"..." Talking
'...' Thinking
(...) Author notes
Italics Flash Backs/Dream Sequence
After Effects
What little scrub of regularity the Titans had managed to resurrect on there little outing was demolished when they returned home. It hadn't taken more than a look at the darkened Tower to realize that something was off in their home. The entire structure was without light, it was an unusual occurrence but since Raven was the only one home it was acceptable. If the power failure wasn't due to the storm there could be something more sinister awaiting the teen super heroes.
Even with the foreboding feelings and the creepy atmosphere none of the Titans would have ever imagined what had actually happened. Red X who had become less than a blimp on the criminal radar had surreally made himself public enemy number one by attacking, not only the Teen Titan base of operation, but Raven also.
Less than twenty four hours ago the dark empath had faced her worst nightmare becoming the portal as her demon father set the sun on the mortal world. Further, forcing his daughter into a shell of her former collected self and casting her into a prison cell deep in the core of Underworld. The half demon sorceress had not fallen into traumatic emotional self pity or shut herself up more tightly, instead reverted back into the old Raven as far as anyone could tell.
Though, after the ordeal, she had immediately gone back to acting like her normal self, her team mates still felt sympathy and concern for their friend. This was why they found themselves more apt in indulging Raven when she wished solitude today though they felt she should not be left alone. Needless to say, guilt reined in each of them once they discovered what had happened in their absence.
The dark girl was standing before the remains of the broken window where the thief had plunged into the depths. Beast Boy was behind her bewildered and wondering how to get Raven away from the jagged window pane and scattered glass shards.
"Rae," the green boy said calmly as though speaking to a child. The empath did not turn or even grace him with a reply. She was lost gazing into the dismal darkness that dropped into nothingness. "Raven." He ventured when she ignored the nickname. "Your getting wet," he pointed out before pensively reaching out to touch her shoulder. The dark girl was quiet and gave no objection to the contact.
"I suppose I am," she acknowledged wryly. Her mind was somewhere else, lost in possibilities but she did move away from the shattered window and the down pouring rain.
"Friend Raven, you are undamaged?" the orange alien girl levitated over to the two. Starfire was followed by Robin in his brightly colored uniform that looked highly out of place in residence hall's dreary setting. Raven gave the Boy Wonder a suspicious glance that disappeared as though it was never there before she answered the worried Tamerainan's question.
"I'm all right, Starfire."
The alien princess inspected the dark girl. She wore no signs differing from her statement. Raven's clothing was not torn or unstained by any sort of blood. It was just that the empath was soaked from her long lavender tresses down to her socked feet. Beast Boy was affected by the rain pouring through the missing window as well. His spike forest green hair was drooping and damp.
"Why didn't you call for help?" the Titan leader demanded. His tone was firm but not scolding since he, like the other members of his team, felt responsible for leaving the dark empath alone. He and Raven may not have had the closest history but he at the moment had the closest bond with the half demon. She had been in his mind and witnessed his most guarded and private secrets and he had seen her in her most vulnerable state. Their business like comradery had evolved into a more complex relationship.
"I didn't get a chance," she commented half aware. Behind the mask his eyes were narrowed as his deductive mind set about trying to figure out what had occurred before his arrival. Robin wanted to continuing probing for more information but did not. Pressuring Raven was not the way to get what you desired out of the dark empath so he would wait till she decided to tell him on her own. And in order to speed up the process he would discretely create opportunities for her to bring up the subject.
Beast Boy opened his mouth to interject into the serious silence but, whatever jest he was going to spew was cut off when Cyborg appeared. The cybernetic teen was carrying a large sheet of black material that seemed to have similar traits to plastic. "It's not an advanced fix but it should keep out the rain," he explained as he duct taped the platic cover over the broken window. He had a vacuum, mop,dust pan, and garbage bag on hand ready to tackle the watery glass mess on the floor.
Cyborg was about to sweep up the wet shards when the splintered glass glowed with dark hue and drifted itself effortlessly into the trash bag. The Titans were a little startled by the display. Why was Raven acting so casually? The empath did not seem to notice their odd expressions, the gears in her mind where turning too rapidly. Cyborg was the first to recover, "Hey, thanks Rae."
The dark girl nodded and turned to leave. "Friend Raven!" Starfire called. She wanted the dark girl to stay but the red haired Tamerainan had no legitimate reason to call the empath's halt.
The green changeling jumped in, "Raven where are you going?"
Raven stopped and turned to look at her confused team mates. "To change," she answered simply. With no more of an explanation she headed toward her room, leaving thin trail of rain water runoff in her wake.
"Uh... Dudes is it just me or was Raven a little out of it?" Beast Boy asked scratching his head.
She rested heavily on the metallic door of her room. It took Raven a grant total of two seconds to realize she had nothing to wear. Her costume was still too torn to be worn and now the only civilian clothing she owned was soaked. She had already set her mind against even the idea of wearing the Madd Mod uniform. This predicament distracted her from her thoughts about the break in, Red X, her inability to fight at her fullest, and Robin.
The ticking of the clock alerted the time to be nine PM. Grudgingly, Raven admitted her only option and melted through the door of her room. She was quiet as she treaded down the hall, she mumbled to herself, the dark girl could not believe she had stooped to sneaking about the Tower. After what seemed an eternity she reached her destination. Careful to keep the door from squeaking, Raven slipped into the bathroom.
The heavily sweater and jeans clung to her like a second skin and she had to work at peeling them off. Thankfully it was easy to find her dark blue towel and she wrapped it snuggly around her form. She bundled the wet clothing and tanscommuted her down to the laundry room.
It was basically a little brick cell in the basement of the Tower. The small room was empty except for the gleaming white washer and dryer and the small rack above them that suspended the detergents. She tossed the wet heap into the washing machine and set the dial to extra small before hitting prewash. The machine started its horrible groaning, but it was welcome in the uneasy silence of the empty room. She stretched for the laundry soap but found it to be out of reach. Using her powers the box was enveloped in dark energy and poured itself into the washer before returning to the self as Raven shut the lid of the machine.
Raven took a moment to glare at the self. It always reminder her how small she really was. Had it not been for her telekinesis she would have had to ask Cyborg to lower it. Raven folded her arms over her chest. She disliked asking for assistance, it made her feel vulnerable. A feeling she had been trying to suppress all night, actually all her life. Ever since she had know what she was, what she was suppose to become. She had fought, just to ease that helplessness that made her ill. Now, that she looked back on her fight with Red X did she fully realize how physically disadvantaged she was. Her powers had been her saving grace.
The more she mewed over these thoughts the more disturbingly clear it became, without her powers she was just another adolescent girl. Yes, she was indeed more mature than her age would suggest but she was still just a girl.
Her mind returned to the body of a child, quivering in fear before her all powerful father. She hadn't had any powers then, no way to save her friends who had fought so gallantly to defend the Earth. Then from somewhere within her, after she had steeled herself to make one last stand, she found the source of her energy and exploited it. She was again Raven the Titan and had power enough to defeat Trigon.
Raven found herself reluctant to follow the thought of what would have happened had she not discovered the point of her power, had she truly been a helpless little girl. 'The whole world would have been...' Shaking her head as though to banish the thoughts Raven ceased her metal downward spiral.
Instead, she turned her mind back to the most recent catastrophe that hitched her life. Red X. It was no coincidence that the thief has chosen tonight to undertake breaking into Titan Tower. He knew the Titans would be out, he wasn't one to leave anything to chance. How had he known that the Titan base would be unguarded? It was just mishap that she had been home.
This lead to another puzzling question. What would the Titan's have that would interest the Red X. He was an industrial thief, one that took on high risk jobs with heavy pay offs. X wasn't some common cat burglar, no he was after something more profound, one thathad lured him into the very den of his enemy.
Raven began to feel the makings of a head ache surface on her temple. 'Anything of remote value would be in the evidence room,' she thought off handedly. Then it struck her, 'But Red X wasn't striving to get to the evidence vault, he was aiming for Robin's room. What was the Boy Wonder hiding?' There was more to this riddle than she had originally thought.
"I need mass amounts of meditation and herbal tea," she spoke darkly to the empty room. But to get those things she would have to venture through Tower in nothing but a towel till her clothing was dry. Not going to happen. It would be a good hour until she would leave this little brick cell so, she hopped up to take a seat on the dryer and tried to make herself comfortable. She had a lot to think about.
Another chapter up. Thanks to mysti-eyed, Darkest Raven, FlowerPerson, Neko, Cherry Jade, Trinity Lord Rance, and Sage Raven. I try to update around every week but this week end I will be out of town so I may be a little late. Again please review, I would like to know what you think.