The Procession [Rena's Funeral]

[Deleted]

The Church. Once Rena had appeared here in life, to tease the one who was prejudiced against Supers, and to pay her respects, not to god, but to the church itself for being architecturally astound. But this time, it wasn't her just killing an afternoon here. This time she was here for a VERY different reason.

The pews this time around, were pushed to the side, as the small gathering of people, a few of them there for the free food that these kinds of things always have. And many were here for the funeral of the criminal Blacklist, and a few were obviously government and police related, watching the procession.

The funeral had been paid for by an anonymous source (feel free to take credit if you want, or just leave it anonymous). The lights dimmed slightly as a casket was pushed in by the caretaker. The glass box, wasn't really glass, it was a very durable plastic, but it was clear enough.

There lay Blacklist, or Rena Caranela if you like. Her face much different than she had worn the last time, it no longer held the shock or pain, of defeat and the three sword through her chest, and even the puncture wounds weren't visible, and her face had been cleaned up of the blood, and wore a peaceful expression, as if she were asleep.

Murmurs wafted from the small crowd, of thrill seekrs, attending a super-villain's funeral, police and moocherssome protests, others of surprise, as most had never seen a picture of her, and others who'd seen the police sketch didn't want to believe that she was so young.

"No way that is THE Blacklist"

"She's so young"

"Oh my..."

A few gasps accompanied these comments, as in fact, who would imagine Blacklist, the terrorist who blew up the police station, to be such a young, small girl that she was.

One thing stuck out about her, that those who ever knew her would notice just about right away. She wasn't wearing her normal baggy black clothes. But a white plain girl's shirt, that clung to her body, the sleeves stretching to cover her entire arm. And instead of her normal black cargo-shorts with large pockets she had used for several different things, was a long white skirt, that reached to her knees, again, much tighter than what Rena had ever worn in life. A light pink lip-stick adorned her lips, and a bit of blush to keep the colour up a little. Her arms folded over her navel, the fingers of each hand intertwined with the other.

The caretaker made his way solemnly up to the podium, placing the body next to the podium, length-ways to it. "Please" the priest said. "Help yourselves to food and Beverage whilst talking among yourselves, before we begin the procession."

Most of the people here were only because of the many protesters outside the church protesting the funeral of the super-villain. The prerecorded music playing inside the church didn't drown out the sounds of their protest. Most of them had enough respect for the church not to try anything drastic.

But it only took one.

The other question circulated around by the reporters was who funded the ceremony. The source had come from an anonymous donor, and the question was who? Did she have family that was still around? Maybe a protege? It didn't matter to the reporters themselves, Blacklist was just another person to prey on. They even had their own section of the church. If only to not bother the rest of the people there. The bright camera's were flashing now getting the only real pictures that anyone had gotten of Blacklist. Their pens were scribbling and ink was splattering everywhere. None of them cared as long as they got their story. Most of the stories were happy even. Except for the matter of the cost of the funeral. That was just a bunch of crap in each and every reporters piece of work.

Not one of them guessed that a small blond psychic had sent the money. No. None of them guessed that. But they did get something right. That the person who had paid for the funeral was most likely in the room as they continued talking about whatever it is that reporters talk about when at a funeral of a well known super-villain.

Whatever it didn't matter anymore. Rena was gone.

That was why she had personally sent the money to the church. Rena at least deserved a proper burial. If that was the only thing she could give her she would at least do that. That rumor going around that there were teardrops on the note attached to the money wasn't a lie. The rumors that it had been impossible to read because of the teardrops... That was a lie. She had not gotten many tears on the note itself. She wouldn't let others know what she was feeling. Only a small group of people knew that she was just about ready to rip the city apart looking for the culprit. She'd bring whoever it was to their knees if she could. And the entire time she'd do it with a smile.

She felt a single tear slip down the side of her face and land on the cold hard floor below her. "I promise." she muttered glancing at the Blacklist that they had placed in the casket. It wasn't who she really was. She looked small and frail compared to the teleporter who had gone through the town in her baggy clothes with a laid back attitude to life and loved to drive a certain bunch of teenagers off their rockers.

That girl would live on. Serenity would never forget her. She'd already promised.

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It was sickening. Reporters shouldn't be allowed to a funeral. Even if it was a villains funeral. If they were better reporters they could've gotten pictures of Blacklist when she was alive. Alaire had respect for people no matter how bad they were and believed that everyone deserved a proper funeral...which in her book didn't include reporters with flashing cameras and pens and paper.

Alaire was so glad to see Rena looking as good as she did. It was much better than how she looked tacked up on the door. Even though the payer of the funeral was anonymous. she was pretty sure she knew who it was and she also figured most of the other Titans would know too. Serenity. Anyone that had been around her since the day of the tragedy knew that.

After a few minutes of stretching to see over people and peeking around people Alaire found Serenity and went straight to her. Out of all of the Titans she had met so far Serenity had to be the nicest...well most of the time. When she got to her she put one of her black gloved hands on Serenity's shoulder and offered her a tissue with the other. "I'll help you find them. No matter what." she whispered so that only Serenity could hear her. "Are you going to be ok?" she then asked a little louder.

He felt miserable for coming.

Sure, they had been Titans together. They had fought as teammates. He never saw her as an enemy, even when it was confirmed that she had killed her sister. The first time he had seen her after her change, that first day after the robbery of his apartment, he had been overjoyed. Sure, his former leader didn't share his sense of amazement or amusement, but it didn't matter. After that night two years ago, everything had changed. The group had gone from tight-knit and splendid to dark and dismal. He knew the group would never be the same, and he had left. The thrill of being a hero was still there, it would never leave, but it was different. Titans had grown cold and distant in the two weeks he had remained before his departure. He didn't feel he belonged.

Still, Griffin Darkholme was not about to never see her.

He had been absent when her body was discovered, and even if her body had been prepared, it still seemed alien to him. He still felt like she had swords sticking through her torso. She always had a dark streak to her, but this was different. Cold. Unfeeling. They were all terms that could have easily described any body, and it only served to make him feel worse. He refused to get very close, he hung around the outskirts of the crowd, silent as he watched the casket make its way to the head of the room. He crossed his arms as he shifted his weight between his feet, frowning.

He had gotten a bit of a haircut, figuring that now was opportune. He had even remembered to shave. After all, if he was paying his respects, he mine as well be respectful. His clothing wasn't some sort of morphed-up version of an outfit, the suit was authentic. He continued to frown as he watched the crowd, searching for somebody familiar. Anybody. Spotting Serenity, he refused to approach her. She hadn't seemed like herself, and he didn't want to disturb her if it was dangerous. He then spotted Alaire, vaguely recognizing her from his recent status at the Tower. They were together. His frown deepened. It truly had been an idea to come, he decided, but he wasn't going to waste it.

He managed to gently prod his way through the crowd and get to the casket. He sunk down on one knee, closing his eyes as he mentally prayed. Had anybody asked him what he had thought, he wouldn't have been able to tell them. He wouldn't have even been able to say who he was praying to. Every memory welled up from two years ago. He slammed his eyelids closer together, drawing upon every memory that involved the deceased superhero. Somewhere along the way, his fingers laced together. A few of the reporters seemed to give him odd looks. A police man seemed to eye him warily, as if at any moment he was going to revive the fallen villain, or unleash some sort of danger upon those attending the funeral.

"Rena. You changed everything."

ooc;; I was gonna use Nessa. But I guess she will appear if TX shows, based upon what she told him.

Why? Why did the love of his life, his Girlfriend, have to up and Die? It didn't matter what she had done years ago...She had still been his girlfriend. And, the day she had shown up on the front door of the tower...Had to be the worst day of his life. And, now, at Rena's funeral, Reporters had the GALL to try to make a happy report about this.

He spotted Serenity and Alaire, but, didn't bother to walk over to them. As he looked at the casket, he didn't know what to think. Rena would NEVER wear something like that...At least not the Rena he knew. Maybe it wasn't important, but, it still didn't look completely like Rena.

As tears went down his maskless face, he began thinking about plans he had made, the same day Rena died. And, he began thinking about how he would make sure noone would ever forget Her. He smirked for a second, but, then, his face went back to a sad look. It was a funeral. A funeral of his beloved. And, she deserved to have people mourn her. So, he stopped thinking about the plans he made, and, just started once again thinking about his beloved. This is probably one of the few times I've ever worn a tux...Either way, it's good that I am wearing this.

Then, he turned toward Griffin. Apparently, Griffin was going to make a speech. As he watched, he began thinking of his own speech, as well. There was no way he was going to forget what he was going to say, but, it was still a good idea to try to remember.

[Deleted]

Irazehl was late.
He was dressed informally.
He wasn't even in any of the designated seats.
But damn it, he was able to be there.

Damned news reporters.

Rena and Green were both the type to avoid reporters like the plague, at all cost avoiding having their pictures taken. Athena could atest to that. He could just imagine their reaction if they knew they were in the same place at the same time. A photo containing both would sell high. It would most likely resemble sharks in a feeding frenzy.

No, she deserved better than that.
That is why he dressed in his more stealthy work uniform, and was hanging from the ceiling. Only the more keenly aware would notice him, and the reporters were clearly distracted by the going ons at ground level. He sat in silence, paying his respects. He would not reveal his prescence unless he needed to. He had nothing to say; to anyone else, at least.

Griffin's eyes quickly opened. He awkwardly straightened up, biting his lip as he noticed Nick. "I-uh..." He searched for words. "I'm sorry, I was in your way or something." He swallowed down his embarrassment, not realizing he had drawn much more attention than he wanted to. He shoved his hands in his pockets, tilting his head to one side. His eyes were slightly wide, with a strange mix of emotions. Pity. Concern. Sorrow. Anger. Frustration. The teenager in front of him had obviously seen better days, who was Griffin to make it worse? "I couldn't just not come. And as much as I want to say something, I can't think of anything. So I'll settle for this."

He paused, still looking a bit awkward, as if caught somewhere he shouldn't be.

"I'm sorry."

I'm sorry.

His voice cracked, but he ignored it. He had lost two teammates the last time something like this has happened. One had shown back up, but she was gone again. No matter what he had said to the Titan, it made no difference. Rena was gone. Nothing was going to bring her back, not to the state she had been before her death. He frowned deeply once again. He turned to face the small group of people who were practically staring at him, fighting to keep his face blank. His words took on a harsher tone than he had planned, and they were much louder aloud than he had hoped they would be. "That's right, you heard it. I'm not treating her like a monster. She wasn't, no matter how little I knew her. We were friends once. And anybody who wants to act immature and cowardly can leave at any time. I'm not stopping you from being respectful."

Vanessa frowned slightly as she walked in. Her dress shoes were almost silent among the murmurs of the crowd, but she could hear Griffin's voice distinctly from across the room. Her brow creased. This certainly wasn't going to be an easy ordeal for any of the Supers in the city, she predicted. She paused in her walking to spot A'Lynn and Serenity. It appeared that the dark-haired girl was helping the blonde, or comforting her in some way. Her frown vanished, to be replaced as she pressed her lips together in a tight line. She changed her previous course from the direction of the casket to her friends, weaving through the crowd, her small form almost unseen until she reached them. She did, however, manage to knock a few reporters off balance as she pressed by them. She took some pride in knowing their thoughts had been interrupted.

"How are you holding up?" she asked, directed to both of them.

Nick said, "Brilliant words, Griffin." Then, Nick walked up to the podium himself. Looking around at the crowd, Nick said, "Rena was.." He then sighed, and said, "My girlfriend. I cared for her alot. She meant ALOT to me. We had fun together, we did stuff together, the whole shibang.

"Now, some of you here aren't here to honor Rena's life." Then, he glared at the reporters, and, then, at the direction from where the protestors shouts were coming from. "No, you're here to MOCK IT. Just like Creon from Antigone mocked Polyneices, by denying his body burial."

He then sighed. "Some of you probably want to forget Rena. Alot of you probably want to forget she exists. Alot of you will go home, or to parties, to celebrate her death. However, her memory isn't going to end with her death." He then smirked. "Infact, after this funeral, I'm willing to bet you'll be remembering her for a long time. So, in a way, this isn't the end of Rena's memory. Infact, it's only the beginning." Then, he thought to himself, I guarantee it... Then, Nick walked back to where he had been before.

[Deleted]

One of the reporters broke from the group, hopping over the 'keep behind or incur serenity's wrathe' line. Of course, it was just another reporter to them, but to the titans inside, it was Irazehl without his mask. The reporters paid no mind to him, he appeared to be just any other guy. He even took the time to change into street clothes he had 'borrowed'. They would have freaked if they saw green robes and a mask.

"I have something to say." he said, as he parted the group. He clearly stood out among the others for his lack of a camera hanging around his neck. "I'm not like these others, who have come here in disrespect. I know her personally."
He moved towards the podium with intent and confidence. In his hand were Angelica Flowers, looking to be hand picked and grown naturally.
As he reached the open casket, he lay them reverently amonst the flowers that had been brought for her.

"I have been working in investigative journalism for this girl for a little over two months now. She quickly caught onto my actions and called me out. Knowing how notorious that blacklist was, I felt for sure that I was as good as dead. I was wrong. She was human, she had feelings. She is no monster. She said that she represented chaos in this world. There are many negative connotations that people assume about that statment. She was chaotic, but she was not evil. Her ways of wisdom were unique, and for it, she was misunderstood. It is tragic that she should go; there is still so much we could learn from her."

Irazehl finished his peice to the others and made silently the one statement he had prepared meticulously for her unhearing ears only. "Let's meet again.... in the next life."

He turned slowly and made his exit. He didn't give the others even a passing glance.

Serenity glared at the forth comings at the funeral. Nick was giving the reporters a field day with their cameras. Not often did people argue about the dead at a funeral, but then this was no ordinary funeral.

TX was very lucky, the blond had been about to go and punch him halfway through his tirade. If he hadn't ended on a good note he would now be sporting a black eye. She was shaking with rage as events fell into place. Rena didn't deserve this. She did not send the money to the church for the titans to have a battle in the middle of the ceremony. That wasn't fair to them or her.

She glanced sideways at A'lynn, the new girl was making an effort. But she didn't know who they had just lost. Just the storys passed down from the other titans. Half were exaggerated and the other half were made up. She knew. Telling if someone was lying was first term in psychology. She was trying though. And that counted for something, "I will be, once their heads in my possession." she growled darkly. If someone was messing with her visions then they were going down. She wasn't going to let herself miss anything again.

She wouldn't let the others fall into that fate without some warning.[/size]