DARKNESS RETURNS
Chapter 4
AN: Going forward, the normal text in the story will represent the dominant language. I.e. in Nerima it will be Japanese and in Jump City it will be English. If the venue changes in a chapter, however, the format will not change to avoid confusion, it will follow the language of the first scene. Also, names will no longer be differentiated, assume they are in their native language.
"Titans, go!" = English
"Let's do our best!" = Japanese
-DR-
JUMP CITY: 10 days ago
The two teens staggered as they materialized in the quiet room. Ranma examined the glass cases with interest as Nabiki strode forward, peering around displays. An infant's crying was abnormally loud after the silence.
"Is that you or this Warp guy?" the pigtailed boy wondered, half tongue in cheek.
"If you had been paying attention, you'd know that had to be Warp. I was already thrown back in time," the indigo-haired girl sniffed. "And I think we should stick with English. You could use the practice to knock off the rust and we don't want to be jabbering in Japanese if some security guard wanders by and wonders what we're doing."
"Ah, time travel like it gots, er, gots to like it."
"Syntax is a bitch isn't it?" Nabiki said smugly. "Here we go." The pale girl knelt down beside a suit of high tech armor. An infant's wailing sounded from within. Ranma undid the breastplate, revealing a rather homely baby.
"So what do we do with the ankler bite?" the pigtailed boy asked, rubbing the back of his head.
"Just put him off to one side. I don't want to hurt him, but I'm not going to waste time on him. I'm sure he'll be put up for adoption." Ranma spread out the former villain's jump suit as a makeshift blanket. The baby had stopped crying and was looking at the black-haired boy with interest.
"So what we looking for?" The pigtailed boy paused. "What are we looking for?"
"Anything that might give us a clue about Warp's plans," Nabiki explained distractedly as she began going through the time traveler's equipment. "You've got to be kidding me."
"What is it?"
The pale girl held up what looked like a small, hand held TV with a keypad. Her grin told Ranma this was a good thing. "What sort of bad guy keeps a PDA?" Seeing her partner's blank expression, she tried to explain. "Personal Digital Assistant. It's like an electronic diary. The problem will be accessing it. I wonder…" Holding the device down by the infant, Nabiki gently grabbed the baby's hand and swiped one tiny finger across a black square. The screen flashed, 'DNA scan complete, data verified, files open.'
"Okay Ranma, cover me while I see how hard this thing is to use. We may need to take baby Warp with us." Nabiki began tapping away at the keypad while Ranma kept watch, occasionally nudging the baby back onto his makeshift blanket. After five minutes, the middle Tendo was grinning and shaking her head.
"Whatever else Warp was, a computer pro he was not. I've switched his security measures over to my biometrics, so I can open the files any time. Let's blow this popsicle stand."
"I got that last, roger. Too bad, I'll miss the place." Nabiki chanted her centering phrase and a black bubble enclosed them both and moved them through the wall. As they left, the regressed Warp began crying again.
-DR-
The first order of business had been to exchange all of their modern yen for dollars, a quick and painless transaction, given Jump City's status as a major Pacific port. Then it was time to find a place to settle down as Nabiki studied their recent acquisition. The hotel was modest, but clean and well kept. Ranma had boggled at the price until Nabiki had reminded her partner that is was ninety five yen to the dollar. That put things in perspective.
As they settled into the cozy room, Ranma held up a finger. "Rule number one. We should live out of our packs. Only unpack as much as you need, in case we have to make a break for it. Rule number two. If we're not together, always know where the other is."
"Seems kind of paranoid, but works for me. What about the Mirror?"
"That's a tough one Nabs. There is no best solution. We can hide it so only we know where it is or keep it with us all the time. I've seen the panda do both with stuff he needed to keep." Nabiki sat at the desk, slowly spinning in the office chair as she thought.
"No one is after us right now. I say we keep it with us." They both glanced at the sturdy box holding the Nanban Mirror.
"Makes sense, I guess. What do you want to do about food?"
"You're the expert on living on almost nothing, Ranma. What do you suggest?"
"Well the room has a microwave. I know a lot of cheap tricks for living on instant ramen so that you don't feel like cutting your throat after a week or two."
"You know how to operate a microwave?"
"Aside from cooking over a campfire, the microwave was the only way I knew how to cook before I got to your place and met Kasumi. When Pops would settle down for a few months, get me some schooling and get a job, we lived on instant noodles. Even Pops wasn't that big a thief," Ranma chuckled.
"I wondered why you had me pack a bowl. Okay, let's go shopping."
-DR-
"Shopping, making dinner, washing up, it's almost like we're married already," Nabiki mused, looking at her sleeping fiancé. After a surprisingly satisfying dinner, they had meditated together for hour, with the middle Tendo steering their joint consciousness towards Ranma's phobia. The indigo-haired girl was determined to do what she could to repay the martial artist for everything he had done for her.
Afterwards, Ranma had discovered a Japanese language anime channel, which kept him amused for several hours while Nabiki poured over Warp's PDA. He nodded off around eight local time, to Nabiki's lack of surprise. The boy had several months of sleep deprivation to work off.
Speaking of work, it was best if she got back to it. But first, a little housekeeping. The cover on their single bed peeled back as a glass of water floated over Ranma's head, emptying itself. Nabiki dried the redhead and floated her onto the bed. For at least one night, her cute fiancée would get to sleep in comfort.
-DR-
Nabiki was still surprised and impressed by how well Ranma operated in an urban environment. Like everyone else, she had assumed the pigtailed boy was a kind of a natural barbarian, good in the wilderness, but lost in the city. No one ever thought about the time he and his father spent while Ranma was in school or between wanderings.
The donuts, for instance, had been at less than half price. Ranma had just talked to the counter girl with an offer. Nabiki was flabbergasted to hear the store usually just threw out leftovers from the previous day. The pigtailed boy had carefully selected unfrosted, cake style donuts. Twenty seconds in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel and they tasted like fresh out of the oven.
After breakfast, the two teens took a meeting. "The PDA is a treasure trove of information, but I'm going to need a few more hours to go through everything," Nabiki reported. "Why don't you stretch your legs and take a look around my city? Here's a little money in case you see any necessities."
"Okay Nabs. I'll be in and around that park a block away, I want to work out. I can see why you like it here, it sure is pretty. And warm!"
"Have fun and bring me back something for lunch, okay?"
"Sure Nabs."
-DR-
Nabiki finished writing the notes on Beast Boy and sat up, back popping. She had completely lost track of time and it was after one. Shaking out her cramping hand, the pale girl grinned. For the arrogance of our foes, let us give thanks, she thought. Warp's journal, detailing his plans, hopes and fears, contained more than enough information to restore the time line.
But Cologne was right. Robin's alteration seemed neutral, but Beast Boy and especially Cyborg… she would restore the time line and beg Cy's forgiveness. What else could she do? Twirling slowing in the office chair, Nabiki gave some thought to her reactions.
Nabiki Tendo wouldn't have cared, while Raven of Azarath couldn't have. Raven Tendo seemed to be an entirely different kettle of fish. Nabiki had been a cold, selfish bitch, seemingly incapable of feeling. Raven was convinced that she needed to control her emotions, since she felt too much. Both girls were obsessed with control.
The loving home and sisters had changed Raven, made her more open, while Raven taught Nabiki how to care. A stray thought startled the middle Tendo. Was this part and parcel of changing the past, making her life better? Would she stop… caring about Ranma after they fixed the timeline? With a shudder, she put it out of her mind as the door quietly opened.
"Hey Nabs, sorry I'm kind of late, but I did remember lunch for you." The redhead handed her fiancée a flat box and a couple of cans of Coke. Nabiki opened the box and smiled at the three slices of pizza that brought back happy memories.
"Thanks Ranma, but you shouldn't have splurged for pizza, as much as I like it. How much it did it cost?"
"Nothing," Ranma replied smugly. "You remember how the Old Ghoul was talking about how we'd be lucky? Well I think she's right. I was in the park doing some kick katas when this girl a couple of years older then me comes running up. Cheryl's the captain for this girls' semi-pro soccer team, the Titans." Nabiki jumped. "Yeah that was my reaction too. They were short a player, she was hurt in some explosion and they needed a striker."
"You're English has gotten a lot better," the middle Tendo remarked as she put two slices in the microwave.
"I got a lot of practice today. Anyway, with a name like that, how couldn't I help them?"
"I don't have to ask if you won. How many goals did you score?" Nabiki asked dryly.
"Hey, I didn't go nuts, I only scored eleven," Ranma defended herself. Nabiki almost spit up her Coke. "That's not that many, is it? We won twelve to nothing." The pale girl started to laugh. "So they cut me in for a share of the game money and bought me lunch. That pizza is great! I had eleven slices, one for each goal and nobody minded, they kept wanting me to eat more. The girls even said it was okay to take some back to you. This city is fantastic!"
"So Pele-ko, did you notice anything strange about the city? I was wondering if the absence of the Teen Titans was causing trouble."
"Yeah, lots," Ranma said frowning. "There ain't no pro sports anywhere in California, no money, travel is too dangerous and they avoid big crowds. There are cops everywhere and they're jumpier than Shampoo at a dog show. Heavily armed too, with M-16s and grenade launchers. When we went to the pizza place, we passed two burned out buildings."
"Slade's been busy," Nabiki said tightly. "Are there a lot of deaths?" The redhead nodded. "Damn it." The pale girl quietly munched on pizza before continuing. "When you got back, I was agonizing about what to do about Beast Boy and Cyborg. Warp really fixed up their lives according to his notes."
"And you were thinking maybe we could just leave them happy?" Nabiki nodded reluctantly.
"But Cyborg would never forgive me if I let people get hurt just so he would be happy." She looked out the window. "I have a lot more sympathy for the Amazons if this is the sort of stuff they have to deal with."
"Yeah. So are we going to see this through?" Nabiki nodded firmly. "Okay, so when are going to use the Mirror again?"
"I was thinking tomorrow morning. I can brief you on what I've found out from Warp's files. We can meditate, eat something and get a good night's sleep."
"While that's not a bad plan," the redhead drawled," I think we should have a good dinner as well. It looks like you could use a treat, especially after all the work you've put in."
"I don't think we can afford it Ranma." The pigtailed girl brought out a wad of cash and handed it to Nabiki. With practiced fingers, the indigo-haired girl counted it up. "There's two hundred and three dollars here!"
"Pretty cool, huh? The teams split the proceeds of the tickets forty to the winners, and thirty each to the losers and the sponsors." The redhead looked wistful. "The games are a family outing, people with picnics, kids playing. You know, the sort of thing we never had, at least never had after our moms left our lives."
"So, I'm surprised the Titans didn't want you to join," Nabiki remarked a little harshly, changing the subject.
"Both teams got into a little bidding war, but when I explained that I was in Jump City with my best friend looking for missing friends, everybody understood. I guess with all the fighting, people go missing a lot."
"Am I?" the pale girl asked huskily.
"Huh?"
"Am I your best friend, Ranma?" Nabiki repeated. The redhead looked embarrassed.
"I- if that's okay with you?" The two girls smiled brightly at each other. Nabiki was the first to recover.
"All right, I better fill you in on everything I've learned and what I think we should do. We have a lot of ground to cover before our date."
"D- d- d- date?"
"What else would you call it when a drop dead gorgeous guy asks a stunning beauty out to dinner?" Nabiki deadpanned. When Ranma began to panic, the pale girl relented. "I'm just teasing you, Ranma!"
"I- I knew that!" the redhead lied. Standing under the smiling scrutiny of the Titan, Ranma blushed. "I guess I wouldn't mind going on a date sometime." Now it was Nabiki's turn to blush.
"I'd like that, Ranma. Girl or boy," she said softly. "But now is not the time," Nabiki finished regretfully.
"No, it's not," Ranma agreed firmly. Nabiki blinked. "Do you know one of the reasons why I like you Nabs?" The pale girl colored but shook her head. "You're the only girl who I'm engaged to who's got her head on straight. You're the only one who knows personal is not the same thing as important."
"That's pretty deep, Ranma." Nabiki remarked, leaving the question unspoken.
"Like I told you, I learned a lot from those Marines. So what do you say we get down to work? I've half fallen in love with this city already, and we need the Teen Titans back." The indigo-haired girl took a deep breath.
"Okay, I'll start with an overview. Warp must have researched the lives of the Titans and then gone back in time to make sure they never became heroes. Secret identities, circumstances and history are all there. I guess it was like studying famous people, a lot comes out after they pass away."
"So he used the knowledge to go back and change their lives?"
"Yeah, at least for the boys. Starfire became a hero hours after she arrived on this planet and was the seminal cause of bringing the Titans together. However, she was the easy one. Without the boys and myself, the natural course of events was for Star to be retaken a few hours after she escaped. In fact, if the boys are all back, we won't have to do anything."
"Okay, so we save Star for last then? Who's first?"
"Robin, no doubt about it. Then Beast Boy. He was in the Doom Patrol and I figure his absence was the reason the Patrol was killed. Finally Cyborg. Oh and then I think we might have to take care of me."
"Huh?"
"I think either you or I delivered baby Nabiki to my family when Daddy's 'cousin' died," the pale girl said with a smile. "It makes too much sense that I ended up right where I had to be."
"The Mirror luck, right? Yeah that makes sense." Ranma looked troubled. "Then did you journey back in time, or did we take you?" She rubbed her head. "Man, time travel makes my head hurt."
"Poor Ranma-chan, her pretty head hurts. Do you want big sister Nabiki to kiss it and make it all better?" Nabiki cooed. Ranma grinned.
"It's not a sisterly kiss I want."
"Pervert! I'm so glad Akane was right about you." The couple grinned naughtily at each other, before Nabiki cleared her throat. "Ahem. Getting back to business. Robin was born Richard John Grayson but was generally known as Dick Grayson. Both of his parents, John and Mary Grayson, were trapeze artists who worked for a number of circuses in Europe before headlining with a small circus here in the States. They were killed by a mobster named Tony Zucco when he sabotaged their equipment. It seems Batman trained Richard up as Robin. When Richard was sixteen, he moved to Jump City to work solo."
"So Warp saved Robin's parents?"
"No, he just engineered it so that Robin met a long lost cousin, Sylvia Grayson. Since Robin had family, Batman never trained him. I don't know why. That really doesn't seem positive to me."
"So the trick is make sure Sylvia doesn't find him," Ranma said confidently.
"Maybe. I'm going to go over Warp's files before bed tonight. Something doesn't feel right."
-DR-
As sunlight filtered into the room, Ranma awoke with a delicious feeling of warmth. The otherwise unremarkable bed seemed the height of decadent comfort after a lifetime of sleeping on floors or the ground. Opening her eyes, the redhead took in dark purple hair and the smooth pale skin as she sleepily snuggled with her bed mate.
Something was wrong. The bed was wrong, but too nice to get upset about. She was a girl, but that was okay too. She was getting more and more reconciled to her dual gender status, not that she would admit it. Sometimes it was even fun, like yesterday with the soccer team. What a nice bunch of girls. No, the meditation with Nabiki-chan was definitely working- Ranma went rigid.
"So, you're finally awake, Ranma-chan?" Nabiki lilted. The redhead almost teleported out of the bed, franticly waving her arms.
"I'm sorry Nabiki, I'm sorry! It's not what it looks like!" Nabiki rolled over, letting the panicky girl see her sad smile.
"It's not two girl friends on a noble quest sharing a bed to conserve their resources?" Ranma stared at her, mouth agape. "We've really done a number on you, haven't we? Though I blame your father, mostly."
"Nabiki, I, I-"
"You thought I was going to hit you." The pigtailed girl nodded miserably. "It's okay Ranma, you grow where you're planted. That's what you're used to. Not just my little sister, but Shampoo and Ukyo too. And Kodachi and I can't have been too good for your mental health." Nabiki looked at the clock radio next to the bed. "Six forty nine! Way too early. Come back to bed, Ranma, we're sleeping in for at least another hour."
"I r- really shouldn't."
"Don't worry, Ranma. No matter what your father says, sleeping in a bed won't make you soft. Now come on," She said, patting the mattress. Ranma stared at the pale girl before beginning to chuckle, which grew into a full throated laugh.
"Thanks Nabs, ancestors know I needed that," the redhead said, wiping her eyes. "Anyway, I'm awake now. I'll get us some breakfast while you get a little more sleep." The pigtailed girl quickly dressed and headed out, never seeing the look of disappointment on Nabiki's face.
-DR-
"I want to go over our plan of action once more," Nabiki said, delicately finishing the orange segment she held. The fruit and cheese had been great and best of all it had been free. Her partner had traded labor at a specialty grocer early in the morning for the provisions. "I'm hoping this will be simple. After we get to Gotham City at the right time, we'll split up. This Sylvia Grayson had been given a lot of money to take in Richard. I think Raven can get her to agree that she can just keep the money without the kid. In the meantime, you head down to Child Services and keep an eye on Richard. We need to know when he hooks up with Batman."
"So I should dress young and female to sneak in?"
"Probably be the best idea, Ranma, especially if you can um, diminish those assets of yours."
"Roger that, Nabs," Ranma chuckled. "Sometimes it's useful when your childhood friend is a crossdresser." Both teens sobered as they remembered how they had last left Ukyo. Shaking his head, the pigtailed boy pressed on. "So when should we arrive and how are you going to find this Sylvia?"
"I was thinking a day before the Graysons are due to be killed," Nabiki replied soberly. "I wish we could do something about that, but even if we knew we couldn't, not knowing how they are scheduled to die would make it impossible." Ranma sighed. "As for Miss Sylvia, I have Warp's notes on how he found her and with all due modesty, I'm smarter than Warp." The two friends chuckled.
Ranma did a last scan around the room, checking his pack one final time. All was as it should be. Hefting the backpack, the black-haired boy took in a deep breath. "Then I guess we should get going." Nabiki silently removed the Mirror from its box. Ranma placed one hand over hers.
"Take us to the Gotham City Fairgrounds, one day before John and Mary Grayson meet their end," the pale girl intoned, tears welling up in her eyes. The room was empty, save for one jeweled tear gleaming on the carpet.
-DR-
GOTHAM CITY: 4 years ago
The Haly Circus was a small time operation with a big name act. The animals were well cared for but few in number and the troupe, aside from the headliners, were of modest skill. The Flying Graysons made up for all of that and the circus was a big draw. The Romanian born gymnasts had an international reputation, but stayed with the small circus despite handsome offers.
"Huh, small outfit, but nice," Ranma commented, her hands in her jean pockets. "What do you think Nabs?"
"I think you look adorable, Ranma-chan," the pale girl remarked drily. "You don't look a day over fourteen. How the heck do you hide those melons?" The redhead colored.
"Uc-chan taught me her breast binding technique and I was talking about the circus as if you didn't know," Ranma grumped, looking down at her long socks, sneakers, midriff shirt and tight jeans.
"Heh, you're still too easy Saotome," Nabiki assured her fiancée. "As for the circus, it looks like a showcase for the Graysons. The circus is built around them. Interesting business model."
"So we stick to the plan?" Ranma asked uneasily. "I wish there was some way we could stay in touch. If we're split up, anything could happen."
"Not to worry, Red-chan, I have that covered. You can buy cheap cell phones with a couple of hundred minutes on them. That should be more than enough. We'll take care of that, go to a park to meditate , then head you over to the show and I'll track down Sylvia."
"Then let's get started."
-DR-
Even a small circus can be a magical place, but not tonight. The harsh red and blue lights of several police cruisers washed away the glamour. The audience had contained a number of VIPs, including the police commissioner and his daughter, so Gotham's finest was treating the crowd respectfully, but professionally.
Ranma was staying near the trailer where the cops had taken Richard Grayson. The redhead was impressed with the twelve year-old boy. She could see how he would grow into the great martial artist Raven reminisced about. When the bereaved boy had finally emerged from the questioning, Ranma tagged along, jumping from roof top to roof top, following the police car that took Richard to Child Services.
Ranma had had her run-ins with the Japanese equivalent of CS and knew basically how they operated. An over worked bureaucracy filled with mostly well-meaning and dedicated people, it was not hard getting into or out of the system. The redhead slipped into the building as a hulking detective led the grief-stricken boy in. Seeing only one light on in the hallway her quarry was escorted down, Ranma snuck ahead, perching on a chair just before the trench-coated man entered. Drawing her knees up to her chin, she arranged herself in a pose of defiant misery.
The craggy detective paused as he saw the young girl. Indicating Richard should sit down, the man strode towards the office door. "Sit tight kid, I got to talk to Powers." The boy gymnast nodded absently, sitting away from the girl. With a brisk knock, the detective flung open the door. "Hey Powers, got a kid witness for you. His parents were murdered." The trench-coated man dug a candy bar out of a pocket. "Also you got another kid out here, looks like a runaway.
Ranma managed to make eye contact with Dick, rolling her eyes and looking scornfully at the big man.
"Honestly, Bullock, you have the sensitivity of a toad," Gina Powers informed the world as she stepped out into the waiting room. She gave a dismayed gasp. "I'm sorry dear, I didn't know you were out here. Who brought you?"
"Some mappy named Lopez, I didn't catch a badge number," the surly redhead muttered. The worn case worker tried to lead Ranma into her office, but Ranma jerked her arm free. "The kid just lost his folks and I'm guessing they were worth something. You can take him first." Nodding, Powers beckoned the distraught boy into her office.
"So why didn't the officer wait with you?" Bullock rasped. The redhead shrugged.
"There was some big happening and she got called in. No big deal." The craggy detective nodded.
"Been on the streets long?" He asked nonchalantly, offering the girl a candy bar.
"Long enough not to turn down free food."
The detective studied the redhead and her self conscious wild girl outfit. A month at most he thought, but nodded. "Powers is okay, she won't mess with you." The girl looked relieved. Both of them looked up when the door opened. Powers had an arm around the boy.
"I'm afraid Dick will have to taken to Juvenile Hall, there is no space at our facility." Bullock grimaced but did not object. "I'm sorry to say the same will apply to you dear," the caseworker told Ranma, who shrugged.
"It's okay, Rana Soams ain't afraid of nothing." Powers smiled.
"That's the spirit dear. If you'll come into my office, we'll get you taken care of."
-DR-
The two newest wards of the state sat together in the back of Gina's car as she drove to the Gotham Juvenile Detention Facility. Ranma leaned over and quietly whispered to Richard, "You okay? Stupid question, I know, losing your folks, but…"
"No, it's all right. Thank for caring," the boy said morosely. "It's all my fault. I heard this mobster threatening Casey, the owner of the circus we work- worked at and I didn't tell my parents. They were murdered a few hours later."
"That's rough, man, I mean really rough. I'm sorry." Dick looked at the pretty redhead.
"Did you really run away from home?" The girl nodded. "I don't mean to pry, but…"
"Let's just say my Pop had some strange notions and leave it at that," Ranma/Rana growled. Richard colored and nodded. "So, you're a martial artist? You look pretty fit."
"I'm an acrobat," the slender boy informed her, pride pulling him a little out of his depression. He looked at petite girl beside him. "You know martial arts?"
"Yeah, enough to get by. Hey maybe we can watch each other's back at the kid prison, huh?" Warning bells went off in Ranma's head as Richard turned to look at her with slightly dreamy eyes.
"That sounds like a good idea."
-DR-
The nervous, thickset woman gave an anxious glance over one shoulder as she exited the train. The morning was bright and cheerful and no one seemed to be paying the slightest attention to her. Somehow, this failed to reassure. Taking a deep breath, Sylvia Grayson tried to calm herself down.
"Nothing to be worried about, Sylvia," she muttered. "Just get the kid, take him to Philly, take care of him for a few months and then you can ditch him." Clutching her purse protectively, the black-haired woman made her way out of the terminal. Despite all the attention she was giving her surroundings, she didn't notice the shadowy figure following her.
Sylvia's nerves began to settle once she was safely ensconced in a Gotham cab and making her way downtown. The cabbie never noticed the flash of black and the disappearance of his passenger. When he pulled up outside Child Services, it was with justifiable irritation he found her gone.
The dark alley seemed flood lit after her sojourn in the dark. Shuddering, Sylvia tried to study her captor. The figure was completely hidden from the neck down by a dark blue cloak, a peaked hood kept creature's face in shadow, although the glowing white eyes did nothing to calm the older woman's shattered nerves. "B- batman?" the older woman quavered.
"Not quite," Raven replied in cool tones, ghosting forward. Sylvia took a step back. "You were recently visited by a middle-aged man and paid a large sum of money to show up at Child Services and claim your cousin Richard Grayson."
"I- I- I- I-" the older woman stammered. "Please don't hurt me!"
"You may keep the money. You will never see the man again, so you need not fear him. Return to your home and all will be well. Richard has another destiny." Sylvia nearly wet herself in relief.
"So I get to keep the money and I don't have to take the brat?" the older woman announced happily. She cringed when Raven's eyes blazed brighter and the shadows darkened. "I- I didn't mean any disrespect."
"Go." Without a backwards glance, the stout woman fled. Raven followed her unseen for the few blocks back to the train station. Nodding to herself in satisfaction, the Titan landed on a rooftop. Lowering her hood, she grinned. "You're too easy. I hope Ranma has had the same luck."
-DR-
The Juvenile Detention Center was known by all and sundry as Juvie Hall. It was a breeding ground for future criminals and it showed in its day to day operations. The older kids picked on the younger kids in an almost Darwinian display. However, this natural order had been overthrown the day She arrived.
It had begun almost immediately after the 'new meat' entered the dining hall for breakfast. The Asian girl was cute and would be a knock out when she grew up and the boy she was with looked like he would make a decent soldier when he filled out, but until then, they had to learn their place in the pecking order. Big Jim Templeton was just the man for the job.
Big Jim and his posse cornered the two well away from any staff and began intimidating and roughing them up. Or at least they tried to. The tiny redhead had cocked her head to one side, asked if they were supposed to be scary and had laid out four of the biggest boys in the Hall.
It was the girls' turn next as Trish McGraw confronted Rana and Dick in the exercise yard. The top female bully had brought ten soldiers with her, so she couldn't figure out how all of them had ended up with their clothes and hair restyled to make them look like poodles.
The final story to cement the legend of 'Scarlett' was supplied by Eddie 'Hatchet Face' Gonzalez. Eddie considered himself a thinking man's thug and tried to strike at Rana's perceived weak point, her championing of the younger kids. The quasi-erudite gang boss maneuvered Rana into a meeting with himself and several of the younger kids in the presence of the chief psychologist, a wet noodle named Sydney Pike. Eddie subtly tormented the kids in Pike's presence, more or less daring Rana to do something about it. She proceeded to beat the devious thug to within an inch of his life, while Pike was watching and the doctor never caught on. In fact, he praised the girl's non-violent approach to interpersonal conflict. After that, the legend of Scarlett was firmly set in place.
Ranma found it all very amusing.
So it was on their fifth day at the Hall, Rana maneuvered her way to her table, said table guarded by a solemn Richard 'Dick' Grayson. The table was empty aside from the acrobat, but as she sat down, a number of gang members filtered by, silently placing offerings of choice food stuffs near the girl. The redhead gleefully began consuming her triple breakfast.
"So, how's the Queen of Juvie Hall?" Dick asked dryly.
"Almost full," Rana responded cheerfully. The black haired boy snorted.
"So why do you stay?" Dick held up a hand. "Don't insult my intelligence by trying to convince me you couldn't leave anytime you wanted." The pique drained out of the boy. "I'm sure you're not staying because of me." The redhead calmly finished her milk.
"I have my reasons and don't sell yourself short, Richard. Besides, you're the best tutor I've ever had to teach me to read English." Dick smiled in spite of himself.
"You know, you've probably given me a redhead complex. And why don't you call me Dick? Everyone else does."
"It's too weird. How do you get 'Dick' out of Richard?" Rana crossed her eyes as the boy began to laugh. "That was a lot dirtier sounding than I meant."
"It's okay, I've been hearing jokes about my name before I understood what was funny." The black haired boy pushed his rubbery eggs around his plate. "Are you a cop? Sent here to protect me?" Rana giggled,
"Right, because the police force always hires teenagers." Dick turned a serious gaze on his companion.
"Are you a super-hero? The things you can do… Do you work for Batman?" The redhead was silent. "Holy-"
"Don't go jumping to conclusions, Baka Boy," Rana said sharply. She expelled her breath explosively, ruffling her bangs. "Enough guess work, Richard. We have class in twenty minutes and you're going to explain silent letters to me again. Why do you have them if they're silent?"
"Okay, Rana, I won't pry. Oh by the way, the City is going to transfer us to a Catholic orphanage, Saint Vincent's Refuge. Thought I'd give you the heads up."
-DR-
To say Raven was frustrated would be grossly overstating her feelings. She was calm and centered, but she was feeling impatient. Ranma had been bird dogging Robin for six days now and no sign of Batman. And now Social Services was moving the two to a Catholic orphanage.
What made it tough was that she had no idea how Batman was going to become part of Dick Grayson's life. Formal adoption? Make him disappear in the night? Proxy adoption? If Robin just disappeared, they'd never know if they had repaired the timeline. So the last Titan patrolled the city, trying to find the most elusive super-hero she had ever heard of.
It was still a dangerous game even if she found him. She couldn't reveal too much, or she might mess things up. Or not. According to Cologne, the Nanban Mirror could not alter the past only restore it. So perhaps whatever she did would be helpful. It was with some relief when she heard the alarm sound in the large jewelry store below her on the street level. A little action was just what she needed.
As the dark Titan phased through the undamaged window, she was brought up short as she beheld the best dressed criminals she had ever seen. Each thug was clothed in a meticulously tailored three piece suit, complete with cufflinks and tie pins. The four men froze at the sight of the shadowy super-heroine.
The stasis was shattered when an active, rail thin man came out of the back, lugging a large sack. He was decked out even more elegantly then his minions, in an emerald green suit festooned with white question marks. A jaunty bowler hat and green eye mask completed the fashion statement.
"Ah, you wouldn't happen to be a new super villain, willing to split the take, I suppose?" the green clad man asked hopefully.
"I'm afraid not," Raven replied in a creepy monotone. Enmasse, the four henchmen took a step backwards.
"Yes, I thought as much," the thin man said pensively. He grinned slyly. "Then riddle me this! What do you get when bullets fall from the sky?"
"A hail of lead," Raven answered, still using her 'I'm darker than you can dream of' voice.
"Very good!" complemented the Riddler. "Let her have it boys!" Two submachine guns and four pistols opened up on the calmly floating Titan. Her shields didn't waver.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Two large, wooden chairs flared with dark energy and began cutting a swath through the well-turned out gunmen. In a few seconds, they were all down. "That was pathetic. I know okonomiyaki chefs that put up a better fight. So who are you supposed to be? The Riddle Master?" The thin man looked mortally offended.
"I'm the Riddler! Batman's arch-foe! Er, you wouldn't be a souped-up Batgirl, would you? Only you're creepy enough to be with the Bat."
"No. Riddle me this, little man. Why should you expect no kindness when you fly with me?" Raven asked, smiling slightly. The Riddler looked appreciative.
"So you're called R-"
"Raven," a deep voice finished from behind the man in green. The Riddler nearly jumped out of his skin. He slowly turned.
"This is going to hurt isn't it?" A single straight punch was his only answer. The Riddler went down like a pole axed steer. Raven soundlessly glided near Batman, who was busily trussing up the criminals.
"How long have you been here?" Raven asked quietly. The costumed man looked up at her.
"Long enough to see you in action. Nice work, but I wouldn't have let them shoot." The cloaked girl shrugged.
"I'm a little rusty. I agree, I shouldn't have let them shoot." Raven peered down at Batman. "I've been looking for you."
"I thought so," the Dark Knight replied. "I saw you trying to follow the Batmobile two nights ago. I take it you want a job." The pale girl smirked.
"Not really, although I am interested in knowing if you plan on acquiring a partner soon." Batman looked at her, the lower half of his face revealing nothing. Raven chuckled. "Forget I said anything," she said, holding up her hands placatingly. The Dark Knight returned to his task. As he finished, he gave Raven a piercing look.
"The police will be here soon. Unofficially, they are quite grateful for the help. Officially, people like us are vigilantes and should be arrested. I would suggest we leave to avoid confrontation."
"Is there any way I can get a hold of you if I need to? It's really important," Raven pleaded quietly. The Dark Knight hesitated.
"If you really need to get in touch with me, can you create some kind of signal with your powers?"
"Will this do?" The cloaked girl disappeared into her shadow raven form. She reappeared. "I can make it pretty big."
"All right then. I'll try to meet you on top of Gotham Towers. It might take some time, if I'm engaged in other business," Batman said evenly.
"Thank you," Raven replied sincerely. Her eyes were drawn to the window as red and blue flashing lights were now visible. "Maybe we better…" She trailed off as she realized she was speaking to air. "Not bad."
-DR-
Saint Vincent's Refuge was a small orphanage, housing less than seventy children and nine staff, administered by the archdiocese of Gotham City. A one line description might have been run-down but clean. It was certainly a vast improvement over Juvie Hall.
All of the children had modest chores assigned in addition to their school work. An accomplished aerialist, Dick volunteered to take care of the 'high' work, changing light bulbs and washing windows. Rana worked in the dining room, where her speed and expertise won a great deal of praise.
The two friends were resting outside after the evening meal, watching the sunset. Dick had healed somewhat thanks in large part to Rana. The redhead broke the companionable silence. "So, Richard-kun, when do think you'll get adopted?" The black-haired boy gave her an incredulous look.
"Right after I win the lottery and get a major league baseball contract, Ran." Rana looked puzzled. "Look, kids our age don't get adopted. If we're lucky, we may end up in a good foster home."
"Come on, it could happen!"
"I'm not saying it never happens, but if a kid our age is adopted out, it's a lot more likely to happen to a cute girl like you, then a boy," Dick explained earnestly. "But even for someone as pretty as you, it's a real longshot. Let's face it, even if I wanted to, there's no way I'll be adopted."
"Richard!" Both youngsters looked over to see Sister Elizabeth walking briskly towards them. "Fantastic news! I just received a call from a gentleman interested in adopting you!" The good sister would never figure out why Rana fell over laughing.
-DR-
The cloaked figure could have been just another one of the bizarre stone ornaments that Gotham architects were so fond of. At seventeen minutes past midnight, a quiet chiming destroyed the image. Raven accepted the call. "Red?"
"Yeah," Ranma replied, thinking you couldn't be too careful. "Richard had his interview today and I guess it went pretty smoothly. He was adopted on the spot."
"Who, Ranma, who adopted Robin?" Raven asked in a frantic voice.
"Some rich guy, I mean really rich, named something Wayne," Ranma replied hesitantly
"Bruce Wayne?!"
"Yeah, that's the guy."
"You saw him?"
"Sure. I made a point of it," Ranma said, sounding offended. "I got an address. Thanks to Richard, I can even kind of read it. Don't help much, all it says is Wayne Manor, Wayne Drive, Gotham City."
"Bruce Wayne. One of the richest men in the United States. A playboy but a philanthropist." Raven sounded like she wanted to faint. "There's no way he's a shill for Batman." The last Titan hesitated. "I can't believe I'm asking this, but is there any chance he is Batman?" Ranma was silent a long while.
"It's hard to tell what kind of shape he's in when he's wearing a suit, but he doesn't move like a martial artist. If he does know the Art, he's better than Pops at hiding it."
"Oh, great, just fine!" Raven fumed. In the background, the redhead could hear concrete cracking. "Robin's been adopted by some flakey rich guy and I don't know what the heck to do about it to set things rights."
"Rae, calm down, Cologne said-"
"What if she was wrong? You know the Amazons' track record with magical items isn't very reassuring!" Raven snapped.
"You have a point there," Ranma conceded. "So what do we do?" There was a another long silence and the pigtailed martial artist could just catch Raven muttering her mantra.
"Okay, you're right Ranma, panicking isn't going to help. As I see it, we have two, no three options. One, we can just trust Cologne and move on to our next mission." Ranma snorted. "Yeah, I agree. Second, we can investigate Bruce Wayne, but that's going to take a lot of time and more importantly resources we don't have."
"So what's our third option, Rae?"
After a moment, the pale girl began explaining. "I met Batman the other night and set up a way to contact him. Maybe we can get the confirmation directly from the horse's, or in this case, bat's mouth."
"You met Batman? Then why don't we just tell him about Richard?" Ranma wondered reasonably.
"Because I don't know! What if we mess things up by telling him too much? Could we ever repair history?" The phone went silent. "I need you Ranma, it's time for Rana Soams to disappear. We have to meditate on this."
"Okay, Rae, I'll leave tonight."
-DR-
Kasumi would have found the scene in the darkened motel room eerily familiar. Raven floated three feet off the floor facing her partner sitting on the bed. The two softly chanted "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." As the sun set, the two girls slowly opened their eyes.
"So you agree with what we have to do?" Raven asked, peace filling her voice. The redhead nodded.
"Yeah," she replied in a similar voice. "You've met him and he is supposed to be one of the good guys. And smart too. Lay it all out."
"Not everything. Explain we're from the future and that we can't tell him everything. I hope it will work out." Raven floated over to the window. "Once it gets dark, I'll try to signal him. He operates at night, mostly."
-DR-
The wind whipped the black-haired boy's pigtail about like a living thing as he watched the night sky. The reflected light from the city on the clouds made for a dark gray sky and an adequate backdrop for the enormous black raven that blossomed over the city center. The outwardly calm boy looked down at the miniature street below. Even for Ranma, ninety three stories was a bit too high.
The perfectly black raven image hung in the skies for almost five minutes before vanishing as silently as it had appeared. No one seemed to notice a dark figure float down to the roof of Gotham Towers, save Ranma.
"That was pretty spectacular, Rae," Ranma said, an edge of strain in his voice.
"I've never had a problem with power, Ranma. Control, now that's another matter," Raven explained as she lightly settled beside her partner. "That's why before I was caught in Warp's time slip, I thought I had to suppress all emotions, even the good ones. All that did was make me irritable. Being Nabiki taught me it was all right to love."
"At least to love money," Ranma said slyly, looking sideways at the cloaked girl. She tried to look hurt, but a smile was unstoppable.
"Love is love, right?" Both teens chuckled.
"So how long do you think it will take for him to show up?" Ranma inquired, as he stepped away from the edge and sought shelter from the relentless wind.
"I have no idea. If he's busy, he might not even show up tonight." Raven joined Ranma huddling against an industrial fan housing. They sat without conversation for long enough for Ranma to start to doze, in spite of the wind's roar and chill. Even Raven was starting to droop when Ranma leapt to his feet.
"Someone just landed on the roof," the pigtailed boy whispered fiercely, fading into the shadows. Raven silently phased into the roof.
The top of Gotham Tower was disturbed only by the moan of the wind. Shadows played amidst the equipment perched there, as a complex game of hide and seek was played by experts. A deep voice broke the calm. "I'm impressed."
Ranma grinned self-consciously as he turned to look at Batman. Careful observation might have revealed the barest hint of a smile on the costumed man's face. The older man suddenly lashed out with a backfist, stopping inches short of Raven's nose and the dark energy shield that protected it.
"I'm very impressed, indeed," the Dark Knight continued. "I haven't met many people who could keep up with me." The caped man apparently relaxed, although Ranma gave him a knowing smile. The pigtailed martial artist had played that game often enough.
"Thank you," Raven said evenly. "I consider that the highest praise. And thank you for coming, I hope we didn't interrupt anything."
"It's been a quiet night," Batman admitted. "It seems the criminal grapevine picked up on a new crime fighter, scarier than Batman. Raven has already worried a few of the low life. Her sign appearing above Gotham scared even the bold ones indoors tonight." The pale girl gave a little bow. "So who are you beside's Raven's partner?"
"Ranma Saotome, heir to the Saotome Anything Goes School of martial arts," Ranma told him proudly. He bowed deeply, keeping his eyes on Batman's. "Always an honor to meet a master from another branch."
"The Batman does Anything Goes?" asked a startled Raven. The Dark Knight looked thoughtful.
"Close enough," Ranma replied. "He was using a couple of styles in our little rooftop tag game, and just the way he holds himself tells me he fights multi-styled." He glanced at Batman's utility belt. "You use weapons?"
"More like gadgets," the older man answered. "Nothing lethal, but I face a lot of guns." Ranma nodded. "So you don't hide your identity?"
"I ain't a super-hero, like you or Rae," Ranma replied casually. Raven snorted. "What?"
"Ranma, you save people, you fight monsters, you try and stop crime in Nerima and if you think you aren't a Titan, you're dumber than you look and that's close to impossible," The pale girl said.
"Hey!"
"Face it Ranma, you're a super-hero," Raven concluded. Batman watched the byplay impassively. The cloaked girl seemed to remember who she was ignoring for this joking around. "Sorry about that," she apologized, lowering her hood.
"So what did you need to see me about? As… interesting as this all is, I do have a city to protect."
"Right." Raven took a deep breath. "Okay, cards on the table. Ranma and I are from the future. My teammates and I fought a time travelling villain. He got away and my team vanished. I later learned he had been regressed to an infant. To avoid that fate, I think he destroyed my team in the past, so he never encountered us."
"So you've come back to undo what he did? Interesting if true, and it looks like to me you two believe it. How can you travel in time? Is that your ability, Mr. Saotome?"
"Nah, we got a mag-" Raven elbowed Ranma in the ribs. "We got help," he finished lamely, glaring at his partner. "I'm a martial artist helping Raven. A lot of people's lives depend on getting the Titans back."
"So you're group's name is the Titans?" Batman asked.
"Teen Titans actually," Raven corrected.
"And how do I fit in with all this?" Batman wondered. Raven swallowed.
"I don't know how much to tell you," she admitted. "I don't want to mess up the time line more than it has been, although the person who gave us our time traveling item said it could only be used to restore the past."
"So you're trying to follow a doctor's course, first do no harm."
"Exactly. The thing is, I don't see how we can't take a risk here." The pale girl took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. She slowly released the breath as she opened her eyes. All anxiety was gone from her expression. "Do you know a boy name Richard Grayson?"
"Of course," Batman said calmly. "His parents were killed, probably murdered, two weeks ago. I'm looking into it."
"You and Rob-, you and Richard will cross paths somehow. For reasons we don't know, you'll train him in your Art. It is very important that you do," Raven said intensely. She stopped as Batman raised a hand.
"I think you're time line has been restored, Raven."
"What? How do you know-" This time the cloaked girl was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. Ranma looked at her and then the costumed man.
"I think I see," the pigtailed boy muttered. "An honor to meet you Batman-sama. We still have a lot of work to do and I'm sure we've taken enough of your valuable time. Thank you." Ranma bowed, as Raven looked on in puzzlement. Batman unlimbered a compact grappling gun from his belt. He turned to the black-haired boy, returning a bow.
"You should stay in the business, Mr. Saotome. I think you have the mind for it." There was a chuff of air, a swirl of cape and he was gone. Raven gave her partner a stern look.
"What did you mean Saotome?"
"While Anything Goes uses techniques from all branches of the martial arts, as far as I know, every practitioner has a base style that they build off of. The old pervert uses Jujitsu, Akane and your dad use Karate while Pops and I are grounded in Kenpo. I just realized Batman's base."
"So, what does that have to do with anything?"
"It's Ninjitsu, Rae, the art of the ninja. It just all fell into place when Batman said the time line was fixed. I think Batman is Bruce Wayne. It's the perfect disguise for a crime fighting ninja. He's rich, so he can afford his gadgets and keep his own hours. And who's going to think this dark martial artist is a playboy?"
"Do you really think so, Ranma?" Raven quavered, hope coloring her tone."
"It makes sense. Batman adopted Richard and no one will ever guess."