32 Productions Presents…

A HIVE Team Story

The HIVE Team In…

"Is it Right?"

Chapter One

Wayne Enterprise Building

It was supposed to be a simple in and out job. All they wanted was to steal a new prototype reactor from the laboratories. Robin led the Titans inside, sure he could get past all the security. Unfortunately, it would seem that the owner of the building had been prepared for Robin to pull something. What a surprise. There were security measures the likes of which Robin had never dealt with before. As a result, the HIVE soon came to stop them. Not one to give up, Robin told Cyborg to grab the reactor while Terra dug a tunnel. While that happened, the others would hold the HIVE off. The plan was going pretty well…until some Mammoth threw Raven into a shelf with chemicals stored on it. Something must have been volatile because the building was soon struck with an explosion. The Titans fled through the tunnel…well, Starfire had to drag Shade because he kept trying to save Raven. The explosion was such that there was no way anyone in the center of it would survive…or so it appeared. Raven had thrown up a barrier at the last second. When the smoke cleared, Raven was found sprawled out on the ground, unconscious. Krystal nudged her with her foot.

Krystal: She's dead, Jim.

Being more scientifically minded, Gizmo checked her pulse.

Gizmo: It's faint…but steady. I think she'll live if we get her help.

Jinx: Then let's take her with us. I want her monitored and held down with special restraints they don't have at the hospital.

Mammoth: Uh…what happened to her cloak?

Red X shrugged and picked up the material, running it between her gloved fingers.

Red X: …no residue. I guess the chemicals bleached it.

Blackfire: Wouldn't it be pink then?

Red X: …strong bleach?

Mammoth lifted Raven over his shoulder, her white cloak draped over his back.

::CUE THEME::

HIVE Med-lab

It had been two days since Raven had been hooked into all the machines and the bindings were placed on her to keep her from using her powers. She was showing steady signs of improvement. When she woke up, they'd be able to grill her for the location of the Titan base. Things looked like they were finally drawing to a close. …oh, but things are never that easy, are they? Raven's eyes fluttered open. Her head hurt like crazy and she was strapped to the bed. That was strange…and this wasn't her room. That was stranger. Frowning, she struggled to recall what had happened. She had very vague images…something about hanging around her friends and having fun. …but she had no friends. Must have just been a dream. After struggling, she managed to undo a strap. Freeing herself, she pulled all the wires and tubes out, biting her lip to keep from screaming. Wherever she was, it seemed…odd. That's when the crap hit the fan. Mammoth entered. It was his turn to check on Raven. She stared at him as he stared at her.

Raven: Um…hello…I…

Mammoth: Crap, she's awake!

Mammoth hit the alarm on the side of the wall. Raven's heart began to pound as the room darkened and a blaring noise rang in her ears. Much to Mammoth's surprise, rather then run or anything, she sank to her knees and started rocking back and forth, muttering a mantra to herself.

Raven: (whisper) I must not be angry, I must not be scared, I must not be sad, I must not be happy. I must not be angry, I must not be scared, I must not be sad, I must not be happy…

The HIVE rushed in to find Raven still rocking back and forth, whispering. They looked at each other, confused…well, most of them did. Others lacked subtly.

Krystal: Raven, what in the punch drunk monkey are you doing?

Raven looked up at Krystal, a surprised look on her face.

Raven: You…you know me?

Krystal: Uh…yeah.

Raven: Please, I'm lost…I woke up here. I need to get home or the Elders will worry about me.

Jinx: The what?
Raven: The Elders…

Everyone was extremely confused. Suddenly Red X had a thought.

Red X: Raven…how old are you, sweetie?

The HIVE looked at Red X like she had lost her mind. Why was she calling one of the most depraved maniacs the city had ever known "sweetie"? Raven seemed to relax at Red X's soft tone of voice.

Raven: Eight and a half.

Sonic: …most developed eight year old I've ever seen.

Jinx smacked him.

Jinx: Sonic, you perv!

Blackfire: Alright, Raven…what are you trying to pull? Anybody who looks at you can tell you're not eight.

Red X made a motion to shut up. Raven looked confused until she noticed a mirror. She stood up and peered at herself, then gasped and covered up with her cloak.

Raven: By Azar, why do I…?! How'd I get so big? Why am I wearing this...this…whatever this is?! Where's my mom I…no…no…

Raven sank back to her knees and started rocking back and forth again. Red X whispered to her friends.

Red X: The explosion seems to have wiped out a portion of her memory. She remembers everything up to being eight and a half years old.

Gizmo: So much for finding the base…

Jinx: …we can do one better. We can teach her to be like us…teach her to save the city rather then destroy it.

Not everyone was crazy about that idea. True, she'd be a valuable ally…but…what if she regained her memory? How enraged would she be? …on the other hand, what could they do with her? They can't send her to jail for crimes she can't remember doing. Furthermore, she had the mental state of an eight year old girl. You can't throw somebody like that into jail. Besides if she never DID regain her memory, she'd be a valued addition to the team. Jinx knelt down next to Raven.

Jinx: (soothing) It's okay…you don't need to do that anymore. He's gone. He can't hurt you anymore.

Raven stopped rocking back and forth and looked at Jinx with an expression of wonder.

Raven: He's…my father is…?

Sonic: Like a doornail.

Raven: …huh?

Krystal: He's dead. Deceased. A corpse. No more. Passed on. Pushing up…

Krystal would have gone on longer, but Blackfire covered her mouth.

Blackfire: I think she's got the idea.

Confused, Raven slowly stood up. They seemed sincere…but Raven had always been told that her father would always be around. Trigon was supposed to be unstoppable. No mortal could possibly kill him and his lifespan was near eternal. So how could she possibly be free? …there was one way to find out. She closed her eyes and screamed, a wordless sound of rage and frustration. The HIVE stared on, nervously. Had she remembered? If so, they'd have to restrain her quickly. She stopped and opened a single eye.

Raven: …did anything blow up?

Gizmo: Nope.

Raven: I…I'm free…I'm free! I can't wait to tell Mother!

Before they could stop her, Raven ran out of the room through the second door.

Jinx: Damn…her mother has been dead for a few years…

Sonic: Then let's hope she takes that well.

Outside Tower

Raven floated unsteadily, her heart pounding. She wasn't sure how she got outside. All she was doing was pressing against the glass, wishing she was on the other side and all of the sudden she slipped through. When she started falling, she panicked and all she could think of was going back up. Suddenly she was floating. Looking around, she quickly realized something.

Raven: (whisper) …this isn't Azarath…

Blackfire: …no, it's not.

Raven almost fell, but Blackfire caught her arm. The confused and sorrowful look on Raven's face didn't match what Blackfire remembered of the wicked demon-girl.

Raven: Where am I? Where is Azarath?

Blackfire: …I'm sorry, Raven. Azarath was destroyed by Trigon years ago. You're not eight years old. You've been…out of it for a while.

Her heart sinking, Raven's lip began to tremble.

Raven: My…my mother…?

Blackfire: …I'm sorry.

Raven: No! You're wrong! She can't be dead…she…she can't be…

To Raven's surprise, Blackfire hugged her gently. Her eyes widened for a moment before she started to hug her back.

Raven: (softly) I've never been hugged before…

Blackfire: That's a real tragedy. Everyone needs a hug once and a while…

Blackfire groaned inwardly. How could she have said something so corny? Raven cried softly as Blackfire stroked her hair. The other HIVE members watched from the ground. Krystal scowled and crossed her arms.

Krystal: (grumble) Lousy amnesiac bitch…

Red X: Don't be jealous. Raven's straight, remember?

Krystal: Hmph. You'd be surprised how many people 'change their minds'.

Blackfire landed with Raven.

Jinx: I know this is hard, Raven. You can stay here with us. We can help you learn to control your powers…to use them to help people.

Raven: …will…will you be my friends?

Sonic: If you'll be ours.

Raven wiped her eyes and smiled.

Raven: Okay. …can I get new clothes? …these are so…tiny.

Titan H.Q.: Outside Raven's Room

Changeling sighed and knocked on the door again. He was really getting concerned for his fellow flesh eater. It had two days since Raven's death (or so they thought) and Shade hadn't been the same. It was expected that he'd take it hard, but they never really stopped to think HOW hard.

Changeling: Come on, Shade. You have to get out of there at some point. What happens when it's time for us to get to work?

No response. Then again, it was stupid to expect one from a mute person, wasn't it? Well, not MUTE per say, but close to it. Grunts and growls do not a conversation make. Inside the room, Shade was curled up on the bed. He left only to sneak bits of food from the fridge late at night and to use the bathroom. He snuggled Raven's pillow, taking in her scent. It was all he had left of her. In his mind, he had only himself to blame. Shade should have been faster…stronger…maybe he should have died with her. There was no reason to leave this room other then what he was already leaving it for. He whimpered softly. No reason to leave at all. Back outside, Changeling sighed and gave up. He knew when he was beaten. Turning, he head back toward the main room. Cyborg was leaning on the wall.

Cyborg: Anything?

Changeling: Tried tempting him with fresh brains and I got no response.

Cyborg: Damn. He loves brains.

They headed to the main room to play video games. Truth be told, all of them missed Raven. Even Terra, who constantly had to keep the flirtatious demon girl away from her man, missed her dark presence. It was also a major blow to their team in other ways. With her magical skills mixed with her empathic abilities, she was one of the most powerful members on the team. She could turn crowds of people in rioters, or make an entire army turn away in fear. …okay, maybe a SMALL army. The point was, Raven was powerful and now she was gone. Many of Robin's plans counted on Raven to work. Therefore he now had a lot of rethinking to do. The only one who really didn't seem to miss Raven was Starfire. In fact, she was angry that everyone was so upset. What did that demon hussy have that she didn't? Starfire was twice as important as Raven was! She could destroy mountains (okay, that's an exaggeration), lift tanks (that wasn't), and had a body to die for. What more could they possibly want?! …and Shade…if he didn't shape up soon, Starfire was going to demand he be removed from the team…even if they had to kill him to do it. In his current state, he probably wouldn't even fight back.

HIVE Tower: Main Room

Mammoth grumbled to himself. Why did he get stuck showing Raven around? The girl was utterly irritating. Her attention was that of…well…an eight year old girl. She was wearing a white dress, long boots and gloves, and her white cloak. They belonged to Krystal, after getting them…altered so they would fit her. Didn't take long, as Gizmo was actually skilled with a needle and thread…and he'd kill anyone who told. Raven lot out a soft "wow" as she looked around the room. She flew up, still unsteady but getting used to it, and went around the room to get a better look.

Raven: Wow…all these strange electronics…we don't…didn't have many in Azarath. I've read about them, but I've never seen any of these things before. Is this a television?

It was kind of cute, seeing this girl so filled with wonder and amazement over something so common place. Mammoth shook it off. Don't be stupid. She was a psychopath…was a psychopath…something to do with being a psychopath. She flew over to him and bumped into his chest.

Raven: Oops! Sorry, I'm not too good at flying yet.

She landed, stumbling a bit. Mammoth caught her before she could fall over. Suddenly realizing the awkwardness of the situation, they backed up from each other. Raven cleared her throat, confused as to what she was feeling. Having the memory of an eight year old, the concept of boys being anything…attractive…was foreign.

Raven: Mammoth…what was I doing for all this time? I mean, I didn't just go to sleep eight and wake up…uh…how old am I?

Mammoth: Uh…seventeen maybe? I don't know.

Raven thought for a moment. That would mean she's been out of it for almost nine years.

Raven: Where did those nine years of my life go? What kind of a person was I?

Of course, such a question presented a problem. I mean, how could he tell her that she was once a maniac who killed for pleasure. …he couldn't. One, it's not something she'd take well. Secondly, it could trigger her memories and, well…boom goes the dynamite.

Mammoth: …we're not sure. We just found you all beaten up. Whatever happened probably knocked out your memories.

Raven frowned, a flash appearing in her mind. Something about…an explosion. No…it was gone. She decided to accept the explanation. After all, she had no reason not to trust Mammoth. Raven's stomach growled.

Raven: Uh…can I…get something to eat? I'm kinda hungry.

Mammoth had to laugh.

Mammoth: Girl after my own heart…er…stomach. Kitchen's over there.

Jinx's Room

Krystal paced back and forth as she explained her concerns to Jinx. Jinx was looking through her books, something she often did in her spare time. Her collection of tomes was vast and she hadn't read them all yet.

Krystal: …and you've got to be able to see the moral implications of what we're doing. I mean, what we're doing is no better then what they do. We're taking Raven, confusing, lying, and manipulating her until she does what we want her to do. We're turning her against people she normally cares about. This is just plain wrong!

Jinx: …so you're saying I should try to restore her memory and let her go like nothing happened?

Krystal stomped her foot, pouting. Why couldn't Jinx understand? It was so obvious to her! She took a deep breath and tried again.

Krystal: Of course not. We can detain and question her, just like you wanted.

Jinx: And if she gets away, we'll have to deal with them all again. Meanwhile, if this works, we can use her to capture the Titans and other villains. We'll have rehabilitated a criminal, making her into a tool of justice and…

Krystal: Ah ha! See! You admit it! We're using her like a tool! She's a living being, not a tool! Furthermore, right now she's just a kid! She's got years of maturing to do and we're trying to thrust her into a VERY mature situation. Death and violence don't mix with an eight year old girl.

Jinx sighed and shook her head. Krystal felt her eye twitch.

Krystal: What?

Jinx: Why don't you say what you mean? You're jealous of Raven because she's gained Blackfire's sympathy.

Krystal: I…no! Don't be silly. What's wrong with a little sympathy? I don't mind her being sympathetic.

Jinx stood up and put her hand on Krystal's shoulder.

Jinx: I'm sorry, Krystal, but I've made up my mind. I'm going to wipe the memories completely from Raven's mind, making sure she never remembers what she once was.

Krystal: But…but that's not right, Jinxy. You can't just mess with somebody's head that way. That's…it's just sick.

Jinx wasn't listening. It was no surprise really. Her obsession with catching the Titans seemed to get worse with each passing day. Furthermore, by doing this to Raven, it was a form of revenge for what Raven once did to her emotions and mind. …not that she was thinking of it that way. No. Not her. The only problem was, Jinx had NO idea where to start looking…and if she stayed pent up in her room all day and night searching, Raven might get curious. Besides, the girl did need training, and as the only mystic on the team, Jinx was the only one qualified to do so…well, at first any way.

Gizmo's Room

Gizmo groaned. Krystal held him tightly, refusing to let him go and kept stroking his bald head like a medium with a crystal ball. It had been a regular thing lately and he despised it. Krystal used him like a teddy bear. That is to say, when she was upset, she used him to comfort herself. For a growing boy with hormones…this wasn't fun at all. As cute as she was, he knew that she wasn't interested in him in the least. Sometimes he wondered if her mental state was deteriorating with time.

Gizmo: Okay, seriously. Let me go now.

Krystal: …fine.

Krystal released him and Gizmo stepped away. Krystal sighed and leaned back against the wall. Why did he feel like he was going to regret asking this?

Gizmo: What's wrong?

Krystal's eyes watered. Oh no.

Krystal: (bawling) Raven's trying to steal Blackfire from me and Jinx is going to wipe her brain and make her one of us which is really morally wrong but I'm more concerned about Blackfire!

Well, that's what she said. What Gizmo heard was "Rttsbfmajigtwhbamhoouwirmwbimcab!" Obviously this made no sense what's so ever. Of course, that was typical of Krystal.

Gizmo: …ooookay. Try that again, but slow it down some.

Krystal: Jinx is trying to convert Raven by permanently banishing her memories.

Gizmo: So?

Krystal: "So?" So, that's completely and utterly WRONG! You can't just steal somebody's life like that! Twisted she may be, she had friends and we're turning her against them. This is EXACTLY what she would do to us. We're reducing ourselves to her level, can't you see that?

It was a valid point…which WASN'T typical of Krystal.

Gizmo: But if we don't, she could regain her memory and kill us in our sleep.

Krystal: I say we HELP her regain her memory, detain her, and question her.

Gizmo sighed. What was he supposed to say? Once Jinx had an idea, it took a lot to sway her. …hmm.

Gizmo: Talk to Sonic. If anybody can talk Jinx out of it, it's him.

Snapping her fingers, Krystal stood up, pointing into the air.

Krystal: I've got it! I'll talk to Sonic! If anyone can talk Jinx out of it, it's him!

Gizmo: That's what I just said!

Krystal clicked her teeth and shook her head.

Krystal: Gizmo, don't try to take credit for other people's ideas. That's the lowest.

In a flash, the girl was gone. Gizmo grumbled and rubbed his eyes. That always burned his corneas

END PART ONE