Me: I'M NOT DEAD! I SWEAR!

Tai: This loser over here went to North Carolina and then FORGOT you all.

Me: I DID NOT! I just...umm...got lost on the road of life?

Tai: Sure.

Me: Anyway, I know it's been a while, and I'm sorry I haven't responded (I'm really busy with this new school year) AND I know this chapter sucks. Sorry.

Me: This chapter has a heart-to-heart with Robin (In Raven's room! -gasp!-) Also, it is of my opinion that superheroes need to stop wearing their underwear to work.

Stupidlittlelineisn'tworking...

Chapter 7: Talk and Onyx Eyes

The, next morning, I awoke to the sound of banging on my door. Cyborg's voice wafted in. "Yo, Raven. You gotta eat. It's been three days. We're starting to get worried, Dark Girl."

I felt guilty. Yes, they had forgotten how truly worried they'd been, but I still had manipulated their memories. So, I squashed the feeling of guilt and gave him an excuse that would let him leave me alone for a few days. Even if that forced me to explain what my religion was.

"I'm on a fast for my religion. I need to meditate. Come back later."

I heard Cyborg walk away, shocked feeling rolling of him like water. "Why did my empathic powers not work yesterday?"

Defense mechanism. If, during your change, you felt outside influences in your mind, it would change some aspects of your transformation and you might have been made deformed or insane. Be grateful.

I nodded and walked to the shower. I had been in my leotard for four days now, and it was stained with blood and sweat. I was lucky my cape hadn't sustained any damage, because then one of my teammates yesterday might've noticed that maybe I hadn't been in my room for the last three days.

As the hot water washed over me, I concentrated on the changes my body had made. Overnight, my skin had become lighter than my usual ash-grey, but it appeared to be almost normal. The Titans wouldn't ask about that. My nails, which I didn't bite, were shiny and hard as diamonds, it seemed. My sense of smell was increased greatly as well, along with excellent hearing. Along with that, I realized my speed was much faster than normal, and my gait simply much smoother. As if I was floating, not on the ground.

I needed to test my new, much more dangerous abilities, but that could wait until nightfall, when the Titans were asleep.

Just as well. I want to introduce you to some places and people.

"How do you know this stuff when I don't? Do you just sit around and glean vampire information?"

Umm, yes? Raven you need to realize, while I am primarily a part of you, I am also part of every vampire that has existed.

"And ever will?"

Well, I wasn't gonna bring that up, but yeah, that too.

"I swear," I murmured before I got into a meditative position, "You remind me of a non-naïve Starfire and Beastboy mixed."

As you like, O great master of my personality.

"More annoying everyday." I said, then entered into the darkness of my mind.

I 'awakened' from my meditation what I sensed as a few hours later. Robin was knocking softly on my door. I unlocked it, and called "Come in." I had an idea of what this conversation would be about.

He came , and I was amazed at how quiet his walk was. Without my new hearing, I wouldn't have heard it. I kept my eyes closed as I felt him sit next to me. I lowered myself to the ground, and opened my eyes, turning to look at him. To my shock, he didn't have his mask on.

He chuckled as I stared at his lack of mask and his endless onyx eyes. "A bit disconcerting, isn't it?"

" Your maskless face, or your eyes?" I asked, regaining my composure. In all honesty, it wasn't that hard not to stare. After all, I had seen much stranger things.

"Either. You see, I've wearing a mask ever since I was little. It wasn't because my parents disliked my eyes, it just added mystique to their line of work."

" That and when I fixed my eyes on people, they dropped their gaze. Every time. So once I got the mask, I was overjoyed. People got used to the mask, that isn't hard to do I've noticed, and stared me straight in the eyes, so to speak. Even when my parents died, and I was adopted by Bruce Wayne, I wore sunglasses constantly."

" Ah. So that is how you know Bruce Wayne. Then your alias must be-"

"Richard Greyson. Yeah."

"So now, it is a protective device, or habit?"

"A little of both. One, I can't let the people, or villains know who I am. Bruce is getting on in years, you realize. The fact we could go on missions any time is a part of that. Two, I've worn my mask so long it's almost a part of me."

" I have noticed that. And about Bruce getting on in years, he's not that old."

" Fifty-three next month."

"Ah. Well, it must be the line of admirers he keeps himself young for." I mentioned, feeling slightly awkward with the way Robin was staring at me. As if he felt it, he turned away.

"Yeah, that and Catwoman…" He said under his breath.

I laughed, I couldn't help it. The idea that a fifty-three year old man , Batman I might add, going at it with Catwoman, the twenty-something thief of the year, was laughable. "Batman…and Catwoman…" I chuckled.

Robin looked shocked, at my laughter or at my revelation that I knew who Bruce Wayne was, I didn't know. "You know who Bruce Wayne is?" Well, that answered it.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Obviously. He thinks that if he can dress up like a bat and save people, people won't notice that people are saved whenever he's not there."

" At least he does a better job than Superman." He said in Batman's defense, but he had a smile on his face, much like mine.

" Yeah, Lois Lane had better get smarter, and stop falling, literally, for a guy who puts underwear outside his pants."

Robin laughed, and murmured, "Bruce had a thing with her once, but she hated Batman, so it didn't work out. That and Superman was pissed. Batman was up in Superman's territory, and Bruce Wayne was in Clark Kent's."

" That's ironic. So Lois likes Bruce Wayne, hates Batman, practically loves Superman, but doesn't feel that way towards Clark Kent. How does she have any spare time?"

" I don't know, but I had better go before the team gets worried about where I am." He stood up smiling, and helped me up.

"Or who you're obsessing over." I answered. We stood at my doorway, and he opened the door. He put on his mask and turned back to me hesitantly. Slowly, he put a piece of hair behind my ear. "They wouldn't worry much about that person." He turned and walked down the hall.

I stood there for a minute, shocked at his forward behavior, then closed the door.

Onceagainstupidlittlelinedoesn'twork...

Me: -grins- A little Rob/Rae moment there...Anyway, explanations on Robin's behavior next chapter. Plus we get to see (way) less awesome cameos of my characters. Vae isn't much of a big deal yet, but it seems Raven and her are getting along, eh?