Author's Notes: Revised 3.14.11. Hope you like it and please review!
—Chapter Six: The Reason—
Robin supposed it should have surprised him, coming into the communications room and seeing the sign for an incoming, off-planet foreign signal, but somehow it didn't. He'd been expecting something like this. If he'd been assembling some sort of team, and they'd been sent off somewhere with no knowledge of what was going on, he would be trying to get into contact with someone trustworthy who could help them out.
Someone like Robin.
He sighed and flicked a switch. The large screen showed an enormously fat man sitting in a hoverchair in what looked like the inside of a spaceship, or perhaps just a highly technologically-advanced laboratory.
"Ah, finally! Robin of the Teen Titans, yes? I am Lord Hige, a brilliant scientific recluse with a bit of a problem…"
"Which involves six strange teenagers appearing in my city?" asked Robin coldly.
"Heh, about that, yes. There was a bit of a… problem with the teleporter. I was assembling a team to, well…"
"You invented something, didn't you." It wasn't a question. "What was it, some sort of device with the ability to destroy the universe?"
"No! I discovered something. Which, yes, does hold the capability of destroying the universe, but that's a minor side-issue. What I discovered was a great jewel unlike any other, containing a mysterious and limitless energy. I was… running routine experiments when it shattered."
Translation, he broke it, thought Robin. "Go on," he said out loud.
"It broke into six shards, and the power released when the jewel shattered scattered the six shards in different directions, to different worlds. That release of power also drew the attention of… let's say less than pleasant acquaintances of mine. Ones not capable of being handled under normal circumstances."
"Why didn't you just select an experienced team to handle the situation, one already known to several worlds? The Justice League…"
"I told you so!" laughed a high-pitched voice off to the side, and a cute pink-haired lady walked over to the fat lord of a scientist, an amused look on her face.
"Darling, not now!" said Lord Hige, waving her off.
He turned back to Robin. "The shards cannot be touched directly by someone not compatible with them. There are only a few hundred compatible people in the universe. I narrowed down the selection to an appropriate team. Their ages are inconsequential. I shall send you their data momentarily."
"You don't seriously intend to send these…" Robin shook his head, thinking of Lore's innocent look, Ray's completely confused stares, the cold glares from Arthur, the uncaring nonchalance of Reville. "These… teenagers to fight those 'acquaintances' of yours."
"No, no, simply to collect the jewel shards. Though they will undoubtedly have to capable of protecting themselves."
"They are woefully inexperienced."
"You don't know the half of it," commented Darling.
Lord Hige glared at her. "They are all quite accomplished on their own worlds. I ask that you explain the situation to them and help them to work as a team. I shall contact you in a week."
Robin sighed. He'd already seen as much coming. One more thing, though.
"Is there a jewel shard in my world?"
"Yes."
"Then I'll have you know, that is the only reason I am agreeing to this."
"Thank you, Robin. The universe thanks you."
Someone thinks a little too much of themselves, thought Robin. Considering he's the source of this stupid problem.
"The universe is quite welcome, and don't forget that data."
In minutes, Robin had the data on the six, which he immediately began to study. He quickly found out just how much the four he'd already met had left out of their introductions, with the possible exception of Lore, who had been quite open.
It was quite surprising to learn quite how much power Ray held. Not just over light, but over heat and electricity, not that Ray would have any clue what electricity was, considering the way he stared in awe at light bulbs. He also seemed to have a strange ability to function as a catalyst of sorts, and his very presence was known to increase his teammates' abilities exponentially. Robin wondered in passing if that ability would work with other superheroes. As far as history and experience, his team, who had been together since infancy, mostly tamed natural disasters and the occasional evil lord or self-proclaimed genius bent on taking over their world.
Reville's history was probably the most fascinating of all of them, having been bounced from one bad situation to another pretty much his whole life. As an empath, he had been imprisoned and tortured by king after king from early childhood, had been kidnapped and forced to work for a sheik, who tortured and sold the empath for betraying him, and somehow had ended up as the advisor to a decent king, the father of a princess he'd rescued from the sheik. His empathic and telepathic powers seemed quite different from Raven's, not being emotion based, and strangely, according to the report, his powers seemed to be growing in strength as the years went by, though his control was not increasing at the same rate.
Lore's story was similar to Reville's, though not nearly as torturous. Whereas Reville had been more of a tool, Lore seemed to have been a pet. He was called 'the elf' and had been kept locked up until very recently, only being allowed outside during the king's public appearances. There were accounts of several disasters that he had unknowingly caused with his strange power over plants and animals. Disasters such as all the plants in a five mile radius withering up and dying overnight, or all the animals in a ten mile radius suddenly up and vanishing overnight, having fled in a blind panic over or through anything and everything in their way. The strange child's healing ability was also quite powerful, and undoubtedly the real reason he was such a prize.
Next was Arthur, or rather Artemis. (Cyborg and Raven had not yet told Robin of the gender-issue, so this came as something of a shock.) She really was an elf, but on her world there was no magic. To keep themselves from being exterminated, the elves had vowed to serve the royal family of Vitania. The Slate family, the elfin family Artemis was from, was required to provide a male bodyguard to each member of the royal house, and Artemis had been forced to replace her brother and bury her true self when they had quite simply run out of males when her brother died. Robin frowned. Her world seemed to be particularly dark and cruel, though sadly it seemed to be the most 'modern' out of those four.
Robin now had a starting basis for the four he'd already met. As for the two he didn't, he was beginning to get worried, considering neither of them would be counted as 'good guys' back on their own worlds.
The first was the second girl, a thief named Key. How original, he thought sarcastically. Robin wondered if she'd named herself, as she'd practically raised herself in the streets. She had a pet Cortu, whatever that was, which she carried around in her hat, which also contained several tools of her trade. The story behind her hat was unknown. As, apparently, was the reason Lord Hige had chosen her, since she clearly was on the wrong side of the law, being not just A thief, but THE best thief in her world. She'd stolen anything and everything, both for herself, to sell for a quick buck, and for an employer, as she apparently sold her talent to the highest bidder. Robin frowned at the knowledge that this person was loose in HIS city.
The last was a boy, an engineer/inventor/hacker, and the only one from a world more advanced then Robin's, one apparently inhabited by a conglomeration of half-animal humanoids. Matthew was an integral part of a group called the Rebel Alliance back on his world. From the report, it was nothing but a group of teenagers out for revenge against their current overlord, who had killed their parents when their world had been defeated and occupied. Matthew was famous for his destruction of cameras, theft and modification of weaponry, and ability to hack a supercomputer inside of two minutes. Apparently his aim wasn't too shabby, and he was actually known for his kicking if anyone got too close for him to use a gun. Robin could see his usefulness, but doubted his morals.
He wouldn't worry about them now, though. He'd have his hands full with just the four that his team had already found. The reports indicated that all of them had above-average intelligence, so it shouldn't be that hard to work out the kinks in their abilities and get them to work as a team.
It'd been a long time since Robin was so dead wrong.
Author's Note: Sorry for the mini-biographies. I kept shortening and shortening them, and they still came out longer than I meant them too. I would rather have worked their stories into the plotline (kinda like I tried in those 'intro' chapters for each OC) and have the Titans gradually discover the stories piece by piece, but in all honesty I think that might make everything a little too complicated at this point. I needed Robin to learn at least the basics about all of them before he can attempt to train them, and this way was quickest and cleanest.