Freedom

12

RAVEN.
    I try to hold back a wall of tears. Robin is stiff, he is not relaxed in any way or form. I pull away from him, keeping a distance that I can feel is safe enough.
    He will destroy me. Kill me.
    He will kick me out.
    He will hate me.
    Robin's eyes open and search for mine. I stand back, slightly, not knowing what his next move would be.
    "How cute," a booming voice growls. I turn to see Slade standing with his arms crossed over his chest.
    I prepare myself for battle, not even daring to look at Robin.
    People run away, screaming, screeching, and trying to get away from the psychopath.
    Robin runs at him, hitting Slade directly in the chest and into the water. The water bubbles and stops but Robin stays vigilant.
Slade quickly jumps out of the lake and kicks Robin down. Robin gets up and pushes Slade. Robin hits him onto the table of drinks, sending people running and glass crashing. Slade picks up a piece of glass and holds it to Robin's neck, turning Robin over. Robin gasps for air.
    "Slade!" I yell. "You want me, remember?" He turns to me, leaving Robin on the table. I hope Robin just stays down and doesn't move. I use my dark magic and send chairs to hit Slade. His metal dents but ever so slightly.
    Robin gets up and quickly grabs Slade's neck, pulling Slade into the water.
A splash rushes over to the edge of the pier. There are only bubbles bursting and suddenly nothing. Small drops of water come from the sky, causing ripples in the lake.
    Slade splashes up and clambers out of the water. No Robin. I try to connect with Robin, but nothing. Darkness. All I get is darkness.
    "You asshole!" I shout. Slade grabs my shoulders and throws me to the ground, holding my wrist. Burns rush up and down my body, stinging and carving. I push him off, trying to catch my breath and relieve the pain.
    "Little girl, you are too fearful," he laughs menacingly. "Don't let thoughts reside within you, they will consume you by the time dawn comes."
    He's right. Robin's thoughts were consuming him and my thoughts... they've been building a jail in my mind. 
    "You're right, damn right," I say with full sense of realization. His eyes narrow at my tone.
    My hands turn black, sending dark magic that consumes Slade. His eyes turn to fear immediately. I throw him onto the ground and then at a tree. I push him down to the ground with one hand and bring a giant boulder over with my other hand.
    "I have a message for my father," I say, slamming the rock down, onto Slade violently. The rock breaks in half as Slade is barely able to get up. "Tell him that he will not destroy the world!"
    I focus my energy. A dark shadow of a raven attacks Slade, causing such an explosion that sends Slade into the lake. Slade comes out of the water, looking at me.
    "Be that you may not destroy the world," he threatens. "I will ensure to destroy yours." He disappears into the water and I immediately follow him. Slade was the least of my worries right now.
    Robin!
    I dive into the water, searching for Robin. Slade disappears but Robin needs to be here. I swim around rocks, occasionally coming up for breath. I cannot find him. I don't know where he could be.
    I caused this. I brought Slade here. I knew Slade was hunting me, I knew he would hurt the people I love. I am the reason that Beast Boy is gone. I am the reason that Robin is drowning. I am the reason! Anyone close to me dies. Anyone who I care about will get hurt. And that hurts me more than any bullet or fire could.
    I dive back one more time and find his tie on a rock. I swim a little further to find him on the lake floor with a large gash on his chest. I grab him and pull him to the surface. Breaking the glass of water, I drag him out of the water and into the rain. I put him on the boardwalk and begin to revive him.
    I pump his chest, and give him two breaths. Tears or rain stream down my face. He needs to wake up. I need to stop feeling guilt. I need to know that he will live. I need to know that I did not murder him.
    His skin is pale, lips blue, and any sign of life is dim. His body is cold, cold from the water and cold from the rain. His suit is tarnished with a large wound on his chest. I press my lips against his, blowing air into him.
Five times of the same cycle, he finally wakes, sputtering water.
    "Raven," he weakly says.
Thank gods!
I look around the area, looking for a shelter.
I throw his arm around me, enough to keep a hook, and hobble into a small shed beside the pier. There is no door on the shed, and in fact, an entire wall is missing. But, there is nothing else to shade us from the rain.
    I totter through the opening to the back of the lean-to shed and put Robin down onto the floor. The rain beats hard on the roof as I slam the door. I find a box of matches and light a kerosene lamp to look around the shed. Boats are hung at the top of the roof. Fishing equipment and life preservers are placed on the shelves. I grab a few blankets from the emergency boat supplies in the back of the shed and lay them down, adding a life preserver for Robin's head.
    The rain beats down hard, with a strong rhythm. Without a door or wall to discard the sound, the wind blows in. I shiver slightly, but give no attention to myself.
    I lie him down on the makeshift bed, looking to cure him. The gash is deep but not deep enough to be deadly. I take a basin of water and a cloth, rinsing the cloth. I will clean his cut and then get him home. Once he is home, I will leave.
    "Robin," I say. "I need to take your shirt off to clean your cut."
    "Raven, I'm fine," he says, his tone clearly strained.
    "You're not, Robin," I say a little more forcefully. He slowly takes the torn button-down shirt off and throws it to the side. I try to keep my eyes from his muscles, but the level of difficulty is extreme. He has such a nice chest, even if there is blood everywhere.
    I take the cloth, delicately going around the scar, trying to take away all the blood. My finger grazes his skin lightly, sending electricity through my body. My hands becomes red from his blood, but that doesn't bother me. His eyes are on me, I can feel it, and I try so hard to hold back a blush.
    Silence. Not awkward. Just silence. Yet, the more silent he is, the more my heart tears a hole.
    I rip a part of my dress off, wrapping the cloth around his body to stop the bleeding. I watch as the blood begins to soak the white cloth, but for now, it'll have to do. I give him his tattered shirt, seeing if there is enough to keep him warm for now. He puts on the shirt, but doesn't button it, a perfect view of his abs.
    I put my hand on him, over his heart. Azarath Metrion Zinthos. Azarath Metrion Zinthos. Azarath Metrion Zinthos.
    I look down at him again. His color regaining and the warmth of his skin coming back. Enough energy of mine should keep him going until I can get Cyborg to pick him up, to take him home, and to take him away from me.
    "Let me tend to you," Robin says, trying to sit up on his elbows.
    "No," I pull away. "I am not hurt."
    "You have burns all around your limbs," he examines. His lips turning back into a pink. His hair begins to dry in the spikey original form.
    "No, the water cooled them, I'm fine," I try to push him away. The closer he gets, the more I begin to worry. My skin wasn't fine. My skin was charred in patterns, but that was something I could push away. "You should get some rest. I'll see if I can get Cyborg to pick you up."
    I stand up, slightly pacing the floor.
    "Come here," Robin says.
    I don't move.
    "Come here." He repeats.
    "I'm a terrible person, you shouldn't be anywhere near me," I warn with tears welling in my eyes. Stepping a little further back.
    Robin sits up, finding the wall to lean on. He grunts slightly as the pain, but hides his emotions quickly. He looks at me. I step to him, feeling the urge to aid him again. I caused his pain, I caused his grief. He looks into my eyes, knowing more than anyone ever has.
    He gets onto his feet, stumbling slightly.
    "Stay away from me!" I order, a tear rolling down my cheek. I don't want him hurt. I don't want him to be anymore hurt. I caused this pain.
    "Raven, no matter what you do, who you are," he starts, trying to reach me.
    "Stop!" I yell, pressing my back against the wall.
    "No matter where you come from," he says, stepping closer. He pins me against the wall. He is weak, but somehow he has the strength to hold my two wrists down with a strong enough grip. "I'm still here." His breath dances on my skin, setting tracks of fire.
    "Robin..."
    "Now, what in damn hell does that tell you?" he asks forcefully, pushing me a little harder against the door. I look into his eyes, his eyes without a mask. His mystic eyes. His face is serious, not a glimmer of laughter or sadness.
    "I... did this to you," I say, motioning to his wound. "I hurt you. The more I stay, the more I hurt you."
    "Do you know what hurts me more than any cut, bruise or burn?" Robin demands. "A world without you. That hurts me more than anything."
    His grip loosens and his fingers tangle into my hair. My messy and wet hair. He looks at the gem on my forehead and then at me eyes, and then at my lips. I don't know who is moving, but I can feel the space closing between us.
    "You should be aware that if you come any closer," he warns hoarsely. "I'm not letting you go."
    A feeling I never felt before.
    His lips on mine. His hands on me. His skin against mine.
    He kisses me as if I am his air. I kiss him as if he is my life. His lips travel down my jaw. Down to my collarbone. His tongue leaving a hot trail. He kisses my tattoo. He kisses my lips. His soft lips against my rough lips.
    I wrap my arms around his neck, my finger threading into his hair. The rain pounds around us, but a little water never hurts. I fall out of the shed and onto the wet grass. He falls on top of me buts holds himself up with his arms. I laugh slightly, capturing his lips again. Luckily, he can't see the tears rolling down my cheeks because of the rain. I push him over and get on top of him, giving him some time to regain his energy.
    I've never seen him so happy. I think to myself, watching him smile and laugh.
    Yea, I'm happy. His voice enters my mind. Shock overcomes me. He never could instigate a conversation with me telepathically. And yea, you're the reason.
    He kisses me again. His hands travel down my body, exploring. I copy his motions, bringing my hands down his body. Avoiding the wound, I trace his abs and scars with my index finger. My other hand reaching for his belt.
I tug slightly on his belt and then reality hits me. No more euphoria. No more ecstasy.
"We can't," I say, rolling off of him. "I cannot be near you. I am evil. I am a villain."
"You're a hero," he says, turning to me in the wet grass. "A hero is not defined by their powers or background, a hero is made by the path they follow. Choose your path, Raven. Don't let anyone else choose it for you."
"A hero doesn't hurt the ones they care about," I say, pointing to his wound.
"Even heroes have the right to bleed, do we not?" he asks rhetorically with a smile, knowing the question is rhetorical. "You're a hero, Raven. You're my hero."
    "Raven!" a voice shouts through the rain.
    "Robin!" another voice shouts.
    I get myself up from the grass to find Cyborg, Beast Boy and Starfire searching the boardwalk. I quickly get to my feet and pull Robin up.
    "There you guys are!" Beast Boy yells, turning into a panther and running towards us. He shifts back into himself. "Thank gods you guys are okay. We heard about an attack at the prom after Cyborg and Starfire got me out."
    "It was much to our surprise that Slade would attack on such night for no reason," Starfire explains. "But we retrieved friend Beast Boy from Brother Blood. And thank the gods that Brother Blood did not do such damage on him."
    "We just had tea for a while," Beast Boy says.
    "And I have Brother Blood locked up for a long time," Cyborg chimes in happily. "So, what happened here?"
    "Robin's hurt, so can we just get back from the tower?" I say very quickly. They nod and Cyborg begins to bring Robin back to the T-Car. 
    Two choices:
    Leave or Stay.