Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to the Teen Titans or any characters in the DC Universe.
The elevator chimed as the door opened on the 12th floor of the downtown office building. It contained a single passenger, who was dressed in what might be called "business attire". She exited the elevator and walked down the carpeted hallway. Her destination was opposite the twin elevator doors, in suite 1200. She walked up to the door and grabbed its handle, but not before reading the sign on the door:
Davenport, Smith & Burns
Attorneys at Law
As the woman entered the reception area she was greeted by a petite woman sitting behind a desk. Her features were Asian and she did not look a day older than 21.
"Good afternoon ma'am. May I help you?" The receptionist asked her with a California accent.
"I have a 3 o'clock appointment." She replied.
The receptionist opened the appointment book on her desk.
"Your name ma'am?"
"Markov. Tara Markov." The blond replied.
"Yes Miss Markov, I see your appointment right here." She confirmed as she pulled out a highlighter and made a mark in the book. "Mr. Burns will see you in a moment. Please have a seat."
Terra walked over to an opulent leather wingback chair and sat down on it. This was the fifth lawyer she would see today and the last one as well. The previous four had been a waste of her time as none of them were interested in handling the annulment case that she sought, telling her that it was either a waste of time or too much of a nuisance.
Terra had left the Tower early that morning and had bumped into Starfire in the kitchen at 7:00 AM. She had spent the night alone, without her Beast Boy, for the first time in almost a month and was determined to promptly put an end to that unfortunate circumstance. Time was of the essence as she knew that the witch was undoubtedly already circling in for the kill, eager to steal her man from her.
"If you'll follow me please, Mr. Burns is ready to see you." The receptionist startled Terra, who was zoned out thinking of 100 different ways she would get Raven out of the running for her Beast Boy.
"Thanks." The Geomancer replied as she stood up.
The receptionist led Terra into an elegant office, with wall paneling on all the walls, each with a large bookcase loaded with thick tomes on all sorts of legal subjects. Chris Burns rose from his large mahogany desk and extended his hand to greet Terra.
"Good afternoon, Miss Markov, I'm Christopher Burns. What can I do for you?" He welcomed her as the receptionist exited the office, closing the door behind her. "Please have a seat. Can I get you anything? Perhaps some coffee or mineral water?"
"Thank you Mr. Burns, but no, I'm not thirsty. I'll get straight to the point. I want my marriage annulled."
"I see, so you want an annulment. You do understand that annulments can be difficult to obtain, unlike a divorce. Is there any particular reason you want an annulment?"
Terra had heard this four times already that day.
"There is a man I want to marry, but he won't marry me if I'm divorced."
"I see." Burns replied. "Perhaps an ecclesial annulment is what you need."
The geomancer shook her head. "No. Neither of us is Catholic. I need a civil annulment, not a religious one."
"Very well. I'm going to ask you a few questions, if that's alright with you."
Terra brightened. The first four attorneys had shown no interest in her case.
"Of course." She replied. "Fire away."
The lawyer pulled out a legal pad and grabbed a pen.
"Let's begin. Were either of you already married at the time you married him?"
"No." she replied.
"Were you coerced into marrying him against your will?"
"No."
"Were you intoxicated or under the influence of narcotics when you married him?"
"No."
"Were either of you mentally incapacitated when you were married?"
"You mean like being crazy?"
"You could call it that."
"He's crazy. He's always been nuts."
Burns put his pad down.
"This is the toughest approach we can follow to get an annulment, Miss Markov. It will be difficult to prove that he was mentally unbalanced at the time. How long ago was your putative marriage?"
"It was just over a year ago."
"That helps, being that recent. We will need to get a court order to have your husband subjected to psychiatric evaluation. It will be easier if he chooses to cooperate. Do you think he will?"
Terra laughed. "He doesn't have much choice. I heard last night that they're sending him to Arkham Asylum."
Burns gave Terra an astonished look. "Are you serious Miss Markov? How did you find this out?"
Terra looked nonplussed. "Robin told me last night at the Tower."
Burns now looked upset. "Miss Markov, I don't like having my chain yanked. Are you telling me that you were in Titans Tower last night?"
"Duh! I live there."
"You live in Titans Tower?" He asked skeptically.
"Well of course I do. I'm a Teen Titan!"
Burns face looked cross. "Last I heard Miss Raven and Miss Starfire were the only two female Titans in our fine city."
"I see you don't believe me." Terra said as she scanned the room. She saw a planter full of pebbles and gestured at it. A stream of rocks flowed out of the planter and began to fly around the room, much to Burns astonishment.
"Forgive me for doubting you Miss Markov."
Terra smirked and with another gesture sent the flying pebbles back to the planter.
"So who is your husband?"
"His name is John Spivak. He's the one responsible for the tornadoes yesterday."
Burns nodded his head.
"I think we can help you Miss Markov, but I must warn you this will be very costly. A divorce would be much less expensive and with a guaranteed outcome. There is a possibility that we might fail in securing you an annulment."
"How much?" She asked bluntly.
"At least $50,000, but probably more. We're going to need expert witnesses. Psychiatrists, medical doctors, criminologists, etc. Maybe we could get Hugo Strange himself to come from Gotham."
Terra pulled out her checkbook and began to write a draft.
"Money isn't an issue." She replied.
Raven stood at the entrance to the common room, dumbfounded. She was wearing a white version of her winter costume, complete with slacks and faux fur trim on her cape. She and Gar had been the last ones to return from the courthouse where in a brief and simple ceremony they were married. Cyborg drove them back to the Tower in the T-Car, taking what some would consider the long way home.
The reason Raven was stunned was because in the brief hour they had been away the common room had been transformed from a simple Titan hangout into a beautifully decorated wedding reception. The tiered cake in the middle of the room was breathtaking. Caterers stood ready to serve the guests, which were far more than Raven expected, as in addition to Robin, Starfire and Cyborg only the Titans East had been present at the ceremony.
"Who did all this?" Raven asked, unable to conceal the shock in her voice.
"That would be me Mrs. Logan. Alfred Pennyworth, at your service. I do apologize Mrs. Logan, but there simply wasn't enough time to prepare any more than this."
"More?" She said incredulously. "This is far more than I was expecting. I thought there would just be some sheet cake and a few pizzas."
"Mrs. Logan!" Alfred protested. "That would not be acceptable for such an auspicious occasion."
"Of course." Raven acknowledged. "Thank you Alfred, you know how to spoil a girl. Did Robin send for you?"
"Indeed he did. Master Bruce was kind enough to bring me along in the Batwing. We brought the cake all the way from Gotham. We were very fortunate in that our favorite bakery had a last minute cancellation, otherwise I'm afraid we might have arrived empty handed. Still, we would have done better than a sheet cake!"
Terra pulled into the Tower garage feeling quite pleased with herself, even feeling a bit giddy. She couldn't wait to tell Beast Boy that she had already retained a lawyer to handle her annulment. In her revelry she almost didn't notice all of the cars parked in the cavernous garage as she walked to the elevator.
Did Cyborg just buy a bunch of cars?
The elevator whisked her up to the common room and when the doors opened she was surprised to see a super hero party in progress. She quickly noticed that there were several Justice League heavyweights present: Superman and Supergirl, Batman and Batgirl, the Green Lantern and Wonder Woman, to name a few. The Titans East were all present as were most of the honorary Titans as well.
What's going on? They had a party planned, and they didn't tell me? She fumed.
Then Terra's blood went ice cold. She saw Beast Boy and Raven in the center of the room. Raven was wearing a white version of her cold weather costume and Beast Boy was wearing a suit and tie. Beast Boy was grinning while holding Raven's hand, while her face was its usual expressionless self. They were surrounded by people who were congratulating them.
And then Terra saw the cake. All six tiers of it. She staggered backwards into the elevator as if someone had body slammed her and she pressed the 'close' button as she was beginning to hyperventilate. She recovered from the initial shock of what she had seen. Her mind raced as she tried to decide what to do next. Deciding that she needed to retreat to safety she hit the button that would take the elevator to the residential level in the Tower. The elevator took what felt like an eternity to reach its destination and as soon as the doors opened she bolted to her room. She punched in her code and her door slid open as she charged into her sanctuary. She slammed the door behind her as she continued to panic, hiding in the safety of her unlit room.
Calm down. It can't be what you think you saw Terra, it can't be.
But she it was.
Damn the witch! She stole him from me! How could I have been so stupid? Terra fought back the tears that were streaming down her face.
Terra then looked at her bed. The bed she had shared with him for almost a month. The bed she would never share with him again.
Wait a minute, that couldn't be him! He looked like his old goofy self again. Did Raven do something to him? Did she cast another spell on him? What happened to him?
Terra had calmed herself by this point and her mind began to race with schemes to get Beast Boy back.
OK, I'd better go down there and be cool about this. If I blow a fuse and make a scene he'll hate me forever. They're married and right now there's nothing I can do about that.
Terra walked over to her vanity and freshened up, doing her best to doll herself up.
He might have chosen her, but I'll start reminding him right now about what he's missing out on, what he could have had.
After brushing her hair and spraying on some expensive perfume Terra examined herself in the mirror and decided she was ready. She strolled out of her room and entered the elevator which hadn't been called away.
Cyborg picked up a glass and tapped it with a spoon.
"Shut up y'all. It's speech time."
Chuckles and muted laughter could be heard around the room as the din of dozens of simultaneous conversations died out. Robin stood up and looked at Beast Boy and Raven. He had been worried that maybe they had gone too far and overdone things as Raven had begged them to not go overboard. He was worried that she would not enjoy herself at the reception as she had a long track record of disliking parties in general. But the look on her face put him at ease. She looked happy in her own unique Ravenesque way, holding Beast Boy's ungloved hand.
"Friends, fellow heroes and crime fighters, thank you for coming on such short notice. As you all know we've gathered today to celebrate Raven and Beast Boy's marriage…"
As Robin delivered his speech the elevator doors slid open and Terra walked into the room. Robin stopped dead in his tracks.
"Robin, don't stop on my account! BB and Rae, I'm sorry I'm late. I forgot my communicator and was gone all day. So where do I sit?"
Cyborg motioned towards an empty chair next to him. Terra waltzed to it and sat down happily. Raven glared at her.
What the hell is she up to? The sorceress wondered.
"C'mon Robin. Don't stop because of me!" Terra announced in a sing song voice.
"Yes, right. We're here to celebrate the union of our dear friends. I still remember the day I first met Raven and Beast Boy. It would be a hard day for me to forget, as that was also the day I met Cyborg and my fiancée Starfire, when she tried to kill me."
Everyone present laughed as Starfire blushed.
"I was not trying to kill you Robin. Please do not exaggerate."
Cyborg guffawed. "You threw a car at him Star!" There was more laughter.
The princess gave the tin man a death glare. "I did not know at the time that was dangerous for him." She apologized.
Robin placed a calming hand on her shoulder and she relaxed in response.
"We've all come a long way since that night we met when the Gordanians invaded. We really were just teens back then and we've grown a lot since that fateful first encounter. Today Raven and Garfield have taken the love and friendship we have for each other to the next level. And I for one couldn't be happier for them. Here's to Raven and Garfield!"
Robin's brief speech was followed by a symphony of clinking glasses, followed by a long round of applause.
Beast Boy noticed Raven's discomfort. He called out to her over their shared telepathic link.
"Just say the word Rae and we're outta here." He reassured her.
She placed a hand on his arm.
"It's OK. It would be rude to leave so soon. I'll be alright."
A server placed some salads in front of them.
"Actually Gar, I think I'm kind of hungry …"
It was now past midnight and the reception was winding down. Cyborg had actually been able to book a band and there had been a couple of hours of dancing after the celebratory meal had been consumed. Raven had perked up and even danced with her husband before they made their gracious exit just before eleven. Starfire had booked a cruise to the Mexican Riviera that sailed the next day and the newlyweds had retreated to Raven's room for the night. Alfred was busy supervising the cleanup process and the only guests left were the Titans East, the Kryptonians, the two Bats and Terra.
"Miss Markov." The Dark Knight approached her. "We're going to interrogate your husband. Would you like to be present?"
Terra squirmed at the sound of the words 'your husband'.
"He won't be my husband for much longer. But sure, I'll come. I want to see the look on his stupid face when he sees all of you."
As the group of 13 heroes headed for the elevator, Starfire and Robin straggled behind and took the stairs as the elevator was full. As they made their way down the stairs to the lower level where the safety room was located they heard a pair of feet running, trying to catch up with them.
"Dick! Wait up!" A familiar female voice echoed through the concrete stairwell. Starfire gave her beau a critical look, as she also knew who the voice belonged to. It was his old flame, Barbara Gordon, AKA Batgirl.
"Hey Barb." Robin replied. "Long time no see."
Batgirl took a flying leap down the stairs and caught up with the two Titans. Starfire gave her a mild glare.
"What's going on Dick? You've been avoiding me like the plague." Barbara protested. "You haven't even introduced me to Starfire."
The Princess glared at her fiancé's old flame.
Barbara smiled "Starfire, I want to congratulate both of you on your engagement."
Starfire continued to glare at Barbara.
"I mean it! I'm not here to steal Dick from you." She smiled. Starfire could see that Barbara was an attractive woman and she still felt uneasy with her presence. Still, an olive branch was an olive branch.
"Thank you Miss Gordon. Your congratulations are acceptable to us."
Barbara continued smiling. She had heard about Starfire's unusual speech patterns, and she was now finding them endearing.
"You guys make a nice couple. So when's the wedding?"
"Thanks Barb. We haven't set a date yet. It'll be on Tamaran of course, and don't worry you and Bruce are invited."
"You haven't set a date yet?"
"Nope. It'll be sooner than later. We can't let Raven and Beast Boy be the only married couple in the Tower."
Barb chuckled.
"No kidding. They are an unusual couple though, aren't they?"
"What do you mean?" Starfire asked.
Batgirl knew she was treading in thin ice, and replied carefully.
"Well, I mean, they're really different from each other. Beast Boy is so expressive and outgoing while Raven is, well, she's kind of an ice queen. She hardly smiled at all during the reception."
"Raven is complicated." Starfire replied with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "She is not emotionally expressive in public. But we who are her friends could tell that she was very happy today. And I have no doubts that they will be very happy together."
"I see." Barb replied as the continued to walk down the stairwell. "So what's the deal with Terra? I though she and Beast Boy were an item."
They had finally reached the level where the safety room was located and the sliding doors opened. The rest of the group was already there waiting for them by the entrance to improvised holding cell were Spivak was still incarcerated.
"I'll tell you later Barb." Robin replied.
The boy wonder walked up to the hand sensors that controlled the door to the safety room. Cyborg had changed the lock so it would require two Titans to open it, and Terra was not on the approved list yet. The two boys placed their hands on the sensors and the titanium doors slid open, allowing the group to enter.
Spivak was in a cell inside the safety room. Three walls and its ceiling were titanium and the fourth wall was made of titanium bars. Terra's spouse was lying on his bunk and lazily got up once he saw he had visitors. He walked up to the bars and grabbed them with his hands, as if he meant to pry them open. He saw Terra in the rear of the committee and his expression turned violent as he pointed angrily at her.
"You whore!" He screamed at her. "You betrayed me to them so you could sleep with him!"
Terra stared at him impassively, saying nothing.
"I'm gonna kill that green freak Terra! Your boyfriend's a dead man Terra, a dead man! I'm gonna escape and I'm gonna kill him!" Spivak screamed maniacally. "No one messes with my woman, no one!"
Terra finally replied.
"He's not my boyfriend John, thanks to you. And soon you won't be my husband. I already hired an attorney to get our marriage annulled."
Spivak gave her a shocked look.
"Yes John! An annulment. Our marriage is bogus, and I'm taking care of that."
"But Terra." He replied in a worried tone. "What about us? You know I love you!"
The blond snorted.
"You're nuts John. Have a great time in jail. Maybe you can be some bad guy's girlfriend there!"
Terra felt a hand on her shoulder.
"That will be enough Miss Markov." The Dark Knight warned her. Terra walked away towards Robin and Starfire while the Dark Knight took over the interrogation.
"Why did you do it Spivak?"
"Do what?" He replied defiantly.
"Why did you attack downtown Jump City with your wind powers? Why did you injure thousands of innocent people?"
Spivak laughed. "It worked, didn't it? I got Terra to come out of Titans Tower!"
"Have you no remorse over what you did?" Batgirl asked him angrily. "You sent over 1000 people to the hospital."
"They all deserved it." He grinned. "They're all a bunch of phonies."
"I've heard enough." Batman replied as he aimed a small aerosol can at the prisoner. Pressing the button on the top the can sprayed a blue gas in Spivak's face and the man collapsed. Robin unlocked the barred door and Batman entered the cell. He then produced a hypo-spray and injected even more sedatives into the man's arm.
"He's ready."
Cyborg stepped out of the room and reentered immediately carrying what looked like a high tech sarcophagus, which he opened. Superman picked Spivak up and placed him into the box. Cyborg tied the man down with several straps before closing the lid, which he locked with several latches. He then pressed several buttons on a control panel on the box.
"Life support is engaged and is running normally. He's nice and safe in his cocoon."
Superman nodded. "I'll take him straight to Arkham Asylum in Gotham.
"Dr. Hugo Strange will be waiting for you." Batman replied.
Robin cleared his throat.
"Thanks for the help."
Thanks to all of you for reading and reviewing.
Some replies to your comments:
"If you don't finish it, I'm coming after you." – GothicRavenRoth
Don't worry, I will finish it.
"Although I was hoping Beastboy would kick Wild Man's **, I'm happy the bastard is gone(I hope)." – Dark Rapture
Don't write off the Wild Man yet.
"Wow, I'm so happy right now! I wonder if it's the cute chapter or the chocolate I just ate!" - Rosalind2013
It was probably the chocolate.
"Nice of you to bring back the pancake place couple from chapter 6." – Wolvmbm
Yeah, I kind of liked that too.
"I really liked the confrontation between Beast Boy, Raven, the Beast and the Wild man." - Novus Ordo Seclorum
That took some effort to write. I don't know why.
And to close, I recommend reading Rosalind2013's newest story: Dreams and Diversions, a very promising sequel to her other story "Careful What You Wish For".
That's all for today folks. A sneak preview for next chapter: Another unpleasant surprise awaits Terra.