There is a darkness in space. Not the kind that comes with the switching off of a lamp or the setting of the sun. It is an absence. Of sound. Of warmth. Of life. In comparison, the earth was a luminous sphere of blue that spun in that ocean of emptiness, the result of a divine hand or perhaps just excellent cosmic luck. But it was more than God or luck that kept the inhabitants of the third planet from the sun safe, shielded against the star-filled sea that stretched endlessly in all directions. And against one another.
Built by incredible minds and with money seemingly as endless as the space it drifted through, the Watchtower was more than just a space station. More than a scientific observatory. It was a place where the greatest of heroes met to keep a silent vigil over their home.
It was to there that the T-ship was headed.
In the Observation Room of the Watchtower, in front of a dozen flat screens, sat a tall man, dressed from head to foot in a red suit that hugged the muscles of his lean body. The center of his chest was decorated with a lightning bolt, once the chosen symbol of the strongest of the gods, a phenomenon that represented both speed and power. Barry Allen wore it to honor the man who had come before him. And because it looked pretty damn cool.
His feet were set up on the desk in front of him, crossed at the ankles, and at first glance, it appeared as if he wasn't paying any attention to the images that flashed across the screens. Cities. Power plants. Sections of empty space. But if once looked closely enough, he could see the man's eyes moving ever so slightly. And with further inspection, one might notice that although he never seemed to move from his seat somehow, though his hands were empty one second, the next they held a coffee mug in their grip. Then in was gone again, set inside a sink some three rooms down the hall.
Well, they didn't call him the fastest man alive for nothing.
He noticed the orange ship seconds before the computer informed him, in its eerily vacant voice, that an unidentified vehicle was approaching the station. His fingers flashed across the control panel before the computer could even begin to ask him if he wanted the ship scanned. He was looking at the ship's identification code when the headset plug into his ear crackled slightly with static and a voice came over the line.
"Watchtower, this is Titan I, requesting permission to dock."
His eyebrows quirked when he recognized the voice and he leaned forward slightly.
"Is that you Robin? Haven't heard from you in ages. What brings you to the big scrap heap in the sky? Did you bring Cyborg with you? 'Cause a few of our systems have been on the blink lately." The words came out in a slight rush, expelled in one breath with only a minimal sense of delay, as if he was consciously trying to slow himself down but couldn't quite manage.
There was a bit of rustling over the line, a few clicks, and Flash quite clearly heard Cyborg's voice say, "Let me speak with the man," before Robin answered,
"We're here on business Flash."
The short tone had Flash's eyebrows pushing up even further and he lifted his legs off the desk, setting them down on the floor. Robin was always serious, the curse of being raised by Bats, but he sounded more than serious this time. He sounded almost . . . angry.
"Alright Robin. Permission granted. Dock in bay three. Proceed into the first chamber where you and your party will be met and identified."
"Understood. And Flash? How many of the inner circle are currently on board?"
Blinking in surprise, Flash rubbed a hand along his jaw. What was going on? "You're in luck. We're running a special on the Big Five. As a bonus, we'll throw in one magician's daughter and one former sidekick. Zatanna is here and Bats and Nightwing docked earlier today," he translated.
"I need to speak with them. All of them."
Flash was silent for a long moment. Now he was certain something was going on and the unsettled feeling in his stomach told him exactly what that something was. Dammit, he had known this thing would come back and bite them in the ass.
"Copy that Robin. We'll meet you in the War Room."
Robin clicked off the communications line with the Watchtower and a moment later, Cyborg's voice came through over his headset.
"Are we really gonna do this Robin?"
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Robin squeezed his eyes shut behind his mask. Normally he liked the smooth leather that hid his identity from the rest of the world. It kept him separate from everyone else and it had the side benefit of looking really freaking cool. But at the moment, the leather felt rough against his skin. Rough and irritating.
"We need answers, Cyborg. This is the best place to get those answers. Besides . . . they started this."
Cyborg's sigh was audible across the line.
"Yeah, but what if it's all some kind of mistake? I mean, this is the Justice League we're talking about."
"And we're still the Titans. We protect our own. Against anyone."
A blinking button on his control panel drew Robin's eye. He stared at it for a second, and then switched off the intercom for the entire ship. Then he clicked the button. Without any preamble, Raven's voice came across the direct line.
"Even if you're certain there's a reason for her death? One you might even be persuaded to agree with?"
Robin's fingers tightened on the flight controls. "I never said that," he managed evenly.
Her response was little more than a hiss. "Are you sure you didn't think it?"
The line cut off with an abrupt click and Robin just barely managed to restrain from tearing off his own headset. He looked straight ahead; his jaw clenched, and watched the station as it drew nearer. It had started off small, little more than a speck in an ocean. Gradually it began to grow, until it loomed over the ship like a mountain casting its shadow over the valley below it. For a moment, Robin felt that shadow settle on his soul.
He took a long, deep breath and clicked the communications line back on.
"Watchtower, this is Titan I, approaching docking bay three."
An unfamiliar voice answered him after a moment of dead silence. "Roger that, Titan I. You are cleared to dock. Prepare to cut main engines."
"Copy that Watchtower. Engines offline."
The enormous doors to the docking bay slowly separated, spilling light from the station out into space. Floating silently along, the T-ship cruised inside. Behind it, the doors slid shut again.
"Welcome to the Watchtower, Titan I."
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The War Room itself was not particularly inspiring. It was large and oval shaped, with round windows that looked down on the endlessly spinning Earth. In the center was a circular table made of steel, polished to a high shine, a modern ode to King Arthur's famous Round Table. Six high backed chairs were tucked around it, though there was room for many more. And though the bodies that sat in those chairs were not encased in steel armor, they were, to some degree, lords among men.
It was they who gave the room its atmosphere of awe. Five figures, each of impressive stature and with reputations that would live on long after their last deed had been done. There was the Flash, his fingers tapping restlessly against his thigh. His blue eyes darted around the room, more out of a need for movement then any sense of nervousness. Next to him sat the Green Lantern, his white gloved hands folded calmly on the table. The green ring on his finger glowed brightly, as did the trim of his uniform. His brown hair fell tousled over his forehead, lying against the single strip that covered his eyes. Beside him, her back straight and her golden cuffed wrists crossed over her chest, was Wonder Woman. Her beauty, though ethereal, did little to distract from the obvious strength of her body. Her jaw was set firmly and her brilliant blue eyes stared straight ahead, apparently looking anywhere but at the man who sat beside her. He too appeared tense and did his best to avoid accidentally catching the Amazon's gaze. His large hands lay flat on the table and his shoulders were thrown back, stretching out the diamond shaped "S" that was stitched there. His eyes seemed constantly drawn to the man on his right, as if he was unwilling to let him out of his sight. But even in the brightly lit room, the Batman seemed cloaked in shadows. Or perhaps it was merely that darkness of hi suit. His skin was pale, the little that showed, but his eyes burned a clear azure within the depths of his cowl.
Of all the heroes of Earth, they were perhaps the strongest, the smartest, and the most virtuous.
At the very end of the table, almost unnoticed, sat a woman who looked curiously out of place. She wore a white tuxedo shirt and tie, with a short black jacket. A white cape fell from her shoulders to the floor. On the table in front of her was an oversized top hat, the kind magician's use to pull rabbits out of. Her hands were laced together and she sat back in her chair, as if she was watching them all.
They were silent when the door slid open and the Titans walked in. Robin came first, a manila folder in hand. Cyborg and Beast Boy came next, the first with a grim expression on his face and a hand firmly attached to his green friend's neck. To keep him from touching anything. Starfire came after them, her eyes drawn to the windows and the space they displayed. Raven was last to enter; her gaze skimmed over the five League members and settled almost immediately on the woman at the end. Her eyes narrowed slightly when the woman raised two fingers and waved them mockingly.
The silence remained unbroken, stretching out almost painfully.
"So. Robin. Did you want to tell us what brings you and your team here today?" Superman's quiet voice seemed to boom when he finally spoke.
Robin glanced down at the folder in his hand. All the information that the Ravager had given them, as well as the background files on the Ravager himself were tucked in there. Along with carefully detailed notes on each attempt on Raven's life, typed up by his own hand. It felt heavy, as if it were made of stone instead of paper. He looked up and found himself staring across the table at Batman. His fingers curled into the folder.
But before he could open his mouth to speak, another voice cut him off.
"For Christ sakes, Clark. You know why he's here."
The Flash had leaned forward in his seat and slapped his hands down on the table. Superman met his gaze squarely, lifting one black eyebrow.
"No, I don't. That's why I'm asking him."
"It's obvious what this about," the Flash continued, his face flushing slightly. The Green Lantern laid a restraining hand on his arm and he flicked it off angrily. Superman eyed the speedster warily.
"What's the problem Barry?"
Throwing his hands up into the air, the Flash stood up and was over by the windows in an instant. "The whole thing is a problem! I didn't want any part of it then and I don't want any part of it now. It's wrong and you know it."
"We're talking about the lives of billions, Barry," the Green Lantern interjected. "Nobody made the decision lightly."
Unable to contain himself any longer, Robin threw his files down on the table. They slid across the smooth surface with a hiss and came to a stop directly in front of Batman. Silence returned.
"I came here today because there have been attempts on the life of one of my team members. The attempts were made by an assassin by the name of Wade Wilson, a.k.a. the Ravager. During his most recent attempts, which involved a hostage situation, we managed to apprehend him. We learn, from his own confession, that he was approached and hired by an individual to target Raven."
"Robin—" Superman began but the Boy Wonder cut him off.
"The individual he named was Batman." Robin stared at the Dark Knight, who sat motionless and unreadable as always. "And I want to know why." He wanted to leap across the table and shake the man. Shake him until he explained exactly why he had done what he had done. Why the man he had come to know as a father, had betrayed him. And part of him knew that it was an impossible desire. Because there could be no explanation. He had remained cold and numb the best he could the past few hours, but he could feel the pain starting to seep back in.
It took several moments before anyone spoke. And then the response was not one that Robin had expected to receive. Nor did it come from where he had expected it to come.
"Batman?" There was disbelief in the Flash's voice and in his face as he turned away from the windows. He shook his head. "Batman didn't hire the Ravager. The Last Lord of Krypton did."
Stunned, the five Titans turned as one. His hands still flat on the table, Superman had risen to his feet. The expression on his face was an odd mixture of pride, shame, and weariness.
"That's not entirely true," he began. He stood up straight and his hands went behind his back, disappearing beneath his red cape. "I tried to hire the Ravager."
"You?" Cyborg was the first Titan to find his voice. "But . . . . why?"
Superman's gaze flickered over to the Flash. "We all agreed that the rights of the many supercede the rights of the one. The threat of Trigon is a threat to the entire population of Earth. We sought to remove that threat. None of us were particularly pleased with the decision but we felt that we had no choice."
"No other choice?" Robin echoed quietly. "No other choice but to resort to murder?"
Blue eyes flashed dangerously and Superman took one step forward. Then stopped when a stream of green energy blasted him directly in the center of his chest.
Arm outstretched, Starfire had stepped protectively in front of Robin. Her eyes glowed the same brilliant color as the energy that had shot out from her hand.
"Do not move."
Superman glanced down at his chest and then raised his head again. "Don't do that again."
In response, a sphere of green pulsing energy began to glow around the young Tamaranean's hand.
"Clark, sit down. Robin, control your team." Though the orders were terse, the voice of the Green Lantern was calm and controlled. He stared at the Kryptonian until the tall man returned to his seat. Then he turned his gaze to Robin, who put a hand on Starfire's arm and pushed it back down to her side. Satisfied that some semblance of control had been established, he refolded his hands on the table.
"Your anger, though understandable, has no place here. As Clark said, he tried to hire the Ravager. He offered him a deal to eliminate Raven. The Ravager refused."
"Refused?" Robin questioned. Superman nodded curtly.
"He said he had a prior engagement."
"That still doesn't mean that Batman didn't hire him. Prior engagement? Sounds a little funny to me," Cyborg interjected.
"What was the deal that you offered him?" Robin asked suddenly, his eyes still trained on his former mentor.
"One million dollars."
Something that vaguely resembled a smile stretched across Robin's face, only it was much more predatorily. "That's quite a sum of money. I didn't realize the Daily Planet paid so well."
Batman remained silent but Robin knew he wasn't wrong.
"Why would the Ravager lie about who hired him?" Cyborg pressed.
"Because that's what criminals do." These words were the first words the woman in the tuxedo jacket spoke. She tapped her nails rhythmically on the table and gave a small, mysterious smile. "They lie, cheat, kill, and destroy. That's why they're criminals. You miss that lesson in school, kid?"
Cyborg lifted one hand and it shifted into his sonic cannon. "I can show you just what I learned."
"The Ravager wasn't lying."
Raven stepped up beside Cyborg and in a gesture that mirrored Robin's, she put a restraining hand on Cyborg's arm. The woman rolled her eyes and her smile dipped closer to a sneer.
"And we're supposed to believe you? The daughter of the very demon we're trying to prevent from coming?"
Raven ignored her and turned to the other five members. "I came to you once before for help. And I told you then, as I will tell you again, that my death will not stop Trigon from coming. It will only make the destruction of the Earth inevitable."
"I thought it already was inevitable. At least, that's what you said last time. Isn't it?"
"His coming is inevitable. As for his defeat . . . there is still a chance," she answered, not bothering to glance in the woman's direction.
"How do you know this?" Wonder Woman asked, speaking for the first time. She eyed the dark empath with an odd mixture of suspicion and curiosity. The girl spoke in the manner of prophecy and fate, terms not unfamiliar to her, but she wondered from where the information had come.
"The priests of Azarath foresaw it."
Even as Wonder Woman nodded in understanding, the other woman tipped her head back and gave a short, mocking laugh. "The priests of Azarath. How convenient. The very same people who created the monster in question speak of its destruction?"
"Zatanna." The single word was meant to bring a halt to her speech but she merely brushed it aside with a wave of her hand.
"It's hardly surprising that they would want to keep the one link their master has to this world alive."
Raven whirled around, her eyes burning within the folds of her cloak. "How dare you insinuate that my people would subject themselves to that monster!" she said through gritted teeth, feeling the anger she worked so hard to keep buried bubble to the surface.
Zatanna merely smiled. "I'm not insinuating anything. I'm flat out saying they do."
With an inhuman snarl, Anger broke through and Raven leaped forward, one hand outstretched. An enormous claw of dark energy surged from out her arm and snatched Zatanna up in its grasp, holding her several feet off the ground. Raven could barely see through the rage pumping through her, but she had just enough mind to keep the claw from crushing her.
"Temper, temper little bird." Zatanna's voice was weak but still audible.
"Raven?"
The dark empath felt a hand touch her shoulder and flinched away. She turned her head and saw it was Starfire, who stared at her with concern and fear splayed across her open face. Her violet eyes shifted and she saw the other Titans looking at her the same way. Struggling, she bore down on her rage and dragged it, kicking and screaming, back into its cage. Slowly the black claw lowered Zatanna to the ground, releasing her. Then it drew back into Raven. Her eyes were closed and her lips moved slightly as she whispered the words that would bring her balance.
The others in the room could only stare at her, their minds trying to decipher how much of Zatanna's words were true and how much was just a product of the fear and uneasiness they found themselves feeling in the young girl's presence.
"I think . . . ." Superman trailed off and cleared his throat. "I think, Raven, that you had better explain everything. Maybe then we can figure out what to do."
Reaching up, Raven pulled down her hood and, without looking at anyone in particular, shook her head.
"Do what you will," she stated quietly. And then turned and left the room.
Robin watched her leave and tried to will her to look in his direction. But she stared straight ahead and did not turn back as the doors slid shut behind her. He felt a slight whoosh of movement beside him but resisted looking. Then he felt a hand on his arm.
"Robin. I would like a word with you."
He turned and stared into Batman's cowl. Part of him wanted to tear his arm away. The other part was curious as to what he had to say. In the end, he did both.
"Titans," he said, tugging his arm out of Batman's grip, "find Raven. We'll meet at the ship in half an hour. Batman." He tilted his head towards the door and without waiting for anyone's response, he walked through it.
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Robin had no doubts that Batman would follow him and the sudden role reversal had him repressing a cynical laugh. The Dark Knight following the Boy Wonder. There was a headline for the papers. He moved down the hall at a clipped pace, his eyes searching the walls for a room that was suitable for the encounter he was about to have. It wouldn't be the first time that they had butted heads over something but Robin got the feeling this was going to be more than their usual arguments. And he found himself eager for it to begin.
Turning abruptly to the right, he passed through a set of doors that slid open for him though he really would have preferred slamming them open. He took several steps into the room and then turned around, arms folded across his chest, just in time to watch Batman step in. The doors slid closed on his back but he moved no further forward. For a moment they only stared at each other; Batman with his calm, cold demeanor and Robin feeling as if a volcano was erupting inside of him. He squeezed his fingers into a fist and then dropped them by his sides.
"I'm only going to ask you this once. Did you hire the Ravager to assassinate Raven?"
His answer was immediate. "No, Robin. I did not."
"But you did supply the League with the money to do so." It was spoken as a statement rather than a question. Again, the response was swift.
"Yes, I did."
Though he had been expecting it, the truth still hit him like a blow. His spine stiffened and he gave a curt nod. "Then we're done here," he said, moving to brush by his former mentor. But he was stopped by a hand around his bicep; despite more than forty years the grip was still powerful.
"Think Robin. If the League didn't hire the Ravager, then that means someone else did. Someone who is still out there."
For the second time, Robin pulled his arm away. "I'm aware of that. And every second I waste here puts him further away from me. I'm not a moron."
"No, but you're acting like a child. You're angry and you can't afford to be angry. You're a leader. You need to focus."
"You could have told me!" he exploded, stepping forward until he was toe-to-toe with the Caped Crusader. "You could have talked to me about it! Dammit Bruce she's my teammate. She's my friend. And you want to wipe her out over something she has no control over!"
"There are seven billion people down there. Seven billion. Is her life more important than theirs?"
The word came to his lips but Robin managed to swallow it before it slipped out. Instead he turned away, folding his arms across his chest and trying to fight his wage through the rage and the hurt that were tugging at him like puppet strings. His eyes wandered over to the window and the glowing sphere of the Earth. In his mind he saw millions of tiny black dots, scattered across the surface like pieces on a strategy map. When at last he spoke again, his voice was subdued.
"You heard what she said. Killing her won't stop Trigon from coming."
"Are you willing to risk their lives on that information? Especially when you know that the source of that information could very well be corrupt?"
"I am a part of him. Not just as his daughter but physically a part of him. That's how demons spawn. By passing part of their essence on. That is where my powers come from."
"Yes. I trust her. No matter what else Raven is, she's a Titan. And she's my friend." Robin glanced over his shoulder. "You wouldn't understand that."
Batman was silent for a long moment. "You may be right, Robin," he began slowly. "But just remember; sometimes you have to watch your friends just as closely as your enemies."
There was an odd tone in the older man's voice and it made Robin pause. His mind reminded him of the long, detail files locked away in the Bat Cave's mammoth computer. And the small oddly colored alien rocks that sat deep within the vault underneath Wayne Manor. He thought of two violet orbs filled with both shame and despair. And he thought of fires that covered the world.
"I'll remember."
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Raven stood in the shadows of the last room anyone would ever think to look for her. Her calm had returned to her and some of her more ruffled emotions had been smoothed out. Rage still stalked about inside of her, prowling like a hungry tiger trapped in its cage. She felt it pushing against her, constantly testing her control, seeing if there was some weak chink in her armor that it could burst through.
She hoped there was not.
The doors to the now empty War Room slid open and Raven instinctively drew closer to the wall. From beneath the folds of her cloak she watched Zatanna walk in. The magician gave the room a cursory glance and upon finding it apparently empty, moved over to stand beside the window. Just looking at the woman, Raven felt her Anger begin to rise again.
She forced it back down.
"Returned to the scene of the crime?" she asked as she stepped out from the shadows. If Zatanna was surprised at her sudden appearance, she hid it very well. She turned from the window to glance over her shoulder.
"Mine or yours?" was her flippant response.
Raven moved until she was on the same side of the table as Zatanna but kept a distance of several feet between them. "I am not your enemy," she said plainly.
Zatanna eyed her carefully. "Perhaps not," she replied. "But you are evil. I can sense it. And I refuse to trust you." She rubbed her neck absently as she spoke and Raven could see a slight redness where her magic had squeezed roughly. Driven by both her conscience and a need to prove this woman wrong about herself, the dark empath stepped forward, her movements slow and non-threatening.
"Fair enough," she intoned, reaching out with one hand. Zatanna flinched away from her touch, but the healing magic worked quickly, easing what had been irritated. Her fingers rubbed her skin. The pain was gone. She met Raven's gaze squarely, something like speculation in her eyes.
"That wouldn't have been necessary if you hadn't lost control," she reminded the young woman.
Raven nodded slowly. "But what is done in anger, can be undone."
They stared at each other silently for a long moment and a vague sense of understanding passed between them. The doors to the War Room slid open again and this time it was Cyborg who stepped in.
"Raven! Man, it's about time. We've been looking everywhere for you. Come on. We're leaving."
Without another word, Raven turned towards the door. Zatanna waited until she had reached it before she spoke again,
"Watch your back, witch."
Whether she said it out of concern or as a warning, Raven couldn't tell.
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Starfire had had every intention of looking for and finding Raven. The three remaining Titans had agreed to split up and search the station for their friend after Robin had gone off to speak with Batman. She had expressed some concern over Robin, for he had seemed most troubled when he had left, but Cyborg had merely shaken his head.
"He and Bats have a long history Star," was all he would say on the matter. That hardly served to ease her mind. After all, she had a long history with her sister, and those encounters were never pleasant. But since there was nothing she could do for him now, she did her best to push her concerns aside and focus on finding Raven. She had walked through a number of hallways and ducked into half a dozen rooms when she came to one that consisted almost entirely of windows. It offered an unparallel view of the space beyond the Earth and Starfire found herself drawn forward.
When she looked up at the night sky from out her window in Titans Tower, it was a blatant reminder that she was in a foreign place. None of the stars made the patterns she had grown accustomed to seeing on Tamaran. The Throne. The Spear. The Fist. Instead, there had been new shapes to learn. The Bear. The "large and small" Dippers.
But from that view, miles above the planet, the stars formed no patterns. She could have been anywhere in the universe. And for a moment, just a second, she was certain that if she turned to her left, she would see the bright red of Tamaran.
Still, she did not turn to look.
"Quite a view, isn't it?"
Starfire turned towards the smooth voice and saw a sight that was both familiar and unfamiliar. Leaning up against the door to the room was a tall, lithe man in a black costume. The only color came from a blue streak that traveled from the knuckles of his left hand to the knuckles of his right, dipping at his chest into a "V." He had thick ebony colored hair and pale skin. His eyes were hidden behind a simple black mask.
It was a costume she had seen once before.
One of his eyebrows arched up; confusion and shock were splayed across her face. "Sorry. Am I disturbing you?"
She shook her head, mute. Encouraged, the man stepped forward, albeit slowly. "Are you alright? You look kinda like you've seen a ghost."
Starfire wasn't altogether sure that she hadn't seen one. At least, if by ghost he meant what she thought he meant. A specter. A vision. An impossibility.
"I . . . I thought that Robin was to become Nightwing," she fumbled slightly. He gave a start when she said his name. Then, after a moment, he smiled and let out a laugh. Her confusion grew.
"Sorry," he said again, coming to stand beside her. She noticed that his movements were very graceful, like a dancers. But the breadth of his shoulders and the muscles that bunched with each step suggested a warrior. It reminded her of Robin and she had the feeling that this man could fly just as well as her friend.
"But that was really the last thing I expected you to say. And, just to clarify, Robin did become Nightwing," he continued.
Her brows dug down and she clasped her hands in front of her. "I am afraid that that does not clarify anything for me. You are not Robin." It came out as almost an accusation.
"No, but I used to be." When her confusion didn't fade, he gave a small shrug of his shoulders. "You know how Robin used to work with Batman?" He continued on without waiting for her affirmation, "Well, before he was Batman's sidekick, I was." There was a wry tone in his voice when he said the word "sidekick." "Anyway, I got older and decided to go out on my own. Thus, Nightwing was born and Jason got the yellow cape. Well," he amended slightly, "it used to be yellow." He flashed her another grin and held out a hand. "I'm Dick Grayson. You're Starfire right?"
Starfire nodded absently and accepted his hand, not noticing his wince when she gripped it. She understood now the tension on Robin's face when he had left the room.
"That is what they call me, yes. My name is Koriand'r."
Both his eyebrows shot up. "That's a mouthful." Scratching his chin, he attempted it. "Ko. . .Kor . . Kori . .," he paused and sent her a hopeful smile. "Kory?"
She felt an odd flutter in her stomach and her own lips curved in response. "Kory."
"So," he began, releasing her hand slowly, "I heard you blasted Superman."
Instinctively her shoulders straightened defiantly. "I thought that he would harm my friend."
He held up his hands in a gesture of peace. "I'm glad somebody did it. Clark's a good guy and all but every now and then he needs to be reminded that he's not the only superhero in the world."
Starfire opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by the steady beep of her communicator. Frowning, she pulled it off her belt and flipped it open. Robin's face appeared on the screen.
"Starfire, where are you?"
She flushed guilty and turned slightly away from Nightwing. "I am . . . looking for Raven," she replied, remembering her mission at the last second.
"Cyborg's already found her. We're regrouping at the T-ship. It's time to go."
The screen went black. She tucked it back into her belt and when she glanced up, she saw Nightwing watching her curiously.
"Well, you know what they say about good things," he said, holding out his hand once more. "Nice meeting you, Kory."
"It was nice to meet you as well, former Robin."
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RANDOM TITAN'S THEATER PRESENTS : "Docking at the Watchtower"
Robin: "Watchtower, this is Titan I, approaching docking bay three."
Dock Attendant: "Roger that, Titan I. You are cleared to dock. Prepare to cut main engines."
Robin: "Copy that Watchtower. Engines offline."
Dock Attendant: "I said prepare to cut engines. Prepare! Turn your freakin' engines back on!"
Robin: "I can't. Once they're off, they need time to heat back up."
Dock Attendant: "Well that's just great! Way to go! You ruined the whole thing!"
Robin: "What should I do now?"
Dock Attendant: "You're gonna have to go back to Earth and start the whole thing over."
Robin: "Uh . . . excuse me?"
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Author's Note
Phew. Sorry it took so long to update but this is an important chapter so I wanted to make sure I got it right. Plus I'm back at school and have some major work to get done. So, the plot thickens huh? Again, sorry for any weird Justice League misrepresentations. I kinda took what I knew about characters and added a lot of my personal ideas about them and came up with this crazy contraption. If you are at all confused, just let me know.
serenity77: Thanks! I love the Titans Theater too. Especially the really weird ones. They're my favorite cause I never know where they're coming from.
LM22102: Sweet, thanks for the props. Glad you found me and glad you dig the story.
raggedywings: Glad you liked it! Were you at all surprised in this chapter?
bloodendkiss: Thanks a lot! My wit appreciates it.
RavenFlyingSolo: Thank you! I'm trying my best to keep the characters . . .well, in character.
Lost1n7heDark: I caught it. g thanks a bunch!
Chica De Los Ojos Café: Ah, don't worry about it. As you can see, I don't even know who hired Ravager. Kidding. Sorta. But glad you're liking the story!
Absentia: Oh ye of little faith in the Batman. He's heart broken. Really. I considered Antman only for about half a second. Less than that. I find myself getting more and more interested in that character of Beast Boy. Out of all of them, I think he's the one who has progressed the most over the course of the show and it's been a very interesting transformation. And I really like the relationship Raven and him have in the comics. They have a very brother-sister thing going which is rare, since most superheroes seem to be jumping on anyone of the opposite sex. And I really wanted to show that in this story which is why I sent him up there instead of Robin. Glad you dug the scene. I was almost teary eyed myself. Again, sorry about the wait and sorry about the shortness of the last chapter. But it was a chapter that needed to be there. Hopefully I made up for it with this one. And uh, sorry about all the new questions it raised. I'm looking forward to reading this story you speak of. I'm always in search of new authors.
Cherry Jade: Glad you're liking the story so far! There is definitely a big fat wedge in between Bats and Robs right now. If he had to pick, who do you think he'd choose? Batman or Raven?
sailorgirl16: Indeed he can be. And the crazier he is, the most interesting he gets.
Crzy Grl: Well thank you! My genius adores praise. At least it did, until Praise hit him with that stick. I definitely was kidding about the Antman. And thanks for spreading the good word!
Baby Demon: hey thanks! glad you thought it was funny!
connaka: I like Beast Boy a lot and I don't think that it's impossible for Raven and him to have a friendship while she and Robin pursue a relationship. I'm glad it's working out so far.
xdire.vixenx: hope this chapter lived up to the anticipation. glad you're digging it!
Haruka-Clone: thanks a lot! And it was just a friendly gesture. No harm, no foul.
Sariii: thanks a bunch. glad you like it.