Heeellllooo readers! Foamy has returned! lol
In all honesty, I thought I wouldn't have a chance to post this tonight. But Lady Luck favors me, it seems. *Snickers*
Okay, noooow for reviews!
Allen Blaster- I have no idea why a normal name of someone I based off of an asshole I went to school with would sound familiar in the DC universe, but w/e lol.
Bearhow- I DO tend to lean towards the crazy side of the spectrum lol
Losteverything- Shit gets waaaaay better in this chapter!
Taygon55- I had honestly forgotten about the Bear-o-Gram, but now I think I'll use it. I know just the place! Thanks! :3
Adrinsane- I think the 'insane' part of your name is applying to your theory lol
RPGPersona- Yes! It's Control Freak! He's been pestering me to put him back in the story, so I found him a spot in that chapter and this one. Let me know if you figure out where! xD
Tsubaki88- Pride actually has very little to do with it. It's another emotion, though she's not quite addressed fully in this chapter. (she's quite literally pushed to the side, so to speak)
Lord Sicarious- Concerning your Red X question, I went with there being two Robins at the same time (or close enough), just in different places. It would kinda make sense for Batman to pick up a new side kick when Dick starts the Titans. Also, you'll like this chapter's Batman too.
Bluedog197- I hope you love this chapter. It's been a long time coming.
IHaveAFanficProblem- Oh trust me, it doesn't end well for Scarecrow.
KangBoRam- My inner sadist loved writing it :P
WantingToastAllTheTime- :P
Guest- Glad you liked it! I hope you like this chapter too!
Toto01- you can praise me all you want, but I still think I pale in comparison to BlueTitan or BeautifulPurpleFlame. I do better than some, yeah, but I don't think I'm particularly talented. Just creative.
OfficialRavenDC- I answered your review personally. I hope you like this chapter, though it only grazes the depth of Beast Boy's problem.
Now, I'd like to address two things.
Firstly, I received a couple of messages concerning Starfire beating someone like Atomic Skull. If you know the comics like I do, you know that Tamaranians CAN absorb comic radiation. Combine this with their berserker fury has quite literally put her toe to toe with Wonder Woman, who (despite the glaringly obvious understatement that is her powers) is on par with Superman.
This means that Roid Rage Starfire is *quite* capable of smashing Skull into the ground.
Now, as for the other point...
Judging from the messages I've gotten about the 'illness' Raven has and the reviews concerning 'morning sickness', one thing is very obvious to me.
You lot need to Google "The Five Signs of Emotional Traumatization". The links I used started with 'cascadebh' and the ' '. Seriously.
As someone who's been down that road and recovered, I can tell you that it's no fucking joke.
But some people heal faster than others, like you'll see in this chapter. Although 'heal' is a strong term. Anyways, read and review, my friends! I'd love to hear your thoughts on how things are turning out!
-Foamy
Tireless fear,
A bottomless void, neither there nor here.
You took your leave
On our darkest eve.
Your presence still never leaves
And it offers me no reprieve.
These wounds won't heal.
This pain is too real.
Your absence time cannot erase.
If I cried, you would have all of my tears.
If I screamed, you would chase away all of my fears.
I cannot hold your hand, the void has taken our years.
This nothingness is all of me.
Your heartbeat was my resonating light.
Now you're gone and I am left behind.
Your warmth, it haunts my dreams.
Your heart, gone, is silent screams.
These wounds cannot heal,
For this pain is far too real.
Your absence time cannot erase.
I cannot hear your cries, nor wipe away your tears.
I cannot hear your screams, nor chase away your fears.
For you to take my hand through all of these years,
Would mean there is something left of me.
I know that you're gone,
For my heart went with you.
I'll be alone for far too long.
If we cried, the world would drown in our tears.
If we screamed, the world would tremble in fear.
Were I to hold your hand through the rest of my years,
Then my soul would not grieve.
But since you are gone,
There is no light in each dawn.
The sun is cold and the world quiet.
This empty void a deathly riot.
The sound of the clock ticking was the only noise in the classroom as the other students stared in horror at Raven. She stood there passively at the podium, looking out at the teary eyed students.
The English Literature teacher, an older woman with dirty blonde-turning-grey hair, big glasses, and wrinkles for days, gaped at the girl at the podium. Ms. Rogers had required the class to write a short poem depicting sadness, though the subject as to what made them sad was up for them to decide.
She, as everyone else had, had been utterly unprepared for the words coming out of 'Rachel's' mouth.
She stared at the girl before the class. Rachel had been a model student since she joined the class some months prior. The dark haired girl was always on time to class, did all of her assignments with unworldly accuracy and description, and very rarely spoke. When she did speak, it was only when spoken to and only if it was worth speaking of. Ms. Rogers had seen on more than one occasion where Rachel simply did not speak when someone talked to her, though the elder woman had assumed at the time it was dislike of the person speaking to her.
But this poem…
"Jesus Christ, that was morbid!"
Ms. Roger's head snapped towards the young man who spoke, Marcus Crawford. Her brow wrinkled in disapproval. The boy was brash, headstrong, arrogant, and a jackass. Easily identified as the class bully, he had littered the class with his sniping and sniveling comments about the distant Rachel since the first day of her arrival, simply because she didn't greet anyone. Of course, the foreign girl, Janette Lucksworth, jumped on his case every time he opened his mouth about the quiet girl. There was something odd about Janette and something even odder about Rachel.
"Is that satisfactory, Ms. Rogers?"
The elder woman brought her attention back to her star pupil. The girl, Rachel, was standing there with her paper in hand, her blank and lifeless blue eyes boring holes into her. The bags under her eyes appeared to have grown, indicating that the girl had been having trouble sleeping. Her tone was as it normally was, monotone. Well, that wasn't true. Even monotone wasn't an accurate description for how the strange girl spoke.
Dark and empty came to mind though.
"Yes…" Ms. Rogers spoke slowly, taking her glasses off to look at the girl. "Rachel…answer me this. Did you lose someone close to you?"
"In a manner of speaking…yes."
"Would you be willing to tell us what happened for you to be able to write something so…" The teacher waved her glasses in the air distractedly. "Something so... heartbreaking?"
Rachel looked down at the paper in her hands. "I do not know if it is heartbreaking. I simply wrote what was there."
"What was there? What do you mean?"
Rachel shrugged. "It is not something I can explain. I simply wrote what was there to make it go away."
Ms. Roger's eyebrow rose. That probably didn't make any sense to her students, but as a woman in her late fifties, it spoke volumes. Normally she would pull a traumatized student to the side and speak to them after class. But this strange girl begged for attention now. She leaned forward onto her desk, unable to stop herself from asking the question that was undoubtedly on everyone's mind.
"Who did you lose?"
'Rachel' looked up from her paper and swept her gaze about the room. She didn't know anyone's names aside from Janette, Ms. Rogers, and the asshole. She didn't know their stories. She didn't know their hobbies. She didn't know them. So lost in her own void had she been that she hadn't bothered to associate with anyone. She had no idea what their voices sounded like. She had no idea how they moved. She had no idea what made them happy. They were blank slates to her.
Her gaze landed on Janette, her strange roommate. Janette was the only one who knew 'Rachel' had lost her child. Raven suspected Selina had told her, but she didn't care.
The current question was…did she care if anyone else knew?
…no…she didn't care. She didn't care about anything.
When she spoke, her voice was barely audible over the ticking of the clock.
"Tomorrow would be the start of the ninth month of my pregnancy."
It was as if everyone had suddenly died, there was so little sound. Every eye in there, save Rachel's, filled with tears. The silence was broken, of course.
"Hooolllyyyy shiiittt." Marcus muttered out loud. "No wonder you're so damn cold."
Normally, Ms. Rogers would have instantly kicked the boy out of the room and written him up for ICS for such vulgar language. But for once, she was in agreement with the boy.
"What about the father?" Someone called out from the back.
'Rachel's' blank and lifeless eyes flashed with a deep pain for a moment before becoming empty once more. Her voice was just as quiet as it had been before. "Gone."
Before any other questions could come up, Raven returned to her seat behind Janette. The eyes of her fellow students followed her, though none dared to bother her. She sat down and immediately lay her head upon the desk. Ms. Rogers, mortified by the confession of such a young girl, completely forgot about the assignment and sat quietly at her desk. The other students started speaking very, very quietly to each other.
But Raven didn't hear anything they said. She was tired.
So very tired.
For the past couple of weeks, she hadn't been able to sleep. The nightmares had gotten worse to the point where she couldn't close her eyes without seeing and hearing them. This loss of sleep had affected her appetite and health dramatically. She had only been eating one meal a day and it was never anything substantial, so she had lost weight. Janette, for all her well-meaning, had declared this morning that she would make 'Rachel' eat breakfast with her and make her eat lunch and dinner too. The other girls' worry was blatantly evident in her tone, not that it registered with the former empath. She simply brushed the other girl off, saying that she had no appetite. It was true, for the most part. She simply possessed no desire to eat. It was as if everything turned to ash in her mouth.
Even though Raven was aware that she was suffering from emotional traumatization, she had no will to do anything about it.
The rest of her day passed quietly, not that she would have noticed if anything had happened. Janette tried to drag her off to the book store after school, but Raven quietly refused her. Other than schoolbooks, she hadn't had the desire to read once. All she wanted to do was do her homework and lay down for a bit. The other girl hadn't been happy, but followed her friend home regardless. Raven was clueless as to why Janette was so adamant about being around her all the time, but she simply acquiesced to her friends' inclinations. They walked home in silence, which was unusual for Janette. The girl usually talked Raven's ear off, which might have amused the former empath at one point. Janette was the type of girl who didn't make friends easily because of her brash and abrasive personality and tendency to cause trouble. But she stuck to Raven no matter what was going on.
Janette strongly reminded Raven of Jinx and it almost made the girl smile in reminiscent amusement.
Jinx had turned out to be a good friend. When Raven had first met the villain, she hadn't wanted to do anything but throttle the pink haired witch. Her hexic magic was frustrating to no end and had the potential to be quite dangerous, so pairing it with her personality meant that the witch was a formidable opponent.
Imagine how surprised she was when Jinx showed up at Kid Flash's side at the Brotherhood of Evil's downfall.
Raven had been wary of the girl at first. She had every right to be cautious of her former enemy, after all.
But when the witch had started traveling with Wally and fighting crime, Raven's opinion had gradually changed. Jinx had enthusiastically taken to Kid Flash's way of life with such a fervor that it had surprised the empath. She had never thought about a villain being unhappy with their life.
Who would have imagined that Jinx would be such a good friend for Raven?
Much like Janette.
She really needed to thank this strange girl.
She'd do it later. For now, she had algebra homework to do.
Polynomials, she thought with a sarcastic snort, are soooo much fun.
Well, that was pointless. Raven tiredly thought some hours later. After her homework, she had lain down on the bed just to rest. Not to sleep, just rest.
She still fell asleep.
When the nightmares started, she bolted up, wide awake once more.
Now she was sitting on the roof of the building, having taken the fire escape up to escape the confines of the room she dwelled in. She was aware that Janette was a light sleeper and had watched her ascend the clanking stairs, but she didn't care. She just wanted to be alone.
This night had quite possibly been the worst. She had only dreamt of one thing, one person. Garfield.
"Alright Mr. Beast Boy, Ms. Raven, what are you looking for specifically?"
I was surprised the woman didn't get snappy with us. It was easy to think civilians would. I mean, really, we're superheros and teens on top of that. We're supposed to be role models to our generation. Hardly anyone ever looks at us like we're at least a little normal. This is…nice…
"I want…purple clothes." I say as I look around. "Nothing frilly or lacey or anything like that. Just plain purple clothes."
The woman nods and drags us to the center of the store. I think everyone is looking at us, but I'm too flustered to tell. The employee spends the next fifteen minutes talking about the clothes with me. I find several sets I like and I grab them. But as I turn to present them to Gar…
He's gone.
I look around. I can't see him, I can't hear him, I can't feel his lips on my ear from one of his ambush kisses, I can't find him. He's gone. Where is he? Did he abandon me? Where is Gar? Where is he? Please don't leave me alone. I hate being alone. Please…don't leave me…
Gar…where are you?
Raven shuddered and willed the memory to go away. She knew very well that Garfield was gone. She knew very well the baby was gone. The clothes they had bought were gone. They home they lived in was gone. Their life was gone.
She was alone.
She hated being alone.
She hated it so much. Why wasn't Gar here? Why wasn't Starfire? Jinx? Cyborg? Robin? Anyone? She needed them and they weren't here.
It was her fault.
She wasn't strong enough. She wasn't carful enough. She wasn't prepared. If she had been any of those, then this wouldn't be happening. She'd still have her friends. She'd still have her baby. She'd still have her love. It was her fault. She was weak. Worthless. Useless. Empty. She didn't deserve any of them. She didn't deserve Garfield. She didn't deserve her baby. She didn't deserve anything. The only thing she deserved was to be dark, empty, and alone.
Just as a demon should be.
That's right. It was her fault. She's half demon. Demons don't get happy endings. Demons only get torment and torture. She had reached out for the light and it had burned her. She had thought she could be happy. She had thought she could dwell in the light like the others, like him. With him. She had loved him so much for bringing her into the light and proving that she didn't have to be alone. She had loved him for making her smile. She had loved him for being there when she was down. She had loved him for loving her without hesitation.
But he's gone.
She was alone again.
It was her fault. She didn't deserve to li-
"Don't do it."
Raven jerked in surprise, having not heard anyone join her on the roof. Looking around, she found herself leaning against the small brick wall that lined the edge of the roof, leaning out a bit. She blinked in confusion. When did she get there? She was sitting in the center of the roof just a moment ago, right?
"Don't do it, Raven."
That got her attention. Warily, she turned towards the intruding voice. Standing on the fire escape was a girl, dressed in a strangely familiar black material. She had a mask and cape on, and long flowing red hair that reminded her of Starfire's hair. The former empath stared at her intently until she realized there was something else on the girl's uniform.
A Bat symbol.
"Who are you supposed to be?" She asked, arching an eyebrow.
"I'm Batgirl." The masked girl said quietly. "And since you're going to figure it out anyways, I'm the one that's been watching you every night."
Raven crossed her arms and leaned against the brick. "Watching me for what?"
Batgirl shrugged. "Anything. Everything. I've been watching nothing, mostly. You don't really do anything."
Raven shrugged in turn. "Nothing to do. No desire to do anything."
"No desire for anything, more like it."
The former empath couldn't deny that, so she just looked away. Batgirl sighed and leaned back against the rail of the metal stairs.
"Look…Raven...I know you're in a bad place right now. I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through. But…you still have a lot of people that care about you. I've known Robin since before he joined the Titans. If he knew what you almost did…it'd break him. It'd break Cyborg and Starfire too. So if I have to hog tie you and drag you back down to bed, I will."
"It doesn't matter." Raven mumbled. "It's all gone. Everything."
Batgirl shook her head. "No it's not. Your family is waiting for you to come back to them. If I know Robin as well as I think I do, he'll wait until the end of time for you to come home. And so will the others." She paused. "Of course, Beast Boy will wait until the end of existence for you."
"He doesn't need to. He needs to move on. There's nothing left of me."
Batgirl stared at her long and hard before speaking slowly. "If that's true, then why do you dream of him so much?"
Raven had no answer for that, so she left her spot on the wall and pushed her way past the other girl. She descended the stairs as quietly as she could and climbed back into the room she shared with Janette. With a definitive snap she shut the window and locked it. Not paying her so-called night guardian any more attention, she pulled out an MP3 player that her roommate had lent her and popped the earbuds in. Within seconds she was curled up in bed with a random playlist playing.
Turning it up as loud as it would go, she tried to drown out the other girl's words.
Up on the roof, Batgirl sent out a call. Within a minute it was answered.
Batman here. Report.
"Look, Bats, she's getting worse." The red headed girl said without hesitation. "She's not sleeping anymore and I just found her eyeballing the edge of the roof."
The dark knight was silent for a moment. Janette says she's not eating much either. Combine that with her lack of sleep and other symptoms and she'll either snap soon or…
"Don't finish that thought." Batgirl mumbled into the communicator. "You told me she was messed up and hurting. You never said she was this bad though."
I was under the impression that the most intelligent member of the Titans would realize that she was traumatized and find a way to fix herself. I had no way of knowing she would become this bad.
"…do you think you can snap her out of it?" The red head asked hopefully.
Maybe. I have one thing I can try.
"Really? Is it anything I can help with?"
No, it's not. It wouldn't be safe for you to be with me when I try it.
"When are you going to do it?"
Since she's getting this despondent, tomorrow. Now, turn in for the night. You have school in the-
The hairs on the back of Batgirl's neck stood up on end as an unearthly howl filled the air. A howl that spoke of bloodlust, madness, and despair. She looked around fearfully, pulling out a trio of batarangs.
"Batman, there's something out there!" She whispered frantically into the communicator as she looked around. She couldn't tell where the howl had come from, but it had to be within a few blocks.
Go home, NOW.
"But-"
No buts. Go HOME.
"But-"
That's not something you can handle. It's not something I want to handle. If you go anywhere near it…it may very well kill you.
The young heroine gulped. "What is it?"
Batman was quiet for what felt like forever before he spoke in a low tone. Broken, just like the girl below you. Now go straight home. Stop for nothing.
He inhaled deeply, his powerful olfactory senses pulling in the various scents of the area. Two-leggers, felines, canines, vermins, birds…and something else.
Something…familiar.
With a low growl, the Beast leaped across the building tops. This familiar scent brought to mind flashes of memory, flashes of warmth, flashes of words he didn't understand. It made him confused and in turn, angry.
Coming to the edge of another roof, he leapt out, his powerful legs propelling him across the five lane roadway the two-leggers use in their metal horses. Two leggers were a pitiful prey. They were small and weak and they stank of fear when he stalked them. They came with flat metal that sliced his flesh, metal rods that spat more metal, and even metal that spewed forth the-heat-that-sears-flesh. The Beast loathed these creatures, desired to return to the forest where he belonged, to hunt true prey and feast after bringing it down with his own claws.
But there was something here, something that demanded to be hunt down.
A two-legger that smelt of terror and a two-legger that smelt of madness.
His need to hunt them, to kill them, to devour them, outweighed all other needs. They had taken his mate from him, his cub as well.
They needed to die.
Perhaps then his mate could forgive him for failing to protect them.
As he landed, the Beast rolled forward and bound once more to the edge of the stone structure he landed on. The scent was stronger here. The flashes came more frequently, so much so that it dizzied him. This filled him with rage. He had no time for this, he needed to return to his hunt. He needed to appease his mate.
But…he could not remember his mate's scent. He could not remember her face. He could not remember her calls.
When was the last time he had seen his mate?
The Beast hesitated. WHERE is his mate?
The wind shifted, flooding his nostrils with that strange scent once more. It brought a low, grumbling growl from his chest. A growl reserved only as a call for his mate, for when he desired her. Or she, him. Perhaps she was nearby?
He followed the scent down the metal tree that climbed the stone building to where the scent was strongest. It led to a small cave, which was protected by a strange and clear stone that blocked his touch. Curious, he peered into the cave and discovered two two-legger females at rest. He snorted. Two-leggers were so defenseless in their rest. He could easily take them as prey.
But…something about the closest one was odd. Something was…familiar. He couldn't place it. It was her scent and it was driving him mad.
He needed to get away from this two legger.
Growling to himself once more, the Beast climbed back up to the top and sat upon the edge. He watched two-leggers scurry back and forth, their lives frantic and pointless. They had no claws, no fangs, in which to defend themselves. Their only purpose was to be prey for what he preyed upon. He was a hunter who hunted other predators.
And the two he sought had hid in their dens for far too long.
It was some hours later and many, many paw lengths away that he came upon something else that was familiar. The pale bear in the box had shown him a view of the building before. It had been many sunsets since this had happened, but he remembered the excitement on the pale bears face. He did not understand what the pale bear had said, but he had very much understood the view of a two-legger with a strange, fibery head. The Terror two-legger. Perhaps the bear had been trying to tell him the Terror was in this building?
He paced the top of the roof he was on, the claws on his four paws leaving deep gouges in the stone as he strode back and forth. The more he stared at the building, the more he knew his prey was in there. There were two-leggers perched in many places about the building. Many were there for ambushing prey. The Beast snorted.
No two-legger could hope to ambush him and live.
He dashed to the other end of the building he was on and took a galloping start. With only a miniscule grunt, he propelled himself up into the air, leaping high above his preys' den.
Soundlessly, he dropped upon a pair of two-leggers.
How pitiful. His weigh snapped their necks instantly.
After that, it was only a matter of time before he stalked and killed the rest of the two leggers.
One by one, they fell to his claws, his teeth, his might.
Once he had cleared the outside of the den of the Terror's packmates, he clawed his way back to the roof. He sniffed around, seeking flowing air. This would allow him to find entry into this stone den.
Hm? What is this? More clear stone?
The Beast peered down into this stone. There were many cracks and holes in it, meaning the two-leggers did not take care of their den. A worthless prey indeed.
Down below him, he could see many two-leggers scurrying about. Their fear filled his nostrils and he couldn't help but drooling. Their terror invigorated him, fueled his need for their blood. They were the packmates of the Terror and that meant they too needed to die.
And then the Terror appeared.
He stood surrounded by the others, their metal rods pointed in every direction.
Every direction but his.
With a snarl, the Beast leapt upon the clear stone, knowing it would break beneath his weight and allow him to hunt. The stone exploded below him, showering the two-leggers in shards that sent several of them reeling. The Beast paid them no heed.
All he saw was the Terror.
And all the Terror saw was him.
"Did you hear what happened last night?"
"Yeah, the news said Killer Croc is still rampaging around and killed the Scarecrow!"
"Woooah, seriously? Why would Batman let that happen?"
"Pft, that's obvious! The more crooks Croc kills means less work for him!"
"Ha! I hear ya on that!"
Raven, standing in the lunch line behind Janette, couldn't help but overhear this conversation. She wished she could smile at the thought of Scarecrow's death, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Too many had died at the hands of Croc lately. Granted, they were all criminals, but still…
She had seen one death too many at this point.
"Hey, get some carrots!" Janette barked at her. 'Rachel' rolled her eyes and grabbed the tongs. Scooping up a trio of the smallest carrots she could find, she turned back to her friend.
"Happy?" She deadpanned.
Janette smirked. "For now, yeah."
Raven rolled her eyes and followed her friend through the rest of the line. Janette made her get pizza and corn as well as a piece of cornbread. She wasn't particularly fond of the southern bread, but she'd eat it anyways. How could bread be so…gritty?
"Come on Rae, quit dragging yer ass!"
The former empath couldn't stop herself from flinching. No matter how many times she had asked Janette to stop calling her that, the girl continued. Each time she did so, she reminded Raven of Gar.
With a sigh, she followed her friend once more to their table. Most of the other students avoided them entirely, though that was because Janette was the local 'bad girl'. Still, being friends with Janette had its perks. People tended to leave her alone when Janette was around.
Of course, there was also the rumor going around that they were lesbian lovers.
That particular rumor she could do without.
"Eat!" Janette ordered as they sat down next to one another. "Or I'll cram it down your throat."
"Yes Mom." Raven huffed. She didn't see the small smile grace her friends face as she started munching on carrots.
Janette watched her friend as they ate. Even though 'Rachel' was as emotionally present as a black hole, she still retained traces of her former personality. Her sarcasm and sass peeked through if Janette pushed hard enough, just like her musical preferences still calmed her down. Still, Janette was wonder how long she'd have to-
"Holy shit, is that Batman and Superman?" Someone whispered loudly. Janette jerked her head towards the door and found that it was indeed the legendary hero's. She wasn't positive what they were here for, so she didn't greet them.
They made a beeline straight for her and 'Rachel' regardless.
This can't be good. Janette thought grimly as she eyeballed the two approaching hero's. Without hesitation, they sat at the table with the girls, earning the teens several thousand wide eyed and open mouthed looks.
"I'm sure you know why we're here." Batman said casually.
'Rachel' shrugged. "Probably to see how I'm doing, although you could just ask Batgirl. You've had her spying on me this whole time."
Janette gawked at her friend. She had known? Damn, she was still as perceptive as she used to be.
"Not quite." Batman under his cloak and pulled forth a vanilla envelope. Opening it, he poured out the contents. Janette leaned in for a better look before she blanched.
It was dozens of pictures of slaughter men. They had been ripped apart in horrific fashions, their blood staining every inch of the surrounding area.
"Lovely." 'Rachel' deadpanned. "Are you producing the next Saw movie?"
Superman frowned. "Miss…Rachel. These are victims of your boyfriend."
'Rachel's' response was instantaneous. "We haven't been together for three months. I told him to move on. There's nothing left of me for him."
"Is that so?" Batman said in a tone that made Janette shiver.
"Yes."
Batman proceeded to start separating pictures with his index finger, speaking slowly as he did so. "Well, if that's the case, then let me tell you what's going on. There's this monster running around killing people. Said monster is a former acquaintance of yours, a close one. I'm sure you know his name."
'Rachel' did nothing but stare at the older hero.
"Now, this monster has been killing quite a few people over the past few months. He's been through multiple cities, ripping people apart-"
"I hardly consider criminals to be people." 'Rachel' interrupted.
"They are still people regardless of their bad decisions. Now, as I was saying…this monster has been terrorizing the underworld for months. As a monster, it's quite terrible. Large, fangs, claws, hairy, the usual monster works. We believe this monster is-"
"Stop calling him a monster." 'Rachel' said coldly. Janette glanced at her friend to find the girl gripping the table tightly. Her knuckles where even paler than usual.
Batman's face darkened. "Monster. It's what he is now. He's been running around killing criminals savagely. Last night, this monster killed the Scarecrow and all of his crew. So-"
"Stop. Calling. Him. A. Monster." These words came from 'Rachel's' mouth in a growl that Janette hadn't heard in what felt like forever. She knew what Batman was doing and hoped he was ready for the consequences. Around them, there was a strange sound as the walls began to crack and tables began to tremble of their own accord.
The Dark Knight leaned towards the girl. "Monster."
"Call him a monster one more time and see what happens."
"Nothing's going to happen." Batman snorted. "You're powerless to help the monster."
In that instant, the pendant around her neck exploded as Raven snapped.
All the lights and glass in the building exploded outward as the walls split. Table crumbled, doors shattered, and the floor cracked open like a gaping maw. Shadows, darker than the blackest night, burst from the girl and enveloped the room. Her eyes split into four crimson shards of the utmost hate and rage as the darkness swept Batman up and shook him like a ragdoll. Screams filled the air as the students present panicked. Superman disappeared, most likely to assist anyone in danger.
Reality itself seemed to shake as Raven screamed at him. "If you ever speak about my mate in such a way again, you will pray for Hell to save you from me! I don't give a damn who you think you are, you will NOT speak of him like that!"
Batman, quiet disoriented, kept pushing his luck. "Why so serious Raven?"
"YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHY! THAT'S MY MATE AND NO ONE, NOT YOU, NOT SUPERMAN, NOT EVEN GOD, WILL DISRESPECT MY MATE LIKE THAT!" The half demon bellowed.
"You sound awfully angry about all this." Batman said this casually, as if he hadn't heard the threat to his life.
"Of course I'm angry, you vermin-themed psychopath! Gar is the sweetest, most understanding, caring person I have ever met in my life! That's why he's my mate! He loves me and I, him!" Raven snarled this at him. When Batman didn't respond and only continued staring at her, she grew angrier. "If I have to MAKE you apologize to my love for…"
The 'former' empath trailed off, her quadruple eyes widening as her own words registered in her mind. She slowly looked about the devastation of the room, seeing the students cowering from her in fear. She looked down at her own hands, swathed in her dark magic once more. A nearby piece of unblemished metal from the table reflected her four demonic eyes back at her.
Her powers were back.
And more importantly, so were her emotions.
Unable to speak, she sank to the floor as her shadows receded into nothingness. She dropped to her knees and covered her face with her hands.
Janette, who had sat absolutely still during Raven's moment of berserk fury, glanced at her friend. The half demoness was weeping, her four eyes trailing blood-like tears down her face. Batman climbed to his feet from where he had been dropped and approached the girl. He too knelt down.
"Raven." He said gently. "You broke your promise to him. You pushed him away so hard that he blames himself for everything. His grief and self-loathing drove him mad. You have to find him. He's here in Gotham."
Raven nodded, not bothering to ask how he knew about that promise. She mentally reached out to look for something she had missed terribly.
RAVEN! Many voices, all similar, called out.
More tears streamed down her face as she called back to them. There you are. I thought I lost you forever.
We were always here! Happy shouted.
You were just too hung up on Grief to hear us. Rude snapped.
Raven was mildly confused. Grief?
Y-y-yeah. She's over there. Timid was obviously pointing somewhere that Raven couldn't see since she wasn't in Nevermore.
She can't see that, you dumbass! Rude snapped once more.
Enough arguing! We gotta go find Garfield! Brave shouted. He's been kickin' all kinds of ass without me!
We need to find him for more than that, Brave. Knowledge sighed. We have to fix this. We have to apologize to him.
Where's Love? Raven asked.
Here. A weak voice called out.
You just about killed all of us. Pride said sourly. Do you have ANY idea how hard it is to get through to you with Grief being the ONLY emotion you recognize? It took BATMAN pissing me off to get enough power to get through to you.
I'm sorry. I ran away from all of you the moment…
The moment we woke and realized the baby was gone. Pride finished for her. Grief filled Raven once more, but her other emotions immediately pounced on the rogue emotion. The empath heard a brief scuffle and a yelp before the sound of chains filled her mind. There was a click, which told Raven that they had bound the silent Grief in the same chains that were once used to contain Rage/Pride.
I've had enough of her bullshit for a while. We'll deal with her later. Pride growled.
Raven couldn't help but smirking. Having her demon side stopping her from grieving was as amusing as it was distressing. But she wouldn't stop Pride.
She inhaled deeply and exhaled in a way that she hadn't in months.
"Azarath…Metrion…Zinthos."
She instantly calmed down, her emotions quietening. Raven used her renewed magical senses to take stock of her body. She was physically weak from entropy and malnourishment. She hadn't exercised once since the incident and hadn't eaten much in weeks.
But she had enough energy to hunt for her beloved.
The empath staggered to her feet as her eyes returned to normal. She once again looked around the room. The students, slightly less fearful of her, gawked in awe. Strangely enough, it was Marcus, several tables over, who spoke up.
"Who are you?" He asked. Several people echoed his question.
She turned and looked at him. With a slight smirk, she answered him.
"My name is Raven. I am a Teen Titan. And that Titan you said was a monster is the love of my life."
She turned away from the horrified boy and faced Batman, who was standing before her. She didn't hesitate to slap him, which made many people present gasp.
"That was for being an asshole." Raven huffed before hugging him. "This is for not giving up on me. Thank you. I see where Robin gets it from."
"I couldn't let Robin lose the people most precious to him again." Batman said quietly as he pat the girl on the head. Nodding, Raven released him and turned to Janette.
"Look…I'm sorry I didn't tell you-"
"Pft." Janette waved. "I already knew."
Raven stared at her before smiling ruefully. "I knew you were one of Batman's spies."
Janette stuck her tongue out. "You don't know the half of it. Now, go find BB."
Her brow furrowed in confusion, Raven nodded at the other girl. Only the other Titans called her lover BB. Who was this girl?
Weird girl later, mate NOW! Pride snapped.
Shadows swirled up around Raven and she disappeared.
"Missions over now." Batman said aloud, to no one. Janette heard an exasperated huff come from a red headed girl several tables away and snickered. The Dark Knight turned to her.
"Are you returning?"
Janette shook her head. "No, I think I'll stay-"
"I told you guys there was something fuckin' creepy about her! Didn't I?! She was that creepy demon Titan this whole time!" Marcus practically shouted as he shook one of his buddies' shoulders in excitement.
"Hold that thought." Janette told Batman before turning towards the boy she had grown to dislike immensely. "Oi! Didn't I tell you to shut your damned mouth?"
"Screw you!" Marcus spat. "You're just as creepy as that damned demon!"
Janette gave the boy a dark smile. "You know what? I think I've had enough of your damned mouth."
Marcus scoffed. "What are you gonna-AAARRRGGGGHHH!"
The boy screamed as a pink blast of something struck him in the chest and launched him into a wall. He hit it hard and sank to the ground gasping. Looking up, he found his friends hauling ass away as Janette approached him. She bobbed her head back and forth as she sauntered his way, her eyes glowing pink.
"What the fuck are you?" He gulped.
Janette snatched the necklace away from herself and threw it to the side. The change was instantaneous as Marcus found himself staring at a silvery-grey skinned girl with pink hair. Her catlike and pink eyes glared daggers at him as she lifted a hand to her hair and spoke several words he couldn't begin to enunciate. Within seconds, her hair lifted itself up into a horns and two black bands appeared to wrap around them to keep them in place.
Jinx stared at the prone boy, an evil smile on her face.
He screeched in horror as she grabbed his temples with her hands and spoke several words of arcane power. Her pink magic washed over him before he could scramble away from her.
"What did you do to me?!" He shrieked.
Jinx's smile turned Cheshire-like. "I cast a spell on you that makes it to where your dick shrinks every time you bad mouth anyone."
He stared at her in horror as she sauntered away towards Batman. The Dark Knight quirked an eyebrow at her and spoke quietly.
"There's no spell like that."
Jinx shrugged. "He doesn't know that. Now come on, we need to follow Raven."
"I'm totally telling the others a kid slapped you." Superman snickered as they all stepped out of the cafeteria.
"Do that and I'll show them the video of you dancing in your underwear in the Fortress of Solitude." Batman deadpanned.
Superman's jaw dropped. "H-how-"
"I'm Batman." The Dark Knight smirked. "And I never knew you liked to Get Low with applebottom jeans."
*CUE FINAL FANTASY SEVEN VICTORY MUSIC*