Authors Note: College is OVER! Mwahahahaha... well until next year at least... Anyway, once more I've been overwhelmed by reviewers, careful you might make me think people like my writing. So a big thank you to:
cheeseshirt - Ooh! Cocoa?
Bunnysquirrel - Umm... well I just kinda butchered his history... oh well
whitedarkness - Here's your next fix...
mysti-eyed - Absolutely
TerrisMoon - Thank you, criticism is always valued... by the way it's correct instead of 'corrct', keep (or kept) instead of 'kep', being instead of 'bing' and nuisance only has one 's'. I honestly appreciate corrections but it is nice when the person correcting me bothers to spell check
NumbuhZero - I'm glad you liked it and I do feel a bit bad about Robin... never mind!
sillymail - Only coz you begged...
xdire.vixenx - Well it would be mean of me to keep you in suspense...
Bara Midori Zeco - I'm very flattered (and only slightly disturbed) that you like the story so much. Sorry about conversations, it's a definate fault in all my writings.
The age difference... yeah that gave me some trouble. Personally I always saw Slade as late 30's to 40 but that put him in the 'old enough to be her Father' group. I'm all for older men but... anyway 25 was as young as I could see him (I'm also shocked that parents aren't complaining). As for Raven, I don't know where this story is going beyond Chapter6 so I gave myself some leeway.
I have some trouble writing for Robin, he's kinda out of my experience, so any help is good.
Infamous One - Thank you. I only know a bit of Deathstrokes background but yes I know he's a lot older... but hey, fan fiction is a beautiful thing! (I definately agree with the immortality, I always felt sorry for vampires...)
ShadowVixen - I'm glad you think it works, really I just butchered what the comics said, and the next chapter is here...
IMPORTANT: CRITICISM APPRECIATED, ESPECIALLY IF CHARACTERS GO OOC! THANK YOU
Disclaimer - I am aware that I'm dillusional, doesn't mean you have to be
Raven yawned as she gently fell from her meditative pose. Those lost two hours of sleep each night were starting to creep up on her. She smiled as she watched the sunset… and thought of her late night conversations. It was strange how easily she trusted him with something even Robin didn't know… Robin…
At the thought of her fearless leader the empath froze. She knew how much her friend hated Slade… was she truly doing the right thing by not telling him about… she shook herself. 'About what Raven? All you're doing is playing a little chess and talking… admittedly to a criminal… but it wasn't like I'm betraying anyone's secrets. We don't even talk about the Titans, and he'd kept his promise…'
Raven absently flicked a strand of wayward hair from out of her eyes as she internally excused her behaviour. She already knew that this secret couldn't be kept for ever… none could. She also knew that when her friends found out they'd feel betrayed. A certain masked wonders face flashed through her mind… he'd be devastated.
Her gaze was caught by the rapidly fleeing sun and the golds, reds and purples surrounding it. She smiled slightly as she wondered what he would think of it…
Her smile fled as she realised she didn't know who she'd just thought of. The sorceress scowled, she might be in trouble…
"Rae?" She was brought back from her musings by her friends call.
"Yes Robin?"
"You ok? You looked far away…"
"I was just lost in thought."
The Boy Wonder lithely stepped to her side.
"About?" The sorceress shook her head with a small smile. Robin grinned, he knew she'd never give away her secrets easily but he had to ask. Besides anything that resulted in her smile was good. "Ok… well I was just coming to tell you Cyborg shutting down the Tower for the night,"
"Already? Normally every one stays up till late,"
"Yeah everyone's been tired today…" Robin saw his chance. "Have you been sleeping ok?" Raven graced him with a puzzled glance. "It's just that… you look tired. Anything you want to talk about?" All right Boy Wonder, you gave her the chance…
"No, I've merely been meditating when I should be sleeping."
"Oh… well goodnight Raven," she watched him walk to the door. That was strange… Robin seemed… disappointed? In her? She shook her head once more, trying to believe she had imagined it, before she phased to her room and walked over to her bed.
In the gloom anyone else would have missed the object lying on her pillow… but Raven was part demon, something that had advantages and night vision was definitely one of them. The empath gasped as she reached out for the flower… it was a black orchid, her favourite but who…?
Her expression was one of pure surprise as she realised there was only one person on this planet who knew what her favourite flower was. She'd told him last night. She smiled. It was very sweet of him… for the second time that night Ravens thoughts surprised her.
'What's going on? I should be furious! Someone came into MY ROOM! And not just anyone! Someone who's repeatedly attacked the Titans broke into the Tower and WENT INTO MY ROOM! And I think its sweet?'
A distressed Raven fell into her bed, barely noticing as she brought the flower to her lips. It's scent the last thing she knew before sleep took her.
'Hmm… so sweet of Slade…"
Robin stared at the computer screen. After a few modifications during the day he could now patch into Ravens communicator to locate her without the sorceress knowing about it. His gaze didn't waver once as for the next six hours he glared at a map of the city, specifically the red dot that told him exactly where Raven was… the Tower.
At four in the morning he was contemplating switching the monitor off and catching an hour or twos sleep when the dot moved. He blinked, in less than a second Raven had moved from her room to the southwest warehouse district. 'She must have teleported…' he mused as he gathered his belongings and crept towards the garage. 'What would she be doing there this early in the morning?' Robin shook his head as his motorbike roared to life, he didn't know… but he was going to find out.
Relying on years of practice with his mentor, a teenage boy ran along the rooftops without making a sound. He leapt over a space between two warehouses, glancing once more at his communicator as he landed. He was getting very close to her signal… there! Robin paused as he looked at the dilapidated building across from him. He double-checked. Yep… the mini-computer said Raven was inside.
The Boy Wonder frowned slightly, absently jumping from the second story roof and landing in an easy movement that most people could only envy. What would Raven possibly be doing in a place like this three nights in a row? With shadow like silence Robin crept towards the door… all thoughts of a trick vanishing as he heard laughter from inside. His heart stopped, even though he'd never heard it before Robin instinctively knew that only the quiet empath had a laugh that was as shy and mysterious as it was infectious. She'd never done more than smile in his presence… who could've possibly gotten through her exterior enough to make her laugh?
As much as it broke his heart, Cyborgs suspicion of their friend having a secret boyfriend seemed more likely with each second. The youth crept closer to the partially open door to see who had gained the empaths trust enough for her to laugh in their company… and heard a voice that made his blood freeze…