Long Road to Ruin

Foot Soldiers

"… What?" Came Speedy's bewildered expression, and I stiffened when I sensed X's dark aura suddenly turn to that of malicious amusement, and it didn't take a mastermind to know what was going through his mind. Knowing a Titan's true identity was like hitting the jackpot and X had hit it big, if Speedy took off his mask X would know what he looks like and in turn would look up his background. A vicious cycle that I couldn't let happen, for the sake of a friend I couldn't let my mother complicate the matter more than it already was.

Bad enough Speedy knew who X was, and I was pretty sure if I played my cards right I could probably get Speedy to let X off, but I couldn't trust X to do him the same honor. If anything, X would hold the title over his head like a guillotine, and I hated to seem like I didn't trust the thief, but lying, cheating, and stealing were his professions. Speedy's identity was the ultimate meal ticket, my mother, however, was oblivious to this knowledge and stated as-a-matter-of-factly, "Take off your mask, I think I was quite clear on my instructions."

X crossed his arms and leaned back with a delightfully-evil smirk on his lips as he watched the scene unfold when Speedy scowled, "I know what you said, I just wanna know why."

Arella straightened up, "I thought it obvious. The Guards will be searching for a man in a mask accompanied with two other companions, so you must remove it in order for all of you to move about the city freely."

"I am not taking off my mask," Speedy scoffed as if he heard the stupidest suggestion in the world, but try to deny it, my mother's argument was sound. Not many people – if any at all – wear masks, for the people saw no need for it, wearing a mask meant the person had something to hide and if someone had something to hide on this island it usually was cause for concern. Speedy would he attracting so much attention he might as well paint a bright read bull's-eye on his forehead and scream: Here I am to any onlooker who were partial to the Temple Guards.

Yet, despite this concrete logic I had to preserve my friend's identity from X somehow, if not, prevent Arella from taking it off at all, but my mother was relentless. Arella blinked and moved her head in such a way that I knew meant she was offended if not shocked he was blatantly defying her orders, not that my mother was a diva-bitch. No, she was just looking out for my wellbeing, and if Speedy was going to be part of my company my mother had to be in control of him to be in control of my environment in order to keep me safe. Over protective, maybe, but my mother has come too far to let my life end because of a boy's stubbornness.

She remained refined and clasped her hands in front of her while her almond violet eyes narrowed mercilessly on the archer who visibly flinched at such a harsh stare, I moved from my place to stand beside either of them as Arella calmly, elegantly, and classily asked, "May I ask why?"

Speedy shrugged her off rudely, all formalities gone out the window with him since his identity was on the line, I didn't blame him, but I winced when I felt the spitefulness of his words stab at my mother's patience, "You may, doesn't mean I have to tell you jack."

Arella, in stark contrast to me, had the patience of a saint, I've seen her let people off for saying and doing far worse than what Speedy had done, but it didn't stop me from fearing for the archer's life when Arella tightened her grip around her hands and bowed her head. Not in submission, but in mock understanding, for her tone, though sweet and gentle was laced with the promise of dark vengeful thoughts when she said, "My daughter's life is more valuable to me than your vanity … so please, remove your mask by the time I return."

With that, as cool as a breeze, as silent as a shadow, and as swift as a lithe little mouse my mother left the room with nothing but the anticlimactic click of a door closed silently behind her. The worst was yet to come and just as Speedy let out a string of curses from his lips I turned to him and said, "Speedy, you don't have to listen to her, she's just scared for my wellbeing is all."

On the side X snickered derisively, "But she is right …" Speedy's shoulder's tensed as he slowly, stiffly shot the thief a dark enough look to give the bat-family a run for their money. I glared at him warningly, but the thief didn't care, he shrugged innocently and had the audacity to say, "I mean … what kind of friend would you be if you purposefully put Raven's life on the line for something as meaningless as an identity."

That struck a nerve, I felt Speedy's aura spike dangerously close to guilt and rage all in one. I moved to block Speedy from X's contemptuous little jibs while hoping against hope that he would at least understand how big of a deal this was to Speedy. I mean, they both wear masks and their masks were everything to them … it was the locked window into their souls that kept any trespassers from intruding on their deepest thoughts. For through their exposed faces everything was laid out for the world to judge … to mock … and to see just how very human a hero and a villain can be. Surely, X wasn't so heartless to forgo empathetic compassion just to satisfy his cruelty, "Drake, you are not helping."

I went unnoticed, X was not going to play nice, his grin darkened and I could even swear his golden eyes turned a shade darker, "Come on, slick, I showed you mine … why don't you show me yours?"

I growled, "Drake –!"

"Raven," I turned to Speedy when he called my attention, and followed him willingly when he grabbed my hand and dragged me close to the arch windows away from X's hearing range. The thief in mention didn't bother to follow, but instead stood looking quite pleased with himself, like he had already won some kind of prize in some contest I wasn't aware of. I cursed him for being such an asshole, but I wasn't at all surprised or disappointed with his actions … to expect anything more from him would be asking for too much. I looked up at Speedy when the archer let go of a held in breath and leaned an arm on the pillar of the gothic-arches while he glared out at the horizon and said disheartened, "I'm screwed aren't I?"

I gulped and shook my head, "You don't have to take it off Speedy, we can deal with it –"

He turned his glare on me and hissed, "But they're right! Shit … do you even trust him?"

I shrugged, "As much as you can trust a person like him."

He arched a suspicious brow, "So you don't trust him? Cuz' I don't trust guys like him."

I rolled my eyes, "I mean with your identity …" I sighed heavily and scooted closer to him when I dialed down my tone just a bit, "You can't take off your mask around him. It'll be suicide."

"Think I don't know that?" He sneered coldly, then shook his head and again narrowed his gaze on me, "What is the deal between the two of you anyway? Are you seeing each other? Or what? Why can't you give me a straight frickin' answer?"

Through gritted teeth I asked, "Is that even relevant?"

He scoffed and shrugged as he turned away from me to again glare at the horizon; it was within this moment did I hear him murmur, "It could be …"

His face went somber as he lost himself in thought. His body though present in the physical senses of the word was miles away surfing the rollercoaster waves of ideas, thoughts, and considerations in his head. Loyally, I stood by his side waiting for him to come to some conclusion and hoped that it was within his best interest … and not for me … or for the greater good. The greater-good get people killed and though Speedy wasn't exactly a close friend of mine I still felt the need to keep him from making a stupid mistake. After everything we've been through and everything he's already done for me how could I let him throw his career away?

A cold chill went down my spine when he pushed off the pillar and still facing the horizon he lifted up his left hand and I watched in horror as his index and thumb began to peel away the corner of his mask, "Speedy …" his alias left my lips in despair. I couldn't let him do it! My right hand shot up and grabbed his wrist to stop him from peeling the cloth away any further, he stopped, but he smirked in amusement.

Stupidly I had forgotten God had graced him with two hands and he reached up his free right hand to the other corner of his mask and with one quick jerk it fell off his face and I found myself staring into deep, deep jade-green pools that drowned me in their depth. Don't get me wrong, I've seen Speedy without his mask, I knew his name, I knew his history, but those times didn't feel as intimate as it did now. For some strange reason, despite the horror and disbelief, I felt like for once he was actually looking at me, and not just acknowledging my existence, but really noticing my presence for the first time in never.

Now … now it really did feel like we were friends and everything he had ever said to me now held more weight, meaning, and purpose to me. Also, if there was one thing Speedy can be accused of, is of being dangerously handsome, his smirk turned into a cocky smile and with the way the sunlight glinted off his beautiful jade-green eyes just made him seem all the more irresistible.

Speedy winked and reintroduced himself to me, "Roy Harper, at your service." I slipped my hand from his wrist, but before it fell to my side he grabbed it and I immediately looked down when I felt him place his mask in my hand and close my fingers around it. I frowned, Why would he give it to me? I looked back up at him and went stalk-still when his smile turned deadly, "Now … you owe me."

It took a second for me to get his meaning, but when it finally sank in so did my heart sink into my gut as I clenched his mask into a tight fist and scowled, The bastard! He's doing this for me?! To any other girl it would have seemed so romantic and probably even swooned into his embraced as they rode off into the bloody-goddamned-sunset, but me? No. I was pissed, why – how could he ever come to the conclusion that he had to do this to protect me? I could take care of my damn self! Why can't the men in my life see this?! What?! Do I have to stamp it on my damn forehead: Miss Independent for them to finally get it?!

I almost – almost – slapped the mask back on his face just to spite him, but refrained and huffed in exasperation as I shook my head. It was his decision, if he wanted to expose himself to X, then that was fine, I don't care, I need to stop caring so damn much anyway. I could already feel my demon-blood struggling to keep my pristine violet locks violet and not turn silver too soon. Ridiculous! Just … unbelievable!

With his mask still in my grasp I turned away from him and marched back to X who had been watching us intently the entire time, his amber eyes trailing from me, to Speedy, then back to me with a sneer. I knew Speedy must have mockingly saluted X if not flipped him off and dared him to suggest he was a coward again. X scoffed when Speedy joined us and bitingly snapped, "Didn't know you Titans were full of pretty boys."

Speedy rebuked, "You should talk bright-eyes."

X growled, "Go suck on a clover."

"Not before you lick my Lucky Charms."

"Like you got any."

I had it, "Both you ladies grow up … Azar …" I shook my head; honestly, they can be such kids sometimes, ugh.

Thankfully, no sooner had I shut them up did the door to my room reopen and my mother stepped in, but instead of coming in all the way she turned around and took something from someone else's hands. Out of instinct and suspicion I approached the door, but held out my hand as a gesture for X and Speedy to stay behind me when I heard Arella address whoever it was by saying, "Please wait here," and then turned to face us as she closed the door.

In her arms, cradled preciously was a scabbard with its sword nestled inside, and the other a shorter, but more curvier blade with a single edge looked a lot like one of the cutlasses X had wielded when we were trapped on Tameran. However, it wasn't the swords that made me narrow my eyes cautiously as I quietly asked, "Who was that?"

She responded offhandedly, "You'll find out soon enough," she stepped up to Speedy and X, but her eyes lingered on Speedy when she noticed the archer without his mask. He shifted uncomfortably under her analytical gaze, his green eyes trailing to the ground unable to hold her stare as Arella, still holding the swords, bowed her head in gratitude and said softly, "Thank you."

Speedy shrugged sheepishly as he muttered, "It's for the greater good."

I inwardly scowled at that comment, doing things for the 'greater-good' get people killed and in trouble, but I refrained from expressing my disliking of his reasoning and stood beside my mother as she held the swords out for Speedy and X to take. Speedy took the cutlass, X took the sheathed blade and unsheathed it, and they both eyed and weighed their weapons before looking at one another and trading off blades. The interaction didn't go unnoticed by myself, but I didn't bother to say anything and instead gave my mother the floor when she cleared her throat and stated, "These are standard issued swords for foot-soldiers, you won't be able to convince anyone of your occupation if you are without one."

Speedy slid his sword and its sheath into the holster on the left side of his belt and clipped it into place, the way he seemed to dismiss the weapon made me wonder if he even knew how to wield it. I've only ever seen him fire off shots with his bow, and if need be use that bow as a last defense in close-quarter combat. Numerous times I've seen him utterly defenseless without it. Was he only a one-trick pony?

I get the feeling I'll be finding that out soon enough.

My gaze shifted to X when I heard the wind whistle as he twirled his cutlass a couple of times, using only his fingers and barely his wrist until he switched his ministrations from his right to his left, but I don't think it was to show off. He looked like he was concentrating on something only he was familiar with and with a clean swipe he slashed downward. I felt the air split, and it seemed impressive enough, but he wasn't satisfied with it. He frowned and clipped the blade into its holster (and I had to refrain from chuckling when I was reminded of a pirate with his completed guise intact).

The Temple Guard look was unbecoming of him, unlike Speedy who seemed built for a life in uniform and service; X just looked like someone trying to make a fashion statement, and a bad one at that. Yet, it didn't seem to matter to him since he was more focused on his arsenal, "It's a bit heavy on the hilt, but so long as it isn't a defensive blade I'm good."

I arched a brow with a question I've been meaning to ask at the tip of my tongue, but Arella interjected before I could get a word out and as she clasped her hands in front of her she moved on to thoroughly rain on X's parade. She began to explain the technicalities of the issued swords. I, myself, knew X was not going to like what she had to say when I too remembered the rules, "Foot-soldiers are allowed to carry two weapons, one of them being the standard blade of your desire, and the other a weapon of your personal choice. However, throwing-daggers are frowned upon as choices."

X's grin was wiped off his face as he blinked and reeled his head back in confusion, "Wha – you serious?"

Arella, again, nodded in confirmation, "You may hold one dagger, but I suggest you leave the rest of your collection here. Projectiles such as those are considered more than two chosen weapons to carry on your person."

X scowled and jerked a thumb to Speedy, "This guy over here has a whole bag of trick-arrows, you kidding me?"

Don't be difficult X, please not now, I inwardly pleaded with him as my mother straightened her back and explained, "Arrows are virtually useless without the bow so the Temple Guards see the arrows and bow as one whole weapon."

I shot my mother a knowing look, apparently she didn't realize what 'trick-arrows' were, she figured Speedy's quiver was just full off the run-of-the-mill sharp-tipped arrows. Oh, was she so wrong and I could tell even Speedy caught the difference because he was struggling to keep his face straight, his eyes gave him away. Inwardly he was laughing his ass off since he knew his arrows did more than just hurt, he glanced at me when he caught me glaring at him suspiciously and he winked playfully. I rolled my eyes and sighed, I was not going to get involved with this, not if it meant starting another fight with X.

Frankly, I've had enough of their childish squabbling. Which was why I was thankful when all X did in response to Arella's explanation was huff in exasperation. He grudgingly cooperated with Arella's instructions and slipped off his uniform vest. Under it the holster which held all his throwing-daggers had been converted into a miniature vest so they remained hidden to the untrained eye. All of them had their handles flipped facing the ground so it made grabbing them easier if X needed one. He slipped that off, held it up for all of us to see, grabbed one dagger and just as he handed Arella the holster, Speedy grabbed his wrist holding the one dagger and yanked him back.

X growled in irritation, "What the hell man?!

Speedy grabbed the dagger out of his hand and before our eyes he split the handle apart and showed that the single dagger was actually two in one, a smaller blade had apparently been hidden in the larger one. The archer glared at the annoyed thief and sneered mockingly, "Nice try." He handed Arella the smaller knife, she thanked him, and with X pouting and looking so guilty in the corner Speedy gave X the dagger back.

I shook my head, go figured he'd try to pull a fast one on us.

X snatched it away from Speedy and with a swift jerk jammed it into his belt before sliding his vest back on and tightly crossing his arms over his chest as he glared heatedly at nothing but air and muttered, "Well this sucks."

Arella walked over to the bookshelf and placed the holster on the highest shelf her height allowed her to reach (which wasn't much) effortlessly she hid it behind a few dusty scrolls and after dusting off her white robe she returned to the group her gaze still set on X as she 'suggested', "I also suggest you relinquish whatever handgun you may have stored on your person."

I shot X a dark look, what – when – the hell had he found the time to store a handgun on him! For that matter, how would he do it? The uniform my mother gave him barely had anymore places to stash something as bulky as a gun, it couldn't be possible, but when he narrowed his golden eyes on Arella it just made him all the more guilty when he asked, "Why?"

He was being difficult on purpose, so I cut in, "It's illegal for civilians to carry guns let alone own one. Only the Temple Guards of higher ranked officials are allowed to carry them."

He shrugged and played stupid, "Again, why?"

"You need to go through a special kind of training to wield one and take extra standardized psychiatric therapy in order to determine if whether or not your mentally fit to have a weapon of great power. You saw the damage the Guard in the alley inflicted."

"Yea, and if you ask me he looked like he skipped out on a session or two."

I huffed, "Drake, just hand over your gun."

"I don't got any," he lifted his shoulders up to his ears and dropped them as he tried to look innocent, he was failing miserably, "it's too bulky for tastes."

Too bad I knew him better than anyone in this room, because I stepped up to him and held out my hand, "Hand it over Drake."

He challenged me with a stubborn glare, I countered with an even darker look of my own that wasn't too happy with his attitude. In the end, I won, he gruffly snorted and again slipped off his vest, but this time he opened it up and much to my surprise (and shock, I can't believe I missed that) strapped to the back of the vest was one of Lucas's Desert Eagle .50 caliber semi-automatic pistols black in color so it made it easier to hide. However, when he took it out he fiddled with the hammer of the gun and again to my surprise he had rigged the 18 round clips to fire automatically. Basically, it was a mini submachine-gun if he held down the trigger; it was so illegal it wasn't even funny!

After he discharged the bullet from the barrel, undid the magazine clips so the gun was officially empty, he handed me the pieces and I was quite surprised at how heavy it was. Or rather, I shouldn't be. Something that could do so much damage was not to be taken lightly so I held the handle and the clip tightly as I walked around my mother and placed it with the rest of X's weapons while I heard the thief weakly try to defend himself by saying, "You never know what might go down."

Speedy scoffed, "With that much firepower? What were you expecting? To go up against an entire armada?"

"Don't you got a pot of gold somewhere you gotta defend?"

I turned around in time to see Speedy turn to X and exclaim, "What the hell gives you the idea that I'm Irish?!"

X, with a malice grin on his lips shrugged, "Nothing, it's just funny as hell." He then sucked in a deep breath and shrugged, "So what? We done? Can we go now?"

Arella nodded, but turned to me and from the inside of her robe she pulled out a piece of paper, I quickly crossed the room to take it as she said, "Follow this address to a chapel at the far northeastern quadrant of Azarath, ask for Clarence Zarni –"

Speedy and X at once chimed in bewilderment, "What kind of name is Clarence?"

We (my mother and me) ignored them as she continued on to say, "A servant girl who favors me is making sure to occupy the guards in the dungeon so to make it easier for you all to slip into the catacombs, I'm assuming you remember where and how to navigate through them?"

I memorized that map like it was the back of my hand, I nodded, "I know the way."

"Good …" Arella sucked in a deep breath and softened her expression to say, "Be careful … and stay of the Mowaia District."

I clutched the paper in my hand and reassured my mother, "I'll try … and I'll be back soon."

She slipped a cool hand over the right side of my face and whispered the final plea of a mother sending her daughter into harms way, "Come back to me alive Raven."

I nodded slowly and bowed my head when she gently kissed my forehead and after I lingered in her presences for a moment I finally stepped away and gestured for Speedy and X to follow me out the door. I didn't dare turn around to gaze upon the torment of a worried mother's face, even though I heard Speedy softly try to quell Arella's concerns by saying, "She's in good hands."

Sweet of him … but assuring my protection isn't what's going to slate my mother's worry.

I slipped out of my room and with the skirt of my dress bellowing behind me I lead X and Speedy through the grand halls of the Temple Azar down into the dungeon where the catacombs' entrance to the Temple was located.

--

The city was bustling with life murmurs of voices filled the clean crisp air unpolluted with vehicles and the like, it was a slow pace, everyone pretty much knew everyone, and no one thought twice about being cheated, scammed, or threatened, it was a very relaxed environment. An obvious culture-shock for the two following me out of the silent (due to the fact neither X nor Speedy made an effort to converse with one another) and safety (I made sure they kept their weapons at a hold when it seemed their silent tension was coming to a boil) of the secret tunnels which spider-webbed under the very streets we now traveled on. The usually quick-witted and sharp-tongued duo were comically silenced and seemed to have a hard time keeping up since they kept getting distracted by their new livelier surroundings.

I almost felt funny knowing that they were the only people from the outside world to ever see my home, almost. I was still worried about their wellbeing, so much so that once we went topside from the tunnels I stole a few cloaks dangling over head and forced them to wear it with their hoods up before we traversed the open main street. I donned one myself and through the shadow of my hood I glanced to my left when I felt X's fascination with the world around him turn to me as he shook his head in disbelief, "This place is just too weird …"

"You get use to it," I shrugged dryly.

He chuckled and shrugged himself as if to accept my bland explanation of things, his eyes once again trailing to the world around him as he asked, "So where is this chapel your mother was talking about and how long till we get there?"

"In the northeast sector of the city, furthest from the temple, we'll be able to make it there in a day's travel."

X reeled after I informed him of where and how far we'll be traveling in order to save Lucas's brother; he narrowed his eyes on me and hissed, "A day's travel on foot? What? No getaway car?"

I shot him a dry look, "Do the streets look big enough for a car, Drake? It's either walk, or fly and the last I checked neither you nor Speedy have any wings, so we're walking."

He growled in discontent, "You don't know any shortcuts?"

"The quickest way is to the follow the main-street, it cuts straight down the center of the city and we should arrive at this address no later than sundown."

The gears in his head ticked and tocked as he made his calculations, "Which means it'll probably take us another day to travel back to that palace, temple, place, whatever, and if I'm guessing correctly another day to try and convince these monks to take the kid in am I right?"

I nodded, "So in total we'll have lost three days here and on Earth."

He growled, "Remind me to push Lucas off the tallest building in the city whenever the opportunity presents itself."

"I'll make it my primary mission in life." I sighed heavily and to my right Speedy scooted closer to me to stay with the group as a family of a mother, a father, and their daughter tried to squeeze passed us. No pleasantries were exchanged, but as we continued on our way I gasped when I felt my cape suddenly tugged on so tightly it choked me and my hood fell off. Out of reflex I cried out and stumbled back which alerted both X and Speedy. Speedy drew his bow and reached back to grab an arrow, while X grabbed the handle of his sword as we all spun around to see what had assaulted me.

I admit, I even thought that maybe a lingering Temple Guard had suspected something of the three of us and decided to see for himself who was under the sheets. However, when I happened to look down at the barely 5-year-old daughter who broke away from her father's grasp to smile up at me with a handful of my cloak I held up my hand to keep X's sword in his holster. Speedy, in turn, dropped his bow and relaxed the tension in his shoulders while I sighed heavily and refrained from scolding the child for grabbing onto strangers.

She giggled and played with my cloak while in perfect English she sang, "Pretty! Pretty! Dressed in blue! My name is Sarah, so who are you!"

I arched a brow and blinked away from the child to look up at her parents who stood watching her with amusement in their eyes … yeah … cute how they thought their daughter was cute. Do they do this often? Let their daughter's wander up to total and complete strangers never knowing that they might be a shady hero, a conniving thief, and a confused archer? Very smart of them. I sighed heavily again and picked up the girl as a gesture of good faith. She squirmed a bit in my arms, laughed some more, and reached up to point at the gem on my forehead, "Pretty lady is from the Temple!"

Scream it to the heaven's kid, I don't think the Gods heard you, I muttered inwardly while I played the roll of a lady of the court and smiled as lovely a smile as I could muster at the mother and father who bowed and curtseyed respectfully in my presences. I placed the girl down at their feet, but she kicked and wailed in my ear saying she didn't want me to put her down, so I was forced to stand back up with her still laughing in my ear. Her mother, shorter than me, but with kind and loving blue eyes, giggled, "She seems to have taken a fond liking to you Milady."

I looked at the girl who smiled a big grinned tooth grin at me and then blushed bright pink. She clutched me around my neck and buried her face in my bare shoulder, I smiled in adoration (or, at least I tried too without looking annoyed), "Children tend to cling to my person I suppose."

The mother inquired, "Do you have any of your own?"

I shook my head, "No, I'm afraid not."

"What a shame," she frowned and clasped a hand over her heart, "children are the light of the world, a darling present from the heavens I do say, would you not agree darling?"

Her husband nodded his head, "Our precious Sarah is our whole world."

I get the feeling they would have gone on and on and on about their precious little Sarah who was right now hiking up my skirt with all her squirming and wiggling, thankfully, Speedy played his roll perfectly and spoke up from behind me, "Uh … your … um … your grace, the matter can't wait."

'Your grace?' Nice save … I thought and turned back to the mother, "I have more pressing matters to attend to, so, if you will …"

"Oh! Yes! Of course!" The mother gasped and jumped at attention to try and help me pry the girl off my hip, "Sarah, honey, time to say goodbye to Lady …?"

"Rachel, Rachel of Azarath."

The mother and father bowed at the mention of my name before the mother pulled the pouting Sarah off me, "Sarah, please sweetie, let's not be difficult."

"I want to go home with Lady Rachel!"

I waved them off to deal with their whining child and quickly turned my back on them to hurriedly escape down the street with an irritated huff. X and Speedy kept pace, but in an effort to remain in character they stayed a step behind me until the crowd finally disbursed and we could breathe our own air again, but I didn't slow down. I remained walking at a set pace, a tad faster than the people around us, but not so fast as to call attention to ourselves. We needed to get out of the public eye, every second we remained surrounded by people left a window of opportunity for a man or woman or child loyal to the Temple Guards to report us. That is to say if they hadn't already and we were now just being watched.

It was either that, or I was getting paranoid.

I heaved a heavy sigh and pulled my hood up over my head so my face could remain in shadow, I felt safer there.

--

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans, or Azarath, or Arella, DC owns them … duh, but I do own the other characters!!

A/N: BARE WITH ME!! This is the last boring chapter you all have to deal with, the next one (to me anyway) is when things get a little more fun!! So just hold on, cuz we're almost through – with the Azarath bit … not the whole story … yeah … um … imma shut up now … =) oh, and I gotz nuthin' against Irish-folk, jus wanted to clear that bit up too, I kinda thought well since they were going on and on about clovers and lucky-charms (which BTW I don't own either) I might as well roll with it ... so yeah, jus so we're clear and stuff.

L8er daez!!