The Procession [Rena's Funeral]

Alaire looked around at all of the people making speeches and started to feel bad. All of the Supers here had been around her. Had known her. Had actually seen her. These reporters were being disrespectful and not only to Rena but to her friends, and enemies for that matter. She listened as Serenity said what she said about the reporters heads. "Let's see what we can do about that."

She turned to Nessa as she joined them, "I'm ok but I might need some help getting rid of these reporters." She started to push her way through the reporters "accidentally" bumping into them and even making a few drop their pens not caring about what they thought about her.

She took a deep breath and stood up at the podium. "Ok look. I didn't know Rena but I know her friends and her enemies and the people who are actually here to mourn and respect her, and people aren't. How many of you have lost a friend, a family member or any loved one?" Some of the reporters stopped writing and looked her, some were writing down her every word and some were even taking pictures."Well how would you have liked it if at their funerals there were hundreds of cameras flashing in your face making you more upset than you already were. Now that I have said this I ask you to stop taking pictures and put down your pens if you'd like to stay. Anyone else can leave, and I will personally help you do so." She gave them one last stern look and walked down giving the rest of the Titans a nod waiting for the first stupid remark to be made.

Oh, man.

The speeches were starting.

Griffin said something stereotypical, and Nessa didn't really hang onto his words. At the beginning of Nick's, she was still zoning out. Then a few terms caught her off guard. Dating!? Her brow creased. Then he mentioned something about it being the beginning. The beginning of what? First, there was the creepy message, now he was being cryptic. She honestly didn't like this sort of deal. Somebody else stepped up. Was it - no. There was no way he'd be in public, at something swarming with press, without his mask. Then again, maybe that was the point. She frowned slightly, watching him talk. She almost felt guilty that she had never met Rena, only latched on to what the others had said about her. She would never know what every one of them meant by their speeches.

The frown deepened at Serenity's comment. What had gotten into her? She couldn't remember a time when the girl had been so negative. Then again, Nessa hadn't been exactly herself. It was too similar to how things had panned out the last time for comfort. The dark mood passed quickly in the brunette, though, as A'Lynn spoke. "Good luck," she said softly, cheerfully, as the other Titan broke from the group to make her way to the podium. Like several of the talks before her, Alaire was mostly talking about the disrespect that was being given to Rena Caranela. Vanessa found herself looking down, almost ashamed at making her appearance. She didn't know Rena. She had only come to show support of those who had known her. In a way, she felt that action was just as wrong as taking pictures.

"Everything is going to change, isn't it?"

The question seemed almost like she was talking to herself, but she had glanced sideways at Serenity. The death of a super-villain was rare, like the death of a superhero, and this one seemed drastic. A new threat. A new enemy. Sure, there were new heroes popping up constantly, but this was different. So many had been connected to Rena, and many more to her passing.

It was her turn now. She didn't know if Rena wanted her to say anything, or if she really should say something, but she would go up there anyway. She owed her friend that much. If only to say what she thought needed to be said.

"Yes it will." she said in response to Vanessa's question. Life would go through hell before anything could happen to make it better. And there would be a longer period of time after that before anyone realized that it was better. Life at the tower was not going to be happy skippy joy joy for a long time to come.

She walked through the group of superheros who were clustered in the room. Her friend deserved something better than a bunch of titans arguing during her funeral. And no one deserved the crowd of reporters that had come to see the last possible shots of the supervillain that they could get.

She made her way through the Titans like they weren't even there, she had always been good with crowds.

She glanced at everyone as she stepped up to the podium next to the open casket of her friend. "Before I say anything I want all who are here right now to know that this is a ceremony to grieve for those who have past over to the other side. Not a publicity stunt." she said narrowing her eyes at the reporters who were now under the glare of the blond. "If any more of this funeral ends up on the evening news," she glanced at the reporter responsible for sending Nicks statement to the news crews, "Oh yes and I do know about that already Carl." she looked at the rest of them her eyes flashing angrily, "I will have the spirits here disable every electronic device here." she warned glancing at Sorina for a moment who was working on a hidden camera. "They will happily help out."

A maroon symbol blazed for a moment on her forehead before fading away making her look human once again. She closed her eyes before beginning.

"Rena despite what most here are thinking was actually a human being." she began finally her voice loosing it's anger and gaining a sad note that wasn't there before. "She laughed, she cried, looked up to people, played games, had her own favorite music, her own fears, her own talents, her family, and like all people she had her ups and downs." she glanced back at her friend before choosing what to say next.

"She was kicked off the planet, her sister was thought dead, and many people here are glad to see her gone." she said a tear almost made it out of her eye but was stopped by her hand a moment before it formed. "I will say one thing, she influenced so many people in here time here in good and bad ways, yet we all do." she said with a sideways glance at the coffin, "Her death will be remembered for many years to come," she said and held her head high as she left the stand, daring anyone to object to her statements.[/size]

[Deleted]

Vivian felt so out of place here.

She hadn't known Rena like the others who were here, she only knew the things she heard from the news or from the rumors that passed through the streets and she felt a bit uncomfortable being here. But, it felt right to come. Her only real reason she came to the procession was as support. She was there for Serenity. Vivian slowly pushed her way through the crowd to the first row of seats and sat down.

She was dressed in a white blouse she didn't even know she had and a pair of jeans she had "borrowed" from Sears. Vivian watched as Green, Nick, Griffin, and Serenity made their speeches and, suddenly, she felt useless.

She didn't know what to do.

Should she try to say something even though she never knew Rena? Should she wait for the procession to be over before talking to Serenity or talk to her now? She began to regret that she came; she didn't belong here, she was just getting in the way. But, she would stay for Serenity and anyone else who needed it.

[Athena 'Shift' Logan]

Athena wasn't sure what she was going to say, as she walked quickly up to the spot Serenity and the others had given their speeches on.

She had to say something; the green Titan just...didn't know what.

So she took a breath and, taking a leaf out of her dads' book, started ad-libbing, speaking from her heart, and outting all of her tangled feelings about the black-eyed, deceased teleporter. "Rena was....special. A former Titan. She's impacted this city much more than anyone else on my team has, and she's even - especially - impacted me." Shift paused, bit her lip - no piercings today, it wasn't right, in a church - and started to speak again. She knew the others would be surprised; they knew how much she and Rena had fought, argued, and prodded each other, and most knew of the whole Fyrelle debacle. "And...she was a friend. I'm deeply regretful to see her death, so brutally administered."

As she moved to her seat, quickly, the Titan knew that her teammates eyes would be following her. hell, the newscasters certainly were - she could hear their muted whispers even from the side pew, with her pointed ears. Athena also knew that her teammates would be surprised, to see her there, and to hear her say good things about the traitorous Teen Titan, but -- well, her mama hadn't raised her to speak ill of the dead, and she sure as anything wasn't going to start doing that now. She had bad-mouthed the villianess enough while she walked the earth, so there didn't seem to be much of a point defaming her when she was buried under that same ground.