Author's Note: I was reading through my fanfics and I came across this one…I thought I had a good plot, but my writing style…wasn't as good, so I'll try to do it again, only better (hopefully).
The tall clock tower ticked 8:00. The sky was dark and the pale moon was shining above Jump City. Little dots like glitter scattered around the moon, illuminating the streets.
His silent footprints splashed through the puddles in the small alley as he tried to catch a certain the man who robbed the bank. He saw the criminal freeze in his tracks at the sight of the giant barrier that stood in front of him.
"Looks like a dead end." Taunted the crime-fighter. He pounced on the robber and held his wrists tight. He felt the man cringing under him, wringing his fists away so he could escape.
"Y-you don't understand…my family…they need me…" pleaded the robber. "…I need the money…"
"Robbing the bank isn't the right way to do it!" He screamed, frustrated. The sincerity of his voice stabbed the hero right in the middle of his chest, and he found it harder to breathe.
The robber struggled in his grasp. "Who are you to tell me what I should and shouldn't do? You don't understand why I'm doing this. You're not as unfortunate as we are. Everything's so EASY FOR YOU."
He wasn't right. Everything was all but easy for this hero.
You don't know the half of it. He thought, remembering those days. Those were the days.
"I'm Nightwing." He explained. "It's my job to keep this city crime-free."
The pride in his voice only made the man hate Nightwing more, and more with each passing second.
"Well, Nightwing, if only I could see myself through your eyes, then I would see that what I'm doing is wrong…" His teeth were gritted and his fists were clenched as he struggled to get out of Nightwing's strong grip. "…but from my situation, this is the only thing left to do."
Nightwing froze at the sound of the man's piercing words. He remembered her, what she said…
"…let me see him, though your eyes…"
He felt a surge of energy through him. Her spirit collided with his in his beaten down body. They were one, together…
…He shook the memory away. Now wasn't the time for that. "No! Your actions have consequences…you deserve to go to jail!"
Nightwing dragged the struggling robber to the police station, and tied him to the light post in front of it. "Stay here. They'll get you tomorrow morning."
He walked away, and voices echoed inside his head…
"We have a bond, remember? You've been inside my mind. Let me inside yours."
"Robin, you know me better than anyone"
"Robin…"
"Robin…"
He clutched his head, and guilt flooded through him. He screamed at the top of his lungs, hoping that it could take it all away. His voice echoed through the midnight alleys and streets, and all he was left with was the same voice that echoed through his head, calling his name.
It had been years since the titans had separated, and he hoped that he go back and fix it all. It was his fault, anyway. Maybe he never admitted it, but it was his fault. He was too proud, too heroic, too human to admit it.
He stopped in the middle of the road and stared at the tall building beside him. It was a clean, white building, with rows of windows that stretched out until the highest floor. In front was a large lighted sign that said "Jump City Mental Home". He'd heard from one civilian that they'd been keeping a demon in there. He had a demon friend once, and he hoped that he still did.
Maybe it would be time to fix what he had once broken. He tried to hold back— he could never make the teen titans who they were, again. Never.
His body inched closer to the building, and as he touched the silver plate that opened the door, he felt his heart pounding against his chest.
He could only imagine how awkward he looked, with his hero uniform, and his long, jet-black hair. He could feel the stares on him, and he could imagine himself being dragged away into one of the rooms. And, in all honesty, he didn't really mind. Anything was better than walking around the dead city streets that smelled of alcohol and hate— or maybe that was just him.
He approached the closest nurse and asked for a "Raven Roth". The woman eyed him conspicuously before she escorted him to a far room in the end of the hallway.
The walls were white, with a couple of clean windows here and there. He could see behind each window either men who were talking to themselves, or women in straight jackets. It seemed, with each passing room, the people's conditions grew worse; then, he could only imagine what was at the end of it— a demon, a pure-bred demon.
"Is she really dangeros?" he asked the nurse. Unsure if he wanted to continue this.
"No, actually, she expects you are." She replied with a faint smile. "I'm glad you decided to visit her. No one has been coming here for a long time…" Her voice drifted away. "Actually, no one has come to visit her at all…are you her boyfriend? She seems too beautiful a lady to not have one."
"No," his gaze drifted down to his feet, as he blushed at the thought of being romantically related to Raven. "I'm just a friend"
"It's good to know she used to have friends… She seems like a nice girl. Quiet, though. But nice. She never gets angry, no matter how much you screw up." The nurse seemed to know much about Raven, and that distant voice seemed to calming for Raven's taste. Nightwing could only wonder how the two could have gotten along.
They stopped in front of a white door, no windows— just walls and a door. As she turned the brass doorknob, she said "You may enter." She motioned Nightwing to come in, and watched, carefully was Nightwing stepped closer.
The entire room was white. A wide bed stood against the wall in one corner, and across it, was another door, which he presumed led to her bathroom. In the far corner was a hooded figure. She was wearing a white cloak, and a white dress that flowed down to her feet. A white band hang from her hips, and on each of her hands were the same red gems that had been there years ago. She wrapped her arms against herself.
"I will leave you two." the nurse suggested, a smile plastered on her lips; closing the door behind her.
"Rae?" Nightwing asked. He reached for her shoulder, but a black force prevented him from getting anywhere near her.
"Get out." She said. "I don't need you."
Nightwing sighed loudly. "Rae…please."
His voice quivered with regret. He made her like this. He wanted to fix it. He wanted to fix her broken soul so badly. He wanted to touch her crippled heart, and he wanted to heal her wounds. He wanted to steal away from this tormenting place, and carry her away to where she could be her normal self again— if only he could.
"Raven, talk to me. I want to fix this."
"Talking is for fools. It's pointless…just like everything else." She replied. Her voice was monotonous, but her finger nails pressed deeper into her arms.
"Please. We need to—" He reached for her again, but the black aura came back, as if it protected her, wither her commanding it.
"Who are you?" She interrupted. "I don't know you."
"It's me…" He struggled inside to find the right name for himself.
"I don't know you! Stay away!" She shouted. A large black shield blocked his hand.
"We have a bond…remember? You've been inside my mind…"
I ruined your life, I made you like this, I pushed you until I couldn't get anything out of you, I twisted you and turned you until you had nothing left inside. You remember me, Rae? I hurt you so badly that you loved me. Loathe me, Raven. Hate me, because I don't' love you. I will never love you. Raven…it's me.
Her eyes widened as she fell to the ground. The voices in her head only grew louder. She clutched her head, trying to ease the pain. "No! I don't want to hear it! Stop!" She gasped for air, as if she were drowning. Cursing herself for ever letting this happen again.
"Raven! What's wrong?" He stepped closer, he tried to reach her, but he couldn't. Everything was there to keep him from helping her.
"Shut up!" Her eyes grew wider, and her heart pounded loudly. She opened her mouth to scream, but she couldn't. Her hood fell down on her shoulders and the room was black, as black as it was white a second ago.
We have a bond…remember? You've been inside my mind…Don't you remember? You loved me. You STILL love me.
"No!" She pounded her fragile fists into the ground, and fell on her side. She leaned her body on her elbow as she struggled to get back up again.
"Rae!" Nightwing rushed to her side, as the black force disappeared.
"Stop!" She pushed him to the side, and levitated to another corner. She pulled her hood up, again, just before Nightwing could see her face.
"Tell me what's going on!" he shouted to her.
"Just trust me…If you knew anything about the day of my birth…you'd know there's nothing to celebrate." She replied breathlessly, staring blankly.
"Rae…what are you talking about? The day of your birth? Raven, that's over…it's all over…" He stopped as his eyes widened. "Memories…" he whispered. That was what happened. Raven remembered. So she still remembered him.
"Who are you?" She asked, turning around to look at the person she had been talking to. She bit her lip.
"Robin." He said. "It's me…Robin."
She whispered his name again, but only silence filled the air. She circled him, examining his features. His hair was long and his suit was black with a symbol of a blue bird in the middle of his chest. He had a mask, pointing above his nose.
"Why are you here?" she asked again. "Surely you are not here just to see me again… Nobody ever came here to see me again..." Her voice drifted away.
"Actually, I want to ask you one night out…"
Raven's eyes widened. She'd been waiting years for this.
"…to talk, not the dating kind." He continued defensively, thinking that his sentence his sounded weird.
"No." She levitated back to the corner. "I do not belong out there."
"Raven, I ask just one night. Just one." Nightwing pleaded. "As soon as the sun comes out, I promise I'll bring you back. I want to fix everything, again."
He extended his hand, waiting for her answer, hoping that he would get the one he'd been expecting.
"Do you trust me?" he asked.
"Yes." She willfully placed her hand on his, as they walked out the room.