Into the Depths – Chapter Three

Chapter Three
Spattering Dissonance

April 27th, 2009. Monday, 4:52 pm.

Terra was surrounded by Titans like kindergartners flocked around a kitten upon first sighting.

It was an interesting sight, that was for sure. Especially since kindergartners were probably a little cleaner than the Titans were at that moment. Not even hosing them down would’ve done much good. But being the light hearted teens that they were, it didn’t seem to bother them as they excitedly ushered their new friend into their home.

Terra appeared thoroughly impressed with the Tower as she looked around. Well, it was a pretty impressive piece of work – thanks to Cyborg’s ingenuity. He had designed and built the Tower, with Dick’s funding, of course. He’d had more than enough from his parents and from trust funds that Bruce had set up in his name.

As Terra was admiring the view excitedly – with Beast Boy admiring her with light flushed cheeks – Dick looked over his still ever dirty friends. With a chuckle on his lips, he clapped his hands together to get their attention.

“All right, everyone, I think we’re all desperately in need of baths,” said Dick, grinning at the group. “Let’s take care of that and then show Terra around the Tower, okay?” A growling stomach echoed through the room. Dick pursed his lips together to avoid smiling more. “And maybe something to eat as well.”

A chorus of agreements came at this; thus, the team separated to go to their individual rooms.

“Come with me, Terra, and I’ll show you where you can take a bath or whatever you want,” said Dick, motioning her to follow. The girl quickened her steps to keep up with him. He led her down a hallway on the main floor and showed her into the bathroom. “There should be enough stuff here for you. Fresh towels are on the shelf. And there’s some spare clothing there as well. You look to be around my size and I have some extras there that you’re welcome to use.” Dick pointed to said shelf. “Take your time,” he added with a smile.

The girl smiled back at him and nodded. “Thank you,” she said. As he shut the door behind himself, he noticed her smile fading and her hair falling in front of her eye.

Dick frowned as he stood outside the closed bathroom door, folding his arms and listening to the water turn on. After another moment, he began to walk away, slowly taking each step towards his room as his mind ran through the events that had just happened. His mind just wouldn’t rest until he figured out what that creature had been. It was obvious that it wasn’t a normal scorpion. What normal scorpion had molten lava inside of it?

Actually, what normal scorpion was the size of a house?

But even beyond all that, Dick suspected that Terra had been the one to give them the anonymous tip. Female caller, drawing the scorpion into a trap, and perfect timing – there was no doubt in Dick’s mind that she was a possibility. Therefore, accepting that bit of information led Dick to his next question. What was her motive in bringing them out there? Had she wanted to show them her skills? From what Dick understood, the girl was homeless. Had she, perhaps, hoped that she could find a home with the Titans, yet couldn’t bring herself to outright ask them?

Dick didn’t mind such assertiveness. He just wanted the truth. He preferred if people were direct with him, instead of sliding things under the radar. He didn’t want to condemn the girl, but he wasn’t going to let her think that she had easily wormed her way into the Titans. They weren’t born yesterday, after all.

He would have to confront her, but he wasn’t sure when. He didn’t look forward to that conversation. But it had to be done. He had to get the truth. After that, he needed to figure out why the creature was rampaging. If she merely used the creature as a tool to gain the Titans’ trust, that was one thing. But there was something even more here and he wasn’t sure what it was.

It wasn’t normal for a scorpion – of any size – to have lava inside. Therefore, it made this creature different than its usual nature. Thus, the question remained why was it there? Why did it suddenly show up?

No matter how much he dwelled on it, Dick knew that he wasn’t going to find the answers right away. Maybe he could talk to Slade about it. The man would have some interesting insights about it, possibly. It couldn’t hurt to talk to him anyway.

But it would have to wait at the moment. Dick had never felt grimier in his entire life and he was looking forward way too much for the hot shower that was calling his name. A few hallways later, Dick was at his door and entering inside. He was assaulted by the gentle mewling voice of Kuroi, the black furred kitten he had tried to smuggle into the haunt a week ago, but had failed to do so – Wintergreen was allergic. Luckily, there hadn’t been any conflicts with Silkie, Starfire’s mutant larva moth. But Dick still kept the kitten in his quarters, so he didn’t come home to find a missing Kuroi and a plump Silkie.

“Hey, little girl,” said Dick, kneeling down and stroking the kitten’s head. She purred loudly and mewled his welcome once more. Dick smiled. “Yeah, I know you’re glad to see me. But I gotta take a shower and I know how much you hate water.”

The kitten seemed to give him a baleful look at that thought, causing Dick to chuckle and ruffle that head once before standing up.

“Then, you best wait for me, unless you want a bath, too.”

Kuroi flicked her tail at him and walked to his bed, leaping onto its covers and curling up there. Her bright blue eyes blinked once at him, as if she were saying that she was content to wait for him right there. Chuckling, Dick left the area of his room to enter his bathroom. He couldn’t wait to get the grime off his body.

Once there, he gently removed the bandage that he had made for himself during the battle. Raven had stopped the bleeding, but the gash was still red with scar tissue. It could break easily, causing the wound to reopen and bleed once more. Thus, he was very careful not to aggravate it.

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to tell his father about it. But he really didn’t want another scar on his body – especially one so visible. He was pretty sure that Slade would give him a shot of the serum – that same serum that healed his body quickly – but that did mean actually telling Slade about it, which also meant that the man would get that worried, impassive look on his face. It was that look that said he was trying not to appear worried, but was failing at it – badly.

Well, he’d decide later. In seconds, he had stripped away his Kevlar suit and mask, and had stepped into the shower. He vigorously worked on scrubbing the dust and grime from his skin – being gentle around the wound, of course. His light burn on his other arm stung slightly, but it wasn’t too annoying. The hot water felt delightful against his skin, warming his insides down to his very toes. Once he was done with soap and shampoo, he rested against the wall of the shower, simply enjoying the rain of warmth that flowed over his body.

The long shower was thoroughly refreshing to Dick. When he was done, he grabbed his mask, but he left the suit in the hamper. He didn’t feel like putting on his suit again – not to mention, it needed to be cleaned. He had only one of this variety and he rather stick with it. The suit was quite similar to his original one, but this one had a flare of his father. The material was scaled at the chest area, while there was thin, black armor plating along the upper section of his arms, elbows, legs, and knees.

Just enough to remember that he wasn’t merely Robin any more, but Dick; that boy who had learned at the feet of a powerful master. Slade had been an excellent teacher – still was, in fact. The schedule that Dick had to follow was still in play and he enjoyed every moment he had with the man. Tomorrow, he was due for a long training session, but Dick had an idea to shake things up a bit.

He doubted his father would love the idea, but with a few blinks of the eyes and Slade wouldn’t be able to say ‘no’, there was no doubt about that. Dick’s weapons of persuasion with the man was in the form of two crystal orbs surrounded by black eyelashes. Blink them a few times and the man couldn’t seem to say ‘no’. Who knew puppy eyes had a way with the man, hm? Although, it was far too dangerous to use such tactics against Slade often. They were to only be used rarely or else his father would catch on – and then, Dick would be in real trouble.

And that was to be avoided at all costs.

Kuroi mewled for attention as Dick slipped into some black sweat pants and a green long sleeved shirt – to hide his wounds. He smiled at her, flopping onto the edge of his bed and letting her curl up in his lap. He stroked her fur for a few minutes, using a free hand to dry his hair with his towel.

“Well, Kuro,” said Dick, stroking her head once. The kitten mewled at the sound of her nickname. “It’s time for me to go. So, you stay here and be a good little kitten, all right?”

There was a gentle mewl, as if she were consenting to this request.

With one final stroke of the fur, Dick let her off on his bed and stood up, tossing the wet towel onto a chair. The kitten jumped onto the floor, mewling at him. He restored the domino mask to cover his eyes. Normally, upon returning to the Tower, he would discard the use of his mask around his friends. They didn’t wear masks and neither did Dick any more. His friends had gotten used to it after a few weeks, although Dick still did get ribbed now and again about his eyes by Beast Boy – but that wasn’t so bad.

But today, he would wear the mask. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Terra in a bad way, it was that he wasn’t exactly sure about her. She knew them all too well, right down to their names. It was the way she had been at the right place, at that exact time. Dick was sure that there wasn’t anything insidious about the girl. But still, Slade was very insistent about being careful when trusting others. In some ways, Slade was very similar to Bruce in protection measures.

Not that Dick would ever tell Slade that…

However, he was going to do something risky tomorrow. He knew it. Even though he knew there was something off about Terra, he was going to do it anyway. Slade probably would be furious about it, but this would be an act of trust. There was something about Terra that Dick felt he needed to unravel. If he showed her an act of trust, he had a feeling that she would loosen up with the group.

For this afternoon, he would forgo wearing a standard suit. Wearing civilian clothes in the Tower would be all right around Terra. He just wouldn’t show his eyes; thus, his identity. Tomorrow, however, would be different.

Anyway, he wasn’t possessive of his identity any more. When he’d been Robin, Dick had remained hidden behind the mask. He had hidden his true self beneath an article of clothing. He’d been afraid to be himself. But now, there was no need to hide behind a mask.

That much Slade had brought out in him and that much he liked. He wasn’t afraid any more. He liked being himself and not that boy or hero whom he pretended to be. He was just Dick and that was best.

Sometimes, he forgot that it had been about eight months ago since his life had been put onto the path that would change everything he ever knew. About eight months ago, Slade had taken Dick from the Tower with the intent to make him his apprentice – the apprentice to Deathstroke, a man who was an assassin, a mercenary, a criminal. Who would’ve thought that just a few months later, Dick would become the man’s son instead and that Slade would go into retirement>

With each passing day, those times where he had felt the instability were merely becoming an old dream. As each day moved on, it was almost impossible to remember a time without Slade in his life and being his father. For Dick, it was the most amazing thing ever.

And he embraced every minute of it.

As Dick walked to his door to leave, he stopped; remembering something. He turned back around and walked back to his bed; grabbing his cell phone from beneath his pillow. He better tell his father that he really shouldn’t go home tonight. He needed to be at the Tower with the new addition around. Not to mention…

He wanted to hear the man’s voice.

With one touch of the button, he started the call to Slade; placing the cell phone to his ear as he waited. A few moments later, the phone clicked.

“Hey, Dad,” said Dick with a smile. There was a light chuckle.

“Hello, Dick. So, how did it go? What was the trouble?”

Dick sighed, plopping down onto the edge of his bed. Kuroi mewled once, batting her paw at one of his socked feet. He wiggled it for her.

“A bit more intense than I’d have thought it would be. A giant scorpion was rampaging in the canyon—can you believe it? It was huge! I mean, this thing was the size of a house! We got a little beat up, but nothing too bad. Nothing we can’t handle.”

“Are you all right?”

Dick could hear the worry in the man’s voice, making him smile lightly. “Yeah, I’m fine, Dad. There’s no need to worry.”

There was a snort.

“You’re the Boy Wonder.”

Dick’s smile grew even more, hearing the message in between the lines.

“You’re such a worrywart, Dad.”

“You say that now when there’s a nice, safe distance between us.”

“Hehe!”

“Imp.” There was a pause. “So, are you coming home now?”

Dick faltered. “Uh…”

“You said you would.”

“Right… Something’s come up, though. We met someone during our fight and she needed a home. I was hoping I could stay here tonight. Well, it is my time to stay at the Tower – Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, you know.”

There was a light pause.

“When I walked into the kitchen after you left, something wet dropped onto my shoulder.” Dick cringed. “I have to admit, it was pretty gross.”

“I’ll definitely clean—”

“You wouldn’t happen to be trying to escape from cleaning your mess, now would you?” asked Slade, his voice drawling heavily.

“No, sir,” answered Dick instantly. There was a pause and Dick could imagine the man raising an eyebrow at him and smirking his trademark smile inside his mind. “Well… just a bit, sir.”

“I’m truly loving how you’re saying ‘sir’ right now.”

Dick chuckled nervously.

“Tomorrow? Can I finish cleaning the kitchen tomorrow?”

Dick waited, feeling even more nervous. He twisted his feet together, Kuroi pouncing on them as he did so. He could feel her undeveloped claws digging into the cloth of his socks. She gnawed on them for a moment. He bent over and scooped her up with his free hand, causing her to mewl in protest at being taken away from her entertainment.

Finally, there was a long sigh.

“Don’t bother. Will already cleaned the kitchen hours ago. Said something about going insane if he didn’t.”

“What?! So fast? But how?”

“He’s not a teenager.”

Dick let out a giggle, smiling as he absentmindedly stroked the kitten’s fur as she played in his lap.

“Isn’t that the truth? He’s not exactly a mischievous youngster.”

“I’ll let him know you said that.”

Dick laughed and flopped back onto the bed, looking up at the ceiling. Kuroi crawled out of his lap and settled herself onto his chest, purring softly. He stroked her fur gently as he turned his head to the side. He listened to the light breathing on the other side of the phone. It was so faint, he could barely hear it, but it was enough to know Slade was there.

“So, you’re not coming home tonight?” asked Slade finally, after a few quiet moments.

“Hmmm…” Dick rolled onto his stomach, the kitten mewling in protest that yet again her entertainment had moved. Dick’s legs dangled off the bed as he kicked them lightly. The kitten finally decided that she would perch herself on top of his back; digging her short claws in warningly, as if telling him not to move again. “I really should stay around here tonight. With this new girl here, I don’t really want to leave the Titans alone.”

“Are you worried about this girl?”

Dick’s legs lifted into the air as he pushed his chest up a little; folding one of his arms beneath himself to lean on. Those little claws dug a little more into his shirt.

“Not really. It’s just, she’s an unknown element, you know. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow, okay?”

“Tomorrow, hm? What’s tomorrow?”

“You’ll see,” said Dick, his voice lifting into a sing song tone. His legs swung once more. There was a gentle chuckle on the other end of the phone.

“Up to mischief, imp?”

“Always.”

There was an amused snort.

“Very well, you may stay. You’ll be due for some extra chores to make up for it, understood? Do the dishes there even if it’s not your turn. Eat a good dinner; not that pizza crap the lot of you always get. And get to bed early, too. You need your sleep.”

Dick giggled at how mothering Slade was being, but he didn’t say anything. The man would certainly not like hearing that. But he didn’t mind it. It was nice to hear someone concerned about him; nice to hear someone concerned about the little things – ever so nice.

“Yes, sir.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye, bye, Dad. Thanks for letting me stay.”

“Mm, see you tomorrow, son.”

Dick smiled as he listened to the phone disconnect. He placed the phone onto the bed in front of him; folding his arms beneath his chin as he looked at it.

It’d been so long since he had a moment like this. To some, such a moment would seem trivial, but to Dick, it was something of value. Just being able to talk to Slade, talk to his father, on a phone like this was amazing. After so many years without a parent in his life, Dick was enjoying the little moments like this. He still felt somewhat clingy at times – yes, he admitted it, but it was okay – and he was glad that he could turn to the man whenever he needed to do so, even when a distance parted them.

He was very lucky indeed.

Dick rolled over, causing the poor kitten to be dislodged from her perch once again. She jumped onto his shoulder and sat there, staring at him with baleful eyes. Dick chuckled and placed a hand onto her head.

“Sorry, girl. Now I really gotta go. The others are probably done by now. I better be there for them, okay?”

There was a mewl in response. Dick giggled and picked the kitten up from his shoulder. He sat up, his legs dangling off the edge of the bed. He stroked her fur once more before standing up and placing her onto the bed.

“I’ll see you later tonight, Kuroi.”

Before the kitten could protest this, Dick slipped out of his room; his door sliding shut automatically. He walked down the hallway, making his way to the main room. He stepped inside as the automatic doors slid open upon his arrival. There was only one person in the main room at that moment. Raven was sitting on the couch, her wet hair dangling beside her face. Dick smiled and took the opportunity to sit next to her. At the sight of her darkened expression, he put his arm around her and drew the girl into a gentle half hug.

“What’s up, Raven? You look like there’s something wrong,” said Dick. The girl had startled slightly by his gentle affection, her body stiffening from his touch. But slowly, she began to loosen up, her body sagging somewhat in his hold. He knew Raven wasn’t used to people touching her kindly like this and ever since he had come back to the Tower, he had made an effort in drawing his team members in with simple affection.

It had been something he had craved for so many years. Now he wondered if it was the same for the others, though they never spoke of such things.

“Nothing is wrong,” said Raven, her voice flat and devoid of emotion. “Everything’s fine.”

Dick shook his head sadly, tugging against the girl and whispering into her hair near her ear, “You’re a pretty bad liar, Rae. What’s up?”

He pulled back as Raven let out a sigh, before she turned her head towards him. There was an intense amount of emotion in her eyes, the like Dick had never seen before. He hadn’t ever seen his friend like this before. The worry only rose up inside his chest more. Something was definitely wrong if Raven had so much bottled up inside her chest.

“Robin—”

“Dick.”

Raven blinked, the emotion temporarily breaking in her eyes.

“What?”

“Robin isn’t the room. But Dick is and he’s a good listener.”

It was so light; it was so gentle – there was a tug at Raven’s lips, her mouth threatening her impassive face with a smile. She gained control over it in a minute, but it had been there and Dick was happy to know that his words had some effect on his friend. Raven turned her head away, letting out another long sigh. Dick had been sure that she would’ve pulled away from him, but she continued to stay in his hug.

In fact…

Dick was starting to feel the beginnings of Raven finally accepting his kindness, her body slowly continuing to relax and lean against his own. Raven let out yet another sigh, before her monotone voice wavered slightly as she spoke.

“I’ll be fine. Everything will be fine. Everything has to be fine.”

Dick noticed a shiver went through the girl. He tugged her against his side a little more, hoping to offer whatever comfort he could to the girl he considered a sister. Even though she was older than him by a nine months or so, he actually considered her to be a younger sister. She was wiser than him on many occasion, but his feelings were protective.

Raven held a lot of secrets, just like Dick had before. He hoped that someday he could lower the barriers that his friends held. As each barrier was lowered, the closer they would become. The closer that they became, the more they passed from being just a team of heroes or a group of friends.

They would become a family.

Raven didn’t look back at him, but she stayed nestled against his side. Dick remained quiet as well. It was better not to push her. Out of all them, she was the least tolerant in being pushed and he rather be comforting right now than annoying. Thus, he just looked outside, enjoying the quiet and the view of the city. They sat there, side by side, for a few minutes. Raven never shrugged off his arm, Dick noticed and for that, he was thankful.

Then, the door to the main room slid opened. Raven immediately stood up, removing herself from Dick’s side. He watched as she stepped closer to the window. He noticed, before her cape hid most of her body from view, that her arms curled around her chest slightly as if she were trying to find some kind of comfort.

Dick sighed, wishing that he could’ve done more for her, but when she pushed others away, it was difficult. He would have to keep trying. He turned around to see Starfire entering the room. She smiled as she caught sight of him, lifting into the air and flying over the couch to sit near him.

“Hey, Star,” said Dick, smiling at her and trying to ignore the butterflies that started acting up inside his stomach. “How’s your leg?”

“Much better, thank you,” said Starfire with a glowing smile.

A moment later, Beast Boy entered the main room; talking animatedly to their newest friend. Cyborg was right behind them, a heavy amused expression across his face. Without either of the smaller teens realizing it, he pointed down at Beast Boy’s head and mouthed, ‘He’s got it bad.’ to Dick, causing a light chuckle.

Wasn’t that the truth? Beast Boy was following the girl like a smitten puppy. Dick had never seen his young friend crushing on someone so hard before.

Ah, to be thirteen again…

Even though that was exceptionally ironic, since his stomach was still currently not listening to him. Those butterflies were still fluttering up a storm down there. Starfire’s smile truly did wonders over him.

“Is everyone hungry?” asked Dick, standing up from his seat on the couch. He walked over to the kitchen area of the main room. “How about some dinner?” He stopped briefly, an amused expression flooding through his features. “I can cook anything, but just don’t ask me to bake anything. That’s how I killed the kitchen back home today.”

Terra looked back at him, surprise entering her face.

“Home? Isn’t this your home?”

Dick chuckled.

“It is, but I also have… family here in the city. The Tower is now a home away from home, you could say.”

Dick’s eyes had glanced between his friends as he said family. Cyborg didn’t say anything on the matter, but he did look away, an uncomfortable expression dragging his face. Beast Boy’s eyes flittered between Dick and Cyborg, appearing torn again. Raven continued to look her usual impassive self, while Starfire merely smiled at this. Terra seemed to notice the tension that lifted into the air at this statement, her head turning as she glanced around the room.

“What?”

“It’s nothing, Terra,” said Raven, turning her head away back towards the view of the city.

Dick wanted to sigh. As much as his friends had accepted the fact that Slade was his father and family now, they still didn’t exactly like it. Cyborg always pursed his lips whenever Dick mentioned the man. Beast Boy always looked torn between pleasing the teen of his childhood hero and the teen he viewed as an older brother. Raven never fully said her opinion, but she, too, sometimes looked disconcerted. However, she seemed to tolerate the man. Starfire was the only one that had fully accepted and welcomed Slade with open arms.

But that was just the kind of girl she was.

It was amazing how much Starfire had changed, yet hadn’t changed. In the seven months that Dick had been absent from her life, he could notice the strength she had developed during that time. Her growth was the most noticeable out of the four teens that had been left behind. He was proud of his team and of how they handled such a difficult time. But now that everything was back to normal, some of them were forgetting the past and just how everything turned out was truly a gift.

It could’ve turned out much worse, after all.

How would’ve everything played out if Slade hadn’t changed? What if Slade had refused Wintergreen’s advice or what if the old man just didn’t bother to intervene? What if Slade had continued to be the man he had once been?

In a way, Dick could only think in a poetic sense. What would’ve happened to Dick’s ‘story’ if he had truly become Deathstroke’s apprentice? How many lives would’ve he taken on a contract? How many paths would’ve changed if this had happened?

Such questions only brought one answer.

If any of those had occurred along the timeline, then Dick would not have been truly happy.

Somehow, destiny had given the path that gave him true happiness. He wasn’t sure how that could’ve happened, past what his mother had told him, or why. Even after all the hardship and fear that had gripped his heart, he knew he was happy now. There was no reason he shouldn’t be. He was content, happy with everything at that very moment. There was no reason to be sad – there was only hope.

Now, if he only could convince his friends that everything was all right, then life would be just perfect, now wouldn’t it?

Terra was still frowning at the odd behavior between the teens. It was obvious she could tell something was up, but it also really wasn’t her concern. Nor did the teens feel obligated to fill her on in the details. After all, Dick wasn’t fully sure about the girl. But when tomorrow came, he wouldn’t hold back. He had been thinking about this new training session for a week now – of course, he was only going to spring it on Slade at the last minute.

That way his father didn’t have the chance to chicken out in the end.

Dick shook his head, clearing his thoughts. “All right, who’s up for some Mexican food?”

A good forty-five minutes later and a one decently messy kitchen – nothing like the one Dick had left home, of course – and the Titans were gathered around the countertop with piled plates of homemade Mexican food. Beast Boy’s, of course, was without meat. Lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, and Starfire’s select choice of mustard were the toppings available. The murmur of voices flooded over the kitchen, some excitable, some heated, but all generally good natured and happy.

There were no leftovers by the end of the meal – Cyborg and Terra being the ones who ate their weight in food, at least; in Terra’s case, she ate in Cyborg’s weight.

A lull came over the group and they all moved to the couch to be more comfortable. It was certainly apparent that the fight had taken a lot out of them. They just weren’t used to such an intense fight like that. The criminals they normally went after were easy – actually, pretty pathetic. This wasn’t Gotham City, after all. Sometimes the H.I.V.E Academy caused some trouble, but nothing they couldn’t handle. The fight today only reminded Dick of how much they still needed to grow in their strength individually and as a team.

His plans for tomorrow would definitely help with that.

“That meal was awesome,” said Terra, stretching out her legs and arms elaborately. “I haven’t had a good meal like that in a long time.”

“Yeah, Robin cooks pretty good sometimes,” said Beast Boy, smiling happily at her. Terra giggled once. “So, uhm… Terra, how old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?”

There was a light blush entering his cheeks again.

“Oh, well, uh, I just turned sixteen awhile back,” said Terra, glancing away, her long blonde hair sliding into her face. She curled a hand to her ear, tucking the wayward strands out of her face. Dick got the distinct impression that she didn’t want to talk about it. Then, she turned to the couch and tested the cushions for softness. When she seemed satisfied, she gave out a long yawn. “I think I’ll just crash on the sofa, if that’s all right with you guys. I’m really bushed.” She flopped down onto the couch. “You guys are awesome for letting me stay the night. Thanks for lending me some of your clothes, too, Robin.”

“It’s not a problem,” said Dick with a smile. The rest of the group sat on the other end of the couch. They remained soft as they chattered between each other. Minutes passed, until Dick noticed that Terra had fallen into a deep sleep; her mouth hanging open as a gentle snoring trembled her throat.

“She’s lying about her age,” whispered Raven finally, after waiting a few more minutes and making sure Terra was asleep. The group was huddled together, speaking in hushed tones. “I can tell. She’s younger than sixteen. Personally, I’d say more like fourteen. Maybe even thirteen.”

“What?” started Beast Boy, his long ears lifting upward in shock. “But why would she lie about something like that?”

“The older you are, the less likely you’ll be picked up by a social worker. Not that she really has the height and body build for a sixteen year old, though.” said Dick, shaking his head once. “Do you think she ran away from home?”

“It’s highly probable,” said Cyborg with a nod, folding his arms and glancing over at the sleeping Terra. After a moment, he looked back at Dick. “What do you think we should do? Should we take her to a social worker or the police to see if her family is looking for her?”

“What!?” cried Beast Boy, bolting to his feet. Starfire placed a hand onto his shoulder and put her other hand to her mouth.

“Shh, you will wake her,” whispered Starfire. Terra turned onto her side in her sleep, her snoring snorting once. The group held their breath briefly, before Beast Boy continued in a heated whisper.

“But they’re planning on—”

“Beast Boy,” started Dick, firmly overriding the younger boy as he looked up at him. “We haven’t made a decision yet. We are only discussing the possibilities. I, as the leader of this team by your unanimous vote, haven’t made the final decision just yet. If you’re unhappy with a possibility, then please calmly say so without getting angry.”

Beast Boy’s ears drooped. After a moment, he nodded finally; sitting back down onto the couch. Dick gave him a soft smile.

“I don’t like the idea of taking her to a social worker either, so you don’t have to worry, BB. We’re not gonna do that. She would probably run away again anyway and I don’t think that’s good for her. Plus, she’s got powers and that makes things more difficult for her to blend in with civilians.”

“So, what are you thinking?” asked Raven.

Dick sighed lightly, looking over at Terra. She was curled up on the couch, her side lifting as she slept deeply. He had already decided to let her stay. He thought it would be good for her. Where else could she go? And it wasn’t like there was want for room in the Tower. With her powers, she could be targeted by enemies who wished to use them. He could tell from the fight that she wasn’t trained in using them.

A powerful enemy could force her submission. She was young enough to be swayed, probably – if Raven was right about her true age. If she stayed with them, then they would have time to help her and maybe in the end, she would open up to them about her family situation.

“I think we should give her a home for as long as she needs,” answered Dick in a low voice.

“We can’t just trust her,” said Raven, her normally impassive expression twitching with rising irritation. “She’s lied once. She could lie about anything.”

“Hey!” protested Beast Boy. “We should let her stay! There’s nothing wrong with her. She’s nice!”

Raven’s eyebrow twitched, the irritation ever prevalent in her expression now. Dick glanced between her and Beast Boy, noticing the growing tension in the air between them.

“Just because you’re infatuated with her, doesn’t automatically make her trustworthy!” snapped Raven, her chest heaving once.

Dick’s eyebrows bolted up into his bangs just as Starfire gently shushed Raven. Terra turned in her sleep, scratching her belly once before beginning to snore again. A quiet hung over the group from Raven’s pronouncement. Dick was shocked to see the subtle emotion that was pouring off Raven. The others weren’t noticing it, however. Dick couldn’t help but wonder… Was Raven jealous of that fact – that Beast Boy was crushing on Terra?

His eyes glanced between the two of them, taking in every detail of their body languages.

Raven was a subtle person. She was like Slade in that she did her very best to avoid outward appearance of emotions. But just as Slade, she wasn’t perfect at it. There was emotion inside of her; therefore, when her control failed her – as it had now – then, it was more than apparent of what her feelings were to an observer who was proficient at noticing the unnoticeable.

And Dick was just that person.

It was becoming clear to him that Raven just might have some feelings for the adorable, yet obnoxious green team member. He wasn’t sure when that had happened, but then again he’d been gone for seven months. During his absence, anything could’ve changed their hearts. It would seem as if everyone had some kind of crush going on. Cyborg seemed to be the only sane one around here. Dick was struggling with his own crush. Last thing he needed was further discord between Beast Boy and Raven. Those two could fight like cats and dogs if you gave them time to ramp up.

Beast Boy flushed deeply, his cheeks confirming Raven’s accusation all too well. His chest puffed out and his mouth opened to protest some more, when Starfire’s gentle and kind voice rose above the contention; drawing the attention to herself as her peacemaking skills came into play.

“It has been a long day,” said Starfire, her voice soft, yet powerful. “Why do we not all go to bed early tonight?”

“That’s a good idea, Star,” nodded Dick, giving Beast Boy no time to interject again. “For now, Terra stays. We’ll take this one day at a time, all right, guys?”

ooOOOOOoo

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