The Adventures of the Teen Titans
Hey guys. Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it. And review. I think actually, that I might make a sequel to this. I had a story that I had been writing for around a year, but Alethea is so much like the character I was going to use for that. So instead, I'm going to combine them and make her past the other characters past. Don't worry, it'll all make sense soon... The sequel will be all about Alethea. Just to let you know. But, she'll be with the Titans. Just read.
Chapter-Five
Alethea's Story
================================================================
The Titans waited about an hour for the "reinforcements" to arrive. They all sat down at the table and talked with Alethea.
"Where you from?" asked Cyborg.
"I was born in New York. But, my parents sent me to Jump City to attend Hewlent Academy."
"The boarding school?" Beast Boy exclaimed.
"That's the one," she said as though she hated it.
"You did not like it?" Starfire asked.
"No," explained Alethea, "It isn't anything like they say. It's terrible."
"Why? What's so bad about it? I've heard great things," Robin said.
"When I got to the school for orientation, they played it up. Acted like it was, you know, the best and everything. After about a week, the cheery cover that they used to persuade my parents disappeared."
The Titans exchanged glances.
"They treated you badly?" Raven asked.
Alethea nodded. "But, I don't think badly is a word to describe it. It was like living in a nightmare, straight from your dreams." She looked down so the Titans couldn't see her eyes. They would see the terror in them.
"What did they do to you?" asked Beast Boy, slightly worried.
"The...the principal, she was the worst. Every morning, she would inspect our dorms, and if she found a single letter from our family or if our beds weren't made correctly then she'd send the person who did something wrong to Denaro—"
"Denaro?" Robin asked, cutting her off.
"Man, let her talk," scoffed Cyborg.
"It's okay. I would have to explain it eventually. He had the ability to...let me think, create illusions, hallucinations, mirages, stuff like that. Make you think you were going crazy and all."
"So, they would send you to him?" Raven asked.
"Yeah. There was this cell, and he—he would strap us to a chair and shut off the lights. I remember seeing a girl go in there, kicking and screaming. There were marks in the wall from her fingernails. That was before I ever had to go in there. The first time, I just kind of took it."
"What did he make you see?" asked Beast Boy cautiously. Alethea wasn't really paying attention to them. She was talking to no one in particular and refusing to make eye contact. Beast Boy's question jolted her back to reality.
"Huh?" she asked as if coming out of a daze.
"What did he make you hallucinate?" Robin repeated for Beast Boy.
"My parents and brother. They were in pain. Suffering over some unknown reason. Later on, he made me think I was torturing them or something." She shivered.
"We can't let this happen to other girls. We have to stop it." Robin stood up.
"Uh...dude. Tomorrow, we leave for Brazil. Not much we can do now."
"When we get back, it's the first thing we do. Got it? I will not allow this to continue," he ordered.
"Yes, Robin." They all said. They had to obey him since he was first in command. Raven was in second, Cyborg in third, Beast Boy in fourth and Starfire last. Alethea didn't really have a position yet, but Robin guessed it would be in between Beast Boy and Cyborg. They would have to vote. Just then, the doorbell rang.
"I SHALL FETCH THE REINFORCEMENTS!"
"Okay, Starfire."
Starfire left in a rush of chimes and didn't appear until five minutes later. When she did arrive, Speedy and Aqualad were following her.
"Friends! Speedy and Aqualad have arrived! Isn't that marvelous?"
"Hey guys," Robin said, walking over, "What's up?" He shook both of their hands.
"So, we're going to Brazil with you guys," Speedy said as he sat down his bags.
"Yes! Isn't it thrilling? And there is another who will accompany us also!" Starfire explained.
"There's someone else? Who is she?" asked Aqualad.
"Don't know," Beast Boy said.
"But, her names Azar," continued Cyborg.
"And the mayor found her," finished Robin. The Titans worked as a team, and thought as a team. That's why they could finish each other's thoughts.
"Well...Azar means fire, so she must be a pyro or something," Aqualad judged.
"And who is this?" Speedy walked over and took Alethea's right hand. He raised and kissed it lightly, but ostentatiously. She blushed.
"Hello. I don't think we've met before," he said.
"No, we haven't," she confirmed.
"I'm Speedy."
"Alethea. It's a pleasure," she said gracefully.
"The pleasure is mine." Robin fumed.
"So, Speedy," he cut in, "I heard you've been stationed at China." Raven was forcibly reminded of when Blackfire paid a visit to the tower and Robin refused to acknowledge Starfire's pleas for attention.
"Yeah," Speedy answered, losing his charm as Robin stepped between the two. "Yeah, I have." He scratched his head.
"What's it like?" Beast Boy asked. Speedy reflected for a minute.
"Crowded," he finally answered.
"I heard they all ride bikes there," said Cyborg, getting a soda.
"Any hot oriental chicks?" Beast Boy continued.
"I haven't checked. You know, saving the emperor and all." Alethea giggled and Speedy smiled. Robin was boiling.
"Well, anyway. When is this girl coming?" Aqualad asked.
"It should be soon," Raven said, finally piping up.
"Hi, Raven," he said, smiling. The other Titans mingled around the living room and discussed their interests until Azar arrived.
"How have you—"
"What's—"
They spoke at the same time. Both of them blushed.
"You go," he said.
"How have you been?" asked the telepath.
"Not to bad, actually. I've been named prince and all, so I've been busy."
"Prince?" Raven's eyebrows moved up toward her hairline.
Aqualad nodded. "I was having trouble, yesterday actually, with King Triton's merpeople. They were having trouble with a peace treaty that was established thousands of years ago. They wanted to use our plants for feeding their seahorses. Of course, I told them no, that was not acceptable, because it was out of their territorial boundaries, but—" The conversation went on, and changed from subject to subject; Raven offering her opinions and ideas.
Speedy and Alethea were playing game-station and Robin was strategically placed in between them on the couch with his feet on the coffee table.
"Have you..." she paused to try and pass him, "played this before?" Alethea asked as she turned her car on the runway.
"They have one at... my station too."
"I win!" Alethea shouted, getting up and doing a victory dance with the controller still in her hand. The cord wrapped around her ankles and she tripped and fell.
"Whoa!" she yelled as she went down in a fury of tangles and hair. Robin and Speedy both got up to help her. They pulled her up.
"Ah...thanks!" They both nodded.
"Rematch?"
"You bet," she agreed. Inside, Robin groaned.
"I got my money on Alethea," Cyborg interjected, as he sat down with a red bowl, full of Doritos©.
"Whatever, man. Speedy's totally going to win," argued Beast Boy as he too sat down and positioned himself comfortably. Alethea reset the game and sat down again, next to Robin and Cyborg. Beast Boy was sitting next to Speedy. Raven and Aqualad continued their conversation, while Starfire baked a cake for the new girl, Azar. It was carrot cake with purple and green frosting. It had little red roses around the top.
================================================================
DING DONG!
"She's here!" yelled Cyborg as he got up and rushed to the door. He stopped when everyone didn't move.
"Uhhh...aren't you guys comin'?"
"Hold on," Speedy said, "we're almost finished with this game.'
"That I'm going to win," continued Alethea. She had beaten him three times straight.
"You've had your turn. Now, I will dominate!"
"Whatever," she said, as she crossed the finish line about five seconds before Speedy. He sweat dropped and scratched his head.
"Heh..."
"Let's go you guys. She's going to think we went out or something."
"Oh my God! It's pouring!" cried Alethea. As if on cue, a lightning bolt streaked across the sky, illuminating the bay and city that lie below.
"Oh, we are bad friends!" Starfire squealed.
They all ran, full speed, downstairs. Alethea tripped on the stairs, but caught herself about two feet away from the floor. She was in an upside down position with her arms pointed down and hands flared out, as if she was trying to push the floor. Robin figured that was how she controlled things; with her hands. She looked up.
"How do I get down?" she asked.
"Don't ask me..." Robin answered. She dropped herself and landed hard on the concrete.
"...Ow." He helped her up.
"Thanks."
"You fall down a lot," he thought aloud.
"Clumsy, I guess..." she said smiling as he set her upright.
"Come on!" came a shout from down the hall where the entrance was.
"Coming!" they both yelled. Cyborg was punching in the code to open the door. The others were waiting patiently as the gigantic metal entrance opened slowly.
"What took you guys?" Speedy asked.
"Why do you care?" Robin wanted to say. He held his tongue.
"I fell," explained Alethea. She shot Robin an irritated glare as though she knew what he was thinking.
"Oh, okay."
The doors were all the way open. They rushed forward and stopped when they saw the new girl. She was drenched in rain water and had no expression on her beautiful face. The first noticeable thing was her hair. It was the brightest shade of red and orange they had ever seen. It made Starfire's color look dull and was much longer. It hung around her in wet locks. The second was her eyes. They were a bright, vivid yellow that shocked your eyes every time they gazed upon you. They were almond shaped and were turned with an exotic grace. The third was how cold she was. She was shivering from head to foot. Her jeans were darker than normal because of the rain and clung to her slim body. It was well toned, but she was still small. She was wearing a light green t-shirt that fit her nicely. Her Birkenstocks© were drenched. Alethea hoped they were waterproof. She also prayed that her luggage was still dry.
"Hi," she said weakly. This girl was petite, yes. But, she had a powerful air around her. Like her will was too strong to be broken.
"Come inside, friend! It is too wet for you to stand outside." Starfire ushered her inside.
"I'll get a towel," Beast Boy called and disappeared for a few minutes.
"Th-thanks," said Azar. Starfire brought her to one of the seats that lined the entrance.
"Sorry about that," Robin apologized, "we... didn't...know..."
He stopped. A ball of fire was hovering in front of Azar. It was the size of a basketball.
"It's okay," she said, "I needed a shower anyway. That's better." The fiery ball roared and flamed higher.
"I take it, that's you're power?" asked Cyborg.
"Yep," she answered, "I'm a pyrokinetic."
"Ha! I told you!" shouted Aqualad.
"You want a metal?" asked Beast Boy as he reentered the room with several towels.
"Thank you. By the way, I'm Azar. I'm not sure if the mayor told you," she said as he gave them to her.
"He did. I'll take you're bags up," Cyborg said, "We'll show you you're room in a minute."
"Okay. Thanks. So, we're going to Brazil, huh?" she said, drying her hair with a towel.
"Yeah," said Speedy.
"I didn't know there were this many Titans," she explained.
Robin looked at her. "Actually, only five—" Alethea nudged him in the ribs, "Six live in this Tower. Speedy's stationed over in China and Aqualad helped us with a problem a while before." He mouthed the word "Ow" to Alethea. She just smiled contently.
"Are you new?" Azar asked her.
"Yes. I just moved in."
"What can you do?" asked the pyro, boldly.
"Telekinetic."
"Ahhh..." She continued to dry herself off. "I wasn't sure. I live in Jump City and everything, just more in the suburbs. Don't go downtown much. I've heard a lot about you guys. Every time we get the paper at my house, you're always on the front for saving the nuclear plant or stopping a bank robbery or something like that. I imagine there'll be a story about you guys recruiting another person."
"We don't really read about ourselves in the paper much," Robin said, "It distracts us from work."
"Well, you might want to read this," she said as she took a paper out of her backpack and displayed it for the Titans to see. It was the Jump City Journal. On the front page there was an enlarged picture of Alethea and a caption underneath. It was headed "TITANS ENLIST NEW MEMBER".
Robin scanned it and then looked at Alethea. He handed it to her and she read the caption.
"Did—did they already publish this?"
"Yes. I picked it up today on my way here," Azar said with slight pity lining her words.
"I don't understand how they could have known," Robin said, his voice soft, almost gentle. Alethea was reading the article when she stopped about halfway through. She handed it back to Azar.
"Thank you," she said. She walked out of the room and up the stairs.
"Alethea!" Robin shouted. Him and Speedy ran after her. Cyborg, Starfire, Beast Boy and Azar were left in the room.
"What's up with her?" asked the pyro.
"I dunno...she's never acted like that before," explained Beast Boy, scratching his head, "But, then I've only known her for a few days. So...you know." He laughed.
"I do not see anything humorous about this Beast Boy!" Starfire said a little breathlessly.
"I know Star. It's not funny," agreed Cyborg.
"Heh. Sorry."
"Do you guys have anything to eat? I walked all the way here and I'm kinda hungry." Azar stood up.
"I have prepared a cake for you! We shall feast on the carrot cake!" Starfire exclaimed gleefully, her mood changing very quickly.
"Alethea!" Robin stopped her in the hallway, Speedy right behind him.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I'm just tired."
"Yeah, right," Speedy said, "You can't expect us to believe that." Alethea sighed, giving in. She slid down the wall and sat down.
"I didn't know..."
"Know what?"
"That it would be like that. That I would have articles published about me. It just freaks me out."
"Listen," Speedy began, "I know it must be hard to accept that. But, sooner or later, people will forget about it and move on. No one is going to stalk you, we promise."
"You don't understand," she said, "When I was at Hewlent Academy—"
"The Hewlent Academy?" Speedy asked, amazed.
"Let her finish," Robin scoffed.
"When I was there, Denaro always messed with my mind. Like I told Robin and the others, he created images and could project them into the minds of the "bad" students. Really, really bad images." She stopped.
"And..." Speedy urged her on.
"And I escaped. I left. I called my parents and they came and got me. Then we moved back to Jump City."
"I've already heard all this," Robin said.
"I never finished," she glared, "When I escaped, there were other girls with me. They had also been tortured by Denaro and wanted out. So, we formulated a plan and one night, we escaped. But, Denaro doesn't let the people go that easy. He needs us to survive, to vent his anger. I tried to contact two of the girls that had left with me. They all were readmitted into the school. If I know those girls how I thought I did, they would never go back there, no matter what. I knew that Denaro had somehow, tracked them down and found a way to bring them back. And now, since my face is on the front page of the newspaper the principal of Hewlent Academy reads, I'm probably next."
Speedy and Robin looked at each other.
"This is not good."
================================================================
titan009- OH GOD! PLEASE REVIEW! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!! PLEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASE! Thanks. Did you guys like this chapter. I dunno if this is a cliffhanger or not, so you'll have to let me know. I promise I will update my other stories as soon as my writers block cracks. Do you guys know what it feels like, when you're writing one story, and then you go to another and you don't feel like you want to write it anymore. It sucks. Anyway, I really would appreciate it if you reviewed. Like now. Thanks. O
Hey guys. Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it. And review. I think actually, that I might make a sequel to this. I had a story that I had been writing for around a year, but Alethea is so much like the character I was going to use for that. So instead, I'm going to combine them and make her past the other characters past. Don't worry, it'll all make sense soon... The sequel will be all about Alethea. Just to let you know. But, she'll be with the Titans. Just read.
Chapter-Five
Alethea's Story
================================================================
The Titans waited about an hour for the "reinforcements" to arrive. They all sat down at the table and talked with Alethea.
"Where you from?" asked Cyborg.
"I was born in New York. But, my parents sent me to Jump City to attend Hewlent Academy."
"The boarding school?" Beast Boy exclaimed.
"That's the one," she said as though she hated it.
"You did not like it?" Starfire asked.
"No," explained Alethea, "It isn't anything like they say. It's terrible."
"Why? What's so bad about it? I've heard great things," Robin said.
"When I got to the school for orientation, they played it up. Acted like it was, you know, the best and everything. After about a week, the cheery cover that they used to persuade my parents disappeared."
The Titans exchanged glances.
"They treated you badly?" Raven asked.
Alethea nodded. "But, I don't think badly is a word to describe it. It was like living in a nightmare, straight from your dreams." She looked down so the Titans couldn't see her eyes. They would see the terror in them.
"What did they do to you?" asked Beast Boy, slightly worried.
"The...the principal, she was the worst. Every morning, she would inspect our dorms, and if she found a single letter from our family or if our beds weren't made correctly then she'd send the person who did something wrong to Denaro—"
"Denaro?" Robin asked, cutting her off.
"Man, let her talk," scoffed Cyborg.
"It's okay. I would have to explain it eventually. He had the ability to...let me think, create illusions, hallucinations, mirages, stuff like that. Make you think you were going crazy and all."
"So, they would send you to him?" Raven asked.
"Yeah. There was this cell, and he—he would strap us to a chair and shut off the lights. I remember seeing a girl go in there, kicking and screaming. There were marks in the wall from her fingernails. That was before I ever had to go in there. The first time, I just kind of took it."
"What did he make you see?" asked Beast Boy cautiously. Alethea wasn't really paying attention to them. She was talking to no one in particular and refusing to make eye contact. Beast Boy's question jolted her back to reality.
"Huh?" she asked as if coming out of a daze.
"What did he make you hallucinate?" Robin repeated for Beast Boy.
"My parents and brother. They were in pain. Suffering over some unknown reason. Later on, he made me think I was torturing them or something." She shivered.
"We can't let this happen to other girls. We have to stop it." Robin stood up.
"Uh...dude. Tomorrow, we leave for Brazil. Not much we can do now."
"When we get back, it's the first thing we do. Got it? I will not allow this to continue," he ordered.
"Yes, Robin." They all said. They had to obey him since he was first in command. Raven was in second, Cyborg in third, Beast Boy in fourth and Starfire last. Alethea didn't really have a position yet, but Robin guessed it would be in between Beast Boy and Cyborg. They would have to vote. Just then, the doorbell rang.
"I SHALL FETCH THE REINFORCEMENTS!"
"Okay, Starfire."
Starfire left in a rush of chimes and didn't appear until five minutes later. When she did arrive, Speedy and Aqualad were following her.
"Friends! Speedy and Aqualad have arrived! Isn't that marvelous?"
"Hey guys," Robin said, walking over, "What's up?" He shook both of their hands.
"So, we're going to Brazil with you guys," Speedy said as he sat down his bags.
"Yes! Isn't it thrilling? And there is another who will accompany us also!" Starfire explained.
"There's someone else? Who is she?" asked Aqualad.
"Don't know," Beast Boy said.
"But, her names Azar," continued Cyborg.
"And the mayor found her," finished Robin. The Titans worked as a team, and thought as a team. That's why they could finish each other's thoughts.
"Well...Azar means fire, so she must be a pyro or something," Aqualad judged.
"And who is this?" Speedy walked over and took Alethea's right hand. He raised and kissed it lightly, but ostentatiously. She blushed.
"Hello. I don't think we've met before," he said.
"No, we haven't," she confirmed.
"I'm Speedy."
"Alethea. It's a pleasure," she said gracefully.
"The pleasure is mine." Robin fumed.
"So, Speedy," he cut in, "I heard you've been stationed at China." Raven was forcibly reminded of when Blackfire paid a visit to the tower and Robin refused to acknowledge Starfire's pleas for attention.
"Yeah," Speedy answered, losing his charm as Robin stepped between the two. "Yeah, I have." He scratched his head.
"What's it like?" Beast Boy asked. Speedy reflected for a minute.
"Crowded," he finally answered.
"I heard they all ride bikes there," said Cyborg, getting a soda.
"Any hot oriental chicks?" Beast Boy continued.
"I haven't checked. You know, saving the emperor and all." Alethea giggled and Speedy smiled. Robin was boiling.
"Well, anyway. When is this girl coming?" Aqualad asked.
"It should be soon," Raven said, finally piping up.
"Hi, Raven," he said, smiling. The other Titans mingled around the living room and discussed their interests until Azar arrived.
"How have you—"
"What's—"
They spoke at the same time. Both of them blushed.
"You go," he said.
"How have you been?" asked the telepath.
"Not to bad, actually. I've been named prince and all, so I've been busy."
"Prince?" Raven's eyebrows moved up toward her hairline.
Aqualad nodded. "I was having trouble, yesterday actually, with King Triton's merpeople. They were having trouble with a peace treaty that was established thousands of years ago. They wanted to use our plants for feeding their seahorses. Of course, I told them no, that was not acceptable, because it was out of their territorial boundaries, but—" The conversation went on, and changed from subject to subject; Raven offering her opinions and ideas.
Speedy and Alethea were playing game-station and Robin was strategically placed in between them on the couch with his feet on the coffee table.
"Have you..." she paused to try and pass him, "played this before?" Alethea asked as she turned her car on the runway.
"They have one at... my station too."
"I win!" Alethea shouted, getting up and doing a victory dance with the controller still in her hand. The cord wrapped around her ankles and she tripped and fell.
"Whoa!" she yelled as she went down in a fury of tangles and hair. Robin and Speedy both got up to help her. They pulled her up.
"Ah...thanks!" They both nodded.
"Rematch?"
"You bet," she agreed. Inside, Robin groaned.
"I got my money on Alethea," Cyborg interjected, as he sat down with a red bowl, full of Doritos©.
"Whatever, man. Speedy's totally going to win," argued Beast Boy as he too sat down and positioned himself comfortably. Alethea reset the game and sat down again, next to Robin and Cyborg. Beast Boy was sitting next to Speedy. Raven and Aqualad continued their conversation, while Starfire baked a cake for the new girl, Azar. It was carrot cake with purple and green frosting. It had little red roses around the top.
================================================================
DING DONG!
"She's here!" yelled Cyborg as he got up and rushed to the door. He stopped when everyone didn't move.
"Uhhh...aren't you guys comin'?"
"Hold on," Speedy said, "we're almost finished with this game.'
"That I'm going to win," continued Alethea. She had beaten him three times straight.
"You've had your turn. Now, I will dominate!"
"Whatever," she said, as she crossed the finish line about five seconds before Speedy. He sweat dropped and scratched his head.
"Heh..."
"Let's go you guys. She's going to think we went out or something."
"Oh my God! It's pouring!" cried Alethea. As if on cue, a lightning bolt streaked across the sky, illuminating the bay and city that lie below.
"Oh, we are bad friends!" Starfire squealed.
They all ran, full speed, downstairs. Alethea tripped on the stairs, but caught herself about two feet away from the floor. She was in an upside down position with her arms pointed down and hands flared out, as if she was trying to push the floor. Robin figured that was how she controlled things; with her hands. She looked up.
"How do I get down?" she asked.
"Don't ask me..." Robin answered. She dropped herself and landed hard on the concrete.
"...Ow." He helped her up.
"Thanks."
"You fall down a lot," he thought aloud.
"Clumsy, I guess..." she said smiling as he set her upright.
"Come on!" came a shout from down the hall where the entrance was.
"Coming!" they both yelled. Cyborg was punching in the code to open the door. The others were waiting patiently as the gigantic metal entrance opened slowly.
"What took you guys?" Speedy asked.
"Why do you care?" Robin wanted to say. He held his tongue.
"I fell," explained Alethea. She shot Robin an irritated glare as though she knew what he was thinking.
"Oh, okay."
The doors were all the way open. They rushed forward and stopped when they saw the new girl. She was drenched in rain water and had no expression on her beautiful face. The first noticeable thing was her hair. It was the brightest shade of red and orange they had ever seen. It made Starfire's color look dull and was much longer. It hung around her in wet locks. The second was her eyes. They were a bright, vivid yellow that shocked your eyes every time they gazed upon you. They were almond shaped and were turned with an exotic grace. The third was how cold she was. She was shivering from head to foot. Her jeans were darker than normal because of the rain and clung to her slim body. It was well toned, but she was still small. She was wearing a light green t-shirt that fit her nicely. Her Birkenstocks© were drenched. Alethea hoped they were waterproof. She also prayed that her luggage was still dry.
"Hi," she said weakly. This girl was petite, yes. But, she had a powerful air around her. Like her will was too strong to be broken.
"Come inside, friend! It is too wet for you to stand outside." Starfire ushered her inside.
"I'll get a towel," Beast Boy called and disappeared for a few minutes.
"Th-thanks," said Azar. Starfire brought her to one of the seats that lined the entrance.
"Sorry about that," Robin apologized, "we... didn't...know..."
He stopped. A ball of fire was hovering in front of Azar. It was the size of a basketball.
"It's okay," she said, "I needed a shower anyway. That's better." The fiery ball roared and flamed higher.
"I take it, that's you're power?" asked Cyborg.
"Yep," she answered, "I'm a pyrokinetic."
"Ha! I told you!" shouted Aqualad.
"You want a metal?" asked Beast Boy as he reentered the room with several towels.
"Thank you. By the way, I'm Azar. I'm not sure if the mayor told you," she said as he gave them to her.
"He did. I'll take you're bags up," Cyborg said, "We'll show you you're room in a minute."
"Okay. Thanks. So, we're going to Brazil, huh?" she said, drying her hair with a towel.
"Yeah," said Speedy.
"I didn't know there were this many Titans," she explained.
Robin looked at her. "Actually, only five—" Alethea nudged him in the ribs, "Six live in this Tower. Speedy's stationed over in China and Aqualad helped us with a problem a while before." He mouthed the word "Ow" to Alethea. She just smiled contently.
"Are you new?" Azar asked her.
"Yes. I just moved in."
"What can you do?" asked the pyro, boldly.
"Telekinetic."
"Ahhh..." She continued to dry herself off. "I wasn't sure. I live in Jump City and everything, just more in the suburbs. Don't go downtown much. I've heard a lot about you guys. Every time we get the paper at my house, you're always on the front for saving the nuclear plant or stopping a bank robbery or something like that. I imagine there'll be a story about you guys recruiting another person."
"We don't really read about ourselves in the paper much," Robin said, "It distracts us from work."
"Well, you might want to read this," she said as she took a paper out of her backpack and displayed it for the Titans to see. It was the Jump City Journal. On the front page there was an enlarged picture of Alethea and a caption underneath. It was headed "TITANS ENLIST NEW MEMBER".
Robin scanned it and then looked at Alethea. He handed it to her and she read the caption.
"Did—did they already publish this?"
"Yes. I picked it up today on my way here," Azar said with slight pity lining her words.
"I don't understand how they could have known," Robin said, his voice soft, almost gentle. Alethea was reading the article when she stopped about halfway through. She handed it back to Azar.
"Thank you," she said. She walked out of the room and up the stairs.
"Alethea!" Robin shouted. Him and Speedy ran after her. Cyborg, Starfire, Beast Boy and Azar were left in the room.
"What's up with her?" asked the pyro.
"I dunno...she's never acted like that before," explained Beast Boy, scratching his head, "But, then I've only known her for a few days. So...you know." He laughed.
"I do not see anything humorous about this Beast Boy!" Starfire said a little breathlessly.
"I know Star. It's not funny," agreed Cyborg.
"Heh. Sorry."
"Do you guys have anything to eat? I walked all the way here and I'm kinda hungry." Azar stood up.
"I have prepared a cake for you! We shall feast on the carrot cake!" Starfire exclaimed gleefully, her mood changing very quickly.
"Alethea!" Robin stopped her in the hallway, Speedy right behind him.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I'm just tired."
"Yeah, right," Speedy said, "You can't expect us to believe that." Alethea sighed, giving in. She slid down the wall and sat down.
"I didn't know..."
"Know what?"
"That it would be like that. That I would have articles published about me. It just freaks me out."
"Listen," Speedy began, "I know it must be hard to accept that. But, sooner or later, people will forget about it and move on. No one is going to stalk you, we promise."
"You don't understand," she said, "When I was at Hewlent Academy—"
"The Hewlent Academy?" Speedy asked, amazed.
"Let her finish," Robin scoffed.
"When I was there, Denaro always messed with my mind. Like I told Robin and the others, he created images and could project them into the minds of the "bad" students. Really, really bad images." She stopped.
"And..." Speedy urged her on.
"And I escaped. I left. I called my parents and they came and got me. Then we moved back to Jump City."
"I've already heard all this," Robin said.
"I never finished," she glared, "When I escaped, there were other girls with me. They had also been tortured by Denaro and wanted out. So, we formulated a plan and one night, we escaped. But, Denaro doesn't let the people go that easy. He needs us to survive, to vent his anger. I tried to contact two of the girls that had left with me. They all were readmitted into the school. If I know those girls how I thought I did, they would never go back there, no matter what. I knew that Denaro had somehow, tracked them down and found a way to bring them back. And now, since my face is on the front page of the newspaper the principal of Hewlent Academy reads, I'm probably next."
Speedy and Robin looked at each other.
"This is not good."
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titan009- OH GOD! PLEASE REVIEW! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!! PLEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASE! Thanks. Did you guys like this chapter. I dunno if this is a cliffhanger or not, so you'll have to let me know. I promise I will update my other stories as soon as my writers block cracks. Do you guys know what it feels like, when you're writing one story, and then you go to another and you don't feel like you want to write it anymore. It sucks. Anyway, I really would appreciate it if you reviewed. Like now. Thanks. O