Candor – Chapter 1
Nightwing groaned, his back was throbbing incessantly from the blast of Fantom's attack. Cement crackled underneath him as shards of glass dug painfully into his skin. Cyborg was to his right, the usually smooth metal surface was scratched from the fall. He pushed himself off the ground, stumbling on his way to check on Cyborg and crouched next to his friend. Nightwing prodded him, trying to see if he would wake. "Cyborg? Cyborg, can you hear me?" he said. Cyborg grunted and pushed Nightwing away from him.
"I'm good, man, that was a wild explosion" He exclaimed.
Nightwing frowned and looked around them. "It sure was. Let's try find the oth-" He paused as a cement block fell causing a puff of dust to be scattered in the air. A black shield stood underneath, still valiantly holding off more chunks of the building behind them. Cyborg and Nightwing ran to help, throwing the pieces threatening to crush her away.
Ravens shield disappeared revealing an unconscious Beast Boy clutched in the arms of a distraught Raven. She looked up at them with wide eyes. "He couldn't get away fast enough, and his head got hit pretty hard" Beat Boy had a huge purpling bruise on his forehead which was dripping blood down his face.
"Can you teleport home?" Nightwing asked.
Raven nodded before enveloping herself and Beast Boy in black mist and disappearing.
Cyborg swiveled around, his eyes quick and calculating, "Where's Fantom?"
"Where's Star?" Nightwing whispered.
"I am here friends" said Starfire, her voice sweet within the devastation. "However I could not locate the villain Fantom, he seems to have vanished."
Cyborg rolled his eyes and stalked back to the T-car. "Figures," He muttered.
Nightwing held Starfire's arms, examining them. "You okay?" He asked, his voice full of concern.
Starfire smiled up at him. "I am fine, they are just some scratches, nothing I cannot live with."
He deliberated for a moment before suggesting that they return to the Tower to clean up themselves. Cyborg and Starfire eagerly agreed.
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A Raven cry echoed throughout the empty hallways in the tower as a large black silhouette materialized into view. Beast Boy appeared first, carried under a circular disk that Raven controlled taking him to the infirmary.
She hopped restlessly from foot to foot as she typed in the access code. She didn't understand why she was so worked up over Beast Boy. He was just her friend, though she had often entertained the fact that they could in fact become more. However the mere thought of opening up to someone sent panicked tremors through her body, opening up could always become a way of escape for her father. She didn't want to risk the entire universe just for a boy.
Raven set Beast Boy down on a plain white bed, the sheets already stained scarlet from his blood. She sucked in a deep breath of air as she settled herself on a stool next to his bed. Her amethyst eyes began to glow a harsh white as her hands took on the same glow. She ran her hands up his body to his forehead looking for any possible internal injuries he might have sustained. She reached out with her powers and joined tissue together, numbing the pain. Her pale hands lingered on his forehead as she flicked a piece of his forest green hair away from his face. Beast Boy moaned suddenly shocking Raven out of her reverie. She threw her hands away from his face and backed away from the bed, stumbling over the stool behind her. The stool wobbled and toppled over, sending the heart monitor down with it. Raven stood frozen in her place, her body slightly crouched together and poised for escape. She swore under her breath as Beast Boy began to stir and hoped that he wouldn't awaken to see her, Raven, the calm and sophisticated member of the group in this situation.
Beat Boy yawned and stretched out his green limbs and began to open his eyes.
She swore again.
Today was not her day.
TTTTTT
His head hurt. It felt like a stampede of elephants decided they'd like to run all over his brain and then jumped on it like a trampoline. Maybe they even did acrobats, he thought, smiling internally as he pictured elephants graciously performing back flips and twirls. Yeah, that would be awesome. But still, his head hurt.
The last thing he remembered was a bright light as Starfire fought Fantom. He had been helping Raven because she was hurt. He hoped she was okay. Even though every time they talked it was pretty much about him being an idiot and her being a freaky book worm, he really liked her. She was different and she gave him the balance he needed in the team. Sometimes the overly happy Starfire, the demanding Nightwing and loud Cyborg were a bit much and he liked bothering Raven who was quiet in her corner. She was peaceful.
The throbbing in his head weakened suddenly, turning into a slight ache instead and he found thinking easier without the distracting soreness, even if he didn't think a whole lot.
A dull crash echoed in his mind and he heard Ravens voice mutter harshly. He opened his mouth wide for a yawn, stretched his cramped limbs and opened his eyes.
"Raven?" He croaked, his voice hoarse.
He raised an eyebrow at her funny positioning, she looked like a deer caught in headlights. Beast Boy had never seen Raven look so disheveled. Her hair was strewn across her eyes, her cape was crumpled and hung off her right shoulder, medical equipment had tumbled behind her causing a mess. Neat Raven looked so out of place in the midst of this disaster.
Beast Boy chuckled throatily. "You look funny."
Raven opened and closed her mouth looking very lost. She grasped the edges of her cloak and wrapped herself up, standing straight and huffing. "I do not look funny!" Waves of silent laughter were flowing from Beast Boy like a waterfall making Raven blush a cherry red.
"Yes, you do" Beast Boy said. He paused, and as an after thought added, "And you look cute when you blush."
He had no idea where the courage had suddenly come from. He had never been this forward with her before. He felt satisfied and even a little shocked as he managed to make her even more flustered and turned from cherry to scarlet.
"I'm not blushing!" Raven protested, pulling up her hood in attempt to hide her face. "Quit being annoying, I have to check your injuries."
She walked towards Beast Boy taking care not to trip over the fallen stool once again. Raven averted her eyes as she felt Beast Boy following her every move. His staring was making her antsy and she desperately wanted to leave to the quiet safety of her room but the worry for her friend still tightened in her chest. Raven touched her frail fingers to his forehead, only partially covering his eyes which were still staring.
She sighed in exasperation. "What Beast Boy?"
"Nothing!" He exclaimed. "I was just thinking about…stuff…"
Raven raised a delicate eyebrow. "Try not to overload your brain Beast Boy."
Beast Boy placed his hands on his heart in mock hurt, "Ouch, Rae, I know you're miss smarty pants but some people have a life outside dusty novels."
"Don't call me Rae," She growled, narrowing her eyes.
Beast Boy snorted and crossed his arms. "Whatever! I think you should play video games instead of reading your boring books."
A small smile quirked at the edges of Raven's lips, "You're life revolves around brain-numbing video games. Muuuch better than my 'boring books'" She droned, "And besides, readings fun."
Beast Boy shrugged, "Only you would find reading fun Raven."
"Maybe you should try reading. You might actually get some workable brain cells." Raven protested as she continued to fuss over some of Beast Boys wounds. She pocked at his shoulder, hesitating when he winced slightly. "It's nothing" he stated moving away from her touch.
"Just let me check it out"
Beast Boy hesitantly let her probe around, moving his shirt to reveal a nasty gash.
Raven grimaced. "That doesn't look nice," her hands started glowing again. "This might hurt a little."
His breath rushed out of his chest as sudden sharp pains shot up his arms. He turned his face away to hide his grimace.
"It's okay Beast Boy, this is a pretty deep cut…I have to go in deeper to reach the damaged tissue."
Her magic trickled through Beast Boy, willing the broken skin to heal.
He let out a relieved breath of air once she finished, "Thanks, Raven."
"I'm glad you're okay Beast Boy," The corners of her mouth twitched upwards in a small smile before contorting to a menacing frown. "Just try not to hurt yourself again."
Beat Boy raised an eyebrow as Raven turned to face Cyborg, Nightwing and Starfire as they entered the infirmary, the automatic door silently shut behind them.
"Friend! Are you unharmed?" Starfire asked, concern in her voice.
Beast Boy grinned. "I'm all good thanks to Raven!"
"Good. Then we can get to work tracking Fantom down. He shouldn't have been able to get too far although with that handy disappearing trick up his sleeve he could be able to pass through the city undetected." Nightwing said, immediately launching into work-mode. "Cyborg, see what you can do about cameras in the areas nearby. Raven, can you-"
Starfire swung around placing a finger on his lips, silencing him. "Perhaps we should all endeavor to rest first, we will not be of much use if we are not functioning properly, yes?"
He considered her, staring at each of his team mates who looked tired and beaten. "Yeah, good idea Star. Let's just get a good nights rest and see where we are tomorrow. Night guys!" He swiveled to turn out of the room, tagging Starfire along with him giggling all the way to their rooms.
"Man." Cyborg chuckled. "That guy is so whipped!"
Beast Boy grinned. "Yeah dude, no girl could make me whipped like that!" He stated proudly.
Raven eyed him and shrugged. "You never know." She said before vanishing to her room in black swirls of energy.
Cyborg and Beast Boy looked confusedly at the spot she was standing in. "Damn." Cyborg muttered. "Girls are always so cryptic."
"Yeah." Beast Boy frowned to himself. "She is."
TTTTTT
Grunts and shouting echoed through the heavy metal door that held her captive. A sharp crack and a cry made her flinch as she tried to back further away into a corner. The walls were stained with soot, blood and tears and the floor was cracked and rough against her bare feet. She pulled her knees closer to her chest as someone fiddled with the lock and the door creaked open.
A large figure emerged, its green scaled skin sticky under the harsh illumination the open door provided. "Princess Koriand'r, my you have grown. A woman you are becoming, I see. Granthor will be pleased."
His rough, vulgar voice bounced off the walls as she averted her eyes to glower at him.
The figure glared at her demanding attention. "You will look at me when I speak!" He yelled, stalking over and backhanding her face fiercely. Her head snapped left as tears welled in her eyes. No, she thought, she will not succumb to this vile creature.
He reached out again, his fingers slimy and grabbed her face.
"Troq." He spat.
Starfire awoke panting and found herself staring into more darkness. The moon sent cold shadows across her room and she realized that she missed the warmth and comfort that Richard brought her when they spent the nights together. They had both agreed to keep each of their rooms for the time being, privacy and a means of escape being the main factors and of course the slight possibility that their relationship may not last forever.
A wave of nausea swept over her as she swung herself off the bed and staggered forwards into her lilac coloured bathroom. After everyone had complained about green toenail clippings found lying around in inconvenient places of the bathroom they all previously shared, Cyborg had installed private bathrooms for each of them.
Starfire fell to her knees sending jolts up her body from the impact. She braced herself on the porcelain seat and hunched over the toilet bowl as she vomited the contents of her nine stomachs out. A horrid acidic flavor coated her tongue and burned the back of her throat as she hurled again.
She raised herself off the ground and wobbled unsteadily to the bathtub, her vision blurring with every step of the way. Something burned at the back of her mind, old memories were resurfacing and it was painful to face things that she had tried to suppress for so long. Her old wounds, long since healed from the devastation of her past, throbbed under her skin. Water rolled down her cheeks, almost like tears. She stayed in the shower until the pitter patter of water against her back turned uncomfortably cold.
She floated out of the bathtub and back into bed feeling unsettled and achy and decided she would ask Raven about her dreams in the morning.
She fell asleep with screams of horror filling her mind.
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Author's note: Hey guys! Summer has finally come round so that means no more exams for the mean time. Sorry this chapter isn't as long as the first but the lengths will vary...alot. Anyways hope you enjoyed! Have a wonderful summer.
Rose.
