The Sixth Titan | Teen Titans

Chapter Fifty-Four - Homecoming, Part One

    "What could have happened to them?" Robin wonders aloud.

    "It's the Brotherhood of Evil," Beast Boy systematically responds. "After we stopped their black hole machine years ago, they went underground. Mento must have finally found them."

    "Was Mento the—?"

    "Dude on the video? Yeah. He's their leader."

    "Hey, guys, I'm picking something up," Cyborg states. The T-Ship begins to lower and I crack my knuckles in anticipation, too quiet for the microphone to pick up the sound. The ship's pilot finds a plain amidst the deciduous woodland and the ship stills before dropping to the ground with a soft thud!.

    The doors from each of the six compartments simultaneously open, letting out a hiss as they do so. My fingers leave the windowsill and move to unbuckle myself from my seat, landing in the rich soil as I jump down. They run through the dirt before I stand up and look around to see the others either already out of the ship or jumping out.

    I walk towards Cyborg, who seems entranced by the vibrant collection of leaves in front of him. Starfire pulls them apart for him and gasps, a gargled version of the same noise leaving my lips as I see what she's looking at—a silver ship, or the remains of it, stuck where the soil has become mud. Neglected vines hang from it and if we didn't already know, it's clear the ship has been here for a while.

    "Beast Boy, is this—?"

    "The Doom Patrol's ship," he replies, stepping forward. "Or what's left of it."

    Cyborg looks up, shaking his head at Robin and I. "Well, nobody's home."

    "Then we start looking."

    "They could be anywhere," Raven points out.

    "Then we'll look everywhere." Beast Boy begins the search by hastily running off into the forest. Robin runs after him, and the four of us venture after the pair before we lose them.

~~~

    My eyes glow brown and a broken tree's roots wrap around it, a pillar of dirt assisting in pushing it up. From in front, Beast Boy shoves branches out of the way, snapping many in half as he pushes past them angrily.

    "This Patrol of Doom, why do you never speak of them?" Starfire questions.

    Cyborg nods. "Seriously. The Doom Patrol are legends. You gotta have some good stories."

    "It was something I did once. I'm a Titan now," Beast Boy elucidates briefly. Something seems to trigger him, as his eyes turn to slits and he partially rotates his head before barking, "You're moving too slow!" and turning into an eagle to fly off.

    "He's acting strange, even for Beast Boy," Raven notes.

    "I think he's just worried," Robin states. "The Doom Patrol raised him. They're like his family."

    "NOOOO!!"

    I whip around at Beast Boy's grieving shout, instantly running in the direction. Branches automatically part for me as my eyes flare with the dirt's colour, before skidding to a stop as I'm about to pass Beast Boy. My hand lands on his shoulder as my eyes travel upward, observing the reason for his scream.

    The first thing that catches my eye is the hinting gleam of bronze amongst the green and brown. The vines are already releasing Beast Boy's ex-teammate under my command, and the wind works to catch him in the air. I rip the sign that reads 'Trespassers Beware!' off his chest before it has the chance to further aggravate the green teen.