Teen Titans Roster Day Off (7)

Lousy Returns

Penelope Akk

The three day Trial of The Original ended in chaos! Strangely everything had been going according to plan, the delivery of the evidence regarding Bolt and her run in with the Original, along with two dozen cases of him endangering normal people, was followed up with testimony about his treatment of Marcia and of course, his staff. Many of whom were crippled, in hospital or dead at his hands.

The whole mind control push thing threw everything of kilter. Followed by an escape that confused everyone!

"This site and the whole city must be locked down now!" It was Raven who made the demand, "You have no idea how dangerous that man is!"

"Miss, this isn't a discussion we're having. We know the risks of letting that man run amok, but your demands are definitely not possible!" We had yet to be released by the League and Nightwing was the current wall in front of us. "We have our local speedsters trying to comb the city, and M'Gann is trying to track him down with her powers. That's the best we can do for now!"

Taking the irate goth by the arm I dragged her aside, "What's the big issue? You said stuff during the trial about not wanting to be noticed? Who is he that you didn't know about until now?" I talked quietly, my helmet was back to reflecting my facial expressions in emoji form and I hoped it gave her a sympathetic emote.

Raven sighed. "I'm, I'm not sure. That man, The Original, was channeling Sin energy. It's the same power myself and my siblings have." Looking around, I saw Raven's shakes and lured her to a bench so we could sit. She seamed struggling with how much to tell me.

"My siblings and I are part demon. Each of us has powers based on one of the seven deadly sins, which is connected to our father's power as the origin of sin. I have no idea what The Original is, but he was using the same power. Which is Impossible!" She growled, full on angry in a way I'd never seen before.

Raven's eyes glowered purple, shadow flickering out from under her cape, and I squeezed her arm trying to be reassuring. My rebel legs had me half way to standing and ready to run away, but I stood ground.

Instead, noticing my helmet and the probably scared emoji, Raven crossed her legs, floated a little off the bench, and then chanted "Azarath Metrion Zinthos". and took a long, halting drawn in breath. Then out.

The shadows under her cape snuffed out, letting it fall flat. "I'm sorry, I'm losing my cool." She breathed again, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos"

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos" I said along with her, "This chant lets you control your powers?"

"Sortof."

I'd have to think over this, "I am not the right person to be talking to about magic. Obviously, but I hope you know the villain club is always willing to pitch and and do the highly illegal stuff if it's helping our friends, right?"

That earned a half-hearted chuckle from the witch, and I relaxed even more. Pulled a snickers from one of the pouches in my uniform, then passed it to Raven.

I had to tap her arm with it before she noticed, then she laughed earnestly and took the bar, "I get it. I'm not me when I'm hungry!" and took the chance to refuel.

Around this time my phone decided to ring! Pulling the little device out of another hidden pocket I noticed idly "Starfire" on the display and answered, on speaker. "Hey there Happy Girl, how are things with your Rostered Day Off going?"

"Bad Penny! Bad Penny!" It was a male voice calling through the channel with a slightly panicked tone, I winced at the desperateness. "I need help! I can't reach Lena at the moment, and I need a scientist! Can you whip up an antidote for chocolate!"

I blinked, stammered, "Why in Tesla's name would, chocolate isn't toxic or anything! Yes it contains Theobromine, which is why you can't give it to dogs, and like, traces of a methadone. Did somebody give chocolate to a dog?" I demanded, going through my thoughts in order.

"And then my Father went and handed me over the Okaara knight master! I was only One, but he edge u edduchated, trained me like I was four!" Starfire's voice burst across the open channel.

"Aaah, wait Starfire? I thought she was immune to like, all poisons and everything else!" I asked confused. "And you're using her book to, what happened bird boy?"

"We had a messy couple days that ended with the Original appearing here and full on mind-controlling us. We raided Bat Woman's kitchen and Star had full on, a couple of kilos of chocolate! Stuffing her face! Now she's, I dunno! High? Drunk!" Robin's explanation was punctuated on the other end by yells and singing in foreign, probably alien languages.

"So, aliens are allergic to chocolate!" I summarized, "I could try to synthesize something, Raven can you-"

"No need. I have a spell that kinda does a detox, and yes I can come get you!" The witch floated off her bench, then put her feet on the ground, posing dramatically.

"We'll wrap up here and be with you in a bit. Where are you?" I explained.

"Oh no you don't!" Bat Woman's voice burst over the channel. "You're not inviting villains to my base, not even kid villains! You boys will have to take Starfire elsewhere to meet up!"

"Is there a neutral zone anywhere in Gotham?" I heard someone ask.

"Oh yes, I would love to go, let's pick up a mall, run through a mall. What's the phrase?"

"Mall Crawl!" the other voice responded.

"Mall Flying! I Fly all Over, WEEEEE!" I laughed in spite of myself at Starfire's antics, she sounded in good spirit at least.

"You know, she'll probably come down in a day. I could be mean and make you wait her out!" I looked at Raven, expecting that I had an evil emoji on my helmet, "What do you think! Let them deal with their high spirited alien girl, you and I have enough to deal with!"

I eyed the other heroes and cops in the nearby area, and tapped "We should go" onto the little pad on my suit so that the words appeared on the helmet.

"That would be amusing!" Raven replied out loud, with a small nod.

Holding out my arm so the teleport bracelets ringed a little, I blinked, stepping up the the exit, then again past the guard. Then Blink, Blink, Blink out into the street and down a block. While this happened Robin ranted about "Not fair" and "owing them for their help with Alinta!"

Raven kept pace, and having settled on the roof of a building I gave her arm a squeeze before hanging up on the still talking boy. "Did you want me to try and make an antidote or can you actually handle it normally?"

She shrugged, "The spell I'm gonna use just speeds up the process of coming down from a high. It should be fine."

"Remember, if this stuff with the Original comes up, we're willing to pitch in. Especially since Crow joined our team. We're kinda invested here!"

I only got a nod, then raven vanished in a cloud of darkness.