015

— calm before the storm —

April 1, 2021
8:73 am, Themescuria

THE WIND BLEW ACROSS THE SAND AND WATER, ONLY GROWING STRONGER AS THE PLANE STARTED TO DESCEND. Terran sat on the wall overlooking the cliffs and blue water of Themyscira, the wind flying through her hair. Rachel walked toward Terran, with the girls flying out to meet the Titans they had shed the white cloths and armour for their more comfortable shades of black and Terran had almost jumped into Rachel's arms as she got all her jewellery and pins back.

Terran was busy fixing her dark green tie and oversized jacket, she didn't realise Rachel was beside her until she flicked her with her long black cloak. Terran jumped, cursing as she looked up at the demon girl who was laughing softly. "You said you wanted to talk before we left," Rachel said with a smile. She folded her jacket and sat beside Terran, one hand resting on Terran's knee, picking at the fishnets. "What's up?"

Terran looked over her shoulder, ensuring no one else was listening. "I saw Donna," Terran whispered, and Rachel's eyes widened. "In limbo. She was a boy named Tim who knows Hazel." Rachel sighed in relief and dropped her head onto Terran's shoulder. "And..."

"And?"

"I saw Hank." Rachel quickly lifted her head and Terran huffed. "Some real bad shits going down. I've been trying to get a hold of Hazel to get more information, but still no signal on this godforsaken island." Terran twisted to face Rachel and gave her a lopsided smile. "So I was hoping you could help me convince whatever pilot we have to switch routes to Gotham."

Rachel's eye brows furrowed, "Gotham?"

"It's where Donna's going, and where Hank died." Terran stood, ushering Rachel onwards. "C'mon, up, up, up."

"I'm coming!"

10:23 am Gotham City

Sparks of light flashed through the windows then shouts of surprise and laughter followed quickly. Hazel laughed again, her shoulders shaking as she watched the lightning bounce between Cole's hands, his hair standing upright. Cole panicked, trying to shake the lightning from his hands but the bright purple sparks shot off and charred the floors.

Once he noticed the discolouring on the floor his hands slapped to the side of his face, the power disappearing quickly as he stared at the pure oak floors. He started to ramble, babbling on about fixing it or paying for it. "Y'know Bruce is a literal multi billionaire, right?" Hazel questioned, leaning back on the bed, still propping herself up with one hand.

"That's not the point Haze, it's the principals," Cole chastised, rolling his eyes. "I have to figure out a way to fix it." As Cole began to ramble again Hazel moved toward the charred spot, her hand hovering over the floor as she pulled all the ash from the mark and used it to blend back into the floor. She stood, looking down at the mark, the colour slightly darker than the rest of the floor.

Cole looked at the mark, tilting his head slightly, "I can still see that."

"I won't tell if you won't," Hazel said quickly, looking up at Cole who nodded quickly.

"What won't you tell?" Dick's sudden voice made them both jump.

Hazel was about to make up an excuse when Cole began to ramble, "Hazel was teaching me how to control my powers better when my lightning went out of control and burned the floor. Hazel fixed it but it's a bit discoloured so if you need me to pay for it I so can."

Cole finally took a deep breath as Dick continued to stare at him, a small smile growing on Hazel's face. "Y'know your sister destroyed our kitchen back in San Francisco, and Terran blew up the whole training room," Dick recalled making Hazel chuckle. "I was starting to get concerned."

Cole sighed, "Oh."

Hazel laughed at him, but all three's attention was drawn away when their phones buzzed in unison. Dick furrowed his eyebrows and looked just confused as Hazel did. "What was that?" Cole questioned pulling his phone, Dick doing the same.

"Gotham City used to have a protector, a guardian angel," Crane's voice boomed from the live broadcast as a projection of Batman's symbol was shown on video. "But Batman abandoned Gotham and left Nightwing and his friends in his place." Short videos flashed on the screen displaying Nightwing, Starfire, Superboy, Beastboy and Venom. "And what has Nightwing done? He's robbing you. Poisoning the very water you drink, the water you give to your children. Nightwing is a criminal. Protected by Gotham City Police. Only you can stop him. There will be a $50,000 reward paid to the person who brings him in. Dead or alive." The Titan's faces appeared on screen, WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE projected across the screen. Thankfully Cole was absent from the roster.

The pictures faded and one of Jason's Red Hood masks was displayed in dark shadows. "But take heart, Gotham, a new hero will rise, and you will know his name. Red Hood."

Cole clicked his phone off and Hazel turned to Dick who was staring at the black screen of his phone. Dick looked up, meeting Hazel's weary eyes. "I have to go find Barbra," Dick said with a sigh. "Hazel round up the others. Cole, you stay here, you don't leave unless Hazel tells you too."

Once Hazel had gotten all the Titans together Dick had given them directions and locations all around the city where patrons had ingested the toxin water and became violent, injuring themselves and others.

The Titans reached a crowded underpass, people throwing bricks and pipes at others, blood spattering across the spray-painted walls. Kory called for them to calm down, take a breath and a step back but it only shifted the violence towards the Titans. One threw a brick towards Gar and Kory, but Hazel flicked her fingers, the brick transforming into a ton a leaf's.

"How do we tell the good guys from the bad guys?" Conner asked, taking a small step forward, blocking a wooden board someone tossed toward Blackfire.

"No clue. Your guess is as good as mine," Gar sighed as he walked forward.

"If they're trying to kill you, it's a big giveaway," Hazel commented. A man with a large brick stepped towards Hazel and she raised her hands, keeping her voice steady and soft, "Hey man, you wanna drop the brick and take a sec?" He growled at her and ran forward, but vines broke through the ground before he could take another step. The vines pinned his arms to his sides and the brick slid from his grasp. Hazel quickly kicked it away and turned back to the crowd.

"Maybe it wasn't a good idea, me staying here," Dick groaned, his voice echoing through their earpieces.

"No. You got a $50,000 bounty on your head. It'd only make things worse," Kory reminded.

"I got another one," Gar called, a man with a piece of wood walking towards him. "Ah! Come on, pal."

Gar and Conner got another pair to the ground and the crowd seemed to settle. "Looks like the worst of it is over," Dick spoke with a huff.

"Hold that thought," Kory said, and Hazel looked up at her, following her eyes towards the larger mob that had gathered behind them and started to walk closer, armed with the more dangerous weapons like led pipes and large knives. The Titans stepped closer together as the man at the head of the group held the metal pipe high over his head.

"Why would you say anything?" Hazel groaned.

"Please don't hurt us," A woman called, gripping another woman tightly.

Kory looked at both groups and offered them a gentle smile. "Folks, everything's all right," Kory spoke calmly.

"You're Titans. Nightwing's gang," someone yelled.

"No, we're not much of a gang, really. More like roommates," Gar corrected a nervous laugh at the end of his sentence.

"Just get the fuck out of here and leave us alone," A man yelled, holding a plank of wood over his head.

"We're here to help," Conner yelled. "That video you saw, it's all lies."

"They're the reason the water's poisoned!" A second woman yelled.

"Kory, get them out of there," Dick ordered.

A wave of confusion passed over the group, Conner looking around at the others. "He wants us to just leave?" Conner questioned.

The crowd heard Conner's words and most relaxed, but some stepped up, trying to scare the Titan's off. "I vote stay," Blackfire spoke up. "Give them a good reminder of which side we're on." Blackfire looked down at Hazel who chuckled softly.

"If you stay, it will only get worse," Dick continued. "Get out now."

Kory sighed slightly and turned around, Conner and Gar following her quickly. Blackfire paused for a moment and Hazel waited for her. Komand'r looked back at Hazel, and she nodded for her to follow the others. "Yeah, that's right. Get the fuck out of here!" A man yelled.

Blackfire stopped, slowly turning her head to look over her shoulder and stare at the man. The man crumbled under her gaze, his arms dropping and the pipe he held swinging close to the floor. Komand'r turned to Hazel with a proud smile, and they followed after Kory and the others.

It was deep into the night when Dick returned, a new habit that had developed the past few days. He took his jacket off and hung it on a chair before turning to face the others after they had gathered in the living room once again. "I made a deal with Barbra," Dick said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yay, another deal," Conner mumbled, and Dick looked up at him.

"What did she say?" Cole asked, moving the conversation on quickly as he sat on the end of the couch beside Hazel.

Dick sighed but kept his head high, "Everyone wants us dead or arrested, and I think we all agree that the first option isn't great. So... Barbra will oversee our arrest."

Gar crossed his arms and sunk further into the couch. "So, we turn ourselves in and then what?" He asked, his eyes shifting to Hazel who looked just as uncomfortable at another round in some sort of prison.

"And then we post bail, continue doing our work, but in a less public way," Dick explained. "Work in the shadows, take this city back night by night. It's not gonna be easy, and it's not gonna be fast, but we can do it." There was silence, no one agreeing or disagreeing with him. "If you have a better idea, please, now's the time."

"They hate us," Gar muttered.

"They've been manipulated into hating us, by Crane," Kory said, looking down at Hazel and Gar.

"It's still hate," Hazel mumbled, keeping her eyes on her shoes.

Dick sighed and ran his hand down his face. "Conner, Komand'r, what do you think?" Dick questioned.

"It was brutal out there. I don't wanna be looked at like that again," Conner said, shaking his head softly.

Komand'r looked at Conner and placed her hand in his. "Well, surrender isn't my thing," Blackfire hummed. "But I am used to people looking at me like I'm a monster, so whatever you all decide on, I'm in."

Dick looked up at Kory, "Kory?"

Kory paused for a moment, thinking over her words before sighing, "We've played it by the book so far and this is where it's led us," Kory shrugged. "So maybe you're right. Maybe we try a new way. I'm in."

"Hazel?"

Gar knocked his shoe against Hazel's, and she straightened, her shoulders tense as she refused to meet anyone's eyes. "I- I don't wanna be put in a collar and shocked again," Hazel muttered.

"You won't," Dick said and Hazel looked up at him. "We'll get bail before they put the handcuffs on."

Hazel nodded softly but she let her eyes wander to Cole who was already looking at her, "I can go back to my mom's while it all goes down," Cole suggested. "It's also close to the station, as soon as you guys are bailed out y'all can re-group there."

Hazel nodded and smiled at her brother, "Okay."

Dick nodded after Hazel and he gave the others a small smile, "All right, then. Let's suit up. We go in together. As a team. As a family."

Hazel was racing off the moment Dick had finished speaking and before Cole could chase her Dick stopped him. "Are you sure your mom will be okay with this?" Dick asked.

"Well, she's been sending me very detailed messages about how much she hates the Gotham reporters and has offered to cook you all lasagna. Yeah, I'd say she'd be cool with it," Cole chuckled softly, and Dick nodded, getting the address before Cole chased after Hazel, racing up to her room.

He stopped in front of the closed door, waiting a moment before knocking on the door. He slowly pushed it open, the room was barely lit, the only light coming from the small lamp on the side table and the air was still, silent aside from Hazel's ragged breaths.

Hazel had her forehead pressed against the sliding wardrobe door, two fist sized holes littering the wood. Cole closed the door behind him and smiled softly, "Well I don't think Bruce will be worried about the floors anymore." Cole chuckled softly but Hazel stayed quiet.

Cole walked closer, stopping beside Hazel but still gave her room to breathe. "I... I saw what happened, what- what Micheal did to you." Cole's words made Hazel's head spin, her gaze snapping up to him. "This isn't that. I know it feels like it, but it isn't."

Hazel pushed herself off the wardrobe and took a breath, her eyes were red from crying, but she had stopped the moment Cole knocked on the door. She went to speak but her throat felt dry. Her chest felt heavy but ready to explode, every part of her body wishing that this wasn't how she talked to Cole, overloading him with her problems.

"Your problems are my problems," Cole said, breaking the silence. He smiled softly, "Mind reader, remember?"

"I'm sorry, it was a mistake," Hazel said through heavy breaths. "I should have- I shoulda left you alone instead I got you stuck in this bullshit. You're just a kid you shouldn't have to..." Hazel continued to ramble, her mind running through every bad scenario when Cole stepped forward, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

Hazel froze for a moment, her body tensing before relaxing just as quickly as she melted into Cole's arms. "I'll see you at my place okay, my mom will have some food ready," Cole promised. "She's a really good cook." Hazel laughed, the twisting in her stomach easing as Cole laughed with her.

— rage —