A/N: I don't own the original Teen Titans or Nightstar. Enjoy the story!
Teen Titans: The Second Generation
Chapter Three: Ladies and Gentlemen, Hallie Kazam!
Summer seemed to be crawling its way as the new heroes adjusted to their new daily routine. Every weekday, the six friends would go to school, walk home together, and work on homework. Once they finished their homework, the five heroes would train at Titans Tower for an hour before they would return home for the night. During the weekend, they would finish any homework they had left, train, and patrol the city to search for the HIVE before returning to their homes.
"You'd think they'd lighten up on the homework as we get closer to summer," said Azara one Friday as they walked home. "Kind of like how they go easy on us when we first start in the fall."
"They want to make us suffer as long as possible," said Valkin in a monotone.
"At least we don't have summer school," said Vanessa. She shivered at the thought.
The six teenagers headed to the Grayson home to do their homework. Once they finished, the new Titans went to the Tower, changed into their uniforms, and went on patrol. Burrower had found a small boulder that he could use to ride while the team patrolled the city. The team split up to search for the HIVE students and their new hide out.
As Burrower went about his patrol, he noticed a teenaged girl performing magic on the sidewalk. She had medium-length blue hair, a white suit and bow tie with a red shirt underneath, a red skirt, white pumps, a white top hat with a red band, and a red mask that covered her eyes. The girl had a backpack behind her and a small table in front of her with a jar that said "Tips". Burrower pulled out his communicator to talk to his teammates.
"Hey, there's a teenaged girl doing magic on the sidewalk. I'm going to keep my eye on her," Burrower informed them.
"What kind of magic," Falcon askd. "Pentagrams, human sacrifices, card tricks, what?"
"Mostly the last one," Burrower admitted. "But... she might be doing them without a permit?"
"He thinks she's cute," Beast Girl explained, matter-of-factly.
"Call us if anything happens," Nightstar told him. "Like any ACTUAL crime."
Burrower stood on the rooftop as he watched the girl perform. She took her top hat and showed everyone that it was empty, then she set it on the table and tapped it with her wand before she reached inside and pulled out a rabbit. The people applauded as she put the rabbit back in the hat. "Hocus Pocus!" she tapped her hat with her wand again and a hundred doves flew out. The people cheered and placed some change into the jar. All of a sudden, a police car rolled up and parked next to the sidewalk. A police officer got out of the car and approached the girl.
"Uh oh, looks like trouble," Burrower said as he used his bolder to lower himself to the ground.
"Excuse me, miss, you're going to need to leave. No busking on this sidewalk." the officer told her, then sighed as she looked at him in confusion. "It means street performing."
The girl became concerned. "But I see people play instruments for money all the time."
"That's before they get caught," the officer informed her. Before he could say another word, Burrower stepped in front of him.
"Hi there! Burrower of the Teen Titan, nice to meet ya. My team and I are currently running an investigation looking for a group called the HIVE."
"Never heard of them," said the officer. His face clearly showed that he didn't want a teenaged super hero getting involved with police business.
"Listen, Officer..." Burrower began before he looked at the police man's name tag, "MacKenzie. Why don't you let me handle this and I'll make sure she doesn't do this again." The officer shook his head as he returned to his car. Burrower turned the the people who had been watching the magic show. "All right, people, move along. Show's over. Nothing to see here." The people groaned and muttered as they walked away.
When Burrower turned to the girl, she still looked nervous as if she was expecting to be arrested. "So, what are you going to do?" she asked.
"Just gotta ask you some questions," said Burrower. "Do you know anything about the HIVE?"
"I know they tried to attack the mayor a few weeks ago and they were enemies of the original Titans," the girl replied.
"What's your name?" Burrower asked.
"Hallie Kazam," she replied. "That's my stage name, anyway."
"How long have you been performing magic for the public?" Burrower asked.
"Roughly a year," said Hallie Kazam with a shrug.
"So why are you performing magic on the sidewalk?" he asked.
"I thought you'd never ask," Hallie replied. Burrower's eyes widened with confusion. "I want to be a Teen Titan."
Burrower raised an eyebrow. "Really? Why...?" he started to ask her why she thought that doing street magic for tips would ever get her into the Teen Titans, but then he noticed the cute way her nose crinkled when she smiled and he had to shake his head to gather his thoughts. "Uh, why do you want to join the Titans?"
"Do you know about the Amazing Mumbo?" Hallie asked.
"The crazy, blue-skinned magician who fought the first Teen Titans and died in prison?" Burrower asked.
Hallie didn't look too happy at how he described his recollection of the deceased villain. "He was my grandfather."
Burrower pulled out his communicator to contact his teammates. "Guys, meet me on the rooftop at the corner of Walch and Menville." He helped Hallie pack up her equipment and offered her his hand to help her onto the boulder. "Hold on, we're going up." Hallie wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and he let out a cough. He slowly levitated the boulder up to the roof of a nearby building. "I take it you're not a fan of heights," Burrower commented as they got to the top.
Hallie had her eyes shut tight as she shook her head no. "Nope!"
When they landed on the rooftop, Burrower turned to Hallie. "We're here. You can let go now."
Hallie blushed as she let go. "Sorry."
A few minutes later the rest of the Titans joined Burrower and Hallie on the rooftop. "Guys, this is Hallie Kazam. She says she's Mumbo's granddaughter and she wants to be a Teen Titan. Hallie, this is Nightstar, Falcon, Channeler, and my sister Beast Girl."
Hallie smiled timidly as she waved hello. "Nice to meet you guys."
Nightstar was the first to approach her. "So, you're Mumbo's granddaughter?" Hallie nodded in reply. "Why would you want to become a Titan?"
"Everybody, even my parents, say Mumbo was just a crazy man obsessed with getting rich," Hallie explained. "But that's not what he was like at first."
"How do you know that?" Nightstar asked.
"Ever since I was little, my family would visit my grandpa in jail. My grandma wanted us to have some kind of relationship with him. Whenever we would visit, he would always show me a magic trick and it helped us create a bond. After he died, he left me his hat and wand. My parents didn't want me to become a criminal like him, so they threw the hat and wand in the trash. After they went to bed, I dug them out and for the next two weeks I tried to get them to work. When I finally did, I found his diary inside."
"Ooh! What did it say?" Channeler asked excitedly. She sat on Burrower's bolder like a child about to be read a story.
"He loved magic ever since he was a kid," Hallie continued, "but he could never get enough support or make enough money to make it a career. He ended up having to take jobs he didn't want so he could support his family. At first, when he found the hat and wand, he tried to make extra money doing what he loved, but it was never enough. Eventually, he started committing crimes to the point my grandma divorced him and my mom changed her last name to my grandma's maiden name. I don't want people to just remember my grandpa for being a crazy magician. I want people to know my grandpa wasn't all bad and that his descendants won't follow in his footsteps."
The Titans looked at each other and huddled in a circle as they whispered amongst themselves. When they finished talking, Nightstar pulled out her communicator. "Hey, Dad, could you come visit the Tower after work? We have a new recruit."
"Sure thing, sweetie," said Richard.
Great! See you then!" She turned to the others. "Let's head to the Tower."
"Do we have to fly?" Hallie asked nervously.
"Hey, don't worry!" exclaimed Channeler as Beast Girl turned into a pterodactyl. "Flying is fun!" She hopped onto the changeling's back and looked at Hallie, waiting for her to climb on.
"Don't worry," said Burrower with a reassuring smile. "It'll be okay." He offered her his hand and she jumped onto his bolder.
They made their way to Titan's Tower and landed on the shore as Hallie stared in amazement at the building.
"So, do you have any combat experience?" Nightstar asked. This broke Hallie's gaze on the tower.
"Well, I've been taking martial arts classes every summer for the past three years," said Hallie.
Nightstar nodded in approval. "That's a good start. We're going to have you train for a few weeks before we have you come along on a mission.
"So does this mean I'm a Titan?" Hallie asked.
"Not yet," said Nightstar. "First you have to meet my dad."
A few hours later Nightwing arrived at the Tower. "You must be the new recruit." he said to Hallie.
"Y-yes, sir," said Hallie nervously.
"Follow me, please." Nightwing replied.
Hallie looked back at the team and they nodded, signaling that it was okay. Nightwing led her down the hall to the interrogation room. He had her sit in a chair and hooked her up to a lie detector machine.
"What's this for?" Hallie asked nervously.
"Just taking precautionary action," replied Nightwing. He turned on the machine and turned on a computer where he pulled up all his information on Mumbo and his known connections as well as other information. "I'm going to ask you some questions. First, state your full name for me, please?"
"Hallie Woodrow," she replied. Nightwing nodded.
"Please list all living relatives," said Nightwing, "both by blood and by marriage."
"My mom Bethany, my dad Patrick, my brother Adam, my grandma Annette, and..." she let out a discouraged sigh. "Mother Mae-Eye, my grandpa's second wife."
Nightwing nodded, "When was the last time you saw your grandfather?"
"A little less than two years ago," Hallie replied. "Before he died."
"And how often did you see your grandfather?" Nightwing asked.
"Twice a month," Hallie said.
"What would you talk about?" asked Nightwing.
"Mostly about how school was going," said Hallie.
"Did you ever speak to Mother Mae-Eye?" he asked.
Hallie wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Of course not! She terrified me as a kid. Mom didn't want us talking to her."
"Did you talk about anything else with your grandfather?" Nightwing asked.
Hallie shrugged. "He showed me magic tricks. My parents didn't like it, but they saw it made me happy."
"Did he ever ask you to break him out? To perform magic for him?" he asked.
"No! Yeah, he'd ask my mom to bail him out, but she would always remind him he was in there because of his crimes and for breaking out repeatedly."
"Did you ever want to break your grandfather out?" Nightwing asked.
"No... but he didn't have to die alone in his cell," said Hallie. She shifted in her seat.
"So you did want to break him out," said Nightwing.
"No! I just wish they could have called us when his health got worse. That he was dying," said Hallie on the verge of tears. "He was my grandfather. He committed crimes, but-"
"He was a criminal. People will suspect the same of you," said Nightwing.
"Well, they're wrong! You're wrong!" exclaimed Hallie. "I'm not evil! You're treating me like I'm already a criminal, but I'm not like him! I'll NEVER be like him! And if that's all you came here to say-"
Nightwing stood up. "Congratulations, you're a Teen Titan." he said.
Hallie stared back at him. "Are- are you serious?"
"Absolutely," said Nightwing. He took the attachments from the lie detector test off Hallie and put a hand on her shoulder. "Your grandfather made mistakes. You can't redeem him from that. It's all in the past. But you can show the city that good can come from the bad." He handed her a Titans communicator.
Hallie took in her hands, hugged Nightwing, and ran to her new teammates.
"I'm a Teen Titan!" Hallie exclaimed.
Burrower picked her up and spun her around. "I knew you'd pass!" he exclaimed. When he stopped spinning her, the two blushed.
"Boo-ya! Let's party!" exclaimed Channeler as she grabbed Burrower and Hallie and pulled them into a hug.
"Take it easy, Channeler, we still have homework to do," said Nightstar. Nightwing smirked as he walked into the room.
"Awwww! But we have all weekend to do it," Channeler whined.
"Better get it all done tonight so you can get your new teammate aquatinted with the Titan routine," said Nightwing. With that, he left the Tower.
Suddenly, Hallie's smile disappeared. "I never told my parents that I use magic. How would I explain all of this to them?"
Burrower placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll go with you."
"Might I make a suggestion?" said Falcon as he leaned in. "Two teenagers dressed in costumes shouldn't walk around a neighborhood unless it's Halloween."
"Who says we need to walk?" asked Burrower as he gave Falcon a smirk. Falcon let out a groan.
The teens teleported to Hallie's home where Falcon stayed hidden while Hallie and Burrower went into the house. Her family was sitting on the couch watching television.
"Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad. Hey, Grandma. This is Burrower." said Hallie. Her parents turned off the television and got up to shake Burrower's hand. They seemed confused as to why a Teen Titan was with their daughter and why she was dressed like a stage performer. "There's something I need to tell you." They sat down and she told them how she had been learning magic since her grandfather passed away and how she was given the chance to be a Teen Titan. Her parents were less than happy.
"I can't believe you've been using magic behind our backs," her mother said in a disappointed tone. "What if you got hurt? What if you had gotten arrested? Do you want to end up like your grandfather?"
The accusation brought Hallie to tears. "No. I just... I wanted to be a Teen Titan. I wanted to make up for what Grandpa did."
"You can't make up for your grandfather's actions," said her father. "It's not your responsibility to fix his mistakes. He chose to become a criminal. Besides, being a Teen Titan isn't exactly the safest occupation. The Titans didn't just fight your grandfather, they fought super powered monsters and dangerous criminals. More dangerous than your grandfather. We don't want you to get hurt. And what about your family? And school?"
"We can set her up with the system we have," Burrower assured them. "We go to school every day and train when we finish our homework. And we look after each other." He looked at Hallie and smiled. She smiled back and blushed slightly.
Suddenly, Hallie's grandmother placed her hand over Hallie's. "Is this really what you want to do, sweetie?"
"Hallie nodded. "More than anything."
Her grandmother gripped her hand tightly despite her old age. "Promise me you'll do good for the people. Promise me you won't let the magic consume you."
"I promise," Hallie assured her with a nod.
"Mother?!" Hallie's mom exclaimed in shock.
"It's all right, dear," Hallie's grandmother replied. She looked back at Hallie. "Go. Make us proud." With that, Hallie walked out the door with Burrower and Falcon returned them to the Tower.
In the days to follow, Hallie began to train with the Titans after school and during the weekend. Though her parents were less than thrilled about the idea, the other Titans saw improvement and encouraged Hallie to not let her family's negativity bring her down.
One night after Hallie and Burrower finished their homework, Burrower turned to her. "We have a surprise for you."
"Really?" Hallie asked.
Burrower nodded and led her down the halls. They walked to a room where Burrower opened the door. The room was dark and appeared unoccupied from the light in the hallway.
Hallie raised an eyebrow and turned to Burrower. "What is this?" she asked.
"This is your room," replied Burrower. He went in and turned on the light switch to reveal a furnished room with the rest of the Titans standing in the center.
"Surprise!" they shouted in unison.
In the room, the bed was on a set of stairs with red curtains above the head. There was a dresser near the bed that looked like a dressing room dresser with pictures the Titans had taken over the past few days stuck into the frame of the mirror. All the walls were painted to make it look as though there was a stage, an audience, and a dressing room. The only thing unrelated to the theater theme was a couch and a coffee table in the middle of the room. The other Titans all stood to the side with smiles on their faces. Even Falcon smiled.
"W-what is this?" Hallie asked as she took in the view.
"It's your room, silly!" exclaimed Channeler with a wide smile. "So, do you like it? Do you like it? Do you like it? Do you like it? Do you like it? Do-" Falcon covered her mouth with his hand.
"I… I love it," replied Hallie with tears in her eyes. "Thank you so much!"
"Boo-ya! She likes it! She likes it! She likes it! She likes it!" exclaimed Channeler.
"I thought you had your hand over her mouth," said Beast Girl as she watched Channeler bounce around the room and out into the hall.
"I did," Falcon grumbled, looking at his hand. "She licked it… repeatedly. Now comes the part of the evening with the hot water and disinfectant."
"We'll let you have a moment to take it all in," said Nightstar. The Titans left the room except for Burrower.
"So, are you happy?" Burrower asked.
"Yes," Hallie replied, allowing tears to fall down her face. Burrower grabbed a tissue and handed it to her. "Thanks," she said as she wiped her eyes.
Burrower blushed as he looked down at the floor before he looked at Hallie. "So... um... want to go see a movie sometime? With me?"
Hallie smiled and blushed at the offer. "I'd love to."
The two teens looked at each other before they both leaned in and kissed each other. Little did they know a green cockroach was watching them and went under the door before they had a chance to notice.
"And we have lip contact," said Beast Girl as she morphed back to her human form. She turned to her teammates with a smirk. "You guys owe me a veggie pizza."
Nightstar rolled her eyes. "I'll make the call."
"Can we get pepperoni and pineapple too?" asked Channeler. Beast Girl gagged at the idea.
"Did you hear something?" Hallie asked.
"Yes. My sister," said Burrower with an annoyed frown. "But hey, we're getting pizza."
To be continued…
A/N: Special thanks to Brother Bludgeon for helping me with this story. I hope you all like it so far!