Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. So stop asking me for them.
* * *
A knock at the door pulled Raven from her meditation.
"Friend Raven, it is I! I have the plan," called Starfire.
Raven opened the door and stepped into the hallway.
"Let's hear it," she said.
"Gladly!" Starfire produced a piece of paper covered in pencil marks, which turned out to be a neatly drawn map of Titan Tower. "We shall divide and conquer," explained Starfire, "and we shall be victorious! I shall lure Robin into the common room, here" – she indicated on the map – "and keep him occupied."
Raven raised an eyebrow.
"Occupied?"
"Meanwhile," continued Starfire, "you will concern yourself with their leader: Beast Boy. You two will be alone. And you w ill convince him."
"Starfire, I don't think –"
"We cannot fail," insisted the alien.
"Do you believe Beast Boy will listen to me?"
"He must, for he will have no distractions. Oh! I had almost forgotten –"
She fell silent as Cyborg rounded the corner.
"Hello, ladies," he said.
"Thanks for coming," said Raven.
Starfire was silent. Raven turned to her.
"Cyborg's on our side," she explained.
Starfire clapped her hands.
"Glorious! Our victory is assured."
"I'm glad you have such confidence in me," said Cyborg. "I'm just here to report. I've only got a few minutes – B.B. thinks I'm in the bathroom." He paused. "I'm worried about him. He's pacing around his room, coming up with this plan. Robin and I tried to calm him down – that's another thing: I think Robin's with us. At least, he wasn't as enthusiastic as Beast Boy."
"Four against one," said Raven. "Good odds."
"Listen," continued Cyborg. "I don't know how B.B.'s gonna take this. I mean, he's more committed to this than I've ever seen him." He smiled ruefully. "Even at videogames."
"It needs to be done," said Raven simply. "It's settled: we'll use superior numbers. Starfire and I will be in the common room in ten minutes," she advised Cyborg. "All you need to do is get Beast Boy and Robin there."
"Leave it to me," said Cyborg. He walked back to Beast Boy's room.
* * *
Raven and Starfire were sitting in the common room. The alien had her hands between her knees and a look of determination on her face, but Raven could tell she was worried about the upcoming scene.
Despite her impassive look, Raven was certain she was more nervous than Starfire. Was this such a good idea? Cyborg had seemed concerned. Raven breathed deeply, trying to regain her confidence. Beast Boy deserves it, she thought. After all, he was the one who kept –
Beast Boy's voice interrupted her thoughts:
"Why are we going this way?"
"I'm gonna run an analysis on your plan," explained Cyborg smoothly.
"Oh," said Beast Boy. "That's a good idea, I guess."
Beast Boy, Cyborg and Robin entered the common room. Beast Boy stopped dead.
"What're they doing here?" he asked, indicating the two girls.
Cyborg put his arm around Beast Boy.
"Have a seat," he said.
Beast Boy looked up at him.
"Is this a joke? What's going on?" He narrowed his eyes. "Alright. I'll play along." He walked slowly over and sat on the couch. Cyborg stood behind the couch and rested his hands on Beast Boy's shoulders as if to keep him in the seat. Robin seated himself in a nearby chair to watch the scene unfold.
Raven cleared her throat quietly. She stood.
"Beast Boy, we need to talk," she said.
"You changed your mind?" asked the changeling hopefully.
Raven ignored him.
"It does not matter what I want," she said. "That is what you need to understand. I am doing what's best for the team. My powers –"
"Best for the team?" interrupted Beast Boy. "Not according to Robin!" He blinked back a tear and twisted his neck wildly, searching for the Boy Wonder. "Tell her, Robin," he said when he found him.
Robin sat in silence, his mouth slightly open.
"Robin, back me up here," pleaded Beast Boy. He jumped to his feet. Cyborg, surprised, let him stand. "Say what you said!" shouted Beast Boy.
"Beast Boy, I –" began Robin meekly.
"Say it! Tell them!"
"I was wrong, Beast Boy."
Beast Boy stood transfixed, his eyes wide. He could not stop another tear, which rolled down his cheek.
"Traitor," he said quietly. All at once, he wheeled on Cyborg. "And you?" he cried, near hysterics. "You're on my side. Tell them."
"Calm down, man," tried Cyborg.
"No!"
"You gotta listen to Raven."
"Yes, friend Beast Boy," began Starfire.
"Shut up!" howled the changeling. "Shut up, all of you! You're all against me! I should have known!" He tore from the room.
The four Titans stood in silence.
"I tried to warn you," said Cyborg quietly. He left for his room.
Starfire left next, trying in vain to hold back a sob.
"Raven –" began Robin.
"I need to finish this on my own," interrupted the half-daemon.
Robin nodded numbly. Raven strode out.
Alone in the common room, Robin lay on the couch. He was alone with the truth he didn't want to face:
The Teen Titans were tearing apart.
* * *
A knock at the door pulled Raven from her meditation.
"Friend Raven, it is I! I have the plan," called Starfire.
Raven opened the door and stepped into the hallway.
"Let's hear it," she said.
"Gladly!" Starfire produced a piece of paper covered in pencil marks, which turned out to be a neatly drawn map of Titan Tower. "We shall divide and conquer," explained Starfire, "and we shall be victorious! I shall lure Robin into the common room, here" – she indicated on the map – "and keep him occupied."
Raven raised an eyebrow.
"Occupied?"
"Meanwhile," continued Starfire, "you will concern yourself with their leader: Beast Boy. You two will be alone. And you w ill convince him."
"Starfire, I don't think –"
"We cannot fail," insisted the alien.
"Do you believe Beast Boy will listen to me?"
"He must, for he will have no distractions. Oh! I had almost forgotten –"
She fell silent as Cyborg rounded the corner.
"Hello, ladies," he said.
"Thanks for coming," said Raven.
Starfire was silent. Raven turned to her.
"Cyborg's on our side," she explained.
Starfire clapped her hands.
"Glorious! Our victory is assured."
"I'm glad you have such confidence in me," said Cyborg. "I'm just here to report. I've only got a few minutes – B.B. thinks I'm in the bathroom." He paused. "I'm worried about him. He's pacing around his room, coming up with this plan. Robin and I tried to calm him down – that's another thing: I think Robin's with us. At least, he wasn't as enthusiastic as Beast Boy."
"Four against one," said Raven. "Good odds."
"Listen," continued Cyborg. "I don't know how B.B.'s gonna take this. I mean, he's more committed to this than I've ever seen him." He smiled ruefully. "Even at videogames."
"It needs to be done," said Raven simply. "It's settled: we'll use superior numbers. Starfire and I will be in the common room in ten minutes," she advised Cyborg. "All you need to do is get Beast Boy and Robin there."
"Leave it to me," said Cyborg. He walked back to Beast Boy's room.
* * *
Raven and Starfire were sitting in the common room. The alien had her hands between her knees and a look of determination on her face, but Raven could tell she was worried about the upcoming scene.
Despite her impassive look, Raven was certain she was more nervous than Starfire. Was this such a good idea? Cyborg had seemed concerned. Raven breathed deeply, trying to regain her confidence. Beast Boy deserves it, she thought. After all, he was the one who kept –
Beast Boy's voice interrupted her thoughts:
"Why are we going this way?"
"I'm gonna run an analysis on your plan," explained Cyborg smoothly.
"Oh," said Beast Boy. "That's a good idea, I guess."
Beast Boy, Cyborg and Robin entered the common room. Beast Boy stopped dead.
"What're they doing here?" he asked, indicating the two girls.
Cyborg put his arm around Beast Boy.
"Have a seat," he said.
Beast Boy looked up at him.
"Is this a joke? What's going on?" He narrowed his eyes. "Alright. I'll play along." He walked slowly over and sat on the couch. Cyborg stood behind the couch and rested his hands on Beast Boy's shoulders as if to keep him in the seat. Robin seated himself in a nearby chair to watch the scene unfold.
Raven cleared her throat quietly. She stood.
"Beast Boy, we need to talk," she said.
"You changed your mind?" asked the changeling hopefully.
Raven ignored him.
"It does not matter what I want," she said. "That is what you need to understand. I am doing what's best for the team. My powers –"
"Best for the team?" interrupted Beast Boy. "Not according to Robin!" He blinked back a tear and twisted his neck wildly, searching for the Boy Wonder. "Tell her, Robin," he said when he found him.
Robin sat in silence, his mouth slightly open.
"Robin, back me up here," pleaded Beast Boy. He jumped to his feet. Cyborg, surprised, let him stand. "Say what you said!" shouted Beast Boy.
"Beast Boy, I –" began Robin meekly.
"Say it! Tell them!"
"I was wrong, Beast Boy."
Beast Boy stood transfixed, his eyes wide. He could not stop another tear, which rolled down his cheek.
"Traitor," he said quietly. All at once, he wheeled on Cyborg. "And you?" he cried, near hysterics. "You're on my side. Tell them."
"Calm down, man," tried Cyborg.
"No!"
"You gotta listen to Raven."
"Yes, friend Beast Boy," began Starfire.
"Shut up!" howled the changeling. "Shut up, all of you! You're all against me! I should have known!" He tore from the room.
The four Titans stood in silence.
"I tried to warn you," said Cyborg quietly. He left for his room.
Starfire left next, trying in vain to hold back a sob.
"Raven –" began Robin.
"I need to finish this on my own," interrupted the half-daemon.
Robin nodded numbly. Raven strode out.
Alone in the common room, Robin lay on the couch. He was alone with the truth he didn't want to face:
The Teen Titans were tearing apart.