The day passes by agonizingly slow as I wait for my cue to pick up Raven. I get too antsy waiting in the suite with BB and Cy laughing obnoxiously, so I grab my jacket and go downtown until 3 o'clock.
The air is cool, and there is a slight breeze, so I go to an outdoor mall. I'm in a clothing store when I hear a woman cry out. Even as my head turns, my mind is running scenarios and possible villains. I am rather underwhelmed, however, when it turns out to be a simple thief. A boy my age is running away with the woman's purse.
Either way, I grin. For the time that we've been in this dimension, I haven't helped anyone. This is a breath of fresh air.
The robbery has attracted enough attention that the people nearby have stopped all of their activities. A few are hesitating, wondering if they should make chase, but I beat them to it. As my long legs make strides towards the teenager, I hear a few people cheer. The boy, when hearing this, turns to look. His eyes widen at the sight of me, and he turns back around quickly.
I don't say anything to him; I've already sized him up and know that talking won't change his mind, and I'll only lose speed and breath to do so.
His head darts to the left, signaling his intent to head into the upcoming alley. I search for options. There's a metal bar across the gap between the buildings. Perhaps it used to be a clothing line, or maybe the buildings needed extra support and some genius architect thought it would help. In either case, it can definitely hold my weight. I start running to his right in an attempt to align myself with the alley sooner. The kid seems confused at my change in course but keeps running full tilt in a path that will lead him sharply around the corner. As he turns, I finally face the alley and put in an extra burst of speed. With the leap of a practiced gymnast, which I am, I grab the bar and begin to spin around it. Without even looking, my feet grab the purse by its strap. When the kid turns to look, he finds me in a handstand on the bar, the purse hanging off of one foot, and none of its contents spilled. He gives me an incredulous look before running into the shadows.
Just then, the adults arrive. They look up at me in awe. I smile in what I hope is a humble manner before shifting my weight.
I really don't want to let anything fall out of the unzipped purse, so I hold myself up with one hand and reach the other one towards my foot. With practiced grace, the purse is soon in my left hand. The woman reaches up, and I set it in her waiting hands. She immediately starts looking through to make sure everything is there. I place my hand back on the bar and swing myself back to the ground.
"Thank you, young man." The woman says. "That was very selfless of you."
"Thank you." I smile, making sure my sunglasses have stayed on. "You'd be surprised how often this happens where I come from."
"Well, it's a breath of fresh air in this city." She remarks, and a few of the other witnesses nod in agreement.
After a few more compliments, I head back to my motorcycle. It's finally time to pick up Raven.
When I finally reach Jump High, I'm slightly early, so I challenge my mind by looking for things to deduce. A few people trickle out of the building, and each has a story to tell. The first boy is high; he's been smoking in the bathroom all day, so that's why he's getting out early. The second is a teacher that didn't have a class final period, so she finished grading papers and such during that time, and is now trying to escape before the flood gates open. She has two cats and a husband that abuses her.
The third is another teacher, and he presents a problem. I really cannot get a read on him. He has an intricate golden watch, but his other clothing is plain. A family heirloom, maybe? As I observe him, or at least try to, he looks up, his face wrinkled in puzzlement. When his eyes meet mine, he pauses for a long moment before a creepy smile spreads over his face.
That's him. He's the one who brought us here.
I am so certain of it that my blood runs cold and hot all at once as dread and adrenaline fight for control. A piercing headache suddenly overtakes all of my bodily functions, and it is all I can do to rest my head on the motorcycle handles and hope for it to pass.
When the pain finally passed enough for me to raise my head, the man is gone, and students are streaming out of the building. I catch sight of Raven turning the corner, and she's.....smiling?
I soon see another girl turn the corner, and the two are in a deep conversation. Raven almost seems like a normal teen. I smile at the sight.
Raven sees me and waves before turning back to her friend, who also looks at me. The conversation continues for a bit longer before Raven says goodbye and approaches me.
"Did you have a good first day?" I ask teasingly, keeping up our charade.
"Better than expected." Raven replies. I smile and hand her her helmet. Soon, we are riding through traffic. I stop us in an empty parking lot.
"I found him." Raven says as soon as we stop. I get off of the bike and turn to face her.
"Gold watch?" I ask.
"Yes." She seems slightly confused. "Did you see him?"
"I got to school early. He was leaving the building. And Raven....I think he can sense us."
"I'll need a better description."
"His head was down when he came out." I begin the explanation. "I noticed his watch, and as soon as I did, he looked up as if he could smell me or something, even though I was a good way across the parking lot. His face lit up in some insane grin, and I suddenly got a large headache. When it subsided, he was gone."
"Are you okay?" Raven asks, concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine now. Honestly, I think the headache only served as a distraction." I pause. "Is he your teacher?"
"Yes, he teaches World History," comes the reply.
"Then if he can sense us, he knows you are there. Tread carefully."
"Okay." She nods her head, and silence envelops us.
Feeling adventurous, I grin slightly and say, "You were smiling earlier."
She blushes in embarrassment. "I made a few friends."
"That's great to hear, Raven. I'm proud."
"Thank you, Robin." She says, giving me a slight smile.
Another pause, except this one isn't awkward unless you are a bystander. Both of us are staring into each other's eyes, or faces.
Cyborg manages to interrupt the moment, of course. My phone rings, and it's his arm doing the calling. "Hi, Cy." I say, giving Raven an apologetic look.
"Where are you, man? You've been out all day." Cyborg asks. In the background, something crashes, followed by an inhuman screech.
"Sorry. Just picked Raven up. We're headed back now." I start to hang up, but decide against it. "It'd better be clean when we get back."
YOU ARE READING
From Darkness Born
Fanfiction***A Teen Titans fanfic*** "The woman who had carried me for nine months was among the dead. My father didn't care. He's the one that killed her." Life has always been difficult for Raven. Her powers themselves are a curse. When she met the Titans...
