My first Author's not for this particular story. I usually tend to post chapters late in the night---when my mind is only at a portion of its potential when it comes to fanifcs. I thought I'd finally get to adding one, and this one is to thank those who have reviewed/favorite this story this far..

crazy guard girl: I really apreciate the compliments, and hope you're still enjoying this read.

Anyways, this is chapter 14. I just wanted to note---if anyone reading this hasn't seen my profile info on this story, it's a 42 chapter deal. Yeah---that's long, but iut took 2+ years to finish this.

Again, enjoy!

Chapter 14: Shimmers Pale

—A demon alarm system involving crystals, and without one shred of technology to support it in the least. The trio wasn't at all used to the concept of protection lacking high security devices or technically powered devices. Raven was the most adapted of the three, and even she wasn't completely adapted to it.

Kane assured them, reassured them, and even had Artie back him up that the system actually worked. It wasn't like they were powerless in the least; two out of three had inborn abilities at their disposal after all.

Paige stopped in for a routine check in, filling that party in while at the same time they filled her in. Phoebe had fallen ill with a bug, and Piper was still getting over sister rediscovery shock; Raven relayed the reoccurring Barbas episode. Paige frowned at the mention of the demon of fear, recalling her own experiences in her mind.

"Surprising he hasn't targeted one of us yet," Paige commented. "His main focus in the past was always to get back at me and my sisters at any cost. Instead though, he's putting a lot of attention into you, and I have to wonder why that is."

"I really don't know," Raven replied. "But I really wish he'd stop."

"We'll get him, don't worry," Paige assured her. "We usually do eventually. It's not good to let Barbas run free for too long. He could move on to bigger ventures that could make it much worse."

"Thanks." Raven told her

"Ugh, charge's a ringing," Paige said, suddenly sour. "I've got to look into it. If anything new crops up, either just give a holler of my name or come visit via your whitelighter. Till then." Paige orbed out.

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A couple days passed; not one new development cropping up of any substance.

Bumblebee had made a few more trips into the above ground enemy territory, but her efforts as a spy didn't prove to be profiting. She reported back tidbits, but nothing of real use.

Grudgingly the Robin and Starfire returned to reside back at the tower; both were homesick and not adjusting to the 'demonic security system', really seeking the technological security much more. It hadn't been either of them that had been grudging their return; it was Raven instead.

She could have easily joined them, but she chose not to. Why—she didn't know. She had not wanted the other two to leave, but yet she couldn't gather herself to return with them. She couldn't explain it, and she dared not even try.

It was possible she couldn't—even if she did try.

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

Billie was still young; hip, cool. All terms that could apply to the criteria, she was.

It wasn't too odd for her to do joint efforts—collaborations so to speak—with some of those friends of that young charge of that whitelighter named Kane; Raven had powers, and most obviously had theirs, nothing too odd there right?

She met the main Raven team; the shape-shifter in a hue of green, the tall girl literally from another world, the man of half technology/half humanity—a hybrid, and the leader lacking powers of his own but equaling with other areas of expertise. A few others had been introduced; ones not directly from team—affiliates really.

She had taken especially to working aside the green shape-shifter, finding his company and comical demeanor refreshing and a nice retreat from reality on a momentary basis. He'd oddly taken to her company as well; maybe he was reminiscing a bit—

A current mission the pair was on started in the city itself; the meeting-place the nearby park, which would branch towards the intended locale on the city's outskirts. Sunlight shined bright downward upon them as they came to meet up by a particular park bench to start off.

"Where exactly do we aim for this time?" the changeling—Beast Boy—asked the honey blond Billie. "That last place in the caverns with the spooky bats and the creepy cannibalistic freaks underground just about made me spew and want to gouge out my eyes. I sure hope this next one will not involve sights like that again. It's just tolerable that I live with a couple of meat lovers." He shuddered at just the thought of it.

"In most of the reports I've done in the past on sightings worth reporting, it was deep in the woods just outside of this city of yours," Billie replied. "Since we've had little luck elsewhere—like the underworld for example, I figured it would be better to start at where the strengths of my investigations have always laid."

"The woods shouldn't be so freaky," Beast Boy commented. "I'm down with that."

A short time later the twosome was in the further reaches of forest, not more than within walking distance from the entrance of a labyrinth of caverns. The mission would be exploring that labyrinth, from its entryway to its darkest depths, in hopes of finding some activity, or possibly something else more crucial.

"Did you bring a flashlight?" Beast Boy asked his blond witchy companion. Billie nodded, pulling two flashlights out of a small knapsack she kept handy. She threw one to him.

"Catch," Billie said as the flashlight became airborne. He easily caught it.

"So…do we stick together, or do we split up?" Beast Boy asked.

"For now--stick together," Billie replied. "We'll only split up if we really have to."

"Okay, I think I can settle with that fairly well," Beast Boy responded, giving a sigh of relief.

They started to make their way, reaching the cave's entrance in a few minutes.

"Time to put the flashlights to good use," Billie said. Shortly after saying that, two beams of light reflected off the walls of the dark cavern, along with the crunching of pebbles and loose underfoot debris.

A few short moments trek inward they were met with another presence. A friend or foe was yet to be determined, at least until the sound of buzzing from gossamer wings was apparent.

"Bumblebee?" Beast Boy exclaimed in recognition. "Is that you buzzing around?"

"Yeah," Bumblebee replied, resuming her normal size from her previous miniature version. "What are you doing out here? Did Cy send you out?"

"Nope, its just me and the witch girl Billie; we're out here exploring for clues and stuff," Beast Boy replied. "What about you?"

"The same thing," Bee replied. "Don't bother going in further, I've already been down there."

"Did you find anything?" Billie asked.

"As a matter of fact---yes," Bee replied. "I was just going back to the tower to report."

"What did you find?" Beast Boy asked curiously.

"Stuff," Bee replied. "Which I'll fill you in on when we get back to the tower. I don't feel like relaying it all more then once."