Second chapter! …posted on my brother's birthday. :O
I'm actually surprised at how positive the reviews for the first chapter were, and that I got so many considering it's a crossover, and the first chapter.
Next update is planned for Yule holidays and year's end.
"Did she just…" Tucker started, his oddly turquoise eyes wide behind his thick-rimmed glasses.
"…call you Phantom?" Sam finished, her voice filled with fear for her friend.
Danny let out a cry of frustration before motioning for the others to follow before the authorities arrived.
(*)
"Yes, we can have the damages paid for, if you contact the district in Jump City!" Cyborg was starting to get frustrated now. No wonder Robin seemed to have lost one of his Bo-Staves up his own ass if this was what he had to deal with all the time!
"I've still never heard of a city okaying a vigilante team, and even funding them…" The officer groused.
"Hey Dick!" Another officer with his hand over a telephone receiver called. "They're telling the truth, they've got their own damage fund! I'm on the line with Jump's Department of Human Resources now."
Hah. DICK. Cyborg couldn't help but chuckle in his head. It was mean, but then again, the guy was being a dick.
"I still don't see why a young lady would run around in an outfit like that, though…" The only female officer they've seen put her two cents forward.
"Better range of movement." Raven muttered loud enough to be heard.
The woman chuckled. "I suppose. But anyway, if you're looking for ghost experts, I'd suggest Fenton Works. We're supposed to forward people to the Guys in White, but they're not very people-friendly." Raven had no idea who she was talking about, but it was nice to see her own questions asked while Cyborg was busy were heard. "Here's the address. The Fentons are a bit eccentric, but they're good people if you get used to it."
"Do you get used to it?" Cyborg asked impulsively.
"Nope, never." She chuckled again.
(*)
Subtle… Cyborg mused to himself as they parked in the driveway. The building looked fairly normal… on the first floor. A massive sign denoting the building as 'Fenton Works' was affixed to the side of the second floor, and it seemed there was a third and fourth floor… built in model after a UFO disc shape.
Raven just smirked at the absurdity of it.
She stood behind Cyborg as he rang the doorbell, keeping her hood down to seem friendlier. The both of them could just make out a booming male voice declaring that he'd get the door when it opened, revealing a mountain of a man in an orange hazmat suit.
"HI! I'm Jack Fenton, what can I do for ya?"
They weren't sure whether it was a good thing or bad that he barely seemed to react to them any differently than they suspected he would anyone else. "I'm Cyborg, and this is Raven. We're with the Teen Titans, investigating the Ghost incident two weeks ago, and ghosts in general. Do you mind if we talked to you for a bit?"
"Well sure!" He cheered with a megawatt grin. "Hey Mads! I've got people here who want to talk about GHOSTS!"
Now they knew what that policewoman was talking about. Jack was easily one of the most cheerfully eccentric men they knew of, and when they were led into a dining room area, they found a woman in a full-body blue hazmat suit, complete with large orange goggles over her eyes. There was another young woman sitting at the table, who seemed… suspiciously normal. Long red hair held back by a blue hairband, and a tasteful black blouse. It was difficult to tell because she was sitting, but Raven caught a bit of light blue pant-leg under the table the same shade as the hairband.
"Well hello! You're younger than I thought you'd be when Jack said we had a business visit. I'm Maddie Fenton, and this is our daughter Jazz. Would you like something to drink? Snacks?" She would've come off as a rather normal housewife if not for the suit and ghost-hunting gear strapped to her utility belt. Her daughter smiled kindly at them.
"Uhh… no, thank you, Mrs. Fenton." Cyborg said. "We're really just here to talk for a bit. You see, we're superheroes, and the thing two weeks ago has us worried something might happen again, so we want to be ready just in case."
"OOH!" Jazz piped up, standing from her seat. "I was just starting a thesis on the Psychology of a Teenaged Superhero! Would you two mind sitting for interviews before you leave?"
The room went silent at that. The Titans weren't sure what to make of it, luckily, Jack Fenton has a way of breaking such silences. "Now, Jazzy-Pants, these two are here to hear me talk about GHOSTS! We can see about other things later! Now where is that brother of yours, he should be here for this! DANNY!" He called suddenly.
The Titans froze. It couldn't be…
Sure enough, Danny and his friends, Sam and Tucker, made their way into the room, stopping to stare as they caught sight of the visitors.
Raven's eyes locked onto fearful icy-blue orbs. Danny seemed surprised, and even afraid of them… She decided to see if she could find out why-
-on't call me Phantom, please don't call me Phantom, please don't call me Phantom… Was the mantra she heard him playing through in his head. Her own eyes widened slightly as she heard the introductions Maddie gave of her son and his 'little friends'. His name was Danny Fenton. He must be trying to keep Phantom a secret… her eyes softened.
Don't worry, I won't.
Danny's eyes grew wider, which she hadn't thought they could. 'You can talk in my head?' He asked.
She nodded, which looked like she was acknowledging something Cyborg had just said. 'I'm not skilled enough in telepathy to do so without eye contact, but I can. I just don't do so often.' She explained. 'Is there somewhere we could talk? This is becoming difficult.'
It was then that he noticed she was wincing. 'Not skilled in telepathy' was probably a massive understatement, he assumed. Shocking those present, he reached out a hand into the folds of her cloak to grasp hers. "I'm going to show Raven the Fenton Ghost Portal and some of our equipment, okay?" he said before pulling her along and down a stairwell.
(*)
Tucker was on his new favorite hero's arm instantly. "CYBORG!" He called.
"ACK! Get him off!" The mechanized teen cried, waving the limb about.
"Now now, boys…" Maddie interjected, softly pushing them apart. "This is Tucker Foley, one of our son Danny's little friends, and the other is Sam Manson." She seemed quite oblivious to the staring contest going on between her son and the sorceress.
"It's… uhh, nice to meet you guys." Sam said with a nervous smile, hoping they'd take the hint and not mention what happened earlier. "So, what brings you to Amity Park?"
Cyborg's organic eyebrow twitched upward, but he made no other motions that he thought the statement curious. Sometimes he couldn't help it- he loved his poker face. "Like I said earlier-" not iterating which 'earlier' he meant, at the mall or here at Fenton Works. "-I'm Cyborg and this is Raven. We're part of a superhero team called the Teen Titans. Our leader, Robin, sent us down here to investigate the ghost incidents. Now, this is going to sound odd, but, all the reports say there was a ghost invasion, but there's very little data supporting it- that's why we're here: Figuring out what happened, why they retreated, and if it'll happen again."
Raven nodded.
"I'll tell you what happened!" Jack exploded gleefully. "We kicked ghost butt all the way back to the Ghost Zone!"
Then Maddie started. "It's true, we helped push the ghosts back into the Ghost Zone, but-"
Suddenly, Danny's hand shot out and into the folds of Raven's cloak to grasp hers. "I'm going to show Raven the Fenton Ghost Portal and some of our equipment, okay?" he asked before pulling her along, actually floating behind him to avoid running awkwardly, and down the stairs to the basement lab.
The first to break the shocked silence was Maddie. "Aww! Jack, I think our little boy has a crush!"
Cyborg could only pray this wasn't the case as his hand ran over his face. She'd rip him a new one…
(*)
When they'd made it down to the lab, Danny turned back to Raven. "Okay, this is about as private as my place gets…"
"I wanted to apologize for earlier." She quickly started. "We Titans don't bother with secret identities."
"So you figured I wouldn't either." She nodded in confirmation. "Well, you didn't cost me my secret, so as long as you promise to keep it yourself, I don't think there's much else I can do about it."
She smirked at his aggravated nonchalance, and carefully extracted her hand from his. This caused him to blush furiously- he'd obviously forgotten they were still holding hands… that, or he was pretending he had. Her smirk twitched wider at his mumbled apology.
"It's fine." She said, reining herself back to a neutral tone. "I promise to keep your secret, but I can't promise the other Titans won't figure it out for themselves."
He let out a breath, much more calm now. "That's all I can ask."
A comfortable silence fell as Danny leaned back against the Ghost Portal's control console and Raven began to glance about the room. "So, is that what I think it is?" She asked, her raised eyebrow evident in her voice as she gestured toward the wall with the portal, currently closed with doors marked with alternating diagonal yellow and black lines.
He chuckled. "The Fenton Ghost Portal. Doorway to The Ghost Zone." As she took a few steps closer to it, he thought about what to say next. With a calming breath and his devil-may-care attitude reinstating itself, he continued. "That's actually how I got my powers. Mom and Dad built it, but it didn't work, so after they left I took a look in it. Don't know what I was hoping to do, I'm no engineer, but it turned out the damn thing wasn't even on." He said with a chuckle as she ran her hand along the arch. "I hit the 'on' button on accident, and BAM… most painful minute of my life, and ghost powers."
"That's quite the story…" She said, her hand still resting on the portal, leaving her cloak open as she gave him a small, sad smile.
He decided right then that Raven was very, very, pretty. Yes, she was hot, but there was something about her that didn't let you think of it that way. She seemed… nice. Aside from that time she nearly had Tucker wetting himself, at least… Eventually, his eyes landed on hers. While Sam's eyes were pale lavender, Raven's eyes were a deep violet, similar to her hair.
While raven was smiling, she couldn't help but stare at him for a moment. Sure, he was lanky, his hair was unruly, and his clothes were bland, but… there was something about him. Her eyes met his, and she decided that's what it was… those crystalline, ice-blue eyes of his. She could see his eyes reflect every little change in his emotions as his thoughts wandered on. He was easy to read… easy to trust. She decided then that she was curious about him. That was the only thing that could explain what she felt when she looked into his eyes. And then she realized she was staring, blushed, and turned her head away.
He watched as she suddenly found the corner to her left quite interesting for some reason. Shaking his head, he blushed too. "Oh, sorry, I was staring, huh?"
She couldn't help but smile. He was just so simple… so straightforward. She shook her head and met his eyes again. "Don't worry about it."
(*)
"Wow…" Cyborg barked. "That's very… interesting." After Jack's entire tirade about ghosts, he hadn't been able to pick out a single useful detail. Maybe he would later when he and Raven, and eventually Robin, watched the recording from his cybernetic eye that he'd started before he knocked on the door. Pulling things from his general memory backups was fine, but it still felt creepy to dig around in his memories.
"Oh, maybe I can help." Maddie murmured. She loved her husband dearly, but even she had to admit the man was terrible with general data. "Saying that ghosts are dead people isn't incorrect, but it's more accurate to say that, historically, ghosts are leftover bits of sentience that never passed on, or became another kind of spirit. These memories and emotions are drawn to ectoplasm, ergo the Ghost Zone, and eventually coalesce into a new being. It wasn't until a few hundred years ago that other spirits began drifting into the Ghost Zone and becoming charged with ectoplasm themselves, turning them into ghosts as we know them."
Now this was new. The other parts he could've guessed from Raven's summary of them, but she'd seemed fairly adamant that 'ghosts' were never truly alive. He shook his head and cleared his throat to shake off the fear inherent with Raven not knowing something. "That's… a lot of that Raven already knew, but the other stuff- the stuff about the other spirits turning into ghosts- she didn't know that part. What can you tell me about it?"
The woman looked positively gleeful at having superior knowledge on the subject compared to the 'resident expert' as he'd referred to his cloaked compatriot. Jack was smiling brighter than a lighthouse at his wife as she continued. "Well, the more powerful ghosts are either very very old, as is the case with Pariah Dark, the ghost king, and the Fright Knight, spirit of fear… probably people with enough will at their time of death to retain most of themselves, refuse to become spirits, and wind up ghosts. OR, they're spirits charged with the ectoplasm of the Ghost Zone, getting a 'jump start' as it were, because they already have a conscious mind with which to actively develop their powers and abilities. There's been a big influx of ghosts lately, and the majority of them we've seen since moving to Amity are the latter type- ghosts that weren't originally ghosts. So we suspect at any rate, given the power and general modernization of them."
Jazz's jaw was on the floor. She'd known her mother was intelligent; her own brains had to come from somewhere, but she'd never heard her mother lay down straight facts like that… like… like this ghost business could have actual science and research behind it! "Wow…" She let out under her breath.
Cyborg simply nodded, not paying attention to the three awed teens in the room. "Yeah, that makes a lot of sense." After a moment's thought, he sighed, waving his hand towards where Raven left at. "I'm really not the one with the specific questions on ghosts, but why the surges in activity?" When met with curious glances, he elaborated. "You said the spirits only started turning ghost in the last few hundred years, and the ghosts have been more active lately… pretty sure you meant something more 'this lifetime' with that…" He smiled at the little joke.
Maddie chuckled. "Oh, yes. There's been more activity lately, but we don't really know why that is-"
"Might have something to do with people opening portals to their world…" Sam muttered loudly, much to the amusement of the other local teens.
"-anyway," The Fenton matriarch started again, silencing them. "We only have suspicions regarding the progenitor to the spectral ecto-morphasis phenomenon. The two theories that are most prominent are that the walls between this world and the ghost zone are simply breaking down, enabling spirits to wander into the zone more freely, which could be problematic later on given further decay of the dimensional boundaries. Most of the paranormal community shies away from this theory because they simply don't want to deal with the implications if it were true, we're of the opinion that it's the much more likely scenario."
Cyborg couldn't help the bead of sweat running from his brow down off his chin. This sounded way out of his league. Dimensional boundaries? Oh, he'd definitely be leaving this to Raven to figure out. "And the other?"
She smiled in a kind, motherly way. "That some spectral force is driving them out of their own dimensions, and into the Ghost Zone. Odd, isn't it, that people prefer a ghastly monster the likes of which could torment entire realities to the thought of one teensy dimensional bubble popping…" She shook her head at how silly it seemed to her.
Cyborg was sure now. Both Fenton parents were completely off their rockers. Then again, he'd seen the way the other Titans look at him when he'd pull his own engineering genius out of his hat with more than a 'Here's my new gadget, and how to turn it on.' Maybe it was just a genius thing, to be misunderstood by those that don't share your same field of study. At least engineering, cybernetics and particle physics weren't totally weird.
So, he nodded along, not sure what else he could do. "Maybe we should get Rae, and she can go over this with you more in-depth. I'm the tech guy anyway- I'd be the one to show the gadgets and gear to instead of Raven."
"YES!" Jack yelled, leaping to his feet. "I can show you the new invention I'm working on while I babble on about GHOSTS!" He grabbed Cyborg's arm and hoisted the cybernetic teen after him, despite the additional weight. "I call it the Boooooo-merang!"
Tucker gathered up his things and trotted after them faithfully.
Sam sighed and shook her head, but couldn't help her smile. "Come on, you two. Let's go find Danny."
(*)
"So, how long have you been keeping this a secret?" Raven asked, trying her hand at breaking up awkward silences.
"Oh, almost a year now…" Danny's tense stance relaxed a bit. "It was early march when the accident happened, so… Three months and a birthday away from a year." Raven still couldn't stop the small flinch at the mention of birthdays. "Heck, that's what we were doing when my parents called me down. Completely freaking out on what to do with you knowing my secret…"
She gave him a smirk. "You were that worried?"
He sighed. "Old habit, I suppose. After the Pariah Dark thing, everyone seems to like me now- before that, though… same old 'ghosts are evil' mentality. The whole town hated me just because of what I was, even though I was the good guy! Even my parents thought Phantom was evil…" His gaze drifted to the floor with another, bigger, sigh. "It was hard sometimes…"
Raven was out of her element now. She'd never been good at consoling or comforting others, but that's what he seemed to need at the moment… she put her hand on his shoulder and smiled as brightly as she could when he gave her a surprised look. "It'll be okay…" She wanted to say more, but for the life of her, couldn't think of what to say.
It didn't matter, though. He met her smile with his own and patted her own shoulder. "Yeah, I think it will. Thanks."
They stood there in amicable silence for a while before he heard Sam call his name. "There you are!"
"Yeah… So odd that I'd be right where I said I'd be, huh?" He replied with a shrug and a smirk.
"Hey, I know you, mister." Was the goth's retort, giving him a light tap on the shoulder when she was close enough.
Danny flinched and rubbed his shoulder after Sam punched him. Those really hurt. "…Just talking to Raven. She's fine about the whole… other thing." He said, changing his tone when he saw his mother and sister in the room as well.
"Ahh…" Sam nodded.
"What other thing?" Jazz pried.
Danny was instantly defensive. "None of your business!" He would've said more had his mother not been in the room to get after him for calling his sister bossy and nosy.
"OOOOH! I told you so!" He really didn't like the tone his mother used for some reason. Or that she was girlishly holding her hands clasped in front of her chest… he'd seen the gossipy girls at school do that. It just wasn't right for his mom to do so, too.
Sam rolled her eyes and butted in. "Anyway," her eyes were instantly glistening as she held a similar pose to Mrs. Fenton, staring up at Raven. Danny blinked at that. "I was wondering if you could teach me witchcraft? Maybe some spells or incantations?"
Raven was only grossly offended for a moment, she was sure of it. It never made it past her eyes at any rate. The younger girl hadn't noticed at all. Maybe she just wasn't that perceptive? "You might want to find a witch for that." She deadpanned. At Sam's suddenly curiously horror-stuck look, she added "I'm a sorceress, not a witch."
Sam's features faded into realization and she nodded. "Ohh, well still, you could teach me something, right?"
Maddie and Jazz just smiled from the sidelines, watching the two darker girls talk.
Raven sighed. "Witches gain power quickly, and reach their peak relatively early. A sorceress will spend her whole life advancing a little at a time. I'm abnormally proficient for my age." The other girl started to look sad. Her lower lip started trembling and her eyes began to moisten. The Titan sighed. "I wouldn't be able to teach you much, it's doubtful we'd get into real magic, but I could show you some basics."
"Yes!" Sam cheered, grabbing Raven's arm. "You're staying at my place tonight!"
She did her best to just give a small smile, but she looked to Danny, and saw him smiling too. He must've seen the cringe on her face as his friend started dragging her along.
"Don't worry about it, we can talk ghosts tomorrow." Maddie said, at which Raven nodded as she passed.
"Thanks missus Fenton!" Sam called, leading the sorceress by the arm up the stairs and out of the house. "Uhh, do you need to tell your teammate?"
"I'm sure they'll tell him, or he'll call when he can't find me." Raven stated, hiding how irritated she was at being dragged off anyway.
"Ahh, leaving it as a happy surprise then?" The other girl asked with a feral smirk.
Raven rolled her eyes as she followed in silence. Eventually they came upon a rather large mansion. Raven's only reaction was to raise an eyebrow, which seemed to impress Sam. After waiving off the butler, Sam half-ascended the stairs and called "MOM! DAD! I'm home and I have a friend staying over for the night!"
"It's not one of those horrible boys, is it?" Her mother's voice called back.
Sam scowled. "NO Mom, it's a new girl in town."
The silence actually scared her more than a response would've. Eventually her mother, and shortly after, her father, appeared- each from a different wing of the house. Both had wide eyes when they took in the visitor, even though she had her hood down. "And… how long will she be staying…?" Her father asked tentatively.
The two girls shared a look, and Sam had the unnerving feeling that Raven was shrugging without moving her shoulders. "Well, she's in town on… business?" The Titan nodded at the other girl's words. "Ah, yeah. So it could be a few days, if that's okay."
The parent's eyes narrowed, and Raven had a feeling the butler's behind them were, too. She decided she really didn't like this place. The furnishings were gaudy and bright, the house and grounds screamed of wealth, and the way these people were dressed and acted… they were snobs.
"It shouldn't be a problem as long as you both obey the house rules…" The man grumbled.
Sam nodded, stating her thanks before leading her guest off and away. After they'd turned a corner, though, the goth stopped with a hand on Raven's arm to hold her back as well. She gestured back the way they came silently.
Raven raised an eyebrow, but didn't complain as they knelt down to listen.
"I swear, she's getting odder by the day…" They heard the man sigh. "I've never liked her friends, but I put up with them because, well… they're normal, or as much as boys can be these days… in this town."
"I'm worried about her, Jeremy." Her mother said. "She is becoming more strange and distant, and now she's bringing home strange girls… in capes." The tone of her voice was starting to become frantic. "I'd always been fine with her hanging out with those boys because I thought she'd wind up dating one of them, even if it was the son of those horrid Fentons." She seemed to spit the last word venomously. "But now our little tomboy daughter brings home some girl… did you see her? Her skin was gray, Jeremy! Is that some tattooing or chemical treatment, or… I just don't know." Her voice became low, then, far too much so for them to continue to hear.
"Our daughter is not some deviant, Pamela!" The man replied, sounding startled. "If it worries you that much, I'll ask her friend to leave tomorrow. I had no idea that was why you'd convinced me to let her stay with them." He sighed, just loud and long enough for them to catch, and then his tone lowered. "We need to be a bit more trusting with her, maybe she'll open up to us then. She said it herself, this girl isn't going to be staying in town. If anything comes of this, we'll deal with it when it happens."
By now, Sam was leaning back against the wall, hugging her knees to her chest and laying her chin on them. "Wonderful parents, aren't they?" She muttered. "C'mon, let's go…"
With a nod, Raven helped the other girl to her feet and followed her down the hall to what could easily pass for a 'Cave of Solitude' or a bedroom. "So what about your folks?"
The Titan shut her eyes tightly and refused to let out the dejected sigh that came with thinking of her mother. She'd gotten better about thinking of her father, even talking about him… but not with strangers. She really didn't want to go into this topic, but she didn't want to lie… just say as little as possible. Letting out the breath she'd been holding slowly, she decided on a course of action.
"My mother was raped." There. Concise, truthful, and best of all- there isn't a polite way to continue a conversation after a statement like that.
Just as intended, Sam's eyes were wide as saucers and her mouth was hanging open slightly, her jaw working fruitlessly to try and piece thoughts into words. "U-oh… I'm sorry."
Raven felt bad about putting the younger girl in this situation; worse for the emotions she could feel in the girl and see playing over her face, but not nearly as bad as she would if she'd been forced into talking in detail about her parents and how she came to be. Still, "Don't feel sorry for me." She nearly winced. Still needed to work on her bedside manner… Still, she got her wishes across. "Sit." She commanded, pointing at the bed.
Sam did as she was told, sitting on the edge of the bed near her pillows. "Why?" She asked, eager to leave the prior topic.
"You wanted to learn, didn't you?" The girl's eyes lit up at this, and Raven floated to sit cross-legged near the foot of the large bed. "Everything comes back to the mind. So, I'm going to teach you how to meditate."
"I know how to meditate…" The goth's brow furled as she stated this.
She was treated to the rare sight of Raven's small smile. "Are you sure?"
(*)
Later that night, Danny heard a knock at his door.
"Come in." He called. He wasn't expecting his mother to come by this late, but she walked in the door, taking a seat at Danny's desk while he set the comic he was reading at his side along with his headphones, and sat up on his bed. "So, is Cyborg all hooked up for the night?"
Neither of them knew what happened to get Tucker to leave for the night, and to be honest, neither really wanted to know.
She nodded. "Your father seems to be getting along well with him. They set up a cot upstairs in your father's lab, and they managed to jerry-rig a recharger for him during his stay."
"Ahh, that's good. Sooo, what's up?" He really had no idea why his mom would be here. Dinner was already over, he didn't need to get ready for bed yet… he was well and truly baffled.
She gave him a shy smile. "Well, after seeing the way you were looking at that Raven girl, I thought it was about time that you and I had a little talk…" His jaw dropped, and his eyes grew far too wide. "Oh, now… I got a look under her cloak too you know. She's a very attractive young woman…"
In that instant, the boy's body became a rigid facade of shock and horror, with only one thought resonating throughout his entire being-
Oh GOD no…
And so ends the intro story arc. Don't worry, it doesn't end here. Just wait for the next chapter – Begin the Paradox.
It might've been a bit confusing, because I was trying to show both groups simultaneously and wound up backing up to where I'd left off when I switched groups, but… I think it worked out fine.
First off, Raven is a sorceress. She doesn't just have demon powers to fall back on, she's also been trained in various mind arts and rituals. Even just in the show, she shows they didn't just teach her to control her given powers. She received additional training, and mind-reading seems like something they'd start teaching her, but she wouldn't be naturally talented with, nor be inclined to advance very far in. And if you go by her comic skill-set, telepathy would practically be expected from her.
And no, I'm not trying to jump into any real Raven/Danny stuff at the moment. I'm trying to show that yes, there is a physical attraction, on Danny's part mostly, and they're starting to become friends. Not so sure I did well with that… Oh well, I don't plan on them really bonding until chapter four, not realizing they actually like each other until chapter five or six, let alone acting on those feelings… Yeah, actual relationship stuff is a bit far off at the moment.
After Malchior, Raven probably wouldn't like the thought of dating a guy that could hide things from her or lie. An open book like Danny seems like it'd be much more appealing romantically.
If there's sufficient call for it, I'll write out Danny's 'Talk' with his mother. It didn't seem relevant to the story, so I figured I'd leave it up to the readers, if they wanted to see it.
Still looking for a replacement scene-breaker... suggestions welcome.