"Garfield Mark Logan you better not be sleeping. It won't be pretty if I have to come up there. I mean it. I'll ask your dad to give you a shot and then you'll be all green. Garfield, are you listening to me?"

Garfield feel out of the top bunk as his mother suddenly stood next to him and yelled.

"I'm up. I'm up."

His mother just rolled her eyes and turned as she had done her job.

"Besides Terra is waiting for you."

This news made Garfield jump up on two. He was eighteen, and still slept in a bunk bed. He knew it was juvenile, but had always felt more comfortable when he slept of the ground. He walked to the window and pulled away the shades.

The sun hit his body and started to warm it as his blue eyes swept over the African landscape growing from the bottom of his out and out into infinity. He pulled his finger through his short blond hair and sighed.

He had dreamed of her again. He turned and looked at the doziness of animal pictures covering his wall and ceiling. Thou he had many different species; there was still one that he had more of than anything else. Ravens.

"Who are you?"

Then he remembered that his girlfriend was waiting downstairs and ran over to his closet to find something to wear.

--

"Hi Richard."

"Wow Richard I saw you last night and you where wonderful."

"You really were."

Richard nodded to the girls from his class before he started his motorcycle and drove back to the circus.

Richard Grey knew he was handsome. He was fit, semi long unruly black hair, the mystery of always wearing sunglasses, and of course the motorcycle. Girls always loved motorcycles. But he had never been with a woman all his life. The truth was, that no matter where the circus went, and what kind of girl fell to his feet, he never fell in love. At night he would look up at the stars, and feel the closest thing to love he thought he would ever feel.

Now that's not to say he didn't know how his fantasy woman looked like. He knew. Actually when he dreamed he dreamed of her. A tall woman, with slightly orange skin, red hair down to her waist, and big green eyes. But she wasn't only woman he dreamed of. He also dreamed of her. Not as someone he could ever date, but a friend. A very good friend.

Richard parked and walked into the ring. He looked up as he leaned on the banister and looked his parents. They where training their new routine, the raven, when his father jumped too short and fell down to the netting below.

"Oh my god. John."

"Dad."

His father smiled as he climbed out of the net and jumped down on the ground.

"It's okay Mary. I'm fine."

"Thank god."

Then his mother let go and fell down on the net. His father helped her out and she hugged him, before slapping him over the back of his head.

"Don't you ever do that to me again John. I mean it."

His father laughed before kissing her.

"Sorry Mary."

"What would I ever do without you?"

"That's why we train, isn't it Dick. So that won't be something you will have to worry about."

Richard smiled and nodded.

--

"No, I said a 10,3 inch cylinder. Not a 10,0. Try to get this right people."

"Yes Mr Stone."

Victor smiled to his chief mechanic. Victor Stone was one of the best car designer and mechanics in the west of America, despite his young age, and he was also one of the best bosses. He just needed things to be a certain way. And his mechanics knew that.

Victor turned and walked back into his office and sat down in his huge leather chair. The company he had been working for had asked him to join right out of high school and he had loved every minuet of it. His life was perfect…

Victor pulled out a drawer and pulled out a drawing. It was of a woman, tall, hourglass figure and something he had found out was called a charcra. She wasn't the woman of his dreams. She was just a woman he dreamed of, often.

"Mr Stone, your father is here."

"Send him in."

Victor sighed, put the drawing back, and stood up. He loved his father, he did. But since his mother had died all that had been on his fathers mind was his work. He worked on creating artificial organs out of computer chips and metal, and thou the idea of having chips in your body scared Victor, knew he that his fathers work would one day save lives.

"Victor."

"Dad."

Victor gave his father a hug, and just ignored that he didn't hug back. His father had never been able to communicate with his son. The only thing they had in common was their fascination for computers and metal work.

"How are you dad?"

"Fine. Do you have it?"

Victor sighed and went back to his desk, opened a draw and pulled out a small disk. Victor had found a way to make the metal even more thin and enduring, and of course had his father loved that he had done this. He gave his father the disk and for a long time, none of the Stone men talked.

"So, what are you working on now Victor?"

Victor walked to the window overlooking the work and showed his father.

"It's a new car."

"Interesting design, and what are you calling this one."

"Raven."

--

"Your majesty."

"Yes Galfore."

"The counsel is waiting."

Queen Koriand'r got to her feet and nodded weakly to her old K'norfka and her second in command.

Koriand'r was one of the most beautiful queens Tamaran had seen for many years. She was also the most ruthless and intelligent. She was young, but regardless had the entire counsel sworn elegancy to her, and followed her almost blindly.

She walked into the room, and every one of the counsel men rose, as they should. She sat down.

"Be seated."

First now did the men sit down on their chairs, all but one.

"P'nor."

"Your majesty. Is it not time to talk about a husband for you?"

"No."

"But your majesty."

Koriand'r rose. The man, thou he was twice as big as her suddenly turned a sickening shade of pale orange and sat down quickly.

"I will talk about taking a husband when it is suitable for me P'nor, not sooner. Is that understood?"

Not a word. No one dared look at him, and he was just shivering as he sat there. That subject had always been a touchy subject for her.

"I asked P'nor if that was understood?"

Still no one dared to say a word.

"Don't make me repeat myself."

"It's understood."

"Good."

Koriand'r sat down and turned to her second in command. None of the men in the room knew what was going on in her mind. Nor did any of them dare to ask. She had never told them of the people haunting her dreams. Especially the woman in the blue cloak and the dark haired man.

"So what do you want to call the plan your majesty?"

Koriand'r looked at Galfore, and no one would ever know that her mind had drifted for a second.

"Let's call it Raven."

"Raven your majesty?"

It had been P'nor who had talked without thinking again. The look Koriand'r sent him made the other council men actually rise up and leave the table. Just as they did this, did P'nor understand his mistake.

"You have something against that name P'nor?"

"No, of course not you majesty."

"Oh, but if you do please tell me. I'm always open for critique. You don't like that name, why?"

Now no one would claim P'nor was the smartest Tameranian in the universe. The only reason he was in the seat was because he had inherited it from his father, who had been one of the few persons Koriand'r had liked.

"Well, isn't it just a bit creepy. It's an earth bird isn't it?"

No answer. The body just said a weak dump as it hit the floor. Koriand'r looked around at her other councilmen.

"Any other objections?"

"No."

"Good."

Koriand'r gave the sword to one of her guards and left the room.

--

"When are you leaving?"

"Next week, you know that."

Garifeld looked down on his forwning girlfriend and smiled.

"I'm sorry, but I have been planning this of over a year."

"But why do you have to go?"

Terra was lying on her back and picking a straw to pieces. Garfield was half lying half sitting next to her. On his lips a smile that only came when he talked about the USA and his animals, and Terra hated it.

"It going to be fun. Besides this is the best school in the world. And I want to see where my parents come from. Don't you."

She just made a face and turned her back to him. Garfield sighed and lay down on the ground. The closer it came for him to leave, the more difficult she was. Why couldn't she see how important it was to him? Over him flew a raven. Garfield couldn't help but smile.

--

"Who's that?"

Richard never read the newspaper. He didn't want to be depressed by all the bad news. But something in the face covering half of the front page made him stop. He felt he had seen the face before, but he knew he hadn't. It was like he had dreamed it.

"Victor Stone, the car designer."

The clown looked over the edge of the paper at the man trying to read the front page.

"You want too…"

Richard pulled the paper out of his hands before he could finish. He flipped over to the page and read and reread the article. It wasn't much. Just saying that Victor Stone had won an award and would be in Gotham City next week to receive it. Richard didn't know why, but he was shaking.

--

"Your majesty are you sure this is so wise?"

Koriand'r looked at Galfore.

"You're questioning my judgement?"

"Of course not, but…"

Koriand'r turned towards him. Had it been anyone else would she have scolded him, but she trusted Galfore and actually cared for him. But she would never tell him that. He just knew.

"If we are taking over the earth need we to spy, and I want to see this planet. Until I'm back you will be in command. Is that understood general?"

She used his title to end the discussion. Galfore saluted her as she walked into the wassail and flew away.