Chapter Two : Denial: Not An Emotion She Wields

She didn't know who I was. We had never even met before this moment. That woman even said she had never mentioned a lick of me to her. So what was I expecting when I finally met Raven, my little sister? I wasn't big on touching or emotions. Maybe I was afraid she would be and everything would just get uncomfortable. Maybe deep down I wanted something to make these last three years meaningful, like it wasn't all for nothing. Oh Siber! I hope this wasn't just some crazy paranoia that woman had created in her mind and sent me to my oblivion! Bounty hunters didn't follow jurisdiction. I only knew that system too well. I was one at one time.

That life seemed so long ago.

Beast Boy was an odd human. His skin color did not bother me; I no longer held any confusion about it; although he was human, he was green. I had met weirder. He was different. That was something I could understand. He gradually became more subdued in our travel and I did nothing to change that. But now that I was in the Tower and facing my sister, I felt like the trip wasn't long enough.

I had killed things. Evil and innocent. I had a past that was as restless as I was. I should not have been afraid of meeting Raven. I should not. I didn't do fear. It just wasn't a part of my life. Not then, not now.

In the empty space Beast Boy filled with pointless introductions, I looked at her closely attempting to find some similarity to us. Her cape covered her entire body like mine once too tattered to do anything but swallow me not. However, her hood was down and I glanced at her features. I guess if one looked close enough there might have been something about us that was the same. The structure of our features was definitely similar. Her skin was a pale gray and her dark indigo eyes held all her emotions intact. She had a small and pointed nose that was the same of that woman. Her hair fell to her shoulders in a dull-purple, clean, straight cut. Too-long bangs feathered around her face in a way the may have been accidental. It also could have been strategically done to hide certain aspects of her face.

"I am Raven of the Teen Titians." She stated and her voice had a low husky quality that I was not sure where to place. It seemed natural by the way Beast Boy held no particular reaction to it. Was she always so depressing? There was another in the main room of the Tower with the three of us. A cyborg: Half-machine, half-well, in his case human. I had seen cyborgs of all varieties. The Second Section was full of them. Our bystander was fixing with a compartment underneath the gigantic communications device. I was not sure what he was fixing, but he seemed pretty involved in it.

"Beast Boy said you asked for me personally."

"Yes. It is about your mother." Well that got something out of her. And it didn't seem like it would bode well for my future. I held my ground as if I did not notice her change in demeanor. "She has ask of me specifically to warn you of a prophecy that-"

I wasn't expecting to be interrupted either. "We already took care of that nonsense!" Raven's outburst surprised Beast Boy and the third party in the corner of the room. So he was listening.

"Yes you did. But I speak of another-"

"There is no other prophecy!" Several hairline fractures appeared on the floor-to-ceiling windows framing the communications device. I raised my eyebrows at her. I wasn't sure if she could tell though, I had not taken my hood off.

"Then why did that woman send me to find you – Raven: member of the Teen Titans, the defenders of the Seventh Section's Earth? Why did I spend the last three years of my life trying to do what she said and endangering myself unnecessarily? Believe me when I say I did not travel across the Fifth Section just to have some princess tell me what I've done was for nothing!" I tried not to scream at her and it took all I had in me not to. But I was not above intimidating her to listen to me. If I could control an army of ruthless, cutthroat misfits then I sure-as-Azarath could control this girl!

When she opened her mouth to fight back I shut her up by pulling that heavy talisman out of my pack. She eyed it in a dumbfounded expression.

"Where-"

"From that woman. She is your mother. And…" I wanted to tell her. I really really did. But the words stopped in my throat. Maybe I was afraid of rejection. No- not afraid- worried, I was worried I might be rejected. It was a reasonable conclusion. I was in unidentifiable and now unwelcome territory.

Raven didn't even look like she was listening anyway, all her attention was now set on that talisman. It was a rune I never deciphered. But that woman had told me to show it to my sister and she would believe everything I said. I wasn't banking on her outlook; it just never hurts to try.

"This is my mother's." Raven stroked the golden metal with her fingers carefully. The symbol reminded me of some kind of quadruped. Of course runes were never my specialty.

"Yeah. It is. So do you believe me now?" I should try acting a bit more calm. The way our audience was watching I knew I had to watch my back. No one else was going to do it. My little sister looked at me with hard eyes. She didn't like what I was saying, but she believed me. That was all I asked for.

"What is it Rae? What's up? What is she saying? Trigon is coming back? But you kicked his butt. You locked him in that Void-thingy!" The Green human male was rather excited. He appeared flustered and was waving his arms around as he spoke. He also acted as if I was no longer apart of the conversation, speaking of me like I wasn't even there!

Which is why I answered his questions. "Yeah. Trigon is coming back. The Great Void only keeps things that have no options locked forever. Trigon is the most evil being ever, and he always has at least four backup plans. He isn't ignorant. He'll figure a way out of the Void then he'll come for your planet. Just that this time he'll be wary of the lot of you, and be royally pissed off too."

The collected silence made me only too agitated. I preferred silence most of the time. But right now I wanted action. I was tired of the close space of my ship. I had my first sample of Earth's air. The next item on the to-do list was to smash or snag something. A woman of action: thy name is Maeve.

"It's impossible." The cyborg spoke for the first time. His voice was harsh and low. Predictable for a human male. There was more infliction to it than most cyborgs though. Something in his voice that definitely made him human. "Raven said that it was impossible for Trigon to get out. There's no way out. And-"

"If my mother says it will happen, then it will. There is no point in denying a prophecy. It leads to folly." Raven's sharp voice cut her companion off with no real feeling to her words. The half-metal and circuitry man had more feeling than she did. Great. At least I was smart enough not to mention that she had denied my words only seconds ago.

"Let's call Robin and Star in." Beast Boy commented quietly to Raven, like she was a ticking bomb or something. With a curt nod he whipped out a much smaller version of the communication device and spoke to someone on the other side of it. Pretty nice stuff for something in the Seventh Section.

"Raven, there is something else I must tell you." All the members present turned to look at me; each held a series of apprehension. When no one said anything I steadied my breathing and hoped to Siber that I did not get rejected. If the Azarathan goddess was real, and could reach this planet, then now was the time to let me know. "I was also born on Azerath. I also hold the blood of royalty. I too bare the burden of having the most feared and evil thing ever to have existed, to be my father." I closed my eyes and waited for her denial.

It came it waves of fury! She screamed at me for mocking her. Something definitely blew up behind me and glass was suddenly flying dangerously. None of it touched me. The glass seemed to hit an invisible wall that I knew I hadn't made. Whatever exploded also stopped within inches of crashing into me. Dark energy surrounded me- or it surrounded my invisible shield.

I let the breathe I had been holding go. So that woman was right.

"We share the same blood, Raven. Your majick knows this. You can't hurt me." As an afterthought I hurried and said, "And I can't hurt you."

Shock fury covered her features. She was breathing heavy and her eyes were wide. "Oh Zenthos" she muttered. "But I was never told I had any siblings."

"I was sold to Rokakas." I answered and prayed she didn't ask for details of that.

Before she could though, the main doors that I had entered from a sun's crawl ago opened and the other two members of the team showed up. A Tameranean woman, the princess herself, floated in first. Her eyes were big and bright. Her vibrant red hair cascaded like a raging waterfall to her thighs. It was loose and I wondered if it ever got in the way. I bet it did. She wore a plain enough chrome circlet on her head and I began to fidget. The customary royal purple color of her planet covered her- although 'covered' seemed like the wrong word to describe her uniform. Her top consisted of two straps of cloth the crossed over her breast, only on the borderline of decency. Decency meaning that she covered what she needed to and that was that. It wasn't modest, only decent. A bit of cloth did the same 'covering;' it looked like undergarments. What balanced the provocative slander of her people's older fashions was the half skirt that flowed from the back of the chrome belt on her waist and floated in an A-line style. The fabric brushed the heels of her boots, which were also in the same loud color and were suctioned to her skin from her feet to mid-thigh. Small gloves enveloped small hands. A band wrapped around both of her upper arms, with a flashy green stone set in each completed her ensemble.

I had been to Tamera a couple of times. The whole lot of them enjoyed their ostentatious lifestyle. Not my cup of poison, but our differences make us special; or so I've been told.

The other Titian looked like a too-serious kind of guy. Black spikes jutted from his scalp in random succession and shaggy bangs frayed around his forehead. It appeared like he needed a hair cut. His scowl was half-hidden by the mask that lay from his nose and cheekbones to the middle of his forehead in an angled outline. His uniform greatly countered that of his teammates in a darker way. He was covered from neck to toe in black and red with detailing of yellow. Black and sturdy boots differed from Beast Boy's in the sense that the new guy's were made to be light: perfect for aerial attacks. The shape of the uniform fit snuggly, like it was made for him only. The princess's outfit was tight to the point of cutting off circulation where as his was made be close fitting and not get in the way. A red bird spread across his muscled chest outlined in bring yellow in the form of what I assume to be a robin for his namesake. It looked more like a dieing phoenix to me. The yellow tool belt set on his waist should have clash but didn't and surprised me. A cape fell from his shoulders to the edge of he boots. It was dark and mysterious in that 'lone-hero' kind of way. Broad shoulders and a lean frame pinned him as a man of agility and speed with hidden strength that almost went underestimated.

The two of them, I noted, made an assessment of my own attire and made me wish that I had taken the time to clean and find new dressings. I probably look haggard and chaotic, like I was a couple of dogs and cats short of a storm. Or however the humans say it.

The stranger, who claimed to be my sister, seemed to shrink into a defensive crouch as Robin and Starfire entered. Her eyes darted to the hallways: one behind her leading to the villain's confiscated equipment room, the other behind myself leading to the bedrooms. She didn't know this of course, but she was obviously picking up on escape routes. Maybe the two intimidated her.

It was difficult to read her body language since her dirty, olive green cloak was draped over her. I couldn't determine her body shape; I only saw that she was mildly taller than I. Which wasn't saying much, I was five foot nothing. She may have had some change on her but not much. Her hood swallowed her face, leaving only shadow and two very amethyst eyes. The clothing covering what I could see of her legs gave the impression it was made of purely pockets. It looked as if all were in use too.

"Who is this?" My leader said. He sounded indifferent but polite. A tone he used when he was displeased with something. A surprise guest that looked more like a delinquent could be enough to cause his annoyance.

"Dude!" Beast boy exclaimed loudly and I cringed. "She's a guest. I mean, I found her in the desert. Her ship crashed and she said she needed to speak to Raven. Dude! You'll never guess what-"

I silenced him with a band of black energy slapped to his mouth. Muffled protest promised all kinds of backlash at my act, but I wanted the stranger to tell the whole truth with everyone present. Also, Beast Boy would more than likely be punished for his lack of suitable character assessment. He brought a stranger, obviously from another planet to the tower. With a mask of cold disapproval I eyed the woman. She shifted again, the smallest of movements. She was clearly uncomfortable.

"I guess I should take this off-" She grabbed the edges of her hood and very slowly peeled it away from her face. The action seemed to pain her somehow. There was a collected gasp and my focus on Beast Boy's restraint faded. His gasp sounded odd after everyone had grown quiet.

She looked like me. In a very modest way, we held few similarities. Our facial structure was close to being mirror-like. Same high cheekbones, same petite pointed noses, same cat-shaped eyes; they were all an exact match. That was where the mirror ended however. Her eyes along with being a different color were hard and distrustful, as if she had seen too much death and deceit to ever hold onto a semblance of soft faith. Her flesh gave the impression that the Earth Moon was beaming on it soft, pale, and lovely. Not like mine, but not quite unlike it either. I did notice minute almost indistinguishable if my eyesight was not what it was.

Icy silver hair framed her face; disheveled bangs curtained most of her countenance. The rest of the unkempt and scruffy mess lay in many layers that flipped as sporadically as Robin's. The catastrophe fell to barely brush her shoulders. No Azarathan that I had ever known adorned hair close to my father! The color unnerved me. I did not want to think what this small detail could entail. With only this glimpse of the stranger I began to feel the unsettling affects of being close to one of my own people. It was like a cold caress to the back of my skull.

"She- Raven- She looks-" Starfire couldn't even voice a coherent sentence. Shock advanced on my friends as well as I. They saw the similarities, I wondered if they noticed the hair. Did they make the same conclusion as I?

"I am called Maeve. I have travel very far so that I could meet you, Raven. I am your older sister." The fight-or-flight instinct was itching inside her. I could feel it crawl over my skin trying to escape the awkward situation. Nonetheless, she never illustrated her tension in her voice.

"If that is true, then why did you wait so long to come find me?" Was I angry? Did she deserve that? Several deep breaths should calm me.

"I did not even know I was your kin until only four years ago. I knew I may have been form Azarath, but I hold no memory of belonging to you and yours. That woman though, she said we were related. She showed me blocked memories and instructed me to come to you; to save you from another prophecy."

"There cannot be another prophecy." I growled at her. It couldn't be true. I wouldn't believe it. She could be my sister and that would be acceptable. Trigon could not escape the Great Void. I watched her huff at me reaction with dispassion.

"Another prophecy?" Starfire spoke now. I was almost grateful someone was on my side, and I comprehend little of why that was. "That means you heard of the first one, correct? Then you should know that The Trigon is in the Great Void. It is in my understanding that he cannot get out." She paused then looked between Robin, the stranger and I.

"Do you think he can?"

A pause echoed in the tower. I glared at Robin. He ignored me. What was he doing? My father couldn't get out. He couldn't. My hand squeezed around the talisman the stranger had brought. A rune of The Great Beast, a myth my mother had taught me at an early age.

"You mentioned a woman." Beast Boy interjected getting over his shock.

"Yes. She is Raven's mother. She is my…my… She is the woman who unlocked my memories. Memories she blocked herself to keep me safe. Apparently, I was sold to Rokakas very young and our father never even knew I existed." She was looking at me while she answered Beast Boy, and continued to look at me while she answered Robin. "The Great Void holds one weakness: when someone seals something into the void, it opens a hole that can allow whatever is inside the void to escape while the other being is sucked in." She paused and tilted her head to the side. "Do you understand?"

My eyes narrowed at her. "Of course!" I bellowed at her. Something in the kitchen exploded again, it couldn't have been the blender, that was already destroyed from my first outburst with the stranger. I bet it was the oven. Starfire gave and 'eep.' I was too angry to listen to her, I barreled on. "It is how the void works: One way in, one way out. But those inside the void would have to know where within the void it opened. Also it takes a lot of energy to cross the void with only will power."

She nodded. Her expression oddly excited. "See! He will get out. He is not incompetent! His will is powerful enough to get himself out. And whatever friends he has made."

I scoffed at her. "What on Earth could be sent to the Great Void? And who would send it? I am the only one in this Section with enough knowledge of how to Banish and there is nothing here evil enough to waste my energies on!"

"I read that this planet inhabits over six billion humans. You and your Tameranean princess are exceptions of course. Do you know how many other 'exceptions' there could be? It is a planet, its expanse is great! There are even places this race has yet to learn of!" Her breathing was unsteady and I felt the other Titians move a few paces back.

"And you are proposing we hunt for an enemy that could be there? You said so yourself, there are too many individuals. And we are not inept! There are Titians all over the world that fight for the same cause as us. If anything evil was around it would be sited and we would take care of it as humanly as possible. That is how it is done here. There are rules and protocols that are met and followed." I was huffing just like her now.

Suddenly she grabbed a handful of my cloak. She pulled me close our noses almost touching, and something very unfamiliar and entirely disgusting passed through me. I was shrinking under her glare. Fire that of which I had never seen and never wanted to feel, burned in her eyes. "Read my mind! Please prove me wrong neverah!" Her quiet voice was more intimidating than her yelling. She even used the Azarath term for a stubborn child! She just called me a stubborn child!

"My powers don't work on you." I muttered and it took everything in me not to whine at her. Robin made a sound in the background and Beast Boy took the initiative to tell him what happened.

"If I give you permission, then you can do that much." Her freezing cold eyes pierced my insides and I really wanted her to let me go. Now.

"Fine. Only because it is the only way I'll believe you." There! I had the last word! Ha!

The stranger nodded and moved to the couch and sat down facing an empty spot I was suppose to fill. I looked at my team for some form of confirmation.

"If there is even the slimmest chance Trigon can get out of his prison, we need to know." Robin said carefully placing a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah Rea." Beast Boy encouraged. "We need to be one step ahead you know?"

Cyborg gave me a reassuring smile and nodded to the stranger. "Plus you can check and see if she's bad news or not."

"Please do not worry Friend Raven." Starfire gave me a quite hug and then gave me a soft nudge towards the couch.

I flung my cloak out of the way then sat next to the woman who said she was my sister facing her. With narrowed eyes I gave her a fair warning, "It might hurt. Try not to scream much, I need to concentrate."

She nodded again and I watched as she closed her eyes and steeled herself. Something inside me quivered and I shoved it away as I placed my hands on her temples. My eyes closed too and I began to chant my mantra for focus.

What I saw was something so terrifying I would never be able to vanquish it from haunting my dreams for a very long time.