Wide Awake
Chapter One: St. James Infirmary Blues
Well folks, I'm goin' down to St. James Infirmary,
See my little baby there;
She's stretched out on a long, white table,
Well she looks so good, so calm, so fair.
- St. James Infirmary Blues, White Stripes
)O(
Red X didn't know what made him follow the stupid Titans. He liked to think it was just curiosity. In all honesty, he shouldn't have cared, he got what he wanted from his latest heist, and the rest of the world be damned. But watching Robin react the way he did made something in Red X twist. It was like he was watching an unavoidable car crash and he couldn't turn away. Glass shattered and metal twisted into unintelligible heaps, but the sight was so compelling that he just wanted to sit and stare.
The stupid band of Titans were gathered around a bed in the medical ward, all eyes glued to the half demon sleeping in the crisp, white sheets. Her plum colored hair fell across her fair skin, making her look pale and sickly. Her breath came in long, even inhales, but there was no other sign of life. No movement of limbs or snarky words escaping her lips.
She appeared nothing less than dead.
"What's wrong with her?" The alien spoke first, wide eyes blinking in shock. She looked at Cyborg before letting her gaze fall back into the medical bed. She picked up the demon's hand, and held it against her face. "She's so cold. Does she have a case of flagstorn?"
"I don't think so, Star." Sigh. "As far as I can tell, she's in a coma. Or something like that… her brain is incredibly active. Like there's something going on we don't know about." Cyborg stood next to her bed, watching the monitors peak up and down, displaying numbers and notes on her brain activity, blood pressure, and heart rate. He tapped the tube going into her arm, the liquid continued to drip at its steady, unhurried pace. "Whatever is happening inside her mind is brutal."
Red X blinked, his eyes staring at the tiny frame bundled in the bed. Something in him was struck to life, like a match against stone, and he knew that whatever was going on right now was important. It was something that wouldn't affect just the Titans, but him as well. He knew he should stay in the shadows outside the window and watch. It didn't matter the consequences.
"So, we don't have an answer as to why she just… collapsed?" Robin's voice was low in his throat, angry and raw. Red X grinned with delight at the noise. Perfect little Boy Wonder was irritated, and that made Red X very happy. There was something fun about rubbing his fur the wrong way, even if it was at someone Raven's expense. Robin raked a hand through his hair, nearly yanking out handfuls of ebony. "She's just lying there, half-dead because… why?"
"Dude, I told you, I don't know." Cyborg held up his hands in defense, it didn't seem to help Robin's scowl any. Cyborg sighed again. "Look, all I just know is that her mind is literally rejecting consciousness. Her brain does not want to be awake for whatever she's experiencing. Right now, she's either in a coma, or the deepest sleep I've ever seen." He sighed and pushed a few strands of hair out of her face. He looked at her the same way a brother would look at his little sister, and a sigh escaped his lips. "C'mon little demoness, you gotta let us know what's going on."
"That doesn't help us, Cy. We need answers." Robin gripped the metal guards around the bed with surprising force. Red X watched, wondering what would break first, the bed or Robin's hands. He was hoping for the latter. Robin glared at Cyborg, his eyes dark with frustration. "We need to find out what's going on inside Raven, this team isn't the same without her and she's a vital part of our lives. We need to fix this problem now."
A vital part of just the team or for Robin? Red X's curiosity piqued. He'd never really seen Robin so… angry. He looked feral almost.
"I don't have answers, Robin. I've just got her healthy, that's all I know. I know I can keep her alive and well, what more do you want?" Cyborg waived his hands at the monitors, rejecting Robin's tone of urgency. "Stop jumping down my throat because I can't bend to your every whim. Accept that until we have the resources to see into her brain, we can't do much more than keep her alive. It's unfortunate but it's the truth."
"That isn't enough. I need answers!" Robin grabbed a scalpel from a near-by stand and threw it at the wall, letting it embed in the drywall. Silence webbed through the room, twisting around the Titans until it was a noose around everyone's neck.
Red X felt the grin peel across his lips again. This little family drama was starting to get interesting! Robin worked up into a tizzy because Raven wasn't there with him. Because she wasn't bending to his every whim? He absently wondered how Starfire would react if she knew the truth. Were Raven and Robin stealing moments of adultery in secluded areas or were Robin's emotions unrequited? Red X shifted on his perch to get a better look at their shocked faces. Now, if only he had brought popcorn…
"Did you think to check her room?" Robin snapped, teeth gnashing at his companions. There was a loud snap as ivory came together in anger. Starfire frowned and took a step back from Raven's lifeless body, her hands going to her heart in surprise. Robin continued on his tirade, refusing to acknowledge the frightened looks on his friends' faces. "There has to be something in her room, something that can explain this? Does she keep a journal? What about her books, or her mirror?"
Raven's room? Red X tilted his head to the side in question. He hadn't ever really thought about what interesting goods could be hiding in the dark corners of Raven's room. He was sure there had to be all kinds of valuable goods in there. And what was this Mirror? Now, that sounded interesting!
"Dude. If you think I'm going to come within ten feet of that mirror, you've got to be kidding me." Beast Boy held up his hands and took a few steps backward. "I refuse any contact with whoever touches that freaky thing again. I'm still recovering from the last time I picked it up."
"Well, you're gonna have to get over your fear, Beast Boy, because someone has to go into the mirror to see what's going on." Robin pulled off his gloves and cape and threw them to the floor in frustration. Everyone's gaze turned to the floor, no one wanted to take the task, and that irritated Robin even more. "We need to find it, regardless of how you feel."
"That's what you say… hmph." Beast Boy crossed his arms over his chest and started to sulk like a child. Of course. That was Beast Boy's way of being even more obnoxious than usual. Robin started to go into one of his well-memorized speeches about integrity, and Red X started to lose interest in the soap opera in front of him. Especially if Boy Wonder was going to spout off his analogies. Yawn.
However… Red X's eyes shot northward to where he knew Raven's room to be. Hmm… this mirror sounded pretty interesting. Why did they need to consult it to save Raven? Was it a Magic Mirror? He smirked at the thought of Raven, standing in front of a mirror: "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the most evil of them all?" The dark little princess, of course. Red X shrugged to himself, might as well take a look at it. Couldn't hurt, could it?
He started up a steel I-beam in the wall, knowing that Raven's room was two windows up and three to the left. He'd taken a peek in there once or twice, just to see how demons lived, at the time it was pretty boring. He just hoped the security system was turned off.
The window slid open without effort or noise.
Ha. Stupid Titans. Red X started to look around her room. It was too dark for his tastes, with deep colors, weird statues, and gothic paintings everywhere. In fact, he was almost positive there was something creepy bumping around in the chest at the end of her bed. It shuddered slightly at his arrival, but kept mostly quiet. Red X prayed this mirror wasn't in there. Clouds slid away from the moon, and the pale light caught the edge of an intricate, silver frame.
Ah. The elusive Mirror.
Red X picked it up and admired the finely crafted detail. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion. It was heavy, much too heavy for silver. Red X ran his finger over the back. Too bright for steel… platinum. He let his jaw drop as he came to a stunning realization. The whole damned thing was made of pure platinum. As he looked closer, there was a perfect ruby the side of a small golf ball inlaid at the bottom of the handle, amethyst and sapphires were placed perfectly in the shape of a raven in flight on the back. This thing was worth a freaking fortune. If Red X pawned this off on the black market, there would be no need to him to steal again. He could live happily for the rest of his life. He felt a grin come to his face.
This was perfect. He stashed the mirror in the pouch with his latest heist and slid out the still open window. As he descended the building, he could still hear Robin talking to the other team members. Actually, it was now climbing to a strange, strangled yelling. His words were rough, dark, and angry. They ripped from his throat like small knives, attacking his companions. From the corner of his eye, Red X could see the shocked and slightly concerned expression of Starfire's face. Something in Red X twisted again, and he got the strange feeling as if he should jump in and save her.
Pft. What did he care? He had a fortune sitting in his hands right now. That alien could fend for her own, she had super strength on her side. Red X didn't give it another thought as he jumped into the cool waters of the bay, attempting to swim across them. It turned out to be rather difficult with the incredible weight of the mirror attached to him. He grumbled in annoyance, but continued onward. After all, the thing was worth more than a few extra strokes.
Ah, land. Red X peeled off his suit once he had crossed the bay and stored it in the trick back seat of his black Lamborghini. His beautiful little baby. He had recently traded in the adolescent motorcycle for something more… masculine. Something that didn't scream "Angsty Teenager Aboard! Look Out!" Well, that, and he sure did love the purr of the Italian engine as he whipped through the streets. There was something incredibly seductive about speed. It tingled all the way through his spine and into his toes.
Red X slid in behind the wheel, the leather smelling fresh and musky. He started off a side street, hoping to shake off any suspicious eyes, before he pulled onto the main road. It was still packed with late-night shoppers and club-goers dressed in nearly nothing. Loud techno and bright yellow lights spilled into the street, making Red X wonder if he had time to stop and join in the fun. He glanced at the clock. Nah. It was getting late, and Red X had to find a buyer for the mirror before the Titans figured out he took it.
A gurgling scream pierced his ears, and Red X nearly drove his precious darling into oncoming traffic. What in the hell was that? He took a deep breath and looked around for the origin of the sound, but there was nothing that should have given him suspicion. Whatever. It must have been a drunken party girl.
Another few minutes of silence before he pulled into his parking ramp. He couldn't help but let his mind wander back to the fortune in his bag. What would he buy with all that money… a Ferrari? In sweet Ferrari red? The thought made him purr with delight.
Then he heard it again.
The same tone, the same notes that shrieked and cried out in agony. Red X pulled the car into his spot and sat there for a minute, his heart pounding against his ribs. What was it? What could have made some one scream like that? It was as if all the fear and pain in the world ripped from a young woman's throat, spilling into the air like a pool of warm blood.
Red X stared at the black bag next to him. Could it be…? He reached into the pouch and pulled out the mirror. There, displayed against the smooth glass, was a frightening image he wished he could have wiped from his mind. It was Raven, surrounded by darkness, being torn apart and dismembered. Her hair was pulled and yanked, clothes were pulled from her body, and long, raw marks kept showing up on her torso.
"Raven."
The scream came again, chilling Red X to the bone.
What was this?
)O(
Robin threw a chair onto the floor, uncaring that the expensive wood cracked under the force. Where was her mirror? He had spent the whole night ripping her room apart looking for any sign of her mirror. There was nothing. Not even an indication of there ever having been a mirror. The room was filled with dusty tomes and objects that had no English word, but no mirror.
Early morning sun was spilling in through the window and Robin wanted to rip the golden orb from the sky and crush it into pieces. He didn't know why he was angry. He couldn't bring his heart stillness, and it thrummed with delight as the adrenaline coursed through him. Rage. He hadn't felt the delightful effects of rage in years. There was something satisfying about it, something… empowering. Seeing the look of compliance on his teammates' faces as he yelled last night… it felt good.
Robin needed to stop those thoughts, but they kept coming, like the evils of Pandora's Box had just spilled into him.
Raven was gone, lost to her own mind. What did it matter now? She would have been the only one to stop him from enjoying his rage. The only one who could have tied his emotions back into neat little knots. But she was laying half-dead in the medical ward, and there was no one else to stop him. No one to give him answers. No one to stop the burning warmth that followed his fingers on everything he touched.
Robin shook his head. This isn't what he wanted. He was a Titan, honorable to the end. He stood for justice and all things good and righteous….
… but still there was a little whisper of delight at the sight of chaos. A dark strip of lightning that pierced his soul at the sight of bringing down an enemy with force.
It felt… good.
)O(
Sorry, this was so short. And a little disjointed. I promise it will all start to come together in the next chapter. Leave a review, let me know how you feel!
