Winds of an Empire pt. 5: The Gathering

It has been about a week since Windshear took up residence in the Tower. Since it has been rather quiet, they usually just talked about music or reminisced about funny or interesting moments from times past. Today it was the former. They were all sitting at the big table.

"GIN!" Beast Boy yelled slamming his cards down.

"Aw, come on!" Windshear yelled back. "That shouldn't count! I just learned how to play yesterday!"

"I don't care! Pay up!" Beast Boy said as Windshear tossed his Sepultura CD's to Beast Boy.

"I tell you, I'll win those back and your Moonspell stuff tomorrow!" Windshear promised.

"So, The Titan Convention starts in about two hours." Robin said. "We should get ready."

"What place did you get for this?" Windshear asked.

"It's the...uhh..." Robin snapped his fingers trying to remember. "That place on East Kingdom and 43rd Street."

"That's the Sunrise Convention Center! They hold a bunch of comic book conventions there." Beast Boy stated.

"Yes, and thanks to boyfriend Robin, it is all Titans tonight!" Starfire said happily.

"All right. I'm gonna go put a new shirt on." Windshear said, going to his duffel bag.

"Robin, do you want us to go in our uniforms, or what?" Beast Boy asked.

"I'd go uniforms." He answered. "It's a formal Titan occasion, so..."

Beast Boy sighed. "Let me get a hair band thing." He pulled his hair back. It now went a bit past his shoulders.

"Forget the makeup too, Gar." Raven added. "It clashes with the uniform."

"I'm ready." Windshear said after putting on a King Diamond shirt.

"We should get going." Cyborg said.


They all rode in the T-Car. Cyborg drove, Robin and Starfire squeezed into the front passenger seat, and Beast Boy, Raven, and Windshear had the back. When they arrived, they saw press waiting even though it didn't start for another two hours.

"Shit! What are we gonna do about Windshear?" Beast Boy asked.

"Open the window. I'll take the back entrance." Windshear said. A back window opened, and Windshear turned into wind and flew out.

Cyborg parked the car. Right when the Titans exited, they were bombarded with reporters.

"Robin, what is the reason for this get together?"

"There have been reports of dissent in the Titans. Can you confirm this?"

"Raven, what do you have to say about the lesbian rumors?"

"Beast Boy, what is you're response to the accusations of Satanism?"

They endured questions this for about ten minutes, until they reached the door that was a few yards away.

As they entered the building, Raven turned to the press. "This is a private party. So please fuck off." She said before closing the door.

Windshear was waiting in the lobby. "Jeez! What fuckin' took y'all?"

"Reporters." Robin said simply.

"Ugh. Papa-fuckin'-razzi huh?" Windshear said. "The most pathetic job I've ever heard of."

"Tell me about it. How's the place look?" Cyborg asked. "Did you scope it out yet, Windy?"

"Yeah. There's a bunch of circle tables, about a million chairs, and a table and podium on a raised platform that I assume is for you guys. I moved a chair up there for me. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine." Robin said.

"Okay. They have a buffet thing in the kitchen, so I'm a-gonna go set that up."

"I shall help you, friend Windshear." Starfire offered.

"Nah, you should stay here and greet the guests. Speaking of which..." As Windshear said this, Kid Flash and Jinx came walking through the entrance, her arms around him.

"Hey guys!" Kid Flash said. "Man, it's been a while!"

"Hey K.F." Beast Boy said. "So how've you been?"

"Eh, pretty good."

"Jinx." Raven said.

"Raven." She replied.

"I'm surprised to see you haven't killed Kid Flash yet."

"I could say the same about you and Beast Boy."

"How'd you make it pass the Hollywood humpers?" Cyborg asked.

"Guess. We freakin' out ran them! I don't think they even saw us!"

"Dude, give him time to guess!" Beast Boy said.

"Jinx, Kid Flash, this is Windshear. He's staying with us for a while." Robin said, showing the couple over to the alien emperor.

"Lemme guess," Kid Flash said, shaking Windshear's hand. "Your powers have something to do with wind?"

"Among other things." Was the answer. "Hey, I'm setting up the food. Wanna help me?"

"Sure." Kid Flash replied before speeding off.

"Motherfucker, wait! I gotta tell you where the hell it is first!" Windshear yelled, trying to run after him.


After about thirty minutes, the rest of the Titans from around the world began to arrive in throngs. There was Pantha, Hot Spot, Kole who managed to bring Gnarkk along, Argent, Wildebeest, Red Star, The Titans East, and all the rest. When time for the festivities to start, Robin took to the podium.

"Okay. First of I'd like to welcome everybody to Jump City...again." This was followed by applause. "I thought this was a good idea because,... well, everyone was only here last time for a brief period after we destroyed the Brotherhood of Evil. So, this is basically a 'get to know one another' kinda thing. You all probably don't know the person sitting next to us at the table up here. He isn't a Titan per se, but he does have powers and is an interstellar emperor. Allow me to introduce Windshear."

People applauded as Windshear got up to the podium. He scanned the audience of Titans until the applause settled down. "Hey." Was all he said before going to sit back down. The audience laughed and then clapped.

"Funny..." Robin said getting back up. "So--"

Windshear scooted over closer to Beast Boy. "Hey, BB..." he said as Robin kept talking.

"Yeah, dude?"

"Who's that chick sitting nest to KF, Jinx, and the dude on fire?"

"That's Argent." Beast Boy replied. "She and Raven chat occasionally on AIM."

After a few minutes of Robin's hero speech, Windshear saw Argent say something to her tablemates and leave.

"B, I'ma go take a shit." Windshear said getting out of his chair.

"Thanks for telling me, dude." Beast Boy said sarcastically. "Actually, I suggest leaving one."


After a few minutes of roaming the halls of the convention center, Windshear found Argent on a balcony, leaning against the railing, and looking at the sun that was beginning to set. She reached into a pocket in her dress and pulled out a cigarette. She then went back to the pocket and dug around some more. She sighed before taking her hand back out.

Windshear took a deep yet quiet breath, walked forward, and asked, "Need a light?"

Argent looked over and said, "Sure."

Windshear took out a lighter and lit her cigarette before lighting one of his. "Pretty sight, that sun." He said.

"Yeah, especially with the clouds all red." Argent replied. "Rare occurrence."

"I'll say. I'm Windshear." He said, wiping his sweaty hand on his jeans before extending it.

"Argent. Nice to meet you." She smiled and shook his hand. "So, you're an emperor, huh?"

He laughed. "Yeah, it's...pretty wild."

"Must be stressful." Argent said. "We've just got cities to protect. You've got an entire empire! No wonder you smoke."

"It's just a couple of planet... systems."

She laughed a bit. "That can't be easy."

"Neither is you're job! You've gotta risk your ass every day. Some days I just sit on a throne fuckin' decomposing!"

"You're kind of funny." Argent said, smiling.

"Thanks." Windshear replied blushing slightly. Soon, there came the sound of microphone feedback and yelling from where all the Titans were gathered. "The fuck was that?"

"I don't know." Argent said before they both ran to the commotion.