Chapter Text
“What’s going on with you?”
Raven put her frozen waffles into the toaster and looked up to find Damian hovering over her. Great . She was really hoping to grab a quick breakfast and slip away.
“What are you talking about?”
“You’ve been acting weird. You’re never around, quieter than usual, distracted, and you’ve been holding back during training.”
“Well, why don’t you tell me. I’m sure you have plenty of theories.” Raven tried not to be too snarky, but it was no use. Damian may have meant well, but it was presumptuous of him to insert himself into her private life.
“I would prefer not to speculate about my teammate’s wellbeing. I’m asking because I hoped you would tell me yourself.”
“It’s none of your business.” She took a step toward him to emphasize her point, bringing them dangerously close together. And her body reacted accordingly. The way he smelled, his confident energy, all the little details of his handsome features. It all overwhelmed her senses. Fuck . She could just take another step forward and… No, calm down .
“So there is something?” His eyes narrowed.
“I didn’t say that.” Shit . She would have to be more careful around him .
“I’m the leader of this team. If there’s something wrong, it is my business.”
“You are not our leader, you put yourself in charge when Dick and Kori are away.” Her waffles finally popped up, and she stepped back to grab them. “Speaking of which, do you know where Kori is?”
He paused, probably considering whether to keep pressing her. “I saw her in ops earlier.”
“Thanks,” she said, brushing past him. The fabric of his sleeve slid against her bare arm, making her skin tingle.
“Raven,” he said in a softer voice. It got her attention, and she reluctantly turned back to him. “The team needs you. If there is anything we… anything I can do for you, let me know.”
She nodded. This was his way of showing care. She wished she could tell him everything. She wanted to be honest but just couldn’t. Not about this. She stepped out of the kitchen before her imagination started to run wild. Again.
Raven ate her breakfast and walked as slowly as possible to the ops room. Fortunately there was someone who could maybe be trusted with this embarrassing problem.
“Good morning Raven,” Kori greeted her, radiating joy and positivity as always.
“Hi Kori, um… could I talk to you?” Her tone was shaky, betraying right away that there was something wrong.
“Of course, what’s going on?” Raven took a seat in the chair next to a concerned Kori. This was a good room for this talk. There were no windows and it was dimly lit only by the large monitors on one wall. This problem should not be exposed to the light of day.
She struggled to choose the right words, not knowing where to begin. “Well, uh, do you ever see a doctor? What do you do when you need medical attention? Since you’re an alien.”
“Well fortunately I don’t need medical attention very often because of my strength and robust physiology. But there are doctors who work with the Justice League who specialize in alien medicine,” Kori replied happily, while also looking uncertain about where this was going. “What is this about Raven? Are you hurt?”
“Not exactly. But, um, I think there’s something wrong with me and… my demon side. I think I might be… in heat.” Every embarrassing word was a struggle to get out.
“Alright can you elaborate a little?”
“I feel… aroused… a lot, like almost all the time.”
“Oh… Do you mean?..”
“Turned on, horny, however you want to say it! All the time. I get turned on out of nowhere by what feels like anything and everything. And it is getting really distracting and uncomfortable.” It all just came tumbling out, and Raven couldn’t bring herself to look anywhere but down at her knees.
“How long has this been going on?”
“A few weeks, maybe over a month,”
Kori nodded slowly. “Ok, could this be due to a hormonal change? You are still very young, and your body could be going through changes.”
“Kori I’m 21, I know what ‘hormonal changes’ feel like. This doesn’t feel normal. And it's been making it harder to control my powers. Sometimes they’re overflowing, and others I can barely access them.”
“Oh wow, ok, that sounds really serious. Do you need to be removed from duty? That could be a safety issue.”
“No, at least not yet. I haven’t had any problems in the field.” Plus it was the last thing left that could distract her from this.
“Ok, but let me know if there is any sign of that changing. We do dangerous work, and I won’t put you or anyone else in harm's way.” Kori turned to the computer in front of her and started typing a message. “I’ll reach out to the Justice League to see if any of their members are qualified to help with this.”
“Wait, just… don’t tell them everything I just told you.” The thought of Wonder Woman or Batman or Cyborg hearing about her… libido… was mortifying.
Kori paused again. Raven was beyond grateful that she seemed to be taking this seriously. “How about I request assistance with a medical issue involving demonic or magical forces. Maybe I could mention reproductive health?”
“Yes, that sounds ok.” Raven nodded, taking a deep breath. “This might be too much to ask for, but… I would be more comfortable with a woman.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” Kori smiled and put a hand on Raven’s shoulder, which her body interpreted as comforting and not arousing, thank goodness. “Is there anything I can do in the meantime to help? Maybe if you tell me a little more about what you’re going through I can help you figure out how to handle it?”
“Thanks Kori, but I don’t know. I’ve been meditating more, and training harder to burn off extra energy, but it doesn’t seem like anything makes a difference.” She pulled her knees up toward her chest, wanting to take up as little space as possible. “The desire feels so powerful, sometimes it’s almost painful.”
“Is there anything… or anyone, that makes the feelings stronger?” Kori’s curiosity showed through. She had been trying to get Raven to talk about crushes and romance for years.
“That’s… difficult to answer.” Raven was not ready to open that pandora’s box. If this was a blanket issue that applied evenly to everyone around her, she wouldn’t have to think about whether certain individuals inspired desire within her more than others, or what the implications of that might be.
“You’re doing just this fine. I know it can be difficult to talk about these things. When I was young and going through my Transformation I felt so alone. So I want you to remember that I’m always here, and we will figure this out.”
“Thanks Kori.”
“Have you… acted on these urges?” Kori asked, gently but eagerly.
“No! That would be so irresponsible.” The thought of unleashing herself on some poor unsuspecting soul was… impermissible to say the least.
“Maybe, but it could also be… Well, when I was your age… oh, nevermind.” Kori stopped herself before sharing one of her signature overly intimate stories, probably about her and Dick in their youth. “Just don’t be too hard on yourself. I don’t think this is as abnormal as you feel it is.”
“Thanks.” Raven let go of a breath she had been holding in for what felt like days. It was a relief to share the burden of this secret, and to know that help may be on its way. And at least Kori didn’t think she was weird or gross.
But there was a lingering fear Kori hadn’t been able to quell that Raven was not quite ready to face. In the back of her mind lived the idea that this problem had roots in her demonic heritage that ran deep, and would inevitably ravage the life she cherished.
All of the sudden, an alarm sounded.
“Shit, I have to go. I’m on call.” Raven stood up to leave.
“Are you sure you’re alright? I don’t mind sending someone else, or going myself,” Kori offered.
“No, this will be a good distraction.”
“Alright, just be careful.”
“Thanks Kori.” Already dressed, Raven ran to the common room to meet the other Titans on call.
Oh no .
Blue Beetle, Wondergirl and Robin. Hot, hot and more hot. So much for a distraction. She would just have to summon her strength and redouble her focus on the mission. She opened a portal and transported the group to the scene of the crime in progress.
It looked like a pretty standard call. A group of costumed criminals were holding up a bank.
“Well look who’s here!” A woman’s voice sounded from somewhere in the bank atrium. Five figures walked into the center of the atrium and took stances ready to fight.
“But it isn’t going to matter. The HIVE Five is leaving with what we came for!”
‘ You have got to be fucking kidding me ,’ Raven muttered to herself. These were the most attractive group of supervillains she had even seen. What happened to their usual wannabe villain who had been plotting their big heist in a basement for a decade?
This team was familiar from previous run-ins with the HIVE, but they had changed quite a bit since the last time she saw them. Jinx was their leader, as bewitching and svelte as ever. Kyd Wykkyd stood tall and broad shouldered with an air of mystery. Angel’s hair had grown out and was stylishly windswept, making her look like the goddess she was probably related to. See-more was now completely jacked. Even Gizmo had glowed up, now standing tall with thick red hair and hipster glasses. It was all too much.
“Attack!” Robin yelled in the background, and Raven came back to her senses. She went after Kyd Wykkyd since only she could match his teleportation abilities. Just as he tried to slip away, she grabbed his cloak and was pulled into a vault with the stockpile of money and gold they were planning to steal. She tried to confine him with her dark energy but he repelled it somehow.
It came down to hand to hand combat, which was not usually her strongest area. But, to her surprise, she dominated their little skirmish. She blocked all of his attacks, then went for the offensive. He was skilled, but today she was faster and more relentless.
‘ He’ll be sorry he messed with us ,’ ‘ He’ll bow down by the end of this ,’ ‘ I’ll make him beg her for mercy and… ’ Raven caught herself mid-thought. Fuck, was this doing it for her now ?
Kyd Wykkyd took advantage of her moment of distraction. He teleported behind her, and pushed her to the ground. But she recovered quickly and pulled him down with her. Raven opened a portal below them that led to just below the ceiling that they both fell through. The fall knocked him unconscious, but she assessed his injuries, and none of them were serious.
She took him back to the atrium where the fight continued. Donna had gone after Jinx, and now had the sorceress on the defensive, and looking particularly majestic… Ugh, get it together Raven .
And then she saw them. Damian was facing off against Angel in a sword fight. Angel had Damian pinned to the wall with her sword at his throat.
Big mistake .
Raven dropped Kyd Wykkyd. She used her energy to seize the sword and send Angel flying across the room. Damian fell to his knees, but appeared unharmed. He looked up at her with an expression of horror. And nothing phased Damian.
When she looked at the polished elevator doors to her side, she understood why. A thick cloud of her dark purple energy surrounded her, flickering like flames. And where her eyes had been were now two sets of purple slits staring back at her.