Author's Note: Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but I do own
this storyline. This story, any original characters, and other things not
completely associated with TTs belong to me, thank you.
Chapter One Raven's POV
I had moved my bed away from the window earlier, fearing he would come again. Last time he went to far, almost drove me to...well...you know.
I hate him now. He had my friends so worried, so afraid for my life. I cannot believe he would do this to me. My own father, terrorizing not only my life, but my friends. I know they probably would live on without me, but still...
Moving my bed, Starfire said I should still rest, seeing I was still recovering from my injuries. But I told her it was simple and I should just do it to be on the safe side. She didn't know what I meant by 'safe side', less much would she care.
Normal POV
Raven walked out of the room and sat down on the lounging sofa, next to Robin on one side and Cyborg on the other. Robin turned to Raven, a softened look on his face.
"You shouldn't be out of your room, really," he said, "You're should still be very light headed, all the blood you lost."
Raven crossed her legs and placed both hands, folded, behind her head, "I'm fine, I can handle it, really."
Robin shrugged, "Just looking after you, Raven."
Raven rolled her eyes and got up from the sofa. They didn't want her here, she knew. She started to walk back to her room so she could rest, whatever she could do to 'please' her friends. Walking back to her room, she started to feel an eerie presence nearby.
Beast Boy?
"Raven?" came a voice behind her. Raven slowly turned around, facing Beast Boy. She was starting to get her presence feelings in order now. They used to be such a mess when she came back from the little shack she lived in.
"What do you want?" she asked, glumly, continuing to walk to her room. She opened her door and made a gesture for Beast Boy to come in with her. He walked in, a little unsure. Without closing the door, she walked over and slumped onto her bed.
"I wanted to ask you something, Rave," he asked, twiddling a little with his thumbs.
"What?" Raven asked, picking up her book and starting to read.
"Um...just," he slid his foot across the black bedroom carpet, "It's kind of hard for me to say it...um..."
"On with it, Beast Boy."
Beast Boy bit his lip, "You...remember that night, don't you Raven?"
Raven rolled her eyes, "No, I forgot all about it. Really, Beast Boy," she said sarcastically, "Of course I remember that night!"
"Well..." he rubbed the back of his neck, "Did you happen to hear what I said to you, um, after you tried to let go?"
Raven closed her book to look at Beast Boy in his eyes. She snapped her fingers and her bedroom door closed slowly, "Why?"
"I just wanted to know..."
She showed no emotion at all. She only answered with a stone face pasted on, "Yes, I do. And? Is that all?"
"Well...are you sure we're talking about the same thing?"
She rolled her eyes, "You said you loved me, so what?"
"Don't you love me back?" Raven sighed, looking down at the ground below, "Well?" she sighed again. Beast Boy leaned over to Raven, placing both hands on her shoulders, "Please, you've gotta tell me you feel the same way to me! Please!"
Raven looked back up at him, "I...I can't, Beast Boy."
"What do you mean you can't? I love you, Raven! Did you hear me or don't you care?"
"I'm biting myself back to have feelings for anyone, even you," she said, "I can't love you because I won't allow myself to."
"Please!" he gently ran his fingers through her hair. Raven could see there were tears in his eyes, "Why can't you ever decide to care what others think? Why do you have to be so cold!?"
Beast Boy let go of Raven and stumbled back, covering his face. He was breathing very deep, fast. Raven watched him, looking as if he was being tortured, "Beast Boy?"
"Do not bother!" he said fiercely, "You can make your own decisions while at the time, you'll find that the ones I tell you are much better."
Raven gasped. She had heard this somewhere before. Who? Somewhere...someone had told her that before. But who was it? What was it? Then it hit her, she knew!
"Father Trigon!" she said, backing away on her bed. Beast Boy let out a hideous smile, "No! Let him go!"
Beast Boy laughed evilly, "My dear, daughter, Raven. It's nice to see you again."
"No, I got rid of you, you can't come near me!"
"Oh, can I?" he looked through himself, patting his chest and stomach and wiggling his fingers in front of his face, "Really? I think I'm pretty close right now. Your chakra must have not work."
She back away a little again, "What do you want?"
He inched up on Raven, "It's not every day I get to see my youngest daughter. I have come to talk to you."
Raven watched as Beast Boy fell to the ground, lifelessly, "Beast Boy?" she asked.
"He'll be asleep for a while," said a deep voice behind Raven. She whirled around on her bed to face the masked identity of Slade, "Now, Raven, let's talk while the only witness is, let's just say...not really here," he laughed hideously. Raven attempted to scream but his huge hand covered her mouth, forcefully.
Let me go! She said telepathically to her father.
"Not a chance, Raven," he said. He sprawled Raven across onto his lap, hand still covering her mouth. He grabbed one of her hands and turned the wrist upward to his face, where long, squiggly scars ran across the base of it, "How are your wrists doing, Raven? That Starfire did a nice job on stitching, didn't she?" he let go of her mouth and ran his cold fingers over the scar, "They aren't your friends, Raven. And you know that."
"Don't start that again," she screamed, getting up from his lap, "You and I both know they are my friends and always have been."
"Maybe."
"Maybe?"
He rolled his dark eyes, "You are just a fool, Raven," he said, "What have I always told you?"
"You've never told me anything useful."
He swung his hand back and slapped her hard across her face, "I'll ask you again...what have I always told you?"
She sighed, "You've always told me to conquer this city, as I have not. I am considered a resident, a heroine of this city, should I say."
"So you rather listen to your self and not to your father?"
She looked up at him, angered by his words, "Father! You act more like an enemy to me! I shouldn't be calling you father...I should be calling you...baka..."
Slade clenched his fists, ready to strike her at any second. But he knew he had to control himself, "You are right, Raven...I have been more like an enemy to you. But it is my duty. I am trying to get you to be more like me! How do you expect to be heir of Azrath if all you do is lump around, hardly talking and saving innocent souls?"
"Because it's good...I'm trying to rid you of me. I'm trying to forget about Azrath."
He shook his head, "Raven..." he calmly sat next to her. She stood still, unsure of what he was going to do, "I sense the power of chakra inside your very, pathetic soul. If you would just unleash it...you would be able to conquer not only this city, but the entire nation if you wanted to. You have the power to..."
Raven covered her ears, "Azrath Metrion Zinthos! Power of chakra, I beg you to rid this cretin from me. Take him away...I do not want him near me no longer..."
"Raven!"
"AZRATH METRION ZINTHOS! AZRATH METRION ZINTHOS!"
"Raven...you..." he covered her mouth with his large hand. Too late. The door to Raven's room swung open and the three other Teen Titans stood right in the frame of it.
"Let her go!" Robin screamed.
"Robin...it's good to meet you again."
"Shut the hole in your face and let Raven go!"
He tightened his grip on Raven, "Make on."
Robin knitted his eyebrows, seeing his trick, "What do you want?"
Slade whipped out a small knife, it's tiny but sharp blade gleaming in the dim light. He took the blade and quickly drew an X on Raven's forehead. Then he snickered and flicked the blade into his pocket.
"That was all I needed," he said. He pushed Raven towards the other titans, Cyborg catching her, "I pray she'll tell you what I've just done," he turned towards Raven's window and crashed it open, "I'll see you all in a couple of days...especially, you, Raven. I love ya!" he jumped out the window, landing in a crouch on the ground.
"What just happened?" Robin asked himself, out loud.
Raven sighed, getting up from Cyborg's arms, "Best not to upset him any further."
"Why?"
"My life is in his hands," she explained, "It's his curse. It can only heal naturally, and not by spell. He snaps his fingers and pretty much I die instantly."
"No...he can't!" Starfire shouted at the top of her lungs.
"I'm sorry."
Robin sighed, kicking his foot onto the trash can, putting a dent in it, "Damn it!" he looked down at Beast Boy, "The only thing we can do is wait for BB to wake up."
Raven shook her head slowly, "I'm sorry, I wish I was never incorporated with the Teen Titans...believe me, you would all have 'stunning' lives if it weren't for me."
"No...don't say that!" Starfire said, putting her slender arms around Raven, "You're letting Trigon's...er...Slade's thoughts get to you again. We are your friends and we do not care if we have been put in danger, even if it was because of you...I mean it. We mean it."
"She's right," Cyborg said, "Don't let yourself fall into his traps again. He could be fooling with your very mind right now. Don't ever think we will abandon you."
Chapter One Raven's POV
I had moved my bed away from the window earlier, fearing he would come again. Last time he went to far, almost drove me to...well...you know.
I hate him now. He had my friends so worried, so afraid for my life. I cannot believe he would do this to me. My own father, terrorizing not only my life, but my friends. I know they probably would live on without me, but still...
Moving my bed, Starfire said I should still rest, seeing I was still recovering from my injuries. But I told her it was simple and I should just do it to be on the safe side. She didn't know what I meant by 'safe side', less much would she care.
Normal POV
Raven walked out of the room and sat down on the lounging sofa, next to Robin on one side and Cyborg on the other. Robin turned to Raven, a softened look on his face.
"You shouldn't be out of your room, really," he said, "You're should still be very light headed, all the blood you lost."
Raven crossed her legs and placed both hands, folded, behind her head, "I'm fine, I can handle it, really."
Robin shrugged, "Just looking after you, Raven."
Raven rolled her eyes and got up from the sofa. They didn't want her here, she knew. She started to walk back to her room so she could rest, whatever she could do to 'please' her friends. Walking back to her room, she started to feel an eerie presence nearby.
Beast Boy?
"Raven?" came a voice behind her. Raven slowly turned around, facing Beast Boy. She was starting to get her presence feelings in order now. They used to be such a mess when she came back from the little shack she lived in.
"What do you want?" she asked, glumly, continuing to walk to her room. She opened her door and made a gesture for Beast Boy to come in with her. He walked in, a little unsure. Without closing the door, she walked over and slumped onto her bed.
"I wanted to ask you something, Rave," he asked, twiddling a little with his thumbs.
"What?" Raven asked, picking up her book and starting to read.
"Um...just," he slid his foot across the black bedroom carpet, "It's kind of hard for me to say it...um..."
"On with it, Beast Boy."
Beast Boy bit his lip, "You...remember that night, don't you Raven?"
Raven rolled her eyes, "No, I forgot all about it. Really, Beast Boy," she said sarcastically, "Of course I remember that night!"
"Well..." he rubbed the back of his neck, "Did you happen to hear what I said to you, um, after you tried to let go?"
Raven closed her book to look at Beast Boy in his eyes. She snapped her fingers and her bedroom door closed slowly, "Why?"
"I just wanted to know..."
She showed no emotion at all. She only answered with a stone face pasted on, "Yes, I do. And? Is that all?"
"Well...are you sure we're talking about the same thing?"
She rolled her eyes, "You said you loved me, so what?"
"Don't you love me back?" Raven sighed, looking down at the ground below, "Well?" she sighed again. Beast Boy leaned over to Raven, placing both hands on her shoulders, "Please, you've gotta tell me you feel the same way to me! Please!"
Raven looked back up at him, "I...I can't, Beast Boy."
"What do you mean you can't? I love you, Raven! Did you hear me or don't you care?"
"I'm biting myself back to have feelings for anyone, even you," she said, "I can't love you because I won't allow myself to."
"Please!" he gently ran his fingers through her hair. Raven could see there were tears in his eyes, "Why can't you ever decide to care what others think? Why do you have to be so cold!?"
Beast Boy let go of Raven and stumbled back, covering his face. He was breathing very deep, fast. Raven watched him, looking as if he was being tortured, "Beast Boy?"
"Do not bother!" he said fiercely, "You can make your own decisions while at the time, you'll find that the ones I tell you are much better."
Raven gasped. She had heard this somewhere before. Who? Somewhere...someone had told her that before. But who was it? What was it? Then it hit her, she knew!
"Father Trigon!" she said, backing away on her bed. Beast Boy let out a hideous smile, "No! Let him go!"
Beast Boy laughed evilly, "My dear, daughter, Raven. It's nice to see you again."
"No, I got rid of you, you can't come near me!"
"Oh, can I?" he looked through himself, patting his chest and stomach and wiggling his fingers in front of his face, "Really? I think I'm pretty close right now. Your chakra must have not work."
She back away a little again, "What do you want?"
He inched up on Raven, "It's not every day I get to see my youngest daughter. I have come to talk to you."
Raven watched as Beast Boy fell to the ground, lifelessly, "Beast Boy?" she asked.
"He'll be asleep for a while," said a deep voice behind Raven. She whirled around on her bed to face the masked identity of Slade, "Now, Raven, let's talk while the only witness is, let's just say...not really here," he laughed hideously. Raven attempted to scream but his huge hand covered her mouth, forcefully.
Let me go! She said telepathically to her father.
"Not a chance, Raven," he said. He sprawled Raven across onto his lap, hand still covering her mouth. He grabbed one of her hands and turned the wrist upward to his face, where long, squiggly scars ran across the base of it, "How are your wrists doing, Raven? That Starfire did a nice job on stitching, didn't she?" he let go of her mouth and ran his cold fingers over the scar, "They aren't your friends, Raven. And you know that."
"Don't start that again," she screamed, getting up from his lap, "You and I both know they are my friends and always have been."
"Maybe."
"Maybe?"
He rolled his dark eyes, "You are just a fool, Raven," he said, "What have I always told you?"
"You've never told me anything useful."
He swung his hand back and slapped her hard across her face, "I'll ask you again...what have I always told you?"
She sighed, "You've always told me to conquer this city, as I have not. I am considered a resident, a heroine of this city, should I say."
"So you rather listen to your self and not to your father?"
She looked up at him, angered by his words, "Father! You act more like an enemy to me! I shouldn't be calling you father...I should be calling you...baka..."
Slade clenched his fists, ready to strike her at any second. But he knew he had to control himself, "You are right, Raven...I have been more like an enemy to you. But it is my duty. I am trying to get you to be more like me! How do you expect to be heir of Azrath if all you do is lump around, hardly talking and saving innocent souls?"
"Because it's good...I'm trying to rid you of me. I'm trying to forget about Azrath."
He shook his head, "Raven..." he calmly sat next to her. She stood still, unsure of what he was going to do, "I sense the power of chakra inside your very, pathetic soul. If you would just unleash it...you would be able to conquer not only this city, but the entire nation if you wanted to. You have the power to..."
Raven covered her ears, "Azrath Metrion Zinthos! Power of chakra, I beg you to rid this cretin from me. Take him away...I do not want him near me no longer..."
"Raven!"
"AZRATH METRION ZINTHOS! AZRATH METRION ZINTHOS!"
"Raven...you..." he covered her mouth with his large hand. Too late. The door to Raven's room swung open and the three other Teen Titans stood right in the frame of it.
"Let her go!" Robin screamed.
"Robin...it's good to meet you again."
"Shut the hole in your face and let Raven go!"
He tightened his grip on Raven, "Make on."
Robin knitted his eyebrows, seeing his trick, "What do you want?"
Slade whipped out a small knife, it's tiny but sharp blade gleaming in the dim light. He took the blade and quickly drew an X on Raven's forehead. Then he snickered and flicked the blade into his pocket.
"That was all I needed," he said. He pushed Raven towards the other titans, Cyborg catching her, "I pray she'll tell you what I've just done," he turned towards Raven's window and crashed it open, "I'll see you all in a couple of days...especially, you, Raven. I love ya!" he jumped out the window, landing in a crouch on the ground.
"What just happened?" Robin asked himself, out loud.
Raven sighed, getting up from Cyborg's arms, "Best not to upset him any further."
"Why?"
"My life is in his hands," she explained, "It's his curse. It can only heal naturally, and not by spell. He snaps his fingers and pretty much I die instantly."
"No...he can't!" Starfire shouted at the top of her lungs.
"I'm sorry."
Robin sighed, kicking his foot onto the trash can, putting a dent in it, "Damn it!" he looked down at Beast Boy, "The only thing we can do is wait for BB to wake up."
Raven shook her head slowly, "I'm sorry, I wish I was never incorporated with the Teen Titans...believe me, you would all have 'stunning' lives if it weren't for me."
"No...don't say that!" Starfire said, putting her slender arms around Raven, "You're letting Trigon's...er...Slade's thoughts get to you again. We are your friends and we do not care if we have been put in danger, even if it was because of you...I mean it. We mean it."
"She's right," Cyborg said, "Don't let yourself fall into his traps again. He could be fooling with your very mind right now. Don't ever think we will abandon you."