Author's Note: And here we are, the sister fic to ShadowMajin's The First Degree. It has been a hot minute since the last sole Teen Titans story, and I really wanted to get this one put out to the masses. It means I have nothing to do with The First Degree. So, for those who have not been keeping up with the overall story line, I recommend reading Trinity Crisis and Trinity Salvation. Every one's favorite group of teenaged superheroes got a chance to shine there and the fallout of that duology will have some implications for this story. Now, without further ado, enjoy.
Disclaimer: We do not own Teen Titans
The Greatest Threat
They all stood at attention, all in formation, awaiting the orders of their superior. They were the embodiment of soldiers, and everything from their armor to their weaponry, their straight postures to their gazes directed front and center, each and every one of them silent as they awaited the words of their superior.
Yellow and black colored them. The upper body was reinforced with yellow armor enveloping their torsos and shoulders, yellow gauntlets around the wrists and lower arms, and boots snuggly around their feet. Black covered everything else that was not yellow, including the upper arms and legs. Yellow helmets donned on each head, covering almost all of it save for the mouth area.
Black colored domes raised up from the helmets, denoting their eyes, and came in a refracting pattern akin to that of an insect. Two small extensions poked from the top of the helmets, resembling small antenna.
Each was identical to the soldier next to them, and vice versa. No one here stood out, with the exception of those off to a side. Those had privileges they did not, but what did that matter? They were here to serve, taking pride in the service to the cause they fought for, which led to a small symbol displayed prominently on the crest regions of their armor.
A black hexagon with a yellow, stylized H was front and center, proudly worn. This was the symbol of their organization, of their loyalty, and to whom they fought in whose name.
The room they stood in was expansive, lined with a pattern of hexagons that some might recognize as a honeycomb. Naturally, they were yellow, bright yellow, and reflecting any and all light shined upon them, thus warding away all shadow here.
A raised platform stood before them, seemingly growing out of the wall it was connected to. It was here where their superior stood, looking down on them as his position demanded.
Unlike these soldiers, this man was dressed much differently. For one, his colors were more on the blue end of the spectrum. Firmly pressed and professionally worn, the uniform was strictly military, and came with a half cape that draped over one shoulder. White gloves covered hands which peeked out from under the cape, which might be a blessing.
The man in uniform, the superior officer, was old. Behind his back, it was whispered in hushed tones that he was older than dirt itself. No one had any argument saying otherwise. Thin, old skin was leathery in appearance and stretched over the skull it covered. Sunken eyes gave no signs of being impressed yet never left the assembled soldiers. Shoulders were slightly hunched due to age demanding payment, and his back was slightly hunched no matter how hard he tried to remain straight.
They all knew him as the General. When addressing him, it was General Immortus, and no one forgot that.
Immortus threw out his arms, stretching them as far as they could go. "You are all the chosen," he declared, a slight rasp in his voice, "chosen from among the dregs of a corrupted society, chosen as the best there are. Each one of you is the best of the best, whether you are the strongest, the richest, the smartest, or simply the most superior. Every single one of you has earned their place among the H.I.V.E."
In spite of the rasp, Immortus' voice thundered throughout the room, projected to every corner. All listened intently, for his words were the honey in this hive, and they craved ever more.
"We are on the cusp of destiny, one that we will seize as is our right!" A gloved hand balled into a fist and jutted high up into the air, throwing much of the cape over an ancient shoulder. "This world is dying. It is a cruel and tragic fact, and there can be no saving it. That is why we exist, why H.I.V.E. exists. We are all of like mind and vision. We see the incoming catastrophe, and understand that while we cannot stop it, we will not allow it to destroy us!"
The arms lowered, and the cape slid back to cover much of the uniformed body. Immortus sharply looked over his army, searching for any uncertainty, i.e. weakness. None so far was found, but if it was to be found, then he would find it and correct it. Nothing less could be accepted.
"This catastrophe may take any form," the General continued, beginning to pace along the platform on which he stood, sliding his eyes over the assembled soldiers. "It matters not what that form will take, all that is certain is that the world will burn and civilization will burn with it. Resources are dwindling, that is fact. Inertia and polarization prevent all compromise and functionality. The very planet fights back with storms of unparalleled power and disease of insidiousness that can only be weathered, but never defeated. From the stars, life beyond our world attacks again and again and again, and we continue in this cycle not in perpetuity, but until the bullet in this game of Russian Roulette finally fires.
"Yet…we will survive, endure." His voice nearly hissed with the last word. "When the inevitable happens, those who survive will need guidance. Rule. And this is where H.I.V.E. shall provide. We will be the masters of the new world that will rise from the ashes of the old! We will be its masters, and with our superiority, we will shape mankind's future as we see fit, for we know what is best for it! We alone!"
The soldiers voiced their approval, releasing a loud roar that was far from a cheer, yet voiced all support for this declaration. Immortus allowed them this, for the pent-up energy as they were energized by his speech had to find some release.
"However, this will not be an easy endeavor. We will face adversity," Immortus stated, causing a hush to silence the soldiers. "There are those who would stand in our way, and they are more than capable. But as a demonstration of our superiority, we have managed to remain undiscovered, and uninvestigated by those who would oppose us. The Justice League, like Lady Justice herself, is blind to our activities. All governments in the world remain ignorant to us! This is what we intended!
"However, we have not been fully successful. As of late, we've had interlopers bumble their way into our enterprises." Rage at the very insult it represented was easily heard, and the soldiers felt it from within themselves. "Bumbling as they are, they have proven to be a threat to our ambitions! Our choices include remaining as we are, hidden and hoping that there will be no further interference. Or, we can do what is needful, and eliminate the threat before it has the chance to cause insurmountable damage to us.
"I have spoken with our Queen, and it has been decided. We will eliminate these interlopers!" The roar returned, louder than before. "We will ensure our superiority!" Another roar. "We will have an example to show to those who will oppose us when the world is ours what happens if they do not accept our rule! But do not underestimate them!"
These words prevented another roar of agreement. Immortus seemed to bend further as if seeking to move closer to them.
"While I call it bumbling, these interlopers have proven to be highly coordinated and possess strength that we must respect lest we make the same error as those who have come before. Mark my words, these interlopers who name themselves after the Titans of eld may be the greatest threat sans the impending apocalypse that the H.I.V.E has ever faced!"
"Dude, I wished it rained so much more often."
Four teenaged boys stared with glazed eyes as the marvelous sight before them. The sounds were…shall we say…invigorating. The visuals oh so arousing…in attention. It was difficult to take their attention away from…
It had rained last night. The thunder and the lightning made sure everyone knew about it. Morning came, as it always did, and Kori felt that today's combat lessons would continue. Geared up, they left the comfort of the Tower, and ventured outside. The grass was still soaked, and so was the soil. Their feet, booted or otherwise, squelched with the mud left behind by the rain.
Kori didn't seem to mind, though there was a mutter of how cold it was. Once they had reached the area that the Tamaranean had chosen for their normal lessons, she explained that they would be covering grappling again. A demonstration was needed first, and she had asked if Cassie would be willing to help with it.
The blonde in her red leotard and gold armor that currently only made up her gauntlets and upper arm bands agreed. And so the two gals who both happened to have enhanced strength grappled. But the ground they stood on was so muddy. One of them slipped, brought the other down, but the demonstration was far from over, and Cassie tended to get a little competitive.
So it had not stopped, and the two continued to struggle, and get…muddier. And wetter because there was still the rainwater that dampened the two girl's clothing. The grappling was more wrestling at this point, and four proud and obviously male teens could not and would not take their eyes off the…titillating sight.
Because their outfits were thin, or appeared thinner, and they were wet…and mud…and…and the morning chill felt way too warm.
"I feel funny," Bart said, eyes wide and hyper focused for once.
"That's how you know you're a man," Victor commented, and it might be a trick of the eyes, but the red lens of his cybernetic eye was extending out a little too far.
Tim gave a nod of his head, taking in how the muscles strained, bulging from exertion, and the fierceness of both of the grappling girls…and tried to ignore how a part of his uniform felt way too tight right now.
"So hot," Garfield said. Three other male heads that happened to be attached to shoulders nodded in agreement.
It was so tempting to pace, but Immortus had the control to remain standing in one place. His eyes scanned over his legion, always searching for any sign of weakness. "Every day their strength grows. Our foes adapt. Case in point, the very best we have, you know of them. The HIVE Five."
His attention was drawn to his right, where at the far edge, standing at full attention, were the H.I.V.E.'s metahuman contingent. Among them stood five individuals, each unique and without a doppelganger. They did not wear the uniform that the troops themselves wore. No, though young, they had earned the privilege of individuality, provided they continue to prove themselves.
The witch, Jinx. The goliath, Mammoth. The manipulator, Shimmer. The tech genius, Gizmo. The teleporter, Kyd Wykkyd. They were the finest, the best of those blessed with power that the majority of humanity would never know. They were all highly trained, both with their abilities, and in combat. Teamwork and cooperation, trusted and detachable, a well-oiled machine that was the envy of any division, that was what the HIVE Five had achieved.
Until…
"You know their power." Immortus turned back to the standing men and women. "You know of their accomplishments. Know this, our foes have managed to fell our glorious HIVE Five, and teach them the bitter lesson of defeat. To achieve that victory, it can only be explained by competence and tactical knowhow!"
The rec room was a mess, and for good reason.
"It has to be somewhere!" Bart cried out as he rapidly shook a couch cushion, throwing it aside as he took off to another area of the large room.
Examining the light fixtures, Kori looked down from where she hovered and reported, "I have not yet located it."
Sitting at the small bar, and doing her best to stay out of the way, Raven watched the proceedings with as much stoicism as she could. It wasn't easy as when Bart raced past her, the rush of his passage forced her hood off her head and exposed her pale skin to the manmade light.
Giving a sigh, the empath demanded more than asked, "You're making too much of a scene. Why don't you turn it on manually."
Bart came to a stop on the other side of the room, staring at her with wide eyes. "You can do that?"
It was such an effort not to sigh. "Every television, including this one, can be turned on with a button that is located on the device itself. Like everything else in this world."
The young speedster was directly in front of her now, easily crossing the distance between them in less than a second. "You're a wonder, you know that?" Bart exclaimed, doing a good impression of a puppy. A sickeningly sweet puppy. "Say, since you know so much, how do you change the channel?"
"I fear that when our television device was deactivated, it was left on a channel which is not the one we wish to peruse," the Tamaranean explained.
She could feel it. That was a headache right behind her eyes. She was losing braincells and she could feel each and every one of them dying in agony. Then her eyes glazed over, the genocide of neurons halting abruptly as Kori's question suddenly presented a conundrum.
How do you change the channel without the remote?
"To address this humiliation, the ranks of our metahuman allies have been expanded!" Immortus declared, throwing out his arms. "Our future has a place for those who possess power. Power that can be utilized for the benefit of our impending society. Let us not cast them aside out of fear or short sightedness. Let us welcome them with open arms and provide camaraderie for the struggles ahead!"
Again, his attention was drawn back to that far side, and this time he skimmed over the small force of young metahumans the H.I.V.E. had managed to appropriate and indoctrinate. It was simply ludicrous to limit oneself to a single team of five. Why not have five teams of five? Ten? A whole division?
It was fate, truly it was. That a new generation of humanity was providing such unique individuals meant there was an opportunity. They could not ignore how the world was changing, and so instead of resistance, embrace.
However, to recruit an adult, with their preconceived ideals and notions would take time to reeducate. The young, impressionable and malleable, could be molded and indoctrinated instead with fewer issues and nigh near obedience. The only problem was ensuring that they were educated with the skills to adapt and improvise during combat scenarios. They would need critical thinking skills.
Fortunately, they had found a solution to those who's arrogance was stronger than their loyalty.
Now, they were amassing their metahuman contingent. There was an emphasis for quality, however, that did not mean there wasn't active recruitment. Not all were up to H.I.V.E. standards, and for those who were inferior, they would serve them by enriching the coffers. To the one who offered the best price or any interest, these inferior specimen were sold off, their sacrifice strengthening them no matter the cost.
"We are all our Queen's servants, and in her name do we fight. For those who stand against us, it does not matter what their power is, they will be dealt with, but mistake not that they will seek us out in all due course. Their tactical skills and guile cannot be underestimated."
With their physical education done, Tim had taken to working on a small project. Nothing too big. Just a little upgrade of the arsenal. Sure, he could have made a custom order, but he had figured it was high time to really know his way around these birdarangs.
Yeah, he was no longer groaning at the name. Not as catchy as batarang, but really, after all these years, what did?
So far, he had the normal ones, aim, throw, watch somebody get hit. Then there were the explosive ones, at least two different types where one let out a weak detonation, more for scaring than anything. The other type had a boom to it. There was no real need to aim as long as it was the general vicinity of the target.
So now here was a third kind. One that could utilize electricity so that even if caught, the follow up would be shocking indeed, and yes, feel free to boo at that one. He had consulted with Victor, got some blueprints drawn up, borrow some tech from the resident cyborg, and insisted on being the one to make it.
It wasn't easy, so a lot of crash courses in engineering were needed, with a specialty in circuitry. Sure, the plan for this was to be a long-range taser without the wires, but there were a number of situations that could crop up where it would be useful to have another source of electricity.
His fingers jerked back from the abrupt spark. It stung more than anything, and had happened way too many times for his comfort. Yeah, he was wearing protective gloves and all, so mainly it was in his head, the stinging. Either that, or these were a crap pair of gloves. Stilling his nerves, he went back to work.
The small soldering tool was welding the tiny parts together, and sometimes that meant they reacted with one another. He just had to be careful was all. Just keep being careful and—
"That doesn't look anything like school work," Cassie cut into and through his concentration, slapping down a hand on his workbench.
There had been a little force in that slap, and it jostled the soldering tool, and the unexpected greeting had Tim jerking. Combined together, it had him stabbing the tool in his hand, and that caused a…reaction.
Electricity sputtered, bolts lancing out and everywhere. Before he had time to process anything, his chair was dragged back and another body shielded him. Gold colored armor filled his vision until the sounds of crackling died away. With his heart hammering in his chest, he slowly pulled away from the now armor-covered body to look around and at the workbench. Then he looked up to the pair of blue eyes looking down from above.
"You okay?" he asked, his voice almost rasping.
Cassie looked over her shoulder, as if to gauge if there was any damage to her back. "Didn't feel anything. Guess the armor's electricity proof."
Now they began withdrawing from one another, looking at the prototype birdarang with the same regard one would give a poisonous snake. Both gave a flinch as a spark spat out, small, thin tendrils of smoke rising into the air.
"So, is that suppose to be normal?" Cassie asked mildly.
"Not exactly," Tim admitted, wincing as another pop escaped the failed device.
"Resources are not a problem. The H.I.V.E. is bountiful in that. Alas, so do our enemies. Suckling at the teat that is the Justice League, they have armed themselves, and provided for their needs. A battle of resources is not how we shall destroy them."
There was a temptation to smirk, but Immortus had more control. Strategies and tactics had been considered, the one course of action that involved unleashing all of their might was already vetoed. That meant exposure, and that outcome was unacceptable. That was a shame; it had been a long time since he had last commanded troops in the field. However, he understood the necessity.
"Everyone here has a role to play, no matter how minor. Each and every role is important. Do not despair or begrudge. Every task you complete brings us one step closer to our inevitable victory, but such victory requires dedication, obedience, and labor. Our enemies are no different in that regard."
Tilting his head back, the ancient general gazed not into the space above his soldiers' heads, but into time itself. So many campaigns, glories long lost and forgotten, adversaries both worthy and unworthy…
Though his voice continued to project, it softened in its tone. "Our resolve must be absolute. We cannot doubt our cause for a moment. A moment of weakness can topple even the greatest of empires. I have seen it happen before, countless times. From my experience, I shall grant a roadmap to avoid such pitfalls. You shall benefit, and carry forth to form a world in our image, the perfect world.
"So you cannot underestimate your enemies. Ignorance may blind them, but blind persistence may yet save them. Consider them more dangerous than any foe you have encountered, for the truth is they are."
"I know Cyborg took it back with him to his room," Garfield declared as he led Terra to the cybernetic teen's room. "He keeps forgetting to give it back, but not anymore!"
"You're not planning to barge in there, are you?" Terra asked warily, regarding the green shapeshifter cautiously. "You remember what happened when you did that to Warblade, right?"
"But Cy's not that prick, and he isn't going to try and kill me. Yell maybe, but not kill," Garfield dismissed, coming to a stop in front of the correct door.
It looked so solid, almost like wood, but that was for decoration. No, this baby was made of metal so as to better lock away the techno junk kept in there. Because Cyborg was a cyborg, a normal, regular bed was just not in the cards for him. He had a lot of technology, you know, and as they all recently learned, it needed to be maintained through regular maintenance and dia—dial—di…a d word that ended with sis, but was also an important word. This way, Cy could be in tip top shape as well as get rid of any nasty virus that might have been downloaded over the internet.
You know, as you do.
So this room needed a lot more reinforcement and all that to keep that sweet, sweet tech from getting broken or stolen and anything else. Because Cy would also be vulnerable as he was doing his maintenance thing too, so he needed to be protected.
But emergencies were a thing too, and sometimes Cy could be a heavy sleeper. Personal experience, though he had been that close with the marker when his best friend happened to wake up that one time. Anyway, Gar did a quick look to his left, then his right, then to Terra who he gave a wink to.
Reaching to a small area in the wall right next to the door, Garfield slid open the disguised panel and revealed the hidden keypad beneath it. To be used only in an emergency; if getting his music player back wasn't an emergency, he didn't know what was.
The shapeshifter huddled in front of the keypad, blocking it from sight, mostly Terra's. "You're not going to let me see?" the blonde asked from behind him.
"It's so you have pla…p…pa…it's so you can be innocent and people will believe you," Garfield explained, already frustrated that he couldn't say the words even though he knew them and practiced them in front of a mirror. Stabbing a finger and inputting the correct code, the door to Cyborg's room opened and Garfield nearly threw himself into the doorway eagerly.
And then he came to a sudden stop.
Cy was in his room. Cy was singing alone in his room. Cy was also doing some dance moves while he was singing alone in his room. All of that wouldn't be shocking, but it was…the song…
"Baby, baby, baby ooooh," Cyborg crooned out the lyrics to Justin Bieber's Baby. "Baby, baby, baby, oooooooh!"
Two pairs of jaws dropped open as the chorus was ran through, and the second verse began. You could also hear the actual song itself playing in the background, and quite frankly, Cyborg had a nice singing voice. But…why Bieber?
Maybe they stood there too long, because just as he was about to launch into the second chorus, Cyborg spotted the two standing in the doorway, and the singing stopped abruptly. His human eye was wide open, then he threw out an arm, his hand held out and fingers spread out as if to block the sight of him.
"Don't look at me!" the cyborg cried out.
"Know their names. Know them as the Teen Titans," Immortus declared, snarling as he spat the team name out. "They are the enemy. Strategic, resourceful, and dangerous, they have already interfered too many times with our goals. Hereby, I declare war on these menaces, and nothing less than their utter annihilation will be acceptable!"
The soldiers roared their approval, deafeningly so, and finally Immortus allowed a thin smile to grace his ancient face.
Yes, the H.I.V.E. was going to war.