Raven talks to her teammates

Titans Tower

"Raven...?"

Kori & Donna knocked and slowly opened the door to Raven's room, where they were greeted by Raven intently reading some kind of tome. As per usual, she had an unreadable look on her face.

"Donna. Kori. How can I help you?" Raven asked, her eyes never leaving the book she was reading.

"Actually, we were wondering if you needed any help," Kori answered. "You have locked yourself in you room for some time. Is everything all right?"

"I'm doing fine, if that's what you're asking," said Raven. "I've just been studying, that's all."

"Studying what?" Donna asked curiously. "I get the feeling it's something important, considering how you've been acting lately."

Raven finally looked up at her teammates as she placed her bookmark and closed the tome. "Stronger emotional defenses. I've been working on a case with some friends, and we had a run-in with some kind of relic..."

"Right, Cassie mentioned you'd agreed to help on a magic-related case," Donna recalled. "You're working with Z on this, right?"

"Right. Z and Wanda Maximoff," Raven confirmed. "You know her, right? The Scarlet Witch?"

Donna nodded. "The former Avenger? I'd heard she'd called it quits."

"I brought her out of retirement during the whole dome incident a few weeks ago," explained Raven. "We might've stumbled on something bigger. And I'm sure this relic's a part of it..."

"What does this Relic do, exactly?" Kori asked.

"It amplified certain emotions," Raven explained.

"Emotions...? Such as?" Kori wondered.

Raven paused for a moment, looking to find the right words. She didn't want to go too deep into an explanation, as she was still feeling the after effects of the relic she'd encountered. She'd managed to suppress those effects so far, and she wanted to keep it that way.

"I can't really go into detail, Kori, but let's just say it's the same feeling you feel whenever you see your girlfriend," Raven explained.

"Oh... oh. I understand completely," said Kori as she fully realized what Raven was talking about. "You have to suppress that side of yourself as well?"

Raven shook her head. "I don't know for sure. Can't be too careful, though."

"You need any help from us?" Donna asked.

"Not at the moment," Raven declined. "But if I need anything from you guys, I'll let you know."

Donna took that as their cue to leave, and took a step back. "We'll leave you to it, then. Talk later."

As they left the room, Donna noticed the look on Kori's face. "Something wrong, Kori? You worried about Raven?"

"I would not say I'm worried," replied Kori. "I know Raven can handle whatever is thrown at her. It's just that the way she has to suppress her emotions, her desires... I suppose I feel sadness for her. I could not imagine having to hold back my passion for MJ, for example."

"I know what you mean. I don't know how she does it," Donna agreed. "I can't imagine it either, having to be so hyper aware of yourself, not knowing what thoughts or feelings might leave her open to Trigon's influence."

Kori paused for a moment, thinking about Raven's situation. "Could embracing her desires be healthy for her?" she wondered aloud. "I mean, I know that Raven feeling too strongly could be catastrophic, but there must be a way to help her face her feelings... maybe even sever her link to Trigon? Maybe her new colleagues can help her where we couldn't?"

It was Donna's turn to pause. The Titans had been successful in helping Raven free herself from her father's grasp, they hadn't yet been able to fully break her away from Trigon's influence. But Wanda and Zatanna... they had far more knowledge and experience in situations like Raven's. "I think you're onto something, Kori. Maybe we should mention into to Raven when she doesn't have so much on her plate...?"