Disclaimer-I don't own the teen titans

Impulses

Story by StormDancer

Chapter 6

It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.

Roy wandered idly through the Snow Ball dance floor, glancing for friends or someone to break the monotony. He glanced at Kori and Dick dancing close they were almost molesting each other, Tara and Gar making out in a corner (he quickly looked away from that), and Karen and Vic sitting by the food table, laughing with Garth about something he'd said.

"Looking for your girlfriend?" a voice said from behind him.

"I have no idea what you mean, Jinx," he replied evenly without turning.

"You're looking for Rae, whom you obviously like."

"I don't!" Roy protested, "She's just like a sister to me!"

"That's why you nearly threatened Mark because he looked the wrong way at her. You are so jealous"

"That's why you're looking at Vic's table then? You're jealous. Unless you like Garth, but he doesn't seem your type."

"Maybe I am, but at least I admit it. Anyway, it doesn't matter. He has a girlfriend who cares about him, and I'm perfectly fine single. I don't need a guy."

"Come on," Roy laughed, "Even Rae admitted she likes a guy in shining armor. You know you do to."

"Maybe I'd like one, but that doesn't mean I need one," Jinx replied coldly. Roy smirked.

"You know, it always struck me that Karen and Vic seemed more like good friends than romantic interests. I'd say you might have a chance."

With that, he disappeared back into the crowd. Jinx stared at Vic and Karen for a moment, than threw back her head with a smirk, and adjusted her black dress so the purple collar sat slightly lower on her shoulders. She walked over to the table she had been watching since she came in, and nonchalantly sat down next to Vic, joining the conversation easily.

o0O0o0O0o

"Come on, baby, let's go," Mark urged, "it's boring here, lets go somewhere a bit more private."

For once unsuspicious, Raven agreed. Roy leaned against the nearby wall, watching them go. As they left, he silently got Victor's attention and ghosted after them.

O0O0o0O0o

"No."

"Come on, why not? We're all alone, and no one ever comes back here," Mark whined.

"No." Raven repeated.

"Yes, you will," Mark insisted, rising so that he towered over her fairly short frame, "One way or another, I am getting some tonight. You run with Jinx's crowd, you can't be a virgin."

"Want to bet?" Raven retorted, attempting to pull away from his grasp. She nearly managed it, but he tightened his already painful grip on her wrist.

"I would like to bet," he hissed, drawing her struggling body closer still, "I love to make bets I know I'll win."

He yanked her the rest of the way towards him and kissed her, hard, but Raven refused to respond.

"Bitch," he yelled, "Why won't you just do as I say?"

"Because I don't appreciate being controlled," Raven replied calmly. That monotone response pushed Mark the rest of the way. Yelling, he threw a punch at her, faster than she could dodge.

Roy, watching from the sidelines, was amazed at the way Raven yielded even while she resisted. The minute he had started throwing punches, Raven had frozen. But she still refused to give way. Even as he thought, Roy grabbed the nearest object, which happened to be an arrow he had left over from his archery tournament from earlier that day, and flung it directly at Mark's temple. Startled, Mark stopped his punches, and in that momentary lull Roy managed to drag a nearly comatose Raven away, into the shadows.

Mark stood.

"Bastard!" he screamed, "She's mine! Give her back!"

"Raven is nobodies," an enraged voice said from behind him. He spun. 7 figures stood behind him, and they all looked very mad and not exactly caring the repercussions.

"Let's go," Dick spat. The 7 of them spread out to surround him. Vic threw the first punch. The others quickly followed suit, until the once proud Mark Chior was reduced to a crying, bleeding boy.

"You don't hurt our friend," Kori spat.

"Hurt one, hurt all," Gar informed him coldly.

Tara summed up what all were feeling in one word.

"Ass hole"

She turned and stalked away. The rest followed her out of the hall, many giving in to the temptation of kicking him. He stared after them in horror, than limped down the hall the other way. He didn't get very far before he tripped over something, and fell flat on his already broken nose.

"Bad luck?" Jinx mocked from the shadows.

"Is it?" he managed to spit between mouthfuls of blood.

"Look," Jinx said quietly, jumping off her perch to stand in front of him. Despite her shorter height she managed to be very threatening, "Those guys back there, all they did was beat you up. Because they're the good guys. They're nice, and don't hit a guy too much when they're down. That's why you're alive right now, and they think you learned your lesson. That's why you got away with it. But you forgot one thing, Chior, and that's I'm not a good guy. You hurt my friend, and you'll do it to other girls. Except, I think you'll have a bit of bad luck for the rest of your life. Which won't be long, will it?"

She faded back into the shadows. Completely unnerved, Mark began to continue slowly out of the hall and into the night where he could make his get away. As he passed the threshold, he saw something's shadow coming down on him. As he blacked out, his last thoughts were simply, 'He's not going to be pleased about this.'

o0O0o0O0o

"Rae? Come on, Rae, wake up," Roy urged, "Little Bird!"

Raven stirred from where Roy had been coaxing her back to consciousness for the past 5 minutes.

"Bastard," she muttered.

Roy grinned, relieved.

"That's Raven, alright," he said as he helped her gently to her feet, "You ok?"

"What do you think?" Raven spat, "A guy I just really liked tried to abuse me, and would have if you hadn't come. Not only was I reliving some memories, and will have some painful bruises, but I also had to play the damsel in distress. I hate being helpless, but I couldn't help it!"

"So, you're as alright as you ever were?" Roy clarified, feeling his heart beat faster as she leaned against him.

"'bout right," she agreed.

"So can I say I told you so?" Roy asked innocently.

"You're taking advantage of my current state, because otherwise I would kill you for saying that," Raven observed.

"Definitely," Roy agreed cheerfully, helping her onto the hood of Vic's car. Raven was alright, and if he wasn't mishearing, Mark was getting his comeuppance. Raven shifted so she was sitting with her head against Roy's chest.

"Roy?" she murmured, not moving.

"Yeah?" he responded absently, trying to savor the feeling of Raven in his arms, something he was heart-breakingly afraid would never happen again.

"Thanks"

"For what?"

"For keeping me safe, for protecting me against myself," Raven's voice lowered so Roy wasn't even sure he heard her last clause, "For being my knight in shining armour."

Roy didn't respond, but he tightened his grip around her. Not painful, as Mark's had been, but gentle and protecting.

"You'll always be safe with me," he murmured into her ear. Raven smiled softly, and leaned against him.

"You two!" Victor yelled, breaking their moment, "Get off the hood of my baby! You're hurting her!"

Author's Note- While this is not, by any means, the end of this story, it will be put on a hiatus until september, unless i am extremely lucky. There may be one mor chapter in the following tow months, at the maximum.