"Oh you, you just have to see what Joe has to say about all this, huh? And this Joe, would he happen to be Jo mama"? -Dorothy Zbornak
Mal Duncan was a lot of things; a teleporter, a hero, a leader, a musician, a friend, and now apparently a mother. A single mother to be exact; just a lone parent to four superpowered teens and one baby.
After the construction of Titans Central Tower was completed with the help of Cyborg, the new team moved in ready to begin a legacy of justice for the people of Midway City. However, there was a problem, a very loud, explosive, only-happens-within-a-group type of issue; they weren't cooperative with each other. It was like being assigned a class project in school and all of the participants went off in different directions instead of following the instructions. Kid Flash was impulsive, Jinx was having trust issues, Hot Spot was constantly getting easily angered, Argent was unfocused, and half the time they forgot that Jericho even existed; Herald pinched the bridge of his nose. Just remembering how they started off was giving him a headache.
Now they ran like clockwork both on and off the field, but only because of Mal's impeccable scheduling. Everyday there was a list of things to do, when to do them, and why they were important; this included mindful meditation, dance training, creative expression, and team bonding. The teleporter even kept track of a feeding plan for their speedster; opening a portal so that he could throw him a snack every four hours.
Without their leader everyone would be screwed, which is why he was dubbed affectionately, 'Mom'. And even though it confused villains when suddenly his team would holler, 'Mom look out!' Or that the press thought he was a shapeshifting woman in disguise, the Herald would only smile fondly knowing how much he was appreciated.
Besides, being a mother wasn't so bad.
Wally loved snacks. He loved them if they were salty, or sweet, and especially his most favorite ones were those candy bars that the Herald gave him. He couldn't find them anywhere on Earth, so that meant Mal was buying them from another universe, which seemed a little freaky considering how weird some dimensions were, but they tasted delicious; nutty and smooth, with just a hint of other worldliness. Yes, their flavor made up for the fact they had a slight glow to them. In fact, Wally checked his watch.
4:00 pm.
Perfect.
A brilliant light flashed into the room and a vortex of swirling colors opened next to him, and shooting out of the gateway was Kid Flash's candy bar right on time.
"Thanks Mom!" The speedster replied, tearing off the wrapper and shoving the snack into his mouth.
Angry heels stomped down the halls, as a pink haired girl seethed. Her fingertips were still crackling with magenta sparks as she made her way to her room, shutting the door loudly and promptly flopping down onto her bed.
She was so pissed off! Of course every stupid reporter had to ask her about being an ex-criminal. Ask her why she decided to change, if she was committed to being good, would she ever revert, if this was a trap, how come she didn't change her look, why did she choose to be evil before- Couldn't they just mind their own damn business?!
But no, of course they wouldn't since that's how they made their money. By ripping on others for petty gossip while twisting words all for a filthy buck. God, they were worse than she was back when she was with the Hive.
She grabbed a pillow, smothering her face she let out a frustrated groan.
There was suddenly knocking from outside.
"Wally, go away!" She yelled, throwing it at the wall accidentally hitting the switch opening the entrance.
'Wow, she was unlucky.'
Instead of her persistently annoying yet charming boyfriend it was the Herald leaning in the doorway. He had a look of concern on his face while carrying a tray of cookies with two glasses of milk.
"Mind if I come in?" He asked.
Jinx sighed and patted the space next to her, and with that he sauntered in sitting right beside her placing the tray onto the nightstand.
"You know," He started, "Those people are pretty rude. Especially ganging up on a teen girl and asking personal questions about her life."
He looked at her calmly, "But I wouldn't do that. No, not me. If I was a reporter and a young lady saved me I wouldn't care what her past was because in that moment she's a hero."
He grinned and held out a cookie.
"She's my hero."
Jinx took the sweet treat from his hands and leaned her head on his broad shoulder.
"Thank you Mom." She said with a soft smile on her face.
There was one rule in Titans Central that topped all others; Don't let Hot Spot in the kitchen unsupervised. Too many times in the past the sprinklers had gone off when they were trying to sleep because the stove top or oven exploded when he went to get a mid night snack. Jinx was one thing, her powers sometimes causing the toaster to spark, but Isaiah was a completely different type of accident prone.
One time while frying up some eggs for breakfast he managed to not only burn the food but somehow caused the sink to catch on fire.
The freaking sink.
So every morning, the pyro would wake up and walk to Herald's room and wait for him to come out, which he always did after a few moments dressed and ready. Then together they'd make their way to commons and Mal would begin cooking breakfast while Hot Spot stood far away from any appliances.
Isaiah did feel a little guilty about having to drag someone with him whenever he was hungry. He tried having Argent come with him, but she scared him in the mornings with her crankiness (that girl really liked her sleep), Kid Flash tended to eat all the food before he even realized there had been a meal, Jericho was too short to reach any of the cupboards much less see over the counters, and Jinx and him caused more damage than good. So only his team leader was left.
Walking over with a stack of waffles, Mal handed a plate to him.
"Sorry, about making you do this everyday," The fiery teen said in between bites.
"No problem here." The Herald replied, digging into his breakfast.
After finishing, his plate now empty, Isaiah turned to the other with a grateful look.
"Thanks for the food Mom."
Where was she? It smelled awfully similar to sewage and had that sticky atmosphere clinging to her. Her eyes felt so swollen that she thought they were closed shut and using her hands tried to feel a way out of wherever she was. Her body ached horribly as she crawled out of the wreckage; the burning ache in her muscles caused her to scream.
"Argent!"
Trying to see, she managed to make out a blurry figure dressed in blue running towards her. Too exhausted to move any further she cried for them to help her. And soon warmth was all around her as she was wrapped up in some sort of blanket. Strong arms picked her up and her head was cradled into his chest.
"Toni, it's me Mal." A voice whispered into her ear.
Mal? The Herald! Her team leader was here to save her, feeling relieved her limbs loosened a bit as she snuggled further into him.
"Thank you for saving me Mum." She croaked as she finally passed out from the pain.
That's it. It was time to get a leash for Jericho. The kid had finally disappeared too many times and this was the last straw. Herald was currently sitting at the computer googling child safety harnesses for their little trouble maker. No longer would he be able to hide in the vents with only four feet of braided nylon.
The youngest member of Titans Central had a knack for straight up vanishing and then reappearing in the most confusing places; like after someone finished doing the dishes goes to open a shelf and a tiny Joey pops out. Or when one of the titans goes to sit down on the couch and then they realize there are two glowing eyes watching them from between the cushions.
Now Mal was going to put an end to this tyke's reign of terror. He smiled with mischievous glee as he made his purchase.
Unbeknownst to the Herald the other teens watching from afar let out a collective sigh of relief at the sight of the leash being bought, while Jericho paid them no mind happily strumming his guitar from where he sat on the counter.
'Thanks anyway Mom'. He thought knowing that he could just phase out of the harness.
The Herald made his way to the commons to start breakfast for his teammates, and since it was a Sunday, he knew had plenty of time to get started while they slept in. As the doors parted and he stepped through the foyer he was surprised to be greeted by his friends covered in what appeared to be a combination of flour, batter, and glitter? And also the sight of a kitchen nightmare that was unsuccessfully being concealed by Hot Spot's and Kid Flash's awkward poses. Jinx was on a step stool holding half of a large sign up while Argent was levitating with the other half partially stapled to the wall. Silent Jericho materialized in front of him and held out a plate of what appeared to be very burnt pancakes. Herald graciously took the offering and ruffled Joey's hair, then turned towards the wall where the girls were reading what was written on the banner.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
He smiled.
Yeah, being a mother really wasn't so bad.