Note on Fonts: "Plain text" – plain voice, speaking 'Italics' – thoughts, not heard
Mountain Dew: Chapter 10 - You didn't have to hit me…
"Can I talk now?" Beastboy asked hopefully.
"No." Raven replied dryly.
"Can I talk now?"
"No."
Silence.
Raven cocked an eyebrow in curiosity, wondering if Beastboy had finally given up; it was hard to remain calm when someone kept repeating a question for over 10 minutes. 'Why does Titan's tower seem so far away?' she thought, 'It's taking forever to get there and into the quiet solitude of my room where I can meditate and calm down. I'm worried I may end up hurting someone between how tired I am, the fact that I'm still not healed from the run in with that robber, and that I got even more beat up by this escapade with Beastboy…'
"How 'bout now?" Beastboy butt into her thoughts.
'ARGHHHHHHHH! I WILL CUT YOU INTO A THOUSAND PIECES, AND WHEN I AM THROUGH, I WILL CUT THOSE INTO A THOUSAND PIECES AS WELL! …must… get home… meditate, calm myself…' Raven thought to herself as her battle with her emotions raged before simply replying, "No."
[Scene Break]
"Hey Cyborg, help me get Starfire onto the bed, I think she fainted." Robin called down the hall where Cyborg was hiding in some room or closet, no doubt.
"You-you're s-suuuure that that it's s-safe?" Cyborg stuttered, cautiously peeping out one of the doors.
'No, she hasn't fainted yet, I just told you that so you'd get your sorry, scaredy-cat robotic butt over here!' "Uh, yeah, 'Course I'm sure, Cy!" he said with a sly grin on his face.
"O-okay then." He replied, then helped lift a seemingly unconscious Starfire onto the ward bed.
"We need to get some fluids in her, water should help wash out the excess sugar in her system, hopefully reversing her addiction as well." Robin sorrowfully stated as he observed her pale face.
"Water comin' right up!" Cyborg offered and quickly ran out of the room, apparently still threatened by the memory of Starfire chasing him.
[Scene Break]
Beastboy sighed in boredom as Raven replied "No." for the 15,684th time. 'Of all the cruel things to do to me, why, oh why did she have to punish me with a ban on my speech! This sucks! I can't say anything!' "Can I talk NOW!" 'It's inhumane! Cutting off a person's right of speech! And of course, the ever consistent "No." where oh where will it end! I can't say a single word! If I were in great peril I couldn't even call for help! "NOWWWW!" 'Just think! I'll forever be drowning in silence! This whole trip home has been nothing but silence! Not a single word has broken the silence! I "NOW-OW!" Beastboy yelped as he walked into the demoness who had stopped dead in her tracks.
"BEASTBOY! Will you quit it already! This is the 15,687th time you've asked me!" Raven screamed at him before quickly recomposing herself.
"WHAT!" Beastboy shot back. "Thanks to you, I've been drowning in my thoughts and not said one. Single. WORD!" He then rubbed the spot on his cheek where he had walked into Raven and continued walking. 'Man, if I'm not allowed to talk soon, I think I'll die from the silence!'
[Scene Break]
"Here ya go, Rob!" Cyborg said as he hastily placed the cup in his hands and scurried out of the room once again, afraid that Starfire would suddenly wake up and attack him.
"Uh, thanks, Cy." Robin muttered, knowing that Cyborg wouldn't even hear it as he was halfway across the tower by now.
"Okay Star, If you can hear me, I need you to open your mouth and drink this for me, okay?" Robin whispered in her ear as he cradled her head, preparing to pour the liquid into her mouth. He carefully parted her lips, placed the rim of the cup against it, and slowly drained the cup, massaging her throat to induce swallowing.
[Scene Break]
'Oh, thank goodness! Hope is in sight! I see the tower!' Raven exclaimed in her head, causing a nearby streetlamp to crack and fall onto the pavement, just inches in front of Beastboy.
"Dude! Are you trying to kill me!" Beastboy exclaimed, thinking that he might want to fly back to the tower before her suspected anger resulted in an injured Beastboy.
"Silence! I need to concentrate!" Raven replied, dangling on the precipice of losing all control of her powers.
A few second later…
"Can I talk now?"
"NO!" she screamed, her eyes glowing black as a nearby bench mangled itself and managed to whack Beastboy in the leg. He yelped as he tried to leap out of the way, but it took a nice chunk off his shin all the same.
"Oh my goodness!" Raven exclaimed in shock, "I didn't mean to- I mean- Are you okay?" and rushing to his side she quickly knelt and examined his wound.
Beastboy, shocked that she been angry enough to cause some cast iron to attack him, and even more aghast at her showing concern for his welfare, muttered, "Uh, sure, yeah, just fine."
[Scene Break]
Starfire downed the whole cup of water, and yet she had still not awakened. "Cyborg! I need more water!" Robin yelled, hoping it would carry to wherever he had hidden.
"None of this would have happened if it wasn't for me." Robin stated mournfully, "I did this to you." Tears began to form in his eyes as he recalled how he had reassured her everything would be fine, how she believed him. If only he could turn back the clock, to have saved Starfire from her present pain and suffering. Why had he been so stupid! Robin gazed at her face, slightly gaining color, but still fairly pale and sickly. "I'm so sorry, Star."
[Scene Break]
"No really, It's okay." Beastboy reassured as Raven continued to fawn over his wound, performing many, 'Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos's to heal him. It kind of frightened him that suddenly she would show so much care for him. She had been docile for so long, he had almost forgotten about the real emotions that she kept hidden.
"No, it's not okay," Raven began, a small droplet of moisture forming in the corner of her eye, "I lost control and you got hurt."
Beastboy was really starting to get weirded out now, 'Raven… crying?' "Well, it's not like you haven't before." Beastboy said with a little laugh, hoping to lighten the mood.
"Yeah, but that's different… that's… for fun… we always enjoy picking on each other" Raven admitted.
'Well, that's kind of a relief…' he thought, not quite knowing how to take it. "Look, don't worry about it, it didn't hurt…much."
"I still should have ever let my anger out; I shouldn't even have gotten angry! It was wrong of me… I'm sorry."
'Now I know I'm dreaming! Raven actually apologize? To me! This is too good (or is it bad?) To be true!' "Don't be, I shouldn't have pestered you, or be irresponsible enough that you chase me everywhere, or push you into that lake, or dumped that soda over your head, or-"
"You know, you might want to stop before you make me angry again." Raven cut in, yet she couldn't help a small smile that escaped her lips, "You really have a way of spoiling a moment, don't you?"
"Uh, heh…" He said with a grin, still not fully understanding why Raven was having so many mood swings, and worried that at any moment she might swing back to the angry one again. He then stood up and offered a hand to help Raven up, but instead she suddenly gave him a hug. Beastboy didn't know what to do, he was secretly thrilled, but too frozen and unable to do or say what he wanted to at those times. 'You'd think I'd be able to do something now, but no, I'm still frozen! Soon she'll let go and we'll have to go back like nothing happened!'
"Let's go home" Raven stated awkwardly as she let go and turned to continue back to the tower, but not before her green friend noticed a hint of pink on her grey cheeks.
"Heh heh, yeah, let's…" Beastboy said sheepishly, mentally kicking himself for missing his opportunity. 'Maybe next time…'
[Scene Break]
"Here's your water." Cyborg said handing Robin another glass. He didn't leave immediately however, as his trauma seemed to be subsiding.
"Thanks, Cy."
Pause.
"She'll be okay, Robin." Cyborg reassured, then silently left the room.
Robin cradled her head once again and administered the water. The minutes dragged by slowly as he watched her apprehensively, praying that all would be well and she would be cured despite his foolishness. "Why did I have to reassure her so?" He chided himself, "I should've known that she could have a bad reaction! Our foods are alien to her!"
Robin's words brought a stir to the bed and he quickly turned his full attention on her, hoping for the best. "Star…?"
"Robin?" she moaned, still gaining strength.
"Yes, Star, It's me. I'm so sorry, none of this would have happened if-"
Starfire didn't let him finish; she was too happy to see him to care. (She thought to herself that she had spent far too many hours that day passed out from the effects of the soda) She gently pulled him down to her level and brushed his cheek with her lips. "You were never to blame, friend Robin…"
THE END
