26. Being Mellow

"What are you saying, Mr. Glover? Do you mean to infer that all your previous accusations against the Teen Titans have been false?"

"Have been and always will be, Gary. I've been………quite blood-thirsty as of late. I'm not sure what's left to trust of my own words."

"Yet you seem humble enough to confess this on television! Tell us, did something unfortunate happen to you, sir?"

"Unfortunate……perhaps. It depends on what context a person thinks in. Or at what time a person thinks about it. Yes. Yes……it was unfortunate. And for that sake alone, it was fortunate for me that I was a part of it. Most fortunate that nobody died—of course—but I surely can't complain. Nobody can complain when they are enlightened."

"And what did this enlightenment tell you, sir?"

"It told me that life……life in all of its offices…is much too important to leave only to the battles of journalists and congressmen. There is a greater evil amongst us. An evil that manifests itself in the nightmares of our urban domain. And these Titans…these *people*…they've been doing the same thing that I've been doing throughout the years. Only, they've been putting as much of their flesh into the fight as I have my pen and paper. Where I stand the risk of public ridicule…they stand the risk of gun wounds and knife stabs. I've never truly come to respect such bravery until I saw it up close and personal. Until I saw it…through mortal eyes."

"Are you certain this just isn't a phase, Mr. Glover? Perhaps nothing more than distraction to your plan at hand for the legislature?"

"I've already given up on that plan, Gary. All the pen pushers are going to be spared an earful of me this year. Perhaps even much, much longer than a year."

"Early retirement?"

"A vacation, Gary. A very long…deep…relaxing vacation."

"Well, we all hope you rest up."

"That makes the two of us."

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"I always buy from this store," an elderly customer smiled over the counter. "You two are the nicest people I've met in a long time. And the things you sell are in good condition for being brought in from random people."

"Best pawn shop in the district," Daniel said with a wink.

Renee smiled from where she was filling out paper work from a previous transaction. "We've been celebrities ever since that 'Fang' character came in and rained on our parade."

"Oh no! Are you serious?!" the customer gasped. "Were you two okay?"

"We survived," Renee said. "It was rather disturbing. The Titans later thrashed him good for his wrongdoing."

"Yes, I know," the woman said. "But this store?! I had no idea!"

Daniel gestured to the front of the store. "We had the window replaced a few weeks ago. He smashed the thing apart entirely. Darn wreckless, if you ask me."

"Well, looks like you both are recovering nicely."

"We do our best," Renee walked over and leaned on Daniel's shoulder. "And we hope people like you are satisfied."

"Well, no doubt about that," the woman smiled. "I think I'll tell my children about this place. They're always looking for low prices on electronics and hardware."

"As long as they all have electricity and a lawn to take care of."

"Heheheh…understood. So long. You'll be in my prayers."

"Thank you, ma'am."

The woman headed out to the front of the store.

Renee looked over at Daniel: "Did you hear?" she whispered.

Daniel nodded. "That Glover creep backed down."

"It was on the news this morning! The interview with him….it's like he changed completely!"

"Looks like we aren't the only lucky people in town," Daniel replied.

Suddenly, the woman walked back. "Curious…I think somebody dropped something on the way out," she said.

"Oh really?" Renee reached forward and took an envelope from the woman's hand. "I swear I would have seen it if—what in the world?"

Daniel looked over his wife's shoulder. "It's addressed to us…"

"Corresponding to someone through mail?" the woman asked.

"Not that we know of…," Renee stated. Nevertheless, she opened the envelope and pulled out a blank white card. She turned it over and read the short contents.

'Thank you' -N

"N??" the woman reacted. "Who pray tell---"

The couple was smiling.

"A new friend of ours…," one of them said.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

Outside the window of their storefront, I glanced in.

I saw them reading the letter.

A smile lit my face.

I adjusted my shades, turned to face the wind, and walked home.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

It was a beautiful day.

No exaggeration.

A blue sky with sparse clouds and relatively quiet streets.

Children at recess echoed giggles outward from the school courtyards.

Young couples walked pleasantly through the city parks.

Even crime seemed to be taking a holiday.

I was under such an atmosphere that I walked back towards the Tower. Taking my time. The wind danced against my face and kicked at my long black hair. I breathed it all in.

Have I learned to accept the good with the bad?

I kicked at some gravel on a dirt road I took as a detour to reach the tower later—not sooner.

And if so…is this my reward?

I paused for a moment and tilted my head up towards the Sun. I closed my solid black eyes.

And sighed.

Blue eyes, short blonde hair, and the voice of gold.

I opened my eyes. Through the shades I was stabbed with blinding white light.

It's been four years…and yet……I can't stop seeing you…

I waited there in silence.

I twisted about, kicked some more gravel, and headed for the Tower without further tangents.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

The elevator doors opened and I walked into the main room just to hear:

"You beat him?"

"Yup…he's back in the hands of the authorities. The Power Plant was saved. We're coming back home," Robin's face smiled on the huge monitor.

"Well, allright!" Cyborg smiled. "Gonna give us any details, or are you gonna come home first?"

"We're all homesick. So I suppose the alternative we chose is more than obvious."

"You got that right!!" Beast Boy's voice chanted from off screen.

"B.B.!" Cyborg chanted. "Come out so I can see you!"

Beast Boy's face butted out Robin's from the screen. "Lookey! It's the all Changeling channel!"

"Ha ha," Cyborg put his hands on his hips. "When you get back, you still owe me twenty bucks. You know that, right?"

"Dude?! Like……what for?!"

"For me beating your F-Zero track records in half the courses while you were gone! HA!"

"No way! I'm so gonna beat you up for that!"

"Yeah…beat me over the head with four Fives! Ya dolt!"

"There shall be no beating over of the head. Cyborg's skull is just about as precious as Beast Boy's!"

"He was only joking, Star. He didn't truly mean it."

"Oh……so there is no owing anybody money?"

"Darn right there's not! Cyborg's gotta be lying! I'm an ace at that game!"

"Beast Boy, you're hogging the transmission! I only have so much juice left in this receiver. If you don't—"

"Eeek! But what about me? I wished to send tidings of good will and glorious victory to my friends in the form of the Twelfth Epic Sonnet of Glorkinphorp!"

"You can just fax 'em a memo! I've got to iron this out with Cyborg!"

"Unacceptable! We must be democratic in the use of said transmission!"

"Says who?!"

"Guys, for crying out loud, the transmitter is going to—"

-BLIP-

The monitor blacked out.

Cyborg smiled. "They'llllllllll be here soon."

He swiveled around and waved to me. "Hey…Noir…my main shade man. S'up?"

I gave him a cockeyed look.

"What?! Aren't you happy?! Glover's shutting up and Overload's overloaded. I think that calls for a victory celebration!"

I looked around. Then gestured to him a 'flapping bird'.

"Raven? Heck if I know where she is. But she better get her butt here so we can go out somewhere and PAAAARTAAAH!!"

I scratched my neck and smiled, humored. Too bad Beast Boy's not here.

"I'll go to her room. You look for the other spot."

I gave him a wyrd look.

"You know! The other spot!"

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

I opened the door and walked out onto the rooftop of the Tower.

My eyes scanned the helipad, the cargo equipment, and the edge of the structure. On the far side, Raven sat, cross-legged.

Meditating.

I thought about it…threw caution to the wind…and slowly walked over and stood behind her.

The wind kicked at her blue hair, free from the robe. Her hands were stretched out, fingers gracefully touching each other.

Without looking, she uttered: "Lemme guess….Cyborg wants to 'celebrate'."

I scratched my neck and simpered.

"Ain't gonna happen…," she added.

Figured as much.

Without asking, I sauntered over, sat down beside her on the edge, and stared out at the stretch of Bay and City beyond us.

Silence.

"I guess….you're not going away, then," she mumbled.

I smirked.

Her eyes finally opened. She sighed.

"It's allright….I wasn't getting anywhere in my meditation today anyways."

I looked at her strangely.

She looked at me. "Nothing to smooth out in my head this afternoon. That is a good thing."

I replied with a silent 'Oh' and nodded.

She looked back out at the waters of the Bay.

A pause.

"I love this spot," she said.

I listened…trying to get over the surprise that she was actually *talking*.

"It is so perfect for meditation. It takes so long for people to get up here that they usually don't even bother. Except for Starfire and Beast Boy, who can fly."

I blinked behind my shades.

"Or you, who can just run up the freakin' building side," she half-smirked. "I guess the only real reason I get so secluded here is that I get so secluded here. It could be anywhere. But, honestly….this place has a nice view."

I nodded absent mindedly.

"How's your arm doing?"

I took a look directly at my shoulder for the first time in hours. I flexed it under the bandage. I winced, then shrugged.

"Figured," Raven said. "Gunshot wounds don't fix themselves overnight…overnights, I should say by now. You're not being a baby about it. That's commendable."

I wanted to chuckle. If only she knew…if only they knew…I wasn't capable of moaning.

A pause.

Raven slowly brought her legs up and hugged them to her chest.

It was a rather….unusual posture for Raven.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Do you know why I don't give you the cold shoulder whenever you visit me, Noir?" she remarked.

I shook my head.

"You don't talk your head off," she said. "Everyone else talks their head off. I think people who talk too much show an insecurity. Even a lack of intelligence."

I shrugged.

"Heh. I'm one to speak," she stared at the rooftop. "I'm chattering away to you right now." She barely looked up at me. "But a girl can indulge sometimes……..right?"

Um………okay……

I nodded with an awkward smile.

That seemed to suffice. Raven sighed and looked off at the city again.

"Realllllllly glad that bad publicity is over with," she muttered with vitality.

She knew I couldn't agree more.

"What're you two guys doing? Patty cake?!"

Raven's brow furrowed.

I turned around and glared at Cyborg.

"Why mope around here all day?!" the android shrugged, smiling. He walked over. "Let's go out! Let's do something!"

"I wasn't MOPING," Raven frowned. A beat. She realized she was still hugging her knees. She returned to a meditative squat, blushing.

I wanted to giggle.

"Looks speak loudly, my dear," Cyborg bowed. "Pray tell, what's afflicting your spirit?"

Raven blushed even more. "Nothing," she growled with venom-laced speech.

I cleared my throat and gestured to Cyborg. 'What's the plan?'

"I dunno."

I smacked my head.

"You think of something, Noir! You're always the quiet one. Ha!"

I hate being on the spot…even though it's not often.

I gestured to him. 'Pizza?'

"We always do pizza! Come on, you're not even trying. Where would YOU like to go?"

I looked at Raven.

She looked at the city.

I looked at the city.

I smirked.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

Raven's eyes widened. After thirty solid minutes of complaining against Cyborg and I dragging her out, she was quiet.

Before her stretched the hazy, jazz-filled interior of a poetry café. The oldest one in town in the hardest part of the City to fine. Elderly musicians and poets filled the place with a retro ambiance of soul and literary spirit.

"It's……so…….ancient…..," Raven murmured.

Cyborg smirked at me. "You read her like a book." He leaned down and whispered in the dark girl's ear. "He reads you like a book."

"Shut up," the girl said blindly and wandered forward like a stiff zombie. "Must….listen….to….poetic….goodness…."

I scratched my head. When Cyborg looked at me, I shrugged.

We both smiled.

Eventually, the three of us were seated at a table on the side, halfway towards the podium. Random poets walked up and had their hand at reciting lyrics: both original and classic. There was no ounce of ridicule to be weighed in the place. Even the less-than-superb poems were given an ovation of snapping fingers and intrigued mutterings.

The whole time, the jazz permeated the air and gave the place a noir feeling.

If you pardon the pun.

Raven leaned her chin on two hands the whole time. She looked like a little schoolgirl in the candy store. I was afraid for a moment there that I might see her drool for the first time. But, thankfully, that never happened.

"This is so…..so…..so…..poetic….," she murmured.

"Uh….yeah, Raven. I think that's the whole point," Cyborg said. He seemed less than enthused about the poetry. I couldn't blame him. It was all over my head too.

I looked at him while our blue-eyed friend remained focused on the proceedings. I gestured something.

"Bored? Hardly. Just mellow."

I cocked my head to the side.

"Mellow's a good thing, Noir. You seem to be mellow all the time, if I'm not mistaken."

I mouthed 'mute'.

"Heh….that too."

I leaned my chair back against the wall.

He did the same.

A couple of lazy guys……………..

"You know what I think about every time we go through something intense?"

I looked at him curiously.

"I think about what happened to the dumb crooks we've done away with. Ya know….either they're in prison or they're in shame. Overload's gotten the lock and key. And Glover's got his head on the platter for media to laugh at. And yet….I dunno…I almost sympathize with those creeps. It's sad, I know. But I can't help but think if anything we've done actually *helps* them. And furthermore, if they're thankful to us for busting their heads in from time to time."

I smirked. My eyes traced Raven's shadow against the dimly lit podium and stage.

"And then ya know what I think?" Cyborg remarked. "I think I'm making a fool out of myself. In the end, we're only helping the innocent victims that such morons threaten. And in doing that, we help ourselves in turn."

I nodded casually.

Cyborg smiled and brought his hands behind his neck while leaning. "Yup," he said. "This is our reward. Being 'mellow'. I bet I can 'be mellow' your ass into the floor, punk! You're still a newby, ya know!"

I sniffed forth a laugh.

Cyborg chuckled.

We both sighed…..and realized Raven was gone.

"Where in the world?!?!" Cyborg remarked, then looked up at the podium. "Ah Hell….I think we drugged her."

I looked up. My black eyes twitched.

Raven walked up to the podium after the previous person stepped down. Someone rushed in and provided her a stool. She said thanks, cleared her throat, and produced a random sheet of paper from under her robe. She was prepared.

"I wrote this the night before last," she said. "It was right after one of my teammates was nearly hurt bad in a run-in with some gun-toting morons."

People seemed curious at that. When they took a closer look and realized who was speaking, a few people gasped, a few people smiled, but everyone in general recognized the Titan and remained quiet for her to read off her poem.

Cyborg and I were likewise attentive.

"Ahem…," she began:

'Under the Dark Wings'

Under the dark wings
Your midday races and gold-laced things
Shout out the shame that greed and lust bring
As if the kingdom was built in a metal tube
That people turn on only to keep from thinking.

Under the dark wings
You slit your throat and sing
The blood on the hands of crooks, you say
Is only painted sweat

And yet
You'll cower when
The light from the tube goes out
And you're swimming in the shadow
Of your hollow bucklers
Against fright and fear

Under the dark wings
You realize
That midday races and gold-laced things
Are all that you are to all that you are
Planted and watered in
Two inch soil

For the wind eroded everything else away
While above you, they carried us up
On dark wings

She was finished before anyone realized it. The ovation was delayed…but it was rich. Raven smirked ever so slightly and curtsied.

I snapped my fingers and smirked.

"Very niiiiiice," Cyborg said. He blinked. "So what was it about? Turkey sandwiches?"

I elbowed him hard.

"Ouch! Jeez! Sorry, I'm hungry! HEY! CAN WE GET SOME BAGELS OVER HERE OR SOMETHING?!"