"Alright, I'm going to order pizza!" Garfield Logan announced, raising the phone. "Who wants what?"

Terra, Alix, and Erik let out a collective groan.

"What's wrong with pizza?" he asked defensively, setting the phone down on the counter.

"No offense, Gar," Erik began, "but we have been eating pizza every day for the past week."

"Yeah, I'm in the mood for a burger," Terra added.

"Fine," Gar sighed. "Vic, go pick up burgers for everyone. I don't think they deliver."

Victor paused the video game he was playing with Terra and turned to face Gar. "Why do I have to go get the burgers?" he inquired, obviously peeved.

"Because I don't eat meat, remember?"

"So?"

"What do you mean 'so'? Why should I have to get food I'm not going to eat? And besides, you couldn't pay me to walk into that meat-themed atrocity!"

"You worked there once!"

"That was different!"

"Alright already!" Terra interrupted. "I'll go get the grub," she volunteered, handing off her video game controller to Erik.

"You are a lifesaver!" Vic praised with an exaggerated sweep of his arm.

"And a cow killer," Gar muttered good-naturedly.

"Yeah, yeah," Terra dismissed as she walked into the kitchen. "I'm taking orders," she called, swiping a notepad and a pen off the counter.

-O-O-O-

"Door!" Erik, Vic, and Gar called simultaneously.

"Yes, we can hear the doorbell perfectly well, thank you," Raven replied in her usual monotone without looking up from her book.

"Honey, do you think you could-," Gar began sweetly.

"No."

"I'll get it," Alix sighed, setting her phone down on the kitchen table on her way to the elevator.

"You're a lifesaver!" Gar said, mocking Vic's earlier remark.

Alix rolled her eyes at him as the elevator doors closed. When they opened again several seconds later she was on the ground floor of the Tower. She crossed the lobby swiftly, weaving her way through the labyrinth of display cases. Technically Titans' Tower was still a museum, but she, Erik, and Terra had been allowed to crash there with Vic, so long as they did not damage the property or disturb the tourists. Today was a holiday, so most of the Tower was eerily quiet and empty.

Alix felt goosebumps rise on the back of her neck and shuddered slightly at the echoing sounds of her footfalls on the tile. She knew her fear was irrational, but the stillness of the dimly-lit lobby creeped her out every time she was down here, so she spurred her feet to move a little quicker. When she reached the large front doors after what seemed like an eternity she quickly slapped the keypad on the wall to open them. She let out a breath of relief as the doors slid open, revealing a world of life, color, and light outside what had felt like a tomb.

"Hello, how may I-. Are you okay?" Alix asked when her eyes were at last drawn to their visitor.

The girl was unfamiliar to Alix, with a petite, fragile figure. Her long, black hair was knotted and drenched, and her blue dress was drenched and torn. She looked like a castaway, fresh off of a sinking ship.

"I need... I need help," she gasped.

"Hang on, did you swim here?" Alix questioned incredulously. Her eyes quickly scanned the shore of the island for a ferry, a helicopter, some mode of transportation, but found none. If the girl did swim then it was no wonder she was exhausted; the coast of Jump City was close to a mile away.

"I..." The girl suddenly swayed and began to topple forward. Alix managed to catch her just before she hit the floor. Still cradling the stranger in one arm she stretched her free hand up towards the control panel and activated the Tower's intercom.

"Hey guys!" she called. "I could use some help down here."


A/N:Lots of questions and not a lot of answers so far, huh? I like to keep you guys in suspense ^_^