Beast Boy wandered down the hall, finally feeling safe enough to slow
down. He had long past ran by his own room, and had now doubled back to get
to it. He was regretting what he had done, for sure; he was surprised he
was living right now. But he was also deep in thought.
"What was that?" he asked to himself, recalling the images in his mind. The phantom-like memories crept into his head. "She didn't resist Slade." He reminded himself, shaking his head.
He pushed open his door, groping along the wall until he found his light switch. Pushing it up, he entered his cluttered room, closing the door behind him. His room was a mess, but he really didn't notice. Dirty outfits littered his corners along with other useless junk.
Running his fingers through his troubled green hair, turning to find what he could possibly do. It was still the middle of the day and if Beast Boy didn't do anything then he wouldn't have an excuse, and would be forced to apologize to Raven. He loved Raven's company, but right now she was a little... well... she wasn't too happy with him.
Suddenly Beast Boy froze. Sitting in the middle of his room in her usual cross-legged position was Raven. Instead of her usual attire she was wearing black robes. Her face had a hollow, sunken look to them and her eyes were filled with some look of pain. Her lips were pursed and thin, and he could tell that behind them her teeth were tightly clenched.
"Hello Raven." Beast Boy said, laughing nervously and wringing his hands. "Look," he said, grinding his own teeth nervously," I didn't mean to go in to your room. But.... Well, I'm worried about you. You're hiding away from me, err, I mean all of us. Sure, you could have hid out the first day, I don't blame you, but sooner or later you'll have to face the music."
Raven raised her eyebrow, and standing up slowly. She suddenly smiled, an expression that didn't seem to fit her face. It made her look like she was experiencing some bitter agony.
"You think I'm her?" Raven asked, emphasizing the last word with her hollow voice. "Did you hear that Pity? He thinks that I'm-"
"I heard, I heard." Another Raven stepped out from his closet, interrupting the first. She was dressed in faded robes the color of a new- bloomed cornflower. She had large eyes, which seemed to be smiling. "The poor dear must be so confused." She continued in her regretful voice.
Beast Boy almost winced visibly. It was rather disturbing to hear Raven saying the word 'dear.' But it was far more disturbing to find two Ravens in his room. Or, for that matter, to have any Ravens in his room.
"Wait, what did you call her?" he asked the ebony-cloaked Raven. She showed no indication she had heard him, now the other Raven with intense dislike. Her sunken eyes were constantly twitching, and her breath rattled like every one was her dying hiss.
"Pity, what else would you call her?" the Raven said finally, taking in her usual shaky breath. She turned back to Beast Boy, angling her head slightly down as she looked at him closer. "You are a room mate of Raven's aren't you? You must bring us to her... now!"
Beast Boy suddenly caught on. He recalled Nevermore, the strange land in Raven's mind filled with her emotions, who were all separate people who had their own section of Raven's mind. These two reminded him of the few that he had met. Apparently Pity was Raven's emotion. 'Must keep her locked away well.' Beast Boy thought to himself.
"Errm, yah." Beast Boy said, smiling weakly under the intent gaze of the shadow don Raven. "Right down the hall to your right. The last door down." he said, pointing at his door. This seemed to satisfy the Raven, and she quickly headed out the door, muttering to herself violently.
"What's her problem?" Beast Boy asked Pity, turning to her. She was still standing on the threshold of his closet, her head cocked slightly as if in thought. Her hands were clasped together, fingers folded in a submissive position.
"Poor thing," Pity began, her face looking rather sadly after the Raven," That's Pain. As if it isn't bad enough to just be her Raven keeps on hiding her away. The real one, mind you. She happens to think that pain brings weakness."
"Sounds like Raven al right." Beast Boy said, hesitantly following Pain. Pity hung back for a moment, and then caught up with him. They could both see Pain ahead, her pace quick and desperate. She stopped momentarily, flinging open Raven's door. A multitude of voices greeted her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"I'm telling you, even I have no idea how we got here." Intelligence growled, pushing her glasses further up on her nose. Her bright tangerine cloak was clashing with Raven's dark bed as she sat cross legged. A few books were piled about her, and a few were open on her lap. "We suspect the Praeteritum Memoria Arca, but I can't tell. By the way, these books have no educational value. I suggest-"
Raven rolled her eyes, ignoring the rest. She had enough on her plate without the added discussions of educational books. The rest of the Raven's around her rolled their eyes also. There were three of them, Sarcasm, Happy, and Intelligence, maybe more elsewhere, but none of them were supposed to be here.
A muffled sound was coming from outside the door. Raven stood, afraid it was one of her teammates. Twice Starfire had tried to pester her with food those past three days, and Raven didn't want anyone to think there was something wrong with her. She had done enough already.
Raven reached outside with her mind, invisible tendrils of though groping for whoever it was outside her door. Raven suddenly lurched backwards, her thoughts forced in upon themselves. She was looking into her own mind from the view of a bystander. She shook her head, letting go of the hold upon that power, and her vision faded back into that of her regular eyes.
"Ouch." She muttered, rubbing her throbbing temples with her fingers. She sighed deeply, feeling a new threat nearing.
The door opened quickly and in stepped Pain. Her hollow eyes burned a hole through Raven, her face twisted with anger. She took in a shattered breath, her teeth bared slightly.
"Hello." The rest of her emotions said nervously, all smiling weakly and inching away from Raven. They all knew Pain's reputation for taking things hard. Happy was hidden from Raven's usual emotions, but Pain took things much worse.
"You," she snarled," You lock us all up like we are nothing. Do you have any idea how hard it is staying in your pitiful mind? I suggest we lock you up in one of our minds and see how you like it."
"You know that's not possible." Intelligence said over the top of a book, withering quickly under Pain's intense glare. She returned to her book then, not really reading it but listening intently.
At that moment Pity entered the room. She winced and looked over at Raven, mouthing the word 'sorry.' She slid her way across the wall, staying as far as she could from the raging Pain.
Beast Boy's head poked around the corner also. Raven bit her lip, looking past Pain to Beast Boy's stricken face. Pain turned also, following Raven's gaze, her ragged breathing growing into an annoyed rasp.
"Thought they belonged to you," Beast Boy offered," I guess I had the right idea." Beast Boy seemed rather nervous. Compared to the calm, commanding Pain he had encountered in his room this new Pain was sort of scary.
Happy's face lit up, a face that Beast Boy didn't often see on Raven (in fact he didn't think he had ever seen that face on Raven.) She flung forward and wrapped him into a rib-crushing hug. Beast Boy wheezed, clenching his teeth and smiling as best he could. "We are so happy to see you." She cried out, releasing him now and smiling still," You have not visited us in a very long time, no you haven't" She was still smiling when Sarcasm rolled her eyes and dragged her away by the hood of her cloak.
Beast Boy could have sworn he had seen Raven blush, but at the immediate moment she just looked rather nervous. She stood up from where she had been sitting on her bed, turning towards Pain. Pain regarded her with a cold indifference, smiling her macabre smile. After flicking her gaze to Beast Boy momentarily, she began to speak.
"You know what would happen if any of you were to be exposed fully. And I'm sure none of us want that to ever happen." Raven said softly in her monotone voice, remaining calm.
"It almost did happen," Pain spat back bitterly, her lips curling into a sneer," But at the last minute you fell out and we ended up back here. Slade could have done us a world of good, and I almost made that possible."
Raven's eyes opened wide, her brain finally registering something. The strange way Pain worded things reminded her of-
"You!" she cried out suddenly," You are that voice. The voice that persuaded me to go with Slade. The voice that almost made do something horrible." Her voice had almost faded to a whisper by the time she finished. Her face had the same look Beast Boy had once seen on a mouse right before the cat caught it.
Pain smiled wider, and for some reason her teeth looked sharp and wicked. "Yes, very good, so you did at least hear me. I almost got you to free us, but he interrupted me." Pain growled, pointing to Beast Boy. Pity was behind Pain's shoulder, and she gave Beast Boy a look that matched her namesake.
Beast Boy looked puzzled, shrugging apologetically. "What did I do?" he mumbled, sending a questioning g towards the real Raven, who shrugged.
"You-"Pain began, but was then cut off by a new voice coming from down the hall. Starfire's perky voice had an easy way of traveling throughout the Tower.
"Friend Beast Boy, have you found Raven yet?" Starfire's voice wafted out from down the hall, most likely in Beast Boy's bedroom," We are to watch a movie. Would anyone like to answer?"
The Raven's all turned towards the original Raven, all wondering what they should do. Even Intelligence ripped her nose from a poetry book and Pain gave a fleeting glance towards the closed door.
"Friend Raven?" Starfire's now close called along with a knock issued on the door," I wish to come in now."
"Another opportunity," Pain said softly, smiling wickedly and heading towards the door.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: WOW! That took a long time to type. I have the attention span of a rodent and it took me a long time to return to reality. Sorry about that.
"What was that?" he asked to himself, recalling the images in his mind. The phantom-like memories crept into his head. "She didn't resist Slade." He reminded himself, shaking his head.
He pushed open his door, groping along the wall until he found his light switch. Pushing it up, he entered his cluttered room, closing the door behind him. His room was a mess, but he really didn't notice. Dirty outfits littered his corners along with other useless junk.
Running his fingers through his troubled green hair, turning to find what he could possibly do. It was still the middle of the day and if Beast Boy didn't do anything then he wouldn't have an excuse, and would be forced to apologize to Raven. He loved Raven's company, but right now she was a little... well... she wasn't too happy with him.
Suddenly Beast Boy froze. Sitting in the middle of his room in her usual cross-legged position was Raven. Instead of her usual attire she was wearing black robes. Her face had a hollow, sunken look to them and her eyes were filled with some look of pain. Her lips were pursed and thin, and he could tell that behind them her teeth were tightly clenched.
"Hello Raven." Beast Boy said, laughing nervously and wringing his hands. "Look," he said, grinding his own teeth nervously," I didn't mean to go in to your room. But.... Well, I'm worried about you. You're hiding away from me, err, I mean all of us. Sure, you could have hid out the first day, I don't blame you, but sooner or later you'll have to face the music."
Raven raised her eyebrow, and standing up slowly. She suddenly smiled, an expression that didn't seem to fit her face. It made her look like she was experiencing some bitter agony.
"You think I'm her?" Raven asked, emphasizing the last word with her hollow voice. "Did you hear that Pity? He thinks that I'm-"
"I heard, I heard." Another Raven stepped out from his closet, interrupting the first. She was dressed in faded robes the color of a new- bloomed cornflower. She had large eyes, which seemed to be smiling. "The poor dear must be so confused." She continued in her regretful voice.
Beast Boy almost winced visibly. It was rather disturbing to hear Raven saying the word 'dear.' But it was far more disturbing to find two Ravens in his room. Or, for that matter, to have any Ravens in his room.
"Wait, what did you call her?" he asked the ebony-cloaked Raven. She showed no indication she had heard him, now the other Raven with intense dislike. Her sunken eyes were constantly twitching, and her breath rattled like every one was her dying hiss.
"Pity, what else would you call her?" the Raven said finally, taking in her usual shaky breath. She turned back to Beast Boy, angling her head slightly down as she looked at him closer. "You are a room mate of Raven's aren't you? You must bring us to her... now!"
Beast Boy suddenly caught on. He recalled Nevermore, the strange land in Raven's mind filled with her emotions, who were all separate people who had their own section of Raven's mind. These two reminded him of the few that he had met. Apparently Pity was Raven's emotion. 'Must keep her locked away well.' Beast Boy thought to himself.
"Errm, yah." Beast Boy said, smiling weakly under the intent gaze of the shadow don Raven. "Right down the hall to your right. The last door down." he said, pointing at his door. This seemed to satisfy the Raven, and she quickly headed out the door, muttering to herself violently.
"What's her problem?" Beast Boy asked Pity, turning to her. She was still standing on the threshold of his closet, her head cocked slightly as if in thought. Her hands were clasped together, fingers folded in a submissive position.
"Poor thing," Pity began, her face looking rather sadly after the Raven," That's Pain. As if it isn't bad enough to just be her Raven keeps on hiding her away. The real one, mind you. She happens to think that pain brings weakness."
"Sounds like Raven al right." Beast Boy said, hesitantly following Pain. Pity hung back for a moment, and then caught up with him. They could both see Pain ahead, her pace quick and desperate. She stopped momentarily, flinging open Raven's door. A multitude of voices greeted her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"I'm telling you, even I have no idea how we got here." Intelligence growled, pushing her glasses further up on her nose. Her bright tangerine cloak was clashing with Raven's dark bed as she sat cross legged. A few books were piled about her, and a few were open on her lap. "We suspect the Praeteritum Memoria Arca, but I can't tell. By the way, these books have no educational value. I suggest-"
Raven rolled her eyes, ignoring the rest. She had enough on her plate without the added discussions of educational books. The rest of the Raven's around her rolled their eyes also. There were three of them, Sarcasm, Happy, and Intelligence, maybe more elsewhere, but none of them were supposed to be here.
A muffled sound was coming from outside the door. Raven stood, afraid it was one of her teammates. Twice Starfire had tried to pester her with food those past three days, and Raven didn't want anyone to think there was something wrong with her. She had done enough already.
Raven reached outside with her mind, invisible tendrils of though groping for whoever it was outside her door. Raven suddenly lurched backwards, her thoughts forced in upon themselves. She was looking into her own mind from the view of a bystander. She shook her head, letting go of the hold upon that power, and her vision faded back into that of her regular eyes.
"Ouch." She muttered, rubbing her throbbing temples with her fingers. She sighed deeply, feeling a new threat nearing.
The door opened quickly and in stepped Pain. Her hollow eyes burned a hole through Raven, her face twisted with anger. She took in a shattered breath, her teeth bared slightly.
"Hello." The rest of her emotions said nervously, all smiling weakly and inching away from Raven. They all knew Pain's reputation for taking things hard. Happy was hidden from Raven's usual emotions, but Pain took things much worse.
"You," she snarled," You lock us all up like we are nothing. Do you have any idea how hard it is staying in your pitiful mind? I suggest we lock you up in one of our minds and see how you like it."
"You know that's not possible." Intelligence said over the top of a book, withering quickly under Pain's intense glare. She returned to her book then, not really reading it but listening intently.
At that moment Pity entered the room. She winced and looked over at Raven, mouthing the word 'sorry.' She slid her way across the wall, staying as far as she could from the raging Pain.
Beast Boy's head poked around the corner also. Raven bit her lip, looking past Pain to Beast Boy's stricken face. Pain turned also, following Raven's gaze, her ragged breathing growing into an annoyed rasp.
"Thought they belonged to you," Beast Boy offered," I guess I had the right idea." Beast Boy seemed rather nervous. Compared to the calm, commanding Pain he had encountered in his room this new Pain was sort of scary.
Happy's face lit up, a face that Beast Boy didn't often see on Raven (in fact he didn't think he had ever seen that face on Raven.) She flung forward and wrapped him into a rib-crushing hug. Beast Boy wheezed, clenching his teeth and smiling as best he could. "We are so happy to see you." She cried out, releasing him now and smiling still," You have not visited us in a very long time, no you haven't" She was still smiling when Sarcasm rolled her eyes and dragged her away by the hood of her cloak.
Beast Boy could have sworn he had seen Raven blush, but at the immediate moment she just looked rather nervous. She stood up from where she had been sitting on her bed, turning towards Pain. Pain regarded her with a cold indifference, smiling her macabre smile. After flicking her gaze to Beast Boy momentarily, she began to speak.
"You know what would happen if any of you were to be exposed fully. And I'm sure none of us want that to ever happen." Raven said softly in her monotone voice, remaining calm.
"It almost did happen," Pain spat back bitterly, her lips curling into a sneer," But at the last minute you fell out and we ended up back here. Slade could have done us a world of good, and I almost made that possible."
Raven's eyes opened wide, her brain finally registering something. The strange way Pain worded things reminded her of-
"You!" she cried out suddenly," You are that voice. The voice that persuaded me to go with Slade. The voice that almost made do something horrible." Her voice had almost faded to a whisper by the time she finished. Her face had the same look Beast Boy had once seen on a mouse right before the cat caught it.
Pain smiled wider, and for some reason her teeth looked sharp and wicked. "Yes, very good, so you did at least hear me. I almost got you to free us, but he interrupted me." Pain growled, pointing to Beast Boy. Pity was behind Pain's shoulder, and she gave Beast Boy a look that matched her namesake.
Beast Boy looked puzzled, shrugging apologetically. "What did I do?" he mumbled, sending a questioning g towards the real Raven, who shrugged.
"You-"Pain began, but was then cut off by a new voice coming from down the hall. Starfire's perky voice had an easy way of traveling throughout the Tower.
"Friend Beast Boy, have you found Raven yet?" Starfire's voice wafted out from down the hall, most likely in Beast Boy's bedroom," We are to watch a movie. Would anyone like to answer?"
The Raven's all turned towards the original Raven, all wondering what they should do. Even Intelligence ripped her nose from a poetry book and Pain gave a fleeting glance towards the closed door.
"Friend Raven?" Starfire's now close called along with a knock issued on the door," I wish to come in now."
"Another opportunity," Pain said softly, smiling wickedly and heading towards the door.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: WOW! That took a long time to type. I have the attention span of a rodent and it took me a long time to return to reality. Sorry about that.