Hunters of Justice (RWBY/DC)
Chapter 8: The Teen Titans
RWBY and JNPR were already awake by the time dawn rose over Themyscira. They hadn't gotten much sleep that night, their thoughts running wild over just who the traitor was. The Amazons themselves had it worse. The idea that one of their sisters would betray them so thoroughly, one who would cause the deaths of dozens of Amazons willingly, was unthinkable until now. There was talk of Hippolyta closing the border entirely and recalling every Amazon from overseas. Themsycira would completely isolate themselves until they found the traitor.
An overreaction, perhaps, but not one they couldn't understand. At the very least Donna and Diana were exempt from the recall.
"I'm sorry things have come to this," Diana declared as she escorted the teams and Donna to the air pad.
"It's okay, Diana," Weiss said, "I'm just sorry that we couldn't do more."
"Don't blame yourselves for this, please. If anything, this is my fault." Diana sighed and shook her head. "I was so focused on Ares that I never even considered…"
"Diana, really. It wasn't your fault this happened," Ruby interrupted the Amazon, smiling softly. Her expression then turned serious, and the Huntress took a glance at the city below them. "Any idea who could have done it?"
"Not one," Diana revealed, scowling and clenching her fist, "and I'm not leaving my home until I find out who is."
"Same here, once I drop you all off in Jump City," Donna spoke up. "You guys will love it. Hopefully, things will be calmer over there."
"Probably won't, let's be honest," Nora declared, causing the others to look at her with arched eyebrows. "What? I'm just saying. So far, the pattern seems to be 'ooh, everything's calm, let's have a good time,' then whammo! We got a fight on our hands."
"…She isn't wrong. Trouble does seem to follow us lately," Ren pointed out after a beat. The others thought it over, then sighed and shrugged in agreement.
"…Hopefully, if that does happen, it won't be for a while," Diana acquiesced. She then smiled and patted Ruby's shoulder. "Stay safe, little ones. "
"We will," Yang smiled and gave the Wonder Woman a thumbs up. Diana smiled back, only for Ruby to suddenly hug her tightly. Diana chuckled to herself, then hugged the young girl again. Everyone watched silently, content to merely sit back and wait before the sound of a jet turbine starting up attracted their attention.
"Well, that's our cue. We'll see you later, Diana," Ruby awkwardly chuckled as she joined the others. As the ramp to the jet's interior descended, the huntsmen and huntresses waved one final time to the Wonder Woman, who calmly waved back even after the ramp closed. The only sign of their presence was the sound of the jet turbine, its whine increasing as a jet of fire erupted behind it. The plane took off into the clear blue sky, and Diana only stopped waving once the sound faded into the distance.
Then, with a frown stretched across her face, she turned back to the city. She did not know who exactly betrayed them, but when she did, there was going to be hell to pay.
"So, Donna," Yang asked from the co-pilot seat, "tell us about these Titans you're a part of."
"Gladly," Wonder Girl replied, turning on the autopilot and rotating her chair to face the others. As she did, she pressed a button on the center console, causing a holographic image to appear in the center of the vehicle.
"Is that a giant T?" Jaune immediately pointed out. Sure enough, there was indeed a giant T-shaped building. In front of it sat a group of costumed heroes, most appearing to be around their age. They recognized Nightwing and Donna immediately, but the others' identities eluded them.
"That 'giant T,'" Donna answered with a chuckle, "is Titans Tower. It was made about a year into our operation. Cyborg designed it, and it's filled with the same technology that makes up the Watchtower. A little better in some areas, given how much Cy works on it."
"I take it that this is him right here?" Yang said as she pointed to the man in question. He was much taller than the others, but it wasn't his size that stood out to them. It was the fact that the only bit of flesh they could see was the right side of his face. Everything else was a shiny, metallic grey. The question as to how Cyborg got to his current state was on everyone's mind, but they wisely pushed that question to the side.
"Yes, actually, although he prefers Victor while in the tower," Donna answered as she brought the figure closer.
"Wait, Victor? Is that his…?" Ruby started, surprised that Donna would reveal her friend's secret identity, but Donna waved her off.
"Don't worry. I already got permission from everyone. Just don't go blabbering it on the internet, and we'll be fine." Donna smiled then straightened herself. "Anyway, we formed a few years ago in the aftermath of the Imperium Invasion. Each of us came to Jump City for our own reasons. Dick, or Nightwing as you know him, was trying to strike out on his own after the White Martians destroyed Blüdhaven. M'gann was trying to find herself after betraying the rest of her species, Garfield coming with her to try and control his new powers. Victor left his father in Metropolis, the accident that turned him into what he is destroying what was left of their relationship, while Raven was fleeing her father."
'I can relate to that,' Weiss thought as Donna continued to speak, the heiress noticing how Ruby stole a glance at her. Despite herself, a pang of unease rippled through Weiss' body as she thought about what had happened to her family. Even if Weiss didn't have the best relationship with her father, mother, or brother, they were still her family. She could only hope that they weren't suffering.
"I was trying to follow in Diana's footsteps, seeking to go out into Man's World and be a hero." Donna awkwardly laughed and rubbed the back of her head. "My first few attempts were…disastrous. I had no idea what I was doing, and," Donna paused and winced at the memories, "a lot of things got broken. Still, I eventually found myself in Jump City, where Raven sought us all out and brought us together."
"What about her?" Jaune asked, pointing to the joyous girl hugging Nightwing tightly. Her eyes were completely green, her hair was a shade of fiery red, and the purple costume she was wearing left much of her orange skin exposed.
"That is Koriand'r, otherwise known as Starfire. She arrived in Jump City by coincidence. Her sister, Komand'r or Blackfire, had sold Kori into slavery to secure the throne to Tamaran. Kori escaped over Earth, and the Titans' first mission was securing her freedom." Donna laughed. "Poor Dick fell at first sight, and I can honestly say that she has been a bright sun in our lives ever since."
"She looks like it," Blake noted with a warm smile, then perked up as a thought came to her. "Wait, Koriand'r? Wasn't she the person who the League almost had come up to help with translating our language into English?"
"Yes, actually, and while Starfire was more than happy to help, we decided that her method would have only made things worse."
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked while cocking her head, and Donna sheepishly blushed and rubbed the back of her head.
"Well…why don't you ask her when you get there? She knows more about it than I do."
Ruby and the others nodded, Weiss seeing how the subject appeared to be embarrassing to the Amazon. She couldn't help but wonder precisely what method this Starfire would use that would cause such a response but decided to ask the Tamaranean herself.
"In any case, we've been together as a team ever since. We operated out of a home Dick had in the city for a while, until the city rewarded us for our services with Titans Tower. There have been other members come and gone over the years, several of whom have graduated to the Justice League. So, you really can say that we are a junior League. Just don't tell Dick that, he still gets defensive about it."
Everyone nodded and chuckled. The former students could see how such a description might rile someone up. The Amazon then began to regale the group about some of her friends' exploits over the years. Their encounters with supervillains, ranging from the admittedly humorous to outright gods. Upon learning of Trigon, Weiss immediately knew that Raven had it much, much worse than she did. It seemed that the universe just loved showing her people who made her father look like a saint in comparison.
This talk continued for hours, the flight from Themyscira to Jump City ironically taking longer than the one they had to get to Themyscira in the first place. It wasn't an unpleasant experience, however, with the jet itself ensuring that their flight was as smooth as possible. For much of it, they traveled over the vast Atlantic Ocean, occasionally passing over cargo ships and cruise liners, until they eventually hit dry land. They moved east to west over the continental United States, their destination along its western coast. The landscape beneath them varied wildly, turning from sprawling cities to vast forests and farmland. Donna took the time to point out the names of the towns as they passed over them, explicitly singling out the great city of Metropolis as a highlight.
"Everyone," Donna announced over the intercom, "welcome to Jump City."
As soon as the Wonder Girl announced this, RWBY and JNPR witnessed the sight of a vast city along a bay. Their destination could not be more evident as they flew towards a small island in the bay's center, connected to the mainland by a long bridge. Titans Tower sat on it, staring out over the city in constant vigilance, and as they descended onto a helipad, they saw a group of costumed heroes already waiting for them, waving wildly as the Invisible Jet finally landed.
"Looks like Star and Cy are already waiting for us," Donna noted as she opened the front entryway of the plane. The others nodded, and with their bags already in their hands stepped out onto the pad below.
"Hello, new friends!" Starfire exclaimed as she flew towards them, a great smile emblazoned across her face. Ruby hardly had the chance to smile and wave back before the Tamaranean scooped her up, hugged the young huntress tightly and spun her around. "Ooh, we are so happy to meet you all!"
"Yo, Star! Put her down; she's turning green!" Cyborg shouted as he walked towards them. Starfire looked at her friend, blinked, then looked at Ruby to see that her head was spinning.
"Sorry!" Starfire gently placed Ruby on the ground, who wobbled in place for a moment as she collected her bearings.
"Uggh…" Ruby groaned as Yang ran down and grabbed her shoulder. "I'm o… I'm okay…"
For a moment Yang looked at her sister in concern, but when Ruby shook her head and flashed a thumbs up, Yang smiled and patted Ruby's shoulder. She then turned her attention towards the Teen Titans, specifically at the orange-skinned girl in front of her.
"So, you must be Starfire. Name's Yang," she announced herself and extended her arm. Seeing this, Starfire nodded and promptly hugged Yang tightly, who laughed and hugged her back. "You're a hugger."
"Oh, yes! My people have always been free with their emotions, and meeting new friends always makes me happy!" Starfire said as she released Yang and stepped back slightly. She then looked towards the others and nodded. "Come, let us head inside. Friend Beast Boy has been most excited about your arrival and has been preparing all morning."
"Welcome, dudes and dudettes! Food is already on the table, so dig right in! Hope you like vegan. If not, Cyborg made a bunch of burgers on the counter," a green-skinned boy greeted RWBY and JNPR from behind the kitchen counter, steaming food sitting out in plates around him. Like the picture portrayed, he was a young boy around their age, and one look effortlessly showcased just how joyous and full of life he was. If he cared at all about his green-skin, he didn't show it. Sitting across from him were two women, one wearing a blue hooded cloak that covered her pale skin, while the other reminded them of J'onn J'onzz. Remembering what Donna had told them on the plane, they inferred that these two were Raven Roth and M'gann M'orzz.
"Everyone, meet my friend, Beast Boy," Starfire announced, to which Beast Boy waved her off.
"Please, only my adoring fans call me Beast Boy," he chuckled as he walked over to the group, his arm outstretched. "Call me Garfield."
"Hello, Garfield," Nora enthusiastically returned his greeting while shaking his hand. Koriand'r laughed at this then walked over to the two women on the booth.
"This is M'gann and Raven." At Starfire's declaration, the green-skinned redhead stood up and smiled, her crossed hands betraying her nervousness, while Raven continued to sit.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all," M'gann said with a smile. Ruby smiled back and nodded, idly noting just how emotive the Martian girl was. For all the respect Ruby held towards the Martian Manhunter, he was disconcertingly stoic, yet this girl seemed to be much better at expressing herself.
"Hello," Raven dryly greeted while staring at everyone. In an instant, Yang was reminded of when they first met Blake, something the cat Faunus picked up on as well. Ruby smiled at her all the same, then looked around the room.
"Hey, where's Nightwing?" she asked, and Starfire sighed.
"Still in Gotham and helping the Batman, sadly. He won't be back for some time," she revealed. The rest of the Titans frowned and nodded, their concern for their leader evident on all their faces. Starfire then forced herself to perk up and smiled. "But he did send you all his regards, and he is sorry he couldn't be here himself."
"Don't worry, we understand," Jaune said. "How is Gotham doing, by the way?"
"Better, but much of the city is still on lockdown," Cyborg declared while sitting down on a large sofa. "There was a breakout in Blackgate during the chaos, so Nightwing and everyone are trying to round them up."
"We'd have gone with him, but Bats was all 'No, this is my city. You aren't allowed here,'" Beast Boy interjected in a mockingly deep growl.
"Yeah, we noticed that," Yang agreed and nodded. "I swear, it's like he has a stick up his—"
"Yang," Ruby cut her off.
"What? You know it's true." If Yang was at all ashamed at her insinuation, she wasn't showing it. Everyone stared at her silently, then laughed and conceded to her point. Beast Boy then slapped his hands together and walked towards the main hallway, beckoning everyone to join him.
"Well, how about we show you guys the place after we eat?" he asked, and the group nodded quickly. To Garfield's mild disappointment, only Blake and Ren went for the vegan option, if only out of politeness. Everyone else gladly grabbed a meaty burger and began to devour them.
"Victor, these are so good!" Yang exclaimed through an open mouth, barbeque sauce dripping down the corner of her mouth.
"Yang, must you eat like a brute?" Weiss chastised as she ate her burger with a knife and fork.
"Says the princess eating a burger with a knife and fork."
"It's sanitary."
"It's boring," Yang countered, causing the others to laugh. Ren then turned towards Garfield, nibbling on a chunk of tofu as he did.
"Garfield, I must ask," he began, catching the Beast Boy's attention, "Donna told us that you can turn into any animal on the planet."
"Yep," Garfield proudly declared, a smile emblazoned on his face and thrusting a thumb back to his chest.
"Is that why you're a vegan?" Ren asked, and Garfield, his mouth full, responded with a clap.
"Two for two!" he announced after swallowing his food, "But yeah, that's the reason why. I don't mind if you guys eat meat, but to me, given how I can turn into those animals—"
"It would be like cannibalism," Blake finished, and Garfield nodded. "How did you get your powers, anyway?"
"Well, for starters, I got a rare disease called Sakutia. Would have killed me had I not had regular blood transfusions, but my mother was able to keep me supplied." Garfield smiled warmly at the memory, only for his expression to darken as bad memories came back. M'gann noticed this and sat next to him, a concerned frown on her face while Blake and Ren looked alarmed. They worried they had inadvertently crossed a line.
"Hey, are you alright?" the Martian asked, and Garfield nodded his head after a moment.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just…" He paused, and suddenly Ren knew exactly what had happened.
"Garfield, I am so—"
"It's fine," Beast Boy interjected, then took a deep breath and continued, "My mother was a geneticist in Qurac. We lived on an animal reservation there, and I would play with the animals every day. One day, an animal came in. It was violent and was attacking everything in sight. I tried to stop it, only for it to bite me. A warden shot it before it could do anything else."
"That's how you got Sakutia," Ren guessed, and Garfield nodded.
"Yeah. I was…eight, at the time. They thought I only had six months to live. Luckily for me, my mother and I took regular samples of our blood, and equipment from S.T.A.R. Labs allowed her to synthesize more. She developed a treatment for Sakutia involving regular blood transfusions, which kept me alive." Garfield paused for a moment and looked at Blake and Ren's faces. They didn't speak, but their message was loud and clear. If he didn't want to continue, he didn't have to.
M'gann patted his back reassuringly, and so Beast Boy released a deep sigh and pressed on. "This lasted for about five years. At first, the blood transfusions had to be done once a month. Then, it turned into twice a month, then once every week. By the time I met M'gann after the Imperium Invasion, it had to be done daily."
"I came across them by chance, actually," M'gann spoke up. "I was trying to understand the world I was now home to, learn its people and cultures. Admittedly, Qurac was not my first choice, and I don't want to go there ever again, but I'm glad I went."
"So am I, sis," Garfield smiled up at her, his expression finally lightening back up. "M'gann and I got along instantly, and when she learned about my condition, she tried to help however she could."
"What happened?" Blake politely asked, seeing where events were going. When M'gann and Gar's expressions' darkened, she knew she was right.
"Qurac was never the most peaceful country in the world, but the Imperium Invasion toppled whatever unity the country managed to keep after Darkseid's invasion a few years prior," Garfield explained. By now, everyone was paying attention, silently giving his story the attention it deserved. "As it turned out, several of the government's leaders were Imperium spies, and the subsequent purge by the king got innocents and political enemies caught in the crossfire. When he tried to kill one of his top generals, a civil war ensued. At first, my mother and I thought we could sit it out, but we were wrong."
"During my stay there, a group of rebels attacked the royal compound that oversaw the preserve," M'gann began, everyone's attention shifting to her, "I tried to stop the fighting, but when the rebels saw me, they merely tried to kill us. I did everything I could to keep Garfield and his mother safe, but during the attack most of his blood stores were destroyed. Had we stayed, he would have certainly died, and so I tried to get them out myself."
"Couldn't you have gotten the Watchtower to pick you guys up?" Jaune asked, only for M'gann to shake her head.
"The Watchtower didn't have the teleporter yet, and it was too dangerous to fly a Javelin down to pick him up, so we had to walk. We had enough blood to get to the border and then to the Watchtower for treatment, but the next day, when the time for the transfusion came…the treatment didn't work. His body began to shut down, so I used the only thing I could think of to save his life: I gave him my blood."
"You gave him your blood?" Yang asked with a cocked head, trying to wrap her head around how an alien and thirteen-year-old boy could possibly share blood. Seeing this, M'gann giggled and began to explain.
"My species was capable of shapeshifting into anything we desired, and Uncle J'onn helped me refine my control to specific parts of my body," she said, and Nora snapped her fingers.
"So you changed your blood-type to match his!" she exclaimed, and Garfield smiled and nodded.
"Yes, exactly," M'gann nodded. "The treatment worked, and we were able to make it out of the war-torn country. As we got closer to the border, however, Garfield…began to change."
"She means I turned green right before her eyes," he interjected. "Also, the Sakutia was completely gone. I was cured. My mother was completely over the moon."
"When did you find out you could turn into animals?" Jaune asked the obvious question, and Garfield frowned.
"…When we got to the border," he began, his fist tightly clenched, "we were intercepted by a royal patrol. They accused us of being rebels, and refused to let us leave. My mother argued with them, but they refused to listen. Then she slapped one of them, and…they shot her."
The huntsmen and huntresses' eyes widened at this, and an angry scowl flashed across Garfield's face.
"Got so angry, I just…lost control. I turned into a tiger and mauled both of them, and…that was it. I've been with M'gann ever since. She was the only family I had left." Garfield calmed himself and took a deep breath, then looked back up at the concerned looks of his friends and smiled faintly.
"…I lost both of my parents when I was eight," Ren spoke softly, Nora gently placing her hand on his, "I had lived in the city of Kuroyuri, everything was peaceful, until an Elder Grimm attacked. Killed my parents and everyone I knew right before my eyes. Nora and I were the only survivors. So, Garfield, believe me when I say that you have my deepest sympathies for what has befallen you. If you ever want to talk," Ren reached out and placed his hand on the Beast Boy's shoulder, who smiled in gratitude, "I'm here."
"We all are," Jaune emphasized, and RWBY and JNPR all smiled. M'gann and the other Titans all smiled at the outpouring of support, only for Garfield to suddenly and out of nowhere burb loudly.
"Oh, Gar, geez!" Victor and the others recoiled, only for Beast Boy to laugh hysterically.
After an hour, once everyone had finished swapping stories and telling jokes, the mood had lightened considerably. Garfield had rebounded completely from earlier and was back to his normal, cheerful self, and as soon as the last plate was cleaned he bounded over to the main hall.
"Come on, guys. Let me give you a tour of the place. We've got everything in here," he called out excitedly.
RWBY and JNPR smiled and followed after him, the rest of the Titans following after them and leaving M'gann and Donna behind. The two girls watched after them, Garfield excitedly detailing everything the Tower had to offer with Victor while Raven kept them from going too overboard.
"They're going to be just fine here," M'gann said as the group rounded a corner, granting the Martian and Amazon privacy. She then frowned and turned to face Donna. "Are you sure you can't stay? I thought your mother didn't force you to stay in Themyscira?"
"She didn't," Donna nodded, "but I'm still going back. As much as I love being with all of you here, my people need me."
"I… I understand." M'gann sighed and hugged the Amazon tightly. "I'm sorry you have to go so soon."
"Me, too." Donna hugged her back then let go. "I should…probably say goodbye to everyone then get on out of here."
"Yeah." M'gann nodded then smiled. "Come on, let's go join the others."
"And this," Cyborg declared as he opened a sliding metal door, revealing a large open room with weights and various other exercise equipment, "is the gym."
"Nice," Yang nodded as she and the rest of her team walked inside, team JNPR right behind them. She looked to the far wall and saw a large press-like machine, the top embedded into the ceiling. "How much does that weight-press go to?"
"As much as needed," Cyborg answered. He then smiled and thrust his thumb towards his chest. "My current record's twenty tons. You?"
"Nice," Yang smiled and nodded, "Mine's the same, without the use of my Semblance."
"Damage Absorption, right?" he asked, to which Yang nodded. "Can see how that can be useful, especially in our line of work."
"What about you, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Not at all," Cyborg replied. "As you can see, most of my body is cybernetic, both human and Apokoliptic. There's a lot of things I can do." He then smirked and held up his right arm, which suddenly shifted into a cannon.
"That is so cool!" Ruby exclaimed as she appeared next to the pair in a burst of rose petals, "What is it? What is it?"
Cyborg laughed and allowed Ruby to inspect it more closely. "This baby right here is a sonic cannon. It fires—"
"Compressed sound waves! Ooh, there's so much you can do with that! You can strike someone on the inside, dial it up and down to control just how hard you hit, you can—"
"Yep, you set her off," Yang noted to a surprised Cyborg and patted him on the shoulder. "Just let it run its course. There's nothing you can do to stop it."
"Heh, I can see that," he chuckled. "Should I mention it can turn into a plasma cannon?"
"IT CAN DO THAT, TOO?!" Ruby shouted, stars in her eyes as she looked over Cyborg expectantly. Victor laughed and took back his arm, turning it back into its regular configuration.
"What about you, Garfield? Care to show us what you can do?" Blake asked while she watched her leader excitedly gush about Victor's weapon systems. Garfield smirked and cracked his fingers, then walked forward.
"Watch, and be amazed," he announced to her and the other huntsmen. He bounced around a few times on the balls of his feet, and then his body began to shift before their very eyes. It happened so fast that he appeared to turn into a green blob for a split second, and when he came out of it, Garfield was now a green tiger.
"Holy…" Blake muttered as the tiger roared triumphantly. Donna had described Beast Boy's ability to turn into animals while on the plane, but seeing it happen in person was much different than having it described to her second-hand. Garfield then turned back to normal, inexplicably wearing his black and purple jumpsuit from before the transformation. He then began to shift rapidly, turning into a variety of bears, cats, wolves, lizards, insects, and much more.
"Holy crap, when Donna said you could turn into any animal, she wasn't kidding," Jaune gasped, then took a step back as Garfield transformed one last time. This transformation was much larger, its enormous head nearly reaching the ceiling and its long, thick tail curling around it. Its tiny arms dangled near uselessly on its torso, and as Garfield roared, everyone had to cover their ears lest they go deaf.
"Garfield!" Raven suddenly shouted, "Will you knock that off!"
At her command, Beast Boy suddenly transformed back to normal, a sheepish smile on his face while he rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, RaeRae. Got a little carried away."
"Honestly, the last thing any of us need is to go deaf because you decided to show off," she chastised, and at once the Remnantians got the gist of how their relationship worked. Blake was reminded of Sun's irreverent antics, the memories bringing a smile to her face. That smile soon disappeared, replaced by a frown and drooped ears. Strangely enough, Raven seemed to pick up on this immediately, and the grey-skinned girl walked over to her.
"You alright?" she asked.
"I…," Blake sighed and grasped her wrist, "Just…remembering someone I knew. He was a good friend and seeing you and Garfield interact reminded me of him. We got separated during the fighting, and I don't know what happened to him."
Raven looked at the Faunus in sympathy and nodded. "Don't worry; I'm sure he's fine. If he's anything like Gar, he'll be so stubborn and stupid that nothing would put him down for long."
"Hey, I heard that!" Beast Boy indignantly shouted.
"You were supposed to," she replied sarcastically, a joking look in her eyes. Blake couldn't help but laugh at the blunt exchange. It was apparent that, despite the ribbing, the two cared for each other deeply.
"So, Raven," Ren politely asked, "what are your powers, exactly? Donna described you as an empath and magic user."
"Yes, that's pretty much it," the half-demon answered. "My magic came from my father, the demon Trigon, and I learned how to control it in Azarath. I won't get into the specifics right now. It would take way too long to go over everything I can do with magic."
"Trust us, she ain't lying," Cyborg interjected, his words backed up by Kori's and Garfield's nods. Everyone then turned to face Starfire, who perked up and smiled.
"All Tamaraneans can absorb ultraviolet radiation, and at first I could only use it to fly. But, when my sister betrayed me," for a brief moment, she frowned then perked herself back up again, not wanting a repeat of Garfield's emotional origin story, "I gained the ability to convert that energy into what I call 'starbolts.'"
"Huh, cool," Yang replied. She knew that Starfire was playing down what happened to her, and the huntress wasn't willing to delve into that trauma. Before anyone could speak again, however, the doors to the gym opened and revealed M'gann and Donna.
"So, how is everyone getting along?" the Amazon asked.
"Everything's great, Wonder Girl!" Garfield exclaimed, only to notice the forlorn expression on the Amazon's face. Slowly, his mood died down and was replaced with exasperation. "Don't tell me you're leaving already?"
"But you just got here?" Kori pointed out, her sadness easily conveyed. Victor and Raven were able to keep their emotions in check better, but Ruby and the others could see that they too were upset.
"Sadly, yes. I can't just leave my people when there's a crisis on our hands. I'm sorry, but—" Starfire suddenly flew and embraced her tightly, cutting Donna off mid-sentence. After a moment of confusion, Donna smiled and hugged her back.
"Be safe. Please," the Tamaranean princess begged, and Donna nodded.
"I will, don't worry." Donna released Starfire and stepped back before putting her hand on the alien's shoulder. "I'll be back before you know it."
"…okay." Starfire reluctantly nodded, and Donna turned her attention to the other members of her team.
"Stay safe, Wonder Girl," Cyborg told her while patting her shoulder. Beast Boy then strode up and hugged her, while Raven stayed back.
"We'll see you later," she said, her voice betraying a hint of sadness that her friend was leaving. Donna recognized it clearly and moved to hug the half-demon, only for Raven to hold up her hands and back up a step. "Yeah, that's a no on the hugging."
Donna chuckled. "Never change, Raven." She then turned around and began walking away, the others following her to the front of the building and out to the helipad. Donna waved one last time as she ascended into the invisible jet, the others waving back before she finally took off. The Titans and Huntsmen didn't stop waving until the sound of the plane eventually disappeared into the distance, at which point they sighed and looked at each other.
"Well, let's head on back inside, guys. Today's an off day for all of us, so let's enjoy it while we can," Cyborg pointed out.
"I'm down with that," Yang agreed with him as she and the others followed him back inside. In the back of her mind, she wondered just how their stay with the Titans would go.
"COME ON! HIT HIM!" Victor shouted at the screen, watching the Gotham University Nighthawks' defense try and fail to tackle the Metropolis University Bulldogs' running back. When the runner finally got tackled fifteen yards from the touchdown, Victor let out a sigh of relief while a smiling Yang chuckled and shook her head.
"You know, this 'football' reminds me of a sport back home," Yang noted as she watched the two teams prepare for the next play.
"Really? Which one?" he asked, his eyes still glued to the screen.
"A sport called griffball. Kind of like football, only the ball was a small bomb, and the players hit each other with hammers and swords."
"… That sounds awesome," Garfield got out, to which Yang smiled and nodded.
"I still think both of those sports are barbaric," Weiss chastised from the kitchen table with Blake and Raven, glancing at the TV with a disdainful look. "It's just grown men hitting each other for a stupid ball."
"Yeah, so?" Ruby pointed out from the couch, Jaune, Yang, and Nora all looking at her expectantly. Rather than reply, the heiress sighed and shook her head.
"Honestly, it's like I'm surrounded by savages, sometimes," she sighed, then turned her attention back towards Raven. Questions flowed in the girl's mind, something the half-demon seemed to pick up on as she turned her attention towards Weiss.
"Something you want?" she asked, and Weiss quickly shook her head.
"No, nothing. Just… Wanted to say that, for what it's worth…"
"That you also had an evil, controlling father, so you know what it's like?" Raven guessed, surprising the heiress. Seeing this, Raven sighed and closed her book. "Your emotions are all over the place, so it wasn't hard to figure out why. I'd say that you have no idea, but I also know you are aware of that."
" … You're a very blunt person, aren't you?" Blake pointed out, only for Raven to give her a lidded stare, then the Faunus sighed. "Moving on, how come you aren't joining the others?"
Punctuating Blake's question, the TV watchers roared enthusiastically as the Nighthawks stopped a touchdown attempt. Raven raised an eyebrow at the sight then turned back towards Blake.
"I'm half-demon," she explained, "If I get too emotional, I run the risk of losing control completely and turning into what my father wants. I'd become a vessel for his will, opening Earth up to him. I cannot let that happen."
"That must be difficult," Weiss said with complete sympathy, and Raven closed her eyes and nodded.
"It is, sometimes," she admitted, then looked over the rest of her team cheering on as a Nighthawks lineman intercepted the ball, then smiled. "But, being here, with my friends… It makes it easier."
"Even Garfield?" Blake asked with a smirk, and Raven chuckled.
"Oh, he makes it worse."
"You know you love me, Raven," Garfield pointed out with a cheerful laugh.
"Keep telling yourself that. Maybe one day, it'll come true."
"I heard a maybe in there!" he joked, causing the others to laugh. Beast Boy smiled at this, happy to have brought smiles to his friends' faces, then leaned forward to face all of the Remnantians. "So, I have a question for all of you."
"Sure, shoot," Yang replied as she refilled her cup of soda, Ruby munching on a bowl of chips next to her.
Garfield nodded, then narrowed his eyes conspiratorially. "Have you all decided yet?"
RWBY and JNPR stared blankly at Garfield, not quite understanding what he was implying.
"Decided what?" Blake finally asked, making the green boy groan.
"Oh, come on! You mean to tell me that you're training with the freaking Justice League, trying to become superheroes for the past, what, month now, and you haven't even decided your superhero name? That's like, Superhero 101."
"Oh, that's what you meant!" Ruby exclaimed as she wiped some crumbs from the corner of her mouth. She then smiled excitedly and pointed between herself and a smiling Jaune. "Jaune and I have been thinking of a few."
"I still think it's a childish exercise," Weiss proclaimed, only for Ruby to laugh at her expected response.
Yang chuckled then turned to face Garfield. She hummed to herself, tapping her chin, only to shrug.
"Haven't put much thought to it, really," she admitted. Garfield gasped in mock shock, then shook his head.
"Et tu, Yang? What about the rest of you?" He looked around the room, locking eyes with each of the other superheroes-in-training, and they all either shrugged or shook their head. His eyes then narrowed, and he sprung to his feet.
"Well, this cannot stand!" he shouted, then dramatically pointed at Raven. "Rae, whiteboard!"
Raven stared at him then rolled her eyes. "Fine…," she said as she raised her hand, a black aura enveloping the appendage. Next to Garfield a black rectangle appeared on the wall, only to disappear and revealed a whiteboard in its place.
"…Huh, so that's what magic looks like…" Pyrrha commented, remembering their previous, more subtle interactions with magic. An embarrassed blush briefly came to her cheeks as she glanced at her partner, but she shook her head as Ruby joined Garfield next to the board.
"Listen up!" Garfield barked, causing the more serious members of the group to roll their eyes while the others merely chuckled and did as instructed. When Garfield began marching back and forth in front of the whiteboard, the snickers increased, and judging by the look on Garfield's face, the audience reaction was intended.
"Being a superhero requires many things out of you! It requires dedication, it requires selflessness, it requires sacrifice, it may require you to wear silly costumes that pull in uncomfortable places!" The audience laughed once more at this declaration, but Garfield continued. "But one thing that is essential is a name! A name that turns you from a man, or woman, into a symbol! A superhero name."
"Ooh," Nora gasped dramatically, and Ruby took the opportunity to step forward. The Titans all looked at Garfield silently, allowing him to continue, while Raven just stared flatly.
"Superhero names have to be more than just cool or inspiring! They have to be indicative of who we are and what we do! Superman is a man who can do almost anything, bringing hope wherever he goes. Batman operates at night, bringing fear to the criminals he fights while dressed as a bat. Wonder Woman brings wonder and love to the world as she fights to make the world a better place!" the young huntress espoused.
"And then you have someone like Green Arrow, who wears green and uses a bow, or Raven, who just goes by her first name," Yang pointed out, seeing where her sister was going but wanting to cut it short. For her part, Raven looked appreciative of being acknowledged. Ruby blushed, embarrassed that she was beginning to ramble, before straightening herself once more.
"Anyway," she started up again and took up a black marker. She began to write on the board as she continued to talk, "Jaune and I have already begun to think about what our names should be. We believe that all of us especially need superhero names to protect ourselves from people like Luthor and Waller. At the same time, our names need to be symbols of who we are and where we came from. They also need to be colorful, of course."
"Makes sense," Ren admitted while thinking over his possibilities. "Color is an important part of our culture," he added for the benefit of their hosts.
"Exactly! That is perfect, and you should use it!" Beast Boy declared with an excited point. He then turned towards Ruby, who smiled then turned her attention to the others. Her friends looked at her expectantly, with Weiss sighing and rubbing the bridge of her nose.
"…Well, what names did you two come up with?" Blake asked when none of the others volunteered to bite the bullet.
"Oh, right. Well, for me… I like Red Reaper," she admitted, and the others all hummed as they thought it over.
"Ooh, I get it!" Starfire exclaimed. "It is because you wear red and use a scythe, correct?"
"Exactly!" Ruby proclaimed, then blushed and looked down at her feet, kicking them against each other. "… also I think it sounds cool…"
"It does share your name's alliteration," Weiss mused while holding her chin with a critical look in her eye. "But isn't it a little too…simplistic?"
"We just mentioned Green Arrow, Ice Queen, and we've already met a bunch of other heroes with obvious names like that," Yang scoffed, quick to defend her little sister's decision making. "It's supposed to be like a brand name, something that's easy for anyone to say and remember, not an obscure and fancy mouthful."
"'Short, sweet, and rolls of the tongue.' My mom's advice is right, as usual," Jaune agreed with an emphatic nod. "It sounds very cool, Ruby. I think the name suits you perfectly," Jaune declared with finality, turning everyone's attention towards himself. "Me, I like the name White Knight."
"You look the part," Garfield admitted, and Jaune smiled.
"Exactly!"
Blake chuckled at her friend's antics, then began to think about a name for herself. Like Weiss, she too believed that the practice was at its heart childish, but at the same time recognized its practicality and necessity. Like it or not, they needed to keep their identities secret if they wanted to operate on Earth successfully. She wracked her mind, trying to come up with a name for herself, only to sigh and shake her head.
"Having trouble there?" Victor asked, and she nodded. "Don't let it get to you. Most heroes take a while to come up with their name. For a while, Garfield called himself 'Changeling' after deciding Beast Boy sounded too 'immature' and that since he was a man, he needed to change his name."
"I was fifteen, Cy," Garfield pointed out, annoyance etched onto his face at how the others laughed at his attempted rebranding. It barely lasted a month before he changed it back, and Cyborg had never let him live it down.
"Just saying, man. Now, let's go back to you, Blake," Victor changed the subject and redirected his attention towards her. "Let's start with what you do as a fighter."
"Well," Blake paused as she thought about how she fought, from her weapons and tactics all the way to her Semblance, "I'm not a frontline fighter like Yang or Nora. Mostly I attack quickly then run away, letting my Shadow take the hit for me. So, maybe…" Blake paused in thought, getting stuck on a name.
"Hm, let's see," Starfire hummed and tapped her chin, "Maybe 'Shadow Cat'?"
Blake stared flatly at the Tamaranean's suggestion and shook her head.
"'Black Cat'?" Beast Boy suggested, and Blake once again shook her head.
"Black Faun—'"
"Yeah, can we not use my status as a cat Faunus as the basis of my superhero name, please?" a now thoroughly annoyed Blake asked. Sensing the sensitive subject matter, the Titans quickly acquiesced to her request, allowing her a moment to think. Her eyes briefly glanced down to her symbol, stitched onto her pant leg. It was the petals of a belladonna flower, a plant as beautiful as it was toxic, and she smiled as its other moniker came to her.
"Nightshade. I like the name Nightshade," she declared, and her teammates smiled and nodded in approval.
"Nightshade… It suits you, Blake," Yang smiled, and Blake smiled back. Seeing how everyone's attention was now on the brawler, Yang smiled and leaned back onto the sofa, her arms crossed behind her head. "Well, it's obvious that I'm the ball of sunshine in everyone's life that will kick anyone's butt if they try to hurt us, so if I had to come up with a name on the spot… I would have to say maybe Golden Dragon. Sounds badass, like me."
The others laughed at her response, only to notice Weiss rolling her eyes. Seeing this, Yang smirked and leaned her head against her arm, turning her body to its side. "Well, Weiss. What about you?"
"I refuse to participate in this," she insisted, and Yang's smile grew.
"Well then, since you won't choose your superhero name, I will bravely volunteer to do it for you," Yang announced, and Weiss' eyes widened.
"No, that is not—"
"Let's see here… Ooh, there are so many options available for you, Weiss-Cream!" Yang started with a mirthful look on her face.
"I am warning you, Xiao Long!" Weiss threatened, but Yang ignored her.
"There's Ice Queen, Special Snowflake," the brawler began, causing the others to begin laughing at Weiss' expense, "White Snow—"
"That is just my name translated," Weiss pointed out, but Yang ignored her and continued to rattle off suggestions.
"How about Snow Angel, huh? Bring back some fond memories, right?" Yang joked, turning to face both Weiss and Jaune. The boy was torn between wanting to laugh at Yang's jokes and defend the affectionate nickname he had given Weiss back when he still had a crush on her, but Weiss silenced them with a raised hand.
"Please, just…stop. I'll come up with one later if you stop," Weiss asked with an annoyed glare, and Yang laughed and waved her off.
"Just joking around, Weiss. Seriously, have some fun with this." Yang then turned her attention towards Jaune's team, but before she could say anything, Ren coughed into his fist.
"Nora and I have already been thinking about ours as well," he revealed. "Nora thinks I should call myself Green Lotus."
"Ooh, like Green Arrow, all the Green Lanterns, and Green Fire before she shortened it to Fire," She pointed out, causing Ren to see a pattern.
"… On second thought, maybe Verdant or another color is a better word for it," he consented, and the others nodded at his reasoning. Nora then thumped her chest proudly.
"I will be Pink Lightning!" she declared with her typical enthusiasm. She then half-whispered conspiratorially to the group at large, "It's because I can absorb electricity."
"We figured," Jaune laughed, then turned to face Pyrrha. The humble girl jolted once she realized everyone was staring at her expectantly, all of them given sympathetic smiles.
"I…well…" she started, then after a moment shook her head. "I'm sorry, it's just…"
Jaune realized immediately what his partner's issue with coming up with a name for herself was. Out of all the people he knew, Pyrrha was by far the humblest. Coming up with a superhero name, one designed to draw attention to a manufactured persona and not her actual identity, probably hit too close to home. A quick glance to Ren and Nora told him they saw the exact same thing.
"Crimson Guardian," he suddenly declared, staring straight into Pyrrha's surprised eyes. "Crimson Guardian seems perfect in my eyes."
Pyrrha stared back at her partner, then smiled. "I love it. Thank you, Jaune."
"What made you think of it? M'gann asked, choosing against using her psychic powers to look into his mind and figure out why. Jaune smiled at the question then nodded.
"Well, her color makes the Crimson obvious. As for Guardian…that's what she does. She always protects those who need it most, whether it's from monsters or their own stupidity." Pyrrha smiled brightly at Jaune's words, only to retreat when a frown suddenly crossed his face, and the champion instantly knew why.
"You're still mad I fought the Gorgon by myself, aren't you?" she asked, and the rest of her team all stared blankly at her.
"Yep," they all replied, causing Pyrrha to wither slightly from their gazes. They weren't truly angry at her. Their feelings were borne out of concern for their teammate, and that night they had made it clear that losing her would have devastated all of them. Given how Pyrrha knew she would have died had Diana not made it to her in time, she felt their feelings were justified. Garfield, not wanting the situation to grow tense, coughed into his fist and attracted everyone's attention.
"Well, now that we got that out of the way, who wants to play some games? Watch some movies?" he asked. The others smiled, Yang wickedly.
"Let's see… Get a chance to prove my fighting game superiority to a new planet? You're on, Beast Boy. What game are we playing?" she challenged, and Garfield smiled.
"Raven, if you please?" he asked, and the whiteboard was subsequently enveloped in black magic then disappeared with a slight pop. Beast Boy then turned around and jumped towards the large TV, fishing through some cabinets embedded into the wall. Several cases of video games were arranged neatly in alphabetical order, organized by genre, and Jaune couldn't help but whistle at the impressive collection.
"Found it!" he declared as he pulled out a case. It showed the face of a yellow-clad masked ninja, his eyes a pale, ghostly white, and Cyborg smiled while cracking his fingers.
As the Titans and their guests continued to party for the rest of the night, Jump City slept soundly. The businesses closed, cars parked in their lots, and the moon shone brightly overhead. It was a peaceful scene.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY CANCELED IT?!" a shrill voice suddenly shouted from a rundown apartment. Computer monitors and electronics lined every wall, wires crisscrossing across a dirty floor that was covered in empty pizza boxes and takeout food. The apartment centered around an overweight man with long, messy red hair. His angered face was marked with pimples, and he was wearing a makeshift armor that appeared to be lifted from a variety of different sci-fi movies.
"HOW DARE THEY CANCEL MY FAVORITE SHOW! WHO CARES IF IT DIDN'T GET ENOUGH RATINGS?! THE NETWORK SCREWED IT UP!" he raged at his central monitor, his shouting turning into a low growl.
"Ooh, if they think they can get away with this, they are so wrong," he declared as he reached into a nearby desk and pulled out a black remote. "And I, Control Freak, will be the one who—"
"Yo, Freak!" his neighbor shouted through the thin wall, banging on it with his fist, "Shut up in there! I'm trying to get some sleep!"
"Get some earplugs, Gary! I'm having a hard time right now!" Control Freak countered.
"I don't care! Just nerd rage in the morning, godammit!"
[~][~]
Hello, everyone! Here is the latest, actual chapter for Hunters of Justice! And here, as promised, are the Teen Titans! As you can see, this next arc is going to be a fun one.
I am super happy that all of you enjoyed the Chibi chapters so much. Expect to see more of them in the future.
Now, onto the Q&A:
darkvampirekisses: Glad to see that you're enjoying the story so far. We have a lot of story to tell, and I hope you and everyone else continue to enjoy. As for Luthor and the Grimm-pool samples, you'll have to wait and see.
Jacob9594: While I won't go into specifics, RWBY and JNPR will meet several of the powerful DC villains in their journey.
meeyaargh3412: There's probably some Chibi-DC fan art somewhere on the internet. Regardless, I understand where you're getting that visual from. I'm glad you like the filler. As for a separate story for the Chibi chapters, I'm probably just going to keep them on the actual HoJ story rather than make a separate story. However, if the overall concensus is that it would be better to make a separate Hunters of Justice Chibi story, I will do so.
Well, that's it for this chapter. I hope you all enjoy!