Welcome to Heading Home! Normally I would have a posted a poll to decide what story was next, but I have so many ideas for this one that I want to write it before I forget everything. My updates will also be more consistent than in my last FanFiction piece, probably every week to every two weeks.

The time is after Trouble in Tokyo. I hope you enjoy!

"Friends! Robin and I are journeying to the mall of shopping!" Starfire announced to the ops room. The three Titans occupying the space took a pause in their activities to address their alien teammate. Standing on top of the stairs in front of the exit, Starfire wore a big smile. Robin stood behind her, his mouth slanted to the side. It was a look many of the Titans had worn before; an expression that said the bearer didn't want to be dragged to the mall by Starfire but also didn't want to hurt the girl's feelings by denying such a request. In the kitchen eating lunch, Cyborg and Beast Boy both chuckled.

"Have fun!" Cyborg called, wiping sauce from his mouth with a large napkin. "Especially you, Rob," he added with a mischievous smirk. "Make sure to pick out somethin' for him to wear, Starfire. He needs a wardrobe that's more than just traffic light colors." Robin glared at the robotic teenager, but, much to his dismay, Starfire seemed to love the idea.

"I will make certain to do so, friend Cyborg!" she exclaimed, smiling brightly. "I look forward to doing the shopping with Robin! Perhaps you wish to join us?"

Cyborg swallowed the last of his lunch quickly. "Ah… No thanks, Star. I gotta drop by the auto shop to pick up a few things for my baby. The T-car's not runnin' as smoothly as I'd like her to."

Robin crossed his arms, lifting an eyebrow. "You sure, Cyborg? We could pick out a new wardrobe for you if you came with us."

Shaking his head, Cyborg placed his dirtied plate in the sink and twisted on the tap. "Sorry man, but my car needs me. Don't think anythin' in the stores'd fit anyway; have fun shoppin' all alone with Star though," he winked. Robin scowled at his robotic teammate as a blush spread over his cheeks.

Starfire was unaware of this as she directed her attention to the next Titan in sight. "Perhaps Beast Boy would like to join us? Or Raven?" she asked, turning to the couch where the dark girl relaxed with a book in her hand.

"Uh, yeah," Beast Boy replied, hopping over the sofa and snatching up one of his game controllers. "I would come, but I've been stuck on this really hard level, and, you know, I, uh, really want to beat it." Starfire nodded in understanding before looking to the empath sitting nearby.

"Pass," Raven replied, her nose in the pages. "I'm currently busy."

Starfire smiled sadly. "Are you certain, friends? I have ideas for outfits which you might wish to try on!"

Raven sighed, glancing at her teammate. "Let's see," she murmured to herself. "Do I want to go shopping and be forced into clothes I could care less about, or stay here in the company of Beast Boy?" She paused, frowning. "This is a surprisingly difficult choice." His sharp ears having picked up her words, Beast Boy pouted, starting the game station, and Raven shook her head. "Thanks, but no thanks, Starfire." The scarlet-haired girl dropped her chin to her chest, and Raven felt a wave of guilt wash over her. "But I'm sure you'll have a great time with Robin trying on all those dresses and clothes and… such. Maybe you two could go drop by the movie theater together or something once you're done," she suggested. Starfire instantly brightened at the idea. Luckily for Raven, any mention of spending time alone with Robin could pull the alien princess out of a depressed or saddened state in a heartbeat.

"Wondrous idea, Raven! Robin, perhaps you would be interested in attending a movie after the mall of shopping?"

Robin blinked a few times. "U-uh, sure, Star. Sounds fun."

"Glorious!" With that, Starfire grabbed Robin by the arm and pulled the flushed leader out of the ops room. Smirking, Raven went back to her book as Cyborg finished washing his plate at the sink. The robotic man slid the drying dish into a cabinet, calling to Raven and Beast Boy over his shoulder.

"Yo, you two! I'm off to the auto shop! If you need anything, just call on the communicator!" Raven didn't respond, and Beast Boy, already indulged in his video game, waved his hand. Cyborg, shrugging, exited the room and left Raven and Beast Boy to do their activities alone. No doubt the time that passed would elapse in silence, what with Beast Boy focused completely on his game and Raven ignoring the teenager unless he got too loud, which she then would either comment some sarcastic remark and smack him over the head when the shape-shifter didn't respond, or she would simply leave the room to go meditate. Cyborg assumed this was what happened every time those two were left alone, and for the most part, he was right. On the off chance that Raven and Beast Boy did something else, it was usually argue or, every once in a while, they would try to converse. In rare cases, they would actually have a heart-to-heart, however brief it would be.

Ten minutes since Cyborg claimed he was heading out had passed without a sound -save for the occasional explosion of a car from the television screen-, when Beast Boy suddenly sat up, his ears perked. Pausing the game, he looked over his shoulder at the empty room and frowned, his nose wrinkling in confusion. "Hey," he asked, "when did Cyborg leave?"

"Ten minutes ago," Raven replied, not looking up from her book. "He announced it in an unnecessarily loud tone to make sure we knew about his absence. Where were you?"

Beast Boy scratched his head. "I'm not sure." Raven rolled her eyes, flipping a page in her book. Another silence followed for a quick stretch of time, and Beast Boy bit his lip. The racing game he was currently playing had lost his interest -especially since he kept crashing the car-, he was getting bored, and Raven didn't seem too occupied. Powering down the game station, Beast Boy set his feet on the table in front of him and crossed his arms behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. Quickly glancing at the girl beside him who had not moved in the least, the shape-shifter tried to strike up a conversation.

"So," he began, balancing one of his feet on top of the other, "nice weather we're having, huh?"

"Mhm," Raven grunted, her eyes fixated on the words in her book.

Beast Boy continued, looking at the cloudless sky outside. "Really… weathery, huh?"

"Mhm."

Deciding weather was mind-blowingly boring, Beast Boy searched his brain for something else to talk about with his barely responsive friend. Seeing as she was so absorbed with the thing in her hands, Beast Boy tilted his head, examining the leather-bound book Raven was reading.

"Good book?"

"Mhm."

"What's it about?"

"Mhm."

Make that his non-responsive friend. Beast Boy grumbled to himself, folding his arms together in annoyance for a moment when an idea came to him. Shifting position so he was facing Raven more, he placed his chin in his hand. "So Raven, enjoying the book you're reading?"

"Mhm."

"Would you mind if I took some of your tea and fed it to Silkie?"

"Mhm."

Beast Boy smirked. "Is it okay if I go into your room and set fire to your bookcase?"

"Mhm."

"Do you think I am devishly handsome?"

"Not on your life."

"Ah, what?!" Beast Boy scrunched up his nose as Raven finally moved away from her book to look at him with an impassive expression. "You were listening?"

"What was your first clue?"

"So why did you say I could feed your tea to Silkie? And set fire to your bookcase?"

Raven set down her book. "Because I knew you wouldn't do it. You like your head where it is."

Beast Boy rubbed his neck, swallowing. "You've got a point there." Dropping his worried look, he scooted closer to Raven, grinning. "So, now that you're not reading anymore-."

"Who said I'm not reading?" the girl interrupted, picking up her book again. "I only stopped to point out that I was listening and remind you of how foolish doing any of those things you suggested is." She had only turned to the page where she'd left off when two gloved fingers plucked the book from her hands, tossing the object over the couch where it landed with a soft thud. Raven glared daggers at Beast Boy, but the boy gave no indication that he was worried. Only when Raven's hand glowed black did the shape-shifter realized he might have pushed her a little far. Encased in black magic, the book elevated into the air and over to the sofa, pausing to rap Beast Boy on the head twice before sinking safely back into Raven's hands.

Beast Boy kneaded the newly-forming bump for a moment until the pain faded, and then he glanced at Raven. "So," he started again, "now that you're not reading anymore..." Raven sighed, and, placing her book on her lap and crossing her arms, she waited expectantly for Beast Boy to finish. Maybe if she gave him the attention he wanted now, she would be left alone to read in peace afterwards. Beast Boy brightened, a smile spreading across his face as he realized Raven was going to cooperate. "…Wanna do something?"

"Do you have anything in mind?"

"Uh," Beast Boy hesitated. "No…" Raven exhaled, picking up her book again. That was about as far as her patience was going to stretch today. "But- no, wait!" Beast Boy exclaimed, seeing she was disregarding him again. "Dude! Raven, come on! I'm so bored! Do something with me!"

"Once you have an actual idea in mind, then I'll listen. Maybe," she stressed, finding the place where she'd left off in her book. Beast Boy whined, dropping his ears, but when Raven responded by simply flipping a page, the shape-shifter decided that he should find something to do if he really wanted to engage in an activity with his teammate. Glancing around the room, Beast Boy searched for an object of entertainment. His eyes zoned in on the computer nearby, and, jumping off of the sofa, the boy searched 'things to do with other people when I'm bored'. A few minutes later, Beast Boy returned, proudly prepared to list off the suggestions he had for a game. Raven lifted her eyes up from the book.

"Yes?"

Beast Boy grinned, flashing his canine tooth at her. "Okay, so how about… Truth or Dare?!"

Raven stared at him in disbelief. "It took you that long to come up with that? Please tell me it's not the only idea you have."

"Um, no," Beast Boy said, somewhat disheartened by Raven's lack of enthusiasm. He hadn't expected her to jump up on the couch and exclaim that they should play Truth or Dare because it was her favorite game in the whole wide world, but at least some consideration would have been appreciated. "Okay, if you don't want Truth or Dare, then how about… karaoke?"

Raven's forehead wrinkled as she cringed at the idea.

"Then, um…" Beast Boy ran over things he'd read online, and spin the bottle flashed through his mind. Wisely, however, he chose not to bring that up lest he wish for another bump on the head. The boy ran a hand through his green hair. "Um… monopoly? Cards?"

Raven pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. "Listen Beast Boy; how about you just watch T.V. like you usually do? Obviously you have nothing specific in mind for what you are in the mood for. Why don't you leave me be to read my book in peace? Once you figure out what you want, let me know. Or better yet, don't."

Beast Boy saw nothing interesting in what the girl had just suggested, especially since there were only reruns on television during the summer. He twiddled his thumbs. "How about… we just talk a little or something?"

That stopped Raven. She turned her head to him, an incredulous expression on her face. "You are suggesting that we –you and I- have a conversation? An intelligent conversation?"

"Yeah!"

Raven shook her head. "You must really be bored."

"What was your first clue?" Beast Boy asked, grinning. The dark empath glared at him for a moment before sighing.

"Alright, what do you want to talk about?"

Beast Boy hesitated, and without pausing a beat, Raven reached for her book. "Wait wait wait!" Beast Boy exclaimed, waving his hands about in a stop motion. "Robin and Starfire! Let's talk about Robin and Starfire!"

The darker girl frowned. This supposedly "quick" conversation was drawing out longer than she had the tolerance she had to deal with it. "You propose that we talk about Robin and Starfire," she repeated. "Beast Boy, this is not some high school girl gossip session. We already know what's going on with them, and besides that, they are our friends. They don't gossip about us so we shouldn't talk about them behind their backs either."

"I-I know," Beast Boy mumbled, ashamed that he'd even though of talking about something like that. "But… You were going to read again and I couldn't think of anything else!" Raven deliberately picked up her book, flipping through it until she landed on her chosen page, and dropped her eyes back to the words. Normally Beast Boy didn't distract her so much; today must have been special. Beast Boy crossed his arms, sulking in his spot on the couch. Beside him, Raven found she was unable to concentrate due to the waves of brooding emotions the green teenager was emitting, and she tensed her shoulders, wondering if it was too late for her to catch up to Robin and Starfire. Raven was desperately hoping that something would happen for Beast Boy to become occupied once again so she could focus on her book without distraction, and she was all but prepared to exit the room altogether when the tower's doorbell rang. Beast Boy sat up curiously and then jumped to his feet, running off to answer the door. Suddenly believing in miracles, Raven settled into the couch to finally relax and enjoy her book in silence.

Beast Boy approached the front door, humming a nameless tune beneath his breath. He wasn't worried about any villains being there, because, really, it made no sense for an enemy to just ring the doorbell. Whenever the tower had been under attack in the past, the bad guys broke in; they never asked for entry. "I don't think we were expecting anybody. Who would be coming here to visit the Titans?" Beast Boy pondered. "Besides all my adoring fans, I mean. Maybe Rob and Star are back!" he perked up. They'd been gone for about a half hour, but there was always the chance that Starfire had changed her mind or Robin had convinced her there were better things to do with their time. "And maybe the moon is really made of cheese," Beast Boy chuckled. There was no way that the Titan leader would be able to persuade the girl that shopping was boring and, in his opinion, pointless.

"Hang on, dude!" Beast Boy called, tapping a password into the keypad by the entrance. He pressed a button, and the doors slid apart to reveal a large man standing in the opening. He was dressed in purple and black garb, his head topped off by an ovular hat that bore two violet antennas, and his mouth was a thin line.

"Hello, Beast Boy," the man greeted.

"Mento!" Beast Boy exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear at the unexpected sight of the leader of the Doom Patrol. As well as being in charge of his old team, Mento was also Beast Boy's adoptive father. The green teenager was all prepared to go in for a hug, but paused, remembering that Mento disliked displays as affection almost as much as Raven did. Instead, Beast Boy's smile just grew bigger as he scratched the back of his head. "What are you doing here?! Not that it's bad to see you or anything, but I wasn't expecting you to come by for a visit, like ever! Not that I didn't want you too, I just figured you were too busy with the team and everything. Now I can give you a tour of the tower! Hey," Beast Boy interrupted his own train of thought, peering around Mento with interest, "where's the rest of the team? Did Rita come with you?"

Mento closed his eyes briefly. "Beast Boy, I'm here to-."

Far too excited by his father's presence, Beast Boy didn't even hear him. "Oh, I gotta show you the new training course! I mean, it won't really be a change for you 'cause you've never seen it, but it's still really cool, especially since Cyborg just upgraded a bunch of stuff!" Beast Boy started to walk off, expecting Mento to follow him. "And you haven't been in our main room yet either! I gotta show you the game station! It's pre-."

"Beast Boy." Mento placed a hand on his son's shoulder, stopping the shape-shifter before he could get any further. "Though this may be extremely difficult, I need for you to stand still and listen to me for a moment."

"Yeah Mento?" Beast Boy asked, shifting from foot to foot as if he was about to go running through the tower in a tour just for the Doom Patrol leader, which he was.

Mento took a deep breath. "It's about why I'm here. As I'm sure you know, it's not like me to just drop by for a social visit." Beast Boy nodded quickly. "As you mentioned before, the rest of the team is not with me as of now. There's a reason for that." Realizing how serious the situation seemed to have suddenly become, Beast Boy stopped shifting his weight and fell still.

"Wh-what's going on, Mento?" he asked, nervous because of the older man's words. His adoptive father looked him straight on.

"Elasti-girl –your mother- is sick," Mento said. "Rita might be dying."

It had been silent for quite some time since the doorbell rang, and Raven was beginning to wonder if Beast Boy had somehow gotten himself into trouble. That sounded like something he would do: cause a problem without even leaving the tower. He'd done it before, and it wouldn't surprise Raven if he managed to do it again. Either that, or Beast Boy was talking the ear off of some poor unfortunate soul at the front door. She groaned. Even when he wasn't in the same room as Raven, the green teenager had found a way to distract her from her meditative activities. With a sigh, Raven hoisted herself off of the couch, set her book on the cushion, and floated out into the hallway toward the entrance of the tower.

Halfway to her destination, Raven sensed an unfamiliar presence in the building. It wasn't harsh or threatening, but, upon identifying who the visitor was, she knew that the company wasn't exactly welcome either. Understanding why Beast Boy hadn't returned to the ops room yet, Raven slowed her approach until she was just around the corner by the front. Two distinguishable voices echoed down the hall. One, Beast Boy's, sounded somewhat injured, in the very least desperate.

"What do you-? What do you mean? Why? W-what happened?" he whimpered.

A deeper, older tone reached Raven's ears. "It only happened last week, Beast Boy. We thought it was nothing, so we didn't think it important to tell you. Until two days ago, Rita was fine; she didn't act sick. We had no idea what was coming." Raven's eyes narrowed.

"You didn't think about telling me this?" Beast Boy whined. "She's my mom, Mento! I care about her too! And now she might be… could be…" He cut off.

"I know this is hard for you to take in right now, but there is another reason I came here. It's important." Mento paused for an intake of breath, and Raven chose to make her presence known.

"Mento," she addressed, drawing the Doom Patrol leader's attention to her. He and Beast Boy stood face to face. The bigger man towered above Beast Boy's small form, and his icy blue eyes cut through the dim lighting in the room. Beast Boy was the opposite of his adoptive father. His shoulders were slumped, eyes dull, and he looked defeated, any sign of his earlier enthusiasm gone. Upon seeing her, Beast Boy offered no reaction. Having heard what she had of the conversation, Raven could guess why.

Mento suppressed his surprise upon seeing the dark empath quickly. "Ah, Raven, correct?"

Raven barely nodded. "What are you doing here?"

Mento's stare sharpened, and he faced the empath entirely. "Am I not allowed to come by for a visit?"

"Somehow I doubt that's why you're here."

"Right." Mento dismissed her words with the turning of his head. "Well, as you can obviously see, I am in the middle of a conversation. If you don't mind giving us a minute, I will address you shortly." Raven bit her tongue. She had no idea how Beast Boy had survived near fourteen years with this man as not only a leader but a father as well. At least all the conversations she'd had with her own father had been quick, however painful they might have been.

"If you don't mind," Raven began, walking closer and surprising the two, "I'd rather stay."

"Excuse me?" Mento stated tightly. "This is a family matter."

"You don't seem to be handling it very well," she replied, her voice soft but words harsh enough to silence the older leader, if only for a moment. Mento's eyes flashed dangerously, but Raven kept eye contact. She knew she was treading dangerous ground, but the man was getting on her nerves. The last time she'd met him had been the first, as it had been for all of the Titans save for Beast Boy, and Raven had never really liked Mento, especially seeing how he was so strict and stubborn with his own son. Sure Raven could be strict and stubborn, but for the most part she knew when was appropriate to act in such a way, unlike the leader of the Doom Patrol. Remembering that her friend was still there, Raven moved away from Mento, facing Beast Boy instead. Distraught and sadness jabbed out of him like needles pricking the skin. Placing a hand on his arm, she started to guide the boy toward the ops room.

Mento clearly objected to this unapproved action. "And what do you think you are doing?" he growled, grabbing her shoulder. Raven stiffened, but before she could open her mouth and send a harsh remark his way which would undoubtedly be regretted later, footsteps padded in from outside. A familiar, joyous voice entered the room.

"Oh, friends! I did not expect you to be here!" Starfire exclaimed brightly, gliding inside through the open door. Robin followed the girl, quiet and at once attentive of the unusual company in the room. His floating alien friend, however, gave no indication that she had even taken notice of Mento, continuing in a cheerful manner. "It seems that friend Robin has forgotten his wallet and I have none of the money on me. We called Cyborg through his communicator and discovered he has found Robin's wallet in his 'baby', and so we have agreed to meet back here at the tower and be the reorganized."

"That's… nice, Star," Raven murmured.

"Why are the doors wide open?" Robin asked, his words cutting through Starfire's enthusiasm with an authoritative tone that required an answer. His voice also directed the taller girl beside him toward Mento, though Starfire seemed unsurprised by his presence. She'd probably been mindful of the Doom Patrol's company all along, staying positive to keep the situation from turning awkward, or, in this case, keeping it from increasing in intensity. Robin exchanged glances with Raven, and his eyes flickered to where her hand rested on Beast Boy's shoulder.

Mento frowned, crease lines deepening around his mouth. "You kids are stepping in on an important conversation. You obviously don't know how to treat a guest."

Robin bristled, his arms tightening closer to his body. Sure, the last time he and Mento had clashed, they'd parted on good terms, but here he was in their home telling them how to act and behave. Stepping in front of Starfire, Robin drew closer to the man. "I don't remember inviting you to our tower." Mento's scowl deepened, and the two held such cold eye contact that one could feel the temperature drop in the room.

Starfire's smile wavered, and she quickly moved in between the two leaders. "Please, friend Mento, would you tell us why you have come to visit our home?" she requested in a warm tone that melted the icy stares.

"I would rather discuss that with Beast Boy," the older man replied, but the sharpness of his tongue had been dulled by Starfire's innocent expression. He looked pointedly at the shape-shifter who had said not a word, and instantly the three teenagers shifted in front of the boy.

Robin spoke for all of them. "Anything involving Beast Boy involves us."

Mento scowled at the young leader, seeming to grow bigger, but Robin didn't withdraw his comment. As the man was temporarily distracted, Raven chose that moment to take her leave and directed Beast Boy out of the dark room before Mento noticed and objected again. Soundlessly she guided him back through the halls and into the ops room. Once there, she sat him down on the couch, her tense mood smothered by the heart-wrenching emotion that poured out of Beast Boy.

Raven watched her friend rest on the couch, his green eyes faded and set on nothing in particular. His arms were rested on his knees and his hands hung limply, while the teenager's back slumped over more and more. Raven rose to her feet. The room felt heavy and cold with Beast Boy's saddened emotions, and he needed to warm up before one of them started shivering.

"I'll get you something to drink," Raven uttered. The shape-shifter murmured a few inaudible words to let her know he'd heard, and Raven, with a quick glance in his direction, entered the kitchen. Opening a tea bag out of habit, she set about going through the motions of setting up her beverage. It was only when she'd heated the liquid and had the drink in her hand did she remember that Beast Boy disliked any and all tea. She couldn't just pour it down the sink's drain, and Beast Boy needed a hot beverage. With a sigh, Raven grabbed a spoon, took three heaping scoops of sugar, dumped it into the tea –an action she never used-, and stirred.

"Here." Beast Boy looked up to find the mug held out to him, a spiral of steam rising from the top. Raven waited, through the vapor her indigo eyes almost soft and misty. The green shape-shifter took the tea from his teammate and sipped on it. He made a face, but quickly covered up his reaction with a cough.

"Uh, um, thanks Rae," he said, running his tongue over his lips. The mixture of the heat and unexpected taste had been enough to pull a response out of him. "But next time use some sugar."

Raven rolled her eyes. "If I used more, we wouldn't have any left."

Beast Boy rubbed his nose, sipping at the tea again and then once more making a face. "Really? I wouldn't have guessed."

"Really."

The two smiled at one another, both relieved that things seemed -even if it was just temporarily- back to normal. Raven lowered herself onto the sofa beside her friend as Beast Boy dropped his sights to his feet. "Hey, thanks. For, you know, that whole thing with Mento and coming when you did."

Her expression lessened, and, breathing outward, she stated impassively, "I'm not involved and shouldn't have intruded. It's not my business."

"Yeah, but, you know, I'm glad you did." Beast Boy fiddled with the mug in his hands. "So… How much did you hear?" Raven wasn't surprised. With the ears her friend had, it was to be expected that he heard her approaching during his and Mento's talk. The boy had the hearing of a bat, but somehow he always fell mysteriously deaf when told to do the laundry.

Raven thought for a moment. "I didn't hear a lot, but I understood most of it. …Did something happen to Elasti-girl?"

"Yeah," Beast Boy murmured quietly. "But I don't know. Mento says that Mom- uh, Rita was fine but then she just got sick really fast and could be-." He stopped, biting his lip. Raven nodded, indicating he didn't have to finish. Beast Boy absentmindedly took a drink out of the mug in his hands, and once again his face scrunched up. "And I think I'm done with this," he stated, placing the tea on the table in front of the sofa and causing Raven to smirk. Beast Boy sighed, uncharacteristically solemn again, and rested his chin in his hand. "But… Rae, she's my mom. Yeah, not my birth mom, but she raised me more than anyone else. She's some of the only family I have left… And… now…"

Raven was not a person ever at ease when it came to touching anyone; her strength was in intelligence, and so she did the only thing she could and offered him advice. "You don't know all the facts yet. Rita might not be really dying. Though you don't know reason for the sickness, Mento probably does. If he doesn't, we can figure it out. There is a good chance your mother can be cured by simple medicine, and if not, then I promise I'll do what I can to help." Raven relaxed as Beast Boy smiled at her.

"Thanks Raven."

Raven dipped her head in response. Behind the pair, the doors slid open, and the rest of the team, accompanied by Mento, entered. Mento's voice reached the very corners of the room. "So this is where you spend most of your time? It's what I expected from a bunch of teenagers." Feeling jabs of anger leaping off of Robin, Raven rose to her feet, followed by Beast Boy. Mento's icy eyes were tracing the outline of the ops room, his mouth twitching whenever he noticed something he didn't like. Seeing Beast Boy, Starfire quickly flew over to her friend with a worried expression on her face, Robin entering at a slower pace.

"Friend, are you alright?" Starfire murmured, grasping his shoulders. "Mento has informed Robin and I of the situation as you know it."

"I'm so sorry, Beast Boy," Robin added, watching the shape-shifter with concern.

Beast Boy nodded, his eyes still on his adoptive father. "I know. It's okay, guys."

Starfire pulled her arms back to her chest. "Are you certain?" she questioned, not entirely convinced of Beast Boy's acceptance of the situation.

"Yeah. It's not like I know everything yet. I should find out all the facts before assuming the worst, right?" he asked. Robin tilted his head, surprised at such an insightful response from the younger boy as Beast Boy glanced at Raven, and the two exchanged a small smile.

"What on earth is this?" Mento asked, his voice reaching the little group by the couch. The Doom Patrol leader was examining the refrigerator. Inside, he had spotted the strings of blue mold staining the once-white walls, and grimaced. "If you kids are eating this nowadays, it's no wonder mutant so-called-heroes keep springing up."

"Friend Mento?" Surprisingly, Starfire was the first to approach him, though it was probably for the best since the others might have had a different kind of greeting. Shutting the fridge door, the man faced Starfire and crossed his arms. Whatever had gone down between him and Robin had probably made Mento less of a fan of the young leader, and, seeing how his earlier exchange with Raven had spiraled downhill, Starfire looked like she was his favorite thus far.

"Yes?"

Starfire gave him one of her contagious smiles. "Would you perhaps be the willing to tell us what else you came here to speak to friend Beast Boy about?"

Mento gave her a strange look, trying to adjust to her style of speech. "Erm, I suppose. But I need to speak with Beast Boy about the matter first." When none of the teenagers moved from their positions, Mento added sternly, "Alone."

Robin shifted his position, his chin higher than it had been before. "I don't think that's a good idea." The two leaders glared at one another again, but before their intensity could set the room on fire, Beast Boy interrupted. He walked past his friends over to his father. His teammates stared at him in shock.

"It's okay, guys," he smiled reassuringly, his canine tooth glinting. "It'll be fine. I mean, we're just talking." The three Titans shifted uncomfortably, but none moved to stop Beast Boy when he and Mento exited the ops room. Robin, Starfire, and Raven stood together in silence for a few moments until Robin finally spoke.

"I don't like it," he grumbled, crossing his arms and leaning back against the couch. "Something about this just gives me a bad feeling."

"I agree, Robin," Starfire sighed, her cheerful attitude having vanished now that Mento was no longer present. "But right now I merely wish for friend Beast Boy to be alright."

Robin nodded without really thinking about it. "I'm sure he will be. He can take care of himself. What I'm worried about is what Mento wants."

"He wants something?" Starfire asked, curving her fingers around her arms.

"It's obvious. There would be no other reason for him to come here. He could have delivered the information about Beast Boy's mom over the phone." Robin tapped his chin. "No, he wants something from Beast Boy. It's always easier to be more convincing in person."

"I wonder what it is Mento wishes to have?" Starfire wondered aloud.

Raven said nothing, shifting her eyes to where the father and son were talking alone behind the door.