Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. Those rights belong to a number of people—DC comics and Cartoon Network come to mind as possibilities. So give all credit to them, assuming you can figure out who it is. My money's on DC.
Author's Note: The entire series is based at least partially on my Teen Titans website, which can be accessed by going to my homepage if you are so inclined. Despite this, it can still be read by anyone who is not a member of the website, so don't be discouraged. Enjoy!
Author's Note #2: The first chapter is somewhat AU, based on the fact that it takes place in a merged universe where the Justice League and the Teen Titans shows are in the same timeline. Don't ask. I promise it shouldn't ruin the story.
Weekenders"The training areas are located on the fifth level," Robin was saying, his voice ringing through the Tower with a note of command. "All food in the refrigerator is available whenever you'd like, and all facilities previously mentioned are also yours to use. You've already seen your own rooms." He turned, glancing over at Cyborg, who stood at his left. "Did I forget anything?" Robin asked his friend.
Cyborg thought for a moment. "No," he said finally, "I think you covered all the important points."
"Okay then," the Boy Wonder said, turning back to the group before him. "You've heard my speech. Any questions?"
"Yeah," came the reply from the girl directly in front of Robin. "Can you remind these half-wits why we're here?" As she finished speaking, Supergirl turned her head to glance at the group behind her. Three teenagers with extraordinary abilities...and they barely seemed able to concentrate. Supergirl sighed.
The dark face of Virgil Hawkins, the Dakota City champion code-named Static Shock, brightened immediately while he laughed, playing with his electric abilities to send violet lightning around the room in an impressive display. To the side, the twin sisters Hawk and Dove were engaged in conversation, completely engrossed in what the other was saying that they seemed to be ignoring everything around them.
Robin gave a deep sigh and buried his face in his hands. Supergirl seemed competent enough, but the others...it was like they hadn't a care in the world. Taking a deep breath, he looked up again. "If I could have your attention, please," he said with a certain amount of stress. "You're all here as per request of the Justice League," he said in response to Supergirl's question, trying to get the others to listen to him. "Although they understand that you're part of the next generation of heroes, the League thinks all of you need more training--with people your own age. So, they contacted us, and we invited you to join the Titans." It was really a rather simple concept, but for some reason, only Supergirl was understanding it. Perhaps that was because she was the only one actually paying attention.
"And how's that going to work, oh fearless leader?" Static Shock asked with flair, pulling his electrical display back. "After all, none of us actually live in Jump City, if you recall. We've got responsibilities back home--school, for one."
"Like you concentrate at all on school," Hawk murmured under her breath, earning a disapproving glare from her sister.
"You guys are part of the new Titans classification, the Weekenders," Robin said. He had gone through this at least twice before, and was starting to get sick of this conversation. "You'll live in your hometowns from Monday to Friday. Then, after school on Friday, you'll come here and help us out in Jump City, returning home Sunday night."
Static Shock opened his mouth, about to ask another question, but before he could finish, red lights began to flash in the Tower, and a loud alarm began to sound. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had just happened, but..."What's that?" the Dakota hero asked.
Hawk opened her mouth to let out a harsh comment, but Dove was able to stop her sister just in time.
"It's our alarm system," Cyborg said, running to the computers.
"What is it this time?" Beast Boy asked, trying to peer over Cyborg's shoulder. "Plasmus? Mad Mod? Doctor Light?"
"Oh, I do hope that it is not Johnny Rancid or Atlas!" Starfire cried out, remembering her particularly unpleasant experiences with those two villains from recent times.
"No," Cyborg said. "According to the report, it's Mammoth. He's attacking a downtown store."
"Let's go trash him, then," Static Shock said fervently.
"For once, you actually said something smart," Hawk agreed, feeling the power of Chaos in her veins. She loved to battle.
"Mammoth's a second-rate villain," Cyborg said. "We can handle him easily on our own, but you guys should use the time to train and get situated in the Tower. The five of us can take care of him, no problem."
"What? Why?" Supergirl asked.
"Cyborg's right," Robin said. "It'll be more beneficial for you guys to train here for today. You should run the training simulation for Brother Blood. You'll get a good workout while we're gone."
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"They didn't like that very much," Raven noted. The Titans were flying through Jump City. Beast Boy, in the form of a pterodactyl, carried Robin on his back, while Starfire easily carried Cyborg with her strength.
"It's better that they stay at the Tower," Robin replied. "They wouldn't get any fighting experience here. I doubt we even need all five of us to take him."
"Speaking of Mammoth," Raven said, "Does anyone else think it's weird that he's attacking a store? It's not his usual M.O. I don't think I've ever heard of Mammoth acting independently from the H.I.V.E."
"Let's ask him, then," Cyborg replied through clenched teeth, spotting the villain in the streets. "If you'll excuse me," he said politely to Starfire, letting go of her hands and plummeting down towards Mammoth. The villain looked up just in time to see Cyborg slam directly into him.
"Titans, go!" Robin shouted, leaping from Beast Boy's back and twirling his staff. When Mammoth stood back up, hurling Cyborg off of him, Robin leapt forward, slapping the villain with the large metal pole.
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos," Raven intoned, weaving together her spell into a powerful telekinetic charge, grabbing a mailbox to hurl at Mammoth. The brute was shoved down as the object crashed into his back.
"He's down!" Robin shouted. "Rush him!" As he ran forward, however, the mailbox was hurled forward, knocking him back as Mammoth stood up, a grim look on his face. Grabbing a lamppost, the behemoth swung his newfound weapon, knocking Cyborg and Raven to the ground.
"Do not hurt my friends any more!" Starfire shouted, pelting the villain with her Starbolts. Mammoth shouted as he was knocked backwards by the energy onslaught...and he fell right underneath Beast Boy, in the form of an elephant. Letting out a triumphant bellow, the green creature stomped it's foot onto the villain.
"Did we beat him?" Raven asked groggily, letting her healing powers get rid of her wounds. When that was finished, she reached over to heal Cyborg before moving on to Robin.
"Yeah," Beast Boy said, reverting to human form. "He's out cold."
"Good," Starfire said, starting to fly to Robin's side. "Then we shall take him to jail and--" But the Tamaranean princess said no more, falling to the ground in a blast of lightning.
"Starfire!" Beast Boy shouted, running forward. But as he did, violet energy coursed in front of him, and the little green Titan fell on his face in the street.
"I've gotta admit," came a familiar voice, "You guys took down Mammoth a lot easier than we thought you would. But I guess it doesn't really matter, does it? He was, after all, only the appetizer. We're the main course." Robin, jumping up, looked over and saw a rather something rather unpleasant. Jinx, Gizmo, Private HIVE and See-More stood over the fallen forms of Starfire and Beast Boy. "After all," Jinx continued, "You do owe us a rematch after last time. Using that 'mother' spirit to beat us just wasn't fair."
"The H.I.V.E. Five," Robin grimaced.
"That's right," Jinx replied, "And unlike last time, you're not getting away from us so easily."
"Speaking of getting away," Cyborg shouted out, "How'd you get away from Mother Mae-Eye? She's not exactly easy to beat."
"We had a little help," Gizmo admitted. "Our new Headmistress is quite proficient."
"Your new Headmistress?" Robin asked.
"Oh, yes," Gizmo replied with a toothy grin. "And she wants to meet you all...personally."
Guns erupted from the ground suddenly, barraging the Titans with an onslaught of plasma energy, designed to knock them unconscious. Raven and Robin fell to the ground after a short time, but Cyborg rushed forward, his sonic cannon forming on his arm.
"Naughty naughty," Private HIVE reprimanded as he stepped forward. "Our Headmistress gave us strict instructions, and you're not going to avoid this meeting." Stepping to the side, he hurled his fist at Cyborg's face as the Titan rushed forward...and then, for Cyborg, everything went black.
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"I can't believe we lost to a simulation," Dove said, wincing as she stood up from the floor of the training simulator. At Robin's suggestion, the Weekenders had run the Brother Blood program, thoroughly prepared to beat it with ease.
"We were trounced," Hawk said bitterly, using the wall for support. "We were bloody trounced. And all because of him," she said, jabbing her finger at Static Shock.
"Hey, it's not my fault!" he protested. "Supergirl's the one that designed that crappy plan."
"It wasn't a 'crappy plan'," Supergirl retorted. "It would have worked just fine is you had done your part instead of running off like a moronic rogue!"
"Come on, guys," Dove intervened. "Can we not fight each other? Let's just run the program again."
"I don't feel like it," Static Shock said shortly, storming over to the door. "I'm gonna go watch some TV." With the press of a button, the door opened, and he walked out.
"I really don't like him," Hawk confided to her sister, who just shook her head.
As the other three Weekenders walked upstairs, Static Shock gave a start. "Guys, come over here!" he shouted, his eyes glued to the television set.
"What?" Supergirl asked, walking over. "Did Spongebob do something?" There was a certain bite to her words.
"No," the electric hero said sardonically. "I'm watching a news report about the battle with Mammoth."
"Are the Titans on their way back?" Dove asked.
"Not exactly," Static Shock said. "According to this, the H.I.V.E. kidnapped them."
"Oh, that's just bloody great," Hawk murmured. "The people that are supposed to help us train to be Titans are in the clutches of a villainous organization. The perfect addition to my day."
"We've got to go rescue them," Supergirl offered.
"'Rescue them'?" Dove repeated in an incredulous tone. "We can't even beat a simulation here at the Tower. How do you expect us to rescue the Titans from a group of their long-time enemies?"
"We've just got to work together," Supergirl said. "That's why we lost in the training simulator."
"Great idea, mom," Hawk said sarcastically. "Except that we've got nothing to go on. None of us have exactly fought the H.I.V.E. before."
"No," Supergirl said, thinking, "But the other Titans have. The files here at the computer are sure to have the information we need." She was moving now, flying towards the monitors at a high speed.
"So what do you propose we do?" Dove asked gently.
"Arm ourselves with information," Supergirl said, clicking a button and watching as the computer screen blinked into life. "Learn exactly who our enemies are, formulate a plan...and prove that we have what it takes to be Titans."
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"It's really rather great to see you," the figure said, her light voice emerging from the shadows. "We've met before, of course, but not since I ascended to this position...and never in this sort of situation."
"Who are you?" Robin asked groggily, trying to make sense of the situation he was in. He had awoken moments before, his limbs chained and utility belt gone. With a glance, he was able to surmise that his teammates were in similar situations, their strengths negated and their weaknesses exploited.
"Why, Robin, I'm shocked," the voice replied in mock hurt. Then she laughed, the sound echoing throughout the dark room. "You know me," she continued. "We've met many times, on the field of battle. Perhaps it's the darkness that's confusing you?"
"It is rather dark," he admitted, deciding to feign serenity until he could figure out a way to escape. From the corner of his eye, he saw Starfire, to his left, begin to wake up, and Beast Boy was also starting to stir. Good. Now he just needed the rest of them to wake up.
"Then perhaps I should come closer," the figure said, and even in the dark Robin could see a shadow begin to move, the steps resounding with loud clicks. As the figure approached, and his vision cleared, Robin could begin to make out more details. His eyes opened quite wide when he finally realized who it was.
"Missed me?" Static smirked, nearly posing as she stopped her steady advance. Her blonde hair, cascading past her shoulders, provided a sharp contrast to her dark uniform, garnished with the traditional symbol of the H.I.V.E. As a mark of her status, however, the symbol retained a certain flair that the mundane variety simply could not match. "It's really been too long," the Headmistress of the H.I.V.E. said, bending down to take Robin's chin in her fingers, squishing his cheeks together in a contemptuous manner.
"You're the new Headmistress, Static?" Cyborg asked, now alert. "How'd you manage that ascension?"
"Let's not bother ourselves with details, Cyborg," Static dismissed with a wave of her hand, letting go of Robin's face. "After all, it's only the current situation that matters, right? The past is all so murky, anyhow. I don't wish to bore you."
"What do you want, Static?" Starfire asked, an inner glee filling her as the sight of Raven waking up at last.
"That's really quite simple, Starfire," Static said, turning back to the shadows she had started from. "I want to kill you and your friends. You've proven to be very disastrous for our team, you know. Destroying two of our schools...it's been very costly to rebuild after all these times.
"And you think we're just going to let you?" Raven asked crossly.
"Oh, of course not," Static agreed. "But you don't really have much of a choice, do you? Each of you are in certain forms of imprisonment that prevents you from activating your powers. And I wouldn't try weaving together any spells, either," Static warned Raven. "This room is spell-proof. The psychic feedback would be quite disastrous."
"So that's it?" Beast Boy asked, a bead of sweat glistening on his brow. Static was right...their powers were negated. He had tried shapeshifting, but everytime he began to use his powers, a sort of compulsion pushed him back. The strain was incredible.
"That's it," the Headmistress confirmed. She seemed about to say more, but a beeping noise interrupted her train of thought. Glancing down, she removed something from her pocket...a communicator. "Excuse me," she said gently to the Titans, as if trying to be polite, before she stepped to the side, facing the wall. "What is it?" she barked into the phone.
"Mistress," the voice began in a subdued, yet somewhat frantic, manner, "I beg your forgiveness for the interruption...but there's a bit of a problem."
"So take care of it, fool," Static commanded. "I'm the middle of something."
"Forgive me, Mistress," the messenger babbled, "But I think this problem might require your immediate attention."
Static was about to reply when the room suddenly shook. It didn't just vibrate...it seemed to tilt on it's side, and the communicator fell from Static's hands, skidding against the wall, as the Headmistress attempted to brace herself. "Blast it!" she swore. "What could this possibly be?"
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"Keep pushing, Hawk," Supergirl commanded, straining as she heaved forward with all the strength at her capacity. And as an Argosian...that was a lot of strength.
"I'm trying my best, Supergirl," the heroine known as Hawk answered through clenched teeth, "But this isn't exactly easy. We're trying to push a building. They're built to stay still for a reason."
"Just keep pushing," the Girl of Steel repeated, glancing to her side briefly. "Static Shock, Dove," she called. "Are you okay?"
"Oh, just peachy," Static Shock replied, leaping into the air, propelled by a blast of electricity. "We're only trying to fight the entire H.I.V.E. army here. No problem."
"Oh, shut up," Dove murmured, leaping into the air with a roundhouse kick to slam two H.I.V.E. soldiers to the ground. "Save your breath for fighting."
The situation wasn't good, Supergirl had to admit. After leaving Titans Tower, the Weekenders had flown to the only known entrance of the current H.I.V.E. Academy. Despite having a number of possible battle plans, they settled for a rather simplistic one--to push the building itself off it's foundation. The retaliation had been immediate, and both Dove and Static Shock were busy fighting for their lives against every able-bodied warrior in the Academy. They had gotten lucky against See-More, taking him down in a surprise strike, and Mammoth was still out of commission, but the rest of the H.I.V.E. Five were out there fighting as well. It wasn't pretty.
"Just die, you twerps!" Gizmo shouted, blasting with a powerful ray gun as he hopped in place, extremely angry. Static Shock, raising his hand, countered with a powerful blast of electricity, resulting in a rather large explosion.
Even as Dakota's champion came up against the miniature machine master, Dove--champion of the Lords of Order--was slamming her fist into Jinx's jaw, countering her hexes with a rather simple solution: preventing her from casting them. "This isn't going to work," she called out to Supergirl. "Sooner of later, one of us is going to make a mistake, and we won't be able to keep these guys off your backs."
"Which is why we have to hurry," Supergirl called to Hawk.
"I'm going as hard as I can!" the Chaos agent growled.
"And you've gone far enough," came a growl from behind them. Turning her head, Supergirl saw the Private HIVE approaching, beefing up his muscles for a rather brutish encounter.
"Keep pushing," Supergirl told Hawk. "I'll handle him." Removing herself from the building's side, Kara flew down to where the soldier stood. "I hear you're strong," she noted in an almost conversational tone.
"I can hold my own," he agreed before leaping forward suddenly.
Supergirl was ready. Stepping to the side with blinding speed, she blasted his back with heat vision, causing his skin to blister. "Argh!" he shouted in pain, turning back to charge again.
"Honestly now," Supergirl chided, "That's not nice, is it?" As Private HIVE swung his fist, preparing to slam her in the jaw, she ducked down, hurling her fist upwards in a sharp uppercut. Private HIVE flew backwards, slumping to the ground unconscious.
"Sorry about that," the Argosian apologized to Hawk, flying back up to resume pushing the building. "There was a pesky little problem."
"Just keep pushing," Hawk said, then flashed a smile.
"What is going on here?" The voice of Static cracked like a whip, causing the battle to momentarily cease. "Get away from my building at once." The electricity mounted in her palm, growing around her body in a shimmering display of power.
"School is out for the summer," Static Shock joked, his own purple lightning growing around him as he prepared to confront the Headmistress.
"You're the one called 'Static Shock'," the H.I.V.E. Mistress noted, glancing at the teenager who approached her. "Stay away from my name." She extended her hand, and the lightning flew forward, a deadly chain. The hero of Dakota was pushed back, his own electric aura dispersing as he fell to the ground, beaten.
"You're the H.I.V.E. Headmistress," Dove acknowledged, stepping forward. "That means this is your school. I assume you don't want it destroyed."
"Of course not, fool," Static sneered.
"Then you'll let our friends go." Dove's words carried a strong note of finality and confidence.
"And why would I possibly do that?"
"Because if you don't," Dove replied, "My friends will tear your school out from the ground. I'm not architect, but I'm pretty sure that buildings don't respond well to that sort of thing."
"You couldn't do that," Static replied angrily, although there were a note of uncertainty in her voice.
"Couldn't we?" Supergirl said from where she hovered. "Hawk and I have been pushing and pulling at your school with our strength for quite some time now. If we wanted to, we could uproot it pretty fast at this point."
"Let the Titans go," Dove said, standing strong. "Once they're out here, we'll let all of you go back inside, and we'll leave."
Static glared at the group with hatred in her eyes. She seemed about to fire off a retort, but instead, she turned her head. "Do it," she barked to a subordinate.
"Yes, Mistress," the soldier replied, a note of surprise in his voice, before running off into the building.
The next few minutes were filled with a booming silence. The Weekenders stared down the remaining soldiers of the H.I.V.E., led by the Headmistress Static. Absolute hatred was in her eyes, but Dove remained calm, knowing that, despite the odds, they--four new recruits to the Titans--had won.
"Here they are, my Mistress," the soldier said, returning with the Titans behind him, still in their various chains and restraints. "What shall we do with them?"
"Let them go," Static said shortly. "We've lost this round."
"Yes, Mistress," the soldier obeyed, releasing the bindings on the Titans.
"Get out of my sight," Static hissed to the Titans. "You may have beaten us, but the next time I see you, I will destroy you."
"Likewise," Raven murmured.
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"This calls for a celebration," Cyborg said. After a quick teleportation spell weaved together by Raven, the Titans had been transported back to their home. "Not only did you guys rescue us, but you did it together."
"You've proven that it has what it takes to be Titans," Robin agreed, looking at the Weekenders. All four of them sat on the couch, lounging sheepishly as the leader of the team continued to praise them.
"And what's more," Raven added, "You helped prove to the H.I.V.E. that even though they've gotten stronger...so have we."
"So here's to you guys," Beast Boy said, pouring himself a glass of soda and raising it. "A toast, to the newest members of the Teen Titans."
Their cheers resounded in the night...
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Static, the Headmistress of the H.I.V.E. Academy, sat in her chair in a darkened room, looking at an object in her hands. Her attendant, a portly little man by the name of Johnson, hesitated as he approached her desk. "Headmistress," Johnson said with a gulp.
"Yes, Johnson?" Static murmured, continuing to glance at the object in her hand.
"Our soldiers are at the ready, Headmistress," the attendant informed her. "They just await your signal."
"Whatever for?" the owner of the school asked, a puzzled frown forming on her face. "I didn't give any command to rally the troops."
Johnson gulped again. Static was always unpredictable, and Johnson was never sure just exactly what position she'd take next. At least with Blood in charge, a person knew where he stood. "It's a strike group, Mistress," the attendant answered, stuttering on the last word. "They're prepared to go and wipe out the Titans."
"Oh," Static said, lounging back in her chair. "Never mind that. Dismantle your strike team, Johnson."
"If I may be so bold to ask, Mistress," Johnson began, "Do you not wish retribution on them? They nearly destroyed yet another of our schools."
"I expected as much," the Headmistress shrugged. "It's no big surprise, really."
"You're just going to let them go, then?" the attendant asked, his tone incredulous.
"You forget yourself, Johnson," Static reminded the trembling man. "And besides," she continued, "Things went exactly as planned. I was able to get a gauge on the power capacity each of the Weekenders held, as well as a certain...key ingredient." As she said these last words, she rubbed her fingers against the object in her palm.
"But, Mistress," Johnson began, before he was interrupted by Static.
"You're dismissed, Johnson," Static said. "You've begun to bore me, and I don't think you want to be around much longer...for the sake of your continued health, you understand."
As the sputtering attendant walked out of the room, livid, Static spun in her chair slightly, raising the object in her hands to the light. It was a vial...a vial filled with a dark liquid, superimposed with small, swirling lights.
"The game has just begun," she murmured to herself...and then, in the darkness of her chamber, the Headmistress of the H.I.V.E. laughed...