Chapter Two

Beast Boy got up from his bed and walked to the door. He opened it and stepped into the hallway. As he passed Raven's room, he stopped to press his ear against the door to listen. It was the strangest conversation he had heard from her.

"Stop it...stop making me cry...Power of chakra, I invoke you..."

Beast Boy rolled his eyes as he knocked on the door, "Raven, we're gonna watch a movie now. You coming?"

"Horror?" came her voice from inside the room.

"I can make it horror."

He waited a little until he saw Raven walk out of the door, out of her dark room. Her face a red glow to it, probably from crying. She stared at Beast Boy, "I'll lounge out for about half the movie before I go to bed."

"What ever, Rave," Beast Boy said, "It's your choice."

Raven rolled her eyes and followed Beast Boy to the lounge.

It was after the movie. Whatever horror movie Beast Boy picked out was so boring, it had put everyone to sleep right there on the lounging couch. Everyone, that is, except Raven, who was now suffering that horrible voice again.

Look at them, they fell asleep on your movie. You never did that to them.

"The movie wasn't even that goodl. They're sleeping because it got so boring and I would be sleeping also if you would just get out of my head."

They are not your friends. Go find someone else...befriend me...someone other than these freaks.

"You may have control over my body, but you do not control my mind."

Yes, Raven, I quite as well know that. You can make your own decisions while at time, you'll find that the ones I tell you are much better.

"No...you've made me sad and depressed these four long years. Why can't you just leave me alone?"

I will not leave you alone until I get one of the two things I want: your friendship or your death. Whatever comes first.

"You idiot...just let me go already!"

I will not.

"There are plenty of other chakra headeds to go around. Why me?"

Because you are the strongest. Listen to me...and obey me...you will abandoned your friends...and you will do me the favor and kill them for me.

A small kitchen knife floated from the kitchen and landed in front of her. Raven took the knife, unsure what to do.

Go ahead, do it.

"I will not."

Then at least curse them with my scared symbol. Go...draw an X on each of their foreheads using the knife and when I snap my finger, they'll be dead. But I will only snap my finger if you choose to.

Raven looked down at the cold blade and got up from the lounging couch. She gripped the knife and approached Robin first. Slowly she drew a large X on his forehead. Starfire was next, the X was on her head now too, her green blood spewing from the jagged cut. Then Cyborg and Beast Boy.

Good...good...you've done it.

"Yes, but you must respect my wishes and only snap your finger when I say to. If not, I will be forced not to befriend you."

Yes, Raven. I shall respect your wish. Now...wait! What are you doing?

Raven gripped the knife and gently imbedded and X on her forehead as well, "Second wish," she said, "You kill my friends, you kill me. It's that simple."

You little...

Raven felt her hands start to choke her again, "You better think about it before you kill me..." she said in a weak voice, "Without me, you'll have to find another chakra headed idiot like myself. Got it?" her hands released her.

You are very clever, Raven. But do not worry. I will have you in a tight spot. A spot that will give you a choice of a partnership...or your blood.

"Partnership! You..." she stopped, seeing someone had awakened. It was Beast Boy. He sat up and stretched his long arms.

Oh, look who's up...it's little, bubbled-headed Beast Boy. Bad girl, you've woken him up.

"Go away..." she murmured to herself. She turned to Beast Boy, happy he didn't notice the X on his head. It would be too dark for him to see hers or anyone else's anyway, "I'm sorry if I woke you."

Beast Boy yawned, "No prob, Rave," he said, "Who were you talking to anyway?"

"Myself?"

"Is that a question?"

"I hope not," Raven looked down to the floor, "He probably thinks I'm an idiot right now."

You are for not believing me.

"Did I not just tell you to go away?" Raven said out loud.

"Excuse me?" Beast Boy asked, astonished.

"I wasn't talking to you," she said firmly, "Just go back to bed," she curled up into a ball and pulled her cloak over her to keep her warm.

Beast Boy looked around, seeing if anyone else was asleep. He looked over at Raven and smiled a little, "Raven?"

"What?" she murmured, sleepily.

"Do you know what it feels like to love someone?"

Raven rolled her dark eyes, "I wouldn't know because I've never been in love," she heard Beast Boy let out a disappointed sigh, "Please, just go to bed..."

Beast Boy shrugged and scrunched down onto the couch also. He fell asleep almost instantly after that. Too bad I couldn't say the same for Raven.

He's trying to butter you up, make you soft. He thinks just by doing that will make you simply hand over the chakra power right to him.

"I am going to tell you one more time to leave before I put in ear plugs."

Ear plugs won't work, I'm in your head.

"Then shut up before I knock myself out so I can sleep."

Robin was the first to wake up at 9 o'clock the next morning. He quickly pulled on his shinning green gloves, taking a quick glance at his reflection, seeing nothing abnormal. For a second he thought he saw something on his forehead, a mark, perhaps. But he placed his gloved arm to his side, figuring it was just a little trick of the light.

He walked over to the bathroom, quickly carrying out his business then sleepily walking to the sink to brush his teeth. He smiled quickly at his reflection and then looked down and grabbed his toothbrush. He squirted some toothpaste onto the bristles and began to brush.

His mouth was pretty full of scrubby toothpaste before he looked at his reflection again. This time, looking at his forehead. There was a strange X cut into his forehead and a small amount of caked blood surrounding it. He dropped his toothbrush, shocked.

"What the..." he said slowly, running his fingers over the X. He ran to the lounge where everyone was just waking up, but still their eyes closed a little, "Titans! Look!"

Everyone turned their attention to Robin, sleepily. Beast Boy laughed, "Cool! Robin has rabies!"

Cyborg chuckled a bit, "What's the matter now, Robin?"

Robin walked over to all of them and kneeled on the carpet, "Look at my forehead? Do you see that?" he noticed everyone else's foreheads too, "And look, we all have it!"

Cyborg looked at his arm, seeing the reflection off his shinning body. There was an X also on his forehead as well. He passed arm down to Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire.

"What can it be?" Starfire asked Robin.

"Could be a curse. We all have it."

"Or it could be the from the zombies from Mount Doom!" Beast Boy exclaimed. Everyone looked at him like he was a freak, "What? It could be possible."

"It's a movie, BB," said Cyborg. "This is real ife."

Raven rolled her eyes, "Maybe someone's trying to kill us all. Perhaps Slade," she swung her hood over her head so they couldn't see her guilty looking face.

"Could be," said Robin, "Raven, you know healing spells...try to get rid of these marks."

Raven leaned over and placed both hands on Robin's head, "Azrac Metzion Zinthos!" she murmured. Nothing happened. She shrugged, "Whatever it is, it's gonna stay there, probably."

It's a spell cast by me. You cannot reverse it.

Raven closed her eyes tight and shoved her palms into her ears again, "No...not again, please, go away!"

"Raven?" Robin asked slowly, "Are you okay?"

They've doubted you...they thought you were strong. Now that you've failed to heal them, they'll reject you.

"Please leave me alone, don't make them think I'm crazy!"

You are crazy, to think they are your friends.

Beast Boy sat next to Raven, "Are you okay, Rave?" he asked. Raven turned her eyes to him, ignoring the voice.

"Yes, I'm talking to myself again," she said, smiling a little.

Starfire stood up, "You guys ready for a nice breakfast? Today I'm gonna make Bathrocks Calloon!"

"And what exactly is that?"

"They look like pancakes only they're made from the best lamb's stomach!" she smiled, but everyone moaned. Robin heard a faint beep and reached into his pocket to pull out his eRing, which was blinking and beeping away.

"I guess it's not time for breakfast now, Star," he said, "Looks like Slade's in town again."

Starfire sighed, "At least let us fight some time today, Robin?" Robin replied a short, side smile.

"So, we meet again, titans," Slade said slyly, smiling widely, "But believe me, I'm not here to fight. I'm here for the chakra headed girl."

Beast Boy transformed into a tiger form, "Gotta go through me first!" he rammed into Slade, knocking him into the wall.

Look, you see? Beast Boy thinks Slade is trying to steal your chakra power. He wants it for himself.

"Stop it!" Raven screamed, falling to her knees on the floor. She covered her ears, screaming to block out his voice. But she could still here it loudly and clear.

Look at you, Raven. You're beating yourself up for these weaklings. Oh, what was that I just heard Robin say? Did he just say...he doesn't want you here?

Raven stopped screaming, "What?"

You were screaming so loud, you couldn't hear him. I did, I heard him clearly as a diamond.

"You're lying..."

Just open your eyes, uncover your ears and listen.

Raven looked up at the titans, each of them having a look of disgust in their faces. She uncovered her ears to listen.

"You idiotic fool, did you really think we would protect you from Slade?"

"We'll let him have you...like we care about you..."

"Slade can be yours...go find a different group of titans to combat with. Leave us all alone."

"We've used you and now we can finally get rid of you."

Raven shook her head, "No..." she said, "No, this cannot be...you were right..."

You should have listened to me before. You should have joined me to prevent this darkness. Now look.

"No, they're my friends, how could they do this to me!"

Can you not see they were lying to you? from them.

Raven hugged her arms and got to her feet, "Azrac Metzion Zinthos!" she hurled a pipe towards the titans, who lunged out of the way, amazed. She looked down and said, "I was a fool, to think you were my friends."

She cried her burning tears again and ran away from the titans, whom she once thought were her friends.

Slade ran away from the titans once again, seeing that he would get another chance to get to them later. Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg pondered in shock.

"Why did Raven leave again?" Starfire asked, "And why did she wish to attack us? Did we say anything wrong?"

"I don't know, Star," Robin said glumly, "She said something before she left. Besides that little spell she says all the time, I swear she said something else."

Cyborg thought for a moment, "She said something like she was stupid to think we were actually her friends."

"What could have made her think we were not?"

Beast Boy shook his head, "Someone was messing with her," he said. Everyone turned their attention to him, "Someone is messing around with her head, maybe making her think other ways."

Starfire's eyes swelled with tears, "What do you mean by that?"

"Last night, I was talking to her. She was acting very weird, like she could hear someone I couldn't. She told it to go away and then tried to keep to herself. I seriously think someone's tricking her."

"No!" Robin said, "Who would do such a thing to her?" he sat there and thought for a moment. He whipped out his eRing and pressed a couple of buttons, "Ah, look. We can track her, my eRing says she's in the park. Titans...go!"

Raven opened the door to the shack. It was very bright, she used to like it when there was light. But now she didn't want any light in her life. She quickly smashed her light bulb. She looked around and spotted her old futon, still laying in the same spot where she had put it last. She used to live in this old, depressing shack, now she was going to live in it once more.

Just her and the dark voice in her head.