A/N I have also rewritten parts of chapter two. Hopefully it more fully offers a continuous plot development.
I would like to take the time to thank the people who took the time to review. Even if all you say is "good job," or "it sucks," I would appreciate the reviews.
For the context of this story, I am referring to Beast Boy, as Changeling. It fits better with my plot. Because this is an Alternate Universe story, they don't have powers, so it would not be fitting to name someone Beast Boy, when all I want him to do is change appearances, human appearances. So, I'm sorry, but it is Changeling.
Part A
Kori watched as Richard approached. His stride was purposeful, and wasn't so much a walk as a saunter. He'd gotten taller, a little. Then again, it had been five years, so maybe her memory of a little off. She noticed he wore black leather, and immediately wished she hadn't noticed. He did managed to pull off the black leather look very well. And of course Richard had his dark sunglasses on. He always wore them, even in the dark. It was odd really, but Kori decided everyone needed some sort of shield from the world's prying eyes.
Richard hadn't changed that much. His hair was longer and tied back. His shoulders were a bit broader, and he seemed bigger. Maybe he worked out. His smirk had gotten more potent too. Kori's hand clutched the dagger at her side more tightly and moved a little closer to Austin and Declan. She put her free hand on Declan's shoulder. Her body tensed further when Richard stopped in front of Declan.
The little boy was in complete awe of Richard; to him Richard was bigger than life. "It's nice to see you again Declan. The last time I saw you, you were just a few days old and in the hospital." He looked up at Austin and added, "I only wish it was under different circumstances."
He turned to look at Kori. He noted the changes in her right away. Her hair was longer, reaching down to her hips now; it also seemed brighter, redder. Her eyes were still just as amazingly emerald, but now he could see how much the years have added to them. He noted the tension and grief around her eye and mouth, in the set of her shoulders. The outfit she wore was simple, but did amazing things for her figure. It was lavender, and he didn't know how to explain it, but it was flow-y whenever the wind caught it. It came down to mid-calf on her. All in all, Richard thought that in the five years since he'd seen her, Kori had only gotten more beautiful.
"Hello Kori, been a long time." Kori pushed down any tension and apprehension she felt and put as much haughtiness in her voice as she could under the circumstances.
"Yes, Dick, five years is a long time."
He smiled at her derogatory use of his nickname. "So frosty."
"When it comes to you Richard, I have moved way past frosty and on to glacial. What are you doing here?"
Any teasing expression Richard had vanished when he looked directly into Kori's eyes.
"What ever you may think of me Kori, June was a dear friend to me too. I have every right to be here as you do."
Kori nodded. She was close to breaking, and she would be damned if she did it here in front of Richard. So she swallowed hard, nodded, and then looked down to the knife in her hand, just in case any telltale signs of how close she was to the edge were showing.
The knife was a beautiful piece of craftsman ship. The handle was made out of obsidian, with a black pearl lodged at the bottom of it. The blade was made out of platinum, and sitting on the bottom of the guard was a diamond. It was five inches long, double edged, and sharper than a scalpel. Her most prized possession, despite who gave it to her.
"Let's do this." Richard and Logan nodded while Austin took Declan's hand and they moved to the other side of the grave. Richard stood to Kori's left, Logan to her right and Victor to his right. Only four other people had remained at the grave and they stood to the right of Victor, curving around the grave. Kori stepped up to the grave, and held her right hand out. With the knife in her left, she sliced her palm, letting the blood well up in the center. Then she turned her hand over, watching as drops of blood dropped into the grave, mixing with the earth.
"You were my sister, not of my blood, but of my heart and soul. With my blood, I vow that you killer will be brought to justice. My justice." She closed her hand into a fist to stop the blood, and then handed the knife to Richard. He did the same as her, saying, "You were a dear friend, sometimes more," he smirked as Kori's hard glare. "And I promise, the one who did this to you will pay. He will be brought to justice. Our justice." He handed the knife to Logan, and he too did the same as the others.
"June, I have fond memories of our too short of a time together. But I swear, I will do everything within my power to help find the one who took you from us." Almost as an after thought, he added, "I also promise to try and keep those two in line. "
They smiled, and Logan handed the knife back to Victor.
"You were named aptly, as bright and warm as the month. I swear I will do everything in my power to help avenge you death little sister."
It went down the line of the four other people there. Finally, the knife was returned to Kori. She put it back in its sheath which she wore strapped to her leg, under her skirt. They all stood back from the grave and watched as it was filled in.
Raven watched the ceremony, a little in awe of the power in it. The figures, while maybe not knowing it, forged a bond that was almost unbreakable. The setting was picturesque. The sky was cloudy, it was sprinkling, and the wind was blowing just so. And statuesque were people standing by the grave of their fallen friend. Wait, since when did she start waxing poetics? The mood of the day must be getting to her, she hadn't done any poetry since she was a teenager, and it was way darker than what she was thinking now. She shook her head to clear it and watched Austin pick Declan up and walk off. That left only Kori, and Richard, whom Raven recognized from several newsreels, Logan and Victor. She watched as they started to talk.
"While I was in the autopsy room with Raven, the M.E. found a black and yellow chip in June's lung."
Richard and Kori's gaze instantly snapped to Logan
"Are you certain?"
Logan only reached into his suit pocket and pulled out the chip. On it was etched a T. He handed it to Kori, who handed it to Richard.
"At least we know who did it. But I though Terra was dead. Didn't you guys take care of that?"
Kori glared up at him. She paused for a second to notice that he was finally taller than her, but didn't linger on the thought.
"Apparently the job was not done properly. You should have been there if you believe the job was not right. Since you were not I do not want to hear about it from you." She sounded a little petulant, but so what. Richard being here only reopened old wounds, and added salt to new ones.
"What I'm saying is, if Terra survived, maybe someone else did too."
"Oh, dear." All other thoughts disappeared. Things could get really bad if other people still managed to survive. Very, really bad.
"Yeah, so I guess we should watch our back huh? I don't think Terra would be too happy with us." Victor looked over his shoulder wile he was talking, noticing Raven was still standing by the trees.
"We should also tell Raven. She's been pretty patient, but she could be put in danger as well."
"She does not like me. You guys tell her. But only tell her what she needs to know to keep herself safe. I do not trust her." Logan opened his mouth to protest but Kori cut him off.
"No Logan, I do not trust her and she does not trust me. Only what she needs to know, and anything about you, and Victor if he chooses. Otherwise, Nothing! Please."
He nodded his understanding.
"Mind if I keep this chip Logan?" Logan looked at Richard before giving him his consent, knowing that he'd catch hell from Raven later.
"So, Richard. I hear you've done well for yourself, heir to a multi-billionaire, being on T.V., schmoozing it up with seriously hot chicks."
"Yeah, life has its perks. You've done well for yourself too, becoming a cop. Never thought I'd see that day." Richard had his cocky, teasing smirk in place again.
"Dude, I am not a cop. I am an investigator, Victor is too. We are not cops. I am insulted, we're so much better."
The three guys laughed, causing Kori to role her eyes. She took the chip from Richard and looked at it, then put it in the strap of the knife sheath wrapped around her leg.
Logan and victor said good-bye to Richard, shaking his hand. Then they both went over to Kori and hugged her.
"I'll keep you updated. Okay?"
"I will do the dame. Oh, and tell your partner I am not such a bad person."
"Yeah." The two walked of, leaving Kori alone with Richard.
"What is up with those two?" She asked Logan and victor as they came near her, watching Kori and Richard. Kori had taken Richard's hand and wrapped it in a piece of cloth she removed from a pocket. It was done tenderly and carefully, although for all intents and purposes, from what Raven had seen earlier, Kori seemed unable to stand being in the same breathing vicinity as Richard. Then she took a small piece of cloth and applied it haphazardly to her own hand, not letting Richard help her. Richard seemed in turns annoyed and amused.
Logan shook his head and answered, "No one knows. Way back when, those two were practically inseparable. Richard watched out for Kori, teaching her about life inside the institution. In fact, I think he even taught her English; it was rumored that she didn't know English when she first arrived. Things were going really well, they were the best of friends, some speculation they were more, when one day, he ups and leaves. He doesn't leave an explanation with anybody, not even Kori. She wasn't herself for a long while after that."
"How could he do that?" She didn't know Kori, wasn't even sure she liked her, not positive about her innocence, but leaving a girl high and dry was just plain wrong.
"Don't judge him too harshly, Rae. His past is unknown, but it was harsh."
They watched as Richard took Kori's hand and led her towards them. The two passed with nothing more than a look as acknowledgment. Richard climbed on his motorcycle first, and then waited as Kori got on. He handed her his helmet, then from a compartment, pulled out a spare, identical to the first and put it on himself. Then, revving up the engine, he sped off towards parts unknown.
"Tell me about your past."
Logan looked over at Victor, who nodded then left.
"Alright, but first we have to go to someplace more private. I don't want anyone accidentally overhearing."
Raven nods her understanding and they both walk to his car. They didn't notice the figure standing by the trees, blond hair blowing in the wind. She smiled and walked slowly to the grave, and laughed.
Part B
Logan and Raven were quiet on the drive after deciding that Logan's house was the ideal spot. It was quiet and private, and it would be a comfortable place for Logan to tell an uncomfortable tale. They walked inside and Raven was surprised to see that his house wasn't as messy as she thought it would have been. It was small, but comfortable. It wasn't messy, but it was cluttered and Raven decided it looked lived in. They headed to the kitchen where Logan asked if she wanted anything. She asked if he had any tea, and finding that he did, she waited as he put the water on the stove. The two sat down at the small kitchen table to wait for the kettle to steam.
"Where to begin. When I was young, I think maybe twelve my parents were killed. I didn't have any family who could take care of me, so I was inducted into the system. You know, foster parents, orphanages, and the likes. When I was maybe fourteen, I ran away, lived on the streets for a year. Then this girl found me, told me about a place that takes in kids just like me. It sounded like a dream come true. I went with her, and it was everything she said it was. It was big, and ornate, I got three meals a day, a bed, clothes, showers, and the works. I had to go to classes though, but still, it was cool, and way better than what I had. In addition, we were taught special skills. Some were taught electronics, others were taught fighting techniques, others nursing. I was taught how to change my appearance. I was able to turn into a completely different person. And not just looks. I could change my attitude, voice, accent, everything.
"When I was almost seventeen, I was deemed ready. I was supposed to use my newly acquired talents and gather information, sneak into places, steal things, sort of like a spy. It was the way the kids earned their keep. They had to do what the headmaster told them. I didn't think anything of it. The way I figured, no one was getting hurt, and I did owe the school. So I went along with it, like a game. This went on for a few years, about four I think. I tended to lose track of time. Then, someone got hurt, real hurt, as in dead. I didn't want to play anymore. But disobedience was not something the headmaster tolerated. When I refused to do what he said, when I refused to kill someone who got in my way, I was punished."
The kettle whistled, interrupting the story and startling the two. Logan got up and poured the water into two cups, then set about making the tea for both of them. Raven just sat there, waiting, still processing what she'd heard about her partner. She knew Logan had his secrets, she just didn't know how big they were.
Logan came back with the tea and different accoutrements: milk, sugar, and lemon, anything really to keep his nervous hands busy. Raven was a strictly by the book, legit kind of person. She believed in the black and the white of the law, but where Logan once lived, there were lots of ambiguous yellows, and dreary purples, and some bloody reds.
They were silent as they made their tea; both content for the moment to pretend nothing was wrong, pasts weren't being relived. But Raven knew they had to continue so she was the one who broke the silence.
"What was the punishment?"
"The first time, ten lashings. Kori spent a week tending my wounds. It was another three before I was proclaimed fit to return to the field. When I was ordered to kill someone for some information, I refused. The second punishment was fifty whips. I had to count that time, and if I missed a number, or forgot, I was to start all over again. I only messed up twice before I forced myself to count every lashing until fifty."
Logan flinched with the memory, remembering the stinging pain, the feel of his blood running down his back, of his sweat beading into the cuts. He remembered waking up and seeing Kori and Richard looking down at him, both worried. Kori's eyes filled with compassion and sympathy, and Richard's; well his were covered. He remembered Kori telling him that after he counted the whippings, he's passed out, and they were worried because he'd lost so much blood in such a short period of time. They told him he was unconscious for two days. He also remembered that was the last time he saw Richard. But all he told Raven was that again; Kori was the one to tend his wounds.
"That time, it was almost two months before I was pronounced fit. I knew I would be ordered to kill someone again, and I knew that if I refused this time, I would be sentenced to death. Being only twenty-one at the time, I really didn't want that. But I was willing if it meant that an innocent person would be able to live. However, Kori had other plans. I didn't know it at the time, but she knew Victor. So she and Victor decided to find a way to get me out of the organization before I got killed. In retrospect it was dangerous in its simplicity, or maybe just simply dangerous."
He paused and took a sip of his tea, which was a little bitter. He added a little more sugar before continuing.
"Kori made up a drought that would render me for all intents and purposes dead. That was the only way to get out, if a person died. So, after I was pronounced dead, I was snuck out of the morgue and taken to Victor. He was given the remedy to revive me. In my place was a robot that Victor had fashioned to look exactly like me. I was given a new identity, some money, and the rest is history. I got a job; I met you and lived happily ever after. Any past I may have had while I was in that institution was erased, so there was no way to link them back to me. And that is the story."
Raven had completely forgotten about her tea. Logan was whipped, multiple times. He stole, he was ordered to kill. That was surreal. She could not picture him as doing anything illegal. He always seemed so happy and full of life, like nothing could ever bring him down. But apparently the past was something that still hurt. The two finished their tea in silence.
Part C
Kori held on tightly to Richard, thoroughly enjoying the feel of speeding down the street. It was almost like she was flying, and for that she didn't care where Richard was taking her. Just so long as it was a long time in coming. Unconsciously she tightened her hold around his middle and leaned further into him. And Richard actually smiled a full smile. Quite a rarity for him.
After a twenty-minute ride, Richard stopped in front of a small out of the way café. They were shown to a small table at the back of the restaurant, specifically requested due to the location. A wall on two sides, leaving just the reaming two sides to be watched, surrounded it. Both of their backs were protected.
When the waiter came to take their order, Kori ordered fries and a cheeseburger, and a glass of water, while Richard just ordered some water. They still hadn't said a word to each other, just enjoyed the silence between them, the sounds of the little café, the noise of the street. It seemed almost normal, like they hadn't just buried someone who was brutally murdered.
Richard looked down at Kori's hand as she absently rips her napkin. He saw that it was bleeding, but she's looking out the window, lost in her own world. However, when he took her hand in his, Kori's head snapped around, and she glared at him and tried to take her hand away. He only tightened his hold on her.
"Relax, Kori. You hand started bleeding again, and I just want to take a look at it. You may have cut too deep." He gently took her hand and removed the makeshift bandage. When he saw her hand he frowned at how deep the cut was. He shook his head and took a handkerchief out of his pocket. He never put them there, Alfred did, and this time Richard was glad. He took his napkin and dipped it in his glass of water and washed out her cut. She flinched, but otherwise didn't try and take her hand back. Richard then wrapped her hand with the handkerchief. By the time he finished the waiter has brought Kori's food.
Richard watched bemusedly as Kori slathered mustard on her fries and cheeseburger. She always drowned her food in mustard. It was nice to see some things had not changed.
"You are the only person I know who goes through mustard like it's water. How can you stand the taste of that stuff?"
"Because it blocks out the taste of anything else, including the stuff that has gone bad, but being unable to buy any other food, we had to make due with ways to mask the taste. Why? Do you not like the taste?"
Richard filed away her explanation for a later assessment. "No I do not like the taste."
"Does that mean I don't get a goodbye kiss? Because in that case." Kori lifted the mustard bottle up, and squeezed herself a mouth full. She swallowed, gave a moan of ecstasy, then licked her lips; her eyes never leaving Richard's. "Yum."
Richard laughed and shook his head. He sat back in his chair and watched Kori while she ate. It was amazing how much grace she could put into eating. She didn't even drop a crumb or spill any mustard on herself. Of all the things he missed after he left, it was the time he spent with Kori. She was so happy and full of life, even after the lot she was dealt.
"You are staring Richard."
He just smiled, but otherwise didn't stop. Kori rolled her eyes and continued eating.
"Tell me something Richard. Are you happy with your life? Truly satisfied?"
Richard was surprised at the question, especially when he couldn't answer right away. He had to stop and think about it. Was he happy? Sure, he had good times with great people, but even afterwards, he still felt hallow.
"It had been a good life." Richard was talking slowly, carefully choosing his words to convey to most understanding. "And there have been happy times." He left it at that, not saying anything more. Kori nodded, not mentioning that he had not answered the question directly. However, his answer was quite telling. She finished eating before she spoke again.
"Why did you bring me here, Richard?"
He didn't say anything, just reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope, then passed it over to Kori. Her brows furrowed when she took it. Richard didn't say anything as she read the short missive, just took a sip of his water.
"Well, okay. 'You did not think you'd get out that easily, did you?' What is that supposed to mean?" She just gave him a confused frown.
"Think about it, Star. Who would have-" At the use of her nickname, Kori looked up at Richard. Not so much looked as visually shredded him to little pieces. If her eyes had laser beams, Richard would be so much laser dust.
"You do not get to call me that. Not anymore."
"What did I do, Kori; and how long are you going to be mad at me?"
"That depends. Why did you leave?"
Richard looked away; it still hurt whenever he thought about that last night there. What he saw and what he did, they still gave him some bad nights, and way too many regrets. But all he said then was, "Because."
"Because why? What could I have possibly done to make you leave? I was with Logan that entire night, from the time you left me in the hospital wing, until I left the next morning to find you gone. What could have happened between then that would have made you leave?"
"You were in the hospital wing the entire night?" Richard asked, his voice full of surprise, a rare thing if Kori had stopped to think about it. But she was too intent on finding out why Richard left. It had been five years and every scenario she came up with was worse than the one before it. The only time she saw Richard, he was on television, and always with a woman named Barbara.
"Yes. One of Logan's more serious wounds re-opened and I had to suture it. Then I had to stay because he went into shock. When I came out the next morning, I found you gone with no note. And there was no way I was able to contact you to find out if you were all right. A person disappearing in that place is not exactly the most calming of things for someone to experience. Then the next thing I knew, you were hanging out with Bruce Wayne and being introduced as his new ward, or adopted son, or heir or whatever."
Richard sat there stunned, unable to make any comments to Kori's words. What she said in the beginning about staying with Logan the entire night was playing and replaying in his mind. If Kori was with Logan, then who was in her room?
"Richard, are you alright?" Richard refocused on the present and Kori sitting in front of him. He just shook his head, and then picked up the letter they'd forgotten about. He re-read the words.
"Kori, there's only one person who would write this letter to me. If Terra survived, than he probably did too." Richard was just about to say more, but a large silver ball with an 'S' insignia on it burst through the window and landed near their feet. The two knew immediately what it was.
Richard got up, grabbed Kori's hand and stared pulling her out of the café. He was counting in his head. '1...2...3...4...5...' Meanwhile, Kori was shouting for everyone to get out the café, they were in danger. Unfortunately no one was listening. They were all looking at Richard and Kori strangely.
When Richard reached 10, he was out the door, and by the time he reached 15, he and Kori were on the other side of the street. When he had counted to 20, the world exploded.
Part D
While a little café was being blown up, and people were being wiped up off the streets with a sponge, a girl with blond hair and blue eyes wearing a little black and gold dress was entering a small house. The woman who answered the door knew her, so let her in with an open smile. She was serving the girl tea when her two kids came home from school. She was taking her children's backpacks, when she was suddenly attacked. A rag was positioned over her mouth, causing her to choke, and then pass out.
Next, the blond went over the children, knocking them out. She tied the three of them up, put them in the master bedroom, and then sat down at the kitchen table to wait. When Alexander came home, he was met with a woman who should have been dead, sitting at his table, calmly drinking a glass of lemonade. That was the last thing Alexander saw.
Raven and Logan rushed to the site of the explosion. They were surprised to see Kori and Richard there. Raven went up to one of the officers on duty to get the story, and Logan went to speak with Richard and Kori.
"Logan. He's back."
Those three words, spoken so quietly by Kori, were enough to chill Logan's blood. He didn't need to ask if they were sure. He knew. He knew it when he saw Richard's face, he knew it when he read Richard's note. And he would really know it a few days later.
Part E
A few days after the funeral, after Logan told Raven more of his past, after Richard and Kori were almost blown up, a call came in about a suspicious smell coming from a house. Raven and Logan drove out to the house. It was in a small, but respectable neighborhood. The lawns were all mown and green. There were cute little mailboxes at the end of the driveway. There was a car under the carport. All in all, it looked like something out of a postcard.
The two walked in to a site similar to when they found June. The house was a wash in blood, only this time; the spouse was still there. She was sitting with a blanket around her, eyes staring blankly at her hands, rocking back and forth. She was just a shell of a person, having found her husband's mutilated body. And her children were nowhere to be found.
They walked into the bedroom, once a cheery sunshine yellow, now a stark crimson. There was so much blood that Raven and Logan could taste it. On the bed, arranged in the same fashion as June, was a man. He was handsome, his face being left un-touched. His legs were broken, his hands crushed, and his chest was a gaping maw in the middle of his body. His heart was missing. However, the different thing about this scene wasn't what was taken, but what was left.
"Dude, is that what I think it is?"
"If you think that it is a heart, then yes, it is what you are thinking. But is it his heart? It looks too small." Logan was no longer listening. He was staring at the body. He knew this man, had eaten, fought, played with this man. Alexander.
He turned towards the door and froze at what he saw. Any doubt that Richard and Kori were wrong the other day was erased. Written in red, Alexander's blood, was a giant 'S', and smaller, underneath it was a 'T', and 'We're coming for you.' He walked out of the room and outside next to the car he and Raven took in. He didn't notice Raven follow him, he just took out his phone and called Kori, who would get in touch with Richard, and then he called Victor; telling them to come to the house right away. He knew it was against procedures to let civilians in, but they really needed to see this. Besides, with their pasts, they racked up more field time than most of the veteran cops in any police force.
"Logan? Did you know him too?" Raven hesitantly placed her hand on his shoulder. She felt how tense he was.
"Yeah, his name was Alex and he was a friend."
"Logan." He shrugged off Raven's hand, walking to the other side of the car. This was one instant that he wished he smoked, just so he could have something to do with his hands. Instead he ordered that no one was to go into the house, except him self and Raven. Then he leaned against the car and waited.
What seemed like hours later, he heard the unmistakable sound of Victor's car, and Richard's motorcycle. Kori jumped out of Victor's car even before he had it stopped and rushed up to Logan. She knew the house and its occupants. And she knew the look on Logan's face.
"Alex?" At his grim nod she started walking up to the house, but was stopped by Richard grabbing onto her arm.
"Wait," was all he said to her, and surprisingly enough, she did wait. But he didn't let go of her arm. Raven had gone back into the house, but came out when she heard the two new vehicles and the voices. She wasn't happy with Logan calling them, but she couldn't blame him. Right now, this case went beyond any rules of regulations and protocols of procedures. She just had them wear the paper booties over their shoes, a cap to cover their heads, and gloves. No one said a word, it wasn't required.
When they got into the room that held another dead comrade, everyone was shocked at the violence of it. It was excessive and un-called for. Victor left after a brief glance, deciding to try and find something, some clue, somewhere else. That was way too much blood even for him. Kori walked up to the body and examined it, though she was visibly shaken, she held her emotions and her instinct to flee. Richard didn't even look at the body, but instead at the room.
When his eyes landed on the message he stared at it for a second, his fist clenching. He heard Kori gasp and turned to see what happened. In her gloved hand was a necklace. Even though it was bloody it was still one that Richard recognized; it was one that he gave her over a decade ago. She looked at him for a second before her gaze shifted to just behind him. She put the necklace down, next to the heart, and walked out of the room. Richard, Raven, and Logan soon followed after Logan and Raven finished walking through the room, taking pictures, pointing out what needed to be collected.
They found Victor and Kori sitting on the ground next to his car. She hadn't taken her gloves or cap off, both now covered in blood. Victor looked angry, but Kori, her face was as emotionless as a dolls. And that worried everybody.
"Guys."
They all looked at Logan, waiting for him to finish.
"Does this mean what I think it means?"
"Yes," said Richard. "Slade is back.
Kori looked up at him. She got up and finally took off the bloody gloves and cap, then bent to take off the shoe covers.
"If Slade has returned, then that means I did not finish the job all those years ago. That is not a mistake I will make a second time. Terra will pay dearly for what she has done."
She looked at Logan, remembering the feelings he once had for the blonde girl. She was relieved, and saddened, to find hatred and anger reflected in his face.
"What we have to do if figure out what he wants." They all turned to Richard as he said this, his face hard, his brows furrowed over his sunglasses. Determination was written all over him.
"Guys, we're coming back. Starfire, Cyborg, Changeling, and Robin are back."
"WHAT!!!" They all turned at Raven's screech. "You mean to tell me that you guys are…that you're…Oh, my goodness. I am standing with four wanted criminals. And Slade and Terra. Don't even get me started on how wanted they are. I cannot believe this." She seemed to shrink back down on herself.
"Sometimes you have to be bad to do good, and we could use your help. What do you say, Rae. Wanna help bring down a really, bad guy?" Raven looked at Logan, then turned to look at the house. All her rules and regulations, all those guidelines and procedures were weighing down on her shoulders. Maybe, in the end, it really didn't matter, so long as the bad guy was stopped. If she only bent the rules, but didn't break them, and she was able to save a life and stop a killer, then was it worth it.
She turned to look back at the other four, four wanted criminals who seemed to turn around. She saw them, who had to look at the face of two butchered friends; already buried one, soon to bury another. They were willing to find and stop Slade. Was it worth breaking all the rules?
"I'll help."
Yes, it was worth it.