Titans West

The abandoned building's shell didn't even creak as the T-Jet settled down inside it. The engines and lights shut down as quickly as possible.

Inside, Gar Logan returned to the passenger cabin. He nodded and Charlie Parker and Cody Driscoll ran out the door with a black cloth. Quickly, they covered the jet's distinctive silver shell. Once the jet was camouflaged, they returned to the cabin.

"What's the plan?" Cody asked as he plopped down in a chair.

Gar rubbed his chin. "We've got to find Robin. I don't know how Batman would react to finding us here, and I think that Robin would be more open to it."

"Why wasn't Robin with the Titans when they showed up on our doorstep?" Tara Markov asked.

"Easy," Gar said, smiling. "He was helping Batman."

"Makes perfect sense to me," Paco Ramone said. "The Bat was always protective of that kid."

"See?" Gar asked. "Now all we've got to do is figure out how to get Robin's attention. And I think I know how."

In Los Angeles, Mal Duncan scowled as Vernon Questor finished telling him about Sarah Simms's failed attempt to get into the former headquarters of Titans West.

"So this Jamison chick wouldn't even let her neat the place?" Mal asked.

"That is correct," Questor said. "She made it quite clear that no one is being allowed access unless they are government agents."

Mal scowled and punched his fist into his open hand. "So we don't know what they've found."

"Correct again," Questor said. "Are you sure that they won't find the passage you used to escape?"

Mal grinned. "Let `em. That door just leads into some subway tunnels. I had to leave the subway and walk here in broad daylight. There's no direct access from underground to here."

Questor smiled. "That is a relief."

Quickly, Mal and Questor exchanged goodbyes and signed off. Mal stroked his chin as he tried to think of anything he could do now.

Two levels above him, Dakota Jamison strode into the Blue Note and looked around. "Find the manager," she ordered a trooper. The agent, dressed in a suit, hurried toward the back. Finally, the unflappable manager appeared before her.

"May I help you, ma'am?" he asked.

"You certainly may," Jamison said, handing him a folded paper. "By order of the United States government, this restaurant is closed until further notice." She turned and walked out. Two agents began ordering the employees out.

In Gotham, a thief smirked as he saw a lone woman walking down the dimly-lit alley. He waited until she was close and jumped out with a gun. "Gimme your money!" he yelled. In response, she simply looked up. "Gimme the money!" he yelled again and cocked the hammer on his pistol.

The woman sighed. "Okay," she said. Instead of opening her purse, a needle shot out from the dark and stabbed into the thief's neck. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

Jason Parker dropped to the ground from a fire escape across the street. The Bumblebee's stinger launcher was strapped to his forearm. "You okay?" he asked.

Karen Beecher nodded. "Yeah." She frowned. "That's the fifth mugger who's tried his luck and still no Robin. I really think Gar needs a different plan."

Jason smiled. "Maybe, but I think it's time for a break. Feel like a drink? There's a restaurant over there that's still open."

Karen sighed. "Sure." Together, the two friends walked out of the alley and toward a greasy diner.

In the darkness, two white eyes had been watching the entire exchange. They narrowed to slits and vanished.

"I just want you to know how much I hate this," Tara Markov said. The green alligator splashing beside her stopped and looked up.

"What do you mean?" Gar Logan, in alligator form, asked.

Tara swung her light around to him. "Why are we in the sewers?" she asked.

Gar shrugged as best he could. "It's Gotham!" he said. "Batman and Robin spend most of their time in this place!"

Tara would have tapped her foot if it wouldn't have meant splattering herself with the sludge she was standing in. "So why don't we ever wind up in the sewers?"

"Are you kidding?" Gar asked. "We live in LA! I don't want to even begin to consider what's down there!"

Tara nodded. "Well, you do have a point."

"See?" Gar asked. "Now, let's keep looking."

Tara shrugged. "Maybe you're right. I mean, it seems like Gotham has about a million crimefighters. We've got to run into one of them sooner or later."

The two turned into another tunnel and continued their search.

Back aboard the T-jet, Leonid Kovar turned on the computer. Cody Driscoll bent over his shoulder. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"I have been trying to find the news," Kovar replied. "I wish to see how the different networks are covering this."

Cody scanned the screen. "That's weird," he said. "Nothing."

Leonid nodded. "That is correct. I have run search after search since we left Los Angeles and there is absolutely no coverage of our current situation with the DEO."

Cody thought a moment. "Why don't they want anyone looking for us?"

Leonid slowly nodded. "That is indeed the question."

In DEO headquarters, Director Bones studied a case file. Inside were status sheets on several new recruits. "So, Joshua is learning how to control his powers more accurately," he murmured. "Excellent." Bones flipped through the dossiers before closing the folder and laying it on his desk. "Excellent," Bones murmured again. The file was simply labelled "Overseers."

Paco Ramone flipped channels on the T-jet's small television. He stopped on a music station that showed a very odd-looking man singing and dancing. "Not bad," Paco said to himself. "Not that great, either."

Just then the video ended and revealed that the strange man was Michael Jackson.

"WHAT?" Paco yelled. "That can't be right!" Paco blinked a couple of times. "What have they done to him?" Paco slowly shook his head and walked to the cockpit so he could listen to his "Thriller" cassette.

Tara Markov pulled herself up out of the manhole, which was promptly replaced by a green monkey. "Well, that was a bust," she said.

Gar changed into a green pigeon and perched on Tara's shoulder. "I don't know," he said. "After all, I did find a five dollar bill down there."

"You have always had the weirdest sense of humor," she said. "And if you poop on me, we're having fried squab for dinner tonight. And you're the squab."

"Yipe!" Gar yelped as he took flight and fluttered around Tara. She half-heartedly swatted at him.

"Don't try anything funny," Tara warned. "I'm going back to the jet and scrubbing my legs."

Gar would have smiled if his beak would have allowed him to. "Can I help? I can do a sponge!"

Tara just shook her head and walked down the streets.

Aboard the T-jet, Bette Kane tossed and turned in her bunk. In her dream, she was standing in the devastated JLA bunker in Detroit. A laughing Director Bones stood in front of her. He laughed maniacally as she followed his pointing finger and saw the world's heroes hanging on a wall. Bones's laughter increased as he began launching lightning bolts out of his finger, reducing the heroes to dust. Bette closed her eyes and reopened them to discover that she was now also strapped to the wall...

Oracle looked up as a phone began ringing. That phone. She sighed and picked it up. "Yes?" she asked.

"What are Golden Eagle and the Bumblebee doing here?" the familiar harsh voice asked.

Oracle smiled. "Hello to you, too. I don't know. Are they here?"

"I wouldn't have mentioned it if they weren't."

Oracle pushed her glasses up her nose and studied a screen. "Nothing on the public sites about it. I have heard a few whispers about the DEO being after them, but nothing concrete. I've got to say that I may be willing to buy into that, because I haven't been able to reach anyone at their headquarters for a week or two."

There was silence from the other end of the line. "Bringing the DEO into town is unacceptable," was the final response. "I want them out of here."

Oracle exhaled heavily. "I'll take care of it," she said. There was a click from the other end of the line. Oracle pulled her glasses off, rubbed her eyes, then started working.

Gar threw away the cup that his dinner had been in. "Nothing like chicken noodle," he said.

Bette smiled. "Except more chicken noodle." The joke had been getting old ever since they ran from Detroit.

"Hey," Paco said. "If we ever get back to LA, I say that we restock the fridge! This soup's gettin' real old!"

Tara snickered. "I agree. Why don't you do the shopping and the cooking? I think you'd look really cute in an apron!"

Bette closed her eyes as she tried to keep from laughing. "Why not just try a French maid outfit? That way we could see those cute little knees of yours!"

Paco scowled and turned to walk out. As he did, he pointed his finger over his shoulder.

Bette screamed as her cold soup started vibrating and finally exploded all over her. Paco just grinned and kept walking.

"Guess we shouldn't make him mad, huh?" Cody asked as he walked by, pausing to pull a noodle off Bette's shoulder and pop it into his mouth.

Gar's head jerked up as Leonid came running back into the small kitchen area. "Gar! There is a woman outside looking around!"

Gar frowned. "This could be trouble. I'll go out and take a look around." Gar changed into a cricket and hopped down the aisle to the exit door.

Gar hopped onto a pile of debris and observed the woman. She was quite nice looking, with red hair and glasses. I do so love the studious type, Gar thought. He noticed that she was in a wheelchair and wondered what had happened.

She rolled forward, not wanting to call out and make any noise. After watching a few minutes, Gar decided that she was no threat. He changed back into human form and approached her.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

She looked up into his eyes. "I'm an associate of Oracle's. I need to speak with you right away. Somewhere a little less public."

Gar shrugged. "Why didn't you say so?" he asked. He led the way to the jet's concealed entrance hatch.

Inside the jet, the woman rolled into the main aisle of the cabin. Gar sat down. "What news does the Oracle have for us?" he asked.

She frowned. "Actually, she's got a friend who really wants to know what you're doing here."

"We're trying to reach Robin," he said. "We need the Teen Titans to contact Batman for us. I’m sure if anybody’s got government ties that can get us out of this mess, it’s him." He quickly outlined the situation since they'd left LA a step ahead of the DEO. About halfway through, the woman pulled out a Palm and started making notes. She waited until he'd finished to speak.

"Well, that explains what happened to the Spider," she said softly as she closed the Palm and replaced it in her pocket. "I've got some bad news for you. Batman's... unavailable. Why don't you just try going to the government yourselves?"

"The DEO’s everywhere. Bones would have us grabbed before we got our first meeting," Gar said.

The woman thought a moment. " I can tell you this. The Teen Titans have just opened up shop again in New York, and Damage is working with them. He may still have some government ties. I'd recommend heading there."

Gar nodded. "Thanks," he said.

The woman looked a little uneasy. "I need to talk to Paco before I go," she said. "Privately."

"Sure," Gar said as he stood. "I'll send him right in."

A moment later, Paco walked in. "Gar said you needed to see me," he said.

"I've got some news for you," she said. "First off, your parents were released in Detroit."

"All right!" Paco yelled. His smile faded as he saw the look on the woman's face. "What else?" he asked.

The woman took a deep breath. "They were released because of your sister. The DEO stormed the old JLA bunker just a few minutes after you got away. They shot her. She's alive, but she's in critical condition." She paused a moment. "I'm sorry," she said.

"Rosita," Paco murmured as tears began to well up in his eyes. He finally jumped to his feet. "Mi hermanita..." He ran out of the cabin and toward his bunk.

Gar watched Paco leave and returned to the main cabin. The woman was gone. All that was left was a note that said, "New York." Gar shrugged. "Guess we're heading east," he said.

Oracle smiled as she rolled away from the building. It had been a while since she'd been able to take such an active role in things. She sobered as she thought of Paco. Still, she steeled herself as the small communication bead in her ear beeped.

"Well?" he asked.

"It's taken care of," she whispered, knowing the sensitive microphone in her glasses would pick it up. "They're heading out tonight and going to New York."

Click.

Oracle closed her eyes and shook her head. A second later, she'd blended in with a crowd at a crosswalk and was gone.

Next Issue: New York! The four part crossover you've been waiting for begins here!

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