Book I: Chapter V

She was charged with the special duty of filling out paperwork. They were a series of waivers and forms that somehow ensured due justice of law. Raven had to document everything she could remember during the encounter, even down to the mundane details like the clothes that all proponents wore, or the amount of clouds in the sky that she could reliably recall. They were needless details, but the more information she could plaster on the paper, the more likely they could pin charges to the suspect at a later date. Raven had to agree at least on one account, even three days after a crime, events have a tendency to blur together. Specific assurances begin to lose legitimacy. Hell, it happened often enough among their very team, Beast Boy might giggle about the strange denim jacket of 'that one enemy' three weeks ago, yet Raven distinctly remembered a blue sweater.

Relying on the witness's ability to recall events even a couple days after the crime had occurred could pose a problem. In this way, the Mayor required all criminal events to be documented by those involved as soon as physically available—so she sat, pen in hand, stacks of paper in her lap. It was often like this. Either she, or Robin, might end up pulling an all-nighter filling out the boxes of paperwork that went along with every case. There was certainly an advantage to being in Beast Boy or Starfire's shoes. They never had to worry about this kind of headache.

Raven half-resented Robin's cruel, teasing nature, who had called it a 'night' early, leaving the girl to deal with the tedious and tiresome assignment on her own. He had done it with a smirk on his face, casually replying, "It doesn't look like we'll get paid for this. So, I'm going to pass on the pay-per work this time. I'm sure you'll be fine," as he sneaked out of the Mayor's office. Not to say that she didn't deserve it, she had ducked out of paperwork a few times before. Still, she would deliberately get back at him for his aggrevating behavior. Perhaps next time, he'll be the one sitting on the footstool, hunched over an office counter, trying to decide if the wind at the scene of the crime was closer to "lightly chilly," or if it instead classified as "uncomfortable". Of all the things she could be doing with her time, there was certainly no better way of wasting it.

What aggravated her more was that the paperwork was just a formality. It wasn't even a necessity this time around. It was already clear that Jinx had done the crime. There were no doubts. She would be the accused, regardless of how Raven filled out the "hair color" checkbox on the associated form. She could have bubbled in for the suspect 'brunette' hair and 'green' eyes and not a single police officer, investigator or court juror would ever see it. Raven was going through the motions, using the proper channels and the legal protocols, but for no reason other than to give the court a particular illusion of legitimacy.

Oh yes, it was a fun night, dealing with the state police. She loved spending hours discussing with government idiots, standing around, waiting for people to finish their part of the process. In fact, she was so very happy, she felt herself grinding her own teeth in what couldn't possibly be irritation. Earlier that night, the argument she had with the Mayor had gone sour to the point of complete disrespect on both parties. Robin had to jump in pleasantly and act as the fairer kind, the more composed and more willing to compromise Titan.

Raven tried to protest when Jinx was drugged, but neither the Mayor nor Robin would have it any other way. Jinx was a hardened criminal and transporting her sober and mobile would be a serious risk to all. It made sense. She could understand Robin's assertion that a drugged Jinx was a safe Jinx. Though, she still thought it was an inhumane way to treat a prisoner. It was only a small point that Raven quickly brushed aside when she found out the real desires of the mayor.

Raven starkly protested when she found out the girl would be the first 'experiment'. Jinx was hardly bad enough to deserve such a harsh sentence—well, rather, nobody really deserved such a fate, but that was hardly the point. However, it was yet another argument she couldn't win. The mayor was dead-set on trying the new strategy. Robin had originally sided with Raven, but the Mayor called Robin's sense of justice into question when he even considered arguing against the location of Jinx's imprisonment. Of course, the argument wasn't that Jinx deserved to be locked up. It went without saying Jinx deserved to stay in custody. It was practically impossible to suggest that a criminal—one charged with setting an orphanage on fire, no less—was fit for the streets. If all parties agreed she deserved a fair trial and a sentence, then none would possibly dispute holding her in a temporary cell until her trial.

This was unanimous. The point of argument was instead the location of her temporary holding cell before the girl's trial. It was in no way humane, but knowing Jinx's track record of having never been kept in jail for more than a few hours…even on this point, it was neigh impossible to dispute the Mayor without seeming anti-justice. As much as they hated it, it was the job of the Titans to uphold the law, protect the innocent, and keep the violent from instigating more problems. If Jinx would simply break out, then holding her anywhere was pointless. In this case, perhaps the special holding cell really would keep Jinx out of trouble, regardless of how cruel the circumstances were.

Raven knew she was lying to herself, but the logic was there. Although it was hardly right, the girl had done some pretty fucked up shit this time around. Without extensive questioning, there was no way to know what Jinx had actually done. Burning an orphanage down? Killing three children; burning several others? Surely nobody would go that low. If her intent was to cause mayhem by targeting the weakest and most defenseless creatures, perhaps Jinx had even deserved a death sentence…

The cloaked girl shook her head. Jinx was a petty criminal who only cared about physical wealth and a lavish lifestyle of freedom and gluttony. The criminal girl had never killed a single soul in her life. The evidence against Jinx was insurmountable to the point where it was pretty clear she was the cause, but perhaps there was more to her story. Raven would have to talk with the pink haired girl to get a full picture.

For now, Raven refused to label Jinx a murderer. All were innocent until proven guilty—regardless of how heinous the accused stood. Even if she had seen Jinx with her own eyes that night…Raven refused to label the girl a murderer until they might speak face-to-face. Perhaps she was naïve, but she refused to believe anyone was that evil. Even Jinx.

"Raven, that will be everything. Take her, now."

Raven blinked twice, as if suddenly awakening from her thoughts. She looked at the Mayor and nodded solemnly. It was a terrible position, following the commands of such a man, but it was only a temporary maneuver.

Raven did as she was told; she transported the criminal.

He felt a little dazed. His headache had grown to an uncomfortable throbbing behind his temple. Beast Boy tapped his hand against his bedsheet as he lay there, trying to sleep. His shifted onto the right side of his body and he curled his legs so that his heels rest just beneath his butt.

Beast Boy kept his eyes tightly shut, peering beyond the darkest depths of his closed eyelids. The boy let a slight sigh escape his lips as he tried to drown out the little voices in his head. The voices and the thoughts that swirled were louder than the soft voices of his friends who were still talking, from elsewhere in the tower. His friends seemed so close and yet so far away, meeting and discussing, constructing a dialog of no importance to him. His mind would not stop churning, and his thoughts seemed circular in shape. Every few minutes, each memory or mental conversation would return to Raven.

Today had been one of the most bizarre days he had ever experienced. The team had stopped so many criminals that they had surpassed their own record. They had maxed out at 47 successful acts of heroism in a single night, protecting their town from some of the bigger threats that had appeared. Yet, even after this apparent success—the success that Robin had told him to believe in, and ignore the other feelings that bubbled in his heart—he felt like the team had failed. Some of the criminals had gotten away. No matter how hard they had tried, they could not stop everything. They could not do their job and protect everyone. There were at least twelve crimes that remained unaccounted for. A team of five was just not big enough.

It was a helpless feeling, knowing that even as refined heroes who had done this job for many years, the Titans were still within the realm of inexperience. These 'huge criminal event things' would become the new threat. Robin would force them all to train, practice and predict in order to overcome the flaws of the team's design. Fun days playing video games leisurely would be a thing of the past. Work might be more frequent, with training more frequent still. More work meant less safety. The team might even split up from now on and fight alone. It seemed as if everything the Titans stood for might be falling apart.

Raven never came back. Robin had given her the duty of subduing Jinx. That had been a few hours ago. Beast Boy felt a bit uneasy knowing that some of the Titans had gone to bed when one of their own was still in the city. Although Raven had called the team an hour ago, giving them the 'okay', saying her mission was a success, Beast Boy still felt anxious. She was transporting Jinx—a terrible person who had done such a terrible thing. Someone who deserved no redemption for what she had done. What if Raven got hurt?

When's she getting back? What's keeping her? She took Jinx to jail like hours ago! It doesn't take this long. It definitely doesn't take this long to put a bad guy in a holding cell! Something must be keeping her… Beast Boy sat up from his bed and cast the gray comforter aside. Is she really alright? I hope the Mayor is protecting her.

Beast Boy would wander the night, thinking to himself about the events that unfolded. It wouldn't be until the dawn began to rise that he would hear of Raven's return. Soon after, he would hear that she had gone to Robin's office to discuss 'private matters'. He would succumb to his curiosity.

Raven watched Jinx sleep.

It was a bit surprising to see the pink haired girl so easily subdued. Her lips were slightly parted and her arms lightly hugged her own body. The little girl looked so peaceful, with loose eyelids and steady breathing. Her hair draped against her pale cheeks. The experience felt offsetting for Raven. Jinx was mellow and calm, grimy and crude; Jinx was pretty, even without makeup.

Raven eyed the transformation in disbelief. It was hard to even fathom that the hardened HIVE criminal could be the girl sleeping in front of her. Perhaps the Mayor's idea was right, after all. Maybe the way to restrain villains really was to beat the shit out of them, knock them up with heavy drugs, throw them in an impenetrable tomb, and wait until they drown.

Sarcasm.

"If it were my choice, you wouldn't be in here," the cloaked girl whispered.

The experience was disheartening. The Titans were in the business of catching criminals. Raven knew these guys were terrible people who did not deserve the regular freedoms of normal citizens. They did not deserve to walk the streets for the crimes they commit. They needed to be punished for their deeds—these were the very foundations for the justice system that Raven so strongly supported. And yet…she never wanted to treat them like animals.

The scene before her screamed inhumane.

But she would follow the rules.

She would follow the law.

Albeit counterintuitive, Raven wanted to see the plan fail. It would be a nice surge of spite to the Mayor, who's head had grown too large in recent months. Had his plan failed, he might even abandon the idea altogether and return to his almost tolerable previous politics. Raven frowned.

If she could use any single word to describe Jinx, she would have used the word 'prideful.' Jinx was full of spite, grace and femininity, but she was a girl of pride beyond anything else. She looked uncomfortable, sleeping on the hard stone floor with nothing to cushion her back. Raven quietly walked closer to Jinx and set a tray of food on the ground next to her. It was a special meal.

She knew Robin wanted answers. Raven's real goal and only true mission—besides now being physically tied as Jinx's only possible caretaker, and only person capable of feeding her—was to secretly interrogate the HIVE operative. Raven needed to ask questions, very important, pressing questions regarding the prior events. It was a mission of utmost importance and urgency. It might lead to insights on Criminal Explosion Day…was she a part of it? Was she the grand finale? Did she intend to cause such harm, or had everything gone wrong?

Raven felt sympathy for the criminal who looked so exhausted and beaten up. Jinx seemed to be graciously taking advantage of her ability to sleep. Soon, Jinx might not even have that luxury. "I'll ask at the next meal," Raven muttered to herself as she turned her back on the slumbering girl and phased through the wall. As she traveled from the holding-cell and into the outside world, she wondered if this might become Jinx's permanent home…

Robin's eyes narrowed. "I hear you checked up on her."

"A few hours had passed," Raven replied.

"So, how did it go? What did you find out?"

"I wasn't able to speak with her. She was sleeping."

Robin frowned. "What do you mean you weren't able to speak with her? Raven, we need to know. Was this a concentrated attack, or was it spontaneous? You know that children were hurt. Was this an accident, or did she intend to kill?"

"Yes, Robin. I know. I'll ask in a few hours."

"Raven, listen to me!" He rose his voice. Robin seemed stressed and exhausted. His eyes were bloodshot and bags had formed under his eyes. "Time matters! There's no telling what the Mayor might do next. If you don't find out more information, he will KILL Jinx. It's in her own best interest for you to ask, even if it disturbs her sleep."

"I know, Robin. I know. Next time, I'll wake her if necessary, before the Mayor can do anything," Raven kept her head bowed low as she replied. "I will talk with her." Raven turned her back on the boy wonder and went to leave the room. As she reached to grab the doorknob, she heard frantic movement from behind the door.

It was slightly past sunrise.

Raven sat alone, staring out the window of her room. Political issues kept her up all night. They were unrelated to her, yet she was in the middle of them. Her powers were taken advantage of and used as a tool for desperate politics. The Mayor had used her because she was the only one capable of giving him what he wanted. The dark girl wished she didn't have to deal with any of it. They were problems that leaders faced. She was no leader. She didn't even want glory, or power, or notoriety. She just wanted to protect those who could not protect themselves. She wanted to live without guilt as she had carried too much guilt for far too long—Sometimes, that Naive Beast Boy took what he had for granted.

The Mayor had sprung an odd ultimatum on the team. For the first time, he had hinted that government spending on superheroes might be a waste of taxpayer's money. The recent "Criminal Explosion Day" was a sign of things to change, and a direct example of superhero inefficiency.

The argument was simple. Heroes are only good at combating super villains. When there are no super villains, heroes are not necessary. In all fairness, after the defeat of Slade, the true purpose of the Titans had diminished. They had no real opposition. They were there almost symbolically to state that any new criminals would have to face an established and united team of heroes. However, as time went on and the specialized criminals began to diminish, so too did the employment opportunities for the Titans.

The Mayor intended to capitalize on Criminal Explosion Day, using it as an excuse to represent the shortcomings of the team. It was simple basics. Five people simply cannot stop thirty petty thieves. The one advantage of an established police force is their strength in numbers. They are in a far better position and are more apt to combat a large group of wrongdoers.

The words of the Mayor's public speech last night in accordance to the dangerous rise in criminal activity continually looped in her head. He had declared to all: "The new mode of criminal dynamics is a squabble between common men. The major actors are police officers and local heroes, against thieves and petty criminals. There is no room for any team of heroes who fight with excessive violence, abuse expensive leniencies, and expend priceless lives."

What plagued Raven more was that the Mayor was trying to do a good thing. He genuinely believed removing the super villains would make the city safer; he was right. Unfortunately, it came through the context of the Mayor's selfish behavior. He didn't only care about making the town safer. He also cared about his own political status. Removing the Titans was a prize that the Mayor could add to his shelf of accomplishments—proof that his management was more efficient and more eloquent and even safer than any previous government official.

He wanted the Titans gone, but he also wanted the city safe. He was despicably selfish, but opposing him would be taking a hypocritical and selfish approach. First, Raven couldn't help but feel opposing him would be fighting for the right to have super villains. That in itself was an evil thing. She had to agree with him, super villains should be stopped. If the Titans are no longer necessary when the Titans do their job too well—then that was the price the Titans had to be willing to pay. Raven had to agree: locking up evil men and women was the right thing to do, even if it would eventually put the Titans out of work. They couldn't be petty enough to oppose the Mayor for their own best interest, that was hypocritical. Heroes had to follow the rules: the law. They listened to mayors, governors and presidents. They did as they were told. Heroes upheld current litigation. It is those that oppose the laws that are true criminals and if she intended to be a woman of justice, she would have to abide by the representative law.

It didn't stop Raven from briefly contemplating what she should do if the laws themselves were evil. Should she follow an unjust ruler? Opposing the law of the land would be a criminal behavior. Perhaps criminals themselves were people who opposed current laws and believed in different ones.

She dismissed the question as irrelevant. Laws and morality were beating around the bush. She wasn't in the position to make universal claims on sophomoric philosophy. The bottom line was indisputable. The safety of the people came first, no exceptions. As of now, following the Mayor's plans would bring about safety as the final goal. Following the Mayor's plan would be a selfless action on her part. It might result in the destruction of her own team. Similarly, following the Mayor's plans was a sacrificial action that might result in the death of several criminals. These were the burdens she would have to bear for the end result: a safer, happier city.

The ends justifies the means, even at the expense of humans—villains and criminals—who would likely receive a death sentence without the right to a fair trial. It was this thought in particular that made her think the Mayor was an evil man.

However, she had not yet made up her decision. It was not too late. Things had not gone too far. She could stop it all, once she made up her mind. She could rebel against the Mayor, or protect Jinx. There was still a lot of time before anything at all might happen to the pink-haired criminal. A lot of time to agonize, to decrypt, and to debate.

Raven rubbed her eyes, feeling exhausted as she watched the sun rise even higher into the sky. She would not sleep for another day. She had business to attend. Robin would not sleep as well, possibly in a mental debate of his own.

...and now, Beast Boy probably wouldn't sleep either. Raven sighed. It is always best to bear things on your own. Burdening Beast Boy was a sign of her own weakness, and she had done him a great injustice, even if he didn't know what he was talking about.

"If you agree with him, then you're horrible, Raven..."

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