Book I: Chapter I

Flames engulfed the building; bits of glimmering shrapnel slipped into the darkening sky, scattering overhead. She ran, hearing her heavy heart thundering in her ears. She gasped for air; she pumped her legs and strained her calves against the steep, inclined hill. The girl forced her neck backward, watching for signs of movement from behind. She stumbled to a stop and fell to her knees, struggling to catch her breath...

The noise was abrupt; sharp and unmistakable. It was the slightest yell that reached his ears and made him pause.

Beast Boy's bare feet slid mere inches from the door. His bare toes braced the chilled air that emanated from within the silent, whispering room. He slipped his ear against the door, listening with held breath. He focused on each noise. Every gulp of air he drew, the meaning of each sentence became less understandable. The words seemed to blend together; prefixes and suffixes were lost once spoken.

The boy jumped back with surprise, landing on his right foot, a bit off balance.

Raven briskly stepped through the door. Her cape haphazardly wrapped around her shoulders, snug like a purple sash. The tips of her hair clung tight around her neck, with her bangs stuck to her forehead.

Beast Boy's eyes trailed the back of her head. A frown grew on his face. Her hair seemed more jagged than normal. Either she had cut it, or it had been cut against her will. He mused at the odd shape of her lavender locks, looking as if a smashed, purple helmet had been glued to her head. Either she had just received 'the most brutal balloon rubbage' he had ever seen, or she had dramatically changed her concept of beauty. Regardless, it was not flattering. His eyes fell upon her clothes. They were grubby and stained with brown. A hole on her uniform, slightly above her right breast, revealed a blackened wound. Singed marks stood out against the hems of her torn cape.

The door to Robin's room slammed shut behind her. Raven turned to meet Beast Boy's face. She stood motionless, staring into Beast Boy's eyes. Her left eyebrow twitched in mild irritation. "You overheard us, didn't you?"

His right hand flew up to the back of his shaggy hair, letting strands slip through his fingers. "Heh-heh, no way, Raven! Notta' word."

"Whatever you heard, ignore it. It doesn't concern you."

His innocent eyes turned into an aggravated glare. "What do you mean, 'it doesn't concern me'?" He mocked, "You two were talking about the Teen Titans! I'm the Teen Titans!" He furrowed his brow. "Jeez…You always treat me like such a little kid…!"

"You are a kid," She replied curtly.

"No, I ain't!" He argued back, "I'm sixteen, more than old enough to handle the important stuff. I don't care if I'm the youngest—Why do you guys keep secrets from me?"

"If you needed to know, you would," She muttered. Raven crossed her arms and sharply turned her back on him. She walked briskly past Beast Boy, and turned down the hall. Her cape sputtered off her shoulders, and fell to the floor like the limp flutter of a broken tree branch. It dragged along the metallic floor as she trudged away.

There was one hallway that situated Robin, Cyborg, Beast Boy and Raven's bedrooms, with Star Fire's room down the corner. Raven's room was nearest the kitchen, gaming lounge and natural hangout of the Titans, which meant every Titan needed to pass her room to partake in normal social interaction. She had grown used to the constant daily activity that swarmed by her bedroom, but it was still a mild annoyance.

After what felt like a minute walk, she came to her room. The door opened and she took a single step into her sanctuary. She was so close to disappearing, crawling up with a good book...yet, before she could enter, she caught the slightest blur of green in the corner of her eye. She turned to face him once again.

Beast Boy stopped in front of her, his bottom tooth peaking out of his mouth through a childish frown. His eyes seemed innocent and free, yet she couldn't help but notice the growing anticipation and fear that lingered in his tightened expression. Something was bothering the boy, and his twitching right foot told her it was a rather big thing that kept him abnormally quiet. Beast Boy was definitely the youngest of the Titans, and consequently, the most susceptible to confusion and uncertainty. In the past, she had noticed that Beast Boy handled yelling rather poorly. When other members argued, or even mildly disagreed, he was quick to jump to conclusions, seeing these emotional debates as signs of hatred or anger. However, it was often far from the truth. Debate was a necessary tool for the Titans, and it was something that Robin and Raven did often. In this particular case, she had really wished the discussion would have stayed a secret. After all, the Mayor was a beloved figure of the city—and their discussion about him had been anything but pleasant.

The green boy chuckled weakly before he hesitantly began. "The Mayor's a good guy, right?" He asked at last. "Like, people wouldn't keep reelecting him if he was doing bad things…" His voice echoed in the silence. "I always thought he seemed so cool...always promising to help out and support those in need. You've met him before…he's a cool person, right?"

The question was a bit pointed. It was very clear to her now that he had heard at least a little bit of the discussion she had with Robin. She cleared her throat. "I wouldn't exactly call him good."

"But why? I don't get it! He campaigns for justice! He promises protection and safety and stuff. He stands up for the little guy!" He gushed, waving his arms with emphasis. "How is that bad?"

"That's true," She responded passively. "He's done some good in office."

Beast Boy chuckled, "See! Even you agree! Man, I don't get you two at all…why were you guys yellin' if he's not a bad guy? After all, there's no way we could be half as successful without the Mayor's help! He is so supportive, and provides us with so much. You know, I'd vote for him if I was old enough," he added.

"Thankfully, you're not old enough," she muttered under her breath.

He blinked. "What?"

"Nothing."

Beast Boy shrugged it off. "Well, c'mon, tell me! What happened earlier? You two were pretty serious-soundin'. What's going on? Is there a new big baddie to face?"

She turned her head from him and glanced into her room. She could just barely see the open book resting on her bed; the book she had been reading before Robin wanted to talk with her. She glanced back at the green boy. His question about 'a new big baddie' was peculiar and rather irrelevant. Perhaps he hadn't heard the beginning part of the conversation, and only caught the tail-end. If that was the case, this conversation was pointless. "You wouldn't understand. It's politics, and it's something Robin can handle." She started to leave.

"Oh no you don't!" He commanded, "I totally expect a full explanation from you. I will not let you do one of those capey-disappeary things and leave me out of the dark again."

"You mean 'in the dark'," She replied with idle boredom.

He blinked his eyes in mild confusion. "Huh?"

Raven groaned, "Nevermind..."

"Well? Will you tell me what's wrong?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pleeeease?"

"No Beast Boy, I won't. That's final," She stated with a slightly raised voice. She abruptly entered her room and let the door slide crisply behind her.

"C'mon Raven! You knooow you want to," he cooed from beyond her door. His voice echoed across her walls and melted into her lavender wallpaper.

"No," she yelled back.

She heard a slight thump against the door and knew he was leaning against it. "...Pleeeeeease? C'mon!" He asked in a hushed voice, breathing out as much emotion as he could muster.

"No."

"Raven..." Came his voice, breaking the silence. And then again, "Raven?" and again, "Raven?", and again, "Raven?", "Raven?", "Raaven?", "RAVEN?", "RAAVEN!".

"DO YOU FUCKING MIND?" She screamed, her temple throbbing with anger, "Leave me alone."

"I'm serious! I want to know! I promise I'll listen. I will understand, and I won't be childish or do whatever it is you think I'll do. I'll be seriously serious, Raven!"

She slapped her palm against her forehead in frustration. "He's never going to stop…" She whimpered. Raven heaved a deep sigh, bit her bottom lip, then pressed the red button on the keypad near her room's entrance. The metallic door clicked open. She stepped out into the hallway and waited for the door to close. "Fine," She said, "but I'll only say this once."

Beast Boy stood there with a slight grin, deep in anticipation.

She remained silent. He looked at her on baited breath. Her mouth did not move. He coughed. She brushed her arm. He began to twitch his right leg again.

At long last, he asked, "Well?"

"The Mayor lies," She responded. "Now, leave me alone."

"Uh…wait...What? Wait, wait, wait!" He squeaked, "That's not telling me anything!"

"He only cares about himself. Is that better?"

"That's not true though," He stammered, "like, I've seen him…"

"No," She interrupted. "It's all selfish."

"There's no way! I see him helping on the news every day! He's not selfish..."

She groaned. It was a difficult subject in general. The Mayor was a likable guy at first glance. He held most of the traits of heroism and faithfulness. However, most of it was complete bullshit. The last thing she wanted to deal with was a budding superhero realizing that one of his idols was not an actual idol. Raven sighed again. She silently mused to herself, wondering if believing government officials actually 'cared about the common good' was anything similar to believing in Santa Clause. "Beast Boy, I've worked with the guy. He's a crooked man…His help..." She paused, "It…comes at a price." She looked down at her purple boots.

"What do you mean?"

"If crime is low, he stays in power. If crime returns, he loses votes," Raven looked up to meet his eyes. She assessed his expression to see if he followed along. He seemed receptive. She continued. "The Mayor only cares if his voters get hurt. That is all."

"But…"

She chewed on the inside of her cheek. "Three years ago...right before we defeated Slade...the Mayor was elected for his first term. When Slade disappeared, the Mayor was given all the credit for an unprecedented, impossible victory. After all, he 'helped' the Titans reach victory, when no other government official had been able to do so," She rolled her eyes. "Over time...He acquired a taste for the crowd's admiration."

"Yeah, but why does that matter? We care about justice a lot too—it's a good thing. If it keeps him interested in keeping the city safe, it's all good in the end. Right?"

"No," She bitterly replied back, "That's an awful mentality," She felt a bit awkward, standing in the hallway with Beast Boy staring so adamantly at her. Raven entirely turned her back toward him, facing away. "It's true that villains obstruct his chances for reelection," She began to assess the metal screws holding up the railings on the ceiling above her door. "But, villains aren't…the only…problem. ANYONE who gets in his way needs to go. It just so happens, this time, we are the ones in his way. He'll remove us the first chance he gets."

Beast Boy's foot began to twitch even more, "I doubt that! Name one thing he's done wrong," he challenged. Beast Boy crossed his arms for emphasis. "I betcha can't!" He added.

She rolled her eyes. Of course, Beast Boy wasn't interested in an intellectual discussion on the political aims of elected officials. He would rather make it a stupid game. "That's childish, Beast Boy. I'm not going to play your game."

"Ah-ha! You can't! Exactly, the Mayor hasn't done anything wrong..."

"You know, my lack of explanation has no bearing upon his true motives. I don't need to explain." Raven lightly gripped the hood attached to her cape and flung it over her head. Her eyes disappeared behind the dark material. She sighed, before she began to speak again. "About an hour ago, I locked up a bad criminal. An awful, despicable person. The world would be a better place if she was never born." Raven's eyes left the metal railings, and centered on the door barely visible at the end of the hallway. "But...Jinx is a living, breathing human girl. Smiles...laughs...whines...cries. The Mayor thinks she's a monster."

"What do you mean?"

"The Mayor has a new plan to eliminate crime. If super villains were abolished, the Mayor claims our police force would be more effective than us...the Titans. If he could keep the super villains from escaping prison, or find a way to kill them off entirely, then there would only be petty theft and small crimes. The police force can handle that."

"Well...criminal masterminds like Jinx should be in jail...Why is this a bad thing?"

She buried her head deeper into her hood. "Under contract, officially, the 'Mayor', with support of the council board, has hired the Titans to develop better prison systems that will finally put super villains in their place. However, it's complete bullshit. He basically hired me to create an underground tomb. Er...He had me carve a hole in the ground with no entrance or exit. The assumption is, if it cannot be accessed from the outside world, then the villain cannot escape it. I didn't have a problem with this, until it was finally used. Today...I placed Jinx in it...then, I abandoned her."

His throat felt dry. He tried to swallow, "…What?"

"If Robin hadn't fought so adamantly, the girl would have had no heat, no light, no paved ground, nothing at all. Robin tried really hard...The Mayor didn't want to spend even that bare minimum on her; Robin succeeded. I wanted no part in this, but by contract, I was given the job. I don't have the right to refuse." She lowered her head in mild disappointment. "This is the Mayor's solution for all criminals," She added.

"He did all of this…just to remove us from power?" He stammered. "Just...for power? How does removing us help himself?"

"The citizens respect and admire the Titans even more than the Mayor. Plus, remove us, and their tax dollars would go to his own programs, rather than to keep the expensive Titans going."

Beast Boy's frown deepened. "What happens to Jinx when we're gone?"

Suddenly, Raven lost all interest in the conversation. She stepped closer into her room, and it seemed as if for a fleeting moment, she might withdraw completely. Silence leaked into the hallway, until at last she spoke. "Jinx dies when the police forget about her."

"T-that's horrible...Why don't we do something about it?" He pleaded.

Raven shook her head, "We cannot stop him. We would be opposing what's best for the town for our own selfish gain. We can't just break the law because we randomly disapprove of it."

Beast Boy's eyebrow rose in utter confusion, "Selfish gain? What do you mean?"

"We cannot try to save our own jobs and act in our own self interest. If we do, we're no better than the Mayor or Jinx or any criminal."

"No!" He shouted, "This isn't about our jobs. This is about justice! You can't mistreat villains just because they're villains. They are human too…!" His voice cracked.

Raven turned her head to quickly glance at the boy standing in the hall. He looked like his head was spinning. She knew it was not a good idea to involve him. This was a burden she alone should have to face. It was a nice sentiment when Robin offered to help, but Beast Boy shouldn't have to shelter guilt for a choice he had no part. Raven looked away, "If that's the law, then you can mistreat villains. State-assisted murder happens in all civilized courts."

"N-no you can't, that doesn't even make sense! We should stand up for what's right. You can't just kill Jinx because she's mean."

"The Mayor was elected by the people. He is our law."

"No! He's not my law, and he's a stupid person if he thinks it's okay to treat someone poorly for personal gain. If you agree with him, then you're horrible, Raven..." The words fell loosely from his lips, but almost as quickly as they came out, the boy's expression turned regretful.

Raven looked back at the gray floor, a bit of shame in her eyes. It was her burden, not his. "Maybe I am, but it must be this way. Our job is to protect the law, and the Mayor makes our laws."

He frowned, "No life should be sacrificed, no matter how small. You need to stand up for what you believe in, Raven. If the Mayor is doing such a horrible thing, then he's a criminal too…"

"You're naive," She said at last, before she officially left the hallway and entered her room for the night.

"If the Titans could act as we wanted, then we'd be a renegade force worse than the Mayor himself," She added under her hushed breath. "Nobody is exempt from law."

The mindless walk brought about a slight ache in her heart. Each passing street stood as a landmark, a sign, and a reminder of her meticulous planning. Every tight thought and circular consideration lingered in the edges of the plant life, the urban sprawl, and even the brown spray paint on the sidewalk. Every step she took, she could hear the echoing reminder of her miscalculations and unforgettable flaws. Today was another failure to add to her stunted dreams. Another day to rest within the growing pages of her unforgivable life. If he was right, she would never be able to live with herself. If what he said was true, then she would have to give it all up, or risk it all.

After all, she chose the path of the future: their dreams were in her hands, and she couldn't afford to lose. She would have to do everything to win...no matter what.

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