A New World

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It is a terribly sad – but nonetheless true – statement that I do not now, nor have I ever owned anything Titan-related (outside of fan-fiction at any rate). I realize no financial remuneration for any of the Titan-based stories I write, nor do I really want to. If I get paid to write, it will be for my original stuff. However, should I hit the PowerBall Jackpot, acquisition of the rights to the Titans might soon follow … and wouldn't THAT just be a hoot and a half?

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Chapter Six: Crime

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Tuesday Morning . . . . .

It was a grim group of teenagers that gathered in Police Captain Butler's debriefing room. Of them all, only Robin really knew what to expect, having spent the previous seven years in Gotham under the tutelage of the Bat. Beast Boy might have something of a clue, gleaned from his time with the Doom Patrol, but the intense thrust and parry of their long-running battle with the Brotherhood of Evil wasn't the same as dealing with street-level crime … especially this kind of crime. This was more … personal. Much more.

The Captain waited until each of them had taken a seat and then opened the large manila folder in front of him. Clearing his throat, he said, "I know your group has a, well, a charter I suppose, to be the go-to guys when supervillains show up."

"Yes, sir," responded Robin, "but we are available for other projects if need be."

Nodding, Captain Butler went on, "You've heard of The Spook, of course."

Each Titan gave some sort of positive reply. Robin elaborated, "We started following the stories in the media five days ago." Glancing at the others, his gaze lingering longest on Starfire, he added, "We want to offer any help we can to stop this guy. Anything at all."

"Good." He took several large photographs and spread them out in front of the Titans. "We've kept some parts of the investigation out of the papers. These are his victims, so far."

A firmer set of Robin's jaw was his only reaction as he took in the photos. Starfire's eyes immediately began to glow and her fists clenched until the knuckles popped. The others, though, had to look away and fight to keep from throwing up.

Raven, unsurprisingly, was the first to regain her composure. "Captain … how old?"

"The youngest was taken from the park while her family was celebrating her twelfth birthday. The oldest was almost fifteen."

Starfire gave a very low, strangled sound, so low that the Captain didn't hear it, although her teammates did. Robin placed a concerned hand on her forearm, noticing the slight tremors that kept passing through her.

"The first three disappeared over a period of four weeks, but at one every other day for the last week," continued Captain Butler, "it didn't take the papers long to get shrill. They make it sound like the police are sitting around sucking our thumbs, but that's not the case. I've got every available man I can spare on the job. We've tripled the beat cops, we patrol the parks constantly, we've doubled the resource officers at the schools … but there are only three hundred and twenty of us, and Jump's a big place."

Cyborg asked, "You got any visuals on this piece o' … garbage?"

A nod was his answer. "Got two short pieces of security tape, one from a parking lot and one from a convenience store." He pulled out another photo. "This is a still of the better one. It's not great, but you can see …"

"… the makeup. Yeah." Victor picked up the picture and studied it. "Can I get the original tapes? Might be able to clear it up some."

"Yeah, sure. I'll get Millie to pull you a set."

Robin held out a hand and Cyborg dropped the picture into it. The Titans' team leader frowned at the image. "Gotta wonder if this guy isn't a Joker copycat."

"We thought of that, too. Sent some information to, ah, your former … mentor."

Robin's head jerked up. "You did? When?"

"Yesterday."

"Response?"

"Not yet."

He huffed a short breath and nodded.

The Captain said, "Our resident shrink ran up a profile on The Spook. He's probably relatively young, under thirty, and had a dismal childhood. Definitely male, and has some serious issues with authority. Probably hasn't held a full-time job, and if he has it wasn't for long … and that was most probably due to his inability to get along with other people for any length of time. You can see in the film that he isn't very big. Likely lives alone. And he very probably has some kind of physical abnormality. It's almost certain that he doesn't like other people to look at him."

Beast Boy gulped. "Is that … that why … their eyes were …"

"We think so."

Under his breath, Victor muttered, "Bastard."

After a silent few moments, Captain Butler gathered up the documents, dropped them back into the folder, and slid it across to Robin. "That's all yours. It's everything we've got on him so far. I hope to God you can do something with it."

"So do I, Captain." He gave a curt nod to the rest of the team, and they filed out.

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Tuesday After Lunch . . . . .

It being a clear, beautiful day, the view from the roof of Titans' Tower was spectacular. A fresh breeze lifted small whitecaps in waves across the bay; terns and seagulls wheeled in the air near the beach – which was nearly deserted – and a lone wind-surfer rode briskly back and forth, tacking away from land. But sounds from the city seemed muted, as if it were holding its collective breath. The fact that the Pier Arcade had been closed since the last abduction probably contributed to that.

Floating in her meditative pose a meter or so above the roof, Raven noticed none of that. She needed her 'alone time' today, more than she usually did, to calm her mind and focus her efforts. The pictures of those mutilated girls had shaken her more than she let on. The autopsy reports indicated that the tortures had been carried out prior to each girl's murder, and Raven's vivid imagination busily filled in the gaps if she didn't keep it occupied elsewhere. The mere thought of that level of pain inflicted on an innocent, that level of brutality …

"Friend?"

A small part of the empath's psyche had detected Starfire's tentative approach, so she wasn't startled. She was a bit irritated, though. "Yes, Starfire?" If she wants me to go shopping with her, I swear …

"I have a question about … humans."

Oh. Well, that's different. Raven unfolded her legs and touched down on the resilient covering that coated the roof's tuffcrete surface, turning to face the taller girl. "I'm not sure how much help I can be with that. I haven't been around humans much longer than you have."

Starfire bit her lip as a frown passed across her face. "Friends Cyborg and Beast Boy are very much the involved with the game of virtual monkeys, and Robin is … he is not …"

"He's buried in his office trying to figure out some pattern to The Spook, right?"

The alien nodded.

"I'll try to help, then."

"Thank you." Starfire glanced around and then ambled over to the edge of the roof, stopping to gaze at the city spread out before them. After a few moments spent gathering her thoughts, she said, "Humans … like to live together in large groups."

"Some do. Others like to live alone, or in small, close-knit communities."

"Oh?" One abbreviated eyebrow raised in doubt. "I have not seen this to be true thus far."

"Well, we haven't gotten away from the city yet. It simply hasn't come up yet."

"I see. So not all humans are animals of the herd?"

Raven fought off a grin at her companion's phrasing. "No. Not all."

"But," and here she lifted an arm toward Jump, "obviously a great many do prefer to live in this way."

"Obviously. Is that not the case with Tamaraneans?"

"Not … not as much? Not … um … ah! Not to the same extent. Yes, that is the proper word." She nodded to herself. "My people live in groups, but they are … family clans? That is, I believe, the most accurate translation. The groups are primarily social in nature, but also serve a political function."

"Political."

"Yes."

Raven glanced down for a second. "Didn't you say that Tamaran is ruled by an emperor?"

"… That would be a reasonable approximation. There is a … um, a royal family." She didn't look at Raven while she said that. The empath could feel waves of shame and fear and uncertainty and regret flowing off the alien, and it confused her mightily. "The royal family directs affairs of the relationship between Tamaran and other planets, and the protocol of succession for the ruler is quite strict. But the laws of Tamaran are administered through the Cadre of Advisors." She frowned for a moment, then added, "They would be similar to your Senate, I believe. Each clan appoints three, and the Cadre undertakes to make the law … agreeable to the people? Conform to … common sense?" Giving her head a shake, she offered Raven a wry smile. "No new law may be declared until a full determination is made whether an existing law already covers the issue."

"That sounds wise."

"The Cadre is made up of the wisest among us. That is why they advise the, um, the Emperor, to aid him in matters of statecraft." She rolled that word around for a bit and nodded. "Yes. Statecraft. A good word."

"Okay. So what is your question about humans?"

Turning her attention back to Raven, the alien girl asked, "Are humans a basically self-destructive people?"

Raven had to stop and think about that one. "… I … well, um …" She vented a sharp sigh and frowned. "On the surface it would seem that way in some cases. What makes you think that, though?"

"Robin and the Captain Butler of Police are very … upset … over these … killings."

"Yes. We all are."

"Yes. But the Captain Butler stated, and Robin seemed to agree, that this 'Spook' should be captured."

"Of course. They want him off the street as soon as possible."

"But they do not intend to slay him."

"Ah. Well, no. The laws in this country don't … well, okay, if he's tried and convicted of … but even then, California has no capital punishment, so …"

"That is the problem of the situation!"

"… What is?"

"This man … this … oh, I cannot think of … there is no good translation. This grelgrift'ka has done completely unspeakable things, things that no Tamaranean would ever do, no matter what. He does not need to be captured. He needs to be killed, and he needs to die as swiftly as we may achieve it."

Raven took a step back and pulled her cloak closely around her. "I see."

With a tiny smile that bordered on sadness, Starfire observed, "You do not agree with me either."

"I, ah … was raised by a pacifist sect. The Azaratheans don't have an army, or even a police force. All of them are … spiritually incapable of violence. So I was never really exposed." … physically, she added to herself with a hefty dose of bitterness.

"My planet has been caught in an interstellar war for almost as long as humans have a recorded history. Our people united into one … ah! One cohesive force … yes, that is a very good word. Cohesive. We are one. We have one planetary culture, one set of laws, one currency … and one goal. We fight to survive. We do not have the …" trailing off, she mouthed a few words and then nodded again. "We do not have the luxury of being pacifists. If Tamaran had no army, there would be no Tamaran."

"I do understand that, Starfire. I just … have a little trouble internalizing it."

"As would most humans, I think."

"Most. Not all. There are quite a few who love to fight, who do so professionally."

The alien concentrated briefly and brightened. "Mercenaries! Yes, we have that concept as well. In some wars, we have hired other races to fight with us. Some of them did well, but some did not."

"So that's why you think humans are self-destructive? Because so many of them are unwilling to fight?"

"And because this … this shortcoming has been codified into their laws! It is insane! How could they not call out everyone in the city, everyone who can lift a weapon, to search diligently until they find him, and then end his wretched existence?! That is exactly what would be done on Tamaran!"

Raven found herself taken aback by the vehemence behind Starfire's statements. "I suppose most humans just aren't able to do that. Take a life, I mean. It's a hard thing."

"It is not that hard." She shook her head emphatically. "It is, in fact, quite easy when the circumstances call so … so strongly for it!"

"… Remind me never to make you really angry."

Starfire caught the shorter girl's hands. "Oh, Friend, I know you could never make me that angry! You are a good person, and nothing at all like this 'Spook'."

Raven stared down at their hands, shocked by the wildly zigzagging emotional landscape pouring off the alien. They were polar opposites where 'control' was concerned. She pulled away gently and floated back up into her meditative position. "Starfire, I think I need to …"

"Oh, I understand. Thank you for your insight and your wisdom."

"Uh … sure. Any time."

"I am going to go patrol now." She turned and floated upward, angling away toward the skyline.

"I thought it was Beast Boy's turn this afternoon."

Starfire paused, staring at the city, then glanced back over her shoulder. "I will patrol until I find him."

"… Um …"

She zipped back to hover in front of Raven. "Do not worry, Friend. This is not a thing that you need to have the concern with."

"Starfire, do you really think you should …"

"I do. And I will." Floating away backward, she gave Raven a small wave. "I will try to join you all at dinner." And then she was gone, a glowing contrail in her wake.

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Starfire did not, in fact, make it to dinner. When Robin called her T-Com, she begged off with an excuse about having already had a couple of sandwiches down near the docks, where she was following a lead from an 'officer of the force of police'. He stared dubiously at the communicator for a moment before telling her not to stay out too late.

She was there for breakfast the next morning, though, and seemed to be in an unusually cheerful mood.

There were no more abductions. Captain Butler was of the opinion that The Spook got stymied by the drastic increase in police presence throughout the city, and had left for other hunting grounds. He communicated this idea to the media. It got picked up by the AP and went national. Every other western state went on high alert for a month … but no one ever got even a hint of where he might have gone. Eventually the hysteria faded.

About a week after that final abduction the team was in the newest training area at the base of the Tower. Raven and Starfire were practicing working together and Robin threw them a new curve or two. In one of the tests, a veritable storm of large rocks came speeding at them. This time, rather than dodge them, Starfire used her starbolts to make what Raven could only think of as a plasma shield. The rocks hit it and were instantly vaporized.

Robin stopped the training run and called over, "Star? Is that something new?"

"No, Robin. I have been able to do that since … um, for a long time."

"Good to know. That looks like it could come in really handy. You'll need to be careful around other people, though. It could be dangerous."

She called back, "I will remember." A couple of seconds later she glanced over at Raven and said, in a low tone, "It is, in fact, very dangerous to certain people."

Raven excused herself from practice and spent the rest of the day in her room.

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A/N: Ya know … sometimes the characters just latch onto the plot and scoot off on a wild tangent with it. I had no idea, really.

Let me know what you think.

Concolor