The Titans, and a cadre of other uniformed characters, were fighting for the lives of innocent New Yorkers as ashy gray, intangible wraiths swarmed the skies above Brooklyn. The sky was alight with a soulless, pinkish anomaly, later to be referred to as the Crisis, speckled with charges of lightning and anti-matter specters. Sounds drowned their ears: screams of the terrified throngs, rumblings of buildings moving from their foundations, an unearthly hum which was the portent of the anti-matter wall closing in on them.
Roy Harper was there, at the time still going by the moniker of Speedy, firing off arrows at the immaterial wraiths while safeguarding a trio of children. Members of the Justice Society fought closely behind, heroes who were close in memory, others whose presence remained a mystery.
The image began to zoom in behind a tenement where Kole, whose face read like an open book about fear, was spinning a crystal dome, intent on shielding herself and her charges within. The holograph seemed to flicker as if it had begun to lose energy, like someone unplugged the projector, just as the gray wraiths slipped effortlessly through Kole's crystal field. Suddenly, where the dome had just been, it was gone. Kole was gone, and those she was attempting to protect were gone.
Donna shuddered. "Hera," she whispered. Seeing it over again, from an almost out-of-body experience, was grueling, chilling. She looked to her left. Nightwing stood still, arms crossed. To her right, Beast Boy was astonished, covering his open mouth with his hands, almost hiding his eyes from the vision before him. Cyborg, Arsenal, and the Flash muttered a chorus of "whoa." Donna wanted to make Kole stop this exploit immediately, but she knew the purpose behind the transmission.
Abruptly, cued on by the crystal-spun vision before her, Kole's body became crystalline again as it had earlier that morning in the kitchen. There was a collective gasp, except from Nightwing who seemed to almost expect the transformation. Attention was no longer on the spinning crystal above Kole's hands. The overhead fluorescents flickered and dimmed, reverberating a dull hum, as Kole's body began to glow. Any light filling the room now emanated from the crystal being that was Kole Weathers, and it was a near-blinding luminosity. Argent shielded her eyes with her right hand, Beast Boy morphed into a copperhead snake, and Arsenal readied himself with a stun arrow, hoping he wouldn't have to use it. Taking notice to the events filling the room, Nightwing shouted, "Stand down!"
Kole's body began to levitate, her head angled straight toward the ceiling. The dazzling light show of dancing, blinding color began to soften and take three-dimensional form once again, but this time and more real. Quiet hues blended into darkness, like the house lights going down at the start of a feature film. The living crystal girl seemed to vanish, leaving only the holographic images of her memories. Argent, confused and frightened, whispered, "Dick?" to Nightwing, who reached over and rested his hand on her back.
"Shh," he murmured.
The "film" began. Snake-Gar thought this experience was what the characters on his old Sci-Fi TV drama would portray when they'd enter their Virtual Holo-room. There they stood, watching Kole's past unfold before them. Her body lay on the floor, garbed in her original Titans' uniform, angular skirt and pixie-like caping draped over her lifeless form. She was in a huge room with the sound of whirring machinery and console lights flickering. A figure stood above her, shadowed, and demanded that she get up. She was groggy, and her arms felt like lead. The demanding voice sounded familiar, and both Troia and Nightwing recognized it immediately.
Kole stood, her head heavy. Her skirt was tattered, the crystals broken from the hem. "Where am I?" she asked, with leftover fear in her small voice.
The voice from the shadows replied, "You are in hell, my dear, so make yourself comfortable." A hand reached out and yanked Kole's hair, pushing her head downward. "Kneel before your master," shouted the voice, and as Kole complied, rapturous, demonic laughter filled the echoing room.
The Titans who were helplessly witnessing these past events were all suddenly blinded by a burst of white light, accompanied by what sounded like a match lighting.
"What the—" shouted Arsenal, as each Titan stood ready to defend themselves from something unknown, unseen.
As their collective vision began to resurface, it was apparent that the holo-show had ended, that Kole was still standing before them, very much alive, no longer in living crystal mode. She was crying. Her cheeks were wet and puffy. Her red curls were in disarray around her face. "I'm sorry," she sobbed.
Troia approached her friend and comforted her. Snake-Gar changed into black bear-Gar and said nothing, as did the others. Even Argent was unusually tacit.
Kole coughed and rubbed her eyes. She worked up a smile and said, "I never got a look at his face, Donna."
Not wanting to push Kole for more information, but knowing the insight could be necessary, Donna asked, "What happened next, Kole? Can you remember?"
"I think I need to sit," she replied, "but, yes, I do remember, I remember it all too well."
Soon the group was in the meeting hall, each sitting around a semi-circular table with the "T" logo in the center, slowly turning clockwise as if on a lazy Susan. All were seated except Nightwing, leaning against Kole's chair as if to grant her strength, and Beast Boy, who was flapping his green hummingbird wings just north of Cyborg's head. Troia sat to Kole's right.
Kole began speaking. She had stopped trembling and had steeled herself, for she knew she was among friends, or better yet, family. She spoke of the evil master, who never revealed his name or identity to her, with a mixture of awe and terror. He had sensed her death during the Crisis and told her it was that event which had opened his eyes and blessed him with the fervor with which he would soon rule all the realities. He had watched his brother die the way he'd seen Kole die, but he knew there was a difference. Where his brave brother had disintegrated into ash on the pavement, nothing remained where Kole had perished, only tiny shardlets of crystal. It was assumed that the crystals were all that was left of the shield Kole had forged to find protection. But her master had known better. Her essence was inside the crystal; it had been the natural course of her evolution.
As Kole spoke the words, Troia's eyes met Nightwing's. All other eyes in the room were riveted on Kole.
"Somehow he was able to pull me out of the crystal, but when he did, my powers were gone," she said, calmly, "and I was helpless."
Hummingbird-Gar swooped over toward Kole and chirped, "How'd you get them back?"
Kole continued. "He kept me prisoner for what seemed like months. I became so malnourished at one point that it was all I could do to actually hold myself upright." She cleared her throat and carried on. He told me you had all died, that the white wall had obliterated the Earth. At first, I lost my will to fight. I just wanted to give up. But his stories began to change, telling me that some of you had survived but had turned evil and needed to be eradicated." There was heavy emphasis on that last word, and Kole explained, "That's the way he would say it, that you needed to be eradicated. I thought it sounded so campy, and I knew he was clearly insane.
"Soon, I started hearing other voices, but they couldn't hear me whenever I shouted for help. He would tell me that he had been amassing an army to eradicate the transformed heroes so he could retain his stature as Lord of Chaos."
Nightwing shook his head and grimaced. That bastard, he thought. Troia caressed Kole's arm. "Go on," she whispered.
"With my meals he would deliver a hot drink, and insisted I drink it. He had claimed it would bring my powers back so I could join his army. Ugh, it was rancid, but he'd stand over to be certain I drank it. I knew it couldn't be poison, because I really did feel my strength coming back. The day he had told me about Joey, how his own father and all of you had killed Joey, was the day I knew I had to escape this place and find out for myself what was going on. I forced myself to eat up and drink that horrible concoction. I did sit-ups and push-ups and leg lifts, just to keep my body in shape. But I hid the fact that my powers were resurging, getting stronger by the day.
"I managed to unlock my cell with a crystal key, and I hurried along what looked like a labyrinth to where I had been hearing all those voices. There were hundreds of costumed people, none of whom I'd recognized, and still no one seemed to notice me. I walked through the crowd, bumping into people on purpose just to get a reaction, but got nothing. And then I saw a girl who looked like Tara Markov. That's when I thought I really must be dead and that place was hell, because I knew for a fact she was dead.
"I called her name, so loud I thought the master would hear me, but didn't care. Still, she didn't hear me, or at least she didn't acknowledge me. So I ran over to her and grabbed her arm, and that's when it all happened."
Hummingbird-Gar transformed into a rat as the others rustled in their seats, eager to hear what would come next.
Kole spoke again. "She looked into my eyes, but it seemed like she couldn't see me, like I truly was invisible. But I could see me, and I could feel her, and suddenly my skin began to change into hard crystal, and I could feel Terra's thoughts and hear her past in my head. That's the best way I know to describe it. Somehow by touching her I was able to pull her memories into my head, and see through her eyes. But I was also sure that in my crystal form, I had somehow become indestructible.
"I let go of her arm and ran, because now I knew the way out thanks to her memories. It was like escaping a dream, like that moment right before you awaken from a nightmare and realize that everything's okay. I found myself in New Jersey, outside the barn at yours and Terry's farmhouse, Donna."
Troia gasped. That's where she had lived after she had given birth to Robert and lost her powers. It's also where she was den mother to several meta-humans who had claimed to be from the future, one of which was Tara Markov, Terra. "How is that possible, Kole? Why didn't you come to me then?" insisted Donna.
"I did come to you, Donna," reassured Kole," but you couldn't see me. The only person who could sense my presence was Terra, even though she couldn't see me either. I was a living ghost, wandering around both waiting for the master to retrieve me and for someone to finally see me. I was able to touch others, but not interfere. I could read people by holding them. I began to develop those powers a little better, such that I could gather what information I needed rather than just random memories."
"After months and months of wandering, not needing to sleep or eat, another universe-threatening event began, which some refer to as 'Zero Hour.' My former jailor had transformed himself into something bigger, larger than even he knew, and he toyed with the time stream. His minions did his will, distracting the heroes of Earth so he could complete his plan. Obviously he was defeated, but changes were made in the time line. I was one of them.
"I woke up on a beach in the Mediterranean, nude except for a silken robe. I had no memory of who I was, or how I had gotten there. I found my way into a village and a wonderful family took me in and nurtured me. Communication was difficult, because they spoke Greek and I didn't. But we managed. A few weeks ago, I began to manifest my crystal spinning powers again, and little by little along with it came some memories. There was a boy from town who spoke English and would come walk with me to the water. He would help me to learn his language, and he would ask me questions to try and help jog my memory. His name is Niko.
"Anyway, before I knew it, I was back to full strength, still able to spin crystal but also able to read people through touch. I had to return to you guys to see if you were alive, to see if what had happened to Joey was true."
Arsenal rose from his chair. "That is some tale, Kole," he said, "And if you don't mind, I need a drink now. Can I get anyone anything?"
Argent offered to go with him, but the others remained. Kole looked about. Aside from Princess Koriand'r and Joseph Wilson, her family was surrounding her, all the people she loved best. The Flash, with mask removed and flopped over his shoulders, stood and was instantly on the opposite side of the table, standing next to Nightwing.
"Kole," he said, "I know we never really worked together much, but I have to say I'm so glad to see you're home. I think I speak for all of us."
"Damn Skippy," agreed Vic Stone. Kole smiled a big toothy smile at him and he winked back.
Kole stood also, as did Donna, and they hugged again. She smiled and said, "So, when should we go rescue Joey?"
Silence erupted. Nightwing looked at Kole and said, "Kole, that part was true. Joey really is dead."
Kole shook her head. "No, Dick, he's not. And I know where to find him!"
Precisely two minutes and thirty-seven seconds later, Wally West arrived at the S.T.A.R. labs facility in San Francisco. He briefed several of his colleagues on the claims made by their former teammate who, herself, had been presumed dead for the last few years. He then called back to the Titans in New York. A green-maned steed named Beast Boy answered the call.
"What up, Flash-Bulb?" Horse-Gar quipped, then neighed.
"Here's the deal, Logan," replied the Flash, "Karen and her staff are preparing things here for your arrival, but I'm heading off to Central City to see if I can find the other missing piece to this crazy puzzle."
Horse-Gar flipped his thick, chartreuse tail excitedly. "You think you'll find her?" he asked. There was a small pause over the receiver, and then the Flash responded. "I think I know exactly where to find her, green genes."
Soon an assembly of stalwarts was in the underground hangar of Titans' Tower, almost welcomed by the glistening white body and wings of the T-Jet, a state-of-the-art aircraft that had somehow survived the many attacks on it's Tower and shelter. Argent loved the T-Jet. It still made her feel so many things, from wildly enthusiastic to nervous and tingly; it represented her inclusion within the ranks of this great team of young heroes. Her mind wandered a little as Nightwing was going over the plan and she almost didn't hear what he just told her.
"Excuse me?" Toni asked derisively.
Nightwing flatly reiterated, "I'm sorry, Toni, we're not all needed on this one. You'll stay behind with Roy."
Argent grimaced. Hands on her hips, she huffed and stormed off, with two words of angry departure: "That sucks."
Donna Troy shrugged and smiled at Nightwing. She looked at Kole and asked, "Are you ready?"
"More than you know," the crystal spinner replied. She followed Donna up the stairs aboard the jet, preceded by Nightwing and Cyborg. Beast Boy, now assuming the form of a growling green tiger, was already on board making silly jungle noises. Within seconds, the engines were revved and a course was plotted westward. From above, in the main control room, Arsenal arranged the exit hatch and gave Nightwing the go-ahead. The jet was underway.