Two days later...

Avia's POV

Nobody has spoken to me much. Not even Raven. Any trust I've built up with them over the last week or so is almost gone. Or maybe they're just scared to talk to me. I don't bother trying to talk to them. Leave it to me to feel lonely in a house of five people.

This is one of the reasons I left Azerath. Nobody liked me. I was alone and had no friends especially after Raven left. But the sad part is I am alone now. Truly, in the place I thought I wouldn't be.

Starfire didn't even say hi to me this morning. Beast Boy is the only one who's talked to me the most, and all he did was ask me to give him a bag of Tofu chips.

Brazen is going to hit them hard. Hopefully they won't kick me out. I know trust is important to Raven.

I sit in the corner of the ops room and draw by myself. I draw a ripped up doll. All disregarded and thrown away because nobody loved her for who she was, but for what she looked like and the effect she had on people. People thought she was creepy and so they left her to rot in the basement. When they took her back out, she had changed for the worse. So they threw her out completely and the garbage compacter took care of the rest.

"Hey." I jump at the voice. I look up and it's Robin of all people.

"Hey." I go back to drawing. Robin sits down next to me.

"What're you drawing?"

"A broken doll... She had a family, but they threw her out because she looked creepy."

"Look, I know Wednesday was, emotional, but I just want you to know nobody is mad at you."

"Really?"

"Yeah. They're just, stunned. They don't know what to do and when they don't know what to do their minds kind of shut off. Cyborg usually uses brute force to fix his problems, but he can't punch you. Beast Boy usually cracks crappy jokes, but he knows it isn't the time, for once. Star usually tries to help fix it, but I don't think she knows what to say. And Raven, Raven shuts down. Especially when it becomes personal. She hides in her room and doesnt usually come out." I lean back up against the wall.

"But, I just talked to her. She said she's not mad, disappointed, or upset with you. She's upset with herself that she couldn't help."

"She could have if I had just told her when it happened. Or any time before now! It would have made things better."

"Maybe you and her should go talk." I look at him.

"I should." I get up.

"Hey Av– er Larae, "

"Just...keep calling me Avia. I don't like my real name." I despise my real name. I absolutely and utterly hate it. I don't know why, but it just makes me so angry when someone's says it.

"Avia, if you're hiding anything else, just kinda show it soon before anything else bad happens." I look at my feet.

"I will tonight." I leave with that and walk to Raven's room. I knock quietly.

"Raven? It's me."

I hear a faint "Come in." The door opens and I walk in. Raven hasn't even put her cloak on. She's just sitting on the bed.

"Hi."

"Hey."

"Robin said he talked to you."

"He did." She doesn't look up at me.

"It's not your fault. It's mine. I didn't tell you. There's nothing you could have done."

"I remember about hearing about the dead man in the papers. Eyes rolled into the back of his head just like you said. Somehow I didn't connect that you were in the woods the same time he died."

"I wouldn't have expected you to."

"I'm just stupid." I feel really bad now. I made everybody just as uncomfortable as I am.

"Raven, please don't feel bad. You didn't do anything wrong. I did. I'm the bad one here. I did the bad things." She doesn't answer me. Something tells me she's not telling the truth.

"You're lying to me aren't you?" No answer. "You are aren't you?! C'mon at least be truthful! I'm already sad as it is!"

"Fine. I was lying because I didn't want to hurt your feelings." I'm not sure who's in the right here and who's in the wrong. "I'm not mad or disappointed. That much was true. I know I couldn't have done anything, but you could've. You could've told mother or me or Azar or anybody but you didn't."

"Don't you think I know that? I was FIVE! I didn't know what to make of it!" Calm down Avia. You don't want to hurt Raven. "I just...wish I could do it over. Fix my mistake."

"Don't we all?" Then an alarm went off.

"What's that?"

"Crime alarm. Get to the ops room." She pulls on her cloak and we run out of the room.

"Who is it?" Beast Boy asks.

"Oh no..."

"Red Panthers. Avia stays in the Tower. They can't see the tower." Robin orders. "Titans Go!" They all charge out without saying goodbye.

As soon as I'm sure they're gone I take Brazen out.

"They didn't say goodbye or anything. What am I gonna do when I show them you?" He replies with a noise.

"How am I supposed to show them you? I don't even know what you are inside that box..." He makes another noise. "Brazen, why'd you have to give me this? I really really liked not killing people." He makes another noise.

"You aren't helping." He makes another sad noise.

"I'm sorry. I'm just stressed out."

"(Normal noise)"

"Why on Earth would I do that?"

"(Somber noise)"

"No. Negative. I know what you're implying and no. I'd never do that, but I just feel so guilty... You know what? I don't care if I die. They all hate me. There's no point in staying, or living at this point. If I left where would I go?" I'm not going to let them get hurt because I dragged them into it. I'm going out there and going to fight for once in my life. And I'm using Brazen.

I uncloak the tower as I leave.

***

I hide on a roof so I can get a grasp on the situation.

Not good.

It looks like they've all been shot. They're all backed up against the wall and Robin is without his yellow utility belt. They don't see me.

"I'll ask again. Where is Larae?" Marik asks forcefully.

"And we'll answer the same damn answer we've been giving you for the past five minutes. We. Don't. Know." Robin answers, and he gets pistol whipped for it. Or at least the gun looks sort of like a pistol. His cheek is red.

"I'm not going to ask again!" He sees the tower. "Where'd that thing come from?! Is she in there?!" They don't reply. "Go search that Tower!"

"Hey!" They start to move, but Marik makes them stay and dance.

"Agh! What is wrong with you?!"

"You may be kids, but your powerful. Heck, this one is the other kid!" He points to Raven with the gun.

"What'd he promise you? Because trust me when I tell you he won't deliver. Once he gets what he wants he'll throw you out like garbage." He glares at Raven and shoots her in the leg.

"Shut up." She just looks at him as she slides down to the ground.

This is exactly what I didn't want to happen! I throw an orb of dark energy at him.

"Hey!" He turns around. "I'm right here!" I float down off the roof.

"Finally come out of hiding huh?"

"Yeah." I glare at him. "Stop hurting them. This isn't their fault. They have nothing to do with it. Let them go."

"Why should I? What do I get out of this?"

"You get this," I hold out Brazen and he shakes. "And you get to kill me."

"Avia!" The Titans shout at me and I ignore them.

Marik grins.

"Deal." He walks over to take Brazen from my outstretched hand and the Titan's eyes are wide saucers.

Once he's an inch away from Brazen I toss him up in the air, twist Marik's arm upside down, pull him behind me, turn around and elbow him in the back of his neck, and catch Brazen.

"Stay down." I run over to the others and help them up.

"Where did you guys get hit?" I ask.

"Right shoulder." Robin says.

"Forearm." Star answers.

"Hip." Cyborg says. "Even though it's metal it still hurts."

"Hand." Beast Boy points.

"Leg and left shoulder."

I quickly heal them all.

"Thanks."

"No problem. I'm not letting you guys get hurt just because I did something stupid."

Brazen jumps again.

"What's that?"

"Not sure, but I call him Brazen." He makes this noise that sounds happy, exited, and nervous, all at the same time.

He jumps again and for the first time, I see the small, shiny lid, hop up and down and see something shiny and blue inside. Stopping when I move him closer, he hops up and down again.

"Quite energetic. Have you opened the box yet?" Star asks.

"No. I feel like I'll need to soon." I turn around and Marik isn't on the ground. "Where'd he go?" I turn back to them and surround them in my magic so they cant be hurt anymore, and so that they can regain their powers and get out of here. I put them on a roof.

"Where are you? I'm not giving Brazen up that easily. I stole him from my father for a reason." Then Marik, who doesn't seem to be able to use his arm correctly, steps out of the shadow.

"Don't make me use him!" I threaten.

"I am very impressed that you are actually doing something Larae. Didn't think you had the guts to do it. Being you I would have ran away with it and left them here." He says.

"You know nothing about me other than the obvious."

"That's all I need to know." He draws his gun and I draw Brazen.

"You wouldn't dare shoot me with him out. I know what he can do to you and I will not hesitate to use him."

"Why, you don't even know what he does."

"Yes I do. He told me. And I don't need your consent to use him." We're at a stalemate. If one fires the other does too.

"Larae, you don't know what your are doing. You're going to hurt yourself. That's my job."

"Don't make me!" He grins.

"Try me." He shoots at my foot but I dodge it.

I really don't want to use him, but I might have to.

He shoots at my head but I just miss it. Phew. Good thing I'm not at point-blank.

"Stop moving!" He keeps shooting and I keep dodging.

"Azerath Metrion Zinthos!" I have to. Brazen's box breaks and a bright blue, teardrop gem floats out. It makes a ringing noise and a bright blue light.

I can't see a thing. It's so bright. I can't even see Marik. I hear him scream, and then another gunshot, then another, then another. Two sharp pains in my left shoulder and one in my abdomen.

The light goes away. I let the others go. I still don't know what's happening. I feel like I'm falling. Raven and Star are flying again so the effects of the bullets must have worn off. Raven stops me from falling.

"Avia!" Raven's voice is muffled.

"Please friend Avia do not close your eyes." I feel faint. Everybody is getting blury and voices are even harder to make out. I can't talk.

"Get...to...in...rm...ary!" Did he say hospital? I mange to mutter out a few words.

"Who's going to the infirmary?" I didn't get an answer. My shoulder hurts and so does my belly. I'm on something and it's moving. I see the tower.

I try not to close my eyes like Starfire told me too, but I can't. The last thing I see is the Tower, and I black out.

"Larae!"