Chapter 13: Out in the Open
(5pm at a Café in Steel City)
Raven sat in a quiet corner sipping herbal tea. A few people recognized her and asked for autographs. She gave them under the promise that they'd tell no one she was there. So far it seemed that the grateful fans kept their part of the bargain; including the waitress.
"So this is where you've crawled off to," a voice said hatefully and Raven looked up to see Beast Boy.
"And you had to find me," Raven said coldly, "Robin's going to pop up now?"
"No," Beast Boy responded, "he's staying with Starfire," he told her, "the one you attacked," he accused.
"I will not waste my breath on you Beast Boy," Raven said formally.
"Well I have a lot of breath to waste on you," Beast Boy snarled softly.
"Then waste it," Raven spat.
"I…" Beast Boy started to say but stopped when he realized that he had fallen into one of Raven's verbal traps and just made a fool of himself.
Raven continued to sip her herbal tea as Beast Boy stood fuming. Then an evil grin came unto his face. Beast Boy slowly headed towards the Café's stage.
"Good Evening everyone," Beast Boy said loudly into the stage's microphone, "we have a special guest here today," he said as Raven spat out her herbal tea, "Raven of the Teen Titans everyone!" he shouted and pointed at Raven and the whole Café broke into applause, "or should I say Slade's daughter?" he added and all the cheering stopped immediately.
Everyone in the Café stared at Raven who was now standing on her feet and looking at everyone else.
Suddenly a little girl walked up to Raven. Raven recognized her from earlier when she autographed a card on the girl's Raven doll.
"I hate you," the girl said and dropped the doll on the floor, "freak!" she added and the five year old ran off after kicking Raven very hard in the shins.
Raven winced and leaned to rub her aching shins. But something in the atmosphere told her that there more pressing issues and she looked around her instead. She noticed Beast Boy grinning at her triumphantly, but that wasn't the most pressing matter. All the people in the Café were now glaring at her.
"I have to ask you to leave?" a female supervisor said formally as she stood a good distance from Raven.
"Why?" Raven asked then felt stupid for asking the obvious.
"Because we don't cater to evil criminals offspring," the female supervisor snapped, "now get out!" she ordered.
"Fine," Raven said and exited the Café.
But outside other people were giving her fearful or hateful looks too. Raven calmed herself and disappeared.
(Following day at 11 a.m.)
Newspaper Headlines all over Steel City had reached Jump City. The city was in shock, anger, disappointment and turmoil over their female Titan Raven being the daughter of the hated and infamous villain Slade. While a few pitied Raven, most now hated and or feared her. And it didn't help that after Raven left, Beast Boy had told everyone at the Café his version of how Robin got captured and raped by Slade. All the while blaming Raven of course. Plus the whole incident with her injuring Starfire only made things worse and had Starfire fans in a total uproar. Beast Boy meanwhile was seen as a hero for coming out with the 'truth' and Robin and Starfire were seen mostly as victims and 'unfortunate souls'. Cyborg was painted by Beast Boy as being in turmoil about Raven being Slade's father and unable to accept that he could no longer trust her. This brought Cyborg a lot of pity factor.
Meanwhile Raven was staying far from the public eye and was waiting for nightfall to go back to the Tower and pick up her things. She had enough, she was leaving the Titans forever.
(Meanwhile at the T Tower)
"How could you do this?" Robin snapped and flung the newspaper at a cowering Beast Boy, "advertise that I was raped by Slade!" he shouted, "I NEVER wanted anyone to find out!"
"I'm sorry," Beast Boy apologized in a small voice, "I just wanted everyone to know the truth about Raven," he tried to explain, "who she really was and what she had done."
"Well they know everything alright!" Robin spat angrily at Beast Boy, "I had reporters asking me on the street if being raped by Slade is different from being with any other GUY!" he screamed, "do you know how embarrassing that is?" he demanded at the top of his voice.
"No," Beast Boy squeaked.
"Well it is VERY embarrassing Beast Boy!" Robin shouted angrily.
"I knew this would escalate out of control," Cyborg said as he entered the living room.
"What does that mean?" Robin demanded.
"This!" Cyborg shouted, "all of this arguing and pointing of fingers," he declared, "instead of focusing on the real point and issue," he told Robin.
"Which is?" Robin asked.
"Capturing Slade," Cyborg responded, "and punishing him for all his crimes," he continued, "including your rape," he added.
"I'm going to KILL him with my bare hands," Robin snarled.
"Whoa Robin," Cyborg said, "that's not the Titan way man," he reminded Robin.
"Dude!" Beast Boy cried, "what would YOU do if you were raped by Slade?" he demanded.
"Firstly, I wouldn't isolate and chase off the only person who might actually be able to find him," Cyborg countered, "Raven," he added.
"We don't want her help," Robin snarled hatefully.
"Trust me, it's obvious," Cyborg said frankly, "but did it ever cross your mind that if she wasn't on Slade's side before," he continued, "that she might actually join forces with him now?" he asked Robin, "she isn't exactly going to shock anyone if she does," he pointed out, "and she doesn't exactly have anything holding her back," he added.
"So you're saying that she might join Slade?" Robin asked and Cyborg nodded, "but didn't we all agree already that she was working with Slade from the moment we found out her paternity?"
"I don't attack people because of their paternity Robin," Cyborg said firmly.
"Oh right Raven defender," Beast Boy spoke up.
"Shut up megaphone boy!" Cyborg snapped and Beast Boy went 'eep!' and hid his face.
"Beast Boy is right," Robin said in Beast Boy's defence, "you do defend Raven," he accused.
"Only if defending Raven means I don't agree when you spew out garbage about her," Cyborg spat.
"What kind of garbage?" Robin challenged.
"Like her paternity making a difference if you got raped or not!" Cyborg told him, "being Slade's daughter or Superman's far off cousin wouldn't have made a RATS ass of a difference!" he shouted, "she allowed Slade to escape and that's what matters!" he declared, "not that Slade's her father," he added.
"And you think that if she wasn't Slade's daughter that she still would've helped him?" Robin asked.
"Um," Cyborg said uncertainly, "okay you have a point there," he admitted, "but it's unfair to hate her because of her paternity," he pointed out, "the rape's understandably."
"You're really a card Cyborg," Robin said softly, "I mustn't hate Raven for her paternity," he said with a chuckle.
"But it's not her fault Robin!" Cyborg tried to explain, "none of us can choose our parents," he reminded Robin.
"But we can choose to not follow their paths and stay true ourselves in spite of them, can't we?" Robin countered, "can't we?" he pressed when Cyborg didn't answer.
"Yes!" Cyborg shouted, "but people make mistakes," he said, "and Raven made one," he admitted, "a very bad one," he continued, "but she's sorry," he told Robin, "doesn't that make any difference?" he asked Robin.
"No," Robin responded coldly.
"And what if she wasn't sorry?" Cyborg pressed, "how would you feel then?" he asked Robin.
"What difference would it make?" Robin asked frankly, "it wouldn't take back what Slade did to me," he said softly and looked sadly at his feet.
"I'm real sorry about what happened," Cyborg said, "you must be going through hell right now," he said and rested a hand on Robin's shoulder.
"You have no idea," Robin told him, "and the one responsible is obviously hiding away from the tower.
(Hours Later at 9pm)
Raven entered the tower to see Cyborg and Robin sitting not too far away playing cards.
"I'm here for my things," Raven said formally, "I'm leaving," she revealed.
"What do you mean by leaving?" Robin asked suspiciously.
"Never coming back," Raven responded.
"Raven wait," Cyborg spoke up, "don't do this," he pleaded, "leaving won't solve anything."
"There's nothing to solve anymore Cyborg," Raven said emotionlessly, "asides from Aqualad I have no more friends and soon most of the world will hate the very sight of me," she told him, "I have no reason left to stay in Jump City much less on Earth," she stated.
"So you're leaving?" Starfire asked suddenly as she entered, "why?"
"Why should I stay Starfire?" Raven asked.
"Your voice," Starfire said, "it's filled with coldness and emptiness," she observed.
"Is there anything else for me to feel Starfire?" Raven asked her frankly, "I've come for my things and will be gone forever," she told her, "Goodbye," she said and headed for her room.
"Is the evil Raven leaving our residence forever?" Starfire asked looking directly at Cyborg.
Cyborg didn't answer.
Robin noticed and glared at Cyborg. But he still didn't answer.
"Yes she is Starfire," Robin responded in place of Cyborg.
Starfire looked longingly at Cyborg. She just felt that he was unhappy with the rest of the team.
"Cyborg?" Starfire asked, "do you feel emotions of hate towards us?" she asked him.
"More like emotions of disappointment," Cyborg responded.
"For what logical reason friend?" Starfire asked curiously.
"You KNOW why," Cyborg said pointedly.
"But Raven is born of evil," Starfire told him.
"But she was a Titan before we found out," Cyborg countered, "and I hate having the feeling that if she weren't Slade's daughter," he continued, "things would be different despite the fact that she did help cause Robin's kidnapping which in turn led to his rape as a result of her actions."
"Are you saying that you think we'd forgive her if she weren't Slade's daughter and the rape still happened?" Robin asked Cyborg, "are you NUTS!" he demanded.
"I believe for starters Beast Boy wouldn't have gone in front of a Café and announce just your rape and that Raven helped cause it," Cyborg snapped, "I believe Raven wouldn't feel that she has to possibly not just leave the Tower and very likely Jump City, but the Earth as well to escape their incoming hateful wrath," he continued, "I believe that you'd all give her more of a chance if she weren't Slade's daughter," he said, "and that's wrong," he said shaking his head.
"No it's not," Robin spat, "why should we trust the spawn of Slade?" he demanded.
"Because we trusted her before she told the truth," Cyborg told him, "doesn't it matter that SHE came out with it instead of waiting for it to be found out through someone else?" he asked Robin.
"Like me?" Starfire asked.
"Yes Starfire," Cyborg admitted.
"I will never forget her act of evil or offer the kindness of forgiveness," Starfire declared.
"No one else has," Cyborg muttered.
"Except that Aqualad," Robin said hatefully, "I even got a call from Speedy this morning giving his condolences about what had happened to me and told me that he was the ONLY one in Titan East who had it straight," he revealed, "he hated Raven fully, but the Spanish speaking twins were more fearful of her than hateful since they still saw her as the Raven they always knew," he stated, "Bumble Bee was shocked and disappointed and refused to throw hatred at Raven," he said coldly, "and Aqualad of course could open a 'I LOVE RAVEN' club and enjoy being the only member," he added.
"Well it seems that you have another Titan on your side," Cyborg said with false enthusiasm.
"Not the one I want," Robin put forward, "Cyborg," he said looking closely at his friend, "why can't you feel like everyone else?"
"Because I'm not everyone else Robin," Cyborg said frankly, "I can't hate anyone just based on paternity," he told Robin, "I'm not Aqualad," he pointed out, "I'm angry at Raven too," he said.
"You're sure passive about it," Robin said unhappily.
"Because I don't go around making people's lives miserable because I dislike or hate them," Cyborg said, "I'm angry about what Raven did," he told Robin, "but not because she's Slade's daughter," he said pointedly, "but because the Raven I know, the Raven I knew, never did what she did that day when she let her father escape," he said angrily, "and her mistake caused your virginity to be stolen," he said to Robin, "no amount of sorrys can give you it back," he said softly.
"Which is why it's best that I leave," Raven said suddenly and everyone looked to see that she had several black bags filled to almost bursting, "I heard from 'and her mistake…'" she told Cyborg who suddenly looked ashamed, "don't feel bad Cyborg," she said with a shrug, "sorry can't take back what my father did so I guess they don't matter," she said formally, "I will now exit your lives forever," she announced, "goodbye," she said and headed for the door.
"Wait!" a voice cried and suddenly Beast Boy was in the room, "where are YOU going?" he demanded.
"Away forever Beast Boy," Raven said emotionlessly, "there's nothing here for me now."
"Well I'm certain Cyborg will try and make you stay," Beast Boy said with great distaste.
"You don't know Cyborg," Raven disagreed, "he's not going to want me around either," she told him.
"Nuh Uh," Beast Boy disagreed, "tell her Cyborg," he pushed, "tell her you want her to stay and that you refuse to ever agree with the rest of us," he challenged Cyborg.
Cyborg kept his silence.
"Cyborg?" Beast Boy asked, "tell her to stay," he said with a chuckle, "Cyborg?" he repeated when he still didn't respond.
"Good luck where ever you go Raven," Cyborg said instead of acknowledging Beast Boy, "take care of yourself."
Everyone else except Raven looked at Beast Boy in shock.
"You're letting her leave?" Beast Boy asked incredulously, "DUDE!" he shouted, "you were the one least angry at her," he pointed out, "why won't you make her stay?" he asked.
"Do you want her to stay?" Cyborg asked Beast Boy.
"NO!" Beast Boy screamed.
:"You answered your own question," Cyborg said simply.
"Well I'm gone," Raven said and readied to exit the tower for the final time, "oh and I hereby relinquish my position as a Teen Titan and all privileges and authority that I held while being a member," she declared, "I'm certain I'm fired, but I just wanted to make it official," she said and exited the tower.
Raven then used her powers and floated away.
Robin and Starfire went outside in time to see her take off. Beast Boy came in time to see her before she disappeared from sight. Cyborg never came. He was already inside hurting over the fact that Raven believed that he felt just like the others. If only she had heard what he had said earlier. But it made no sense to think of it now. The girl he knew as Raven was gone forever. But that was not all that was gone. The girl that he loved besides and before Bumble Bee was gone forever. And he knew in his heart that if he had to choose between her and Bumble Bee right now. He would choose Raven. The girl that he allowed to leave without telling her how he feels. The girl that he'd now never tell her how he felt. He pulled out a note that he had written and flung it into a nearby wastebasket after crushing it. She'd never read it now. It made no sense keeping it.
End Chapter 13