April 25, 2012, 01:04 EST — The Watchtower

A lone leaguer returned to the control room from his hourly patrol.

"YAWN, I don't know how you do it, Bruce," the Flash muttered as he approached the console.

"Practice," the Batman sullenly replied without looking up from the monitors.

"You're hilarious, man." Flash took a seat next to Batman. "Even Nightwing can't keep up with you, and he's had an entire lifetime of practice."

"Diligence, then." Batman narrowed his eyes as he noticed an abnormality on one of the screens. "Did you see anything in the arboretum?"

"No, why?" Flash glanced over at the security cam footage from the room in question and noticed a cloaked figure emerge from a mysterious shadow. "What the…?"

"Lock down the tower," Batman commanded. "I'll contact the rest of the league."

April 25, 2012, 11:59 EST — Mount Justice

"Good Morning, sleepyhead," M'gann teased. "Or should I say afternoon?"

"Wha…?" A sleepy, green Garfield Logan stumbled into the room. "Sis? Why aren't you at school?"

"I'm on lunch break, silly," she chided. "What about you, why aren't you at school? Mr. Carr's been here for over an hour."

"Mr.—WHAT?!" Beast Boy immediately perked up and started running towards the cave's main room. "I overslept again!"

While rushing to meet up with his tutor, Gar's sensitive ears overheard a conversation in one of the private rooms that made him pause.

"…they found her wandering around the watchtower arboretum at one o'clock this morning. She came quietly, but won't say how she got in. Bats says she agreed to explain why, but only to the full league."

"Who all has talked to her so far?" Black Canary asked calmly.

Intrigued, Garfield couldn't resist butting in. "Talked to who?"

"Garfield?" Black Canary reacted with mild surprise.

"Who's that?" Green Arrow's voice came over the comm.

"It's Beast Boy." Dinah turned to Garfield with a stern look. "Shouldn't you be studying with Mr. Carr right now?"

"Oops!" Gar's face tinged reddish brown, and quickly continued his previous sprint to the main room.

"I'll zeta up and help with your interrogation in five," Beast Boy heard Black Canary continue as he sped down the hall.

"I'm sorry," Gar slumped down with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath, "I'm late, Mr. Carr."

"Garfield, if you were in a regular school, you'd be expelled by now for all the times you've been late to class," Snapper Carr sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I have half a mind to recommend the team bench you for any upcoming missions until you improve your tardiness problem."

"No, no, no! Please, Mr. Carr, don't do that! I promise I'll change."

"Yeah, yeah, that's what you say every day, buddy. Maybe try keeping that promise from time to time, and maybe I'll start taking you more seriously." Snapper walked over to the blank white board that had been set up for him. "Now grab your history text and open to chapter 23."

April 25, 2012, 18:13 EST — The Watchtower

The full Justice League sat at their conference table facing a young woman in her early- to mid-twenties wearing a hooded, dark blue cloak. She was flanked on either side by Superman and Martian Manhunter.

"Thank you for taking the time to meet with me," the woman began in a low, smokey voice.

"We've gone through a lot of trouble to meet your request of speaking to the whole league," Batman began. "Now who are you, and why did you come here?"

"My name is Raven of Azerath," the woman lowered her hood to reveal a deathly pale complexion and jet black, shoulder-length hair. "And I have come to request your assistance."

"Azerath?" Superman questioned. "Is that another planet?"

"No, it's what you may think of as another dimension. I was raised by the monks there, though my mother hails from here on Earth."

"And your father?" Batman pressed.

"My father is the reason I require your assistance. You may know him as Scath, or perhaps Trigon." Raven paused and looked around to room for any signs of recognition. Most leaguers appeared indifferent, or confused and slightly concerned, but there was one whose face betrayed his knowledge.

"Trigon the Terrible?" Doctor Fate stood and slammed his hands on the table. "The conqueror of worlds is your father?!"

"Yes," Raven replied calmly.

"Friends, we cannot provide aide to this woman." Fate turned and addressed his fellow leaguers. "Her heritage is demonic, and she cannot be trusted."

Members of the Justice League started whispering to each other, and stealing distrusting glances at Raven.

"The best we can do is ask that you return to your home dimension immediately and stay there," Fate glanced around the room to confirm the others' agreement with him. "We do not want your kind of trouble here on Earth." At Fate's motioned command, a golden ankh portal opened next to Raven.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot return to Azerath," Raven replied sadly. "And if I will not receive help here, I shall have to seek it elsewhere. Good day." Ignoring the portal Doctor Fate opened, Raven sunk into the shadows at her feet, and disappeared without a trace.

April 25, 2012, 21:23 EST — Mount Justice

Nightwing, visually uneasy, stood before the whole team in the main room of Mount Justice.

"Okay, team, you may have already heard rumors that a stranger somehow infiltrated the Watchtower early this morning," he sighed and pulled up an image of Raven from the Watchtower security footage on the holographic image projector. "I'm here to confirm those rumors. At oh-one hundred hours, Batman and Flash noticed this woman had appeared from nowhere inside the Watchtower arboretum."

"How did she get in? How did she even know the Watchtower is up there?!" demanded Superboy.

"We're still unclear on that." Nightwing pulled up a second image of Raven addressing the Justice League. "She was held in custody until a few hours ago, when she addressed the Justice League and identified herself as 'Raven of Azerath.' She requested assistance with something about her father, but when Doctor Fate revealed the, uh, demonic, nature of her parentage, the League turned down her request and she teleported away without answering any further questions."

"Teleported?" asked Kid Flash. "Like she had access to boom tube tech without anyone noticing?"

"No," Nightwing responded. "We're unclear exactly how she's teleporting, but we're pretty sure her ability is magic in origin, given her heritage.

"The League has asked us all to keep a sharp eye out and contact your League mentor or a senior member of the team should you spot her anywhere. Given her teleportation ability, she could be anywhere, including off-world, but don't let your guard down. If you do spot her, do not engage her. Following at a safe distance is optional, but only as long as she's unaware of your presence."

"So wait a minute," Artemis interjects. "They didn't even hear her out? Just because of who her parents are? Since when does the League judge people based on the actions of their parents?!"

"Artemis is right, that doesn't seem very fair." Miss Martian frowned.

"According to Doctor Fate her nature is too volatile, and it's just too dangerous for the League to become involved in. Her parents aren't criminals, Artemis," Nightwing shot her a sympathetic look. "They're apparently, actual, factual demons. Like fire and brimstone.

"In any case," Nightwing began again. "Let's call it an early night for tonight. We've all still got school tomorrow."

The team bade each other good night and headed their separate ways. Miss Martian ushered Beast Boy straight to his room, despite the boy's protests.

"Hey, Sis, do you think that's why she has her hood up?" he asked suddenly. "To hide her horns?"

"I don't know, Gar." Miss Martian gave the boy a quick kiss on the forehead. "It's time for bed, though. I'll be back in the morning to make sure you wake up on time. Good night."

"G'night, Sis."