A/N: Booyah! I'm back! xD Thanks for the awesome reviews, guys! You rock! I can't wait to see how this story will turn out, I have lots of ideas..X) Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter! I would think this story takes place..after the fifth season. ^_^"
"..Raven?" Bella whispered, her panic slowly changing to relief. "..You look different..from last time I sawed you, anyways." Her voice slightly shook from her earlier tears and suddenly the stormy clouds fully parted.
"..I could say the same." Raven looked at her, still patiently holding out her hand. Bella looked at it and and slowly took her sister's hand, hesitating for a moment. Then she looked back at Raven. Her mother's words still echoed in her head: "You musn't meet your sister. It's forbidden. The monks of Azarath are training her to prepare her for her destiny. I'm afraid you would only be a distraction and it wouldn't do any good if you grew emotionally attached."
But Bella was so relieved to see someone familiar in this new world she had somehow been transported to, that she buried herself in Raven's arms, trembling. Images flashed through her mind and she tightened her grip, never wanting to let go.
Raven's eyes widened briefly in uncertainty. She glanced at Cyborg and Starfire, frowning, then pulled away from Bella's death grip. "..That's enough." Her words came out more curt than she'd meant for them to.
"..I don't recall you mentioning to us of a sister," Starfire said, her voice lined with confusion. "I assumed that only I had siblings."
Before Raven could respond, Beast Boy suddenly ran up. "Dudes! What's taking you so lo--" He stopped in his tracks at the sight of Bella. "Whaaa?"
Bella's eyes widened as she glanced around, flustered at all the attention. Beast Boy cocked his head, pointing at Raven then at Bella. "..Okay, I'm freaking out here. If you're Raven," At this he pointed at Raven then peered at Bella, "then who's that??"
"I'm..I'm Bella," she answered quietly, lowering her gaze to the ground before sticking her thumb in her mouth.
Cyborg sideglanced at the quieter-than-usual Raven, then looked at BB. "This is Raven's sis." He bent down and smiled warmly at Bella. "We're friends of your sister's. I'm Cyborg, this is Starfire, and that's Beast Boy," he introduced, pointing to each as he said their name.
Starfire squealed and clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh, glorious! It is much of the pleasure to make your acquaintance, Bella!"
Finally Raven spoke up again, frowning. "How did you get here?" she asked softly.
Bella looked terribly confused. "I..I don't know. I just..did."
Raven suddenly remembered the vision she'd had after her birthday..Azarath being destroyed. And by the anguished look Bella suddenly had on her face, Raven knew her sister was hiding something. Frowning, she opened her mouth to ask, but Cyborg cut in before she could get the words out.
"Enough chit-chat. We can ask the questions later. But it looks to me like this little girl is hungry. Am I right or am I right?" Cyborg grinned, picking up Bella and placing her on his shoulder. Bella, whose eyes were wide as saucers for a moment, suddenly started giggling and gave a wordless nod.
Starfire laughed merrily. "What a splendid idea!" she bubbled, hovering in the air. "Do let us be partaking of the food!"
Only Raven lingered behind, looking at Bella with a frown. Cyborg glanced over his shoulder briefly. "You comin', Rae?"
"..Go on ahead. I'll catch up." Raven turned, the slight breeze blowing the ends of her cloak. As their voices faded in the distance, Raven looked at the setting sun, unanswered questions buzzing in her head. How did Bella get here..and what was she hiding?
"So, you're Raven's sister, huh?" Beast Boy asked as they walked into the pizza parlor. "Do you know a thousand languages and read creepy books?"
Bella looked startled. Slowly she shook her head. Cyborg frowned at BB before setting her down in a chair. "How 'bout some pizza? Sound good?" Cyborg asked the withdrawn little girl.
Bella frowned. "..What's pizza?" she asked quietly.
"Oh, it is an edible food! Most of the delicious tasting!" Starfire exclaimed merrily.
Beast Boy's eyes were wide. "You don't know what pizza is?! What kinda stuff do you eat back at your place, anyway?"
"..Bread. An' fruit. Lotsa different kinds." Bella's lavender eyes dimmed for a moment.
Beast Boy noticed her sudden cloudy mood and grinned. "Hey, Bells, watch this." He took an unwrapped straw that was on the table and undid the very end, then blew into the straw. The wrapper went flying and hit Raven on the head as she floated in.
"Booyah!" Cyborg exclaimed, high-fiving Beast Boy. "Nice aim!" Even Bella was giggling now, and everyone was heartened at the new light that appeared on the girl's cute face.
Raven rolled her eyes and slid into the booth. "Do it again and see what happens," she warned Beast Boy, an edge to her voice.
As Cyborg and Beast Boy went to go order the pizza, their argument over which kind they should choose filling the air. "I'm a vegetarian, dude! I can't eat that piece of slaughtered pig you call pepperoni!"
Raven sighed then studied her sister for a moment. "So..how are things..in Azarath?"
Bella's face fell and she looked down at the table. "..I don't know no more," she said in a barely audible voice.
Raven frowned, both curious and concerned at this statement. But she remained straight-faced as always, although her deep eyes flickered for a moment. "What do you m-"
Just then Beast Boy and Cyborg came back, plastic cups in their arms. "I'm gettin' me some root beer!" Beast Boy exclaimed then ran off with his cup toward the soda machine.
"Oh! I am wondering if they attain some of the beverage we call mustard?" Starfire thought aloud then flew to the counter in an excited rush.
Raven sighed again then took her cup. She looked over at the gloomy-faced Bella and inwardly groaned. The one time she met Bella in Azarath when she had been training with the monks, Bella had never been this solemn. Always happy-go-lucky and cheerful and a big smile on her face. What on earth had happened to dim Bella's spirits so much? Apparently she knew more than she let on. "..Do you want tea?" Raven finally managed to ask Bella, who hadn't budged from her seat. Raven took her sister's cup with her other hand.
Bella nodded. "The sweet brown kind though, please." She looked over at Beast Boy, who was pouring the soda straight into his mouth from the machine and giggled slightly. "He's silly."
"He's also annoying and obnoxious."
Bella shrugged. "I dunno. I think he's real funny."
"Funny-looking, that's for sure." Raven rolled her gaze upwards when she heard Cyborg cheering on Beast Boy, "Chug! Chug!"
Bella burst into more giggles, a small smile crossing her face. "Yeah. He's green. An' he has ears like a elf's."
Raven pulled her hood back on with her telekinesis to hide a small smile. "..I'm going to go get our drinks." Still holding the cups, she turned back around and headed toward the soda machine. As she filled Bella's cup with sweet tea and hers with unsweet, she made the soda Beast Boy was chugging splash and explode in his face with her telekinesis. When Beast Boy shrieked in alarm, she couldn't help but smirk as Bella's giggles mingled with Starfire and Cyborg's laughter.
When everyone returned to the table, Cyborg brought up a new subject. "So..Bella..how old are you?" Bella held up seven fingers proudly.
"One..two..three.." Beast Boy counted her fingers to himself. Raven shook her head and smacked him. Bella giggled again.
"What was it like for you and Raven back home?" Cyborg continued.
Bella shrugged, looking down at the table. "I lived with my mommy. Raven was bein' teached by the monks of Azarath. I only sawed her one time, when I was little." Raven nodded slowly, remembering.
The pizza (half of it cheese, half of it pepperoni) was delivered to their table. As Raven put an average-sized slice on Bella's plate and handed it to her, Bella looked at it curiously and reached for a fork.
Beast Boy laughed. "You don't eat it like that. Check me out, kid. Watch and learn." BB demonstrated, holding the slice in his hand and taking a bite. Bella cocked her head, looking slightly amused, then ate it the same way he had.
"..Where do you live, Raven?" Bella asked quietly when silence had fallen.
"We all dwell together!" Starfire responded before Raven could. "Observe." Starfire leaned out the window and pointed to the T-Tower in the distance.
Bella's eyes widened. "Alla you guys live in that big T?" she asked incredulously.
"Booyah! They don't call us the Teen Titans for nothin'," Cyborg grinned, shoving another piece of pizza in his mouth.
"..Teen Titans?" Bella frowned. "That's a weird name."
"We're the superheroes of the town," Beast Boy explained. "Yanno, kick bad guy butts and save the day. That kinda thing. We all have superpowers. Guess mine!" He grinned.
Bella's eyes grew even wider. "Superheroes?! I thought those were just make-believe!" she exclaimed in awe.
Everyone except Raven exchanged glances. Raven shook her head. "No. They're not."
Bella smiled. "Awesome!" She glanced around at the table, her voice lowering. "..You guys all have superpowers? I already knowed that Raven kinda did, but.."
"Indeed!" Starfire beamed. "I can emit bolts of green energy from my hands and eyes."
Cyborg made his robotic arm transform into a cannon. "I'm half-robot."
Beast Boy jumped up. "Bella! What's your favorite animal?"
Bella looked bewildered at the sudden change of subject. "Um..a horse, I guess."
"Then watch THIS!" Beast Boy transformed into a green horse, and Bella shrieked excitedly, clapping her hands.
"Wow! That's the awesomest power ever! Can ya change into more animals??" Bella asked, leaning forward, her eyes glittering. Lunch was momentarily forgotten.
Beast Boy turned back to normal. "You bet I can!"
Suddenly the communicator beeped and Raven flipped hers open, only to see Robin. "Raven here."
"I need all of you to report back to the tower immediately. I think I've got a lock on Dr. Light's location. Also, I've found some new leads on that group of new villains. Robin out." The screen faded to black.
Bella looked at her, eyes wide in uncertainty. "W..Who was that?"
"Robin," Raven replied. "He's the leader of our team. You'll meet him soon."
"Come! We must do the introducing of Robin to Bella!" Starfire giggled, flying out of her seat.
Bella slowly crawled out of the booth and took Raven's hand, which surprised her briefly but decided to let it slide. As they walked to the tower, everyone else chattering, Raven couldn't help but wonder what Boy Wonder himself would think about Bella. Everyone had figured she didn't have any siblings and that's what Raven let them think.
Oh well. One way to find out, she supposed. But Raven still hadn't forgotten about the questions she meant to ask her sister in private later. Answers were needed, and she was going to get them.
One way or another.
A/N: I thought that was a good stopping point. Please review, I would very much appreciate feedback!! :D Take care and God bless, I'M OUT! For now..x]
