Chapter 4: Where is Friend Raven?

"Where is our friends?" Starfire asked, looking about the main room. Robin just sighed.

"Attending a special game-a-thon competition." He replied. He jumped over the couch and landed on the soft cushions.

"But surely our friend Raven would not attend such a thing?" Starfire stated the obvious. Raven had been acting strange lately, even Starfire could notice that. Why was Raven more tired than before? Star recalled her past visit with Raven, and became really concerned. "Perhaps she followed Beast Boy?" At this, Robin turned his head and gazed through his mask at the red head. She did have a point, but it sounded ridiculous. Raven certainly didn't stalk people.

"Beast Boy?" Robin repeated the name. Starfire merely nodded. Realizing she wasn't going to drop the issue, Robin made a decision. "Let's find them Star." Starfire's emerald eyes gleamed in appreciation. Robin led the way to the elevator, which happened to take its time reaching their floor. A beep announced its arrival, and they instantly ran in and pressed the ground floor button.

"I wish to know our friends will be okay..." Starfire whispered. Robin just murmured a reassurance, though he didn't know himself that it was true. Finally the elevator came to a halt and the doors slided open. Starfire gave a gasp at the mess of the tarp where the R-cycle once sat.

"It's gone..." Robin whispered. But why did anyone take it? Surely Raven could fly. 'Maybe she just didn't want to draw attention flying' thought Robin. Starfire, clearly not wanting to waste more time, blasted the garage door open with her eye lasers. She grappled Robin by the arms and pushed off into the night sky.

Back to the Game-A-Thon...

Robin and Starfire floated over Jump City, looking for any clue to where their friends were. Starfire noticed the T-Car and swooped down towards it, the intensity of the air nearly knocking Robin's mask off. She landed softly on the pavement, but forgetting poor Robin, swung him face first into the concrete parking lot.

"Oww...." He mumbled, clutching his nose.

"I am sorry Friend Robin! I forgot you were with me!" Starfire apologized, lifting him on his feet. Once he regained his stature, Robin took a look at the surrounding vehicles. A few yards away sat the R-Cycle, amazingly not stolen for something so "gorgeous" as Star put it. He rushed over and put a hand over the seat. Still warm, which meant not to long ago the rider had disembarked. Robin nodded for Starfire to enter the building, which had many flashing lights coming from the name. He made a mental note never to allow any titan back to the "Renado" again. Coming upon the door he realized it was locked. Robin tugged hard at the handle, but knew it wouldn't budge. Starfire attempted to tug and pulled it out of its hinges. They walked in and gasped.

"Booyah!" Cyborg yelled, his robotic hand raised in victory. The young blonde boy whom was against Cyborg stifled a cry and walked towards the exit, his head bowed in defeat. Robin searched over the contestants and Beast Boy and Cyborg were within them. But alas, no Raven.

"BB, Cyborg, come over here!" Robin ordered, waving his hand in urgent command. Reluctantly, they trudged over, heads drooped as if they did something wrong.

"Where is our Friend Raven?" Starfire asked them as soon as they stopped. Both boys raised their eyebrows.

"That's it?" Beast Boy asked in surprise. Robin narrowed his eyes and nodded.

"She's disappeared, and she was last seen with you two." He reported.

"Well, she asked what the prize was and we pointed the direction to her, and went back to gaming. Surely nothing could be wrong..." Cyborg murmured softly, so only the titans could hear.

"Show us." Robin ordered, and Cyborg led the way through the maze of gamesters.

In a Dark, Unknown Room...

Raven shook her head as she struggled to awaken. Her mind panged in despair and pain as she remembered what happened. The prize was a fake, it was that silvery blob of goo that killed Beast Boy. But how was she to help him? Suddenly, distant bell tolls could be heard. Listening intently, Raven counted eight rings. She was nearby the clock tower, that she was certain. What had occurred at this time? Suddenly, the scene of the café dawned upon her. It would only be 15 minutes until Beast Boy died! She stood up and banged her head against the low ceiling. She cursed silently and looked around. It was some abandoned warehouse, one of thousands within the city.

"So you are alive. I feared that Greg had done more than just a little knock as he called it." A distant voice echoed. The voice was distinctly familiar, but Raven couldn't picture the figure. Then it hit her like a stone.

"Jack." She yelled in hatred. The voice, finally identified, laughed.

"So you do remember... Good. I couldn't have you messing up my plans, could I? Best way to get you out of the way is to get rid of you myself." Jack appeared in the thick dense darkness of the room. Raven held out her right hand, and noticed that the dark gem was glowing, covering over the bright white gem with its power. It attempted resistance, and Raven could feel the battle raging inside her. She let out a short gasp as her legs gave way. Jack gave a chuckle of amusement. "My famous saying, 'Resistance is Futile', is true, Raven. I give you this last chance to join me, serve the ones below as ordered. Tru Davis is only a young woman of no intellect, she has nothing to give you. But I do. I swear it." Raven felt darkness prevailing as she quivered in exhaustion. The clock tower rang again, signaling that 5 minutes had gone by. Half of the white gem had turned purple, the dark was winning the battle. Raven finally understood why it was so, she wasn't fighting back.

"No." Her voice echoed, and she stood up. "NO." She repeated, her dark aura of powers swelling her entire frame. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" And the dark bird was released in a blinding light. A caw issued from the great being of power, heading straight towards Jack. Jack's eyes widened in surprise at the power coming towards him, and looked at Raven in the eye.

"So, Tru has come to help. Darkness isn't easily thrown, my dear, only help could of done that." And he evaporated just before the bird hit. Raven let out a sigh of relief and fell onto her knees. She felt something on her shoulder, and looked up. Sure enough, Tru was there.

"I am proud of you, dear Raven. You must help your friend..." Tru disappeared and a light shown about Raven, healing her. Raven closed her eyes.

Back in the Renado Building...

"This is the prize?" Robin questioned, looking behind the glass at the cat. Beast Boy and Cyborg merely nodded.

"We wanted to win it for Raven." They both said at the same time. Beast Boy turned red in embarrassment.

"It looks like a Zlorgfark." Starfire said, poking the glass in interest. The kitten looked up with unusual purple eyes at the comment. "Uh... Robin?" The boys, however, weren't listening to Star. The kitten grew in size, losing it's shape and sleekness. "Robin!" She yelled louder. That got his attention. He rushed over by her side and watched the 'cat' grow. It soon pressed against the glass with its new form. The glass shattered in all directions and the blob launched towards Beast Boy and Cyborg.

"Look out!" Robin shouted to the pair, just in time. Both Cyborg and Beast Boy swung out of the way as the blob flew passed. BB could faintly hear a sigh of anxious breathing, coming from the blob. They realized that the prize now was after them. It shot two mini blobs of goo at the boys, each taking a direct hit and slamming through the windows. Cyborg used his sonic cannon and escaped the trap, and blasted BB's blob as well. They stood up and faced the blob. Starfire and Robin were nowhere to be seen. The blob bounced upon the road and gained momentum with each stride.

"Oh Boy." Cyborg quoted, before being flung into the sky. Beast Boy took to the air as a raven, cawing for the blob's attention. He lured the blob onto the rooftops, barely missing some of the chimneys. The blob was fast and soon caught up with BB. Beast Boy reverted back to human form and stood in front of some brick wall that the owners of the building were making. The clock tower bell rang, and the blob prepared to strike. It flung a humongous blob at the unprepared Beast Boy. A black vortex revealed in between the two fighters and devoured the blob. The vortex disappeared, and transformed into a big, black, raven. Beast Boy sighed in relief. It cawed loud, its voice heard throughout the large city. Then it disappeared, revealing the Raven the titans knew.

"You are not to harm him. I banish thee to the sixteenth galaxy!" Her voice boomed. The blob almost looked terrified, it was scrunched up in a funny way. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" A dark ball enclosed the silver blob, and the rooftop shook slightly in restraint. Finally the ball disappeared and Raven collapsed in exhaustion. Beast Boy caught her as she fainted. Starfire suddenly appeared at the edge, holding both a hurt Cyborg and a confused Robin. They ran to their comrades and looked at Raven in both confused but relieved faces. Beast Boy carefully carried Raven in talons as the team flew back to the T-Car and R-Cycle. They got in the car, Robin the R-Cycle, and headed back towards the tower with Raven in their mist.

Author's Note:
Sorry for the long wait, I've had so many problems with my computer that we had to turn it into Best Buy, who took two weeks to junk it and then I got a new computer. Then I had to wait longer just so I had internet.