Ok first off, sorry sorry sorry! We got hit with a body slam of homework this week...dang mean teachers! Also I had a slight case of writer's block, but don't worry I have a good feeling the next chapter will be up much sooner, especially since it's now the weekend.
tinkerbellx2: I know...I feel guilty for how things are going for Robin...bad Dusty, bad Dusty! Thanks for reviewing! Oh, by the way, what's your favorite school subject?
Strixvaria: LOL sorry I have this thing with cliffies...I guess it motivates me to write the next chapter. Good question, and the answer is I have no idea if it is almost over or not...I'm basically going chapter by chapter.
Rinagurl13: LOL I didn't mean to make you cry...but I suppose it means that my story is good, yes? Lol yes we shall curse Monday together, but lets not stop there! We shall curse school in general, including teachers and confounded homework assignments!
Estel-Elf-Lover: I'm glad you liked it!
kiddette: blushes...thanks :)
nevermoretheraven: Oh, ok. I was curious...I realize it was a pretty...unique chapter...
Majestical: Thanks, and I intend to!
Tigerfly57: Your wish is my command...
frosy1567: No, I don't use AIM...Wow lots of sophmores...what's your fav school subject?
Unicorns-baby: Lol first three questions are soon to be answered...I'm glad you liked the kissing scene, though it was pretty short. I suppose I could have made it more difficult to block the psychos, but in my story she basically chooses to reach out or not to reach out, unless they are being possessed then a power greater than hers could take hold of her. Hmmm....is Mathews Slade?....I am unable to divulge that information at this time. Yes, I knew that much about Batman but not enough to write him...at least in my opinion. And yes, I haven't put much about Raven's emotions in lately...I will pay more attention to that from now on. LOL no input never bugs me. Cyborg is, unnoficially, the leader when Robin is incapacitated, so therefore, he felt his decision is the one that should count. You will see in this chapter why he might not have trusted Raven's judgement to be...unbiased. And that last question will shortly be answered.
Saiya Woods: Hmmm....that is a good question....
maroonedpirate11: Here, here I updated! Don't pass out on me! LOL j/k. Your enthusiasm is inspiring.
Eilian Rhoss: Why, thank you, Rae! I'm glad that my story has given you a different perspective on rav/rob fics. Thanks so much for reviewing!
Rain: LOL sorry...I don't know if I could write a non-cliffy ending if I tried! And I will do my best to make my future chapters interesting!
the fonix freeke: LOL I figured as much. LOL Robin's mind is not quite lost, just a little....jumbled. As to whether or not Raven can help, we shall just have to see.
All right then, on with the story!
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Raven's eyes gleamed white, and black energy shimmered around her fists.
"Now, now. No need for that! I am quite unarmed!" Dr. Mathews' lips twitched into a plastic smile.
"What have you done to him?", Raven demanded, standing protectively in front of Robin.
"Me? I didn't do anything to him. He did that to himself", he said, motioning to the blood
Raven looked questioningly at Robin. He shook his head slightly. "No...no..."
"He's been screaming and thrashing for hours now, yelling out a name...What was it now? Oh, yes. Raven!", he cried, mimicking Robin with a strange glint in his eye.
The guilt returned in full force, choking her. "You're disgusting!", she hissed with quiet fury.
"He's been talking to himself, yelling at someone who is only real in his mind." He smiled, noticing Raven's distress with pleasure. "Do you still want to take him home?", he asked, reffering to Robin as though he was a diseased or aggressive dog. "Are you willing to risk him attacking himself or someone else? Robin is mad; he has no idea what he is saying. Are you going to believe him or a trained psychologist, like myself?"
Raven turned and stared at Robin, doubt creeping into her mind.
Fear was paralyzing Robin. He was going to lose her again, she was going to leave him. "No...no, Raven...it's not true...Don't go, Raven! Don't leave me!", he mumbled, trying to fight the darkness that was weighing on his eyes.
"He needs medical attention, dear." Dr. Mathews placed a hand on Raven's shoulder. "If you really want to help him, you'll let me look out for him. I swear, nothing will happen to him while he is in my care."
"No...He's...It's not..." The room was dissolving; Raven was fading to black..."No! Raven!" He tried to scream, but only a hoarse whisper came out. Robin's eyes rolled up inot his head, and he moved no more.
"You have to be strong, dear. You have to do what is right for Robin." Dr. Mathews patted her shoulder comfortingly.
Raven was wavering. If what Dr. Mathews said was true, Robin's "fits" had gotten much worse. What if she couldn't handle them? If she did take Robin, what would she be giving him? Another isolated room with white walls and restraints?
"You're right, Doctor", Raven sighed, hanging her head as the tears began to fall. "You promise he'll be all right?"
"I swear it!", he pledged, smiling encouragingly at her.
"All right. He stays here", she said, the picture of defeat. "Doctor, could I have a minute alone with him?", she pleaded, a slight quiver in her voice.
"Of course! But you'll need to put those bars back where you found them, for your own safety."
Raven bent the bars back over Robin, reattaching them. Dr. Mathews stepped outside, and she heard his footsteps retreating down the hallway.
Quick as a flash, the bars were once again bent back and Robin was engulfed in her dark energy. She opened a portal in the wall and pulled him through it, vanishing without a trace.
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Teehee...Dusty speaking. I bet you thought she was going to leave him, didn't you? Admit it! Haha! She was acting the whole time! Ok, sorry to slow you down.
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"Ray, what were you thinking?", yelled an exasperated Cyborg.
"Look at him, Cyborg! Does this look like what's best for him?" Raven's voice was louder than she usually allowed it to be, and an armchair exploded as she spoke.
Cyborg took a step backwards, shocked at her breakdown of emotional defenses. "What are we supposed to do with him, Raven?", he asked, recovering from his surprise. "Restrain him? That clearly didn't work! Talk to him? Oh wait, that didn't work either!" He plopped down on an intact armchair, head held in his hands in frustration.
"In case you haven't noticed, Cyborg, Robin is not a piece of furniture. He's a person, our leader, and, last time I checked, our friend. What else could we do but look out for him?" Anger flared in Raven; she hated the way they were treating him...like a thing, a nuiscance, a freak...Their words were directed at Robin, but she felt the sting all too well.
"Hold up there, Ray. I didn't mean..." He sighed deeply. "Look, I'm sorry, ok? It's just...stressful...and I'm just as worried as you are."
"It's fine. But being stressed is not going to help Robin."
"I know...There's something I needed to talk to you about. Starfire has been a real mess lately. She hasn't come out of her room all day. Do you think you could...talk to her or something?", he asked tentatively.
Raven's stomach clenched as she contemplated the possiblity. The heat rose in her face as she remembered what happened at the hospital...she had never meant to hurt Star...but now it seemed far too late to avoid that. "I'll...see what I can do", she mumbled, pulling up her hood and heading for the door of the med lab. She stopped suddenly, looking back at Robin, unconscious on the hospital bed. "Look after him, ok?" Raven's words were soft, but her tone was as dry and emotionless as always.
"Don't worry, I will", he said gently, watching her go with a knowing look in his eyes. His suspicions had been growing for some time now, and after the events of the last two weeks, he was positive that Ray had feelings for Bird Boy. "Poor Star", thought Cyborg, his heart going out to the little lost Tamaranian.
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Starfire didn't even look up at the sound of a knock on her door. She was buried by fluffy pillows, fuzzy blankets, and all manner of stuffed animals. Despite this cheery setting, tears were rolling down the alien's cheeks.
"Starfire?", came Raven's firm and steady voice from the other side of the door. She heard a wet sob from somewhere inside. "Star?", she asked, hoping the nickname would get a response.
"Please, friend Raven, I do not wish to speak with anyone at this time." In other words, Go away!
Raven sighed. In the past two weeks, somehow the titans had gotten the impression that she could help with emotional issues. It was really starting to wear her out.
"Star, let me in", she said, sounding slightly exasperated; most likely a reflection of her hidden guilt.
Starfire sighed and fought her way out of her bed to open the door. Raven's face stayed unchanged and blank, but inside, she cringed. Starfire's eyes were red and puffy, her hair was tangled and wet from tears, her clothes were crumpled and water-spotted. She looked how Raven felt.
"Can I come in?", asked Raven, her voice softer than usual.
Starfire stepped aside in answer, walking over to her nightstand to get a tissue.
Raven noticed that Star's room had lost its blinding cleanliness. A few wrinkled uniforms lay on the floor, and some tissues had missed the trash. The curtains were closed, giving the room a dismal hue. Starfire had never let her room get like this...until now.
"For what reason did you wnat to speak with me, Raven?", she asked thickly, plopping down on her bed.
"I just wanted to see how you were...feeling." Raven was tense, waiting for the emotional outburst. She didn't have long to wait.
Star burst into tears, throwing her arms around Raven and pulling her into a bone-crushing hug.
Raven gasped for air, wishing herself a thousand miles away. "Uh, Star, I can't breathe", she grunted.
"Oh! I am sorry, I did not mean..." Star cried even harder at the thought of hurting Raven. She buried her face in her hands, sobbing as though her heart would break.
Raven had thought that seeing Robin cry was the most uncomfortable situation she had ever experienced, but somehow this was much worse. She awkwardly patted Starfire's shoulder, hoping she would stop crying soon.
Starfire mumbled half-audible words into her hands, which now had tears leaking between their fingers. "Robin...Oh!...cannot...why? ...failed...love...What can I do, Raven?", she asked, emerging from behind her hands.
Raven took a deep breath, wondering what to say and where to begin. "Robin...he's going through a difficult time right now, Starfire. He's just not himself. We're doing everything we can to pull him out of it, but...The situation is very serious."
"Oh, I am tired of your partial explanations! What is wrong with my boy!?!", she yelled, all the frustration she had been feeling coming to the surface.
Raven flinched at the phrase "my boy". Jealousy forced its way to the front of her waring emotions. She took a deep breath, holding in all the words she would like to fling at Starfire. When she had regained control, she said, "I have told you everything that I know, Starfire. Period. I'm just as confused as you are." Well, that was almost true...
The anger left Starfire as suddenly as it had come. She sat back down, worn out from her tears. "Is there nothing I can do for him?", she asked, intense sadness reflected in her green eyes.
Raven softened at the quiet desperation in her voice. "All you can do is let him know that you are still here, and that you still care about him. That will mean the world to Robin right now." Her voice wavered slightly. She was instructing Star to confess her feelings to Robin, to comfort him...to take her place. There was a hollow feeling in her chest, a space where Robin had been, a space where she felt him slipping out of her reach...
"Are you all right, Raven?" Starfire had come out of her misery enough to see the dark girl's distress.
"I'm fine, Starfire", Raven said, her emotions under wraps once again.
"But, you look so..."
"Drop it, Star. I'm fine", Raven said, her voice biting. She hadn't talked to anyone about this, not even Robin, for heavens sake! She certainly wasn't going to start with Star. Better change the subject. "Would you like to see Robin?"
"I...I think so...", she said, hesitantly. Starfire just wasn't sure if she was ready to face him...the new Robin scared her.
"All right then. Follow me", said Raven, her voice emotionless again.
A few minutes later, they stood outside the medical laboratory. Raven reached for the door, but Starfire held her back. There was a strange look in her eyes, and she struggled for a moment before whispering, "Is he...safe?"
Raven stared at her, shocked and slightly annoyed. She claimed to love Robin, and yet she was afraid of him? On the other hand, Raven had to admit that she might have a valid reason to be. Before she could respond, the door swung open, narrowly missing her.
"Raven, I swear...I just left for a few minutes...he was unconscious..." Cyborg's words were coming in a twisted and muddled rush.
"Cyborg, calm down. What happened?" Raven was doing her best to remain calm, since Cyborg clearly was not.
"I'm sorry, I don't know how..."
"Cyborg! What happened?"
"He's gone, Ray! Robin's gone!"
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In my opinion, this was a terribly boring chapter and I appologize sincerely. Also, yes...another cliffy...I cannot fight my nature. I promise that the next chapter will be more interesting....read and review! Much love!....er, that was gross....lets try again... Later, -Dusty