Dislcaier/Author's note- I don't own the TT. And with this, I am back! You should excpect an uupdate about twice every 3 weeks, but don't quote me on that. This begins the secondact. Some paringswill change, which I'm sure you'll pick up on, and the villan has changed. So let Act 2 begin!
Impulses
Story By StormDancer
Act 2: Chapter 1
It is not light that we need, but fire; not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.
"Guess what I just heard," Roy asked as he walked into the Stone's family room and sat down on the loveseat next to Raven.
"That school was canceled for the rest of the year!" Gar exclaimed, "Dude! That is awesome!"
"No," Roy replied with a slight grin.
"I do not know. Please, Roy, tell us. We are all dieing of anticipation," Raven drawled. He made a face at her, than sobered.
"Mark Chior was admitted to the hospital in a coma last night."
"What!" Victor exclaimed, as everyone stared incredulously at Roy except for Raven, who was staring determinedly at her feet.
"You guys must have really done a number on him," Roy continued.
"We didn't do anything like that!" Dick protested, "He was still conscious when we left!"
The others nodded emphatic agreement.
"Of course you didn't," a female voice said from the doorway, "I finished what you began."
Jinx walked into the room, taking a seat so Victor was between her and Karen.
"Who are you?" Dick spat protectively, "And why are you here?"
"This is Jinx," Raven announced to the room, "I invited her. Unless any of you have anything to say about it?"
Her glare intensely discouraged any protests.
"What did you do to Chior?" Karen asked snidely, "we had already discouraged him quite enough."
"No you didn't," Jinx informed her patronizingly, "I know his kind. He would just have moved and done it again. I did what you people wouldn't do, but was necessary."
The others, except for Roy, looked unconvinced.
"She's right," Raven announced in a quiet monotone, "So leave her alone."
"But-" Garth began to protest. He was cut off by Roy's glare. Roy had noticed raven's tensely frozen body and determinedly expressionless face.
"Friend Jinx!" Kori chirped, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had filled the room, "I adore your outfit!"
All eyes turned to Jinx, who grinned as Victor turned to look at her as well. She shrugged her shoulders back slightly, causing her wide necked long sleeved purple shirt to fall a little lower.
"Why thank you, Kori. You look very pretty today too," she said, hiding a smirk. Raven and Roy looked at her oddly; both knowing this forced politeness wasn't her usual face. Kori, however, had no inkling of that and beamed happily at Jinx.
"How do you know her name?" Dick spat suspiciously.
"Why, my dear Dick, I know everything," she drawled sarcastically.
"And Raven's talked about us before," Victor countered.
"Touché." She nodded graciously to him. Karen glared at her.
"So," Tara said, changing the subject adroitly, "Raven, what do you want for your birthday?"
"My birthday?" raven asked, confused.
"Yeah, the one in 4 days when you're turning 17," Gar teased, "Remember it? I know you've avoided parties for the last I don't know how many years, but this time you're getting one."
Everyone else, including Jinx added their agreement.
"Guys," Raven said dismissively, "Thanks. Really. But I don't want a party. Especially not this year."
"Why not?" Roy asked. Raven shrugged.
"NO reason."
Roy raised his eyebrows in disbelief, but didn't press her anymore.
"well…" Vic broke another uncomfortable silence, "Anyone want to play video games?"
o0O0o0O0o
"Hey Raven," Gar yelled from the TV room, where he was watching TV until his turn to play, "Your last name is Roth, right?"
Raven looked up from where all the girl's were talking. Or at least, Jinx, Tara, Kori, and she were talking while Karen was glaring at Jinx.
"No, it's Kerploswitz," she said sarcastically, "Of course it's Roth."
Gar wandered into the room, followed by Garth and Roy. Dick and Vic were still concentrating on their video games.
"Do you know there's some criminal with your last name?" Gar asked idly. Raven froze.
"What?" she spat.
"It was on the TV. It said some dude named Trigon Roth had gotten out on parole, and corruption was almost certainly involved, and some other junk. Do you know him?"
"Parole!" Raven exclaimed.
"Yeah, from prison. He was some drug lord or something," Garth clarified.
Raven stood quickly, face closed.
"Rae, are you all right?" Roy asked immediately.
"Fine."
She stalked out of the room without another look. Everyone else stared after her, shocked at her abrupt departure.
"What was that about?" Tara asked snidely after a moment.
"Yeah, the least she could have done was say bye," Gar agreed.
"No kidding," Karen concurred.
"What is wrong with friend Raven?" Kori asked, confused.
"Well, obviously we can't know," Dick drawled, annoyed, not at Kori, but at Raven, "as she didn't see fit to inform us."
"Be gentle," Jinx cautioned tiredly, "This means more to Raven than you could know."
"Who are you to tell us how to treat our friend?" Garth spat.
"No one," Jinx retorted, "But I can tell you how to treat mine."
"Than you want to enlighten us as to why we should treat her gently, as she didn't deem it necessary?" Roy snapped. Victor sighed.
"She has a… history with Trigon," he announced.
"As in…" Dick prompted.
"As in," Victor retorted, "He's her father, and he has almost had her murdered on more than one occasion."
That shut everyone up. They stared at each other in horror.
"Wow, I had no idea," Garth said finally.
"Neither did I," Dick agreed.
"I knew her old life was bad, but that?" Tara said, appalled.
"Well now you know," Jinx spat, "So you can lay off her."
"You knew!" Karen exclaimed angrily.
"Sure."
"So she trusts you, but not us," Roy clarified sadly.
"No, she trusts you guys. But I'm criminal. I think she felt I could understand where you couldn't."
"Probably true," Garth admitted, "I doubt I would have believed her without seeing it on TV. He looked a bit like her."
Gar hadn't said a word, but suddenly he looked up.
"He won't come here, will he?"
"Why would he?" Victor responded, "I don't think he knows where Raven is."
"Good, because then I'd have to kill him," Roy said coldly, and everyone stared at him. It had sounded like he real meant it.
"Well, good thing you won't have to worry about that," Tara said into the quiet, "Because even if he does know where raven is, he doesn't have a reason to find her. Why would he want her?"
"Good point," Dick agreed, relieved. The rest also let out a collective breath. Jinx shook her head, but didn't say anything. She would let them keep their illusions.
Roy stood abruptly and followed the path Raven had taken 10 minutes earlier. Vic rose to stop him, but Jinx put a hand on his arm.
"Let hi go. He's the best person for her right now."
Victor sat back down grudgingly. Karen glared at both of them, as did Garth.
o0O0o0O0o
"Raven?" Roy asked, knocking on the door of Raven's room, "Little Bird?"
The door slid open. Raven was revealed standing behind it, eyes red but no other sign of emotion.
What do you want?" she spat.
"Just to make sure you're okay," Roy responded, not making a move to come in, "Are you?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"First of all, bird, your eyes are red. You've been crying. But second, Vic told us some of what's with you and Trigon."
"And?" she asked nervously, "Are they going to talk to me anymore?"
"Of course!" Roy said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Did you think they would be turned away because of a little thing about an insane father?"
"He's not insane," raven corrected quietly, "He knows everything he does. And he'll try to come for me again."
"No he won't!" Roy protested, "He has no reason to."
"You can't understand him, Roy," she said sadly, "But you should be glad of that. I'm his possession, according to him. And he never loses anything."
"But you aren't a thing," Roy said impulsively, "You're a person, and you have a person's choices."
"So do you," Raven stared penetratingly at him, "Are you still going to be mad at me?"
"I never was."
"You should be!" Raven yelled, than lowered her voice, "I'm in danger, and I didn't even warn you about it! I could be putting you in danger!"
"Than I'll have to help you protect yourself," Roy stated matter-of-factly.
"You-You-you would do that?" raven stuttered, looking amazed but grateful, "Do you have any idea what Trigon is capable of?"
"You'd be surprised," Roy responded softly, "But of course I'll stand by you."
He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips.
"I told you, raven. You'll always be safe with me," he murmured in her ear before walking back downstairs. Raven stared confusedly after him. Somehow, Trigon didn't seem as important anymore.