Disclaimer:

I, Syraxes, do not own the Young Justice Animated Series, the Young Justice video game, the tie-in comics, the original comic series that shares its name, or the new comic series that also shares its name. They are the property of Time Warner, Warner Brothers Studio's, and DC Comics. I am simply a humble fan, making this for the enjoyment of other fans. Please support the official release.

Raven's Room

February 4th, 21:39 PST

Kori leaned against the door silently, staring into the dark wooden door. It had been years since the last time that door opened. Everything was in the same place that Raven had left it the day she made her sacrifice.

"It shouldn't be long now," John muttered from her side.

Kori nodded, closing her eyes. She could picture Raven's face, lacking a smile as it often did. If she really concentrated, Kori could remember living there. Never knowing if they'd be flushed out of their hiding spot. Always looking over their shoulder. Though she never said anything, Kori knew that being on the run effected Raven more than herself or John.

It had been years since the three of them lived in this small building located in Jump City's worst neighborhood. Kori had wanted to get all of Raven's things and bring them to the tower, but Raven had spelled her door shut. Despite her and John's best efforts, they couldn't get the door open. Until recently they hadn't known anyone else of the magic persuasion.

John insisted on keeping the payments. If the owner discovered that they couldn't get into one of their rooms, it would bring more scrutiny down upon them. Even after they no longer had to hide from the Court the payments continued.

A flash of golden light drew Kori from her thoughts. Eyes snapping open, she looked at the portal that had just appeared. The familiar form of a person stepped out, one she recognized on sight. Since coming to Earth, Kori had seen the Justice League more times than she could count. She might have never met Doctor Fate in person, but she knew him by sight.

"Thanks for coming," John said. Kori crossed her arms nervously and let him do the talking. John was the one who interacted with the League, not her. He made the request, so it would be better that he take the lead.

Doctor Fate nodded. "The child of magic told me that you have a gem. Where is it? I was called to examine it."

Kori reached up and unclasped the choker from around her neck. The red gem at the end of it had been Raven's. After Raven disappeared, Kori hadn't been able to part with it. Keeping it close made her feel like Raven was close.

"Before you look at it, can you open this door?" John asked, causing Kori to freeze. This request wasn't part of the script. He didn't say anything about asking Fate for help getting inside. "Raven, our friend, spelled the door shut. Inside is all of her clothes and possessions. We want to take them."

If the Lord of Order found the question to be strange, he didn't show it. Nodding once silently, he walked up to the door, placing his hand on the dark wood. He said something in a language Kori didn't understand and a golden icon flared to life. It vanished as suddenly as it had appeared and the door opened with a squeak.

"It is done," Doctor Fate declared. "Where is the gem?"

Kori stepped towards him and offered her choker. As Doctor Fate picked it up to examine it, Kori turned to John: "You didn't tell me you wanted her door open."

John smiled. "I didn't plan on asking. Just a spur of the moment favor. We have our base finished. After this, we can clean Raven's room out and put her things in the room we're saving for her at the tower. It'll be ready for her when she gets back."

That brought a smile to Kori's face. She hoped Raven would be back soon.

"This magic is of the demon, Trigon... Though it has been influenced with magic of human origin. This shouldn't be possible," Doctor Fate said aloud. His words draw her attention back to him.

"Raven said her mother was a human magician. Her father was a demon," Kori explained. The name Trigon sounded familiar, but try as she might, Kori couldn't put her finger on the way.

"A half-mortal, half-demon. Mixing magic from both parents."

The Lord of Order sounded awed... No, that wasn't the right word.

"What happened to her?"

"We're not actually clear on that," John admitted. "We know her father had been attempting to open a portal to Earth, and she had to stop it. She sealed herself in her gem, closing his portal."

"You think it is possible to release her? Why?"

"Raven told us it was." Kori had spent many nights contemplating if Raven had lied so she and John wouldn't interfere.

"I cannot help you."

Doctor Fate held the choker out to her. Stunned, Kori took it.

"What do you mean?" John asked sharply.

"It is not in my power. To help your friend, magic of human origin will be required. That and demonic magic. Neither of which a Lord of Order can provide. Though you should consider if you want to release her. Your friend closed her father's portal by sealing herself in there. If you release it, you might undo what she did. I will speak with the child of magic on this further."

Before anything else could be said, Doctor Fate walked through his golden portal.

Kori stared at the red gem in her hand.

"Raven went out of her way to say we could get her out," John spoke. "She didn't say anything about not doing it. If it would undo what she did, I don't believe Raven would tell us to get her out."

Kori closed her hand around the gem. John was right. Raven was selfless. If she believed that staying sealed was the best course, she wouldn't have told them they could get her out...

Or would she? If she had come out and admitted that staying sealed was the only way, would John or her have listened? Or would they have tried to persuade her that there was another way? A better way. One that didn't involve her sealing herself away for the rest of eternity.

"I suppose we should move her things," Kori sighed. Thinking about it wouldn't get her any answers. All it would do would cause her to go around in circles.

Jump City

February 5th, 15:09 PST

Artemis wondered if it might have been the best choice to not leave her backpack in her locker when she left school, but she had homework that would be due the next day. Which meant that she had to lug it around with her all day until she got back home.

Home. Artemis didn't know when she had started thinking of the tower as home, but that's what it had become. It was her home.

"So, where do you want to eat?" Artemis asked. It was only fair. On their date, she had been the one to pick where they went.

"Burger Fool." Match came back with his answer faster than she would have thought.

"Really? I thought you would have had enough fast food by now?" Artemis questioned. Match just shrugged his shoulders.

Could Kryptonians get fat? It was something she'd have to look into. Cause if they couldn't, then Artemis was in for a future of spending a lot of her free time in the towers gym. She knew for a fact that she could get fat. If she kept eating fast food every day, then she would... Bar spending hours in a gym.

"Why?" You don't approve?" The corner of his mouth curved up into a smile. It was the same expression her cocky, know it all Match always made. Maybe there is some of him left, after all, Artemis thought.

"Half of our meals are fast food. John knows how to cook, which is good because I don't, but he seems to have this unending desire for pizza." As she said it, Artemis rolled her eyes. In the morning's John was usually the first one up, cooking breakfast, and preparing ingredients for dinner. For lunch, however, he seemed to think it was fine to just order pizza all the time. Which Match and Kori didn't seem to care about, though Harper agreed with Artemis.

Given how good Kori looked (she could seriously be a supermodel if the hero thing didn't pan out), Artemis wondered how she kept that form if she ate pizza so much. It was probably her alien biology. Something Artemis found herself more and more jealous of.

"Don't you think we eat enough junk food as it is?" Artemis asked.

Match shrugged. "Maybe?"

"Pick someplace else," she ordered.

Match laughed. "Milagro told me about this small cafe she and her friends go to on the weekend. We could try that?"

"Sounds great. You know where it is, right?"

Match nodded. Without her prompting, Match took her hand in his. It was the first time they had held hands in public and he was the one who did it.

"While we're out here along, I wanted to talk to you," Match said quietly.

Artemis frowned. He wanted to talk to her while they were alone? That... It might not be good. "Sure. What's on your mind, superboy?"

Match snorted. "Please don't call me that. That's my little brother. I wanted to talk about us."

The words had just come out of his mouth when Artemis felt her heart starting to be faster. Warm was spreading through her chest and up her face. He wanted to talk. About them. The two had just gone on one date. Did he not want to see her anymore? Did his memories of Harper come back? Did he not want her?

"What about us?"

"I remember us. Back at the place on the ocean. I remember meeting you. Us spending time together. Training. Watching movies... Our first kiss."

Artemis could clearly remember their first kiss. It had been after a particularly brutal training session. Match hadn't been allowed to use his powers. Both of them had been using bo-staffs. Match, who had relied on his Kryptonian powers, was out of his depth. In the end, she played with him for a little bit, the first session in knocking him down a few pegs. When she finally ended it, Artemis knocked his feet down from below her. Before he could even think of recovering, the staff was to his neck. After she helped him up (the trainers demanded that they start again), Match had kissed her. It was so out of the blue that she didn't even think about stopping him.

"Really?" She asked breathlessly.

"Yeah. I'm remembering a lot of things. Not just you. Harper too."

Artemis knew it was unfair. He had a past with Harper as well as her, not to mention what had happened to him before any of them had met, but she couldn't stop the irrational feeling of disappointment.

"So, where is this going?" Artemis made sure her voice was as disconnected as she could make it. If he was about to tell her that he wanted to see Harper, she wasn't going to let him see how much it would hurt.

Artemis watched Match steel himself and she braced herself for what he was going to say. "I know last time it was you who asked, so I hope you don't mind me being the one this time. Artemis Crock, will you go out with me?"

That was not what she was expecting. Somehow her heart began to beat even faster. "Go out with you? Like..."

"Boyfriend and girlfriend," he continued.

The blush was heating her face, but Artemis managed to nod. "Yes. I'd like to."

"Well, it's about time!" A new voice called. Artemis, who had been so caught up in the moment, nearly jumped when she heard Harper. She whipped around to find the other girl standing behind them, leaning against a brick building. "I was wondering which one of us was going to make the first move. My money was on you, Artemis."

"Have you been following us?" Artemis demanded. This was a private moment. Match had just asked her out, to be part of a committed relationship. This girl followed them all the way from school, after saying she wanted to get back to the tower, only to interrupt her moment.

"Of course I've been following you-"

"You could try having a little shame!"

"Shame? It's the three of us. What's there to be ashamed about?"

"If you don't know, then I can't explain it. Match, tell her."

Her new boyfriend had the nerve to look amused. Though anger at Harper eclipsed all other emotions, Artemis was happy to see that look on his face. The same look her Match always seemed to have.

"Come on. No need to be so defensive. It's just us," she repeated.

"It should just be me and Match!"

"I told you I wasn't going to give him up that easily." Harper moved from her spot leaning against the wall, stopping when she was only a few inches from Artemis.

"What are you-" was all Artemis got out before Harper locked lips with her. The last time that had happened, she didn't mind, but right now was so the wrong time for that. Harper pulled back before Artemis could push her away. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Kissing my girlfriend," Harper said.

"I'm sorry, what? Your-"

"Girlfriend, yes. I couldn't let my girlfriend and boyfriend hang out without me. Right, Match?"

Artemis glared at her boyfriend, who lost his amused look to resemble more of a deer in headlights.

"Harper, I don't-"

"You have your memories back, don't you? You remember how we met, right? What happened the night I escaped?"

Artemis' natural curiosity began fighting with her indignation. What had happened when Harper escaped? The beetle had never told her that part.

"You promised to come back for me," Match said slowly

"Because?"

"Both of us were being held against our will. How do you know you love me?"

Love her? Now Artemis was lost.

"I know what I want, Match. And I want you. And Artemis. And I know you want me too."

Artemis knew that was a possibility. That he might like Harper as much as he liked her. They shared time together as well. If Match could remember the time Artemis and he had spent together, he'd remember his time with Harper too.

Looking at her, Artemis didn't think Harper was ugly. If anything, the girl looked really good, even with the dyed blue hair. She had never seriously looked at girls the way she looked at Match and the quarterback on Gotham North's team, but that didn't mean she couldn't see how beautiful Harper looked. Harper herself swung both ways. If Artemis was honest with herself, she liked the way Harper kissed her.

"So, Artemis, what do you think? I want you to go out with me," Harper said brazenly.

Even with the chaos going through her head, Artemis had to admire Harper's audacity. In this situation, she didn't think she'd be as bold as the other girl was.

"Go out with you, huh? After Match just agreed to become my boyfriend? You really have no shame, do you, Row?"

Harper smirked. "None at all."

Artemis sighed. "You're not going to let this go, are you? Okay. We can try. it out. No promises... But I'm willing to give it a shot."

Other than Match, she had never had a boyfriend before, and he lasted for less than a moment, much less a girlfriend. Having a boy and girlfriend at the same time? This was going to be a new one.

"What about you, Match?" Harper turned around to face the Kryptonian.

Match took one look at them before his eyes rolled up in the back of his head and the clone collapsed.

Secret Base

February 5th, 20:09 PST

Djo Zha followed behind Commander, the dark cloak covering his body. His eyes scanned the area around him. The human architecture was so different from that of his people. Before he had joined the rebel forces on his planet, and before they had given him the beetle, Djo had been an architect. The strangeness of these alien buildings appealed to him, and Djo imagined what he could do if he was given time to study them. Back then he had always been keen on new designs.

"We must focus, Djo Zha," his cursed scarab whispered in his mind. "We are to protect Commander if this meeting falls apart."

Given the choice, he knew exactly where he'd stand on protecting a Reach official. But as his scarab constantly reminded him, they lived to serve.

Djo's body stopped behind Commander when he stopped walking. A human figure stood before them, a single scan revealing that it was of the female of the species. Djo's scarab scanned the mask she wore, putting it up against the database the Reach had composed before they had been forced out of Earth.

"You are the assassin, Cheshire," Djo heard himself speak. His body tensed against his will, the scarab preparing to move.

"So I am," the assassin agreed. "You are a Reach warrior. Strange to find you here. I thought the Reach left Earth."

"We have, but something was stolen from us," Commander said, inserting himself in the conversation. "I believe you are someone who can assist us with our problem."

Author's Note:

Hello! I hope you have enjoyed the ninth chapter of Teen Titans: Rising

Burger Fool is a fast food joint that first appeared in the Static Comic books, and has been seen in a few other DC media.

Pa tr eon . com (slash) Syraxes