"Oh my God Beast Boy you are so funny!" the blonde haired girl yelled as she clutched her sides and fell to the floor laughing. Tears began to fall from her eyes as she gasped for air.
"Dude, I knew you would love that joke. I saved it all day just for you." The green Titan replied with a large smile on his face, his eyes glimmered with the satisfaction that his intended target was amused with him. He then held out his gloved hand to help her up, she accepted but lingered for a moment as their eyes met.
Raven rolled her eyes at the scene that was unfolding before her. She had come out to the front room to read, just as she did every day and yet again found herself distracted by the same two annoyances that pledged elsewhere in the tower.
Terra had been back with the Titans for about three months now, all the while Raven couldn't shake the eerie feeling that she had felt the first day she had came back requesting to be a Teen Titan. Every time she looked at their new member she felt a dark presence surrounding her, as if some part of her was lingering in the shadows, hidden from everyone else. Yet there seemed to be nothing wrong with her, she could hold her own in a fight, and her powers had even hinted as any control issues. Still, there was just something there that gave Raven the creeps.
"You are the best Beast Boy, really." Terra said as she stood and pulled her hand away, Beast Boy blushed slightly as she touched his shoulder fondly.
Raven felt her stomach drop at this simple gesture of compassion, that was when she decided she had enough. After slamming her door shut loudly she stood up and said "Well I came here to find peace and quiet, now that that ship has sailed I think I will go find something else to do." although she kept her voice monotone there was still a sharp edge to her words.
The couple stopped what they were doing and looked at her for the first time since they had arrived in the OPS room. "Oh sorry Raven, I didn't see you there." Beast Boy said with a sincere tone. "We can go if you want."
"Don't apologize Beast Boy, this is everyone's space not just hers." Terra said back in a harsh tone. "If she wants peace and quiet, then she should go to her room."
Now Terra doesn't usually argue with Raven's wishes, however in the past few weeks her tempter had become almost as short as hers. Raven had also taken note that her stress levels had increased an alarming amount and she had started to admit a small amount of guilt on a daily basis. This just added to the suspicion that was already surrounding the blond haired beauty.
Raven raised an eyebrow at her team mate and said "Excuse me? This was my common room long before it was yours, so I deserve some respect." it took a large amount of control to keep her voice steady and emotionless, however she knew that her breaking point was right around the corner.
"Last time I checked you didn't hold any superiority over me, and you have done nothing to earn my respect. Just because you have been here longer, doesn't mean that you get to walk around her all gloom and doom like, you need to-"
Terra was cut off by the sound of a dish exploding in the sink. Beast Boy instantly reacted and blocked Terra off from Raven protectively, this action made the goth take a step back in shock. How could he honestly think that she would attack her own team mate? Her heart began to race at the sight of his arms around Terra while his gaze were fixated on her, looking into his eyes she could see a his primal form that he used in battle. She had never seen in used on her.
Tears began to form in her eyes as she backed away from the two slowly. It was as if time had stopped in that moment, his gaze lingered on her. As if in slow motion, she proceeded pulled up her hood and muttered a form of apology as she walked through the doors.
After locking herself in her room Raven could not hold back her tears any longer. In the safety of her room she allowed herself to cry. She cried for what had just happened, she cried for the terrible feeling that she had in her heart, more than anything she cried because she felt so lost and alone. Books and parchments began to crash through her room, she knew that she needed to calm herself but was having a hard time taming the horrible feeling that was growing inside her.
It took a long time, however eventually she found the strength to calm herself down. After she was done putting everything back in it's rightful place it was just past dinner time and there was a light knock on the door. Raven held her breath.
"Raven? Please friend are you not in there?"
A smile crossed Raven's face at the sound of the voice on the other end, it was just Starfire. After exhaling she replied "Yeah I'm in here Star."
"Please we are sitting down to dinner and you were not present. Are you not joining us this evening?" Starfire sounded so innocent, the dark feeling inside of her was absent in her alien friend.
"Uh.." Raven paused before thinking of her answer. "No. I'm not hungry, I think I'm going to skip dinner, but thank you."
Raven heard a large sigh escape her alien friends lips, as there was a light thud on the door. Raven knew she was leaning her head against the metal, Star had a tendency of doing this when she was worried. "Very well I shall let the rest know." and just like that Star's footsteps began to echo through the hallway.
A ping of guilt hit Raven's heart, she never meant to upset her friend. She honestly never meant to upset anyone with her actions ever, that's just the way things turn out for her. She always found herself at the worst end of the stick, she never had any luck.
Time seemed to pass painfully slow, Raven tried to meditate but every time she closed her eyes she saw Beast Boy's face. She saw the primal look in his eyes, the look of fear mixed with the need to protect. In that moment he had saw her as a threat, he had thought that she would actually harm her own team mate. Sure she had seen this look from other people, but never him. He had never looked that way at her until Terra came into their lives.
After giving up on meditating Raven decided to visit Cyborg. She knew he would been in the garage at this time of night so she changed her out of her uniform and slipped into a pair of sweats and t-shirt. There was no need to ruin her uniform with grease after all.
While making her way to the his workshop Raven made it a point to mentally scan the hallways for any sign of Terra or Beast Boy. The last thing she needed was to run into them after what happened today, she did not need that kind of stress right now.
Finally she made it to her destination. Cyborg looked up from what he was working on and gave her a friendly smile "Hey Rae, I wondered when I would be seeing you."
Raven rolled her eyes at her pet name. "Yeah, I figured that I would come down here and see if you needed any help." She made a gesture to her attire and he laughed.
"I can see that. Right now I don't need help, but you can keep me company if you want."
The goth took the offer and sat on the stool beside her metal friend while he worked. Neither of them spoke, but it was not an awkward silence. That's what made spending time with Cyborg so great, he didn't need to hold a conversation with her, in a way he just knew when she needed him and, being the big brother he was, was more than willing wallow in silence with her.
After about an hour of silence he finally spoke up "So do you want to talk about it?"
She perked her head up at his question, "Talk about what?" she tired to sound as casually as she could but knew he would be able to see right through it.
"Come on, you know what. B told us what happened today with Terra." he didn't even look form what he was doing, it was just like he was making light conversation.
She began to fidget with her fingers nervously as she asked "What exactly did he tell you?"
He shrugged "Just that you go had gotten into it again, and that you broke a bowl in the sink. He sounded a little worried."
This made Raven scoff. "Yeah, that wasn't his reaction at the time."
"What do you mean?" Cyborg asked as he finally looked up to her.
Raven was hesitant with her answer at first, but she knew that if anyone could help her with her problems it was Cyborg. "When the dish broke, he kinda blocked Terra from me. He looked like he was protecting her, like I was going to hurt her."
"Oh?"
"Yeah." she shook her head and continued "He had this look in his eye, like I was a target, like I was a threat." She trialed off at the end looking away from him, she could still feel his gaze on her. She knew he wasn't judging, he never judged her, he was just forming a response to what she had just told her.
"Maybe he thought you two would fight. Everyone knows how you are with Terra, maybe he was just trying to keep the peace." Cyborg offered his statement slowly as if it was well thought out.
"No. It was a protective stance, I've seen him use it in battle." She looked up to him and sighed "It hurt Cyborg. It hurts to know that that is the way he thinks of me now."
"Why does his opinion of you matter?" he proceeded to sit on the bar stool next to her as he spoke "You usually never care what people think, why does the grass stain's point of view even matter?"
She didn't have an answer, deep down she knew that what he had said was true. She never cared what people thought, but somehow Beast Boy's opinion did matter. She did care what he thought of her, and it broke her heart to know that he thought she was capable of hurting Terra. "I-I really don't know."
"Really?" She shot him a confused look, he chuckled "Have you ever thought that maybe. just maybe, you are jealous?"
"What?" she shot her friend a hated look.
"Just hear me out, okay? B used to spend all of his time trying to make you happy. Trying to make you laugh or smile. Everything he did, in some way came back to you. And now, it doesn't. I think that deep down you feel as if Terra has taken him away from you. I think that you have feelings for him, and it eats you up inside that he is trying to be with someone other than you."
Raven could feel her face get hot with embarrassment, she looked at the floor and muttered "No that's not it."
Cyborg shrugged "Whatever you say Rae."
Maybe he was right. Maybe she was just jealous, she definitely was more lonely with Terra around, maybe that was due to the lack of annoying presences in her life. Maybe she did have some kind of feelings for Beast Boy other than friendship. She then looked at Cyborg and asked "Should I apologize?"
"I would, but hey that's just me." Raven nodded at his statement as she jumped down from the stool. She smiled at Cyborg, and he matched the intensity of her grin.
Once they said their goodbyes Raven made her way to Beast Boy's room, she wasn't sure what she was going to say, but the guilt in her heart knew that it was the right thing to do. She lifted her knuckles to the door she heard a female voice, this made her stop in her tracks.
"I just don't understand why you are defending her." The voice belonged to Terra, she sounded angry and was on the border of yelling.
"I'm not. I just think you should apologize, Raven is sensitive and you-" Beast Boy's voice sounded strained and tired.
"I am apologizing to that-that witch." Raven's heart sank.
"She isn't a witch and you know it Terra." his voice sounded harsh and cold.
"I don't know anything. Admit it, you have feeling for her don't you!" Terra began to yell.
There was a short pause before he responded "No, I have told you a thousand times I don't have feelings for her. She-"
"Than why do you stand up for her all the time? Huh? Why is she always the one you defend? You should be defending me Beast Boy! I thought you liked me!" Raven had to use all of her will power to not knock down the door and yell at the blond Titan, somehow she found the strength to stay back.
"I do like you-"
"Then why her!"
There was a sigh as he responded "You want to know why I defend her?" there was a slight pause before he continued. "Because I feel sorry for her. She has no one in the world but us Terra, and I think she get's lonely. I feel sorry for the way she is, for the way she has to be. There is nothing between us but my sympathy for her. You have to believe me Terra. She means nothing to me."
Raven could feel her heart shatter, she took a couple of steps back until she was met with the wall. Tears began to flow from her face as she slid to the ground and brought her knees to her chest. He only spend time with her because he felt sorry for her. He didn't care about her, she meant nothing to him. Nothing.
The air vent exploded above her, and she could hear the rustle of feet on the other side of the door. Raven then teleported herself to her room before she could get caught. Once there she crashed into her ground as he body began to tremble. She felt as if everything she knew was a lie, as if she never truly had friends, her heart was nothing more than a empty space in her chest.
Nothing.
She was nothing to him.
"Well at least now I know." she muttered to herself silently. She curled up into a ball on her floor, she could not muster the energy necessary to climb into bed. So she just lied there, alone and broken. Her body shook as her sobs took over her body. She ignored the splintering wood of her head bored, the melting wax that was now covering her vanity, and even the crashing sound of glass breaking. She ignored her surroundings and allowed herself to be consumed with her own agony, maybe if she was consumed then this rejection would be easier, maybe she wouldn't hurt anymore in the morning. All she wanted to be was numb. And numb is what she got.
By the time it was morning, Raven's room was completely wrecked. Glass and papers were scattered on the floor while every piece of furniture in her room was broken in one way or another. However even in the aftermath of it all, she felt nothing.
Raven decided to skip breakfast and make an attempt at picking up her room. She chose to not use her powers for this task, knowing that it will take longer doing it the old fashion way, but what else did she have to do? She didn't have any true friends to spend time with, and unless there was a villain that needed her immediate attention she had no plans.
The sun was well into the sky when there was an knock at her door. Raven let out a large sigh, she had an idea of who it was. However her idea blew up in her face when she opened the door and saw the blond hair, blue eyed beauty she had fought with yesterday.
"Hey." Terra muttered looking to the ground.
"Hey." Raven responded.
Terra looked up and made eye contact before she said "Look I'm sorry about our argument yesterday. I know I should respect your privacy and I just-"
Raven held up her hand to stop the Titan. After taking a large intake of air Raven said, "There is no need to apologize. I was wrong. The tower is your home too, it was wrong of me to make you avoid places just because I currently reside in them."
Terra raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Are you-" she shook her head in disbelief "Are you apologizing? Beast Boy said you never apologize."
Raven hid the look of pain that crossed her face at his name, and responded "Yes.I'm apologizing. I'm sorry"
There was an awkward silence between the two, and Raven shifted her feet waiting for the Titans acceptance so that she could go back to her numbness.
Terra stared her down like there was no tomorrow, Raven couldn't tell if this was from shock, or if she was being skeptical of her words. However after what felt like forever she pulled her hand out of her glove and stuck it out in front of the goth, "How about we agree we were both wrong? Friends?"
Raven flinched, however she reached for her hand and agreed "Friends."
As soon as her had made contact with her skin Raven's surroundings changed. She was now on the ground looking up at Terra. Things were blurry, however she could make out the blue in the Titans eyes, she was not dressed as she usually did and looked somewhat frightening. The black and brown symbol on her chest reflected the light. She leaned over Raven and said words that she couldn't make out, all Raven was able to hear was her own heart beat. The words must have been terrifying because Raven felt a sense of adrenaline rush through her veins.
Just then she began to sink into the ground, brown mud began to cover her body. As an instant reaction she fought the thing that was restricting her, but to no avail. She gasped for air as her head went under, all the time never breaking her focus on the girl that she knew was causing her demise.
Then she was gone, replaced by brown liquid that was stinging her eyes. The same liquid filled her mouth and nose, all the while burning as she was forced to inhale mud. She was dieing, and she knew it. She thrashed her body in panic, but it did nothing but cause her to sink faster. Her life began to flash through her eyes, and she only saw one face. Beast Boy.
Raven let Terra's had go and gasped, causing her to take a few steps back. The blond's expression changed into a look of worry, she asked "What? Are you okay?"
Raven's felt a shiver run up her spine. "Yes, sorry-I-I'm sorry." Just like that she shut the door, shutting off her team mate from her. After taking a few steps back Raven fell to the ground, her body was shaking. Was the vision real? Or was her mind playing games on her again?
She had experienced false visions before, visions caused by fear or hate, but something about this one felt different. It was so vivid, so terrifying that it brought tears to her eyes. She rubbed her temples as a headache began to take over her mind.
Raven knew she couldn't tell the team about what she saw. If she did they would just tell her that her powers were feeding off her already growing hatred for the girl, and it was a false vision provided by such.
But something deep inside her told Raven that the vision was true. This girl, this Titan, was going to do something huge, something unthinkable.
She was going to be the end to them all.