A/N: Wait...what's this? Two updates in one day? Three in two days? Is that possible? Damn right it is...and who to thank for this...not me of course. Thank my three loyal reviewers ravenslair, evilsangel, and Val-Creative whose kind words and consideration have gotten me off my butt for at least one day to do some writing so I guess I need to be thanking them too don't I? The world may never know...so yeah, anything that doesn't make sense in this chapter will be covered in the next one...maybe...probably...99 percent chance...that Rose...she's once crazy bit...that's it...

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

Trying to Do the Right Thing

Chapter 34: ...would still draw blood with its thorns

By: Finalitylife

Raven stood on the rooftop of Rose's building, the wind brush gently past her as she stood there. She could feel Rose in the building beneath her...just barely as she really didn't have much of a presence to her that Raven could pick up. She had felt just enough to know that she had 'invaded' the Titans resting place...to know that she had gone after Beast Boy in her own way. Raven would not allow such a travesty to be inflicted on one of her friends and had stopped it. However, now she found herself in her own problem, knowing that there was not a whole lot she could do. She needed to appease Rose to ensure her cooperation, and Raven only could thank every fathomable higher being she had ever know that what Rose wasn't what she had wanted from Beast Boy...it was something else. Rose said she would know when she got there.

Raven formed into her soul self, sinking into the ground slowly, soon appearing on the main floor where she had been told to come, a voice instantly speaking to her.

"Its about time you got here. I was getting so very bored." Raven's eyes narrowed at the white haired woman, who was lying on her stomach with her feet kicking impatiently in the air, dressed in her combat clothes as she scratched unknown designs into the ground like a child using colored chalk on the ground. She rolled to her feet effortlessly, a dagger clutched in each hand.

"I really don't like being bored Rae." Raven's eyes narrowed even more from underneath her cloak.

"Stop calling me Rae." Her voice was rather emotionless, but her anger at everything from the past hour or so was still clearly evident.

"Alright Bitch...is that better?" Raven growled as Rose laughed as she circled Raven.

"Hehe...I think you can be plenty of fun for me...shall we see? Hehe...that rhymes..." Rose flashed forward, one of her blades coming down in a downward slash which Raven blocked with her dark energy, only to have to fall back as the single slash turned into many, lightning quick attacks, one of them finally getting through her defenses cutting her an her upper right arm. Raven instinctively grabbed where she was cut as Rose stepped back.

"Got ya...I just love sparring don't you?"

"This is sparring? You're trying to kill me!"

"Yeah...yeah I am, but the best training always comes from life and death situations...maybe you should try harder." Again Rose flew forward, only this time Raven was more than ready. Rose jumped into the air, coming down with another slash and Raven didn't even move. At the last second, a dome of solid black energy came out of Raven, slamming into the airborn girl, sending her flying back though she rolled with the impact immediately coming back to her feet.

"See that's better...I want a real fight with the demon bitch who destroyed then saved the universe...let's see what you got." Raven's eyes flashed red for a second.

"If that's what you want, then you'll have it!" Dozens of black tendrils of energy shot out of Raven, each one slashing, grabbing, and slamming at Rose who did everything in her power to dodge each attack from every seemingly possible angle. Raven was amazed how easily Rose made it look, but of course one could not forget Rose was able to see glimpses into the future which gave her an incredible defensive advantage. However, Raven only increased the number of attacking tendrils finally one making contact, slashing Rose across the face on her cheek drawing a thin line of blood.

"That's the spirit Rae...hehe...its been a long time since anyone was able to cut me." The blood began to trickle down Rose's face and her tongue darted out, catching the drop.

"Mmm...hehehe..I highly doubt you'll be able to land another one Rae...me on the other hand..." Suddenly, both of Rose's daggers were flying at Raven, her eyes widening at the sudden attack, one blade coming high at her head and the other at her mid-section. She managed to duck the first blade just barely and at the last second activated a shield to stop the second one, it bouncing harmlessly off the black energy. However, Raven had no time to regain herself as a viscous punch impacted against her jaw sending her falling back, her mind rattled from the impact.

Raven fell back on her back, her vision hazy, and her concentration blurry. Rose grabbed her blades from the ground and walked over toward Raven who was still on the ground trying to get herself together. Rose smiled as she walked over, kicking Raven in the side causing the dark girl to roll with the impact a few times before once again landing on her back.

"Raven...Raven...Raven...I really thought someone of your caliber would provide a better fight, but I guess I was wrong. No wonder my father has caused you so many problems...you're weak, you're pathetic, and sadly..." Rose dropped to her knees with one knee on either side of Raven's body her daggers held just above her prone form.

"I don't work with people like you...what a shame you weren't more fun...I'm sure Robin would have be plenty of more fun...maybe I'll still find out Rae. I will promise you though, I'll make him want everything from me before I cut him apart." Raven's eyes burned with fury as she reached back and slammed her fist into the side of Rose's face. No demonic rage...no magic...just Raven's fist and her desire to wipe that smile off of Rose's face. Rose took the punch rather well though it caused her to sway for a few seconds.

"Seriously...I did not see that one coming...that's unusual..." Raven growled as she shot a black talon straight into Rose carrying her straight into the ceiling which was three stories up into the air. Rose slammed into the ceiling, dropping both of her daggers from the impact, them hitting the floor loudly around Raven though she did not seem to care. She held Rose there applying more pressure, causing Rose to indent further into the ceiling.

"You will never hurt him Rose! Never!" Despite her pain and current situation, Rose still smiled, her mocking voice strained but still there.

"Somebody's in love...hehehe...and here I thought you would be dying a virg..." Raven screamed in rage which was what Rose had wanted. Raven pulled back for just a second, allowing Rose to grab a hidden dagger, hurling it at Raven, it stabbing right into her shoulder. Raven's power released her, only for Rose to start falling.

"Oh shit...bad idea..." Rose barely managed to avoid the fall by catching hold of the second floor balcony, which from there, was a drop she could handle. Meanwhile Raven was in immense, blinding pain, as she pulled out the dagger, immediately using her healing power on the wound, though could only provide a small bit of relief before Rose's voice alerted her.

"Ah so you can heal yourself...tricky, tricky...I guess I can't allow you the time to do that." Rose attacked forward, going for a spin kick at Raven's face which she managed to avoid by falling to the ground, creating a shield against a follow up punch, her eyes meeting Rose's one eye.

"You don't stand a chance Rae...worthless..." Raven defiantly held her shield against a barrage of punches and kicks though each one weakened her.

No...I will not lose to some white-haired whore with extreme Father issues!" Rose snarled at that comment.

"Bitch!" Her next punch got through slamming into Raven's gut, knocking the breath out of her, something she did not have the chance to get back as Rose locked her arm across Raven's throat from behind.

"You don't know anything about me! You don't know what I endured!" Raven did her best to break the hold, but it was tight...her air quickly leaving her. She knew she had only one chance.

"I'll kill you...kill you...kill you! Hehehehe...you're going to die...you're going to die." Rose chanted those words over and over again in her eerily childish sounding voice, never once breaking her hold, locking her legs with Raven so she couldn't move in the slightest. It was of course at that moment that Rose noticed it...the black energy on the wood floor, the creeks and cracks that were emanating from below them. Rose laughed once more.

"Tricky...Tricky," The floor gave out beneath the two, the two young women falling into the basement. Raven used the last bit of her power she could draw upon to move her body so that she was just above Rose. When the impact came, Rose met the ground with a heavy thud with all of Raven's weight driving her into it. Raven had no idea if her plan had worked for she blacked out a few seconds later.

--

He stood along the beach of the tower, the sun warming his body as the breeze soothed his soul...a moment of perfect peace that so quickly was disturbed by another's voice yet still his own.

"You're losing Robin just as I said you would, but the best part is that you know losing really isn't that bad...giving in has given you power and strength, you can not deny this." Robin turned his head to find his apprentice form standing in front of him with his arms crossed across his armored chest with absolutely no readable expression on his face.

"No...I won't give in...I'm not giving in...I can't..." The apprentice only shook his head.

"You will...you are...you can...you've already progressed so far, and there is not much farther to go..."

"Leave me alone! I don't want this! I've never wanted this. I want to go home...I want my friends back...I want Raven back!"

"That is all gone Robin...forever gone. There is no going back."

"No!" Another voice echoed the landscape, powerful and full of emotions Robin had not been around in so long." Black energy surrounded the apprentice fully, and his body was suddenly hurled out into the ocean landscape, far away from Robin, taking his dark words with it.

Now in front of him was no longer the menacing visage of himself, but rather the beautiful and smiling form of Raven, with nothing but kindness and love in her eyes.

"Hello Robin." Her voice...he had almost forgotten what it sounded like.

"Raven..." Raven walked forward as if she wasn't even touching the ground.

"I've come for you Robin...to take you away from all of this. I've missed you Robin so very much."

"I though you were gone...thought you had abandoned me..." Robin's words were cut off by Raven's lips pressing softly against his own.

"You know I would never leave you Robin...know that you are everything to me. I have always been with you no matter what and that will never change." She smiled one of her so rare and perfect smiles again, and Robin could do nothing but wrap his arms around her so tightly as if she was the only thing left for him to hold on to in this world, as if he let go she would disappear forever.

"Thank you Raven...thank you..." Her touch...he could never forget her touch.

"I love you Robin." He could feel her love.

"I love you too Raven," and just like that, Robin woke up.

A dream...nothing but a fleeting dream...the first Robin could remember having in so very long...only a dream...but not a nightmare. He smiled as he continued to lay on his rough, uncomfortable cot at the visions that were still in his head, pushing far away all his misery, confusion, and pain of his present. Raven...she always made everything so clear for him...put to rest all his doubts and questions. Raven was the answer...Raven's love was the answer...she was still out there, trying to save him. She would never leave him...

A few seconds later, Slade's voice was booming from the intercom system of the complex.

"Apprentice...come to the main room...there is something that I think you would like to see." Robin rose at the command as the magical darkness within 'compelled' him to do though even that could not completely push away his dream-filled dream.

He walked down the dark corridor, his steps feeling just a little bit wider though he maintained complete composure as he entered into Slade's main room, the clicking and grinding of gears above everything, working in perfect unison for some unknown purpose. Absolute precision and perfection...just how Slade liked things. Slade sat at his large, metal throne, the glare of the dozens of television monitors in front of him providing almost all the light to the throne, making Slade easily visible in the dark.

"You know, you really shouldn't sit so close to the t.v. It will ruin your eyesight, and you especially can't afford that." Slade laughed in amusement.

"Ah thank you for coming my apprentice. It would seem you still have that sense of humor of yours, but that's quite irrelevant for the moment. You see there is something I would like to show you..." Slade pushed one of the various buttons in front of him, all the screens turning to exactly the same image, and Robin had no trouble seeing what each of them showed with his now beyond perfect vision.

He instantly recognized the room despite it being dark in there...his room...his room at the tower. How did Slade have this? He must have hacked the tower's security...Cyborg must have really become lax since he had been gone...a potentially disastrous mistake. However, that thought was quickly flung from Robin's mind when he saw the sight in front of him...it was Speedy, sitting on HIS bed, in HIS room, in HIS home holding a woman tightly in his arms...a woman who was so easy recognizable in her complete physically uniqueness as well as her total familiarity. It was Raven.

There was no sound to the video, which Robin had he been thinking clearly at the moment would have realized was because the cameras in each of the Titans rooms (with the exception of Raven's who refused to allow any security camera in her room) did not have audio but Robin was nowhere even close to thinking clearly at the moment. He watched with barely controlled pure rage as Speedy and Raven's faces moved closer, the video blurring for a few seconds, then returning to the image of Speedy oh so carefully laying Raven down on the bed, his hands clenching even tighter cutting off any blood flow there though Robin just didn't care. The tape cut off a moment later, Slade turning in his chair to look upon his apprentice with a smirk on his face under his mask, loving every moment of this.

"Does this displease you my apprentice?"