derekctomlinson: There will certainly be a lot of BBRae in this story, but it will be a slow burn in comparison to my other stories, and I will focus on the friendship aspect with some hints of romance deeply before I start writing them fully romantically. Thanks for reviewing :)

LilyTimbers: So glad to hear that! I am really happy I did! I feel like I wanted to do my own take on the group in a high school setting. Their dynamic with each other is so nice that I wanted to incorporate them to their fullest, not to mention adopt side stories with the inclusion of some minor characters and relationships I really enjoy. JinxXWally is one of the minor ships I will definitely tap into along with Dick's friendship with Donna. I also really want to further explore characters like Jason, Sarah, Donna, Lilith, etc, which I rarely include in my stories besides small cameos. Wally and Gar is one dynamic I'm going to really enjoy writing! I really wanted to set up characters in their own respective groups which I will dive into a little deeper next chapter. Though they might have their own little squads, all of the characters are very interconnected and even though one person might hang out with a certain group, it doesn't mean they don't interact often with other characters. So these kinds of "bridge characters" will act as a way to unite the main five along with their respective groups. I'm just really excited to incorporate such a big roster of characters! Kitten is going to be pretty funny in this story, though I do plan to develop her character a little instead of just making her a simple "high-school-popular-kid-villain" of sorts. I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

. . .

"Steve is going to kill me!" Gar paced around the room, running both hands through his hair in frustration. He was freaking out. It was bad enough Steve was already furious with him for failing a few of his classes but getting detention on top of that was going to give the man a rage attack. The great Steve Dayton was going to go on a murderous rampage, and there was nothing Gar could do about it.

"I don't know what you're complaining about, grass-head. You're the one who got us into this mess!" Vic muttered from his seat in the front desk. "I have better things to do right now than being trapped in here."

"I warned you this wouldn't end well, Gar." Dick added, his voice calm yet with a hint of shakiness like he was containing his anger. "You and Wally are always getting into trouble, but now you've gone too far."

"I'm sorry, guys! I asked Wally if he was sure Roy was the only one in there, and he told me he was!"

"Well look what your little friend got us into," Dick muttered, his shades preventing Gar from actually seeing his expression, though he had a faint idea of what it might look like.

"Please, friends! May we all just calm down?" Kory attempted to talk them down, holding her hands together and watching them all with concern. "Gar made a mistake. Let us accept it and try to move on."

"Move on? He got us detention for a month! All for his childish stunts that nobody appreciates!" Dick exclaimed. Gar frowned at that, though he wasn't willing to admit the words hurt his ego a bit. He had always prided himself in his pranks. It was the one thing he was known for, being the class clown and pranking people. He got attention for it, and Garfield Logan thrived from getting attention from others.

Vic cleared his throat. "She's right, Dick. We can't change what happened. Might as well not dwell on it. I, for once, don't want to be stuck on it forever."

Kory smiled at that and sat down next to him. "Wonderful! We can all be friends then!"

Vic looked around the room, noting how most of them seemed to be ignoring the girl. Gar was still pacing in front of the classroom muttering something to himself. Dick was sitting in the corner seat by the window with his feet on the desk in front of him and his arms crossed, still sending Gar a glare every once in a while. Meanwhile, Raven was in the back with the hood of her sweater up, silent as ever. Yeah, they weren't going to be friends any time soon.

"No offense, uh," he paused, unsure of her name. The girl seemed to understand considering she quickly introduced herself, and he followed her suit before continuing his sentence. "No offense, Kory. But we ain't going to be friends any time soon after this. Besides, we don't exactly talk to each other all that much."

Her eyes were so wide he thought she would cry, but instead, she sent him a wide smile, clapped her hands together and exclaimed, "Wonderful!"

The unexpected reaction appeared to catch the rest of the group's attention.

"Sorry? Uh, what?" Vic asked, scratching the top of his head while staring at the bewildering girl. She was certainly a special one. Either the girl was exceedingly oblivious and naive or she was an optimistic genius who they had yet to understand. He decided it was most likely the first.

"We shall spend the rest of our time bonding!"

"Bonding, huh?" The principal asked as she walked in, heels clicking on the ground.

Diana Prince. She was a tall, slender lady who walked with such confidence she emitted a divine aura as if she were a goddess. Her fury was as tough as Zeus' and wisdom as far as Athena's. She was always thinking three steps ahead of everyone, the kind of woman who had even a plan Z in her back pocket. She also had a knack for getting the truth out of anyone and everyone. Vic wasn't sure how she did it, and frankly, he wasn't intending on finding out any time soon. Despite how intimidating she made the others feel, she was legitimately a good person, and Vic really believed she just wanted the best for the students in Titan Academy. Thus, he trusted she would make the right decision and realize all of them (but Gar of course) had just been dragged into the mess by chance.

She turned to Gar, and he visibly gulped as he stood at the other end of her stare. "Garfield Logan. I am not one bit surprised by this. You have a knack for getting into these kinds of issues, don't you Mr. Logan? Unfortunately, despite the complaints of nearly all the staff who have had you, we never acquired sufficient evidence to give you the proper punishment. Until today, that is."

Then she glanced at the rest of them. "Now explain to me how exactly you all got roped into this mess?"

"We got caught in one of Gar's stupid pranks, and the vice-principal didn't give us any time to explain ourselves," Dick stated as he removed his legs from the desk and sat properly.

Ms. Prince examined him for a moment before nodding. "Very well. I understand."

"Does that mean you'll let us go?" Vic quickly got up from his seat.

"Unfortunately, no. Vice Principal Morgan is furious and will overturn letting you guys off the hook. My hands are tied, but don't worry, I managed to lower your sentence for two weeks as opposed to four. You can treat detention as a study hall in a way. You can talk, work on assignments or waste your time. Whatever you choose to do besides walking out of this room. The secretary is right outside, so don't try to sneak out, or else you'll end up worse than before." After that, she headed out, closing the door behind her as she did.

"This is all your fault," Dick told Gar as soon as the door shut.

"Look, Bird Boy." Gar used the nickname Dick had adopted after pictures of his time as a trapeze artist had leaked on the internet and had been posted all over the school. "I'm as pissed as you about this! Wally's the one who just left us there, and he's the one who made me go through with the prank in the first place!"

"Did he threaten you with a gun or something?" Dick got up and faced the shorter boy. "Because last time I checked, you love taking credit for all your pranks! What's the difference with this one? You don't want to admit it was a failure?"

Vic could see Gar clenching and unclenching his fists, his face getting progressively redder. That wasn't good. He stood up to step in between them. "You two gotta calm down before you get us into more trouble."

"Friend Vic is correct! We cannot let anger get the best of us."

"Shut it, red. You're the one who messed up the whole prank!" Gar retorted.

Never before had Vic witnessed Dick snap like he did at that moment. One second and he was gripping onto Gar's shirt, raising his feet up so high he was on his tiptoes. "What did you say to her, you little rascal?"

Vic rushed to their side and attempted to pull Dick back, but he stood firm to his spot. Gar didn't make things any better considering he was still glaring daggers in Dick's direction and doing nothing to alleviate their current predicament. "I said-"

"QUIET!" A voice from the back of the room made everyone freeze. Even Dick and Gar turned their heads.

Raven had stood up from her chair and had both palms on the desk in front of her. Her hood had fallen, and it revealed the fierceness behind her stare. Vic admitted that at one point, he had thought the girl was a robot. From the day he had met her, he had rarely ever seen her emote, anything besides anger or irritation at Gar's stupid in-class puns. But now, she appeared to be anything but a robot. The glare arose fear in even Vic who wasn't at the receiving end of it.

Dick let go of Gar's shirt, and Gar stepped back as soon as his feet touched the ground. Both were still staring at Raven.

"Fighting will resolve nothing. If you two want to go at it, I suggest you do it outside because we've already gotten enough unwarranted punishment for one day."

Dick finally took his eyes off Raven and sent Gar one last glare before going back to his seat by the window. Gar crossed his arms and sat down at the opposite end of the same row.

Kory sat down in the middle silently just as Vic went back to his seat. Nobody spoke for a moment, and the silence was so deafening Vic could almost hear his own thoughts screaming at him.

"I am sorry if I ruined something for you, Garfield." Kory finally broke the silence, much to Vic's relief. "I did not mean for things to go this badly."

Vic could see Gar cringing from the corner of his eye, and he turned to make eye contact with the scrawny teen. He looked genuinely regretful at his words.

"No, Kory. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have put anything on you. It wasn't your fault at all. It was mine. I was angry, and I really shouldn't have taken it out on you. I was way out of line. Please don't hate me," he practically squeaked the last part of his sentence Vic almost thought he imagined it. His voice resembled that of a mouse's (if mice could speak, that was).

Kory smiled warmly at him. "I gladly accept your apology, Garfield."

Gar sent her a wide grin, his canine poking out as he did. "My friend's all call me Gar. Garfield's kind of awkward."

Kory's smile only widened, and she clapped her hands together. "We are friends then?"

"Sure." Gar nodded, and Vic could almost see the regret in his eyes as Kory jumped out of her seat and pulled him into what he could only assume was a bone-crushing hug.

"Uh, Kor, I'd like to breathe now, please," he peeped.

Kory released him and stepped back, looking a little embarrassed. "Oh, I am sorry, Gar! I got very excited!"

"It's aight."

Vic turned back to face the board with amusement only to notice Dick's scowl had grown larger than it had been as he stared at the two. He looked in between them a few times before a thought occurred to him, and he smirked. For a second, he wanted to tease the guy, but he decided against it. He generally only teased his friends like that, and it wasn't like him and Dick were close at all. Not to mention he didn't want to make the teen angrier than he already looked.

Kory was still smiling at Gar when she suddenly looked toward the back of the room. Vic followed her gaze which landed on Raven who was quietly reading a book in the farthest seat from them. He watched with somewhat of an expression of awe as Kory walked to the back and stood by Raven's desk. The quiet girl ignored her at first until Kory continued to stare at her, and she tore her eyes away from the book to glance up at the girl.

"Your name is Rae, is it?"

Vic kept himself from snorting, and he noticed Gar looking a little embarrassed.

"No. It is Raven," the girl firmly stated as she shut her book. She directed her glare at Gar who avoided the girl's wrath. "Garfield, here, does not know how to call people by their actual names."

"Raven," Kory pronounced the name like she was learning a new word. "That is a beautiful name! Ravens are majestic birds, are they not?"

"I suppose you could say that."

"Well they certainly are as majestic as you, my friend!"

Raven's whole face flushed as suddenly everyone directed their gaze at her. She turned her face to avoid Kory's stare. "Thank you… I guess."

"You guess?" Kory looked confused. "But why would you guess something that is true?"

Raven's face turned even more crimson and looked more uncomfortable by the second. By this time, both Gar and Vic were staring at the two girls trying to contain their laughter but failing miserably as they kept seeing each other laugh.

"It is an expression, Kory."

"Oh! Forgive me! I am not very good with my English because I am not from this country."

"It is fine."

"Say, where you from, Kor?" Gar posed curiously while jumping onto the desk to sit and swinging his feet like a little kid. The guy was certainly short and did not resemble a junior at all.

"I am from the land of Tamaran!" she announced proudly, puffing out her chest and smiling.

"Tamaran?" Vic said, the name sounding a bit familiar. "I think I've heard of it before. Hasn't it been on the news for something?"

"Perhaps. Tamaran has just secured a deal with the royal family of the United Kingdom."

"Oh, yeah!" Realization dawned on Vic's expression. "Queen Luander or something met with Liz, recently, didn't she? I heard she tried to offer the queen a cat after their meeting?"

"Luand'r." Kory nodded. "My mother is very fond of cats. She takes them to be a symbol of peace and friendship."

"Your mo-" Gar's eyes grew wide. "YOU'RE A PRINCESS!?"

Gar's exclamation caught even Raven's attention, who looked up at the girl with a raised eyebrow. Vic could only stare at Kory with an incredulous expression. The girl certainly looked like a princess, and come to think of it, Vic thought he had seen pictures of Queen Luand'r's daughter before. Now that he inspected the girl more closely, he could definitely see the resemblance.

Kory simply smiled gently and a little shyly. "I suppose you could call me that. But in my country, I only go by Koriand'r."

"What are you doing all the way over here?" Dick finally joined the conversation.

Kory's expression fell the tiniest bit, and just as she opened her mouth to say something, the door opened and Ms. Prince's secretary, Etta Candy, walked in to let them know their detention was over, and they could head out.

Surprisingly, the time had gone quicker than Vic had expected it to go. Maybe these detention periods weren't going to be so bad after all.

"Perhaps I will tell you another day, Dick." Kory smiled, and Vic swore he could see Dick's face turn a tinge redder.

. . .

"Hey, Alfred. Know when Bruce's getting home?" Dick asked as he walked into Wayne Manor, throwing his bag on the floor by the staircase. He leaned against the railing and crossed his arms, watching his old butler exit the living room with a duster in hand.

"I believe Master Bruce will be getting home late tonight," Alfred Pennyworth told him as he picked up the bag. "Please refrain from throwing your belongings all over the floor. It makes it exceedingly difficult to keep this place tidy."

"Then what does Bruce pay you for?" Dick chuckled as he held onto the railing to start up the stairs. "Jason here yet?"

"Master Jason arrived earlier today. I do believe he refused to go to school as Master Bruce and I asked him to."

"So he's still acting like a brat, huh?" Dick slipped off his shades and hung them from the collar of his shirt, scratching his forehead with a sigh. Jason had the tendency to skip class whenever he felt like it. He was a sophomore, a grade below Dick, and he absolutely hated Titan Academy considering he thought everyone there was a pampered kid. Thus, he tended to hang out with riskier crowds outside of class as Dick had spotted often on his way to the parking lot. He didn't like it one bit, but he also wasn't going to be the one to take responsibility for the brat. It wasn't his job to educate Jason at all. "Mind taking my dinner up to my room, later? Not really feeling up to having another argument with him."

"I apologize, but I cannot do that. Master Bruce requested for me to specifically set the table so you two would eat together at the same time."

"Sneaky bastard. 'Course he's putting the responsibility of Jason on me." Dick rolled his eyes and uncrossed his arms. Even though he was no longer on bad terms with Bruce, it didn't mean he was on the best terms with his adoptive father. "Fine, just call me when it's ready." He started his ascent up the stairway.

"Master Richard?"

"Yeah?" Dick stopped and looked back.

"I believe your father is only trying to get you two to bond in some way. He believes you might be the person to get through to him."

Dick thought about his words for a moment before deriving his conclusion. "Bruce's delusional," he stated before turning back again and walking up the stairs.

This time, Alfred didn't try to call him back to convince him otherwise.

. . .

"Son, you received a few recruitment letters for several college football teams near," his father informed him with a huge smile the moment Vic stepped through the front door.

"Cool. Not interested," he told him as he headed for the stairs to his room.

Of course his father would still be caught up with the idea of his son playing in the big leagues. As brilliant as a scientist as Silas Stone was, he also tended toward delusional ideas. However, Vic knew better than to believe his future was saved. As long as he had that robotic side of him, he wasn't ever going to accomplish his past ambitions for his future. What Vic did want to do was move past them. He didn't want to stay in his crippled mindset for long. He knew how harmful it would be to his overall mental health, but his father wasn't exactly helping the situation, even if Vic knew he had good intentions for him.

Even before the accident, Vic had never wanted to be a disappointment to his father, so everything he recommended he would take as an order. As a child, he had had an amazing relationship with his mother, but after her death during a science experiment gone wrong, his father had spiraled into a hopeless pit, burying himself in work, barely paying any attention to Vic. Eventually though, he had realized he needed to focus on the people who were still around, so he had started acting like a better father. Silas had never been as close to Vic as his mother had been, but it was close enough.

Thus, since the day Vic had gotten home from middle school carrying a big fat A for his science course in his report card and had witnessed his father's gigantic smile, one he used to see back when his mother was alive, he decided he wanted no more than to make his father proud.

It had been working so well for them. They were closer than they had ever been until the accident happened, and Vic's world had crashed down on him the moment he had opened his eyes. Sometimes, he wished he hadn't, but he knew that wasn't the trail of thought he wanted to pursue.

Silas frowned, clearly unexpecting of that reaction. "Son, do you not realize the potential you have in your last two years? If you keep working hard on-"

"There's nothing to work hard for!" Vic snapped, turning on his heel and glaring at his father.

Silas' disappointment shifted into anger. "I forbid you from talking to your father like that!"

"Fine. You don't want me to talk to you like this? Then I won't talk to you at all." Vic looked away and continued up the stairs to his room.

"Victor Stone. You come down here right this minute and apologize!" he heard his father yell, but he ignored it.

"You can't keep acting this way!"

His bedroom door slammed shut.

. . .

This was it.

Gar had miraculously avoided his adoptive father like the plague since he had stepped foot in Doom Manor. But now, there was no way out of his conundrum.

Rita had always insisted their dinner time was their family bonding time, even though it often resembled more of a war zone with Gar and Steve at opposing sides and Rita as the pacifist. So now he was going to be forced to face Steve after not only getting detention but also receiving his latest report card which had yet another failing mark—his study hall out of all things. How the hell did anyone fail study hall? Well, clearly, he should've asked himself.

He had no idea what he'd done wrong! He had asked permission to go to the spare art room to work on recycling club duties every single time. Maybe his teacher just hated his guts. He decided that was the most reasonable explanation for it.

Regardless, he was failing four classes out of the eight he was taking now: English, Trigonometry, History, and Study Hall. The only classes he was doing 'good' in (not that his grades were any good either) were Art, Theater, Biology, and Gym (and somehow his grade for Gym was also on the line).

Gar sighed and crumbled the paper up before throwing it in the recycling bin. He laid back on his bed and stared at the ceiling. What the hell was he supposed to do now? It seemed nothing was going his way after all.

"Gar, dinner is ready!" Rita knocked on his door.

"Going," he muttered, unbothered by the fact she probably didn't hear him.

"Gar!"

"I'm going!" he yelled, and she didn't say anything after that.

He spent a few more minutes just laying there with his eyes closed before he decided it was time and got up.

"Welp, here goes nothing," he stated as he wrapped his fingers around the knob of the door and took a deep breath in preparation for the incoming battle.

. . .

"Raven... Why are you home so early? Did you forget your uniform?" her mother asked when she entered the apartment.

"I missed my shift," she stated as dryly as ever.

"You missed your…" Arella looked visibly confused. "But you never miss your shift. What happened?"

Raven set her bag down on the couch, staring her mother in the eyes. "I got in trouble at school."

"Trouble?" Arella looked even more confused with the proclamation. "What? How? What did you do?"

She started for her room, slipping off her sweater as she did. Her mother hurried behind her, awaiting an explanation.

"Young lady, you tell me right this instant what-"

"Stop acting like you're a responsible mother already." Raven sighed and placed two fingers at the bridge of her nose, attempting to tame her riled emotions. Azar, she needed to meditate. "Did you find a job?"

"N-no…" her mother admitted, her 'stern mother' voice suddenly dissipating.

"Then go look for one. I need some time to meditate. My head hurts." She walked over to close the door on her, but her mother quickly approached and placed the back of her palm against her forehead.

"Why you're burning up," she announced with concern. "Head to bed. I'll brew you some tea."

"I don't need-"

Arella gave her the stare, and Raven sighed a deep breath before obeying her. "Fine. But I'm not cleaning today."

. . .

"Princess Koriand'r, your mother and father will soon be connecting to the video messaging service," Alissa informed her after she had knocked on the door, and she had let her in.

"Very well. I will be down soon." She nodded without taking her focus off of the box of special belongings she had brought back from Tamaran.

"Do not be late. Your sister could get agitated if you do. And you do know what happened last time you kept her waiting."

"I am aware, Alisand'r. Please, I require a few minutes on my own," Kory looked up and smiled at one of her parents' most trusted guardians.

Alissa glimpsed at the box Kory held in her lap before nodding, turning around, and closing the door behind her.

Kory looked back down and opened the top of the box. Inside, there were a few items she held near and dear to her heart that she kept to look back on if she needed a bit of hope for the coming times. Kory had always been the kind of girl who radiated positivity and wasn't afraid to show it, such were the ways of the Tamareneans.

However, the instant she had stepped foot in this strange new land, she had felt the aura around her shift. Everybody appeared to radiate such negative forces, their emotions of frustration, stress, and containment trapping her in her own little bubble of brightness that seemed to shrink every minute she remained here.

Kory was beginning to tire. At first, she had thought she could change everyone she met. She believed that with her strong will, she could manage to inspire the kind of spirit her own culture exhibited. But Kory hadn't realized it had been beginning to take a toll on her until she had arrived at Titan Academy. Even with all of the glamour and bling the students wore, the fake smiles and all of their acts suited solely to convince other people they had everything together made the place feel absolutely miserable.

Karen had certainly managed to convince her it was possible to change it, however, and a lot of her friends too, few figures who had the kind of spirit she was looking for.

However, nothing had prepared her for the kind of gloom she had felt inside that detention room, seemingly multiplied by a dozen times in comparison to the rest of the student body. Those four radiated negativity like no other. Even Vic, who appeared like such a positive and gentle person on the outside, felt like he was hiding a sort of melancholy she hadn't yet recognized in a person. Gar, who seemed like a funny, charismatic, and the most energetic person in that room, emitted feelings of inadequacy she was very familiar with herself. Dick, who appeared to have everything together on the outside as Karen had described, looked like he didn't know how to loosen up and take life for the spontaneous rollercoaster that it was or even cared to try. Then there was Raven, who though appeared emotionless, radiated the most melancholy and darkness she'd ever felt from someone, so much Kory had felt a chill down her spine the moment she had approached the girl.

A few drops fell on the pearl necklace she had gently picked up from the box. Her hand rose to her face, and that's when she realized she was crying.

Kory Anders was crying.

But Kory Anders did not cry. The last time she had cried, she had barely been a toddler.

So why now?

She placed the necklace slowly back into the box, closed it, and tucked it back safely under her bed. She walked up to her vanity mirror and wiped the tears off her cheeks, her expression morphing into one of determination.

The good news was, Kory hadn't only felt gloom in that room. She had also felt the kind of hope she had so desperately held onto even as she had traveled through such a hopeless country. She had felt a bit of light, and she was desperate to reach for it. In each and every one of them, there was hope.

And even if it broke her down, Kory Anders was determined to bring it out.

A/N: So this story is definitely going to have somewhat of a slow beginning while I introduce all of the side plots and character conflicts and such. I'm already through with chapter four and the main conflict hasn't even begun yet. However, I am really excited to write it! I'm really enjoying writing from all of their perspectives, and especially adopting certain other characters as minor characters who still make a lot of appearances. This setting is all somewhat interconnected, so it also means it's a bit hard to keep up with, but I'm trying my best.

Anyhow, if you have any suggestions or any characters you'd like to see (if I'm not already planning to include them), please write them in the reviews or message me! Thank y'all for reading! I really appreciate your continued support :)