Disclaimer: I own no part of the Teen Titans or their associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N): Now I can get moving on this.

Chapter 3

Tremors in the Web

Raven touched down lightly on the tower's roof with a grocery bag in one hand and turned to watch as a green hawk flipped the DVD case it was holding into the air before changing into Beast Boy and catching it. Turning he held the door for her once again.

"Why didn't you tell me you knew so many people in that neighborhood?" Just in the twenty minutes that they had been in the store he had met half a dozen people he knew. He shrugged in response.

"Never seemed important. You know now." He followed her down the stairs to the tower's interior. "So, you think Rob and Star will be in a better mood?"

"Who knows with those two. Regardless, we are going to enjoy this movie if we have to lock them in their rooms to do so."

"Agreed. So…mind if I sit next to you?" Raven feigned serious consideration before turning to him.

"I think that would be acceptable."

"Yay!" They walked on for several moments. Arriving at the common room, Raven made a beeline for the kitchen to put the groceries away while Beast Boy made an announcement to the room. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Behold!" Raising the case in both hands, he held it aloft like an offering. "I bring you…a Movie!" Whatever reaction he was expecting, it certainly wasn't what he got. Robin half turned his head and threw a lazy thumbs up before returning to work while Star merely turned and smiled before going back to her cooking show.

Dejected, Beast Boy dropped the movie to his side. "Right…" Raven returned to his side and shook her head at the other two. "So…what do we do for the rest of the afternoon? I suppose you want to meditate."

"Yeah…but I can do that anywhere. What do you want to do?"

"I can think of a few things…" The mischievous grin on his face told her exactly what he was thinking. She colored slightly at him acting in such a manner in front of the others. They however, were oblivious to his innuendoes.

"And what might those be? Choose your words with care."

"Well…I was going to hit the training room. Care to join me?"

"Sure." Without another word she lead the way to the elevator and they made their way to the Titan's training room. Beast Boy stepped through the door and autonomically grabbed the remote and tossed a CD in. A second before he hit play, he stopped.

"Oh…I suppose, you'd rather have quiet?"

Raven stepped into the air and took her normal meditative position. "Go ahead, I don't mind. It's kind of like white noise while I'm meditating, helps clear my mind."

"Okay…thanks." He hit play and the speed metal blasted through the room. Heading over to the punching bags he stretched and prepared for his normal two-hour work out. Breaking into a flurry of strikes, his mind shut down as he fell into the familiar rhythm of exercise.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." The automatic chant was lost to all but Raven as it was drowned out by the music as soon as it left her lips. The music, the room, everything became distant as she focused more and more. A great, peaceful calm settled over her, as she continued her breathing became shallow, low. It was just her, floating through an unknown dimension, the eternity of space laid out around her closed eyes.

This was the peace she sought in meditation. Emptiness, silence. For a fleeting time, she was free from the thousands of feelings and emotions that usually bombarded her empathic senses. Most she didn't mind, some, like Beast Boy's, she enjoyed. Some though were just plain annoying. Her empathic abilities did give a small measure of prescience though, so she was loathe to shut them down.

In this empty void she was able to examine her memories and experiences and scrye the future for all the paths each might lead her down. It was times like this she let herself consider futures and where her life might go, her mind's eye summoning the images as she conceived them. Normally she didn't indulge in the fantasy pictures of what she might do. Before her birthday, there hadn't seemed to be much point. But now, she had changed her destiny…or at least reversed it. Suddenly questions like 'where do I want to be in ten years' took on a real significance.

She had a vague recollection of little girls talking about being married and where they would live when she was young. Unbidden, a series of images passed through her mind. Garfield in a tux, her in a white dress, a home out on a hill side overlooking the ocean, two…no three children, a middle aged Garfield teaching his…their growing children the ins and outs of shape shifting.

Before she could fully assimilate these images another series flashed past. Each seemed a three dimensional hologram that she rotated around as she passed, and then warped on. Her yelling at Garfield before blasting him away, tears streaming down her eyes. Loneliness, wandering the darkest corners of the world, totally alone, a white room. A place so cold and empty it made her shiver. Her life ending, cold and alone. Garfield going to Terra, them breaking up, both of them turning destructive…eventually brought down by the JLA.

Snapping forcefully away from that line of thought she turned to something else. She could see Robin and Star…a wedding…a child? It was always more difficult to see another's paths. She didn't even attempt Cyborg; she just wasn't up to that.

Instead, she returned to the initial image of her and Garfield…at their wedding. Focusing on that image, the pair of them at the altar, the rest of the scene slowly filled it self in as she rotated around the couple, frozen in time. Pews constructed themselves out of nothing and filled with people. Friends, family, members of the JLA, everybody. She felt as if she had seen this building before, been here, before. After watching the frozen scene for an unknown amount of time she stepped back, away from it and allowed the construct to fade. A small smile crossed her lips, even as she stepped out of the peaceful trance and slowly returned to the real world.

Her eyes fluttered open to find Beast Boy sitting on a bench watching her. After a moment she spoke. "What?"

"Nothing. I just finished my workout and was waiting for you."

"Finished…? How long have I been meditating?":

"Couple hours. I would have woken your…but you just looked so…peaceful. What were you thinking about?"

"Oh…uh…" Raven blushed slightly. "Nothing. Just this and that."

"Okay." He waited for several moments, just watching her.

"What?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking how incredibly beautiful you are." Raven truly blushed this time and stepped out of the air as he rose to meet her. They embraced in a light if meaningful kiss for several moments.

"You need a shower." Beast Boy cocked and eyebrow at the sudden change in topics. After a second, he nodded. "Yeah…I do. Care to join me?" She had to chock back surprise and then her first response as her eyes bulged at his directness.

"Uh…"

"No…I suppose not. Don't want to destroy the tower, do we?" Releasing her he stepped back and smiled.

"No…we wouldn't…"

"Well, I'm going to catch a shower. See you in a little bit my love." He turned to go as Raven fought to clamp down on her raging emotions. Successfully slowing her heartbeat she focused and found her calm. She needed some tea.

The credits rolled and the four titans sat, eyes wide. Beast Boy was the first to speak. "Sweet!" Raven and Robin to his right and Starfire to his left on the couch each echoed the sentiment in their own ways. A black tendril snapped out and turned on the light as several more picked up empty candy wrappers, bowls holding only a few unpopped kernels and spent soda cans. With a deft motion Raven dumped the garbage and deposited the dishes in the sink. The others looked on in surprise before Robin spoke.

"Thanks."

"No problem. But someone else can wash them."

"Fair enough." Beast Boy removed the disc, replaced it in the case and set it on the table. He glanced at the clock. Nine thirty.

"So…what now?" The way Robin and Star were avoiding each other's eyes was so obvious they might as well have been staring. Beast Boy rolled his eyes at the way they were behaving. Raven noticed the motion and nodded ever so slightly in agreement. She glanced at the clock as well. After there escapades last night, she could use a full night of sleep.

"Well, I think I'm going to…" She cut off as a small light began to flash accompanied by the sound of the tower's doorbell. Robin dashed to the TV remote and activated the door feed. As it activated they all beheld a young woman, maybe 19, with long brown hair wearing a long black coat pulled tightly around her thin frame and a backpack. Beast Boy looked at the image, puzzled.

"How did she get out here?" Robin shook his head.

"Got me. But it would be rude not to say something." He pressed a couple buttons so his image would be transmitted down to the console in the entryway. "Hello."

"Uh…Hi. Robin, right?"

"Uh…yeah. And you are?"

"My name…is Sarah."

"Okay…Sarah. How can we help you?"

"I…I was hoping you could protect me. There's some people after me…for my abilities."

"Abilities? Like…powers?"

"Sort of… Could I come in…and discuss it? Please?"

"Uh…sure. Raven will bring you up." Raven nodded off screen and disappeared into a portal in the floor. "See you in a minute."

"Thank you!" The image flickered off as Robin shut off the channel. He turned around to wait with the others. Star had a half tired, half curious expression and Beast Boy was watching a fly buzz around the room. Star turned just enough to notice him and quickly turned away. He shook his head and waited. A few moments later the door slid open and Raven led the girl into the common room. The girl set her backpack near the door and moved on. Raven motioned to a chair and they gathered around the table to hear the girl's tale. Robin took his accustomed place at the head of the table and spoke.

"You said you needed protection why not go to the police?"

"I…I tried. The police in Venture City either ignored me or laughed me off. They said I was paranoid. I told them people were after me for my abilities, when they asked for proof…I didn't have any."

"Okay…let's start at the beginning. What 'abilities'?"

"Um…I know this is going to sound silly…but…I'm…extremely lucky."

"Lucky?"

"Yeah…no matter what's going on, everything always goes my way." Raven furrowed he brow, obviously pessimistic.

"Okay…so you're the victim of odd coincidence. That doesn't mean you have any special powers." Sarah responded with an outburst that seemed at first to be totally disproportionate to the comment. She burst to her feet and nearly screamed at Raven.

"IT'S NOT COINCEDENCE! It's real! These things happen! I'm not imagining it!" She was breathing heavy by the time she finished and collapsed back into the chair, reddening at the outburst as she caught her breath. The others sat it shock at the tirade. "I…I'm sorry. It's just…when you get the same response so often, it starts to grate on you." Beast Boy recovered first and slowly put his hand up.

"Uh…question. If your so lucky…why did the police laugh you off?"

"It…it turns out the officers I spoke to were on the payroll of the person who's after me. They would have sold me out in a heartbeat."

"Next point…who is it that's after you?"

"Her name is…unknown to me. I've only ever heard her referred to as the boss. Her agents have tried to capture me on a number of occasions, many of which I narrowly avoided. She and her crew moved into Venture City about six months ago and have been slowly consolidating or eliminating the competition. I know for a fact she owns three casinos and has her eye on half a dozen others. She's also into arms, drugs and just about everything else."

"Why does she want you?"

"Who doesn't want their own good luck charm? Some of the people she wants to buy out won't sell, and open war is an option she'd rather avoid. But if there's one truth in Venture City, nearly everyone's a gambler. She can win what she wants…as long as she has the deck stacked in her favor." Raven had recovered from the outburst and spoke.

"How do you know all this?"

"She told me. They did manage to get me…once. I was heavily sedated and only remember what she said and her blood red coat, but she did speak to me. Fortunately the sedative was defective and I managed to escape a short time later. I thought she would give up. I was obviously wrong. I've relied on my luck to protect me for so long…when it failed, I didn't know what to do."

"Any idea why your luck failed?"

"It started a month ago, the second time she tried to capture me. I did notice some one odd with her that time. A girl wearing a tight short skirted dress who had pink hair turned up in points." The others looked at her, shocked. Beast Boy was again the first to speak.

"No way…Jinx?" Sarah looked at him, confused.

"You know her." Robin nodded.

"Yes. She was part of the HIVE academy. A training ground for criminals we later destroyed. She has the power to project bad luck on her enemies." Sarah looked at him, incredulous.

"You faced her and you questioned MY claims?"

"Point taken. Did she have a little guy with a back pack or a large bodybuilder hairy type with her?"

"I didn't see either of those. Are they cohorts of hers?"

"Gizmo and Mammoth. They used to work as a trio. Well…we beat them before, we'll beat them again." The others considered this for a moment and glanced at each other. Robin, seeing no objection in the faces of his teammates spoke again.

"Okay…you can stay here…at least for tonight. We can figure out what we're going to do tomorrow." She rose, as did the others.

"Thank you. I was so afraid you would turn me away as well."

"Titan's always help those in trouble. Starfire, would you show her to the guest room?"

"Certainly Friend Robin." There was something in the way she spoke that only people who knew her as well as Beast Boy and Raven could have caught. She was mad at Robin for something or other. Star easily lifted the pack Sarah had deposited near the door and led the girl out toward the elevator. After the doors slid shut Robin spoke again.

"Raven…what can you tell me?"

"She's sincere. Strange as it may seem, she truly believes what she told us. There is something odd about her, I can't put my finger on it though."

"Let me know if you do. The sooner we know what we're dealing with, the better."

"Will do."

"Good. Now, if you two will excuse me, I'm going to bed."

"'Night," the pair said in unison. Nodding in reply Robin headed for the door. There was several seconds of silence after he left before Beast Boy spoke.

"Sleep sounds like a good idea." Raven yawned in response and nodded.

"Walk me to my door?"

"Like I could say no."

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