Chapter Five: Proposition
Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. What makes you think I do?
Slade felt as if someone had taken a sledgehammer and plowed it straight into his chest. He like the Titans had heard that voice. He absently touched his forehead out of habit
"Daddy, what's the matter?" Rose asked in concern. Her father was always quiet but she could sense fear like a fog in the cavern
"Trigorn." he muttered. Rose frowned deeply. Her father often muttered the word but he never bothered to explain it to her
"Rose, there's been a change of plans." Slade said after another long silence. Rose blinked in surprise.
Raven's chest rose and fell rhythmically. Beast Boy sat in a chair, legs crossed clearly far away in his own thoughts. Everyone except Gear, Cyborg, BB, and Robin had been pushed outside
"What happened to them?" Robin demanded. Cyborg turned around, picked him up like a sack of flour and set him in a chair
"Sit there and be quiet." he ordered. Robin grumbled under his breath but obeyed. He glanced at Jinx and Jesse. Jesse was floating like her sister so he wasn't too worried about her. But Jinx's breathing was shallow and her body kept shaking uncontrollably like something had possessed her
"Good and merciful Azar." Raven muttered before slipping into a long line of foreign sounding words
"Rae?" the empath looked up from her muttering and smiled at her friends
"I'm fine." she answered the unspoken question that hung in the air. She glanced at Jesse then frowned when she saw Jinx shaking
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos." she muttered. Black mist surrounded the girl's body. Raven closed her eyes and muttered a spell under her breath. Jinx shrieked loudly then her body shook violently once more. A red mist flew out of the girl's body and disappeared
"What was that?"
"My father." Raven responded. The door opened and Starfire flew in her eyes blazing with energy. When she saw that nothing was wrong in the bay she let the energy fade
"Who screamed?" she asked. Raven nodded towards Jinx
"Trigorn tried to use her for a…" she paused trying to think of a suitable word "as a host for his presence you could say."
"Would someone mind telling me what this is all about?" Flash asked. Raven levitated herself out of the bed and sat down in a chair. The bed made itself and the machines Cyborg had hooked up to her stored themselves
"I assume you all heard the voice?" everyone nodded and began taking positions around the room "The gem is myself and the dust that surrounds it is you guys." she gestured to the Titans
"But who's this Trigorn guy?" Raven looked at her mother momentarily then returned her gaze to the adults
"My father. I'm part demon." the three seemed shocked. Batman's cool pose dropped for a brief moment and he glared at Robin
"You let a half demon on your team?" he demanded. Before Robin could reply Beast Boy spoke up
"Raven never told us. She was afraid that we'd turn her away like everyone else. We've faced Trigorn before and we thought he was gone for good turns out we were wrong."
"She never told you? How can you even trust her then?"
"Because. She's saved our butts in battle more times than we can count. She's our friend and she wanted to protect us even if she had a strange way of going about it."
"But-."
"I doubt you could understand." Raven said in her low monotone "My powers are driven by emotion. I meditate constantly to keep them under control. My friends were willing to accept that and my heritage knowing the dangers it brought to them." Batman opened his mouth as if to say something else but he was rudely cut off by a loud alarm blaring throughout the entire Tower. Cyborg looked at his arm and his human eye widened
"Robin, you are never going to believe this." he said.
Five minutes later everyone (except Jesse and Jinx duh!) was gathered in the main room looking up at Slade's masked face
"Hello Titans. It has been a long time since I have seen you. How long? Two years?" Slade said in his falsely pleasant voice
"What do you want Slade?" Raven asked in her deadly monotone. Rose appeared beside Slade but she still had her mask on
"A contract." Robin started to ask but Raven hushed him
"I suspect you have guessed that my father is returning and you want revenge for what he did to you. Am I correct?"
"Right on the marker dear Raven." Beast Boy bristled at that one "Although you have not guessed what I mean. I want to meet with you."
"Why in the world should we trust you?" Terra demanded. Slade turned to her
"It seems so odd that you of all people should be talking about trust Terra. You betray your friends and then me who you swore to stand by. I would stay silent."
"Leave her alone." Raven said in a deadly voice that made chills run down everyone's backs
"Well do we have a deal Titans?" everyone glanced at Robin who nodded grudgingly
"Yes."
"Good. Rose and I will wait on the outskirts of the city. Meet us in one hour." the screen went blank and Robin collapsed back into the sofa with a groan
"Why does he have to put himself into the mixture? Things are already complicated enough. No offence Raven."
"None taken." the dark girl responded. Batman looked down at his former sidekick with disappointment
"You've changed since you left. Normally you would be the one to remind another that life is not fair and it never will be."
"Living with four other teens will do that to you." Raven commented walking over to a corner and folding her legs underneath her
"What are you doing?" Shebang asked in interest
"I'm going to meditate. Wake me in half an hour or if Jesse or Jinx wakes up." Cyborg nodded and she closed her eyes leaving to hold a council with her emotions in Nevermore
"If you don't mind me asking what's meditation?" Flash said. Beast Boy glanced up at the man from his position on the couch
"It helps Rae keep her powers under control." he got up and glanced around "I'm going out for a bit."
Beast Boy flipped over backwards turning into a wolf as he did. The change came naturally and easily. A wolf was a favorite of his; it was easy and had many advantages
"Beast Boy?" he looked up and saw Raven walking out towards where he was. Her arms were wrapped around herself and she looked afraid. The wolf turned back into a teenager and stood
"It's time." she whispered