Team Titans! (IC)

[Mephistophelily]

Jump City is about a hundred miles north of Gotham City.
But you'll never find the Bat inside its limits.

There are already heroes here, ones given the blessings of the Justice League. Some refer to them as a Junior Justice League... others calling them, out of spite, kids playing dress-up. It's usually the ones who refer to them this way that find themselves in jail. The Teen Titans, or simply known as the Titans anymore, have looked after the city for a few years now. They're fully aware that some may not take them seriously because of their ages- but when it comes to the city being in trouble, they're the first ones it turns to.

---------------

The city had a wonderful hue to it on nights like this.

Fall was just beginning to hit the bay, giving the Titans Tower an otherworldy glow about it at sunset with the changing colors of the season. Considering its occupants, perhaps the colors of nature were simply trying to help them feel more at home.

Gari liked it.
Her own strange coloring didn't seem as out of place. She was one of the last remaining green hues of nature when it came to this time of year. Settled on the roof, a light fleece jacket tugged closed about her, she smiled a slightly wildtoothed smirk at the setting sun. The fading purples and oranges kissed the sky, the green girl letting out a light sigh as she got to her feet.

It was far too early to be this dark out.
That, she didn't like.

Stretching her back, she hugged her arms about herself once again, starting back inside. As she walked through the winding halls of the tower, her mind raced with the various tasks that needed to be done. There was still the matter of her room needing a little fall clean out, a sparring match or two to deal with... So much for one evening...

At least things had stayed fairly quiet over the last few nights, the only calls to duty being for the overflow of minor things police couldn't handle; a few robberies, some car thefts- but nothing in the 'weirdo wacko' files, as she put it. Good. Maybe she could finally corner Cyber to demand the rematch over the last Zbox tournament they had taken on. She was still miffed over that. Somehow, some way, Cy had cheated. How, Beast Girl wasn't exactly sure... but she wanted a second round.

The light rumbling in her stomach reminded her on the fact she was hungry. Veering off from her course to her room, she instead took a side stop into the kitchen, set on her tofuburgers. Robin couldn't very well expect her to spar on an empty stomach, right?

[Lady Reiha]

Robin's room, 6:58pm

The clock ticked slowly as the last two minutes seemed to tempt the young titan. She sighed, staring down at the last equation in front of her. Groaning lightly, Dominica glanced at the clock. 6:59pm. " That does it." she mumbled, tugging on the loose thread of her favorite red sweater, getting up before casually walking out the door. There were advantages of having the first room in the hallway; you were always the first one on time.

Or maybe that was just the philosophy of a neat freak.

Making her way out towards the Titan lounge, a stern look illuminated her pretty face. No one was waiting, no one was prepared. "Figures." she grumbled, crossing her arms over her blossoming chest. That's when the sound hit her, the faint sizzle of a grill nearby. " Gari.. is that you?" She asked, trying hard to mask the annoyance in her voice.
Why did it seem like the Titans couldn't get things together in an organized fashion? Didn't the others know that training everyday was a requirement to becoming a hero? Her mind pondered on the last question to herself. Batwoman was always training, making sure to be ready for anything. That was the way to being a hero.. wasn't it?
Shaking her head, Dominica walked towards the kitchen, holding her breath from the smell of tofu burgers. True; she was a health freak herself, but not eating meat seemed to be something she could never comprehend. " Congratulations Gari.. turns out your not the last person to be on time for training." She chimed, seeing the young girl jump. It seemed odd though, Gari to be first before the others.. especially Raven.

"Hrm."

[Ahren1]

"You're making an effort to point out the order in which people arrive... on time? That sounds a bit extraneous..." A rather low, somewhat monotone voice with an ethereal quality echoed out in the kitchen. If the two girls were to turn, they would see standing there a figure donning an onyx cloak, shrouding his features so that only a white glow of eyes could be seen from under the hood. Not a single noise had been made that would have alerted either of them, but stealth was one of the abilities Raven prided himself on.

He moved over to a nearby wall with a fluid motion, almost as if he was hovering, rather than taking steps. There, he leaned against it before drawing back his hood, revealing his dark violet hair, matching eyes, light skin and his signature red jewel adorned on his forehead. His eyes slid shut before crossing his arms, almost as if he had been waiting there the entire time and had begun getting impatient.

Robin had a hint of irritation in her voice, as if she was already blaming the rest of the Titans for being late. "Besides, I would bet the Necronomicon that Gari only showed herself out of hunger, not because she actually remembered the meeting. Nevertheless, you said 7 'o clock, and it is now exactly that." Raven continued, his tone unchanging, his eyes remaining shut and not even glancing toward any sort of clock.

"But you may commence being frustrated, as that only means now they are late... but, we're only human, after all...

Well, not exactly, but... people nonetheless..."

[Lady Reiha]

Raven, to Robin was by far the greatest ally in power; yet a thorn to her side. True; the two fought many battles together, except one that seemed to be impossible to resolve:

A stronger friendship.

Her blue eyes stared hard into violet ones, making her smile slightly in her defeat. "Care to be my sparring partner today?" She asked, walking over towards Gari. "Besides, I'd rather focus on dodging attacks similar to yours.. just in case.." She stopped, re-assessing her words.

Just in case "what?" She wondered, closing her eyes. Was it just a percussion, in case a Titan decided to turn? "Yes." Dominica blurted, oblivious to how foolish she sounded. " Anyway, it is now 7:02, where is everyone else?" She remarked once again, her smirkish smile once again disappearing to display a look of discipline. She often ignored her friend's gentle replies of " You'd be much prettier if you smiled once in a while." Yet, this simple gesture seemed to spark a crowd not fitted for her.

It seemed perhaps a similarity was imminent between her and Raven afterall. Except with him, it was goths and emos; not jocks and pretty boys. Sighing softly at the present thought, she brought her slender fingers to her brow, rubbing slightly. " I'll be in the training room if needed be. Raven, if anyone is late after 7:05pm, please tell them to stay five minutes behind to make up for lost time. Every second of training is crucial and beneficial to us.. and to society itself. " Walking off with just like slight authoritative walk, she was off, entering the code to the simulation room. She didn't need the others to exploit her bluntness, in fact; she didn't need their sass at all.

Especially Raven's.

[Ahren1]

Raven hadn't really read into Robin's words as much as she may have assumed. If she wished to spar with him, all she needed to do was ask. No explanation was necessary. So in response, the violet-eyed Titan simply nodded, remaining silent otherwise. As their leader commented on the absence of the rest of the team, Raven couldn't help but smirk ever so lightly in a way that was probably unnoticeable. Robin's need for organization was not one he himself was unfamiliar with. She was the leader for a reason, and with that role came the unpopular side-effect of sometimes being... strict.

Perhaps sometimes didn't stress the point well enough. Raven was known for being dark, introverted and serious, but even he thought Robin needed to "lighten up" at times. Raven managed to maintain a dry wit, but Robin seemed to have no time for games. No time for fun. Such an attitude wore on others moreso than it did on him, but he could understand. Leading this team wasn't easy, and Raven certainly wouldn't want the position even if he were offered it.

"I'll be in the training room if needed be. Raven, if anyone is late after 7:05pm, please tell them to stay five minutes behind to make up for lost time. Every second of training is crucial and beneficial to us.. and to society itself. "

Once again, Raven gave a nod. "I'll meet you in there shortly, then." He respected Robin, and he could tell that it went both ways, but their friendship wasn't the strongest. Raven never really was good at making friends, but there were a couple others on the team that seemed to enjoy his company, for some odd reason. Gari often being one of them. At first he simply attributed that to her being energetic and social, but there seemed to be more to it than that. Normally, a personality like hers would drive Raven up the wall, and at times it did, but if it weren't for her... Well, it was possible he'd still be the complete emotional shutoff he was when he first arrived.

After Robin had left, the dark-cloaked teen moved over to Gari to inspect her dinner, not really giving it any sort of expression either way. "Every second of training is crucial, but if someone is late they have to... stay behind longer. Seems a bit contradictory.

I wonder if she's still upset about last week... I told you transforming into a Tyrannosaurus to stop a jewel thief would only cause more damage than it would save..."

[LitShark]

“Breaking NEWS at this hour. Recent outbreaks of the Swine Flu, may have contaminated a local water processing plant. We’ll have full details at eleven.” Kent Collins, the News anchor announced from the flat screen television on the wall of Andrew’s office. The man looked like a parody of himself, with his hair so meticulously gelled and styled that it looked like it might sooner shatter than move. “Which local elementary school has three staff members on the sex offenders watch list? Find out at eleven.”

Andrew felt the smile on his face growing, he had only bought controlling shares of JCTV-11 two weeks ago but had already seen their ratings triple. It was promos like this that kept the flock tuning in night after night. The key was to terrify them, make them believe that their life was in danger the minute they stepped away from the familiar glow of their televisions.

”Are Terrorist cells operating in your town? Could they already be recruiting your children? We reveal shocking new information at eleven.” Keiko Nakimora, the lovely Asian anchor countered. Andrew had insisted that her blouse be cut three inches lower when he took over the network, a decision he was very proud of. ”Could your hybrid car electrocute you and your loved ones in a rain storm? The alarming new study that reveals how going green, could make you dead; at eleven.”

“It’s bloody perfect, wouldn’t change a thing!” Andrew told the man in a suit, standing nervously beside the massive oak desk. “Do tell that bird that she could lower the neckline another inch. Also the bloke looks like he’s made of plastic, let’s see if we can’t get some fucking expressiveness on that mug o’ his. I want to really see the fear.”

Andrew looked about as out of place in the massive, window lined office as his accent sounded. Despite his position and wealth, Andrew dressed like he had been sleeping under a bridge. His dyed hair and heavily altered “Punk” attire clearly made the man beside his desk uncomfortable.

“Y-yes Mr. Hawkins Sir. Of course.” The man, called Steven Jazinski stammered. “There is a meeting at 7:30 to discuss the late night slot. Shall I tell them-?”

“Oh piss off ya tosser!” Andrew snapped waving his hand at the man. “I already decided what to do with that slot, so go tell the lot not to worry.”

“I think it’s very important that you attend Sir. Some of the shareholders are expressing concern-”

“Fuck off!” Andrew was already losing his temper and as his face reddened the room began to fill with thick plumes of dark smoke. “Concern is a fucking pathetic emotion, saved for things that people only care about enough to pretend to care! If they have two brain cells to rub together the old shits will shut their mouths and cash their checks. If they want to be concerned about my management of this company they ought to be bloody terrified! That is an emotion I can at least respect! Now go fuck off sharply before I burn you like the fag you are!”

While Andrew berated his subordinate, the desk in front of him burst into flames. The young business mogul grew in stature, filling the tiny office with a dark and ominous presence. He shot flame from his fingertips, setting the walls ablaze like kindling and as he continued his rant flames spouted from his mouth, lapping at Steven’s clothes and flesh.

Steven’s parents had died in a fire several years ago, being burned alive was his deepest fear and now that he was faced with the apparent reality of it he had taken to screaming in a high pitched squeal. The longer the illusion lasted, the farther Steven cowered in the far corner of the room.

“Now go tell the lot of ‘em that Paranoia TV debuts tonight!”

The room was a full blazing inferno by now and as Steven crawled his way toward the door still screaming, a wide piss stain quickly spread down the front of his expensive tailored slacks.

[Mephistophelily]

Gari looked up in surprise at Robin's words, hiding the box that had ben taken from the freezer behind her back- though the contents were obviously left in the open on the grill before her. "You know me, Robin... Always ready to join in...," She agreed quickly, grinning hugely.

The smile, however, was quick to fade as Raven made note of her true reasons for being easily found... The burgers hissing away. She scowled, flipping one of the burgers before waving th spatula at him accusingly. "Jeez, you make it sound like all I do is stuff my face all day. If anyone does that, it's Terran anymore...." The scowl grew a bit more with that, scraping hard against the other fake meat patty to get it off the grill.

She watched silently as Robin gave Raven instructions on any latecomers, pursing her lips slightly and raising her eyebrows as the team leader left the room. "Duuude. What got up her ass today? So we're running a few minutes behind- what's the big deal? It's not like we set up appointment times to have trouble break out..."

She shifted one of the patties about, scoopign it up to offer it out to Raven. "Hungry?," she chimed out cheerily, slipping the other onto a plate for herself. Another frown was quick to come at his comment on the incident of a few nights ago, the food set aside as she gave a quick shrug.

"She told us to block him in, right? Well... I did a pretty good job'a that all on my own. So maybe the alley was a liiiittle too small for something that big- But hey, he didn't get around me, did he?! Didn't mean to break that lamp post. Or streetlight. Or bus." She paused, a rather sour look coming to her face. "Okay, next time I'll start with the ram or something..."

Quickly finishing the one burger, she gave an upward glance to the clock on the wall, letting out another sigh. "Guess we should get movin' soon. Don't want to end up with her ticked at us and REALLY gettin' a beatdown from Miss Angrypants."

[Ahren1]

"Duuude. What got up her ass today? So we're running a few minutes behind- what's the big deal? It's not like we set up appointment times to have trouble break out..."


"Precisely." Raven responded very simply. He didn't elaborate, but perhaps the slight alteration in his monotone voice that could be taken as judgment might tip one off to his true meaning. He wasn't agreeing with Gari, but rather Robin. The fact that their emergencies weren't on a schedule was all the more reason for them to be on time when there was a planned meeting. Being late for something you have foreknowledge of could potentially affect your punctuality in real emergencies.

Raven wasn't really interested in scolding anyone though. That wasn't his job, and to be honest, it was difficult for him to care. The "emergencies" as of late had been pathetic, at best. Mere robberies or grand theft auto. Things Raven could solve without even lifting a finger. It often made him think hard about why he had joined the Titans in the first place. Was it to try and balance out all the terrible things his mother had done? Was it for his own sake; To feel better about himself? Maybe... maybe he just needed to be around people that wouldn't judge him for being so different.

As he thought this, he looked at Gari, holding out the tofu burger for him. Beast Girl... was a friend. A good friend. Even with the simple things, like offering him food. He didn't do that for her, but she still interacted with him with a genuine smile and happiness. Did he deserve that? He simply shook his head lightly at the offering. He didn't like to eat before training, anyway.

Her following explanation of the previous week's... activity enhanced her charm even more. Enough to even manage a slight smirk out of the cold, dark entity.

Quickly finishing the one burger, she gave an upward glance to the clock on the wall, letting out another sigh. "Guess we should get movin' soon. Don't want to end up with her ticked at us and REALLY gettin' a beatdown from Miss Angrypants."

With another nod, the cloaked figure followed the path Robin had taken to the simulation room, making his way inside to find their leader already hard at work. She really didn't like to waste time, did she?

"Shall we begin?" He asked her, raising his hood once again, letting the eerie glow of his eyes return. Such a look might intimidate some, especially when they knew the extent of Raven's abilities, but Robin? He doubted it would phase her one bit... His actual attacks, however, might tell a different story.

[Mephistophelily]

Shrugging at Raven's dismissal of the offered burger, she wrapped it up in the paper towel and followed after, nibbling on it as they walked. His simple reply on her comment earlier still had her scowling; in some ways, he was just as bad as Robin. Both of them seemed to think that fun was a waste of time... And here she was, finding it to be a rather important part to her daily life. Maybe she'd have to work on that. With both of them. Show them exactly what fun was like...

Of course, that also brought about reminders of the last few times she ever attempted to inject a little fun into the two rather solemn Titans- and the sore spots she managed to find on her own body for two weeks. She learned the importance of boundaries VERY quickly with that; stay out of other people's rooms when they weren't there.

BB nibbled the remaining bun in her fingers as Raven opened the door to the sparring room, peeking around him to see Robin already in the midst of a sim herself. "Shucks, don't want to interrupt ya at all, Robin! I guess I'll just... hang out here... You know, for anyone else that's running late..."

Sometimes she even wondered why SHE had to bother with sim training. If something looked hard to take down, she'd just throw another shape at it. Still not working? Try something else. It wasn't that hard for her to come up with a new fight plan... Just keep shifting til the right creature could make a dent.

But she knew better than to argue with Robin. It didn't matter what animal she took on when it came to her- Robin seemed to know exactly what she was and where she was hiding. To be perfectly honest, it sometimes freaked her out.

"Have fun, Rae. Don't let her give you too many bruises," BB teased, slipping down against the hall's wall and resting her wrists on her knees as the door slid closed.

[Eazy]

The music from the headphones of the young man's iPod blared into his ears as he slowly killed what time remained with a lone stroll along the many corridors of the Titan headquarters. On the outside, to any whom didn't know him well enough, it would appear that the casually dressed blonde hadn't a thought on his mind; save for taking in the lyrics of whatever song would come up next on his play list.

In reality, there was a steady flow of concerns and inner musing going on about his journey through life up to this point and where it may lead in the future. With 'crime fighting' not being as eventful as it had been in the past, Taran Markov, the teen hero and sometimes villain better known as Terran, was granted a lot more time then normal for letting his thoughts dwell upon such matters. It'd been a few months since his return to active duty as a member of the Titans, and, over time, it seemed any concerns over a repeat of his past betrayal were either assuaged or pushed to the side of the majority of the teams mind. Still, a guilty conscience kept the teen aware of his past deeds, especially when around those part of the roster during his time working for the mercenary named Deathstroke.

"Twisted old bitch..." The former villain muttered to himself as his blue eyes narrowed in hurt anger at the recollection of his strange 'partnership' with the older woman. While he wouldn't admit it to the others, that was one villainess which he wouldn't mind breaking the supposed code of a hero against taking another life.

Reaching a hand into his pocket for a wrapped up stick of chewing gum (an occasional substitute for his past smoking habits), Taran popped the item into his mouth and began chewing as he noticed the time on his watch. A roll of the eyes and few muffled grumbles were all to be seen or heard as he noticed how he did a little too good a job of killing time. Picking up the pace into a brisk walk, the Earth mover started to make his way for the training area before the girl wonder got her panties in a knot. Or spandex, for that matter.

Fortunately, seeing as how his 'uniform' consisted of whatever he had on plus his goggles (which he had anyway) and a black shirt with the Titan symbol on it, he was pretty much good to go as is upon turning a corner for the training room. Upon making said corner, his attention fell upon the naturally (or as natural as things came in this group) green skinned teen known as Beast Girl. Taran could only guess at what she was doing sitting on her own outside of the training room, and his initial thoughts were to give her a minute or wait until any others showed up. But what would be the fun in that?

Reaching up to pull the plugs out of his ears and turning off his device, Terran closed much of the distance until he was only a few feet away of the heroine while calling out, "Hey, babe. They put you on time out from playing with the others or something?"

As he settled into leaning against the wall opposite of her while chewing on his gum, Taran knew that wasn't exactly the most gentle of ways to greet a person, but he often felt a little unsure on how to approach the girl; which occasionally resulted in such rough attempts at breaking the ice.

[Mephistophelily]

"Mmmph. Stayin' out of the way...," Gari explained with the jab of a thumb over her shoulder toward the door. Her eyes raised slightly to watch him, shaking her head slightly over the gum he was already chewing on. Well, she liked it better than the cigarettes he preferred of the past... "Robin called Rae in. I figured I'd give 'em a few before I even try to step in there. And somebody's gotta play door greeter, right?"

Gari hugged her knees once again, staring at the curiously stained section of carpeting on the floor before her as if it were suddenly the most fascinating thing she'd ever laid eyes upon. To be honest, it was simply because she felt oddly uncomfortable trying to find a subject to talk to him about. After everything that had happened before-

He was trying. She knew that. She also knew how rough he could come across; part of his nature, she figured.

It was still just.... hard.

"Oh, by the way. You're late. She said anyone late has to make it up by sparring longer." Another realization hit her then, a rather annoyed look coming to her face. "Yooooh, wait a second! Me 'n' her 'n' Raven were the only three on time for this, an' they're already sparring, so... Aww man, I'm gonna be stuck here too! What a rip! I wanted to catch that new freaky show they got premiering tonight- see if we could finally find somethin' that can scare the bejeezums outta those two..." Another jutting of the thumb over her shoulder. "I keep trying and trying each year and all I get is 'Stop being so childish, Gari... Why not grow up Gari...' Somethin's gotta do it. The previews said this thing is supposed to be like wet-your-pants scary..."

She trailed off, finally taking a moment to actually look up at the guy she was avoiding contact with. He always seemed like he was too busy for this stuff. Like he had places to go, things to do... But he never talked about it, never explained what was so urgent. Maybe it was just an air she was picking up off him, something she was just getting that vibe of- but it certainly felt that way to her.

"What about you? Wanna do something for Halloween, or are you gettin' too old for that too?"

[Lady Reiha]

"Ready when you are." Robin grinned, her eyes focused on the darkness suddenly shrouding around the uptight male. Watching closely, Robin dodged the first attack, rolling underneath the blur of black whizzing by. " Not bad. But try hitting me next time, k?" The pretty Titan laughed, grabbing Raven by the leg before hooking around to bring him down. This is what fun was, this is what life was all about.

Pushing your limits.. and overcoming your flaws.

Getting up from the ground, Robin extended her hand to Raven, waiting patiently for the ruggedly handsome Titan to accept the truce. Pressure hit her to the back of the head, blanking out as her face made contact with the soft padding of the floor below. How could she fall for such a simple trick? She knew it was coming; it was so blatantly obvious, even Gari wouldn't fall for it. Yet; she did. Why?

Robin...

Robin....

" Just five more minutes.." Dominica groaned, closing her eyes once again. She couldn't face her failure, there was no option to accept a defeat like the one she had gotten mere seconds ago. She laughed, eyes suddenly snapping back into reality.
She got bumped hard.

" So... why don't we take a break from training and let's go out and have fun?" Robin beamed, jumping to her feet; grabbing Raven's hand in the process. " I'm feeling rather good all of a sudden. Let's not waste it on such petty things like sparring. Besides.. I could really go for some junk-food!" She laughed, letting go of Raven's cool hand as she skipped her way out of the training room.


Perhaps it was obvious that Raven may of hit her head a little too hard.

[Ahren1]

"Ready when you are."

Raven wasted no time. His signature dark shroud of energy soon enveloped him as he levitated into the air, eventually his hand extended swiftly, unleashing a black sphere of energy which Robin expertly dodged. Despite having no actual superpowers, Robin had always been a worthy opponent. Her situational awareness was unmatched. Her strength and agility in top form. Her intelligence and tactical knowledge immense. This was why she was their leader. If they went of sheer power, Raven himself would likely take that title, but he wasn't without weaknesses. He simply chose not to expose them.

Then again, perhaps one of his weaknesses was underestimating his opponents at times. Because the violet-eyed Titan's power was so vast, he sometimes looked down upon others, even if he wasn't consciously aware of it. Before he knew it, Robin was under him, reaching up to grab him by the leg. She was able to bring him down, but his momentary surprise was over, quickly pulling out of Robin's grip and flipping backward onto the mat, landing on his feet.

"Not bad. But try hitting me next time, k?"

Raven couldn't help but smirk lightly. This was the sort of thing that actually put Robin in a good mood. It was refreshing, and to be honest, he enjoyed it as well...

"I should give you the same advice..." Raven replied calmly. As Robin stood, she held out her hand which caused the cloaked teen's eyes to narrow. She had already caught him off-guard once, he wasn't about to fall for a silly trick like that. Soon a black mass arose from the floor behind their leader. The mass then grew what appeared to be an appendage, clocking Robin against the back of the head hard.

Down she went, and Raven's eyes widened in shock. She was supposed to dodge that. What happened? This definitely wasn't a trick.

Raven flew over to the fainted leader and moved her onto her back. His hand took on the familiar dark glow as he began to move it above her body. Her vitals were normal from what he could tell, so that was good...

"Robin...?

Robin?" Raven spoke again as he pulled back his hood, a slight hint of concern in his voice. He sighed unnoticeably when her eyes slowly flutter open.

"Just five more minutes.." Dominica groaned, closing her eyes once again.

Raven raised an eyebrow at this awkward response. Obviously she was a bit disoriented.


" So... why don't we take a break from training and let's go out and have fun?" Robin beamed, jumping to her feet; grabbing Raven's hand in the process. " I'm feeling rather good all of a sudden. Let's not waste it on such petty things like sparring. Besides.. I could really go for some junk-food!" She laughed, letting go of Raven's cool hand as she skipped her way out of the training room.

Raven was unsure of what he had just witnessed, glancing down at his hand that Robin had gripped. Was she messing with him? With them? He glanced over at Beast Girl and Terran over at the side of the room as if he hoped they had witnessed the same thing therefore making him not insane.

"Who... was that?"

[Chasnicollette]

It's not that she didn't respect the need to be punctual, for efficiency's sake.

But she'd never quite grasped the bird girl's obsession with tip-top tick-tock on-the-spot be-here-now-ness. The tide came in gradually, and it went out gradually, and that was enough for Aqua Lass.

Showing up was nine-tenths of it. That last tenth was being there to the most correct picosecond, but it was only a tenth. But showing up... standing up and being counted, fist in the air, Titans Go, that was the better part of it. At least in Gert's humble opinion.

And thus, there, floating halfway between the surface and the floor of the pool, there at the deep end, eyes closed, Gert had lost track of time.

It was like... reverse sensory deprivation. And in a sense, it was like training. (It just wasn't combat training.)

When first she'd discovered that she could manipulate water, unlike her fellow Atlanteans, she had made a pilgrimage to The Hidden Valley to learn secret things, techniques, precision. The mages there had taught her a great deal, not of magic, she had no talent nor patience for that, but for the mental discipline required for this hydrokinetic talent. Also, they were pacifists, and wouldn't teach her thing one about the martial arts. It had all been about the mind, there. The mind and the heart.

(That had been fine with her. She knew plenty about kicking her enemies tailfin over dorsal.)

And now. Floating in the water, where everything was so much louder, she didn't have to strain to hear things, the little murmury noises conducted through air, she carefully separated the water molecules from the chlorine dissolved amongst them. It took a lot of concentration, but if she breathed poolwater raw she could get quite sick.

All she needed to do was leave the oxygenation in there, and sift the chlorination out.

It wasn't easy. But doing things that weren't easy came with the Titan territory, and Gert suspected that the bird girl would appreciate that to no end.

She floated. There between the air and the earth, there in the water.

Her hair moved in slow undulating microgravitational ripples, but her body was all but motionless.

And there, and then, she opened her eyes. And with the subtlest turn of her wrists, the subtlest flutter of her feet, she propelled herself from the depths to the surface, blurting out from the water and landing, neatly, and the side of the pool.

She wiped her eyes on her sleeve and stretched, catlike, her powerful, beautiful frame performing undulations of its own as she moved.

And, making a face at the taste of the water, she firmly willed herself dry, expelling the extraneous droplets of water into the air.

They hated it when she tracked water through The Tower. (She wasn't sure what the big deal was.)

She glanced up at the big digital clock readout they used for timing laps. 19:06.

She was late. By one-tenth of an hour.

Seemed about right.

Aqua Lass stretched one more time and made her way towards the sparring gym. However, just before she rounded the last corner of the corridor, she nearly ran into--

--the bird girl--

--and she was... skipping?

Aqua Lass arched an eyebrow as Robin gamboled by and that eyebrow did a funny little quivery twitch there at the top of her forehead.

Sticking her head 'round the corner, she glanced at the others, and she didn't have to be a telepath to know that this was striking them as unusual, too. (Okay, good, that was a relief.)

"So, perhaps I've learned my lesson," she called to her friends. "I'll never be late again. What exactly did I miss, here?"

[LitShark]

“What is this shite?” Andrew hissed, looking at the “Paranoia Hour” set. “This looks like Captain bloody Kangaroo fucked Barney and friends right up the arse!”

The set, mainly composed of bits of scrim fabric held on angled bars, lit by spotlights covered in spooky colored gels, began to shake as Andrew lost his temper. Will, the set designer had grown up in California and knew all too well the terror that earthquakes could inspire, he was trembling visibly as the set continued to shake and through his eyes the spotlights were crashing around them.

Will fell backwards onto his rear as he imagined the ground opening up beneath his feet. His eyes grew wider until there was more white than iris visible and his chin quivered with terror at seeing his precious set torn to pieces by quaking.

“AhhhAhhAaaah!!!” Will stammered, his voice quaking on the verge of tears. “I’m sorry- I’m sorry- I’m sorry! Please, make it stop!”

“Now… next time I tell you that I want terrifying, you’re not going to come at me with bits of cloth and spotlights, are you Batty Boy?” Andrew said, his voice condescending as he forced himself to calm, causing the visual quake to subside. “Nooo, of course you won’t. Now let me be more specific, I want blood. I want black curtains, I want green gels, I want black lights, I want BLOOD! You have two more hours to give me what I fucking want or I’ll shake the shit ou’a’ya! Got it blighter?”

Turning away in a huff Andrew seemed to collapse the entire set, giving poor shaken Will an idea of what needed to be changed before Andrew would be satisfied.

Andrews steps were heavy and direct as he moved into the film editing room where the bespectacled editors had been working on Andrew’s requests since the night before. Everyone in the room flinched noticeably at Andrew’s entrance, even NEWS anchor Keiko Nakimora who was busy watching her promo to see if she could comply with the new owner’s demands of her neckline without losing what she had left of her dignity.

“Sir!” The chief editor exclaimed, terrified already at the mere sight of their new boss. “I thought you’d be at the meeting… or setting up for it at least…”

“The meeting be damned, I’m trying to make sure that my show is ready to air.” Andrew said calmly, moving uncomfortably close behind Keiko. “’Ello love, did you get my notes about your promo?”

“Y-y-yes Sir, I got them…” Keiko muttered in defeat, lowering her eyes as she felt Andrew’s hand helping itself to a grope of her ass. “I will do as you say, Sir. Anything you say Mr. Hawkins…”

“That’s what I like to hear Doll.” Andrew grinned, pulling Keiko’s skirt higher up her thighs as his eyes ventured into her low cut blouse, exploring her cleavage lasciviously. “So, did you editing boys finish that thing I told you about?”

Andrew had bunched the back of Keiko’s skirt up above her ass, shoving his flattened hand between her legs and seeking out her clit with his index and middle fingers, his thumb bearing down between her cheeks and seeking out her asshole even through her panties. Keiko tried not to fight him, knowing that he held her fate, as well as her most intimate areas, in his cruel and frightening hand.

“Yes we did Sir, but are you sure that…”

“I’m always sure dip-shit.” Andrew interrupted, “Just show me what you have.”

Andrew stared intently at the computer screen as the chief editor played the video Andrew had commissioned him to create for the night’s big premier. All the while, Andrew continued violating the shy anchorwoman, leaving her no recourse besides blushing furiously and holding her tongue.

[Eazy]

The blonde listened quietly as Gari explained the situation, save for a faint snorting noise at the confirmation of Robin already being inside there with Raven. Although she wasn't always so rigid about it, there were times you could literally set your clock to that girls training regimen for her and the team. Still, it was of some relief to know that, even if he was running a little late, he wasn't the only one who seemed behind on making it for practice. Probably had something to do with the rather mundane threats they'd been facing making others lax. Or they were simply teenagers (or close to it) being teenagers in terms of scheduling.

In either case, the teen heroine's response to his presence wasn't exactly lost on Taran. This caused him to begin diverting his gaze from her more often then he normally would, which probably made any awkwardness between them easier to notice. Showing genuine warmth toward another wasn't exactly natural for Taran, making his somewhat brash attitude a type of defense mechanism. It was an aspect of his personality that was probably a lot easier to deal with or brush aside in the past then it was these days.

Of course, the young hero couldn't help but stare as BG started talking about his tardiness, which then turned into a short ramble as realization dawned on her on the consequence of stepping out on the sparring two R's. Despite himself, Terran couldn't help but smirk in genuine amusement as he listened to her finish up. She had a personality trait that people tended to either find incredibly annoying or begrudgingly endearing. For the most part, he fell into the latter.

After she finished with the short spiel, Taran gave a faint chuckle before commenting with a slight hint of sarcasm, "Yeah, good luck on trying to scare those two. Considering their parental figures, I doubt there's anything we can do to frighten them short of a group session of Russian Roulette."

Leaning against the wall a bit, the teen reached up to run a few fingers through his hair before shrugging his shoulders at her question, "Hmph, I haven't really been interested in the whole Halloween thing for years. Lord knows I've already done enough dressing up in silly costumes to last a lifetime."

Gazing down at Gari for a few lingering seconds longer, Terran smacked on his gum a bit before adding, "But, hey, you're never too old for trying to frighten someone or pulling a good prank in general. So, you know, if you ever find yourself in need help TPing a Batcave or whatever, I'm always game."

It was a genuine offer as he gave a faint smile toward the teenager, although he didn't know how likely it would for him to be called out on it. Well, whatever small efforts that he could come to making in slowly ironing out the remaining creases between him and the others.

Just then the door opened, drawing his attention toward the girl wonder and bringing about a roll of the eyes as he expected to be scolded for hanging around rather then training. To his surprise, however, there wasn't much to be said (but much to be pondered) as Robin skipped, yes skipped, out of the room and right passed them. Blinking as his blue eyes followed her for several seconds, Terran gave a confused look to Beast Girl, then over to Raven as words seem to fail him on what he just saw.

"So, perhaps I've learned my lesson," she called to her friends. "I'll never be late again. What exactly did I miss, here?"

The sudden arrival of Aqua Lass had caught him by surprise, but it still paled in comparison to what else they just saw. "I'm actually as lost as you are." The blonde admitted to the Atlantean beauty as his attention briefly shifted back toward Raven, only half joking as he questioned, "What did you do to her, and, most importantly, can you do it more often?"

[Lady Reiha]

Robin skipped happily towards the lounge center, plopping herself between a few plush cushions and empty packets of "Tofu Cakes" hidden between the crack. Normally, this sight would of ticked her off, causing her to go on a tangent on how careless the team could be. But nonetheless, she smiled, flicking on the oversized t.v to Gari's permanent channel.

" Where are you guys!" She asked, suddenly propping on her hands and knees, her face resting on the headrest. " Jeez.. you're all a bunch of slow pokes!! OoOoh! We should get snacks! Do we have any junk?" Her eyes gleamed a sudden giddiness as the blood rushed to her mind. Shaking her head, she remembered. Training.

" Why is everyone standing around and not training?" Robin muttered, leaping over the couch. Glaring at the clock, she saw the facing reality. 7:20pm, no use training now. " Alright.. training's canceled." She groaned, rubbing the rather large bump on the back of her head. " And I suppose.. we can watch Gari's show.. but just for tonight. Tomorrow we do an extra half hour of training, is that clear?" Robin muttered, walking up to the kitchen to grab an icepack. She couldn't help but smile. " You guys deserve it." She told herself, erasing any warm feelings.

If it weren't for them, she'd be alone, worthless..nothing. The team was an adhesive to her troubled past, she needed them to survive- they were everything. Yet; something was missing, troubling. "Must be the bump.." Dominica muttered, placing the cold pack on her soreness. She glanced at the team; ignoring any sympathy. She wanted to be alone.. to think.

Something was coming soon..she could feel it.

[Ahren1]

"So, perhaps I've learned my lesson," Aqualass called to her friends. "I'll never be late again. What exactly did I miss, here?"

"I'm actually as lost as you are." The blonde admitted as his attention briefly shifted back toward Raven, only half joking as he questioned, "What did you do to her, and, most importantly, can you do it more often?"

Raven turned his gaze to the new entry. A strikingly attractive Atlantean (well, part Atlantean) woman, then back to the pair of Terran and Beast Girl, all of whom looked as equally confused. They all seemed to be making jokes, but this could potentially be serious. While Raven himself thought Robin could use some time for rest and relaxation now and again, this... wasn't quite how he had intended it to happen.

"I didn't do anything...

Well, that's not entirely accurate. I did hit her in the head... Disorientation and a swift change in emotion can be symptoms of a concussion..." Raven spoke coolly as if such a thing was hardly worth being concerned about. Not that he thought in such a way, but it was merely the way he talked. He then exited the training room, following Robin once again, inspecting her movements for other symptoms like loss of motor function.

" Jeez.. you're all a bunch of slow pokes!! OoOoh! We should get snacks! Do we have any junk?" Raven heard from the other room as he entered, tilting his head slightly as he caught their leader watching Beast Girl's channel of all things.

"Robin...-" He began, only to be quickly interrupted by the dark-haired woman once again.

" Why is everyone standing around and not training?" Robin muttered, leaping over the couch. Glaring at the clock, she saw the facing reality. 7:20pm, no use training now. " Alright.. training's canceled." She groaned, rubbing the rather large bump on the back of her head. " And I suppose.. we can watch Gari's show.. but just for tonight. Tomorrow we do an extra half hour of training, is that clear?" Robin muttered, walking up to the kitchen to grab an icepack. She couldn't help but smile. " You guys deserve it."

Well, it... sort of still sounded like her. 'Sort of' being the key words. She still seemed to realize training was important, but canceling it was unusual. Letting them watch TV instead was very unusual. Having them make up for lost time tomorrow... well, that was more along the lines of typical Robin. Still, Raven's violet eyes fell upon the ice pack that she was placing on her head.

"I apologize for the blow to the head. It wasn't my intent to put so much force into the attack... Are... you all right? Perhaps we should go to the medical bay; Make sure you don't have a concussion or anything..."

[Mephistophelily]

"I guess I just don't wanna grow up yet. Call it the Peter Pan Syndrome." Gari shrugged, getting to her feet and brushing her hands together to be free of the curious feeling left in her palms from the stiff rug. "Halloween still seems fun to me. Maybe it's just cuz I can fit in a little more this time'a year. Most of the city knows I'm 'the green chick from the Titans'... but Halloween makes it a little easier to not get the stares."

She frowned a bit as the door to the training room opened, half expecting an angry Robin to begin yelling at them for not getting in there yet-

But not expecting at ALL what actually came out.

Gari stared after Robin as she pranced down the hall (a word she never thought she'd equate with anything other than a reindeer), her mouth hanging open at the strange behavior coming from the team leader. Aqualass seemed just as confused as the rest of them as she approached, looking at them as though she had just seen a ghost. "Um.... If she's actin' like me, does that mean I gotta start actin' like her?!," she asked in a voice that raised a few octaves as she spoke, a rather horrified look on her face.

The shout from the main living area caused Beast Girl to change form, a green sparrow taking her place and soaring down the hall. It was strange enough to see Robin skipping, but then to all out to them in that way-

She fell out of the air, her normal form returning as she landed in a flop on the floor, her mouth refusing to close over what she found Robin doing. "Dude. This is... messed up... I don't think I like uber-cheery Robin. She's scarier than ANGRY Robin."

Just like that, the team leader seemed to wake up from this rather frightening version of herself, demanding a reason behind the lack of training. "Beeeecause you told us to...?," She answered meekly, climbing up the side of the couch and watching Robin with leery eyes over the back. This was weird. Too weird.

Oooh. But then she said they could watch Gari's show.

Maybe uber-cheery Robin wasn't that bad. "She said it! No takebacks!," BG screeched happily, settling onto the couch and looking to the screen.

[Remec]

The buzz of the alarm on Cory's wrist watch had failed to alert her that it was time to head back to the Tower for Robin's team training session. Or, more accurately, it had gone off just fine but the reminder had failed since Cory had not put it on his wrist before going for a short flight along the coast.

He relished the way the morning fog brushed against his skin and the wind of his passing amplified the natural volume of his mane-like hair. "I should ask friends Raven and Beast Girl if they enjoy flying as much as this. Maybe they would like to come with me sometime."

As he turned in a slow arc, Starfury's eyes noticed the great, glowing, numbers atop one of the many stark, grey buildings that sat further back from the shore. His eyes widened as he realized what time it was and swore under his breath in a brief phrase that few on Earth could tanslate, then imeediately blushed at having said such a thing.

"If I hurry, I should not be more than twenty or so minutes late. Friend Robin will understand this, I am sure of it."

Slightly more than twenty minutes later, Starfury walked into the large chamber where the Titans kept their softest beds-that-were-not-beds and their fine array of assorted audio-visual playback devices and recordings.

"She said it! No takebacks!," BG screeched happily, settling onto the couch and looking to the screen.

"No taking back of what?" Cory asked as he brushed his hair back from his eyes and smoothed out the skintight unitard that passed for his uniform.
-----

[Chasnicollette]

The sudden arrival of Aqua Lass had caught him by surprise, but it still paled in comparison to what else they just saw. "I'm actually as lost as you are." The blonde admitted to the Atlantean beauty as his attention briefly shifted back toward Raven, only half joking as he questioned, "What did you do to her, and, most importantly, can you do it more often?"

Gert smirked ever-so-subtly. Taran's turn of phrase was one of the few things that could often penetrate Gert's self-acknowledged obtuse streak. Facial expressions and such were difficult to read, to say nothing of hearing those minute little vocal inflections, and a little bit of telepathy often went too far. But Taran had just the right mix of irony and sincerity.

And there was something about the aesthetic of those goggles.

It was hard for the waterbreather to forgive the earthmover his trespasses. But she'd been trying. Step by step, she'd been trying. And a little bit of witty repartee, it seemed, was a balm to many interpersonal wounds.

"This isn't a hypnosis thing, is it? If Robin starts dancing 'the funky chicken,' I may fracture my own steadfast demeanour. To say nothing of a couple of ribs."

Robin proceeded to the "rec deck," to the lounge center, and with a mixture of concern, bewilderment, and morbid fascination, her team-mates had followed.

"I apologize for the blow to the head. It wasn't my intent to put so much force into the attack... Are... you all right? Perhaps we should go to the medical bay; Make sure you don't have a concussion or anything..."

One fist on one hip, Aqua Lass held up an instructive finger. "Yes, of course. Head trauma is no trivial matter. It'll scramble your internal navigation and you'll get beached, Robin."

"She said it! No takebacks!," BG screeched happily, settling onto the couch and looking to the screen.

"No taking back of what?" Cory asked as he brushed his hair back from his eyes and smoothed out the skintight unitard that passed for his uniform.

Gert nodded easily to Cory, studying him for a moment.

Now this. This was a formidable combatant.

A powerful and beautiful creature indeed, and one of the few people on the team who misunderstood surface culture as often as Gert herself did, if not more so.

"It doesn't matter," Gert pointed out to Cory, though really this was a reminder to Gari, as she leaned against the back of the couch facing in the direction of the TV. "You can't hold her to a verbal contract if she's concussed."

She shook her head and addressed Starfury more plainly: "Robin is ebbing and flowing between her usual ironsided self and a more... jovial expression of herself. And as part of this, she said we could watch--"

She paused. And really looked at the screen for the first time.

And discovered, much to her dismay, that she couldn't make prow or rudder of it.

"What are we watching? I find it hard to concentrate on anything that isn't 'Shark Week.' Or that nice show with the talking dolphin."

[Eazy]

"This isn't a hypnosis thing, is it? If Robin starts dancing 'the funky chicken,' I may fracture my own steadfast demeanour. To say nothing of a couple of ribs."

Despite the apparent lapse in sanity from their leader, Terran couldn't help but snicker at the mental image brought about by Gert, "If that happens, I call first dibs on copies of tonight’s security tapes."

Following along with the others as they were each puzzled and/or concerned about the girl wonder, it was Raven's words which brought him back to reality about the potential problem with their fearless leader. Despite his own abilities, he was every bit as fraily human and vulnerable to injury from training with certain others as Dominica; leaving him relatively sympathetic to her wound.

"I apologize for the blow to the head. It wasn't my intent to put so much force into the attack... Are... you all right? Perhaps we should go to the medical bay; Make sure you don't have a concussion or anything..."

"Yes, of course. Head trauma is no trivial matter. It'll scramble your internal navigation and you'll get beached, Robin."

Taran raised an eyebrow at Aqua Lass, even if he got the meaning of her last sentence. It just seemed ironic how, considering the location of their headquarters, it was more likely the girl wonder would find herself drowned if left alone for too long. Not to mention that they were currently several stories high, and heaven forbid the founding Titan head for a window while trying to live up to her codename.

As Dominica went about picking out an icepack after canceling training for the night, Terran considered tossing in his own opinion by echoing the others suggestions about going to the medical bay.

"She said it! No takebacks!," BG screeched happily, settling onto the couch and looking to the screen.

On the other hand, as serious as a head injury tended to be, there did seem to be several advantages to Robin's current mental state.

"Hmm maybe now would be a good time to talk to her about knocking down the wall between my room and the next to expand my living space?" The blonde mused to himself while reaching a hand up to stroke his chin; making it appear he was in deeper thought then was actually being put toward such an idol suggestion.

The appearance of Starfury dissuaded Taran from continuing to make any jesting comments, as the Tamaranean wasn't always the best at picking up on certain Earthen attempts at humor; particularly slightly morbid attempts during times like now. As Aqua Lass tried to fill in the alien on their current dealings with the seemingly concussed (but hopefully recovering) Robin, the teen let out a sigh as he started to unwind by going to the kitchen to spit out his gum and grab a canned drink before rejoining the others. Even without Robin's permission, it was clear they couldn't concentrate on group training while she was in her current condition, and any forced attempt by on his part at getting the Bat Family alumni to medical would probably result in a black eye or broken limb.

"What are we watching? I find it hard to concentrate on anything that isn't 'Shark Week.' Or that nice show with the talking dolphin."

"Some type of horror program Beast Babe wanted to check out." Terran pointed out while not really paying much attention to the screen, taking a drink while letting his teasing nick name for Geri sink in on the chance she heard it; then giving a light shrug as he added, "Supposed to be pretty scary. I don't know much else, or how long I'll bother to watch, but I just hope it isn't another ghost chasing deal."

Glancing back at Aqua Lass for a second, a faint smirk played at his lips as he suggested, "Maybe if you're lucky it'll involve killer sea creatures of the deep?"

[Mephistophelily]

"Oh look, Gertie's takin' over the spoilsport title...," BG grumbled, folding her arms over her chest as she pouted slightly. Still, she couldn't help but steal a glance or two at the screen, the grin managing to return with a promo for the show she was so eager to catch that evening; Paranoia Hour. She still wasn't sure exactly what it was about, the promos being a rather cryptic combo of spooky footage and a voiceover from a guy that could rival Vincent Price.

All in all, enough to make Gari shriek like a schoolgirl and decide from the 30 second spot that she was, by any means, catching that show.

"What Fishy means is, we've got a broken Robin," Gari called out helpfully to Cory, looking up from the screen to peer over her shoulder to the alien boy. "Kinda like how my game system acted funny when that magnet got too close to it? Yeah. Rae managed to scramble a few wires in her head. Just, ah, don't smack her like we did to fix my game."

Gert suddenly blocked her line of vision, inquiring on the current program. "It's the new primetime shows Channel 11 picked up since this new guy took over. Some of it is kinda... weird. They've got this new one coming on later that I really wanna see. Totally get us in the Halloween spirit, all spooky and scary and freaky..."

She paused, cocking her head a bit as she frowned. "I guess it's more like our old typical day... Y'know, before things started to actually get slow in the city. All the freaky weirdos we used to deal with? Ha, but ours were real... Bet he ain't got nothin' compared to what we've dealt with!"

[Lady Reiha]

The Ying



"I apologize for the blow to the head. It wasn't my intent to put so much force into the attack... Are... you all right? Perhaps we should go to the medical bay; Make sure you don't have a concussion or anything..." The voice of the violet-haired boy seemed to calm her, noticing the tenderness in his often monotone voice.

" I'm fine.. really." She smiled, staring out at the lounge where the various titan's sat. "Yes, of course. Head trauma is no trivial matter. It'll scramble your internal navigation and you'll get beached, Robin." Turning around to face the pretty girl; Robin simply smiled, pointing to her trademark belt. " The belt I'm wearing currently detects my moods.. so whether I'm happy, sad or angry; it still picks up on my brainwaves and everyone else's. So no need to worry Aqualass.. everything's under control!" Her smile widening more.

Skipping off towards her room, Dominica noticed the tall, handsome Tamaranean enter the room, his voice confused by the context running amok. "No taking back of what?" He asked, brushing a few pieces of reddish hair from his bright green eyes. "Cory!!!" Robin shouted, jogging happily toward her alien friend; reaching out to give a bear hug. In fact; perhaps everyone needed a hug. Hug's made the world go round and made better friendships!

" Everyone! Group hug!" She exclaimed, her bright blue eyes glimmering happily with each passing second. Her head pounded angrily, her eyes filling with tears. "What the fuck am I doing?!" She thought quietly to herself, her smile forcing itself into a frown. This wasn't like her- at all.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆ ★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

The Yang

"I apologize for the blow to the head. It wasn't my intent to put so much force into the attack... Are... you all right? Perhaps we should go to the medical bay; Make sure you don't have a concussion or anything..." The words of concern struck a cord inside Robin, seeing her comrade's face turn whiter than ever before. " It's okay.. Raven.. accidents happen." She spoke, only to realize that her lips said something else, something so foreign.

" I'm fine.. really."

Feeling her jaw muscles muster up a smile, Robin screamed inside her mind, infuriated at the Robin being portrayed on the outside. " What the hell happened to me?" She muttered to herself, noticing the looks of her fellow Titan's. " Great.. they must think I've lost it. Thanks alot Raven.."
She groaned, her inner self frustrated with the current situation. Dominica watched in annoyance as the new persona laughed, skipped and giggled around the Titan base, finally resting it's eyes on the handsome Tamaranean before her. " Oh no.. not Cory.. anyone but him." She yelled, forcing her way towards the pleasure points of her brain. Much to her dismay, it seemed nothing helped.

The she felt it, the warmness of a simple hug. "Oh..My..God.." The inner Robin moaned, her eyes tearing up in utter embarrassment. Wait. Was she crying?

" YES!!!" She screamed from the recesses of her mind; actually smiling at the process of perhaps making a breakthrough. "Now. Time to get serious.. I'm breaking out of here." Dominica remarked, bringing the persona's smile into a grumpy frown.

" Much better."

[Ahren1]

Raven's eyes stayed fixated on Robin as she replied in an eerily cheerful fashion to both him and Aqualass' concerns.

" I'm fine.. really."" The belt I'm wearing currently detects my moods.. so whether I'm happy, sad or angry; it still picks up on my brainwaves and everyone else's. So no need to worry Aqualass.. everything's under control!" Her smile widening more.

It didn't take very long for the other Titans to become rather unconcerned, such as Beast Girl now giddy about being able to watch her TV show, making Raven look over to them with a glare of irritation.

"What are we watching? I find it hard to concentrate on anything that isn't 'Shark Week.' Or that nice show with the talking dolphin."

"Some type of horror program Beast Babe wanted to check out."

"Must you refer to her like that? It's... degrading. It is bad enough the public does it. We need to be taken seriously. Not seen through the eyes of vanity or as a circus act..." Raven scolded. Though it was about this time that Starfury entered, uttering confusion about something Gari had said. This was a pretty typical event. Starfury had always been rather naive about human ways. His arrival certainly didn't help Raven's point about being taken seriously, what with his... male modeling as a side project. Personality-wise, Raven and Starfury couldn't be more different. Yet they shared some ironic similarities. Both of their powers relied on emotions, though while Raven had to keep his in check, Starfury needed them to run wild.

They were also the two most otherworldly members on the team. The violet-eyed Titan from another dimension, and Cory from another planet. While Raven had a more logical mind, they still shared similar confusions about humans. They were each others foil, to put it simply. It was as if the team would be unbalanced if either Raven or Starfury were to disappear.

Raven's attention was quickly returned to their Pseudo-Robin when a burst with excitement at the Tamaranean's arrival.

"Cory!!!" Robin shouted, jogging happily toward her alien friend; reaching out to give a bear hug.
"Everyone! Group hug!" She exclaimed, her bright blue eyes glimmering happily with each passing second.

Raven blinked. That was something Starfury might say to Robin, not... the other way around. Either way, the cloaked Titan wasn't about to indulge either of them. "Robin, I regret if this sounds like an order, but go lay down. I really did think I hit you a bit too hard..."

He then looked back to the rest of the team, sighing softly. "Just... watch your spooky show.

Halloween... What a pointless holiday. Simply a device to give children free candy they don't deserve for being hellions and an excuse for women to dress up in revealing outfits that beg for attention..." He shuttered a bit, having seen some costumes based on his outfit in the past worn by less-than-attractive people.