FarCry
Part Three
Three years had passed since the day Slade's Syndicate had made their move and two things hadn't changed: Raven was still missing and Sakura was still asleep.
There was an atmosphere of life about the tower. Though constantly, in the back of their minds, the Titans ached for their friends, they were able to repair and focus: protecting both Jump and Steel City while actively maintaining their friendship and also progressing as far as they could with stopping the end of the world. The sky still turned blue and red in the morning and the stars shined when there was night: tomorrow constantly came and became today. Even in that rhythm, with the washing over of fear at a few hours interval, it couldn't wash clean yesterday… only hope could.
Things changed… and some things didn't. Faces grew more mature, hair longer and naivety was washed away as the days past. Except Celine, all Titans referred to Beast Boy as BB, because boy wasn't really correct. He still had a few weeks until he legally became a man, but the change in his body made such a demarcation fruitless. They called him BB (though Changeling had been thrown around a few times, but never stuck) and would continue to until he could come up with a better name. BB didn't seem inspired to do so, so BB was his personal handle.
Robin hadn't been referred to as the Boy Wonder since long before his eighteenth birthday passed, not that anyone knew when that was, but nonetheless, they all found it inappropriate to refer to the Titans' leader that way, unless it was joking or as some artifact of endearment. Despite some obvious metamorphosis candidates, Robin hadn't changed his persona and he wouldn't: not until they found Raven, so she'd never have to wonder if he waited for her, so she'd never doubt that he would've waited forever.
The Titans' leader had taken to pulling his hair back into a pony tail. His dark tresses were sloping down his back, nearly at the level of his pecks. The physical changes were something he could do nothing about: the longer hair, the fuller muscles, the deeper voice. Time was making him a man and his every action was meeting that progression half way.
Robin was going over his latest case studies with Celine when the Titans' communicator screen blinked to life.
"Bumble Bee to Titans' Tower." Bee's voice was unhindered by static, the screen was perfectly clear.
"You got us Bee. Go." Cyborg said.
There were enough Titans in the common room to feel the full effect of Bumble Bee's message. Before any of the others understood what it meant, Robin and Celine were prepared for the worst.
"I'm at the AGU-JL headquarters and it seems I've done all I can do. There's no more stalling."
"Understood. When will you be reporting back?" Robin asked.
"In three hours. We're leaving shortly." Bumble Bee replied.
"Alright. Thanks Bee."
"Right. Bumble Bee out."
Celine frowned and closed the transmission. The Titans circled around Robin and Celine, various stages of a frown ran across their faces.
"I do not understand what has transpired." Starfire admitted.
"That was a message from the AGU, the base of my operations. They caught wind last year of some of the details we've been trying to protect and they weren't happy." Celine replied.
"So what does that mean?" Aqualad asked.
"Without anymore information I was unable to appease the collective mind at the AGU-JL headquarters." Celine replied.
"Do they want you to return?" Cyborg asked.
"No, they're coming to us." Robin replied for Celine.
"Who's they?" BB asked.
"The leaders of the AGU and the Justice League connection." Robin replied.
"You're going to have to give us names; we don't know who those are." Cyborg replied.
"The Justice League connection is the financial backer and delegate for the operation state of the Justice League… you'd know him best as Bruce Wayne."
"Bruce Wayne? The Bruce Wayne? As in the Bruce Wayne of Wayne Enterprises?" Aqualad asked.
"The very one… he's good friends with the leader of the Justice League." Robin added.
"Bruce Wayne and Batman¹ are friends? Wow, I didn't think the guy could get any cooler." BB added.
Blackfire turned to Celine realizing that there was another name on the list. "Celine, who is the other leader whom is coming?"
Celine sighed. "The other leader… is the man who established the Armed Guards Union and directs its operations from the AGU headquarters… he's the one who sent me here. He's responsible for most of the distribution of all AGU members like Robin and myself and also for a good number of junior Justice Leaguers like Bumble Bee."
"General Surge Fletcher." Robin provided, realizing that Celine wasn't going to.
"Fletcher? But that's Celine's last name." Beast Boy frowned.
"Yes. He's my father."²
"Then that is good news! Your father will be most sympathetic in our plight." Starfire said.
"Negative." Celine replied. "If he has his way, this could be the end of the Titans."
…
Nervous was an understatement. Fear was currently torrenting through Titans' Tower and nothing Robin could say or do would alleviate it. He was waiting side by side with Celine. She had changed into her Armed Guard's uniform: the purple dress and jacket, despite their length, did appear to provide her with more authority than her casual skirt and top ever had. As far as the Titans were concerned, Celine wasn't lacking for authority. Apparently before the AGU-JL leaders Celine had something to prove.
The witching hour arose and two Titans nearly fell over themselves with worry. Despite their maturity in physical appearance, Starfire and BB had the anxiety control of six year olds.
The helicopter landed and Bumble Bee led them in. The Titans stood in two lines: Celine, Robin and Cyborg were the first line and all the Titans fell in behind them in two parts: to Celine's back left were BB and Starfire; D'ucel, Aqualad and Blackfire were behind Cyborg's right shoulder.
Robin could see Celine's fingers flexing and relaxing behind her back. Her face didn't show it, but she was probably as nervous as BB, but the difference between them was Celine had a legitimate reason: BB feared the unknown; Celine feared the devil at home.
The conversation the team had early hadn't given any of them any reason to feel any less unease. In fact, Celine's explanations made them all a little sick to their stomachs about the entire upcoming ordeal.
º"He's going to want to meet with us, all of us. General Fletcher doesn't like to go by paper work when it comes to assessing people totally, but he does like to draw from reports to determine how he assesses them." Celine told the small group. Robin had decided to check on his sister while Celine gave the Titans a brief rundown on what they should expect. Robin didn't feel the need to be present for the meeting: he had met General Fletcher personally a time or two and from his personal experience, nothing could prepare the team for the mental shaking they were in for. Robin had to steady his heart for the emotional shaking Bruce Wayne was walking into.
The Titans surrounded their resident genius, a little put off by her AGU uniform. The soft cool of Celine's kind character didn't show through at all in her purple dress and boots, but cool and kind wasn't what she was going for. The red head frowned, pulling her hair into a tight pony tail.
BB was the first to break the ring of silence. "So does he know everything about us?"
Celine seemed to think about her answer. It bothered the Titans, she was obviously guarding something. Considering that none of them knew much about Celine and the vastness of her knowledge pool, it was probably something either really important or really painful. They had seen the way Celine had lost much of her girlishness over the last three years, and considering that her features were rather mature for the seventeen she walked in as, there wasn't much left to lose. That maturity had come with stressful times. Over the next few days, she wouldn't be getting any younger.
"He only knows what I know… or at least what I've disclosed." Celine finally said.
The others didn't like that answer. Aqualad drummed his knee with his fingers. "So he knows everything?"
Celine shook her head. "No, my reports as of late have been… incomplete and my previous knowledge is limited to the information I have access to… there's a lot of information in the Titans' data base that I don't have the authorization to access. Things like Robin and Speedy's identity, a lot of the Slade reports… things that only Robin can access… by AGU protocol Robin can't withhold that information for the AGU, but he can decide who he gives the information to."
Aqualad rubbed his jaw. "So with your reports, you were protecting us?"
"That was my intent, but I don't know if I've done more harm than good."
Cyborg rolled his head to the right, taking in Celine's downcast profile. "So can he really shut the Titans down?"
Celine's sigh was labored, short red hairs dropped into her face. "I don't really know… there are complications to the issue that need to be resolved."
"Explain." The command was short; Cyborg didn't see the need for much more.
"I'm not sure if I can."
"Please try." Starfire said. Her hands knotted around themselves in worry.
"General Fletcher doesn't respect the creativity of children. He recognizes strategic genius and that is about it. He's a calculated man, he thinks that battles led by the heart are often history's greatest tragedies… he only believes in the mind of war… before I interfered, your team was one of passion, no real strategy to speak of."
"But we have you and things are different. We still fight with our hearts but we've got brains too. What does he have against the Titans now?" BB asked.
Celine frowned. "Nothing… it's what he has against me."
"I do not understand." Blackfire stated simply.
"Is it a daughter following in Daddy's footsteps deal where he's harder on you than others?"
Celine shook her head. "General Surge Fletcher is nothing if he is not professional. He doesn't see me as a daughter. I didn't know he was my father until I'd been at the AGU for nine months and from what I understand, he didn't either… General Fletcher's issues with me are slightly more complicated." And that was all Celine had to say for the moment.
None of the Titans knew how to respond to such information. There was more to Celine's story and they all knew it, but none of them knew if they really wanted to hear the rest.º
When the doors opened, the light that spill into Titans' tower wasn't blinding, but it knocked enough shadows to highlight their approach. Bumble Bee looked a little out of place escorting them, the two men moved forward without reference to her guide.
They walked in possessing an air nothing short of godliness. One radiated power, integrity and ability, the other was full of intelligence, intensity and authority. They were both men of prestige, legends within their own circles and together they were like kings of the Earth.
Bruce Wayne was as handsome as the legends suggested. His hair and suit were immaculate and his confidence was a beast that could not be stopped. Robin watched his mentor move forward and it marveled him to this day that no one had ever put together that Bruce Wayne and Batman were the same man: that walk, that intelligence, that sense of justice, it could blind mankind whether or not Bruce wore the mask.
Bruce Wayne was both a man he looked forward to seeing and regretted… he wished that a reunion with his mentor would have been under better circumstances.
Beside him, Celine was wishing for no reunion whatsoever.
Walking in military pace was a man from which Celine had obviously inherited her hair color, her height and confidence, except that that moment, it was hard to notice the latter. General Surge Fletcher's stride was long and controlled; his dark uniform was crisp and stiff against his moment. Even from the distance they could all appreciate his towering height. While Bruce Wayne was no short man at six foot three inches tall, General Fletcher easily surpassed him at six foot eight inches.
As Bumble Bee escorted Bruce Wayne and General Fletcher closer, Robin and Celine stepped forward, encouraging the others to meet the AGU-JL leaders half way. Bumble Bee stepped to the side and let Bruce Wayne look down at Robin and General Fletcher looked right through Celine. For a second the silence didn't bother any of them because their eyes were doing enough work for all their senses.
A common thought ran through the back row of the Titans. Celine must look like her mom. The difference between Surge and Celine were more startling than the similarities: where Celine's eyes were soft and brown, Surge's were fierce and black as the night itself. Celine's face held femininity, Surge's square jaw was a testament to masculinity. Celine's smile was full and warming, Surge's lips were in a thin straight line. Displeasure was obvious, regard was not.
The silence ended when Bumble Bee made the introductions.
"Mr. Wayne, General Fletcher, welcome to Titans' Tower." Robin said.
"Thank you, Robin." Bruce Wayne replied in a manner befitting a gentleman of his legend.
Surge moved his eyes over the Titans' leader before addressing Bruce. "Perhaps we should hold the pleasantries, Mr. Wayne, until we've assessed their operations."
Celine swallowed hard, her fingers flexing quickly and releasing. "Sir, if you would like I can begin briefing you on our current situation."
Surge didn't even look at her. "Colonel Keelin, if your briefings are as insufficient as your latest reports, I am doubtful of their usefulness."
Celine took no rebuke; she didn't seem to react at all. Starfire cringed. BB was very close to giving the General a piece of his mind. Blackfire did.
"You must not be so ill-manner to your daughter! It is mean."
Surge looked Blackfire up and down. A lesser person would have cowered under such a gaze. Blackfire stared him straight in the eye.
"You are Komand'r or Blackfire… you were previously a criminal."
Aqualad raised his eyebrow. "Those things are in the past."
"A villain who wants to do good, isn't that how you got yourselves in this situation in the first place?" Surge asked.
Aqualad was barely fast enough to grab Blackfire before she lunged at General Fletcher. As much as he wanted to throttle the officer as well, it wouldn't do well for the future of their team. Celine stepped in front of the pair and the sight of her seemed to calm Blackfire down if only for a second. Her eyes maintained their furious glow but she stopped struggling against Aqualad's hold.
Bruce's voice cut the tension, his apparent professionalism was on display. "General Fletcher there is a volume of issues which we must address as efficiently and thoroughly as possible. I'm sure Agent Omicron can direct your investigations while I perform my observations."
Surge nodded. Celine closed her eyes in relief. Crisis averted.
BB darted his eyes between the two men. "Investigations?"
"I have generated a database on the Teen Titans," Beast Boy swore he could hear the disregard for the title in General Fletcher's voice. He grated his teeth but said nothing. "and will be conducting interviews with each of you before moving on to my assessment of the Titans' infrastructure."
"I can tell you everything you need to know about the Tower's system." Cyborg offered.
"I will determine that, Victor."
Cyborg balked. "With all due respect sir, my name is Cyborg."
Surge knew better. "Victor K. Stone of Brock County, just as Colonel Keelin is. I understand there is some history there between you as well."
Cyborg knew a bait when he heard one, but he was going to take it anyway. "What of it?"
"That kind of interpersonal relationship between team members has been shown to decrease productivity across a spectrum of responsibilities in agents. Am I correct in my assessment, Colonel Keelin, that the decline of your performance is directly related to--"
Beast Boy's eyes flared. "You can't talk to her like that!"
Next crisis… Celine waved her hand in a dismissive gesture to Beast Boy's anger. The changeling frowned but didn't drop his hands.
"Beast Boy, it's okay." Celine assured him.
"No it's not! Just because he's some high ranking officer in an organization doesn't mean he can talk down to you like that!"
Beast Boy and General Fletcher didn't see eye to eye. Literally and that was partially due to Surge being a good eight inches taller than BB. The others, who had known him personally, were impressed with BB's new height… General Fletcher was not. General Fletcher wore self-importance as plainly as his dark AGU uniform. Both Robin and Celine knew that the best way to handle the General's pecking was to give him nothing to work with. Celine mentally berated herself for not warning them. She secretly placed a small touch on Beast Boy's back, taking his attention away from General Fletcher for Celine to sneak in.
Celine stepped forward, one hand gesturing towards the hallway. "General Fletcher if you wish to proceed--"
"I will begin with Garth, Orin."
The Titans looked around for someone by that name. Aqualad hunched his shoulders. Upworlders always butcher the beauty of my Atlantian name.
Cyborg raised an eyebrow. "Garth? Your name is Garth?"
"Ugh. My name is Orin Garth. It's difficult to say if you're not from Atlantis. It's just easier on everyone if you call me Aqualad."
"Aqua...lad? You're twenty three years old, aren't you a bit old to be a lad?"
Aqualad narrowed his eyes in a very un-Aqualad fashion. "I'm going to change it. I'm just waiting for Aquaman to die."
Robin stepped forward, realizing his team's capacity for suppressing hostility was being tried. He didn't like General Fletcher's tone and he didn't like the underlying criticism the officer was dealing to his team. "General Fletcher, I understand your necessity to maintain a professional disposition, but I cannot allow you to treat my team in such a way."
Surge seemed hesitant to reply, they realized it was probably due to the fact that Surge didn't have Robin's identity to throw at him. Or that unlike the rest of the Titans, Robin didn't fear for a moment that anything that General Fletcher thought would reflect on the future of the Titans.
Surge didn't respond to Robin. The Titans' leader kept his eye trained on him when Surge began to speak again. "I will need an isolated interviewing room."
Celine nodded. "Yes, sir, you can use my secondary workstation. I believe you'll find it commendable. This way."
"Very well Colonel Keelin. You will act as commodore for these interviews."
Celine nodded. "Understood, sir. Orin Garth, please follow me as well."
Aqualad frowned but followed at a good distance behind Celine and Surge.
Starfire turned red at the string of obscenities Blackfire was dispensing in their native tongue. With the exception of Cyborg, none of the others knew what those words were, but from the fire sprouting from her head, they could not be good.
Bruce Wayne raised an eyebrow. "What did she say?"
Starfire laughed nervously. "My sister finds General Fletcher thoroughly unpleasant."
BB rubbed the back of his head. "Man, how did a nice girl like Celine get him for a dad?"
The Titans shared a collective frown, except for Blackfire whose rage was refusing to settle. They had never been in a situation where Celine had to stand up for herself and seeing her bend so easily to the will of General Fletcher was a bit disheartening. Whether it was because he was a superior officer or her father, it was hard to determine what about him made Celine act… so unlike herself. They could feel somehow that Celine's change of character didn't bode well for them.
Starfire's face clearly showed that she had a question. "Why does he call her Keelin? Please, is that some sort of endearment?"
Cyborg didn't answer. Beast Boy did. "It's complicated, Star."
Bruce nodded in agreement, though it wasn't apparent if he was addressing the same circumstances. "Many things are complicated. It's our work to reduce as much anxiety about tomorrow as possible."
Robin turned to his team. "I'm going to direct Bruce's observation of the tower, just sit tight for a while and wait for Agent Omicron to call on you."
"Should we not behave in a more… hospitable manner to General Fletcher? I fear our actions as of yet have been a discredit on our desire to remain in our home." Star posited.
"Please do not concern yourselves with putting on a show for General Fletcher. If it is his wish to recall Agent Omicron he can, but he hasn't the total authority necessary to close the tower… I have it on good authority that the Justice League leader is on your side." Bruce replied.
Robin smiled knowingly at his mentor. "Batman is a good man."
Bruce nodded. "Sometimes I'm inclined to agree."
End of Part Three
¹Yeah, pretty sure Batman is not the leader of the Justice League, but as the author, I'm exercising my creative will once again on the Titans' Universe.
²If you'll remember, Bruce Wayne is Sakura's father, so both my OC girls' dads are appearing in this chapter.
So yeah, General Fletcher is definitely a jerk. He's probably going to be the meanest person in the story, but his importance is just like most of the OCs: he's going to develop the Titans' characters.