The next day, early in the afternoon, I decided to take Cassandra to meet my orphanage family. I wanted to check in on them, especially after the altercation with the gangsters the other day. As we approached the area where the gangsters usually hung out, I noticed it wasn't the same group from before. A new batch had taken their place, and they tried to give me and Cass menacing glares. Luckily for me, I had transformed back into my pre-awakening appearance, so they didn't recognize me as the one who had put several of their men in the hospital. It seemed they'd learned their lesson—for now—and were waiting for their leader to return in a week or two before trying anything.
Ignoring their attempts at intimidation, I continued walking toward the orphanage. Cass glanced at the gangsters and then at me, her voice low as she asked, "Should we beat them up?"
I chuckled at her bluntness, replying, "Yes, but later. Let's check on my family first." She nodded in agreement, and we continued on our way. After a few minutes, we arrived at the orphanage entrance. I knocked a few times, and Miss Samantha answered the door.
"I'm so sorry!" she immediately apologized, wiping her hands on her apron. "I was helping Miss Reina with the cooking for the kids."
I smiled and waved off her apology. "No need to apologize, Miss Samantha. We just got here, so don't worry about it." Then, remembering my main concern, I asked, "How's your aunt, Miss Ophelia?"
Her expression faltered, sadness clouding her eyes. "Miss Ophelia arrived about an hour ago. She's in the dining area with the kids, but her cancer hasn't improved… We're all worried and hoping for a miracle."
Her words hit me hard, but I nodded, masking my emotions. Inside, though, hope flickered. My healing and life divinity abilities might be able to help her, maybe even cure her. I had to at least try.
As we walked into the dining room, the sight before me was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. The kids, both young and old, sat around the table, chatting and laughing together. But my attention was immediately drawn to the end of the table, where Miss Ophelia sat. The years had not been kind to her. She looked frail, having lost so much weight, and her face was pale and sickly. It brought tears to my eyes. Miss Ophelia was the first person, aside from my adoptive parents, who had truly cared for me. Seeing her like this hurt more than I could have imagined.
The moment she saw me, her eyes lit up, and tears welled up in them. It had been close to three years since we'd last seen each other, and I knew she had been worrying about me all this time. That's just the kind of person she was.
I rushed over to her, and she managed a weak but warm smile as she said, "Kyn, it's so great to see you. I've been worried sick about how you've been doing. The last time you came, I was asleep, and it broke my heart to miss you. But now you're here… sorry I can't stand up to hug you, I've not been feeling well lately."
I knelt down beside her, gently taking her hand. "Don't worry, Mom," I said softly. Then, without hesitation, I hugged her. As I held her close, I quietly activated my healing sight, scanning her condition. After the hug, I focused my life divinity, channeling it into her body, aiming to restore some of her vitality. The hug lasted for about thirty seconds—longer than usual—but I wanted to stay in that moment, to help her as much as I could.
When I finally stepped back, I discreetly used my X-ray vision to check for the cancer. To my relief, it had completely disappeared. Miss Ophelia looked… different. Her face had regained some color, and she even seemed a bit younger.
To everyone's shock, Miss Ophelia stood up from her chair and stretched, raising her arms above her head and bending her knees. She exclaimed, "Wow, what happened? I feel amazing! These past several months, it felt like I'd been carrying a heavy boulder, with no energy for anything but sitting or sleeping. But now… I feel great!"
She even started jumping up and down like a child, which caused a ripple of gasps around the room. Just then, Miss Reina came out of the kitchen. She had a smile on her face, but when she saw Miss Ophelia moving around, her expression shifted to disbelief. It had been over a year since Miss Ophelia had moved like this. Tears welled up in Miss Reina's eyes, and she collapsed to her knees, overcome with emotion.
"Miss Ophelia, you look incredible! I'm so happy for you!" Miss Reina cried. Then she turned to me, her eyes brimming with gratitude. "Kyn… what's going on?"
I helped Miss Reina to her feet and guided her to a chair. At the same time, I asked Miss Ophelia to sit down, too. The kids, who had been chatting, now stood around us in awe. Cass, standing beside me, gave me a reassuring smile as she moved closer.
I took a deep breath, then addressed everyone. "Well, it all started a few days ago when I awakened my powers. One of those powers, which manifested just yesterday, is the ability to heal." I smiled at the group, their faces full of surprise and excitement.
One of the boys, about 14 years old, who had grown up with me, piped up, "Kyn, that's awesome! I knew something was different about you since the last time I saw you. You were taller before, but now you're back to your normal height. I thought you'd had a sudden growth spurt. Is that part of your powers?"
I nodded and stood up, demonstrating my ability to control my size by growing taller, as I had been before, to everyone's astonishment. Then, I returned to my regular height. "Yeah, that's one of my abilities," I explained. "But about this new healing power… I hadn't tested it on anyone yet, so I was really hoping I could help Miss Ophelia. As you can see, she's fully cured. And if anyone noticed, she also looks younger after the healing—about three years younger. That's another perk of my ability: it restores some of the life that the illness took away."
I turned to Miss Ophelia. "What do you think, Mom?"
She couldn't respond right away, as she was crying, being embraced by Miss Reina, who was also in tears. The children, my brothers and sisters from the orphanage, were beaming with joy at the sight of Miss Ophelia's recovery.
I continued, "So, Mom, any ailment or condition you had from birth has also been cured. You're 100% healthy now—just like when you were a baby. Congratulations, Mom!"
I hugged Miss Ophelia and Miss Reina, while the younger kids rushed to hug Miss Ophelia, celebrating her miraculous recovery. The room was filled with laughter, tears of joy, and relief. It was a moment of pure happiness, one that had been missing for so long.
A few days later, in the late morning, I heard the faint sound of a jet landing on the roof of our building. It was quiet, but my instincts immediately kicked in. Using my X-ray vision, I confirmed what I had suspected: two figures were stepping out of the aircraft. And, as I expected, they were not strangers.
A few minutes later, I heard a knock at the door. When I opened it, I was greeted by a young man in his early twenties with black hair, standing around 5 feet 10 inches tall—an average height. Beside him was a beautiful young woman with striking red hair, slightly taller at about 5 feet 11 inches, and she wasn't even wearing high heels.
I had been using my shape-shifting abilities to maintain my height at 6 feet 1 inch and keep my hair color black. It was easier to blend in this way, without drawing too much attention to my changing appearance. As I opened the door, they both smiled at me warmly. The young man spoke first, his voice friendly yet carrying a tone of confidence.
"Hello, Kyn. My name is Dick Grayson, and this person next to me, well, you've met her before—her name is Barbara Gordon."
Before he could finish, Barbara stepped closer with a playful grin, cutting him off. "Hello, handsome. It's nice to see you again," she said, her eyes sparkling with familiarity.
I chuckled softly at her boldness, but before I could respond, Dick glanced at me, more serious now. "Can we come in and speak with you?" he asked, his tone shifting to something more businesslike.
I smiled and nodded. "Of course, come on in." Just as I stepped aside to let them through, Cass appeared at the doorway. She had been following everything that had happened over the past few days, her keen mind absorbing everything I'd been teaching her. Though she still missed a few social subtleties, she had learned fast, and it was clear to anyone that she could hold her own in any conversation.
Cass greeted them with a cheerful smile, "Hello, Dick and Barbara! My name is Cassandra. It's nice to meet you both. So, what's going on?"
Her tone was casual but curious, and I couldn't help but feel proud of her progress. She had come so far in such a short time, and I could tell Dick and Barbara were a little surprised by her confidence. As I closed the door behind us, I gestured for everyone to sit, wondering what they had come to discuss.
Barbara spoke next while Cass settled beside her on the sofa. I grabbed two chairs for Dick and me to sit. "First, I want to ask you, Kyn: you're Sentry, is that correct? And you, Cassandra, are Whisper—is that right?" Cass and I both nodded in acceptance of our superhero names.
Barbara continued; her voice warm with gratitude. "I'm surprised! After you saved me—and probably my father—from the Joker, I really want to thank you. You don't know how much that means to me."
I waved my hand casually, downplaying the gesture. "It was nothing, really. I'm just glad you're both safe."
Barbara smiled but then tilted her head, eyeing me curiously. "You've changed, Kyn. You're shorter now, and... what happened to your hair? It was red the last time we met. Did you dye it?" She paused, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "I think you look very handsome now, but your red hair made you even more striking. That's a surprise!"
To demonstrate my abilities, I cut her off. "Look!" I said, transforming myself into a towering figure of 6 feet 5 inches with bright red hair. The sudden change took both Barbara and Dick by surprise; they hadn't expected me to possess such power. As soon as they registered my transformation, I shifted back to my normal disguise.
"Wow! Amazing, Kyn! You're much more special than I thought!" Barbara exclaimed. Her compliment was flattering, perhaps a little too much, and the look on her face seemed to say, "Hey, I think you're hot—be my boyfriend!"
Before I could respond, I heard a loud cough from Dick, who looked at me apologetically. I didn't let it bother me as he spoke next, "What Barbara was trying to say is that your powers are incredible. We heard from Superman that you sparred with him and didn't even break a sweat while dominating the fight. I can tell you, when I heard that, Batman and I were both very surprised—Batman was even startled!"
"Oh! By the way, I'm Nightwing," he added with a grin. "I just changed to that as my hero's name a few days ago; before, I was Robin. And Barbara here is Batgirl."
I nodded in understanding, genuinely impressed by their accomplishments. Dick continued with a smile, clearly excited about what he was about to say next.
"We came to officially invite you to join the Teen Titans, and we've come to take you to their headquarters."
His enthusiasm was infectious, and I could already sense the excitement building in the room. "Are you guys ready?" he asked, leaning in slightly. "We brought the T-Jet—short for Titan Jet. It'll take about a little over an hour to arrive at our destination. This baby travels at Mach 3 speed, with all the high-tech gadgets you can imagine—stealth systems using the latest RAM (radar-absorbing material) technology and sound-dampening tech that reduces noise pollution to almost zero. But, of course, compared to your flight speed, this is more like a crawl. Still," he added with a playful grin, "at least you'll get to enjoy a nice, relaxing trip with us."
Dick's cheerful tone made it impossible not to get excited as well. I glanced over at Cass, who was beaming, her eyes bright with excitement at the prospect of meeting kids closer to her age—and maybe even making new friends. She seemed eager, and I could tell she'd been thinking about how much this new chapter might open up for her.
As the moment approached, I shifted my appearance, transforming back into my superhero form—my height returning to its full stature, and my red hair instantly falling into place. I glanced at Cass, giving her a nod. "It's time," I said.
Without hesitation, she nodded back, focusing her mind and willing her clothes to shift into her superhero suit. In a matter of seconds, her casual appearance was replaced with her sleek, battle-ready attire. Her eyes still sparkled with excitement as the change took place, her determination clear.
Sensing her energy and readiness, I turned back to Dick and gave him a nod. "We're ready."
Dick grinned and motioned for us to follow him. Barbara stayed close behind, and I could feel her penetrating gaze on my rear as we walked toward the stairs leading to the rooftop. Her eyes had a way of making me feel like she saw more than I let on. We were on the sixth floor of a seven-story apartment building, so it didn't take long to reach the roof.
When we stepped out onto the rooftop, we were greeted by the sight of a sleek, white jet, looking incredibly futuristic and ready for our next adventure. It was a striking contrast against the city skyline, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation for what was to come.
During the trip, Cass and I took full advantage of the opportunity to enjoy the sights. Cass had never traveled to NYC before, so she was fascinated by everything she saw. With her super vision, we didn't miss a single detail, catching glimpses of every landmark and stunning natural feature as we soared across the sky.
Dick was piloting the T-Jet, and I ended up sitting beside him as the co-pilot for most of the short flight. It wasn't that I particularly needed to be there, but it served as a good excuse to avoid Barbara's relentless questions—and the awkwardness of sitting next to her while trying to focus on the view. I wasn't uncomfortable with her interest; in fact, I felt flattered. But when I made the mistake of admitting I didn't have a girlfriend and had never dated anyone, it was like opening the floodgates. She bombarded me with questions, clearly curious, and I was trying to dodge them as best as I could.
Meanwhile, Cass was blissfully unaware of the conversation happening up front. She was far too engrossed in the world outside, her excitement radiating through the cabin. "Look, Kyn! It's the Verrazano Bridge!" she'd exclaim, her face pressed against the window.
A few minutes later, she'd call again, "Kyn, it's the Statue of Liberty!"
No matter how many times she pointed out landmarks, I couldn't help but smile and join her, admiring the view with her excitement being contagious. Her enthusiasm made the trip that much more enjoyable.
After a little over an hour, we finally arrived at the island where the Teen Titans' T-shaped headquarters was located. The jet slowed as we hovered down toward their large helipad, the building's imposing structure standing tall against the landscape. Cass's eyes widened as we descended, and I could already tell this was going to be an exciting new chapter for her—and for me as well.
When we arrived at the location, we were welcomed by a few Titans. There was Wally West, known as Kid Flash, who looked around 20 years old—a little younger than Dick or Barbara but not by much. Starfire appeared to be around Wally's age, roughly 20 years old as well. Then there was Donna Troy, the black haired beauty, also known as Wonder Girl; she looked to be around my age, about 17 or 18 years old. Next, I spotted the Gothic beauty, Raven, who looked serious and seemed to be around Cass's age, roughly 15 or 16 years old. Beast Boy was there too, flashing a big smile as he tried to start a conversation with either Donna or Raven, but neither of the girls gave him any response. He was definitely the second youngest, around 14 or 15 years old. Lastly, I noticed Jason Todd, the boy wonder, Robin; he was about the same age as Beast Boy, around 14 years old or so.
When we all disembarked from the jet, we walked to the entrance of the Teen Titans' headquarters, where all the Titans were gathered. They rushed towards us with beaming smiles. Starfire spoke first, her voice bright and welcoming. "Hellos and welcome, Kyn and Cassandra, to the Teen Titan team! I think this is an Earth custom—to greet and introduce ourselves to new team members. So, I will start with me: my name is Starfire, and this is Kid Flash; you can call him Wally West."
I watched as Wally zipped around, trying to impress us with his speed. With a big grin, he said, "Hello, Kyn and Cassandra! Welcome! I hope we can be friends!" Cass and I nodded in acceptance of his greeting. Starfire continued, "This is Wonder Girl; you can call her Donna Troy."
Then I saw the black haired beauty who looked very excited walked up to me, her smile radiant. "Wow, you are tall and handsome—just my type! Let's get to know each other well. And hello, Cassandra! It's a pleasure to meet you; I hope we can become friends." She smiled warmly at both of us, but I felt an unsettling aura behind me. When I turned, I saw Barbara looking at Donna with a menacing glare. Donna, however, just smiled, seemingly oblivious to the tension.
Starfire, being her innocent self, continued, "And this is Raven. She is new; she arrived here a few weeks ago, and I think she and Cass are around the same age, about 15 years old." I then saw Raven wave at us, her expression calm and composed.
Before I could say anything, I heard a familiar chime, which instantly caught my attention.
Ding!
{System has registered Rachel Roth (Raven) as your fourth mimic. Temporarily locked since you're not ready to receive memories, talents, and skills. Please say, 'System, unlock mimicry,' when you're ready.}
Hearing the chime and seeing the notification screen in front of me shocked me. I hadn't anticipated needing to mimic Raven, but I didn't mind. She was a strong telepath, and her magic, especially as White Raven, was impressive and formidable. I could accept her powers later when I had the chance.
Then I heard the last two individuals' introductions from Starfire. She said, "And these two are the youngest additions to the team. His name is Garfield Logan; he calls himself Beast Boy. And this is the newest Robin to our team—he arrived a few days ago—his name is Jason P. Todd."
Both boys looked at us, and Beast Boy, ever cheerful, spoke up first. "Hello and welcome! It's nice to meet you both!" His enthusiasm was infectious and made me smile. Young Jason Todd then chimed in, his tone more serious, though a slight, arrogant smirk played on his lips. "Hello and welcome. I hope to become the number one superhero, so I advise you both not to get in my way. But I guess I should extend a proper welcome, so… welcome!"
I noticed Dick glaring at Jason, who quickly apologized. Cass and I didn't mind what Jason had said, though. For a moment, I almost mistook him for Damian, but I remembered that Starfire had introduced him as Jason Todd. Jason's serious and straightforward tone reminded me of Damian's attitude from what I had read. While Damian was colder, ruthless, and full of arrogance, Jason seemed more direct—his words had a hint of arrogance, but they weren't too offensive.
I smiled inwardly, happy to finally meet Jason Todd. He had always been one of my favorite Robins, and I hated when he was killed by the Joker then resurrected after. But now that the Joker is safely locked away in the Phantom Zone, I could at least take comfort in knowing Jason was here, alive, and part of this team.
Then Dick approached me, clearly eager to explain a few things. With a bright smile, he spoke up after Starfire's introductions, "Kyn, Cassandra, I used to be the leader of this team, but I've since moved on—there's actually another person who should be arriving later, someone who also aged out of the team alongside me. His name is Cyborg. You'll meet him soon; he's currently on a mission requested by the Justice League."
Dick's smile widened as he continued, "Both of us are now members of the Justice League, but we've left the Titans in very capable hands. The new leader is Starfire. She's been doing an excellent job guiding the team." He glanced over at Starfire, his gaze warm and full of admiration as he nodded at her, a silent gesture of both encouragement and affection. Turning back to us, he added with a cheerful tone, "Alright, it's time for us to show you around. Follow us!"