She knew it was a bad idea the moment she stepped near the entrance of the club. She could already hear the pounding music as they neared the entrance. Luckily they didn't have to stand in line with the eager crowd. It had been a busy day and Raven's morning meditation had been cut short. She had not made it back to finish so she was already feeling irritable and now with the pounding music and the crowds pulsating to said music was a recipe for a huge migraine.
The club looked like any other building that lined the street. The only indication that it was something different was the line outside and the red rope gate. Near the doorsw were two bright lights to allow the bouncers to check IDs as well as draw attention to the door. There was no neon or sign to tell you that this was in fact a club.
Speedy lead them away from the line that snaked its way down the sidewalk. At the front was a rather large beefy man with his arms crossed over his chest. The small group followed Speedy as he plastered a smile on his face.
Raven watched as the once intimidating man changed before her eyes. His arms dropped and he smiled at Speedy. He had a deep laugh as he reached to shake Speedy's hand.
"Roy, long time no see. How you been?"
"Hey Paul. I've been good, just busy. Good crowd today."
"Yep yep. Not bad." The man glanced around Speedy. He winked at Raven. "I see you have better taste than last time I saw you."
Normally this overly friendly manner would irk Raven, but she found herself smiling at the man. Well, more of a smirk really, but there was something about that man that just made her smile. Speedy laughed and slung an arm around her shoulders. She found that it was his usual pose with her and she had grown accustomed to the arm. In fact, she felt that something was off if he wasn't touching her in some way when they were together.
"Aw now Paul, I always had great taste."
"Yeah, but this one looks high class. Brains and looks." Paul turned again to wink at Raven. "What are you thinking hooking up with this guy?"
The boys behind them laughed lightly. Before Speedy could answer Raven raised an eyebrow. "Who says I'm with him?" She slipped away from Speedy and grabbed Aqualad's hand. She winked back at Paul. "I am the one with the brains after all."
Aqualad joined in. He pulled Raven closer. "Yeah, well that would be why you are choosing me over him. Hate to tell you Roy but I think I win this round."
The small group laughed at Speedy's shocked face. Soon he was joining in. "Paul, I'd like you to meet my friends. This is Rachel." Speedy pulled her back to his side with a wink. He nodded at Aqualad and the twins. "The tall one who was attempting to steal Rachel from me is Garth and the two shorties there are Armando and Emmanuel but we just call them Manny and Mando."
Paul continued to grin. "Nice to meet y'all." He turned again to Speedy. "Better get you guys inside. You know Ben's here tonight. You might want to say hi."
Paul reached over and opened the doors to the club and ushered the group in. Speedy turned and smiled. "Will do. Thanks again Paul. Have a good night." Raven watched as Paul winked at her once more before putting on his serious face and turning back to the waiting crowd.
Raven turned to Speedy. The noise had increased tenfold the moment they walked through the door and she had to lean up close to his ear. Even then she almost had to shout and they hadn't even made it to the main room. "So it's not what you know but who you know I take it."
"Of course, Princess."
Raven just shook her head at the nickname and followed the group down the hallway. Speedy had told them a little bit about the club. It was set up to look like one giant house party. It was like walking into a mansion. There was artwork on the walls and chairs in the hall for waiting guests. There was a staircase that would lead to the balcony with extra tables and such as well as private rooms for important guests and performers. In front of these stairs stood a man dressed as a butler helping to direct traffic.
Speedy turned them to the left and any idea of a house party disappeared. Raven assumed that the room was supposed to represent a living room in your typical mansion but she failed to see it. All of her senses were assaulted with the blaring music. High tables were scattered around the perimeter of a dance floor. There was a stage at the front with a DJ booth off to one side. A woman with barely any clothing stood there carefully choosing her records and music while laughing as the crowd below her was shouting to be heard.
The stage was not overly large but it was raised enough that those performing could not be easily grabbed or touched. Right now it was empty but Raven had been told that later that night there would be a performer or two.
There were dark alcoves scattered around with couches and low tables. At one side was a bar that was obviously very busy. Looking up there was the upper level balcony that snaked its way around the room. At the edges were tall and short tables and many closed doors behind the tables.
The room was dark with the occasional light flash in blue or startling white. In one corner was a strobe light that was almost blinding. Couples and friends were out on the floor gyrating to the music while others were cuddled on couches or attempting to hold conversations on couches or at tables.
One look at Raven knew this was a really bad idea. He heart was starting to beat faster, and not in a good way. Only years of training kept her face and body neutral but she was beginning to feel uneasy.
All around her people seemed to be staring. She looked down to make sure that her top was still on correctly. Everything seemed in order. She gave a confused look to her friends. The music faded out as Speedy leaned close to her ear. "Relax. You look great. They just see a pretty girl and they have to look." That comment startled her as she looked up to see the deep green eyes reassuring her. She felt her body relax marginally. Aqualad leaned over while the DJ made some announcement to the crowd about the upcoming song.
"Let's find a couch. They are more private than those tables." Raven gave a grateful smile to him. He gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. She felt her hands being tugged. The twins were gently pulling her to an open couch. As they claimed seats, Speedy and Aqualad headed towards the bar to grab drinks for everyone.
The small alcoves where the couches were brought back some semblance of reality. It was still loud and obnoxious but it was quieter and more private. She felt her body relax to almost normal. Her heartbeat was still a bit erratic, but it was calming slowly. She sat and had a brief but loud conversation with the boys in Spanish. She was still learning new words and grammar, but she could hold most conversations now in Spanish. It had been only a few months, but it was something she was good at.
If this was the night, she could do this. One glance at the dance floor caused her to shudder though. All those bodies in one place was not natural. She turned to a tapping on her shoulder. She knew it was not one of the boys. They were still making their way back from the bar through the crowd.
She turned and came face to face with a stunning brunette. There was no other word for this man that stood before her. Glossy chocolate locks fell forward as he smiled down at her. Deep blue eyes twinkled in a narrow tan face. He was tall and well dressed in slacks and a t-shirt the same shade of blue as his eyes. She saw muscles move fluidly as he reached out a hand to her.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but I saw you come in and I had to come meet the beauty with the brilliant eyes."
Raven felt a slight flush reach her cheeks. His voice was low and velvety. Without thinking she placed a hand in his. He clasped her one hand in two of his. They were warm and smooth. She felt a spark as they touched and suddenly her body infused with heat. He slowly brought her hand to his lips never once breaking eye contact. As his lips touched her skin she saw a flash. Her powers were now working on overdrive. She saw flashes of color and she felt her earlier nerves return. Something was off with her powers. Why did she leave without finishing her meditation? She was starting to feel her control slip just the tiniest bit.
Just then a familiar weight settled on her shoulders. The man dropped her hand with wide eyes. A drink was pressed into her hand and the cold glass shocked her senses back to life. She felt the blush spread across her cheeks even more. The man smiled.
"Roy? Is that you? I was told you had made it out tonight."
She felt rather than heard Speedy chuckle in return as his arm was removed to shake the man's hand. "Ben. Good to see you." His arm returned to her shoulders as he settled back on the couch. Aqualad took a place next to her. She felt the twins move in closer. She felt warmth infuse her being. They were closing ranks. They had seen she was not fully ok, and they were taking care of her. Raven gave a smile and reached a hand out to squeeze Speedy's leg. It was her way of telling him she was ok. She settled back.
The man in front of her had settled on the table. He winked at her. "Should have known the beauty was taken."
She felt Speedy's arm tighten slightly. "Yep. Can't let her out of my sight, otherwise I'm afraid she'll wise up and leave my happy ass."
Raven spoke up. "Hmmm, not a bad idea. I think I could find someone in crowd." Ben chuckled and Raven turned to Speedy. "So how do you two know each other?"
Speedy smiled. "Oh Ben and I go way back. We went to school for awhile. His dad owns the club, but Ben runs it. At least until his dad hands over the company reigns."
"But don't think less of me just because of the company I used to keep." Raven smiled. "Damn, too bad you are taken Beauty. You always had the luck Roy. So who are your friends?"
"Well this is Rachel, that is Garth and the twins are Mando and Manny."
"Well pleased to meet you." Soon they were all talking as if old friends. Ben had a great sense of humor. He chuckled at the twins. "I should introduce you to my cousins. They are trying to learn Spanish and you are about the same age. They are around here somewhere." Within a few minutes, Mas and Menos were off to meet the cousins for a few dances.
When they were alone again Aqualad leaned over. "You ok Rae? You looked like you were going to loose it not too long ago."
She turned to the worried eyes of her friend. "I'm fine. I just didn't finish my meditation so his touch caught me off guard, but I am ok now." She wasn't completely lying. Her body was becoming more centered as she sat with her friends, but something was still off. She tried to banish the thought and enjoy team night. It had been something she had shuddered at, but now she found she enjoyed the nights. She winced as the music was blaring again and she could barely hear Speedy and Aqualad talking. She made a correction, she enjoyed MOST nights.
Soon the twins came into view dancing with two lovely brunettes. They beckoned their friends to come over. Speedy was up pulling on her hands. "Come on Rae, time to dance."
She frantically searched for a reason to stay on the couch. She was just getting emotions under control. Going out there was a really bad idea. "But someone has to watch the couch. All our stuff is here."
Aqualad spoke up with a little wink to Speedy. "I've got it Rae. You go have fun. We can switch off couch duty."
Speedy nudged her and directed his eyes to a shy looking blonde over in the corner making eyes at Aqualad. "Besides, he met Renee over there at the bar and I do believe he would like to continue their earlier discussion."
Raven sighed. There would be no getting out of this. She could already tell. Speedy confirmed this. "Remember Rae, my night my rules and I say you have to dance with me at least once tonight."
He pulled her out towards the crowd. As they reached the edge of the wriggling mass, she balked. "This is a bad idea Roy."
He looked at her and smiled. "Relax Rae. I'll be with you. Besides you handled more people than this when we broke up that mob a few days ago." He wouldn't hear any protests and slowly dragged her into crowd which just served to make things worse.
As soon as she had left the confines of the small alcove, emotions began to swirl around her. This was nothing new. One of the first things she had ever learned to do was shut down emotions. That was part of the reason she meditated in the morning, sometimes even twice. When she was asleep, she was vulnerable. She was more apt to read unwanted emotions. Her meditation brought her center back so she was able to control everything.
But she had been interrupted today. She thought everything would be fine, but she was wrong. Her defenses were weak and now that she was closer to the mob of people, she knew it. She felt as though she was being beaten over the head. She didn't hear voices, but her body took over the emotions and all of a sudden she was reacting.
Rage, jealousy, love, despair, joy, lust and every other emotion you could come up with were assaulting her. She could no longer distinguish her own emotions from those she was feeling around her.
To top it off, every movement brought her into contact with someone else and colors exploded around her as she felt these emotions very acutely. There were no words, but she understood why each emotion was being projected.
Raven felt her body begin to shake and her control slip. Her power began to build. All the feelings were increasing her power to a dangerous level. She yanked her hand from Speedy's grasp. Her breathing was labored. Power licked its way down her arms and legs. She felt it straining to be released. Small black fires licked their way up and down her body, pooling in her toes and hands.
Raven hit the floor on her knees, trying to drown out the emotions, trying to gain her control back. She was aware of Speedy on the floor next to her, but she couldn't hear or understand him. Too many emotions swamped her body making her sick to her stomach. She felt the bile rise. She looked around, here eyes wide with fear. She was going to lose control and all these people…
Raven panicked and before Speedy could do anything she phased through the floor and she was gone.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Outside in some park near the club, Raven felt the emotions swirling around her. She was still in panic mode and she started to run. She had to get away from people; she needed to get away from everyone. She could not release anything here. The power was still building. He panic was increasing it even more and her control was almost nonexistent. Raven stumbled and fell. She never felt her communicator fall out. She just pulled herself up and started to run again.
She had to gain control, she had to calm down. Raven ran as fast as she could, trying to do something that didn't involve thought, didn't involve emotions. She concentrated on her moving feet rather than where she was going.
Step step, breathe in breathe out, step step. Her feet pounded on the ground, her breathing became steady. Slowly she felt the power reside and her control return. Sweat poured down her body. Nothing was going to break her concentration. Her body was tired, screaming at her to stop, but she continued to run. No direction, no where to go, but just to run.
She didn't know how long she had gone or how far, but soon she could see the tower. She slowed to a jog and soon a walk. She was breathing heavily and the night air slowly cooled her skin. Her body was exhausted.
It was then that she remembered her friends. She knew they would be worried. Quickly she grabbed for her communicator. Shit. Now I have to track that down too. Her head hung tiredly, Raven entered the tower straight into her room. She looked into the mirror and grimaced at her appearance. Surprisingly she did not look that bad, at least her clothing didn't, but her makeup was smudged and her hair was a wild cloud around her face.
Knowing her appearance would concern her friends more than anything, she quickly changed course to wash her face and brush her hair. She looked a bit more calm and a bit more like her normal self. With a sigh she headed to the main room upper deck so she could call the communicators and find her fallen communicator.
As she entered the room she was surprised to find it lit up. There on the couch sat four very angry set of eyes. Speedy jumped from the couch to grab her by the shoulders. He shook her lightly. She could feel his anger and fear and she hung her head. She didn't have the energy for this. "Where the hell have you been? We have been worried sick Rae. One minute I am holding your hand and the next you are on the floor crying out and then you were gone. We looked for hours! Hours Rae, and you were no where. What the hell?!"
Aqualad placed a hand on Speedy's shoulders. "Relax. I am sure there is a very good reason. Right, Rae?" He turned his dark eyes on her and she felt his anger and worry as well. She looked at the couch to see the twins in identical positions on the couch, frowns on their faces and small arms crossed. Their feet didn't even touch the floor.
Another shake drew her attention back to a very angry Speedy. Now that she was safe, he was mad, no, he was pissed off. How could she run off like that? She felt his body shaking. Something about that brought tears to her eyes. She was not emotionally ready for this. A few tears leaked out of her eyes. Luckily her head was still lowered and they could not see it.
Her voice was soft. "I'm sorry. I just… I'm sorry. I tried to call, but my communicator must have dropped out of my pocket when I ran."
"You mean this one?" Raven's head shot up. There in Speedy's hand was her communicator. She reached for it.
"Where did you find it?"
"When we couldn't find you, we tracked your communicator and you were no where to be found. It was outside the park."
She nodded, "Thank you."
Speedy let his hand drop to her hips. He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Lord Rae, when we couldn't find you… I thought…" Speedy's voice caught and he couldn't continue.
Instinctively her arms hugged him back. It felt good, warm and safe. She fought back more tears. After one more tight squeeze, Speedy let go and led her to the couch. Everyone sat around her. Seeming to know that she was close to the edge, Speedy kept his hands to himself for once. She was very close to losing it and if he continued to touch her, she knew she would lose it.
Aqualad spoke. "So why did you run off Rae?"
She sighed. "It was too much. Too many people, too many emotions."
"But you deal with touching people all the time. I mean there was the mob and then there was the group of fans at the mall last week." Raven shuddered at Speedy's words. She had really been uncomfortable in the fan mob.
"Yes, but I was centered. I didn't finish my meditation this morning. I wasn't fully centered."
"Well, why didn't you tell us? We could have waited while you centered." Aqualad spoke again.
"I thought I would be fine. And I was until I got into the crowd."
"So too many emotions for an empathy who is not centered. But that doesn't explain why you ran off. Why not just come back to the couch?"
She met Aqualad's eyes fully. "I couldn't."
Speedy broke in, his anger rising again. "The least you could have was tell us you needed a break, a breather. Then we would have got you out of there."
She turned to Speedy. "I couldn't. It wasn't that I didn't want to, but I couldn't. I needed to get out of there."
"But why?"
She could feel his frustration. He wanted to understand and yet he didn't. "Ok, but this counts as my tidbit for team night. Try not to interrupt; I am not feeling up to staying up late."
The others nodded, knowing that what she meant was that she was not up to this and if they interrupted too many times, she would not be able to finish tonight. There was something open and vulnerable about her tonight. She took a deep breath and began.
"It's not easy to be emotionless. It is something I have worked very hard at. Never happy, never sad, just sarcastic and distant." She held up her hand to stop Speedy's comment. "Don't kid yourself. I know that's what I am because I have to be. Yes I have been better since making friends, but it is something I have to be very careful about. My powers are tied to emotions. The more I feel, the power that is released. The more power, the more difficult it is to control. I try not to be emotional because it can be difficult to control and people get hurt.
The problem with being an empath is that you can read others' emotions. Unfortunately, when I am not centered, or there are a lot of emotions, my body can lose the distinction between my emotions and others' emotions. It starts to react to others' emotions as if they are my own and soon my mind follows suit. Soon I am reacting to emotions that are not mine and I can lose myself. Then I have a lot of emotion building inside of me which means my other powers grow to point I cannot control them. That is what happened tonight. I was ready to explode. It was all I could do to keep my powers in check. If I had not left, I would have destroyed us all."
Speedy laughed. "Now I think you are being overly dramatic."
She raised a brow at him. "Oh really. Do you know when I first learned how dangerous my powers were? I was four and I was throwing a tantrum because I didn't want to go to bed."
"Everyone does that Rae. You were four, how dangerous could they be?"
"I threw a monk, someone who had cared from me since I was an infant, against the wall with enough force that statues in the room began to fall over. One landed on his brother, smashing the man's legs. I was four when I learned emotions were dangerous. That was when I started to lock them away, to compartmentalize them. I can let them out for short periods of time, but under controlled circumstances."
"But you have shown them with us. I have seen them. And surely you have more control than when you were four."
"I know my reactions with you. I am comfortable and familiar so I am able to do more, but the older I get, the more powerful I become. I still have to watch emotions. I can't let them out to hurt those I care about, I won't let them. That is why I ran. I needed control back. It is why I am distant, why I put up walls. It is not to protect me, it is to protect others."
Raven sank back into the couch with a sigh. She was so tired she could feel it in her bones. All she wanted to do was sleep for a week. She felt raw a scraped from the inside out. And this little sharing session was not helping.
Aqualad saw this and slowly stood up. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. She felt surprised and her eyes locked onto his. "See, I'm ok, and I did something you didn't expect. Maybe you have more control than you give yourself credit for. Thank you fro sharing. Good Night Rae."
The twins followed suit, grabbing her in a hug and zipping off to shower before bed. That left Raven and Speedy. She still felt his confusion and his frustration over not fully understanding, but he would get there. She leaned back and closed her eyes.
"I guess I just don't get how this crowd was different than others."
Raven didn't open her eyes. She knew he would need more. "It isn't, not really. I should have meditated before going. It helps me stay me in crowded situations. The problem was that I could feel emotions and the stronger the emotion the more it is projected, whether the person means to project or not. The strong emotions like hate and jealousy and lust are hard for me to tune out and trust me there was a lot of that tonight. The closer I am the more emotion I pick up so I was being bombarded from all sides and then a lot of people were touching me and it became too much."
She felt his understanding. He slumped onto the couch. "Well I certainly screwed up team night. I just thought you were doing so well that we could try it."
She gave a soft chuckle. "Some days I can and some I can't. If I had meditated beforehand I would have been fine. It was an ok choice, though I must say the music was too loud."
"Yeah, well at least you looked good. Man you certainly caught Ben's eye."
"Hmmm, well he was cute…." This was relaxing, the easy banter rather than the heavy conversation from earlier. They were quiet for a few minutes.
"You know, you never completely the full requirements of the night."
Her eyes popped open at that. "Oh really. I was there, dressed appropriately and I talked and even smiled and no book. I even shared my tidbit." She closed her eyes and leaned back again.
"Yes, but you never danced with me."
Again her eyes flew open. "Yes, and doesn't look like it will happen."
He chuckled and pushed himself off the couch. He smiled at her and reached a hand down. She raised a brow. "You're serious. You really want to dance with me? Here? In the living room?"
"Of course. No one to set you off and you fulfill all requirements."
"But we don't have any music." He rolled his eyes and walked to the stereo. He pressed play and Pink began to play. Again he extended his hand.
"Dance with me."
She placed her hand in his, willing to play his game. She shook her head. "You are nuts."
He pulled her close and wrapped one hand around her waist while one hand continued to hold hers. Her hand went to wrap around his neck. Everywhere she touched him felt warm. It was similar to that of Ben, but rather than scaring her, this made her feel warm and comfortable. She felt very in control, like she was wrapped in a warm security blanket. She stared into his eyes and she felt warmth infuse her entire being. There was just something about this man that could drive her crazy and yet make her feel safe all at the same time. She wasn't sure she really understood it.
Her train of thought was interrupted as she felt a slight pressure from his fingertips on her waist. She took the cue and was soon twirling under his arm only to be pulled back tight. One look at his face told her he was impressed with her ability to follow his lead. The music was fast and upbeat and wonderful for spins and dancing close together. They had only begun to dance when the song ended.
She read the challenge in his eyes and she nodded. The music skipped cds and soon one of her favorite jazz pieces came on. He again began to direct her moves with his fingers and his eyes. She followed every step flawlessly. They seemed to know what the other was thinking and it looked as though they had danced like this together for ages.
She smiled at him. "You seem surprised."
"I am, where did you learn to dance? Most people don't know the classical steps and you are following them perfectly."
"I could say the same about you." He twirled her out and back making her catch her breath as their bodies met again.
"Yes, well when you become the ward of a rich man, they tend to have you attend functions where you need to know how to dance. Now spill."
"Now now, I shared my tidbit already." She enjoyed teasing him but after a few more spins she decided to spill otherwise she would end up dizzy on the floor. "The monks taught me. Even despite who I was, they raised me to be a proper young lady and to them that meant I needed to know how to dance."
"But you were not raised on Earth and these are Earth moves."
She rolled her eyes. "Yes but the people of Azarath are originally from Earth."
He laughed. "Well that makes sense."
Raven shook her head. "Shut up and dance." That only caused him to laugh more.
The music would speed up and slow down and it felt so good. She let go of some of that wall and just enjoyed the dance.
The sound of her communicator startled her out of the pattern. She reached into her pocket to pull out the offending article. She was about to open it when Speedy touched her hand. "It can wait."
"But what if it is an emergency?"
"Then they will call the tower or another titan. Let's finish the dance."
After a moment or two she nodded. She would call them back. At her nod Speedy smiled and grabbed her communicator tossing it to the couch behind him. Neither saw it land, but when it did, it opened to reveal Robin's face.
The music slowed and Speedy pulled her closer. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. He rested his chin on her head and they slowly danced to the music. Robin's face stared at them, his jaw open. He didn't know what to say. They moved in slow circles, hips swaying slightly with eyes closed. After a full minute, Robin couldn't take any more. His face disappeared.
Soon the song ended and Speedy pulled away. "Nothing bad, right Princess?"
"No, nothing bad."
"Good Night Rae. And thanks for the dance. Maybe we can do it again sometime."
"Maybe we can. Night Casanova." Speedy chuckled as he exited the room, turning off the music as he went.
Raven felt happy and peaceful after the dance. She felt so good that she even forgot to grab her communicator, which sat alone on the couch, the screen now dark.
XXXXXXXX
Back at Titans West, Robin didn't know what to think. He had called to see how her evening had gone. He wanted to catch her in civilians because that was all Cy talked about at dinner and he had to admit that he was intrigued. He had been smiling when he had called and then he had seen Speedy with his arms wrapped tight around Rae. They were dancing oh so close and something snapped. After staring dumbly at the image now burned in his brain he had given into impulse and thrown the offending image against the wall of his room.
Now he lay, hands behind his head. He couldn't sleep. All he could picture was Speedy wrapped around Raven and her eyes, closed and her face relaxed. And in the back of his mind a small voice whispered, Too Late.
XXXXXXXX
Ok, so as I write this I have to admit that it is turning out to be more chemistry between Speedy and Raven than Robin and Raven, but we shall see what happens when they get back to Titans West. I have no control over the characters, I swear. Anyways, hope this nice long installment works. I have to catch up on some other stories and get them caught up so it might be a week or two before the next chapter for this one. Enjoy and thank you to all that have reviewed.