Marks
A tumblr prompt I took far too long to get around to ¬_¬'
*BOOM!*
The heavy, wooden doors fell to the floor, broken and quickly trodden underfoot by four extraordinary teenagers.
Running in first was Robin, protegé of the Batman, a dangerous martial artist, a uniquely gifted acrobat and skilled detective.
Second, sonic cannon still humming after blasting the door, came Cyborg, a human-machine hybrid of incalculable sophistication with a mind so inventive it was matched only by the warmth of his spirit.
Third, flying above them, came Starfire, Tamaranean royalty and a powerful warrior even by the reckoning of her own, mighty race. Her eyes, normally filled with joy and curiosity, glittered with dangerous green light.
Finally, snarling and roaring in tiger form, came Beast Boy, a singular shapeshifter of immense power and equally immense frivolity.
Normally the Titans had a fifth member but, in this case, she was in need of rescue herself. And rescued she was - she had been imprisoned behind those enchanted but, in the end, insufficient doors. Her rescuers took in the room, noting two pertinent details: Raven was chained to the floor and one of the many cultists they had just fought through was in her with her, manipulating some mystical artifact that threw out green, sickly light. Robin ran to Raven's side, already giving orders.
"Cyborg, get Raven loose. Beast Boy," he said, pointing at the cultist. "Take him down. Starfire," he continued, staring grimly at the artifact. "Burn it." Beast Boy leapt upon the shrieking cultist with relish, though he didn't inflict serious harm. Cyborg began to fiddle with Raven' restraints while Starfire landed next to the bizarre artifact and blasted it with green fire from her shining eyes. The sickly light vanished and, to the relief of her friends, Raven shook herself and looked at all and each of them in astonished relief of her own.
"Y-you're alive. You're all alive! He told me... he told me... he t-told me..." Raven's voice cracked and faltered and, now that she could sense them, she felt and cherished the four bursts of sorrow, sympathy and righteous but unfocused fury she felt from them. She scrubbed at her eyes with the heel of her hand and then stared at the ground while she tried in vain to center herself. Suddenly, an open hand slid into her field of vision, clad in a grey glove. She looked up into the green eyes of a now humanoid Beast Boy.
"Let's go home, Raven." Raven laid her newly-freed hand in his and let him help her to her feet. Cyborg freed her right ankle from the last shackle and, seeing her unsteadiness, scooped her up into his arms. She put her hands around his neck, grateful for the security of her friend. Beast Boy had already turned away, growling back through the door at a few cultists who had regrouped. He morphed into a cheetah and charged, leaping and kicking one of them to the ground. Another was sent flying by Starfire and a third was knocked down by Robin's staff. The three of them fought the dregs of the cult while Cyborg ran for the exit with Raven, occasionally blasting anyone foolish enough to stand in his way. As he ran, Raven looked around her, dazed and unsure. Eventually, she settled into Cyborg's embrace, lowering her head and trying to hold him more tightly. Suddenly, they were outside again and the T-Car was hurtling toward them. On auto-pilot, it skidded to a halt and opened the rear passenger door nearest to them, the open door chime sounding out of place next to a still-raging battle. Cyborg moved to set Raven down in the seat, pausing when Raven refused to let go, looking up at him with wide, watery eyes. He stared back... he had rarely seen Raven so obviously distressed.
"Rae, I need to put you down. I'm not going anywhere, I promise. I promise," he insisted. He felt her hands relinquish their hold on his neck but her eyes still bore into his own. He placed her in the seat with a gentleness that seemed impossible given his large and powerful frame. He tapped a few button on the headrest and some sensors popped out of the ceiling, giving Raven a quick scan. The results spilled across the display on his arm and he sighed in relief: she was fine, physically. He wasn't picking up that curious electromagnetic fluctuation her powers gave off so it was safe to assume her magic had been siphoned or suppressed somehow. He couldn't yet guess at her mental wellbeing. He shut the door, forcing a smile to assure her he wasn't going anywhere. He turned back to the cultists' base, an unremarkable office from the outside. He re-armed his sonic cannon and held position, waiting for the others. He didn't need to wait long. They walked out the door, a little banged up but strong and victorious. Cyborg retracted his weapon. Robin spoke first, wincing around a bloody lip.
"They're all down and secured. The JCPD is en route but..."He glanced past Cyborg at Raven. She was staring at them through the window, her hands pressed against the glass. "I think it's best we head home now. I picked up what's left of that artifact. Maybe we can work out what they did to Rav-"
"No!"
They all turned to the car, Raven had recoiled from the window at the sight of the artifact and had backed away to the other side of the car, shivering inside her cloak. They glanced at each other in unsure silence. Starfire put her hand on the artifact.
"I will take it myself. Let Raven see me, so she will know it does not travel with her in the car." They waited for Raven to peek out at them, then Starfire soared into the air and headed home, the artifact in hand. Still shaken, Raven sat up and pulled her hood over her head: she was ashamed of her outburst. The remaining Titans piled in the car and made their own way back to the Tower. Beast Boy sat in the back with Raven, unsure what to do but certain he should do something. His hand reached out toward hers... but he faltered and began to withdraw. He gasped when Raven's hand darted out and grabbed onto his in a grip so desperate it almost hurt. He watched her sorrowfully. What had they done to her?
Twenty minutes later they all stood in the common room. Raven stood, face hidden in the shadow of her cloak, in the centre of the room, loosely surrounded by the others in heavy silence and indecision. Cyborg's sensors alerted him to a tiny EM fluctuation - Raven's powers were returning. In short order, a poster ripped itself from the wall, furniture creaked under invisible weight and every dish and door in the kitchen began to rattle. Raven clenched her teeth, valiantly trying to restrain herself but failing just as surely. She whispered something and Cyborg leaned in to hear her better.
"The safe room... get me to the safe room... get me to the safe room..." she repeated, like a new mantra. Cyborg looked straight at Starfire, the sturdiest and fastest of them.
"Star, get her in the safe room. Now!" Without hesitation, Starfire ran to Raven, wrapping her arms around her as if embracing her, and rocketed toward the door. Cyborg was already remotely opening every door in her path. Starfire's lip trembled in sympathetic grief when, even in this situation, Raven held tight and buried her head in Starfire's shoulder. In mere seconds, Raven was in the safe room with Starfire's hands on her shoulder and concerned eyes on her own.
"Raven, we are here. You may let go," Starfire said. Raven, still gritting her teeth, shook her head slowly and stiffly.
"Not until you're out," she muttered. Starfire shook her head.
"I will not leave you. I am strong, Raven. I can withsta-"
"Please... please just go," Raven said, her voice cracking again. With a regretful sigh, Starfire floated to the exit and left the room. Once the door was sealed again, she tapped the intercom.
"Raven, I have left the safe room and sealed the door," she said. Raven fell to her knees and threw her head back.
"Hu...huu...huuuaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Raven screamed. Her power poured and pooled around her, covering every surface of the safe room. Still she screamed. The others arrived and joined Starfire at the observation window. They could still see her as a shadow of herself with a glowing white outline. Still she screamed. Starfire wept openly at her friend's suffering, though quietly. Robin hadn't felt such cold anger since their last encounter with Slade. Cyborg shed a tear or two himself but forced himself to watch, some part of him hoping to bear her hurt with her. Beast Boy was crying as well, his hands clenching so hard his arms began to hurt. Still she screamed. She screamed again and again, long and heedless while her friends watched over her. Eventually - finally - her screams died down to hoarse whimpers and her power receded back into her shadow. The others watched tensely, wondering what might happen next. Raven, her hood cast back, glanced at them through the window before closing her eyes and collapsing. They were inside in a heartbeat, Cyborg taking her wrist in his.
"She's okay," he reported, eliciting a chorus of sighs. "She's beyond exhausted, though. I need to set her up in the infirmar-"
"She has to stay in here," Robin said with clear dismay, interrupting Cyborg.
"But I need to-"
"I know, I know. We'll set up a cot for her in here. Take Star and bring everything you need from the infirmary," Robin ordered. He saw Cyborg's reluctance. He shared it. "After what we just watched, we need to keep her here, Cyborg. There's no telling what will happen when she wakes up. You know I'm right about this..." Cyborg grimaced.
"... I know. I just don't like it," he grumbled. Robin nodded, trying and failing to smile.
"Neither do I. Come on, Beast Boy, we need to see to Raven." With that, the group went about their tasks. Cyborg and Starfire went to and fro with various medical instruments while Robin retrieved a cot from storage and set it up. Beast Boy had unclasped Raven's cloak and folded it under her head while Robin worked. He looked down at her and marvelled: even though she was still slightly taller than him, right now she looked so small. He laid his hand over hers - it was so tiny. Robin called to him, saying he had finished. Beast Boy gently pulled her head to his shoulder, making sure it didn't loll back as he put his other arm beneath her legs and stood, lifting her with little effort. Once again, Beast Boy couldn't help but fixate on her seemingly delicate build, so small and light, when she was clearly the strongest Titan and regularly beset by the biggest challenges. He knelt by the cot and lowered her, moving his hand from her knees to her head before laying her down. Robin removed her boots and set them on the floor and Beast Boy helplessly compared them to his own, again surprised at her smallness. He quickly picked up her cape and set it down by her boots. He carefully pulled the sheets over her and checked three times she was in a comfortable position, barely noticing when Cyborg began setting up his medical equipment. He was shaken from his reverie when Starfire's hand alighted on his shoulder.
"Beast Boy, it is time for us all to retire and leave Raven to her rest," she said, quietly. Beast Boy looked back at Raven.
"Shouldn't one of us stay?" he wondered.
"Cyborg will remain to monitor her overnight. Let us find rest of our own, Beast Boy. Then we may help her better tomorrow," she said. Beast Boy nodded and followed Starfire to the exit. Robin was with Cyborg at the observation window. As they walked to the elevator, Beast Boy realised that Starfire was walking and not floating. He supposed there wasn't a lot of joy to keep her airborne at the moment.
Hours later, in the middle of the night, Cyborg was alerted by the medical sensors in the safe room: Raven was stirring. He had been examining data recorded during Raven's outburst but set that work aside and moved to the window. He saw Raven sit up and look around, panicked. Her panic ceased the moment she caught sight of him. He glanced at the sensor readings: there was no EM fluctuation. Her powers were still exhausted or back under her control. He made his decision and entered the room. Raven was sitting on the cot, her knees under her chin and wrapped up in her blanket.
"Raven? You okay?" he asked, immediately cursing himself for such a stupid question. She didn't look at him but answered honestly.
"No. Are you?" she asked in turn.
"Never mind about me, Rae. We need to concentr-"
"No. It's important. Are you alright?" she asked again, more firmly. Cyborg was silent for a moment in his surprise but eventually answered her.
"Yeah, Rae. I'm fine. I'm just worried about you," he said, soothingly. Raven nodded, her eyes squeezed shut.
"Everyone's okay?" she asked.
"Yeah. Yeah, we're all okay," he answered patiently. Raven chewed her bottom lip.
"Is... is Beast Boy alright?" she asked with transparent nonchalance.
"BB's good, Rae," he said. Raven's eyes opened and met his.
"You're sure?" she asked, whispering now. Cyborg knelt at her side.
"I'm sure. He was just here a few hours ago... tucking you in," he added, attempting a playful smirk and nudging her shoulder. Raven raised her head to face him properly at that, her hands clutching at her blanket just a little tighter. Tentatively, one hand reached out to Cyborg and pressed against his chest. At the contact, Raven let out a sigh.
"You're really alright," she said to herself. Cyborg hid his unease at her need to reassure herself but plastered a smile on his face and daringly ruffled her hair with his hand. She glared at him but made no move to stop him.
"Yup, I'm really alright. You gonna go back to sleep or...?" he asked.
"I'm not sure. Will you stay with me a while? To talk?" Raven asked in turn. Cyborg blinked at her.
"Uh... sure!" he said. "What do you wanna talk about?" Raven shrugged, then started to lay back down, pulling the blanket up to her chin.
"Not sure. Didn't you say you were adding something to the T-Car?" she asked, deliberately luring him onto a subject he couldn't resist. Sure enough, his false enthusiasm was replaced by real enthusiasm and off he went, rambling on and on about various bits and bobs he had added or improved on his car. Raven's eyes started to close and she began to drift. This was good, barely listening to Cyborg wax lyrical about his car. This was normal. She fell asleep. Cyborg talked for another five minutes before noticing. He quietly exited the room and resumed his work outside.
With a start, Raven awoke again, sitting upright with her heartbeat hammering in her ears. She glanced over at the window: no one there. She squeezed her eyes shut and whispered her mantra over and over. The various pieces of furniture and equipment in the room started to vibrate. She recited faster, trying desperately to calm herself. She knew, in her head, that the Titans were fine. She had seen them. Had spoken to them. But in Nevermore, Timid, even with the objective reassurance of Knowledge, still doubted. Still fixated on what she had seen. What they had all seen.
"Raven?" Raven's eyes snapped open and she looked at the window: Starfire was there, smiling hopefully. The room fell still and Raven was able to slow her heart. With the evidence before her, her other emotions were able to more effectively restrain Timid's influence. Starfire disappeared from the window and, moments later, walked in the door accompanied by Robin. They were both smiling at her, relieved to see her up. They hid their worry well (Cyborg had told them of last night's conversation) but she sensed it all the same. It was a... jagged emotion but she was glad to feel it from them.
"Morning, Raven," Robin said, presenting her with a steaming cup of tea. She sighed gratefully and took the beverage, cradling the precious cup in both hands. The heat was real and now and wonderful. As she sipped, she saw Starfire deposit a plate of toast next to her on her cot. She nodded with a smile at her friend, nibbling at a piece as they grabbed a pair of folding chairs and sat with her.
"It is most agreeable to see you awake, Raven," Starfire said, drowning out her own worry with bright and protective joy. Raven closed her eyes for a moment to luxuriate in the feeling.
"It's agreeable to be awake. I never thanked you for coming to get me," Raven answered. Robin smiled again, and Raven could almost see the thrill of satisfaction run through him at mention of her rescue.
"You don't need to thank us, Raven... but you're welcome." Raven nodded at him, sipping at her tea. They sat in companionable silence for a long moment until Raven put down her tea cup and glanced between them uneasily. She grumbled under her breath before speaking.
"Are you both... alright?" she asked. Robin and Starfire looked at each other in confusion. "Please just tell me," Raven insisted.
"I'm fine, Raven," Robin answered.
"I am well also," Starfire added. Raven closed her eyes. She stood and stepped closer to them. First she took Robin's face in her hands and stared, examining his every feature. She released him and moved to Starfire, running one hand down her arm and, when she reached it, took her hand for a moment and squeezed it. She sat down with folded arms, a little embarrassed at her lapse of control.
"You're both alright," she mumbled to herself and, crucially, to Timid. Robin and Starfire glanced at each other again.
"Raven-" Robin began.
"Is Beast Boy alright?" Raven asked, cursing herself. Timid was still pushing through her control.
"We have not yet seen him," Starfire answered. It was a bit early for the changeling. At the pained look on Raven's face, Starfire hastened to add: "But he was well when he retired last night, if a little distressed." Raven took a deep breath, nodding at the information.
"Raven," Robin began again. "What happened last night?" he asked in a tone that demanded truth. Raven looked up at him and, though he was startled by how suddenly weary she looked, he held her gaze.
"The... artifact you confiscated. It's a lesser portal, one you can't go through... but you can see and speak through it. They showed me... they forced me to see Trigon," she confessed. Starfire gasped and held a hand to her mouth.
"I thought he was gone," Robin said.
"He is. But he isn't dead. He's lost in the void where his essence was first discovered. It took an immense amount of energy to retrieve just that before he was truly born. To release a demon of his power and age from the void is an impossibility... but he lives. He spoke to me... told me things. Showed me things," she said, growing quieter with every word. She wished fervently she had donned her cloak and hood.
"If he cannot escape, then what purpose did this serve?" Starfire asked. Raven looked at her, her carefully neutral expression still tinged with misery.
"He's evil, Star. His only purpose was to hurt me," she explained. Starfire whimpered and stood, quickly crossing to Raven's cot and sitting next to her, winding her arm around her friend's shoulders. Raven stiffened initially but, after a moment, relaxed into Starfire's embrace, glad of a little human contact. Well, not human but close enough.
"What did he tell you, Raven?" Robin asked. Raven deflated a little.
"He told me I had killed you. All of you. He showed me things... your mask, Starfire's gauntlet... Cyborg's eye... tokens to prove to me my demonic nature had prevailed, still covered in the blood of my fam-... my friends," she said. Robin, not liking her retraction, leaned forward and took one of her hands while Starfire held her a little tighter.
"Family sounds right to me," he said with a smirk, earning a smile.
"I know in my head you're all okay... but TImid was badly affected. She keeps getting past my control... I can't leave the safe room yet. Though I will need a trip to the bathroom," Raven said.
"Of course, go ahead. Take Star with you, get some books if you like. Whatever you need until you feel better." Raven grabbed her cloak and put it on, leaving with Starfire trailing behind her. Robin let his smile slip, wondering about one potentially important detail. When mentioning the tokens in Trigon's delusion, she hadn't mentioned Beast Boy.
An hour later, freshly showered and dressed with a few odds and ends in her arms, Raven entered the elevator and headed for the safe room. When she arrived, she stopped dead.
"Hi, Rae..."
"Beast Boy," Raven breathed. She dropped what she was carrying and marched towards the changeling. He gulped and froze when she threw her arms around him. She was breathing hard and one hand moved up to run through his hair. After some seconds, he found his voice.
"Uhhh... you okay, Rae?" he asked. He felt her shudder for a moment and realised with a jolt she had just chuckled at him. It had been a pretty dumb question.
"Obviously not," she said dryly. "But I'm getting there." She continued to hold him for a full minute and, about half-way through, he had gingerly reciprocated and wrapped his arms around her. She had her right cheek pressed against his and simply stood there, the pair of them red in the face. Eventually, she withdrew her arms with not a little reluctance, stepping back from him. She folded her arms across her chest and stared at the ground. "I apologise, Beast Boy."
"Huh? No! No, Raven it's fine, it's okay. You've been through a lot," he said. Raven looked up at him.
"Robin told you?" she asked.
"Yeah... said he didn't want you to have to repeat it. He told Cy too," he informed her. She nodded, in part vexed by Robin deciding for her and in part relieved she wouldn't have to retell her account. She sat on her cot, heavily.
"Well, I suppose it's best that way," she allowed. Beast Boy sat in one of the folding chairs next to her, fidgeting.
"He also said you asked about me. By name. And so did Cyborg. Then he told me about the stuff Trigon showed you, Rob's mask and stuff. He said you didn't mention me..." he said, leaving Raven to finish his words.
"Trigon didn't show me anything of yours," she said, her voice shaking a little. She made an exceptional effort to control herself, forcing a neutral expression. Her voice still trembled when she spoke again. "He showed me you. He showed me what I did to you, while I did it. I saw my hands take your life... I saw my hands, my hands soaked in your blood. You were broken and lifeless and I... I believed I had done that. I believed I had torn you apart." Beast Boy was silent in his horror for a long while. He reached out to Raven but she flinched away.
"Raven... how could you believe that?" he said.
"It's always there, Beast Boy. That voice at the back of my mind. That stain on my soul. That fear that one day I'll just snap. That I really am my father's daughter," Raven said. Beast Boy looked a little angry. At Raven.
"Raven, stop it," he ordered. "You can't judge someone by what they think or feel or by their blood. It only matters what they do... and you have done so much, Rae, that makes me glad to know you. You're a hero in every way, and if it makes any difference, I don't believe you could ever hurt us that way." Raven smiled a tired smile.
"I'm not sure I agree with you... but it does make a difference. That's probably how he knew..." she trailed off.
"Knew what?" he asked. Raven looked up at him, her expression beginning to express her despair. Timid had broken the dam - no matter how hard she tried to stay silent, she knew her emotions would answer. She needed to make Beast Boy leave.
"He knew your death would hurt the most," Raven said. Tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.
"But wh-"
"Beast Boy... I need to be alone. I'm not ready to speak about this yet but I won't be able to stop myself. Please..." she whimpered. He really wanted to stay. He stood and made to leave.
"I won't go far," he added as he went. He was almost at the threshold...
"I love you," Raven whispered.
He froze. He turned around. He stared. Raven groaned and slumped, holding her face in her hands. Timid and Affection had overwhelmed her and spoken her greatest secret: she was in love. And they had spoken it to the object of that love, Garfield Logan. Beast Boy. He stared and stared, Raven feeling his gaze on her. She felt him move closer and pressed her face harder into her hands. He took her hands in his own as he knelt before her, forcing her to look at him.
"Raven. You've... you've just been through a really traumatic experience," he said. Raven watched him as he spoke. It seemed he thought her confession a product of an abused mind, a fallacy. It was better this way, she thought. No awkward rejection followed by awkward encounters. It was better this way.
"You have a point," Raven muttered.
"We need to help you recover. Then we can talk about... us I guess," he mumbled. Raven's eyes widened. His cheeks reddened as she stared.
"You mean... you mean you..." she gasped.
"I'm not ready to say what you said," he admitted. "But I definitely like you. In a not-just-friends way. I really, really like you, Rae." Raven continued to stare and Beast Boy fidgeted and blushed under her gaze. Suddenly, he found himself on the floor on his back, one of the folding chairs clattering to the ground behind him. He felt Raven's weight on his chest and her hands in his hair. He was about to speak but found himself rather occupied when Raven kissed him, hard. Neither of them knew with any certainty how long they were there but, when it ended, Raven pushed herself up and shot to her feet, slightly mortified by what she had just done. Without looking, she held out a hand to assist Beast Boy to his feet. He looked at dazedly, still fuzzy from that kiss, but eventually took it and stood beside her. She still wouldn't look at him.
"I'm sorry, Beast Boy. I should have asked first," Raven said. Beast Boy shook his head.
"Yeah, okay. Apology accepted. Especially if I get another kiss like that to make up for it," he joked. Raven, cheeks still pink, finally faced him with a smirk on her lips.
"Well, if nothing else, it definitely persuaded Timid that you're okay," she drawled with a welcome dose of her dry wit. Beast Boy grinned.
"Does that mean you can leave the safe room?" he asked, glancing around at their surroundings.
"Perhaps... but I'll give it another day to be sure," Raven answered. Her expression grew a little melancholy. "I think I might still... not be okay," she admitted, quietly. Beast Boy laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"I don't expect you to 'be okay' just like that, Rae. None of us do. We'll help you through this, Rae, for as long as you need. This," he said, indicating them both. "This can wait until you're ready." Raven smiled gratefully, laying her own hand atop his.
"Thank you, Beast Boy," she said. He grinned at her.
"You think, after all that, you might wanna try using my actual name?" he asked hopefully.
"I'm not ready for that," she said. "It was hard enough just admitting I actually find you attractive." Beast Boy grinned at the compliment, back-handed though it was.
"Ouch! That's gonna leave a mark," he laughed. Raven smirked at him, making his grin even broader. They relished the moment for a time before Raven spoke again.
"I hate to be the one to spoil the moment for once," she said with a hint of regret. "But I think I need to be by myself for a while." Beast Boy pouted artificially, but stood to go without complaint.
"Okay... call me if you need to. Or if you just wanna talk or whatever..." he offered. Raven gave him a true smile.
"I will. Thank you." He smiled again and headed for the door.
"See ya later, Rae!" he said, stepping across the threshold.
"See you later..." Raven responded. The door sealed shut.
"... Garfield."
THE END
I kinda went a bit off-course with this one, had to re-write a chunk of it. Still, I like it! Enjoy ^_^
-Jack