When she came to, she found herself in her bed at Titans Tower. She was still in the same navy dress she had put on but she noticed that it was painful to move too much. Her showdown with Dr. Light had bruised much of her torso. How embarrassing that a mere mortal was able to get the better of her.

What happened to the villain? How did she get back here? Who was her mysterious savior? All questions she mulled over as she slipped out of bed, putting on a pair of black slippers, quickly changing into a pair of pajamas. She noticed that the pale, grayish skin of her belly and chest was purpled with the villain's blasts. It will all heal, but it still hurt.

"Raven!" Kori exclaimed when Raven opened her door, to find her alien friend standing there, her red hair tied up in a messy ponytail and her orange skin clad in soft, lavender pajamas. "You are okay! I am so pleased!"

"Kori, I-" her response was cut off when she was brought into a tight embrace.

It was in that moment, that Raven heard loud voices coming from their main room. It sounded like Dick was boisterously interrogating someone with Vic and Gar acting as the collective "good cop".

"What's going on?" Raven asked as she started walking that direction.

"We just got back to the tower from the city. How we spent the day searching for you, friend Raven." She replied, her green eyes looking sad. "The boys tracked you back here and when we found him instead, oh the excitement!"

"Who's 'him'?" Raven asked as they entered the main room where the boys were.

Vic and Gar were off to the side trying to look intimidating. In Vic's case, it worked as he had all of his red lights turned on. Dick was in the center of the room, twirling his bo-staff in hand as he circled a tall, curious figure.

The stranger was wearing a scarlet robe that covered his entire body, exposing his wrists, ankles, bare hands and feet with just a whisper of his firm-looking chest in the v-neck of the robe. His complexion was olive, his eyes a piercing green, and his hair was brown and both a huge mess and perfectly set at the same time. Raven sensed a lot of power from this person. It wasn't like what she sensed in Superman, Doctor Fate, or even Trigon, but the power was far more ancient and extremely pure, like aftermath of a supernova. He seemed familiar to Raven, but she couldn't place where she knew him from.

"One more time, how did you get in here!?" Dick yelled.

"Richard Grayson," the stranger said, speaking Robin's full name, "I understand your trepidation, but I am no enemy to you or your family, whether it be Koriand'r, the girl who loves you more than life, or Bruce Wayne the man who became like a second father to you. Your mission and mine are one: to make the world a safer, better place for those destined to inherit it in the generations to come."

The stranger turned to see Raven and Kori entering the room. He smiled, his face appearing like a blazing fire. When he locked eyes with Raven, she briefly felt a slight weakness in her knees, a sensation no one had ever made her experience before. She held Kori's shoulder for support.

"What are you-" Robin began, "How did you-"

"Raven. It's good to see you awake. I imagine the experience with the abomination calling himself Dr. Light has left you feeling battered? I offer my services as healer, if you so desire." He said, not moving from his spot between the male Titans.

"Who are you, stranger?" Raven asked him, eyeing him from head to toe.

"I am Azriel. I am what Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve would call a Nephilim, but I would consider that an inappropriate term as my father is no fallen angel. Baladiel, my father, is an archangel."

"Azriel?" Raven asked, "When you say Adam and Eve, you mean-?"

"Precisely." Azriel replied with a smile.

"How did you get us in?" Raven asked. "The Tower requires a voice match."

"Human rules are for humans. No solid wall can bind the likes of me." He replied with a smile. "

"Well then, 'Azriel', what do you want?" Dick asked, shrinking his bo-staff down.

The demi-angel smiled warmly at Robin when he turned away from Raven. The light around him shimmering like glitter. He was truly beautiful.

"Haven't we already established this, Richard?" he asked, "Your mission is to save the innocent and to maintain justice, my mission is to damn the filthy and to aid the innocent, to keep the balance between justice and mercy. Everyone deserves a second chance, when that is squandered, there the likes of us will be to enact the needful."

"You know Dick, this guy seems OK." Vic said.

The Titan leader's face was twisted in a scowl, his natural tendency to not trust versus the evidence that Azriel meant them no harm was visibly difficult for him. The demi-angel walked slowly to the Titans leader and placed his fingertips on the back of the Boy Wonder's closed fist.

"I will leave you all if you all desire it. However, I would like to stay. There are some things in Jump City that I would like to do." Came Azriel's voice to break the brief silence.

Dick looked at where Azriel's fingers were touching and then he looked back up to the demi-angel's face. His expression softened.

"Raven, Vic, Gar, Kori?" their leader asked.

Of course he would stay. Raven thought. Azriel was one of the strongest beings she had ever interacted with. With her telepathic abilities, she saw nothing in his mind but goodness and love. There was no regret, no guilt, not even any anger. There was a touch of sadness that she felt, just like hope at the bottom of Pandora's Box, small and faint, but there nevertheless.

Could he be from the heavens? The end times were closing in. Raven's birthday was the upcoming fall, it was only a few months and she knew that things were going to get so much harder. Her father would eventually escape from the underworld, using her as his conduit and he would lay waste to Earth. Raven felt like she knew too much for comfort about the underworld, but the heavens were as much a mystery to her as this dashing demi-angel was.

The other Titans all immediately spoke their approval of having Azriel stay with them for a little while. Raven however, kept her cool, neutral demeanor and didn't act like some teen idol-worshipping sycophant like her found family often did. That night was no exception.

"What say you, Raven?" Azriel asked, his eyes as green as a tropical jungle locking with hers the color of amethyst.

"You can stay," she said evenly. "on one condition."

His grin that he used in response was borderline flirtatious. No. She had to be mistaken. She wasn't that girl. Kori was, Komal was, even Terra was. She was just Raven, moody, dark, subdued Raven. No one would flirt with her, not that she wanted anyone to, thank you very much. Romance is fleeting and there was no point in it as it wouldn't last anyway.

"Name your price." Azriel commanded, the rich baritone of his voice vibrating the floor slightly where Raven was standing, as he approached her.

"I get to have a moment alone with you to find out what you're really about."

"Alone? I have no objections to your request."

Her eyes flashed dangerously toward the other Titans, daring them to object as she slipped her arm into Azriel's and led him to her room. Making physical contact with him again made her stomach and heart feel like she was on a rollercoaster. Her mind felt somehow sharper and she felt an almost giddy sensation. Almost. Raven didn't do giddy, she couldn't even say the word.

She closed the door behind them and with his aura, she saw her room illuminated for the first time ever. She didn't let Vic install electric lights in the room and the only windows were always covered in thick, black curtains. Candlelight, antique furniture, and art with a small, yet intense library met the son of the archangel and daughter of the demon as they entered. The walls, which looked gray in the candlelight were actually a soft blue as the white light shone off of every bit of Azriel's person.

"Raven, about what do you wish to discuss?" he asked, as Raven led him to a large chest whereupon they sat together.

"There's more, isn't there?" Raven inquired, her head cocked to the side.

Azriel smiled that same smile, Raven started finding it quite annoying. What was he trying to do? With her telepathy, she found no ulterior motives which just further annoyed her.

"You're perceptive. Part of my reason for staying is actually... you."

"Me?"

"Precisely. You're powerful, but you aren't aware of the true nature of it, where it truly comes from."

What did he mean by that? Raven knew where here power comes from, from the underworld, from Trigon which comes from his grandfather, the Morningstar himself. For an angel, this Azriel seemed to be quite arrogant. He had no idea what he was talking about. Sure, he knew some intimate details about the Titans unknown to the public, but that means nothing.

"I have a decent idea, Azriel."

"Don't misunderstand me, Raven. I know that you are aware of the conduit, but even the Morningstar's power came from somewhere. He may be ancient, but he is by no means the oldest power in this universe. He is... the third oldest. It isn't the fountain that we must focus upon, but the water itself."

"So," Raven said, running her fingers through her short, violet hair, "you want to help me identify this water?"

It took a moment for the demi-angel to reply, as his words briefly caught in his throat as he watched Raven's long fingers run through her hair. Raven saw this reaction and it annoyed her anew. He didn't have to act like that. Sure, angels had to be nice, she supposed, but this just seemed patronizing, acting like he saw her as anything but a problem to be solved. She knew that's what she was. The Titans loved and accepted her, sure, but she knew what she was. Azriel was smart enough to see it too, surely.

"That is my plan exactly."

With that, he took her hand smiling, spoke a few words in an ancient language that Raven found familiar, but at the same time, didn't recognize and a greenish Davidic star appeared over their hands. Characters of some ancient text swirled around the star, creating a sigil. Raven looked toward his face, seeing only earnestness and care. She sighed. If she had to be stuck with some powerful force that also annoyed her, at least he did her the favor of looking not-altogether unpleasant while doing it.

A/N:

This was a oneshot idea I had when dealing with writer's block on my main series. I don't really have any plans to continue it, but I could be convinced.

-EQ