Disclaimer:None of the characters belong to me… just the plot.

Important to Know Before You Read:Since this is an alternate universe fiction, some of the names are slightly changed. Mainly, Cyborg is called Simon Green. Also, Beast Boy's name is Logan Garfield rather than Garfield Logan only because I like calling him 'Logan.' Dick Grayson is living under Bruce Wayne's roof mainly because he's still a minor and in school but also because I LOVE Brucey Bruce! Other than that, I hope you all enjoy the plot.

Chapter 1:

The sun was just setting outside of Raven Roth's bedroom window when she finally dragged her sore and battered body through her door. With determination and not a few pained gasps, she made it to her queen-sized bed and collapsed.

She was beyond feeling about her current situation and she knew she had no more tears left to cry. Her father was drunk… again. And he had taken his rage out on her… again. So what was new? Despite these thoughts, Raven could feel a lone tear leak down the side of her face. The salty tear stung as it traversed over an open wound on her cheekbone but she was far too weak to do anything about that just then.

A few years ago, Raven would have been sobbing pathetically, saying her prayers, and asking God why her mother had to leave her here. It didn't take long for her to become disgusted with her weakness, though. Now, she fought back to the best of her abilities and took her beatings with all the dignity that the situation could afford her. She could take care of herself. Her father could only hurt her so much now.

Sighing exhaustedly, Raven curled up on her side and felt her eyes drift shut. Summer break was almost over. In a few days, school would start up and she would barely even see her father's face as much. Ironically, Daemon Roth was a county police officer that usually worked the night shift. Raven didn't have to deal with him as much during the school year and since this would be her last year in high school; she also had college to look forward to. She would never have to see her sorry excuse for a father again after this year.

Dick Grayson watched worriedly as the great grandfather clock in the grand foyer struck 8:00 pm.

"I don't think she's coming today, Robin."

The teenager looked over to see his adopted father observing him from the parlor door. Dick's eyebrows drew together over his dark gray eyes. "That no-good father of hers has probably done something to her… again!" he seethed.

Billionaire Bruce Wayne sighed helplessly and continued to study the countenance of his young charge. "Regardless of what has or has not happened to her, you know she doesn't want your pity or your interference in her affairs. Raven can handle herself for now. But you need to forget about that and start today's training without her. Just because we've had a nice long reprieve from fighting doesn't mean we can afford to slack off."

Robin watched in silent anger as the old bat turned back to his parlor. How was he supposed to just ignore the fact that his best friend was constantly being beaten to a pulp by her worthless father? Raven didn't deserve what she was going through. His one and only friend was the kindest and most sincere person he had ever met.

If there were anything he could do to relieve her pain he'd do it in an instant. But he could never think of anything and that's what really made him feel so useless and angry. And Bruce's calm acceptance of the matter didn't help at all.

Shoving his hands in the pockets of his track pants, the boy wonder took off for the training room and a nice long session with his favorite punching bag.

Because she fell asleep so early the previous night, Raven awoke extra early the next morning. The sun hadn't even peaked up yet when she stretched and arched her back, testing the soreness of her limbs. Satisfied that the pain was bearable, she slowly stood and made her way to her en suite bathroom for a cold shower to further numb the pain.

As she was shampooing her hair and thinking of the day's agenda, she silently cursed as she suddenly recalled her missed appointment with Robin the night before. Great, she seethed, now he'll be all worried and upset when I see him today.

She finished her shower, did the rest of her morning toiletries while wrapped in a fluffy towel, and then walked back to her room to dress for the day. As she walked into her bedroom she glanced out the window, as usual, to see the early morning sun and paused as she noticed something unusual. There was a large moving truck parked in front of the house next door and several people were busy moving boxes and furniture back and forth through the front door.

Raven frowned. Apparently someone had finally bought old lady Mabel's mansion. Joy, Raven thought sarcastically. She moved away from the window, disinterestedly, and went about finding something to wear.

A half hour later, Raven finally left her bedroom only to hear the doorbell ring. Her father wouldn't be home from work until around 11 am so she quickly descended the stairs to see who it was. Peeping through the peephole, she rolled her eyes upon seeing the familiar face on the other side of the door. She swung open the door and gave a fake smile.

"What brings you to my humble abode?" she deadpanned as Robin glared at her.

"Where is he?"

"At work," she answered, not even trying to pretend she didn't know whom he was talking about.

Robin observed the slightly purpled flesh over his best friend's right cheekbone and felt his blood boil. "That coward," he seethed.

"Robin, I'm sure my father didn't go into work just so he could avoid your wrath."

"Quit with the sarcasm, Raven, this is serious!" Robin shouted.

Raven paused in panic as she noticed a few heads from the movers next-door turning in their direction. She quickly grabbed Robin's wrist and pulled him into the house, slamming the door shut behind them.

"Are you trying to let the whole world know about my business?" she demanded.

"Raven I--"

"No!" Raven cut him off angrily. "Robin this is none of your concern! The only reason you even know about this is because you couldn't quit snooping around!" She poked him in the chest accusingly for emphasis. "Now, I'll ask you for the last time to just leave this alone!"

Robin glared but said nothing.

Satisfied, Raven put her hands on her hips. "I'm just about to make breakfast, do you want any?" she asked nonchalantly.

"No," he answered in a somewhat sulking tone, "thanks."

Raven twirled on her heel and headed for the kitchen, a still-despondent Dick Grayson following her slowly.

"YO! BB! Get your ass over here before I drop this box!"

"I've got it, Cy!" an enthusiastic voice answered.

Suddenly, the large, muscular teenager found the entire weight lifted from his shoulders and he looked up to see a tall, slim-but-slightly-muscular teenaged girl lifting the box he'd been struggling with in two petite hands. She had a bright smile on her face and it didn't look as though it was straining her at all to carry the 150 lbs box.

"Uh… thanks, Star," Simon Green replied nervously.

"Of course, brother Cy," the stunning amazon answered with a sunny smile.

Cy watched, disturbed, as his adopted sister turned and walked back to their new house. He didn't even notice the teenaged boy that popped out of the back of the truck.

"Dude!" the boy shouted, shocking Simon out of his stupor. "You called me?"

"BB! Man, our new sister is downright freaky!" he stage-whispered with wide eyes.

Logan Garfield, fondly known as Beast Boy due to his infamous canines that were visible whenever he smiled, blinked at his adopted brother of seven years. "Dude," he finally answered, "that's our sister!"

Simon knocked the disgusted look off of Beast Boy's face in outrage. "Not like that, you idiot! I mean she's not normal!"

"Oh." Logan rubbed the side of his face where he'd been punched and looked towards the house as their new sister, Star Tamarania, happily skipped out of the front door.

"Brother Logan, Mother asks if you think we can finish the unloading of the truck before lunchtime," Star asked as she skipped up to them.

"Ummm… yeah," Logan answered dazedly.

"Glorious!" she exclaimed. "Then we can have our first meal together in our new home!"

Cy and Logan merely gaped at her in wonderment. Oblivious, Star hopped onto the truck and picked up another heavy box with the ease of a gladiator and a sunny smile.

As she skipped back into the house, Logan turned to his brother slowly. "I think I see what you mean."

"Yeah...."

Life as Moira G. O'Connell was rather extraordinary. As a multimillion-dollar fashion designer, she had plenty of money to toss around and her softest spot was for troubled kids. As a widowed and barren middle-aged woman with no love interest to speak of, her obvious choice was to adopt.

She started out with Logan Garfield. He had only been five when she'd picked him up from the streets in New York City where she'd originally ran her first business. Logan was half Native American from his mother and half Irish and he had the most searing emerald green eyes she'd ever seen. She had instantly fallen in love with him and she hadn't let him go since.

Five years later, after she and Logan had moved to California, they met Simon Green. His parents had died in a plane crash and the rest of his family had turned him away so he'd been stuck in a foster home that he hated. One day he ran away and by chance (miracle is what Moira calls it), he ended up running straight to them. Logan and Simon instantly took to each other and, again, Moira didn't want to let go.

Now, Moira's latest charge, Star Tamarania, was an especially unique individual. Moira met Star in a convent when visiting a friend. The story that Moira's friend told her was that Star had been abandoned on the steps of the nunnery as a child and had lived with them ever since. Star wanted to explore the world, though, and meet other kids her age and Moira simply adored her purity of character. The next day, Star happily joined the family.

Sitting at the round kitchen table and watching fondly as her children talked excitedly of their new home, Moira couldn't help but to smile softly.

Logan noticed this, however, and raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "What is it, mom?" he asked around the bite of tofu burger in his mouth.

Simon and Star looked at her as well.

"It just feels so good being together like this," she answered with a little sigh of contentment. All three youthful faces lit up with smiles at this and she turned back to her meal.

"Soon you all will be going off to college, starting your careers, and living on your own," she stated, trying to keep the sadness out of her voice.

"Aw, we have a whole year before any of that comes up," Simon declared with a wave of his hand.

"Yeah, and we won't be leaving you behind or anything, mom," Logan assured her.

Teary-eyed, Star clasped her hands together and nodded vigorously. "It would be most distressing if I had to let go of this family so soon after finding it."

Moira's face lit up in a brilliant smile as she rubbed the wetness from her eyes. "Oh, stop trying to make me cry!" she lightly protested.

With a toothy grin that showed off his sharp canines, Logan patted her on the shoulder. "Sorry, mom, but you're stuck with us for a long time."

They all shared a small laugh before eventually finishing their lunch together.

"Alright," Moira exclaimed as she stood up with renewed vigor. "We're finished unloading the truck but we still have lots of work to do. I want to get this done before you kids have to go off to school next week."

"Mo-om! We're not kids anymore!" Logan protested with an indignant pout.

"Whatever you say sweety. Now I want you and Simon to work on getting this kitchen in order. Unpack all of the pots, pans, silverware, utensils, and all of the boxes marked kitchen- that should be the blue tag- by four o'clock.

"Star and I will take the library and the sitting rooms. And at four we can all finish the day by working on our own rooms upstairs. Deal?"

"Glorious!"

"Got it!"

"No prob!"

The four of them set off to work.

Raven had gone with Robin to his manor since 10 in the morning to avoid her father for the day. Of course, she'd left a note and a reachable number to avoid getting into trouble for it. School and Robin's home were the only two places she was allowed to go without first seeking permission. Having a best friend whose father was Bruce Wayne had its merits.

"Come at me with just your fists this time," Robin ordered her. They were standing in a boxing ring with extra padded floors and Raven was wearing boxing gloves and a padded helmet. Robin had been teaching her how to defend herself ever since he'd found out her secret two and a half years ago. Her greatest strength was in her legs but he frequently insisted on strengthening her arms as well.

She lunged at him with all of her momentum and swung high at his face. As usual, Robin seemed to glide out of the way with little effort. She caught her balance and swung again and again with determination. Robin eased his body out of the way of each blow with his hands clamped behind his back.

"That was good," he stated when she ran out of energy.

"How…" she gasped out, trying to catch her breath, "how could that possibly have been 'good' when I didn't even touch you?"

"The point isn't for you to be able to hit me," he answered as though that were obvious. "I mean… I'm Robin!"

Raven stared at him blandly, still breathing harder than normal. "Should I leave you alone with yourself?" she deadpanned.

"The point is for you to push the limits of your speed and stamina," Robin continued, blithely ignoring her sarcasm. "Already, I can tell that you are much faster than the average crooks that I chase down. And that's definitely improvement, considering your skinny arms and legs."

"Hey, I don't make fun of your embarrassing haircut or feminine eyelashes so don't talk about my skinny arms or legs!"

Robin grinned at her, a small dimple appearing in his left cheek. "Whatever you say, Gumby."

Raven aimed a swift kick that, surprisingly, connected with his right shin. Robin let loose an imaginative string of curses that made her blush.

"I thought you would block that!" she exclaimed with a red face. "What happened to the 'nobody-can-touch-me-cause-I'm-Robin' attitude?"

Robin hopped around for a minute before turning to glare at her.

"I'm sorry!" she said sincerely, not wanting him to be angry with her.

He stared at her for a minute longer before letting his anger loose with a long sigh. He peaked at his watch and then looked back at her reluctantly. "It's after 8:30… I should get you home before--"

"Yeah," Raven interrupted him, "That's fine."

They left the training room and headed for the garage. Alfred, the family butler and close friend, stopped them on the way to give Raven a bag in which he'd already packed away her supper for the night.

"Take care Miss Roth," he smiled kindly at her, "It's always a pleasure to see you."

"Thank you so much, Alfred." She smiled back at him hesitantly.

She and Robin entered the garage and walked down the many rows of cars and bikes until they came to Robin's little monster. It was a Suzuki Hayabusa in all black with a red design and gold trim. It was the one and only mode of transportation that Dick Grayson used on a regular basis. He hopped on and handed Raven his black helmet as he took the red.

Raven inhaled slowly and exhaled before putting on the helmet and climbing on behind him.

"Hold on," Robin warned her as if she wasn't already clutching onto him for dear life. He revved the powerful engine before taking off like a bat out of hell, Raven saying her silent prayers with her eyes clutched tight.

Wayne Manor was only a twenty-minute walk from Raven's home, but on Robin's bike, they seemed to get there in less than two. He pulled up into her circular driveway with his bike rumbling loudly. Raven was only too happy to discard the helmet and hop off of the monstrosity that her friend called a mode of transportation.

"Do you need me to escort you inside?" Robin asked her over the sound of his engine.

Raven gave him a dubious glance as she turned to him. "I think you're confusing me with a damsel in distress, oh wondrous knight." She gave him a fake curtsy before turning back to the walkway that led to her front door.

Robin revved the engine twice before cutting it off and following her to the door. She paused for a moment before turning to look back at him expectantly.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Escorting you, milady," he teased. When she pierced him with one of her deadly glares he turned to placating tones. "Look, Raven, why would I just drive off when my mere presence can spare you from having to deal with that jerk?"

Raven sighed and placed her hand on her hips, effectively blocking him from her front door. "Robin, I appreciate your concern," she began in an irritated voice, "I truly do. But if you don't turn around and hop back on that thing you call a bike, I swear I'm going to choke you to death!"

"Why do you have to be so stubborn about this?" he demanded, anger and frustration evident on his face. "All you have to do is say the word and Bruce and I can swoop you out of this entire situation!"

"I'm not a charity case, you brute!" she yelled. "My life isn't as terrible as you think it is!"

"Your father doesn't deserve you!"

Raven glared into his stormy gray eyes. "Robin," she said quietly, "my father and I have both been through a lot." She ignored his reflexive eye roll. "He's not a joy to be around but it's not like he takes it out on me every day. I can handle the occasional tantrum."

Robin gaped at her as though she'd gone insane.

"I'm not budging from my stance on this, Robin. And, I quote, 'Leave. It. Alone.'"

Robin watched as her dark hair swirled in the evening breeze and her amethyst eyes sparkled defiantly behind her fringe. "At least let me escort you inside," he murmured. "I promise I'll leave as soon as you are safely in your room."

Raven watched him for a minute, tempted to just give him that little bit of leeway. Then she glanced up and saw someone standing in the front yard next door… staring directly at them. Her eyes narrowed to slits and she swung around, angrily ignoring Robin's pleading look. "Good night, Robin!" she growled as she unlocked her front door and closed it soundly behind her.

Wondering what had made her so upset, Robin glanced behind him to see a dark-skinned, muscular teenager standing in the next yard and eyeing his bike. He looked once more at the closed front door of his best friend's house before giving a frustrated sound and turning to leave.

Cy watched with fascination as the guy next door hopped on the Suzuki Hayabusa and revved it a few times before flying off down the road.

"I have got to get me one of those!" he whispered fervently to himself.

A/N:This is my very first publicized piece of work and I'm definitely not a professional or anything so I know that there must be mistakes. Lay it on me. I enjoy the criticism so let me know what you think. If I feel as though it's a disaster, I might leave it alone. Otherwise, I'll be working on the next chapters whenever the writing bug bites.