Couldn't help updating this thing. No worries though, A World Away has about 1,700 words at the moment. I should be able to update it by tomorrow or the next day….I hope. I'm glad I wrote this chapter though; it's my favorite one yet.

Mute

The Name of the Game
MereImage

"Awwwwww, Come on Raven! Come play!" I glanced form my sitting position huddled around the kitchen table the whole team looked my way. Four head turned expectantly in my direction.

I gave a feeble, dismissive wave. Beast Boy seemed to take it personally.

"Come on, don't be a party pooper!" I raised my eyebrows behind the pages of my book, pretending to ignore him.

"Fine…." He sloughed in his seat. Cy chuckled, leaning over to whisper in his ear. I must admit I began to grow slightly nervous when one of his trademark grins lit up on his face. When that happened, trouble was sure to brew, and chaos was to follow.

I gulped. The pair looked over in my direction; Robin chuckled at something Star said. I couldn't make out their conversation.

I swear, I only blinked, but in that time span Beast Boy, Cy, Robin and Starfire had somehow situated around me in a circle, cards in hand. I took turn to glance at each of them, death emanate in my eyes. Everyone took the hint. Minus one….

Beast Boy was nearly floating with glee. He pulled a coffee table in front of us all, plopping down contentedly in a seat opposite of me.

"Since you didn't want to join the game, the game joined you!" he paused. "….wait that doesn't make sense does it?"

Robin seemed to be in a good mood. He laughed again. Everyone looked in his direction. The laughing finally subsided as he looked at everyone in turn.

"What?"

I shrugged it off. Beast boy continued his 'expert' shuffling skills, cards flying in every which direction. It seemed like the pair of them went all out, that is, Cy and Beast Boy, ranging from the poker gear to the attitudes they portrayed. They looked ridiculous….and immature.

"So, Raven. Ladies choice. What's the name of the game?" I conceded, giving a worn sigh. I held up both my hands. Two fingers on one side, one on the other. Robin spoke first.

"Twenty one? Blackjack? Never knew you even knew how to play." Star quickly gave her commentary.

"Twenty one? Is this not a number? How do you play a game of the cards with one of your numerical devices?"

"Na Star, it's just a name." Cy slapped her playfully on the back, belly rolling with laughter.

"I see…" she still seemed confused.

"I'll tell you later about it Star." Robin smiled at her, she smiled back. I was almost at the point of leaving.

"Aha!" Everyone jumped from Beastboy proclamation. "I've got a better one! Strip Poker!"

The instant the words left his mouth, a varied reaction spread throughout. Star remained generally unchanged; Cy looked with a devious lift of the eyebrow at him before bursting into laughter. Robin had never looked more uncomfortable in his life, eye mask wide. My legs jerked under the table causing the whole thing to collapse upon itself.

Beast Boy sweat dropped.

"Or we could just play go fish."

Everyone seemed to agree.

"Robin, what is this 'strip poker?'" Robin looked her straight in the face, eyes wandering, before jerking his head in the opposite direction. A red hue covered his face. I must admit I have only seen Robin speechless in few occasions.

And this was one of them.

…………………………………………….

"Cyborg, got any twos?"

"Ha! Go fish man!" Robin grumbled, picking up another card from the deck.

"I hate this game, too easy to cheat." Sloughing back in his chair, he folded his arms in a pouting frown.

"Man, you just hate it because you're loosing." Robin turned his head.

"What's wrong with that?"

"Do not distress Robin, it is only a game."

"Yeah dude, it's supposed to be fun!" Robin grumbled. No one caught it. "What was that Robin?"

"That's what they tell the losers…." Star giggled, wrapping him up in a hug. While no one was looking, I glanced at Beast Boy's hand. I smirked to myself. Robin said no more, but his expression remained the same.

"Your turn Raven." I held up five fingers to Beast Boy. He groaned.

"Aw man! I had three! How did you know?" My teeth gleamed as I collected the cards. I was about to ask him again when Cyborg interrupted me.

He didn't say anything at first; he simply laid down his cards, almost like surrendering his defeat. His voice turned dead serious as he spoke.

"Have you guys ever wondered….if life is just a game?" I tilted my head to the ground, breathing calmly. When no one answered, he continued himself. "I mean, when we die, is that the finish line?"

No one knew what to say.

"Cause the whole point of the game is to reach the finish line, to win, to be victorious…but that would mean we walked straight into our death. To end the game we've been playing for so long." I took a great interest in my shoes, like I had never seen them before.

"And throughout our life, we keep drawing cards of chance, guessing what path fate will steer us to." He sighed again. "We have to have faith in the things we can't control, in the lives that affect us. I mean, think about it! The cheaters in this life take shortcuts behind others backs. But what happens, they reach their death first and foremost. That's the way it's supposed to be, but sometimes it isn't. Sometimes they win without ever crossing the finish line."

I stole a glance at my teammates, they seemed edgier than normal.

"So we zoom through life, aiming for a goal that will lead to our demise. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. The different games composed; games of chance, of skill, of logic, and every single one has rules; Rules we have no choice to listen to."

"Terra…she….she never had a chance. Luck just wasn't her game." My hands were oddly shaky. So this was what it was all about.

I still have no idea why Cyborg burst out like he did, but I couldn't help but hope that somehow I would find out in the future. What surprised me the most was when Cyborg started crying….for the first time I've ever seen him do so.

I played with my hands, giving a guilty glance in Beast Boy's direction.

I wasn't a cheater in life…..was I?

It's a question I still struggle with.

I could still hear Cyborg's choked cries, which he swiped away a minute later after silence.

"Ug, I'm stronger than this." He stood up and left the room with no indication of where he was going.

It was just the four of us left.

"I…just wanted to play go fish…" BB's voice was almost a whimper. We all looked at Star, who was now in tears. She was the type of person who cried when others did. Bee patted her back encouragingly.

"Were we bad friends? …To let Terra die?" I could barley understand her. I fingered the butterfly burette in my hair, stroking it.

"No Star….some things you can't avoid. Some things are fate."

I shook my head. Our lives were already planned out, set upon the game board. We just didn't have enough insight to see our upcoming moves.

Robin turned to me, starring, as if expecting me to shout out. Expecting me to say something comforting to them all, they waited.

That right there was two impossibilities in one.

Beastboy began shuffling the cards again, probably to have something to do with his hands.

He held the cards out to me, giving me a choice.

"So Raven…" his expression was daunted, a limpness to the cards he was holding. I noticed the words scribbled on the back of the cards - Luck. How ironic. I reached out for the cards as if searching for a purpose. I needed…faith.

"What's the name of the game?"

If only I could answer.