The next night was unusually dark and dreary. Rain pounded hard on the apartment windows, and the thunder and lightning was almost continuous. The storm had lasted for hours with no sign of letting up, but Stardust was busy rummaging through her closet and waiting for her mother to get home from work. She was nervous about what she wanted to tell her, but she knew Kory would not do anything bad to her. She never had, so there was no reason to start thinking that she would now. Stardust found what she was looking for and smiled. The light blue Tamaranian uniform that would hopefully fit her. She tried it on and looked in the mirror, relieved to see a perfect fit. She felt strange but quite important in it, and she examined it thoroughly and was well pleased.
The front door opened and Stardust knew her mother was home. She went out to meet her.
"Hello, Stardust," Kory said cheerfully, though she was struggling with the things in her hands and was covered in raindrops.
"Hi," Stardust replied, shifting her weight to the side and putting her hand on her hip. She wanted her mother to notice what she was wearing, and she did.
"You look quite lovely, but why are you wearing that?" Kory said.
"Yesterday there was some sort of sea monster that split the bridge down the road in two."
"Yes, I heard about that."
"I defeated it and saved the bridge. Me and a friend."
"But I do not know what it has to do with the uniform." She was still smiling good-naturedly.
"I've been thinking a lot, and I've decided that I want to fight crime- like you used to do when you were my age. If I can't have a team of my own, I at least want to do this by myself. You said so yourself that the city needed the kind of protection that it used to have."
"I did say that. But you do not know how dangerous a job of crime fighting can be. Your life is risked every day, and you do not ever know what is going to happen next."
"I know, but I can do it. I want to do it. I have the time, and I don't want my powers to go to waste. You said that wasn't good."
"It is not good. But you do not have the time, not with your schooling-"
"I can drop out of school and study at home when I have the time. Believe me, Mom, it'll all fit together. It did for you."
"It was different for me," Kory said, setting her things on the kitchen table. "You know about my past, Stardust. I escaped slavery from Tamaran and was rescued by a team of heroes. I did not have family or schooling on Earth to worry about. If you did this, I would be worried every day what was happening to you."
"I control my powers well; you're the one that told me that. And if I just sit back and watch all this destruction go on and waste my powers, I'll feel like a total loser. If you could do it when you were my age, I can do it now. I'll take care of everything."
Kory sat down and put a slender hand to her forehead. "I cannot say no. This will be good for you, despite the dangers. I believe you deserve an offical team- or at least something I want to give you." She stood up and went into her bedroom, Stardust following. Kory opened the closet and strained to reach something on the top shelf, then turned around and handed it to Stardust. "It is a communicator, mine officially from the team. You will need it if you have a team of your own, and when someone wishes to call you for help."
Stardust admired the device in her hand. It was black and yellow, round, and had a white T on the front of it. "Thank you," she breathed.
"It must need new batteries," Kory said, getting some out of her drawer and placing them in the communicator. It came to life and played a tune.
"How is anybody going to know who to call when they need help?" Stardust asked.
"The same way they did when I was a Teen Titan. There is a special number to call, and when someone does the communicator will vibrate or beep or something. You will know when it does." She reached back into the closet and pulled out another one. "This was your father's. I will show you how to use them." She put batteries in it too, then turned it on and pressed some buttons. Stardust's communicator vibrated in her hand, and she flipped it open. Her mother's face appeared on the small screen.
"That's awesome," Stardust said, hearing her voice on the communicator in Kory's hand as well as from her own mouth.
"You will be able to contact your teammates from anywhere on the planet," Kory said. "If you have a team."
"Thanks, Mom. This is really great."
"The puplic will know that there is once again someone to call for help when they see you on the television."
"I know it's raining and all, but I have to go do something," Stardust said, taking both communicators.
"One more thing before you go, Stardust."
"What's that?"
Kory smiled, her green eyes soft. "Do not fail to make me proud."
Stardust flew through the rain, not even attempting to keep dry. She was too excited and happy to care. When she came to the woods she had been at the other night, she landed on the ground and shielded her eyes from the rain.
"Rorek?" she whispered, thinking her search would be in vain, but only a few seconds later he dropped down from a tree branch and landed lightly in front of her.
"Stardust," he said pleasantly. "I didn't expect to see you here again."
She smiled. "I didn't expect to find you. What are you doing out in the rain, anyway?"
"I could ask you the same question," he said lightly. "But I don't have anywhere to go. You do, I'm sure?"
"Yeah, but I was looking for you." She felt like slapping herself. He wasn't supposed to know that!
"Well here I am, my lady. Did you need anything?"
"I wanted to ask you something."
"Go ahead, but we really should get out of the rain. Follow me."
She did, and he led her to a indention in the side of a large rock that was almost a cave, but it was not very tall, so they could only sit down in it. Stardust sat on her knees to keep control of her short skirt; she wasn't used to wearing things like this, but it was now part of her uniform.
"Now, you wanted to ask me something?"
Stardust nodded. "I'm sure you know about all the monsters and super villains that sort of invade the city, right?"
"Yes, and I've had quite a few run-ins with them. What about them?"
"See, my mom and dad and some of their friends used to be a team, the Teen Titans. They fought the crime and put a stop to the monsters and stuff. In short, they protected the city with their super powers. Now this place is overrun sometimes with problems, but now that the team is older, they have their own lives and their own things they're doing, just being normal I guess. But I've got nothing to do really, so I took it upon myself to do what I can to protect this place. You heard me say it to the camera crew."
"Yes."
"Well, I have powers, and so do you, and I was thinking that a team is better protection than just one person. Will you be the first addition to my team?"
She could tell he smiled, even under the muffler than covered half his face. "I would be honored to help you."
"Great!" she said, smiling broadly. Her new team was getting to a good start already. She didn't dare tell him, that not only did she want her first teammate, but she wanted his personal company as well. Though she did not know him very well, she had grown to like him a lot. He was so polite and easy to get along with, but a fierce fighter at the same time.
"I will try to be of the best assistance I can possibly be."
"You don't have to worry about that, you're fighting skills are awesome." Then she blushed and looked away, quickly changing the subject. "Maybe when the rain slows down a little we can take a walk or something."
"It looks like it already is."
Stardust looked outside and saw that he was right. Then she remembered the communicator. "Wait, I have to give you something. I guess it makes you an official member of the Teen Titans." She took one from her pocket and handed it to him. He seemed to be confused with it at first, but she showed him how to use it and he caught on quickly. By that time the rain had almost stopped, and she crawled out of the cave, Rorek following her.
"I'm not very familiar with the city, so you can pick where you would like to go," he said.
She shrugged. "Not anywhere in particular, I guess." They left the woods, talking, and walked down the wet sidewalk, the bridge they had just saved the day before to their right. Stardust squinted her eyes and strained to see in the darkness. Some sort of commotion was going on at the dock up ahead. She held up her hand to quiet Rorek, and as they got closer she recognized one of the people as a girl she went to school with, Sandra, and there were two men with her that she did not recognize. And the girl from school did not seem to know them, either. She was trying to get by them, but they were not letting her.
"What is it?" Rorek asked quietly.
"I know that girl," Stardust said. They came even closer, and to Stardust's surprise, Sandra raised both hands and shot a river of black energy at the men, sending them slamming back onto the dock. She flew over and landed beside the girl, who looked shaken.
"Star!" she said, hiding her glowing hands in her jacket. 'Star' was what all of the kids at school had called Stardust, since she never told them her real name and wanted to hide that she had powers. But now that she was a Titan, she didn't have to do that anymore.
"Sandra, are you okay?" she said, concerned. Sandra nodded and glanced at the men, who got up from the ground and fled. Rorek kept his distance.
"I'm okay." Sandra looked down at the dock and almost seemed ashamed.
Stardust brought her voice low. "You have powers too?"
"Yes. I didn't want anybody to know, but it was bound to happen eventually. I- I can't always control them the way I should."
"I have powers too."
"I know. I saw you on the news last night, and I was shocked."
"Then you don't have to be ashamed, Sandra." She waved Rorek over to them. "All three of us have powers, so there's nothing to worry about. Do your parents know?"
Sandra looked away. "I don't have any parents. I'm in a foster home, but they don't care about me."
"Oh. Well, do your foster parents know?"
She shook her head. "I haven't told anybody... until now. Please don't tell."
"I won't. But stay here a minute, okay? I'll be right back." She took Rorek by the arm and led him out of ear shot of Sandra. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Sandra has powers- a great addition to the team. I know I just started all of this, but if we're going to protect the city, we need all the help we can get."
"Agreed, but you heard the girl. She does not have control of her powers. What if she gets hurt?"
"She'll learn to control them. I'll teach her myself if I have to." She thought for a moment, then said, "We need a place to be our headquarters. It'll be better for the team if we all stay together, and you don't have anywhere to go, and Sandra could probably use to be away from her foster home. Stay here with her, I'll be right back." She flew away quickly.
When she reached the apartment, she rushed inside and looked for Kory. "Mom? Where are you?"
"I am right here," came the reply. Kor was brushing her long red hair in her bedroom.
"My team's already going great. I have one member besides me."
"Who?"
"Rorek. Remember, I told you about him."
Kory smiled a little. "Yes, I remember."
"And then there's this girl that I knew from school, Sandra, and I just found out she has powers and I want her to be a part of the team, but it'd be better if we could all stay together, so what I'm getting at is we need an HQ. What about Titans' Tower?"
Kory stopped brushing her hair. "I do not know, Stardust. The tower is not mine to give."
"Does someone still live in it?"
"Until recently. He just moved out."
"Could you find him and ask him about it? We'd fix it up and take good care of it, and besides, it's for a good cause, you know. We'll use it just like you did when you were young."
"He is an old friend of mine, but I do not know how to contact him."
Stardust raised her eyebrow. "How about the communicator? If he still has his, it'll be easy."
"I will try. And I will know by tomorrow."
"Thanks, Mom!" She rocketed out of the apartment, and the walls shook. When she reached Rorek and Sandra, she dropped down hard in front of them, panting.
"What did you find out?" Rorek asked.
Stardust explained about the tower and how the last team of Titans had used it as their home. "It would work perfectly, if we fixed the tower up. I think it needs a little repair."
Sandra looked away. "Your offer sounds great, but I don't know if I can use my powers to fight and help people. They're just too wacky."
"Training will fix that," Stardust said, touching the other girl's arm. "And you can get away from your foster home... that is, if you wanted to."
"Why wouldn't I want to? I don't even exist to them. I'm just a nothing there."
"It'll give Rorek a place to go, too," Stardust said.
"What about your mother?" Rorek asked.
"She's agreed to all this. She lived in the tower and fought crime when she was a teenager, so I guess she understands how I want to. I mean, I'll still see her and stuff; it's not like I'm moving away forever, though the tower is on the other side of town. But it'll be okay, we can handle it."
They moved into the tower late the next night. Kory said everything was affirmative, and Stardust got her belongings and brought them to the tower. Kory came with the three of them, just to see the place she lived in at one time in her life, and she helped them fix anything that was damaged over the next few days.
Sandra had left her foster home after getting her things, though the people she lived with did not know it until later, and she got her own communicator and had a uniform made. A pink leotard with matching boots that came to her knees, and she changed her name to Talon. When asked why, she said that if she was going to be fighting crime and the public was going to know her, a normal name like Sandra would not suit a superhero.
When everything was moved in, fixed, and in place, Stardust, Rorek, and Talon were officially moved in to Titans' Tower. They had picked their bedrooms days before, and Kory had the place remodeled to each of their tastes. Over those days, Stardust learned a few more things about her teammates. Rorek seemed to like things from the midieval time period, and he liked to read a lot. Talon had a thing for birds, and Stardust discovered that's where she got her name from. The night they were officially moved in, the team had a small celebration.
"It kinda feels weird to be somewhere besides a foster home," Talon said, taking a handful of popcorn.
"Yeah, it's weird for me to be away from my mom," Stardust added. "What's strange for you, Rorek?"
"To be away from England. I have not been here long."
Stardust opened a bottle of soda and sat on the leather couch in the middle of her new teammates. She knew that the three of them would have to learn to get along with each other, because arguing was inevitable, and they must know each other's strengths and weaknesses. Learning to work as a team would be hard, but it could be done- it had to be done. And Stardust would make sure it was.
Rorek, who had his ankles crossed on the coffee table in front of him, suddenly stiffened and sat up straight. "What is that?"
Talon listened. "I don't hear anything."
"No, I feel it," Rorek said. He glanced down at the floor.
Stardust set her bottle down and stood up. The last time Rorek had said he felt something in the ground, he had been right. Then the tower gave a violent shake, and all three of them were on their feet.
"Is somebody attacking us?" Talon fretted.
Stardust looked out the window. "Apparently." It seemed as some sort of red force field had caged around the tower. There was another tremor.
Not even a day in the tower and the new Teen Titans were already under attack.