Richard doesn't leave his room for the most of the day, even when announced that Bruce had returned. He spends the time brooding over the new knowledge; he isn't unique in Raven's world anymore. He had thought she would never have shared that with anyone else, but she has, and not with another man who she may have had a romantic interest in, but with Bruce. He had always thought of it like an extremely personal thing to share for her, but she has shared it with one that would only use it for its practicality. Again and again he returns to the notion that the Raven he knew is gone, instead something is walking around looking like and claiming to be her and worst of all to him, is accepted by most to be her, apparently, but is only partially her and that he created her. Another unpleasant notion is that he realizes he is not considered a part of the clan anymore; it's keeping stuff from him he was used to being privileged to. He had known this for the last two years, but he never had to feel the effect of being the man outside, like Superman and the vast majority of the superhero community.

"I just don't know anything about this place anymore." He sighs to the ceiling.

"Because you think the world has turned on you." Richard looks up in surprise to see Bruce standing in the doorway. "We formed the bond out of practicality and because she felt uncomfortable since Azarath left her the night she was handed the costume, she never got a chance to tell you and J'onn went a month before figuring it out when she finally announced it to everyone who knew about them. We agreed on the hourly rapports because she has to treat you as another mission due to her own emotions involved in this." He says as he steps inside and closes the door.

"Then I am leaving." Richard announces as he gets off the bed. "I don't know what she is like anymore, what is real about her and what is a front or if there is anything at all behind the front! But I can't stay and watch her remain a robot doing your bidding."

"You come back after two years of travel, and expect the world here to have frozen in your absence?" Bruce asks with a raised eyebrow. "Wake up Richard. If you had returned after a month you wouldn't have set foot within the cave, but after a year, we were all ready to have you return and we all hoped you would. And now you are insulted that things have moved on from it?"

"No! Damnit! I am furious that she is just someone that looks like the woman I knew, but is you on the inside!" Richard shouts into Bruce's face getting grimace out of him.

"What is it you want from her Richard? From me?" Bruce asks sternly. "Do you want anger and a world of hurt? Because that can be delivered, but it won't solve anything. The time I spent in Raven's head made me realize that there is something in life other than the next mission and I am glad I have realized that. Do you really want her to be a person who clings to others for support? Who can't stand on her own? Like it or not Richard, she choose to grow up, you should too!" Bruce shouts before slamming the door on the way out. Richard screams his frustration after him before he sees red and begins throwing his things at the walls eventually leaving much of his room in ruins.

Richard emerges from his room an hour later and heads down to the kitchen in hopes of a solitary meal, but he finds Bruce waiting for him, leaning against the fridge door. The two end up staring at each other for a minute before Richard breaks the silence.

"Am I banned from the fridge?"

"No." Bruce replies but they both remain where they are and continue the staring for another minute before Richard breaks away.

"No, I don't want her to be unable to handle herself." He sighs to the unasked question before he continues, knowing Bruce wasn't going to be satisfied with that, he never was. "But now she is this spoiled girl that gets drunk and dates jocks because she can, you know I consider people like that to be shallow."

"You find them uninteresting." Bruce corrects. "And it is a front as much as yours and mine is."

"But why put it up to me?" Richard asks.

"Do you really have to ask?" Bruce shrugs, getting a sigh out of Richard. "Make her comfortable around you again and you will see what she is really like."

"Bruce, did you tell her to pull that stunt last night?" Richard sighs.

"No, but she warned me about it before going ahead. What she has been doing with you while I was away have all been her choice, as has been everything else she has been doing here the last two years. She chose to soldier on and have me train her, no matter how unpleasant it was for her on several occasions. Like it was her that chose to make her front the opposite of what she was when we first met her, it's been her choice to put in extra hours of her spare time to study magic or do a check up on the Titans when I would have seen her unwind a little to remain on top. If you think she reminds you of me, that's because she chose to model Batgirl's field personality after mine, because she thinks it was the most efficient and most like her own from Jump City." Bruce says as he gets off the fridge, allowing Richard to pick out a few slices of bread and something to put on it.

"And the shouting of orders at me in the cave?" Richard asks, well aware Bruce has camera's everywhere, the real question was if Raven was aware of it.

"She hasn't said anything, but I suspect it is Artemis' doing. She told you about using it on the Titans?"

"She has mentioned it, she tried it on you?" Richard asks wondering if Bruce had managed to push her to the brink one time or another and it would have popped up.

"With Tim, she was there to take him back to Gotham and found the team squabbling like kids while Cyborg was away visiting relatives. Cassandra was once again trying to claim leadership due to her heritage, seeing this, Superboy joins in because he has feelings for her, this spreads to the others quick enough, except for Miss Martian who was trying to calm everyone at the same time, verbally. From what Tim told me; they were in the main training hall when the argument broke out, then she appeared and promptly blew out one of the lights in the ceiling to get everyone's attention. She quickly has them lined up and promptly informed them that if the current team could not function without squabbling, then it would be terminated or have its leadership rearranged. She then had one on one talks with the entire team to get to the root of the problem; it being Cassandra feeling she was the obvious and only choice for leadership."

"That she's an Amazon, being the reason?" Richard asks as he eats the food he has prepared, from the five he had been with, in the field, he could imagine them all trying to make that same claim.

"She claims her father is Zeus, we haven't seen any proof, but Diana believes her. Tim, like you would have, listened in on the conversations and heard Cassandra make the same claim to Raven." Bruce continues. "However, regardless of who her father is, Cassandra is considered a commoner on Themyscira, not being old enough for any military rank. Raven had been expecting this apparently and handed her a direct line to Hippolyta who was to have said that Raven had special orders to induce humility in Zeus' daughter. Should Raven have failed, she and Cassandra would have been recalled."

"An Amazon malcontent?" Richard asks guessing Cassandra was not one to hide whatever power she had.

"Her mother is not an Amazon but a museum curator in Washington, the connection is that Cassandra was a huge fan of Diana before she learned of her own connection to Olympus. Cassandra has mentioned that she does think Themyscira is a bit too old fashioned for her. Superboy followed her, while he defended his right to stand up for his girlfriend, he was informed that should there be in need of a change of leadership, the choice should be made with the head, not the heart. Raven had gone on to detail the different kinds of leaders there were and informed him that Cassandra, as she was, could prove dangerous for all of them as she often blindly rushed into battle. Tim got his own version of the talk, but he won't say anything about it, but from surveillance I know he was yanked through the wall he had been spying through. Lastly she tried to resolve the other problems, thought they were minor in comparison."

"Has this happened often?" Richard asks.

"According to Cyborg it was worst in the beginning, but Tim has worked himself into the type of leader you were and he has claimed he's never had better friends than Kon-El, Cassandra or Bart. Miss Martian is everyone's friend but is acting like a Sunday morning cartoon, much like you noted how Starfire was in the beginning. Static, Red Devil and Blue Beetle have formed their own circle, but none of this is apparent in the field."

"I am trying to get my head around Beastboy, Kori and Vic leading a team I had almost forgotten about." Richard admits.

"It's only Cyborg that's there permanently now, Garfield and Koriand'r joined the Doom Patrol a year ago. If you are staying, you and Raven need to pick up Tim."

"Means I have to write my will, Raven mentioned something about Vic still wanting to kill me." Richard says as he finishes his food.

"Would mean you grew up to write one." Bruce adds, getting a small huff out of Richard. "She told me that you didn't go along with your plan?"

"I couldn't, I just couldn't break her trust all over again. She made herself vulnerable to me, trusted that I wouldn't harm her and I would have if I had gone through with it, not physically I was assured, but I was going to enter her head and revive the emotion I know she has sealed away because of me." Richard explains as he leans against the sink.

"If you had done it, would only make her shut it down again, maybe permanently this time." Bruce says. "Zatanna has told me that you are also missing something?"

"The almost bullheaded determination I once had… no, that's not it." Richard admits as he suddenly stares off into space, remembering something. "I… I'm scared Bruce, scared to the point that I am hesitating at times when I wouldn't."

"Scared of?" Bruce asks, a little surprised to get the admission.

"Of losing her…" Richard says without looking up, before suddenly realizing something. "Where is she?!"

"You haven't lost her, you passed her tests." Bruce replies. "She's in the garden." He continues; Richard races off instantly, finding her riding a red garden mower at the northern end of the garden, wearing a pair of blue shorts and a white T-shirt, sunglasses and a gray newsboy cap.

"Apparently I have to mow the lawn because I was seen with an unknown hooligan in the city." Raven says as he runs over to her without looking, but she stops the engine.

"I… I am sorry Raven about my behavior this morning… I guess I am not used to being the outsider here." Richard says almost sheepishly.

"I know coming here now must be confusing to you Richard, but I warned Bruce about your reaction because we kept the bond a secret, which was his idea."

"I guess I thought it was more personal to you than to just share it with a colleague?" Richard asks, looking a little dejected at the notion.

"Oh it is." Raven's reply has him look up again. "Look around you Richard, one of the richest, most powerful men on the planet who has no want in his life decides to take me in; a girl that was living on the streets, and I was living on the streets, giving me a home when he could just as easily have run me out of town. With him becoming the father I never had, or thought I ever wanted, giving me an annoying little brother I have to deal with and even a kindly uncle of sorts to reign me in when he is not supporting me. This is my new family, my home; it can't get much more personal than this." She says with a genuine smile on her face.

"You know why I wanted to do what I didn't end up doing?" Richard asks.

"I do, and Bruce was right, it wouldn't work, you can't fix things like that. It would be like smashing a window to get inside a house, put in a new window, and then smash it again to get out. You would have tried to fix it, but the result is still a lot of broken glass."

"You've been hanging out with Eddie Nygma too much." Richard notes, remembering Bruce also made an obscure remark like that after Zatanna had been kicked out of the League.

"He is quite fascinating to watch, you may have missed it, but he's turned over a new leaf, works as a private investigator now, even helps us out from time to time now." Richard pulls an impressed face and nods.

"Your doing?" He asks.

"Partially, it was a few weeks after we stopped him the first time. We aren't sure, but we guess he was getting tired of getting beaten, first by Bruce, then you, then Barbara and Tim and now me. From what we know, he makes a decent living now, but we are keeping an eye on him, Bruce doesn't trust him that much."

"Well at least it's one from the gallery to think better." Richard shrugs. "So we are going to get Tim?"

"And you have a will to write, if there's anything left in your room?" Raven continues.

"Could always leave Tim those dirty magazines he was swarming around, unless you found them and threw them in the bin?" He asks with a smirk.

"I hid them under my bed in case you wanted them back; Bruce was going to burn them. I don't know how attached you guys are to those things?" Raven replies, getting a surprised expression out of him.

"Actually I was expecting Tim would have taken them, but no, we aren't attached to them or, you won't find anyone who will admit it. I just got a few to combat certain rumors in the press." He shrugs.

"Heard about them; started when you began showing up to parties without a girl on your arm."

"Any of those kinds of rumors about you?" He asks with a smirk.

"Plenty, because I have never showed up with a date it has been speculated, along with if it was because the people they guessed I'd find were too rough for the parties and if someone took a picture or gossiped about seeing us yesterday, that could be pushed even further now."

"More for the bad girl front." He notes, he knew he had to figure out quickly when Raven was in which mode.

"True. Anyways, I figure we leave after I am done with the lawn?" She asks.

"Will give me time to testament you all with my broken stuff." Richard smirks.

"Right, I'll get you when I'm done here." She says getting a nod from him before he turns to walk back inside. "Oh and apology accepted." Richard keeps smiling the rest of the way into the house.

"Is there even three seats in that?" Nightwing asks, now freshly shaved and with trimmed hair, with the announcement that they are taking the helicopter rather than the jet.

"That is a compromise I am willing to make." Batgirl replies happily. "First time I am allowed to bring it outside of Gotham, and Vic doesn't know about it, at all. But there is space behind the back seat. Jump in." She says before getting into the front seat.

Nightwing climbs into the back seat and straps himself in, like she had done; now donning a helmet that has thick cables go into it at the bottom of her neck. "What's that for?" He asks.

"The two John's, Bruce and Cyborg made it; it's a prototype neural interface, specially made for me. It allows me to actually become one with the helicopter due to my powers and mind, making it possible for me to fly without lifting a finger and activate some of the special things it was built into it." Raven replies as she makes sure the helmet sits correctly.

"Like?" Richard asks as the cockpit closes over them.

"Stealth generator, shields and a psychic booster that allows me to teleport the helicopter, since it's too big normally. Also it makes targeting easier." She says as the engines start up. "Also my powers normally fuel it. But it is made so others can fly it, but they will have to settle without the special functions. Ok, here we go." She says as black energy starts surrounding the helicopter as the whine of the engine becomes louder before it disappears from the cave and appears again high above midtown Gotham before heading east. "Usually I have it appear over the sea and teleport back home from there to throw off suspicion, but this is a special case." She announces.

"So how long do you recon it will take to get to San Fran?" Nightwing asks.

"An hour or two at most, we are teleporting the most of the way in jumps. I just need to gather my thoughts before each jump." Batgirl explains before the chopper disappears from the state of Gotham.

If Nightwing didn't have the navigational systems on his displays, he would have felt lost as they teleport from one location to another, crossing states in a few dozen minutes. Batgirl has him listening in on radio communication, in case the armed forces or anyone else become aware of them. She makes many intentional detours around known radars, a few unknown ones and any military bases they might have to cross, while occasionally flying only a few meters above ground when she couldn't avoid them.

During the flight she explains that, because of the mysterious nature of the helicopter, the army is very eager to have a closer look at it, so they once sent five of their own helicopters after it. As luck would have it some of the circuitry had burned out, it was still in the experimental phase but was seeing field testing. Being unable to return to the cave safely, she explains she lead them away into the forested mountains west of Gotham. Engaging them in a game of cats and mouse, using her powers to make the helicopter do unnatural stunts, like attaching itself upside down under a highway bridge, flying upside down and the like.

At first they wanted to politely 'escort' her back to base and seemed content with trying to force her to, but their commander must have given up on that at some point since they began trying to shoot her down. She had to respond in kind, but only taking very few shots that took out rotors or punctured gas tanks. The helicopter wasn't unscratched when it got back to the cave, but Bruce was pleased she had made it back with it and without any fatalities. Tapping into the army radios had revealed that the pilots were frustrated and spooked, choosing to dub it the Hellcopter because of the unnatural displays it showed. The more common name was something the papers had dubbed it later when it had vanished into thin air after a car chase, leaving a TV helicopter to follow nothing.

Nearing the county of San Francisco in the early evening, local time, Batgirl has Nightwing start listing in on police reports, in case the Titans are out.

"Ding Dong Daddy is being pursued by them on the west freeway heading north towards the Golden Gate Bridge." Nightwing announces.

"Think they would like the help?" Batgirl asks.

"Think Vic would appreciate if he can drive his car home, the gremlins and their rolling pit stop are there as well."

"In we go." Batgirl announces as they head south.

"AWW MAN! Keep those little creeps off my car!" Cyborg complains while trying to get out of the gremlin powered mobile pit stop that has disassembled six police cars so far and are about to begin on the T-car.

"Trying man! But it's a little cramped back here!" Static says from the back seat where most of the team had been crammed into since the flyers had all be struck by the same ray Ding Dong Daddy had zapped Starfire and Raven with years ago, leaving them grounded, Superboy and Kid Flash had also been hit, leaving them to try and keep up with the T-car by foot, something they could still do and now trying to fight off the gremlin crew that was more interested in the T-car.

"You'd think a guy like this would have something more constructive to do?" Red Devil asks.

"Mild case of kleptomania and car race enthusiast." Robin replies from the front seat, with a shrunken version of Miss Martian sitting in his lap, so she doesn't impair his vision. "He lives for this."

"And he cheats." Cassandra adds grimly from her spot on the back seat.

"Guys, sounds like the cops pulled out one of their fish for this." Superboy says through a side window to Robin, breaking off his chase of one of the gremlins.

"On this end?" Tim asks. "What good would that do they won't fly inside the bridge?"

"If not, they are certainly trying tonight." Blue Beetle quip as the black chopper passes low over them as they drive onto the bridge.

"That's not a police helicopter!" Tim announces as it flies up to Ding Dong Daddy's hot rod.

"That ain't normal." Cyborg says as they see it swings round to fly backwards without losing any speed, aiming a host of weapons at Daddy along with a projector.

"Kindly pull over your vehicle." A haughty voice emerges from the helicopter now in triple D's face. "You have 10 seconds to comply."

"Yike's this ain't no air show!" Daddy cries at the sudden appearance and swings to the side, trying to get around the helicopter only to have it lean to the side slightly, bringing its rotors down into his head height, forcing him to stop and try the other side as they pass under one of the pylons.

"One… you were warned." The helicopter announces before firing a bright blue beam at the exposed engine block of the hot rod, freezing it to the ground, forcing Daddy to severely test his airbags and seatbelt as his ride is instantly frozen to the ground before it's momentum breaks it off and it slides on before finally halting near the middle of the bridge.

The helicopter hovers at the scene for a few seconds, in time to be caught in the T-car's headlights before vanishing. Safe to say, Cyborg's jaw drops to the floor, while Robin narrows his eyes.

Several hours later the helicopter appears under the Golden Gate Bridge and heads towards the former Angel Island, now called Titan Island, because of the imposing T-shaped tower built on the southern part of it.

"Looks different." Nightwing notes.

"Is different, bigger for one thing." Batgirl confirms. "To accommodate more people and has a few more area's than ours didn't, but if Cyborg is willing, you'll get to see it."

"Can't wait to see it, hopefully I will live past it."

"Batman would be disappointed if I only came back with Robin. And Cyborg should have calmed down and repaired the car by now." She replies as she deactivates the security systems on the helipad she is landing on, placed on the west wing of the tower, using a small remote in her belt. "Hmm that's odd, Kid Flash would have been out here by now?" She notes as they crawl out. "Be alert, could be anything."

Nightwing nods as the two walk inside, into the well lit corridor with the red carpet and cream colored walls. Batgirl motions him to follow her after making a low croaking sound, meaning she wasn't picking anything up. Nightwing is impressed as they pass several windows, overlooking the hangar placed under the center of the tower roof, most of the area is taken up by a large circular pad and a large bulky jet shaped like a T. Unlike the old T-ship, that was like a hammerhead shark in orientation, the new one is opposite, with the cockpit in the narrow end while the engine blocks make up the branches. Also down there is a host of lockers and wheeled tool carts none too neatly placed around the area.

Batgirl leads him on and over to the staircase next to the elevator and leads him two floors down, entering into a room that owes much of its design to the old tower's living room, with a kitchen on the right of them, a circular couch with its back to them in front and a long table to their right with several seats placed around it. But what catches their attention is the upturned top hat sitting in the center of the room.

"Magic, don't touch it." Batgirl whispers before walking towards it. "Could be Zach's, but he said it would be a cold day in hell before he came back here." She says a little louder, waving a hand over the hat before picking it up as Nightwing walks over.

"Mumbo?" He suggests.

"Seems like it, I can feel them inside, stand back." She says, he steps a few feet back before she turns the hat over and chants something, getting a flash out of the insides of the hat.

"WAA!" Mumbo cries before the blue-green magician tumbles out of the hat with a host of animals following him out all ending up in a huge whining and complaining pile, as if failing to spot something in the pile, Batgirl shakes the hat a few times before a cabbage rolls out as well.

"Static, don't you dare zap us now." Superboy says from somewhere.

"He's out." Nightwing confirms looking at Mumbo, who had everyone land on him, including Cyborg's armored shoulder. "Uh, wasn't that supposed to wear off?" He asks as he and Batgirl stares at the state of the Titans.

Like the time, they had been trapped in Mumbo's hat, the new Titans have been transformed, but their transformation has followed them out into the real world this time.

"I didn't know you were still into tutu's Victor." Raven asks, quite amused to see Cyborg was once again Borgi, the Dancing Cybear, as Mumbo had called him.

"Rae? WHAT!" Victor looks up from his spot near the bottom of the pile spotting the pink garment. The others quickly confirm similar situations and begin untangling themselves.

"Hey watch it!" Garfield complains as someone nearly steps on him, getting Batgirl to pick him off the floor.

"Says you Cabbage Boy!" Static complains from somewhere else, Nightwing spots an electrical eel lying on the ground, flopping around uselessly. "Oh hey man, mind getting me into water, feels like I'm drying up?"

"Sure, just don't electrocute me." Nightwing says before getting the eel into the sink, letting the water flow over him.

"Hey I heard Rob! Where is he, I'm gonna kill him!" Cyborg bounces up on his hind legs locating the man by the sink.

"Vic, one problem at a time and Titan Zoo seems more pressing." Batgirl says, looking at everyone. "Ok, Garfield?" She asks the cabbage.

"Yeah?" It replies.

"Just making sure." Batgirl confirms. "M'gann?" She asks a green cow.

"Moo?"

"Err, right. Static is in the sink." She guesses. "And Kid Flash?" She asks as she picks up a small turtle with her free hand.

"This is embarrassing." The small creature says as it pulls its head into its shell.

"Kori? Robin? Red Devil and Blue Beetle." Batgirl guesses at the green eyed tiger, the monkey with a mask and cape, the red Tasmanian devil and the scarab trying to avoid getting stepped on before she picks him up and lets him sit on the cabbage.

"I thought it was a joke when you told me about this!" Tim waves a banana at Nightwing.

"Sorry." Nightwing says, trying to ignore the stare Cyborg is sending him.

"And Superboy and Cassandra?" Batgirl continues, looking at the normally pigmented bovine and a white goose at its feet.

"Yeah, Supercow to the rescue." The bovine replies in Connor's voice as Batgirl puts down the three she is carrying.

"No Megan, shoo!" Beastboy cries as M'gann seems to stare at him for a little too long.

"Hey this must be alike a dream come true for you?" Red Devil jokes, getting a snicker from the sink.

"I like to eat vegetables, not be one!" Garfield complains.

"Keep calm, I should be able to turn you all back." Batgirl says quietly as she approaches M'gann who backs away from her. "Easy M'gann I'm not going to hurt you."

"Hey what's up with her?" Superboy asks.

"She's a shape shifter, but apparently she can't change shape now. J'onn told me about it, Martian's take that loss the same way we would to loose an arm." Batgirl explains, halting after cornering M'gann, waiting a few seconds she begins chanting, forming a black aura around the hand she has placed on M'gann's large head that spread to her, slowly transforming her back into her green self. "Ok, I can't do it all at once. Blue Beetle, before someone steps on you." She says before going over to the scarab and places her hand on him, repeating the spell and returning the blue and black armored teen to normal. She repeats this process till everyone is back to normal, deliberately treating Cyborg last who never breaks off his stare from Nightwing, something the latter is very aware of.

"Thanks BG." He says to her before he turns to Nightwing. "Now, unless you mind, I want a word with you." Cyborg says flatly to Nightwing who nods, but doesn't look exactly pleased as they march out of the room.

"And I would like to know how you went from a car chase a few hours ago, and into Mumbo's hat?" Batgirl asks.

"How'd you know about that?" Static asks. "The media isn't usually that fast out?"

"The helicopter, it's hers." Tim says. "When we got home we found the hat on the floor and someone had to take a look inside of it." He continues looking at Red Devil.

"Hehe, thought Zach had been by." The red skinned young man admits sheepishly, he's had a bit of a growth spurt since the audition on the station and so taken a name change. "So what brings you all here?" He asks, swinging his attention onto Garfield and Koriand'r.

"We were met by Gar and Star at the entrance before heading up." Cassandra adds.

"Well, me and Star are in town for a few days and thought we would stop by." Garfield replies while dusting himself off.

"Don't let him fool you; we are shopping for the big day." Starfire says, speaking fluently English now, during the past two years she had received a fair amount of education so she wouldn't be perceived as stupid because of her old manner of speech.

"Well I am here to play taxi, and to get Nightwing updated on everything that's been going on since he left." Raven says as she pulls her cowl off after placing a sleeping spell on Mumbo. "But it's good to see you two again." She continues, meaning her old friends, swiftly getting a hug from Starfire. "Not so tight."

"It wouldn't bother you anymore even if I did give you one of the old ones." Starfire replies with a grin after she lets go. "So what did Cyborg want with Nightwing, he sounded upset?"

"Best left between them." Tim cuts in. "Anyways I'll go pack, I think some of the guys want a closer look at the helicopter."

"Meet you on the pad." Raven says before pulling her cowl up and teleports out swiftly followed by the others.

Authors Notes: It's tough coming home to a family like this :) Next chapter: A rematch and a look at the only new entry in the Black Casebook.

R&R :)