Chapter 2
Cyborg left the Tower at a dead run, dodging the laser blasts that followed him.
Where's Robin? Beast Boy asked urgently, falling into a loping run at Cyborg's side.
Cyborg didn't respond. Beast Boy stopped dead, nearly throwing Raven off his back. You didn't. You wouldn't-
"Look, I didn't have any choice!" Cyborg said in anguish, his shoulders tense with misery.
We have to go back! We can't leave him!
"If we go back, Slade will kill us all."
But we can't-
"Just listen! We're going to save him! We just have to a have a plan! But first we need to find Starfire." Cyborg started to move, but Beast Boy stopped him with a growl.
First- we need to make sure Raven's all right. She's bleeding way too much. We have to bandage her up before she gets worse.
Beast Boy stood quietly while Cyborg lifted Raven off his back and set her gently on the ground. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was fast and shallow. He removed her cape, ripping it into strips as Beast Boy talked to her quietly, trying to keep her awake.
Cyborg wound the bandage around her arm as gently as he could, although she flinched from him a few times and Beast Boy glared- as if he could help it.
"That'll have to do for now." Cyborg said, standing a glancing at Beast Boy's blood streaked outfit, "But she's lost a lot of blood, she's not safe yet. We have to get her somewhere where she can meditate."
"Right." His body protesting the action, Beast Boy returned to lion form, gently nudging Raven back onto his back.
"I could carry..." Cyborg's offer died away to nothing as Raven latched onto Beast Boy, her face hidden in his shaggy coat.
Let's go. Beast Boy said, beginning the slow walk down to the water's edge.
Cyborg dived in, shivering slightly at the cold. Beast Boy waded in, stroking strongly to keep Raven above the water. Without a word they started for the shore, kicking and swimming, their aching bodies protesting every movement.
Finally reaching the opposite bank, Beast Boy surged onto shore. Not even bothering to shake the water from his fur he first checked to make sure Raven was okay. Her bandage seemed clean, letting him know the wound had stopped bleeding, but she didn't look much better.
And she won't until she meditates. He reminded himself. He set her down against a rock, giving her limp hand a quick lick, he then focused on what Cyborg was saying.
"-search the whole damned city. She could be anywhere." Looking frustrated, he faced the city, spreading his arms to encompass it all.
Dude, Beast Boy said trying to keep an edge of annoyance out his voice- This wasn't helping Raven!- Try using the communicator.
Cyborg looked startled at the suggestion. "Man... I must be more rattled than I thought." Grabbing his communicator he barked. "Starfire! Where are you?! We have an emergency!"
"Cyborg?" Her startled voice responded, crackling slightly at the static. "What is it? What has happened?"
"Damnitt Star!" He yelled, his increasing anxiety getting the better of him, "Just get back here now!"
The communicator crackled off, Star having given no reply.
You shouldn't have yelled at her. Beast Boy offered an edge of anger to his voice. She doesn't know what's been going on.
"Well she should have!" Cyborg yelled, knowing he was being unfair and not caring, "If she had been here when Slade attacked Robin would be fine and not-"
"Not what?" Star landed beside them, her eyes overflowing with tears. "What has happened to Robin?"
Cyborg instantly shut his mouth, startled by her guilt-ridden eyes. "Star, I didn't mean-"
She ignored him, "What has happened?"
Slowly, Beast Boy explained what had happened. Cyborg remained silent, feeling too guilty to contribute.
-and we got out of there. We couldn't do anything else. Beast Boy finished quietly.
"We must rescue him." Star decided instantly, then slumped slightly, "As soon as we care for your wounds of course." She stepped over to grab Raven, but Beast Boy got to her first.
I've got her. We just need a place to go.
"I know where we can go." Cyborg finally spoke up. "It's not a great place, but better than nothing."
Lead on. Beast Boy said after a brief silence.
OOOOO
Beast Boy pushed open the door with his nose, carrying Raven inside the darkened house. Where are we? He asked.
"My family used to own this." Cyborg said finally. "We don't use it anymore, but Slade will never look for us here."
Beast Boy headed up the stairs, seeking a room to put Raven in. Starfire entered the house last, silently.
"Star..." Cyborg started hesitantly, not sure of what to say to her.
"Cyborg, I understand. You do not have to say anything,"
He shook his head, faintly amazed at her brush-off. However, the dark look in her eyes didn't go away, and neither did his guilt.
Beast Boy came back down the stairs, human again for the moment. "She said she needed to be alone." He said by way of explanation, but the look in his eyes told a different story.
"We must decide what to do about Robin." Starfire said, drawing their attention to the issue once again.
"We have to go back there." Cyborg said, slamming his fist into the tabletop. "We have to get him back!"
Everyone began talking, expressing opinions, ideas, plans, anything they thought they could use.
After a long while, the Titans sat in silence. They had thrown ideas around the table for nearly four hours. None of them came close to anything they could use to outwit Slade. Defeated now, they sat in silence, not trusting themselves to speak.
"What are we going to do?" Star asked finally, breaking the silence.
Everyone turned as Raven walked down the stairs, pressing one hand against the wall for support. Beast Boy instantly got up to help her, but she ignored him and he sat down again looking defeated.
"We go. Without a plan. Because Robin needs us, and sitting around here isn't helping him."
"Right." Star instantly stood up, looking toward Raven. "Are you certain you are strong enough?"
"We'll find out soon." Raven responded, leading the way to the door.
OOOOO
What? Where am I? What happened? I opened my eyes, the room spinning in front of me. My whole body hurts, the laser wounds stinging and burning.
"Permission to commence downloading?" A robotic voice said faintly.
"Very good." Slade? But how did he- "Commence."
My mind is ripped apart and I am thrown into darkness once again.
OOOOO
Star landed outside Titan Tower, her feet touching on the dirt moments before the others arrived.
She surveyed her meager force with all the scorn of a general going into battle. Raven skin was a grayish color and she staggered slightly when she landed. Beast Boy appeared fine, but she had seen for herself the scorch marks on his skin. Cyborg had puncture marks on several of his metal components. And still they wanted to fight.
If only I'd been there! Her mind screamed for what had to be the millionth time since returning to face this nightmare. Cyborg was wrong. It wasn't him that put the idea in her head that she was responsible, it was herself. As much as her rational side wanted to argue to the contrary- She couldn't have known, it wouldn't have mattered- She couldn't help feeling horribly guilty.
Stop feeling sorry for yourself! She ordered, This is about helping Robin!
"Are we ready?" She heard herself ask. No one responded, but she knew the answer already.
"Let's do this."
Cyborg left the Tower at a dead run, dodging the laser blasts that followed him.
Where's Robin? Beast Boy asked urgently, falling into a loping run at Cyborg's side.
Cyborg didn't respond. Beast Boy stopped dead, nearly throwing Raven off his back. You didn't. You wouldn't-
"Look, I didn't have any choice!" Cyborg said in anguish, his shoulders tense with misery.
We have to go back! We can't leave him!
"If we go back, Slade will kill us all."
But we can't-
"Just listen! We're going to save him! We just have to a have a plan! But first we need to find Starfire." Cyborg started to move, but Beast Boy stopped him with a growl.
First- we need to make sure Raven's all right. She's bleeding way too much. We have to bandage her up before she gets worse.
Beast Boy stood quietly while Cyborg lifted Raven off his back and set her gently on the ground. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was fast and shallow. He removed her cape, ripping it into strips as Beast Boy talked to her quietly, trying to keep her awake.
Cyborg wound the bandage around her arm as gently as he could, although she flinched from him a few times and Beast Boy glared- as if he could help it.
"That'll have to do for now." Cyborg said, standing a glancing at Beast Boy's blood streaked outfit, "But she's lost a lot of blood, she's not safe yet. We have to get her somewhere where she can meditate."
"Right." His body protesting the action, Beast Boy returned to lion form, gently nudging Raven back onto his back.
"I could carry..." Cyborg's offer died away to nothing as Raven latched onto Beast Boy, her face hidden in his shaggy coat.
Let's go. Beast Boy said, beginning the slow walk down to the water's edge.
Cyborg dived in, shivering slightly at the cold. Beast Boy waded in, stroking strongly to keep Raven above the water. Without a word they started for the shore, kicking and swimming, their aching bodies protesting every movement.
Finally reaching the opposite bank, Beast Boy surged onto shore. Not even bothering to shake the water from his fur he first checked to make sure Raven was okay. Her bandage seemed clean, letting him know the wound had stopped bleeding, but she didn't look much better.
And she won't until she meditates. He reminded himself. He set her down against a rock, giving her limp hand a quick lick, he then focused on what Cyborg was saying.
"-search the whole damned city. She could be anywhere." Looking frustrated, he faced the city, spreading his arms to encompass it all.
Dude, Beast Boy said trying to keep an edge of annoyance out his voice- This wasn't helping Raven!- Try using the communicator.
Cyborg looked startled at the suggestion. "Man... I must be more rattled than I thought." Grabbing his communicator he barked. "Starfire! Where are you?! We have an emergency!"
"Cyborg?" Her startled voice responded, crackling slightly at the static. "What is it? What has happened?"
"Damnitt Star!" He yelled, his increasing anxiety getting the better of him, "Just get back here now!"
The communicator crackled off, Star having given no reply.
You shouldn't have yelled at her. Beast Boy offered an edge of anger to his voice. She doesn't know what's been going on.
"Well she should have!" Cyborg yelled, knowing he was being unfair and not caring, "If she had been here when Slade attacked Robin would be fine and not-"
"Not what?" Star landed beside them, her eyes overflowing with tears. "What has happened to Robin?"
Cyborg instantly shut his mouth, startled by her guilt-ridden eyes. "Star, I didn't mean-"
She ignored him, "What has happened?"
Slowly, Beast Boy explained what had happened. Cyborg remained silent, feeling too guilty to contribute.
-and we got out of there. We couldn't do anything else. Beast Boy finished quietly.
"We must rescue him." Star decided instantly, then slumped slightly, "As soon as we care for your wounds of course." She stepped over to grab Raven, but Beast Boy got to her first.
I've got her. We just need a place to go.
"I know where we can go." Cyborg finally spoke up. "It's not a great place, but better than nothing."
Lead on. Beast Boy said after a brief silence.
OOOOO
Beast Boy pushed open the door with his nose, carrying Raven inside the darkened house. Where are we? He asked.
"My family used to own this." Cyborg said finally. "We don't use it anymore, but Slade will never look for us here."
Beast Boy headed up the stairs, seeking a room to put Raven in. Starfire entered the house last, silently.
"Star..." Cyborg started hesitantly, not sure of what to say to her.
"Cyborg, I understand. You do not have to say anything,"
He shook his head, faintly amazed at her brush-off. However, the dark look in her eyes didn't go away, and neither did his guilt.
Beast Boy came back down the stairs, human again for the moment. "She said she needed to be alone." He said by way of explanation, but the look in his eyes told a different story.
"We must decide what to do about Robin." Starfire said, drawing their attention to the issue once again.
"We have to go back there." Cyborg said, slamming his fist into the tabletop. "We have to get him back!"
Everyone began talking, expressing opinions, ideas, plans, anything they thought they could use.
After a long while, the Titans sat in silence. They had thrown ideas around the table for nearly four hours. None of them came close to anything they could use to outwit Slade. Defeated now, they sat in silence, not trusting themselves to speak.
"What are we going to do?" Star asked finally, breaking the silence.
Everyone turned as Raven walked down the stairs, pressing one hand against the wall for support. Beast Boy instantly got up to help her, but she ignored him and he sat down again looking defeated.
"We go. Without a plan. Because Robin needs us, and sitting around here isn't helping him."
"Right." Star instantly stood up, looking toward Raven. "Are you certain you are strong enough?"
"We'll find out soon." Raven responded, leading the way to the door.
OOOOO
What? Where am I? What happened? I opened my eyes, the room spinning in front of me. My whole body hurts, the laser wounds stinging and burning.
"Permission to commence downloading?" A robotic voice said faintly.
"Very good." Slade? But how did he- "Commence."
My mind is ripped apart and I am thrown into darkness once again.
OOOOO
Star landed outside Titan Tower, her feet touching on the dirt moments before the others arrived.
She surveyed her meager force with all the scorn of a general going into battle. Raven skin was a grayish color and she staggered slightly when she landed. Beast Boy appeared fine, but she had seen for herself the scorch marks on his skin. Cyborg had puncture marks on several of his metal components. And still they wanted to fight.
If only I'd been there! Her mind screamed for what had to be the millionth time since returning to face this nightmare. Cyborg was wrong. It wasn't him that put the idea in her head that she was responsible, it was herself. As much as her rational side wanted to argue to the contrary- She couldn't have known, it wouldn't have mattered- She couldn't help feeling horribly guilty.
Stop feeling sorry for yourself! She ordered, This is about helping Robin!
"Are we ready?" She heard herself ask. No one responded, but she knew the answer already.
"Let's do this."