A/N: Thank you for all the reviews. I love y'all, especially since you guys tell me what you think and how you feel things should go. But stop reading my mind lol jk. I decided long ago that unfortunately Raven's just going to end up alone at the end. Did I just ruin the story? Hopefully not lol. There's actually something else pretty horrible that's kind of going to happen in the next chapter, but mostly in chapter 13. It's probably pretty soap opera-ish, too, but oh well. Not to mention, Red X still has to be unmasked.
P.S. I don't like this chapter much but ig it had to happen. Also, definitely no pregnancy lol. I'm also a huge Raven and Robin shipper, but I wanted to try something new where she was kind of the villain and Robin didn't get the girl for a change. Somehow this came out of it lol. Thank you guys so much for continuing to read the story!
11. I'm Not the Only One
"You say I'm crazy, 'cause you don't think I know what you've done. But when you call me baby, I know I'm not the only one. I have loved you for many years. Maybe I am just not enough. You've made me realize my deepest fear by lying and tearing us up." – Sam Smith
Disclaimer: I don't own the song or characters!
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"So, Lian, who taught you how to do that thing with your finger that you showed your mom yesterday?" Speedy questioned as he casually pushed the gas to his car and pulled out onto the highway behind Wally and Artemis's car. Raven was sitting nonchalantly in the passenger seat with her elbow resting on the window and her round chin resting in the palm of her hand, trying her best not to fall asleep. Lian was in the backseat strapped into her car seat and crashing her toy cars into each other with her own sound effects coming from her mouth.
They were on their way to a fun, family day at the indoor archery range outside of the city. Raven hardly wanted to be there due to the lack of sleep she'd received from being out with Robin all night and then not being able to sleep once she was safe and sound in Speedy's arms. She just felt so bad. Yet, she didn't know what to do. She was way too scared to admit to the boy what she'd been doing almost every night these last few days. Needless to say, she felt like shooting a few arrows with him was the least she could do.
"What thing with her finger?" she raised an eyebrow and answered in place of the three-year old.
Speedy sighed and shot an embarrassed glance at her curious face. "Apparently someone taught her how to use her middle finger."
Raven couldn't help but chortle at the image of an unware Lian happily telling people f*%k you and their surprised reactions, but her laugh only made Speedy's face furrow in disappointment. "That's cute," she uttered.
Speedy shook his head at her unfazed feedback and kept his eyes on the road as Wally's speed picked up in front of him. "Not funny, Raven."
"Uncle Jay-Jay taught me," Lian finally answered happily and continued playing with her toys, completely oblivious to the unkindness of the gesture.
"Uncle Jay-Jay?" The adults both said in unison. Well, Speedy actually screamed. Who the hell was Jay-Jay and why had he been interacting with his daughter? When did he even have the chance?
"Yeah," Lian nodded her head up and down with a toothy smile, "the dark man with the silver stripe."
"The dark man with the silver stripe," Speedy repeated worriedly and looked in his rearview mirror before switching lanes. "I'm going to file a police report before that pervert tries something worse."
"Relax," Raven uttered carelessly. "She must be talking about Robin's new little brother, Jason. I saw him at the party the other night. He's a little weird, but he's not a criminal."
"How do you know?" Speedy breathed, still worried that the guy might do something to harm his precious little girl.
Raven rolled her eyes at the scenery on the other side of her window and let out a breath of her own, "He's Robin's brother, Roy. Come on."
Speedy nodded hesitantly and swerved back into the right lane. "You're right," but then his voice was suddenly authoritarian again, "But, Lian, still no more talking to this Jay-Jay person."
"But!" she immediately screeched, finally dropping her toys in her lap.
"No buts," the father commanded sternly.
"But he's funny, Daddy," the girl pouted and folded her arms across her small chest.
"I don't care," Speedy said firmly. "He's obviously a bad influence, and there's no way I'm letting you turn out like your mom."
This made Raven's ears perk up. She was starting to think Speedy's biggest fear in life was having Lian turn out like Jade. Or was it losing his and her relationship? She wasn't exactly sure, but she almost hoped it was indeed having Lian turn out like Jade, because having it be losing her would just make breaking the bad news to him even more testing.
"Why are you so worried about her being like Jade?" Raven mumbled to him to take her attention off her guilt and when she was sure the little girl's was elsewhere.
Speedy hunched his shoulders and looked at Raven with sincere amber eyes, thinking she was scolding him for his paranoia. "I don't know. It's just…that's not the life I want for my child. And she really loves Jade, and I would hate for her to think that that way of living is right."
Raven placed an understanding hand on his shoulder. "She won't, Roy. She loves you just as much. And she sees the good you do every single day. I can guarantee you that we're her biggest influences and with us in her life, there's no way she'll end up in prison or killing people for money like her mom. She's a good girl."
In reality, she wasn't exactly sure she was the best influence for any child. She grew up holding back her emotions and that in turn made her cold to some. She was what most would call creepy and gothic and admired the dark things in life the most. She had a knack for sarcasm and brutal honesty which cost her a lot of friendships. Not to mention, she was pretty introverted and would rather stay to herself reading and meditating most times. And apparently, she had no self-control and constantly hurt the ones she loved like she didn't know any better. She honestly didn't recommend anyone look up to her.
Yet, Speedy saw all the good things in her. He knew she had those flaws, but there was no way they could ever overpower her better qualities, despite what she believed.
He smiled at the strong yet small woman next to him. As his eyes ran over the purple of her hair, the paleness of her skin, and the softness of her eyes, he was reminded of how confident and loved she made him feel. With her by his side, there was nothing in the world he couldn't do. She gave him strength and courage.
"You're right," he agreed and pulled into the parking lot of the range. "And if I could raise her with anyone in the world, I'd still choose you. You both are my heart."
Raven smirked on the outside but sighed heavily inside her noggin. She almost missed the arrogant, bothersome Speedy from high school over this starry-eyed and in love version of him now.
But instead of showing him what she was thinking, she reached over to give him a quick kiss on his soft, thin lips. "We know. Now, come on before Wally tries to steal my target."
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"No, Wallace, you know that's my favorite target," Raven scorned when the crew made their way inside the building & Kid Flash immediately ran to the one target that was closer to them & larger than the rest.
"Come on, Rae," Wally whined playfully even though he was sort of serious. Archery was basically the complete opposite of running to him. "You've had three years of training with the best archer since Robin Hood."
"Ahem," Artemis cleared her throat, making KF scratch the back of his neck nervously. She was also a highly skilled archer and had constant competitions with Speedy to see who was actually the best of the two. However, Raven and KF always ensured them that they were both equal in their abilities.
"Hehe," Wally blushed a bright, scarlet red, "I mean second best."
"And I still suck. Goes to show you how much I need the easy target." Raven smirked and crossed her arms over her black, long-sleeved turtle neck. Her heavy bow and array of arrows were trying to bend in her tight grip.
"Actually, Lian should get the easy target," Artemis sassed and handed her niece her kiddie, pink bow. "She is the child."
Speedy chuckled warmheartedly at his silly family and strolled over to the counter to pay for their usage of the targets. He looked around the counter but there wasn't a worker in sight. Their absence made him aware of the sounds coming from the television on the wall behind the counter. The afternoon, local news was playing. Apparently, a couple of dumb, horny teens had decided to be risqué and probably what they thought was cool and have sex on the counter of the high-security jewelry store that had been robbed just days before. Speedy snickered at their ignorance and shook his head side to side as he continued listening to the news anchor.
"If you have any information on who this couple could be, please call and let us know. They might play a crucial part in solving the mystery of Red X," the lady on the TV spoke clearly. The screen then proceeded to show a photo of the top half that was taken from the footage of the man pinning his lover up against the wall.
Slowly, something clicked in Speedy's mind. There was something familiar about the woman's fingernails digging into the man's back and her combat boot covered feet that were pulling him closer to her. But there was also something about her eyes that drew him in and had him captivated. They were the same bright, vivid violet of the stone encrusted in the ring on his fiancée's finger. In fact, they were also the same color of the eyes that watched his face as he fell asleep each night and the eyes that met his each morning as they opened. They were the eyes that smiled at the sound of his voice and warmth of his touch. And the eyes he had fallen in love with the first time he stared into them. They were Raven's.
"Kids these days, huh?" The salt and pepper-haired clerk finally popped up to take Speedy's money. He quickly picked up the remote and turned the TV off before they could show anything else about the recording. He looked back at Speedy's blank face and tittered, "We try to keep it family-friendly around here."
Speedy's forehead wrinkled in frustration, not from the man's words, but from the discovery he'd just made. He glanced over at his so-called family as he handed the man his credit card and winced at the pain that instantly hit his heart when he saw Raven playfully twirling Lian around like a ballerina. Just minutes ago, he would've thought it was cute. Minutes ago, he thought his life was perfect. He had a beautiful fiancée that even he felt sometimes he didn't deserve and a stunning, redhead little girl. But he should've known that perfection itself was imperfect.
Not many people in the world, let alone Steel City, had amethyst eyes or the hair to match. Not to mention, Raven rarely left the house without her signature, black combat boots. The very ones she was wearing right now as she helped Lian nock her arrow on to her girly pink bow. Those things coupled with the fact that she'd been staying out late every night without being able to tell him exactly where she was and what she was doing and the fact that she'd been dressing up more, and it was obviously not for him, made it pretty obvious that she truly was cheating on him.
Many times over the past few days, he had felt bad and even a little guilty for thinking she could ever betray him like that. Why would Raven cheat on him? He was tall, good-looking, funny, one of the best runners on his team, doing well in school, and best of all he loved her. He pushed through his playboy, drug addict lifestyle just to prove to her how much he really did. And so far he hadn't slipped up. Sure he wasn't the richest man but he long ago realized material things didn't matter much to her. It was the simple things like surprising her with fresh, hot tea in the mornings, making her usually straight-lined lips curve upwards, and just telling her how he felt that warmed her cold demeanor.
But maybe he'd made a big mistake in hiding where he was every night for so long. Maybe it made her think he was cheating on her and caused her to seek revenge. But two wrongs don't make a right. Even if she thought he was cheating, she should've just confronted him about it. Asked him directly instead of beating around the bush.
Speedy walked over to his target and wasted no time hinging his arrows to the bowstring and letting them soar at a vicious speed towards the red bullseye. With every tug of the string, his anger grew more and more. The way the arrow stabbed the target wasn't enough to satisfy his desire to hurt the closest thing to him. It'd been awhile since he'd let his anger make him violent, so he tried his best to keep it under control. He'd never hit a female, especially Lian or Raven, but the wall would definitely get the most of his wrath and frighten everyone around.
'Who is the guy?' he thought. Who was the guy that was so much better than him that she would betray him by not only having intercourse in public with him but spending almost every night with him? Leaving Speedy worried and alone. Apparently, this guy was special enough to make her fancy up her looks and hurt a man who'd loved her with every vessel in his body for three years. Was he really worth it? Their life was practically picture-perfect yet this guy was somehow able to so easily steal her away.
Little did she know, she had made his biggest fear come true: he finally wasn't good enough. He couldn't but wonder if their relationship was just a waste of time. Or perhaps it was just a teaching experience for both of them. It'd taken so long for her to be able to trust him, but he didn't know if he'd ever be able to trust her again.
"Speedy!" The girl in question barked lowly in the redhead's face. He had been completely out of it, causing her to step in front of him and wave her hand in front of his eyes like a lunatic. Yet, he was so into his own world, he was about to shoot her with an arrow without even realizing it.
"Wh-what?" he finally stuttered and blinked a couple times. He lowered his heavy red and black bow and tried to make eye contact with the shorter girl ahead of him, but it was practically impossible. His heart was warning him not to, knowing the instant pain it'd cause.
"I've been calling your name for three minutes now," she scorned and crossed her arms over her chest. "Remember last time you said you'd teach me some kind of technique?"
Roy sighed and cowered under her piercing, cold stare. He knew it was no different from the usual look in her eyes, but knowing what he knew now made her seem like the spawn of the devil. "Uh, yeah, maybe next time."
"Why not now?" she spat in her usual monotone and kept her arms folded impatiently.
Speedy finally looked into her stony, violet eyes but unfortunately began letting his anger get the best of him. "Because I said so," he charged with no hint of emotion in his masculine voice.
Raven let out an unaffected exhalation and finally dropped her arms. "Well, excuse me." Then continued in the same blank voice, "Just wanted to try something different. Didn't have to be an asshole about it."
"I just need some time to shoot by myself," he uttered almost inaudibly. Raven could tell he was trying to hold back from blowing up on her and everyone around. Every part of him was red from the top of his ears to the ends of his fingertips.
So, she let out another deep breath and slowly softened up. Obviously something was causing him great strife, and she owed it to him to make him feel better. Or at least to show that she cared and would always be there for him, even if she wasn't the best person to come to for sympathy.
"What's got you down, Sunny D?" she echoed gently, taking a step closer. He usually responded well to the nickname she'd personally given him long ago; it at least usually made him talk if not smile.
The angry man involuntarily stepped back causing Raven to halt in her place from shock. "Nothing."
"Is it the Lian and Jade thing?" She tried again, then continued when he refused to answer, "I told you—"
"I said nothing," he hissed like an evil serpent. "Dammit! Do you ever listen to anything I say?"
Out of nowhere, he turned to storm away. Raven wasted no time pulling him back by his arm, causing him to drop his expensive bow and handful of arrows. "Roy, what is your problem?" She didn't even care that they were now making a scene and embarrassing the other part of their entourage.
The taller man let out a very audible sigh and shook his head at the woman he once trusted more than himself. "Let's just leave. I don't think I can stand to be here with you right now."
Raven gasped and took a large step back. She glanced over at Wally and Artemis with wide eyes but they looked just as stumped as her. Lian was holding onto Wally's leg for dear life and would probably start crying anytime now.
"Roy," she finally whispered even though she had a huge feeling he wouldn't say another word to her, "what did I do? We were fine just a minute ago."
Unfortunately for her heart, he decided not to answer. Instead, he scooped his weapon off the floor and told her with a tone so emotionless even she couldn't match it. "I'm staying the night at Wally's. You can just go home and do whatever the hell you want."
'Oh my God,' Raven cried inside her mind, the obvious suddenly hit her like a stampede of elephants, 'he knows. How does he know?!'
Raven and everyone else in the store watched as the angry Speedy and the baffled others prepared to head out, leaving her all alone to mellow in the embarrassment. She felt around in her pockets to make sure she actually had the keys to his car or else she'd really be stuck and alone.
'How did he find out?' she wondered. Just ten minutes ago they were fine. Wally nor Artemis knew and she didn't see X or Robin prancing around the building. She knew he wasn't psychic or telepathic so there was no possible way he could've found out.
Suddenly, ring, ring…ring, ring, her telephone went off startling her and everyone close to her. She looked down at the screen to see an old childhood picture of her and Robin.
Ugh, she thought. He always seemed to come in at the wrong time. But now that Speedy knew, she could use the comfort even if in the end it'd just make matters worse. Plus, she was sure her and Speedy were over now, so she might as well hold onto Robin as long as she could…Right? Sigh. Who was this new person she was turning into…?
"Hello," she answered as she walked out of the building with Speedy's keys stabbing her palm.
"Raven, I think you need to get over here as soon as possible," Robin rushed before she could even finish the last syllable of her hello.
"Robin, now's not really a good time," she breathed as she started the car she'd just kissed her fiancée in minutes ago and plenty of times before. "Somehow Speedy found out, and I have to go talk to him before he loses his cool in front of Lian and everyone else for that matter."
"I think I might know how he found out," Robin admitted with a hint of pity in his voice. "Get over here quick and we can figure out what to do."
