8. Raven
It was waiting for her.
Waiting, somewhere down there in the darkness. And deep inside, she knew it.
Raven laid the unconscious bodies of Beast Boy and Starfire on the landing of her floor of the stairs. Cautiously she peered down over the railing. In the dimness of the emergency lighting, she could see everything was clear for several floors at least.
Standing behind Beast Boy's head, she slipped her arms into his armpits and lifted his upper torso, resting the back of his head against her chest. It was difficult to focus and summon her power while doing a physical activity, but Robin had pushed her through so many drills over the years that she could manage. Levitating him as much as possible, she dragged him down one flight of stairs, his heels bumping on every step.
She set Beast Boy down, walked back up the stairs, and did the same thing for Starfire. In fact, with him in position, she decided it would be easier to take Starfire down two flights, and then do two flights with Beast Boy. Each time she set one of her friends down, she tried to heal them a little, especially since moving an injured person was not good for them.
She mused on the fact that both her friends were thin, indeed both could eat all they wanted and never gain weight (if Raven looked at a piece of cake, she gained), yet they both were extremely heavy to carry.
After several floors, sweat was dripping into her eyes and her breathing was heavy. She had to rest a moment. She had no flashlight, and didn't even have the spell book that they had risked so much to get. Would it even have helped? Starfire had somehow managed to drive the thing away…how?
Then Raven's heart stopped.
Not quite literally, perhaps, but it felt like it. She heard something moving on the stairs one floor below her.
That was where they had opened the metal panel to get Beast Boy. The sound she had heard was the sound of that heavy panel scraping against the floor as someone – something – moved it a little.
It was waiting for her. Patiently waiting.
She stopped midway on the flight of stairs, while holding Starfire, and listened. She listened for a long time. No further sounds.
Teleporting was a very appealing idea right now, but she knew she couldn't manage it. Going back up the stairs was pointless. She was going to have to go past. And first she was going to have to see what was there. And then do battle with it.
As quietly as she could, she dragged Starfire to the landing and lay her down on her back, next to Beast Boy. As she knelt, she kissed Starfire on the forehead. What I wouldn't give for you to bug me about painting our toenails and gossiping about celebrities one more time, she thought. And how shocked Starfire would have been if she had seen this from her reserved friend.
She proceeded to kiss Beast Boy on the forehead, and then, on the mouth. At least it wasn't as clumsy as their disastrous first time. I do love you, she thought. If we get though this somehow, I'll laugh at any dumb joke you tell. Well, almost any.
There was still only silence coming from the floor below her. From her previous experience, moving as her spirit form would be no advantage. She leaned out over the railing and peered down. The landing with the open panel looked empty, but of course, she couldn't see all of it.
She didn't hear the myriad of whispering voices as before – a good sign or a bad one? She could sense the presence, the hunger. It was close. Not sure how close.
She crept down two steps. Once she got to the mid floor landing, she'd have a clear view.
And so would it.
She took another step. Last chance to come up with a good idea.
Starfire had managed to fight it…from something she learned in that book? It sounded like that standard vampire movie hokum. Something about being pure of heart? Not quite applicable to me, being a demon princess, and all. Something about sunlight? No sun here. And she was fresh out of wooden stakes, if that mattered.
She summoned all the energy she could, and a weak black aura formed around her hands. She reached the mid floor landing.
The landing below her was empty. The panel stood quietly, propped up against the wall. The toolbox with wrenches sat there, as did the flashlight Raven had used earlier.
But the gaping opening in the wall was what concerned her. Pitch black inside. That was where the clawed hand would reach out from.
Nonetheless, she looked around in all directions for the unexpected. Satisfied, Raven crept down the remaining steps. She stood on the landing. Nothing grabbed her…yet. She stood motionless for what felt like a year, but still nothing. Focusing all her energy into her right hand, she picked up the flashlight with her left and shone it into the opening.
Nothing but pipes and insulation.
Oh, come on! Attack me already! You know you want to.
She eased her way right up to the opening and looked in, then stuck her whole head in and shone the flashlight everywhere. It was clear.
She was puzzled, but also feeling a bit of relief – in fact, a lot of relief – she decided to do the only thing she could. She hurried back up the stairs, hoisted Beast Boy with no levitation and dragged him down. She dragged him past the opening. She dragged him down the next flight of stair, and finally set him down.
Then she went back up, walked quickly past the opening, got Starfire and did the same thing.
She rested for a moment, panting as silently as she could. Piece of cake. She was going to be able to get them to the bottom. She let herself feel a little optimism.
Only when she was moving Beast Boy down the next flight did a disturbing thought cross her mind. It had let her go past. But why? Why would it do that? Perhaps because she was already doing what it wanted...
.
.
With her back aching, Raven set Beast Boy down at the bottom, next to Starfire. In front of them was the door to the garage. One of the few non-sliding doors in the tower, this one had a bar to push it open.
Raven pushed it open, and there was a nice creak to give away any possible element of surprise. She set the door stop to hold it. The cavernous garage was empty. She saw Robin's R-Cycle parked in its spot. She saw Cyborg's moveable workbenches and neat arrays of tools, as well as some of his mechanical creations. She saw the T-Car, nicely polished, and parked with the hood up.
And, of course, she couldn't see the whole garage. She couldn't see the back wall. Couldn't see the store room, or the electronics lab room in the back - which was coincidentally stocked with the minifridge, couch and TV - where the boys swore they had never watched an inappropriate movie…
Wait, why was the hood of the car up? Had Cyborg decided yesterday to maybe take some parts out for cleaning? Because now would be a really great time for that sort of thing.
Raven stepped out into the garage and looked around. At least the back wall looked clear, although there were a million things to hide behind. She shuddered. The garage was cold. Of course, it got that way from the chilly night air off the bay. But no, Raven wasn't stupid.
With her hands encased in a black aura, she carefully made her way across the long expanse of empty floor and circled the car, looking behind every workbench she passed.
She then walked to the car and peered in. It looked empty inside. She took a look at the engine. While she had assisted Cyborg on a few occasions - and that was an enjoyable pastime for them - she was no mechanic. So the best she could say was that nothing looked obviously wrong with it. She gently lowered the hood and set it down, unlatched.
She opened the back door as quietly as she could. Then she ran over and grabbed Beast Boy. He was still out cold. She dragged him over to the car and put him in the back seat.
When she went back for Starfire, Starfire was moaning and beginning to wake up. As Raven dragged her, it was obvious she was in some pain, but nothing could be done at the moment. She got her to the front door on the passenger side and lay her down while she opened the door.
She heard a hissing sound. Was that the wind, howling outside? No…unfortunately not. It was whispering. The whispering of many tiny voices.
She grabbed Starfire and dragged her up. Raven had to climb into the seat and pull Starfire behind her. Then Raven climbed backwards to the driver's seat. The doors were open, the hood was up, but she didn't care. Just get the engine to start and get out the garage door.
The insistent whispering voices converged into one.
"Raven...Raven..."
Not in the mood for a conversation, Raven pressed the button to open the garage door. Nothing happened. Of course, the main power was out.
It was a reinforced metal sliding door, opening vertically from the center. She couldn't move it without her powers. There was a back up generator, she dimly recalled, that powered everything in the garage. Cyborg had used it once when she was there. Then she recalled he went into the back to switch it on.
Not a good idea to go back there.
"Starfire! Starfire, I need you to wake up!"
Raven laid hands upon her and poured in all the energy she could, weakening herself. Starfire opened her eyes, but she was still in a kind of delirium.
The temperature was dropping sharply in the garage, and now a light mist was drifting along the floor.
"Starfire, I need your help!" Raven shouted.
Starfire's eyes focused on her. "Raven…" she murmured.
Raven pressed the button to start the car. Nothing happened, except words appeared in red on the center screen: NO CORE DETECTED.
What did that mean?
"Come on!" she shouted, as she hammered the button. "Come on!"
"The chip," Starfire murmured.
Raven understood. Cyborg inserted a chip, usually from himself, to control the T-Car's core systems, and link himself to the car. He must have taken it out. And now Cyborg wasn't here. This was bad. But…there were generic chips, for the rare occasions when he let someone else drive…where were they?
In the back, she remembered. In the electronics room.
She was going to have to go back there.
Summoning her power again, Raven walked to the back of the garage. There was a short hallway, with a door to the store room on one side, the electronics lab on the other and the restroom at the very back.
With nerves of steel (to outward appearances) Raven started down the hall. The door to the store room was partially open, and a cold draft seemed to emanate from there. She peeked in.
A shape was lying on the floor, a large shape. And there was a smaller one lying next to it. The large shape had a metal foot and…
Cyborg! Cyborg and Robin!
She pushed the door the rest of the way open, prepared to do battle, but nothing lunged at her. Only the bodies of her friends lying motionless on the floor.
They were still alive. Cyborg was missing most of one leg, but otherwise intact. And she noticed the bite marks on both their necks.
And, she realized, Cyborg would have the chip in his chest! She did the special motion that unlocked the compartment and grabbed it. But she couldn't leave them here.
The best plan would be…what? Think, Raven, think. Get the chip to Starfire, get the car started. Then Raven alone would drag the others out. If something got her, Starfire could shoot through the door and escape.
She ran back to the car. The driver's door was open and Starfire was sitting in the seat, but she had her head slumped against the steering wheel.
"Wake up, Starfire! Wake up!" Raven said, slapping her face lightly.
"I'm so tired," she replied as her eyes focused again.
"I know," Raven said. She leaned over her and inserted the chip. She pressed the button and the engine purred to life. She pressed the other controls, and the proton cannon raised itself from the roof.
"Listen to me, Star. If I don't come back, blast through the door and get out. Get help. Okay?"
"Okay," she replied.
Raven ran once again to the back of the garage. Mist was pouring from the hallway. She felt eyes staring at her. A cacophony of hissing voices converged into one.
"Hello, Raven," it hissed.
"Who are you?" she demanded.
No answer. Only the soft cacophony of whispers, mocking her.
"Show yourself!"
Nothing, except perhaps the whispers changed tone. Perhaps that was laughter.
"We think we would like the taste of you the most."
"Take me, then," she said. "Take me and let my friends go."
There was a long pause and then the whispers seemed to become growls. Then silence.
Raven braced for the attack, but it didn't come.
"I won't fight you," she offered. "If...if you let them go."
Again only silence.
"Do we have a deal?" she demanded, but still nothing. Not even whispering.
Tired of this, Raven forced herself to walk forward and entered the store room. Maybe it was just the rush of adrenalin, but she felt stronger. She grabbed Robin and dragged him out. Of course, she glanced around constantly, and expected to feel teeth in her neck at any moment.
They never came. She dragged Robin to the car. Half way there, she felt certain she could levitate him, and she did.
Starfire had passed out again.
"Starfire," Raven said, rousing her again with light slaps.
Raven opened the door on back door and levitated Robin into the car. She put him in the center.
Then she rushed back to the storeroom. The mist was dissipating, although she still felt a presence somewhere. Not close though. As fast as she could, she levitated Cyborg to the car and got him in the back seat.
Starfire was conscious this time, but barely. Raven led her out of the driver's seat and put her in the passenger side.
They were completely exposed. Why wasn't it attacking? It was somewhere nearby, she could feel that. She could feel the hunger. But the voices were silent and there wasn't the harsh chill.
Nothing about this made sense, but Raven jumped into the driver's seat. Aiming at the door, she fired the cannon. There was a deafening sound as the beam blasted outward the bottom half of the door and shards of metal flew everywhere.
In the clearing smoke, she saw the opening. Outside, dawn was breaking. Hitting the accelerator, she lurched the car forward and it punched through, although the cannon was torn off the roof.
Once outside, Raven raced the car down the driveway and toward water. She engaged the thruster jets so nimbly that Cyborg would have been proud, and the car skimmed the calm surface of the bay. His perfect wax job reflected the first rays of the rising sun.
She flipped on the transmitter and broadcast the emergency signal, and drove the car toward the nearest mainland hospital.
In the darkness under her seat, two small yellow eyes glowed.
THE END
Author's Note: It is finished! And only a week after Halloween. I hope you liked it, and I hope it scared you a little.
And the ending? It is meant to be like Alfred Hitchcock's classic film 'The Birds'.
