Chapter 2
Within minutes of leaving the tower the Titans were underground in the heart of the city. The dark and damp environment was mostly quiet beside the dripping of unseen leaks and the splashing of the five teenagers footfalls in the water.
"Man, I always hate coming down here!" complained Cyborg
"Its got to be done though." replied Robin
They continued in the direction the police had given them until they reached a four way connection in the tunnel.
"I guess we're going to have to split up." said Robin confidently
Raven sighed, "I figured you were going to say that."
"What is wrong friend Raven? Are you perhaps scared?" asked Starfire genuinely
"No, I just have a bad feeling."
"Well then you go with Beast Boy then, if its such a bad feeling." ordered Robin, tired of all the side notes and 'needless talk' as he put it. "Starfire and I will go through the next, and Cyborg you can take the last one.
The other teens did as they were told and left through their respective tunnels. Beast Boy and Raven walked along quietly for a while till Beast Boy broke the silence.
"Don't get angry at the others Raven, they don't know what you mean by a bad feeling."
"And what would you know about it?" she asked more bitterly than she wanted to. She was definitely angry at Robin for just brushing off her comment so haphazardly.
"I have it too, mine is more instinct than your foresight."
"Oh. Sorry for being a little harsh there."
"Don't worry about it. That's just who you are, and I like you." Beast Boy then realized what he had just said and tried to cover his tracks. "For who you are! I mean, I love you but um, uh!"
He just shut up then at stared at the ground blushing wildly and leaving a surprised Raven awestruck beside him.
'He likes me?' she thought curiously 'I don't see how, all I ever do is yell. And it's not like I'm good looking or anything.'
She was stuck in her thoughts for a while before she decided she needed the changeling to explain himself.
"Beast Boy?" she asked softly
"Yeah?"
"Why would you like me?"
"Thats a stupid question, your smart, funny, and beautiful." Again his eyes went wide at what he had said aloud and his face turned bright red again.
"I still don't get it though, it's not like we were ever close or anything."
"Things have changed Rae. You have more control over your emotions, and I have control over the beast now. I like to think we helped each other through our rough times and that brought us close even though we didn't know it."
"That's pretty insightful for you."
"Like I said, things change."
They continued to walk down the tunnel in silence with Raven mulling over their conversation. A few minutes passed and Beast Boy just had to ask what was on his mind.
"Raven, do you think that you could ever love me back if maybe I changed?" he had said this sentence with such nervous sorrow as if he feared the answer.
This was the question Raven had bounced back and forth in her head all morning since she saw him in the gym this morning.
"I don't think that's possible Beast Boy." she replied nervously. Beast Boy felt his heart rip into pieces. "Not if I already love you for who you are."
This sentence took a second for Beast Boy to comprehend. Once he did though his face lit up like the fourth of July. He looked over at her smiling widely.
"Really?"
"Yes." she replied staring shyly at the ground blushing slightly.
Beast Boy reached over wrapped her in a big bear hug spinning her around and making her squeak with surprise. Soon though she returned his hug. When they released they looked at each other for a second, then leaned in to kiss each other for the first time. It took a while, but once they finally sopped they both felt it was a wonderful one. They walked hand in hand after that down the long dark tunnel.
"Wow, I wonder what the others are going to think when we tell them."
"I have no idea."
"Maybe we should rename this particular sewer 'the tunnel of love'." he joked
Raven had to give a smile to this joke, she actually found it funny. When Beast Boy saw it he didn't say anything but he did smile even wider if it was possible.
It was then they came to a large cavern underground. The ceiling had to be near 80 feet high. It was pitted with all little holes which stared ominously down on them.
"Beast Boy?" asked Raven nervously.
"Your bad feeling is back too huh?"
"Yeah." she said, relieved to a degree that he felt too.
It was then they noticed what was in the center of the room. There were two figures in the gloom. On was smaller than the other, and the larger one was standing with its back to the two teenagers.
"Hello Titans." came the chilling voice they both recognized. "Where are the others?"
"Slade!" they cried furiously.
Large spotlights which had been installed in the cavern ceiling turned on drowning the whole place in light. The girl that Slade had kidnapped lay kneeling at his feet sniffling. Both Raven and Beast Boy knew she had been the bait to get them to walk into this trap. Beast Boy turned to Raven and said something Slade could not hear. He saw Raven look like she was about to object to what Beast Boy had said but he lunged at Slade before she could get a word in. To recover Slade had to retreat a few feet from the girl as the changeling attacked him in his tiger form. But this was not enough for Beast Boy as he attacked again and again in all forms of animals to get Slade away from her. Soon he was far enough away for Raven to grab her and carry her to the entranceway.
"Come on Beast Boy!" she yelled back at him "We can't take him by ourselves!"
Beast Boy immediately listened to reason and broke off the fight with Slade to join Raven in the tunnel.
"Oh no you don't." said Slade calmly with a chuckle
He snapped his fingers loudly and his drones started to crawl from the ceiling. A few dropped between Beast Boy and Raven. They forced Raven to pull the girl farther into the tunnel to protect her. Beast Boy fought them off but as he tried to get out f the cavern he found a force field blocking his path that he could not break. Unfortunately the drones could though. He attacked them viciously making sure none got passed him.
"Go Raven! Get the others! I'll hold them off!"
"Beast Boy you can't!"
"GO!" when he yelled this he let out a blood curdling howl and transformed into the beast. It stood close to seven feet tall and was incredibly muscular. Now the drones stood no chance. He ravaged them. Raven took off carrying the girl who had now fainted at Beast Boy's howl. Raven felt tears begin to form. She feared greatly for Beast Boy's safety.
First she teleported the girl to the surface, then she went and found each of her teammates and brought them to the cavern where the green one still fought. As soon as they reached the barrier Raven attacked it unmercifully. Unfortunately it was unaffected and threw everything back at Raven launching her down the tunnel a ways.
"Raven!" yelled the others in unison.
They did not have to go get her and see if she was alright because she merely stood up bruised and bloody rushing back to resume her barrage on the door.
"Raven stop!" ordered Robin loudly "Your just going to hurt yourself more."
"How can you say that!" she screamed louder than anyone ad ever heard her. "Beast Boy is in there and we have to get him out!"
"Cyborg. How long will it take you to crack the barrier with that program you made?"
"Maybe five minutes." he said hurriedly. "I'll get to work."
"Thats not good enough!" yelled Raven overflowing with anger and worry. Tears now flowed unimpeded down her face. She ran back over to the wall and started beating it with her fists. Every time she hit it the barrier seared her flesh, but she did not care.
Beast Boy who had been doing so well before in the fight now was getting overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the drones. Tearing and clawing through the masses he made one turn and came face to face with Slade in the crowd who landed a hard kick which sent him flying into the barrier Raven was so far unable to breach. He hit it with a loud thud and dropped to the ground. This caught the attention of all the Titans on the other side. They saw his beaten and bloody body breathing heavily on the floor.
Raven dropped to her knees on the other side of the barrier in front of him. Robin who had been urging Cyborg to work faster stopped and watched along with the metal man. Starfire was off in the back crying her own tears, she was having a hard time grasping the situation.
"Beast Boy!" gasped Raven as she looked over him.
He looked up at her still in his Beast form, and his eyes showed all the pain and sadness he was going through. Then he lifted and hand and pointed to his eye, then his heart, and then to Raven.
'I love you.' he was saying with gestures for he could not speak while the beast.
Raven's tears doubled as she repeated the gesture but said the words with it.
"I love you Beast Boy."
Beast Boy stood shakily still looking into her eyes as if willing for them to tell her what he was thinking. He was attacked from behind then making him give another massive howl. The drones were now climbing over him and trying to subdue him.
"NO!" Raven screamed desperately. She resumed attacking the barrier but now her hands were getting bloody from their assault.
"Starfire!" yelled Robin "Stop Raven from hurting herself!"
Starfire nodded and ran up behind Raven wrapping her in a big bear hug thoroughly restraining her. Now Raven began to yell at Starfire for stopping her. Starfire just closed her eyes and let her tears fall.
"Now dear child we wouldn't want you to hurt yourself now would we."
Slade came out of the shadows on the other side of the barrier. Beast Boy ad his hands full on the other side of the cavern with the drones.
"Let him go!" screamed the empath wildly, her eyes glowing dangerously.
"Now we can't have that, but don't worry, I won't let them kill him. I need him for my plan."
"What is your plan Slade?" asked Robin angrily
"Well what fun would it be if it wasn't a secret."
Raven had heard enough now. "I swear to god Slade if I ever get my hands on you I'm going to rip you limb from limb!"
"Dear girl, you of all people should be thanking me! I had to make the decision between whether I wanted to do this to Beast Boy or to you. Lucky for you I had figured the boy would be much easier to break once I get him worn out enough here. Maybe once I'm through with him I will put you through the same thing if that is what you want."
Raven scowled the whole time Slade spoke, but Starfire knew better than to release her.
"Beast Boy is much stronger than you think."
"And what makes you so sure of that?"
"You don't know him like I do."
As she finished the sentence Beast Boy slammed into Slade's side driving him into the wall of the cavern. Raven saw the masses of destroyed robots and the handful that were left hold off as Slade no battled the beast. In any other situation Raven knew that even Slade was no match for Beast Boys strongest form, but now he had lost large amounts of blood, was tired from all the fighting, and looked as if that last attack on Slade robbed him of the rest of his energy.
Slade took advantage of Beast Boy's disabilities and began to beat the day lights out of him. Raven could barely watch as Beast Boy fell to the ground in front of her. He tried to stand again but his strength failed him and he fell back to the ground. He looked up at Raven with his emerald eyes. Again he made the 'I love you' motions again.
"I love you too." whispered Raven softly
"How touching, this explains why you were so desperate to save your little green friend, or should I say, little green lover!" Slade chuckled at this and glanced down at Beast Boy who was making a second attempt to stand. This time though Slade kicked him across the face sending a spray of blood with his head to the ground unconscious.
"You Bastard!" yelled Raven, who's comment only increased Slade's laughing.
"Well kids it's been fun, but now I must go, for I believe you are only a mere twenty seconds short of breaking my barrier." This comment made Cyborg glare in surprise and anger. "I shall see you all very soon should Beast Boy cooperate with me. But I will say I cannot guarantee his safety while in my care. Hmhmhmhmmm." While still laughing he turned and disappeared through the other side of the cavern with the drones carrying Beast Boy behind him. As soon as the barrier cracked and broke the whole cavern began to shake and crumble. Slade, living up to his reputation had everything planned out perfectly.
"Come on! We have to get out of here!" yelled Robin hurriedly. He ran down the tunnel followed by Starfire who still held Raven, and then by Cyborg. They reached the surface just before the whole thing caved in. The police had already found the little girl and the paramedics were treating her.
"Starfire, Cyborg, take Raven back to the tower; I'll brief the cops and join you then. We have to sort out whats going on."
