The D.E.O. Orphans are a small group of kids who ran away from the Department of Extranormal Operations' orphanage for young metahumans.
History
After seeing the Titans on the news, they traveled to enter broke into Titans Tower in hopes of being allowed to live there and train in the use of their powers with the Titans rather than with the scientists from the D.E.O.[1] The kids kept the information of where they came from a secret at first, though. On their first visit to the Tower, the D.E.O. Orphans save some maintenance workers after the Tower's defense systems went a little haywire. After attempting and failing to have the kids go with child services, the Titans allow the group to stay at the Tower for the time being.[2] The Titans, mostly Nightwing foresaw the kids' training and the practicing of their powers.[3]
Eventually, the D.E.O. finds and surrounds the Titans and D.E.O. Orphans when they are out for training and a picnic. The D.E.O. staff fill the Titans in on where the kids came from and how they fled. Meanwhile, the kids themselves recall their escape and how it would not have been possible without one of their group, Kevin Tanaka, using his power of possession to facilitate their escape, at the expense of their having to leave Kevin behind). After Nightwing has heart-to-hearts with the D.E.O. Orphans about why they wanted to leave, Dick goes to Director Bones himself and blackmails him into letting the kids stay with the Titans for the moment.[4] Meanwhile, Epsilon, who had been staying with and going on missions alongside the Titans since just before the D.E.O Orphans appeared, is shown secretly conspiring with the kids in some sort of plan.
When Beast Boy and Flamebird come into town, they take the kids for a night in town, which leads to the group stumbling upon mutant members of the Wildebeest Society. They all investigate and defeat some enemies.[5] Beast Boy is so impressed by the D.E.O. Orphans' abilities that he offers them the chance to become Titans. With Gar and Bette's Titans L.A. team starting to fall apart, Gar told the kids that he would like to have the kids come to L.A. with him and form a new team called New Titans West (in the spirit of "New Teen Titans" and "New Young Justice"). While they were initially excited by the premise of the idea, they ultimately turn him down.[6] Regardless, Beast Boy sends the five of them heroic uniforms to begin wearing so that they can further practice being heroes. All of the kids besides Nikki don their new costumes and go on their first heroic adventure on their own and help with a fire caused by a metahuman whose powers had gone out of his control.[7]
At the Tower, the D.E.O. Orphans plan to tell the Titans about their recent adventure, but Epsilon leads them off, saying he needs to speak with them. Here, it is revealed that the Epsilon that had been assisting the Titans all this time had really been Kevin Tanaka, the member of their group who had stayed behind, who had used his possession powers to project his mind into Epsilon's body and control it. However, Kevin's extended stay inside Epsilon's body had caused adverse effects on Kevin's own body. After Kevin flatlines but is brought back, Kevin's consciousness has returned to his original body, leaving the real, psychotic, villainous Epsilon inside the Tower and seething with anger at having had been suppressed for so long.[7] Epsilon lashes out, defeats the D.E.O. Orphans and the Titans and destroys the Tower. The D.E.O. Orphans finally explain everything, and the Titans and the kids travel to the D.E.O. orphanage to see Kevin, who is barely recovering. While they are there, the real Epsilon returns to have revenge on Kevin and to hurt the others there. Kevin uses his powers to take over Argent, whom he had been dating as "Epsilon" and who has not forgiven him for lying to her all this time, and he uses her power to beat Epsilon enough that he retreats. The strain, however, was too much for Kevin, and he passed away.[8]
With Titans Tower destroyed, the D.E.O. Orphans are forced to return to and live at the orphanage. Although the kids are not thrilled, Director Bones assured Nightwing that the facility will run differently than it had before, and Dick placates them by saying that Bones will have to answer to him if that promise is not met. The Titans arrange for Lilith Clay to come and serve as the kids' counselor, in the wake of Kevin's passing.[9] Eventually, Lilith's telepathically linking to Nikki caused a psychic backlash that led to a person being pulled out of her. Apparently, Nikki was not an autistic metahuman after all. This person from an alternate dimension came to Earth, and when he established a telepathic link with Nikki, their differing physiologies somehow converted him into psychic energy that merged with her. This merging caused Nikki's energetic personality to be suppressed, making her appear to have autistic traits. The man, Breegan, was still aware of what was going on around Nikki. Despite not being able to free himself from her body, Breegan was able to use his telekinesis through her for their mutual protection, up to the point that Lilith freed him. With Nikki now being a normal girl, the D.E.O. Orphans happily begin to reacquaint themselves with each other.[10]
Notes
- To see Grace, Zeke, Scrap, and Eli in their heroic uniforms, see either the team's "Gallery" page or the "Images" link under the "See Also" section.
See Also
Links and References
Footnotes