Scavengers
One Shot
Author's notes: Inspiration can strike anywhere, and this fic is proof of that. I was browsing the Challenge forum by sekai no yakusoku. The challenge is titled 'Wings of Flight', set by Daybreak 25, and since it will be Robin/Raven in essence, I wasn't sure if I could pull it off. The result is this dark, not-happy-and-preppy fic.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans.
It was cold. White mist wafted out from air-conditioning vents, floating foam-like all along the factory floor. Vats were lined up in neat aisles, and the scent of chocolate was prevalent throughout the entire factory space. It was, after all, a confectionary factory, and was the temporary home of a travelling chocolate exhibition. In the centre of the room, kept below sub-zero temperature to preserve it in its pristine condition, was the world.
No, not literally, but a sculpture made from the finest chocolate; dark for the land mass, and set on a sea of white chocolate. Fine details like mountains, rivers and settlements were carved into the massive globe, an ambitious project done by some obscure artisan that was probably paid only a fraction of the exhibit's worth.
The three behemoths surrounding the globe stood just about as tall as the sculpture itself, trying to lift it off when the skylight gave way above them, raining glass shards on the trio. A dark shape fell through, his cape whipping against the wind as he landed on the apex of the sculpture.
"What's the matter? Lowering your standards because you can't take over the real world?" There was a cackle of electricity as Overload sent an arm towards Robin, but already he was gone, landing behind Plasmus and Cinderblock. "Titans, go!"
The outlines of three Titans were barely visible against the dark night sky: Cyborg dropped straight into the path of Overload, sending a shot of his sonic cannon to keep it away from the sculpture. A volley of starbolts rained on Plasmus, drawing its attention while a green rhinoceros drove its horn straight into Plasmus's midsection, tearing a hole through the goo-like villain. There was a monotonous chant from the shadowy depths of the chocolate factory, sending barrels pelting towards Cinderblock. They bounced off his back, having no apparent effect except to anger it.
It let loose a roar of rage, charging down Robin. There was a dull thud of concrete on flesh, resulting in him skidding on the linoleum floor. The entire factory shook as the massive villain strode over to the fallen Titan, its feet pounding tiny craters in the floor with every step.
Robin winced, leaping back to his feet. Any one of the trio was bad news on any day, but having all three of them meant one thing: Slade was behind this. At least, it seemed so to Robin. He had deployed them against the Titans once, and knowing that the three of them combined had the brainpower of cheese, it was impossible not to think of them under the directions of a mastermind.
He reached for a short length of metal from his belt, lengthening it to a Bo staff with the touch of a button. Ducking under a punch from Cinderblock, he rolled under its guard and drove the metallic staff into its back. It tipped over, thrown off-balance by the attack, and crashed into the floor. Robin pumped his fist into the air in exultation.
A scream of pain from behind reminded him that he was still in the midst of a fight. Raven was entangled in Overload's grasp, channelling streams of energy into her body. Water, Robin recalled mentally, his eyes searching for the sprinkler system overhead. He reached for his grappling hook, firing it at a dark bump.
Water rained down from above, sending Overload shrinking away in shrieks of pain. Raven fell in a crumpled heap on the floor. Robin could see Raven's chest steadily rising and falling, indicating that she was still breathing. Elsewhere, Plasmus was still kept busy by Starfire and Cyborg. Cinderblock was…
"Robin! Heads up!" Beast Boy's warning came a split second too late. Cinderblock's fist crashed into Robin's left shoulder, its impact causing a sound of bone cracking. He stumbled to the ground, clutching his hurting shoulder. The pain was overwhelming, but Robin knew better than to succumb to it. He tried to move his left hand, and almost cried out in pain. It looked bad, he concluded. "No," he muttered. He won't stop, not when he had a chance to catch Slade.
The rest of the battle was a whirl in Robin's mind, as the pain literally dyed his vision red. He could hear the sound of metal ripped from its base, and vaguely felt the sprinkler stop. Three explosions… chocolate everywhere… A green mass flying overhead, hitting the thing Robin rested on.
And the world seemed to crash around him. The chocolate world.
It split into half, rolling past him and crashed over a dark shape. A breathing thing… Robin realised that Raven wasn't in the air… Hadn't she recovered from Overload's attack? What if she was under the thing?
No time for that. The three villains had made a hole through the factory wall, realising their mission had failed. A surge of adrenaline seized Robin, driving him onto his feet. Ignoring the sharp pain in his shoulder, he surged forward, giving chase to the lumbering figures.
"Yo, Robin! Give it a rest; they're gone…"
Robin glared at Cyborg, and continued his lopsided sprint. Slade's smug face was imprinted in his mind, pushing him to take one more step despite his shoulder…
"Track them down… can't let Slade get away…" Robin's breathing was irregular, a bad sign. Still, he can't let this go…
"Dude, we don't even know Slade's behind all this!"
Robin turned around to face the three remaining members of his team. Beast Boy was crouched by the fallen chocolate globe, trying to move it. Starfire floated above, her head jerking first towards Beast Boy, then at Robin, as though she was confused.
"Track them down… This is an order!"
Starfire gasped, unable to control it. Robin had never used his leader authority like that. "But what about Raven?" she asked, stealing a glance at Beast Boy. He had given up all attempts to move the thing, and had started to stride towards Robin.
"Forget about Raven; I can't let Slade escape…" Robin took a deep breath, realising he had laid the last straw. Still, he maintained his stand: they must catch him, even if the team was against it. They'll thank him for it sometime later.
"I can't believe you'd say that, Robin… I'm staying behind and…"
"Stay behind, and you're off the team." Robin's ultimatum rung through the entire factory, accompanied by an ominous streak of lightning that lit up the night sky.
"Police scans just in; they were spotted near the pier about three minutes ago. If we're going, it's now…"
Or never… Robin completed the phrase in his head. "You're either with me, or you're not." He can't afford to lose more time; the pier was a good five minutes away, three if he sprinted. He looked at his team, as though asking them, "Well?"
Beast Boy gave a growl, turned into a wolf and took off at a sprint. Robin was vaguely aware that his feelings might be hurt. Apologies could come later. Cyborg followed, and Starfire hovered overhead, occasionally shooting a look back at Robin. The three were gone in a second, and Robin was about to turn when there was movement out of the corner of his eye…
She crawled out of the wreck of melted chocolate, completely covered with the sticky substance. As she straightened up to her feet, she tumbled forward, fortuitously held up by her own powers. Robin noticed that her ankles were bulging out at odd angles, a possible sign of dislocation.
"You're injured…"
"Thanks for noticing; I suppose there is a use for your observational skills after all," Raven replied with a hint of sarcasm, cleaning the chocolate off her body off with a wave of obsidian energy.
Robin took a step forward, holding out a hand for her. The least he could do now was to redeem himself. His actions seemed justified then, when he had a chance to catch Slade. Now, it seemed stupid that he would order his friends around. Raven took his hand, relying on it for support instead.
"I…" He started, but couldn't find the words to go on. Her eyes seemed to pierce through him, and he found himself looking away. Her cold voice still came out clearly from behind.
"Don't forget about me. Don't EVER forget about me."
He could hear himself saying something similar a few moments before… His heart seemed to be stung by several sharp objects, and continued to avoid her enraged stare.
"It was an emergency…"
Raven levitated away, taking the pressure off Robin. Although her ankles were still swollen, at least she could stop the pain. "That's your problem, Robin. It's always about Slade. The team comes second, Slade first. We're just supporting you… nothing else matters to you…"
Her voice was even colder and devoid of emotionless, if it were possible, from her usual voice. There was a raven's shriek overhead. Both of them looked up, and saw the silhouette of a larger bird diving onto a smaller one. The raven let loose a triumphant cry, and it dived down through the skylight, landing a few feet from the two Titans. Robin could see what the raven had struck down: a robin, with red and black plumage…
It was symbolic of the current situation; Raven was tearing Robin apart…
"Let's go," Robin whispered, turning around to the makeshift entrance which the villains had made earlier.
"Where, to find Slade?" Raven levitated in front of Robin, stopping him. Her every word was like acid, caustic… If only she knew… how much he had regretted those words…
"Home," he muttered. A second later, he got his wish, and shadow engulfed him, sweeping him away…
The Ops Room was still empty; the scanners showed that the Titans were still pursuing the villains to no end. He was about to call them back, when Raven settled in the sofa beside him.
"You might want something for your shoulder," she muttered, causing Robin to glance at her. Her ankles were healed, repaired by her own magical powers. If he had to carry this injury forever to remind him of his guilt, he would. Not waiting for his reply, she worked her magic, and Robin felt the pain subside.
A meek 'thanks' was all he could muster, and they fell silent. Their eyes locked for a second, before Raven's frown made Robin clear his throat and turn back to the screen. He felt that something was missing…
"Raven… I'm…. really sorry."
"Save it for Beast Boy; I think he's more upset over it than I am."
The screen locked in on the Titan, still in his wolf form. Already, it was raining, faint streams of raindrops splattering against the concrete; yet they kept chasing, never questioning where he went. He wondered if their impression of him had taken a change for the worst. What if they had lost all forms of respect for him? He had to redeem himself…
"You need to relax, sometimes," Raven started, getting his attention once more. He stared at her, as she removed the hood off her head, revealing her face. "I may not know how, but at least you should."
Robin's feelings for Raven were reawakened, something he had managed to forget after the Trigon incident. He shook it off and stood up, turning to face the glass panels that overlooked Jump City. They say birds of a feather flock together, but he was a human. She was a demoness. It wouldn't work.
"Are you afraid of love?" Raven asked, as though she could read his mind. It would seem like a casual question, but Robin's facial expression said it all.
"Yes," he whispered. Outside, rain was pattering against the glass window, blurring Robin's reflection in the glass.
"If it is because of Starfire…"
"Starfire has nothing to do with it," Robin interrupted, turning around to face Raven. His heart raced as they locked eyes.
"Only you would know best." The harsh reply was followed by a chiding look from Raven, though it was hard to guess what she was feeling under those emotionless eyes. Robin closed his eyes, and counted to ten. When he opened them again, she was gone.
Good; he can think better without her constant distraction.
Raven was always misunderstood to be dark, forever brooding and having gothic tendencies. The Titans knew enough about her to know that none of them were true; though it was rare, she still laughed occasionally. A cynical and sarcastic laugh which she used in response to Beast Boy's jokes. Robin knew that she has to keep her emotions in check, which accounts for her lack of display of feelings.
He had always thought he was closer to Starfire; if so, what was he feeling now? Already he had held back his initial attraction for Starfire, thinking that duty should be held above other things… Mundane things like relationships…
Someone once told him that it was normal to feel attraction for someone just by being close to them, but he wasn't normal. He's a Titan; if anything, he was beyond a human teenager. The pressure on his shoulder was probably more than what most adults have to undergo. He can't show any form of weakness, emotional or otherwise.
He sank into the sofa, realising that his thoughts were digressing with each passing thought. The crux of the problem remains: Is he really afraid of love?
Would it hurt to try?
He didn't know the answer to that, but he knew not to take it too far. He would wait and see…
He depressed a button on his communicator, setting up a delayed transmission. Glancing at the clock overhead, he noted the time. Fifteen minutes. Taking a deep breath, he sent out a message to recall the rest of the Titans…
Raven felt his presence a moment before she heard the knocking on her door, and opened it by a fraction, just enough to see his figure in the hallway. "If there's nothing you want to say to me…"
"I have."
Raven sighed, stretching out her legs as she got up from her meditating circle. The encounter with Robin had almost allowed her emotions to take over, something she can never allow. With that thought in mind, she allowed Robin into her room. He treaded carefully past her stacks of books, while she ignited a few more candles to allow more light into the room.
"What do you want?" she muttered, keeping her back turned this time. Keep your mind blank and focus… she told herself. The full-length mirror on the opposite wall allowed her to see him clearly.
Robin held out a thin package, lined with a silvery foil. It was cold…. Chocolate.
"I'm sorry, Raven."
He had apologised before, but the words sounded different with the gift. Raven ignored the possibility that he was more sincere with the gift, she didn't care about that. Remembering about her emotions, she levitated the bar of chocolate from Robin's hand and onto her bedside table.
"Well, I better go… The rest would be back soon."
She slammed the door shut the second she felt his presence leave the room. She could hear him outside, apologising to the rest of the Titans for his behaviour earlier.
That was good, wasn't it? He was responsible enough, willing to put on the blame on himself when necessary… the kind of person she should be looking for…
"There you go again," she whispered to herself. When would she stop thinking about these things?
When she asked Robin if he was afraid of love, she didn't tell him one thing.
She was afraid, too.