Chapter Text
Beast boys' noisy shouts were pulling at her last remaining nerves. Even through the insulated walls of the Titan tower, his protests were digging into her skull. Raven clenched her jaw, and for what felt like the thirtieth time that day, exited the sanctity of her room to put a stop to the annoyance.
She entered the Titans lounge to find Beast boy and Cyborg on the floor, puzzling over the widescreen television that acted as the centerpiece of the room. The green skinned Titan was the first to notice her, head whipping up and frown melting away. Raven mentally scoffed at the exuberance he often greeted her with, no matter that he had just seen her an hour ago.
"Hey Raven! We still can't get this thing working, we tried everything!"
Raven schooled her expression into one of utter disinterest, mumbling a monotone "Oh dear, whatever shall we do? Just grab one of the other three hundred TV's littering this place."
Beast boy attempted a wounded look. "Aww c'mon, show some respect to the old girl. She's gotten us through some tough, super boring times." Raven narrowed her eyes at him. “...She's the biggest TV in the building, that robin doesn't use for boring mission stuff.” Beast Boy relented with a sigh.
Raven rolled her eyes, preparing some scathing remark about gendering an electronic appliance, when she noticed Cyborgs uncharacteristic silence.
Ignoring Beast Boy, Raven stepped over to the edge of the couch, magic lightly brushing the air around her. Underneath the usual white noise of processes and algorithms, Cyborgs confusion was obvious, bubbling and rising like magma through stone.
Beast boy, receiving no response and quickly reading the room, cut through the quiet.
"Cyborg says this kind of thing is technically impossible. He's taken it apart five times now."
Finally Cyborg spoke, voice even, but troubled. "It just doesn't make sense, this is a completely digital television. The fact that we're even getting static is weird, not to mention that I put it together even better than it was before. The static could be simulated, just a video to indicate no signal, but even then this should be working."
Raven looked down at the screen sitting among various tools and gadgets. Indeed, the screen was speckled with salt and pepper fuzz, and a faint hiss could be heard from the speakers.
"Hold on." She raised her hand, pushing a small tendril of magic into the screen. Where it intersected, the white noise darkened, outlining the tendril with a ghost trail. The speakers also began emitting a quiet whine beneath the hiss, akin to a theremins tone.
Raven pulled back "Its not fake, mystery solved. TV static does that when I go near it."
Cyborg groaned "Thanks, but that really makes this whole thing even more confusing."
Raven shrugged noncommittally "Well, did what I could. Beast boy: shut up, I'm trying to meditate. Cyborg: Keep the doofus quiet."
As Raven walked away, grabbing a few teabags from the counter and attempting to get back into a somewhat organized head space, she couldn't help but notice that only Beast boy responded with a cheery wave and an enthusiastic 'see ya!'. Cyborg stayed worryingly silent, as if he didn't even realize she was gone. Raven made a mental note to ask Robin to keep an eye on him for now.
As the day drew to a close, Starfire and Robin arrived from their meeting with Batman. Something terrible was on the horizon, it had started with an attack on the watchtower and had devolved into guerrilla warfare with various mercenary groups across the country. Robin had hinted that, while they were being kept out of the more deadly confrontations, they were about to be swamped with work, as the League spread its members too thin to react reliably to anything.
Raven had only a few pages left in her latest book, when Starfire knocked at her door softly. She set down the book with a huff. "Enter if you must." Starfire stepped into the room, usual sunny countenance marred with obvious worry. "Friend Raven, have you been enjoying your day off?"
Raven was tempted to entertain pleasantries, but decided against it in favor of her usual blunt, to the point nature.
"No, but I have a feeling it was still better than yours."
Starfire sat on her unoccupied bed, nodding tiredly "Yes, the meeting was long and upsetting. Things will be difficult for everyone in the coming months, I am afraid."
Raven sat beside her, laying a palm on her shoulder in the most physical sign of comfort she was capable of.
"We'll be fine, we can handle most of the problems the league sends our way." Starfire smiled kindly before looking pensive once again,
"I am sure that we will, I was just hoping this summer we could finally spend more time together as a family. Things have been so stressful lately I am sure that it is taking a toll, and now with these attacks and-"
Raven cut her off quickly, avoiding the spiral she knew her friend was prone to. "-And we'll have plenty of time to worry later. How about we do something..." Raven steeled herself, cringing "...fun tonight. Get your mind off things."
Starfires eyes widened "Oh I would love to do something fun, but what of Robin? I am sure he will want to brief the team on the meeting." Raven stood and pulled Starfire up with her.
"Robin always wants to brief somebody on something, he can stuff it."
Starfire's giggle was cut off, as she cupped her hand over her mouth, eyes trained on the door. Raven turned with a sigh to see the aforementioned ravenette, standing with his hands on his hips and an eyebrow raised incredulously.
"What, exactly, can I stuff, Raven? I'm almost positive you were going to suggest skipping out on mission critical information in favor of a night on the town. I must have misheard you." While Starfire babbled incoherent apologies, Raven quickly saw through his irritated front and faced him head on.
"So you weren't planning on watching tv all night tonight, in favor of doing that paperwork I know is backlogged at your desk?" Robin raised his hands in defeat, frown melting into a friendly smile.
"Alright, you got me, maybe relaxing for tonight was my secret plan as well. Honestly, you guys can do whatever you want. Tomorrow morning I'll need 100 percent of your focus though, we'll really need everyone on the same page if we want this to go smoothly."
Raven picked a hair off of her cloak "Yeah yeah, we'll be ready."
She paused suddenly, as the activity a few hours ago resurfaced. "Speaking of, you may want to keep an eye on Cyborg." Both her friends looked at her with surprise. "It's nothing really, he's just been quieter than usual, I think something's bothering him."
Robin nodded "Noted, I appreciate the heads up Raven. Now get out of here, I'm sure your anxious to be away from a square like me." Robin smiled good-naturedly and was moving to the side to let them pass, when a loud crash echoed from below. With quickly traded glances, the friends were rocketing towards the source of the noise.
At the base of the stairs, a sofa was flipped onto its side, pillows ripped and foam falling like confetti. Beast Boy had already transformed into a vicious jungle cat, as Cyborg pointed his cannon at a figure on the opposite side of the room. Cyborg turned to look at the three heroes quickly, before turning back to the, now clearly visible, assassin in an odd red jumpsuit and ski mask.
"I have no idea how they got in here, but they were nearly on us when my sensors picked up a presence, must be some sorta cloaking tech."
The assassin was on the defensive, poised with arms spread and sharp implements up, ready to act in the blink of an eye. Robin stepped up, birdarang in hand. "Why infiltrate our base now? This seems outside of the usual bad guy M.O." The assassin tensed, masked face flicking between the teens before speaking, feminine voice accented with subtle Russian.
"You fools have no idea what's in store for you. What I plan to do is a mercy compared to what is coming. I suggest you submit to me now, it will be much less painful."
Robin squinted skeptically as Ravens shadows danced across her palms. "You villains always act coy with your answers. Its fine, we'll just beat it out of you." The assassin braced her legs as she spun her blades expertly.
"Then I will make your deaths swift." And she leapt at the team.
The television on the floor sparked to life, notes of a music box barely audible under the fray. A door opened, a small hand breaching the static.