It was obvious Raven wasn't interested in any sort of serious commitment, which is what mating would entail.

And mating is apparently what the stupid voice in my head wants.

I had to remind myself with every small smile and innocent touch over the past few days that she wasn't interested. That she wants to be friends. Which is fine and I can respect that.

It was just so damn hard to do when suddenly other girls weren't attractive anymore. Sure Kori was still one of the prettiest girls I've ever seen but suddenly that was it. The blondes that would flirt after a successful mission were boring.

And this is a problem because my sex drive is at an all time high. I can't even look at Raven without feeling like I'm overheating.

It wasn't her fault and I totally understand but it's like I'm dying.

How sad.

I was zoned out while the professor explained niches and how they affect an environment when Raven tapped my desk with a blue tipped nail.

My gaze snapped straight to the frown on her glossy red lips and I forced myself not to breathe in her scent of lavender and herbal tea.

"Call." Her quiet voice shook me from my dumb thoughts as I realized she was holding the communicator under her desk. I nodded before packing up my things and slipping out of the back of the classroom with the small empath in tow.

"What's up?" I flipped open the comm to see a disheveled Richard looking more stressed than ever.

"Three villains are running loose. You and Raven take Mumbo in the east sector. When you get done there help Star in the north. Cinder Block is loose."

"Fuck," Raven groaned before pulling us into a dark corner and slipping her ring into her bag. The sight of the real Raven had my brain on the fritz for a second before I remembered she doesn't like me like that. I copied her, shoving the comm in the pocket of my spandex suit before tossing all my clothes and book bag in the small portal Raven made.

"Ready?" I asked, ready to shift into a hawk and fly over to kick magical ass.

"Are you?" Dark magic sparked at Raven's fingertips as suddenly I was engulfed in darkness. For just a second I felt my stomach drop out of my body and then I was on the roof of a bank watching mumbo cast spells on the atm to have money flying out into a red bag.

Raven jumped immediately into action, leaving me to stand in awe of how confident and incharge she was when it came to these situations.

She really is incredible.

I shook the thoughts loose from my head as I shifted, feeling my animal instincts heighten as I let go.

It was like flipping a switch.

Powerful legs brought me closer to mumbo as large lungs inhaled then let out a mighty earth shaking roar. Sharp teeth snatched the bag from the air as Raven wrestled magically with Mumbo while dodging his attacks. Once I was far enough away I dropped the bag and studied the situation. Raven was holding her own, no doubt about it, but this had to be done fast if we were going to be any help to Kori against Cinderblock. I shifted again, sprouting horns on my head as hoof beats brought me closer to the blue magician.

I slammed the thick dangerous horns into mumbo's side, throwing him to the side of the bank he had been robbing. Raven used her power to conjure rope and used it to wrap around the unconscious villain. Once he was immobilized Raven walked carefully towards him before pulling the wand he had gripped in his hand away from him. With little effort it was snapped in half and then tossed into a dimensional pocket to be dealt with later. Overall it was less than ten minutes worth of effort.

My senses heightened as I studied Raven for too long. The way she flipped her hair over her shoulder, her confident stance as she studied the surrounding area for any additional threats. Her delicious scent that danced to me on the breeze. If I wasn't careful I could get lost in her so easily.

'Mine' the voice inside growled and I shook my head, shifting back. Once I stood in my normal form Raven shot me a small smile before opening another portal.

"Kori needs us," Her voice was light as she waited for me to pass through. "I'll stay here until authorities arrive. Hopefully it won't take long." I nodded, worry for her safety tying my stomach in knots before I stepped through.

Once again my stomach dropped out of my body before I was standing in the middle of a battlefield. Kori and Vic were shouting as starbolts and cannon strikes nearly missed me.

I shifted quickly, four feet and powerful legs allowing me to sprint to Vic's side before shifting back, barely feeling winded.

"How're we doing?"

"Getting our asses kicked," Vic groaned before ducking down to dodge the car thrown at his head. "Where's Raven?"

"She stayed behind to wait for the authorities." I studied the scene, feeling only a little worried that she could be in danger alone.

There were a few bodies scattered around the area, most bloody leaving me to believe there were casualties. The large intersection was filled with scattered cars on their sides or broken light posts. The walking brick wall was bellowing at Kori as she flew above his head with a car dangling from one hand.

"And you let her?" Vic sounded both amused and incredulous. Before I could retort that we were ordered to return here Wally showed up with Jinx in his arms. The trickster grinned before casting her curses, doing her best to distract the brute while Kori made her way to us.

"Friend Nightwing is on his way, as is Aqualad." Kori studied me for a long moment before she frowned. "Where is Friend Raven?"

"Right here," Raven sighed as she stepped through the portal, immediately lifting the knots in my stomach as her boots crunched on broken glass and rubble. "Situation?"

"There have been losses," Kori looked dejected as she answered.

"Time to end this quickly," Raven growled out, something deep and dark dusting her scent and tone. Those beautiful amethyst eyes turned red as another pair opened higher on her forehead. Kori looked worried for a moment before she nodded.

Raven jumped back into the fight without pause, her power crackled in the air as multiple cars lifted at once, being flung towards the walking wall. Jinx dodged the cars before they could get close to her. She shot one glance over her shoulder before she nodded once and backed away from the scene. She and Kori stayed on the edge of the fight as Cinder Block attempted to fight against the vehicles being repeatedly thrown at him. Every time one of them were swatted away it would simply rise again and attack from a different angle.

Raven's attacks were coming fast before suddenly they stopped as Kori and Jinx seemed to jump in, Jinx's curses slowing the monster down as Kori shot burst after burst of power at him. The cars hovering in the air slowly fell back to the ground as Raven's magic wrapped around nearby light poles, the red eyes on her face glowing brightly before the light posts snapped from their places and began wrapping around her victim. Jinx seemed to cast something on the bindings as Star heated the metal with her own power, melting the metal poles together, the molten metal entering some of the porous material Cinder Block was made out of making it difficult to remove.

Another fast fight, leaving Vic and I breathless at the flawless teamwork. Not a single word had been passed between the women as they worked. Slowly the red faded from Raven's eyes as the extra pair shut.

I was expecting her to collapse from the exertion of power as she had in the past but she stood on solid legs assessing the nearby damage the battle brought.

Sadness filled her eyes as she studied the lifeless bodies scattered across the pavement.

"Star, let me know if you find any survivors," Raven's voice was quiet as she returned to Vic and I. She looked tired, but still whole.

"Wow Rae that was-"

"Dangerous what the hell were you thinking!" Jinx exploded as she neared. Wally looked nervous at her side, inching away slowly as her anger rose.

"I had to let it out or it would consume me," was Raven's soft answer. Jinx's anger seemed to lessen at the answer before finally she sighed.

"Stop acting like the world is going to end, we'll figure this out," Jinx whined at her friend, pink eyes pleading.

"Maybe." Raven's actions were dismissive even if her tone remained light. Jinx frowned, her eyes looking wet as Raven turned to Kori, who looked equally angry and sad.

"Friend Raven, you should not risk yourself in such a way."

"I understand your concern," Raven sounded so logical, like it had been the only option, "but do you like the idea of the alternative?"

"Rae what are you talking about?" I finally asked as Dick arrived on his motorbike, followed by Garth. There were sirens in the background as the authorities began making their way to us.

"She thinks if she can drain her powers before Deathstroke can enact his plan she can stop the end of the world, but it will only put her more at risk. Letting her anger burn so bright it consumes more power than if she would have done that without Rage." She said it like her emotion was a separate person. Raven simply glared, but there was no heat behind her eyes.

"We handled it quickly," Raven argued without any of her usual bite

"Stop pushing yourself," Jinx finally yelled before sighing, her hands digging into her hair.

Raven nodded once before turning to the specialized police unit as they began attempting to wrangle the semiconscious pile of bricks. She began assisting as ambulances made their way to the scene to begin the cleanup.

Once Raven was finished getting Cinder Block into the police wagon she began helping the EMTs. Normally we left this kind of work to them, but I couldn't just let Raven do it alone as Nightwing began gathering a report from everyone actually involved with the hero work.

It was silent work as Raven and I helped lift the fallen onto gurneys for them to be carted away to the morgue.

None in the immediate area had survived Cinder Block's rage.

It was clear the sight of so many dead bothered Raven to the point she began shaking, but she didn't stop helping until every last person was properly placed into the ambulances.

Nightwing was waiting patiently for us once we were finished. He asked Raven hushed questions I wasn't supposed to hear.

"Are you stable?"

"Are you in control?"

"Do you have a deathwish?" His tone was calm but his expression hard as a rock as she mumbled her answers too quietly for even my sensitive ears to pick up.


"Rae can we talk?" I pounded on her door. The second we returned to the safe house she had secluded herself in her room without a word to anyone. The rest of the day went by without issue, but as dinner passed with no appearance from the empath I began to worry.

Slowly her door cracked open to reveal Raven in a too big shirt and short shorts, her hair a tangled mess.

"What," Her voice snapped as she yawned and suddenly I felt awful for waking her up. Obviously sleep helped her recover as she was already looking much better.

"I was just worried, can we talk?" I couldn't keep the whine from my voice. She frowned at me for a long moment before she sighed and opened her door.

The room was full of boxes, most of it still packed. There were a few old books and candles scattered along the length of her dresser.

They'd been here for almost a week and she still hadn't bothered to unpack much.

"I'm fine Garfield." Her tone was hard as she sat cross legged on the floor by an open book.

"You're not acting fine." I tried to keep the worry out of my tone, but it was hard as she began reading the contents of the book.

"You're being nosy. Maybe I should start asking about the girl you keep moping over," Raven tensed a second after she said it. I was expecting a jolt of hurt to rush through me over her casually mentioning Terra, but there was nothing but growing worry for Rae.

"If it'll get you to talk ask whatever you want," I slowly padded towards her before sitting down on the other side of the book. Raven sighed but kept her eyes glued to the words scrawled across the ancient paper.

The book smelled like Mal and that made it hard not to throw it out her window.

"Who was she?"

"Her names Terra and she was… she was my everything." I sighed out before leaning back on my hands. "When I was finally transferred to The Bat's care she was the first one to really accept me. I mean we were just stupid kids and kids can be mean when you're different."

"Adults can be mean too," Raven spoke softly before turning the page, never once looking up. I filed her statement for further discussion later and moved on.

"She was also my first and only girlfriend, but we've had a lot of issues. As we got older sometimes she would sneak off and come back smelling like other guys. She'd always write it off as me being paranoid, and I would always believe it. I guess the thought of being alone was so crippling that I just accepted her cheating and ignored it. We were on and off for so long that it was just… how I figured my life would be. I mean I thought I loved her."

"Can't say I know how that feels," Raven's voice wavered just a little before she turned another page.

"Kori loves you." Raven let out a soft chuckle as she nodded.

"Kori's the first kindness I've ever experienced." Raven finally looked up, her eyes sad as she slowly shut her book. She looked torn for a long moment and I simply let her. There was no need to force her to speak.

Her eyes studied me before she nodded once and opened her mouth to speak when Kori slammed her way into the room with a look of pure happiness on her face.

"Oh Friend Raven I have the happiest of news!"

"I'm not going to another party Kori," Raven groaned before flopping back on her floor, a look of pure defeat on her face. I tried not to laugh at her immediate response.

"No no! Richard has-" Kori stopped as she realized I was there. Her eyes judged me for a very long moment.

"Richard what?"Raven grunted as she pushed herself back up and began standing.

"You have a boy in your room." Kori stared at me like she didn't know who I was.

"Kori focus on you," Raven frowned and the alien beauty shook her head before her smile grew once again.

"Richard has asked me to officially be his girlfriend!" The girl flew up in the air before spinning in a tornado of fiery hair.

"That's great Kori," Raven gave her a small warm smile before her eyes fell to me. She looked conflicted for a moment before resolve steeled itself in her eyes.

"I'm fine Garfield, but I will come to you if I need to… talk," Her voice was softer than I imagined it would be with the amount of resolve in her eyes before she turned to Kori. I knew a dismissal when I heard one and left quietly as the girls began to speak.

At least she knew she could come to me. And I could honestly say that talking with her about Terra, even with the small amount that it was, made me feel lighter.

A small smile was plastered on my face as I made my way to the living room to kick Garth off the game station. He didn't argue, but did stare at me for a long time before one of his slimy smiles spread across his face.

"Someone's in love," Garth teased. I frowned at him before turning my attention to the game. Wally was already picking his character while I simply stared at the screen for a moment.

"No clue what you're talking about dude." I said while looking through the options. I really hated this game.

"All the goofy smiles you've been wearing." Garth leaned against the couch arm as Vic walked into the room munching on leftover meat lovers pizza. I wrinkled my nose before picking the random button, letting the game pick for me.

"When does he not have a goofy smile?" Vic asked between bites of pizza.

"He's been moping for almost two months and now he's all googly eyes over some girl," Garth's voice held a frown to it, but I ignored him as the match started and Wally came at me with his fists blazing.

"You're not lying. Who's the lucky lady?" Vic leaned on the back of the couch, studying me with too much interest. I tried to focus on blocking attacks, but my head wasn't in it.

I was too busy wondering what Raven was going to tell me before Kori opened the door.

Wondering why Raven would have ever picked a jerk like Mal.

Wondering what I could do to keep that soft smile on Raven's lips.

"Told ya, you can see the love on his blank face." Garth's face was way too close to mine as I realized the screen displayed a 'player one wins' message. Normally Wally would be gloating, but now everyone was staring at me.

"Dude you guys are crazy." I brushed it off as I handed the controller over to Vic. "Sides if anyone's in love it's Dick. He asked Kori out officially." Hopefully the news would get them off my back.

"Damn, there goes my shot," Garth groaned before standing up and leaving the room. Vic simply bellowed out a laugh.

"As if you stood a chance!" The Cyborg continued laughing, wiping an imaginary tear from his mechanical eye.

"Seriously dude, who is it?" Wally lounged on the couch, studying me way too intently before a dumb grin spread across his face. "I bet it's Raven."

"Dude lay off. I'm just worried about her okay."

"You should be worried about the end of the world. I mean, what if Deathstroke is actually able to let her father loose?" Vic's playful tone dropped to pure worry and I groaned before sliding further into the couch.

"I won't let it happen." I vowed, my mind floating back to the devastation in Raven's eyes at the sight of all those bodies. Maybe she was worried she would cause that. That should her father be summoned all of humanity would fall and be nothing but bloodied corpses. I stood abruptly, startling Vic before making my way towards the room Mal was still in. "I can't let it happen."