Salve! (Latin for "Howdy!") Sorry, I know it's been a few days since the last update! But you won't have to wait long for the grand finale, the next chapter after this one should be the last. This is turning out to be a relatively short fic! I'm sad, 'cause I'll miss getting all your fantabulous reviews, but I'm also relieved, because now I'll have more time to write other stuff!
Okay, now I'll start writing Chapter 4! Here we go!
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Teen Titans Tower, 1:46 a.m.
The Titans had gone to bed a few hours ago. But it was pointless. None of them could sleep. They were all too worried about Raven. Especially Robin. He laid awake in bed, thinking about her and how he was going to make Slade pay for what he did. Whatever he did. Robin just couldn't imagine what the villain could have done to make her so upset. She didn't even want to talk to her fellow Titans about it. Robin knew that Raven was often secretive, but the look in her eyes- that told him this time was different. Slade had said in his note that he had something Raven wanted. What could it have been?
Robin's thoughts were disturbed when he heard someone walking down the hallway. Creak, creak, creak. He immediately jumped out of bed. Maybe Raven's back!, he thought to himself. Robin eagerly ran out of his room to greet her.
"Raven?" he called. The hallway was pitch black. Suddenly the light came on behind him. Robin whirled around and saw Raven standing there, looking at him painfully.
"Raven! You're back!" he said. Then he saw her look. "What's wrong? What happened back there?" She said nothing, just started to approach him steadily. Robin took a few steps backwards. But he didn't realize she was slowly backing him into a corner...
"Raven? Please talk to me! I can help! What did Slade do to you?" He was so worried about her. And the look she was giving him definitely wasn't helping. He bumped into the wall behind him, but he didn't care. "Raven, what's wr-" She silenced him by putting a finger to his lips.
"Robin." she whispered. "You know I love you, right?"
"Wha- what?" Robin exclaimed, his face turning red.
She just continued, "And I know you feel the same way about me. I can sense it. Robin, I've always cared about you. I know I never showed it, but I am madly in love with you."
"R-Raven. I-...I love you, too."
She pulled him into a long, sweet kiss. He didn't notice her hands starting to glow black...
She broke away to whisper, "I'm so, so sorry, Robin." She unleashed her powers and sent him flying right through the wall. She knew no human could never survive that. CRASH!
The noise alerted the other Titans. Cyborg was the first one to get there. "FREEZE!" he yelled, cannon aimed at the intruder. Then he saw who it was. "R-...Raven?" He lowered his weapon. "What's going on?" he asked, approaching her. "Are you okay?"
She looked at him with big, sad eyes. "I'm sorry, Cyborg. This is something I have to do." She reached out with her powers and grabbed a hold of every loose object she could. Then, she hurled it all at him- hard.
"Wha-" He was too stunned to avoid her attack. "AAAH!" he yelled as he was pummeled with everything- clothes, silverware, Beast Boy's stuffed animals- even their couch.
Starfire and Beast Boy immediately arrived at the scene. "What the-" Beast Boy said. His eyes flicked from Raven to his hurt friends. "Wha- WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!!??" he yelled at her.
"I do not understand. Raven, you did this?" Starfire asked, her green eyes welling up with tears.
"No. You don't understand. This is the only way I can get what I want. It's something I've longed for my whole life. You'll never understand." Raven said harshly.
Starfire began to cry angrily. "But- I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND!!!"
Raven just looked at her sadly. "I'm sorry." she whispered.
Beast Boy transformed into a huge tiger and lunged at her, claws out and ready. With a simple wave of her hand, she sent him flying back down the hallway and into the wall at the other end. He fell to the ground and laid there, silent and unmoving.
"NO!!!!" Starfire screamed, now sobbing uncontrollably. Her wet eyes glowed green. "I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO DO THIS!!!!" She sent huge starbolts and eye beams- everything her powers would let her do- towards Raven.
Raven countered and used her own powers to form a black shield around her. Star's attacks were no use.
The HELL with this, Starfire thought furiously. She rocketed towards Raven with enough force to break through her shield, and punched her hard in the jaw. Then she sent a roundhouse kick flying at the side of her head. The sparring she had done with Robin was paying off. Raven fell to the ground.
"You TRAITOR!!!!" Star screamed. "YOU FILTHY TRAITOR!!!!!!!" Starfire kicked Raven hard in the stomach, making her cry out in pain.
"Don't you get it?" Raven said weakly. "Slade can make me normal. I can laugh and cry and play like you all do. I can live my own life. No more meditating. No more hiding my emotions. He can get rid of Trigon for good." She winced in pain. "I just have to get rid of you first."
Raven's eyes glowed black thinking about what her future could be. Her body might have been hurt, but her powers were still fine. "HRRRRRAAH!!!" she yelled, sending Starfire rocketing backwards and crashing right through the same wall Beast Boy hit. Star laid there, struggling to get up. "R-Raven. D-... Don't do this...." she said weakly, then fell to the ground.
"I'm so, so sorry Star." Raven said slowly, painfully getting up. "I have to."
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The Night Skies of Jump City, 2:20 a.m.
Raven flew over the city she called home, unwillingly thinking of her friends. She was beginning to regret her choice to destroy them. The scene of Starfire, weakly trying to get up, then falling, played over and over in her mind. And Robin... he had loved her too, for all those years... Raven felt like crying. Just floating down to earth and sobbing everything away. But she couldn't. Soon, she thought to herself. Soon, you won't have to worry about Trigon, or your friends, or anything. You'll have a new life. New friends. Everything will be alright. Everything will be perfect.
Raven was getting closer to the dockyards, where Slade told her to meet him once she was done. He also had told her to bring him proof. Raven looked down at Robin's utility belt in her hand. Just looking at it brought back all her memories of him... how he always cared for her when she was hurt... the way he came running to her after she had met with Slade... and his last moments... when he kissed her... and told her... that he loved her... She shook her head, trying to get the thoughts out of her head. It didn't matter anymore. He was history. All that mattered now was becoming normal. She floated down to the dockyards. It would only be a few minutes, now...
She walked into the warehouse where she and Slade had met before. "Slade!" she called out. "It's done." She held up the utility belt to show that she was telling the truth.
Slade jumped down from the rafters, where he had been watching. He looked at her in near disbelief. "So," he said. "You were able to do it."
"Yes," she replied, handing him her proof. "The Titans are history."
"Good." he said, examining Robin's old belt with interest.
"Don't forget your promise." Raven reminded him, getting impatient.
"Ah, yes." he said, and pulled out his magical remote. "Are you ready?"
"Of course. Now hit me."
Slade pressed a few buttons and the pain that Raven felt before engulfed her again. "AAARRRGGGH!!!!" she screamed. It was worse this time, because Raven was already injured from her fight with Starfire.
But like earlier, it disappeared just as quickly. "Finally!" Raven said, not able to hide her glee.
"Now we're even," Slade said, handing her the mirror again.
Aah!, she thought. I'm normal!!! I'm finally normal!!! She was so engrossed in her new looks that she didn't see Slade's remote begin to vibrate violently...
Slade's scream brought her back down to earth. "AAAH!!! How- how is this happening!?"
Raven's black demon aura that was sucked up by the remote was now struggling for its freedom. The remote was shaking, trying to contain the demon inside, and was glowing black.
Then, suddenly, the remote shattered into thousands of little pieces. Raven's aura was free. But instead of going back into her like it did last time, it grew, and grew, and grew...
Raven's eyes grew wide in horror. She recognized the form it was taking. Slade screamed again and ran out of the warehouse just as the aura grew straight through the ceiling.
Raven now found herself face-to-face with an angry, full-size Trigon. And this time, she had no powers to defend herself...
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MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Another cliffhanger!!!!!! And you'll have to wait a while to see the outcome!!!!! (puts her playful eyes back on again) Hee hee! The last chapter's coming up next! (Jumps up and down excitedly) I don't know if you guys enjoyed that one, but it was probably my favorite one to write!!! Review and tell me what you think!!! :D Vale! (Latin for "See ya!")