Disclaimer: I own no part of the Teen Titans or their associated canon though I do own the other characters associated with this story.

(A/N): Sometimes I get flash of inspiration for a story. Sometimes I write it out, sometimes I don't. This is what happens when I do.

Chapter Three

A Reason to Live

Raven silently floated through the hallway, mulling her own thoughts. Hunter had intrigued her somehow. For the first time she had met some one who had lost as much, if not more than she had. As he had finished his recounting she had been shocked to find a solitary tear sliding down her face. She was…crying? She had quickly quashed the emotion before it could do anything but it was still there…in the very back of her mind. And now she was following him. For some reason she felt compelled…and she had another question to ask him.

Again she found him on the roof. This time he was standing on the ledge looking out over Jump City. His arms were crossed over his chest and his eyes closed. She approached slowly, her mind racing as she got closer, she actually had two questions and was trying to decide which to ask first. As she reached within a few feet of him he spoke. "Something on your mind, Raven?" She jumped again at his ability to sense her presence. How did he do that?

"Uh…I was just wondering…how you…got back before us?" She mentally chided herself for being so erratic. 'Pull yourself together. Losing control is dangerous.' He turned around and looked down to her from the ledge. Kneeling he cocked his head in thought.

"I did forget to mention that didn't I? Well…you see…it's very simple. I just…just…whoa!" A sudden breeze pushed him and knocked him off balance, a misstep and he fell backward off the edge. Raven's mind froze for a split second, then she darted forward to the edge her eyes searching the air below. Nothing. The rocks…no…the sea…no splash. She climbed to her feet and was about to jump when she heard a voice from behind. "Sorry about that."

Spinning her eyes shot open even further. Standing on the other side of the roof was Hunter. Only he had wings. Massive white-feathered wings flowed from his back. She gazed at him stunned as he approached. He turned so she could see where the wings emerged from slits cut in his shirt between his shoulder blades. After a moment they quivered and then disappeared back into the slits. Raven was unable to speak for several seconds. When she finally opened he mouth, all she could say was…

"Oh."

"Yeah…sorry, I probably should have mentioned that earlier." His smile was both repentant and infectious. She found herself smiling about as much as she ever did a slight upturn at the ends of her lips. How was it that he could effect her like this? It was driving her crazy that her control was slipping this badly. The next thing that he said shook her even worse. "Too bad you don't smile more. It really lights up your face." After recovering from her surprise she quickly pulled up her hood in a failed attempt to hide the redness in her cheeks.

"Uh…thanks. Excuse me I have to go…meditate." She took several hurried steps toward the door before his voice stopped her again.

"Tell me…your meditation…does it control your emotions, or just repress them?"

"…It…represses them. Control is something I could never hope for."

"Would you like to be able to? Control them I mean?" She nodded slowly.

"More than anything. Do you know someway that might be possible?"

Hunter's right hand started to glow with a small sphere of light. "I have some experience with controlling powers."

"Well then? What are we waiting for?"

Later, the other four are gathered in the living room, Beast Boy has just delivered some intelligence from the roof.

"He can fly too!" Yelled Cyborg. "Why is it everyone in this tower can fly but me? Damnit! I'm starting to get sick of this!" Robin tentatively raised his index finger. His voice was relatively small.

"Uh…I can't fly."

"Who asked you!" Robin ducked for cover from Cyborg's anger. Beast Boy peaked out from behind the couch.

"Dude! Chill out! Besides…you have a car!" Cyborg's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Oh yeah! I do!" With that he took off out the door headed for the garage.

"Thank you friend Beast Boy. Friend Cyborg was begging to become…scary."

"No problem Star. So…anyway…" Robin rose and returned to the table.

"I don't think Raven would like it if she knew you were spying on her."

"Well, I don't see how she'd find out. It's not your going to tell her. Are you?" On the last word he suddenly looked very dangerous. They both shook their head back and forth furiously. "Good. So…what are we going to do about him?"

"Well…do we have any reason not to let him stay here?" Beast Boy's hand shot up. "That can't be chalked up to paranoia?" The hand slowly fell. "Well, since it's our duty to protect the city, and since he knows far more about this Arkanus than we could ever learn…I say he stays here until this situation is resolved."

"I believe friend Robin is correct."

"Well, far be it for me to disagree with our fearless leader."

"Beast boy…"

"I'm gonna go…check on Cy or something." Beast Boy stood and quickly exited the room.

"Friend Beast Boy…"

"Leave him Star…he just need to cool off…"

The tower settled into and uneasy routine over the next several days. Nothing major changed, just minor things. Just enough to notice. Raven spent more time on the roof meditating and whatever else she was doing with Hunter. Hunter had started making breakfast in the morning, a task at which he was surprisingly adept. He seemed to know innumerable ways to make things different, to such an extent that Beast Boy had had to watch him make it to be sure his breakfast really was tofu. Despite the peace offering Beast Boy still remained icy. He would occasionally watch Hunter and Raven's training sessions on the roof, being, quite literally, a fly on the wall. Every day he became just a little less himself. The only thing that seemed to snap him out of it was daily video game challenges from Cyborg. Starfire and Robin were spending more and more time together and frequently took patrol duty at the same time. Cyborg was even fairly certain he had seen the pair leave on the R-Cycle early one morning as he worked on his car.

Crime for some reason had dropped off considerably, as if gathering it self for a major blow. One day turned into three, three into seven, seven into ten, into a fortnight. Still no hint of Arkanus had been seen or heard. Everyone was just waiting for the shoe to drop.

(A/N): If you feel it is warranted fell free to review. I welcome any and all opinions.