C-can it be? Can it possibly be true? Yes, it is! It's a Christmas miracle! Chaotic Neutral is back!

Apologies and excuses at the end.

Recap: Gar Logan, a.k.a. Feral, new to Jump City and without a place to stay, found on his first night a young woman by the name of Claire in dire straits at the hands of two would-be rapists. After intervening, he convinced Claire to let him stay with her for a few days. The following morning, while having Claire guide him around the city, he heard news of the superheroes known as the Titans in the area, and went to investigate. He arrived at the scene of a bank robbery, and, through a series of misunderstandings, proceeded to fight first the villains, and then the Titans, all the while piquing Raven's curiosity. Gar escaped capture with a bag of ill-gotten money, but upon returning to Claire, finds himself deep in hot water. Gar returned the money to mollify Claire, and has maintained a low profile if for no other reason than to appease his new friend, though he still wishes to meet the local heroes. Meanwhile, the Titans find themselves with differing opinions regarding the new changeling in town, and what his intentions might be. Raven believes this newcomer to be more than meets the eye, and Robin is all too eager to lock him away. Looming in the background are Blackfire and Kyd Wykkyd, planning and waiting for their moment to strike.

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Raven peered around the corner cautiously, trying not to stand out as she followed her targets. It was a good thing she'd worn her civilian persona today, otherwise blending in would have been impossible. One of her hands came up to tug at her gray scarf, pulling it up to cover more of her face as she quickened her pace. It was definitely getting colder out. She was glad for the leather jacket she wore, as the icy wind was starting to cut more deeply.

Up ahead, her two targets stepped into a small deli. She hesitated for a moment, then followed them in. Drifting through the aisles, she pretended to browse magazines as she watched them from the corner of her eye. A weird turn of events had contrived to put her on their trail, and Raven had seized the opportunity, despite her uncertainties. She was wildly out of her comfort zone, and operating alone. At least they hadn't noticed her. While this would normally be Robin's role, she remembered most of the finer points about following a target, and thought she was doing a decent job. They ordered while she waited by the drinks, and wandered over, talking the whole time. Raven put her head down as they drew closer, and listened while they spoke, but it wasn't anything important. They picked up their food a few minutes later, and left.

Raven felt a chill breeze blast her face as she stepped outside to follow. It was a little early for it to be so cold in Jump, but not too out of the ordinary. Catching sight of her quarry, she set herself in the same direction, making sure to stay a few meters back. Eventually, after twenty minutes or so, her marks entered an apartment building, and she had to stop, stepping just inside the alley in between buildings.

Thinking it through, she found she had several options. She could follow them up. There was nothing actually stopping her from waiting inside. Then again, considering what her ultimate goal here was, it might be better to maintain some distance until she gained more information. If she was going to call back up, now would be the time to do it, but she dismissed the idea for the same reasons she had before. More people would just complicate the situation, and she'd like to handle it by herself anyhow. At least for the moment.

Casting her gaze to the darkening sky, she wondered if the roof would be a good waiting spot. It put her close, while also making it less likely to be spotted. It also made it less likely she would spot her true target. Scrunching her brow, Raven looked back down. Either way, it seemed that she was going to have to wait, agai–

"Now that's interesting." A voice said, almost right beside her, causing her to freeze in place. "You smell like her, but you don't look like her."

Slowly, Raven turned her head to look at the owner of the voice, appalled that she'd allowed someone to sneak up on her. She'd been too focused on who she was following, and forgot about her surroundings. Feral stood well within her personal space, a lock of her disguised black hair draped over his fingers as he inspected it curiously. His eyes flicked to hers, and she could see the slit pupils in his emerald irises, focusing on her with skin-tingling intensity.

"But, you are Raven, right?" He asked, leaning in even closer, that predatory gaze sweeping over her.

"Azarath Metrion–"

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Earlier…

Claire had gone to work at her job for the day, and said she wouldn't be back until six. That had been this morning at eight. It was now noon, and Gar had been left to his own devices for entirely too long. He had tried to stay in the apartment, honest, but TV could only entertain him for so long, and he got restless staying inside if he didn't have something to distract himself. And there was a whole metropolis he hadn't seen yet, just begging for his attention. All of that added together naturally compelled him to go outside, and explore the city.

As he understood it, he could do whatever he wanted provided he didn't get into trouble. That would be a challenge, considering he seemed to have an uncanny knack for attracting said trouble. Luckily, Claire had explained to him that some things, things like superpowered brawls in the middle of the street and daytime theft, would be frowned upon. And likely call the Titans down on his head. Though there was something to be said about the idea of meeting those guys again, Gar thought better of it. Anyway, as long as he avoided that type of activity he pretty much had free reign. Unfortunately, this left him with something of a conundrum. He really didn't have any idea what to do with himself now, with Claire's warnings making him think twice before deciding on anything. It felt like his hands had been figuratively tied, which was only slightly less bad than being literally tied. It made him itch. Not to mention, he didn't have any more money, having recently spent the last of it on a bottle of IncrediBubbles, which left him with even less options. However, not knowing what to do next had never stopped him before, so he continued on his way.

As he continued his stroll, he noticed people openly staring at him. They gawked and gaped at the strange green man in their midst, and Gar just grinned back at them, giving little waves as he passed by. A while back he had realized that he was unique in his appearance. Kind of hard not to notice the difference between himself; a green-from-head-to-toe, pointy eared, sharp toothed shape shifter, and everyone else; who all had varying colors of tan or brown skin, rounded ears, flat teeth, and only one form. The contrast was glaringly obvious.

Gar didn't let it bother him though. He was used to the attention by now, and as far as he could tell, his differences were only an advantage. The vast majority of people simply couldn't do what he could, and honestly, he felt kind of bad for them. They wouldn't get to know what it was like to fly by their own power, or swim for hours on end deep beneath the surface of the ocean. No, they had jobs. Gar snickered at that. If being normal meant that he had to get one of those, then he was glad for his abilities, abnormal coloring and all.

Pausing briefly, Gar inhaled deeply. He still had some hours to kill before Claire would be home, and having nothing better to do, he started walking towards the nearby park. It was a beautiful, bright day with a blue sky, and a few clouds, enlivened by a brisk breeze. There were a few people here and there, running with dogs, sitting on benches, or simply enjoying a snack. He came across a pair of old men playing chess on a small table, and watched them from another table for a bit before losing interest. People were very intriguing, he had to give them that. Until only a couple years ago, he had no idea that there was so much to the world. It was kind of mind-boggling.

Of course, he'd always known that there was a whole world beyond the pieces here and there he'd seen, but he had never imagined it to be so chock-full of… Well, so much more. The tall buildings, the strange machines, the weird but tasty foods, the amount of people, and the baffling things they did, not to mention, the sheer vastness of it all. Admittedly, it got to him sometimes, but he was much more curious than worried. It was exciting to see or learn something new every day.

Out of nowhere, something whizzed by his head from behind. Reflexively, his hand whipped out and snatched the object out of the air. Bringing it closer to inspect, he angled the orange plastic disk to get a look at both its top and bottom. It was, if he was not mistaken, a "Fizz-bee". He frowned, and cocked his head quizzically. No, that wasn't right. Fizzy-bee? That didn't sound quite right either.

"Hey! Dude!" A man around the same age as Gar came running up. "That was crazy, man! Those were some sick ninja reflexes!"

The man wore jeans, and a hoodie that had the letters JCU printed on the front in a simple design. He suddenly stopped a few feet from the changeling, and stared, obviously surprised. It was clear he didn't know what to make of Gar, and seemed caught between wanting to back away, and his curiosity. Gar peered around the man to see a group of similar people watching the two of them interact.

"Here." Gar smiled, tossing the man his toy.

The man was late to react, barely managing to fumble the disc into his hands. He looked at Gar, backed up a few steps, then turned and ran back to his friends. Gar's smile faded as the stranger ran away, but he waved when the man glanced back over his shoulder. Some people weren't as receptive to the unexpected and strange as others, something the shape shifter was all too aware of, but what could he do? With a sigh and a shrug, he took out the bottle of bubbles as he continued down the path.

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Raven walked into her favorite bookstore, letting the calm, cool atmosphere of the place sink in. It was a welcome change of pace after butting heads with Robin the past day and a half. Her leader simply wouldn't let this issue with Feral lie, and she was finally forced to leave The Tower or lose her calm.

The place was small and local, run by a man she'd become acquainted with. Of course, he didn't know her as Raven, the dark and powerful Titan. He only knew her as Rachel, the quiet, reserved, and somewhat mysterious woman who sometimes spent her afternoons in the corner of his store. There was a leather chair with soft cushions that she was particularly fond of. She would usually put her things on that chair, and then wander the aisles for a few minutes before picking out a book to read for a short while. Some days, like today, she would bring in a few of her mundane, non-magical books to donate. She opened the plain canvas messenger bag she carried, and placed several such books on the counter where an employee, Michael, stood.

"Rachel, hey!" He greeted enthusiastically when he looked up from the phone in his hands, and walked over.

"Good afternoon Michael." Raven returned evenly. Michael was a tall, somewhat lanky twentysomething that had recently developed a small infatuation for her.

"Please, call me Mike. Or Mikey if you like." He smiled. She fought hard to keep her eyes from rolling, as this was the third – fourth? – time he had told her to call him Mike. While she didn't begrudge him his crush, she was pretty sure he was only attracted to her because she kept brushing him off. "So, did you hear about that new theater that opened?"

She shook her head slightly. "No."

"It's supposed to be really nice. With big cushy seats and everything." Michael explained as he put the books into a bin underneath the counter, taking a glance at the titles.

"Is that so." Raven deadpanned, knowing where this was headed and wondering what exactly she could do or say to prevent it from happening.

Michael leaned forward on the counter with his elbows. "I've got a couple coupons, so if you aren't too busy tonight I thought maybe we could see something?"

"Unfortunately, I have other plans. Sorry." Desperately trying to extract herself from the awkward situation, she turned and fled to skulk the aisles for a bit, purposefully not looking in his direction.

Perhaps she was being a little dismissive, but she was in no mood today. Raven supposed she should be flattered by his attentions. After all, he was nice enough, and not at all bad looking. Plus, not a lot of boys went out for the sour and gloomy type, so maybe she was lucky she had stumbled upon him here. However, she had spoken with him on several separate occasions, and honestly? She just felt no connection whatsoever. Despite the fact that he was calm, collected, well read, and well mannered, she found him utterly uninteresting. The qualities she once thought would make the ideal partner were somehow not what she was looking for.

Maybe she was being too unrealistic because of how many books she read, but she was sort of expecting one of those epiphany moments, where something would click and she'd just know. A part of her liked to fantasize, and indulge in the romanticism of that ideal scenario. She also lived with Robin and Starfire. The way they had met was almost written for the movie screen, with the exiled warrior Princess escaping from slavers and immediately clashing with the charismatic hero, only to team up and take down the bad guys. Recently, the media had been lauding them as some sort of perfect couple, and while she knew that was far from the truth, it was still kind of hard for her not to be demotivated. With them around, Raven couldn't help but feel a little bitter when it came to her own less than luminous love life. Not that she was doing much to help herself in that regard either.

One of her fingers traced the spine of some gaudy romance novel, and she pulled it out of its spot on the shelf. The cover had one of those typically tall, and muscular men with long flowing hair. Shirtless for some reason. She didn't really understand the appeal of hair that long on a man, but then again, she didn't really have a lot of experience in that particular field. There had been a number of occasions where she'd seen Starfire running her hands through Robin's hair, so there must be something to it. Raven just chalked it up to another girly instinct she didn't possess.

Her mind turned to all the men she knew, which admittedly was not that many. Robin and Cyborg were, in a strange way, more like brothers than any of her actual blood relations, so she didn't care that they hadn't shown any interest. The rest were the other Titans, but she didn't find herself drawn to anyone in particular. Granted, some of them she didn't know particularly well, but she did know a few. Speedy, and Aqualad for starters. She grimaced at the thought. Maybe not.

Ugh, what is wrong with me?

Frustrated and upset, she shoved the book back into its place. Walking back to leave the store, she noticed a rather sullen looking Michael going back into the break room. A part of her felt bad enough that she considered going back and accepting the date, but another, bigger part of her was more upset that she felt like she was being cornered into considering a guy she wasn't attracted to. And the guy didn't even know her! He thought she was Rachel, he had no idea who she really was. How would he react if he knew that she was in fact Raven of the Titans, half demon sorceress, wielder of unspeakable and horrific power?

Raven pulled up short as she stepped outside, that last thought striking a particularly sour note. How would anyone react, knowing that about her? Could anyone at all, normal or super, want someone like her? They might trust her, they might even like her, but could anyone truly love someone like Raven?

The answer seemed pretty obvious.

For a moment she did nothing, focused on banishing the hollow aching from her chest. This was stupid, she was being stupid. Thoughts like this were no good to anyone. With a deep breath, Raven regained control of herself and stalked off in search of a warm beverage.

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Claire leaned back in her office chair with a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. The tedium of her office job was really getting to her today. Despite the fact she touted her position in the Department of Supernatural Incidents and Affairs like it was some sort of extraordinary privilege, the truth of her day to day was less than glamorous. It was mostly just busy work. Forms upon forms upon forms that endlessly needed to be filled out, sent, evaluated, rejected, sent back in, reevaluated, and then processed. Infinite games of phone tag that emphasized the futility of it all. A mind-numbing government hamster wheel of boredom.

So, it was that, or keep trying to find something on the Internet about her new house guest.

She partially blamed Gar for her predicament. Her new green friend was a whirlwind of activity that was equal parts entertaining and aggravating, so there was never a dull moment in her apartment. However, she still didn't know very much about him. Claire found that he was weirdly vague when it came to discussing anything about himself. He had lots of stories, but the pertinent details of who, where, and when were often sketchy at best. Gar often started his tales with, "I once knew a guy", or "I was in this city when". Whether he was being deliberately obtuse, or it was just the way he was, Claire didn't know, but it made it hard to verify or corroborate with news stories. Especially since he didn't seem to stay around long enough to take credit for anything, good or bad. There were many stories that she'd read that sounded like him, all until the oldest article, one from about three years ago. A man who had been trapped in his car after a nearly fatal accident had put him in the river, had sworn up and down that a green gorilla had pulled him from the wreckage. While the paramedics had indeed found him on the shore, there was no one else to support his story.

With another sigh, Claire stood and started walking towards the break room in search of coffee. She needed caffeine if she was going to make it to the end of the day. As she made her way there, she wondered idly if it would count against her vacation days if she got Gar to break in and "kidnap" her. Then again, it probably wasn't worth the hassle just to skip a day. Plus, she had no way to contact him.

"Hey Claire." A voice said as she entered the break room.

She glanced over to the only other person in the room before heading to the cabinets. "Hi Zoe."

"How's everything?" The young Korean woman asked, stirring the contents of a paper cup on the table next to her.

That's not exactly an easy question.

"Good." Claire replied, affecting a normal tone as thoughts of the past week rushed through her mind.

Zoe Cha was her best friend and coworker, but Claire didn't know how to even begin addressing everything that had happened. Honestly, she was just taking her days moment by moment, not dwelling on things longer than she needed to. If her mind lingered for longer than a minute, she knew she would relive those terrifying moments. And inevitably, she would ask herself a question she didn't want answered.

What if Gar hadn't been there?

"Where's the half-and-half?" She asked, distracting herself from the tendrils of anxiety and revulsion slithering at the base of her skull.

"We're out."

"Splendid." She'd either have to drink her coffee black, or find another caffeinated beverage. Great.

With a heavy sigh, Claire turned around and leaned back against the counter. Truth be told, she didn't even know what she was doing here. Since that night, she hadn't been able to do anything meaningfully productive at her job. If everything she'd worked for could simply end one night because of a wrong turn, what was the point? She was there purely out of habit.

"There's no real sugar left either." Zoe told her, breaking her train of thought. "Just the fake stuff." She looked mildly disgusted. "Also, it's a very old pot of coffee."

"Is that what you're drinking?" Claire indicated the cup on the table with a jut of her chin.

Zoe scoffed. "God, no. I just needed something to stir as an excuse to be in here."

That elicited a chuckle from Claire. Looking down at the tiny watch on her wrist, she realized it was more than a little past midday. "Well I haven't eaten yet, so do you want to go and have lunch? I'll pay."

Zoe was out of her seat before she finished speaking. "Yes. Please. Take me away from this hell."

Claire smiled as they left, following her friend. "You too, huh?"

"Let me put it this way." Zoe said, heading for the elevators. "I'm about this close to putting my high heel through someone's head."

"That'd be fun to watch."

"Oh, don't get me started."

As her fiery friend regaled her with horrific tales of the workplace, Claire felt herself relax. It was good to feel normal for a moment. A little while later, they were standing in line in a café not far from their office. Zoe had wound down a little bit after venting for a solid ten minutes, and making their way there.

"All right, what's going on?" She asked suddenly. "You've looked dead tired for the past couple days."

Claire froze for a second, caught off guard. "Oh. It's nothing, I've just been staying up late watching TV."

Technically not a lie.

Zoe narrowed her eyes at her. "Claire, you're a terrible liar. It shows all over your face."

"It does not." Claire said indignantly. "I mean, I'm not lying."

"Please." Zoe gave her a flat look.

Meeting her gaze, Claire tried her best to maintain her resolve. But she knew the look in her best friend's eyes. A look that said, don't make me beat you in public to get the truth. It was a rather intense form of concern. Sighing, and seeming to deflate a little, Claire looked away.

"Grande pumpkin spice for…" A male barista called loudly from the pickup counter, looking at the drink he was holding. "Cha-cha-cha?"

"Me!" Zoe said, raising her hand and stepping up to the counter. She took her drink and thanked the man before turning around coming back to Claire.

"Do you ever wonder why guy baristas aren't called 'baristos'?" Claire asked aloud, stalling for time.

"Stupid question, bad distraction." Raising an eyebrow, Zoe took a tentative sip from her drink. "Try again."

"Okay, okay! Can we at least wait for my–"

"Cappuccino for Claire?" The barista called.

Claire winced before retrieving her beverage, and returning.

"You were saying?" Zoe prompted as they found a vacant table in the corner.

"Well…" Claire began reluctantly. "Remember the other day, when I stayed late at work?"

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In a dark hallway deep underground, two figures formed out of the shadows, wisps of smoky black clinging to them as they stepped into dim light. One was a tall woman with exceptional curves, long black hair cascading down her back, and an imperious expression adorning her face. The other was a man, somewhat shorter in stature, but equally imposing. His eyes were completely red, his skin pale. His features, though mostly covered by a cowl, were steadily neutral, almost bored. His eyes, however, betrayed a cold anger.

They approached the edge of a cone of light that shone in the center of a four-way intersection. Another man stood there, wearing tactical body armor, and holding an assault rifle, facing the opposite direction. Blackfire laid her hand on the side of the guard's head from behind, almost like a lover would, before slamming it into a nearby wall. The guard slumped to the ground silently, leaving a trail of blood on the wall. Kyd Wykkyd turned his head one way, and then the other, before silently pointing down the hall directly before the pair. With a flick of her hair, the woman set off in that direction, lifting off the ground and gliding forward. Her silent companion followed quickly, slinking across the ground behind her like a shadow. As they traveled down the hall, they passed alcoves built into the concrete on either side, a solid metal door at the center of each, lit by a single bulb.

"Here." The shadowy man eventually rasped, pulling off to the right into one of the alcoves. Stenciled in white on the metal door there was the serial code, 1752739-HE. The woman alighted softly on the ground, and stepped forward to examine the door.

"Are you sure?" She asked. "It looks like all the other ones."

Her companion glowered at her, and she chuckled.

"Just checking." Blackfire smirked, and went back to inspecting the door.

It was an unremarkable, smooth slab of metal, set in place to keep people out rather than let them in. It had no handle or knob that she could see, and seemed thick. She rapped on it once with her knuckles, and received a dull clunk. Definitely sturdy. With her fingers, she felt along the edges of the door, and was surprised to find the door was completely flush with the concrete. Almost perfectly so. Next to the door was a glass panel, obviously some sort of biometric scanner to allow access. Pulling her arm back, she aimed a fist at the electronics.

A hand gripped her wrist suddenly, stopping her. She whirled on her partner in crime, fully ready to reduce him to ashes, but he let go of her quickly, and shook his head. Kyd Wykkyd swiftly stepped in between her and the door, running his obsidian claws down the center of it. A dark vapor seemed to cascade downward from the cut he had made, before the gash widened into a portal, allowing them free access to the room. Stepping aside, Kyd gestured for her to enter.

Blackfire's smirk widened. "Well, aren't you handy."

As she walked through the portal, she held her hand out and briefly let the back of her fingers lightly caress his unmarred cheek. "Thanks." She said. The shadow jumper instantly jerked his head away with a grunt, and she laughed at his irritation.

On the other side of the portal, the room was wide, and long, stretching off into the poorly lit distance. Rows and rows of shelves bumped the low ceiling, and on each of them were stacks of green military grade storage boxes. Blackfire walked over to the closest shelf, and observed the large coffin-like box that sat there. Slipping her fingertips into the crack between the lid and the box, she jerked it open, breaking the lock with minimal effort. She glanced inside, and then moved on to the next one, opening it in the same fashion.

Kyd watched her do this several times, slightly curious. Perhaps she was just verifying the contents of each box for what she was looking for, or something of that nature. He didn't particularly care, since this was all part of her master plan. He sighed, frustrated and impatient. Gizmo didn't need this much help when they were planning, his ideas were more action oriented. More concrete, with faster results. Kyd wondered, not for the first time, what exactly the benefit was for following this woman. He glanced up as Blackfire walked across his field of view, and grunted quietly in appreciation. Then again, Gizmo didn't have that backside.

There was a loud bang as the alien warrior pulled a box down from the shelf, startling Kyd out of his reverie. She tore open the latches, and kicked open the top with a flourish.

"Oh yes," Blackfire turned to face him with a sinister grin. "These will do nicely."

.

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Raven was extremely focused on her book. Or at least, she pretended to be. Eavesdropping was rude after all, but more importantly, she didn't want to be caught. It all started when she, enjoying her tea and a small pastry while she read, heard a few keywords from the table next to her. Normally she'd be able to block out and ignore the background noise, but there was simply no ignoring this. The words 'green man' and 'shape shifter' were like blaring air horns to Raven's ears, derailing her train of thought, and destroying her focus on the novel in her hands. Now her eyes repeatedly scanned the same line in the middle of her page as she tried not to lean towards the conversation.

"Tore out their tongues?" One woman whispered, horrified.

"Yes, but only the one." The other woman responded tiredly. "He just beat up the other guy. They deserved worse. Bastards."

"Holy shit." The first woman breathed. "Jesus, this is just a lot to process. Why the hell didn't you call me?"

"And say what exactly? Honestly, I've just wanted to put it behind me. Get back to some semblance of normal."

"Oh, I'm sure that's easy, what with the jolly green jackass crashing on your couch."

"Yeah, there is that. It's actually not that bad. A lot like having a high-energy puppy in the house, only without the cleanup." The second woman chuckled halfheartedly.

"Hey! This is serious, I'm your best friend! You should be able to talk to me." The first woman said, raising her voice slightly.

"I know, I'm sorry. I just…" The second woman sighed. "I didn't… I don't know. I just want to forget about it."

The first woman sucked in a calming breath. "No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't be yelling at you. After everything that's happened to you, I'm sure you're trying your best. I can't imagine what you must be going through. God! How are you not freaking out?"

"I'm more numb than anything else. I feel like nothing's real. Like I'm going to wake up, and be… somewhere else."

"Jesus Christ, Claire. You have to tell someone."

"I'm telling you, aren't I?"

"I mean like the police, or your mom, or, I don't know, a therapist?"

The second woman, Claire, groaned slightly. "Oh God, my mom."

"Seriously, you haven't called her? That would be the first thing I'd do."

"And what should I say exactly? 'Hey mom, funniest thing happened the other day, I was almost raped! But don't worry, before anything really bad happened I was saved by a complete stranger who is currently living in my apartment and may or may not be a psycho!' Yeah, I'm sure that'll go over well."

"I wouldn't exactly phrase it like that…"

There was a long silence between the two women, and Raven itched to look at them.

"So, this quote unquote savior of yours… he can change into animals? That's… unusual. What did you say his name was?" The first woman asked after a moment.

"Gar Logan. He also goes by Feral."

"Sounds appropriate. And he's really green? Like completely? What's that about?"

"I'm not sure, he hasn't told me."

"Interesting." The first woman hummed thoughtfully. "And you looked him up?"

"Duh. Not that it's helped much. He's not in any public superhero or government database, and all I can find are vague stories in the news."

"Huh… Can I meet him?"

"Uuuh…" The second woman hesitated. "Suuure, I guess…"

"It's fine if I can't, I'm just curious."

"No, it's fine, I just… he's weird. Really, really weird."

"Gotcha, I'll be fine."

"No, I mean, like, crazy weird. Like, he might smell you, but just let it happen."

"Say what now?"

The two women spoke for a little while longer, and Raven managed to finally catch a glimpse by pretending to use her phone. One of them, the one named Claire who she recognized from the voice, was short and thin, with light brown hair, while the other was around the same height but a bit curvier, with black hair. They both wore comfortable business attire, and, curiously, Raven didn't sense anything supernatural or extraordinary about them. For all appearances it seemed that they were just regular human civilians. Raven closed the book in her hand, no longer even pretending to read.

They left when they finished their drinks, and the empath's eyes followed them apprehensively. She recognized the chance that had appeared before her, but it was too sudden. Too coincidental.

Leaning forward in her chair, Raven drummed her fingers on her knee. She wasn't ready. She didn't have a plan. There were too many things to consider, too many possibilities. Not to mention the incredibly heavy conversation she had just witnessed.

And yet, Raven found herself dodging through the afternoon foot traffic to catch up.

Locked onto their unique emotional signatures, it was easy for Raven to weave her way through the crowds in her clandestine chase. A short time later, she watched the two women enter a building, one she recognized as belonging to the city. So, they were government workers. Focusing for a moment, Raven felt the two women on the fifth or sixth floor, and it didn't seem like they were moving.

There were a couple options she had now. One, she could call and inform the other Titans she'd found a lead, but she hesitated to do that because Robin would likely interrogate the two women unnecessarily. Also, there'd likely be a fight if they actually found Feral, and she'd like to try speaking with him, at least at first. Two, she could go home and follow up tomorrow. But she didn't like that idea either, since she'd be worried about losing her clue, and too far away to act if something were to happen. Then there was option three; she could just wait, and follow the women. One of them had already confirmed that she knew where he was, and the workday was almost over, so it should be simple.

There were a lot of concerns with option three, not least of which was how alone and unprepared she was. However, it was the one that gave her the quickest results. On the other hand, Raven had minimal experience with stakeouts, because it was usually Robin who planned these things out. She chewed the inside of her lip slightly, thinking.

Should she tell the others? If her leader knew what she was doing, or thinking, he'd probably have a conniption. This improvised, half-formed plan was way out of character for Raven. She was normally much more meticulous. He'd tell her she was being reckless, and she would have to agree, but somehow it felt… right. Almost like one of her premonitions. This is what she was meant to be doing. Cyborg would want to scan her head, make sure she didn't have a concussion or brain tumor. Though the two male Titans sometimes clashed with each other, they were often of the same mind, and they both seemed to agree that Feral was dangerous. And Starfire… Well, Starfire was sometimes hard to predict. Most of the time she would trust in her lover's leadership, but every once in a while, she would surprise everyone. The alien Princess had a different perspective on things, which sometimes gave her more insight into a problem, and was worth considering.

The empath shook her head. No, worrying about what the others would think was only making her anxious. And it wasn't like she had to engage Feral if she ended up tracking him down either. In fact, she wasn't going to approach him at all. She would observe and report. Easy.

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.

Dumpster food, if one knows where to look for it, can be just as good as normal food, only with the added bonus of being free. Depending on the source, and time of day, Gar knew what quantity, and quality could be expected from a moment to moment basis. Generic chain restaurants and fast food joints were pretty standard, throwing away any returned orders and whatever wasn't eaten. Decent pickings could be found behind pizza places, and Italian restaurants around lunch. Diners were surprisingly great at supplying suitable meals to a wayward traveler in need. Chinese, and other Asiatic eateries were bit of a mixed bag, literally. Everything got thrown out together at the end of the night, turning into a cold congealed goop that was messy to deal with. Sushi was an absolute no go. But, if Gar had to pick one as the best, it had to be bakeries.

That's where he currently waited. A little more than a block away from Claire's apartment, sitting on a fire escape, kicking his legs, and idly blowing bubbles in the alley behind Benny's Flour Shop. He had been watching it the past couple nights, and knew that they would be closing soon. Any minute now an employee would come walking out the back door with bags of delicious, end of the day breads and pastries. If he was lucky, he might even score an unsquished Danish. That would be sweeeeet. Gar had to be careful though. Call it a hunch, but he didn't think Claire would appreciate how much time he spent rummaging through garbage, or the inevitable smell one gained from such activities. Therefore, swiftness was key.

There was a bang as the bakery's back door swung open, revealing a young man carrying three black garbage bags. When he turned to yell something back into the building, Gar stowed the bottle of bubbles and changed into a cat, slipping over the fire escape's edge to land in the shadows. He watched as the man turned back around, and started heading for the dumpster he was hiding next to. Immediately his enhanced senses told him that two of the bags were inedible refuse, but the third bag held something that teased his nose with the tantalizing scent of baked goods. Launching himself forward, he leapt from his hiding place and latched onto his prize with his front claws, yowling aggressively. The unfortunate young man screamed in surprise as he shook the bag. Seeing that the cat refused to be shaken, he hurled the bag away, sending Gar with it. The bag impacted heavily on the alley wall, but the changeling managed to safely detach, and land on all fours, facing back towards his unintended victim. Arching his back, he bristled his fur, and hissed in pretend anger.

"Mangy cat!" The startled employee cursed, raising his middle finger, and glaring. "Scared me half to death!"

Gar hissed again, shifting ever so slightly to make himself a little bit bigger. Surprise, confusion, and fear registered on the young man's face, and he stepped back. There was another shout from inside the building, momentarily distracting him, and the shape shifter took the opportunity to slip back into the shadows. His head whipping back around, the employee searched for the strange cat, eyes attempting to penetrate the dark corners of the alley. Finally, he seemed to relax, his posture becoming looser. With a snort, he lobbed the other two bags the rest of the way to the dumpster, then spun on his heel to hurry back in, ignoring the bag that he had tossed. Watching him go, Gar let himself shift back into his human form just as the door shut. He waited two beats, then turned with a smile towards his reward.

The Sudden Animal Encounter bit never failed.

Slicing through the thin plastic with his claws, he revealed his bounty. Just as his nose predicted, an assortment of delectable baked treasures tumbled from the split bag. Old, cold, but not yet stale, Gar pawed through for the good bits, a grin on his face as he tried not to drool. And what was that he spied? Dare he hope? Aha, a chocolate croissant! He seized the flaky treat, and brought it close for inspection. Breathing in its scent, he grinned. Lukewarm, slightly squished, but whole and untainted. Perfect, as far as dumpster food goes. That's the real trick. Get the food before it gets to the dumpster. It's not technically stealing if they were going to throw it out anyway, right?

Shrugging to himself, he opened his mouth wide and stuffed the whole thing in. Or tried to anyway. Big as it was, he only managed half, part of it sticking out with crumbs of it flaking off to stick to his face and shirt. Gar didn't even notice, nor would he have particularly cared. He was too busy stuffing his pockets with pastries as he awkwardly chewed his snack. There was no way he would be able to fit more than one in each pocket, but that was fine. These were only for him. Briefly, he had considered offering some to Claire, but then she would probably ask where he had gotten them, and he didn't really feel like coming up with a lie to appease her. It was much simpler just to eat what he could here, and then save a couple morsels to squirrel away in secret places around her apartment. Part of the croissant fell as he was finally able to bite down, but he miraculously caught it between his elbow and his stomach, juggling the other pastries as he did so. He swallowed, and then promptly started on the other half.

A few minutes later, and with one last chocolate frosted doughnut hooked on his finger, Gar stood from his crouch, and returned to the wall that the fire escape was attached to. It hung above him, somewhere around two stories high. Even so, Gar made the jump easily, his free hand grabbing the edge as it came within reach and pulling him up to where he had been sitting previously. Racing up the rickety metal stairs to the top, he looked around to gain his bearings, and then set off in the direction of Claire's apartment. Traveling over the rooftops was a lot quicker then down on the ground, so he closed in on her street within minutes. If he had his timing right then Claire would be on her way home now, and he might be able to sneak up and surprise her for a laugh.

Perched on the edge of one of the buildings across the street, Gar was scanning the pedestrians below when his sharp eyes picked out something peculiar on the street down below. He first recognized Claire, easily discernible because of her short stature. Next to her was someone he didn't recognize, but that didn't mean much, considering his face related memory problems. They seemed to be friends though, judging from their happy expressions. But that wasn't what was odd.

The odd thing was that they were being followed.

At least, that's what it looked like. Gar paused, his eyes flitting back and forth between Claire, and the person a few meters behind her. It was definitely suspicious. Something bothered him about the person, though he couldn't say what. Just a tingling at the back of his neck, but strong. Frowning, he stood. The stalker was focused completely on Claire, only barely acknowledging other people as they brushed past them in pursuit. Perhaps because he had some experience with this type of thing, but he didn't think they were doing a terribly good job of it. Their walking speed was constantly changing, they kept stepping behind things as if to hide. It was the strangest thing.

Luckily, Claire and her friend made it to her building without their follower catching up. For their part, the follower stayed outside, stepping into a side alley. From his angle now, Gar could tell that it was a woman, which he thought was curious. He'd had the vague idea that maybe one of the men who had attacked Claire before had come seeking revenge, but why would this woman be pursuing her? Bringing his hand up to scratch at his ear, he pondered it. After a few moments, he decided it didn't particularly matter to him. Transforming into a small bird, he flapped his way over to the alley where the mystery woman was hiding. Gar would drop in, and give her a good scare. That should be enough to warn her off, whoever she was.

Landing on the alley floor, he suppressed a snicker as he crept up behind her, considering which animal form to take. He was almost upon her when his nose twitched, and he breathed in a familiar and intoxicating scent.

.

Presently…

"–Zinthos!"

Feral was sent flying to the end of the alley, soaring through the air to land squarely in an open dumpster. Her arm outstretched, body positioned in an offensive stance, it took a few seconds for Raven to realize what she had done.

"Ah." She breathed, her eyes wide.

This was not at all how she wanted to meet him. It was, in fact, the opposite of how she wanted to meet him. Her immediate thought was to run and see if he was all right, but she checked the impulse. Raven had no idea what his response would be. Her knee-jerk reaction could have very well ruined any chance she had of talking with him peaceably. And that would just be perfect. She was alone in an alley in a part of the city she was only vaguely familiar with, had no backup, her friends didn't know where she was, and now she had attacked a shape shifter of unknown origin, and unknown intentions. Oh, and it was quickly getting darker. It was a bad situation, and Raven was sure it was only going to get worse. Silently berating herself for her uncharacteristically impulsive behavior, she resolved herself to forging through this folly. Raven didn't leave anything half done.

The empath inched closer, twisting the ring on her finger to restore her natural appearance. There was no point in the secret disguise if she had to use her powers while wearing it and he seemed to have seen through it anyway. A backward flick of her hand sealed the alley off with an illusionary barrier, preventing anyone from entering or even seeing the alley. If this came to a physical confrontation, she had to minimize the collateral damage, and prevent him from escaping like last time.

"Hello?" Raven called, stopping a few feet from the dumpster. She was still on guard, but made sure her stance was as nonthreatening as possible. If his powers were anything to judge by, he would be highly animalistic in nature, and aggressive body language would only put him on edge. "Are you all right?"

When no response had been made, Raven telekinetically tossed a piece of asphalt against the metal container. It made a dull clang when it connected, but Feral still didn't answer. Worried that she may have hurt him more seriously than intended, she reached forward with her powers to check if he was alive. She was immediately struck by the brightness of his emotions. Excitement, curiosity, confusion, and strangely enough, self-reproach. Each feeling was like a shard from a mirror that reflected a colossal fire. Raven flinched, and shut it out before it overwhelmed her. Well, if nothing else, he was certainly alive.

So… Why isn't he doing anything?

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I'm trash, plain and simple. An actual garbage fire that somehow gained intelligence. It's almost been a literal year since I've updated this story, and while there's a variety of reasons why there hasn't been a new chapter until now, it's mostly because I just didn't know what to do. I have an overarching story, and a bunch of little ideas for certain chapters, but it's hard to nail anything down in the soup that I have for a brain. Instead of buckling down and getting to work however, I simply came up with more ideas and procrastinated. A lot. Almost all the time really. Because, as I've said before, I'm trash.

Anyways, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and aren't too angry with me. Especially since this is another cliffhanger. Oh, I wanted to ask what everyone's opinion would be opinion on a minor Blackfire x Kyd Wykkyd thing. Not sure myself, really. I'm not going to do the mailbag this time, but I read every single one that's been posted so far, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Looking forward to what you have to say next! Happy holidays!

– Mocha