4 July 2010
Hall of Justice, Washington DC

The Hall of Justice (headquarters to the Justice League) was an imposing beast to any civilian, villain and hero and how could it not be? With its cascading steps that bled into corinthian pillars, sky-high golden statues of the Justice League which lined the foyer & stood larger-than-life, the museum dedicated to each of their infamous heroic captures and not mention the freaking moat which surrounded the entire structure (save for a simple walkway that split the blue waters).

But for Raven the best part of the Hall of Justice, was the heroes' personal library that lay stocked with each & every type of book you could ever hope to find. It was also a great place to pick the legendary heroes' brains; even if they weren't technically there to do it. For example, the skid marks in the worn carpet told her that the Flash preferred the rom-com section, whilst the barely-bent spines of the whodunnits told her of Batman's delights. There were lipstick-stained magazines and doggy-eared comic books spread out across the coffee table. Multilingual novels that told of cookery, magic and more, whilst interspacial pieces popped from off of the shelves in bright splashes of colour and oddly-shaped text. Honestly, the young witch would have been more than happy to stay there forever, or even for their introduction to the League's headquarters to end there in the company of so many books. Although, she could've done without the mezzanine theatre that sat nestled above the bookshelves on one wall, it made her feel a bit like a fish in a bowl.

Her indigo cloaked barely grazed the dust bunnies embedded in the carpet as she hovered in front of one of the bookshelves that lined the common area. Behind her, her mentor—Doctor Fate—watched on fondly as she browsed the collection of books with a manic sort of glee rarely found in ten year olds when books were concerned. She'd always been considered rather mature for her age, and as the youngest protégée at present, it was one of the few things that let her stand on equal footing with her elder peers. Her age also happened to be one of the reasons why he kept her out of the media's spotlight as much as possible, including today (hence why they had arrived through the back door earlier). The quiet hiss of the doors as they opened just as their colleagues arrived with their own tagalongs and a fair bit of fanfare, thanks in part, to the crowd standing in the foyer.

As it was, Raven's attention was far more preoccupied with the German tome in her hands than that of the commotion over by the door. The blurb on the inside cover spoke of a fierce tale between the wizard, Malchior and the dragon, Rorek, with such passion that Raven wanted nothing more than to crack open the tome and devour it right then & there. Despite this, she kept an ear open to her peers' arrival, which she noted absently, mostly thanks to Martian Manhunter's jovial greeting that echoed about the place.

"Robin, Speedy, Aqualad, Kid Flash; welcome" Greeted Martian Manhunter. To those who didn't know that martian, he may of sounded bored or even slow, but to those who did, the subtle inflections in his tone showed just how proud he was to bring the young heroes inside. Raven spared a glance over her shoulder as footsteps neared her safe haven and over towards the door where she was greeted with the sight of her fellow sidekicks all done up in their costumes, their mentors and the welcoming committee (her mentor among them). Even this far in, the witch could hear the chatter of camera-wielding civilians outside as they jostled to try and get a peek at the inner sanctum.

"You now have unlimited access to the gym, our fully-stocked galley and of course, our library" Martian Manhunter explained as he led them inside.

"Make yourselves at home" Flash opened his arms wide as he gestured for the sidekicks to settle in whilst the Leaguers compared notes about the day's icy events that had delayed them just enough to make their partners antsy.

"Hey Raven!" Robin called as he flopped into the nearest armchair, all but sinking beneath the squishiness of the cushions.

"Nn" She grunted in greeting, refusing to lift her eyes from the yellowed pages before her.

"Whatcha reading?" Kid Flash zipped over to her, peering this way & that to get a good look at what had her so focused. "What's 'Der Flu—Fluuu—Flu-ch von Mal—Mal—chi—or?"

"Der Fluch von Malchior?" Raven translated as she shut the book with a disappointed sigh & slipped it into one of her pockets, resigned to read it at a later date as she quirked a brow at how the speedster had absolutely butchered the German title.

"Yeah that—how can you even understand that?"

"Cause she has a brain?" Robin chortled as he fought with the chair to sit semi-upright.

"Hey! I have a brain!" Kid Flash spat indignantly as he spun to face his best friend.

"Yeah, but do you actually use it? That's the million dollar question!"

"Oi!"

"Morning, Raven" Aqualad nodded politely in greeting to the avian girl as Robin & Kid Flash fell into familiar childish squabbles. Raven turned on her invisible perch, head titled in bird-like movements as she returned the nod. "Is it a good book?"

"I hope so, the blurb sounds interesting, at least" Raven replied. The only one who had yet to greet the young girl was Speedy, Green Arrow's sidekick, who currently stood in the middle of the room as he glared at the Leaguers like they owed him something. Raven wasn't bothered by this of course; Speedy wasn't the most friendly of people and she wasn't the most talkative, so it worked well enough for the two.

"Quick debrief to discuss the coincidence of four ice villains attacking on the same day" Batman grumbled, hands hidden beneath his cloak, all military-like even as he turned to the sidekicks splayed about the room. "We shouldn't be long"

"Recognised: Batman 02, Aquaman 06, Flash 04, Green Arrow 08, Martian Manhunter 07, Red Tornado 16, Doctor Fate 17" Sang the Justice League's computer as each of the heroes were illuminated in blue light by the scanner and a door just beyond the crack in the far wall bookshelves hissed open.

"That's it?!" Speedy snapped irritably as he finally found his voice. "You promised us a real look inside, not a glorified backstage pass!"

"It's a first step" Aquaman calmly replied as all eyes fell on the young archer. "You've been granted access few others get"

"Oh really?" Speedy sneered as he gestured to the large theatre window above them. "Who cares what side of the glass we're on?!"

"Roy, you just need to be patient" Green Arrow tried.

"What I need is respect" Speedy spat retort as he spun on his heel and tried to garner the agreement of his peers. "They're treating us like kids! Worse! Like sidekicks! We deserve better than this!"

"Uh…I am a kid?" Raven raised her hand in question, well aware of the fact that she was lucky enough to even be there. Below her, the boys shared a confused glance before turning back to Speedy with questions swimming in their (masked) eyes.

"You're kidding, right?" Speedy breathed in disbelief. "You're playing their game?!"

"No…?" Raven replied, unsure if he was talking to her or the boys.

"Why?! Today was s'posed to be the day! Step one in becoming full-fledged members of the League!"

"Well, sure" Kid Flash hummed, unsure. "But I thought step one was a tour of the HQ?"

"Except the Hall isn't the League's real HQ!" Speedy snapped in retort, catching everyone's attention. The sidekicks sat straighter (or as much as possible), Green Arrow winced & tried to retreat beneath his hood to avoid Batman's glare & the civilians high above continued to blind them with their camera flashes. "I bet they never told you! It's just a false front for tourists! And a pitstop for catching zeta-beam teleporter tubes to the real thing! An orbiting satellite called the Watchtower!"

"I know, I know" Green Arrow buckled easily under the heated glares of his colleagues. "But I thought, maybe, we could make an exception?"

"…" Batman's eyes narrowed, unrelenting even behind the dark cowl.

"Or not"

"You seem unsurprised, Raven" Doctor Fate noted as his gaze roved over each of the other children. It was the first time he had spoken since they had arrived; the voices of his vessel, Kent Nelson layered with that of the helmet's spirit, Nabu.

"It's not—it's not that" Raven stammered nervously, hands wringing beneath the confines of her cloak as all eyes swung her way. "It's just, well, we live in a magical tower with more rooms than Kid has Waffle Wafers in his Secret Snack Stash—"

"I knew you ate my waffles!" Kid exclaimed, aghast, as he pointed his finger in accusation at the young witch. Whilst she made no move to deny this fact, she tried to retreat further into her hood in an attempt to hide the embarrassed flush now decorating her cheeks. From the corners of her eyes, she could've sworn that Robin's lips twitched upwards slightly at the display.

"—So this space tower thing can't be that great, y'know?"

"You just don't get it, do you?!" Speedy sneered as he took an angry step towards Raven, making her shuffle backwards, afraid of his rapid approach. At this, all three boys tensed & gazes locked onto the archer, ready to intervene if needs be. "You might be all right with just playing hero, but some of us aren't playing pretend!"

"Roy!" Green Arrow snapped as Raven retreated further in on herself, fear & shame pricking at her heart because even here, amongst colleagues, she still didn't fit in.

"I—I'm just saying, does their tower have a behemoth in the belfry too?" Raven returned quietly.

"Hm?" Batman turned a questioning glance in Doctor Fate's direction (the bat's entire language appeared to be made up of narrowed eyes, grunts & crossed arms), but the sorcerer remained unmoved by the bat's stare.

"Pets teach children responsibility" Doctor Fate replied calmly, as if he were talking about the weather.

"…You have a pet behemoth?" Robin's brows quirked up in disbelief, shoulders relaxing slightly as the conversation turned to something a little friendlier.

"You don't?" Raven tilted her head towards her fellow avian in a rather bird-like manner. "Weird"

"Oh yeah, sure" Kid Flash added with sarcasm heavy in his tone as he mirrored Robin's posture, "And I've got a dragon in my basement"

"Really?" The witch turned to the speedster in much the same manner as she had done to Robin. "Mine lives in the attic"

"…W-what?" The speedster choked as he blinked dumbly at the honest reply, eyes going wide. His expression was mirrored in that of Robin's, but not so much Aqualad's. Apparently, dragon's in the attic & behemoth's in the belfry weren't that uncommon in Atlantis.

"His name is Balthazar"

"Balthazar?" Kid Flash snorted at the name as some of the tension eased in the room.

"What's wrong with 'Balthazar?"

"Balthazar's a fine name" Aqualad rushed to reassure her, worried about any possible waterworks or hurt feelings just as Robin leant over to whack Kid Flash over the back of the head. Raven gave the Atlantean a small smile in return, one that was quickly washed away when Speedy blew up once more.

"Unbelievable! Are you even listening to yourselves?!" Speedy exploded. "Dragons? Magic? Seriously? That's what you're worried about?! No wonder no one's taking you seriously—!"

"—Roy! Enough!" Green Arrow tried again when he noted Raven's extra pair of eyes & Doctor Fate's low growl of warning in response to the blatant disrespect regarding their craft. He didn't particularly want to be peeling his protégée off of the walls.

"You are not helping your cause here, son" Aquaman stepped up to scold the red archer when it appeared clear that he would not listen to his own mentor. "Stand down or—"

"—Or what? You'll send me to my room?" Speedy sneered as he spun on his heel, getting right up in the Atlantean's face. Beside her, Aqualad tensed as if ready to intervene; though she was unsure as to whom he would be helping—his mentor who'd lied to him or his peer who'd thrown an embarrassingly large tantrum over the unfairness of the whole thing. "And I'm not your son! I'm not even his! I thought I was his partner, but not anymore"

It seemed to take an age for Speedy's hat to be violently ripped from his head by his own hand and slammed against the floor. Raven could've sworn the yellow cloth was moving in slow motion before it thundered against the floor like he'd dropped a ten tonne weight. What little tension had been lifted earlier, was now gone, ripped from the room much the same as the archer's hat had been. Eyes had blown wide in disbelief (if they hadn't already) and shoulders had drawn up tight as they all watched the red-headed archer silently dismiss whatever partnership he'd had with his mentor before storming out of the library with his head held high. Above them, cameras flashed furiously to the point that they almost whited out the large window.

"Guess they're right about your four, you're not ready" He slung carelessly at them as he passed. Robin, Aqualad & Kid Flash all jumped to their feet as if to stop him from leaving, but none made any actual move to do so. Raven, on the other hand shuffled back further and out of the way of the archer's parade. There was no way she was pushing any more of his buttons (not without reason, of course). She winced when the library door hissed shut behind the archer; a sound that echoed through the silent room like gunfire.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

"Superman to Justice League" Superman appeared abruptly on the flashing computer screens, making Raven jump at his sudden appearance. The atmosphere, whilst still solemn, turned on a dime as the Speedy-situation was put on the back burner in favour of the next immediate threat calling for their attention. "There's been an explosion at Project Cadmus. It's on fire"

"I've had my suspicions about Cadmus" Batman admitted as the Leaguers convened on the computers. "This may present the perfect opportunity to—"

"—Zatara to Justice League!" Zatara interjected as he flashed onto screen, sounding far more urgent than his counter part. Raven scrunched her nose up at the appearance of the tailored wizard, who in all her limited interactions with him, had appeared pompous and overprotective of his daughter. "The sorcerer, Wotan, is using the Amulet of Atan to block out the sun. Requesting full League response"

"Superman?"

"It's a small fire" Superman acquiesced. "Local authorities have it under control"

"Then Cadmus can wait. All Leaguers rendezvous at Zatara's co-ordinates. Batman out" Batman shortly replied before he ended the call, just as the boys wandered over to their mentors. Raven, who remained on the outskirts of the group, dropped from her perch and followed after them but kept herself at a distance. She was aware that at ten years old, it was highly unlikely that she was going to be a part of that mission (the boys might've had a good chance though); but mostly she just wanted to farewell her mentor before he left. "Stay put"

Or not. Raven quietly hummed, nervously fiddling with the hem of her cloak.

'What! Why?" Robin retorted in disbelief.

"This is a League mission" Aquaman replied, hands on hips.

"You're not trained—" Flash added.

"—Since when?" Kid Flash squawked, gesturing wildly enough that Raven had to duck to avoid his wayward limbs.

"I meant you're not trained to work as a part of this team" The scarlet speedster gestured to himself and the other Leaguers beside him.

"Sir?" Raven quietly implored of her mentor, turning earnest eyes towards the golden-plated hero.

"There will be other missions" Doctor Fate gently reassured, placing a comforting hand on the young girl's crown even as he spoke to the room as a whole. "When you're ready"

"For now" Batman ended with a tone of finality, "Stay. Put"

"We will return promptly" Doctor Fate continued as his colleagues entered the zeta tubes. "Remember to keep up with your studies, Raven"

"Yessir" Raven nodded demurely even as she itched to hug the hero tight, but instead opted to bask in the hand resting atop her crown.

"Remember to keep up with your studies and keep the pyrotechnics to a minimum"

"…That was one time"

"Glad you didn't bring You-Know-Who?" Green Arrow snidely commented from off to the side as he and Martian Manhunter headed for the zeta tubes.

"Indeed" Hummed the martian as the sorcerer petted Raven's crown one more time before he too, retreated behind the large steel doors with Red Tornado hot on his heels.