11. Paranoia, Nerves, and the Mask-Revealed

It'd been three days since Erika's meeting and it was still raining. Since it had been raining so much the Titans had been stuck inside. Erika usually spent most of her time in the room she'd been staying in but today she was trying something different. She was hanging out with Starfire. They'd talked a lot about nothing all morning and now they were painting each other's nails. Erika couldn't ever remember have this much fun. It had really gotten her thinking.

May-be I should help them and not her. I've never had any real friends and this is really fun. Erika what are you thinking. You've done this you're whole life. You don't need friends. Only masters and of course victims.

"Right Erika?" Due to her thinking Erika hadn't heard Starfire or noticed Raven appear at Starfire's side.

"Huh?" Erika looked over at Starfire only to see Raven. "Uh, hi?"

"Hi? I was wondering if either of you saw Robin? And Starfire said that you guys hadn't seen him all day."

"Yeah, I haven't seen him."

"Ok then I just figured if anyone knew where he was it'd be you."

"Nope, no clue." Raven walked off leaving Erika stunned. She didn't attempt to fight with her; she didn't try to kick her out. What was Ravens problem, she didn't give up that easily.

"Hello? You in there?" Starfire asked waving her hand in front of Erika's face.

"Huh? Yeah." Erika's head began throbbing. She was use to the pain but she needed to go lie down. "Hey Star?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm not feeling to well I'm going to go lie down, ok"

"Oh yes, of course. If you don't feel good, rest is exactly what you need.

Erika wandered down to Terra's old room; it was where she'd been allowed to sleep. She lay down on the bed and fell asleep.

Raven had continued to look for Robin. When she walked back through where Erika and Starfire had been she noticed Starfire was by herself and Erika had left.

"Starfire where is she?"

"Who?"

"Erika!"

"Well she said she didn't feel good so she wanted to lie down."

"Didn't you think to check to make sure that's what she's really doing?"

"I don't understand, we never check to make sure what we're all doing."

"Yeah well we can trust all the Titans."

"Hold on it seemed like earlier you guys were ok with each other?"

"It's clear that I'm not going to get her to leave but we need to be careful I'm not sure what it is she really wants."

"I thought she wanted to help us with Terra?"

"That's what she said, but no one just wants to help us. She has other plans."

"I don't think so but I'll check to make sure."

"Good." With that Raven left room. Nobody understood why Raven was so worried Erika had been there for a while if she was going to do something she would have already done it.

Raven was sure she'd checked everywhere for Robin. "How obvious." Raven said as she realized that she didn't check his room. Raven wandered down the corridor that led to Robin's room. When she came to the entrance she knocked on the door. "Hey Robin?" No response, "Robin are you in there?" Still no response. Raven placed her ear to the door and listened. She heard footsteps. The next thing she knew her ear was no longer against the medal door it was against Robin's chest. "Hi ya!" She said lamely as she stepped back. "Um, I really need to, uh, uh, were you sleeping?"

"Yeah weren't you?"

"No, and nobody else was either."

"Why not it's early in the morning."

"It's two o'clock."

"What?"

"Yeah it's not early in the morning."

"Right." Robin stepped outside his room. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"It's Erika she needs to be watched."

"Why?"

"Because she's up to something I just know it."

"Raven, Erika's not up to anything, ok I know you're paranoid about her, but she's really not that bad."

"Not that bad? Robin I know more about Erika than you do she's trouble Robin. I've told you a million times, I've told every one. But nobody listens to me."

"Nobody listens to you because we all hang around Erika and we all know that she's not up to anything!"

Tears began to well up in her eyes. She couldn't believe that Robin wouldn't trust her. She knew that Erika was bad news. Why couldn't they see it too? "You're, you're impossible!" She ran off crying. Ever since Erika came here she had become quite emotional.

Starfire walk to Erika's room, she opened the door, and looked around.

She saw Erika lying on the bed, asleep. Raven didn't have anything to worry about Erika hadn't left Titans Tower.

Erika had been asleep for a while when she heard Star fire enter the room. She could tell she was trying to be quite but because of Erika's powers she sensed Starfire's thoughts. Wait a second, she sensed her thoughts, that meant she could use her powers again. She sat up on the bed and looked at Starfire.

"I'm sorry I was too noisy, I woke you up." She said as she hurried out the door.

That was weird. Erika's head felt better so she got up, and walked towards the door. She opened it to find Robin about to knock on her door.

"Hey what are doing here?'

"Well, I, um, I, uh…"

"Robin? Are you ok?"

"Uh, uh, yeah."

"You're acting really weird."

"I, I, um, I was, uh."

"Right, well if you don't mind moving I'm going to go find Starfire."

"Erika I was wondering if you want to hang out sometime?" He said so quickly, she couldn't understand what he was saying.

"You're going to have to relax, and speak slowly if you want me to understand you."

He took a deep breath. This was Erika he'd talked to her a million times. It was perfectly normal. But Robin couldn't bring himself to relax. No matter how many times he told himself he'd done it a million times he was still freaking out. "Never mind."

"Ok well I'll see ya later, and if you ever feel like telling me what you said come find me." Naturally with her powers working again she knew exactly what he said, and what he was thinking. She just wanted him to wait till he was comfortable to talk to her. Before he could say anything else she'd slipped past him and out in to the tower.

Erika wandered around thinking. What was wrong with her. She knew what she had to do but the longer she stayed here the less she wanted to do it. When she first came here she did a lot of pretending. Pretending to be sweet, pretending to be helping it was all an act, or well it used to be. Now Erika found herself not having to pretend. She really did want them to like her, she really did enjoy spending all her time with them, and most of all she really did want to be here. Erika didn't have her mask any more. She no longer had any need for it. It wouldn't be easy this time. If they interfered she couldn't just throw out her pretending and get rid of them. She had real feelings for them, mostly Robin. Then she realized it was all because of Robin. She'd only hung out with Starfire for barely a day. She didn't talk to Beast Boy any more. Cyborg and her were cool but she wouldn't have any problem handling him if need be. And she would most certainly have no problem eliminating Raven; if it wouldn't blow her cover she would have done it all ready. But Robin would cause her trouble. Mostly he was the only person she talked to, and he looked out for her. Erika didn't want to admit it but she really did have feelings for him. She couldn't destroy him there was no way she could, that only left her one option. Quitting her mission. She wouldn't help her get Terra. She wasn't going to hurt the Titans. Erika had something to fight for now, and she wasn't giving it up.