Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, and at this rate, I never will. But what if I said I did? What would YOU do about it? … That's what I thought.
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Raven walked in through the familiar black doors that reflected all light directed toward the dark café. As a sliver of light slipped through at Raven's entrance, those inside cringed. The room was so dark that any light let inside nearly blinded the people already there. Raven understood their discomfort. She had experienced this before, though not all that often. It wasn't a popular café. Raven liked it that way.
She took her usual seat next to the black window at the back. Several people nodded to her, and she gave a nod back in greeting. These were the regulars at Dark Diamond Café. It was an open mike café, unusual as it was. Not too many people used the mike, though every time Raven came in, she heard a couple poems or short stories. At the moment, no one was speaking.
Jack quickly walked by and dropped off her usual herbal tea. Jack, Raven learned through months of coming here, had worked at the Dark Diamond Café since its beginning. He had a knack for remembering faces, names, and orders, which made the café so successful—or as successful as it was. Jack would've been an indispensable employee anywhere he wanted to be, but he chose this café because of the people. While stereotyped goths were the only attendees, they also happened to be some of the nicest people Raven had gotten to know. Well, she didn't exactly know them all that well. She heard them share several words of wisdom at the mike, but at the Dark Diamond Café, whatever was shared was so in depth that one could learn what made the very soul of a person if one listened carefully enough. Raven had discovered personal things about all of the regulars that she could blackmail them with, but there was also a sense of trust in the café. What was shared in the café stayed in the café. Who you knew in the café, you knew only in the café. It was like living in a completely different world. Perhaps this was why Raven so often found herself sitting at the corner table, listening to the newbies give their shots at dark poetry, reading a new novel, listening to rain pound against the window, or watching Jack fulfill the latest orders. It was a very serene environment where nothing out of the ordinary ever happened. It was the complete contrast to her life in Titan's Tower.
Raven took a sip of her herbal tea and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth in her mouth. Jack could whip up the best herbal tea in one minute over anyone else Raven had encountered. Just as she swallowed, the doors to the café opened again, but not in the unobtrusive way Raven had come through them. Both doors were thrust open, and light flooded into the room like rushing water. Raven, whose eyes had already become accustomed to the darkness, cringed and blinked, trying to get used to the sudden blindness that came over her. In a moment, however, the light was gone, and colored spots found their way into Raven's vision. She blinked several more times and glared over at whoever had just entered the room.
It was no one Raven knew. They did not look like anyone who would normally visit the café. Two boys dressed in jeans, one with a yellow shirt, another with a red, were standing near the doors and looking around, obviously waiting for someone to seat them. Behind them was a girl with striking blonde hair dressed in a miniskirt and the pinkest shirt Raven had ever seen. She was looking for something in the purse she was carrying, her eyes lighting up after finding what she was looking for. She pulled out a brightly colored lip-gloss and smoothed it over her lips before smiling flirtatiously at one of the boys she was with.
Jack walked over to them, an emotionless mask placed carefully over his face. "Can I help you?"
"Yeah," said the boy in yellow. "You can start with seating us."
Jack didn't do anything for a moment, and Raven understood the dilemma fighting inside his mind. These newcomers were obnoxious teenage punks and were going to cause trouble. However, if he rejected them, his job would be on the line.
"Hey, buddy, c'mon, we're paying customers here," said the boy in red.
"Oh, Gary, don't be so rude," said the blonde. "He's going to seat us. Be patient."
The blonde's kindness seemed to reassure Jack about something, and he moved aside and held out an arm, showing all the empty tables. "Seat yourselves wherever you like."
None of the café's previous occupants made any sort of recognition that a very odd group was being seated. They continued with whatever they were doing. Jack didn't look at anyone as he followed the trio to the table they took far too long to decide on. Once they were seated, he asked what he could get them.
"A beer," said the one in yellow with a smirk.
"Matt!" the blonde chided.
"All right, all right, just a coke."
"Two," said Gary.
"I'll just have a water," the girl said.
Jack left them. The three took to looking around at the usual customers of the Dark Diamond Café. Those who they made eye contact with merely stared, and so the trio's eyes continued wandering. Raven sipped at her tea and made eye contact with the one called Matt. He smirked at her, but Raven continued drinking her tea. She would not let a silly smirk from a stupid boy get her riled up. She had more control of her emotions than that.
Matt elbowed Gary and nodded towards Raven, murmuring something unintelligible to anyone but Gary. Gary looked over at Raven, smiled in a way that made Raven slightly uneasy, and nodded to Matt.
"What are you two talking about?" the girl asked.
"Shut up, Megan," Matt said.
Megan glared. "That's no way to act toward your little sister."
"Yeah, well how 'bout I deck ya?" Matt said. "That be better?"
Megan's glare was unwavering.
"Your drinks," Jack said as he arrived, setting them down before those who asked for them.
Gary took a sip of his immediately, and just as Jack was turning to leave, the sputtering sound of Gary made him turn back. Megan let out a short scream.
"What the hell is this?" Gary snapped, wiping the remnants of the soda that spewed all over Megan away from his mouth. "I asked for a Pibb, and you give me a regular coke?"
Megan was paying him no attention. Once again she was digging through her purse, and this time came out with several napkins. "Ga-ry!" she said in agitation. "You've ruined my new clothes! And it's on my face! I need to redo my make-up!" She stood, clutching her purse, and said to Jack, "Where's the restroom?"
Jack pointed to a slim hallway at the back, and Megan thanked him and hurried off. Gary, however, was not so accommodating to Jack's helpfulness. "HEY! LISTEN TO ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU, YOU GOTH-LOVING FREAK!" Gary had stood up by now, and plowed on, not noticing the silence that had come over the room. "WHEN I ASK FOR A PIBB, I EXPECT A PIBB! GOT THAT?"
Jack again had the emotionless mask on his face that Raven was so used to wearing herself. He paused for a moment, then nodded and took Gary's drink away. A satisfied look found its way onto Gary's face as he sat back down again. All eyes that had been watching unobtrusively went back to what they were doing, except for Raven. She continued sipping at her tea, but found nothing more interesting to look at other than the boys a few tables down who were making idiots of themselves.
Matt noticed her gaze, and seemed to take this as a look of romantic interest, for he elbowed Gary again and stood, making his way over to Raven. Gary followed him immediately as he realized what Matt was doing, and both were standing next to Raven's table within moments. Raven continued to drink her tea.
"Hey there," Matt began. "Mind if we join you?"
"Yes," Raven said quite distinctly. Despite this, however, Matt sat down across from her and Gary leaned against the table.
"So you're Raven?" Gary said.
"Yes," Raven said.
Matt smiled. "I'm Matt; it's nice to meet you."
"And I'm Gary," Gary said, reaching for a hand that was clasped around her cup. Raven did not give it to him. He gave her a look, but then retreated. "The pleasure is all mine."
"Yes, I'm sure," Raven said.
"So what's a girl like you doing in a place like this?" Matt asked.
"I think I should be asking you that," Raven said. "You're the outsiders here."
"Are we now?" Gary said, looking rather smug. "And what do you think of us outsiders?"
Raven gave both of them a hard stare before answering. "I think you're both obnoxious snobs that need to lay off."
"Obnoxious?" Gary said.
"Snobs?" Matt added. "Baby, you just don't know us well enough."
Raven calmly took another sip of her tea. "If you don't get away from me, I never will."
"What's that mean, Ravie?" Gary asked.
"Ravie?"
"Yeah…" Gary said complacently. "Gotta give my girl a nickname, ya know?"
"Your girl?" Raven asked, pulling her hood back over her head. She didn't like this feeling she was getting. "Surely you mean Megan."
Matt stifled a chuckle. He was smacked upside the head by Gary. Turning his attention back to Raven, he let his eyes wander. "Baby, she ain't half the woman you are."
"Woman?" Raven asked, and her eyes began to glow red under the cloak. She stood up from her seat and smirked, getting unnecessarily close to Gary. "You want to see a woman?"
Gary smiled, paying her red eyes no mind as his eyes were elsewhere. "Hell yeah, if you're willing to show me."
"No." Raven said simply, letting her smirk crawl up her face to become wider and maniacal. Her voice became deeper and raspier. "But I'll show you a monster."
Her black aura radiated off of her with such a force that Gary was thrown across the room and into the back wall. Everything was pushed away from the magic, tipping cups and tables, breaking the windows, and throwing the mike toward the speakers, resulting in an intolerable high-pitched noise. The light from the broken windows illuminated everything in its mangled state, and several passersby ignored the ringing in their ears to watch. Raven didn't notice, though; her eyes were on Gary alone.
"Come on," she said in that same raspy tone, walking forward with an unwavering gaze. Two sets of glowing red eyes were now clearly visible under cloak. "Don't men think women and monsters are similar? Let me show you. You were so anxious before."
Gary was struggling to retain consciousness, but understood that a real monster was about to murder him. "G-get the hell away from me, freak!"
"Freak?" Raven said as she reached him. She bent down and grabbed him by his red T-shirt, lifting him up so they were eye to eye. "I thought I was a woman." Raven made a sharp turn and threw Gary to the other side of the café, making another dent in the wall. "But then again, I'm a monster, a goth in your own words to Jack. I suppose that just makes me quite terrible." Raven was already rapidly closing the distance between Gary and herself. Gary looked up at her, eyes unsteady, fear in his eyes. "What's wrong, Gary? I thought you wanted a woman. Second thoughts?"
Gary slowly nodded, the fear rising. "You… you're a witch."
"No," Raven said slyly, picking him up again with her fingers clutched tightly around his throat. "I'm a demon."
"STOP! OH, GOD, PLEASE STOP IT!"
Raven stood there for a moment, not certain what was going on. She quite suddenly realized she had a dangerous hold on this boy's throat, and she released him immediately, backing away. The blonde girl who had spoken, Megan, rushed over to Gary and knelt beside him. Raven shook her head, the red now gone from her eyes. She looked around through purple orbs and stared with mounting horror at the destruction she had caused to her favorite café. Someone had had enough sense to move the microphone so that the high-pitched screeching was no more, but the aftermath was still obvious. Raven took it all in for a moment and then turned away, walking at a slightly faster pace than normal out the door.
Yes, her birthday was most certainly coming.
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A/N:
YAY! Everyone be happy with me! I've updated, I've got Spiteful Love up, and… um… what else should you be happy with me for? Um… I updated??? So yes, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was rather different with the boys and girl I added into this chapter, but hopefully something enjoyable nevertheless. I trust you all are aware of what is happening? Yes, just keep those thoughts to yourselves for now….
Next chapter, I think I'll do the day before Raven's birthday. One more chance for you all to compare how Raven normally is as opposed to what she's becoming. Then her birthday shall arrive, and you'll understand why she's becoming what she is. Well, hopefully. I don't even know why this is happening to her yet, so I suppose I ought to start thinking of a reason, huh? Yep, time to put that brain of mine to work!
Thankx for reading, and please review!
Riles
PS: I know it doesn't seem like a BB/Rae YET, but it WILL! It WILL! You all had just better be aware that this story isn't labeled a tragedy for nothing….