"Raven! Above you!"
Swiftly, Raven used her dark energy to block a hit coming from a large monster that was previously stampeding through Jump City. After blocking the hit, the monster then returned its attention to Starfire, who was blasting it repeatedly with her star-bolts. Raven let out a shaky sigh of relief as she tried to catch her own breath.
Why was she so weak?
"You okay?" Blue Beetle questioned as he approached her from behind.
"Yeah," Raven assured him and forced a smile, "Always."
Before he could reply, he was forced to raise his cannon in the air and hit the monster with his blasts. After Blue Beetle and Beast Boy finished it off with their powers, the team took a breather.
"Good work, team. Our part is done," Starfire spoke and gave everyone a smile. "Let's go get something to eat!"
"Pizza!" Beast Boy asserted as he returned to his human form.
"I second that," Blue Beetle added, waiting for Starfire's approval.
"Hmm," Starfire hummed as her gaze shifted from one boy to the other, "I suppose pizza is a good reward."
"Heck yeah!"
The two boys quickly used their abilities to take off in the direction of the nearest pizza joint. Starfire started on her way before glancing down at a tired Raven. "Are you coming?"
Raven glanced at her. "Yeah, I'll catch up. Go on ahead of me. I'll be okay."
Starfire wore a worried look as she left the two of them alone. Redbird turned to look at Raven, an amused look on his face.
"Let's go," Redbird spoke as he took his bike off from the kickstand.
Raven tilted her head in confusion. "What?"
"You said you wanted to learn how to drive it. Get on," Redbird said and waited for her to follow. Raven blinked at him.
"Right now? Here?"
"Yes, now hurry up," Redbird retorted and urged for her to hurry up.
Raven hesitantly approached the bike and looked at him with an uncertain expression. Redbird passed her the helmet and held the bike up for her, gesturing for her to get on it.
Once she was on the seat, panic began to settle in. "I have no idea what I'm doing."
"Bend your knees and curve your back a little," Redbird explained as he climbed onto the seat behind her, leaving proper space between them. "That's the best way to ride."
After doing as he said, she reached out hesitantly and grabbed the handlebars. "This is your clutch, and this is your throttle," Redbird explained and reached out to gesture towards each one.
Raven's cheeks flushed at the feeling of his gloved hand resting on top of hers and demonstrating how to use it. "Don't get the throttle too high or you'll lose control. Use it like this."
When he realized he was touching her, he quickly pulled away, as if she were on fire.
"Finally, you use this peg to shift gears. You'll be able to tell when you need to by the sound," he said before scooting away from her. "Now just use that peg to kickstart it."
Raven took a deep breath and started the bike, her heart racing as she heard the engine purr. Her first attempt at getting it to go failed, causing the bike to stall.
"Sorry," she apologized, and was thankful that the helmet hid her embarrassment. "I don't think I can get it."
Redbird was quiet for a moment as he pondered an idea. "You drive and I'll shift."
"Are you sure?" Raven questioned, glancing back at him through the tinted glass of the helmet. "I could just ride on the back—"
"Go," Redbird ordered and Raven reluctantly kickstarted the bike again, making a surprised noise when they actually started moving. "Just worry about the throttle and steering."
Raven silently obeyed and controlled the throttle, using the handlebars to guide them down the dark streets of Jump City. The adrenaline from the speed caused a grin to spread over her face. Her heart was racing.
Without warning, Raven upped the speed, causing Damian to quickly let go of the back and wrap his arms around her slim torso in a panic. She heard him shout something, but the loud roar of the engine muffled his words.
Her lips remained in a smile as she admired the blurry colorful street lights, and as they passed over a bridge, the sight of a river made her want to slow down. Redbird downshifted as she turned her head the slightest to take in the view.
Once they were back to the main highway, Raven picked up the pace and got back on course. To her dismay, Redbird's arms remained around her, and she felt a strange sense of security.
—
"Raven driving? That's a surprise."
After taking off the helmet and fixing her hair, Raven shot a glare towards the green boy. Redbird propped his bike up properly and followed her towards the outdoor table the others had already picked out.
"Here it is!" Beast Boy announced as the waitress brought the large plate of pizza to the table. Once it was set down, Starfire dished out slices.
"Vegetarian pizza?" Blue Beetle groaned. "Come on, you could've at least did half and half."
"Sorry," Beast Boy spoke through a full mouth of food, gaining disgusted reactions from everyone.
After everyone finished their portion, they began to scatter out yet again on their way back to the tower.
"You can go on, I should be able to teleport," Raven decided to say after everyone else left, watching as Redbird picked his bike back up. He turned his head to meet her gaze through his cowl.
"I don't mind."
The words surprised both of the teens, and the next moment was silent for a moment before Raven decided on her next move.
"I'll try to shift it myself this time," Raven hesitantly said and climbed onto the seat, putting on the helmet he held out for her.
Redbird climbed on behind her. "Just remember neutral is up halfway, first is down, and shifting from second through fifth is up."
Raven nodded and kicked off to start it, this time with more confidence.
With the third failed attempt, an annoyed groan left Raven's lips. "Sorry. You can drive if you want. I thought I'd have gotten it by now."
"No one gets it the first try," Redbird said, "Just keep trying. It's not like we don't have the time."
Raven felt a throb in her heart at the words. Despite the truth she knew, she brushed the sad feeling off and started the bike back up. "Like this?"
"Just be easy, don't give it too much gas. Only enough to get it going, then you can shift up," Redbird loudly explained over the sound of the engine.
When they finally took off, an amused smile made its way to his face. "Not bad."
"What?" Raven asked, raising her voice so he could hear her. He hesitantly leaned closer, speaking next to her covered ear.
"Nothing."
After successfully getting up to speed, Raven grinned wide.
—
When they came to a stop at a red light, Raven glanced over to see the two of them in the reflection of a closed store's window. The sight brought a small smile to her lips.
They were almost home, but if she were being honest, she didn't want the night to end. This was too much fun, and for once, she felt truly alive. Not only that, but she felt safe. Why, she didn't really know. This boy was still a mystery to her.
"It's green," Redbird spoke up, pulling Raven from her thoughts.
Raven blinked. "Right, sorry."
Carefully, Raven pulled off, making sure to get the timing right so she didn't stall out in the middle of the street. They were finally getting close to the tower, the main streets turning into narrow backroads as they got near.
When a man suddenly jumped out in the middle of the road, Raven panicked, her hands desperately squeezing the brakes in an attempt to avoid hitting him. This action sent both her and Redbird flying off the bike and onto the hard cement below.
Raven quickly used her hands to get back up, and her gaze went to Redbird in a worry. Her eyes widened and she rushed to his side.
"Damian?"
The red and black cowl was halfway peeled off, exposing the dark features of his face. His eyes were closed and his chest was slowly rising and falling, which meant he was still alive. A relieved sigh escaped her lips, but it was quickly replaced with a gasp when she heard a familiar grating voice.
"A helmet is typically recommended for riding bikes. How unfortunate he didn't have one on. Don't worry though, he's a pretty tough little bastard."
Raven turned her head and sent a warning glare towards the masked man. "What do you want, Slade?"
"Your father wanted me to relay a message to you," Slade answered, his eye falling down to Damian, "Perhaps I should inform him of your newfound friend. You two seem close."
"That thing is not my father," Raven corrected and stood up protectively in front of Damian's unconscious body. "I won't let him use me, or hurt any of my friends. You're wasting your time here."
Slade laughed at the response. "I don't believe your wishes are a concern to him. You will be the portal to bring him here. It's your destiny."
"You're wrong," Raven asserted and narrowed her eyes at him. "Now leave us alone. I'm done speaking to you."
"Right," Slade said and let out a low chuckle, one that sent a shiver down Raven's spine. "Nothing like mommy's little boy and daddy's little girl saving the world against the devil. I truly can't wait to see how that plays out."
With that, Slade disappeared into the dark night, and Raven peered down at Damian with a concerned expression.