Sir Les Paul
The Duke of Chords
Part One: The End of the Beginning
The era of heroes had been long dead. Whether they were symbols of peace and justice of vigilantes blurring the lines between vengeance and necessity, their time had came to an end. Not an abrupt one, either. Their flame died out slowly before the wick was left amere blackened crisp. Yet, from the ashes, a new generation of heroes came to be; and, a man in a black mask stood before them. A Batman.
This was a revival.
Beside him stood the legendary Tim Drake, albeit in his Titan Commander uniform. The suit may not have been the same as it did when the original Wayne wore it, but the cape and cowl were just as terrifying and inspiring.
"Titans, I can now officially call you the first graduates of the Titan Initiative. You are not only the first to be accepted by the new League, but you will be the first leaders when the next generation comes," Batman told them. Prior to this, there were introductions, but this was a ceremony. One broadcast within the Memorial Hall of the Titans Tower and sent to the whole world live and translated into 28 languages across the globe. This was a day of celebration. This was the day the world acknowledged heroes once more.
"Let me assure you, however, that it will not become easier from here. With greater responsibility will come greater trials, and as iron sharpens iron, the adversaries and foes you shall face will become sharper and more dangerous," he continued. There was great weight with his words. The same weight they had in Gotham when he first arrived at the scene to rescue Black Beetle. When he spoke, you listened. A brief silence occurred after.
"Titans, I am proud of you. I recall sifting through hundreds of candidates for this program and even then, we estimated less than half of you would make it to the next stage--let alone this far. Yet in front of me stand five fledgling heroes that have already saved countless lives and helped to defeat two criminals. Many remember the nightmare of Alcatraz and you five have put one of the men behind that horrendous night into prison. You have already made a mark on history," he told them. Unlike Batman, their former teacher was quick to praise them and remind them of their accomplishments.
"Nightowl, please come forward," Batman instructed. As he did, Alphus stepped from the platform he was on to the higher one in front of him, now in the light and in front of the cameras.
"Warcry, please come forward," he instructed again, Marie this time stepping forward.
"Inkubus, please come forward," he continued, Alexander taking his place beside Alphus and Marie.
"Huge, please come forward," he said, nodding over to Huge. A moment of hesitation, but the man did so in silence.
"Cyborg, please come forward," he said. A matte silver frame stepped forward, the fleshless body standing where Shane Tift should have.
"We officially announce a sixth Titan that was both present in Gotham and now bears a new mantle. No-Body, please come forward," Tim added, acknowledging Rebecca in her new role. Unlike the others, she stepped out of invisibility and onto the platform. A display of her new suit.
"Now six, this group of heroes in front of you have earned the title of Titan. To those of you watching, let me remind you of what they accomplished this October: Black Beetle spent nearly a year investigating the return of historic villains to the streets of Gotham. In that time, a new and unknown villain stepped out of the shadows and stole the Beetle. In doing so, that villain managed to permanently disable Black Beetle from the waist down and with the Beetle started a rampage in Gotham with the ultimate goal of making the upper levels of Gotham come crashing down onto the lower ones. It was the Titans alongside Batman and NoOne that defeated this villain, saved Gotham from impeding doom. These Titans together were able to defeat an unknown enemy that even a member of the League could not and inspire the people of Gotham to fight back against the crime in their city. For that, we reward them," Tim explained, this time speaking directly into the camera. This speech was dedicated obviously to those watching. This speech was a shout to the world that heroes had returned.
Then the lights flicker for just a moment. A moment before six new statues in the Memorial Hall were illuminated, each displaying the original Titan: Alexander Alfaise, Shane Tift, Alphus Durn, Leonard Grimth, Rebecca Drake, and Marie Jensen--all alongside a silhouette of their current hero costumes. This was a surprise, but it was there. Full sized statues just for their them in the legendary Hall.
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