*Hi everyone Yes, this is a little long, I hope you don't mind. Anyway, I made this one a little more cheerier! Unfortunately, Raven and Kilowatt don't interact much. I still like the way this chapter turned out, and I hope you will too. Please enjoy, I did add my intake on what the titans' appeared to be like after a few years. Don't forget to R&R!*
*For Joel*
Meeting
Charles opened his eyes slowly. He was greeted with bright sunlight and the scent of coffee and baked pastries. He pushed himself up, guessing that it was late morning. It was cold, much colder than he had expected. He figured it was winter time here, unable to think of any other explanation.
His eyes widened as he remembered the events that took place last night. He stood up and brushed himself off. He felt a slight pain in his knee, suggesting that he had bruised himself when he hurled himself into the portal.
He walked out of the alleyway, looking around. He remembered Jump City, but this part of town was very unfamiliar to him.
He looked around, and noticed he was receiving uncomfortable stares from the citizens. Consciously, he looked down at his attire and grimaced. He was a wreck, and looked like he had been through hell. His eyes scanned the area, and immediately recognized the Pizza Corner at the end of the block. He smiled to himself, knowing where Titans Tower was located from here.
He walked back into another alleyway and after taking a deep breath, he supercharged himself and took on his electric blue color. He took to the sky and felt the cold air brush past him. His heart was pounding, wondering where Raven was.
He knew she wasn't at the tower anymore, and hoped he would be able to locate any of the other titans. His thoughts were flooded with images of the sorceress. He was worried, and wanted to make sure she was okay. After all, they hadn't ended their last conversation on the best of terms.
His eyes lit up when he saw the tower come into view. He flew fast, eager to see if anyone was still in it. He landed on the rocky shore moments later and was horrified at what he saw. The tower appeared to be completely abandoned. There were broken windows and he noticed the front door slightly opened.
He sighed and walked up to the building, feeling melancholy. His hope faded as he continued to stare at the tower. "Where are they?" he asked himself.
He shook his head and started taking steps toward the entrance.
This had to be a joke. There was no way that the titans separated. They said they'd always be together, right? He was going to walk in and they would all jump out and surprise him, telling him they wanted to scare him, or some nonsense like that.
His eyes grew somber as he walked inside. It appeared that no one had been here for years. The feeling of hopelessness started to grow exponentially as he continued to walk within the walls of the tower.
He found himself in the special ops room. The large screen overhead was cracked and dusty. He noticed an old console along with two dusty controllers. He remembered Cyborg and Beast Boy and how they would play competitively with one another. He sighed sadly and continued to look around.
A piece of paper caught his eye on the coffee table. He walked around the couch to pick it up. He took a hold of the yellow paper being held down by an empty cup and looked at the writing.
It was nearly impossible to comprehend, as it was written in a hurry. He figured it was Robin's hand. He was always in a rush and appeared to be busy all the time.
He placed the paper back on the table and glanced at the kitchen area.
He felt his heart skip a beat as he noticed a white mug on the counter.
Charles walked up to it slowly. He noticed the paint chipping in various areas on the wall and the tiles withering away. He shuttered as he peered inside the mug and saw a black rim inside, showing evidence that it was once filled with something.
"Raven…" he breathed her name, wondering where she was. He looked at the double doors, leading to the hallways they held the bedrooms. He found himself running to the doors yelling out, "Robin!?"
He sprinted through the halls, calling out the titan's names. "Cyborg!?" He panted, his eyes darting everywhere. "Beast Boy!? Starfire!?"
He ran into all of their rooms, calling out for them. There were tears in his eyes as he did so. He was desperate to find someone, anyone. His heart was heavy, holding concern for his friends.
Where had they gone? Why did they disappear? What caused them to separate like this? They were friends! They were a family! Did that mean anything to them?
His legs grew tired as he sprinted all over the tower. He must have checked every single room of the tower at least twice. The only room he didn't check was…
"Raven's…" he mumbled to himself.
He wanted to, but he was afraid. He was afraid that if the moment he stepped foot into her room, he would break down.
Despite his fears, he found himself walking to her bedroom, his hands shaking. He watched in sadness as he saw the letters on the metal door read, 'RAVEN'.
He closed his eyes and slid the door open, a metal screech making its way into his hears.
It was dark, and he expected it. Raven had always been a dark person. But being dark doesn't make you a bad person. No, the dark was simply misunderstood. Those in the dark didn't like being in the spotlight. Those are the kinds of people with the most history. They're like a big book in the back of the library. No one goes there, and those who do don't typically reach for the dusty bindings or the yellowing pages. The ones in the dark stay hidden, and only open up to those who are willing to read them. That was Raven. Always quiet, and always observing.
He glanced at the curtains. He stepped inside, cautiously, as if he were expecting her to teleport behind him and question his actions in that monotonous voice of hers.
It didn't happen and his heart sank. He walked toward the violet curtains and pulled them back, letting the sun seep through.
A wave of emotion came crashing down on him as he scanned her room. It was just as she left it. Her books were crammed into the bookcase, along with various chests and small vials. Her bed was made neatly and consisted of dark purple bedding. He looked at the statues around her room and admired her taste in décor. He strolled over to her vanity and looked at his reflection for the first time.
He truly was a wreck. His hair was messy and it stuck out in various directions. His clothes were worn and torn in some areas. He blinked, wishing this was all a dream. He wanted none of this to be true. He wanted to wake up and…
He scoffed. And what? He no longer existed in his own dimension. No, he couldn't just stand here and wish for something that would never happen. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.
His eyes landed back toward the window. "I'll find you, Raven…I'll find you, and I'll find the others…I won't give up."
He walked up to the window and opened it wide. A gust of cold wind hit his face. He stared at the city, filled with determination. "They're out there somewhere, and I'm going to find them."
He charged up, and flew out of Raven's room. The air was cold and the water below appeared frigid. He noticed a few grey clouds starting to form over the city. He shuttered, as he didn't like the rain, or any type of precipitation for that matter.
He landed on a sidewalk and powered down. He glanced around at the people walking by. His eyes narrowed as he tried to think of where he could find the other titans.
He decided it was best to ask around for now. After scanning the block, he decided to approach a man sitting at a bus stop.
He appeared to be in his late 20's, or early 30's. He was reading a book, and not really paying much attention to anything around him. Charlie walked up, a small smile on his face. "Excuse me, sir?"
The man glanced up from his book and grimaced at Charlie. "Yes?"
His voice was deep. Charlie's eyes softened slightly. "I'm looking for someone…a group of people, actually. I was wondering if you'd be able to help me."
The man closed his book and looked up at Charlie. "I can try."
He smiled. "I'm looking for the Teen Titans, the superheroes who used to live in the tower on that rocky island."
The man furrowed his brows. "The Teen Titans, huh?" he chuckled. "They're history…they disbanded a long time ago."
He felt his heart sink. "Yeah…I noticed that…do you have any idea where they are now?"
The man thought for a moment. "Well…I heard the green kid, well, he's not a kid anymore…" he shrugged. "I heard he's doing stand-up at a rundown restaraunt downtown."
Charlie's eyes lit up. "Really? Do you happen to know what the restaurant is called?"
"Um…Animal's Den, I believe…something like that…"
Charlie thought for a moment. "Where is it located, exactly?"
"You know where the Bank of Perez is?" he watched as Charlie nodded. "Well, it is a couple blocks south of there. There's a huge green neon sign, you can't miss it."
"Thank you, thank you very much," he said with a smile.
The man nodded and opened his book again. "As for the others…I couldn't tell you. Pretty sure they all left the city."
Charlie started walking away, waving at the man as he did so. "It's no problem, again, thank you."
He walked quickly, determined to find the former. He kept his head low, thinking about Raven. He had tried contacting her, but his head was aching from the events that took place last night. He only hoped that she was okay.
He noticed the sun starting to move farther across the sky. His eyes landed on a small boutique and he noticed the clock read 2:10. It wasn't as late as he thought it was, but he still continued to walk at his fast pace.
After a few moments, the bank came into view. He smiled to himself, hoping Garfield would be at the restaurant.
Raven's image kept popping up in his mind. He didn't try to shake it off. He was genuinely concerned for her. The only reason he was tracking the other titans was so he could prove to her that they are real. He couldn't fathom the pain she was going through thinking she had merely made them up.
How does one do that to themselves? What happened to cause her to think this?
He had many questions, and he was certain the changeling could give him some answers.
Within minutes, he found the restaurant. It was indeed, a little rundown, but he didn't hesitate to walk inside. He hoped and prayed he would find him in there. It was dark, and he heard the sound of people chatting. His eyes narrowed as he scanned for the green hero.
"Table for 1, sir?"
Charlie glanced at the busboy, who appeared to be in his late teens. "Um…no thank you, is Garfield working today?"
The boy nodded. "Mr. Logan? He's in the back."
Charlie smiled. "Is there any way I can speak to him for a minute?"
"He's actually getting ready to leave…he'll have to be back tonight."
"That's fine. Can you tell him…that I'm waiting outside? Tell him it's Kilowatt."
He nodded. "I'll let him know." He quickly walked back into the dark.
Charlie walked back outside, his heart racing. He didn't expect to find someone so quickly. He smiled as he heard the door to the restaurant open, revealing a man with green skin.
It was obvious that he had been running. His emerald gaze landed on him, wide-eyed. "No way," he said slowly.
Charlie stood up straight, giving him a small smile. "Hey. Long time no see."
The changeling walked up to him, a smile on his face. "It's been…" he counted his fingers. "4 years?"
He shrugged. "About 5, actually." He grinned. "How have you been?"
Garfield ignored his question. "Dude, you look horrible! What the hell happened to you?" He seemed to snap back to reality. "How did you get here!? I mean, why are you here?"
He sighed. "It's…a long story…" he found himself shivering a little.
The former noticed and cocked his head to the side. "Let's get out of the cold. It looks like you have one hell of a story to tell me."
Charlie nodded. "That I do…"
The changeling walked him to his car, a grey Honda. He unlocked the doors and he got into the driver's seat. Charlie sat in the passenger seat. He started the car and immediately turned on the heater. "So…what happened?" He backed up out of the parking space and turned out of the lot.
"Well…before I say anything…do you know where the other titans are?"
He nodded. "Kinda…Cy is going to a University in Rockshore…it's an 8 hour drive, but with his T-ship, it's only 4." He smiled.
Charles nodded. "What about Robin? Starfire?" He didn't want to ask about Raven just yet.
"Robin, or Nightwing actually, went back to Gotham after…Star's disappearance." His eyes became somber.
"…What happened to Starfire?"
The green man shook his head. "She just…disappeared one day. A long time ago, we were fighting Warp and…I don't know, she flew into a portal and never came back…"
Charlie waited for him to go on.
"We spent months trying to track her…but we were never able to find her…Robin took it really hard and…after a year or so, he decided to quit. He just…up and left."
"…Just like that?"
He nodded. "It was difficult for the three of us working without Robin, so…we decided to disband the team."
"Why would you guys do that?" He asked lowly.
"Dude…things went downhill after Star disappeared. Robin left, Cy decided to go to school, and Raven…"
His ears perked at the mention of the sorceress. "Raven?"
"She didn't even say anything…she just sat there…as if we were suddenly invisible…I'm guessing she went back to Azarath, or something." He pulled into the lot of an apartment complex.
Charlie gritted his teeth. "You're wrong about Raven," he said quietly.
Garfield turned off the car and glanced at him. "Do you know where she is?"
He shook his head. "No…but she's the reason I'm here right now."
His eyes widened. "Dude…how?"
Charlie opened his door. "I'll tell you all about it."
He got out as well. "Just get comfortable first, you must be tired."
"I am," he said with a nod.
The two entered his apartment and Charlie changed into some borrowed clothes from the former. The fit was a little tight, but it would have to do for now. He washed his face in the bathroom and combed his hair. Once he decided he looked better, he walked out of the bathroom and into the small kitchen where Garfield waited with two mugs of hot chocolate.
"So, what brings you here to Jump City?" he asked.
Charles smiled and took a seat across from him. "It all started when I was erased from history," he said quietly.