says_the_booyah

If he thought about it, he might be surprised. If he thought about how much time he was spending at college. Thought about how much time he was being Vic Stone, face and form hidden by a very convincing hologram. Thought about how often he didn't join the team for missions. But he didn't think about it. He just went about his business, same as always. Class four days a week, flights back and forth to the Tower, being Cyborg when he could. Nothing had changed. And everything had changed...

One fine Saturday morning, just as summer's warmth was starting to give way to the cooling breezes off the bay, Cy was awakened by an incoming message chime. Not the claxon that indicated an emergency. But the insistent ding that said Robin wanted to see everyone. Only the message said more. TAKE ELEVATOR TO D-LEVEL. D-Level? Cy knew the Tower had a D-Level, but wasn't that just storage?

He went to the elevator, still shaking the electronic cobwebs. The others piled in behind him. "Dude, we have a D-Level? Is that up or down from here?" Beast Boy looked incredibly groggy. He was never awake without two bowls of Frosted Booster Bursts (the only cereal endorsed by Booster Gold, apparently).

"Up. It's the level below the roof. But that's where I keep the T-Plane."

"Maybe we are going somewhere? A trip to the field?" Starfire was always chipper in the morning. Tamarians apparently did not need caffeine.

"It doesn't seem like Robin," Raven mused. Somewhere along the line, she had conjured up a cup of coffee (or kept a coffee pot in her room). "He's being mysterious. It's too early for mysterious."

The door opened not on storage or a hangar. But on a large conference room. Or small auditorium. And in many of the seats were familiar faces. Titans East. Members of the other ad hoc teams they'd formed in the aftermath of the battle with the Brotherhood of Evil. Even Kid Flash and Jinx, who'd been off the grid (according to Robin). In short, everyone who'd ever been an official or honorary Teen Titan.

Cy found his way to Bumblebee, leader of Titans East and still a good friend. "Hey, Bee. Any idea what this is about? I didn't even know this room was here."

"Not a clue, Cy. Robin sent us a note saying to be here this morning. Any idea where he is?"

"Nope. He's being mysterious. Raven hates that."

"She is not alone, Cy."

The 30 or so young heroes were getting antsy. When someone stepped to the podium. A man in a blue, black and gold uniform. A bit like something a circus acrobat might wear.

"Nightwing," Starfire gasped. The other founding members knew what that meant. The future had arrived. For once, Beast Boy was silent.

"Good morning. I suppose you're wondering why you're here. And who I am. Well, I was Robin. But today, I'm Nightwing. And this is the start of a new era." Curtains pulled back from the windows, allowing a panoramic view of the bay, of Jump City beyond. "The era of the Titans.

"Not the Teen Titans anymore. Some of us aren't teens anymore. Most of us won't be fairly soon. But our mission - to protect the innocent, to protect the world, and beyond - won't end just because we're adults. If anything, it will get harder. I know many of you are hoping to start careers. Or families. I won't tell you than you can't. Or shouldn't. Such things are important. But finding a balance between a life with the mask and a life without will be hard.

"The Titans will make that easier. Instead of several ad hoc teams, there will be just the two, East and West. With rotating memberships. No one will be expected to be on duty all the time. We take turns. And every so often, we all come together and meet here. In the Nerve Center.

"You might be wondering, are we really needed? Can't there just be a small core team, or two? Can't we leave things to the Justice League? But the fact is, the world needs us. To defend it. And to be ready for the day when the League isn't there. I know you're all thinking, the JL will always be with us. But think about how many times it nearly disbanded. Think about the rumors of infighting. Those rumors are more true than we'd like to believe. The Titans need to be together. Now and for a long time.

"And that means it's time to change. Any questions?"

There plenty of questions. Some members didn't appreciate Robin's presumption. Starfire didn't like finding out Robin's new codename in a public forum. It wasn't clear who would get to make the assignments to which team. And Bumblebee felt like she'd been demoted without any warning. For nearly an hour, the morning sun streaming into the Nerve Center around them, there was a lot of debate. All the while, Nightwing remained unflappable and calm and oddly friendly. Cy noticed, not for the first time, how much his friend had changed over the years. Somehow Robin...Nightwing...had found his center.

And the Titans had once again found a leader. There were still some bruised egos, and Cy was sure some members of the broader team would quit. Bumblebee was just barely calmed by a promise she'd be the leader of Titans East and also treated as Nightwing's equal. Kid Flash thought the whole thing was silly, and then stayed around. And rosters slowly came together.

Cy stuck around for a while, and excused himself. He was expected at the Boys and Girls' Club at noon, and needed breakfast. But as he got in the elevator, Nightwing leapt in, rather acrobatically.

"Shouldn't you be up there herding cats?"

"Oh, I know that, Cy. They can wait five minutes. Just wanted to talk to you."

"About what?"

"This whole thing. About the rotations, and the team. I hope you appreciate how much you influenced this."

"I did?"

"You're practically part time as things are, and I wanted to make sure we could accommodate you. You are still very much part of the team."

"Part time? I still live here. I still go out often."

"You're at class four days a week, Cy. Using the Stone hologram often. And don't tell me you aren't thinking about what comes after college. You're graduating in two years, after all."

Cy went quiet. He had no plans to leave the team. He would always be a Titan. Surely Robbie knew that. But...

"Yeah, I guess I am. I guess school's been keeping me busy. But I'm always there for the team."

"And there's no reason you have to be. No reason any of us have to be."

"Even you?"

"I know you won't believe this, but even me."

"Yeah, running around with Batman."

Nightwing frowned for a second, meaning Cy had hit on the truth a little. "Batman can't do it alone, either. That's why we have teams. That's why we need this one." He paused. "And fact is, the world might need the Titans more than I'm saying."

"Something big coming?"

"No bigger than the usual. But the League...let's say that sometimes things aren't that good up there. Batman is worried."

"Is he usually a worrier?"

"About threats and menaces? Yes. About the League? No. So the Titans might have to ready to fill the void. And that means trying to avoid their mistakes." Cy wanted to ask more about that, but he suspected Nightwing was already saying too much.

"Including not stretching anyone too thin?"

"Including that. Cy, we need you. But you need to be Vic Stone. I think that's clear now."

The door opened on the residence floor. "Hey, if we're having more members, don't we need more rooms?"

"When you get a chance, check out the rest of D-Level," Nightwing added as Cy got off. "I'll catch you later."

Cy went into his quarters, lost in thought. And understanding that life was not only about to change again, but that it was always changing. Which was at once unsettling and energizing.

DUSTIN BADGER MISSING!

The teen sensation of the new millennium disappeared after a concert, and millions of girls were in a panic (except for the ones at the midnight showings of Moonlight: Darkness). Where could he be? Who could find him?


“Just a few more minutes, ducky, and you’ll be a proper lad, singing proper music. Goodbye, auto-tuning and hello, Herman’s Hermits and Paul McCartney!” The Mad Mod, looking his real age but spry, has Dustin tied to a chair, with the Hypnoscreen before them and with huge old-school stereo headphones over the boy’s ears. He struggles but the ever-increasing roar of “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter” is sapping his will. Soon, the process would be complete. “You can’t fight it, boy. Not you and not a single member of your gene—“

“BOOYAH!” Suddenly, there is a door where there used to be only wall.

“That’s supposed to be ‘Titans Go!’” But there’s no time for Cy to scowl at Beast Boy. The team leaps into action. And the Mod presses a button on his walking stick.

“Not this time, my rebellious foes.” A set of speakers lowers from the ceiling and strobe lights flash.

I am he as you are me and you are he
and we are all the Mad Mod’s!

See how you fall, bad children one and all
You’re losing
You’re losing.

The heroes try to fight it, but the power of the Mod’s evil song parody is too much. “Oh glorious day, I will finally stop the lot of you! All four...wait. Where’s the fifth? Where’s the fifth?”

There is a hand on the Mod’s shoulder, and that hand turns the old man around, to see Red Star. “I think,” the red-haired man says, “that your taste in music is appalling.”

“How can you resist this? No teen alive can resist my song of control.”

“I am older than I look. Now, please sleep.” Red Star punches the Mad Mod with just enough force to knock him out, and then fires bolts of flame at the speakers and the Hypnoscreen. “Comrades, you are okay?”

“We are fine,” Raven mutters. “Except for Beast Boy.” Who remains in thrall and who begins to sing…

“He’s a well respected man about town, doing things oh so conservatively…”

“Star, you know what to do,” Cy states as he removes the headphones from Dustin.

“Do I have to?”

“Someone has to do it.”

“Very well.” She stands in front of Beast Boy and makes the loudest fake burp anyone has ever heard. This is following immediately by gales of laughter from the green teen.

“Ah, nuts! He did it again!”

“He did it to all of us,” concedes Cy. “Should have seen that coming. Or worn earplugs. Or come in one at a time.”

“We have still rescued the boy and stopped the villain. Not bad for my first day with the team, yes?” Red Star was trying to not to look too proud, but Cy knew that the Russian was ready to burst but didn’t want to make his new teammates – and their new leader – felt any worse for walking into a trap.

“Yeah, Red, not bad. But you really mean it that that stuff didn’t work on you?”

“No. I just closed my eyes. And followed his voice while he was cackling. I thank you for the diversion.”

“Er, no problem.” By now Cy has undone the ropes. And sees the teen star slowly coming out of it. “What’s going on? Where am…oh wow! The Teen Titans! Did you come for my concert? Hey, this isn’t my dressing room? Where’s security?”

“It’s a long story,” Cy suggests.

“The Mad Mod kidnapped you and tried to make you a Beatle. Or a Hermit. Or a Monkee. We saved you!” BB beams.

“OK, not so long. But everything’s…fine?” Dustin isn’t paying any attention to Cy. He’s looking at the girls.

“Oh…hi…you’re Starfire…and Raven. Hi.” He stumbles to his feet. “You saved me?”

“The Titans saved you,” Raven corrects. “We should get you home.”

“Uh, yeah, sure.” Dustin seems a bit surprised for some reason. “You don’t want to hang out?”

“We don’t ‘hang out’,” Raven says a bit huffily.

By now the police special super villain unit is on the scene, taking away a groggy Mad Mod. Dustin’s handlers, agents, and family, followed by the press, rush in next. “Uh gang, I think we should split.” Cy is not in the mood for the press. Or to answer questions about where Robin is.

“Hey, thanks for saving me. From…whatever it was I was being saved from. If you want back stage passes, I can swing it.”

“No thank you,” Star says. “You are kind but your music sounds like two Garthian eldercows under a half moon. Well tuned Garthian eldercows, though.”

“We gotta go,” Cy mutters as he grabs Star and rushes the team out the way they came in. Dustin just stares. No girl has ever turned him down before. And tonight, two did. And one dissed his music.

He thinks he’s in love with Starfire.

Cyborg: "I tell you, there is a magic bar on the other side of this door!"

Beast Boy: "Dude, for the one hundredth time, that is the door to the main room."

C; "Look, BB...don't you see it?"

BB: "I see the TV. And the kitchen. And breakfast. And Raven. And she's not happy you keep opening the door."

(The door opens and closes sixteen or seventeen times in quick succession. Raven looks up from the couch, slowly getting more and more annoyed.)

C: "Why won't you show yourself, Bar? Don't you want BB to see all your..your...magic bar-ness?"

BB: "If you're trying to play a joke on me, it really needs to be funny."

C: "No, just give me one more--"

Raven: "Enough. There...is...no...magic...bar...here."

(The boys shrink away, and close the door quietly.)

BB: "Dude, give it up. Wanna play Auto Crash 3000?"

C: "Later." (Cyborg quietly enter the main room and sulks to the kitchen area, where he sulkily pours a big bowl of Boom Flakes. Raven eventually gets up and makes her way to Cyborg.)

R: "Cyborg..."

C; "Don't start with me, too. I know what I saw. That's all there is to it."

R: "I know. I think you should know...there is something a little odd around you."

C: "Around me?"

R: "You've...been someplace. There's magic residue. But not a sort I can identify."

C: "So you believe me?"

R: "I believe that you did see something. But I can't see if you were really someplace else. Magic doors...aren't my specialty."

C: "You think I had a magic dream? Or someone is making me see things?"

R: "Maybe."

C: "Great. Just great."

R: "It could be an enemy. I...if it matters, though, it doesn't feel like that."

C: "Doesn't feel like that? You can tell by reading the magic?"

R: "Sometimes. Remember what my father is. This...isn't like him."

C: "So it's safe to keep going to this bar?"

R: "Just don't bring anything home."

(Raven gives - for Raven - a smile, and lets Cyborg eat his breakfast.)