Hey yo, author here! I know it's been a minute, so sorry for that! I write on my work laptop normally, but during some mandatory IT update recently, I lost a couple of word files, one of which was a completed version of this chapter that was much longer. Rather than waiting till I've completely rewritten it, I've just decided to split it into two chapters, just so I can put out something. Normal business should resume now! Hope ya''ll enjoy!

As always, much love - Seadavid41

Ch. 6 The Voice of Reason

Jump City at night was like any other metropolitan area on the west coast. Eye-catching signs and the glow of neon dotted its central city streets at night, promising those out and about discounts on drinks, happy hours and memories that would last a lifetime. The main throughfare's were swarming with people, some just heading home and some only just heading out. Not too far away, the business district lay in relative silence. Office windows sat unlit by the hundred, with the exception of the occasional artificial light dotted way up high on a skyscraper or two, a clear sign that someone was busy burning the midnight oil. The concrete jungle that the city was known for slowly trickled out into apartment blocks, some of which had been standing for years already and would stand for many years to come. Travel any further out and the surroundings turned into that of family homes and local communities.

Yet, somewhere in between the buzz of the city and the city's suburbs, there lay one place that always seemed to slip off the radar. Every city had an area that was derelict for one reason or another. A big real estate investment that didn't pay off, lack of forward planning by a city council, for whatever reason, that part of Jump City lay in the east, spanning only a handful of streets. Red brick buildings, their lower halves covered in graffiti, lined grey, cracked pavements. Windows sat broken or shattered, offering little protection from the outdoors for those unfortunate enough to call such a place their home.

On the other side of one such window, the moonlight bouncing off the shattered glass, lay a cardboard box on its side, its contents consisting of styrofoam and some old newspaper, was half in the box and half spilled across the floor. From within the box, came the gentle rustling off paper, before a dry, black nose poked its way out and sniffed the air, before the rest of the green dog followed. He sniffed the air, having detected a scent that he had come to find familiar over the past few days entered his nose. Curious, he padded over to the cracked window and glanced up at the night sky. It only took a second for him to spot her. It had come to learn that she never travelled by foot.

Against a crystal-clear sky and a moon that shone particularly bright, the outline of the one he had come to know as "Raven" could hardly be missed. Her purple cape, outlined amongst the stars, stuck out to him, even against the dark of the star-lit sky. It wasn't the first time he'd detected her nearby. Jump City was a place full of life…and with that full of smells, some of which were pleasant…some of which were questionable at best. However, he'd yet to encounter anything else as identifiable as the empath that floated overhead. The first time he'd detected it, he hadn't even known that she was the source and had almost trotted out into the open right in front of her but for realizing that it was the girl he had spoken to in the alleyway. The scent tickled his nose…lavender, jasmine…but then beneath it all, lingering beneath the surface, something harsher…darker…embers.

He'd quickly gained an understanding of what was going. After all, she had said herself she was part of a superhero group. She was involved in some kind of night watch and over the last few days, he had seen the others as well, recognising from that night in the chemical plant. Since his encounter with the empath, he'd been sure to "switch off' the emotions he projected, a handy trick from his old team leader, so she couldn't find him. As for the others, whether they were looking for him or not, he knew they had no chance. If he didn't want to be found, he wouldn't be found. He could get up and leave the city whenever he wanted. No one would stop him. If he was honest, he knew no one would care anyway. He was passing fade…a flavour of the month. Whether the "Titans" cared about him or not, he knew they'd move on with their lives in a matter of days. Besides, he was done with teams. He was done people. He knew he should make life simpler for everyone and just start making his own way…

But he hadn't yet…despite every fibre of his being telling him that he should…and he knew the reason. Imprisonment was an excellent way of forcing someone to become honest with themselves. You can't have that much personal time to think and not become somewhat reflective and as he stared up at the outline of the figure in the sky again, he knew that for whatever reason, there interaction from a few days earlier was keeping him grounded. She'd…spoken to him…and not like an animal…but like a person…a living, breathing person…strange how much something so simple could resonate once you've been taught the value of it.

He watched as Raven pulled down her hood, and with his keen eyesight, he could see her face, her forehead creased in apparent concern, her lips drawn tight. She was unhappy about something…what that something was, he couldn't know for sure. Then, with a swish of her cloak and a flick of her wrist, the empath was flying away, streaking across the city skyline to continue her patrol in another area of the city.

For the first time since he'd spoken to her in the alleyway, Garfield Logan shifted into his human form and gently sat down at the edge of the windowsill, being careful to avoid shattered glass. He watched her fly away, a large part of his mind saying it was good she hadn't found him…a smaller part telling him that he should follow her. As he turned his attention away from her receding figure, he caught his reflection in particularly large pane of shattered glass. He had seen his reflection a handful of times already, but it still caught him off guard. He had gone years without seeing it. Now, when he stared in the mirror, he saw a face that he didn't recognise…a face he could scarcely believe was him. His eyes narrowed as he kicked the piece of glass across the room, before he turned to look back out at the night sky, the figure of Raven having long disappeared amongst the lights of Jump City.

Garfield felt his brow furrow as his mind started to wander, Raven's words from the other day bouncing around his head for what felt like the hundredth time.

Neither of us have given any reason for us to doubt each other…

I want to help you…

Did he need her help…or maybe more interestingly…did he want her help?

Beast Boy's face relaxed as he let his head gently fall back against the window frame, allowing for a moment where he could simply take a deep breath and allow the cool, summer air to gently blow across his face. Suddenly he sat forward, as if he'd had some kind of epiphany. He was too late to start today…but tomorrow…or whenever he next detected Raven, he'd find out what these patrols they were doing entailed. He'd see her doing something in contrast to what she told him…or that didn't add up her story of the Titans…that would put his mind at rest. That's what he needed…a reason not to trust her.

But, as he leaned back onto the window frame once again, that small voice piped up inside his head one more time, with what he thought was a much scarier alternative…

You're looking for a reason not to trust her…but what if you find a reason you should?

It had been a quiet two weeks in Jump City, and in turn, Titans Tower. Usually, a break in the usual criminal activity was something all the Teen Titans carved. Robin would use the down time to catch up on his obsession with basketball and reignite his prolonged feud with Cyborg that, yes, the Warriors were DISTINCTLY better than the Clippers, a debate Cyborg was more than happy to engage with while he was able to make much needed repairs and adjustments to the T-car. Meanwhile, Starfire would get to dive into whatever piece of americana had recently caught her eye. Most recently, that had been the tv show "Hell's Kitchen", which had led to the Tamaranean bursting in on Cyborg while he was cooking inner for the team and screaming about the location of the lamb sauce, much to the bemusement of Raven who had been sat on the couch at the time. As for the empath, breaks in crime fighting were usually filled with meditation, reading…maybe the odd trip to Nevermore if there was a burning question on her mind. All in all, it was a time she usually really savoured…

This was not one of those occasions.

Ever since the night Raven had come home having met Garfield Logan, who the Titans had since found out was an ex-Doom Patrol member who went by the name of "Beast Boy", the Titans had been…preoccupied. Robin had become slightly obsessed about Adonis and whoever his mystery associate could be, and while the other Titans tended to try and keep Robin away from indulging his obsessions too much, on this occasion…they could understand it. Adonis was brash, impatient and not subtle. Yet, he'd now seemed to simply vanish, despite that going against everything that the Titans knew about him. Robin kept rolling over the facts in his head and no matter what he tried, he couldn't get the numbers to add up…he needed to discover the accomplice…the missing variable.

Another reason the Titans were happy to go along with Robin's increased efforts was that the Titan leader hadn't simply forgotten about the green shapeshifter who'd saved their lives. He'd instituted daily patrols for the Titans with two specific goals. Keep an eye out for any suspicious activity or any sign of Adonis and separately, look for a lead of any kind that could confirm that Garfield was still in the city. As such, despite the drop in crime levels, the Titans were busier than ever, making their presence known across Jump.

Raven took a deep breath after gently floating down to land on the roof of a skyscraper in the middle of the city, allowing the warm sun to shine on her face in a brief moment of respite before she opened her eyes again and walked over to the buildings edge to sit down, letting her legs dangle over the side. It was sunny enough that even at this height, the wind was still laced with warmth from the day, tickling Raven's bare arms as it gently blew across her skin. She'd been on patrol since the crack of dawn, scouring the city for any signs of malicious activity…or even more importantly her…for any animals that looked just slightly out of place. Once again though…nothing…not even a jaywalking as far as she could tell and despite her best efforts, every animal she had managed to spot had been the correct colour.

It was approaching midday and somewhere else in the city, Cyborg would be finishing up his patrol too, with the pair of them to be replaced by Robin and Starfire for the afternoon. Raven stretched her arms out behind her and leaned back on them, letting her head tilt back, strands of her purple hair getting picked up by the summer breeze and she gently closed her eyes. She knew Adonis was out there somewhere…conspiring with some unknown party…possibly to take the Titans down…it should have been the most pressing thing on her mind…

But it wasn't…that prime spot belonged to Garfield Logan…someone that the empath had no way of even knowing was still even in Jump City. While she had yet to take a visit to Nevermore, which would undoubtedly be able to help her gain some true insights, meditation had shone some light on her thoughts. It was almost ironic, but for her being an empath, she was so very rarely required to be…empathetic. Yet, with Garfield…in those few moments where she could sense his emotions…and learn what he'd been through…she'd seen something far closer to her own experience than she would like to admit. Sure, they may have been cut from very different cloths…but she knew what it was like to be exploited for who you were…to look in the mirror and not know whether there was a monster looking back…

She knew what it was like to come undone.

"RAVEN!?...RAVEN!? YOU THERE!?"

Raven felt her hands slipped out from under her in surprise as Cyborg's voice came from the communicator on her belt. Standing up in an instant and brushing herself off, Raven grabbed her communicator and brough it up to her face.

"Raven here. Cyborg, what's wrong?"

The empath didn't have to wait long before Cyborg's face appeared on the tiny screen in the palm of her hand.

"I'm gonna need some backup. Bank robbery down on main street. Cinderblock. Already called the others."

Raven's eyes widened for a split second before she simply nodded.

"I'm not far. Send me coordinates and I'll head straight there."

"Sounds good. Over and out."

With that, and the confirmation beep that signalled Cyborg had sent her his location, Raven simply stepped forward straight off the edge of the building before crafting a flying disc of her powers beneath her which she touched down onto with surprising grace for someone who had just walked off a building, before she urged the disc to lurch forward, starting her journey across Jump City's skyline. Cinderblock was a name that she hadn't heard in a while. Last time he'd gone on a rampage, while it had taken all four Titans, they were able to subdue him without too much fuss. But, as always seemed to be the case in Jump City, prison walls were flimsy, and incarceration was only temporary, and the Titans were only informed that Cinderblock had once again managed to break free only after the police had lost his trail. However, unlike most instances involving Cinderblock, there was no ensuing carnage. Instead, the big guy had seemingly vanished, a genuinely impressive feat for someone of his stature. Now, here he was, a villain with absolutely no need for money whatsoever…robbing a bank?

Based on recent events, Raven already had a sinking suspicion that this was no coincidence.

It didn't take long for Raven to arrive at Jump City Central Bank, and it took her even less time to realise that Cinderblock had already started his assault on the institution, if the gaping hole where the two double doors used to be was any sign to go off, alongside the occasional flash of blue light from within the bank's confines. Without an ounce of hesitation, Raven swooped downwards, straight past an array of Jump City PD members that were sectioning off the area outside from the public and tending to who Raven could only assume were bank employees, and straight into the hole that had been blown in the wall, just in time to see Cyborg get sent absolutely flying across the room, resulting from a savage backhand from Cinderblock. Raven acted quickly, extending her hands towards her airborne teammate and surrounding him with her powers, bringing him to a stop in midair and allowing him the drop to the ground and land on one knee, a look of bewilderment on his face until he spotted the empath from across the room.

"ABOUT TIME ONE OF YOU SHOWED UP!"

Raven floated upwards before allowing her powers to envelop a nearby desk that had been overturned, before launching it at Cinderblock, who had still been staring at Cyborg in confusion, most likely trying to work out how the person he had hit really hard had just come to a complete stop. The desk smashed him full force in the face, causing the behemoth to stagger backwards and giving Raven enough time to make her way over to Cyborg. She looked at him unimpressed, yet offered a hand, which he gratefully took before pulling himself up to his feet, Raven gave a half smirk.

"There was traffic…what's our friend here been up to so far?"

Cyborg shot her a wry smile before turning his attention back towards Cinderblock.

"He'd already busted in by the time I got here, both through the main entrance and through the main vault, but he hasn't gone for any of the cash. When I got here, he was just stood by the open vault. It was like he was waiting for something."

Raven's brow furrowed in thought as Cinderblock finally managed to compose himself.

"Cinderblocks never exactly had the biggest brain capacity, which means if it looked like he was waiting for something, it was probably because someone told him too."

Cyborg revved up his sonic cannon.

"Well then let's take him down before his boss decides to make an appearance."

Raven never got a chance to respond as her and Cyborg were sent sprawling in different directions as they both dived out of the way of a downward swinging concrete fist, which crashed into the marble floor, leaving a crater at the spot of impact. Cyborg rolled to his feet, propping himself up on one knee and levelling his sonic cannon at Cinderblocks face.

"No one tries to flatten me!"

Cyborg let off three sharp bursts, with the first two managing to catch Cinderblock right between the eyes, but the stone brute was able to block the third one with a raised hand, before reaching down and driving his fingers into the cracked marble beneath him and withdrawing a slab of rock which he promptly launched at Cyborg, who was forced to duck out of the way. Cinderblock never got a chance to push his advantage though, as he suddenly felt his arms pinned to his sides as his body became enveloped in tentacles of dark purple magic, which weaved their way around his thick torso and up towards his neck. Cyborg looked up from we his roil came to a halt, spotting Cinderblock in a bind so to speak, and Raven deep in concertation in the air above him.

Cyborg grinned in anticipation before bounding forwards and launching himself into the air towards Cinderblock, latching onto one of the rock holds on his enormous neck before he began to rain haymakers down on the grappled giant. Above him, Ravens forehead creased in concentration, a bead of sweat dripping down her face due to the effort required to hold Cinderblock at bay. After a few more seconds, she could feel her control waning.

"Cyborg! Get out of there!"

But Cyborg either didn't hear her or warning or actively chose to ignore it, so caught up in the moment he may have been. However, Raven could only give a cry as Cinderblock broke free of her grasp, a pulsing pain shooting through her head at the sudden shattered connection. With a vicious backhand, Cinderblock dispatched Cyborg, sending him flying across the room, before in one leap upwards, he reached up and snagged Raven around the ankle, with the intent of spiking the empath into the ground. Raven wasn't fully aware of her surroundings but was aware of the iron grip around her leg, and in a desperate attempt to create some separation, Raven sent a jut of her powers blindly outwards, feeling a sense of satisfaction as she heard a deep huff of pain. However, the grip on her ankle disappeared in an instant and Raven was left to plummet to the floor with a sickening thud.

Raven felt a gasp of air leave her lungs at the impact but had no time to recover as she desperately rolled to one side to avoid Cinderblocks enormous foot, which had just come crashing down where she had been lying only moments before. Raven reacted quickly, extending her arms out either side of her and allowing her powers to wrap around the rubble and debris that surrounded her, before launching everything upwards into Cinderblocks face, which had been peering down at her. The brute merely stared back as everything collided with his stony skin, but finally recoiled with a howl of pain as a particularly sharp piece of debris found its way into one of his beady eyes. Raven rolled out of the way as Cinderblock stumbled backwards, only to be met with a blast of Cyborg's sonic cannon, the force finally sending the big guy off his feet and crashing to the floor. As Raven pushed herself to her feet, gratefully taking an extended arm from Cyborg as she did so, her forehead furrowed in frustration.

"Where the hell are Robin and Starfire!? The tower isn't exactly that far."

Cyborg grimaced as he prepared his sonic cannon for another shot, his eyes not moving from Cinderblock as he slowly started to push himself upwards again.

"Something's wrong. They haven't tried to contact us at all. There's no wa-"

Raven wasn't superstitious. She didn't believe in bad luck or coincidences. In her mind, bad luck was when a lack of preparation crashed into reality. However, she'd been with the Titans too long to know not to test fate. Too many times before, they'd been in terrible situations before, only to hear someone mutter well it can't get worse…before immediately getting worse. She didn't believe in bad luck…but that didn't mean she was willing to say the unspoken words out loud.

So even though she could understand the reason in Cyborg's sentiment…in her mind, Starfire crashing through one of the undestroyed walls of the bank before Cyborg could even finish his sentence…well maybe…just maybe, on some cosmic level, that was his fault.

Starfire skidded along the floor amongst the fresh debris and rubble, all as Cyborg watched slackjawed.

"…way they could be this late…"

Starfire pushed herself to her feet and glanced around the room, almost immediately locking eyes with Raven and Cyborg and the first thing the empath noticed was the expression on her face, something almost akin to panic. She shakily made her way over to the pair of them, glancing over her shoulder a few times as she did so.

"Friend Cyborg! You said it was just Cinderblock that was committing a robbery!"

Cyborg's eyes widened in an instant.

"He was the only thing here when I arrived! Who's…or what's outside?"

Starfire never got a chance to answer Cyborg's question as at the very moment, Robin came sailing through the gap in the wall Starfire had just made, although the leader of the Titans managed to execute a flip in midair and land, albeit hardly, on his feet. All eyes moved to hole in the wall, where after a few seconds of silence, a massive brown, clawed hand gripped one edge of the hole, the concrete cracking under its grip. Raven felt her heart sink into her stomach in an instant. She recognised the hand immediately…she couldn't even forget if she wanted too. Slowly, but surely, the towering frame of Adonis' beast made its way through the hole, his black eyes surveying the scene before him, immediately picking up on the positioning of the four Titans before his eyes moved to the still prone Cinderblock, where much to the surprise of the Titans, Adonis' canine like mouth morphed into a twisted grin as he let out what almost sounded like a sigh.

Then with a single action, he left every single Titan stunned, as he rotated his neck from side to side, eliciting a few cracks from his neck before he cleared his throat.

"If you want anything done right nowadays, you have to do it yourself I guess."