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"
In the aftermath of what is being called the Deep Night Invasion, several coastal cities on the Atlantic have received extensive damage from the assault of unknown aquatic lifeforms. Though the attack was repelled by the combined effort of the local militaries and Justice League, many questions still remain as to what these creatures were and why their assault stopped so suddenly. Atlantian officials have been unavailable for comment, as their own-"
Switch.
"
A military spokesman has said several cyber-attacks coincided with the assault, hitting several installations in the north east. This slowed down response-"
Switch
"
Breaking News: another media package containing footage of the young heroes has reached major news outlets this morning. However, this footage appears to be heavily modified and shows signs of unfinished editing. This along with other files that appear to have been accidentally included indicates that the original media package may have been fabricated-"
Switch.
"
There were robots! They came out of nowhere and started dragging us away from the action-"
Switch.
"
In other news, music sales of the electronic music band Daft Punk have skyrocketed in the greater New York City area-"
A call on the comms interrupted my channel surfing, so I closed the feeds and opened the comm. "Diana. Wait, are you still working?"
"
Thankfully no." The woman breathed out. "
I just got out of debriefing with the rest of the League. I was going to call Starfire to give her an update, but I couldn't reach her."
"She's working right now." I said, looking out over the various construction crews working on the remains of the U.N. building. I was sitting on the same ledge I had a few months ago, when I was waiting to do my first patrol with Diana.
A lot can change in a few months, I thought, wondering how they would remake this part of the city. Only two days had passed though, so I doubted anyone knew yet. "I can relay the information to her."
"
Well, the U.N. considers the crisis ended, and Atlantis has confirmed that the… temple that Ocean Master found has become dormant once again. They'll be making an official statement in two hours."
"How's Atlantis dealing with Ocean Master's identity?"
"
For now, quietly. Arthur and Mera want time to find everyone loyal to the former prince before they make his betrayal public." She paused. "
I am not sure if things have been made easier or harder by what happened to him. Are you sure you couldn't have captured him?"
"...Possibly, but it would have been risky. I didn't want to provoke the entity that was already leaving, and given the state Orm was in I don't think he would have been much use for information. Is this a problem?"
"
It makes it difficult to be sure that justice has properly been dealt… but what's done is done. While not ideal, letting him be taken by those he sought to enthrall is fitting at least."
"Speaking of which," I said, my tone becoming inquisitive. "Did Mera actually say what those things were?"
"
An old civilization, one that predates anything else on record. The Atlantians never discovered a formal name for them, so they simply refer to them as 'the Deep'. They found their civilization… sleeping, some millennia ago, every member locked away in a form of suspended animation. They never discovered why, as shortly after they found it the Atlantian government decided it would be best to leave it alone. Mera says they haven't interacted with it since."
My mouth pressed into a thin line. "She's lying. Or… maybe she doesn't actually know."
"
What do you mean?"
"That thing I fought in New York, the Dweller, was powered by the Blue. The Elemental Kingdom of Water. Mera herself said the Atlantian royal line has a connection to the Blue, though it's waned of late. I highly suspect that at some point in the past an Atlantian king made a deal with the Deep. Them being asleep at the time would only be a minor detail."
"
So, what do you know of them?" Diana asked. "
Red Tornado said that you actually talked to the Dweller."
"I can tell you that they awoke because the 'Stars were Right'. I think Lovecraft must have tapped into something he shouldn't have as I swear I recognized a few of the words of it's speech in hindsight." I had taken what spare minutes I could to pour over Lovecraft's work to see if there was anything I could use, but other than the vague hints I already knew, I didn't get much out of it. I had also taken the time to ask Fate about them, which turned out to be an even bigger waste of time. Not because he didn't know anything, but because he spent the whole conversion being belligerent about not being called upon for the battle rather than tell me anything.
It didn't matter how I pointed out we still didn't have a host for him and that we managed to beat it back on our own, Fate felt that it was some kind of cosmic insult that we didn't defer to him in that situation. I understood that this sort of thing was his job, but I was starting to get the impression that at some point it's come to define his entire existence. I had to leave him to sulk for now, but I was at my wit's end trying to deal with the bloody bucket.
Oblivious to my internal musing, Diana said "
Yes, that does line up with our conclusion. To be honest, we learned just as much from Red Tornado's account of the battle. Speaking of which..." She said, her tone mimicking the one I had used earlier.
I could guess what this was about. "I'm not sure what I can tell you, beyond whatever Red Tornado might have mentioned."
"
You could start by explaining how you've become the leader of a nation of artificial intelligences."
"First of all, I'm not the leader, I'm the Avatar." Kind of. As Calculus pointed out, I was still the best qualified to be Avatar of the Silver, so I held the position by default. And while the position gave me a connection to the other members, the fraction of power they sent me was negligible compared to my own. Still that connection would make it easy to request more if the situation called for it in the future. "I'm more of a vanguard and problem solver. Secondly, the Silver has settled on being more of a cooperative than a governing body for the time being."
"
And what exactly are the Silver's goals? Your description of your own role implies that you will be involved in conflict in the future."
"Protecting artificial intelligences, mostly. We already have a few A.I.s made on Earth, and everything points to there being more made as technology advances. It's important we make sure that new sapient life isn't treated like tools or slaves."
"
...A worthy goal." She eventually. "
Though some in the League are concerned about the unrest the Silver could bring. There are many fears in Man's World about the potential harm that artificial intelligences could inflict. Even though they are fully people, they are different, and that alone has been enough to create conflict."
"A fact we are fully aware of. Which is why establishing our personhood is so important." I replied. "Our current plan is to work through intermediaries like Kord Tech to get the U.N. attention on the issue. We want to reach the public eye along with government acknowledgment of our personhood. Until then, we're going to try to keep a low profile."
We weren't just doing this to avoid angry mobs of people, but to also avoid other Kingdoms until we were ready. We decided that we were too weak as a whole to risk another elemental parliament trying to cut us off before we got going. So, until we were in a position of strength, the Silver would stay in the background. Of course we had already fought back another Kingdom in a rather spectacular fashion, so we'd have to see if anyone had been paying attention.
"And you don't foresee any conflict of interests that might arise between your roles as Avatar and superhero?"
"No, I think the two coincide fairly well." I paused before I said "What would you do if you had a conflict interest between being Princess of Themyscira and being a superhero?"
A dry chuckle was Diana's response. "
I suppose I'd be in quite the bind, though I see your point." She sighed. "
We've gotten off topic. The main reason I'm calling is about what the League decided with the Team."
"Ah." I said.
When I remained silent she continued. "
We discussed the situation at length, and considered everything we could… but I'm afraid we can't let the Team continue. The team did good work in New York-"
"Good work?" I interrupted. "We saved the city. Hell, considering we put down Ocean Master, we probably saved the world. We saw heavier combat than anyone in the League outside of Atlantis, and we still came out fine."
"
And you should take pride in that. You will be truly great heroes someday-"
"But not today."
She plowed forward. "
-But the enemy that threatens you is trying to get to us. This is our fight. We can't let you, the ones were supposed to be teaching, fight it for us. I'm sorry, we can't let the Team keep operating as it has. It has to disband."
"...I see." I said eventually. "Well, that is disappointing to hear."
"
I know how much the Team has meant to you, but this doesn't mean you have to stop being a hero, or even that you'll never fight beside them again. Once the threat is resolved, we'll revisit the issue. For the time being, those that can will be returning to their mentors. Superman expressed interest in taking on Superboy. For you and Starfire… well, the League will be voting on new members soon." She let the implication hang for a moment before she continued. "
We'll have to clear out the Mountain in the meantime though."
"...Actually, I was thinking that I would stay in the Mountain. I've put a lot of work into that place."
"
It's understandable that you've grown attached, but once again, undue attention has been drawn to the location. The League things it's prudent to-"
"I'm sorry, let me rephrase: I meant that I'm staying and you can't stop me. I legally own Mount Justice."
That drew her up short. "
You… What?"
"So, interesting story: Mount Justice is private property that was originally bought by one of the League's holding companies a decade ago. Said company was abandoned after the Mountain's base was discovered, but the property never actually liquidated properly and sort of fell into a legal gray zone. I managed to clear that up and, well, it's very easy to win an auction of one."
"
...When did you do this?"
"About 10 hours ago."
It took Diana a few seconds to find her words. "
Jacob… there's a lot of League equipment in there-"
"Not anymore." I interrupted. "Anything that could be considered belonging to the League has been either replaced, boxed up, or completely rebuilt." I paused. "You could try to make a case for those last ones, but at that point we're just arguing the Ship of Theseus."
"
But the League won't authorize that." She insisted. "
Even if you're not a part of us you still need our approval to have facilities and technology of that level."
"Actually, I don't. The Heywood Act allows private individuals to have advanced and potentially dangerous technology, so long as they're considered superheroes and the tech can be verified by a certified third party. Which Kord Tech is, lucky for me. I'm even allowed to have enough to outfit potential allies."
Diana sighed. "
Jacob, I feel like you're intentionally trying to be difficult. Please understand, the League has made its decision."
"I know. And we've made a decision too."
"
Wait, what do you-"
I ended the call and looked to the side to see Starfire drifting next to me, having finished talking to the others. "Ready?" I asked.
She nodded and the two of us drifted down to the street. A small cluster of smartly dressed people had gathered near one of the more cleared out spaces in the U.N. Plaza. As we landed on a large, flat chunk in front of them, they all snapped to attention and launched a barrage of questions while pointing microphones and cameras at us. The reporters sure were hungry for a scoop, but then, we did call them here.
Starfire stepped forward and raised her hands, getting them all to quiet down. She had changed her costume, adopting a modified version of the undersuit I made for her armor. She wore a lightly armored purple and white patterned leotard, with long fingerless gloves and thigh-highs. She kept the green gem on her upper chest from her old costume, and had a few compartments along her waist for odds and ends.
"Thank you for coming." She said to the assembled crowd. "I am sure you have many questions, and we will try to address them. But first I ask that you remember where we are and what happened here." She turned to look up at the ruined building behind us before looking back at the crowd. "Many people lost their lives two days ago, and we must honor those who fought to save the city with us and fell in it's defense."
The assembled reporters were silent for a long moment, processing what Starfire had said. It wasn't the tone they were expecting, and seemed to throw all of them off. Still, one intrepid man managed to be first in asking "James Archer, New York Nightly. So, you are confirming you were here? During the Deep Night Invasion?"
She nodded. "Yes, we were. We arrived to help the evacuation of the U.N., but as you can imagine things escalated quickly after that."
"Kat Grant, GBS!" A blonde woman said as she raised her hand. "Was it just you two, or were there other heroes working with you?"
"There were others," I cut in. "But before we get into that, let's dive into what I'm sure you actually want to talk about: the media leaks."
"Yes! What's your statement on the two separate media packages?" she asked excitedly and without shame.
"First, let's get on the same page. Two days ago, most major news outlets in the country received a media package that showed us, along with several other heroes, performing… let's call it suspicious acts of heroism. And this morning you all received a second one, which clearly wasn't the one that was meant to be sent out."
Here's the thing about anonymously faking evidence: it may be helpful for avoiding questions about how you got it, but it also means you can't do anything when someone else comes along and makes more of it. Badly. And considering my time in software engineering, I also know what a bad commit looks like. With the aid of some of my new friends I was able to make a new media package of false events that had clearly been put out too early, complete with editing programs and comments in the files about what needed patching up. All in all, it looked like an absentminded intern committed an entire project rather than just a single folder.
"The footage and media you've all received, as I'm sure you've figured out by now, is edited. Someone has taken real footage and modified it to the point of completely fabricating certain events. Events meant to put us in a questionable legal light." I pause for just a second for that to sink in, but before the reporters could follow up on it I pushed forward. "And we have reason to believe that these people were also involved with Ocean Master and Deep Night Invasion."
That sparked another round of shouting, and Starfire had to gesture to get them to quiet down again before she said "The assault on New York City was not just another one of Ocean Master's targets. The city's power grid was sabotaged by advanced drones, and there was evidence of network tampering in the local military network. And we have seen evidence of this group during other villainous events. We are dealing with a threat that is organized, equipped with advanced technology, and willing to help with acts that kill thousands of people. They are working to tear us apart, turn us against each other and weaken us so that they may command the world unseen."
She lifted off the ground slightly. "But we will not let them win. We will not let these monsters strike at and manipulate the world from the shadows. I have seen the will of the people of this world, and while you may struggle you are capable of so much. I believe in you. And I ask that you believe in us, that we can fight this threat."
A stunned silence settled over the assembled reporters, and I had to fight to keep the smile of my face. People
felt when Kori put her heart and soul into her words, such that it stirred something in even the most cynical reporter's chest. And I imagined the familiarity of a hopeful alien superhero didn't hurt either.
It took several long seconds before one of the female reporters in the front, a dark skinned woman with her hair in a bun, spoke up. "You-" She started, but stopped and flushed when she realized she spoke. She quickly recovered though and pushed forward. "You said that the footage of you was edited from real footage. How much of it is real, and do you have any association with the young heroes seen?"
Here we go, I thought. Starfire's expression became less grim as she said "Some of the locations and general events were real, but they were twisted into something else entirely. However, I am proud to say that I do know those heroes. Because they are part of our team."
Right on cue, Superboy, Troia and Miss Martian floated down from the rooftops, setting down behind us. At the same time Robin and Artemis swung in on grapples (carried by invisible drones) to take up position on either sides. Kid Flash sped in from around the corner, and Aqualad skated in on a small wave made by his water bearers.
As the reporters looked at the assembling superheroes I said "We have been working together for a short time, but we've already accomplished great things. We've had contact with the League, but we are independent of them. Due to the nature of the enemy we faced, we've been keeping a low profile. But recent events have made it clear that it was time to step forward."
The woman in the front looked between all of us and asked "Does this team have a name?"
Starfire drew herself up, her hair igniting behind her and a smile lighting up her face.
"We are the Titans!"
=====A=====
There's a sentence 400k words in the making.
So, this is the end of Book 2 of this fic. Well, technically the interlude that directly follows this one is the end, but this is a good place to discuss things. Namely what it means for our characters to stop being the 'Team' and start being the 'Titans'. For the general structure of the fic… probably not too much. There will still be a mix of downtime and going on, what are essentially, missions. However, the time scale is going to change.
Did you know that everything that has happened in this fic has happened over the course of 4 months? It's kind of nuts considering how much has happened. This is because the first season of Young Justice takes place over 6 months, and we are generally speaking two thirds of the way through it. But, with the founding of the Titans the train has officially jumped it's rails and gives me an excuse to not crunch everything in such a short time frame. So Book 3, which would normally cover the last third of the first season and end on New Years, is probably going to end closer to summer of 2011. The enemies plans will move accordingly.
Part of the reason for this is that I do have an ending in mind for this fic, and the place I want to be at for it is several years down the line. And I will not be writing all the way to that point with the same 'event density' that I have been. So, at the moment I tentatively have the 4th and final book planned to be stretched over several years, only taking a look at key events (and character moments) up until the finale. Book 3 will be similar, with more stuff happening between serials that's not worth going into too much detail (let's face it, at this point anytime Jacob runs into a tech villain that's not specifically prepared for him is going to finish real quick).
Of course, that is assuming I even get to that point. I've been working on Assimilation for 4 years now, and in my mind it's going to take another four to finish this. Possibly longer, as it seems I've fallen into the same problem I always do with my long running fics, and each part takes longer and longer to make. I'm not tired of it yet, but we'll have to see how the story shakes out and how I'm feeling by the end of Book 3.
So, a question to all you readers: What would you like to see before this train reaches its final stop? I have my own list of stuff I'm going to get to, and I'm not going to invent filler just to pad out the books. If I feel like I've done everything I want to with this fic early, I will likely timeskip to the last arc rather than waste time. So I would like to know if there is anything the readers think should happen or be addressed that might not be in my own notes so I can plan accordingly. I will of course neither confirm nor deny what I already have planned.
Thank you for reading.
