Raven, Robin, and Senras III: Sovina's Storm, Chapter 9
The minions of Slade's madness had constructed a unique contraption of glass or something like glass to hold and harness Sovina's power. She looked at her body, she had a lot of scrapes and bruises, the wings were back, and her cloak was gone but she was still wearing her leotard. Getting up, she bashed on her prison with her fists, but it did no good. Sovina yelled out to one of the HIVE students that was monitoring her, "Let me go!" "Ah, finally up are we, you weird little lightning bug? I'm sorry, but you aren't going anywhere unless Slade says so. Enjoy your prison, you will be there for a very long time," he said. "How long?" she asked. "Let's see, we were planning on three millenniums if we couldn't recreate your power, so…" he replied. "You are so dead when I get out of here, I won't hesitate, not even if the other Titans object, I will murder you," she threatened. "You are in no position to threaten," he replied, slightly laughing. "This uh-prison, what is it designed to hold in?" she asked. "A lightning bug like you," he said. "Is it on?" she asked. "Yes, why would you want to know?" he asked aloud to her and the rest of the room. "No reason," she said. Sovina began meditation and thought of what made her insanely angry and channeled it to her dark energy, fire, and electricity. The girl inside the prison disappeared for a split second and a great black electric fire ball was generated upward through the lightning generator. "I told you to give her the poison that would stop her other powers!" the student yelled to another. "We couldn't, then she wouldn't be able to generate the electricity, Slade's orders!" the other replied. "Then how were we supposed to keep her in there?" he asked. "Stop asking questions and knock her out!" the other ordered. "I won't let any of you live!" Sovina laughed as her powers tore apart the device. "Okay, how can she turn all of them on at once? She has way too many advanced powers for her age…there has to be a weakness," he continued. "Stop speculating and contain her!" someone else yelled. "You will not harness my power," she said, continuing the blasts. "She doesn't know what that is hooked up to, only that it could destroy something vital, mutually assured destruction…I wonder if she is as emotionally compromised as Raven," a scientist speculated. Sovina blasted out over the scientist and crushed a machine with black electricity. "Then what gets her under control?" a HIVE student asked. Then several of Slade's robots came in with a syringe and ran it into Sovina's side through a hole in the glass. Sovina let out a groan of pain and calmed down, then laid down to rest. "Is she sleeping?" the HIVE group asked. "For now, it seems, we will need to keep her under until Slade gets here," the scientist replied. "Are the other Titans occupie- holy crap what the hell happened here?" Mad Mod asked, limping in hooked up to a heart monitor and noticing the destroyed equipment. "Yes, the other Titans are being occupied, Raven and Senras are in the prison, and that is Sovina's work," the scientist replied. "Who the hell are you?" Mad Mod asked. "One of Slade's top analysts and researchers," he said. "Right…anyway, someone go check on the two lovers, and send a squad to halt the other Titans, they are coming," he commanded.
As the other Titans flew off to go rescue the missing three, Servana stayed behind and stitched Slade's head back together. Before waking him up, she implanted a small device into his heart, sewed him back up, and woke him up. "Ugh, my head…what did you do?" Slade asked, adjusting his mask. "Just a little fact finding mission, thank you for your cooperation," she replied. "I'll take away everything you love," he replied. "You can't take away what is not there. Sorry, you are not independent anymore; I put a device in your heart that will give you the same amount of pain that Sovina endures by the lightning and your minion's treatment towards her. You will release her, and I will remove the device, and then you're free to go," Servana explained. "Why should I trust you?" he asked. "Well, I have no preference on what you do with the others, I am only here to protect Senras's interests, and he didn't specify how I got his daughter and him free. If I wanted to control you beyond this, I would not have put the device in your heart. Trust is not your concern right now, just let them go," she said. "Why should I go along with this?" he asked. "Suffering brain damage? I told you why," she replied. "What's in it for me besides saving myself?" Slade asked. "I suppose I could give you a replacement power to use instead of her, wait, just use energy storage and collect the lightning through the electrical rod, and use that once it is at full power," she suggested. "Provide me with the blueprints and materials and I will release Senras, Sovina, and Raven," Slade said. "Done, I will deliver your storage unit to the warehouse of your choice, and you will bring Sovina, Senras, and Raven to the Tower," she accepted. "Understand that this deal is confidential, I will not tell my people, you do not tell the other Titans, let them fight it out, and we will make it look like the Titans won. Also, come by to remove the device after Sovina is safe," Slade said. "Very well," she agreed. Slade got up, grabbed his things and was escorted out of Titans Tower by Servana, she bid him farewell, and disappeared to get the materials.
The two groups met each other outside the warehouse, Titans against Slade's garrison, and tension rose. "Robin, I'll go undercover and get them out while you fight these guys," Beast Boy said, starting off. "No, Beast Boy, we need you for this fight," Robin replied. Beast Boy felt his anger rise, "I'm going to go save Sovina, and you can fight them!" Then, Beast Boy bolted as a cheetah around the garrison to the back of the warehouse unseen. "Damn it! Okay, we are down one more Titan, so everyone will have to fight harder; you know your targets Titans- go!" Robin ordered. The two groups flew against each other, and the battle began.
Inside the warehouse, the scientists and higher-ranking henchmen were getting their things ready to flee, as Slade had contacted them a few moments before the Titans arrived. Sovina was still sleeping under the sedatives. Mad Mod and Mumbo Jumbo went to the prison cell where Raven and Senras were being held. "Today's you're lucky day, you two, you are getting-," Mumbo started as they opened the door, Senras was standing in front of him. "Revenge!" Senras finished Mumbo's sentence, blasting him with black electricity. Mad Mod put his cane in front of him and pressed the red gem, blasting a red beam at Senras. Then Senras shielded it with dark energy and retaliated with a blast of fire, setting Mad Mod's suit ablaze. Raven followed Senras as he proceeded past the panicking Mad Mod and the electrocuted Mumbo to the main area where Sovina was. The sight of the device Sovina was strapped into made Raven flinch, "Where is Slade? I will torture him when we get out of here!" The remark just made Senras angrier, he grabbed his sword from a table, threw Raven her cloak, and slid his own on. A scientist turned to see the raging Senras flying at him, and then was decapitated. While Senras dealt with the guards, Raven ran over to Sovina and started to talk to Sovina in a loving, soothing voice. Sovina woke up when she heard the sentiments and incantations from her mother, and Senras rushed them both out of the door when the last of the guard were dead. Once outside, Senras picked up Sovina in his arms, Raven grabbed his arm, and they flew back to Titans Tower.
Slade stood outside of a new warehouse, built within the industrial section of the city, awaiting Servana. She appeared before him with a few surgical tools. "Where are my building plans and materials?" Slade asked. "I'm sorry Slade, but you did not completely come through with your end of the deal," she replied. "What?! I let them go! They are returned are they not?" Slade asked. "Yes, but you did not deliver them, they busted out on their own, with no assistance from you, so I will keep the promise I made, I will remove the device, but no materials or plans," Servana replied. Slade lay down on an operating table that she had unfolded and set up right there; she proceeded to open his heart and remove the device. "Pleasure doing business with you, Slade," she said, starting to walk away. "Not so fast, would that device really do what you said it would?" he asked. "No, I lied, it's just a microchip with nothing on it," she said with a sly smile, leaving Slade in a cloud of smoke.
The Titans entered the warehouse after defeating the garrison and began searching. They didn't get very far along with their search when Beast Boy called them over to the main area. "They are gone, Slade must've taken them," he said. "We'll find them, but you will go back to Titans Tower, we could've used your help and might've gotten here sooner to save them, so you are on suspension from the Titans," Robin said. "Robin, do not be harsh on Beast Boy, he did not know," Starfire said. "What are you talking about? Of course he knew better," Terra said. "Are you two still fighting?" Cyborg asked. "He is suspended," Robin said again. "I'm going to suspend you from the Titans for our relationship," a familiar voice said. Robin turned around and saw Sovina, accompanied by Senras and Raven. He noticed Senras had an unusual glass with a green liquid inside, but he would ask about it later, right now all that mattered was the team and Sovina. Robin advanced to Sovina and she kissed him on the lips and gave him a loving hug. Beast Boy felt sad and jealous when he saw her with him, why can't I be with her? "Let's get out of here," Terra said.
The sky was especially dark that night with few stars that could be seen with the naked eye, everyone at the tower had their own plans for the night, and the following day. Senras was intending to keep his promise to Raven and take her out the next night, but tonight was going to be for relaxation. He made her a glass of unaltered absinthe when she asked to try it, "Hmm, it's not too bad, it tastes a little like my tea, only a little bitterer than I'm used to." "It takes a little getting used to, but after a few days of mild drinking, it should taste better than your tea ever did," he explained. "When did you discover that absinthe combined with a special herb would return your powers to normal?" Raven asked. "Some time after I left Azarath and just before taking on Avalov, Servana was experimenting with some potions mixed with common drinks. We each blended our blood at that time with herbs and grew our own garden, I chose to blend mine with a rose seed, once it grew, the petals were black and the stem was red. I don't know what Servana chose, but I do know that it was a flower. By the way, I'm…I'm sorry for not keeping my promise to you back then," he replied. "What promise?" she asked, searching her memory. "You don't remember? Before I left to go work for Order, I made you a promise I broke, I tried, but I couldn't…" Senras said. "After you left, my father's prophecy came true and Azarath fell to fire and his reign…I lost some of my memories, but I can retrieve them through meditation if I know what I'm looking for," she said. "Do you want to try now?" he asked. "Okay, It would be better if I were alone," she said. Senras kissed her on the cheek and left her room while she began to meditate. The silence was soothing, and a change from the past few hectic months fighting, finally at peace, she had almost forgotten what it felt like. She was interrupted before she could begin by a knock on her door; she rose and opened her door. Robin looked past her into her room, "Where's Senras?" "Not here, probably getting a drink, what do you want?" she asked. "Do I always have to want something when I come to talk to you?" he asked. "No, but you usually do," Raven replied. "Can we talk?" he asked. She let him in her room, closed the door, and they both walked over to her bed. Raven sat down first, he stayed standing, "How are you and Senras doing?" "You already know the answer…what do you really want to talk about?" she asked. "Would you stop doing that?" he asked, sounding a little annoyed. She sighed, a little annoyed herself, "I'm sorry…I just have a few things on my mind…can we please skip the small talk?" He nodded and continued, "What is going on between Sovina and Beast Boy?" Raven knew that she couldn't betray her daughter's trust, but Robin would know if she was lying. "Robin, I don't know if I should tell you, but beast Boy has been making uh…passes I guess, at Sovina, begging her to go on a date. I promised her I wouldn't tell you, but you and I have a connection…you would know if I was hiding something. So what do you want from me? Advice? Their plans? Or do you want to get angry at me for not telling you?" Raven asked. "I don't want to yell at you, I was wondering if you could give me some advice. Beast Boy is only interested in her body, not her mind, whereas I like both, as both are technically yours, but I'm still losing her," he said. "Maybe you aren't coming on strongly enough; Beast Boy has gotten her confused and thinking about him because of what he says he wants, and you are kind of soft on her because she's my daughter, and her mind is not completely mine, Senras likes conflict, maybe she's the same way," Raven said. "So what should I do?" he asked. "Do something spontaneous and a little random, I think you two will be fine, just get rid of the green pest and everything should be normal," Raven suggested. He finally sat down beside her and got close, "Now, what is on your mind?" "Remember when you first asked me about how he and I met? I wasn't completely honest…he was more than just a good friend, he and I were getting close and thinking about dating, but I told him it would be a bad idea because of the prophecy about me, he got angry and we had a fight. Then he went off to work for Order, he told me today that he made me a promise that he tried to keep, but he couldn't. I was going to meditate to recover the memory of that promise, and then you knocked," she explained. "I'm sorry," he said. "Its fine, you had something more important than-," Raven said. He kissed her before she could finish her sentence and she kissed him back, he put his arms around her neck as they continued to kiss, he moved one arm to her cloak and started to pull it off her, but she grabbed his arm with hers. "You know I love you, but I love Senras too and I don't want to complicate things any further, now go and exercise your…passion with Sovina," Raven said, kissing him one more time and then lead him out the door.
While Robin and Raven were talking, the others were hanging out in the living room, except for Cyborg, who was cleaning the T-car. Terra and Starfire were watching a movie they had rented, Sovina was making some tea and reading a book, Senras was getting more absinthe, and Beast Boy was sitting on a chair thinking. Beast Boy switched between watching Sovina and staring out the window as he thought. Why does she like Robin more than me? I'm more outgoing, he's more planned out, but maybe she'll go on that date with me tomorrow night. Sovina finished making her tea, picked up her book, and carried both out of the living room. Beast Boy got up and went to follow her, Senras was leaving at the same time, and he stopped Beast Boy out in the hall. "What are your plans for her? If you two aren't as serious as she and Robin are, this isn't worth the heartache," Senras said. "What is in the two glasses?" Beast Boy asked. "Don't change the subject, I'm serious," Senras replied. "I don't know, we aren't planning it out, we just…go with what we come up with on the spot. Right now, I want to talk to her about it, but you are taking up my time," Beast Boy replied. "Are you sure you want her? A while ago it was Terra, you switched your interest pretty quickly, so how are Raven and I supposed to believe that you won't change your interest again?" Senras asked. "I know, just give us some more time to talk and work this out, but I do like her," Beast Boy said. "What do you like?" Senras asked. "Her blue eyes, her delicate hands, her long legs, and her cute ass-," Beast Boy started, but Senras stopped him before he finished. "You like her body, do you appreciate her mind?" Senras asked. "Uh, her insults are kind of funny, and I like the passion she puts into her own power," Beast Boy said. "When I ask you about all of this again, the second list should be much longer, or I will think that you are not the best choice for her, now go and talk to her, I'll see you later," Senras said, starting to walk away. "Hey, what's in the glasses?" Beast Boy asked before Senras left. "Absinthe for Raven and I," Senras replied, disappearing around the corner. Whatever, I had better go talk to her before Robin does. He went to her room and knocked on the door, "Sovina, can we talk?" There was silence, and then the sound of her footsteps, the door opened and she let him in. He looked around, it was a little different since the last time he was in there, there were more books for one thing, and her bed sheets were black instead of the previous white. "What do you want to talk about?" she asked, sitting on her bed and closing the book she had been reading. "You and me, what future is there for us in terms of a relationship?" he asked. She sighed before answering, "I don't know, I was hoping to avoid this conversation, uh…I think you are as confused as I am, do you really want to be with me? Or was Terra the better choice for you? Are you just using me to make her jealous? I am certainly no one's best choice, I wondered if Robin really wanted me or if he just wanted to make Starfire jealous. You would be better off with Terra, she would be more outgoing than me, and I don't think I satisfy all of your needs," Sovina said, she sounded hurt and a little sad. "You are someone's best choice, maybe I can drop some of my needs, I want to try to meet yours more," he said. "I don't want to complicate things, if you and I get more intimate, either one of two things will happen, one- things won't work out and we'll both be more resentful towards each other, or two- we will be great together and hurt Robin and Terra by leaving them. Either way, I think we lose," she continued. "Can we still go on a date? I at least want to know what it would be like," he asked, sounding a little desperate. "I don't know," she said. Beast Boy morphed into a small kitten and gave her the face that he gave Starfire when she was mad at him. Sovina looked at him for a few moments, "Fine, but I don't want you to be hurt if things don't go well, no strings attached, and if things go well…we'll talk some more…" Beast Boy morphed back to normal and hugged her, she let him hold her for a few seconds, and then led him to the door and he left.
Senras joined Raven in her room after Robin left and gave her one of the glasses of absinthe he was carrying, "Did you recover the memory?" She nodded as she took a sip of the absinthe. "You promised me you'd come back to marry me on Azarath before the end, why didn't you?" she asked. "I tried, you were well guarded, I took down a lot of guards trying to get to your room," he said, putting his glass down on a table. "That was you? One of the guards in my room said that someone had tried to get in to my room to kill me. I'm glad it was you, and I got the rose you dropped on one of the guards before you had to leave because of the reinforcements. It was very…sweet," Raven said. "Are you okay? You seem distracted, what's wrong?" Senras asked. "Robin and I talked about Sovina, and I told him that Beast Boy was trying to date her," Raven replied. "We promised we wouldn't, why did you tell him?" Senras asked. "He would know if I was lying," she said. "Terrific, now both relationships are on their way to crashing in fire," he said, sounding angry. "I'm sorry, but I don't feel comfortable lying to him," she said, her anger showing too. Senras sighed seeing her rising anger, "I'm sorry Raven, I just…I want her to have better control of her life, to have better control of her emotions, so her powers don't go haywire, and I don't think Beast Boy is the best choice for a stable relationship." "Well, we need to give her some room to make her own mistakes, we shouldn't control her relationships," Raven said. "Right, but we should still advise her as best we can," he said. "You're good at being a parent, have you had any experience prior to Sovina?" Raven asked. "Actually, yes," Senras replied. "Who?" she asked. "Servana and I had a son, but he was taken from us by Order, dismembered in his bed because I wouldn't kill Servana when she defied the King," he explained with sorrow. "If you stay at this rate of telling me things I didn't know about you, I should know your entire history in five years or more," Raven said. They finished their absinthe, they stripped out of their clothes, she curled up close to him in bed, and he held her close. "Fine, no more secrets between us," Senras said, smiling at her as they began to fall into sleep.
