A/N: Hello, hello! Wow this chapter took me a long time….lots of…fighting. (In every sense of the word) Next chapter will be more fun, I promise. While writing this I feel as though I want to hurry up and put Slade and Raven together, but I also know that timing is everything. But, this chapter is important in that process. Admittance is the first step…or is that denial?
Thank you to all of my very lovely reviewers! I must say that every time I read one, I not only feel wonderful, I write more! No lie! Kind of sad actually…. Anyway, thank you so much and I really love you all!!
Disclaimer: Don't own Teen Titans. Plain and simple.
Enjoy as always! – R&R
Stepping fully out of the shadows, Raven brushed a few violet strands carefully out of her eyes so Robin could see her purple and black masked face. "Don't, move."
Robin was still, his batarangs gripped tightly in his hands. "I should've known you worked for Slade. Who are you?" He watched as she pulled a pair of sai out of her belt and twirled them around on her fingers. He glanced nervously between her and Slade, waiting for an answer.
Raven walked up slightly in front of Slade, standing defiantly against Robin. Feeling a hand snake around her waist and Slade's mask pressed lightly against her temple, her expression didn't change.
"She's my new toy." Running a hand down the opposite side of Raven's face, Slade smirked at Robin's confusion. Releasing and moving away from the girl, he retreated slowly into the shadows. "Have fun."
Robin went to run after Slade, but was stopped by the smaller masked figure with a sai raised to his neck. Waiting as Robin took a step back; she retracted the sai and stood in a defensive position. "Leave while you can."
Robin was taken aback by her statement; he took up a questioning pose in response. "Why should I trust you? Why would you let me go?" He watched as she looked away from him, putting her sai back into her belt pouches. Catching her off guard, he threw a batarang, aiming between her eyes.
Frowning, Raven caught the device between her glowing index and middle finger and held it there for a few lasting moments. Finally letting it drop to the ground, she basked in Robin's shock. "You don't belong here."
A wide eyed boy wonder stood frozen as the girl walked away from where she had originated. His eyes roamed over to the discarded batarang lying carelessly on the floor. Running over her face in his mind, he finally came to realize the truth. Looking back up into the darkness, Robin let out a frustrated sigh. "That couldn't be…Raven?"
Raven moved quickly through the halls, ignoring Slade's advances toward her. She wiped at her stinging eyes as she entered her dark room. The door shutting forcefully behind her, Raven ripped off her offensive costume with intent.
Turning on the shower in the bathroom, Raven stepped in the line of cool spray, hoping to cleanse herself of her betrayal. Closing her eyes, she allowed her body to sink to the floor as it shook with sobs.
She stayed there for what seemed like hours, burying her wet face in her hands. Unbeknownst to her, Slade sat opposite the door, listening every cry and choke that escaped her lips.
Finally deciding to turn the now cold water off, Raven wrapped a towel protectively around herself and dried her face. Her soaked hair released streams of water down her cheeks and neck as she stood silently in front of the mirror.
Slade shifted only slightly against the closed door, changing his position to save his sore butt some agony. His body stiffened as he heard the mirror in the bathroom crack and the clanging of the shower rod hitting the floor. He was caught off guard when the door swung open and he had to stop himself from falling backward.
Raven glared as Slade clumsily tried to look like he hadn't been sitting there. "Fucking psycho pervert," Raven stormed past him, pulling the towel tighter around her.
Regaining his composure and straightening up his posture, Slade shot her a nonchalant look. "Hn, seeing you naked was hardly my intention." Noticing that she didn't believe him, Slade decided to add a little to his response. "Trust me…" A dark, lone eye traced the outline of her body as she grabbed clothes from her drawers, "…you're not my type."
Raven stopped in mid scramble, "Excuse me?" Turning to look up at Slade, she tried to suppress the hatred and anger boiling within her. The look she gave him could've shot out his patch- covered eye again. "Not your type? Oh, I'm sorry I'm not a toy that you can just play with and grope whenever you fucking feel like it!" Amidst her aggravation, Raven felt the urge to pummel him and almost dropped her towel.
Slade willed his eye not to follow the slip of her covering and instead focused on what she just said. "So that's what this is about." At least now he understood why she was so upset. "It was a performance, that's our job. Might I add that you did exceptionally well; I was very proud." He gave a small, relieving smile as his fingertips raked through his light hair.
Raven's expression changed in a matter of seconds, her eyes looking up at him with slight questioning. "Really?" She earned a confident nod and her face lit up, a large grin plastered on her face. "That means…"
Just like that, Raven's lip upturned into a scowl as she flicked her middle finger at him, "…so much to me."
Slade frowned, wondering how he had fallen for such heavy sarcasm. Taking quick strides forward, he grabbed Raven's wrist, pulling her forcefully and pressing her body against him with his other hand. His mouth thinned as he felt the wet towel soaking through his clothes. The bone of his cheek came to press up against Raven's. "You may be able to fly, but you are still caged. I suggest you remember that."
Clenching her jaw Raven glared and pressed herself even farther into Slade. "Hm, I remember being this close to you before. Oh yea, when you kissed me!" Seeing Slade's mouth open slightly to utter out a reply, Raven took the liberty of cutting him off. "You did, whether you want to acknowledge it or not. It happened, and there is nothing you can say to change it."
Pushing her off of him forcefully, Slade turned away from Raven. "Get dressed; you have a training session in 15 minutes." As soon as he finished speaking, he left, leaving no room for debate. Slamming the door behind him, Slade ignored the sound of shattering glass inside Raven's room.
"How can this be happening? How is this possible?" Robin looked around at the rest of the team staring at him. He hadn't explained what he was talking about yet, just mumbled and asked rhetorical questions. "She wouldn't."
"Who? What the heck are you talking about, dude?" Beast Boy had been waving a hand in front of Robin's face for about 5 minutes now, not getting a response or reaction. "Cy, do you have any idea what the hell he's talking about?"
Merely shaking his head, Cyborg waved a piece of bacon under Robin's nose in hopes he would snap out of it. "Robin, who are you talking about? Anyone we know?"
Starfire sat next to robin with her eyebrows knit together in concentration. Biting down on her lip she had been the quietest of the group so far. All of a sudden she sprang up and pumped a fist in the air. "Understanding has come to me!" All but Robin were staring up at her like she had grown another head. Looking down at the boy wonder, Starfire smiled. "This zoning is the cause of Raven!"
Robin's head snapped almost violently to look at Starfire. "How could she? It's not possible! It's not Raven!" He hadn't noticed when he had taken a hold of Starfire's shoulders and shaken them furiously.
Head lolling to the side in agony, Starfire moved away from Robin and rubbed her neck. "What is it that friend Raven has done, who is not Raven?"
"She….she…" Robin fell back onto the couch, eyes fixated on the blank TV screen facing him. "..she's with Slade."
Jaws on the floor and eyes bulging out of their skulls, Star, BB and Cyborg wondered if Robin had lost it.
"Nu-uh, no way! Even if she was it would only be to kill him! Like bam, bam, pow! See, you're just a little confused, dude." Beast Boy nodded and smiled at Robin, apparently very proud of his explanation.
Pushing Beast Boy aside, Cyborg put a hand on Robin's shoulder to calm him down. "BB's right, there's probably some perfectly logical explanation to all of this. I doubt Rae decided to just join up with Slade of all people. Didn't she say that she was spending some time with one of her friends?"
"Yes! Friend Wilson! Friend Raven and Friend Wilson have become close now! In proof, we shall invite friend Wilson over for a sleepover of friends!" Starfire glowed, flying around in glee and excitement. "It will be oh so joyous!"
Pulling Starfire down to sit in mid flight, Cy proposed another solution. "How about we just invite him for Pizza or something instead? Rae will be with us and this way we'll know for sure that she hasn't been anywhere near Slade."
"Fine, but the only way to know for sure is to have Slade attack and Raven to be with us. Then she'll tell us the truth." Robin was now glaring so hard at the TV that BB kept checking it to make sure it wasn't going to explode.
"Well when do we tell Rae about the party?" Beast Boy's eyes glinted as he thought of streamers, balloons and tofu.
Glancing up at the clock, Robin looked at his fellow teammates. "Tonight."
Slade started to stretch and noticed Raven pull out her beautiful, black sai. He waited until she looked over them lovingly to ruin her fun for the day. "No sai today."
"What?" Raven looked at him as if shocked, wondering why he would give her such a wonderful tool she couldn't even use. "Why not?"
Rotating and cracking his neck, Slade looked over to her through his one eye. "Think of it as a punishment." He hid the smirk behind his ever menacing mask as Raven looked at him unbelievingly.
"Punishment?" She shot him a glare, assuming it was probably for yelling at him earlier. She had right though, at least she thought so. "You've got to be joking! For what?"
Slade paused in his Response, letting Raven dwell on it a little longer. "For breaking the vase in your room." Cracking his knuckles next, Slade stepped forward so he was directly in front of Raven.
"You're not serious; you don't care about that vase. You want to fight me that badly? Well then touché, I accept." Casting her Sai and her belt aside, Raven took off her cloak. "Name your terms."
Slade nodded, taking off his mask and placing it by the weapon rack. "If you win, I'll acknowledge the fact that something might have happened between us." Slade waited for Raven to accept the first condition before he went on. "If I win, you ditch the dorks tonight and spend the night doing whatever I want to do."
"That seems a little unfair, but fine." Raven stood now in a defensive position, ready for whatever Slade could dish out. "Anything else?"
"Hm, no weapons." Noticing Raven looked more than up to the challenge, Slade now took up his own defensive position, just incase Raven decided to cheat and start early. "My, my, so eager to lose?"
Raven smirked, black light already forming around her fists. "Au contraire, eager to claim my prize once I win." Dark streams swirled tauntingly around Raven, making Slade once again envious of her power. "Ready, set…"
"Go!" Slade launched off his heel, punching forward and contacting nothing but air. Turning to look behind him, he felt a sharp pain in his back before he was sent flying forward. Flipping out of the air, he pushed off of the wall and launched back at Raven.
Thinking that Slade must be an idiot to try that twice, Raven once again teleported behind him. Although it seemed she had gotten him just like she had before, Slade had caught on easily and twisted her foot out of the air. Thus she was sent spinning and only just missed collision with the wall by extending a black energy shield.
Once Raven's shield faltered, Slade was quick to start a sequence of kicks and punches to the girl's middle. Switching up his pattern, he kicked her and sent her flying into the wall, not giving her enough time to avoid it. A large crater was created in his wall, causing debris and smoke to fly everywhere. "You lose." Slade smirked but was caught off guard when he was lifted in the air.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Raven's hands were covered in black energy, streams lifting Slade and wrapping tightly around his limbs. A cocky grin spread across her lips as she pulled Slade's limbs from their sockets slowly. Ignoring his cries of pain, she muttered a smug "Give up."
"You wish." Teeth gritting together, Slade stretched his finger to press a button on his wrist guard. A different kind of smoke now filled the room and Raven's hold on Slade faltered as she lost concentration. Dropping to the floor, Slade tackled Raven to the mats. Pinning her down and punching her in the stomach, Slade now had the upper hand.
Coughing up blood, Raven's eyes flashed red as she blasted Slade off of her. Watching him slide across the floor, she issued shot after shot not letting up for anything.
The small cuts now all over Slade's body were causing him to slow up a bit. Blocking as many shots as he could, he tried to dodge the rest and get closer to Raven. Nearing the edge of the mat his opponent was on, he got an idea. Bending down, he grabbed the edge and ripped the mat from underneath Raven.
Falling backward onto cold cement, Raven let out a small cry of pain. Clutching her arm, she sat up as quickly as she could. Eyes widened as Slade's foot contacted with her face, sending her rolling on the cement.
Red splotched covered the ground underneath Raven, but Slade knew the fight was all but over. He tried to take a step forward but couldn't, he looked down and noticed the black energy tying his feet down. Looking up, he was alarmed to see a large piece of debris flying toward him.
Raven watched as Slade bent backward to avoid the piece of plaster launched at him. Sending another piece flying, this time she sent it toward his legs. Knowing he wouldn't be able to avoid it, Raven let her hold on him go just as the debris contacted.
Slade fell forward, his hands barely neutralizing the impact. Legs killing him, scrambled across the floor on his knees over to Raven. Punching his way through her force field, He pinned her down once again.
Breathing heavily and extremely exhausted, Raven used the last of her energy to push Slade over. Now she was on top of him and she grabbed his throat with both of her hands, amplifying his ragged breaths. Her violet orbs widened as she felt Slade's large hand squeezing slightly on her own throat.
Gritting his teeth, Slade coughed slightly. "Tie?" Earning a restrained nod, he loosened his grip only slightly.
"Yea, a tie is good." Raven took in a deep breath as Slade's hand moved from her throat. Releasing Slade's neck, she positioned her hands on his chest. Now breathing heavily and tiredly, the beaten up girl moved to get off of Slade.
Having the weight lifted off of his chest, Slade's breathing had become much easier. Glancing over at a sprawled out Raven, he wiped some of the blood from his mouth. "So this means we both won, right?"
Wondering if laughing would hurt, Raven merely shook her head. Her own large eyes found Slade's then closed tiredly. "Actually, I think this means we both lose."
Slade's eyebrows furrowed together as he thought about doing all that work for nothing. "There is no way in hell we just beat the shit out of each other for no reason. New rule, we both won."
"Fine, but I get my prize first." Raven's eyes had fluttered back to focus on Slade, waiting eagerly. She rolled over to position herself so that she was looking down over Slade, wanting to get the full effect of claiming her victory.
"That doesn't seem fair." Slade opened his mouth to say something else but then closed it, not knowing exactly what to say. Sighing, he thought about what she'd want to hear rather than what he should say. "You were right, and I was wrong to ignore what happened. There, it's done." Slade mumbled it quickly and turned his face a way from Raven's like an angry schoolboy.
Raven grinned like a fool, knowing fully well that she had finally gotten Slade to bend to her will. "Damn right." Moving from her position over Slade, she attempted to stand. Falling backward less than gracefully, Raven decided it wasn't a good idea to try that again.
Sitting up, Slade shot Raven an annoyed look. "Where do you think you're going? We're not done, it's my turn!" Sounding once again like a child, Slade stood and extended his hand to Raven. "You have to do whatever I want, no exceptions."
Taking Slade's hand and allowing him to pull her up, Raven nodded. "Yea, yea, I know." Looking up at him skeptically, Raven crossed her arms around her center. "So what have you decided? Am I stealing something, cooking dinner, cleaning your prize room?"
"No, no, no, my dear. You'll have to endure something much worse." Slade smirked, taking her chin between his thumb and index finger. "You have to go to dinner with me."
Raising an eyebrow, Raven was thoroughly confused. "What?"
"Hey man, I thought you said Rae was coming." Cyborg sat in front of the large TV screen, munching on an almost equally large bowl of popcorn. The Titans had yet to start the movie on account that they were waiting for Raven to show up.
"She said she was." Robin glanced over to the clock, then to the communicator in his hands. "She's got it turned off for some reason, that's strange. Star, can you check the- Star?" Robin looked around the room; Starfire was nowhere to be found.
Starfire sat on the edge of her bed, smiling at her open communicator. Raven's cleaned up face was on the other end. "Oh this is so wonderful! What must I not do again?"
"You cannot tell Robin. He should only know that I can't make it to movie night tonight, that's all. You understand Star?" Raven's face was stern over the other end of the device, making sure Starfire got it.
"So do not tell Robin that you have gone with Wilson on another date ritual!" Star flew around the room happily as Raven glared at her. She dropped onto the bed once her friend started to yell at her.
"It's NOT A DATE! How did you know the last time was with Wilson anyway?" Raven eyed the girl skeptically, wondering if she had indeed been reading her mind.
"Easy peas! I preformed the ritual of assuming!" Starfire grinned as Raven smacked her palm to her head, careful to avoid hitting her jewel. "Starfire is very happy that you have found a boy! So, I think you should bring him over here on the next day for sharing pizza!"
Raven tried to hide her nervousness when she thought of Slade slaughtering her friends over a pizza box. "Uh, Star…I don't think that's a good idea."
"Of course it is! Robin has some strange idea that you're with Slade- oops…you are ignoring, yes? I meant not to say that!" Starfire bit her lip and looked around as if she knew Robin was hiding somewhere in the room.
Raven's breath caught in her throat, suddenly her whole body felt like ice. He knows. "He told you that? Well, you don't believe him do you?" She watched as Starfire shook her head vigorously. "Good. I'll get Wilson to agree to come over tomorrow. Tell Robin he'll be there."
Nodding, Starfire gave a large smile. "Yes friend Raven, of course! Have fun with friend Wilson tonight, come back late!" Ignoring the roll of her friend's eyes, Starfire cut off the communicator and bounded happily out of her room.
Pushing the button to turn off the communicator, Raven made sure to switch the channels back so the other Titans could now contact her. So Robin thinks he's got me, hn. Not just yet.
Waiting at the exit of the Warehouse, Slade leaned up against the wall. He was dressed up, but it wasn't like he was in a tuxedo. He wondered what Raven was going to come out in, but quickly ceased the thoughts when they became somewhat naughty.
Hearing the door open and close next to him, Slade Turned his head and focused his eyes on Raven in a little black dress. He probably should've said something flattering, but that would be so un-Slade. "Took you long enough."
Frowning, Raven took a couple steps forward and looked back at Slade. "We going or not?" For once, she had been thankful that she had the black dress tucked away and hadn't incinerated it as she had so longed to. Watching him shuffle and stand up, her eyes squinted as he pulled something out of his pocket. Seeing him flip open the phone that was now in his hand, she was curious as to who he was calling.
Pressing the phone up to his ear, Slade waited for the person on the other end to pick up. A clicking sound on the other end signaled the person was listening. "It's Slade, I need a ride."
Turning around and placing a hand on her hip, Raven rolled her eyes. "I can fly you know."
Closing the phone, Slade pocketed it and walked up next to his annoyed companion. "Do you honestly think I would let you have the opportunity of dangling me carelessly over rooftops? I think not." Adjusting his sleeves, Slade felt a slight chill coming on. "Besides, it's getting cold and you're not wearing much."
Scoffing, Raven crossed her arms defiantly across her chest. Giving him a fake smile, she gave just as fake a compliment. "Your courtesy exceeds my expectations."
Hand rising and stroking the side of Raven's cheek, Slade gave his own smile. "As your sarcasm does mine." His thumb just barely touched her bottom lip, and then retreated as Slade turned from her. "He's here."
"What?" Raven was astonished to see a black Jaguar XJ Super V8 (My car!) pull up in front of them. The front window rolled down to show a man clad in a tuxedo and driver's cap. "How did you-?"
Slade merely smirked and nodded to the chauffer. "Simple, I'm Slade." Turning a blind eye to Raven's mocking hand gestures, he waited as the door to the car was opened for them.
Almost being pushed in by Slade, Raven snuck in a thank you to the nervous man holding open the door. Once it shut, she turned to Slade with a raised brow, "Am I to assume that you threatened him at least a few times in the last couple days?"
"It is amazing, the power of persuasion that is." He couldn't hide the ever present and leering smirk on his face even if he wanted. His moment of glory was interrupted by the clearing of the driver's throat.
"Where to sir?" Adjusting his collar and hat anxiously, the man sitting behind the wheel waited for an answer to his question.
Pulling a small slip of paper out of his pocket, Slade handed the folded sheet to the driver. His eye focused on Raven's curious expression, but he didn't bother to comment. Once the car started to move, he turned away from his companion to look out of the window.
"Before you decide to ignore me, may I inquire as to where we're going?" As frustrated as she felt with Slade, she found her curiosity to be greater. She waited impatiently as he turned his head back only slightly. A quirk of his upper lip told her that whatever he had to say wasn't going to be something she liked.
"It's a surprise." Slade watched as Raven sported a full blown frown at his choice word. This made him all the more eager for them to arrive at their destination.
Raven's hand lightly brushed over the hidden sai on her upper leg, noting that Slade would be neutered if she found this night to be another one of his schemes. "I hate surprises."
