Titans - Rising Robin & Invasion! Crossover Fanfic (Flash x Arrow x LoT)

Chapter XXIV: The Calm

Richard stared at the large computer screen over the console in the center of the Titans' cave. He watched as a news broadcast aired a live report coming from downtown Central City. The news reporter had stated that the sightings of aliens was merely civilian speculation, & no concrete evidence of an invasion was apparent. Richard sighed as civilians gave their testimonies on TV. One lady claimed that the aliens she saw roaming the streets were, in fact, real extraterrestrials, & not some sort of metahuman breed. Another man believed that some conspiracy was at hand, but he wouldn't definitively claim to have seen aliens. Then, the news reporter interviewed a child, saying he saw monsters, & that he was scared. Then the boy mentioned seeing the Flash for a split second, & suddenly, the monsters flew up into the sky. The news broadcast ended with the reporter admitting to something strange occurring in the city, but reminded the viewers that the theories were up for speculation.

Richard pressed a button on the console's dashboard, shutting the screen off. The rest of the broadcasts went on like that, from Coast City's news to Gotham City. Everyone was either denying the invasion, or they were crazy for believing in such a thing. It didn't matter, though. The Titans had helped stop the Dominators. They were the guardians that appeared from the shadows, defending the city. They didn't need the recognition, or the pat on their backs. It was their world. The Titans helped save the world.

Richard turned & rested his hands against the dashboard, glancing around the open area in front of him. The Titans were now all around him, talking amongst themselves. Many of them were injured from the battle. After the Flash & the other Kryptonian came through Gotham, the Dominator corpses disappeared into the sky, & the Titans decided to leave the premises as fast as they could. It proved difficult to carry a large team, however. Zatanna managed to transport everyone from Gotham into the caverns in D.C., including the worn out Raven & Cheyenne. Richard rubbed his face frustratedly, still shocked that Cheyenne had managed to track the team down & stop the Dominators in Gotham. He would need to have a talk with her about that.

Richard jumped at the sudden cries of pain coming from the right. Richard turned to see Tim laying on a mat beside Zatanna & Jason. Zatanna was casting some mystical spell over Tim's wounds, which still hadn't healed. Richard knew that the invasion was dangerous, but he hadn't expected Tim to be hurt. Tim was one of the finest martial artists that Richard knew. Richard was ashamed for not having been there to help the young protégé. Jason sat beside Tim, with his red helmet placed to the side. Jason's head was rested in between his knees as he wrapped his arms around his legs. Richard recognized that pose. Jason would always bury his head in his knees whenever he was afraid. After training with the Batman, Jason would often go up to his room & sit in his bed in that position. It had been years since Richard had seen Jason to it, but...he was doing it now, afraid for Tim.

Off to the side, Richard saw Kori tending to Evelyn's leg. Kori was massaging the bandaged leg, rubbing it with some sort of energy from her palms. Kori's hands glowed a soft green hue as she hummed, rubbing the leg softly. Evelyn winced, but managed to keep her composure as Kori remedied the leg. Near the two girls were Jaime, Kaldur'ahm, & Wally. The Scarab had removed its armor from Jaime, giving the boy his natural appearance once more. Jaime was sitting beside Kaldur, who had proven himself trustworthy of being among the rest of the Titans. After a few brief moments of hesitation, Richard now realized he could trust the Atlantean. Kaldur was kneeling on the ground beside Wally, who was still bruised & bloodied all around. However, he managed to wear a smile across his face. Richard felt a huge amount of guilt for bringing in the two inexperienced kids into the mission. Richard knew that, according to the scarab, the two would prove to be beneficial to the fight, but Richard still felt the weight of what had happened to Evelyn & Wally on his conscious. Evelyn's leg would eventually heal, as it was a minor wound, & Wally's speed somehow managed to accelerate his metabolism, expediting his healing, but...still. They were kids. They could've died.