Chapter 21 - Titan Rising

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Sunset

Titans Tower

Robin leaps with a fierce growl in his throat and one fist pulled back past his head. He swings it forward and nails a flying volleyball. It flies over a net toward Cyborg and Starfire, who are on the other side. A metal-handed bump sends the ball up as the entire court is seen on the Tower's roof.

After a few more volleys, you and Raven are at the edge of the roof. You're resting on your back with your hands behind your head, while Raven floats and meditates a foot so above the surface.

She chants. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos... Azarath Metrion Zinthos... Azarath Metrion Zinthos..."

Back to the court. The ball sails across, but Beast Boy hops up as a kangaroo and kicks it back hard. Starfire flies up to deliver a killer spike, Robin jumps up for a counter-move, she slides across to bump, and now Cyborg rushes in for the follow-up. As the ball descends toward the net, the bionic man gets ready to spike and suddenly finds himself facing an even bigger green gorilla with the same idea in mind. Beast Boy smashes the ball past both members of the opposition as it hurtles straight toward the back of Raven's head.

An instant after he comes down from his jump, he resumes human form and panics. "Raven, heads up!"

The ball continues its flight, but stops dead an inch short of her cranium thanks to a black tendril that has sprouted itself from your rested form. Rocketing back toward the four players, Raven lets out a lowly smile as the ball slams into Beast Boy's breadbasket.

"Yow!... Thanks, uh..." The green Titan collapses. "... good save."

Raven slightly opens one eye and shifts her gaze to you. "Thanks..." She whispered, directing her thanks to the symbiote before returning to face the sun and continuing to chant.

"No problem..."

"Are you sure you don't want to play, Raven?" Robin asked.

Starfire smiles. "Yes, please, you must volley the ball with us!"

"Come on." Cyborg removes his left arm. "I'll play you with one hand behind my back."

You sit up and shift your gaze. "You should go for it, Raven. Can't hurt to at least play one game of volleyball." You suggested with a smile.

"I can't. I have to meditate." The sorceress replied.

"Well, would you play if we were put on the same team?"

There was a short pause after your question, until the raven-haired Titan shyly nods in agreement moments later.

"Alright!" The team shouted in unison.

You, Raven, and Robin took positions on one side of the court while Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire are on the other side. The sorceress, with the ball in hand, raises it to serve. The ball envelops itself with black coating as she hits it, sending it over the net. The ball zooms across the court and flies toward the edge.

"OH, NO!!" Everyone, minus Raven who placed her hands over her mouth, screamed in unison.

The ball falls over the Tower's roof as it bounces among the rocks toward the shore.

'That was some serve...''No kidding.' You trudged toward the edge as the others groan, with Raven shyly rubbing the back of her head.

You were then brought up short by the reappearance of the ball, which sails back up from below to roll across the concrete and stop at your feet. You look up puzzled as something begins to rumble.

A slender silhouette rises into view, long hair blowing in the breeze, hands planted on hips, standing on a floating object. Her perch can only be a levitated rock. "So..." That one word is enough to demonstrate that something has fundamentally changed in her nature, not a lick of panic or fear or trepidation, all of which surfaced during her brief visit the last time you've seen her. Her face is set in a confident half-smile. "... which team am I on?"

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