Chapter 2

August 27th, 2016. 9:53 PM.

The streets of Jump City at night are a different animal than those of Gotham. Damian figured that out early on. Back home, the sidewalks in the late hours were almost always wet, complimenting the dank air. The streets were quieter at home, because there were frankly just less people who had the nerve to be out and about at night. Even civilians dreaded Gotham at night, and not just because of the thugs… But Jump City was alive. The air smelled cleaner, the lights shown brighter, and the good people weren't so scared of the things that lived in the night. It still felt like foreign territory to Robin, but it was also somewhat refreshing; he didn't feel the need to fight for his place in this city. It felt like, for the first time, he was welcome.

But even a city as inviting as this was not without crime. And Damian still had work to do. Right now, he was perched on the roof of an old apartment building on the east side, his teammates scattered around the area keeping a keen eye out for a certain character– Lester Butchinsky, a punk kid who called himself "Electrocutioner". Nothing too major, but still enough to warrant attention from the Titans, apparently. If he hurt anyone, it would be on their heads. Damian wasn't about to let that happen. He was fully alert, and confident that his team would be ready to back him up. He lowered the binoculars from his face and glanced over to Raven, who was positioned on the same rooftop.

"How are you feeling?" he said, knowing she'd been feeling the pressure of her father's constant struggle within her.

Raven gave a small nod in reply. "Nothing right now, thank Azar…" She turned and looked at him, her amethystine eyes glowing from underneath the shadow cast by her hood. "I appreciate you looking out for me, Damian. It's good to know you care."

Damian smiled. "You're a good friend, Raven. And a valuable teammate. I'm going to do what's necessary to keep you in good condition."

Raven just smiled and shook her head. Damian always meant well, but his means of expressing his personal feelings were still rather uncouth.

Damian's face reddened subtly and he turned his attention back to the alley below. He was glad to have Raven with him on assignment. He trusted everyone on his team, but there was just something about Raven… Despite the strange phenomena he experienced in his chest cavity when she was around, he enjoyed her company. There was something special about the way she talked to him, the little smirk she got whenever he said something "not normal", the way her eyes seemed to pierce right through him…

"Robin! ROBIN!"

He jolted back to reality. For heaven's sake, what was he doing? He needed to focus! He turned to Raven, who was pointing frantically back to the street. He followed her gesture down and immediately burned with focus. Butchinsky had arrived, and was advancing on a teenager dressed in dirty, raggedy clothes, backed against the wall. Robin immediately began his descent toward the confrontation.

"You think you can just walk in here and take from ME?" Butchinsky growled as he stepped slowly towards the kid at his feet, his gauntlets crackling with power.

"C-come on, man! I didn't mean to disrespect you! Honest!" the street rat fumbled about trying to climb to his feet. Butchinsky delivered a swift kick directly to the kid's stomach, and he crumpled to the ground in pain.

"But you did. You know who I am, boy?" Butchinsky pounded his fists together, sending sparks cracking all around. "I'm the freakin' Electrocutioner!" He raised a charged fist over his head, ready to pound the thunder into this punk…

That instant, a pair of red blades suck into Butchinsky's gauntlet, beeping for a moment before exploding, sending Lester flying a few feet away. He glared up to see what happened, only to link eyes with a cloaked figure standing defiantly in the alleyway.

"You wanna go a few rounds, Butchinsky?" Damian growled, his fists clenching. "Come on, then."

Butchinsky started barreling towards the new kid, roaring as he charged forward. Robin leapt into the air, his demeanor collected and focused, and delivered a swift kick to Electrocutioner's jaw. The older punk stumbled back as Damian hit the ground, quickly shifting into a combat stance. Raven helped the other kid to his feet and led him to safety as Damian and Butchinsky began to exchange blows. Each time Butchinsky swung, Damian quickly deflected each attack, and prepared to sweep his legs. But Lester proved more reflexive than expected, and was able to grab Damian by the leg, and hoist him into the air. Robin quickly broke free from Butchinsky's grip, but as he landed he received a cold clock across his jaw. As he stumbled about disoriented, Butchinsky charged up, ready to shock this kid all the way to the morgue…

Damian blinked.

The air cracked open behind him.

A blue and red blur rushed past him.

The wind that followed nearly blew him off his feet.

What in the name of…?

Damian looked up. Butchinsky was out cold, held up in the air by the last thing Damian expected to see: it was a kid, with shaggy black hair. He wore a pair of worn-out red sneakers, ripped-up blue jeans, and a blue jacket with a red cape attached to the back, the shield of Superman on his chest. He looked down at Damian with bright blue eyes and a grin that seemed to radiate excitement and pride.

"Hey there!" the Kryptonian piped, dropping the thug to the ground before floating down to Damian, extending his hand. "I'm Superboy. Guess we're teammates now!"

August 28th, 2016. 5:47 AM.

Damian and Raven boarded the elevator and pressed the roof button. The two of them had been watching the sun come up together every day for the past few months. It was a good opportunity to get to know each other, as well as to prepare themselves for the day ahead. They pulled strength from one another, and it became a ritual they looked forward to each morning.

As the door opened to the roof, Damian and Raven were surprised to find someone there already: he sat out at the edge of the roof, looking down at the tablet in his hands and talking. As the two approached him, he turned and beamed a smile back at them and beckoned them to come over.

"Hey guys! C'mere, I want you to meet my dad!" Damian and Raven looked over the boy's shoulders as he turned back to the screen. "Dad, these are my new teammates! This is Raven and Robin!"

On the other end of the call was a man with the same black hair and blue eyes as their new partner. This man was dressed in a flannel shirt and work pants, with what looked like some kind of blue suit underneath, and brown work boots. His jaw was incredibly defined, and he was built like a champion.

"Hey you two! Nice to meet you both, I'm Clark. Clark White." The man smiled, a strand of hair drooping into a curl on his forehead. Robin's eyes widened as he recognized the man.

"… Superman?" He whispered. "I thought you were… well, dead."

Clark sighed. "It's complicated, Robin. We're… not exactly from around here. The Superman you remember really is dead. But now I'm here to continue his work."

Raven nodded. "We understand. And thank you for sending us your son. He's going to be a valuable member of our team."

"I'm sure he will," the man said with a smile. "I gotta go get to work in the field. You be good for Ms. Kori, alright kiddo?"

"Yes sir!" The young boy said beaming. "Love you, dad! Bye!"

The call ended, and Superboy set the tablet aside, turning to his teammates behind him. "I never actually introduced myself last night, did I?" He stood up and pulled the two of them into a hug. "I'm Jon! Jon White!"

Damian shuffled uncomfortably in the boy's embrace. "I assume that that's– enh– a pseudonym for Jon Kent?"

Jon pulled his arms back from around the two. "Yup. It's a really long story, but I'm, like... half-alien. I dunno how that works. Dad wanted me to come here so I could learn to work with people besides him."

Raven put her hand on Jon's shoulder and smiled at him. "Well, we're very glad to have you with us, Jon. Welcome to the Teen Titans.

Jon grinned back at Raven, just as the sun tossed its golden beams over the sky. The three stood and watched as the expanse of heaven above them illuminated with life. The Titans were growing, and things were definitely beginning to change.