Chapter 10
"Still out cold," reported Cyborg, to the Boy wonder, who was sitting at the computer terminal.
"Do we know what caused it?" Robin inquired. The mechanical boy shook his head. "All tests came back negative. Whatever it is, it isn't physical."
Robin gritted his teeth. He hated not being able to know. Especially if it involved his friends well-being. Beastboy reported that Raven had said a few words before she passed out. Robin had been analysing them since.
"It doesn't make any sense," he said to no one in particular. He turned to Cyborg. "I want to be on the safe side. One of us is always to be in there with Raven, and to report any changes." The older boy nodded in response, and returned back to the medical room.
They had bandaged up the worst of the cuts, but that barely made her look better. Her face was paler than usual, and her breathing was shallow. Her eyelids were twitching, as if she was having a horrible nightmare, which she couldn't wake up from.
Cyborg looked over her medical records that he kept on file, next to the other titans medical records. Last time he had seen her hurt this badly, was when Beastboy had been the beast, but that time, she was floating in a trance, healing herself. This time, she was too weak, he saw that immediately.
"Oh Raven," her murmured more to himself than to the girl on the bed. "I wish you could tell us what is wrong with you."
The next day, Raven's condition had not changed. The titans gathered in the medical room.
"I think Raven," started Robin in a whisper. He didn't want to wake the girl, though she wouldn't have heard him anyway. "Was trying to tell Beastboy what's happening to her, but couldn't get the words out. Beastboy, you said she mentioned Trigon?" he asked the changeling.
Beastboy nodded. The boy wonder glanced at each of the titans worried faces before continuing. "I think that Trigon may have found a way to come back." The others gasped.
"No way," Cyborg argued. "Everyone here saw Raven destroy him." Robin nodded again. "Another theory, is that Trigon left a bit of himself inside of her, and it's killing her from the inside out."
"He must be stopped!" cried Starfire, raising her fist in her apparent rage.
"But how? How do we stop Trigon, without hurting Raven?" Cyborg questioned. The alien girl lowered her hand, and let her head drop.
"If Trigon is involved, we'd better be prepared," declared Robin. "Cyborg, do you remember the safe room we built for Raven last year? Update it with some medical machines, to move Raven into. Starfire, I know Raven doesn't like it, but I need you to go into her room and see if you can't find anything in her books about this. Beastboy, it's your shift to stay here and watch Raven, report back if there are any changes."
Beastboy looked at the ebony-haired Titan. "And what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to keep on analysing Raven's recent behaviours, and what she said to you before she passed out." The titans nodded, and left to do their set tasks.
Starfire stood in front of Raven's bedroom door, knowing that what she was about to do, was virtually unthinkable in the Titans Tower. She swallowed hard, puffed out her chest, and gently eased the door open.
Before her, in the dark bedroom, was more books then she could've ever imagined. She never knew that Raven owned so many. The shelves that covered three of her walls, were absolutely stuffed with them. There were neat piles in the corners, and upon further investigation, Starfire found more books in the cupboard, and in one of the two trunks that stood against the remaining wall. The other was empty. The alien decided not to touch the books in the cupboards, as they were next to several strange ingredients, so she assumed they were potions and spell books.
One book in particular caught her attention. It rested on Raven's bedside table, as if she were reading it before she had gone to bed. It was the brightest white cover in the room, and Starfire didn't much like the thought of stifling through the many black tomes Raven possessed.
The cover was white silk, and was adorned with a few sapphires and diamonds. The title, was written in blue silk thread. But scribbled over the top, as if someone had the intention of graffiti, was a red symbol Starfire didn't recognise. She widened her eyes when she saw the title under the vandalism. 'The Book of Gem'. She quickly opened its thick parchment pages, but her face fell, when it contained nothing but… nothing.
Starfire debated with herself for a few minutes, and then decided it was best to alert Robin.
"Robin, I have located a book entitled 'The Book of Gem'," she said through her communicator.
"And, what does it say?" Robin questioned.
"Nothing," replied Starfire.
"Nothing useful?" Robin inquired.
"No, nothing at all." If Robin thought it weird for an empath to have a blank book, he didn't voice his thoughts. "Keep searching then Starfire."
Beastboy wished he could help Raven, other than just sitting in the medical room with her. He twiddled his thumbs then breathed a heavy sigh. As he did, he happened to look down at his shoes, and notice one of his shoelaces were untied. Eager that he had something to do other than sitting there, he immediately bent down and began tying them up. After all, a super hero should never have untied shoes.
He caught a flicker of colour out of the corner of his eye. He sat up and scanned the room. Nothing had changed. He slumped back in his seat. Maybe he imagined it.
He saw it again. Another flicker of colour. He knew he had seen it that time. And he knew it looked familiar. Beastboy searched his mind as to where. His eyes widened when he remembered. As he picked up his communicator, he hoped Cyborg did too.
Cybrog wiped his brow. Another few minutes, and he would have the medical equipment in the safe room up and running. He was quite pleased with himself, with how fast he managed to install the machinery.
His communicator beeping brought him out of his thoughts. Probably Robin checking on his progress. He clicked it open.
"Yeah it's going all-… Beastboy?" he asked in surprise, when he realised it was not the masked face of their leader, but rather the green face of the changeling.
"Yo Cy, do you remember when we went in Raven's mind, and all her emotions were represented by other Ravens in different coloured cloaks?" Beastboy inquired.
"Yeah, what about it?" the mechanical teen replied.
"What did the dark red one represent?"
Cyborg paused to think for a bit. "It meant-…" realisation hit him. "Oh no…"