Chapter Eight: Tempest's Eye
"It's not tofu," Beast Boy said, looking down at his breakfast.
"Yes it is," Cyborg insisted, his chef's hat on backwards, at least according to him.
"No it's not. This is not tofu."
"Beast Boy, here's the thing; if it looks like tofu, smells like tofu and tastes like tofu, then well whaddaya know? IT'S TOFU!"
"No it's not!"
"And why not?"
"Dude, last I heard, you don't deep fry tofu!"
"Why not?"
"It's tofu!"
"It's vegetarian, ain't it?"
This argument between the two Titans was perhaps the reason they were to preoccupied to notice the silence between their other compatriots.
Robin and Starfire sat close together, perhaps a little closer than they normally did, as they looked across the table from Raven. Robin, like Starfire, had hardly got any sleep, and for similar reasons. All night he had been tossing and turning as he agonized about the decision to inform his team-mates about Raven, inform Raven that she might have to be… stopped for the good of the city, for the world, if need be.
He shook his head, trying to chase that thought from his head. How could he think such a thing?
And yet… He stole a look at Raven, who didn't seem to notice.
He had a job to do.
And he would do it the best he could.
If only it wouldn't hurt so much.
He looked at Starfire, and in her green eyes he saw his own thoughts mirrored.
Starfire knew Robin, knew him better than even the other Titans did, and if he was feeling even half the hurt she did…
Starfire returned her gaze to the food in front of her, but even had it been the most sumptuous of Tameranian banquets, she could not have brought herself to eat, so bad was the taste in her mouth.
On one hand, her royal upbringing recognized the necessity of what Robin may have to do. Starfire was far from stupid, contrary to what her sister might have thought, and she knew that no matter what Robin did, he only did what he thought what was necessary, and most of the time, he was right.
But maybe… maybe this wasn't one of those times. Starfire didn't want to believe it. Raven was her friend, their friend; she would never do anything to hurt them, would she?
It was so much simpler back on Tamaran…
To the casual observer, Raven may have seemed her normal self, her nose in a book, her breakfast on the table; perfectly normal. What scared Robin, and would have made a more than casual observer at least suspicious was that the breakfast was untouched and the book's pages unturned.
Not that Raven was unaware of how Robin and Starfire felt. She did not need to have her empathic powers to sense their fear. She did not need Batman's intelligence to know what they were thinking, or what they must have been thinking about doing- if their places had been reversed, she would do the same herself. The greater good came first, she did not need to be reminded of that. She did not need to tell her self again that it would not come to that, however.
But the thing she needed least of all was the fact as she sensed their fear, sensed their intentions, she felt an all too familiar thrill of power. Familiar, yet she had never felt it before.
She knew who had, however. Somehow, she knew.
Her father, Trigon.
Her eyes shut, as she quietly fought to keep that thrill from coursing through her again, but it was of no use. It electrified her spine, boiled her blood, and quickened her breath. For one terrifyingly wonderful second, in her mind's eye Raven saw Jump City aflame, and the screams of the dying and the frightened filled the air.
And somewhere behind them, slowly growing in volume, an unholy chorus screaming Raven's name again and again, with a collective voice that could only be described as metallic.
It was then that Raven found herself suspended in space, as she saw Earth covered in a reddish-orange glow as it too was enveloped by flame, a sight made all the more terrifying by the fact that in the background of her mind, the unholy chorus kept on shouting her name, but this time there was a not of discord among them, a faint, barely heard word that felt out of place. Raven strained to hear it, but it was too elusive, loud enough to be noticed, too soft to detect.
Soon, Raven found herself turning around in the endless void, and each of the stars she saw blinked out of existence for a moment before flashing back, but this time with the same brilliant fiery orange-red glow that outlined the charred Earth. Before Raven's eyes, the inky darkness of the Universe itself began to be replaced with a darker version of that orange-red radiance.
And as Raven felt the searing heat from the fire that was slowly but surely consuming the Universe, she felt, then heard the discordant word slowly grow louder and louder until there was no mistaking what it said.
"…Trigon!"
"Trigon!"
"Trigon!"
"Trigon!"
And in the background, she heard her voice laughing…
Raven suddenly found herself back where she was, her book in her hands, her uneaten breakfast on the table. Thankfully, her friends had not seemed to notice her… going; Beast Boy and Cyborg were still arguing about the difference between tofu and the deep fried junk one finds in Big Macs, while Robin and Starfire were lost in their own thoughts, although Raven doubted whether those thoughts were as terrifying as her own.
She rubbed her forehead; she wished she had someone to talk to-
"Where's Blackfire?" she asked.
(scene change)
Dawn had travelled from one end to another of the known Galaxy, so she was used to sleeping irregular hours. Despite that fact, it was still a somewhat drowsy Tameranian who woke up to the pounding on her ships door.
She managed to get as far as "What-" before Blackfire interrupted her.
"Listen, Dawn, let me tell you something. I was up half the frelling night wondering about why you turned me away, and how it was my fault, when guess what? I realized something: it wasn't my fault!" she shouted.
"What-"
"I thought you were dead! Did you hear me? I-thought-you-were-dead!" Blackfire said angrily, punctuating each word with a finger jabbed at Dawn.
"So I did what I had to do," she told her friend in a softer tone. "I got on with my life, what else could I do? I loved you, I missed you, and I mourned you, but if you expected me to go around the universe weeping and moaning every day of my life about how unfair it was you were taken from me and how much I wanted you back, you obviously didn't know me well enough. Just thought you should know," she finished off-handedly, flicking her hair and turning around.
It wasn't long before she felt Dawn's hand on her shoulder. "Is that what you wanted to tell me, Blackfire?"
"…Yes, yes it is."
"So… if- if you had known I was still alive, would you have come for me?"
"Of course," Blackfire whispered.
Time seemed to stand still. There was no sound to be heard save the distant echoes of a city waking up. Then
"So it's true what they say."
Blackfire smiled. "What do they say?"
"That you're a dilithium tongued criminal, able to talk her way out of any and all trouble, angry ex-lovers included."
"Hmm, only dilithium?" Blackfire asked, her back still to Dawn.
Dawn laughed. "Hey, they didn't hear what you just said. Give them a chance, will you?"
She turned her ex-mistress to face her, and saw her smile. "See, now that's the Blackfire I know."
"Oh, and what do you mean by that?" Blackfire pouted. "Is there some other woman calling herself Blackfire running around the Galaxy?"
"Well, I seem to recall a somewhat angry, weepy, bad tempered sulk in the vicinity of my ship last night."
"Oh, my dear, how many times must I tell you? It's called a 'mirror', there's nothing to be afraid of," Blackfire said, mock pity in her voice.
Dawn couldn't reply for a minute or two, she was laughing so hard, before calming down again as a thought hit her. "So… about us?" she asked, looking into Blackfire's eyes.
"I… I don't know," Blackfire admitted.
"What do you mean, you don't know?"
"Just that-"
"It's Raven, isn't it?" Dawn asked flatly.
"No! No, of course not! It's just that, well…" Blackfire sighed. "The Guild is not going to let you go just because you found me. Sooner or later, you're going to have to get back to travelling the starlanes again…"
"So what? You can come with me, it'll be an adventure! Just you and me, travelling the stars, making lots and lots of money legally-well, most of the time," Dawn said mischievously.
Blackfire gave her a look both fond and sad. "I wish I could come with you, Dawn, I really do, but… I like it here," she said quietly.
At first Dawn looked bewildered and hurt, before she broke into a knowing smile. "Let me guess, you actually like being on the other side for once."
The look Blackfire shot back was pure poison.
"Oh my, Blackfire," Dawn said, relishing every moment. "Whatever will the criminal underworld say when they discover that the infamous Princess Blackfire has not only become a good person, but it –shock and horror!- actually enjoying it! Oooh, I feel faint," Dawn teased, holding a hand to her head in mock illness.
Blackfire scowled at her friend, until she too broke into a smile. "And why can't I enjoy being one of the good guys, and enjoy it, hmm? I'm Princess Blackfire, formerly of the Tameranian Empire, and I can enjoy anything I want to, when I want to!" she proclaimed.
It was then she noticed the look in her friend's eyes. "I hope you want this now, then," Dawn said.
Blackfire offered no resistance as Dawn's arms came around her, and pulled her close. "Well, do you?" Dawn asked softly, her breath warm on Blackfire's skin.
"What do you think?" Blackfire asked a moment before their lips touched.
It was everything Blackfire had remembered, and everything she forgot. It was a blissful oblivion that lasted for both an eternity and a moment.
All good things needs must come to an end though, and as Blackfire and Dawn's lips left each others', Blackfire let out a contented sigh.
"So, what's for breakfast?" Dawn asked after a while. "I'm starving."
At first, Blackfire was incredulous, but when she saw the look Dawn was giving her, she too broke into a mischievous smile, and soon, the two of them were giggling like idiots. Finally, after their little laughing fit was over, Blackfire looked at her lover and said, "I don't know; but my sister is a good cook. Let's go bug her."
"Blackfire?"
"Yes?"
"I know you like it here, but…?"
Blackfire paused. "I'll think about it," she answered.
"Thanks," Dawn replied. "That's all I needed to know."
Hand in hand, the two of them proceeded down the stairwell leading to the rest of the Titans Tower, neither of them noticing the end of a dark blue cape snagged on the bottom corner of the stairwell door.
(scene change)
"Raven? Raven, are you in there?" Cyborg asked through Raven's door.
"Go away," Raven said, in her typical neutral tones.
"I can't," Cyborg said. When he received no reply, he continued, "Rae, this is important."
Still no answer. Cyborg was debating asking again, or just moving out of the way of the door; it being smashed in his face again was not a prospect he liked thinking about, when it opened.
"What do you want?" Raven's voice asked out of the shadows near her bed.
Cyborg stepped in cautiously. Was it just him, or was Raven's room a bit gloomier than usual? "Rae?"
"What is it?" asked a dark shape on Raven's bed.
"It's-well, it's about you, Rae" he said. "Actually, it's what Robin said about you, er, I don't know how to say this, but-"
"But what?" Raven said, turning halfway to Cyborg. "What did Robin say about me? And why can't he tell me himself?"
Okay, this was getting dangerous. Bugout time. "Er, nothing, nothing, Rae, I can see you're not in the mood to talk, so, I'll be er, just er, um…"
He was about to make a run to the door when he heard Raven's voice say, "Cyborg, wait."
He turned around. He didn't want to, fearing what might happen to him, but he turned around anyway. After all, no matter what Robin said, Raven was his friend.
"Cyborg, I'm sorry if I sacred you," Raven told him, coming out of the shadows. Now that she faced him, Cyborg noticed that her eyes seemed a little puffy, and in her hands, she held what appeared to be her vanity mirror, cracked in several places.
"Raven? You okay?" As soon as he said it, he mentally slapped himself. No, she is definitely not okay, doofus!
"No, not really," Raven said. "Cyborg, what is it?"
His confidence returning, Cyborg said, "Well, the thing is, that Robin thinks you might be… dangerous."
"Go on."
"He said that if- if you ever lost control," Cyborg said, feeling more and more wretched with every word, "then we would have to-"
Raven held up a hand. "I understand, Cyborg. I'd do the same myself, if I was in your situation."
Cyborg sighed. "Thanks, Rae, although I'm still not okay with it."
Raven nodded. "We have responsibilities, Cyborg, responsibilities that have to come first."
"I know, Rae, it's just that this doesn't feel right, know what I mean?" He sighed again. "I wish Robin was the one telling you this; he'd be able to handle this a lot better."
"Where is Robin, anyway?"
"Last I saw, he had just finished arguing with Beast Boy about you, and was about to tell Blackfire-"
Raven's eyes opened wide with shock. "What?"
"Well, Blackfire had just come in with Dawn, and Robin- Rae? Raven?"
Raven had turned away from Cyborg, and had sat down on her bed, the only piece of intact furniture in the room.
"Raven?" Cyborg asked again. "Raven?"
Cyborg suddenly noticed something: The gloom seemed to deepen, and his sensors registered a steady drop in the ambient noise level- not unusual, in a broad sense, but what creeped Cyborg out was that it had dropped too low to be, well, 'too quiet'.
"Cyborg?" Raven asked, her voice breaking the eerie silence. "How do you feel about me?"
The surprise momentarily overwhelming his fear, Cyborg managed out a small "Wha-"
"How do you feel about me? Do you…" Raven asked, the question hanging in the air.
Oh, I get it, Cyborg thought. Now he had a problem; considering Raven's current state, maybe the 'I just don't feel that way about you, let's just be friends talk' might not go down the right way, especially for him; on the other hand, Raven was one of his closest friends, and maybe a bit of honesty on why it should remain that way was what she deserved.
Yep, he thought, I'm definitely suicidal.
"Rae, I know you and me've been through a lot together, but, well, I just don't look at you that way. No offence, though, I mean you are a pretty girl and all, but you're just not my type, you know?"
Having said that, Cyborg closed his eyes and braced for the inevitable. He just hoped Robin would be able to hear what would happen and rescue him in the nick of time.
"Cyborg?"
"Yes, Rae?"
"I wasn't talking about that."
"You weren't?"
"I just wanted to know, if- if I could trust you enough to talk to you about something- something personal."
"Oh," Cyborg said, feeling quite relieved (but a little deflated, to tell the truth). "Sure, Rae, you can talk to me, but aren't you sure you don't want Robin here? Or Starfire? Beast Boy? Blackfire even?"
Raven shook her head tiredly.
"Okay, Raven, I'll be here," Cyborg said, carefully sitting down beside her, "You go on and tell your Uncle Cyborg what's bugging you, 'kay?"
Raven had always held quiet scorn for the people who wrote to Agony Aunt columns in newspapers and magazines, thinking of them as people who just couldn't solve their own silly problems. Now, however, she understood them. "It's- it's about someone I know," she began hesitantly.
"O-kay, specifics would be kinda nice."
Raven sat quietly for a while, before answering, "Cyborg, would you hate me if I was different?'
Cyborg raised his eyebrow. "Rae, I'm a half robot black man. What was your question again? Besides, I already told you you can trust me, didn't I?"
Again, the silence. This time, it continued until Cyborg felt creeped out to the point where he felt he had to make an exit, when Raven replied, "I'm… I'm attracted to someone," Raven said, taking out a line from an agony aunt letter she read once.
Cyborg felt himself momentarily stunned, before curiosity jolted him out of his brief paralysis. Forget that stuff about SpongeBob being gay, this was big, big news! "H'hey! Way to go Raven! Sheesh, you didn't have to go trash your room- or me, so long as we're on the subject! Look, it's really simple! You just go up to that person and tell him-"
"Her," Raven said, staring straight ahead.
"Yeah, tell her- WHAT!" Cyborg said. Within his cybernetic body, several circuits nearly fused together as Cyborg literally found himself shocked.
Silence once again pervaded the room, but this time Cyborg couldn't care less. Finally he said, "So… I guess this means Beast Boy's out of the question, then?"
Raven nodded.
"Okay, that leaves us with Starfire, Dawn, and- what was that?"
Raven looked at her mirror; the cracking noise had come from that. "Never mind."
"Never mind my butt, Rae! That's your mind mirror!" He placed his hand on Raven's shoulder, gentle concern in his voice. "Man, Raven, you should have told us before; we're your friends, we're here for you- you know that."
Raven looked at Cyborg, an almost overpowering feeling of friendship- no, kinship welling up within her. It was sometimes too easy to think of Cyborg as nothing more than a teenage mech junkie, but Raven knew better than that. Should have known better than that, actually. "Thank you, Cyborg."
Cyborg gave her a determined nod. "No problem Rae, but you've got to realize, you don't really know Dawn, and even if you did, she's kinda attached."
"It's not Dawn, Cyborg."
"You're not? Then who- Oh. Ah." Cyborg managed to say. Then, he managed to rally himself. "Well, so what? Yeah, so what?" he asked her, standing up. "You do what I told you to do: you go right up to Blackfire and tell her that you're –what did you say you were? Ah yes- attracted to her, and that Dawn could just go packing! Don't worry, kiddo, I'll be right behind you," he finished enthusiastically.
"I can't," Raven said quietly.
"Why not? Listen, I got up last night to run some checks on the security system, and I managed to hear some really nasty stuff going on between them! As far's you're concerned, she's single!"
"Not anymore," Raven replied, after which she told Cyborg what she had seen that morning.
"So, what are we going to do now?" Cyborg asked, sitting down next to Raven again, having heard what she told him.
"I don't know, Cyborg."
She looked at Cyborg, her eyes haunted. "I don't know."
