Ok, here are standard disclaimers. I do not own, nor claim to own any rights to the Teen Titans, or any other borrowed characters. I also make no claims towards any original characters I invent for this story.

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OK, I decided to resurrect this story. After rereading the first 10 chapters I decided that this story was too good to let it die on the vine, even if no one reads or reviews it. So it's back, and I promise it will be very different from the original.

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"What's the matter Kole? What's going on with the herald?" Robin asked.

The crystalline hero quickly rattled off the details of the mysterious villain who had kidnapped The Herald's parents and was holding them captive, forcing The Herald to do his bidding.

"And his voice was disguised, correct?" Robin asked.

Kole and Jericho both nodded.

It sounded artificial, like a robot. Jericho signed.

Robin paced around the common room, furrowing his brow as he pondered the situation.

"Yo Rob, how did this guy figure out who The Herald's parents are? That's a tightly kept secret. Even BB and Raven don't know, just you and I do."

Robin turned to face his lieutenant, smacking his fist into his palm.

"It wasn't a guy. It was Terra."

"Robin! Are you certain of that?" Starfire asked.

"Beyond a doubt. Cy, remember that computer breach we had the day after Terra and Slade were here?"

"Of course I do. I caught it right away and plugged it up before any damage was done."

"It wasn't fast enough. Terra must have hacked into our database."

"Damn!" Cyborg moaned. "I knew we shouldn't have let them come in here."

"We didn't have a choice. But you guys know what this means? You know why she wants The Herald?"

Starfire gasped, the dots were finally connected.

"That's right." Robin concluded. "She used him to get to Azarath. She's after BB, or to be more precise she wants Raven's head on a platter."

Starfire's jaw began to tremble.

"She will catch them off guard! Robin, we must come to the aid of our friends!"

Robin nodded as he began to type furiously on the mission console.

"We will, but we have to rescue The Herald's parents first. We need him to take us to Azarath, and he won't do that until his parents are safe."

"How will you do that Robin?" Kole asked over the video link. "We have no idea where they're being kept."

A mug shot appeared on the console screen. It was of an El Salvadoran gang member, the head of the local branch of the infamous MS-13 gang, a gang that was infamous for its cold blooded violence.

"Leave that to me." He replied. "Starfire, I need your help on this one."

The princess beamed.

"I am ready to kick the gang banger butt, boyfriend Robin."

Seraph had risen 3 hours earlier, shining its orange glow over Azarath. The city came to life as the citizenry ran their morning errands. Other than the shops, which would close at noon, all businesses were shut down in observance of the one time, special occasion holiday. The city was in fact abuzz as the final preparations for the parade and celebration were being made to commemorate 'Raven Roth Day', and the truth was that everyone was quite excited about the event, everyone except a certain Raven Roth and her green husband.

It's not that Raven and Garfield Roth (as they were legally known in Azarath) were upset, far from it. They were simply oblivious to what was going on and for good reason: they were still asleep in Raven's huge octagonal shaped bed, or as Garfield called it 'The Gazebo'.

The eight poster bed had curtains that could be drawn to ensure Raven's privacy and they had been put to good use as the newlyweds had been up rather late re-consummating, repeatedly, until they could continue no more and fell asleep exhausted.

They slumbered peacefully next to each other, Raven's head resting on his shoulder and his arm wrapped around her chest. All was peaceful and serene until a violet colored head popped through the curtains.

Arella shook her head. She could tolerate their Earthly sleeping habits, but the purple haired Matriarch was disturbed by Raven's zest for her mate. It was so unlike her, Arella still remembered how emotionally repressed her daughter was when she ran away to Earth. Some of the priestesses had told her that since Trigon had been vanquished that Raven no longer had to bottle up her emotions any more. Of course just because that roadblock had been removed didn't mean that Raven had to change. The Matriarch surveyed her sleeping son-in-law. Other than his being green, she had to admit that Raven was right, the boy was rather handsome.

Arella turned back to her daughter and was greeted by two very serious looking amethyst orbs.

"Good morning mother." She spoke in here monotone. "To what do I own the honor? Did you come to watch me make love with my husband?"

"Raven!" Arella flinched. "Don't be cheeky girl!"

"So why are you here?"

Arella hesitated.

"There is something I need to speak with you about." Arella said as she glanced at the changeling. "In private."

"Fine, just let me get dressed."

"You can come in your pajamas; we'll just step into your office."

"I'm naked." Raven replied flatly.

"Then get dressed, I'll be waiting in your office." Arella replied as she stared disapprovingly at her daughter.

"What?" Raven challenged her mother.

"Must you be so … so Earthlike? You're an Azarathian Raven; you need to act like one."

Raven stared coldly at her mother.

"Don't judge me mother. I love Gar and what we do together is none of your business, or anyone else's on Azarath for that matter. I'm not doing anything dishonorable or immoral and if you think that I am, well, that's your problem."

"I'm sorry." Arella apologized weakly. "I'll be in your office."

The violet haired matriarch stepped into Raven's office, if it could be called that as she had yet to use it as such, and sat down on a small couch. Raven appeared, attired in her black leotard and blue cape, a mere minute later.

"What is it mother? I can sense the dread in you."

Arella stood up before her daughter. She towered above Raven, her tall, slender athletic build contrasted with Raven's shorter and more voluptuous form.

"I wish you would wear the new clothes that were made for you. You're married and you're my heir …"

"I refuse to dress like a Matriarch."

"But you are one."

"Irrelevant." Raven replied in her monotone. "But that's not why you brought me here."

Arella turned away and gazed out the window at the cities unique skyline. She could see the lone access road that led to the city. It was usually bustling with traffic but was now eerily empty. The city was in lockdown for the celebration, a precaution the Council of Matriarchs had chosen to keep tabs on the populace during the upcoming festival.

"The House of Roth is insolvent Raven."

Raven's eyes popped open upon hearing the revelation.

"What did you say?"

"Didn't you hear me? Insolvent! Broke! Bankrupt! We're keeping the doors open only because of lines of credit from the other houses."

Raven shook her head in disbelief.

"How did this happen?"

Arella sighed.

"Bad decisions and bad luck. If we can't turn things around soon the firm's assets will be seized and liquidated by the other houses."

"How soon?"

"By the end of the month."

"The end of the month? That's absurd! How could you possibly turn things around in a month?"

"By myself, it's impossible. But if you help me it can be done."

Raven looked confused.

"How could I possibly …"

Raven stopped midsentence as it finally sank in.

"No! Absolutely not!"

"But Raven, it's the only way to save the House of Roth."

Raven's eyes were glowing red and had split into two pairs. Arella recoiled at the sight, remembering the last time she had seen such eyes, eyes that belonged to a man she thought was her lover, her fiancé but who was anything but that.

"I don't care!" Raven roared in a guttural voice. "I don't care what happens to the House of Roth. I won't take more husbands just to protect your ego mother. I gave Gar my word and I won't break it! Not for you, not for anyone!"

Arella shook her head.

"This isn't about me Raven. If the House of Roth is liquidated over a hundred thousand people will lose their employment. Do you have any idea what that will do to the local economy?"

Raven bared her teeth, exposing her now serrated fangs to her mother.

"I'm sick and tired of hearing how the rich and powerful screw things up while others have to suffer the consequences. I have my own problems back at home; I don't need to add your problems to them." Raven shouted.

By this point the expression on Arella's face was of pleading.

"Raven, you don't have to consummate with the boys, just marry them. If you do the other Matriarchs will forgive us all our debts."

Raven could no longer contain her exasperation.

"Why me! Why are Xanathia, Mayra and the others so Trigon bent on having me marry their stupid and useless sons? If they're so worried about the economy why don't they just bail you out and be done with it?" She shouted.

Arella sighed.

"They need you Raven."

"They need me? Why in Azar's name do they need me? They have all the money and power! Azarath is plutocracy! What more could they possibly want?"

Arella gathered herself and calmed down before replying.

"Things aren't as they seem Raven. The Council of Matriarchs is walking on thin ice, very thin ice. There is a powerful movement afoot in Azarath to strip the Council of its powers and to … tax it."

"And why is this my problem?"

"Raven, you're the closest thing to Royalty that we have in Azarath. Remember when I told you that you had your people's love? Well it's true Raven, they adore you …"

Raven became indignant.

"AND YOU WANT TO USE ME TO JUSTIFY THE COUNCIL? You want me to prop up a greedy, corrupt and immoral inner circle of women who want to tighten the noose of oppression around my people?"

"Azarath needs the Matriarchs Raven; it can't survive without them…"

"SHUT UP! SHUT THE TRIGON UP!"

Raven's tirade was interrupted by Beast Boy, who wearing only a bathrobe had stumbled into the office.

"Rae, what's the matter? What's going on here? Why are you shouting?"

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The thumping sound of Latin American pop music could be heard almost a block away from the night club. It was well past 2 AM when a man wearing a Salvadoran soccer jersey emerged from the disco with a shapely young woman under his arm. Both had clearly had too much to drink as they headed for the limousine that awaited them. As the driver opened the door to the car the man groped his companion and she giggled in response.

With no warning the man was seized by an orange and purple flash and was whisked away from the scene as he became airborne. He reached for the pistol he always kept tucked inside his waist but an orange hand snatched it away from him and crushed it like was made of Styrofoam. He looked into his abductors face and saw her green glowing eyes.

"W-who are you?" He stammered.

"I am your worst nightmare, Javier Solana."

Starfire flew to the top floor of an unfinished and for the moment abandoned skyscraper, its bare steel skeleton stood in naked witness of the financial crisis that gripped the city. As she reached her destination on the 80th floor of the building Javier Solana saw that Robin was waiting for him. What happened next was not what he was expecting. Starfire threw him into the void and he screamed as he began to fall, knowing that 1000 feet separated him from the street below. He then heard what sounded like a gunshot and felt a line wrap itself around his right leg. As it tightened the line dug deep, first cutting through his trousers and then through his own flesh. He yelped in pain but also stopped falling. He swung towards the building in the darkness and braced himself for an impact, which never happened as Starfire caught up with him and stopped his momentum.

Upon opening his eyes the upside down gang banger found himself face to face with the Boy Wonder.

"Hello Javier, a nice night to take a fall, wouldn't you say?"

"What do you want?" His voice trembled as he replied.

"I want you to tell me where the Herald's parents are being kept."

Javier Solana shook his head.

"I can't tell you. If I do, La Jefa would kill me."

"If you don't tell me, I'll kill you." Robin replied in an ice cold monotone.

"You're bluffing! You guys don't kill."

Robin scowled at the thug.

"Your people almost succeeded in murdering Raven and now your 'Jefa', Terra Markov, has gone after her to complete the task."

Javier looked stunned. How did he know?

"Listen gang banger, no one messes with my family! If you won't tell me where the Herald's parents are I'll cut you loose and find someone else who will talk. But I'll make sure to show them a picture of the splat you'll make down below." Robin bluffed.

Javier hesitated.

"We're wasting our time with him Star." Robin added as he snapped open a bird-a-rang, ready to cut the line.

"No, wait, I'll talk!"

"Smart man. You get to live."

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