Re-Educating Miss Roth
A Teen Titans Fan Fiction by Jacob McDonald
Opening notes: I wrote this out, looked at it, and saw that it was way too long. So I split it into two chapters. This is the first one.
Standard disclaimers apply. I don't own Teen Titans.
Chapter Six - Friends in Need
Raven stepped into the shower room the next morning, her bare feet padding along the tiled floor. It was early, and she'd barely slept, but she was used to long days of fighting crime followed by long nights of being woken up at all hours to go back out and fight more crime.
One night without sleep wasn't going to kill her.
It was early enough that the other girls were still in bed, and wouldn't be up for at least another half hour. The only one who got up this early in order to take an extra long shower and fix her hair and makeup just right, was Hanna. Sure enough, there was one shower running, and Hanna's voice hummed tunelessly from within the stall.
Stopping outside the stall the blonde was using, Raven waited for only two minutes before the water shut off and Hanna opened the door and stepped out, a towel wrapped around her chest, and her hair up in one as well. She started, and stared at Raven with wide eyes.
"How are you?" Raven asked gently.
Hanna's eyes grew hard in an instant, "He told you, didn't he? Beast Boy told you what happened last night!"
"Of course he did. Jenny and I have been compromised. We needed to know that you knew, and what events led to you finding out." Raven reached out, and gently touched Hanna's shoulder, "I'm... sorry."
"Yeah? Well you can just..." she stopped when she saw the tears forming in Raven's eyes, "Cassie? I... didn't mean to... aw shit... look, it's not that big a deal-"
"Don't say that." Raven swiped at the tears, "Of course it is! And I shouldn't have let you go... I had a bad feeling, and my feelings are almost always right..."
"It was my dumb decision, Cassie-"
Half the tiles in the wall at the far end of the shower room cracked with a loud splintering noise. Hanna jumped and stared at them for a moment, then back at Raven. The dark haired girl was standing perfectly still, her eyes closed, and her face emotionless. After a moment, she opened her eyes and blinked at the blonde.
"Holy... what the hell was-"
"My powers..." Raven looked away, "They're closely tied to my emotions. When I grow upset, they flare out of control. I'm sorry if I scared you." Her voice was empty, and hollow.
"That's why you were so down yesterday isn't it? What happened to upset you so much that you had to clamp down on your emotions like that?"
"I had a trying night." Raven repeated her words from the morning before, and shook her head, "It doesn't matter."
Hanna bit her left and reached out a hand, "Cassie, I-"
"My name isn't Cassie."
"It is to me." Hanna stepped forward and hugged her. Raven went ridged in her arms for a moment, then hugged her back.
"Gar told me what he did to the man that... did this to you... It wasn't pretty."
"Good. That bastard deserved every last punch, I'm sure."
"He did. More than you know." Raven pulled away, "If you need to talk about it-"
"Thanks, but I'm fine." Hanna shook her head, "I'm going to go to class today, and everything will be fine."
Raven pinned her with a glare, "Don't keep it bottled up forever, Hanna. If you need help, I'm empathic. I can help you sort through your feelings and thoughts."
"I'll keep it in mind." Hanna squared her shoulders, "Let's get ready for school."
"Right..." Raven watched the other girl walk to the mirrors and prepare to do her hair, then walked to one of the shower stalls herself.
"She's going to pretend it never happened, isn't she?" Jinx sighed as she and Raven dressed later that morning.
"Of course she is." Raven pulled on her skirt, "For now anyway. When she's ready, she'll talk about it."
"Did you sense anything-"
"I sensed a lot of things." Raven shook her head, "But nothing I'm going to share. Her emotions and thought are her own, and will remain that way unless she wants others to know them."
"Except you." Jinx pointed out.
"That can't be helped. I'm empathic. I can't block her out when she's broadcasting so loudly."
"At least tell me if she's going to flip out... I mean, she could just be walking down the hall and have some random guy accidentally bump into her and palm a breast or something and she could have a flash back and-"
"Jenny?" Raven interrupted her.
"Yeah?"
"Please shut up."
Jinx blinked for a moment, then sighed, "Okay."
The morning classes were uneventful, but by the time lunch rolled around, the other girls had noticed Hanna's distant behavior. Jinx found herself cornered by Janice and Becka.
"So she didn't say anything last night?" Becka asked with a frown, her interrogation of the thin blonde not turning up any answers.
"Not a thing. She just said the night hadn't gone like she'd envisioned it, then went off to bed."
"And when was that?" Janice asked with her soft, southern voice.
"Around 1:30... more like 1:20."
Becka frowned deeper, "So she went out without telling anyone except you-"
"I only knew because I caught her sneaking over the wall." Jinx pointed out.
"Okay. So she snuck out, came back like... five hours later, and now she's acting like none of us are worth talking to." Becka shook her head, "Hanna's not like this."
"Maybe she's a clone, or an alien!" Jinx looked excited, and the other two stared at her like she had grown a second head, "No, really! This kind of stuff happened back in Gotham all the time!"
"She's not a clone, Jenny." Raven rolled her eyes as she walked up behind her 'step-sister.' She looked over at Becka and Janice, "The incident with Mrs. Gretcher was purely localized, and it was the only time it happened."
Becka and Janice glanced at each other with wide eyes.
"I'm sure Hanna just had an off night. Like she said she did." Raven glared around at all of them, "I had an off day yesterday, she's having one today. It happens. It's normal."
"Is it normal for people to talk to squirrels on their off days?" Janice asked as she pointed over to where Hanna sat under a tree. The blonde girl was indeed, talking to a squirrel.
Raven squinted.
A green squirrel.
"So I totally don't understand a thing we're doing in history... I mean, who cares about French dictators anyway?" Hanna gave the squirrel a questioning glance, and it nodded back, nibbling on a nut while she talked.
"I mean, sure Napoleon was a great military leader and all, but-"
"Napoleon wasn't actually that great a military leader, really."
Hanna jumped a little, then relaxed as a dark form sat down next to her, in front of the squirrel, which frowned up at it, "Hey Cassie."
"The girls are worried that you're losing your mind." Raven shooed the squirrel, but it remained where it was, glaring at her.
"So what if I'm being a little reclusive today? They all have their PMS days, why can't I?"
"Actually, it's because you're talking to a squirrel."
"...Oh."
"Yeah. If you want to talk with Gar, the best time is after 6:00 PM, when he's off duty," she poked the squirrel in the chest, "and in a form more capable of communication."
The squirrel had the good grace to look embarrassed, and it quickly scurried away to get a better vantage point to watch Becka from.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take him away from his mission-"
"Don't worry about it. I have a feeling he sought you out in the first place."
"Yeah. Why'd he do that?"
"I try not to fathom why Beast Boy doest the things he does."
Hanna giggled, "So that boyfriend you were talking about, Rob-"
"Robin is dating Starfire. There was never anything between he and I."
"Oh. What about that Roy guy you were talking about?"
"Speedy."
"Like, the archer, Speedy?"
"The same."
"You slept with him?" Hanna looked a little surprised, "But... he's so... loud! And flamboyant! Nothing like your type!"
"Which is why we're not dating." Raven stood up and brushed off her skirt, "Come on. Lunch is almost over, and we need to integrate you back into human society before the girls start to ask too many questions."
Hanna stood as well, and glanced at Rave, "Um... Cassie?"
"Yes?"
"Why are you helping to cover for me?"
Raven paused, then turned to her friend, "It's what you want me to do, isn't it?"
"How do you do that?"
"What?"
"Know what I'm thinking?"
"Feeling. I know what you're feeling. Empathy. And I was born with it. If I choose to use it in a manner that helps people rather than hinders them, that is my prerogative."
"Right. That's why you're a Titan, right?"
Raven turned away once again, "Not the main reason, no, but one of them."
"What are the others?"
"Some other time, Hanna. Some other time." and Raven waved to Jinx, Becka, and Janice, motioning them over.
Hanna changed slowly after gym class, taking extra long in the shower. When she was sure most of the other girls had left the locker room, she wandered out and slowly pulled on her uniform. While she was changing, three girls walked in from the bathroom area where they had been putting on their makeup.
Hanna groaned inwardly when she saw that it was Ginger Hammilton and the pair of harpies that followed her everywhere. She groaned out loud when she was Ginger start to walk over, knowing that she was an easy mark for the stuck up bully.
"Well, well. Hanna Trestel! Where's the rest of the nerd squad you hang out with?"
"Most likely on their way to class, just like you should be." Hanna replied firmly, pulling her blazer on.
"We're both in choir next though! Why don't we wait for you?" Normally it would have sounded like a friendly invitation for companionship, but coming from Ginger, it sounded like a threat.
And frankly, Ginger's threats just didn't scare Hanna.
Not after what she'd been through.
"That's okay, Ginger, you go on. In fact, go find a nice deep hole somewhere, fall in, and die, kay?"
"Well, well. Look who grew a spine." Ginger reached out and turned Hanna's shoulder so that she was looking at the shorter blonde girl in the eye, "You just lost any chance you had of finding a date to the Valentines day dance, bitch. By dinner time tonight, every boy in this school will want nothing to do with you. You know why?" Ginger's friends giggled in an obnoxious manner, "It's because I'll tell them such horrible things about you that they'll think you're nothing but a-"
Hanna didn't let her finish. She grabbed hold of the taller girls arm and yanked her around the benches that ran along in front of the lockers. Slamming the snobby heiress into the mettle wall of lockers, she sneered up into Ginger's shocked face, "You know what, bitch? I don't really fucking care. You go ahead and say whatever the fuck you want about me, because really, everyone thinks you're just a stupid, empty headed slut anyway." Ginger and her friends all gaped at the furious blonde, "You might think you're the best thing on this campus, Ginger, but you're not. You're just a dumbass that has the good fortune to be in line to inherit millions of dollars. The only boys that like you," she laughed, "are the ones that are after your cash, and your ass."
Ginger seemed to regain her senses suddenly and shoved back against Hanna, pushing her away. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kick your ass to hell and back right now, you ragged fuck toy!"
Hanna's eyes grew wide and she stumbled back. Did Ginger know? How could Ginger know? It would be all over campus by dinner. She would be-
"I'm waiting, bitch!" Ginger all but screamed, her friends backing her up.
A softball flew across the space in-between Hanna and Ginger and slammed into the lockers with so much force that it dented them in and stuck there. All eyes swung over to the door of the locker room, where Jinx stood, practically shaking with rage.
"How's that for a good reason, Ginger?" Jinx stalked into the room, "Now I'm giving you three seconds to get the fuck out of here before I decide that it'd be a good idea to knock every last one of those surgically straightened teeth out of your head."
The three bullies didn't waste any time as they fled out the door. Jinx stopped next to Hanna and touched her arm, "You okay?"
Hanna jerked her arm away, "Don't touch me." Jinx winced, and took a step back. Hanna looked over at her then back down to the ground quickly, "Sorry. I just... I want to be able to stand up for myself. I don't always want a Titan around to save me."
"Well, lucky for you, I'm not a Titan." Jinx grinned, "I was trained in the Hierarchy for International Vengeance and Extermination."
"That's what HIVE stands for?"
"Yep." Jinx grinned, "Pretty cool, huh?"
"I guess... what all did you learn there?"
"Oh, how to fight, how to build bombs... how to kill people in about a million different ways. I can fire just about any gun known to man."
"Wow."
"Yeah."
"So like, what exactly are your metahuman powers?" Hanna walked over to her bag and picked it up. Jinx arched an eyebrow.
"I can see in the dark like a cat," she motioned to her unusual eyes, "and I have the ability to alter probability to cause misfortune to objects and people."
"What?" They started walking to the door.
"I can throw hex bolts that make bad stuff happen to people."
"Oh..." Hanna nodded her head, "That's pretty cool."
"Yeah." the two of them stepped out of the changing area and into the sunlight, squinting until their eyes could adjust, "I know a good deal of magic too. Mostly black."
"Magic?"
They started down the path that led away from the athletic field, "Yep."
"Does Cassie know any?"
"Probably about as much as I do." Jinx shrugged, "You going to class?"
"No." Hanna shook her head, "I think I'll just head back to the dorm and relax for a little while."
"Sweet. I'd come with you, but I have to stick to Becka." Jinx shrugged.
Hanna nodded, "It's okay. I understand your mission comes before me."
"Yeah. I'll see you in a bit then, okay?"
"Okay." Hanna watched as Jenny dashed off, then sighed and started on her way to the dorms.
Beast Boy sat in his humanoid form, looking out over the auditorium from one of the highest branches of a near by tree as Jinx raced in through the doors, toting her oboe case with her. He was about to jump down and follow her in as a mouse when his com unit went off. Pulling it out, he flipped it open.
"Beast Boy here."
It was Robin, "Meet me over on top of the Westmarch Apartments in five minutes." and the line went dead.
"Oh boy... he found out..." Beast Boy stuck the communicator back in his belt pouch, and took wing as a hawk.
"Hey." Beast Boy said as he dropped to the roof top next to Robin, "What's up?"
"You know. There was a EMT report last night at a little after midnight about a man who claimed he had been beaten up by Beast Boy. What the hell were you doing last night?" Robin frowned, "And why wont Star talk to me about it?"
"I dished out justice, like we're supposed to, and Star wont talk to you about it, because it's none of your damn business." Beast Boy scowled at the Boy Wonder.
"I have the cops asking questions Gar, that makes it my business." Robin folded his arms, "You know you can't just beat the hell out of perps. What'd he do?"
Beast Boy looked away, "He raped Hanna."
"The blonde one, right?" Robin sounded slightly agitated, "And you didn't turn him in, why?"
"He'd already served time for sexual assault before, and it didn't do any good. The guy needed a good beat down."
"No excuse." Robin shook his head, and opened his mouth to say something more, but another voice cut him off.
"Aw, leave him alone, Dick. I'd have done the same thing." Speedy swung in on a line, then pulled the arrow down it was attached to and reeled the cord back up.
"Roy..." Robin rubbed his eyes through his mask, "I know we go back, man, but would you please let me lead my Team?"
"No way." Speedy sounded firm, "BB did the right thing, and you know it. How many sick fucks like that perp did you and Bats thrash back in Gotham?"
"Jump is different from Gotham." Robin replied with a frown.
"A rapist is a rapist, uh... Dick." Robin shot him a glare, but Beast Boy continued on bravely, "I don't care if I'm in Gateway city and Wonder Woman is breathing down my neck. I would have done the same thing."
Robin sighed, then threw up his hands, "Alright! You two win... I'll cover for you this time, Gar, but it better not happen again. And don't use my real name too much."
"You're real name is Dick?"
"It's Richard, Garfield, and only use it when we're in privet."
"Why the sudden change of identity revealing heart? And how did Speedy know?"
"Speedy and I go way back." Robin grinned, "I'm sure he could tell you some stories that I wouldn't want him to repeat. And I changed my mind because... well, most of you already know. Raven's known for a while, Speedy's known who I really am since we met, and I told Starfire the other night. I'm sure Cyborg could have figured it out a long time ago if he wanted to, but I'll tell him when I get back to the tower anyway." Robin smiled a friendly smile, "So in private, it's Dick. Dick Grayson."
"Sweet." Beast Boy nodded with a grin, and Robin began to walk away. He paused at the edge of the building and looked back over his shoulder.
"Oh, and Beast Boy?"
"Yeah?"
"If you do happen to beat the snot out of a rapist again, make sure they perp doesn't see who you are." and he jumped down.
Beast Boy grinned, "Robin's an alright kind of guy."
"One of the best." Speedy nodded as he stepped up next to the green shape shifter.
Suddenly, Beast Boy remembered that he was pissed at Speedy, "You're a real asshole, you know that?"
"Well, yeah, I did." Speedy looked entirely unrepentant, "Do you have a specific reason?"
"Raven."
"What about her?"
"You're messing with her emotions, man! You can't do that to her!"
Speedy sighed and looked away, "You think I don't know that? You think I want to see her so... so... angry at me?" He sounded so weak all of a sudden that Beast Boy took a step towards him.
"Yo, dude... are you okay?"
"Of course I'm not okay!" Speedy practically shouted, then calmed down, "I've been chasing skirts and getting laid since I was fifteen, Gar. I'm nineteen now, and I'm in my fucking prime. So what do I do?" he laughed, "I go and fall for an emotionally crippled ice queen that wants nothing to do with me."
"Holy shit..." Beat Boy blinked, "You're... in love with her?"
"Yes!" Speedy did shout this time, "You want me to write it in blood or something! Yes, Gar, I'm in fucking love with her!"
"Calm down dude!" Beast Boy held up his hands, "Honestly, I feel better about that then if you were just trying for another round of horizontal tango with her."
"Yeah, well..." Speedy kicked at some dust on the rooftop, "I'm just... not used to it. I pride myself on not forming an attachment. Roy Harper doesn't fall in love with anyone, least of all a girl like Raven."
"So what happened?"
"She's perfect."
"Yeah?" Beast Boy chuckled, "How's that?"
"She's hot, she's smart, she has a great sense of humor, even if it is sarcastic as all fuck, and... she's sweet, you know? She's a really good, nice person." he looked over at the school, to the building they both knew Raven was in, "Perfect." he muttered.
Beast Boy looked over as well, and they lapsed into silence for a long time.
Raven stepped through the door to the second floor from the stairwell with a rather miffed look on her face, "I swear," she muttered, "if Maggie is so excited that Gregory said yes when she asked him to the dance that she has to start throwing paint around, I'd hate to see what happens on her wedding day." She scowled down at her white shirt, which was splattered with red oil paint.
As she started for her room, Hanna walked out of the bathroom down the hall, wearing short red shorts and a white tank top that barely covered her breasts. She stopped and stared for a moment, then rushed forward with a gasp, "My God! Cassie, are you okay? Was there a fight? Is Becka okay? Why are you bleeding all over?"
"It's not blood!" Raven said through Hanna's questions, but the blonde ignored her.
"Jesus Christ, Cassie, let me see... I know you're a big tough Titan and all, but this looks bad-"
"Hanna! It's not- hey! Don't unbutton that!"
"Just let me see, Cass! I can help you-"
"Wait a second! I'm not hurt!"
"You aren't?" Hanna looked up from where she was crouching on the floor, having just unbuttoned Raven's shirt.
Raven glared down at her over her own breasts and frowned, "It's just paint."
"Oh." Hanna's face turned a little red, then she arched an eyebrow, "Hey, that's a nice bra."
"Victoria's Secret." Raven said, pulled it out a bit and looked at it, "It's really comfy."
"With tits your size I can see why that's a concern." Hanna stood up and pulled the material out a little, rubbing it between her fingers, "Micro-fiber?"
"Yeah."
"Sweet."
The door to the stairwell opened again and Janice stepped in, her own front covered in green paint. She stopped and stared at the two in the hallway for a second.
"Pfft." she shook her head and turned to walk to her room, "And I thought I was gay."
Raven and Hanna looked at each other in horror, then jumped apart.
Ten minutes later, the three girls were seated in the common area, wearing loose, lay about clothes, and giggling about the moment.
"I wish I'd had a camera." Janice laughed, "That would have made a great scrapbook moment."
"I wish I had one of those bras..." Hanna threw Raven a jealous look, "My boobs aren't as big as yours, but they're damn close."
"They make those in a C-cup." Raven replied, looking at both of her friends, "I'll show you this weekend when we're out. Victoria's Secret is at the Westbrook mall."
"Great." Janice nodded, "I could use some new ones."
"I don't know..." Hanna looked away, "I don't think I'll be going out this weekend..."
"Hanna..." Janice said in her soft, southern accent, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing... I don't want to talk about it."
"It'll help you know-"
"Jan..." Raven reached over and touched the other girls arm, "Just let her be for now."
Janice looked at Raven for a moment, and saw only concern in her amethyst eyes, "Okay."
Hanna threw Raven a 'thank you' look, and they steered their conversation into more acceptable waters.
As if by unspoken mandate, all of the second floor girls congregated in their common area just after dinner that night. Jinx, Janice and Ami sat on the couch, while Hanna sat in one of the easy chairs by herself. Raven was seated close to her though, on a beanbag chair, sitting in the lotus position.
Becka stood before them, an air of leadership about her, "Alright girls, we're free this weekend. Legally." she winked and there were giggles all around (except from Raven who, predictably, rolled her eyes.) "As is tradition, we will spend the last few hours together doing something ridiculously fun, and possibly hazardous to our health."
Raven arched an eyebrow, "Like what?"
"We went swimming in our clothes off the Montral Pier once." Ami said, "The view of Titans Tower is great from there."
"We tried to set the world record for most number of Swiss Cake Rolls eaten by four people once too." Janice rubbed her stomach and groaned in an orgasmic manner, "Little Debbie can be my woman any day of the week."
"That's so much creepier now that we know you're gay." Hanna said with a half smile. Janice stuck her tongue out at her.
"We all got eyebrow piercings another time." Beck put in, "We had to take them out as soon as we got back, of course, but they looked good for a few hours."
Raven turned and pinned Jinx with a glare, "Did you ever take out your-"
Jinx cut her off by sticking out her tongue, which was still skewered by it's barbell.
"Whoa... how have you managed to hide that?" Ami leaned forward and inspected it.
Jinx put her tongue back in her mouth, "I mumble when I talk to teachers."
Raven shook her head as the rest of the girls giggle. After a moment, Becka spoke again, "So what's it gonna be this time, ladies?"
"Can't we just have dinner somewhere nice?" Raven asked with almost a pleading look in here eyes.
"No." Becka shook her head, "Come on, Cassie. You snuck out and helped us out last weekend, so we know you have a wild side in you somewhere. Let's live a little."
"Nothing too strenuous," Janice said, "Ami and Jenny are still going to be sore."
"We'll be fine." Ami waved it off, "I say we go base jumping off of the Straus Building."
The room was silent for a moment, then Hanna said, "No."
"Shoot." Ami snapped her fingers.
"How about something a little more wild, and a little less dangerous?" Jinx suggested, "There's got to be a strip joint that does amateur night on Saturdays somewhere in this berg."
"You want to strip?" Becka looked shocked, "But you're not old enough!"
"You only have to be eighteen!" Jinx protested.
"But I thought you were seventeen." Janice replied.
Jinx slowly turned her eyes to Raven, who had pinned her with a death glare, "Jenny gets ahead of herself sometimes. She'll be eighteen in a month."
"Really?" Ami looked over at her, "Why didn't you tell us your birthday was so soon?"
"Just wanted it to be a surprise... heh heh..." Jinx scratched her head.
"Anyway, with the fake ID's you girls could definitely do the strip club idea-"
"Wha... Cassie!" Becka all but shouted, "We are not going to be strippers!"
"Why not?" Raven shrugged, "It's good money."
Her comment was met by ringing silence, then the room burst into laughter. Raven smiled and shook her head while Jinx pumped her fist in the air.
"That's my sister! Slut muffin to the end!"
"Shut the fuck up, Jenny."
"Yeah, yeah. Go dye your hair back to purple."
"Your hair was purple?" Hanna shot her a look of shock, and a wink.
Raven rolled her eyes, "Yes."
"Getting off subject." Becka calmed her laughter, "How about... seeing how close we can get to Titans Tower?"
"I'd rather not." Raven said.
"Why?" Ami looked excited, "I think it's a great idea!"
"Votes?" Becka called for a show of hands. Ami, Janice, Hanna, and Jinx all raised their hands. Raven scowled at Jinx.
"That's it then!" Becka clapped her hands in front of herself, "Tomorrow, we try to ring the Titans doorbell!"
Robin wasn't happy.
"You couldn't have done something to keep her on campus?" he asked Raven over the communicator with a cross look.
"It would have seemed too suspicious." Raven shook her head, "We'll just have to be extra careful. Assign Beast Boy to follow her from the air, and you or Speedy can track her by rooftop-"
"I can deploy the team just fine on my own, Raven, thank you." Robin pinched the bridge of his nose.
"What is with you lately?" Raven asked with a slightly agitated tone, "You've been snapping at me every chance you get, and completely ignoring my suggestions-"
"I lead the Titans, Raven. It's my responsibility."
Raven glared at him for a moment, then sneered down at him, "Just remember why you're leading the Titans in the first place Robin." he sighed and nodded his head, "Raven out." and she snapped the com unit shut.
"Why did you want to form the Titans?" Jinx asked from her bed, where she was folding paper cranes.
"To counter any plots by my Father to invade this dimension." Raven replied, "Fortunately, we were up to the challenge when it happened."
"Whoa... when was this?"
"About a year and a half ago. Almost two years, actually." Raven sighed, "Just a few months after my sixteenth birthday."
"Huh. Sweet sixteen."
"Yeah." Raven looked down at her hand and concentrated for a moment. The Mark of Scath burned bright red on her palm for just half a second, then vanished, "Really sweet."
"I was in prison on my sixteenth birthday." Jinx supplied, "If it makes you feel any better."
"Not really, but thanks for trying." Raven gave a falsely cheerful thumbs up, then sighed and sat down on her bed, "I'm going shopping with Janice and Hanna tomorrow, so you'll have to stick to Becka."
"Already got it covered. She and Ami and I are going skating." Jinx grinned, "I knew those roller blades would come in handy."
"Good. Stick close to her. You need to be ready to take a bullet if you have to."
"I'll try to avoid having to." Jinx grinned again, but nodded anyway. She knew her place on the mission all too well.
"Let's get some sleep then. I'm sure Roy is on the perimeter by now, so we should be safe to get a few hours of rest."
"You're still sweet on him, aren't you?"
"Of course I am." Raven snapped, then sighed, "Just... I don't want to think about him yet."
"After we're done here." Jinx replied.
"Yeah. After we're done." Raven looked out the window of their room, and blinked when she saw a red clad archer meet her eyes for just a moment from the building top across the street, then dash off into the night. "After we're done."
It was three in the morning when Speedy heard the scuffing noise behind him, "You're losing your touch."
"Am not." Robin walked over stiffly and sat down next to the red headed archer, pulling a canister off of his belt as he did, "It's just cold out here."
Speedy gave him a look.
"Okay, fine. Kori and I were going at it earlier and I'm still whipped. She's got alien endurance, okay?"
"Oh you poor, poor man." Speedy rolled his eyes, "Too sore from getting fucked by the hottest alien on the planet earlier. How I pity you."
"Shut up. And don't talk about my girlfriend like that." Robin smirked good naturedly and opened the canister, "I brought soup."
"Great." Speedy took the offered food and sipped the warm broth.
"So how are you holding up?" Robin pulled out a pair of high powered micro-binoculars and scanned the area around them.
"Not too bad. It's been slow tonight. Not exactly assassin central anymore."
"Not surprising. Words probably gotten out that the Titans are on duty 24/7 around here. From here on out we can expect only the heavy hitters. Real pros."
"Great." Speedy took another sip and handed the soup back to Robin, who took a sip of his own before screwing the cap back on.
"You know, I wasn't really asking about the surveillance."
Speedy sighed, "Yeah, I figured."
"It's not like you to form an attachment, Roy. I don't want to sound like a calloused jerk here, but you've never had a problem fucking a girl and leaving it at that. Why's Raven so different?"
"You know why, Dick. You've known her the longest of any of us."
Robin nodded, "She's a real catch, man."
"I haven't 'caught' her yet. And she's not just another quick fuck, you know? She's like... I think I want to try for a relationship. Like a real one."
"Never thought I'd see the day when Roy Harper wanted to settle down." Robin grinned, "Next thing you know, Bruce is going to be telling me that he's getting married."
On cue, Robin's communicator started bleeping. Both young men looked at it for a moment, then chuckled.
"If that's Batman, I'm going to laugh." Speedy said.
Robin rolled his eyes and flipped open the com unit, "Robin here."
"Uh... shit. Wrong Titan. How do these damn things work?"
"Jinx?" Robin arched an eyebrow, "What are you doing with Raven's communicator?"
"I'm trying to contact Speedy! What's his code?"
"Don't bother. He's right here." Robin handed the com unit to Speedy with an amused look.
"Um..." Speedy took it and looked down to see Jinx's face smiling back up at him, "Hiya, Jinx. Something I can do for you?"
"We need to talk. Without the Bird Boy listening in."
"Anything you need to say to me can be said in front of Robin."
"It's about Raven."
"I'll meet you on top of the Westmarch Apartments in fifteen." he handed the unit back to Robin, "Don't follow me, Dick." and he was gone.
Robin looked down at the communicator with a blank look. Jinx arched an eyebrow up at him, "Dick?"
He growled, "Don't blow your cover, Jenny." and he snapped it shut.
Speedy looked over as a black clad Jinx pulled herself up over the edge of the roof, having just come up the fire escape in a completely silent manner, "Hey." he said, walking over to her, "What's up?"
"We need to talk about Cassie..." Jinx stood up and stepped closer to him so they could keep their voices down.
"Who?"
"Raven, numbskull."
"Oh."
"Anyway..." Jinx's hand shot out and gripped him about the throat. He gasped and went for his bow, while trying to pry her hand loose at the same time. She simply smacked his hand away from hers, then pinned him to the roof with a quick fall.
"They hell..." he wheezed out, "Jinx! Let me the fuck go, or I'll kick your ass!"
"You're not in any position to level threats against me, Roy."
"Don't use my real name!"
"Listen up. I want to know right here and now how you feel about Raven. You can't just go kissing her and making her feel things when she's on a mission like this, and if it's all for nothing... if all you're looking for is more casual sex... they you'd better pray that I've forgotten how to rip your throat out from this position."
"Get off of me and let me explain, you psychotic twat!"
"Not making me happy, Roy."
"I said," Speedy got a hand underneath his own body, and shoved up. Jinx was lifted with him as he stood up, his larger frame giving him a size advantage, "don't use my real name!" and he flipped her over his shoulder.
She twisted in mid air and landed in a crouch, ready to spring at him again. By the time she'd landed though, she was already staring at the glowing tip of a particle detonation arrow.
"Okay..." she stood up slowly, "Let's talk then."
"Fine." Speedy kept the arrow pointed at her heart, "I don't know why you attacked me, Jinx, but I'll answer your question anyway." he took a deep breath and let it out, "I'm Roy Harper. I lived with a billionaire for the better part of my adolescent life, then with the Titans East, as a super hero who got no end of chicks. I've been getting laid by women ten years older than me since I was fifteen. I've had one night stands, and I've had relationships that lasted for months at a time. I've been a pimp and a player since I started growing hair on my balls."
His bow and arrow lowered, and his gaze fell to the rooftop. His shoulders slumped, and his posture screamed 'dejected', "But Raven... she makes me feel like giving all that up. I know it's silly... we had sex once, for the hell of it, and ever since then, I haven't been able to get her out of my head."
"That was a year ago, wasn't it?" Jinx arched an eyebrow.
"Don't get me wrong..." Speedy looked up at her and smiled weakly, "I've tried. I've been with other women since then, but... she just... wont get out of my head. We hung out a lot when she was out there on the East Coast for a month. It was just after the whole thing with Trigon and she'd been opening up more, trying to be more social. I think the sex was an experiment in interaction, but... for me, it was a little more." he sighed and looked away from Jinx, "Then seeing her here the other night... it all fell into place."
"You're in love with her." Jinx said in awe, "Raven tamed the playboy."
Speedy nodded miserably.
"Hey! Don't look so put out! You should be happy about this!" she walked over and lifted his chin with one hand, "She likes you too, you know."
"But she can't express it." he nodded, "I know."
"She can if she tries." Jinx replied, "I've been working on her, and I think I might be convincing her to try harder. Her demonic influence isn't completely gone, but it's lessened to a degree. I've got her to control her powers while she was ungodly pissed at me, so loving you shouldn't be too far of a stretch, right?"
"I don't know." Speedy shook his head, "Thanks for telling me, Jinx, but you should get back."
"Don't lose hope yet, Speedy." Jinx said as she walked to the edge of the building and dropped out of sight. Her voice echoed back in the darkness, "Remember... I'm the Mistress of Fate!"
Closing Notes: Next chapter up! Review for this one first!