Helena stood on the roof of the Tower, looking out over the early morning sky. The sun wasn't even close to coming up yet.
It had been a couple of weeks since her discovery of Raven's feelings for her little brother, and things hadn't gone well. Three seperate attempts to get them together had proven not only fruitless, it had strained their friendship. First Starfire had suggested Beast Boy should serenade Raven. Good idea...poor execution. THe song "Poison" was a terrible choice, and led to Beast Boy being thrown across the harbor and Raven locking herself in her room for a few days. Then there had been arranging to leave the two of them alone on a group outing. Both had left early, locking themselves in their rooms and not talking to anyone for days. Then the fake love notes. Helena had gotten Cyborg to write the one from BB to Raven, while Star had written the one from Raven to Beast Boy. Both had caught that they were fake, and they'd had to reassemble Cyborg after fishing him out of the garbage disposal, and RObin had had to comfort Starfire after BB had gotten done yelling at her for 'toying with his heart.'
Sighing, Helena reached into her pocket, and stared at the small white cylinder in her hand. Chuckling, she stuck it in her mouth and lit it. *Death sticks...what a name...* she thought, inhaling the hated fumes. Taking it out, she blew a ring of multi-colored smoke, watching it shift in the darkness. Nothing so malevolent had the right to be so beautiful.
She heard footsteps coming from behind her. "Stay out of the smoke," she said without thinking. "This stuff'll kill you."
Raven stepped into sight out of range of the smoke. "That's not tobacco," she said simply.
Helena smiled mirthlessly. "Nope. It's how Mongul finally got me under control back on Warworld. He put me on a week long leash."
"What do you mean?"
"This?" She holds up the cylinder. "It's called a Zorthian Death Stick. A rather insidious poison, actually. When you first inhale the smoke released when it is burned...it alters your internals ever so slightly. A week later, your muscles lock up, your veins burn, and you drop dead...unless you get more of it into your system." She waves the stick casually. "I stole a supply when I escaped Warworld. Nobody's up this early usually, so I come up here to smoke one Saturday morning. The smoke disipates and becomes harmless rather quickly."
"So...each smoke gives you another week to live? Cyborg could probably make more-"
Helena shook her head vehemently. "The manufacture of this stuff gets you an immediate death sentance from the Green Lantern Corps. After all, it's only possible use would be binding someone to your will, since short of total genetic revitalization on the divine level, there's no cure or treatment." She took another drag. "As much as I want to cling to life...I won't destroy someone else's life in the process." She blows the smoke out slowly. "Besides, this stuff tastes terrible."
Raven's quiet for a while. "How much...I mean, how long..."
Helena nods. "If I stretch it for every possible minute like I have been...five years, tops. Then I'll be otu completely, and in for a very painful death." She sighs. "But I'll be happy if I make it long enough to hold Garfield's first born, if only for a little while."
"Is that why you've been trying so hard to get us together?"
"Not at all." Helena takes another drag. "I know how much he loves you, cause I read his diary. So the question is, do you love him." As Raven opens her mouth, Helena turns to her. "DOn't lie to me. I'm living on borrowed time as is."
Raven closes her mouth, then hangs her head. "I do...I do love him, but...we could never work. We're just too different..."
"I wouldn't say so. Besides, how will you know if you don't give it a try?"
Raven looked at her. "What are we supposed to do for a date, anyway?" Raven seems perturbed.
"Well, what do you like for your spare time?"
"I like it to be quiet, for one thing."
"SO find an environment he would enjoy where he'd want to be quiet. You're clever. I'm sure you'll think of something."
They were quiet for a while. "So," Raven spoke up. "Five years?"
"On the outside. Don't tell the sprout, okay? Life's been hard enough on him as it is."
"Don't you think it will be harder on him when you drop dead?"
"If you insist, you can tell him then. As long as I haven't left him alone...I'll be able to deal with however he feels about the secret then."
They were quiet a while longer. "So no cure?"
"None." FInishing the stick, Helena flicked the dogend away, and it dissolved in the ocean breeze, erasing all evidence of its existance. "COme on, enough depressing talk. It's time for your training session."
"Will you let me off if I ask Beast Boy out?"
Helena looked at her, then smiled. "Only if he says yes."
Raven warps into the building. She hears Helena shout after her, "But that's still ten laps!"
