Note- Thanks again to everybody and all of the nice reviews. For the final three or so chapters, things get kind of intense, not graphically , but emotionally. Remember this is rated "M"
Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters.
CHAPTER TEN- Friend Versus Friend
Back at the Titan's Tower, everybody came in and while the boys headed for the kitchen, Starfire began climbing the steps to the second floor. Raven was on her heels, step for step. Neither spoke as they walked down the hallway. Starfire reached her door and went in, Raven followed right behind her.
"I believe your room is down the hall, Raven." Starfire said with very snooty tone.
"I know where my room is, but I want to know what your problem is!"
"I was not aware I had a problem." "I was not aware that I have even said a word." Starfire was now slightly hostile.
"You know exactly what I mean…you…you …little Miss Perfect!" Raven's pitch just went up a notch. "I have lived with you long enough to know when your nose is out of joint. So you better start talking."
"Or what?" Starfire turned to Raven and was face to face. "Are you going to send your criminal boyfriend to get me?"
"How dare you!" Raven's tone was full of rage. "You think everybody in this city with one eye is Slade?" I should have never told you anything, let alone describe him. You don't even know him, good God, you have never even talked to him. How…how DARE you, insult him…insult ME!"
"Why did Slade let you go?" Starfire asked.
"What are you talking about?"
"It is a simple question really, why did he let you go?"
At this same time, unbeknownst to the girls. The remaining male Titans had heard the ruckus.
"GIRLFIGHT!" Hollered Cyborg.
"Let's go!" Beast Boy said with glee. "Come on Robin."
The three heroes were now outside of Starfire's door. Each had an ear pinned against the door, trying to hear what was going on. Beast Boy was crouching about two feet off the ground, Robin was bent over slightly and Cyborg's ear was near the top of the door. From the security camera's angle at the end of the hall, they appeared like a totem pole…on acid.
"He didn't let me go!" "I kicked him off of me, or did you conveniently not see that?" Raven said defensively.
"Before you kicked him." Starfire stared at her. "Why…did…he…let…you…go?"
"HOW THE HELL SHOULD I KNOW!" "WHY DON'T YOU GO ASK HIM!"
"Maybe I will." Starfire said as she turned her back to Raven. "You did tell me where he lived."
"You wouldn't dare!" Raven was breathing heavy. "You would go and accuse an innocent person, just because of your hair brained ideas. He would hate me forever. Is that what you want?"
Starfire was silent.
"Wait a minute!" Raven said. "That is what you want…YOU are jealous. That's it, isn't it. Say something!" She screamed.
"Oh yes, jealous." Starfire was now mocking Raven. She walked around the bed and pretended to hold a phone to her ear. "Hello…State Penitentiary, would you happen to have any convicts being released early…Because I just turned eighteen and I am real horny and would like to meet an older one?"
"I hate you." Raven was now speaking in a monotone voice. "He is not who you think he is. At least I am willing to show feelings . Unlike you."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Starfire replied as she again moved closer to Raven.
"You know what I mean." Again Raven's voice was void of any emotion. "You've been prancing around here for years like a prima donna waiting for Robin to make a move. But you don't have the guts to just walk up to him and tell him that you are in love with him."
Satrfire was silent for a minute. "Gee, I guess I should take my advice from you now." Starfire's sarcasm was in full force. "Tell me Raven, how hard was it to seduce an olderman being a famous Teen Titan?"
"He doesn't know I am a TITAN!" Raven, now screaming.
"Wait just a minute." Starfire had a rare evil grin and tone. "You did not tell him?"
"No I didn't tell him."
"No one is that dumb. How many girls do you think have the name of Raven…Raven Roth.?" Asked Starfire.
"He doesn't know my real name…he loves me for me, not for some name in a newspaper." Raven said defiantly.
"You…little…hypocrite." Starfire was walking in circles around Raven as she spoke. "You have the gall to lecture me on how I deal with my feelings towards Robin, while you have been humping some guy for nearly three months…that doesn't even know your real name?"
"Go to Hell!" Raven said simply.
"No…I don't think I will. But you can tell me about it, when and if you ever return."
Out in the hallway, the only thing the boys could hear was yelling. Thankfully the rooms were virtually soundproof. They did sense the presence, however, of someone approaching the door. At that point they did their best Three Stooges imitation. Falling all over each other trying to extricate themselves from the hallway.
Raven had only been gone a minute before Starfire collapsed on the bed in complete emotional distraught.
Back downstairs, the three amigos just sat and looked at each other.
"What was that all about?" Beast Boy asked.
"I don't know." Replied Robin. "But I have to find out. We have to be a team or we can't exist."
The next morning found the breakfast table to be eerily silent. The two girls were sitting as far apart as the table would let them. Robin was the first to break the silence.
"Ok people, if we have any internal issues with one another, lets deal with them now." He turned towards Raven.
"I'm fine." She said with an obvious false grin. Robin then turned towards Starfire.
"No problems here." Starfire's expression identical to Raven's.
Robin then began a long diatribe on the values of teamwork, truth, justice, the American way. He meant well, but both girls tuned him out. Occasionally, they would look up from their plate and give each other the evil eye treatment.
For the next three days , life at the tower was routine. Aside from the fact that Raven and Starfire would not speak to each other. Although she was too proud to admit it, Starfire was becoming uneasy with the feud. Raven might have felt the same if it were not for her ever growing concern over Ben. She had not heard from him since the run in with Slade. That evening, unable to take it anymore, she called him. He looked at the caller ID when the phone rang.
"Hello Rae."
"Hey Ben." She said uneasily. "I thought I would have heard from you?"
"I am sorry, I have had some things to deal with."
"If you are not busy, I can come over tonight." Raven was trying to be as upbeat as possible. She had detected something in his voice that bothered her.
"Rae…we need to talk." His words and tone cut through Raven like a knife.
"Ok…I can be over in an hour." She was trying to disguise the fear in her voice.
"Rae, maybe we should…"
"Don't go anywhere." She said as she cut him short. "I'll be right over."
"Ok." Was his only reply.
As she hung up the phone, her stomach began to turn flips. He is going to break up with me! What did I do? Is it someone else? Is he bored with me? Why me? What is my problem? I can't go over there…I just can take it.
Raven sat on the edge of her bed absorbed in self doubt. The one time I find something good in my life and just like that it is gone. Probably some bimbo, that's it. He met some tall blond, and I am yesterday's news. Well, if that's what he wants, he can have her. I am tired of trying to prove myself.
Raven, get a grip... It may not mean anything, maybe he just wants to talk about us…about the future. I can't take the chance…No, this time I am going to fight for what I want.
She got up from the bed and walked over to her armoire. Looking through all of the clothes, she spotted a black leather mini-skirt. She had purchased it over a year ago only to realize when she brought it home and tried it on, that it was way too short for her to wear. Her laziness was the only reason why she had never returned it. She slipped it on and looked in the mirror. Just like the first time she had tried it on, it was way too short…to cover everything up. Well, she thought, I am going to fight for what I want. Nobody said I had to fight fair. Keeping that train of thought going, she pulled a pair of thigh high boots out of the closet and a tank top, four sizes too small. Her make over now complete, she threw a three quarter length leather jacket over her arm and headed downstairs. So focused on her mission, that she hadn't thought about what her appearance may look like to her roommates.
Raven hurried down the stairs. With quick pace tried to reach the front door. It was not fast enough.
"Dammmmn!" It was Cyborg. " ALLRIGHT!"
Beast Boy and Robin didn't say a word…mainly due to the fact that their mouths were so wide open, forming words would have been a Herculean feat.
"Leave her alone!" Starfire's words stopped Raven dead in her tracks. "There is no dishonor in someone…how do say…moonlighting."
Raven turned her head toward Starfire, who was sitting in her usual position on the couch beside of Robin. Starfire was using the most innocent voice she could muster.
"Pray tell us, friend Raven…on what street corner will you be working, tonight?"
Cyborg's quick reflexes caught Raven as she lunged at Starfire, who herself by now was being restrained by Robin.
"BITCH!" Exclaimed Raven.
"TRAMP!" Starfire screamed.
"ENOUGH!" Robin yelled. "Somebody is going to tell me what is going on!"
Raven had stopped struggling enough for Cyborg to loosen his grip. She walked around him, ignoring Robin, picked up her coat and kicked open the door. Leaving without another word. At the same time, Starfire broke free from Robin and headed up the stairs.
It didn't take long for Raven to put Starfire out of her mind. She had to focus …on him. She began to gather more courage as she ascended the steps to his front door. She knew what her strength was. And it definitely was not being the nice girl next door. She was good at being bad. When she wanted to be bad…she could be really bad. Raven tapped lightly, then let herself in the unlocked door.
"Rae! Hey, come on in." Ben stood up. He had been sitting on a sofa back in the corner of the loft. This couch was surrounded by book shelves. The only time anyone sat there normally was to read. Raven had always referred to this area, as the library. Even though the whole loft was basically one big room.
As Raven began to walk towards him, she slowly removed her coat. She just continued to walk as they coat crumpled to the floor. Ben took one look at her attire and momentarily lost his train of thought.
"Rae…I…um…I mean…"
"You like?" Raven was smirking, even though she would never admit it, she enjoyed exploiting peoples weaknesses .
"Yes…but aren't you cold? "
She was now standing in front of him. She ran a finger across the chest area of his Cardigan sweater.
"Actually, I am quite the opposite." With the three small fingers of her left hand, she pushed his chest enough to cause him tofall back on the sofa. She then reached over and retrieved a round piece ice from a half full glass of rum and Coke that was sitting on the end table. She was still standing in front him and her leather skirt was now eye level for him.
"You have been a bad boy." Her voice was seductively scolding, as she held the ice just barely between her lips. "I thought you didn't like hard liquor?" Still playing with the ice.
"No, normally I don't…just rarely…look Rae, come sit down and lets talk."
"Ok, sure." She replied. Then she held out the piece of ice, and dropped it. "Did I do that?" She said while covering her mouth. "How clumsy of me." Raven spun around, now with herscantily clad rear endtowards Ben.
"I will get it." With both of her legs firm and straight, she bent over from the waist to pick up the ice. After holding that position for a second or two longer than was actually necessary , she slowly rose up and turned around, placed the ice back in the drink. At the same time, she crawled onto the couch, straddling Ben, who was now in shock.
Raven positioned her face so close to his that there noses were slightly touching. "So…what was it you wanted to talk about?"
He was a man in torment, a man trying sort out issues, a man trying to find a solution. But therein lie the problem. He was a MAN. No mortal male of the species could handle the show Raven just put on.
"Nothing." He said, just before the embrace.
Raven's eyes were closed as they rolled over on the couch.. But her expression…was victory. I didn't think so. She thought to herself.
Raven was awakened by a beeping sound coming from her handbag. A clock on the nightstand displayed the time as 3:00 AM. She just now remembered she was still at Ben's place. Turning her head she saw that he was asleep on his side facing the opposite wall. Reaching down to the floor, she removed her communicator from the handbag. In an awkward position, she tried to keep her body on the bed and her head halfway to the floor, in an attempt to hide the conversation. Ben did not move, Raven could not see however, that his eye was wide open.
"Raven."It was Robin
"What." She was whispering.
"The First National Bank, motion sensor, we have to go."
"Now?" She again whispered.
"Now!" He was adamant. "Raven, there is no time, just meet us. We need you."
Raven put the device back into her bag. Shook Ben on the arm.
"I have to go."
"Trouble at home?" He asked without even moving.
"Yea…something like that." She replied sheepishly.
"Let me call Maurice, he can drive you wherever you need."
"NO…I mean…it's not necessary. She gave him a small kiss on the side of his head, through her clothes on, and was gone.
Within minutes, Raven arrived at the front entrance to the bank. The other Titans were already there. She noticed Robin looking at her oddly. Only then did she realize that she still had on the same clothes that had caused an altercation earlier that evening.
"Nice crime fighting outfit." Starfire said with a smirk.
"Thank you." Raven said while looking at Starfire from head to toe. "I thought it would be neat to try to look like you."
"STOP IT!" Robin was clearly getting agitated. "We have a job to do." "Beast Boy, take the north entrance, Cyborg take the south, Starfire watch the roof, Raven and I will go in."
Before any of the Teen Titans even had the chance to acknowledge his words, a huge explosion at the main entrance knocked all of them off their feet. As the dust settled, Billy Numerous walked from the bank with a large sack full of cash. The Titans were stunned and groggy from the blast. Billy walked right past them as they lay sprawled all over the street. When they slowly recovered and stood up, Billy was already standing on top of an adjacent building, looking down at them.
"It's nice to see you all again. Sorry, to be so brief. But, I must go." As Billy was talking, he had pulled out a round metallic device, about the size of a softball. He pushed a button on the side and with a swinging underhand motion, tossed it at the crowd of Titans below.
"RAVEN NOW!" Screamed Robin.
Raven lifted her hands in the air, instantly a dome shaped force field enclosed the Titans. The explosion above the force field was so powerful that even in the protective cover, they were knocked to the ground.
Looking down at the smoke and debris on the street, the villain chuckled slightly, then turned to escape.
No sooner had he turned around, he felt paralyzed with fear. The night was dark, with only a quarter moon's light shining. But it was enough for him to see the imposing figure standing at barely arm's length .
"Hello Billy."
"Wha…what are y…" Billy didn't get to finish his sentence. The one punch that Slade threw lifted him and the sack of money ten feet through the air and off of the building landing butt first on the street beside the Titans.
"What the…!" Exclaimed Cyborg. As they bent down to check out the criminal.
"He's alive." Said Robin. "But out, cold."
"Can anybody please tell me what is going on around here?" Beast Boy's voice was exasperating.
Nobody said anything for a minute. Then Starfire could not stand it anymore.
"Gee." She was batting her eyelids together , trying to pull off the cutest look she could. "It is almost like one of us has a little guardian angel…doesn't it…Raven. For the last part of her dig, Starfire was looking directly into Raven's eyes. Eyes that were filled with rage.
