New Beginnings (Teen Titans)

Participants: Cassandra Sandsmark | Teen Titans
Open/Closed: Open to Teen Titans
Location(s): Titan's Tower
Time of Day: Mid-morning
Weather: Sunny
Summary: The first meeting of the newest incarnation of the Teen Titans!

Cassandra looked out over the city of San Francisco, raising a hand to shield her eyes from the mid-morning sun. Light glinted off the bracer worn about her wrist, casting a white shimmer across the window pane that ran the length of the Tower's viewing platform. It was a sight she'd become accustomed to, having been a Teen Titan for longer than she felt possible despite her relatively young age. No matter what had changed for the group of young heroes – and much had since their initial formation – the San Francisco skyline was constant, in its own way. Buildings rose and fell, but the feeling of 'home' she got when looking out over their protectorate always remained.

Raising her free hand, she took a swig of the bottled water she carried – already half finished. In a few minutes, she would be meeting with the newest incarnation of the Titans: some faces familiar, while others were less so, and it would be down to her to organise their operations. It felt strange – somehow – leading the group. She'd done so before, but usually when others were unable: it tended to fall to Tim, the Bat tendancy for logic and careful planning making him a natural. If he wasn't around, Cassie gladly stepped in, but this was different.

Tim had returned, and he had given his full support to Wonder Girl, relinquishing his leadership and endorsing hers. It shouldn't have been a surprise: she'd led the team through a great deal in his absence, but it was peculiar knowing the dynamics had shifted. Not unpleasant though. Quite the opposite – despite the pressure she felt, Cassandra felt determination, pride and readiness, alongside an odd sense of calm. She'd expected to be nervous, to have butterflies or some such, but it wasn't the case. She'd not forgotten former failures, the errors she'd made in the past. Rather the opposite – she felt she'd learned from them. They were so much apart of her that she knew with every fibre of her being she wouldn't repeat them.

Taking another swig, she let her blue eyes linger on the view for a few moments longer, before finally turning away. Stuffing the hand that had been shielding her face into her hoodie's pocket, she smiled to herself as she made her way down to the living area, and then further still, toward centre of the Titan's operations.

Conner didn't think of himself as an anxious or nervous person. In fact, he was probably a little too much the opposite for most tastes, if he was being honest. But, when he stood there, fussing with the collar of his jacket for probably the thirtieth time, he wondered at the nerves jittering through his skin.

This new, concrete formation of a new, concrete group of Teen Titans felt weirdly more significant and pivotal than the ones before it. Maybe because it was actually intentional, this time, instead of a new team just falling together by circumstances and necessity? The last time Conner could remember a roster being put together so purposefully as this was the first time he'd set foot in the Tower.

More than the lineup was changing, too. Leadership was swapping hands, and Conner couldn't have been more proud or supportive of Cassie taking the helm. Superboy, himself, felt different, and like he had formally and healthily resolved the emotional and psychological problems that'd come along with returning from the dead. All of that still didn't explain the nerves - or maybe it did? Conner couldn't tell anymore. It did explain his reflection, though.

Superboy had felt like a new uniform would do a good job of signifying on the outside the changes that'd gone on inside... Or some psychologist mumbo-jumbo that Tim could - and probably would - explain a lot better than him. The full-body suit with the S spread over its chest, and matching, studded leather jacket and belt accessories were an intentional callback to his earlier looks. Before the simple black T-shirt and beat up jeans.

Conner plucked at his jacket one last time, then sighed, aggravated at himself, and left his room at the Tower before he could get lost in more thoughts in front of his mirror. Superboy was so impatient he poured on the speed, arriving in the formal room for the inaugural meeting in the blink of an eye. That was a mistake, because no one else was there. Conner looked around the room needlessly and huffed a breath, throwing himself down into one of the seats.

When the door opened, Superboy jumped right back up, caught somewhere between sheepish and relieved to see Cassie. "Oh, hi," he said. "Guess I'm early. That's a first, right?" Conner smiled, happy to see that he wasn't the only one who'd decided to update their super-wardrobe. "Nice threads," he acknowledged, nodding approvingly, and stuffed the urge to ask "how do I look," down deep - because it was stupid to care as much as he suddenly did about what his teammates thought of his new costume. Or that's what he told himself.

Bart had technically been the first person to arrive - technically. He'd just happened to have arrived early because, well, speedster and waiting around had never been his strength. So he'd sped off to get donuts for the meeting and then ate all of them himself. He ran around looking for and finding crimes to stop to pass the time by and by the time he returned, he was no longer the first. Before Conner had finished complimenting Cassie's costume, Bart was already speeding right at them, crushing them together and throwing his arms around them in a hug.

"Higuys!Imissedyousomuch!Isn'titgreattohavetheteambacktogether?!Iwonderwhoallisshowingup-Heywhoalldidyouinvite?" he asked excitedly, his words a blur and squeak of noise as he leaned enough into the hug that he was able to momentarily lift his feet off the ground and just lean against his super strong friends who he had certainly missed hugging. He hung on them for what seemed like forever and a day for him but was most likely much shorter for them before he released them, only backing up enough that none of them would trip over each other.

He pushed his goggles up so they rested on his forehead, pushing his hair up a little in the process. He honestly didn't think he could imagine being a Teen Titan without Cassie and Conner. He would have lumped Tim in there but they'd already had to go without him before, though they'd made it clear he was always a Teen Titan. Still with Cassie and Conner there, he was certain this team was already going to be a force to be reckoned with - as they had always been together - and loads of fun.

"You're so shiny!" he announced, mouth making a large O when he noticed the new costumes. He gestured to his own costume. "We're all so shiny and new!"

"Well some of us," came a familiar voice, soft and affectionate near the entrance to the room.

True to Bat tradition, Bart couldn't remember seeing Tim enter the room and since he remembered everything, he knew that meant he genuinely hadn't seen him enter. Not that that was anything new; he'd gotten used to that by now. Tim leaned to the side against the door frame in the same Red Robin costume he'd worn for a while now, cowl pushed down to show hair that looked way too groomed for just having a cowl on. The vigilante took one step into the room, smile on his face, only to find a speedster crashing into him.

The difference between hugging Cassie and Conner and then hugging Tim was the former both had the strength to easily catch the speedster and not stumble. While Tim had the grace, he certainly didn't have super strength. A startled noise escaped both young men as they soon found themselves tangled together and falling to the floor. Tim took the brunt of the fall, being on the bottom, his back hitting the floor. He groaned but it sounded more out of annoyance than pain. Bart lifted himself onto his hands and knees, though remained very much on top of his friend, who he knew noted their awkward position.

"Hi!" he said excitedly, grinning down at Tim. "I missed you!"

Tim chuckled both genuinely and awkwardly and sat up, playfully shoving Bart off him in the process. "Yeah yeah, missed you too."

The two got up in time to notice Kaldur'ahm enter the room, in costume as well, looking around as he entered. He smiled a bit awkward and gave a small wave at the rest of the group, commenting, "Glad I didn't get the time wrong - That would have been awkward."

---

637 words
@ Teen Titans

Virgil had been a Teen Titan before. The team he had worked with seemed almost thrown together with not much rhyme or reason, but he had liked it. Jaime and Eddie especially had turned into fast friends, and it was never not fun to work alongside M'gann, Miss Martian. The rest who had come and gone had been fun to work with too, but Virgil had noticed some things during his sporadic adventures with the Teen Titans; namely how many of the teams seemed to develop cliques and little groups within the team as a whole. While it never bothered Virgil, he knew others could feel the pressure to fit in. The young hero had dealt with it enough, trying to fit in, while he was in highschool before he had powers. His powers, however, had given him a lot more confidence in himself and allowed him to realize he didn't need to try to fit in with everyone. Hopefully though, this group wouldn't feel that way.

Virgil had been rocking a new suit for a few months now. Though it wasn't the form fitting shirt, somewhat baggy cargos, mask and goggles, and iconic trenchcoat, it was a play on it. The shirt and pants had been swapped out for something similar to that in which Superboy wore, a one piece suit. Slick and black with a simple lightning bolt design down the centre of it, Virgil had also been sure to update his coat for something more loose. Still long and open, the now baggier coat allowed for more movement. Outside of that though, not much had seemed to change. His hair was longer though, but that wasn't really tied to his suit.

Adjusting his coat and leaving his room, having been living in the Tower for awhile now, Virgil could hear many of the group already talking. As he walked, he leaned his head forward to allow his dreadlocks to fall. He took and handful of them and began to tie the strands up. When he entered the room to see his teammates, his hands finished tying his hair into a ponytail and letting it drop behind his head, with some dreads falling off the side of his face, in front of his right ear.

"Y'sure that coat aint too 90's, Krypton?" Virgil called over to Superboy. Draping an arm over Kaldur's shoulder, Virgil leaned in to the Atlantian's ear. "Any plans to ruin another one of my dates anytime soon bud?" A clear teasing tone, Virgil gave him a pat on his chest and a small chuckle. The young hero pulled out his phone from his pocket and then took a selfie with his arm around Kaldur, a big grin on his face, before posting it to his own social medias, What's good San Fran? Hanging with the bro for a team meeting. Who's ya'lls fav #TeenTitan ? #Static #Fishboy #Krypton #BatJr #Zippy #WonderJr #MissMartian #IHopeIDidn'tMissAnyone #Oops

"This whole thing here, Bat Jr and Zippy, I think I read one of these stories on Tumblr before. Keep it Pee Gee, okay?" Virgil stated, now leaning off of Kaldur and taking a look around the room. "We expecting anyone else? Is M'gann gonna be apart of all this?"

M'gann entered the Titans' war room after many of her new allies, and without the same brash confidence some displayed. Her quiet arrival could well have been mistaken for timidness – a trait the Martian once showcased frequently, especially in her inaugral years as a heroine. However, that was no longer the case. She understood Earth custom far better than she ever had, and after years of feeling like an outsider, she finally felt as though she belonged. Tensions with her team mates had long since evaporated, and she felt accepted for who and what she was. M'gann M'orzz was not a shrinking violet or wallflower, and she most certainly wasn't timid: she was just quietly assured of herself, and finally at peace with her heritage and gifts.

That, and she wasn't naturally a loud individual.

Casting her red gaze over the assembled, she noted many wore new, updated garbs, showcasing the changes they'd undergone over their years of heroics, while also representing new beginnings. She too had chosen something different, replacing her former white and blue costume with a gown of black and crimson. It was more grown up, or so she felt, befitting the heroine she'd become. Running her hands over her midriff, dusting off dirt that wasn't there as if trying to look her best for the occasion, she approached one of the assembled she had come to know better than most: Virgil Hawkins.

His voice had caught her ears, asking 'the room' if she was going to be in attendance. She felt it best to answer for them, and extended a hand – stretching her arm out far further than it should have been able to go, her elasticated form warping and elogating – in order to tap Virgil on the shoulder, from quite some distance away. Then, as quickly as it had morphed outward, her arm reformed in its more human visage, and she offered a small wave to the dreadlocked Titan when he looked around.

In truth, Cassie was surprised to see Conner when the door to the tower's 'war room' hissed open, his arrival ahead of hers a little unexpected. Of all the Titans who might have been waiting for her, she'd never have bet on it being Superboy... nor Kid Flash, for that matter, who despite his incredible speed, always seemed to arrive a few minutes late, nor Red Robin, who arrived preciesly when he meant to, and nearly always on time. To put it simply: she'd expected to arrive first. However, she was sort of glad she hadn't – it felt good to be greeted by an old friend's smile, however sheepish.

“What's got into you? Is this some new 'thing' you're trying out with the costume?” she offered a smile in response, and then stepped toward him, fully intending to wrap him in a hug. However, no sooner had she moved within arm's reach, prepared to thank him for his compliment on her new choice of attire, that a flash of colour surrounded the two, smooshing them, and the newly arrived speedster, into one giant embrace.

The noises that left Bart's mouth sort of sounded like words – some almost recognizable, but try as she might, Cassie wasn't able to pick them out. All she could do was grin a little at Kid Flash's enthusiasm, and allow herself to be squeezed until he deemed their group hug was over. Once he'd relinquished Cass and Conner, the speedster stepped back, allowing Wonder Girl to slightly adjust her new jacket, a natural reaction to further comments about their new attires. A voice from behind them caught their attention before Cassandra had a chance to respond, and Bart shot off again, tackling the newly arrived Tim to the ground, causing the blonde to laugh softly. “There are only so many styles and shades of brooding, right?”

Looking around the room, and between her team mates – the first four, whom, without, there wouldn't have been a Teen Titans – she then glanced almost whistfully at herself. “Apparently I didn't get the one-piece bodysuit memo...” Inclining her head toward Conner, she offered him a slight nudge with her elbow, aiming to get his attention. “You look good, by the way. It suits you.” She paused for a second, tugging on his leather overcoat's sleeve. “Especially the jacket. I didn't think we'd ever get to see it again. You were so into the t-shirt.”

As more recruits filtered in, Cassie shifted toward the head of the table the new Titans were to sit around. She didn't want to end their conversations, not yet: it was natural to want to catch up, but she felt a few moments of mental preperation in her new position wouldn't go amiss.

Conner Kent

Notes: I wanted to give everyone one or two more rounds of posting to have a little chat and finish off on conversations before we get down to Titans' business!

Of course, Conner had expected to be called out on his uncharacteristic coyness by his friends. Cassie definitely didn't disappoint. Or waste any time getting right to it. Somehow, the teasing jab unknotted the clot of nerves that'd settled like a rock in his stomach. Just like that, Wonder Girl had broken the ice and Conner felt immediately more like himself.

Even more when a streak of color and bubbling, untamable energy struck them like a bolt of lightning. A bolt of lightning that liked to hug. It was only thanks to Superboy's radical speed that he caught every syllable out of Bart's mouth - he was one of, if not the only person on the team that could keep up with speedspeak.

Conner chuckled, grinning wide and freely. If Cassie's jab had loosened that knot of nerves, Bart's presence totally unraveled it. "Missed you too, Bart," he said. The floodgates had opened, though, and that bled from one entrance to the next. Tim popped in... and was immediately tackled to the ground by Bart. Superboy laughed deeply, then, clapping one hand to his forehead at how disgruntled Tim looked by the act.

More faces trickled in, and Conner's amiable grin faltered at a nudge to his arm. "Oh!" Superboy said, reminded of his new costume and the anxiousness he'd had over it by Cassie's comment. "Thanks. Something old, something new and all that," he said, smirking kindly. "And hey. The T-shirt was machine-washable. Don't knock it."

Bart Allen

Bart grinned at Cassie and Conner's laughs as Tim simply shot them a glare that didn't hold much ice due to the embarrassment coloring what little of his face they could see. "If I stay awake long enough," Tim joked, managing a small, still quite embarrassed grin in Cassie's direction. "Then I'm sure I'll find a new shade at least." Bart, however, hadn't stopped grinning for a second as more teammates filed in. He'd already noticed Aqualad - Kaldur'ahm, he remembered the name because of course he remembered. He hadn't heard what Virgil said to the Atlantean - was he an Atlantean? - but whatever it was had Kaldur's face lighting up with a clear blush and the expression of a deer caught in headlights.

Virgil took his phone out for a photo and Bart sped over just in time to be a blur in the background.

"I don't know," Kaldur replied to whatever Virgil had said, attempting to mimic the teasing tone the other teen had used. "I was thinking of making a habit out of it." Despite how hot his face must have felt, he managed a cheeky grin at that. He blinked however when he noticed that Bart was very much there, attempting to peek over Virgil's shoulder to see how the photo had turned out. Personal space was clearly being avoided.

At the mention of what was clearly fanfiction, Bart's eyebrows show up under his mask and he looked in Tim's direction. Tim was getting to his feet finally and he didn't look surprised in the slightest bit as if he already knew what the internet held whether he wanted to or not.

"I want to read that!" Bart said, earning an exasperated sigh from Tim - he probably just hadn't had enough coffee yet. He turned his grin back to Virgil. "You should send that to all of us-"

"Please don't," came Tim's reply as he skulked - the classic Bat version of walking - over to a corner where he simply leaned back with one foot propped up against the wall, arms folded across his chest.

M'gann seemed to arrive just as Virgil asked about her. Bart quickly zipped over to hug her before realizing he hadn't done that with Virgil and Kaldur. Both were still close enough to each other that he quickly was back by them and hugging them both. He was then over by Conner, zipping around in a blur to look at his new costume before pausing and asking with wide eyes, "We're supposed to wash these?"

"That explains the smell," Kaldur'ahm joked earning a snicker from Tim.

---

432 words
Virgil Hawkins

Wonder Girl, Robin, Kid Flash, Superboy, Aqualad, Miss Martian, and himself. It was a pretty powerful lineup for the Teen Titans. Strangely enough, Virgil mentally noted he was the only one of the group without a direct Justice League parallel. Wonder Woman, Batman, The Flash, Superman, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter. Honestly, that was like the[/u] line up. The key figures of that group. Sure, maybe you could say Virgil had a parallel with Black Lightning, but he had met that guy maybe once? Icon or Hardware as well would maybe count, but neither were an older version of Static, unlike many of his teammates had with the Justice League members. And even if they were, the Dakota heroes never seemed to really be invited to the League, so the point would still stand. It really didn't effect things however, but it did help play into Virgil's idea of how the Teen Titans could be very clique-focused at times.

Virgil kept his arm over and around Kaldur as the group continued to talk. He tightened his grip around the fishy hero when he said he thought of making a habit of ruining his dates. "I mean, you can certainly try" His quick response back to Kaldur was followed up by him nodding over to Bart. "I'll see if I can find it to night. Maybe I'll post it on Twitter and see what my followers think"

Virgil's little teasing almost suddenly stopped as he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning his head, he noticed M'ganns little wave. The young hero from Dakota had a smile quickly perk up onto his face, and he just as quickly turned and dragged Kaldur along with him over towards M'gann. "Liking the new look, you're looking really good!" Virgil was, despite his incredible powers, still a teenage boy, and as such, he still had to contend with the brain of a teenage boy. He was very smart, but seeing a pretty girl whom he may or may not, but probably more so a may, of had a crush on showing up in a new outfit kind of overrode the more complex thinking he was capable of. "I mean, not that you don't look good normally. I mean, like, uh...I like the new suit" Honestly, the boy had almost even forgotten he was in a meeting alongside his teammates, with his arm still hanging around Kaldur's neck. "Hey, right Kaldur? M'ganns new gear looks great. Everyone's new gear looks great!"

Good cover Virgil.

Very good cover.

M’gann’s tap on Virgil’s shoulder quickly caught his attention, and her wave encouraged him to head toward her, dragging Kaldur along with him. Before they reached her, however, Kid Flash darted in from across the room, his speeding form almost impossible to keep track of, and he collided with M’gann and wrapped her in a tight hug. The Martian squeaked softly, rocking back on her feet a little, but quickly returned the embrace, squeezing Bart as tightly as she dared. Then he was gone again, detached and racing back toward Conner, circling him rapidly before becoming the centre of a joke regarding the suggested washing of super hero costumes.

Miss Martian couldn’t help but smile at the sound of their laughter, their happiness infectious. The Teen Titans, at their core, were a group of friends – friends who had been torn apart, over and over, circumstance as dire as death keeping them separated. Yet they always managed to find each other again, and when they did, their joy at being together shone through any pain the world sought to cause them. It was heart-warming to behold, and beautiful to be part of.

Her attention was drawn back to Virgil and Kaldur when the former spoke up, his compliment of her new attire causing her to blush a little – a blush that only deepened when Static fumbled and stumbled over more words and suggested she always looked good. “Thank you…” she replied, about to compliment his new choice of clothing too, though he continued on before she could, asking Kaldur to weigh in, and praising everyone’s updated (and in some cases, backdated) costumes.

“I agree,” she nodded, looking about the room. “Everyone does look great.” M’gann paused for a long moment, then stepped further into the War Room. “It feels like it is the first day of college, or perhaps the start of a new semester.” Looking down the long table in the centre of the room, at the head of which Wonder Girl stood, M'gann pointed to the many chairs surrounding it. "Would you like to sit next to me, Virgil?"

Cassandra Sandsmark