-+-A Thousand Shades of Gray-+-
+The Shade of Acrimony+
"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."
- Unknown
"Robin?" He smiled, charming, his entire uniform contrasting against the darkness shrouding her room as she allowed him in, not quite sure why he was there to begin with. She closed her door and leaned on it folding her arms over her chest, tilting it curiously she asked, "What's the reason for this visit?"
He shrugged something Raven knew he only did when he was thinking of something as he focused on everything in her room other than her, it was late at night, and her room was dark. Unless he was a half-demon such as herself he'd never be able to really make out much detail, which just enforced the idea that he was still trying to come up with an excuse for bothering her. Well, not really bothering, she wasn't doing anything, couldn't sleep, the works and he sighed, "Just thought I'd drop by to see how you were doing?"
She scrutinized him, narrowed her violet eyes on him and pushed off her door to walk up to him, wondering just what was going on in that head of his. Well, she could delve into it and see right now for herself, but being the modest person that she was and a personal right-to-privacy believer she wouldn't. However, it didn't stop her from thinking if this was a question posed by a leader wanting to check to see if his team was really okay after such a struggle with her father.
Or a friend wanting to be sure his friend didn't feel as if she was an even bigger outcast from the world than she already did.
Personal visits were always a sticky situation for her.
Raven never liked them … she was never really a personal kind of girl and hated feeling lost when it came to social contact. She nervously tilted her head down to the ground and casually shrugged muttering to herself within her head, 'Don't over analyze … he's just trying to be nice …' she sighed, "Robin, I'm fine … you don't have to go to great lengths to make sure I'm not falling into a pit of my own self-pity. I'm fine."
Raven discreetly bit down on her lower lip, 'Repeated it too many times … he'll think something's wrong.' She closed her eyes and listened as Robin responded quietly, "Okay … just checking …"
She heard him shuffle towards her; he was going towards the exit. She moved out of his way to allow him to pass … but he stopped, right beside her and felt him almost hesitantly place a hand on her shoulder. Light, afraid that of he rested it any heavier he'd be sending the wrong message … but then it got heavy and he leaned closer to her. Raven dared to glance up into his mask and gulped when that smile of his was so close she could almost taste the sweetness of his sincerity.
Granted, it was hard for Raven not to think of her leader in such away.
Hell, she was only 16, he was pretty much the same age, they lived under the same roof, ate at the same table, shared stories, laughs, and hardships together. For heavens sakes he went to hell just to get her back! What girl wouldn't fall for that, Raven was a half-demon, but she was still a girl that had feelings, despite her determination to keep them under lock and key. Her heart sped up, her face felt like it was suddenly on fire and she was glad that it was dark so that he wouldn't see the blush rushing up on her face when he leaned in even closer.
Their close proximity startled her, "Robin …"
"I'm here for you Raven … and I'll never let anything happen to you, again." Raven couldn't help but bow her head and close her eyes to avoid his gaze. Unable to hold it, feeling so vulnerable as he whispered every word with great meaning behind them all. It wasn't just words, they were promises, promises of a friend … maybe something more, she didn't know, but to her, they were dangerous things to say.
"You …" Raven found herself suddenly stuttering, "Robin, you can't say things like that … it –!"
He cut her off, gently placing a gloved thumb on her lips while cupping her face, he closed the gap between them with a swift kiss, but Raven brought up her hands to his chest and applied pressure, not enough to push him away, but enough to stop him as she turned away. Breathing heavy and closing her eyes when he settled to kiss her on the forehead instead, "Sorry, I shouldn't have done that."
Raven sucked in a deep breath to calm herself down and settled in his arms when he hugged her and whispered his name … but for some odd reason … his name … held a different meaning as it slipped passed her lips, "… Robin …"
((--))
Warm … she felt so warm and safe under the comforting sheets of whoever's bed she was in. So secure … in fact … she never wanted to leave the bed, it reminded her of … a distant memory, just after she took care of her father.
"… Robin …" she found herself whispering his name again, testing it, as if to taste if said name had changed in flavor or meaning … and it did.
Immediately, after she said his name, the face she was thinking of, didn't pop up behind her closed eyelids. It was someone else's … a cunning young man with stunning onyx eyes that pierced deep into her soul and captured her in more ways than one. Raven gritted her teeth and clenched the sheets around her, shaking her head and burring her face within the soft pillows as if it had something to do with changing the face. Because that face … those eyes … they weren't what she was thinking … it wasn't what she wanted to see.
She shuttered when the image wouldn't go.
It frightened her … greatly.
For him to be engraved in the back of her mind that way it was … it frightened her to the core.
She felt a fist enclose around her heart and felt it starting to squeeze the life out of her the more she tried to change the face to match it's rightful owner … but it would go … she tried saying the name again, sounding desperate this time, "… Robin …"
Splash!
Suddenly … her vision went completely red as the image of her leader, her friend had finally appeared, only to be smeared away by the red paint that crossed him off … with a giant Red X. Raven gasped and shot up panting as her heart raced a mile a minute, the red paint slowly dissolving to reveal to her that it was just a dream… no … not a dream. The first part of her subconscious train of thought anyway.
It was a memory of Robin, and her, she brought a hand up her face and stared blankly at nothing as she thought, How could I forget that moment? It pulled at her heartstrings, and a new question arose … why did she stop him when she wanted the same thing? It hurt her head to think about it, but it hurt her heart to remember it, so she put it in the back of her mind and forgot about it.
That was how she forgot about the moment.
But …
That didn't explain the red …
She gulped …
It didn't explain the Red X painted across Robin's face when she repeated his name.
Pleading with her subconscious to have her remember his face.
His mask, his uniform, his everything!
And when she was beginning to …
The red paint smeared his image.
Why?
It scared her to even think about it.
Taking deep breaths, Raven calmed herself down and glanced around her new room … this time … it seemed pretty normal instead of the princess-suite that she was given at the Xander Mansion. Although, it still didn't stop her from wondering just where exactly she was, throwing the white sheets off of her she swung her legs over the edge of the large queen sized bed and had her bare feet touch the cold hard wooded ground. She shivered, but figured that it'll pass as she sighed and noticed the window over her bed.
She glanced out of it to see that she had a clear view of part of the Xaner Mansion … I'm probably at Robin's aunt's house just down the –
Her eyes widened and her mouth fell agape as she thought aloud in terror and shock, "… I … I just … I called him by his name."
She brought her hands up to her mouth and blinked with a shake of her head, No … no I didn't … his name … his name is X … Red X … not … not … Robin …
She bit down on her lower lip to silence her thoughts.
Even thinking of the name … it sounded alien.
Forbidden …
Scary …
Because … it didn't sound the same anymore!
It had a different meaning behind it.
It had … had … his face to the name.
Raven bowed her head and closed her eyes, but alas, those haunted obsidian eyes wouldn't leave her, so she snapped them back open and shot up to her feet, a hand still on her mouth, Oh gods … I think I'm going to be sick … not in disgust, no, just sick with disbelief! He was in her thoughts, in the back of her mind … but … but … WHY?!
Stumbling towards the door to exit the room to immediately find a bathroom where she hoped against hope that she'd get there before she ruined the perfectly polished grounds with whatever her stomach was disagreeing with. She gulped hard and staggered out into the hall, practically throwing herself to the opposite wall from her bedroom door. Wincing as her shoulder hit and the discomfort was there; she gasped silently and stifled her noisiness when she heard voices.
It was Otto's … and … his …
She followed it …
Downstairs within Robin's aunt's house where Otto and Jamie were staying, Otto and Robin were found in the large kitchen, Robin sitting on the counter and Otto leaning on the table in thought and in the middle of explaining:"Well … it's not exactly a cure for the Elixir … actually … I don't think there's any real scientific cure for what's in her system."
Robin narrowed his onyx eyes with no glasses – contacts – and raised a suspicious brow, "But you just said –"
Otto interrupted him and held up his hands to stop him, "I know what I said, but listen to me, Slade must have altered the mixture, added something that's not even a chemical … I have no idea what it is, but it might explain the markings that suddenly appeared around Raven's neck. Anyway, the antidote I gave you will eliminate the Elixir, but the other stuff … I don't know. Anyway, you probably made it worse by putting more of that shit in her when you switched the needles at the stables you bastard!"
Raven stilled in the middle of coming down the stairs, Wha …
Robin huffed and ran his hands through his bed-messy hair, obviously ignoring Otto's sudden outburst, "It's magic … forget it Otto, you're way out of your league, and I had to … it was Slade's order, if I didn't do anything he'd know."
Jamie entered the conversation, "Well, does he know where you are?"
"No, he doesn't even know you guys are helping me, he thinks I'm taking care of the Titan all by my lonesome."
"The Titan" Raven gulped hard, not "Raven" or "Angel" … just "The Titan"… why did that hurt so much?
"Two-timer!" Jamie accused and Robin jerked his head in disgust.
"Hey! It was a job alright! I really didn't know he was going to hurt her like this! If I did I would have pulled out before I got in too deep!"
Otto shook his head in disappointment, "Why the fuck where you screwin' with him anyway when you knew he was bad news!"
"I don't know! I guess I got bored."
It was Jamie's turn to hit him, "Well look what your dumb ass got us into, do you realize that Slade owns you now? We can't handle him on our own Rob; we have to call the Titans."
"No," Robin was quick to answer, "I can handle this."
"Robin –"
"I said I can handle this," Robin reassured with a stubborn glare, "I'm not going to let anything else happen to her, not after what I saw when I had to stage her death …"
So … it really was all planned … Raven found herself suddenly loosing focus. Her world went blurry and for a moment she thought she was going through another episode when her throat felt like it was on fire, and her heart hurt like hell!
But no …
It was something totally different …
When she blinked …
Tears escaped her violet eyes.
She was crying.
Jamie looked at her brother and Otto did the same, they both had that unsure look on their faces while they listened to Robin's declaration. Normally they would have been teasing him about it, since he had to be such a hero when he felt like it, but this time. They were dealing with Slade and that was a whole different ballgame. Jamie was still going for calling the Titans for back-up and Otto just plain-old wanted to drop the case like a hot potato.
Wanting nothing to do with hero and villain squabbles, but seeing that he had no choice now, Otto sighed, rolled his eyes in defeat and pulled open a chair to sit down, "Well … if that's the case than … we have to either tell Raven the truth – which I personally think is the better idea – or bring in someone else to help me with her problem. Because, magic is so not my field."
Robin stayed silent for a moment, then announced suddenly jumping off the kitchen counter, "I'll call Jinx."
Jamie's mouth dropped open, "Whoa! Whoa! What the fuck? So you're not going to tell Raven the truth?"
"… She doesn't need to know … yet …" Robin reached for a phone, but Jamie rushed up to him, grabbed the back of his shirt, pulled him back and forced him to look her in the eye.
"She needs to know now, this isn't something you can just put off, this could end very badly if you don't say something!"
Robin shook his head and shrugged her off, "Jamie, she doesn't need to know."
He picked up the phone and Jamie stared at him in disbelief, giving up when he waited for someone to pick up on the other line she huffed and before she walked away from him she said, "You know … if you're going to lie, lie yourself, I'm not lying for you."
With a blank expression on his face he watched Jamie head back up the stairs to confront Raven. Who unknowingly to the three humans had heard everything; Jamie only took two steps and stopped with a gasp when she spotted Raven standing in the middle of the stairs. Her long violet hair pulled to her side, wearing nothing more than the white button up rumbled collared shirt that was X's to begin with. Violet eyes stared down at her with an unreadable expression and Jamie gulped, when Raven didn't say anything only walked down the stairs right passed her following X's voice.
Jamie licked her lips and watched the Titan with wide worried eyes.
Otto on the other hand looked up and held his breath when Raven's piercing gaze locked on him for a moment pinning him to the ground with such intensity that it sizzled his own skin. However, he wasn't the target, X was when she looked at the corner of her eyes to the thief who hung up the phone and had a sinking feeling in his gut when she faced him. Passive, indifferent, tense silence, he opened his mouth and tested the waters to see if they were safe to sail, "Angel –"
That water … was frozen solid.
"My name," her voice was cold … uber cold, so cold it froze the entire room and showed no mercy, "is Raven, not 'Angel' … and I'm no subject of yours or Slade's."
"…" X seemed to have something to say … but it fell flat and never could put into words when Raven walked away from him and up to Otto.
The biochemist gulped, not sure if this was a good thing or not as she passively stared at him, "This other substance that you mentioned within the Elixir … what is it?"
Oh shit! He thought with a shuttered, She heard it all! he tried to play it cool, but it was impossible with those dark sneering eyes of hers. Otto shrugged, "Uh … I – uh – I don't know, honestly, but I can show you … there's a lab in the basement, Robin's Uncle used to be a military scientist."
"Not surprised."
They disappeared around the corner into the living room headed for the basement and the air suddenly became breathable, X let out a breath and leaned on the table hanging up the phone, "Damn … I was expecting her to hit me or something."
Jamie shrugged and glared over him with her arms folded across her chest, "She was crying Robin … personally I would have kicked the shit out of you … but she's numb … she doesn't know what to do."
Jamie wasn't valedictorian for nothing to become an MD.
She even got a PhD in psychiatry.
So of course X wasn't surprised when she made those bold claims.
As a matter of fact, it didn't take an MD or a PhD psychiatrist to know he hurt Raven … badly. He saw the pain in her eyes when she looked at him with such fury … and he had to be honest … he wished she'd hit him … at least then … he'd know she still acknowledge him enough to physically touch him. However, since she didn't … X suddenly felt lost …
"Jamie, you have to be on my side with this one," X defended, "the only reason why I didn't want to tell her is because then she wouldn't trust me as much and I wouldn't get her cooperation as good …"
Jamie flipped her blond hair, her blues reflecting her friend's clueless-ness as she huffed and shook her head, deciding that now was as good a time as any to clean up the house before Robin's aunt got back from her trip in Cambodia, "I swear X, you're fast on the draw, but always seem to hit the wrong target."
X blinked, completely clueless, and caught off guard, "What are talking about?"
"That's what I'm talking about!" Jamie growled in frustration and jumped when the phone rang, she stared at it, then glanced at X who was right next to it and nodded, "You gonna answer that anytime soon?"
He rolled his eyes and picked up the phone, "Robin Xander, who's this?"
"Oh! Robin … it's Marisa … I … uh … your mother told me you were there so I decided to call and, um, see how you and that wom – Rae, was doing …"
Jamie raised a brow when X's annoyed face turned into a look of exasperation, then she shot X a dry look when he said her name, "Marisa … why are you doing this? She's none of your business."
She shuffled around as if nervous as she sighed heavily on the phone, "I know, but after what I said last night, I thought I owed you and Rae an apology. My behavior was most unacceptable and I was wondering if it was possible if you both would like to join me over at my estate for a little lunch today … if it's not too much to ask."
Jamie knew that look X was giving and she shot him a serious glare, saying through her lips knowing that X could read lips, "You're not serious are you?"
"Hold on one second," He held a hand to the phone and shrugged, "It's better than to keep her locked up in her seething and ruing the day she ever met me."
"You can't do that! Not in her condition! She's unstable! You'll just be pulling another stupid like at that party!"
"That didn't count, we settled the debt with Dago and he bit off more than he could chew, he deserved that."
"But she didn't! You're dragging her into your personal problems X."
"No I'm –"
"Go on the lunch with Marisa, BY. YOUR. SELF! Otto and me will take care of Raven, maybe you can go gather that information you tried to get last night, if Marisa's connections are at her place then that's your ballgame."
"Jam –"
"End of discussion! She's getting suspicious pick up the line Rob," Jamie flipped her hair and smirked as Robin growled in defeat and got back on the line with Marisa.
"Hello?"
"I'm still here, did you talk to her?"
X ran his fingers through his already messy hair, ruffling it up and gritting his teeth he sighed, "Ah … um … Marisa, Rae, she needs rest, but I guess I'll come over."
Marisa took a moment to answer, but sighed herself and settled, "It's okay … well, lunch is at 12, and, on my behalf wish Rae the best of luck getting well."
Jamie scoffed when he finally hung up the phone and Jamie snickered, "That little bitch is starting to get on my last nerves, I have no idea what the hell you saw in that shedevil. Fuckin' stalker."
"Forget about it" X sneered and stuffed his hands in his pockets, "just take care of my angel while I'm gone."
"'Your' angel?"
X froze then corrected himself smoothly, "You know what I mean she's my responsibility and everything."
"Huh … responsibility … right."
Not even sticking around for a come back X ran up the stairs to get ready for the lunch, while down in the basement Raven worked with Otto who was currently filling her in on what the Elixir does to her exactly, "… So the subject looses sanity, and the one that had administered the drug would have the opportunity to transform the subject into whatever he or she wants. In this case, Slade would want to make you the perfect killing machine and call me a smartass, but I don't think you want that very much."
"No …" Raven answered quietly as she looked into the microscope to study the liquid that she was supposedly shot-up with. Twice, considering what X had done to her in the stables, "… it has to be some sort of controlling potion that's in me. The Elixir does most of the work, making me vulnerable, then the potion will follow and I'm at my master's mercy. Problem is … what kind of potion is it."
Otto leaned on the chrome table, giving Raven a critical look, "You just said it was a controlling potion."
Raven looked up from the microscope and answered, "That's the obvious answer for any one of your caliber to guess … however, if you've studied magic all your life … you'll know the differences between specific kinds of subordinate mixtures. One would control only bodily function, another, the mind, and another even both, or maybe it's one that controls feeling."
"Feeling?"
"Fears usually the favorite in cases such as this," Raven informed as she walked away from the microscope to another part of the lab where Otto had showed her was where he had created the antidote, "but … maybe it's memory."
Otto followed her and asked, "Can you mix potions … you know, like the different kinds you listed? Is it possible to do that?"
"…" Raven faced him and tilted her head, "If that's the case then why use a potion when you can use a subjugation spell?"
"'Subjugation' spell?" Otto blinked dumbly.
Raven nodded and huffed, leaning on the chrome table she frowned, "This would be so much easier if I had my library."
"…" Otto leaned next to her and stared at the equipment in the lab, state of the art, fine tuned a mad-man's wet dream basically. Every single possible way to solve any biological problem in the world and they get stuck with magic! It was a sick twist of fate, one that got Otto wondering, only to want to ask out of curiosity. Glancing back at the stairs to be sure that X wasn't anywhere near them, he sighed and shrugged nonchalantly, "So … mind if I ask you a questions? It may be none of my business, but curiosity abounds … you have the power to get away from us even right now and I highly doubt you're stupid so you can manage to find your way back to your friends. Why? Why do you put up with this shit? Put up with us common criminals if you say you hate us so much?"
Raven blinked, then tilted her head up at Otto and without hiding anything, said in a very serious tone, "I'm only staying until this chemical inside me is gone completely, and when it is gone … you … your sister … and especially X will be taken down in one shot. I'm sorry if that's too blunt for you, but it's the truth whether you like it or not."
Otto gulped and asked, "You sure you're not just saying that to spite Robin because he lied to you? Cuz' you know, he lied to Jamie and me too."
"I'm a Titan, Otto," Raven reminded, "it's my job."
"Sucks," Otto scoffed and shrugged, "but I guess you can't have your cake and eat it too. Girls as fine as you are, are always the spies."
Raven snorted, "I'm not the one that played both of us and your sister like pawns on a chessboard …"
Otto raised an amused brow, "You really don't like him do you?"
"If you think I don't, never ask Robin his opinion."
For a second Otto thought she was talking about X, but then he remembered that her leader's alias was Robin and chuckled, "I'll remember that when you're reading my rights."
Raven sighed, "Well, while we're on the case about personal questions, I hope you don't mind my asking about how you and your sister came to know X."
"That's a funny story," Otto laughed at the memory, "but if I tell ya, you can't say you heard it from me 'cuz Robin would kill me if I told you."
Raven nodded, "I'm listening."
"Well, we've known him for about a year and a half, right at the time he ran away from Hawthorne Garden Court. We helped him escape house arrest, and a looming betrothal."
Raven jerked her head back in shock, "Be-betrothal? X was promised to someone?"
Crack!
Otto made a face, "Not … exactly, he was the one who proposed to her, but only because he had to clear his name from all the rumors that were spread around about his life and his mother and his father. He had to make it look like he was the actual son of a multi-billionaire tycoon, ready to take on the family fortune when he turned 18, or at least work at Leon's company."
"I don't get it, how's marrying someone going to clear his name?"
Creek!
"You see … in the world of the rich and famous rumors start to rise … since Marisa and Robin were like childhood sweethearts and everything, the jealous started to dissect their lives, pry and eventually a rumor spread. A nasty one to, Marisa was supposedly pregnant with Robin's kid, so, you see, he actually proposed to her to save her face, because it would bring disgrace upon each family name if there was a child born out of wedlock."
"Don't worry so much, the worst they'll think is that I got you pregnant or something … long story …" Raven remembered quite vividly the first night she met X's parents, what he said, it made sense! Raven nodded, "Okay … I don't see how this is funny?"
Crrraaacckkk!
"Ha, if you were in my shoes, you would have, especially the whole stealing from the company part. You see, Robin's just weird; the whole marriage thing? That was his 'brilliant' idea by the way, and he found that he couldn't get out of it … but … here's the funny part. Turns out that Marisa was the girl who started the vicious rumors just so she could have Rob all to herself …"
Raven sighed when Otto took a deep breath and looked off in thought; she stayed silent and listened to the rest of his explanation.
CccrrrEEEkkk!
"When Rob found out her 'malicious plot' he was going to call off the wedding … but …" Otto bowed his head to stare at the chrome table, and frowned, "Marisa … threatened blackmail … you see … Robin's family isn't exactly spic-n-span … there's a lot of hidden mistakes upon the Xander Canvas. Anyway, Marisa threatened to go public with his mother's entire background which isn't what you'd expect it to be since she's such a nice lady. Then, she threatened to expose him for the criminal that he really was, and the straw that broke his back was when she threatened to spoil his name in the only way that'll not only destroy Robin's reputation entirely … but take away a good chunk of his pride."
He paused … Raven blinked when he looked at her with a serious gaze, she stayed passive, "… Continue …"
Otto bit down on his lower lip then shook his head, "Despite what you may think of him, X really isn't a bad guy … he only does bad things … things that go against society's moral outlook on life in general. Marisa … she was going to make him look like a monster … she was going to claim he raped her and forced her to keep the baby and X couldn't take that. So he staged the elaborate stealing plot, he stole … I forget what he stole, but he took something valuable from the Xander volt and made a run for it and disappeared. Jamie and I helped him. So … you see … I know it may not be fair to you that he lied about working for Slade and stuff … but you gotta understand … it's not exactly easy for him to trust people with the life he's led."
SHATTERED!
The wall that separated the Titan from the Villain …
Was demolished …
She was beginning to understand him …
Raven scoffed, but didn't say anything, just vented in her mind; I don't give a damn anymore! That bastard can go straight to hell!
Then, the logical side of her brain kicked in, You knew … you knew he was still working for Slade … you knew … so why so upset?
Raven answered herself with a roll of her eyes, Because the bastard thought he could get away with lying straight though his teeth! Damn him!
That part of her seemed to chuckle, No … that's not it and you know it … it's not the fact that he was still working for Slade or he was lying that makes you angry. You had hoped against hope … that for once in your life … you'd be wrong. You're mad at yourself for being such a fool.
Yeah … and who made me the fool …
…
"So you've given me a little insight to his past life … doesn't mean I care."
Otto grinned, "Somehow … I knew you wouldn't."
"Wouldn't what?" both Raven and Otto looked up from each other to the stairs that X had come down. Dressed up like he was on some kind of date, Raven turned away from him and the sudden chill in the air never went unnoticed to Otto who decided now was as good a time as any to get a drink as he dismissed himself. Leaving the Titan and the Thief alone, X grumbled, hoping that Otto would have stayed to loosen things up. X found himself at the mercy of the angry lioness as he slowly, carefully approached the Titan dwarfed under his large shirt.
Raven broke the ice … or made it even colder when she asked, "What do you want?"
X casually slid up beside her and looked over her shoulder to see what she was doing as he answered her question, completely and utterly ignoring her cold mood, "I came here at first to ask if you wanted to join me on a little lunch date with Marisa at her estate. It's an apology thing, Jamie protested the very idea of you going with me, says that you're 'unstable' at the current moment which I think is just a load of bullshit. However, now that I saw how cozy you were with Otto, I have to know, what exactly were the two of you talking about to get you in such a fine mood?"
"Oh? So now you think you have the right to question the people I talk with?" Raven moved away from him, keeping herself busy from actually having to look at him otherwise it'll set her off in a very dangerous way. "Go on your date, I'd hate to be a third wheel."
"Angel," X teased, purposefully pushing the wrong buttons to see which one will set her off, he had to know otherwise he was lost with how to approach her anymore, "remember that little talk we had about Camille?"
Raven chanced a corner-eye glare at the thief, "What? You mean that discussion about maids and something about me being jealous of low-life scum like you? Sorry, you got the wrong girl, leave."
He was getting somewhere, but he wasn't there just yet, so he pressed harder.
"You know, instead of being a bitch you can just say you want to tag along."
"Screw you!" she snapped and some piece of expensive equipment was sent soaring through the air towards X who ducked down and a loud crash along with Raven's shouting could be heard even from upstairs, "You set my team up, poison me, force me to stay with you, and above all else you lied and you're pegging me to be some kind of bitch! You were working for Slade all this time and you expect me to just sit back and watch idly as you prance around pretending to have 'seen the error of your ways'? Go to hell!"
X exclaimed with a devious glare, "Let's get one thing straight here princess, I didn't force you to do anything. You're in the one that keeps coming back to me."
She lost her temper and charged him, "You repulsive son of a bitch!"
Modesty flew right out the window along with the rest of her patience as she tackled X to the ground, knowing well enough that she couldn't fight him and X not expecting the move was slightly winded when her shoulder dug into his gut. The both of them went down, with Raven on top of him, she sat up and couldn't BELIEVE what she had done nor the position had she put herself in! On top of the thief, she felt her cheeks flush as he looked up at her with those onyx eyes of his that seemed bewildered … she gritted her teeth, He's so fake!
Carefully straddling his waist she grabbed fists full of his fancy clothes and clenched tightly as she brought him up face to face to glare heatedly into his eyes, wanting so badly to gain control of her life again. She felt her throat burn … her heart beating so hard and so fast it hurt … and finally … the salty liquid that spilled from her violet eyes that streamed down the side of her face and dripped off her chin onto his chest. Gritting her teeth and training her voice to be as stiff as ever she shook him weakly while shaking her head squeezing her eyes shut to stop the flow of tears. Just hating how his bewildered expression turned cool and calm as she lost it, "Why … Why are you doing this to me! What have I ever done to you to put me through this hell …!"
Chocking from holding her breath to stop herself from sobbing, she looked away from him and felt her grip loosening from his collar. She shuttered when she felt a hand of his slid onto her own and gently pry it off his coat till she fully released him and when she did he sat up and attempted to pull her onto his lap to hold her. Just to comfort her, not to say anything knowing that it'll only make it worse … however … the moment he moved to wrap his arms around her waist, she shot up and ran from his touch.
Jamie and Otto gasped and both broke away from Raven's path as she ran passed them and up the stairs, to the bedroom she was occupying and slammed the door shut. Confused about what to do, both Jamie and Otto turned to the only guy who could have possibly sent Raven into such a distraught state, the Thief who stole her sanity came out of the basement. Casually fixing his attire and smoothing back his raven black hair, Jamie narrowed her eyes, "Are you just going to stand there?"
He didn't say anything, only walked by them towards the front door, even Otto shook his head, "Robin … you put her through enough … I think it's only fair that you apologize for everything you've done."
"What's the point?" He said in a surprisingly strained voice … like he was holding back from something that neither sibling could even begin to deduce what it was as he balled his hands into tight fists and bowed his head, "It's not like she'll listen to me anyway …"
Jamie sighed, "But you're not even trying to apologize … it's like … it's like you're purposefully pushing her buttons to set her off the wrong way …"
Then … it clicked even if X hadn't have said anything.
He was pushing her away!
Jamie's mouth fell ajar at the sudden realization … but she dared not voice it for X had turned to look at the stairs thoughtfully … and with a heavy sigh he scoffed gruffly and marched towards it reluctantly, "If I die … both of you stay away from my funeral."
Otto smiled and nodded in support as X marched off to his doom, leaving Jamie to place her chin in her hand in thought, Otto noticed that deep look upon his sister's face and asked, "Wasup? Something on your mind?"
"Otto …" she said with a dramatic pause as she summed up her thoughts into another question, "… do you think it's possible for the Elixir to alter feelings?"
Otto blinked … then thought about what he and Raven discussed earlier and frowned, "… Well … if you're talking about the one that's in Raven's system right now then … I'd have to only agree with you half-way because we don't even know if Slade used a specific potion … whatever that means."
"… Remember … remember when she called out Robin's name when X brought her to his apartment?"
"… Yeah?"
"… What if … what if we were right in thinking that she did like her leader … but in hearing that X's name is Robin as well … do you think that she could be mixing the two up? Maybe … I don't know … transfer her feels from her leader towards our Robin?"
Otto knew where she was taking this and he sighed as he answered with an amused smile and a dry shrug, "Who knows … but if that's the case than I'm not complaining … you?"
"…" Jamie blinked then frowned and shook her head with a shrug, "I don't know … they're both just too bottled to tell. Both of them refuse to delve into the possibility and neither of them are willing to get along … it's like … they're forcing themselves to hate one another and subconsciously pull one another into each other's lives as they continue to push the other away as hard as they can. Get it?"
Otto scoffed, "You're the shrink, not me."
Jamie sighed, "Never mind."
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Raven … it's me … the 'low-life scum' that has come to … to … grr … look, I don't … I …" X leaned his forehead on the door and stared at the ground with wide-opened onyx eyes, What the hell am I saying? This is totally pointless! Feeling like a complete idiot he was just about to turn and walk, when he heard the door open and he pushed off said door as Raven cracked it open. Her violet eyes glaring at him without letting up, X blinked then sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets as he looked away from her unable to hold her gaze as he murmured, "… so I'm not the greatest guy in the frickin' universe, but give me credit for trying to make things right … you coming with me to Marisa's? Or what?"
"…"
"…"
"… She's a Van'Gareth … right?" Raven asked.
X stared, "… Eh?"
The Titan glared, "Marisa … you said last night that she was a Van'Gareth or where you lying about that to?"
"Uh … no, actually, she is … why? You know her?"
Raven scoffed, "No … but I know her family history …"
She knows the Van'Gareth's? X blinked and shrugged, "So what? You comin' or not?"
"I will …" and just before she slammed the door in his face to signify that she still hated him with every fiber of her being she growled, "… but not because you asked."
X sneered at the door and stormed muttering to himself as he waited outside for Raven to come out fully dressed, "High strung witch."
((--))
Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans and I don't own the quote, but I own everything else that has nothing to do about DC, so stop hounding me about it!
A/N: Drama, drama, drama … ugh … I can't help to feel like some of the people here were out of character … sorry about that, my bad, but ANYWAY, drop me a review and I'll get back to you with chappie number 10;)
L8er daez
P.S. Oh … and by the way, Acrimony or Acrimonious means something like a very bitter, very personally hurtful argument … something like what lovers or families would get into and strike the wrong cord. (shrugs) just thought it was something you guys would like to know.