The common room doors slid open revealing the living room and kitchen area of the tower. The other Titans were gathered there, Cyborg sitting on the couch yelling at the tv screen as he played a videogame and Starfire and Robin standing in the kitchen area scouring the fridge for something to make for dinner. Raven and Beast Boy entered through the door first, with Malice behind them currently out of sight, hidden behind the two bodies. The swish of the door opening alerted Robin to the new presence of the room.
"Raven. Beast Boy, is everything okay?" Robin asked with slight concern in his voice.
"Yes, friends, is everything the okay? Did the girl that is friend Raven's sister have any change in how she is?" Starfire asked her friends, her voice quiet and low with concern.
"Yeah, everything is great actually." Raven replied in her monotone voice, "She woke up."
Robin and Starfire looked on in curiosity as Cyborg paused his game and quickly joined them, overhearing the conversation that was going on. Raven and Beast Boy slowly parted from the open doorway to reveal Malice. She was looking down at the ground, holding onto her left arm with her right hand as the two bodies in front of her parted. Shocked at the sudden introduction, she shot her head up in surprise and with wide eyes examined the room and the three new people that stood before her. She could feel the pairs of eyes examining her as she slowly looked up, first at her sister then to the other three people standing in the room.
"Um.. Hi.." She said quietly, rubbing her arm slightly, unsure of what else to say. "I.. I'm Malice."
The room was quiet for a minute, all eyes on Malice. The feeling of these new people staring at her made her feel very uncomfortable, like a bug under a microscope or some other specimen being closely examined. The silence seemed to drag on for hours, though it was only a few seconds before the silence was broken by Beast Boy.
"Uh Malice, this is the rest of the team who saved you; Cyborg, Starfire, and Robin. We are the Teen Titans. Jump City's teenage superhero group." Beast Boy introduced pointing to each as he talked, "Obviously you know little Rae- Rae here." He added smirking at Raven as she shot him a full on death glare that would make even Batman shit his pants.
"Just ignore him Malice, he's the team idiot!" Raven rebutted as she gestured for Malice to follow her further into the room.
"So you're Raven's sister?" Cyborg asked. "All this time we knew her, we never knew she had a sister."
Malice looked at the man who was mainly machine in curiosity as he spoke. The only part of the man that was not machine that she could see was the left side of his face, and even then some if it was machine. It shocked her, but also intrigued her. She had seen a lot of things in her time of hiding from her father and traveling around to stay unnoticed, but never before had she seen someone who was ninety- five percent machine.
"Oh, yeah that…" Cyborg said quietly, noticing the stares from Malice, "I know it's a shock at first, but I'm a harmless guy I swear… Well harmless to those who aren't evil. He finished with a smirk.
"Oh my.. I.. I'm so sorry!" Malice stuttered out, realizing that he had caught her staring at him. "I.. I didn't mean.. I wasn't trying to be rude!"
"Hey, you're okay. I mean, how many people get kidnapped, then rescued, sit in a mini coma, and then wake up to a giant robot man?"
"Raven, does she know what happened?" Robin asked, stepping forward and crossing his arms as he spoke,
"Not all that happened. She knows that she was walking at night back to where she was staying and then everything went black and she remembers feeling the pain from the shocks Slade caused."
"Well, I guess the next question I have is, would you like to sit down and hear what happened to you as far as we know?" Robin asked looking at Malice, his facial expression seeming stern, but she was unable to tell fully because of the mask he was wearing to cover his eyes.
"Robin, you must not be so the up- tight sounding. New friend Malice does not understand all that is happening and we must not frighten her more." Starfire scolded. "And she must be hungry, maybe she would enjoy if I made her one of my delicious Tamaranian meals."
Malice stood in silence as she watched the others interact with each other. Never before has she had the ability or even the chance to really interact and get to know people. She only recently had had the ability to try, and it was during her short time in Jump City with the group she was hiding amongst before the Titans found her.
"Raven, I am confused still." Malice finally spoke up, still standing in the doorway, not wanting to move. "What exactly was happening when you found me?"
Raven looked to Beast Boy first and then the others in question, unsure of where to start. She sighed as she took one last look at each of Titans individually before turning back to her sister and carefully taking her arm and leading her to the crescent shaped couch in the center of the room. The other Titans followed, sitting around Raven and Malice as they sat in the center of the couch.
"Mal, when we found you it was only because we were alerted to a crime going on. If that alert did not come through, I probably would still think you're dead." Raven began, "We all went to the location where the alert was coming from and there we found one of our enemies named Slade."
"So that guy was the one who knocked me out. I just don't understand how he managed to catch me so off guard! I'm usually always very careful, especially since I've been moving around place to place." Malice scolded herself, dropping her head down into her hands. "I've stayed in Jump City the longest out of everywhere I've been because it seemed like the safest place, and it's where I've liked the best… Even though I got caught, I am really glad I stayed for obvious reasons." She continued looking up at Raven and smiling a small smile at her.
"If you don't mind me asking, where were you staying in the city? You must have known about use before today? I mean, we are superheroes!" Cyborg spoke up, jumping up from his seat as he spoke "I mean, how could you not have heard about our awesomeness!
All eyes turned to Cyborg, who quietly sat back down while mumbling an apology. Beast Boy slid his hand over towards Cyborg to get a silent high five. All eyes finally returned to Malice, a questioning look in their eyes, all silently asking the same question that Cyborg just had. Malice sighed as she turned her gaze around to each Titan. Of course she had heard of the Titans during her time in Jump City. How could she not when they were on the news so often, even without having a TV she saw them on in the stores and the newspapers. It was so hard for her to believe that Raven could actually be in the city, though when she saw her with these Titans in the paper it started to become less and less harder to overlook the facts. The shock of actually coming face to face with her threw Malice's head through a loop. The other Titans she recognized from the news of course, but never had she thought she would actually meet them.
"I have been traveling around with a band… it was my way of having people around me while still staying hidden and moving around so often. When you're on stage and in a band you can start a new life in a way, with no one knowing your real name if you chose so and you can wear whatever you want. It seemed like the perfect way for me to stay hidden, stage name and using a cloak or mask to cover my face." Malice smiled a slight smile, before turning it back to a frown, "I stayed in Jump City against my better judgement because of seeing all the things about the Teen Titans, wanting to find you sooner but knew it was dangerous. I stayed too long and got myself captured, I got sloppy with my hiding. It's one thing to put myself in danger but me being close to you Raven and all of your friend, that puts everyone in danger. I can't be responsible for that. I got my closure and my chance to see you again, but I can't stay."
"Malice, you're not putting anyone on danger. Slade is after you because you are related to me. If you weren't here, if he hadn't found you then he would have been after me. The time of the prophecy is almost here, and I honestly don't think that Daddy dearest cares which of us he has alive." Raven reassured her.
"Honestly, I'm just surprised I've ran from dad for so long. I know he knows I'm alive, he had to have sensed that I was still alive."
The room fell quiet for a minute, everyone taking in all that was said. There were still so many questions left to ask, but no one wanted to bombard Malice with so much after just waking up from a mini coma.
"Mal, it does not matter how dangerous you think it is that we are together, now that I found you you're staying with us. You can be part of the team. We will protect you, that's kinda our thing you know." Raven reassured again. "The others will gladly accept you."
Malice glanced around at each pair of eyes still on her, each giving her a soft, welcoming look as they nodded one by one in agreement with Raven, that they will indeed accept her as one of them.
"Uh, I have a question…" Beast Boy spoke up raising his hand up, like a student would in a classroom. "You said you were traveling with a band, which band was it may I ask?" He finished with a sly grin on his face. "Also, why don't you sing us a little song? I sure do love me some superstar action."
Raven smacked Beast Boy on the top of his head, glaring at him so intensely that her black magic caused lightning like sparks to appear in the air.
"Rae, it's okay!" Malice laughed at the two, "Don't laugh because I know it's fucking dumb, but the band name is 'Half-Demons'. The two that started it are some punk asses who don't have half a brain between the two of them. I just needed a place when I first showed up back in a city in Washington and they were looking for a singer, so I took it as a chance to get a place to crash. I never really expected that the band would get anywhere, but I was honestly surprised at how many venues we played at and how many people know about it. Before I knew it we were travelling to different states and playing shows all over." Malice paused, knowing it sounded dumb, but she really was grateful for her bandmates for giving her a place to crash and someone to know when she was in need. "There was a perk for performing on stage though, it gave me time to practice with my powers without anyone thinking twice about it, with all the stage effects and all that. I may have the same powers as you, Raven, but you sure are better at spells than I am. My specialty is my voice, not my spells.
"Malice, what exactly can you do?" Robin spoke up again, having stayed quiet ever since Malice first came into the room. "If Raven and you are sisters, doesn't that mean you should have the same powers?"
"Not quite… um Robin is it?" Malice paused as he nodded his head, smiling to herself for remembering his name, now she just needed to get the others straight in her head and remember them. Though she used the power of deduction, for each had a name that fit them pretty darn well. "Yes, all demons, even us half ones, have the power to use dark magic and spells. Each demon has to find what they are most skilled in, such as possession, mind control, and even a mix of skills. Raven is an example of one who excels in spells and dark magic, therefore that is what her strongest skill is. While I can use my dark magic very well, my real power comes in my voice. Ever heard of a creature called a Siren?"
The Cyborg and Robin both nod at Malice, all very interested in what she way saying. Beast Boy and Starfire sit with confusion on their face, but interest in their eyes. Seeing this Malice picked back up with her explanation.
"Okay, well I'm going to guess that since you… Starfire, is it?" Malice paused waiting to see if she had her name right.
"Yes, that is what my name is! Oh new friend Malice you are already remembering the names!" Starfire cheerfully said, "And may I ask what this Siren thing is that you speak of?"
"of course, I was going to guess that since I heard you say something about Tamaranian food that you're not from Earth at all, are you? So I figured you wouldn't know much about Earth Mythology. Basically what the Myths depict Sirens as are creatures that lures sailors to their death by song, but what the Myths don't tell you is that those creatures can also target other victims. Plus the fact that they don't always stay out at sea as mermaids, but that's beside the point. A Siren's voice is a demonic power, one that is my special skill. Basically what happens is my singing voice is super hypnotic to males, it can affect women too, and I say can very loosely because it take way more energy to use my voice to control someone who's the same gender as I am. Once my voice is heard by someone I can control them, use them to my advantage and combined with my black magic, it can be a very deadly combination for someone who gets on my bad side."
"Wow, that's pretty damn impressive if I may say." Cyborg let out a long whistle and commented, "Hey, think you can use that voice of yours to make Beast Boy actually clean up his room for once!"
"Come on Cy! My room is not that messy, I know where everything is! That makes it organized." Beast Boy retaliated with his smart-assery that he can always seem to make work in any situation.
"Malice, thank you for your trust. I know this must be a weird day for you, but Raven and you are reunited, and as leader of the Teen Titans, I think I speak for everyone when I say we would love for you to join us." Robin stood as he spoke, holding out a communicator in his hand towards Malice.
Reaching for the communicator hesitantly, Malice took another look around at each of the Titans around her. These people she had never met before now knew her power, and that she is the daughter of the most powerful demon. She has been scared of people accepting her, though they did accept Raven, and she and Malice are one in the same.
Maybe this is the place I have been looking for all this time. The place I can stop running and be safe. Plus I am reunited with Raven, that's the best part of all. Malice thought to herself as she smiled at the new group of friends around her. Her hand reached for the communicator and she took it from Robin's hand. Her gaze went back to her sister, who was looking at her with a smile on her face.
"Come on Mal, I'll show you to your room." Raven said standing up and reaching her hand out to her sister.