The streak of red and gold tore down the laneway, crossing the
bridge in seconds as he ran through the city. The water was no obstacle
as he skimmed across the water's surface with the ease of a well skipped
stone. He slowed as he reached the monument, the statue in front of
Titan's Tower that depicted the first generation on the team.
"It looks like I'm first," the young man in the gold body suit
said, a red lightning bolt running across the front of his uniform,
brown hair spilling out of his half cowl.
"Not quite, Impulse," the figure in black said. Nightwing moved
forward with a smile, black cape swirling around him as he offered his
hand, "It's good to see you, Mr. Chambers."
Impulse looked at Nightwing in surprise, "How did you know...?"
Nightwing smiled slightly, "I make it my business to know."
"Guess that explains how I received that mystery email," Impulse
agreed. He smiled as he said, "So who else did you issue these
invitations to?"
"A few old friends," Nightwing said simply.
"I wasn't sure we qualified as friends anymore," the blonde
woman dressed in golden armor said as she descended from the sky, "not
after I attacked you."
"Fury," Nightwing nodded to her. His lips twitched up slightly,
"Considering all our history back when you were Wonder Girl I can
forgive a split lip."
Fury looked at him, standing in front of the statue with her
blonde hair falling into her intense eyes. Finally she nodded slightly,
"Thanks." With that she turned to walk in to the entrance, leaving the
young men outside.
The halls of the Tower hadn't changed very much over the years,
the automatic systems maintaining the place even after they all left.
She went past the memorial hall, not looking in at the statues there.
She knew them all by heart anyway. As she entered the meeting room she
felt a presence, looking around her with the wary stance of a warrior.
"Who's there?" Fury demanded.
"It's been awhile, Cassie," he said, moving to take a seat at
the table. His black hair fell down roughly into his eyes and he was
wearing a black jacket in an older style. Underneath his clothes were an
alien bodysuit in red and black, the 'S' symbol slightly off kilter.
"Eradicator," Fury growled, "I don't answer to that name
anymore." She smiled coldly as she added, "Right, Conner?"
"The Kents were good people," the man who called himself
Eradicator said gravely in reply, "my reasons for not using the name
have more to do with Clark." He hesitated a moment then said, "I was so
sorry to hear about your mom."
The muscles in Fury's jaw jumped, her eyes narrowing in rage. "I
won't rest," she said crisply, "until I've avenged her murder."
Before Eradicator could say anything Nightwing walked in,
Impulse following behind him. "And I hope you'll let us help you find
him," Nightwing said simply.
"So who else is coming?" Impulse asked eagerly.
"We have a few more guests coming," the gray haired man said as
he walked in. He looked to be in his twenties but something in his eyes
implied a greater age. He smiled, "For those of you I haven't met I'm
Mitch Shelly, the Resurrection Man."
"You were team tactician on one of the earlier incarnations of
the League," Impulse blinked, his thoughts racing.
"One of the last," Mitch nodded.
There was a tiny flicker of fire on the meeting table, then
suddenly a roaring flame stretched up towards the roof. As the Titans
leapt back it contracted, becoming roughly human height. The fire
separated, forming a set of flaming wings and revealing a blonde haired
woman in a simple blue bodysuit decorated with golden wings on the
breast.
"Azrael," Mitch actually smiled slightly.
"Supergirl," Eradicator almost sounded sad as he took her in. He
shook himself and smiled, "It's good to see you."
"It's been a long time," the former Supergirl smiled. Once a
shapechanging Matrix she had merged with a human, ultimately becoming
the avatar of an avenging angel. In a cataclysmic battle she had lost
that power only to have it return some years later.
"I nearly shot you, you know," the woman noted as she walked
from the shadows. Red hair fell into eyes concealed behind tinted
goggles, her half mask concealing part of her face. She held a modified
pistol, other weapons secreted around her costume.
"Arsenal," Nightwing said calmly. He looked around, taking them
in. The ageless Mitch, Eradicator and Fury, the unearthly Azrael, and
the newcomers of Impulse and Arsenal. "Now that you're all here," he
said with a bit of regret in his voice, "I'll be going."
"You're not staying?" Eradicator looked startled.
"I'm getting old, buddy," Nightwing smiled sadly, "it's getting
time I hung up this cape." He raised his voice, "You can come out now."
The girl who walked out was young, but she filled out the red,
green and black Robin outfit well. Her red hair fell into eyes concealed
behind over sized sunglasses that she pulled off to offer a smile, "My
name is Carrie Kelly."
Before anyone could say anything about it Nightwing was simply
gone, the black clad hero disappearing into the shadows once again. "I
hate it when he does that," Fury said.
"I talked it over with Nightwing when he suggested Carrie
joining," Mitch said calmly, "he's made it clear she has the ability and
she's about the same level most of us started at."
Azrael looked at Robin, fire dancing around her eyes and it was
as if she was looking beyond her body. "She is pure," she said, "and she
has a good heart."
"Thank you," Robin gulped.
"I'm new at this too," Impulse said, "and you've given me a
chance."
"I don't like it," Fury said coldly.
Eradicator sighed slightly. "I trust Tim's judgment," he said,
"if he says that Carrie is ready to join us then so be it."
"I abstain," Arsenal said simply.
Mitch made a face, "It looks like the ayes have it, Robin is
in."
"Thank you!" Carrie squealed, suddenly looking much younger. She
steadied herself, clearing her throat, "Sorry."
Fury scowled but didn't say anything, the warrior making her
displeasure at this known with just her stance. She tossed a look at
Arsenal and Impulse, "So who are our newcomers, anyway?"
Impulse looked a bit relieved, "So Nightwing didn't tell you
all? Good." He pulled his cowl back, a smile on his face as he said, "My
name is John Chambers the third, and my grandfather was Johnny Quick in
the JSA."
"So why not just use the family name?" Azrael asked curiously,
her fiery wings dancing around the woman's body.
Impulse smiled wryly, "And how many people have heard of Johnny
Quick? I want to make a name for myself before I decide to take that
name on."
"And you?" Carrie asked Arsenal curiously.
"I wasn't actually planing to unmask," Arsenal said mildly.
There was a moment of shocked surprise in the room. Fury looked
angry, her eyes narrowing, while Resurrection Man smiled wryly,
Erradicator looked amused and the others studied the slim young woman
thoughtfully.
Azrael smiled, the blonde haired woman studying the smaller
girl. "You remind me of an old friend," she murmured, "who was a pain in
the ass, too."
"Thank you," Arsenal smirked.
"Things are just starting wonderfully," Resurrection Man
muttered.
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