To Make Team Work

3.

Raven sat up in the hospital bed, knees pulled to her chest. She looked up at Wonder Girl and said, "I am sorry. Did I hurt you?"

"No," Wonder Girl replied. Raven sighed in relief, checking to make sure her hood was still in place. It was.

"But we have questions," Red Robin stepped forward. "A lot of questions. The first one you can answer is – What are you? I had Cyborg scan you while you slept. Half of you is human, but the other half...we can't figure out. You're not a meta, which is what I additionally thought. You're also not an alien. The other half of your DNA can't be matched to anything in our universe. So, what are you?"

Raven sighed. She'd hoped to have this conversation later. Unfortunately, this conversation needed to happen now. "I am half demon," she mumbled quietly. The blank stares she got were exactly what she expected.

"Come again?" Kid Flash said.

"I said I am half-demon," Raven spoke a little louder.

"Oh, okay," Kid Flash said. "Just making sure I heard you right."

"Wait," Beast Boy said, confusion clear on his face, "you mean, one of your parents- "

"My father," Raven interrupted.

"Right, right. Your father is a demon?"

"Yes."

"Like...from Hell?" Kid Flash asked in confusion and awe.

"Something like that."

"You do know how ridiculous that sounds, right?" Rose asked.

"Yes," Raven answered.

"Yeah," Red Robin said, "I'm going to need you to elaborate on the whole demon thing?"

Raven started at the beginning. She told them her mom belonging to the Church of Blood and being raped by a demon. She talked about her life on Azarath, and then the destruction of Azarath. She spoke about being trained in her father's dimension for seven years. This led to her speaking about her escape to Earth, her brief interaction with the Justice League, Batman, and that's about it. Her teammates' emotions were a mixture of shock, awe, and fear. However, for once, she could not sense Red Robin's emotion. "Umm," Rose spoke up first, "you have an accent."

"Ummm...English is new to me," Raven answered.

"Oh," Wonder Girl said.

"I know formal and Shakespearean English, but I still do not understand the slang and idioms used."

"What's an idiom?" Kid Flash asked.

Rose rolled her eyes. "You are such an idiot," she muttered.

"How did you communicate with the Justice League?" Superboy asked.

"I know a few alien languages," Raven said. "Martian Manhunter was able to understand me. He translated."

"Are you sure he translated correctly?"

"I could see his aura and sense his emotions. I think he was letting me into his head on purpose. I sensed nothing but truth coming from him."

"Where did you live in between the time you met the Justice League and us?" Cyborg asked, fiddling with something on his bionic arm.

"Gotham. It's the only place I knew on Earth at the time. I spent a few nights in different shelters, but then the nightmares started, and I was asked to not come back because my screaming was scaring the guests."

"Then where'd you go?"

"I lived on the streets." Multiple gasps could be heard from her teammates.

"For how long?" Rose asked.