Disclaimer: Don't own it. Would like to. Stop asking.

Title: And if it was?

Chapter: 2: Without Permission

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So the birds stayed on the kitchen counter until the hints of dawn licked at their cheeks, neither one would let down. One was too concerned and the other too uncomfortable with grasping what had happened at all.

"Raven," Robin rubbed his temples, a sour expression held sternly on his face, "Why is it so important that I don't know anything?"

Raven bit her lower lip, keeping it steady. Her emotions were loose now, and her once firm grip on hiding said emotions was faltering, "Because I'm… I don't have to. Nothing happened."

"If I didn't know any better," Robin took a step closer, giving that scrutinizing stare an older brother would give his 'developing' sister, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're hiding something."

Raven roughly blew a couple stray strands from her face, signifying a 'duh' if he ever saw one.

"Alright. Well, what I'm thinking is that you're on his side, then," Robin held onto the counter's edge again. It was the only way to keep from shouting. He grew ever more frustrated as he searched through their bond, growing fainter by every passing minute. Whatever Slade did, It was something big. It's scaring her, he can tell that much. She should tell him.

"Then it's a good thing you know better," Raven responded quietly, averting her eyes to a small crack on the counter's edge.

He couldn't tell what angered him more. The fact that Raven didn't trust him, or the thought of Slade hurting her, "Slade," It seethed through his teeth and into her like slow molasses. It stung at her heart and she cringed almost noticeably, which was already too much for Robin to bear, "Raven," He said it softly, lovingly, "I'm not trying to be stubborn. I don't want to bother you, or have you dwell on it," he paused, scanning her body. Now that the blanket he had given her was put to the side, he could see everything acceptable. She was bruised and burned, and some other marks he did not think he could find on her thigh and stomach, so dismissed it as something other than what it was, "Just please tell me… I'm worried."

She didn't want to worry him.

After taking a deep breath, she wrapped the blanket around her once more and spoke, "He just wanted information on the Titans, and I wouldn't tell him anything so he… Just roughed me up a little. Nothing unusual for a villain."

Robin nodded, and she slightly inclined her head in response, and they parted for bed.

Raven went to her room and went to bed, or would have, if not for the sound of shuffling somewhere to the right of her. As an instinct, she readied her battle stance, but her powers wouldn't cooperate, and so she instead balled her fists, "Show yourself!"

A dark, lean silhouette sprang from the floor in a startled manner, "Raven? Is it really you?" It was a kind, calm voice. The kind of voice created by the hush of the sea. Of course, it was none other than the Atlantian from Titan's East; Aqualad.

Raven dropped her arms to her sides slowly, "Yes… What are you doing in my room?" She took a step closer. Being in the dark all her life, she needn't worry about seeing in the dark.

"Well… It's got the best view, haven't you noticed?" He joked, waving an arm at the imaginary window, which would have probably been somewhere

Raven laughed halfheartedly, forcibly. The man before her noticed, and furrowed his brows in a familiar fashion, "So," He sat on the edge of her bed, patting a place next to him, "You want to talk about what happened?"

She blinked just as Aqualad pushed his way through her mind. He gasped at the image. Raven was on the floor, her clothes torn from her, a pained expression spread on her face, as her violet orbs grew wide and absorbed all sorrow. A man was lying on top of her, clad in only an orange and black mask, his body covering her from her mid drift below as his hand groped at her chest. She screamed, he gasped. And then darkness.

o0Author's Note0o

Tell me if it's too much. Really intense here. I don't know if I like it. I know this one was short, but I just want to know if this is going well… Is this M now? Hope not…

Thanks for the review,

SweetNCrazieSugarmuffin: Only one review, maybe I'll make this shorter?