Thousands of miles away from home over the course of 5 years came to what could be conceived as mere feet in her eyes, but only a few more miles lay ahead of her before the metropolis of Jump City would be within her grasp. Not the most perfect place on the face of the earth, but definitely what she has grown to call home, and nothing would change that. Her quest home has proven that time and time again. After all that she has been through, there is nothing left to prove to anyone, only herself alone, as she was the only one that matters in the decision. Thoughts and feelings of home flooded her mind subconsciously, so eager, as well as nervous to finally put an end to this living hell she had endured thus far. Yet, Bushido's aid was indeed welcomed, but put her quite a distance farther south than she had hoped, nearly into Mexico's Baja Peninsula in fact. After hitchhiking most of the way and a bus ride to the last station on the route, she found herself within the city limits of Jump City, yet, something felt different, almost…ominous in nature.
"A little farther south than I had hoped for," Raven commented in a negative manner, hefting her backpack to a more comfortable position, but it was in vain. Miles of walking on foot tended to cause such things to happen, but through it all, she remained vigilant, knowing that she was the proverbial stone's throw away from home, the surroundings starting to look much similar once more. The evergreen forest, thick and lush, only the narrow, two-lane highway she treaded upon the side was clashing with the beauty of nature, yet, it wasn't even enough to make an impact as she took it in. Of all the exotic places she had been in the world, from the Black Forest of Germany, the mountains of Switzerland, the rustic, even archaic at times, centre of Prague, even to the farthest reaches of untamed earth in the luscious jungles and rainforest of Southeast Asia, it paled in comparison to what was before her. Not the fact that it was more beautiful per say, but she was where she wanted to be and always wished to remain, home. Nothing could possibly compare to the beauty of such a thing in her eyes, not even a perfect utopia of no worries and carefree living, as life would be mundane and boring in her eyes.
"If memory serves me correctly," Raven said to herself as she steadily hiked up a grade of a hill, her muscles demanding her to rest, but this close to home, she refused to do so, "I should be able to see the city skyline at the crest of this hill…but I've been wrong before. That's no way to think," she reminded herself, "I'm a little rusty with my surroundings here, but I'm more than certain this is true. That means I'm…home."
Raven's heart was abound, feeling her depleted energy return once more as she began scaling the near mountainous grade at a quickened pace, almost running upwards, her belongings failing to slow her down as they had done before. Many feelings and emotions that had escaped her grasp in the past had returned once more, for once in what seemed like a lifetime…she was excited. As she continued forth at such a speed, she noticed something about the air around her, definitely not what she was accustomed to in Jump City. It almost felt thick, but a lot colder than usual, even for the mild winter months of the climate, and a sense of unforgiving nature about it. The last time she felt such a feeling was in Russia so long ago as they came to Red Star's aid, but it had been snowing with the ferocity of a blizzard nearly the entire time. Chills began to run up and down her body as she neared the top, as well as the breeze that was cooling before became frigid, leaving an icy twinge in its wake upon her exposed skin of her forearms and face. Even her well-worn denim pants began allowing the icy chill within, causing her to slow to a stop at the peak of the hill. She looked out across the expanse before her, finding home…but it wasn't the one she remembered. Jump City appeared to be clouded by what could be compared to a haze. Thick, gray clouds drifted overhead, blotting out the highest rising skyscrapers that were even new to her. In her absence, the city appeared to have doubled in size, as well as sprung up many more impressive structures in the commercial districts near the waterfront. Upon close inspection, she found the unimaginable falling from the sky from the hanging cloud cover. Snow. Large, white flakes of frozen water were clearly visible, falling in droves, unimaginable to count.
"There is no way possible," Raven told herself, confused, almost shocked, "Jump City is too far south for snow, it gets cold sometimes, but not enough to snow. Why would it just be over the city and nowhere else? It was quite comfortable until I topped the hill, so why just around here? Appears I have some investigating to do other than finding the others and get to the bottom of this," she added, setting her belongings down, delving into her backpack to retrieve the only coat that she retained in her possession, the one that Heinrich had given to her. Five years of use didn't show on the article, but Raven made sure to take care of what she did own, having not the slightest clue as to how long it would be until she would be blessed with something similar. After sliding the coat on over her existing shirt, buttoning it up, she slid her lithe hands into a matching pear of leather gloves, fitting neatly upon them. The bite of the winter breeze convinced her to even put on a thicker pair of pants atop her existing ones, as well as the pair of boots in her possession. The lack of passing traffic was welcomed, not that she was exposing herself at all, but it was indeed out of the norm to see someone dressing along the side of the road. At this point in her life, Raven didn't care what others thought of her or her actions, they were the last thing on her mind. The same person 5 years ago was exactly the opposite, and she felt…relieved that she hadn't remained so. It would have only impeded upon her logic in this current day and age that she faced, coming back into society once more, leaving behind the life of a roaming outsider that she had grown so accustomed to over time, whether she liked it or not.
After bundling up the best she could with her warmest attire, Raven shouldered her load once more, continuing over the other side of the hill, welcoming the downgrade in stride. The biting wind still made its way to her face, accompanied by snowfall as well, two things that were indeed rare in Jump City. Through the white blur of falling snow, Raven made out the outlying of structures, small, and seemingly uniform in design. As she continued forth, the blurs came into focus, revealing the outskirts of a newly-developed suburb. It was apparent that the city had grown exponentially in her time away, as she was several miles away from what used to be the outskirts of the city that she once knew. For once, she welcomed the change, as it meant far less walking on foot. Yet, unlike what she had grown accustomed to, the surroundings seemed…bleak, dreary, something was wrong.
"This is depressing, even for me," Raven commented to herself as she looked around, finding nothing but bitter, cold snow, and a lack of civilians upon the streets, even out and about. It almost felt as if the city itself had been abandoned. "Hopefully I can catch a ride into the city, don't know how, but I really don't care at this point, anything will work."
Almost as if her thoughts had been read by a greater being, the silhouette of a sign appeared out of the thick of things before her, the letters upon it reading "BUS STOP", even a sheltered bench for her to sit upon next to it.
"Talk about timing," she stated, almost in disbelief, "maybe this whole prophecy thing is true after all, it hasn't steered me wrong yet, so why would it start now? Very well, Prophecy, I'll take your advice…I suppose."
Raven quickly sat down upon the bench, allowing her load of belongings to fall to the ground, the weight of them apparent as they settled in the fallen snow, which was easily a few inches deep. Her fatigue finally began to catch up wither as she sat there, tiredness beginning to wash over her, but she refused to fall asleep, knowing that she was this close….and the fact that it could prove dangerous, especially in this weather. Without a clue to the schedule of the bus that she was waiting for, sitting there was the only true option, knowing that it would eventually come along.
For once in her life, she was…excited. Though keeping to herself in thoughts, the feeling of nervousness and eagerness washed over her, knowing she was so close, yet so far away.
"I can actually say that I'm almost home, within mere hours at that, not days, weeks, months, or years, but possibly hours, or less," Raven told herself, a minute smile of happiness gracing her lips. Returning home never seemed so sweet until now, all her hard work, determination, and stubbornness at times, had led up to this point, culminating to a nexus of what lay before her. Just as she finished her thoughts, moving on to imagining what her return was to be like, the low growl of the bus' engine resonated through the still air, growing louder as it apparently neared. Raven stood up, shouldering her backpack once more, carrying the remnants of her belongings, approaching the curb as the outline of the bus pushed through the white haze, slowing to a stop with the amber flashers on, proving it was indeed stopping for her. With a pneumatic hiss, the doors parted in twain and slid open, allowing Raven to step aboard.
"Hello there, Miss, how are you doing today?" The driver questioned with the tip of his hat, oddly cheerful compared to the surroundings she had seen thus far.
"Fine, thank you," Raven replied, attempting to be polite, beginning to dig in her pockets as the door closed behind her, the driver continuing on his route, "how much is the fare?"
"A buck-fifty," he informed, keeping his eyes on the road before him.
Raven produced a twenty-dollar bill from her pocket, as it was the smallest currency she had upon her person. In reality, David made sure Raven had enough money to get home, so he gave her easily a few thousand dollars to take with her. Only problem was it was all in large bills, and the twenty was indeed the smallest thing that she had.
"This is the smallest bill I have," Raven regretfully replied, showing him the $20 in her hand.
The driver glanced over, letting out a sigh.
"Since you seem to be new to town, I'll let it slide this time," he commented, "go ahead and take your seat, but make sure you get change at the terminal if you plan on riding anymore today, alright?"
"Yes, of course, thank you," Raven nodded, "where exactly does this route end, may I ask?"
"The terminal, takes you downtown, from there, you can find out whatever you need to get around. I mean it about getting change; some of these other drivers don't take kindly to this kind of thing."
"Thank you, sir." She continued, heeding his caution as she maneuvered down the aisle of the bus as it was in motion, finding it to be nearly void of passengers, save a few seats occupied by weary business people on their way to work for the day. Though at least one curious stare came her way, Raven didn't care, knowing that it was to be expected. Even before what had happened to her, she was always the brunt of the wandering eye. In her current condition, as well as the scar she bore upon her face, and the ghostly white eye accompanying it, she couldn't see how they wouldn't at least do a double-take upon her appearance. Once again, after what has happened to her over these most recent years, the only person that mattered in terms of judgment was herself, and the influence of others didn't mean anything to her.
"I wonder what everyone is up to," Raven contemplated as she watched the scenery, as uninteresting as it was, roll by, the bus only rolling to a stop to pick up other passengers along the route. "I can almost see it now, Robin at the computer, attempting to piece information together to stop villains before they strike. Starfire is more than likely being her usual carefree and whimsical self…or attempting to cook, which has proved disastrous in the past. I can almost guarantee that Cyborg is working on some new-fangled contraption, or taking care of his "baby", the T-Car. As for B.B….I don't know honestly. I would peg him for doing something immature and very…stupid, but after the maturity that he had shown before I "departed" I honestly don't know how he would act now. Even then, I'm sure that he and Terra are together. I feel no anger or jealousy towards either of them; I understand he had made his decision based on the fact that I was indeed dead. I should rightly be at this moment, but it was only by a miracle of immeasurable proportions that I stand on this realm once more. If this is true…I only wish them the best of luck and nothing but happiness between them. He of all people deserves it after the sacrifices he was willing to make on my behalf. If this was to be what had become of things, Raven had already decided that the only way she could be happy once more under the circumstances is to rekindle the relationship that she shared with David. After what Love had done to her, there had to be no mistake that she and Garfield were meant to be. If not, Raven would personally see to it that her representing manifestation in her subconscious would pay for what she had wrought upon her. Hopefully it didn't come to that, but she could almost feel Rage's influence otherwise. In any case, Raven continued peering out the window, the suburbs that seemed to go on forever finally giving way to more commercially-based buildings and apartment complexes, and actual pedestrians out and about, despite the weather Raven was still quite intrigued by. At least her fears of an abandoned city, left to mere hundreds of people. As the bus continued about its route, Raven saw her final destination, the epitome of her travels in sight…the Tower. Despite the weather, it was clear as day before her, standing upon the lone island in the bay, the prominent "T" shaped building casting its prominent view for all to see. A beacon of justice for all to feel protected and safe beneath, the Tower has stood the test of time, much like Raven has. From a distance, everything seemed to be in order, much like it was left so long ago. Before she knew it, the bus came to a stop, the driver killing the engine, grabbing her attention as she was snapped from her daze.
"End of the line, Miss," he announced, motioning for her to exit through the door.
Raven obeyed with a meek smile, "Thank you for the ride, Sir," she nodded respectfully.
"No problem," he smiled, "you seem like a nice girl. Hope you get to wherever it is that you're going, stay safe."
"I assure you, I will," Raven replied heartily at the man's cheery disposition.
With possessions in hand, Raven exited the bus, the winter-like conditions instantly hitting her again, wishing to be in the shelter of the bus once more, but knew that she must continue. After a quick stop to the main desk to make change, Raven checked the large map on the wall, watching where every single route led to, and what times each bus stopped where. As informative as it was, not a single bus stopped anywhere near where she was going, hoping to find a way to the Tower through the underground tunnel that came to the surface at the intersection of 32nd and Shoreline.
"Look's like I'm taking a cab," she commented with a sigh of resentment, seeing that travel was becoming more complicated than it should be. "I wouldn't have this problem if I could still levitate," she thought as she buttoned her coat up again, preparing to exit the terminal and go to the street. A blast of frozen air hit her as she opened the door, exiting the building, yet, the snow managed to stop falling. Though clear of the falling snow, skies remained overcast and nearly void of sunlight. This weather in general didn't feel right, something about it didn't make it…natural. The drastic change from moments ago only solidified this. Traffic seemed to go to and fro in its usual manner, the street itself void of snow and cleanly kept. The iconic yellow taxi that nearly every large city possessed rounded the corner of the block and began coming towards Raven.
"Hey, taxi!" she hailed, whistling like she had witnessed many do before, and found it to come rather natural.
The vehicle pulled out of the traffic lane and rolled to a stop in front of Raven. To ensure her ride and not allow any other pedestrians to take her hailed cab, she quickly put her belongings in the backseat of the car, then climbing in herself, closing the door in the process.
"Where to, Miss?" He questioned, looking up at Raven in his rearview mirror, but quickly doing a double take at the person he saw. "It couldn't be," he thought as he eyed Raven curiously, still intrigued by his passing thoughts, "there's now way possible."
"Is there a problem, sir?" Raven politely questioned, snapping him from his daze.
"No, not at all, you just remind me of someone, someone rather famous around here, that's all," he admitted, knowing that it couldn't logically be true. Too bad he didn't know that Raven had a thing about defying logic on a usual basis. Yet, there was no denying who he was looking at. "So, where to?"
"32nd and Shoreline, please," she requested, recalling the location of the underground entrance to the tunnel.
"Sure thing," he nodded, preparing to pull out into traffic once more and continue onto Raven's determined destination.
It was safe to say at this point that Raven was clearly nervous, her exterior said otherwise, but beneath it all, she was shaking like a leaf. Five long years had separated her from her friends, all that remained was easily a mere mile at the most, home was within eyesight. All that said, what remained was the reactions and the acceptance her friends would have upon her. Time may indeed heal all wounds, but had it truly been long enough to heal the void that that she had created in her swath of violence against them? There was no need to think negatively at this point. She was certain that they would accept her, especially after the compassion they had shown her in their attempt to free her from Slade so long ago.
"If you don't mind me askin'," the cab driver questioned as they sat at traffic light, "you seem like your from out of town, what brings you to Jump City?"
Raven snapped back to reality, taking in the driver's question.
"I've been gone awhile," she commented, being polite with conversation, "I'm coming home to visit with friends and family, hopefully settle down here again. A lot has changed though since I've been gone."
"Oh yeah? How long has it been?"
"About five years," Raven nearly cringed at the amount of time.
"Wow, yup, you've definitely missed out on a lot then," he gestured as he remained focused on driving.
"You wouldn't mind filling me in on the details, would you?" Raven questioned of him, seeing how he had been around while she had missed out.
"I don't know everything behind all of it, but I can tell you about what everyone else in this god-forsaken place knows," the driver informed with a tinge of anger in his voice at the end. "I remember awhile back in the news something about one of the Titans, you know? Those kids that live out in that T-shaped building, yeah, good bunch of kids, did this city many a good deeds. Anyways, I remember something about one of them falling in the line of duty or something like that. After that, they were dead set on tracking down whoever was responsible for their teammate's death…I guess they got more than they bargained for."
"What do you mean?" Raven quizzingly pressed, knowing the deceased Titan he spoke of was in fact her.
"Turns out after a couple of leads, led them right up to some whack job known as Brother Blood, I guess he runs some kind of crazy school to train these kids to be villains, sounds like he had managed to get a school up and running again, almost like a cult."
"The H.I.V.E. Academy?" she commented, confused.
"Yeah, that," the driver instantaneously remembered, "anywho, something happened, something…bad. I heard that Robin or whoever the leader of them is offed this Blood character, and things started to go south for them. I guess that first teammate they lost sent them into a spiral or something."
"So everything that has happened," Raven thought, realizing that what Red X, Bushido, and now someone who has experienced first hand all tell the same tale, it had to be true, "is my fault, my absence led to this."
"That's when shit hit the fan," he blurted out, emotions starting to get to him, as it involved the very city he lived in, "next thing we know, Robin and that orange chick cut out, leaving the rest of them to fend for themselves. Yeah, sure, they tried to recruit, but it failed miserably, all the scum of the world seemed to find its way to this city since we seemed to be pretty much helpless at this point. One by one, they all split, even after giving solo acts a try, they were done. It's been little over three years since Titans Tower has been abandoned. Without them, this town has went to hell. There ain't a soul left alive in this city that isn't safe anymore. Between the petty criminals to their former adversaries, the whack jobs, the police can't handle it, and often don't give a rat's ass half the time."
"It doesn't make sense though," Raven replied, knowing that he was entitled to his emotion; anyone was, especially of what she saw around her. The streets made Gotham's most dangerous districts look docile. "How could so much happen in 5 years?"
"You're telling me," he added, just as surprised, "it's like as soon as that first Titan went, everything was thrown into chaos. Can't blame them though, it seemed like she was a large part of the team."
"She?" Raven picked up on, knowing that he was referring to her.
"Yeah, you remember how I said you reminded me of someone? Her, I forget her name, but you just look kinda like her. No offense, but kids these days look alike with their styles, so it's an honest mistake. I vaguely remember giving her a ride out of town years ago, it's been awhile."
"Was her name Raven?"
"Yeah, that's it, Raven," the driver nodded in agreement, "you sure we haven't met before?"
"Positive," Raven lied, knowing it would compromise her presence, and possibly anger him seeing how she appeared to be the root cause of everything that's happened. "Still leaves an unanswered question though. Why's it snowing?"
"Part industrial accident, part whack job interference, you get the picture," the driver motioned on either hand, "there was an explosion at the liquid chemical processing plant in the Industrial Sector on the south side, some reaction with the air and whatever the hell blew up has caused this climate change. I've been told it's not permanent, maybe a few years, but it's already getting on my nerves, I moved here from Metropolis many years ago to avoid snow, and its following me."
"Why is it just hovering around the city though? When I was coming into the outskirts, it was quite comfortable, what I would expect for a normal summer day at that elevation," Raven pursued, hoping this eccentric cab driver had an answer she could work off of.
"Beats the hell out of me," he huffed, "I'm no scientist, all I know is that it's been cold as hell and constantly snows, has been for a year or so now, the sooner it decides to move on, the better."
"Do you happen to know where the Titans went after they disbanded?" Raven queried.
"From what I've heard, they may still be around, but I've been wrong before. They sure as hell ain't doing the superhero thing anymore, I'll tell you that much. Sorry for my…opinions, I just get a little frustrated on everything that's happened, it's almost like they abandoned us."
Raven only nodded, knowing that as much as she hated to admit it, what he spoke was indeed true. The Titans had split up and went their separate ways; she had partial blame, and left an entire city to defend itself against the onslaught of villains and petty criminals that called it home. No wonder things seemed so bleak at this point as she returned. Jump City without the Titans….is a city without hope, and it was hard to imagine the civil services, such as the police and other public security personnel fending for themselves without the team backing them up. Yet, this is what it had come to. Compared to her past life, Jump City was a living hell at this point.
"32nd and Shoreline, right?" The driver beckoned, gaining Raven's attention once more.
"Yeah," Raven nodded, preparing to gather up her belongings as she dug in her front pocket, "how much is the fare?"
"$21.54, Miss," he politely informed, turning around to accept the fare. Raven placed a $100 bill in his hand.
"Keep the change," she smiled as she prepared to exit, thanking him in a sense for his information that he dispelled upon her, "thanks for the ride, take care, and stay safe."
"You have a wonderful day now," he smiled, both at her upbeat attitude, and the generous tip that he just received.
Raven merely nodded as the man tipped his driving cap, closing the door. She watched him pull back into traffic, continuing on his way down the street, in search of another fare.
It was strange though, the odds of having the same driver that had taken her out of town that long ago picking her up today was just so unreal. The more she thought about it, it was apparent that her prophecy was indeed true, things were too coincidental at this point to say otherwise, this small incident being one of them. Though thinking about it for a moment, focus quickly shifted back to her goal that was in sight. After adjusting her backpack, she prepared to cross the street. Across the lanes of traffic, she saw the adjacent entrance to the underground tunnel, but it was noticeably different. From where she stood, she could easily see the graffiti scrawled all over the door that was to partition and allow the T-Car to exit onto the surface streets of Jump City. Various articles of garbage and other related junk, even dumpsters, had been placed in front of the doors. To the wandering eye unknowing of its purpose, it looked like the backside of a building, even one of the worst alleys in the city is what it could be related to. In any case, Raven didn't think twice about the situation, and began crossing the street at the cross walk as the light changed in her favor. About halfway across a motorist wasn't paying attention and skidded to a stop, nearly hitting Raven. A second later, she would have been struck if she didn't jump out of the way. Out of frustration, Raven hit the car's hood with and open hand.
"Can't you see me walking here?!" She exclaimed in frustration. A quick realization made her slightly embarrassed as she continued across the street, almost an attempt to hide her face as well. The driver was apparently in more of a state of shock at what just happened, possibly fear because of the gusto that Raven showed.
"What just happened? Despite these insanely stupid people behind the wheel these days, I just kinda lost my cool for a moment. That's not like me," she thought as she stepped upon the opposing sidewalk, preparing to head to the tunnel. "I guess things have changed, especially me. No, no, it can't be that, I mean, I'm just a little stressed, maybe a little nervous, that's all. I just need to rest and relax, and everything will be fine, I'm sure of it."
As much as she avoided admitting it, it was indeed true. Time, distance, and the current events in her life have played a major role in shaping her psyche. No longer timid, anti-social, and quiet, but a strong, robust, and resilient person that wasn't afraid to speak her mind…Raven had changed. For the better, or for the worse, either way, it happened, and only time would tell which side of the spectrum she presided upon.
Despite the situation that only happened moments ago going through her mind, Raven approached the distasteful display of urbanization before her. Upon closer inspection, Raven ran her hand across the surface of the door, finding the small space between the doors, replaced by the seam of a heavy-duty weld. To be sure, she continued, finding it to be rather solid and sound for a weld, something she didn't want to find out at this point. The entrance to Titans' Tower under the bay was sealed off, only solidifying the unavoidable truth of things; the Titans were no more.
"Even if it is true," Raven forced herself to say, "I must get to the Tower, one way or another. I will find out for myself the truth behind the disbanding once and for all, only then I can have closure."
As a last-ditch effort, Raven fumbled around in her bag as she approached the side access door, obscured by a dumpster. She slid in behind the garbage receptacle and opened the small hatch that revealed a keypad and a track for a card to be swiped through. After another moment of searching, she finally produced her communicator, taking the back plate off of it, and pulling out a small card with a magnetic strip.
"Thought I'd never have to use the emergency ID card," Raven thought as she swiped it through, "I suppose that's why it's an "emergency" card after all. I just hope I haven't been taken out of the system yet."
To her dismay, she swiped the card, and got nothing in return. Upon closer inspection, she found the words "System Lock" flashing on the screen, as well as "Access Denied".
"Even if it was working," Raven grumbled to herself as she returned the card back into its original position in her communicator. "Apparently someone's locked the system so nobody can get in. Talk about a killjoy."
Raven shook the negative thoughts from her head at the fate of the Titans…her friends, making it a priority to get to the bottom of it and find out where they were located at.
"I'll be damned if anything is going to stop me from getting to the Tower, I'll swim if I have to, regardless of how cold it is," she said to herself, beginning to walk farther down the street, the Tower itself finally coming into view once more in a break from the buildings around her. Only perched atop the rocky island, overlooking the city, it was something more to her. It was the destination she kept in the back of her mind all this time, motivating her to continue through it all. The hardship, the depression, the nightmare…all of it was finally over. To her, the Tower beckoned, and it was absolutely necessary to heed the call.
As she casually walked down the sidewalk, passing other pedestrians, as well as getting a few odd looks upon her person, Raven thought. Not of the people that viewed her, long ago not caring what others thought of her, but using her "street smarts" that she had managed to acquire through her travels. Thousands of miles hadn't stopped her from coming this far, so she wasn't about to let the bay do so. It just seemed so oddly ironic that this simple body of water that was easily trekked when she had her powers, even her friends through the aid of the T-Car, was proving to be a tougher challenge than she had hoped. All this "situation" needed was some logical thinking, and that was one thing she could easily admit she was good at for the most part.
"The tunnel's a no-go," Raven pondered as she walked, still conscious of those around her to not bump into them, "I can't levitate, so that's out the window. Definitely narrows my choices down considerably, but still leaves me with options, I just need to find them.
Much like anything else up until this point, Raven's conclusions had come by the seat of her pants, finding solutions to her problems as she went, and this situation seemed no different. The pier that the team frequented on their time away from fighting crime as recreation came into view, still standing, and appeared to be in operation as per usual. Though a welcome sight, it wasn't the pier itself that drew Raven's attention, but the marina nearby, a safe haven for many boats and smaller vessels that commercial fishing, as well as casual sailing, called home in the bay. Walking down the old, metal staircase that led to the docks themselves, Raven was in luck, finding a man loading supplies into a small fishing trawler, apparently preparing for a day's work.
"Excuse me, Sir?" Raven beckoned, hoping to get his attention as she approached, "Excuse me, can I have a moment of your time?"
The man looked up, squinting his eyes as he did so. Nothing short of a traditional fisherman of the sea, he definitely looked the part in his current ensemble, complete with a graying beard and aged face.
"Ay, what do ya want?" He replied, looking up as he sat another article down upon the deck of his boat. "I'm off to a late start this mornin', make it quick."
"I want to know if you could take me out to Titans' Island," Raven politely requested, pointing to the rocky shores graced by the "T" shaped structure.
"I've got work to do, I'm not runnin' a passenger service here, that money doesn't make itself, ya know."
"Very well," she said in an agitated voice, "how much on average does your catch bring in for the day?"
"For me," the man gruffly replied, seeing how Raven was taking up his time, "a grand be modest."
Raven dug in her backpack, brandishing a stack of bills still together, tossing them in the fisherman's direction.
"There's two thousand," Raven informed, "and I'm chartering this boat, take me to the island at once."
"Aye, aye, ma'am," the old sea salt semi-saluted, seeing how he easily made a modest two-day's worth of wages in mere seconds, he wasn't about to second-question her. Besides, the fishing has been terrible lately, no sense in risking it.
After throwing the rest of his gear on board to prevent someone form stealing it off of the dock, the impromptu captain of the vessel untied the boat and shoved off, idling out of the marina.
"Don't mind me askin'," the sailor commented from his place at the wheel while she sat on the lower level of the boat in a chair, "but what's so important out on that island to ya? Ain't nothin' out there anymore."
Raven quickly thought of a lie off the top of her head, knowing anything else would more than likely void her passage, and if he was anything like her recent cab driver, he wouldn't be too happy with her.
"I'm writing a paper for college," Raven informed in her ruse, "I chose a topic of the underlying reasons behind why the Titans disbanded, and the effects thereafter. Figured I'd see their living quarters and base of operations first-hand and possibly find some clues."
"Ya won't find nothin' more than broken glass an' garbage out that way," he informed, "ever since they split, nothin' but vandalism an' parties goin' on out that way. I bet if those Titans are still around, they be pissed off like no other."
"So can I get in then?" Raven questioned, keeping her intentions veiled.
"If a bunch of punks can weasel their ways in there, I'm sure you can. Why you decide to write about this? I'm sure there's plenty of other things out there more important than them."
"It's somewhat of an…obligation," she managed to inform with a straight face. Not exactly a most honorable trait, but Raven had become somewhat good at lying. "A few members of the former team were friends of mine."
"So you know what happened to them?" the fisherman questioned, looking over his shoulder at her. "They just up and disappear one day, and this town goes to hell. Why do you think I spend most of my time out on the water than in this god-forsaken place."
"Actually, I probably know about as much as you do," Raven truthfully admitted, "I've been out of town for a few years, so much has changed since my last visit."
"You're definitely a special case then," the fisherman informed, "most folks never come back after getting out of this place. I don't blame them, especially with all this nonsense goin' on."
"Like I said," Raven added, "I've got obligations to do this, and I must fulfill them."
"Very honorable of ya," the fisherman stated, watching the water before him as he piloted the vessel, avoiding the ice shelf that managed to form over part of the bay. If it had been a little larger, Raven could have almost walked to the Tower. "If ya don't mind me sayin', but you look kinda like one of 'em. One of 'em Titans that I've seen in a few pictures in the paper a few years back."
Once was an anomaly, twice was a trend. It was surprising how many people recognized her despite all this time and how much she despised media attention in the past.
"I think you're talking about Raven."
"Yeah, that's her name…I think. You look a lot like her from what I remember, mainly the hair."
"I liked the look on her, so I copied it," Raven added to her growing lie, "she was one of my favorites on the team, but the others kept her company, growing a tightly-knit family over time."
"Sounds like you've lived there yourself."
"I just happened to be close friends with them, so I know many things others don't about them."
"Ah, I see, well, I won't pry into that, I respect it. I assume ya want me to drop anchor and wait for ya?"
"I'd appreciate it," Raven smirked, hoping the old man was joking, "for 2 large, you better."
"Ah, don't worry, I ain't got nothin' better to do, I'll wait on ya," he laughed, slowing the boat as it neared the only accessible area on the island's rocky outcropping. The boat drifted sideways, dangerously close to the jagged peaks jutting from the surf, but the fisherman held it steady. With grace, as well as timing, Raven leapt from the boat onto the island, avoiding frigid waters at all costs. She landed without incident, almost as if she had taken a simple step down a staircase. The feeling of earth beneath her feet was quite rewarding, but it wasn't any earth, it was home. She was indeed home, finally arriving at her destination that had been in sight for the past five years. The nauseated feeling of nerves getting the better of her, as well as her own pent-up excitement refused to stay her feet as she began scaling the grade towards the Tower. Luckily for her, the island had always been small, barely large enough to support the structure itself, as well as the miniscule training grounds that they frequented at a team. Now, it was eerily quiet, snow blanketed the ground that she walked on, crunching it beneath her feet. The boat grew out of sight as she rounded the island, approaching the only above ground entrance to the Tower.
"This is it," Raven stated aloud, a smile gracing her lips, "I'm finally here…I'm actually…home."
Though the fisherman's words of the Tower's state lingered fresh in her mind, it didn't matter, it was the principle of the fact that she was actually at the end of her journey.
Without a moment's hesitation, she entered her code into the keypad next to the door. To her amazement, she hadn't been taken out of the system yet, so everything still worked in her name. A second later after accepting her quickly-inputted code, a thumb scanner jutted from the wall underneath the pad. A firm press upon it turned the backlight beneath it green, accepting her print.
"Greetings, Raven," the computerized voice announced, the doors slowly opening, but surely creating passage into the Tower. Raven quickly fumbled around in her bag, finding the flashlight she always carried with her.
"One thing I've learned on this little journey of mine," she grinned in her all-knowing intuition, turning the device on to provide illumination in the darkened corridor, "always be prepared."
It was apparent the Tower had indeed been abandoned for quite some time. Between the thick layer of dust settled on everything and nests of various creatures in crevices and holes, the information given to her before she arrived was true. Startled by the loud crunching sound beneath her feet, the flashlight quickly darted down, finding broken glass laying in shards everywhere, apparently from windows and the remnants of computer displays. Once the power had been cut to the Tower, Cyborg's security systems apparently became useless, and nearly everything in the Tower that was worth anything was stolen. As she continued down the corridor at her cautious pace, she panned from wall to wall, taking in the graffiti scrawled upon the walls, almost as if in defiance of the lack of a group of heroes over the city. Many of the "messages" pertained to the Titans themselves. Though offensive to her, she continued, looking high and low in the silence, the bite of the winter air still passing through the abandoned structure due to all the broken windows caused by vandals.
"Definitely appears there has been a lack of upkeep," she solemnly admitted, her worst fears realized, "I hope the rest of the Tower isn't as bad as this."
Upon finding the stairs next to the elevator, Raven began her ascent, a million thoughts on her mind at what she had witnessed thus far, and many more questions to ask. Only problem was no one was around to ask. Climbing flight after flight seemed to wear on her, but she pushed through, as well as found a newly-gained respect for the stairs themselves, regretting she took elevators for granted. In any case, though somewhat fatiguing, she finally made it to the top, slowly pushed on the heavy door, finding that it wouldn't budge. Yet another try produced the same result. Becoming frustrated, Raven backed up a few feet, and shoulder-checked the door, finally getting it to swing open. Upon closer inspection, Raven found that the door had been bolted shut with a small plate, and she had ripped the rusting materials free of the door and frame with the force she applied. Though annoying for a moment, it was a sign of a good thing, as no vandals or punk kids had came up into the actual main part of the Tower, at least not the majority of them anyways. From the way things looked, the ones that did tried awfully hard to get there, as damage appeared to be at a minimal. Aside from the large plate-glass windows being nothing more than shards, a majority of them laying on the floor, minor graffiti, and all the electronics removed as well, but in a more professional manner, it was in rather good condition for it to be in depredation. Everything felt so…similar, a wave of happiness washed over her, almost imagining all her friends there, celebrating her return, but it was nothing but silence, aside from the wind blowing through the created opening in the windows. Snow had managed to collect on the floor in front of the windows, as wells form small drifts in the corners. Flakes drifted through the air stirred by the wind.
"Home sweet," Raven said aloud in the stillness as she continued to take it in, "…home. Not what I expected to come home to, but home nonetheless. It just doesn't seem real that this is what the Tower has come to."
Raven ran her hand across the kitchen table that the team enjoyed many meals at, enjoying one another's presence, and just being tight-knit, like any family would.
"Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, Beast Boy, all…gone, living normal lives, putting the past behind them, putting…me behind them."
A tear managed to run down her chilled cheek from the winter air, easily feeling it. She immediately wiped it away as she pushed the lock of long, violet hair behind her ear, uncovering her injured eye. Though scarred, David's very esscene within her person that saved her from death also healed her considerably, and her eye was no different. Though damaged, blurred sight was possible out of it, and the scar was less prominent. The ghost white tinge was less intense, and the violet iris beneath it could be barely made out. So used to relying solely on her good eye for so long, it was difficult to use both, and until by some science or miracle, her eye was going to get no better, so she opted to keep it covered.
She turned, looking stern out across the bay through the absent window.
"No, they are out there, and everything will be as it was when they find out that I have returned. I have defied death, overcame impossible obstacles, and traveled thousands of miles, taking years to do so. I'm so close; I can feel it, no longer a dream, but a reality as I stand here. I'm not about to give up now. It was I that broke this team apart through my treachery and failure to save not only them, but myself in the end. Now, my time for redemption has come, it is resting solely upon my shoulders to revive the Titans, reunite with my family and friends, and bring hope back to the remnants of the city before me. The rites of passage behind me," she continued, despite talking to herself, it controlled her emotions, "now…now is my rebirth."
Just as she was about to pick up her bag, the sound of crunching glass beneath one's feet sounded from the darkness of the hall to her right, the area of the Tower that the boys called home. Raven's sharpened senses easily picked up on it, getting her attention.
"Who's there?" She called out confidently, not know if a danger awaited, hoping to ward it off, "Show yourself."
Two omniscient eyes of glowing blue hue came to life from the darkness, the footsteps growing closer and closer, each louder than the last. Raven could tell whatever it was had mass to it; the footsteps were very heavy, almost…machine like in their repetition. The apparent figure continued in Raven's direction, quickly accelerating in speed, and leaping from the darkness, still shrouded by shadows, showing its true form of a large male individual, his apparent target was Raven.
"Talk about a warm welcoming," thought Raven as she prepared to defend herself, allowing her backpack to drop to the ground without incident. Yet, a familiarity remained in the back of her mind to what she witnessed, something was indeed related to about this figure, even in a positive manner, she could almost feel it. As the figure grew closer to her in the air, ready to pounce, now was not the time to figure out what was going on.
