumed a bat-a-rang looked like. It was curved on both ends, the points going up and down, and the middle had it's own points, almost like the head of a bat. It was light weight, and made from a material she didn't recognize immediately.
Her eyes narrowed again as the ground around her buckled and a platform rose up into the night sky. She looked all around until her eyes feel on a dark form watching her from the top of a factory several buildings down. She frowned and willed her rock transport to move over there as fast as it could.
The figure was on the move before she'd made it halfway. He ducked and ran faster than she'd ever seen anyone flee before, and he seemed more comfortable in the air than he did on the ground. He leapt from building to building like it was second nature.
As she dodged through smoke stacks to catch up to him, Terra wondered at who he could be. A ninja maybe, with League of Assassins training. She grinned as she contemplated ways of making him tell her who he was, and what he was doing with some of Batman's toys.
He dove off the edge of a factory, and she dipped her platform down to follow him. By the time she got to the central courtyard of the old building, he was gone from sight.
"Come out!" she demanded as she jumped down from her platform, "I know you're in here, and I know you want to rumble! If you come out now, I promise I'll just arrest you and not hurt you!"
"Terra, Terra, Terra..." a voice echoed trough the courtyard, "Your attitude is almost the same as I remember it... before you died."
"Listen, I don't know who the hell you are-"
"Sure you do." the voice was right in her ear, and she whirled around with a gasp, so quickly that she fell over and landed hard on her butt. Looking up at the dark figure with the blue stripe across the front of his outfit, her eyes widened. He looked hot.
"Who-"
"You know who I am." he smiled down at her, and she saw that his hair was longish and black. A mask that looked a lot like the bat-a-rang she still clutched in her hand hid his eyes.
"I don't know you from spit, fucker." Terra started to regain her attitude as he continued to grin at her, "You have all of two seconds to tell me who you are before I decide this building would look better as your grave marker."
"You don't remember me?" he asked, amusement evident in his voice.
"Your voice sounds familiar, but-"
"Okay, how about I say something to help remind you?" he straightened up and rubbed his chin, "How about the fact that you like apple pie better than cherry? No? Hmm... how about we both served the same master, even if I was more reluctant than you?" he leaned forward, the moonlight suddenly lighting his features more clearly, "Or how about I just say, Titans, go!"
"Marry... mother... of... shit." Terra blinked, "Robin?"
"Nope. Not anymore." he held out a hand to help her up and grinned, "It's Nightwing now... Dick to my friends."
"Nightwing..." she took his hand and let him help her to her feet, "You're dead."
"Actually, no. I was just... busy. Sorting some stuff out." his face grew serious, "I know it's a lot to take in, Terra, but you're the only Titan still 'working' out here." he looked away and his voice sounded choked, "I've... been gone too long." Looking back up at her, he smiled weakly, "But I'm back now. Starfire and I are both back, and we're going to do what I should have done months ago instead of being dead for so long."
"Dick... what are you talking about?" Terra reached out and touched his face, just to be sure he was still there.
"We're going to rebuild the Titans, Terra. We're going to bring everyone home."
Terra set the platform of rock down on top of Titans Tower, and looked around at the rooftop, "I remember this place so well..."
"We all do. Kori is already cleaning and getting set up downstairs." Nightwing stepped down from the chunk of rock he had rode on with her to the Tower, and started for the door that lead down, "Come on."
Terra stayed rooted in place, her face a mask of worry and sadness. Nightwing turned back to her and frowned, "What's wrong?"
"I just... it doesn't feel right."
"Because you don't feel like a Titan anymore? Or because you betrayed us?" Terra winced, but Nightwing pressed on, "I'm not going to handle you with kid gloves, Tara. What you did was unforgivable." his face lost some of it's intensity, "But that doesn't mean we didn't forgive you anyway. It's something we'll work past."
"I don't know... I just... feel so shitty."
"Terra... I'm getting the feeling that there's something more to this than the betrayal."
She looked up at him, her blue eyes hooded, and her pretty face looking more tiered than he'd ever seen her, "I killed a man, Dick."
He arched an eyebrow, "Recently?"
"A little more than a month ago."
"And... why?" she noticed his hand relaxing next to his side, and knew he had some toy hidden away to subdue her if he needed to.
"It was an accident... I was pinned to the bottom of the bay, and he was trying to kill me, and I just... reacted. Slade taught me how to kill so easily... I just did it."
Nightwing smiled a sad smile, and walked back over to her, "Tara... I know at least fifty different ways I could kill you in under three seconds right now."
She blinked at him, "What?"
"Just knowing how doesn't mean that you have to use that knowledge." He touched her arm, "We'll train hard, we'll recondition you, and we'll turn you back into the Titan you know you are."
"Why are you doing all of this for me?"
"Because," he put an arm around her shoulders, "You're family. All the Titans are. Now come on. Let's see what Kori's up to."
They walked into the medical lab of Titan Tower and found Starfire humming to herself as she floated along, dusting off all the surfaces with a feather duster. Both Nightwing and Terra stopped and stared as she turned to regard them.
Star was wearing a French Maid outfit; one that was more likely to be found in a porn movie than on any self respecting French Maid. Her eyebrow rings stood out in sharp contrast, and the tattoo on the side of her face crinkled as she winked at them from mid-air. "Ah! You are back already, Richard! And you have brought friend Tara!" Star zipped over and wrapped Terra in a bone crushing hug, "It is so good to see you again!"
"Yeah!" Terra gasped and tried to worm her way out of Starfire's strong grip. The alien girls breasts were pressing against her face from where they practically spilled out of her top, "Haven't seen you since Kylee's birthday!" She finally managed to extract herself and took a few steps back.
Nightwing spoke up, "Um... Kori... what's with the outfit?"
"Hmm? Do you not like it?" she turned and looked down at her own shapely rear end, wiggling a little for him, "Komi thought I looked hot."
"Well... um..." Nightwing chuckled, "Let's just say it's not the best outfit to be wearing around me when I'm dressed in spandex."
Both girls eyes dropped down, and Terra let out a low whistle, "God damn, Kori. You're one lucky girl."
"Aren't I?"
"Please stop." Nightwing turned away and cleared his throat, "Kori? Would you show Tara to her room? I, uh... need to take a cold shower."
"Do not bother." Star floated over and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, "I will be by shortly and we can take a... hot shower."
"If I have to live with this in the Tower, I'm staying with Brian."
"Who?" both Nightwing and Starfire turned to her quickly.
"Brian. You know... Red-X?" they both paled visibly, "He was there at Kylee's birthday party, Star. You met him." They continued to stare at her with their mouths open, "What? Is it a problem that I'm dating him? He's been doing good things for the city while the Titans have been away!"
"It's not that..." Nightwing cleared his throat, "Um... I'll be having a talk with him later, but... well..."
"You are... dating him?" Star looked slightly frightened.
"Yeah... what's wrong with that?" Terra was starting to get pissed off.
"Well... you see..." Nightwing looked at Star.
"He... um..." Star looked at Nightwing.
"He has a son." came a voice from the doorway to the lab. All three of them turned to see Blackfire standing there, wearing jeans, a light purple t-shirt, and no shoes or socks.
"A son? Like... he's a father?" Terra blinked, "Um... who are you, and how do you know?"
"My name," Blackfire took a few steps closer, "Is Komand'r or Tameran. I'm Kori's sister." she ran a hand up her own stomach and pulled her shirt up to reveal a slight bump, "And I know, because I'm carrying his child right now."
Terra blinked, turned back to Nightwing and Starfire, then promptly fainted.
August 7th - Changeling
Gar stepped into the kitchen as the phone rang again, "Yeah, yeah. I'm coming." he glanced back at the video game he'd been playing as he lifted the receiver, "Hello?"
"Gar? Hey, it's Brian."
"What's up?"
"Hey, have you seen Tara? She went out last night to do her thing, but she didn't come home this morning."
"Haven't seen her." Gar frowned, "She stopped by last night for a few minutes to use the bathroom, but then went right back out."
"Shit. I'm not getting any answer on her cell either."
"Not good." Gar was getting worried, "You want me to help look for her?"
"That'd be great, man. You have the day off?"
"Yeah, for once." Gar checked the time, "I'll be scanning from the skies in less than fifteen."
"Sweet. I'll be out in a little while too. Stay in touch."
"Will do. See ya." Hanging up the phone, Gar headed for his and Jenny's room. He'd need more combat efficient clothes, just in case.
Four hours later, Gar landed on the rooftop of a tall building downtown and sighed. There was no sign of Terra anywhere in Jump. A few hunks of rock missing over in the industrial part of town, but beyond that, it didn't look like she'd run into any trouble.
"Where the heck are you, Tee?" he muttered, and turned around.
Standing not ten feet from him, was Nightwing.
Gar stared for a solid minute, then spoke, "Who the hell are you?"
"Nightwing."
Gar waited for him to elaborate, then arched an eyebrow when he didn't, "Cute. I know you from somewhere?"
"The Tower."
"There wasn't ever a Titan named Nightwing, dude." Gar prepared to shift forms. This guy was being way to cryptic.
"No. I mean, look at the Tower."
Gar blinked once, then turned his eyes to the bay, where the Tower stood, tall and strong, it's lights casting reflections in the water-
"The lights are on..." Gar breathed, then whirled back to face the stranger, "Why are the lights on?"
"I turned them on. I bought the building." Nightwing took a few steps forward, and Gar could see him more clearly, "And now, I'm reforming my team."
There was a silence in the air for several seconds as Gar stepped forward and squinted at the young man's face, "Dick?" he whispered.
"Yeah, Gar. It's me. I'm back."
"You're not dead?"
"Never was."
"And... I mean..." he trailed off, and his eyes narrowed.
Nightwing never even saw the punch coming. A half second later he was lying on his back staring up at an enraged green teenager, shocked at the outburst of violence. Gar yelled at him, "All this time! We've been... wallowing in our own misery all this time!" tears formed in his eyes, "You can't just come back here, being all... alive and stuff, and expect us to just trust you right away again! Where the fuck have you been, Dick?"
"Remaking myself." Nightwing stood up, "I was training my replacement in Gotham, and making a new identity for myself at the same time... it's just... taken longer than I had hoped it would." He looked away from his friend, "I'm sorry, Garfield. I wasn't going to come back at first, but... I have to. I can't go on without helping people and... Kori..."
"Starfire... oh God, Dick... please tell me you've told her that-"
"She's known for months." Nightwing cut him off with a smile, "I'm proud of her for not rushing right back here and telling all of you I was still alive."
"Why didn't you?" Gar narrowed his eyes once again, "We've been a mess without you, man. Vic and I are at each others throats, Jen is going stir crazy, Terra is back out here trying to hold down the city while it goes to the dogs, Raven's a damn cop now-"
"I know." Nightwing held up a hand, "And I'm going to fix all of it."
"Fix it?" Gar shook his head, "We don't need fixing, man... we need... we need..."
"You need to be Titan again." the taller young man stepped up to his friend, "I've been back in town for two days, and I can tell you already, Jump is going to need us again soon."
"What's going on?" Gar straightened up. If the city needed help, if people needed protecting, he was in, "And when do we move back into the Tower?"
"That's a change of heart." Nightwing laughed a little.
"I'm going crazy out here, man. I need to be back there... it's the only place I ever felt right."
"Okay then. Terra's already at the Tower, along with Starfire and... erm... Blackfire."
"Blackfire?" one green eyebrow went up.
"Yeah. She's... on our side now. She and Kori made up, and um... she's pregnant."
"You got Star pregnant?" Gar's mouth fell open.
"No!" Nightwing swatted him across the head, and suddenly, things felt like they hadn't been apart for six months, "Blackfire's pregnant! With, uh... Red-X's kid."
"What?" Gar almost fell over, "When the hell did they hook up?"
"Before he and Tara started going out... it's gonna be a mess."
"I'll say... does... Tara know?"
"Yeah. She's... upset. Ready to kick X's head in."
"I bet... um... wow."
"No kidding." Nightwing stretched, "So... you don't want to be Beast Boy anymore, huh?"
"Nope." Gar shook his head, "I've got something better."
"Well, I guess you have had six months to think about it..."
"Yeah." Gar nodded, "From now on... erm... Nightwing... call me Changeling."
"Alright, Changeling. Here's your orders as a reinstated Titan." Nightwing pulled out a shiny new Titan Communicator and handed it to him, "Get your stuff, and move back to the Tower. Your old room is still there."
"Sweet. Hey, are you gonna' tell the others soon?"
"I'm on my way to see Cy right now."
"Right on. Can I... tell Jenny?"
"I'd rather do it myself." Nightwing grinned a nervous grin, "I... kind of owe it to you guys."
August 7th - Cyborg
The knock at the door sounded again, and Sarah called out as she hurried over, "Coming! Sorry!" she unlocked the dead bolt, and threw open the door, "Sorry! Can I help you?"
"Hey Sarah," Dick stood on the other side of the door, dressed in normal street clothes, "is Vic home?"
The blonde girl stared at the unmasked young man for a few moments, then blinked and rubbed her eyes. She looked again, but he was still there, trademark lopsided grin in place.
"Dick?"
"I've been getting that a lot lately..." he smiled wider, "How've you been?"
"I'm... good. I mean... well, obviously I'm a ton better now that you're not dead, and Vic is going to flip out, but-"
"Is he in?"
"Yeah... he's working in the bedroom."
"I need to see him right away. Not being dead means I have a lot of work to do, and not much time to do it in." Dick looked serious all of a sudden, "Sarah... if things work out right, I'd like to ask you to live at the Tower with us."
"The JLA is selling the Tower." she pointed out, "None of us may ever live there again."
"I know that too. Mostly because I just bought it a few days ago."
"You bought Titans Tower?" she almost shouted.
"What?" Vic was in the doorway to the bedroom, "Who bought the Tower?"
"Robin!"
"What?"
"Rob... I mean, Dick! He's... alive."
"What are you talking about, Sar...ah..." Vic trailed off as he stepped into the living room and caught sight of Dick standing in the doorway.
"Hey, Vic." the black haired young man waved.
"Robin?"
"Nope." he stepped into the apartment, and Sarah quickly shut the door behind him, "My name is Richard Grayson. When I'm working though, you can call me Nightwing."
"Holy fucking God... you're not dead."
"Nope."
"Are you a clone?"
"I'm the real deal, Vic."
"What... I mean... how..."
"I'm sorry I kept it a secret for so long, but I had things I needed to take care of while I was back in Gotham."
"Like what?" Vic still looked stunned, "I mean..." he regained composure, "What could be more important than telling your friends you were still alive?"
"I was training the new Robin. I've been replaced."
"Replaced?" Vic sat down on the couch, "How can Batman replace you?"
"He didn't... I gave the red and green to a young man named Tim Drake. He's remarkably talented, and I think he'll make a great Robin."
"So... Nightwing? Like, from Star's trip to the future?"
"Yeah. I had to get the details from her for the outfit, so she already knows. She and I came back here with Blackfire-"
"The hell?" Vic looked at him incredulously, "Blackfire?"
"Long story short, she's in the running for Titan membership."
"You're shitting me."
"And she's going to have a baby soon."
"You're double shitting me."
"Seriously." Sarah spoke up from where she was now in the kitchen brewing coffee for them, "You're shitting us, right?"
"Afraid not." Dick walked further in and sat down across from Vic in an arm chair, "We're putting the team back together, Vic, and I need you." he suddenly looked older than he was, and a little tiered, "I really need you with us."
"What's up, Dick?" Vic leaned forward, "I mean... well, it's great to have you back and everything, even if I am a little pissed that you didn't tell us, but... you look depressed man."
"It's this whole thing. I knew it would be hard, but..." he waved a hand in the air and looked for the words, "It's just... I needed to do what I did, and I realize that, but I wish I could have told you guys sooner. I need you on the team, Vic, because you've always been the rock we lean on. You're the one who grounds us."
"The older brother?"
"You're barely older than Raven." Dick rolled his eyes, "And Speedy's right up there with you."
"Still."
"Yeah." Dick reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, yellow computer chip. He held it out to his friend, "I know I don't deserve to ask this of you, Vic, but... I want you to be a Titan. I want you to defend this city with us again."
Vic stared at the chip for several moments before reaching out for it. His hand paused halfway there and he looked Dick in the eye, "I've been doing some pretty important research over at STAR Labs."
"I know." Dick nodded.
"I can't give it up, man." his hand started to recede, "I'm working to help people by developing technology to help them move about again just like they used to, and-"
"Vic," Dick held up a hand, "I know. And I don't expect you to stop. In fact, I want to offer all the resources we have available to us at the Tower in order to help you."
"But, what about cases and-"
"Don't worry. Our membership is growing... even more than what I'll be recruiting back to the team from Jump if I can swing it... The Titans are going to rise as a force to rival even the JLA."
"You're kidding!" Sarah stepped over, "And how the heck did you buy the Tower in the first place?"
"Grayson Security Consulting is a division of Wayne Enterprises. We operate independently though, so I'm free to do what I want with my funding."
"So, I can continue my work, kick bad guy butt, live with my girlfriend, and bug Gar all day if I want to?" Vic leaned forward eagerly.
"That's about it, yeah." Dick laughed.
"Booya!" the robotic young man pumped a fist in the air, "I'm in!"
"Why do you want me to move to the Tower?" Sarah stepped forward, "I mean, hello!" she waved with a weak smile, "No super powers!"
"I want you to move to the Tower," Dick smiled over at her, "because Blackfire wont be handling our communication networks forever."
Right on cue, there was a bleeping sound. Dick reached into a coat pocket and pulled out his communicator. Flipping it open as he handed Vic the chip, he spoke into it, "Go ahead, Blackfire."
Her voice came through both Dick's unit, and Vic's arm as he installed the chip to tap himself into the Titan Com Network, "I've been monitoring the frequencies and cell phone accounts you asked me to, and I'm picking up a lot of activity. Someone knows you're back in town, and they're going after an old friend to find answers."
"It's more likely they heard about a new hero in town so they're conferring with the old ones. Who are they going to attack?"
"Don't know. They're headed for the Art District though."
Dick looked over at Vic with an arched eyebrow and he spoke, "Raven and Jason have their pad over there, and Jenny and Gar are close by."
"Gar's already back at the Tower, and Raven's out on patrol with her training officer at the moment." Dick thought, "I'll bet they're going after Speedy then."
"Jason." Sarah corrected.
Dick rolled his eyes, "Did he feed you that line of crap?" he laughed a little as he stood up, "Jason is his middle name."
"Really?" Vic looked surprised, "What's his first name?"
"Royce."
Vic choked on his laughter, "Are you fucking serious?"
"Yep. Almost as bad as Dick." he pulled his mask out of his pocket and put it on. Tossing off his jacket and stripping off his shirt, he revealed the top half of his Nightwing costume, "I'm heading over there to intercept the attack. You two begin packing up and get ready to move. I want us all back in the Tower by tomorrow night."
"Alright. You sure you don't need backup?"
"Blackfire?" Nightwing spoke into his com unit.
"Yes, oh fearless leader?"
"Have Starfire standby. If I need back up, I want it fast."
"Will do. Hey, Vic?"
"Uh, yeah?" Vic looked down at the screen in his arm and saw Blackfire wink up at him,
"Welcome back."
"Thanks. Welcome to the fold."
"Don't be saying that until you've lived with me for a few days. I'm pregnant you know."
"We heard." Sarah bounced over and looked down at the screen, "Don't worry at all, though. I used to volunteer at a clinic that helped out single woman who were pregnant, and I can help you with everything!"
"Aren't you just a bundle of energy?" Blackfire looked amused, "Can't wait to meet you when you get here. Until then, Blackfire out."
"Later." Vic let the com link shut down and looked up, "Well, Dick, if you don't have any other instructions-" he stopped and looked around.
Nightwing was nowhere to be seen.
August 7th - Arsenal, Jinx, and Raven
Jason was leaning over Kylee's shoulder in the kitchen of their apartment, reading her math homework, "That's a tough one."
"I thought you'd graduated high school!" the young girl sounded exasperated as she threw down her pencil.
"I did! But it's been a few years, and I'm a little rusty! My former job was shooting arrows at stuff and my new job involves heavy lifting and riveting bolts into place! It's not like I'm a super genius or anything!"
"You're useless." Kylee grinned up at him, "I'll just wait for Raven to get home. She'll know how to help."
"Oh, sure! Just because I can't do your homework for you I'm useless!"
"I can find something useful for you to do. Like clean the bathroom!"
"Nuh uh! It's your week to clean the bathroom!"
Kylee started to retort, but a knock on the door cut her off. Jason stood up and walked over, then peered through the peep hole. Frowning, he opened the door.
On the other side stood a man wearing a brown over coat and a wide brimmed hat. Sunglasses hid his eyes, and he was frowning deeply, "Can I help you?" Jason asked him.
"Are you R. J. Harper?" the man asked in a monotone.
"Yeah, that's me."
"I have some questions to ask you about a vigilante that has been operating in this town lately." the man took a step forward, "May I come in?"
"No." Jason frowned at him, "The Titans were disbanded man. If there's another yahoo out there that's dressing up in tights and a mask, I don't know anything about them."
"We have reason to believe that you do." the man's hand shot out impossibly fast and shoved Jason off his feet, sending him flying halfway across the living room of the apartment. The man stepped in and shut the door behind him, "I wont ask again for you to cooperate. The information will be extracted in a most painful manner."
"Kylee..." Jason gasped as the thirteen year old rushed to his side and helped him sit up, "Get down the hall to the bed room! Call Gar!"
"On my way! Be careful!"
"Oh, don't worry about me..." Jason climbed to his feet, "That was a lucky shot, man, but I'm ready for you now. Let's do this."
Kylee started down the hall as Jason stood up, and the man frowned. Quickly tearing off his sunglasses, he revealed red, robotic optics, and a stream of laser fire burst forth, barely missing the young girl. She skidded to a halt and stared at the holes burned in the wall.
"Do not run away." the over coat came off next, revealing a robotic body, plated in armor and equipped with multiple weapon systems.
"Jason?" Kylee looked nervous.
Jason set his jaw, "Run, Kylee. Now!" and he sprang forward, kicking the robot in the jaw and slamming it's head around. Kylee sprinted down the hall, and dove through the door to Jason and Raven's room as the robot turned back and blasted at her again. The lasers tore a hole in the door frame, but Kylee made it unharmed.
Growling out a curse, Jason lunged in again, but this time, the robot caught him by the throat and lifted him up off the ground. He kicked his feet as he choked.
"You will tell us all you know about this vigilante." the robotic messenger commanded, holding a grainy photo of a dark haired man wearing a black and blue costume crouching on top of a warehouse.
"I... don't know... anything about him!" Jason gasped out, "Put me down... you bucket of bolts!" he thrashed about and kicked and punched, but only ended up hurting his hands as they struck mettle.
"Perhaps your memory will be jogged further if you are let down." the robot frowned even deeper, "Very well."
Jason shouted in alarm as the android hurled him through the living room window and out into the air, three stories above the ground.
"Hello?" Jenny answered the phone as it rang for the fourth time in a row.
"Jenny! We're under attack by a robot!"
"Kylee?" Jenny sighed, "You're being attacked by what?"
"A robot! It's hurting Jason! Come quickly and bring Gar!"
"Gar's out right now. I can't get him on his cell either..." she frowned, "He may have been attacked too..."
"Get here quick! Please, we need your... no! Get away! Stay-"
The line went dead suddenly and Jenny felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over her. She dropped the phone, not even bothering to hang it up, and dashed to the door. Quickly yanking on her shoes, she stepped out, not bothering to lock the door behind her, and dashed down the steps as quickly as she could.
"Who is this man?" the robot asked Kylee as it held up the photo once again. Kylee was lying on her back from where her assailant had pushed her away from the phone, which he had then crushed.
She squinted up at the picture and shook her head, "I don't know. It doesn't look like any of the Titans I know."
"Your presence is useless then. Elimination protocol activated." The robot aimed an arm at her and several laser cannons folded out of it. Laser cannons that looked exactly like the ones Adonis had been using.
Kylee growled and dove forward, between the robots legs. The lasers blew a hole in the floor, even as she dashed down the hallway. "Come get me you over grown toaster!" she yelled back at it, and turned into the living room. Seeing the window missing and no sign of Jason, she redoubled her resolve.
Jumping up on the arm of the chair next to the bookcase, Kylee grabbed a black bound book from the top shelf and opened it to a random page, "Let's see how you like a little black magic..." she muttered as she scanned the spell. The robotic man stepped around the corner and aimed it's lasers again.
"Your presence is-"
"Save it." Kylee held out a hand, "Tralithin Grazzitz Arcana Thul!" she shouted, and black energy crackled off her hand and struck the robot. It was hurled back into the kitchen, where it smashed the table her homework was sitting on, and collapsed to the floor. It sparked a little as it sat back up.
Kylee looked at her hand in shock. The tips of her fingers were burned, and it looked as if the skin on her palm was going to bubble off. And it hurt. It hurt like hell.
"No..." Raven had warned her that she might not take to black magic. That there would be repercussions, "I can't cast attack spells." she said aloud, "Oh no..."
The robot stood up.
Jason came to slowly. Sitting up and shaking his head, he glanced up at the third story window he'd just fallen from. He could hear the sounds of shouting form inside, and knew Kylee must be fighting for her life. Glancing down, he saw that he had landed on the top of a car parked in the street. All the windows had been smashed out.
"Fuck." he commented, and rolled off the side, down to the sidewalk. Shards of glass cut into his bare feet, but he ignored the pain and staggered back towards the building, "Kylee..." he muttered, suddenly aware of the blood seeping from the back of his skull, "Raven... Raven help me..."
Raven looked up from where she was writing a ticket for a double parked car and gasped. Standing a little ways away, her training officer (one Sergeant MacRiff) looked over at her, "Is something the matter, Roth?"
"I... my family is in danger... we have to go." she slapped the ticket down, and started for the squad car the two of them had been riding around in all day, "We have to go now."
"What? What kind of danger? How do you know?" MacRiff hurried after her and climbed into the drivers side of the car.
"I can feel it... Jenny is on her way there now, but Jason is hurt and Kylee... Oh my God... not Kylee..." she squeezed her eyes shut, "I have to go now! I have to teleport there and-"
"We'll drive. The commish told me not to let you use your powers, Roth. We have to do this the right way."
Raven gulped, and nodded, "Drive fast then."
MacRiff flipped on the sirens and looked over at her, "Where to?"
Kylee crashed into the wall over the couch, then fell to the cushions with a thump. She sobbed and clutched her left arm. It felt broken.
"I will continue to hurt you until you can tell me who will know of this new vigilante." the robot started forward again.
"I told you already! The Titans are retired!" Kylee sobbed, "They wont know about him!"
"Unacceptable. One of them must know something." the robot stopped in front of her, "Perhaps if I break your other arm." it reached for her.
"Get away from her!" Jason screamed as he ran in the door and jumped up on the arm of the couch. Using it as a vaulting point, he hurled himself into the robot, over balancing it and making it stumbled back.
With a growl of frustration, Jason backed up and hurled himself one more time, pushing both of them through the smashed window and outside once again.
Kylee whimpered for a moment and listened to the sounds of battle below. After a few second of heavy breathing, she closer her eyes and willed the magic inside of her to begin to knit her bones back together. The skin on her hand started to heal as well, and she felt her bruises fade. White magic flowed through her and she glowed with a soft white light.
"Hold on, Jason." she whispered, and continued to heal.
Jason pulled himself away from the body of the robot where they had smashed into the same car he had landed on the first time. Jumping back, he looked about for a weapon. Seeing a toolbox in the back seat of the car, he lunged for it.
The robot swatted him away before he could get to it though, and he flew back into the wall of the apartment building. Groaning, he pulled himself to his feet, "Shit... that hurt." facing the now fully standing robotic assassin, he grimaced, "This situation isn't looking so good all of a sudden..."
"Termination protocol active. Eliminate targets." the lasers were aimed once again.
"Eliminate this, Rusty!" Jenny came flying out of no where and slammed a tennis shoe into the robots head, knocking it aside and making it's shot go wild. She landed and quickly dashed back in, "I'm gonna take you apart, fucker!"
"Jinx." the robot stated as it faced her, "Jennifer Wrangler." it paused and pulled it's photo back out, "Do you recognize this vigilante?"
Jenny slapped the photo aside and slammed an open handed strike up into the robot's chin. She followed with a swift kick that blasted it off it's feet. Squinting her eyes at it while it was still in the air, she altered the probability of it's rotation from her kick and the robot came down hard on it's laser cannons, smashing them under it's own weight.
"Yeah! Way to go Jen!" Jason cheered from where he was holding himself up against the wall.
"We're not out of the woods yet. How's Kylee?"
"Alive." Jason replied, "Keep it busy for a few seconds."
"Will do." Jenny grinned and sprang forward, jumping up on to the hood of another car as she did. As the robot sat up and began to stand, she vaulted off the car and slammed another kick home into it's head, knocking it back down to the sidewalk.
Meanwhile, Jason got to the toolbox in the back of the smashed car and yanked it out. Throwing it open, he pawed around until he found something useful. Pulling out a large pipe wrench, he grinned, "Good enough."
Looking up he saw that the robot had Jenny in a strangle hold, and was choking her to death. Jumping to his feet, Jason charged forward.
Tossing Jenny aside and into a wall, the Robot charged it's eye lasers, preparing to end the pink haired girls life. Before it could shoot however, a heavy wrench slammed across it's skull, sending it reeling. Jason panted for breath, feeling his cracked ribs even more acutely after his mad sprint, "This... is going to suck." he muttered and lunged in again as the robot recovered.
Kylee opened her eyes and moved her arm. A little sore, but it was working. Reaching out with her senses, she found Jason and Jenny's life signatures on the street below. Thinking back to Raven's lecture just two days before, Kylee tried to remember everything she's been told.
"My flight is simply a manifestation of my telekinetic ability." Raven has said, "White magic can be used as well, however. It's a bit tricky, but what you need to do is put all the energy you can underneath yourself. This will create a kind of 'cushion' of magic for you to float on."
Kylee focused and pushed all the energy she could down under herself. Opening her eyes and looking down, she saw that she was indeed floating a few inches off the ground.
"No way..." She couldn't help it. Her face broke into a grin. Pushing a little energy behind her, she flew forward a little. With renewed confidence, she pushed herself to the window, and out into the open air. Looking down, she saw Jenny trying to pick herself up as Jason smashed away at the robot with a large wrench.
Flying down quickly, Kylee stumbled a bit as she landed, and jogged over to Jenny's side, "Hold still." she commanded, and poured healing energy into the pink haired former Titan.
"Kylee..." Jenny flexed her muscles, "Thanks. Stay back here and I'll take over for Jason."
"Okay." Kylee nodded.
Jenny got to her feet and charged in as Jason slammed the robot aside once again. He ducked the kick it threw at him and jumped back as he saw Jenny sprint around behind it, "Wrench!" she called and clapped her hands, then held them up to catch. Jason grinned and pitched the heavy metal object, bouncing it off the robots head and letting it spin into Jenny's grasp. She darted forward and gave a vicious downward chop into the brain case of the robot, slamming it to the ground once again.
"Man! This thing can take a beating!" he shouted. A pair of small hands grabbed his arm and dragged him back away from the fight then, and he looked down to see his foster daughter, "Kylee?"
"Let me heal you, then you can get back in there with Jenny." there was sweat beading on her forehead, and she moved stiffly.
"Are you okay?"
"Just not used to expending this much energy. I'll be fine." She raised her glowing hands, "Hold still."
"This is Office Roth in Car 77, calling for immediate backup to 8719 Tagmire Lane. Assault by metehuman, or robotic assailant in progress. Repeat, request backup to 8719 Tagmire Lane. Over." Raven waited with baited breath as the radio remained silent. After what seemed like an eternity, a voice crackled through in response.
"This is car 86. We're only nine blocks away and closing fast." it was Moxie. Her training officer was a competent man, and Raven knew the two of them would be helpful, "We'll be there as fast as we can, Raven."
"Roger that Office Moxon. We'll be there in thirty seconds ourselves."
"Cars 77 and 86, this is dispatch. Be advised that Special Containment Forces and SWAT have been mobilized and are on their way. Just hold down the fort until the heavy artillery gets there."
Raven glanced over at MacRiff, who scowled, "Those SCF morons just blow up everything in sight. We'll stop this if we can before they get there."
Raven nodded, then spoke into the radio, "Roger that, Dispatch."
The robot was backing away as Jenny and Jason jumped and dodged around it, striking whenever they could. It was slowing down, the numerous blows from the pipe wrench having finally hurt it enough to matter. They had pushed it all the way across the street when it finally stumbled.
"We've got it on the run!" Jenny called to Jason, "Let's finish this!"
"Back up requested." said the robot.
Both humans paused, "What?" Jason blinked.
The robot threw a punch at his head, and he ducked. Two seconds later, a jeep was tearing around a corner down the street. Two men leaned out the side of it, both armed with laser cannons.
"Oh shit." Jenny ducked away from the robot as it tried to cave her skull in, and Jason dashed over to her.
"Get down!" he shouted, and shoved her into an ally way. The jeep flew past and lasers blasts rained into the parked cars on the side of the street, causing them to explode into huge fire balls.
The force of the blast took Jason off his feet and through the large window of the sporting goods supply store that sat across the street from his apartment building. Crashing through several displays, he ended his tumulus flight by slamming into a glass display case and shattering it.
Sitting up with a groan, he looked about himself, wiping a little blood from a cut on his brow. Huddled nearby was a man wearing a name tag that identified him as Harry. He was staring at Jason with wide eyes.
Jason shook his head and glanced into the case behind him. His eyes narrowed and he reached it and pulled out a small crossbow. Blinking at it, he looked over at the clerk, "Hey, um... Harry. Mind if I borrow this for a few minutes?"
"Go right ahead!" Harry waved him off.
"Thanks." Jason stood up, grabbed the six bolts that were being displayed with the crossbow, and rushed back to the smashed window. Pausing by the door, he looked over at a display rack full of sunglasses.
Reaching out, he pulled a pair of shades off that had ruby lenses, and put them over his eyes. With a firm set about his mouth he marched back into the street.
Jenny sat up from inside the ally and shook her head. Getting to her feet, she rushed back out to the street and looked about frantically. Her eyes fell on the crumpled form of a little girl with brown hair just down the sidewalk from her.
"Kylee!" she screamed and ran over to the younger girl. Rolling her over, she quickly searched for a pulse.
Kylee groaned and sat up in her arms, "I'm okay, Jenny... just a little banged up." she tried to move, but winced, "Ow."
"You're hurt. Stay here." Jenny looked about frantically, "Where the hell is are the cops? Or the JLA?"
On cue, two squad cars roared around a corner and flew down the road, screeching to a halt next to the two young women. The doors flew open and Raven and Moxie jumped out with their training officers, guns drawn.
"Get behind the cars, Jen!" Raven shouted.
"No!" Jenny started pulling Kylee back towards the ally she'd just come out of, "There's mooks with laser cannons out here now! They'll blow your cars away!"
Raven's eyes widened as the jeep came roaring down the street, directly at them. The robot was riding on top of it, and it jumped off while the jeep screeched to a stand still, flying down the street and landing on the hood of the car she'd just been riding in.
"Shit!" McRiff opened up with his sidearm and started firing bullets into the robot. They bounced off, and the assassin simply reached out and swatted him in the head, slapping him almost ten feet away.
"Sir!" Raven jumped back as well, holstering her weapon, "Moxie! Sergeant Trent! Get away from that thing!" she ran for McRiff's prone and still body.
Moxie dove over the side of the car she was hiding behind and went for an ally way, while her training officer, Sergeant Trent backed away, still holding his gun on the robot, "We need to figure out how to subdue this thing!" he shouted.
"Just get away from it!" Raven screamed. McRiff was dead, and she closed his eyes as she lay him back down, "Get away from it, before it-"
The robot fired off it's eye lasers, burning a hole in Trent's chest, killing him instantly.
"Sergeant!" Moxie shouted, and started for him. She was stopped effectively as a laser blast slammed into her back. She staggered forward a few steps, her eyes locked with those of the last standing officer, "Raven..." she whispered, then fell forward on her face.
"NO!" Raven screamed, and tried to run to her friend. The robot jumped off the car and landed in front of her, halting her progress.
"Roth, Raven." it stated, "There is a new vigilante in Jump City. We have reason to believe you may know who it is, and how to find him. You will tell us."
Raven looked up at the robot and swallowed hard.
Jenny watched as the thugs with the lasers and the robot decimated the police. She gasped when Moxie went down, and stood up.
"Jenny?" Kylee asked from the ground.
The pink haired girl looked down at her, and frowned. Pulling out her cell phone, she dropped it into Kylee's lap, "Call Vic and tell him to get down here, now. Then call Brian and Tara and tell them we need them as well." and she dashed out of the ally way.
Kylee watched her go, not really comprehending the words she'd just heard. She lifted the phone and dialed the first number that came to her. It rang less than half a second.
"Hello?" came a cheerful male voice.
"Bart..." Kylee mumbled, "I'm hurt... I need you to come to my place and help me... we're getting slaughtered out here... Bart... hurry."
"Kylee?" Bart Allen sounded worried, "What...? I'll be there in a flash."
Raven looked up at the robot and shook her head, "I'm an officer of the law now. I don't know anything about any new vigilantes in Jump."
"Unacceptable." the robot glared down at her, "Termination protocol activated." Raven prepared to jump out of the way as it's eyes lit up with red light.
A crossbow bolt slammed into one of it's eyes, sticking into it's head and jerking it to the side. Raven looked over to see Jason striding across the street, his ruby shades glinting in the firelight from the burning cars, "Get the fuck away from my girlfriend." he said in a low, deadly voice as he loaded another arrow.
"Jason!" she backed away from the robot as it turned to him, "Be careful!"
"Oh, I'm going to be careful. Careful to take this walking hunk of scrap apart!" he fired again, this time embedding the arrow in an exposed bit of circuitry on the it's side, making it jerk and causing it's left arm to stop working.
"Hiiiiyaaaa!" Jenny vaulted over one of the squad cars as laser fire from the thugs by the jeep rained about her. She slammed a foot into the robots head, and it went down. She landed and looked up at Raven, "You have to use your powers, Rae."
"I can't... I'm a cop now..." she seemed distracted and looked over to the jeep, where the gunmen were taking aim.
"Who cares?" a red and white blur rushed past her, kicking her hair up. Bart was suddenly standing on the robots head, pumping his feet up and down and pounding it's face into the street, "You're a Titan, Raven! Screw being a cop!" He was wearing a white jump suit with a long red stripe that running down the center, from his head to his feet. Amber goggles covered his eyes, and his rusty brown hair flopped about in a comical manner.
"Bart?" her jaw dropped.
"Impulse." he corrected, then jumped away form the robot. Landing, he looked over at Jason, "You guys finish this thing off, and I'll see what I can do about taking away those guys' guns."
"Be careful, Impulse." Jason nodded and walked closer to the robot, which was starting to get up.
"You're going to let him do this?" Raven drew her gun again, "He's a kid, Jason!"
"At least he's willing to fight with his full potential." the archer replied, firing into the robot's other eye, destroying it's final laser.
Raven's eyes narrowed and she fired off a shot at the robot. The bullet bounced off it's armor, "Shit."
"You don't have the aim I do." Jason came up next to her, and Jenny stood on the other side of her,
"You can rip this thing apart, Raven." he put a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes flicked off to the ally next to the jeep.
"No." she shook her head, "I'll go see to Moxie. You handle this." and she turned and ran off.
Sighing, Jason looked over at Jenny, "Let's finish it."
She nodded, and they both jumped forward.
Kylee looked up as a dark form leaned over her, "You must be Kylee." it said in a strong, male voice.
"Who..."
"I'm Nightwing." the man replied, his face still cast in shadow.
"That robot... it's looking for you..."
"I know. I'm going to stop it, but I want you to go with a friend."
"Who?"
"Do you remember Starfire?"
"Kori?"
"Yeah. This is her sister." the dark man motioned to the side, and a young woman came into view as she held up a purple glowing hand.
"Hey, kid."
"Didn't know... she had a sister..."
"You have a concussion." Nightwing noted, "She's going to help you."
"Where's Kori?"
"She'll be dropping in on the fight in about two seconds." Nightwing grinned, "Don't worry, Kylee. The Titans are here now."
"Whoa!" Jenny was flung away from the robot as it tossed her across the street and into the side of a building.
Jason ducked another punch, "Shit! Jen!"
"I'm fine!" she called back as she stood up, "But this thing it berserking on us!"
"Then we shall simply berserk on it!" a strong female voice called from above as Starfire descended from the sky. "Raagggaaaa!" she screamed, and plowed a strong, Tameranian fist into the robot's head, smashing it to pieces. Grabbing it and lifting it above her head, she slammed into the pavement, then proceeded to savagely beat it with her bare hands, pounding away at it until there was nothing but scrap on the ground.
Jason and Jenny watched with their mouths hanging open as their friend annihilated the enemy they had just spend fifteen minutes getting thrashed by, "Damn." Jen said.
"Kori... where... why are you in Jump?" Jason took a step forward.
"The Titans are returning to Jump City." the alien princess stood up, her new uniform drawing appreciative glances from both of her friends, "Please stand back and let Richard and myself handle this situation."
"Dick?" Jason's eyes swung over to where Impulse was darting around, trying to disarm the men with laser cannons just in time to see Nightwing charge out of an ally and take one of them off their feet with a hard right hook, "No way..." his face split into a grin, "I knew he couldn't be dead!"
Jenny blinked, "What the hell is going on here?"
Raven reached Moxie and checked her for a pulse. Finding one, she sighing in relief, and pulled out her radio, "Officer Roth to dispatch. I have an officer down at 8719 Tagmire Lane, and two confirmed officer deaths. Vigilantes on the scene are holding the assailants off, but I need back up now!"
"This is dispatch. Special Containment Forces are mobilizing and will be on the scene in ten minutes. EMT's will be there shortly after."
"I don't have ten minutes, damnit!" Raven shouted into her radio, "Permission to use my metahuman abilities to subdue the assailants?"
There was a long pause, then the response came, "Permission denied, Office Roth. Hold until Special Containment Forces arrive."
Raven hurled her radio away in disgust and turned back to Moxie. She found herself staring down the barrel of a laser canon. One of the men had broken away from the group at the jeep and was holding her at gun point.
"Say goodnight, officer." he grinned down at her.
A black object flew out of nowhere and sunk into his arm, making him scream and drop his gun. He and Raven both looked at the Night-a-rang sticking out of him.
"What the fuck?" the man looked back at Raven, and saw her pointing her gun at his chest.
"You..." tears were brimming in her eyes, "Why can't you people just leave my family alone? Why did you have to shoot Moxie?" her finger tightened on the trigger, "Why wont you let us live in peace?"
The man took a step back, "Whoa... hold on now! I surrender! I'm unarmed... just arrest me!"
Raven's eyes hardened, "I don't think so." and she pulled the trigger.
The man screamed and fell back, the bullet lodged in his shoulder. Raven sighed and looked next to her, where Nightwing was crouched, holding her hand up, aiming the gun away from where it would have shot the man in the heart. She went limp and buried her face in his shoulder, "Oh, Dick..." she moaned through teary eyes, "why do we have to keep suffering?"
He wrapped an arm around her as he took the gun out of her hand and held her close, "Because we can't help it... we need to do good. We need to be heroes."
"I'm... glad you're not dead."
"Thanks. I'm pretty happy about it too."
"I was wondering when you'd show yourself... hiding in the ally like that... is Kylee okay?"
"Blackfire brought her back to the Tower. We should get things straightened out here, then head there ourselves. Do you want to bring your friend?"
"No... she's a cop. She needs to be taken care of by the EMT's."
"I'll have Star fly her to the hospital." Nightwing stood up and helped Raven to her feet as well. They turned to see Impulse standing in a triumphant manner on the hood of the jeep, and Starfire floating next to him, giggling at his antics. The laser canon toting men all lay in a heap, knocked out by strong Tameranian punches.
"Who are they?" Raven asked.
Nightwing let go of her and bent down. Picking up the gun he'd taken out of the man's hands before Raven had shot him, he turned it over and showed her. Jason and Jenny came up next to them and looked as well.
A stylized logo of sorts was splayed across the stock of the gun. It was an intertwined 'IG.'
"Intergang?" Jason arched an eyebrow, "What do they want with Jump City?"
"The same thing they always want." Nightwing threw the gun over to Starfire, who caught it and added it to the pile she'd made, "A piece of the action."
"So... are we back?" Jenny grinned.
"Yeah." Nightwing turned to them and returned her smile, "We're back."
August 7th - Impulse, Seraph and The Operator
An hour later, the doors to the medical lab in Titan Tower slid open, and Raven walked in, still wearing her torn and dirty police uniform. She was followed by a floating Starfire, who was grinning ecstatically at having the Tower so full of family again.
Blackfire was looking over the monitors and chatting with a rather lively Kylee, who was glowing with a soft white light. When the two entered, the black haired young woman turned to them with a smile, "She's doing great. Turns out it wasn't a concussion after all."
"Thank God." Raven stepped up next to her foster child, "How're you doing sweetie?"
"I'm fine, Raven. I just got a nasty bump on my head and a few scrapes." she held up an arm and showed how she was glowing, "My healing abilities are fixing me up as we speak."
"Raven has similar abilities, though they are based on empathic feedback." Star floated over, "It is wonderful to see you once again, Kylee!"
"Hi Kori!" Kylee leaned over and hugged the alien, who smiled and returned the gesture, "It's great to see you again, and to meet your sister! Komi's been great."
"Speaking of Kommand'r..." Raven turned to the elder Tameranian, "Congratulations. I sense new life growing inside of you."
"I know..." Blackfire smiled weakly, "Um... it's Brian's baby."
Raven blinked, "Damn."
"Yeah." the two woman looked at each other, then burst out laughing.
"Does Tara know yet?" Raven asked.
"We told her yesterday. She's pissed." Blackfire giggled, "Can't say that I blame her."
"So no designs on her man though, huh?" Raven smiled, "It'll be interesting to see how the three of you work this out."
"Terra is actually quite excited about having a baby to help look after." Starfire put in while Kylee watched in amusement, "She is simply angry with Brian for being so promiscuous."
"We'll cross those bridges later." Raven's smile faded into a contented look, "Dick wants to see us in the living room for a team meeting." she looked over at Blackfire and Kylee, "All of us."
The younger girl grinned, "Does that mean that I'm gonna' be-"
"That's up to Nightwing." Raven cut her off with a glare, "Don't expect any miracles though." and she turned away form them, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get changed into my real uniform."
As Raven swept out of the room, the three young woman looked at each other with matching grins. Starfire spoke up, "It is good to have all of our friends back."
Raven stepped out of the walk in closet of her room, dressed in her standard blue cloak and black leotard.
Her room.
She smiled at the thought, and looked around at the rather barren decor. She'd taken most of her things with her when she left, even though most of them still languished in storage. She'd have to come up with a new decorating scheme if Jason was going to share the room with her though, so they'd need to do some shopping.
Stepping out into the hallway, Raven almost ran right into Jenny as the pink haired girl was about to walk into her room. "Hey." she greeted, and took in the tight black leather pants with the Titan 'T' sewn into them on the right thigh, and the tight black tank top that made up uniform of her friend, "We still need to flesh out your outfit."
"I know... especially now that I can't... well... all I can do is fight. I need more stuff, like Dick." Jenny looked down at herself, "Maybe a cloak or something."
"Maybe." Raven smiled a little, "Are you going to be okay with this? Not being able to cast, and having your metehuman abilities diminished?"
"I'm going to train hard, and make sure I'm field ready before I go out, but yeah... I want to be a Titan again just as much as the rest of the team."
"I'm glad." Raven replied, and they started for the elevator.
"What do you think about this meeting Dick called?" Jenny asked as they stepped onto the lift.
"No clue. He was guarding his emotions and thoughts very tightly. I'm not sure what it's about."
"Hmm. He's acting kind of funny."
"He didn't want to stay away as long as he did, but he had to... sort things out. He's matured a lot in the past six months."
Jenny nodded, "We all have." and they lapsed into silence.
As the two young woman stepped off the elevator into the main room, they took in their gathered friends. Vic and Sarah sat on the couch, talking quietly about something or another, while Starfire and Blackfire floated in seated positions near the TV, watching the proceedings with twin smiles. Kylee was seated on a chair, with Bart zipping around the room, still in his Impulse get up, and acting silly, making her giggle.
Gar was leaning back against the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room, his old black and purple uniform back in place. Tara was sitting next to him on the counter, kicking her legs back and forth, her outfit from the night before washed, but still the same.
Jason stood off to one side, his outfit completely changed. He wore a red body suit with no sleeves, and plates of armor protecting vital areas. There were numerous pockets and pouches all along it for storing weapons and equipment, and a holster for a gun was strapped to his left leg. A yellow utility belt was attached about his waist, and long, armored gauntlets covered his hands and ran all the way up his arms, to just above his elbows. The ruby shades from the sporting goods store were set over his eyes.
Jenny nodded to Raven with a smile, then walked over to join Gar and Tara. Raven took to the air and floated over to Jason, where she touched down and stood staring up at him for a moment.
"You," she stated, "look hot."
His serious face broke into a light grin, and he leaned down and kissed her cheek, "Thanks. I was working on it before the team broke up and still had it here in Robin's closet. I did away with the mask though... the shades are way cooler."
Raven laughed, then wrapped her arms around him, "We'll be okay, Jason."
"I know..." he returned the hug, "I know."
They stood that way for several moments, before Raven pulled away and turned to look at the elevator. Jason followed her gaze and saw Nightwing standing there, looking deadly serious. After a moment, the red haired archer spoke up, "What's up, Dick?"
The room fell silent as all conversations were extinguished and everyone turned to regard the recently returned hero. He stared back at them for several minutes, just taking in each of their faces. After a time, Gar spoke up, "Um... Dick? You okay, man?"
Nightwing nodded, then reached up and pulled off his mask, "Yeah... I'm great." he walked forward, and nodded to them, "We've all grown up a lot since we were last in this room, and for some of us, this is the first time seeing it." he looked over to Kylee and Bart, "It wont be the last time, either." Both of the youngest people present looked at each other with excited grins.
Dick continued, "I'm sorry I was away for so long. I didn't want to deceive all of you, or push you away, or... I guess what I'm trying to say is... I'm sorry. I realize that I'm not the easiest person to know."
Ringing silence met his comment, and after several seconds, Jason spoke up again, "Well THAT'S about the understatement of the century." and the whole room burst into laughter. Dick nodded with a grin, holding up his hands for silence once more.
"I've asked you all to leave the lives you've built while I was away. Now, I'm going to have to ask you to wait a little while longer." he locked blue eyes with violet ones across the room, "Raven, you're with me."
Vic and Sarah nodded. Kylee and Bart looked at each other and shrugged. Jason put a hand on Raven's shoulder. Gar, Jenny and Tara all looked back and forth between the sorceress and the dark suited vigilante. Starfire and Blackfire grinned.
Raven looked around at all of them, then back at Dick, "Oh. So that's how it's going to be, huh?"
Dick nodded and put his mask back on. Raven walked over and joined him, looking up at his serious face, "And where are we going, Nightwing?"
"City hall." he replied, and she nodded. Sweeping her cloak up, she covered both of them, and they vanished in a swirl of black energy.
Larry Fine, the mayor of Jump City, was not a happy man.
"I don't care about the battle in the art district right now! Just find out why the lights are back on at Titans Tower!" he listened to the other end of the phone he was yelling into for a moment, then slammed a fist into the desk that sat at one end of his well appointed office, "Then call the damn Justice League! I don't know how, just do it!" and he slammed the phone back down.
Muttering to himself, he walked to his personal wet bar. Picking up a bottle of brandy, he prepared to pour a glass, "Stupid... can't even rely on my own people anymore..." he tipped the bottle up and started to pour the amber liquid into the glass he had sitting on the bar.
But the brandy didn't move. It stayed in the bottom of the decanter as if it were frozen there. Blinking, he tried to slosh the liquid around, but it wouldn't move. Setting the bottle back down, he slowly turned and jumped at what he saw.
Standing back in the shadows of his office, by the window, was the tall form of Nightwing, obscured so that only his form and his burning white eyes were visible. Next to him was the cloaked form of Raven, her own eyes glowing white from under her darkening hood.
"Mayor Fine," Nightwing said in a low, slightly angry tone, "we need to talk."
"Who the hell are you?" the Mayor demanded, then turned to Raven, "And what are you doing here, wearing that getup? I thought you were one of my cops now!"
"Last I checked," Raven replied in a cold tone, "the Mayor didn't own the police force."
Fine opened his mouth to say something, but Nightwing cut him off, "You've met me before, mister Mayor, back when I called myself Robin."
With a shaking head, the Mayor laughed, "We got reports that Robin was killed."
"I wasn't. I'm alive and well. I know you can place my voice now, and if you want, I'll get JLA confirmation for you."
The Mayor walked back to his desk and sat down in the chair. He tried his best to not look intimidated, "What is it you want? Are you behind the reactivation of the Tower?"
"Titans Tower belongs to us now. The Titans are back, Mayor Fine, and we're here to stay."
Fine growled low in his throat, "This city doesn't need the Titans-"
"This city is currently playing host to several criminal organizations, including Intergang, the HIVE, and several as of yet unidentified government organizations that may be having shady dealings here." Nightwing's eyes narrowed, "But you already knew that, didn't you? How long have they all been greasing your palm to ignore their activity, Mister Mayor?"
"Are you accusing me of-"
"I've acquired computer records of several large money transfers to your personal offshore bank accounts. The Titans know, Fine, and we're going to have our eye on you. Don't take any more bribes, and don't let these organizations push their roots any deeper into this city." the two started to melt back into the shadows, "Or else."
"What?" Fine stood up, "How am I supposed to resist them when they can-"
Nightwing's voice echoed throughout the office as he and Raven vanished, "The Titans will deal with them, Fine. You just keep your hands clean... and maybe use some of that money to open a new children's hospital."
The Police Commissioner of Jump City, Eric Granger, sat at his desk with his head in his hands. He sighed and reached for a pack of cigarettes, then pulled his hand away. He reached for it again, then stopped again, "Grace will kill me if I start smoking again..." he looked forlornly at the pack, "Maybe just one..."
He was spared from having to make the decision as a knock came on his door. He straightened up and picked up his pen to make it look like he was working and not trying to decide weather or not to blacken his lungs, "Come in." he called.
The door swung open and Raven walked in, her cloak billowing about her, "Office Roth, reporting Sir."
"Raven?" Granger gasped, "Where the hell have you been? You were at the scene where officer Moxon was shot, and both of your training officers were killed! Why didn't you..." he took in her Titan garb and his mouth dropped open, "The Titans are reforming, aren't they? That's why the Tower's back on. That's why your apartment was empty, and that's who stopped that rampaging robot."
"Correct on all fronts." Raven stood at attention, "I'd like to request a PCD, Sir."
"Permanent Change of Duty?" he blinked, "To what?"
"Official Police Liaison to the Titans."
Commissioner Granger sat back down at his desk and sighed, "Sure! Why not? Request granted, Office Roth, and I'll... make the position by tomorrow morning. You'll be our go between for the Titans and the JCPD."
"Thank you Sir."
"You'll be staying at the Tower, I assume?"
"Yes Sir."
"And you'll keep me appraised of all of the Titans operations?"
"Most of them, Sir."
"Most of them?"
Raven chose he word carefully, "We may need to run covertly sometimes."
Granger grinned, "You mean you may not always adhere to the law."
Raven smiled lightly, "I didn't say it."
"Very well. You're dismissed, Officer. I'm sure you have some catching up to do at the Tower."
"We do." Raven nodded, "Our leader is back from the dead, and we have a party to throw." With that, she vanished into a pool of blackness in the floor.
Granger blinked again, then shrugged and picked up his pack of cigarettes. Pulling one out, he opened a drawer and retrieved a lighter, "Grace is going to kill me..." he muttered as he lit up.
Nightwing stood on a building ledge, looking out at downtown Jump City with his arms crossed, and his face set into a serious expression. He didn't even flinch as the black form of a bird of prey fell from the sky and materialized into Raven right next to him. She gazed at him from under her hood and spoke, "It's finished. I'm the official liaison between the Titans and the Police. I'll need to keep them appraised of most of our operational details, but Granger is aware we probably wont tell him everything."
"Good." Nightwing didn't look away from his brooding.
Raven sighed, "You're acting strange, Dick. Just spit out what's on your mind." she pulled back her hood and gave him an encouraging look.
He glanced at her, then sighed as well, his form visibly slouching, "I made a mess of things, didn't I?"
"What makes you say that?"
"I died, Raven. I should have told you guys... you've been so understanding about it... all of you. It makes me feel shitty, because I'm not sure I made all the right decisions, and I let Jump go to hell in a hand basket while I was away."
"You have doubts, Dick. It's because you're human. Most of us suffer from that."
"You don't."
"I'm not one hundred percent human." Raven noted, "But you're wrong anyway. I second guess myself too. So does everyone on the team... well, except for Kori, but she always follows her first, gut instinct anyway."
"Yeah, I guess." Nightwing sighed again, then straightened up, "So... about Kylee."
"What about her?" Raven frowned, "You're not thinking of making her a Titan are you? Dick, I wont stand for you putting my daughter in harms way-"
He held up a hand to cut her off, then spoke, "I want to make her a Teen Titan. Not a full Titan like the rest of us. She'd be a Titan in training, basically, and come out only on missions we're sure are safe." he smiled at the incredulous look she was giving him, and pressed on, "Her and Impulse both."
Raven glared for a few more moments, then sighed and looked away, "Fine. But you're taking over her combat training. Jenny is good, but I want Kylee to be able to kick ass with the best of them."
"I think I'll be working with Jenny a little bit anyway. She's... different. She didn't use her powers at all, or cast any spells while we were fighting that robot... was it an after effect of the magic she used to bring Terra back?"
"How do you know things like that?"
"I learned from the worlds greatest detective." Nightwing shrugged, "So it was?"
"Yes. She's lost her aptitude for magic."
"Bummer. I'll see about getting her hooked up with a utility belt or something."
"Thanks." Raven smiled for the first time since joining him, "Are you ready to get back? We have to tell Kylee the good news, and then we have to throw a party."
"A party?" his eyebrow rose.
"A 'yay-Dick-isn't-dead' party."
Nightwing chuckled, "Why don't you go get set up... I have to go talk to someone."
"Who?" he was silent for a moment, and she squinted at him, "Red-X isn't going to be happy about this... maybe you should let Blackfire and Terra break the news to him."
"No... I'll do it. That way he can be ready for when those two come gunning for him."
Raven blinked, "Guys stick together, huh?"
"I need to talk to him anyway. Figured I might as well give him a heads up."
Raven rolled her eyes, "Be back in a few hours, okay?"
"Will do. Where is he right now?"
Raven concentrated for a moment, then looked up-town, "He's home. I'll give you the address."
Nightwing stood on the patio of the penthouse for a moment, gathering his thoughts, then reached out and knocked on the French doors. There was the sound of pounding feet, then the doors flew open and a blue eyed, blonde haired young man looked about wildly, "Tara?" he shouted.
"She's okay." Nightwing stepped from the shadows he'd retreated into, and nodded to the thief, "It's been a long time, Red-X."
Brian looked at him for a moment, then his eyes widened, "Robin?" he breathed.
"It's Nightwing now... aw to hell with it. Call me Dick." and he stripped off his mask. Brian took in his blue eyes, then smiled weakly.
"Brian." he held out a hand, and Dick shook it, "What brings you by here? Do you know where Tara is?"
"She's at the Tower, with the rest of the Titans." Dick motioned inside, and Brian nodded, leading them in.
"So you've reformed the team then?"
"Yeah." Dick looked around, "Nice place."
"Thanks. She's okay and everything, right?"
"She's fine... well, she's pissed at you, but she's fine."
"Why the hell is she pissed at me?"
"Because Blackfire has joined the Titans now."
Brian paused where he was walking to the kitchen, and turned around, "Did she... tell Tara that we slept together?"
"Yeah." Dick nodded, "But it gets worse."
"How much worse?" Brian looked frightened.
"About as bad as it can get. Brian... Komi is pregnant. With your child."
Brian stumbled back as if he'd been slapped, then quickly walked to the couch and sat down. "Oh... fuck me." he held his head in his hands, "Fuck... me."
"Yeah." Dick took a seat next to him, "Thought you'd want a heads up before Tara came looking for you. Komi might come with her, so you should definitely be ready."
"Thanks." Brian mumbled.
"I have to get back to the Tower. Just one more thing before I go."
"Yeah?" Brian looked up at Dick as the vigilante stood up and replaced his mask, "You've been doing surveillance of Jump for several months now. I'd like all the records you have, if it's not too much trouble."
"Sure. I'm no hero. I don't need 'em." Brian stood up, "I'll start making copies and sending 'em to Vic."
"Thanks." Nightwing walked over to the French doors, and opened one, but paused at the threshold, "Oh, and Brian?"
"Yeah?"
"Live in Jump City. Steal elsewhere." and he was gone.
Brian stared at the spot where he had been for a moment, then sighed and went back to copying his files for transfer.
When Nightwing stepped off the elevator and into the living room, the first thing he saw was Kylee and Bart sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table, paging through a thesaurus. Most of the rest of the team was absent, except for Gar, who was making a sandwich in the kitchen, and Jason, who was sitting at one of the computer terminals, going over a city status report.
Stripping off his mask, Dick walked across the room and leaned on the back of Jason's chair, "What's up, Roy?"
Jason groaned, "Please don't call me that?"
"Why not?" Dick shrugged, "It's your name."
"It's my first name. I prefer my middle name."
"I can just call you Harper if you want."
Jason turned and looked up at Dick, "Why don't you call me Arsenal."
Dick raised and eyebrow, "Jumping on the new name bandwagon, huh? Nightwing, Changeling, and now Arsenal." he chuckled, "Next thing you know, Raven will be calling herself Sparrow."
"Not in a million years." Jason grinned as well, then turned back to his work, "I've been going over a few reports. Things look quiet, but I can't shake the feeling that there's something I'm missing."
"We know the Mayor is being bankrolled by Intergang and a government organization I can't put a name to yet, so the hospitals and police networks we get our reports from could be tampered with as well." Dick sighed, "We may have to gather our intel the old fashioned way."
"Bummer." Jason turned away from the monitor, "Speaking of names though..." he looked past Dick, "Any progress guys?"
"I still think Angel is the best." Bart stated firmly.
"It needs to be cooler than that though!" Kylee flipped another page.
"Why Angel?" Dick asked.
Kylee stood up and faced him with a blank look. After a moment, she started to glow with a soft, golden white light.
"Ah." Dick nodded, "No wings?"
She floated up off the ground.
"I see." he smiled slightly, "You do look rather angelic. Did you know your eyes glow slightly too?"
Kylee blinked, her eyes indeed glowing with a soft white light, "No, I didn't."
"How about..." Dick thought for a moment, "Seraph."
"Seraph..." Kylee tried it out.
"Angelic, but not generic. From a guy who used to call himself Robin the Boy Wonder, that's not bad." Jason chuckled until Dick slapped him across the back of the head. "Ow!"
"I like it." Kylee floated over to Dick and pecked him on the cheek, "Thanks."
Dick blinked back at her, a light blush coloring his face, "Uh... your welcome."
Jason grinned up at him, "Why don't you watch what you're doing with my daughter, Dick. I mean, you already have a girlfriend, and Kylee's a little young for y-"
Dick hit him again.
"Ow!"
Sarah looked around a room in the center of the Tower, filled with computer terminals, analysis machines, and a single espresso maker.
"What is this place?" she asked her red and black haired companions.
Starfire smiled, "This is the Towers control center. It is a communication hub that is utilized to assist us in organization while we are in battle."
"Why hasn't Victor ever mentioned it?" Sarah sat in one of the chairs and watched the monitor was showing a security camera that was looking out over the street from the sporting goods store across from Jason and Raven's apartment.
"We have never used it before." Starfire replied.
"They've never had anyone to us it before." Blackfire sat down in a chair next to her and typed away at a few keys, bringing up a different view, from a traffic camera down the street. "All of the Titans have always been field agents. Now that I'm restricted to a desk job though, this is the best I can do to help them."
"So you're going to be the Com Mistress?" Sarah looked over all of the equipment.
"For now." Blackfire looked over at her, "Once I have the baby, and I've recovered a bit, Dick wants me to be back out in the field... and he wants you to take over the job here for me."
Sarah gasped, "No way! I don't even know how to use any of this stuff! I-"
Blackfire cut her off, "I have six months left to teach you, and we also have a great cyber tutor for you." she called up a com window on the main monitor, "Isn't that right, Babs?"
"Call me Oracle, Kommand'r." came the computer filtered voice of the Oracle thought the rooms speakers. A green, computer generated face appeared on the monitor, "Hello, Sarah. We've never met, but Dick and Kori both speak quite highly of your skills."
"I do a little programming here and there..." Sarah blushed, "Nothing big, like this... I'm a social work major for crying out loud."
"You will make an excellent Titan." Starfire floated over and hugged Sarah from behind, "We would all like to see you as part of the team, Sarah."
Sarah was silent for a moment, then spoke in a soft voice, "Do I... get to choose a name for myself?"
"An alias isn't required," Oracle replied, "but I would recommend it."
"Then I'll be the Operator." Sarah said in a firm voice.
"Oh! Joyous!" Star hugged her tighter.
As Sarah struggled for breath, Jenny poked her head in the door, "Hey, Raven just got back with the pizza. We're go for party time!"
Blackfire stood up and opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by a sharp beeping noise. She turned back to the console she was at with a frown, "Hold that thought." she said, and her fingers started flying across the keyboard, "Hey, Oracle! If you're just going to sit there, do you think you could give me a hand? Pull up and scan through traffic cameras seventy-six through eighty-four."
"On it." Oracle replied. After a fifteen seconds of silence punctured only by the clicking of Blackfire's keyboard, an image came up on the main screen, "This what you're looking for?"
The image showed a large monster made of goop tearing into a chemical waste depository building. Starfire sighed, "Our first night back... oh, why did it have to be Plasmus?"
Blackfire opened a com window, "Dick? We have trouble."
His voice responded, "Roy and I just picked it up too. Patch me through to all communicators."
"Will do."
Jenny arched an eyebrow, "Who's Roy?"
"Jason's first name." Sarah giggled. The pink haired girl arched an eyebrow with a grin.
Starfire and Jenny both felt their T-Comps buzz and flipped them open to see Nightwing's face staring back at them, "Titans! We have Plasmus trying to get at some toxic waste over in the industrial sector. Gather in the main room for orders. You have one minute." and the screen went black.
"Well he's turned into a slave driver." Jenny grinned, "Can I have a lift, Star?"
"Or course." the red haired alien waved to her sister and Sarah, then lifted Jenny in her arms, and flew off rapidly.
"Ready to start learning, Operator?" Blackfire grinned at the blonde.
"You bet. Show me how to open a communication window..."
August 8th - 12:24 AM
Plasmus downed another barrel of green sludge, and grew a few inches. Moving over to another crate, he was reaching to open it when a starbolt blew apart his hand. Looking over at the entrance to the warehouse, he paused.
Nightwing crouched in front of Jinx and Arsenal, both of whom were standing in fighting postures. Starfire floated above them, and Raven hovered off to one side. Terra floated on a hunk of rock just outside, her grin evident even at the distance she was from the slime monster.
"You picked the wrong night to start messing around in Jump, Plasmus." Nightwing pulled out two freeze disks, and grited his teeth, "Titans! GO!"
And they all attacked with a single battle cry.
Closing Notes: I know. Long. Anyway, just one more to go, and this story will be over. I'll then be moving right on to the next one. The Epilogue will be longer than the Prologue was, so expect it to take a little while. Finals and all that.
On a personal note, I proposed to my now fiance this past Friday. I'm engaged! Woo!
Next Time - Epilogue: Raven's Thanks
In which we peek into Raven's journal once again.