Chapter 3 A Different End, Part 2 -recommended music for chapter, "Animal I have become" by Three Days Grace Beast Boy sat in the wasted landscape, not really seeing it. Raven was gone. Everything else was just vague impressions as his mind tied to deal with the unthinkable.
Deep inside him, he wasn't alone in his grief. The Beast howled in agony at the loss of his chosen. The deep, keening sound in the depths of his mind seemed the only real thing in the world at that moment. As the sound subsided, he heard his friends approach. He heard Starfire asking Robin what they should do.
In an instant, as though that question were a release, his mind snapped into absolute focus. The pain and grief were shouldered aside, to be dealt with later. In its place came rage. He would share this pain with the one who caused it. He stood up.
"I'm going to kill Trigon." His voice was deadpan, with barely any life to it. He turned to the others. "Who's with me?"
They stepped back from him, seeming frightened.
*What's gotten into Beast Boy?* Cyborg was thinking, watching his friend carefully.
*Why does friend Beast Boy sound so...dead?* Starfire thought in fear bordering on grief.
*...He sounds like Raven used to...* Robin thought, ready to take Beast Boy down for his own good if neccessary.
"Well?" Beast Boy asked, looking from one to the other.
"An interesting plan," a voice said behind him, as he spun to face Slade, "but doomed to failure.
"YOU!" Beast Boy's rage took over, and he slammed Slade against a rock outcropping, ready to rip him to shreds. "YOU DID THIS!"
"Don't be foolish. I was only the catalyst. It was-"
"I'm going to rip you apart, Slade. Then I'll do the same to your master."
"That won't do your friend Raven very much good."
Dead silence. For 3 seconds.
"Raven's dead. I saw...I heard her die..."
"Not completely. Some part of her may have survived the spell."
Beast Boy dropped Slade, sinking to his knees. She might still be alive. Could it really be? He heard Slade and the others discussing, but didn't really listen. Finally, he clung to hope, and his eyes turned white.
His vision changed. He wasn't looking at the landscape anymore. He was using ALL of his senses to find any possible trace of Raven, anything he could track. He saw traces on himself and each of his friends, but they weren't enough. Then he saw the penny.
Picking it up, he examined it. In his mind, he saw her magic imbuing it. From it, he saw a trail, leading into the distance. He knew. She lived still. Turning, he saw Slade. He saw the death inside his skin. He saw the glow of the ring on his finger. It was pushing back the demon power that infused the area.
Interrupting the conversation as they were deciding what to do, Beast Boy spoke up. "I'm going after Raven."
Everyone turned to stare at him. Slade chuckled. "A nice sentiment, but you need me to lead you, and I'm not going anywhere with an animal."
There was a green blur and a snap, and everyone was staring at the bloodless stump of Slade's arm. Beast Boy worked the ring off of the finger and slipped it onto his own. He tossed the hand back to Slade.
"You can stay here then." Beast Boy set off, following the trail his senses showed him.
Slade reattatched his arm, then followed as the other Titans prepared to distract Trigon. Slade watched Beast Boy carefully, thinking, *Perhaps I had sought out the wrong Titan to become my apprentice to begin with...*
Deep inside him, he wasn't alone in his grief. The Beast howled in agony at the loss of his chosen. The deep, keening sound in the depths of his mind seemed the only real thing in the world at that moment. As the sound subsided, he heard his friends approach. He heard Starfire asking Robin what they should do.
In an instant, as though that question were a release, his mind snapped into absolute focus. The pain and grief were shouldered aside, to be dealt with later. In its place came rage. He would share this pain with the one who caused it. He stood up.
"I'm going to kill Trigon." His voice was deadpan, with barely any life to it. He turned to the others. "Who's with me?"
They stepped back from him, seeming frightened.
*What's gotten into Beast Boy?* Cyborg was thinking, watching his friend carefully.
*Why does friend Beast Boy sound so...dead?* Starfire thought in fear bordering on grief.
*...He sounds like Raven used to...* Robin thought, ready to take Beast Boy down for his own good if neccessary.
"Well?" Beast Boy asked, looking from one to the other.
"An interesting plan," a voice said behind him, as he spun to face Slade, "but doomed to failure.
"YOU!" Beast Boy's rage took over, and he slammed Slade against a rock outcropping, ready to rip him to shreds. "YOU DID THIS!"
"Don't be foolish. I was only the catalyst. It was-"
"I'm going to rip you apart, Slade. Then I'll do the same to your master."
"That won't do your friend Raven very much good."
Dead silence. For 3 seconds.
"Raven's dead. I saw...I heard her die..."
"Not completely. Some part of her may have survived the spell."
Beast Boy dropped Slade, sinking to his knees. She might still be alive. Could it really be? He heard Slade and the others discussing, but didn't really listen. Finally, he clung to hope, and his eyes turned white.
His vision changed. He wasn't looking at the landscape anymore. He was using ALL of his senses to find any possible trace of Raven, anything he could track. He saw traces on himself and each of his friends, but they weren't enough. Then he saw the penny.
Picking it up, he examined it. In his mind, he saw her magic imbuing it. From it, he saw a trail, leading into the distance. He knew. She lived still. Turning, he saw Slade. He saw the death inside his skin. He saw the glow of the ring on his finger. It was pushing back the demon power that infused the area.
Interrupting the conversation as they were deciding what to do, Beast Boy spoke up. "I'm going after Raven."
Everyone turned to stare at him. Slade chuckled. "A nice sentiment, but you need me to lead you, and I'm not going anywhere with an animal."
There was a green blur and a snap, and everyone was staring at the bloodless stump of Slade's arm. Beast Boy worked the ring off of the finger and slipped it onto his own. He tossed the hand back to Slade.
"You can stay here then." Beast Boy set off, following the trail his senses showed him.
Slade reattatched his arm, then followed as the other Titans prepared to distract Trigon. Slade watched Beast Boy carefully, thinking, *Perhaps I had sought out the wrong Titan to become my apprentice to begin with...*