Chapter 21

Okay I know I haven't updated in a while. I'm really sorry about that. really I am. I really hope you're still into the story! Thanks so much for all the favorites and story alerts! Also, I'm glad some of you have seen my one-shot called 'no hesitation' (also robrae)! For those of you who haven't, check it out!

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Things have calmed down since the day Starfire left the Teen Titans. That was about two days ago. Robin has calmed himself, Cyborg looks less stressed because Bee has arrived, and Beast Boy seems to have been pacified with playing pranks on Cyborg and his "friend". Raven on the other hand, is still restless to get out of the hospital bed. So restless in fact, that she sent Robin out of the Med Bay, not only for his own good since he hasn't been eating as well as he used to, but to finally be alone after the whole Starfire incident and…to maybe meditate a little. Privacy.

Raven POV

All right. Breathe Raven. Take a deep breath of air that isn't shared with any visitors here at all. I'm alone. Just the way I like it…sometimes.

Cyborg removed the cast on my ankle and my arm, so I don't feel much like an immobile corpse anymore. I can lie on my side finally. And sometimes I can even stretch.

Everything about me is healing…except for my powers…

Robin's having a real meal in the kitchen for once even if it is just left-over pizza. Cyborg would have gladly made him one of his 'Cyborg Super Subs', but lately he's been working on this "surprise". I don't have the slightest clue as to what he's building this time, but I don't let it bother me much. He said I might be able to start dialysis today. I hope it doesn't end up a disaster like last time…

Starfire POV

Aquaman has come to visit my cell once again. He is only ever interested in the interrogating. I have not yet spoken to him about what I had said to the Slade and he is becoming more of the annoyed with each passing day. He wants to carry out Robin's orders I am supposing.

But I am much too ashamed of what I have done to respond in any other way than tears when Aquaman asks more and more questions.

No one here…seems to care. Yes Aquaman is in command of the Titans East now that Bee has supposedly…replaced me…oh it makes more tears drip to the white metal beneath me when I think of her.

On occasion, I spy a domino mask appraising me from outside the small window in the door. Speedy is so curious, but he never enters. Oh how I long for his company.

Raven POV

I finally start to feel bored when the door to the Med Bay slides open to reveal the leader of the Titans East.

"Hey Bumble Bee. How are you? I've heard you've been attached to Cyborg since you arrived." I smirk.

"Oh hush up Rae. Sparky hasn't left me alone since I stepped into his garage." Bee saunters over to my cot and grips the bar attached to it with both hands. "How've you been, sugar? Heard you had a run in with some blood-thirsty aliens."

"They were demons actually. The igles were kicked out of the underworld because they became too much of a problem for the occasional half-breed. They're the rare type that preys on the offspring of humans and demons. Anyway, they uh tortured me and now their venom in my bloodstream acts as a stopper to my powers. I can't access them…"

"Oh…" Bee seems to be at a loss for words until her sympathetic face twists into one of rage. "I've got half a mind to hop in a shuttle myself and electrify every one of those little buggers 'til they're all burned to a crisp for what they did to you!" She yells.

"It's okay, Bee. Cyborg's going to start me on dialysis today. My powers will be restored soon." Hopefully.

"Pretty creative. He came up with that himself? That's…genius." Bee admits. Though I'm sure she wouldn't dare do so in front of—

"Hey, Sparky."

"How many times do I need to tell you!? That's not my name!" He huffs. "Raven, are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be. Hook me up….Where's—"

"Robin's on his was way." Bee and Cyborg interrupt simultaneously. Their smirks match.

"That wasn't what I was going to ask. Where's…the..dialysis machine?" I narrow my eyes in irritation. How did they know?

Cyborg chuckles and Bee smiles, her red lips stretching over her pearly teeth.

"Rob's bringing the new and improved dialysis machine from my room. Don't worry Rae. This'll run without a hitch."

The steel doors of the Med Bay slide open and in rolls the dialysis machine, followed by a handsome, spiky-haired, boy wonder. He takes a deep breath and Bumble Bee moves out of the way to make room for the contraption that will hopefully restore my powers.

"This is going to work. I'll be right here the entire time. Don't worry." He smiles at me comfortingly.

"Aw, ain't that sweet…" Bee mumbles behind Robin.

Cyborg rolls his eye and brings the first needle toward my right hand. "Hold still."

The pain only lasts for a second or two and Robin holds onto my shoulder, rubbing small circles into my hospital gown with his thumb. Cyborg walks around my bed with the other needle and slowly punctures my left hand, taping the tube to my skin gently. I close my eyes and take a breath, preparing for the possible onslaught of power…or the lack of it.

"Ok Raven. Let's do this."

I open my eyes just as Cy pushes the green button and black blood fills the tube on my right. The feeling is still quite strange, but there's no pain this time. Just an uncomfortable tingling that travels up my arm and to my shoulder, where Robin squeezes me reassuringly.

Bee chews on her lip and Cyborg's metal hands are curled into fists. He takes in a sharp breath when crimson blood begins flowing towards the tube on my left. This is it. Do or die time. Except slightly less dramatic. I can feel everyone's concern for my well-being, but Robin's overshadows Bee and Cyborg by a landslide.

The untainted blood makes its way into my body, and yes, there's an immediate soreness, but nothing like the fire I'd felt the first time. The anesthetic in Cyborg's solution stings while it travels through my bloodstream, but that fades swiftly as well. Now all I'm left with is the sensation of my blood being taken and replaced along with the positive prospect of regaining my powers today.

I didn't realize my eyes were closed until I open them to the smiles on my friends' faces. I send them a soft smile in return and Cyborg pumps his fist in the air triumphantly.

"BOOYAH!" He exclaims.

Bee is hovering, her wings blurring with excitement and Robin sends me one of his heart-melting smiles as he runs his hand through my hair.

"Oh, yeah! This is the perfect time to reveal my surprise creation!"And before anyone can even ask, Cyborg dashes off to grab his new invention.

"Here we go again. Let's hope it's not another ridiculous waffle maker." I grin.

Robin chuckles, probably recalling the last time Cyborg had a technological 'surprise' and I had to pull him out of the Age of Barbarians.

"Hey! I love waffles!" Bee pouts.

Cyborg returns just as quickly as he'd left and the swish of the Med Bay doors are almost too slow to make enough space for his massive shoulders. "Yeah! Me too!" he laughs, toting something that rolls behind his back. "And now…I reveal to you…the best in transportation since the—"

"Oh, get on with it!" Bee and I shout, simultaneously.

Cyborg grumbles as Robin chuckles beside me.

"Alright, alright…" With a dramatic flourish, Cyborg reveals a white, metal contraption. "I give you, Raven's freedom!"

"A walker?" Robin deadpans before I can get a word in. Bee raises one eyebrow.

"Not just any walker! It's an elderly person's dream! Wheels, easy hand grips, and no tennis balls! And the best part is the motion sensor on the legs. If Raven falls below a certain height, there is a secret compartment that will open and catch her in a net so that she won't collapse onto the floor! It's genius!" Cyborg smiles at it dotingly, like it's one of his greatest accomplishments.

"It's insulting." I growl. He really expects me to use that?

"I second that." Bee raises her hand and stares at the walker doubtfully.

Cyborg opens his mouth to protest, but I cut him off.

"If you really believe I can finally start walking on my own, why give me something to lean on? Shouldn't I get used to walking on my own again? And even if I do happen to need help getting around at first, I'm sure one of you guys would be more than willing. Am I right?"

"She's got a point." Robin agrees. I'm surprised for a moment. I would have initially thought that he'd take every precaution to keep me from hurting myself, but now I see he really does have some common sense in that head of his. At this, I smile.

"Well fine then! If no one appreciates my hard work, why don't we all see how strong you are, huh? Let's see you stand without any support." Cyborg huffs and crosses his metal-clad arms, annoyed with the lack of appreciation.

"Ahem." I narrow my eyes at his insulting challenge and gesture to the needles stuck in my hands. I can't exactly stand if I'm chained to this machine by my veins, now can I?

As Cyborg starts toward the stop button, Bee catches his wrist. "Look, Sparky. I'm sure she really appreciates what you're trying to do here, but with all of us here to keep her safe, none of us really think she'll need it."

All of a sudden, a piercing wail echoes throughout the tower and a red light encases the Med Bay, flashing every few seconds. Robin instantly pulls out his communicator and when he flips it open, his lips curl into a deep scowl and his mask shows us he's narrowing his eyes in disgust.

Cyborg and I know what symbol is blinking on his screen before he even spits the word: "Slade."

The entrance to the room reveals a flustered green boy with wide eyes and irritation radiating off of him. "Well? Are we going, or what? C'mon guys!" He gestures for the boys to follow him and dashes out the door.

Robin nods and lets go of my shoulder. "Since we know this particular enemy is extremely dangerous, I think it'd be best if you stay with Raven for this mission, BumbleBee."

She nods and the boys rush after Beast Boy.

The alarm shuts off as soon as the boys clear the building.

Bee walks over to the dialysis machine and presses the red button. All of the blood travelling through the device rushes into my left hand and I wince, still unused to the feeling. "What did you do that for?" I stare at my new team mate, perplexed.

"You do wanna get out of this room, right?" Her dark green eyes sparkle mischievously.

My lips curve into a smile and I gently pull out the needles piercing the backs of my hands. When the tubes and needles are out of the way, Bee offers her hand to help me sit up and I gladly accept.

I use her as support and gradually pull myself into a sitting position for the first time in a long time. It feels so good to move around like this. My lungs take in oxygen like I hadn't taken a breath since I was confined to this white room. My back stretches and I roll my head around a bit. The resulting sensation is so sweet and so worth it.

Bee smiles at me and lowers the bar on my cot. "Ready?"

"Bee, I've been ready." My legs slide out from under the thin sheets I've come to think of as chains and dangle off of the side of the cage I've been forced to lie in for weeks. The hospital gown crinkles. It's coarse against my scarred flesh. This thing feels like it was made out of the same material as a potato sack. I know exactly where I'm going when I get out of this cursed room.

So as not to let myself remember the risk I'm taking, I quickly hop off the bed with Bee's arms holding mine and my toes touch the freezing tile, causing them to curl. My knees wobble and the scar on my thigh aches, but Bumble Bee steadies me and I'm finally, finally standing.

My legs definitely needed this. Even if they're unstable now, I feel much better than I did on top of that cage of a cot I was sitting on. I look up at Bee and her radiant smile matches mine. I hardly ever smile this widely and my cheeks hurt, but I can't seem to stop. I'm free! And I'm not going back to that damn bed ever again.

...

I ended up using the walker anyway. No one but Bumble Bee is around to embarrass me about it, and for once, she keeps her mouth shut about how ridiculously weak I must look in it.

After reassuring her that I'd be fine to walk to my room on my own (it took a lot of convincing), she said she'd be in the living room playing video games if I need her. Which I don't.

Standing on two legs took me less than 5 minutes to get used to. Using them on the other hand, is a totally different story. It takes a full 20 minutes to reach my room from the Med Bay. That's pathetic. But the shame of such a failure is swiftly forgotten when I enter the sanctuary of my room. The only person on the team who's been in here more than once is Robin. BB and Cyborg foolishly intruded once and ended up on nevermore. Starfire has never once step foot in my room. And now, she never will. It's a comforting thought. Almost as comforting as the feeling of my own clothes on my body again. I slowly drape one of my favorite cloaks around my shoulders after slipping on my boots and revel in the security of my favorite article of clothing. My hood is the only thing I have yet to don of my costume and now I slip that on as well. This is way better than that scratchy hospital gown. I feel almost as safe as I do in Robin's arms…

My ideal state of uncharacteristic happiness is broken by a rustling somewhere in my room. The smile on my face disappears and I narrow my eyes, searching for the source. This better not be another of Beast Boy's idiotic pranks…

I hear it again, a shifting under my bed. I sigh, gripping the bar on the walker and pushing myself toward my circular, violet bed. When I'm about three feet away, a flash of black and orange knocks the walker out of my grasp and in my shock and loss of balance, I'm sent sprawling across my carpet. I roll away immediately and a metal-soled boot leaves a large foot print in the carpet. I would have been severely injured had I not dodged it. I rapidly crawl over to the wall so that I can pull myself up, but I'm intercepted by none other than…SLADE?!

My eyes widen and he promptly captures my wrists, hoists me up and slams me into the wall. The bookshelf beside me loses a few books from the impact.

"Aren't you…supposed to be fighting the team? …How are you…here?" I gasp, my lungs regaining the wind that had been knocked out of me.

"What? You don't consider yourself part of 'the team' anymore? Did my little raven lose her powers?" He chuckles as I struggle against him. If only I could just loosen his grip somehow…

"Shut up! You don't know anything about me!" I shout, hoping to alert Bumble Bee to the situation and keep my captor distracted. He still hasn't pulled his body close enough for me to be defenseless. I just need him to have his guard down for a moment.

"Oh, but I do know…so much. Starfire told me all about you…" He croons. I know what he's trying to do. He wants to bait me. He wants me to react wildly and struggle even more. But I won't fall for it. Not this time.

"Raven? Are you all right in there?" Bumble Bee yells from the living room. The sounds of lasers and revving engines can be heard from her video game. And it's just the distraction I need. Slade turns his head for a second and when he turns back, my feet slam into his chest hard.

He lands at the foot of my bed and I land near him since he didn't let go until he hit the floor. I recover before he does and use the powerless training Robin insisted we learn against my opponent now. I pin his arms to his side and sit on his chest, using my legs to keep his arms pinned to his sides.

In my condition, he'll break my hold soon so I punch him hard in the face repeatedly. Left, right, left right, left-right, until my knuckles begin to bruise against the armor on his mask. Finally, it breaks off and I expect to actually see the face of the man we've been fighting since the beginnings of the Teen Titans…but all I see is a bunch of sparking wires and a tiny screen with the image of the actual man I was meant to be fighting.

I nearly scream in frustration, but hold back in the face of the real Slade staring at me from the screen with his one, blue eye. "The robot wasn't lying you know. Starfire really did tell me a lot about you, my dear. Since she acted before asking me, I suppose I must forget about our alliance and come after you myself. I'll see you soon…Raven." I could almost make out a smile beneath that stupid mask of his. And to think I was actually so close… ugh! I'm such an idiot!

I roll off of the robot remains and listen to Bee's loud footsteps rushing to my room. Why is Slade after me? Isn't Robin his main focus? What did I do to gain his attention? Fear takes hold of my heart and squeezes it…what does he want with me?

I thought a long chapter might make up for the time I was gone. I thought that since it's summer I might be able to update more often, but my summer is so chocked full of family trips and vacations and camps that it's probably not going to get much better when it comes to updating speed. I'm very grateful to all of the people who have reviewed and continue to follow my story. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. If you did, review! If you didn't, review! If you have a favorite part, review! If you love me, review! If you don't, review!

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