I know it has been a few days, well more like weeks, which is a while considering my previous dispersion of my chapters, and I humbly ask your forgiveness. With me looking for a new school because of… let's just say discipline problems, I have had little time to write or rather I am not allowed the time to write. My loyal readers got lucky for I got the chance to sneak my writing folder into church. As you can probably tell, I'm not a big church person. Anyway, enough sordid, insignificant details of my life and on to the story. 3rd person POV
Raven was searching for the Tamaranian princess in the dorms on the eastern grounds. Apparently, she had taken it upon herself to do some sight-seeing.
"Have you seen a red-head? Peppy, curious, talks funny?" Raven stopped a first-year who was sprinting down the hallway.
"She was zooming around here earlier. I really have to go. I'm going to be late." Her feet were shuffling and Raven placed herself directly in the brunette's path. The girl rolled her eyes in aggravation and scowled.
"Do you know in which direction she was headed?" The empath almost growled and crossed her arms tightly.
"Well, it is time for practice. Wouldn't she be going there?"
"What is your name?" Raven sensed jealousy and hate radiating as one of Kitten's little… club members.
"You don't need to know, Raven." The freshman sidestepped and stomped off until a black wall materialized before her. She turned around to see mystical pearly eyes staring down at her.
"I gave you a chance to answer willingly." A lazy tone drifted from her lips as she entered her mind briefly. It was fairly easy. No mental blocks were strong enough to barricade the information she wanted.
"Tanya, is it? From Cyborg's group?"
The girl nodded nervously and gulped loudly.
"I'll be sure to remind him of your… cooperation. Go. You don't want to be late."
Tanya's lip quivered and she scurried off. Raven loved frightening Richard's fans. It became natural after a few weeks with Kitten.
'I guess Starfire will just have to be late.' A dark sphere formed at her feet and she melted through.
"Where's Kori?" Richard asked when his partner arrived alone. Michael was by his side, transfixed with the clouds again and his hands were clamped behind his head.
"Your girlfriend was no where to be found. Sorry."
Richard frowned immediately and the sorceress looked away like nothing significant was said.
"She's not my girlfriend." He stated with pure malice in his eyes.
"Kori Anders and Richard Grayson. That sounds good together, doesn't it? Mrs. Kori Grayson or Mrs. Kitten Grayson? Which one will it be?" Raven mocked with no sign of enjoyment, just that notorious monotone. His ears were turning colors that could rival beets and she was sure he was just seconds from exploding. His lips made a thin, white line and they loosened when he heard something land behind him.
"I apologize for being late, friends. I wished to see the temple from higher altitudes." Kori's voice must have triggered his fight-or-flight response because he had moved back a few good yards before she had even said 'apologize.' Raven wanted to laugh so badly but she remained in her taught posture.
"Gotta love those tiger instincts? Huh, Richard?" She murmured and spoke quickly before he could retort.
"That is, unfortunately for you, no excuse. There are certain consequences for tardiness. Let's go." Raven started walking past the two first-years and they stood still in confusion.
"Where are we going?" Michael snapped out of his stupor as he felt her brush past them. Richard circled around their team, mostly to avoid the girl Raven so kindly referred to as his girlfriend.
"Laps around campus. Hurry up! The slower you move, the faster and longer we run." He caught up with his partner and soon heard several more feet hitting the ground behind them.
Almost fifteen minutes later, Raven and Richard were running full speed with their students dragging their feet over the path.
"You think we're going fast enough?" Richard asked between huffs and they rounded yet another corner. This would have been the fifth time they had turned it.
Not too far away was a combined group of teams practicing Tai Chi. There were at least three and Cygorg and Karen's team were among them. Tanya froze as she saw the senior she had encountered in the hallway sprint past. The telepath smirked and began running backwards as she delivered a two-fingered salute to the shaken girl. After Richard had left her eye line, she turned back around and made her way back to his side.
Once the place where they had started was in view, they decided that the punishment had gone on long enough. The seniors slowed to a jog and waited for the two lackeys to catch up.
Kori had her hands on her knees, breathing at a rapid race and Michael was yet again studying the clouds. He looked perfectly calm which was odd seeing as a few minutes ago he was on the verge of a cardiac arrest. Raven and Richard stared at each other incredibly because of the sudden transition.
"Strong, do you have any abnormal abilities?" Raven questioned and said person slowly parted his eyes from the heavens to look at her.
"Afraid not, ma'am." His tranquility was for the first time revealed in this way. It seemed… different somehow. Raven had sensed it, the same feeling she had received when they had first met. The feeling that he surely wasn't normal and was hiding something important, maybe even dangerous. The sorceress made a note to keep a close eye on him until these lingering doubts had receded.
"I have hope that the punishment for the act of being late has ended, yes?" Starfire's breathing had somewhat regulated. Obviously, the princess was not used to such incessant exercising.
"Yes, Kori. Don't be late again." Richard was sure this was the first time he had spoken to her directly because she brightened after the spilling of her name from his mouth. He looked to Raven and incredibly she had disregarded or either ignored the Tamaranian's reaction. Her amethyst eyes were closed from him and if it were not for the rise and fall of her chest, he would assume that she had become a statue. Suddenly she was alive again and she bit her bottom lip.
"What's up, Rae?"
"Um… I'll tell you some other time."
"Oh, Robbie-poo!"
Richard froze like a deer in headlights and scanned the foregrounds. There were no objects that were large enough to protect him from the vivacious blonde.
"Run, Richard, run!" Raven whispered fiercely while nudging him in his rib cage, but it was too late.
"Hello, Robbie! Roy and Garth want to combine our groups for intro-sparring. Isn't that awesome?"
"Hell no." He replied without emotion or regret as her face fell slightly. Kori stepped forward.
"Excuse me, but I think it would be an excellent arrangement." She spoke lightly and with a small smile.
"I agree. With more people, we can learn more, right?" Michael was a man of few words and even fewer were the words that made sense. That was why his logic surprised them and reluctantly, they agreed; Raven because she wanted to have her fun observing her partner and Robin because he thought that with more males, maybe he could be better guarded from the infatuated females. The only excuse he could find, other than Kitten which is a good excuse for anyone, was Garth and that wouldn't hold against Raven.
"C'mon, wonder boy!" Raven and the others were already halfway across the clearing with Kitten walking as far behind as possible.
'Probably an attempt to be closer to Richard.' Raven thought presumably. He shook his head lightly in order to forget his last thoughts and jogged into the flanks next to the dark goddess.
When they finally reached Roy and Garth's practicing ground, after enduring the constant babbling of an annoying, obsessive, spoiled brat, the archer and the Atlantian were perfecting new moves that they were to teach the freshmen. Brock, Kitten's teammate, was doing push-ups at a slow pace. It seemed he had been doing it for some time, for the copious beads of sweat on his brow and the darkened spots on his robe were growing larger in size and number.
"You made it? I thought you had gotten lost." Roy was still throwing punches into the air in a 1,2 pattern and Garth had stopped completely. He nodded upwards to them, which had been his way of saying 'hello' for a while now, and the birds returned the same gesture.
"We just followed your scent." Richard said nonchalantly. This kind of bickering was normal for them. They were so similar, physically and personality-wise, but they saw everything at different and opposite angles but their friendship remained strong nevertheless. A loud thud sent a tremor through the ground and every head turned. Brock had hit the ground and was panting like a black lab on a summer day.
"You were supposed to tell him when to stop, Speedy." Garth was leaning on a nearby tree and seemed to have no care for his welfare.
"It hasn't been ten minutes, has it?" He asked playfully and Raven, Garth, and Richard rolled their eyes.
"No, it hasn't. It's been more like thirty." Garth moved to drag Brock to his feet to only have the boy hit the ground once again. The Atlantian shrugged dismissively.
"My Robbie-poo would have lasted longer than that, right honey?" Kitten said in that baby voice which in turn led to the overwhelming desire from all fourth-years to sow her mouth shut.
"Refer to me as Richard and Richard only, Moth. Not honey, not baby, and sure as hell not Robbie-poo, got it?" Robin had lost his temper which became reasonably shorter in the presence of Kitten. He let his superior tone take over in hopes of intimidating her but those were soon dashed when she smiled wider.
"Calm down, Richard. You wouldn't want to be expelled for murder now would you?" Raven said in a way to break the tension without the breaking of anyone's bones.
"Can we begin training now or shall we consort further?" Kori interjected shyly.
"Of course, pretty lady." She blushed from Speedy's compliment. "Intro-sparring, as you should know from first term, is the way we see how much you know and what we should be teaching you. In your last groups, you should have learned how to predict your opponents' moves. Let's put it to the test, shall we?"
"I want to be paired with, Robbie-poo!"
The empath placed a delicate hand on Richard's shoulder to keep him from attacking.
"In concerns for your safety, I think it would be best if we paired you with someone else. Any volunteers?" Garth looked to Speedy, who had taken a sudden interest in the grass and was whistling some random light-hearted song, and then Raven, who stared at him dead-on with a look that said: 'You must be kidding. If you are it surely isn't funny.'
Richard would have loved to see his Raven battle, or rather beat the crap out of Kitten but if she had her way, she wouldn't get anywhere near the blonde. Her hatred for the freshman was just as strong as his and once he had thought it jealousy, but there were no solid instances in which he could determine that. Once Richard could have sworn that Raven had tripped Kitten in the lunchroom but she wouldn't do that, would she? He confronted her and she had answered: "Don't assume. You know what happens. You'll make an ass out of yourself."
"Okay… surprisingly there are no volunteers. Rock, paper, scissors?" Garth suggested uncharacteristically. If your I.Q. was higher than Kitten's, you could guess that she wasn't exactly well-liked among the seniors. Raven dragged herself over to the two and raised her fist next to theirs.
"1...2...3! What?" Speedy was shocked when two hands didn't form rocks, papers, or scissors, but instead pointed at him.
"It's decided. You're with Kitten, Speedster." Richard smiled as the unfortunate archer stomped childishly over to his new sparring partner.
"Can I be with friend Richard then?"
"I'm afraid not, Kori. I'm with Michael."
"Huh? Oh, sparring. Alright." Michael's attention span couldn't possibly be shorter.
Raven now had a difficult choice to make. An overly active Kori or an unconscious Brock? Really difficult.
"I call the log on the ground." She said to her ex and he nodded. It made no difference to him.
"That's not fair. How come I get her and she gets Sleepy over there?" Roy whined and Raven didn't wish to here it any longer. She walked over to Brock and pinched his neck.
"What the fu… Raven! What's up, babe?" He regained his composure quickly as he noticed the purple-haired vixen was the one to awaken him. She didn't reply with a threat as usual for she knew what was to come and he wouldn't like at all. Not one bit.
"Get up. We're sparring partners."
"Cool. Never give up a chance to be partners with a hot girl like yourself." He winked at her and she smirked.
"It must have taken you three hours to come up with that line, huh?" Richard said bitterly and the telepath chuckled. For some reason, she enjoyed his reaction to males that approached her. Not really enjoyed but she found it humorous at least. "Why don't you and I switch, Rae? I don't mind at all."
"I'm sure you don't, Richard. We'll be going first so clear the floor." She stood where they parted and Brock was opposite her. "Take notes and referee for me, Richard. Thank you."
(A/N: I'll only be describing one fight scene. As I said before, not that talented in the action area.)
Raven went into a defensive stance with most of her weight on her left leg, her arms held tightly to her sides, and fists raised. Brock's stance was loose and clearly showed his overconfidence. He thought of Raven as a mediocre fighter because of her gender and she was sure to let him know that she wasn't.
"Begin!" Richard shouted and Brock immediately took the offensive. He charged for Raven who blocked the majority of his punches. The ones she couldn't were received at her torso where she absorbed most shock by planting her feet firmly. One of his fists were caught in her right hand when it was knocked away. Raven flung a palm thrust into the middle of his chest and yanked on the arm which was still in her grasp. He grunted in pain and his feet soon left the ground as she flipped his body into the air and onto the grass behind her. She released him and turned around to face him in order to give him time to recover.
Richard knew the heroine could have easily ended the fight then and there but knew she was only testing him. Maybe even toying with him. It was her method. Raven mostly went on the defensive and that way she could evaluate her opponent's moves and could predict them better in the future. Her offense was almost invincible, almost, but every fighter had their flaws. And apparently even more so for Brock.
He had gotten back on his feet and had started dancing around Raven, keeping his distance. She soon got bored and just stopped entirely.
"Stop evading me and fight me, Brock."
It was enough motivation and the freshman moved in again. Before he had even had time to prepare, a roundhouse punch was sent flying across his jaw and a metallic flavor seeped into his mouth. He had underestimated the sorceress. Her hands were on his shoulders in seconds and she pushed him into her raised knee. Breathing had become temporarily impossible but she didn't let up. Raven grabbed his arm yet again and moved behind him, twisting it into a position he didn't even think possible. Her free hand pulled against his chin, making him stare into the sky. The empath kicked the back of his knee and he buckled to the ground, still in the midst of her wrath.
"UNCLE! UNCLE! LET GO!" Brock screamed in pain as her grip tightened and she looked to Richard, who was grinning like a maniac.
"Opponent has surrendered. Victory goes to Senior Roth."
Robin watched as Raven held on for a few more seconds before stepping away. Brock was rubbing his shoulder and mumbling incoherently.
"You are victorious, friend Raven! I shall perform the Song of Glory!" Kori breathed in deeply but black energy surrounded her head.
"Not necessary, Starfire. Who's next?"
The next hour and a half was filled with defeated freshmen and amused seniors. The only thing remotely strange that had happened was when Michael had halted in the middle of his fight with Robin, which had begun to look bleak on the first-year's part, to stare into the heavens. It was like he was rejuvenated and the battle started anew but still it ended in Robin's victory.
Okay for some. Probably sucked for most. My money is on the latter.
Notes:
1.) Raven and Richard stay in the same dorm room. I know it's not mentioned but I just wanted to make sure that's known. Certain privileges are given to fourth years and that is one of them. I might do a scene with them in their room at night. Review and tell me if that's okay.
2.) Intro of our fav character… Kitten! She didn't say much but I think that was plenty.
3.) This chap was that humorous as I said it would. At least I don't think.
4.) This chapter wasn't as pointless as you think. Something about my OC was kinda revealed. It was sort of a hint. More like an inkling. But if you want to guess what it is, which I'm sure you can't, you can try.
5.) Fight scene sucked. That's all.
Reviews:
BrokenHummingbirdWings- I forgot to thank you last time! I'm so sorry! BB is another one of those characters that is hard for me to write. He's my complete and total opposite. I great you liked the break-up. I don't see Raven as the type of girl to go running into Robin's arms crying and hysterical. I can't see her doing that at all. She's too strong and emotionally controlled. Thank you 2x's!
Gilraen Luinwe- I'm glad you liked it! I don't like action all that much either. I had a small amount of bickering here. A few milliseconds. I really need to get around to it. Thanks!
Monchhichi- I wanted this to be original and you guys say it is so… YAY! RobTerra was a bit creepy but I needed someone to be with him because of the plot and I had 4 choices: Star, Kitten, Karen, or Terra. Karen is a big no-no, Kitten should be shot, and Star… two words: hell and no. Not in my story! (Sorry Rob/Star shippers) So Terra was all I had left. Thanks for reviewing!
Tecna- You said it was very, very interesting! How very, very nice of you! I know, corny but I've been drinking Red Bull for the past hour so that I could get this chapter out, therefore I'm apt to say corny things. You are awesome by the way.
Hound Archon- Your welcome and thank you. The fan club is being written in. Thanks for the idea!
alena-chan- I'm not sure that this was funny or fantastic but I tried. Raven will always love Richard! Woo-hoo! I still can't believe you're reviewing my story! Somebody pinch me….
The Komodo Dragon Phoenix- Extremely talented? I can say that of you. Your story is just as good as mine, probably better. Thank you!
raven1777- Okay, it's official. I will begin to print up reviews, hang them on my wall, and worship them. You are so nice for saying these things! Terra is sorta like my ex-best friend. 'Ex' is there for a reason.
AlyRaven- No… you are COOL! Here's your update. Thanks!
YoukaiTenshi- THANKS!
sekai no yakusoku- Wow! Another author from my profile list! It's rare that people read the entire story at one time and review for each chapter. So you have my thanks for that. I want to keep my readers guessing without being boring, I hope I continued with that. Those last 3 lines in the second chap just popped into my head and I'm glad you liked them. Terra was a surprise to me as well. She just… appeared into the storyline and I needed a girlfriend for Robin. Rae and Garth didn't have much content and their break-up seemed a little cliché to me. My update has been delivered and I hope I get a review from you again. Thanks you once more.
PHAOE- Garth, to me, is one of those guys who seems like a loner but is always with the popular people. Raven is kind of a person who can't stand to be in the dark and does all she can to shed light to a mystery. Thanks you!
AnnFaithDarknessGoddess- Hello! I'll keep writing if you keep reviewing! Heck, I'll probably write anyway because I love doing it. Thanks!
I know I sometimes put myself down but bear with me. It's my way of making sure I don't get to cocky. I don't always have the best days.
I'm sorry for the slow update,
BirdsOnTheBrain