YAY!!! I found time to finish this chapter! School work can be soo annoying. Hopefully I can finish the next chapter soon. R&R please!
Slade sat tranquilly in front of his apprentice, leaning back in his chair. Rose stood in front of him, fidgeting uncomfortably. Her eyes darted around the room, never resting on her master's face. He didn't seem angry at all, but that was when you knew he was furious. And she feared the outcome of his anger.
His anger terrified her.
"You have failed me Rose." he said in a cold voice. Rose winced.
"It was that girl, Raven. I was almost successful until she…"
"Almost never counts. I never expected you to succeed, though I never expected you to fail so miserably."
"Master…"
"Silence." he ordered. The word sliced through the air like a dagger. Rose stopped midsentence.
"Your failure will make it much more difficult to take the city. For that I should punish you."
Rose stared down at her feet, trying not to tremble in fear.
"But I feel lenient today. I'm giving you one last chance to capture Robin and Starfire. They're vital to the plan."
Rose suppressed a sigh of relief. She would not be punished. She was given another chance. "Yes master."
"Do not disappoint me apprentice. Next time, I may not feel so merciful."
She swallowed. "Y…yes master."
Raven woke up the next morning feeling generally grumpy. Her neck was stiff from sleeping at an awkward angle and she just realized that her book, The Tenth Power, had somehow disappeared during the night. How wonderful.
She clipped her cloak on and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Raven smoothed down stray pieces of hair and scowled at her reflection. Ashen face, unnatural hair and eyes, demonic red gem in the center of her forehead… she was so homely, so unattractive. Her image made people look away politely, trying to conceal the disgust in their gaze. Her face clearly showed her half-demon heritage.
She had always hated her reflection.
Raven splashed water on the mirror, blurring her reflection. She couldn't wallow in self-pity forever. She had things to do.
Like find a certain novel, for instance.
She floated back to the living room and made a pot of mint tea. Taking a cautious sip, she thought back to the other day and carefully retraced her steps. She had taken the book from her shelf, left it alone long enough for Beastboy to spill tea on it, left it in the bathroom, then retrieved it and brought it to her temporary "bed". Funny, she could have sworn she had it with her when she fell asleep…
"Hey Rae." Robin's voice came from behind her, interrupting her train of thought. Raven took another sip of tea, trying to hide her annoyance.
"Don't call me 'Rae' Robin. I don't tolerate nicknames." she said monotonously. He always knew just how to get under her skin.
"Hey Raven? Nah, it just doesn't have that rhyming quality."
"I was not given a name to have some idiot try to find a rhyme in it."
"Edgar Allen Poe made a poem all about a raven. And it rhymes."
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever." Beastboy probably stole her book for one of his terrible pranks. She set down her mug and was about to go off to look for him when Robin cleared his throat from behind her.
"What?"
"You made a mistake."
He was always so annoying. "What are you talking about? I never make mistakes." she replied irritably.
"'Everyone makes mistakes, my love. Even the Singer of All Songs. If you hold back for fear of making a mistake, you will never accomplish what you must.'" Robin read out of the book from his hand. The pages were rippled and wrinkled, and the cover read The Tenth Power on the warped paper cover. Raven's eyes narrowed as she realized exactly what happened to her novel.
"You didn't."
Robin gave her one of his charming smiles. "Beastboy didn't take your book: I did."
"Give it back. Now."
"What's the magic word?" he asked mischievously.
"Azarath Mentrion Zinthos."
The book was snatched out of his hands and summoned to Raven. She gave a small, satisfied smirk as it landed in her hands.
"That's three words." Robin said, pretending to pout. "I want a refund."
"How amazing. The Boy Blunder can count past two."
"I resent that."
"I'm sure you do."
"Why, I out to…" Robin said, pouncing on Raven. She fell down in surprise but quickly recovered and managed to break free of Robin. They tussled on the ground briefly before Robin won and pinned Raven to the ground. She glared up at him in mock anger.
"I have defeated you Calwyn. What shall you give me for my victory?" Robin asked, grinning down on her.
"I can only tell you, Samis, that…" Raven stopped as she sensed a familiar presence. "Starfire's coming."
Robin got off of Raven and helped her up. He noticed she was blushing, which was strange.
Raven wondered why she was blushing. Starfire burst into the room, her grip strangling a bouquet of roses. She seemed very upset.
"Robin! I had just gone to the floor cysts shop to purchase these flowers for you and I decided to play that most amusing game, where couples do the plucking of the petals…"
"Yeah, what about it?" Robin asked, starting to see what had happened. Starfire's emerald green eyes were glistening with tears.
"And it said that you no longer had feelings for me! Did the flower tell the truth?" she asked, distressed. Raven resisted the urge to sigh.
"Of course not Star. That's just a game people play, for fun. They aren't necessarily true." Robin said reassuringly. Starfire's entire face brightened.
"I see dear Robin! So you still have the feelings for me?"
"Definitely."
Starfire beamed and handed the roses to Robin before pulling him close to her for a kiss. Raven turned politely away while the couple kissed. Something in the pit of her stomach turned at the sight of them together like this.
The Tamaranian princess hugged him tightly while Robin stroked her long red hair awkwardly. She was almost a head taller than him after all.
"The day is wonderful once more! Let us go off and wander about the couples place." she declared, taking Robin by the hand and floating towards the door. He set down the flowers on the counter top before allowing himself to be taken outside.
Raven picked up a rose that had fallen out of the bouquet. The stem had been crushed into pulp because of Starfire's grip. She idly picked out the petals, letting them fall onto the white tile floor.
"He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not." she said absentmindedly. These things were pointless. Everybody knew that if you had an even number of petals you always landed on "loves me not". It was completely up to chance, and therefore obsolete. Robin should have mentioned that to Starfire before she got upset over it.
She felt slightly sick thinking about them again, but quickly squashed the feeling.
If you had an odd number of petals however, you get…
"He loves me not, he loves me." Raven finished, plucking the final petal from the stem. She stroked the silken petal with the tip of one finger. It was the same red as Robin's uniform. Then she scowled and crushed the crimson petal between her fist. This game was pointless.
"Not."
