Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans or any character in this story, except for The Tattler.
Summary – When a tabloid publication exposes much of the Titans private lives, the team has to act against the writer or loose their secrets, and possibly city, forever! Contains various pairings.
Note – This was just a cracked out little story I thought would be fun. Some of the facts about the individual Titans are true, some made up by me. I'll do my best to be accurate, but if I get something wrong, feel free to let me know. Excerpts from the tabloid will be in italics. Chapters will be relatively short, broken up by week/issue.
Tattler
Week 1: The Team
It was Tuesday. Not that this meant anything special, just that it was Tuesday, the day after Monday and before Wednesday. But in Titan's Tower, Tuesday meant mail day. Every week, the post office would deliver a package containing the Titan's mail for the week. Why Tuesday? It was a good day for the Post Office. You would have to ask them, really.
But anyways, it was Tuesday, around 11am. The team had finished a morning training session and had broken for lunch. Starfire sat in the kitchen, drinking a container of mustard. Beast Boy was making a Tofu sandwich while Cyborg made ham and turkey sandwiches for the rest of the team. Raven and Robin had elected to shower before eating. Cyborg set the sandwiches on the table while Beast Boy grabbed a big bag of chips and some veggies.
Beast Boy began eyeing his sandwich hungrily. "Duuudes, where are they?"
"We're right here." Raven and Robin walked into the kitchen.
Everyone sat down to eat, after grabbing their preferred beverage. Just as everyone finished eating and were sitting back to let their food digest, the doorbell rang.
"That must be the mail!" Beast Boy jumped up happily.
"Since you're up, you can go get it." Robin grinned. Beast Boy disappeared out of the kitchen.
"Friends, do you think there will be letters for all of us?" Starfire looked around at the others. She enjoyed this Earth tradition of fan-mail.
"Of course, Star. We all have fans. Why, even Goth Girl here gets mail every week." Cyborg grinned at Raven.
Before Raven could glare, Beast Boy returned with the package. He set it in front of Robin, who sliced the tape with a Bird-a-rang.
"Raven, would you do the honors?" He gave a slight bow in her direction.
With a slight smile, Raven used her powers to quickly read and sort the mail. One pile in front of each member and two piles in the center of the table. One pile was things like bills that Robin would deal with later, while the other was mail addressed to the entire team. Each Titan had a significant pile of fan mail, catalogues, and magazines. As everyone was about to dive into his or her significant piles, Raven drew the last mail item from the box. In confusion, she handed it to Robin.
"Friend Robin, what is that?" Starfire inquired about the oddly shaped magazine.
"It's a tabloid." Robin flipped it over. "It's addressed to all of us. It's called 'Titans Tattler'."
Looks of confusion were on every face. Robin opened the tabloid and began reading.
"Welcome, citizens of Jump City, to the Titans Tattler. This quaint publication is all about the heroes of Jump City, our very own Teen Titans! Each issue will bring you in-depth information about your favorite crime-fighting teens! All information is carefully researched and 100 true! Enjoy and see you next week for another edition of Titans Tattler. Sincerely, the Tattler."
Robin looked at the other Titans in confusion. He flipped through the tabloid, glancing at the articles.
"They're about us as a team. Listen."
"Two years ago, the Teen Titan's made their appearance in quiet Jump City. With them has come a motley collection of foes, many of which escape capture by the Titans. But who are these teen heroes? The team consists of Robin, former sidekick to The Batman of Gotham City and leader of the Teen Titans; Raven, the half-demon empath and witch; Cyborg, the half-robot strongman; Starfire, the gorgeous alien powerhouse; and Beast Boy, the green changeling and funnyman. The Titans also had a sixth member, Earth-mover Terra. Her whereabouts are currently unknown."
"The Titans also created a second team, located in Steel City, known as Titan's East. Members consist of Bumblebee, Speedy, Aqualad, Mas, and Menos. A number of honorary members are scattered across the globe. "
Robin flipped through the next few pages, glancing at pictures and skimming the text.
"It goes into an analysis of our fighting strategies and moves, complete with pictures and diagrams." He flipped a few more pages. "This talks about everything our team is."
He looked at his team, a stern expression on his face. "You're dismissed for the afternoon, but I want you to stay in the Tower. We will have a team meeting at 2." With that, Robin turned and left the kitchen, tabloid still gripped in his hand.
The remaining Titans looked at each other uncertainly, before Raven spoke up. "I'll clean up here. You guys have mail to read." The other three grinned and ran off with their mail.
Raven cleaned up the lunch dishes and put them away neatly. She broke up the box and put it with the recycling. Gathering up her own mail, along with Robin's forgotten pile and the general mail, she headed into the Tower towards Robin's room.
Five minutes later, Raven knocked softly on Robin's door. Without answer, the door swished open, admitting her into the room. Raven stepped in, mail in hand. The door swished shut behind her. Raven handed Robin his mail. Motioning to the bed, he began flipping through the letters and magazines. Raven sat on the edge of his bed and waited. He would talk to her when he was ready.
Raven thumbed through her small mail pile. A few fan letters, a request for endorsement, and a few catalogues. Suddenly, Robin threw his mail on the floor and turned at her.
"What do I do about this?" He waved the tabloid in the air. "Someone out there knows all about our team. They just dissected half our moves! Any villain who reads this will learn our moves, about our team. This is putting the team at risk!"
Raven was silent as Robin stalked some more. He looked at her sharply. "Did you talk to anyone about the team? Anyone at all? Ever?"
"No Robin. I don't talk to people." She paused "You don't believe me." Raven opened her mind to Robin through their bond. He could sense her truth, although he could also sense many secrets. But she would not have opened her mind to him if she did not trust him to believe her. He did.
"I'm sorry Raven. I'm just worried. This could compromise the team. Do you think that you could search the other's minds to see if their lying?"
Raven nodded slowly.
"Good. During the meeting, I want you to see if they are hiding anything or worried."
She nodded again.
"Good. I will see you at 2." Robin picked his mail off the floor and thumbed through it. Knowing she was dismissed, Raven let herself out.
At 2pm, the team had reassembled for their meeting. Robin stood in front of his teammates, who were sitting on the semi-circular couch. Robin looked hard at each member, searching for signs that they were responsible for the information leak.
"I need to know if any of you talked to anyone about the team. A reporter or anyone else. This information had to come from somewhere."
Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy shook their heads. Raven reached out with her empathy.
"No more than usual man. You know there's always the few reporters who want comments after we get a villain. But nothing like this." Robin nodded at Cyborg's answer. This made sense.
"Beast Boy, this wasn't one of your jokes, was it? Starfire, you didn't talk to anyone about the team did you?" Robin had to make sure they were all clean.
"Dude, this is too much even for me. I don't think I know half the stuff in there!" Beast Boy looked overwhelmed.
"Friend Robin, no one has approached me in regards to the team, except for, as Friend Cyborg stated, when we have done the conquering of a villain." Starfire's explanation, although confusing, was satisfying to Robin.
"Alright. We need to train harder and differently. Villains may use this information against us. Meet me in the training room in 1 hour." Robin's hard stare told them not to groan. They nodded.
Robin left the room, Raven following after. The rest of the team remained in the common room, setting up a video game to enjoy in their hour of freedom. Cyborg chose a racing game, while Star cheered him and Beast Boy on. No one gave second thought to the two birds, as Robin was probably already planning new moves for them and Raven was never one for video games.
Robin motioned for Raven to follow him through the Tower. She did so as he headed downstairs towards the Evidence Room. Also on this floor were Robin's workrooms and files. Raven figured Robin was going to start a file on the Tattler.
Entering one of his workrooms, Robin held the door for Raven, then shut it behind her. Once again, Robin took to pacing. Raven hovered, having taken her lotus position. Robin handed her the tabloid.
Raven flipped though the pages. "Do you believe them?"
Robin gave her a critical eye. "Do you?"
"Yes. Although they understand the formations, Starfire and Beast Boy do not know them this well. Cyborg's mechanical mind does, but he would know if he was hacked. Plus, he knows Terra's location, which I'm sure would have been mentioned. And it cannot be Terra reawaken, because some of these were developed after she left. And the Tower has not been breeched, because some of this stuff is not in the database."
Robin nodded, agreeing with her. She had hit on all the points he had thought of. These diagrams were not in the database or even on paper. They had been created on the whiteboards that lined this room and remained in his head. Robin turned and grabbed a marker. He had a large cup of different colors, each attributed to a person. Robin paused and turned to Raven, looking at the tabloid in her petite hands. She nodded in understanding. Giving him the magazine, she teleported into the city. Arriving a newsstand, she purchased two more copies.
Arriving back in Robin's work room, she gave one to him and proceeded to read the other. One pristine copy would be placed in the Tattlers file as evidence. Another would be used in a different file, where Robin kept all press releases and newspaper clippings on the team. Robin was drawing on the third, highlighting important sentences and making notes. He was dissecting what had been dissected on his team. He had also, Raven noticed, taken a few paper samples. She figured he would run tests on these to find clues as to who printed them and where. Raven sat, thoroughly reading one of the copies. She was amazed at the detailed information they had on the team's moves and strategies. Many of the diagrams were computer generated and some even 3-D models. Someone had really done their work. Raven was sure Robin would look into that as well.
Soon, Robin had finished reviewing the diagrams in the tabloid. He knew which moves the villains would know, and which they would not. His quick mind was already thinking of new moves and ways to change the old ones. Grabbing some of his colored markers, Robin began drawing on the whiteboards. These boards covered 3 of the 4 walls of this room. Robin would plan out battles and new strategies in a crazy color-coded system, memorize them, and then erase them. All in the hopes that this would never happen.
Robin mentally sighed. So much for that. But he was not about to change his ways, as this was his preferred way of planning. He noticed that Raven was sitting on the floor, leaning against his desk, reading the tabloid. She was completely out of his way and not bothering him at all. He had almost forgotten she was there. He often enjoyed her presence, supporting and calming while not being in his face either. Shaking such thoughts out of his head, he continued planning.
After a while, Robin looked up at the clock. Turning, he addressed Raven, who had finished reading and was now meditating. "Raven, it's time for practice."
Raven opened her eyes to see Robin smiling softly at her. She nodded and stepped out of her floating lotus position with much grace. Still smiling, Robin held the door for her, allowing her to go first.
They entered the training room, the rest of the team following. Robin began describing what strategies would no longer be used, and describing new ones. The team then spent the rest of the day practicing and training.
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Author's End Note: What do you think? This will focus mostly on the tabloid itself and the reactions too it, so I prolly wont be writing many fight scenes and other days of the week. I have an outline of how I will prolly write the chapters, but if you can think of anyone or any facts you think should be included, please send it to me in a review. A lot of the facts for each character are comic-based and if you have any questions about something's truth, please ask and I will either site my source or admit that I made it up. Some will be made up just to keep things even (such as an unknown eye color or something). I hope you enjoyed!
And yes, I know it has been a long time since I updated something, but my summer job allows me a lot of writing time, so I hope to finish chapters I'm working on and get them up to you soon!