Changing Faces (TTAS2 Episode)

Changing Faces is the 9th episode of the alternate story of Teen Titans Season 2.

Featured Characters

 * Teen Titans
 * Robin / Nightwing (first appearance as Nightwing) (flashback and main story)
 * Starfire
 * Cyborg
 * Beast Boy
 * Raven

Supporting Characters

 * Batman (flashback and main story)
 * Robin / Damian Wayne (flashback and main story)
 * Red Robin / Tim Drake
 * Alfred Pennyworth
 * Commissioner Jim Gordon (first appearance)

Villains

 * Rose the Ravager (first full appearance)
 * Talia al Ghul (first appearance) (flashback and main story)
 * Ra's al Ghul (first appearance) (flashback only)
 * Slade

Other Characters

 * Vicki Vale
 * Red Hood (first appearance)
 * John Grayson (single appearance) (picture only) (deceased)
 * Mary Grayson (single appearance) (picture only) (deceased)
 * Barbara Gordon (Phone Call)

Summary
As his fellow Titans battle against a clan of ninjas and samurais led by Slade's vile daughter Rose the Ravager in order to stop her from resurrecting the demonic swordsman Ra's al Ghul, Robin (revealing his identity to his teammates to be Dick Grayson) undergoes a new alter-ego: Nightwing. The Titans get help from Batman, the new Robin (his son Damian) and Red Robin to stop Rose and her clan, who are also led by the Dark Knight's former lover Talia.

Plot
The Titans overhear news about Batman patrolling Gotham City alongside a new boy who is fighting as Robin, whom they deduce to be "awfully young", to which their Robin barely agrees, but confirms that he learned many lessons like the Titans did. And Robin appears in the room unmasked, much to the Titans' surprise because they never really saw or knew how Robin looked like without his mask. Robin eventually reveals his real name to be Dick Grayson, whom only Cyborg and Raven seem familiar with.

As they check on his Dick's room, Cyborg and Raven view journals containing information about Dick's parents John and Mary Grayson, known on circus as the "Flying Graysons", who were once a couple of successful acrobatic circus performers at Haley's Circus until a tragic accident cost John and Mary's lives. Just then, he was raised by Batman and, years later, trained to be Robin. After some talk with the Titans, Dick gets for himself a new suit and redubs himself Nightwing (happily reminding Starfire of the future hero he would become). The Titans eventually get to visit Gotham City, where they are suddenly confronted by a clan of ninjas and samurai led by a young swords woman with an armor resembling Slade's. She introduces herself as Rose the Ravager and reveals that she is Slade's daughter, who is determined to fulfill a mission her mentor Talia al Ghul sent her for and, most personally for Rose, to finish the job her father started: destroy the Titans.

Just as a fight between the Titans and the Clan issues, the young heroes are aided by Batman, forcing Rose and her clan to retreat. The Titans eventually regroup with the Dark Knight in the Batcave, where they also meet Tim Drake (who is currently the Red Robin) and Bruce's son Damian Wayne (who is the current Robin). As the Titans speak with the two Robins, Nightwing claims to have learned of his successor Jason Todd's whereabouts and, much like Batman himself, was not much content about it. Meanwhile, Rose returns to her clan's temple informing her master Talia al Ghul that they could not get the gem she wanted because of both the Titans and Batman. Talia eventually decides to lead the clan into an attack on the heroes with the decision to use them as the sacrifice for her father Ra's al Ghul's resurrection. The Titans resume to fight crime in Gotham alongside Batman until they are again attacked by Talia's clan, and with Batman greatly determined to fight.

The two former lovers fight while the Titans and the Robin Brothers battle the clan. Just as Talia gains the upper hand on the Dark Knight, she is stopped by Damian, who stands for his father. Talia tries to convince him to join her since he was meant to be his grandfather's future. But Damian, reminded of the good life his father offered him with new friends, refuses, leaving his mother no choice but to fight him as well. Right after she is defeated, she is teleported into another dimension by Raven to insure she would harm nobody else. Nightwing and Rose continue fighting until the villainess sets the tower they are in to explode. Just as she retreats to far away and leaves her clan to finish him off, Nightwing has his life saved by Jason (who had been currently operating as the Red Hood), who aids him in defeating them. As the two talk, Dick tells him that he can still be a part of the family, but Todd refuses and leaves. Rose is eventually approached by her father Slade, who reminds her that they still have more work to do. Back in the Batcave, Batman and Dick are both disappointed with the fact that nothing between the two and Todd could have possibly changed, but are still happy are their family remains strong nonetheless. Nightwing offers membership to Tim and Damian as Honorary Titans, which they accept although they will still have responsibilities in Gotham. The heroes enjoy a night of dinner in the Wayne Mansion where they are visited and joined in by Bruce's fiancee Vicki Vale.

Cast

 * Greg Cipes as Beast Boy
 * Scott Menville as Robin / Nightwing
 * Khary Payton as Cyborg
 * Tara Strong as Raven, Robin / Damian Wayne, Vicky Vale
 * Hynden Walch as Starfire
 * Kevin Conroy as Batman
 * Alyssa Milano as Rose the Ravager
 * Cameron Bowen as Red Hood
 * Vanessa Marshall as Talia al Ghul
 * Martin Jarvis as Alfred Pennyworth
 * Xander Berkeley as Commissioner James Gordon

Trivia

 * This episode marks Batman's first true appearance in Teen Titans after numerous references in previous episodes, including most notably the Season 1 two-part finale "Apprentice".