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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"Rae, what's the matter? What's going on here? Why are you shouting?"
"You go back to your room boy!" Arella thundered. "This doesn't concern you."
"It most certainly does concern him!" Raven snarled back.
"Raven, will you please get it through your thick skull, we are not on Earth!"
"I'm not going anywhere!" Beast Boy roared.
The matriarch was clearly shocked by the changeling's defiant outburst. She turned towards him and gave him an icy glare that lowered the temperature in the room. Beast Boy had always believed that Raven inherited her intimidating glare from her father, but he now understood the truth: it was the 'Roth Glare'. Unfortunately for Arella the green Titan had become accustomed to Raven's death glares over the years, so her own attempt to intimidate him fell flat. Ignoring his mother–in-law he approached his wife.
"Why are you fighting with your mother?"
Raven bit her lip, feeling an unpleasant lump form in the pit of her stomach.
"The House of Roth is bankrupt Gar."
"What do you mean she's bankrupt? I thought she was a zillionaire."
Raven crossed her arms and shook her head.
"We have more money than she does." She reported in her deadpan monotone.
"OK, I guess that's bad news. But why are you yelling at her Rae? Did she ask if she could come back with us to the Tower?"
"Don't be insolent boy! I'm still a Matriarch."
Again, he ignored his mother-in-law and focused his attention on Raven.
Raven sighed before replying.
"She wants me to save to save the House of Roth."
"And how are we supposed to do that? We barely have $100,000 between the two of us. Something tells me that she's gonna need a lot more mpney than that."
Arella interrupted their conversation.
"Raven is going to marry into three other houses, which in turn will bail us out."
The demoness gave her a 4 eyed glare.
"I won't do that! Never."
Arella glared back at her daughter.
"Then you can tell Xanathia why you're shirking you Matriarchal duties Raven. You'll be sitting next to her during the parade this afternoon. And don't say you won't attend, the whole city is doing this in your honor as a demonstration of their gratitude to you for saving the city."
Raven felt a swell of anger and fury fill her chest.
"All you've done since I returned is manipulate me. You forced us to marry so you wouldn't lose your place on the council and now you're at it again. I don't believe in polygamy mother, and I won't marry any of those creeps to save your stupid business!"
Arella gave Raven a very cross look.
"A business? Is that what you think the House of Roth is? A business? My dear, naïve child, the House of Roth is much more than a business. It's a Matriarchate, the very cornerstone of Azarathian society and culture. It can't be allowed to fail; if we fall it could bring down the whole system."
"Sounds like a good start to me." Beast Boy grumbled.
"Shut up you stupid boy!"
At that moment something snapped in Raven. Later that day when she reviewed what had happened she couldn't determine if it had been her mother's single minded attempts to manipulate her or if she had had enough of her mother showing disrespect to her husband. Raising her hand she engulfed her mother with her dark energy and tossed her aside.
"Let's go Gar, there's nothing left to discuss here." Raven announced as she took his hand and led him back to their bedroom. "Let's go before I hurt her."
"You will attend the celebration Raven!" Arella shouted at her, after getting back up.
Raven turned around and replied in the driest monotone she could muster.
"We'll be there mother. We won't disappoint the people of Azarath."
"We?" Arella howled.
"Yes, 'we'. Gar risked his life to defeat Trigon. He deserves this city's thanks as much as anyone else."
"But he's a man Raven! What am I supposed to do about that?"
"Deal with it!" Raven snapped at her as she closed the door behind her.
Arella collapsed into a well padded wingback chair, cradling her head in her hands.
What am I going to do with her?
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The sun was setting and it cast an orange glow over the large building that had until recently housed the Fluffy Loaf Bakery, which was yet another of the corporate carcasses that littered the landscape of Jump City's industrial district, having fallen to the way of bankruptcy just a few month before. It was a large, grimy single story structure and covered most of the city block.
This was the address that Javier Solana had given Robin as to where The Herald's parents were being held. In a twist of fate, the bakery was across the street from the warehouse that Bruce Wayne had gifted to the Titans and unlike that building the old bakery wasn't secure at all. Entry would be easy as dozens of large windows had already been smashed by vandals. Robin surveyed the building carefully and quickly concluded that it was chosen as a hideout for its vastness and anonymity. The Boy Wonder peered through a pair of tiny binoculars her produced from his utility belt and peered into the building. His first observation was that all of the baking equipment was gone: giant mixers, ovens, conveyor belts, packaging systems, the works. The building was empty.
"That's a large building with big open spaces, where would you keep them?" Cyborg asked.
Robin tucked his binoculars away and retrieved one of his grappling hooks.
"In an inside office, one without windows to the exterior. A foreman's office."
Cyborg and Starfire nodded their agreement.
"We'll have to be quick and catch them by surprise." He said as he fired his grappling hook. "Titans go!"
Robin leaped off the taller building they were standing on and gracefully swung across the street, sailing through a broken window, carefully avoiding the razor sharp shards that remained. Starfire grabbled Cyborg's hands and they flew through another window, entering the cavernous building.
The three Titans were greeted by a barrage of gunfire. Robin landed on the floor, rolling quickly to dodge the deadly hail of bullets until he was able to take refuge behind a concrete pillar, hearing the bullets ricochet off the other side of the column. Starfire released Cyborg who began to fire his sonic cannon as he ran for cover, taking out a few gunmen in the process. Starfire did the same with her starbolts while Robin launched a few of his freezing disks.
As the three remained hidden behind columns the remaining gunfire which was much less than before as most of the gunmen had been incapacitated, suddenly ceased. After a pregnant pause a lone voice was heard from the direction of an array of indoor offices.
"We have hostages. If you don't leave, we'll kill them!"
"If you do that you'll get the electric chair." Robin howled back. "Surrender peacefully and we'll put in a good word at your trial!" Robin hollered from behind his pillar.
Terra's remaining henchmen responded quickly to Robin's offer with machine gun fire.
"I'll take that as a 'no'." Cyborg yelled at Robin.
"They always choose the hard way." Starfire added. "Why are humans so illogical?"
"That's the question I keep asking myself." Robin replied as he pulled 4 disks from his utility belt. "Star, Cy, cover me!"
Robin bolted from the shield that the pillar offered him as Starfire threw a barrage of star bolts towards the row of offices, while Cyborg fired his sonic cannon. This did not deter the gunman from firing at Robin, but their aim was compromised and they missed him by a wide margin. Robin was also able to see which office they were holed up in, and threw his 4 disks at them. The spinning weapons hit their mark and crashed through the glass windows, tearing through the venetian blinds that were shut. A hissing sound was then heard and a green gas could be seen leaking out of the office. The sound of bodies thudding on the floor was heard next. Robin fired his grappling hook and swung up to the office.
There were 4 gunmen, lying on the floor unconscious. In the rear of the room was a middle aged black couple, tied to chairs and slumped over, unconscious. Robin administered an antidote to the sleeping gas to them as his teammates entered the room.
The couple slowly regained consciousness. The woman became lucid first, followed by her husband. She groggily raised her head and looked surprised when she saw Robin.
"You're the Teen Titans." She remarked, looking as if she still didn't believe they had been rescued.
"And you are The Herald's parents. Do not worry, for you are safe now." Starfire reassured them.
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Raven stared from her seat in the Roth flying limousine as it approached the VIP landing area next to the central grandstand that had been set up for the parade. Azarath wasn't a huge metropolis, Raven knew that just one million people lived in the floating city and it seemed that most of them had come out for the celebration. The central grand stand was flanked by several smaller ones as well as others that had been set up across from the central grandstand on the city's main boulevard, and it reminded her of the grandstands set up for the Tournament of Roses parade back on earth.
"Quite a turnout Raven, I've never seen anything like this before. You are the city's most favored daughter." Arella remarked as she looked out the window.
"Gar deserves some of the credit, he helped defeat Trigon."
"Perhaps, but to your adoring masses he is nothing but your first." Arella replied smugly.
"What about the monos?" Beast Boy asked. "What do they think?"
"Only the unimportant women are monos. They are inferior and don't deserve more than one husband."
"You mean they aren't rich, like you used to be before you met … him." Raven snapped at her mother.
"He is your father Raven." Arella replied in her own monotone.
"You chose him, I didn't." Raven snarled. "I know how you became rich mother; he gave it all to you, in exchange for bearing me."
Arella looked coldly at her daughter.
"Had I not done it, someone else would have. And it worked out for the best."
"It did?" Raven sneered. "It seems to me that once again you're coming hat in hand to a demon, asking for help."
"It's not just me you're helping Raven. It's every employee of the House of Roth, and in the end it will be yourself you are helping."
"I'm not a Matriarch mother."
"Yes you are. Even if you refuse to wear white and you drag your first with you to places he shouldn't go."
"Once the lockdown is over we're going home Arella." Beast Boy interrupted. "Raven and I are going home, back to Earth once this is over."
Arella glared at the changeling.
"You will learn where your place is, young man. You are Raven's property and consequently mine as well. Don't you ever forget that!"
"Which is why we are leaving." Raven added. "I don't know what's going on here on Azarath, but things are spiraling out of control. Matriarchs don't go bankrupt; the system is rigged to keep that from happening. Hasn't it occurred to you mother that maybe this wasn't an accident, that your ruin was planned, conspired even?"
The limo was inching forward to the drop off point, in a long line of Matriarchal vehicles.
"What are you talking about Raven?" Beast Boy asked.
"Think about it Gar. I return home and they throw a huge party for me. I was shunned as a child and had to live in the monastery with the monks. My heritage isn't as big a secret as mother makes it out to be. Yet now they love me."
She pointed out of the car's window at the amassed throngs.
"They might not know that Trigon was my father, but they do know that I'm different, that I'm not one of them. But now I'm being played up as a hero and I know this wasn't spontaneous. This was planned by the Matriarchs, they're turning me into an idol, and you want to know why? So they can marry their spoiled brat sons off to me…"
"Raven, you won't even have to consummate with them …"
"I'm not done Mother. They want to use me to legitimize the backward Matriarchal system in place in Azarath!"
Arella shook her head as a porter opened the limo's door.
"You've been living on Earth far too long Raven."
"And you've been a Matriarch too long!" Raven snarled back as the door swung fully open.
Arella immediately switched to her "public" face and emerged from the limo, beaming brightly as she waved to the crowd. Photographers snapped pictures of the elegantly dressed Matriarch, whose dress was whiter than the purest snow.
Raven and Beast Boy emerged next, holding hands, which drew the crowd's attention and the flashes flickered like a strobe light.
"Raven! Why are you not dressed in white?" A reporter shouted.
"Is it true that you're a mono?" A second reporter asked.
Unlike her mother, Raven was wearing her blank "poker face". She turned to face her mate.
"Kiss me Gar, kiss me like you never have before."
Beast Boy felt a little shy in front of the crowd of reporters and other Matriarchs who had stopped to watch them. The changeling did not disappoint his wife however, as they melted into each other with a very less than chaste kiss. The crowd's reaction was mixed. Some booed, but many cheered as well.
"I'll take that as a 'yes'." The second reporter replied after she snapped several pictures of the smooching couple, as did every other reporter present.
Arella was still blushing from the embarrassment when the Chromatically Challenged Couple™ finally separated as they both needed to breathe. She said nothing to them, but her displeasure was self evident as they walked to the luxury box in the grand stand, where Xanathia was waiting for them, along with two other Matriachs. Raven recognized Mayra, recalling that she was Horeb's mother. Raven had played with Horeb when they were small children. The main memory she had was that he was mama's boy and a crybaby.
Good luck marrying off that loser.
"Raven, I see you brought your first with you. How … quaint. You remember Horeb, don't you? He's Mayra's youngest son." Xanathia greeted her, shaking Raven's hand with her own gnarled and bony hand."
"How could I forget him? The last time played together as children he called me a gray witch and I beat him up. Is that why he didn't come?"
Mayra chuckled nervously.
"He couldn't sleep through the night for a year after that, he kept having nightmares about dark tentacles."
"He's every woman's dreamboat." Raven added sarcastically.
"I think it's time you addressed the city Raven." Arella interrupted. "They're dying to hear from you."
Raven sighed, knowing she was right and stepped up to a microphone that had been set up. She tapped on it and found that was indeed 'alive'. She cleared her throat.
"Dear citizens of Azarath, thank you for taking the time to do this for me. I feel honored to be recognized by you, especially in light of my prolonged absence. I am very happy that I was able to save both Azarath and Earth from Trigon the Terrible, a feat I accomplished with help from 3 friends and from my husband, Garfield Logan."
Raven gestured to Beast Boy, who stepped up next to her. A few boos where heard in the crowd, but they were mostly drowned out by the cheers.
"Thank you friends. Before we begin this celebration there's something I want to share with you …"
Before Raven could continue several loud explosions were heard under the grandstand, followed by a staccato of popping sounds. The entire grand stand shuddered and began to collapse along its edges, while dozens of people, lesser dignitaries, fell to the ground below.
Raven and Beast Boy went automatically in super hero mode, rescuing people who were about to fall. They had separated, Beast Boy going to the left of the grand stand while Raven went to the right. Meanwhile those in the middle stampeded to the bottom trampling each other on the way down.
Raven had finished evacuating her section when she heard a familiar beeping sound, which was beeping faster and faster. She knew that sound and remembered who it was associated with: Slade.
Much to her horror the sound was coming from where Beast Boy was standing. He too had heard it.
"Run Rae!" He shouted.
Raven reached out with her dark shield to him but was too late. The Slade bomb exploded and the section where Beast Boy was standing was engulfed in flames before it suddenly collapsed.
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Cliffhanger! (You wanted one, admit it!)
And once again, that time honored tradition, the mail bag!
Master Doc - "Awesome! I thought I was done with fanfics but when I saw this was updated I nearly choked. I missed this story! Thanks for bringing it back! But I have to ask...whatever happened to Ganguro and are you going to be writing Young Justice fanfics?"
I'll have to watch a few seasons of Young Justice to see where it goes and let them develop the characters some more. Will they add more characters (from the Titans perhaps?)
crazy-apple94 - "this story is great^_^ i like terra in this one too since she's so obsessed with BB, i can't wait for the cat fight. also that interrogation by robin was pretty believable i almost thought he'd have his bluff called"
I was inspired by an episode of Batman the Animated series. There was an episode where the Dark Knight and Robin have a bad guy hanging from a thread. He talked!
The Cretan - "If it's alright with you I'm going to read back over this story because I'm kinda lost. Sorry but I've been reading a ton of stories the past couple of hours and trying to get caught up on my favorites. I will read this over though and give proper review and praise when I can. Why are there so many BBRae stories? One can't possibly read them all can they? Again, I apologize. I remain a faithful reader of yours. The Cretan"
No problem! I think there are more BB /Rae because their relationship isn't saccharine like Rob/Star.
titanfan45 - "Glad you've decided to continue with this story. I am halfway through rereading the original "Tough Times" and have to say that as much as I like the first version, this current version is fantastic. Raven definitely isn't going to be one to be trifled with by the Matriarchs and I'll bet it won't take long for them to realize that."
The original story was too busy. I hope the plot on this one is better.
FelynxTiger - "i cant log in because it says that i already review this chapter , however i can log off to review again
ha!
AW YEAH TITANS !
im glad u decided to take the story once again
looks like all those years spended with batman were no waste for Robin , i wonder how they would find Terra and stop her , now thats an other problem they have to deal
and with Raven this are the same huh her dilema is pretty much hard to decide!
See you next chapter(im happy to say that once again in this story) "
Robin/Nightwing wants to be his own man, but he really can't escape from his past with Batman. I thought that it was funny how Batman is never mentioned by name in the show (they didn't have his character licensed so they couldn't). I especially liked how the guy that Robin busts in "Titans Go" is about to say 'Batman' when Robin interrupts him. Very clever.
Hairul The Nightrage Beast - "Haha Arella deserve a well deserved Hair Dryer treatment from raven esp with the Matriarchs cocking up the populace of Azarath. I think she'll be in a ranting rampage on those old hags meh."
The Matriarchs are losing their grip on Azarath. We'll see what happens.
AkumaKami64 - "Glad to see your back on this and THIS was what I had been waiting for- Raven going four-eyed on Arella. Good thing that Robin figured out what Terra is up to."
Poor Arella, Raven is still "Daddy's little girl"!