Okay I'm at my parents ranch right now! But unfortunately I have some bad news… earlier today I did some exploring and while doing so I kinda fell down this hill…yeah, laugh all you want, but I messed up my wrist really bad in a way where it hurts to type, so the jokes on you, because I don't know how long I can type for..That and I only have 2 hours of my laptop battery left..so yeah, I'll try to type as much and as fast as I can!!!
Chapter 11: Conversations
"Yo, Raven! Are you in there?" A jarring knock came from the door of Raven's room, followed by the voice. "Look I just want to make sure that you're okay, that's it." Cyborg waited for a response, footsteps, anything to signify that Raven was all right. All he heard was bitter unforgiving silence, "Come on Rae, you don't have to open the door just say something, anything." He finished, pressing his right ear to her door. He winced a bit from its coldness, but endured the slight ache from it as he pressed harder into the frigid metal of her door. The completely and utter silence he heard shocked him slightly. Raven was usually a quiet person, but even with his excellent hearing he would at least be able to hear her breath.Now he couldn't even hear that. His eyes widened a bit as a horrifying idea came to his mind. No she would never do that! He thought as he wedged her door open and peeked one half of his face inside her room. At first everything looked normal, however, when his gazed shifted to the window, his brow raised in surprise. Raven's curtains? Open? No way. He cautiously took one step inside, fully remembering what happened last time he went in Raven's room without permission. He continued to search her intricate room of anything that seemed out of place or different, everything in her room seemed the same. Well from the last time he came in here, but it was not like Raven to redecorate.
Although Cyborg was convinced that Raven was not here, something felt like she was. And suddenly a wave of panic came over him, like something was wrong with his friend. Something was not right, and he could feel it. The way she's been acting since Red-X, how she looked when he passed her in the hall way.
He quietly exited her room, and walked calmly and coolly down into the tower's main room. Cyborg stood in front of the automatic doors and as soon as he put his weight on the trigger, the two doors separated to reveal a disaster. To Cyborg, it looked as if a tornado hit the tower. The main room was usually messy from Beast boy, but… torn pillows, ripped, sofas, broken mirrors; this was not like Beast boy. He spotted his team mates quietly talking near one of the damage ridden couches. He waltzed over to them, momentarily forgetting about finding Raven.
"What happened here?" Cyborg asked, thinking it was merely a villain targeting the tower, again. The strange glances he got from all three of his friends confused him immensely.
Robin finally spoke after what appeared to be mental preparation. "Raven." He replied, giving no other explanation.
"What? What happened?" He asked again, thinking back to the time before he entered her forbidden mirror, when she had lost control of her powers.
"Not sure." Robin said, appearing to be pondering the question himself. "I-it might have been something I said." He quietly replied in shame. "She told me everything."
"Robin?" Starfire questioned, in her own way of asking him what he meant.
Robin turned to Starfire. "She told me about Red-X." He received three surprised looks from his team mates.
"Man, we would've told you, but we didn't want you to take it the wrong way, you know, like you did with Slade." Cyborg explained, trying to find a reason for their actions.
Robin held up a gloved hand, silencing him. "It's okay, right now we have to find Raven. All three shook their heads in agreement.
WITH RAVEN
After commencing over the bay Raven decided that it would be better to walk, than to fly. She knew the titans would come looking for her and it was better to hide amongst other Jump City civilians than be spotted in the air.
She landed gracefully on the beach, reminiscing in the time a few nights ago, when she sat on the moon lit beach, drinking in the calm darkness. Starfire had attempted to comfort her, and although she was mad at her then, she knew that Starfire had only her best interests in mind. Starfire always put her other friends before herself, that's what made her such a good friend. That's what made them all such good friends. Cyborg had tried to understand her when everyone else thought she was "creepy." Beast boy had always tried to make her laugh and bring joy to every dark situation. Robin, she had always know that he knew her the best. Although he didn't play the part, she knew that he was dark, just like her. Something in his past had changed him. Changed him to be like her. They both could try and fight crime and do good things all they wanted, but nothing could changed their histories, they're pasts shrouded in dark mystery.
Raven thought more on the subject as she walked slowly past alleys, busy streets, restaurants and other friendly shops. They are more a like than she ever realized. She finally thought that she had someone that truly understood her and her darkness. But as these hopeful thoughts crossed her mind, so did the fact that she would most likely never talk with him again. She was, after all, running away to start a new life.
She decided to momentarily attempt to think about something else. Where would she go? She could go to Steele City, the titan's east were nice. Although she hadn't thought bumblebee was the easiest person to get along with, Speedy was too self-obsessed, and she didn't even know how to speak to mas y menos, Aqualad had seemed like a nice person though. Though she barely new him. But she couldn't go to another teen titan's group. For the moment she was done with the teen titan's and all its affiliations. Maybe Gotham City, it was a bigger city, the titan's would most likely lose track of her in there. Speaking of losing track. She thought as she glanced downward at her red pendant keeping her cloak together. She removed it slowly, finding a discarded, slightly bent paperclip to string around it instead. She pulled out her communicator and calmly walked over to a nearby alley. She took one last look at her communicator and tracker before letting them slip from her hand and fall into a half full trash can.
"Hmm, what's this, a lost titan?" A recognizable voice boomed from behind her.
WITH THE TITANS
"Okay team, I have a location on her tracking device." Robin replied through his communicator. He rode along on his R-cycle as Starfire took to the skies and Beast boy and Cyborg drove his T-car. "I'm sending her coordinates." He added, with shear determination on his face.
WITH RAVEN
"Red-X." Raven said aloud, announcing his presence.
"In the flesh." He laughed.
"I am no longer a titan, so I no longer am obligated to fight you." She said, in the most serious tone that she had ever heard herself speak with. Without another word, she turned slowly and phased through a building, leaving a stunned Red-X in her wake.
WITH THE TITANS
The titans arrived nearly all at the same time to the designated coordinates.
"A dark scary alley, huh, typical." Beastboy said shakily, never getting over his fear of the dark since he saw Wicked Scary. Having said that Beastboy got into his fighter stance as did Robin. Starfire brought two starbolts to each hand, while Cyborg readied his sonic cannon.
A small crash made everyone jump. Each titan spun around to face the sound erupting from the darkest section of the deserted alley. The titans slowly crept up to the location, Cyborg, turning on the light attached to his shoulder. The sound seemed to be radiating from inside an rusty old trash can. Robin stretched his hand out, wrapping it securely around the lid. Each titan readied themselves as Robin quickly whipped the lid from the trash can, throwing it across the other wall of the alley. They all screamed in anticipation, but were all cut off from the meow of an alley cat, searching for his next meal in the garbage.
"Whew." They all heaved a sigh of relief, each turning red and chuckling a bit in embarrassment.
Any other explanations were cut off as a computer altered laugh boomed through the alley. The titans turned to the origin of the sound to see their real enemy.
"Red-X." Robin exclaimed in pure disgust.
"In the flesh." Red-X repeated, still stunned about his earlier meeting with the dark sorceress.
"What did you do to Raven?" Robin asked, pointing an accusing finger at X.
"Nothing." He said honestly.
"You will tell us where our friend is, NOW!" Starfire yelled, letting rage and the sorrow of losing her friend over take her. She took a few moments to aim, and hurled a florescent green starbolt directly at X.
He barely dodged the death ball, only accomplishing this by jumping from his perch on a large metal dumpster adjacent the titans.
"Tell us where she is, man, and we won't have to hurt you!" Cyborg demanded, firing up his sonic cannon.
"As if you could…" X replied as Beastboy charged at him in the form of a rhino from behind. X quickly back flipped over him, landing gracefully. X steadied himself, but was only knocked off his feet by a swift kick to the shoulder. Robin pulled out his bo staff and used it to hold X down as he climbed on top of him, also using his body weight to subdue him. X attempted to retaliate, but only managed to stop the bar from pressing down on his neck.
"Where...is...she!!" Robin strained, noticing X was a lot stronger than he looked.
"I...told…you." X replied, also straining under Robin's weight. "I don't know." He released the bar and it came sailing horizontally towards his neck, but before the staff could reach its target, X vanished into thin air. Robin lost his balanced from the lack of weight under his body and stumbled a bit, but managed to catch himself on one hand.
"We have to find her." Robin said, lowering his head in anger and returning guilt.
WITH RAVEN
A nearby box exploded, spilling its contents all over the old warehouse. What did he want?! Can't he see that I'm in the worst place that I've been since I came to earth?! Of course not! Red-X has no emotions! He doesn't care about anyone but himself. She was brought out of her thoughts as more crates erupted in a black force field before exploding into oblivion. Stop Raven; just don't worry about it, he's not your problem, no one in Jump City is anymore. She stopped over by a few boxes, nestled herself in-between them, and sat in a graceful lotus position, levitating herself a few feet into the air. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos." She chanted calmly as thoughts of Red-X and the titans disappeared and were replaced with peace and calmness.
"Your friends are looking for you." A voice interrupted, startling her so much so, that a crate exploded near the origin of the voice. She opened her eyes to see X again, flinching away from the explosion. "Didn't mean to scare you." He said, amusingly as he recovered quickly from the exploding crate.
"You don't scare me." She said not bother to leave her meditation stance. Wait did he just apologize to me? She eyed him suspiciously, internally questioning his motives. "What do you want?" She asked, more of an inquiry than a demand.
"To tell you your friends are looking for you." He replied, but they both new it was more than that.
"Ok." She said, with no emotion what so ever. She left little lee way to let X know what she was really thinking. There was a dead silence that last for several minutes, each eyeing each other movements. Neither were sure if the other was going to attack or not, but both were prepared if either did. After a few more minutes Raven finally gave in, maybe if I say something, he'll leave. "Well if you must know, I'm not going back to them." She announced, in a somewhat holier-than-thou tone. "Ever." She added.
"Oh?" X replied, giving a tell-me-more opening. He broke out of his fighter stance and sat upon one of the still intact crates, his eyes never leaving Raven.
Slightly annoyed that X made it clear that he wasn't leaving, she thought gingerly on what ought to be her reply. She glared at him "Yes." She confirmed, closing the conversation as she left her lotus position and turned to leave and find some other quiet place to resume her meditation. She only got a few yards before Red-X jumped in front of her, crossing his arms defiantly, telling her he wasn't going to leave without an explanation. Raven copied X and crossed her arms. "What?" She spat, extremely annoyed.
"Why?" He inquired, for once looking into her eyes and not at her body. Although his eyes and face were masked she could sense that he was looking directly into her eyes.
"None of your business." She replied, walking around him, half expecting him to stop her.
He reappeared in front of her a few steps later. She heaved a huge sigh, looking at him in exhaust. How long is he going to keep this up! And why does he want to know so badly?! "If I tell you will you go away?" She asked, trying to make a deal and have the upper hand. He shook his head once. "Because of Robin, there." She replied vaguely, attempting to walk around him again.
Instead of his usual tactic he just took a step in front of her. She looked at him in disbelief and attempted to step the other way, which he also blocked. "What about him?" He finally spoke, nothing but pure inquiry in his voice.
"I thought you said if I told you you would leave me alone?!" She said, losing patience. God, he's just like Beastboy!
"Never trust a thief." He replied, laughing slightly.
All right I've had enough of this! She made up her mind and her body was traced in black, her feet slowly disappeared to the floor, she slowly sank into the ground as if it were quicksand.
Red-X, realizing what she was doing, suddenly grabbed her wrists softly and pulled her back up from the 'quicksand.'
"Let go of me!" Raven screamed, struggling with X. Despite X's soft grip on her wrists, they seemed impenetrable as she continued to try and break free.
He pulled her up even more until their faces were inches apart. She looked at his masked face, where his eyes would normally be for what seemed like hours. She gave one last moment of struggle before she screamed and fell to her knees. X held his grip on her wrist, even as she fell. I can't cry, I won't cry, not in front of the likes of him! She tried to beckon the tears back in her eyes, but they would not meet her demands and they fell soundlessly onto the dirt ridden concrete floor. She opened her eyes as she felt X released her captured wrists and her eyes were met with masked ones. She looked at him in confusion as she rubbed her wrists. "He found out about you." She whispered, barely audible to Red-X. "He didn't know that you still existed, he found out this morning. We argued, and I-I lost control."
Red-X then did the most shocking thing of Raven's evening; she sat beside her, cross legged and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Although Raven should blame him for where she was at the moment, she didn't. Although she should be attacking him right now because they were enemies, she didn't. She surprised even herself by what she did next. She leaned slowly towards him, resting her head on his shoulder. X was equally surprised by what he did next as well. He turned his body and slowly caressed her head and brought it to his chest, wrapping his free arm around her back and latching it onto her shoulder. Raven wept silently and X continued to hold her. For both of them it somehow felt right, to be in each other's embrace. X closed his eyes in masked bliss; it was a long time since he had been this close to anyone.
Their picture perfect moment was interrupted by three surprised gasps. Raven snapped her eyes open, wrenching her head from X's comforting chest. Her eyes turned to saucers as she realized who was watching them.
"Raven?!" Robin uttered.
END OF CHAPTER 11!!!
So what did you all think?! It's safe to say that I am extremely satisfied with this chapter! I love the fluff I added in! Oh and by the way, in case any of you were wondering, my uncle lent my dad his generator, so now our trailer has power!! So I'm going to work on chapter 12 right after this! I hope I get more reviews… Here's what MIGHT happen… if you send me a review of which on you want I'll tally up the votes and select which one most people want..and I might type that up..but since im working on chapter 12 before I post this, I don't know if it will go how you want.. so here are the choices…
Raven will push away from Red-X denying their interaction and run away from the titans and X.
Raven and X will both deny the interaction and Raven will go back with the titans, claiming that X had forced her to go with him.
Raven will go with X leaving the titans in shock!
They all kill eachother off
Well…okay maybe not D, heehee. So yeah please review, I've gotten over 7,000 hits overall, and not even have half of that in reviews, come on people!! I write for you guys! The least you could do is tell me whether u like it or not!!