AN: Welcome back everyone! It's always uplifting to see people enjoy my work! Thank you for all the love and support!
Now then, let's see the Teen Titans take on two Forces of Nature, a difficult job as it is without having drama on the team.
Disclaimer: This author does not own the properties of Naruto, Marvel Comics, and DC Comics (unfortunately). This work is made for nonprofit entertainment purposes only.
"Hello there!": Speech.
'What a drag': Thoughts.
[I am Iron Man!]: Mechanical Speech
The Earth is Mine!: Monster/Demon Speech
Let'sgetiton!
Chapter 6
Forces of Nature
Location: Jump City
Dark clouds gather in what were once clear blue skies, bring the heaven's fury with them. If one had keen eyes, one could see two figures in the middle of these clouds.
One figure with a robust form personifies thunder as he appears to bang on wooden drums. Each strike of the drums unleashes the booming power of the storm.
The other lankier figure represents lightning as he throws his hands around, sending bright flashes around his shadowed form. Each flash carries with it the storm's piercing lances of energy.
This is a performance that has been occurring for centuries, as the two figures travelled the globe, bringing chaos with them wherever they go.
And now, the two have set their sights on Jump City. The citizens below are unaware of the danger rapidly approaching.
Location: Titans Tower
One of those unaware citizens is Beast Boy, who is currently a yak trying to secure a large rubber band on to a hook. With a grunt, the yak succeeds in hooking up the band.
Beast Boy turns back into a human and pulls out a large pink balloon filled with liquid.
The green teen snickers evilly. "This is gonna be so sweet."
"What are you doing?"
The unexpected question startles Beast Boy, who nearly drops the balloon. After a few seconds of flailing, he secures the balloon. He then turns around and sees Raven looking over his mechanical creation.
"Please tell me this isn't another ridiculous prank," Raven says in annoyance.
"Okay. It's not a ridiculous prank," Beast Boy answers. "…It's a brilliant one! Haha!"
Seeing Raven roll her eyes at his response, Beast Boy explains his plan.
"Alright, check it out. Remember how Cyborg put red dye in my shampoo, and I turned brown for two days?" Beast Boy asks, his mind recalling how he stood in his bath towel with a blank look on his face as his friends laughed at his new skin tone. "Well, sister, it's payback time!"
With that declaration, Beast Boy shows off his creation, which consists of a slingshot attached to a hook and lever, which is connected to a series of pulleys that end with a tripwire resting just a few feet in front of the slingshot.
"I give you the Beast Boy Insta-Lube 9000! See, when Chrome-Dome steps around the corner, his foot tugs the string, the string releases the lever, the lever releases the mother of all rubber bands, which sends a balloon full of motor oil flying right at him, and BOOSH!" Beast Boy cheerfully explains as he sets the balloon in place inside the slingshot. "Pretty clever, huh?"
"…You're a genius," Raven says sarcastically.
Beast Boy doesn't notice the sarcasm as he shrugs. "Well, I can't take all the credit. Jarvis helped with all the maths and stuff."
Raven raises an eyebrow at this. "And he helped you out because…?"
[Because Beast Boy insists that the footage taken from this prank will be amusing to Mr. Stark,] Jarvis responds, [which I honestly cannot argue with.]
"Why wouldn't he love it? It's just a little good clean dirty fun," Beast Boy argues.
Suddenly, Beast Boy hears some movement from around the corner.
"Here he comes!" Beast Boy whispers as he drags Raven behind another corner.
Beast Boy eagerly peeks around the corner as Raven stands behind him.
"Start filming, Jarvis! This is gonna be epic!" Beast Boy declares.
"I do not think–" Raven tries to say.
Beast Boy quickly shushes her.
"But what if–" Raven tries again.
Beast Boy shushes her again.
"…Why are we hiding?"
Beast Boy shushes Cyborg this time.
…Wait, what?
Beast Boy quickly turns around and sees Cyborg crouching right behind him.
"Cyborg! You can't be Cyborg!" Beast Boy yells in a hushed voice.
"I can't?" Cyborg confusedly asks.
"If you're you, then who's…?" Beast Boy asks as he peaks around the corner.
[That would be Starfire,] Jarvis answers, [who's about to hit the trap in 3,2,1…]
Sure enough, a purple boot hits the tripwire, which tugs the string through the pulleys, which releases the lever, which releases the mother of all rubber bands.
"NOOOO!" Beast Boy yells as he rushes out of his cover and desperately tries to stop the balloon. Time slows down as the balloon flies just out of Beast Boy's reach and hits Starfire right in the face, covering her head in motor oil and sending her to the ground.
"Starfire!" Beast Boy cries out in concern as he, Cyborg, and Raven crowd around their downed friend.
"You okay?" Cyborg asks.
Starfire's confused eyes pop out from behind the oil. "This is punishment? I…did something wrong?" she asks in confusion.
"You didn't. He did," Raven answers, gesturing to a sheepish Beast Boy.
"Star…it wasn't…you weren't supposed to…I…" Beast Boy tries to explain. He looks up to the ceiling. "Jarvis! Help me out here!"
[Starfire, you were the unintended recipient of a prank created by Beast Boy, which was supposed to be used against Cyborg in retaliation for the 'Shampoo Incident' four days ago,] Jarvis explains.
Cyborg's face lights up at the mention of that incident. "Oh yeah! I remember! That was funny!"
"Not for me!" Beast Boy complains. "It took two days for me to get all that stuff off of me! That's why I set this all up to get payback! But then Starfire showed up, and…Starfire?"
Beast Boy trails off as he sees Starfire giving him a heated glare, one he's only seen aimed at their enemies.
"On my planet, we have a name for those who do such terrible things! You are a…a…CLORBAG VARBLERNEK!" Starfire yells, the motor oil bursting off of her face at the use of her native tongue.
"…I'm a what-bag?" Beast Boy asks in confusion.
"You heard the lady," Cyborg says, not offering any support for the green teen.
"You are such a clorbag," Raven states.
"Come on, you guys!" Beast Boy tries to defend himself. "Can't anybody take a joke?!"
KRA-KOOOOM!
A bright flash of light and a thundering boom gets everyone's attention.
"Titans!"
The four teens turn and see Robin and Iron Man down the hall.
"Trouble!" Robin calls out as lightning illuminates his face.
(Insert Theme Song: Teen Titans Theme)
Location: Jump City Bridge
A massive lightning bolt hits square in the middle of the suspension bridge. A truck driver sees the bolt and swerves to a halt, stopping just before the impact area. Several cars behind him brake abruptly, just in time to avoid a large pileup.
The smoke from the lighting strike clears, revealing two teenage boys smirking at each other.
One is robust, with blue-gray skin and black hair with large sideburns. He wears dark-blue armor with light-blue highlights, and a light-blue helmet that covers his hair. On his chest-piece is a blue cloud.
The other figure is shorter, lankier and has bright yellow skin which matches his spiked-up hair. He wears orange and yellow armor, as well as an orange faceguard. On his chest-piece is a yellow lightning bolt.
"May we have fun here, brother?" the large teen asks his sibling.
"Of course!" the shorter teen responds with certainty as he generates electricity in his hands. "We are Thunder and Lightning! We may do whatever we please!"
With that declaration, Lightning shoots yellow electricity into the bridge's suspension cables, causing the electricity to spark and crackle across the metal cables.
"Look, brother! I command the sparks to dance!" Lightning cries out, laughing as sparks rain down around the siblings.
"Amusing!" Thunder says as enjoys the light show. "Now listen as I make music!"
Thunder slams his hands together, creating a blue shockwave that snaps the surrounding support cables loose.
Lightning carves his sigil on the side of the nearby truck using his electricity.
"Let all who pass this way know; Lightning was here!" Lightning declares.
"And Thunder too!" Thunder adds as he punches his fists together, causing the bridge to shake and the cars on top to bounce around.
The frightened civilians flee from the chaotic brothers, who laugh at the destruction they've caused.
"Most amusing," Lightning says as Thunder pats his sibling's shoulder.
VRI-SHOOOOM!
Their amusement is cut short, however, as a blue repulsor beam hits Thunder square in the chest, sending him flying backwards.
"Brother!" Lightning calls out in concern as he sees his sibling groaning in pain behind him.
[I'm all for tearing the town up as much as the next guy…]
Lightning turns and sees Iron Man land in a crouch in front of him.
[…but even I think this is overkill,] the armored hero says as he rises from his crouch, the rest of the Titans landing behind him.
Lightning glares at the one who hurt his brother. "You think you can attack a god, mortal?!"
Iron Man gives his opponent a look under his helmet. [Huh. I suppose anybody can be a god these days.]
Lightning growls at the armored human's words. "Taste my power!" he yells as he shoots yellow electricity at Iron Man, who holds his hands out to intercept the attack.
The electricity hits Iron Man, covering his form with yellow sparks.
Lightning laughs at his opponent. "Foolish metal man!"
After a few moments, Lightning stops his attack to admire his handiwork. He gets confused, however, when he sees that while Iron Man's armor is smoking, the hero appears to be fine.
Iron Man, meanwhile, grunts as he recovers from the electric attack. He then notices some peculiar readings from his HUD system.
[Power at 400% capacity,] Jarvis informs his creator.
[…How about that?] Iron Man says with a smile.
Now with plenty of energy to spare, apparently, Iron Man powers up his chest repulsor. The hero uses his Uni-Beam, which slams into Lightning, sending him flying back into his now-recovered brother.
As the two siblings collect themselves, Iron Man shuts off his Uni-Beam and turns to his comrades. [Let's give these guys a proper Jump City welcome, shall we?]
Robin nods. "Let's. TITANS, GO!"
With that command, the six heroes leap into action.
Starfire starts the fight by shooting starbolts at Lightning, who is recovered enough to leap away from the bolts. Lightning starts running on top of the cars on the bridge, while Starfire flies in pursuit. Starfire shoots her starbolts to stop Lightning, who dodges and responds with his electric attacks.
Eventually, Lightning shoots some electricity at a car in front of Starfire, causing it to explode in front of her. This distracts her enough for Lightning to blast her away.
Meanwhile, Cyborg swings at Thunder, who ducks out of the way. Thunder then throws his own punch, but Cyborg catches the incoming fist. The two brawlers then engage in a shoving match, trying to overpower one another.
Blue energy gathers in Thunder's hand for an attack. In response, Cyborg powers up a sonic cannon. The two brawlers roar and slam their attacks together, creating a blue shockwave that sends both fighters flying away.
While Cyborg tumbles across the ground, Thunder recovers more smoothly by landing on a flying cloud.
Now airborne, Thunder fires blue sound energy at Robin, who flips out of the way of the attacks.
One of the blasts cuts loose a suspension cable, which Robin uses to swing up above Thunder. Robin smirks as he uses the cable's downward momentum to fly right at his opponent. Thunder tries to hit Robin in the air, but Robin leaps over Thunder, grabs the larger teen's shoulders, and flips the bad guy over his head, launching him off of the flying cloud.
Nearby, Lightning shoots electricity at Raven, who hovers above and avoids the attack. Using her height advantage, Raven kicks furiously at Lightning, who blocks the kicks with his arms.
Angry at being pushed back by a mortal, Lightning prepares to blast her away, but a repulsor beam from Iron Man knocks him away again.
[You didn't forget about little old me, did you?] Iron Man asks the downed force of nature.
"I didn't!"
Iron Man only has a moment to register the other voice before a sonic blast from Thunder hits the armored hero, sending him flying into Raven, causing both heroes to fall to the ground.
As Lightning recovers, he gets bear-hugged from behind by a giant green panda. Lightning yells in pain from the squeeze, then counters by sending electricity into Beast Boy's body, causing the hero to switch between panda and human from the shock. This allows Lightning to throw Beast Boy off of his body.
"Your powers are strong, but mine are stronger!" Lightning declares, before having to defend himself from Robin.
A distance away, Beast Boy groans in pain as he rubs his head. He then gasps as he sees Thunder standing over him.
"Your power of the animals is impressive, Green One," Thunder commends as he powers up blue energy in his hands. "Rise so we may do battle."
Beast Boy takes a moment to consider Thunder's behavior, as well as his brother's. They didn't seem to act like typical villains.
"Why are you doing this?" the shapeshifter asks as he stands up.
"Because it is not sporting to attack an unready opponent," Thunder answers with confidence.
"No. Why are you wrecking everything?" Beast Boy clarifies, wanting to know the brothers' motives.
This time, Thunder is less confident in his answer. "Uh, because…it is amusing?"
Beast Boy is having none of it. "Do they look amused?" he asks, gesturing to the frightened civilians hiding behind their cars a distance away.
"I…" Thunder tries to respond but can't.
"This isn't funny! It's wrong!" Beast Boy reprimands the force of nature, causing the latter to power down their energy.
Thunder appears to consider the Green One's words.
Sadly, Beast Boy's reprimand is interrupted as yellow electricity sends him flying away.
"Ah, the thrill of victory!" Lightning exclaims as he rejoins his brother. "Come, brother! We shall seek more amusement!"
Thunder smiles again at his brother's declaration. He summons his cloud while Lightning's lower half turns into electricity. Together, the two brothers fly off to continue their dangerous fun.
Beast Boy, meanwhile, takes a moment to recover from the last attack. He sees Starfire flying past him.
"Well, that was shocking," Beast Boy jokes.
Starfire, however, is not in a laughing mood. She huffs at the shapeshifter and flies away.
"…So, I'm guessing you're still mad?" Beast Boy asks, though Starfire can't hear him.
[Considering the fact that you flung motor oil right into her face, I'd say it's a smart guess,] says Iron Man as he lands next to the green teen.
Beast Boy looks at his leader as he stands up to his feet. "Jarvis told you about…"
Iron Man's helmet peels back, revealing Tony's scowl. "Yep."
"I'm guessing you're mad too, huh?" Beast Boy asks as he sheepishly looks away.
"I'm not that mad about the whole balloon prank thing," Tony tells the changeling. "It was an honest mistake in the heat of a Prank War. Trust me, as a former Prankster Extraordinaire, I understand that accidents happen during pranks." Tony then leans in closer to Beast Boy. "What I'm mad about is the fact that you haven't dropped to your knees and apologized to her yet."
"Aw, come on!" Beast Boy argues. "She'll get over it. I mean, she's got to know it was just a joke, right?"
"No, actually, she doesn't," Tony corrects. "She's only been here on Earth for about a month now and knows extraordinarily little about Earth culture. She barely understands American comedy, let alone pranks. All she knows is that, for some reason, out of the blue, her friend Beast Boy decided to throw motor oil in her face for amusement. And now, she's pissed off. Do you have any idea how hard it is to piss off Starfire? So far, only villains have been successful in bringing out her anger, but apparently you did the same thing with a pulley system and a balloon filled with oil."
Beast Boy gulps at the implications of Tony's words, realizing that he might have screwed up badly.
Tony sighs and puts his hand on Beast Boy's shoulder. "Look, Beast Boy, I'm not going to sugarcoat this. If you don't handle this soon, you're eventually going to lose Starfire as a friend. Do you really want to lose your friendship with her over a prank?"
Beast Boy looks down, considering the seriousness of Tony's words.
"Food for thought," Tony finishes, before his helmet reforms around his head.
Iron Man flies off to rejoin the group. Beast Boy gives a sad sigh before following his teammate.
Iron Man and Beast Boy meet up with the rest of the Titans, who are nursing their wounds.
"Okay, team. We have to find those guys quickly, before they can pull off whatever their scheme is," Robin declares.
"Um, I don't think these guys are scheming anything," Beast Boy offers, getting everyone's attention.
"What do you mean?" Cyborg asks.
"Well, from what I got from that big guy, it sounds like they're destroying stuff because they think its fun," Beast Boy continues.
The rest of the team considers Beast Boy's words, though Starfire still gives him the cold shoulder.
"This sounds like a legend I read about once," Raven comments.
[A legend?] Iron Man asks the sorceress.
"Fujin and Raijin. Brother gods from the Shinto Pantheon," Raven explains. "They were infamous for their mischief and destruction, using their powers over storms to create havoc for their amusement. According to legend, they went too far during a special celebration for Amaterasu, the sun goddess. The two brothers created a powerful storm that blocked out the sun and sent down a torrential downpour. The storm lasted for days, effectively ruining the celebration, and causing Amaterasu to fall into a deep depression. When the goddess eventually confronted them about their actions, the brothers argued that since they were gods and had incredible powers, they could do whatever they wanted with them. This infuriated Amaterasu so much that she stripped the brothers of most of their power and banished them from the Heavenly Plane. It's said that they still travel the world to this day, bringing chaos and destruction wherever they go."
Most of the Titans think about the legend, and whether these are the same brothers.
Beast Boy, however, is terrified when he sees the parallels between Amaterasu's rage against the two brothers and Starfire's rage against him.
"Well, I'm not sure if these are the same guys," says Robin, "but we still have a job to do. We have to stop them from destroying more of the city."
[Agreed. Let's split up and track these guys down,] Iron Man commands. [Cyborg and Raven; you search the West Side. Beast Boy and Starfire; you take the East Side. Robin and I will look Downtown.]
"Perhaps I should go with Friend Raven instead," Starfire suggests, still looking pointedly away from Beast Boy.
[Each pairing needs a designated flier. That's me, you, and Raven. It won't do any good to have two fliers on the same pair,] Iron Man explains.
"Perhaps I should go with Friend Robin, then?" Starfire asks.
[Perhaps you should get going,] Iron Man tells Starfire, his voice hinting that there's no negotiating.
Starfire huffs at this and starts flying away, not even sparing Beast Boy a glance.
Beast Boy sulks at the cold treatment.
Cyborg approaches Beast Boy with a knowing smile. "~Have a nice time, my little clorbag~," he teases as he pinches Beast Boy's cheek, before being lifted up by Raven's magic and flying with her to do their search.
Beast Boy gives another sigh before turning into an eagle and flying off after Starfire, leaving Iron Man and Robin alone on the bridge.
Robin gives Iron Man a knowing look. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
Iron Man shrugs. [I did everything I could. It's all up to Beast Boy now.]
Location: Warhol Museum of Modern Art
In front of the museum stands several sculptures, including a large stone sphere and several rectangular stone slabs standing side-by-side, surrounding a water fountain feature.
Nearby, some civilians are trying to go about their daily activities despite the stormy conditions above. Sadly, their efforts are halted when Thunder and Lightning arrive in a bolt of electricity, causing the civilians to run away and seek safety.
"Magnificent! We can make much mischief here!" Lightning declares as he shoots electricity at the stone sphere's support post.
This causes the sphere to roll into one of the stone slabs, which falls down and hits another slab, which falls down and hits another slab, and so on, and so on, creating a Domino effect that makes half of the slabs fall and shatter.
Thunder is amused by the display of destruction, until he notices a civilian narrowly escape being crushed by a stone slab.
"Brother! Did you see what I…" Lightning says to his sibling, though he trails off when he notices said sibling's unsettled expression. This causes Lightning to look at his brother with concern. "Something…troubles you?"
"The Green One's words," Thunder answers. "He says our fun is…wrong."
Lightning laughs at this. "Wrong?! He speaks nonsense, brother! How could such amusement be wrong? The fun is only beginning."
With that, Lightning pulls Thunder away from the scene to search for more mischief.
Timeskip: Ten Minutes Later
Beast Boy and Starfire arrive at the museum and look at all the destruction caused by the brothers.
"So, either they were just here, or this is the ugliest modern art I've ever seen," Beast Boy jokes to Starfire.
Starfire is not amused. "You are not funny. You are a clorbag varblernek," she says matter-of-factly before walking away.
Beast Boy watches Starfire leave, Tony's words echoing in his mind.
'Do you really want to lose your friendship with her over a prank?'
Clenching his fists, Beast Boy steels himself for what he needs to do.
Starfire's departure is interrupted when a large green octopus lands on her back and wraps around her tightly.
Starfire's eyes glow with anger. "Beast Boy, if this is another one of your tricks…"
Beast Boy quickly shifts back to human, though he still holds on tightly.
"It's not a trick! I swear! Just give me a few minutes to talk to you, and if you want to, you never have to talk to me again! I promise!" Beast Boy pleads, hoping she will listen.
After a moment, the glow in Starfire's eyes dims.
"Very well, then," Starfire accepts his offer, though her cold look remains.
With that, Beast Boy quickly gets in front of Starfire, drops to his knees, and deeply bows.
"Koriand'r," Beast Boy begins, using her Tamaranean name to show his seriousness, "I am so sorry for what I did to you. It wasn't funny at all. It was mean, it was hurtful, and it was wrong. I know I act like a clown a lot, and I know it looks like I don't take things seriously, but I don't want to hurt anyone. I never wanted to hurt anyone. Especially you."
Starfire's expression loses its coldness at this.
"But I did," Beast Boy continues with sadness in his voice. "You're right about me. I am a clorbag varblernek, and you have every right not to be my friend anymore. But I don't want that to happen. I don't want to lose you as a friend, Starfire. I want to earn your forgiveness. Please. Give me another chance to make things right. Please!"
Starfire's expression softens greatly at Beast Boy's words, her heart touched by the sincerity and desperation in his voice. She looks down at her comrade, who hasn't moved an inch from his bowing posture.
"Beast Boy, I–"
"Ugh! Are you two done already?!"
Startled by the voice, Starfire and Beast Boy look up and see the two forces of nature they've been searching for looking down on them from above.
"Seriously! All this sappiness is boring me! And if there is one thing I hate, it's boredom!" Lightning yells as he and Thunder fire their powers at the two Titans.
The Titans avoid the attacks, which damage the museum courtyard even more.
On the ground, Starfire runs away from Thunder, who blasts at her with his sonic energy. Approaching a wall, Starfire runs up the barrier, flips over Thunder, and lands right behind him. This puts Starfire on the offensive as she blasts at Thunder with her starbolts.
Meanwhile, Lightning tries to fry Beast Boy with his electricity, but the Titan transforms into a rabbit and hops away from the attack. Lightning tries again, but Beast Boy turns into a crane and dodges the electric attacks in the air.
The green teen then turns into a mouse and charges right at Lightning. The electricity user thinks nothing of this as he blasts at the nimble little mouse.
"Hahaha! Your animal forms cannot protect you forever!" Lightning exclaims.
POW!
"Oof!"
Lightning is proven wrong when a green yak plows into his stomach, sending him tumbling away.
Nearby, Starfire flips away from Thunder, putting some distance between themselves. Seeing this, Thunder powers up his sonic energy and shoots a large blue beam at Starfire, who counters with her own starbolt beam.
For a moment, a stalemate forms between the two fighters, blue and green clashing with each other. Eventually, green overpowers blue, and Thunder is blasted away to the far end of the courtyard.
As Thunder recovers, he sees the Green One approaching him as an angry bear.
Lightning can't help his brother, since he's currently fighting against Starfire. This leaves Thunder by himself to deal with the Green One, who knocks him into a wall.
As Thunder slumps to the ground, Beast Boy runs up to him in human form and grabs him by his collar.
"I don't want to hurt you," Beast Boy tells the force of nature, "And I don't think you want to hurt me."
"Pain does not amuse us," Thunder says honestly.
"Could've fooled me. Keep playing rough, and innocent people will get hurt," Beast Boy says with no amount of playfulness in his tone.
Thunder is stunned by the Green One's words. His mind goes back to the bridge when dozens of innocent people were nearly hurt by his and his brother's actions.
'Is our fun really that wrong?' Thunder thinks to himself.
Unbeknownst to the brothers and the Titans, a fifth figure arrives in the courtyard in a puff of smoke. It is an old man with long wispy white hair, a long goatee, and a long thin moustache. He wears a red cloak over a black gi, and a bamboo hat on his head.
The mysterious stranger opens his robe, revealing a wooden box on a tripod with a hand-crank. He smiles cruelly, his lone left eye looking menacing. He cranks the box, which releases one of its sides and reveals a red light that brightens with intensity as energy powers up inside the device.
Beast Boy and Thunder both turn around as they see the energy released in a massive red beam. The beam easily shatters through the remaining stone slabs, where Lightning and Starfire are currently fighting at.
Lightning quickly leaps away from the resulting wreckage. Starfire, however, is frozen in shock as large stone blocks rain down on her.
"STARFIRE! LOOK OUT!"
Or, they would have, had Beast Boy not pushed her away at the last second. He takes her place as the stone falls around him.
Thunder and Lightning look on in surprise as the two Titans appear to be defeated before them, one of them buried in rubble.
Before the two of them can fully process the situation, a grizzled voice calls out to them.
"Your gifts are your own. Who are they to tell you how to use them?"
"And who are you that commands such power?" Lightning demands. "Show yourself!"
"As you wish."
From out of the smoke, the mysterious stranger approaches the two forces of nature.
"I am but a humble old man whose power is drawn from nature, like your own," the stranger says as his destructive device is hidden behind some rubble. "Come with me, and sow as much destruction as you please."
As the stranger turns around, Lightning's face lights up with glee. "Yes! More fun!" the teenager cries out, causing the stranger to smirk.
Thunder, however, is less enthusiastic. He claps his brother's shoulder, causing said brother to stop smiling.
"Will we harm anyone?" Thunder asks the stranger.
"What?!" Lightning exclaims as he shrugs off his brother's hand. "The Green One has poisoned your mind!"
Despite his sibling's words, Thunder asks again, "This destruction. Will we harm any innocents?"
"Would it matter if you did?" the stranger replies. "You are unique. Gifted. Better. Why should anything interfere with your enjoyment? I am going. Follow if you wish."
With that, the mysterious stranger walks away from the brothers.
"See, Brother?! This fellow understands!" Lightning tells his sibling, before glaring at the sky. "If only she understood." He then walks after the stranger. "Now come, brother, and leave your foolish thoughts behind!"
Thunder reluctantly follows suit, but not before giving one last glance at the pile of rubble behind him.
After a moment, Starfire emerges from a far corner of the pile, nursing her head. The push earlier had spared her from being crushed by the majority of the falling rocks.
She then gasps as she realizes her comrade was not so lucky.
"Beast Boy?!" Starfire calls out to the pile, hoping to hear from the changeling.
No answer comes from the pile.
"Beast Boy! Please answer me!" Starfire tries again as she starts to desperately dig through the rocks to reach her fellow Titan.
Still no answer.
"Please be alright! You must be alright!" Starfire cries out as she digs more fervently into the pile.
After a few moments of digging, Starfire stops and hangs her head in sadness, tears welling in her eyes.
"Please…I don't want to lose you either," Starfire mutters as the tears fall from her face. "You are goofy, you encourage people to smile, and your jokes are…mostly funny." She gives a sad smile to the pile. "But above all else, you are kind. You go out of your way to shield others from harm, and you act with compassion to the people around you. That is what I cherish most about you." Her body hunches over in sorrow. "I was wrong about you. You are not a clorbag varblernek at all. You are my friend, and I forgive you. So, please…"
"…Thanks, Star."
Starfire lifts her head with surprise at the voice behind her. She quickly turns around and sees Beast Boy smiling at her while he rubs his arm.
The brightest of smiles forms on Starfire's face.
"BEAST BOY!"
Starfire quickly rushes at the green changeling and gives him a massive hug.
Beast Boy keeps smiling, though he winces from the strain of the hug.
"C-Careful, Star. My arm's gotten enough of a beating as it is," Beast Boy mutters.
Eventually, Starfire releases Beast Boy and asks, "How were you able to escape the falling rocks?"
"I didn't," Beast Boy answers. "I turned into a spider and dodged them. I was actually on my way out of the pile when you threw away the rock I was on."
Starfire blushes. "My sincerest apologies, my friend!"
"Please, Star, I'm the one that needed to apologize. I promise I'll do whatever you want me to do to make it up to you," Beast Boy pledges.
"There is no need for the 'making up'. You already have my forgiveness and my friendship," Starfire assures her friend.
"Seriously, Star! Anything you want, I'll do it!" Beast Boy insists.
Starfire takes a moment to think to herself. "…Perhaps if you were to do 'The Face'?"
Beast Boy smiles. "You mean…?"
The green teen instantly transforms into a small, adorable kitten with big shiny eyes and an innocent smile.
"Mew!" goes the happy kitten.
"Kyaah!" Starfire cries out with delight as she quickly scoops the green kitten up into her arms. "This most certainly fulfils the 'making up'!"
"Mew!" the kitten happily nuzzles into his friend's chest, delighted that all is well again.
Chi-chink!
A flash goes off nearby, startling both Titans. They turn to see the rest of the team standing a few feet away, with Iron Man using his shoulder-mounted camera while the others smile at the display.
[Don't mind me. I'm just getting some material for our Team Scrapbook,] Iron Man says nonchalantly as he takes more pictures.
Beast Boy quickly jumps out of Starfire's arms and turns human again, rubbing his head with an embarrassed smile. The rest of the team walks over to the two Titans.
Cyborg claps Beast Boy's back. "Well, alright! You're not a clorbag anymore!"
"Took you long enough," Raven says with a smirk.
Beast Boy chuckles, "Yeah, well, better late than never, huh?"
"I'm glad that everything's back to normal," Robin tells the team, "But we still have to bring those evil brothers to justice."
"They're not evil, Robin," Beast Boy says, getting everyone's attention. "They're just like me."
Location: Bernardino National Forest
The mysterious stranger brings the storm siblings to a clearing in the forest outside the city, where dozens of wooden posts stand in a pattern. The posts have several sticks poking out in intricate patterns, and each one has a unique symbol carved on the surface.
"Sticks and leaves?! Is this a joke?!" Lightning yells in annoyance. "There is no fun in blasting such frail targets!"
"Are you certain, young master?" the stranger asks back. "Try. You may like what you see."
Lightning growls but takes the old man's offer. He fires an electric blast at one of the posts, which erupts into a blazing fire.
The large flame actually intrigues the two brothers.
"Dancing lights! Pleasing!" Lightning cries out, his excitement renewed.
Even Thunder is feeling his old self again.
"Let Thunder try his hand!" the larger brother says as he approaches another post.
He gathers his sonic energy in his hands and launches it at another post. This one also bursts into flames, though with a bigger boom.
"Wonderous noise!" Thunder calls out in amusement.
"See, Brother? There is no harm in our fun," Lightning tells his sibling.
"And there is so much fun to be had," the stranger informs the two forces of nature.
Thunder and Lightning smile at each other, happy that they can finally continue their amusement uninterrupted.
Lightning flies through the area, blasting posts left and right with his electricity.
Thunder slams his fist into the ground, the blue shockwave igniting a nearby post. He then blasts two more, which quickly erupt into flames.
Together, the two masters of the storm unleash their power on the wooden pillars one by one. Lightning's piercing bolts and Thunder's demolishing bursts make quick work of their targets, until all of the wooden posts become massive torches.
And all the while, the mysterious stranger looks on with a smile.
Lightning and Thunder regroup with the old man and admire their handiwork.
"More targets, Old One!" Lightning commands.
"Yes! Please! Give us more!" Thunder pleads.
"That won't be necessary. You've done quite enough," the stranger says, pausing the brothers' revelry as he pulls out a talisman with a strange symbol on it.
The stranger throws the talisman above the group of burning posts. The talisman hovers in the air, spins, and explodes in a burst of light. The brothers are shocked as the energy from the explosion travels into each of the fiery pillars, then connects the pillars together with orange beams of light. From above, the connected posts take the shape of a humanoid figure, which is quickly filled in with flames.
"Rise!" the stranger commands as he holds out a staff with the same symbol on top as the talisman.
From the inferno, a colossal humanoid monster rises to its feet with a roar. Its body resembles a large walking bonfire, with flames covering every inch of it. On its forehead is the strange symbol.
"Burn, Brimstone! Burn it all!" the stranger orders the fire demon.
Brimstone goes to follow its master's order, but finds its path blocked by a certain group of heroes.
"Didn't anyone ever tell you?! You play with fire, you're gonna get burned!" Robin calls out to the monster.
Brimstone replies by sending a wave of fire at the Titans, who quickly scramble to get out of the way. Robin himself is nearly incinerated, but Iron Man swoops in and flies him to safety.
[Pretty sure the same can be said for us, Boy Wonder,] Iron Man quips.
Its path now clear, Brimstone quickly makes its way through the forest, burning every tree in its path as it heads for its true target.
Jump City.
"Good. Very good," the stranger says in a pleased tone.
"Brother. What have we done?" Thunder asks Lightning regretfully as their creation marches to destroy countless innocent lives, wildfires burning in its wake.
[TITANS! GO!] Iron Man calls out as the team hurries to catch up with the walking bonfire.
Robin throws some smoke bombs in front of Brimstone. The bombs explode, obscuring the fire demon's view and halting its advance.
"Flames can't spread if there's nothing to burn," Raven tells her teammates. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"
Raven's black magic uproots several trees and throws them away from the monster.
"Good idea! Let's help her out!" Robin commands as he throws several explosive disks that destroy some nearby trees.
[Oh, I hope the Forest Service doesn't hate me after this!] Iron Man cries out as he launches two Jericho missiles that obliterate a good chunk of the surrounding area.
Nearby, Beast Boy turns into a yak and smashes through several trees, while Starfire uses her starbolts to clear another section.
With their combined work, a dirt perimeter is made that halts the wildfires from spreading further. This allows the Titans to focus on Brimstone.
Cyborg slams his sonic cannon into the bare ground, creating a massive wave of dirt that engulfs Brimstone, smothering its flaming body.
The Titans regroup and observe the plume of dust where Brimstone stood.
"Is he out?" Beast Boy asks tentatively.
The green teen's question is answered when Brimstone rises back up with a roar, seemingly unaffected by the dirt bath.
"You had to ask," Raven laments.
Robin then notices the old stranger a distance away smiling at his handiwork.
"Go, young masters!" the stranger urges the storm siblings. "Brimstone is your creation! They have no right to destroy your fun!"
"Yes! We must fight!" Lightning agrees.
"But brother–!" Thunder pleads with his sibling.
"Do not annoy me with your foolish concerns! Now come!" Lightning demands.
Thunder reluctantly obeys. The two brothers teleport away, leaving the stranger alone to revel in his victory.
Or he would have if Robin didn't surprise him with an airborne kick.
The kick sends the stranger's staff flying out of his hand. The staff lands between the stranger and Robin.
As Robin prepares to fight, the stranger summons the staff back into his hand.
The two fighters stare down each other in the smoldering field.
"Robin. We meet at last," the stranger says to the surprised hero.
"Who are you?" Robin asks his opponent.
The stranger doesn't reply, opting to rush at the hero with a yell.
Seeing that he's not going to get an answer without a fight, Robin follows suit.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Titans try to stop Brimstone for good.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven calls out as she unleashes a massive flood of dark magic that plows right into Brimstone, halting its advance.
The black energy appears to snuff out the monster's flames, causing it to slump backwards. This is only temporary, however, as Brimstone reignites to Raven's shock.
[My turn!] Iron Man yells as he unleashes the full power of his Uni-Beam, which pierces right through Brimstone's chest, creating a large gaping hole where one's heart would be.
Unfortunately, Brimstone gathers its power and regenerates itself, filling the hole completely.
[Give me a big fat break!] Iron Man cries out in frustration.
Tired of having to defend itself, Brimstone releases a massive burst of heat that blows away all the nearby trees and forces Iron Man and Raven backwards.
The burst also knocks Cyborg to the ground. Starfire and Raven land and try to help him up, but an electric blast knocks all three down.
Lightning smirks at his victims. He fires another burst of electricity at them, but Iron Man intercepts the attack with his gauntlets.
[Thanks! I needed a recharge!] Iron Man quips as the electricity is absorbed into his reactor.
Lightning growls at this. "You won't best me this time, Metal Man!"
[Bring it, Short Fuse!] Iron Man taunts as he flies into the air.
Lightning follows the armored hero into the sky, shooting at said hero with his electric blasts. Iron Man, meanwhile, dodges and absorbs the attacks as he responds with his repulsors.
[Jarvis! Contact the fire department! Tell them to gather every one of their men and all their trucks at the South End immediately!] Iron Man orders. [And have them start evacuations too!]
[At once, sir,] Jarvis responds.
With that order issued, Iron Man continues his dogfight with Lightning.
Thunder moves to help his brother, but finds a green tiger blocking his path.
"Stand aside, Green One!" Thunder commands, not wanting to hurt the shapeshifter.
The tiger roars in defiance.
Having no other choice, Thunder charges right at the beast. The tiger rushes to meet him.
The two forces of nature are inches from convergence.
Then, something strange happens.
Location: The Astral Dimension
The Astral Dimension. The place where the soul exists separate from the body. A metaphysical realm where the past, present, and future meet, and where all minds are connected to one another through the Akashic Record.
It is here where two astral forms meet with each other.
"I do not wish to harm you," says Thunder.
"But you want to destroy homes and innocent lives?" Beast Boy challenges.
"No!" Thunder defends himself.
"Then what are you fighting for?" Beast Boy asks.
"My brother and I," Thunder replies, "…the Old One says we are unique. Gifted. Better."
"Gifts don't make you better. Just different," Beast Boy explains. "It's how you use them that counts."
Thunder looks down, finally understanding the Green One's lesson.
Location: Bernardino National Forest
Iron Man grunts as he lands in a crouch, his armor smoking.
[Circuitry is fried in multiple areas, sir,] Jarvis informs his creator.
[Yeah, I'm feeling pretty fried myself,] Iron Man groans as he stands up to his feet.
The hero looks forward and see Lightning standing in front of him.
"It seems even your power has its limits, Metal Man, while mine has none!" Lightning boasts as he prepares to blast Iron Man again.
Only for a blue burst of energy to knock Lightning away.
Iron Man turns and sees Thunder marching towards his brother with a growl. A few feet away. Lightning rises and glares at his sibling with shock and anger.
[…I'll just leave you two to chat,] Iron Man says as he flies away to join the other Titans, leaving the two brothers alone.
"You betray me?!" Lightning asks incredulously as electricity crackles in his hand.
"We have done wrong, my brother! Our fun must stop!" Thunder pleads to his sibling.
"No one commands Lightning! Not even Thunder!" Lightning declares as he blasts his brother away.
Nearby, the stranger and Robin continue their duel. The stranger swings his staff at Robin, who struggles to dodge and block the attacks. As Robin is backed against a tree, the stranger stabs at the hero with his weapon. Robin avoids the staff, which stabs into the tree with a sizzle.
The stranger smirks at the hero as he holds the upper hand.
Meanwhile, Iron Man meets up with the other Titans as they chase down Brimstone, who draws closer and closer to the suburban area ahead.
[Titans!] Iron Man calls out. [The fire department already started the evacuations, and they have all of their trucks ready to intercept Brimstone!]
"Then let's stop this guy once and for all!" Cyborg proclaims as the Titans move to end the fiery menace.
Back with the brothers, Thunder continues to try and reason with Lightning.
"Don't you see, brother! We have been irresponsible with our gifts! Amaterasu was–"
"DON'T SAY HER NAME!" Lightning demands as he shoots a massive bust of electricity that launches Thunder back into a boulder, creating a large indent.
Thunder slumps to the ground, groaning in pain. He then looks up and sees his own brother glaring at him and ready to attack again.
Thunder gives Lightning a serious look and asks, "Tell me, brother. Are we still having fun?"
Lightning stares at his sibling, the one who's been cheerfully by his side through thick and thin for centuries. He then powers down his attack.
"No," Lightning answers with sadness thick in his voice.
"Observe," Thunder tells his brother as he points towards the city.
Location: South End, Jump City
Brimstone is just about to reach the South End Suburbs, where hundreds of people call home. The fiery demon is intent on burning it all down.
Its path is halted once again, though, this time by multiple sprays of water.
In front of Brimstone stands the entirety of the Jump City Fire Department, their fire engines unleashing their entire water supplies at the monster. In the air, Iron Man, Starfire, and Raven use some fire hoses to spray Brimstone from above. Meanwhile, Beast Boy is in elephant form using his trunk to hose the monster down, while Cyborg uses a nearby fire hydrant.
All of them are determined to save the civilians in Brimstone's path any way they can.
Location: Bernardino National Forest
Thunder and Lightning watch the heroic display a distance away.
"They also have gifts," Thunder explains to his sibling, "but they use them for good, while we waste ours on dangerous fun."
Thunder puts a hand on Lightning's shoulder.
"If we are so special, brother, we must act special! We must help!" Thunder insists.
Lightning looks down, finally realizing the wisdom in his brother's words.
"But how?" Lightning asks. "Our gifts can only destroy!"
"True. But together, we have another gift," Thunder reminds his sibling.
With newfound resolve, the two brothers teleport themselves skyward to clean up the mess they started.
Location: South End, Jump City
Meanwhile, the heroes of Jump City continue to dump thousands of gallons of water on Brimstone, who is slowed considerably, but still burning with fire.
"Stark!" the fire chief calls out to the hero above. "All of our tanks are running low!"
[Just keep going!] Iron Man orders. [Give it everything you've got!]
Suddenly, a strange sound is heard in the clouds, causing everyone, including Brimstone, to look up.
In the dark clouds, two figures perform once again. Thunder bangs his drums, the booming sound echoing for miles. Lightning throws his bursts of light, illuminating the heavens.
But it's not destruction they summon, but rather salvation.
All at once, a torrential downpour of rain drenches the entire city, dousing flames and smothering wildfires all around. But the focus of the rain is on Brimstone, who cowers from the overwhelming deluge.
The heroes smile at this changing fortune.
[Alright, people! There's our saving grace!] Iron Man calls out. [Now let's drown this son of a bitch!]
With that, the Titans and the fire department dump the last of their reserves right on Brimstone. The combined forces of the rain and the fire hoses are two much for Brimstone. The fiery monster is completely destroyed, leaving nothing but soaked ashes behind.
The Titans and the firefighters celebrate their victory, cheering for the lives and homes they saved today.
Location: Bernardino National Forest
One hero, however, is not in a cheerful mood, as he finds himself pressed against a dead tree by the mysterious stranger.
"Robin. Is that the best you can do?" the stranger taunts the struggling hero.
The stranger's taunting is interrupted when a lightning bolt strikes the stranger away.
Now free, Robin lands on the ground and looks at the stranger, ready to continue the fight.
The Boy Wonder is horrified, however, when he sees that the left side of the stranger's face has been shattered by the bolt.
Revealing a single eye glaring through bronze armor.
His efforts seemingly thwarted, the stranger disappears in a burst of smoke, leaving behind his talisman.
Robin picks up the talisman and inspects the symbol on it. He notices that, on closer inspection, the symbol looks like a weirdly shaped 'S'.
The hero narrows his eyes as he realizes who the stranger was.
"Slade."
Location: South End, Jump City
Beast Boy is continuing his celebrations with the rest of the Titans and the firefighters when he notices two figures approaching. The green hero walks to meet Thunder and Lightning, the former looking repentant while the latter pouting with his arms crossed.
"I am sorry for the trouble we caused," Thunder tells Beast Boy sincerely, giving a deep bow.
Thunder nudges Lightning, who stops his pouting.
"I am…also sorry," Lightning apologizes, also bowing.
Thunder shakes Beast Boy's hand. "You have taught us much, Green One. Thank you."
"Don't thank me. Thank the person who taught me," Beast Boy says as he gestures to Starfire.
Starfire approaches the storm siblings, who bow to her.
Starfire bows back. "And thank you for helping us defeat the flame monster," she says as the rest of the Titans approach the duo.
"If you'll excuse us, we have much more to atone for," Thunder tells the heroes.
Lightning grumbles to himself, realizing what his brother means.
Thunder gives his sibling a hard look. "Brother…"
Lightning sighs. "Very well, then."
With that, the two brothers return to the heavens once more, leaving behind the mortal heroes.
The fire chief approaches the superheroes and asks, "Who were those guys? Titans?"
The super-teens look at each other, a quick silent discussion occurring.
Iron Man turns back to the fire chief. [Yes. Yes, they were.]
Location: Bernardino National Forest
All six Titans, Robin included, stand on a mountain ridge, and watch as a rainbow soars over Jump City. Blue skies and sunshine grace the people below, who are now safe from Slade's machinations.
Speaking of which…
Cyborg looks at the talisman Robin gave him. "So, Slade wants to destroy the city. Question is, why?"
"I don't know, but I will find out, and I won't let him get away with it," Robin declares with narrowed eyes.
"Agreed. He's getting the mother of all ass-kickings after what he just pulled," Tony promises, his unhelmeted face glaring out into the distance.
Beast Boy nervously approaches Starfire and asks, "So, am I really not a…you know…a clorbag?"
Starfire hums in thought for a moment. "No, I believe you are more of a…milnip wusserloop."
Beast Boy smiles at this.
"Sweet!" he cries out as he starts dancing. "~Go Beast Boy! I'm a milnip! Who's your wusserloop?!~" He then stops dancing and looks at Starfire. "That…is a good thing, right Star?"
Starfire simply laughs and flies away.
Tony looks at Beast Boy and says, "If I were you, String Bean, I'd take that title and just accept it."
His piece said, Iron Man reforms his helmet and starts flying back home. The rest of the Titans follow suit, including Beast Boy, who shrugs and follows his friend's advice.
After a bit of traveling, Beast Boy looks at Iron Man. "So, you said you were a Prankster Extraordinaire before, right? Got any good prank stories for us?"
The other Titans – minus Iron Man – groan at the question.
Iron Man, meanwhile, appears to think about it for a moment.
[Well, there was that one time, when I was a kid, I took all of the uniforms for my hometown's police force and turned them bright pink,] the armored hero answers.
His teammates all give him incredulous looks.
"For real? How'd you do that?" Cyborg asks.
[Okay, so, I was seven at the time and I stumbled across all of this discarded pink dye,] Iron Man explains. [Of course, it was just asking to be used, and I was pretty grumpy with the police after they caught me doing a different prank, so, unfortunately, they were the targets of my vengeance. So, one night, I sneak in through the back entrance, and…]
And so, the Armored Avenger spends the entire trip back to Titans Tower regaling his friends with tales of his prankster youth, with all of the other Titans, Robin especially, in rapt attention.
Location: Takamagahara
Every pantheon in human culture has their own sacred place in the heavens. For the Greeks, it is Olympus. For the Norse, it is Asgard.
The Shinto, meanwhile, have Takamagahara, the Heavenly Plane.
It is a colossal mountain covered in vast forests and often shrouded in thick mists. Thousands of benevolent spirits live on this mountain. They wander through the misty forests, feast in various dining halls, relax at a variety of onsen spas, and enjoy the peacefulness of the realm.
Numerous temples also dot the landscape, each one pertaining to one of the multitude of kami worshipped in the Shinto belief.
At the peak of the mountain is the massive temple belonging to Amaterasu, Goddess of the Sun, and Sacred Ruler of Takamagahara.
It is the steps of this temple that two figures climb, drawing the attention of the surrounding kami and spirits.
"Who are they?"
"They look like…"
"It can't be!"
"Weren't they banished?"
"What are they doing here?"
"This might not end well."
The two figures ignore the whispers and mutterings as they ascend to the temple entrance. After reaching the top of the stairs, they pause and wait for permission to enter. Eventually, the large temple doors open, allowing the two figures entrance.
For the first time in centuries, Thunder and Lightning walk inside the sacred home of Amaterasu.
The goddess herself sits on an ornate throne. She is a regal beauty, with a flawless face and shiny black hair that flows down to her knees. She wears pristine white and red priestess robes, a golden magatama necklace, and a golden crown with spikes erupting from it like rays of sunshine.
The Sacred Ruler's ruby eyes give the two brothers a piercing gaze above the fan she holds in front of her face.
The storm siblings fluidly drop to their knees and bow in seiza position.
"Amaterasu-sama/Amaterasu-sama," the brothers address the goddess reverently.
Amaterasu stares at her guests for a few moments, then speaks.
"Thunder. Lightning. Word has reached the Heavenly Plane of your selfless act in the Mortal Realm. How you used your gifts to preserve and protect life, not endanger it. To maintain order instead of sowing chaos. You even allied yourselves with mortal guardians to help those less powerful than you."
Thunder and Lightning are completely still and silent as Amaterasu speaks.
"And now, you have returned to my temple, where I punished you both for your inexcusable actions ages ago," Amaterasu continues, causing the siblings to flinch at the memory. "and have placed yourselves at my mercy once again."
A crowd of kami and spirits at the temple entrance watch on with apprehension.
"What do you two have to say about this?" Amaterasu finally asks the brothers.
After a tense moment, the brothers speak their case.
"You are correct, Amaterasu-sama," Thunder begins, "Our actions all those years ago were inexcusable, and your judgement against us was swift, fair…and what we rightfully deserved."
"We thought that our gifts and our status as kami meant that we could do whatever we pleased with no consequence," Lightning continues, "but we were wrong. As a matter of fact, it is because of our gifts and status that we must be placed on a higher standard than others, and that we have an obligation to care for those around us, even if they are weaker than us."
"We are regretful for our slight against you, Sacred Ruler. From the bottom of our hearts, we humbly ask for your forgiveness," Thunder says to the goddess.
"And, by your mercy, if you allow us to rejoin our fellow kami, then we swear on our gifts that we will do everything we can to redeem ourselves in your eyes," Lightning finishes.
Silence fills the temple. Amaterasu soundlessly stares at the kneeling siblings. The kami and spirits at the entrance wait in anticipation for their Sacred Ruler's verdict. Thunder and Lightning, meanwhile, sweat nervously as they mentally pray for mercy.
After several long moments, Amaterasu closes her eyes. She shuts her fan with a snap, revealing a small smile on her face.
"Rise," the goddess commands.
Thunder and Lightning rise from their seiza and stand to their feet. Hope wells in their chests when they see the goddess's smile.
"It appears you two have finally learned your lesson. Congratulations," Amaterasu says to the storm siblings.
"We are grateful, Sacred Ruler, though we had much help from others in learning that lesson," Thunder admits.
"Turns out mortals have quite a bit of wisdom to share. Even to gods," Lightning adds with a smile.
Amaterasu chuckles at this. "Indeed, they do."
The goddess rises from her throne.
"Our centuries apart have cooled my anger, and I have forgiven you both for your transgressions," Amaterasu tells her guests. "As for your redemption…"
The goddess holds her fan high above her, causing a light as powerful as sunlight to emanate from it, which blinds all but the goddess herself.
"I, Amaterasu, Daughter of Izanagi, Goddess of the Sun, and Sacred Ruler of Takamagahara, hereby lift your banishment from the Heavenly Plane, and restore you two to your rightful places as kami!"
The goddess's declaration made, the light from the fan strikes the two brothers and obscures their forms.
Moments later, the light dies down, and the crowd outside marvel at its effect on the two brothers.
Thunder's skin has changed from light blue to jade green, a single black horn has sprouted from his forehead, and wind swirls at his feet. Lightning's skin has changed from bright yellow to scarlet red, two white horns have emerged right below his hairline, and electricity crackles in his hands. Both of them have small tusks where their lower incisors once were.
The two brothers look at each other and are ecstatic at their changes, realizing what they mean.
Amaterasu lowers her fan and smiles brightly at the newly restored kami.
"Fujin. Raijin. Welcome home, my brothers," she happily says to her family.
At the entrance, the various onlookers cheer and cry out in happiness at the events that unfolded. At last, the pantheon has been restored.
Fujin and Raijin turn away from each other as Amaterasu steps down from her throne to meet them.
"We are forever grateful to you, sister!" Fujin, formerly Thunder, says with delight.
"We will never forget this!" Raijin, formerly Lightning, adds.
Amaterasu chuckles at their praise.
"I certainly hope so. After all, if we were to have a repeat of that little 'incident', I promise you two that I won't be nearly as merciful as before," the goddess says with a smile as a threatening aura surrounds her form.
Fujin and Raijin sweat profusely at her implication.
"We understand/We understand!" the two brothers shout as they deeply bow.
"Excellent!" the goddess says as the aura dissipates.
Amaterasu then hugs her long-lost siblings, who smile and hug her back.
As they separate, Amaterasu looks at her brothers with a curious gleam in her ruby eyes.
"Now then," she says, "tell me about these 'Teen Titans'."
[Insert End Theme: Teen Titans End Credits Theme]
AN: And cut! I'm glad that I was able to get this next update to you in a timely manner!
So, I took quite a bit of liberty when it came to Thunder and Lightning's backstories. Their character designs are very Shinto-like, and their powers are somewhat similar to the gods Fujin and Raijin. So, I combined them.
For those of you who don't know, in the Shinto pantheon, Fujin is the god of wind while Raijin is the god of lightning. Together, they have total mastery over storms. They also have a chaotic sense of humor according to legends.
So, I made it that one of their pranks, raining out Amaterasu's party, caused them to lose their godliness and essentially get kicked out of the house until they learned their lesson, which they eventually did after meeting the Titans.
And now, they're back home, they're fully restored, and all is right in the heavens. Yay!
This isn't the last we'll see of Fujin and Raijin, though. In fact, the Teen Titans will interact with the whole Shinto pantheon in future storylines.
Speaking of the Titans, Starfire and Beast Boy's drama plays out very similarly as it did in canon, except that Beast Boy apologizes a lot sooner because of his talk with Tony. This inspires Beast Boy to sacrifice himself for Starfire, which allows for Starfire to share how she feels for the green shapeshifter.
Now, I know what a few of you are thinking, and the answer is: No! No, paco!
Finally, a little icing on the cake, another piece of Tony's past is revealed. It's aaaall coming together!
Next time, a battery issue causes Cyborg to grapple with the fact that he's half machine. And while his fellow Titans encourage him to embrace the humanity he has left, a mystery man offers an alternative.
All this in the next installment of Iron Man: Titanic Adventures!
Until next time!
Dropareviewifyoucanflamerswillbeignored.