Chapter 3
The next morning Robin first went in to check on Raven, and found that she was indeed awake, sitting on her bed in med lab, chanting softly.
Steeling himself for her reaction, he interrupted her.
"Sorry about yesterday," he said. "I should have taken more time, to see what was going on, before I broke your concentration."
"Indeed." Raven replied, not moving, or opening her eyes. "When I got back to the Tower, I could sense that Mathias was coming out of his trance," she explained. "I was attempting to restrict his lashing out, until he was fully in control of himself."
"And you were successful, until I came in, and messed things up." he finished for her, as he sat beside her on the bed.
Raven sighed heavily. "It's not entirely your fault," she said. "when I left you guys at the warehouse district, it wasn't under the best of terms."
"Agreed," Robin said. "and that I won't apologize for." he went on. "You're part of this team, and my friend. As the leader I'm responsible for the safety of everyone on the team and as my friend. . ." he trailed off, having difficulty putting his thoughts into words.
"I know." she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "That I should be apologizing for." she went on. "You made a decision, in the best interest of the team, and it was the right one. If we had still been fighting, my arguing with you could have gotten someone else hurt."
"So are you going to our visitor, or is he going to come to you?"
"Where are the others?"
"In the kitchen, cleaning up after breakfast."
"Well." Raven said, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, and standing up. "As leader, it's your job to bring him down there, to talk to us."
"Are you sure we should be included?" Robin asked, as he stood. "It may be some business with Azarath."
"You are all my friends, even Beast Boy, and I'm not going keep you out of this, whatever it is."
"Is there any way I should greet him or something? I have been studying some earlier this morning."
"Then you should do fine." With that, Raven pulled her hood up, then vanished from the room.
Robin walked down the hall, then pushed open the door to the room that Mathias was staying. He was standing near the back corner, and turned at the sound, giving Robin a chance to look him over. With stubble shaved off, he guessed Mathias's age to be about 25 to 30, about five feet eight. He looked to be in good physical shape, but not overly muscular. His rust colored pants and light brown shirt had been washed, and were little worse for wear, as was his cloak, which looked almost identical to Raven's. Identical, except it was a very bright red. Seeing that the Mathias had lowered the hood of his cloak, Robin looked him over, from the neck up. Light brown hair framed his face, and fell to just short of his shoulders. His face was what would be described as aristocratic. High cheek bones, aquiline nose, high arched eyebrows.
It was then, that Robin noticed that Mathias was staring back at him, and he was struck by the intensity of that stare. 'Physically he might look like every body else,' Robin thought, 'but you can see, in his eyes, the powerful mind he has. I'll have to keep an eye on him, until I think he can be trusted.' he added to himself. Taking a deep breath, and hoping he remembered the words right, Robin spoke.
"Mathias Alzor kiran Azar, meekah nomen Robin. Kesarla rishu Raven kiran Azar."
Mathias looked surprised for a moment, then followed Robin from the room.
"I see you're all still here." Robin said, as he walked into the kitchen with Mathias in tow. He took a seat at the far end of the table, with Star, and BB, on his left, and Raven and Cyborg, on his right.
Mathias stood at the end of the table, and glanced at the people around it. Giving a small bow in Raven's direction, he began speaking.
"Raven kiran. . ." he began, but was cut off by Raven.
"No." she said firmly. "I know you know it, so we will speak English here," she told him. "these are my team mates, and were the repositors of my power, during Trigon's ascension to this world, and, most importantly, they are my friends."
Mathias again looked around the table, as if re-evaluating it's occupants. "Very well Daughter of Arella, it will be as you say," He said. "they must be close to you indeed, for you to entrust them with your power so they could battle you father."
Raven quickly stood, her hands flat on the table, as she leaned toward Mathias, dark flames coming from her eyes.
"Trigon was NEVER my father," she growled. "he may have been one of the two that gave me life, but he was not a father to me."
Mathias looked very surprised, and uncomfortable. "You have your mother's strength, and to spare." he finally said.
"I knew that I couldn't prevent Trigon from coming here, and destroying the earth, so I placed a large part of my powers into my friends, both to protect them from Trigon, and to have it ready, if I could come back, to fight him."
"You must have been pretty confident of that, I'd say." Mathias said softly.
"Let's just say I was being hopefully optimistic." Raven replied, giving Robin a sidelong glance.
Robin smiled softly and nodded a salute to the Goth.
"Not like the Raven I knew on Azarath." Mathias said, then stared intently at Raven, his brow furrowing in concentration.
Raven gave a small unintelligible shout, and Mathias's head snapped back.
Again leaning toward their guest, she said softly, but in a manner that the Titans had learned meant that Raven was near the end of her patience, and almost dangerously angry.
"My mind is my own, trespass again, without my permission, and it will go badly for you."
Mathias bowed his head. "I offer my apologies, and beg your forgiveness."
"Now, why are you here, and why are you looking for Raven?" Robin asked.
"I'm one of a party of four sent from Azarath," Mathias replied. "we were the strongest, and best at our talents," he went on. "sent to battle an ancient evil. One almost as old as Trigon."
"Oh great, another immortal evil to fight." Cyborg said.
"One that plans to fill that vacuum left by Trigon's defeat," Mathias said. "only we haven't been able to name it yet."
"You said you were four, where are the other three? Starfire asked.
"Two were killed outright." Mathias replied with a sigh. "I'm not sure what happened to Anella." he added softly, hanging his head. "Knowing that Raven was here, and the news of her beating her fath, er Trigon, made the decision to seek her out, almost the only choice I had."
"This is one time I'm going to put something to a vote," Robin said, after a moment's silence. "I know Raven is going to want to help, as am I," he went on. "the rest of you are free, to make your own choice.
"Robin, you and Raven are my two closest friends," Starfire said. "I could not possibly let you go into danger, without me."
"Spoken like a true princess of Tamaran, Koriand'r." Mathias said.
It took a moment, for the group to recognize Starfire's name, rendered in Tamaranean.
"You have been to Tamaran?" Starfire asked, smiling hugely, excited about the possibility of getting some new of her home world.
"No, but your exploits have reached far in the universe." Mathias replied, then softly added, when he saw her face fall. "Not all beings consider Tamaraneans Troqs"
"Yeah right, like I'm going to break up the team," Cyborg spoke up, after a moments silence, "I'm in." he added.
"Same here." Beast Boy said.
"Okay then, where do we start?" Robin asked.