MoonDeity: Well, this time I got one review. But it was a nice one, so thank you. And let me just make one thing clear: Ebola is a real virus. All its symptoms are very real. There is no vaccine for it and no cure. It is air-borne and extremely contagious. There are four strains of Ebola Virus, and it has a sister virus called Marburg.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. Don't sue, just review.®
Claimer: I own Porsche.
Virus Problem
Chapter 3:
The Third Day
Starfire pressed her ear against the speaker box of the battery-powered radio, hoping to catch some few bits of information before the battery died.
"Ebola....virus....city in chaos...death toll mounting...airports shut down...no electrici---KSHTTTTTTTTTTT"
Starfire set down the squealing radio and turned it off. With its batteries drained, there now was no hope for rescue. The Titans had been stuck in the Tower for three days, and this morning, they had run out of food. The Tameranean sighed and looked at her friends.
The Titans were haggard and worn-down with worry. Raven hadn't been able to subdue her powers with normal meditation because of her worry. Since she wasn't able to access her mirror in her room, she was now trembling with the effort to keep them under control and in her head.
Beastboy was sitting next to Raven, his head on her shoulder. It had been a series of sleepless nights for the Changeling, for he had to listen to Starfire weep and Raven groan.
Cyborg was still non-functional, but Robin had broken with Ebola. He was sitting in a corner, motionless and unresponsive, his face a mask. The Ebola Zaire had attacked his brain already and clotted up his veins so his flesh hung loosely off his skin. On his arms, there were purple, pulpy bruises that looked like they could tear off if one just poked them.
Looking at Robin, Star's eyes filled up with tears once more. His brain was being destroyed, and along with it, were memories of her. Would he forget their dance together at the Junior Prom? Would he forget what they went through when he was captured by Slade? Would he forget how he comforted her when the Titans watched scary movies together? Beastboy coughed and buried his head in Raven's shoulder. Over in his corner, Robin's nose began to bleed with shiny Ebola blood. He tried to get it to clot, but it ran everywhere. Starfire had tried to administer every drug she had found in the Emergency Medical bag, but they did nothing against the virus. She even tried Tameranean acu-pressure. Raven sighed and looked out over to the city. The sun was slowly beginning to set, and she turned to Starfire.
"Star, we should sleep. Lay Robin down. There is nothing we can do for him."
The Tameranean let out a sob and laid Robin in a comfortable position, making sure his head was elevated. Still crying silently, she curled up beside her leader and snuggled against him. Robin's masked eyes stared silently into space. Raven lay down next to Beastboy and comforted him.
"Holy crap, Rae. We're all going to die," he sobbed.
Raven shushed him and whispered soothing words. The goth stroked her friend's hair and sang softly while wrapping her cloak around him. Eventually, Beastboy drifted off to a restless sleep in her arms.
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The sound of Robin vomiting wrenched the Titans from their slumber. The Boy Wonder was keeled over, bringing up vomit that was red with black flecks. Raven whipped Starfire away from him. The Tameranean screamed and rushed to his side, trying to subdue him. Raven pulled Beastboy behind her and watched in horror as amazing amounts of black vomit were brought up. From the corners of his mask, small trickles of blood ran down his cheeks. He was weeping blood.
Robin coughed and choked on something, then dislodging it with the next rush of vomit. It was intestine lining. Starfire held her leader's head and tried to make him comfortable. Everywhere on his body, tears were forming on the skin, as it seemed to dissolve right off the bone. With desperation in her eyes, Starfire turned to Raven who was sheltering Beastboy.
"Raven, you must try and fuse through the electricity shield and get to the roof. At least one of the Titans must survive this ordeal, so take Beastboy with you."
"But what about Cyborg?" , Raven asked, gesturing at her dormant friend.
"When they eventually find us, they will recharge him. Please Raven, if I must die, then I will die here!"
"With Robin..." Starfire added softly as an afterthought.
Raven nodded and Beastboy changed into a mouse and crawled into her hood. As best as she could, Raven rose in the air and formed a black vortex in the ceiling. Lightning crackled out of it as a result of Raven's incapability to control her powers. With a last glance at her friends, Raven plunged through the portal.
Unfortunately, the electric barrier was channeled through the concrete and it shocked Raven and Beastboy as they went through. They came out on the other side frazzled. The Changeling morphed back into his human form and helped Raven up.
"You okay, Ravi?"
He didn't even crack a joke. The Goth stood up and smoothed her hair, then her eyes roved over Beastboy, checking for wounds. He grinned and took her hands.
"Hey, don't worry about me."
Raven shook her head and started for the edge of the roof, slipping her hands out of Beastboy's grasp.
"We need to go and get help. Since the city is down, we should head for Gotham. There, we can go to Batman for help and—"
Raven broke off, noticing Beastboy staring at her.
"What?"
Trembling, the Changeling came up to her and gently touched the corner of her eye.
"Your eyes are red, Rae."
The first sign of Ebola Zaire. Raven gasped, and on the ground, several rocks blew up. She sank to the ground and took a few deep breaths to regain control. She pushed Beastboy away from her.
"You need to go and get help. You still haven't shown signs of the virus, so there still is hope. Get going before I give it to you."
The Changeling stubbornly shook his head no. He kneeled beside her and brushed her hair from her face.
"There is no way I'm going to leave you here alone. Virus or no virus, Rae, you're..." The Green One broke off, somehow unable to finish his sentence.
"'You're what?" he thought. Something in his mind caused it to flash back to when they were trapped in the Tower. He remembered how Raven let him rest on her shoulder, how she almost protected him. She wasn't sarcastic Raven then. She actually cared about him.
"And I care about her," he said aloud.
He hugged the Goth tightly, burying his face in her hair. Raven bit her lip, but she knew she couldn't make him go. She laid her head down on his shoulder and cried silently. A whirring sound made Raven's head snap up. Above the two Titans, a helicopter hovered, and someone jumped down off it. And with a clunk, the black-booted feet of Porsche came down in front of Beastboy and Raven.
To Be Continued...
MoonDeity: I would like to dedicate this chapter in honor of pink hooligan. She has an awesome story now, and she contributed to my second fic, Titans on the Beach. Please check out her work!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. Don't sue, just review.®
Claimer: I own Porsche.
Virus Problem
Chapter 3:
The Third Day
Starfire pressed her ear against the speaker box of the battery-powered radio, hoping to catch some few bits of information before the battery died.
"Ebola....virus....city in chaos...death toll mounting...airports shut down...no electrici---KSHTTTTTTTTTTT"
Starfire set down the squealing radio and turned it off. With its batteries drained, there now was no hope for rescue. The Titans had been stuck in the Tower for three days, and this morning, they had run out of food. The Tameranean sighed and looked at her friends.
The Titans were haggard and worn-down with worry. Raven hadn't been able to subdue her powers with normal meditation because of her worry. Since she wasn't able to access her mirror in her room, she was now trembling with the effort to keep them under control and in her head.
Beastboy was sitting next to Raven, his head on her shoulder. It had been a series of sleepless nights for the Changeling, for he had to listen to Starfire weep and Raven groan.
Cyborg was still non-functional, but Robin had broken with Ebola. He was sitting in a corner, motionless and unresponsive, his face a mask. The Ebola Zaire had attacked his brain already and clotted up his veins so his flesh hung loosely off his skin. On his arms, there were purple, pulpy bruises that looked like they could tear off if one just poked them.
Looking at Robin, Star's eyes filled up with tears once more. His brain was being destroyed, and along with it, were memories of her. Would he forget their dance together at the Junior Prom? Would he forget what they went through when he was captured by Slade? Would he forget how he comforted her when the Titans watched scary movies together? Beastboy coughed and buried his head in Raven's shoulder. Over in his corner, Robin's nose began to bleed with shiny Ebola blood. He tried to get it to clot, but it ran everywhere. Starfire had tried to administer every drug she had found in the Emergency Medical bag, but they did nothing against the virus. She even tried Tameranean acu-pressure. Raven sighed and looked out over to the city. The sun was slowly beginning to set, and she turned to Starfire.
"Star, we should sleep. Lay Robin down. There is nothing we can do for him."
The Tameranean let out a sob and laid Robin in a comfortable position, making sure his head was elevated. Still crying silently, she curled up beside her leader and snuggled against him. Robin's masked eyes stared silently into space. Raven lay down next to Beastboy and comforted him.
"Holy crap, Rae. We're all going to die," he sobbed.
Raven shushed him and whispered soothing words. The goth stroked her friend's hair and sang softly while wrapping her cloak around him. Eventually, Beastboy drifted off to a restless sleep in her arms.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The sound of Robin vomiting wrenched the Titans from their slumber. The Boy Wonder was keeled over, bringing up vomit that was red with black flecks. Raven whipped Starfire away from him. The Tameranean screamed and rushed to his side, trying to subdue him. Raven pulled Beastboy behind her and watched in horror as amazing amounts of black vomit were brought up. From the corners of his mask, small trickles of blood ran down his cheeks. He was weeping blood.
Robin coughed and choked on something, then dislodging it with the next rush of vomit. It was intestine lining. Starfire held her leader's head and tried to make him comfortable. Everywhere on his body, tears were forming on the skin, as it seemed to dissolve right off the bone. With desperation in her eyes, Starfire turned to Raven who was sheltering Beastboy.
"Raven, you must try and fuse through the electricity shield and get to the roof. At least one of the Titans must survive this ordeal, so take Beastboy with you."
"But what about Cyborg?" , Raven asked, gesturing at her dormant friend.
"When they eventually find us, they will recharge him. Please Raven, if I must die, then I will die here!"
"With Robin..." Starfire added softly as an afterthought.
Raven nodded and Beastboy changed into a mouse and crawled into her hood. As best as she could, Raven rose in the air and formed a black vortex in the ceiling. Lightning crackled out of it as a result of Raven's incapability to control her powers. With a last glance at her friends, Raven plunged through the portal.
Unfortunately, the electric barrier was channeled through the concrete and it shocked Raven and Beastboy as they went through. They came out on the other side frazzled. The Changeling morphed back into his human form and helped Raven up.
"You okay, Ravi?"
He didn't even crack a joke. The Goth stood up and smoothed her hair, then her eyes roved over Beastboy, checking for wounds. He grinned and took her hands.
"Hey, don't worry about me."
Raven shook her head and started for the edge of the roof, slipping her hands out of Beastboy's grasp.
"We need to go and get help. Since the city is down, we should head for Gotham. There, we can go to Batman for help and—"
Raven broke off, noticing Beastboy staring at her.
"What?"
Trembling, the Changeling came up to her and gently touched the corner of her eye.
"Your eyes are red, Rae."
The first sign of Ebola Zaire. Raven gasped, and on the ground, several rocks blew up. She sank to the ground and took a few deep breaths to regain control. She pushed Beastboy away from her.
"You need to go and get help. You still haven't shown signs of the virus, so there still is hope. Get going before I give it to you."
The Changeling stubbornly shook his head no. He kneeled beside her and brushed her hair from her face.
"There is no way I'm going to leave you here alone. Virus or no virus, Rae, you're..." The Green One broke off, somehow unable to finish his sentence.
"'You're what?" he thought. Something in his mind caused it to flash back to when they were trapped in the Tower. He remembered how Raven let him rest on her shoulder, how she almost protected him. She wasn't sarcastic Raven then. She actually cared about him.
"And I care about her," he said aloud.
He hugged the Goth tightly, burying his face in her hair. Raven bit her lip, but she knew she couldn't make him go. She laid her head down on his shoulder and cried silently. A whirring sound made Raven's head snap up. Above the two Titans, a helicopter hovered, and someone jumped down off it. And with a clunk, the black-booted feet of Porsche came down in front of Beastboy and Raven.
To Be Continued...
MoonDeity: I would like to dedicate this chapter in honor of pink hooligan. She has an awesome story now, and she contributed to my second fic, Titans on the Beach. Please check out her work!