Titan Reborn

[hawkfire]

Bette Kane had been on her way to join West Point when the memories had suddenly flooded her mind. Things she'd forgotten - rather, things that had been taken from her - were suddenly coming to the forefront of her mind. Memories, experiences, friendships, hopes, dreams, crushes. Holes that she hadn't realized she'd had in her past were suddenly filled in. In the space of a few moments, Bette Kane had felt whole again.

As a matter of course, she'd realized that going to West Point, following in her cousin Kate's footsteps that way, wasn't what she was about at all. So she hadn't gone. Instead, she'd returned to Gotham City for a few days, trying to gather herself and her thoughts. Writing down the new memories so she wouldn't forget them again. Trying to make sense of who she was now. Having been encumbembered by that past had been good for Bette. It had allowed her to grow, and she promised herself that she wouldn't allow anything to stunt that growth.

But she also needed to reconnect with the past that had been excised from her mind. The past that she had been disconnected from.

Which was why she was here, now. Titans Tower. A place she hadn't been in years. A place she hadn't even recalled that she'd been to before. But she had been. She'd been a Titan, once.

The last time she had been here, she'd been Flamebird. A failed hero. A joke. That ditzy blonde who'd gotten into the heroing business because she'd needed friends, because she'd had a crush on Nightwing. She wasn't that girl anymore. She'd nearly died, but she had survived, risen from the ashes of Flamebird into something else. She was Hawkfire now. She'd been trained by Batwoman, by her Uncle Jake and his Murder of Crows. She'd faced a Legion of Monsters, Bane, Mister Freeze. She wasn't perfect yet. But she was better than she bad been.

Will it be any different, though? she wondered, looking up at Titans Tower. through the lenses of her bronze half-helmet Will they remember me? Will they respect me? Or was she doomed to always just be that one hero who would never make it? Bette drew in a deep, shaky breath, and then steeled herself. Bette didn't know if anyone was inside, if she could even get access in. But she had to try.

Small glider wings popped out from the pack on the back of her uniform and Hawkfire flew up to the top of Titans Tower and landed atop where she knew the common living area had been. She peered inside, wondering if there would be anyone peering back.

The fact that someone inside might consider her an interloper or something hadn't even crossed her impulsive mind.

Comments

[hawkfire]

Bette lightly landed on the roof of Titans Tower, the padded soles of her boots nary making a sound. The slim glider wings snapped back into their pack and Bette stood up straight, brushing her thick blonde ponytail off of her shoulder. Okay, so far, no death traps had shot up to attack her.

Granted, that wasn't really the Titans way to operate.

Still, she allowed herself the smallest of smiles. So far, so good.

Which was when something coming up low over the water caught her eye. Bette froze. At first it looked like...a skipping stone in reverse? No. Noo. That wasn't a thing, right?

She reached up and tapped a hidden control on her half-helmet. Her night-vision lenses switched to something that gave her some long distance focus.

A dark-haired young woman on a boulder. Bette's lips twitched. There were a couple of people who Bette knew fit that description, except they were both blonde. And dead. Blonde and dead.

Like I almost was.

She pressed her lips together and pushed that thought away. Walking over to the edge of the roof, Bette crouched down at watched. She vaguely remembered a story about a young rock-slinging girl fighting a monster with Supergirl. Or maybe that was a dream and not a memory. She wasn't sure anymore.

[strata_guise]

The rock slowed as she neared the tower, then lifting up as she tried to peer in the windows. Only as she neared the top did she notice somewhere in black and gold. Definitely not someone she knew, but she didn't seem to be a bad guy either.

"Um... hi?"

[hawkfire]

"Don't worry," she said, "I'm not about to do that thing where two heroes meet and have that misunderstanding before teaming up. Mostly, I'm a go straight to the teaming up kinda girl, you know?" Hawkfire stood straight up then, and readjusted the lenses in her half-helmet. "Cool ride, by the way." She indicated the building that she was standing on then. "So. Let me guess. Whammo with the sudden memories and now you're here to investigate because of them?"

[strata_guise]

"Oh, good," Atelee said. "Because Power Girl used to say that that happens way too often..."

She shook her head, focusing on the problem at hand. "Something like that. Maybe just a feeling... But there were Terras before me. And they were involved with this place."

[hawkfire]

"Haven't really had it happen to me yet, but I've been around to see it happen enough times," Hawkfire said. "I know. The blonde one. Or the blonde two. It's a little bit confusing. But I know knowing them. And their unfortunate taste in brown and yellow colour combinations," she added that last part as an aside.

She shrugged gently. "If you're a Terra, then you'd probably be considered some sort of Titan legacy. Pretty sure you have a connection too."

[strata_guise]

"I was here once, I think," Atlee said. "It's fuzzy. Something to do with a whole bunch of young super-heroes fighting."

She nodded though. "It's weird. I feel like I should know this. But I don't."

[hawkfire]

"Over here, we call that Wednesday," Hawkfire said. "I actually just got here myself...kind of here for the same reason. Whammo of new memories, and now I'm trying to figure out the...well, the when. Make sure it's not some big cosmic joke, you know?" She turns back and looks over the rest of the tower's rooftop. "I wonder how many others got this kind of awakening."

[strata_guise]

"Wow," she said. "This whole super-hero thing is way more complicated than I thought."

She stepped off her boulder and onto the roof.

"Dunno," she said. "Is anybody even home?"

[hawkfire]

"It's all fun and games until memories start being messed with," Hawkfire quips. Then it's fear and games, because really, what's reality anymore?

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. I could have tried the front door, but you know. Chances were, there'd be someone up here instead, since the common room is here. Although..." she gestured the area around them. "No welcome wagon."

[strata_guise]

Atlee considered this. "...Maybe they left a key under a rock?"

[hawkfire]

"You just want to get all fancy with your powers, don't you?" Hawkfire asked with a smirk. The small, mechanical gliders popped back out of the pack on their back.

"Best go investigate, though. See what's what. If we're lucky, the insides won't be booby-trapped for former-slash-new Titans."

[strata_guise]

She stepped back onto her boulder. "Hey, when it comes to rocks, you'll never find me quaking with fear."

"...Was that good? Power Girl said witty banter was not my strong suit."

[hawkfire]

"It's...not a bad start," Hawkfire said with encouragement. "The banter thing takes practice. Especially when you're one of those people with a naturally sweet disposition who doesn't deal with everything through snark. Or, you know. So I've been told." Bette, on the other hand, had been told multiple times by Kate and Uncle Jake to tone it down on the snark.

"Maybe we can practice the banter later. You know, once we figure out the Titans mess. I figure, we train to fight. Why not train to banter?" After all, throwing barbs was as important as anything else, wasn't it? "I mean, if you want me to. Most of the Titans used to think I was kind of a joke, so. It's up to you."

[strata_guise]

An apologetic look crossed Atlee's face. "I'm, ah, sorry. But I've, ah, never heard of you before today. So I really don't have any opinion..."

[hawkfire]

"Back before our memories were taken, I was called Flamebird," Hawkfire replied. "It's Hawkfire now but...never mind. Flamebird wasn't exactly famous either."

She stepped off the roof of the tower and took to the air, floating for a moment. Her wings weren't really formulated to hover, though, so she slowly started a descent. "Hopefully I can get a good opinion out of you, then," she smiled.

[strata_guise]

Atlee smiled, slowly descending on her boulder.

"I'm still pretty new at this anyway," she admitted. "I haven't really met that many people, other than Power Girl and Starfire."

[hawkfire]

"They're both amazing women," Hawkfire replies. "Power Girl's a force of nature, and Starfire...is an orange force of nature." She chuckles softly. "I've never dealt with Power Girl much one on one, but...well, you know her better than I do. Starfire...was always one of the kinder Titans to me."

She peers in through the windows as she peers in through the various windows along the Tower, but she doesn't see anyone. "I wonder if they're out fighting something."

[strata_guise]

"Kori is very nice," Atlee agreed. "I hope she finds what she's looking for, though. She seemed very unsure of what she wanted out of life."

[hawkfire]

"I wonder if maybe this reawakening of memories has helped her in that regard," Bette says. "Maybe she remembers what she's lost, or has figured out what it is that she wanted."

[strata_guise]

"I sure hope so," Atlee said.

She stared at the Tower doors. "Is there a secret knock, maybe?"

[hawkfire]

"It's funny. You'd think I'd remember how to get in, but...no." She frowns lightly. "If there's keycard access...I'm assuming whatever weird universal hijinks took place somehow erased it out of my possession." Which made things annoying and tricky.

To her credit, Hawkfire did raise her hand and knock on the door. She did the standard trope-y secret knocks, as well as some other complicated ones.

At one point, it even sounded like she tried a tune by Japanese pop/rock duo Puffy AmiYumi. But...nothing.

"How opposed are you towards throwing a rock through the window?" she asked. "Just kidding. Mostly."

[strata_guise]

"Well," Atlee said, "I guess I could..."

She took a couple steps towards the door.

A small light about the door changed colors to green, and a mechanical voice rang out.

"Titan Member... TERRA. DNA sequence... RECOGNIZED. Guest Access... GRANTED."

The doors slid open.

[hawkfire]

Bette's mouth dropped open and then closed. She licked her lips and then slowly nodded. "Okay, I'm going to pretend that I'm not insulted by that, and instead I'm just going to let you lead the way. Clearly the building at least recognizes one of us."

[strata_guise]

Atlee was just as confused, if not more, than Bette. Maybe something to do with the other Terras? But why would she be in and not Hawkfire?

"I guess that's good," she said. Carefully, she stepped inside.

[hawkfire]

Hawkfire could only surmise that something about the Terras had stayed consistent when everyone's memories were gone, while Bette herself had been completely detached from the Titans.

Or the universe was still settling and as always, Bette was going to be the last one chosen. She wasn't sure, to be honest.

Hawkfire stepped in after Atlee, and a wave of vague familiarity and nostalgia washed over her. It felt familiar.

"Okay, nothing's coming out to attack us yet. That's...positive."

[strata_guise]

"Yeah," Atlee agreed. "It'd make a really bad impression if we wrecked their house while they were out."

[hawkfire]

"Hey, technically, this is our house too. Kind of. Mostly. Yours, at least. It knew you." Hawkfire paused, then, and pulled off the half-helmet she'd been wearing the whole time. "I'm Bette," she said. "Bette Kane. Probably something you should know, especially now that we're inside."

[strata_guise]

Terra shook her head. "Not me... I think it knew the other Terras. We, ah, we have some of the same DNA."

She nodded. "Nice to meet you, Bette. Call me Atlee."

[hawkfire]

"Pretty name," Bette smiled, reaching out to shake the other girl's hand. "So, what, are you guys sisters? Clones? Transdimensional counterparts?" Sometimes, Bette had wondered what other versions of her were out there in the multiverse. Were they more successful? Less? Were they at all fulfilled in their lives?

She took another step forward, towards the elevators in front of them, and the square room they were standing in lit up. Painted into the wall near them were the words Titans Together. The words stirred up memories within Bette and she reached out, running her hands over them.

She looked back at Atlee before looking at the elevator. "Going up?"

[strata_guise]

"It's, ah, it's kinda more complicated than that," Atlee said carefully, though she shook Bette's hand. She really didn't want to elaborate more than she had to. "Let's just say it was part of the process that gave us our powers."

Atlee nodded and pushed the up button on the elevator.

[hawkfire]

"I get it," Bette replied as the elevator doors swooshed open. Bette stepped in with Atlee, and then pressed the button that would take them up to the floor with the main living area. "Besides, I kind of tend to overshare. It's not, like, everyone's favourite habit of mine." The elevators swooshed up steadily and the doors slid open.

Bette stepped out, looking around. There were pictures hung up around the entrance era. Various eras of the Titans. There was Bette in her early Flamebird uniforms, and her later ones. None as Hawkfire, but that made sense.

New era. New chances.

"Uh, hi?" Bette asked outloud. "Is anyone here? It's...Bette Kane. And Terra. Not the evil Terra. The, uh, other one? The other-other one."

[strata_guise]

Atlee followed Bette's eyes and smiled. "Is that you?" she asked. "I like the skirt."

[hawkfire]

Bette grinned. "My first costume. I looked like I stepped off of a beauty pageant stage after the talent portion." Which, not that far from the truth. As a child, Bette had been a regular on the child beauty pageant circuit. "Funny how eventually, a costume becomes something closer to a uniform." Which is what she regarded the current Hawkfire suit.

[strata_guise]

Her eyes briefly fell over a group shot of Arsenal's Titans, which included the second Terra. Poor girl. Atlee hadn't known her personally, but she had heard about what she had sacrificed to continue the Stratans' mission to protect the Earth, and how it had all immediately gone sour, leaving her amnesiac and prey to foul forces. And eventually dead.

Atlee looked at a more recent one, which included Nightwing. "Huh. Except for the helmet, his costume kinda looks like yours."

[hawkfire]

Bette follow's Atlee's gaze to the group of Arsenal's Titans, her eyes sweeping over the team. It's one of the teams she wasn't on. Big surprise. Bette had always been one of the last ones chosen.

A question died at Bette's lips with Atlee noted the thing about Nightwing. Consciously, her hand went up to the burnished hawk emblazoned across her chest. "It's funny," she said. "When I first chose my codename - Flamebird - I didn't think it would ever end up tying up to him. Even though, you know. I liked him. And then he went from being Robin to being Nightwing, and suddenly a connection was born. Nightwing and Flamebird were Kryptonian heroes."

A shadow flickered over Bette's eyes. "Not that Nightwing ever really wanted to give me the time of day. Or night." There was no bitterness to her voice. Some sadness, yes, and some wistfulness. "When this look was designed...well. I didn't think about the similarities. But I knew the name had to go, you know? Nightwing and Flamebird was never going to happen. I had to become something else. Something more." Something that didn't carry the weight of all of her failures as a hero and a Titan.

"I hope maybe this time I can prove myself." She smiled, then, and shook her head. "Sorry. This got a little heavy. But it always does with him."

[strata_guise]

Atlee gave her a sympathetic smile. "You loved him, didn't you?" she asked.

"Er, sorry... that was probably rude."

[hawkfire]

"No, hey. Not rude at all. I'm not...you can ask me anything, or say anything around me, Atlee. I'm an open book." It took a lot of offend Bette, and she didn't mind people asking her questions. She had never really been the type to close herself off from people. "

"I did," she answered the question, reaching up and touching the picture. Her fingetips traced along the blue emblem that ran across Nightwing's chest. "And it was woefully unrequited." She helplessly shrugged at Atlee. "Maybe things would have been different if I were a fiery redhead instead of a bubbly blonde, who knows? But I'm trying to leave that in the past. Accept that some things will never be."

[strata_guise]

"Fiery redhea...?" Atlee trailed off for a moment, but then a lightbulb went off. "Oh! Kori! I thought I remembered her talking about a guy once or twice..."

"I don't think they're still together, for what its worth."

[hawkfire]

"He had a thing with that other Batgirl, too. The redhead." Okay, so he had a type. Clearly, so did Bette. Unattainable men with great butts.

Bette started to move further into the Tower. "But like I said. Things I am trying to move away from. I'm trying to focus more on school and on crimefighting. Being the best that I can be and all that, you know?"

[strata_guise]

"I do," Atlee said. "I know the feeling. I used to... run myself pretty ragged, really. Jumping from one emergency to the next. Power Girl taught me I needed balance if I was going to be more than just Terra."

[hawkfire]

"I've been told I tend to jump in before thinking, and that's...gotten me into trouble more times than I can count." She'd almost died because of it. "But balance is important. A job. School. A hobby. Something, anything. I'd say dating, but let's be honest - dating and superheroics? Totally don't mix. Unless you're dating another cape."

[strata_guise]

"I'm pretty sure I'd be terrible at dating anyway," Atlee said. "I still haven't gotten all the surface world customs figured out yet."

[hawkfire]

"Let me know when you do," Bette laughed. "They're more complicated than they need to be, even for people born and raised on the surface world."

[strata_guise]

"Everything's so simple where I'm from," Atlee said. "If you like someone... you just let them know. Nothing complicated about it. Except for Lava Trolls. The females throw rocks at the males, and it means something different depending on the type of rock."