Thanks for the reviews! So fast too! They were really sweet.

Oh and… question that just occurred to me. How do they get to and from their tower with the T-car and R-cycle, being on an island?

And no, by "Heart Attack" (title of chapter) I do not mean a myocardial infarction.

Shards of Distortion

Chapter Six: Heart Attack

"Man, that was a sweet fight," Beast Boy said, as they returned from saving the day, exhausted. "Cy punched him, then I smacked him with my T-rex tail, and then Star shot him from above and blasted him into the ground!" he grinned, providing hand gestures as well.

"Yeah… Hope Rob's doin' okay," Cyborg said quietly. They were going to the infirmary to check on him.

"How exactly was my Robin able to contract the bad illness? How did he contract it from friend Raven?" Starfire asked. The two flinched at the word "my".

"She said it was her powers or something," Beast Boy said. "I dunno. Her powers are weird…"

"No, I do know that it was by the assistance of her powers. But… how was it he took it from her? Did he ask for it? The bad sickness? Did she let him? She wanted him to?" Starfire's voice was on the verge of hysteria.

"I don't think Raven would've ever wanted him to do it. I don't think she would've let him if she'd had the choice," Beast Boy said.

"But Robin's a stubborn guy. He likes to play the hero. And he really does care for her," Cyborg explained.

"I see," she said, slightly frostily.

"No, no," Beast Boy said, reassuring her. "Just a frie—oof!" He had just walked into Cyborg, who had opened the door to the infirmary and abruptly stopped in his tracks.

"Dude! Move!" Beast Boy said. He was directly behind Cyborg, who was blocking the entrance. He obstructed their view and kept them from going in. Beast Boy attempted to shove the much larger and heavier teen but had no luck.

"What is it, friend Cyborg?" Starfire asked. She stood behind Beast Boy.

"Star, go… go make Robin some soup, will ya?" he asked, still not moving.

"Of course, friend Cyborg," she said, and flew back towards the kitchen.

As soon as the girl was out of sight, Cyborg moved aside so Beast Boy could see. Beast Boy's jaw dropped, both of their eyes were wide as saucers. Beast Boy let out a high pitched noise of some sort.

Robin and Raven lay together in the same bed, intertwined. They both lay sideways, facing one another. She had her arms around him, one underneath him and one across his chest. Her head was nested against his chest. One leg was gracefully stretched out, the other was bent, her knee touching Robin's covered leg.

The sheets covered him from waist down, but looked as if they'd been a bit higher before. He was still in full costume, mask and all. The sheets and costume reserved privacy… at least as much could be conserved in such a position.

"Raven… is wearing… a skirt!" Beast Boy finally uttered. Cyborg rolled his eyes.

"Uh, yeah, that's a bit strange… but if you hadn't noticed, she's - literally - sleeping with Robin!" Cyborg almost shouted.

Cyborg could almost see question marks hovering above Beast Boy's head. "Guh?" His eyes widened even further, emitted a higher-pitched squeak and ran in the other direction, following Starfire.

"Man, someone's slow…" Cyborg muttered, watching his green friend run down the hall.

"C-Cyborg?" a voice said slowly. It was Robin.

"You're awake," Cyborg stated. "Sorry… did we wake you?"

"It's okay," Robin said.

"You look awful…"

"Thanks," Robin said, though he couldn't quite muster enough sarcasm into it.

Cyborg looked around for a thermometer. "So… had a good sleep?" he asked, slightly suggestively.

"Yeah…" he said, not catching the intonation. "Raven made it better," he told him. Yes, Robin was definitely sick. There was no way he would have admitted that, especially to him.

Cyborg had found the thermometer. "Open your mouth."

"You want to know?" Robin asked, too tired to smirk though.

Cyborg anxiously watched the numbers rise rapidly on the digital thermometer. He felt his muscles tense as the temperature climbed past 100 degrees. He stopped watching the thermometer, looking at Raven. She had a peaceful aura to her. She seemed… happy. He smiled slightly despite the fact he knew the thermometer was still rising.

Robin found the metal in his mouth increasingly uncomfortable. "Mm."

"Yeah, I know. Just hold on a bit longer," Cyborg said, warmth clearly evident in his voice. He continued to look at the two. He wondered whether Raven would still be so… nurturing… after Robin got better.

Beeeeep. The digital thermometer announced the temperature had stopped rising. Reluctantly, Cyborg looked at the temperature. "104.6," he read, shocked. "Robin, that's waaay too high. We should take you to the emergency room or at least a doctor... Can't really high fevers cause brain damage or something? Well, I mean, that's like after it's 106 or whatever, but still-"

"A hospital can't do anything," Robin said, voice strained. "Or a doctor. It's not a normal illness. Raven." He paused, taking a break. "She knows more about it than anyone would. It was her powers that created it," he said.

"Her powers did this to you?" he asked, confused.

"No… they did it to her. They just let me take it from her," he explained. He was too tired to explain further. His own words weren't even making sense in his mind.

"How?" Cyborg asked.

"I asked," he said, matter-of-factly.

Cyborg cocked an eyebrow. "Okay."

"Raven's a good friend," he said quietly.

"Yeah, she is," Cyborg agreed.

"Last night… I was lonely… so she told me she would stay," he said, smiling slightly. "She said she would be here for me."

Cyborg suddenly saw Robin as a child, not the arrogant leader of the Titans. A shiver ran down his spine.

"It was really nice of her," Robin said. He spoke slowly.

"Yeah, that was, wasn't it," Cyborg said.

"She doesn't normally act like this, does she," he asked, trying to remember through the haze of his mind.

"No… she doesn't. You're very special to her, Robin," he said serenely.

Robin smiled slightly. "She doesn't love me though." He spoke not remorsefully, nor angrily. He had no energy to put any emotion into it.

"Oh… er…" Cyborg was at loss for words.

"Raven's a good friend…" Robin was smiling.

"You're so delirious," Cyborg said, laughing a bit.

"Heh, yeah…" Robin smiled. Cyborg smirked.

"I'm so cold," the smaller boy mumbled. Cyborg noticed he was shivering. His teeth were chattering slightly.

Cyborg opened his mouth to say something, but heard footsteps. Oh no, he'd forgotten… "Rae," he said, desperately. "Raven!"

"Mmm?" She lazily opened one eye. "Cyborg?"

"Yeah, yeah. It's me. Raven, you've got to get up before-"

Crash.

Soup spilled all over the floor; the ceramic bowl had shattered. Starfire stood in the doorway, shocked.

Raven immediately sat up, untangling herself from the blankets and Robin. She froze like a deer in headlights. "Starfire-"

"Raven," Starfire interrupted, her voice dripping with venom. Her eyes were starting to glow dangerously.

Raven's eyes were glazed over with fear. "No, it's not-"

"I must speak with you," she said. Her voice was colder than ice.

Raven looked at Cyborg, who was cowering in a corner. She didn't dare look beside her. "Okay," she said, finally.

Starfire flew towards the dormitories. Raven followed. There was a long, uncomfortable silence, until Starfire finally slowed and came to the ground. She turned around, facing Raven.

"You," Starfire seethed, looking down at the shorter girl.

"Please, Star. Let me explain myself…"

"I need not an explanation. Let me speak without your interruptions. On Tamaran, there isno word for you," she said quietly. Raven said nothing. Was it just her, or was Star's voice shaking with rage? Maybe that was Raven's own body trembling with fright. This couldn't be happening…

"On Earth, you are called…" Starfire paused.

"A slut."

Raven's jaw dropped. "Star-"

"One who sleeps with another girl's boyfriend," she continued, confirming she knew what she was talking about.

"You don't understand-"

"I understand perfectly well," Starfire said. Her voice was glacial. Raven could tell that Starfire did understand the difference between figuratively and literally sleeping with someone.

"Look, Robin is sick…" Raven said desperately.

"Because of you!" Starfire accused. "You let. My Robin. Become ill," she said. Her eyes were gleaming menacingly.

"I—"

"You wanted my Robin to save you!"

"No!" Raven shouted.

"You are a selfish girl. You gave your sickness to him and then took advantage of his condition. Did you kiss my Robin?" she demanded.

"I… yes, but-"

"The meeting of lips – a kiss – must be earned. You are selfish, and did not deserve it," Starfire hissed.

"Starfire, I didn't want him to-"

"Do not blame him," she said icily. "This is your fault, Raven. You starved yourself, thinking you would be more beautiful. You wanted my Robin to look at you. You made yourself sick, so my Robin would feel sorry for you."

"No…" Raven's voice was strained. Starfire didn't know what she was talking about! She didn't have all the facts. But…

"Raven, I wish to no longer speak with you," Starfire said, her voice wavering dangerously. Her fists were shaking. Her green eyes glowed with hatred. Her forced calm was broken.

"You do not deserve Robin!" she screamed finally, and hurled a starbolt with all her might directly at Raven.

Raven, caught by surprise, had no time to defend and was hit full force by the bolt into the wall. Her body left an imprint in the concrete, causing cracks to form and bits of the wall to crumble.

She collapsed, sinking to a sitting position. "Let me explain," she said feebly.

"I do not want to hear your excuses, Raven," she said maliciously. "You are pathetic."

Raven watched helplessly as Starfire flew to her room. Pain was coursing through her body. A bit of concrete fell, hitting her on the head. "Ow." This was just perfect.

She sat there, paralysed. She wasn't sure if she was physically incapable of moving after the blast, which left a huge shattered imprint directly above where she now sat, or if it was the shocking fact that Starfire was so angry with her.

Half a second later, she figured it was the former. "Ugh…"

"Raven?" Beast Boy's voice could be heard from around the corner. "Rae? I heard a crash-" The green boy suddenly saw her and ran to her side. "Oh my gosh, Raven! What happened? Aah!" he was freaking out.

"I'm fine," she said, slightly dazedly. "Star's… a bit… angry," she explained, smiling.

Beast Boy winced. "She wouldn't have…"

"She did," she laughed.

"Oh, man, is anything broken? Can you walk? Can you move? Aah!"

"Calm down," she said, smiling. "I'm fine. A bit of difficulty… breathing," she said, then suddenly started to laugh.

"My gosh, Raven," Beast Boy said, shaking his head. "I'm going to get Cyborg right now. Don't move!"

She still laughed. "No need to worry about that," she said, grinning slightly. She was slightly hysterical…

She watched as Beast Boy transformed into a cheetah then ran towards the infirmary. Moments later he returned, Cyborg with him.

"God, Rae!" Cyborg exclaimed. "What happened?" He eyed the destroyed wall with an imprint directly above Raven. The cracks spread outwards like in a broken window. She sat there, back against the wall. Laughing.

"I had it," she said, still laughing. "For a few moments, I had it. I gave in and let myself have it. And this is what happened!"

"Raven…?" Cyborg started.

"Nope," she said. She grinned. She was acting like a child. "I'm Pathetic!" she laughed.

Beast Boy and Cyborg looked at each other. "That's what she told me, anyway!" she said, smiling. They winced.

"Come on, Rae," Cyborg said, finally. "It's almost three in the morning. Time for bed. BB, stay with Robin." He carefully picked the girl up, then carried her to her room.

"…Beast Boy? What happened?" Robin asked as the green boy came back. Robin had heard the crash from the infirmary.

"It was… er… me, morphing into a T-rex and accidentally crashing into a wall," Beast Boy made up hastily. He knew this wouldn't be a good time to tell him. He laughed nervously. "I… tripped."

Beast Boy was a bad liar. Robin, however, did not seem to notice. "'Kay," he mumbled.

"So, um, how are you doing?" Beast Boy asked.

"I'm alright," he said. Beast Boy raised an eyebrow. He looked in terrible condition.

"How high fever?"

"104.6, I think Cyborg said," Robin said conversationally.

Beast Boy's other eyebrow rose to meet the other. "Dude! Not cool!"

Robin chuckled slightly. "Nope. Rather warm, actually."

Beast Boy laughed. "Well, glad your brain isn't fried yet. Still the same old Robin." He gave a smile, though Robin could detect sadness.

"Come on. Tell me. What's wrong?" Robin asked.

"Nothing," Beast Boy said a little too quickly. "Just worried about you, that's all."

"Mmmkay," Robin murmured. He was too exhausted to be observant.

Dearest Diary,

I need you today. On this day, my heart was "broken". No, my Robin did not break up with me. I lost a dear friend. My girlfriend, as they call it here. Raven.

My Robin – my sweet, beautiful, kind Robin – was used. Let me start from the beginning… Previously, I told you of the sadness I felt for ex-friend Raven after the fight, yes? When she was sick? (Do not worry. I do not feel that sadness anymore.) Well my Robin felt that sadness, but more. I have never seen my boy so worried or upset.

Today, though, I realized just why Raven was sick. She wanted to be. That girl, if you can call that half-demon a girl, wanted my boy's sympathy. I did before tell you how I was concerned about how she would not eat. (I again feel that concern for her no longer.) That, I believe, is how she became sick (with the assistance of her powers, as she told us), and is also how she gained even more of my Robin's solace.

(Solace? Is that correct? I am wishing I had not made this promise to you, to use only the English terms to help me understand the language better. Explaining would be so much easier with Tamaranian terms.)

When my gentle, caring Robin was alone with her, feeling sad, she then took advantage of him. She used her powers to transfer her bad sickness into him. She is well now, though she does not deserve to be, and my beautiful boy is now ill.

That wretched little devil then kissed my boy. Raven KISSED my Robin! Can you believe it? She then slept with my boy. She was touching him. She was holding him, embracing him. That awful witch. He is sick… He could not stop her.

Raven knows nothing of love. She does not understand it. She cannot. She will likely never. She does not understand that people do not like angry, depressed girls. People do not like to be hurt. She does too much of the hurting.

She hurt me deeply today. She is not who I thought she was. She is not my best friend. She cannot be a person. She deserves no sympathy. Especially not from my Robin. She has broken too many hearts. Hers should be returned the favour.

Oh, right. She has no heart.

Goodbye, dearest Diary. I do not look forward to seeing friends Beast Boy or Cyborg. I do not wish to explain to them the hurt she has caused. I never want to see Raven again.

- Starfire

He lay her on her bed, trying not to take notice of the broken statues in her room. "Cyborg?"

He immediately noticed the change in voice. It was no longer the scary, insane laughter. But this was even more frightening. "Yeah, Rae?"

"Do you think I'm pathetic?" she asked meekly.

"No!" he said. "Of course not! Starfire didn't mean that," he reassured her. "And wasn't thinking when she blasted you into the wall…"

"I think she was," Raven said softly. "But I deserved it. Cyborg… Starfire's right. It is my fault that Robin's sick," she said, tears welling in her large violet eyes.

"Was not," Cyborg insisted. "Robin's gonna recover. He's strong."

"Do you think the Titans will break up because of me?" she asked. Tears were now streaming down her pale face.

'Of course not, Rae," Cyborg said, patting her on the back.

"Good… because the team, it's all that I've got," she whispered.

Cyborg felt like crying with her. "Yeah… we've been through a lot together. I couldn't imagine this team ever breaking up. We're friends, Rae. Good friends. Best friends. Friendship is a hard thing to break. It's tougher than Tamaranian meatloaf," he said with a smile. "Everything will turn out, like it always does."

"You promise?" she asked, looking at him with her wide, dark eyes. Her mascara was bleeding.

"I promise. 'Night, Raven."

He headed for the door, but stopped just before reaching it. "Oh, and Rae? Robin told me that you made him feel better," he said, smiling.

"Thanks, Cyborg," Raven said softly, watching the stream of light from the doorway narrow into nothingness.

Raven couldn't sleep; her wide eyes lay fixated on the ceiling above her. How could she have been so careless? So foolish? So weak…

She could hear voices in the hall. They were soft and muffled, but she could still make them out in the dead silence. "Cyborg," Beast Boy's voice said. "I found this on her bed. I, well, I didn't mean to read it… But it was left open on her bed. I didn't even know it was a diary, honest! I-"

"What does it say? Give it to me," she heard Cyborg say back. A long pause ensued, probably Cyborg reading it.

"No," Cy finally said. "This is bad. Really, really bad. Where is that girl, anyway?"

Raven could almost hear Beast Boy swallow. "She's left the Tower."

END OF CHAPTER

Ugh. Yes, Star was a tad harsh. But really, she tends to be a little protective of 'her boy' and honestly, who can blame her? Heheh, of course it's mostly Robin's fault…

Nice, long chapter. Now go on, if you had the time to read that chapter you should have the time to quickly write a review? Pretty please? Haha, now I just sound desperate.

- Penguin Pop