Chapter Four already, sheesh lol

I do feel this should be said:

I don't ask for reviews as a "popularity" thing.

I ask for reviews so I know how I'm doing.

Plus, sometimes you guys have great ideas!

Or you point out flaws. Either way, you help.

So please, leave a review!

-Anii


Chapter 4: "There's no getting over it. I know what you are."

― Whore by Get Scared

Raven lifted a trembling hand and raked her fingers through her hair. She tried to tell herself repeatedly that she must have imagined the familiar male voice calling out her name but the single word had been crisp and clear. There was no denying it.

"Raven?!" Beast Boy dashed through the doorway, his feet kicking up dust as he plowed through her old room.

She held up her hand, her palm facing Beast Boy. "I'm fine."

A booming chuckle invaded the room, "I'm not so sure about that."

Raven's eyes widened and she launched herself at Beast Boy, knocking them both out of the room just as it burst into rubble. Plaster dripped from the ceiling where her room had just stood and dust spewed out of the mess.

Beast Boy scrambled to his feet, yanking Raven up with him as she coughed out the dust from her lungs. "What the hell just happened?"

"Malchior." Raven wheezed. "We have to get back in there."

"Malchior? You mean that dragon dude?! Are you kidding me! Whoa!" Beast Boy ranted as Raven began tearing through the rubble that piled up, blocking her way to Malchior.

Beast Boy's fingers curled around her upper arm and he jerked her back to face him. His face was mere inches from hers as he shouted, "We have to get out of here."

"Not likely."

Raven spun around to come face to face with a human figure shrouded in old book pages. Only Malchior's- no Rorek's- ice blue eyes peeked out from the shredded papers. Seeing those blue eyes startled Raven. Before, Malchior had used a page from the book as his eyes. But now, Malchior was using Rorek's eyes just like he had used his body.

"I thought I sealed you away, Malchior." Raven hissed through clenched teeth.

"You did." Malchior crossed his paper arms over his chest and closed his eyes. "But I have a new savior. She came to speak to me last night."

"Are you the one who attacked us?" Beast Boy demanded, stepping forward with clear anger in his eyes.

"It wasn't him." Raven whispered.

"What?" Beast Boy turned to face her, his anger rising. "Are you saying that because…because…."

"Because she loves me?" Malchior unsheathed his eyes and pierced straight through Beast Boy and right to Raven.

Raven bent forward slightly, her body tensing for a fight. "I don't love you." Raven brought her gaze to Beast Boy's face and she answered as calmly as she could. "He's what those plants were looking for."

Beast Boy's anger drained out of him and his head tilted to the side as he looked at Raven. "Are you sure?"

"I've really had enough of this chit-chat. I have orders." Malchior uncrossed his arms his voice deepening.

Raven's soul self coiled around Beast Boy and she thrust her hand forward. "Go get help!" She shouted as she teleported Beast Boy back to the hotel.

Just as the last word fell from her mouth, a giant black and purple claw snatched her up, crushing her thin body. Raven ground her teeth together and fought hard against her fleshy cage. She tried moving her limbs but her arms were crushed to her sides. All she could do was feebly kick the lower half of her legs.

The main section of Malchior's body remained in its papery form even as he brought Raven closer to him. "I've missed you so, my love."

Raven's eyes glowed black. "Azarath Metrion Zi-!"

A single sheet of paper tore free from Malchior's body and slapped itself across Raven's mouth, cutting off the last part of her chant. Raven's jaw moved wildly to try and force out the remaining syllables but the paper stuck fast.

"Don't be so nasty, my dear." Malchior cooed, his paper fingers stroking Raven's cheek and brushing a lock of violet hair behind her ear.

In the darkened hallway, Rorek's eyes, which Malchior borrowed, glowed almost unnaturally. Raven stopped fighting.

"Ah, saving your energy for the perfect moment?" Malchior bobbed his head up and down, a soft crinkling sound coming from the rustling of his paper body. "Forgive me, dear Raven, but there will be no 'perfect moment'. Not this time."

His eyes narrowed and the hand clutching Raven tightened. Raven threw her head back and let out a muffled scream of agony as Malchior squeezed her almost to the point of breaking. Her chest couldn't expand in Malchior's crushing grip, cutting off her body's supply of oxygen.

"I won't let you confine me to that book ever again. Soon, I'll have the strength to unleash my furry and I will rule again!" Malchior howled, insanity creeping into his voice.

Raven's head fell forward as Malchior's hand loosened around her. She frantically filled her lungs through her nose, her heart beating rapidly against her breastbone. Malchior's free hand cupped her cheek as paper ripped from around his body and flew outwards.

The arm around Raven shrunk to a normal size and Raven would have collapsed to the ground if Malchior hadn't crushed her to his chest first. Raven looked up into Rorek's face and if the paper hadn't kept her mouth shut, she would have spit.

Rorek's white hair tumbled down his back and his piecing eyes searched Raven's thoroughly. His lean body and strong arms held Raven close. His black mask hid the majority of his face but there was no denying the fact that Rorek was stunning.

Or, rather, he had been stunning. Rorek, the real Rorek, was long dead and Malchior was borrowing his body to trick Raven, as he had once before. Raven struggled, sliding her hands over the smooth metal of Rorek's armor to try to push herself away. Malchior held on relentlessly though.

"Your strength when you defeated me was beautiful, do you know that?" Malchior whispered.

Instead of melting like he wanted it to, Raven's heart froze in her chest. She was a captured bird about to be devoured by the vicious python. Raven's eyes burned black once more as she attempted to use her simpler spells without her chant.

A small pebble from the remains of her room launched itself at Malchior's head. His head twisted in just enough time to see the boulder-sized rock, covered in Raven's black soul self, smash into his face.

His grip on her only tightened. Malchior's attention returned to Raven. "What a cute little trick."

"Let her go, Malchior." Robin ordered.

Both Malchior and Raven's heads jerked to the side to find Robin standing in a fighting position at the end of the hall.

"Or what?" Malchior taunted with a sinister sneer. "Where are your companions? Hiding, huh? Waiting to attack me with a surprise attack?"

"You got it!"

Raven's head swung upwards just in time to see a blue light blast down from the ceiling. Strong hands gripped her shoulder and yanked her back in enough time. Malchior roared as Cyborg's laser sliced down through him.

A look of surprise remained in Rorek's eyes as the two halves of his body slid apart. Paper swarmed around Malchior's split form and patched the halves back together. Raven grabbed Starfire's wrist and pointed towards the shattered remains of her room.

"What is it, Raven?" Starfire asked, confusion clouding her eyes.

Raven spun around, standing on wobbly legs and shot her hands out before her, wrists together. The beam of dark energy raced to do her bidding and chipped away at the rubble.

"Oh!" Starfire shouted, finally catching on.

Starfire flung several large green orbs of light towards the rocky debris and blasted away large chunks of rock. The piece of paper left Raven's mouth to help reform Malchior and Raven screeched, "Find the book!" just as Malchior's dragon arm snatched her up once more.

"Really, darling? Bringing friends along?" Malchior snapped, his tone not quite matching the words he spoke.

"Raven!" Robin shouted, his bo striking Malchior's shoulder.

Malchior's head twisted to the side. "Pathetic." He hissed as his other arm lashed out and sent Robin crashing into the nearest wall.

"Robin!" Starfire cried, moving to help him.

"No, Starfire!" Raven ordered, struggling against her confines. "Don't stop! Find that book!"

"I'll help you out, Star." Cyborg dropped from the ceiling and aimed his laser canon at the rubble.

Malchior smirked. "Good luck."

Malchior's hand tightened around Raven as his borrowed body burst into flames, letting Malchior's real form sprout from the ashes. Red, glowing eyes stared down into Raven's soul and the dragon's mouth split in a terrifying grin.

Even in the narrow hallway, it was easy to tell that Malchior was massive. Two spikes portruded from the top of his head and a dangerous tail whipped from side to side, slapping against the walls of the hallway. He shifted his shoulder blades, shaking out his large, leathery wings. Malchior's head lifted, revealing the purple underside of his neck and belly.

Malchior's real body was too large for the hallway and, as he rose to his full height, he ripped through the ceiling and slithered his way up onto the roof.

Sunlight shone against the glistening scales that covered Malchior's body. He puffed out thin tendrils of smoke from his nose. He exhaled and the smoke clouded around Raven, who covered her nose with her sleeve in an attempt to keep the smoke out.

"Dear Raven, this will be a fitting end for you."

"I sealed you once." Raven spat, her eyes glowering with hate. "I'll do it again."

Malchior's eyes narrowed. "You would if you could. However, I won't let you."

"You didn't let me the first time, either."

"You're right." Malchior hissed, the laughter and mocking gone from his voice. "I underestimated you last time."

Malchior sucked in a gulp of air, ready to burn Raven to a crisp, just as a green gorilla fell from the sky. Beast Boy collided with Malchior's skull and the force smashed the dragon's head straight into the ground. Beast Boy tumbled away from Malchior and his meaty gorilla fists worked on prying Raven free.

Just as one of Raven's arms slid from the dragon's grasp, Malchior blasted a fireball right at Beast Boy, who shifted immediately into a mouse. The mouse scurried across the roof as Malchior launched fireball after fireball at the tiny green rodent.

"Don't hurt my friends!" Raven roared as her glowing hand swung out.

A black line of energy whipped against Malchior's neck, causing black blood to ooze from the wound. Malchior's head jerked towards Raven once more and his red eyes narrowed on her frame.

His lips curled up in a snarl and Malchior's voice echoed in Raven's mind. "I will kill you for that."

"Go ahead and try!" Raven shrieked as she made another slash against the dragon's neck.

She lifted her hand sharply and the energy whip lashed against Malchior's head with enough force to snap his head back.

"You're weak!" Malchior growled.

A green T-Rex head butted Malchior, knocking the dragon off his feet. Malchior hissed and swung his head around to send a blast of burning fire at Beast Boy. The changeling managed to dodge, however, Malchior's thick tail slashed at the air before slamming Beast Boy down into the ground.

The roof caved under the pressure and Beast Boy dropped to the floor below.

Raven cried out his name, making Malchior roar with laughter. Raven's soul self formed into a fist and she slammed it into Malchior with all the force she could muster.

"Enough of that." Malchior barked. "Or I'll bite off that damn arm of yours."

Steam slipped from Malchior's nostrils and a deep, chesty growl rumbled in the dragon's throat. Raven clenched her teeth together and clamped her eyes shut as Malchior's claw tightened around her."No. More. Games." He snarled.

"Raven!"

Raven's head twisted to the side and she managed to crack one eye open just in time to catch the book Cyborg launched at her. Malchior laughed and Raven was positive it must have echoed around the world. "Do you think you can defeat me again?"

Raven's mouth opened, her lips already forming the chant to imprison Malchior, yet again.

"Don't even try it." The dragon's jaw snapped open and an icy blue ball of swirling energy formed in his throat.

"Did you forget about us?" Cyborg's blue laser carved a deep cut down Malchior's long neck.

The dragon thrashed from the pain and in doing so, jostled Raven to the point where the book slipped right from her fingers.

Robin launched a pair of spinning metal objects at the dragon, who swatted them away with his tail. Starfire let out a fierce battle cry as she sent several green bolts towards Malchior.

"Pathetic pests!" Malchior howled, his free hand lashing out to knock Starfire to the ground.

Robin sent two smoke bombs flying. "Leave her alone!"

The bombs exploded right around Malchior's beady red eyes and he roared in pain, throwing his head back as his howl shook the ground beneath the Titan's feet.

"I'm not done yet, you overgrown lizard." Raven's head snapped to the side as she saw Beast Boy rise from the hole in the roof.

"I've had it with you bothersome Titans!" Malchior lifted the claw holding Raven and shoved his head just inches from her face. "Forgive me, my dear, but our time together must come to an end now."

And with that, he dropped Raven. Before she could even inhale, Malchior was poised to smash her into the ground with his palm. However, Beast Boy, in the form of a T-Rex again, intervened.

He slammed his enormous head into Malchior's wrist and the dragon let out a frustrated howl. Using his tail, Malchior flung the T-Rex away. In mid-air, Beast Boy's body switched back to that of a human's.

"Beast Boy, look out!" Raven shrieked, clambering onto her feet.

Beast Boy's unconscious body zoomed through the air and right off the edge of Titan's Tower.

"No!" Raven's feet carried her across the roof and, with one leap, she propelled herself through the air.

Her arms locked tightly around Beast Boy's waist and she pulled him close to her. Panic and fear overwhelmed her senses and Raven begged the racing emotions to feed her flight. However, both her and Beast Boy now plummeted to the Earth below at an alarming rate.

Why am I not flying? Please fly. Please.

Raven's pleas went unheard and the wind slashed at the empath, making her eyes water. Raven hugged Beast Boy closer to her and spun her body around in a circle in mid-air.

This is going to hurt.

Raven's back collided with the solid Earth and her body cried out in agony. The breath escaped from her lungs, leaving her breathless, as the impact brought pain to every cell in her body.

Her back arched and the force of the crash made her body bounce. She rolled in mid-air once more to protect Beast Boy from the unmerciful ground.

Raven's back met the hard Earth again and, this time, Beast Boy slipped from her grasp. His unconscious body rolled away from her as Raven tumbled across the Island's rocky surface.

Her body skidded to a halt on its side, dust and rocks flying up from the force.

Raven's body burned with pain and her eyesight blurred, threatening to go out and send her into total darkness. Her hearing dimmed to the point where only her heart's rhythmic beat reached her.

However, the distant cry of victory from Malchior managed to break through the deafness blocking Raven's ears.


Ah, I missed Malchior. Lol I'll admit, I had the biggest crush on him...or Rorek o_o uh...well whatever! haha Their names are so cool! Rorek and Malchior! Don't try and say those aren't awesome names! Enough of my fangirl rants! Please leave a review or message me to let me know what you think! :D Thank you! -Anii