The Raben Project

By

Agent X

The Impossible!

A/N: Ok, remember how I said I'd be drabbling RaeRob moments? And remember when I said Sisters was next? Well, apparently I lied about the latter, because there are no moments in Sisters. Nada. Zilch.

It is pure StarRob, shoved down your throat. It's funny that they were so obvious with it even at the beginning of the series. Actually, if I remember correctly this was the episode that turned me to RavenxRobin in the first place. Star/Rob came on way too strong, with little to no backstory. But you don't want to hear about that. So, moving on to Final Exam.

Moment: Episode 3 (Final Exam) – Raven and Robin speak synchronously.

Raven had forgotten that the first drop to break the heat was always followed by torrential downpour. After Robin and Cyborg's opening volley, the Titans had finally started to argue. They argued a lot.

Beast Boy and Cyborg were the worst. Beast Boy's quibbling she found unsurprising, considering his immaturity. When he wasn't pestering Cyborg or whining to Starfire, he inexplicably attached himself to Raven. His presence was loud, uncomfortable and everywhere in the tower, and though he was never angry his ability to turn the most trivial subject into a matter of dispute was nigh miraculous.

Cyborg's problem was a mercurial temper. Though usually easy-going he could become surprisingly belligerent and extremely stubborn. When Cyborg was in a mood everyone knew it, and no one was spared from his biting temper. For some reason beyond Raven's understanding the two spent much of their time together, although they bickered from morning to night, complained even when the other was out of earshot, and made things generally unpleasant for whomsoever they dragged into their squabbles, which was usually Starfire.

Starfire herself didn't participate in the yelling, but her 'helping' often made things worse. She was single-minded and persistent with little understanding of personal boundaries and not much patience for the explanation. When her own methods didn't work, she would try and recruit others to help resolve disputes, which in Raven's experience only added to the tumult.

Their illustrious leader had tried to stay above it all. At first he attempted pulling rank when things got out of hand, but unfortunately found teenagers to not be the most respectful of individuals towards authority figures. Furthermore his own controlling nature and competitive streak made him more susceptible to arguing than he might otherwise have wished. Eventually he had taken to holing himself up in his rooms to maintain the distance of command, and they didn't see him much unless they were training. The drill schedule had been increased in an effort to curb tension and cement team bonds. In reality it meant they all had to spend a portion of the day together in a small room. It wasn't helping.

Honestly, when Raven had joined she'd had higher hopes for the team. They were supposed to cope with anything. They had a wide range of knowledge and abilities from broad backgrounds to enable them to have diverse approaches to any problem. It seemed that the diversity was too wide, because the team could cope with anything but each other. The Titans were so disjointed that Raven had begun to wonder if they would hold together.

And then along came Hive.

It was hard to believe that the still nascent Titans were already crumbling, harder still that the finishing blow should be delivered at the hands of three unfamiliar upstarts. They were everything the Titan's weren't: organised, united, driven, and on the wrong side of the law. And they did what no other villain so far had thought to do. They exploited the Titan's greatest weakness: themselves.

When Cyborg blasted off, Starfire hot on his heels, Raven viciously suppressed her sinking feelings. Although she expected the team to break apart, she needed it to stay together. After her reception at the Justice League, Raven didn't hold out much hope that other teams would be as accepting as the Titans.

Yet they were down two members, their teamwork was atrocious, and the Hive was overwhelmingly confident. And then Beast Boy had to go and ask, "Is it just me or are these guys kicking our butts?"

It was obviously a rhetorical question, but Raven couldn't let it stand. They weren't beaten yet, but expecting a loss was the fastest way to get one.

"It's just you." She and Robin insisted. They spoke in unison, and although he echoed her sentiment, Robin had taken the irritation in her tone and replaced it with determination. An honest determination that Raven hadn't been able to justify, but found a lot more tenable with someone else on the Team who wasn't prepared to give up.

She didn't really know much about their leader. She thought him brash and headstrong, but conceded he was an admirable fighter. This was the first time since the battle with Cinderblock over a month ago where Raven really noticed him, and this day was her first brush with a trait she'd eventually come to know very well.

Robin never gave up.

Aftermath:

Dinner was an affair that night. Sitting around the kitchen table with the rest of the Titans was something of a novelty. They shared meals outside the tower (they had to if they didn't want to pay for it themselves, as Robin usually covered the bill) but inside they dined separately. Partly because the atmosphere had been so tense, and partly because there was a chance that Starfire would be waiting for them in the kitchen with Pudding of Friendship in hand.

The mood had changed so drastically; especially considering that only hours ago they'd been well past defeat and on the cusp of disbanding. Now, there was talking and laughter: unspoken relief hung round the table, making the comments bolder and the chuckling louder. Beast Boy recounted the finale of his monkey antics against Jinx, the other's laughing at his increasingly ridiculous impressions.

"Actually," Beast Boy added, settling back down, "When we were planning that part, I thought Raven would want to do it."

Raven, who had been mostly silent for the whole conversation, was now the focus of attention. She stared back with disinterest before continuing to eat.

"Why?" Starfire asked for her.

"Oh, you guys missed it, but when they fought earlier that girl kept insulting her. Called her a boy. I know I'd want some sweet revenge if someone did that to me." He paused. "Insult me. Not call me a boy, I mean."

"Not to mention she went in your room." Cyborg teased her.

Raven shrugged and was silent for a moment before carefully replying, "It doesn't matter how they leave, only that they're gone."

Beast Boy grinned, and Raven paused before adding:

"Besides, having Beast Boy clinging to you is the worst punishment I could imagine."

Anyone wondering why the catch is not included… well, he catches Beast Boy, too. And if a catch is indicative of romantic feelings then Robin is the biggest polygamist there is. Of course, later catches may still be included. ;)

You might want to Youtube 'Proof that Robin Diggs Raven', which is also a clip from this episode. And it's HILARIOUS.

Edited [31/03/2012]: I always hated this chapter, so I decided to rewrite it completely. Now I'm much happier with it, but I hope that you are too.

I would like to point out that, despite what she might wish for, Raven is not a completely impartial observer and you may find some bias in this.