The wind tussled Raven's hair as she sat in the open air cafe with a mug of tea between her hands. The woman's eyes were closed as she tried to keep her emotions calm from the discoveries she and Psycho had made in the Dread Library. It had been the first significant breakthrough she had since the sorceress had arrived in Gotham and the first time Raven felt like she might be ahead of Nocturnus.
Phone calls had already been placed to Bruce, and her phone was sitting beside her sending the final pictures to the OwnBox account Bruce Wayne had given her. He promised to have the writing digitized and clear for her to read when she got back to the manor. All that left was finding out what exactly Nocturnus was and then a way to reverse the spell or kill it.
The chair across from her rustled and the magical titan opened her eyes expecting to see Psycho, but that was not the face that she saw. Instead of the ever-changing dyed head of hair Annabeth, Raven's eyes were locked on a woman with straight brunette hair and icy blue eyes. She wore a deep V t-shirt and from a glance, a miniskirt that barely covered her ass.
"Natalia," Raven said evenly.
"It's Miss Winters to you," the other woman answered haughtily. "Only my friend can call me by my first name."
The instinct to punch the woman was overwhelming. The perfect nose, beautifully done makeup and elegant hair just begged for a pounding. Instead, Raven picked up her cup and took a sip of the chamomile tea.
Raven never broke eye contact as she merely sipped her tea and waited. She sensed the girl across from her falter at the unnerving and unmoving expression. The sorceress had used it a few times to cause Beast Boy to cry and beg to be let off the hook for some unfortunate timed practical joke she had been caught in.
"I stopped by," Natalia said clearing her voice. "To talk to you about Mister Grayson."
"Sure."
"I know you and him have been seeing each other for a while," Natalia started. "and I'm aware of the charisma he possesses."
'You have no idea what he is,' Raven thought to herself.
"But I wanted to be upfront with you that it might be time to pack your bags and head home."
Raven's eyebrow shot up in disbelief, the rest of her features remaining neutral.
"Excuse me?"
"As you may have heard through the grapevine, Mister Grayson and I were engaged once."
"I heard. Hard to believe."
Color filled Natalia's cheek in anger, and her voice became grating and biting.
"Since he is back, Richard has expressed interest in getting back together with me, and I wanted to do the noble thing and give you fair warning before you're left cold in the rain."
"Oh? So, you're saying I should quit being his girlfriend because he expressed some sort of interest in you?" Raven asked with a chuckle. "Was he drunk? He's always whispering crazy things in my ear when we're in bed.
That chuckle did not go down well as the red in Natalia's cheeks deepened to the point that Raven thought she was going to explode. Yes, it was uncomfortable insinuating that Robin shared her bed but it was the act and the thought was not all that unpalatable.
"How...how dare you insult him."
"Insult him?" Raven laughed. "I heard you caught him with an expensive hooker."
Natalia shot up out of her seat knocking it back. The commotion causing people to turn to look at them. Immediately Raven regretted egging the jealous woman on.
"How DARE you, you little whore." Natalia hissed through her teeth.
"At least I'm getting some of Richard unlike you," Raven responded before she had a chance to think.
To Raven's surprise, Natalia lifted her fist to strike at Raven, and the sorceress willed herself to take the punch to the face. It was going to hurt, but if she defended herself, it would give away the fact she wasn't some rich girl that Richard Grayson was shacking up with. The blow did not fall though, A hand grabbed hold of Natalia's descending fist and thrust her away.
Psycho stepped in between, chest heaving in a fury.
"Back off, Nat," Annabeth warned. That was not what happened.
Natalia through a punch at Annabeth but the girl sidestepped perfectly and caught the girl in the jaw with an uppercut sending the brunette sprawling on the floor. Two men rushed forward, the driver and a bodyguard to help her up but before they moved, they saw three other men from the cafe exit.
"I'm going to sue your ass!" Natalia shrieked covering her face as blood ran between her fingers.
"Go ahead, ya bitch. My father has as many lawyers as you do and this is his building. Good luck finding any witnesses that'll side with you. "
The only response that could be heard was a shriek of agony and fury as they helped her into the limo that was parked on the side of the road.
As soon as the vehicle drove away, Psycho plopped herself down in the now unoccupied seat and sighed.
"Nice uppercut," Raven mused.
"Bitch deserved it threatening you like that."
"I seem to be pushing buttons."
"Are...are you sleeping with Dick?" Annabeth ventured. "I know you are his bodyguard and all but..."
"You looking to get in line?" Raven asked, her eyes twinkling over the cup she drained and finished.
"No, no, no. He's not my type. I prefer the more bulky muscle builders. I just...I just don't want my friend to get hurt. You know what I mean?"
"Yeah," Raven said setting the cup down. "and we're not sleeping together. It's all an act to keep me out of suspicion. They're no real feelings between us. Never have been."
The last sentence cut deep into Raven's heart.
Robin sat at the mahogany desk in his old office that Bruce had set up when he was old enough. It was bare of any personality as he only occupied the room for a few months before he left his mentor and headed west towards California. The laptop to the left hummed with the Wayne Industries logo turning lazily on the screen and the pile of invitations that needed his personal signature still unsigned. Being rich meant some traditions could not die and become an e-greeting.
"You do not look very happy, Master Dick."
Robin's eyes shot up from the spinning logo and saw the lean form of Alfred walk into the room with a crystal bottle of lemon water and a cup filled with ice.
"Yeah, Not been a good few days."
Alfred sat the plate down and expertly dolled out the liquid before sitting down in the chair across from the desk and crossing one leg over his knee.
"Is it this young lady, Raven that bothers you?"
Robin started, and the expression must have told the older man that he had been caught off guard as Alfred burst into a chuckle.
"No...I…."
Alfred's look of disapproval of lying made Robin hang his head.
"Yeah."
"Tell me, it might help give you an idea on how to proceed."
"That's the thing. I don't know if there is anything," Robin burst out in a fury, the pent up emotions flowing out of him in the form of words. "She's been a great friend and a stable hand when I go nuts. I don't know if I could have kept the Teen Titans together if it was not for her presence. It's just I never thought of her more than a comrade but these few weeks she's become more..."
"Desirable?"
"Yeah and no. I mean, I do not want to just get Raven in bed, Alfred," Robin's voice went low so nobody else could hear. No one was in the house, but he was not going to take chances.
"Are you sure. She is a lovely woman. More than most people realize."
"Of course! Raven is my best friend, and I would kill anyone who would hurt her." Robin answered vehemently. "I...I just...I just don't know how to handle these emotions."
"Master Dick, what have I always told you all the way back to Little Betsy Love in sixth grade?" Alfred asked, his white eyebrows knitting into one straight line.
"Listen to my heart, see who they really are, and let them see who you really are."
"And has Miss Roth seen you as you are?"
Had she? Raven had never known his real identity even back at the Tower. Had she even known who he was under the red, green, and yellow costume?
"No, no she hasn't," Robin admitted. "I...I never let anyone know who I was except the leader of the Teen Titans. Anytime there was a moment of bonding, I never let it get past friendship. She's only known the man of the mask."
"It is the same thing I keep reminding, Mister Wayne," Alfred said standing up and taking the platter and the half-empty crystal bottle. "There are always two people in that costume. The mask and the man who is wearing the mask. You cannot forget that, or you are not whole. You've shown her Robin. If you're serious in capturing her heart, you need to show her who Richard Grayson is."
"She's a Lesbian, Alfred," Robin said placing his head on the desk and wrapping his arms around his ears. "I have no chance, that's what sucks."
"Oh, she's not a lesbian," Alfred chuckled.
"What?" Robin's head shot up.
"I'm old, I'm not stupid." he laughed heading out the door. "I believe your generation colloquialism is that she plays for both teams?"
With that, the door shut and Robin stared surprised at the oak paneling. Raven was bisexual? Did that mean he still actually had a chance?
Grabbing and pen and paper, in Robin-esque fashion, he began to design a complicated plan to steal a young sorceress' heart.