You Fall And You Crawl And You Break- Raven 8

Even if she weren't an empath, Raven would have been able to feel the rage radiating from Robin. Since she had the unfortunate luck of having such powers, the emotion pounded in her skull like a jackhammer.

She wasn't sure where she was dragging Robin; she picked a direction and marched along until she decided a random stairwell three floors up was as good a place for the inevitable argument as any. With more force than necessary, she swung the boy wonder in front of her.

"Explain."

Robin crossed his arms with a huff. "I should be saying that to you."

"Why's that?"

"You're the one who dragged me here."

Raven closed her eyes, taking a moment to compose herself. It would be too easy to lose control in this situation as angry as she was. Robin wanted to be difficult, and she wasn't interested in playing his games.

"You want an explanation? Fine. I don't know what your issue is, but it stops right here, right now."

"My issue is-"

"Don't you dare give me the same double agent bullshit you used with everyone else. I don't know if this is paranoia or some aggressive trauma response-"

"I am not traumatized." Robin's glare was icy.

"Are you serious?"

"I'm not, and I'm sick of you all acting like I am!"

Raven didn't have the patience to be gentle. Her skull ached, the concussion was diminishing her ability to filter outside emotions, and Robin's attitude was making both worse. "So freezing when he showed up- that was totally normal, right?"

A muscle in Robin's jaw twitched.

"And the anger and the jumpiness has nothing to do with your time with him? God, Robin we aren't acting like you're traumatized- you are traumatized! You're the only one who doesn't understand that! I don't recognize you anymore! You think we're treating you differently? We are."

"So you admit it," His gaze dropped to the floor. Angrily, he added, "You think I'm weak and broken."

"That is not what I said."

"You think I can't take care of myself and that I'm useless- it's why Cyborg made such a big deal about fighting Cinderblock."

Raven wanted to scream. "Cinderblock played a major part in your kidnapping, which was a traumatizing event, and he didn't want you to be put in that kind of situation again."

"I am NOT TRAUMATIZED!" Robin yelled.

"WELL MAYBE WE ARE!" Raven's voice echoed through the stairwell. Her breath came in harsh pants as she stared at her friend- her leader- and let the words sink in.

"W-what?"

"You have no idea what we went through," Raven turned away. It was her emotions at the forefront now, and containing them was always a struggle, concussed or not. Part of her wanted to keep yelling, to provoke a fight, because anger was easy. But she was exhausted, and in her moment of weakness, she found herself vulnerable and honest.

Robin was silent, so she continued. "You have no idea how terrifying it was, Robin, when you disappeared. We did everything and we couldn't find you."

We didn't eat, we didn't sleep. It was like you vanished off the face of the Earth. We couldn't handle it. We were falling apart without you. Our hope died a little more every day. Beast Boy made your favorite sandwich every single day, convinced you come home starving. Starfire obsessively cleaned the Tower to distract herself. Cyborg burnt out his batteries searching every single inch of the city. We took turns staying up all night, hoping and praying you'd walk through the front door, ready to share your tale of epic glory. We reached out to every possible contact, desperate for the tiniest fraction of a clue. And there was nothing.

"Robin, we had to prepare ourselves to accept that we couldn't find you because you were dead." Raven didn't mention that she was the one to make the call. That she'd had to be the leader, the strong one, the glue holding the team together. That she couldn't let herself break down because if she did, the team wouldn't have been able to recover. That it was only once the idea that there was no Robin to find and Cyborg took on the responsibility of leader that she'd been able to lock herself away and give in to her grief.

The arms Robin had crossed now hugged himself, making him appear smaller than he was. "I wasn't," he said quietly.

"I know that now," She paused. "Danny and Liz aren't working for him. Their emotional response when he showed up was overwhelming; he terrified them."

"He should," Robin seemed to deflate. "I shouldn't have accused them like that, especially when they both got hurt. I'll apologize to them tomorrow after we've all slept for a while."

Raven nodded, thankful he'd calmed down. Now that things were settled, a bone-deep exhaustion hit, and she would have been satisfied to pass out on the concrete steps. Robin noticed and offered to walk her to her room, keeping a steady hand on her arm the whole way.

Raven slept for over 24 hours straight.

"25 hours and 47 minutes," Beast Boy happily clarified when she found him watching One Piece in the living room.

It was almost midnight and everyone else was asleep, but Beast Boy's cough was keeping him up. The dark circles under his eyes told her he hadn't gotten much sleep the previous night either. Anime wasn't Raven's genre of choice, but Beast Boy offered to share his popcorn, so she settled on the couch to keep him company.

"Did Robin apologize?" Raven asked. "To Danny and Liz?"

Beast Boy nodded. "I don't know what he said though- he said it was between them. Danny and Liz seem chill though- do you know they really thought we were gonna kick them out after you dragged Robin off? Like, they fully believed we were gonna toss them out on the street or something."

Raven frowned at that. Danny and Liz were just kids; they shouldn't have to be worried about being homeless. She wondered if that was why they'd refused to be put up in a spare room- because they didn't want to risk getting it taken away.

Beast Boy managed to drift off a few hours later. His head rested on Raven's shoulder, and she didn't have the heart to move and risk waking him. She used her powers to bring the remote to her, turned the volume down, and stared at the city nightscape through the massive living room windows. She couldn't stop thinking about what Beast Boy said.

Raven was under no illusions that Danny and Liz had come from a safe place; even before Cyborg's scans, they were visibly struggling. As distracted as she'd been with her concussion the night before, she'd paid enough attention to see the concerning scars Danny had. She had no doubt that Liz was concealing scars of her own. In the few days they'd been there, she hadn't spared much thought for where they came from, too focused on trying to help fix the damage however possible.

Her stomach twisted as various scenarios of how the teens found themselves homeless played through her mind; of all the horrible ways Danny could have received those scars.

As a superhero, she faced evil in the form of supervillains on the regular, but moments like this reminded her that sometimes the truest evil came from ordinary people.

"You're awake," Liz commented, padding into the room hours later. "Cyborg said we didn't have to do the ten-minute concussion checks because of your powers, but I was worried."

Carefully, Raven extracted herself from Beast Boy and met Liz in the kitchen.

"I appreciate the concern. Are you alright? I can brew some tea."

Liz smiled tiredly. "Tea sounds great, thanks. I'm alright just…" Raven stayed silent, letting her find her words. "Just confused, I guess."

"Confused?"

"Yeah I… I'm having a hard time processing. Like, this whole thing- being here- feels like a fever dream, and I'm expecting to wake up back in the park."

"Were you there for a long time?" Raven asked, keeping her tone neutral, her back to Liz as she waited for the kettle to boil. She didn't want Liz to feel like she was being interrogated.

"Maybe?" Liz propped her head on her hand. "It's hard keeping track. It was longer than we'd stayed anywhere else. I liked the trees."

"You should see them in the Fall when the leaves change color."

"I bet it's stunning. Fall's always been my favorite season, it's too bad Winter has to follow it."

The kettle whistled. Raven grabbed two mugs from the cabinet; one mapped out famous constellations and the other read 'Tea Time!' with a picture of the Mad Hatter. "You don't like the cold?"

Liz shook her head, accepting the 'Tea Time!' mug. "Hate it. I grew up in Southern California, so I didn't really see a lot of it until I moved to New York."

"City?"

"State."

Raven stared at her tea, conflicted. She desperately wanted to ask more questions, to figure out exactly what series of events led to Liz sipping tea in the Tower, but she didn't want to scare her off. In her experience, people weren't comfortable explaining their troubled pasts- she herself was guilty of that.

"Is that where you met Danny?" She ventured. "In New York?" Liz's shoulders dropped and Raven panicked.

"Yeah," she admitted softly. "You can ask the question, Raven. I know you want to know how we ended up here."

"You don't have to tell me anything," Raven said.

"No, I- I feel like after all you've done, I owe you that much. I… haven't explained it to anyone before. I don't know if I know how to."

"Take your time. You can stop whenever you want."

A nod. "Okay, well, here goes. I grew up in Southern California, like I said. It was a small town- I don't think it technically exists anymore. I lived with my mom and dad and Kel- and my goldfish, Bubbles. Dad was my hero. He was a hero to the whole town, really. He always did his best to protect everyone. He was devastated when Mom left us. She said… she thought he was too obsessed. He was training me to be strong like him- to be able to protect people. She didn't like it, so one day when I was 8, she just up and left. We never found out where she went. Dad died when I was 10. A fire. Mom must have changed her name because the court couldn't find her. They pawned me off to foster care."

"That must have been hard," Raven's heart twisted. Her concussion must not have fully cleared; she couldn't summon her usual controlled indifference.

"It was," Liz agreed. "Bouncing around all the different houses and different families… I never felt like I belonged anywhere. When I was 13 I finally got some stability. Vlad flew me out to Wisconsin and started the adoption process."

"Vlad?" Raven repeated. Something about that name with the context of adoption was familiar. Liz's eyes widened like she'd said something she wasn't supposed to. Worried she'd close up, Raven added a bland, "That's an interesting name."

Liz must have decided that her slip-up wasn't catastrophic, though Raven filed the name away for later use. Still, she seemed more guarded when she continued. "He was an interesting guy. Anyway, he decided we should move closer to a more family-friendly place than rural Wisconsin- he wanted me to make friends. So we packed up and moved to New York. I met Danny when I started school. He was the first friend I'd had in a long time."

Raven felt awkward asking but, "It sounds like you were happy… what happened?"

"Life happened. People weren't who they said they were. We trusted the wrong people, and they betrayed us. There was a rumor and people took it as gospel. Danny's family reacted badly. They disowned him, told him they never wanted to see him again."

"And Vlad?"

Liz was very focused on her tea. Eventually, she answered vaguely, "Some people reacted more violently than others."

The finality in her tone left no room for more questions, though Raven had plenty. Beast Boy snored loudly from the couch, waking himself up.

"What smells good?" He yawned.

"Tea."

"Can I have some?"

A cup floated over to him and he chirped a thanks. Liz hadn't looked up from her mug.

"I think I'll bring some to Danny, too," She said. "Hopefully he'll start feeling better soon."

Three days later, he looked like he'd never taken the unexpected dip; the raw red rash vanished, and with it, the sensitivity. Cyborg couldn't understand it.

"I was expecting him to look pink for a week minimum," He muttered, staring at the boy across the med bay. Danny had Beast Boy's Nintendo Switch in hand, trying to beat a boss the latter had been stuck on for a week.

"The burns must not have been as bad as we thought," Robin shrugged. Since his apology the three hadn't exactly become friends, but the tension had dissolved.

"I guess," Cyborg didn't sound convinced. Despite the protests, he insisted on keeping Danny in med bay for observation.

The next day Danny escaped to the living room. Cyborg wanted him to stay in bed, but there was no hope of that unless he was willing to strap Danny down, which he wasn't. They compromised by settling on the couch for a video game marathon with Beast Boy.

Starfire and Liz sat by the windows, talking and laughing quietly. Since their conversation in the kitchen, Liz had kept her distance from Raven.

"Does the name 'Vlad' mean anything to you?" She asked Robin.

"As in 'The Impaler'?"

"No, as in..." As in what, exactly? She struggled to find the words. "As in adoption."

Robin quirked an eyebrow. "Are we adopting a vampire I should know about?"

"No. Never mind."

His scrutinizing look said he didn't believe her, but he didn't bring it up again.

Something about the name was important, but Raven couldn't figure out what. She'd dismiss herself as paranoid if it weren't for the reaction Liz had when she accidentally revealed his name. It wasn't like Raven was going to track the guy down to give him his daughter back- she'd be more likely to have him arrested for letting Liz go homeless- but the man had some insight into how the teens ended up with the Titans in the first place. He might know how Danny got his scars.

He might have caused them.

Or he could be dead. An unhelpful thought, but valid. There were a million and one scenarios she could make up, but the truth was only Danny and Liz had answers, and they weren't open to taking questions.

Over the next few days the remaining snow melted to give way to one of the most beautiful weekends on record. Warm but not hot, humidity was down, the bugs weren't awake yet, and everyone wanted to be outside. Including the Titans.

"We should go to the park today," Beast Boy declared in the middle of a debate over whether or not to eat out for brunch. His cough was almost gone, only some mild congestion left to get over.

Starfire gasped with delight, stars in her eyes. "We could have a picnic!"

"I could grill a mean breakfast sausage," Cyborg thought out loud. "And it's been too long since we've thrown the football around."

"It is a beautiful day," Robin agreed hesitantly. Immediately Raven knew why; he was worried about another surprise attack.

"A picnic sounds fun," Liz said, a little shyly. "Maybe we could bring strawberries?"

"Yeah!" Beast Boy pumped a fist. "And cantaloupe too- can't have brunch without cantaloupe! Oh, and whipped cream, and waffles, and tofu bacon, and-"

"And orange juice?" Danny cut in. "Man, I haven't had orange juice in forever."

Starfire squealed and jumped in place. "I have the most adorable basket we can use!"

All eyes turned to Robin.

"Sounds like a plan," He said with a tight smile. Everyone cheered.

Starfire grabbed Liz's hand and skipped off to find the basket. Beast Boy threw open the fridge. Cyborg pulled Danny away so they could make fresh squeezed orange juice, "And any other kind of juice you want!" Robin hadn't moved yet.

"Everything alright?" Raven asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, it'll be a fun day. I just..."

"Just what?"

"It's nothing, just a bad feeling." He laughed it off. "I'm probably hungry. C'mon, let's help pack the car."

Raven followed, wondering whether or not to tell him that she had a bad feeling too.

Hours later, spread out on a blanket and breathing in the fresh air, the feeling was still there, a rock of unease in her stomach. Annoying, given there wasn't any reason for it.

Liz reclined in the grass. sleepily watching clouds with Starfire. Danny played Frisbee with Beast Boy and Robin. Cyborg was cleaning the grill he'd used with a relaxed grin, watching over the team like a proud father.

A perfect day. So why can't I relax?

"Raven!" Liz waved her over. "Does that cloud look more like Mickey Mouse or Minnie Mouse to you?"

Raven looked where she was pointing. Honestly, it didn't look like either, but maybe if she squinted, "Minnie?"

"Yes!" Liz pushed Starfire playfully. "Told you that part looked like her bow! Come join us, Raven!" She was the most at ease she'd ever been.

"Please!" Starfire patted the grass at her side.

As Raven lay next to them she decided the anxiety in her chest was leftover from Robin's confession.

Cyborg threw out their trash, packed the remaining food before the ants could steal it, and intercepted the Frisbee from Robin.

"Ready for a real game?" He challenged, tossing a football in the air.

Starfire leaped to her feet to join them. She loved sports, especially when tackling was acceptable. Raven wasn't into ball games and Liz didn't want to move from her sunny patch of grass.

With an uneven number of players, they decided to forego a formal game and just have fun. Soon it evolved into Money In The Middle, featuring Beast Boy as an actual monkey. The first time he stole the ball his monkey face was so shocked Danny fell over laughing.

"God, I love that sound," Liz said through her own giggles. "For a while there I didn't think I'd ever hear it again."

"If anyone could get him to laugh, it's Beast Boy."

Starfire caught the ball, drawing her arm back and aiming at Robin. "Go the long!"

The ball sailed over his head. It was as if it had been caught in a freak air current, flying over the treetops and disappearing into the woods.

"That was pretty long, Star," Robin said.

"I do not understand," she frowned. "I did not throw it that hard."

"No worries," Cyborg slapped a hand on her shoulder. "Sometimes I forget my own strength too. We can go find it!"

Beast Boy shifted into a bloodhound and howled before pressing his nose to the grass and snuffling away.

"He's going the wrong way," Liz said.

Beast Boy dropped his shift. "No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are."

"Nu-uh! I smell football coming from this way."

"How many footballs do you think have passed through this park? I swear, the ball went over there."

Before Beast Boy could look further insulted, Starfire stepped in. "We can check both directions."

"Fine! Men, follow me to where the ball actually is, let the girls go on their wild football chase." Once again a bloodhound, he took off across the field.

Sorry, Danny mouthed. Liz stuck out her tongue and he returned the gesture before running into the trees with Cyborg and Robin.

"Boys," She rolled her eyes. "C'mon, let's find the ball and get back fast. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they realize we found it first."

At the treeline Raven cast one last look at their picnic site, that bad feeling roaring to life. No trash, food put away, blanket and basket sitting in the sun waiting for their return.

Everything was fine.