Kali: Hi all.
Semine: Are you all right? You seem a tad subdued. Like you've taken your medication too early.
Kali: Nah. I'm just calmer. The rain against the window and the classical music streaming in from the library act as tranqs for me.
Semine: … Write now.
Kali: And the soft glow of the computer screen—
Semine: I said quit the poetic crap and write already!
"Hey, Rae! I didn't see you at work today! Where were you?" Bekka ran over to Raven, who was walking back to her apartment after grocery shopping.
"Well, I really wanted to go, but the fact that I was assaulted made me stay home. Or rather, quit. I am now officially unemployed."
"I'd say harsh, but it actually wasn't. I hear that sushi slash poetry joint you're fond of is looking for work. And now you have a résumé."
"Hey! I had a résumé! Six years as a public safety official, six years as a handler for the mentally disturbed, six years as a handler for various zoo animals…"
"Wait, which Titan is mentally disturbed?"
Raven stopped listing her various jobs and looked at Bekka. "You haven't seen Robin when he gets obsessive," she said darkly.
"Oh. Well then, you have an excellent résumé, and tomorrow you have an interview at the café. I'll see ya afterwards!" Bekka turned around and started to walk home.
"Bye." Raven turned to start walking the last block to her building, then remembered what Bekka had said. "What? What time do I have that interview? Tell me!"
Bekka didn't turn around or stop, she just shouted, "Noon!" and kept walking to her home.
Raven sighed and began walking again. She would have to dust off her only dress clothes. But it would be a job, and a job was good.
Robin woke up at his usual five thirty in the morning, a faint smile on his face. He began to plan his day while absentmindedly stroking Starfire's back as she slept. His alarm clock blared after fifteen minutes, and Robin shut it off, got out of bed, and began to dress. He marveled at Starfire's sleeping form. She could probably sleep through a war. The one time he did have to wake her up before eight, he had to use a stick of dynamite. And then she had spent an hour getting ready to fly off to Gotham.
Robin entered the gym and walked over to the small TV he had for background noise. The news started playing as he clicked it on and grabbed his wooden bo staff. He began to stretch as one newscaster started to speak.
"So what has happened to our scariest superhero? We have asked our viewers to call in with the latest Raven sightings, hoping that someone might know what's happening. Here's Ben, from the Dockside district, with some interesting facts on Raven."
The newscaster's face froze in a sick grin as she listened to some man speak. "Uh, yeah. I saw her at this restaurant, and she like, came up and spoke to me, and it seemed like she was hitting on me, but I said, no way babe, I've got a girl back home, and she was all huffy and when she came back, I could have sworn that there was some weird voodoo stuff she was working on me, but I resisted like a good man, and then later that day, I saw her talking to some guys I know, and I think she was working that voodoo stuff again, and then I heard her say some funny words, and then I was forced to jump into the bay."
"Anything else, Ben?"
"Uhh… No."
The newscaster was staring just above the camera, probably to the director to find out how to react. "That's… Good. Let's move along then. Sarah?"
"I live across from her, and she's really a nice person. She wants a cat."
The newscaster waited expectantly. Sarah said no more. "Okay." Robin stopped listening and started his kata, tired of the media and human nature.
Half an hour later, he had to switch from bo to unarmed kata. He paused again as the newscaster introduced a new caller.
"And the last caller today, Rebecca, who comes from the Inner City. Bekka?"
A harsh voice spoke from off screen. "Hi. I worked with her, and I'm her friend, and the only person who's called so far who has spoken any truth was Sarah and that man whose leg she healed. She doesn't abuse her powers. She barely uses them at all. She's worried something might happen. And her powers aren't supplied by dark gods, or any gods for that matter. Her soul is still intact, and when she uses her powers, it's to help others. The only time she levitated anything at work was when one of the waiters dropped his tray, and she kept it from falling. You guys are making her out to be some scary force that must be stopped. And you news people aren't helping either. You're letting the people be afraid, and encouraging the thought that the Titans broke up. As far as I know, they're still protecting us from villains who would do us wrong. So shut the hell up about her and try using your common sense. If Raven were dangerous, would she be one of our most respected heroes that the Mayor would trust his life to? I think not." Bekka hung up with such force that the slam was heard in the newsroom.
The newscaster froze, not sure of what had just happened. After thirty seconds of embarrassed silence, she spoke. "And on to our next story, Bella the dog is at the top of her class—her skydiving class, that is!"
Robin changed the channel on the television, turning on some cartoon fight show. And while he was interested for a few moments in how the show depicted a few techniques, he got bored and started up his sai kata.
Finally, seven o' clock chimed, and Robin left the gym to grab some breakfast. As his eggs simmered in the pan, Cyborg took over the kitchen in hopes of making a meaty meal before Beast Boy could object.
So Robin, with nothing to do, sat in front of the television. The fight anime had been replaced with some anime about fruit. Or at least, that was what the title said. One of the sappiest theme songs ever started to play, but Robin was saved from the terror of watching the show about baskets of fruits by a call.
"This is Titan's Tower, Robin speaking."
A loud and obnoxious voice came out of the phone. "Exactly who I wanted to talk to. I'm Sandra Bryne, with HE7 News, and I was wondering if I could get an exclusive interview with the Titans. Will that be alright? Great. How does tomorrow at noon sound? Perfect. The interview will be live, so wear your best and remember to smile!" Robin stood next to the telephone for a second, blinking stupidly. Sandra had just hung up on him, without him even getting a word in edgewise.
Robin sighed, sat down, and flipped the television on, grumbling as he was forced to watch a show about people who turned into animals.
Raven walked back from her interview, both insanely happy and irritated. Insanely happy because she knew she had just scored a job. She had studied Japanese for some reason a year or two ago, and now she could use it! But she couldn't figure out why she was irritated. The more she thought about it, the more irritated she became, until she growled in frustration and ran her hand through her hair.
Then it hit her. Robin was annoyed. Raven started running home, muttering her chant under her breath to keep her sane. When she tumbled into her room, she grabbed some chalk and cleared a space on her floor, drawing a hectogram and symbols. She moved some candles to the points while flicking through her books to find the right incantation. The candles ignited themselves as Raven grabbed an atheme and sat cross-legged in the center of her circle.
"Azerath Metrion Zynthos. Cilora, Verrara, Ilcante. Devoron, Wilnonda, Pariga!" Raven reached into her head and pulled out the connection between her and Robin. She opened her eyes and looked at it for a moment, as it shimmered darkly in the candlelight. She picked up her atheme and prepared to slice away at the rope between her and Robin.
As soon as the first thread broke, Raven felt enormous pain as the tiny bit of her had to race back to her head, through walls and trees and people. And she felt the tiny bit of Robin rip itself out of her brain and run back to the brain it was supposed to be in. Raven paused for a moment, regaining her composure. Then she proceeded to cut, the glimmers of power and friendship fell onto the floor before evaporating into a heavy mist around her.
An hour later, one excruciating hour later, Raven lay down panting, the mists chilling her to the bone.
"It's done."
The priestess stopped what she was doing and smiled. "It's done."
Robin shot up in the bed. Not his bed, but the infirmary bed. Cyborg, who had been keeping watch over him, started.
"You're awake. Finally. We were worrying about you, man."
"What happened?"
"You don't remember? You were watching that crap anime, when suddenly you yelled out in pain. We took you here to try to figure out what was wrong." Cyborg looked at Robin, worried.
"Well?"
"Your brain waves were off the charts. Like you were ripping bits of your brain and shoving them back. And chemically, you were going through a lot. But we couldn't find anything wrong."
"How long ago? Is anyone else hurt?"
"Well, you screamed three hours ago. Then you just sort of, passed out. No one else had the same symptoms."
Robin lay down again. This didn't make sense. Nothing did. And he couldn't ask what wasn't him, or the him that wasn't near.
And meanwhile, Robin had to deal with some harrowing feeling, like his insides had been scooped out, and molasses poured back in.
"Oh my god," whispered Robin. "I'm alone." For the first time in over three years, he was completely alone.
Yes, yes, yes, very short.
But aren't you happier that I've updated? I knew it.
Last chappie, the woman was not Raven. Cos the Great One was Trigon, and the Daughter was Raven. Get it? Got it? Guid!
This is Kali; Sleep deprived and out
