A/N: Aha! I, Artemis, have finally passed my finals and gotten out for the summer! That means I can spend more time writing and updating, which I know you faithful fans will appreciate, especially the ones who feel the need to review soley to say, "It's been two weeks. UPDATE!" All I have for the next month or so is volleyball, so my time is FREE! Props to Vinnie, for the astonishing beta job, and Ms. Kondrot, who's easy final gave me time to work on this.
Now, the climax of the story occurs, or does it? At any rate, this chapter is intense. Keep in mind, teenagers are usually dull and secretive when it comes to their feelings, and very unlikely to just flat-out admit them. Therefore, Robin is not being completely densel he is just a typical teenage male. (Ask your son, Vinnie!)
Honesty
Chapter 8
Raven found herself unconsciously ogling Robin for the third time since they had started their game.
Internally sighing, exasperated, Raven tore her eyes from the masked lad sitting across from her and tried to focus on the chessboard. Her eyes were drawn back a moment later, however, as if pulled by an outside force.
Robin silently moved his bishop.
Ha! Raven crowed internally, triumphant. I was hoping he'd do that!
Raven was quick to capture the offending bishop with her knight.
"Where'd that come from?" Robin asked, astonished. "I thought that was a perfectly safe move!"
"Well, it wasn't," Raven teased, setting the bishop aside.
"Nothing's ever as it seems with you," Robin remarked, looking up at her with teasing smile.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Raven asked, a teasing smile on her own face as well.
"Oh, it's a good thing," Robin responded, a slow seductive grin spreading over his face. He lowered his voice slightly. "It's a very good thing." With that, he turned back to look at the board.
A slight shiver spread throughout Raven's body, as Robin moved his rook.
Raven grinned, and captured the pawn he had left unguarded behind it. Robin groaned.
"That's the second dumb move I've made in a row!" he complained. "It's too hot out to concentrate!"
"Nice excuse," Raven shot back playfully. "But it's still your turn."
Robin feigned a tired sigh, and focused on the board once again.
Raven had to concede to his point, though. It was hot. The summer heat, which had stayed at a bearable 70 degrees, had taken a drastic jump to the mid 90's, and combined with the humidity from the coming storm, the weather was practically unbearable.
Raven had discarded her cloak and boots, opting to stay solely in her leotard, which she had run under the cold water of the sink, cooling her immensely, which Robin's eyes had noticed instantly. The temperature wasn't the only thing that was making it hot in the room, however, Raven considered, as she silently drank in the sight sitting across the bed from her.
Robin, affected by the heat as well, had discarded his shirt, gloves, and boots, deciding to stroll around in only his mask, pants, and belt. It was quite a view, seeing his fit, lean body saunter around confidently, the humid summer heat causing drops of sweat to glide down his chest to vanish into his waistband and coat his face and hair. Currently, the Boy Wonder was leaning over the board, absent-mindedly running his fingers over his lips as he contemplated his next move.
Raven bit her lip slightly, trying not to let Robin see how he was affecting her. She knew she should keep her cool, but the combination of a half-naked Robin and the summer heat had her nerves frayed like cat-tested yarn. Didn't he know what he was doing to her?
Granted, she had done her fair share of flirting earlier, but that was only to get his attention! He had been focused on the fact that she could lie, which was related to a sensitive subject she didn't want to get in to…
Even to her own ears, her excuse was pitiful.
Shaking her head slightly, and not willing to consciously acknowledge why she had really wanted to tease Robin, she asked dryly, "Are you going to move sometime this century?"
Robin bit his lip, before moving his queen. "This is hard," he defended himself.
The notion of asking 'What's hard?' crossed her mind, before Raven dismissed the thought. She would not let her hormones rule her mind.
Playing an intense game of chess such as this required holding thousands of possible moves and outcomes precariously in your mind. Raven suddenly realized that at some point of her visual voyage, they had all flown out of her mind.
Frustrated, Raven fell back on an old delay tactic.
"You're castling?" Robin asked incredulously as Raven moved her king and rook. "That's the best move you can find?"
"Shut up," Raven scowled. Robin let a slow grin spread across his face.
"Maybe it is to hot in here for you to concentrate," he remarked innocently.
"Maybe your antics are just making my blood boil," Raven retorted. Robin wouldn't let it drop, however.
"What antics?" he asked, teasing, as he moved a pawn.
"Nothing," Raven said, as she considered her next move. Hearing a loud yawn, she glanced up from the board.
Robin was stretching widely, bending backwards and arching his back until it made a satisfying crack. He looked over to Raven, who was watching, and remarked, "See something you like?"
"Yes," Raven responded automatically. Damn it! she internally swore. The curse is affecting me again! Dodging her honest response, she said, "It's this move," as she captured his rook.
"Sure it is," Robin teased, but looked down at the board to find a move nonetheless. He found it after a moment, and looked up at her, a winning smile on his face.
"Are you sure you've been concentrating?" he asked, faking concern, as he took her queen. Raven grimaced.
"Yes," she retorted, as she took a nearby pawn.
"Oh, are you sure?" Robin teased, taking a rook. "I don't think you have been. Check."
"I have too," Raven defended herself, as she hurriedly moved her knight to protect her king.
"I think you've been too busy admiring the view," Robin flirted, as he moved his bishop.
"Arrogant idiot," Raven shot back, moving her own bishop into position.
"You know it," Robin teased, moving his bishop again. "Check."
Raven silently moved her king. Just one more move… she thought to herself, holding on to her last thread of patience.
Robin moved his pawn. Yes!
Raven looked up and looked directly into the white of his mask, knowing she was meeting his eyes. "Checkmate," she said, moving her knight.
"What?" Robin exclaimed, astonished, looking down at the board. Sure enough, Raven had pinned his king, trapped by her bishop, rook, knight, and his own pawns.
"Now who wasn't paying attention?" she teased, smug in her victory.
"Oh, shut it," Robin said playfully. He reached out his hand. "Good game."
Raven took it and shook it. "Good game," she agreed. "Although, next time, you might consider watching the game instead of watching someone's reactions to your flirting."
"What!" Robin protested, his face flushing slightly.
"Oh come on!" Raven teased. "See anything you like?" she mocked him, putting on a fake male sexy voice.
"So maybe I was," Robin shot back. "But only because you were flirting with me earlier, parading around in that skimpy little towel!"
"As if," Raven scoffed, smiling. "I had forgotten my leotard out here. If I wanted to tease you, I would have walked out naked to get it."
Robin bit his lip at that, hard. Raven smirked.
"You're thinking of me naked, aren't you?" she teased. Robin muttered something incomprehensible.
"I thought so," Raven said winningly, putting away the game.
"That's not fair," Robin protested loudly. "I still have to tell the truth, and you don't."
"On the contrary," Raven responded, "I have to tell the truth as well. I can just avoid answering directly."
"So, if I were to ask you whether you think I'm hot or not," Robin asked, looking at her, an eyebrow raised, "your answer would be true?"
"Yep," Raven said, telekinetically putting the chess box back into the game drawer.
"Do you think I'm hot?" Robin asked, grinning at her.
"Maybe," Raven responded airily. Robin groaned.
"See?" he accused. "That's what I mean! You don't have to answer anything directly unless you choose to, whereas I do!"
"You mean if I asked you if you think I'm hot, you'd have to say 'yes', instead of saying 'maybe'?" Raven teased.
"Yes, but that's not the point!" Robin objected, his face coloring, flustered at having indirectly admitting he though Raven was hot. "You could ask me anything invasive, and I wouldn't be able to retaliate!"
"I haven't asked you anything invasive, though, have I?" Raven shot back.
"No, but you could!" Robin retorted. "You could ask what my true identity is, and I'd have to tell you!"
"You're overreacting," Raven told him. "You're making mountains out of molehills. I wouldn't ask you something so invasive of your privacy."
"I'm right! You know it!" Robin shot back. "You could ask me who I really am, and I'd have to tell you!"
"I wouldn't ask that," Raven said, rolling her eyes. Robin raised an eyebrow.
"Why not?" he asked, suspicious.
"Because I already know," Raven informed him, boredly examining her nails.
"No way!" Robin exclaimed. "Prove it!"
"Oh, shut up, Dick," Raven said, rolling her eyes, as she reclined back onto the bed. "You're Richard Grayson. Happy now?"
"No!" Robin retaliated. "How do you know that?"
"I'm right, aren't I?" Raven asked him.
"Yes, but-"
"I'm right. End of discussion," Raven announced, putting a pillow over her head.
"No! This is not the end of discussion! How do you know?" Robin's insistent voice permeated the pillow, albeit slightly muffled. Raven sighed, and removed the pillow.
"Your little DNA buddy from the gazillionth dimension," Raven informed him.
"Larry?" Robin asked, confused.
"That's the one," Raven confirmed. "Anyway, do you remember what his original name was?"
"Nose-yard-kid, or something weird like that," Robin said, exasperated. "So what?"
"To be precise, it was Nosyargkcid," Raven told him.
"So what?" Robin said, growing visibly aggravated.
"Do you know what Nosyargkcid spells backwards?" Raven asked him. Robin paused for a moment, thinking hard. Comprehension dawned on his face.
"Dick Grayson," he breathed.
"Bingo," Raven said, pulling the pillow over her head again, only to have Robin tug it off a moment later.
"Surely that alone couldn't have made you sure!" Robin accused, standing over her. "What kind of nut randomly reverses people's names to see if there's a match?"
"A nut like me, obviously," Raven scowled, insulted.
"Something else must have told you!" Robin insisted angrily. "What is it? What?"
The light playful mood of the room seemed to have instantly evaporated, leaving thick tension between the two. Gone was the fun, light flirting, and in its place, intensity and wild accusations had formed.
"If you must know, I saw a flash of your acrobat parents falling to their deaths at a circus when I went into your mind," Raven informed him, getting off the bed to stand. "After that, it was only logic. Now, please, drop it. I am trying to hold onto control of my emotions, and you are making it prove a very difficult task."
"I knew it!" Robin crowed. "I knew it! You only know because you invaded my brain!"
"Excuse me!" Raven said angrily. "I saved your life! If I hadn't gone into your mind to see what was wrong, you would be dead from your own delusions about Slade!"
A knocking came at the door. "Everything all right in there?" Beast Boy's muffled voice asked.
"No!" Robin yelled.
"Yes!" Raven yelled.
"Ohhhh-kaay. Well, if you need anything, just give me a buzz, okay?" Beast Boy said, before walking away.
"Being dead might be better that having people know my true identity," Robin grumbled.
"Not people - person," Raven reminded him, scowling, holding on to her last fraying nerve. "I'm the only one who knows, so there's nothing to worry about."
"How do I know you haven't told anyone?" Robin accused. "Perhaps that dragon friend of yours."
"Are you insane?" Raven cried. "Why would I tell anyone? It's not like people casually discuss your true identity in normal conversation! Besides, I know how important that secret is to you!"
"Sure…" Robin scoffed.
"What the hell is going on with you?" Raven asked, astonished. "Don't you trust me at all? We've been friends for god knows how long, and you're losing your cool because I know one secret facet of your life? Give me a break!"
"You know who I am!" Robin yelled. "You know all about my past, and I know nothing about yours!"
"Believe me, you'll find out soon enough!" Raven yelled back.
"Good! Because once I do, we'll be even, and I'll be able to exploit it like you can exploit mine!" Robin shouted.
"I never exploited what I know about you!" Raven yelled. "No one knows! No one! Only me!" The window shattered, glass shards falling out through the air.
"You could have told anyone!" Robin screamed. "You could have told someone, and I would never know!"
"But I didn't, you idiot! I never told anyone!" Raven screamed back. "You're just so paranoid about everything that you never trust anyone!"
"I'm paranoid? Look at you when Terra was here! You were paranoid to your mind's end!" Robin yelled accusingly.
"I was right about that, wasn't I?" Raven yelled. "Whereas you're not trusting your friends simply because you're paranoid of everyone! You never trusted us with your Red X plan, you never trusted us to find the stupid detonators when you were convinced Slade was back, and now you don't trust me that I've never told anyone your true identity!"
"If you dislike me so much, maybe you should go and join Slade!" Robin yelled. "He certainly wants you too, and you'd fit right in!"
The room was deathly silent after that remark. Raven was looking at Robin, hurt, as if he had physically cut her open with a sharp blade. Robin swallowed hard, and seemed to realize what he had just said.
"Raven…" he said, moving towards her. Raven instinctively moved back, her eyes wide.
"Raven…" he said desperately. "Raven, I-"
For the second time that day, Jinx burst in unannounced. This time, however, she was not happy.
"You guys just had to have a lover's quarrel, didn't you?" she scowled. "Now I have to patch up the stupid window."
Jinx looked from Robin to Raven, and quickly grasped what was going on.
"Robin," she directed, "sit on your bed, and don't say a word to Raven." Robin didn't move.
"Fine then," Jinx sighed, hitting Robin with a pink energy wave, which sent him sprawling back onto his bed. She turned to Raven.
"Raven-" she began. Raven silently floated over to her own bed. "Smart girl," Jinx commented. "I brought up a box of your things, so you two could have something to do besides yell at each other. Though, judging from the spell residue on Raven, she only has a few more forced truths before it wears completely off, with a brilliant pink flash, I might add. Now, behave while I fix this window."
Robin reached for his research notebook on Slade, while Raven levitated The Exorcist to her.
"Good kids," Jinx said nastily. Robin scowled, resenting being told what to do, while Raven didn't react. Jinx turned to examine the missing window, while Robin flipped open his notebook.
Raven internally sighed, and opened her book. Robin had no idea what his remark meant, she thought to herself tonelessly. He has no idea how close to home it hits. She glanced over at the Boy Wonder, who was defiantly flipping through his notes.
I wish he knew how much his words hurt.
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Robin looked up from his notebook to look around.
Jinx was still duct taping giant clear garbage bags over the hole to last through the night, and keep them safe from the coming storm. They would fix the window later after the curse had completely worn off. The setting sun was filtering in through the glass that remained embedded in the window frame, and the dark storm clouds were ominously growing closer.
Raven had finished her first book, and was reading some new thing, that she seemed to be reading backwards. Robin considered asking, but judging from the cold expression on her face, it wouldn't be a good idea. Perhaps he should apologize…
There's no reason for you to apologize! Robin yelled at himself internally. She knows your true identity! That's a secret you've been keeping your entire life!
She never told anyone, though. She kept it secret, Robin's conscience reminded him quietly.
How do I know she's not lying? Robin shot back at the annoying little voice in his head.
She's under the curse too. Whenever she answers something directly, it's the truth.
Robin scowled. Now I'm going schizophrenic, in addition to being cursed, he groaned internally.
"There!" Jinx announced, stepping back from the window proudly. Robin and Raven looked up to see the hole in the glass patched up by clear garbage bags duct taped to the jagged shards of glass that remained in the window frame. Robin raised an eyebrow skeptically.
"I know it's a mess and ugly," Jinx said, scowling. "But it'll suffice until tomorrow. The storm's coming, and all we really need something to keep the water out. Have a good night."
With that, she gathered up her supplies, and left the room.
Robin cast a glance at Raven, who met his gaze coolly.
This was going to be a long night.
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Robin awoke to for the third night in a row to a shrill noise. This time, it wasn't the alarm, or Raven having a nightmare.
It was the sound of people screaming.
Jerked awake, Robin ran to the window, and looked through the clear garbage bags.
The city was on fire.
"Oh, no!" Robin heard Raven exclaim desperately. He turned, to see Raven at his side, looking out the window, with anguish on her face.
"Do you know what's going on?" he demanded, his tone slightly harsh. Raven nodded.
"The person who created the storm is using the lightning to set fire to all the buildings in the city," Raven told him. "People are running around in the streets, dodging lightning bolts and fire, screaming for their lives."
"Who is doing this?" Robin asked, righteous fury boiling in his veins. "Can you show me who is causing all this?"
Raven traced a circle in the air, leaving a trail of eerie black fire behind her hand. The black flames flared brightly, before an image shimmered into view inside them.
"Slade," Robin snarled. "I should have known."
Within the portal, Slade was riding a giant bolt of lightning, sending all the people running from him in terror as he sent great thunderbolts every which way, causing mayhem and chaos all around him.
"Why isn't he just using his new fire powers to set the city on fire?" Robin asked, trying to understand his enemy's tactics. "I don't get it!"
"The lightning can hit more places faster and farther away," Raven theorized, her eyes darkening with rage. "Plus, the storm and lightning are frightening all the people more that a mere fire could."
"Sadistic and satanic as ever," Robin commented, his face hard with fury.
"You have no idea how right you are," Raven said darkly.
Robin shot her a look, before turning back to look at the portal.
"Where are the Titans?" he asked, desperate. "What are they doing?"
Raven silently shifted the portal to the Titans, who were doing their best to stop the fires from spreading, with Starfire blasting open fire hydrants, Beast Boy shooting water from his trunk in elephant form, and Cyborg running into the buildings saving all those who remained inside.
"Why aren't they stopping Slade?" Robin demanded. "You have to stop the source of the problem, not just its effects!"
"How can they?" Raven said despairingly. "How are they supposed to stop Slade? Look at him! He'll fry them with lightning before they even get close!"
Robin briefly considered her words, before making a rash decision.
"I'm going out there," he declared. "Someone needs to stop Slade, and it's going to be me."
"Are you insane?" Raven asked, horrified. "You're still contagious! You'll make the situation even worse! Besides, in this state, you'll kill yourself!"
"I'm not insane!" Robin snarled. "I'm going to go kill Slade."
"Robin, you can't!" Raven cried.
"Why not!" Robin yelled.
"Oh, trying to kill someone who's immortal now is a very intellegent thing to do!" Raven snapped. "You seem to have forgotten the tiny little fact that you can't kill him because of it, though!"
"Watch me!" Robin retorted, impulsively ripping the garbage bags viciously from the hole in the window and tossing them out. Harsh winds assailed them, swirling viciously around the room with ominous whistles. He noticed Raven shiver, as if she were chilled to the bone. He leaned out the window, the rain drenching him in slashing sheets.
"You can't!" Raven yelled above the wind and rain. "You can't go!"
"I have to go!" Robin yelled, though he wasn't sure whether he was talking to Raven or himself. "I have to!" He moved as if to jump out of the window.
"No!" With a loud cry, Raven leapt at Robin, tackling him, sending them both to the floor beside the wall. Robin struggled against her, but Raven quickly pinned him to the ground, having the element of surprise on her side.
"Calm down!" Raven demanded. "Stop!"
Since when is Raven violent? Robin wondered. Ignoring his mental thoughts, Robin roughly shoved her off of him, being the stronger of the two.
"I have to go!" Robin yelled, his hair and uniform soaked from the rain blowing in the window. "I have to go! I have to stop Slade!"
"You'll kill yourself!" Raven said urgently. "There's no way you can stop him!"
"Then so be it," Robin said darkly. He moved to the window again, and began knocking out the rest of the glass, making a big enough hole for him to fit through.
"NO!"
With Raven's sudden yell, Robin found himself being flung backwards to the ground. Robin looked up at Raven's desperate face, before wrenching himself from the ground and moving again.
"You can't stop me!" Robin yelled, charging towards the window. "You can't stop me! I'm going after him! I have to!"
"No you're not!" Raven yelled from behind him. With a loud thud, Robin suddenly found himself pinned against the wall next to the window, thick bands of dark energy strapping him to the wall. Raven wore a determined expression, her outstretched hand encased in her dark aura.
"I won't let you," Raven said, her voice quiet but firm.
Robin was stunned that Raven would take such a stand. Raven usually kept out of fights and confrontations, unless she had a personal stake in them.
"Let me go!" Robin cried, struggling wildly. "I have to go stop Slade!"
"You will stop Slade, but not tonight," Raven said, determined, holding him against the wall. "If you try tonight, you will be killed."
"So?" Robin yelled, thrashing about wildly, trying to get one hand loose to reach his belt.
"I'm not going to let you kill yourself just because you feel it's your sole responsibility to stop Slade!" Raven yelled back. Lightning flashed viciously directly outside the window, making a huge clap of thunder shake the tower, making Robin wonder if it was Raven that had caused it.
"It's my choice!" Robin yelled. "Let me go!"
"No!" Raven yelled back frantically. "Stop it! I'm not going to let you go, no matter what you say!" Robin noticed Raven looked near tears, but he couldn't bring himself to stop the verbal assault. A bolt of lightning struck the river outside the window, causing the water to flash brightly.
"Why not!" Robin screamed. "If I want to go fight Slade, let me!"
"I can't let you knowingly go to your doom!" Raven cried, tears spilling from her eyes, barely distinguishable in the cascading rain.
"WHY NOT?" Robin screamed. "Why do you care so much! Why do you care what happens to me? Why do you care?"
Thunder boomed outside, lightning slashing through the sky, viciously cutting it with harsh electric power, as searing sheets of rain poured from the dark clouds above.
"Because I love you!" Raven screamed at Robin, her hair and cloak whipping wildly behind her in the fierce gales. "I love you!" she screamed, her voice raw with emotion. Lightning flashed directly outside the tower, causing the loud roar of thunder to momentarily drown out the screaming from the city. Robin gaped at her, stunned, and suddenly realized that Raven was causing the lightning bolts to hit close to the tower.
"I love you, okay!" Raven yelled at Robin, her tone reckless and frantic, as lightning repeatedly struck the island the Tower was on in quick succession. The lighting lit Raven's face up in short bursts, illuminating her raw features eerily. "I've loved you since forever! And I can't let you go out there to die! I can't let you go! Because if you die, I'll die with you! I can't live without you, you jerk! I love you!"
There was huge bolt of lightning, immediately followed by a loud clap of thunder, as a violent pink flash exploded inside of the room, nearly blinding Robin.
Blinking rapidly, still pinned to the wall, Robin looked around frantically, and saw that Raven had collapsed on the floor.
Jinx's spell, he realized. It's worn off. That was the last question Raven had to answer truthfully…
Raven seemed to come to the same conclusion at the same time Robin did, and, casting a horrified backward glance at Robin, stumbled to her feet, running for the door.
"Raven!" Robin screamed after her. "Wait!"
The door was flung open with a loud bang as Raven ran at it, through it, and down the hall, tears and rainwater streaming behind her.
An enormous bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, and another loud boom of thunder shook the tower, causing the door to swing shut and lock automatically from the outside once more. A second bolt surged through the sky as Robin's bindings dissipated, causing him to fall to the floor, crouching as hail pelted him roughly from the window. As a third bolt of lightning seared the sky, the thunder following it seemed as loud as an atomic explosion. Robin winced, tears leaking from his eyes.
Suddenly, it all stopped.
The lightning was gone, and the thunder ceased. Robin could still hear the people screaming from the city, but the storm was over.
As he lay there, kneeling on the ground, one thought ran through his mind.
Raven loved him.
She had loved him, all along.
And now, she probably hated him.
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Please, review! You know you want to, after an ending like that! Please, review!