Chapter 3!

Prom Night! Alright everyone, this chapter along with the next are both for prom night - I split it in two because it would have been much too long for one chapter, but I really needed to introduce a few characters, as well as make some connections that will make sense later on in the story. This chapter is getting ready for prom, and though it doesn't have much of an upbeat as the last chapter, I hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and a few characters here and there.

Raven woke up in the Infirmary, her head pounding. Putting a hand to her head, she slowly sat up. She was wearing only her dress, with her cloak placed on the chair next to her bed, and no wires were connected to her skin. Closing her eyes, she used her powers to make sure nothing was broken or bruised. Nodding in confirmation that nothing was out of place, Raven opened her eyes to see her leader entering the room.

"You're awake," commented Robin, mercifully in a low voice. Handing her a cup of hot tea, he said, "Red-X got away."

"What did he take?" asked Raven, taking a sip.

"It's weird," he said. "Of all things he could have taken, he took a multi-colored laser pointer."

"A laser pointer?" repeated Raven, disbelief in her voice. "Why would a place like that have a laser pointer out for display?"

"It has a specific feature," explained Robin. "When pointed at an object, it does nothing; it's just a regular laser pointer. But if aimed through diamond, it will shoot straight through it, creating circular burns at whatever object is behind it."

Raven frowned at that. "Diamonds," she repeated. "And coincidentally, he stole this a few weeks before the Twelve Lovers of Alcina arrive in Jump City."

"You think there's a connection," stated Robin, not needing a confirmation.

"RAVEN!"

Raven felt herself being crushed in one of the tightest hugs she has ever experienced; it actually made Starfire's hugs seem almost bearable. The cup of tea flew out of her hands, and her head pounded furiously against her skull, as it wasn't able to get the oxygen it needed. It made it almost impossible to decipher what her green friend was saying.

"Raven! I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!"

"Beast Boy," interrupted Robin, "get off her. I don't think this is helping her condition."

Beast Boy immediately let go, leaving Raven to sway back and forth. It wasn't even from the headache anymore that she was dizzy, but from the strong emotions vibrating off her green teammate. She was slowly suffocating by the joy, anger, guilt, and worry he felt.

"Beast Boy," grumbled Raven. "It wasn't your fault. Red-X disappeared faster than either of us was prepared for. Now, calm yourself or I'll be blowing this whole place up." Beast Boy raised his hands as if surrendering, and smiled. Instantly, all the negative emotions he had felt were gone, and the happiness he felt consumed the empath, who couldn't help but smile slightly. "Yeah, yeah. At least you didn't give me a concussion."

"Don't be so sure about that," said Cyborg as he walked in, Starfire floating in behind him. "You actually had severe head trauma, which is why you didn't wake up when we brought you here –" Raven placed a hand over Beast Boy's as she felt a tingle of guilt coming from him, pouring some of her own calming emotion into him "- but your healing powers must've taken care of that. Other than a slight headache, and maybe some drowsiness, you're as fit as a fiddle."

"Cyborg and I have prepared you a supper in the kitchen," announced Starfire, smiling brightly. "We assumed that after 31 hours of sleeping you would like to nourish yourself with –"

"31 hours!" exclaimed Raven. "I've been asleep for 31 hours?!"

Beast Boy chuckled nervously as he slowly made his way over to the door. Before anyone was able to say a word, he ran out, shouting, "Let's eat!" Glaring, Raven slowly got up and followed her teammates to the kitchen where a whole feast was waiting for them. There were cuts of meat, seafood, salads, sides, and much, much more. Raven doubted she would be able to eat most of what was on the table, but as soon as she took the first bite, she knew her stomach would not be so easily satisfied.

When most of the food was gone, Raven turned to Starfire and asked, "So the prom is tomorrow?"

"Yes it is," replied her friend. "I have taken the liberty of having Robin call in a makeup specialist for tomorrow morning. I know I am capable of doing your makeup nicely –" Raven cringed slightly at that "- but I thought that since this is a special occasion, it would be best to have someone who will know exactly how to match your hair and makeup with your dress. She shall be arriving tomorrow morning. Cyborg has already given her access to arrive at the Tower by face recognition."

"Thanks Starfire," sighed Raven in relief. Even though she knew it was a special occasion, it was still weird going to a dance without her friends.

After all the food and conversation was done, Raven went up to her room and laid down. She lost an entire day thanks to Beast Boy. Okay, so it was an accident, and she couldn't really blame him, but she had planned to get some meditation in before the prom. There is no doubt that emotions will be running high tomorrow; happiness and excitement from the children; anxiousness from the guests; overall, sadness for what the whole event represents. So maybe it won't be as bad as she thinks, but Raven knew that there is still that chance that she might get overwhelmed that day. If she does, she might lose control and just ruin everything.

'Thinking like this is definitely not helping,' thought Raven. 'I need some air.' With that, she walked her way up to the roof. Surprisingly though, she wasn't the first one there. Robin sat on the edge, one knee holding up his elbow. He didn't look up when the door opened, nor did he make a motion when she sat next to him. He just sat there, frowning at the open sea beneath them. Raven sat quietly, knowing he would be the one to share his thoughts first.

"Raven," he began, "do you…do you think you guys could ever trust me again?"

The empath sighed and honestly replied, "No. Not like we used to."

"…Why?"

"Because," she said, "you don't trust us."

"Yes I do –"

"Not enough. Not enough for you to put your life in our hands. We were willing to do that, and you took advantage of that." Robin froze, not being able to argue.

"I should have never created it," he said softly after a minute of silence. Raven looked over at him, but said nothing. "I should have never created that stupid suit in the first place."

"You had good intentions," Raven offered.

"But bad ways to go about it," he replied. "I was being selfish. Before I made the suit, I actually made myself believe that only I would be able to bring Slade down. I admit it. I didn't even think that it would be safer for you guys to stay out of it. I just wanted it to be me to finally end it. I wanted it to be just me."

"And now there is another like you."

"I am not like Red-X," snapped Robin, turning to face her.

"You do not steal," she agreed. "You are not our enemy. You no longer wear the suit. All that is true. But you still fight us at times, especially when it comes to trust. You will pay back a debt, no matter how troublesome it would be for you; just as Red-X has done many times before. And you are willing to do anything to get, not only what you need, but also what you want. When you created that suit, you were basically 'looking out for number one'. How is Red-X any different at this point?"

"I'm not bad," whispered Robin, almost pleadingly.

Raven nodded. "No, you're not bad."

"Red-X is bad."

"Red-X is a thief. He does bad things from what we can see. Who knows – maybe he's trying to have something good come out of all this by being bad. It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to do something like that."

"Are you defending him?" demanded Robin, his voice accusingly.

"No," answered the young woman with a sigh. "I just wanted to show you that if you keep overthinking this, you'll make things even more complicated for yourself." They stayed quiet for a few minutes after that. Raven had made a point that Robin was becoming obsessive again, and though she knew that he hated being used as an example, he needed to hear it.

"I just need to know who he is," whispered Robin. "I just need to see his face."

"One day you will," said Raven. "For now, stop being a baby about it."

Robin fell back against the concrete exaggeratedly and whined, "But I wanna know now!" Raven rolled her eyes at his childish tantrum and then laughed, in which she was soon joined in by her leader. In the past two years, Robin has finally allowed himself to open up more to his friends. He was happy and sincere with Starfire, competitive and wild with Cyborg and Beast Boy, and free with Raven. From the bond they shared, both knew that they needed someone to act childish with. They had both missed out on their childhood, and what would be a better way to complain about it than by throwing a tantrum every once in a while. They never did this in front of their friends though, or else they would never hear the end of it. Raven also knew that Starfire wouldn't like to see such displays from her boyfriend and best friend. There was never anything romantic about it, but their relationship helped the two bird-named teens understand that they are not alone, not even in their darkest nightmares. Raven was like the sister he had lost, and Robin cherished her.

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" he asked when the laughter died down.

"Should I be?"

"There will be a lot of excitement," he said, sitting up. "Will you be okay?"

"I guess we'll see," she replied. "But anyway, I should try to get some sleep. Goodnight."

Robin nodded as she stood up. "Goodnight Raven Sweet dreams."

Raven did not have a good night, nor did she have sweet dreams. She was running, she didn't know what she was running from, or even if she was running to something, but she did know that she was terrified. Her dress was torn, her heels were broken, and her hair was flying wildly behind her. As she ran, she saw her friends pass by, one by one. Starfire was on her knees, wailing in sorrow; Robin stood still, his hands fisted and shaking; Beast Boy had tears running down his face, his ears drooping; Cyborg had a sad expression. "You shouldn't feel guilty about this Raven," his voice whispered to her as she ran past him. "You can't bring him back." Raven felt her heart pounding against her chest as she continued to run. She tried to cover her ears as Cyborg's voice and Starfire's cries haunted her, but it did no good in blocking the noise. Then, she saw something that made her stop.

They were on the ground in front of her, discarded and filled with despair. Raven knelt down and took the lonely white mask into her hands. There was a crack on it, near the red cross over its right eye. Holding the mask to her chest, she went to reach for the belt, but froze.

There was someone there…

Watching…

Raven…

Dropping the mask, Raven turned around to find a small boy standing behind her. Anthony, she tried to say, but her voice was gone. Anthony held out his hand to her – his bloody hand. It was then that she saw.

Blood. Anthony, little Anthony, was covered in blood. The white shirt he wore dripped red liquid, and his lips were lifted into a crimson smile. Raven's vision blurred as tears made their way from the back of her eyes to trail down her cheeks. She pulled the young boy to her, holding him tightly as though that would stop the bleeding. But as she held him, she realized something that filled her with dread. There is no heartbeat. Raven looked up to see his smiling face, pleading with him silently. It was too much; it needed to stop, but Anthony did not refrain from giving her that bloody smile. Raven closed her eyes, muttering to herself to wake up, but all she heard was his voice.

You won't save me, he said. Maybe for once you will save yourself.

"Raven!"

She awoke with a start. Raven's eyes shot around the room in panic, only to find the mirror on her dresser shattered all over the floor, and the books from her bookshelves scattered everywhere. Sweat had formed on her forehead as she closed her eyes, willing her heart to beat at a normal rate.

"Raven!" called out the voice of Beast Boy, followed by obnoxious knocking on her door. "Come on, breakfast is ready – everyone's waiting!"

Grabbing her cloak and wrapping it over her shoulders, Raven made her way to the entrance of he room. With her powers, she forcefully slid her door open to glare at the changeling. "Keep knocking and I will put you in a coma for a year."

"Sorry Rae," said Beast Boy with a shrug, clearly unaffected by her threat, "but Cyborg wants you down. You know how he is about 'Saturday Morning Family Breakfast' time." He had raised his hands to make air quotes, obviously unimpressed with the name of their get-together. Raven was about to walk past him when he gently grabbed her shoulder, frowning. "Are you okay Rae? You look really pale."

Shrugging off his hand, Raven nodded. "I'm fine. I just didn't get good sleep last night."

"Are you sure?" asked Beast Boy. When he didn't get a reply, he continued with, "Is it something we should be worried about?" Raven sighed and decided to be honest about it.

"I don't know." Beast Boy looked at her worriedly, but Raven just shook her head. "It's nothing like that. It's not like it's the end of the world – not again at least."

The corners of his lips tugged upwards, but Beast Boy didn't respond to the quip. "Raven –"

"Trust me, okay?" The subject was dropped after that, though Raven could still fee the worry and confusion coming from her teammate, but she knew he wouldn't question her. They had too much history to doubt their trust in each other.

They entered the living room and sat around the breakfast table, with everyone talking happily of the start of a new day. The prom was mentioned every now and then, but Raven mostly remained quiet. She just ate her waffles and nodded when necessary, but mainly, she kept reverting back to the nightmare. 'Nightmare,' said a voice in her head. 'You know that that was no nightmare. There is pain in the near future.' Raven winced when the doorbell rang as it pulled her back to the present.

"I still can't believe we got a doorbell," muttered Beast Boy as he got up and walked out the sliding doors. He came back, followed by a curvy woman with orange-y red hair, green eyes, and really tan skin. Raven and the boys were thrown back as they turned their gaze from the girl to Starfire and back again.

"Hi," said the girl, either not noticing or deciding to ignore their reaction, "I'm Kathy. I have an appointment with Starfire?"

"Yes indeed!" exclaimed the alien princess. Tugging Raven forward, Starfire said, "My friend here has a special occasion she must prepare for!"

"Isn't it a bit early for Raven to get ready?" asked Robin.

"Not really," answered Cyborg. "The prom starts around four and will go on until ten I think. Raven was invited by one of the kids, so she should be there at least half an hour early to meet with him so they could enter together. We'd also have to leave half an hour before that so she could make it on time. That leaves them with five hours. Three of those hours will be just for hair and makeup. It might be more if they decide to put some color in Raven's hair. Let's just say three and a half hours for hair and make up. Thirty to forty minutes would be to put on the dress, and that's in case they need to make any modifications. That leaves Raven with less than an hour for touch ups, and maybe a snack – just as long as she doesn't stain the dress because then the whole thing would just be ruined." Noticing everyone staring at him with wide eyes, Cyborg chuckled nervously and muttered, "Not that I would know about that stuff…"

Cyborg's timing was right on point. When the girls went up to Starfire's room, the girl, Kathy, sat Raven down, facing away from the mirror, and stared at her for ten full minutes. Feeling her patience wearing thin, Raven clicked her tongue and glared at the girl.

"Well?"

"Low lights," was all the stylist said.

"Excuse me?" Kathy went up to her and started lifting up strands of her hair.

"Yup," she said. "Some blue low lights would fit you perfectly."

"That would looked marvelous," agreed Starfire from her spot on the bed.

Raven raised a brow. "Don't we have a time limit here?"

"Sweetie," said Kathy with a mischievous smile, "beauty knows no limitations."

And so, there she was now, sitting on a chair, with a half finished plate of pizza on her lap as Kathy and Starfire discussed different shades of eye shadow. They had just finished going over different hairstyles. Kathy wanted to go with a curly, half up-do with some sort of headband, while Starfire was going for a neat bun. Raven stayed quiet, letting the girls do what they wanted – she only spoke up when the color pink was mentioned, and that was just to put a stop to it. Once her hair was washed and dried, Kathy started on the hairstyle. They still didn't allow her to face the mirror, so Raven had to rely on her other senses to figure out what they were doing. There was heat, so she figured they compromised on the whole curling thing. From there, she just felt her hair being tugged to the back in different motions. After a while, Raven decided to get in some meditation.

Closing her eyes, Raven found herself away from the girls, from the tower, and from everything else. It was just her, staring into nothing, and feeling just as much. Because she was in her own mind, Raven was able to see herself as she was. She had to admit, the hair looked nice with thin blue strikes. Her attention then went to the chakra that was higher on her forehead, now at the tip of her hairline. If what Raven remembered from her teachings was correct, a woman's chakra would reposition itself when she is 'reborn'. She remembered hearing that her mother's rebirth was when she severed her connection to Earth and decided to live the rest of her life in Azarath. Raven had believed her own rebirth was after defeating her father, but stood incorrected when she looked in the mirror and found her chakra in the same place. It wasn't until after the battle against the Brotherhood of Evil that Raven was reborn.

After every one of their guests had finally left the tower, the five original Titans separated into their own rooms. As soon as Raven closed her eyes to sleep, she felt a weird sensation of being forcibly pulled down, nearly suffocating from the intensity. Her limbs were as if they were being squashed, her lungs as if they were being engulfed in flames, and her heart raced in unimaginable speed. She was pulled lower and faster, and if she were able to move, she would be screaming in agony. The sensation continued for what felt like hours, when suddenly, it stopped. Slowly, Raven opened her eyes, only to find herself in a dimly lit room with a golden casket a few feet in front of her. Quickly glancing around the room, which was filled with white candles and overwhelmed with sadness and pride, Raven knew exactly what was going on and slowly made her way to the casket. Reaching the golden casket, the young sorceress placed her hands on the edge and braced herself to look into the face of reality. Sure enough, when she looked inside, she found herself facing the pale and still figure of her mother.

Arella was dressed white from head to toe. The only skin visible was that of her feet, her hands that were placed on her stomach, and her beautiful face that had not aged since coming to Azarath. Arella could not be considered an actual mother to the child she gave birth to, but Raven remembered a time when she had put the woman on a pedestal. Little Raven would cherish every second she got a view of her mother; she imagined her mother to be the kind of woman to give support and advice when the days would be consumed in darkness, and when times would be hard enough to make even the strongest person want to give up. But that vision was shattered slowly as Raven grew up in the dark, all alone. She had no mother. Even as she looked down at the face of the woman who gave birth to her, Raven only saw the face of a stranger.

Ironic, isn't it? The parent who she wanted nothing to do with, wanted her and made her an important element to his existence, and the other, who was close at hand, wanted nothing to do with her. Closing her eyes, Raven knew that she would never forgive either parent for the pain they had caused her. With one last look at the woman in front of her, Raven placed a light kiss on Arella's forehead and breathed, "Goodbye…Mother. Sleep well."

The next day, Raven had woken up as if it had all been nothing more than a dream. Everything seemed so quiet and lighter. But as the sun's light came through the window, the world outside, for that moment, was beautifully at peace. Raven rose from her bed and went to face the mirror on her dresser. Her raven hair had grown down to waist length and the chakra on her forehead was repositioned to the tip of her hairline. She said goodbye. In doing so, Raven had severed her ties to Azarath. There was nothing more for her there, and so, she was given 'new life' on Earth. Running her fingers through her newly long hair, Raven sighed. She had hoped she would explain her rebirth to her friends after committing a self-sacrificing act, not after a night of sleeping. It wasn't exactly the rebirth she had in mind, but Raven knew that by saying goodbye to the other half of her childhood life, it meant that she was ready to move forward from it. She said goodbye to the monks of Azarath, as well as its grounds, her father and the flames of Hell, and now her mother. Smiling softly, Raven went to say good morning to her new family.

"Raven?"

She heard her name as she walked in through the sliding doors, and found her three male teammates gawking at her. Starfire and Kathy walked in behind her, grinning as they saw the boys' expressions to the final result. Raven was already in her dress and heels, and the only accessories she wore were blue diamond studs on her ears, a white gold bracelet on her left wrist, and a necklace of the same color, but with a small blue diamond that rested front and center on her chest. Her hair was pulled back into a curly, messy bun that had many strands falling out to give it more detail, as well as a few falling in the front to frame her face. For the makeup, Kathy had wanted to go with the natural approach to show Raven's natural beauty, but Starfire managed to convince her to take it up a notch. Raven's eyelids were a pinkish-white, but as it got to the crease, it turned to an aqua blue that soon turned to a more midnight blue, the color of her corset. That shade went down to make a line on her lower lids as well, giving her eyes a mysterious, seductive aura. The eye shadow was accompanied by jet-black eyeliner that was thinly applied on both lids, and mascara that made her eyelashes straighter and longer. Her lips were nearly the same color as her eyes, in what Kathy called, Amethyst Ablaze, but were still a tad darker, and her cheeks only had a feathery touch of blush. Overall, Raven appeared, and secretly felt, amazing.

"Raven," breathed Cyborg, "you look incredible!"

"That's an understatement," quipped Beast Boy. "You look fantastic!"

"You did a great job," Robin complimented the stylist, who simply smiled proudly at her accomplishment.

Starfire floated to stand by her teammates to admire her best friend. "Did I not say she would look beautiful?" she said proudly. "Did I not say one would be fortunate to see the wondrous sight that is our friend?"

"You did," agreed Beast Boy, "and you were right Starfire."

Raven felt the blood rush to her cheeks from all the compliments and attention she was receiving. Finally she said, "Okay, alright, that's enough. We're already running late, so Cyborg, can we -?"

"Yeah, one sec Rae," he said as he went through one of the cabinets, pulling out a digital camera. The metal man smirked as he noticed his friend grimace. "C'mon Rae. You know we can't let you leave without snapping a few photos."

With an annoyed groan, Raven stood before the camera. Taking a hint when she saw Beast Boy point to his cheeks, she lifted her lips into a small smile before hearing a click. After having Kathy take a picture of Raven with each team member, and one with the group, they all said goodbye to the stylist and went down to the garage. As Raven buckled herself in to the passenger seat, Robin held his hand out in front of her face.

"We're going to need your communicator."

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry Raven," said her team leader, "but we all agreed to give you tonight off so you can enjoy yourself."

"But what if there's an emergency?" asked Raven.

"Do not worry," assured Starfire. "We shall ensure the safety of the city."

Robin nodded, and before the empath could argue, he said, "We'll be fine. Communicator Raven."

Sighing in frustration, Raven reached into her clutch and handed over her communicator. When all that was settled, she and Cyborg drove out into the city. They made small talk on the way there, though it was mainly Cyborg joking about being out late, and to be careful with her date because he might have 'other' intentions. It was a pleasant car ride nonetheless, and it only took them twenty minutes to reach the stadium where the event was taking place. After Cyborg dropped her off, Raven walked in through the main entrance to find many people waiting with their 'dates'. The adults were wearing solemn colors, from black to red – or maroon to be more specific. They were all dressed elegantly, almost as if for a cocktail party. It made Raven conscious of herself when she realized that she was the only one, other than the kids, to wear a bright color. All the kids were dressed handsomely; the boys were in white and black tuxedos, and the girls wore different styles of pretty dress, most of which had floral designs. The sight of the children, and feeling of excitement they had, made the Titan smile. But her smile only grew when she saw her date, dressed in a white tuxedo, walk towards her with a small box in his hands.

"Hi Miss Raven!" greeted Anthony. "You look really pretty."

"Thank you," said Raven lightly. "You look great yourself."

Holding out the box, Anthony blushed and said, "I got something for you. I hope you like it."

Raven took the box and opened it. Inside was a lovely white corsage with blue ribbons. It was a small, predictable gesture, but it was still undeniably sweet. Crouching down to be at eye level with the little boy, Raven handed him the corsage and asked, "Can you help me put it on?" That made Anthony grin from ear to ear. He took the corsage and shakily put it around her right wrist. Standing back up, Raven curtsied playfully, which was followed immediately by a tiny bow. Anthony held out his arm for her, but quickly realized his mistake as he noticed their height difference. Raven giggled inwardly as she reached down and took his hand in her own. A woman then walked out of the double doors that would lead to the main event.

"Attention ladies and gentlemen," announced their hostess, "thank you all for coming tonight. I know all the children are very excited to have you all here to share this special night with them. Well, everything is now ready. We will begin with a 3-course meal before we start the dance. We will also have a snack table in case you have any cravings throughout the event. Okay everyone, please come in and enjoy this Night to Remember!"

The doors behind the hostess were pulled open, and as everyone walked in, they were struck with awe. The place was enormous. The ceiling was darkened with a dark blue cover, and twinkling lights were placed randomly all over, giving it the illusion of a starry night's sky. The round tables were covered in ivory colored, satin tablecloths; the chairs were the same, except they were tied into a neat bow around the backs. There were six plate sets to a table, and a centerpiece with white lilies and roses. There was a stage on the far end of the dance floor, with a DJ mixing table on one side, and where the DJ had placed a disk that filled the air with piano music.

Raven took a seat next to Anthony at a table that had two other women who seemed to be there with their sons. While the two women chatted with each other, and the kids talked excitedly between each other, Raven took the chance to gaze around the place. Sure enough, there were a few familiar faces from the hospital and the police department, all of who seemed to be enjoying their nights off. It wasn't long after everyone was seated that the servers, dressed in white, button-up shirts and black slacks, came out and served the first course. Everyone received a small bowl of creamy potato soup – most likely because the kids wouldn't have been too excited about eating a salad – and a glass of water. As Raven thanked her server, she noticed something familiar about the waiter serving the table in front of hers. It was something about his black hair and the way he presented himself that just screamed 'Intentional Modesty'. He walked away before she could see his face though. It wasn't long before they were soon served dessert.

"Miss Raven," said Anthony from beside her, "don't you like strawberry cheesecake?"

Raven glanced down at her dessert and smiled politely. "It looks delicious. I just need a second to fully digest that steak."

"My brother doesn't like me eating too much meat," said Anthony, trying to make conversation. "He says I should eat more veggies."

"Sounds like your brother knows what he's talking about," commented Raven as she took a bite of her cheesecake.

"Well yeah," the boy continued. "He went to school for smart kids and stuff. But I don't like veggies. Green beans taste weird, that white broccoli doesn't taste like anything at all, but it leaves a nasty after taste, and I don't like tomatoes unless it's ketchup."

"Tomatoes are fruits though," said Raven.

"Nuh uh," disagreed Anthony. "It's a vegetable."

Amused, Raven asked, "What makes you think that?"

"The government said so."

"Well, the government also said that pizza is a vegetable. Don't you like pizza?" Raven had to try hard not to laugh when she saw Anthony's confused face.

"Pizza isn't a vegetable!" declared Anthony after a moment of deep thought. "It doesn't grow from the ground, and it has bread in it. So yeah, I like pizza, because pizza isn't a vegetable."

"But the government said it is."

"Well the government is wrong."

Raven took a sip of water, chuckling as she saw the bewildered expressions the other women at the table gave at the young boy's declaration. Raven wasn't against the government at all, considering they fought for the same side, but she did enjoy how strong-minded and somewhat stubborn Anthony was. She considered it cute how he could be so opinionated, and she could easily admit that she was enjoying her time with the boy.

The pair continued their conversation some more – Anthony against vegetables, and Raven pro-vegetables. It was quite the argument that soon, the whole table was going back and forth with rebuttals. It was some time before anyone noticed that the dance floor was already halfway full. As the other four went to dance, Raven and Anthony continued sitting, watching as people spun and danced around them. When two songs had passed, and neither made an attempt to stand, Raven decided to break the silence.

"So," she began, "are we going to just sit here all night, or would you like to dance Anthony?" The little boy blushed furiously and mumbled incoherently. "What was that?"

"I don't know how to dance," blurted out Anthony. "I'm sorry Miss Raven. This is the first prom I've been to, and I told myself I was going to make sure you had a good time, but I'm scared to dance in front of people."

Raven smiled softly at his confession and leaned in to whisper in his ear, "I don't know how to dance either." Anthony's head shot up to stare unbelievably at her, but Raven simply shrugged. "You seem to know a bit about the Titans, so you should know that I'm not exactly the most social person in the world. Not being able to dance is kind of under the same category."

"So if you can't dance," said Anthony, "and I can't dance, what are we going to do all night?"

"Well," replied Raven, "we can either sit here and argue on whether Pluto is a planet or not –"

"It's not!"

" – yes it is. Or we can get on that dance floor and try to figure out the whole dancing thing, even if it'll be poorly."

"Is that a good idea?"

"Beast Boy says that it all depends on your partner," said Raven. "When you have the right person in your arms, nothing can go wrong."

"What if I'm not a good dance partner?" asked Anthony worriedly. Raven stood up from her seat and held out her hand to him.

"Only one way to find out."

Anthony stared at her hand for a moment, glanced at the people dancing, and finally took Raven's hand.

Up Next: Prom Night Part 2!