Raven was walking down the hall, on her way to the common room to see Robin when Beast Boy ran past her. She sensed his turmoil and distress and turned to follow him.
"Gar! What's wrong?" She shouted at him.
He did not acknowledge her and disappeared into an elevator, which ascended. She watched the floor indicator lights above the elevator door sequence until the one labeled "Roof" lit up. Her first instinct was to follow him to the roof, but she reconsidered when she then sensed more turmoil and confusion emanate from the nearby common room. Turning around, she began to fly and zoomed towards the double doors at the end of the hallway and phased through them, entering the common room, where she saw Robin looking utterly dismayed while Rachel, still dressed in her skintight civvies, had a blank look on her face.
"What happened to Garfield!?" She thundered as she landed, turning her attention to her clone. "What in Azar's name did you do to him? He looked like he was about to cry, he looked ..."
Raven stopped mid sentence, as she put the pieces of the puzzle together. Her normally blank poker face was replaced by one of utter astonishment.
"You broke up with him! Why? I handed him to you on a silver platter!"
Rachel balled her fists and her jaw trembled slightly.
"I don't want your charity, Raven."
"Oh, so just because I stepped aside because I had to do so, he's suddenly not good enough for you anymore!?"
Robin gulped while tugged at his shirt collar. While the voyeur in him didn't wish to miss this showdown, he would have rather observed it from a distance, from a safe distance.
"If he loves you more than me, then yeah, he isn't good enough for me."
Raven's face changed and her four crimson red eyes appeared.
"You stuck up, obstinate, pig headed prima donna! He loves you and you know it! That's more than most people are ever lucky enough to experience."
"I'm not sharing him with you, Raven. If he won't be just mine, then I don't want him!"
Raven face palmed. "You. Are. An. Idiot!"
Rachel crossed her arms.
"No, I'm not. You are. You don't get it, Raven. I'm a clone, your clone. I have nothing that's mine. I got everything from you: your eyes, your nose, your hips, your intellect, even your memories. There's nothing unique about me … at least I thought that until Gar and I became a couple. I was finally different from you, or so I thought, until I learned the truth."
"What truth?" Robin asked meekly.
Rachel turned to the Teen Blunder. "That he would rather be with Raven, even with all her flaws, he loves her more than me."
She began to sob. "Can't you see? I'm the consolation prize, the backup, I'm plan B … I'm the clone."
Raven grabbed her wrist and began to drag her towards the door. "Don't be ridiculous … now let's go find Gar and straighten things out before it's too late."
Rachel yanked her hand free from Raven's grasp. "No! Haven't you heard a word I said?"
Raven frowned at her "sister". Robin decided to step in.
"Raven … I think she has a point."
"So now you're taking her side?"
"I'm not taking anyone's side. Raven, I know that I would feel the same way about Starfire if she loved someone more than me."
Raven gave her leader, the circus brat also known as Dick Grayson, a look of disgust. "Oh, so now you're giving me romantic advice?"
"No, not me, but I think Rachel is. Aren't you Rachel?"
The clone crossed her arms and with her eyes closed she nodded.
"Oh Azar, give me a break." Raven muttered under breath.
Rachel raised her head and opened her eyes. "You and Gar can make it work, Raven, I know it."
Raven sighed. "You aren't going to budge, are you?"
Rachel's stance became defiant.
"I won't, and I just told Robin that I'm ready to leave for San Antonio tonight."
Raven frowned. "You're so damn stubborn!"
"And whose fault is that? Guess who I inherited that from?"
Raven groaned. "You say you want to be different from me? Then be different. Take him with you to San Antonio. Go live happily ever after with him."
"No, you just don't get it. How can I be with him, make love with him, marry him when I know you're his true love?"
Raven shouted, betraying her exasperation. "I can't do any of those things with him! Don't you get it!?"
"I think you can. Anyway, this isn't up for discussion. He's yours, Raven. If you want to throw him away, that's your choice. Either way, I'm leaving. I can go to San Antonio if Robin and Bumblebee accept me as the new leader of Titans South, and if they don't then I'll just … leave."
Robin placed a hand on Rachel's shoulder. "The job is yours. You're a member of our family. Once a Titans, always a Titan."
Raven crossed her arms. "I suppose there's no stopping you, my impulsive sister. But before you leave, you need to design your own costume, unless you decide to become Skintight Blue Jeans girl, because the cape and leotard are mine. I'm the one and only Raven."
Rachel paused, considering Raven's words. "I think you're right. And I suppose I need my own hero name, too."
"Gar suggested you call yourself Raptor."
"Raptor? That sounds … aggressive."
"Well, you are going to be kicking drug cartel butt, so aggressive sounds right to me."
"Now that I think of it, Raptor does sound kind of cool. I could even wear a mask."
Raven smirked. "You're gray, have violet hair and a chakra stone on your forehead. You don't have a secret identity. Why would you wear a mask?"
Rachel turned to Robin and smiled. "A mask would make me feel cool."
Raven shook her head dismissively. "I suppose that's hard to argue against. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd better go check on Gar."
Raven phased into the floor and vanished. Robin placed a hand on Rachel's shoulder.
"Do you really think they can work it out?"
Rachel turned and looked out the large panoramic windows in the common room, with wistful expression on her face.
"It won't be easy; she's going to struggle with her emotions, especially the more powerful ones like passion and lust. It will be a lot of baby steps; the real question is if Garfield will have the patience."
-( scene break )-
Beast Boy sat, dejected on the edge of the roof, his right leg was repeatedly kicking the side of the building with its heel. Even though it was a bright afternoon, without a cloud in the sky, it was a gloomy day in his eyes. He didn't hear the seagulls that surfed the thermals, floating above the Tower's roof. The bay was choppy and oversized waves crashed into the boulders below, splashing noisily, but he was unaware of it.
From his perch he could see the campus of Murakami School, just across the bay. It was the last place he ever saw Terra, when she told him that he didn't belong in her life anymore. She vanished at the end of that semester, two years ago. The two girls she hung out with were tight lipped about her; all they told the changeling was that she moved away.
Letting go was something the green Titan had to do many times in his life. He had to let go of being normal after the sakutia infected monkey bit him, beginning his painful transformation into the green freak know as Beast Boy.
He had to let go of his parents after they died in that accident in the river and he had to let go of the fact that he was unable to save them.
Then he had to let go of the Doom Patrol when he couldn't live up to Mento's expectations.
He let go of Terra when she died and turned into stone, and had to let her go again after she was miraculously revived and rejected him.
For a while things seemed to get better for him, that is until now. Now he had to let go of both Raven and Rachel and, he was beginning to wonder, if he would have to let go of the Teen Titans.
He was so wrapped up in his depressing thoughts that he almost didn't notice the gray girl in the leotard and cape who sat down next to him. He turned to her and with no expression on his face, he spoke.
"I guess you heard the news. Not too many guys get dumped twice in the same day."
"What happened? Why did she break up with you?"
"Didn't she tell you?"
"She did, but I want to hear your story."
He dropped his head. "She wanted me to tell her that I love her more than I love you."
"I see … I thought we agreed that she wasn't supposed to know the truth."
"I couldn't lie to her, Raven."
"You should have … in the long run you would have learned to love her more than me. It would have worked out. You would have been happy together."
He shook his head. "You're wrong, Rave. I'll never love her more than I love you."
"Gar, you know that I'm an emotional cripple. I can't give you what you need, but she can."
"Raven, do you love me?"
She tensed up before answering. "You already know the answer to that question."
"And I'd like to hear it."
She paused. "You know that I love you. Why do you have to ask?"
"Because it makes me happy to hear you say it."
She shrunk away from him. "I can't promise you anything, Gar. You k now that."
"Can you promise to always love me?"
She nodded. "Yes, I can promise that, but beyond that, it's going to be slow, Gar, real slow."
He smiled. "I can live with that."
"You've always been an optimistic fool."
"It's what makes me so charming." He replied as he pulled her into a kiss.
At first she resisted, though she quickly gave in and reciprocated. After their brief make session she separated and opened her eyes, gasping as she saw him in quadrascopic vision.
"Gar, look at me, are you sure you want to cast your lot in with a four eyed monster?"
He pulled her back into another kiss, a very tender one.
"You aren't a monster."
"Look at me Gar, if I'm not a monster, what am I?"
He smiled. "You're my Raven."
Choking back a sob she hugged him. "I'm scared Gar. I'm afraid of what might happen. What if we make love and I turn into a monster and eat you like bugs do?"
He chuckled. "It's a risk I'll have to take."
She glared at him with all four of her red eyes. "I'm not joking, I'm being serious."
"So am I. I'm absolutely serious."
She pulled him back into a hug. "We're going to have move forward, slowly, very slowly. You understand what I'm saying? It might be years, maybe even decades before we consummate our love, if ever. Are you going to be OK with that? It's not too late to go and find a nice, normal girl who can actually marry you."
"Raven?"
"Yes?"
"You're my girlfriend now, so you can forget about getting rid of me."
Raven sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "Oh Garfield, why am I the way I am?"
He ran his fingers through her hair. "I wouldn't want it any other way."
-( scene break )-
Don't deny it, this is what you wanted. Rachel's out of the picture and the Chromatically (and emotionally) Challenged Couple™ are back together.
And now, it's mail bag time. It's 400 reviews now. I wasn't expecting this story to fly, but it did. Views aren't as high as say 2-3 years ago, but we'll see if that changes when the new show starts. I don't expect to write stories for the new show. Deep down I'm secretly hoping that when the new show begins, Cartoon Network will shout "psyche" and present us with a continuation of the old show. Yeah, I know … ain't gonna happen. I guess the new "funny" show will be better than nothing.
Oh, and I was just kidding about bring Terra back into the story, so stop worrying ;-)
Also, the line "Oh Garfield, why am I the way I am?", I shamefully stole it from the comics.
Now the mailbag:
Rosalind du Coudray
If you bring Terra into this story, you'll have much more to worry about than two pissed off Azerathians! Just kidding, I can't back that up...anywho, please please continue soon! I'm really glad BB finally made his choice! Now it's just a matter of getting Raven to see the light...
Looks like she finally did, but has no faith in herself.
nicolemda
I dont think that you should bring Terra back because it just brings in a whole other bunch of drama...unless that's what you want...
There will be no Terra
Alexpv22
This was truly an emotional chapter. Please, please, PLEEEEEEASE don't let BB and Rae both end up alone in the end. I really want to see them happy together.
Well, you might be getting your wish.
Avandra the Mary Sue Slayer
Aw, poor BB, now that he finally made up his mind... I get the feeling that Raven's gonna have a talk with her little sister! I'd rather have a BBxRae ending, but at this point... who knows what could happen next! Oh, I don't know what to think about you bringing back Terra (I almost mispelled it for Ferra, it would be fun to have her controlling iron, wouldn't it?). It would add drama, fun and awesome catfights, but I don't know if my heart could take more drama! :'( So I'll leave that up to you, I'm sure you'll do your best.
While I wasn't serious about bringing Terra into the story, a three way cat fight would be cool
Hairul The Nightrage Beast
Haha Attack Of The TT Clones, just like the good ole Nest Saga from King Of Fighters 99 with the Kyo Kusanagi Clones Conundrum.
Remember the look on BB's face when he sees Slade at the power plant? Try that times 5!
ThePersonator2000
How can you make me so happy yet so angry at the same time? It's not fair. TT_TT
Life can be like that. Though I expect you might be just happy now
Curse you Perry the Platypus
Gerrrge I'll bet you skip the mail bag
Nope
blueyzangel
Ooo this is getting better and better! I do feel bad for Beast Boy..how heartbroken he must be! Losing both the girls he loves all in one day...
Well, looks like he got one back.
MelonLord28
Unfortunately honesty isn't always easy to hear
So true
Jason9000
Honestly I think Terra would make the situation even more hard for Beast Boy to come to terms with his relationship with Raven and Rachel. He was just dumped by Rachel and now has to sort through his thoughts and feelings for Raven. If she were to come back it would just confuse him more despite his talk with Raven. I think in the back of his head Beast Boy will always have some feelings for Terra show wise. As for seeing the short no I haven't. I'll go see it now.
The name of the short is: "Mayhem at First Sight". Just search for it on youtube.
Dezarulordoftwilight
Force, why must you hurt me and my feelings? I'm mad force, why did you make beast boy so... douchey, I mean he keeps switching between girls it really annoys me that he admitted his love to raven and get dumped to then go right over to rach and get dumped. I hope he dies alone it would make me feel better knowing rach didn't have to deal with him. Also nice job chipping at the 4th wall with the raptor thing. Well that's all so keep writing even though beast boy pisses me off.
I don't think that BB is being douchy, he's been confused. Raven dumped him in front of Star and Robin, so he hooked up with Rachel. But he's finally figured out that he really loves Raven, with all her emotional warts.
punkrocka23
Great chapter Force. Almost thought Raven was out, and to be honest I was happy for her that she could let go, but Rachel simply couldn't stand being second best. I am very curious to see what each demoness will do now and how Slade will tie in. You never fail to keep me hooked.
Well, I think the final outcome should be obvious. As for Slade, stay tuned.
FelynxTiger
They're meant for each other it's just that that,... Raven need a little perspective! Godness gracious another ch that makes me cry! Damn. Claps for the honesty in this chapter, ABOUT TIME for the truth. Let's just not forget 'bout Slade 0.0
Never forget about Slade!
luvmymusic
Amazing chapter I love it! I'm glad that bb finally confessed his feelings for raven and told Rachel the truth. That was the right thing to do. And honestly raven and Rachel are very understanding. I mean raven decided to let bb go so he could be with rachel, who did the same thing for bb and raven! Awesome story I'm hooked
I think BB's had his fill with "understanding".
Anoymous136
Don't bring Terra back in. It'll be weird. Also I could see Slade's Terror Titans. Yeah. "They are the terror. They strike terror in the heart of all the good guys. " XD (see what I did there? Eh eh?)
In the comics the Terror Titans we other guy, working for Slade, but it's such a great name, that it deserves to be reused.
Vanizakkk
Beast boy is such a dick. What is wrong with him...who the hell does he think he is? He cant just be a total douche bag for months and all of a fukken sudden be like " hey i rejected you humiliated you chose your perfect clone over you but its kool thoe because im ready to admit i really love you.." What an Ass Im Glad hes gonna be alone he thought he was cool with two woman now he has none serves him right dip shit! :-(
The poor guy is just confused. He never meant to play the girls against each other.
Azarune
... gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hh! -TWITCH TWITCH- You clever... -Flails- IF I DON'T GET THAT HAPPY ENDING I WILL WRITE A VERY ANGRY LETTER TO YOUR SUPERIORS. Good day!
Stay tuned
bluedog197
HOLY FLYING WAFFLES poor beastboy rachle breaks his heart... raven after the fight gave up but ya okay cut off all ties to the two of them that makes it all better. that was awesome you should have terra come back just a little bit so we can have a showdown between three girls... EPIC CHICK CAT FIGHT! peace out
A three way cat fight would have been great
gabylokita41
Ouch! That has to hurt poor BB :( As for your question that's a hard one, bringing Terra to the equation would make things more dramatic for the little love triangle. I honestly thought Rae-Rae was going to leave, you surprised me once again. Awesome story always leaves you guessing what will happen at the end of each chapter . you're a great writer.
Thanks, I shouldn't tease you guys about Terra
shadowfreak75
Only one word for Beast Boy... REJECTED! TWICE! (wait is that two words? meh.)
That really would suck, to get dumped twice in the same day
The Cretin
Darth, my man, how goes things on the Death Star? )8D Say, you don't think that tiny vent out there can be a problem do you? I mean...its not like there's actually someone good enough to place a shot down that shaft, right?
Out of curiosity: Do you think it really possible to successfully clone Beast Boy? I ask because I remember from Alien Resurrection (not all that great) and all the "nightmarish" failed attempts to clone Ripley. Can an organism as genetically complex as BB be cloned successfully? Your thoughts in a PM? I do love these discussions with you.
Great update. Now what for Gar? Rejected by one, dumped by the other, he might as well try some new crazy and split himself in two...hey, with him ya never know. I feel bad for Raven, I feel bad for BB, and I feel bad for Rachel. YOU TRYING TO SPOIL MY GOOD MOOD!? D8( XD I really like how "honest" this chapter came off. You just got a lot of the chests of all three. Also, great job with Star. Ever was she the friend/sister to Rae in everyway but birth. Dude, I feel like Rocky and you're Apollo. You keep dancing around and stinging. You surprise me yet again. Hope to read more soon. Keep rockin.
Good question, would the sakutia virus get in the way of the cloning process? And what about Cyborg? Wouldn't his clone be 100% flesh and blood, the way he was before the accident?
Katwizzle
It would be a complete lie if i said i wasnt happy right now. YES! THEY ARENT TOGETHER ANYMORE! But then again Raven doesnt think it'll work out between them..., but still! I cant wait for the next chapter!
You have to give Rachel some credit, she stood by her principles. She's going to get a nice consolation prize though (even Raven will be jealous)
Stella de Oro
Oh, man, poor BB. At this rate, it'll end like Hamlet, and no one will get anything. Also, I vote no on Terra! I don't hate her, but this story is already so busy, I feel like if you throw her in, it'll feel like you're just throwing in the kitchen sink because why not have more drama for the sake of drama? Unless you already have an important purpose for her, then I think it'd be too much (but you're very good at making things work that I would not have expected, so surprise me?). Love the story... keep it up!
No Terra this time. But if there is a sequel … who knows?