The Complications Of Life
By: TTFAN
Summary: It was four years since the Titans. Twenty two year old Raven Roth is now a Villian's Psychiatrist. Attempting to bring the team together again, she starts with the first person she can find, her own patient. Pairings eventually: RobxRae, TerxBB
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the D.C. characters or their places.
Prolouge
Raven Roth sat behind her desk. She checked her book again.
"Damn… I really don't need this today." She muttered taking her pen and running a line though the name. She lifted her mug and brought it to her lips draining the warm yet bitter coffee. No Sugar, just the way she liked it. She stared at the wall clock 3:56 P.M.
'Her appointment was nearly half an hour ago…causing trouble again? No surprise there. I've got plenty of time.' Raven thought shifting her gaze to the photograph on her desk.
In it was her, seven years ago, in a blue cloak, to her left was a red head with green eyes holding a huge smile. To her right was a half robot with gray eyes showing that warm brotherly grin she loved looking into. To the far right was a masked boy with a traffic light outfit, he wore a smirk of superiority. To the second to the far left was a boy with green skin practically smiling his head off, to his left…her patient. A blonde girl with blue eyes she had a grin on her face as well.
'What ever happened to her? That's what they all ask-'
Raven's thoughts were interrupted as the door slammed open. A guard jabbed a gun into the woman's back, she had a straight jacket on.
"…If you harm any of my patients there will be a lawsuit." Raven said glaring daggers at the guard as he left.
"Bastard…" The woman muttered as the guard walked out the door she shifted her gaze to Ms. Roth.
"Hello gothic slut."
"Right back at ya bitch." Raven said. That was their normal greeting.
"Take a seat." Raven said turning her head to the long chair. The woman reluctantly walked over and plopped herself down.
"Tara…"
"Eh?"
"You've been showing some progress…"
"Uh thanks…this is the last session right?" Tara asked. Raven looked at Tara, her physical features changed greatly ever since she entered the Arkham Asylum. She still had her waist length blonde hair but her skin tone had paled more. She lost that look of radiance in her eyes…they were now dull, if not full of hate for the world. She also had a scar running across her left cheek.
"Have you been eating?" Raven asked ignoring her question. She looked skinnier since their last visit, if that was even possible. Raven at first thought she resembled a stick figure with curves. Her question caused Tara to glare.
"They put drugs and sedatives in my food. I'd rather die." Tara said with hatred in her voice. If Tara was any thing she wasn't a person self conscious about her weight. She stopped eating after finding out what happened to one of the prisoners, over dosage of the drugs in their food.
"You have to eat. You'll die of malnutrition."
"I don't give a shit." Tara replied. As much as she tried, Raven couldn't get Tara to stop cursing, it was as if profanity had been a part of her language.
"What about your daughter? Are you actually going to leave her?" Raven asked as a look of shock spread over her patients face.
"Fine…" Tara said reluctantly as she shifted her position and lied down on the chair, her head facing the ceiling. If Raven knew one thing about her patients it was their weaknesses. For Tara, Jane Markov was the only thing she cared about.
"So how's Kory?" Tara asked out of boredom. Kory Anders was formerly known as a Teen Titan called Starfire.
"She's teaching the new reforms."
"Cy?" Tara asked, referring to another one of their former friends/teammates.
"He's also teaching the new kids." Raven said. There was a long moment of silence.
"Don't you want to know about Gar or-"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Cause I said so." Tara said shifting her position and getting off the chair, even without use of her arms. For a second or two Raven thought she felt the earth shake, that was Tara or should she say Terra's power, geo-kinesis. The government was unsuccessful in removing them.
'Hmm…she must've gotten the wristband off. Clever little bitch.' Raven thought. The wristband was supposed to numb her powers.
"Alright I think we're done here." Tara said walking towards the door trying to turn the knob with her teeth.
"Other people have touched that." Raven said as Tara spat on the floor, Raven didn't seem to mind.
"Either way the door's locked. We still have fifty minutes."
"You're here to torture me aren't you? Damn government found the best way to do it." Tara muttered walking over to the chair again and taking a seat.
"So how's shit for brains?" Tara asked.
"Gar's an actor now."
"Heh. No kidding? Really? Man, remember when we'd used to say that'd he'd never get anywhere after he nearly blown the Tower up trying to get you to try tofu?" Tara said with a spark of happiness in her voice, that spark died fast as her grin disappeared replaced with a frown.
'Damn…almost made a break through.' Raven thought. After Tara was revived from her stone cage, she mainly avoided Garfield or what they used to call him Beast boy. She didn't want to have anything to do with him, partly hating him for betraying their friendship in the first place. Gar managed to get a stash of vodkas for her welcome back party which was a week after she arrived…call that a little late, either way, Gar and Tara both ended up drunk and… doing…stuff. Other than Garfield suffering head damage and a black eye the next morning, it worked out pretty well…then again…
"Stupid fuck head." Tara muttered glaring at the ceiling. It turns out the city was still going to fine her for taking over and for murder. Which was why she hated-?
"How's the Dick head?" Tara asked.
"He now goes by Nightwing. He's in Bludhaven, about to take over Wayne Enterprises." Raven said. Tara never really liked Robin…one, she was always trying to prove herself to Slade back then, so that meant beating him, which she couldn't seem to do, except once. Two, he sided with the city during the trial, causing shock and ever longing hatred for him.
Tara got seven years of prison, considering her case she was lucky. She was only 17 when they freed her, the under the age of18 rule applied, along with the fact that she had a troubled past and that she was being controlled and influenced by a mercenary, Deathstroke the Terminator, better known as Slade Wilson.
"…I guess I can't call him walking traffic light anymore huh?"
"Nope…"
"Er…how's the kid?" Tara asked trying to should causal.
"She's doing well…reminds me of you a lot." Raven said as Tara shrugged. Tara was referring to her five year old daughter. Tara was pregnant when she got sent to prison. So far she's been under the custody of Raven Roth. She came over to visit sometimes…leading up to that scar on her left cheek.
Flashback
There was a table with a light bulb hanging above it. On one side was Tara on the other was her splitting image, practically how she used to look, but shorter. Jane wore overalls with a white T-shirt, while her mother wore an orange jumpsuit.
"Hi Mommy. Ravie says you'll be going out soon. I can't wait to see you." Jane said.
"You still see me here…Raven says you like animals…Do you want me to take you to the zoo once I'm out of here?"
"Uh-huh. It's going to be really fun. Maybe all your friends can come too."
"…We'll see." Tara said frowning.
"Mommy…is everything ok?" the little girl asked concerned.
"Umm… Sure everything's fine…What kind of animal do you want to see first?" Tara asked putting on a fake smile. She fell for it, then again what'd you expect she's only five.
"Uh, I dunno. How bout you mommy?"
"…Why don't we just walk around for a while? That ok?"
"Ok. What ever mommy says is good." Jane said giving her a hundred watt smile. Jane stood on her chair and gave her a hug.
"Get down." Tara said pushing her daughter out of the way as a bullet cut across her cheek. Blood leaked down her chin as she winced.
"Mommy, are you ok? W-What happened?" the girl asked getting her first sight of blood. She looked horrified. Raven ran over.
"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Raven yelled at the guard.
"It was assault. Prisoners are not allowed to go within three feet of the visitors." The guard said.
"What kind of excuse is that? I'm calling an investigation to find out what kind of place you're running…Don't just stand there get this woman a medic!" Raven yelled.
End Flashback.
"That's good to hear." Tara said.
"Took her to Build-A-Bear yesterday…" Raven said twitching.
"They still have that place?"
"Yes…I'm surprised they haven't torn that place down."
"Hey remember when they torn down that gothic book store so they could build that?" Tara asked as Raven involuntarily twitched.
"Spawns of evil…" Raven muttered as Tara let out a low chuckle.
"Something's never change…"
"And most do." Raven muttered she took out a stack of inkblots.
"What do this look like?"
"…An inkblot?"
"Ugh. Quit trying to make this harder…"
"Fine…a corporate production made to test the psychology of carbon-based life forms."
"Seriously."
"Fine. It looks like Slade." Tara said irritated. Raven looked at the inkblot, turned it sideways and upside down.
"What?" Raven asked.
"That's how he's gonna look when I smash his face in." Tara said with a malevolent smirk.
"I'm surprised he's not dead yet. I should've finished him while I got the chance-"
"You need to calm you're emotions."
"I'm not like you Raven. I can't bottle them up. I'm a lose cannon that's ready to be unleashed. I'm sick of taking all this shit. Every time, I try to help someone everything always turns out wrong. Every time I trust someone they turn out to be lying to me all along." Tara said as she felt a flood of memories start fuel her anger.
"Of course, you'll need more training. I know you have trouble controlling your powers, and we can help." Robin said.
"You told him?" Tara asked.
"I didn't!" Beast boy said.
"You promised! You lied to me! You lied!" Tara said running out of the tower.
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"Slade was right. You don't have any friends." Beast boy said turning his back.
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"All rise in the courtroom…Tara Markov you are guilty of murder and being an accomplice to a mercenary. How do you plead?" The judge said.
"…Guilty" Tara mumbled shamefully.
"We'll look into your records and-"
"May I interrogate the defendant. This may clarify how long she must be sentenced." The masked boy wonder said.
"Robin? What are you-?"
"Is it true that you went to Slade by choice?"
"…"
"Answer the question, Ms. Markov." The judge said, more like commanded.
"Yes."
"Did you ever think of all the lives that you injured and, or killed?"
"I didn't mean to-"
"How could you not intentionally murder someone?"
"Can't…stop…it." Tara said squeezing her eyes shut. At this point Tara was gritting her teeth, trying to control her powers. The ground beneath them was trembling.
'Shouldn't have taken that power numbing thing off.' She thought to herself. Raven ran over and placed her hand on Tara's forehead. As soon as her hand connected with her forehead a force flung her into her book case. Tara's eye's snapped open. Her head was dripping with sweat. Tara ran over to her psychiatrist, she refused to believe anyone was her friend anymore. As far as Tara was concerned this was Raven's job, she got paid to do it, and she would.
"Raven you ok?" Tara said walking over to her. As much as she wanted to she couldn't extend a hand, she was still bound by the straight jacket. Tara concentrated her powers as a rocky hand sprung out of the carpeting and lifted Raven up. The rock sunk back into the ground and leveled with the carpet.
'Opps…' Tara thought looking at the hole in the ground.
"I'm fine. How long has something like this happened?" Raven asked cocking an eyebrow after rubbing her head. Raven used her telekinesis to lift all the books back onto the shelf.
"…Ever since I got into Arkham. It's getting worse. First I thought I was just having a bunch of flashbacks. Then I started getting headaches and…seeing things."
"What did you see?" Raven asked. This reminded Tara of some kind of parody of that Sixth Sense movie. Tara wanted to say "I see dead people," just to crack a joke but decided against it.
"Slade, I saw him…killing you guys…he saved you for last cause he wanted to make you suffer…" Tara said. Raven looked at Tara, her eyes seemed to be cold hard, that kind of icy blue that she had when she was with Slade.
"You're being released today…" Raven said.
"What?" Tara asked in confusion.
"Times up, you were the last patient…" Raven said unbuckling the straightjacket. Tara had an orange shirt underneath.
"You'll have to fill out your release papers…" Raven said taking out a large stack of papers as Tara skimmed through them and signed.
"How? I still have two more years."
"You staying in Arkham isn't making this any better. You're bottling up your emotions which is making it worse…You need to release your anger…in a non lethal way." Raven said.
"Uh…how?"
"Ever try boxing classes? I signed you up a month ago. Try not to kill your partner."
"Who is?"
"…You'll find out soon. Not to mention, I managed to pull a few strings…I got you a job as a waitress."
"Eh?"
"Do you know how hard it is to find a job for a person who has a criminal record, not to mention a drop out?"
"Sorry bout that." Tara said giving Raven the signed papers.
"So I just…walk out of here or something?" Tara asked as Raven turned the lock and opened the door with her powers. She walked out with Tara. Raven dumped the paper on a column that said 'release forms'.
"These are the release forms for Tara Markov. She'll be under close surveillance." Raven said as the guard behind the desk opened a few cabinets and pulled out a bag. In it were five dollars, a black shirt, demin shorts, and a blue butterfly hair clip. The guard handed Tara her bag of belongings. Tara went into the bathroom to change, surprisingly her clothes still fit. After she was done Raven lead her to the front door.
"What did you mean by close surveillance?" Tara asked.
"You'll be staying with me, technically until you get enough money to move out."
"That won't be necessary." Tara said reaching into the back pocket of her shorts and pulling out a credit card as Raven cocked an eyebrow.
"Ever hear of a place called Markovia?"
"Markovia is a small Eastern European country, neighboring France, Belgium and Luxembourg."
"You know who rules it?"
"The…Markov family." Raven said finally in realization.
"Bingo."
"I haven't found you anywhere on their files."
"I was Victor Markov's illegitimate daughter. He paid me to keep it quiet….asshole." Tara muttered. Raven took out her keys and unlocked her car door. Tara got in the passenger's seat.
"You're still staying at my place…until they can decide you're not a threat to society anymore."
"Oh please, you sound like the Boy Scout." Tara said sarcastically referring to the nickname everyone gave Superman.
"You want to see her?" Raven asked ignoring her comment.
"Yeah…I'd like that…" Tara said softly trying not to sound devoid of emotion, she failed. If there was one thing she hated was showing other she had a soft side. Though Raven knew, she always did. Raven drove over to her apartment, walked to the second floor, took out her keys and unlocked the door.
"Jane?" Raven said.
"Over here Ms. Raven." The girl said she was sitting at a small table with a notebook out.
"Mommy!" Jane yelled rushing over to hug her.
"Nice to see you too kid. Finished your homework?"
"Uh-huh. Ms. Keane gave me a sticker." Jane said showing the thing that sticks, as an adhesive label on her forehead.
'Kids do the weirdest things.' Tara thought.
"That's nice... You want to go to the zoo?" Tara asked.
"Can we?" Jane asked.
"Yeah." Tara said. Raven just gave a brief smile.
"Hey Rae. Wanna come along?" Tara asked.
"I have work to do." Raven replied.
"It's your job to make sure I don't blow the city up." Tara said with a smirk.
"Fine…" Raven said.
"Can we go to Build-A-Bear next?" Jane asked intervening in their conversation.
"Ugh. You've been there five times." Raven said smacking her hand on her head.
"Mr. Stuffums lost his arm again." Jane said pouting holding up the brown teddy bear with a missing arm.
"Why do I even put up with this?" Raven asked herself as she walked to the door walked out with Tara and Jane following her.
A.N. This might bring a little confusion, so here are the ages and aliases of some of the Titans in this story.
Richard Grayson/Nightwing:
Age: Twenty-three
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Kory Anders/Starfire:
Age: Twenty-two
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Raven Roth/Raven
Age: Twenty-two
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Victor Stone/Cyborg
Age: Twenty-four
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Garfield Logan/Changeling
Age: Twenty-one
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Tara Markov/Terra
Age: Twenty-one