Predator felt the energies of the vortex pull at his body bending and twisting him along gravitational lines of force. He was always surprised that his body didn't simply tear apart during the transition to the next Universe. Something in the dimensional shifting tech that The Bionic had made to allow him to follow Krovan kept his body together. His mind was held together only by thoughts of vengeance and keeping the next Raven alive.
"Krovan, I'll stop you in one of these worlds," Predator thought to himself as he lay on the ground and waited for the post transition vertigo to pass. He smelled pine trees and heard birds, "Must be in a park this time," he thought as he pushed up from the ground and felt the familiar burn of bile creeping up his esophagus.
"I need to stop eating before travel," he said as he wiped the remaining sick from his mouth and stood up, "The vertigo isn't lasting as long anymore though."
Predator shifted into the form of a hawk and took to the sky. He felt the rush of wind past his beak and the air twist and play around his wings as he flew. In the distance he saw a large T-shaped tower on a small island in a river near the city, "Well, these Titans aren't much for secret headquarters. Makes my job easier, makes Krovan's job easier too. I'd better hurry!"
He speed through the air towards the Titan's Tower hoping he wasn't too late again. As he approached he heard the sounds of battle. Bird-a-rangs struck and tore metal, laser blasts burned through the air, and screams, shouts, and curses echoed in the air. Then there was silence.
Predator at last saw Krovan, with his long blue hair and his cloak billowing in the wind as he slowly walked towards the unconscious body of her, this world's Raven. Rage consumed Predator and as he dove towards Krovan the screeching of a hawk became a roar as he shifted to the form of a lion and landed heavily on Krovan. The mage deflected most of the force with a shimmering blue shield and then with the flick of a wrist sent the lion crashing into a low wall.
He stood back up and dusted off his robes, "Predator, I see you're still following me. I didn't see you in the last three worlds. I hoped that perhaps you had finally realized both the futility and destructive nature of your quest."
Predator shifted back to his normal form and stood up, "You'd already escaped by the time I'd made it to Raven in those other worlds. I won't let you take this one, or any other," he said in nearly a growl as he pointed a broken hook that served as his right hand towards Krovan and glared through his left eye. With a solid black patch over one eye and so many scars on his face and body that he seemed to be more scar than skin he would have been an imposing sight to anyone other than Krovan.
Krovan looked at Predator with a mix of sorrow and irritation, "I've already taken your eye, your hand. . . please don't make me take your life as well. You know she can only bring-"
"Shut up and die!" Predator shouted as he lunged forward and shifted into the form of a polar bear.
Beast Boy slowly woke and rubbed his head as he looked around to get his bearings. He saw a bright white polar bear fighting a red cloaked, blue haired wizard. For a moment he was overcome with confusion, but he saw Raven laying very still just a few feet away from the fight, "Raven!" he shouted as he stood and ran towards her. As he ran he saw that Robin, Star Fire, and Cyborg had all been knocked out as well, but they were all starting to get back up.
"Raven," he said as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap, "Raven, are you okay. Say something to me."
Raven's eyes fluttered open, "Gar? What's. . . the mage!" she shouted as she sprung to her feet and turned towards Krovan. The others gathered near her and Beast Boy as well.
"Looks like we've got an ally," Robin said, "Let's help him out. Teen Titans Go!"
Krovan pushed Predator away with a blue shimmering field of energy and then knelt on the Tower roof as the Titans charged forward. He vanished in a flash of blue energy that left them all stunned for a minute.
"We did the villain go?" Star Fire asked as she flew around erratically.
"Can't really worry about that right now," Cyborg said, "This guy needs to get to the infirmary now." he said as he moved towards Predator's unconscious body, "He's bleeding pretty bad and-"
The Titans all stopped for a second, "Dude, he's me," Beast Boy said quietly.
"We'll sort that out later," Robin said firmly, "Let's get him to the infirmary now!"
000000
"Where did this other Beast Boy come from?" Starfire asked as she looked into the infirmary window at the green warrior surrounded by heart monitors, IV bags, and other medical equipment as they waited for him to wake up.
"We're not even sure if he really is another Beast Boy," Raven said coldly, "For all we know he just looks like Beast Boy."
"I dunno Raven," Beast Boy interrupted, "I mean, he's green, he shape shifts into animals-"
"His polar bear was white," Raven interrupted, "yours is always green."
Beast boy frowned and then turned to lean in on the window to the infirmary, "What do you think, Robin?" he asked.
"I think we won't have any answers until he wakes up," Robin said as he looked at the man sleeping peacefully on the infirmary bed, "He does look a lot like you though. Rougher. . . older. . . well, not really older, just . . . worn."
"What happened to him to make him like that?" Cyborg wondered out loud, "I mean, our Beast Boy is a goofball," he said as he elbowed Beast Boy.
"Hey," beast boy said as he glared at his friend, "Dude, who's goofy? I'm totally Mickey Mouse."
"We'll keep an eye on him in shifts," Robin said, "For now let's see if we can track down the wizard. Beast Boy, you have the first shift."
"Cool," Beast Boy replied, "I'm totally gonna-"
"Let him get some rest and notify the rest of us the second he wakes up," Robin interrupted Beast Boy and then looked over to Raven, "You okay Raven?"
"Yeah. . ." she said quietly, "It's just. . . I can sense his dreams. . . I mean nightmares. . ." she drifted towards the window, "He's full of so much anger. . . and this. . . empty ache. . ."
"It did sound like he's gone through a lot," Beast Boy said.
"We'll find out more when he's awake," Robin said, "Raven, Starfire, Cyborg let's go. We've got work to do."
The others quickly took off towards the elevator and left Beast Boy watching over the green warrior in the infirmary bed. After about an hour he wandered into the room and sat in the chair near the bed, "If you are me, what happened to us? are you from the future?"
Predator began to stir and let out a low growl, "Not the future. Different Universe," he said as his eyes slowly opened and he turned his head to face Beast Boy, "Is she okay?"
"She?" Beast Boy asked.
"Raven," Predator nearly snarled, "Is Raven okay, you damned fool! Who'd you think I was talking about?"
"Hey now," Beast Boy said as he sat up in his chair, "A - Raven is fine and B - Who are you calling a fool?"
Predator leaned back again, "Good, where is she?"
"Out with everyone else looking for that wizard dude that-"
"What?" Predator shouted, "You let her go looking for Krovan?"
"Everyone went looking for the wizard dude," Beast boy replied.
"you don't understand," Predator said as he started to rip out the IVs, "He's he for her. He's here to kill Raven. He already has in countless other Universes. I have to get to her now. I have to protect her."
"What you need to do is stop pulling out those IVs," Beast Boy said, "and tell me what's going on in a way that makes sense."
"It doesn't matter," Predator replied, "You're obviously no match for him. I'm the only one that has a chance."
Beast Boy turned into a gorilla and pushed Predator gently but firmly back into the bed, "Right now you're not even a match for me," he said after he shifted back to his normal form and then tapped his T-communicator, "Beast Boy to Robin. The dude is awake."
"We're on our way back," Robin replied, "No sign of the wizard."
"Cool," Beast Boy responded and tapped the communicator again to turn it off, "They'll be back soon. You rest and when they're back you can explain all the other Universe stuff to them."
"Fine," Predator replied as he let Beast Boy reinsert the IVs he'd removed.