Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans.

Note: Hmm, I guess I will continue this. I'm not sure what direction I'm going, but I like Speedy.

Intrigue - Chapter 2

It wasn't until after the Brotherhood of Evil was defeated, and the Herald "teleported" them all back to Titans West, and after Dr. Light was caught (in only 23 seconds, by the way), that Speedy really had a chance to approach Raven. After hunting through the entire Tower, he found her meditating on the roof-top, floating a few feet above the ground, facing the setting sun, a look of pure tranquility across her face.

Speedy opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't decide what. He also didn't feel like disturbing her in such a peaceful trance. He didn't want to really find out what happens to the unfortunate soul who disturbs her meditation. Rumor has it she could send you to another dimension…

Because he enjoyed living in a dimension that had tacos and steak and fluffy buttermilk pancakes, Speedy silently walked over to the railing and leaned against it, gazing across the sea at the setting sun. He would wait until she was finished. And the view was better here, no matter what Raven had said.

"I wouldn't have sent to you another dimension, you know."

Raven's sudden voice startled Speedy. He turned around, but found her still meditating with her eyes closed.

"Um… did I say that out loud?"

"No," she opened one eye and stared at him, "I'm an empath; I could feel your trepidation, and I know the rumors." Her eye glittered with the setting sun, before she closed it again.

"So you're like a mind-reader." Speedy set his quiver and bow on the ground and leaned back against the railing. He discovered that if he turned his face a certain angle just so, the chakra on Raven's forehead sparkled like a ruby.

"Do I need to hand you a dictionary?"

Speedy chuckled, "No, but I'm sure you get that all the time."

Raven opened both her eyes. She took in the lighted profile of Speedy with the sun behind his back, bringing more contrast to his arm muscles, and his hair formed a flaming halo around his head. She inwardly smirked at the irony. From what she'd heard, Speedy was far from angelic in his private life. "Why are you here?" she demanded unemotionally.

"Well, the Herald did teleport us all here after we defeated the Brotherhood of Evil, and we're waiting for a way to return to Titans East—" He stopped when he saw the scowl on Raven's face, "What?"

"I know why you're in our tower," she rolled her eyes, "But why are you on the rooftop?"

"Oh, that," Speedy grinned, "I was just looking for someone."

"That's nice. Keep looking. I'm not stopping you."

"Are you always so vile?" Speedy pulled himself up onto the railing and sat precariously on it. He couldn't help but notice how Raven's eyes smoldered in the soft light from her irritation.

"Are you goading me?"

Speedy tilted his head curiously. "Should I be?"

Raven sighed and stood, floating back to the ground. "What do you want, Speedy?" The question wasn't invitational at any degree. She just wanted the conversation to end so she could be left alone again.

"Spar with me."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Spar with me. You said that I couldn't hurt you even if I tried, and I asked if that were a challenge, and you responded that it could if I wanted it to be. Well," Speedy flashed a smile, "I think it's a challenge."

There was a pause, and Speedy was afraid Raven would simply walk silently away. But to his surprise, Raven laughed. It wasn't a hearty guffaw; but a miniature evil chuckle that briefly danced in the air. He was floored. If her faint smiles were like the rare golden specks on the riverbed, then her laughter—even if it was at him and not with him—was like chancing upon a diamond.

"You just can't live with the fact that I would have won," Raven's face was composed once again; only her eyes glimmered briefly as they stared intently at Speedy's face.

"What's this?" Speedy slid off the railing and walked closer until they were only an arm's length away. "Unemotional Raven is letting her pride show?"

Raven raised her eyes to continue her steady gaze at his face. "It's not pride if I'm stating a fact," she stonily retorted.

"I resent that," Speedy said lightheartedly, "Spar with me."

"No." Raven shifted her feet, ready to leave.

"Why not?" Speedy asked.

"It's pointless." Raven remarked, as if she were stating the obvious.

"Why, because you know I'll win?" Speedy placed his hands on his hips, grinning.

Raven fixed her eyes on Speedy. She wasn't sure why he was being so adamant about sparring. Was he just so stubborn once he set his mind on something? Did that thick head of his not understand what the word "no" meant? Was he just used to always getting his way with the other women he toyed? Well she won't be toyed with, by anyone.

"No," she repeated, "Because I just don't want to." She turned to leave, but was stopped when Speedy reached out and gently grabbed her hand. Surprised, she swayed back around.

"Then have lunch with me. Tomorrow," Speedy's voice was soft and imploring.

Raven opened her mouth to shoot out the rejection that was on the tip of her tongue, but the feeling of Speedy's warm hand around hers sent a shock through Raven's system. The only other person who had held her hand so warmly had been…Robin, and the comparison caught the words in her throat. After what seemed like eternity, she gingerly slipped her hand away from his gentle hold.

"Fine," she managed to say, keeping her voice smooth, "Since you're so obviously not going to take no for an answer to anything…"

Speedy grinned, "Come on Raven. It's time for you to have some fun right? Celebrate a bit on having defeated the Brotherhood of Evil and racked up a shelf full of shiny villain-trophies made of ice?"

Raven returned to her exit pathway, but then paused, and looked at the archer with a sideways glance, "Fun is not something that I can easily do."

Speedy's smile turned slightly mischievous, "Now is that a challenge?"

There was no answer from the dark girl, who disappeared into the stairwell silently and quickly as a phantom, leaving Speedy chuckling to himself as the last of the sun's rays disappeared beneath the horizon.

Raven, he decided, was an enigma-a beautiful enigma that he was curiously and powerfully drawn to.

Despite her cool exterior, Raven's heart was racing. It wasn't from the anxiety of having been just asked out by Speedy (okay, maybe a little), but more so the fact that their encounter didn't go as planned and took a sharp twist. She had expected their conversation to be just as curt as before, and the two parting ways without any ties, as before. She had expected everything to be normal. Her heart was racing because now her expectations were no longer in control.

Raven was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't see quite clearly around a corner and bumped into someone.

"Oomf," Raven staggered backwards, "Sorry—", she looked up at the person in front of her, "—Robin?"

Robin extended a hand to steady her, "Hey Raven. You okay? I didn't mean to alarm you like that."

"No. Yes." Raven took a deep breath and grabbed the railing and leaned on it, "I'm fine. Just wasn't paying attention."

Robin cocked an eyebrow. Raven not paying attention to her surroundings was the equivalent of Beast Boy not attempting to see the humor in every situation. Second to him, Raven was the most observant member on the team; for her to not be paying attention had to mean something was unfairly occupying all her thoughts, which never happened. Concern washed over his curiosity as he watched the girl in front of him inhale deeply and stare in front of her in a slightly vacant expression.

"What's bothering you?" he asked in a low voice.

Raven's eyes refocused on Robin. She noticed that he never asked if anything was bother her, but rather what it was, like he already knew. Ever since he let her inside his mind to validate the presence of Slade, he had an uncanny way of always knowing when something was bothering her. Even something as simple as a nightmare in the middle of the night would bring him to her door, knocking and making sure she was okay. Ever since that mind-meld, it was like they had created a telepathic bond between each other. It wasn't strong enough to allow access to deeper thoughts, but it was solid enough for the two to project their emotions through it.

Raven quickly laid out her choices in her head. She could always lie; say everything was peachy-keen, maybe throw in something sarcastic as the icing on top. But she knew it wouldn't work; Robin could already sense that something was out of place. She also didn't want to lie to Robin—the one person who understood her maybe better than she understood herself, the one person who had literally gone through hell and back to rescue her, the one person who believed in her even when the world—her world—had ended.

Or she could tell the truth, but her pride was wary of his reaction. The Titan Ice Queen, feeling unnerved because a boy—a fellow teammate—had asked her to lunch? Having been asked to lunch by anyone, even it was by the bad-boy Speedy, wasn't supposed to register as a blip in her radar. Such an uncomplicated nuance shouldn't unnerve her. As the saying went, she was making a mountain out of a mole-hill. Would he laugh at the ridiculousness? Or maybe scoff in disbelief?

Raven remained silent. Anyone else staring into Raven's calm purple eyes would assume all was fine, but Robin could sense her inner turmoil rolling off her like thick waves. He placed a firm hand on her shoulder, and softly smiled. "It's okay. You don't need to tell me now."

Raven nodded once, taking in the gentle warm pressure of his hand.

"Just know I'm always here for you," continued Robin. He was always surprised at how small she was, and how her shoulder under his hand felt so fragile and vulnerable. He slowly let his hand fall, but his eyes remained on her. "Anyways, I'm looking for Speedy. Have you seen him?"

"He's on the roof," Raven responded, and without looking back, quickly disappeared down the stairs.

Robin watched her pensively as she left. He could put two and two together, and could possibly form a million scenarios connecting Raven's current mood and Speedy's presence on the rooftop, but his respect for Raven halted that thought process. He wouldn't leap to any conclusions; Raven would tell him when she's ready…if she decided to share.

Robin made his way to the rooftop, and looked around for Speedy in the wavering light. The sun had set, but the roof lights had not yet turned on, so everything was cast in a twilight glow. He found his silhouette leaning against the railing, lost in thought as the city lights awakened.

"Speedy," called Robin as he joined his friend, "I've been looking for you."

Speedy turned his head around and nodded in acknowledgment, "Hey Robin. Just admiring the skyline—that's one thing I've missed about this tower."

What else were you admiring before this?, Robin suppressed the thought before he could accidentally vocalize it. Everyone knew of Speedy's flirtatious reputation and the rumored bed-post notches, but Robin knew it didn't matter in the grand scheme of things, nor was it his place to care what Speedy did in his spare time. He was his friend, teammate, and a hero. Just as long as no one gets hurt, especially—

"So," Speedy's voice derailed Robin's train of thought, "What's up? You wanted to talk to me?" He turned to face the Titans leader.

Robin quickly composed his thoughts and regained a sense of business. "I heard reports of armies of robots in Steel City from Bumblebee. I tried to ask her about it when we returned today, but she and the rest of the team have gone out for dinner. She told me to wait until she got back, or to look for you."

Speedy nodded solemnly, "Those robots were strange. We had three attacks in a week, but the robots didn't seem to have a purpose. They would always show up in vacant buildings or land plots, where there was nothing to steal or harm or plant. After the last attack three weeks ago, we never saw them again."

"What did the robots look like?" asked Robin.

"Very human-like, with black body-suits, silver armor on the arms, legs, and necks."

Robin thought for a bit, forming a mental image, "That wouldn't lead us anywhere."

"Oh, how could I forget," Speedy quickly added, "They also had orange masks over their faces."

Robin froze, his breath trapped painfully in his lungs. He tightened his jaw and his hands formed into fists as he glared at darkening waters of the sea.

Speedy felt Robin tense at his side, and turned to him. "Are you alright?" he asked, alarmed.

"Slade," Robin spat out the name like venom, his vision swimming in rage.

"Slade?" repeated Speedy, incredulously, "Slade is behind those robots? But what does he want?"

"He wants us to know he's still out there," Robin's voice was like icy fire, cold and livid, a fire-breathing dragon on a jagged frozen mountain. He clenched his teeth as he remembered recently how Slade had terrorized Raven, assaulted her, and practically violated her, all for the payment of living once again to raise more hell for the Titans and the world.

"But why show up at Steel City?" wondered Speedy gravely, "If Slade wants to remind you, why not make a show here, in Jump?" He paused, and frowned in realization, "Unless…unless he wants to involve Titans East as well…"

"He's up to something," growled Robin, "And next time he shows his face, we'll be ready. All the Titans will be ready."

Speedy brought a hand in front of him and formed a fist, and stated determinedly, "Titans East will crush him if he ever dares show himself."

Robin turned to leave, "Thanks Speedy. I better go let the others know."

Speedy twisted around, "Wait!"

Robin paused and looked back. The rooftop lamps flickered on all of a sudden, basking the two in artificial whiteness.

"Can I borrow your R-Cycle tomorrow?"

"Um, sure," answered Robin slowly, "Going to the city?"

"Yeah. Thought I'd visit before I go back east…" It wasn't exactly a lie; just not the whole truth. Speedy wasn't sure why he didn't just tell Robin about his lunch plans with Raven. It wasn't like he would refuse to let her go…would he? Being an archer, Speedy was a great observer, and could sometimes see what others thought were invisible. In the short time all the Titans were together in the Ops room before and after taking down Dr. Light, Speedy had noticed the intense way Robin would stare into Raven's eyes. It was different than the way he looked at anyone else, even Starfire. He looked at the Tamaranian with a tender and amused look on his visage, like a brother would gaze at a sister, or a mother at a child. But the way he stared at Raven… it was like he could see right into her soul. It was a look that undeniably said, "I know. I understand. I'm here for you."

Speedy didn't want to leap to any conclusions, but from what he could tell, there was definitely something emotionally deep that was coursing between the two birds, and the last thing he wanted to do was end up in a silly love-triangle. However, he was going to take his chances on Raven.

"…and I'm having lunch with Raven," finished Speedy, carefully observing Robin. He could clearly see every minute change in emotion that splashed onto his face and body posture under the lamps.

"Oh," said Robin simply, "Well, have fun," he paused, and then added, as if it was just a casual afterthought, "Her favorite restaurant is 'House of Ivy', by the way, on 5th and Central."

Speedy watched as Robin then turned, and walked away and through the roof exit doors.

And for some unknown reason, a curious snippet of a Christmas song popped into Speedy's mind.

We're snuggled up together like two birds of a feather would be…

Speedy shook his head. Great, my mind is singing Christmas songs in the middle of August. I really need to sleep…

Not sure what part Slade will play in this lol. Honestly, I'm just writing this for the sake of writing, and to explore the relationship between Speedy and Raven, and Robin and Raven.

I might be changing the rating to M as the story goes on, by the way. Just a warning...