AKNOWLEGEMENTS:
First off, I had to post this twice, because fanfiction dot net decided to screw with me.
Grrr...
Once again, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed the previous chapter. I tried to respond to as many of you as I could; if I forgot you, my apologies. I'll do better next time
I also wish to thank CalliopeMused, who Co-authored a portion of this chapter. She continues to amaze me.
And although, once again, I couldn't really have this beta'd, due to my ongoing comp problems. I still need to thank Vixx, for just being so darn cute, if nothing else.
Chapter 7: Reciprocity
"Raven? Raven?" Beastboy called through the door to Ravens room. He shifted one of his hands out from under the tray he was carrying to knock softly on the smooth metal surface. "Raven, I brought you some tea, are you up?"
"I am now," came an irritated voice from inside.
"Oh, uh... maybe now's not a great time, huh? I'll just go and-"
"No, I'm up, might as well not waste it," Ravens' voice was barely audible. "Come in. Touch nothing."
As the portal slid open, Beastboy took a tentative step inside, scanning the dim chamber that the empath made her home in. Ravens' inner sanctum always gave Beastboy the creeps, he had to admit. To his left, a massive bookself sat festooned with ancient-looking tomes. A sinister sculpture leered at him as he passed. The shades were drawn over the large east-facing window on the right side of the room. The only scant illumination came from lamps suspended from the ceiling. His sensitive nose was filled with the smell of old books and incense, the scents he always associated with his teammate.
And that temmate currently laid on her bed, still fully clad in her cloak, leotard and boots, with a pillow over her head.
"R-Rave? Are you alright? Are you sick, or something?"
A groan came from her. "Do I look alright to you?" The blue cloaked girl pulled the pillow from over her head and looked at him with bloodshot, bleary eyes. "I overextended myself, protecting the team from Gizmo," she said. "I get migraine headaches sometimes when that happpens."
"Well, umm, I brought you your favorite herbal tea," the green boy said as he sat the serving tray down on her nightstand. "You take yours with one teaspoon of sugar, right?" he asked.
"That's right." she said with some surprise. "That's pretty observant."
"I've seen you make it plenty of times," he said self-deprecatingly. "I was bound to pick it up eventually." he filled her mug and added the proper portion of sugar, and handed the beverage to her.
She raised the cup to her lips, and took a sip. "Not too bad," she noted, "But next time don't let it steep so long, it gets a little bitter."
"I'll have to remember that," Beastboy said as he took the second cup off of the tray. Raven looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"I, uh, thought I might try the stuff myself," he said as he poured himself a cup and added a teaspoon of sugar, "You don't mind, do you?"
She sook her head, grimacing and fingertips to her temple as she did. "Go ahead," she muttered.
Beastboy took a gulp of the dark liquid, and had to fight the urge to spit it out immediately, as the bitter taste flooded his mouth. "Pretty good," he gasped, after forcing himself to swallow. He reached for the spoon and added several more spoons of sugar.
"It's an acquired taste," Raven said, with a hand still pressed to her forehead.
"Raven, are you sure I can't get you anything to make you feel better?" He said, seeing how much discomfort she was in.
She seemed to think a moment. "Very well. In the top right drawer of my dresser, there's a bottle of ibuprofin. You could get that for me." She looked at him with hard eyes. "My mirror is on top of the dresser. Do not touch it, or anything else." She laid back down and tightly closed her eyes.
"Okay!" he said, happy to be of help. He spung to his feet, and hurried over to the dresser. Looking over it, he noted that it wasn't cluttered with the typical teenage girl paraphenalia, not that Raven was in any way a typical girl. He saw the aforemetioned mirror, and quickly looked away, willing himself not to touch it.
Rae definitely wouldn't welcome a houseguest in her head, especially with a screaming headache.
His eyes moved on, and noticed his fathers' journal sitting nearby. "Huh, I see you still have my dads' book," he noted.
"Yeah, I meant to give it back to you today, but I forgot. You can go ahead and take it with you."
He looked at the small black book musingly. "Nah, you can have it."
"You want me to keep it? Why?" she asked surprised.
He looked back at her, and noted her sitting up in bed, looking at him strangely. "It's kinda like what we talked about this morning," he said. "I've held on to the past too long."
She continued to look at him, and nodded. "Alright. I'll take care of it for you, I promise." Her face then twisted up in pain, and she buried her face back in her pillow with a groan. "And those pills would be a good idea right about now. My head feels it's about to explode."
"Coming up!" he said brightly. He opened the top left drawer of her dresser and looked into it, and immediately froze at the sight of an arsenal of lacy black feminine undergarments. All rational thought ceased as he stared, transfixed, feeling blood rushing to his face.
"Beastboy. Pills. Now."
Beastboy almost leapt several feet into the air as the half-demon girls' monotone voice shocked him from his reverie. Quickly looking back behind him, she saw that she was still shielding her eyes with her pillow.
Ok, she didn't see, thank goodness. I might actually live through this...
He slid the illicit drawer shut quietly, so as not to alert her, and opened the drawer next to it. Seeing the small plastic bottle, he quickly grabbed it and ran back to her bedside. "Sorry I took so long. They had rolled to the back, and I kinda had to seach for them," he said, hoping he sounded convincing. He struggled with the child-proof cap for a moment, and fished out two of the small white pills. "Here ya go."
The suffering girl pulled her head out from under her pillow and took the offered medication, swallowing them with a sip of her tea. She then held her now empty cup out to him. "Could you refill this, please? Caffiene helps painkillers work faster." As he took the cup from her, she looked at him closely. "Are you sure you're feeling alright? You look a little flushed..."
"What? Me? Yeah, I'm right as rain!" he gushed with a smile, still feeling his face burning.
She looked at him suspiciously for a moment, then shook her head. "Whatever."
"I never knew that you could get this way, because of your powers," Beastboy said, as he refilled her empty cup, and handed it back to her.
"It dosen't happen as often as it used to, but I'm still not totally back to normal after being roughed up by Mammoth, so I just wore myself out. My powers are linked to my physical condition, but not as much as yours are."
He nodded. "Yeah. If I change too many times too quickly, or if I stay in a really big animal form for too long, I get tired, and kinda sore."
She was silent for a moment, then spoke quietly. "When I was in your memories last night, I felt what it was like when you change. It really... hurt."
"Yeah. It does." he said with a nod.
"You mean it still does? I had thought that maybe it got better as you got older, or something. I've never heard you complain about it."
"No, it still does. I just got used to it, is all. When I change into things close to my own size, I barely notice it anymore. Now, the T-Rex still makes me wince a bit." He smiled a little. "But it's not a big deal. I mean, it only hurts a sec. And it's not like you ever shared how much your powers can take out of you, either."
She took another sip, and nodded. "I don't think that any of us like to admit things like that, even Starfire. No one likes being weak."
"Nah. Besides, when I was in the Doom Patrol, complaining about being sore or something would just get me a stern look from Mento. He was always telling me to 'be a man,' and preaching about having endurance, and stuff."
She looked back at him with curiosity. "I knew you were in the Doom Patrol, but you've never really talked about it. Was it that bad?"
He mused quietly to himself. "I don't know if you could say it was bad," he said, "But it wasn't the same as the Titans are. I mean, I learned a lot while I was with them, but... I could never talk to them the way I talk to you guys. The Patrol were real gung-ho about fighting villains, and I'll always respect them, but the five of us weren't... close, like how I feel about you and the other Titans." He thought for a moment. "Except Elasti-girl. Rita was always real nice to me. She was the closest thing I had to a mom, after my parents died."
"That's nice to hear." Raven said. She smiled slightly. "And you're right about the Titans. You and the others are like family to me. I was really fortunate that I ran into you four all those years ago." She let out a short laugh. "Listen to me, I'm starting to get mushy. I must really be ill."
Beastboy smiled at her. "Don't sweat it. It's nice to see you this way." He paused for a moment, unsure of what he was about to say. "This morning, on the shore... it got real... intense, didn't it?"
"Yes, it did." she replied, her eyes looking at her hands, as she toyed with her teacup idly.
"I'm glad you did it, though. I mean, sharing all that stuff with me. You don't regret it, do you?" he asked in a small voice.
She looked up at him, her indigo eyes softer than ususal. "No. I'm glad I did it. It felt good to trust someone, after all this time. And I'm glad you trusted me, as well."
Their eyes locked for a long moment, and he suddenly felt embarassed, as though she were looking right into him. He blushed slightly, and looked away.
"I should probably try to get some rest," she said at last. "That should take care of the worst of my headache." She handed the teacup to him. "Thanks, Beastboy. It was really nice of you to do this."
"Anytime, Raven." he said with a gentle smile, as he gathered up the dishes.
She yawned. "Wow, guess I really am tired. She laid her head down and shut her eyes. "Beastboy?" she said in a small tired voice.
"Yeah?"
"You do know that if I ever catch you in my underwear drawer again, I'll give you the mother of all beatings, right?"
"I'd expect that," he said, his face flushing once again. Then he chuckled. "I'll have to make sure you don't catch me, next time."
"Alright then, just so long as you understand that. Good night," she said sleepily
"Good night, Raven" He said. As he picked up the tray, he took a long look at her face. Sleep had taken away it's customary hard-edged defensiveness, and gave her a soft, angelic cast. He noticed a comforter folded across the foot of the bed. Gently he took it and stretched it over her sleeping form. He took up the tray, and gave her one last look.
"Sweet dreams, Rae." he turned quietly slipped out of the room.
Jinx sighed. This is getting really old, really fast, she thought to herself. Oh well, let's find out how much longer the Boy Blunder wants to play...
She had spent the better part of two hours being interrogated by Robin, who now stood before her imposingly, as she sat indolently on the cot that was, apart from a small end table, the only furinishing in the holding cell she was being kept in. But all things considered, Jinx had been in worse places. It was certainly the cleanest cell she'd ever been in, she'd observed idly.
"Let's try this again, Jinx," the Titans' leader said with weariness evident in his voice. "Why did Gizmo break into S.T.A.R. Labs?"
"Ummm, I dunno..." the pink-haired sorceress drawled. Then her eyes went wide. "Oh wait - I think I know! To steal something! Am I right, am I right?" she squealed with mock enthusiasm.
She was gratified to see Robin's jaw clentch in annoyance. It was petty, certainly, to take pleasure in irritating the him so, but then, with her hands still bound by cuffs linked to a belly chain, preventing her from using her magic, there wasn't much else she could do.
"Yes, Jinx. He stole stole something. Some experimental medical equipment. I already told you that," he said with exaggerated patience. "Now, what I need to know is why he would take something like that. What possible use would he have for medical tech?"
Jinx could feel her own irritation rising. "How many times do I have to tell you? I don't know! We've been over this. Maybe he's going to sell it, or something."
Robins' eyes bored into her relentlessly. "Really. Is that what the top students at the HIVE Academy for Extraordinary Young People have been reduced to? Petty theft? Fencing stolen technology? I'm not buying it," he said flatly.
"That's former top students at the HIVE," she corrected. "You pretty much ended that chapter of our careers when you Titans dismantled Brother Blood. The HIVE is dead. And we had get by how we could. Unlike you suck-ups, we don't get handouts from the City Council. So, yeah, we're petty thieves now. It sucks, but it's a living."
Robin leaned in closer to her. "But if that's the case, then there has to be a buyer, or a client, or someone who gave Gizmo this job. The items he took were pretty specific; he broke in, took only a few certain pieces, and didn't filch anything else. So I think he did this on assignment from an outside party."
Jinx smirked at him. "Wow. You sure have an incredible grasp of the obvious, Robin," she taunted. "Looks like all that time you spent with the Dark Knight Detective really paid off. Good for you."
Robins' clenched fists were her reward for her insult. It was clearly taking every ounce of this self control to keep from snapping. He took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "Jinx, all I want is to know who you've been working for lately. Names, addresses, contact info, anything. You know, we could pull some strings for you, when you have to face the courts. We might even be able to get your sentence reduced, if you co-operate," he offered. "Help us, and we'll help you."
The young witch pretended to think it over for a moment, the replied, "No, thanks."
"What? Why not?"
"It's nothing personal, Robin. I just don't like you, that's all," she replied. She paused a moment. "Oh wait, that is personal. Sorry." she said sweetly.
A vein was now visibly pulsing in the masked boys' forehead, much to her satisfaction.
Robin now looked close to an explosion, but before it could happen, the door to the cell slid open with a hiss, and Cyborg entered, carrying a covered tray.
"Hey Robin," Cyborg nodded to him, "I brought our 'guest' some dinner."
"Cyborg, now's not a good time. I'm trying to interrogate her."
"Trying being the operative word, here. It's obvious she's not going to talk. Why don't you take a breather?"
Robin opened his mouth to protest. "But-"
"Starfire's going to be sad if you don't join her for dinner," the half-robotic Titan observed.
Robin sighed. "I guess a break might be a good idea," he said finally.
Cyborg smiled. "Definitely! She's waiting for ya in the kitchen. And don't worry... I did all the cooking."
Robin nodded, and left, the electronic lock on the door clicking shut as it closed behind him.
"Heh, he always falls for that," Cyborg said with a snicker.
"So, the red-head isn't waiting for him upstairs?" Jinx asked.
"Not specifically; I just wanted to get him to leave. But she'll still be more than happy to see him. She usually is."
"Ahhh... Young Love..." she sighed theatrically, "I think I'm gonna be sick," she added mildly.
Cyborg laughed. "That's too bad, because I seem to remember that Tandoori Chicken is your favorite. Am I right?"
Jinxs' stomach spoke for her, with a shockingly loud growl.
"Ok, guess I was," he said with a smile as he set the tray down on the small table next to her bed, and removed the cover. He looked at her critically. "Hold out your hands," he commanded. She held her hands up as much as the short chain between her cuffs and the belly hain would allow. He produced a key from a compartment that opened on his arm, and removed her restraints. "Figured it'd be a little hard for ya to eat, with those on."
Jinx rubbed her now-unrestrained wrists. "Huh, that's a lot of trust there, hero."
Cyborg nodded. "Glad you think so, but just so you know, the Tower computer is set to monitor my physical condition while I'm in here with you. If anything happens to me, this cell will be flodded with sleep gas, and the others will be alerted. I mean, I like ya, kid, but I know you too well to trust you that much."
"Huh, you think you know me?"
"A little. We spent a a lot of time together at the H.I.V.E."
"You don't know me near as well as you think. Computer or no, what's to stop me from just taking you out, and tearing out of this cell before your pals were in sight? I can do it, you know." It was a lie. She wasn't that powerful. She had already determined the walls were too thick to simply blow through. She could use her Hex powers to corrode them, but that would take time. Still, it felt good to bluster.
Cyborg nodded. "Maybe. But I'm thinking you're smarter than that. That would bring way too much heat for you to handle, without your partners around."
"Whatever." She set the tray in her lap, and gave the food an experimental prod with her fork, looking slightly distrustful.
"You should know poisioning food isn't my style, Jinx," Cyborg said.
"Yeah, from what I remember from your days at the academy, you're more basic martial arts, with a bit of street fighting on the side."
"Good eye."
Jinx popped a morsel in her mouth. "You didn't use enough curry," she said critically. Criticism didn't stop her from tearing into the meal like a starving animal.
He smiled. "I'll have you know that cooking is my real talent. This crimefighting gig is just a hobby." He sat down next to her on the bed. Normally she'd make some snide comment at this sort of familiarity, but she was just too hungry to care.
"Huh. So, do you heroes have to sell your souls to Wonder Woman for that talent, or what? I'm not sure how it goes on the other side of the fence."
"I've met Wonder Woman, a few times," he remarked. "She has quite the presence, but she seemed nice. Just don't tick her off; I've seen her fight. That's a tough lady."
"Gotta love the Girl Power," she said, before taking a drink of soda. "Well, it seems that your shapshifter friend does, at any rate. Looks like all those rumors back at the academy were true. We actually had a pool on those two, you know. On just how long it would take them to hook up."
Cyborg stared at her, then shook his head. "Ok, so, how come you saw this, and me and Robin didn't?"
"I don't know how you missed it. I mean, he was like her little green shadow, every time you guys fought us. And she always seemed to be around to teleport him out of the way, whenever he was about to get clobbered. What more do you need to tell you there's something there?"
He threw up his hands. "I guess. Still seems like a strange couple, though. It'll be weird dealing with the whole intra-team hookup thing."
"I wouldn't know. Gizmo is obsessed with finding a busty, leggy blonde, not much taller then himself, that has a thing for technology. He won't listen to us, when we tell him how impossible that is. And Mammoth," she rolled her eyes, "lets just say he lacks taste. Or intelligence. Or charm, or basic hygene. Actually, he lacks a lot of things. So, naturally, he thinks he's Casanova, and hits on pretty much every girl that crosses his path. He even made a pass at me once. I set him straight, and he even apologised, almost before the bleeding stopped." She set down her fork, and wiped her mouth demurely with her napkin.
Cyborg looked at her now empty plate. "Must not have been that bad," he noted.
"Beats bread and water, at any rate," she said as she set the tray aside, and sat pointedly ignoring him.
"So, Rob was grillin' ya pretty hard there, huh?" Cyborg said after a moment of silence.
Jinx shot him a glare. "Oh, I get it now... You're playing the role of 'Good Cop' today, is that it?" she said with some heat.
The Titan was shaking his head. "It's not like that, Jinx, honest. I-"
"'Honest?' That's quite the word for you to say around me," she said, feeling her temper rise. This was unlike her. She shouldn't be getting so worked up about this. Getting angry wasn't going to help her get out of her current situation, after all. But, for some reason, the memory of being decieved by a supposed comrade and friend still stung her more that she cared to admit. "And why should I trust you, anyways?"
He sighed. "Yeah, well... I suppose I had that coming," he said in a glum voice. "But I'm trying to help you out, here! No games. I mean, we were kinda like... friends, or something, once."
She made an indelicate sound. "Yeah, 'kinda like,' " she mocked. "What a joke."
Cyborg closed his human eye, and bowed his head, as if in thought. After a moment, he spoke. "Yes, it's true. I lied to you, about my identity. But the friendship was completely honest. I really enjoyed a lot of the time I spent with you, at the H.I.V.E."
Jinx looked at him searchingly. She wanted to believe him, she had to admit that to herself, at least, if no one else. Gizmo, Mammoth, and the others at the HIVE were her collegues, rather than friends. And during all her time at the Academy, 'Stone' was the only boy she'd felt anything more than professional respect for.
Shunting her reverie aside, Jinx shot him a glare. "I enjoyed my time with Stone, Cyborg. But he was a ruse, just a figment of your imagination. Do you realize how that makes me feel?"
He sighed. "No, Jinx, I don't. I'll admit that. And for the record, I'm more than a little ashamed of the whole thing. I'm not proud of having to lie that way. But it had to be done, even though part of me wishes I wasn't the one to do it.
"But on the other hand, if I hadn't done it, I never would have had the chance to see you as anything more than a criminal. And I really liked being your friend, even if it was only for a little while. I wouldn't trade that for anything." Cyborg was looking directly at her now,and sincerity shown in his eye. "And it hasn't all been a lie, y'know... in more ways than you know, 'Stone' is me. Or at least, the part of him that was your friend is." He looked away from her, and let out a deep sigh, as if exhausted. "Just thought you should know that." He turned, and started to the door.
"Wait." She even surprised herself, when she said it. He stopped, and turned to face her.
She stared at her empty plate, not meeting his eyes. "We've been working for someone who calls himself 'Gilgamesh,' lately. I don't have a whole lot of information; Gizmo made all the contacts over a private messaging program on his computer. But, I can give you the net addess he contacted. I stole it, in case I had to cut my own deal with him, on the side."
"No honor among thieves after all, huh?"
"None at all."
"Thank you, Jinx. But now I have to ask, why tell me this?"
The captive sorceress laid back on her cot, and rested her head on her hands, staring at the ceiling. "Truth is, I don't know, myself. Maybe I'm just still ticked at Gizmo and Mammoth for leaving me high and dry, or something." She looked at him now, with narrowed eyes. "Your turn: why are you being nice to me?"
The half-robotic boy shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno, honestly. I guess that I still feel bad about how we parted, when the Titans took the Academy down. I don't like loose ends. Just running off likeI did felt wrong, for some reason." He laughed a little nervously, "Fact is, you're the closest thing I've had to a girlfriend."
She smirked. "Oh. really?"
"Y-yeah. I mean, we went to that dance at the Academy, and all. That was like the last date I've had."
"What, girls not looking for a high-tech knight in shining armour these days?"
"Well, let's be honest, I don't look like a normal guy."
Jinx rolled her eyes. "Look at who you're talking to. Besides..." she rose from the bed and sauntered over to him, her eyes locked on his face. She walked up closet to him, stood on tiptoes and looked at him very directly. She noted with some satisfaction that he seemed to be a little breathless.
"...I've seen worse," she said with a hint of a smile.
Cyborg swallowed deeply, seemingly frozen in place like a deer in headlights. "Thanks."
She laughed a little wickedly, turned and returned to her bed, and laid back down."So, you gonna bring me all my meals now, or what?"
"I could bring you something a little later, if you'd like," he soundedrather eager.
"I'll be sure to be here," she said drily. "On that note..." she picked up the handcuffs and dangled them from one finger, "Guess I should put these back on."
Cyborg started toward her, then stopped. "Nah, Keep 'em off, for now."
"How sweet."
The Titan actually managed to look bashful. "Not really. It's just that even if you managed to break out of this cell, you'd still have to get through the five of us. I think you're smarter than that."
Her smile was sly. "We'll see, won't we?" She yawned, and stretched catlike. "Think I'll take a nap." She dismissed him with a flippant little wave of her hand. "See you later, hero," she said before closing her eyes.
"Yeah, later. " he replied absently.
Her eyes still closed, she heard him collect the dishes and slip out the door.
What a dork, she thought. He's obviosly not the resident ladies' man around here. Poor guy looked like he was about to short-circuit, when I walked up to him. Gotta admit, though, it was nice of him to leave the cuffs off. Maybe not the smartest thing to do on his part, but nice, anyway.
Indeed, Cyborg had treated her with consideration, even while masquerading as a student at the HIVE. Being a teenage girl, Jinx had grown accustomed to the loutish behavior that seemed to be almost universal to teenage boys. The fact that all the boys she knew were also aspiring to a life of crime probably didn't help matters much. Villains didn't respect anyone, usually, each other least of all. But right from the start, 'Stone' was diffrent. Jinx had already chastised herself for not seeing this as a sign of treachery to come, but one tends not to see what one doesn't want to see.
Agh, this is so stupid. I mean, I spent hours resisting Bird-Boys' questions, and then Cyborg comes in and gives me a little snack, and I cave all of a sudden. Stupid hero... This would be so much easier if I could hate him.
And I should hate him! He lied to me, and took advantage of me, to help bring down the only group I've ever felt loyalty to.
So why don't I hate him?
Jinx actually wish Robin would return and question her some more. It was far easier to deal with snotty heroes than her own troubling thoughts.
Robin exited the elevator, trying to shed the last of the stress he was carrying from the attempted questioning of Jinx. Try as though he might, he found himself unable to understand the mind of his opponents. He just could not get how a criminal could be so obstinate, when in a situation such as hers. Escape was hopeless; by co-operating, she could at least make things easier for her, and yet, she still resisted. It made no sense to him. But then, inablility to get into the heads of criminals was a failing of his; his mentor had even told him so. It caused him to miss things that he shouldn't.
In truth, he was missing many things, he ruefully admitted. Such as Beastboy; knowing what he knew now, his behavior made much sense. All the jokes and humor had served as armor for him, all these years, much as Robin's relentless perfectionism served him.
It's strange to think that we could have had so much in common, being orphans and all, and yet be so diffrent. Wonder if I could have ended up more like him, if my upbringing was diffrent.
He shook his head as he made his way to the kitchen. And if Starfire is correct, He 'likes' Raven? I must really not be paying attention.
He entered the kitchen and found the alien girl seated at the table in the dining area, looking critically at a plate of food.
"Hey Starfire, what are you having?"
"Cyborg tells me it is called Tandoori Chicken." She took a bite, and frowned a bit. "It is not unpleasent, but it would be better with mustard." She smile at him as he took a seat. "Would you care to try some?"
"No thanks, Star. Indian food is not a favorite of mine, and I'm not feeling too hungry at the moment, anyway." He let out a sigh, and smiled at her."But some friendly conversation would be nice right now."
"I am always happy to provide that, Robin," she said happily, "And you do look somewhat disturbed."
"I just got done interrogating Jinx, or trying to, anyway."
"It did not go to your liking?"
"Not a bit," he admitted. "All I got out of her were insults. I just can't see how to get anything else out of her."
"You will find the answer, that I do not doubt," she assured him. "You are one of the most perceptive people I have ever met."
"You sure?" he asked ruefully, "I seem to be missing alot lately."
"Such as?"
"Well, I let us get our butts kicked by Gizmo today. If it wasn't for Raven, it would have been real bad out there."
"Truly, but that is what teammates do." She looked at him very directly. "You cannot fight all battles by yourself, Robin. I know that being a leader means much to you, but, you cannot expect to be perfect. You always expect so much of yourself, but you cannot see, know, or do everything."
"I always want to do everything I can," he admitted, "and I hate to be beaten. You know how I get." He sighed, and decided to change the subject; he didn't want to load his problems on the cheerful girl. "How's Raven?"
"She seemed to be most tired, and suffering from an ache of the head," she replied. "She went to her room, and Beastboy is taking some of the tea she enjoys so much to her."
Robin decided to ask her about something he'd been wondering about. "You said yesterday that you noticed that Beastboy might be...'interested' in Raven. Out of curiosity, how long do you think he's felt this way?"
"Quite some time now," she replied, and smiled. "He has tried hard to keep his feelings out of sight, but I first noticed it when she was involved with that creature from the book."
"That dragon, you mean? Now that I think of it, he did act a little different around her for a while. Didn't try to wrangle her into playing Gamestation for at least a week. I should have seen that, too."
"With these matters, it isn't a matter of 'seeing' with ones eyes," Starfire said. "The eyes can miss things like that," she paused, "even when they are right before you." She had an intent look on her face, and Robin found himself tranfixed by her intensity.
He looked away, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. "I wish that I understood what you were talking about, Starfire, I really do, but I've never been very good with those sorts of things. I just don't have that gift."
"It is not a 'gift', Robin," she said, her eyes still fixed on him. "We Tamaraneans are just accustomed to dealing with emotional matters. Our feelings are plain, and we do not disguise them." She paused now, and looked slightly uncomfortable momentarily, before continuing. "That is why you confuse me so, Robin."
"Me?"
"Yes. You conceal yourself from your friends, and that is frustrating to me," she said. "I am not always certain how you are feeling. Such behavior is unknown to me."
"I-I..." He suddenly felt very off-balance. "I'm sorry about that. I don't mean to upset you, Starfire. I just don't want to burden you guys with my problems."
"It is the place of friends to stand with each other and to help each other with their problems. Raven and Beastboy are starting to understand this."
Robin's stomach was practically in his throat. "Maybe... maybe I could..." He took a deep breath, and started again. "Maybe I could learn to do that, too?" he said in a rush.
Starfire's smile was like the sun rising. "I am certain you could."
"I'm going to... need help with this," his heart was pounding so hard it almost hurt.
"I can help you start...if you like."
"I'd like that very much. What do I do?"
She moved her chair closer to his, keeping her eyes on his. "We shall start easy. How do you feel about... me?"
"I-" his throat felt as though it was filled with desert sand. "I like you Starfire. I really do. I-I like you alot. As a friend, and... more"
Way to go, Robin, an inner voice chastised him. Real smooth.
"That makes me most happy, Robin," she said, as she rose to her feet. "And my feelings are much the same."
He rose to his feet without thinking. "That makes me very happy. What should I do now?"
"On your planet, it seems to be customary for the male to ask the female to share a meal with him."
"You mean... a date?" He almost squeaked.
"I believe that is the term."
"Ummm... Okay, would you like to go out tomorrow night? Any particular place you like?"
"Anywhere is fine, I am far from particular.As I recall Cyborg said that there was a new Italian restaurant in the eastern portion of the city that was very nice. That would be fine."
"Great!" he said, unable to contain his excitement. "Umm... tomorrow night good?"
She beamed even wider. "It is perfect."
"Umm... I guess that we've got a date, then." He could scarcely believe it, even though he just said it.
"Indeed." She reached out, put her arms around him. Robin had been hugged by the Tamaranean girl before, but this wasn't her usual bone-crushing embrace. This was gentle, warm, and intimate. He found himself returning the gesture without thought. Forgetting all the stress of the last two days, he felt better than he had in ages.
She pulled back from him and smiled. "Did you not see how easy that was?"
"Follow me."
The child trailed the officious-looking man down the long, cold hallway, eyes cast down to the floor. Lost within a haze of roiling emotions, the wary looks of the few people they past were barely noticed. Such looks were commonplace, in any case, for the child.
They came at last to a large, solid-looking wood door, which the man opened. "Enter," he said coldly.
As the child entered, the door closed behind. The room was large, but sparsely furnished. a fireplace occupied the far wall, with a chair and table near a window in close proximity. In the chair, gazing out the window sat a well-dressed woman with long, ebony-black hair, and large blue eyes. Her features were fine, even beautiful, but she radiated an air of coldness and sorrowthat permeated everything around her. As she looked out over the city from her window, she held a teacup, from which no steam rose, having evidentally gone cold.
The woman turned and regarded the child with her sad eyes. "I heard about what happened today," she said in a quiet monotone, barely audible.
"I-I didn't mean..." The childs' eyes found the floor again, not able to meet that cold gaze. "I didn't want to hurt anyone..."
"What one wants is unimportant. Only the outcomes matter." The woman set down her teacup, and reached for an elaborately-carved wooden box. Opening it, she drew an item from within it, rose, and approached the nervous youth.
"If you are to continue to live here, you must learn to control your abilities. You are capable of great destruction, even without ill intent. Your very life, and the lives of those around you, depend on you finding dicipline.This shall help you." She presented the object to the child, who recieved it in small, trembling hands.
"What shall I do?" The child asked, in a frightened voice.
"You will go to the temple, where Azar shall personally instruct you. You must be dilligent, if you are to survive the destiny that awaits you. Do you understand?"
"Yes mother, I do."
The child held the object the woman had presented up. It was an ornately decorated hand mirror of black glass, that seemed to absorb light, rather than reflect it. The child regarded her own reflection in the polished surface, the two amethyst eyes in a ghostly gray face peering back out at her.
Beastboy's eyes flew open, as he shot to wakefulness. The face from his dream was one which he was most familiar with.
"Raven?"
TO BE CONTINUED...
AUTHORS' NOTES:
Not much to say this time... things are going to come to a head soon. And yes, I'm glad Jinx is back, too, at last.
See you next time...
Regards,
The Doctor
18 December 2005