Chapter 1
Raven sighed, trying once more to focus on the poet onstage. Usually, she had no problem losing herself in the invigorating poems presented at the Phoenix Café. Tonight, however, was the night of a new nightclub/bar opening. Drinks half off, girls get in free. All the other titans were there right now, flirting and dancing the night away.
Beastboy had pestered Raven all day, asking if she was sure she didn't want to join them. Raven had held firm in her rejection. She knew what to expect. Cyborg would bring Bumblebee, Kid Flash and Jinx would invite themselves along, Robin and Starfire would pair off, and Beastboy would surround himself with a halo of fan-girls. That would leave Raven solo—the Debbie downer that would weigh down her teammates with the responsibility of indulging her. Wasn't worth it.
It was also dangerous. Raven didn't drink, and she certainly didn't lose herself in locations filled with raucous, uncontrolled emotion. One wrong move and that would be it—she would lose control of her powers, frighten everyone off, and ruin the party—as usual.
So here she sat, bored out of her mind, which kept flicking back to her team every two minutes. Raven stayed for ten minutes and gave it another good college try—she sat forward, rested her chin on her first, and looked intently to the stage. But her heart wasn't in it. Finally, she sighed, stood, and downed her tea. She thanked Fiona as she made her way out of the Café and toward the nightclub. Who knew. Maybe she would get lucky. Maybe she could focus on just her team's happiness and enjoy herself from the sidelines. It was worth a shot.
Jason took a deep pull of his Dirty Russian to keep a grimace from his face. He'd been working hard as of late. Lucky for him, there was a nightclub opening. Unlucky for him, he didn't feel like dealing with a date. Lucky(?) for him, a small pack of Jump City villains decided to go together. So there he was. Not enjoying himself with his 'colleagues.'
Thankfully, the table had moved on from the riveting debate on who had the most 'game.' Red X couldn't take so much bullshit boasting before he flipped the table for entertainment. Unfortunately, Punk Rocket had been losing the boasting games, so he changed the subject to his excuse—the dearth of attractive and available villain girls. Jason leaned his chair back and resisted the groan climbing up his throat. Here we go.
"There's Cheshire," Mammoth pointed out, scratching his small beard.
"I'll pass on that one partner. Cheshire needs someone on her particular wavelength if you catch my meaning." Billy Numerous emphasized his point by twirling a finger next to his temple.
"You see that's the thing. Jinx had a good head on her shoulders, and she wasn't crazy," Seemore butt-in.
"She was crazy enough to ditch us for those Titans scuds!" Gizmo pouted, dropping his head to his folded arms. Red X flicked his eyes over the kid before looking out to the dance floor. How old was he anyway?
"Okay, boys. Let's include heroes for the heck of it. Starfire's smokin'—and I bet she could give you one wild ride," Johnny Rancid ended with a smirk.
Kyd Wykkyd shook his head and mimed crazy spikes over his head... what? Oh yeah. Robin. Robin would go after anyone who looked at Starfire the wrong way.
Red X sighed, letting his chair hit the ground with a thump. He threw the table a bone—a girl who was neither crazy nor taken:
"There's always Raven."
And the table fell into a glorious silence.
Raven entered the club and started forging her way through the sweaty bodies. Oh, the things she did for fun. Music pounded through the club, and multicolored lights strobed wildly. On top of all that, the emotions of the club's occupants pulsed all around Raven, trying to force their way into her head. She was so close to turning tail and running home when she caught sight of Cyborg in the up ahead. Okay. She could do this. Find the Titans, find a corner, have some fun. Easy, right?
Raven sighed, relieved, as she stumbled out of the throng of bodies at the entrance. She was near seating areas. Perfect. She strode forward, trying to find an empty one when she posted the table of villains. 'I guess villains take nights off too', she thought idly. She was about to sneak past them when-
"Raven? Raven? You have got to be joking." Johnny Rancid pounded on a table as he shook with laughter.
Raven froze, staring at the table.
"Raven's the kind of girl that would take the stick outta 'er arse just to swing it at you." Punk Rocket stopped laughing long enough to speak before he gave in to his mirth. Seemore barked out a laugh.
"Man, she barely counts as a girl—she's waaayyy too creepy."
"Maybe you need to get your crudmunchin' head checked!" Gizmo laughed as he slipped off his chair and onto the floor, where he squirmed with merriment.
Billy Numerous and Mammoth were down for the count. Billy Numerous made multiple duplicates of himself, amplifying his laughter as he tried to keep himself from buckling under Mammoth's chuckling weight. Kyd Wykkyd tilted his head from side to side before shrugging and teetering his hand.
The table of villains paused and shivered as a cold feeling drifted over them. It disappeared quickly, so they resumed their debate. X however, wasn't fooled, and scanned the club. 'That's unfortunate.' He thought when he caught the edge of a navy blue cloak snapping past the throng at the entrance.
Raven dashed out of the club and into the alley next to it. She threw on her hood, hugged herself with glowing hands, and shivered. She leaned against the brick wall behind her and sucked in deep lungfuls of air, desperate to maintain control. 'That was close, and of course, it was a mistake.'
She stared at the concrete floor in front of her, counting the dimples in it as she breathed. The glow around her hands started to die down when a voice broke the silence:
"Last I checked, the party was inside."
Raven whipped her head around to see Red X also leaning against the alley wall a few feet away. The concrete she had been looking at cracked with her unrestrained power before she reeled it back in. The thumping music, the emotions of the party, her earlier humiliation, and this situation were all getting to be too much.
"Thank you X, for confirming that you have eyes. I suggest you join that party." She hissed through gritted teeth.
"Been there, tried that—it's pretty boring," X drawled as he put his full attention on Raven. She could feel the stare right through her hood. "You doing okay birdie?"
Raven's left eye twitched. She lowered her hands to her sides and straightened. She stared at the sky, begging whoever would listen for patience. This could not be happening. She could not be this close to having a meltdown right next to Red X.
"Do me a favor, just this once," she muttered, her eyes glowing, "and fuck off."
Red X flicked his eyes from Raven's glowing glare to the cracked ground and thought long and hard about his next course of action. He chuckled.
"Little bird, you need to loosen up." Raven's eyes widened and she jumped aside as Red X's first hit the wall where she had stood. She focused on him, eyes still wide, and raised her fists.
"Do you want to be arrested?" She hissed, launching a fist at his face.
X dodged and grabbed her wrist as it flew past his face. Raven swung her elbow up toward his jaw. X quickly brought his hand about to catch that too.
"Depends. Are you taking me in officer?" X purred in Raven's ear.
Raven growled as she struggled against his hold and tried to keep her cool.
"How adorable," X drawled, "the little bird is trying to fly away."
Raven flushed and she growled. Her eyes glowed even more, lighting up Red X's mask.
To hell with it.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven flicked her captive wrists, and Red X started as he was flung across the alley.
X oriented himself so his legs hit the wall first, and he pushed off it, coming back at Raven with a kick. Raven jumped back, and X's foot hit the ground, widening the crack Raven had left in it earlier. He didn't stop, turning on his heel and lashing out at Raven with his other foot, before descending into a set of quick jabs.
Raven dodged wildly, diverting the blows she couldn't quickly avoid.
"Why. Are you. Doing this?!" She huffed.
"Oh, just helping a friend loosen up." X mused, dropping low to sweep Raven's legs out from under her.
X finished the turn and was back on his feet. "Is it workin- whoa."
Raven had ignored his words, and taken her time in the air to nonverbally summon a tentacle. The tentacle wrapped around Red X's ankle and yanked him to the ground. Immediately X pressed the button in the middle of his belt and disappeared.
He appeared behind Raven and took her into a grapple from behind.
"Hmm, I don't know—you still seem tense Raven. Why don't you let go a little bit?" X crooned.
Raven shivered at his low tone and then growled. She did not enjoy being toyed with. She yanked herself free of X's grip and threw her elbow back at his face. X jumped back against the alley wall and ducked, dodging a glowing kick that left a groove in the brick facing.
X whistled, "Now that's more like it."
Raven launched herself at X, growling. "Do you ever shut up?!"
X danced out of the way. "No. Why do you ask?"
Raven was ready to scream. She whirled around, ready to go after him again, when faraway sirens started to blare through the night. Red X and Raven froze.
"Well." Red X gave a jaunty two-finger salute. "That's my cue to leave. See you around little bird." He swiftly hit the teleporter on his belt and fizzled out of existence.
Raven stood for a second, breathing harshly, and let the glow fade from her raised fist.
"Don't call me that," she muttered as she opened a portal behind her. She turned and walked through the inky black, entering the empty Titans tower.