Okay…well, I'm not dead…this story has just been a brat, and my attention has been…diverted…to another story I've started working on. But never fear, I'm not abandoning this one. I'd like to finish this before I start any other multi-chapter fics. But I have been more motivated to get somewhere with this story…and I have. Like, there is an end in sight…maybe I don't know exactly how many chapters are left, but still. It's there. Just don't freak, 'cuz we've still got a bit left to go.
Oh…and this is totally off topic…but I turned 18 on Friday. Yep. So, happy birthday to me and all that jazz.
Okay, important announcement – this chapter actually contains Starfire's POV (gasp). Justice of the People so kindly pointed out that I rarely use her perspective…and by rarely, I mean never…and ever so sweetly demanded that I write her for a change. So I did. Ahem…well, okay, that wasn't an important announcement at all – I just wanted your attention. Thanks.
DISCLAIMER -- God, do we have to keep bringing this up? I don't think you understand how painful this is. I don't own them, okay? Now, go ruin someone else's life.
Porphyria
Chapter 12 – Realizing
She hated the silence.
It just felt so undeniably wrong for the tower to be so quiet. Usually it was full to bursting with sounds of life and happiness.
Unfortunately, those two things had escaped the Titans of late.
Now Starfire was drearily floating down the still hallway towards Robin's room for the second time that day. It wasn't that she expected him to actually be asleep, but she was still loathe to disturb him. Robin hadn't taken what happened last night well, and Starfire was anxious. There had been so many blows to Robin's confidence these last few months, she worried he'd lose the strength to continue. But this was Robin, and she doubted he'd give up without a fight.
She only knocked twice before the door slid open and Robin looked up from his desk, which was surprisingly blank. The papers that usually littered the top had been swept off to the floor, and were strewn about the room haphazardly. His mask hid the dark circles that undoubtedly rimmed his eyes, but his exhaustion was evident nonetheless. The slumped and defeated posture, the wan tint to his skin, even the glance he cast in Starfire's direction gave it away.
"Starfire? What's the matter?"
"Nothing." It didn't feel right, lying to Robin, but Starfire already knew he wouldn't allow her to worry over him. And it had been a long time since anything had felt right at all. "I just received a message from friend Cyborg on my communicator – he wishes for us to join him in the medical bay."
His lethargy forgotten, or most likely ignored, Robin was by her side in the hallway an instant later.
"Do you know if…?"
"I do not."
With that, Robin fell silent, and the pair made their way to the elevator. As desperately as Starfire wished to fill the void, she didn't know what to say. Words weren't going to fix anything.
Starfire knew there was no way she could prepare herself for the sight that met her in the med bay, but she hadn't thought that it would shake her as deeply as it did. The figure before her on the bed was so pale he could have been dead, if not for the movement of his chest as it rose and fell with each ragged breath, and he was swathed in a mass of bandages, which were thankfully a pristine white. Still, what bit deepest was what wasn't there – Beast Boy's metallic arm was reduced to a few twisted scraps on a table in the corner. Seeing him without it, Starfire was reminded of the last time she'd seen her friend in such a terrible state.
Beside her, Robin clenched his jaw and glanced to Cyborg. He was obviously running on his last legs – not even his machine half could hide his weariness. Still, he stood up from his perch on the bed adjacent to Beast Boy's and crossed the room to one of the large panels displaying information Starfire couldn't begin to comprehend.
"The bleeding finally stopped," he offered, turning back to face his friends. "But…I don't know. I'm not sure he'll make it."
Starfire shook her head in protest. "He must! Beast Boy has suffered too much for it to end like this. We cannot let him die."
"I know, Star," Cyborg sighed. "But we've done all we can. Now we just wait."
Frowning, Starfire dropped her gaze back to Beast Boy's still form. "Why would he do something so reckless?" she asked finally, desperate for some way to reconcile what had happened to her friend.
"To protect us," Robin said simply, not tearing his eyes away from where Beast Boy lay. "He knew it would come to this eventually – and he didn't want any of us to be in danger."
The room fell silent, save for Beast Boy's harsh and erratic breaths, as everyone searched for something to say.
"He was awake when I found him," Cyborg managed a moment later – both Robin's and Starfire's gazes snapped to his, and he continued. "He was trying to tell me what he'd seen."
"What do you mean?" Robin interjected, brow furrowed in confusion. "Inside that…thing?"
Cyborg shrugged. "I don't know. But he said…he said it was Raven."
"…Wait…what?"
The three Titans glanced back to find Speedy and Aqualad standing in the doorway, neither one completely aware of what was going on.
"Hold on a second." Speedy cocked his head sideways, obviously confused. "That thing that's been attacking you is Raven?"
"No," Starfire said firmly. "Raven would not attack us."
"Yeah, who knows – maybe the creature made BB see something that wasn't really there," Cyborg added. "We don't know what that thing can really do."
"No…think about it." Robin was frowning, deep in thought. "Raven wouldn't attack us, but Slade would. And if she doesn't have control of her powers…"
Starfire gasped, hands flying up to cover her mouth, as realization dawned on her.
"Is that even possible?" Aqualad asked quietly – Robin nodded.
"It's happened before," he explained. "Raven couldn't control her powers, and they took just started…working on their own. They were almost like a new being entirely, and it could do everything Raven could. And now that Raven's disappeared, this creature started showing up--"
"So what did you do before?" Speedy asked. "How did you stop it?"
"We couldn't," Robin replied, shaking his head. "It disappeared when Raven gained control of her powers."
"You mean there's nothing we can do to stop it?" Aqualad questioned, disbelieving. Robin merely shook his head.
Cyborg sighed and took back his seat on the bed, staring balefully at Beast Boy's prone form. "We're right back where we started."
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Since its first appearance, the creature had always attacked at night. Needless to say, Robin was more than a little taken aback when the alarm sounded late that afternoon, barely six hours after the meeting in the med bay. Still, the Titans sprang into action, save for Aqualad, who stayed back to watch Beast Boy.
The sun's fading rays reflected eerily off the ebony surface of the creature as it towered over the four teens standing back to back above an outdoor amphitheater. They braced themselves as the creature howled, and at least thirty of the writhing, black tendrils shot off into the air, hovered, and then dove to meet the Titans below. At Robin's command they scattered, dodging the black whips that lashed out at them.
As the tendrils retracted, Robin turned on his heel to face the creature, and watched as the others did the same. He gave one swift nod, and they readied for the attack. A moment later a barrage of sonic blasts, starbolts, arrows, and bombs hurtled toward the creature. Just as they'd planned, all of the missiles met their intended mark – the black void where a face would have been, had the creature possessed one. It was what came next that surprised them.
Instead of howling in fury and returning with an equally, if not more, vicious attack, the creature screamed – the shriek tore through the air more ferociously than any of its shouts of anger had in the past. Two clawed black hands clutched at its face as the creature staggered, then stumbled backwards down the hill and out of sight, still screeching in pain. The sounds began to die away, and the Titans soon realized that it was actually retreating.
The rest of the team jogged over to meet Robin, who was still watching the hill, halfway expecting the creature to reappear.
"What just happened?" Speedy demanded, alternating glances between Robin and the spot where the creature had vanished. "I thought you guys couldn't hurt it before."
"We couldn't," Cyborg agreed. Frowning, he caught Robin's gaze. "You think maybe BB did something to it?"
"He must have." Robin shook his head in disbelief. "I don't understand, though. Why would it just leave like that?"
"Friend Cyborg is right," Starfire responded. "Beast Boy must have injured the creature when he attacked it before. Nothing else has changed."
"C'mon, let's just go," Cyborg suggested. "No use sticking around here."
Reluctantly, Robin followed the others back to the T-car. Still, he just couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right.
Cyborg drove, as usual, and Robin rode shotgun, all the while staring out at the buildings as they passed, not saying a word. The conversation from the backseat was subdued, and no one was at ease. But it wasn't until the tower was once again in view that they heard it – that too-familiar howl.
Although he made a move to slam on the brake, or at least jerk the steering wheel, Cyborg couldn't move fast enough to avoid the creature. An inky-black tendril snaked its way towards them, and wrapped itself all the way around the car, encircling it from one end to the other. With a jerk, there was a terrible, wrenching sound as the car was hewn in half, and Robin found himself rising into the air.
The car hadn't exploded yet, which Robin counted as a blessing, seeing as most everything else that came in contact with the creature was destroyed in under a second – apparently Beast Boy really had done something to the creature. But Speedy, who had been sitting directly behind Robin, was no where to been seen, and the other half of the car, which had held Cyborg and Starfire, was still on the ground – neither of them were visible, either. Which left Robin in a very precarious situation – his seatbelt held him fast and the car was rising quickly – he was already high above the creature's head. He'd either have to jump, and hope he survived the fall, or sit tight and hope the creature decided to put him back down again.
Rather than wait for the mercy of a creature that seemed to have none, Robin took his fate into his own hands. He unlatched his seatbelt and clambered onto the top of the seat and rose – the top of the car had been mostly torn off and left with the other half, so he was able to stand, and face the ground, some four stories below him. But before he had the chance to jump, the car jerked, tipped, and tumbled, nose first, to the ground.
The impact came soon after – the engine crumpled into the ground, and Robin was thrown violently backwards and into the windshield, which had shattered when the car had initially been split in two, and only splintered further when it met the pavement. At that same moment, the car lurched, then rolled back and came to rest on its remaining wheels, then slumped to the side and came to a complete stop, hissing as it settled.
Robin, however, paid little attention to all of that. When he'd been launched into the broken windshield, he'd caught on one of the gleaming shards of glass that were still lodged in the frame. He bit back a gasp as a shard, about the size of a standard ruler, pierced the back of his right thigh, sliced through his leg, and emerged again on the other side. With his hands on the hood of the car behind him, he raised himself up, but even that movement jostled his leg enough that the gash was torn wider, sending out relentless waves of pain. A pool of blood steadily collected around him, and Robin quite suddenly realized that unless he could tear the shard from his leg, he wasn't going anywhere.
To make matters worse, the creature was approaching. Mustering what strength he had left, Robin dove sideways, efficiently breaking the glass away from the frame, biting his lip to stifle a cry of pain as it slid through skin and muscle. He rolled off the hood and crouched to the side, but the glass was still imbedded in his leg, preventing any attempts at escape. There was now a slit, at least three inches wide, stretching across his leg, and he couldn't help but watch, morbidly fascinated, as his blood worked its way down to the pavement.
The creature was almost directly above him now, rearing up and ready to strike – but instead of dealing out a death blow, the creature shrieked and shied away from a burst of starbolts and arrows. The attack continued, driving the creature backwards, until eventually it howled once more, then shot off into the darkening sky.
Footsteps were now approaching – Robin made a move to stand, but stumbled, barely catching the side of the car. But despite his efforts he lost his footing and slipped again – only this time, a pair of strong, metal hands caught him from behind.
"Take it easy." Cyborg's voice carried the suspicious hint of an order, and Robin complied, allowing his friend to lean him against the car. The edges of his vision had started to blur, and he could feel the blood loss beginning to take its toll. Something jarred the glass still deep in his leg, and he couldn't help but hiss.
"Sorry," Cyborg apologized, and Robin's attention snapped back to his friend's face. "But we can't leave it in your leg like that."
"I'm fine," Robin managed, shaking his head furiously, then frowning as his temple began to pound. "Cyborg…"
"Don't worry about it." Cyborg sighed. "Just rest, okay?"
Rest? But he couldn't – they had to fight the creature.
No, wait…they already had, hadn't they? Something was wrong – his mind wasn't working right, and everything had begun to fade to black. All of a sudden, a sharp pain tore through his consciousness – what was going on, again?
Realizing that Cyborg was right after all – he really should just quit thinking about it – Robin relaxed and let the darkness claim him.
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Starfire paused in the doorway of the med bay, casting one last glance to the still forms inside. Robin had passed out right after Cyborg had pulled the shard from his leg, but was now sleeping soundly – Beast Boy, on the other hand…well, no one was really sure yet.
With a sigh she slipped into the hallway and boarded the elevator. Speedy had shown up to take over the watch, and she was more than ready to sleep. But as she floated down the hall to her room, her attention was redirected to Cyborg's – the door was still partially open, and light flooded through the crack. Curious as ever, she approached, and knocked softly.
"Friend Cyborg?" she asked softly, leaning into the opening so that her head stuck through. Cyborg had his back to her, and staring down at what appeared to be blue-prints.
"Oh, hey, Star." He glanced at her over his shoulder. "Come on in."
The door slid the rest of the way open at her touch, and Starfire stepped fully into the room, glancing around at the computer equipment lining the walls. When Cyborg showed no intention of speaking up again, she stepped forward to get a better view of what he was working on.
"What is it you are designing?" she asked, peering at the sheets spread out on the counter. "Another T-car?"
"No." Cyborg paused, and seemed almost hesitant to clarify – he didn't even look up to meet her eyes. "It's another…"
"Another what?" Starfire prompted. Finally he caught her gaze, and sighed.
"It's for BB," he explained, giving her a better look at the prints. "The last arm I built was trashed, and he'll need a new one when he wakes up."
For a moment, Starfire was unsure of what to say. But then she flashed a warm smiled, and nodded. "You are right. But…this one will be shiny, too, will it not?"
"'Course it will. And see, I'm trying to improve on the last design – you know, work out a few…"
And as Cyborg trailed off into explanations of machinery that probably only he understood, Starfire was just glad that at least one person in the tower still had hope.
TBC
Wow…that was like, the happiest sentence I've written in a really long time. I'm actually kinda creeped out right now.
And yeah…sorry about the complete lack of Lucy/Raven's POV…again…I'll get to her next chapter, I promise. Really.
Oh, and if you're mad about me being mean to Robin…it's not my fault. Seriously. Blame Justice of the People – see, she's my friend inthe real world, so I talk to her about this story on the phone and stuff, and she was helping me with this chapter…and her advice was to injure Robin. And you know what else? She wanted me to put a stop-sign pole through his leg, so he really got off easy. I mean, that thing probably would have taken off his chicken leg. Yeah, I said it.
Well…that's about it. I've got the beginning of the next chapter written already, so maybe that update will come sooner. But then again, look at the last time I said that.
Anyway…don't be a lurker! Review, review! Seriously, though, I eat lurkers for breakfast.
Lots of luff to you all!
Child of a Pineapple
