Hikaru flew over Jump City, the air carried the salt of the ocean mixing with urban exhaust. He adjusted his wings, catching an updraft that carried him higher above the sprawling cityscape below.
The city spread beneath him like a glowing circuit board, all neon and streetlights against the darkening sky. Skyscrapers bunched together along the shore, streets threading through them like arteries. Bigger than he'd expected. Smaller than Tokyo by far, less territory to cover. But probably more crime.
His enhanced hearing picked up the usual urban noise—traffic, voices, music from bars and clubs. Then something else cut through it. Sharp and grating.
An alarm.
Hikaru angled toward the sound, wings folding as he dove lower. Three blocks east, a bank. Classic. The kind of thing that drew attention in a city with heroes.
He landed on the edge of a building opposite, boots planting against concrete as he crouched low. Hood pulled forward, casting his face in shadow except for the faint glow of his eyes.
Below, three figures emerged from the bank's shattered front entrance. Armed. Duffel bags slung over shoulders. Enhanced weapons from the look of them—too sleek, too high-tech for standard black market fare.
A van idled at the curb, engine running.
Bank robbery. Seems straightforward.
Hikaru shifted his weight forward, ready to drop down—
Tires screeched around the corner.
A motorcycle roared into view first, red and black, rider in a domino mask crouched low over the handlebars. Beside it, a yellow-and-red blur kept perfect pace, crackling with residual lightning.
A blue and white car followed half a second later, reinforced frame and obvious modifications marking it as anything but civilian.
Above, three more figures descended—two people, and one green bird.
The Teen Titans.
Hikaru settled back on his heels, watching.
Time to see what they can do.
As the team got into formation, I felt like I was watching the money shot in a superhero movie. Robin vaulted off his motorcycle before it fully stopped, already reaching for his belt. Three birdarangs flew in rapid succession—one knocked the first criminal's weapon aside, the other two struck pressure points that dropped him to his knees.
Robin followed through with a sweep kick that put the guy flat on his back.
Perfect technique. Hikaru's eyes tracked every movement. Every move flows into the next. Batman trained him well—those acrobatics... has to be Dick Grayson.
Robin's hand flashed up in a series of quick signals. The team responded without hesitation, spreading out like they'd rehearsed it dozens of times.
The leader of the team, not surprising.
The yellow-and-red blur slowed down just long enough to form into a teenage boy who yanked the second criminal's weapon away, pat him on the head, then zip behind him to tie his shoelaces together.
"Too slow!" Kid Flash called out cheerfully as the criminal stumbled.
Lightning crackled in his wake, that distinctive yellow-white discharge that marked genuine Speed Force users.
Wally West. Hikaru felt a grin tug at his mouth. Cocky but competent. That speed is no joke.
The getaway van's engine roared as the driver threw it into gear—then a guy who could only be Cyborg raised his arm as it transformed into cannon aimed at the tires, before a sonic pulse of blue-white energy discharged destroying the tires.
The van came skidding to a halt.
"Booyah!" Cyborg's grin was visible even from this distance.
Victor Stone. So he's not with the Justice League in this universe. Hikaru studied the seamless integration of tech and flesh. That sonic cannon could tear through reinforced steel. Probably has a dozen other weapons built in.
A green gorilla charged past Robin, knocking the third criminal's aim wide. Mid-charge it shifted—falcon now, swooping up and around before dive-bombing as a pterodactyl.
The shapeshifter landed in human form, laughing. "Did you see that? That was awesome!"
Garfield Logan. Hikaru shook his head. At least some things are obvious. The green skin immediately gives him away—those transitions are smooth though. Probably more powerful than he acts.
The third criminal, desperate now, grabbed a nearby dumpster and hurled it using some kind of strength enhancement, straight at a cluster of civilians.
A girl who looked like a teenage Wonder Woman moved.
She caught the dumpster one-handed, muscles barely straining as she set it down with careful precision. Then she closed the distance in two strides and punched the criminal hard enough to send him flying backward into a pile of trash bags.
He didn't get up.
Wonder Girl? Black hair marks her as Donna Troy. Hikaru leant forward slightly. Amazon training, super strength, probably has the whole Themysciran package.
Hikaru paused, his gaze lingered on her longer than the rest.
She's not usually included in the roster though... He frowned. I know she was on the original team, but I wonder what her actual backstory is. Her origin changes wildly depending on the continuity.
Before the criminals could recover or regroup, dark energy wrapped around all three simultaneously. Raven's soul-self lifted them telekinetically, depositing them in a neat row beside the arriving police cars.
She didn't speak. Didn't emote. Just did the job and withdrew.
Ah, there she is, my frozen-faced classmate. Hikaru's eyes glowed a bit brighter. Empath who can project her soul-self, half-demon with a power set that could level buildings if she wasn't so restrained.
He remembered their first conversation in homeroom, the way her eyes had tried to see through him.
She probably felt my divine soul the second I sat down. No hiding from someone who can sense souls to some extent.
Start to finish: under three minutes.
The police secured the scene while the Titans regrouped near their vehicles. Seamless coordination. Professional but relaxed now that the threat was neutralised.
"That was almost too easy," Beast Boy said.
"Don't jinx it, man." Cyborg cuts in before he can get ahead of himself.
Robin approached the senior officer. "Three suspects, enhanced weapons. Way above their pay grade. I suspect there's a new player on the black market. You'll want to run them through S.T.A.R. Labs' database."
Wonder Girl moved through the small crowd that had gathered, checking civilians for injuries with gentle efficiency. Her expression was open, kind—the sort of face that made people trust her immediately.
Raven stood apart from the others, arms crossed, hood up. But Hikaru could see the slight tilt of her head that meant she was listening to every word.
They're good. Hikaru thought replaying the fight as he watched them interact. Coordinated enough for a recently assembled team.
Kid Flash was currently trying to get Wonder Girl's attention by juggling confiscated weapons at super-speed. She ignored him as if it were routine.
But which continuity is this exactly?
Hikaru's frown deepened.
Dick's Robin, Wally's Kid Flash, Donna's here... but so are Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven. They're usually different eras.
Cyborg started geting back into his car, Robin's motorcycle already idling.
Not the original lineup. Not Young Justice. Not the animated series exactly either.
He watched them drive away, Robin and Kid Flash peeling off in different directions.
Then again, I guess I'm living proof…
Hikaru chuckled quietly to himself, the sound lost to the wind.
Continuity's been fucked since day one. Might as well roll with it.
He stood, stretching his wings wide. The white feathers caught the light from the streetlamps below, creating brief halos before he folded them again.
Hikaru leapt from the building's edge, wings spreading to catch the air. He climbed up in a tight spiral, then levelled out above the city's glowing grid.
Let's stick around a bit longer. See how they handle something bigger than street level crime.