History FanFic / TheMeasureOfATitan

[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3489752/1/The-Measure-of-a-Titan The Measure of a Titan]] is an AlternateUniverse that diverges not long after the ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' Season 2 finale, when Cinderblock attacks a foster-care center and attempts to abduct one of the teens there. When he wakes up, the boy, David Foster, has no idea ''why''; he dislikes using or even thinking about [[StuffBlowingUp his powers]] and has kept them a secret all of his life. Raven doesn't trust him, but the Titans still take him into protective custody to keep him safe from Cinderblock, as well as help him use his abilities to defend himself. Which may be exactly what the villains want...

** David uses a minor ''subversion'' of this on [[spoiler: Future Devastator]] to point out that the guy must want to talk, or else he (David) would be dead now.

* BigBrotherInstinct: All the Titans, except maybe Raven for a long while, develop this to a greater or smaller degree towards David even before he officially joins the team but Cyborg especially seems to feel this. Part of it stems from how he can emphasis with David's past as a civilian. Whereas the rest of the Titans all grew up with some manner of fantastical life, David, like Cyborg, was just an ordinary person living a mundane life before outside circumstances forced them out of it.

* EnemyMine: Hive Five and the Titans.

* FoeYay: Cyborg and Jinx.

* FamousLastWords: Heartbreakingly, [[spoiler: Robin]] does not get any.

* BatmanGambit: [[spoiler: Warp, of all people]] pulls off a ''beautiful'' one that has everyone dancing on strings, even when they know what’s going on and to what purpose.

** David finds out that Raven’s is her friends [[spoiler: especially Beast Boy]] in chapter 9 after she punches his button about his past and threats.

* CassandraTruth: Justified. David Foster is completely honest about his abilities and backstory when he meets the Titans, but Raven doesn’t believe him for very good, logical reasons. [[spoiler: This was planned out by Trigon and Warp.]]

* TheChosenOne: David denies that he is this ''vehemently'' and outright mocks the possibility due to having grown up in orphanages and foster care, where everyone likes to pretend they’re special. Keyword being ''pretend''.

* CooldownHug: Inverted (the person needing to cool down initiates the hug): [[spoiler:Starfire has been put through psychological and emotional hell by Warp before violating Robin’s number one rule and killing him. She shows up to help David and Cyborg channeling her full warrior princess-ness. David sees how furious and violent she is, and realizes as she starts storming towards him that she has every reason to believe he’s an enemy, and starts begging for his life. She grabs him, and then pulls him into a hug, having already trusted he was on the right side. David describes it as the first time he felt safe in a long, long time.]]

* DealWithTheDevil: Slade. [[spoiler: Incredibly, Warp’s doesn’t come back to bite him, and he gets exactly what he’d wanted. [[BewareTheSillyOnes A broken Starfire]].]]
* EldritchAbomination: Beast Boy’s arguably greatest moment has him become one of these the size of a skyscraper.
* EldritchLocation: The haunted Library. David’s mindscape isn’t quite creepy enough, but it’s still unusual.
* ElephantInTheLivingRoom: Terra and the fear of betrayal serve as this for a while, as does David’s past.

* ExplainExplainOhCrap: When David reasons out why they haven’t been attacked yet in chapter 38.

* ForcedToWatch: Raven is made to watch the people fighting and dying against [[spoiler: Trigon’s army of demons]].

* FreudianExcuse: [[spoiler: Warp’s second childhood really sucked, though it doesn’t excuse becoming TheDragon]]
* FromNobodyToNightmare: [[spoiler: Future Devastator went from a chemical engineer, to the man who killed all of Arkham’s inmates, to the most dangerous mercenary/assassin on the planet, to being capable of killing the Future Titans in a four-on-one battle.]]

* HealingHands: One of Raven’s powers, used very often.
* HeroicBSOD: The only reasonable reaction to [[spoiler: Robin’s murder.]]
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler: Warp]] has been working as a partner with the BigBad all for the purpose of revenge by [[spoiler: breaking Starfire and taking away everything she loves.]] Unfortunately, when he succeeds he gets a rude reminder that [[spoiler: Starfire isn’t a human, and she has different psychology. So when she breaks, she just burns him to a cinder and keeps going.]]

* ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe: A rare non-romantic example, as David can’t believe the Titans are paying him attention, nor that he deserves it.

* InSpiteOfANail: What the heroes’ plan amounts to.

* LovecraftianSuperpower: This is included in Raven’s arsenal when she [[BerserkButton gets really]], ''[[BerserkButton really]]'' [[BerserkButton mad.]]
* MeaningfulName: [[spoiler: Devastator sounds like David Foster if you slur it, doesn’t it?]]
** A rare case of [[AvertedTrope aversion]] when [[spoiler: Terra uses a false name—Carrie—that has no connection to her]].

* MoreDakka: 200 surface-to-air missiles aimed at the Titans’ ship.

* NecessarilyEvil: Slade sees his attempts to [[spoiler: save the world by ensuring David’s death]] as this.
* NoSell: [[spoiler: Devastator]] is completely immune to Raven’s offensive magic.
* OhCrap: Several. The earliest when Cinderblock attacks a foster care center, and then later David has one when he wakes up in the Titans’ Tower.

** At the beginning of the story Beast Boy is reeling from Terra’s betrayal. He’s quiet, isn’t eating, and has been crying. And then in Chapter 2 Cinderblock can [[MundaneMadeAwesome TALK]].
* OrcusOnHisThrone: The BigBad doesn’t personally do much for most of the plot, but there’s no mistaking that he’s still exceptionally dangerous.

* PoorCommunicationKills: Raven ''really'' should have been honest about what she found in David’s head.

* PowerIncontinence: The fact that David ''doesn’t'' suffer from this is considered very suspicious by Raven.
* ProperlyParanoid: Deconstructed with Raven. She’s absolutely right to be paranoid, but wrong with what she should be paranoid ''about'', which leads to PoorCommunicationKills.

* [[spoiler: StableTimeLoop: Averted, which is the entire point of the bad guys’ plan. Warp in particular explains how Starfire caused this.]]
* SpottingTheThread: Raven keeps thinking she’s doing this with David, but…

* StuffBlowingUp: David’s powers [[spoiler: and Devastator’s for obvious reasons]]. He can manipulate the thermo-kinetic energy of vibrating molecules to do this.
* TakeAThirdOption: Brutally deconstructed. The characters’ attempts to do this cause severe pain and suffering. [[spoiler: Shaping up a possible DeconReconSwitch in the end.]]

* WeakButSkilled: David at the beginning of his training. He can’t do much with his power, but he never suffers PowerIncontinence, either.

** Chapter 16 has an ambush on the Titans. [[spoiler: Beast Boy is nearly killed before Raven goes OneWingedAngel, which nearly kills her, and David fights Cinderblock and demolishes him. Then someone later [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness breaks into Cinderblock’s cell and kills]] him.]]

** “Demonspawn!” “Gem of Trigon!”
** “I… think we need to talk… [[spoiler: Terra.]]”
** [[spoiler: "You’re not possessing David at all! David’s possessing you!"]]
** The biggest one from Slade. [[spoiler: "Because, it’s what you did the last time this happened."]]

* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: Several times, beginning with Raven’s chapter 1 speech to BB about Terra.

[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3489752/1/The-Measure-of-a-Titan The Measure of a Titan]] is an AlternateUniverse that diverges not long after the ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' Season 2 finale, when Cinderblock attacks a foster-care center and attempts to abduct one of the teens there. When he wakes up, he boy, David Foster, has no idea ''why''; he dislikes using or even thinking about [[StuffBlowingUp his powers]] and has kept them a secret all of his life. Raven doesn't trust him, but the Titans still take him into protective custody to keep him safe from Cinderblock, as well as help him use his abilities to defend himself. Which may be exactly what the villains want...

* NecessaryEvil: Slade sees his attempts to [[spoiler: save the world by ensuring David’s death]] as this.

It would be a lie to say that the most interesting thing about this story is the character interactions, but ''only'' because the plot turns out to be even better. David Foster is an interesting OC who subverts the BlackHoleSue stereotype by being at the center of events as a victim, [[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive and against his will.]] And it's not only about him, though he does play an important part, but all the Titans get plenty of screen time and development alone and with each other. Most notable is David's refusal to believe that [[ImNotAHeroIm he is or could be a hero,]] [[KidnappedByTheCall regardless of how many times he ends up fighting.]] But in the background, shadowy figures are moving, and they will make him join the world of the capes, or else...

* ArcWords: “I don’t have a choice!” for the latter part of the story.

* BerserkButton: David finds out that Raven’s is her friends [[spoiler: especially Beast Boy]] in chapter 9 after she punches his button about his past and threats.
** Starfire’s becomes [[spoiler: Warp and the Hive after the latter help the former shoot Robin]].
** Jinx’s is threatening the rest of the Hive, especially Gizmo.

* ChekhovsGun: David’s safety goggles used to belong to Terra.

* MirrorMatch or MirrorBoss: The BigBad throws evil copies of the heroes in their path.
** [[spoiler: Except Starfire has to fight an Evil Robin, instead.]]
** And David [[spoiler: is turned into [[FutureMeScaresMe Devastator’s]] evil copy instead.]]

* CooldownHug: Inverted (the person needing to cool down initiates the hug) in what may be the story’s CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming.
** [[spoiler: Starfire has been put through psychological and emotional hell by Warp before violating Robin’s number one rule and killing him. She shows up to help David and Cyborg channeling her full warrior princess-ness. David sees how furious and violent she is, and realizes as she starts storming towards him that she has every reason to believe he’s an enemy, and starts begging for his life. She grabs him, and then pulls him into a hug, having already trusted he was on the right side. David describes it as the first time he felt safe in a long, long time.]]

** A rare case of [[AvertedTrope aversion]] when [[spoiler: Terra is GenreSavvy enough to use a false name—Carrie—that has no connection to her]].

* DelayedRippleEffect:

* EvenEvilHasStandards
* EvilCannotComprehendGood
* EvilVersusOblivion:

* JerkassHasAPoint

* FutureMeScaresMe
* MightyGlacier: Cinderblock. Also the AdvancingWallOfDoom Boss.

* GodzillaThreshold

* InstantExpert: David averts this hard, as it takes months of practice for him to even survive a battlefield.

* [[spoiler: StableTimeLoop: Averted HARD, which is the entire point of the bad guys’ plan. Warp in particular explains how Starfire caused this.]]

* TakeAThirdOption: Brutally deconstructed. The characters’ attempts to do this cause severe pain and suffering. [[spoiler: Shaping up a possible Deconstruction Reconstruction Switch in the end.]]

* HumanoidEldritchAbomination: Slade, because he CameBackWrong.

* LovecraftianSuperpower: This is included in Raven’s arsenal when she [[BerserkButton gets really, ''really'' mad.]]

** At the beginning of the story Beast boy is reeling from Terra’s betrayal. He’s quiet, isn’t eating, and has been crying. And then in Chapter 2 Cinderblock can [[MundaneMadeAwesome TALK]].

* [[spoiler: TheBadGuyWins]]: Possibly

* Tsundere: Raven

** Chapter 29: The Man in Gold [[spoiler: shoots Robin. ‘‘It sticks’’.]]

** “I… think we need to talk… [[spoiler: Terra]]”
** [[spoiler: “You’re not possessing David at all! David’s possessing you!”]]
** The biggest one from Slade. [[spoiler: “Because, it’s what you did the last time this happened.’’]]

[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3489752/1/The-Measure-of-a-Titan The Measure of a Titan]] is an Alternate Universe that diverges not long after the Season 2 finale, when Cinderblock attacks a foster-care center and attempts to abduct one of the teens there. When he wakes up, he boy, David Foster, has no idea ''why''; he dislikes using or even thinking about [[StuffBlowingUp his powers]] and has kept them a secret all of his life. Raven doesn't trust him, but the Titans still take him into protective custody to keep him safe from Cinderblock, as well as help him use his abilities to defend himself. Which may be exactly what the villains want...

* ChekovsGun: David’s safety goggles used to belong to Terra.
* ChekovsGunman: [[spoiler: Carrie, who is actually Terra.]]

* BatmanGambit: [[spoiler: Warp, of all people]] pulls off a ‘‘beautiful’’ one that has everyone dancing on strings, even when they know what’s going on and to what purpose.
* BerserkButton: David finds out that Raven’s is her friends [[spoilers: especially Beast Boy]] in chapter 9 after she punches his button about his past and threats.

* BewareTheSillyOnes: Starfire, so ‘‘so’’ much. And it is not PlayedForLaughs.

* TheChosenOne: David denies that he is this ‘‘vehemently’’ and outright mocks the possibility due to having grown up in orphanages and foster care, where everyone likes to pretend they’re special. Keyword being ‘‘pretend’’.

* DealWithTheDevil: Slade. [[spoilers: Incredibly, Warp’s doesn’t come back to bite him, and he gets exactly what he’d wanted. [[BewareTheSillyOnes: A broken Starfire]].]]

* FailureIsTheOnlyOption: Nothing the Titans can do will stop [[spoilers: Trigon from coming.]]

* FlyingBrick: We get a reminder that [[BewareTheSillyOnes: Starfire]] is this when she gets really, really angry.

* ForcedToWatch: Raven is made to watch the people fighting and dying against [[Trigon’s army of demons]].
* ForWantOfANail: ‘‘Weaponized’’ by [[spoilers: Trigon and Warp]] to avoid the ForegoneConclusion from the first time around.
* FreudianExcuse: [[spoiler: Warp’s childhood really sucked, though it doesn’t excuse becoming TheDragon]]

** Similarly, TheDragon started out as an IneffectualSypatheticVillain/

* Glacier: Cinderblock. Also the AdvancingWallOfDoomBoss.

* GondorCallsForAid: Defied and Justified. [[spoilers: Trigon has arranged it so that the metahuman heavy-weights like the JLU are off-planet when he arrives. Similarly, Tameran is facing a Gordian invasion, and other forces have other problems.]]

* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: [[spoilers: Trigon]] claims he chose [[spoiler: Earth]] for his plan because of this.

* LovecraftianSuperpower: This is included in Raven’s arsenal when she [[BerserkButton: gets really, ‘‘really’’ mad.]]
* MeaningfulName: [[spoilers: Devastator sounds like David Foster if you slur it, doesn’t it?]]
** A rare case of [[AvertedTrope: aversion]] when [[spoilers: Terra is GenreSavvy enough to use a false name—Carrie—that has no connection to her]].

** [[spoilers: Except Starfire has to fight an Evil Robin, instead.]]
** And David [[spoilers: is turned into [[FutureMeScaresMe Devastator’s]] evil copy instead.]]

* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Devastator. [[spoilers: Trigon the Terrible]]
* NecessaryEvil: Slade sees his attempts to [[spoilers: save the world by ensuring David’s death]] as this.
* NoSell: [[spoilers: Devastator]] is completely immune to Raven’s offensive magic.
*

** The best one may be Jinx in the end of Chapter 29 when Starfire tears away a ‘‘12-inch thick titanium wall’’ to get at her.
* OneWingAngel: Raven gets this against an army of robots.

** At the beginning of the story Beast boy is reeling from Terra’s betrayal. He’s quiet, isn’t eating, and has been crying. And then in Chapter 2 Cinderblock can [[MundaneMadeAwesome: TALK]].

* OvershadowedByTheAwesome: David feels like this, and it takes the other Titans a lot to convince him otherwise.

* PoorCommunicationKills: Raven ‘‘really’’ should have been honest about what she found in David’s head.

* PowerIncontinence: The fact that David ‘‘doesn’t’’ suffer from this is considered very suspicious by Raven.
* ProperlyParanoid: Deconstructed with Raven. She’s absolutely right to be paranoid, but wrong with what she should be paranoid ‘‘about’’, which leads to PoorCommunicationKills.

* ReasonYouSuckSpeech: Starfire to [[spoilers: Warp when he tries messing with her head]].

** And Devastator [[the cosmic being, not one of the David Fosters]] gives one to the BigBad despite being completely helpless in his clutches. And it might have made him nervous.
* [[spoilers: SelfMadeOrphan: David, the reason for his hesitance to use his powers.]]

* [[spoilers: StableTimeLoop: Averted HARD, which is the entire point of the bad guys’ plan. Warp in particular explains how Starfire caused this.]]

* StuffBlowingUp: David’s powers [[spoilers: and Devastator’s for obvious reasons]]. He can manipulate the thermo-kinetic energy of vibrating molecules to do this.
* TakeAThirdOption: Brutally deconstructed. The characters’ attempts to do this cause severe pain and suffering. [[spoiler: Shaping up a possible DeconstructionReconstructionSwitch in the end.]]
* TakenForGranite: [[spoilers: Not only has Terra come back from this, but all of humanity suffers it when Trigon arrives.]]

* [[spoilers: TheBadGuyWins]]: Possibly

** Chapter 16 has an ambush on the Titans. [[spoiler: Beast Boy is nearly killed before Raven goes OneWingedAngel, which nearly kills her, and David fights Cinderblock and demolishes him. Then someone later
[[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: breaks into Cinderblock’s cell and kills]] him.]]
** Chapter 29: The Man in Gold [[spoilers: shoots Robin. ‘‘It sticks’’.]]

** “I… think we need to talk… [spoilers: Terra]]”
** [[spoilers: “You’re not possessing David at all! David’s possessing you!”]]
** The biggest one from Slade. [[spoilers: “Because, it’s what you did the last time this happened.’’]]
* YouAndWhatArmy: Said to Slade, who [[TemptingFate: responds with an army of fire demons]].

** David uses a minor ‘‘subversion’’ of this on [[spoiler: Future Devastator]] to point out that the guy must want to talk, or else he (David) would be dead now.