BB POV

The wild things within screeches inside my heart. The shrubbery inside my being was encased with black. Brightness is gone. Hope is dead. God's forsaken me.

I keep running, resolute in what I had to do.

Raven undid the black sphere and rushed to Robin, who is shaking from fright. She immediately went to work healing him. As she did so, she transposed her soul self into Beast boy. She could feel his fear, his shame, his want to—

'He wants to... no... no...'

She frantically tried to reach through every part of his inner self, not considering she'd never down this before, not considering anymore how dangerous it'll be.

With Robin, she'd only gone through his mind. With Beast boy, she gave up her soul to him: she went through his mind, heart, and soul.

'He wants to kill himself...'

She'd fight to the death to make sure that didn't happen.

It's a blur of tall buildings, fast cars, lights on the street and sounds from the storefronts. They don't interest me. They're a final chorus, a final 'goodbye' to what I'm about to do.

I shapeshift into an eagle. I fly up and up and up and wish that heaven had opened itself up to receive me. But there is no heaven for a devil like me. I'm no angel. And this body I'm stuck in is my hell. It's fitting if it could just die.

I fly up, windows blurring, people blurring, walls blurring. I land at the very ledge of the building. I realize I'm shaking and my heart is pounding. I realize I'm crying, near hysterics.

I walk up, scoot forward. The tips of my boots hang over. I sit down at the ledge, my legs dangling. I look down, suddenly feeling sick.

It's a long way down. I'd be nothing but guts strewn across the street.

I make sure nobody will get hit by this body. This broken body full of nothing but pain and suffering and misery and worthlessness. I sniffle, pulling my mask down, attempting to cover myself. There's no façade to hide away anymore.

They're no shelter for traitors, no abodes in the skyline to give to a Judas.

Time to jump. Get it over with.

I stand, balancing myself...

Steady...

'BEAST BOY!'

The voice was so loud I stumble back in shock, landing on the floor. I immediately turn around, looking for the source.

No one's there. I hyperventilate.

I yelp out,

"Where... where are you?"

I already knew who it was.

'I'm inside your mind, and your heart and your soul. I'm completely taking over you because I don't want you to make a stupid mistake.'

I look around again, fists clenched and teeth gritting.

I snarl out,

"You don't give a damn, Raven. None of you do. This is my choice. The world'll be a better place without me. You—"

'I don't believe that. Beast boy. Please, listen to me. Whatever the Joker told you, it's a lie. All he said, all he'd done. It's all a lie. He only wants you to be under his control. Whatever he convinced you about me, about us, it's not true. We do care about you. I care—'

"Then tell me!" I scream out. "Tell me! Tell me you care! Why don't you tell me more often?! Why don't you show you care?! Please! Don't you care?! Doesn't anybody?!"

'Beast boy—'

"I'm just a big screw-up..."

The tears leak out. I'm sobbing audibly now.

"I've hurt you guys... I've done terrible things... I've been nothing but some... some toy for you guys to play with... and when you got bored of me, you dumped me off, like everybody else..."

'Beast boy... that's not true...'

"I'm a nobody..."

'Beast boy...'

"Nobody!" I yell out.

"Hey! Everybody! Who's gonna care for a nobody like me?! Huh?! Anybody?!"

As I look up, I kneel down, this agony ripping my heart up.

"God, why?! Why did you do this to me?! Are you there?!"

I shout at the sky.

"Are you happy now?!"

I shake my fist. I scream. I collapse and wail.

Tears are streaming down Raven's eyes. She is saddened and heartbroken, feeling such visceral pain from him, a pain so deep and so fierce it is literally tipping him over the edge. Even though Robin is healed, he hadn't gotten up at all. He's still in a fetal position, crying softly to himself.

She rushed to Starfire and healed her face. She gently turned her over to see if there were any more wounds. Besides healing several scratches here and there, she was going to be alright. Physically speaking, that is.

As she hovers over to Batman, she tries again. This time, she decides to just admit it. Let it all go and admit all. For herself, for Beast boy.

'For us.'

Even as I screamed, her voice is ringing through me.

'There is a way...'

It keeps repeating.

'To be good...'

Again.

I know where it comes from. I still don't believe it'll help me pull through.

And yet she keeps on, her voice resonating with me. It's like wine to my wounds. She's completely, as she said, taking over me. She isn't going to let me go, no matter how vigorously I try to shake her off of me.

'You may be a nobody to the whole world, Beast boy, but you are somebody to me, to Cyborg, to Robin, to Starfire, to Batman, to so many heroines and heroes, to so many civilians here. Maybe even to God; who knows! I don't purport to know the answer, but listen to me, Beast boy...'

She was... crying?

"Oh my god... Raven... please... just let me go. I understand now. Just leave me to die alone. You can't love—"

'I love you, Beast boy. I've always had. And I always will. I've never... given myself, my soul to anybody. Not even to Robin. I only ventured into his mind, but with you... you're in every part of me now... and for you to kill yoursel-...'

Her voice broke at 'self.'

'I don't think I'd live with myself either. I think I'd... I'd die with you... Beast boy... If you break, I'll break. We will all break and... please... please don't do it...'

I curled up into a ball, sobbing all the more.

What was I thinking? What the hell am I doing? Raven... loves me. She really loves me...

"Raven..."

I covered my eyes, trying to venture through my own mind. I then see her.

'Gar...'

She is smiling, in spite of the tears. Holding out her arms. I feel myself in my mind's eye running to them. I'm sobbing hysterically as she holds me, caressing my hair, as she repeated, over and over...

'There is a way to be good again...'

It's the last thing she tells me as I am ripped out of her arms. As I feel hands that are not her own. They're too rough. Like stones. Like sledgehammers bearing down on me.

Hands grab my body. I kick as hands cover my mouth, muffling out my screams. I am able to take a glimpse at my captors.

A clown mask. A muscular arm. A cloth drenched in chlorophyll.

My thoughts are with Raven as I scream inside my head. The screams recede to whispers.

I fall inside the black once again.

As Raven flew over to check on Cyborg, she is instantly struck by something. She can no longer communicate with Beast boy. In a panic, her soul reverted back into itself. She collapsed to her knees. Beast boy's mind, his inner voice's last words haunt her,

'Oh my God... he's here... he's taken me... Help...'