Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, they are owned by DC comics, Cartoon Network and WB entertainment. I do, however, own the OCs contained within and use of them without my permission is strictly prohebitied. You got that?



New Players on the Stage

Chapter One: The Other Team

It was a beautiful autumn night in the city. The temperature fell perfectly within the not-too-hot/not-too-cold range with a gentle breeze blowing through every now and then to make sure things stayed that way. The full moon bathed everything in a soft light, adding even more to the already romantic mood of the evening. Many young couples walked down the streets arm and arm, taking the time to simply enjoy one another's company. Peaceful nights like these were rare in Jump City, so when they arrived the citizens usually made the most of them for they never knew when that peace might be shattered.

And indeed the calm and relative silence of the night was soon shattered by a loud explosion. The source of which were the main doors to the Wayne Tech building located in the city being blown off the hinges. The explosion was quickly followed by the sounds of muttered cursing and laser beams as three oddly dressed teens fled the building while fighting with the surprisingly well prepared security team. Being no stranger to costumed criminals invading their company, the higher ups went to great lengths to insure they the Jump City branch would be just as capable to handle any unusual threats as their home office in Gotham was. Tonight that extra precaution seemed to be paying off but the security team still seemed to have a hard time dealing with the young criminals. After the initial attack, the building's intel crew quickly informed the security force that three belonged to the criminal organization know as the Hive. The two forces battled each other to a stand still that showed no signs of breaking any time soon.

"Jinx, I could use some help here!" Gizmo shouted as he returned the guards' fire.

"Little busy myself here!" the pink haired sorceress replied while she cart wheeled between another folly of shots. "Mammoth, can you do anything?"

"Not unless you want to carry this thing," the largest among the group grunted while shifted a bulky piece of equipment in his arms. "Don't know why I always gotta be the one to do the heavy lifting."

"Cause you're the strong one ya crunge muncher!" Gizmo berated him before barely avoiding another of the guards' shots. "Grudge! We gotta get this guys off our backs!"

"If we can make it out the doors I might be able to something about that," Jinx informed him.

"What do you think we've been doing this whole flippin' time!"

As the battling, and arguing, raged on the combatants were unaware that they were being watched throughout the ordeal. On the roof of the building adjacent to the Wayne Tech building, four figures had situated themselves so they could observe the battle and not be seen themselves. Though only one had a pair of binoculars to truly watch the fight, the other three looked on as best they could. After a moment though, one of the figures stood up and began to pace around the rest of the group impatiently.

"Come on! How much longer to we have to wait! You know we could take these guys so why don't we just do it!"

"You know the plan. We attack only after we get the signal," the figure with the binoculars said calmly.

"Well that better be soon because I don't know how much more of this I can stand."

"Just calm down it'll-hold on something's happening."

The lead figure refocused the binoculars to get a better view at what was happening. The Hive kids had finally managed to break away from the guards' fire and exit the building. Once they had cleared the exit, Jinx crossed her arms to shoot out two hex bolts in an X pattern that destroyed the structure above the entrance, which caused the rubble to fall in front of it and provide them a much needed respite.

"Finally!" Gizmo sighed. "Man that Wayne guy sure hires some tough security. I wonder what his deal is?"

"The fact that he has some of the best high tech stuff and therefore makes him a target for all kinds of criminals?" Jinx asked rhetorically.

"Yeah whatever. Let's just get out of here before-" the diminutive genius stopped when he noticed the third member of their team walking away from them. "Hey Mammoth, you OK?"

The giant boy ignored him and continued to walk towards the building across the street. When he was more then halfway there he stopped and held the piece of machinery they had just stolen above his head. While Jinx and Gizmo gave each other confused looks, the onlookers on top of said building tensed up slightly in preparation for the next stage of their plan.

"That's the signal. Go for it," the lead figure said, nodding towards the one on it's left.

The two criminals on the ground still looked at their teammate like he had gone completely insane when, to their further surprise, the device he was holding began to float upwards.

"What the crud?" Gizmo asked, mostly to himself.

Once the machine was safely out of his hands, Mammoth turned back towards the other two. The looked at him in search of answers, but only found more questions as his body began to shudder and change shape. They watched dumbfounded as his form shrank down to that of an averaged height boy wearing mostly dust colored clothing highlighted with a chrome chest plate, shin guards and heavy padded gloves, topped of with a long, tattered dust colored cape hanging off his shoulders. His light brown hair hung in a disheveled fashion half way down his ears and his chocolate colored eyes held a sense of anxiety and almost fear.

"I'm sorry," was all he told them.

At this point, hundreds of questions where floating through the remaining two Hive kids' minds. Who was this new kid standing in front of them? How long had he been impersonating Mammoth? Where was the real Mammoth? What happened to that equipment they just stole? And just what the heck was going on!

None of these questions received answers, however, as the sound of an explosion from behind them drew their attention. Thinking the guards had managed to break free, they turned in readiness to fight but found a fire burning in the street instead. They were so distracted by the sudden appearance of the fire that they barely registered the sounds of something, or someone, hitting the pavement behind them. Before they could turn back around, Gizmo felt a surge of electricity race through his gadget laden backpack and short out all its systems. He let out a cry of pain as the electricity reached his suit and within seconds he fell to the ground completely unconscious.

Jinx spun around on her heel to face the attacker, but the second she raised her hands to unleash her hex bolts, they were immediately incased in some soft of metal clamps. She stared at them in confusion for a second then gasped as they started to pull towards each other. She groaned as she fought against the magnetic force, but ultimately the devices won out and her hands where stuck together in front of her. She was about to run when the same strange devices were attached to her feet and clamped them together as well. She swayed for a moment before she tumbled to the ground in an undignified heap.

As the pink haired witch struggled against her bonds, she heard the all too familiar sound of a motorcycle and car racing towards her. She hoped that it would be someone, anyone else, but those hopes where quickly dashed when she spotted the red bike and silver and blue car coming closer. She renewed her efforts to break her bonds before they arrived. A run in with the Titans was never good, except for a certain half metal one, but having them see her like this would be down right humiliating. Unfortunately, it seemed whoever designed the clamps not only knew how to negate her powers they also made them pretty much unbreakable or at least unbreakable to her in her current state. She let out a soft groan when she heard the two engines come to a stop and the sounds of four car doors opening and closing. She chanced a glance upwards and saw the Titans surveying the damage.

"Whoa, what happened here?" Beast Boy asked as he looked at the partially destroyed building.

"Good question. And I think I know someone who might be able to answer it," Robin replied when he spotted the still struggling Jinx.

He took a step towards her but stopped when he felt a large, heavy hand on his shoulder. Not surprisingly he looked up to see Cyborg standing over him.

"Let me handle this," he said calmly.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" the Titans' leader asked in a skeptical tone.

Cyborg paused for a second at the tone of Robin's question, sensing that there was another part that went unasked. He wasn't about to broche the subject any further though.

"I can handle it," he reassured his friend before he walked towards the captive girl. When he reached her he gave her a quick look over before he reached down and carefully picked her up by her shoulders until she was eye leave with them. "Alright Jinx, what happened here?"

She stared into his eyes, both real and mechanical, for a moment as she searched for the right words. Though they were on opposite sides and technically she didn't have to tell him anything, she didn't feel quite right lying to him but at the same time she wasn't about to reveal their plans or fess up to the carnage they'd caused. Still she owed him something that hopefully wouldn't give away their little secret in front of his teammates.

"We…were attacked," she finally stated, giving him a weak smile.
There, that was the truth.

"And what about that?" he countered, nodding towards the rubble blocking the entrance to the building behind them.

"Oh. That. Well…you know…that was…"

"Caused by them," a new voice spoke up.

All those present, save for the still unconscious Gizmo, turned towards the direction the voice had come from and where greeted by the site of not just one, but four newcomers stepping out of the shadows and towards the Teen Titans. They were received with suspicious and questioning looks as they approached. Cyborg gently set Jinx back down as he turned his full attention to the new group with the rest of his team. When Jinx saw the same boy that had impersonated Mammoth with them, she tried to warn the Titans, but was interrupted when Robin spoke up.

"So you saw them attack this building?" he asked, pointing towards the Wayne Tech building.

"Yep," the decidedly female voice replied. "Stopped them too as you can see."

"I can. So who are you?"

With that the four stepped completely into the light given off from both the streetlamp and the full moon, giving the Titans there first good look at the new group. The girl that had spoken to Robin was dressed in a similar fashion to him. He could see dark red sleeves and leggings that lent to the idea that her base costume was a long sleeved shirt and a pair of pants, over top of which she wore a longer, sleeveless black shirt that buttoned towards the left sided with a red trimming running from the color and along the seem. She had a grey belt around her waist that created a skirting effect with the bottom half of the over shirt. Over her feet and hands where matching black gloves that came up towards her shins and forearms respectively. Over the entire outfit she wore a cape that wrapped around her neck and had a black exterior and a dark red interior. Of course it was all topped off with a red mask that, much like Robin's covered her eyes and allowed those looking at her to only see two white pieces looking back. Her face was framed by her straight, neck length blond hair. A mischievous smile tugged at her lips as she formally introduced herself.

"I'm Strika," she pointed a thumb to herself. "To my left is Prya."

She inclined her head towards her left shoulder and all eyes turned towards the girl standing a few feet away. She seemed almost the polar opposite of Strika. While the former chose to dress in dark, full covering clothes, Prya chose a bright, yellow body suit that stopped at mid-chest leaving her shoulders exposed and showing of a bit of cleavage. Her arms would have been exposed as well if it were not for the red full-length gloves she wore. To match them she wore red thigh high boots and like the gloves and the top of her suit, they ended in a wave of spikes that gave the whole ensemble the appearance of flames. Her hair only added to the illusion by being a fiery red and falling widely down towards her lower back, it seemed to a flame all on its own. Her eyes were a bright green that shone with a hint of danger, accentuated by the smirk on her face and her hands placed firmly on her hips.

"And to my right is Beta," Strika continued.

Again, the gaze of the Titans' shifted around the other team's apparent leader to a member on her other side. This time it was a boy in a primarily dark grey shirt and pants combination broken by to dark blue strips that started at the middle of the shirt and continued parallel to each other down the sides of his pants and tucked into his thick, grey boots. The pattern was broken by a tech looking belt around his waist while the whole outfit was topped of with a dark blue jacket with a brown suede collar. His shaggy, dark brown hair hung loosely around his face. His eyes were what drew most of the Titans' attention though. They were a cold, gunmetal grey color that seemed almost inhuman, but still carried a look of arrogance to them. His posture seemed to indicate this as well with him standing with his hands in his pockets and looking slightly relaxed, yet still ready to fight at a moment's notice.

"Next to him is Mercurial."

This time they were faced with a boy in a mostly brown costume and a tattered cape with a few chrome armored plates. He stood in the slightly hunched over posture of someone who was shy or nervous. He fidgeted a little as he looked up at the Titans, his eyes full of anxiety. Although they didn't know it, this was the boy Gizmo and Jinx had encountered earlier. She would have warned them about him if she had not been cut off again as Strika spoke up.

"And up on the roof guarding the equipment those two stole is Tekka."

All eyes turned upwards to where the red and black clad girl was pointing, but they were unable to make out the figure standing on the roof. After a few more seconds of trying, they gave up and once again looked towards the four figures standing before them. None of them were really sure what to make of this new group, especially Robin. He knew that Cyborg and Beast Boy would probably call him paranoid, but something didn't sit quite right with him about these newcomers. Their timing in apprehending the Hive students, or at least Jinx and Gizmo as Mammoth was nowhere to be found, seemed just a little too convenient. Not too mention too easy. The Titans had crossed patched with those three many times and while their fights always ended in a Titan victory, it was still a hard fought battle. It was possible there was a fight between the two groups before they showed up, but he saw no signs of a struggle, save for the rubble blocking off the entrance to the Wayne Tech building.

There was something else that bothered him as well. It was something that was struggling against his detective skills. Something he had registered before he began deducing, but shrugged it off until now. As he looked over the group he realized that they had introduced themselves and through years of attending upper class social events, as well as constant reminders from an elderly English butler, he knew that the proper etiquette was for Titans to introduce themselves back. So, in spite of his better judgment he spoke up in a formal, welcoming tone.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he said. "I'm Robin and these are-"

"The Teen Titans of course," Strika cut him off. "Can't live in this city and not know how you guys are. Pleasure's all ours."

She held out her hand with the last statement. Again Robin's suspicions mixed with his upbringing and he hesitantly held out his own hand. The two gloved appendages met and locked to make a firm handshake.

"So what do you call your team?" Robin asked as he still held her hand.

"Well if you really want to know," she replied, slowly taking on an ominous quality. "We're called…Terror Sect."

Robin raised an eyebrow at the name, but his question was lost when he felt her grip on his hand tighten. The sensations he felt next were that of being pulled forward and all the air rushing out of his lungs thanks to a tremendous pressure on his stomach. Through the pain he was able to look down and she Strika's knee firmly implanted in his stomach.

"Now!" she shouted.

With that, the other team took advantage of the startled teens and launched a vicious attack on the surprised Titans.

To Be Continued…

Author's Notes: Well you're probably wondering why I chose to end this chapter here. I mean, I know it's not much, but there are two reasons. 1) The original version of this chapter was pretty long and I was only half way through it so I decided to split it up to lead into the big fight. 2) The original version also got completely screwed up on the disk I had and therefore I lost it all. Fortunately my good friend NateZ had a copy I sent to him awhile ago and he was able to send it back. Bad news is, I lost a couple fight scenes so it's going to set me back a bit. So I decided to post this to have something up and incase it ever happened again I wouldn't loose ALL of the fic. So at least I was able to put up Terror Sect's intro. Think of this as the teaser before the show starts. Next time, fighting galore! Just don't ask me when it'll be up cause I honestly don't know. I can promise this though, it'll be a slobber knocker!