"HQ sent me to deliver something to you two," Pluto said.

"Really, what is it?" Kat asked.

"It's…" Pluto began to say before he realized, "OH NO! I LEFT IT BACK AT THAT RESTAURANT!"

"NANI?" the twins shouted.

Shadow staggered as he walked, his armor now off. He went back into the church and sat down. Taking the crucifix out from under his shirt, he began to pray silently.

'The Dragon is stronger than I realized,' he thought. 'His sister, the Phoenix, is also a threat to my plans. Now the Tiger is here too. I can't let them interfere, I just can't.' He suddenly began coughing. He covered his mouth with his gloved hand as he continued to cough. When he removed his hand, he took a napkin out of his coat pocket and wiped his glove clean.

'I must collect all the cards, I must,' he swore mentally. 'It's the only way I can…' He looked up at the ceiling and sighed. He touched the centre of his eyes, his stomach and both his shoulders to draw a cross. 'God, please forgive me…but there is no other way…'

The napkin in his hand…had blood on it.

Episode 12: Secrets

"YOU LEFT IT BEHIND!?" Kat screeched as she grabbed Pluto by the collar of his armor and began shaking the Knight of Byakko. "I SHOULD KILL YOU WHERE YOU STAND!" The water in the fountain froze over as small decorative shrubbery caught fire.

"Onee-chan!" Leo yelled, trying to pry his sister off Pluto. "You mustn't beat him up! We don't even know what he left behind!"

"If it's from HQ, it has to be important!" Kat snapped before turning back to Pluto. "Okay, Tiger-Boy! Take us to it before I…"

The Titans did not know what to do. Well, almost all of them. Robin and Starfire decided to break it up. "Alright! Aright! Break it up!" he shouted and then whistled. Kat let go of Pluto and crossed her arms in irritation.

"Thanks," Pluto said.

"Pluto-san, could you please take us to what you brought us?" Leo asked.

"Sure thing, Leo," Pluto said. He reached down to his belt buckle and said, "Bur first I need to change into something a little more comfortable and little less metallic." He ejected the Change Byakko card out of his buckle and the energy field was stripped off him. The twins' eyes widened.

"IT'S YOU!" Kat and Leo shouted in shock.

"Wait, you know him?" Raven asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sure we do!" Kat shouted. "How could we not? He's one of the guys that helped make our buckles and gear!"

"He did?" Cyborg asked, surprised.

"How could we not have known that he was Pluto all this time?" Leo asked, not believing what he was seeing.

"You never knew?" Beast Boy blinked. "Talk about keeping a secret." He grinned.

"Hey, it was part of the job description, plus I am a good at acting," Pluto said. "By the way, my name is Yoshiyuki Takada. Please call me Takada." Takada was a 19 year old young Japanese man with spiked up brown hair with two long strands sticking out of his forehead. He had aqua blue eyes. His clothing comprised of a white shirt, a blue denim jacket and jeans. He wore brown leather shoes on his feet. He ran a hand through his hair and apologized to Leo and Kat, "Sorry, you two, but I had to keep my identity a secret. No hard feelings?" he extended a hand. Kat took it and squeezed.

"None," she grinned maliciously before he jerked his hand away and shaking it.

"Still as hot as ever, huh Mimic?" Takada grinned. "Leo?" he extended a hand.

Leo bowed and Takada bowed as well. Leo then took his hand and Takada jerked his hand back when he felt a jolt. Leo smirked, "Gomen, but like my onee-chan I feel that you deserved it Takada-san."

"Yeah," Takada flicked his hand over and over. "Boy that was a shocker."

"Café La Salle then?" Kat asked.

"Let's go," Takada nodded.

The three Knights walked away, but Leo stopped and addressed the Titans, "Gomenasai, my friends, but this is a private matter. I do hope you understand."

"We understand," Robin said.

"Oh, please come visit our home again soon," Starfire said, beaming.

"You owe me a game, dude," Beast Boy added, making Leo laugh.

"And I'd like learn those recipes from you, dawg," Cyborg grinned.

Raven shrugged and said, "Whatever, just stay out of my room and we'll get along fine."

Leo bowed. "Hai!"

"Otouto-chan, hayaku!" Kat yelled to her brother.

"Hai, onee-chan!" Leo ran after his sister as the trio of Knights walked out of the mall.

After the mission, the Titans all went back to the Tower. Well, almost all of them. Raven said she wanted to take a walk around town to clear her head. They knew that when Raven wanted alone time, there was no room for argument. As long as she came back on time, it was okay with Robin.

Raven walked around a bit and passed by a flower shop. She blinked in realization before she took a few steps back. She looked through the window and saw…HIM.

The Man in Black was looking at flowers, sniffing them. He seemed to like the roses the most. He went over to some black roses then moved over to some white ones and finally red ones. He then asked the clerk something. Smiling, the young lady collected the black, red and white roses and wrapped them up into a bouquet. She gave the bouquet to him and he paid her the money. Giving a nod, he waked out of the shop.

'Who is he?' Raven asked herself mentally. 'And why do I want to get to know him so bad?' Raven closed her eyes and groaned. If she ever told Starfire this, the alien girl would be squealing and laughing with delight at the idea that Raven had 'a crush'. Raven scoffed at the idea. She had enough of crushed a long time ago. She was only following this guy so she could know what he was up to. She felt suspicious of him. Well, this was what she was trying to convince herself. This was professional, not personal. Nothing personal, it was just business. She followed after him quietly in the air, hoping that he wouldn't notice her.

Unfortunately, he did notice her as he smirked. 'She's following me. This girl, there is something about her that I cannot put my finger on…since I met her at that bookstore…' he mused and then shook his head before putting on a serious face. 'No, I have no time for such nonsense!'

He decided to pretend not to notice her as he continued to walk. If Raven was reading his thoughts, she'd know he was just leading her along.

Kat, Leo and Takada arrived at Café La Salle. Tom approached Takada and returned him his briefcase, "Here sir, your briefcase."

"Thanks," Takada said before he gave Tom a 5 dollar tip. Kat quirked an eyebrow at this but decided not to make a comment.

"Okay, what's this thing you brought us?" Kat asked, hands on her hips.

Suddenly, a large man in army uniform burst in. Leo and Kat's eyes widened.

"MR. BARKIN?" Kat's jaw dropped

"BARKIN-SENSEI?" Leo was surprised too.

"HASUMA! I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU!" Barkin roared as he got into Kat's face. She backed away, eyes wide. "NOW, I WANT YOU TO MARCH BACK TO SCHOOL AND SIT FOR DETENTION AND WRITE A 5000 WORD ESSAY ON RUNNING AWAY FROM DETENTION AND THE CONSEQUENCES! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

"YES SIR, MR. BARKIN-SENSEI, SIR!" Kat stood at attention and marched out. Takada blinked and was about to say something before Leo cut him off.

"Please, don't ask…" Leo said to Mr. Barkin, "Barkin-sensei, I apologize. My onee-chan was just helping me out with an emergency. Punish me instead."

Barkin sighed. "Narukawa," the army man turned teacher began, "You're a good student, straight A's in all your classes. Please don't try to mess up your life because of your twin sister."

"But, Barkin-sensei…" Leo began but Kat walked in and bopped him on the head before ruffling his hair.

"It's okay, otouto-chan," she smiled tenderly to her twin brother. "I'll be fine. Barkin-sensei's bark is worse than his bite," she joked. She then marched out, following after Barkin. Leo sighed and turned to Takada.

"Alright, tell me what you got," Leo said as he sat down. Takada sat down across from him and opened the briefcase.

"Your sister should be here to hear this too," Takada said uncertainly.

"I'll tell her what you'll tell me."

"Alright, but prepare yourself for what I'm about to tell you…"

The Man in Black walked into the church. Raven landed and looked around before stepping in herself. She stared at the beautiful interior. Her demon side would hate all this but her human side couldn't help but see how beautiful it was inside the church. She spotted him at the far front bench on the right side. Taking in a deep breath, she walked over to him and sat down next to him. He was reading the bible as he spun held the crucifix by the chain around his fingers. He then closed his bible and looked at Raven.

"You've been following me," it was more of a statement than a question.

"I'm sorry," Raven said, blushing a bit before tucking her hair behind her ear. "I just wanted to get to know you."

"A simple 'hello' would've sufficed," he said simply.

"I'm sorry if I came out all stalker-like," she said guiltily. "Can we…start over?"

The Man in Black gave her small smile and her cheeks turned pink. For some reason, that small smile had an effect on her. "Sure. My name is Desmond."

"I'm Raven," she said. Desmond reached over to his side and brought up the bouquet of roses he had brought from the flower shop. He had set them aside next to him. Raven blinked and looked up to him.

"For you," he said. Raven gasped in shock.

"For…me…?" Raven said, still trying to process this.

"I have a confession too," Desmond admitted, "I've been…watching you too. You're a very wonderful person, and not because you're a superhero. I wished to get to know you as well but I didn't how to get around to doing it. Quite a coincidence, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Raven looked away shyly. No one had ever made her feel like this aside from Malchior and he had betrayed her. Maybe…maybe now…since she was truly free of her father…she could…? She shook her head. No, love was not for her.

"What's wrong? You seemed troubled," Desmond said to her. Raven shuddered internally at the smooth sound of his voice. His British accent was like Malchior/Rorek's but more refined and not at all annoying like Mad Mod's.

"I appreciate the gesture, I really do," she said sincerely. "But flowers? We've only just met. Don't you give flowers to people you…are dating?"

"How about we fix that?" he said. "How about dinner with me later tonight? It's my treat," he smiled, hoping she would except his invitation. Raven was battling herself mentally.

Happy: Oh, say yes! Say yes! He's so cute!

Timid: But what if he doesn't like us like that? What if we make a fool of ourselves? We don't have anything to wear!

Brave: I say go for it, girl! Just take a chance!

Knowledge: The smart thing to do would be to avoid him. We do not need another emotional heartache. However, it is unhealthy to close yourself away from the world and to wonder what might've been.

Rage: I WILL DEVOUR YOUR SOUL!

Raven sighed. Her emotions were of no help, well almost. She looked at him and gripped the bouquet. "Yeah, sure."

"Does Café La Salle sound okay?" Desmond asked. Raven blinked.

"Café La Salle?" Raven repeated.

"Yes, or do you wish to go someplace else?"

"No, it's fine."

"Great, I'll pick you up. Where do you live?"

"You know that big tower in the shape of a T?" she questioned. He nodded. "You can pick me up there."

"8:30?" Desmond asked.

"Alright, 8:30," Raven agreed and then advised, "Just wait until I give you the signal before you cross the bridge. It has a security system that shoots at intruders."

"I think I can manage," he said, smiling charmingly.

"Right, I need to go," Raven said before she got up and walked towards the church's doors before stepping out. Desmond caught a glimpse of her cloak before he smirked. He reached into his coat and pulled out a red rosebud. It glowed green and the rosebud bloomed.

"Maybe this won't be so bad…" He coughed a bit and covered his mouth. "I may not have much time left and I'm on a mission, but that doesn't mean I can't have some fun."

Raven returned to the Tower in a daze. She was sighing happily, uncharacteristically about her. She sniffed the roses and slipped into her room. She fell on her bed after removing her blue cloak. She smiled a bit as she stared at he roses in her hands.

She had a date tonight.

And then she realized something with eyes wide as she quickly sat uo.

SHE HAD A DATE TONIGHT!

And she had nothing to wear!

She began pacing around her room, leaving the bouquet on her bed. She scolded herself for her own stupidity. Why did she even agree to go out to dinner with him? She just met him and hardly knew him for Azar's sake! What if he turned out to be a villain in disguise or a spy or a…

Great, she was starting to turn into Robin. Raven could become paranoid, but not to the same degree as the Boy Blunder. However, she would not let something like mistrust and paranoia stop her from having a good time. Here was guy who wanted to go out with her. Now usually, with her reputation as super-heroine, she didn't have much of a social life outside her circle of friends which had grown larger since they recruited all those teen heroes and defeated the Brotherhood of Evil.

In life, chances need to be taken and she was going to do it. Besides, if he turned out to be a jerk, she could use her powers and fling him out to the street. Of course, she had to give him a chance. It wasn't everyday someone offered to take her out to dinner. Actually, this was a first even for her.

Now, she needed help getting ready and, against her better judgment, she decided to ask Starfire to help. There was just no way around it.

Hopefully, Starfire would not force her to wear anything TOO bright and preppy.

A black and green motorcycle stopped in front of Café La Salle. The rider, who was dressed completely in black, was wearing a helmet with a visor that completely hid his face. He looked into the window and saw both Leo and Takada talking. He revved up his engine and rode away. He had other things to attend to right now.

"You have to be kidding," Leo said in disbelief. "Tell me you're kidding."

"I can't lie to you, Leo. HQ wanted me to tell you this so you knew what exactly you were getting yourself into," Takada said.

"I just don't believe it," Leo said, still in shock.

"Tadaima," Kat called out as she walked into the Café, messaging her sore right wrist. She groaned, "5000 words hurt." She noticed the look on Leo and Takada's faces. "Okay, what did I miss?"

"Onee-chan, I think you may want to sit down," Leo said.

Raven was in Starfire's room and the hyperactive alien girl was dancing and twirling around. The dark empathy groaned. 'Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…'

"Oh, Raven! This is simply wonderful!" Starfire yelled in glee.

"Starfire, calm down!" Raven said as she tried to calm down her bouncy friend. "It's just a date! I might not see this guy again after this."

"But this is just so wonderful!" Starfire beamed. "Raven, this is your first date, yes?"

"It is," Raven nodded.

"Then you must dress properly! I have several dresses you could try out!"

"Oh the joy…" Raven muttered sarcastically. She was of course a little relieved. There was no telling how the guys, especially Beast Boy, would react to her going out on a date.

Kat's eyes went wide over what she had just been told and from what she had read from the reports Takada gave her. "No way…there's no way…" she shook her head slowly in disbelief. "It can't be true."

"HQ thought that you deserved the right to know," Takada said, frowning. Kat stood up and slammed the papers onto the table.

"This isn't true! I can't…I won't believe any of this garbage!" she snapped.

"Onee-chan, calm down…" Leo said.

"Papa…he was involved in the archeological dig that freed the Beast Spirits?" Kat said in disbelief. "How can I believe this? Papa would've told me."

"Kat, your father disappeared on that day. There was no body or anything. He just vanished," Takada told her.

"Is that why?" Kat sat back down, head lowered. "Is that why he never called? What about those letters I sent? Who replied to them?"

"That, we're not sure. But rest assured that we will find him, trust me," Takada said.

"Trust you?" she questioned. "How can I!?" she shot back, "All these secrets and lies! How? Tell me!" Kat began to tear up. "Papa…"

"Your grandfather told you what he did to keep you safe," Takada said. "He had to tell you something like your father was working at a dig and couldn't tell you and was too busy to see you."

"I became a Knight for you people to seal the Beast Spirits and this is how you repay me? With lies and secrets?" Kat was livid. "No more!" Kat took out her Change Suzaku card and Suzaku Buckle and threw them on the table. "I quit!" she stormed up the stairs and there was the sound of a door slamming.

"I was afraid this would happen," Takada said as he rubbed his temples. He looked at Leo, "You're taking this news quite well."

"Onee-chan was always very close with otousan. After the divorce, while I stayed with okaasan, onee-chan stayed with otousan. While I went around the world and traveled with my okaasan to her fashion shows and was being home-schooled, onee-chan was going around the world and learning about archeology and going to digs with otousan and ojiichan. Takada-san, you have to understand that for nearly 10 years we've only had our parents for support and otousan was everything to my onee-chan."

"I get that, believe me," Takada said. "I'm just sorry this was kept from the two of you."

"Why tell us now?"

"That, unfortunately, I can't tell you."

"Can't or won't?" Leo narrowed his eyes.

"HQ's orders."

"Dear Kami-sama…" Leo let out a tired sigh.

Kat lay on her bed, facedown, crying her eyes out. He father was gone and there was no telling what had happened to him. He could be alive, he could be dead; there was no way of telling.

What had hurt the most was the betrayal. How could the people she had been working for keep this from her? She had loyally and blindly followed their orders to seal the Beast Spirits and she was repaid with lies and secrets. She didn't know what was true anymore.

They would have to beg her to become Mimic now. Someone else would have to take up the mantle of the Advent Knight of Suzaku for she wasn't going to do it anymore. No way, no how, not ever.

Leo would have to do it alone now. Well, he wasn't alone. There was Takada/Pluto. The Tiger Knight would help him since she wanted nothing to do with this anymore. She was through, now and forever.

A/N: Well, how's that? Sorry that there is a lot of angst and drama here, but I had to balance it out with all the action and humor. How is it? Please R and R.

Preview to the next chap: Raven is getting ready for her date with Desmond, Kat is crying in her room and Leo doesn't know what to do. Suddenly, the city is attacked by strange black insectoid creatures. What are they? Is there something bigger behind this?