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A/N: Another update written and I'm not sure if I like this one. Something seems like its missing but I can't put my finger on it. Let me know if you can figure it out cause I'm at a loss. Next update wont be until sometime till Tuesday probably which is actually a long time for me but stuff needs to be done. Hey I could end up rewriting this one if I feel the need. Laterz
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the Teen Titans so don't even try suing me for the minuscule property I have.
Ch. 11: Working out a Deal
Robin P.O.V:
It had been one week since I had ran to Raven's door that night when I heard her scream. One week since she had told me to get away from her. At the time I believed it had simply been another nightmare and she just wanted to be alone, my link to her told me as much, but it was not abundantly clear that I was wrong. It had been one week since I had seen her beautiful face, one week since I had heard her voice. She had completely isolated herself in her room, with only the smallest of communication to the rest of the team.
For the first time I truly cursed my link with her. It had helped me feel closer to her but now it was coming with a price. She was using it to avoid me, using it to know where I was exactly at any given moment and to never be anywhere near that place. I didn't know what to do. I knew I had to find a way to talk to her, to figure out what exactly had happened that night but that was impossible with her avoiding me. I knew if I had wanted I could just punch in the security code to her door and walk in but I wouldn't do that to her. I respected her privacy the same way she respected mine and I wasn't going to push her. If I pushed her too much I could push her away forever. The only news about her was what I got from Cyborg who had talked to her briefly. She was apparently researching something, something to do with the prophecy. That was all he had gotten out of her.
I wish she would let me help her with what she was doing. I know I could help her if only she would let me. Damn. I let out a sigh. Maybe if there was crime to fight then I could take my mind off everything and at least that would force Raven out of her room and in my presence. It had seemed that every criminal had gone on vacation, or maybe they were smart enough to get the hell out of the way of what was coming.
I glanced around the living room noting the presence of each one of my teammates, except for Raven. Cyborg and Beast Boy were playing video games. Beast Boy had been slightly down as of late, and I didn't exactly know why. Sure he still told jokes and fought with Cy but I noticed that when no one was looking, his face seemed dead of emotion.
Starfire was well, Starfire. It was actually amusing that she would be the one to help SoulBurn fit in to his new surroundings. It was like the blind being lead by a rock. I'll admit that she definitely was better than she had been even a few months ago, but still listening to her try and explain particular Earth customs and objects was mind-boggling. Combined with the fact that she would randomly flip between this planet and her own, including the whole language thing was just a mess. Strangely enough, SoulBurn seemed to understand Tamaranian. He didn't seem to know how he knew it and once again he seemed to have heard of some of her customs and things yet never seen them.
I had thought that I could have Raven try and enter his mind and find out why he couldn't remember anything of himself. I had dismissed that idea because I didn't want her in some strange beings mind. It could hurt her and I wouldn't risk it. Of course there was the fact that I hadn't talked to her in a week. I still watched SoulBurn very carefully though as each day passed he seemed less and less of a threat. He spent more time talking with each member of the team and even was heard to make a joke or two, at the expense of Beast Boy of course.
When he was with Starfire I had kept a closer eye on him. A super-powered guy was still a guy and I noticed the disgusting leers that men normally would give her on the street as she walked by. Starfire was beautiful, dressed rather revealing and was sweet and naïve as they come. To say the least all the male titans were slightly overprotective of her when it came to those of the opposite sex.
Over the course of the week I learned that my worries were unwarranted. When I looked into SoulBurn's eyes I did not see lust. I did not see him try to stare at her as she bent over to pick something up. He simply smiled at her antics and listened to her attentively as she talked and talked and talked. When he was around her he seemed to be able to relax more; he almost seemed content. I knew being in Starfire's presence could always make you smile no matter what your mood was but she did get annoying after awhile. But with SoulBurn, he never seemed to get tired of being around her. It seemed like he was content to simply bask in her brightness. After everything he had been through, it was nice to see something good happen for him. My thoughts inevitably came back to Raven. They always came back to Raven. However, this time they were interrupted by an alarm and a flashing red light.
"Titan's Trouble!"
The crime being committed was nothing more than a few random thugs trying to rob an armored car. I should have been happy for the fact that Raven had come out of her room but I was now more worried than ever. The battle was short lived and uneventful. The thugs stood no chance against us. SoulBurn had not come along. I did not want anyone to know he was with us yet. During the battle I noticed Raven did not float like she normally did. I also noticed that she was having trouble doing something as simple as lifting guns from the men's hands. Her black energy seemed to refuse to form when she called upon it.
No matter what, this would be talked about when we returned. Something serious was going on, and I would not let it continue. On the way back to the tower, I followed the T-car closely on my motorcycle. I was not going to give Raven the chance to escape me. As we pulled into the garage, I watched Raven jump out of the T-car and sprint toward the elevator. I was immediately behind her. If she wasn't teleporting herself to her room to get away something was definitely wrong. I watched her enter the elevator and begin hitting a button trying to get the door to close but I was too fast and managed to slide in door right before it closed. I slammed my hand against the emergency stop. She wasn't getting away. I turned to Raven and found her huddled in the corner of the elevator pushed up against the wall as if to try and be as far away from me as possible. She was covered head to toe by her cloak.
"Raven I think it's about time we talked. I want to know why you had trouble with your powers today." My voice was stern. I wanted her to know that I wasn't going to let her go with out an answer.
"There is nothing wrong Robin. You are just being paranoid. Now start the elevator back up" Her voice was cold but weak sounding.
"I know for a fact something is wrong Raven. If there was nothing wrong you would have teleported off here the first chance you had. Now, I want an answer Raven. This is your leader talking to you, not a friend and definitely not anything else. What is going on." I saw her shift nervously as she spoke again.
"I repeat, nothing is wrong. I'm just a little stressed. Now please just leave me alone." I know I didn't want to push her, but something had to be done. For the team's sake, for her sake. I shot my hand out and grabbed her arm. I pulled her toward me. The motion had the desired effect and her hood fell down and her cloak shifting revealing her body. I could not believe my eyes. Raven looked like she was dying. Dark circles had formed around her eyes which seemed to be sunken back. Her hair was disheveled as if it hadn't been taken care of. However, it was her face and body that were the most shocking. Her skin was tightly pulled across her cheek bones. Her ribs were sticking out in plain view.
"Raven…" I could feel her shaking in my grip, though her face betrayed no emotion.
"Let me go now Robin. You have no right to touch me." I knew she was right and I let go of her but I was not going to let her get away.
"What have you done to yourself? I knew there something wrong but this. You haven't been eating or sleeping have you?"
"If you already know the answer then why are you asking Robin." The response was cold and laced with venom, but I wasn't going to back down.
"Have you looked at yourself Raven. You're hurting yourself. Your killing yourself. What do you hope to accomplish by all of this?"
"Do not dare pass judgment on me Robin. You have no idea what you are talking about. Everything I am doing I am doing for the Titans, for this entire world. Do you have any idea what its like to be afraid to go to sleep because you might hurt someone. Do you?" She tried to raise the tone of her voice but it still only came out as a whisper. I could see she didn't have the energy for this but this needed to be settled.
"No Raven I don't know what that's like, but I do know one thing." I glared down at her tiny form. "If you continue like this you won't be able to help anyone. You won't be able to help this city, the Titans, or yourself. Now I'll make a deal with you. I'll leave you alone, won't bother you for a second if that's what you want. But I need you to eat and sleep. If you're too afraid to sleep, I'll have Cyborg give you something to put you in a completely dreamless sleep. The Titans will do whatever it takes to help you Raven and you need help right now. I promise I'll stay away from you just please do this for the team." Raven stood there and slowly raised her hood back over her face and recovered her fragile body.
"You have a deal Robin. But if I do this, I expect you to live up to your side of the agreement. Stay away from me."
"Agreed. I pushed the button on the elevator and felt it rising again. I turned to look toward the door away from Raven. No matter how much I didn't want to, I would do this for her, to make sure she helped herself. I loved her too much to allow this continue and I would give anything to make sure she was safe. If all I had to do was sacrifice being around the woman I love, it would be done.
The elevator sounded that it had reached its destination. I had made sure it was going to the kitchen. Raven was going to start her part of the deal right now. The doors opened and I waited for her to get off first which she reluctantly did. The entire team was already back in the living room and all their eyes were on us as we got off. I assumed they had noticed that we were absent after getting on the elevator. I did not want to look at them though I found myself meeting SoulBurn's gaze. He had a look of deep sadness as he looked between me and Raven, as if he knew something. He seemed to have a knack for reading people's inner workings due to part of the connection his powers had to a person's essence. He most likely sensed the terrible condition Raven was in and the fact that my heart had probably ripped right in half.
I sensed the awkwardness in the room as no one wanted to say anything since they weren't really sure what they were seeing. I glanced at Raven who was indeed sticking to her part of the deal. She was currently making tea and a sandwich. I didn't show it but relief was washing over me. At least something was going right. I walked over to the couch and sat down. Starfire was sitting there with her hands folded looking pensively at me. However, I had no words to speak to any of them. Right now I only had words for Raven but those would not be spoken.
