A Story - Chapter 1: A Ghost in the Machine (pt.2)

“A Story”

Chapter 1: A Ghost in the Machine (part 2)

… Suddenly, as his fingers were too thin to close on that rose, his right hand began to lose color, turning pale and withered away until it took on a grayish color. Then it fell apart, dissolving into a flyash.

“I fear that our conversation has come to an end; I will consume the energies that I have left to send you back, my pretty little bird.”

The previously mention of her mother's name struck Raven deeply, although not as much as the nickname used by the man who had addressed her. Only a person called her in such a way, many years ago.

“...Aswan?” her voice was about to crack when she uttered the name. “Aswan? Is it you?”

“There's no time for this, daughter.” he opened his mantle, rising his left hand toward Raven, then the soft pearly light seemed concentrating on his palm, in a fist-sized sphere. His face was lit up by it and a saddened smile appeared among his features, while his clothes and his skin grew paler and paler, as the light grows brighter and brighter.

“Wait! I...”

“We'll meet again, soon. I promise.” Raven made a step toward him, uncertain on what she must do, her dark energy was dissipated as she saw the man's hand crumbling into dust. The light was dazzling and kept growing, but the cloaked figure was withered and about to collapse; the whole scene went blank too, like a lifeless drawing and it started to get torn: the grass decayed abruptly, the ground shook under their feet and was teared like wet paper. Raven felt the trembling and made a step back, but it was too late and she fell into the ravine.

She was abruptly surrounded by a sense of void, with cold air rushing upon her skin, as she fell down helplessly, screaming in fear and surprise. A painful sense of deja-vu overwhelmed her, as soon as the young empath remembered a similar experience: she was falling down from the edge of a tower roof, in a charred and destroyed version of Jump City, with an blood-tinged sky and a monstrous, four-eyed silhouette in the background. An ominous, well-known voice echoed behind her ears.

“This is the future. Your future. It began the day you were born and nothing can stop it. This will come to pass, I will make sure of it. You're going to destroy the world, Raven. It's written all over your face.” She fell, down into the dark, icy void beneath, as Slade's last words resounded once more. “We'll be in touch. Oh ... and happy birthday.”

Not again … It can't be...

All of a sudden, her fall was interrupted. She felt a gust of wind coming toward her, a dart of feathers … and the grip of two strong talons around her shoulders: Raven was carried by an huge, green eagle, which fled toward the light once held by the mysterious man, while his voice echoed again in the dark girl's head. Reassuring. Calm. Kind. Protective.

“He will bring you back, safely. He always will. Now … sleep, safe and sound, beloved daughter.”

For an endless moment, the light engulfed everything.

Then, she woke up.

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“What do you mean, Garfield? What would you have done?” He's talking about …

Beast Boy was standing again in front of her, nervously turning the can in his hands.

“I'm talking about how I talked to you, and to the others, the day after our first encounter with Adonis. How I provoked you. How I hurt you.”

… about that fight? I can't believe it: he's still brooding about that quarrel? After all this time? It is possible that I may be wrong about him?

“Are you serious?”

“As never before in my entire life, Raven.” his tone was very ashamed and guilty; he rolled again the can, but it slipped from his hands and fell under the small round table at his left.

“Oh, damn! I'm so nervous ... ” and he started to bend down to pick it up. At the same time, without thinking, Raven got up from the couch to do the same ... and end up jostling each other.

“Ouch! Garfield!” she said, falling back on the couch.

“Uuuh … Ouuwaaah!” said him, making a step back.

No big deal, no doubt, except that, when Beast Boy stepped back, bumped into the coffee table, stumbling awkwardly and ending up sitting on the floor. He fumbled with his left hand, trying to get up, but only succeeded in overthrowing the bowl of milk which he had prepared for her over himself.

“Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot Damn!”

While she watched him, absently rubbing her forehead, Raven tried to restore order in her own thoughts: How, how I could even think, just for a moment, that he could ... wait a moment: why he's undressing now?

In fact, the green teen had lowered the zipper on the back of his suit, trying to take off (without much success, to be honest) the upper part of the garment, soaked in hot milk.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?” Raven said, blushing up to her forehead because of the irritation and embarrassment, while one of neon in the ceiling exploded with a loud popping sound.

“What do you think I'm doing? I'm trying to take off this ... Oh.” he said, interrupting his clumsy attempts and taking in turn a vermilion hue that made him look absurdly similar to a vegetable. A tomato, or perhaps a pepper.

“Another stupid thing for which I should apologize, right?” Raven, still flushed, stared at him for a moment, then began to giggle hysterically, to tears, covering her face with her hands. Another pair of neon burst, as well as the can under the table, splashing Beast Boy and her feet with cold soda.

“Rae ... Raven, stop, please! You'll blow up the tower!” Almost without hearing him, the dark girl came slowly from laughter to tears, sobbing with her face still hidden in her pale hands, her shoulders shaking with a slight tremor.

I can't ... stop me ...

“Rae! Rae!” Once rose up, the young changeling had put a hand on her shoulder, shaking it gently, but without results.

“Oh, to hell!” With an abruptness that was certainly not usual for him, he lifted up the girl on her feet, then squeezing her tightly in his arms. It wasn't a tender or delicate embrace, but something very different: it was the desperate grasp for someone who sees a friend fall and grab him with all his strength not to lose him. Or, in this specific case, her. He began to talk to the indigo-haired girl, whispering to calm down, that everything was fine, that there was nothing to worry about. After a few moments, the tremors that shook the young empath body slowed until they disappears completely. Then, softly, she spoke.

“Garfield.” Blushing again, she felt the warmth of his body against hers, the beating of his heart, his breathing: it wasn't necessary to be an empath to sense him stirring.

“Quiet ... quiet ... do not panic ...”

“Garfield, I'm calm now. But if you don't stop holding me so tight, you'll hurt me.” A brief pause, then she continued “And I will hurt you, if it happens.”

“Oh! Uh, ehm ... Sorry?” he said with an embarrassed smile, and eased his grip slightly, still flushing.

She dropped her arms to her sides as soon as he spread his, pulling back slightly, while still remaining in contact with him; she stared at him in the face, with an enigmatic expression on hers, while he still had his hands on her shoulders. Then, as acting impulsively, she lifted her arms again and laid her hands on the sides of his head, brushing gently his pointed ears and putting her hands through his hair.

“R-Rae? What are you doing?” he asked, blushing, and started to look away.

“Don't call me Rae. You didn't want to apologize to me?” she said, gently forcing him to look again at her. I must be crazy. the young empath thought. I must be crazy, and I don't give anything.

“Sure, but I ...” She bowed her head until their foreheads touched, gently resting against each other; slowly, he raised his hands, resting both gently on her shoulders and pulled her gingerly a little closer: she stiffened for a moment, but did not object. Raven felt the warmth of his skin against hers, she saw that he had closed his eyes and both were almost holding their breath.

They stayed that way for a few minutes, not yet embraced and not yet separated, their foreheads touching, their hands to the sides of each other head. They were silent, enjoying each other for that soft contact, that could meant nothing and that instead meant everything.

“Garfield...” she said, drawing back a little and raising her head again.

“Y-yes?”

“If you dare even think of doing something stupid, I'll ensure that you have to regret it.”

“Something stupid? Like what?”

“Like trying to kiss me, for instance.” When she said this, her cheeks were red as cherries and stood out vividly on her pale skin.

“You should know that I do stupid things all time, Rae.”

“Don't call me Rae.” After a brief pause, she continued: “Do you forgive me for doubting you, your loyalty?” Your affection, added a hidden part of her mind.

“Only if you forgive me for having treated you badly in recent years. And for being often a complete jerk. Oh, and for having almost choked you a few minutes ago.” Raven sighed, resigned, then she smiled slightly.

“All right. Now would you ...” Before she could continue, he drew her back to himself, holding her and resting his head on her shoulder. He whispered a single word to the dark girl's ear, before letting her go.

“Thanks.” The young empath was so startled that at first she didn't realize that she had done nothing to stop him, but quickly she composed herself enough to avoid blowing up something else. They separated, with some reluctance.

“For what?”

“For everything.” In silence, she watched him smiling sheepishly for a while, before she looked away, blushing again.

“Maybe we should clean this mess ...” he said, gesturing to the overturned bowl (which, miraculously, was still whole), nachos and guacamole scattered a bit everywhere and an exploded can.

“Good idea. Take a cloth and detergent, while I collect the bowls and give a sweep.” stunned, she paused for an instant to think about what she had just said. I can not believe I said that. If ever in life I had conceived a list of things that I never expressed or done, to agree with Garfield he would have been on top of it.

“As you wish, ma'am!” replied the young changeling, shooting toward the kitchen area and rummaging in one of the beliefs in the work surface. With a wave of her right hand, something that was almost automatic for her, Raven summoned her powers, lifting the table and the bowls, while she called left a broom from the closet in the north wall. I'm also starting to think like him she thought, shaking her head in disbelief. I must be tired, there is no other explanation.

The two Titans were silent for a little while mending the room, cleaning up the mess they had both contributed to create; when it finally ended, while Raven repositioned the furniture through her telekinetic powers, Beast Boy broke the silence.

“You know, Raven ...”

“Mh?”

“I must admit that I really like this your new way of apologize-and-forgive.” said the young shapeshifter, gently putting a hand on her shoulder before continuing.

“Definitely we should do it more often.” he said, with his trademark sly smile on his face.

The round table, still bathed by dark energy that emanated from the girl, vibrated for a moment, before taking off like a rocket toward the ceiling, crashing violently. She turned to him, flushed with anger and uneasiness, staring in silence for a moment before answering.

“Definitely no!” Aargh, that nerves! I can't believe I've been so open with him so much and he ...

This train of thoughts was interrupted when he pulled her gently to himself, leaning forward in his turn, with half-closed eyes. The movement of both their bodies was interrupted by her hands, firmly resting on his chest, as much firmly stave him off. He's trying to ... to kiss me?

“Garfield, no! I don't... we shouldn't...”

At the sound of her voice, he fully opened his eyes, staring at her tenderly and started to say something, when her hands went up to cover his mouth. The surprised look he gave her was matched only by the sadness that she felt emanating from him; the young male Titan lowered his shoulders and started to retreat when she lowered her hands, resting both on his chest, but stopped at the soft sound of her voice.

“Please ... no. Not tonight.” Not after what has already happened. Under her hands, she felt his heart resonate wildly against the walls of the chest and she was once again to reflect on them. Both of them.

Should I tell him everything? Right now?

-Swoosh-

The main door of the ops room slid open with a hiss, and a yawning Cyborg stepped into the room. The massive Titan, as in a trance, walked without looking both a glimpse into the small refrigerator in the kitchen area, opened it and pulled out a huge sandwich, a sign that that he was still hungry after his date with Sarah Simms. He stood up, turned to the main screen ... and froze staring at his two teammates, who, although they could not be defined 'embraced together', seemed about to do so: both Raven's hands were on Garfield's chest, while his hands were gingerly placed on her shoulders. Both Titans were staring at the robotic teen, their amazed expressions matched their terrified glazes: Cyborg, who was left speechless, took a bite of sandwich (a big bite), chewed it, swallowed it, always keeping his eyes on his two friends who were now blushed beyond measure, and finally spoke.

“You know guys, I don't like repeating myself often, but it was about time that the two of you decide to come out.” The silence, barely interrupted by the game's background music, lasted a few seconds, long enough to the two Titans to realize what their metal friend had just declared. Then...

“WHAT? We aren't an item or something!”

“You have misunderstood us! We were ... well, then ...”

“We were absolutely not kissing!”

“Yeah, dude! We weren't ... er, wait: don't we were almost doing it?”

“Garfield, this doesn't help at all!”

Sublimely indifferent Cyborg took another bite from his sandwich, with a look of satisfaction on his face, making himself impervious to their grievances.

“Sure, sure ... I admit that in the last few months I noticed how you two were arguing more often than usual and I had begun to suspect I was wrong ... but maybe I wasn't.” The metal teen removed the toothpick with the olive from what was left of the sandwich, and then finish the meal in one bite, before turning back to the other two, now separated, they were still trying to justify themselves. Ostentatiously, he wiped his teeth with the toothpick and concluded his speech, causing them to fall silent again.

“Don't worry guys, your 'secret' is safe with me, at least until you decide to reveal it to the others also. Now, perhaps you'd better go to bed ... separately, I mean. Tomorrow wake up will be at seven o'clock, do not forget it.” That said, walked to the front door, but a wave of dark energy enveloped him, turning him and dragging him back, just above the couch. Cyborg clearly saw the eyes of Raven shine of darkness over a very angered expression, as well as her hands were wrapped by the same energy. He peered worriedly with one eye toward Beast Boy, but the green changeling was no less frightened of him. No help from that side.

“You're not going anywhere, Victor.” The dark girl dissipated her powers, dropping the robotic Titan on the couch, then turned to green shapeshifter to her left. “Now, since it's all your fault, while I'll try to repair the ceiling and the coffee table, YOU will explain to him what was actually happening. Is that clear?” then, turning again to Cyborg. “Don't move. Clear?” Both boys nodded after blatantly swallowed; then, once the young empath walked away, Cyborg leaned toward Beast Boy and whispered.

“So, BB, what's going on? You didn't have done something very very stupid, right? ”

“Um ... define very very stupid.”

“Oh, for heaven's sake, did you really tried to ...?”

“Dude! She was so ... so ... nice! Nice to me! I haven't done anything weird to her, for sure, I just, uh, wanted to thank her for giving me ... well, for forgiving me, then you entered into the room and it's all over down the tubes.”

“Yo, man! Now it would be my fault?”

“No, but ...”

“Now listen to me, little grass stain, very carefully. I'm always your friend, but if you were to do something that would make our little dark girl suffer for it, you will need to deal with me.”

“I'll never make her suffer! Never in my life! Dude, how can you even ...” The green changeling speech was interrupted by a robotic big hand of his friend, who leaned on his shoulder.

“Quiet, BB: I trust in you as in any other member of our team, but most of all you should remember and understand what she has suffered in the past.” And here the green boy remembered the words that Raven herself had told him less than an hour ago about the possibility that he abandon the Titans and how he had confessed to having thought about it. Without realizing it, he had hurt her again with the recklessness of his words

“Aah, dude! How can I be so stupid!” he said, slapping his forehead: hearing the sound, Raven turned briefly to two of them, while the fragments of exploded neon floated lazily around her.

“See? Now I leave you, so you can apologize to her for good.” said the robotic Titan with a knowing grin. Then, getting up from the sofa, he said, in a louder voice. “Okay, I get it all, you and Raven were just fighting for the honey jar, right? Next time, you should divide it, so we'll avoid any misunderstanding.” Then, he yawned, stretched, and concluded, heading for the front door. “Now I'm going back to my room, when you're done you should -yawn- do the same. Good night, guys.” after that, he left the room; when the double doors hissed closing again behind his friend, Beast Boy heaved a sigh of relief.

“Phew.” the green changeling made the gesture to dust his hands. “It's all OK. He believed it.”

“I can't believe he bought that nonsense on the honey jar.” She walked over to him, who was now at the center of the room. “Tell me the truth: what did you say to him?”

“Um ... that I was about to do something very very stupid, but luckily you have prevented me from doing it and ruin everything?”

“Luck has nothing to do here. However ... I appreciate that you had realized the situation.” She approached the green shapeshifter a little, with an enigmatic smile on her face, her voice was calm again. “Maybe you deserve a little reward for having solved, if I may say so, this embarrassing situation.”

“Really?”

“Really. Now, close your eyes ...” Obediently, he closed his eyes, lacing gingerly his fingers behind his back. He did not know what to expect, so when he felt a light touch (a peck, in fact) on the right cheek, like the wings of a butterfly, he started to open his eyes ... just to get a slap on the other cheek.

“Ouch! Why did you do that?”

“The first was to have convinced Cyborg to keep this whole thing by himself, the second for causing everything.”

“It means ... it means that you ... you ... you kissed me?” He said, blushing once again (this time also because of the slap).

“Would you have preferred another slap?” she asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly, although equally blushed .

“No, no, just that ... well, I ... I was not prepared for the fact that you ...”

“Garfield ... You always talk too much.” And sometimes I will not talk enough. Maybe I should say the rest to him. Maybe. But not tonight. I have to talk to someone else before. Tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll tell him everything.

“Mpf. Was it really necessary to hit me so hard?” he said, gingerly rubbing his face.

“Don't be such a crybaby, I didn't hit you very -yawn- hard ...”

“And if -yawn- tomorrow ...” Sleep and fatigue seemed to have finally taken over, on both Titans: yawning aside, Raven felt her eyelids getting heavy, and she felt an equal amount of sleep come from green boy in front of her.

“Enough, let's take one last look to make sure we haven't left some other mess around and then -yawn- go to bed.” Why I didn't just say 'go to sleep', instead of 'go to bed'? And if he took it as an invitation of sort? I'm far too tired, maybe I should ask him to accompany me to avoid falling asleep in the hallway ...

“The best -yawn- idea ever. After that, you want me to walk you up to your room?”

“Only if you don't -yawn- fall asleep on my door.” Oh God, my thoughts are so clear when I'm falling asleep?

“Your wishes are -yawn- my commands, milady!” Then, while the green teen was heading to put off the console and screen, she saw something that made her smile again, even if just barely.

“Seriously, Garfield, you should first pull up the zipper on your -yawn- back.”

“Oh, gosh, I felt a bit cold in the back -yawn- thanks, Rae-rae.” Feeling his eyes were closing slowly, she shook her head, irritated, and when finally the green changeling reached her, Raven was about to fell down asleep where she was. Placing an arm over her shoulder and one of hers over himself, Beast Boy supported her as they walked to the front door. Dangling and yawning, the two Titans came out in the hallway, locked in something that was halfway between a hug and mutual support, heading for the corridor that housed their rooms.

“Garfield...” she said, in a tremendously sleepy tone.

“Yeaaaawn?”

“Don't call me Rae.”

This, for those who was still holding the count, was the thirty-first time.

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Next day. 29 September, Thursday. After a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast, the young heroes squad was again ready to face the day: 8:00 AM, combat practice; 9:00 AM, free time; 10:00 AM, city patrol, and so on, as for the usual routine. It was a nice and pleasant sunny day, quite unusual at the end of September, and all seemed fine.

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In the later morning, Cyborg and Beast were heading back to the T-Car after a brief stop at Bake My Day (a well-known and greatly appreciated donut shop in Jump City) and kept arguing about what happened at the tower few hours before.

“So, BB, how did your apologize to Raven went last night? As I saw ya all in one piece at breakfast, I suppose it went well...”

“Aha, Cyb, don't you know that chicks dig the ears? She forgave me in no time.”

“Pfft, don't boast yourself, green bean. I can still see a five fingers mark on your left cheek. I think she promptly slapped you, didn't she?”

“Dude! How did you can see it?”

“You keep forgetting that my diagnosis sensors could scan you up to the bones, BB.”

“Mpf!” said the green Titan, biting his vegetarian donut covered with strawberry-flavored icing.

“Come on, don't be so touchy. One more hour and we'll go back to the tower, right?” said the towering robotic Titan while he opened the T-Car door.

“Right, right, let's go now.”

Both Titans jumped on the vehicle, Cyborg at the wheel, while Beast Boy went shotgun; the former pushed the starting button and the familiar roar of his car's engine echoed in the surroundings.

“Ooh, yeah. Let's go, baby! Hear she roar!”

“Duuude! Do you have to do this every time you put it in motion?” said the green Titan, covering his ears with his hands and threatening to drop the donut bag.

“My little girl needs to feel loved, green bean.”

“Umpf! I'm sure you do not do all these scenes when you bring Sarah to the movies.”

“Ok, BB, stop right now, before I decide to try the new ejection seats.”

“Dude! You cannot be serious!” a quick glance at his friend said the green shapeshifter that he wasn't joking. Well, not completely, at least.

“Right, right, Cyb, we should talk about something else, okay?”

“Good for ya, BB” Said the metallic Titan, coming out from the parking area and onto the city traffic with his precious vehicle.

The green Titan was silent for a while, absently munching a second donut, when an inspiration, so to speak, struck him.

“There is something that puzzled me, in fact. In the last two days, did you found some other evidence about that guy to the platform?”

“You mean this so-called 'Hoax'?”

“Aha, that's him.”

Cyborg paused a moment to think, concentrating in the vehicle driving and slowing down when they approached a stop sign. After a moment, onto the main road, he decided to respond to his friend.

“I couldn't tell you what I think about this guy, actually, Beast Boy. Not that our research on him were so extensive, mind you, but we haven't found anything. He disappeared like a ghost or something like that.” He paused, turning the car on a side street, then come back on topic.

“What I mean is that, after all is not that he has behaved like some common criminal or threatened to destroy the city or anything like that. Although he looks a bit like him, that this guy isn't like Slade ... or even Killer Moth.”

“Dude, you're totally right! I also don't believe this guy is our enemy, maybe he's a relative of Raven. Maybe he's her uncle on her mother side.”

“Thanks, I appreciated your kind words. Besides, you have a nice machine. It's based on a Infinity FX35?” said a slightly distorted voice behind them.

“Oh, thank you: I have relied on the Infinity body, but I made some chang...”

-Skreeeech!-

Braking was so sudden that the T-car jumped a couple of times forward, before stopping completely, despite the violent pressure of Cyborg on the brake pedal. Slowly, with a horrified expression on their faces, the two Titans leaned and turned to watch the back seat, from which came the voice. Back there, sitting comfortably at the center of the seat with the seat belt fastened, there was a massive figure, wearing a suit similar to those used by the members of the intervention special forces: closed helmet, a wide shoulder armor upon a bulletproof jacket, black-and-gray camo pants, black knee pads, metallic boots. In a word, Hoax.

“Hello. I'm glad to see you in good health. I imagine that your friends are well too, yes?” he said, waving gingerly with his left hand.

“How the hell did you get here? This is my car! My baby!”

“Dude! I told you, he's like Raven! He had teleported himself in the T-Car!”

“Ahem ... No, I didn't.”

“What?” The voice of the metallic Titan was dangerously close to a scream.

“I didn't teleported myself in your car. I just came on board when you stopped at the donut shop.”

“Oh, dang.” said the robotic Titan, shaking his head. “Wadda ya want from us, uh? You want to blackmail us, threaten da city, somethin' like this?”

“C'mon, Cyb, he doesn't look so bad ...”

Now that they were closer (than in their previous confrontation on the oil rig), both were able to observe more calmly their visitor, in particular the tool integrated in the left cuff of his suit: it wasn't unlike the multi-functional communicator used by Cyborg, although not part of the user body; another thing that appeared equally evident to the two teens was that the man didn't look armed at all. No pulse rifle, no visible weapons, not even an utility belt.

“Well, I just want to have a chat with you, because I need a favor. Now, can you start again, before someone start asking you why the T-Car stopped abruptly in the middle of Pleasant Street?” A klaxon echoed behind the car. “See?”

With a grunt, Cyborg turned again to the wheel, mumbling something unintelligible and pushing the starting button, while Beast Boy hid a laugh behind his hands. After a few moments, the robotic Titan resumed the topic.

“So, man, who are you, really? A wannabe hero? A vigilant of sort? A villain in his free day?”

“Who? Who is but the form following the function of what, and what I am is a man in a mask.”

“I can see that by myself, thanks.” said the mechanical Titan, frowning further.

“Of course you can. I'm not questioning your powers of observation, I'm merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is.”

“Dude! That was a quote from ...”

“Yes, Beast Boy. That was a great movie, but the comic was definitely better, don't you think?”

“Geez, Cyb! I told you, someone like him can't be so bad!”

“Oh, please, don't flatter me, it's pointless and waste my very limited time.”

“Limited time? What are you talking about?”

“Well, I need your help to arrange a meeting, between me and one of your fellow Titans.”

“Why did you ask this to us? And, more important, wadda ya want to meet?”

“Mmmh, can you figure me asking Robin for help? I don't wanna spend all day dodging freezing disks, birdarangs or whatever the Boy Wonder has.”

“Surely you'll get a point here.” Said the green changeling with a smirk.

“Not to mention that I'm really bad when it comes to dodging.”

“Really? Seen as're dodging our questions, I would not think.” Replied Cyborg.

“Very funny. Now, I do not expect you to give me an answer right away, but it is nevertheless appropriate to do something to earn your trust.”

That said, the man put his right hand in his pocket, a movement that, seen from both the rear view mirror, startled both Titans: Cyborg stiffened, holding the steering wheel firmly and cautiously reached out a hand to the button which would have activated the seat ejection, while Beast Boy turned back, keeping an eye on their host.

“It isn't a bomb, don't worry.” He said, pulling out his closed hand from the pocket and stretching it out toward the green shapeshifter.

“The item I'm about to give you will definitely help you to understand who is the person with whom I need to speak.” He spread his fingers, showing what appeared to be an ancient medallion, more or less three inches in diameter, attached to a strip of leather: the outer edge seemed made in bronze and was quite worn, while the center ... well, there was a picture in the middle, carved in a nacre baas-relief, like a cameo, and depicting a bird. A raven, to be precise.

A closer look made Beast Boy wondering if he had already seen something similar, and he immediately remembered the large brooch which Raven wore on her cloak: although more worn and apparently more ancient, the medallion was extremely similar to his friend's jewel. Beast Boy held his breath, looking up from the pendant to the interlocutor's face, still hidden by the helmet. He was about to reach out and take the old locket, but he didn't, clenching his own hand in a fist.

Raven. He wants to talk to Raven. But why? What does he want from her? And if he wanted to hurt her? Maybe it's someone linked to her past, to her father! These thoughts crossed the mind of the green teen in a flash, but were rudely interrupted when the man spoke again.

“Do not worry, I have no intentions to hurt her. Never in my life. I am sure that she will recognize this medallion and agree to meet me.” The young changeling, eyes widened in surprise, stared back at the impassive mirrored visor of the helmet, letting his gaze move from it to the hand and vice versa.

“Her?” Said the metallic Titan.

“He would like to meet Raven, Cyb.” The same words. He basically used the same words that I said to Cyborg last night, about hurting Raven. He felt his heart accelerate its beats, while he was trying to interpret the body language of the man, unfortunately without success. I don't believe it. I can't believe it. Who is he? Meanwhile, Cyborg replied incredulously to his friend's speech.

“Say what?”

“Yes. An informal meeting, in a place of your choice.”

“Man, you're asking us to patronize you in a date? With Raven?”

“Um, I would not put it in those terms ...”

“Only two words, man: no way!”

“Take the medallion, at least: you can ...”

“I said no. This thing stinks too much of a trap for my taste. Now, get out of my car or I'll kick you out by myself.”

“Cyb, wait! Maybe we should ask the others about him! We should hear what they say about all of this, before taking a decision.” Heatedly, Cyborg lost his patience and ended up saying something he would regret.

“We cannot trust him, BB. Have you already forgotten what happened with Terra, how we trusted her and how she ...” and here the metallic Titan paused, realizing he had gone too far: one thing was a bit of healthy mistrust, another was to reopen the wounds caused by the blonde girl's betrayal (and, perhaps even greater extent, from her mysterious reappearance). Slowing the vehicle pace, Cyborg turned his gaze towards the green shapeshifter, to judge how serious was the effect of his hasty words: Beast Boy had looked down, turning to the dashboard, his eyes were lucid and he was going to be on the verge of tears. Now he was the one to apologize to the green guy

“BB, I'm sorry, I didn't mean ...” The green shapeshifter rubbed his eyes with his right hand's back, pulling up the nose before interrupting his friend.

“Don't worry, Cyb, I'm -sniff- fine.” So this is the 'trust' that he claimed to have in me, as in any other member of the team?

“I understand your distrust of me and I appreciate your desire to protect your ...” And here he paused, turning his head slightly to the right, toward the green shapeshifter, and briefly pausing on his figure. “... Your friend. I admit to feeling a little guilty for having brought you two to this point and I think maybe I should make amends to you, my young friends.” He placed the medallion on the seat beside him, and then raise both hands to the belt that held the helmet under his head.

Then, he began to loosen it.