~RavensMind~

Chapter 15: The Penguin Trap

"Elation. Pure excitement and drive swept between the connection from the tower to the manor, both Passions were glued together at the hip and lips, rarely leaving the other's side. Other emotions looked on as they reordered both mental structures to reflect the new state of mind that had been captured. Even Wrath had difficulty focusing on her task of rebuilding things considering the new pleasures being flushed through the bond between minds. Contentment wrapped itself around Raven and gripped Robin as well. Anything not related to their newfound lust was going to be viewed as a distraction, it could take only a grave threat to tear the two Passions from one another."

Once fully dressed in their uniforms again, Robin and Raven treated Jinx and Kid Flash to dinner – pizzas from the best restaurant in the city, which they had on speed dial. The smell of sausage and pepperoni wafted through the tower as they snatched the boxes and hauled them upstairs. Busting open the boxes, they tore off their own slices and sat down around the table. Kid Flash tried to get the group to eat on the couch, but Robin wasn't having it.

Though the pizza was delicious as usual, Robin wasn't enjoying it as much, his head was elsewhere. He couldn't completely tear his attention away from Raven. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed every motion she made. He would focus on the shift of her body, or the changes in her breathing as her breasts rose and fell. Try as he might, he couldn't completely ignore what she was doing. She must have noticed or was having a similar problem, as one of her hands left the table and settled on his thigh. When he caught her looking at him, she would give him a suggestive smirk and then shift back into the conversation with Jinx and Kid Flash. He threw an arm around her back as he took a bite of pizza and felt her fingers shift on his leg. He did what he could to resist as the conversation continued.

"So, we handed Mammoth off to the cops and they're asking me who I am, I'm like, what the hell? I'm a Titan, I've been around for a while, and they ask me if I'm replacing Beast Boy and I said no way, too busy trying to keep up with Jinx to save a city," Kid Flash explained.

"More like I have to keep you on a leash or you go crazy," Jinx said.

"Not all the time," Kid Flash said.

"Most of the time," she said.

"Yeah but you know you love it," he said.

"I'd love it if you stopped doing it to try and impress other girls," she said with a frown.

"Nothing wrong with a flirt or two, right Robin?" he asked.

"Not sure I'd say that," Robin replied.

"It happens, if you mean it or not," Kid Flash said.

"Sure, but I don't think you're flirting once or twice," Robin said.

"Maybe. Who knows? Bet I could flirt with you and you wouldn't pick up on it," Kid Flash said.

"I would," Raven said.

"But you know, like, everything, right?" Kid Flash asked.

"Hardly," Raven replied.

"You have to if you figured out how to get through to Robin," Kid flash said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Robin asked.

"Oh, uh, nothing. Just saying, haven't seen you this lovey-dovey with anyone before her," Kid Flash said.

"I don't know, he and Starfire were kinda cute for a while," Jinx said.

"I dunno," Kid Flash said.

"What? They were," Jinx protested.

"Not like this. They can't stop looking at each other," Kid Flash said.

Raven's cheeks flushed with red and Robin cleared his throat as he adjusted his cape.

"Can we change the subject? I want to know what Mammoth and Gizmo were really doing here in the city before a major crime boss is scheduled to show here. It's not a coincidence," Robin said.

"Ehhh, that's not interesting," Kid Flash said, "Mammoth and Gizmo are always trying shit to get Jinx's attention nowadays. You and Raven as a couple…that's juicier."

"Wait, what crime boss?" Jinx asked.

"Major player from Gotham, the Penguin is coming to make sure some weapons get shipped off to Joker," Robin replied.

"When?" she asked.

"Soon," was all he said before taking another bite of his pizza.

Jinx eyed him and then looked to Raven, who was trying to act like she was just focused on her food, but Jinx knew better. While Raven hid her emotions completely, some things are universally true about people, and Raven was no exception. As Robin and Kid Flash talked, Jinx watched as Raven's eyes would flick over to look at Robin when she was sure he wouldn't notice, and focus on his face or his groin. Robin's eyes did the same to Raven when there was a lull in the conversation. Smitten, more so than she and Wally were. She wondered if Wally noticed that too, or if he was too focused on his food.

After dinner, the group moved to the couch and turned on the TV. There wasn't much on aside from a football game and a new action show. Jinx frowned immediately upon seeing the jerseys of the players for the football game, Wally's favorite team was playing. Sure enough, he talked Robin into leaving it on the game for a while. Raven sighed and tilted her head back against the couch. Robin slid his arm behind her back and gently tipped her toward him, so her head rested against his shoulder. They sat like that until half-time, then started talking again to get through the commercials.

"You're pretty quiet tonight," Robin said to Raven.

"Mhmm, just relaxing I guess," Raven said.

"Need anything?" he asked.

"Well…you could move your hand," she replied.

He frowned and let go of his grip around her.

"That's not what I meant," she said after a few moments.

He chuckled and ran his fingers down her side, scooting over to tip her more toward him, and resting his hand on her ass.

"Better?" he asked.

"Mhmm," she said.

"You have a free hand, and I'm right here," Kid Flash said to Robin with a smirk.

Surprise was plastered across Robin's face and both girls were staring daggers at Wally. Jinx was used to his casual flirts with strangers, as it was in passing and rarely meant anything, but this sounded sincere and directed, and it got her to clench her fists. Kid Flash waited as Robin took a moment to process things and finally looked over at him.

"That uh, was a joke, right?" Robin asked.

"Nope," Kid Flash replied with a shake of his head and another smirk, "I mean it."

"So, Raven was right, you um, have a thing for me?" Robin asked.

"You knew about this?!" Jinx asked Raven.

"I heard a rumor. Wally's emotions told me all I needed to know from there when we ran into him," Raven said, "didn't think he would act on it."

"You're acting like I made out with him, just asked if he would touch me," Kid Flash said.

"But we're dating and so are they!" Jinx protested.

"Right, dating, not married," Kid Flash responded.

Before anyone could say something in return, the alarm sounded and the room flashed red. The screen changed from the sports network to a satellite image of the city with a red blip blinking down at the docks, near Penguin's warehouse.

Robin was off the couch and in front of the monitor before the others could stand. He hit a few keys on the computer and brought up traffic cameras from the area. His eyes scanned the streets until he spotted several trucks and a limo discreetly parked in an alley near the street. It hadn't occurred to him until now that they would need to apprehend Penguin as he was leaving, not while he was still inside. Everything had to go smoothly with the weapons shipment or Joker would get word something was up. Robin turned to the three Titans behind him.

"No time to brief, we need to move. Jinx and Kid Flash, you're with me. Raven, you're up, let us know as soon as you've set up those tracers," Robin said, heading for the doors.

The three followed him out of the room and managed to catch up with him in the garage. Raven levitated toward the garage door as Jinx and Kid Flash joined Robin in the T-car.

"So what's the plan?" Jinx asked Robin.

"Once the shipment is on its way out of the city, we'll need to take down Penguin before he or any of his cronies can raise an alarm. I can take Penguin and his bodyguards, I need you two to round up the rest of his crew and back me up, Raven will be handling crowd control and any outliers," Robin said as he started the car and opened the garage.

"Cool, but what if this goes south?" Kid Flash asked from the backseat.

"It's just Penguin, he's not prepared for us. Out of his element," Robin replied.

"And if there's any surprises?" Kid Flash asked.

"They're the ones who have to worry about bad luck tonight," Jinx said as she stretched her arms.

"Like I said, Raven is handling outliers," Robin said, "Penguin isn't getting away. Not in this city."

The T-car launched out of the garage with Raven flying alongside it. Once on the mainland, Raven nodded to Robin and broke away to make for the warehouses. Robin watched her fly off and wondered if her improved powers were ready for this, they hadn't been field tested yet. He felt Jinx's hand on his shoulder and he turned his attention to her and the road before him.

"Worried about her messing up?" Jinx asked.

"No, if anything I'm worried she'll do too well. Her powers are dangerous," he replied.

"Yeah. So? So are Jinx's powers," Kid Flash pointed out.

"Jinx's powers haven't just been given…well, steroids," Robin said.

"I'm sure she can handle them," Jinx said.

RrrrrrrrrrRR

Deep breath, she thought. Raven stood on the edge of a crane, looking over the wide view of the docks from high above. A chill night breeze set her cape flowing and her hair lightly blowing. The moonlight reflected on the water shot toward her as a spear through the waves. She caught a hold of her power in her mind and twirled it, her senses spiraling outward toward the gray bricked warehouses. Everything was sharp and crisp in every which way she could sense it, the pulses of every thug that littered the interiors were blinking in her head. She could have mapped out their locations within the structures if she was given paper and a pen. Another sign of her newly amplified power.

She flew down from her perch and went through the roof of a warehouse using her dark portals. Hovering over crates, she closed her eyes and swam through the thoughts of the armed thugs patrolling the area, leaping from one to the next until she located him: Penguin. The tiny, bald little Englishman with the crystal monocle and cane stood on a platform by a carrier vessel. She stealthily flew along the walls until she was positioned near enough to hear him, and locate the weapon crates that were marked with Slade's brand. Penguin was speaking to the ship's captain, standing next to another cane-wielding Englishman she recognized. Mad Mod.

"I don't care what they say, the dock is mine and I'm shipping these outta here if I 'ave to go up there and shoot the bastard foreman myself!" Penguin bellowed in his cockney accent.

"Not so fast," Mad Mod said, tapping Penguin on the head with his cane, "this is a quiet operation, so if you go and blow that bloke's bloody brains out, it will alert those pesky Titans."

"We can take two of the little runts, the clown said that the rest of them are in Gotham with the Bat," Penguin said.

"Explains why it was so easy to bust outta the slammer without the duckies knowing," Mad Mod said.

"Doubt they'd notice, not like you're a major threat," Penguin said, "now go tell Bane we're gonna need an hour before he brings the car 'round for us."

Mad Mod fumed but stormed off toward the door to the warehouse. Penguin went over to a desk up against the wall and sat in an office chair, putting his feet up. The crates on the ship were left unwatched, save for when the guards passed by them to avoid walking past Penguin. Raven watched and waited until she had an opening. She opened a portal beneath her and lowered herself down, appearing through a second portal behind the crates on the ship. She took out the tracers Robin gave her and placed them along the underside of several crates and on the floor of the ship before activating them with a tiny remote no larger than a quarter. With one last glance, she went back through another portal and appeared on the roof.

Crouching on the roof, Raven took out her communicator and called Robin.

"Tracers are set," Raven said as his face appeared.

"Yep, looks good on my end, I have a read on them. Anyone see you?" he asked.

"No, but we may have a problem," she said.

"What is it?"

"Mad Mod is here too, helping Penguin. And Bane is their bodyguard."

"Damn. Penguin we could take easily, Mad Mod too is pushing it, but taking Bane too is gonna be next to impossible, he isn't going down easily," Robin said.

"We've beaten worse odds," Raven said.

"We have," Robin said with a smile, "Come to us and we'll get ready."

"On my way."

"Oh and Rae, nice work."

"Thanks."

She smiled and shut her communicator, then flew off toward the spot she knew the others were waiting. It wasn't far, Robin had parked the T-car in a secluded alley, and was kneeling on a rooftop just above it. He smiled again as she came into view and watched her glide down to meet him. Her hair fluttered softly in the breeze as she touched down. She looked around and then back to him.

"Where are the other two?" she asked.

"Waiting by a traffic light down the street," he replied.

"So we're alone?" she asked, kneeling down beside him.

"Mhmm. Why?"

"I heard Penguin say they wouldn't be leaving for an hour. Seems we have some time to kill."

"That so?" he asked with a smirk.

"Mhmm," she said as she looked from his masked eyes to his lips.

"What should we do?" he asked.

He put his arm around her and gently massaged her shoulder, drawing circles with his thumb on her back.

"Talk about what Wally said back at the tower?" she suggested.

"I think that can wait until later, when we're done here," he said.

"Fine. So, if not that then what?"

"Just this," he said as he leaned in and caught her upper lip between his.

She pressed her lips against his eagerly, sliding her legs out in front of her, wrapping her arms around him as he straddled her waist and lowered them both down on to the roof. He put his hands flat against the roof on either side of her, deepening their kiss. She bit his lip, then gripped his uniform in her hands as he bit back harder. She broke away and looked up into his masked eyes. He grinned down at her.

"Sucks that they had to drop in when they did," he said.

"I agree, but why's that?" she asked.

"I was going to pick you up and set you on that counter, tear off that blue robe, kiss you everywhere, and fuck you for hours," he replied.

"Mmm, shame you didn't get the chance, I would have loved that," she said, biting her lip.

"As soon as they leave," he said with a smirk.

"I don't know, you might have trouble getting rid of Wally."

"Still don't believe he did that," he said.

"Would you?" she asked.

"What?"

"If we weren't dating, or if I was somehow okay with it, would you give him what he wants?"

"Hadn't thought too much about it. Don't think I'd be okay with that."

"Hey, it's fine if you had, he swings both ways and we're fine with that, you could too. I'd still love you."

"Uh, are we really talking about this?"

"Messing with you boy wonder, but I meant what I said."

"You're going to owe me for that when we get back to the tower."

"Sounds like fun to me," she said with a grin.

They heard the engines of the limo and trucks start up one by one, breaking the otherwise silent night. So much for another hour, Raven thought. Robin helped Raven up and they watched the street, waiting for the convoy. A ship's horn sounded as the carrier of weapons began to pull away from the dock.

A few moments passed and the first truck came into view, followed by the limo, and a third truck. Jinx was poised waiting for the first truck to make it to the traffic light. Once it had crossed the intersection, she blasted the pavement and traffic light with her hex spells. The road fractured and curved up, a wave of solid rock, and the traffic light curled around the truck and held it in place. The limo and other truck stopped as the first truck was hit by the road, the engine crushed. Kid Flash dashed to the truck, pushed the dazed thugs onto the road, and made his way to the truck at the back.

Aiming at the sunroof of the limo, Robin fired his grapple and pulled the glass away, then lobbed a smoke pellet inside, followed by a flash grenade. He followed the blast of light into the limo and landed in the middle of the stretch seating, in front of the blinded Penguin, Mad Mod, and Bane. He grabbed Penguin by the legs and fired his grapple back up at the top of the building. He pressed a button and he was pulled from the limo dangling a howling Penguin as he went.

"So, Penguins do fly," Robin said as he reached the roof and put Penguin down.

"Oi! Birdy-boy! When I get my hands on your little throat, I'll make you wish you hadn't been born! You little shit! Where the hell are those idiots guarding me?" Penguin shouted.

Kid Flash ran and jumped through the other truck's windows, kicking the occupants out the other side before they could aim their guns. Jinx used her hex spells to jam their guns and tie them up with a nearby parking meter that wrapped around them. Bane leapt out of the limo's sunroof and landed feet from Jinx. She backed up as Bane prepared to charge her when Kid Flash sped over and kicked him from the side, the force knocked him back against the wall on the far side of the street. Jinx launched a hex spell at the wall and bricks came falling from the wall onto Bane as he was getting back up.

The limo door swung open and Mad Mod emerged, using his reality bending cane to create a bottomless pit beneath Jinx's feet, she started to fall and grabbed the ledge.

"You found quite a pot hole, rotten fortune there, my ducky," Mad Mod said.

Bane got up and charged at the right moment to knock the wind out of Kid Flash before he could do the same to Mad Mod. Robin swung down with his bo staff at the ready, smashing the titan container on Bane's back. Aiming his cane toward Kid Flash, Mad Mod launched an arrow with the head of a live snake as the arrowhead. A barrier of black power appeared and shielded Kid Flash from the blast. Raven hovered overhead, her eyes glowing white and her hands encased in dark power. Mad Mod laughed and pointed the cane at Raven and she fired a beam of dark power at the top of the cane as he began firing a jet stream of bullets from it. The beam shredded each bullet as it pushed onward to the tip of the cane. Mad Mod held the cane with both hands and strained trying to keep the stream going.

Kid Flash helped Jinx out of the hole as Raven turned up the power, pushing more dark energy into the beam. Mad Mod gripped the cane for dear life as the approaching beam was now inches from the cane. A car flew toward Raven, she ended her beam and flew out of the way as the car slammed into a building behind her. Robin leapt at Bane with his bo staff extended, slamming it into his gut, and Bane was sent reeling. Kid Flash and Jinx joined Robin as they stood in a group to launch a combined attack.

"That's quite enough of that," Mad Mod said.

Slamming the cane down on the ground, he had cages of cement surround the three grounded Titans. Trapped, the three tried to move the cement, Jinx tried to blast through it, Robin smashed his bo staff at it, and Kid Flash tried to channel his speed into his foot as he kicked at the cage. Nothing was working. Bane and Mad Mod turned their attention to Raven.

"We will kill them. Give up and save them, or die now!" Bane bellowed.

"Come on, lass, we haven't got all bloody night," Mad Mod said, pointing his cane at her.

Raven looked down to Robin with an apologetic expression. She clenched her fists.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven yelled.

The street lights went out suddenly and Raven now towered over the two criminals, horns protruding from her head, four vicious red eyes glaring down on them, and dark tendrils spilling from beneath her closed cloak. She phased in and out of view as they blinked, getting closer. Bane leapt to slam his fist in her face, a tendril wrapped around his leg and slammed him to the ground, then lifted him, then slammed him down again, and again. Over and over, Bane was smashed into the pavement. Mad Mod lifted his cane and he grew to the height of Raven's demon form. He swung his cane like a sword on her tendrils, making them vanish and reappear. A large dark bird claw erupted from the earth and tore the cane from Mad Mod's grip, then crushed it to dust in its fist.

In an instant, the cement cage vanished, but the trio stood where they were – two of them out of fear, the third out of trust. Robin watched as the dark claw grabbed Mad Mod and slammed him against Bane, leaving the two crumpled and broken on the sidewalk. Raven's four eyes met Robin's gaze. This time, Robin saw Wrath just behind Raven's eyes. He smiled and approached Raven as Jinx and Kid Flash looked on in wonder and terror. A tendril wrapped around Robin's waist and hoisted him up so his face was level with Raven's. He didn't struggle.

"You trust me," Raven observed, her voice deep and distorted.

"And I love you," he said, reaching his arms around her and leaning in.

The two kissed and Raven shrank back to down to the ground, her horns receded, and the tendrils vanished. Their feet touched the pavement and she threw her arms around him while greedily kissing his lips. Her two additional eyes faded away and wrapped her leg around his, pressing herself against him. He broke away and opened his eyes to see her back to normal and beaming in his arms. Jinx and Kid Flash cautiously joined them by the two incapacitated crooks.

"Could she always do that?" Kid Flash asked.

"Yeah," Robin replied, "just not in a way she could control. Now she can."

"Remind me not to piss her off again," Kid Flash said.

"Let's uh, get all these guys to the jail, as fast as we can," Robin said as Raven traced circles on his chest and gave him a look he had only seen once so far.

"I got it covered man," Kid Flash said as he dashed to get the T-car.

Jinx looked after him, then turned back to see Raven nipping and kissing down Robin's neck. She grinned at Robin who had turned red and had an awkward smirk on his face. Raven didn't seem to care that Jinx was standing there, her emotions were still high, Passion hopped up after Wrath and was feeding her thoughts, and Cleverness turned red and sighed, then stepped in to talk Passion down a bit.

"Raven?" Robin asked her.

"Yes Robin?" Raven asked, running one of her hands down his back.

"This is really nice but, we're not exactly…alone here," he said.

"Fine, I'll stop," she said as she let him go, "for now."

"Let's get Penguin off the roof and ask him a few questions before we turn him over to the cops," he said.

With a shrug, Raven flew up and snatched Penguin by the collar and dragged him to the edge of the roof. He struggled and kicked, but couldn't break away. She flew down with him and dropped him at Robin's feet. Jinx stomped on Penguin's fingers and grinned down at him. The tiny boss screamed and grabbed his hand. The T-car pulled up and Kid Flash hopped out to drag Bane and Mad Mod into the back.

"So, Cobblepot, what's Joker up to?" Robin asked.

"Think I'd be dumb enough to tell ya, Bird boy? Clown's mad, ain't he? Crazy as they come. What makes you think I know what's goin' on in his head?" Penguin responded.

"Not buying it. He'd let you in on his scheme if he got you to come all the way here," Robin said as he took out his bo staff.

"He paid a lot, and I've only got half. Course now that you're here, you'll stop the ship and I won't see the rest," Penguin said.

"Today's your lucky day," Jinx said, "we're not stopping the ship. He'll get his stuff and you'll get your money, thing is, you'll be in jail here when he wires you the cash."

"Wait. You're really lettin' the clown have all those guns? You're madder than he is," Penguin said.

"The guns are going back to the person you stole them from and Joker is going away for the rest of his life," Robin said, "nothing for you to lose now, might as well tell us what you know."

"Not a bloody chance, think I want Joker or Scarecrow findin' out I squealed?" Penguin asked.

"Scarecrow?" Raven asked.

"Yeah, Scarecrow, ya daft cow, ain't you heard of him?" Penguin asked.

Robin turned from Penguin and walked over to the T-car as he took a deep breath. He put his hands on the hood and pressed into the car, then he took another deep breath. Scarecrow and Joker, I need to be there, the others are in over their heads, Robin thought. He had to tell Batman, but he hesitated as he pulled out his communicator. He won't let me go if I call, but if I show up and tell him, he can't keep me away, Robin thought. Robin's Cleverness was arguing with his Hatred and his Passion, there was no right answer. He wanted to go, but he was needed here, and the others had Batman's protection. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned his head, his gaze met Raven's and she squeezed his shoulder.

"Guessing things went from bad to worse?" Raven asked.

Robin only nodded as he tensed. She frowned and looked back at Jinx, who was helping Kid Flash get Penguin into the back of the car.

"You want to be there," she said, "but we can't leave the city undefended."

He nodded again. She sighed and spoke again.

"I want to help them too," she said softly.

"They have help, I just need to know it's enough, because if its not… anything that happens is my fault," he said.

She shook her head.

"You can't blame yourself for something that hasn't happened yet, that's a waste of time. So, why don't we take these guys to jail and then head home?" Raven suggested, "I'll cheer you up."

"A little sad when you have to be the one cheering me up," he said.

"That a shot at my sunny disposition?" she asked dryly.

"Maybe," he replied.

"Get in the car, or I'll throw you in," she said.

"In a second, need to make a call first," he said.

Nodding, Raven walked off to tell Jinx and Kid Flash that they were leaving. Robin opened his communicator and called Batman. His mentor's cold face appeared almost immediately.

"What have you learned?" Batman asked.

"Scarecrow is working with Joker on this too, not sure how or why, but this just went from bad to worse. What are things looking like in Gotham?" Robin asked.

"Still tracking Joker down, once we know where he is, this will be over quickly," Batman said.

"Right. The shipment is on its way, and I'm bringing Penguin and Bane in," Robin said.

"Bane too? Interesting. Good work. I'll get Penguin and Bane transferred to Gotham once they're in custody. I'll keep you updated, but unless you find anything else, your job for this is done, we'll take it from here. Am I clear?" Batman asked.

"Clear," Robin confirmed reluctantly.

"Good. I'll call you when our situation changes," Batman said, "get some sleep."