(I'm sorry for the lack of update for a while, a lot of my writing "spirit" has been siphoned off to two college courses. I will try to stay to a schedule of every two weeks, now, and if there is a three week period, I will mention it. Thanks for reading, waiting, and reviewing - this story will be finished yet, I promise. Enjoy chapter 16 :) ~RavensMind~)
Chapter 16: Outros and Intros
The following morning, Raven had gotten up before Robin and was almost finished getting ready. All she had left to do was get her… heels out of the closet. The word alone made her want to puke. Raven had put her dress on and was adjusting it in her bathroom mirror. She didn't mind the dress as much as she did the heels. It went down to her ankles, had a slit just above her knee, showing off her leg. There wasn't much of a back either, it wasn't long enough to reveal her tattoo, though, luckily. The front wasn't cut very low, low enough, in her opinion. At least it was blue. Walking out of the bathroom, she had to stop before practically slamming into Robin.
"What are you doing?" Raven asked.
"Waiting for you…You look great," Robin said, eyeing her dress.
"No I don't, I feel like a joke," she said, frowning.
"I think you just need some convincing," he said, grinning slightly.
"And I'd like that, but you need to get dressed. I want to leave soon," she said.
"If you say so, I'll get ready," he said, going into the bathroom.
After Robin shut the door, Raven walked to her closet and got out her shoes. Damn it…fine, I have to, she thought. Putting them on, she walked around her room, trying to get used to them. She heard Robin turn on the shower, hoping he wouldn't take long. She was on edge, the last thing she wanted to do was wait. Then there was a knock at her door. She walked over and opened the door. It was Starfire, great, she thought. Starfire didn't look happy, for once, and Raven knew it was a bad sign.
"Hey, Starfire…What do you want?" Raven asked.
"I want to know why," Starfire said.
"'Why' what?" Raven asked.
"Why is he leaving with you? Why does he want to leave with you? Why is he with you? He should be with-," Starfire blurted, suddenly stopping.
"Starfire…Robin isn't your property. He has his own free will. I know that sounds a little contradictive now, but-," Raven said.
"What do you mean? Has he no free will?" Starfire asked.
"I was referring to having his soul tied to mine forever yesterday in a spell to heal my mind so I wouldn't die-," Raven said.
"What?!" Starfire interrupted.
"Oh…I thought he told the rest of you about it. He isn't yours, he isn't mine, and I'm not his. He and I just…are," Raven said.
"You were my friend. You should have told me about all of this," Starfire said.
"Why? So you could ruin what we were exploring?" Raven asked.
"I would not have done that," Starfire said.
"Do you think I'm an idiot? Do you think I forgot all those conversations we had while you were dating Robin, and after? You were clear on how you would deal with anyone who threatened a second chance for you to be with Robin," Raven said.
"You…remember everything I said?" Starfire asked.
"Yes, I do. I didn't say anything while you complained about not being together after he stopped being with you, I thought you would work through it, because Robin said you would. He was wrong. So…Get. Over it," Raven said.
"Why are you being so angry?" Starfire asked.
"Maybe because you're being thoughtless. I haven't been this happy in a long time, neither has he, if you were our friend: you would be happy for us," Raven explained.
"Don't leave…don't make him…" Starfire said.
"Apparently I can't help you understand…how unexpected," Raven said dryly.
"Raven, please," Starfire said.
"Every time you ask us not to go, you're showing how little the two of us really matter to you. Maybe you should go and wait with the others until we leave…" Raven said, frowning sadly.
"But-," Starfire started.
"Go. Away," Raven said, closing the door on Starfire. She walked over to the bed, nearly tripping, forgetting her heels.
Raven sat down on the edge of the bed and felt the urge to punch a hole in the wall. Instead, she had a sudden wave of depression hit her. She closed her eyes and put her face in her hands. Did everyone secretly hate her? Beast Boy might have been crazy when he attacked her, but it wasn't towards anyone else, and he had been angry at her. Terra cared more about Beast Boy's wellbeing than her own. Now Starfire. She had been there for all of them, listening to them, helping them, and putting up with their general immaturity. Cyborg and Robin listened to her, she could relate to them, they had grown up…maybe that was the main difference from the other three. The bathroom door opened and Robin came out, fully dressed in a suit and tie. He crossed over to Raven, sitting down next to her. She hadn't looked up.
"Raven? What's wrong?" Robin asked, putting his arm around her. She didn't say anything. He ran his hand through her hair gently and with his free hand he slowly pulled her hands away from her face.
"Hey…What is it?" he asked.
"Starfire…" she said.
"What did she do?" he asked.
"Guess," she said.
"I'm sorry…I should have explained things to her more clearly," he said.
"I don't think she would have accepted this, no matter what you or I did or didn't say," she said.
"Why are you so down, then? You've handled worse before," he said.
"If she was the only one who was angry with me, it wouldn't be so difficult," she said.
"We'll figure out what changed our friends and get them back to normal, they like you. Don't let it stop you from doing anything," he said.
"That can't be the only thing wrong, though. Even without whatever is doing this to them, they must have something against me, or else why only focus on me?" she asked.
"I don't know yet. Come on, let's get going, you'll feel better when we get to Gotham," Robin said, getting up and offering his hand to help her up.
"Alright," Raven said, taking his hand and standing up.
They picked up the last two bags they had, containing what they had kept for the previous night, Robin put his mask on, and they walked out of Raven's room. She had decided to leave her bed behind, as she saw no real need to take it. Apparently her new room was already furnished, so what she brought would be an addition to what was there. Robin had said that his mentor had left his room intact, so he wouldn't need to adjust much. Continuing down the hallway, they made their way into the living room where Cyborg was waiting for them. They met him just in front of the couch.
"Hey Cyborg. Where's Starfire?" Robin asked.
"She didn't want to say good bye, so she's watching Terra and Beast Boy," Cyborg said, frowning.
"That's ridiculous. After everything we've all been through…" Robin said, matching Cyborg's expression.
"She'll accept it eventually, unless her people mature slower than we do…which isn't a bad guess," Raven said.
"Hope so. Still can't believe you're leaving, but I can deal. They'll be fine, I'll kick them into shape," Cyborg said, smiling.
"You found my notes, right? Did you contact the new recruits? Are the-?" Robin asked.
"Relax, man, I said I can do this. Yeah, I did all that. The new recruits will be here in a couple of weeks. They're pretty excited to be on the team. So what's with the clothes?" Cyborg asked.
"They're just our cover, my friend is very-," Robin started.
"Paranoid," Raven finished, "And I hate what I have to wear because of it…should make him wear these shoes."
"Rae, I'm really going to miss you. Who's going to help me with the car and kick BB's butt now?" Cyborg asked.
"One of the recruits, I guess," Raven said.
"They don't know how to get to him like you do," Cyborg said.
"They'll learn… I'll miss you too, Cyborg, you've been a good friend," she said, smiling at him.
"So have you," Cyborg said, smiling back.
Raven set her bags down and embraced him, glad that at least one person wouldn't hate her when she left. Cyborg returned her hug and nodded at her as she stepped back. He turned to Robin and held out his hand.
"I'll miss you too, man, going to have to find a new 'boom' now, and a new gaming buddy and…well, you know where I'm going; you're the man," Cyborg said.
"Thanks, Cyborg, and your 'sonic' could always stand on its own. Good luck leading the new Titans, Raven and I appreciate you taking over, you'll do great," Robin said, putting his bag down and shaking Cyborg's hand. Robin smiled and let his hand drop as Cyborg ceased.
"Yeah. Both of you take care of each other. The tower will always be here for you, so come when you want to. I'd like to see you both again," Cyborg said.
"We will. Tell the others we said good bye," Robin said.
"Will do. You know…Rae, Robin said you love him, and I think he's lying to me," Cyborg said.
"He isn't," she said.
"How do I know?" Cyborg asked.
"You're just trying to get me to kiss him," she said.
"Come on, Rae, I just want to see this before you leave," Cyborg said.
"…Alright," she said.
Turning to Robin, Raven got close, putting her arms around his neck and kissed him. He put an arm around her waist and kissed back. They froze like that for a few seconds before returning to their original positions, looking back at Cyborg, Raven was blushing a little and Robin was smiling.
"Okay, you're not lying. I'm happy for you two. Just wish Star could be too," Cyborg said.
"She'll get over it," Robin said.
"She better, or one of the recruits is going to be my second-in-command. You two better get moving," Cyborg said.
"Yeah, we should. Good bye Cyborg," Robin said.
"Good bye Cy," Raven said.
"Take it easy," Cyborg said.
Picking up their bags, Robin and Raven waved to Cyborg as they walked out of the living room and went to the stairs. Raven was about to walk down when Robin pointed up, towards the roof. They went up the steps and opened the door to the roof, where a helicopter was touching down.
"This is his idea of keeping a low profile?" she asked.
"Yes, actually," he said, removing his mask and placing it in his pocket as they got in the helicopter.
Stepping out of the helicopter onto the lawn before Wayne Manor, Robin and Raven walked to the front door with their bags. Raven was surprised at how large the house really was, it wasn't the tower, but she felt that she would adjust. She was nervous about Robin's mentor and how we would respond to her. As they reached the door, Robin rang the bell, and then turned to her; giving a reassuring smile, which she appreciated. The door opened and an old man wearing a black suit greeted them.
"Hello, Alfred," Robin said.
"Welcome back Master-," Alfred began to say, stopped by Robin, who shook his head, and indicated Raven.
"…It's a pleasure to see you again," Alfred said.
"Nice to see you too, Alfred," Robin said.
"And it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss…?" Alfred asked, waiting for her reply.
"…Roth," Raven said. As she spoke the word, Robin felt Raven's emotions sink, even though she held her expression.
"Miss Roth, welcome. Master Wayne has been looking forward to meeting you. Please come in," Alfred said, holding the door open for both of them.
"Thanks, Alfred," Robin said as he and Raven walked in as Alfred closed the door behind them.
"Master Wayne is waiting for you in the library when you're ready, Miss Roth," Alfred said.
Raven looked to Robin nervously. He smiled encouragingly. "It's how he works, just be honest, and his questions will be pretty basic," Robin thought to her. "Has he done this with everyone you've brought here?" Raven thought back. "Yes, but I haven't brought many here, and never a girl I really cared about," Robin thought to her. "Must have been lonely," Raven thought to him. "That's part of why I left... It'll be fine, don't worry," he thought back. She smiled at him, handed him her things, and then followed Alfred to the library.
"If you don't mind me asking, miss, I'm just curious as to why he has not told you his actual name," Alfred said, as they walked through the house.
"I asked him not to. I haven't told him mine either. There are some things that we both don't need to know about each other's past. This way, I know him as he is, not as he was," Raven said.
"That is quite interesting, I suspect Master Wayne will say as much as well," Alfred said.
"What else might he say?" Raven asked.
"He will most likely ask you about your capabilities in combat and your willingness to stand up for what you believe," Alfred said.
"Has he 'interviewed' anyone else like this before?" Raven asked.
"An apt word, yes he has, but I believe that this matters more than the other instances. Not only do you want to defend this city; you also wish to live here, and you are involved with the closest thing he has to a real son…" Alfred said.
"Then I'll do what I have to, to keep what I care for," Raven said.
"At times, that's all we can do, miss… He's just in there," Alfred said, indicating the doors to the library.
"Thank you, Alfred," Raven said, a small grateful smile on her face.
"You're welcome," he said, opening the door for her.
Entering the library, Raven looked around, finding it to be one of the nicest she had seen. A feeling of belonging swept through her as she noticed the sheer volume of books. The room seemed darker than the parts of the house she had seen. A tall, well-built man stood beside a desk in the corner of the room. He was wearing a suit and seemed to be staring right through her.
"Master Wayne, this is Miss Roth, she and Master-…or, your friend just arrived moments ago. You asked to see her, I believe?" Alfred said.
"Yes. Thank you, Alfred. Please help my friend get settled in, will you?" Bruce said.
"Of course," Alfred said, exiting the room swiftly, closing the doors behind him.
"Would you like to have a seat?" Bruce asked her, indicating an arm chair near the fireplace.
"Yes, thank you," Raven said, sitting down, as Bruce moved to stand in front of her.
"First, Raven, I want to thank you for assisting Robin with leading the Titans, you have all done a remarkable job reducing your city's crime, and I know he appreciated your support," Bruce said.
"Thank you, it wasn't easy," she said.
"Now, I won't 'interrogate' you, but I do have some questions that I need you to answer," Bruce said.
"Alright…What do you want to know?" she asked.
"How serious is your relationship with Robin?" he asked.
"I love him...I would fight with him, or for him, and I don't care what's in my way," she said.
"Is it true that you are the daughter of, essentially, a demon bent on destroying the world?" he asked.
"Yes…but I'm not a part of that agenda, I never wanted to be. Besides, he has been destroyed," she said.
"If you had to choose between saving either Robin, or Gotham, which would it be?" he asked.
"Both," she said.
"For this scenario, that isn't possible," he said.
"Actually, it is… His soul is bound to mine, what threatens one of us, threatens us both, and neither of us can be permanently killed. If we physically stray too far from each other, though, we will suffer," she said.
"How did that happen?' he asked.
"It's a long story…" she said.
"…So you don't just want to be here, you need to be here, or else you'll suffer?" he asked.
"Yes," she said.
"Then, what I might say about the two of you being together doesn't matter to you, does it?" he asked.
"I would like it if we could be civil, I want you to like me, but if not…No, it won't matter what you say, to me, to him, or to anyone, really. Sorry," she said.
"Hmm, well, I have already decided. I don't think this is smart, but...You've shown that you've worked with him well in the past and it's clear that you have a vested interest in keeping him alive and happy. I want to know more about his soul being bound to yours, but… At the moment, I have little reason, beyond that, not to trust you. Don't let that change," he said.
"I will do my best," she said.
"Good. I have another question: why don't you want to know his name?" he asked.
"It's just not important to us. We didn't know each other before the Titans, his name has bad memories for him, and mine has terrible memories for me. I know him as Robin, he knows me as Raven, we love what we know, and not knowing either's real name has not affected that in any way," she said.
"Well, I can't call you 'Raven' when we need to keep a low profile, neither can he. I also can't call him 'Robin,'" he said.
"So, come up with some cover names for us," she said.
"People already know him by his real name, so we can't do that," he said.
"Fine…I'll talk to him about it," she said.
"Good," he said.
"Are there any rules for living here that I should know about?" she asked.
"Yes. Robin and Alfred will go over them with you later. Now, go and get yourself organized. We are going to start researching a symbol Robin mentioned, as well as individuals who could cause your friends to lose their sanity... If that's what happened," he said.
"Alright. Thank you for taking us in, we'll help however we can," she said.
"I don't doubt that. Get moving, Raven, the three of us have a lot of work to do," he said.
"Right," she said, getting up from the chair and heading for the door. Alfred opened it for her as she left and led her through the halls, up the staircase to the top level, and showed her to her new room. Robin was waiting for them just outside her door.
"Thanks, Alfred," Raven said.
"You're welcome. I shall leave the two of you to get situated," Alfred said, walking away.
"So...How did it go?" Robin asked.
"I think it went well, but I'm not sure if he meant everything he said. Even if he did, there's a good chance he still doesn't think getting involved with me was a good thing for you..." Raven said.
"Give him some time to get to know you better: how you fight, what you know, and how you'll help. I'm sure he'll come around eventually," he said.
"I hope so," she said.
"Come on, let's unload and unpack. We need to get moving if we're going to start researching that symbol tonight," he said.
"Alright, I'll see you soon," she said, entering her room as he headed down the hall to his.
(Chapter 17, which is called: 'Concerning Madness,' should be up on or around October 12th ~RavensMind~)