To Make Team Work

2.

Raven stood uncomfortably on the balcony, with her teammates, overlooking a small arena. She really didn't want to be here. Between the nightmares and the headaches – she wasn't getting any sleep. "Raven!" someone barked her name. She looked up. Red Robin. "You're up," he said, "you're going to face Wonder Girl."

"Are you serious?" Rose asked.

"Raven is just as powerful, maybe even more powerful, than Wonder Girl. She'll be fine," Red Robin replied nonchalantly.

"Uh...Red Robin..." Raven spoke timidly. He faced her once again with his arms crossed. The emotions he was emitting clearly showed that he was angry and frustrated at her. Raven cocked her head, trying to understand. Why is he mad? As far as she knew, she hadn't done anything wrong.

"You have something to say?" he asked.

Raven could tell, even with his mask on, he was glaring at her. Hard. There was only one thing she could say. "N-no," she stuttered.

"Good," he gave her a faux smile. "Go."

Raven turned and walked down the steps to the arena where Wonder Girl was waiting for her. Raven could have teleported, but every time she did, her teammates' fear of her spiked. She didn't want to be feared.

Raven inhaled and exhaled before stepping into the arena. She walked to the center and stood in front of Wonder Girl. "You ready?" Red Robin's voice came through the speakers. Wonder Girl gave an eager nod. "Begin!"

Wonder Girl immediately took the offensive, attacking with her little lasso. Raven dodged every attempt made by Wonder Girl to reel her in. At one point, Wonder Girl was able to get her lasso around one of Raven's arms. Raven sent a surge of black energy down the lasso, sending a shock through Wonder Girl's body. The force of her powers knocked Wonder Girl off her feet. Instead of monopolizing the situation, Raven stood her ground and waited for Wonder Girl to stand. "Raven! What are you doing!" she heard Red Robin through the speakers. "Attack! You can't stay on defense all day!"

Uh, yeah, I can, she thought. That is exactly what she intended to do. Because of her raging headache, Raven was going to do the bare minimum. Being on the defense was the bare minimum. "Wonder Girl," Red Robin's voice came through the speakers, "give it your all." Without hesitation, Wonder Girl flew to Raven and started barraging her with punches. Of course, Raven blocked every punch before pushed Wonder Girl back with her powers. Wonder Girl, however, was not to be perturbed. While her body was flying back, her whip was flying forward. Since Raven was not feeling 100%, Raven didn't see the lasso flying at her.

Once she landed, Wonder Girl quickly pulled Raven to her. Raven fought back; she did not like being restrained. Soon she was so close enough to Wonder Girl – Wonder Girl was able to get off a couple of body shots and a headshot. Raven released herself from the lasso, but she couldn't do much. The punch to her head, plus the raging headache, had made her dizzy. The next thing Raven knew, Wonder Girl landed a sidekick to her chest.

Raven landed on her side with a thud. That one hurt, she thought. But then something went wrong. Her skull felt like it was on fire. She put her hands to her head and willed the pain to stop, but the pain escalated. Red Robin's yelling in the background mixed with the emotions emanating from her many teammates - she just couldn't take it! Her head was going to explode! She felt a surge of energy, and then...silence.

The next thing Raven knew, she was lying on her back in the infirmary with all seven of her teammates staring down at her. "What...happened?" she asked slowly. What had happened indeed?

Red Robin was annoyed. Raven wasn't truly fighting. She was defending. That's all she was doing. Is this a joke to her? Why isn't she attacking? Not that her defense skills weren't amazing. Clearly, they were impressive, as Wonder Girl hadn't landed a single blow. But Red Robin knew Raven was better than what she was showing. Based on the fighting he had seen from her, she was really gifted. She needed to give her all. "Raven!" he shouted into the microphone. "Attack! You can't stay on defense all day!" After a few moments with no change from Raven, he yelled, "Wonder Girl, give it your all." He would make Raven fight.

"Dude," Red Robin turned to the teammate who had spoken, "chill." Red Robin narrowed his masked eyes at Beast Boy.

"Never mind," Beast Boy cowered under Red Robin's glare. "You – you – you're good."

"Yo, Rob," Cyborg called. "Something's wrong." Red Robin turned his head back to the arena. Raven was on the ground and gripping her head. Red Robin didn't know what was going on, but he knew the signs of someone in a lot of pain. Raven was in a lot of brain. This fight needed to end. Now. But before he could call it, Wonder Girl sprung from where she was and prepared to land a final blow. "Wonder Girl, no!" Red Robin shouted, but it was too late. Or was it? Raven extended her arm, freezing Wonder Girl in mid-air.

"Dude," Beast Boy said as Wonder Girl grabbed at the black claw around her throat. Raven was choking Wonder Girl! Red Robin immediately raced to the arena. Once he reached the platform, Raven's body lifted in the air until the same height as Wonder Girl. Shelves, weights, towels, punching bags, other miscellaneous items, along with everything that was not attached to the floor began flying around the gym. Things got hairy when Rose, who had joined him along with the rest of the team, pointed. "Um...Red." Red Robin turned to see what she was pointing at. His bo-staffs and practice swords were floating in the air, aimed at Wonder Girl. They began fly at Wonder Girl when Red Robin screamed, "Raven, no!" Immediately, she released whatever hold she had on Wonder Girl, and the other items floating in the air fell to the floor. Raven fell to the floor with a thud as the Titans ran to the arena.

"Wonder Girl!" Superboy called. "Are you okay?" he asked, immediately rushing to her. Wonder Girl was doubled over gasping for air, but she nodded.

"She's out," Rose said, nudging Raven with her foot.

"What was she thinking!" Superboy demanded to know.

"I don't think she was," Wonder Girl said, "I don't think she was in control."

"Explain," Red Robin ordered.

"Her skin turned red. She had an extra pair of eyes and..." Wonder Girl's voice trailed off, "her voice sounded gravelly and manly. I don't think she was there, mentally. Like, her body was there, but consciously, she wasn't." Wonder Girl paused. "She is not a meta. She isn't from here at all."

Red Robin turned to the unconscious sorceress. "So, what is she?"