JLU 2001 Fanfiction -The Titans #13

THE PRESENT – The GENISIS INSTITUTE

Cyborg screamed in agony as massive amounts of electrical energy surged through his body. The Titans had come to the Genesis Institute for Genetic Research to interview the person who ran it, Damien Dahrk about possible involvement in a series or murders that had occurred. As they were interviewing Dahrk the facility was attacked by group of costumed Meta humans known as the Ultimen.

    The fight was fierce and brutal, no quarter asked and none was given. The Titans and the Ultimen seemed to be evenly matched. Neither side seemed to be able to gain the upper hand… until now.

    Cyborg dropped to his knees as the electrical energy began to fry his systems. As he struggled to maintain consciousness Victor could barely make out the form of the man supplying the electricity, a blue and gold garbed man who called himself Juice.

    Professor Dahrk a lanky man with a thin face and angular features cowered in the corner, trying to stay away from the fight.

    “Don’t let them get me!” Dahrk screamed.

    One of his new teammates The Viking Prince pushed Cyborg out of the way of Juice’s electrical blast and took the energy himself. The Prince simply smiled, as Juice’s face became a mask of frustration because the Prince was not affected.

    “I guess he really is invulnerable,” Cyborg thought to himself.

    “Are you okay my friend,” the Viking Prince asked.

    Cyborg stood up as his systems rebooted. The hum of white sound energy became audible as Cyborg drew his sonic cannon and drew down on Juice.

    “Fine now,” Cyborg said as he fired at Juice, sending him crashing into a nearby wall.

    Just then a giant hand slammed into The Viking Prince sending him sprawling into Cyborg. The muscle of the Ultimen, a giant of a man who called himself Longshadow, raised his boot and prepared to stomp the two Titans into the ground.

Protecting Our Future

MISSION STATEMENT:

Part 1 - Redefinition

The Titans #13 - August, Year Five by Eric J. Nyman

The Titans

NIGHTWING
Dick Grayson

CYBORG
Victor Stone

STARFIRE
Koriand'r

TEMPEST
Garth


ARSENAL Roy Harper	RAVEN

TITANS TOWER – TWENTY FOUR HOURS AGO

Standing on the roof of the new Titans Tower, Cyborg stared off into the endless ocean and across the clear blue sky. Off in the distance he could see the outline of the city of Boston. It had been several months since the Crisis the team had faced and a lot had changed.

    Cyborg stretched his arms out to his sides and arched his back. He could feel the warm sunlight on his face and the cold winter wind flow across the parts of his arms that were bare. A smile came across Cyborg’s face as he breathed deep of the cold crisp air. Cyborg needed moments like this to remind him that despite his technological components, and his epic adventures with the Titans, that he was still Victor Stone- a man.

    He relaxed his stance and continued to look out across the horizon. Victor found his mind drifting off, lost in the thoughts of where he started and where he was now. It was not all that long ago that he was part of the second generation of Titans, one of the new members. Now after a series of changes that nobody could have ever foreseen, he was now the leader.

    After the crisis a few months ago Cyborg, Starfire, Raven and Tempest who had returned to the team were shocked by the departure of Nightwing and Arsenal. Both of whom said basically the same thing that they had personal business to attend too.

    There was a small part of Cyborg that wanted to disband the team, but a conversation with Nightwing, Arsenal and Starfire changed his mind. The smile returned to Cyborg’s face as he thought of Dick, Roy and Kory’s words…

    “There are still monsters to fight,” Dick said.

    “The Titans showed us how to be heroes. It’s time we showed others,” Kory said.

    “Vic… somebody has to protect the future,” Roy said.

    He knew they were right. Somebody had to protect the future and the next generation of heroes. So Cyborg, Starfire, Raven and Tempest soldiered on, recruiting two new members, the first at the recommendation of Arsenal.

    Arsenal recommended Rafael Sandoval also known as El Diablo. El Diablo was a highly trained fighter and marksman on the same scale as Arsenal himself. Arsenal and El Diablo had crossed paths on a case Arsenal had worked while he was with the CBI.

    With two new members in place, the senior members Cyborg, Starfire, Raven and Tempest went about choosing a new field leader. Cyborg was shocked when his teammates voted him as leader.

    “Vic, you are the most qualified, both in the field and in the heart,” Starfire said.

    With the pieces of the puzzle falling into place, the final stroke of good fortune occurred while the team was at STAR labs. Cyborg and Starfire were approached by a mysterious benefactor known as Mister Scarlett. Mister Scarlett a billionaire philanthropist offered to finance the operations of the Titans. Including the building of a new Titans Tower anywhere the team wanted.

    Mister Scarlett recommended the second new member Jon Haralson, who was also known as the Viking Prince. According to Mister Scarlett and Jon himself Jon was the son of legendary King Rikk of Norway and an immortal. He had been frozen in ice during the Tenth century and emerged in our time about a year ago. Jon said he had been gifted and cursed by Odin with power of invulnerability for falling in love with a Valkryrie.

    Victor did not know if the story was true or not but after seeing Jon in a training session, there was no denying his skill as a swordsman and fighter, and that he was invulnerable to most armaments. Cyborg also felt for and could relate to Jon’s loneliness and despite his occasionally regal arrogant nature, could tell he was trying to connect with people. Knowing what Jon was going through Victor admitted him to the team, in hopes that being part of the Titans could do for Jon, what it had done for him.

    Cyborg chose to move the team to Boston in an effort to give the team a fresh start and Mister Scarlett purchased Deer Island off the coast of Boston. The site of a former prison that had closed down in the nineteen eighties, the island was owned by the City of Boston until Mister Scarlett purchased it. The new Titan’s Tower was a state of the art facility, which far surpassed any previous incarnation of the Tower…

    Cyborg was snapped from his thoughts by the gentle heat caused by the swirling of energy behind him. Turning on his heels Cyborg looked up slightly and smiled as Starfire hovered over him.

    “Hello Kory, nice day huh?” Cyborg said.

    “Yes it is Victor; you have been up here for a long time. What is the old saying? Penny for your thoughts?” Starfire replied.

    “They’re not worth that much,” Cyborg said with a shrug as he turned and looked back over the ocean.

    Starfire gently lowered herself to the ground and walked over next to Cyborg. Kory could tell by his stance that he was pensive and concerned. Starfire always felt a special connection to Cyborg. Of the second generation of Titans, both herself and Cyborg were the most different, the most scarred emotionally. They became friends and family in the Titans and with all the changes lately, Starfire felt even closer to him then before and was determined then ever to support him. Starfire reached out and gently put her hand on Cyborg’s shoulder.

    “You can do this Victor, you are a natural leader,” Starfire said in a soothing voice.

    “I know. But it’s still a lot to take in and get used to,” Cyborg replied.

    “Everybody is in the Conference Room waiting for you, as you asked,” Starfire said.

    “Well let’s not keep them waiting,” Cyborg said as he turned and headed for the elevator.

    Starfire followed Cyborg to the opening for the elevator. As the elevator door opened Cyborg turned and looked at Kory. She was one of the most exotically beautiful women he had ever seen. Kory was a good friend and lately Victor had to admit, he was feeling something more then friendship for her. He smiled at Kory before turning and walking into the elevator.

    “Kory… thank you,” Cyborg said.

    “What are friends for,” Starfire said in response.

    As they walked into the Conference Room Cyborg looked around at the large oval shaped conference table. Starfire went and took a seat next to Tempest who was stoically looking straight ahead. Raven’s hood was pulled forward and she appeared to be in deep meditation. The Viking Prince stared right at Cyborg from the moment he walked in the room and never took his eyes off of him. Cyborg could tell that Jon was not quite sure if he belonged here or not, and truth be told neither did Cyborg.

    However both Cyborg and Prince Jon trusted Mister Scarlett and were willing to give it a try. El Diablo sat in his seat fidgeting uncomfortably and trying not to look nervous. When Cyborg first met El Diablo he could tell that he was a fan of the Titans, and was in awe of being asked to join. The former athlete in Cyborg could only relate to being a rookie baseball player, who suddenly finds himself on an All-Star team, surrounded by the players he admired, that made him want to play the game.

    There was something about El Diablo that Cyborg liked. Maybe it was because with his sense of humor, El Diablo reminded him a lot of Beast Boy. Cyborg smiled briefly as he remembered Garfield, his best friend and then quickly put the memories away. Everybody was in place and it was time to go to work. Cyborg eased himself into his chair and took a moment to compose his thoughts. Cyborg then began to speak slowly and deliberately.

    “First, I want to thank everybody for being on this team. The ones, who are long time members of this team, and our two newest members, seriously thank you. That being said I have a proposal for you all, one that is going to seriously change the direction of this team,” Cyborg said.

    “The Titans have always been known as a family. The original Teen Titans were second generation heroes, what the Press called sidekicks. They came together and stayed together to help each other grow up,” Cyborg continued.

    “They bonded and were always more of a family than a team of heroes. They drifted apart and came back together in order to protect the future, the generation of heroes that came after them. To show them… to teach them, to give back what was so freely given to them,” Cyborg said as a hint of anger began to creep into his voice.

    Cyborg rose from his chair and slowly began to tap his pointer finger into the conference table for emphasis. The dull thud of his finger striking the table echoed through the conference room. The silence of the other members was almost eerie as they continued to look at Cyborg, waiting for what he would say next. Cyborg began to speak again; he wasn’t yelling or screaming but the anger in his voice subtly underlined every word.

    “However after the events of the last few months, I feel that the role of the Titans needs to evolve and change. Society and the world have evolved since the founding members came together. This team needs to evolve and change with it. We can no longer sit back and wait for the threats to come to us,” Cyborg said.

    Tempest who had been looking at Cyborg with a mixture of concern and admiration could not remain silent anymore. He interjected with a question.

    “Victor what are you saying?” Tempest asked.

    “What I am saying Tempest is that every day, more and more Meta humans, mutants and other super human beings are appearing. Some want to be heroes and some don’t. However we cannot wait for them to come to us, or reach the point where they become a threat to the world. Crisis management does not work anymore. We need to find them first,” Cyborg said.

    “I know it is not what the Titans normally do, but I feel it is the path we need to take. I just need to know if everybody agrees with me. Also if everybody here is willing to work with me,” Cyborg concluded.

    Slowly each member of the team began to give their opinion, one at a time. Cyborg was amazed that it was the two newest members who spoke first.

    “Part of the reason I agreed to join you in your noble endeavor was the fact that my father once told me my royal status gave me the obligation and honorable duty to protect the people,” the Viking Prince said.

    “Growing up in the Barrio, it was a constant struggle for the teachers and the social workers to reach kids before the gangs did. However those who were able to do this sacrificed a lot. One of them was able to reach me and in that person’s memory I want to help you,” El Diablo said.

    Cyborg smiled at the two newest members of the Titans. Roy and Mister Scarlett were right in recommending them. He then looked over at the other members and waited for their comments.

    Raven slowly pulled down her hood and everybody could see the emotion in her eyes. She cocked her head slightly to one side and something that nobody had ever seen before, or never noticed occurred. A slight almost undetectable trace of a smile crossed her lips.

    “I am the daughter of Trigon; a demon. If not for the influence and love and friendship of the Titans, I would have ended up on a very different path. I applaud your direction Victor and I will stand with you,” Raven said.

    “You’re right. The Titans do need to change their focus and I will stand with you,” Tempest said simply.

    “You already know how I feel,” Starfire said.

    “Thank you everybody. Now let’s move onto our first mission,” Cyborg said.

    Cyborg stepped away from the conference table and walked over to the large monitor at the end of the table. With a nod of his head the monitor came to life. Seven images flashed upon the screen. They were of four men and three women all of varying ages.

    “Besides being our financer, Mister Scarlett also supplies us with intelligence,” Cyborg added. “In the last seven weeks there have been a series of- for lack of a better term- ritualistic murders in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The victims were all found on the roadside of the highway at dawn. The cause of death in each case was poisoning by potassium chloride. However, each victim had his or her vital organs removed,” Cyborg said.

    “Unfortunate, and I want to help, but how does this involve us. It seems more like a case for conventional police,” El Diablo asked.

    “Well the strange part about each of these victims is the fact that police managed to identify them by fingerprints and drivers licenses, but when they went to notify the families, they found each victim alive and well,” Cyborg said.

    “Then how do they have the bodies,” Starfire asked.

    “They do not know. Also the fact that each person lived in different parts of the country makes it even more confusing,” Cyborg added.

    “Is there any connection between each of the people or victims they found?” El Diablo asked.

    “Actually yes. Each one of these people had undergone treatment for various genetic disorders here,” Cyborg said as the picture of a medical complex appeared on the screen next to the victim’s pictures.

    “The Genesis Institute for Discovery: a state of the art research and medical facility that specializes in genetic research. It is run by this man- Professor Damien Dahrk,” Cyborg said as Darhk’s picture also appeared on the screen.

    “So, what’s our first move,” Tempest asked.

    “Well Tempest… you, Starfire, Raven, the Viking Prince and myself are going to the Genesis Institute to interview Dahrk and look around. El Diablo I want you to use your CBI and DEO connections to check on the victim’s histories. They might be able to get or have something that we don’t,” Cyborg said.

    “I will have something for you within the hour,” El Diablo said.

    “Good. Everybody else to the hanger. We leave for New Hampshire in ten minutes,” Cyborg said.

THE PRESENT

As Longshadow brought his boot down the Viking Prince sprang to his feet and lashed out with the sword he was carrying, stabbing Longshadow in the foot. Longshadow staggered back and Cyborg seized the opportunity to strike. Leaping into the air Cyborg nailed the giant with a sweeping right hook to the jaw, sending him crashing to the ground.

    Cyborg looked around at the rest of the battle. It was a stalemate with Starfire and a recovered Juice exchanging energy blasts. The female of the Ultimen, a woman known as Downpour who could control water, was firing hydro bursts at Raven. Raven had gone to her astral form to protect herself.

    Tempest had conjured a whirlpool and was locked in a test of strength and willpower with the leader of the Ultimen, an Asian man who called himself Windragon. He had conjured a tornado and the centrifugal force was sending debris from the battle flying everywhere.

    The Viking Prince was battling the metamorphic of the Ultimen who called himself Shifter. Shifter had changed into the Loch Ness monster and was striking at the Viking Prince with his tail. The Viking Prince though was deftly evading the strikes.

    Longshadow who had regained his senses grabbed Cyborg from behind and lifted him into the air. Cyborg struggled as Longshadow tightened his grip. He could feel the air being driven from his body but Cyborg refused to give up. Cyborg managed to free his right arm and prepared to fire his sonic cannon at Longshadow. Longshadow held Cyborg close to his face and spoke. Due to his size his voice was a booming shout, however Longshadow’s words made Cyborg pause.

    “How can you protect this murderer,” Longshadow said.

To be Continued...