A/N: Sorry for the wait, everyone! I altered my format a bit, by request; so let me know if you don't like it.
Disclaimer: I tried to be accurate with my portrayal of court system, but I'm certain it's not perfect. Also, the situation with Canada is purely fictional, though I did cite some real sources. I have nothing against Canada or Canadians; it just worked for my story. Enjoy!
I wonder what they're doing now? Defending the city, most likely. Or maybe Beast Boy and Cyborg are arguing in the kitchen again, and Robin is training, and Terra is correcting Starfire on another Earth term.
XXXXXAfter several long months of silence, the Teen Titans had received a tip that Raven was near the Canadian border, in the state of Michigan. The information could not be confirmed, nor could it be denied. So the Titans hastened there as soon as arrangements could be made.
Not an hour had passed after they arrived in Detroit one early morning before a female scream alerted them to trouble, and their crime-fighting instincts brought them running to help.
A group of people surrounded a middle-aged woman rambling incoherently in a voice that was shrill with fear. The Titans saw no weapon, no wound, no marring of the woman except a tear-streaked face and hair tangled from worry.
Terra moved forward and made an effort to comfort the frantic lady. Finally comprehending that assistance had arrived, she calmed enough to tell her story.
Her child was missing. Aydan, a young boy, ten years old, had been there one moment, gone the next. The Titans questioned the bystanders who had remained, but none had seen anything.
They could do nothing more than advise the woman to file a missing persons report with the local police and promise to keep an eye out for her child.
After obtaining a description of the boy, the Titans split to search for any sign of Raven. Robin went to speak with the man who had given them the tip: an old, anonymous informant of Batman. Beast Boy headed to the northern part of the city, Cyborg to the eastern side, Starfire to the southern section, and Terra to the western area. They would reconvene that evening at a central point if no reason was found to assemble sooner.
XXXXXEven as she spoke, she remembered her last job
I had been about to walk out the door for the last time when I received the order: uniforms for the Teen Titans. I haven't seen them for so long, but it seems as if I'm always thinking of them. So I had made their costumes, and then left the business.
I doubt I'll be doing this much longer, either.
XXXXX
The sun was reaching its peak in the sky when Terra stepped into a restaurant for some lunch. Her eyes never stopped scanning the crowd for Raven or anyone who might know her whereabouts. She grumbled about the bill, until she tasted the food. As she was finishing, she glanced out the large window beside her, which gave her a nice view of the main street. A small dog, tail wagging and tongue lolling, was tied to a fire hydrant. Its friendly eyes were bright with excitement as it tried to watch all the activity at once. A young girl, wearing a pink dress and her dirty blonde hair braided down her back, who was walking next to her mother, stopped to pet the dog. Terra smiled at the picture they made.
The mother turned her head, spoke quickly to her daughter, and then proceeded to enter the restaurant. Shortly after, a man in a trench coat appeared and began to untie the dog from the hydrant. Terra could not see his face. He said a few words to the girl, and she replied. Suddenly the man's gloved hand was gripping the girl's arm, and he began to lead her away.
Terra was out of her seat in an instant, running after them, trying to weave her way through the crowded street while not losing sight of the kidnapper. Too many civilians and cars swarmed about for her to call up her powers safely.
The man soon turned into an alleyway, and when Terra followed, all she found was the dog and trench coat.
Despairingly, Terra returned to the restaurant to inform the mother and encourage her to go to the police. Terra learned the girl, Leyna, had only just turned nine. As she resumed her search for Raven, Terra now was watching additionally for two missing children.
XXXXXI wonder what I'll do next. For some reason, I cannot find something that will take my mind off of them for a while. I hope they are all right…
XXXXXBeast Boy had transformed into a bloodhound, and was searching for Raven's scent. His green coat drew questioning and surprised looks from passersby, but he ignored them. The stares did not bother him, but his lack of success did.
Near noon, he was eyeing a hot dog stand across the busy street from behind a parked car. A giggle directly behind him caused him to jump and whirl around. A boy no older than six with muddled orange hair was smiling at him, showing gapped front teeth. "Funny doggy."
Beast Boy waved his tail. Noting his clothes—small, dirty, and slightly torn—Beast Boy wondered if the boy was homeless. "Green doggy." The boy spoke. "Why 're you green, doggy?" Beast Boy barked, making the boy laugh again.
The changeling's ears perked up when the boy's stomach rumbled in hunger. The boy looked at the food stand that had caught Beast Boy's attention earlier. The dog sat, and then transformed into a sitting green teen. The boy's eyes widened and he started to run.
"Wait!" Beast Boy pleaded. The boy stopped, looking a bit frightened. "I won't hurt you. What's your name?"
"Jeffry."
"I'm Beast Boy. You can call me BB if you want." He held out his hand, and the boy cautiously approached and shook it. Beast Boy gave a disarming smile. "How about if I get us some lunch?" The boy's stomach moaned again, and Jeffry blushed. Beast Boy gave a small laugh. "I'll take that as a 'yes'. You wait here. I'll be right back."
The changeling doggedly dodged the slow-moving traffic and approached the booth. As he was receiving his change, his sensitive ears caught the sound of a muffled scream. Turning, Beast Boy saw Jeffry, and a man pulling him down a shadowy alley with a hand over the boy's mouth. Jeffry was struggling, but his efforts were futile.
Food forgotten, Beast Boy chased after them. They were not in the alley when he reached it. Running to the end, he could not spot them amongst the multitude of people on the connecting street. Turning, thinking that perhaps the man had pulled Jeffry into one of the buildings lining the alley, he discovered too many doors for him to guess which the kidnapper had entered. If he has been taken into one of them at all, he thought with another glance at the hectic street behind him.
"First Raven, now Jeffry. Who's next?" he demanded, his voice sounding tired and dejected.
XXXXXShe released a silent sigh. Raven turned her stoic face toward the jury.
Focus, Raven. This is not a time to let your mind wander. After all, they have probably forgotten all about me by now.
XXXXXStarfire had purchased a bottle of mustard and was sipping it from a straw as she hovered above her section of the city in search of Raven. The joyful exclamations of children caught her attention. Curious, she landed and approached the enthusiastic group of kids. A woman was handing out candy. Suddenly a sad look crossed the woman's face. "I'm all out of candy." The mood instantly saddened. "Oh! I think I may have some more in my car." A cheer went up. "Who wants to come with me to get more candy?" Several of the children swarmed around her, and she laughed. "All right. Let's go!" Starfire joined the group that followed the woman. The woman's eyes noted Starfire's presence, but she said nothing.
When they reached a battered, red, compact car, the woman retrieved her keys from her pocket. She opened the trunk and began searching for more candy. The children watched her restlessly. "You, in the purple outfit," she said after a moment, her eyes on Starfire.
"Are you speaking to me?" the alien girl asked.
"Yes, you. Would you look through this box and see if you can find any candy for the children?" the woman requested.
"I suppose I could."
As Starfire began rummaging for candy, she heard a door slide open, and soon after close again. Whirling around, she saw a plain white van pull out of its parking space behind the woman's car. Looking at the children, she saw that the group was noticeably smaller than it had been.
"Where are the others?" she asked of those remaining.
Fingers pointed at the retreating van. One said, "They said they had chocolate, but they didn't have room for all of us."
Starfire jumped into the air. "You young people run home, now," she told them firmly before flying after the white van. As she neared, she cried out, "You, stop! Release the young earth children!"
The driver, however, increased his speed slightly. Starfire tried to catch up to them. Unfortunately, she could not use her starbolts. She was nearing the driver, and he noticed. He began to move into the fast lane. They rounded a corner, and Starfire was suddenly forced to slow and gain height to avoid being hit by oncoming traffic.
Looking for the van, she located it just in time to watch it disappear into a tunnel. Flying to the other side, she waited for it to exit. A white van drove out of the tunnel, and Starfire started to fly after it, until she saw a second van leave the tunnel. Soon after, a third, then a fourth, white van came out of the tunnel as well. Starfire seemed to wilt. She had been unable to save the children.
XXXXXRaven left the courthouse, doing her best to avoid the reporters she knew would be waiting to question her.
What is it about tragedy that attracts the media? she wondered idly. Her mind began to drift to the reporters of Jump City. After they had defeated the latest villain—she halted her train of thought.
XXXXXCyborg was having no luck finding Raven. He continued systematically walking the streets of Detroit, but his doubt grew that, assuming she was even in the city, he would find her.
Dual cries brought him speedily to a park. Twin girls sat in fresh green grass, bawling over a doll whose head had become disconnected from its body. The cries stopped when the two children saw the shiny man approach them. He grinned to show he meant no harm, and picked up the doll and its decapitated head. When he looked at them, they pointed at each other in wordless accusation, staring up at him. Cyborg simply reconnected the head, and handed it back. They smiled, thanked him, and ran off to play.
He was about to return to his search when he saw a boy suddenly yanked off his feet by a mysterious character. Cyborg could not see the hijacker's face, and called out for him to drop the boy. The man simply took off at a run. Opening the cover on his arm, he alerted the police as he continued to pursue the kidnapper. Eventually Cyborg heard sirens behind him. One of the cars stopped and allowed him to get in, and they continued the chase through congested streets, barely keeping the man in their sights. Cyborg saw a body of water quickly coming into view.
"Oh, no," the driver next to Cyborg murmured as boy and captor entered a boat and began driving speedily across to the opposite shore. The car came to a halt where the road ended, and Cyborg was aware of the officer speaking rapidly into his radio.
A boat with wailing sirens was fast approaching the escaping criminal, only to cut its motor just short of reaching it, halfway across the river.
"What are you doing?" Cyborg demanded. "They almost had him!"
"He's in Canada now." The officer did not sound happy. "We don't have jurisdiction there."
Cyborg was crestfallen but remained silent.
XXXXXI won't ever forget them. I don't want to forget. But sometimes I really miss spending time with them. They are my friends. She inwardly sighed. But they don't need me anymore.
XXXXX
The five Titans reassembled, none with good news. Robin reported that the informant had no new information on Raven. After the others confirmed that they had not found their friend either, they shared their stories of the stolen children. Beast Boy spoke first, followed by Terra. As Starfire was speaking of her experience, Terra interrupted her.
"Tunnel?" the blonde repeated. Starfire nodded. "Probably the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. It wouldn't have mattered, Star. That tunnel goes to Canada. They have different laws over there. You couldn't've done anything even if you had caught them."
"Yeah, I learned that the hard way." Cyborg related his tale.
Robin's fist came down hard into his palm. "We have to do something about this." They all agreed.
They found a few children who volunteered to help, and with the consent of the local police, set a trap. In a frighteningly short amount of time, the trap was sprung, and a potential kidnapper was caught. In the hope of gaining immunity, the man revealed three other places that were targeted, and the kidnappers were apprehended.
Unfortunately, they were caught while on Canadian soil, and were revealed to be Canadian citizens.
Lamont & Son Law Firm sent its best lawyer.
Journalists swarmed the courthouse for the biggest case the city had seen in years. International politics was a formidable foe, but so was Justine Shepry.
The stool pigeon had eventually released the location he was to bring the children he stole to. By demand of the lawyer via her firm, the Teen Titans were sent to retrieve any children at the location and bring them to the courtroom ASAP.
"Why exactly is this trial so important?" Terra had asked the man who delivered the request, as confused as her fellow Titans.
"All four are Canadian citizens," he had replied. "And since you caught them while in Canada, they're probably going to try and get themselves back to Canada, where they might not be punished as harshly because the crime was committed here. Worse would be if they get the whole case thrown out because you technically aren't allowed to capture them, since you're American crime fighters.
"Don't worry," he had told them. "Justine hasn't been around long, but she's really good. I hear she's only worried about one of them getting off—Mr. Odil. He's somehow related to someone important in Canada. The other three are apparently in the bag. The one who told us where to find the children, a Mr. Yvon, is going to want to make a deal for the information given."
"I hope he doesn't get away with what he did," Beast Boy had commented.
The man had grinned. "Don't worry," he had repeated. "Justine will make sure he pays. She's been working on bettering conditions for children since she started working here. There's no way she'll let someone get away with kidnapping."
As the Titans traveled into Canada, they anxiously listened through earpieces as the court was called to order and the suit began.
As the prosecutor spoke her opening remarks, the Titans could not help but think that the female voice sounded somewhat recognizable.
No witnesses were to be called and there was to be no jury. A judge was to rule.
"Your Honor," defense lawyer Brock Obadiah said confidently, "My clients Mr. Gage and Mr. Egil wish avail themselves of the Canadian reinstitution provisions as they are Canadian citizens and were apprehended—illegally, I might add—on Canadian soil."
"What say you, Prosecutor?"
"Well, the prosecution would first like to point out, for the record, that Mr. Gage and Mr. Egil, as well as Mr. Odil, were apprehended on Canadian waters." Terra stifled a laugh, despite the seriousness of the situation.
"So noted. Continue," stated the judge.
"The requested provision of Canada's Proceeds of Crime is not appropriate for this case. Not only are the defendants charged with the abduction of American children, but also their Canadian citizenship is next to irrelevant. Mr. Gage and Mr. Egil were born on American soil, and, as stated by the Fourteenth Amendment of our Constitution, are thereby citizens of the United States and subject to its laws. There is also no permissible and lawful renouncement of U.S. citizenship to date for either client."
Cyborg's eyebrows rose. He no longer doubted they had a chance of seeing the four men pay for their crimes.
A pause, then the judge said clearly, "Request of reinstitution for Mr. Gage and Mr. Egil is denied. Does either of the other defendants wish to apply for reinstitution on different grounds?"
Silence reigned. "Attorney Obadiah?"
"No, Your Honor," the answer finally came. "Mr. Yvon does request immunity, however. He has given much information to the city's law enforcement and has been relatively cooperative, at risk to himself. He has a deal with the local law enforcement."
Beast Boy tensed, hoping the man would get what he deserved.
"Arguments, Prosecutor?"
"Yes, Your Honor. My understanding is that promises were made or discussed only by word of mouth. Mr. Yvon signed no contract for exemption. Therefore, immunity was not guaranteed beforehand and should not be granted now. Mr. Yvon is just as guilty as the other three defendants and should be punished just as equally for his crime. In either instance, previous cases such as Dellmuth v. Muth and Pennsylvania v. Union Gas Co. have found questioning the Eleventh Amendment and revoking immunity necessary, as I believe, if the immunity agreement is ruled to be valid, will be the case on this occasion."
"Immunity denied. Defendant may appeal at another court date if he believes he has sufficient evidence."
Robin's eyes widened behind his mask. She was good.
"Your Honor, Mr. Odil is the son of a prominent businessman and rising politician in Canada. He should be granted diplomatic immunity."
The judge had barely granted the prosecution leave to speak before Justice Shepry spoke. "We have evidence that Mr. Odil, is, in actuality, illegitimate. We await only the results of a final DNA test or the signature of Mr. Odil's father for official confirmation. Even if he is granted immunity now, it will be revoked before he could cross the border."
"I order that Mr. Odil remain in custody of the U.S. until legitimacy can be confirmed or denied."
The Titans breathed a collective sigh of relief.
"Very well, Your Honor," the opposing attorney's voice was as cold and hard as ice, now lacking its former confidence. "The defense moves that the case be dismissed."
"On what grounds?" demanded the judge.
The Titans arrived to find several children locked in a cramped, cold room. They were disheveled and frightened, but otherwise unharmed. Aydan was among them, matching his mother's description, as was the boy Cyborg had seen taken, and Jeffry. Leyna, however, was not.
No other persons could be found in the facility to be held responsible, so the Titans rushed the children back to Detroit.
Meanwhile, they listened as the tribunal continued. "With the exception of Mr. Yvon, my clients were detained while in Canada by people who do not even possess law enforcement privileges in Detroit, let alone international law enforcement rights."
Starfire gasped. She did not understand much of what was being said, but she knew what had just been requested was not good, and what the man said was true.
"Prosecutor?" A hit of interest could be detected in the judge's voice.
"I do not deny that statement. In fact, I confirm it. However, Canada has been lax in its border law enforcement. Canadian agencies including the Department of the Solicitor General, RCMP, CSIS, CSC, CISC, DFAIT, CIC, CCRA, and Justice Canada, are all supposedly cooperating with United States agencies on the Cross-Border Crime Forum to stop border crime. But occurrences of missing children in the U.S. have been occurring for months, most prominently in crowded cities near the Canadian border, and little to no effort has been exerted by the aforementioned bureaus to aid the U.S., which is in violation of the asset-sharing agreement which has been in place for over a decade."
The Teen Titans arrived with the group of dirty children as the defense made an attempt to retaliate. Removing their earpieces, they ushered the children silently to seats in the back of the crowded room.
A black-haired woman smiled at them and began reading off a sheet of paper. "Families are missing children, and children are being kidnapped and mistreated for an unknown purpose. By bringing the four defendants to justice, the United States will be sending a message to whoever is responsible for and participating in these cruel acts. We will not stand for our children and our future being stolen from us. And if the Canadian government is not going to help us, then we must help ourselves."
Many of the reporters and the few spectators who been allowed in to watch gave supportive shouts, to be immediately called to order by the judge as he banged his gavel.
"A very bold statement. Canada's loyalty is not to be called into question at this time." A pause followed, as well as an almost unnoticeable glance at the children at the back of the room. "That said, I rule that the case will not be dismissed. All defendants shall be tried individually under United States federal law at a later date, with the pending exception of Mr. Odil. Court adjourned."
The courtroom erupted in cheers, which included the Titans once the happenings had been explained to Starfire. The Titans approached the prosecutor's desk, who was finishing stacking papers into her briefcase.
"Hello, we're the Teen Titans," Robin said, then proceeded to give each member's name.
She smiled. "Yes, I know who you are. You're the ones who caught the four men and brought the children back." Her voice sounded different than the one they had heard through the earpieces. They shrugged it off to the distortion that can be caused during transmissions.
"We just wanted to congratulate and thank you. You did a great job," Terra said.
"Oh, I didn't do that much."
"No, you really did, you were amazing!" Beast Boy insisted.
"Yes, Madame Justine Shepry, you were truly magnificent!" Starfire added.
She laughed slightly. "I'm not Justine. I'm her assistant attorney. I'm honored you thought I could be her, though. I just read the closing remarks she left for me."
"What?" Cyborg demanded.
"She left when the defense was making its final arguments in order to make arrangements for the children—get them fed, checked by doctors, and return them to their families. She really is a genius, having them brought in in such a miserable state, the poor things, really helped, I believe. Anyway, she also wanted to ensure that further measures would be taken to find other stolen children and make sure something like this doesn't happen again."
"Is there any way we can meet her?" Robin asked.
"I don't know. She's been hinting at resigning for some time now. I believe this was her last case. She never did like publicity," she said, almost as an afterthought. "I'm sorry I can't help you more."
Robin gave a forced, reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it. Thanks, anyway."
The Titans then left to escort the weary children from the excitement of the courthouse.
Suddenly Jeffry broke away from his place next to Beast Boy. "Hey, Jeffry! Dude, where're you going?" Beast Boy started to go after the boy who was agilely weaving amongst the reporters trying to speak with the defendants, their lawyer, the judge, and the Justine Shepry's assistant.
"Raven!" Jeffry cried.
A woman with tightly braided brown hair carrying a dark briefcase turned brown eyes to the running boy who proceeded to jump into her arms.
"I told you not to call me that," she scolded gently, in a voice that sounded unquestionably familiar and similar to the distortion the Titans had heard through their headsets.
"Sorry, Justine," Jeffry admonished.
At the name of the winning prosecutor, dozens of reporters rushed to surround her. Lips pressed tightly closed, she set the boy down, and after laying an affectionate hand on his head, she disappeared into a waiting vehicle, which proceeded to drive away. All before the Titans had the chance to even call out to their friend.
Jeffry returned to a stunned Beast Boy. "You never told me Justine Shepry was Raven," Beast Boy said, shock still evident in his voice.
Jeffry looked confused. "You never asked. Does it matter?"
"Do you know where she went?" Robin inquired. Jeffry shook his head.
Questioning the boy further, the Titans learned that Raven's work as a lawyer had been primarily to find homes for orphans like Jeffry, improve the conditions of orphanages, and make sure the children were treated well, no matter where they lived. Jeffry had some way or another become a favorite of Raven's, and she had shared her real name with him, which he had been much more fond of than Justine Shepry.
The Titans began to wonder if Raven was avoiding them, or if, perhaps, amongst the lights, cameras, and persistence of the news crews, she had simply not seen them. No matter the reason, Raven had again been so close, but they had been unable to reach her before she disappeared yet again.
A/N #2: You're probably sick of these. Anyway, I just wanted to comment on the link between last chapter and The Incredibles. Yes, I did take that concept, however, there has been research into bulletproof clothing by weaving spider webbing in the right way, which I found interesting. Anyway, just in case you were curious. And those of you who caught the similarities: congrats!
dancingirl3: Sorry I took so long!
Endoh Chiaki: I hear they are replacing Raven. Don't worry about not reviewing. I'm sorry for not updating sooner. Thanks for your support!
The Last: More, but not soon, I'm afraid. Sorry about that. This was a hard chapter to write, but at least it's long. I'm glad you're not getting tired of the consistent hit-and-miss. I hope you can stand it a bit longer. Thanks for reviewing!
cd lover: What do you think of her latest job? I hope it does not become too repetitive for you. Thanks for the review!
The Wings of a Raven: Not quite. I'm not going to let them catch up with her that easily. Maybe I'm just evil… Anyhow, thank you for reviewing!
Raven of the Night 676: I am planning on three or four more occupations, but if my readers get tired of it, I'll end it sooner. Thanks for reviewing!
VashTheStampede7123: I am glad you think so highly of my story. Thank you! Plenty more to come! Sorry the pace is so slow, though. And don't worry about not reviewing last time. Thanks for reviewing!
maximite: Sorry I took so long. I hope this chapter met with your expectations! Thanks for the reviews!
Sparrowing: I apologize for not updating sooner. Sounds like you're very busy. Thank you for reviewing! And good luck with your writing as well!
GS Dragono: Thanks for the review! And if you're talking about the scene just before the Titans wake up and find Raven gone, then, no, that did not actually happen. A dream resulting from the chemicals she inhaled, if you will. Hope everything makes sense now. Sorry I took so long!
fan: What did you think of this chapter? Is it somewhat like you had in mind? Did it help explain things a bit? I hope you liked it. Thanks for the review!
DelofDani: Was this chapter better? I'll try and keep your suggestions in mind as I write the next chapter. Thank you for the ideas!
Darkofthenight: No romance. I'm not a good romance writer. I'm pleased you like my story. Sorry I took so long to update. And thank you for the review!
RavenRulzRF: Sorry I did not update sooner! It's a longer chapter, though! If my readers don't get bored with the repetitiveness, there will be a few more chapters before they catch Raven. Thanks for reviewing!
Zicora: Thank you very much! I'm happy you like my story. Sorry I made you wait so long! The ninjas should tie in later. Thanks for the review!
Secretly Dark: I was hoping to add a few more chapters before allowing the Titans to find Raven. But I understand that some people are getting restless, so I may make it sooner. I'm glad you like my story. Thanks so much for reviewing!
BlackShield: Lol. I'm glad you enjoy the story so far. This chapter is a bit different. I hope you still like it. Thank you so much for reviewing!
moo: I'm sorry I took so long to update. I hope the wait was at least partially worth it! Thank you very much for the review!
outhere101: Good question. Lol. Thanks for the review! I'm glad you like my story!
NevermoretheRaven: Good intuition. And I'll keep my fingers crossed about the show. I'm sorry I took so long to get this chapter out. I hope you like it! Thanks for your review!
Sinistra250: Yes, she is! Sorry you had to wait so long for this chapter. I hope you like it. Thank you for reviewing!
otakualways: I'm glad you like her different jobs. I hope it isn't getting too repetitive. Thank you for the review and sorry about the wait!
mauled by squirrels: Thank you very much, I'm glad you think so! Sorry you had to wait so long for this chapter. I hope you like it!
Sarah1281: To answer your ninja question, all of the above. As for Raven's jobs, I partially mentioned why in this chapter, and will probably say something about it again in a later chapter. I am sorry you had to wait so long. I hope this chapter is at least somewhat worth the wait. Thank you very much for the review!
JMPchick: Thanks very much! I'm happy you think so. I apologize for the wait!
raven x bb: Sorry I took so long to update! They'll find her eventually. I am hoping to go a few more chapters of missing her, but I'm not sure if all of my readers are happy with waiting that long. We'll see. Thanks for the review!