Long Road to Ruin

The Illusion

Contrary to its size Azarath's tightly compacted buildings and almost randomized placement of homes, shops, and markets made the city near impossible to navigate and I am almost ashamed to admit that I didn't know my home as well as people think I do. For most of my life I grew up with a strict schedule, I was regimented, and encaged in the Palace Azar where the monks personally oversaw my training and life in general. I was not allowed to even wander in the courtyards without at least one of the most experienced Temple Guards carefully monitoring my mother and myself.

There was no freedom.

Yet, still, in my spare time – stolen time from my meditation sessions – I'd sneak into the library and read every book I could possibly get my hands on and a few of those were about the mapping. I put every street to memory and even dreamt about having thrilling adventures as an urban orphan trying to survive with just the knowledge of the city's layout. Now I just prayed my memory wasn't too shotty or the books I've studied weren't based on faulty sources, Speedy and X's – not to mention my own life – lives were at stake. The Palace Azar was in view and we had to reach it if we had any hope of contacting my mother, but from where I stood, panting, leaning against a building it might as well have been a world away without the use of my powers.

X and Speedy were right beside me, almost as out of breath as I was due to all the running and climbing we've done to outmaneuver the Temple Guards that we couldn't shake. Every time I thought we were in the clear one of them (I counted at the very least five) would spot us and the chase was on. Several times I had to backtrack away from the Palace to lose them, but through the tangled confusion of Azarath's tightly closed streets I was beginning to wonder if most of my backtracking was done unintentionally.

Was I lost?

Beside me, X huffed, "Raven, you better have a plan cuz it feels like we're running out of corridors here."

That just might be the Temple Guard's plan … wear us out then snatch the chance to wipe us out. Cruel, but smart, I wouldn't put it pass them that was for sure … we needed a plan, but just as I was coming up with one I happened to look up and went pale-white when I saw one of the five guards leap from one rooftop to the other. They found us! I grabbed X's wrist since he was the closest to me and hissed, "We've been spotted."

I dragged him towards the exit of the alley, but stopped dead in my tracks when another Guard emerged from the end of the alley pointing a handgun at us, but it wasn't just a handgun. Here on Azarath nothing is as it seems, firearms are only granted to the Temple Guards because of the deadly implication behind the weapons. The bullet can be enchanted with whatever spell that'll get the most bang for the buck, all the wielder has to do is finish the enchantment, pull the trigger, and watch the fireworks. This Guard, apparently, had an itchy trigger finger, I heard him mutter a single phrase and no sooner had he pulled the trigger did Speedy scream, "Down!"

X grabbed me and pulled me to the ground just as a bright flash of ice-blue light came charging at us, Speedy had let his arrow fly and the ground shook when an explosion that turned the once quiet city into a noisy wreck. I got to my feet as fast as X and cried out when another Guard different from the one who fired the gun jumped into the alley through the smoke and came down on me with a swift round kick to my temple. I spun out and slammed against the wall as the world around me went blank for a split second as I sank to the ground with a throbbing headache.

I heard a struggle going on behind me as I tried to resist the allure of stars and darkness that threatened to envelope my being. I almost couldn't properly register that someone had roughly grabbed my upper arm and yanked me to my feet with such force I cried out in pain. It turned out to be X as he struggled to get me to run while Speedy fired off shot after shot to keep the Guards at bay. With gritted teeth I forced myself to put one foot in front of the other and once I was able to run without X's support I scrambled to navigate through the alleyway away from the Guards, but I knew it was pointless.

If they were able to get a shot off and physically hit me, than that meant they were moving in for the kill. How X and Speedy managed to clear themselves of the attack went beyond me, but I couldn't let them die here, not when they were so innocent. We ran, we ran back the way we had come and once we arrived at the crossroad I turned right, but a Guard appeared before me and I nearly tripped over myself in an effort to run the other way. Speedy ran to the other alley, but another Guard blocked it off; X headed for the next way, but a third Guard wouldn't let us pass, which forced us to head back to the alley where we were attacked.

However, it was game over when the Guard with his gun came out pointing the barrel at Speedy's head and his partner, the apparent female that kicked me, at his side wiping the corner of her mouth from a dribble of blood. Probably due to the scuffle she had with X, and she wasn't very happy with him either. With Speedy's arrow notched, another throwing dagger in X's hand, and me close to defenseless I got the feeling this showdown of sorts was going to be over in a blink of an eye as soon as the Guard with the gun gave the sign to clear the way. Another shot like in that in the alley would surely wipe the three of us off the face of existence.

He jerked his head to the side, the signal to clear-out, I tensed and Speedy charged his arrow, I reached out and grabbed his arm to stop him from raising it, "It's too close, the explosion could kill us all."

X snorted, "I don't think it matters, he gets off another shot we're dead anyway, might as well take everyone down with us."

I shot him a dark look, he glanced at me and shrugged innocently despite the exhausted look on his face, "What? Like hell am I going down alone, one of these fuckers are coming with me … and I say let it be him."

Unbelievable, even in the face of Death itself he still manages to keep his cool. I looked at Speedy my eyes traveling from his face, to his shoulder, down to the tense muscles of his arms to the fingers that gripped the string of his bow and the feather of his arrow. I watched those strong fingers slowly, but sure tighten as he pulled back his bow-string … he was really going to do it … I licked my lips and gulped when I came to the conclusion that if we were going to survive this I was going to have to use my powers. I bowed my head and closed my eyes to gather up enough energy to use in a short burst, the whites of my eyes illuminated in the dark as I opened them and glared at the gunner.

I was not going to die here today.

The gunner grinned, his lips moved, Speedy launched his arrow, he pulled the trigger and all Hell broke loose. Another explosion tore through the alley, but just as the initial blast impacted the three of us I engulfed us in my darkness and we fell tumbling through the abyss until I opened up another portal into the only other place I knew so well here in Azarath. However, I miss calculated the space and I was justly slammed into a wall with Speedy's weight landing on top of me as we collapsed to the ground. X had tumbled into the wall beside me, but he tripped over Speedy's foot when he bounced off it and failed to catch his balance.

I heard him groan … or was it Speedy?

I wasn't quite sure, my ear was ringing and my senses had gone numb do to the shock force of the explosion. I tried to take in a gulp of much needed air, but when Speedy tried to lift himself off me he accidently placed his hand on my stomach and pushed down hard enough for me to cry out in pain. He immediately removed his hand and apologized, "Shit, sorry, I can't see …"

Somewhere in the darkness I heard X mutter, "Why the fuck is it so dark?"

Why was it so dark?

From what I can recall it must have been early in the morning, precisely dawn on Azarath, this room, my childhood room, should have enough light shining through the arched windows to illuminate the entire room. Unless someone boarded the windows up, in which case it could explain why we were left in the dark … I huffed, Speedy was still on top of me and I still needed oxygen to live, "Speedy, please, you're heavy."

"Huh? Oh, right …" he rolled off, but since he wasn't aware of his surroundings he hit something hard enough to elicit a curse out of him, "The hell was that?"

X growled, "Where the hell's the light?"

I sat up and sucked in a deep breath of air, sweet, sweet oxygen, how I missed thee, "Just give me a minute to see if I can remember where the window is."

Carefully, I stood up reaching for the wall, not for support, but for memory … which wall was this to my door? I didn't want to waste my time playing guessing games, so I cheated with a little help from my demonic half and in an instant my eyes dilated and sucked up what little light poured into my room. From the tiny unnoticeable cracks coming from the entrance into my room that was at my far right to the blocked shutters of my gothic-arched windows to my left I smoothly navigated my room, dodging Speedy and X of course, to open the windows.

I grabbed the handles and with a hard jerk the sunlight flooded the dark cold room and I coughed when the dust bunnies ruthlessly attacked my eyes and nose for invading their sleeping grounds. Obviously, it's been a while since anyone's ever set foot in this room, even the air smelled fresher once I opened the windows and gazed out at the breathtaking view of the city. Beautiful … but also a cold reminder of the lonely longing I felt as a trapped child in a palace full of hatred and fear.

I tried not to let the past get to me as I moved from this tall gothic-arched window, which nearly reached the high dome ceiling of my dark tanned flesh-toned colored room, and moved to open the other two windows. Once I secured the last shutters I turned around and was surprised to find my room was actually quite … large … open … almost free. When I was a child it felt like a prison, small and confined, but now that I see it several years later I realized that my room at Titan Tower compared to nothing like my room when I was growing up.

However, as I began to scan the room and I took in the fact that it was missing a few essential things, I suddenly remembered why I considered 'my room' a prison … this room … this wasn't really 'my room' it was my study chamber. That's why it was so open and had a wall of books to my left and a simple meditation mat placed at the far right side of the room. This was where I studied … my room was the door to my left and the only part of the wall that wasn't completely covered with books, that was the cell they locked me in if I did not do as instructed.

X whistled, I blinked out of my stupor and looked at the thief who was still sitting on the floor catching his breath, but taking in the whole of the study-chamber in awe, "Whoa … this was your room? Nice …"

Speedy dusted off his shoulder, "Feels empty …" he paused in his dusting to look at me when he felt my eyes on him and I quickly looked away … I didn't know if I could trust my facial expressions at the moment. This was all a minor shock for me that I clearly wasn't prepared for; as a matter of fact I didn't even know I had to prepare for it. I've always missed my home … but there were so many bad memories stored here that it was becoming more than a bother to me and I wasn't sure if I could hold up a straight face. So I turned my back to the two to continue to stare into the view of the Northern end of the city, I just needed a moment to collect myself, then I can get down to business.

With my head bowed and my eyes closed I managed to catch the sound of church bells ringing somewhere in the distance, Must be the Catholic church around the corner. I wasn't keen on Catholicism, didn't bother to study it since the religion as well as the Christian belief was a little too complicated for my taste. Also … their religion damned beings like me with no hope of redemption, I always figured it would be a little too ironic and hypocritical of me to be preaching 'the word of God' when I was the product of an unholy birth.

How's that for confidence booster?

Azarath was a place that took the freedom to express one's religion to heart; every kind of religion you find on Earth is guaranteed to be practiced here without biased ignorance. Everyone here understood and was always open to every religion. Almost like the ideal image of peace everyone on Earth wishes for … if you were human anyway … but if you were anything but human than the divide was thick and tall as the Berlin Wall. Especially if you were a demon … you'd have to earn some serious points with the crowd to get them to like you, otherwise forget it, you were avoided like the plague.

And to be a half-breed, a nephilim there was no life worth living if the only way to stay safe was to be locked away in a tower like I was.

"Hey …" X called to me softly as he stood beside me, he leaned against a pillar dividing one window from the other. I didn't bother to look at him, but tilted my head as an effort to let him know I acknowledged him; he got the message, "As much as I appreciate you pulling that trick out of your ass back there, I gotta ask, are we officially out of danger? Or what?"

Good question, I sighed heavily and shook my head, "They know what we look like now and probably know we're not a bunch of stupid kids messing with the wrong spell book, they'll be looking for us. So the sooner we can get Lucas's brother here, in the Temple, the sooner we can get them off our tail … in the mean time … I need to find my mother."

Speedy appeared by my unoccupied side and asked in mission-ready tone, "Where is she?"

He was ready to jump back out into the open where the Guards would come looking for us in order to finish the mission, but lucky for him, we didn't have to search far, "She's here … if we're lucky in the room next door and we don't have to go searching for her …" I chewed on the inside of my lower lip, I didn't want her to know I brought two outsiders into Azarath. It would mean implicating her in a crime and she had already paid dearly for trying to sneak me off the island, I didn't want her involved with Speedy or X in anyway. They were my responsibility and I will take the full punishment if caught. So, almost inaudibly, I instructed, "Wait here …"

I quickly turned my back on the two, crossed the study room, and reached a hand for the door handle to yank it open, but as soon as I touched it I felt a force push it open and I scrambled away from it as if it burned me. The door opened on its own accord … I could sense Speedy and X were ready for another fight … but when I laid eyes on an almost mirror image of my violet eyes my heart sank. No … you're not suppose to know … Arella, in her white cloak, her hood up, and her somber, yet peaceful face looked down at me and her usually passive violet eyes widened ever so slightly in shock when she laid her eyes on me.

Her hand went to her heart as she stood straight up and I couldn't help to notice we were now both the same height, her face barely had a flaw on it, a little crows-feet as a testament to her age, but otherwise my own mother could pass for my older sister. If she wasn't so refined and rigid that is, she acted her age, and did her best to remain as low-key as a mother with a half-breed for a child could. She loved me despite her being emotionally-detached from me, that much I knew, she'd die for me, and despite knowing all this, having all my memories come bubbling to the surface … I didn't know what to say or do.

My mind completely blanked out.

All that did slip from my mouth was a dull, if even audible, "Arella …"

The same hand she touched her heart with lifted off her chest to gently slide over my cheek in a gentle caress. Cold … her hands were cold to the touch like she had spent most of her days in an air-conditioned room and I flinched from it, but did not pull away, even as she grasped the back of my neck and pulled me closer to her. I closed my eyes and bowed my head when she kissed my forehead and softly whispered my name, "Raven …"

I wanted to hug her … I wanted her to hug me … I wanted her to be my mother and love me as her child … I wanted … I wanted her to be proud of me … but I got neither when she pulled away from me and tucked her hands into the sleeves of her robe. Her face remained, though tranquil and delighted to find my presences before her, grave of my arrival since she already knew why I had come. She wasted no time getting to the point, "You've received my letter then?"

I nodded quickly, "Yes, I've come to collect the boy."

She sighed gently, "I knew you would. May I come in? I don't think it proper to discuss matters of this severity so openly in the hall."

I let her in and tensed against the door when I closed it after she stepped in and momentarily paused to notice my guests. Speedy and X both stood at attention, but try as they might my mother broke through their nonchalant personas with her piercing stare (now they know where I get it). They suddenly looked like little boys caught red-handed in the cookie-jar and kept blinking to avoid staring directly into my mother's eyes. To anyone else, this would seem funny – bloody frickin' hilarious actually – but I held my breath … what would she say? She was a mother … mother's know all, and suddenly the weight of Speedy's earlier observation came crashing down on me.

I think I should have stuck with the hot-pink halter-top rather than change into X's flannel shirt because now I felt as guilty as sin.

I just prayed to any God that would listen to guide either of them down the path where they wouldn't say anything stupid!

Arella, under her robe I spotted her right leg move behind her left and gracefully she curtseyed as a sign of a higher up giving those of lower rank the permission to speak with her openly. Her hands were clasped in front of her while she did so to emphasize her rank, and I chilled when I remembered I didn't school the guys on how to respond to this sort of greeting. So, with my mother's back still to me, I quick caught their attention and showed them to place their right hand over their heart and their left hand behind their back as they bowed. X arched a brow and tilted his head in confusion, Speedy narrowed his eyes and so since they were too dense to get the message I did it again with more emphasize.

They ended up mirroring me with the opposite going to either.

Left hand over their heart and their right hand behind their back, my cheeks went bright red when the meaning behind such a gesture made my mother chuckle lightheartedly. She looked back at me over her shoulder and playfully jested, "Precious, but don't you think it a bit problematic having two suitors asking me for your hand?"

Oooh Lord Jesus no … I sank into the background and gulped … it was an old tradition that died off a while ago due to this exact mix up. The left hand over the heart use to mean loyalty in love and honor, and the right hand behind the back meant the suitor promised to never hold himself over his love and that they would have an equal relationship. The gestured was reserved only for the man who was asking permission from the parent to court the daughter … and … this may have just been me … but I think my mother planned that.

By the Beard of Zeus, even my own mother takes amusement in my torment!

Arella, after having her little laugh approached the two and softly said, "Rise, you are friends of my daughter I am sure, so you need not be so formal within my presences."

They looked up at her and as I walked up to join them I sighed heavily and got to the introductions, "Arella, this is Drake and … and Speedy, Drake, Speedy, this is Arella, my mother."

Arella nodded, "Pleasure."

X had to open his mouth and though he put on the most charming smile a guy like him could muster, I just wished he glued his trap shut, "Wow, like mother like daughter, now we know where Raven get's her good looks."

I glared at him warningly even scowled when I was sure my mother wasn't looking as she responded politely, "Charmed."

Her eyes swept from X to Speedy and like a soldier whose captain called to his attention he straightened up when Arella noted his name, "Speedy … you must be one of the Titans."

"Titans East ma'am, I work in a separate division from Raven."

Relax Speedy … I pleaded with him inwardly, his tension was making me tense and I wanted to try and be as calm as possible while my mother drilled the boys on the spot.

She cocked her head to the side as if to appear interested, I knew she wasn't, "Oh really? Then what brings the two of you together?"

"Unforeseen circumstances, I'm just here as a friend looking out for another friend."

Arella grew tired of him and shifted back to X who seemed to be a little more relaxed now that he had a good inward laugh over Speedy's expense. He smirked at my mother when she asked, "And you? What brings you here with my daughter if you are not a Titan?"

His smirk turned into a grin, "Just looking for a little fun, it's not every day you visit another world and get to explore their treasures right?"

"You'll find no treasures to hunt here, and judging from the arsenal you carry entertainment is not what you seek either." She made a subtle gesture to the holster of throwing daggers wrapped around his waist. The dark gray shirt he was wearing was supposed to go over it, but apparently he forgot to check his appearance and so his weaponry was exposed.

He looked down and quickly fixed his shirt, but didn't skip a beat and shrugged innocently, "You can never be too careful."

"Indeed …" my mother, ever to the point turned to face me and without inhibition said, "At the very least they are competent."

I huffed, "If you had sent a letter directly to me I would have probably had more time to prepare for this assignment, but as it is this is what I have to deal with."

"I hold no judgment over the choice of your company –" I narrowed my eyes sarcastically, You mean you won't say it directly to my face what you really think of them … she ignored my look, "– however I was hoping Lucas would accompany you … he has a right to be reunited with his family."

I scowled, "As heartwarming as that sounds, Arella, we were lucky Lucas didn't join us. The Temple Guards know of our arrival and nearly killed us on the way here, so if you don't mind the faster you give us directions to Lucas's father's whereabouts the sooner I can get them –" I pointed to X and Speedy, "– out of here and keep you from imprisonment."

She held her head up and ever so slightly narrowed her exotic almond shaped eyes on me, a look I was greatly familiar with that meant she was not pleased with my attitude or tone of voice, "If you wish to go charging headfirst into danger I am sorry to say that I won't let you without the proper precautions."

I gritted my teeth in frustration, now was not the time for a mother's protectiveness, "Arella … –"

"Spare me a moment, and I shall return," with that she turned on her heel and with the grace only one of age and wisdom could grant she glided out of the room and barely made a sound as she gently closed the door. After the resounding click that echoed softly from the door into our ears, the air changed and Speedy and X both visibly relaxed their shoulders, and let a pent up sigh of relief escape their lips. I, on the other hand, remained tense and impatient. What could my mother possibly be planning that'll help us out in anyway?

Why would she furthermore incriminate herself?

"Damn Rae," X swore under his breath, I narrowed my eyes on him as he grinned at me and shook his head, "your mother is one piece of work … I almost expected her to throw me out the window."

I scowled, "You're lucky I didn't."

"You really do look like your mother though," Speedy commented as he leaned against a pillar and tightly crossed his arms over his chest, a similar grin of amusement laced over his invitingly chiseled lips and I couldn't help to inwardly blush. Something about the comment just sounded … sweet of him to say. What is it about guys that are observant? He tilted his head and the way the morning light hit his orange red hair just made his face glow with a bright fire as he asked curiously, "Why is it you call your mother by her name?"

I glanced at X to find his amber eyes were also brought to light by the sunlight; they looked so gold that I swear they could pass for golden coins. Treasures unbelievably rare and so valuable that even a thief of his caliber couldn't steal them, but then that would be ridiculous, considering the fact he owns them. However, it wasn't so much the bright intensity of his yellow gold eyes that caught my attention, but also the similar look of curiosity, he wanted to know the answer just as badly as Speedy. So I smoothed my hair down and sighed, it wasn't like I was opening up my entire past to them, and the question seemed harmless, so I answered, "Well, how I grew up, the term mother somehow became irrelevant to me, so gradually I stopped calling her mom and addressed her as her given name. I figured it was more out of respect than anything else."

Speedy nodded in understanding, but X's brows furrowed as he tilted his head and inquired about something that bothered him, "From what I understand bringing outsiders here is one serious offence … but, if you're mother didn't help you then why would she be the one going to jail? Wouldn't it make more sense if it was only the three of us? Or is association after the fact a factor here?"

I shook my head, "It's … a little more complicated than that … you see, I was never supposes to be on Earth, much less become a Titan," I glanced at Speedy for a brief moment before I continued, "My mother helped me get away from here, but once the monks found out of her treachery they ordered my immediate return for a trial. Our record was expunged and we were spared any punishment, but if Arella were to commit another felony she would be exiled from Azarath … if not imprisoned for a really long time."

I took a moment to remember that evening … it was the evening someone of great importance had come to the city and the monks had arranged for a grand welcome for that particular person. I remembered looking out the study-chamber's window and hearing the church bells ring so loud I was sure it resonated throughout the entire island. Confetti was thrown into the sky along with rice, and other pretty spells were cast to light the dark night with explosions of beautiful array of colors that made me wish I could be down there to help greet this important person. I don't really remember what his name was … I think it was Clarence … Clayton … Clairton … something, but what I did know was that he was some prince or king of some long forgotten (and well hidden) land that had yet to be sullied by the modern-evolution of Earth.

I remembered thinking it must have been a really beautiful place, a true paradise.

It was within the time of my little daydream did my mother enter the room, I had stood, greatly alarmed by her sudden entrance. I had asked her what the matter was, and all she was: 'It's time' I knew what she meant and without further coaxing I followed her through the empty halls of the Palace (everyone had disappeared to greet the special guest). We weaved our way down into the dungeon that wasn't as dank or grimy or even smelly as I had first pictured it was. Instead, it was just … dull … the walls were a boring light gray and the bars were made of pure silver to prevent magical tampering, the florescent lighting was harsh and cold, not at all warm like the torches and lamps used on the surface were.

There were no guards, from what I can recall, I think they were in the process of switching which left us a period of emptiness and so we traversed the dungeon. Arella had gripped my hand so tightly it had begun to hurt as she walked even faster, she urged me to hurry and I nearly broke into a run in order to keep up. However, it was within this rush did I become our folly, we rounded another corner, I took it too sharply and clipped my shoulder, I cried loud enough to echo throughout the dungeon. Arella had grabbed me and slapped a hand over my mouth to shut me up, but it was too late.

Through our heavy breathing, and unbearable silence we heard the guard's footsteps, they were hurried, rushed, and quick. They were coming for us. Arella had spun me around and pushed me down the dungeon, she gave me the keys and instructed me to open the last cell to my left and feel the bottom of the far wall. There was supposed to be some kind of hidden passage that'll connect with the series of secret tunnels that honeycombed throughout the entire island. I was to follow it and once I spotted the four ritual candles conduct the portal spell and leave … without her.

I didn't argue then … even though I knew what she was going to do … I didn't argue and did as I was told for that was all I was taught.

To do as I was told …

I closed my eyes and turned away from X and Speedy to pretend to mingle along my old library of books, tomes, and scrolls as the memory of my escape faded into obscurity.

No surprise, X appeared at my side, or rather more so behind me as I felt his lingering presences loom over me while I continued to scan over my little collection. A small tingling sensation shimmed down my spine when he reached up a hand and with his knuckles gently began to run it slowly up and down the length of my left arm. I never knew such a simple gesture could make me feel so comforted, but I didn't dare show it, even as he leaned down to whisper in my ear, "You alright?"

I nodded, "Of course I am …" his hand slowly trailed downward and I felt his fingertips gently touch mine before I felt him try to weave his hand into mine. I quickly shook him off and stepped away from his warmth when I felt Speedy's eyes watching us intently. Not that I really cared what he thought of us, I just don't like PDA, and … okay … so maybe I did kind of cared about what he thought of us, but it wasn't like I wanted his approval. Speedy knew Drake was Red X, I don't know how he even put the pieces together, but the fact is he knew and he also knew we were closer than friends, which was very bad.

Very, very bad.

So I ignored X and went on to absentmindedly scan my book collection.

X, however, wasn't going to let it go, he propped himself against the books I was done looking at and glared at me, I only fleetingly spared him a glance to notice the glare before I went on to look over my books. He growled under his breath so Speedy couldn't hear, "Come on Raven, this doesn't make any senses, why should it matter if that guy sees us together?"

I narrowed my eyes and snapped sharply, "Because he knows about you …"

Slowly, his face fell from tense and pursed, to calculated as his eyes trailed to frantically search the ground for whatever he was looking for in that head of his. Try as he might to hold up the posture of a relaxed laid-back guy, the tenseness in his shoulders were hard to miss. I licked my lips and scooted a little closer to him in order to hear him ask, "How long has he known?"

I bowed my eyes from him when he looked down at me and I sighed softly, "I don't know …"

"Why hasn't he done anything?"

"I don't know, X," suddenly, saying that alias wasn't so easy or smooth coming from my lips. It felt vile, and I almost had to force myself to couch it up in front of Speedy, even though I was pretty sure he couldn't hear us from this distance, I shook my head slowly, "I don't know what's going through his mind … but I know he's not going to let us get away with what he knows."

At least he can't … what kind of Titan would let such a betrayal slip?

"…" X refrained from saying anything else, even if he wanted to say something more he couldn't, the door into the study-chamber had opened again and Arella silently slipped in with an arm full of neatly folded clothing. She closed the door and approached us, X pushed himself off the bookshelf, and I noticed him discreetly slide away from Speedy when the archer joined the group. Under his masked eyes he glanced at X, the subtle movement didn't go unnoticed to me, and I felt his eyes land on me, I looked at him with a bland expression, but it was enough to convey an answer to his curiosity.

Now, all three of us were in the loop and in sync with the knowledge of who we all were … the question is … what happens now?

It'll have to wait for Arella, thankfully oblivious to the drama unfolding before her eyes, held out the pile of clothing and looked at me with a hint o amusement in her eyes, "I suspected you wouldn't come alone, therefore I prepared a clever guise to fool the guards you so blatantly defied."

She handed Speedy and X each a pair of clothing, but before I could observe what it was that she was so proud of she grabbed my shoulder and roughing shoved me away from the two towards my small sleeping quarters. I winced at her vise grip, "Ah, Arella, I can walk on my own."

"I am very well aware of that, but time is of the essences so we must hurry." She yanked open the door to my room, pushed me in and soon followed after me as she closed the door shut. I turned around, in the middle of pitch-black darkness to glare at her when unknowingly she had already glided across the small room to jerk open the shutters to flood the small space with sunlight.

I winced, at the sudden light, and growled, "What is the meaning of –oof!"

She all but threw the last remaining clothes in my arms and with conviction she ordered me to get dressed in the outfit she had apparently chosen for me to wear. I eyed her with a look of annoyance before I unfolded the outfit and stiffened when I first noticed one thing, "Uh … Arella … this is a dress."

She nodded and stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world (and it might as well have been), "Yes it is."

I scowled, "I can't maneuver properly in a dress."

"In this one you can," she reached over and lifted the front of the dark-blue gown to expose the fact that it had two high slits that I knew would run all the way up pass my upper thighs to stop at my hip. I also noted that it was skin tight and off the shoulder, with the sleeves acting as nothing but useless cloth dangling from the shoulders, completely pointless, "I made sure the fabric is breathable and flexible, so it should serve its due purpose."

My scowl darkened, "And what purpose is that? To be some kind of arm candy for a rich old geezer! Arella, I am not wearing this."

She stepped up to me and unintentionally I stepped back, but my back hit the door and I gulped down my anger when her finger came close to my face and her almond eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. My mother can be mean when she wants to, "You will if you wish to avoid attention from the Temple Guards who are looking for a girl dressed as a tomboy. Now, take off your clothes and put the dress on so we can have this done and over with."

I felt a growl bubbling to the surface, but I swallowed it back down along with my pride and maneuvered around my mother to undress myself and throw the pants and the shirt I was wearing on my small low to the ground bed. My mother then took the dress and helped me slip into it, quickly smoothing out all the wrinkles till it completely hugged every curve of my body. She then ordered me to take off my shoes and slip on a pair of matching dark-blue flats along with a pair of large silver-disk oval-shaped earrings (my ears are pierced, but since I don't wear jewelry often she had to re-puncture the holes). Afterwards she climbed on my bed to kneel behind me as she set to work on my hair, all she did was French-braid it and with her lithe fingers she was done in under two minute.

I then stood up and presented the new look to her, she nodded in approval, tugged at the back of my dress to straighten out an imaginary wrinkle and then pushed me out the door, but before I stepped out I grumbled, "I feel ridiculous."

Arella scoffed (surprisingly she still sounded lady-like in doing so), "Nonsense, for once you look like a lady of the court."

I walked back into the study chamber and turned around to glare at my mother as she closed the door to my smaller room, "I am a child of destruction, this dress is not going to change who I am to the monks, and like hell it's going to fool them."

She chastised me, "Watch your language, and besides, I think your friends approve of it."

Friends? I spun around and my cheeks and ears went hot red when both Speedy and X's eyes were trained solely on me, X's mouth had fallen open slightly, and Speedy's brows had all but hit the ceiling when the shocking reality of me in a dress slapped them across the face. It didn't help that the slits on the dress sent a cool unwanted breeze in places a breeze should never go. I felt so uncomfortable, so exposed, and my mother was eating it all up delightfully as she sauntered around me to stand with the guys in order to admire my 'rebirth' with them. I never wanted to crawl into a hole and die so badly as I do right now in this very moment, I hated attention, and even worse I hated attention that stemmed from a change of appearance.

Really … if I were wearing my plain old get up and walked out of a room I would never get the same reaction and that to me felt like a betrayal of personality. Were X and Speedy really so shallow to be floored by my ravishing good looks? Feh, of course they are … they were players in a class all their own, they could nail any hot girl they wanted to, and I'm sure have done so at one point in their life. How silly of me to expect them to stare at me as anything more than another cute girl to screw … in X's case, to screw again.

I wanted to tear the dress off.

Going naked was more comforting than going dressed as this, but I, again, swallowed my pride, held my head up and took a moment to observe what X and Speedy were wearing and it didn't take long for another disapproving scowl to spread across my lips. They were in the Temple Guard's uniform! A simple three-piece that consisted of loose white pants that were partially tucked into black leather boots that folded over itself and was also held up with a simple black belt that also acted as a holster for a sword. A tucked in black top that hugged their body like their previous uniforms and was either at elbow-length sleeves (X) or no-sleeves (Speedy). Complete with the final dark gray-blue open that had a high collar and thick white outlines, not exactly stylish, but it was the general uniform, meaning they were pretty much foot-soldiers with hardly any rank whatsoever.

Guards like them were assigned to meager jobs as protection services, and doormen.

It wasn't hard to figure out what my mother was planning from here, and I didn't like it in the least. I turned to glare at her, and argue a point, but ended up biting my tongue when I knew I wouldn't win the argument. Not when we needed all the help we could get to keep off the radar and these 'costumes' – damn them to hell – were exactly what we needed. I sulked, and crossed my arms under my chest as I pouted and glared off into the distance to gather myself for a moment to accept the inevitable.

I almost lost myself in my sulking when Speedy suddenly said, "You look good …"

How lame … I thought with a scowl, but when I turned to glare at him I saw the sincerity of his comment and decided to bit back my biting jib to nod as I thanked him, curtly, "Thank you …"

I saw X, at the corner of his eye, shoot Speedy a look so dark it could have burned the palace down. Thankfully, though, my mother took her cue and called to everyone's attention when she said, "The illusion is nearly complete, there are two more things we are missing, one of them I shall go and retrieve, and the other is you," she pointed to Speedy, but since Speedy still had his gaze fixed on me he wasn't aware of her pointing, until he realized she stopped talking for a full minute and he finally turned to notice her sights set on him.

He reeled in earnest shock, "Me?"

"Yes you," my mother confirmed and said the last thing I expected her to say, "you have to take off your mask."

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Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans, Azarath, or Arella, DC does (but I do own the concept of this story), Lucas, Marcus, and the Temple Guards are mine though …

A/N: I do love a good cliffhanger, it's good for the soul … or, at least I think it is, (shrugs) hell if I know, oh yeah and if any one caught Raven's 'dress' yes I did get part of the idea from Raven of the comics =) but that's about it XDD. So if anyone got any questions, comments, reviews send them in and we'll see where this story takes us, thank you for those that are reviewing, reading, or just visiting, you all make me so happy!!

L8er daez!!