Authors Note: To everyone waiting for my next chapters of 'No Choice' it is coming but this happened in a very strange dream so it got written. I am writing 'No Choice', I've actually written the ending it's just chapter two that's giving me the trouble (Slade is very OOC which I'm desperately trying to fix). Please note I STILL haven't seen Season 4.Anyway this is probably a one-shot. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own Crimson and Emily (who I am not) but nothing else... my life sucks!
A young woman walked through a field. Keeping close to the path that circled around it she didn't spare a glance towards the group of trees to her left… and didn't see the man hiding in them… He grinned from his crouched hiding spot as he waited for the teenager to get closer, his right hand clutching a small penknife. She was singing something under her breath
"…buy a bag of balloons with the money we've got,
Set 'em free at the break of dawn,
Till one by one they were gone.
Back at base…"
She broke off with a small cry as the brown haired maniac grabbed her waist with one hand and used his other to press the blade against her neck.
"Not a sound now my pretty," he growled into her ear as she stiffened, her eyes swiftly darting around looking for help. "If you do what I say then I might let you go, you'd like that wouldn't you? See your friends and family again?" The girl forced herself to remain calm and tried to look for weaknesses. He was stronger than her, faster and he had a knife. She waited for him to loosen his grip as his hand started to crawl down her stomach. She suppressed her disgust at his touch, one wrong move and she wouldn't get out of here. She was not prepared to die… or to be violated.
Suddenly the wind started up but from all directions. The girls' attacker paused, his left hand only just below her belly button as he looked around in confusion. Sensing her moment the girl attacked, driving her high heel into his foot and smiling as she heard a crunch. She turned around and delivered a quick knee to his groin. As he doubled over she made a grab for the knife but too slow, with a feral snarl he leapt at her. With a mere second before his blade entered her neck the girl sent a silent goodbye to her parents… and was blinded by a bright blue light as it hit the attempted rapists chest, driving him back ten feet before he collapsed unconscious.
"Are you all right?" the stunned girl slowly turned towards the voice. Coming face to face with her rescuers. There were five of them, the smallest and youngest looking was an elf. He was dressed in a purple and grey costume that definitely clashed with his green eyes, hair and… skin. To the far left of him was a black teenager, his obvious good looks and well toned muscle covered by some sort of glowing blue armour that seemed to melt into his skin, his arm was still outstretched and ended in what seemed to be a canon. In the centre was a boy around her age, his eyes covered in a white mask but otherwise surprisingly normal, despite his credible attempt at dressing like a traffic light in what looked suspiciously like spandex. Hovering above the three boys was two girls, one with orange skin, red hair and a few strips of purple fabric. The other one was far more modest, almost completely covered in a dark blue cloak, the hood pulled up, giving the merest glimpse of the ash grey face beneath. The girl stared as the centre boy repeated his question with concern in his voice.
"Are you all right?" she dumbly nodded, for the first time taking in his American accent. The boy looked at her a moment longer before turning to the older teenager.
"Cy where are we?" the girl watched as 'Cy's arm canon rearranged itself into a metal but otherwise pretty normal, arm and he pressed a few buttons on it. She bit her lip and looked up at the sky, silently asking if she was imagining things.
"This is weird…"
"What?"
"We're not in Jump City…"
"You're in England. The middle of actually. Thank you for saving my life," the girl spoke up, deciding that this was either a very vivid hallucination or real. She had the sinking feeling it was the latter. "You're the Teen Titans aren't you?" At this the green ones ears pricked.
"Dude! You've heard of us?"
"Not exactly heard…" the girl sighed. "You should probably come with me,"
The teenage boy in the centre shook his head slowly, a confused expression on his face. "Um… no offence, but we just want to get home."
"That may be difficult," the black haired boy shifted slightly into a battle stance.
"What do you mean?" the girl hesitated once more.
"You're not exactly in your world…"
Cyborg spoke up as he stared at his forearm in disbelief. "Guys, I'm not picking up any of our satellites, there's not even a JLA signal…"
The girl smiled slightly. "There's not even a Gotham, or a Jump City for that matter. No Batman, Wayne Enterprises, Tamaran, Trigon…" the girl stopped as her clothes became covered in a black energy. The blue robed one levitated over to the girl.
"How do you know that name!" she asked in a voice full of anger. The girl didn't look surprised.
"Because you're not real," the darkness disappeared.
"What!" growled the blue caped sorceress.
The girl shrugged, not intimidated by the hostility in the others voice. "Somehow you've manage to cross dimensions into one where you're a cartoon series, or I'm hallucinating. I prefer the first option…"
This time the leader spoke up. "What!"
The girl sighed. "Ok, in this universe there are NO super heroes or villains. In this world you are a cartoon series. Well… around thirty years ago you were a comic book series but two or so years ago you were revamped into a cartoon series for a new generation…" she looked at their wide eyed expressions. "Personally I'd rather have this conversation inside. You can come to my house," she turned around and started walking down the path, giving a quick kick in the ribs to her still unconscious attacker as she passed him.
The team stared at the villain, his presence just remembered. "Um… shouldn't we call the police?" asked the bionic teenager.
The girl shrugged as she turned around, her face a careful blank. "Why? If we did then we'd have to explain you lot and I'm probably one of the very few who are insane enough to believe you're real yet not call in the mad scientists to take you apart and find out how you work. Your call Victor…"
Cyborg backed up in surprise. "Wait how did you…?"
"Look, you're a cartoon character! Your bio's up on the web… although I'm only guessing that it's correct…" the girls rant trailed off as she remembered they were just as confused as she.
Not one to take a hint the green elf spoke. "…web?"
The girl sighed and turned around. "… later, please later. I'm still wondering whether I've finally cracked… I need coffee…" still muttering to herself she walked off. Letting the Titans decide whether to follow her or not. Reluctantly the groups leader started after her, the rest falling in line behind him, the two girls deciding to walk and with a certain green elf taking the rear next to Cyborg
"Dudes, is she for real?"
The girl didn't turn around as she heard the query. "I heard that Garfield!"
"Eep!"
Cyborg grinned as he looked at his friend. "Garfield?"
Emily sighed as she allowed the caffeine to sink into her blood stream. After she'd gulped down half a scalding mug of coffee she was feeling more relaxed about the five confused looking superheroes sitting at the kitchen table. She was almost certain that she wasn't dreaming and that they weren't going to disappear. She decided to improvise and see what happened.
"I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Emily Sanders… Em'll do."
"Well… I'm Robin and this is Cyborg, Beast Boy, Starfire and Raven,"
Em spared a small smile, "I know… which brings us to our next topic. How are you getting home? No offence, but I don't think you'd do very well here."
Robin nodded as he turned to the quiet empath. "Raven?"
She thought for a moment. "I'll need time to prepare but I should be able to open a portal home."
Emily smiled as she took another sip of her coffee. "Good, the sooner the better."
The team turned to the brunette, "Why?" asked the Boy Wonder cautiously.
Their hostess shrugged. "Some of your powers go against most of physics as we know it. Especially Ravens. I don't know what will happen to you if you stay here too long."
As one the team turned to look at the sorceress, this time Cyborg spoke first. "Rae?"
"I should only be a few hours."
The rest of the team nodded, content in her assurances. Robin took his time to look around the small semi-detached house, leaving the rest of the team in an uncomfortable hush. Cyborg tried to lighten the moment. "So… do you live here alone?"
Em shook her head. "No… I'm only 17, but my parents and little sister are on holiday till next week. I stayed behind to do my exams."
Everyone sat in awkward silence a few more seconds before the shape shifter spoke up. "I'm bored!"
The brunette looked up from her cup. "I have some PS2 games,"
"Huh?" The look of confusion on Beast Boys face almost made her laugh.
"Computer games… they're in the living room…" Em was shocked as the two teenagers ran out of the questions, leaving only a green and blue blurs on the back of her eyes.
A cry came from the living room. "How do you switch this thing on?"
Em shook her head and turned to Robin and Raven, as Starfire flew towards the sound of the TV to watch the boys play as they figured out how to switch it on. "How do you put up with them?"
Raven scowled slightly in the vanished boys direction. "Practice,"
Robin briefly smiled at the empaths growl before turning back to Em. "How much do you know of us?"
The hostess glanced at the two heroes. "I know that the Graysons have been dead for a very long time and that Arella was raped…" she sighed at their frozen expressions. "Honestly I don't know that much about any of you. I know your names, some of your pasts, where most of your powers have come from. Who trained you…" even behind his mask Emily could see Robins glare. She smiled, "Yep I know who the Bat is too, as well as a few other heroes from your universe. Everyone knows who Superman is, even people who aren't into superheroes… and if you gave me about an hour on my computer I could find out more. It's all on the internet…"
"Huh?"
"The internet… the world wide web…?" At their confused expressions Em sat back in her chair. "Well I guess there are more differences between our worlds than I thought… hmm… Anyway it's really not that important. What is important is getting you lot home before some villain decides to blow up your city,"
A thought struck Robin. "If you know who we are…"
"Then yes I know who most of the villains are too and no I'm not telling you who Slade is."
In one smooth movement Robin rose and pointed his extended staff at her throat. "You know who that madman is and you won't help us?"
Raven stood in a desperate attempt to calm him down. "Robin think about it. At the moment we are in a parallel dimension. We don't even know if we can get home. It is not a good idea to threaten our only ally…"
"We don't even know if she is an ally! She might be working for Slade!"
Raven walked up to the furious warrior and leaned in, gently whispering into his ear. "Then how would she know about me Richard?"
Robin relaxed his stance and walked out the house. The blue cloaked sorceress sighed as he stormed away and Emily fell to the floor.
"He just needs time…"
Em nodded. "I understand. I'm not entirely sure why he hates Slade so much but I can understand paranoia. The truth is I'm not that sure what would happen if I told you something like that."
"In this world we are stories,"
"Anything that would alter the story…"
"May have repercussions…"
Em smiled, now she knew why Raven was her favourite character. "Do you want to watch some cartoons?"
Raven tilted her head as she realised what her new friend was offering. "The rest of the team is using the TV…"
"I have my own…"
The sorceress smiled as Emily led her upstairs after picking up three tapes from the shelves in the living room. They were obviously home recorded, and on the side of each was scrawled 'Teen Titans' with a roman numeral after it.
Raven looked around the hostesses bedroom in approval, it was a lot smaller than hers and less dark but there were definitely gothic undertones everywhere you looked and one of the walls was dominated be a giant bookcase that was crammed with fiction.
Emily sat back on the bed as the TV sitting on a wardrobe accepted the first of the tapes. "Some of the episodes won't be in order and if you want to skip anything please say…"
Raven nodded as she watched the screen flicker to life, entranced by the images of her friends…
A rather puzzled and disturbed Robin walked into the kitchen, interrupting the girls silently enjoying a cup of steaming herbal tea and coffee.
"There are some really strange people in this world."
Emily grinned at the boys mortified expression. "Let me guess. You got cat calls,"
Still terrified from his ordeal of walking off some steam Robin could only nod.
"Well that's what happens when you walk around in spandex." Em spared him an obviously evaluating stare. "Not that you haven't got the legs for it." Both the empath and the hostess tried to suppress their laughter at the uncomfortable boys blush.
Robin tried to shake off his embarrassment. "Raven how much longer till we can go home?"
The empath sighed, her leader wasn't going to like her response. "I can't form a portal until it gets dark…"
"Which won't be for at least another three hours…"
"Until then…"
"You're stuck…"
The Boy Wonder stared at the two girls. Unless he was hallucinating they'd just finished each others sentences. He had no idea what was going on anymore, Raven never took to anyone that fast.
"Okaaaay… well just try your best… I really don't want to stay in this world…" The ebony haired teenager walked out of the kitchen towards the sounds of the rest of the team.
Emily turned to Raven with a curious expression. "Is it bad that I enjoyed teasing him?"
Ravens lips quirked upwards slightly, her silent laughter briefly showing through her otherwise perfect monotone. "If he insists on dressing like a walking traffic light then he deserves it."
Em smiled again. "So… you've seen the cartoons. You now know exactly what I know about the Titans for certain,"
"Yes?" Ravens eyebrow arched before she turned back to her tea.
"I've got a few questions…"
"Yes?" the sorceresses voice was becoming more cautious.
"The Boy Wonder… taken?"
Amethyst eyes looked up abruptly at the question. "What do you mean?"
Em shrugged. "You are an empath, surely you would know whether Robins heart was taken?"
"I wouldn't violate his privacy…"
"You did once…"
"That was to safe his life."
The brunette sighed. "I guess what I'm really asking is what are your feelings towards him?"
"… what?"
"Well there's quite a lot of speculation among the fans. Most people pair Robin with Starfire but a few, myself included, believe you two birds are a perfect match," Raven could only stare at her new friends words. Emily smiled slightly as she turned her attention back to her coffee. "You two share many qualities, including rather painful pasts. If you were ever to find love it would have to stem from understanding, you can give that to each other… you should read some fan fictions about you two." Emily frowned as she thought that through. "On second thoughts maybe you shouldn't. Especially not the 18+ categories, they can get very… involved…" Em walked off leaving the stunned empath still holding her herbal tea, her thoughts reeling.
Could it even be possible?
Raven walked into the garden. She had to meditate…
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…"
"Er… Raven? Not that I particularly mind but people don't really levitate that much in this world…"
The sorceress looked up from her meditation to find a pair of sea green eyes meet her own.
Raven frowned slightly. "What time is it?" she asked as she stood up from her cross-legged pose, several feet above the ground.
Em smiled slightly. "It's quarter to eight. You've been meditating for about two hours and you said something about needing sometime to prepare?"
The sorceress nodded. "I'll need the others help,"
The pair walked back inside as Em answered Ravens unspoken question. "BB and Cy've been playing on my PS2 for… a while now. I think Robins still in the front garden, training and Star's in the kitchen. I think I've kept her from making anything to toxic…" The empath shook her head at her friends familiar antics even in this situation. Emily looked at her. "This entire time there's not been a moments doubt that you'll do everything to get them home, or that you won't succeed. They really trust you…"
The sorceress sighed as she remembered her destiny. "They shouldn't…"
Em glared at her. "Raven you are who you make yourself. Not who your father wants you to be…"
"How did you…?"
"I know many things Raven. I'm quite a fan of stories. Trust me, you are more powerful than you know. I've no doubt that when the time comes you'll defeat him. All you need to do is trust yourself and your friends as much as they do you."
Raven raised an eyebrow. "You enjoy speeches,"
Emily grinned as they reached the kitchen. "Almost as much as Robin enjoys his cheesy lines before a battle."
An ecstatic Starfire flew over to the pair with a very large plastic bowl in her hands. "Raven! I hope you enjoyed your meditation! Friend Emily was most concerned over the reactions of the neighbours if they saw you. She asked me not to fly outside…"
Em winced as she recalled how downcast the alien had seemed at that. That's why she'd suggested the princess making food, Em knew that it'd cheer her up. "Sorry Star but discretion is rather key at the moment,"
"I understand," responded the alien as she floated to the ground.
Raven quickly interrupted as she thought of a way to take her friends mind from the restriction. "Starfire will you fetch the others for me? I need to talk to every one."
Instantly the alien perked up. "Of course Friend Raven! I shall do so immediately!"
"She's remarkably enthusiastic," commented Emily as the Tamaranian flew down the hallway. Raven merely nodded.
"That's one way to say it," Em smiled at the sorceress sarcastic response. She knew Raven cared for all the Titans, they were her family, whether she admitted it or not. Her smile soon faded as Starfire dragged two reluctant Titans into the room, followed by a slightly out of breath Robin.
"Dude! I was just going to win!"
"No way grass stain!"
Em glared at the boys as they started to roughhouse. "Ahem, whilst this is very amusing might I remind you that they're my games?" st Em's icy tones the two boys quieted down. She smiled slightly before Raven started talking. "Now before Raven starts speaking can I ask a question?"
Raven raised her eyebrows as she remembered the brunettes last question.
Robin didn't catch the glance as he leant against the kitchen counter, carefully staying away from the blue goo by the sink that he knew from experience to be Starfires cooking. "Shoot,"
"Ok I know this is probably very obvious but how did you manage to get into this dimension?"
The Titans stared at each other, each one clearly confused.
"Um… I remember it was dark?"
The others nodded at Beast Boys answer.
"Yes it was very dark and cold. A most unpleasant feeling," Starfire shivered as she remembered the journey.
"Alright so we can remember getting here. Does anyone remember anything before that?" asked their fearless leader as the Titans shook their heads, thoroughly confused.
"Man that's weird,"
"I think I remember being pulled into a portal, much like with Mumbos hat."
"But who did it?"
"Were we fighting?"
"I… I don't think so… but…"
"We were going to. There was an alarm and we were all in the living room when a portal opened up behind us and we were dragged in." The rest of the team nodded at Ravens explanation. No one had clear memories of it but her answer felt right.
Emily just looked at each one curiously. "So no one knows exactly what happened. That's weird. I wonder who did it?"
Robin shook his head. "It doesn't matter now. We've just got to get home. We'll find out later. Raven…"
The sorceress nodded as she stepped forwards slightly, everyone's attention on her. "When it becomes fully dark in an hour I will attempt a very dangerous spell. It will form a connection between me and several magical items I have in my room. Hopefully this will form a portal back to our world."
Robins protectiveness stepped in. "How is it dangerous? Could you be hurt?"
"It is possible, but the risk should be minor with every ones help."
"Are you sure you have to wait another hour? I'm not sure you've got that long." All eyes turned to Em who was leaning against the doorway with a concerned look.
"Why?"
"Because I'm pretty sure Beast Boys gotten a few shades paler green…"
The rest of the Titans turned to stare at the now faded, green changeling. Robin spoke first. "BB before you were like this were your eyes brown?"
"Yeah…"
Raven and Robin shared a look. Their friends skin wasn't the only thing changing colour. Where his emerald eyes had once been clear, they were now muddy, verging on brown.
Raven straightened up as she heard someone walk towards the back door.
"Raven?"
The sorceress nodded at her friends presence as Robin walked out of the back door. "Robin." She thanked the priests that had raised her for her voice maintaining its perfect monotone.
"Em's getting the guys to meditate. She's a good teacher,"
Raven nodded. It would be necessary for everyone to lend her their strength and visualise the Tower if they were ever going to get home. "Anymore symptoms?"
Robin walked over to the violet haired empath. "BB's skin is almost pastel, I guess if we stayed here overnight he'd be fully human again. He can still change forms but it takes longer and he complains of a headache. Cyborgs not feeling well, apparently his human body's rejecting some his more complex machine parts but he says he'll be fine for days to come. Starfire can't fly anymore and she says her starbolts hurt but she's fine otherwise,"
Raven studied the ebony haired youth. She knew him too well to not realise he was hiding something. "And you?"
The Boy Wonder shrugged. "I'm slower, my balance is worse… nothing really," Robin carefully watched the empath as she nodded and started to walk inside. She stumbled, her arms wrapping around herself as she tried to ignore the pain. In an instant Robin was at her side holding her as she repressed her cries.
"Raven! What's wrong?"
The sorceress straightened up slightly as her magic healed the damage to her body for the third time since their meeting an hour ago.
"I'm not human Robin, I'm the most unlikely one out of all of us. My body can't survive this reality. In three maybe four hours I'll be dead…"
"We're going home Raven. You'll be fine. You have to be…" Raven relaxed into the warriors arms as he gently held her, his fingers running through her hair.
"I'm not sure I can…"
"Raven you're the strongest person I know! You can do this, I'm not letting you go Raven,"
"Thank you…"
Emily walked outside before Raven could finish. "Guys I hate to interrupt you but time's of the essence here."
The sorceress nodded. "Is every one calm?"
"As relaxed as they're going to get,"
"Good, I'll perform the ritual outside."
"Can I watch?"
"Of course but stay back. I don't want you to be pulled in." The empath straightened from her leaders embrace as he reluctantly let her go. The others soon followed Emily, Raven giving them directions to sit in a circle in the middle of the lawn.
"Gonna miss you Rae," whispered Em as she embraced the sorceress.
"Goodbye my friend," responded the empath as she walked into the centre of her friends, leaving Em to call after her.
"Good Luck, I'll be watching…"
The Titans smiled at their new friend before everyone turned their attention to Raven who stood with her arms outstretched. At her command the group closed their eyes and visualised their home. Each one of them trusting the sorceress completely as she started to chant.
"Ybeht eciovfo Azar idnammed oteb tnes emoh! Ybeht doolbni ymsniev iredor it! Latrop nepo!"
As the sorceresses voice rose so too did a wind around the group. Em watched as the gale snapped at Ravens cloak, pulling up the earth around the Titans and yet not one of them so much as flinched. Their eyes remaining closed as the concentrated on their home, each of them trusting their friend. As the hurricane howled Ravens voice was joined by the others, first Robin then the other three as they willingly fell into the spell. Suddenly a portal opened, it looked like a jagged rip in the air. A black tear in reality. One by one the Titans were pulled in, each one screaming as the slash sucked them in. Em stared as she felt its pull. Desperately she clung to the wall of her home. Why wasn't the thing closing?
She screamed as she lost her grip and felt herself being dragged into the portal, its blackness piercing her body like a knife. The brunette shrieked louder as the swirls of shadow surrounded her. This was not right. She should not be here. She heard the echoes of five other voices in the shadows with her before pain ripped through her body once more and she screamed again, drowning out all thought or sense.
The teenager felt the shades recede as she was chucked out of the portal. She barely had time to open her eyes before she hit the ground. It was soft, carpeted. To either side of her lay five more teenagers and behind her was a swiftly closing portal. Her eyes widened as the pain of inter-dimensional travel completely faded from her mind and her memories returned.
Emily ran to the swirling mass of black energy but too late. She fell to her knees as the portal closed mere seconds before she touched its borders. The girl screamed with a voice that pierced through the fog of the unconscious superheroes minds. It encompassed pure pain and unreserved loss. It exposed total agony, beyond what any being should ever have to live through. It was the scream of one who knew that every thing and every one she had ever cared about was gone.
The others whimpered as they brought their hands to their ears in a desperate yet futile attempt to lessen the pain coursing through their veins. Only one of the titans seemed capable of resisting. The violet haired sorceress crawled towards her friend.
"Emily?"
The girl turned around, her scream ending as rage replaced her pain.
"You!" In a move to fast to be seen the teenager flew at the sorceress. The irises of Em's eyes turned a deep red, her clothes seemingly shedding as she moved and being replaced by a tight fitting scarlet dress and cloak. "You!" Emily held the amethyst eyed sorceress by the neck and raised her over her head. Raven made no attempt to defend her self at her friends fury. "Send me back!"
Raven looked at the transforming teenager with a gentleness that was at odds with the threat in the others voice. "I can't," Em slowly lowered her friend as the truth of her words penetrated. "I have no connection to your world…"
Emily fell to the floor once more, tears flowing down her face as Raven knelt by her side and drew her into an embrace. "My home, my friends, my family… I'll never see them again…"
The rest of the Titans managed to pull themselves to their feet and stood looking ashamed. If she hadn't helped them then she would never have been ripped from her home. It was their fault.
Robin started to step forward. "You can stay here… you're our friend…"
The rest of the Titans nodded. "We'll help you…"
"Anything you need, we won't stop looking for a way back to your home…"
"Yes Friend Emily, we will help…"
Emily looked up at the Titans and smiled slightly as she drew back from Ravens embrace. She softly smiled as she raised her hand and turned her gaze towards it. "It's not Emily anymore Starfire." Red sparks appeared around her fingers. "I'm Crimson now… and there's no way home…"