Two Birds With One Stone
Disclaimer: No, I do not own the Teen Titans. No matter how well I write them. Or whatever.
I was dreaming when I wrote this/ So sue me if I go too fast
Dedicated to:
sekai no yakusoku – Who enjoys my dialogue.
Arein– Who made some good guesses, but didn't come close to the symbolism of 3 am.
Chica de Los Ojos Café – Who is right in guessing that I stay up that late, but no. Wrong again.
The Komodo Dragon Phoenix – Who, like me, goes to the C2's to find Robin+Rave fics.
And
Emily Karnes - Who will probably never read this.
Chapter Thirteen: The Hour is Three AM
They weren't a team, exactly, but there were times when they had to come together to fight off something bigger than any of them. At these times, they were the Titans. And Robin was their leader.
He ran out of the mansion, jumped onto his R-cycle, and sped off, heading for the place where they'd agreed to meet. He flipped open his communicator.
3 am.
He checked again. It was impossible. He looked up at the clock over the bank. And the one over the shopping center. They had all stopped. The other Titans seemed to have noticed this as well.
Cyborg, BeastBoy, and Starfire were waiting for him on the roof of Wayne Enterprise. They all looked grim and anxious. Robin opened his mouth to tell them what had happened, but he couldn't find the words. His communicator rang.
"Robin, where are you?"
He was sure he'd never heard Batman so upset. So paternal.
"In the city. With the Titans," he answered.
"You should be in bed."
"I'm fine," Robin assured him.
"Robin. You've lost too much blood. Go back to the mansion and go to bed. Justice League is on this one."
"Blood loss?"
"You had a deep gash across your chest. Don't you remember?"
"Batman, I don't even have a scar on me."
The Titans exchanged worried glances. Robin knew what they were thinking. He had the tendency of being stubborn like that.
"How could I have a gash across my chest if I was attacked from behind?" he demanded.
From behind.
He looked up and locked eyes with Starfire. With Cyborg. Then BeastBoy.
Raven had been standing behind him.
"We're flying, Batman," he said quietly into the communicator. He turned it off then and put it back into his utility belt, head still spinning.
"Slade must have done it," he said slowly. "Raven attacked me from behind so that Slade would take her and not hurt me. He attacked me anyway, to make sure I would die. But Raven gave me some of her healing power. So that I would live."
The realization hit him suddenly, and he grinned, startling the others.
"She wanted me to live. That means..." He laughed. "There's a way. There's hope. She healed me because she knew I would fly to her rescue. I'm going to defeat him."
"Dude?" BeastBoy spoke up for the first time. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, BeastBoy. But there's some things you all need to know before we fly." And he filled them in on everything he'd learned about Scath.
It was dark. And cold.
It was always like this in her dreams. Nightmares. Only this was real. It would all be over soon. The end of the world was upon her, and all Raven could think of was the young man she'd left behind.
In truth, she wasn't sure why she'd done it.
"How sweet," murmured Slade in a tone that was almost human. "Trying to spare him from any pain. You must love him so." He gave a deep, amused chuckle, then took a knife from his belt and slashed it across Robin's chest, through his heart. "Robin redbreast," he said, then gestured out the window. "Daddy's waiting."
She had gone, not looking back.
But he's still alive.
Raven mentally threw a random object at Happy.
It was stupid to leave him a healing, she said in her mind.
It was a smart thing to do.
Raven ignored Intelligence and pushed Hope away before she could open her mouth.
"Why so quiet, Raven?" Slade looked up at her.
"I wondered if you were stupid enough to realize that my father isn't going to give you whatever he promised you," she lied.
"The curtain rises, Raven," he said.
She knew the words. She'd heard them in her nightmares since she was very young. The symbols burning on her skin like brands, she rose into the air and began to chant.
Robin, forgive me.
Writer's note: As always, thanks to all those who read, reviewed, and are now waiting most anxiously for the next chapter. I would also like to thank the people who liked this story enough to make it part of a C2.
So, no one was able to guess the symbolism of 3 am. My fault, really. You wouldn't know much about it unless you read the Bible often or if you'd seen The Exorcism of Emily Rose. I got to see an advance screening of it, and it's going to come out in theatres this weekend. I encourage you all to see it. Great movie. It was really hilarious in some parts, too. Or maybe that's just my twisted sense of humor.
So anyway, in the Bible, 3 pm is the official recognized time of Jesus' death. Thus, 3 am is the time when evil spirits come to Earth to torment, making a mockery of the hour in which Jesus died on the cross.
In the next chapter, the Titans meet Scath/ Trigon. Slade is betrayed. Somewhat like The End, but for your reading pleasure, it will also be something like the actual comic.
As soon as I'm done with this story, (give or take three more chapters) I want to write a more light hearted piece. Still Robin+Raven. And I'm not writing any more of "Fortune Cookies". Nor will I write a sequel. So there.
Go review already.
Signed,
The writer, you fools