Chapter 6: Birds and broken shackles

Beast Boy plowed into a surprised Starfire. He suddenly felt himself being lifted up by the back of his shirt. He turned into a green puppy and looked pitifully at Robin's narrowed eyes…er mask.

"You better not have hurt her," Robin growled. Beast Boy tucked in his tail and whimpered eyes darting over to Starfire who was winded, but pulling herself easily back onto her feet. She hovered in the air as she always did, flittering quickly over to Robin.

"I am undamaged, Robin. Friend Beast Boy has enough to worry about… you do remember how you felt when you were first attempting to ask me out on a date? This must be the nervous feeling Beast Boy is experiencing… only worse because he might not be able to EVER see friend Raven again," Starfire preached sagely to her blushing Boy-wonder. Beast Boy nodded his puppy head vigorously and Robin sighed and put him down. Starfire smiled and kissed Robin lightly on the cheek. He blushed a deeper crimson. Beast Boy shook his head.

"Can I please get on with what I need to tell you?!" he whined frantically. The couple nodded. Beast Boy couldn't help but notice Robin slip his arm around Star's waist. If only he and Raven were the ones with their arms around one another. He shook off the thought and returned to the task at hand. "I did a search on Romeo and Juliet. Evidently they were quite notorious jewel thieve in other cities…" he paused. "Ah, by the way do either of you know what notorious means…I uh, forgot" Robin explained. "Anyways, their biggest enemy in other cities was a guy named Crow," BB thrust a picture into their hands. A man with White hair and glittering red eyes stood in front of a bleak background. He wore a long leather coat with a flipped up collar and that was all one could tell about his attire as the coat was buttoned to the top and the ends swept the ground as to conceal his feet. Robin lifted an eye-brow. "I think he may know how to help Raven," Beast Boy said. Starfire nodded.

"Then we shall depart to his dwelling at once".

Beast Boy shook his head. "I think Star should try and find Raven, keep her thinking about other things, things that aren't painful. Robin, you and I should find this Crow guy and figure out what he knows," Robin agreed. "I think this is where we can find him, he came to our city shortly after the thieves came; at least, that's what the article said online," Beast Boy stated.

"Should we head out now?" Robin and Starfire nodded and they all headed for the door. Star waited as Robin pulled out the R-cycle and Beast Boy morphed into a hawk. Robin went over and gave star a light peck before putting on his helmet and zooming off after Beast Boy. Starfire watched a moment before flying off in the other location, consulting her communicator for information on Raven's where about. Beast Boy and Robin stepped into a dark alley, Robin having parked his ride out on the street. They tentatively shadowed through the alley, crossing beneath absurdly annoying flickers of light which Beast Boy did not fail to complain about. Robin shot him a grimace. He was obviously unhappy about Star being by herself and Beast Boy's whining wasn't helping much either. Beast Boy countered the look with a smirk. Robin was much too overprotective of the 'fragile' girl. Yes, indeed, the fragile girl with alien strength and star-bolts and eye-beams. The two walked on in silence, both equally annoyed with the other. Tension was running high as the Crow figure presented on the picture had not been one to all too friendly. They heard a near-silent whoosh behind them and both shot around to face the being that stood before them. The red-eyed man looked them over with raised brows.

"So, you are the ones who put away those nasty little love birds?" the thought vibrated through them, as if he had entered their minds. Robin scowled. "You did want to speak with me, didn't you?" he questioned, again with his eerie thought speech. They nodded warily. He stared at them haughtily. "I know how to free Raven, I shall go to her and tell her how…she should like to see me again, I'm sure. Now Beast Boy brought up his courage and, though it was not much, he mustered enough to reply.

"No, now I don't know who you are or if you were one of her old freaky Goth boyfriend, or whatever. Either way, she's with me now… sort of… but yeah." He nodded vigorously. "If anybody's gonna talk to Rae it aught to be me," he stated firmly. Crow simply laughed.

"Not possible, Green one. You cause pain. She wouldn't be able to stand the pain long enough for you to explain… though it's quite simple to explain." He sighed. If you truly do not wish for me to see her I will convey the message to Starfire and she may speak to Raven… Starfire is with Raven, is she not?"

It was now Robin's turn to disagree, or at least interrogate.

"How did you know Star, and about our problems, and that we needed to speak with you?" he gritted his teeth. Crow sighed again. How the man was sighing in their brains stood to reason.

"I speak to you mentally, I understand you mentally. I know quite a lot about both of you simply from preliminary readings of your mind, I go no deeper as to save people embarrassment… Beast Boy, I would have you know I would never and have never done such utterly perverted things with Raven. It defies my morals." He seemed almost to growl but still not a true sound escaped his hard lips. Beast Boy blushed. Crow was obviously not the type of guy he had thought… but still he could not get anywhere near HIS Raven. Robin handed his communicator to Crow.

"Raven?" called Star as she entered the park. She heard a muffled groan coming from a small, secluded circle of bushes. She soared over quickly. "Friend!" she cried in disturbed anxiety. Raven sat up, her cheeks tear-stained and her hair littered with twigs and leaves. Raven's hands were dirty with mud as she had obviously been clawing at the ground in futile attempts to alleviate pain. Starfire still could not understand humans and their urge to grab something when in pain. Raven looked at her groggily.

"Star… what are you doing here?... Beast Boy's not here, is he?!" she said suddenly looking frantic before clutching her stomach and rolling to her side, away from Star.

"Raven, I am alone… I have been sent to help you keep your mind from friend Beast Boy. Are you welcome to my companionship?" Raven nodded, she didn't feel like talking but it might help. Raven opened her chapped lips, about to say something but she was cut off by the chorus from Star's communicator. She opened it and watched as a strange man appeared.

"Starfire, walk out of listening distance from Raven." He commanded her. She was startled and awkwardly obeyed. She murmured she'd be right back to Raven who was curiously straining to see who was speaking. When Starfire was a short distance away she nodded for him to continue. Crow looked at the pretty girl on the screen with piercing red eyes. "For Raven, to be released from her curse… she must find it within herself. She must focus her thoughts on Beast Boy and endure the pain, fight it, break her chains. She will be released… from all her emotions, they will flow as one. She will be whole. Raven will no longer need to hide her feelings; her meditation will then only be needed to become stronger. She will not need control." Starfire blinked.

"Truly? She must endure the pain?" Star asked, concerned for her friend. Crow nodded. When he had spoken it had startled Robin and BB as his voice was remarkably like Raven's. Obviously male, it still contained that odd flatness Raven carried. Star sighed. "If I must report the news I shall, but to watch my friend in pain will be most terrible…" she closed the communicator unhappily and drifted heavily back to Raven. Starfire swallowed and explained all Crow had said, but being unsure of his name as he had not told her, she simply left it out and called him 'the strange man'. Starfire failed to connect him with the man in the picture shown to her earlier by BB.

Raven swallowed, her throat felt very dry. "I will do whatever it takes to get back to Beast Boy," Raven stated with that emotionless tone. Her usually stoic face now radiated fear. A bush seethed and writhed in black light before dissipating. She was scared to face the pain… but for Beast Boy…

Author's Notes: Are the chapters all screwed up? I'm confused... I think they're in the right order but I'm not positive...