"¿Hola? ¿Alguien vivo ahí?" two identical male voices said.

"Okay, I'm officially weirded out." another male voice said, followed by footsteps.

"Hey! You get back here, Speedy!" a female voice said. She sighed. "How did she get here?"

"No idea." the final voice said. "Hey, Ciela, wake up!"

My eyes popped open, and I stared up at the Titans East members. The four of them, save Speedy, who ditched to take a look around the room, hovered in my vision.

I cleared my throat and sat up on the floor. "Hi, everyone."

Bumblebee offered a hand, and I accepted it and stood up.

"We came here and saw you... uh... appear on the floor. What's going on?" Bumblebee said.

"Um..." I scratched the back of my head. "It's a long story..."

"¡Hora del cuento con la señorita Ciela!" Más and Menos clung to my legs. I chuckled and shuffled awkwardly to the front.

"Shouldn't you be with the other Titans? Or were you sent here to babysit us?" Speedy said, typing on the computer keyboard. I slapped his hands, and he pulled back with a glare.

"Don't touch anything." I mumbled. I pried the twins off my legs, walked to the other side of the kitchen counter, and found Control Freak crouched underneath the sink. I grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and pulled him up to his feet. "I'm here because of him."

"Uh..." Control Freak said with half a turkey leg sticking out of his mouth. He yanked out of my grip and dramatically pointed the bone at us. "Greetings, Titans! Your number one arch nemesis, Control Freak, is here to exact hi-"

Control Freak lowered his arm and squinted at the others.

"You're not the Teen Titans." he said.

"We're Titans East, thank you very much." Aqualad said.

Control Freak shrugged. "Never heard of you."

"Well, who are you?!"

"Who am I? Who am I?! I am Control Freak- master of media and ruler of reality! I escaped from prison so I could face my arch nemesis... eseses... the Teen Titans! You know: Robin, the Boy Wonder! Raven, the mistress of magic! Beast Boy, shapeshifter supreme! Cyborg, half-man, half-robot! Starfire, alien powerhouse! And Ciela, the psychic marksman!"

"Thank you, I'm flattered." I said. "However, today, you only have 12% of the Teen Titans."

"You sound more like a fanboy than a nemesis." Aqualad said.

I bit my lip to stifle my laughter. "Hey, never underestimate the power of a fan."

"Thank you!" Control Freak cried exasperatedly. He stopped himself and folded his arms in an attempt to recollect his cool-like demeanor. "A-A great villain always studies his adversaries!"

"Hm... Control Freak..." Speedy skimmed through the long list he hefted onto the table. "I don't see your name on the bad guy list the Titans gave us."

"What?!" Control Freak yanked the list out of Speedy's hands and glossed over it. "Plasmus? Overload? The Puppet King? Who's this 'Jane' person at the top of the list?! I've never even heard of her!"

I folded my arms. "Look, are you going to 'exact your revenge' or what?"

Control Freak tossed the list aside and grinned. "Right! I, Control Freak, have concocted a series of challenges for the Titans to face, and I'm not leaving until I achieve my goal!"

"Well, we are Titans. We can do your stupid challenges." Bumblebee said.

Control Freak laughed out loud as a yellow weapon pack formed on his back. Three weapons shaped like his remote popped out and stared at us. "Please! You wannabe Titans don't stand a chance!"

Rockets launched from the weapons. I stepped to the side as they hit the floor, leaving a gaping hole. The others, save Bumblebee, plummeted down the hole. Bumblebee flew over and slammed her foot into one of the remote weapons. Control Freak stumbled back a few feet before standing straight again. One of the remote heads spat a red bubble that encased Bumblebee.

"Try and get out of that! My atomic resistance capsule was designed to counter Starfire." Control Freak said. Bumblebee pulled out one of her stingers and shot a bolt of lightning at the capsule, blowing a hole through it. Control Freak grimaced. "T-That would have worked on Starfire!"

Control Freak hobbled out of Ops. I sighed and followed him out. Control Freak walked straight and into Speedy's path.

"Whadd'ya got for me?" Speedy said.

Control Freak tapped his finger against his chin. "Well, I created an aerial-sensory detonator to cancel out Robin's birdarangs. I doubt your puny arrows will do anything."

With a smirk, Speedy nocked his bow. Control Freak released the detonator, shaped like a hand, and Speedy released the arrow. His arrow penetrated the detonator and stuck it against the wall. Control Freak's jaw dropped. With a terrified scream, he hurried the other way and down the west hallway.

"I still see no reason why he should be on that list." Speedy said.

I shrugged. "He just wants to be noticed by the Teen Titans. It's a fan thing; I totally get it."

"A fan thing?" Speedy smirked and placed his hands on his hips. "What, are you one of those crazy weirdos?"

I chuckled and pulled out one of my energy pistols, twirling it around my finger. "Why do you think all the villains think I'm psychic?" I aimed the barrel at his chest. "And don't call me a weirdo. Maybe I'm a little crazy, but I prefer the term 'passionate'."

I holstered my pistol and headed down the hallway, a smile growing on my face as I silently congratulated myself. I passed by Más and Menos, who sat in an energy cage.

"How are you guys doing with your challenge?" I said.

"As if he could keep us in here!" Más said.

"What a looney guy!" Menos said. Thanks to the Spanish converter Control Freak used, I could understand what they were saying.

They brought their hands together and rapidly vibrated. They inched towards the cage and phased through it.

"Where'd he go?" Bumblebee said as she and Speedy met up with us. On cue, Control Freak hurried by with Aqualad on his tail. We followed them back to Ops. Puddles of water were huddled across the floor, Control Freak was soaking wet, and the sink lay in multiple pieces. Control Freak growled, tore the weapon pack off his back, and threw it on the ground, breaking the contraption.

"Stupid wannabes! These would have worked on the real Titans!" Control Freak said. He pressed a button on his remote and flickered out of the room and onto the window-sized screen. "I don't want to fight you anymore."

He stuck in tongue out at us before cutting the video out.

"That's it? Are you kidding me?" Speedy said. "What kind of person zaps out in the middle of a fight?"

"A disappointed fanboy, that's who." Aqualad said, scooping up the sink pieces and retreating into the kitchen.

"I'll get started on tracking him down." Bumblebee said, turning on one of the computers and typing away.

Más and Menos grabbed a broom and zipped across the room like a tornado to clean up the floor. I noticed one of the couch cushions quivering, and I lifted it up and saw Silkie. He whimpered.

"Aw," I said, scooping Silkie into my arms, "don't worry, little guy. You're safe now." Silkie purred and nestled his check against the collar of my jacket.

"What is that thing?" Speedy said.

"It's Mr. Silkie!" Más said.

"Isn't he the cutest?" Menos said.

"No. Why do you have a sack of alien flesh in your home?" Speedy said.

"Don't call him that. His name is Silkie." I said. I held out Silkie; Speedy cringed and stepped back while Silkie wiggled his legs with a big smile. "You just need some time to get to know him!"

"Get that thing away from me."

"Come on, Mr. Speedy!" Más jumped up and grabbed Silkie.

"You need a little bit of Silkie love!" Menos said.

"Gross! Go away!" The Spanish twins giggled as they chased Speedy around the room with a cooing Silkie. I smiled and stepped behind Bumblebee, glancing over her shoulder as she worked.

"Find anything?" I said.

"No," Bumblebee said as the word "SEARCHING" flashed tauntingly underneath Control Freak's picture, "but if we keep looking, he's bound to show up."

The TV flickered with static, and Cyborg's face appeared on the screen. A snowy landscape stretched out behind him, and his winter attire matched the chilly climate.

"Is everything okay? I got a message from Tower sensors about detected weapon fire." Cyborg said. He squinted when he saw me. "Ciela? You're here? What are you doing at Titans Tower?"

"Well, uh..." I glanced back at the Titans East members. "Season five bounces all over the place, so wherever the focus is, I'll be there, too. Don't worry, I'll be with you guys for tomorrow's episode." I shuddered from the puzzled stares piercing the back of my head.

"All right... What's going on over there?"

"We had to deal with Control-"

Bumblebee clamped her hands over my mouth. "...Controlling Silkie! That darn little rascal! He must have chewed one of the sensor's wires. We'll make sure he behaves."

Cyborg glanced at me. I rolled my eyes.

"Okay..." An explosion sounded behind him, and the snowy landscape shifted to a cloud of smoke and fire. "I got to go. Talk to you later."

The video cut out. I pried Bumblebee's hands off me and turned to the Titans East members.

"Why didn't you just tell him?" I said.

"We're supposed to be protecting the city. How do you think he'll feel if he hears we couldn't handle a second-class baddie who didn't even make it on the villain list?" Bumblebee said. "And what about you? What was that whole spiel about 'season five' and 'tomorrow's episode'?"

I grumbled under my breath and scratched the back of my neck. "I told you, it's a long story."

"Well, we may be here a while with our search for Control Freak." Aqualad said. "We've got plenty of time."

The room flashed red as sirens blared. I sighed.

"Looks like we don't. Let's go." I said quickly.


The alarm bells at the Bank of Perez rang loudly from the outside. Citizens rushed to safety. An old lady hobbled over to us.

"Oh, thank goodness, a Teen Titan!" the lady said, resting a hand on my arm. "A horrible man is robbing the bank! Where are the rest of your hero friends?"

"Excuse me, we're heroes, too!" Bumblebee said.

The bank doors burst open. The Titans East members hurried inside.

"We'll take care of this. Go find somewhere safe." I said to the old woman before jogging inside.

The door to the bank's safe had been thrown open, and smoke from the explosion poured out. Andre Le Blanc stepped out, dragging a large bag of money.

"Drop it!" Bumblebee cried. Le Blanc turned to the Titans East.

"Oh? And who is going to stop me?" he said.

The guys all glanced at Bumblebee. With a smile, she zipped forward and launched her fist into his cheek, followed by a swift kick to the torso. Le Blanc flew over the guy's heads and in between them and me. Le Blanc pulled out multiple sticks of dynamite, lit their fuses, and threw them at the Titans East. Speedy nocked a few arrows and released them. The arrows cut through the fuses, distinguishing the dynamite. With a whimper, Le Blanc turned on his heel, only to meet my gaze as I stood at the bank's entrance.

"Ah, so the Teen Titans decided to leave one of their lackeys behind... lucky for me, it's the amateur." Le Blanc said. He pulled out a long rope and tied it into a lasso. He twirled it over his head before throw it at me.

I pulled out my energy pistols and transformed them into my sword. I slashed the lasso part of the rope off, and it landed at my feet. I stepped closer to Le Blanc with a straight face and swiped my sword up, the blade gliding right in front of his chest and face. He yelped, lost his balance on the defused dynamite, and fell to the ground. I pointed the tip of my blade at his nose.

"Amateur, huh?" I said. "Well, this amateur just made you scream like a little girl."

Aqualad and Speedy pulled Le Blanc to his feet and escorted him out of the bank, where a police car waited. The cops handcuffed Le Blanc and shoved him into the back of the car.

"Nice work, guys." I said. "You all handled that perfectly."

"But no one even knows who we are." Más said.

"This stinks." Menos grumbled.

"Don't beat yourselves up. With a little more heroism, people will be learning your names in no time." I said.

Bumblebee's communicator beeped. She plucked it from her hip and opened it.

"We've got four emergencies happening from different corners of the city." Bumblebee said.

"See? Now's your chance. Each of you go to one of those locations and fix the problems." I said.

"What about you?" Speedy said.

"I'll meet you guys at the pizza place once you're all finished. I'll buy."

"Pizza?!" Más said.

"Oh, yeah!" Menos said. The Spanish twins joined hands and took off down the street. The other Titans East members hurried in separate directions.


The server set the large pepperoni pizza down in the center of the table. I glanced at the Titans East members, all gloomy from their heroic acts and being mistaken for Teen Titan members.

"Cheer up, guys. You don't want your pizza to get cold." I said. "Who cares if people don't know who you are? You're here to take care of the city while the Teen Titans are away. Have you forgotten there's a criminal on the loose?"

"You're only saying that because everyone knows who you are." Speedy said.

"Well, you and Robin both wear the same kind of mask, but thanks to your 'sparkling' personality, it's easy for us to tell you apart." I said. Speedy shoved the rest of his pizza into his mouth with a growl.

"Relax, dude. It's not a big deal." Aqualad said.

"Were you terrified?" a reporter said to a citizen during a news report. She shoved the microphone into his face.

"Of course I was terrified, but then a couple of dolphins saved me and brought me to some guy in a unitard, and he pulled me to shore." the citizen said.

"Some guy in a unitard?!" Aqualad said, slamming his slice of pizza onto his plate.

"Relax, dude. It's not a big deal." Speedy mumbled with a smirk. "Or maybe Unitard Guy would be a better name?"

The news report cut out, and Control Freak's face replaced it. "Greetings, Titans East! It is I, Control Freak! I have returned with an all-new Ultimate Titans Challenge, made specifically for you wannabes!"

"Whatever. What do you have in store now- a rope course?" Bumblebee said.

Control Freak grinned and aimed his remote at us. He pressed a button, and we teleported out of the pizza place and to a dark room with a single spotlight. Multiple screens floated in front of us, and Control Freak's face appeared on all of them.

"The challenges I have created have been made according to your powers. The rules are simple: pass my challenges and you'll be recognized as Titans. But, if you fail them, then the beloved Jump City that the real Teen Titans placed in your hands to watch over will be destroyed!" Control Freak said. "And the best part is... your challenges will be broadcast to the entire city! Everyone will be able to watch your defeats! I wish you the worst of luck!"

Control Freak cackled and pressed a button on his remote, teleporting us again.


My feet planted on the sidewalk on Jump City's bay bridge. Cars and trucks were backed up in intense traffic.

"Oh, come on!" I looked to the other side of the bridge and at Speedy, who pointed an accusing finger at me.

I scowled and crossed my arms. A floating TV appeared next to me.

"Speedy, your mission is to stop my missiles heading straight your way. If you fail, the bay bridge will be annihilated." Control Freak said. "There are two catches, however. First, no arrows allowed!"

Speedy's quiver vanished off his back, leaving just his bow in his hand.

"That's not fair!" Speedy said. "And why am I stuck with her?!"

The TV flew into Speedy's face. "That's the second catch!" Control Freak cackled as the TV flew high into the air.

"Really?" I called. I climbed over the median and to the other side of the bridge. "So, got any plans?"

"Don't you? After all, you're a real Teen Titan." Speedy said.

"Is that why you hate me so much?"

"What? No! And I don't... hate you!"

"I find that hard to believe. Ever since we met, you've been a rude bigot who consistently belittles me!"

"You just show up out of nowhere and the Teen Titans, without a second thought, accept you into their group? Some strange fangirl with no expertise in fighting, who knows everything about them, and you expect me to welcome you with open arms like everyone else has? Sorry to break it to you, but not everyone in this world is like that."

"I'm different now than when I first joined. I am a Teen Titan, and whether you agree with that or not will not change things. My friends looked past who I was and made me who I am today, and I will not let ignorant, cocky people like you who don't know my story get in my way!"

"And I won't let obnoxious know-it-alls who don't know my story get in my way!"

"I'm not trying to get in your way! I want to help you! I want to know your story, just like I want you and everyone else to know mine!" Speedy's angry scowl faltered. "Yes, I'm a complete know-it-all- the biggest one you'll ever meet- but no matter how much you hate me, I'm not going to stop until everyone knows just how much this know-it-all cares about them."

Speedy looked away. "I told you... I don't hate you."

I smiled. "Prove it, then. What's your plan?"

Speedy looked up at the missiles getting closer to the bridge. He scanned the traffic and pointed to a tow truck slowly cruising past us.

"We'll need his help." Speedy said. I nodded and sprinted in front of the tow truck, causing him to slam on his brakes. I smiled apologetically while Speedy spoke with the driver. He complied with our request. We circled to the back of the truck. "We need to attach the hook to one of the bridge's cables."

"So you can slingshot yourself over to the missiles?" I said.

"No, so we can."

"W-What?! There's no way I'm going to-!"

"You want to stop those missiles? Then we need to work together."

I gulped and nodded. I grabbed the towing hook and pulled it over to one of the horizontal bridge cables. I pat a hand against the back of the truck, and it began to inch away, pulling the cable with him. Speedy and I climbed into the inside of the cable and helped to push it back as far as we could. I gripped his hand so tightly, my knuckles turned white.

"Ready?" Speedy said.

"No!" I cried.

"Good!"

Speedy flashed a thumbs-up, a signal to the tow trucker. The hook fell off the cable, and the cable snapped forward, launching us into the air and towards the missiles. Speedy grabbed one of the missiles, and we rode on top of it.

"Fire at will!" Speedy shouted over the whipping winds. My braid snapped against my back.

With one hand, I awkwardly transformed my energy pistols into my bazooka. I hefted it in one arm, aimed at a distant missile, and fired. The laser cut through the missile, causing it to explode. We shifted our weight and turned the missile we rode on around, straight for another missile. We leaped over the fiery explosion and onto another missile while I shot down the others. At the last missile, we jumped off as it glided straight up above the bridge. I aimed my bazooka and shot it, creating one final explosion. I collapsed to my knees and panted.

"That... was the dumbest thing... ever." I gasped.

Speedy smiled, a genuine smile, and offered a hand to me. "Then that makes us both idiots for going through with it."

I took a deep breath and eyed him with a smile. I accepted his hand and stood up. "That's one thing we have in common. It's a start."

"Friends?" Speedy said.

"Of course. And it's about time." I said.

"Booo!" The floating TV with Control Freak's face plastered on the screen returned and flew in between us. We jumped back.

"What, are you upset that your challenges didn't go the way you wanted them to?" Speedy said.

"No! Interference is not allowed on my ship!"

My eyes flew wide open.

"Uh... What?" Speedy said.

"Oh, please! She can do way better than you!" The TV leaned closer to me, and Control Freak lowered his voice. "To be honest, I'm rooting for you and Robin. I'm your biggest fan."

"E-Excuse me!" I cried. "There's nothing to root for!"

Control Freak ignored me. "All the forums I'm a part of totally agree with me. We've even converted some of the RobStar shippers. You should see some of the fan art and fan fiction they've made! In my favorite one, you come from another world, or rather another dimension-"

"Stop it!" I slammed my bazooka into the screen, cracking the glass and changing the station to static. I reverted back to my pistols and holstered them.

"What was that all about?" Speedy said.

"Nothing!" I cried abruptly. I dusted small pieces of debris off my shorts and pressed my hands against my hot cheeks, bringing my voice to a mumble. "Nothing. It's a fan thing. Definitely not the first time this has happened..."

Speedy crossed his arms. "Right..."


We regrouped in the city, and the large crowds of people cheered. A TV behind us flickered on.

"That was the coolest thing I've ever seen!" Control Freak cried. There was a stream of light, and he appeared before us. "Forget the Teen Titans- you guys are the best!"

"You... do realize you just zapped yourself in front of us, right?" Aqualad said.

Realization washed over Control Freak's face, and he back up into the wall. Before he could press a button, Más and Menos snatched it out of his hand. Bumblebee grabbed Control Freak by the collar and lifted him a good foot up in the air.

"Looks like your Ultimate Challenge is cancelled." Bumblebee smirked.

A police truck pulled up and arrested Control Freak. Something flashed in my bottom peripheral, and I noticed a small, red light blinking on my communicator. I powered it back on, and Cyborg's face filled the tiny screen.

"What is going on other there?! I've been getting calls about missiles, bombs, and a mechanical shark!" Cyborg said. "I've been trying to reach you for over half an hour!"

"We're fine, I promise. There was a little problem, but the Titans East cleaned it up." I aimed the communicator at the police officers as they hoisted Control Freak into the back of the police truck and closed the doors. I angled the communicator to the Titans East members. The crowds snapped pictures of them and cheered their names, the flashes decorating my vision with spots. "You should have seen them; it was incredible. You picked the right people to take care of the city."

Cyborg smiled. "I sure did." I turned the communicator back to me. "So, we'll meet you in Russia the next time you're here?"

"Yup. Although, after I get the right clothes." I said, glancing down at my shorts. "I'd rather not get third-degree frostbite. I'll see you guys soon."

I hung up and tucked my communicator away.


I slipped my leather jacket off and put on a black, heavy parka, zipping it up all the way. The fur lining from the inside of the hood sat against my neck. I grabbed a pair of white earmuffs and placed them over my ears. My shorts were replaced with brown skinny jeans, and my combat boots were switched to sturdy, calf-high snow boots, with thick, woolly socks as the first layer. I slipped on two pairs of soft, orange, knit gloves. I grabbed my holster belt and clipped it on.

It was scorching hot with all these layers, but since the temperature would drop several degrees the next time I came here, I would thank myself later.

I stepped out of my room and walked down the hallway. As I passed by Cyborg's room, I paused. I opened the door and walked inside. The machinery decorating the walls beeped and hummed. On one of the tables, I saw a Titan communicator. I picked it up.

Cyborg won't be needing this. His communicator is built into his arm, after all. I thought. I clipped it to my belt. But I know someone who will.

I smiled and left Cyborg's room.