Dedication: I said that whoever guessed as to whom Headmaster Houkin was based (Bruce Wayne, btw) would get a dedication but I since only a few guessed, I'm going to add some reviewers that supported me. So the lucky people are: Argentemeni the Dragon, princess 4 a day, Kool-Wolf, the dancing dead, CuTtEr.WiTh.A.cAuSe, lolopixie, Tritium, Iris Night, and alena-chan.
Special Dedication: My grandmother.
"I see that you're not in a talkative mood," Raven said from her spot in the bathroom doorway. It was 1 A.M., Robin had only just returned from his special training with the temple's headmaster, and he stood glaring at the red patches interspersed on his torso in the mirror. "I think you're absorbing too many of my traits, Rich. The silent treatments and the dark aura……and your piercing stare is almost at my point of perfection," She stated after she received a stare from those cerulean orbs. Since Houkin chose Robin as the team's leader, he was pushed harder than anyone else and apparently it was unfair to a certain boy blunder.
Richard's fist slammed against the porcelain and she still stood there, entranced with such a transition. At first the sorceress thought that his anger originated from his growing hatred with Houkin. In Robin's eyes, the headmaster had been lying to them all and Raven, Cyborg, and himself for years. But that simple fact or opinion to some, wouldn't contribute to his darkened state.
This side of Richard had become more and more dominant with each passing day, as well as a bit annoying but Raven tolerated it. Everyone was more irritable since the disappearance of Roy and Garth but nobody took it harder than the man before her. It seemed as if he felt responsible for them, he took fault for their capture, and somehow she knew why. Robin was a natural born leader and an even more concerned friend. When someone he cared for is harmed in any way, the leader side of him kicks in and nothing will hinder him from seeking justice. She had seen it before…with Kitten, sure it wasn't as serious as Garth and Roy's kidnapping but nevertheless it invoked the same reaction from him, just not as obsessive and aggressive.
Without warning, he stepped past her and headed to his bedroom where she followed and sat on the bed next to him.
"I know you're tired of waiting for the right time to strike-" He hissed as her hands ran over his sore ribs, "-but Houkin says it'll be soon. We'll find them and bring them back safely," her fingers lit with blue energy, "We're just not ready yet."
"So he says."
"It's a miracle. He speaks. Maybe I'll experience the joy of hearing it again in the next century or so."
"Rejoice, my dear Raven." His eyes were glued to the wooden floor. "I suppose the miracles keep coming if the guys aren't dead yet."
"You have inherited my undying optimism as well. I told you that if Slade had killed them, I would have sensed it and-"
"If you can sense their essences, why can we not go rescue them, huh? Oh I forgot, our wise and admirable headmaster says my roundhouse isn't accurate enough and too predictable, my overconfidence will undoubtedly lead to my downfall, and a few more training sessions that last 'til dawn will definitely remedy that." Robin pushed himself to his feet abruptly, breaking her contact with him and in result a throbbing ache still remained in his sides.
"I agree that we're not at our best. We can stand to learn more."
"Great! While we get a few more fighting lessons in, our friends get to die horribly. What an awesome way to waste time."
Silent minutes passed but inside the mind of an empathic senior was a song of 'Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…' in an attempt to settle the frustration boiling through her veins. Raven had been more than patient with him, more than compromising, but nobody uses the art of sarcasm against her in such ways.
"Look, Richard, Slade is just waiting for us to come and save them. They are bait! If we go now, more people will die. You will die! I will die! Everyone will die if we go unprepared! Headmaster is just trying to ensure our safety along with the rest of the world's!" Tempers were flaring uncontrollably, teetering on the edge of control and she had to bite her tongue to stop her rant.
"Don't you get it, Raven?" He shouted, wheeling around to see her standing. "Everyone HAS died! Everyone! I'm only trying to prevent the same thing from happening twice!"
"Prevent what from happening?" Her voice had lowered, although affectively masking the anger.
"Losing my friends, my family! I've lost one and I don't want to lost another!"
A pounding erupted from the wall and a groggy voice followed. "Keep it down, Spike-Head!" It was Cyborg.
"Shove it, Victor!" Richard yelled back.
"Don't make me come over there and castrate you, you little bast-" A wall of Raven's magic reinforced the original one, blocking out their cybernetic neighbor's obscenities. She lowered her arm and tread lightly to close the space between them.
"The risk of losing us is greater if we fight blindly. I know that you're trying to protect us in any way possible but you must start thinking as a leader. Think logically. It's difficult but you have to try."
"If you get hurt, if anyone gets hurt-"
"You won't be at fault. And who says that we're going to get hurt anyway? We might just walk out with a few scrapes and bruises," She smiled when she saw his shake his head slightly.
"Now who's optimistic?"
"Eh, it's a gift." Raven waved her hand in the air dismissively and turned her head, only to turn it back and smirk at him. The corners of his lips twitched upward and she accepted it with a nod. Robin drew her in to place a lingering kiss to her chakra and he groaned when her hands pushed against his chest.
"Sorry. Forgot about your little injuries." Raven walked away and plopped onto his bed again. "I could finish healing them if you wish." She stretched slowly before lying down and turned to look at him.
"Thanks but I'm fine." He laid behind her, leaving an unacceptable distance between them. Suddenly his arm had a mind of its own, or rather another telekinetic mind controlling it, and wrapped itself around her waist. Soon after, sleep had claimed them both.
"I had a dream last night that in a late-night/early-morning confrontation someone, who shall go unnamed, told me to…what was that phrase again? Oh yes, shove it. Frankly, I think that person should have something shoved somewhere. Don't you agree, Robin?" Cyborg said casually to his ebony-haired companion who was leaning against the wall of the gym watching his 'team'.
"I agree but since it was a dream, you should just let this person off with a stern warning next time you confront them in that dream." Robin droned, not interested in a spontaneous spar with Cyborg at the moment. Cy dropped the subject, surprised that Robin had actually spoken. In the mornings when the group trained together, he remained silent and all actions taken to end the silence were proven futile.
"What's got you, should I say, cheerier than usual?"
"I ate Cheerio's for breakfast," Came the ludicrous reply.
"Birds of a feather-"
"Beat cybernetic teenagers with belts made of leather," Robin finished and stalked over to Raven across the gym.
"Good morning, fellow Teenage Titans!" Starfire sang, bursting through the doors with energy one ought not have at such early hours. A duo of dragging male freshmen followed, slumping to the floor in a heap after a few feet.
"You mean Teen Titans. And I thought we agreed that we'd just be the Titans after that final vote." Cyborg corrected her.
"Yes but Teen Titans sounds so much more-"
"Immature." The seniors stated and the princess cocked her head in confusion.
"Is immature not the word Friend Raven used to describe Friend Beast Boy yesterday?"
"And the day before that, and the day before that…" Raven trailed off, sparing a glance to the boys snoring on the floor. Kori hovered over them and inhaled sharply before…
"AWAKEN DEAR FRIENDS! IT IS TIME FOR OUR PHYSICAL ENHANCE-"
"Koriand'r! Take it down a few hundred decibels, if you will!" Headmaster Houkin entered with his hands covering his ears, the stance at which everyone had moved into. Michael and Gar had indeed awakened as Starfire had wished, naturally appearing dumbstruck and a bit frightened at the sudden shrill alarm.
"I apologize sincerely, Headmaster. I sometimes forget the effects of my voice on Earthen creatures."
"Thank you. Good morning students. I hope you had a good night's rest because you will surely need it for today's exercises."
They all groaned and prayed that the infirmary had an abundant supply of pain-relievers.
"How is it that they have not come to save them, Master?" The blonde geomancer questioned. "Do you think that they know it is a trap?"
Slade watched the monitors that displayed the activities of his captives and searched for any irregular movements on the grounds. It was unnecessary because if the 'Titans' were going to infiltrate, he would know. "Of course they know. The simplest of minds would come to that conclusion."
"Then, why do we keep them alive? They won't openly walk into a trap. They're not that stupid." Terra kept her eyes on his back. If she had learned anything from her master, she had learned that she must always watch him. He was conniving and quite the trickster when it came to the shadows, hiding in their depths before pouncing at his victims. Slade even did this to her in order to teach her lessons on predicting her opponents.
"No but they are heroes. Something that you must know is that a hero will risk their lives to save a complete stranger. Imagine what they would do for someone they cared about. Those two imbeciles are nothing more than bait and the demon will take it when the time is right and bring them all to me."
"You still haven't told me what you're going to do with them when she tracks us down."
"And I won't because the information you need is limited. All you must know is that you serve me and none other. Correct?"
"Yes, master." She lowered her head and answered without resistance.
"Our dear Kitten has slept enough. Wake her and send her through the drills." Slade turned his head to the screen that showed their new recruit sleeping in a grey-walled cell on a small cot.
"Yes, master." Terra turned and exited through the doors that slid shut behind her with a hiss of air.
"I think it's time to set the bait." Slade slunk into the darkness as his final words echoed around the room.
"How you doing over there?" Roy called across the room to his fellow captive. His arms and legs were bound by some sort of black magic that burned whenever he struggled against them, resulting in scorch marks on his ankles and wrists.
"Still alive." He heard Garth choke out but could not see him without any kind of light entering the room. Roy assumed it was the natural dungeon of a villain. Four walls, a ceiling, a floor, a tray of torturing tools in the corner. Just to take a guess.
"Seriously, man. You don't sound to good."
"Just a little bored but other than that I'm dandy."
"I can see why you were drawn to her sarcastic wit." Slade's voice erupted from nowhere. "I cannot see however as to why she was drawn to you. Maybe she sensed a darkness in you that succumbs to the evil lurking inside of her."
"She's not evil but you, on the other hand, probably started out torturing animals and beating up kids half your size. You know how jackasses of a similar class do to abolish their insecurities." Roy spoke clearly, his voice void of any fear. Slade chuckled in response.
"Comedy isn't useful here, but please do continue. It's actually humoring me how one in your situation can act so fearless, so bold. Especially when the situation ends in your death."
"Really? Damn…I never got to try scotch-on-the-rocks. It's a real shame." Garth croaked out. He chuckled again but this laugh was darker than before, if that was possible.
"Do you think they'll miss you? That she'll miss you? Don't you think that they would have bombarded in already, shouting that they've come to save you from the villain that stole you away from them? I believe that Raven can find anyone that she desires. Maybe her desire isn't you. Maybe she desires a dark-haired blue-eyed roommate. It seems that your friends have forgotten about you. Maybe your lives are not as significant to them as you once thought," Slade taunted in his dry monotone.
"Maybe you can kiss my ass, Wilson." Roy snapped.
"I'm afraid not, Harper. Rest well." And he was gone again, slithering away without another word.
"You know that everything the bastard just said is…dead wrong." No answer. "Garth? You okay?"
Raven was sprawled over her bed, finally asleep after finding a comfortable position that didn't end in a sharp jolt of pain. Her sleep was full of nothing, nobody, in the land of nowhere. It was completely empty with no dreams but suddenly there were feelings.
Richard walked past her door which was slightly afar to enter the bathroom for a change of robes and then it was right back to leader's training. After a small amount of stumbling and cursing, he had changed and was heading back out again but he heard a noise, a moan to be more exact. He sneaked into Raven's room to see her face scrunched but still asleep and just seconds before he reached to shake her, she bolted upwards and gasped:
"Garth…"
I told you all that I would post in January in my Chapter A/N, and I updated only two hours before February, but I still met my deadline. I had to post something. Towards the end I got a bit sloppy, I think. I apologize for that. If you have any questions, I'll answer them.
Adios, mi amigos! (That's all the Spanish, I know. Explains my Spanish grades.)