The rain continued to pour from the sky. A dark, eerie cloud of evil seemed to have spread across the land. Raven kept running, she wouldn't go back. Not now, not ever. She couldn't bear the pain. She ran, didn't want to look back. He was following her, wouldn't leave her be. 'Why? What have I ever done to him to make him do this to me?' She wouldn't turn back. She kept running with her face being slapped by the wind and rain. It stung, bringing tears to her eyes. She tripped, fell onto the hard concrete. She quickly stood back up and started running again. But fell again. She was injured, she turned and saw a red cloud of hatred sweeping over the city. It came closer, and closer, until…
"Raven, get up!! Raven, wake up!!! It's 12:30 in the afternoon!! Are you gonna sleep all day??"
Raven woke with a start. Robin was in her room. He shook her slightly to make sure she was awake. "Robin, I would greatly appreciate it if you were to stop shaking me and leave my room."
Robin
shrugged. "Alright, but there's something wrong, I can tell. You don't usually
sleep in this late."
Raven crawled out of bed. She started to make it slowly, yawning every once in
a while. "I know that I don't usually sleep in this late. I had trouble trying
to sleep. I'll be fine."
Robin straightened out the sheets to smoothen out the wrinkles left by Raven's
laziness. 'She usually doesn't like to have wrinkles on her bed, what is up
with this?'
"Hey, Raven. Are you sure you're alright, I mean, you know…"
"I'm fine. I'll meet you guys in a little bit." Raven replied with slight annoyance in her voice.
Robin backed off. "Alrighty, Beast Boy and Cyborg saved you some breakfast. Starfire started preparing the tea for yah. I'll tell them you'll be down in a bit."
"Okay." She watched Robin walk out the door. When her door shut she jumped back onto the bed, messing it up once again. 'It was just a dream, wasn't it? The rain, the running, the cloud, all a dream. Only a dream.' She sighed and closed her eyes. Then she got up, straightened out the sheets once again, and did her normal morning routine. She got dressed in her usual uniform, brushed her teeth and hair and made her way down the stairs after a few minutes of meditation. She didn't want to keep her friends on her case all morning long.
She walked into the kitchen and was greeted with three large grins.
"Here Raven, here's some breakfast. Tofu eggs and toast. Nutritious for the mind and body."
Cyborg cut
in. "No way. Meaty breakfasts are what make you strong. Here's some bacon and
sausage."
Starfire flew over to Raven safely carrying the herbal tea. "Here you are
friend Raven, your morning brew of herbal tea." She handed Raven the warm mug.
Raven hid a smile.
"Thanks Starfire. Now how about we put the breakfast on the table before I blow it up in your faces."
Beast Boy and Cyborg cringed at the thought. They raced to the table and quickly sat down and put the plates of food on Raven's placemat. She glided over and took her seat. She looked at the food.
"So…"
Raven looked up. "So what?"
Beast Boy
stood on one foot nervously. "So are you gonna eat or not?"
"Do I need an audience to watch me eat breakfast/lunch?"
Cyborg
answered. "No, it's just we want to know if you like the food or not."
Both Beast Boy and Cyborg smiled at her. She frowned when she took a closer
look at the food. Beast Boy's cooking looked like Starfire's pudding of sadness
and Cyborg's looked like…nevermind.
"Uh…"she began.
"Titans, trouble!!!" Robin barged in.
'Saved by the Robin.' She quickly ran out the door with the others.
When they arrived downtown, it was nothing but a stupid bank robber. The Titans hand cuffed him and turned him over to the police.
The Titans decided to take a walk back to the Tower since there was nothing else to do. Robin and Starfire were in front talking while Raven, Beast Boy and Cyborg were straggling behind. Raven was walking with a grim look on her face and had her hands behind her head in a criss-cross position. She was listening to Beast Boy (hard to believe, yes) talk to Cyborg about video games. 'Why am I bothering? I never listen to them. Why now?' Finally, Beast Boy spoke to her.
"Yo Raven,
you okay?"
She peeked over at Beast Boy. "Yeah, why?"
Beast Boy scooted closer to raven as he walked. "Well, me and Cyborg asked you
a few questions while we were walking and you never answered us. We just
figured you were ignoring us or something."
She paused for a moment to think. 'They were talking to me and I didn't realize it? What's wrong with you Raven!!!? Get a grip girl!!' Then she thought up and excuse. "I was just thinking about something."
Beast Boy
smiled at her. "I thought I could smell smoke. And see it too."
Raven looked at him confused. "What do you mean 'I thought I could smell smoke.
And see it too.'?"
Beast Boy looked at her nervously. "Um, nothing…"
Raven gave him a vicious look. He squeaked and dove behind Cyborg. Raven spoke with a more serious tone in her voice. "Well, what do you mean?"
Cyborg
lifted Beast Boy up and set him down in front of her. "Go on and tell her
little man. You know she's not a joker."
Beast Boy laughed nervously. "He, he, I know that. Um….Raven….I mean….it….uh,
heh heh…don't get real mad at me. Please…"
Raven was beginning to lose her patience. "WELL??"
Beast Boy
gulped. "When I said that I could smell smoke and see it after you said that
you were thinking, I meant that you were frying your brain because you were
thinking so hard. Please don't hurt me!" He stopped walking and cringed after
he blurted out what it meant. Raven stopped and looked at him. He peeked up and
saw her staring at him. But she didn't look mad. She just stared at him with
curious eyes. Then she started walking away again.
Beast Boy ran up to her. "It was a joke Raven, don't be mad."
Raven looked at him with emotionless eyes. "I'm not mad at you. I just never
heard a remark like that before. That was…good, and very brave of you to
actually tell a joke right in my face, although I didn't get it until after you
explained it. You got me there."
Beast Boy's eyes widened. (O_o) "What??? Little ole me, Beast Boy, pulled a
fast one on the smart Raven??? What is going on here?" He emphasized every word
as he waved his hands in the air. Raven gave him…the look.
"Excuse me?? I could've just blown you to teeny tiny pieces but I didn't did I?"
"It's another joke, Raven."
Raven gaped. "Oh. Well I'm not the type to know a joke from a statement that could supposedly not be a joke."
Beast Boy walked closer to her. "Well then, you should hang out with me more Ravie, I think you'll get used to jokes when you're around me." He put his arm around her on her shoulder. She gasped, grabbed his arm and swung him around really fast and threw him into an alley way. Raven and the other three cringed when they her the screeching of a cat and the sound of trash cans falling over. Everyone turned and looked at Raven with a surprised looks on their faces. She looked at them nervously.
"Whoops,
sorry cat."
They continued to stare at her. She finally flung her hands up in defeat. "Alright!
Alright! I'll go make sure he's okay!" She walked into the alley way and crept
in. She called out softly. "Beast Boy, are okay? I didn't mean it. Beast Boy?"
She looked left and right and saw two feet sticking out of a garbage can. She
sighed and walked over. She grabbed the feet and pulled him out. Beast Boy made
a popping noise as he flew out of the garbage can.
"Woah! Oh, uh, thanks. Look, I'm really…."
"Sorry? I should be the one sorry." She looked at Beast Boy and smiled. He
smiled back.
"What's all the raucous?" A homeless man who appeared to be in his thirties came out of nowhere. It startled the two titans. He looked closely at them and they looked closely at him.
He was
wearing overalls that were covered in grime and oil, had dirty skin and his
hair looked as if it hadn't been brushed in years (could be true because he
probably doesn't have a brush or comb!). "What are you whipper snappers doing
in me alley? Get along now, git!! Hey, wait…you!" The man pointed at Raven. "Some
guy told me about you. I seen ye before too, you wents cuckoo and all big and
scary. Those red demon eyes, yeah, how could I forget? A strange fellow came in
here the other day looking for a girl named 'Raven'. I didn't know who the heck
she was and then described yeh. He's a looking for yah."
Raven was startled and speechless. Finally, she found the words. "Who, who came
looking for me?"
The man scratched his head. "He didn't say his name or anything. Had a
trenchcoat on. That's all I know. He he, mighty strange if you ask me." The guy
then turned around and left Beast Boy and Raven speechless. They looked at each
other in utter shock.