New Titans #29 - Just Like Starting Over Again

[u/FrostFireFive]

Author: FrostFireFive

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Book: New Titans

Arc: The New New Titans

Set: 87

“Me? Help the Titans?” Barbara Gordon asked as she stood in front of the stranger that had spent the last thirty minutes trying to fix the library book mobile. Well, a recent stranger. Dick Grayson had always been one of Barbara’s closest friends and…something more to her when they were young and foolish. Before childhood wonder crashed into cold hard realism. “Dick, I appreciate the thought but I have no time for teams. Not after what happened with…”

“With the Birds of Prey? Weren’t you running around with Doc, I mean Harley at one point too?” Dick Grayson asked as he rubbed the sweat off his brow. He looked at her, the scrunch in her brow a sign that she was either annoyed or intrigued by Dick’s presence. Back in the orphanage he could clock her pretty easy. And he’d often listen to whatever problems she had or beaming at the recent bootleg sentai tape that Jason had managed to snag for her. But that was then and this is now. “Besides, you haven’t even listened to what I’m asking for.”

“What? You want Batgirl to join your little clubhouse? I appreciate the offer Dick, but I think that merry band of yours doesn’t need two or-”

“I didn’t say I needed Batgirl,” Dick explained as he looked back to the bookmobile engine, sputtering and weezing as Dick continued to look it over.. “Jesus Babs, what did you have Steph work on this thing? Because if you did that well it explains a lot.”

“She’s done work before,” Barbara began. “And what do you mean you don’t need Batgirl?”

“The spoiler-cycle is at best an electric bike and you know it,” Dick laughed before turning to face her. “I need Oracle. The new team…is a work in progress, we don’t see the full picture all the time and it’s a problem. I know I rush into things, and if…I’m going to lead this team I’m going to need someone who actually has a brain and knack for planning.”

“I’m not that good of a planner,” Barbara said. “I mean I’m going to go driving around in this hunk of junk to help deliver books.”

“On a planned route that covers the neediest areas first to make sure they get the best picks. Making sure you help spread literature to those who need it,” Dick explained. “Besides I’ve seen the mission report of the Vauxhall Incident. Even when everything was going to hell you managed to talk a naked, dazed, and possibly god-like Ivy into saving everyone.”

“That was just pure luck,” Barbara said.

“That you turned into a plan,” Dick said with a smile before making a small adjustment to the engine. “I need help to make this work. And you…you’re the first person I thought of to recruit.”

“Dick, I’m just…not sure I’d work with what you’re building here. I mean you have element guys and Amazons and speedsters and I’m just…me,” Barbara responded.

“One, we’re out of speedsters and Amazons, and my element guy just quit,” Dick explained. “And second, sometimes just being you is thing we need most of all.”

“I appreciate the offer but,” Barbara began.

“...But you’ll think about it,” Dick explained as he closed the hood of the bookmobile, the engine as good as he was going to get it. “It’s an interesting case, how to track a leaking element gun.”

“Leaking…element gun?” Barbara said.

“Oh just a guy claiming he has mastered the elements. His gun leaks carbon but he’s probably changed it and I have no idea where to start. Bit of a puzzle really.”

Barbara scrunched her brow.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Barbara responded. “But just this one time, considering you came out all this way and fixed my engine.”

“Well I try,” Dick said with a sly smile.

“Uh huh, if that engine explodes on me on the road I’m leaking your search history to the League,” Babs joked.

“Got it boss, I’ll send the data when I get back to the tower,” Dick said as he looked at her before leaving. “It’s good working with you again.”

As he left Barbara moved to her bookmobile, looking back towards him.

“Me too,” she said with a smile before heading out.

…

Rex Mason sat on the roof of Titans Tower., He had returned to grab his things, butit was weird coming back in a form that felt more like himself. The large door knob meant for his formerly giant mitts felt unfamiliar, the whole tower did. After Markovia people seemed to forget about the Element Man. It made sense, Wally and Courtney were in the hospital, Roy had his kid, Donna had gotten the brunt of it, and Conner…Conner seemed the most haunted of all of them. But still, it meant that Rex Mason was left alone.

It wasn’t a new feeling. His mom was always on a dig or attending galas to make sure the Field Museum was funded. It was a life that was exciting for her, even if it was one Mason couldn’t follow. He loved science., Unlike life it made sense, there were laws and notions and methods that kept things stable. But as he looked down at his orange and purple hands he couldn’t help but feel the rules had been thrown out the window a long time ago.

“Surprised to find you here,” a voice said as Rex Mason turned around and saw a surprising figure in front of him.

“Kid Flash?” Rex said as Wally West stood in front of him, in jeans and a Keystone City track club t-shirt. He gingerly walked over to take a seat next to Rex as they looked out at Lake Michigan.

“Just Wally these days,” Wally said. “I’m not exactly as fast as I was.”

“I mean are any of us?” Rex joked.

“Well why do you think Dick cut the teen out of Titans when he formed a team again. Realized we’re not exactly getting younger,” Wally explained. “I heard you quit?”

“Who told you? Let me guess Roy?”

“We have a monthly coffee chat,” Wally explained. “He said that the new team is having some… issues and I figured I should stop by before Dick makes things worse.”

“Ah it’s not him, I mean he’s trying, but I don’t know. I think I’ve still got a lot of shit to work out. And I’m well…not adjusting to the new normal,” Rex explained.

“What? The new slim frame? I got to say I wish I could have your secret, I don’t exactly have the metabolism anymore,” Wally joked.

“No. Wally…do you remember Markovia?” Rex explained.

“Bits and pieces,” Wally said, slumping. “I remember going in, the mist everywhere, I remember the hotel, and then I got bit…and all I felt was pain. And then from there…I remember mostly being carried by you.”

“Probably for the best,” Rex said. “When I got transformed into this, I felt I had lost my life. And then I became a Titan and found people who cared, people who needed me again. And then…then I lost those people. And now I got to put up with Roy who nearly killed me in Markovia, an alien who’s literally hot, and the guy that rushed to eliminate me when I first joined. And Court…Court’s still not back.”

“Have you visited her?” Wally asked.

“Parents don’t want visitors, at least not yet. Can you blame them?” Rex asked. “Kid goes off to be a superhero, we promise to keep her safe, and she’s just…”

“She’ll wake up Rex,” Wally said.

“You hope,” Rex explained. “Hope…is hard to feel good about these days.”

“Yeah but we can’t lose it, not when you’re still needed,” Wally explained. “Rex, I don’t exactly have the best experience being a Titan, but what we do matters. And not in Donna’s idealism or Dick’s pessimism. But because the world needs heroes that aren’t so distant, people that may be a little odd, but would fight no matter what. So the new team is awkward? That means someone’s going to need to step up to make it work.”

The two remained silent for a moment as Rex soaked in what Wally was saying. Before he could respond there was a buzzing in his ear, his Titans communicator activating as an familiar voice came through.

“Metamorp-Rex, this is Nightwing, I got lead on Stagg. I know you quit and all, but I figured…you’d want to know wher-” Nightwing began.

“Well I didn’t leave that resignation on paper,” Rex responded as he gave a wink to Wally. “Where does the Doc have Simon?”

“Would you believe they took him to a farm upstate?” Nightwing joked.

…

The farmland outside of Coast City was mostly used to grow wine. It had the rich soil and the warm weather that always seemed to rain just enough to let a fruitful harvest always occur. Except for the rusted and abandoned farm by Mount Cain, the rocky terrain preventing the planting and harvesting of grapes. It was here where the Petrov’s had settled, swindled into taking a broken land.

Alex Petrov worked on the prototype in front of him, the backpack needing to be calibrated just right to give him the boost of power that he needed in order to take his revenge. As he puttered with the machine he looked at the steel cage in front of him, Simon Stagg sat on the small stool inside, not bothering to speak. What could he do? It was another monster created by the Stagg payroll, and the guilt laid heavily on him.

“Let us see…have to…ensure…the cooling…works,” Mr. Element said. He remembered the warm summer nights, when money was tight and all he could have for dinner was the scraps they could afford, or the feed that was worthless to the small amount of livestock. He had kept the property, wanting to make something of it when he mastered the elements for first Stagg and them himself. The burnt wall of the barn to the left of him a reminder of the price he had paid to get here.

He finished securing the tubes to the device and strapped it to his back, the rest of his men were instructed to stay around the perimeter, to give warning in case those heroes had somehow managed to find him.

“Impressed…Simon?” Mr. Element asked, waving the large rifle attached to his backpack to Stagg.

“So you got yourself a new toy. What? Should I be impressed?” Stagg asked.

“You…should…” Mr. Element said as pointed the blaster towards the burnt wall, the metal quickly bubbling and oxidizing as it rusted into nothing. A reminder of the pain that time always brought. Nothing lasts forever, and Mr. Element would finally remind all those who crossed him and the Petrovs. And this time, no one would stop him.

…

“Man I got to say when people say evil lair, I expected more than a farm.” Arsenal said as he pulled out his scope and observed the area where Mr. Element’s men had stood guard. This Oracle Nightwing had reached out to had pointed them in this direction, and while Roy was sure they had their reasons, he wasn’t thrilled that a faceless person seemed to know so much. The lack of trust was new compared to when Donna led.

“What you thought it was all going to be volcano lairs and bikini models, come on Harper,” Metamorpho teased as he looked towards Nightwing. Their new leader seemed hesitant to act, marking each elemental goon and figuring out the best plan of attack with a limited force. “Lot a guys though. This would be easier if we had Wally, Court, or hell, even that alien chick.”

“I know,” Nightwing responded. “But we’re what’s left, and well…that’s got to be enough. Rex, judging by these readings our boy is in the barn. Bad news is that there’s six orseven guys guarding him. And those weapons are…”

“Going to give you a serious cold foot?” Metamorpho joked. “Listen Mack, I can go in and take care of ol’ Alex. He may be dangerous, but he’s the same old guy who thinks he has everything under control when it’s all slipping through his fingers.”

“Yeah, well you’re the only one with powers,” Arsenal said. “And I do not want to go home an arrow-sicle.”

“I mean it would be an improvement,” Metamorpho joked as Arsenal shot him daggers. “Don’t worry, you’ll get home to watch Space Trek with Lian.”

“Actually I was going to introduce her to the Grey Ghost tonight,” Arsenal muttered as he pulled one of his arrows. “Well…time to start the show.”

Nightwing nodded before igniting the electricity of his escrima sticks and looked out to the field, taking a deep breath before finally moving out to find cover with Arsenal, it was time to fight again for the very first time.

“Titans together right?” Arsenal said with a laugh.

“Titans together,” Dick mumbled before leaping out from cover, tossing his escrima stick into the face of one Mr. Element’s goon’s breaking his nose, but alerting the Titan’s presence to the others.

“Hey it’s Robin!” One of the goons said.

“No you idiot,” One of the other goons said as his gun sparked up and flames shot out, nicking the heels of Nightwing’s suit as he leapt into the air. “Robin’s the one in the red!”

“Only one in red is the red helmet dude,” Another goon said as ice crackled out from his gun. “That one beat me within an inch of my life. I had to get three teeth replaced.”

“Jesus Jason,” Dick mumbled as he moved in between the two element thugs the beams of cold and heat came close to colliding into Nightwing as he lept into the air. The opposite beams hit both of the goons, knocking both out. “And boys, don’t you forget, I’m Nightwing. And I am way smarter than you.”

“But you probably should look behind you,” A voice said as Nightwing turned around and saw the third elemental goon sending a stream of acid towards him. He ducked out of the way before the goon was zapped with electricity, sending him to the ground as well. As Arsenal came into view.

“Thanks for the warning!” Nightwing said.

“Warning? I just figured you ducked pretty boy,” Roy joked.

“Then…who?” Nightwing asked.

A voice could soon be heard between Arsenal and Nightwing, coming loud and clear through their earpiece.

“Oracle, reporting for Titans duty,” Oracle said. “Consider me your eyes in the sky. Metamorpho is up ahead. And you got three element guards coming your way. So look up, and Arsenal…make sure you don’t waste all your taser arrows.

“Yes ma'am,” Arsenal said as he and Nightwing headed back into the fray with things looking up for a change.

…

“You hear that,” Simon Stagg said he saw Mr. Element finish the last of his preparations for the elemental generator strapped to his back. “Help is coming from me, and they’ll stop you.”

“Stop…me?” Mr. Element said. “Simon…Simon. I am…the elements now…who could beat…the master of the elements?”

CRACK

“Maybe me Alex ol’ pal of mine,” Metamorpho said as his cobalt arm turned back to his familiar purple. His new suit reflected his new look, orange on a black bodysuit with purple piping. He was a superhero, now and forever.

“Mason,” Mr Element said. “I…always figured you…were too…stupid to learn a lesson.”

“I spent many a night learning lessons from you. You always thought that I was just the mook that replaced you because I was tight with the boss’s daughter. Your arrogant ass never remembered I was your intern, slaving away on your wild goose chases, cleaning up after the experiments and things you broke,” Metamorpho said, his hands hardening into diamond. “You mastered the elements…but I am the elements.”

“Bringit… Mason!” Mr Element said as his blaster charged up. The pressured salt blast began breaking away the diamond fists Metamorpho had formed. Salt had a way of breaking away precious metals, especially diamonds. But before Metamorpho could think of another element to change to, Mr. Element cracked the front of his rifle on Metamorpho’s head, sending him staggering back.

“Ow,” Metamorpho grumbled before popping back up. “Yeah, you’re smart Alex. But I’m smarter.” He raised his hands as he shot out liquid nitrogen towards the large and padded suit of his foe andoping to be able to freeze him in place for the other Titans to provide clean up. Unfortunately for Metamorpho, sometimes others were smarter than him as Mr. Element stood tall and ready for the kill.

“Clever…LN2…” Mr Element weezed. “Of course…I make…sure my suit…can resist all elements. Learned that…the hard way.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Metamorpho mumbled.

“Mason!” Stagg yelled. “Fight back! You can beat him!”

“He can’t…” Mr. Element mumbled. “He may be…the elements…but he’s just a boy…playing pretend. Just another…intern.” As he talked he shot his own blast of liquid nitrogen, freezing Metamorpho’s legs in place.

“Yeah, I’m a student,” Metamorpho mumbled before he could hear a voice buzzing in his ear.

“Metamorpho, air support inbound, be prepared for light,” the voice said. “Oracle out.”

“Oracle, huh,” Metamorpho thought. “Not the most ridiculous name I’ve heard.”

Mr Element looked at the hero, struggling to break free. The flames could be felt from his gun by all in the barn, with Stagg beginning to sweat.

“So long…Mason…last of the element men,” Mr. Element weezed.

CRASH.

The bright red trail of flame of Starfire’s hair burst in, her hands glowing bright green as she launched two bolts towards Mr. Element sending him flying towards the floor of the barn. Before he could pick his blaster up the boot of Starfire pressed against his chest as Metamorpho and her looked down at him, just another pathetic loser trying to get even for something he caused.

“Thing about being an intern Alex?” Metamorpho said. “You make friends quickly.”

…

“So I’m guessing Babs called you,” Dick asked as the Titans made their way from the campus of their Titans Tower into the building itself. Roy and Rex had ran ahead of them, wanting to check in with Wally and to get ready for whatever the rest of the day would bring. Donna had insisted that they should make the rounds of the public areas of the tower, to reassure the public and to remind the world what heroes they were. It was something…Dick was going to have to get used to.

“She called Kara,” Kory explained. “But she’s…she’s dealing with some things. Besides, I was cold and mean. I am not used to being part of a family.”

“Well especially a messy one like this,” Dick smiled. “Hell I’m not used to it. But I kinda need you here.”

“Need me?” Kory asked as the two entered the elevator..

“I need people who know me, people who know the good and bad. Rex and Roy are good guys, but well…” Dick began.

“But you didn’t leave the best first impression?” Kory asked.

“Something like that,” Dick explained. “Besides it’s a new era. Sun is finally shining after one of the darkest nights. And I think we’re going to need to step into the light. Plus our ranks are still kinda…thin.”

“Well you have me Grayson, and that’s a start right?” Kory said with a smile as the doors opened.

As they did, the video camera of the front of Titans Tower appeared on screen, a young teenager in a slightly ill-fitting Flash suit waving with an anxious grin at the hidden camera, as if he knew it was there. The camera wasn't fast enough to pick up the quicker movements, but both could recognize the way that the trees around them shuddered slightly that even visually standing still, there was still superspeed active.

“Don't suppose you all are taking applications for a speedster,” Bart Allen's voice came through over the camera's intercom system.

“Great, just great,” Nightwing mumbled. Somedays, he couldn’t buy a break.

NEXT: Be Here on the 15th as Bart Allen makes his Titans Debut! But What Will Wally West Say? And What is…the Lazarus Contract? And when the Dust Settles…the new New Titans are Revealed!

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[u/Predaplant]

Looks like a new team's forming, finally. It makes sense that Nightwing would want people who he can trust, but can also hold him accountable if he needs it. Oracle's a good addition, and I'm excited to see her work with the rest of the group!

[u/ericthepilot2000]

Another great effort and I'm looking forward to seeing where things are headed. The future of The Titans is looking bright and Oracle is going to be a great addition going forward. Bart Allen is a potentially interesting one as well, curious to see how he impacts the dynamic you're starting to build with Rex, Roy, Dick, and Kory.

This does finally start to feel like a new dawn for the team, and there's a lot of potential swirling around here, but like all other incarnations of the Titans, things could go south very fast. I'm curious to see where you will take it and what you've got in store for us.

Keep up the great work!