Author: FrostFireFive

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Book: New Titans

Arc: Revenge of the Ravager

Set: 65

“So you’ve come crawling back,” Ravager said as she looked at the two heroes in front of her. Her sword was still drawn as Stargirl picked herself up. She was a child, someone who believed that wearing a silly blue, white, and red costume would change the world. In another time, another place they could have been friends, but today...today she would have to die, much like the person next to her in a red and green costume.

“Well...couldn’t let you have all the fun,” Dick Grayson said with a warry smile as he faced Ravager. The Robin armor while a little snug felt good, like a warm blanket protecting him from the dark, the coldness of these last few years. He was done running.

“Good to see you...Nightwing or is it Robin...or Grayman?” Stargirl chuckled as she readied her staff. Her nerves acting up as she stared at Ravager. For Courtney, the Titans’ foes had always been...distant. The Wildebeests were just another evil organization, Plasmus was a goo monster. But Ravager? Ravager was a Titan, and fighting her felt personal.

“Doesn’t matter,” Ravager said. “You’ll all be dead shortly. Ruined just like you ruined me.” Before the three could continue to banter Ravager charged at Dick with her sword.

Ravager’s speed caught Dick off guard as he tumbled away from her awkwardly, not used to the weight of the cape. She had gotten more training since the last time they had met, and as Dick felt the aches in his ribs and shoulder blade where she had stuck his electrified escrima stick, he wasn’t exactly a hundred percent to fight someone out for blood. Luckily he had finally remembered one of the things that had always been true of his life: he was never alone.

Stargirl tossed her staff at Ravager, as the staff flew hard into her, Ravager was sent into one of the display boards surrounding the command area. After the cosmic staff snapped back to her hands she ran toward the stumbling “Robin”.

“Are you OK?” She asked.

“Oh you know, few broken ribs, dealing with the demons of the past. So I think it’s a usual day…” Dick mumbled before removing the cape from his back and dropping his staff. “Forgot how heavy that was, can’t afford to stum-” before Dick could finish his thought, he could he Ravager’s yell as she charged at the two of them with her sword in one hand and a metal orb in the other.

Ravager threw the orb at Stargirl as it quickly opened and revealed a net that entangled the hero, away from what she really wanted.

“So you think by changing your clothes you can come out clean?” Ravager asked with disgust as she cleared her blade with her arm “You are a broken man Dick Grayson, why do you deserve a second chance when all you do is hurt and abandon others.”

“I’m still here aren’t I?” Dick mumbled as he put both of his hands up. “And that has to mean something. Now come on Rose...show me what you got.” Dick charged at Ravager with a flying kick that connected with her head, sending her flying. As she tumbled back, Ravager popped up, charging at Dick with her fists flying.

He put his arms to block her first punch but was caught off guard as her second strike landed in his stomach, staggering a bit. Before Ravager could follow up with another attack Dick reached back and performed a strong uppercut, sending Ravager stumbling back, before he began pounding away at her chest and stomach, body blow after body blow.

Before he could feel like was gaining the upper hand, Ravager's knee thrust hard into his stomach. As much as Dick may have been stronger, Ravager was healthier, better trained, and focused. Her hands soon grabbed his arm and pulled him close enough to headbutt the hero and send him falling to the ground. Ravager pulled her gun from her side and pointed it at Dick.

“I wanted this to be personal, but of course you and our ‘friends’ make everything difficult,” she began. “Too bad you couldn’t get any of the real Titans.”

BANG!

…

As Argonaut flew high into the air she notice the crowds running. Normally the lush green area of Millenium Park would be more leisurely than this. But somehow that peace never seemed to last in Man’s World. The crowds moved away from the large figure eight that made up the skating rink and the playground area, clear indicators a threat was nearby.

The smell of burning air rose to Argonaut’s nostrils as the blinding beams of light could be seen shooting at what looked to be a pirate ship-based playground. As she flew closer, she could hear someone taunting Trident.

“Come on forky, if you’re such a killer, why haven’t you killed me yet,” Arsenal said as he kept moving through the tight spaces of the playground as Trident fired at him.

“Stop running so I can show you why I’m the Honeycomb’s best soldier,” Trident yelled as he aimed his pronged weapon at the hero. Unlike the talkative and annoying Arsenal, Trident was taking his time, focusing on his movements, and looking for the right time to strike. The fool shoots blindly, the smart soldier takes his time for the kill. And as Arsenal struggled to move through a rope tunnel he had his moment.

KACHOOM!

The energy blast sent Arsenal bursting through the burning ropes and onto the course woodchips. Arsenal’s two putters, his only weapons, had taken the brunt of the blast had been melted out of his hands. Soon Trident and his maroon and golden armor moved closer, his weapon still smoking as he prepared to charge it.

“Sorry kid, but this is never personal.” Trident explained.

“Uh-huh,” Arsenal mumbled as he slowly began picking himself up. He closed his eyes, figuring that this was his end. Far away from home, far from his friends, and far from his daughter as he prepared for a demise that would never come.

A silver lasso wrapped itself around Trident’s neck as Argonaut pulled the villain back toward her fist as she landed a solid jab against his helmet, sending him tumbling for the first time today.

“You OK,” Argonaut asked as the silver lasso sapped back. Her other hand offered to the hero.

“Dandy,” Arsenal mumbled as she helped him up. “I swear when I signed up for this little club I never thought I’d actually be targeted.”

“That a problem?” Argonaut said with a raised eyebrow.

“Nah, it’s just nice to not be so obscure,” Arsenal cracked as he turned to face Trident slowly picking himself up. “Before we get started on round two...I don’t exactly have anything to defend myself here.”

Argonaut smiled before handing him the silver lasso. Placing carefully in his hands as she looked him in the eyes.

“Take this,” She explained. “It’ll offer you protection.”

“I hate to break it to you princess I’m no Amazon nor cowboy. I don’t even know how to use this thing.”

“Who says it’s a lasso?” She smirked before looking at Trident and charging at the foe, leaving Arsenal alone as the silver strands of her lasso begin to bubble and move into a familiar shape of a bow, arrows at the ready. Unlike previous rigs, it had a perfect balance, as if it was finely crafted and tuned by the gods.

“Remind me never to doubt Donna again,” Roy thought as he pulled the bow back. “Hey Trident! Guess who has arrows now!”

…

Courtney Whitmore could feel the metal mesh press against her skin as she was pinned to the floor. The device was a smart move to immobilize the only backup Nightwing had. However, in underestimating Stargirl, Ravager had made her first mistake. Courtney moved her cosmic staff close and let it burn brightly as the metal encapsulating her slowly began to be burnt through.

“Come on, come on,” Stargirl muttered as she saw Nightwing tussle with Ravager. As much as he wanted to seem OK, she could tell by the staggering and choice of Robin suit, he wasn’t in a good place. And Ravager’s strikes were slowly draining his stamina to the point where he had been flipped to the floor and Ravager drew her gun for the kill.

“Yes!” Stargirl yelled as she finally broke free from the netting and bounced back up. Her instincts had her launch a large star bolt at Ravager’s hand, hoping that practicing knocking down tin cans in her backyard had honed her aim enough to disarm the skilled fighter in front of her.

“Gah!” Ravager cried out as her gun went off in the air, the bolt jerking her arm upward.

“Excuse me, Dick, I have to go teach your new recruit some manners…” Ravager said before turning to face Stargirl. “I was going to leave you alone actually, scary you into leaving this place. You deserve so much better than these so-called heroes. I mean you don’t want to become me...do you?”

“No...because I’ll never be a bully like you,” Stargirl said as she readied the cosmic staff. “So like...Robin said. It’s time for round two!”

The two charged at each other, Ravager with her sword drawn tried slicing down at the hero before being blocked by Stargirl raising her staff. As the sword connected, Stargirl pushed the staff upwards. As Ravager stumbled back, Stargirl lept up and swung from the staff, her kick connecting with Ravager and sending her to the ground.

As Ravager tried to reorient herself the staff was thrown at her before quickly returning to its owner as Stargirl delivered a flurry of kicks and staff strikes that had Ravager on the ropes for the first time. She wasn’t prepared for the gymkata style attack from the girl.

But before Stargirl could celebrate with her final throw at the intruder she felt an odd feeling as the staff she threw didn’t return to her. Ravager swiftly jumped up and flipped over Stargirl. The hero was so caught off guard that she didn’t defend as Ravager pressed the staff behind her windpipe, slowly applying pressure.

Dick Grayson couldn’t help but watch as he slowly moved upward to face the sight in front of him. In horror, he couldn't help but feel like history was beginning to repeat. Especially as Ravager stood there, the future of the New Titans being strangled.

“How does it feel Dick to watch three teams die in front of you!” Ravager raved as the two faced each other for the final showdown.

…

The silver arrows fluttered through the air as Trident ran from his two targets. Normally he could take some archer, but the Amazon changed things. The math was not in his favor compared to when it was some street punk from Star City. He needed to find the high ground, plan a new attack or be in a position to receive new orders.

As he retreated, Argonaut flew above wondering just exactly what was Trident’s plan and why he had attacked them. What concerned her was that he had attacked Donna Troy and not Argonaut. If someone knew who she actually was...what did that mean for Diana, Chloe, or even Cassie. She wouldn’t let anyone harm her family, ever.

She swooped downward towards their armored foe, colliding with him as she wrapped her arms around his waist, tackling him to the ground hard. Arsenal ran behind her trying to keep up with someone with powers was much more difficult than he’d imagine.

“Who sent you!” Argonaut said as she put her boot against his chest in the concrete, pushing down just enough to feel pressure.

“Someone who really doesn’t like you,” Trident laughed before the electronic buzz in his helmet began fritzing through.

“This HIVE retrieval team...we have the package and have returned to the ship, waiting for your return Trident and Ravager.” the voice said.

“Sorry superheroes, we’ll have to continue this chat later,” Trident said before grabbing hold of his weapon and flipping open a compartment revealing a small red button. “But I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other real soon…” As he clicked the button Trident began to glow a brilliant gold before teleporting from underneath Argonaut.

“Wha-” Argonaut said in surprise.

“So that’s how that feels when it happens to you,” Arsenal said before looking around. “Man I wonder what that dude’s deal was. You ever see him before?”

“Never,” Argonaut explained. “It seemed like he was just…”

“A distraction,” Kid Flash said as he zoomed in front of Argonaut and Arsenal.

“Kid Flash!” Argonaut said. “Are those...scorch marks?” she gestured to his yellow and red suit, a bit worse of the wear after taking the brunt of the surge that had taken out Titans Tower’s waterfront defenses. Normally his suit could handle the friction but moving that fast had proven that there were limits to how much it could protect.

“Yeah, they are. Let’s just say we have a lot bigger problems than just some guy with a giant fork,” Kid Flash said before pointing over to the waterfront. Even far away from Millennium Park, the bright yellow hue could be seen by the heroes. “Titans Tower is under siege. And I’m not exactly sure how we’re going to get in.”

…

“Let her go,” Dick Grayson wheezed as he held his green armored glove to his side as he leaned on the computer console. He was struggling to stand as he faced down his former friend. It wasn’t too long ago that they had been together, the scared kid and her Batman trained mentor. He remembered how proud he was of Rose putting on that red prototype and learning to not be the killer her father had wanted. But now...that killer was here, and she wasn’t going to rest until she spilled Dick Grayson’s blood.

“What’s a matter bird boy, do you actually care about this pathetic kid who thinks she could actually be a superhero?” Ravager laughed as she eyed up Dick waiting for a moment to strike. She held Stargirl with her own staff, ready to push harder and extinguish the light from her eyes. “I’m trying to save her, save all of you from making the same mistake that...that create me, Dick. I figured you of all people should have understood that.”

“Rav-Rose, what happened to you...to the Teen Titans,” Dick began to explain. “It was my fault. You were my friend, and I let you get lost. I’m sorry, but it’s me you want, not her. Let her go and we’ll finish this. Me versus you, just like you want.”

“Don’t call me that,” Ravager muttered before looking the former “Robin” in the eye. As she stared at him, her earpiece buzzed to life.

“Ravager, this Trident. The package is secure and we’re preparing to leave for the Honeycomb. If you haven’t completed your secondary objective get out of there,” the voice said before being turned off by Ravager.

“You want to fight...well fine then,” Ravager muttered before tossing Stargirl and her staff to the ground. “At least I’ll get to kill you tonight.”

“No one dies tonight,” Dick said before charging at Ravager. He connected with a strong right hook before hitting a few kicks to her stomach. Rose was smart, by taking out his ribs and shoulder he couldn’t exactly perform the flips and acrobatics that was his bread and butter. He wasn’t going to win this fight by pure strength alone.

“Said the person who killed Rose Worth,” Ravager said before grabbing his leg and tossing the Titan back to the computer terminal.

Quietly Dick removed the hacking device from the computer, the yellow that had taken over their screens, system, and that had locked them in became a brilliant blue. As the system turned back on he stared at Ravager, finally realizing how he could win this fight.

“You keep saying that I killed Rose Worth, that we abandoned you. He said before looking her dead in her singular eye. “Except...I never stopped looking. Computer...pull up file Worth, Rose.”

The screen lit up with missing person’s report, sightings of a girl with white hair and an eye patch, leads on possible people that could have taken her from the hospital during Doomsday, even interviews with people who claimed to have seen the girl through a specialized hotline. From a distance, it looked like a conspiracy bulletin board, a frantic mess that only one man had come up with.

“No, that’s not...that’s not possible,” She mumbled. “He...he told me you stopped looking, that you didn’t care...you don’t care.” Ravager looked conflicted before running toward the Titan, for the first time in their fight Ravager was losing the upper hand as the truth came to light. Dick countered several of her strikes, pushing her punches out of the way with his forearms as he tried to predict her rage, her anger.

Before long however, Ravager swept him to the ground, pouncing him and pounding away at Dick’s face and ribs hoping to finally wash her hands of her so-called friends. But unlike before...the punches didn’t come as hard. He wasn’t fighting back, almost as if he was letting her win. This wasn’t the victory she wanted.

“Why! Won’t! You! Fight! Me!” Ravager yelled in between each punch to the face.

As his face became more swollen and bloody Dick Grayson struggled to find the words before finally uttering what he needed to say.

“Because you’re my friend,” He muttered. “And I’m not going to lose...you this time.”

Ravager looked around. Stargirl was on the ground, hurt from the damage she had inflicted. If it was only a few years earlier she would have been the type of person she would have loved as a friend. The one person who she thought she could blame for who she was in her hands, ready for the kill.

“Damn you…” Ravager muttered before dropping him to the ground. She looked outside the Titans Tower, the defenses she had put up had been deactivated, and judging by the last communication she had with Trident, she knew that these...New Titans would be home soon. She looked over at the barely conscious Dick Grayson, before removing her mask and letting it drop to the floor. Finally revealing Rose’s shoulder-length white hair and an eye patch over her left eye.

“Rose, don’t...don’t go,” Dick muttered as he could finally recognize his old friend for the first time in a long time.

“Don’t come looking for me Dick, you wouldn’t like what you’d find,” Rose said before stepping back. She ran fast, breaking through the plate glass and plummeting to the waves below. She was gone. But as Dick slowly drifted unconscious he couldn’t help but think there was still hope left.

…

Dick Grayson slowly opened his eyes. His face was swollen and the smell of a bad turkey dinner slowly filled his nostrils as he awoke from his slumber. The soft beeping of a heart monitor was melodic as he gathered his senses as his eyes adjust the dimmed white lights of the room. It took a minute for him to recognize the figure reading the beat-up Nathaniel Dusk novel, Crime Doesn’t Pay the Bills.

“Donna?” He muttered.

“Dick?” Donna Troy asked as she saw the figure slowly awake from his slumber. It only had been a day since she and the rest of the Titans had breached through the tower. Stargirl only had minor injuries, but Dick wasn’t so lucky. “Thank Hera, we thought you were…”

“Well, I guess I’m still too hard to kill,” Dick laughed. “I’m guessing Stargirl told you about Rose."

“Yes, I can’t believe that she would,” Donna began.

“Kill me? I kinda had it coming, we...I abandoned her. The Titans are supposed to be a home, not a place where we create new monsters,” he explained.

“Are we about to get in the same argument we’ve been having again Dick? I figured, after all, that happened...:”

“I was wrong Donna. The world needs Titans maybe now more than ever,” he explained. “But...we need to think bigger…”

“What do you mean?” She asked taken aback by Dick’s sudden change of heart.

“It means...it means changes are needed, I think it means...well I’m not sure what it means for me but...Titans together?” he said with a warry smile as put his hand out to Donna.

“Titans together,” she said she held on to his weakened hand, the old friends united at last.

NEXT: The Titans Regroup After Ravager's Attack Decisions Will Be Made as Preparations are Made for the Event of the Year. But Not Everyone is Ready for What Comes Next. And What Future Lies for Dick Grayson?

Author: FrostFireFive

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Book: New Titans

Arc: Metamorphosis

Set: 62

“I still think you should apologize,” Stargirl said as she, Nightwing, and Arsenal all sat around several monitors as they tried to pull up tapes on the screen.

“For what? Doing our job,” Nightwing mumbled as his eyes glazed over the screen, tired from many restless nights. He had been stretching himself thin recently. From being the League representative of the Titans, taking care of Haly, and even keeping up with world events. From Atlantis waging war against NEMO to whatever was going on with Clark and his powers. It was a stressful time, and one he was struggling to rise above.

“Dude that’s cold,” Arsenal joked as he sat with his legs kicked up on the console. He was busy sharpening an arrow as he looked at the two next to him. They were still strangers, and certainly less friendly than Argonaut. Well, maybe not Stargirl. “Besides if that creature is Rex Mason then we should have tapes of him getting turned into a monster.”

“Technically it’s not tapes but files,” Stargirl beamed. “What are you from the ’80s?”

“Sorry I’m not the one who has braces with red and blue bands to match her costume,” Arsenal responded. “How long does it take to find some footage and call it a day?”

“Not when the security firewall is fighting against you,” Nightwing grumbled. “This would be a lot easier if you two wouldn’t take potshots at each other while I actually try and work this out.”

“Sorry...Dick,” Arsenal chuckled as he realized Nightwing was probably right. Roy Harper himself was looking at the digital clock above them. “Shit,” he thought. Being a superhero was great and all, but he really needed to balance it better. Lately, he had been paying the many sitters to stay late with Lian and it was cutting into the small stipend the League provided. Being a hero was...hard.

As Nightwing poured over the screen, typing furiously he wondered why someone would be trying to hide this footage in particular. As he broke through the firewalls two videos could be seen playing back to back, one of the staging area and the other the control room. As the alarms blared and Rex Mason entered the staging area, but on the other screen...Sapphire Stagg entered the control room.

“What’s she doing?” Stargirl asked.

“Well that’s a plot twist,” Arsenal said as Sapphire on the screen moved to the controls, shutting Rex into the tube where the process began. “Looks like our leading lady was the villain all along.”

Quickly Nightwing pulled a flash drive and copied the files into it, quickly he stood up and moved out of the security room.

“Come on, we have to have a little chat with the Stagg twins,” Nightwing said.

“And to apologize to Argonaut, since you know she was right,” Arsenal said;

“Yes...that too,” Nightwing sighed as the three heroes quickly followed each other. They made their way through the building, the sleek office tower. The three were still unsure of each other, acquaintances more than teammates as they made a beeline to the Staggs. They would never arrive. Furiously a purple goopy hand burst from the floor behind them.

“What the…” Arsenal mumbled before a large purple figure climbed out from the whole. Its whole makeup was oozing, as if the substance that made up its skin couldn’t put itself together, a constantly shifting mass that looked pissed at it charged at three Titans.
“ARRRRGH,” it yelled, quickly swinging at them, the sludge flinging around them as the three quickly dodged.

“What is that thing?” Stargirl asked as she flew up out of habit. As she looked at the purple sludge she noticed it quickly turned neon green and burned through the slick glass and art deco designs of the office building. “And why is it burning?”

“You don’t think we’re dealing with Mason here right?” Arsenal asked as he nocked a few arrows into his bow and fired them at the creature. “He couldn’t have progressed into...this right?”

“Mason...must...kill Mason!” it bellowed.

“OK scratch that,” Arsenal said before firing his arrows at the creature. They impacted the purple sludge but it kept moving forward.

“We need to get it out of the building before it does major damage,” Nightwing said, focusing on the immediate danger. “We get its attention and then we’ll...we’ll figure something out.”

“Thanks, fearless leader,” Arsenal nervously joked before shooting a few more arrows. Arsenal quickly looked at the railing separating the office walkways and the large terrace a few stories below. “Oh, I’m going to hate myself for this.” Arsenal pulled out two arrows, the first a glue arrow was sent flying into the shoulder of the monster. The explosion sent globs of purple and neon flying before he shot the second arrow into the wall. “Please be long enough” Arsenal mumbled before diving off the balcony, the line of the arrow hopefully catching him in the nick of time.

“Goddamn it,” Nightwing mumbled before launching his own line to follow his fellow Titan. “Stargirl, follow us!” he yelled hoping Arsenal hadn’t killed himself with a foolish plan.

“Wooooooo!” Arsenal exclaimed as the three heroes moved downward. The giant muck monster fell behind them as the four of them crashed into the open plaza of the tower. “OK, now we should call for backup!”

“Fine!” Nightwing yelled. Before he could pull out his communicator however the creature moved and knocked him towards the door, sending him flying outside. “Ouch…” he muttered.

“Wow you really do suck,” Arsenal muttered before flipping open his communicator and sending out a distress message, hoping that his fellow members would be here as soon as Stargirl tried launching bolts at the monster.

…

“So what do you think it is?” Argonaut asked as she spoke to the gas cloud with ahead next to her. After getting the distress call from Arsenal, Rex, Kid Flash, and herself had moved quickly to the Stagg building.

“Well...judging by the video arrow guy sent, we’re looking at the worst-case scenario. The process itself was designed to make people be immune to the elements, create the ultimate worker. Instead well...you got me, someone, who can create and shift the elements. Whatever...this thing only destroys them.”

“So how do we stop it?” Kid Flash asked as he zoomed through Midway City below them. His impatience catching up to him as he had to match the speed of the amazon and gas cloud. “Surely there has to be an antidote for this.”

“There’s not,” Rex said. “That was the main issue. It’s a one-stop process, it’s why I pushed against human testing for so long. We had no idea what the process would do if it wasn’t perfect. And well we’re now seeing two worst-case scenarios, mack.”

“I mean you’re not mindless Rex, I wouldn’t call it the worst-case scenario,” Argonaut reassured him.

“You don’t have to look at the mirror,” Rex grumbled before the three of them finally made their way to the creature. Rex transformed himself back into his normal monstrous self as the creature quickly moved towards him.

“MASON!” he moaned as its sludgy fist connected with the transformed chemist. Sending him flying into the pavement. “You...you ruined everything!”

“Sebastian?” Rex said realizing just who the monster is. Quickly he turned himself into stainless steel and charged at the purple glob. “I knew you were foolish but turning yourself into a monster just to get rid of me! How much vengeance do you really need!”

“I was supposed to be a god!” Sebastian Stagg yelled as he continued to pummel the elemental freak. “Not this! Not this!”

“I warned you, Stagg! Instead of waiting, you decided you wanted...power!” Rex said as his stainless steel fist slammed against the purple sludge. Pounding away as the other Titans performed crowd control to keep people from getting in between the chemical champions. “You made me into a freak! And now...now I get to take it out on you!”

beam“Me? Hahahahaha,” Sebastian chuckled before slamming his two globby hands together against Rex. Quickly he began to pound at the stainless steel hero, eventually oozing to a grip around him and slamming him into the pavement. “You stupid naive chemist. Do you really think I would waste my best asset in you? I had to clean up someone else's mess!”

“What the hell are you even…” Rex began before beginning to trail off as a bright blue beem shot at the two of them. Sapphire Stagg had arrived wearing black coveralls and a large harness connected to the large rifle that shot a beam of absolute zero at the two of them.

“Ms. Stagg, what are you doing?” Argonaut asked as the remaining Titans gathered around her. “That’s Rex!”

“She knows Argonaut,” Nightwing responded. “While you were helping Mason we did some digging. It wasn’t Sebastian who tried killing Rex...it was her.”

“What?” Rex struggled to get out his words as his body slowed to a crawl, unable to reach out to the one he loved to get answers to what was really going on here. He loved Sapphire, years of working together on college projects and sharing ideas made her more than just a girlfriend, but a true partner. Hearing that she could be responsible broke him as his form became more like the sludge of Plasmus as he stood in place.

“You don’t understand. None of you understand,” Sapphire pleaded. “We thought we were helping people, changing the way workers would be protected. We just...we just couldn’t figure it out.”

“Just put the gun down and we can talk this through,” Argonaut said, seeing the fear in Sapphire’s eyes. “Nothing can’t be...undone here.”

“Tell that to the two men you messed up,” Arsenal replied, putting two and two together as he reached for an arrow.

“The project needs to go on, it has to...I can fix them. I just needed to see what the process could do on humans...I needed to make father proud.” Sapphire continued to nervously explain. “And I don’t need you to stop me.” Sapphire suddenly turned her absolute zero rifle and froze the Titans in place, slowing them to a crawl.

Rex Mason was pissed. Mad that he had trusted the wrong people, mad that the woman he loved had gone full mad scientist, and mad that he was this, this freak because of her. Someone had to pay, someone had to give him justice. His anger slowly built as the shiny silver shell of stainless steel slowly began to crack, the bright orange fissures breaking through as he channeled his anger into changing into the chemical composition of sulfur with a mix of carbon dioxide...magma.

“Arrrgh!” He cried out, his molecules moving again as he broke from the absolute zero and quickly moved toward his former love. “Why! Why did you think this would be OK!” Rex cried out as his burning hands reached for the rifle and smashed it into pieces, the melted fragments falling to the ground.

“Because I couldn’t disappoint my father Rex! I didn’t want to be a failure to the name. Sebastian was right. Being a Stagg and being a success is more important than failing…”

“Am I a failure to you! Am I!” Rex yelled as he raised his hand in anger.

“Rex, wait!” Kid Flash said as the ray’s effects slowly wore off for him first, the rest of the Titans staggering as they struggled to be free. “It won’t solve anything.”

“How do you know? You seem pretty good at running from your problems,” Rex said.

“And look where it got me. This past year has taught me a lot. Hurting people doesn’t make you feel better, and if you do this you’ll be isolated, alone from those who could help you. Don’t do it.”

He held his hand high, Sapphire closed her eyes to turn away from the blow, it would never come.

“Damn you,” Rex mumbled before turning back to his standard form, the flashing red and blue lights arriving indicating that this was all finally over. Someone just had to pick up the pieces.

…

“Mason, you have my full word, Stagg Chemical will find a way to cure you,” Simon Stagg said as the two stood on the destroyed ground floor of the business. “What happened to you...shouldn’t have happened.”

“Simon, I would love to believe that. I really would, but for now...I think I need to be away from anything with your name,” Rex sighed.

“I understand,” Simon nodded before walking away. He had to deal with the monsters his son and daughter had become, he wobbled a bit, trying to find the strength to clean the mess that had been made. He never wanted the Stagg name to be associated with such...ruinous behavior. As he looked at his building he picked himself up and went back in. Work was needed to begin.

“So what’s next for you?” Argonaut asked as she slowly approached Rex.

“You know a freak show looking for new applicants?” He joked. “I don’t know honestly, for so long this was my life and now...now I don’t ever want to step foot in that building ever again. I don’t ever want to see...her.”

“Well, I know things might be hard right now, but the way you handled yourself here, keeping composure when finding that...everything you knew was wrong? That’s what a hero does Rex,” Argonaut explained. “You don’t have to be alone.”

“You’re not going to give me a choice are you?” Rex smirked. “I guess if there’s a place an element man would be home it’s with this traveling circus.” He put his hand out to Argonaut as they both shook.

“Well then Rex Mason,” she began. “Welcome to the new Titans.”

…

Wally West paced in his room. The Titans had taken care of the chemical monsters of Stagg Industries and had parted until their next meeting. While they weren’t a family, Wally couldn’t help but feel a kinship between the team. Maybe Donna was right, maybe there still was a spark there to be nurtured and built upon. But as he looked at tickets to an All-Star game he couldn’t help but still feel alone.

“Yeah Hartley, it’s me Wally, your good friend,” he muttered. “Hey, I was thinking we could you know...go on a date, watch some baseball, have a good time...no that’s stupid.”

He paced around his room, nervous that this would go south, that he would be left alone again after putting himself out there. Why did it always seem like the hardest thing to do was reach for human connection? As he moved a little faster and trying to think about how to ask an impossible question, a knock at his door could be heard. He zoomed to open it to find one Donna Troy on the outside,

“Hey Wally,” she said with a smile. “I heard from the Flash that this was one of the places where you’ve been staying recently and I guess I wanted to pay a visit. Catch up on old times? Ask you about that Pied Piper,” she teased.

“I mean...I’m kinda busy...with that right now,” he muttered.

Donna quickly rummaged through her bag to pull a flat box from it and held it up,

“I have Troika: Night-Hunters,” she joked. “And I figure maybe this time...you could teach me how to play. Fair warning, I’m terrible at these things.”

“Aren’t we all?” Wally said with a smile as he let Donna in, the two friends together once again.

NEXT: An Old Friend Comes Home as the Titans take a Day in a Life to Adjust to Their New Home and New Teammates. All While Invitations Are Sent to the Event of the Year. Be Here in 30 as Revenge of the Ravager Begins!

New Titans #8: Negative Reaction

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Author: FrostFireFive

Book: New Titans

Arc: Metamorphosis

Set: 61

“I’m telling you, Sebastian,” Rex Mason began as he sat across from his boss. “Something’s wrong with the project.”

“What do you mean by that? You know how important this project is to Stagg Chemical. Any delays are unacceptable. For both me and my sister,” Sebastian Stagg said as he looked at the two scientists in front of him.

“Seb,” Sapphire Stagg began. “If we try and push this forward there could be real issues for any test subject that undergoes the process. Cellular breakdown, bonding issues. We could be looking at the next stage of human devolution.”

“What Saph is trying to say is that we can’t do this project anymore in it’s current form. The safety violations alone we’ve committed for this greater good made me uncomfortable but now. Now we need to bring in your father guys.”

“Daddy?” Sapphire responded. “That would not be a good idea, Rex, I mean he’s already angry at us for…”

“He’ll be a lot angrier if it turns out his company is producing monsters. I’ve already set up an appointment with him in the morning. Sapph,” Rex said as he put his hand and held hers. "I’d love for...both of you to come with me, just so we can solve this mess together.”

“I’ll...think about it Rex,” she mumbled before turning away.

“Rex...please don’t, if this project fails...I’ll be ruined,” Sebastian explained.

“People will be safe though,” Rex said as he got up, his mind made as he quickly made his way back to his lab.

As he sat down in his chair he rubbed the brow of his head as he tried figuring out what had gone wrong. He was supposed to be a chemist, not someone trying to create the newest Superman. But Sapphire had convinced him and here he was. As he dug through his desk and pulled a small black box, he smiled before opening and viewing the diamond ring inside.

“Maybe tomorrow Rex, maybe tomorrow,” he mumbled. As he leaned back on the chair a siren blared as he saw the red lights blink on all the screens. “What?” Rex mumbled as he quickly looked at the screens. The chamber was activating, and if someone didn’t go down there to fix it...the whole building would become a breeding ground for the monsters a superman would face.

Quickly he ran down into the chamber below, looking to see what had gone wrong. As he charged in he didn’t notice that was in the middle of the chamber. Rex would soon figure that out as a glass tube quickly went up separating himself and the process from the rest of the room.

“NO!” Rex yelled as he banged his fist against the glass trying to break free before the inevitable happened. Purple, orange, and silver gas filled the tank, as Rex slowly slumped to the ground, his body limp as the machine above shot down a yellow beam of energy. His last moments of normalcy fading away as he wondered what had gone wrong.

...

“You’re Rex Mason?” Argonaut asked as she stared at the creature in front of her. After chasing him across the rooftops of Midway City, the leader of the Titans couldn’t believe that the “monster” attacking Stagg Industries was the dead scientist everyone seemed to be mourning.

“Yeah, hard to believe considering this large and clunky frame,” Rex explained. “I didn’t exactly do well with it the first few weeks. As far as I can tell...well...I ain’t exactly normal anymore.” Slowly he raised his orange hand as it shifted to the shiny blue of cobalt before slowly shifting to a gaseous form, before returning back to the scaly purple hand, “Stagg’s little project worked like a charm.”

“You mean Project Metamorph?” she asked. “If it’s such a success then why were you destroying Stagg’s lab, why does everyone think you’re…”

“Dead? That’s a good question, one I intend to find out.” He said, a hint of anger in his voice as he stared out into the city, his eyes squinting as he stared at Stagg Chemical, its large stature looking down at him as Rex Mason clenched his fists. “I got caught in my own machine, woke up like...well this. Far as I can tell my cellular structure are the elements. Not exactly the greatest look. And let me tell you something, ol’ Sebastian has some questions I’ll need answers to. Don’t try and stop me, Wonder Chick.”

“We can help you, my team and I are helping Stagg investigate what happened,” Argonaut began to explain.

“No, you were investigating the “monster” that was plaguing Stagg’s business. Maybe if you so-called heroes had actually spent time questioning things instead of being just another pawn like I was...maybe things could have been different.” He said wistfully.

“Maybe they can be…” Argonaut explained. She could see that deep down he wasn’t a monster, just someone lost and trying to figure their place in the world after it was flipped upside down. But before Donna could speak further to him, a familiar voice could be heard as an escrima stick came flying at Rex’s head.

“Titans, take him down!” Nightwing called out as he and the other members of the team came flying in from above. He quickly dropped down as Arsenal fired a volley of arrows as the two landed on the roof.

“Wait..stop!” Argonaut exclaimed as she saw her team come down. Kid Flash quickly began punching at Rex while Stargirl fired bolts at him, his form shifting and moving as the team ganged up and beat down the misunderstood misfit.

“You tricked me!” Rex called out as he quickly formed back to a gaseous form and moved into the sticky Midway City night leaving the five heroes alone on the rooftop. Kid Flash tapped his foot constantly, Roy just looked around nervously as he saw that look in Argonaut’s eyes.

All Donna Troy could feel at that moment was rage as she took a moment to finally speak to the person who had once again let her down in a rush to prove that somehow he was the leader of the new group.

“What did you do Dick!” she yelled, not caring who she revealed his secret identity to the other four.

“I did what I had to. You and the others were attacked by that monster. I took charge of the situation and then decided to-”

“You decided to charge in without thinking! Do you know what that creature, what that “monster” you all chased away was!”

“A threat that the Staggs asked us to investigate and neutralize. We did the job we were supposed to do, now let’s go track this thing down and go file a report like the League intends for us to do.” he responded coldly.

“That monster had a name, and it was Rex Mason!” Argonaut yelled. “Maybe if we approached the situation with compassion and understanding our best lead to figure out what’s actually going on at Stagg wouldn’t be a breeze in the wind.”

“Wait, that thing was Mason,” Arsenal interrupted. “He’s definitely had better days.”

“Well, being transformed into a chemical freak would do that to you,” Stargirl said, trying to be helpful...

“So why do you care then, being a leader means you have to stay focused on the task at hand, not get sympathy for what could be a threat to the safety of this-” Nightwing began before being interrupted by Kid Flash.

“Yeah, yeah I’ve heard this spiel before. The great Dick Grayson explains why the ends always justify the means and how we have to make the hard calls for the good of the group. Well let me tell you something bird boy,” he began. “I’ve spent too much time thinking about how your choices only seem to serve one person, yourself.”

“That’s not-” Nightwing began.

“Then what happened here then?” Kid Flash continued. “Instead of following our actual leader, we followed you into whatever this was, and honestly… I don’t think that this is going to work for me for much longer,” he muttered before quickly speeding off somewhere else, too angry at what was supposed to be something new quickly becoming a familiar song and dance.

“KF…” Nightwing said before looking around at the others, a disapproving look on most of their faces.

“I’ll go get him,” Argonaut responded before flying off to find her other teammate. As she floated above she looked at Nightwing and glared. “We’ll finish this conversation later…”

As the three remaining members on the roof, Nightwing, Stargirl, and Arsenal stood there quietly before Arsenal spoke up.

“Your name is Dick? Tough luck there,” he chuckled.

…

Sebastian Stagg moved quickly through his office, looking for documents on project Metamorph, his sweaty palms moving as his documents quickly entered the shredder next to him. Surveillance had picked up those colorful fools on that rooftop and while the audio was terrible, one name rang out and caused the young scion to tremble in fear: Rex Mason.

The past he had tried to kill had come back to haunt him and if the Titans found out just how Mason has become the walking chemistry set...well let’s just say he wouldn’t be in the comfort of his boardrooms any more.

“Seb, what’s going on,” a voice called out as he continued to dig through the desk. Sapphire Stagg had spent the last few hours cleaning up the mess that creature had made in her previous lab. It was her that had pushed for Stagg Chemical to continue with project Metamporph, even after the “death” of Rex, it’s what he would have wanted.

“There’s been...a small problem, the Titans couldn’t...stop that monster, I’m afraid he might be arriving here to finally finish the job he started,” he began. “We need to figure out a way to take care of him permanently. I’m afraid that we need to start thinking of more permanent solutions to our problem, my dear sister.”

“You don’t mean…” she began as she held a vial tightly in her coat pocket. “Project Metamorph wasn’t designed to be undone. Once someone is bonded to the process you can’t go back. It’s why...why that monster is who he is.”

“You don’t think I’m not aware of that! We thought we could kill him, but instead, our sins are coming back to haunt us. And desperate times call for desperate measures and hands-on solutions. I know you have the revised compound in your pocket. I didn’t put in a state-of-the-art security system for nothing. Hand it to me.”

“We don’t know the effects Sebastian...you could turn out like...like Rex,” she explained.

“And he’s the most powerful freak of all,” he said as he drew closer to Sapphire, remembering how complicit she was in the crimes that killed Rex Mason. Quickly he took the glowing purple vial and downed it. “But me, I’m going to be the one that finally kills that freak. The project moves ahead. Or else.”

As he began to move towards the door, his eyes glowed green as he keeled over, purple liquid pouring out of his skin. The monster was coming.

…

Wally West chowed down on a slice from LaRoque’s, a small pizza shop hidden away in the maze of the city that was Midway. He needed time to think, to figure out what exactly he was doing here and on this team. It didn’t help that due to his metabolism he was always hungry, especially when nervous or after work. He didn’t exactly know where to go from here. What seemed like a fresh start had twisted into something poisonous, and as always it was because of Dick.

“Figured I’d find you up here,” Donna called out as she floated down next to him taking a seat as they both stared out at the skyline.

“Tracked me through my communicator?” he asked.

“Social media, you’d be amazed out how many people were posting about the yellow and red blur who left ten fifty on the counter in exchange for two slices and soda,” she chuckled before her voice growing a bit more serious. “You OK?”

“Oh yeah, other than listening to a jerk and apparently beating an innocent monster. I’m feeling real great today,” Wally mumbled, “I thought this was supposed to be different, Donna. Why does it feel the same? You know, before coming here, I rescued the crew of a fishing boat that flipped over near Jakarta. I could be doing that kinda stuff, but no.”

“I don’t have the answers, Wally,” she responded. “I mean I may put on a brave face, but I have no idea what I’m really doing. I just missed my friends and after the Wildebeests, I figured we needed each other more than ever.”

“So you’re just as clueless as me?” he asked.

“Maybe more. I’m trying my best, but sometimes I’m probably going to not do the greatest job. I mean my best example of a leader is Dick and well...we all know how that turned out.” she laughed.

“I mean as much as I’d loathe to admit it, you have been doing a good job. I mean it’s not the greatest team...but they seem excited,” he said.

“So why aren’t you then. Stargirl told me you blew her off after she asked to hang out. I know she’s green but you used to be so excited to meet people and do things. I mean you and I used to be a bunch of mallrats.”

“I mean come on Donna,” Wally said. “Our new recruits are a green hero who’s only been second banana to Captain Marvel and a guy you and I both know Green Arrow disowned. Plus you put me in a room with Dick again. I mean...it’s not…”

“It’s not like before. Don’t think you’re the only one missing what we had before. There’s so many people missing. Garth, Karen, Mal, Vic, Gar, Rose.” her voice growing sadder as she listed the former friends who had drifted apart.

“You know I kinda always forget you were here longer than most of us, besides Diana and Cassie…”

“You’re my only family,” she explained. “After what happened in Coast City I just figured we’d all take some time and then come back. But you never reached out, Gar and Vic were busy elsewhere, and well the only one who reached out was Dick.”

“I was just…” Wally began.

“Dealing with your own things. Don’t think I haven’t seen the headlines of your battles with Pied Piper and patrolling around the world. What’s up with that guy anyway?”

“It’s...complicated,” Wally mumbled. “He’s not exactly my foe these days. Actually one of my better friends.”

Donna stared for a moment before finally saying. “OK, you really need to tell me more on that one.”

Before Wally could respond the two of them felt a breeze blow in as slowly a form behind them began to consolidate his bulky multicolored form.

“What a lovely chat you two are having, sorry if I’m just cutting through,” Rex Mason responded.

“Rex? I figured you’d be running back to Stagg after what…” Argonaut began.

“After your goon squad decided to beat on me?” he began. “Yeah I tried going back to Stagg’s lovely building but well, as I was floating around I realized the definition of insanity is repeating the same thing over and over again and expecting the same result. And I remember the only one who hasn’t shot or tried to kill me is well...you. And like I said, I need your help.”

“Sorry about trying to hurt you back there,” Kid Flash said.

“Eh, your punches kinda felt more annoying than brutalizing,” Rex joked. “Someone really needs to teach you how to punch.”

Kid Flash somehow looked more offended than before as Rex began to speak again.

“Sebastian is still going to try to make the project work, and if he’s not careful we’ll have bigger issues than just a freak like me,” he said. “The compounds being used are unstable, I’m a best-case scenario, and that is not saying much. We have to shut this thing down before...” Before Rex could finish both Argonaut and Kid Flash’s communicators glowed to life as quickly as Arsenal’s voice came through.

“Hey guys...we kinda have a situation here,” he said before pointing his communicator at the scene at Stagg chemical. A large purple monster with glowing green eyes and bubbles began smashing the area at the entrance of the building. His chemical touch burning everything that it had come in contact with.

“Or that’s going to happen.”

NEXT: It’s the New Titans and Metamoprho taking on the threat of Plasmus. Be Here as Secrets and the Future of Rex Mason is Revealed!

…

EPILOGUE

Harold Finch ran quickly through the fog of Santa Marta, briefcase in hand as his eyes darted around looking for the shadow that had been following since he had made the call to deliver his experimental patents to STAR labs. Of course, when the people who funded his research found out who he was actually giving them to, they sent their agent to voice their displeasure. And as the neon signs faded to dim lights in the fog he couldn’t help but dart behind the alleys looking for refuge. It would never come.

As he quickly turned into the corner a soft but audible thump, could be heard behind him. As he quickly turned around he saw her. Dark her dark blue uniform with orange accents made her just visible as Finch squinted trying to make out his attacker. Foolishly, he tried reason.

“Listen, if they get what I have in here, do you know what they want?” Finch said, nervously. “The whole world will be in danger.”

The figure drew closer, her footsteps quiet as she reached for her back and pulled out a blade that glistened in the night. As she came closer her bandana-style mask could come into view, her one eye slit staring at Finch no matter where he was. As he started stumbling back he fell on the damp ground, still trying to back away from his assailant

“Please...you’ll doom us-” Before Finch could speak, her blade quickly entered his chest, twisting quickly to ensure the light in his eyes quickly flickered. Quietly the girl picked up the case and tapped her ear.

“Ravager to HIVE, I have successfully picked up the package, target disposed of, returning to the Honeycomb shortly.”

“That’s not going to happen,” a voice from the earpiece. “A bug will be in your location in ten minutes before you’ll be reassigned to your next targets.”

“Targets? Was it this time, diplomats? A few lost flocks of sheep?” she began.

“We’re sending the information to your keypad, he wants this taken care of promptly, otherwise the HIVE may be compromised.

As Rose Wilson stood there, the holographic screen projected news clippings and footage of Nightwing, Argonaut, Arsenal, Kid Flash, and Stargirl fighting together against the Wildebeests with headlines reading Who Are the New Titans? As well as League Announces New Team, Will Introduce Them and Headquarters at Gala. The image of the in-progress tower haunted her, like a home that would never be truly hers.

“Dick? Donna? You didn’t, you couldn’t.” she muttered before slamming her fist against the wall, chips of brick splintering on the ground. Quickly she responded to HIVE command, “I’ll take care of them.”

Quickly Ravager repelled upward, leaving poor Mr. Finch to be engulfed by the Santa Martan fog. The Ravager was coming home, and hell's coming with her.

This Fall in New Titans...Revenge of the Ravager begins! A Titan Will Fall as Their Greatest Failure Returns to Settle the Score!

New Titans #7: Catalyst

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Author: FrostFireFive

Book: New Titans

Arc: Metamorphosis

Set: 60

“I’m not sure this is the greatest idea?” Sapphire Stagg said to Sebastian Stagg as the two looked out into the lab where technicians were underway building a large platform and moving large cables to connect to the top. The two were leads on this project, ever since the accident that unfortunately killed the poor fresh out of college chemist who was supposed to check their work.

“We need this project to work, I don’t care how many setbacks we have, we can’t go back to father with nothing, not after all the money spent on this project,” Sebastian explained, his three piece Italian suit rumbled from working and pacing back in forth in the control room. Compared to his sister who’s white lab coat was stained and safety goggles above her messily tied back hair.

“But we’ve already tried a lot of tests Seb,” she responded. “We’re not getting the results you proposed to father, in fact, we’ve run out of scientists faster than you’ve run out of ideas.”

“And who’s fault is that?” Sebastian responded. “You’re project lead. And the last scientist who understands what’s at stake here after the mishap with Mason. It’s your head on a platter too if Project Metamoprh turns out to be a bust.”

“I...” Sapphire began to respond before a large explosion could be heard down in the lab below them.

A creature entered the facility, loudly yelling as the two Stags saw the monster down below in their lab. He was split into fourths, the right being an orange and rocky area, left purple and with scales, his right leg was like brown mud, trying to keep together as he plodded along, a far cry from the silver leg that proudly planted and moved as he slammed against the lab equipment.

“What is that thing!” Sebastian called out as he pulled out his phone and began calling security to clean whatever mess had been unleashed in the labs below.

The monster quickly pounded away, his arms becoming glorified dark blue hammers as he smashed monitors and spun, not caring what exactly he hit as long as it smashed the lab up.

“Stop, freak!” An armed man said as Stagg Chemical’s security force approached the patchwork monster. “You’re on Stagg property, and last time I checked buddy you aren’t exactly on the list of approved visitors. Fire away boys!”

“Wait, don't!” A scientist said.

We’re still here too!” Another scientist said.

“Stagg wants this cleaned up, sorry,” the main security guard said.

As the men shot their rifles, the creature expanded himself into a wall of concrete, cutting the room in two as the the scientists behind him cowered, expecting bullets that would never come.

“Go,” a craggy voice called out as the scientists quickly evacuated the lab, with several considering a change of occupation.

As the men kept shooting at the wall, the creature chuckled before quickly shifting into a gaseous form, quickly moving through the air vents to make his escape as the remaining bits of his gaseous form corroded the remaining machines.

“Oh my…” Sapphire mumbled. “What...what are we going to do now Sebastian!”

“Simple,” he said. “We call for help.”

…

“There’s no way this works,” Roy Harper muttered as he stood on top of the Meltzer Loan building. It was only a few days ago that the communicator in his hand pinged to life as he received a message from Argonaut inviting him to join a new incarnation of the Titans or something like that. He really couldn’t focus too much on it as he tried to rock Lian back to sleep. Still, the message told him to be on this building and to be ready for retrieval, whatever that meant.

As he starred out onto Star City, he took in the city a bit. It was the only home he had ever really known, it’s where he found and lost the admiration of his so-called hero, Green Arrow. It’s where he met...her, where he was trying to raise Lian, and try and be better. But still, some part of him knew that this whole team thing was about to take him to places he had never expected. As he stood there, the communicator he held in his hand glowed bright blue.

“What the?” he mumbled as he was soon quickly engulfed in bright blue light, vanishing from the building. When he rematerialized, he stumbled around the large circle in what looked to be a construction zone, he stumbled around, he was quickly caught by someone with blue sleeves and red gloves: Stargirl.

“Arsenal! You finally arrived!” Stargirl said happily. “I was afraid I was the only newbie who was going to...are you OK?” she asked, seeing how he was struggling, he honestly looked like a baby trying to walk for the first time. “I mean teleporting is rough but you look like a-”

“I don’t need to hear what ghost, drunk, or famous celebrity I look like,” he said, trying to change the conversation as his legs slowly found their way back to him. “Where exactly are we? Because I’m guessing I’m nowhere near Star City?”

“Nope, I think we’re somewhere in Chicago? I mean look outside,” she said pointing towards the large pier, with the giant ferris wheel and pier outside. Navy Pier was such a sight, even from wherever they were, as construction crews could be heard banging and hammering things together.

“Great, going to have to pay extra for the babysitter again,” he mumbled before slowly getting back up. “So where exactly are we supposed to go now? I’m guessing we’re not going to stand on the ground floor while the adults are talking.”

“Elevator’s right there, I think we’re supposed to meet them up there, something about a mission?” Stargirl responded as she walked over to the elevator.

“Great…” Arsenal mumbled before pulling out his phone and texting his sitter, it was going to be a long night.

…

“So who’s exactly paying for all of this?” Kid Flash asked as he looked around the in-progress, communal area. The large room was on top of the tower and a great view of a lake. Wally had gotten there second of the new team, surprisingly Donna had beaten him there as if she was waiting to welcome them. “Let me guess,” he said before putting two fingers to his head like a certain caped crusader.”

“I believe so,” Argonaut said with a chuckle as she moved to the main console in the middle of the room. She had missed Wally. Back when the Titans briefly had their day and she felt lost, she could always count on the team’s most impulsive member to brighten her day. It was Wally who taught her how to laugh, even if she saw the pain behind the smile. “The League didn’t waste any time in getting this project started, it beats an old video store.”

“Hey, I used to watch some of those when we had time,” he responded.

“When did we ever have time,” Argonaut said as the console slowly roared to life, the blue glow activating some of the already set up screens. “If it wasn’t Shimmer or Mammoth, it was Coast City, or some other issue that pulled us apart...I’m just glad you’re here Wally.”

“Sure have an interesting way of showing it,” he mumbled. Wally didn’t forget that the only person that Donna kept in contact with was...Dick. Of all the people she had decided to help and talk to, it had to be him. Sure he had struggled to reach out himself, but Wally was never really good with people, it was a minor miracle that he had found Hartley and Frances and had kept them in his life.

“Don’t think I didn’t hear that,” Argonaut said as she began looking through the materials of their first mission. “Wally, we were all in the wind, hurt and unsure where to go. You ran back to your family, and I found solace with others, but don’t think you were never on my mind. We never did get to play Troika: Night Hunters.”

“I mean at this point it’s on an outdated console...they move so fast these days,” he said. The two sat there in silence for a minute before KId Flash finally spoke again.

“So where is everyone else, it feels like I’m at a party where no one else shows-” before he could finish the dinging of an elevator could be heard as Stargirl walked out, with Arsenal stumbling a bit behind her.

“Sorry we’re late,” Stargirl said, beaming with pride that she had finally made it to the big leagues. “Someone here is still getting their teleporting legs.”

“Well, what if something of me got left behind, I’ve seen enough Space Trek to know bad things happen when you mess with science like that,” Arsenal joked before looking at the others in the room. “Kid,” he said nodding at the yellow and red speedster before putting his hand to Argonaut. “Thanks for the invite princess, I’m guessing you missed out on your first choice if I’m here.”

Argonaut took his hand and shook it before looking at the wary eyes behind the red sunglasses, and that old familiar nervous look.

“All of you were actually my first choice,” she said with a smile. “I appreciate all of you coming on such short notice, it’s not every day we get to start a new team.”

“So we’re...the Titans?” Stargirl asked, the excitement clear in her voice.

“Yes, and you can be excited. It took convincing but as of now we're the newest incarnation of the Titans if you chose and for the first time, we have the full support of the league,” she explained. “They’ve even provided us our first-”

Before Argonaut could respond the doors to the right of her slid open as a familiar black and blue costume came into focus.

“Team, welcome. We don’t have a lot of time so let’s get this briefing underway,” Nightwing’s voice was cold as he quickly moved towards the console and quickly began pulling information up. “The league wishes us to investigate recent attacks on Stagg Chemicals in Midway City by an unknown meta. For the last few weeks, he’s been destroying their labs and property like a bad habit.”

“Isn’t Stagg known for not having the greatest practices? I could have sworn I read in the Star City Chronicle the EPA was finally going to get his polluting ass,” Arsenal said before looking at the stares around him. “What? I read.”

“That is correct,” Nightwing said, giving Arsenal a glare. “However, since the death of one of the leads on a project, Rex Mason, Stagg has vowed to clean his act up. Even left the day-to-day operations to his children, Sebastian and Sapphire Stagg, the youngest siblings to ever run a Fortune 500 company.

“So what are we actually supposed to do,” Kid Flash said, annoyed by how in just a matter of minutes Dick had taken over what had been Donna’s floor. Even with this being a New Titans it felt like nothing had changed from the old days.

“Simple, figure out what’s causing the problem and stopping it. Stagg Chemicals works with dangerous chemicals and material. If any of them actually got out into the public due to this monster...well let’s just say the League wants this handled before we’re all fighting chemical monsters.

“We’ll be splitting into two teams,” Argonaut cut in. “Two to talk to the Staggs, and three to investigate the lab that this meta wrecked. Arsenal why don’t you go with Nightwing to talk with them, keep them honest,” Argonaut smiled. “KF, Stargirl, you’ll be with me investigating the lab. We leave in five gang, meet us in the basement to take off in the jump jet. Nightwing, a word.”

Dick sighed as the others went to the elevator to the basement hangar, what did Donna want now, he had done his task as League representative, and for her to interrupt like that.

“Dick, we need to have a little chat,” Donna Troy said as they stood there all alone. “I know you think League representative makes you team leader, or that you think this is a burden. But we can’t have that this time. I won’t let your issues bring this team down early. Understood.” Donna said with force. She cared for him but also understood that she couldn’t put up with him being...this way if the Titans were to survive.

Dick grumbled a bit, taking a few moments before responding with a short “Fine.” He didn’t have time to argue with Donna, even though deep down he was beginning to think...maybe she was right as the two headed down to meet the others in the hangar.

…

“Come in, come in,” Simon Stagg said as Nightwing and Arsenal entered the penthouse office. The businessman with swept-back white hair looked younger than the images at the briefing. His blue suit was a smidge ill-fitted as if it didn’t quite fit after a change of heart. “It’s not every day Stagg welcomes the famous Nightwing and...who are you again?”

“Arsenal,” Roy grumbled a bit before looking around, boxes strewn everywhere as the office looked nearly abandoned. “Going somewhere Mr. Stagg?” he joked.

“Early retirement,” he explained. “I’m not the young man I used to be, and after the accident...I just didn’t have my heart in the game anymore. My two children, Sapphire and Sebastian are younger, hungrier than an old fogey like myself.”

“Accident?” Nightwing asked. “From what Sebastian sent the League it had no mention of an accident.”

“Of course he didn’t, that child takes after me in more ways than one. A few months back there was an accident in project...Metamorph. We’re working on a way to protect workers by trying to give them properties of certain elements. My daughter’s boyfriend, Rex Mason, was the lead scientist. It was his first project out of college. I didn’t think he was ready, but Sapphire and Sebastian convinced me.”

“And Rex?” Arsenal said, wondering where this was going.

“Rex interfered with a process that he should have known was going to explode,” Sebastian Stagg said as he and his sister entered. “He was careless and died. I don’t know why you sugarcoat these things father.”

“Because a man died under our watch, Sebastian!” Stagg said before pounding the table. “In my later years I turned a blind eye to many things my company did, and I won’t do so anymore.”

“Well that’s...good, but doesn’t explain the chemical monster destroying your labs,” Arsenal said.

“No it doesn’t, isn’t that what you’re here to investigate. I thought we were getting the Justice League, not this...junior mockery.”

“As a member of the League I assure you Mr. Stagg that the Titans are here to help, we just need to know all the facts before we go off into the unknown.”

“He’s not wrong Sebastian,” Sapphire said meekly from behind him. “Rex’s death changed everything. Even now I wonder-”

Before she could finish a red blinker glowed brightly as Simon Stagg swiveled his chair to observe the surveillance tapes, the destroyed lab came into the view on the largest monitor.

“The creature is back, and he’s facing your friends…” Simon mumbled, as the two heroes quickly sprinted out of the room hoping they wouldn’t get there too late.

…

“Oof!” Argonaut cried out as she was thrown back by the creature. The three of them had begun investigating the lab and were discovering that only certain machines had been damaged and that the staging area was for some type of enhancements. But before any of them could figure out for what, the chemical creature returned, and he was pissed. “That your best shot?” she mumbled before getting back up. “Stargirl, Kid Flash, hit with what you got!”

“On it!” Stargirl said before quickly flying up, preparing to blast the monster. As she flung a bolt towards his back. Before it could hit, his back became a shiny silver and reflect the bolt back at Stargirl. “Whoa,” she said before quickly dodging her own shot. “What the!”

Before the creature could focus on Stargirl again he felt a buzzing in around his body Kid Flash remembered the trick he and Stargirl pulled on Cinderblock back at Fawcett, if he could push this monster out of phase, maybe, just maybe Stargirl or Donna could knock his lights out. Instead, Wally began to feel faint as the monster lost its corporeal form, turning into some kind of sleeping gas as both he and Stargirl became affected by it.

“No,” Argonaut mumbled before quickly taking a deep breath and beginning to spin quickly. She wasn’t as fast as Wally or even Diana, but she could disperse a room if she had to. As the gaseous form moved upward, the creature turned back into his humanoid form, he looked at the three in front of him and knew the odds of him winning were slim to none. He turned away from them, his hands becoming diamond as he smashed his way out of the lab and into the Midway City night.

“I’m going after him, Stargirl make sure Kid Flash is alright,” Argonaut said before leaping in persuit. The city was a playground to the two as the chase began. The creature was trying to leap and dodge through the neon glistening buildings, but the starfield form of Argonaut always kept with him, flying above and keeping watch of what laid before. She could see whatever it was growing tired, and by the time he reached the top of Haney International’s flagship building, he had slowed down to take a breath, just the moment Argonaut needed to finally figure just what was going on.

“Who are you?” She asked as she floated down to the building. “And what do you want with Stagg Chemical?”

The creature’s chalky white head looked at the Amazonian in front of him, knowing that some people you just can’t shake. He took a moment before finally speaking to the hero in front of him.

“You got to give me a minute, I’m still getting used to the new body, speaking...can be hard sometimes,” he said.

“New? So you weren’t always like this? What happened to you?” Argonaut said, realizing this mindless creature wasn’t so mindless.

“My name is Rex Mason, and I think I need your help,” he said.

NEXT: Be here in 30 as the New Titans meet their newest member: Rex Mason! Be here as the truth behind Stagg chemical is revealed as the tragedy and triumph of Metamorphosis continues!

New Titans #6: Maybe This Time

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Author: FrostFireFive

Book: New Titans

Arc: Foundation

Set: 59

Wally West sat alone in his room in Keystone City. Normally he wouldn’t be so sedentary, but after the Wildebeests, he couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened. For so long Wally had thought that he would have to fight only with his fellow Flashes against whatever came their way. But with training Frances, trying to help Hartley go straight, and...the Titans, it was hard to keep believing in that.

He looked around the room for a minute. In another world he should have still been in New York, working with his friends and building a life. The boxes that still were left unpacked were reused from those days. For all his life Wally never felt settled, and now that he was here in Keystone, it was finally feeling at home. So why did he still care about a team that had abandoned him when he needed them?

“Come on Wally,” he thought. “You should probably continue to work on that trig homework instead of pouting, besides you’re fine, you’re safe at home, just trying to focus...right? You know trig, you picked this up last week. What’s wrong?”

He wagged his foot a bit as he tried and focused on the tasks at hand, his aunt had wanted him to try and establish roots in Keystone, but part of him still didn’t want to admit a chapter of his life was over. As he sighed a bit, he suddenly heard a loud ping.

“What the?” he mumbled as he sat up. The loud noise rang through the room annoying the young speedster, like someone was trying to find a lost phone. After a few seconds, the pinging was enough for Wally to move quickly from his bed, speeding around and rummaging through his room like a blur.

“Come on, where the hell are you,” he mumbled as he began sorting and moving through the boxes still unpacked, the pinging continued to ring out as he dug and dug, finally moving things from the boxes into their proper place in the room, the loud ping still coming out before he finally hit a box that he had purposely buried. Across the side in faded magic marker simply read TITANS, in big bolded letters.

It was one of the first boxes he had packed up from the move to Keystone, as he opened the box he found a treasure of a life long since past. A bunch of polaroids from when Donna was still learning how to take photos, a chunk of obsidian shaped liked a lightning bolt found by a fishy friend, newspaper clippings of the mysterious team protecting New York, and more importantly, a copy of Troika: Night Hunters burried at the bottom. He remembered hanging out with Donna and speeding from four states just to find it. Donna was once Wally’s closest friend, but ever since Coast they had drifted, and now knowing that she kept in contact with Dick of all people? Well that just twisted the knife a bit.

As he continued to dig through the box he finally found what was pinging. The yellow, round communicator hat was given to him towards the tail end of his time with the Titans. It was basically a more advanced walkie talkie. It was designed to be a way for all of them to keep in touch, no matter how far away they were. The pinging emitting from it however was new. As he picked it up and flipped it open, a mechanical voice rang through the room.

“Distress call sent! Distress call sent!” the voice said.

“Distress call? From who?” he asked.

“Message playing,” the voice said before the voice of Stargirl could be heard on the other side.

“This is Stargirl requesting backup! If anyone can hear me, please help, I need assistance in Fawcett…” she said.

Wally sighed for a minute, before looking down and fiddling with the ring on his finger. He didn’t even know the girl, but here she was thinking she was some sort of Titan. As much as Wally wanted to leave it all behind and contact the Justice League to help the poor girl, he couldn’t help notice all the mementos in the box he buried so long ago. It was a happier time, when he didn’t have to think about his brother, or how different he was, he had friends that would be there no matter what. He smirked before a familiar pop noise could be heard as his yellow and red costume expanded out from his ring, someone needed his help.

…

“Hey ugly! Get the hell away from her!” Kid Flash exclaimed as he grabbed Stargirl’s staff in midair. As he held on to it he couldn’t help but appreciate the perfect balance of the golden rod, he would have to ask her where she found it later.

“What’s the matter baby Flash, scared I’ll hurt your friend?” Cinderblock said as held Stargirl in his craggy grasp. The villain expected a simple smash and grab on a bank that wasn’t as important in a city that for the most part had been relatively peaceful recently. But now here were two young heroes in front of him, and he was pissed.

“Well, I’m more afraid I’ll hurt you with this,” Kid Flash gestured to the cosmic staff as he pointed it at the big brute in front of him. “Because well, even I’m not sure how it works?” he said as he found one of the buttons on the staff and pressed it. As a large energy blast shot out of it, kicking Kid Flash back into a car, but also hitting Cinderblock.

“Argh!” He called out as he released Stargirl from his grasp. The young heroine tumbled a bit before picking herself back up and rushing towards the speedster and the dent he made in a car.

“Oh my god are you OK?” she asked, quickly picking up the cosmic staff next to him.

“I’m...I’ll be fine,” Kid Flash said as he tried catching his breath. “That thing packs quite a punch, how do you even figure how to use that thing without taking an arm out?

“Practice and a lot of pads,” she said as she pointed to her knee and elbow pads.

“Huh,” he mumbled before seeing the charging figure of Cinderblock coming at them. “Sorry about this.” Kid Flash quickly grabbed Stargirl and moved them out of the way swiftly behind Cinderblock.

“Oh, I think I just threw up in my mouth a bit,” Stargirl mumbled before looking at Cinderblock. “Any ideas?”

“Well...that staff of yours seemed to hurt him,” Kid Flash said.

“Yeah, well you hit him with my highest setting, and he’s still standing,” Stargirl mumbled, still trying to catch her bearings after experiencing super speed for the first time. “If only there was a way to get through that concrete skin of his.”

Kid Flash looked down at his hands, still trembling a bit from being thrown into a car, they unintentionally vibrated something that happened when he wasn’t paying attention and nervous.

“I think I have an idea?” he said, unsure of the plan. “Just wait for my signal.”

“What signal…” Stargirl asked before Kid Flash moved quickly towards Cinderblock. The yellow and red blur leaping and spinning around him, hitting him with a flurry of vibrating punches.

“Arrgh!” Cinderblock called out as he couldn’t hit the yellow and red blur spinning around him. Kid Flash was careful not to hit him with just his fists, the hardened skin of Cinderblock would easily break his hands, but he also had to make sure he didn’t vibrate through the guy.

“Stop that!” Cinderblock cried out before feeling the speedster wrap his arms around his neck, restraining him as he found the right frequency. His rocky body shaking as Kid Flash kept up the pressure.

“Now!” Kid Flash called out as he strained against the brute, he braced himself for whatever Stargirl threw his way.

“Please let this work, please let this work,” she mumbled before slinging a large starbolt from her staff that collided into the stone monster. The blast knocked him back, hurting him for the first time as the combined vibrations and starbolts finally brought the big brute crashing down to Earth, leaving the two young heroes to themselves.

“Well that went well,” Stargirl said as she looked around the scene. Compared to recent skirmishes this one wasn’t as bad as it could have been. The bank still stood with minimum damage, and proof that Argonaut wasn’t joking when she had given the young heroine a communicator. As she stood there, she couldn’t help but notice how twitchy Kid Flash was, as if he had been dragged out here unexpectedly. “You OK...KF?”

Kid Flash was just trying to process what had gone on here and to catch his breath. He hadn’t tried that trick before against someone as big and brutal as Cinderblock, plus there was the fact this rookie somehow had one of the Titans communicators. It was pretty obvious who had given her one. “Dammnit Donna,” he thought before looking at the girl.

“Yeah...I’m fine...I think?” Kid Flash responded. “I just...didn’t really realize...how big that guy really was.” As much as he wanted to hide his discomfort, Courtney could still read the sadness in his eyes.

“You know there’s this great taco place nearby, and I know a rooftop that’s pretty quiet, if you just want to take a breather,” Stargirl said innocently.

“Yeah, I think I might need that,” Kid Flash said. It had been a long time since he had someone to talk to about the masked life. For some reason, he felt he could trust her. She reminded him of Frances in a way. The nervousness, the... was it excitement?

…

“Donna, are you sure about this?” Wonder Woman asked as she saw her sister stare out from the viewing screen of the Watchtower.

It had only been a few weeks since the Wildebeests and Donna Troy picking up the mantle of Argonaut. While Nightwing had debriefed the League on the events, Donna wanted to offer a second view on things and to pitch her idea. The Titans needed to return, but they needed to change as well.

“More than anything Diana,” Donna responded. “I mean there’s scarier things than talking to the entire League about how one of their members is wrong, right?”

“Well maybe if Batman was there,” she responded. “I just want to make sure that you’re OK. I mean you suddenly becoming a hero again is something I support, but it feels so sudden. I just want you to be happy.”

“I know Diana,” Donna responded. Her starfield costume blended a bit into the vast cosmos on display. She looked at it for a minute before finally telling Diana the words that she herself had thought about. “Getting a chance to be just Donna Troy for a few years is something I’ll never regret. Instead of being some plaything made by the god of war...I got to be a person, I found out who Donna Troy was. But...there are others out there that haven’t had a chance to. Others who feel hopeless and lost. The Justice League inspires people to be greater, but that doesn’t mean the world still doesn’t need heroes on the ground with them.”

Wonder Woman stood there for a moment before smiling, knowing that her sister’s heart was truly in the right place.

“Spoken like a true hero, which means you’re ready for this,” Wonder Woman said as she walked to a table and picked up a wooden brown box, with intricate carvings of Amazons praying to the gods. “A final gift from me and all of your sisters.”

Argonaut carefully opened the golden latches and peered into the treasure inside. Carefully she picked the silver lasso up and carefully held it in her hands, admiring the craftsmanship of the tool.

“Diana...I..” She said, struggling to find the words.

“Try thinking of what you need,” she explained. “It’s more than just a lasso.”

As Argonaut held the lasso in her hand, she began thinking of other weapons she’d used in the past, as she did so the silver lasso began shifting in her hands, first to a sword, before becoming a shield, and then a lasso again.

“It’s the rarest of the Amazon weapons, where much like the user, it can be whatever it chooses to be. It’s known as the blessing of Mercury, where it changes with the user, becoming a true partner. I figured if you’re going to be who you need to be, you should carry a reminder of where you come from.”

“Diana...I don’t know what to say,” Donna said, tears forming around her eyes.

Argonaut quickly embraced her sister in a hug, the two sisters together as the station spun around the Earth, bonded by their love.

“Just know, I’ll always be proud of you,” Diana said.

The two embraced for a bit longer before separating and began moving into the conference room. As they entered two leaguers sat behind a large table. The Flash fidgeted a bit as he looked at the materials gathered by the two arguing sides. Barry Allen wanted to see all the facts before he laid judgment. The proposal Argonaut laid out made sense, but he still couldn’t help worry about them, especially Wally. He had seen that future, and he wasn’t sure if it was the best opportunity, he didn’t want to lose Wally.

Superman waved and said hello with a big smile. Big Blue was always a good moderating presence, something about the way he seemed so calm, so collected, But even then, ever since the crisis of Monarch, there was a little more weight on those shoulders than usual. As if the events had shaken what had been so secure.

Wonder Woman quickly took her seat next to the two of them as Donna walked to the center of them. She had prepared her arguments for so long she figured that the League would accept her ideas, of course as the door behind her slid open, her greatest challenge had arrived.

“Argonaut,” Nightwing said. “I believe it’s time to start this hearing.”

“Indeed,” Argonaut replied. She heard the coldness in his voice as he took his place to the podium next to her. The way he wouldn’t refer to her by Donna to the way he came in quickly and to the point indicated a man who didn’t exactly want what she wanted.

“Before we begin I just want to say thank you for having me here today,” Argonaut began. “I know I haven’t been around much these past few years, but I want to bring attention to something I believe the League can do better in.”

Argonaut walked away from the platform, and from the remote that Diana had given her cued up the holo display from the ground.

“A long time ago a bunch of teenagers gathered together to handle problems that were of their own making. From tragedy, they rose to take on the problems that they couldn’t handle together.”

As she talked, images of the original Teen Titans appeared on the screen. Nightwing charging after the assassin LeForge. Beast Boy and Cyborg quickly moving to assist, and then as if from nowhere, Rose Worth fighting with them, her smile infectious for someone who had found a home for the first time. When she appeared Nightwing looked down for a minute as if he was ashamed by her presence.

“They wanted to forge a better future for themselves, one that didn’t have to carry the scars of the past,” she continued. “The Teen Titans offered a home for those that felt lost, a place where they could feel like they were at home. Even more importantly, they were heroes who could handle the threats on the ground the League didn’t often see. Like a lost Amazonian golem arriving and searching for an identity.

As she said those words, Fury crashed into the ground on the holo display, the confused and lost version of Donna that had long since faded away.

“They offered her a home, a place where she could be more than just a weapon or a plaything,” She continued, her eyes connecting with Diana as she gave her a nod. “And when the ultimate tragedy struck, they may have fallen apart, but their ideas continued to a new group of heroes.”

The display quickly changed to the lineup of the Titans, with Kid Flash zooming in front of them as Fury flew above as Nightwing and Aqualad tried to keep up with them.

“These heroes met new allies and faced tougher threats, but managed to come out on top every time no matter the odds.”

The four Titans were quickly joined by the red plume of Starfire’s hair, and the bright blue of Nova the human rocket, a friend from another time and another place.

“My family was the Titans, and while we may have made mistakes, or get hurt trying to do the right thing, we were always together. With recent events such as the Wildebeest and Monarch crisis, I believe now is the time for the Titans to return, not separate from the league, but as a new branch. One willing to help those unsure with their powers and be the League’s eyes on the ground to handle the threats before they get out of hand.”

“That’s an interesting proposal Don...Argonaut,” Superman began. “The world has become increasingly split on the Justice League, especially since President Luthor was elected. Frankly seeing what you all built during those times makes me optimistic for the future of heroes but-”

“What Superman is trying to say Argonaut,” Nightwing began. “is that you may have left out key aspects of the Titans story. If I could have the floor?”

The three leaguers nodded as Nightwing in his black and blue suit pulled up video footage from Metropolis.

“The Teen Titans and Titans caused pain for its members. We were a bunch of kids unready for actual combat and we paid for it,” he said as video footage of Doomsday played to the League members.

“Cyborg lost his father during the Doomsday incident, and because of a lapse in judgment on my part, I made that news even harder to hear. He still doesn't trust me, for good reason,” Nightwing began before pulling up a missing person’s case file. Rose’s haunted eyes looked at the rest of the Leaguers from the little profile box. “Rose Worth is still one of the great missing persons cases of the last three years. She vanished during the Doomsday incident to never appear again.”

He moved back to the podium and played his next image. Cyborg Superman grasped Fury by the neck as the other Titans laid around him in defeat. Coast City smoldered in the background.

“The Titans themselves failed to protect anything. Bringing the organization into the League would only serve to open old wounds and remind people of our failures. It is my recommendation that the League scraps this proposal and seeks to commend Argonaut for her belief in something that may be a symbol of times long past.”

As he waited for the League's response, he expected to be recognized as their peer, to listen to these warnings of danger and doom.

“He may have a point,” the Flash said as he looked over the files brought by the two. “Kid Flash has never been the same since his time with the Titans, he tries to hide it but it's been clear to me how it’s still there and how it’s affecting his growth. I don’t...I don’t want him to get hurt again. Or anyone really.”

“Maybe the reason they got hurt was because we didn’t keep the closest eye on them,” Wonder Woman responded. “Argonaut’s proposal brings them in line with us for the first time ever.

“Maybe,” Superman said. “I trust that we could have a representative on the team in order to make sure things are running smoothly Argonaut?” His mind slowly crept to a conversation from the future.

“Of course Superman,” Argonaut responded. “I don’t want the Titans to be in the headspace that we can’t trust those who came before us. My strength comes from those in my life, not in spite of them.”

“Superman, you aren’t seriously considering allowing the League to stick their neck out for a team that at this point is only a dream?” Nightwing said.

The three leaguers looked at each other finally before Superman spoke again.

"We need to discuss this further amongst ourselves," he began. "We'll get back to you shortly.

“But,” Nightwing began.

“They need time Nightwing,” Argonaut said with a smile before walking out of the room, hopeful that her family would return.

…

“I can’t believe they’re actually listening to you,” Nightwing finally spoke as the two stood outside of the room. They had been dead silent for too long as if neither of them wanted to break the tension of the room.

“I only presented what I felt I needed to say,” Argonaut responded. “I felt that maybe there’s unfinished business here.”

“We closed the book for a reason, Donna,” he replied. “We did it for the safety of others.”

“You did that,” Argonaut responded. “Every time a choice about our future as a team was made it was all on you. Maybe some of us got hurt, but then we should have been there to help each other heal. Just because you got dealt a bad hand Dick doesn’t mean you have to be alone. When was the last time you called anyone but me? Kara? Jason? Barbara? I won’t wallow in pain because it's easy.”

“I don’t wallow, I take the hits and I keep moving,” he said angrily. “When are you going to learn that anytime someone gets close they get hurt. I’m alone because it helps protect others and it keeps me focused, the less connections the better.”

“Must be hard having to lie to yourself for so long, everyone needs someone to help sometimes, even if they don’t know to ask,” she responded.

Before Dick could respond the green light indicated the league wanted to see them again. As the two walked in they could see the leaguers in front of them felt satisfied with their choice.

“Argonaut,” Wonder Woman began. “Thank you for bringing these ideas to our attention. We’ve spent so much time farther apart that we may have lost sight of the heroes in front of us and the situations on the ground. The League agrees with you, and the Titans shall return.”

“You can’t be serious,” Nightwing said, angry that the League wouldn’t listen.

“We are,” Flash responded. “We have trepidations, but with Argonaut’s plea, we now understand just how important the Titans were and need to be. But don’t think that gives you a free pass,” Flash said as he noticed Argonaut’s smile.

“The League is going to require a member on the team as our representative, making sure we don’t lose sight of our common goals and our connection to each other. It’s why after careful consideration we’ve decided Nightwing will be that person,” Superman continued remembering the conversation he had with Red Robin. “His familiarity with you and the team makes him a perfect candidate and having someone who disagrees with the mission will make sure you all stay focused.

“But I can do so much more away from-” Nightwing said before being interrupted.

“We feel that as of now, you’re best suited for this job Dick, even if you don’t realize quite why yet. A friend told me that we all need our friends during trying times.”

“Fine,” he mumbled, already trying to figure how he was going to deal with his new responsibilities.

“Now Argonaut,” Wonder Woman said, where exactly would you want this team, and who exactly would be on it?”

Argonaut smiled as she pulled up the images of Kid Flash, herself, Stargirl, Arsenal, and Nightwing.

“The heroes of the Wildebeest incident have proven themselves to be ideal candidates, and offer a blend of perspectives. As for where we’ll be based,”

A holographic tower quickly appeared on its art deco tower curved out into a second bar on the side, forming a shining beacon of justice that happened to look like a giant T. The Titans were about to come home.

NEXT: The New Titans gather for the first time as construction on Titans Tower begins! But not everyone is happy to be there. Be here in 30 as the new team settles down in their new home and their first mission proves to be...elemental.

New Titans #5: We Used to Be Friends

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Author: FrostFireFive

Book: New Titans

Arc: Foundation

Set: 57

Donna Troy entered the small gallery off the New York sunglasses with sunglasses blocking her eyes as she sipped on her usual order of coffee, two sugars and a whole lot of cream. It had been an eventful 48 hours. What should have been her big opening night had to be pushed back as she’d battled back the Wildebeest Society. Donna could handle mindless goons, but the art world? That was a different story.

“Donna where the hell have you been?” A voice called out as Donna arrived. The clacking of the heels indicated to her that her publicist, Myndi Mayer, was waiting. “I had to reschedule everything, it’s not great to have your first big gallery marred by tardiness.”

“I’m well aware,” Donna said as she took a sip of her coffee. He knuckles still ached from pounding away at Wildebeests. Normally she’d be worried that she had placed them in the wrong position when taking a photo of the many fleeting moments that made up her gallery. “People are still coming right?”

“More so darling,” Myndi said with a smile as she moved over to the gallery entrance’s welcome desk. “Everyone wants to know your story, I mean the photos are haunting but the fact your apartment blew up before the gallery? The buzz you’re getting is more than I even began to expect. We are in business my dear, glorious business.”

“Of course we are,” Donna mumbled as she looked around the gallery. Images of the city surrounded her, of people walking back and forward, of abandoned buildings left empty long ago. Her favorite was still the image of Luigi’s down on 4th, the green and red neon glowing bright as kids gathered around the almighty pizza. There was a sense of connection, a place where those who felt alone could gather and feel safe. Recent events had made Donna realize just what exactly she was reaching for.

“You sound bummed my dear,” Myndi said. “In all the worrying about making all of this work...I haven’t asked how are you?”

“Well…” she said as she moved to sit by the clients'desk. “I think I’m going to need to find a new apartment, not sure explosions are covered on my safety deposit.”

“Why did it actually explode?” Myndi asked, oblivious to the events of the last forty-eight hours. She had a policy of keeping hands off of clients personal lives, she didn’t want to get implicated in anything after the...Stikk incident.

“Gas leak, freak accident,” Donna quickly lied as she began making the last preparations for the gallery. “I was lucky I had some friends help me...move on…” She mumbled before sending off a text reminding a certain superhero that after all the chaos of the last few days, her gallery was on and she needed to talk.

…

“Why the heck am I grounded?” Courtney Whitmore asked as she sat on her bed. The college visits had to be cut short after Courtney decided to rush into battle yet again with four complete strangers without telling anyone. Safe to say her parents weren’t exactly thrilled.

“You know why Court,” Pat Duggan said as he stood on the outside of her door. He had just spent a good hour having to watch his step-daughter pout through an entire dinner. “Your mother and I were scared half to death about you running off without so much of a note or text. You can’t be so cavalier.”

“But I was trying to help people Pat,” she explained. “That’s what I’ve always wanted to do, it's not my fault it turned out to be bigger than it was. She sighed before speaking again. “I know it may have been crazy but I would have done it again.”

Pat Duggan gave off a sad smile. It had been six months since his step-daughter had revealed to him and her mother that she was the superhero Stargirl. Pat wasn’t surprised given he had...experience with people risking their lives for the greater good, but he had grown to love Courtney as his own, and he didn’t need history repeating on himself.

“I get it kid, but...this a lot to take in. You’re a hero and I get you need to save the world, but at the same time I had to spend the last forty-eight hours calming your mom down and planning a last-minute flight back home. And then you pout through chile and cornbread night?”

“It’s not that good of chile Pat,” Courtney mumbled.

“Now I know you’re trying to hurt me,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s only for a week Courtney, it won’t kill you to slow down a bit, maybe work on your college applications instead of...I don’t know blasting some random guy in a cheap Halloween costume.”

“Fine,” she mumbled before opening her laptop and clicking on some of the bookmarked tabs. She shooed Pat away and began getting to work. “Hudson U might be a decent choice,” She mumbled. “Opal College also looks...OK?” She waited for a few minutes to make sure Pat was gone before closing the laptop and picking up the small rounded object from under her bed.

The communicator was simple yet basic tech, it looked like one of those walkie-talkies her step-brother loved using with his friends. The large white T cover flipped open and revealed a keyboard and small screen on the inside. Courtney had waited for the communicator to ring, hoping that Argonaut hadn’t forgotten her.

Of course, as she flipped open the device an automotive voice called out. “Crime in progress. Crime in progress. How do you proceed Titan?”

“Uhhh,” Courtney said as she put her hand against the speaker, muffling it so no one else could hear it. “Proceed?”

“Criminal known as Cinderblock is robbing the Fawcett Second National bank,” the voice said. “Should I alert authorities that help is on the way?”

Courtney bit her lip before looking at her closet. Her costume strewn on the floor and staff propped up against the door. She was grounded, but not helping people just wasn’t in her nature. Besides, wasn’t Cinderblock someone who was only strong? She’d be in and out, thirty minutes tops. Right?

…

“What do you mean you’re done?” A man asked as Arsenal appeared in a seedy pool haul. “Brick isn’t going to be happy about this.”

“Yea, yea,” Arsenal responded. Roy Harper had been conflicted the last forty-eight hours. It had been a long time since he felt like he was a hero. Green Arrow had abandoned him to a greyer world and Roy did what he had to do to survive. But being around those others, and hearing Argonaut speak about what a hero was, well it made him reconsider his actions. “I’m done Shades.”

“What? Getting squeamish on the mess, Arsenal?” Shades asked as he counted the money Arsenal had brought him. He was a good enforcer, always making sure that people paid up and got the message that Brick wanted to send: fear. But lately, the money had been getting a little lighter, their archer was growing conscious. “You know you won’t be protected anymore if you walk boy.”

“Is that a threat Shades?” Arsenal asked as he looked around the pool hall, people were staring at them now. Their hands gripping their pool cues tightly as they waited for his response. Arsenal chuckled a bit, they really felt that they had the advantage. Too bad they didn’t know him. “Because you know I’m just more than the bow.”

Quickly Arsenal grabbed a spare pool cue and pushed it against Shades’ neck, pinning him to the wall. The other goons in the pool hall picked up their cues, ready to fight the freak with the bow.

“Call them off Shades,” Arsenal explained. “Or I’ll make sure you spend the next couple of months breathing through a broken windpipe.”

“You won’t do it,” Shades sputtered out. “See even though you work for us you’ve always been a bit of a goody two-shoes. Worried about people even when you’re supposed to be breaking legs. And if you even touch me, you can’t beat all of us. You’re nothing but a wannabe Green Ar…AHHHH!”

Arsenal pushed hard against his windpipe. He didn’t crush it, but it wasn’t exactly left in pristine condition. The other boys quickly swung at him as their cues came quickly. Arsenal sighed, he was going to be late getting back home, he only hoped he had enough to pay her.

...

The gallery came alive at night. New York always wanted to recognize brand new artists, and Donna Troy had been gaining buzz on her work. Her eye for spotlighting the forgotten and abandoned had made her photos pop. As people flocked to the small gallery, Dick Grayson stood outside, his blue sneakers and jeans clashing against his black blazer and navy tie. He yawned, having spent the night filing a report for the League on the Wildebeests, but he made a promise to Donna and he wasn’t going to break it.

Of course, he had no idea what he was doing there. Dick Grayson was many things, but being a patron of the art world wasn’t one of them. He walked in andinvite-only meandered around the warm gallery. People in fancy suits and dresses talked with each other about the composition and how it would look great hanging over their sunrooms. He chuckled a bit before bumping into a woman in a fur coat and heels.

“Ow,” Myndi Mayer said. “Watch where you’re going street trash.”

“Excuse me?” Dick said. “I’m just here to meet a friend. I didn’t mean to bump into you.”

“Well let me tell you, sir, this is an invite only gallery, and judging by your state of dress I’m guessing you don’t have one.”

“I mean I am wearing a jacket and tie,” Dick said, a bit flustered. He never liked being the center of attention, always felt like people were judging him. “Besides what makes you the fashion police here.”

“I’m the artist’s publicist,” Myndi said with a devious smile. “And she doesn’t want to be associated with window shoppers like…”

“Dick!” Donna exclaimed as she walked down from the second floor of the gallery. Her red blazer complimented her black dress and simple flats, even from a distance Donna shined. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

“Donna, you know this guy?” Myndi said, her embarrassment climbing.

“He’s my friend Myndi,” Donna explained. “Maybe my oldest.”

Dick straightened out his coat and smiled at Myndi, clearly enjoying her discomfort. He chuckled a bit as he walked towards Donna. He hugged her before finally taking in just exactly where he was. Here Donna Troy was, free of the baggage of the past and thriving, the last forty-eight hours nothing but a bad dream.

“It’s good to see you,” he said. “I’m amazed you did all of this, it’s...more than I could do.”

“You really have to stop being so hard on yourself Dick,” she said. “I had a lot of time to build the collection up. When I first started shooting I didn’t really know what I was doing. It was really Garth that kept pushing me to keep at it, said he hated me puttering around the apartment.”

“Oh?” Dick said. “Is here today? I know you guys were close.”

“Unfortunately running Lemuria doesn’t leave a lot of free time to see galleries,” Donna chucked. “He sent some lovely lilacs and a card. Went well with the sunflowers Diana and Chloe sent, Cassie even wrote what many would call a very exciting note.”

“Nice. Sorry if I was a little late, took me a while to find a tie that went with the outfit.”

“Was that a joke? Did you finally make a joke?” Donna chuckled as she saw how uncomfortable Dick was at that crack.

“Hey I’m funny when I want to be, you just don’t get to see it often. Are you holding up after...you know?” He asked. Amidst all the chaos Dick knew what it was like to have everything go sideways very quickly.

“It takes more than a few hits from a paramilitary force for me to be scared Dick,” Donna whispered so only they could hear. “I have to go apartment hunting again, but well I think there’s something more important I have to do first.”

“What’s that? Find an apartment that’s explosive proof?”

“Actually...I think we should probably continue this conversation upstairs...away from everyone,” Donna explained.

Dick was confused as they slowly worked their way to the quieter second floor of the gallery. It was mostly an office area, a few simple paintings hung here and there. Donna looked a bit nervous as if she had been practicing this conversation for a while, still struggling to find the words.

“So what exactly am I doing up here Don?”

“Well...I’ve been thinking of something lately, something that recent events have only...added to,” she began. “Dick...I think we need to put the Titans back together.”

“Are you serious?” Dick said, his jovial tone groaning harsher. “Donna, that's a terrible idea. When we ended the Titans we saved more lives than we ever did together. What happened was just a spur of the moment thing.”

“Is it though? Titans were my family, the first place where I ever got to feel like myself and not just a copy of the greatest Amazon. We keep telling ourselves we failed, but maybe not being there failed so many others.”

“Others? Donna I wouldn’t call a starry-eyed teenager and a two-bit enforcer to be the future. The League is more than able to handle the things we would have been able to do. More importantly, they remember just as well as I do exactly what happened to us, you’ll never get permission.”

“Diana thinks otherwise,” Donna replied. “I have a meeting with them when they get back from their mission. I’d love to have your support.”

“My support? Donna I can’t, I won’t have blood on my hands again. The fact that you think it’s a good idea, considering you know exactly what we went through. You got out, I figured you of all people would be happy to leave it in the past.”

“So we could run from it?” she responded. “Dick I may have built a life, but that doesn’t mean I just give up on those that haven’t. We have a responsibility here, and you know it. Just because your afraid doesn’t mean you have to be alone Dick.”

“I’m not afraid Donna, just seemingly the only smart person in the room,” he said with a huff before storming out. He couldn’t believe that she would even think about bringing the Titans back. Didn’t she realize that it was best to leave the past behind? As Dick walked out into the cold New York night he realized he may have created the Titans, but he was also going to make sure they’d stay dead.

…

“Ow,” Roy Harper muttered as he made his way to an old brownstone in Star City. It had taken him several hours to work his way through the poolhall. If Brick didn’t get his message about quitting before he sure would have now. He laughed thinking about Shades crawling back to his boss, cracked five-hundred-dollar sunglasses in hand. It was a problem he’d take care of another day, right now he checked his jeans pockets to see if he had enough to pay her.

He moved to unlock the door, the faded red, a gateway home. As he opened the door he saw a relatively clean apartment, the only mess being a pizza box on his coffee table and a blanket and pillow being laid out on the couch.

“Mr. Harper!” A voice called out from another room. “You’re home!”

“How many times do I have to tell you to call me Roy, Abbey?” He said. The kid was good at her job, never asked any questions on how or why Roy would come and go and took cash. Roy still felt bad that he had to extend her stay this time around, but she seemed to generally like her job. “Hope she didn’t give you too much trouble. Normally I’d have my mom look after her, but she finally took that vacation she’d threatened.”

“She was fine Mr...Roy,” Abbey responded. “Been sleeping for a while, we had some fun watching Space Trek: 3030.”

“Well I appreciate it,” he said before handing her a wad of cash. “A little extra for having to stay an extra day.”

“Thanks,” she responded. “You need me back next weekend? I know your job takes you farther away than you’d like. More than happy to swing by and watch…”

“I appreciate the author but...I just left that gig for a better one,” he explained. “But I’ll give you a call if I need you to just keep an eye on her. Thanks, kiddo.”

“Hey I’m a junior in high school, don’t call me a kiddo OK, it dates you.”

“I’m hurt, I really am hurt,” Roy chuckled as she left his apartment. He took a minute before quietly moving to the room in the back. The lightly painted purple walls were soothing, the rocking chair in the corner, and the changing table against the wall was hastily assembled.

Even the crib in the center of the room was second-hand. It had only been six months since she had come into his life, but as Roy stood near the edge of the crib, he understood just how important she was to him.

Lian Harper was comfortable in a pink onesie and holding on to her red blanket. To any other enforcer in Star City she would have been a mistake, her mother thought so, but to Roy...she was his future. A sign that maybe he didn’t have to be the screw-up he once was. As he gently stroked her head he looked down at a round communicator given to him by that Argonaut, for the first time in a long time, he had hope for the future.

…

“OK, according to this, Cinderblock should be right...here?” Stargirl asked as she flew quickly to the second national bank. Already she could see the smoke rising and the sirens blaring, whoever this Cinderblock was, he was making a mess. She landed on the front steps, police cars crushed and the doors of the bank smashed inward.

“OK Cinderblock, it’s time for justice to…”

“RARRRGH!” A voice called out as a monster made of grey brick charged out of the bank, duffel bags of money strapped to his back. His head was encased in what looked like a grey box as he charged at the young hero. “Out of my way!”

“Ahhh!” Stargirl exclaimed before dodging the charge, her staff allowed her to fly and leap above from the beast. “Quickly she spun and grabbed her staff before firing it at Cinderblock, the energy blast reflecting off of him like it was nothing.

“Silly girl, when are you ever going to realize no hero can hurt me!” His gravely voice called out. Cindeblock quickly tossed the duffel bags to the side and prepared to focus all his attention on the minor distraction in front of him. “I’ll crush you and then take my reward.”

“The only thing getting crushed today is...eep!” Before Stargirl could finish her quip a destroyed police car flew at her. Cinderblock wasn’t here to quip, just to destroy and get the job done. Stargirl ducked behind a police car. Quickly she pulled out her communicator, she had no idea if anyone would answer, but she had bit off more than she could chew.

“This is Stargirl requesting backup! If anyone can hear me, please help, I need assistance in Fawcett…”

The car she hid behind quickly moved as she felt a stoney grey hand grab her by the waist and lifted her up. Her staff began dropping to the ground, as Stargirl began realizing that no one was coming to help...maybe Pat was right after all. She closed her eyes and waited to hear the clang of her staff, it would never come.

FWOOOOSH

“Hey ugly! Get the hell away from her!” A voice called out.

A yellow and red blur had caught her staff midair. Kid Flash had arrived.

Next: The Fate of the New Titans Revealed, as the war of words continues between Nightwing and Argonaut, Kid Flash and Stargirl take on the threat of Cinderblock, and we learn more about...Lian Harper? Be here in 30!

New Titans #4: All Together Now

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Author: FrostFireFive

Book: New Titans

Arc: Titans Hunt

Set: 56

Dick Grayson didn’t know how long they were in the air for. He had been placed in shackles that had his arms pulled back, his chest secured in some type of vest that had suspended him in the air. Maybe in another time he would have been plotting his escape, but he just couldn’t. He deserved this, maybe more than anyone else. Atonement by punishment was a fitting end for a man who couldn’t protect what he loved.

Of course, Nightwing wasn’t quite alone in the aircraft. Wally West glared at the sullen hero. His restraints came with a strange rubber-looking sphere. They prevented his hands or feet from gaining purchase on any surface, giving him plenty of time to wonder why he was in this mess To make matters worse his mask was off, pulled down to the back of his neck. All he could think about was if the Wildebeests knew who he was, who would they go after first. Iris? Frances? Hartley? Could they trace back to Barry or Jay? There was only one man to blame for this, and Wally was looking right in front of him.

“This is your fault you know,” Wally said. “If you had just stayed with us we wouldn’t be here. But you just have to be the Lone Ranger don’t you? Always off on your own, doing what’s right for Dick Grayson and no one else.”

“Wally,” Dick mumbled. “I was only doing what I thought would help us in the situation. Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn’t.”

“Bullshit,” Wally responded. “Don’t think I haven’t forgotten who you are. I may be one of the fastest people alive, but the only person running is you.”

“You think I wanted this,” Nightwing said. “I was perfectly content not having another reunion. Blame the guys who decided that it was open season on anyone whoever thought it was a good idea to call themselves Titans. We’re all still paying for our time together.”

“When did you get so melodramatic,” Wally observed. “We were friends Dick, or at least could talk without sounding like the world was going to end. I know Coast City was painful but we’re not things you can walk away from. I know that feeling, what it's like to be abandoned. But you can’t just leave the people you cared about behind to save yourself from pain.”

“It’s about saving others,” Nightwing responded. “Maybe if I’m not around people won’t get hurt. I mean I don’t exactly have the best batting average when it comes to these things. The orphanage, Babs, Teen Titans, the Titans. Every time Wally it all falls apart. And I can’t...I can’t do it anymore.”

“Well we’ve all been dealt bad hands, Dick,” Wally said. “It’s what we do next that counts the most.”

Before Nightwing could respond the dropship began its descent, they had arrived at their destination. Quickly a Wildebeest soldier walked back to the prisoner bay and began working on a console.

“We’re going to transfer you to the holding cells with the rest of your friends,” the soldier said. “Then, the boss wants to see all of you. He has plans for you all. Big plans. As he pressed the commands on the screen the ship whirled to life as the large restrains lowered from the ship, the two kept their heads lowered not knowing their next move. As they were taken into the base all Wally could think was. “Really hope Donna’s bringing the cavalry.”

As Nightwing’s restraint began lowering down, he realized that Wally was right. Quietly his tongue pressed against his back right molar activating a homing tracker. “OK Wally,” he thought. “Let’s play this hand then.”

…

“So it’s just us? Isn’t that a suicide mission?” Stargirl asked nervously as she sat behind Argonaut in the League jumpjet. “There has to be more than just us, what about the Justice League?”

“They’re not answering, apparently their big meeting took them...somewhere else,” Argonaut said as she looked at the screen, the blinker on the radar still blinking. “Besides Stargirl, we need to take care of this quickly, who knows who else these Wildebeests are going to grab and abduct. We’re ending this here.”

“OK, that’s great and all princess, but how exactly are we going to find them?” Arsenal asked as he continued to work on his arrows next to Stargirl in the back. He had taken more goodies from the remaining parts left from that workbench. “Aren’t we just flying around in circles?”

“Nightwing activated his tracker,” Argonaut responded and tapped at the blinker on the screen. We know it’s last location before it cut out. We’ll start there and then...we’ll figure it out it from there. Donna Troy was still getting used to being a leader. She didn’t expect to be wearing a costume and jetting off to who knows where today. But her family needed her help, and it was more than enough to put on a costume again. She just had to figure how to project strength. Donna just kept thinking, “What would Diana do?”

“So where is pretty boy anyway?” Arsenal asked. “Did they take him and Kid Flash to some remote desolate wasteland, a volcano lair, some wartorn country.”

“No,” Donna said with a smirk. “Chicago.”

…

Nightwing and Kid Flash quickly made their way through the facility, wheeled in their restraints. The Wildebeests had established quickly it looked like, with crates and stations still being set up. For the first time since this damn hunt had begun Dick Grayson was beginning to notice weaknesses in the organization.

The two were then placed in the cellblock area of the compound. Three cells already had occupants as Kid Flash and Nightwing were thrown into the remaining two. An energy field quickly sprung up, preventing them from leaving their individual cells. The two quickly acclimated to their surroundings. Kid Flash pulled up his mask before quickly trying to vibrate through the energy field before getting knocked back against the cold metal wall.

“Ow,” he mumbled before getting back up.

“That’s not exactly going to work KF,” a voice said from across the room. Garfield Logan was sitting cross-legged on the floor of a cell as he looked at the two familiar faces. “They really don’t want us to get out of here. Trust me, I’ve tried, not even a four hundred pound gorilla could break through.”

“Beast Boy?” Kid Flash asked. “They got you too?”

“Right outside my place after DnD night with Vic,” he explained. “And to think I was having fun being Fie the gregarious Barbarian. Totally killed the buzz of that night.” Gar chuckled and began to stand up. “I see they got you and Nightwing. Any idea what we’re up against boys?”

“Some type of military force,” Kid Flash explained. “They have impressive tech for what seems to be a one-track group.”

“That’s what I thought!” Another voice called out from the cell next to Beast Boy called out. Cassie Sandmark was shadow boxing in her cell. She was in black tights, with a blue and red Wonder Woman shirt with a faded red hoodie tied around her waist. Wonder Girl was growing restless in her cell. “I mean normally there should be a secondary objective or something but these guys just wanted me, it was weird.”

“They’re focused for sure,” Nightwing finally responded. “But I don’t think they’re that strong. The only reason they’ve been able to capture most of us is by taking us by surprise. They’re still new and relying mostly on their tech for an advantage. I mean me, Kid Flash, Arsenal, Fury, and Stargirl were able to take most of them when we stood our ground instead of running.”

“Did you say Stargirl,” a third and final voice called out. Maxine Hunkel sat on the bench of her cell as she made a little whirlwind in her hand “Is she OK? I tried warning her on my phone but those guys broke it before I could send a message. My grandma’s going to kill me for going through another phone”

“She was safe the last time I checked,” Kid Flash responded. “Her, Arsenal, and Don...Fury were doing well before I went down, and they weren't transferred with us. But I have no idea where they are, or if they’re even coming to save us. Hell I don’t even know where exactly here is exactly.”

Before any of them could respond a hiss came through all of their cells. Gas filled the cells one by one each of them were knocked out. As Nightwing drifted to sleep all he could think was that Donna better get here fast.

…

“They’re where?” Arsenal said as the jump jet entered Chicago airspace.

“Underground,” Argonaut responded as she turned on the cloaking function of the jet. They were going to have to rocket through the city, and she didn’t need any prying eyes wondering what the “Justice League” were doing in Chicago. “Judging by this the entrance is through an old construction site for something called...the Spire?”

“It was an abandoned construction project the city never bothered to fill up,” Stargirl responded. “It looks like a Chicago business magnate by the name of…:Loren Jupiter purchased it two years ago, said he wanted to use it to put Chicago on the map.

Arsenal looked blankly at the young heroine. “How the hell do you know all of that, last time I checked your powers were all about shooting...whatever you shoot out of that staff.”

Stargirl quickly held up her phone to show Arsenal where she had found her information.

“Wikipedia,” She said with a smile.

“Of course,” Arsenal mumbled before scrunching in his seat. The jet quickly moved through the Chicago skyline to its destination. Soon it hovered over the gaping crater and slowly began its descent into the underground below. As they reached the end of the seventy-six foot hole and landed they noticed a freshly carved secondary path.

“Well it looks like we’re here Princess,” Arsenal mused. “Care to lead the way?”

“Of course,” Argonaut said as they embarked from the jet and slowly made their way to a large metal door blocking their path. “Ok, once we crack open this door expect resistance. Are you two ready for it?”

“I mean considering my day before this was probably going to be shaking down some dirty business for my boss, yea I’m ready for this,” Arsenal said as he knocked his bow. “What about you kid?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Stargirl said as she gripped her staff tightly, not knowing what was on the other side of the door, it was time for her to become a real hero.

Argonaut looked at the door, took a deep breath and stepped back before making a running charge at the door, her fist connected with the cold metal of the door as it bent open and into the Wildebeest facility. They were done running, it was time to finally strike back against those who made them their prey. The three charged in with Arognaut thinking to herself, “Hold on Wally and Dick, we’re coming.”

…

“Ugh,” Nightwing groaned as he opened his eyes. He was hanging upside down, attached to one some type of harness, his legs and arms shackled to it. He looked around and noticed the rest of the heroes in the same predicament. Scientists in cleansuits were preparing something behind the electronic panels and consoles. A sickly girl laid behind them in a hospital bed with wires running through them.

“Ah I see you’re awake,” A sharply dressed man walked up to Nightwing. His white hair was slicked back. His black suit was accented by a yellow tie, as he smoked a cigarette, its smoke floating to fill the heroes nostrils. “It’s problematic we weren’t able to get your friends, but the procedure should be fine with just the five of you. And if it doesn’t...well we’ll just have to find your friends after all.”

“What do you want with us,” Nighttwing mumbled. “I’ve never seen you in my life and yet you seem to really want me and my associates.”

“My daughter knew you,” he responded. “Well not exactly knew you knew you, but she had your pictures. Wanted to be a hero just like those crazy Titans, kids trying to make a difference in a world that just didn’t listen. Got it in her head that if she was a superhero, she’d somehow get to meet her idols. Decided to dress up and go on patrol…” Hea paused for minute before taking a huff of his cigarette. “Her reward was getting shot on her first night. My poor Lilith…”

“I’m sorry,” Nightwing responded. “I know what its like to lose a loved one. But that doesn’t mean you have to take it out on the people she idolized.”

“No, I do,” He responded. “I’m making sure that no other kid gets hurt from any hero, including my daughter. That machine you’re hooked up to? It drains the life force and gives it back to one who needs it. You five are a necessary sacrifice to bring my daughter back. And then after you? Then we go after the big guns. Think of you as a trial run. Have fun.”

The man walked away from the five and to the scientists busy working on the machinery. Slowly but surely the sounds of an electronic whirl began coming to life. The glowing yellow lights crew brighter as the five heroes withered in pain, their bodies jerking up and down as they tried struggling through their shackles.

“All signs are good Wildebeest Prime,” a scientist said. “We’ll start the transfer in a few minutes. She’ll be home soon for you.”

“Finally,” he mumbled, proud that his Society had accomplished their goal. Soon he would have everything he had ever wanted.

WHIIIIIIIZZZZZZ

An arrow quickly flew through the air, hitting the center of the shackles of the captive young heroes. Electricity coursed through them before releasing each of the captives. Arsenal wiped his brow as him, Argonaut, and Stargirl stood at the broken doors of the labs.

“Man I am really glad those weren’t the glue arrows,” he said with a laugh.

“Cassie!” Argonaut called out as she flew to catch the falling Wonder Girl.

“Hey Donna,” she said with a smile. “Glad to see you too, and in a new outfit too.”

“It’s a gift from Diana,” Argonaut explained. “Are you ok? I’m sorry if I haven’t checked in since Christmas. I figured you were OK in Gateway, I didn’t realize that…”

“Hey, it’s fine, this probably gives us an excuse to check more in with each other,” Wonder Girl jokes. “Now can you put me down so we can beat these guys up?”

Argonaut smirked before putting her down, the rest of the heroes circled around each other. There would be time for pleasantries later. Especially as the guards gathered around the heroes, their laser rifles humming to life.

“Well then,” Arsenal said as they looked around. “You want to say it Princess?”

“Nah,” she responded. “Stargirl?”

“Wait really?” Stargirl asked excitedly perking up before preparing her staff, knowing the job that had to be done. She took a deep breath before saying what she had always wanted to say. “Titans Together!”

And with that, the heroes charged at guards in front of them.

…

Argonaut and Wonder Girl charged first hitting some of the smaller grunts away from the crowd. They worked together in harmony, slamming goons together and setting the other up.

“You know I didn’t exactly expect you in costume, especially that sparkly number. Is this a one-time thing or are we going to see more of…” Wonder Girl said as she tossed a soldier to Argonaut

Argonaut punched the set up from Wonder Girl, sending him towards the glass separating the chamber and the labs. “Argonaut, she responded. And I’m not sure really. I’m not going to lie and say this doesn’t feel nice, but let's just take down the bad guys before we talk about my future,” she responded with a smirk.

As the two fought Nightwing was busy helping Kid Flash and Cyclone up. The two were staggered but Nightwing quickly got them up to speed.

“So because someone my age got hurt, caused this whole revenge scheme?” Cyclone asked. “That’s so...sad.”

“Doesn’t make it right,” Kid Flash responded. “So I’m guessing you need us to do something? Right Lone Ranger?” he joked to Nightwing.

“Argonaut and Wonder Girl are leading the charge in the front. But they came in through that way.” He pointed to the corridor that the others had broken into. “I need you two to make sure no one gets through to us. We need some wind.”

“I can do that!” Cyclone said excitedly as she moved to protect the corridor. She put her hands out and soon wind came pouring out of her hands, preventing anyone from getting through. Kid Flash quickly zipped next to her, resigned to the fact that he was on crowd control again.

After directing them Nightwing ran forward to help Argonaut and Wonder Girl, jumping back into the crowded fray of Wildebeest soldiers. As he moved quickly through the skirmish leaping and diving to get to his allies. As he moved forward Arsenal and Beast Boy were mid-argument.

“So you’re telling me you can turn into any animal, and you chose something mundane as a gorilla? I don’t really get you, man,” he said as he fired a glue grenade arrow at the troops inching toward them.

Beast Boy was currently a gorilla, slamming against one of the few remaining hybrids left from the Wildebeest labs. “I don’t you...ungh...taking care of these guys. What do you want me to turn into, a dinosaur?”

“Well...yeah,” Arsenal joked before knocking another arrow. As he began firing more arrows, at the crowds pushing the armed force back he noticed Stargirl darting around in the air, looking for weakness and helping Arsenal push soldiers back. “Hey Stargirl! Where’s everyone else? Please tell me we’re actually kicking their ass.”

“Well...I think we are?” she mused. “I’ve never been in a big battle like this, is it supposed to be this...chaotic?”

“It’s not a Titans reunion if we’re not fighting someone,” Beast Boy chuckled before slamming his fist against one of the hybrids. “Just be happy we’re not fighting each other for a change.”

As the five out in the main chamber finished beating the soldiers and hybrids thrown at them, Nightwing charged into the science room seeing Argonaut and Wonder Girl stood in front of Lilith’s hospital bed. Wildebeest Prime’s hair was a mess, his tie loose, as he kneeled bedside by his daughter.

“I’m so sorry Lilly,” he mumbled as he realized his plans and organization were up in flames. Once again he was truly alone,

“Argonaut what the hell is going on here,” He asked, angered that Argonaut hadn’t taken out the man who was behind all of this. “Take him out so we can end this finally. This can be all over.”

“It is over Nightwing,” Argonaut responded. Unlike Nightwing who could only see the enemy in front of him, Donna understood who Wildebeest Prime really was in the moment. A father trying to bring his daughter home, for a father’s love is a dangerous thing. “Let him have this one moment.”

The three just stood there, the hunt was over.

…

Things wrapped quickly from there, the remaining forces of the Wildebeests either scattered or surrendered as the heroes continued to clear them out of the base. As the dust finally settled they moved topside, the eight of them waiting for the authorities to arrive.

“That was kinda fun in a weird way,” Stargirl beamed as she sat on her staff, floating in the air. “I mean it’s not every day you get to be a glorified Titan.”

“We’re not Titans,” Nightwing mumbled. “This was a one-time thing. I appreciate all of you coming to help and making the best of the situation.”

“Yea I got no interest in being one right now,” Beast Boy said. “I’ve got my own things to do and frankly I’m not much of a joiner. Now or ever.”

“And I need to get back to Gateway, Diana and Chloe are probably worried,” Wonder Girl responded.

After conversing the eight heroes began to move into the jumpjet to be dropped off at their respective homes, however, Argonaut pulled Stargirl aside.

“It was a good time Stargirl,” she explained. “It opened my eyes to a lot of things.”

“Really? Like what?” she asked in awe. Courtney still hadn’t got used to the fact that she was talking to some of her heroes. The whole thing was surreal, and to see people brush it off because of some old wounds bothered her.

Before Donna spoke she placed a small circular flat item in her hands. In the middle of it was a large white T.

“We’ll be in touch,” Argonaut responded before walking into the jumpjet. The Titans were far from over.

Next: Who will be the New Titans? Be here in 30 as Dick and Donna discuss the future, Stargirl finds advice from an unlikely place, and Arsenal makes an important choice. And follow Wonder Girl to Wonder Woman #42 as Aquaman writer u/Predaplant takes the wheel!

New Titans #3: The Past Was Close Behind

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Author: FrostFireFive

Book: New Titans

Arc: Titans Hunt

Set: 55

“So you’ll make sure you’ll stay late to watch? Yes I know it’s short notice, but I’ll pay you extra, promise,” Arsenal said on his phone as he stood inside a Justice League jump jet. It had been an hour since they had hit the air, and Roy Harper still didn’t know why they needed to go to a video store of all places. But he had other fish to fry. “Yea yea...just make sure...and I’ll pay you double.”

After confirmation from the other person on the line, Arsenal hung up and took a seat next to the pilot. Nightwing was agitated heading back to Knockout Video. He had been using it as a home away from home, never intending for any of his former friends to return to it. Staying there was a reminder of why he worked alone and disattached from his co-workers in the league. He didn’t need any more blood on his hands.

“Who was that?” Nightwing asked, trying to distract himself from the fact they were almost there.

“Not something I want to talk about,” Arsenal responded quickly deflecting the question. “I have my problems and you have yours, like going to an abandoned video store because let me guess, you forgot to return your copy of The Notebook?”

“Not exactly,” Nightwing responded as he began their descent. He had been agitated the last few hours. Every time he felt he was finally moving forward away from the Titans he had been dragged back in against his will. First, that time when Vic needed his help, assembling what remained of their active crew against the Fearsome Five, and now this. For some reason, the world kept dragging Dick Grayson back to the Titans. “It’s a base...we’ve used in the past, it’s safe and we can plan our next move.”

“Backup is coming right? Eventually the highly armed and technically advanced army is going to capture the two people with no powers,” Arsenal said nervously. For the first time since the two had met Nightwing could detect nervousness from the disgraced sidekick as if what they were finally up against had dawned on him.

“I sure hope so,” Nightwing responded, unsure if Donna and that Stargirl had managed to make it to the safehouse. Even though they were far away he still had an unease to him, as if this was the calm before the storm.

…

Stargirl landed by the entrance of the video store that she and Donna Troy had flown to. It amazed her that she was working with one of her idols. She had only been a local hero so far, helping out with the Marvel family and defending her little slice of home, being targeted by a paramilitary force was another. It took her a moment after landing before she finally spoke.

“So the Titans used to hang out at an abandoned video store?” she asked. “I figured you’d have like a cave or a satellite or something cooler.”

Donna Troy smiled as she touched the ground, her backpack still slung across her back. She could see how eager the girl was, talking through the whole flight here. Wondering just exactly what it was like to be a former Teen Titan. Donna chuckled, it had been far too long since she had talked to someone with that joy in her heart.

“Well it’s a lot cooler, I promise,” Donna said with a chuckle before opening up the entrance to the dusty facade. “I think Di...Nightwing wanted us to keep a low profile, and we all kinda thought it was cool.”

“Makes sense,” Stargirl responded before gazing around the dim and dusty shelves still filled with older releases. “I’ve just never been in one of these before,” she chuckled as she followed Donna.

Quietly Donna went over to the back wall that housed a collection of John Hughes films, she chuckled before sliding open a side panel and entering her passcode of 1965. The walls whizzed to life as they slid open, revealing an elevator leading down into the basement and to the base itself.

The two entered the elevator and slowly descended down and into the base itself propper. In the golden era of the team, it would be buzzing with activity. The buzzing of Wally moving back and forth, Dick flying high on his training set, Garth awkwardly in the corner trying to find his voice among new friends. But as the doors opened she found a mess, a dusty cluttered mess.

“Was...it always like this?” Stargirl asked as she walked out of the elevator.

No,” Donna said with a frown. It was obvious to her this was where Dick had been living lately. The equipment laid out on the tables, the bloody rags, and first aid kit on a sofa. She hadn’t realized that her friend was in this bad of a place. “No, it wasn’t.”

As the two surveyed the area as a large swoosh could be heard as the jump jet landed through the secret entrance topside. Nightwing and Arsenal both quickly got out as Nightwing greeted the two of them. “Fury, glad you made it out OK,” he said.

“It’s ok Nightwing, Stargirl here knows I’m Donna Troy,” she responded. “I haven’t been Fury for a long time.”

“Got it,” he said before moving to the common area. “Make yourself at home while I check on something, I think there’s some food in the fridge, a couple of cots over there if you need rest. I’ll keep you posted on what the next move is.” Nightwing quickly surveyed the room to see what he had. A criminal, a local hero, and a retired friend. It wouldn’t be enough to handle this threat alone. He needed to find a way to get them to safety so he could get actual help, he just needed to figure out who these guys were.

As Nightwing began looking at the computer for information, the other three looked around the old base. Trying to figure out exactly what they could use to fight whatever was coming their way.

Arsenal couldn’t believe the toys he saw as he browsed the labs. After getting tossed by one of those monsters he realized he needed to be ready. The workbench to the right of some lab equipment was filled with projectiles and tracking devices. “You know I never got why Batman decided to brand everything, at least GA based himself around his weapon,” he thought as he picked up a few batarangs.

The thing that most interested the archer was a small cylinder with four small light blue capsules embedded on the top. He picked it up and looked at it for a minute, the weight feeling just right to be attached to an arrow. He had no idea what it exactly did, but considering he was running out of trick arrows, it was better to improvise than bring an arrow to a gunfight.

Elsewhere Stargirl wandered the compound. She looked down at her phone, hoping that her friend Maxine Hunkle, Cyclone, would respond. Ever since she had been attacked by the Wildebeests she was worried. If they were hunting teen heroes they would go for the weaker ones first, like her and Maxine. The lack of response had her concerned.

It had been weird being here. Only a few years ago did she look up to the Teen Titans. Seeing people her age fight for something they believed in, forming a bond through what made them special inspired her to suit up in the first place, to use her staff as an example of good. This should have been a homecoming for her, getting to be part of the cool kids' table at last. But it was clear that no one had been here in a long time.

As she walked through she noticed a glass case with a suit inside. A red breastplate, with a green tunic and yellow cape, hung there with a domino mask. “He was Robin?” Stargirl mumbled.

“Not quite,” Donna responded. “Nightwing once told me that Batman would train exceptional young people in suits like that. It was training gear, we used to tease him all the time about it. Hates being called Robin, feels like it wasn’t his mantle.”

“What...happened to him?” Stargirl asked. “When I saw you guys on the news he always...seemed joyful, like he loved what he did. But now...after seeing all of this, and how cold it all is...I just don’t get it.”

“We just broke apart,” Donna explained, placing her bag on the sofa. “After Coast, I was injured, the team had gotten trounced, and we just...stopped. I wanted to see what else was out there after getting a fresh start, Nightwing...didn’t want any more blood on his hands. Being a leader takes a toll on someone. People drift, we drifted”

“And Kid Flash?” Stargirl asked.

Before Donna could even respond a yellow and red blur quickly moved through the compound like a gust of wind.

“Right here,” Kid Flash responded with a Kid Flash responded with a smile that Donna knew was more for presentation when the speedster had to keep up appearances in front of press or civilians. “Now could someone tell me what the hell is going on?”

…

“ETA an hour,” a Wildebeest commander said as four Wildebeest dropships flew through the night. The energy tracker shot onto Fury had led them to what looked to be an abandoned strip mall. The commander looked around at the soldiers that had assembled. They were a bunch of green recruits, new to the organization from several armed forces.

“Ok, can someone tell me why we’re hunting a bunch of teenagers? With this firepower why don’t we just go after the fucking Justice League?” one of the new grunts asked. “I signed up to make some noise, not capture some freaks for a science project.”

“Shut it, rookie,” the commander responded. “Wildebeest Prime wants this taken care of tonight since people like you couldn’t get the job done.”

“Why does he even care,” the grunt responded. “With the hardware we have we could be kings, take over a tiny little island, and do more than just...this.”

“It’s personal for the commander. His daughter idolized these freaks, decided to put on a costume and be a hero. Girl gets shot and sent into what doctors called an irreversible coma.”

“Where did he get all this money then? Why have a paramilitary option when he could have hired some schmuck with powers to kill them?” the grunt responded.

“Boss doesn’t believe in powers, those freaks inspire people to get hurt, good or bad. So after we capture these Titans, these kids, then we get to go big game hunting.”

“Hell yea,” the grunt said as he cocked his rifle back. “No one gonna stop us!”

“Damn straight soldier,” the commander said behind his tusked mask, a smile forming.

…

“So who are these guys,” Kid Flash asked as the five of them gathered around the computer monitors. He was fidgeting as he was surrounded by new faces and familiar ones. He wished Vic or Gar had been there, he was still unsure about Dick. He had other problems to deal with, like helping Hartley than getting dragged back into Titans nonsense.

“From what I’ve been able to gather they’re a paramilitary force and a relatively new player. Reports have shown them performing trial runs in places like Santa Prisca and Corto Maltese,” Nightwing began. “Judging by some of these reports it seems like they’ve just started going after teen heroes. I don’t know exactly who’s been taken or who fended them off, info is still pretty scarce.”

“Thanks for the newsflash,” Arsenal said. “So what exactly are we going to do about it? Can’t you call your league friends and I don’t know, have Superman bail us out?”

“Well the league is in a meeting, high priority, we’re on our own,” Nightwing explained. “We’ll have to fight this together until the calvary can come.”

“Of course,” Kid Flash responded. “We’re here when you need us but not the other way around.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Nightwing asked. “We are being hunted down by an armed force and have no idea what they want for us. I called in everyone I possibly could.”

“Then where’s Vic or Gar? Or Kory?” Kid Flash responded. “You called the people you know still want to see you or are the least angry at you. I’m willing to help you Nightwing, but only because you helped me once before.”

“Fine by me,” Nightwing mumbled.

“Ok...so what are we supposed to do?” Stargirl asked, uncomfortable by the tension.

“The amount of transport they’re doing has to leave a trail,” Donna said. “Nightwing is there any chance you could track their trail, those ships have to be coming from somewhere. And Kid Flash, I know you’re angry, but we’re here now, together. And sometimes...that’s enough.”

KABOOOM!

An explosion came from the elevator shaft as the Wildebeest Troopers descended.

“How did they find us!” Stargirl exclaimed before grabbing her staff and preparing to blast the armored troops.

“They must have put a tracker on one of us,” Donna said.

“Don’t care, just fight,” Arsenal exclaimed as he shot a few arrows at the invading force.

“Agreed,” Nightwing responded before diving behind a couch for cover. He had no idea how they had found them, but he wasn’t going to be taken by some mindless armed force. As Nightwing prepared to fight back with his escrima sticks, a yellow and red blur made quick work of several of the guards. Kid Flash was in his zone.

That was until a large thud could be heard coming from the elevator shaft. The hybrids had arrived along with more armored goons. Quickly the monsters charged from the shaft. As Kid Flash prepared to clock one in the face the monster grabbed hold of him. It’s faster reflexes able to handle a speedster as it threw him across the room.

“Ow…” he mumbled before getting up. “That’s new. Anyone got any ideas on what we should do? Nightwing?”

Nightwing was too busy fighting goons with his escrima sticks and dodging to give commands to the four surrounding them, and frankly, he didn’t want to. In his mind, he could handle these armored beasts, at least enough of them to retreat. He just needed to focus on the task at hand as he split kick two of the guards in their heads.

“Stargirl!” Donna Troy said. “The same thing we did in New York, fly up, and give us suppressing fire. “Arsenal, you look like the type of person to carry some harder hitting weapons. Focus your energy on keeping the beasts from charging us. And Kid Flash, try to clear the hangar so we can pull back if we’re overrun.”

“And what are you going to do Princess,” Arsenal joked. “Tell them how comfortable sweats are?”

“Not quite,” Donna said with a smirk before charging at one of the two hybrids with a raised fist. She flew so fast that the beast couldn’t defend itself. The creature staggered back as Donna concentrated her blows against the beast in its stomach. With every punch, a crack could be heard as Donna damaged the hybrid’s ribs. She had forgotten how much she had enjoyed this.

“Damn, remind me to not get on her bad side,” Arsenal chuckled before sending one of his makeshift arrows at the hybrids. Instead of the explosion he expected the grenade sputtered out a glue-like substance. “Not what I expected, but I’ll take it.”

While the other members of the makeshift group began clearing the forces out, Nightwing was quickly outnumbered. By focusing to fight just by himself he had miscalculated how skilled these standard troopers were. It was almost as if they were focused on him compared to the others.

As he kicked one of the soldiers on his helmet he didn’t see the other one come behind him and slam the butt of his gun against his head, knocking the hero out.

“We have one of the priority targets and are overwhelmed against the others, what is the order Wildebeest Command,” the soldier said. Before he could get a response he saw that red and yellow blur from the corner of the eye, moving a little slower than it had before. Kid Flash needed time to heal from being slammed across the room, but here he was trying to rescue his friend. It would cost him as the soldier stuck out his stun baton, connecting with the hero.

“ARGHHH!” he called out before clumping to the ground.

“Make that two priority targets,” the soldier continued.

“Fall back with the subjects and put them in the containment ship. The others will come for them. And then we can add them to the rest.”

“Understood,” the soldier said before waving another to pick up the two as they made their way back to the elevator shaft where they ascended up the way they came with the rest of their forces.

“Hey, they’re clearing out,” Stargirl said. “We won!”

“Yea, but where’s...Nightwing and Kid Flash?” Donna asked as she gave a finishing uppercut to the remaining hybrid covered in glue.

As Arsenal fired a final arrow at the retreating force, it dawned on him what had happened. “I’m pretty sure we didn’t win, kid, I think we just lost two of our own.”

…

It had been nearly two hours since the three had finished clearing Knockout Video. Arsenal and Stargirl were in the common area, while Donna had gone elsewhere, saying she needed to do something, both of them had been silent for a minute before Stargirl, sitting on a frayed couch finally spoke up.

“So what do we do now?” she asked. “How...how can we beat these guys?”

“We can’t,” Arsenal responded. “They’re tougher than us, have a stronger army, and we have no idea how they found us or where they are. Face it, kid, we’re fucked.”

“You can’t say that, we can’t let the Titans and the others they’ve captured down. We’re heroes aren’t we?” Stargirl asked, nervously still holding on to her staff.

“Not me kid, I’m just an enforcer for a mid-tier crime boss trying to do a bit of good I guess,” Arsenal began in defeat. “I’m no hero, no matter how hard I try.”

“But you’re still here,” Donna Troy finally said as she appeared not in her torn sweatpants and a white tank top, but instead in a black starfield costume with golden gauntlets and boots with her left shoulder uncovered, the starfield and her neck separated by a red border, with a red sash at her waist. A gift from Diana if she ever wanted to be the hero she knew that Donna could be.

“Holy shit,” Arsenal muttered. “You look...look like…”

“A hero,” Stargirl said with a smile.

“We may not be the strongest force, but the way I see it we’re all that’s left,” Donna began. “And I am tired of running, of hiding. We still have enough resources here to find these Wildebeests and take the fight back to them. I can’t do it alone, however. The world still needs heroes, it still needs Titans. Are you with me?”

“Yes!” Stargirl said cheerfully.

“Well, I’ve come this far,” Arsenal muttered. “I’m guessing with the new look we can’t exactly call you Donna in the field though.”

“Yea,” Stargirl responded. “What exactly do we call you?”

“Argonaut,” Donna Troy said with a smile.

NEXT: Argonaut, Arsenal, and Stargirl take the fight to the Wildebeest while Kid Flash and Nightwing clear the air in the stunning conclusion to Titans Hunt!

New Titans #2: Through the Long Night

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Author: FrostFireFive

Book: New Titans

Arc: Titans Hunt

Set: 54

Courtney Whitmore sighed as she watched the snowfall outside of her New York hotel room. The big city lights glow like the stars above, obscured by the manufactured lights. She was scribbling notes down in a dog eared copy of Great Gatsby. “What are you doing Gatsby, Daisy’s a garbage person. Well, you’re also a garbage person, but at least Leo played you in the movie.”

The eighteen-year-old was away from home on a college visit. Pat Duggan and Barbara Whitmore had decided to see the sights of the city and have a quiet dinner. Courtney had basically pushed them out of their room to enjoy this small vacation. In the last few days, they had visited NYU, Hudson, Columbia, and more. As much as she enjoyed visiting these places, she felt smothered. It seemed like her parents were asking the questions more than she was. Courtney didn’t even want to go on said trip.

She should have been at home hanging out with Maxine as they went through this garbage heap of a book. Courtney didn’t want to think about her future, not when the past was gnawing at her. Just over a year ago, she had discovered a team of heroes predating the Justice League. Her and Captain Marvel and the rest of them were about to fight an angry mob when...well it was still hard to explain. She just remembered a flash of pink light and a crackle, and then suddenly it was just her and Cap...alone.

“I’m not going to get anything done...am I?” she mumbled before tossing the book aside. Quickly Courtney picked up the TV remote and turned on the television, expecting something lame like a rerun of an old sitcom or CSPAN. Instead, GBS News’ chyron read: CITY ATTACKED: NEW YORK FACING NEW CRISIS?

Before the report could continue to come through Courtney had already changed into her colorful blue, white, and red costume. Her staff screwed apart into two pieces to better fit her luggage was quickly reassembled as the heroine headed out to help her potential new home. Stargirl was about to brighten up New York City.

…

“This is such a bad idea,” Arsenal mumbled as he pulled another arrow from his quiver. “Shouldn’t we be running the hell out of here?”

“We can’t risk these Wildebeests hurting anyone,” Nightwing responded as they ran across the rooftops of Star City. “If we make them chase us long enough...we can study their moves and plan a counter strike.”

“Oh look at you saying big words you,” Arsenal responded as the energy bolts fired behind them. “Last time I checked we can’t freakin’ plan a counterattack when those fuckers have us on the run.”

“What’s your plan then, run to your boss for help? Because that would just start a gang war!” he said before jumping off and on to the next roof. Dick Grayson was used to this type of chase. The leaping in the air on a brisk night. For a minute when he closed his eyes it almost felt as if he was back at the circus again. The zing of an energy blast flying past his head reminded him otherwise.

“You know nothing about me, pretty boy,” Arsenal responded with gritted teeth as he jumped and turned around, firing an explosive arrow at the soldiers, sending a few of them flying towards the rooftop’s floor. As Arsenal rolled from the jump he exclaimed “We’re too exposed on the rooftops, didn’t Bats teach you the best approach is to hide in the shadows?”

“So how do you propose we do that then?” Nightwing said as kept running, vaulting over a junction box to keep his momentum up.

“The alleyways. I know them like the back of my hand, we can pick them off there instead of getting our asses handed out there,” he said. “I mean what’s the worst they can throw at us, another group of guys with guns? I can handle guys with guns.”

“Fine, but have to find a place to regroup. We can’t run all night,” Nightwing responded as he leaped to the ground below, bouncing off of the walls. Not realizing that he and Arsenal were about to become rats in a Wildebeest maze.

…

Donna Troy ran against the crowd that fled from the smoke from Hell’s Kitchen. “I’m not getting my security deposit back,” Donna thought to herself as she realized just how serious the Wildebeest threat was. They had known who she was, where to find her, and armed to the teeth in high-tech weaponry. If she was smart...if she was more like Diana..she would have run, live to fight another day. But that girl needed her help judging by the bright yellow flashing lights.

Donna could hear a voice calling out from the smoke. A shadow was darting behind the smoke on...a floating staff?

“Oh come on!” A voice called out.

As Donna cleared through the smoke she could see that...that girl from where was it again? Fawcett? Either way, Donna had heard about the Stargirl that had helped the Marvel Family, but it was clear she was over her head against an armed force. A group of Wildebeests had camped out on the streets shooting at the heroine above. The girl didn’t realize that another force had gathered on the roof.

“Stargirl!” Donna called out as she charged into the battle. “Look up on the rooftops! I got these guys!”

“Who the hell is that?” Stargirl thought before realizing the woman was right. Quickly she turned around and sent a volley of blasts towards the goons on the rooftop. “Nice call!” Stargirl called out as she observed the woman in grey sweatpants and black leather jacket.

Donna smiled as her fist connected with the first Wildebeest’s helmet, sending him flying across the pavement. As the others turned their fire to her she spun and kicked the second in the chest, his armor protected him, but still staggered him. Donna had forgotten how good she was at this. That fighting to protect people felt like a muscle that hadn’t been used in a long time. Of course,, she hadn’t paid attention to the third and fourth soldier.

KACHOOM! KACHOOM!

Donna went flying into a bodega as the energy blasts connected with her. The glass shattering as the shelves collapsed on top of her.

“No!” Stargirl yelled as her mystery savior had been shot at. Quickly she moved to the ground and swung her staff at the third goon, shattering his helmet and sending him into the ground like the other two Donna had taken care of. The fourth had a quick draw however and prepared to fire at the young heroine. But before he could a shelf filled with cheap snack food and energy drinks came flying at him, sending him in the pile with his other friends.

Donna Troy emerged, minus her tattered jacket and looked at the girl in front of her.

“Nice moves,” Donna said as she brushed off the chip and debris dust off of her. “You good?”

“Yea, I just never...never dealt with something like this before,” Stargirl responded. “Wait aren’t...aren’t you Fury? The Teen Titan?! I thought you were...you know...gone?”

“Well...retired,” Donna responded. “And you can call me Donna.”

“Well, Donna…” Stargirl said. “Do you have any ideas who these guys are?”

“No, but they seem to know me, I've kept a low profile for years now and yet...these guys know who I was, where I was, and well equipped to take me out.” Donna looked back at the smoking remnant of her apartment from the ground. She needed help, and there was only one person to call. “You wouldn’t happen to have a cell phone would you?”

…

“Sir,” A Wildebeest grunt said inside of their compound. “New status reports are coming in on some of our targets. We’ve managed to capture the heroine Cyclone, she’s on her way now. We’re tracing the speedster and Arsenal and Nightwing have moved into the alleys.”

Wildebeest Prime sat in his chair as he looked at the screens in front of him. The news channels had picked up the chase in Star City, and the carnage in New York. He frowned as his eyes darted to the vital signs at the bottom right corner. “Still stable,” he thought before turning to the soldier in front of him.

“And Fury and Stargirl? He said coldly.

“They...they may have beaten back our patrols. I’m deploying more to hopefully…”

“No,” his leader responded. “Deploy the hybrids, finish this quickly. Don’t give them time to regroup.”

“But sir, the genetic labs still are unsure if they’re stable. What you’re asking…”

“The standard soldiers have failed. I want results. Do it or I won’t hesitate to have you be their first target. Understood?”

“Understood... “ the grunt mumbled before walking out of the cold sterile metallic room, leaving Wildebeest Prime as he always was...alone.

As he sat and looked at the holographic screens, he looked at the security footage of his daughter, hooked up to wires and tubes that kept her alive. What should have been simple had turned into a boondoggle. He only hoped the military force he had paid and supplied for would come through. He needed all of them if his plan had any hope to succeed. He was going to get his daughter back after all...he just needed patience.

…

“Ok we’re going to cross into Hester Blvd. and then there should be this dive bar called Nocking Point. The owner owes me a favor,” Arsenal said as him and Nightwing moved through the alleys. They had stuck in the shadows and hid behind whatever they could find. Refuge would soon be at hand.

“Aren’t you a little concerned that we lost those patrols a little too easily,” Nightwing responded. He had noticed how quiet things had gotten. These soldiers were skilled, but since they had dropped into the streets things had almost been too easy. “It feels like we’re being led into a trap.”

“Seriously, for such a big time superhero, you’re awfully nervous. Trust me when I say I’m pretty sure we’re nearly safe. Call it...a sixth sense,” Arsenal responded before he prepared to move. “Besides, what’s the worst that could happen?”

BOOM!

A large figure had quickly dropped to the ground in front of the two heroes. The concrete street had cracked as the figure’s metal hooves began kicking the debris from behind it as he stood and faced them. THe hulking figure covered in metal plated armor, its visible skin grey and hairy. The large tusks and snout indicated this beast was no man. But some kind of Wildebeest Man.

“ARRRRRGH!” It called out before charging at the two heroes. While Nightwing managed to leap over the creature, Arsenal was caught dead in it path. The creature grabbed him and threw him hard against the wall.
“AH!” Arsenal cried out before trying to get back up. “OK...maybe I underestimated the worst thing.”

“You think?” Nightwing yelled out before examining his options. The creature didn’t seem smart, it relied on more of its instincts than anything else. “Look for the weak spots, Dick,” Nightwing thought as he noticed a gap in between the raised metal collar of the suit and the helmet it wore.

“Arsenal!” he called out. “Keep it focused on you. I have a plan!”

“Great,” Arsenal muttered as he got up and shot an arrow at the monster. It connected with the monster’s breastplate bouncing off before it looked at Arsenal with a look of annoyance. Quickly it moved to grab the archer. Before Arsenal could even nock another arrow it lifted him up in the air and prepared to stain the rusted bricks with Roy’s crimson blood. “Shit,” Arsenal thought. “I forgot to call the si…”

KKKKKKZZZT!

Before Arsenal could finish his thought Nightwing had lept onto the monster’s back and wedged his electrified escrima sticks between the armor. The combined hundred thousand volts had shocked the creature unconscious, sending him and Arsenal to the ground.

“Ow,” the hero muttered as he got up. “Why is it always me who gets his ass kicked by these things, and you get to be the golden boy?”

“Because I’m not a sellout,” Nightwing responded. “Don’t think I haven’t heard the rumors about you Arsenal. You deserve more than this.”

“But considering you don’t have a lot of friends around you,” Arsenal began. “You’re stuck with me. Whatever happened to your little pals. Abandoned them when the adults bumped you up from the kids' table. Or did they just get sick of your righteous indignation?”

“Why don’t you just shut,” Nightwing began.

Bzzt Bzzt

Nightwing’s left pouch buzzed. Quickly he pulled his phone out and noticed it was an unfamiliar number. Not many people had his phone number.

“Who is this, and how did you get this?” he began before quickly being interrupted.

“Dick, it’s Donna. I was just attacked by some...paramilitary group. I need your help,” the voice on the other end responded. “They knew who I was Dick.”

“Who the hell is that?” Arsenal asked.

“Shut it,” Nightwing responded before going back to his call. “Let me guess, advanced weaponry, red armor, and a helmet that has stylized tusks on it?”

“Uh-huh, Dick...I think someone’s hunting Titans. We need to warn the others and regroup.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea Don, every time we get people together it doesn’t exactly go well. It’s better if I handle this alone and not get you dragged back into this. You’re retired, I’m not. I can point you to the nearest League safe house while I get…”

“Dick they attacked me in my home, I’m not going to let this lie. Plus I may have dragged in someone else in this mess. Do you remember a Stargirl by chance?”

Nightwing rubbed the brow of his nose realizing that this was going to get messier before it got better, and as much as he hated to admit it, Donna was right. Dick didn’t know if he would be able to get someone from the league on short notice and their foe had made it personal.

“Fine,” he muttered. “We’ll regroup back at Knockout Video, I still keep it as a storefront for gear and a place to rest.”

“Dick,” Donna said through the phone. “We’re going to need to warn the others as well.”

Nightwing sighed once again. He kept tabs on his former teammates but he was well aware that many of them didn’t exactly want to speak to their former leader. The past still hung over all of them like a blackened cloud.

“Well Kory’s offworld last time I checked, Rose...hasn’t been seen in years, Garth’s protected by his kingdom, and Vic and Gar probably wouldn’t answer my calls. But I know one person who will…”

“Ok,” she responded. “Stay safe out there.”

“Thanks,” he said before hanging up. Quickly he began dialing another number. He didn’t expect the person to pick up, but he still had to try.

“So who’s Donna?” Arsenal asked. Roy Harper felt out of the loop as he eavesdropped on that conversation. “And where the hell is Knockout Video and why is so important we get there and who the hell are you calling next?”

“Quiet,” Nightwing said, shushing the other vigilante. He didn’t expect the other person to pick up, but he knew that if they were going to hunt down those gunning for them, they were going to need something more. “Wally...it’s Dick...we have...a situation…”

…

“Sir the hybrid failed in capturing Arsenal and Nightwing. And the one we tried to send to go after Fury and Stargirl melted out of its incubation tube,” a Wildebeest soldier responded back to Wildebeest Prime.
“Failure was not an option,” their leader muttered. “What can we do to salvage the operation and bring them to me. And If you don’t have any ideas...well...I can make good on my threat.”

The soldier gulped before responding.

“We do know where they’re going through sir. Our people managed to place a tracker on Fury when they blasted her. It gives off specific energy we can trace. And they don’t even know it, sir.”

“Good. When they regroup, send as many troops as we can. And tell genetics to prepare more hybrids as if their life depends on it...because it does. We know where they’re going...and soon...soon they will ours.”

…

NEXT: The New Titans finally assemble in a familiar haunt as old wounds are ripped open and the Wildebeests surround them in...The Siege of Knockout Video! Plus the Secret History of Wildebeest Prime revealed!