Teen Titans: Half-life

Prologue

The Teen Titans, a group of teenage superheroes, watch over the metropolis of Jump City. In an age where the newer generations are constantly evolving more super powers on an ever-increasing basis, the Teen Titans were formed with the intent of keeping the city safe from those who would misuse their unique gifts. With only a dream to hold them together, they began their war with no more than the clothes on their backs.

Operating out of a neglected warehouse in the city's more rundown industrial area, they began building a reputation for themselves as an effective crime fighting squad. For a brief time they operated more like a freelancer group, working for the city to put food on their own table. That was until they started to receive funding from not only the Jump City government, but several other major business who had all suffered major profit loss in the constant repairing of damages caused by rouge super powered criminals.

Thus was born the real Teen Titans, and plans for the construction of their own tower headquarters, the Titans Tower, were finalized an approved. If all went well they could move out of their rat infested surroundings within the current year.

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He screamed in pain from where the knife had punctured his back. His hands reaching out for support as his legs gave out and the lower half of his body went numb. Making a dull metal thump as his body hit the large outer cylindrical casing of the nuclear device, his eyes grazed the red digital timer showing there was still an hour until the automatic detonation but, he figured, he had an even shorter time to live.

"You were a worthy adversary but this is the end for you and your Teen Titans." The wielder of the knife eerily cooed as if he was trying to sooth a troubled child.

How could it have come to this? The plan was clear-cut, everyone's role was defined, and the execution, flawless. Yet it had all been futile, for all 5 of them still strode, with arms open, into a lethal trap. Now their deaths would be followed by thousands of others when the nuke arrived at its final destination, into the heart of the city.

His entire team was dead or lay dying. The only member left alive hadn't come with the rest of the team. He had been told guard the base cause he was still green and would've gotten in the way. There was just no possibility of rescue. In the blink of an eye, hope was drained from his body and he slumped even further down the metallic cylinder, there just didn't seem to be a way out.

The boy clenched his teeth awaiting the final blow, defiant words inadequate to stop his fate. He needed a trump card, a glitter of hope, a ray of sunshine, some way to strike back even as he was struck down. But he couldn't even hold himself up yet alone fight. So, in this most desperate moment, he found a way to fight back. A small panel, on the side of the nuke was open. It had probably been jarred open when his body initially slammed into the casing.

He knew he would regret the decision for the rest of his life, but as the rest of his life was only 10 seconds....

"What the hell." The boy said as he plunged his hand into the open panel and grabbed the nearest wire his hand touched.

"What are you doing?" The fiend exclaimed, yet knew what was happening.

"I'm pulling the wrong wire." He said as he felt the snap of a wire giving way under his grip. Immediately thereafter the digital counter gave off a continuous high-pitched whine and the numbers flashed 0:00. Following was the sound of the knife as it hit the metal floorboards and the fiends own retreating footsteps.

The boy fell to the floor, physically and mentally drained, he clutched his chest with his left hand as an ache filled his heart. He promised himself he would never give into despair or make a decision that would harm innocents, ever again. However, in his weakness, he had done it and now the rest of the world would pay for his sin.

"Forgive me, Raven." He silently cried to himself.

Then he died...

Then, everyone died.

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Meanwhile, on a yet unfinished Titans Tower, a lone figure watched, in silent thought, as a pillar of fire filled the evening sky.

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2 years later

The Teen Titan, Robin sat upright on his large cushioned bed, adrenaline flowing in his veins. It had been the same the entire night. Just as he relaxed enough to close his eyes, the feeling would return and he'd be awake and alert all over again. He couldn't escape an uncanny feeling of dread. Like a man on death row waiting final execution, but he was not in prison nor was he sentenced to death, but the feeling was very much the same. Something big, he hadn't decided if it was good or bad, was going to happen today. He just knew, but was at a loss of words to explain it.

The night having been shot, he rose from his bed and went to the bathroom to refresh himself. If his gut feeling had any significance, then he needed to be awake and alert. The watery sounds of a brief shower, followed by the brushing of teeth, preceded the buzz of an electric razor. Robin was shocked to see he was actually starting to grow some facial hair. He silently prayed that that was the biggest surprise that he would face today. But no such luck, soon after he dressed himself, in his green undershirt toped with a red vest, adorned with a large R set inside a black circle over the heart, green jeans, black boots, and his utility belt of gadgets and weapons, there came a knocking on his door.

"Who is it?" Robin inquired.

The door opened to reveal a crop of short purple hair set atop a pale face with deep purple eyes, and decorated with a small charka in the middle of her forehead.

"Raven, something wrong?" Robin asked.

"We've got a problem." Raven's replied.