Raven had thought she would not have been able to fall asleep. It had been easy to sneak back into the Titan's tower and return to her room. Beast boy was even passed out on the hallway with a cookie in one hand and a cup of milk in the other. That green obstacle was easy to pass by just gliding over.
The strange, black ring she found had been safely hidden in her closet underneath her spell books and research material. It was still in the forefront of her mind as she sat at the dining room table eating her morning bowl of cereal.
"Mornin', Mama," Garfield Logan cooed as he strode into the room, his usual black suit with purple trimming rumpled as ever.
Raven muttered something into her bowl refusing to make eye contact. The anger from their last battle percolated to her soul. She kept spooning in the cereal while reading the back of the box. That was until it was wrenched away.
The circular sugar cereal clinked into the bowl of the other young woman who lived within the tower. Her bright pink hair cascaded perfectly down her shoulders, and the brilliant smile was never far away from her gorgeous green eyes. There had been a few times she had been jealous of her but settled with the shortcut black hair Raven always sported.
"Good morning, friends!" she sang out happily as she fumbled with the milk carton. "It is a wonderful day, is it not? I am excited about the sunshine and the birds that sing sweetly."
"It's a nice day," the energetic voice of Robin came from the living room as he strode in. "but we need to be ready. We drove the insects away, but we still need to make sure there aren't any stragglers. There are rumors that Killer Moth may take advantage of the disarray."
'Nobody cares, Robin.' Raven thought to herself wishing she could just pull up her cape's hood and vanish from the premise.
"That is not the good news, friend Robin," Starfire's voice wavered in concern. "Do we need to begin patrols early?"
"No," Robin responded with a shake of his head. "Batman contacted me last night. He told us a representative of the Justice League is on their way here to talk to us about the Kaz'Kal and another matter of importance."
Matter of importance. Raven's ears perked up, and she turned to face him, the bored expression firmly planted on her sharp, beautiful features. "What matter of importance? They lose their dry cleaning in Jump city?"
"No, Raven," Robin responded completely missing or ignoring her taunt. "He says it's about possible artifacts in the Jump City area. He didn't want to go into detail. Blue Beetle will be here sometime towards noon, and he wants us all here."
The calls of affirmations echoed through the room, with Cyborg making a point to stick his head in the room and let them know loudly that he was excited to see another armored hero. Cyborg was always trying to get in with the Justice League.
Mumbling her excused, Raven made her way back to her room and sealed it behind her. That was not unusual as she never wanted to be disturbed. The young sorceress began to lay out her plan. She had a few hours before noon when Blue Beetle would arrive, and she was going to be promptly in the living room. In no way was she going to have them anywhere near the artifact she found.
The niggle in the back of her mind told her that they were looking for the artifact. 'It sang to me. I need to know why before they take it.'
Retrieving the large ring from it's hiding place, she placed it in her lap and closed her eyes. She could feel the cold metal pressing into her bare thighs. Slowly, Raven relaxed her breathing and began to meditate, following the familiar path to the empty world she always went to in these sessions.
When her mind got to the warm embrace of empty comfort, she sensed the presence in the place waiting for her. With her dream hand she gently reached out trying to touch it, but she could not come into contact with anything substantial. The presence was not threatening nor did it mean her any harm.
"Hello," Raven vocalized or at least in her mind. She was deep into her meditative state and firmly planted her conscience in her dream body.
"Hello, Rachel."
The voice was soothing and warm like honey and came from just right of her ear. She spun around in the blackness and saw nothing.
"I...I can't see you whoever you are."
"I'm sorry, my dear," it said again as if whispering gently into her ear. "This is as best as I can do in the circumstance. I sensed you in the battle, the power of chaos rolling off of you. You are beautiful."
Raven was taken aback at the words and took two dream steps back. The voice did not leave her ear.
"I apologize. I did not mean to be forward. It has been a long time since I've spoken to someone let alone as entrancing as you. You prefer Raven?"
"Yes," she responded, but the words continued to spill out unchecked, "but I don't mind if you call me Rachel. I like the way you say it." What the hell is wrong with me!
"Thank you, Rachel. I am called Sovereign, but many feel that it is a self-important title. You may call me Jason." it said.
The air around her in the empty room took on a sweet smell of lavender mixed with lemongrass. The wind blew gently across her face.
"Jason," she repeated more in awe than she meant. "It's...it's nice to meet you...I think."
Its...his laugh gently caressed her ear in a harmless chuckle. "You are right to be suspicious. You are one of the guardians of your city, your reality. You see things as friend or foe. You must assess me."
"What are you then?"
"I am both. It is your point of view. There are many who see me as a threat, and they imprisoned me because of it. I admit, my actions did cause harm, but I only wanted the best for all beings in the reality-nexus."
"reality what?"
"The ring you hold. It is my Archon's Ring. A way for me to communicate with those who find it and I find worthy. Do not put in upon your head though."
Dread filled her at the words and the horrible thoughts of the magical artifact and what it could do flowed through her. Had she brought a dangerous weapon into her home?
"No, it's nothing like that. It is my talisman, my connection to realities where they are scattered. Iris has seen to the destruction of all but this one."
It did not stop to give her time to ask the question.
"Those who put on the Archon's ring are given great power and status. It can dominate you if you are not ready for it. You are a beautiful young girl, and I don't want your mind reduced to that of a slobbering idiot because you didn't know better."
"Then why did you call to me?"
"Because I would like you to wear it. I would like you to become my Archon, but you do not know the benefits or the agonies that go with it. I want you to be mine but at your choice."
Raven shook off the feeling of contentment and summoned the sardonic self of hers. "Listen, buddy. I'm not taking my clothes off for you. I'm not an easy bedroom romp."
The laugh tinkled again. "Your body would be your own. I would simply have a portion of your mind that would be mine. You would not lose your ability to make decisions."
The sense of urgency came over her, and the voice began to fade. "Our time is up for now. Speak to me again if you decide you want to know more and if you don't, throw my circlet into the ocean. I'm a patient person. Awake."
Raven's eyes flew open instantly, and she plopped gently onto the bed where she had been hovering. The entity had forced her back into her body with no need for her to return through meditation. The clock showed fifteen minutes before the arrival of Blue Beetle.
Hiding the ring, Raven charged out of her room and towards the living, mind full of question.