A/N: Finally got this update. Been busy. Kidney removal surgery on the 16th...hopefully things go well. Thanks to everyone who wished me well because, lets be realistic, I'm nothing but a stranger so really why should anyone care about my health, but it seems people do and that makes me smile so again, thank you very much. If things go as planned, should have another update his week since I have a few days of nothingness coming up...been awhile since I've had that. Well thats it...enjoy if ya can.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying to Do the Right Thing

Chapter 28: Drip Down

By: Finalitylife

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Sleep. I can not sleep...I will not sleep.

Drip.

The others slumber though all of them are fitful...none of them truly with relaxed looks on their faces. There is no comfort.

Drip

I want to blame the inability to sleep on the lumpy bed or the Tamaranian princess who still finds a way to sprawl out completely in the bed in which I am also to sleep. I want to blame the fact that I am not in my room...my bed...my haven for sleep.

Drip-drip.

And I really want to blame that faulty faucet that continues to drip incessantly, never ceasing in its annoyance. Cyborg claimed he had fixed it, but clearly he had not. I raise my hand, black energy forming around the faucet, and a close my hand into a fist, crushing the sink fixture flat so that water will not drip anymore. If only all problems were so easy to solve.

Soon enough we will go back to meet Batman who hopefully will have information to help us. I truly want to be free of this city as quickly as possible as the constant battering against my mind from all the emotions of this place is quickly becoming tiresome. Those mixed with the ones from the other Titans as well as my own are simply too much to completely close off in my current state of mind.

Out of nowhere, I hear it again.

Drip

Drip-drip

A hopeful pause.

Drip. I grit my teeth slightly as I realize this new sound is coming from the bathroom faucet. Have I not suffered enough already in my short life? Clearly...I have not.

This poor excuse for a motel room has been our home while we waited...a slumy, dirty place but it is a place no one would think we would be staying... a place where we could be as inconspicious as possible. Cyborg and Starfire were the two to book the room...Cyborg with his holographic technology and Starfire...well was Starfire... The owner of this fine establishment gave Cyborg a knowing look as he leered at Starfire, probably thinking he was nothing but a pimp with one of his working girls...or a possible client. This was after all that type of motel. I wanted to hurt that man as he thought such disgusting, horrible thoughts about my friends but me and Beast Boy stayed in the shadows, never being seen, teleporting into the room when the coast was finally clear. It is best we stay out of sight as we can...

It is only the afternoon yet all anyone wants to do is sleep because we know we might not have the opportunity after meeting Batman tonight. Also, it is clear no one wants to be awake in this city...it being much easier to simply hide in the ignorant bliss of unconsciousness away from the permanently grey sky of Gotham

I do not sleep...will not sleep, instead use my time to mediate and contemplate...and hope. I feel guilty if I sleep when I know Robin is out there, probably suffering, probably hurting. I do not deserve to be comfortable when he can not be. I fear my nightmares too...no longer of Hellfire and devastation but no less frightening and disturbing. They tell me Robin's loss is not my fault...I want to believe them but I have to be guilty of something...I have to be...

I am shocked when the heavy bulk of Cyborg sits in a chair next to the bed I am sitting on, the creaky piece of furniture struggling to hold his weight. I had not even noticed him awaking let alone walking across the room

"You might want to think about sleeping dark girl. You know what's ahead of us tonight." I look at my hands peaking out from my cloak rather than him. I do not know why.

"I don't want to sleep."

"Doesn't mean you don't need to sleep."

"I'll sleep when we get Robin back." I see him out of the corner of my eye raise his hand to try and comfort or confront me in some way, but he slowly lowers it back down.

"That could be a long time Raven."

"I know." My response carries off my lips on my exhale, and Cyborg seems to have no response.

Drip

Drip.

"Could you at least...lie down for a bit Raven? Just for a little while...just to relax." I raise my gaze to look at Cyborg, the gentleness on his face he reserves only for his little sisters...me and Star. It is truly a warm, brotherly expression, and it in itself makes me feel warm in my soul.

"Okay...I'll lie down for a little bit." He smiles with the smallest bit of satisfaction.

"Thanks Dark Girl." I gently shift over, pulling my legs on to the bed, keeping my cloak tightly wrapped around me, my head laying on the pillow. My eyes continue to be open, Cyborg still looking at me, as if he almost didn't believe I would do as he asked.

"Don't worry Raven...in a few hours, we'll have some info and before you know it, Robin will be back home with us. And then...I can promise you one hell of a party." I smile at his confidence and his bit of enthusiasm." I close my eyes for a second when...

Drip-drip

My eyes shoot open locking on Cyborg.

"Cy...fix that damn faucet in the bathroom." My statement is not a request, and Cyborg clearly knows that. I hear his feet moving across the room and some noise, but quickly it is all forgotten as sleep manages to take me for a few hours.

A few hours later...

I can feel myself slowly coming back from the first bit of sleep I've probably had in awhile and instantly notice something very unusual...two slender arms wrapped around me holding me tightly to a modest sized bosom like I am some type of stuffed animal to be cuddled...or a slug like creature who had the sheer luck to capture the heart of a bubbly alien girl. My eyes open, still not having moved yet and I spot Beast Boy and Cyborg standing not that far in front of me with smiles on their faces.

"Awww...how cute. You two make a sweet couple, don't you think Vic?"

"Definitely..." I grumble as I look at the two boys who are slowly approaching my bad side for the day.

"I highly suggest you refrain from continuing this conversation completely for the rest of your life or I will be forced to hurt you."

"Come on Rae-Rae...you wouldn't hurt me." Beast Boy's sing song voice causes my head to throb ever so slightly.

"I would and I will...and do NOT call me Rae-Rae." He gulps from my death glare and steps back, Cyborg chuckling.

"Hey Star...its time to get up. Get moving." The alien girl starts shifting, her eyes not immediately opening.

"Of course friend Cyborg. Beloved Silkie...it looks like it is time to greet another day." I grit my teeth, seething heavily on the inside.

"I am NOT the worm Starfire." The arms around me are instantly gone as Starfire pulls away, sitting up, laughing very sheepishly and turning bright red in embarrassment.

"Oh Raven...I am so very sorry. I can clearly say I'm mistaken in your identity. You are most definitely not Silkie." I sit up, adjusting my cloak.

"Clearly." I look back at the two jokers, and see they are both fighting as hard as they can not to explode from laughing...knowing I will be most unpleased. I look back at Starfire who is still nervously giggling to her underneath my intense gaze. It is then that I do the most unexpected thing possible...I smile. I simply can not help it for this is the first time in so very long, everything feels as it should be...the veil of sadness and pain slipping away for a little while.

"Umm...are you okay Raven?"

"For the moment, I'm fine Cy...I'm fine..."

Another few hours later, my mask of indifference is back over my face, the cold wind once again howling across the rooftops only this time a small bit of cold moisture comes with it, already working to soak my cloak. This time, the others are with me. We all will wait for Batman to show up together, and hopefully, we will be leaving here together with our destination in hand.

We all wait patiently as we can for Batman to appear, and I know without a shadow of a doubt he will show up. I glance over at the others who are straight faced, waiting just as I am, and that is when Batman makes his presence known by clearing his throat. All our attention is immediately snapped over to the sudden arrival, an air of threatening around us though we probably have nothing to fear.

Batman glares out at us from the shadows and I do not need my empathic abilities to sense the nervousness radiating off of the other Titans...most especially Beast Boy. I'm pretty sure there's a bit of awe and hero worshiping in there as well because this in fact is THE Batman standing in front of us. A silence soon hung over us because I don't think any of us knew what to do at this moment, waiting for Batman to do something, but he only stood there studying us like we were an important piece of evidence. Everyone was fidgeting in some form or another except me...me doing my best to remain as calm and immaculate as possible despite the fact my mind was racing wondering what Batman had found and just how soon it would be before Robin was with us again.

"Titans..." Our name without the Teen came from Batman, another reminder that we had moved far beyond the concept of Teen even though we had not aged completely into adults. After experiencing what we had...no one could discount the maturity that dwelled within each of us.

"I have some information that could help you find Robin. It was not easy to come by...Slade or Deathstroke the Terminator as he is also known as is not an easy man to find." We all just nodded.

"Through some of my sources, I've managed to locate someone who may have an idea where Slade is...someone who apparently may have a connection to him. If the information is correct, she should be located in a nearby city about 30 miles away. What she is doing there, I don't know, and she may not even be there anymore but it is all I could find. It is where you four should start. She's..."

"Us four! What do you mean us four! Are you saying your not going to come with us? Just give us an address and send us on our way? I thought Robin's safety would mean more to you?" Cyborg's outburst was responded to by a very dangerous glare from the Dark Knight of Gotham. It was obvious he was not happy about being interrupted. It was obvious he was not happy about being yelled at. It was obvious he was not happy about his concern for Robin being questioned. I could barely feel that but those emotions made me the smallest bit happy because it validated that Batman did indeed care for Robin...I still had wondered if emotions did dwell within this dark protector. The glare was indeed intense and I could feel Cyborg becoming very, very nervous.

"Do not seek to question me or my motives. I can not just leave this city unprotected. There are dangers beginning to stir within Gotham and if I am not here to protect it, thousands could die and simply put, the innocent lives of thousands comes before the life of one...no matter who he is." Again everyone nodded. Batman understood just as Robin would understand...duty to those that can't protect themselves always came first...at the end of the day, lost heroes could not be put above them. The Titans understood that when we waited for Titan's East to show up before heading to Gotham and Batman only reaffirmed it...the mission of protection always was at the top.

"Sorry..." Cyborg's quiet apology seemed to be completely ignored by Batman.

"Who is this person we are searching for?" I took over, acting as the leader I never hoped I would have to be...I'm not a leader...I'm just not.

"Her name is Rose. She is Slade's daughter." At that moment, I don't think any of the Titans were breathing, no one expecting to hear that. Slade...the worst human being we ever could imagine...had a daughter. So many things about that revelation just seemed so terribly wrong. Slade was a monster...he wasn't supposed to do things human beings do though I also couldn't help but wonder if his daughter was created the same way I was...conceived in an act of unthinkable violence and pain. I forced the terrible thoughts to the back of my mind, doing my best to focus on the moment in front of me.

"If you find her, she may be able to lead you to Slade...and Robin. This is your best option at the moment." Batman walked forward handing a piece of paper to me with the needed information on it. I accepted it carefully, scanning some of words on it quickly though not reading intently as I needed to. I handed it to Cyborg who would be able to submit it to his permanent computerized memory.

"If I ever find any more information, I will contact you with it immediately. Good luck Titans." Again we all nodded knowing this meeting was over with our path set before us...to find the offspring of Slade hoping she could lead us to her malevolent Father and our lost leader.

The other Titans started leaving, though I found myself lingering for a few more moments as Batman seemed to disappear back into the shadows.

"Thank you." It was quiet and I doubt he wanted to hear it but I felt compelled to say it anyway. I know it was probably hurting him somewhere deep inside knowing he could not lead the charge to find his former sidekick but that was the life of a hero.

I slowly turned around to leave, floating away, and that's when I heard it, Batman's voice carrying on the wind from nowhere .

"Robin cares for you most doesn't he..." I turned around quickly, looking for the source of the voice but found absolutely nothing but darkness though that was to be expected. I couldn't help but wonder what Batman knew, what Robin had told him, and my only response was...I hope so...