Kaldur closed the door as soon as both the YJs and Titans were in the oversized conference room. This one, unlike the one where Red Tornado pretended to trap the Titans, was a real meeting room. The conference table was a long mahogany piece, there was plush carpeting in the floor and a giant view screen occupied nearly the entire wall at the end of the room. The door was made of wood and not neutronium and there were windows as well.
After shutting the door Kaldur carefully looked at the 5 Titans. A degree in psychology wasn't needed to assess their mood, as it was painfully obvious from their expressions that they were unhappy. Even Raven, who always seemed imperturbable, seemed slightly out of sorts. TT-Robin's arms were crossed and the look on his face conveyed that he was extremely annoyed, but he and his teammates remained silent while their body language screamed their displeasure. After a pregnant pause Kaldur decided to break the ice.
"We weren't expecting you here today."
"So our invitation didn't get lost in the mail after all." Cyborg commented, his voice dripping in sarcasm.
Kaldur looked uncomfortable with the situation, and decided that honesty was the best approach.
"This was supposed to be a private event. I did ask Aquaman if you could be invited, but … you are not members of the Justice League."
"And do you know why we're not members?" Raven asked. "We've never been asked. And do you know why?"
The 6 YJs flinched as they all knew the answer.
"Because I'm a demoness."
The 6 heroes looked away from Raven, their self consciousness was self evident.
"Don't turn away! Look at me, take a good look! Look at my gray skin, look at my eyes, yes look at my four demonic eyes; they only appear when I'm very angry, but they're always there, I just hide them!"
M'Gann turned back to Raven and had to stifle a gasp at the sight that greeted her. Dark tendrils were flowing out from Raven's cloak and growing out of her head.
"This is the real me. But my friends have always stood by me, always quick to remind me that I was also human, that I was worthy not only of their friendship but also their love." She remarked as she slowly reverted back to her human form. Tears were welling in her eyes.
"I am most sorry." Kaldur replied contritely. "Raven, you know that we do not see you as a monster and we are honored to know you as both a superhero and as a friend."
Beast Boy drew his one of a kind sweetheart into a hug, gently rubbing her back as he soothed her, quietly reminding her that she was special to him.
"Thank you Kaldur'ahm." She replied.
An awkward silence followed. It was obvious that no one knew what to say, until YJ-Robin decided to break the ice.
"So why did you guys come and crash our party?" He asked. "The food wasn't that good."
Beast Boy gave the Boy Wonder a harsh look.
"Dude! You mean you don't know?"
The 5 YJs and Tula responded with blank stares. Kaldur did not.
"So you know." That Atlantean replied cryptically.
"Know what?" Artemis growled. "Kaldur, is there something you haven't told us?"
Kaldur became crestfallen as he addressed his team.
"I am sorry, but I was told that this information is to remain confidential until we complete our training. I am afraid that I cannot tell you at this time."
His five teammates became agitated and formed a circle around him.
"And you expect us to trust you if you keep secrets from us?" Superboy asked.
"You know that if it was told to him in confidence he can't tell us." Tula defended her fiancé.
"Please understand, I cannot divulge this information …" Kaldur raised his hands, attempting to placate his angry teammates.
"But we can!" Starfire interrupted. "The Justice League is building a facility in Jump City. We have reason to believe that you will be assigned to it when your training has been completed."
"Kaldur! Is this true?" YJ-Robin asked.
The young leader looked troubled as he searched for a reply.
"I can neither confirm nor deny that." He replied diplomatically
Wally chuckled. "So it's true! We're going back to Jump City! Alright!"
"That is so cool! I was afraid that they were going to send us someplace boring, like Buffalo or Cleveland." YJ-Robin added as he turned to Beast Boy. "We get to hang out with you guys, it's gonna be awesome."
"No, it won't." TT-Robin interrupted.
"But why not?" M'Gann asked. "I thought we were friends."
"We are friends, but did you not hear what the Batman said earlier?" Starfire interrupted again. "He intends to use you as a means to undermine us and lure us into the Justice League."
"You make that sound like it's a bad thing." Superboy asked.
"It is." Raven added. "We have our own network of heroes. If we were to join the Justice League the worldwide network of Honorary Teen Titans would be disbanded."
"Big deal!" Connor interjected. Raven responded with a glare.
"It's a big deal to us, or have you forgotten that the extended Titans family defeated the Brotherhood of Evil?" She snapped back at him. "But I suppose such subtleties are beyond a boorish brute like you."
"What did you say Raven?" Miss Martian howled. "Connor is not a brute!"
"What I am saying M'Gann is that perhaps your boyfriend's very young brain is overwhelmed by what should be painfully obvious." Raven replied in her emotionless monotone.
"She's not my girlfriend!" Connor snapped at the sorceress.
"I rest my case." Raven calmly replied. "He might be super strong be he's also super clueless."
Superboy became enraged. "You think you're so smart because you talk in that dull monotone." He snarled between clenched teeth as he pointed at her. "Your friends might put up with your crap, but I won't, demoness!"
"Is this the part where I'm supposed to be scared?" Raven calmly replied, while Beast Boy whispered to her: "Rae, are you nuts? He's a Kryptonian."
"No! This is!" Connor shouted as he lunged at Raven, who vanished into the floor. The young Kryptonian landed on the ground with a loud thud.
"ENOUGH!" Kaldur shouted. "Superboy, what are you doing? The Titans are our friends."
Raven rematerialized at the far end of the room, and found herself on the receiving end of angry glares from her own teammates.
"This is exactly what I'm talking about. They want us to fight with each other. If we do, it'll destroy all our credibility. No one will take the Titans seriously anymore. It's exactly what Batman wants. He can't stand the idea that we've been able to not only be successful as our own team, but that we've created our own Justice League."
"Precisely, they know that if they lose all their sidekicks that there won't be a Justice League in the future." Raven added while her beau laughed.
"They'll be the Geezer League!" He giggled.
Kaldur shook his head.
"Robin, while I agree that Batman sometimes resorts to manipulation to get what he wants, it is my most sincere belief that he is not 'out to get' the Teen Titans. He is genuinely concerned for your well being."
"Dude, we've been a team for 4 years now. We've kicked some serious bad guy butt. I think we figured out how to do the job."
"No one is denying that Beast Boy, it's just that the Justice League wants to help you be even better at what you do." Kaldur reassured him.
"That's awfully presumptuous of the League."Raven added. "Gar is right; we have an envious track record. And how would they train us? Who would train me? Or Gar or Starfire? Who would be our mentors? There is no one in the League who could further our training. Gar was trained by the Doom Patrol, Starfire is a warrior of Tamaran and is the Empress at Large and I was trained by Azar herself. I am not questioning the League's sincerity, but their premise is flawed. They can't help us."
Kaldur nodded silently then responded.
"Then perhaps we can agree to cooperate, as he we have in the past?"
"Maybe." TT-Robin replied. "We need to think about this."
"There is time Robin, we still have a month of training left."
Cyborg interrupted the conversation.
"I agree with Rob, we need to figure out how to make this work."
The tin man paused before continuing.
"You said you were going to explain to us who your girlfriend is."
The YJs became deadly silent upon hearing Cyborg's request, which did not go unnoticed by the Titans.
The Atlantean hesitated before answering.
"Tula and I are betrothed. Our wedding is scheduled to be performed right after the training is completed. You are of course invited to attend the ceremony in Atlantis."
This time it was the Titan's turn to be stunned and dumbfounded. Silence ensued, smothering everyone like a heavy, wet blanket and it felt just as unpleasant. After a long pregnant pause Beast Boy broke the silence.
"And people think Rae and I are moving too fast."
A chorus of nervous laughs broke out. Tula grinned in a shy way that made her look endearing.
"Yo Kaldur, you're joking, right?"
TT-Robin shook his head.
"Aqualad, I mean Garth, explained this to me once. He told me that he hasn't identified a potential mate, and that's why he's still single."
"You mean that he doesn't have a girlfriend?" The changeling added.
"Which is surprising, as he is very handsome." Raven remarked.
Cyborg guffawed.
"I still remember how you and Star went all girly when you first met him. In fact I still have a recording of that time, you even blushed Raven, you were so smitten with him. Does anyone wanna see it? I still have it in my memory banks."
YJ-Robin and Kid Flash perked up.
"You bet!" They replied in chorus.
Raven glared at the Cybernetic Titan, who quickly backpedaled.
"Uh, maybe we can watch it some other time."
Kaldur stepped in to defuse the situation.
"In my universe, Garth and Tula were a couple. I believe that their betrothal was imminent as we left our dimension."
Beast Boy still had a bewildered expression on his face.
"Aren't you guys kinda young still?" He asked.
Raven quickly stepped in.
"We shouldn't judge other cultures by our own standards, Gar. This reminds me that I have not always been faithful to my own Azarathian heritage, and that I need to reconnect with my own culture."
Raven's subtle comment did not go unnoticed by her teammates, especially not by Beast Boy. Raven had told them about Azarathian mating and marriage conventions. He was wise enough to say nothing at the moment. There would be more than enough time to chat with her during the flight home.
"So what do we do now?" Starfire asked no one in particular.
Robin uncrossed his arms.
"We're going home. But before we do that I'm going to have a long overdue heart to heart with Batman."
-( scene break )-
The metallic edges on Robin's shoes clicked rhythmically, like a metronome as he walked down the hallway with Kaldur. The Justice League's headquarters stood in sharp and harsh contrast with Titans Tower. Not only was The Justice Hall immaculate, it looked like a showcase. There were observation decks where tourists could look down into the less classified sections of the Hall. It reminded him of the tours given in old castles in Europe, especially Windsor Castle in England.
The Justice League understood the importance of good public relations and it dawned on Robin that this was something that the Titans somewhat neglected. Sure, they would sign autographs and occasionally attend a charity function, but it was clear to him that when it came to their personal lives that they valued their privacy. He knew that when the day came that the first Titan tied the knot that it would be a private affair, whether it would be he and Starfire or, shudder, Raven and Beast Boy.
Raven's words echoed in his mind: I have not always been faithful to my own Azarathian heritage, and I need to reconnect with my own culture. What did she mean by that? All of the Titans, except for Cyborg who was already 19, were legally emancipated minors, which meant that they didn't need adult permission to fight crime and live on their own. It also meant that if they wanted to take a spouse they also wouldn't need an adult's permission. It suddenly dawned on Robin that life might be getting more complicated back in the Tower.
"We have arrived Robin." Kaldur announced.
Robin looked up and saw an ordinary looking office door that could have belonged to just about any middle manager in an average business, except for the nameplate on the door, which simply read: "Batman". Robin knocked politely on the door.
"Enter." A monotone voice replied.
Kaldur nodded at Robin and murmured 'Good luck' before turning and leaving. The Boy Wonder stared at the doorknob, pondering what awaited him on the other side of the door. With steely determination he grabbed the doorknob as if he meant to strangle it, wrapping his strong fingers around it. Bracing himself, he twisted the knob and pulled the door open.
"Hello Dick, please close the door behind you and have a seat."
Robin politely complied with both requests and sat down. Before Batman could say anything else the Boy Wonder took the initiative.
"When are you going to forgive me Bruce?"
"Is there anything to forgive?"
Robin narrowed his eyes. Bruce was being disingenuous, again. Some things never changed.
"You know what I'm talking about."
"Perhaps you should enlighten me."
Robin felt his blood pressure rise, but he was prepared this time. He wouldn't let Bruce get to him.
"I ran away and started my own team, and now we're stealing your thunder, not to mention your sidekicks."
"Is that what you think this is really all about?" The Dark Knight asked his former protégé.
"Spare me the whole 'we just want to help you' spiel. We both know that's not true. This is about control Bruce, about you controlling everything."
"That isn't true Dick. Not by a long shot."
Batman rose from his desk and approached Robin, who scowled at his former mentor.
"That's a load. My Titans are more competent than any none core Justice League member. You opened the doors to those lightweights, and you did that so you could control them. But you aren't gonna control us!"
"No, that's incorrect."
Robin felt his patience running out. He knew what he had to say next, not that it made it any easier.
"You have to let it go Bruce."
"Let what go?"
Robin sighed. This most definitely was NOT going to be easy.
"Look, it's not like I don't understand. We both lost our parents to criminals. I think I've moved beyond that Bruce, but you haven't. You want to control everything because of what happened to your folks, because of the powerlessness you felt as you watched them being murdered. You know I've been there too Bruce. Maybe it was easier for me because at first I thought it was just an accident."
Batman stared at him dispassionately. He had hit the nerve, and hard.
"We aren't God, Bruce. Mistakes will be happen. But you have to trust people. But you never learned to trust anyone, not even me or Babs. The world is too big Bruce; you can't do it by yourself."
"That's just an excuse for being lackadaisical." The Dark Knight growled.
"Are you saying that my team is careless or lazy? We've accomplished things that even you and your precious League failed to do. Let me tell you something Bruce, my Titans are just as committed and competent as anyone in your Justice League. That isn't the issue. What you can't handle is that we have lives."
"That is your excuse for allowing romantic entanglements with your teammates?" Batman interrupted, his voice dripping with contempt.
"Hey, don't blame me that you didn't have the guts to do it. I never understood why you blew off Selina Kyle! You were perfect for each other. She actually loved you Bruce, and I think that deep inside your obsessed soul that you loved her too. And that's too bad, because maybe if you got laid once in a while you wouldn't be such a jerk!"
Batman glared back at his former apprentice.
"So how long have you been sleeping with the princess? And I can only assume that Beast Boy and the demoness are sexually active as well."
"No one is sleeping with anyone Bruce, not that it's any of your business. And what Raven and Beast Boy decide to do, that's up to them." Robin seethed in reply.
"So if they decide to shack up, you wouldn't say anything? I expected as much, you're nothing more than a bunch of horny teenagers living together…"
Robin spun around and hit Batman in the jaw with a powerful right jab. Bruce stumbled back and fell over his desk, crashing onto the floor.
"We're through Bruce!" Robin screamed as he made a horizontal gesture with is hand. "I thought that maybe if we talked we could find some middle ground, but I was wrong."
"You often are wrong, more than you think or know." Batman replied as he stood up rubbing his jaw.
"Listen to me, because I'm only going to say this once. You keep the Young Justice League out of our way. The Teen Titans are Jump City's guardians. We like Kaldur and his team, and if they cooperate with us then everything will be fine, but if you try to use them to undermine us, you'll get to see upfront and in person just what my extended team of 'sidekicks' is capable of."
"We'll do what we think is right." Batman retorted.
Robin marched out of Batman's office and slammed the door behind him.
"I knew coming here was a waste of time!" Robin's voice echoed in the hallway.,
-( scene break )-
Happy Mom's day!
And thanks to everyone who has taken the time to review. It is always appreciated!
Today's shout out goes to Titanfan45. He writes some very funny stories, especially the Sporks Incident.
And now, mailbag time!
Illsome Child - "Also, I was wondering if the Doom Patrol is going to make an appearance? It seems that the Titans could really use someone on their side..."
A tempting idea, we'll see.
nequam-tenshi - "Cassandra isn't that scary. Just pair her up with... Cyborg?"
That would be interesting. Cassandra "I'm not a people person" Cain with "Booyah! I won't shut up" Cyborg.
Dew - "Wow, I been starting to hate batman lately. He has been too annying and controling. But anyway... Great chapter. Ive been loving this story from the start."
Thanks! Robin finally let Batsy have it.
KatieLovesPeterPan - "Great chapter :) I loved it! Keep up the good work!"
Thanks!
potterinu - "I've seen and enjoyed both shows. I still dislike Terra. Shes a traitor with a soft spot for beast boy. I would have been happy with her staying dead. Anything that might make her character interesting to me personally with the whole slade situation could easily be changed to suit Robin who I like a whole lot more."
True, but Terra makes for a good love triangle. And as much as BB protests to the contrary, he still has a soft spot for Terra.
Soulfulbard - "Yeesh. I wonder if the Justice League is this condescending to all other heroes. Do they sit around and mock the Doom Patrol too?"
Well, this is kind of a vendetta that Batsy has against Robin, not unlike Mento once had with Beast Boy.
The Cretin - "I read chaps 18-19. I thought they were both well written. I like that you took a chap out to explain Terra's predicament. Though I'm not her biggest fan, I feel she's gonna be a big part of the outcome and I will say you do write her so well."
Terra is one of my favorite characters, since she's so messed up and troubled. Her treason resonates with most people, and few seem to be willing to forgive her.
LordGodsServant - "Batman sure is laying it on thick against the Titans."
I think Robin was spot on, compulsive-obsessive Batman can't handle that the Titans might actually enjoy their lives and still be competent superheores
Linzerj - "Oh, Terra - YOU FAILURE! ...No, I'm kidding. Or am I? O_o I honestly don't know anymore. But I love what you're doing with Terra's character...it makes this thing so much more interesting! I can't wait for the next chapter! :D"
In a way she is a failure, because that's how she sees herself.
Blood of the Dawn - "I may have just missed it but people always seem to overlook that YJ is a covert team. So... Is any of that going to come into play?"
Not in the parallel universe. It's becoming pretty clear that Batman wants the YJs to "out Titan" the Titans, and as talented as they are they just might pull it off.
SuperninjaX - "DUDE! batman you JERK! THE OTHER BATMAN IS BETTER! RAWR"
Well, the other Batman didn't lose his Robin. And to be fair TT-Robin isn't exactly without blame either. He can be every bit as stubborn and controlling as his former mentor.
yob3 - "Man, when i visualised the confrontation, i had hoped that the Titans would take the initiative. Also, Batmans saying that the Titans make a lot okf mistakes, look at how many the League has made!
Also, does Terras clones have Terras powers?"
Robin hit the nail on the head, I think. As for the clones, I don't know yet. They aren't really clones, more like shapeshifters.
David-El - "Not bad, I'm really looking forward to seeing how the Titans and YJ talk out what's going on."
I hope I didn't disappoint.
wolfenstien - "Great chapter dude, I look forward to the imminent confrontation..."
As Slade would say: it has begun.
Morumotto-chi - "Wow. Poor Terra. I actually liked her, as opposed to thinking of her as a traitorous bitch. I was wondering what the ship sample would be used for... you're really creative."
Thanks!
Master Doc - "Yo, what if The Teen Titans ended up saving some Justice League members? Whether your superhuman, alien, or whateever I've learned you NEVER blame someone for doing what they desire."
Things will soon get interesting, very interesting.
almostinsane - "Great chapter! Hm... The League and the Titans have to stop this Civil War... Thanks for writing this. God bless!"
You know what they say; it's easier to start a war than to end one.
KingofRandom117 - "Man, another great to hear there's 26 YJ episodes in season 1!"
I'm glad too.
swirlhearty23 - "What can I say, I love violence. Btw awesome chapter! Update soon."
Then you should read my fan fic "Reimagined: Tough times in Jump City." Someone even gets their brains blown out.
KaliAnn - "Geez how easy it was it for Batman to lie through his cowl and not care that he set up teenagers to fall to make himself look good?"
That's good old fashioned manipulation for you. In Batman the Animated Series, Robin accuses Batman of being a manipulator, just before he punches him out.
Hairul The Nightrage Beast - "When all talks fail, time for a melee lol, instead of a heart to heart talk, there's gonna be a fracas with Bruce and Dick."
Mostly one of words, but in the end Dick lets Bruce have it. If I was Robin I would watch my back from now on.
Riqis Inna Sunja - "Oh snap! it is on! that army is gonna be a pain in the $$ for the heros, no doubt! more zero calorie cyber cookies for you!"
Slade has plans. BIG plans.
titanfan45 - "I wasn't suprised when Batman knew that the Titans were hiding behind the buffet tables. The upcoming "talk" should be very interesting."
I hoped you liked them!