When Walls of Silence Crumble

The day was only starting, the sun rising over the horizon to the east. It would be a clear day, one with few clouds and warm temperatures that would rise as the day passed. Still, for a morning, one could say that it was nice, balmy even, which made it perfect to have a rally.

The T-shaped tower to the west, at the corner of Cardy and Haney Boulevard and taking up a long tract of grass-covered land was the assembling of a crowd. They parked their cars on the curb up and down whatever streets were available. From vehicles they emerged, many carrying homemade signs.

Once at the designated area, a permit in hand, they held these signs to face the tower, their growing numbers creating a din of noise. Many talked with one another, vocalizing their views about the matter at hand, some catching up first before feeding into their collective belief systems.

They were mainly adults, more women than men, and some children had even been brought along. The latter group tended to congregate towards the bay, some pointing towards the tower while having discussions that were definitely against the spirit of this gathering. They had to be careful, at least the ones dissenting had to be because if any adult overheard them, there would be words and a lot of them.

As the sun climbed higher and higher, the rally grew larger and larger. As the middle of the morning approached, a limo drove down the street, coming to a stop before the rally when it was apparent there would be no parking for this particular vehicle. One of the rear doors opened and a foot clad in a high heel stepped out onto the asphalt of the street.

Red was the color of the suit jacket and white the blouse-like turtleneck beneath it. Dark black hair professionally styled glistened with the remnants of product. Sunlight reflected off the glasses which obscured the woman's eyes, ones that gazed defiantly at the tower in the distance. A manicured hand dusted off the suit jacket and checked for the American flag pin on the lapel of her suit jacket.

Councilwoman Elizabeth Alderman has arrived before her people, likeminded and patriotic like herself. Not even glancing to her left or her right, she strolled across the remaining street and towards the MAAS rally that had been painstakingly planned out. As soon as she was noticed, a murmur began to sweep across the crowd, and there were cheers that joined it. Ah, support, and all for her and the cause.

The councilwoman began with a smile, greeting her supporters and accepting hands for shaking as she went along. When not shaking hands, she waved to all. Behind her, her entourage followed, a combination of assistants and security personnel who worked to direct the flow of supporters as well as open up a path for the politician.

Dark eyes took glimpses of the signage and read their contents. Short due to space and handwriting, their messages were clear as to what this crowd wanted which aligned with her interests.

That eyesore across the bay needed to be dealt with and this rally was just one more step to accomplishing that. Placing children into a position for harm was going too far. The high and mighty Justice League needed to know its place and it wasn't glamorizing their vigilantism. There were the police and the army for those kinds of threats. Children had no place being on the front lines.

Really, she was here to save them. To save their futures as well. Superheroes were fantasy and would only cause more problems in the long run. A stand had to be taken and she might as well be the one to lead the charge here. Those children had better futures in more grounded professions, bettering society rather than resorting to delinquency.

There hadn't been an okay for any kind of stage, and the place where it had been decided to host this rally had little in the way of amenities such as a small building or structure, anything that could be used as a point of reference to draw attention. Its sole advantage was that it had the perfect view of that gaudy building over there.

Her staff had to arrive early to set up a rudimentary sound system. Large speakers had to be placed, a source of electricity found, and barring that a generator or two, and last but not least a microphone. If that all failed, there was a megaphone being held as a standby. She didn't want anything to obstruct her face; she wanted everyone to be able to see her.

It was to this set up that she arrived, a staffer holdup her weapon of the day which she gladly took. Her fingers wrapped around the microphone's handle, smooth and easy to grip. From the speakers was static emitted from the movement of air that the sensitive receiver was picking up. She did a personal mic check, making sure that her words were being projected out to the growing crowd, because of course it was growing. This was too important to be missed!

"Thank you! Thank you everyone for showing up today!" Alderman greeted, a ringing of cheers answering her. "Yes, yes, I know, and I am grateful for all your presence today. I know, we can have a better set up, but it's not like our parks are located conveniently for an event like this." She gave a chuckle, a way to further disarm anyone who may naysay. There were always naysayers, always infiltrating and causing problems. It was to be expected.

But she had truth and righteousness on her side, their side. "We all know why we're here today. You don't need to look far. Turn around, look out to the bay and ocean beyond. What do you see? You know what I see? I see a symbol, a symbol of misplaced ambition and irresponsible choices. That thing, that tower flies in the face of good sense and decency. Are we a city who willingly allows our children to put themselves in danger? And for what?

"Let there be no mistake, I do not hate the individuals who have fallen for the Justice League's lies. They are children themselves, they don't know any better. We cannot hold that against them. But we can hold the adults, if you can call them that, who allowed and continue to allow this travesty to continue happening in our fair city!"

There were cries and cheers, egging her on. They agreed. They all agreed. And why shouldn't they? It was only the truth. It was a truth so many didn't want to hear, but she was going to say it over and over again until no one could contest.

"We have the police to protect us!" the councilwoman continued. "We have the fire department to save us! First responders who run forward and not away! For years, decades, that's all we ever needed. It's all we'll ever need. But right here, right now, those fine people who wear a uniform and work to make our city safe are being undermined, and the weapon used to do so, the so-called T.I.T.A.N. Initiative!" Boos sounded from many of the rally participants. "How many problems has it caused? Continues to cause? It puts those poor children into danger, and who will save them? Who will save them from the lies and indoctrination? Who will protect the young people from the brainwashing and corruption of an organization that keeps actual aliens in key positions?

"Everyone here today, who have heard and answered the call, you know the answer! We will! We will put an end to this madness and reclaim the hearts and minds of the children led astray! We will show them the right way! The moral way! So let me hear you chant! Let me hear you sing! Let me hear you scream at the tops of your lungs that we will not allow this!"

Another cheer, another affirmation, and Alderman nodded her head to it. Another step in a long process, but she would stand victorious in the end.

This was for the children after all.

Whenever something terrible or traumatizing happened, there was always that quiet moment that followed. If you were lucky, you would never have to experience it. But what was this moment? Well, it was the time put aside and used to slowly come to terms with what had happened, even if there wasn't a clear explanation for why it had happened.

For this moment, Cyborg stood at a set of windows, one that lined one of the hallways in the Tower's upper levels and gave a clear view of Jump City. It was a view to remind what the Teen Titans were fighting for and protecting. There was enough distance to get a very broad view of the city itself.

It was close enough that if you looked hard enough….

Thanks to his robotic eye, he was able to watch the anti-Titans protest that was happening. He could read some of the signs too. "Go Back To School." "Teen Terrors." "Listen To Your Parents." That last one got a snort out of him. Those were just some of the first ones he had been able to read so he knew it was all downhill from there.

With his human eye, he was barely able to make out the multicolored mass of so many bodies packed into a small space. In this case, it was more stretched out since Cardy was parallel with the bay. Sure, there was space, but it was more thin than at first glance. It was just an over glorified sidewalk that you could hold a picnic or two if the weather was nice and nothing else.

Beside him stood some of the others. Kid Flash was right next to him, a puzzled look on his face. What the speedster could see was probably the same that Cyborg could see with his human eye. To Kid Flash's right were BB and Terra who stood very close to each other. BB even had an arm placed over the smaller blonde's shoulders. It gave the impression that the two of them were close, like really close. Lastly, to their right and ending the line of teens was their visitor, Miguel, who seemed to be having similar thoughts to Kid Flash about the protest.

"They do know you are trying to protect them, right?" the teen from south of the border asked.

"It's what we do," Kid Flash agreed.

"Not everyone has the same opinion," the cyborg grunted. "Some people have strong opinions. Others don't like any kind of change whatsoever. So people see wrong in everything that isn't like them. Welcome to America."

"It's just so stupid," Beast Boy grumbled. "We're putting our lives on the line for them."

"And some people think we shouldn't. Like that one." He gestured with one of his titanium hands towards the protest knowing that no one else here save for the shapeshifter might be able to pick out with of the signs he was pointing out. To make sure they did, "'Do Homework, Not Cop Work.' I think they left out the e in homework."

"If they're going to insult us, they might as well spell good," was the only argument that the Green Bean could muster after that.

Kid Flash was nearly pressing his face against the glass. "I don't think I've ever seen one of these before. There were pictures that I ignored, but I don't think I've ever heard of one like this in the future."

Miguel turned his head to look at the speedster from the future. "They do not have protests where you come from?"

Kid Flash shrugged his shoulders. "Dystopian, oppressive, space government. Everything's fine now, don't say we're doing a bad job. What, you think we are? I think this plasma rifle has a different opinion. That's the twenty-fifth century for you. Right now, Earth's kinda going with the flow, but in about two or three centuries, it's gonna start putting itself out there. Think of all the aliens right now. There's a lot more coming if you know what I mean—"

"No more spoilers, man," Beast Boy interrupted.

"I know I would like one less thing to keep me up at night," Cyborg agreed.

They fell quiet for a moment. It gave the cybernetic teen a chance to think about those who weren't here. He knew Red had taken Raven aside; something must be coming to a head between the two of them. While he would like to be there, it was being handled privately. Well, if things got too out of hand, he'd definitely step in. Starfire was…somewhere, and so was Wonder Girl. A quick check of the cameras might help, but after last night…

"We aren't going to say anything about the monsters?" It was a question that came from Terra and her voice was a bit off, but that could be explained by repressed trauma.

"What is there to talk about?" was what he answered with. "I think I've had enough horror to last the rest of my life. Next time we're vetting what we watch next."

No one spoke up to that, not immediately at least. Naturally, it was good ol' Grass Stain who did. "So…next weekend?"

Cyborg thought about it. "Next weekend."

Because even at the end of the day, a chance meeting with cosmic horror, and not a stupid protest, they all were gluttons were punishment. Next weekend was going to be another horror movie, one they would be able to rip apart with ease thanks to its bad CGI and stupid plot. Then again, who really watched horror movies for the plot?

Raven was starting to understand why sleep deprivation was a useful torture technique. The brain required sleep, and the longer you went without it, the harder it was to remain in control. Slips of the tongue were more likely when tired, and the physical urge to fall into slumber was enormous, and the need to do so would overwhelm sensibility.

Red Robin was not depriving her from sleep, not deliberately. It was incidental. After everything had calmed down, the first stop for the team had been the medical bay. Preliminary checkups so far showed no adverse reactions to, well, everything, but there were going to be more. For once, Raven found herself speaking up and insisting for regular checkups. The exposure they all had…it would be in everyone's best interest to do so.

Even she had no idea what the effects of extended exposure could be. Best case scenario, nothing would come of it. Worst case? As much as she didn't want to think about it…there were too many possibilities worst case. A slow corruption, a tainting of the soul, a vulnerability to other dark forces, a gradual transformation whether it was physical, psychological, or a combination of both, or…or conduits for…him.

Everyone was exhausted, but none had moved to go to their beds. She would've, but then Red Robin intercepted and walked her to another room, neutral ground for both of them. It was one of the many vacancies they had in the tower, an unclaimed bedroom furnished with the essentials and awaiting an occupant to claim it.

For now, she claimed a chair, one that was part of a desk ensemble while Red Robin placed himself between her and the door. Both of them knew that it was more for show; she could leave any time she wanted and this was her going along with the theater.

She wasn't intimidated, far from it. The empath waited, already anticipating the questions about to be asked and planning what her answers would be. It…was a little tougher because she hadn't rested yet, but she would be ready for whatever was thrown her way. It was obvious what the questions were going to be.

Seconds ticked by and the team leader stood facing her with his arms crossed. Honestly, who was he trying to fool? If he was trying to emulate the man who had inspired him and she had once worked with during a certain Tamaranean invasion, he was nowhere near that level. He did not have the confidence or the authority, nor did he know how to truly use them to manage a team such as this.

"From what I have been able to piece together, what happened last night started suddenly and without warning. Frankly, it doesn't matter how it started. I'm more concerned about what caused it." Trying to go in gentle, wasn't he? Not trying to put blame while putting himself into position that he could try and get answers from her. "I noticed how none of your attacks affected those monsters. It was like they were immune to your power, and that includes anything influenced by them." He was leading and she knew where he was going. "I don't know what happened next, but that last…spell? They responded to it and ceased to be. If they were part of that black energy that you used, then it looked like you pulled them into you."

"What are you trying to ask?" Her patience was already frayed and her tolerance, limited as it was, was already at an end.

The white lens that hid his eyes narrowed. "You created those monsters, didn't you?"

"I have no idea—"

"You noticed it too. Lie to me all you want, but don't lie to yourself," the prick interrupted. Who did he think he was? "I don't know how, but you made those things. It put everyone here in the Tower at risk, and who knows if it would have stopped there."

Raven narrowed her eyes. "What are you implying?"

"Nothing. I am not making accusations here. That would imply I have an agenda that does not exist."

"Now who's lying to themselves?" She found her opening.

"Raven, this isn't a witch hunt, this is for everyone's safety. What I want to know is how your powers work. I want to know what they are. And most importantly, I want to make sure that everyone is safe, including you." The opening was abruptly shut. Red Robin had taken a step closer to her, looming over her now. "This is about making sure it doesn't happen again."

Still, she rallied. "It won't happen again."

"If I were to ask before, I bet you would have said it would never happen in the first place."

It was a struggle to keep a straight face. That was like a slap to the face and worst of all, she knew he was right. Where was this coming from? This was Red Robin who was more a doormat than a leader, so where was this sudden show of strength and intelligence coming from?

Another step closer. "I know you've been on me these last couple months. You've been on me because you think I should be a better leader. You're not necessarily wrong there either. I could be a better leader. I need to be a better leader. And you know what a good leader does? When something like last night happens, they get to the bottom of it to make sure the team is safe, even from itself."

So very convenient for him and quite the backfire for her, wasn't it? There was a little resentment she was feeling—something she immediately quashed down. She didn't need any response from that emotion, now did she?

"So for your safety, for our friends' safety, I need to know. I need to know everything about your powers. So please, Raven. Don't shut me out. Don't withdraw. Talk to me. Tell me what I need to know so that the Titans can be the stronger for it. This doesn't have to be a breaking point; it can be the beginning of a better team."

His persuading skills could definitely use some work. It was so cheesy and whatever tough guy stance Red Robin had taken earlier seemed like a bad joke. Good cop, bad cop, pick one already and stick with it, though neither would change how she would respond.

Though his facial expression did not change, she did sense an increase of focus. He was thinking about something. Perhaps a new approach. Whatever it was, it wasn't going to work.

"As far as I know, your powers are magic-based. When we met for the first time and I shacked you all up at Wonder Girl's house, you explained some details about the mystical parts of the world. Then there was that little visit we had from Dr. Fate. I made a few calls after that, did you know? I reached someone who gave me the lowdown. Dr. Fate is a big deal and he only shows up when it's a big deal. Does he consider you a threat? Why else would he show up? Should I see about getting in touch with him? You think he would tell me everything you don't want any of us to know?"

That blew a big hole in her defenses. She hadn't expected the willingness to go around her. Yes, there were people who could tell him everything he wanted to know about her and he had already demonstrated that he was willing to do that. Who did Red Robin know who could not only tell him about Fate, but perhaps even get him into contact?

"A good leader would have gotten the ball rolling, don't you think?" Red Robin continued, taking one more step closer. "I consider you a friend, and I want to hear this from you and no one else. As your friend, I want to be able to help. If you aren't going to trust me, then you know what I'll have to do. I don't want to do it…but I will. Now it's your choice. Won't you tell me what I, what the team, needs to know?"

She was quiet, and silence reigned for the several moments that followed. Most of that time was calming the storm of emotions and thoughts that had been triggered by this recent revelation. On one hand, she could play hard ball and try her best to keep the status quo. That would result in Fate intervening again, and she knew the Teen Titans were not capable of fighting him off. He would take her and that would be that. It was a minor miracle he hadn't shown up, unless the wards he had placed on the Tower would have kept that nightmare inside until he could arrive to handle it. Or…or that so-called doctor was playing four-dimensional chess, trusting the Titans to pull out a win, and using this as a way to pressure her into revealing the truth to them on her own, which is certainly a tactic he would use.

In the end, who would it be better for Red Robin to hear this from? Her? Or someone like Fate?

Well, that certainly answered that question, didn't it?

With a sigh, his body posture slumping, she spoke, "My mother was young and dumb when she joined a cult. That's how this all started."

Red Robin remained where he was, his knees bent slightly to lower himself to her level.

"Don't ask me what her reasons were, given enough time we can all probably guess," Raven continued, looking down to the floor where the teen vigilante's boots were still in her line of sight. "What she didn't know at the time, and what the cult leadership kept to itself, was that it was a doomsday cult, one that wanted to bring the end of the world because it saw society as too corrupt and humanity beyond saving. So they practice rituals, made many calls through the occult to any who would answer, and in time, they found one who did. We would only be so lucky if it were an ancient Sumerian god, your run of the mill demon, or even one of the Old Gods. The one who answered, the one who the cult reached, was my father."

Her eyes closed. This…this was not easy. But to explain her powers, she had to go to the beginning, before she was born. There was no other way to truly explain them.

"My father wants to come to Earth, more than anything. There are…protections, one of which is an impenetrable shield. Before you ask, it doesn't affect aliens or beings of this plane of existence; it keeps the supernatural at bay, and my father certainly qualifies for the latter. However, he knew of a way to get through, and a means in which he could arrive on Earth in all his unholy glory, and the cult would be a useful tool in accomplishing that.

"The cult was taught new rituals, one of which could allow a fragment of my father to temporarily enter Earth, but not enough time to do anything significant. What he was able to do was to bid the cult bring as many women to him as possible for impregnation. My mother was one of these women, and the experience was similar to that of Rosemary's Baby. Do not tell Garfield that I do have some knowledge of those horror movies he likes to inflict on us. He'd never leave me alone.

"When the cult learned that my mother was with child, and that the child was a girl, they had everything they needed. They kept my mother isolated, imprisoned, and gave her the best neonatal care money could provide. A baby girl was…is the key, the means in which my father can circumvent the barrier that keeps him out. It was during this time that mother realized what a horrible mistake she had made.

"Long story short, she escaped. The cult wouldn't just let her leave; they chased after her. I once asked her how she managed to get away, and she made a joke, one in which she said she had Fate on her side. She never explained what she meant by it, but it was the reason how she was able to find a place that both my father and the cult could not reach. It was the way to a place called Azarath, and it was there I was born."

The background and context were now set up. This was…this was harder than she anticipated. She was starting to ramble, she knew, much like the idiots three when an emphasis on Beast Boy and Kid Flash. She supposed she no longer had any room to talk authoritatively on that anymore. Red Robin was still quiet, waiting for her to continue. She rewarded that patience.

"The people of Azarath are the ones who trained me on how to control my powers. It's not psychic powers, it's not magic. At its core, it's demonic. How would you describe a demon's powers? Would you call that magic? That description doesn't fit, does it? Supernatural is too broad a term as well. It's power, plain and simple, power of the demonic. When manifested, it takes on the appearance of magic or psychic abilities. It is how I am able to manipulate the physical world such as with levitation and your standard telekinesis.

"The empathy, you could call that more of a trait than a psychic ability. As it turns out, demons are naturally empathic, and they use those abilities to manipulate mortals or any poor soul they come across. It is much easier to prey on one's emotions when you know exactly what they feel at any given time."

She was giving Red Robin a lot of information here, maybe more than he expected, but what would he have expected? This wasn't a simple thing. There was more she was leaving out because she doubted he would understand and he was more interested in how it led up to the events of the previous night. Well, to forestall that predictable question, she might as well.

"My empathy and my demonic powers are linked. Depending on my emotional state, it can change what form my powers take. That is why I have to be in control of my emotions at all times, because if I'm not, then people can get hurt. Extremely hurt. You saw how it can happen. This is why I keep myself isolated; I am rebuilding my mental defenses that are constantly eroded by normal human contact. It's for everyone's safety that I do that."

"So you don't follow through on your threats to maim…certain people who shall go nameless?" It was an attempt at humor, a classic defense mechanism. It was enough to get her to roll her eyes.

"Yes." A simple enough answer but vague enough at the same time.

Despite the mask covering his upper face, it did nothing to hide the thoughtful look that appeared on Red Robin's face. "So if your powers are linked to your emotions, then last night, the emotion you were feeling…"

A deliberate trail off, a chance to let her confirm what he suspected or more like already knew. He had been one of two people who had been able to see through her that night.

To get this over with faster, "Fear, yes. I…" Oh, this was difficult all of a sudden? She closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and exhaled. "I was indeed afraid. And through my fear, my power manifested those creatures and nearly took control of the Tower. I would surmise it went further by interfering with the lighting so as to subconsciously strengthen itself. Many fears are realized in the dark."

"And once you calmed down, you were able to regain control and end it," Red Robin finished.

A few seconds passed before she said, "Yes."

Red Robin rubbed at his face, clearly thinking over what he had just learned. The bare admittance that she had lost control to fear was a feat for her. For so long she had remained in control, a source of pride for her, and a little lapse caused so much havoc.

"So how do we prevent one of these episodes from happening again?" the masked teen asked, lowering his hand. "Failing that, what's the best way to help you regain control?

Looking up at the other Titan, "The biggest problem with my powers is that they are too powerful. The best precaution is prevention."

"I'm not asking about prevention, I'm asking about when prevention fails. Everyone here needs to know what to do in the event of an emergency. This isn't a 'it won't happen again' thing, I want to know and be ready for when—if it happens again. I'd rather have a plan than to wing it."

Did he really think it would be that easy to control? Once out of control, it was difficult to reclaim it. They got lucky this time, that was all. There wasn't going to be a next time because she would make sure of it.

The surest way, of course, would be to leave. Unfortunately, the second she did that, she was sure Fate would swoop in and the ramifications from that would be something she wouldn't like. Raven may not be the betting type, but she would wager that even now, the good doctor was figuring out an alternative.

Thus, effectively, she was stuck with Titans Tower.

"I'm the only one who can regain control of my powers. The best way you, or any of the rest, could help is by centering and calming me down. There are no other options."

Even if Red Robin disagreed, he knew little about the supernatural side of the world to effectively refute her. He would have to take her word for that, and being the kind of leader she knew him to be, he would go along with it.

At the end of the day, he and the rest were out of their depth. They had no idea of the full potential of her powers and what she could do with them. There were many ones she hadn't used in front of them, ones she chose not to use specifically because she didn't want them to know.

Raven was the only expert here because everyone else who knew anything were dead.

In a moment of weakness, she had brought about armageddon and she refused to do it a second time.

Their rec room had seen better days. It was obvious there was a fight here. The kitchenette, oh, that was torn up something special. The ceiling, there was a large scorch mark but thankfully no hole…though it might have been her imagination but there could be some cracks up there. The wall around the entrance was going to need a lot of work since it bore the brunt of so much.

The TV was okay. Even in the midst of an attack, everyone had their priorities.

Cassie reclined on the couch, staring blankly at the large screen that was intact and practically pristine. She wasn't one whose every thought was towards cleaning. She only begrudgingly cleaned her own room at home and that was only after Mom bugged her for weeks on end. Still, maybe the TV could use some dusting, just in case. Wouldn't want to compromise that picture.

She wasn't alone; Kori was checking over the kitchenette with a focus on their food supply. The fridge had come out unscathed, and its contents a little jostled but no worse for wear. That included the Tamaranean delicacy from yesterday. Shame,

The blonde turned her attention to her hand, or more apt the armor that she still wore. It was back in default mode, so to speak, so much of the sleeveless red leotard she wore was visible. She had seen her armor many a time, but last night was different. It had behaved differently. Weird choice of words there but that was all she had. It had been years and this was the first time there was any kind of reaction like this.

As soon as she had seen one of those monsters, the armor had responded as if she had been hit all over her body and proceeded to cover everything. Somehow, she kept her mobility and flexibility, which should not be physically possible with that amount of armor but here we were.

It was a reminder of how little she knew about it.

"We may need to petition our benefactors for those of the contract to make repairs," Kori announced, leaving the kitchenette while holding a sample of her native cuisine. "Our food supply is secure, so that is one worry we will not have. Is there a conundrum you are having?"

You could hear the abrupt change in the Tamaranean's voice. From declaring some positive news to shifting to concern, Kori was not one to have a one-track mind, but neither was she one to jump from a topic to another. She might come to a different conclusion than you did, but let it not be said that she was not oblivious to those she was close to.

It was nice to think that Kori considered the two of them close.

Now, Cassie could blow the whole thing off, dismiss it as nothing important and try to move on. Last night had been full of a lot of emotions, you know. From a high to a low and all in one night. She didn't know if she could dismiss anything outright right now. Plus, this was Kori.

"You saw my armor, right? At least, at the end," the blonde began. "I've seen it do all sorts of things, but last night was really different. It's never been like that before."

Kori tilted her head to a side. "I possess little knowledge of your armor, and from what I did see, I had assumed the invaders had been particularly viscous and your armor acted as it always did."

Cassie shook her head. "I hadn't even been hit when it covered everything. It just happened automatically. And, this is going to sound weird, but…I don't know, it felt like, like, like the armor was telling me how to fight too."

Green eyes were wide with curiosity. "Your armor spoke to you?" the orange-skinned alien asked.

"Not like with a voice," the armor-wearing blond answered, shaking her head. "I guess it was like with…thoughts? Ideas? They weren't suggestions, and I was doing them less than a second later, but doing that made all the fighting so much easier. I really don't know how to explain it and its never done anything like that before."

Kori was looking thoughtful, and then she ruined it by scooping out some of her delicacy and snacking on it. That stuff was not meant for humans, and that color was not natural, but hey, maybe it was a good thing Kori wasn't human.

"How were you able to obtain this armor?" the older girl in the room asked. How old she really was, everyone was still trying to figure out. "Maybe there is knowledge there that would be able to answer your concerns."

And that was another story entirely.

With a sigh, "I found it in some old ruins. It was just sitting there and I…touched it. Next thing I know, I'm wearing it and for the life of me, I can't get it off. And before you say anything, it just disappears. I don't know where it goes or if it turns invisible, but whenever I need it, there it is. Whenever there's an emergency, there it is. Whenever I feel like wearing it, there it is."

Kori took a seat beside the aggravated blonde, her meal now resting on her lap. "What was your reason for being in these ruins? I have noticed that your species does not seek out such places without a reason."

Her arms were placed on her thighs, and her hands were not gripping at one another. Blue eyes fixated on the hands while memories long forgotten decided now was a good time to make a comeback. Had it really been that long? It felt like another lifetime, really. Make that two lifetimes because there had been a lot of changes.

"My mom's an archaeologist. When she's not running a museum, she's out at a dig or looking through ruins. She'd take me with her because, for a while, I was interested in that stuff. Plus the kids at school were jealous for like ten minutes, which back then means a lot. Didn't hurt we were living in Gateway when Wonder Woman shows up. And then she's talking with my mom, and now I had another thing for the other kids to be jealous of. And then I got to talk with her. It was incredible. And there was always some Greek monster coming out of thin air every other week, or some supervillain shows up. I'd watch the news, watching for the fights like with Cheetah, Giganta, Silver Swan, and this little midget guy called Doctor Psycho. It was exciting. Like any other kid, I wanted to be just like her.

"Skip forward a few years, Mom's going to Cambodia and I go along. By then I was losing interest in all the archaeology and I just wanted to stay in Gateway. Something was happening and even Wonder Woman wanted me to go. I think she was trying to protect me and mom. So I went, and I wasn't really interested in Ancient Cambodia or whatever it's called. It wasn't Greek. It wasn't anything that would get Wonder Woman's attention."

Kori shifted in her seat. "I apologize for interrupting, but you are audible in your respect and admiration for Wonder Woman. You see her as a role model, do you not?"

The smile on her face felt wan. That was going back and jumping ahead at the same time. It wasn't Kori's fault, though. The Tamaranean didn't know. "I guess I do. Did. Do. Did. It's more complicated now."

The older Titan looked at her curiously. "Did you have a descent outwards?"

Cassie shook her head at that. "No. No, we didn't. I pulled away. She might have thought she was giving me space. It all had to do with those ruins though. I left the camp in the middle of the night, and wandered around. I was bored. I was bored of all science talk. Stuff I didn't care for anymore, and I wanted to clear my head. I go into a place I know shouldn't go, but I was like, screw it. I went in. Those ruins are big on the inside. I was messing around, don't know how, but I must have touched something or knocked over something else, but there was a hidden passage.

"Instead of doing the smart thing and leaving, I go in there. I thought there might be some great treasure or something. That's what hidden passages have, right? That's when things got weird. I'd been surrounded by Cambodia architecture and designs, but I know Greek when I see it, and the ruins' design became Greek out of nowhere. I enter a room and there's the armor. I still remember it, everything in that room was Greek in design. How'd the hell it get there? What was it doing in Cambodia? After that, I have a fancy, magical set of armor.

"I didn't tell Mom. I told no one else at the dig. I'd knew I'd be in trouble, and I did think about telling Wonder Woman. But then there's an alien invasion, she's busy, and Mom decides to head out west and I'm dragged along too. She might know a lot about Ancient Greece, because it's kinda expected at this point, but her passion's for Southeast Asia. Jump City had a museum that was opening a whole new exhibit and was going to fund for expeditions and digs, so she jumped for it."

"Can you not contact Wonder Woman now? Does she not know that you are named in her honor?" Kori looked so earnest at that. She was also making a big mistake because it was a stupid joke from Cyborg—had it been Cyborg? It was so long ago—that she was Wonder Girl now. Nonetheless, she did have an answer.

"It's been too long and it'll be so awkward. I don't know how I would be able to tell her. I mean, she has to know, right? But she hasn't contacted me yet. And I don't want her to know what I've been doing with it."

When she had first ran into Tim, she had been pulling a few heists and burglaries using the armor. Yeah, that would go over so well with a superhero like Wonder Woman. It was something that needed to remain buried in the past. It needed to stay there too. The interest in the once urban legend that was Catwoman needed to be written off a phase.

She was different now. She had grown up in a lot of ways. She wasn't the girl who would make a bad impression with other vigilantes or piss off Batman—who was way scarier than his reputation said he was—anymore. She…she was a Teen Titan now. She had more friends than she could count, and she didn't want to mess this up because there was still a part of her that wanted to be worthy of being a friend or ally or a close person with Wonder Woman. She had been a little girl once, wowed by everything in the world.

"I cannot tell you what to do then, my friend, but I would offer my counsel should you desire it," the Tamaranean said. "This does not need to be a secret from your mentor figure. Tell her about your armor and how you received it. She may be able to find the answers that you do not know yet."

"What if I don't like the answers?" the blonde asked wryly.

Kori gave the sigh this time. "Not all answers are joyful ones. They can come with great pain. This much I have learned after our dealings with my sister. But they are answers I needed, and they are answers that have given me a new goal to achieve. My sister's rule over our people will come to an end one day, but I must offer a reasonable alternative. A coup that is without blood will not be a reality, no matter how much I wish for it. I still need skills, experiences, and the knowledge to lead. I am hopeful my time with you, my friend and all the others, will grant me what I need."

That's right. When you put it that way, her reluctance to call up Wonder Woman seemed pretty pathetic. Maybe there was more she could learn from Kori, and maybe that might help her grow up even more.

"Thanks," she said, and she meant it. "I'm sure that you'll do it, Kori. I believe it. If you need my help, I'll be right there with my magic armor and everything."

"I do appreciate your offer, my friend. I pray that I do not have to maintain your verbal agreement when that day arrives," Kori replied grimly. With a large spoon, she stuffed more of her Tamaranean cuisine into her mouth. "I have a question for you, if I may. There is a human ritual that those of the female sex engage in when experiencing high levels of discomfort and anxiety. Would you be able to teach me how to engage in this ritual?"

It took a moment for Cassie to puzzle that out, but the eating was the clue she needed. While not a detective, it didn't take much to figure out what ritual that Kori was alluding to.

"Well, first, let's check the freezer. Someone better have stocked up on ice cream…"

There was a diner on the corner of Cardy and Haney, and it had quite the view of a certain T-shaped tower. If you perched on the roof, you'd get a view of the crowd across the street from it.

They were like sheep. Or cattle. Some of them had enough weight that you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. Yeah, like cattle to the slaughter.

Ravager was unable to hold back the sneer. H.I.V.E. said a lot of stuff, believed in a lot of stuff, and right now, there was at least one point he could agree on. Protect the children, won't someone think of the children, shut the fuck up lady. You had no idea, none, about how much danger the children were in. Where the hell were you when his sperm donor was beating the ever-loving shit out of him? Really could have used you then!

It was pathetic. Really. Screw the children. Screw them all. It was a dog eat dog world out here and he was going to be the dog eating. This whole high moral ground bullshit was making him feel sick.

But hey, at least he had a simple enough cure. And what do you know? It was killing two birds with one stone and one of those big fat birds was across the street. All those people with their loud voices and signs; didn't they know that those children in that tower were the ones keeping them safe at night?

It was so easy, trying to blame someone else for someone else's shitty parenting. And whoever that loudmouth was, the one with the loudest mouth that everyone was listening to, she really was full of herself, wasn't she?

In his hand, he held the means to shut her up. It was a detonator, and it was one wired to all the explosives that he had planted on as many of the parked cars as he could. Nothing like a little fire and mayhem to spice things up, right? Then there was the hardware. Assault rifles, hairpin triggers that barely touching set them off, and hell, a few rocket-propelled grenades just to make it interesting.

This would for sure get those teenaged Titans' attention. How…well, saving a bunch of people who hated your guts was really going to be a killer. There was something special about such a set up.

Enough waiting around. Let's get this party started and show that asshole Immortus how wrong he was.

Author's Note: Two backstories for the price of one, didn't expect that did you? Wonder Girl's origin is more closely based on her New 52 origin with a few tweaks here and there. Raven is roughly the same, though of course she has to remain vague on certain details. She wouldn't be Raven otherwise.