The ringing of the alarm clock woke Starfire up. She gasped "The day has arrived." She quickly got up from her bed, prepared herself, went to her draws and pull out many strange items. She chuckled as she walked down the corridors, the jewellery in her arms jangling.
The doors to the living room opened for her as she shouted "Happy Blorthog!" she opened her eye and her wide smiled dimmed.
In the common room Beast Boy and Cyborg messed about with a racing video game, arguing about who could use the controller, Raven read one of her books, Robin leaned on the kitchen counted as he looked at a stereo blasting out music, and Rorschach, the closest to Starfire sat in a corner polishing his shoes.
The Tamaranean walked closer to her friends and replace her smile "Friends! We must frolic and leap in glorious celebration, for today is Blorthog, the Tamaranean festival of friendship!"
"I'm sorry Starfire," Rorschach said putting down the rag he used for polishing before cupping his ear "did you say something? I've got earplugs in because of racket going on, I'm only in here because the light's better for when I polish my toecaps.", Starfire smile walked over and put her things on the table beside the Techno-mage and pulled out one of the necklaces "Joyous greeting, friend! I, Starfire, give you this tinnabula as a symbol of our happiness as friends." She put it around his neck "Many blessings, friend."
"Well thanks Starfire, you a good friend to me and to the others, let's hope it…"
"Beast Boy!" Cyborg shouted drawing the two's attention, before the changeling yelled back "Look! I'll give you back the controller as soon as Raven gives back my nail clippers!"
"Not going to happen." The blue witch said, the aforementioned clipper floated beside her "How else am I supposed to keep your toenails off the coffee table? Robin, could the music be a little louder? I can still hear myself think."
"I only turned the music up to drown out all the yelling."
"Headphones Robin," Rorschach called over chuckling as he placed his shoe back on his foot "that's what you need.", the Boy Wonder ignored that comment and proceeded to yell at the changeling and the technical jock "Knock it off! I can't work with you two acting like idiots!"
"Great, Robin." Raven said "More yelling will definitely stop all the yelling."
Rorschach snorted as Starfire stared at her friend her expression lowered moment by moment, Rorschach glanced over and nodded "Yes I know, this is the most anarchic I seen the others so far."
Cyborg tripped as he avoided Beast Boy with the controller in his hand. He fell straight onto the objects Starfire had entered with causing one of the tinnabulas to fall to pieces. The Tamaranean's emotions welled up and she screamed at the top of her voice for them to stop.
Everyone looked at her, Rorschach held his ear in pain. Starfire spoke "Friends must never behave this way, and especially not on Blorthog! Do you wish to invite the Rekmas?"
Beast Boy tilted his head before saying "Gesundheit?"
Starfire turn around her head low and her eyes closed "On my world, Rekmas means "The Drifting." The point at which close friends begin to drift apart, and their friendship begins to die.", the other all assured her that the Rekmas would not happened, saying their actions met that of typical Earth roommate behaviour, though Joshua remained silent in thought, Robin tried to be the most reassuring "We're not going to drift apart, Star. I promise. We'll all be friends forever."
"Forever?" Starfire asked.
A beeping went off and Robin took out his communicator, it flashed red "Titans trouble.", everyone but Starfire and Rorschach ran to the corridor. The Techno-mage took of his tinnabula and looked at Starfire "I don't want it to get damaged."
"You must keep it on you throughout Blorthog.", he nodded and pocketed the necklace, Starfire sighed and the two went off to catch the other.
In the museum's horological wing a portal opened and a man in golden armour step fought from it and walked towards an exhibit before smirking.
"Hey stop." Called a guard as he and another pointed their weapons, the man in golden armour stared unimpressed "Stop yourselves." He said waving his hand at them a ripple effect passed through the air and in moments the two became encased in ice. The thief turned back to the exhibit as he spoke "I didn't journey back in time one hundred years to squabble, I came to steal, the Clock of Eternity said to never rundown and never need winding, valuable in the past, priceless in the future." As he reached to take it a disc flew into his hands and knocked him back a bit.
"But for the present," Robin said as he and the other Titans stood on the balcony "you'll keep your filthy hands off it."
"The Teen Titans," the villain said his eye widened and he grinned "this is a treat, I've read all about you in the historical archive, and now your all history." Guns arose from the shoulders of his armour and he fired laser shots. The Titans jumped out the way as Robin called out "Titans Go!"
Robin landed, pull out his staff and began to deflect the shot, but the concentrated energy caused it to snap in half.
Starfire flew towards him firing a constant beam of Starbolt energy at the floor as Beasty Boy as a lion charge along beside her. The golden thief simply deflected the Starbolt back at Starfire knocking her down. He heard a roar as the green lion pounced, he held his hand up, a new device telescoping out of the back and a massive electrical charge stunned the changeling.
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." Called Raven as she lifted two objects and sent them to the enemy, however he cast them back before firing a new energy attack from his forehead and taking the blue witch down.
Cyborg took a shot with his cannon, "Boo-yah." The smoke cleared showing the thief in a force-field, who then threw an object at Cyborg. It latched onto his chest and sparked "Draining my power cell!"
"You cannot defeat Warp." The villain said, giving a name to himself. Rorschach snuck up behind him 'If I can get close enough I possess his suit.', but Warp phased through the floor, then appeared behind Rorschach and fired a shot sending the Techno-mage flying far forward, "I am from the future." A throwing disc appeared in his hand and he threw it.
Robin charged toward Warp and threw three more of his own discs, however the golden thief's disc ploughed through the Boy Wonder's one. Robin and Starfire jumped out the way as the disc passed them, before exploding.
Warp finished his monologue "And your relics are one hundred years out of date." He walked to the Clock of Eternity and took it, before pressing the circular button on his chest plate and opened new portal before looking back smugly "Ta-ta, Titans. I have enjoyed our time together, but I've got a very bright future ahead of me."
Starfire roared as her eyes glowed green and she flew fast knocking Warp into the portal, which closed taking her with it.
Robin follow closely, but not close enough to enter the portal, he rolled over and looked back at the empty space "Starfire!"
The Tamaranean and the thief from the future struggled as they flew through a time vortex.
"Let go!" Warp demanded. That did not phase Starfire "You have endangered my friends and ruined Blorthog!"
"Stop, if you damage my Chrono-suit before we reach my future…" Starfire reached for the button on the chest plate, which Warp protested "No!" he said as she pulled it off. Sparks flew, the two separated and the vortex disappeared.
Starfire found herself falling. With a thud she landed in something soft, cold and wet. She got up and shivered in the snowbank in the middle of the night 'What has happened? Why is it cold, and where are my…" she glanced up, and gasped, in front of her stood Titan's Tower, no light on and abandoned, "friends?" she stood up, still gripping the button thing she took from Warp, so she put it on her skirt belt.
She climbed up the stairs as the lift did not work, she called out for any of the Titans. She walked up to the doors to the living room and unsurprised at this point that it didn't open automatically she put her hand in the small gap and push the doors aside.
She walked inside, the room dark with only the city lights illuminating the room, and a massive opening in the window with a crack almost reaching the frame. Her foot hit some and a jangling noise echoed, looked down. The pieces of broken tinnabula still cluttered the floor, she picked up a stray piece, which cracked in her hands.
A sound caught her attention she turned and saw a red light in the shadows "Cyborg?" she brought up a Starbolt for light as she continued "Oh, Cyborg, thank goodness you are…" she gasped an insect like robot sat on an old computer console, Starfire blasted it and a few more emerged, she continued blasting them until a voice called out "Yo!" a figure stood in the doorway "Who's here blasting my…" he stepped into the light revealing Cyborg, although with age lines on his face and sloughed forward almost hunchback, his circuits no longer shone, where once a blue glow emanated, now nothing but dull and greyness. He held a pipe in his hand ready to attack. He stopped and blinked "Star?" he dropped the pipe and descended to stairs "Starfire? I don't believe it; you haven't aged a day."
"Cyborg," she cupped his face "what has happened? Why, are, you…"
"Old?" he sighed but a weak smile crossed his face "Well, that's what happens to folks when you go away for twenty years." Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped "Twenty years?!"
"You disappeared Star." The mechanical jock said as he moved some stuff out of his path "That battle with Warp. That was a long time ago. You fell through a wormhole, and…" he looked to the snow covered city, with building Starfire failed to recognise "Welcome to the future."
"The future? But," she took the Warp's device from her belt "I damaged his technology." Cyborg took it and looked at it "Warp was planning to jump ahead one hundred years right? Looks like you stopped him at twenty." She took the device back "Still, I am confused. Please, why are you in disrepair?"
"Let's just say things haven't gone so well since you left." He turned around and walked away from her.
"But what of the other Titans? Where are our friends?"
"The Titans are history, Star. Your friends aren't friends anymore."
"No," she took a step back "you are wrong, this, everything is wrong, how could such terrible things… Warp, his interference in the past must have changed our future."
"Star I don't think…"
"He caused all this badness to happen. He made this technology, and he is the one who can make things right!" she flew in closer to him "We must find Warp. You will help me?"
"I wish I could." Cyborg looked to his right at a piece of equipment that resembled a gasoline generator, cables went from it to him "My last power cell burned out years ago. I've tried adapting this new stuff to my old circuits, but, I can't leave the Tower, Star. I'm obsolete." He sighed and look to the window "Maybe one of the other can help, I can tell you how to find BB, Raven and Rorschach."
"And Robin?"
"We lost touch a long time ago. If you're looking for him, you're on your own."
Cyborg gave her the location of the three known remaining Titans before looking away from her. Star hugged her friend from behind "Thank you Cyborg." Then she took off through the hole in the window.
Starfire landed at the first location, a carnival downtown. She walked to one cage and gasped.
Inside a green seal balance, a ball as two kids with spikes stuck on their heads watched. The bounced the ball, the seal changed into a frog and caught it, bounced the ball up and turned into a panda, caught and balanced it, then morphed into a pig.
A snowball knocked the animal over as the kids laughed "You stink pig." One yelled as they began throwing more snowballs at it before walking away pleased.
The pig shook the snow off its head and glanced up as Starfire approached, its eyes widened and transformed into Beast Boy. An overweight and hairless Beast Boy "No way!" he got closer to the bars "It's you, but how?"
"I require your help."
"What kind of help?"
"The future is not as it should be, we must find Warp." She backed up and charged her Starbolts "I will free you from this…"
"This cage isn't to keep me in! It's to keep those maniacs out! Look. After the Titans broke up, I tried the whole solo hero thing. Got my butt kicked, a lot. So now, well," he changed into a chicken and then back before given a weak chuckle "Besides, I'm in the showbiz now." Starfire tilted and lowered her head, her eyes soften before she sighed and walked away glancing up to the nearby sig with, the words 'The Amazing One Man Zoo, Freakish Wonder.'
Starfire decide to go to the nearest next address Cyborg told her, to her friend Raven.
She found an apartment building, abandoned and just waiting to be knock down or eventually fall apart 'This city was once bright and thriving with the happy talking of its people, how could it become like this?' she reached the top of the stair and walked to the end of the balcony to the last door, the light flickered as she opened it.
The white light of the featureless room shone out, so bright the figure in the white cloak almost blended in, Starfire smiled "Raven? Raven it is Starfire, your friend."
"No such thing." Came the slow response is the Tamaranean walked closer, the white witch's head hung low, but Starfire continued "Please Raven I…"
"Just another figment, don't even look." She seemed to talk to herself.
"You must listen; I am here because…"
"I'm never coming back." She said with a raised tone "Go away!" and she retreated further into a corner before speaking again in the sad calm voice "It has to go away. Just like before. Just like all the others."
"Your mind," Starfire stepped closer and reached out to touch Raven's shoulder "without friends you must have…" a black shield appeared before the witch's back make Starfire flinch back, before she closed her eyes, lowered her head and walked away and shut the door on Raven's little world of self-imprisonment.
The Tamaranean girl walked down the snow covered road she headed to the last address Cyborg told her, Rorschach.
A blast fired and knocked her back.
"What's the matter, dear?" called a familiar voice, Starfire looked up and saw Warp "Have I come at a bad time?" he fired his shoulder mounted guns rapidly. Starfire took to the air and shot a couple of Starbolts, but the future thief's force-field proved stronger. The golden villain wave his hand and Starfire instantly became encased in ice and fell to the ground.
Warp jumped down to where Starfire laid in the snow. Her eyes still glowed as she got up and look closer at Warp "You have also grown old.", the time traveller sported long facial hair, as well as age lines "That's what happens when some steals my Vortex Regulator," he pointed to the device attached to the Tamaranean's belt "it's the key component to my Chrono-suit, unlike David Clinton's original. Now the Regulator if you please, I really must get back to my future.", Starfire stood up, gripped the Regulator tight and charge a Starbolt and pointed straight at it "If you ever wish to see your future, you will repair the damage you have done to my past!"
"Damage? There's nothing wrong with your past. One cannot damage history, because history cannot be changed." He held up the Clock of Eternity still ticking away "I went back in time to steal this because history says it disappeared. And history says it disappeared because I went back to steal it. Past, present, future. It's all written in stone, my dear.", Starfire let her Starbolt go and Wrap took the Regulator, a smirk formed on his face, before arming his backhand gun "And nothing you do can ever change it."
Out from the alleyway a red fox leaped and scratch the time traveller's face.
A hand grabbed Starfire's arm "Run!" a voice said and pulled her down the street, Starfire didn't get a good look of this person, he wore a thick winter coat, held a cane under his arm and sported light blonde hair, the figure turned his head looking away from Starfire and whistled, within moments the red fox came to their side.
The trio reached a bungalow in the suburbs of Jump City. The man stopped leaning on the porch front panting "Think we're too far for Warp to find us.", Starfire looked at the man, not a face she did no recognised at all. She then turned to the house and saw the address, her eyes widened "But wait, this is the house Cyborg said I would find…" she heard a jangling noise, she turned to see the man pull out a tinnabula from his coat pocket, she gasped and look again at the man who smiled "Happy Blorthog Starfire."
"Rorschach?"
"Real name's Joshua Spearing, don't go by Rorschach often, semi-retired." He put the tip of his cane to the ground and began limping onto the porch, up the disabled ramp, Starfire observed "Please, why do you limp? You ran several miles without the cane."
"Limp's psychosomatic, had traumatising experience, shot in the leg, healed but subconscious still thinks it hasn't, by the way, this is Cynefrith." He gestured to the fox who scratched at the door, Joshua sighed and let him in.
The fox ran to the living room and pushed the sliding door aside and went into the garden, where a gravestone stood beside the tree, Cynefrith whimpered and licked the stone before sitting down beside it.
Starfire stepped closer, looked at the stone and gasped, it read 'Sasu Kaiser. Too well loved to ever be forgotten.' She turned to see Joshua leaning against the doorway his face in his hands, he quietly sobbed and she frowned "How did she die?"
"Not just Sasu, my parent's too, in the cemetery on the hill, they were murdered.", Starfire gasped as Josh continued "After you disappeared, went up against Mumbo, he somehow beat me, my magic disappeared completely. Sort help, I couldn't go to Doctor Fate with him on the East coast, went to San Francisco, Zatanna lived there, thought she could help, couldn't. Got back, found Mum and Dad murdered, Sasu caught in crossfire, held on just to see me, one last time.
"Swore to find those responsible, bring them to justice, thought the best option was to hand my services to the government, with their resources and help could find whoever did it. Ended up in Task Force X, the Suicide Squad, got hit in leg on one mission." He sighed and looked at her "Come on, need to talk more privately." Starfire walking inside. Josh slid the door shut and escorted her to another door, this one lead into the basement, he switched the lights on and Starfire's eye widened.
Four costumes stood in the room, she recognised the Rorschach costume, altered slightly with Joshua's older age, the mask still worked, the shape swirling.
The other three, these ones placed on plinths, Starfire did not know, she floated down as quiet music started playing, a slow military march as Joshua limped down the stairs in time to the beat, Starfire tilted her head.
"British Slow March, the Old Brigade.", he quietly began to sing the lyrics "Where are the boys of the old Brigade,
Who fought with us side by side?
Shoulder to shoulder, and blade by blade,
Fought till they fell and died!
Who so ready and undismayed?
Who so merry and true?
Where are the boys of the old Brigade?
Where are the lads we knew?
Then steadily shoulder to shoulder,
Steadily blade by blade!
Ready and strong, marching along
Like the boys of the old Brigade!"
A small smile crept on her face "My k'norfka would like that song, he is an excellent warrior of many battles." She sighed before read the names on the plinths out load before Joshua spoke as he stood before a mirror "They were the protectors of Jump City before we formed the Titans, all thanks to you."
"Me?"
"Starfire, if you hadn't landed here, I would have told Robin to bog off, Beast Boy would be a failed solo hero, Cyborg and Raven would be social recluses. You were the beating heart of the Teen Titans Starfire, the reason we came together, with you gone the Titans died, things have become frightfully grim for me."
"What do you mean?"
"Whenever I look into a mirror I see another figure, a gaunt man with bright orange hair glaring at me.", Starfire noticed Joshua's eye line went to a side of the mirror "Every time I go on a suicide mission, forcing myself to do injustices in the dwindling hope that I'll avenge my family and girlfriend, the closer he approaches me, at some point he's going to be in front of me, his unhinged mad stare constantly in my face. Don't know if my sanity would hold."
"And I cannot change what has happened." She frowned.
"No, Warp's wrong." Joshua said turning to her "Don't get why villainous time traveller don't understand time, Batman and John Stewart faced that David Clinton fellow Warp mention, apparently he had no idea about paradoxes and the consequences of messing with hyper-time, created so many splitter dimensions he nearly tore the universe apart, now Warp, thanks to this bootstrap paradox believes that destiny is unchangeable."
"It is not? We can save our timeline?"
"Not this one I'm afraid, Doctor Fate told me what the Phantom Stranger told him. Any travel through time creates an alternate reality just by itself, distributary in the river of hyper-time, this is one of them, you need to make sure this is not and does not become the mainstream river."
"Will you help Friend Joshua?"
"Without my magic. With this limp not going to be much help, sorry but can't.", Starfire lowered her head "You could at least try." She said before flying up the stairs and out the house.
Once on the porch she looked to the city, then a voice caught her attention "It's good to see you again.", she turned her eyes wider than ever before this night to see a figure in the shadow of the house "Robin?"
"I haven't use that name in a long time." He stepped into the light. He wore a skin tight black uniform, with a large angular design of a blue hawk on the chest; black gloves and matching eye mask that angles down to cover his nose as well as hair that went past his shoulders.
Starfire blushed her eye darted all over his body, tall, board shouldered and well-muscled as evidenced by the tightness of his uniform, she then focused on his lean and sharp face 'He's so handsome and, dare I say sexy?' her thought halted as he spoke again "Call me, Nightwing."
Nightwing took Starfire to his base. Which look very much like the Bat-cave.
Starfire looked around and stop, Robin's old costume stood encase in a glass case 'It must be a common superhero thing.', she sighed then felt something be placed on her shoulders, Nigthwing gave her a blanked blanket before turning to his massive computer "I've heard you've been looking for help."
"Yes, at first when Warp me told his view of time I had given up hope, then Rorschach told me what he learned, someone called the Phantom Stranger says the past can be changed for the main universe, but this reality will still exist as another river of time."
"If that's what the Phantom Stranger says then I believe it, I've meet him and he know everything, literally. But if we're going to stop Warp, we need help." He pressed a button on the console, a panel opened and a Titans communicator appeared, Nightwing took it "I held onto this, just in case.", press a side button and it flashed red with a series of beeps.
Starfire looked down with a smile as the jewel built into the metal of her clothes beeped with the same red flash.
Beasty Boy as a dog on his hind leg bounced the ball on his noise in order to draw a crowd.
His old belt started beeping, drawing his attention, he changed back to human and looked wide eyed, and he then lowered his head 'Should I leave? What if I can't handle it out there?'
In her white room the jewel that held Raven's clock in place came alive, calling her for help, she looked down and cupped it as it continued flashing and beeping 'Is it just my imagination again? Or do my friends need me? Am I even worth to fight with them again?'
Cyborg sat in the tower when his cybernetic eye went off flashing red and beeping. He knew what should do, he stood up and walked to the door, however had stopped when the cables to the generator tightened too far. He looked back. 'They need you Victor; you need to be a Titan again.'
Joshua stood before the mirror in his basement, a beeping took him out of his thoughts and he swiftly looked around, a badge attached to the fedora of his Rorschach outfit flashed a call to arms. Josh blink and his mouth hung, he gulped Starfire's last word to him came back hard. He looked at his cane, and gripped it tight. His eye darted to mirror. The man in there standing behind him smirked and nodded.
Joshua smirked himself 'Chocks away.'
In the museum two guards stood frozen in ice while Warp wielded his Vortex Regulator back to his chest plate "Tick-tock, tick-tock. Just a few more seconds and I shall…" a throwing baton like weapon hurled though the air and knocked the wielding touch out of Warps hand.
The baton flew back to the balcony where Nightwing caught it, Starfire hovering next to him, "The future will have to wait," he said "you've run out of time."
Warp growled and fired his shoulder laser, the two heroes jumped out the way. Nightwing threw three, Wing-discs as he called them and Starfire fired a Starbolt. Warp brought up his shield and the attacks went off not harming him.
Nightwing landed, his baton turned into a staff.
Warp's shield dissipated as he looked wide eyed before growling and firing again.
Starfire sent another Starbolt. Warp back handed it, Starfire remembering from before dodged in time.
Nightwing charged and rammed the end of his staff into one of the guns breaking it. Warp turn before being shot in back be the Tamaranean. Warp recovered and fired from his remaining gun. Nightwing charged and gave attack after attack with his staff, Warp held his armoured arms out to shield himself. Nightwing gave one final strong hit and knock Warp on the ground. Warp looked up and shot the ceiling above Starfire. A massive of debris and snow covered, Nightwing ran to pile to dig her out but Warp fired his gauntlet gun and knocked him away.
The golden villain ran to the discarded wielding tool. Before he could use it a blue of energy sent him flying back.
Nightwing dug Starfire out and two turned to where the shot originated.
Cyborg stood there, glowing once more his sonic cannon out "Boo-yah." He muttered.
Starfire flew to the mechanical jock "Cyborg, you are repaired.", Nightwing walked up and put his hand to Cyborg's shoulder "Glad you could make it."
"Wouldn't have missed it." Cyborg said "Now who said you all could start without me?"
"So sorry," Warp said holding a similar deceive to the one he used on Cyborg back in the past "perhaps I should finish you first."
A green lion appeared and slashed Warp chest plate with his claws before join the other three.
Warp armed his backhand gun but black energy covered him and threw him into a wall. The Titans turned as Raven materialised into the room "Nobody hurts my friends."
Warp looked up and scowled but then screamed as an electrical charge coursed through him. Weaken he looked up at Rorschach, his cane sparking "Armour absorb most of the voltage, stay down if you know what's good for you." He limped towards the group, Starfire looked at the walking stick and tilted her head but he explained "Had to have some form of weapon in Task Force X, based it off Somebody's stun baton, I do think the cane ruins my image."
Cyborg chuckled "Always keeping up appearances.", Rorschach tipped the brim of his hat before turning on his heels to face Warp.
Beast Boy then glance at Nightwing and his long hair "Dude," the changeling said rubbing his scalp "that is so unfair."
Warp got to his feet and activated his Vortex Regulator opening a portal "It seems my time has come."
Nightwing threw an updated Bird-a-rang and Warp threw one of his discs.
Nightwing's projectile sliced through Warp's like a knife through butter and struck the Regulator, cracking it. Sparks flew and surrounded Warp who rapidly de-aged. The power died and the Titans walked up.
Rorschach removed the chest plate to reveal Warp, now a new-born crying his head off.
"Okay," Beast Boy said "I am not changing any diapers."
"I'll take care of him." Rorschach picking the baby up "May never avenge my old family, can raise a new one." A noise took the team's attention. The portal started to shrink.
Cyborg looked to Starfire "We've got to get you home come on." He pulled the Vortex Regulator off of the chest plate and attached it to his sonic cannon. Charging a blast and shooting it he regrew the portal "I'm redirecting the wormhole. Starfire go.", the Tamaranean walked to the portal before turned back to look at her friends "Please, must this really be our future?"
"Your choice Starfire." Rorschach said, as Nightwing walked up to her, his face inches from her "I'm sorry, Star. There isn't time." He took her hand and put the Clock of Eternity into it, gave her a reassuring smiled and walked back to the others.
Tears forming Starfire walked into the portal and it vanished.
Warp opened a new portal and looked back smugly "Ta-ta, Titans. I have enjoyed our time together, but I've got a very bright future ahead of me."
Starfire roared as her eyes glowed green and she flew fast knocking Warp into the portal, which closed taking her with it.
Robin follow closely, but not close enough to enter the portal, he rolled over and looked back at the empty space "Starfire!"
"Um," Beast Boy said "Where did she…", a booming noise came from behind them as new portal opened and Starfire rolled out. Robin came running up followed by the others "Star?" he asked "What happened?"
"History said it disappeared." Starfire said before revealing the Clock of Eternity "But history was wrong."
As the sun began to descend onto the horizon and the sky turned purple Starfire finished her story to the others in the living room of the tower "Then Nightwing handed me the Clock and I entered the vortex.", the other remained silent until Rorschach said "Gordon Bennett."
"Bald?" Beast Boy wailed "You're telling me I'm going to be bald?!"
"Stress of show business Beast Boy." Said Rorschach chuckling. Cyborg spoke next "Guess you were right about all that Rekmas stuff.", Robin walked up to her "I don't want us to drift apart. Does it all have to happen? Isn't there anything we can…?"
"You heard what I said about the hyper-time." The Tamaranean said, which Rorschach nodded confirming as she continued "Our friendship has already changed Warp's past. I believe it can also change our future." In front of her the broken tinnabula floated up in Raven's magic and began to be repaired as the blue witch spoke "So, is it too late to this festival of friendship thing?"
Starfire jumped for joy "Oh it's never too late."
Raven put the tinnabulas around Cyborg and Beast Boy's necks as Rorschach put his back on. Cyborg shouted out "Happy Blorthog!" at both Raven and Rorschach, the Techno-mage cringed as he put his hand to his ear.
"Okay," Raven said "I feel like a wind chime.", Rorschach chuckled and nodded.
Starfire put a tinnabula around Robin's neck who smiled at her "So, Nightwing huh?"
'Rorschach's Journal December 1st 1995
'Starfire went into the future trying to stop a time travelling villain named Warp who came from the twenty-second century…' Joshua then typed up Starfire misadventure before writing about hyper-time.
'Doctor Fate told me, what the Phantom Stranger, who I remind you dear reader is omniscient, told him. All the time in the universe flows like a river. It's a common adage but only because it's true. Changes to the timeline can cause parts to branch off into alternate realities and have done since the dawn of time, meaning there are infinite realities.
'Time travel accelerates these changes as a being from one alternate time stream interacts with another, causing noticeable changes.
'Most of the time, these alternate timelines go off on their own and never intersect with the main timeline and not to be worried about. (For all I know this universe may not even be the main one, but one of the distributaries).
'However my alternate future self in that parallel world Starfire visited failed to mention something, that occasionally, the branches return, feeding back into the main timeline, sometimes permanently, sometimes temporarily.
'This means that I shall have to be on constant vigilance, to make sure my magic does not completely disappear, to make sure we as a team don't drift apart so depressingly and to keep Sasu and my parents safe.'
Author's Note
Watching this episode again has me agreeing at the massive disgust at Teen Titans Go, with such beautiful writing as this episode, just seeing the smallest bit of that show makes me feel sick.
I hope I didn't make Josh's alternative future too tragic, because it could be a Gary Stu moment, or seen as one at least.
Also, Hyper-time, fans of Atop the Fourth Wall get your Ultimate Warrior quotes over with. I like the concept of Hyper-time so I decided to add this into the story.
Anyway I'm doing a poll for this story. As I'm mixing the Teen Titans Universe with the DCAU, as evident by previous chapters and dialog here, it should be no suprise I plan to have the story continue into the Justice League Animated Series.
The poll is: Should the Justice League parts be here on this story, or should it be seperate, like a Volume 2 as a Watchmen and Justice League crossover.
It'll be up shortly.