A/N: Though this is classified as a Teen Titans fic, the central character is going to be my OC, Elm. The Titans do play an important role, but they are not the focus. The whole story is only part of a larger plot cooked up between ThSmaurai, Maiden Samurai, Korianderstar and myself, involving OC's we each created on our own for other purposes.

DISCLAIMER: this is for any future encounters with the Titans, which I do not own. I also do not own any characters other than Elm and minor characters exclusively associated with him. I don't even own the larger story, as I implied already. However, I do claim the creative rights to this portion of the plot.

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"What is it sir? I know I'm not in trouble, so why am I here? If you don't mind, I'd like to get this over with quickly; I need to get back to class."

The principal didn't answer right away. He just sat there behind his polished, mahogany desk, staring at her sadly with a sad smile fixed on his face—or was that a trick of the sunlight slanting through the medium-sized window placed on the far wall?

No matter. It still unnerved her, and she sat on one of the blue cushioned chairs, its back to the newly re-painted white wall, and facing the desk. She didn't bother to remove her backpack. In a slightly quavering voice this time, she asked again, "Sir, why am I here?"

This seemed to snap the principal out of his trance, as he sat up strait in his stiff-backed, wooden chair. He blinked, cleared his throat a couple of times, and responded.

"Carolyn, I don't know how to break this to you gently, but…" he paused, sighed heavily, then continued, "your brother, it seems, well…" he trailed off, then blurted it out. "he and your mother were killed in an automobile accident on the way to his dentist appointment." He slumped forward, removed his glasses, and covered his eyes, not bothering to pick up the pile of folders he'd accidentally brushed off onto the floor.

Carolyn, meanwhile, had the look of someone hit over the head with a two-by-four—stunned, to be precise. Her mouth opened and shut several times, but no sound came out. Her eyes were as wide as saucers.

However, she recovered quickly. "S-sir, is this a prank?"

"I wish it was. I really do," came the reply, muffled by the hands covering his face.

She sat there for a few moments, then almost without thought, Carolyn fled the office, her eyes blurring with the beginnings of a river of tears. She ran down the hallway, shoes squeaking on the floor as she passed a line of lockers. She crashed through the doors, which barely slowed her headlong flight. She raced through the parking lot and down the street, not even seeing the traffic. Somehow she made it home, where she fumbled to unlock the door. Once inside, she raced upstairs to her room, where she flung herself on her bed and sobbed herself to sleep.

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"Carolyn?" She looked up from stuffing books in her pack, absently blowing a stray lock of strawberry-blonde hair away from her eyes.

"Yes?" She barely reacted in time as something came flying at her head, reaching up instinctively and snatching the projectile before it made contact with her nose, a projectile that turned out to be…car keys?

She sent a questioning look at her brother. "Are these the keys— to your car?"

He nodded somberly. "I thought you might like drive it to school today. Mom's driving me to the dentist, so I won't need it."

"But—" her mouth opened and closed like a fish, nothing coming out.

"Also, in the console, you'll find something for you. I think you'll like it."

She frowned at him, and when she'd finally found her voice said, "All right, who are you, and what have you done with my brother? He's always nice, but the one thing he never, NEVER did was let me drive his car."

He chuckled (halfheartedly) at the joke. "Am I not allowed to change my mind once in a while? Besides, I think you've earned it." He smiled, but it looked almost forced. She barely noticed, lost in a world of glee.

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When she woke, it was dark outside, too dark to see without some sort of light. But as she crossed the room to hit the switch, she sensed she wasn't alone. She heard breathing!

She pretended not to notice, wiping her eyes on her sleeve and slipping her hand behind the desk next to the wall, gripping the baseball bat she kept there.

All of a sudden, she flipped the switch and whirled, her weapon aimed threateningly at the intruder's head.

"What are you doing in my house?" she demanded, then gasped as she recognized the disoriented read-headed boy in front of her. She shook her head, trying to deny it, but…"Carl? But I was told…" she could go no further, and embraced him, eyes weeping for an entirely different reason.

"That I died in a car crash?" he finished for her, stuffing the remains of a sandwich into his mouth, dropping the curious staff he held in one hand, then returning the hug, resting his chin on the top of her head. She nodded, still unable to voice a single syllable.

"I'm sorry you had to be put through that, sis. I wish it could have been different, but it was necessary."

"Necessary?" At that word, she released the death grip she had on her brother and backed away, wiping her face with a sleeve and narrowing her eyes. "Necessary?" she repeated in a quiet hiss. "Do you have any idea what I felt when I was told you died?!" she shouted. "And then you go and tell me it was 'necessary!'" Her hands were clenched so tightly that her nails threatened to draw blood from her palms, and she was seriously considering giving him a good, resounding slap across the cheek.

"Please, sis, I didn't want it this way. You have to believe me!" he pleaded. "It was to protect you. To protect all of us!"

Carolyn's rage visibly transformed to confusion on her face. "What?"

"Listen carefully. You must NEVER reveal to ANYONE that I'm still alive. Not even Dad." He bit his lip. "I wasn't even supposed to tell you."

"But why?" He shook his head, refusing to answer, and turned to leave. "Oh, and Mom isn't coming home, either. She'll be coming with me." He picked up his staff, and it shone with reflected light.

"But, w-why do you have to go? Where are you going?"

He turned back toward her. "I'm not supposed to tell you…" He trailed off, shaking his head in resignation, and spoke again. "But then again, I shouldn't have been here in the first place. Oh well, in for a penny, in for a pound, I suppose." He grinned and began his explanation. "For some time now, I've been part of a top-secret research program, and, well, let's just say that if you hear news of a new hero on the street, you'll know I'm alive and well." And with those words, he walked over to the window looking out on the dimly lit street, and vanished before her eyes.

She blinked, then rushed over to the window and peered out. Carl was standing on the street, waving at her, then he turned and vanished once again.

That was the last time she saw him for a long, long time.

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Excerpt from Elm's journal (no date specified for any entries)

"You're joking, right?" I was addressing the two men sitting on the couch in front of him.

"No, sir, we're not," said the one on the right. If they were uncomfortable that I was towering over them (at 5 feet, eleven inches I tended to do that a lot) and refusing to sit myself, they didn't show it. They were perfectly calm. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that though I was tall, I had a thin build, whereas they were a bit on the hefty side.

I stared at them, still not sure if they were entirely serious. They said they were from the Federal government, and that they needed me for some kind of special project. They certainly fit the part, dressed in black suits like the ones those agents from "Men in Black" wore, right down to the ties on their chests and sunglasses on their face.

I suppose I could give them the benefit of the doubt. "All right, I suppose. But if I do this, what do I get for it?"

The one on the right (he seemed to be the spokesman; the other one just sat there the whole time) took off his glasses, looked me square in the eye, and said, "Frankly, sir, we are not allowed to tell you more than this. If we are successful, you will have power, power to do as you see fit."

I raised an eyebrow, and briefly glanced my mom sitting on the green chair behind me. When I returned my attention to the agents, I answered. "Could you give us some privacy? I'd like to talk to my mom for a moment." They nodded, so my mom and I left the room to confer.

I looked at her again. "I'm not sure about this, dear. What if they're lying?"

"But Mom, what if they're telling the truth? I could really help people." I turned my gaze toward the other room. "I know there are risks, but…life is full of risks." I looked back at her.

She gave a rueful smile. "OK, I'll let you do it; but, only if you let me come too. You need a chaperone."

"Oh, Mom!" I groaned and rolled my eyes, but not really meaning it. I gave her a hug. "I suppose, if you must…" I added, releasing her. She put her hands on her hips and gave me a mock glare. I grinned unrepentantly.

"All right, let's go tell them." And so we did, oblivious to the series of events that simple act would set in motion, comparable to tipping the first domino in a chain.

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