Chapter 9: Caught

The elevator descended. Beast Boy spent the short trip to the bottom floor of the tower with his head down. He just couldn't get Raven's last word out of his head. It wasn't really WHAT she said; it was how she said it. She spoke as if every fiber of her being believed it.

"She...she doesn't even want me around anymore." said Beast Boy, his eyes tearing up.

Before the green changeling could stop them, two tears fell from his eyes, followed by several more. When the elevator reached the bottom, he was kneeled on the floor sobbing. His shoulders shook with each new sob.

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"Beast Boy!" shouted Happy, her normally happy eyes filling with tears. Beside her, Anger laughed.

"He got what he deserved. He won't bother us again."

Happy rounded on her. She was not acting like her happy self at all.

"Why did you tell him that, Anger? Why would you not forgive him like the rest of us?"

"Because Raven's been angry with Beast Boy for a while now, and she needed Anger more than any other emotion." answered Anger, sticking out her tongue at Happy.

At this, Happy exploded.

"That doesn't give you a right to do whatever you want! You represent only a part of Raven, just like the rest of us! You alone can't decide how Raven treats her friends!"

"But I did this time, and no one stopped Me." said Anger.

Happy sighed. She was quiet for a while, before...

"Where's Affection?"

"She killed herself. Or rather, Raven did with her words." answered the yellow robed emotion, Wisdom.

Happy looked shocked.

"I didn't know emotions could...die..."

"Certainly." answered Wisdom. "What do you think happens to emotions that aren't used for a long time? They start to shrink, until they aren't corporeal anymore... There might still be flashes of them around, but the emotion they represent is quite dead."

"When Raven yelled at Beast Boy..." Wisdom continued "...Her anger for him overruled her affection. If Raven has a problem, it's her anger. So now affection is dead. Not in the whole sense of the word, but she is unable to make Raven feel anything. She will cease to exist until Raven has need of her again."

"And..." Wisdom added "I don't think Raven will anytime soon."

Happy looked at the yellow robed emotion.

"What is happening to my world?"

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What is happening to my world?

The thought echoed through her mind. Raven was sitting on her bed, but she wasn't meditating. She was deep in thought. About Beast Boy, of all people. He had left because of her. Because she had as good as told him that she hated him. Of course, she HAD told him she hated him, but she decided this was worse. This...admitting that she wanted him to die.

Her first thought was that she didn't want him to die. Not at all.

So why did I say it then? She asked herself.

Raven thought back over the last two days. It was Jadin. He had turned their world upside down. Hadn't Static warned her about that? How he could spread lies and deceit? How he could rip friends apart? Jadin, who had killed two of their fiends already?

And Beast Boy is trying to find this man. If he dies, it's my fault!

All at once, Raven jumped up.

"Oh GOD! Beast Boy! He's going to die!"

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Beast Boy flew over the water towards Jump. He wasn't looking for Jadin; he was looking for an answer. Why had this...this...happened to them? Why was their friendship coming crashing down?

How come Raven couldn't forgive me?

Beast Boy reached the shore...and kept flying. He was flying over Downtown when an idea struck him. It was a terrible thought, but he knew it would make Raven happy.

The last time I've ever get her to smile.

Beast Boy landed on the tallest skyscraper in Jump. He turned back into a human and walked to the edge. He looked down. The building had been rightly named. Five stories below him was the cloud layer. A jump from this height would certainly be fatal. Beast Boy got up on the small ledge and prepped himself.

"For you, Raven. And my unreturned love. Good-bye."

"Going somewhere, Beast Boy?"

At the sound of the voice, Beast Boy spun around, only to feel his feet leave the rooftop. He could see Jadin standing on the other side of the roof with his hand raised. Beast Boy floated in the air, helpless in the grasp of his power.

"So sorry to interrupt, but you and I have plans."

With that, and a wave of his hand, he forced Beast Boy into the rough sea of unconsciousness.

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Raven ran into the main room of the tower. Her teammates where all there. Robin looked up as she entered.

"Hello Rav---"

"Beast Boy! He's going to die!" Raven interrupted.

The three Titans looked at her. Then Starfire spoke.

"But Friend Raven. You told Friend Beast Boy that you wanted him to die. Was that an untruth?"

"YES! Yes, you stupid Tameranian! I don't want him to die! I love h--"

Raven was cut off by Robin's communicator. He took it off and set it on the table.

"Hello Titans." issued THE voice from the communicator. "Time's up. I hold another person dear to you."

"Beast Boy!"

Raven ran towards the door. Cyborg, who was in front of her, grabbed her to stop her.

"Easy, Rae. We don't know that."

"Yes. I. Do. Now let me go!" shouted Raven, squirming to get out of Cyborg's grip. She couldn't' think. It was like her emotions had gone insane inside her. She was desperate. On the table, Jadin's voice continued.

"I have a certain green friend of yours. And you are all going to listen to him die."