(Could it be?? It IS! The final chapter of "Fearless". It's funny, I'm
actually kind of sad that it's over, but I don't think this is the last
story I'll write with this same continuity. Although, it might be the last
one I write with Raven and Robin as the main characters. I don't know, what
do you guys think? Believe it or not, I already have the basic idea for a
third story in this "series" and I'll give you guys a quick summary at the
end of this one. Thanks again for all the comments guys, really means a lot
to me. That said lets get on to the end, shall we?)
The rain came down hard as Nightwing stood over the motionless body of his foe Torque. Already tense, he sensed a presence behind him and spun around ready for another fight. Nightwing froze when he saw who was standing in front of him.
"Rich...it's been a long time." Raven looked at the love of her life for the first time in nearly half a year, and it made her heart sink. Where was the boy she fell in love with, and who was this cold uncaring man he had grown into?
Nightwing stared at the girl in front of him. No, not the girl, the woman in front of him. It had been almost half a year since he last saw Raven, and she was more beautiful now then he could ever remember. She was taller, and more slender, however her curves had not gone away, if anything they were more developed now then before. Her cloak was white now, instead of blue and it almost seemed to give her a soft glow. In the dark alley, with rain falling all around her, she looked like an angel standing among the chaos.
"...Raven. What...what are you doing here?"
"Looking for you, so I can bring you back."
"What if I didn't want to be found?"
"Then you wouldn't have told Barbara, because you knew she'd tell me."
"Raven...go away. Please..." Nightwing's voice started to crack as the desperation in his tone became more evident.
"No, Rich! I won't, I've spent these last few months searching for you, and now that I've found you I'm not about to just walk away without at least saying anything to you."
Nightwing sighed, "Alright. Fine. You want to talk? Let's do it up there." He pointed with his thumb to the rooftop of the nearest old stone building.
Raven nodded and floated up, as Nightwing quickly scaled the building with his grappling hook.
When he got to the top, Raven was leaning on the railing, waiting for him. "The Titans have changed a lot since you left, you know. After you took off, Cyborg went on a bit of a recruiting spree. He got Garth and Roy to join pretty easily. Although, they changed their names too."
Nightwing cocked an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yeah. 'Aqualad's become 'Tempest', and 'Speedy' now goes by 'Arsenal'. Also, remember Cyborg's girlfriend Donna Troy? Well, believe it or not, turns out she's really Wonder Woman's sister, and she's got all sorts of Amazonian powers of her own. She's called Troia now, and she became a Titan a couple of months ago. And as if that wasn't enough, Terra's half-brother Brion Markov showed up on the Titan's doorstep just a few weeks ago. Apparently he's been so distraught over Terra's actions that he hasn't been able to face himself since. So now he's decided to make it up to the Titans by joining the team and fighting to restore his royal family's name."
"Brion Markov? You mean Geo-Force?? From the Outsiders?!"
Raven smiled. "Yep."
"So you said Cyborg went on a recruiting spree? Cyborg's leading the Titans now?"
"Yes, and he's been doing a great job."
Nightwing looked concerned, "But, when I was in charge of the Titans, I always shared my leadership roles with you, Raven. I would have figured you would take over as leader."
"And I would have too, were I still a Titan."
Nightwing staggered a step back. "...What? But didn't you come here to ask me to come back to the Titans?"
Raven looked her love in the eyes as she moved closer to him. "No, Richard. I came here to ask you to come back to ME."
"Rae...I...I'm sorry. I can't. That part of my life is over now. I've moved on."
"Oh, who do you think you're fooling here, Rich?! You haven't moved on one bit! Your entire aura is shrouded by love, pain, and despair. Please Robin...let me back in to your heart."
For the first time since she found him hunched over the fallen form of his enemy, Raven watched as Nightwing finally relaxed his shoulders, and released the built-up tension in his body. He dropped the stone-cold act, and finally let genuine emotion shine through his eyes. "I...I haven't been called that in a while."
Raven gave him a soft smile. "It hasn't been that long, Rich."
Nightwing looked down at the ground. "It sure feels like it, Rae."
"I've missed you, Rich. I missed you so much..."
"Rae...I missed you too...but, things are just...complicated."
"Don't give me that shit, Nightwing. What could be complicated?"
"I had my heart broken, Raven. Because of a teammate. Instead of keeping my mind on my job, I was too busy falling in love. I got hurt, and it affected my performance. I can't be a good hero and have love too...it just...doesn't work."
"A good hero? A good HERO?! Richard, that is the biggest amount of bullshit I've ever heard. You think you're a good hero? Well let me tell you something, Nightwing is NO hero. Nightwing is nothing more than a bully, taking his rage and personal pain out on the dregs of society. Know who was a REAL hero? Robin."
"Rae..."
"Rich, please, why are you doing this to me? Why are you running? What are you so afraid of?"
"What do you think I'm afraid of, Raven? I'm afraid of losing you. I love you more than I could ever express with words, Rae. I just...I don't think I'd be able to handle losing you again. I was barely able to deal with it when Forrester stole you and tried to..." Nightwing stopped and choked on his own words.
Raven moved in closer to Nightwing, and gently wiped his tears away. She looked lovingly into his eyes and softly began to speak. "Rich...when I was suffering from Phobia's influence, do you remember what you said to me? You told me, 'You have to trust, trust in my love for you. When you can believe that I would never hurt you and have nothing but love for you, you'll be fearless.'"
Nightwing gave his love a soft, sad smile. "Using my own words against me, huh?"
"They worked for me." Raven said with a gentle smile.
Nightwing sighed, "But...I'm not as strong as you are, Rae. I'm not as brave."
"What are you talking about, Rich?? You're the bravest person I've ever known. You fight super-powered lunatics on a regular basis, without any powers of your own."
Nightwing shook his head, "And I'm terrified every time, Rae. I just try to block it out, and do what I know is right."
Raven looked into his eyes, "Then why don't you do that right now. Richard," Raven pulled him close to her, "what could be more right than this?" She leaned in, and kissed Nightwing, for the first time in far too long.
The kiss seemed to last forever, and when they parted, Nightwing noticed the rain had nearly all but cleared up.
"Rae...I love you."
Raven beamed, "I love you too, Rich."
"I don't want to lose you..."
"You won't."
"So..." Nightwing gave Raven the first genuine smile since he left the Titans. "Shall we give this another try?"
"Sounds like a good idea to me."
"Want to go back to my apartment?"
Raven laughed. "Your apartment?? I wasn't even aware that we were dating again, Rich. Don't you think you're being a little...pushy?" She winked at him and pulled him in for another kiss.
A few minutes later, they were standing in the hallway outside of Nightwing's apartment. "Ok, um, before we go in, I should warn you, it's...pretty heinous in there."
Raven gave her love a questioning look. "Heinous?"
Nightwing smiled. "Yeah, I haven't really cleaned since...well, since I moved here." He opened the door and showed Raven in.
It was a quaint little apartment, and although it looked like Beast Boy had been hibernating there for years, Raven liked it.
"So what do you think?"
"It's...nice."
"No, I mean, what do you think about...this apartment."
"I told you, it's nice. I like it."
Nightwing shook his head. "No, I mean, what do you think about this apartment...and living here...with me?"
Raven smiled. "I'd love that, Rich."
"Great." Nightwing returned her smile with one of his own.
Raven brushed the side of his face with her hand. "Are you sure about this, though? I don't want to get in the way of 'the mighty Nightwing' and his 'war on crime'." Her tone was sarcastic, but it wasn't cold. Raven was genuinely concerned, this was just her way of showing it.
Nightwing let out a soft laugh. "No, Nightwing's the one who's getting in the way. He's getting in the way of you and me, Rae. If you move in with me here, then I'm not going to take the risk of letting anything get in our way again. I'll hang up the mask for good."
Raven wanted to smile at her lover and kiss him, but her concern wouldn't let her. "But...what about the people of Bludhaven, Rich? It's not like you to turn your back on anyone in need."
"Who says I'm turning my back? I'll join the police force or something, anything. It doesn't matter. I learned my lesson, Raven. I can't hope to live this kind of lifestyle and have you as well. It's something I learned half a year ago, only I made the wrong choice. I made the stupid, cowardly choice. I picked being Nightwing, I should have picked you. I'm sorry Rae, but I swear I'll make it up to you now."
Raven gave Nightwing a look of love, with a hint of lust. "You already have." She pulled her boyfriend in for a tender kiss. The soft kiss soon became raw and full of passion as Raven broke away from Nightwing's mouth and panted, "Bedroom. NOW."
Nightwing instantly scooped Raven up and carried her straight into the bedroom, placing her down on his bed.
Raven blushed as Nightwing begun to strip off his clothes. 'It's almost a shame he's taking it off.' She thought. 'He looks so hot in that new costume.' Taking in the hint, Raven started to remove her clothes as well.
Nightwing started to climb onto Raven, when she stopped him, grabbed his shoulders and rolled over. Raven smiled warmly, down at her boyfriend. "I love you."
"I love you too Rae." It had been so long since the last time Nightwing was in bed with the woman he loved, he never wanted it to end. He started to move his kisses from Raven's mouth, down her jaw-line and then gently down her neck. Raven let out a soft, low moan as she felt Nightwing's hands caressing her skin.
Raven shifted her body to allow Nightwing inside of her, gasping as the sensation hit. Raven grinded against Nightwing, loving every second of it. She could see the pleasure on his face, and knew that with every moan she let out, he was brought closer and closer to climaxing.
The two lovers continued on like this throughout the night. It was a passion unlike any the city of Bludhaven had ever seen, and probably never would again. The detective and the mystery had been reunited, their love for each other greater than ever before. They were happy again, in each other's arms, and for the first time in their lives, it was a happiness that would last.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
One Year Later:
Tony Garcia was a middle aged jeweler, trying to make an honest living for himself. Unfortunately, in a place like Bludhaven, that was easier said than done. It didn't take long for the local mob to move in on his business. But Tony was a nice guy. He was hard working, honest, and generous, it was hard not to respect the man. Before the end of his first year in Bludhaven, Tony was already one of the B.H.P.D.'s best informants.
The mob would come like clockwork, to pick up their monthly "donations" and by the time they left, Tony had already talked enough info out of them to put the goons away for life. He was just an ordinary guy doing his best to help keep his city safe. However, he wasn't the only one.
It had been a rather slow day when a customer finally walked in to Tony's jewelry store. Tony recognized the man as soon as opened the door. "Officer Grayson! Good to see you, my friend. I hate to say it, but I don't got anything new for you, at least, nothing I heard first hand."
Dick Grayson smiled and said, "Don't worry about it Tony, that's not why I'm here. I actually just got off duty a few minutes ago and came by to do a little errand."
Tony's eyes lit up. "Well, now! Why didn't you say so? What can I help you with? Anything in particular you thinkin' of?"
Dick grinned as he looked down into the glass case in front of him. "Yeah. There is. I'm looking to buy...an engagement ring."
THE END!
(Well guys, that's it. I hope you liked the ending, sorry again to any of you who were hoping for a depressing ending. What can I say, after writing two stories about them I got too attached to those two crazy titans, and I just couldn't leave them with a sad ending. I WILL be doing another sequel, but don't expect that one anytime soon. I still just barely have the very basic idea worked out in my head, and I'd also kind of like to take a bit of a break from writing. I haven't been reading nearly as many other stories as I would like to, so I think I'll be doing that for awhile.
As for the sequel, I hate to say it, but I don't think it will be another romance story, and Raven and Robin will definitely not be the main characters, however they will be in it. I just really like the idea of a Titans team consisting of Cyborg, Troia, Beast Boy, Tempest Starfire, Arsenal, and Geo-Force in the cartoon show style, and really want to see what I can do with that line up. Action/Adventure with Romance as the secondary genre. They thought he was dead, but Slade returns and the new titans are in danger. Their only hope to defeat their enemy once and for all is to convince the newly wed Graysons to come out of retirement. But will Richard and Raven sacrifice their happiness to help their friends? And how will Nightwing react to the return of his greatest arch nemesis? Not to mention, Slade doesn't seem to be alone this time. He's accompanied by a young woman named "The Ravager" and a young man called "Jericho". Who are these new villains and what is their connection to Slade?
...yeah, really that's about all I've got so far. Just that. I have no idea what else is going to happen in the story but at least I've got a cheesy little summary of it to work off from.
Alright guys, that's enough from me, thanks again for reading and reviewing! Until next time, auf weidersehen.
-JustAnotherMutant)
The rain came down hard as Nightwing stood over the motionless body of his foe Torque. Already tense, he sensed a presence behind him and spun around ready for another fight. Nightwing froze when he saw who was standing in front of him.
"Rich...it's been a long time." Raven looked at the love of her life for the first time in nearly half a year, and it made her heart sink. Where was the boy she fell in love with, and who was this cold uncaring man he had grown into?
Nightwing stared at the girl in front of him. No, not the girl, the woman in front of him. It had been almost half a year since he last saw Raven, and she was more beautiful now then he could ever remember. She was taller, and more slender, however her curves had not gone away, if anything they were more developed now then before. Her cloak was white now, instead of blue and it almost seemed to give her a soft glow. In the dark alley, with rain falling all around her, she looked like an angel standing among the chaos.
"...Raven. What...what are you doing here?"
"Looking for you, so I can bring you back."
"What if I didn't want to be found?"
"Then you wouldn't have told Barbara, because you knew she'd tell me."
"Raven...go away. Please..." Nightwing's voice started to crack as the desperation in his tone became more evident.
"No, Rich! I won't, I've spent these last few months searching for you, and now that I've found you I'm not about to just walk away without at least saying anything to you."
Nightwing sighed, "Alright. Fine. You want to talk? Let's do it up there." He pointed with his thumb to the rooftop of the nearest old stone building.
Raven nodded and floated up, as Nightwing quickly scaled the building with his grappling hook.
When he got to the top, Raven was leaning on the railing, waiting for him. "The Titans have changed a lot since you left, you know. After you took off, Cyborg went on a bit of a recruiting spree. He got Garth and Roy to join pretty easily. Although, they changed their names too."
Nightwing cocked an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yeah. 'Aqualad's become 'Tempest', and 'Speedy' now goes by 'Arsenal'. Also, remember Cyborg's girlfriend Donna Troy? Well, believe it or not, turns out she's really Wonder Woman's sister, and she's got all sorts of Amazonian powers of her own. She's called Troia now, and she became a Titan a couple of months ago. And as if that wasn't enough, Terra's half-brother Brion Markov showed up on the Titan's doorstep just a few weeks ago. Apparently he's been so distraught over Terra's actions that he hasn't been able to face himself since. So now he's decided to make it up to the Titans by joining the team and fighting to restore his royal family's name."
"Brion Markov? You mean Geo-Force?? From the Outsiders?!"
Raven smiled. "Yep."
"So you said Cyborg went on a recruiting spree? Cyborg's leading the Titans now?"
"Yes, and he's been doing a great job."
Nightwing looked concerned, "But, when I was in charge of the Titans, I always shared my leadership roles with you, Raven. I would have figured you would take over as leader."
"And I would have too, were I still a Titan."
Nightwing staggered a step back. "...What? But didn't you come here to ask me to come back to the Titans?"
Raven looked her love in the eyes as she moved closer to him. "No, Richard. I came here to ask you to come back to ME."
"Rae...I...I'm sorry. I can't. That part of my life is over now. I've moved on."
"Oh, who do you think you're fooling here, Rich?! You haven't moved on one bit! Your entire aura is shrouded by love, pain, and despair. Please Robin...let me back in to your heart."
For the first time since she found him hunched over the fallen form of his enemy, Raven watched as Nightwing finally relaxed his shoulders, and released the built-up tension in his body. He dropped the stone-cold act, and finally let genuine emotion shine through his eyes. "I...I haven't been called that in a while."
Raven gave him a soft smile. "It hasn't been that long, Rich."
Nightwing looked down at the ground. "It sure feels like it, Rae."
"I've missed you, Rich. I missed you so much..."
"Rae...I missed you too...but, things are just...complicated."
"Don't give me that shit, Nightwing. What could be complicated?"
"I had my heart broken, Raven. Because of a teammate. Instead of keeping my mind on my job, I was too busy falling in love. I got hurt, and it affected my performance. I can't be a good hero and have love too...it just...doesn't work."
"A good hero? A good HERO?! Richard, that is the biggest amount of bullshit I've ever heard. You think you're a good hero? Well let me tell you something, Nightwing is NO hero. Nightwing is nothing more than a bully, taking his rage and personal pain out on the dregs of society. Know who was a REAL hero? Robin."
"Rae..."
"Rich, please, why are you doing this to me? Why are you running? What are you so afraid of?"
"What do you think I'm afraid of, Raven? I'm afraid of losing you. I love you more than I could ever express with words, Rae. I just...I don't think I'd be able to handle losing you again. I was barely able to deal with it when Forrester stole you and tried to..." Nightwing stopped and choked on his own words.
Raven moved in closer to Nightwing, and gently wiped his tears away. She looked lovingly into his eyes and softly began to speak. "Rich...when I was suffering from Phobia's influence, do you remember what you said to me? You told me, 'You have to trust, trust in my love for you. When you can believe that I would never hurt you and have nothing but love for you, you'll be fearless.'"
Nightwing gave his love a soft, sad smile. "Using my own words against me, huh?"
"They worked for me." Raven said with a gentle smile.
Nightwing sighed, "But...I'm not as strong as you are, Rae. I'm not as brave."
"What are you talking about, Rich?? You're the bravest person I've ever known. You fight super-powered lunatics on a regular basis, without any powers of your own."
Nightwing shook his head, "And I'm terrified every time, Rae. I just try to block it out, and do what I know is right."
Raven looked into his eyes, "Then why don't you do that right now. Richard," Raven pulled him close to her, "what could be more right than this?" She leaned in, and kissed Nightwing, for the first time in far too long.
The kiss seemed to last forever, and when they parted, Nightwing noticed the rain had nearly all but cleared up.
"Rae...I love you."
Raven beamed, "I love you too, Rich."
"I don't want to lose you..."
"You won't."
"So..." Nightwing gave Raven the first genuine smile since he left the Titans. "Shall we give this another try?"
"Sounds like a good idea to me."
"Want to go back to my apartment?"
Raven laughed. "Your apartment?? I wasn't even aware that we were dating again, Rich. Don't you think you're being a little...pushy?" She winked at him and pulled him in for another kiss.
A few minutes later, they were standing in the hallway outside of Nightwing's apartment. "Ok, um, before we go in, I should warn you, it's...pretty heinous in there."
Raven gave her love a questioning look. "Heinous?"
Nightwing smiled. "Yeah, I haven't really cleaned since...well, since I moved here." He opened the door and showed Raven in.
It was a quaint little apartment, and although it looked like Beast Boy had been hibernating there for years, Raven liked it.
"So what do you think?"
"It's...nice."
"No, I mean, what do you think about...this apartment."
"I told you, it's nice. I like it."
Nightwing shook his head. "No, I mean, what do you think about this apartment...and living here...with me?"
Raven smiled. "I'd love that, Rich."
"Great." Nightwing returned her smile with one of his own.
Raven brushed the side of his face with her hand. "Are you sure about this, though? I don't want to get in the way of 'the mighty Nightwing' and his 'war on crime'." Her tone was sarcastic, but it wasn't cold. Raven was genuinely concerned, this was just her way of showing it.
Nightwing let out a soft laugh. "No, Nightwing's the one who's getting in the way. He's getting in the way of you and me, Rae. If you move in with me here, then I'm not going to take the risk of letting anything get in our way again. I'll hang up the mask for good."
Raven wanted to smile at her lover and kiss him, but her concern wouldn't let her. "But...what about the people of Bludhaven, Rich? It's not like you to turn your back on anyone in need."
"Who says I'm turning my back? I'll join the police force or something, anything. It doesn't matter. I learned my lesson, Raven. I can't hope to live this kind of lifestyle and have you as well. It's something I learned half a year ago, only I made the wrong choice. I made the stupid, cowardly choice. I picked being Nightwing, I should have picked you. I'm sorry Rae, but I swear I'll make it up to you now."
Raven gave Nightwing a look of love, with a hint of lust. "You already have." She pulled her boyfriend in for a tender kiss. The soft kiss soon became raw and full of passion as Raven broke away from Nightwing's mouth and panted, "Bedroom. NOW."
Nightwing instantly scooped Raven up and carried her straight into the bedroom, placing her down on his bed.
Raven blushed as Nightwing begun to strip off his clothes. 'It's almost a shame he's taking it off.' She thought. 'He looks so hot in that new costume.' Taking in the hint, Raven started to remove her clothes as well.
Nightwing started to climb onto Raven, when she stopped him, grabbed his shoulders and rolled over. Raven smiled warmly, down at her boyfriend. "I love you."
"I love you too Rae." It had been so long since the last time Nightwing was in bed with the woman he loved, he never wanted it to end. He started to move his kisses from Raven's mouth, down her jaw-line and then gently down her neck. Raven let out a soft, low moan as she felt Nightwing's hands caressing her skin.
Raven shifted her body to allow Nightwing inside of her, gasping as the sensation hit. Raven grinded against Nightwing, loving every second of it. She could see the pleasure on his face, and knew that with every moan she let out, he was brought closer and closer to climaxing.
The two lovers continued on like this throughout the night. It was a passion unlike any the city of Bludhaven had ever seen, and probably never would again. The detective and the mystery had been reunited, their love for each other greater than ever before. They were happy again, in each other's arms, and for the first time in their lives, it was a happiness that would last.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
One Year Later:
Tony Garcia was a middle aged jeweler, trying to make an honest living for himself. Unfortunately, in a place like Bludhaven, that was easier said than done. It didn't take long for the local mob to move in on his business. But Tony was a nice guy. He was hard working, honest, and generous, it was hard not to respect the man. Before the end of his first year in Bludhaven, Tony was already one of the B.H.P.D.'s best informants.
The mob would come like clockwork, to pick up their monthly "donations" and by the time they left, Tony had already talked enough info out of them to put the goons away for life. He was just an ordinary guy doing his best to help keep his city safe. However, he wasn't the only one.
It had been a rather slow day when a customer finally walked in to Tony's jewelry store. Tony recognized the man as soon as opened the door. "Officer Grayson! Good to see you, my friend. I hate to say it, but I don't got anything new for you, at least, nothing I heard first hand."
Dick Grayson smiled and said, "Don't worry about it Tony, that's not why I'm here. I actually just got off duty a few minutes ago and came by to do a little errand."
Tony's eyes lit up. "Well, now! Why didn't you say so? What can I help you with? Anything in particular you thinkin' of?"
Dick grinned as he looked down into the glass case in front of him. "Yeah. There is. I'm looking to buy...an engagement ring."
THE END!
(Well guys, that's it. I hope you liked the ending, sorry again to any of you who were hoping for a depressing ending. What can I say, after writing two stories about them I got too attached to those two crazy titans, and I just couldn't leave them with a sad ending. I WILL be doing another sequel, but don't expect that one anytime soon. I still just barely have the very basic idea worked out in my head, and I'd also kind of like to take a bit of a break from writing. I haven't been reading nearly as many other stories as I would like to, so I think I'll be doing that for awhile.
As for the sequel, I hate to say it, but I don't think it will be another romance story, and Raven and Robin will definitely not be the main characters, however they will be in it. I just really like the idea of a Titans team consisting of Cyborg, Troia, Beast Boy, Tempest Starfire, Arsenal, and Geo-Force in the cartoon show style, and really want to see what I can do with that line up. Action/Adventure with Romance as the secondary genre. They thought he was dead, but Slade returns and the new titans are in danger. Their only hope to defeat their enemy once and for all is to convince the newly wed Graysons to come out of retirement. But will Richard and Raven sacrifice their happiness to help their friends? And how will Nightwing react to the return of his greatest arch nemesis? Not to mention, Slade doesn't seem to be alone this time. He's accompanied by a young woman named "The Ravager" and a young man called "Jericho". Who are these new villains and what is their connection to Slade?
...yeah, really that's about all I've got so far. Just that. I have no idea what else is going to happen in the story but at least I've got a cheesy little summary of it to work off from.
Alright guys, that's enough from me, thanks again for reading and reviewing! Until next time, auf weidersehen.
-JustAnotherMutant)