Alright, here's another installment. In know it's a little late, but at least I didn't take as long as I usually do. Only a few more to go. There are quite a few un answered questions I know but that's because I'm planning a sequel, but that's in the future, this is now. I hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans
Ch. 18: Unfinished Business
"You see him anywhere?" Raven asked as she landed and silently approached her leader.
"Not a damn thing." He looked at her fallen face and inwardly cringed. It seemed that Raphael's disappearance hurt her just as much, if not more, than it had hurt him. "You sense anything?" He asked the question even though he knew the answer. Raven shook her head solemnly averting her gaze back to the yellow orange hue of the setting sun. Robin looked too, remembering all the times he'd caught Raph daydreaming as he looked on.
"It's my favorite time of the day, ya know? I've never missed a single one…" He'd said one particular evening after their long training session with Bruce. It was before Raphael and he had… drifted apart? He wasn't sure what happened. No one had ever told him. Actually, in all honesty, he'd never really asked. He pretty much figured, this was a touchy subject and probably not the best one to bring up in casual conversation.
He continued to ponder his plight until finally, his brain caught up with him. "I've never missed a single one…" At this very moment he was somewhere watching the sun set. It had to be somewhere high where nothing could obstruct his view, and it was most likely somewhere familiar. As unpredictable and random as he was, there was always one thing you could count on. Raph always knew his surroundings. As soon as he chose a spot, he'd return every time, because it was safe and familiar, and he had at least fifty ways of getting out of a pinch should he need to.
Robin scanned the horizon, looking out across the many tall buildings for one recognizable, and with a clear view of the setting sun.
"There, that building." Raven looked in the direction Robin pointed and chuckled.
"You've got to be kidding me. Doesn't he hate Bruce? Why'd he go there?" Raven stared at the building for the longest time. Wayne Enterprises was the last place she'd expect Raph to be. When robin did not answer she glanced over to where he'd been moments before to find nothing. She spun around just in time to see an unconscious Robin being dragged off the side of the building by a large man with a picture of an ace on his chest. She readied an attack but was knocked off balance by a shot to the head.
"If you ever want to see this boy again, then you will find Jack and bring him to docking house three eleven on the south side in two hours." The young woman dove off the edge after the lumbering man.
Raven scrambled to her feet and to the edge of the building just in time to see… nothing. The pair had simply disappeared into thin air. She didn't even sense their presence.
"Shit!" She cursed. She quickly pulled her communicator from her belt. "BB, Cy, Star, anybody!" The screen was fuzzy for a second but it soon focused and Cyborg answered.
"What's up Raven?" Starfire and Beast Boy were standing just behind him looking worriedly. "Did ja find Raph yet?" Raven shook her head.
"No but I think I might know where he is." She looked back over at Wayne enterprises building Robin had pointed to. "Listen, the royal flush gang just got Robin, I want you three to go down to the docks and get him. They're holding him at docking house three eleven, south side. Go there and try and get him out, I'm going after Raph." With that she closed the communicator, not allowing them to speak, and took off toward the target building.
"I really hope you're right Robin."
When he awoke, Robin found himself suspended uncomfortably by his arms from a long chain hanging from the black roof. He immediately began working un his hand cuffs. He did not make his consciousness know to the other occupants of the room in order to gather information from his captors, and give him more time to break his bonds. He could hear four distinct voices, two men, and two women. It was the screaming and yelling that awoke him from his forced slumber in the first place. They were arguing, rather heatedly, about him.
"Why did we have to bring HIM here?" An older woman screamed. "He's the Leader, they'll come after him and we CAN'T beat them!" There was a distinct slapping sound, followed by a deep growl.
"I SAY WHAT WILL BE DON…" A powerful voice bellowed and from the sound of his gasping breaths, the man who was speaking was being pinned against a wall by his chest.
"YOU DON'T HIT MARY!" He had a monstrous voice. Probably from the same man who'd knocked him unconscious on the roof. He quietly loosened his cuffs so he could slide out, but tight enough so that if he balled up his fists he could stay in them.
"Be careful cutie." He heard the other Female voice come from behind, but he'd heard no footsteps or breathing. How'd she get across the room to him without him noticing? A still more urgent question, why hadn't she alerted the others to him picking the lock? She tucked something into the back of his belt.
"I'm sure your friends will come for you soon enough." Finally, he heard a barely audible shuffling of her feet as she moved back around in front of him. "And if you would be so kind, could you give that to Jack for us?" He didn't hear her footsteps walk away but he did hear her voice grow further and further away as she left him. These people are damn good.
"We're done with you Max." The older women spoke as he someone hit the floor with a thud and moan. "You can deal with the Titans yourself."
"I'LL KILL YOU ALL FOR THIS!" The man screamed desperately, as Robin heard a knife being pulled from it's sheath. He heard the man charge, and the sound of struggle. The man with the knife screamed and he could hear the grotesque sound of breaking bone, echoed by the clattering of the knife hitting the floor.
"You come at us with that thing again," The older woman threatened, "and I'll do far worse than break your arm." The man stumbled backward and groaned in pain.
"You'll pay, I'll get you for this you bitch! I'M The King of HEARTS!"
"You're no king, Max. You're Scum. Jack saw that. That's why he left. I just wish I'd seen it sooner." He could hear their voices fading away as the talked merrily back and forth to one another. The door opened with a squeak, and he could feel the night air on his face.
"Jack was a COWARD! He didn't have what it takes to be King. That's why he left!" The man kept screaming even after the door shut and the other voices disappeared.
Raven approached her friend cautiously. He stood poised on the ledge watching the sun sink behind the distant buildings.
"I didn't want it to be like this you know." He spoke, his back still turned. "I wasn't even going to stay that long. I was just going to hold down the fort while Robin went to visit the bastard we call father." He carefully hopped down from the ledge, but he didn't face her. "But then, I got to know all of you, and it was fun. It felt good to be wanted again."
"Then why did you leave?" There was a slight twinge in Raven's voice. He wasn't sure weather it was anger, or hurt. Hell maybe it was both, either way, it meant something. He smirked. Your mask is breaking Raven.
"Because I knew it was only a matter of time before you found out who I really was, and what I'd done."
"And that gave you a right to abandon us? You thought that we would just hate you because you made a mistake?"
"I didn't leave because I was afraid of what you'd think. Quite honestly, I've done nothing wrong." Finally, he faced her. Staring her straight in the eyes as he spoke. "No one was ever hurt, I never stole more than I needed, and I never stole from anyone who didn't deserve it." His eyes left no room for doubt. He was speaking the truth exactly the way he saw it.
"Why did you leave?" Not even trying to hide the hurt in her voice she inched closer to him.
"I left cause I was afraid you guys would kick my ass." A silent chuckle passed between them but they both knew that wasn't the real reason. "I left because I became a problem…" he looked away from her as he spoke.
"Robin had come back, and really all I was there for was to make sure things didn't fall apart while he was gone."
"Then why did you stay?" Raph was slightly stung by the question, but he smiled nonetheless.
"Because I like you." Raven's heart beat faster, and she inched a little closer to him. "I like all of you, but especially you. I mean it's not every day I find a sardonic little bitch to but heads with." She smiled. Leave it to him to turn an insult into a complement. She inched ever closer, and this time so did he.
"In the end though, I left because Robin was back, and none of you needed me anymore. I was just becoming a burden. I've always been his infallible older brother. Ever since we were kids, he's looked up to me. That might change now, or it might not. Either way, it's bad news."
"Why is that bad?" She questioned.
"If it stays the way it is, and he continues to see me as big brother who can do no wrong, I'm afraid he will rely too much on me. Look to me for Guidance when he should be the one to guide, and give up his chance to become the leader I know he can be. He's already begun questioning himself."
"Then on the other hand, if he goes the way of the Bat, He'll lose all faith in me and treat me as an outsider. He will never trust my judgment, or my ability. He'll be forever suspicious of my motives, and he'll never trust me again." His smile melted away into a sad frown. He tried to turn away but Raven grabbed his face gently with both hands.
"You," She smiled "are completely full of shit." His sad frown gave way to a look of pure shock. "Robin would never do that to you no matter what you did." She let her hand slide gently off his face. And he reached up to grasp it in his own. "I also know he'd never give up his role as leader, no matter how much he looks up to you. He's entirely too stubborn for that." Raphael gave her a questioning look, letting her words role around in his mind before they sunk in. All the while she moved closer to him, closing the gap between them. "You may have known Tim when he was a kid, but I know him as he is now, and I know he could never hate you for this." She pulled her hand from his grasp and rested both hands gently on his shoulders. "Besides, you can't leave." He slid one hand down to her waist while with the other he softly stroked her pale cheek.
"Oh, and why's that?" he questioned with a defiant grin.
"Because we haven't finished my guitar lessons yet." He smirked. He leaned down ever so slightly as she raised up on her tip toes, finally closing the space between them. Raven's eyes rolled shut as their lips met for their first real kiss.
Several streetlights blew up below, and most of the windows from the building exploded, but neither Titan cared. For the first time in as long as they could remember, they were content in the moment. Everything was right, and neither could be happier. Raven's eyes snapped open and she abruptly broke their kiss, effectively shattering the moment.
"Wha…Wha… What the hell?" Raph stumbled dazedly as Raven hurried toward the other end of the roof, dragging him by the hand.
"I forgot," she explained "Robin's in trouble…"
I hope you liked it. I'm planning on two More chapters, then it's finally done. As much as I loved writing this story, I don't ever want to write another one this long again. Anyways, I'd love to hear whatcha thought. and the next one should be coming along shortly. Until next time. Cya.
