She was ready to shoot, but something in the back of her head stopped her. "Mina." "Uncle Dick?" The man was smiling to her, but his eyes where on the gun. "It's okay Mina. We took them out."
Suddenly all of her energy left her and her legs gave away. Robin grabbed the gun and the girl, letting her cry against his shoulders.
"Mina." "She's down here." Suddenly her mother replaced Robin, but Mina didn't care. She was so tired. "Mina where are the others?" Mina rose to her feet and lead the grownups to the room where they where hiding.
"Tiny Titans." Suddenly the room exploded with terrified children, and there overwhelmed parents. Mina took a step back so everyone could hug everyone, and fell to the floor.
"Mina." Far away she could hear her father scream her name, but she was too tired to answer. She felt something grab her before everything went completely black.
Mina looked at her parents. The gun was lying on the table between them. Bee had taken the children to get ice cream while the other titans decided what to do.
Of coarse Ulrich had tattled on his sister's secret.
"A gun. You brought a gun into this house?" Mina was just standing there. She knew this was how they would have reacted. That's why she hadn't told them.
"You know what I think about guns. They kill people." "So would my powers, if I had any." Beast Boy rose. His anger almost scaring Mina. "Your brothers haven't killed anyone. You have."
He might as well have hit here. She took a step back; her hand went to her mouth. Eyes watering.
"I had to kill them, or they would have killed Ulrich, and the gun was the only way I could do it. Since I don't have any powers." "If you are playing with guns, it might be a good thing you don't have powers."
That was the last straw. She grabbed the gun and ran out of the room, his words ringing in her ear. Not the part about killing people. She had, and she would have to live with it. She understood that.
But being glad she was in this hell of being powerless. The hell of being the powerless oldest tiny titan. She didn't run to her bedroom, but to the roof. She ran to the edge and threw up. Her entire body was shaking.
She was sitting on the edge, her legs crossed, the gun lying next to her. Her eyes were closed.
"And what would have stopped William or Ulrich taken the gun now?" She opened her eyes, but didn't turn around. "Nothing, that's why I never told anyone about it."
Robin laughed. "And that should have stopped them." "You have things that are just as dangerous as a gun." "Yes but I don't keep it in my closet." She bent backwards and looked at him.
He was lying, and he knew she knew he was lying. He blushed and looked at the sun setting.
"So again, it's one rule for the adults, and one for the children." "Of course." "They do know that if it hadn't been for the gun Ulrich would have been dead right?"
She could feel his stare and she rose to her feet, turning. "Yes, and we are all glad you saved out children's lives. But do you know how much you scared your parents? You where shot Mina. Several times. You could have died."
"I didn't shoot myself. I have been shooting since I was 16, I'm not a rookie." She clasped her hand in front of her mouth. She didn't mean to say that much. He just looked at her, a bit of shocked first, but soon his face faded into his leader face. "Show me."
She was nervous and kept wetting her lips. She was standing in the shooting rink with him behind her. The owner and a few of the regulars had stopped too, and were looking at her.
She had been going there for over a year, and had a bit of a reputation there. She closed her eyes, and tried to imagine that Robin wasn't looking.
"It's just me and the target." She opened her eyes, and everything else had faded away. She could only hear her own breath. Only see the target and the gun.
She raised her arms, aimed and fired. She had grown used to the movement of the gun, and was now moving with it. She even stopped getting the beginning wound between her thumb and index finger as most beginners get.
She fired a round, and first then she lowered the gun and removed the eye goggles and ear protection. She could hear the regulars cheer her as the target came closer. She couldn't hide a proud smile.
Out of ten possible, nine had been bull's eye and one had been on the line. "You did it again." "A natural." "You can't buy that kind of talent." Mina tried to hush them down, but secretly she loved them for their support. At last they turned and she looked wondering at Robin.
What did he think? He came up and looked at the target. "How long have you been shooting?" "Little over a year." She got nervous. She hated not having a strong sense of empathy. There was no way for her to read him.
"Nice." Mina could have past out. Her face lit up. He thought it was good, no nice. Nice.
"Have you considered other weapons?" "Like…" "Archery for instant. You have a better aim than Roy."
She had only met Arsenal on a few occasions, but she had heard a lot about the leader of Titan East, formerly known as Speedy and now known as Roy by his titan friends, and knew that was a big compliment. "Lets get back to the tower, I might have an idea."
"No." Raven was standing in common room, this time both Bee and Starfire had taken the children out. Therefore there was only Raven, Mina and the titan men in the room.
"But mom." "I said no." "She has talent Raven." Robin had given Raven and Beast Boy the target, and right now Beast Boy was sitting awing it. Mina couldn't help feeling proud that something she had done got so much admiration of him.
"I don't care. I don't want you to move to the other side of the country to play with guns." "Archery. And it's not sure he will teach me anything. Robin just wants me to met him so he can judge me for himself."
Raven turned to get support from her husband, but he was just admiring the bull's eye. "How long have you been shooting?" Mina blushed. She hated being reminded she had kept this a secret from her parents.
"A little over a year." He whistled impressed and got an evil glare from his wife. He looked up at her. "What, the girls got talent."
Ravens eyes widened, and if hadn't been for Mina, she probably would have thrown her husband threw the wall. Raven turned to her oldest and only daughter, and now she had tears in her eyes.
"Mina you are my daughter…" "Yes I'm your daughter. I am the powerless daughter of the titan heroes Raven and Beast Boy. I cry in the showers because I feel inferior to the title. I have to stay away from Gavin and Ulrich, terrified that one of them would feel my hatred to them and get hurt."
Mina's tears started to slither down her cheek, but she didn't care. She had opened Pandora's box, and now she couldn't close it.
"I can't help hating the people I love the most, because I'm so jealous I actually get sick. I hate them because I'm the only normal person in the only place where I'm not normal. And now I finally have a thing I'm good at. A thing that might make me worthy being your daughter, and it's not fair for you to deny me exploring that."
She closed her eyes as her body was shaking. Her arms rapped around herself. None of the titans said a word. The only sound that could be heard was Minas weeping.
She felt her mothers warm embrace, and grabbed the woman tight. It felt comfortable crying in her warm arms. "I'm sorry." "No I'm sorry Mina." Raven started petting her hair, and Mina's spasms calmed down.
She felt her father coming behind her. He too was laying his arms around her.
"You are our daughter Minerva, and we are proud of you, powers or not. We are proud of you the way you are always kind to the children, that you're never disloyal, and that you work hard. Those are thing you have, and doesn't come from powers."
"And we are proud of your leadership. That you saved Ulrich life, and that even though you were out numbered and powerless, you saved the children without thinking about your own safety."
Mina looked teary eyed from her mother, to her father and back again. They took turns kissing her on the forehead.
"We are proud of you Mina, but if you need this, I can't stop you." Raven gave her a half smile. "I never could." Mina smiled and gave each of her parents a lung-crushing hug. She turned to Robin.
"So, when can we go?" He smiled. "As soon as you're ready." Raven laid a hand on her shoulder. "Which means tomorrow."
Mina's smile faded a bit, but then it grew back and she bit her lip. They had given her permission to go. She was finally on her way to find out her place in the titan world.
"No I don't want you to leave." Luanna was standing in the common room, her voice getting pretty high. Mina, Robin and Bee, who wanted to go back home to see her old teammates, were saying good-bye.
To say the children were taking Mina leaving bad is putting it lightly. Right now Luanna was having a tantrum. William was quiet and started to kick the couch. P.C. was just looking at her with teary eyes. Erlea was on her hip and not letting go.
Robin and Bee were actually a bit jealous there children had a harder time saying good bye to Mina that to them. "I have to do this."
The twins were just watching the show from the door. She had talked with them the night before, and thou they hated her leaving; they didn't make a spectacle out of it.
"Do you really hate us that much?" Luanna eyes had over flown a long time ago, and her cheeks where now red and swollen from the crying. Mina went down on her knees taking the girl into a hug.
"I don't hate you. I could never hate you. I'm just leaving so I can practise my powers." "I thought you didn't have powers." William had stopped hitting the couch and now just refused to look at her.
"So did I, but your father helped me discover I actually have some. But they are different then what they thought so I have to go away so I can practise."
Luanna let go of her in time for Williams hug. It was warm and needy and Mina kissed him on the cheek when he pulled away. "You can call me anytime you want, okay?" P.C. got his hug and kiss. Then she gave Erlea to his father. He was about to cry, but a kiss calmed him down.
"I promise you wont even miss me in a few days." The children just looked at her weepy eyed. She hugged the adults one more time, then her brothers, and then finally it was time.
She picked up her bag and followed Robin and Bee to the ship, and soon they where on their way. Mina just hoped she had done the right thing.
"Karen." "Jinx." "Dick." "Roy." "Wally." "Welcome Karen." "Garth." "Nice to see you again Dick." "Más y Menos" "Bienvenido Karen." "And you remember Mina."
Mina looked shy as the six titans measured her up and down. She knew them all by reputation, and of course meeting them on rear occasion, but this only made her shyer.
"I still can't believe your Raven and Garfield. Now that is crime against nature." The woman with pink hair smiled warmly at her. Jinx.
After Bee had left Titans East they apparently asked Jinx and Flash, Wally, to take her place, and thou they said it only was temporary they had been there for over 15 years now.
Mina had been in such awe at meeting this powerful titan she didn't know what else to do but curtsey. "Nice to meet you miss Jinx." Jinx was surprised by this, and then started to laugh. Mina blushed, afraid she had done something wrong.
"Did Raven make Garfield take paternity test? She sure the kids his." "Jinx." A red headed man, Flash, laid his arm on her shoulder. Jinx looked at him back to Mina.
"But she has his eyes." "Good girl." Jinx stuck out her tongue, and this just made him smile to her. Finally she smiled back. She looked to the right where Robin was talking to a man, he too with red hair only his more orange than Flash. Roy. Arsenal. Speedy. She walked silently over to them and stood quietly by Robin's side.
"I don't know. I'm not that much of a teacher." The man scratched the back of his head. "I know, but I thought you could at least check her out."
Mina was biting her lip in suspense. Holding her breath. If he said no. "I can at least check her out." Mina gave a scream of happiness and hugged the man.
She suddenly realised what she had done and let quickly go of him, looking down, blushing. She hoped she hadn't ruined everything before it had started. She looked worried up at him, and smiled when she saw he was smiling too.
"But come in, we have your rooms ready." Mina grabbed her bag and quickly followed the rest of the team. "You can sleep her Mina." Speedy opened the door to a light blue room. "Thank you." She threw the bag on her bed and continued to follow the others, not wanting to miss the tour.
Everything was pretty much like back home, with one exception. They had the biggest indoor pool Mina had ever seen. She literally stood there with her mouth open.
"I hope you brought a swimsuit." Garth, Aqualad turned man, was the most handsome man she had ever seen. He was tall with dark hair and black eyes. Mina could feel how her heart started to beat a little faster, and knew right away she had a crush on this man.
He laughed as a tall smiling brunette came, and he kissed her. She smiled to Mina, and Mina smiled back. "Tula you remember Raven and Gar's daughter Mina."
"Mina of course, and how are your parents?" Mina knew she liked this woman instantly. Forgetting her crush on her husband. "They are fine, thank you. And how are you?"
Tula laughed, and Mina was reminded by her mother's laughter. "I'm fine." She turned to Aqualad. "Is Raven sure Garfield's the father?" He shrugged. "She says so." Tula laughed, and Mina couldn't help smiling too.
"Dinner." Mina was following Tula and Aqualad back into the common room. Everyone was there sitting down. Más and Minos with their identical model wives. Jinx, Flash, Bee, Robin and Su, Tula and Aqualads five-year-old daughter. "Su, come over and meet a friend who's going to live here a while." '
Su, a beautiful girl with long black hair and her mothers brown eyes, came closer. Mina went down on her knees like she did back home, and reached out her hand. The girl looked at her before grabbing her hand, and when realising it wasn't dangerous she even gave Mina a hug.
Then she let go, smiled, and went back to Bee and Speedy. "Wow, I have never seen her take to someone that fast." Mina blushed and shrugged. "She knows I won't hurt her."
She rose to her feet and went over to the table. She sat down between Jinx and Robin and started to take the food offered her, feeling more at home.
She looked at Jinx, and noticed that she had that glow over her that only meant one thing. "So when's it due?" Jinx just looked at her. "What do you mean?" "The baby?"
Her eyes widened, and Mina slapped her hand over her mouth, realising Jinx didn't know she was pregnant. "What?" "Forget that." Jinx rose, more scarred than mad, and left the table.
Mina put her head in her hands, ready to weep at any moment. Now Speedy would never tutor her, that's for sure. Flash rose from the table as well, running after his girlfriend. The rest of the table looked at her. She had never wished for her mothers phasing ability more than ever.
"What happened?" Mina leaned over to Robin and with a hoarse whisper she said. "I kind of, sort of, maybe told her she was pregnant without her knowing." His eyes widened. "You positive she is?" Mina nodded. There weren't a doubt in her body.
Flash was standing outside the bathroom knocking on the door. Mina, with Robin and the rest of the tower came to check. Mina felt terrible. "What did you tell her?" "She should tell you." Flash just looked confused. Mina knocked on the door. She wanted to apologies. "Jinx, I'm sorry. I thought you knew."
"Knew? Knew what?" Mina turned to Flash, annoyed about how dense men could be some times. "Has she been sick?" "No." "Yes she has." One of models spoke out. "About a month now. Said she had the flu."
Mina looked at Flash to see if he understood. He looked just as blank. She rolled her eyes as the door opened and Jinxs arm flew out grabbed her and dragged her in.
Jinx was waking back and forth in the bathroom, the pregnancy test in the sink. "How did you know?" Mina shrugged. "You glowed." Jinx sat down and started to cry. "I'm not ready to be a mother. I don't even know if I ever wanted to be a mother."
Mina sat down next to her and let the woman cry against her shoulder. "If you really don't want the child, you can take an abortion. But right now you are just overwhelmed and scared. And that is normal." Jinx just cried.
"You love Wally right?" She nodded. "Then you should talk it over with him. This is a big decision, and you both need to talk things through." She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Shall I tell him to come in?" She nodded. "But don't leave me." Mina smiled. "I won't."
She rose to her feet, went to the door and opened it. The others where standing right outside the door. "Wally she wants to talk to you." She let him come in, then locking the door behind him.
Still with three people inside the bathroom held plenty of space, Mina made a mental note about asking Cyborg about widening theirs.
"Jinx what is it?" Jinx just started to cry again. Mina sat down next to her. "Do you want me to tell him?" Jinx nodded. Mina turned to Flash.
"You remember that she has been sick, thinking it was the flu? And now back at the table I asked her when the baby was due." "Is that why you're upset Jinx, because you think your fat."
This just made Jinx weep even more. Mina swore under breath, breathed in and out, trying to keep her voice calm. "I didn't ask because she looked fat?" "Then why?" "Because she glowed. And she ran up here to take a test."
Flash just looked clueless. Mina wondered if it was every man, or only the one's she knew. "What kind of test?" "A pregnancy test." His eyes widened. Finally he understood where she was going.
"What are you saying?" "She's trying to tell you I'm pregnant." Jinx sudden outburst made Mina jump. She was sure the people on the other side of the door had heard her, loud and clear.
Flash certainly must have since he had passed out. Mina jumped to her feet and ran to the door, unlocking it. Robin and Aqualad came in, saw their unconscious friend, and carried him out of there. Tula, Bee and the models came in and went over to Jinx.
Mina went out of there, finally finding it cramped. She followed the men into the common room where they laid Flash on the couch. "I'm so sorry. I thought she knew. I swear." Mina started to cry. Robin laid his arms around her, trying to comfort her.
"It's okay Mina. Nobody is blaming you." "Really?" She tried drying her tears. "If you ask me he had it coming." Aqualad sat down laughing at his still unconscious.
Speedy came over and laid an arm on her shoulder smiling to her. "You shouldn't be ashamed about your gift Mina. Aqualad's right. He had it coming." Mina smiled to the smiling man, feeling better already.
"So what do you think your getting? A boy or a girl?" Jinx and Flash were sitting in the common room, getting a bit more used to the idea of having a child. The others were in the common room, with the exception of the models.
"I don't know." "Anything is okay with me." Jinx was resting her head on his shoulder, and looked very delicate. Mina had never seen her so lovely.
"A boy." The words popped out of her mouth before she could stop them, and she slapped her hand over her mouth again. Suddenly she had everyone's attention. "If I should guess."
Robin took a sip of his drink. "She's probably right. She's six out of six back home." "Even told me Cy and I were getting two boys before we started the adoption process." Aqualad whistled impressed. "Cool power."
Mina bit her lower lip, but couldn't help smiling. She had always thought she was just lucky, but maybe it actually was some kind of power. "And again I'm sorry for just blurting it out like that Jinx. I really thought you knew."
"It's okay. I must admit I had thought about it myself, that's why I bought the pregnancy test, but I just never got the nerve to actually take it."
Suddenly the screen started to flicker and at last Luannas face appeared. Robin got to his feet. "Hi sweetie." "Hi dad. Is Mina there?" Speedy gave a weak chuckle, but was quickly silenced by Bees elbow.
"I'm here Lua. What is it?" "I miss you." "I miss you too. And your father misses too." Luanna got a slight blush. "I miss you daddy." Robin smiled to his daughter. "I miss you sweetie." "When are you coming home Mina?"
Luanna looked as to again completely forgetting her fathers' presence. "I don't know. But I told you it might be a while." The girl pouted. "Don't pout Lua." "But I miss you." "And I miss you. Give my love to everyone." She nodded sad, but sighed, waved good-bye to everyone, not remembering her father, and hang up.
"Nice kid. Talk with her much." Flash grinned as Robin sat down his deadpan look on his face was almost as good as Ravens. Mina sat down next to him, wanting to better his mode.
"You should actually take it as a compliment." Robin just looked at her, one eyebrow raised.
"She is so confident in your place in her life, thinking that you might not come home just seems absurd. Me not coming home, on the other hand, could be a reality. She doesn't need to check up on you, because she knows you are always there."
Robin gave her a smile, and Mina couldn't help smile back. "Can we keep you?" Jinx leaned over and grabbed her hand. Mina laughed. "We'll see." Jinx let go of her hand and leaned back on her boyfriend.
"You have no idea how lucky you guys have been Dick. You really have her at home helping with the children? Lucky bastard."
Robin smiled proudly, as if she had been his daughter, and kissed her on the forehead. Mina never thought she could bee so happy.
Mina bit her lower lip as she followed Speedy and Robin down the hall to his shooting range. Nobody else was up, and that suited her fine. Speedy gave her a bow and some arrows.
After a quick lecture about how it worked, she placed an arrow on the string. She had never been so scared in her life. She closed her eyes and breathed in and out. "It's just me and the target."
She opened her eyes, and everything else faded away. She raised the bow, pulled back the string, and let go. She didn't let the bow down before she saw it hit the target.
It wasn't in the bull's eye, and she got a bit disappointed about that, but it was clearly in the tiny red circle. She heard someone whistle impressed, and was happy it was Speedy.
"First time you with a bow." She nodded. He looked back at the target. "You've got talent." Mina smiled from ear to ear. "Now there's Gar." Mina blushed and looked down. She took some loose strain of hair behind her ear.
He gave her a new arrow. "You think you can repeat that?" Mina smiled confident as she got the arrow. "Of course." She turned and repeated, only this time she was actually a bit closer than before. "Again."
She did as she was tolled. He made her shoot for hours. Soon Robin went to do something else, but this didn't stop Speedy. If anything he got stricter now that he was gone. Mina never complained.
She bit her lip and shot again and again. Soon her arm was aching and begging her to stop, but she just did as she was told. Finally Bee came down to tell them it was dinner.
"Okay Mina, you can rest now." Mina's arms fell to her side, and she swore she would never be able to put them up ever again. She followed Bee and Speedy and collapsed by the pool.
She lied down and let her left arm be swallowed by the cool water. Robin came down and gave her a plate of food. She smiled grateful to him. "Tired?" "I never knew it was so hard." She was gasping for breath.
"Roy just told me he was very impressed with you." Mina was too tired to smile, but she did glow. "It will become easier." "So he will teach me?" "Yes, if you work as hard as you did today." Mina closed her eyes, and this time, even though her face was aching, she couldn't help smiling from ear to ear.
It did become easier. It was four months later, and she had gone over to moving objects, shooting several arrows at a time. Speedy kept praising her, and this only motivated her to work even harder.
Robin and Bee had left a long time ago, and she talked with the west tower almost every day. The children still missed her, but didn't ask for her so much.
"Are you still working hard?" She was sitting in the common room talking to her father on the big screen. She had drawn her feet up to her chin, and had unconsciously smiled to whole time they where talking. This only meant her father was smiling, since he had never seen his daughter so happy.
"We miss you. Very much." "I know, and I miss you." "How's Jinx?" Jinx was now six months pregnant, and getting tired of it. She complained constantly, and drove Flash crazy. But Mina had never seen anyone glow more than her.
"Fine, you remember how it is." Her father let out a chuckle. "And Wally?" "Jinx is running him ragged. I actually think he's getting tired." "With his stamina?" They laughed again.
Suddenly her mother came in the door, and saw her daughter at the screen. She waved and came closer to talk to her. Mina saw there was something different with her, and when she realised what it was her mouth dropped and she quickly slapped her hand before her mouth.
But both of them had seen her reaction. "What is it Mina?" Her mother looked a bit paler, but she did have the unmistakable glow. "Nothing." "Don't lie to us Mina." Mina bit her lower lip. She could be mistaking, but she also knew she wasn't.
Her mother was only 37. "Have you been sick lately mom?" Her mother became even paler, and her eyes widened. Her hand went to her mouth in shock since she suddenly realised.