She was cold.

"Ali…I told you to get your stupid fuckin' ass in the bathroom to get ready."

So very, very cold.

"Ali? You better not be crying again! I've had it! Get over here and I'll give you something to cry abo-"

He fell quiet behind her, the words dead on his lips. She knew why.

"…oh my g-…what did you…y-you…oh my god…what did you do! WHAT DID YOU DO, YOU BITCH!"

The world heaved and screamed as she turned to look at him. She wished it was not so cold…even the warm blood splattered on her face felt cold.

"…You don't deserve this," she whispered tiredly, lifting her arm once more.

A gunshot.


Ryce glanced up at the large screen before her in quiet concentration. A litter of papers was once more laid out in eclectic piles in front of her. Once again, she was flitting through them and marking, and flitting through them and marking.

It was a different Ryce though. A clearer one if that made any form of sense. The purple, bruise-like markings beneath both of her no longer sunken eyes had faded into the healthy, fleshy pink that was her natural complexion. The slightly scattered and twitchy movements of those same eyes had also seemed to fade over the two weeks that had past since Noel had found her all but drowning herself at the kitchen table. Two weeks since she had found herself sitting before the man's long standing significant other, being instructed carefully in the meditative arts that kept Raven's own powers so well in check.

And then, after that in the days that followed? Hands slowly began to steady; muscle – however lean and slight – began to build around the jutting bones, beneath flesh that was losing its pallid and nearing waxy hue. The skittish urge to jump and start with every unexpected sound and movement had left her a week prior. Ryce could not quite remember the last time she felt so…there.

Sleep…it really was one hell of a trip.

Not that everything was aces, she knew. There were still days where her empathic, new mentor of sorts' solution could not hold the waters at bay, days where things flattened and slithered themselves through the cracks, like rats through the space under the door. Past memories that belonged to only her got through, like the one from this morning's session. Less frequently, current truths that belonged only to a life that had just ended got through. But that was not quite right was it? They also belonged to a man-thing who sat in his office with his almost elegant hands folded over one another atop his desk, smiling a smile she saw in the mirror each day.

She shuddered a bit at that, gooseflesh crawling across her arms in quick succession. It was not quite clear to her why the recognition of her resemblance to her father would cause such a reaction, but there it was all the same. With her eyes shut, she pushed the glowing orb slightly away from her workspace, the cords and cables running from it to the CPU some feet away falling from the table with a thud.

Above her, on the large monitor typically used for the Titans own investigations, was a young tanned man with black hair and blue eyes that almost seemed to glow. He smiled at someone off screen, mouth moving soundlessly, completely unaware of her watching with vague and muted interest. The world containing this handsome, young man in his black jacket and tie was on her to-do list somewhere she was sure. A quick scan through the pile of papers verified this. As she scribbled, on screen a striking woman appeared as well, her stormy blue eyes regarding the tanned man without words, her long white dress swaying fluidly with her movements. More obvious than all of this was the extended swell of her very pregnant stomach and the hand that rest with subconscious protectiveness over it. Ryce paid neither figure any more attention. As one hand began to scribble down first the universe's identifying number and then the young man's name, the other shifted one of the artifact's rings delicately

She only got as far as looping the bottom of a cursive 'J,' when the new world flickering on the screen above her caught her attention. There was an older man on the monitor now, clad in a blue scrubs with round coke-bottle glasses perched atop of a large and slightly hooked nose. A doctor or nurse perhaps of some sort. He was consulting a chart being held up for him by another's hands, mouth moving just as soundlessly as the dark haired youth's from before. Pale – almost colorless– eyes were roving diligently over these charts as a set of sterile gloves were snapped down over his hands. It was not a very interesting world it seemed…but there was something about the intensity of those pale, colorless eyes that compelled her.

Curiously, the hand still resting on one of those rings nudged another. Instantly, sound was syncing up with the movements of the doctor's lips on screen as he was mid sentence.

"...seventy two hours since hydration and last recorded R.E.M sleep cycle. Project Number 42156/Subject L, shows signs of delirium and general mental and physical deterioration. The time is now three hours, fifty-six minutes, and seventeen seconds ante meridiem. Dr. Levins will be administrating Experiment Number 567: The Effects of Sulfuric Acid on Subject L's Lower Extremities. We will begin with an 85% concentration and increase by increments of .05% with each application. At your leisure Dr. Levins."

Then, the unseen Subject L began to scream.

There was nothing human in it...nothing animal…nothing Ryce had ever even heard in this world or any other (oh, such pretty lies you remember don't you remember this sound he sounded like this like nothing like this pretty lies purple screaming eyes he begged begged begged he begged you heard those EYES-) Subject L let loose a watery, shrill shriek cutting off the spiral of thoughts. Over and over and over, it screamed out in unspeakable, wordless agony.

Those colorless eyes did not as much as blink.

The screen phased out before her in a haze of fizzling colors and the screams were cut off. Frowning, Ryce looked down to the orb and then back up at the screen where a message had appeared in bright and bold – almost angry – red.

ACCESS RESCTRICTED

VIEWING BLOCKED

Instantly, she found herself growing annoyed as she tried to adjust the rings to no avail. The message remained.

"Wanker," she called the orb crankily before pushing herself away from the table and stretching, "Ancient artifact of untold knowledge and time…and it bloody comes with parental blocks."

"What comes with parental blocks?" a voice asked from somewhere behind her.

Ryce turned to find both Beast Boy and Gauntlet entering the living space looking curiously up at the screen. In her turn, the arm that had been stretching nudged the rings on the orb into motion once more. Instantly, the somehow subtly hostile message on the monitor faded away into a sea of swirling colors. Out of the corner of her good eye she could see those colors begin to clear and form the shapes of a new and out of focus world.

She waved at the screen dismissively before beginning to gather the papers up, "Nothin'…just doing some work is all. Was just about to take a-"

Whatever it was she was about to take however was lost in a jubilant cry of, "Oh my God! Titans Monkeyverse!"

Her expression fell into exasperated aggravation before she even turned back to see what it was Robert was enthusiastically now pointing at. On screen were indeed a team of familiarly costumed monkeys and apes, which were screeching and hooting. The masked Robin-Chimp pointed out as he shrieked to a much larger Slade-Gorilla in what was as dramatic and threatening of a pose as a small chimp in spandex could manage. Most of the intensity was lost however due to his team, in particular the Gauntlet-Ring Tailed Lemur who was picking mites out of the Savior-Baboon's fur much to the white primate's annoyance.

"Technically, it would be a Titans Primateverse," Ryce pointed out reaching to grab at the orb and shut it down, "Half of those aren't even monk-Aye! Don't touch that!"

Rob apparently had been struck momentarily deaf, since it was rather difficult to imagine him not listening and disobeying a command when he heard one. The orb was maneuvered unfamiliarly and clumsily in his hands as he began to twist and turn the rings every which way, looking up at the screen, awaiting more amusement.

"Where's the channel changer on this thing?"

Glaring venomously, Ryce swiped her hand at the object, "I said don't touch it, Rob. It's not a toy."

Her fingers managed to graze a ring. Just as they were about to clamp shut, however, the artifact was pulled away from her hand and tossed over her head to an awaiting Garfield. Promptly, this shifter began to imitate his teammate's previous handling and attempts to focus in on a new world. On screen appeared a dimension entirely composed of what appeared to be cats…talking ones…poorly talking ones.

"LOLZ I cAn haz chzburGer plz!" a black kitten squealed darting across the screen

"Do. Not. Want. chzburger. OmgWTFBBQ!" was the response from a spastic grey tabby.

Eyes widening behind her glasses, Ryce once more dashed forward, making a grab for the orb with a growl, "NO. Lolcatsverse is going OFF. Right-bloody-now."

Before she was within arms reach though, she knew what was going to happen. The look on Garfield's face told her what game was about to commence. So, when the shifter tossed the – delicate – artifact back over her head to Gauntlet's outstretched hands she was not actually surprised. Inwardly cringing and waiting for it to smash to the ground, but not surprised. Temper climbing, she reeled about once more, and let out a decidedly inhuman snarl at the blond as he gave her his back and began to fiddle with it once more.

"Now, let's see…what if I move this…ah! There we go. Hmm…wonder what type this one is?"

Beast Boy nodded smiling in amusement as they watched the goings on across the screen every so often passing it to the other person. With each pass, they were careful to hold the orb high enough to be out of Ryce's ever clamoring reach. Given her diminutive size though, this was not too difficult a feat for either Titan.

Ryce glanced up mid-jump and caught sight of an alternate Noel and Raven standing about, looking quite awkward in a large room as they watched something off screen. They were clad in rather ordinary – if not dated – clothing, contrasting sharply with the still possessed bizarre hair colors. A pink dress and white button up cardigan for Raven and a half zipped tan jacket covering a light blue shirt and sweater vest for a tortoise shell glasses sporting Noel. They looked like they had been caught out in the rain, as well. It was a familiar scene, Ryce thought. And then with growing horror – no pun intended – realized why when another wandered into view.

"I'm just a sweet transvestite…From Transexual, Transylvania," he crooned.

Immediately, Robert and Garfield were in proverbial stitches, letting out caws of laughter as Ryce closed her eyes as if in pain.

She glared at them hatefully as once more they began to fiddle with the orb's rings, "I really REALLY could have gone through my life NOT seeing Tim in a sequined corset, fishnets, and silk skivvies…thank you for taking that shred of sanity away from me."

On the monitor, the screen switched yet again, but Ryce was no longer paying the slightest bit of attention as she circled about the two. Face red, Ryce jumped up waving a reaching hand towards the orb being dangled above her head. Temper and volume finally flared as she barked out leaping vainly at the always out of reach relic, "Rob, bugger off! Give it here b'fore y'go an' cock it all up, y'soddin' nance!"

Both of the men looked down at her quietly for a moment, Robert still holding the Orb high above his head and out of her reach. They stared, the loud outburst wiping the amused and teasing smirks right off their expressions.

And then they both promptly began to laugh in her face.

"You lose all grasp of American slang when you get angry," Rob said in delight.

"It's like…a pissed off, British Chihuahua!" Garfield said whipping tears of mirth from his eyes as both completely ignoring the brilliant shade of red – near purple now, really – Ryce was turning.

"…I hate you," she growled at them both, visibly trying to calm and lighten her accent once more, "Fine! Y'know….you know what? I hope you find something that gives you both a stroke. I really do! I hope you find a hell dimension and what you see makes your brains come pouring out your stupid heads."

That said, she turned about and began to re-gather the work she had dropped in her haste to snatch the orb back from their hands. If X or her father had been here and seen it being treated like a television…she did not even want to think about the reaction that would come from THAT one – even though she knew full well Azrael watched his soaps on the damn thing. Behind her, the boys were still yammering away, enthralled at the amusing worlds they were getting glimpses into. Ignoring them, she snatched up another pile angrily, slamming it down a top the other documents.

A chuckle rang out from Robert, "Wow…there is something so very creepy about that look on Raven's face as she feeds 'other-you' fruit, Gar. Think Noel would have a coronary if we showed him you two making doe eyes at each other here?"

Ryce straightened up. She was missing something…

"What DOESN'T Noel have a coronary over?" Beast Boy responded, "Wow…look, Rob. You and Noel actually get along here it looks like…never thought THAT would happen."

Alex…things that are BAD for $1000? chimed something in the back of her mind, as the pieces began to fall into place. Not bothering to turn her head and glimpse at the screen, her voice came out in a cautious, wary tone.

"Rob…what universe are you two looking at?" she asked.

From over her shoulder she heard him, "Hm? It says Earth um….3…7…something. The numbers are kinda small."

Now, turning finally to look up and see herself, Ryce could see what it was that Garfield had been talking about. On the monitor, one Robert Candide and one Noel Collins, were walking – strolling – along Jump's street. Standing close. This Rob talked animatedly - though they couldn't hear what about over the din of the busy city around them. Noel, by contrast did not talk at all. The normally agitated look he had perfected for the blond was noticeably missing, as the meta instead nodded a small content smile on his face.

"…Earth 3-7-1?" Ryce asked face falling in realization as Gauntlet nodded at her. looking confused at her expression. She dropped the papers unceremoniously to the floor and bee-lined back over to the two, her hand out.

"Play time over. Give it back now," she ordered as Robert's face shifted from curious to almost petulant. Garfield however, did not even turn to look at her, still staring up at the screen with a confused tilt to his head.

"….why are you two holding hands?" Beast Boy asked and was ignored as Ryce tried to roughly grab at one of the rings. This time she caught it much to the other blonde's annoyance and cry of protest.

"Okay, mini-genderbent-Noel, you need to chill out," Robert said pulling the Orb back towards himself with one hand while she tried to pull it in the opposite direction.

Ryce gave no sign of conceding the little game of tug-o-war that had begun between them, grappling with two hands, "Candide, god damn it! M'not kidding! Turn this world off before-"

And this was the point where 371-Robert decided something remarkably rare. For once, he had gotten tired of talking.

Mostly because he had decided, instead, to push his listening counterpart up against a wall and press his lips to his in a heated kiss.

Ryce sighed…she was however quite fascinated with how far both Robert and Garfield could drop their jaws.

"Dude!" Beast Boy shouted, looking up in surprise.

"AH! What…Why….who," Gauntlet sputtered incoherently, before turning his gaze back down the teenager and her artifact, "What is wrong with you!"

Ryce's eyes narrowed, a small blush on her face as the 371's inhabitant continued to…publically and affectionately enjoy themselves, "I told you to give it back didn't I! Now let m-"

"Turn it off!" Robert yelled beginning to – now roughly – pull once more on the artifact and its controlling rings.

"I would if you let the damn thing go, Rob!" Ryce growled back trying to smack his hands away and adjust the controls herself with one hand, and tug the upper most ring with the other

"Why would you KNOW what universe this is anyway! What, do you freaking watch!" he carried on, Gauntlet activating and spreading over the arm trying to yank back on the bottom ring. Beast Boy for his part was still staring up at screen in head tilted confusion, as the couple continued unaware of their inter-dimensional audience.

"Go to hell!" Ryce growled back, her left eye beginning to glow angrily, "M' tellin' y'one more time! Let go before you break i-"

And then the ring they were both tugging on snapped.

A bright spark and crack filled the air as the artifact rocketed away from both blonds, who could only stare down in quiet, wide eyed shock at the two halves of ring they were holding. Across the room a rather harried looking Terra emerged in the doorway.

"What the hell are you all yelling abo-" was all the geokinetic managed before the speeding artifact smashed right into her face and ricocheted off of it into a wall across the room. Ryce cringed following its path with her eyes, vaguely impressed with the bulk of the orb's sturdiness. The impression was short lived when her eyes fell back to the still sparking half ring in her hand as well as the one still in Robert's. Those same eyes widened in horror as she snatched the other piece from his hand and quickly scrambled across the room to where the hissing and vibrating orb had come to rest.

Instantly, – ignoring the blond man's insistent cries that she fix it – she attempted to snap the broken orbital back into its place. More sparks flew up at her face as if the sphere were actually enraged over its poor treatment. The rage building up over her was just as short lived as her previous awe over the artifact's strength, when she looked up at the monitor once more to find the screen flickering from scene to scene within the world. Apparently, it was now stuck on the parameters Rob had unfortunately some how managed to set it to before it had broken.

Noel and Rob on a picnic feeding one another food.

Noel and Rob at the movies…Rob was more interested in Noel's neck than the film.

Noel playing with Rob's hair as they cuddled on the couch watching television.

From the doorway, where a bleeding Tara was attempting to sit up with Garfield's flustered help, came the new voice of the resident doctor, "What is going on in here? Tara! What happened to your nos-"

Noel and Rob…there was a tub…and bubbles…rubber duckies.

And in the real world, there was a Blacktrinian doctor doubled over in hysterical laughter. Ryce could no longer help herself, it bubbled up and out of her before she could make any attempt to quell it. She joined him. The two halves of broken ring toppled to the floor forgotten as she held her sides and giggled uncontrollably.

"IT'S NOT FUNNY!" Gauntlet yelled over both of them, face burning red as he snatched up the rings himself and attempted to force them back onto the artifact. For a moment it appeared that Ryce was going to yell at him for doing so when earth 371's Robert began to hum what was definitely the famed children's "Rubber Ducky" song…and then his boyfriend begrudgingly joined in.

It was times like this that Ryce and Nigel could appreciate how soft the tower carpeting was as they fell over unto it laughing. Both were now incapable of any attempts at speech, just letting out continuous peals of hysterical laughter. Blushing furiously, Gauntlet did not even notice when the rings snapped back together around the artifact. Nor did he notice the electric crackle and odor that carried up from it when they did so. So focused in yelling at the two over his brutalized dignity, he also did not notice when the screen shifted again.

What he did notice, however, was the moaning cry of his own name in absolute rapture coming from an all too familiar voice up on the monitor.


Several floors down, Robin, Starfire, Raven, Savior, and Cyborg stood in the slowly climbing elevator, completely unaware of the chaos that was occurring in the living area above. Perhaps they may have been better able to hear the commotion if not for the tension and anger coming off one of their number in practical waves.

"Compensation to his estate. They cannot be serious. The man ATE CHILDREN and his wife has to gall to even SUGGEST a wrongful death suit against US!" Noel grieved to no one in particular.

Tim rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed as he thought back to the meeting that had just taken place. It was easy to see how well it had gone. Beside the smoldering Noel Collins, Raven reached out and placed a calming hand on his shoulder.

"She has gone around the bend, Noel. Everyone can see that."

"Yes," Starfire agreed nodding sadly, "She quite….um….fond of chocolate flavor based breakfast cereal."

Noel seemed ready to fall once again into a rant, but paused and looked over at the orange woman raising an eyebrow. Starfire, for her part, just smiled back pleasantly.

"What are y-"

"She means 'Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs,' Noel," Tim supplied, not bothering to wait for the question to completely finish. And though it was not for the reasons she intended Starfire successfully distracted the white haired man away from his annoyances and the up and coming rant that typically accompanied them. It was a good thing she had, seeing as they had finally arrived on the main floor of the Tower. No need to cause any more drama than needed after all, right? They could slip in and go about the rest of their day as calmly as possible. Tim was looking forward to the peace and quiet, perhaps spent in the company of the orange toned woman beside him. Perhaps, if he asked nicely, Ryce would be willing to fix them both up something small to picnic with out on the beach.

Instead, the second the elevator doors opened, he was greeted by the sounds of panting, moaning, and varying other noises not of the PG-13 variety. The masked hero could feel his temper flaring at the sight of at least four of his team staring up towards the monitor with varying looks of shock and in Gauntlet's case sheer horror. Even more annoying? The (underage) maid sitting on the floor looking up with wide eyes at the images accompanying the mid-coitus soundtrack.

"Have you all gone INSANE!" he barked out, storming forward, growing more annoyed when they did not so much as blink in reaction, "You are not watching PORN in the living with the 17 year old on the main frame comp-OH MY GOD!"

Up on the screen, a rather naked and….twisty….371-Robert Candide echoed Robin's sentiment.

Starfire let out an 'eep' and slapped her hand over her eyes as she retreated swiftly…running into a door frame.

Raven had no words, or even incoherent noises, to express her thoughts or explain the look on her face…several objects just glowed black and exploded.

And then they were silent outside of the continued sounds emerging from the monitor.

It was Cyborg who let out a sigh and strode forward. Without ceremony, he grabbed a hold of all the chords hooking the artifact up to the monitor and pulled. They popped out instantly and the large screen faded to black. With mild incredulity and exasperation he looked around at the group.

"….really? REALLY? None of you thought to just unplug it?" he asked.

Sheepish looks were abound in the room…except for Gauntlet who was still quite purple in his embarrassment and refusing to do much else other than glare daggers at Ryce.

Perhaps this would have continued if not for the strange, strangled sound that came from back towards the elevator. All eyes turned to Noel, who stood stock still, staring at the now black screen. A muscle beneath his eye gave a tick, another one of those odd chocking sounds emerging from his closed mouth, the jaw tense and teeth quite clearly gritted behind his lips. Without another word or sound he turned and walked back into the elevator, his movements oddly stiff. The doors closed with a ding.

Once again…silence

And then a much different group of choked back sounds broke it as several tried to hold back the snickering

"Your three, don't even THINK about it," Robin barked pointing at Nigel, Ryce and Beast Boy, before focusing solely upon Ryce, "YOU come with me."

Her eyes widened a bit at that and she opened her mouth in what was sure protest. Tim cut that off as well.

"NOW."

For a moment, Ryce's mouth open and closed soundlessly, not unlike a goldfish in a bowl. Quickly enough, her jaw snapped shut with an audible click as she stood movements stiff and angry. She followed the Titan leader out of the room in the same manner, sure to cast both Beast Boy and Gauntlet the most scathing of looks in her departure.


Approximately three hours of tense quiet had passed since….the 'incident' as Robert was want to refer to it. Approximately three hours of tense quiet and rather poorly concealed snickering from his teammates when they happened to pass by him. Gauntlet quickly discovered that he was quite sure he did not enjoy being on the other end of this. In fact, he was also quite sure that the next person he passed in the hall was going to be told so rather loudly.

The person ironically enough happened to be the other half of the cause of all this morning's troubles. Beast Boy however, was not chuckling at all as he made his way out of the room to his right looking back guiltily over his shoulder. When he finally turn back forward and caught sight of his teammate he nodded back towards the room.

"Just the guy I was going to go find," he said as Gauntlet craned his neck to see what it was the shifter had been nodding to. As if this morning's incident had decided to go on a rerun, he found the soul occupant to be none other than the newest resident of their tower. He could hear, even out in the hall, the unnecessarily forceful – undoubtedly angry – clicking of keystrokes as she typed away in front of a desktop computer. Needless to say, her expression matched the tone of typing, barely contained, incensed….in short, the half angel was pissed right off.

"Tim has her answering his email…and made her clean the kitchen and bathroom floors by hand for this morning with a tooth brush. Said she should know better than to do that kind of work out in the middle of the living room," the green shape shifter explained, wincing when her fingers gave a particular loud clack

Gauntlet lifted an eyebrow in surprise, "Isn't that a little harsh?"

"Yea…but no one can seem to find Noel now, so he's blaming that on her, too. She also decided to ask him mid-lecture if the police ever took issue with a millionaire bachelor living in a cave with a stripper pole and a preteen boy that he dressed up in 'pretty costumes.'"

"…The longer she's here, the more she reminds me of a vindictive, female Met. I'm not sure if I find her rather brilliant or incredibly stupid," Gauntlet said blinking.

"When Noel was last seen and capable of speech I heard him say she's an inconvenient mixture of both…you should go apologize, Rob," Beast Boy sighed, waving off Gauntlet's instant look of indignant surprise, "Don't look so shocked, man….I already did. It was OUR fault it happened after all. She did tell us not to touch it. Can't really blame her for copping an attitude with Tim over it when he got pissy at her."

Beast Boy was, of course, one hundred percent correct on this one. However, this did not mean that the Uberton hailing man had to like that fact. Garfield could understand this…it was not as if the petite teenager ever made Robert Candide's life easier. Neither did she ever make quite the same effort to curb her oft biting idea of wit at his expense as she did with the other residents. Then again…Gauntlet did have a way of bringing that out in people.

Before one of the 'core' Titan members could nudge him towards apology again, Robert gave a sigh and walked past him and into the room. A satisfied and thankful expression lit across Garfield face….and then he speed walked as quickly away as possible. Apologizing WAS the right thing to do...but that did not mean the shifter wanted to be anywhere NEAR the scene of it while it occurred.

Completely disregarding his teammate's hasty retreat, Robert made his way into the room eyes watching Ryce's turned back. She gave no indication that she was aware of his presence as he inched closer. Anything he might have wanted to start off with saying, however, was cut sure when her voice quipped irritably.

"If you don't mind…the vindictive, female Metatron is busy being brilliantly stupid, Candide. Let's skip whatever you're going to do to and jus' get right to the part where m' aggravated."

His eyes widened a bit in surprise for only a second before he remembered a comment Nigel had made regarding her superior hearing some days ago. So far this was not exactly going quite how he had planned.

"…you and I have gotten off to a bad start," Robert pointed out a tad awkwardly as Ryce nodded in agreement, prompting him to continue, "Why don't we just start over without the mean-spirited name calling, humiliating and emasculating tactics, PMS grade mood swings and wow I am making this worse aren't I so I'm just going to stop and say that I'm sorry and hope you don't throw that soda can you are currently clutching at my head."

Ryce glared up at him in dry ill-amusement, looking quite ready to do just that. After a few tense moments, however, she simply sighed and shook her head, looking back to the screen before her. Fingers cracked at the joints with a loud pop before she was back to typing away at the keyboard.

"Apology accepted, Rob. However, for all your complaints about how I've treated you, you seem to forget that you've managed in the past few weeks to piss me off – I don't care if it was intentional or not so no retort is needed – to no end when Noel's not at your disposal, blackmailed me into a date, lost me my smoking habit, AND caused me to have to scrub the toilets in the place BY HAND. So yes…I accept your apology, but I will get back at you too…you won't know when it is coming or what form my revenge will take…but it will happen," by now a smirk had worked its way across her face, "I think you can understand and accept these terms, aye?"

For a moment he just stared at her as if contemplating her offer and the hand she was now extending. Soon enough though a smile cracked over his face and shook the offered hand, "Accepted."

"Good…now go grab a chair and help me passive-aggressively answer these emails inappropriately. Tim's bein' a right arse and I could use your talegravating skills," she said turning back to the screen

"Talegravating?" he asked doing as she asked and peering at the screen.

"Talentedly Aggravating," came the reply.


And so went the minutes, flying by a great deal quicker with the blond Titan's own brand of wit being thrown into the mix for email response. The original tension ebbed out with surprising ease and swiftness and soon Ryce was lounging back in her chair giggling and snickering at the responses Gauntlet wrote to some of the more inane questions Robin's fans always had in vast supply.

Robert opened and read aloud one of these said inanities chuckling tohimself along with the girl beside him, " Okay, here's the next one, 'HEY ROBIN! Hey man u got all those honeyz at ur place, an its not like u aint got anything goin with them, hook me up! You got that hotie maid workin it now, hows bout you get me her digits! C'mon, bro, dun let me down. Much love, -Met..."

There was a crunching sort of shriek that startled Gauntlet out of his reading of the email. A glance to the side found Ryce sitting straight up as if a pole had been suddenly inserted into her spine. The soda can she had been holding now crushed in her hand. Robert raised and eyebrow and glanced to the other hand resting on the desk to find it hooked into a rather lethal looking claw…which was now hooked into the end of a rough set of gouges it had left upon clenching down.

"...ahumanEnthusiast34," he finished still looking at her unsurely, "Um…you okay there?"

Instantly she seemed to deflate and blush a bit under his stare not meeting his gaze, "Yea…I um….that is….angel…thing…what's the next one!"

For once, Robert decided to go with in inner instinct and not question what had just happened. Instead he leaned back allowing her to seize the mouse and close the email, opening the next one up and effectively changing the subject.

Dear Robin,

Hardcore nuzzling tiem nao?

-Lonely in New York

With the air of a professional musician about to perform a concerto, he shooed her hands away from the technology. Without even pausing for thought he responded to poor old Lonely.

Dear Lonely,

You have no idea how much I miss nuzzlin…Savior's been so cold :'( 10:00 pm Monday, meatpacking district, the place is called The Fuzzy Navel…bring bunny slippers. The safe word is 'Banana.'

- Robin

At that Ryce let out a choked spurt of laughter ending in an almost snort like sound. This prompted them both to only to giggle harder as Ryce leaned her head down and hid her face against his shoulder, body shaking with laughter. The action finally allowed Rob to notice how much physically closer she had subconsciously shifted to him in the past few minutes. When she finally managed to reign in the uncontrolled giggling into a tapering off occasional burst she did not remove her resting head. Instead, she just turned a bit to allow herself view of the screen once more. His own laughter cut short as his mind went into a complete and utter blank at the affectionate, almost flirty, contact she was making. This…this was new.

"Um…uh….look at this one," he sputtered out quickly clicking a file at random, "It says 'I HaB fanAartZ 4 Uz!1!' from R0bnf4n1234…"

"Delete it," Ryce said waving a hand lazily though still making no effort to move, "No attachment emails…Captain Hot Pants' orders."

"Aw c'mon…I'm sure it's perfectly innocent," he replied clicking the email and attachment in spite of her warning. An annoyed grumble went up from her as the file opened up on screen.

"See!" Gauntlet said watching as the images popped up one by one on the screen, "You're too paranoid, look how cool some of these are…look at the one with Batman and R-"

The speakers crackled in a deep, doom-promising laugh.

And that's when the fanart of the dark knight and his young ward became pornart.

Hundred of megabytes of violent…disturbing…GRAPHIC…pornart.

The sound that emerged from Gauntlet could be closest described as a squawk, where as Ryce made no sound. She just stared in horrified, jaw agape shock. Meanwhile, the speakers continued to cackle and the retina burning images and virus warnings continued to flare up on the monitor.

"TURN IT OFF!" she finally managed to shriek out right into Robert's ear.

"I'm trying!" he barked back one hand flying up to guard the assaulted side of his head, though it did nothing to alleviate the shrill ringing now there.

The thing to keep in mind being that 'trying' to Gauntlet apparently meant mashing all the keys on the keyboard roughly and clicking the mouse indiscriminately at anything on the screen. Therefore, it did not come as a surprise that this did absolutely nothing to halt the ominous laughter or the barrage of pictures that just kept popping up one after the horrifying other.

"…Oh….Oh god…that does NOT go there….I will never be able to look at the Batarang the same way again," Rob groaned shutting his eyes as another picture appeared. Ryce's eyes just seemed to get wider in comparison as another four or five pictures loaded…and now there were cosplayers.

"…why would Batman carry THAT in his utility belt!"

It was then Robert noticed she was looking at him expectantly, waiting for him to answer, "Why the hell would I know!"

"Cause you are the only one here that every time he touches something today, causes something really god damn gay to happen!" she yelled back, "Maybe some power that be is trying to tell you someth-"

"Don't say it!" he growled back mashing his hand on the keyboard once more while the other pointed to her.

"Rob, stop hitting the damn keyboard!" Ryce snapped, finally scrambling over him towards the wall. More to the point, she scrambled over to the outlet in said wall and the power chord linking it to the desktop's CPU. Visions of Cyborg's more intelligent solution to this morning's debacle danced in her minds eye. Pull the power…get Victor in here to repair it…Robin would never have to know! It was perfect…it was simple…it was…

"THERE! Fixed it!" Robert yelled triumphantly from behind her.

It was not going to happen that way, apparently. Turning her head to glance cautiously over her shoulder – like someone expecting a blow – Ryce looked back to the monitor to find it clear of the graphic images. She did not acknowledge Robert's nearly smug expression as she made her way back over. For all appearances, he seemed right in his 'fixed it' assessment. The pictures were gone and the booming evil cackling from the speakers has ceased. All that was left was one small pop up message. She read this message.

Mail Sent.

Ryce stood stock still staring at those two little words for several moments. The muscle beneath her blind eye gave a highly visible twitch much to Gauntlet's confusion. Before he could voice his eventual question over her expression she grabbed his chin with one hand – non-too-gently – and directed his face to the message on the screen that had caught her attention.

"…oh…crap," was his brilliant contribution.

"…who did you send it to," Ryce hissed eyes narrowing down at him as he clicked frantically.

"Don't make that face! Look!" and he pointed at the screen to emphasize this command, "It only went to one person."

It appeared that he was right as he opened the 'sent' tab on the screen. A single line had been filled out in the address box. As if to further prove this point, Gauntlet reopened the mail itself. And with that single click upon that 'one person,' the truth was brought into light, as a mailing list made up of hundreds scrolled down the screen. Media outlets…Honorary Titans…Fans…all now privy to an email that had 'mutated' to being entitled, "Important Matters Concerning City Safety – CONFIDENTIAL." A title that would no doubt prove utterly irresistible to any being within the realm of the non-brain-dead.

Ryce stared at the screen.

Robert stared at the screen.

And then they were both running.

A litany of 'charming' words – some of which Robert did not even know existed – flew out of Ryce's mouth as she skidded around one corner slamming into a wall clumsily. The Titan could only wince at the sound it made as she was producing a key from her back pocket, undeterred by her crash. Frantically, she attempted to shove said key into the lock that prevented anyone else from entering her room. Gauntlet did not so much as slow as he passed by.

"Don't bother locking yourself in, Tim has a key to every room in the Tower," he pointed out as if reading her mind.

Another growled out curse came from the angel just as the door managed to click open a crack. Swiftly, she turned the lock back and pulled the door hastily forward to close it. Sparing it no glance, she was running after him once more, following his path to the Tower elevator. As he grabbed the set of keys dangling on a hook nearby, she began to press the button over and over as if this would somehow spur the lift to move at a faster rate. A glance back showed Gauntlet looking around the room and down the halls, keeping look out should anyone approach and wonder what was wrong with the both of them.

"Coast is clear," he whispered back loudly, returning to her side just as the light for their floor lit up with a ding and the doors slid open.

Timothy "Robin" Drake looked at them both impassively from within the lift.

Gauntlet was not quite sure he had ever seen anyone actually jump that high when startled. Both arms lashed out and balanced Ryce, one clapping a hand over her squeaking mouth to prevent anything from coming out of it. Robin just stared at them both questioningly. Laughing nervously, the artifact wielding young man lifted his other hand in a wave. His leader still looked on, eye brow raised.

"Everything alright you two?" Robin asked as he departed from the lift.

Robert gave another laugh and backed up past the still open doors, the hand clapped over Ryce's mouth moved to rest on her shoulder. Waving off the masked man's concern with the other hand he just smiled, "No! No everything's awesome…Ryce and I were um…just about to go on that date!"

Ryce bobbled her head in soundless agreement. Robin did not look convinced.

"…you're going out on your 'date' now."

"Yup."

"After she humiliated you in front of the entire team."

"Yup."

"After you referred to her as a psychotic harpy of banshee proportions whose only goal outside of sucking the life force out of the innocent is to emasculate you and display your ripped off man bits on the living room mantel like a hunter's trophy for all to see."

"…yea she didn't hear me say that, but thanks for repeating it right in front of her," Robert sighed hanging his head as Ryce's glare focused on him again.

"...Well, considering your luck, it's STILL already better than any other date you've had so far," Robin pointed out, still watching the two suspiciously

Finally, the doors gave their warning ding, alerting passengers and disembarkers alike that the doors were shifting shut. A few seconds more and they did just that cutting the two fidgety blonds off from Robin's view. Robert was spared any more of his leader's poorly timed admissions.

"…psychotic harpy?" Ryce asked flatly.

"You accepted my apology already and therefore the statute of limitations on you being angry is up," Robert countered.

Ryce did not look impressed with this logic.

Either way, it no longer seemed to matter as the doors once again gave their musical ding and opened to reveal the garage of the Tower. They both walked from the lift calmly, one foot in front of the other. Each step shed from them both a little more restraint…each fall of the foot came faster after the other. Soon enough, Ryce and Robert were all but sprinting over to the car. Ryce reached the automobile first, flinging open the driver's side door, and climbing in. With bordering on frantic movements she shut the door beside her and began to fiddle with the seat belt. It was then she noticed that there was no one climbing into the passenger's seat.

Robert stared at her from outside.

"Yea last time you drove a car you wrapped it around a telephone poll…"

She frowned up at him, "Oh c'mon!"

"I'll stand here and wait until Tim comes down and life imitates the 'art' of those emails with his Birdarangs before I let you drive," he said in an uncharacteristic dead pan as Ryce pouted up at him.


Meanwhile, several stories above the budding tug of war over the car keys, Timothy Drake sat down at his computer to read through the responses the petite blond had sent out. Needless to say, he was regretting this punishment around the second email. By the fifth, he was thinking up a new punishment for BOTH the individuals he had just passed by in the living area, seeing obvious signs of his teammate's contribution to these 'charming' responses. The thought was cut short though when he saw the mass mailing that occurred mere minutes ago. A feeling of dread set in as he moved the cursor over the first one. He was just about to click the icon, hovering over it.

And then the screaming started over the T-COM.

"DUDE! WHAT THE HELL!"

"My eyes!"

"Um...Nigel can you come to the seventh floor? Star tried to get away and ran into another wall."

"…Why is everyone checking their email at the exact same time?"

"Why do people keep showing me gay erotica today!" came a typically calm voice that was now just beginning to verge on hysteria.

Well at least I know Noel's alive, Tim thought sourly. He tried so very hard to keep his temper…to not all but fly down the stairs after the two idiots he had so stupidly allowed access to this. He might have even succeeded too, if he had not noticed the media sources on said mailing list.

Cyborg's voice called up from the COM hesitantly, "Yea…Robin…don't go to TMZ's website."


By now a mile or more away, the Tower shrinking in the rearview mirror, Ryce and Robert sat in nervous silence. Nervous silence that was broken by the beeping of the yellow communicator resting on the dashboard. A nauseous looking expression crossed Gauntlet's face as he lifted it up, pinched between two fingers and held out at arm's length as if it was something of great disgust or filth.

With a wincing glance at his passenger, he pressed the button, "…um…Jump City Pizza can I take your or-?"

"WHEN I FIND YOU BOTH THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TELL WHAT BODY PART BELONGS TO WHICH MORON I SWEAR TO GOD! RYCE I WILL MAKE YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS SEEM LIKE THE BRADY BUNCH!"

Gauntlet's eyes widen in surprise as Robin's voice continued to roar down the COM link. He tossed the communicator to Ryce as if it were hot, mouthing at her silently to take it and talk to him. Not appearing to agree with this idea, she shook her head and tossed it back to him. Thus began a silent argument between the two as Tim's screaming carried on unaware of the game of 'hot potato' that had begun in the car. Eventually, it was Ryce who developed with the only reasonable solution to the situation they were currently facing.

She threw the screaming T-COM out the window.

The car was plunged back into awkward silence.

"…sushi okay with you?"

"…aye…"


Within a half an hour both Ryce and Robert found themselves seated outside a small venue over looking the bay. The Titan had to give her credit. Since their hasty flight from the Tower, the girl had managed to keep any and all of her typically snarky commentary out of the conversation…albeit that 'conversation' mostly had consisted of painfully awkward silence and distinct efforts to not make eye contact, but it was a start he supposed. Baby steps forward in getting her to not be manically confusing. There was however, one thing weighing quite heavily on his mind.

Under the guise of perusing his menu he nonchalantly tried to bring that subject up, "So…you and Bart…"

A glance up and over the menu found Ryce looking up at him, head tilted to one side. Her expression could be called endearingly confused he supposed. What Robert had hoped would happen was that she would seize this opportunity to figure out his unasked question without him finishing the thought. No such luck appeared as she just gazed back questioningly.

"He's not going get his spandex in a twist over this lunch thing right?" Rob asked still trying to keep the pretense of simple conversation. If anyone had been listening they may have told him that he was failing quite exceptionally at this.

Ryce raised an eyebrow in response and Gauntlet could see that she was not going to make this easy by any means.

"Well y'know…the whole um…fight with Ter in the kitchen? Aren't you two…uh...'together'?" he trailed off, gesturing helplessly to illustrate a point he could not quite politely form into actual words and sentences.

"No," she said, continuing to stare at him incredulously, "I barely know him. Why would you think that?"

"But didn't you sleep with-," he was quick to start, but than the pieces finally seemed to click into place for Gauntlet, whose eyes widen just a bit, "Oh…Oh! I…um…so you…isn't that a bit-"

"Aye! You can stop THAT sentence right there, Rob," Ryce said eyes narrowing as she pointed across the table accusingly, "S'bullshit of the highest order."

Date disintegrating in T-minus 10 seconds, he thought cringing as she continued to glare.

"Y'know what? I love how I have a bit of fun and, immediately, m'called a whore – and don't give me that look 'cause I know you are thinking it jus like the others back at the Tower are – but if it were YOU who had a li'l no-strings-attached shag with some girl, all the guys would be slappin' you on the back, givin' praise, or whatever machismo bull your gender seems to pull together every time one of you gets laid. Hell, I bet they'd throw you a damn parade. M'serious! I bet Gar and Vic would have a bleedin' BANNER made up for you."

Robert stared at her for a few seconds after her tirade, before grumbling dryly, "It is not THAT bizarre an occurrence that there would be a parade and a banner."

Oddly enough, this seemed to bring a slight smile to her face as she shook her head, "Don't pout. Girls don't find petulance attractive."

Midway through his nod, once again a light seemed to go on behind the Titan's eyes. Something that had been bugging him had finally wormed its way up from the annals of his memory and was now blinking up at him expectantly.

"Ryce…is your boyfriend okay with you having casual sex with strange meta-humans?" Gauntlet asked as Ryce's eyes began once again to look over the menu in front of her.

She did not even look up, "I don't have a boyfriehhh-god damn it."

The grin ripped across his face as the pained grimace raced across hers. Oblivious to his triumphant expression – as her eyes were squeezed shut – Ryce lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose, no doubt to alleviate that headache that had to now be building behind her eyes. Unbeknownst to her 'date,' it was also to distract herself from the stinging in those eyes and the ball of lead her insides had become.

Robert leaned forward slightly and pointed across the table, "Hah! LIAR! I knew it! So what? Did you just make some imaginary boyfriend up?"

For a moment she said nothing, and then in a quiet – tired sounding – tone, "…no. I did not make him up, Robert."

He had yet to pick up on the sudden change in demeanor, yet to notice the biting, playful lit to her words had fizzled and dulled, "Alright, did you two break it off or something before you showed up here?"

For a moment, it seemed she was not going to answer, just sitting there with her eyes shut. He waited for the snappy retort. Waited for her eyes to open and her temper to flare up in a display of creative insults. Slowly, they did open. But there was no anger there…no fire at all. Now, he finally saw the pain etching into them, finally heard it in the suddenly subdued sound of her voice, "…he died. My brother killed him."

Silence dropped over the table as Robert's triumphant smile fell from his face in a near audible slump. Eyes wide, he just stared across at the girl who was now not quite meeting his gaze, seemingly to become all too interested in looking slightly upwards at the sky above his head. After a few moments, the waiter chose to make his entrance and stood besides the small, two-person table looking at them both expectantly and pleasantly. Gauntlet sighed and buried his face into one hand.

"So yea...can we get an order of edamame…and some water to wash the taste of my left…wait, no…my right foot out of my mouth please?"

"Very good, sir."

A few seconds of that hurt silence over took the table in the waiter's wake. It did not last particularly long before Robert looked up at her trying to catch her eye, "….I…I am so sorry…I shouldn't have…"

"No…m'not gonna accept that apology," she said, looking back in time to catch his wince, "I can't cause you shouldn't be making it and m'the one who should be apologizing."

A look of confusion washed over the young man's features as Ryce took a deep breath, "I…obviously still have a lot of issues with what happened…and I take them out on you. That's not fair and s'not right. M'sorry for that, Rob."

"What did happen – if you don't mind my asking?" he asked cautiously, though not unkindly. A small, humorless smile quirked up on her lips at the question. It was a sad, ugly little grin that Gauntlet was grateful to see fade when she began to speak.

"I was fifteen…really only a few weeks from my sixteenth birthday when this crisis with D'xias all began. The first world…my first failure…was already on its last legs. Humanity was on par with any other animal you'd find on an average endangered species list in numbers. It was…a pointless world to try and save.

"I went anyway. A few thousands lives – even if I was delaying some sort of inevitable – is still a few thousands lives. I went alone the first two attempts…no Xavius hounding my movements. He was part of the group that found me after I arrived…that took me in and listened to my warnings. They took care of me and…they did something. Something wonderful…and terrible."

Ryce paused, eyes staring down at the table, but not seeing it. Robert waited for her to continue, reaching out to offer a comforting touch to the back of her hand. Just a simple brush of his fingertips. Something sparked in her eyes at the touch, "…they treated me like an equal. They treated me with kindness. No one had ever done that before. I fell in love with the feeling of being cared for…and I fell in love with the one person out of them who truly made me smile and laugh even though the world had collapsed around him. We…were happy.

"And then, D'xias came. And these heroes who had already lost everything fought him…and they won. I couldn't even wrap my mind around it. They had won. I had won. It was over. It was like a band around my chest that I didn't know existed, released and I could breathe for the first time in months. I looked at him…and he looked at me with that same stupid smile as he always had. And then he died. They all did. One after the other."

"He didn't die – D'xias, I mean. It had been a trick," Gauntlet said in quiet confirmation watching as Ryce nodded in a sort of muted sadness.

"Aye," she said quietly, "A cruel…vicious trick. And before I was pulled from one world into the next, my brother leaned over and told me a truth. 'This is the reality. There are monsters…and sometimes theywin.'"

Gauntlet was surprised to say the least when a small chuckle rose up from the woman across from him. It was far from the side-splitting level, giggling he had seen from her an hour or so ago when they had been answering those emails, but it was not in the vein of that ugly expression he had seen on her earlier either. Shaking her head and letting out another subdued laugh she glanced up, "Kinda a ridiculously heavy topic for a lunch date, wouldn't you say?"

Robert could not help but smile a bit at that, "With my experience? For all I know, lunch dates are supposed to consist of discussing murdered loved ones and familial genocidal disputes."

It was perhaps the most tactless thing the blond could have possibly said. Which is perhaps why it set the half angel into a fit of eye-tearing laughter. Robert watched in quiet amusement as she shook with it, as much a release as perhaps bursting into tears might have been. He waited for her to finish, waited for the absurdity of it all to liberate her from the giggles that had washed over her.

"Can I ask you a personal question, Miss No Last Name Given?" he asked, head tilted to the side.

She nodded, wiping a few stray tears of mirth from under her eyes, "Aye…can't say I'll answer but you can ask."

"Why waste your time bed hopping if you can just…find him again?"

The smile leaked out of her expression a bit and she turned back to look at him with neutral eyes. Robert was unable to read the look on her face, so he assumed it perhaps to be one of confusion.

"I mean…we've seen it before. People from one world die, but they're still around in another. Your guy could be here…hell, he could be in Jump City for all you know, right now, walking around. You could have him back. Why not find him?"

A quick aversion of her eyes back down to the table was his immediate answer as Ryce thought of how to best respond to this question. After a few quiet moments of contemplation she gave a small sigh and shake of her head. Her eyes were back on him again, "I have. And you're right…he is in Jump."

Eyes flared open in surprise at this confession, followed quickly by a narrowing in confusion, "But…then…why don't you-"

She shook her head again, interrupting his question before he could fully voice it, "Because, Robbie. It wouldn't be him. It may look like him…sound like him…even smell like him. This person may even aggravate and send me into stitches the same way he used to. But it would never be him. All the experiences and things that shaped this one person...everything that made him who he was wouldn't be there no matter how badly I wanted them to be. It wouldn't be fair to either of us…I would always look at him and see someone else. He would always know that maybe m'just playing make believe. I wouldn't be able to do that to someone. S'not right and I've come to terms with that. Now, I just have to come to terms that yes…bad things happened and I miss him terribly…but that doesn't mean that I can treat this other guy like crap just because some part of me is still angry over losing someone who shares his face."

The waiter arrived just as she finished and placed down on the table a small basket filled with small green, salted pods. Ryce wasted no time reaching in and plucking one delicately away from the others and placing it into her mouth. Across the table Robert nodded in agreement reaching over to do the same.

Ryce did not so much as blink as she lifted the basket of soybeans up away from the glass of water Robert managed to spill over the table once exactly what she had just said finally sank in. With a shake of her head, her blind eye gave a soft glow sending several napkins scattering over the table to sop up the mess. All the while Robert just continued to blink at her owlishly.

"Now that you've figured it out…I promise that I will try to refrain from projecting and ripping your face off for no reason," she pointed out. The saturated pile of linens slid over to the side of the table on its own as she did so. Gauntlet could only seem to manage to stare at her in that same look of confused surprise as the waiter returned and cleaned away the wet napkins. When she finally looked back, he could see her mouth thinning and trembling as she tried to hold in what was clearly laughter.

"Well I suppose staring at me like a spooked bird is a bit cuter than the petulant pouting," she said shaking her head kindly.

"…you are a very odd little thing, Ryce," was all Robert could finally come up with causing a wide grin to break out across her face. Slowly, it lessened into a small almost bemuse sort of smirk as she regarded him. A thoughtful look crossed her face before she eventually gave a nod.

"…Gallagher," Ryce said in a content – almost mellow – sort of tone.

His head tilting to one side in non-comprehension, Gauntlet could only reply with a confused, "Huh?"

That soft, quiet smile glimmered back at him, "…earlier…you said I had no last name…I do. It's Gallagher. Alaryce Gallagher."


It was over three hours before the car swung round again, returning to the space it had sped out from beneath the Tower. A few moments of idling were all the past before the moderately purr of the engine was cut, allowing a muffled voice to be heard from within a bit more clearly. A door swung open on either side finally clearing up what the driver had been saying.

"…and that's when I bought the horse a prostitute," Robert finished as Ryce just continued to laugh at whatever it was that had led up to this glorious punch line.

"Stop…" she said breathlessly as she tried to reign in the fit of laughter she was still gripped in, following his lead towards the lift, "I can't…sides…face…hurt…."

It was perhaps the most relaxed the Titan had ever found himself around a member of the opposite sex. Perhaps, given his new understanding of the younger woman with him, knowing that nothing would come of this faux date had caused the ease and – dare one say – actually smooth nature that had come over him. Maybe it was the sheer lacking of pressure upon him that caused the simple confidence to transform his typical moments of being annoying into moments of being genuinely amusing. Robert did not know…was not even really aware of the change. Instead, he gave a wide grin and shrug as he stepped into the waiting elevator extending an arm through the door to ensure her safe entrance, "Well, stop having a pretty smile and I won't keep making you laugh."

What he was saying seemed to only register after the words had come out of his mouth. Immediately, he gave an inward wince, waiting for the shot that would send the moment spiraling down to crash flatly against the elevator floor. A roll of the eyes…a snarky comment…a dirty look. Even all of the above seemed a likely response from Ryce given her typical nature. And yet, none of the above was what he received. In fact, another soft laugh rose up from the young woman beside him, that smile he had mentioned staying strong on her face. Ryce had just reached out and pressed the lift button when she noticed the sudden silence and cautious stare she was being granted.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

A moment of awkward quiet passed before Gauntlet finally managed to string his words warily together, "I was flirting with you…"

"I noticed."

"Yet you didn't say 'Go away loser I'd rather have a nose job by a stub fingered lemur with leprosy.' That means something," he pointed out, a small smirk making its way across his face.

She was smiling and shaking her head now, eyes glancing up at the ceiling as she waited for the lift to rise, "Maybe I was just being polite and didn't want to hurt your feelings?"

"But you're not polite…you're rude…in fact you can be downright bitchy."

Ryce could not help but let out a burst of laughter at that, before glancing back at the other blond, "Well, I promised to be less so, did I not?"

She did not wait for the Titan to answer that question, "You do realize that s'every 'man' for themselves when we leave this lift, right? I doubt very seriously if Fearless has calmed down."

He waved off her concern dismissively, "Yea…but he always has his flamboyant, lime green tights twisted up over something. So…I guess this is the end of our 'date,' huh?"

The smaller girl turned around and rested her back against the elevator door, regarding Gauntlet quietly for a moment, "Aye…suppose it is. I must say…was a lot less painful than I thought it would be."

"Glad to exceed your extremely low expectations," he said with a smile, "That being said, you do know what happens at the end of a date, yes?"

"Absolutely not, Robert," was the rather edged reply. Gauntlet had a sneaking suspicion it was not meant to answer the question he had asked. The compartment rumbled in its slow ascent as he stepped away from the barely trembling wall towards her.

"What?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly before relaxing once more. Gauntlet could see she was glancing at him from the corner of them, her frame tensed and arms folded. Warning signs began to flare red in his mind all saying the same thing, approach with extreme caution and danger. After a moment of cautious pause, Ryce finally emitted a soft sigh and let some of the wound up tension leak out of the tautness that had settled over her like a blanket. When she did choose to speak, much of the edge that had been in her voice had also bled out of her, "After everything I have told you today…what exactly would be the point of it?"

He shrugged at first and response trying to keep his tone light, curious to see where this might lead if nothing else, "Does everything NEED to have a point? Can't something just be fun? It's a goodnight kiss, I'm not asking you to bare my children."

"It's four in the afternoon."

"And watch as the point flies right over your head," Robert sighed, though he did not miss the slight tremble of her lower lip or the tick at the corner of her mouth, both signs, he had come to realize, that she was trying her hardest not to smile, "It's kinda funny that a girl who had no problem hopping into bed with Bart Allen a week after meeting him is so intimidated by a good ni…afternoon kiss."

The progressively relaxing curve of her brow instantly shot up at his nonchalant observation as her eyes rockets open wide. A trace of amusement when through the Titan at the sight, satisfied at having read her so well, and predicting what he was sure to be coming. Her eyes fixed on him, glimmering in defiance, "Oh please, that'll b'the day YOU intimidate ME in these matters in any way, shape, or form."

Above all else he saw as he began to grin, Ryce – also known according to this afternoon as Alaryce Gallagher – did NOT like to be challenged. Further than that? She did not back down from them when she was. Gauntlet cast a good-natured – if not a bit cocky – sort of grin, "Put up or shut up then, half pint."

Ryce's left eyebrow quirked upwards as the other furrowed in what was clearly a rebellious expression. No move towards or away from him was made as she continued to lean casually against the elevator doors. What she did, was tilt her head back delicately so that she gazed upwards at him. Arms had dropped to her side to dangle there calmly away from where she had previously held them folder across her chest. All the while she continued to stare at him with that almost insolent, challenging gaze.

Gauntlet shifted forward towards her, taking the bait. No hesitation, no pause, no time to give himself room to question what could have been his most suicidal move to date. Some part of him was expecting her to turn at the last moment. Even as he ducked his head – she is tiny, his mind registered in a sort of subconscious observation – he was waiting for a hand to rise up and crack him across the jaw. Maybe even a fist. What she actually did, however, was tilt her head back further and press off the lift wall towards him.

…she was a good kisser.

While many could perhaps joke – given the Titan's luck with the female gender – that even a Saint Bernard with an overactive saliva gland would been seen as a good kisser by him, Robert was not exactly completely lost in the subtle art. Her mouth moved softly against his, slowly. Dimly he registered that she tasted…tangy somehow…it was a welcome observation. A cautious hand rose up and cupped the side of her face gently, fingers lightly dancing across the smooth skin of her cheek. Gauntlet shifted his body closer to her much smaller form when the kiss started to finally deepen further, her teeth beginning to lightly nip and nibble his lower lip. The hand which housed the ancient artifact that gave him his name traced up the small of her back and came to rest on the door for balance.

Which is why three seconds later, he really should not have been surprised to find himself on the Tower floor, a raw rug burn beginning to turn red across his chin. Somewhere in the back of his head he could hear a voice scolding him about the dangers of leaning against a door, it sounded suspiciously like his mother. Gauntlet managed to snap out of the slight daze he had been knocked into to here a badly stifled snicker. A glance back revealed an all too amused looking Ryce waving at him with one had and holding the door-open button with the other. The elevator gave a musical chime and began to close once more, framing her face behind the doors and the cheeky and knowing look that now resided there.

"Every person for themselves, luv," she said with a shrug before disappearing behind the sliding metal.

What she was talking about became clear when a voice growled out some feet behind him, "Robert, my friend? May I talk to you for a moment?"

Gauntlet scrambled off the floor with a dramatic shriek for "Sanctuary!" and dashed away down a hall as Tim Drake chased quickly after him, clear murder in his eyes.


Oblivious to her boyfriend's imminent commission of homicide several floors below her, Starfire strolled down the Tower hall. As always – or at the very least almost always – a small smile was present on her face. One hand swung merrily at her side, while the other clutched a book within it gently; careful to not abuse the well used novel any more than its worn pages could handle. The cover of it was blandly toned – grays, whites, and blacks mostly – and to many may have seemed familiar. A bust view of a relatively pretty and soft looking young woman with dark hair gazing calmly out at the world. Or perhaps that is simply what THIS particular picture was based off of. The more traditional picture had been edited it seemed, casting those passive eyes into a red tone, the flesh missing off of the lower half of the woman's face revealing bone blood and sinew.

Starfire remembered expressing strong doubt upon Ryce's insistence that she would enjoy the novel. The title – Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – alone had prompted her to attempt to return it to its owner, insisting that perhaps Raven would enjoy the book more.

Apparently, no was not a word Ryce wished to hear when it came to literature recommendations and soon enough the alien woman found herself humoring her younger friend by skimming the pages. After all, she had done the same for her with Twilight. Albeit Ryce had attempted to burn the whole series later that evening but she had at least read them first. Most surprisingly, Kory found a distinct lack of desire to do the same to the amusing and oddly romantic suggestion the petite blond had made.

Even more interesting, there was also ANOTHER version of the paperback circulating the book stores, according Noel. Though, she believed, it sounded a great deal less humorous in its lacking of ninjas and undead. She informed her too serious teammate of this…and ignored his pained expression when she voiced her disapproval of ruining the story by editing them out. Her mouth twitched a bit at the memory of him walking from the room unaware of the laugh she was stifling

Annoying Noel was fun.

Her eyes cast to the side and found herself standing before the room she had been seeking. She raised the hand containing the dog-eared text and knocked gently on the door, awaiting for the sound of unlocking from within. Used to Raven's almost bordering on anti-social desire for her privacy, Ryce's habit of locking her room was not entirely odd to her.

What was odd, however, was the creek that sounded above her rapping as the door swung open slowly. Star watched its movements with a slight tilt to her head, never having heard of the newcomer leaving her living space unlocked. Craning her neck forward slightly she called out, "Ryce? I have come to return your novel. It was…surprisingly enjoyable."

The Titan was greeted by silence.

Memory traveled back swiftly through the years, to a time before Ryce and even before her team had expanded beyond its core five. The 'mirror incident' as many still referred to Beast Boy and Cyborg's trappings within Raven's psyche due to their disregard for her privacy. Star worried her lower lip with her teeth lightly. Surely, just placing the novel on her bed would not be too invasive, After all, she had not locked to door, and perhaps she was beginning to lighten up in her slightly inconsistent distrust of her new 'house mates.' Yes, that would be just fine. Return the book and take her leave, she would inform her young friend of it later. Smiling she pushed the door open and stepped into the dark confines.

…there is no doubt a lack of need to tell you that the smile instantly fell from her face.

Every last inch of the wall and ceiling were completely covered with photographs. For a moment, the Tamaranian was convinced that perhaps it was some sort of optical illusion, or even a trick of the dark that had made her misjudge what she was actually seeing. Yet, even as she crossed the floor and walked further inside she could see that this was not the case. Wall to wall, ceiling to floor every single inch of it was covered in the glossy coated pieces of paper from which untold amounts of people gazed from. She tried to find a piece of plaster that had been spared this, but as her eyes darted about the room she already began to understand that she would find none. All she could see was more and more photos, layered just barely overlapping, one after the other, after the other, after the other in a maddening scale like pattern. There was little else to catch her attention. A bed…a large pile of dusty looking tombs and books off to one side…a small table. The most simple of lodgings if not for the hundred – maybe even thousands – of strange frozen faces peering down at her.

She let out a small gasp when the door slammed shut behind her.

What she had been expecting when she turned about, even Kory was unsure of. Her eyes glowing a vibrant green and hands flying up ready to do the same, she whirled around to find the room's occupant looking at her from the other side of the room, expression carefully blank. The halos of light forming about her eyes faded in an instant and her hands fell back to her side. Ryce said and did nothing, continuing to stare back at her with eyes that betrayed nothing. The angel's stare was more unnerving than those of the frozen faces all around the alien woman.

"…I wanted to return your book," Kory managed to say quietly.

A flicked of something sparked in the younger woman's eyes at that, though Starfire could not quite name what it was. Perhaps annoyance…rage…sorrow. It was gone within a heartbeat whatever it was.

"…did you find it entertaining?" Ryce asked, her voice positively dripping with ice. Starfire flinched, knowing full well she was not talking about the novel that she was now placing gently upon the made up bed at her side.

When Ryce moved, it was with stiff controlled movements, like one restraining themselves mentally to a near physical point. There was no way to tell, however, just what emotion the girl was keeping tightly reigned in as she crossed the room and picked the paperback up from where the Titan had placed it.

Kory answered her as if it was anyway, "Y-Yes…it was most amusing if not a bit gory. I enjoyed the ninjas."

A curt nod was the only response Ryce gave as she cradled the book gently in her hands, delicately. Without so much as a sideways glance to other person she moves back to the corner where the piles of books and papers sat to place it down, with the same tenderness one might treat a Fabergé egg as opposed to a dog eared, worn out book.

Starfire nodded back calmly, carrying herself and conversing with her smaller and younger friend as if glaring badges of what could only be an unhealthy obsession did not surround her. Her eyes fell upon an antique checkered game board laid out on a small table placed between two chairs facing in. One chair remained empty while the other had the odd viewing orb hovering above it, its swirling grey depths pulsing and writing indifferently. The black and white pieces, delicate and crystalline looking, were arranged in a pattern across that meant nothing to her beyond that a game had been in progress. It held the air of a game that had been left now for some time – hours maybe…days perhaps– though no dust had settled down on the oddly mournful and beautiful marks. It was as if one or perhaps both players had been called away from completing it.

"Who are you playing with?" she asked hoping to prompt some start to a conversation with the tense and still silent angel.

Ryce turned back to face her, jaw set, eyes glancing dismissively at the board.

"….a pen-pal…I guess…but that s'not really the question you wanted to ask."

She watched Starfire with quiet contemplative eyes. The woman could see that she was awaiting her real questions. She could see that there would be no delicate tiptoeing around what she had come to discover in the usually locked room.

"Ryce…what is going on?" she asked softly, trying as hard as she could to convey as much concern and kindness as she could into her tone, "Who…who are they?"

"Were," Ryce was quick to respond, almost gliding across the room to straighten the clearly already made bed, "Who were they is what you mean to ask. The answer is I don't know. They could have been Toms, Dicks, or Harrys…Janes, Sues, or Beths. That's not what matters anymore."

Kory listened…she did not question. The teenager seemed to welcome her silence as she continued, "What matters is…they were just people. They were just people who had the unfortunate luck to be fated to exist in a world that D'xias chose."

Finally, the pieces began to fall into place for Starfire, "These were people you photographed in the worlds your brother has destroyed."

Ryce nodded her head in silence, looking around the room at the photos with vague – if any – interest in her mismatched eyes. When she did speak, her voice displayed the same, "An' the books in the corner are s'many names s'I could remember from 'em. Those I couldn't…well…"

She shrugs her shoulders and flits her hand through the air not unlike in the manner of a bird that flits away. Pity and sympathy finally over take the older alien standing behind her. With a few short steps she was behind the girl a hand resting gently upon her shoulder, "Friend…please…this behavior is not healthy. You are tormenting yourself over something you had no control over."

A derisive laugh barks up and out of Ryce's mouth before Kory could quite finish. Though she does not rip away from her ginger touch, the Titan can feel Ryce's shoulder tense like steel beneath her hand, "Don't make this into some backwards act of atonement…it has nothing to DO with it. I did what I could for these people I know s'not my fault they're gone."

Then, the smaller of the two does pull away, albeit more gently than she probably desires too. Kory watches her walk around the perimeter of the room with sad eyes, her voice gently maternal and understanding, "You say you do not blame yourself…I do not believe you."

"Well pin a fucking rose on your alien nose then Koriand'r," Ryce turned roughly about, a hand flailing outwards as she snapped. Instantly, she was cringing hanging her head in quiet shame. Kory waited for her to stop her pacing and slide down onto the duvet on her bed listening to the apologetic tone that emerges from her, "…m'sorry…that was uncalled for. But…it isn't about atonement, Kory."

She did not believe her. Not for even a single moment did she accept that there is no guilt being hung over the young girl's head. But she lets her have it anyway, moving slowly – as if approaching a wounded animal more than capable of biting the hands that helps – towards the bed Ryce is sitting upon. When she is sure that it is safe to do so she sits down next to her, keeping physical contact broken for the time being, "Then why? Why build a shrine to the dead in your room if not out of guilt?"

For a moment, the older Titan is not sure whether or not Ryce is going to answer her questions or remain fixed in her unhappy silence until Starfire had taken her leave. Going so far as to open her mouth to offer some kind word of encouragement of comfort, the alien was interrupted by a small sigh from beside her. Finally, Ryce seemed to find her voice again. She took a deep breath and explained.

"…because they're not dead. Because they didn't die…I understand Death, Kory. So much of me IS Death," Ryce said in a quiet almost serene sort of calm, something like a humorless smile twitching at her lips, "If anyone in his tower can really come close to understanding Death like I do, it's you and Nigel. I guess that's why m'not freakin' out over you bein' in here. You've lived through the hell of war."

A curious expression crossed Ryce's face and she shook her head as if trying to clear it. There was a queer tone in her voice when she continued, "But even that really doesn't come close to my…'intimate' relationship with it and the things that stem out of it. I've seen monsters, Kory…not self stylized gods playing with shadows like a four year old in a sandbox, mind you…but REAL monsters. I pray to whatever is listening that you never come to understand that…that you never see what it is that lurks, because even those are just traces."

She trailed off into almost a mumble at the finish, her manner strange and beginning to set her new friend beside her at unease. The faraway look to her eyes left the Titan wondering just exactly where the young woman was right now, because she most certainly was not there, sitting beside her. No, something had taken Ryce away to some place else. Something had…done…something…but that was okay. It was okay because even as Starfire began to worry, she could see the lights turning back on behind the differently colored eyes. She could see her coming back. By the time Ryce stood up and walked over to the edge of the room when she looked up it was in a sort of desperation that was so painfully there that Kory wondered if she had not imagined the whole eeriness altogether.

A thin arm and hand flailed up at the walls and their inhabitants, gesturing roughly at them as if Ryce was attempting to prove to Starfire their existence. She grew louder…angrier…all of it was finally coming to a head, "And that's the problem. These people…they aren't dead. They haven't moved on. They haven't been judged. They're not victims of some terrible monster that brings only pain and screaming. They just…aren't Kory. And that is the anti-thesis of EVERYTHING I know and understand and I am bloody terrified of it! It is Oblivion! It is something worse than those lurking things or what they are shadows of. These people exist in no where else but my memory and these pictures, otherwise they aren't even a fleeting thought within the cosmos."

There was no hint of anger now…no tinge of desperation or emotion. Her voice was raw with it, her eyes were burning fever bright pinpricks in her face when she turned back to her. She was beginning to rave, a rush of steam trapped too long behind some sealed off vent, "Don't you see! I haveto remember them, Kory! If I don't who will! My family?"

She let out another one of those ugly, humorless barks of laughter lashing out a foot to send one of the old dusty named filled books flying across the room. It struck a wall with enough force to burst the spine and send leaves of its contents flittering to the ground with the pictures it displaced.

"I am the only one any of you fuckin' have, Koriand'r. I am the only one out'ta thousands who CARE. I HAVE to remember them and keep them because no one else fucking WILL! AND I-"

Whatever it was she was going to say was never shouted out. It perhaps was not the wisest move, perhaps even out right dangerous considering the rage Ryce was flying through. Starfire did not care, she simply hugged her tightly. If anything, the angel seemed too surprised by the act, to react in a manner other than to stand tensely, eyes wide and confused. Eventually, the tension left and that stunned expression faded beside it. A shaky sigh fell from her lips, a tremble passing through her body, before she finally returned the calming embrace.

"You…are not to blame. And you do not have to shoulder this responsibility, my friend," Star whispered when she finally pulled away, "But I know you will and I…cannot stop you from this. But you are not the only one who cares…you will not be the only one to remember."

Ryce…did not respond to her assurances beyond looking downwards and away as if in shame. Once more silence fell over the room and its inhabitants and the green eyes woman could see that no more would come of this. Regarding Ryce with sad eyes, she stepped away and back to the door she was beginning to wish she had not knocked upon. There was not so much as an uttered sound as she followed, watching the Titan slip through in silence.

Ryce closed the door gently behind the orange toned woman as she left, listening to the soft click of the bolt that seemed to echo in the almost empty room. It was – at the risk of sounding clichéd – a very lonely sort of sound. Lonely, in the sight of a thousand imaginary eyes…memory eyes. She was struck suddenly with the sensation of having a lead brick dropped into her gut, followed by a nearly uncontrollable longing to see a particular face. The fact that filling this particular and urgent longing was impossible at the moment only served to fuel a growing sting behind her eyes.

I miss Adam…

Stop it, her mind scolded, you are too old to be sniveling in the corner looking for a hug. Grow up.

…someone had chuckled.

Eyes narrowed into nearly paper thin slits bursting with venom, hate, and perhaps most important of all, embarrassment as she turned to the orb hovering before the chess board quietly. It could have been her imagination she supposed, hearing things and nothing more. Perhaps she even imagined that fleeting glimmer of black fading from the artifact's depths seen out of the corner of one eye. Yet none of these assurances kept her upper lip from curling into a snarl as she stormed forward and slammed one of the rings down, locking it in place.

"Fuck off," she hissed inhumanly to the empty room and orb.

The sting of her eyes departed…and so did she, slamming and locking the door behind her.


If there was one thing Tim Drake was not sure of…it was probably just how he had managed to get through today without having either lost his mind or committed some form of homicide in regards to his teammates. It did not matter, he supposed. He had made it through it and now all he desired was to retire into his room and be done with it. A bit earlier than usual, perhaps, but if anyone had been paying attention it was definitely an understandable course of action.

A course that the masked hero would take as soon as he figured out who exactly it was that was using the training room at 10:30 at night. On any other day he may have ignored the light beneath the room door or the sounds coming from within, but he recognized one of those voices easily. Considering it belonged to a man he was concerned to be traumatized after today's events, he felt compelled to check in and see what was going on.

It was…not what he was expecting.

"STOP. You are not listening. Straighten your wrist before you break it," Noel ordered, a shimmer strand lashing out and snapping smartly against the knuckles on the hand of said wrist.

"Ow! Bloody hell Noel don't do that, it hurts!"

"That was the point," the white haired man responded as his eyes caught sight of the new comer in the doorway observing, "Now, do it again and do it right. Push off with your back foot. It's your body putting the power in the punch not just your arm and keep your damn wrist straight."

Ryce gave a nod and set back into throwing punch after punch at the sand filled canvas bag in front of her. Robin noticed that this time she followed the instructions to a T, keeping her intricately wrapped fist and wrist straight with each strike. He could not help but feel a bit impressed with the power in her strikes given her inexperience.

And just show a lotta things happenin' at once.

Remind everyone what's goin' on. (What's goin' on?)

"She's not half bad," Robin pointed out as Noel came up beside him. Both watched the teenager plant a steady right hook into the heavy bag.

The meta nodded in agreement, eyes taking in all the details of her stance as she threw a combination jab and cross, "She learns quickly…surprisingly quickly in fact. And she actually listens while she's in here, which is a nice change of pace. It's like talking to a completely different person."

And when every shot, show a little improvement.

To show it all would take too long.

"I found her in here a few weeks ago…she was flailing about like a fish imitating a bad kung-fu movie," Noel grumbled catching the team leader's attention, "I didn't bother telling her no…might as well teach her if she's going to do it anyway."

A smirk suppressed itself without much effort on Robin's part. There was something almost defensive to his teammate's explanation that Tim had not even asked for. It was interesting to say the least to see what may have almost been Noel's own personal brand of attachment form.

A loud heavy thud filled the room as she curled her leg up and around in an almost perfect roundhouse kick. Weeks of meticulous practice reflecting in the technique, each session fading into the next seamlessly. Robin finally realized the differences in her now. She was better…muscles tearing and then rebuilding…stronger…

That's called a montage. (Montage!)

Ooh we want mont-Ow! OW! Stop hitting me!

Noel and Tim looked back to see Ryce holding one of Tim's spare staves in her hand and whacking both Metatron and Gauntlet over the head with it repeatedly.

"SHUT UP! Stop singin' that stupid, bloody song!" she snapped as they quickly fled out the door and into the Tower hall. Breathing harshly, she turned back to Noel ready for her next instruction, when Gauntlet returned, poking his head back inside.

"But even Rocky had a monta-" the rest of what he was saying was cut off by the staff breaking over his head. Tim did not get a chance to voice his protest at his training staves being used as so. Noel was already over across the room yanking the remaining pieces out of her hands while yelling at both of the younger blonds. With an annoyed sigh, Robin made his way over to aid in shouting down the brewing fight. None of them paid any notice to the hulking shadow standing out in the hall, watching the exchange in oddly hostile silence.


He watched.

He was a scout.

It was his job to watch.

It was his job to see.

He did not like what he was seeing.

The girl was stronger now.

She was becoming a fighter.

She was dancing with the dark.

She was playing games with devils that ought not to be played.

She was questioning things that ought not to be questioned

She was thinking thoughts that ought not to be thought.

Something would have to be done about this fact.

The time for watching was done.

He was a soldier.

He acted.


Author note: As always thank you to my editor/beta/sounding board, Slothsoul. I promise that there is some more 'action-y' chapters coming up now as this winds down. Leave reviews, comments, sammiches, and small tokens of sacrifice in the lil review box below if it so strikes you

Meanwhile!

!OMAKE!

Slade Wilson…Deathstroke the Terminator…sat before his desktop, staring at the screen. The glow cast deep shadows across his lined and serious face as he scanned over what the words before him said. His brow furrowed…and then a look of surprise over came him, "…oh my god….oh my god oh my god omigod!

ROSE!"

"Yes father?"

"…get me my bunny slippers."