Did she know we were coming, and run from us? How did she know we were coming? Why did she run? Is she angry with us? She couldn't be afraid of us, could she? How are going to get her back if she won't even see us?
The Titans questioned, debated, and contemplated, but they knew the answers lay only with Raven.
But Raven had disappeared again, and almost an entire month had passed with no sign of her. They had expanded their searches to international, and checked for her new name and appearance, but no progress had been made. In all likelihood, she had adopted another identity and guise.
Then, "Hey, guys." The others turned to regard Beast Boy. He held up a letter and a set of tickets in one hand, in his other hand was an envelope that had arrived with the day's mail. "An old friend of mine sent me these." He scanned the letter, and then looked up at his teammates. "They're tickets to a club a few towns over. Wanna go?"
"We need to find Raven," Terra stated.
"I know. I want to find her as much as you do. Maybe we'll find out something while we're there," he suggested. Under Terra's glare, however, he added, "I don't want my friend's money to go to waste."
"I don't know, BB." Cyborg began to protest as well.
"Come on. The letter says there's this great new bartender. She's supposed to be really good looking." He waggled his eyebrows, though his comic expressions had lost much of their humor since Raven's departure. "She can guess what drink a person wants without having met them before."
"How is that possible?" Robin asked skeptically. Beast Boy shrugged. "Are you sure?"
"That's what the letter says," Beast Boy replied.
"What else does the paper say, friend Beast Boy?" inquired Starfire.
Beast Boy's eyes dropped to read more of the letter. "Says she might not be there when we go…"
"Why?" Cyborg asked.
"Because she's becoming so well known that the owner won't announce when she's coming. Otherwise people might only come on those nights. The words used are 'unpredictable schedule'."
Cyborg whistled. "That good, huh?"
"I guess so."
"Does it say anything else?" Terra snatched the letter from the changeling's hand.
"Hey!"
Terra's blue eyes searched the letter quickly. They then widened, and she looked at Beast Boy with an expression of shock and anger. "Why didn't you tell us this bartender has purple hair and eyes?" she demanded.
"I didn't get that far!" Beast Boy protested. "You took it from me, remember?"
"Wait, did you just say 'purple hair and eyes'?" Robin asked. Terra nodded in affirmation. "Is it…?"
She shook her head. "Doesn't give a name."
"But, it could be her, right?" Cyborg said hopefully.
She nodded, and her voice was also hopeful. "Could be."
Starfire cheered. "Let us go and retrieve friend Raven!"
Beast Boy shook his head. "The tickets are for tomorrow night. And it's been sold out for over a week."
"So what? We're the Teen Titans!" Cyborg declared. "No one can stop us."
"Cyborg, I want to find Raven, too. But we can't abuse our authority like that," Robin reprimanded. "We'll have to wait. Plus," he added after a pause, "it might not be Raven. I hate to say it, be we have to be ready for that possibility."
"That's true," Cyborg yielded. "I mean, Raven, a bartender? Our Raven?"
"Would be a good place to hide," Terra added. "Different colored hair and eyes don't stand out as being so strange in clubs."
"And all this time only a few towns over," Beast Boy murmured.
They all opted to wear their normal uniforms, more concerned with finding Raven than with their attire. Before they entered the crowded building, they overheard a group discussing the extraordinary bartender. She apparently went by the name of Bela, and had appeared out of nowhere a couple weeks ago.
Once inside, Robin grabbed the arm of the first sober person he saw. Amid the bright flashing lights within the dark interior, a moment passed before they realized that the arm happened to belong to a large security guard. Beast Boy swallowed audibly when the man glared down at them.
"We're looking for the well-known bartender here," Robin said, seemingly unfazed by the guard's unfriendly demeanor. When the latter look slightly confused at Robin's comment, the Boy Wonder added, "I think her name is Bela. Is she here?"
"I'm not at liberty to say," was the reply.
"Do you know who we are?" Cyborg challenged.
"We're the Teen Titans!" Terra replied before the guard could respond.
The mammoth of a man paused. He strained to distinguish them in the club scene. Suddenly a grin spread on his face. "That you are. You saved my cousin from a robbery some months back, along with the other people in the bank. Honored to meet you. What can I do you for?"
Surprised, Robin nonetheless repeated, "Bela?"
"Oh, yeah. She's here." He jerked a thumb at the overcrowded bar. "Good luck getting to her, though. Her shift's about to end." As the Titans turned towards the counter, he called. "Enjoy your night! You have my thanks!"
They strained so see through the flashing lights and throng of people as they moved ever closer. At first, they caught little more than a glimpse of violet here and there, until they progressed far enough. Then they saw her.
Her lavender hair was tied into multiple ponytails. She wore lilac eye shadow and amethyst-colored lipstick. What was visible from behind the counter of her black outfit enhanced the paleness of her skin. Moving closer, they observed as she poured and shook, adding one liquid to another, before passing the drink to a waiting customer.
Then, sliding yet another drink down the length of the countertop, she held up a hand in farewell, and turned to leave.
"Raven!"
"Friend Raven!"
The shouts of the Titans were lost among the shouts of "Bela" and "Bel," as the customers cried out for her to return.
They watched, trapped behind the mass, as Raven met with a short man in a brown business suit, shook his hand, spoke a few words, and disappeared through the nearest guarded exit.
A few excruciatingly long minutes later, the other Titans stepped though the same door and into an empty alleyway.
"No!" Terra cried in anguish. "We were so close!"
"Come on," Robin said, his own voice hollow. "Maybe that man knows something."
He did not. He was the owner of the club, but he had been flexible with Raven because of her immense popularity. That night was to be her last. She had warned him some time before that her stay was not likely to be permanent. He had no address for them, or any clue to her whereabouts.
The Titans had failed themselves, and Raven, again.
A/N: Sorry for the wait everyone! I've been extremely busy, and I have a feeling things will only become more hectic. I just now found a few hours to write this chapter. I apologize again. I'll do my best to update. Thanks! Also, this chapter probably seems strange, but there is a method to this seeming madness. Said method will probably cause this story to go on for longer than it is warranted to, so I hope none of you get bored with it. I'd appreciate if you would let me know if it becomes uninteresting. And if you can catch the… pattern, I congratulate you.
VashTheStampede7123: Thank you, I am glad! Thank you for the review!
BlackShield: I'm from the West Coast myself, but for some reason I've always thought of Jump City as being on the East Coast. Yes, Raven quit, and Raven quit again. All questions will be answered with the ending, I hope. I apologize for how long I took to get this chapter out. Thanks for your patience!
nevermoretheraven: That's a relief. Thanks for the information; I just don't have the time to keep up recently. I hope you liked this chapter.
dancingirl3: Thank you! I'm sorry I did not update sooner.
Sparrowing: Thanks very much! I don't know if this chapter could ever deserve that much praise, but I hope it was decent. Thanks again, and I'm sorry I took so long!
Poopy Penguin: Yes, I know. Bartender is a bit farther out there, isn't it?
DarkAngelOllie: Fluff probably would make the story more interesting, but I am not a "fluffy" writer, so-to-speak. I hope you continue to enjoy my story.
Pikachu: I hope you escaped your sister all right. I am sorry I did not update sooner. Thank you for your review.
StonySilence: I'm glad you liked the last chapter. I hope this one was well enough. Thanks for reviewing!
EvilYellowCrayon: I like the idea of Raven being smart as well. I'm happy you loved the last chapter. I hope this one isn't too bad in comparison. Thanks!
Butterfly Girl Sarah: Yes, of course Raven is smart. And you are right about the summary, it is a bit ambiguous. I should have been more specific. I shall edit it when I get the chance. Thank you!
Skye5: I feel the same way about Starfire. I'm glad you found the last chapter interesting. What about this one?
Wild Spirit Of Darkness2: Was it? Her teammates sure don't know. I guess we'll all have to wait and ask Raven later. Thanks for the review!
kittykat: I'm sorry for the wait. I hope it was bearable and worth it!
shadowcat: Thank you! I will!
BloodCri: I am afraid the story will not be concluded in the near future. I hope you can stand the wait. Thanks for reviewing!
Jing King of Bandits: You got it. What do you think? Thank you for reviewing!