NOTES: I got the idea to start writing Teen Titan's fan fiction after reading Bring me to Life (story by Sage of Story read all 4 chapters if you get the chance...amazing stuff). Her story convinced me that maybe BB and Raven were meant to be. I liked how she wrote the story around the one song…a little trick I learned in creative writing…using the setting to reflect conflict (like it rains when someone cries). So I'm not exactly stealing the idea…but thanks to her I did find the inspiration for a good place to use it. Also, many of the flashbacks involving Beast Boy and Terra are quotes taken directly from the cartoon series. Don't worry, everything else is my own work
Raven's second flashback is a reference to Malchior from Spellbound (Season Three). This story takes place immediately following Aftershock Part 2 (Last episode season 2). So while technically this hasn't happened yet, I'm switching the order around to fit my story, cause this is a really cool Beast Boy/Raven moment. Sorry if it bugs anyone…
Songs by: FM Static, Seventh Day Slumber, Hawk Nelson
Special Thanks: SageofStory for letting me reference her story as part of the flashbacks in mine. I know the position changed from what I first planned, but it seemed to fit better later in the story. (Anything involving Raven in a coma/in the hospitalare the ideas of SageofStory Bring Me to Life used with her permission)
Chapter One: Aftershock
The stars shone brightly in the night sky, and the waves broke calmly on the island shore. Five teenagers sat on the roof of their home gazing into the dark canopy above them. The night was peaceful, but their hearts were at war. Torrents of mixed emotions rushed over their souls all directed at one person. A stranger, a companion, an enemy…a…friend.
Beast Boy sat back with his legs pulled into his chest, his head down, resting on his knees. His whole body was shaking as he rocked back and forth slowly. Robin and Starfire sat together away from the others. Robin stared into the sky, though his eyes were hidden by the mask, it was easy to read the depressed expression on his face. Starfire had her head resting on Robin's shoulder, her eyes wide in utter disbelief. Her cheeks were stained with freshly fallen tears. Cyborg, like Robin focused his attention on the skies above, refusing to believe the events that had taken place earlier that day. As always, Raven sat alone, apart from the others. It was times like this that her friends' sadness was contagious, and it was times like this that she needed to keep her emotions in check more than ever.
As she sat there, her eyes slowly drifted over to the green figure rocking himself gently. As hard as she tried, she could not keep her eyes off of the grieving boy. "He loved her," She thought.
In the recesses of her mind she saw the young blonde girl standing in the cave. Her hair was flowing in the wind and the ground trembling beneath her feet. Her eyes glowing a bright, violent yellow as the ground tore open beneath her. Spouts of lava sprung from under the earth as the Titans fled the scene. On her way out, Raven turned to see Beast Boy anchored to his position. Though all she could see was the back of his head, Raven knew his unwavering gaze was upon the girl in the cave. As she stood there watching him, Cyborg charged past her and dragged Beast Boy out of the cave.
Raven's thoughts drifted back to the present and she continued to watch her friend. He was all alone just like Raven had been many times before.
"I know he lied, but he was the only person that didn't think I was…creepy." She paused and glared at Beast Boy, "And don't try to tell me I'm not." Beast Boy responded without hesitation, "Ok, you're way creepy, but that doesn't mean you have to stay locked in your room. You think you're alone, Raven, but you're not." Raven stared at him for a moment then she jumped forward, wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him.
As annoying as he was, Beast Boy had proven on numerous occasions that he cared about her. Although he never openly admitted it, no one could deny it. She knew she could always count on him. That night she promised herself that she would return the favor.
Raven stood up and nervously made her way over to her friend, the other Titans oblivious to her movement. She sat down next to him and stared silently out over the horizon. She placed her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently, her way of keeping the promise never to leave him.
Beast Boy was everything she was not. When Raven needed to be alone, he needed someone by his side. Raven hoped that simply feeling another human beside him would help lift the boy's spirits. As she sat there, she heard him whimper slightly, and whisper a single word, "Terra…" Raven closed her eyes, forcing back the sadness inside her. It was a dark day when Beast Boy was unable to smile.
Thunder rumbled in the skies above, and rain slowly forced its way out of the clouds and down to the earth below. One by one the Titans stood up to go inside. Noticing their movement, Raven quickly pulled her hand away from Beast Boy's shoulder. She stood and pulled her hood over her head as she hurried toward the door.
She waited as all her friends made their way inside the Tower. Raven watched as Beast Boy sat there, unmoving. He continued to rock himself as the rain pummeled his vulnerable form. Raven stood there for a moment, watching. Then, she swallowed hard and closed the door. For the first time in his life, Beast Boy needed to be alone.
The scene inside the Tower wasn't any better. Cyborg and Robin sat on the couch playing the typical video game. Their expressionless faces stared at the screen completely void of the usual frustration that accompanied the game. Starfire was sitting off to the side, resting her head in her hands. Her tear stained face and eyes watching nothing in particular.
Raven turned away from the dismal scene and made her way to her room. Once inside she collapsed onto her bead and unleashed a heavy sigh of relief. The ominous décor of her room actually felt brighter than the friends she had left alone.
She pulled a small radio from under her bed and turned it on quietly. It took a minute for the station to filter in through the static, but she recognized the song playing through the noise,
"Caroline, let me wipe away your tears and give you life. Make you feel beautiful again. Caroline, don't throw it all away I'm here tonight to take away your pain, Caroline."
Raven stared out the window watching the rain continue to fall on the world below. She could still picture Beast Boy's huddled form, and in the back of her mind, she wondered if he would ever be the same after tonight.
Outside the rain continued to beat down on the rooftop of Titans Tower. Beast Boy had not moved from his spot. He stared out over the water watching the waves roll gently over the surface. Tears poured down his face and he shivered violently in the cold air around him.
"Strike, apprentice…NOW!" Slade's voice echoed around the cavern. Just as she was about to do the unthinkable, Terra suddenly found herself surrounded.
"Don't do it Terra," Cyborg yelled.
Raven followed up quickly, "It'll be the last thing you ever do!"
Terra hesitated. She could see the sheer hatred boiling in the eyes of her former friends. Beast Boy stared at her, trapped beneath the fallen rubble. Once again, Slade gave the order to attack.
Terra turned to Beast Boy, "I'm sorry…I don't have a choice…" Beast Boy stared deep into Terra's eyes, "Yes you do! You CHOSE to go to Slade, you CHOSE to betray us, and now you're choosing to give him control. Slade isn't doing this, Terra, YOU ARE! It's your life, Terra, your choice."
Terra blinked and stared back at him. After a brief silence she spoke up, "I'm sorry, Beast Boy, for all the terrible things I've done." She turned on Slade, her eyes glowing a violent shade of yellow. She glared at him and yelled, "YOU CAN'T CONTROL ME ANYMORE!"
After a violent flash of white light, Beast Boy found himself back on the rooftop of Titan's Tower. It had stopped raining, but he continued to shed a storm of his own. Tears flowed freely from his eyes as the young hero sat in the silence of the night, "Terra…"
Beast Boy stood up slowly, scattered tears still falling from his eyes. He made his way to the door with his head down. He walked sluggishly through the abandoned halls of Titan's Tower; the dark corridors only added to his desperate mood. He passed by Raven's room just as she was returning from a late night bathroom break. She could hear him mumbling to himself as he continued toward his room, "Not fair…should have been me…" Raven stopped a moment and watched him walk by, obviously oblivious to her presence.
The girl waited for Beast Boy to enter his room before returning to hers. Behind the closed doors of her refuge, she blinked a few times and repressed yet another hidden emotion. She crawled back into her bed and soon after drifted back to sleep.
Inside the comfort of his room, Beast Boy crumpled onto his bed and curled up into a ball. He lay on top of the blankets, unmoving. Faint whimpers escaped his lips as he drifted off to sleep.
The young girl climbed onto a small rock and with little effort, she lifted herself, and the rock, up to the cliff where the Titans had been watching. Robin held out his hand, "We're the…" The stranger cut him off, "Teen Titans! Rock on, it's cool to meet you guys." She pointed at each of them in succession, "You're Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Raven, and…"
Beast Boy jumped in, "Boy Beast…dah…I mean, Bath Boot, uh…no…" The girl finished the statement for him, "Beast Boy?" He shrieked and turned into a turtle. The girl giggled, "Dude, he's hilarious!"
Beat Boy suddenly got his nerve back and he returned to his normal form, "Hilarious…me? Really?"
Then Starfire chimed in with a series of rapid questions, "Where did you come from, how did you get here, what is your favorite color, and would you like to be my new friend?" The stranger paused for a moment before responding, "Earth, walked, red…and, uh…sure…" A bright smile stretched across Starfire's face as she squeezed the girl in a loving hug, "Hello new friend!" Her friend laughed nervously, "How's it goin?"
Raven entered the living room the next morning, expecting to see Beast Boy preparing the typical tofu breakfast, but was surprised to find the room empty. She shrugged it off and slumped down on the couch in quiet meditation, taking in every last second of the calm around her.
Before long, the doors slid open again and Cyborg stepped in yawning forcefully, "So, BB, what's for breakfast?" He paused a minute noticing that the cook was nowhere in sight. "BB?" Raven spoke up, "Sleeping, I imagine." Cyborg grinned, "Alright, then it's my turn for breakfast!" Raven responded sarcastically, "I can hardly wait."
By the time Cyborg had finished making breakfast, Robin and Starfire had dragged themselves out of bed. Raven looked up as the pair entered the room. For perhaps the first morning in her life, Starfire refused to smile, and Robin's eyes were hidden behind the mask just like every other day of his life, but behind the expressionless face, Raven could sense the sorrow. It seemed that the mood hadn't changed much since last night, and even though it was hiding behind the emotionless façade, Raven alone knew that deep down inside, she was upset too. Terra had betrayed them, but her true colors showed through in the end. The young girl had proved herself as much a Titan as any of the others.
Cyborg suddenly broke the silence in the room, "Breakfast is ser…whoa…Raven times three." Raven was the only one to lift her head at the comment. Cyborg laughed nervously, "Heh…well, dig in…Hey, where's BB?" Robin looked up briefly "Still in his room." After that, the four Titan's ate in silence. Typically, Raven enjoyed a little quiet time, but at breakfast, it just didn't seem right. Cyborg was the only one who was openly "happier" after last night, but he was not about to ruin the mood.
Terra pleaded with him, "You said you'd be my friend no matter what remember?" Beast Boy turned his back, "Slade was right. You don't have any friends."
Beat Boy's eyes shot open, "NO!" He sat up in his bed and looked around frantically. The familiar walls of his room brought him back to reality. "Why did I say that," He thought, "She was always my friend." He stood up slowly and paced around his room. Had he actually meant that? No, it was impossible; even after she had tried to kill them, Beast Boy still saw Terra as his friend. He was the only Titan to trust her time and time again. No one else could make him feel the way she did. He would never forget her last night with the Titans. "It's my fault she went to Slade," He thought. "I shouldn't have turned my back…gah! Beast Boy you are such and idiot!"
He jumped at the sound of someone knocking on his door. Robin's voice came from behind the wall, "Beast Boy? Is everything alright?" Beast Boy hesitated a moment, "Uh…yeah…" he said. "As fine as it's going to be," he thought. Beast boy opened the door and forced a fake smile, "So…what's for breakfast?"
Back in the living room, the other Titans had already finished eating. Cyborg was busy cleaning up the dishes, and the others were sitting around staring off into space. Beast Boy opened one of the cabinets and pulled out a box of cereal. He looked around at the others as he sat down, "Looks like I'm not the only one that's still upset," He said to himself, "Even Raven looks more depressed than usual."
The morning passed uneventfully, Robin and Cyborg passed the time playing video games with Starfire watching almost happily, and Beast Boy sat by himself in the corner. He knew the others were starting to cheer up, and he was not about to spread his sour mood.
Raven took her eyes away from her book a moment to watch her green friend; his expression even made her look cheerful. "This has to stop," She thought. Suddenly the sirens went off as red lights flashed around the tower. Robin jumped up, "Trouble!" Immediately the Titan's dropped what they were doing and ran for the door. As she was about to step outside, she turned to see Beast Boy still on the couch with no intention of coming along. "Beast Boy!"
Beast Boy jumped, "Huh…oh yeah…" He hopped off the couch and jogged toward the door lazily. Raven reached out and grabbed his arm, "We don't have time for this." She yanked him out the door and dragged him along behind her, "Let's go!"
"Play time's over Mad Mod," Robin yelled to the scraggly old man standing before them. The man laughed and called back in a harsh British accent, "Oh come on my duckies; old Moddy isn't doing anything wrong. You naughty kids are the ones who need to be punished!" Mad Mod slammed his cane on the ground, and a dozen hypno-screens popped up around the room. "Don't look at the screens," Robin yelled shielding his face. As always, it was too late for Beast Boy. "Quick, make him laugh," came the order from Robin. The boy wonder lunged at Mad Mod drawing out his bow staff. Cyborg turned to Beast Boy, and after a brief moment of contemplation, he unleashed an earth shattering burp…nothing. Cyborg stared at Beast Boy in utter shock, "Dude, what is up with that kid today?"
"Cyborg!" At the sound of Starfire's voice, Cyborg turned to see Mad Mod's cane flying through the air. He jumped up and snatched the cane just before the old man could grab it. Cyborg smirked as he snapped the cane in two, "Heh, time to put you in a home, old man!"
Starfire came up behind Robin and tapped him on the shoulder, "Um, it appears our friend is still in a state of hypnosis." Robin shifted his gaze to Beast Boy, "Cyborg, make him laugh." Cyborg shrugged, "I tried man. He's not comin out of this one."
Raven stepped forward, "Allow me." She hesitated as she watched the drool drip from Beast Boy's open mouth, then, before she had a chance to second guess herself; she licked her finger and gave Cyborg a wet willy. Beast Boy started giggling uncontrollably. Then he suddenly realized what just happened, "Oh man. Not again!" Starfire smiled brightly "Glorious! Our friend is normal again!"
Robin's jaw hit the floor, "Raven…did you just…" Raven started walking away, "Let's pretend that never happened."
Yeah cut me some slack, first post, just looking for feedback so I can make it better for the final version.
Sorry for the sudden stop...I have a tendency to stop in weird places and skip relatively unimportant action...like walking down hallways...
all that would happen at the end is the titans would go back to the tower, then i'd jump forward to the next chapter anyway...it semed un important to me.
post reviews...and seriously...feel free to tell me every little detail thats wrong/bad about this...I know there's a lot of them