Author's Note: Part 2!

I'd hate to delay this any more than necessary, so here's part 2. Again, hopefully the timestamps aid in your reading to track what all is transpiring.

WARNING: Potential triggers on abuse (maybe?) in this chapter, so if that is something you're like "Heck, no. Checking out now." No hard feelings! I appreciate you still! I fortunately have not been in or witnessed controlling relationships that can titter on abusive, so I just use the TT series to guide the characters actions and motives with a modern day spin with me spinning the wheel.

Monday, October 19th - 3:45 p.m.

Nervously, Kori perched in her chair waiting for completely unnecessary tutoring to begin. She wanted to be figuring out Gar's information concerning Rachel. But they needed Vic and could not seem to find him much earlier. Because of his two-week absence, he absolutely cannot miss any additional schooling; they were forced to have to wait until after classes were done for the day and he was out of football practice to further discreetly investigate Rachel's situation.

"What are you in for?" The person who slipped behind Kori posed the question. She released a startled "eep". After a light-hearted chuckle, he responded with, "Sorry, cutie, didn't mean to scare you."

"Xavier," she greeted with a smile. "Where have you been?" She cocked her head as she posed her question. Xavier has been oddly aloof -even more so than his typical "dodges confrontation and eye contact" gimmick he normally swings.

"Answer my question first," he learned on the desk to be nearer to her. Up close, one could closely examine his amber-like brown eyes and their unique red twinge.

"Oh, um, meeting the fours." She ducked her head and avoided eye contact.

"Yeah? Sounds better than my gig," he replied as he leaned back stretched, somehow expanding the amount of space he needed twice as much. "Missed too much school, so I have to attend tutoring for make-up hours."

"Sick?"

"Something like that," he clucked his tongue at the end of his elusive statement and eyed her out of the corner of his eye as he took his seat.

Still flustered from being startled, Kori simply nodded and offered a small smile. Time for corrections of assignments or quizzes; the small group of students began to grumpily work.

A few peers needing assistance in French asked Kori a question or two, which she answered in companionable knowledge. Xavier simply watched the alien girl exchange language with others –in amplified awe; he couldn't drag his eyes away from her mouth as she enunciated the foreign words from her foreign mouth in this foreign-to-her environment.

Time marched on, and the last French student was served. Frustration at her own tutoring was amplified; Kori slumped in her seat and stared at the returned quiz from yesterday. She had been trying to research what all the terms meant for the sayings, but nothing made sense. Being peeved at the low grade on her quiz must have been evident because Xavier leaned forward and asked quietly in her ear, "Something amiss, miss?"

Again, Kori jumped at the intrusion of the silence. She relayed her confusion to which Xavier nodded, but didn't belittle the misunderstandings. Kori blinked and then Xavier was beside her at the table and he was drawing diagrams and writing scribbles and indicated different parts of the sentence with arrows. He worked steadily for several minutes while Kori simply looked on. Many other students corrected their work, did a few extra assignments for make up, and left. She and he were the only ones remaining. While Xavier scratched away at the paper, Kori realized they were absolutely the only ones in the room; the tutor must have departed as well.

"Similes and metaphors are comparisons; they take several items together and lump them into a sentence," Xavier began. He then launched into a thorough, but understandable crash-course of similes.

"But the quiz is not over this simile concept," pointed out Kori after Xavier's lesson. "I was quizzed over fours meeting."

"A metaphor," continued Xavier with a soft smile, "is a more advanced, but more subtle simile. It lacks the obvious connection. You have to hunt for the comparison but it's there."

"Now I have to be a hunter," groaned Kori as she flopped her head into her hands and sighed.

"So, let me guess, you're tired of this like a…"

"Thwarttack in the winter," instinctively, Kori answered.

"And a thought tack thing is…" he prompted.

"An animal in my country that sleeps for nearly all day."

"There you go," replied Xavier. "That's a simile."

Not appearing to have heard his encouragement, Kori pushed on, "Thwarttacks awaken to eat or socialize for about twenty minutes, and then they sleep two hours and repeat this process. However, in the winter, they are opposite of this: staying awake for nearly days on end to only grab snippets of sleep because the food that they enjoy the most is harvestable during the winter. If a Tameranean is compared to a winter thwarttack, it is not laziness they speak of, but the over exhausting workload and needing to take care of mental and physical aspects that is admired, but requires rest to accomplish."

Xavier was initially quiet after Kori's explanation. Her head was still nestled in her hands that were propped on the table, but he could understand her muffed science log entry despite her hands blocking some clarity on specific words. He parted his lips to say something, but then thought differently and resealed his lips. They sat in pally silence for more minutes than Kori has sat silent and still in a long time.

"Would it be safe to say you're winter thwarttack tired?"

She nodded; head still nestled on her elbows in a much undignified, but representative position of her current state. Eventually, she murmured, "Very safe."

"That's a metaphor."

Kori's head snapped up at his declaration, but found the room empty. Hastily with confusion clouding her thoughts, she tossed her school supplies into her small bag and lugged it onto her shoulder and zoomed out of the classroom. Immediately after leaving the doorframe she examined the halls to her right: nothing. She whipped her head to look left and was once more startled to see Xavier leaning against the wall –waiting for her it appeared.

"Dinner?"

"Please."

"Good," he replied and fell into stride next to Kori as they meandered to the cafeteria, "because I'm hungrier than a hippo."

"I am more hungry than a cat?"

"Are you really hungry or just hungry?"

"Really hungry," giggled Kori as she heard her stomach's cries.

"What is an animal in Tameranean that eats a lot, like a lot?" Xavier posed.

Thoughtfully, she reflected. One animal came into mind.

Just as the metaphor-studying duo rounded the corner, Kori's world slowed down as she witnessed Richard Grayson standing in close proximity to Kitten Moth. The hall's mob parted ways and formed a perfect circle around the ebony-haired boy and blonde babe. A bouquet of plastic roses somehow appeared by Richard's person and he presented the awkward arrangement to the girl. The girl that was not Kori. Kori, whose world stopped when Richard's words reached her ears.

"Kitten, will you go to Homecoming with me?"

"Oh, Richie-Poo!" the recipient of the envied invitation cried. Scattered applause rippled from the on-lookers. Approving, confusing, or flat out just happy Kitten was taken were expressed on faces around. "I thought you'd never ask!" Kitten purred as she flung her arms around Richard's neck.

"So, Kori," Xavier's prompting brought Kori back to earth. Somehow he didn't catch the Homecoming-proposal. It did happen in only a matter of seconds that they caught the end of, but it still happened. It still hurt. "Any animals come to mind?"

"Yes," she replied in monotone, locking eyes with a surprised Richard who was in the middle of a Kitten embrace. "The vortek." Kori mentally noted Richard's widened eyes at Kori's choice of words, and then marched to the food line; she was determined to enjoy her dinner with Xavier.

Monday, October 19th – 11:55 p.m.

Ridiculous. The Great Victor Stone was being blackmailed by a mothball blonde brat; his friends and school's reputations were on the line because of his mistakes; and Karen Beecher was going to the school dance with a guy other than said Vic Stone. So, then, naturally, he felt ridiculous. It didn't help that he was in a cheap café currently. It was an amplified ridiculous –if that was even a thing. He didn't know, he just grumpily sipped his root beer at the pizza joint. Kitten Moth's demands had been to return to the place where it all began.

It took some piecing together, but Vic reflected on Kitten's stipulations: ruler of school, friends surrender, date Richard.

The pizza place was where the Titans celebrated their first football victory after the game. It was early September –before Kori moved in and Vic got the good chance to get to know too many other people sans his dorm mates and teammates- but the diner was packed. It was here where Vic won a milkshake chugging contest and gleefully received claps on his broad back, but accidentally moved off kilter and ran into none other than Sara Sims and Karen Beecher. Milkshake bathed the cheerleaders. One girl was shocked but allowed the help of Vic with a giggle; the other steamed up at the cost of having the uniform dry-cleaned. That night Victor Stone met Sara and in front of God and everyone –including Kitten, Karen, and Atlas- Vic offered Sara to pay him back in the milkshake spill. She did, of course, via hugging the brute and smearing shake on his chin with laughs. Atlas practically saw red and Karen rolled her eyes at her roommate's behavior and refused the help offers from the milkshake spiller.

"So, you figured it out, did you now, Vickie-poo?" Kitten posed the question in her sing-song voice. "Who said football players don't have brains?"

Tuesday, October 20th - 12:05 p.m.

"Alright, these are all the message correspondents Rachel has had," Vic informed Kori and Gar, who stood quite fierce some behind his swivel chair afore a row of computers.

"We only need texts from and to Malchior," Gar clarified.

"Gimme something harder, BB," fake whined Vic as he spun back to face the screens and apply the commands. It's only been a day since Kori and Gar decided to take action for Rachel's sake. It's only been a day since Kitten Moth threatened Vic. It's only been a day since someone called in and reported that Rachel was sick at home for the week. It's only been a day and yet it was an eternity.

Gar and Kori raced to find their favorite tech guy –Victor Stone- to get any clues on tracking Rachel. Not sure how to track the girl but knowledgeable with how to tap cell phones, the quarterback heartily agreed to help them. Plus, the illegal work gave him a mental break from Kitten's threats, the deep duty his friends and principal were in, and the spying he was doing on H.I.V.E. while appearing he wasn't betraying said school. It was exhausting. It was his choices. It was lunchtime and sandwiches were being thrown down their pipes in between messages they scanned.

"My gosh, how many times does this dude call her "Chellie"?" remarked Vic with a disgusted expression on his face.

"And "savior"?" Added Gar, equal disgust.

"And "spell breaker"? "Curse-ender"?"

"Hold up, lemme see that message, Kor." Vic rolled over and gazed at Kori's screen she was reading of Rachel's text messages to/from Malchior. "Huh, you right. He does call her that a lot."

"Let's frame this better," Kori suggested. "Their first messages happen around here, with mentions of the newsmagazine and writing contest around this week." Kori marked the appropriate dates on the calendar. "She leaves campus with Malchior yesterday the 19th…"

"And on the same day, some probably phony parent calls in to say she's sick and resting at home for this whole week," added Gar, leaning back in his chair, barely balancing on the wobbly legs.

"It's also her last text from Malchior," commented Vic, eyes glued to the last page of the messages. "Look."

From Malchior: The bus left on time and your story is now en route to the contest officially! You did it, my curse-ender. We'll escape this town in no time once you win.

Rachel: It's all because of you, Malchior. Your wisdom and encouragement are the soul of my writings. 3

"Did Rachel just heart emoticon?"

"Gar, now is not the time," criticized Kori while Vic thumped the back of his roommate's head.

From Malchior: I'm so glad I found you, Chellie. Now remember to go wait for the results at the cabin. School is taken care of. I can't have you out and about without me. Too many people will want your talents for other contests and it's best to lay low until we're together again.

Rachel: I'm on my way there. Thank you for caring for me.

From Malchior: We're dark, remember? No one will understand you. I do. See you at the end of the week, Chellie.

"Ya'll, I know my limits of how much I should mettle, and this seems like just a lovey-dovey couple," Vic confessed.

"Nuh-uh, Vic," interjected Gar. "Broadly speaking, sure, but look closer. Malchior is getting Rachel out of sight for a week and some godforsaken cabin –if there's even a building for her to stay at."

"Notice how Malchior talks down to her. Even in his praise," commented Kori quietly. "He always phrases it to where he is isolating our friend Rachel."

"Verbally and now physically," agreed Vic now that he saw the clues.

"He's going to do who knows what kind of weird crap –we gotta go find her!"

"Then we best involve the best detective we know," sighed Kori dejectedly.

"You message him –he'll come immediately and without question if it's you," Vic commented with a sad smile to the girl.

"I lack a cellular device."

"If either of us call or text him, he won't realize it's her," explained Gar.

"Even if she said her name in the beginning, he probably won't check his phone until after lunch with whatever celebrity he's with," Vic noted.

"So how the heck do we get Boy Wonder away from the babe date and over her to T.A.?"

"I know of a way," hinted Kori solemnly.

Tuesday, October 20th - 12:55 p.m.

Richard made a point to laugh loudly at whatever joke the up-and-coming movie actress remarked. He noted the photographers outside the restaurant and the reporters pretending to be patrons, jotting down the interaction. This was the second (third?) week in a row of him dining out for lunch with a different lady each time. Four socialites including Toni Monetti, three models, a few actresses, some relations to politicians, and a double date with Roy, Jade, and some fashion designer prodigy. He was tiring of eating a the few fancy places Jump had to offer, and he wasn't about to do a cheap date (reputation, you know), so he's been extending his reach to neighboring cities and their ritzy provisions. However, this dips into school times. Richard has missed art more than attended for the past few weeks.

The Boy Wonder was mid-cozy moment with his lunch date when the hostess quietly made an awkward approach with clearing her throat. "I'm so sorry, sir," she meekly began, "but you have a phone call. I know you're not to be disturbed, but she insist-"

"Hand it to me," he demanded, immediately realized who on earth would call him on a landline at a restaurant. "Excuse me," he barked politely to his date; she left in a huff beside the hostess. "Kor?"

"You need to come back."

"On my way."

It wasn't much, but it was all she had to say to draw him back again. Kori was like gravity to Richard. She kept him sane. Surely she understood how much she meant to him despite his absence as of late? He was just doing appearances to appease Bruce Wayne. The billionaire promised to release Richard of the business soon if he kept the press off Wayne's back so he could do that mysterious international deal. Richard kept Kori in that loop; that he was focusing on relationships to help Bruce out, she remembered that, right? Richard ignored the sinking feeling as he slapped on his helmet and sped back to the Titans tower.

Wednesday, October 21st – 11:15 p.m.

The quartet, defeated, trekked back to the school. Kori, Richard, Gar, and Vic searched relentlessly after school the previous day and again today. Yet, despite their heart and energy in the pursuit, they lacked Rachel Roth upon returning to Titans Academy. Oh, finding her wasn't the hard part. The tragedy was her blindness to Malchior's deceptions. Her insistence that he was taking her writings to the contest were so repetitive, the words didn't even sound like English any more to their ears.

"Dude, why won't she listen?" Gar finally asked as they collapsed on the couch in the living space. It was past curfew, but with the help of Vic's tech and Karen on the inside, they snuck past the security.

"Sometimes when a person wants to believe something is true, they will convince themselves of anything, no matter the proof fighting against it," wisely, but grimly, Kori insinuated. Her eyes were locked on Richard's bowed head. Briefly she wondered if he caught her message in the undertones.

Slowly, the Boy Wonder brought up his head and they locked eyes. His sunglasses blocked perfect eye contact, but Kori steadily gazed at Richard's sapphires. He didn't narrow his eyes in question, but he didn't signify acceptance either. He forced his eyes to zero in on his hands, away from her emerald orbs; Kori's gaze stayed locked.

"The girl's right," affirmed Vic, tiredly propping his head up with his thick fist. "We can't make Rachel see or do anything. She wants to truly accept and believe that Malchior is her beloved, helping her with her writing."

"Then why the cabin? Why can't she be with us?" Karen beseeched, finally privy to their actions for the last few days and why they skipped class today.

"Probably so we can't say or do what we did today," reasoned Richard, slumping further down the couch. He and Kori were on opposite ends. Karen's sharp eyes caught this arrangement and how much more the girl separated herself from Karen even more. Vic and Gar were a tangled, crumbled mesh. Richard had completely slid off the furniture and was on the ground. She was about to suggest they all go to bed before someone caught them out of their dorms after curfew, when the overhead lights snapped on, jolting many of the friends from their exhausted state to warily peer at the living room entrance.

"Hi, friends," cheerfully greeted Rachel with a wave.

The respective jaws of the rest of the party collectively dropped.

Thursday, October 22nd – 1:35 p.m.

Richard was in art.

Not an art like many of the models and celebrities bestowed upon the Boy Wonder, but he was physically in the art class on Thursday. However, as much as his trim and toned body was present in school that day, his mind was a million miles away.

Earlier that week, Vic clamped his beefy hand on Richard and shoved him into the closest study nook.

Monday, October 19th – 1:20 p.m.

"Yo, man, I need you," blurted the football player. It was nearly comical, that particular phrase coming from such a high school king and football champion of Victor Stone. "I can't give the deets, but I need you to take Kitten Moth to Homecoming."

"You're hilarious," laughed off Richard.

"Dude, I'm serious."

"Why the heck would I take Kitten Moth to Homecoming?" Richard asked, still in comedy mode.

"I told you," quietly Vic confessed, "I can't give any details. I just, I just need you to do it and everyone will be okay."

"Is this part of the H.I.V.E. triple agent thing?"

"It's part of the Victor Stone trying not to screw it all up with his friends' lives thing."

Richard absorbed the vague explanation. He eyed Vic's slumped shoulders and eye bags indicating a restless night. Pondering what his roommate was posing, he weighed his options. Images of his possible dates paraded in his mind.

"I'm sorry, man," Vic supplied. "I-I'll try to think of somethin' else –"

"Okay," interrupted Richard.

"Say what?"

"Okay," he repeated and looked steadily at one of his best friends. "I trust you. The stupid dodge ball and Sid Block and H.I.V.E. fiasco showed me I need to trust more. An-n-nd right now, I trust that you wouldn't ask me this unless you absolutely had to." He shrugged, capping his speech casually. Vic in astonishment stared at one of his best friends and his confidant stance, hands tucked in a designer jacket, and sunglasses over his eyes (tacky for indoors, man), but also his sincere face and honesty.

"So, you'll take psychopathic Kitten Moth to Homecoming because a guy you met two months ago asked you to?"

"Well," slowly replied Richard, deep in thought, "yeah. Yeah, I would. Like I said: I trust you." After a few beats of silence, Richard smiled devilishly, "Besides, it's the total non-Bruce Wayne move to have all the details."

Thursday, October 22nd – 1:38 p.m.

Richard knew the reasons why he was doing what he was doing. He had people to protect. Reputations to uphold. Images to illustrate to the world in the proper manner. Surely the justifications for his decisions in dates and ditching evened out in the end. Surely he was straying from the Bruce Wayne path. Surely.

Back to reality, Richard, glancing at the person he was sharing paint supplies with in art class, blurted, "Thank you."

"The instructor requires us to share," calmly Kori stated.

"Pass me the red," he whispered, beseeching the beauty with the hope of eye contact.

"It is not my doing willingly," Kori finished as she dropped the indicated tube of paint Richard needed into his hand.

"I meant about Tuesday –you calling me." His tone returned to normal despite the lack of Kori's face turning towards his.

"The purpose of a cellular device is to be contacted when mobile and away from a landline communication source," emotionlessly, delivered Kori as she continued her art. "It is a shame that your dorm suites know they can not reach you on your given device because you will see their identification and ignore."

"It's just easier to get back with 'em when I'm not doing press or lunch, Kor," weakly, Richard explained.

"Shame."

"You know what's also a shame," piped up Kitten as she strolled by manically, "That Kori worked oh-so-hard on that solo flip routine, but both captains of the cheer squad decided to go with Komi's performance for the cheer to be done at Homecoming." Kitten smirked, laughed, and then when seeing the damage inflicted, commented, "Shame."

Sifu Brushogun dismissing the students from the canvases to begin cleaning up prohibited a verbal response from Kori.

"Kori," Richard quietly remarked.

Mechanically, she marched her brushes to the sink and began running them under warm water.

"Kori," Richard called again slightly more amplified. "Kori!" He whisper-shouted at the redhead, reaching for her forearm to stop her exit. Immediately and with instinct, Kori wrested her arm away from the human touch.

"Never lay a hand on me again, Grayson."

Thursday, October 22nd – 11:55 p.m.

Rachel lied wide-awake in sheer excitement. The plan was for her to wait for Malchior at the cabin, but after seeing her comrades come find her and her having to keep quiet, she couldn't stand being alone for once. Malchior sent word earlier on Wednesday that the contest was going smoothly and he predicted positive results. Having the do-good-gang randomly appear at a secluded cabin threw Rachel off kilter, but she decided to go back to school. She had a ton of make-up work to do. Plus, if she won, she'd leave for a few weeks to go promote her contest entry, so she should really do all she can right now to excel in her studies.

Under the story of being sick, but able to be at T.A. in recovery mode, Rachel had Kori –who was surprisingly quiet- retrieve her missing work and bring to the dorm. Rachel paused studying sometime around dinner and warmed up a quick Ramen dish before repeatedly checking emails, texts, and all social media for signs of Malchior or the contest results. Nothing.

Refusing to be disappointed, she decided to scroll through the text messages that were sent to her during her absence. The lack of signal meant her getting messages randomly since returning to the city. One new one popped up right now.

Wait, it wasn't from her time at the cabin. It was sent just now.

The beginning of the message read: "Almost missed today! What do you call…"

The banner was cut off due to her display screen. She immediately locked her phone. The action and sudden panicked breathing caused her to drop the device. It bounced and slid across the floor, near Kori's side of the room. Taking the removal of the phone as a sign she should sleep, Rachel turned to face the wall and curled into a ball. As still as she laid, her mind was ablaze. She flopped on top of her blankets to get some air to her clammy body. Yet no matter how far she stretched, her chest was tight from the few words from that sender.

Focusing on her breathing and with curiosity prickling, she whipped away the sheets and tip toed to the phone and seized the device. Once safe in her bed on her side, she unlocked her phone and went to the messages. The recently received message and dozens of others were from this sender. He was awfully persistent. Her pale finger hovered over the name. Tapping on it would allow her to read all the messages she's been ignoring for a month now. Dancing with the idea to read them and delete the stupid jokes rotated in her mind.

Rolling her eyes at her temptation to read them, she tossed her phone onto her nightstand. She shuffled deeper into her covers that never felt enough to keep her in a peaceful rest, and clamped her eyes shut. However, even an hour later, the bright screen still burned in her mind with the amplified notice she ignored.

From Garfield Logan – 34 unread messages.

Friday, October 23rd – 8:30 p.m.

Homecoming halftime.

The spirit days and homework for the week were done.

The Titans were up by four touchdowns.

The cheers were clear and perfectly executed.

The fans were Titans Academy decked out and pumped.

The dates for the dance tomorrow were asked.

The smiles on the faces of Karen, Vic, Kori, Gar, Rachel, and Richard should be genuine.

Karen immaculately chose popular themes for the spirit days and offered prizes to gain more participants.

Atlas was benched for attitude three minutes into the game, so Vic has helped lead the victory so far.

Kori was permitted to cheer at the game despite her grade because of the late notice of the new rule. However, her grades confirmed Komi's flips to be performed.

Gar sat with Kole, Clay, Jin, Roy, and Wally in the packed stands. Rachel surprised him by showing up, but getting a call from Malchior, causing her to hastily exit.

Richard Grayson was going to the Homecoming dance with Kitten Destiny Moth as a mysterious favor for his best friend.

Casual.

Friday, October 23rd – 9:45 p.m.

The game is over and as Richard fights the crowds to go congratulate Kori on her cheer performance, he overhears Kitten complimenting Komi Anders on her flips and how they were so much better than Kori's last Friday. It's in this paralyzing moment, he then immediately realized he promised Kori he'd be there for her at the pep rally. And he bailed. Like a dam bursting, a montage of other broken promises from the past weeks flooded Richard's mind. He was numb. An amplified numb; his world had no sound or movement –so much so, dumbly, he didn't even notice Kori catch his eye, her contemplation on approaching him, and her repulsive reaction to Kitten latching onto his arm and forcing him away.

Immediately after the last second ticked off the scoreboard, Vic whipped off his sweaty and confining helmet to seek out Karen. They met halfway between where the football players were and where the cheerleaders cheered. He smiled at her showing up and her launching into tips for the next game. The Great Vic Stone doesn't blush, but an outside observer would dare say that pink entered his brown face when Karen complimented him, "I guess it's a good thing we got you back. We –the Titans. Good game, Sparky."

At the last touchdown of the game, fireworks exploded. Empowered, Wally turned to hug Jin in amplified jubilee. The contact caught her off guard; she stiffened.

Saturday, October 24th – 9:00 p.m.

Disheveled were half the Titans friends; the others were heartbroken. Homecoming –although just a minute portion of importance in the grand scheme of life- was vital for the moments of high school. So often it feels that the focus of the world is on the few years spent inside a secondary educational institution, but the Titans (and countless other teens around the globe) have yet to have the epiphany that life extends past high school; thus, the pains and heartaches of high school are amplified.

Kole deeply sighed as she examined the pathetic scene the TA students made at the Homecoming dance. She shook off Trenten's comforting arm. When he glanced at her in question, she avoided his eyes and gently tucked his hand back to his own side. Kole looped her grip around Clay's arm and trudged out of the space. Dropping his head, Trenten, too, sighed, and then plopped on the sideline chairs.

"Crummy dance, huh?" he stated to the other occupant on the neighboring chair.

"I would say it was a crummy homecoming," Karen huffed, "But I'm on student council and can only be positively promoting school events." She rolled her eyes and sunk lower in her slouched position on a folding chair.

Roy sauntered over and joined the duo on the chairs. "Eventful evening to say the least."

"To say the least," echoed Jade as she perched on Roy's knee delicately.

"This cannot be how it is to be." The group turned to the voice. Kori. "This cannot be how it is to be," she repeated. The mantra was probably for her personal sake, but it reached the ears of the listening quad.

Respectful silence enveloped the four as they perched and heeded to Kori's mantra. No one in the world, let alone any soul in the space picked for the Titans Academy Boarding and Day School Homecoming Dance would know what was stampeding in Kori Anders's mind at the moment. Horrid memories of her home country, of Foster, of her family, of Richard and her friends and how they have shown her American, of Komi and her awful presence. Amplified failure echoed inside Kori's mind as she replayed the events of the dance. She should have never come here to America. She should have never let people in or burden them with her thoughts, feelings, or friendship. Why did she dare to believe she could be normal? That she could live as if Komi and all that her vile sister represented never existed? Foolish Kori-Worry. She couldn't save herself, let alone her home or those closest to her. Foolish, foolish Kori. What a disappointment she was, what an amplified failure.

Yet despite the failure tossing about as if in a dingy out at sea during hurricane, she could not rid of the idea that America was more than a high school coming of home dance, but celebrating individuality but finding common ground. Like Richard's haughtiness but kindness. Rachel's solemn genuine nature. Karen's determined mindset but how she'll toss aside a plan for a person in need. The way Gar cracks jokes for the sake of others and their happiness. Vic's compassion and passion. Kole, Trenten, Wally, Roy, Jade, and countless other students at Titans Academy paraded in her head. Their goodness, their kindness, their friendship. None of these comrades were similar: Vic and Trenten and Tyson's approaches to athletics varied, the mottled method of humor for Gar and Wally, the heir/heiress lifestyles of Richard, Toni, Roy, the mystery around Jade or Rachel or Jin all jumbled but were separated as well. Kori wanted to protect that: friendship. She never had the relationship before, but she knew it was fragile and worth fighting for. She may not have been able to physically battle back in Tameran, but she could definitely do something here for the TA coming of home.

"I refuse," she declared in a low tone. Quickly, Kori rose to her full height; her ombre lavender fading to a deep indigo dress followed her movements like wisps of clouds on a spring day. Those on the chairs along with Richard, Gar, and Vic perked up at Kori's declaration. "We must fight back," her voice rose with each word, "because I refuse to allow the actions and words of a few hateful people influence and overtake all the good that has been accomplished. I refuse!"

All eyes were on her now, sans a defeated Rachel. Kori marched over to her distant roommate and crouched to be at her eye level; she planted her hands on the girl's wrists and whispered, "I refuse."

The power of human contact.

Slowly, Rachel raised her heavy head and made eyes with Kori for the first time. Emerald met violet and strength was drawn.

The dark girl mirrored the redhead's actions of straightening. "If we do not fight for ourselves, who will? I know that no outsider will come to my aid, so I must be it."

"Just because," stepped forward another. Kori glared at the intruder. Not because of the interruption, but because of who it was. "Just because," Richard repeated, "you can do something on your own, does not mean you should have to."

"You're one to talk," muttered Roy under his breath as he briefly reflected the annoying independence the Boy Wonder always insisted upon.

If Richard heard Roy's jab, he showed no signs of it as he continued, "You have me on your side."

"Me, too, little lady," agreed Vic as he strode to be next to the alien.

"Same," echoed Gar, Roy, and Jade. Trenten and Karen both nodded and made the physical movement of positioning themselves closer to Kori.

"Rachel," began Kori, "you're the reason for this. Malchior and my sister and Xav-Xavier played us, played me. They played the long game and assumed we'd tire out. They do not know how strong we all are. They do not know that I Kori Anders of Tameran, play the longer game. But Rachel, although I wish I could, I cannot fight your battles for you."

"No," cut in the Goth girl, "you're right, you can't. But I can."

"Let's go kick some bad guy butt," whooped Gar. Rachel raised her eyebrow at the enthusiasm and word choice.

"Why are you still with me?" she whispered to the green-haired boy. Shame swept over her once more as she reflected on the countless attempts Gar made for her in warning her of the wickedness she was flirting with.

"Rae, I know what it's like to be alone, and I don't want anyone to ever feel that way. No one deserves abandonment."

Meekly, she dipped her head and slightly nodded, absorbing the wise words from the goof ball.

" 'Sides," Gar added, "What are friends for?"

"I'm not good at being 'friends,' but I do have one talent," quietly, Rachel commented.

"Let's unleash it on the selfish scum, then," encouraged Vic.

Suddenly, like a flash of lightning, encouragement surged and empowerment was amplified among the united friends. Ideas of takedown, comebacks, and right hooks amplified thoughts the combat brained. Amplified speeches of compassion, or compromise and of swaying sides sated the minds of word power enthusiasts. With their respective talents, donned in their homecoming attire and determination, the team of Titans marched to thwart the lies of Malchior, the spying of Jinx, the distraction of Kitten, the scheming of Xavier, and the wicked mastermind of Komi Anders.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! This is too rich!" cackled the dark man in front of the monitors, because, yes, even with the Titans off campus, he had tapes on them. Typically, this comment would be to his assistant. His fool of an apprentice who vanished after direct orders. Thankfully, he the master was able to get his hooks into Kitten Moth to spin the classified papers from the principal in the favor of blackmail. He made his remarks to no one. No one was around. No one was near. "They believe," he was wickedly cackling at the scenario and his commentary, "no, no, no, she –that Tameranean girl- believes that my plan can be triumphed! Ha." He swatted his latest mug of brew to the ground; tone precipitously shifting from maniacal laughter to deadpan. "Ha," he spewed drily. "What you do not know, Kori Anders, what you do not know Komi Anders, is that I, oh, I play the long game. I am the black hole in all of this and all of these feeble beings around this blasted school shall ever be my pieces. The board is set Kori, Richard, Garfield, Rachel, Karen, and Victor. WHAT IS YOUR MOVE?"

Author's Note: Part 2 - Chapter 13 DONE!

THANK YOU FOR MAKING IT THIS FAR. You are stellar. Drop a line if you have time, please!

Hmm, will details of what happened at the dance happen? We shall see. :) What is Atlas's reaction to being benched? What about Kori's thoughts on Richard now? Is Richard truly making his own path or is he doing a Richard-version of Bruce Wayne's antics? Why is Gar fighting so hard for Rachel? What happened to Rachel and her story? How fast can our Titans run and fight -because a black hole is coming and it will take everything.

Noticeable quotes or situations: Spellbound episode and your normal everyday overly wealthy high school's football game and dance. Normal. :)

God bless!