I do not own Teen Titans.
Chapter 4: A Night Out
Robin's View
Leaning his head back against the ground, Robin let out a long deep sigh and closed his eyes. Even with them shut, he could see the bright morning sun shining over him. Lifting an arm over him to shield his eyes, Robin turned onto his side to get more comfortable. He was on the roof of Titans Tower, and had been for the last hour. After the previous night, he decided to get some thinking done.
The fangirls had given him quite the run at the mall. The further he ran through the large building, the more girls spotted him and joined the chase. He was only saved thanks to the bathroom, which he dashed into and locked the door hastily. With pounding on the outside, Robin decided that his only way out was in a more stealthy mode. After much thinking, he climbed through the ventilation system and ended back outside just in time to see Starfire and Raven flying away. He had missed the rest of their adventure.
Robin rolled over and felt around. He was on the edge of the roof, so he rolled back the other way and sat up. It was about ten a.m. 'Perhaps time for some breakfast?' He wondered to himself. Robin licked his lips hungrily, standing up and trotting over to the door that lead back down into the tower. Even though this was a usual time for the Titans to be awake, he didn't hear anyone moving about in the kitchen as he approached.
"Robin," A quiet and tired voice greeted him. Starfire was sitting at the kitchen table, looking quite exhausted and very unlike herself. There was no perk in her face, and her eyes had large bags under them.
"Hey, Starfire. How'd it go last night?" Robin asked eagerly. Judging by her hesitation and look, Robin had to figure that it did not go too well. Sure enough, he was right on the money.
"It did not go very well. Everything was fine but then I went to go get my hair cut and Raven sat down in the chair and the girl tried to wash her hair and-"
"Starfire!" Robin stopped her sudden slur of quick words by raising her voice. The Tamaranian relaxed, taking a few deep breaths and resting her head on the table. "So you're saying that instead of making Raven feel better, your trip to the mall probably made her feel worse?" The Boy Wonder asked.
Starfire nodded her head. "She said that it was not my fault, but if I hadn't taken her to the salon then this never would have happened!" She said. Robin shook his head. A salon was not the type of place that Raven would ever want to go. Cyborg's idea seemed like it might suit her better.
"It wasn't your fault, Starfire. Next time, take her some place more… dark," Robin suggested.
"Morning ya'll!"
"Morning dudes!"
Two unusually awake and happy voices came from behind, and Robin turned to see Cyborg and Beast Boy stroll into the room with each other. Beast Boy sat down at the table as Cyborg dug into the fridge, laying out food for breakfast. Robin eyed them.
"You two seem to be in an awfully good mood. Any reason?" Robin asked.
"Nah. That comedy marathon last night was pretty funny though. Me and Cyborg stayed up all night watching it. You should have stayed with us," Beast Boy answered.
"Yeah. How was that patrolling last night, Robin?" Cyborg asked. Robin squirmed uncomfortably where he stood. Truth be told, he didn't patrol so much as go from roof to roof thinking.
"I stopped a few thugs in an alley, nothing more," Robin replied. It was the truth. Sadly, for the bad guys, the fangirls had gotten him more winded than his fight with them.
"That's cool, cool…" Cyborg said. He turned to Robin, giving him a very suspicious smile that made the Boy Wonder if Cyborg knew something that he didn't. Beast Boy and Starfire paid no attention to him as he walked over to the machine teen.
"Something you want to tell me?" Robin asked his friend. Cyborg shrugged, still smiling.
"Not really. Well, maybe. I'm just wondering… why were you at the mall with Raven and Starfire?" Cyborg asked. Robin's heart froze for a second. How could he have possibly known that.
"I wasn't. What made you think that?" Robin said in an appalled tone. Then he realized.
"Locator signal," Cyborg answered with a smile. Damn. Robin had forgotten that he could be easily tracked by Cyborg.
"Okay, be quiet. If you have to know, I wanted to see how my little idea was going, so I decided to follow them," Robin told Cyborg quietly.
"And?"
"Apparently, it didn't go too good. So that means it's your turn tonight," Robin said.
"I was really hoping you wouldn't say that…" Cyborg grumbled. Robin could tell that Cyborg's idea of a fun night was not spending his time with a depressed girl who could blow him up in a fit of anger.
"Just do it," Robin said. He went to sit down, but turned back. "And whatever you do, don't go near any salons," The Boy Wonder added before taking a seat. Cyborg nodded slowly, clearly confused, and then began to cook breakfast for the team.
Robin sat silently as the rest of the team talked, still trying to figure out what to do with Raven. It was a lot harder than he ever thought it would be. Should he do something unique? Something simple, but pleasing? Raven was a very different girl, and what most people would like, she might hate. Robin had to chose carefully, or he would just upset her more.
"Raven, Raven, Raven… Why do you have to be the most complicated person I know?" He muttered to himself as he put his head down to take a rest. He hadn't gotten any sleep.
Raven's View
"I haven't done that in a long time," Raven mumbled groggily while stretching her limbs out. She rolled over after a moment and stared at the bright red numbers that were in her face. It was twelve noon. She had gone to bed much, much earlier. Raven wasn't one to sleep in, ever. In fact, she absolutely hated it. Sleep was a waste of time to her. But for once, it felt pretty good.
She sprung out of bed, feeling positively charged with energy. Raven put on her boots, then added her cloak. When she reached the door, she suddenly stopped. She had only been up a few moments, but there was something nagging at her in the back of her mind. Something she had thought of last night. She couldn't quite recall exactly what it was, but she was sure that it had something to do with Robin.
"Mine as well get some food for the day," She said to herself before opening her door. Raven was in the mood for a peaceful day. No crime, no television, and definitely no journeys to the mall. She scowled as she remembered the previous night. The food was alright, but her trip to the salon was a downright waste of time and energy. Not only was it boring, but she ended up getting attacked by that stupid girl.
'I will never let Starfire take me anywhere like that again' Raven thought to herself as she stepped out into the hall. As she neared the kitchen, she could hear the sounds of cheerful laughter and running water mixing together, the occasional clink of dishes sounding off. The others must have been eating, and someone was probably doing the dishes. Raven stopped before she went near the door. She wasn't in the mood for a confrontation.
"Maybe I'll just avoid them for the most part," Raven muttered. She put a hand on the wall to her right and phased into it, then quickly came through on the other side, right next to the fridge. Cyborg was doing dishes with his back turned to her. Starfire was sitting at the table, gazing at Robin, who had his head down. Beast Boy was busy playing games on the couch and laughing as he raced the computer. She had really expected the team to be talking to one another.
Opening the fridge silently, she reached in and took out what she could. Mostly fruit. A few oranges, a few apples, and a miniature carton of grape juice. This would be enough snacking to last her through the day. Raven shut the door, cradling the stuff in her arms and going back towards the wall. She froze as a hand tapped her. Raven turned slowly, where Cyborg stood behind her.
"Hey, Raven. What's going on?" He asked casually. She shrugged.
"I just stopped in to get some snacks for the day. Now I'm just going to go to my room, eat, meditate, and read, is that fine with you?" Raven asked, barely able to keep the hostility out of her voice.
"Yeah, that's no biggie. I was just wonder… would ya like to go for a ride with me tonight?" Cyborg said with a smile. It looked very forced.
"Why?" Raven blurted out.
"Well, I just figured it would be nice to get out of for once. You know, get some fresh air, take a peaceful ride. Interested?" Cyborg questioned.
The word peaceful stuck in the center of her mind. She wasn't sure what to do. On the one hand, she could stay in the tower and probably enjoy a peaceful, but more boring, day. On the other hand, she could spend most of her day in the tower, and then take a relaxing ride. Though Raven loved flying, there was something about car rides that was just so relaxing. What did she have to lose by going?
"I'll go, just as long as that doesn't go with us," Raven answered, using her head to point in the direction of Beast Boy, who was busy dancing around because of the race he had won.
Cyborg snickered quietly. "Alright. It'll just be you and me, okay?" The machine teen promised. Raven nodded in reply, then shifted through the wall and back into the halls. Looks like she was doing something for the second night in a row. Really, who'd have thought that Raven would ever have a social life?
Robin's View
"Ah!" Robin screamed. He jumped into the air, banging his knees on something hard, and he came back down, landing roughly on what was obviously a chair. He opened his eyes and looked around at where he was. 'Titans Tower, kitchen table. I fell asleep' Robin realized. Gazing at the room before him, he noticed that no one was there. He looked at the clock, and was shocked to find that it was already seven p.m.
"Robin?" An innocent voice came from behind him. He turned around, and saw that Starfire had been laying down on the couch. She was still looking quite exhausted.
"Why didn't anyone wake me up?" Robin asked, rubbing his eyes through his mask.
"I apologize. You see, Beast Boy went to his room for an unknown activity, and Cyborg went with Raven for a ride a little while ago. I myself fell asleep on the couch several hours ago," Starfire replied.
Robin got up from his chair, pouring himself a glass of water from the jug on the counter and drinking it down in a few seconds. He wiped his mouth off with his glove and turned back to Starfire.
"When did they leave for their ride?" He asked.
"I believe that there is a note on that counter," The Tamaranian answered, pointing over at the space next to Robin. He leaned over and read a note that was dated just over an hour earlier.
'Went for a ride in the T-Car, back around eight or so' The note read. It was sloppily signed by Cyborg. Robin crumpled it up and tossed it in the trash.
"I'm going out to patrol the streets," Robin told Starfire. Without waiting for a reply, he ran to the elevator, and took it down to the bottom floor.
Raven's View
"Now this isn't so bad, is it?" Cyborg said to her. Raven turned over to look at him. His big, goofy grin almost made her smile. Almost.
"It's nice," She said simply. Raven was telling the truth… it was nice. They had the windows down, and the wind was gently going against her skin, cooling her down and relaxing her all at once. They had driven across the city, and were nearing the hilled area of town. Raven had requested to go there. It was the most peaceful place to be.
"I was thinking that we could grab some food after this. My treat." Cyborg smiled wider at her.
"Alright, that's fine. Just… stop smiling so wide," Raven kidded. Cyborg's grin faded, but she could tell that he was still feeling happy. She leaned her head against the seat, closing her eyes and letting the wind wash over her. She felt very peaceful.
"One last stop light, then we're home free up this thing," Cyborg said. Raven opened her eyes and looked up the tall, mountain like area. The road snaked around the rocks and hills, leading up until it hit a small spot to park. It was kind of a tourist thing, you know, see the city from the top of the mountain. Raven's thoughts were interrupted, though, as a load vehicle pulled up next to Cyborg, revving his engine.
"Could you tell him to be quiet?" Raven asked, clamping her hands over her ears.
"Hey, buddy! Could you quiet that thing down?" Cyborg called over to the driver. The guy, a twenty something, greasy looking fellow, glared over at them.
"Don't tell me what to do, freak," He said to Cyborg. Raven heard Cyborg growl in anger, and she already knew that something was going to happen right here, right now.
"Don't call me a freak," Cyborg said through gritted teeth. The light up above the two cars turned green, and neither Cyborg nor the man moved.
"Freak," He muttered, before tearing off and up into the mountains.
"That's it, he is not getting away!" Cyborg yelled. Before Raven had time to argue, Cyborg jammed his foot onto the petal, and she was thrown was into her seat as they raced up the mountain.
"What? You're racing now? This isn't legal," Raven said to Cyborg. He sped up the car, catching up to the guy quickly.
"Don't worry about it," Cyborg said, jerking the car around the corner roughly. They were neck and neck with their opponent in this race, and Raven let out a deep breath as they began to pass him. Cyborg couldn't resist a race…
"Get outta here!" The man yelled over at them angrily. Cyborg just laughed at him as they passed. The squeal of brakes from the man's car followed.
"Did you see that? He gave up! I won!" Cyborg cried out happily.
"Uh- Cyborg?" Raven said, pointing ahead of them. Cyborg looked back on the road to see that they were heading for a curve, and he didn't have time to turn. The flew right off the guard rail-less edge, and Cyborg ducked down, screaming like a little girl.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven yelled at the top of her lungs. The car became encased in black energy, and she stopped it from hitting the trees below them. Cyborg raised his head slowly above the dash board, peering out the window.
"Oh yeah! I'm with you. Um… That scream was a fake," Cyborg embarrassedly told her. Raven gave him a small grin.
"Right… Fake? I don't think so. I've heard your scream before," Raven said. She guided the car back towards town, settling it down in the parking lot of a pizza place. All this excitement had kind of made her hungry. They climbed out of the car together. Cyborg holding the door to the pizza place open as they entered.
"A peaceful ride, huh?" Raven said as they sat down. Cyborg didn't answer.
Robin's View
Well, this night had been a hell of a lot more prosperous than the previous one. There were no fangirls chasing him, and he actually thought of removing his locator so that Cyborg couldn't track him. At least now his friend wouldn't know that he was following Raven around.
So far, he had seen some interesting things involving Raven and Cyborg. First, he had been on just the right roof to get a view of the mountains, where they had clearly been going. In fact, he stopped just long enough to see the T-Car go shooting into his view as it flew off the side of the road. For a second, he feared the worst, but he quickly calmed as he saw the T-Car float right above him. Raven had used her powers to save them of course. Now they were sitting inside of a pizza place, right in the window. Robin stood on the nearest building.
"Looks like she might actually be enjoying herself," Robin mumbled. Raven had smiled once since they had gotten inside the restaurant, she had yet to look frustrated or bored. Maybe, just maybe, his idea to have everyone attempt to cheer her up wasn't such a bad plan at all. After all, she seemed way happier than usual. She even looked better.
'So now you pay attention to how she looks? You never used to do that' A voice inside of his head said. It was right. He never had bothered to really look at Raven like that. Usually, she was just… Raven. Thin, pale, hostile looking Raven. He had never really bothered to "check her out". Really, she looked rather good. Once you got past all the scowling and glares, she was quite pretty. 'Now she's pretty? You have a thing for Raven' The voice said. He shook his head.
"I do not, it's strictly a friendship thing. There's nothing wrong with thinking your friend is pretty. Smart, dedicated, and very, very pretty," Robin said, not really listening to what he was saying. 'You like her' The voice told him. He shook his head again. "No, that's crazy. I can't like Raven, she's… Raven," Robin argued. 'So?' The voice asked. He went to say something aloud, when two things occurred to him. One, he was talking to himself. And two, the voice had a point. There was nothing wrong with liking Raven, nothing at all.
"But I don't like her!" He suddenly said loudly. No, he couldn't like Raven. He liked Starfire, that was all. Starfire was pretty, innocent, adorable, and… and… He couldn't think of what else. Raven might be smart and pretty, but she was also cruel, cold, and very distant. She was extremely serious and dark. 'A lot like you' The voice spoke up again. "Shut up!" Robin yelled at himself. It couldn't be true, it just couldn't… but he knew it was. It might only be a recent thing, but it was for real. "I like Raven," The Boy Wonder muttered miserably.
Raven's View
They had been silent for a few minutes, the only noises between them being the scrape of Raven's silverware, or the abnormally loud chewing that came from Cyborg's mouth. She let a very long, deep sigh to herself. 'Boredom and depression sucks' She thought to herself. Raven had gotten one of those random feelings of depression, and it was probably due to being so bored. Sometimes, she hated her emotions more than anything.
"Raven, I'm gonna go to the games in the back, you mind?" Cyborg asked her. She glared at him for a moment, then shook her head. It's not like he was making her feel better anyways.
"Look out!" A voice outside the restaurant screamed. Raven whipped her head over, and saw a bus up the street barreling downhill, right at a group of people. She shot out of her seat, rushing out the door and raising her hands. She wasn't going to be able to stop the bus quickly, it was too large.
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" Raven screamed for the second time that night. She could already tell that she wouldn't stop it in time. Suddenly, a blur went by, and the people were gone with it, two small children being swept the ways in the arm of a teen. The bus kept going though, but Raven managed to stop it before it smashed into anything. The people cheered her and the other teen on, and she gaped at the person who they were cheering on with her.
"Robin?" Raven said curiously. The Boy Wonder visibly tensed up.
"Uh- hey, Raven," Robin said, laughing. He sounded very nervous. Robin turned around and faced her, and she saw that he seemed to be blushing. But why?
"What were you doing around here?" Raven asked suspiciously. Robin scratched the back of his head, shrugging.
"Out patrolling. Never know when something like this is going to happen," He said.
"You sure you weren't… following me?" Raven popped the question. Robin was clearly shocked by her forwardness.
"Following you? Why would I be doing that?" He asked defensively.
"How should I know? You're the one following me," Raven replied. She could almost sense Robin becoming more uncomfortable by the second.
"I am not following you. I just happened to be patrolling around here," He said quickly.
"Was it just like that with the mall yesterday? Don't think I didn't hear those girls screaming your name," Raven said, suddenly remembering the previous night very vividly. Robin was speechless.
"I- I have to get back to patrolling," Robin stammered. His face became stony as he took out a grappling hook, and he fired it over a building, then went up and away. The pizza place door jingled, and Cyborg stepped up next to her.
"What was Robin doing here?" Cyborg asked.
"He was following me. I don't know why though," Raven answered. Cyborg laughed, but then coughed to cover it up. Raven looked over at him. He obviously knew something that she didn't.
"What?" She asked.
"Well, and this is just a thought, I think he likes you," Cyborg said seriously. Raven stared at him, wide eyed and open mouthed.
Robin… like… her?
Alright, mildly dull, don't scold me for it. What can I say? There really isn't much of a plot behind this story in the first half. I hope this was better than nothing though. Took me a long time to write for some reason. Another update in a week, with a hopefully better chapter. Please review, because I, um, deserve it? Okay, maybe not. Review if you wish to.
Next Chapter: With Robin on her mind, Raven goes out to a movie with Beast Boy, butt he changeling makes a big mistake. What has Beast Boy done?
"It's a trap!"
SinFire
