Categories > Cartoons > Teen Titans > To the End of the World . . . and After
Meeting the League, part 2
0 reviewsThis chapter starts two days after the last regular Teen Titans episode, but a few days before ‘Trouble in Tokyo’ as the Titans consider the ramifications of having dealt with the Brotherhood a...
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To the End of the World . . . and After
A Teen Titans fic, by DrT
Chapter III – Meeting the League II
129 days before the end of the world. This chapter starts two days after the last regular Teen Titans episode, but a few days before ‘Trouble in Tokyo’ as the Titans consider the ramifications of having dealt with the Brotherhood and the first signs of a new danger appear.
*
When the Titans were invited to visit the Watchtower a week after the Titans East and honorary Titans left Jump City, the five were hardly surprised, even though they wanted to continue to familiarize themselves with the changes in their city. The Brotherhood of Evil had had run-ins with many members of the Justice League over the years, and since the Brotherhood and many others were now ‘on ice’ (since that term of Beast Boy’s at least had caught on for obvious reasons), it made sense for the League to talk to the group again. Hopefully, unlike their last meeting with the League, this time without any confrontations. A response team from the League was again on hand while the Titans were away, this time consisting of Vixen, Supergirl, and a Green Lantern (Guy Gardner).
For this meeting, Batman chaired. The other League members present were Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern (John Stewart this time), the Martian Manhunter, and Dr. Fate. The Titans were a bit relieved to see that all the League members were (at least for them) somewhat relaxed.
“I don’t suppose any of you would care to speculate on some of the main reasons we’ve called you here?” Batman asked.
“Either it’s directly about what just happened with the fight against the Brotherhood, including the deposition of them now that they are in suspended animation, or it’s because Robin did such a great job in organizing younger meta-heroes around the world, you want to step in and take over,” Raven stated bluntly. She knew that Robin was still a bit leery of his mentor, while Beast Boy was still coming to terms with his encounter with the girl who might have been Terra. Therefore she was stepping in as the group’s speaker.
“Right on both counts,” Batman stated. “Let me say upfront that we will not be coercing you into anything. We just hope we’re making you such good offers that some combination of them will appeal to you.” Seeing no obvious response, he continued. “To be blunt, Robin made what turned out to be an error, which led to the Brotherhood tracking you and the honorary Titans down, but it was an error that most of us would have made in his position, unless it just hadn’t occurred to us to try it. We’re not going to say anything more about it, because knowing you as we do, Robin, you’ve scolded yourself too much about it as it is. Other than that, many of your plans went off well, and when they didn’t you all displayed the flexibility to fix them. This showed the capabilities of the entire group. Above all, you succeeded, and that always counts for a great deal in the end, as long as you have stayed within the moral guidelines, which of course you all have.”
Batman made a face. “As for the actual Brotherhood, every one of the leaders – Brain, Mullah, Madam Rouge, and General Immortus – have been under multiple death sentences for some time, in many countries. The various international authorities have agreed that their frozen persons will be smashed without being revived, and their remains cremated. While we in the League are against the death penalty, we recognize the various authorities’ rights to exact it, and while we will not accept the official invitations to witness the executions, we will not oppose those executions. The Doom Patrol, I understand, will be present for at least the Brain’s. None of the others captured were under any known death sentences, and how they are to be kept is still being debated. We’ll send along the information, and if you feel the need to comment on any of the criminals, please do so.”
From their reactions, it was clear that none of the Titans wanted to be present at the executions, not even Beast Boy, who had the longest history of opposing the Brotherhood. On the other hand, it was only two days since the girl he was still sure was Terra had dismissed him so harshly, and he was currently the Titan least interested in what Batman was saying.
“And yes, we would like to organize at least some of the people you gathered together, as well as some others. If you join in, in some form, there would be as many as fourteen groups by the end of next year, seven in the US and Canada, the rest elsewhere. Over time, there could be even more spread around the world. We talked with the Titans East this morning, and they’ve agreed to our plans. Most of the groups would have seven to nine members. We would also take some of the burden off of what Robin and Cyborg have had to do with your group – most of the budgeting and maintenance responsibilities, for example. Once they are organized, there would be settled ways to recruit and distribute new members. This wouldn’t be a Justice League minor league or training organization. It looks like, in the future, groups like yours will be more common, or at least more necessary, than lone heroes in urban areas. New Titans – if you allow us to use that name – would be associate members of the League from the start, and be offered full membership when we feel they are individually ready. However, full members are expected to usually stick with the groups. All five of you – and Bumblebee, Speedy, and Aqualad – would all start off as full members of the League, as will Kid Flash.”
“Really?” Raven asked, surprised. Beast Boy was now finally giving what was being said his full attention.
“Yes,” Superman stated. “We know why you especially would have issues with us, but as far as we’re concerned, you have more than proven yourself, and that goes for all of you.”
“So, we’d have to add two new members?” Robin asked.
“Ideally, yes,” Batman said. “You each will have some decisions to make, but if you all decide to stick together and stay in Jump City, you can keep the team at five for a while if that’s what you want.”
“Why would we not wish to stay in our home?” Starfire asked, puzzled.
“One US city has because a major problem in terms of crime, and there are some strong indications that metas are moving into it as well,” Batman stated.
“Blüdhaven,” Robin almost spat.
Batman nodded. “That will have two teams, at least for a while; one team, like yourselves, out in the open, and a smaller group undercover, led by Speedy. It will be the toughest assignment, and you, as a group, or a team led by you, Robin, if you split up, would be our first choice. However, that doesn’t mean it should be your choice. You need to do what’s best for yourselves, and you need to decide that by yourselves. You might want to stay in Jump, especially if you are all attached to the city. After all, I wouldn’t give up Gotham or Superman Metropolis! Thanksgiving is next month. We’ll arrange for cover in Jump for a week over the holiday, and you five can decide what you want to do. That will give you each time to think about our offers, and then time to decide, individually or collectively. We’ll organize the teams after Christmas, and make the announcements by late January.”
“And before you ask,” the Martian added, “yes, we do have other offers for each of you to consider. For example, Starfire, we have a rapid action response team for threats from outer space. You could either join it full time, or, if you are on a team of seven or more, be a part time member. We would hope you could be an auxiliary member in any case.”
Fate took over. “Raven, if you desire to acquire greater skill over your magic, we could either work part time, if you stay in a group, or you could work with me full time until you have mastered it, and then either work directly for the League or join or rejoin a group at that point.”
“Robin, you already know what we have in mind for you,” Batman said. “Cyborg, you have already earned two master degrees on-line, in programming and electrical engineering, and have three patents. Like a few others, you could work in the Watchtower on our tech projects full time while being a part-time field agent. If you stay with a group and whatever group you’re in has at least seven, hopefully you’d still work on our projects part-time.”
Batman turned to Beast Boy. “The group leaders are not fully set. Bumblebee will stay in charge of the Titans East, Kid Flash will lead one North American group, and Aqualad will lead one either from Puget Sound or, if this entire teams goes to Blüdhaven, from Jump. One of the other new leader spots could be yours, although we’d like to give you some training. You proved yourself a field leader, but we’d want you to learn more about team training, detection, and the like. If you and Robin would join me after the meeting, I have some details. Cyborg, Superman will brief you. Starfire, the Manhunter will brief you. Raven? If you would meet with Dr. Fate?”
Not even Robin took any real notice that the Green Lantern followed Raven and Dr. Fate out of the room believing he was just going in the same general direction.
“You wanted to see me?” the Lantern asked, a bit puzzled.
“I did,” Raven replied. “I asked Doctor Fate so that he could verify some things for you. So please, be patient.” She turned to Dr. Fate. “Do you know about Azar?”
Fate nodded. “She was an extremely powerful mystic. She founded a society which quickly set up several utopian settlements. She somehow gained access to a pocket universe, apparently consisting of a single planet in a solar system, although they only used one area for a small area, which often appeared to exist as a city in its own mystical universe, and supporting fields.”
“Her followers believed she created that universe,” Raven commented. “At the least, she created the appearance that the city was its own dimension.”
Fate shrugged. “In any event, in moving some of her followers there, they came into conflict with Trigon, but were able to drive him out and then temporarily imprisoned him shortly after your conception. Azar had by then proclaimed a living god, or at least considered so holy she was nearly a god. She supposedly lived to be nearly two hundred. She appointed another powerful mystic to succeed her, who in turn did the same. This last Azar brought the rest of the followers from Earth to their dimension, Azarath. The last Azar died about nine years ago, and did not appoint a successor.”
“Actually she did, but the people would not ratify her choice,” Raven said.
“You?”
Raven nodded. “Each Azar passed on several gifts. One which the original Azar claimed to have passed down was that she would speak to her successors through a special vision language. This is what led to the group’s finding my mother. I started hearing that language in my dreams several weeks ago. I, perhaps foolishly, connected the warnings to our fight with the Brotherhood. Last night, the vision was both much more urgent and much more explicit, and directed me to find the two of you.”
“And what is this warning?” Fate asked. The Green Lantern merely looked disinterested.
“Does the term ‘Clatorian’ mean anything to you?” she asked the Green Lantern.
“Not at all. . . .” Stewart started, but then he looked down at his ring in shock. “Whoa!”
“What?” Fate demanded.
Stewart was glaring at the ring. “What is going on? . . . What do you mean, ‘it’s classified!’” He looked up. “I don’t know what it means, but it seems like that word means something to the Lantern database.” He glared at the ring, but then said, “Whatever is going on, the Guardians will be looking into it.”
*
Thanksgiving
After returning from their trip to Tokyo, the Titans only had a few days to prepare for Thanksgiving and their decision making. Like the trip to Japan, Beast Boy was initially prepared to treat this retreat more as a vacation than a time to decide his future, especially after he learned it was going to be at a Pacific coast resort in Mexico. Despite much rolling of eyes on the part of Robin and Raven, Beast Boy was allowed to talk them into being tourists for one full day. In part because of his actions in Japan, and in part because it seemed he was finally over Terra and they wanted to keep his attention elsewhere, the others had gone along with his plan. The next morning, Thanksgiving, Raven transported them to a small islet just off the coast. The rough seas would keep any other people away, and no one really wanted to risk being eavesdropped upon, even by the League.
Although they would not be having a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, the resort they were staying at was preparing something of a feast for them that night. So even if they had had a late breakfast, Robin and Cyborg had packed enough picnic baskets to make anyone observing them believe they were merely going out for an early al fresco lunch.
Raven and Robin spread out blankets on the rocks of the seaward side of the islet while Starfire distributed some cushions. Once the team was settled, Robin began. “We all know our choices. Does anyone want to start?”
“I shall,” Starfire piped up. “While I am willing to aid the Earth against any non-Terran invasions, I wish to stay on a team – this team.” She took Robin’s hand, something the group was already used to. “I would follow you to Blüdhaven, but I would prefer to stay home.”
“None of us are fully native to Jump City, although Cyborg comes close,” Robin pointed out, “and any city where we are would be home for me, but I understand what you’re saying.”
“Robin,” Raven said simply, but there was something in her voice that alerted the others, used to the slight nuances of her voice, that she was about to be very serious. Seeing she had their attention, Raven stated, “Robin, you followed me into hell. You saved me. You have proven yourself as a leader, my leader. If you will have me, I will follow you, and only you, for as long as I have a choice, no matter where.”
“Of course I want you on any team I lead,” Robin assured her.
“Choosing between two right actions is always difficult,” she went on. “Jump has been our home, and despite the changes it saw in the months we were away, it again feels like home to all of us. Blüdhaven would in some ways be the harder choice than staying in Jump, as the work would be harder. That is tempting to our egos, and so just as we must beware staying in Jump City because it is familiar and, perhaps, slightly safer, equally we must beware going to Blüdhaven because it stimulates our egos or because we worry members of the League would look down on us for not doing so. I will follow you either way, but I suggest, if we stay together as a team, we stay in Jump and train the least experienced heroes before they move on to other teams.”
That idea seemed to appeal to the others.
“I need to expand my horizons in terms of my tech work,” Cyborg said. “I would prefer to do it while still working mostly with the team. I don’t know if I would get much of it done in Blüdhaven, at least for the first few years there.”
“Do you want us to stick together as a team, Rob?” Beast Boy asked. “Where do you see us going?”
“I didn’t want to influence any of you, but yes, I would very much prefer we stay together as a team, or maybe, as Raven suggested, as a team who all act as trainers as well.” He sighed. “I have to admit, Blüdhaven is tempting – it’s a big job, and, I guess because it’s so close to Gotham, it just irks me that it’s so out of control.”
“Understandable,” Raven agreed.
“I should also tell you that Batman is training two people. One is still almost a year younger than I was when we all met, the other younger still. I will be giving up my Robin persona, and one of them will be the new Robin. I’ll become Nightwing sometime soon.”
“Oh!” Starfire exclaimed, distressed.
“Don’t worry, I’ll still be me,” Robin assured her. “It will just be a different costume.”
“One that doesn’t look like a traffic light?” Raven teased.
“Very droll,” he teased back. Robin turned to Beast Boy. “What do you think about all this?”
“Well, it’s so totally cool that the League thinks I could lead a team,” Beast Boy admitted. “And I do think I could lead one in the field. But I know how much work you and Cy have to put into keeping the team trained and going. I mean, yeah, the League will be helping with the budget and stuff, but not the training so much. And you two have really made us part of the Jump City community. It’s not just because there are five of us that we find the time to visit special needs kids and hospitals and old folks homes and raise money to help with the damages, it’s because of how well you have us doing other stuff, while still leaving us enough time to do what we want, even if that’s playing video games.” He shook his head. “Not for me, no indeed.” He looked at Robin with pleading eyes. “I’d prefer staying in Jump, though. I want a home, Rob.” The others pretended not to notice that he had glanced at Raven when he said that, although Raven flushed a bit as she felt his emotions. Robin and Cyborg had wondered if Beast Boy was transferring his attentions back to Raven, which had happened a few times in the past, and this seemed to confirm the idea.
“Making the world a better place is important to all of us,” Raven said, in part to distract herself. “We give, and what we mainly get back is the satisfaction of making a difference. We’ve made a difference in Jump City, and no offense to anyone the League brings in, they won’t make the same difference, at least over the short run. We shouldn’t avoid Blüdhaven because it will be harder, but as I said we shouldn’t take it in order to ‘prove’ ourselves.” After a moment where no one else wanted to speak, Raven went on. “Let me ask you each a different question. Where do you want to be in twenty to twenty-five years?”
Seeing the blank stares, Raven explained. “”We’ve been at this for almost four years. I just turned nineteen, Beast Boy is a few months younger than I am. Robin, you’re going to be twenty-one in a few months, and Cyborg, you’re going to be twenty-three even sooner. Starfire, translating Tameranian into Terran, chronologically you’re almost the same age as Robin, but biologically you’re closer to my age. Beast Boy, you and Robin should age fairly normally. Do either of you really think you’ll be able to be an active crime fighter at forty-five? Well, maybe if you’re lucky, but how much older will you be before your reflexes start losing their edge and the injuries catch up to you, no matter how lucky you are and how good of care you receive? Starfire, you should be able to keep going for at least another thirty-five to forty years, rather than at best twenty-five to thirty, but it will still catch up to you. I have no idea how I’ll age, and no offence Cyborg, but you might not either. Active crime fighting is not a career that will last any normal, or at least normally aging, person for anything like a normal working life.”
“I have a secret identity, even though you all have known it since at least that stupid race in the desert,” Robin reminded them. “I have an on-line degree in electrical engineering and am almost finished with one in criminal justice under that name. I already have technical ownership of some parts of Batman’s business interests, so if nothing else, I’ll step in and run them more directly when I retire. On the other hand, if the League stays operating, I would imagine there will be a place for older investigators and consultants.” Some of the League members were starting to show their age in the field, and the group was trying to figure out how to deal with that.
“If I can keep up with the technology, I’ll always have a job somewhere,” Cyborg answered with a shrug. “I’ve already inherited enough shares in S.T.A.R. Labs to mean I shouldn’t starve even if I was out of work. And if my Dad’s spin-off company stays successful, who knows?”
“Thanks to Raven pushing me, I finished my G.E.D. last summer,” Beast Boy said. “I’m finishing two on-line courses in biology, but I don’t know if I’m going to get a degree or not. And I’m also sort of like Cyborg, and maybe Robin. I don’t know if I’m still in line to inherit anything from Mento or Elasti-girl, but if I do, I could be at least as well off as Robin. If I don’t, my parents left me enough that I wouldn’t starve once I hit twenty-one.”
“Raven has also helped me to earn the General Education Diploma,” Starfire put in. “I have also earned more than enough credits in the astro-physics and maths for two master degrees, but still need some of the general education requirements for the basic degrees. Still, I do not know what I would do. . . .”
“What is it, Star?” Robin asked as she hesitated.
Starfire blushed. “It is possible, I might want . . . to start a family, but there is time for that.” Robin blushed as well.
“I earned my G.E.D. some time ago,” Raven said. “Robin helped me create a secret identity of sorts – or at least a legal one – Rachael R. Roth. I’m nearly finished with on-line degrees in Comparative Literature and Philosophy. I’m not sure where that might take me, if anywhere.”
Robin made his decision. He took off his glove, leaned over, and took the somewhat startled Raven’s right hand in his. “Rachael Roth? Hi, I’m Richard Grayson. I understand we’re both going to be living in Jump City. My friends call me Richard, or maybe Rich.”
Beast Boy Smirked. “Not D. . . .”
“No!” He wanted to leave that behind him.
Beast Boy smirked. “Hi! I’m Garfield Logan! Call me Gar. I live in Jump City, too!”
“Victor Stone, glad to meet y’all!”
Starfire added, “The name on my education information is Kori Anders, but please still call me Starfire.” She looked a bit lost. “We are staying home but giving up the heroing?”
“We’re just being a bit silly,” Raven assured her. “Someday, I might have to be Rachael Roth to the world every day, but no matter what, I shall always be Raven of the Titans, and your sister.”
“Anything else we need to talk about before we dig in?” Robin asked.
Cyborg turned to Raven. “Have either of you heard anything about what those Lantern Guardians might have found?”
Robin shook his head. Raven frowned. “I know it couldn’t have been a false alarm.”
*
That evening, Robin and Starfire took a blanket and went to sit under the stars on the beach. Meanwhile, Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy played cards in Raven’s room.
The Titans’ card playing dated back to the early days of the team, as both Cyborg and Robin had urged them to find some activity they could all do together. Starfire and Beast Boy were naturally gregarious, and Cyborg was not too far behind. Robin wasn’t, but was willing to be so every once in a while, at first for the sake of the team, and later in part because he enjoyed it as well. After some debate, and failed attempts at board games, Cyborg had come up with card games. Only Beast Boy had wanted to play poker, which Robin, Raven, and Cyborg had quickly shot down. Raven had been willing to go along with other card games.
When all five played, which happened about once a month, they usually played rummy with a double deck, although they sometimes tried various games requiring special decks. When they played four-handed, the game depended largely on who wasn’t playing. Robin was the Titan most often missing, but Cyborg was missing almost as often, as he had upgrades to install in the Tower (and his car and the T-ship), as well as some maintenance he wouldn’t trust to outside contractors. Even Beast Boy was not always able to play – he was the Titan who almost always sported the most bruises and other minor injuries, due to the nature of how he fought. Even with Raven’s healing powers, Beast Boy was almost always the first to bed on days they had seen combat. Neither Starfire nor especially Raven missed a card game too often.
When Beast Boy was playing and they weren’t playing a game requiring a special deck, the quartet would usually play pinochle, hearts, or spades. When he was the one missing, the others usually played whist or bridge. When there were just three players, they played rummy or, as tonight, pinochle.
The trio was about half way through their second game when Cyborg pointed out, “Hey, Rae, it’s your turn.”
Cyborg and Beast Boy both looked up from their cards, and saw Raven was motionless and unblinking. Even odder, as they watched, he eyes started glowing a light blue.
“That’s new,” Cyborg said, concerned.
“Yeah, we’ve had red, white, and even black, but I don’t remember blue,” Beast Boy agreed. He cautiously laid down his cards and edged away from the table. Whenever Raven’s eyes glowed, her powers were being engaged in some manner.
Seeing this, Cyborg followed suit. He also engaged his communicator.
“Cyborg? I hope this is important!” Robin’s voice came through. Both Cyborg and Beast Boy had been teasing their leader since he and Starfire had started dating.
“Raven is in some sort of trance, and her eyes are glowing blue,” Cyborg reported.
After a brief pause, Robin admitted, “Okay, that’s important, and new. You’re in her room?”
“Yeah, and the balcony doors are open.”
“We’ll fly up.”
“Err, you might want to hurry. That glow is changing color!”
By the time Starfire and flown herself and Robin in through the balcony doors, the glow had gone through several types of blue-green hues, and then green ones. Then, as Raven collapsed with a loud grunt of pain, a sphere of green led sped from her eyes out the doors and up into the sky.
Raven fainted.
Although they did not know it, across the world, every mystic at least winced in pain, many also passing out. The spirits inside Dr. Fate’s helmet screamed in terror. In Australia, the most powerful and experienced Dreamwalkers started walking towards Uluru. In the hidden valley of Shangri-La, the entire population stopped what they were doing, and then started to congregate at the lamasery. A few valleys away, a small elderly-looking woman stopped her morning exercises in shock, a very sad look coming over her face. She called her guardian spirits to her, and with a bow transformed each into a carved stone. She picked them up, walked into her house, and less than an hour later was on her way to find the last person she had found interesting as well as worthy of giving any training to.
Far up in space, the Lantern guardian, who had been about to leave the solar system having found nothing wrong within the system, halted as he was hit by the green sphere. His eyes opened wide in shock, something few had ever seen. “No,” he said. “It cannot be!” Still, he knew he had to test this new information.
A Teen Titans fic, by DrT
Chapter III – Meeting the League II
129 days before the end of the world. This chapter starts two days after the last regular Teen Titans episode, but a few days before ‘Trouble in Tokyo’ as the Titans consider the ramifications of having dealt with the Brotherhood and the first signs of a new danger appear.
*
When the Titans were invited to visit the Watchtower a week after the Titans East and honorary Titans left Jump City, the five were hardly surprised, even though they wanted to continue to familiarize themselves with the changes in their city. The Brotherhood of Evil had had run-ins with many members of the Justice League over the years, and since the Brotherhood and many others were now ‘on ice’ (since that term of Beast Boy’s at least had caught on for obvious reasons), it made sense for the League to talk to the group again. Hopefully, unlike their last meeting with the League, this time without any confrontations. A response team from the League was again on hand while the Titans were away, this time consisting of Vixen, Supergirl, and a Green Lantern (Guy Gardner).
For this meeting, Batman chaired. The other League members present were Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern (John Stewart this time), the Martian Manhunter, and Dr. Fate. The Titans were a bit relieved to see that all the League members were (at least for them) somewhat relaxed.
“I don’t suppose any of you would care to speculate on some of the main reasons we’ve called you here?” Batman asked.
“Either it’s directly about what just happened with the fight against the Brotherhood, including the deposition of them now that they are in suspended animation, or it’s because Robin did such a great job in organizing younger meta-heroes around the world, you want to step in and take over,” Raven stated bluntly. She knew that Robin was still a bit leery of his mentor, while Beast Boy was still coming to terms with his encounter with the girl who might have been Terra. Therefore she was stepping in as the group’s speaker.
“Right on both counts,” Batman stated. “Let me say upfront that we will not be coercing you into anything. We just hope we’re making you such good offers that some combination of them will appeal to you.” Seeing no obvious response, he continued. “To be blunt, Robin made what turned out to be an error, which led to the Brotherhood tracking you and the honorary Titans down, but it was an error that most of us would have made in his position, unless it just hadn’t occurred to us to try it. We’re not going to say anything more about it, because knowing you as we do, Robin, you’ve scolded yourself too much about it as it is. Other than that, many of your plans went off well, and when they didn’t you all displayed the flexibility to fix them. This showed the capabilities of the entire group. Above all, you succeeded, and that always counts for a great deal in the end, as long as you have stayed within the moral guidelines, which of course you all have.”
Batman made a face. “As for the actual Brotherhood, every one of the leaders – Brain, Mullah, Madam Rouge, and General Immortus – have been under multiple death sentences for some time, in many countries. The various international authorities have agreed that their frozen persons will be smashed without being revived, and their remains cremated. While we in the League are against the death penalty, we recognize the various authorities’ rights to exact it, and while we will not accept the official invitations to witness the executions, we will not oppose those executions. The Doom Patrol, I understand, will be present for at least the Brain’s. None of the others captured were under any known death sentences, and how they are to be kept is still being debated. We’ll send along the information, and if you feel the need to comment on any of the criminals, please do so.”
From their reactions, it was clear that none of the Titans wanted to be present at the executions, not even Beast Boy, who had the longest history of opposing the Brotherhood. On the other hand, it was only two days since the girl he was still sure was Terra had dismissed him so harshly, and he was currently the Titan least interested in what Batman was saying.
“And yes, we would like to organize at least some of the people you gathered together, as well as some others. If you join in, in some form, there would be as many as fourteen groups by the end of next year, seven in the US and Canada, the rest elsewhere. Over time, there could be even more spread around the world. We talked with the Titans East this morning, and they’ve agreed to our plans. Most of the groups would have seven to nine members. We would also take some of the burden off of what Robin and Cyborg have had to do with your group – most of the budgeting and maintenance responsibilities, for example. Once they are organized, there would be settled ways to recruit and distribute new members. This wouldn’t be a Justice League minor league or training organization. It looks like, in the future, groups like yours will be more common, or at least more necessary, than lone heroes in urban areas. New Titans – if you allow us to use that name – would be associate members of the League from the start, and be offered full membership when we feel they are individually ready. However, full members are expected to usually stick with the groups. All five of you – and Bumblebee, Speedy, and Aqualad – would all start off as full members of the League, as will Kid Flash.”
“Really?” Raven asked, surprised. Beast Boy was now finally giving what was being said his full attention.
“Yes,” Superman stated. “We know why you especially would have issues with us, but as far as we’re concerned, you have more than proven yourself, and that goes for all of you.”
“So, we’d have to add two new members?” Robin asked.
“Ideally, yes,” Batman said. “You each will have some decisions to make, but if you all decide to stick together and stay in Jump City, you can keep the team at five for a while if that’s what you want.”
“Why would we not wish to stay in our home?” Starfire asked, puzzled.
“One US city has because a major problem in terms of crime, and there are some strong indications that metas are moving into it as well,” Batman stated.
“Blüdhaven,” Robin almost spat.
Batman nodded. “That will have two teams, at least for a while; one team, like yourselves, out in the open, and a smaller group undercover, led by Speedy. It will be the toughest assignment, and you, as a group, or a team led by you, Robin, if you split up, would be our first choice. However, that doesn’t mean it should be your choice. You need to do what’s best for yourselves, and you need to decide that by yourselves. You might want to stay in Jump, especially if you are all attached to the city. After all, I wouldn’t give up Gotham or Superman Metropolis! Thanksgiving is next month. We’ll arrange for cover in Jump for a week over the holiday, and you five can decide what you want to do. That will give you each time to think about our offers, and then time to decide, individually or collectively. We’ll organize the teams after Christmas, and make the announcements by late January.”
“And before you ask,” the Martian added, “yes, we do have other offers for each of you to consider. For example, Starfire, we have a rapid action response team for threats from outer space. You could either join it full time, or, if you are on a team of seven or more, be a part time member. We would hope you could be an auxiliary member in any case.”
Fate took over. “Raven, if you desire to acquire greater skill over your magic, we could either work part time, if you stay in a group, or you could work with me full time until you have mastered it, and then either work directly for the League or join or rejoin a group at that point.”
“Robin, you already know what we have in mind for you,” Batman said. “Cyborg, you have already earned two master degrees on-line, in programming and electrical engineering, and have three patents. Like a few others, you could work in the Watchtower on our tech projects full time while being a part-time field agent. If you stay with a group and whatever group you’re in has at least seven, hopefully you’d still work on our projects part-time.”
Batman turned to Beast Boy. “The group leaders are not fully set. Bumblebee will stay in charge of the Titans East, Kid Flash will lead one North American group, and Aqualad will lead one either from Puget Sound or, if this entire teams goes to Blüdhaven, from Jump. One of the other new leader spots could be yours, although we’d like to give you some training. You proved yourself a field leader, but we’d want you to learn more about team training, detection, and the like. If you and Robin would join me after the meeting, I have some details. Cyborg, Superman will brief you. Starfire, the Manhunter will brief you. Raven? If you would meet with Dr. Fate?”
Not even Robin took any real notice that the Green Lantern followed Raven and Dr. Fate out of the room believing he was just going in the same general direction.
“You wanted to see me?” the Lantern asked, a bit puzzled.
“I did,” Raven replied. “I asked Doctor Fate so that he could verify some things for you. So please, be patient.” She turned to Dr. Fate. “Do you know about Azar?”
Fate nodded. “She was an extremely powerful mystic. She founded a society which quickly set up several utopian settlements. She somehow gained access to a pocket universe, apparently consisting of a single planet in a solar system, although they only used one area for a small area, which often appeared to exist as a city in its own mystical universe, and supporting fields.”
“Her followers believed she created that universe,” Raven commented. “At the least, she created the appearance that the city was its own dimension.”
Fate shrugged. “In any event, in moving some of her followers there, they came into conflict with Trigon, but were able to drive him out and then temporarily imprisoned him shortly after your conception. Azar had by then proclaimed a living god, or at least considered so holy she was nearly a god. She supposedly lived to be nearly two hundred. She appointed another powerful mystic to succeed her, who in turn did the same. This last Azar brought the rest of the followers from Earth to their dimension, Azarath. The last Azar died about nine years ago, and did not appoint a successor.”
“Actually she did, but the people would not ratify her choice,” Raven said.
“You?”
Raven nodded. “Each Azar passed on several gifts. One which the original Azar claimed to have passed down was that she would speak to her successors through a special vision language. This is what led to the group’s finding my mother. I started hearing that language in my dreams several weeks ago. I, perhaps foolishly, connected the warnings to our fight with the Brotherhood. Last night, the vision was both much more urgent and much more explicit, and directed me to find the two of you.”
“And what is this warning?” Fate asked. The Green Lantern merely looked disinterested.
“Does the term ‘Clatorian’ mean anything to you?” she asked the Green Lantern.
“Not at all. . . .” Stewart started, but then he looked down at his ring in shock. “Whoa!”
“What?” Fate demanded.
Stewart was glaring at the ring. “What is going on? . . . What do you mean, ‘it’s classified!’” He looked up. “I don’t know what it means, but it seems like that word means something to the Lantern database.” He glared at the ring, but then said, “Whatever is going on, the Guardians will be looking into it.”
*
Thanksgiving
After returning from their trip to Tokyo, the Titans only had a few days to prepare for Thanksgiving and their decision making. Like the trip to Japan, Beast Boy was initially prepared to treat this retreat more as a vacation than a time to decide his future, especially after he learned it was going to be at a Pacific coast resort in Mexico. Despite much rolling of eyes on the part of Robin and Raven, Beast Boy was allowed to talk them into being tourists for one full day. In part because of his actions in Japan, and in part because it seemed he was finally over Terra and they wanted to keep his attention elsewhere, the others had gone along with his plan. The next morning, Thanksgiving, Raven transported them to a small islet just off the coast. The rough seas would keep any other people away, and no one really wanted to risk being eavesdropped upon, even by the League.
Although they would not be having a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, the resort they were staying at was preparing something of a feast for them that night. So even if they had had a late breakfast, Robin and Cyborg had packed enough picnic baskets to make anyone observing them believe they were merely going out for an early al fresco lunch.
Raven and Robin spread out blankets on the rocks of the seaward side of the islet while Starfire distributed some cushions. Once the team was settled, Robin began. “We all know our choices. Does anyone want to start?”
“I shall,” Starfire piped up. “While I am willing to aid the Earth against any non-Terran invasions, I wish to stay on a team – this team.” She took Robin’s hand, something the group was already used to. “I would follow you to Blüdhaven, but I would prefer to stay home.”
“None of us are fully native to Jump City, although Cyborg comes close,” Robin pointed out, “and any city where we are would be home for me, but I understand what you’re saying.”
“Robin,” Raven said simply, but there was something in her voice that alerted the others, used to the slight nuances of her voice, that she was about to be very serious. Seeing she had their attention, Raven stated, “Robin, you followed me into hell. You saved me. You have proven yourself as a leader, my leader. If you will have me, I will follow you, and only you, for as long as I have a choice, no matter where.”
“Of course I want you on any team I lead,” Robin assured her.
“Choosing between two right actions is always difficult,” she went on. “Jump has been our home, and despite the changes it saw in the months we were away, it again feels like home to all of us. Blüdhaven would in some ways be the harder choice than staying in Jump, as the work would be harder. That is tempting to our egos, and so just as we must beware staying in Jump City because it is familiar and, perhaps, slightly safer, equally we must beware going to Blüdhaven because it stimulates our egos or because we worry members of the League would look down on us for not doing so. I will follow you either way, but I suggest, if we stay together as a team, we stay in Jump and train the least experienced heroes before they move on to other teams.”
That idea seemed to appeal to the others.
“I need to expand my horizons in terms of my tech work,” Cyborg said. “I would prefer to do it while still working mostly with the team. I don’t know if I would get much of it done in Blüdhaven, at least for the first few years there.”
“Do you want us to stick together as a team, Rob?” Beast Boy asked. “Where do you see us going?”
“I didn’t want to influence any of you, but yes, I would very much prefer we stay together as a team, or maybe, as Raven suggested, as a team who all act as trainers as well.” He sighed. “I have to admit, Blüdhaven is tempting – it’s a big job, and, I guess because it’s so close to Gotham, it just irks me that it’s so out of control.”
“Understandable,” Raven agreed.
“I should also tell you that Batman is training two people. One is still almost a year younger than I was when we all met, the other younger still. I will be giving up my Robin persona, and one of them will be the new Robin. I’ll become Nightwing sometime soon.”
“Oh!” Starfire exclaimed, distressed.
“Don’t worry, I’ll still be me,” Robin assured her. “It will just be a different costume.”
“One that doesn’t look like a traffic light?” Raven teased.
“Very droll,” he teased back. Robin turned to Beast Boy. “What do you think about all this?”
“Well, it’s so totally cool that the League thinks I could lead a team,” Beast Boy admitted. “And I do think I could lead one in the field. But I know how much work you and Cy have to put into keeping the team trained and going. I mean, yeah, the League will be helping with the budget and stuff, but not the training so much. And you two have really made us part of the Jump City community. It’s not just because there are five of us that we find the time to visit special needs kids and hospitals and old folks homes and raise money to help with the damages, it’s because of how well you have us doing other stuff, while still leaving us enough time to do what we want, even if that’s playing video games.” He shook his head. “Not for me, no indeed.” He looked at Robin with pleading eyes. “I’d prefer staying in Jump, though. I want a home, Rob.” The others pretended not to notice that he had glanced at Raven when he said that, although Raven flushed a bit as she felt his emotions. Robin and Cyborg had wondered if Beast Boy was transferring his attentions back to Raven, which had happened a few times in the past, and this seemed to confirm the idea.
“Making the world a better place is important to all of us,” Raven said, in part to distract herself. “We give, and what we mainly get back is the satisfaction of making a difference. We’ve made a difference in Jump City, and no offense to anyone the League brings in, they won’t make the same difference, at least over the short run. We shouldn’t avoid Blüdhaven because it will be harder, but as I said we shouldn’t take it in order to ‘prove’ ourselves.” After a moment where no one else wanted to speak, Raven went on. “Let me ask you each a different question. Where do you want to be in twenty to twenty-five years?”
Seeing the blank stares, Raven explained. “”We’ve been at this for almost four years. I just turned nineteen, Beast Boy is a few months younger than I am. Robin, you’re going to be twenty-one in a few months, and Cyborg, you’re going to be twenty-three even sooner. Starfire, translating Tameranian into Terran, chronologically you’re almost the same age as Robin, but biologically you’re closer to my age. Beast Boy, you and Robin should age fairly normally. Do either of you really think you’ll be able to be an active crime fighter at forty-five? Well, maybe if you’re lucky, but how much older will you be before your reflexes start losing their edge and the injuries catch up to you, no matter how lucky you are and how good of care you receive? Starfire, you should be able to keep going for at least another thirty-five to forty years, rather than at best twenty-five to thirty, but it will still catch up to you. I have no idea how I’ll age, and no offence Cyborg, but you might not either. Active crime fighting is not a career that will last any normal, or at least normally aging, person for anything like a normal working life.”
“I have a secret identity, even though you all have known it since at least that stupid race in the desert,” Robin reminded them. “I have an on-line degree in electrical engineering and am almost finished with one in criminal justice under that name. I already have technical ownership of some parts of Batman’s business interests, so if nothing else, I’ll step in and run them more directly when I retire. On the other hand, if the League stays operating, I would imagine there will be a place for older investigators and consultants.” Some of the League members were starting to show their age in the field, and the group was trying to figure out how to deal with that.
“If I can keep up with the technology, I’ll always have a job somewhere,” Cyborg answered with a shrug. “I’ve already inherited enough shares in S.T.A.R. Labs to mean I shouldn’t starve even if I was out of work. And if my Dad’s spin-off company stays successful, who knows?”
“Thanks to Raven pushing me, I finished my G.E.D. last summer,” Beast Boy said. “I’m finishing two on-line courses in biology, but I don’t know if I’m going to get a degree or not. And I’m also sort of like Cyborg, and maybe Robin. I don’t know if I’m still in line to inherit anything from Mento or Elasti-girl, but if I do, I could be at least as well off as Robin. If I don’t, my parents left me enough that I wouldn’t starve once I hit twenty-one.”
“Raven has also helped me to earn the General Education Diploma,” Starfire put in. “I have also earned more than enough credits in the astro-physics and maths for two master degrees, but still need some of the general education requirements for the basic degrees. Still, I do not know what I would do. . . .”
“What is it, Star?” Robin asked as she hesitated.
Starfire blushed. “It is possible, I might want . . . to start a family, but there is time for that.” Robin blushed as well.
“I earned my G.E.D. some time ago,” Raven said. “Robin helped me create a secret identity of sorts – or at least a legal one – Rachael R. Roth. I’m nearly finished with on-line degrees in Comparative Literature and Philosophy. I’m not sure where that might take me, if anywhere.”
Robin made his decision. He took off his glove, leaned over, and took the somewhat startled Raven’s right hand in his. “Rachael Roth? Hi, I’m Richard Grayson. I understand we’re both going to be living in Jump City. My friends call me Richard, or maybe Rich.”
Beast Boy Smirked. “Not D. . . .”
“No!” He wanted to leave that behind him.
Beast Boy smirked. “Hi! I’m Garfield Logan! Call me Gar. I live in Jump City, too!”
“Victor Stone, glad to meet y’all!”
Starfire added, “The name on my education information is Kori Anders, but please still call me Starfire.” She looked a bit lost. “We are staying home but giving up the heroing?”
“We’re just being a bit silly,” Raven assured her. “Someday, I might have to be Rachael Roth to the world every day, but no matter what, I shall always be Raven of the Titans, and your sister.”
“Anything else we need to talk about before we dig in?” Robin asked.
Cyborg turned to Raven. “Have either of you heard anything about what those Lantern Guardians might have found?”
Robin shook his head. Raven frowned. “I know it couldn’t have been a false alarm.”
*
That evening, Robin and Starfire took a blanket and went to sit under the stars on the beach. Meanwhile, Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy played cards in Raven’s room.
The Titans’ card playing dated back to the early days of the team, as both Cyborg and Robin had urged them to find some activity they could all do together. Starfire and Beast Boy were naturally gregarious, and Cyborg was not too far behind. Robin wasn’t, but was willing to be so every once in a while, at first for the sake of the team, and later in part because he enjoyed it as well. After some debate, and failed attempts at board games, Cyborg had come up with card games. Only Beast Boy had wanted to play poker, which Robin, Raven, and Cyborg had quickly shot down. Raven had been willing to go along with other card games.
When all five played, which happened about once a month, they usually played rummy with a double deck, although they sometimes tried various games requiring special decks. When they played four-handed, the game depended largely on who wasn’t playing. Robin was the Titan most often missing, but Cyborg was missing almost as often, as he had upgrades to install in the Tower (and his car and the T-ship), as well as some maintenance he wouldn’t trust to outside contractors. Even Beast Boy was not always able to play – he was the Titan who almost always sported the most bruises and other minor injuries, due to the nature of how he fought. Even with Raven’s healing powers, Beast Boy was almost always the first to bed on days they had seen combat. Neither Starfire nor especially Raven missed a card game too often.
When Beast Boy was playing and they weren’t playing a game requiring a special deck, the quartet would usually play pinochle, hearts, or spades. When he was the one missing, the others usually played whist or bridge. When there were just three players, they played rummy or, as tonight, pinochle.
The trio was about half way through their second game when Cyborg pointed out, “Hey, Rae, it’s your turn.”
Cyborg and Beast Boy both looked up from their cards, and saw Raven was motionless and unblinking. Even odder, as they watched, he eyes started glowing a light blue.
“That’s new,” Cyborg said, concerned.
“Yeah, we’ve had red, white, and even black, but I don’t remember blue,” Beast Boy agreed. He cautiously laid down his cards and edged away from the table. Whenever Raven’s eyes glowed, her powers were being engaged in some manner.
Seeing this, Cyborg followed suit. He also engaged his communicator.
“Cyborg? I hope this is important!” Robin’s voice came through. Both Cyborg and Beast Boy had been teasing their leader since he and Starfire had started dating.
“Raven is in some sort of trance, and her eyes are glowing blue,” Cyborg reported.
After a brief pause, Robin admitted, “Okay, that’s important, and new. You’re in her room?”
“Yeah, and the balcony doors are open.”
“We’ll fly up.”
“Err, you might want to hurry. That glow is changing color!”
By the time Starfire and flown herself and Robin in through the balcony doors, the glow had gone through several types of blue-green hues, and then green ones. Then, as Raven collapsed with a loud grunt of pain, a sphere of green led sped from her eyes out the doors and up into the sky.
Raven fainted.
Although they did not know it, across the world, every mystic at least winced in pain, many also passing out. The spirits inside Dr. Fate’s helmet screamed in terror. In Australia, the most powerful and experienced Dreamwalkers started walking towards Uluru. In the hidden valley of Shangri-La, the entire population stopped what they were doing, and then started to congregate at the lamasery. A few valleys away, a small elderly-looking woman stopped her morning exercises in shock, a very sad look coming over her face. She called her guardian spirits to her, and with a bow transformed each into a carved stone. She picked them up, walked into her house, and less than an hour later was on her way to find the last person she had found interesting as well as worthy of giving any training to.
Far up in space, the Lantern guardian, who had been about to leave the solar system having found nothing wrong within the system, halted as he was hit by the green sphere. His eyes opened wide in shock, something few had ever seen. “No,” he said. “It cannot be!” Still, he knew he had to test this new information.
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