(Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. Just to let you know.)
-CHAPTER EIGHT-
It was late, and the halls of Titans Tower were dark. Sad Raven wandered about aimlessly, sniffling to herself, lost in her usual fog of depression. Darkness spread towards her from the shadows…
"Awww, what's the matter, dear?" said a disembodied voice. "All alone?"
Sad squeaked in fright and turned to look in the direction the voice had come from. Love stepped out of the shadows and into the dim moonlight from a nearby window, although the shadows seemed to move ahead of her. They seemed to be reaching out towards Sad, and she thought she saw shapes from her darkest nightmares swirling inside them. She whimpered and took a few small steps away from Love.
"Well? Answer me," said Love. She had a smile on her face, but her voice was cold. "Did your friends leave you out here all alone?"
"They don't like me," said Sad, and sniffled.
"Awww, you poor dear, what happened?" Love asked. All trace of warmth drained away from her smile as she continued. "Did your constant whining finally get to them? Did they cast you out here for the mean old killer to take tare of you?"
"They don't like me," Sad repeated. "That's why they're using me as…"
"As what, my dear?" Love interrupted, advancing slowly towards Sad.
"…bait," said Sad.
"Titans! Now!"
Love spun to see Robin, Starfire, and Smart Raven spring out of the darkness. She turned again, only to see Cyborg, Raven, Happy Raven, and Brave Raven appear behind her.
"I'm sorry…" whispered Sad as she hid behind Robin.
"You're surrounded, Love," said Robin. "Give up and we'll go easy on you."
Love screamed with rage and frustration and leapt towards the nearest wall. A glowing black portal opened up to swallow her, but Robin acted quickly—he threw a small device onto the sole of one of her shoes, where it stuck. The tracking device blinked to show that it had activated, and then Love disappeared completely into the portal.
"Cyborg! Can you track her?" Robin asked, turning to his mechanical friend.
"Gimme a second," said Cyborg. He checked his forearm display. "Nothing yet…wait! I have the signal! She's…still in the Tower?" The others looked at each other in shock. They hadn't expected her to be that close.
"Where?" demanded Robin. Cyborg touched a few buttons on his display, bringing up what looked like a blueprint of Titans Tower. A red light blinked at the bottom.
"She's in the basement," he said. "Looks like she's hiding in amongst the generators."
"Right," said Robin, grim determination in his voice. "Let's move."
ooo
The door to the basement exploded inwards in a cloud of smoke. Raven and Brave slipped into the room and took up defensive positions to either side of the doorway. Starfire sped between them and further out into the dark basement, lighting the way with a starbolt held in each hand.
"The way appears to be of the clear," she said. Starfire was nervous, and her grammar appeared to be suffering for it.
The other Titans quickly filed into the room and made their way down the metal gantry to the basement floor, Raven and Brave taking the rear after everyone else had moved past them. Cyborg checked his forearm display.
"It looks like she's just ahead, right over there," he said, pointing at the bank of power generators on the far side of the room. The Titans made their way towards the gigantic machines. Robin shivered. He had never noticed how much the basement of Titans Tower looked like Slade's hideout before, but now the similarities seemed quite striking.
As the Titans came closer to the generators, they could see some dim light emanating from behind one of them. Moving still closer, they were soon able to hear a faint voice.
"…think they might be coming, my love, so we must flee for now. But don't worry, I will finish what I started, and then…"
The Titans rounded the corner of the generator, and saw Love frantically trying to undo Beast Boy's restraints while holding him still with her telekinesis. As she removed the last of the metal bands, Beast Boy caught sight of the Titans and gave a muffled cry—his mouth was covered by some kind of glowing black telekinetic gag. Love turned to see the Titans charging at her.
"No!" she cried, and tried to open another portal, but the other Ravens blocked her attempts with their own powers. The Titans surrounded Love, watching her every move to make sure she did not escape. Beast Boy continued to fight Love's telekinetic hold on him.
"Stop struggling!" Love shouted at him, and her mental grip tightened in her frustration. Beast Boy gasped and nearly blacked out from the pain.
"Let him go, ya big meany!" said Happy, launching a bolt of black energy at Love. It hit her square in the stomach, and she grunted in pain and dropped to one knee. Her control wavered for a moment, and Beast Boy was flung aside to land on the floor some distance away, where he lay without moving.
"Raven, could you check to make sure he's…" Robin began, but Smart Raven interrupted him.
"He will be fine," she said. "He is merely unconscious. We must focus on the task at hand."
Happy Raven approached Love, who was still down on one knee with her head bowed. Love was breathing heavily.
"Come on, Love," Happy said. "Let's not fight about this. There must be some reason why you're doing this, so maybe if we just talk about it things will turn out okay."
"Things will never be okay," said Love. Her head snapped up and she stared at Happy with nothing but hatred in her eyes. "Things will never be okay until you're all dead!"
Black energy exploded out of Love, and focused on Happy for only an instant. Happy shrieked in pain as she was torn apart, and then her body was launched backwards and slammed against one of the generators.
"Happy! No!" screamed Brave. "You killed Pinky! You bitch!"
Brave launched herself at Love, howling with rage, but a second wave of darkness erupted from the black-clad duplicate, tearing Brave apart as well—this time, there wasn't even a body left to throw anywhere. Love laughed.
"Foolish, foolish Brave!" she said, gloating. "She always was so very predictable! I just had to kill one of you, and she threw herself in head first without thinking—such an easy kill."
"Titans! GO!" shouted Robin, and the Titans attacked simultaneously. Love screamed, and another wave of power washed over them, blocking their attacks and throwing them all backwards. The creaking of metal under stress sounded from above them.
"Robin! We must end this quickly!" Smart Raven said. "Love's power is out of control, and she might bring down the whole building around us!" As if to drive her point home, more metallic creaking came from above. Smart dodged a chunk of metal that Love hurled at her.
"We have to…" she began, but then abruptly stopped. She stared in shock at a thick tendril of blackness that had speared her through the chest. Smart coughed blood and dropped to her knees.
"The thrown objects…a feint? Oh, dear…" she whispered, just before the dark energy tore her apart completely.
"No! Titans! Regroup! We've got to…" Robin called, but he was interrupted by a thick wall of blackness slamming down on top of him. Love had pinned him and the other Titans, and was now advancing slowly towards Raven. Raven struggled against Love's power, but could find no leverage to break her hold.
"If you hurt my friends, I swear it'll be the last thing you ever do," she said. Love laughed.
"Hurt your friends, Raven? Oh, I would never do that," Love said with a mocking tone. "I love your friends just the same as you do. I would never hurt them. I only plan to kill you."
Raven stared at her in shock, but said nothing.
"Well, actually my plan was to kill off all the duplicates first, and only then come for you, dear Raven, but it looks like that insipid little twit Sad has fled," Love continued, her face contorted in an evil grin. "Oh, well, I'll hunt her down later. I'll get rid of you now, while I have you here."
"Why?" asked Raven.
"Because you don't deserve your life!" snarled Love. "You are surrounded by wonderful friends, in a wonderful home, and what do you do? You lock yourself away in that ghastly dark room of yours! I could make far better use of your life than you ever could! And I will! Once you're gone, I will be the only Raven left—I will be you!"
"My friends would never accept you," spat Raven. Love looked around at the other Titans, all struggling under her telekinetic hold.
"Perhaps not, at first," she admitted. "But they will soon see that I am a much better friend than you ever were. Beast Boy already has!"
"Oh, yeah?" sneered Raven. "Then why did you have to restrain him?"
"Shut up! It was for his own good!" shrieked Love. She looked like she had lost control for a moment, but quickly calmed herself. She smirked.
"Ah, I see," Love said. "Trying to get me to lose control so I would let go of you and your friends, are you? Well, enough of this."
Love raised her hand, glowing black energy playing around it, and prepared to strike.
"This ends now."
ooo
Sad was hiding. She was good at hiding. She hadn't gone far, though, since she also felt safer when near her friends. She was cowering in the shadow cast by one of the massive generators, watching the fight.
Things were not going well. The Titans, aside from Beast Boy, were all still conscious, but held down by what looked like glowing black blankets, and Love was now standing over Raven, preparing to kill her. Sad didn't want Raven to die. She knew that it would be her that Love came after next.
But what can I do? Sad thought. Love killed Brave, and Brave was much stronger than I am. I'm weak. I can't do anything. She sighed.
Besides, they don't like me anyways. Even if I did fight Love, they still wouldn't like me, and I would just end up dead, like Brave. And Happy. And Smart, and… Sad sobbed, remembering all the others that Love had already killed.
But then she heard a new voice in her head, one that she had never heard before. It said: Maybe you're right. Maybe they wouldn't like you even if you stood up to Love. But how could you live with yourself if you just ran away?
Sad considered this for a moment.
Yes, she thought, the reason they don't like me is because I'm a coward. If I run away now, I'll never be anything but a coward. Sad made a decision and stood up.
Even if I can't keep Love from killing Raven, and even if they still don't like me even if I do, maybe, just maybe, if I stand up to Love…
Sad started running towards Love, who was now poised to deliver the killing blow to Raven.
…maybe I can finally start liking myself…
ooo
Love stood over Raven triumphantly, pure black power swirling around her hand.
"Goodbye, Raven," she said. She pointed her hand at her captive, released the spell she had been holding inside, and…
…and Sad crashed into her, seemingly out of nowhere. Love screamed, and her concentration was broken. The spell, which had been held in control by the power of her will alone, went wild. It vented its power in all directions at once, creating an explosion of blackness that spread throughout the basement. Unnatural winds howled out away from the source of the power, where Love and Sad struggled. They were surrounded by an intense light that seemed impossible in the darkness caused by the spell. Finally, the power of the spell was cut off, and Sad Raven was flung, lifeless, back into the shadows cast by the generators.
Love rose unsteadily to her feet. Her dress was torn in several places, and she had cuts and bruises all over where the spell had turned against her.
"Well, that was annoying," she said. "But now that I don't have to worry about any more duplicates, I have you all to myself, Raven."
"Not exactly," said a voice from behind her. Love turned. Robin, Cyborg, and Starfire were standing behind her—when Love's concentration had been broken by Sad's unexpected attack, she had lost control of their restraints as well as the spell. She backed away from them, only to bump into Raven. Love's eyes widened in fright, and she fell away from her.
"No!" Love shrieked. "You won't win! I can still…" She stopped. She had tried to telekinetically force the Titans away from her, but it hadn't worked. She concentrated and extended her hand.
"Azarath, metrion, zinthos!" Love screamed, but nothing happened. She was spent, her powers worn out. She sobbed.
"No…I was so close…" Love whispered to herself as the Titans closed in around her. "I was…"
There was another loud creak from above, then a snapping sound, and a huge shadow detached from the high ceiling of the basement. One of the massive pieces of machinery attached to the ceiling had been loosened by the waves of power Love had unleashed, and had just snapped the last cable that had been holding it in place. It plummeted towards Beast Boy, who was only now beginning to come to.
"NO!" screamed Love, and ran towards him, breaking through the Titans before they could react.
Beast Boy, who had just gotten up onto his hands and knees, found himself shoved roughly away, and then a thunderous boom nearly deafened him as the massive piece of machinery slammed into the floor behind him. He looked up to see the other Titans running towards him.
"Beast Boy! Are you okay?" asked Robin.
"Yeah, man, that was pretty close!" said Cyborg.
"Ugh…yeah, I think I'm fine," said Beast Boy, rubbing his head. "What the heck just happened?"
"Friend Raven's doppelganger of Love had been defeated, but when the large machine dropped from above she broke free from us and managed to push you to safety!" said Starfire. "But where is she? I do not see her."
Raven pointed. The others turned to look, and gasped.
Love was lying on the ground, her legs and lower torso caught under the massive piece of metal. Blood dribbled from her mouth and nose.
"Beast Boy…" she said, little more than a whisper. Beast Boy knelt down next to her, and she smiled weakly. Her violet eyes were half closed, as though she was very tired, and tears were running down her cheeks.
"I…I love you, Beast Boy," Love said. "Don't ever…let her…tell you different…"
Love's eyes closed completely, and her last breath came out with a sigh.
-END CHAPTER EIGHT-
Author's Note: I almost broke down a few times while writing this. I had already known going in that Love was going to sacrifice herself to save Beast Boy, so that didn't affect me so much, but Sad's inner monologue was new—it just popped into my head, and I wasn't exactly ready for it. Again, I'll apologize to the Raven/Beast Boy pairing fans out there who were hoping to see some Raven/Beast Boy action, or at least some more Love/Beast Boy action. Pretty much every "Raven's Emotions" story I've seen includes that kind of fluff, though, usually with Raven discovering her love for Beast Boy by the end after having to deal with all her crazy emotions. That's all well and good, but it's not what I wanted to do, partially because I wanted to buck the trend, but also because I think that tragedy is easily the most moving genre out there. I love the old Greek stuff like Oedipus Rex, which is incredibly disturbing, and Shakespeare's Hamlet is easily my favourite play ever, although I will admit that I'm not much of a theatre buff. I suppose I could have labeled this story as being in the tragedy genre, but I think that that would have ruined the story. Besides, a little disappointment will do you good.
Some of the more observant of you might have noticed that I broke my cardinal rule regarding fight scenes in this chapter, which is "Stay away from the 'Evil Raven Stick Everybody' scenarios". The difference between the fight between the Titans and Love in this chapter and the fight between the Titans and Anger in Chapter Four is that I had a game plan this time. I had a very clear idea of how this fight was going to go, even down to the order in which the remaining duplicates would die, whereas in Chapter Four I only knew that Angry had to be powerful, but that she had to be defeated anyway. That made things much easier. So my recommendation to people writing fight and action sequences is this: fights with lots of participants (not just all on one side) can be complicated and awkward to write, but having a plan always helps. Anyway, the next chapter is the last one, and then I'll do that Director's cut thing I've been babbling about.
Oh, and when I'm describing the basement, I see it as it appeared in Fear Itself, although maybe a little bit more spacious.
To My Reviewers:
CloudsHalo: Yeah, the whole rationalization of Raven's emotions being separate but not being actually pulled from her mind is a bit of a stretch on my part. I think I might have made it a bit too complicated, but it doesn't really work otherwise. I'm glad I was able to make you doubt your suspicions that Love was the killer, even for a little bit.
stella-s55: Does this answer your question about what happens to Beast Boy? Because if it doesn't, well…uhhh…hmm. It really does, doesn't it? Nevermind.
Spazzfire: Yeah, there's really no stopping Love when she's on a tear. Aside from, you know, dropping heavy objects on her. Ooh, that was tasteless of me. Oh, well, I'm too lazy to delete it. Enjoy!
SnowwhiteandtheSevenDragons: Beast Boy fleeing in terror is always good for a laugh. Anyone other than me fleeing in terror is good for a laugh, really. I'll have to put more terror in my next couple of stories. Ha ha! Terror.