Chapter Four: Swahili Protection

Raven had been reading more and more books with the strange writing Beast Boy had noted. What's even stranger is every now and then he can read a word or two of it. He pretended like that wasn't the case he was just seeing things, however, it just kept happening.

'Maybe I should tell Rae about it? No, she'd just tell me I was stupid and walk off.' Beast Boy walked past her door when the Titan Alarm went off. He turned to run down the hall the same time Raven came out the door of her room.

"What were you doing outside my door Beast Boy? Spying on me again?" Raven looked at him trying to decide if he was lying to her or not.

"What, no way Raven. I was walking past to my room when the alarm went off. Besides why would I spy on you today? You've been doing the same thing for weeks. You've been sitting in there on your bed reading strange books. Why you'd be reading about a mate is beyond me." Beast Boy and Raven stopped dead in 0their tracks just before the ops room.

'Oh dang, I've spilled the beans that I could read a few words. Oh man oh man oh man what do I do? Maybe she didn't hear me? Nope she heard she stopped too.'

"What did you say Beast Boy? I thought I heard you say something about a mate?" She looked at Beast Boy with concern he had just told her exactly what she had been reading about. Demon mates throughout time, and what signs they would show to allow their mate to know they are close. One of the most common ones, when the mate was not demon, was he or she was able to read demon text.

'What if Beast Boy is my said mate?' 'Oh Raven you'd love it, I should know I am love after all.' 'Shut up Love, your wrong, you have to be wrong. It's only a crush. I won't act on it, because it would never work. We are opposites, as different as day and night.' 'But Raven, that's exactly why you two would work. Your Yang and he is Yin. Besides, you can't use 'my powers would never allow' excuse anymore. You know why they freak out and that's because you won't let me in. Let him finish the balance, Raven.'

"Well, hehe, you see Raven. Every once in a while when you do read in the common room I get a glimpse of your book. I know I haven't been near you or anything but, I have animal eyes I can see far and in the dark very well. I could see the words and every so often the word mate and life pops out at me." Raven stared in shock at this. He was reading demonic text, not much but enough to make Raven wonder. "Rae, the others are waiting for us, we got a battle remember?" Raven nodded her head still thinking as they walked into the ops room.

"Titans it's Mumbo, he's in the park. Titans Go!" They all took off to get there their favorite way. Raven and Starfire took to the skies, Cyborg in his baby, the T-car, Robin on the R-cycle and Beast Boy transformed into a raven and took off.

"Robin, come in Robin."

"This is Robin, go Cyborg."

"Dude is it just me or had Beast Boy been using the form of a Raven a lot lately? I mean think about it just about every time we take off to fight and he decides to fly there it's a raven he turns into. Now I don't know if you knew…"

"That BB likes Raven, yeah I knew. He told me like a year ago, maybe a couple months after he told you. I don't think Raven has noticed though. I know Star has, she says we should try and get them together."

"Yeah, man, if he keeps this up she'll notice for sure he likes her and I'm not sure how she feels."

"Friend and Boyfriend, I'm sorry to intrude. However, I could not help but over hear your conversation, and do not worry; Raven has her communicator on mute. I do believe Raven does like Beast Boy. She talks of him often during our 'girl talks'.

"Good to know Star, Cyborg you make sure BB still has a crush on Raven. If so we'll see what we can do. Who knows maybe this will strengthen the team like it has with me and Star."

Beast Boy arrived to the fight first, which was very unusual for him, he wasn't entirely sure what to do. Normally he had Robin to check out what plan to use. Mumbo saw him and began to shoot his magic spells at him.

"Whoa, missed me blue dude. Maybe you should breath and give yourself some air so you can aim better." This only made Mumbo angrier.

"I'll show you green beast." Beast Boy froze at being called a beast. Even if it was part of his name being called just beast stung a little. Reminded him, he's not human, he's an animal. By the time the others arrived they saw Beast Boy fighting Mumbo, that shocked them but what shocked them the most Beast Boy just stopped.

"Titans Go!" Robin was worried; Beast Boy never froze during battle, what could have caused him to stop now? They all rushed in, their arrival, brought Beast Boy back and he began to fight as well. It looked as they were going to win, when Mumbo began to chant some strange words. Beast Boy caught some words they were Swahili, this magic was forbidden in his home tribe. Beast Boy ran forward mumbling under his breath.

"Everyone run away, get back something just, just get away now! NYAMA-KULA BAKTERIA MARA MBILI WAKATI KUACHA! (Flesh Eating bacteria double time stop, Swahili) The others started to turn away and run but found they could not move. They were frozen to the spot. Starfire screamed in pain soon the other followed them. Beast Boy chanted fast and walk towards Mumbo. His chanting to loader and stronger as he neared Mumbo, the others stopped screaming and doubled over in pain. Mumbo's eyes widened in horror as Beast Boy got in his face.

"Who are you kid? I thought you only changed into animals."

"Mimi ni Ijaw Amhara. Wala fujo na marafiki zangu" (I am the Ijaw Amhara. Don't mess with my friends). With that, he punched Mumbo in the face and knocked him out cold. Beast Boy had enough strength to turn and see his friends get up and rush to him before he passed out.