Chapter 34
Everybody Knows...
Taking a seat on the couch, Donna felt out of place. Whenever she had come over before, it had always been just her. And usually, Polybius was almost always by her side. However, this time, it wasn't the case.
Upon returning to Jump City, Polybius and Robin almost immediately set to work tracking down Red X. And while Donna had offered to help, both of them had encouraged her to go relax, as well as get to know some of the other Titans.
Donna reluctantly agreed to their proposal and joined the rest of the Titans up in the main room. There, she met many new faces. Some she liked. Others not so much. Kid Flash, in particular, didn't give her a good first impression. She wasn't sure if it was natural for him, or if he was interested, but he tried flirting with her, and she did not like it.
Naturally, she had to shut him down as she wasn't interested in him.
As she sat on the couch, her eyes drifted to Polybius, who was standing up at the front of the room. Robin and Polybius had settled on a course of action that they would execute after all of the Titans returned to their homes.
Donna looked at Polybius as he stood with a glass of water in his hand, talking to Gnarrk, Kole, Aqualad, Marc, and Rayanus.
"You like him, don't you chica?" A voice next to her asked.
Donna looked over to see Pantha looking at Polybius as well.
"Maybe." Donna replied as her eyes drifted back to him.
"Then what are you waiting for?" Pantha asked, "Go talk to him."
"I have." Donna said, "He's my best friend, and I really do like him."
"And?" Pantha pressed.
"It's just, I'm not sure how I feel about him or how he feels about me." Donna stated.
"What are your doubts?" Pantha asked.
"Well, it's only recently that I realized I might have fallen for him." Donna explained, "I'm not sure if it's just a phase I'll get over, or if this is serious."
"You have known Polybius for a long time, yes?" Pantha asked.
"Yeah." Donna replied.
"Have you always felt this way about him?" Pantha followed up.
"Well, I haven't started questioning love until a few months ago." Donna explained, "But I have felt very close to him since I met him. I don't understand why, but when I'm around him, I feel different. Different in a good way."
"So, what makes you think it's not love?" Pantha asked.
"Maybe it's because growing up, I always heard that love outside of family cannot exist without sex. However, seeing as neither of us want that, I have doubts as to what I truly feel for him." Donna answered.
"That's not true." Pantha assured her, "If love only existed like that, then we would be nothing more than crazed sex animals."
"Then what is love?" Donna asked.
"Baby, don't hurt me." Another voice said, "Don't hurt me. No more!"
Looking to her other side, Donna saw that Bumblebee had joined her and Pantha on the couch. She quickly leaned back and then in on the two.
"So, who are we talkin about?" Bumblebee asked.
"Polybius." Pantha answered, "She's in love with him."
"Is she?" Bumblebee asked.
"A little." Donna admitted.
"A lot." Pantha corrected.
"Well, why don't you go talk to him!" Bumblebee said, "What's he gonna do? Say no? Please, girl, like he'd say no to you."
"You think so?" Donna asked.
"How could he?" Bumblebee asked, "You've got everything you need to get him."
"I know." Donna said, "I'm just worried that since he is so anti-relationship that he will say no."
"Then you gotta make him want you." Bumblebee replied.
"How do I do that?" Donna asked.
"Make him jealous." Bumblebees answered.
"Jealous?" Donna questioned.
"Think about it." Bumblebee said, "If you think he doesn't like you, then you gotta make him like you. Or at the very least, trick him into thinking he likes you."
"I don't think that's a good idea." Donna said, "Sounds like something that'll make him mad. Especially if he realizes what I did."
"I agree." Pantha added, "From what I have heard about him, he is not interested in dating at all."
"Alright, alright." Bumblebee conceded, "Then how about we just tempt him."
"Tempt?" Donna asked.
"Go slow." Bumblebee said, "At a snail's pace. You're already a good portion of the way there. However, you just have to slowly build him up. That way, when you are certain he has fallen for you, then you swoop in and take him!"
"That seems like a better idea." Pantha agreed.
"So, just lead a stubborn horse to water?" Donna asked.
"Exactly!" Bumblebee said.
Meanwhile, Polybius raised his glass with his fellow Titans in a toast. Once they clinked, he drew his water down and drank. After taking a big swig of water, his eyes drifted to Donna, who seemed to be smiling as she chatted with Pantha and Bumblebee.
"So, how are things going with her?" Marc asked.
The mute Titan looked over to his friend. He knew just by the look on his face that he was talking about Donna.
The mute raised his eyebrows at him.
"Yeah, man!" Rayanus pushed, "Are you gonna do something with her?"
The mute gave them a confused look.
"Gnarrk." The nethanderall said.
"Gnarrk said he is wondering if you're thinking about pursuing a relationship with her?" Kole translated.
The mute shook his head.
"Aw, come on." Aqualad said, "You two are perfect for each other."
The mute continued to shake his head.
"Dude, we all know you two are totally in love." Rayanus said.
Polybius silently dismissed the idea by waving a hand.
"Don't lie!" Marc countered, "We all see how you be around her."
"Yeah." Aqualad jumped in, "I really don't get why you haven't already."
"Cause he's so anti-relationship." Rayanus answered.
The mute rolled his eyes.
"Oh shit!" Marc said, "He's got dem Walmart eyes! Cause they be rollin back!"
The group laughed, even Polybius, who did so silently, at the roast.
"But in all seriousness." Marc said, "Why don't you want to date her?"
While under normal circumstances, this would cause Polybius to get extremely angry and upset, which he was, he pushed his emotions aside. There were too many people here that didn't know him all that well for him to go running off.
"Is it something about her?" Kole asked.
"No, it's not her." Marc answered, "Ever since we met this guy, and from my understanding, for as long as he's been a Titan, he's been very anti-romance, relationships, sex. Just about everything close to that."
"You mean everything related to that." Rayanus corrected.
"Gnarrk." Gnarrk said.
"He said that Polybius has to have his reasons." Kole translated, "We all have things we don't like. Gnarrk, for instance, does not like the outside world or technology all that much because of his experiences with it. And I'm sure Polybius has either experienced or seen something to make him that way."
Polybius was quick to give a thumbs up at the statement and nod his approval.
"Well, we can't let one isolated thing ruin it for him." Aqualad countered, "I've got a girlfriend, and I can't say I've ever been happier since we got together. And I really think that if you and Donna got together, then you would be happier."
The mute shook his head.
"Well, I suppose we can't force you to do things you don't want to do." Marc said.
"But that doesn't mean we can't lead him in that direction." Rayanus pointed out.
Polybius held up a hand and tried to signal him to stop but was ignored.
"You should at least give it a try." Aqualad said, "While nobody knows Wonder Girl better than you, I think if you at least give her a chance, then not only you but her as well, will be happier."
Polybius began to think about what his friends were saying. He started with his current friendship with Donna and how he felt towards her.
Polybius could not deny that he felt differently towards Donna than he did towards any of the other Titans. There was only one person he could think of in his life that he had felt that way towards. However, just thinking about that person sent shivers down his spine.
But then he remembered that it wasn't fair to judge Donna like that. And while Donna may be totally down for a romantic relationship, he began to question himself, and whether or not he could even do one.
Thinking about himself for a brief moment, Polybius wondered if he could even do one. He looked back on his life, leading up to the point of time he was in. Thinking back on all he had been through, he pondered the idea of love. And whether or not what he was feeling towards Donna was truly love, or a heat of the moment thing.
Knowing he had to keep his head clear to make the right decision about this, Polybius pushed the idea to the side. He would have to sit down and think about it later while listening to some Sabaton.
Towards the end of the day, Cyborg issued everyone new phones. Robin decided to scrap the T communicators altogether as they really served no purpose, especially with no texting abilities since two Titans were mute, Polybius, and, to a certain extent, at least, Jericho. This made them entirely redundant as the only thing the two of them could really do was either play charades or just set off the distress signal.
Therefore, everyone was issued a T phone that ran on the more secure network that the communicators once ran on. And of course, everybody had each other's contact information inside the phones already. That way there wouldn't be a long hassel about trading numbers and all that.
But before everyone left, Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy, Pantha, Bumblebee, Aqualad, Kole, Gnarrk, Marc and Rayanus created one massive group chat that was titled 'Hooking Polybius and Donna up.'
And when word began to spread about this little secret group they had formed, it soon became every Titan was a part of it except for Polybius and Donna. Everyone in the group decided to keep this a secret from the two of them so they wouldn't get mad.
When Donna got back to her home, her mother questioned her about what had taken so long. Donna just blew it off as she had trouble finding Polybius, and she thought she had found Red X and went after him. Her mother, much to Donna's surprise, accepted this as a valid excuse and let her off the hook.
Polybius, meanwhile, began seriously questioning his feelings for Donna. His heart ached as he thought about the idea of not liking her as a friend, but actually loving her. However, his mind held him back and told him he couldn't do it. He couldn't do a relationship.
For Polybius, it was out of character for him to go off of his heart. He always trusted his mind over his body to tell him what was and what wasn't. However, while a large part of his mind was telling him he couldn't do it, he could hear a small voice in the back telling him to do it. That was more than likely the voice of his heart, at least that was his line of thinking.
And of course, in the group chat, everybody talked about how they were both were totally in love with each other and how they both denied it. And while Donna seemed more open to the idea of getting involved in one, the real challenge was getting Polybius on board.
The most popular idea that floated around the chat was showing Polybius that couples were happy together. And that dating wasn't bad, as everyone assumed he thought it was. The only question they had to ask was how they planned on showing him.
This would go unanswered for two months until the original six would get called into action in Tokyo, Japan.
While Japan was fun for Polybius, he didn't really enjoy his time there. Many of the things he saw were unnerving to him. Anime, in particular, really got him worried after seeing some of it. However, after seeing it, he could understand why Beast Boy like it so much.
However, the trip to Japan wasn't really significant for Polybius at all. For him, it was just a small part of his story with the Titans. But for two others on the team, the trip was far more significant.
By the end of the trip, Robin and Starfire officially became a couple and were quick to go public about it. And Polybius saw a massive uproar online about how cute they were together and how happy most people were for them.
Following this, Polybius began to notice a change in the Titans as a whole. Everybody seemed to be more interested in romance as if hormones were taking control of everyone, at seemingly, the same time.
Donna noticed this, too, and being somewhat detached from Titans due to her limited availability. This caused both Polybius and Donna to grow worried about the direction the Titans were headed in. If emotion was going to drive them, or if logic was.
And with this rise, it made both of them more apprehensive about pursuing a relationship with the other.
In terms of the search for Red X, the criminal, much like Montezuma had long ago, vanished with no trace. Polybius had spearheaded the search, putting the Taliban on the back burner. The reason being is that the mute began to think that their attacks on him were more of a one-time thing, and not something to happen consistently. And that seemed to be the case as Polybius hadn't gotten attacked by them since.
Going back to Red X, Polybius grew worried that whatever magic that had possessed Montezuma had taken control of Red X as well. Especially with how the man was able to get to Paradies Island seemingly so effortlessly.
Regardless, Polybius's searches would get put on hold as the team endlessly battled evil, and new threats came and went. More visits to Tamaran and space. More global efforts. More recruiting. And a whole lot of paperwork Polybius hated.
It was no secret that Polybius wasn't a desk jockey and that he would much rather work a trade over a desk job. At least one that got him on his feet and moving around. Polybius hated being cooped up inside all day.
Despite him loving to be outside and exploring the world, and trying new things, the one thing everyone wanted him to do never happened. The reason being is he and Donna were never able to hang out like everyone wanted them to.
There were many reasons as to why this didn't happen. Time zone differences, Donna's mother, and Polybius's busy schedule were only some of the reasons as to why the two never got to see each other.
But that didn't mean they didn't keep in touch.
At least once a day, if not more, did the two text each other, and video chatted at least once a week. Even if it was just to say hi, or have a long conversation about whatever. Both of them made sure to take some time out of their day for each other at some point.
Despite this, the two made sure to keep their conversations private from the rest of the Titans. While neither were aware of the Titan's grand plan of hooking them up, both were aware that everyone thought they should.
On Donna's end, this made her nervous. On one hand, she was hearing her mother and sisters rant and rave about how terrible men and the outside world was. On the other hand, she had Polybius telling her to judge people based on who they were on an individual basis.
On Polybius's end, he accepted the fact that he felt different towards Donna than he did anyone else. That much was true, and he knew it. Whether or not it was love or something else he was feeling towards her, he hadn't decided.
But when he pushed her aside and looked at himself, the thing that was tearing him up about the whole situation was whether or not he could do it. He had a hard time seeing himself in a serious relationship, even with Donna.
As for the rest of the Titans, who all agreed to get them hooked up, frustration rose in the group chat with their lack of contact. While Starfire had peeked over Polybius's shoulder every now and then and saw that the two were texting, things weren't moving fast enough for anybody's liking.
And other people were overlooking this situation as well.
About six months after the massive battle and defeat of the Brotherhood of Evil, Darkbius sat next to Polybius, undetected by even the mute and watched as the mute had a more extensive text conversation with Donna.
"What do we do?" Hostbius asked, only being detected by Darkbius, "It looks like he's gonna hook up with her. And if that happens…"
"I'm working on it." Darkbius said, "But I think I know what we need to do."
"And that would be?" Hostbius asked.
"Polybius already has doubts about a relationship with her." Darkbius said, "He knows that he can't do one, but he seems to be heading in the direction that he thinks that he can. What we need to do is help reinforce the idea that he can't do one."
"And how do we do that?" Hostbius asked.
"Like this." Darkbius said.
'I'm so tired of being stuck here. I hate being cooped up on this island all day. I'd much rather be out and doing things. Or better yet, helping you with whatever you're doing.' Donna expressed over text.
'You don't want to do what I'm doing. Ever since Robin doubled down on our globalization efforts, we have been seeing a lot of paperwork come through on our end. Cyborg, Starfire, Beast Boy, Raven, and I decided to split it up as evenly as possible to do as little of it as possible. I hate it because, like you, I'm not a desk jockey.' Polybius replied.
'Desk jockey? Is that what you call the people who sit at desks all day?' Donna asked.
'Yes.' Polybius replied.
'I couldn't imagine sitting at a desk all day for my job. That sounds dreadful.' Donna said.
"As dreadful as the idea of you two in a relationship." Darkbius said, seizing the moment.
Polybius looked over to see the darker version of himself sitting right next to him.
"Think about it." Darkbius said, "You! In a relationship! Ha! What a joke."
The mute shook his head.
"You don't believe me?" Darkbius asked, "You know how relationships go. Women love to build you up so they can tear you open and betray you. Donna will hurt you because she knows she's got you under her thumb. And you'll go crawling right back to her because you are stupid and weak!"
The mute closed his eyes as the words hit him like a freight train. He shook his head in denial of what he perceived to be somewhat truthful.
"You know it's truthful." Darkbius said, "But there is one person who would never betray you. Never do anything bad to you. Everything they did for you was to better you. And to think you left them?"
The mute turned his back towards Darkbius.
"Aw, don't throw a temper tantrum now." Darkbius teased, "You childish fucking moron. However, what I really want to know is, what can Donna do for you that they couldn't?"
'You still there, Polybius?' Donna texted him.
"They can do anything for you. Literally anything! Meanwhile, all Donna can do is set you up for getting hurt. You know exactly what happens when you let people get too close, and you have already gotten too close with Donna. You need to push her away."
The mute held onto his phone in his hand and looked at the text Donna had sent him while the words of Darkbius echoed in his mind.
"Do it!" Darkbius said, "Just put down the phone and never pick it up again. Go back, of your own free will of course, to them. And I promise you, while they will be mad at you for leaving, they will accept you with open arms!"
Polybius shook his head as he began texting Donna.
'Sorry about that. I just got caught up with something unimportant. Anyway, when do you think you'll get off the island again and pay me a visit?' Polybius texted.
Darkbius then willed himself to becoming undetectable by Polybius.
"Success." Darkbius said with a smile as he waited for Donna to respond.
"Success?" Hostbius asked, "How is that a win?"
"You'll see." Darkbius said, "You'll see..."
'I am going to try for next week unless I get called into action. Another religious ceremony that should give me a window to escape for a long while. I can't wait to see you!'
'I can't wait to see you as well.' Polybius replied.
And there you have it! Chapter 34! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and have a wonderful rest of your day!
Also, sorry about the long delay. I am getting settled into a new location and don't have wifi on my computer yet, only my phone. Once I get wifi on my computer up and running again and am afforded the time to clean up some more chapters, uploads will return to a more normal rate.