Merry Christmas everyone. First of all, I would like to apologize for my lack of updates on my stories in the past several months. I'm reaching the tail end of my college years and soon I'll be graduating, and I am SO ready to take the next step in my life. That said, with all the work I've been doing, the motivation to write has been sporadic at best, but this story here...well, I'll say more about it after. Yes, it's Teen Titans, but prepare for plenty of references to Batman: The Animated Series. Let's get started. I own nothing except the story.
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Gotham City, a bustling place near the Jersey Shore where superfreaks seemed as common as the "normal" folks trying to live a regular, everyday life. With its retro architecture and abandoned buildings at every turn, those who didn't know where to look would easily assume that Gotham was trapped in the late 80s; heck, some of the gang members even still used old-fashioned Tommy Guns instead of more reliable 9MM handguns or much newer (and more powerful) automatic rifles. The only ones who seemed willing to get with the times were the aforementioned superfreaks, such as the Joker, who seemed determined to turn the city into his own personal - and bloody - comedy show, with Batman as the ultimate straight man.

Batman, the icon for which Gotham was known worldwide. He was certainly a formidable opponent for anyone who had delusions of grandeur in the world. He was the ultimate detective, a master martial artist, and he could make a common crook pee his pants just by glaring at him with that patented bat-shaped cowl of his on his head.

Of course, the young man leaping over the rooftops was anything but common, and he was certainly proud of his skills.

He'd never truly been caught, not by anyone; he'd had some close calls, sure...but nothing that ever really took him off the streets. He was a lone wolf, looking out for number one and he was content with that. He didn't need to be a hero, and he didn't particularly care to be considered a villain, he was just him. And that's exactly what he was counting on.

With the crime in Gotham spiking lately, the thief fully expected his night to be strictly bat-free. He'd heard that Poison Ivy was making trouble again in a local greenhouse, something about saving a rare orchid and turning everyone who had ever hurt it into plant zombies? Or was it poisoning them with a mutagenic serum that would cause human beings to be dependent on pollination from an endangered butterfly that only ever fed on nectar from that orchid? Nah that couldn't be right, most orchids didn't even have nectar. Honestly it didn't matter, as long as Batman was there to stop her, and he wasn't planning on running into them anyway.

As he perched on top of a gargoyle on the top of a tall building (seriously, what was with this city and gargoyles?), the thief surveyed the area to get an idea of where he would strike for the night. His old hunting grounds had gotten a little too crowded with heroes for his tastes, so he decided to try out Gotham since it was one of the only places that didn't seem to be covered by that all-too-large superhero team.

Bunch of do-gooders.

Finally his eyes caught a car that was parked in an alley, and the thief raised an eyebrow at the...less than conventional parking job. He always figured parallel parking was tough, but that seemed to be a bit of an extreme alternative. Still, it would probably make for easy pickings. He leaped from his perch and silently landed in the alley, his target now coming into better view as he got closer to it.

Then his eyes widened as soon as his mind made the mental connection and realized exactly what car he was looking at.

The Batmobile.

Of course, it had to be the freaking Batmobile, Batman's car. So much for a bat-free night. The thief was about to leap back up onto the rooftops...then he stopped. The amount of money he'd get on the black market for something that came from the Batmobile...well, he'd be set for months! He'd need proof though, something distinctly marked like a bat so he would be able to prove that he'd actually swiped them from Batman's car rather than just grabbed a random object and slapped a Batman symbol on it. The thief snapped his fingers as soon as he decided what he'd do, and got to work on removing the car's tires and hubcaps.

This would be the steal of the century, no doubt.

Part of him felt bad to be honest, he'd met Batman before when he was really young, and he even saved him and a large group of other orphaned children from a crazed lunatic in the sewers who called himself their teacher. Of course, even then, all the thief had done was try to steal from Batman before he took down his kidnapper once and for all. Once a thief, always a thief, he figured. He really had tried to be good, he'd been taken in by an older lady who tried to take care of him...but the thrill of the chase, he just couldn't get it out of his system, he craved the adrenaline rush, the thought of being caught at any moment was enough to get his blood pumping, and if he ever got spotted, well then the real fun began.

In hindsight, the lady who took him in probably didn't lose much sleep over his disappearance, it just meant that she wouldn't have to deal with his rebellious nature anymore, and he never heard anything about an alert being sent out, so he was used to looking out for number one, seeking his thrill and making a living for himself as best as he could.

And boy was he getting a thrill right now.

As he removed the last of the Batmobile's wheels, the thief looked around warily when he heard the sound of a garbage can lid being knocked over, and he spotted a rat staring at him with its beady red eyes. Exhaling a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding, he pulled the last wheel off the car and rolled it to the side so he could start preparing his getaway.

Then he fell on his butt as he bumped into something solid, and looked up to see the figure of Batman looming over him.

So much for a bat-free night indeed.

Life was good.

Dick Grayson, soon to officially outgrow his title of the "Boy Wonder" as his 18th birthday was fast approaching, had pretty much everything a guy could ask for. He had a state of the art roof over his head, courtesy of his teammate Cyborg, he had a never-ending supply of jokes and fun, courtesy of his teammate Beast Boy, he had arguably the best doctor in the world to keep him healthy, courtesy of his teammate Raven, and of course, he had all the care in the world thanks to his teammate Starfire.

Victor Stone.

Garfield Logan.

Raven Roth.

Koriand'r.

His friends...his family.

It hadn't been an easy road by any means, Robin had to deal with growing up in the shadow of none other than Gotham's Dark Knight, Batman, before he made the move to Jump City to try and become a hero on his own merits. The argument - and subsequent grudge - he had with Bruce still hadn't been resolved, but even with them not on speaking terms, Robin knew that Batman still cared about him, in his own way.

After all, maintaining the tower wasn't exactly cheap, especially with the regular repairs needed whenever Beast Boy or Raven broke something accidentally, or with the massive amounts of food they bought on a weekly basis just to keep five growing teenagers satiated...okay so four teenagers, Cyborg didn't technically count anymore, but he was still a Teen Titan as far as anyone else was concerned. Point was, Bruce still watched out for him, making sure that they always had enough to sustain themselves thanks to the allowance given to Robin.

But he tended not to think on that too much, he still wasn't happy with his so-called mentor, always so willing to break his own rules if it meant solving the case. He never killed, that much was a line he knew Bruce would never cross...but interrogating suspects in front of their wives and children? Traumatizing those poor kids, even if he didn't mean to...and of course the secrets...no, Robin would never forget why he left in the first place. To do things his own way.

And that's what he did. He made a name for himself, Tokyo praised his name and the names of his teammates, Jump City knew that the Teen Titans would always have its back, and he was proud of that. On top of all that, Robin's Titans Network was still stretching across the globe, making sure there were at least a few Titans available and on call no matter where trouble reared its ugly head. The newest team was just now coming together in London, England near the English Channel as the Titans Europe, with Argent, Hotspot, Jericho, Kid Flash, and Jinx - oddly enough - rounding things out.

Sometimes having a grey area was a good thing, Robin figured, if it meant that someone like Jinx could turn her life around and become a Titan - a leader no less.

Pantha, Red Star, Bushido, and Wildebeest were being assigned near Mexico, while a dedicated "Titans North" team - consisting of Herald, Thunder, Lightning, Kole and Gnarrk already had their tower built and operational. They were even willing to take on Melvin, Timmy and Teether, eliminating the issue of who would take care of "Raven's kids" so they wouldn't be forced to land in a foster home.

Raven nearly blew up their tower at the very thought of those three ending up in one of those.

As Robin entered the Ops Center to look for a snack for himself, he spotted Starfire in the kitchen, gathering the ingredients for what he could only assume was another one of her Tamaranean concoctions, cheerfully humming tunelessly...and apparently unaware he'd entered the room. Sometimes it paid to have stealth training from the best of the best. Grinning impishly, Robin waited until her back was turned so he could dive underneath the counter, wrapping himself in his cape so that he blended in with the shadows as much as possible. Then once she turned around again, he made his move.

And he was rewarded with a delightfully surprised squeal from his tall Tamaranean girlfriend that made his heart beat faster as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Robin, you startled me!"

"No, I surprised you," He chuckled huskily as he rested his chin on her shoulder. "There's a very distinct difference."

"Oh?" Starfire giggled and turned around to wrap her own arms around him, and Robin couldn't keep the wide grin off his face as her bright green eyes twinkled merrily at him. "Then perhaps you will have to explain it to me."

"Well, startling you would mean that I didn't mean to do it..." He smirked as he leaned up to her. "As for surprising you...well, I think this qualifies." He swiftly captured her lips with his own, holding back a chuckle when she squeaked in shock before returning his affection with vigor. It wasn't often that he initiated such an intimate moment in public, given that he was such a private person, despite having shared his identity with his team the day that they retrieved his stolen briefcase from Ding Dong Daddy just a few months earlier. But if no one else was around, he felt...bolder, more willing to show her just how much he cared about her with actions, rather than words, which was how she preferred it anyway. Plus, ever since their kiss in Tokyo, Starfire had come to thoroughly enjoy kissing, something he honestly didn't expect since he'd learned that it was mainly used for exchanging languages on her planet.

Of course, that just meant that every kiss he gave her, she got just a little bit smarter, and even something as small as that was a turn-on for him...not that everything else she did on a daily basis didn't already do that. God, she was just so beautiful, inside and out.

As their lips parted with a light smack, she relinquished a coy smile with her eyes half-lidded, still shining with the love she felt so strongly for him. "Je t'aime, Richard."

His eyes widened a bit as he smirked at her. "You picked up a little bit of French this time."

"So it would seem." She hummed out a giggle and nuzzled her cheek against his face. That was something else Robin had to get used to: Tamaraneans were descendants of felines, so he'd quickly come to realize that Starfire had a lot of...sweet spots that she shared with Earth cats, like this one just at the base of her ear...and just like that, she let out a soft coo that sent a rush of warmth into the pit of Robin's belly. Starfire had yet to admit whether she could get so relaxed and turned on that she would start to purr like a cat, but he was determined to find out one of these days. "Ohh, Richard...our friends..."

"Shh, don't worry about it. Cyborg's in Europe building the new Titans Tower, and Raven's visiting Titans North to see the kids."

"Mmm...and Beast Boy?"

"If Beast Boy walks in here, he's got three extra hours of combat practice waiting for 'im."

Starfire pulled back a bit, her eyes still smoky but aware enough to give the Boy Wonder a disapproving glance. "Robin, do not be mean to our friends."

He just pulled her back into him, giving her another lingering kiss that earned another moan from her, and he grinned against her lips as she wrapped one around his waist with the other curled around his back, reaching up to grip at his spiky hair. The next thing he knew, his feet had left the ground, and he gripped her tighter as they floated into the air. "Star..."

"Apologies," She said between kisses. "I cannot seem to ground myself."

"Too much joy, huh?"

"Mhmm."

"Well, Star...I have not even begun to make you feel joyful yet."

Starfire responded by nuzzling against him, gripping him tighter against her while still trying to maintain enough awareness to not crush him with her strength, and Robin stroked her long, flowing mane of fiery red hair. She always apologized when she wound up levitating off the ground, but he loved every minute of it. The feeling of weightlessness each time he flew with her matching with the weightlessness in his soul whenever she showered him with the affection he'd craved for so long, there was nothing like it...and he wanted more.

Lowering a hand to the small of her back, Starfire responded with a squeak and pressed her ample chest against his, sending a rush of desire through him; if this kept up...who cares? Robin decided right then and there, maybe more with his hormones than his brain, to throw caution to the wind for once. He loved this amazing woman, and it was abundantly clear that she loved him. No holding back.

As their kissing became more passionate and frenzied, the two panting between breaks for air - more for Robin's sake than anything, Robin wrapped his legs around her waist, his hand wandering up to go underneath her purple top. Just a little more and he'd be able to feel the tender flesh hidden under-

"Oh, I did not need to see that."

The couple screeched like banshees as Starfire's flight gave out and the two fell onto the kitchen floor rather harshly on their rear ends. "Ow..." Robin groaned as he rubbed his sore tailbone and slowly got to his feet, reaching a hand down to his flustered girlfriend, who was clearly more embarrassed than hurt. Darn alien resilience...not that he wanted her to be hurting, but there were times where he envied his super-powered teammates, especially since he highly doubted Raven would be willing to heal his tailbone unless it was an extreme emergency. Blushing profusely and desperately trying to regain his composure, Robin glared up at the massive screen which had yet to show a face to reveal the culprit behind their interrupted moment of intimacy. "Alright, whoever it is, you better start explaining how you got through our secure channel!"

And then a face appeared on the screen, and Robin's face sunk before contorting into a grimace that would have scared even the hardiest of Jump City's villains. "Good to see you too, Robin," A much deeper voice than the one heard previously said. "Although next time, I'd prefer if you kept your...moments confined to someplace less in plain sight."

"Batman." Robin all but snarled the name, his surrogate father once again interfering with his life, and he'd seen him making out with Starfire! Now he no doubt was going to have to explain himself and hear the lecture about letting people get too close. It would be even worse when he eventually found out that his team knew who he really was under the mask. "To what do we owe this...pleasure?"

The Dark Knight's face remained as neutral as ever as he replied. "I think I found something you've been looking for."

"And what might that be?"

Batman stepped aside without a word, and both Robin and Starfire's eyes widened in shock at the person who was currently tied up from his hands to his feet with Batman's patented bolas. "Hey there cutie, long time no see...I gotta admit, as much as I'd prefer you doing that show with me, it was really hot to watch it as a spectator."

There, sitting in the Batcave, was none other than the one criminal that had managed to avoid the Titans almost as often as Slade himself. "Red X!"

Life, Robin immediately concluded, sucked.

A/N: UPDATE! There's now a piece of artwork to go with this chapter courtesy of HollyLu, go check out her Tumblr or DeviantArt Page to see for yourself! ^^

A/N: And so it begins...ladies and gentlemen, if you thought AAML: Diamond and Pearl was an ambitious project, then you haven't seen anything yet. I have been inspired by the likes of Kryalla Orchid and other such authors, and after watching several different shows and episodes...I decided, I wanted to do something that no one else has done, something so huge, that it will offer hours upon hours of entertainment for all who jump into it.

May I present to you all, the first published story of what I'm calling...the DCEAU.

What does that stand for? Quite simply, the DC Extended Animated Universe. I call it that because I'm taking the renowned DCAU we've all grown up with and are aware of, and integrating other shows that never truly connected but we all WISHED they did. This is the first step. Obviously, there will be certain alterations to established DCAU canon, since the Titans and the B:TAS worlds don't mix otherwise, but I believe that my version will be just as satisfying to all.

Eventually as the universe grows, I will create a timeline that readers can come in and check on to see where each story falls, in case reading the stories in chronological order is something you all want to do. This story is the first I'm publishing, but it's not the first story in the established "universe" I'm making. For that, be prepared for a story based on Bruce Timm's Green Lantern: TAS that is also in development.

Oh yeah, I'm going there too.

Huge thanks to HollyLu, Lightdusk96, and of course none other than Kryalla Orchid herself for helping me with this massive project, offering input and helping me to improve it to create the best possible product. I do intend to update more consistently with this story, I already have the next four chapters ready and I'm currently working on the one after that, so there will be content to enjoy.

I hope you'll enjoy going on this journey with me through my DCEAU, and please leave a review and tell me what you think of it starting out. Are you excited for what I have in store? I hope so...it's gonna be big. Merry Christmas everyone, enjoy your present!