It's Sideways- Not Up and Down!
Alright! It took forever everyone, but I finally got this chapter out! Yay! I wanted to combine several things. So we have the beginning of the Titans planning on taking down Terra, they still have to deal with the major threat of the cross-timeline baddie team-up thing, and because I liked it, I added some of Young Justice to the mix… Enjoy!
The rest of the Titans were still beneath the Tower. They were going stir-crazy from knowing that if they were to take out Terra and Slade, they had to let them be for a while. It was only the first night, and Youkai had already had to forcibly restrain Robin from dashing out and into battle.
And Miko still had their squad area under lockdown, and she didn't want to release it, who knew if Slade or his apparent apprentice Terra could or would come down here to discover it?
The plan to take down Terra was underway, but the Titans were wound so tight that another issue might make them break. Beast Boy wasn't pulling any pranks, Raven was having trouble meditating, Youkai had made a wreck of their normal indoor training facility, Star-Fire had made copious amounts of inedible alien food for the team and Miko and Robin had been beating the snot out of one another in sparring sessions. Cyborg had chosen a different route to cope:
Cyborg was busy soldering some wires together when the rest of the Teen Titans came into the multi-purpose room. He was trying to get his mind off of Terra the only way he knew how, misdirection and tech.
Cyborg spun as the team gathered behind the couch and with grand gestures showed them what he'd been doing: '"Mega-phonic sound, ultra-plasma display, phase-shielded amp, and to top it off a brand new, hot-off the shelf, impossible-to-find-anywhere: Games Station X-L!"' He introduced the team to the newest additions (he'd added a spotlight and triggered it just as he showed off the new game station).
'"It's… Beautiful."' Beast Boy said with tears coming down his face in pure rapture.
"I've already got one…" Youkai said, folding his arms. Cyborg was momentarily ticked-off at his teammate, but brushed it off.
'"I'm glad you're upgrading ops, Cyborg…"' Robin said shielding his face behind his cape; Star-Fire looked on with wide-eyes and Raven merely had hers closed.
"Is it all really necessary?" Miko asked Raven, shielding her eyes with her hand and haori sleeve.
Youkai looked at her like she'd come from another time and then belatedly realized that technically she had…
'"But is any of this actually going to help us fight crime?"' Robin finished, as the spotlight died down and eventually turned off.
'"Uh…. Sure?" Cyborg answered, slightly embarrassed; he may have gone just slightly overboard.
Star-Fire had gone into the kitchen and was examining a new square device on the counter. Her copious amounts of food had disappeared, '"And for what purpose is this crime-fighting device?"' she asked as she touched the side of the device accidentally turning it on without the on-button. '"Eek!"'
She dodged out of the way as the device opened on top and several Belgian waffles popped out and landed on a plate next to a glass of orange juice just as a large melting pad of butter landed on the top-most waffle, along with a fork. Star-Fire immediately dug in, she was most hungry.
Cyborg looked particularly proud of this device as Raven picked up one of the waffles that hadn't hit the plate and waved it in front of Beast Boy to try to get him out of his digitized-tech-induced funk, '"Evil beware: We have Waffles."'
Beast Boy came out of his funk, snatching the waffle out of her hand and tore into it readily.
Robin on the other hand pulled up surveillance of the entire outside of the tower. '"…I like this stuff just as much as the next guy; but don't you think it's a little… Big?"'
Youkai scoffed and nodded, swiping the orange juice and drinking it. "I think you're overcompensating…" He informed Cyborg stonily.
Cyborg rubbed the back of his head as he struggled to explain himself. '"Come on guys, this is the future. If we don't keep up, it'll just leave us behind…"'
Youkai, Raven and Miko exchanged leery glances, all three of them had a feeling that something was going to happen, and very soon.
'"Besides, don't you want to hear the new equalizer?"' Cyborg asked, thumbing to the Extremely large device behind him that covered one-third of the wall.
Miko and Youkai held their breaths, as Beast Boy, Robin and Star-Fire looked at it in shock.
Cyborg was blasted away by a stroke of lightningand the team looked close at the place where Cyborg had stood.
'"Okay, Before anybody says anything that was totally not my fault!"'Beast Boy informed his team.
Miko grabbed Raven by her arm and dragged her towards Raven's room; there had to be a book that could help bring Cyborg back, because there was absolutely no way that he had just been vaporized before their eyes. Raven nodded and began handing Miko various books sot that they could begin immediately and bring him back via her mysticism.
Day two of Cyborg missing and they'd exhausted Raven's mystic books and scrolls and they were at one of Sesshoumaru's complexes. As soon as it was ascertained that Cyborg was missing, (Robin still wasn't sure just how it'd happened, but he BB and Youkai had scoured the city anyways, despite the danger of being caught by Terra and Slade.) Kikyo and Raven went through several books in order to find where he went.
Day three had them back at Titan's Tower, with Kikyo and Raven going through two crates of books still trying to find a way to bring Cyborg back.
Robin and Beast Boy were too busy pacing and wearing two grooves into the floor that they didn't hear the door chime announcing that despite the circumstances they had at least a guest.
Youkai went to answer the door and brought Dr. Fate and Wonder Woman with him upon his return; just as Miko and Raven had found the chant to bring back their teammate, they were halted from their end-result of retrieving their missing teammate by Dr. Fate and Wonder Woman.
Had they been another teenage hero, Robin would have practically snapped their heads off; he almost did that to Wonder Woman had Star-Fire not been in the way and as eager to make friends as ever.
Once Star-Fire questioned the Justice League members as to why they were there, Wonder Woman answered the eager teenage heroine.
It appeared to Wonder Woman that there were some anomalies in the Metropolis Justice League HQ; when Wonder Woman had questioned a couple of her teammates/co-workers, she had learned that the Teen Titans were looking into the situation, but there really wasn't anything to worry about. Wonder Woman decided to worry about it and had been contacted by Hermes, who sent her to the Goddess of Balance, once there she was informed of the tipping of the scales, unless she aided the youngsters. So here she was with Fate to speak with them. Fate said that he would keep an eye on their missing teammate, while the rest of them went to another dimension and helped out a teenage Justice team.
"Lady Order, Robin; I am glad that your team is still around despite the difficult circumstances…"
Robin and Miko shared a look; it appeared that they were now co-leaders of their team (If that's really what Fate was suggesting…). Robin was the absolute leader, while Miko was the one that kept them functional and halted Robin's dashes off to who knows where after only he knew what; well, for her not being Star-Fire that is- even Beast Boy could see that Robin and Star-Fire were attracted to one another, and he was normally clueless.
"Where are we going?" Robin asked Fate.
"I will be sending the six of you to an alternate dimension to this one… The Robin from that dimension has gone missing, and unless there is Robin, the team and the mission as well as its members and mentors will fail."
"No pressure then." BB said with a weak-grin. "Nothing like the fate of the world resting on your shoulders to make you realize your worth…"
"How is it this will be accomplished Dr. Fate?" Star-Fire asked.
"It is really very simple; it's like time travel, only side-to-side and not up-and-down." Fate said. Miko understood what he was saying, she mentally connected the issue to the well and the portal to where Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's father was.
Raven shared a confused look with Youkai, which then transferred to the rest of the team, and was seconded only slightly by Wonder Woman, who took a moment to process what he said and then nod in understanding.
"How long will we be gone?" Raven asked Dr. Fate, eager to get back to rescuing her time-lost teammate.
"The most you will be gone for is one week." Fate said .
"Batman asked me to give this to you Miko; he said it would help." Wonder Woman said passing a small package to Miko, who took it and placed it in the base of her quiver for safe keeping.
"When do we need to leave?" Youkai asked, as he-like everyone here minus Star-Fire and Raven- was familiar with: 'Fate's Travel Service'.
"You will need to leave immediately." Fate said; his ankh already glowing behind him. "Join hands, when you arrive, you will note that the Host which I, Nabu, speak through is not Kent Nelson; Miko, I give you permission to remove my presence for ten-minutes, from my host there. Tell his daughter why it was best that I and my host did what we did."
Miko nodded, not quite understanding , but sure that she would in the future.
Wonder Woman passed Fate an oddly glowing object which neither Robin nor Miko, Youkai or Raven could distinguish.
The team staggered to gain their footing as an quake seemed to only happen to six of them and they found themselves looking at a slightly unfamiliar sky-line. The team took a moment to gain their bearings, and Robin noted that they were just South of Central City.
They paused for a moment to bask in the brilliant sunset, before their attention was drawn to the ground by a deep no-nonsense voice telling "them" to 'back up!'. Robin's head jerked up when he heard it, causing him to step into the all-concealing shadows to an advantage point where he could still see everything. There was a group of Teenage Heroes, along with Batman, Black Canary and Red Tornado.
The Titans heard a roaring yell and a resounding crash, and another voice yelling over the sounds of some sort of guns firing.
"Superboy, if the robots are attacked, in return they will harm Robin!"
Sure enough, as Fate had said; Robin was missing from the group of teenagers, and the Teen Titans' Robin was at the edge of the building to the North of them, Miko had quietly edged to his side, both in the all-concealing shadows, Raven had made some shadows of her own and was ensconced in them, while Beast Boy was in rat-form on the edge of the roof.
Robin made note of Superboy, and as they didn't have one in their dimension- yet, Superboy would have to be looked for; and trained… and take some anger management classes he added as an after-thought.
From her shadows, Raven pointed out the disturbance coming from the west and all Titans turned to look. There was at least sixty robots/synthezoids which oddly resembled Cyborg's form to a point, but the robots held laser guns from which large blasts of red energy were expelled with great accuracy; heading toward the group of seasoned and young heroes, with the other Robin shown to be unconscious on a monitor on one of the Robot's chest.
The group of heroes below them were apparently leery of attacking the robots, in fact they were retreating? They were retreating; those that couldn't form shields were behind various objects shielding them from the onslaught of laser blasts. It was odd, that group, specifically Batman, Black Canary, Red Tornado and even that arrow-girl should have easily been able to take the robots on; so why weren't they?
As Robin saw that Batman was among the heroes retreating, he decided against going down to speak with the teams, so he sent Beast Boy and Star-Fire instead, knowing that they were the most likeable of the entire team, and their faces were revealed, unlike his and Miko's they were to be more easily trusted. Even in the situation the heroes below were in, help would most like be accepted through Star-Fire and Beast Boy acting as 'ambassadors'.
Both nodded, Star-Fire floated down easily and Beast Boy turned into a green robin, (which amused the rest of the Titans) and as soon as he was close enough to the ground, easily transformed back into his green-human self and landed easily on his feet. Star-Fire and Beast Boy had landed on the ground to the south-east of the heroes in question and Star-Fire addressed them.
"Greetings; may we help?" She raised a shield utilizing some form of green energy that made the air zing across their teeth as she shielded she and had teammate as well as Batman and Red Tornado. Her shield merely rippling as some of the laser blasts glanced across it and others were absorbed.
The teenager dressed in black with the Superman crest on his chest spun to face them, getting hit with a laser blast as he did so. The floating green girl did the same as did the girl dressed in green and wielding bow and arrows, who actually had an arrow nocked and ready to fly at the two of them.
"Please, we wish merely to offer our assistance." Star-Fire stated raising her hands in the 'I mean no harm', gesture. It was taken as the teenagers seemed to be told something telepathically, and all of them stood down as they continued to retreat slightly. "I am Star-Fire and this is my teammate: Beast Boy."
Batman glared at them for a moment underneath the umbrella of green energy and saw Beast Boy blanche but stand his ground (Batman noted the uniform to the Doom Patrol team, but didn't recognize the small teenager); the orange-girl, Star-Fire look back easily. It took him mere seconds to realize that neither of these two meant any of them harm and that they truly did wish to help; and he had a gut-feeling to trust them as well; "Miss Martian, explain to them our situation." Batman told the floating green girl.
Telepathically Zatanna spoke to Artemis, stating that concerning the green kid, that she was noting a pattern. Between Star-Fire and Beast Boy, she wondered if there was a kid in all purple or one in all red, or even one in red, orange and green…
There was something else he'd noted, besides the somewhat all-concealing shadows on the nearby roof, the fact that Star-Fire had stated that Beast Boy was her teammate and not partner denoted that there were more of them than what met the eye. Presumably, these two were the most amiable of their team and would be easy to speak to and with while not being threatened. Their timely interference could mean that something darker was coming either for them or for them all.
Miss Martian nodded and flew in a zigzag pattern to avoid getting hit by any laser blasts over to their position and proceeded to explain; "They have our teammate: Robin, Batman's partner, hostage. We were given these coordinates and were told to show up with as many Leaguers as we felt we needed. As soon as we arrived and were scouting the area, we were attacked by these robots, we fought back for a time, but their numbers quickly became numerous and through one of the robots- we were told that if we fought, then not only would Robin die, but seventy civilians as well." Miss Martian explained.
From this close Beast Boy and Star-Fire, the rest of the Titans from their places on the roof- noted that she shared characteristics with the Martian Manhunter. Which was odd considering that the only reason he came to Earth was to prevent the invasion force of their enemies, the White 'Martians'.
"That is truly horrible!" Star-Fire exclaimed. "Next he will want you to do a jig!" She said with righteous indignation.
Despite the situation they were in, Kid Flash and Zatanna snorted and tried to hide their impromptu smiles. What she said had been completely unexpected and almost apropos for the situation they were dealing with. Fortunately, despite their startlement, the shield Zatanna had conjured was still strong but it was struggling absorb the laser blasts that the robots were still slinging their way.
"Uh- Star, I do not think it means, what you think it means." Beast Boy said, tapping her on the arm.
"Inconceivable!" Star-Fire declared.
Beast Boy shook his head at the Princess Bride quote in the midst of all of this and brought himself back to the situation at-hand Robin-style. "So, if only you guys can't fight, then we can, right?"
"Just the two of you?" Arrow-girl scoffed from her position behind a dumpster, "against the sixty of them?!"
"I'm up for any help we can get against these guys…!" Superboy grunted, as he got hit in the face with a laser blast, sending him backwards into Wolf, who growled in agreement.
"Their assistance will prove useful." Said the teenager dressed in orange and black. His water shield and his tattoos glowing, obviously absorbing the energy from the blasts hitting his water-shield. "They may be able to provide us with time to rescue the injured civilians…"
"But only two of them?!" Demanded Arrow-girl.
"I could make duplicates of them to try to even our odds…" The girl in a mini-tuxedo and boots offered, but her shield failed at that second and Kid Flash grabbed her and raced to another safer location.
"I never said we were only two…" Beast Boy smirked at them as a shadow passed over their heads.
"Teen Titans! GO!" Robin shouted just after he shot a grappler and rappelled from the roof with Miko in tow to engage the enemy. Youkai, and Raven followed their example and Star-Fire shared a feral grin with Beast Boy and dispelled the green energy shield as they raced to engage in battle as well.
Batman almost started when he heard Robin's voice ring out into the twilight. But this Robin was different, his style of fighting was tuned to his teammates; he was older and it was clear that he was the leader of his team.
"Robin?!" Kid Flash demanded, "But I thought he was captured?!" The other teenage members of Batman's covert team were flabbergasted as well and expressed themselves in various ways, the first was startlement and the other was incredulity.
"Kid Flash!" Batman declared, successfully getting his attention; "Team! Civilians, Now!" Batman called for the team to do their job.
Miss Martian, though startled about the appearance of Robin, gasped when she saw Beast Boy change from his green human form to a green cheetah to race into battle and then morph into a green Saber tooth-tiger to take down part of the first wave in a swipe of his claws, before changing into a green gorilla and start knocking heads. She quickly rescued a mother and child from an upside-down SUV.
Star-Fire shot her star-bolts to great effect, decimating the robot battalion, or at least part of it to give Beast Boy a clear path as he changed into a green rhinoceros and charged with Star-Fire on his back into more of the robots, giving the Titans the edge that Cyborg's presence normally provided.
The League and the civilians were shocked when a lamp-post was engulfed in black energy, uprooted from its place and used as a bat to take out another part of the battalion; similar things were happening to other stationary objects: empty vehicles, mailboxes, several batarangs were gathered with the energy and with astounding accuracy thrown into the faces of several of the robots before the combination of the black energy and the batarangs caused the robots' heads to explode.
Robin was in the midst of the fray, jumping, leaping and using all types of martial arts. Batman noticed as he and Red Tornado rescued civilians from the roof. Robin used a different form of batarang, and they were colored differently as well; he also used a bo-staff and used several moves that he, Batman was unaware of- though the moves weren't Robin's usual, and although it was clear to Batman that Robin still hadn't perfected the new moves with the bo-staff, his attacks were still devastating. He fought fiercely in order to get to the robot with the monitor of the other Robin in its chest.
"Robin's appearance is… different." Aqualad noted. "Could something have happened to him?" He queried of Superboy, using his water-bearers to douse the flames that were attempting to engulf the apartment building.
"Don't know." Superboy answered back, Wolf was at his side and was as confused as he was. Superboy was holding the base of a fire-escape (which had basically detached from the building), allowing civilians to escape the burning building caused by the robots and their lasers.
Youkai and Miko were engaging in long-range battle tactics as Miko stood forty feet away from the League members and shot her pink tinged arrows up and into the rear ranks, the explosion of her powers as her arrows hit their mark, reminded the League of mortar shells hitting the ground and exploding. Youkai stood near her, long enough to place a hand at the curve of her neck before leaping up and using his acid-whip, melted another part of the battalion.
"Did Robin make his own team?" Zatanna asked Artemis, as they and Black Canary rescued a bunch of kids from the local daycare center attached to the apartment building. The daycare worker was gone, leaving the children, all under the age of six, to fend for themselves.
"Some role model," Artemis snorted as Black Canary she and Zatanna attempted to calm the hysterically crying group of twelve children. Black Canary was able to use her Canary Cry at a much lower decibel with considerably less power and the children were almost instantly calmed. Zatanna and Artemis were befittingly impressed.
Having overheard Zatanna and Artemis from his position against the apartment fire-escape, Superboy looked more closely at Robin's fighting form and shook his head in disagreement about this Robin versus their Robin. "More than likely, this Robin's a Clone."
"I thought the Batcave was already crowded?!" Kid Flash demanded rhetorically of Batman and of Superboy as he darted into another part of the building and pulled out a hysterical woman dressed in bright colored clothing with finger-paint marks and stenciled flowers on the apron; this was the missing daycare worker; her arm was broken and she had tear-tracks down her face, as she desperately tried to get into the burning Daycare. Kid Flash directed the daycare worked towards Black Canary, once she saw that the children were safe, she called them by name and they flocked to her in concern.
"Guess she didn't abandon the kids after all…" Black Canary said in admonition to Artemis who flushed in response. "We'll talk about this idea later." Black Canary told Artemis in a no-nonsense voice; Artemis grimaced but nodded.
Batman noted Kid Flash's statement, mentally reminding himself to talk to Black Canary about upping Kid Flash's training regime as a slight form of punishment and narrowed his eyes in disagreement to Superboy's assessment.
Between the Teen Titans, the fight with the robots was soon over; as soon as Robin had finished the one's in 'his sector', he quickly dismantled the robot with the monitor and was hacking the signal. The rest of his team made sure that the robots couldn't reanimate and joined him. As soon as the civilians were safe with the local police department and social workers, they were followed by the three League members and their junior partners.
"I've isolated the signal and patched it into our communicators. Star-Fire, you go with Youkai and search north-east of here, the signal has a max strength of ten miles, but that's still a lot of city to cover; so Miko, Raven, you two will be working to find Robin and his captors, once you've found him-"
Raven spoke up. "Robin, maybe we should get some information on the type of person we're looking for before we leap?" She said all this in a monotone voice, causing the other teenage team to look at her oddly.
A tic formed above Robin's eye.
Beast Boy raised his nose to the air and took a breath, there was a scent that wasn't mechanical or belonging to any person at the scene. He looked towards Youkai, but he and Miko were busy examining one of the robots and had their backs towards them, but they were facing Batman and his covert team, judging by their muted colors of their uniforms.
"Would it not be prudent to examine the rest of these mechanical beings? It seems they are similar to Cyborg's origins…" Star-Fire shared her point of view.
Miko and Youkai were kneeling next to one of the robots who really did slightly resemble Cyborg, but only slightly. There was also a dull color scheme, but it wasn't readily discerned.
Robin was more-than ready to go and started racing off only to turn back around and look at his standstill teammates; specifically Miko and Youkai.
"What're you guys standing around for?!" Robin demanded of Miko and Youkai who hadn't moved from their kneeling stances above one of the robots.
One of Robin's eyebrows began to tick and as he started to give the team more orders, and had just opened his mouth to do so, Raven interrupted him; "Robin, we've done this before. We'll let you know when and where we've found him and his captors."
Robin cleared his throat having forgotten that small aforementioned detail.
Beast Boy raised a hand, drawing Robin's attention to him; "Robin, I'll stay here with the League and fill them in on the team."
"Good idea BB;" Robin said. "Alright Titans, let's find a connection so we can take down the robots' leader, and rescue Robin!"
Beast Boy recognized his cue and turned into a mouse and scurried into the nearest Robot,only to turn into a dog and explode the remains of the robots out and away from him. Upon resuming his human form, he waved two devices to catch his team's attention. "Hey Rob- Check it out! The robot has a kind of different wy-fy connection; and there was this weird connective energy bomb-type thingie!"
Miko and Youkai looked closely at the devices, then they turned to one another and nodded, leaping from their position, Youkai brought both of them up to the roof level and they leapt from their position onto the closest roof and raced away via rooftop from the scene.
Robin opened his communicator; "Where the heck are you two going?!"
"There is a secondary person controlling the rest of the robots." Youkai explained into his communicator; "The second device is how we know this…"
As Robin made demands of his traveling teammates, Batman approached Raven and Beast Boy. "How long has Robin been a part of your team?"
"Robin's been team leader since, what-?" BB asked Raven, "Two years ago?"
"Two and a half." Raven conceded.
"Right, two and a half years ago." Beast Boy said. "You'd be proud of him too. We have our own villains and stuff that we've been taking down!"
"And stuff." Raven asked sardonically, "you really are very eloquent, aren't you Beast Boy?"
"Just for that, you are going to be the goalie of Stink-Ball next game!" Beast Boy snarked back.
Raven's eyes widened, and then she turned to face Batman again. "Who's the leader of your teenage team?"
The boy dressed in orange and black stepped forward. "I am. I am Aqualad."
Star-Fire's head whipped in his direction. "You are not the Aqualad!" She declared flying into his face to make the point, "Garth is!"
Quickly putting away his communicator, he hissed: "Star-Fire!" and Robin grabbed her by the boot and pulled her down and backwards slightly; he then whispered harshly into her ear, making her eyes widen in remembrance.
This action confirmed it for Batman; while Robin was Robin, he and his teammates were from an alternate dimension.
Star-Fire blushed and put a hand behind her head in embarrassment when Robin gathered with the rest of his team. "Oopsie!" She flew back towards Aqualad and bowed mid-air. "I submit my deep contrition, I was in error to accuse you."
"I accept your apologies." Aqualad said. "Allow me to introduce my teammates…"
The remaining Teen Titans lined up and stood in front of the other teenage team led by Aqualad. Batman and Red Tornado were behind and off to the side.
"These are my teammates: Miss Martian, Superboy, Artemis, Kid Flash, and Zatanna; we call ourselves: Young Justice. Robin, our Robin is our last teammate."
"Cool name." Robin said extending a hand. Aqualad noted more differences in his Robin and this Robin's uniforms immediately. This Robin was more overt, while theirs was covert. "We're the Teen Titans; I'm Robin, this is Star-Fire, Beast Boy, Raven-"
He was interrupted when a crash happened behind him. When the dust settled, Youkai was interrogating some strange man.
"They're Miko and Youkai, and the last member of our team, Cyborg, is off on another mission."
Kid Flash caught on to what Robin had been indicating to Star-Fire, but he wanted to make sure. "What was that about? Something about not…" He trailed off, hoping that one of the Titans would fill in the blanks.
Robin glanced at Kid Flash; he was sharper than he looked.
When Kid Flash looked directly at Beast Boy for answers, BB fidgeted. "Um, no I can't tell you…" Beast Boy said, and looked towards Miko in concern. She had an aggravated look on her masked face.
"You mean it's a secret?" Miss Martian asked.
"Oh no- I know it." Beast Boy said with utmost seriousness, not really paying attention to the speedster or the Martian-girl.
Raven rolled her eyes, and pulled her cowl further over her head. She then approached Miko, who had just seated her form on a bench near where Youkai was interrogating the man.
"So, who is he?" She asked Miko.
"Demon." Miko said easily.
"That's what, not who…" Raven said with a sardonic eyebrow raised; Miko shrugged in answer.
"We're calling him Chuck; He is not at all similar to Etrigan or you, however he was controlling the robots." Miko said filling her in.
"You know this how?" Batman asked her as he approached the bench.
Miko looked at him through the eyes of her gilded domino mask. "I was the one demanding answers after commandeering his mini-workstation. It was going well until the 'male' there, Chuck, decided to feel me up. Youkai took offence and here we are. Me, annoyed; Youkai pissed and ready to snack on some bones, and Chuck there, has already pissed himself."
"Did you get anything from his workstation?" Robin asked Miko as he approached and stood next to his alternate's mentor.
"I made sure to download the intel. and blueprints, then Youkai put his fist through the workstation ending all control to several other robots that were in the ten-mile radius; but there's a connection to our dilemma." Miko said, holding up an SD-card.
"What kind of connection?" Batman asked Miko.
She ignored his question in favor of running a hand through the loose hair of her low ponytail and pulling it over her shoulder delicately brushing against her neck as she did so. Youkai stiffened in response and turned to face her, dropping Chuck in the process. "Why don't we let the Master Interrogator do his thing?" Miko suggested to Youkai. She removed her hand and turned back to face Batman. "That is, only if you have questions that you want answered…." She said, a grin pulling across her face.
"Did she just-?" Kid Flash asked Zatanna.
"She did." Zatanna said back to Kid Flash, equally stunned.
"Anything else?" Robin demanded of her as she handed him the SD card.
Miko frowned at him; "EE was there. There were traces of her energy in the room."
"How long was EE there?!" Robin demanded. Immediately understanding that EE meant Emerald Empress, and the understanding came with knowing that these heroes didn't know about their dilemma, and it was best left that way.
Batman wasn't about to let the matter drop, "Who is EE, and why are you so interested in her presence here?"
Beast Boy was the one to ignore the question this time. "Who was it that you think has captured your Robin?"
Zatanna, startled, answered his question. "We're pretty certain it's a man called Slade Wilson."
Robin's eyes glinted behind his mask, and Star-Fire and Beast Boy immediately signaled ix-nay moves to Young Justice, their eyes wide in shock and horror.
"Slade huh?" Robin asked.
Miko and Raven exchanged exasperated glances, before Miko nodded with a sigh. "I'll be babysitter."
"Then I'll play Cowgirl and wrangle Robin." Raven stated, casting a droll look at Miko.
Youkai looked to Miko and then understood; through the mythic contract, Miko had a measure of control over Robin, as an older sister would a younger brother.
Batman seemed to understand that as well, and carefully looked over Robin and Miko. To his trained eyes, it became apparent that these two teammates had a bond that very few in the League obtained and retained. It was similar between the original seven of the Justice League, but particularly strong between he and Superman; for whatever reason, the two of them despite genetics, disposition and upbringing, they were practically brothers.
Youkai brushed a smirk off his face, as he looked on to Miko and Robin, he noted how their relationship was much like Kagome's was to his late uncle Inuyasha- in the end, very close friends; almost like siblings in their caring of one another. On one hand, it irked him, and on the other, it drew a smile to his face knowing that Miko had someone besides him looking out for her well-being.
A frown crossed Youkai's face when he felt Chuck try to get away. A quick flick of his wrist, using his whip, brought Chuck back to their group, and more specifically, Chuck's face to the ground Inuyasha style, right in front of Batman's booted feet.
"If you wish to question this person Batman, I suggest you do it now." Youkai stated as he glanced over the members of his team. He rested a booted foot to the back of Chuck's head, and pressed down.
Miko darted after Robin as he threw down a smoke pellet, obscuring the rest of the team's vision.
"How long has Robin been on his own?" Batman asked Raven.
Raven looked at Batman and then looked away. If this Batman was anything like their Batman, then there was no way that she was going to give away her team leader. "Robin's been with us for two and a half years like we've said. We've all come a long way since we left our mentors…"
"You didn't answer my question." Batman growled.
"Indeed, it is as if you are hiding something from us." Red Tornado stated, in his robotic voice.
Star-Fire looked concernedly at the robot. "It is not that at all… Merely that Slade is our Robin's Joker."
Batman's eyes widened and he slunk away, after Robin and Miko; judging Robin's abrupt departure, it wouldn't be that hard to track him… There might even be a few trackers in his costume that he could still trace if it came down to it.
The rest of the Titans looked to Raven. "If we're going to look for their Robin we need to progress. He's been missing for this long, he's no doubt going to be looking for a way out of his captivity, and had no doubt been trying to send some sort of signal." Raven turned to Aqualad and Black Canary. "Has there been anything stolen or missing from any labs?"
Black Canary looked taken aback. "I'm… Not that-"
Red Tornado spoke up. "According to my data, a Spectrum Chronometer was stolen last week; and a month before that a Ahlstrom Collider was also stolen, but there were no leads in either case. There did not seem to be any relevance nor any relevance to him missing now…."
"I have something that can track Chronotron Radiation…" Youkai volunteered, others from Young Justice and The Justice League looked at him in confusion; why would he have something that could track Chronotron Radiation randomly on his person?
"Good." Raven said, and turned to her teammates. "Star-Fire, you go with Youkai to track the Spectrum Chronometer down. Hopefully Slade will be close enough to at least tag him somehow; Beast Boy, you'll stay here with Young Justice."
"Wait a minnit! What're you going to do?!" Beast Boy demanded.
"Knowing how well Robin is able to quickly hack and decipher a signal, no doubt the enemy planned for something of the sort and Robin and Miko will be led on a wild goose chase to rescue the other Robin; so, I am going to try to track the other Robin by his mental energy to save us some trouble." Raven said and she floated until she was at waist height and settled into her meditation mode, slowly chanting: "Azarath, Metrion…. Zinthos."
She slowly opened her eyes to reveal them being completely black with a glowing white outline.
"Creepy…" Artemis muttered to Zatanna who more subtly agreed.
Miss Martian was weirded out. "How does- I mean, how can…"
"Raven's always been that way…" Beast Boy said with his arms folded behind his head in a semi-relaxing pose. "Aren't you going to send some of your teammates after ours?" BB asked Aqualad.
"Yes. Kid Flash, Artemis, you go after Youkai and Star-Fire," he looked belatedly in the direction where Chuck lay. "Superboy, Zatanna; question 'Chuck'. Get some answers about the robots, or at least his purpose for sending them after us." He paired Superboy with Zatanna for intimidation purposes, Superboy was still easily angered.
Miss Martian looked at Beast Boy. "So, how long have you had your powers?" She asked curiously. "I understand that you are a shape-shifter?"
"I can change into any animal!" Beast Boy declared proudly.
"But you are still green…" Aqualad stated.
"Yeah, that's why I don't have to wear a mask."
Wolf walked closer to Beast Boy and sniffed curiously at him before snorting and shaking his head in disgust; apparently BB still smelled like tofu. Superboy cracked a smile at that and when Wolf walked back to him, Superboy rubbed Wolf's head as Wolf shoved his nose into Superboy's chest.
"You do not need to wear a mask because you're green? Are you a Martian?" Aqualad queried.
"What? No. I'm 100% human!" Beast Boy declared. "…er- kind of…" he finished sheepishly, putting a hand behind his head, slightly embarrassed.
"How do the people react to you?" Miss Martian asked.
"I can go shopping or even out to eat without people swarming me or the rest of the team."
"You can?" Black Canary asked him, she'd been silent till now mostly observing the other team of young heroes.
"We're our City's protectors." Beast Boy said loudly.
"Beast Boy." Raven growled.
"Yeah Raven?"
"In order for me to glean where their Robin is, I need quiet. You are not being quiet."
"Oops. Right, sorry…" He hunkered down and pulled Miss Martian down with him.
"So, about Kid Flash, how old are he and Robin?"
Miss Martian felt like this wasn't pertinent information, so she had no problems disclosing the information.
"Kid Flash is sixteen and Robin is thirteen."
Beast Boy looked taken aback.
"Seriously? Our Robin is sixteen and Kid Flash is fourteen."
"Really, wow." Miss Martian said. "Wait, where did you come from?"
Beast Boy opened his mouth to answer, but a glowing black energy made a barrier across his mouth; just as their communicator's beeped.
Raven opened hers first, so did Beast Boy allowing Miss Martian and Aqualad to view what they were seeing. "Youkai to Raven, we've found the Spectrum Chronometer. We're at the old Canning Factory on 4th and Lex."
Raven opened her eyes revealing the black to be gone and her eyes back to normal her iris' a dark purple color. "Understood. Robin do you copy?" Raven answered.
The communicator screen flipped revealing Miko's form. "Robin's out Raven. The place where we took out Slade the last time is a bust, but Robin's-" A crash sounded in the background and there was yelling accompanying it. "Just a second Raven." The communicator was put on mute and Raven saw Miko move to Robin's side, smack him across the back of the head and make a hard point and when he didn't want to comply, she knocked him to the ground quickly and easily then she sat on him; quite literally. "Alright Raven I'm- we're back. I heard about the Spectrum Chronometer… What's our connection?"
"I don't know. Their Robin's signature is untraceable, despite Robin's skills."
Miko had a thoughtful look on her face for a moment and then fell off the screen as Robin dislodged her.
"How old is their Robin?" He demanded through Miko's communicator.
"Thirteen." Raven answered.
"What's the plan Robin?" Beast Boy asked over Raven's shoulder.
"30th Century: Lightning Lad, Beast Boy."
"Huh?"
"All the challenges we went through. We're going to replay them: His style."
"This'll be fun…" Youkai told Star-Fire just before he closed his communicator, Star-Fire asked:
"In what way will the challenges that the lad of lightning put you through be fun for us?"
Beast Boy nodded harshly, and turned to the remaining teenagers and mentor. "In order for this to work, we need to work together; so I need to know your strengths. The Aqualad I knew was telepathic with all fish life; what can you do?" He questioned Aqualad, he figured that Miss Martian was much like the Martian Manhunter in regards to her powers, so he didn't feel the need to question her.
"I have a measureable control over water and its mystic forces as well as electricity." One by one, BB questioned the Young Justice team; Beast Boy nodded after his interviews and walked over to where Raven was located and spoke with her.
She seemed to be taken aback at BB's show of leadership, but provided answers, and together, they came up with a plan.
Raven bit her lip several times. It appeared that Beast Boy while was the jokester normally, there were times that even he could be serious and take charge, not counting his gerbil-commando moment with Mad-Mod. He clearly wasn't as adept at leading like Robin, Cyborg or even Miko were, but when it came to it, Beast Boy would pull through for his friends. Internally Raven smiled and felt 'Happy-Raven' give a cheer.
They quickly finessed their plans and informed Miko and Robin as they were on their way back; with Batman no doubt following.
When Miko and Robin returned, as well as Youkai and Star-Fire between they and Robin and Miko, the high-gloss was added to the plan and they left Raven to finish finding Young Justice's Robin as Miko could not yet teleport to any location.
Robin took a deep breath and released it slowly, and as he centered himself, "Anything?" Robin asked his teammates.
"It's… smaller than I'm used to…. Youkai admitted, handing the Spectrum Chronometer over to the Titan's team leader; "but I've been getting the feeling that this is only part of the problem. There's another piece to the puzzle that we're missing."
"But what is it?" Kid Flash asked.
It was Superboy that spoke out, "Isn't the Spectrum Chronometer supposed to be larger, I mean that's the heart of the Chronometer, but where's the outer casing?"
Miko furrowed her brow as nothing for the Spectrum Chronometer made sense for this dimension, especially since it was charged and operational; but put in terms of the issue they were dealing with…
As she focused her thoughts, Batman appeared behind Robin startling the rest of the Titans minus Miko as she was concentrating. And like Archimedes in the bathtub, Miko had a Eureka moment: "With the Ahlstrom Collider and the outer casing that held the Spectrum Chronometer they're planning on synchronizing the timelines and dimensions!"
"But that would mean only-" Kid Flash started, instantly getting what Miko was saying.
"Robin, if we don't stop EE and Klarion here, then we're going to have more issues than we're already dealing with back home!" Miko asserted to her team leader.
"Then why do they need Robin?" Star-Fire questioned Miko.
"More than likely they need his DNA in order to use a frequency to get the device to key into certain times and dimensions!"
Star-Fire gasped, instantly getting quantum physics and the string theory conundrum.
"What would they use to power it?" Raven asked.
Robin grasped what Miko was saying and turned to his, this dimension's mentor, and Aqualad; "Have you heard of something called Xenothium?"
He got a negative in answer from both.
"Then that's why we're seeing a mass of events back home!" He declared to his teammates;
"It's Ground Zero! Like how I used its properties when I was undercover as Red X!"
"Due to the innate capabilities of Xenothium, it can be used as a perpetual energy source and has the added bonus of multiple defensive and offensive capabilities and it would have reverberating results back home." Raven explained to the others. "It's main properties are alter in consistency and its state alters to the users commands, from a gas to a solid to a iquid state and anywhere in between. The repercussions of its use however, destroys; in totality."
Beast Boy's eyes widened in horror. "It's that bad?! As soon as we're done here, we have to get back!"
"What about EE and Klarion?" Youkai asked Robin.
"Klarion brings the chaos and EE is from the 30th century… Klarion brought her here to try to throw us off our game."
"We need a trump-card." Raven said.
"Perhaps even the Hail of Mary?" Star-Fire offered.
"And we'll get one." Robin said, nodding to both of them; "but as soon as we get back, we need to get Cyborg and tell Fate and Etrigan what we've discovered in the meantime."
"But what about no one noticing the incursion into the Vault City Justice League Tower?" Star-Fire asked. "And the idea of missing yet not missing League Members?"
"Cloning." Superboy spoke up. "They're probably trying to get someone into one of the original seven's positions and they're trying to see how far they can go."
"When we get back, we need to talk to Long-Shadow." Miko said her eyes wide in realization.
"I've got a lock on Robin's energy." Raven stated. "He's near Slade." She said disgust nearly dripping from her monotone voice.
"Let's go get him." Robin said. "Titans! Together!"
"Dude, you seriously say that with a straight-face?" Kid Flash asked Robin.
Batman had Miss Martian summon her bio-ship and soon everyone was onboard and they were on their way.
With Miko and Raven following the energy of the Emerald Empress' mystic energy, and giving directions as they went, they found themselves on the bank of Lake Eerie in Michigan of all places. The lake was glowing green, and above it floated the Emerald Empress, Klarion the Witch Boy, his familiar Teekl and Joker.
With the mist coming off the lake, Kid Flash and Superboy made mention that the scene was just a little creepy.
"Dude, for a bad-guy, she's hot…" Kid Flash muttered to Artemis, who merely whapped him upside the head.
"You! You're here?!" Klarion demanded of Miko.
"I go where and when I'm needed Witch-Boy!" Miko avowed.
"Whatever, we're not here to tangle with you… We're just causing a little chaos along the way, nothing harmful…"
"Where's Robin?!" Batman demanded.
"Sorry Batsy, but they're not through playing yet." Joker said.
"Yeah! We're having way too much fun than to worry about you stopping us!" Klarion said with a smirk; Teekl who was resting on Klarion's shoulders glared at the groups below them and hissed.
Miko glared and fired a bright-pink arrow up at the floating group.
"Holy Carp!" Klarion grabbed Emerald Empress' hand and jumped backward into a red and black portal, making Miko's Holy-arrow just miss them by inches. Leaving Joker to jump and land on the ground, just as another portal opened along the lake shore and hundreds of Slade-bots came pouring out to back Joker up.
"I think I'll leave the Lady of Order with this little present; if you and your little group survive that is, I'll deal with you later… We'll see you later Armadillos…" And the portal that Klarion and Emerald Empress were in disappeared.
The onslaught of over 400 robots stalled and formed ranks before the two groups of teenage heroes, and their three mentors.
"I see you've replaced one bird-boy with another…" Joker jeered at Batman. "This one's older than this little Robin… And he seems to be going all out with no hope against our Robots… Aww so sad… Are you tired out little Robin? Is that why the bird-boy has made new friends…?" Joker taunted.
"As John Paul Jones said at the battle of the Alamo, I've only just begun to fight!" Robin paused in retrospect. Had it been Flash there instead of Batman, there would have been outright guffaws, and he would have clutched his stomach in laughter.
"Actually…. that's wrong… Beast Boy! You're rubbing off on me!" Robin yelled at his teammate; shaking a fist in Beast Boy's direction.
Beast Boy merely grinned weakly at his team leader, across their "battle line"
Kid Flash looked at the Teen Titans and shook his head. "You guys act more like kids than we do!"
"They've had more practice." Black Canary said, shaking her head.
Superboy looked at her and then back at their enemy. "Am I the only one who realizes that we have a battle to fight?"
Youkai shook his head and placed a hand on Superboy's shoulder directing his attention to the Teen Titans. "They're trying to alleviate the tension, if there were any more between the members of my team, then the fight would be sloppy and uncoordinated. This is their way of getting ready for battle."
"By cracking jokes?"
"Our group has faced worse odds in the past;" Youkai informed the heroes. "Robin, Raven, and Miko have already over-prepared for this fight. Beast Boy has mentally gone over how many animals he can change into without rendering himself disabled, while still aiding his teammates. Star-Fire has been raised for battle, as have I. We are the two that are most used to it, but it is Robin and Miko, who have seen the most battles and how far the damage and casualties can spread."
Batman approached Youkai and Superboy, "what are you up against?"
"Have you not seen the people we're going to fight?!" Beast Boy demanded, storming up to the Dark Knight. "They're major baddies! I would have thought that a founding member of the JLU would know the enemies we're about to face!" BB complained, then he took a second to realize just whom he was reaming and eeped and hid behind Raven's cloak.
She merely raised an eyebrow at her short friend and rolled her eyes; "Pin-head." She muttered, though it was loud enough for the rest of the battle-line to hear.
If only just to himself, Batman mentally smirked at the discomfit of the young male hero. While Batman didn't normally like someone speaking up against him, it was amusing to see them do so without realizing and then immediately backtracking in sudden realization. He spared a glance the other way, past his alternate partner/ward; Miko as she was called by her teammates seemed to understand the weight of the battle, and carried it more like himself. She wasn't quite as attuned to her team as others thought, and less so Youkai, but he saw some similarities between her moves and that of her Robin.
Miko's form was tense, although she was chuckling at the antics of her teammates, she stood next to Star-Fire her form coiled tightly, ready for anything. While she wore a bow and held a quiver of arrows against her back, she didn't hold the bow; instead her fingers tightened on a large fan, that what her name and lineage suggested was a Tessen, the war-fan.
Star-Fire was less-tightly strung and held her stance easily, but she was too emotional, and her species used their emotions as fuel for their capabilities. She was the most at ease with herself of their team, holding her form easily and yet as young and least powerfully built, she was more than likely the strongest of the group bar Youkai, nearly being on-par with Superman in ways of abilities.
Raven was the complete opposite of Star-Fire, keeping her emotions tightly packed so that there was no way to tell what she was feeling. There needed to be more time for hypothesis, however, Batman (from overhearing the earlier conversation between she and Miko) came to the conclusion that Raven was at least part demon; which made him wary, but she seemed to balance Star-Fire's emotions which was good for the team.
Youkai, was an interesting being; he held himself aloof, and yet he was deeply invested in his team, and he held an almost romantic interest in Miko, although it was newly wrought; he was tall for his age, and that his name was youkai meant that he was a higher and older form of demon of Japanese background, he resembled an old painting of Japan's Western Ruler from its Feudal era. The last current member of the team was Beast Boy, and although he was outspoken and without doubt the comic relief of the group, and more than definitely reminded Batman of Flash, he was a worthy comrade for Robin, allowing Robin to be a teenager and not the adroit-comedic balance that Batman needed.
Batman considered the team that made up the Teen Titans, and decided that it was as good a team as the original seven of the Justice League.
Batman heard the cackle of Joker into the loudspeakers and tensed, seeing out the corner of his eye Robin do the same. He found it interesting that the Titans had closed ranks in front of his covert team, even if his team, Young Justice, was new- they could more than handle themselves if their missions were anything to go by as well as their social interaction.
Joker whipped out his switchblade, "Alright Bird-Boy, let's do this: Robots! ATTACK!"
The Titans didn't make a move, not even when the robots enveloped them, causing Young Justice to jerk and make a forward move; the Justice League members' eyes widened and they took a breath of dismay. The errant group of heroes from another dimension had just stood there and let themselves get swarmed without even putting up a fight.
"Delivery of Specialty!" Star-Fire declared from somewhere over their heads as a green humpback whale dropped on the mass, pulverizing them. Heads jerked up and around, seeing Star-Fire in the sky but no other member, their eyes were drawn back to Beast Boy.
"Whoa." Was all Superboy could say as he viewed the scene in front of him.
"And she still misses on punnage!" Kid Flash muttered to himself, Zatanna between gaping at the scene in front of her, spared a smile to her speedster teammate.
"In one blow, they- Beast Boy flattened an army!" Artemis gaped.
Those robots that escaped the flattening by the humpback whale form of Beast Boy were quickly taken down with an acid-whip and star-bolts; so that accounted for three of the six, but where were Miko, Raven and Robin?
"And used some interesting technology in order to fool even us that they were still in the direct vicinity…" Zatanna said picking up one hologram-projector that shut off as she picked it up, turning off the image of Beast Boy Robin and Youkai; the other holo-projector of the female Teen Titans shut off simultaneously.
"You Can't Do That!" Joker screamed.
"Really?" Miko asked from behind him, "Because I'm pretty sure we just did."
Joker spun to face her only to have his hands cuffed behind him by Robin who'd just stepped out of a deep shadow on the ground.
Batman was suitably impressed; the battle was quick and with zero fatalities or casualties…
"Where. Is. Slade…?" Robin ground out pulling Joker up by the lapels of his suit.
"Now what would be the fun in telling you?" Joker asked, a sick grin sliding across his features.
"Not fun for you or I…" Robin agreed, "however- Youkai here is Very good at getting information… Not to mention Raven;" A dark look crossed his face. "And if you don't tell me where Slade is…."
"Oh, is the little bird angwy?" Joker laughed in Robin's face. "Sorry, I have to get my chuckles, especially at your expense… And without me you'll never know where Slade or Robin is…"
Youkai took a threatening step towards Joker, only to have Joker sneer at him; "Ooh, tough-guy…"
Miko placed a hand on Robin's shoulder and Robin reluctantly let go, and smiling sickeningly sweet, she turned Joker to face her before glowing a bright pink.
Joker screamed in agony and anguish before he began informing them of every little thing that pertained to what they wanted to know and a few things that Batman had an inkling that Joker was involved in but hadn't had valid evidence until now.
"Now then, where is ROBIN?" Miko demanded, making her hand glow pink; Joker shied away, quickly blurting out the information they wanted.
Robin, using his communicator, quickly patched into the local dispatch and told them to pick up the Joker at the coordinates given.
"What did she do?" Artemis asked Aqualad who was stunned at the goings-on.
Aqualad had no words.
"She, Miko is a Priestess from Japan; their powers are from olden days and times well-past, Miko were able to purify anyone of evil in them, presumably, Miko just purified the Joker into giving us the pertinent information involving the attack here…" Batman informed Young Justice.
"She can do that?" Superboy questioned Miss Martian.
"It's something not even the great Priestess' on Mars can do; but apparently, Miko can…" Miss Martian stated with awe striking her features.
"It is not something that we were taught at the conservatory of Sorcery in Atlantis either, on my next trip there, I shall inquire whether the idea is at all probable." Aqualad promised his team; they nodded in acquiescence.
"Where did they go?" Zatanna asked, the team looked around to realize that everyone else was gone.
"They're heading to the warehouse district; that's where Slade is holding Robin." Zatanna informed her team, she had been paying close attention, while the rest of her team were somewhat distracted.
"Batman left with them," Superboy added. "We're to be outside the warehouses to give backup if needed."
"Then we leave now." Aqualad said. "Miss Martian, summon the bio-ship."
Miss Martian raised a hand to her head and nodded to Aqualad. "Done."
Black Canary looked at the team she was the den-mother of in admiration. They were learning a lesson here, they didn't know it, but it was a lesson all the same. Not everyone did everything the same way, the Robin associated with the Teen Titans still retained the training that Batman had given him, but he was a team player; still a Bat was a Bat, and this Robin was obsessed with this Slade character. Black Canary could only hope that Titan Robin got some down-time from taking out Slade and their other villains, but it seemed that despite his age, Robin was a full-time hero with no civilian identity, which could not be healthy, as she knew Batman could attest. Batman was viciously obsessive about keeping Gotham safe.
When they arrived on the scene all was not quiet. There were robot parts all around the warehouse grounds, along with energy burns and acid-scoring and various arrows and bat and bird-a-rangs littered about. One of the warehouse's doors had been torn from their hinges and the team could see large blasts of Star-Fire's green energy, the tell-tale green-yellow of Youkai's whip and several explosions from various things from the bat-arsenal.
Soon everyone emerged from the building; Batman had Slade walking in front of him in handcuffs, which Titan Robin could only smirk at. And young Robin was shakily walking between Miko and Beast Boy.
With Robin recovered and not wounded, but slightly dizzy all the same, Batman had Titan Robin call the Police again and have them take custody of Slade. He informed Miss Martian that they would be heading up to the orbiting Justice League Headquarters, so she sent the bio-ship back to Mount Justice.
Once the Police arrived, took custody of Slade and left, Batman escorted the teenagers to the nearest Zeta-beam teleporter (or Zeta-Tube as Kid Flash informed them) and had them all zeta-beamed up to the Justice League's orbiting headquarters. The Teen Titans were only mildly impressed, when they were asked why, Miko and Youkai responded for them.
"Back home, there is not one base for the Justice League, but several both based on Earth, and orbiting it as well…" Miko said shrugging.
"Not to mention the several off-world missions we and the League have been on; this is a regular Thursday-night for us…" Youkai finished.
Robin looked to his mentor and to Titan Robin. "Okay, did I miss something here?!" The younger Robin demanded of his mentor/partner. Batman gave a minute shake of his head and Superboy shrugged.
"Not much, just your alternate-dimension-self came here with his team to save you…"
Robin the younger looked shaken; "…Seriously?"
"Whelmed yet?" Titan Robin asked the younger Robin.
"If he isn't, he's gonna feel the aster…" Youkai said, clapping a clawed hand to the younger Robin's back; the small group of Robin, Youkai and Robin chuckled, seriously weird-ing the rest of Young Justice out.
Batman merely looked on as Black Canary chuckled slightly, she was made of stronger stuff however, and she quickly stifled her chuckles. Red Tornado was as confused as an android could get; "I still do not understand human reaction…"
Miko approached the android, "Uh, Not quite, but don't worry about it- Only two of us on our team are actually human; it's more of a…" she paused to think of the right word, "Humanoid… thing."
Dr. Fate then appeared walking from the Zeta-Tube to approach Batman, who'd requested his presence. "I apologize for my tardiness, I was-" He stalled and looked at Miko in disbelief. "It is you!"
Miko spared a glance at the other version of Dr. Fate. She could immediately see the difference between the two hosts. She could say with absolute certainty that she preferred their Nabu to this one.
"Miko, I give you permission to remove my presence for ten-minutes, from my host there. Tell his daughter why it was best that I and my host did what we did." Miko remembered and she approached Dr. Fate, tapping just once on his helmet before removing it easily, and holding it in her arms.
Zatarra looked at his daughter and smiled, largely before turning to Miko.
"I can only give you and your daughter ten-minutes before you must don the power of Nabu again."
Zatarra nodded thankfully and pulled his weepy and thankful daughter out of the room for the brief time they had together.
Kid Flash looked outraged. "Why only Ten MINUTES?!" He demanded, storming up to Miko.
"Balance needs to be kept. The lack of Dr. Fate in one dimension, leads to unbalance and chaos in others." Miko told him point blank; she didn't know why she knew this, she just did.
When Kid Flash looked like he was going to demand more, Robin asked for the package Wonder Woman had handed Miko.
Miko nodded and removed it from her quiver, and walked it over to where Titan Robin, Youkai, Batman and young Robin were standing. As she walked, she unwrapped it, revealing a device no-bigger than the average man's wallet.
"What is it?" Batman asked them.
"We were only told that it could help…" Youkai answered for Titan Robin and Miko.
Batman nodded and swept from the room dramatically.
Miko turned to Titan Robin, "Are you sure that you and Batman aren't involve in some kind of theater?"
"Are you saying that we're drama-queen's?!" Titan Robin demanded of Miko. Younger Robin's jaw dropped, and then he cackled in glee.
Beast Boy burst out laughing, "You said it, she didn't!"
Black Canary's stuff wasn't that strong and she burst out laughing, and had to leave the room barely able to contain her giggles. When she ran into Batman, she tried to stifle her laughter and failed, and then she resorted to darting around Batman and down the hall into her quarters.
Batman came back into the area where Miko was getting a spluttered lecture from her team leader, who was red in the face; and the rest of Young Justice were staring in stunned silence.
Batman only had to plug it into the Justice League mainframe and the device booted up. "The device is a stabilizer. Whatever should happen in your dimension should not affect ours as harshly, if the glowing green of Lake Eerie is anything to go by, you and your team have a lot to deal with." Batman told Titan Robin.
"We can handle it." Robin said, a smirk crossing his dominoed face as he looked up into the cowled face of his mentor in this alternate dimension.
Batman grunted in response, and then he addressed Young Justice. "When Zatanna returns you are to return to the Mount." He turned slightly to address Miss Martian, "There's someone there that you need to see."
Young Justice looked to one another in slight confusion, but nodded, Miss Martian was slightly trepidatious.
With the Ten-minutes up, Zatarra and Zatanna walked back into the room. Zatanna was teary eyed and had been crying, but she approached Miko and gave her a hug that made Miko gasp for air.
"Thank you," Zatanna whispered in Miko's ear, before letting go.
"Thank you for taking care of my daughter," Zatarra addressed Batman and Young Justice. He approached Miko and took the Helmet of Fate from her arms, "Thank you Lady of Order for allowing me more time with my daughter…" and with one final smile to his precious daughter, he replaced the Helmet on his head again.
"Fate and Zatarra thank you Lady." Dr. Fate said to Miko, who merely blushed in slight embarrassment.
"I didn't do anything…"
"Yes," Batman addressed her. "You did."
"It is time."
After Dr. Fate returned them back home, they met with Dr. Fate again, as Wonder Woman had returned home. As promised, it had been no more than a week, five days at most that they'd been gone; and Dr. Fate handed Raven one book and Miko the other, and then he teleported out of the building by the use of his glowing ankh.
After a quick restroom break the group was in the multi-purpose room and after Miko read through the book she had, she informed the team of just what they had to do. As soon as she did so, the book in her hands disappeared in a flash of golden light, startling her and the rest of the Titans present.
"Alright you three, I've got the frequency, match it and let's bring Cyborg home…" Robin said.
"We have much faith in your abilities!" Star-Fire cheered.
"Great…" Youkai muttered settling himself to the ground and centering himself, sensing Miko kneeling in front of him and doing the same as Raven settled herself across the room and summoned her soul-self.
"So no pressure then." Raven said.
With Miko Focusing on making a whirlwind with her and Youkai's powers, which was hard for her to do, but she still managed it; Raven was able to use her soul-self and pull Cyborg back from the past 3000 B.C..
Cyborg landed at the feet of his team, dressed in clay and leather armor; '"…I think it worked,"' Raven said, questioning herself as the team leaned over Cyborg's prone body.
Miko was too busy trying to catch her breath from exerting her powers in a way they'd never been used before, and was lying spread-eagle on the floor just behind where she'd initiated the whirlwind. Youkai was kneeling behind her, breathing hard himself; he'd never had the opportunity to use his mother's powers, or even train them- now that he knew he had them, he was going to have to go to her to help learn how to control the wind, something he wasn't too keen on.
'"Cyborg?"' Robin asked, as Cyborg suddenly leaned up as Miko and Youkai let go of the whirlwind portal in exhaustion.
'"Sarasim! No! Send me back!"' Cyborg leapt to his feet and charged toward the portal intent on finishing the battle that Krall began. He stopped just short of the prone forms of Kikyo and Matsurokan, and turned viciously on his team.
'"Cyborg, it is us! Your Friends; you are home!"' Star-Fire exclaimed to her armored teammate.
His team didn't understand, Sarasim needed him! '"The village, it's under attack! They need me!"' He walked forward and grabbed Raven by the shoulders dislodging her cloak.
Raven looked slightly alarmed, '"It was kind of a one-way deal."' She looked almost sorry that she'd had to pull him back when and how she had at the very least.
Beast Boy spoke up; '"Besides, do you have any idea how hard it is to lock on your sonic cannon's frequency 5000 years away?"' Beast Boy tried to placate his teammate and close friend.
They didn't understand; '"I made a promise. They were counting on me…"' Cyborg drooped in resignation.
Robin approached his friend in contrition, '"Cyborg, I'm sorry. We had no idea…"'
When Cyborg turned from Robin in slight depression, Robin easily gained a frown on his face; apparently Cyborg didn't appreciate everything the team went through to try and bring their taken teammate back, and they still had no idea WHY he'd been suddenly taken. However, day two of Cyborg's disappearance had Robin and Youkai dismantling the equalizer and the phase-shielded amp as well as the Game Station X-L just in case.
'"I didn't even get to say goodbye…" Cyborg bemoaned, leaving the multi-purpose room and his teammates to go to his room and re-fit himself.
Hours later, he was finished. '"Welcome to the future…"' He sighed, before placing his sword in front of his armor that were on a stand against the far wall of his room. "Wonder if this is how Miko felt…?"
The door to his room opened revealing Raven. '"I have something to show you…"' Raven said and they both approached Cyborg's workbench. Raven placed an old tome on top of it, opening it to a specific page, it was the book Dr. Fate had given her.
'"Sarasim, she did it!"' Cyborg said looking at the image depicted on the page of Sarasim standing victorious over the downed form of Krall with the rest of her warriors behind her. '"They won!"'
Raven turned another page, and smiled slightly. '"Apparently, they had help."' She pointed to another image; '"That's you, isn't it?"'
Cyborg could only nod.
'"Interesting. You're the only one without armor…"'
Cyborg's face grew a slight smile. '"Yeah, didn't need it…"'
Raven left the room, allowing Cyborg time to himself and read for himself.
Cyborg looked up from the history book he was reading about Sarasim and the battle she'd won when he'd been taken back home. The doorway opened and Miko stood in it, leaning against the door-frame. Looking at her teammate with a slight grin on her masked face; "So, how was it?"
"Cyborg looked at her, "I think I understand why you had such a hard time leaving things the way they were; it's hard not to want to stay to help…"
"It's harder, leaving them behind…" She said. "It's hard on both ends," Cyborg stood and hugged his teammate, amongst all of them, she was the one who really understood.
"I'm glad you're back." She said, stepping back.
"Me too." Cyborg said. "How long was I gone?"
"A little more than a week;" Kikyo said leaning back against the desk. "Robin and Matsurokan took apart the huge equalizer, the game-station and the phase amp thingie (which was actually put in the squad-room for use there). But we made sure they left the TV and the waffle-maker alone…"
Cyborg grinned widely at Miko. "What else happened while I was away?"
"Nothing much: Met with Wonder Woman, saved another dimension, found out what's being used to wreak havoc here, brought you back from the past, you know, Just a regular Thursday for us…"
"Oh, as long as it's-" Cyborg stopped, replaying what she said. "I'm sorry, did you just say: 'Saved Another Dimension'?"
"I'm not gonna say any more… You're going to have to come out and speak with Robin and Beast Boy if you want the particulars…." She taunted, "we're having waffles for dinner- and if you don't come out of your room, BB has threatened to replace all your meat with Tofu."
Cyborg's eyes, grew wide and raced out of the room yelling, "Yo Rob! What's this about another Dimension?! BB you stay the heck away from my food!" His sudden rush from the room caused Kikyo to spin in six dizzying circles and fall down in a flop, where she shook her head, closed the tome and left the room after her exuberant cybernetic teammate and friend.
Even with all this happening, they still had to take down Slade and Terra, and that was just the beginning of what they had to deal with.