Priestess Adularia: In two chapters (three days) I have managed to acquire 27 reviews and 751 hits. My story is also on 22 people's favorite lists and 14 people's author alerts, and several people who read this story made me one of their favorite authors. I just want to say that I love you all!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans, Batman, Catwoman, or Huntress/Helena. Hell, I don't even own the songs. Sue all you want, but there's no way you're getting what I do own!
Note: As a child, Raven/Metrion/Zinthos was starved of just about all love. Even trivial kindnesses such as having pets and companions and parental figures around (the mere thought that Robin was her father added two years) were sufficient to make her grow.
But as she ages, she will become the grave unwelcoming child she had been (she regains knowledge and memories) and it will be harder.
Eventually she's going to reach the state she was when the Titans just started and then showing her love is going to become pretty hard…
But I've said too much. Let's continue!
O o O o O o O o O
"Hush little baby, don't say a word, Momma's gonna catch you a mocking bird. And if that mocking bird don't sing, Momma's gonna steal you a diamond ring. And if that diamond ring don't shine—"
The voluptuous young woman was interrupted by the sound of her husband clearing his throat, though why he bothered considering that it was always guttural was beyond her. She lifted brilliant green eyes to a black-haired man, muscular arms crossed and blue eyes narrowed.
"Selina…"
"What?" She laughed, shrugging it off. "It's just a joke."
"You sang that to Helena, you aren't singing it to Richard."
"Fine, fine."
"Robin called."
"Which one?"
"Grayson."
"Oh?" she arched an eyebrow. "Is he planning to tell us why I lost three hours of my life and you keep thinking of statues and fire?"
"All he said is that he wants you and Helena over immediately."
"If you say so."
He watched her leave, a purposeful swing in her hips, before walking over to the cradle. A fond smile quirked his usually unsmiling face as he gazed down at his sleeping black-haired baby.
"Hush little baby don't say a word, Momma's gonna eat that mocking bird. And when that mocking bird won't sing, Daddy's gonna buy you a shiny ring. Then when Momma goes to jail, there's no way I'm gonna pay the bail." Raising his voice deliberately, he added, "because Momma promised to NEVER EVER STEAL ANYTHING EVER AGAIN!"
There was a long silence, but then her sultry voice sang a couple more lines: "In that case you'll just have to die, and I'm using child-abuse as an alibi."
He scowled. Under his breath, he muttered, "my singing wasn't that bad!"
O o O o O o O o O
Metrion was awake. She hadn't said a word to anyone. She simply walked around, taking in everything with wide eyes. After the incident with the fire hydrant, she had shown no sign of having powers. But just to be on the safe side, Robin stayed close to her. Which was just as well, as she refused to let go of his hand.
"How old is she now?" asked Cyborg. "Four, five? Six at the most."
Robin, who had eagerly encouraged her curiosity with cheerful listings of information, told her, "He wants to know how many years old you are. Numbers are one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten. Actually, there are millions and millions of numbers, but you're too tiny to be ten. Do you understand what I'm saying, Ra—Metrion?"
She didn't reply, but she did stare at him with huge eyes that were as bright as buttons. They held a depth of wisdom that, while not matching what one could see in Raven, was astonishing for a child under seven."
"You're actually seventeen, you know," he continued as Metrion tugged him forward. "I'm sixteen, but my birthday is soon. Beast Boy is only fifteen. Cyborg and Starfire are seventeen, but Cyborg will be eighteen a couple months after I turn seventeen. And I may already be seventeen. I don't know my real birthday, so I just call the day Bruce adopted me my birthday."
"Are you just going to talk until she answers or something?" asked Beast Boy.
"Have you met her mom? How can she not be so closed-up if no one ever talks to her?" Robin stopped. Because he didn't mind the solemn, severe seriousness of the Raven he knew. After living with Batman, what was 'creepy' to Beast Boy was normal to him.
A harsh jerking at his hand distracted him.
Metrion was jumping up and down, pointing at one of the pictures on the shelf. Smiling, Robin reached up and took it off the shelf. He handed it to Metrion, who grinned and pointed at the girl.
"Pretty!"
Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Robin stared at her. It was the first word she had said since she was calling Robin 'Dada.'
"Yes, isn't she?" asked Robin with a smile. "That's you, Metrion. On your seventeenth birthday."
She blinked up at him, uncomprehending. Then she looked at the girl. She was slender and pale, with a slim face and high cheekbones, her eyes huge and piercing. She was standing in a decorated room, Robin standing beside her. They were watching a blindfolded Starfire waving a bat at a scared-looking green donkey, who was suspended in thin air by a rope. Cyborg, who had taken the picture, was not in it.
It was one of the rare times that Raven actually seemed happy. Seemed. Though there was something lighthearted to her, and her lips were curved upwards in a smile, her eyes were shadowed and haunted. Only Robin had noticed. Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy all knew something bad had happened to her. But none of them knew what.
Robin didn't either, and he still didn't. He supposed he would never know what had occurred between Slade and Raven when time was frozen. But nothing could be worse than what he suspected, and what some of the other Titans did as well. He was sure they did.
He just hoped his fears weren't true.
O o O o O o O o O
Starfire was thrilled, dipping and soaring happily through the clouds. Never before had she so appreciated how beautiful this planet was.
She held bags of toys in her arms, which Robin had instructed her to buy.
Speaking of Robin…
With a little smile, she touched one bag. I do hope Robin is pleased by my present. Why should friend Raven be the only one to enjoy the beauty of love?
O o O o O o O o O
As Selina neared the giant T-shaped tower, her daughter Helena walking behind her, she noticed a red form streaking through the sky. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to be a curvaceous girl with long scarlet hair and bright lime eyes and a skimpy purple suit.
One of the Titans, she realized. This must be the Sun Flame one.
Starfire blinked innocently at the beautiful stranger as she lowered to her feet. "Who are you?"
"Selina Kyle," Selina replied, employing her most brilliant smile. "I'm Robin's…how do you say…foster parent-in law?"
Starfire was bewildered, then again she often was. "Umm…" Her puzzled expression changed to a hospitable beam. "I welcome you to our humble dwelling."
O o O o O o O o O
"Oh, that must be Starfire!" said Cyborg brightly as a beeb filled the air, signifying a door being opened.
That, or the help, thought Robin grimly. He was beginning to seriously second-guess his logic in having a thief come help Metrion. He looked at the child whose waist he was holding as she ran her hands over the clusters of grapes in the vase she was holding. Already quiet and withdrawn and so mature he would trust her with a glass vase, she had the bright inquiring open mind of the child she was.
"I wish we had some real grapes to give her," he stated. "They probably didn't have them on Azarath."
I also wish we had some decent clothes for her, he added mentally. They had sent Beast Boy, the only one stupid enough to trespass in her room without permission, to Raven's room on a quest for clothes.
Of course, none fit.
With a silent prayer to Raven to forgive him, he had cut the bottom off one of her leotards so they worked as a dress and the sleeves because Metrion's arms were about a quarter the length of Raven's. Because Raven was skinny, it wasn't as baggy as other people's clothes would be. But it was long, in spite of it being a leotard. It went approximately midway down her calves, and they had somehow managed to make straps so it didn't fall off. They had tried to turn what was left of the leotard into a makeshift cloak, but they all happened to have an intense lack of skill at sewing.
She was also barefoot, which was in no way safe when you lived with the Titans.
"I'm sure we can find something," announced Cyborg, and he walked over to the refrigerator. "Well, we have hotdogs, French fries, doughnuts, creampuffs—yuck!"
"I love creampuffs," said Robin in surprise.
"Cream puffs are fine, but we have Beast Boy's icky tofu! Ooh, but we also have steak, smoked ham, and baby back ribs!"
"No offense, but I think Metrion's a bit young to—"
"—eat cow carcass and the remains of pigs?" asked Beast Boy spitefully.
"…I was going to say get heartburn, but that works too." His eyes widened. "Metrion, don't—"
Too late. The vase fell to the ground and shattered, broken shards of glass flying everywhere. Metrion started crying.
"No, don't cry!" said Robin, picking her up and rocking her like a baby. She pressed her lips together, but tears still trickled from her eyes.
"…………should I keep naming food?" asked Cyborg uncertainly.
"Fine," muttered Robin, who was trying to pick up glass while holding Metrion.
"Azath!" she said in the sweetest little baby voice. The glass rose into the air and flew into the trash. Lowering Metrion to her feet, Robin stared at the floor that had been strewn with glass moments before. Not even a speck remained.
"Cool! She has powers!" said Beast Boy.
Cyborg was obliviously naming food. "Rice balls, onion rings, teriyaki chicken, those berry things Starfire loves, ice cream…"
"What flavors?" asked Robin, glancing down at Metrion. He was fairly certain she didn't have all her teeth yet.
"All kinds! Peppermint, rocky road, peach, vanilla, cookies and cream, strawberry…there's sushi, too!"
"Did someone say sushi?"
At the sound of the husky, unfamiliar (except to Robin) voice, the three guys and Metrion turned to see a stunning woman next to Starfire. She had a silk scarf tied around her shoulder, held in place with a jewel-encrusted jaguar pin. Clinging to her leg much as Metrion clung to Robin's hand was a little girl with big piercing eyes and long black hair. The fingers which clutched her mother were adorned with a ring set with a large glittering diamond.
"What took so long?" demanded Robin.
She shrugged. "Had to catch a mockingbird…it wouldn't sing…I plucked off all the feathers to add to my collection—soon I'm going to have a boa. I dipped its naked body in salt, wrapped it in leaves slathered with cinnamon and paprika, held it over a fire, took off the lettuce, squeezed a lemon over it…" Full red lips parted to reveal ice-white teeth. "It was delicious."
Beast Boy shuddered in disgust. Cyborg was drooling. Metrion tugged on Robin's arm, trying to get him to explain what Selina was talking about. "Ignore her," he told Metrion, trying to ignore a sudden disturbing image of a bald pink little raven (not a mockingbird, a raven) on a plate with lettuce and lemon, covered in red and white powder, with a cat bending its head and opening its jaws…
Stop that! he told himself. Selina's weird, she isn't crazy.
He hoped.
O o O o O o O o O
Priestess Adularia: For people who are confused; Selina Kyle is a cat-burglar named (the) Catwoman, the most popular Batman villain (and the only one who is his love interest.) In my story, she and Bruce are married with two children. (Six-year-old Helena and baby Richard) Robin (who dislikes her) needs her help parenting Metrion, who is currently between four and six years old.