A/N Wow, guys thank you for all of your reviews! I really appreciate it more than I can say. When I got my first review ever I just started laughing giddily! You guys really made me want to write! So without further adieu, on to the disclaimer!
Disclaimer: I'm sorry to disappoint any of my newly acquired fans, but I do not own the Teen Titans. If you thought that I did, I am very flattered but I also think you should consider being checked out by a psychiatrist.
Also the lyrics are from the song International Dateline by Ladytron. You should listen to the Harmonium Sessions Rework.
"To sleep: perchance to dream
Ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come" – Hamlet
Chapter 2: Fighting Gravity
"Beast Boy."
Beast Boy gently stirred from sleep when he felt a cool breeze blow over his face, picking up his some hair follicles and tickling his ear. "Mmmnnnn," he mumbled as he scratched his head. "Just five more minutes."
"Beast Boy."
"Hmm," Beast Boy murmured. His eyes flickering open slightly and he saw a familiar figure before him. He smiled slightly, still half asleep. "Raven is that you?"
He jolted awake suddenly as he realized something was wrong. Raven was just an image made of dark energy. When his eyes snapped open, she was gone. It was only then that he realized that he was floating three feet off the ground.
"Oh crap!" Beast Boy yelled flailing his arms and scrunching up his face, expecting to hit the floor. When he didn't feel anything after a few seconds, he dared to open one eye. Sure enough he was still in the air looking down at his empty bed frame. He twisted his head and looked around the room. All of the stuff on his floor that was not bolted down was now floating around the room creating a miniature version of an obstacle course just to reach the door. The clock that normally resided on his bedside table, covered in comic books, was now only attached to the wall by the cord, still plugged into the socket. The clock flashed 2 am in bright red numbers.
Ok, something must have happened to the gravity, he thought. Then he wondered, Did Raven do this? I need to get to the infirmary.
Beast Boy transformed into a sparrow and flapped his wings, but since he couldn't touch the ground, there wasn't enough force to create the lift he needed. Instead of flying he was barely moving in the air. After a few minutes of this he was out of breath and panting heavily and he had only gotten a few feet closer to the door.
This isn't working. Maybe I can use a shape that is used to less gravity. Water has less friction and I know astronauts train in water before going into space...
Beast Boy changed into a dolphin this time because he knew that he'd have to breath air, but it was even harder to move in this form and all he managed to do was to flip himself upside down. He changed back to himself and folded his arms across his chest and bit his lip. He knew he needed to get to Raven soon. He didn't know what was happening but he knew she was involved somehow. Beast Boy was surprised when he tasted blood in his mouth. He'd bitten his lip hard enough to draw blood without even realizing it.
Alright, I need to stop monkeying around. Wait a minute, that's it!
Beast Boy transformed into an orangutan. He pushed a half eaten piece of pizza and some dirty socks out of his face saw his desk floating just within his newly lengthened reach. He grabbed it and was able to push off against it, sending it in the opposite direction, and moving his body slowly towards the wall. He changed back to his normal form, pulled his legs to his body and kicked off against the wall so that he was moving diagonally across the room.
Ok, Beast Boy thought. This is just like parkour but weightless. I can do this.
He rebounded against his mattress and after floating slowly for what seemed like an eternity he got to the control box and typed in his code. The door slid open and he was able to grab hold of the frame and pull himself into the hallway.
Just then he heard Cyborg yell, "What the..." followed by a stream of expletives.
Then he heard Robin shout in surprise and the unmistakable sound of starbolts.
Starfire came flying out of Robin's room wearing nothing but an over-sized tee shirt and underwear, propelling herself forward by shooting starbolts behind her. Robin followed soon after by shooting his R-grapple into the wall and grabbing the rope pulling himself forward hand over hand into the hall.
Beast Boy, who was still in his boxers, scrunched up his eyebrows in confusion. "Dude, do you always sleep in your mask?"
"Uh, not usually," Robin mumbled, blushing slightly as he looked at his outfit. He was wearing red boxers, a black muscle shirt, his utility belt and of course, his mask. He shook his head and jolted himself back to the situation at hand. "Beast Boy, what's going on here?"
"I don't know really but I think Raven's involved somehow."
"Why?"
"Um... Just a hunch?" Beast Boy didn't want to tell the others that Raven sent an astral projection of herself to his room, in case they blamed her.
Just then Cyborg emerged from his room by walking sideways along the metal wall using magnets in his feet. "Guys, you might want to take a look at this," He said and pointed to the window.
The tower was encased within a dome of dark energy and they could not see anything beyond it.
"Where are we?" Starfire asked coming up behind them.
"I don't know Robin," said reaching out and squeezing her hand. "But we may find some answers down in the infirmary."
Traveling through the tower had become as difficult as an Olympic event but each of the four Titans developed a different way of getting through their newly weightless environment. Out of the four of them, Starfire moved the best. Because she was from another planet, she was much more used to traveling through different fields of gravity. She executed perfect push-offs just like a swimmer, using her momentum to bounce from wall to wall. Once and a while, she would propel herself forward with a starbolt or two. She soon outdistanced the others by far and disappeared from their sight by going around a corner.
Cyborg continued to walk along the walls with his magnetic feet, but he started jumping headfirst along the wall. The magnets would pull his feet back to the walls. He looked like the astronauts walking on the moon. And after seeing Starfire, he would occasionally use a sonic boom to get across obstacles like open doorways.
Beast Boy transformed into a gecko and was running along the flat surfaces with ease. He would only change back into himself when he had something on the walls to grab onto. He had had enough floating in space back in his room just trying to get into the hall.
Robin saw Beast Boy moving along the walls with the suction cups on his feet and he adapted the idea, pulling out two small disks with finger straps. He put one on each index finger with some difficulty since he was still hanging onto the rope from his R-grapple at the time. When he pushed them onto the wall, it became apparent that they were some kind of high-tech suction cups.
Cyborg saw Robin and raised one eyebrow. "Yo Robin, why do you have suction cups in your utility belt?"
"Well, you never know what's gonna happen. Always be prepared you know."
Beast Boy turned back into himself simply because he couldn't resist commenting on something like that. "Seriously, Dude? Isn't that like the army's motto."
"So," Robin answered defensively. "It's still true."
Cyborg muttered, "I wonder what else he has in there."
Whatever response Robin would have made was lost because at that moment, they heard a scream.
"Starfire," Robin yelled. He pulled out a gun and fired sticky foam behind him, blasting himself forward. He almost shot Cyborg with it but the metal man ducked just in time. Cyborg grabbed Beast Boy and followed suit by firing his sonic cannon.
When they got to the corner, they saw Starfire standing in beside an image of Raven crying, made from dark energy.
"Starfire... Raven?" Robin said confused by the scene before him. "What happened?"
Cyborg's mouth dropped open in shock. "Raven, is that you?"
"No," Beast Boy said quietly. "It's not really her."
"Beast Boy is right," Starfire said shakily. "I tried to talk to her but she couldn't hear me. I tried to touch her but my hand passed right through her shoulder. This is not our friend."
The image of Raven was sniffling and through her sobs, they could clearly hear her say, "I can't. I can't. He wouldn't... No one could ever... I'm alone."
Beast Boy kicked out of Cyborg's grasp and floated close the image. He knew she wasn't real but maybe he could get through to her somehow. He needed to try. "Who wouldn't. What? What are you saying?"
But she didn't answer. She didn't even look up from the floor. Instead she just walked forward and disappeared through a wall. The team was silent for a few moments after her disappearance until Cyborg realized something.
"Beast Boy, how did you know it wasn't her?" Cyborg asked.
"I... um... I saw her when I first woke up but when I blinked she disappeared."
Robin was tired, confused and incredibly worried, so when he heard that Beast Boy had kept something that could be vital information from the team, it sent him over the edge. "How dare you not tell us about this! The tower is in some kind of bubble, who knows where the hell we are and Raven is obviously involved! Yet you leave this out. Why?"
Beast Boy's nerves were already frayed to their limits. "GET OVER YOURSELF ROBIN. THIS ISN'T ABOUT YOU! Something is happening to Raven. She could be hurt and all you are worried about is that I didn't tell you something because I thought I was dreaming?"
"Beast Boy, Robin. Calm yourselves. This is not helping Raven," Starfire said, coming between the two fighting Titans.
"She's right," Cyborg said taking charge. "But so is Robin. I'm sorry BB, we're all worried, but something is definitely up with Raven and if you know anything, and I mean anything, we need to know it too."
Beast Boy covered his face with one hand and slowly dragged it down. His face was a mask of pain and he knew he was breaking Raven's trust, but they were right. They needed to know what was going on, or at least as much as he did. Sadly, that was precious little more than they knew.
"When Raven yelled at me the other day I got mad, but mostly I was curious... and well, I was worried. I hadn't really been around her that day or played any pranks or anything. I went looking for her to find out what was going on when I found her on the roof. She was trying to meditate but it was obvious she was having trouble. I sat with her for a while and she told me that she was afraid because she was having trouble with her powers."
"Why didn't you tell us this sooner," Robin growled. Starfire glared at him and he shut up.
"It wasn't my secret to tell. I'm only saying it now cause I don't have any other choice."
"Ok he told you," Cyborg told Robin. "So get over whatever is bothering you, man cause we have a job to do." With that Cyborg clenched his jaw and continued started walking purposefully along the corridor walls, trusting that his friends would fall in line.
They continued traveling silently through the tower, going through the common room to get to the elevators to take them down to the infirmary. dodging furniture and anything else that floated into their path. After the fight, nobody really wanted to share their thoughts.
The only sounds to be heard were the steady rhythm of Cyborgs heavy footsteps and heavier landings. At first the sound was a relief from their thoughts, but the rhythm soon turned unsettling. The Titans soon were looking over their shoulders giving each other wide-eyed looks from time to time, just to make sure they weren't alone. Robin, took off a suction cup, reached out and gently squeezed Starfire's hand for a few seconds before continuing onward. Every time Beast Boy met Robin's eyes, his already surly expression hardened into a glare.
Child-like laughter sounded from behind them and echoed oddly off of the walls. The Titans whipped their heads around, heart pounding in their chests. Cyborg gasped audibly.
Behind them, was another projection of Raven running towards them, laughing the whole way.
Once she passed them, Cyborg turned to look at Beast Boy and said, "BB, does any of this seem familiar to you?"
"Yeah," He said. "It reminds me of Nevermore."
"Wait, you mean we're in Raven's head?" Robin asked, confused.
"No, I don't think so," Cyborg answered tiredly. "Nevermore wasn't like this. Raven's emotions were colorful and they interacted with us. Now, they are more like ghosts or something."
"Does this mean friend Raven is..." Starfire trailed off unable to finish the sentence.
"No!" Beast Boy said harshly. Robin started to move toward him threateningly, but Starfire held him back. Beast Boy caught himself, staring into her wide eyes. "Sorry Star." He took a few deep breaths before he continued. "If Raven were dead, she couldn't be doing this could she?"
"No," Cyborg said thoughtfully. "At least I don't think so."
"Then what is happening?" Starfire asked.
They all looked to Beast Boy who was looking down at his feet. "I don't know."
"Well there's only one way to find out," Robin said. "We find Raven." He started toward the elevators.
"Wait," Starfire said. "Elevators work on pulleys, yes?"
"Yes," Cyborg said slowly. "Why?"
"Pulleys do not work without gravity," she said.
"So, um, I guess we take the stairs," Robin said.
When they got to the bottom floor, they saw the shape of another black energy Raven in the Tower's dim emergency lighting. This Raven was crouching on the balls of her feet and looked ready to spring forward at any moment. Her lips were pursed in determination and she kept repeating the phrase, "I need to protect my friends."
The Titans stopped for a few moments, with their eyes wide in surprise. Beast Boy gulped, but he was getting a little desensitized to the shock of seeing ghost images of Raven everywhere.
"We already saw Raven's despair and happiness. This must be her bravery," Beast Boy said quietly.
"It is very touching that friend Raven cares so much about us," Starfire said.
Robin said, "Yeah erm... very sweet. But we don't have time for this. Lets keep moving."
Robin started forward again, crawling along the wall with his suction cups, extremely close to her. Unlike the other Raven's they had seen, who hadn't paid any attention to the team at all, this one turned her head and stopped talking, but her eyes didn't look at him. Instead she seemed to be looking through him.
Robin froze and then said carefully, "Raven, can you hear me?"
When she didn't say anything else, Robin let out a breath that he wasn't aware that he was holding and said, "She's just like the others. We've got to keep going."
"Well that was creepy," Cyborg said quietly. Starfire nodded silently in agreement.
They got about 20 feet away from the black figure, when they head loud footsteps echoing oddly from behind them and heavy breathing. They looked back and saw Raven's courage sitting in the same place but now another blackened figure started come through the wall as well. It was Raven, but not any Raven they knew. This one stood about 10 feet tall, her body was barely covered with ragged strips of cloth and she had four glowing red eyes. She snarled in fury.
Raven's courage turned her head to face the Titans, eyes glowing white and she screamed, "Run!" She bravely launched herself at Raven's Rage.
"Wait, I thought Raven's Emotions couldn't touch us," Beast Boy said.
"Do you really want to wait to find out?" Cyborg yelled.
"Good point. Lets go."
Cyborg grabbed him and yelled, "Hold on!" He fired his sonic cannon just as Starfire seized Robin and they all shot down the corridor away from the fight raging behind them.
They managed to get into the infirmary without incident as the sounds of Raven's emotional battle faded into the background, but once they got there, the Titans faced another obstacle. Raven's bed was encircled in a curtain of dark energy, but unlike the one surrounding the tower, this one was slightly transparent.
Inside the bubble, Raven was floating above her bed. The IV was still connected to her arm, tethering her to the pole, which was floating close by her.
Beast Boy ran forward and launched himself at the bubble. "Raven," he screamed and changed into a gorilla. He started pounding on the barrier but all that resulted was a dull thudding noise like he was pounding on extremely thick Plexiglas. He changed back to normal and whipped his head back around to face Cyborg, Starfire and Robin. "Well, aren't you guys gonna help me?"
Starfire and Cyborg looked to Robin, who gave a curt nod. The Titans attacked the bubble with all they had, but when the smoke cleared, it became apparent that they weren't even denting the force field that Raven had set around herself.
"This isn't working. We need to try something else," Robin said.
Beast Boy was still pounding his fists against the curtain of black, getting nowhere and panting heavily. "We... We need to get to Raven. I need to get to Raven!"
"Beast Boy, I do not think the physical violence will help you get to her," Starfire said. She put her hand on his shoulder and gently pulled him into a tight embrace. "We will get her out of this place. You will see."
When she released him, she noticed his eyes were moist, but he blinked back the tears before the others saw.
"I just need her to be ok," Beast Boy said quietly.
"She will," Robin said fiercely. "She has to."
Meanwhile, Cyborg was going around the bubble, looking for weak points.
"Hey guys, over here," Cyborg said, motioning to where he was standing near the wall. "Look at this."
"What is it?" Robin asked.
"These cords go through the force field. And look, if I pull them they move on the other side."
"So..." Beast Boy said, obviously unimpressed.
"So, if we cut the cords, the hole in the force field should stay open for a little while."
"Can you make it any bigger?" Robin asked impatiently.
"Maybe if I had some time to study it."
"We don't have time," Beast Boy interrupted. "We don't know what's going on in there. Just cut the cords. I'll transform into a bug or something and go through."
"Beast Boy, are you sure you can do this?" Robin asked with a skeptical expression.
"I can do it Robin," Beast Boy said. "Right now, I'm the only one who can do it."
"Ok, Beast Boy," Robin said. "We're counting on you."
"I know you can do it, friend Beast Boy," Starfire said smiling at him.
"Yo BB, you ready?" Cyborg asked.
"Yeah, I'm ready."
Beast Boy walked along the wall as a gecko and then changed into a cricket. Cyborg cut the cord, which had about the circumference of a quarter, and pushed the edge through the field with his finger. Beast Boy hopped through and changed back into himself.
Raven was asleep, but she was shaking and whimpering. She looked so vulnerable. Beast Boy kicked off the wall of black energy behind him and swam through the air toward the sleeping girl. Suddenly Raven's voice filled his head singing eerily, but her mouth wasn't moving with the words. His eyes widened in shock when he realized that he wasn't actually hearing the voice. She was projecting it directly into his brain
"Woke up in the evening Untied & weightless
To the sound of the screaming
Through walls that were bleeding
All over me
Unconscious as we cross
The international dateline
Let's end it here"
A shiver ran down Beast Boy's spine, but he reached out and grabbed her hand anyway.
"Raven," he called. "Raven you have to wake up."
His voice cracked with emotion and he hugged her waist.
"Remember when I told you I don't know what I'd do without you. Well, that's true. I really don't. You have to wake up. I can't make it here without you. I know I can't say this when you're awake, cause you'd probably never feel the same way, but I... I love you. You have to wake up. You just have to."
He buried his head in the folds of her silken black night dress.
"Beast Boy," Raven said quietly. "Why are you crying."
Everything floating crashed to the floor except for the two of them, who gently floated down to the bed, but Beast Boy barely noticed. He was too busy hugging Raven and babbling the whole time.
"Raven! You're ok! I was so worried. You were hurt yesterday and there was no gravity and you're emotions went crazy and I couldn't get in and you wouldn't wake up and... and..."
Raven reached out and touched gently touched his face.
"And I'm just glad you're back," Beast Boy finished lamely.
"I, uh, thanks Beast Boy," Raven said in her characteristic monotone voice. "Now would you mind telling me what happened... erm, only go a little slower this time?"
"That's what we'd like to know," Robin said as he Cyborg and Starfire crossed the threshold of where the force field around her bed used to be.
Raven's mouth dropped open in shock as she took in the damage done to the tower around her. Anything not bolted to the floor was thrown around the infirmary and the walls had blackened scorch marks from where starbolts or sonic blasts hit when the Titans were moving around the tower.
"Did I cause all this?"
Not one of the Titans would meet her eyes.
A/N Sorry for Raven not being in this chapter much, but in a way she is the main character because she is causing everything. Anyway I promise the next chapter will feature her more.
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