A.N.: Well, I wonder if the prologue's ending came as a shock to anyone. If so it was written how I wanted it to. If not, I guess I have to try harder to keep my readers, assuming you're out there :P , interested. I have a plan for where the story is going, so stay tuned for many more surprises to come. I'll be introducing a new character soon, someone with the last name of Wayne, but it may not be the Wayne you are thinking of.

Chapter 1: Old Friends

"I wish you could stay here, forever, Raven, but I can't support both of us for long, and what if I go out there, to help those in need, and don't come back. What then?"

Beast Boy had said those words almost five years ago now. They were sixteen, sophmores in high school. B.B. was on top of his game in the hero world, but for what was essentially volunteer work, he didn't make much money at all. At the time, most of his money had come from his parents, whom were no longer living, but Raven did not find out this fact until much later. Raven thought quite a bit about that statement Beast Boy had made, and how Raven had believed that he was invincible, and would never fall to anyone.

The alarm was still ringing by 8:45 as Raven just lay there naked between the sheets of her bed, reminiscing about the better times.

"You little slut!" a voice screamed in her head suddenly, "All you want to do is fuck and get fucked! Just like I always told you!"

Even though it was all in her head, Raven covered her ears. She didn't want to hear it. She just wanted that voice to disappear forever.

"Dad, you fucking bastard, leave me alone. You aren't hear anymore. Leave me alone!" Raven cried out in her rough voice, forcing as much emotion as she could.

Raven almost always spoke without much excitment in her voice, putting as much empahsis on the happiest thing in the world as she did to the saddest thing in the world. At least, when she spoke to others that is how she spoke. From the days she spent pleading for her father not to raise the fist again, to the lighter times with Starfire and her friends, she had spoken just like that. Her voice would change when she was with Beast Boy though, showing him every possible emotion she was feeling. This awful voice in her head was the first time in many weeks she'd raised her voice or showed much emotion in it.

She put her hands up in the air so that her fingertips were level with her eyes. She remembered the alley, the place where she saved Beast Boy fromy dying, when she took out half of the Jump City Police Department with a burst of amazing power she never knew she had. After that time, she had never been able to use those powers again. When she felt sad, nothing turned over anymore. When she was angry, nothing every flew off the wall toward someone. She had wondered if her happiness with Beast Boy for so long had subsided the darkness inside of her. Of course Raven had lost the memories of her mother's death, and had never known she was truly responsible for what happened, and at that time she had had no reason beyond fear to use her powers. No matter what the case, nothing had happened in almost five years.

At 9:00 a.m. Raven finally climbed out of bed. It was cold for July, and Raven found herself moving faster than usual to get dressed. She pulled on pink pair of udnerwear and a bra to match, then rummaged through her closet, finally settling on a balck t-shirt with a long skirt, accompanied by some long black leggings. After getting the clothes on, she brushed her short hair straight down like it always was, then walke dout onto thebalcony of her apartment. She looked out across the city, seeing hundreds of cars filling the streets and people trying to go about their daily lives. This was Gotham City, and it was a very different place from Jump City.

Raven went in afte r afew minutes and sat down at the table. A bill for the apartment had been sitting there for three days now. She had the money for it, but the next one would be here soon, and she'd have to make more by then. Raven decided maybe it was time for her to look for a job. Just then her phone rang. Raven didn't get many phoen calls, and jumped up, startled by the ring. She picked up the phone carefully and put the reciever to he rear.

"Hello?" she questioned in her emotionless voice.

"Raven? Raven my friend?! Is it really you?!" a voice increasingly escalated in volume on the other end.

"Starfire?!" Raven said, almost sounding surprised.

"Raven, it is you! I have finally found you! I knew you ran away after everything that happened here, but I finally found you! And at agreat time too. Everything ha sbeen forgtten! After Beast Boy came back to the public a couple years ago, completely cured of his problems, the police here deemed the incident uncontrollable, and then the talk of a psychic girl began to make the officers involved seem more and more crazy the more the story circulated. The case has been closed, Raven, and now you are free of everything!" starfire could not control her excitment.

Raven was speechless. She knew B.B. had been forgiven for the events that happened years ago, but she never thought it would all just disappear completely. She felt happy, but the happiness soon faded with the realization that it was still too late. B.B. could never enjoy true freedom with her again. He could never see them change the name their apartment was registered to to their real names. He could never return to Jump City with her to visit her old friends. It was all still too late.

Starfire soon realized she had brought up Beast Boy and said, "Oh Rae, I'm sorry. I heard about the incident. I'm sorry I shouldn't..."

"It's ok Star," she said, tears pooling in her eyes, "you just got excited. Star, I want to see you, and everybody again, but can you call me back in a couple hours?"

"Yes Raven," she said, still trying to stay cheerful, "I have wonderful stories, including how I finally found you!"

Raven smiled and hung the phone up. Then she broke down and cried.