You see, you'd love to run home, but you know you ain't got one
Cuz you're livin' in a world that you're best forgotten
When you're thinkin' you're a joke and nobody's gonna listen
To the one small point I know they've been missing around here
- Broadway, Goo Goo Dolls
Apache's eyes blink open slowly to shadows, light barely peeking through Raven's curtains. She sighs quietly, her red hair hanging over her eyes like a veil. She lifts her head slowly after blankly staring for a few moments when all she is greeted with is silence.
She's startled when a voice says "Richard wants to speak to you," quietly.
Apache's eyes fall on Raven where she sits in the center of her bed with a book in her lap.
"Why?" her voice is thick and cracks with sleep.
"You washed the dishes," Raven says simply.
"He's really butt hurt over that?" She grumbles in reply. "I'm not talking' to 'him. He can watch the surveillance if he thinks I did anything else but wash those damn dishes. The fridge probably needs cleaning too."
"He's probably mad that you didn't have supervision."
"Are you joking'? You already said the entire damn tower has surveillance."
"When he says something, and in your case that being that you're under strict probation, he expects it to be followed. Why do you think Roy and Wally call him Dick?"
Apache breaks down in nerve wracked cackles. She's silenced by a loud knock on Raven's door.
"Raven? I've got something for you and Apache," Its Beast Boy. Apache quirks an eyebrow in question, turning her gaze to Raven. Raven motions to the door. Apache in turn rolls off the bed and pushes herself up, delicately gliding over the soft carpet. She places her hand on the door, pulling it open manually just slightly, framing her face as she gazes out at Beast Boy.
"Hey, you're awake! Are you feeling' better?" Beast Boy asks, his eyes alight and his hands behind his back.
"Little bit," she smiles lightly.
"That's good. Well," he pulls two red heart shaped packages from behind his back, a grin going from ear to ear as he happily presents the gifts. "Happy Valentine's Day."
Apache is shocked. "Valentine's Day?"
"Yeah," Beast Boy grins. "I thought I'd get you, Raven and Kori a little something before I go chill with Nicole."
Apache delicately takes the boxes of chocolate from the boy's gloved hands.
"How sweet of you," Apache provides, her eyes wide. "Thank you."
"Not a problem. See you guys tonight," He smiles, turning to head down the hall.
"Hey!" Apache calls. "Don't tell Robin I'm awake."
"Sure thing," Beast Boy waves. Apache closes the door, gazing down in awe at the packages of candy. She'd never gotten anything like this until she was with Jada. Beast Boy really is a sweetheart.
Apache glides over the carpet, handing Raven's package to her before plopping back down on the blow up mattress. The girl takes the package delicately, instantly pulling the top off to inspect the candy within. Apache watches in amusement as she picks up one of the pieces, popping it into her mouth before setting the box on her bed.
"Is he always like this?"
Raven hums. "Usually. He even gives everyone a string of plastic four leaf clover necklaces on Saint Patrick's Day."
"How sweet of him," Apache smiles lightly.
Raven hums in agreement.
Apache lets her eyes drift to Raven's clock. Both hands are pointed upward, the bigger one just past the five. Her eyes blow wide. "Its past noon?" Apache looks to Raven. She just hums.
"I didn't want to wake you and I really wasn't going to after Richard was out there fuming this morning about you being in the common room unattended," she flips the page in the book. "Which I don't really understand because no one else wants to keep up with the dishes."
"Hm," Apache hums, staring down at her hands. She decides to take a look at the chocolate, pulling the top off of the box. She picks up a dark chocolate piece, puncturing it slightly with her thumb nail. She's delighted to see pink filling, and gladly bites into the strawberry flavored candy.
"I'd love Beast Boy forever if he got me chocolate covered strawberries," Apache informs through a full mouth, covering her mouth with her hand.
"I think that's what he got Nicole. I seen a box of them on the counter this morning," Raven provides.
"What? How dare he," Apache says in a joking blasphemous tone. She sighs, falling back on the bed and stretching herself out, staring at the ceiling.
She jumps as the alarm blares through the tower. She bolts up to look questioningly at Raven, nearly slipping off the mattress.
"You staying or going?" Raven questions as she slides off her bed, pulling her hood up and glancing at Apache.
"Um, I'll go," Apache stands. Raven holds her hand out, and Apache grasps it delicately. Her hands are soft and slender, a chill to them. They feel like ice against Apache's warm digits.
A familiar tingle overtakes Apache's body before carpet is once again under foot. Her head swims for a moment. She focuses on Cyborg at the computer already as she releases Raven's hand. She turns her attention to the common room door as Star glides through to land next to Apache, Robin not far behind.
"Cardiac," Apache wrinkles her nose at the name. No thank you. "At the park on Central," Cyborg turns around to glance at Robin. "We shouldn't need BB."
Robin nods. They turn their attention to Raven. Last time Cardiac had been at that park three years ago Raven had had a white cloak and was using black magic. Raven's expression is even more guarded than usual.
"What are you all looking at? Let's get going," Raven glides out of the common room.
"You," Apache is startled at Robin's tone and pointed at her finger. "Don't leave this room."
Apache nods stiffly, melancholy bubbling in her gut. She salutes sarcastically. "Aye aye."
She glares after the remaining Titans as they rush from the room. She rolls her eyes with a sigh, collapsing on the worn carpet and splaying herself out. She stares up dimly at the grey ceiling, blinking lazily. As thoughts bombard her mind in the silence, tears well in her eyes.
"You wait, wanting this world to let you in, and you stand there, a frozen light in dark and empty streets, you smile hiding behind a God-given face, but I know you're so much more, everything they ignore, is all that I need to see," She sings to herself quietly, her eyes drifting close.
She bolts up at the swish that sounds through the room, accompanied with heavy footfalls. She rubs her eyes, daring to peek at the four Titans that appear to not have a scratch on them.
"We have a lot to discuss," Robins eyes instantly fall on her behind his mask.
"If it's about me doing the dishes you can cut it, I did nothing wrong, I didn't even touch your computer," Apache says venomously.
"We're starting with Jinx," Robin's face is steel, no emotion. Apache feels as if her stomach bottoms out, hitting her toes. She doesn't have the energy to stand, so she simply glares up at the head Titan. "Where is the H.I.V.E.'s hideout?"
Apache inwardly growls. Right where she didn't want to dwell. She isn't giving that up. She hopes Raven will tell Robin she's telling the truth when he asks. She has a reason, and Raven had already let Jinx go on a whim that Apache was even believable. She had gained Raven's trust almost too quickly, and is causes suspicion to rise in her gut. She had thought Raven was the most untrusting of the Titans, yet Raven trusts her the most. She isn't exactly like cartoon Raven. This Raven is more trusting, a little more open. Granted she's amazing at hiding her emotions and still has that dry humor about her and is easily irritated and grouchy, but she's simply just way more trusting.
Raven seems like one if those people that love hard, meaning that once she sees you're no threat and she sees you as a friend, you have her trust entirely until you've given her a reason not to. Apache suspects it might have something to do with craving acceptance, as most of her life she's been shunned and rejected. People that accept her like Apache and the other Titans do are most likely hard to come by.
Her stomach gives a twinge at Raven trusting her enough to do what she's doing. Robin isn't giving her even a centimeter of slack, and Cyborg hasn't so much as spoken to her since everything came out. And Raven is over here letting bad guys go and taking Apache's words to heart.
Raven is a very smart girl, Apache knows this. She most likely only trusts her like this because she can feel Apache's every feeling, hear every thought if she so wishes. She knows Apache only wants to help, knows she has no malicious intent. And Apache knows she's been probed more by Raven then Terra ever had been. The Titans had pretty much trusted Terra from day one, and that had backfired. Apache is paying the price now for Terra's actions.
"You don't even know if that's where she took me," she growls, her eyes unblinking as she looks dangerously up at him through her eye lashes.
"We have eyes in the Academy, we know she didn't take you there," Robin growls with a challenge.
"She knocked me out, I wasn't awake until we got there and she took too many different streets when we went on that walk for me to remember exactly where it is," Apache praises herself as this half baked excuse glides off her tongue effortlessly. She isn't the best liar, but she can make due when she needs to.
Robin glares down at her, unconvinced. "What did you tell her about us?"
"Nothing, as far as she knew I was a real dog," Apache doesn't miss a beat.
"Where is the hideout?"
Apache feels irritation bubble over.
"You already asked me that, twat," Apache snaps, crossing her arms.
Robin's body tenses in anger. "No," his voice is low, dangerous. "What type of building."
Building? Apache could answer that. She didn't have to tell them the lair is underground.
"A warehouse," She says lowly.
"Did you find out a name?" Robin's voice is still low.
"No. She only goes by Jinx as far as I know," Apache is technically telling the truth. She didn't know if Maya was her real name or an alias. "Now, I have the right to remain silent under the constitution, and you are not law enforcement, so I am choosing to remain silent until I am confident I won't deck your sorry ass in the face," Apache growls, pushing her tired body up to walk around the group of teenagers, three older than her and one younger.
"We're not finished," Robin growls, stepping after her.
"For now we are," Apache growls, not turning around. "You touch me and it'll be the last thing you ever do." of course she's bluffing, she couldn't fight him to save her life. She's just hoping she isn't screwing herself over royally for it.
As soon as she's out in the hall, Robin's protesting and screeching voice is cut off by the door. She bolts down the hall, taking the stairs four at a time as she flies despite her mind telling her she could very well break her damn neck if she missteps, almost slipping as she rounds a corner, and finally screeches to a halt in front of Raven's door. She smacks her hand over the button on the wall and the door swishes open. She pads through quickly, her stomach churning.
She hits her knees, her head falling back with a shaky breath. Why her? Why not someone else? She's blaming Terra for all of this. That damn girl fucked a lot up.
Even in the comics she betrays the Titans. She's just hardwired to do so.
She doesn't know what to do.
She's startled at the portal of black that opens up a little ways away from her, sighing in relief when Raven steps out of it.
"I'm sorry," she instantly blurts.
"Nothing to be sorry for," Raven says simply. "You handled that well."
"Doesn't seem like it," Apache grumbles.
"He can get under everyone's skin. Walking away when you were as angry as you were was best," Raven pads over her carpet to take a seat on her bed, pulling her book to her.
"He asked you if I had told the truth?" Apache fishes.
Raven hums. "I told him you had. I know you know where their hideout is," Raven peers at her over her book, her expression unreadable. Apache's skin crawls. "Don't make a habit of lying, I won't cover for you every time."
Apache nods, ashamed. "I only have an idea of where, not exactly. I don't lie unless I have a good reason," Apache knows it doesn't justify anything, but it makes her feel better about it that she tells Raven.
"I only covered for you because you've been truthful up until now." Raven looks back to her book.
"Hey, you let Jinx go, that's worse than knowing where the lair is," Apache points at Raven, cornering her words. Raven half heartedly glares at the red haired girl.
"If you have a plan to help I'm not going to prohibit it. The world could end in a few months anyway, what's the harm in letting you try if you have no ill intentions?"
"I feel like you're the only one thats gonna say that," Apache grumbles.
"Everything will get there," Raven turns the page in her book.
"Doesn't seem like it," She rolls her eyes.
They sit in silence, Apache falling on her back on the carpet.
Apache doesn't want to leave this room.
She doesn't want to deal with Robin.
She understands, she really does, but she isn't a steely person. She doesn't like conflict and being treated like a liar when she isn't one.
Why do all of the fanfictions make it seem so easy? The Titan's take the characters word and everything is peachy. Maybe there's a pairing, maybe there isn't, and if there is, sparks are instantly flying.
She glances at Raven at that. Yeah, she's attracted to the beautiful girl, but that doesn't"t mean squat.
She remembers a fanfiction is which Jinx had a plan involving Raven. She'd get the girl's trust, and break the Titans apart before tearing them down. All she had to do was play Raven like a fiddle and coax her into a fake relationship. It had worked, until Jinx had fallen in love with the dark Titan. It's one of her favorites. And it seemed more simple than this.
She sighs quietly.
Why does everything have to be so complicated?
T.E.E.N.T.I.T.A.N.S.
The day goes by quietly, Raven even going as far as to bring Apache a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner as it was a fend for yourself kind of night. Apparently it was one of very few things Raven could cook on her own and not screw up.
Apache bites into the cheddar cheese filled sandwich gratefully. It's on the verge of being burnt, but is still edible. She chews quietly. She really isn't even that hungry, but it had been awhile since her last meal and its best if she just ate it.
Her teeth clamp together around the bread and cheese in shock when the alarm blares through the tower. She nearly chokes and coughs as she looks to Raven.
Raven looks at her questioningly, and Apache pushes herself up, grasping Raven's hand with her free one before they're being teleported into the common room. Her eyes blow wide when she sees the surveillance feed on the Titans computer.
Slade.
Burning the mark of Scath into a demolished part of the city.