At 3 o'clock in the morning, Raven still sat at the boy's bedside, calm and stoic as ever. They had been able to treat him, and remove the bullet from his arm, causing minimal damage, which was surprising, considering that the bullet had lodged so near to his bone. Still, he would recover all right. That done, they had all figured on a good night's sleep. Most of them had been taken aback when Raven decided to stay with the child, making sure that nothing wrong happened through the night.
So she found herself sitting in the dark, watching the shadows dance as the clouds shifted the moonlight that was coming through the windows, listening to the wind whisper against the walls of the tower, and staring at this strange boy.
How could anyone, especially one so young, be so selfless? I have never known a child so young to be so brave. It just doesn't fit. And that magic he was using. It wasn't highly advanced, but it was much too advanced for someone his age to be using without putting himself and everyone around him in danger.
Perhaps he is an extraordinary child.
As Beast Boy would say, "Yeah right. And I'm the cow that jumped over the moon."
Why so hypocritical? Is it simply because he is younger than you?
Not hypocritical. Just not understanding. It doesn't make sense.
Is bravery reserved for certain ages? Does being a child take away the right to understand situations that most adults would tell you that you couldn't? Most adults wouldn't think that someone your age should be fighting crime, but here you are. Perhaps he is one of those few who cannot be deceived by smiles and lies. Maybe, just maybe, he knows what it is to stand up for himself, simply because there is a need. What do you know of his life? By that age, you yourself had an uncommonly advanced grasp on what was going on around you. You had learned to disregard the whispers that went on around you behind your back. You knew that the tears your mother cried were not directed towards you, but were meant for you. You understood the importance of paying attention for the sake of your own, and everyone else's safety, though back then, you were much more susceptible to the distractions that come with being a child, such as laughter and tears.
Once again her midnight blue eyes turned to study the young boy's face. It was a young, rounded face with only the barest of tans, though it had lines of stress and worry uncommon to a child of his age. She leaned forward, as much to make sure that he was still breathing as to get a closer look at his face. There was a certain beauty to his face, the kind that comes from too much knowledge and yet no loss of hope. From too much pain, and yet the willingness to keep trying, even though you know that you're on the losing end. More than anything though, it was a very ragged face, filled with a loneliness apparent even in sleep. Somehow she kept her reserve through the night, making sure that the gray haired child stayed as warm and comfortable as possible. And still she wondered. She had never met another person on this planet who could perform true magic. How was it that he could?
The morning found its way over the horizon, sending jets of crimson-golden light streaming across the ceilings of many of the rooms in Titans Tower. The med room was such a one that was bathed in the painter's palette of color, and even though Raven was not the sentimental type, she felt the sun's warmth spill over her tired body, and the faintest smile traced it's way across her calm face.
"That's beautiful." Her eyes opened wide as she turned to face the once sleeping occupant on one of the medical beds. Two tired eyes the vibrant color of amethysts looked back at her from under thick black lashes and a shock of dark platinum hair. But the thing that caught her attention the most was that they were tired. Most children at that age, she had found, had very bright eyes, as though there was a light shining from within that the world hadn't touched yet. There was no light shining from this child's eyes. Merely a resignation to a life that no longer held the importance it should have.
"What is?" She moved to his bedside, looking down at him. After a while, he sighed, shaking his head as though to dismiss a thought.
"Just something. Where am I? In the hospital?" He looked around, trying to catch sight of the nurses and doctors that frequented such a place.
"No. You are in Titans Tower." The boy's eyes shot back to hers.
"Why?" This time Raven didn't answer. Slowly she walked to the other side of the bed, where his injured arm was. Being careful not to damage it again, she lightly pressed one finger against it.
"OUCH!" The little boy snatched his arm away, cradling it against his chest. "Oh." He looked at her, and found her solemn eyes staring back at him. Wisdom unobtainable, galaxies seemed to spin in her glance. Magic the likes of which he had never seen. But so much sorrow and hurt. Why? The thought was broken as a door swished to reveal the rest of the Titans.
"So, the little guy's finally awake, huh?" Cyborg stepped through the doorway, grinning down at the kid that he towered over. He winked one cybernetic eye and smiled when the kid gave a weak grin in return. Both nearly fell over when something purple and red went streaking past. The boy was snatched up in a cheerful embrace and would have been crushed had not black bands of energy wrapped around the bubbly woman's arms.
"Starfire, stop and think. He just got shot in the arm, and I don't think he'd appreciate you breaking it." Raven deadpanned with a sweat drop running down her face.
"Oh, of course!" Starfire slowly loosened her grip, and replaced him on the bed. "I am merely happy that you have not come to serious harm from the courageousness of your actions. I was most worried by your absence of wakefulness." She beamed at him in such a way that he could do no more than return her smile, albeit, reluctantly. It had been a long time since he had smiled about anything.
"I'm alright."
"Glad to hear it. We were a bit worried." The last two members of the titans came in, and the little boy genuinely smiled this time. He knew Robin very well as a childhood hero, but Beast Boy had come striding in as a Gazelle, and he couldn't help but laugh.
"Sweet. I like you already." Beast Boy grinned as his elfin form came back into view, a toothy grin that instinctively made the boy think of mischievous imps. The green boy strode over to the bedside, sat down, and promptly turned into a large, green dog the curled up around the boy with a pleading look that had "pet me" written all over it. Giggling, the boy began to scratch behind his ears, and laughed louder when the dog whined in pleasure. Raven rolled her eyes, but the faintest smile tugged at her lips as she watched the boy giggle in delight. But there was something guarded, even about his laughter. Something painful that spoke of laughter and happiness from a simpler time.
"So kid, think you're up to having something in your stomach?" Cyborg shuffled over to the bedside. "What's your name, anyhow?" The boy looked up at him, eyes as large as saucers.
"My name is Lance. And…" he grinned somewhat, "I'm starving."
"Hah, hah. That's what I like to hear. So what'll it be to eat, then. We can have eggs and bacon, or maybe steak, or…"
"YEUCK!" Beast Boy was back in to normal and had the most disgusted look on his face.
"Actually, I was thinking maybe, uhhhhm, pancakes?" Robin laughed.
"Then pancakes it is. Let's go people." Without further ado, Cyborg hoisted Lance onto his shoulders, creating a perfect team, big and little, and strode out of the room, ducking low enough to keep Lance from hitting his head. Lance could only look around in amazement. Technology was not something that he was particularly well informed with, mainly because he didn't often get the chance to use it. Still, there were too many gadgets for a child to ignore. Everywhere things sparkled or glinted, catching his eyes and making him itch for the chance to touch them. But his magic responded most to the energy crackling around him, not leastwise from the cybernetic hero that was holding his ankles. He leaned forward, wrapping his small arms around the top of Cyborg's head, looking around with awe. They all trooped into the kitchen, Starfire humming happily as she set out the ingredients for Robin to begin preparations.
"Such lovely hair." Starfire murmured. Quietly she drifted up behind the little boy, plucking at a few strands of his pearly, wild gray hair. He didn't see how she could like it. It stuck out in all directions and couldn't be tamed, as often as he had tried. Though it shimmered like mother of pearl in almost any light, it hung in his eyes, causing him to have to constantly brush it back. He was about to tell the lively princess so when he suddenly felt himself being lifted up and over Cyborg's polished head.
"Whoa!" He didn't have time to properly react before he was plopped into a chair.
"So kid, those were some pretty slick moves you were pulling on that jerk yesterday. What the heck was that?" Beast Boy sat across the table from him, cross-legged, and Raven couldn't help but smirk along with Lance.
Golly, he acts even more like a kid than I do, and I'll bet he's ten years older than me.
"Well mister, that was magic." Raven's eyebrows quirked up, as did Robin's.
"Whoa kid. Mister? Nobody calls me mister. I'm Beast Boy."
"Alright Beast Boy. That was magic, sorta." Robin intercepted the conversation.
" Magic, sorta? How do you "sorta" do magic?" He leaned against the table, looking the kid in the eye, rather than down at him.
"Well. My dad could do magic. Kinda like Miss Raven here." The boy jerked his pearly gray head in the blue-cloaked enchantresses direction. "And I got that from him. But my momma could control and manipulate electricity, and I guess I got that from her, cause I can do that to."
"And where is your mother." A few tense moments went by before the boy finally answered.
"Gone."
" Gone whe…" Robin had no chance to finish the sentence as Cyborg slammed a mile high platter of pancakes down, and Lance was extremely grateful that he had not been forced to answer the question.
Hey guys. It's great to be back on line and able to update my stories. I'd probably be update faster if you guys could review just a little bit more. You have no idea what it means to a writer to get feedback on a particular story. We don't all write these stories just for the heck of it. Some of us write because it is a joy to do so, and while it's nice just to get our stories out there, it gives us a glow of pride to know that our words have moved someone enough to make them tell us about it. I hope you guys have a wonderful Christmas.