It had been hours since they found Beast Boy's communicator. The rest of the Titans are sitting on the couch in the Common Room, deep in thought.
All of them are taking it in: Beast Boy is gone and they don't have the slightest clue where he could possibly be.
"You know…" Raven spoke, startling everyone, "Beast Boy came to my room last night, asking me really—let's just say—prying questions."
Robin asks, "What kind of questions, Raven? Could they be related to Beast Boy? Why he would leave us—"
"Without even sayin' good-bye?" Cyborg said, his voice breaking.
Raven fidgets, twiddling her thumbs, "Well, I... I can't say. He was really... vague…"
"What do you mean by 'vague'?" Robin inters.
"His questions were really... thry just came out of the blue. He seemed... in retrospect, he looked worried or distracted about something. I expected him to talk about his feelings to me but instead, he asks how it's like for me to be a half-demon. And then he asked if I could read his mind and..."
"Well, can you?" Cyborg asked.
"No. I can read all of yours but not his. It's frustrating to me. Every time I try it's like there's a wall inside of him keeping me from knowing how he truly feels."
"And how did he react to your answers?" Robin asked.
"He looked relieved."
"That's all?" Cyborg queried.
"Yes..." Raven kept mum about Beast Boy pulling at her hood and leaning in too close as if to kiss her. She rationalized it was irrelevant to the conversation. Besides, she scowled within herself, not believing it to be true.
A silence came over them again, taking in the information Raven just provided.
Then,
"You don't think...?" Raven glances up to meet each of her teammates' eyes.
"Oh, no! Not our Friend Beast Boy. He would not—!" Starfire's eyes widen, filling up with tears, "Would he?"
Robin stands up abruptly, "It seems to fit. We just have to—"
"No, man!" Cyborg protested. "You saw his room! It may have been a mess but it didn't have any scratch marks! The beds were unmade but they haven't been destroyed! He would've caused havoc by now if he'd turned into the beast!"
Robin only listened. His eyes squinted, then he looked down. He sighed, running his gloved hands through his spiked hair.
He admitted, "You're right. I don't know why he left us like this. But we need to find him. We have to get to the bottom of this. Cyborg, go through your computer! Start a missing person's report on Beast Boy!"
Cyborg stands up with renewed determination,"I'm on it!" and runs to his room.
"Starfire, scour the city! I'll use the mainframe computer here to find any leads, any sightings, anything! We have to find Beast Boy!"
Even though Cyborg left, Raven could feel his pain, lingering. To him, Beast Boy is like a little brother. He's his best friend, his partner, his everything. She realizes it's just too overwhelming.
"I-I need to meditate," she said. Robin looked at her, baffled. Then she said, "It'll help. Perhaps I can detect his emotions if I just try." His face softened and he nodded.
Raven stands up, and walks to her room. Asshe traipsed through the halls, up the elevator, she is suddenly crushed with guilt. She wished she could somehow track Beast boy with her powers, but she knew it was pointless. Instead, she needed to meditate; otherwise her powers will go haywire. She sighed as she entered her room. She pulls her legs into a lotus position, closes her eyes, and she began to chant her usual mantra:
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos"
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos"
'Yoo–hoo! Hey, Rae Rae!' Raven recognized that cheerful voice inside her head. She can only grit her teeth.
'Happy. What the hell do you want?'
'Why do you always complain every time I speak up, huh? Besides I do nothing but cast a ray of sunshine on your oh-so gloomy day! Especially today!'
'Yeah. Like I said—'
'Well, too bad! I'm heeerrrrre, whether you like it or not!'
Suddenly, Raven is pulled and as she opens her eyes, she realizes she is back at Nevermore, her own mind. She closes her eyes once again then opens them. She doesn't want to be here.
There's a strawberry scent invading the air. There's trees and flowers and shrubbery. Everything is bright and colored pink.
"Great. I'm in Happy's territory," Raven muttered under her breath. "Of all the emotions to choose from..."
Raven felt a tap on her shoulder, sending her in an immediate combat position. Happy is unfazed at her, smiling.
"Oh. It's just you," Raven grits her teeth, "Why did you drag me in here?"
Grinning, she said cheerfully, "Oh come on Rae! I know you are happy to see me!"
Raven glares at Happy, not just for her terrible pun, but for the little nickname she gave her.
"My name is Raven! No one calls me that except…" Raven trails off, stopping herself before it's too late.
"Except who?" Happy's grin grows ever wider, "Finish it Rae. Come on. I want to know."
Another clone with an orange cloak appears. She bumps into Raven, purposefully.
"Come on. I wanna know. Ain't got all day," Rude said brusquely.
"We all know who it is already. We only need validation," Knowledge also shows up.
It's not long till all her emotions appear around Raven, circling her.
Next to Knowledge is Wisdom, in a yellow-clad cloak and round glasses, slowly approaching Raven, "Knowledge is right. You need to say it. Affirmation is the key to release you from the door of denial."
"It is time," Knowledge finishes.
A magenta-colored cloak walks up. She was Raven's least favorite because she represented Love (although she kept rationalizing she's just Affection). She was also the one who appeared the moment two teenage Titans—a bionic teen and a green-skinned boy—entered into her mind. But it was the boy who found his way into her heart.
She walks up even closer to Raven, "It will be easier once you accept the truth."
Raven's emotional aspects start to chant, "Say it! Say it! Say it!"
"SAY... WHAT? What do you want me to say?" Raven shouts above the chanting, "Stop acting so goddamn dumb around me! I don't have time for this! I want a straight answer!"
Love simply said, "Do you know why I'm here?"
Raven only looks down uncomfortably.
"Because, you—we—we like someone," She mutters.
"Correct," Knowledge rests her hand on Raven's shoulder, "And do you know who it is?"
They all wait in anticipation.
Raven mutters under her breath.
She finally speaks up, "I... I don't know..."
A groan of irritation passes amongst all the doppelgängers.
"WHOA! She's in de–Ni–alllllll," Happy exclaimed, giggling lightheartedly.
"Oh come on! REALLY?" Rage appears, seemingly out of nowhere, "We haven't gotten all day, bitch! You either SPIT IT OUT or you'll be trapped here with us!"
"Why are you here? Huh? You're supposed to be locked up!" Raven grits her teeth again. She is perilously close to a breakdown.
"Who was supposed to watch Rage?!"
Wisdom sighs and shakes her head, "That is the least of our worries right now. Please! Just say it! Get it out of your system. Out of our systems."
Raven mutters to herself, lost in thought.
'Do I like him? Really? Him? He's just—so immature. He's such an annoyance sometimes. Always riling me. Always giving these corny jokes and playing pranks. It always backfires on him and every time, he keeps trying! Why? Why would he bother with me? I admit, I—'
She thinks about Beast Boy, thinks about how he's always been there for her in times of need. Then—
'I concede. I may not stand him sometimes, but he's loyal. He's resilient. Always has a smile on his face even in the darkest of times. Sometimes, I don't know how he does it. How he keeps smiling and laughing and accepting and loving others, in spite of their flaws, in spite of my flaws. In spite of who I really am.'
Raven thinks aloud concluding, "I guess I do like him."
"Who?" Happy perks.
Raven glances at Love, who is now smiling. She nods approvingly.
Raven finally said, "Beast Boy."
