Chapter 12: Robins Prophecy Fulfilled Part 1
After spending the rest of the day at the library, Blackcross didn't find anything that could explain what was causing Robins nightmares. He decided to go back to the tower. When he got there he immediately walked down the hallway to Raven's room.
Blackcross knocked three times on her door. Raven opened the door and gestured for him to come in. Blackcross closed the door behind him. Ravens room had dozens of books open and spread out all across the bed and floor.
"So you find anything?" asked Bkackcross.
Raven shook her head. "What about you? Did you find anything?" she asked.
"No luck," replied Blackcross.
"What do we do now?" asked Blackcross.
"We start fresh tomorrow and then keep looking?" Robin suggested.
"But for now we should get some sleep, its getting late. What about you, Robin?" asked Raven.
"Oh, I can handle another night of nightmares," Robin said casually.
After the three teens returned to their own rooms Robin went to his room and lay on his bed thinking about what the nightmare would be this time until he finally fell asleep.
In Robin's dream it felt like he was standing in a seemingly endless void of white. Then all of a sudden black sand swirled around Robin. He instinctively put his hand up to shield his eyes. As soon as Robin put his hand down the ghoulish figure of Trisha was standing in front of him.
"So this is how my nightmare starts?" Robin inquired.
"None for tonight, but soon," said Trisha in the same demonic voice he was slowly getting used to, to his horror. "I am simply here to talk."
"Why?" asked Robin. Could he never get good sleep?
"You and your friends want answers, do you not?" taunted Trisha.
"OK, who are you and what do you want?" demanded Robin. "I know you're not Trisha."
"I am Albatross, the ruler of sleep," said the Trisha figure. "I can take the form of all your greatest fears and failures." Albatross then turned into the Batman from earlier that day in Robin's dream.
"I can show you paradise!" The void turned into the most breathtaking garden. "Or I can show you pain." At those words the garden morphed into the most gruesome chamber with people screaming in the background. Robin cringed at that. As quickly as the scene changed from garden to gruesome it changed back to a white void.
"So what do you want with me?" Robin said, annoyed.
"Your soul," replied Albatross. "It is stained with blood and guilt. And will be mine. You're in my world, Robin."
"Your world huh? Then I'll just never sleep again," Robin said.
"Ha! You're only prolonging the inevitable," roared Albatross. "One way or another everyone sleeps at some point."
"Somehow, Robin managed to force himself to wake up. That was easy. Maybe these nightmares won't be so bad after all, thought Robin.
Meanwhile
Beast Boy was wide awake sitting on his bed. He was thinking about the argument he and Raven had that afternoon. Even though he was still angry at her, Beast Boy felt bad for practically calling her a bitch. He felt like she was playing him. But to be fair he did bring it on himself with that stupid bet the other day.
Why did she go through with it? Beast Boy pondered. The more he thought about it the more confused he got. Stupid girl troubles, he scowled.
Beast boy started to get a headache so he decided to go to the top of the tower. No one would admit it but that's where all the Titans went when they couldn't sleep.
"You can't sleep either?" came a voice from behind Beast Boy.
Beast Boy turned around to see Robin leaning against the doorframe. "No," replied Beast Boy."
"May I accompany you?" Robin asked.
"Sure," replied Beast Boy. Robin walked over to where he was gazing at the water. "So any idea what's keeping you up?" questioned Robin.
"I was just thinking about some of the events of the day," said Beast Boy.
"Any in particular?" pried Robin.
"Um, just one."
"Care to share?" Robin asked.
Beast Boy knew Robin wasn't one to pry unless he felt it was important. Giving in, Beast Boy decided it was okay to tell him.
He proceeded to tell Robin everything that had happened the past week about the bet, the concert, and his request from Raven. Beast Boy stopped briefly to allow Robin to take in the information. Robin listened intently to Beast Boy's story only interjecting a few comments like, "I see," or "Interesting." He then told him about the argument from earlier.
"Wow, that really sucks," said Robin.
"So you got any advice for me?" Beast Boy asked hopefully. Ever since the incident with Beast Boy, Robin had kept a close eye on his teammates. Robin deduced that Raven probably had feelings for Beast Boy based on body language and tone of voice whether she would admit it or not was another matter.
Robin knew he couldn't tell that to the changeling so he replied, "Beast Boy… the best advice I can give you when it comes to Raven is have faith and don't give up on her, I have a feeling things will work out. Just maybe not in the way you would expect."
"Maybe you're right," said Beast Boy. "Thanks for helping me out. But I'm still kinda pissed off at her.
"That's fine. But don't stay mad forever," replied Robin.
Beast boy gave a nod and then said, "Okay, so now it's your turn. I've been feeling that something's been off with you lately. But is that just me?"
"Not you too," mumbled Robin to himself. "What do you mean you've been feeling something off with me?" he asked.
"You forget who your talking to. Helllooo, Beast Boy instincts ya know?" the changeling said like it was obvious.
"Just that I haven't been sleeping well, but I'd rather not talk about it."
"Oh, okay," said Beast Boy good- naturedly. "Well, thanks Robin, for the talk I'm gonna try to get some sleep. See you tomorrow."
"Yeah, see you tomorrow," replied Robin.
The next morning Beast boy walked into the common room. Robin and Blackcross were talking in the kitchen, and Cyborg was sitting on the couch playing Xbox 360. "Yo, Robin, can I have a word with you?" asked Beast Boy.
Robin and Beast Boy walked out into the hallway. "What's up?" asked Robin.
"I'm going out for the day to clear my head," said Beast Boy, keeping his voice steady.
"Okay," replied Robin. 'Where are you going?" he couldn't help asking.
"I'm going..." Beast boy started to say as his voice got shaky and he cut off mid sentence. Robin noticed the look on his face. He recognized from a time before.
"You're going out to see her," Robin finished for him, realizing Beast Boy had tears in his eyes. Beast Boy nodded and wiped the tears from his eyes.
"I understand," said Robin. "Just remember my advice."
"Will do," said Beast Boy in an almost non-audible voice and then he walked away.
Beast Boy walked around the city aimlessly for a few hours. He then went to see a friend who had given her life for him and his team, a friend that had trapped in a stone prison for a long time…
"Sorry I haven't visited you lately, Terra," said Beasat Boy said to the statue. "Things have been really crazy lately." Then he began to tell her the story about Blackcross and everything that had happened afterwards. Little did he know that the girl inside the statue could hear him.
Meanwhile, Raven was meditating on the top of the tower.
"Go talk to him, make sure he's ok," Affection murmured in Raven's thoughts.
"No," responded Raven in her thoughts. "He's still mad at me and needs his space."
"He needs to not feel manipulated by you," cried the emotion.
"I would never manipulate him!" shouted Raven mentally.
"You did!" shot back the emotion. "And he needs to know the truth.
"And what truth would that be?" Raven asked rhetorically. "I don't love Beast Boy."
"What are you so afraid of?" said the emotion.
"You already know the answer to that," said Raven.
"Raven, please go talk to him." pleaded the emotion.
"Fine!" said Raven, exasperated. "I'll go talk to him so you leave me alone."
"For now," agreed the emotion.
Raven made her way down to the common room to find Beast Boy but he wasn't there. She then went to his room, but he wasn't there either. Raven decided to ask Robin if he knew where he was. She went to Robin's room and knocked three times on his door. "Come in," Robin said. Raven entered the room and closed the door behind her.
"Hey, Robin, have you seen Beast Boy?" asked Raven.
He didn't answer, instead Robin said briskly, "We need to talk. Beast Boy told me about what's been going on between you two lately."
"Is he alright?" Raven asked nervously.
"He's confused and angry, which is understandable you did kind of lead him on," said Robin in the sincerest way possible.
"Now you're judging me too," accused Raven.
"No, I'm stating a fact," Robin said forcefully. "What happened between you and Beast Boy is between you and Beast Boy and is none of my business. But when it starts affecting the team, then it becomes my business."
"Raven, I have known you for a long time and I don't judge you for your mistakes, but please don't make Beast Boy one of them. I don't want either one of you to get hurt," said Robin.
"Whatever I have with Beast Boy will never be a mistake."
"Good," replied Robin. "'cause he cares about you and I'm pretty sure you feel the same about him whether you admit it or not.
"Raven didn't know what to say to that so instead she said, "Anyway, you know where he is?" asked Raven.
"He went to visit… her," replied Robin. She knew that he was talking about Terra.
"Thanks," said Raven.
"Anytime," replied Robin. Then she left and went to see Beast Boy.
Beast boy had finished his story to Terra's statue and was staring at it with tears rolling down his face. "I'm so sorry, Terra," Beast Boy sobbed. "I should've saved you."
"Beast Boy?" a concerned voice said from behind him.
"What do you want?" Beast Boy said in an angry tone. He spun around to face her while wiping the tears from his eyes.
"I want to talk," said Raven. "Robin told me you'd be here."
"There's nothing to talk about," said Beast Boy. "You made your opinion perfectly clear."
"I know you're mad, and you have every right to be, but please talk to me."
"What do you want me to say? That I love you? Because I don't. I'm done chasing after you!" shouted Beast Boy.
Those very words pierced Raven like a sharp blade to the chest.
"It doesn't matter because you don't feel the same!" shouted Beast Boy. "So stop pretending you give a damn about me."
Raven put her hood up there were tears in her eyes. "You're wrong," said Raven, her voice quivering. "I do give a damn about you; if I didn't I wouldn't be here."
Beast Boy saw that Raven was crying now even though she had her hood up. Still, he was unaffected by that.
"You have every right to hate me," said Raven in a saddened voice. She then turned and created a portal on the ground and sank through it. Part of her hoped Beast Boy would stay mad. She hated people feeling sorry for her.
A week had passed. Raven and Beast Boy barely made eye contact and they hadn't said a word to each other.
Robin hadn't slept at all for that week. He saw how crazy things had been happening lately and decided to have a Day Of Team Bonding. He pulled out his communicator, pushed a button and said, "Titans to the common room now."
The whole team assembled in the common room including, Blackcross. "Things haven't been exactly even these past weeks so we are going to have a day of fun," explained Robin. "So what do you guys want to do today?"
"We could watch a movie," suggested Cyborg.
"Wonderful idea!" piped up Starfire. "Robin, you and I can go make the popped corn." She started to walk over to Robin.
Robin turned to face Starfire, but instead of seeing his girlfriend he saw that she had morphed into a ghoulish figure like from his nightmares. He had to be hallucinating.
"Stay away from me!" Robin shouted at Starfire, and he ran to his bedroom.
All the Titans watched in shock.
"Did I do something wrong?" asked Starfire, looking very hurt.
"It's not you Starfire, I'll go see what's wrong with him," said Raven and she left without a word to anyone else.
Inside his room Robin immediately ran into the bathroom. He stepped up to the sink and turned the cold water on. He splashed his face with it. "What is wrong with me?" said Robin, staring in the mirror. "I'm the leader! I have to be fine!"
Raven knocked three times on Robin's door he didn't answer so she opened it and cautiously walked in. Robin walked out of the bathroom and saw Raven standing in his room.
"What happened out there?" demanded Raven.
Robin reluctantly told her about Albatross and his last dream, knowing what was coming next.
"How long has it been since then?" Raven asked quietly.
"A week," replied Robin.
"Damn it, why didn't you tell me?"
"I had it under control," he said simply.
"Robin, when you purge yourself from sleep for an extended period of time you mind starts to hallucinate," explained Raven. "Hallucinations come from the same part of the brain as dreams." She was getting angry now.
Suddenly, his vision going blurry "R-Raven h-help me!" shouted Robin. He then collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
Raven pulled out her communicator. "Everyone get in here now!" she shouted. A moment later all the other teens were in Robin's room.
"What the hell happened?!"shouted Beast Boy, seeing Robin unconscious.
"Take it easy, BB," said Cyborg.
"I'll explain everything later, but right now we need to get him to the medical bay," Raven said.
Cyborg picked up Robin and all the teens made their way to the medical bay. Beast Boy hung back and walked a few feet behind the group. Starfire and Blackcross slowed down and were soon walking just a few feet behind the changeling.
"Beast Boy," asked Starfire. "Are you mad at friend Raven?"
"What was your first clue?" Beast Boy said sarcastically.
"Well-" began Starfire but was interrupted by Blackcross.
"Hey don't answer her like that!" he said. She's just concerned, don't take it out on her.
Beast Boy sighed. "Sorry Star," he apologized. "But I don't really want to talk about it.
"Okay," Starfire said.
The teens finally made it to the med bay where they lay Robin on a bed. They hooked him up to a machine which tested his blood and vitals. Raven then told the rest of the team everything about Trisha's message to Robin, Albatross, Robin's purge of sleep, and the hallucination.
"So what do we do now?" asked Cyborg.
"I have an idea, but I can't do it alone," Raven said slowly.
"We'll do everything we can to help!" exclaimed Starfire.
"Thank you, but," said Raven. "Only Blackcross can help me." She then turned to him.
"What can I do?" asked Blackcross?
"This is going to be alot more difficult than last time explained Raven. "I'm going to go into Robins mind again, and I need you to view the scene again while simultaneously putting it up on the large screen and simultaneously keeping both Robin's and my vitals in check."
"I don't know if I can do all that at the same time," Blackcross said. "I've never stretched my power that far before. Not to mention the amount of concentration it would take. And the fact that it would practically render me unconscious."
"Well, you're going to have to," Raven said crossly. "Unless you have a better idea. I know this is asking a lot, but we don't have any other options."
"Fine, I'll do it," said Blackcross.
"And one more thing. I also need you to make our bodies act as a conduit for Robin's mind so the others can talk to him."
"You really are trying to kill me aren't you?" joked Blackcross dryly.
"I'm sorry," said Raven flatly.
Let's do this replied Blackcross. With that, they chanted their spells and got to work.
A/N: This was part one of this chapter. Part two will hopefully be updated shortly. Also i would like thank my Beta and also ask that you all review so that i know how many people are reading this. And also feel free to give me some ideas or advice but no flames.