Chapter 7: "Devotion"
Over the next two weeks, Rith settled into a comfortable role in the team, despite being such a new addition. He got along well with everyone, and often mediated between Raven and Beast Boy in his passive, disarming manner. Dishes and breakfast were usually taken care of before anyone else could even get to them, and he seemed to enjoy hanging out with everyone, though noticeably during Raven's meditations. With Cyborg, he helped test modified sonic weapons, and was even allowed to help tweak the half-robotic boy's car, which everyone revealed to him was quite an honor indeed. With Starfire he helped take care of her little, grub-like pet, inherited from Killer Moth and Beast Boy in turn, and practiced his defensive techniques as she worked on her firing patterns for her star-bolts.
Robin often sparred with him, the pair giving each other pointers on their different weak points, though Robin noticed he was giving less advice than taking as the days passed, Rith never making a point of it. Rith and Beast Boy got along quite well, which was a bit surprising considering how often Beast Boy and Raven were at odds. Their animal-sound game became a team favorite quite quickly, though it usually fell down to the pair of them being helped by Starfire and Cyborg. Running low on animals to mimic, the game shifted into using an animals to make a tune, and both the animals and the tune had to be named at least, if not mimicked.
Beyond an obviously agreeable relationship, Raven and the new Titan interacted little. He often served her tea if she was reading or talking with the others in the living room, but never directly sought her out or intruded. No one doubted his persisting, particular regard for the dark-haired girl, but his reserve and passive manner hid it very well.
In fact, he didn't even propose any activities between them until the morning two weeks after Dr. Gear had been handled. Placing tea down in front of Raven as the others started to eat, he smiled gently, tilting his head to the side so that she knew he had a question. She took a sip, but looked up at him with calm interest.
"I don't mind at all if you dislike the idea, but I was wondering if I could join you for meditation today?"
Starfire tried in vain to hide her giggle and flushing face as she sat beside Robin. Raven's eyebrow twitched, very aware of the others' attention, but then looked up at Rith with her usual composure. "Doesn't bother me. How long do you usually meditate for?"
"How long do you?" he continued, his kind tone obviously hoping to meet her accommodations rather than his own.
Raven shrugged, setting her cup down. "An hour or so. I didn't think you usually followed that long a stretch?"
"Indeed, not," he conceded with a tip of his head, "but I would be happy to make the attempt."
Allowing a faint smile to show, she tipped her head in response. "Sure. After breakfast then?"
"It will be my pleasure, Raven," he answered with his kind smile, and stepped away to fetch his own breakfast.
Beast Boy leaned to Raven. "…So would that be as close to a date as you get?"
Raven's eyebrow just twitched as her eyes flashed and anger-marks pulsed on her temple. Beast Boy yelped, crashing onto the floor as his stool flipped out from under him. The others stifled laughs, trying not to make too much fun of their friend, but this time Rith didn't move to help the green boy off the floor. He'd been quite close to doing the same thing himself… Cyborg yanked Beast Boy up, who grinned meekly, and set his friend down on the uprighted stool. It was worth noting that the stool was black before it uprighted itself, Raven's expression calm again.
"You were kinda asking for that one, Beast Boy," Robin finally said, looking across to him with a wry smile.
Beast Boy just grinned, and dove into his tofu.
After breakfast, as agreed, Raven and Rith stepped out onto the roof of the tower. Raven led the way over to the ocean-facing edge, and dropped down into her usual posture. Rith took on a very similar posture to her right, his staff on the ground to his own, with his hands simply laying down on his knees. Raven's were, as usual, more elaborately postured with their backs on her knees, the middle finger and thumb touching, and the rest spread loosely as if to help collect the information of the cosmos.
She could sense Rith's peaceful mind as he calmed and focused himself, and so she floated subtly off the ground, and gently began her sutra. "Azarath metrion zinthos…" She continued to chant even as she noticed a shift in the world around her. Her eyes semi-opened, and she glanced down to Rith. The world had gone absolutely silent, all she could hear was her own voice, her heart, her breath. Rith just smiled faintly, sensing her subtle glance, and she let herself fully focus. He kept them in undisturbed silence, she maintained the droning rhythm of her almost hypnotic voice. They were both able to relax much more easily than before, each aiding the other in dismissing distractions, yet both meditating in their own ways.
The depths of Raven's mind began to coalesce in a strange vision. Her emotions remained calm, but she saw her father, roaring over a shattered world, and then an effigy of herself, the markings Slade had put on her glowing bright and clear. The two were connected, she knew, but this time she felt something more. Her effigy suddenly shivered, and folded over, as if ill or convulsing, and then a great crimson light filled her mind's eye, the effigy wrenching back with four eyes, power bleeding off and exploding into the darkness of her mind. And then the ideas she had shared with Rith returned to her awareness, and the effigy slowed, the four eyes becoming two once more, the symbols falling away. The calm face of the effigy drew her mind's eye close, and abruptly she was looking at her own face, full of sorrow and pleading before she cried, "Help me!"
Raven's eyes snapped open with a soft gasp, her chant cutting off and the sounds of the world abruptly returning to her ears, almost painfully loud as Rith looked up to her in concern.
"Is anything wrong?"
She let herself touch to the roof beside him, maintaining her posture. "I'm not sure," she admitted, looking down. "I saw a very strange vision… Not like the others…" She focused on the ocean beyond. If I'm the one who destroys the world… why am I begging myself for help to stop it? But then… that's what I've been doing the whole time, isn't it? Begging for it to stop… So which is the real me? The destroyer or the beggar?
"I'm afraid this discussion will have to wait," Rith muttered, standing and offering his free hand, his other holding his staff, as she glanced down at her blinking cloak-clasp.
She took his hand absent-mindedly, rising to her feet. "Trouble. Let's find the others."
(Later…)
Robin led the Titans calm march into a large, industrial facility on the South end of the city. Starfire and Raven floated along, everyone looking around cautiously, Rith keeping his senses attuned to the areas closest to the building itself. Raven was the first to comment, "Awfully quiet for a break-in…"
"No kidding. Something's not right about this," Robin agreed, brow creased.
A rush of air made them all focus ahead, and a dark figure hit the ground with a solid thump, touching one hand down ahead of his armored boots. "Hello, Titans," Slade announced from his black and orange mask, his visible eye sharpening with dark pleasure. "Thought I'd say 'hello' again."
Raven's eyes flared, and she sank to the ground, the others tensing into battle stances, Rith bracing with his staff and creased brow, easily noticing the darkened, almost panicked looks on his comrades' faces.
"It can't be time already…" Raven breathed, but her voice was weak, her eyes hallowing rapidly.
"Still denying your destiny, Raven? I told you I'd make sure you never forgot."
This time something shifted inside Raven. She almost growled, snapping her legs apart and jamming her arms at Slade, her soulself blasting off as the other Titans split to the sides. Slade's eye widened with momentary surprise, the dark stream crashing into his chest and sending him flying back, the far wall of the massive facility spewing dust and debris out from the impact.
Slade stepped out of the rubble chuckling, however. "Awfully impetuous, Raven, but I'm impressed with your power… as always."
Robin had blast-discs ready in his hand, standing off to the left of Raven with Cyborg. "Titans! Take him DOWN!"
He, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire shot in, Slade dashing to meet them. Blast discs flew, Cyborg fired, and Beast Boy charged in as a T-Rex. Slade's right hand burnt through the blast-discs like butter, and he unleashed a blast of flame into the sonic beam before spin-flipping ahead, his boot slamming across Robin's head. Landing with a sharp twist, Slade round-housed Cyborg so powerfully the half-robotic boy flew off, skidding and tumbling to a halt near the right wall.
With the red character glowing on the forehead of his half and half mask, Slade flicked his forearms into the paths of Starfire's bolts, blocked her charging eye-beam with his left hand, and shot into the air, roll-curling just past her, slamming his feet down into her back. Starfire shouted in pain, and smashed down into the cement floor, shattering a crater for her body just as the green T-Rex finally charged in. Slade, still falling, smashed his fist down into the dinosaur's snout, Beast Boy reverting with a dazed grunt, crumpling to the ground.
Slade landed, generating an aura of flame that dispersed a distortion flying at him from the right, and blocked a beam of darkness from the front of the building. He ignored Raven for the moment, and glanced sidelong to Rith. "You're new, aren't you? Yes, I don't recall seeing your face before, child."
"Slade, I presume?" Rith asked sharply, his voice hissing as he dashed in and leapt at Slade's head, swiping with his staff.
"Indeed," the villain replied, his body flickering out of Rith's attack path faster than the boy had expected, and he took a chop to the base of his skull. Rith simply groaned, and crumpled to the ground.
Slade twisted around, grabbed the boy by the scruff of his cloak, Rith barely holding onto his staff, and threw him to the far right wall, where he tumbled to a halt short of slamming into it. At last, the armored, resurrected fighter focused on Raven, walking slowly forward, hands clasped behind his back. "It's just you and me again, Raven. Like I said, you can't stop any of it."
Raven was frozen, standing in horror at the sight of her friends unconscious or badly hurt. This was all her fault… if she had never come, she could have kept this out of their lives… But why did she have to give up everything? How could her father presume this? Her anger exploded, and she glared at Slade with her pale fists clenching violently. "I'll BREAK YOU!" she roared, her voice distorting as her overshadowed eyes split into four, glowing points, her body arcing off the ground like liquid shadow, claws bursting out of her cloak to rend Slade to pieces.
Slade shot back, but she was faster, her shadow claws slamming across him in blurred flurries of ferocious power, pitching him through the air as his armor fracture and tore, the dark warrior finally tumbling away as Raven fractionally calmed near the center of the facility, her soulself raging around her body, red eyes blazing as four crimson slits, teeth bared furiously.
Rith managed to push himself off the floor, the other Titans just beginning to recover as well, and his brow creased as he sensed Raven. Then he focused on Slade. The dark warrior slammed his palms forward, unleashing a blast-beam of hellish fire, but Raven just pulled one hand back, rammed it forward, and a wall-wave of darkness obliterated it. The attack shot through and engulfed Slade's torso, Raven almost smiling in her dark fury as she started to prowl forward, one leg stepping forward at a time. "How does it feel, Slade?" her distorted voice demanded. "I'll crush you like an insect!" she roared, her power bursting off her body in waves as the extension engulfing Slade started to violently constrict around him, his armor creaking. Veins of crimson began to lace through her soulself, like bloody lightning.
Slade didn't cry out, on the contrary, his eye narrowed faintly in satisfaction. Perfect… her rage is building on itself.
The markings appeared, blazing on her forehead, writhing down her palms upper her arms, all over her body under her clothes, down her legs. Raven kept squeezing, roaring and gasping with power. Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg could finally look up, and were frightened and alarmed to see what was happening. Rith's expression tightened with empathy. It's her rage he wants…
"Raven?" Robin called in panic, his eyes wide.
She didn't hear him. Slade would break in her power, it would all end, she would destroy it all. None of it would stop her! She released her crushing attack, flowing closer to Slade, who built power around his body. She rammed her left arm to the side, darkness blasting his power to wisps, knocking him back violently. "No more tricks for you!"
Slade continued to smile to himself. It's a little ahead of schedule, but I doubt my master will be upset…
And suddenly Rith shot between the two, surprising everyone in the facility. Slade's eye widened with controlled alarm and irritation. Rith skidded to a halt, his cloak and hair writhing, staff out in his right hand, as he faced Raven, arms spread, blocking Slade from her as he focused into her transfigured eyes. "No, Raven! Stop!"
The crimson gaze narrowed in fury. "Move aside!" A dark claw erupted from her hand, and crushed around Rith's body, leaving all but his head darkened, the boy grunting and gritting his teeth from the pain.
"Raven!" Beast Boy yelled in shock, trying to stand, but falling to his knees with a pained wince, clutching his head. He looked up through his fingers painfully.
Raven wrenched Rith to the side, and used her red-veined power to slam him into the far wall, baring her teeth at him as her cloak writhed over her undulating soulself, casting her into a frightful effigy of darkness and crimson. She pulled him closer, squeezing a little more each moment as the markings blazed on her visible skin, her power writhing across her body, filling the air around her. Slade watched with satisfaction. "It seems to have begun…" he muttered.
Rith could barely breathe, but his straining face calmed a bit, his eyebrows softening as they wavered from pain. "Y-you… are not a monster!"
The eyes wavered, but she growled, starting to squeeze again.
"Raven! This is not what you want!" Rith gasped out, sympathy for her overriding his protesting body. "Do not let him manipulate you! You would never hurt your friends!"
Her eyes melted back to normal abruptly, their lavender depths wide with horror at her own actions, the markings fading away. "…Rith?" Her power dispersed, Rith gently slipping to the ground. Raven ran toward him, cloak flailing as her hood fell down. "Rith?" she cried in alarm, dropping down beside him as the boy almost fell flat on his front, his staff clattering to the ground.
Tears welled up in her eyes as he smiled wanly at her. "See? …Told you… you'd never hurt your… friends…"
Raven held up him as gently as she could, almost sobbing. "I'm so sorry! I could have…! I almost…"
Rith shook his head, the other Titans watching, able to ease faintly. The blind boy continued to smile warmly for the young woman. "That wasn't you, Raven, just a part of you, a part you control. You stopped," he said with calm emphasis, and repeated gently, "You stopped."
Raven's eyebrows rose softly, tears dripping down her cheeks. "…I stopped it…"
He nodded. "He wants you to let that out, to let it take over. You are not a monster, Raven, but you are very powerful. That does not mean you will hurt your friends."
She actually managed a smile, grateful for his kindness in that moment more than ever before. He had done so much for her, taken so much punishment, and was still helping her.
And then Slade loomed up beside them. "Excuse me while I vomit!" Speaking in disgust, his fist pulled back, and shot down at Raven herself. Darkness engulfed her hands, and she blocked away from Rith, a shockwave pulsing through the air.
"I have a choice!" she firmly called back, and then wrenched her arms down to the left, her soulself flaring with the light in her eyes as her hair flailed.
Slade grunted, thrown across the floor from her power. The girl rose to her feet, her soulself, pure darkness once more, swirling around her hands, and then flew at Slade. He scoffed, and dashed to meet her. She snapped her hands into position ahead of his blows, shields of soulself blocking just beyond her palms as she flitted around him, rarely touching the ground. Rith, meanwhile, breathed powerfully in recovery, clutching his staff on the ground as he anxiously sensed Raven's battle.
Starfire summoned power in her eyes, but it fizzled out, and she rubbed her back, sitting up in the rubble of her fall. "I-I am… too weak to help Raven…"
Robin was barely staying upright on his knees himself. "We have to… think of something, team…"
A blow sent Raven skidding back behind a shield of her power, her cloak and hair flailing backward as she grunted from the exertion. Slade came charging right in, ramming her back step-by-step.
"Do you actually think you can stop it, Raven? You can't escape your fate! You're going to destroy the world, and everything in it!" Slade rattled on with dark pleasure, swirling and striking her shield so violently and rapidly that she could barely maintain it, yet alone fight.
Rith listened with growing anger in his heart, his jaw clenching as his grip on his staff tightened. This was the one who had made Raven feel so terrible for being who she was. The dead man who made her feel like a monster, who took away her hope. She was fighting with such strength and courage, taking on all her fears and a seemingly invincible foe all at once, and she wasn't getting an inch of slack. Nothing was letting her ease her wounded heart, nothing was simply helping her realize she was a good human being.
His expression darkened firmly, and he flickered off the ground.
Raven strained from another blow ramming her back almost to Starfire, Cyborg and the others watching anxiously. Slade came down at her with a roar and chop of his right hand, slamming it into her crossed arms, engulfed in soulself. Slade chuckled. "You think this will stop me, Raven?"
Her eyes blazed, but she had already used so much strength… "I'll do whatever I can. I won't let you hurt my friends again!"
An aura of orange light formed over Slade, and he broke through her power. Raven gasped in pain, and he grabbed her forearms. Raven cried out, wincing her eyes shut as he burned the vision back into her mind. Tears welled back up, and she opened her eyes painfully to look up at Slade's satisfied, narrowed eye. Despair clawed at her heart. "…I won't turn on my friends… you can't make me," she breathed at him despite his hold on her.
He squeezed her arms, making her cry out again, but he suddenly looked up, his eye widening, and Raven gasped from surprise, stumbling back as Slade was rammed away by some horrendous force. The back of the facility exploded with a massive shock-wave the next instant, massive pistons and metal plating raining down to the ground. Raven's eyes widened as she watched with the others, seeing the distortion of the shock-wave fade.
Rith skidded out of the rubble, his staff braced ahead of him, Slade shooting out to finish off the new Titan. Rith focused with dark determination, and flickered out of sight, Slade's fist shattering the ground. Slade sent a fire-wave to his left, which burst around a distortion that ripped toward the flame-wielding warrior, a staff swiping at his head. Slade ducked, flickered, and Rith appeared, blocking ahead with his staff and moving to the right as he faced the others at the other end of the building. His staff twisted and flicked around his left arm he blocked and parried dozens of blows in a few seconds, suddenly ramming into the air with a violent distortion shooting out, he and Slade crashing into the top, right corner of the building with shattering ferocity.
Cyborg blinked. "Geez… they'll take the whole building down fighting like that. Look at Rith go…"
Raven's mouth was agape, seeing the violent fighters blitz through the ceiling, Rith twirling and snapping his body and staff into Slade, the villain's back plowing through the metal and cement surface. The purple-haired girl shook her head free of the trance, and hurried to Starfire, the closest. "I can heal some of the damage," she explained quickly, holding a hand near Starfire's bruised back.
"You scared us, Raven," Starfire admitted meekly, grateful for her friends help.
"I scared myself," the other girl admitted quite honestly, glancing over her shoulder with worry.
Rith grunted, his body snapping taut from a blow to his chin, sending him shooting to the floor as Slade shoved himself down from the ceiling, both his feet already down from ramming into the boy. The ground shattered under Rith for a radial crater, Slade shooting down wreathed in flame, but the blind boy snapped up, twirling violently and ramming one heel up into Slade's chin as the tyrant landed. A shock-wave burst out from the site of impact, Rith's power expressing itself before Slade rocketed up into the ceiling near the back wall.
The sound-controller dropped to his feet, facing the back wall, his staff held along his back with his legs braced wide. Slade dropped down, and faced Rith, the boy panting, he barely exerted. "Most impressive, child. If I didn't serve my master at the moment, I would find you a very enticing prospect… especially since my last apprentice turned out so… pathetic."
Raven was helping Robin at last, she and the others looking up as Slade spoke.
Rith was unfazed. "I won't let you near her again."
Slade chuckled. "You are most interesting, boy. I sense no uncontrolled rage to manipulate, no delusion of your chance of success."
The boy ripped off the ground, dust blasting away from his feet, and arced just over Slade. The man swung with his fists and snapped up with his feet, but Rith twisted and writhed, blocking with a foot, hand, foot again, and staff before flipping over and landing to face the flame-empowered villain once again. Slade chuckled, turning slowly to eye the young man. "Pardon me, I haven't faced someone like you before. What was your name?"
The boy gave no response, only focus.
Slade chuckled again. "I see, of course. Your friends don't even understand what you're doing right now, do they? No, they're not like you, child. You are mistaken about the girl, however. She has an amazing destiny to fulfill, you shouldn't deny it to her."
Raven's emotions flickered from shock, anger, to fear and back again. Her heart shrank at the idea of Rith pausing, hesitating at the information… but as she watched, she only saw Rith stand strong.
"Your master's goal for her is of no consequence. You can not make her do anything against her will. Before you try again, I will do everything in my power to stop you."
Slade finally laughed outright, holding his head as he leaned back. "I have absolutely no doubt of your sincerity, child! She doesn't know, though, does she?" he continued, looking down at Rith, his eye focused as if raising the eyebrow above it. "How far you're willing to go for her?"
Raven's brow creased, but she and the other Titans were finally recovered enough to stand. Starfire gathered energy around her fists and eyes, Beast Boy turned into a wolf, and Cyborg activated his cannon.
Slade suddenly twisted and shot for Raven again, but Rith vanished as fast. All the Titans unleashed, but Slade obliterated their long-range attacks with a wall of flame, dashing for Raven as he landed from his attacking leap. A blur crashed into him from the left, however, and they both vanished into the right wall, a trail of distortion and a fresh shock-wave shattering most of the moorings, the Titans retreating from it as it came raining down.
Rith backflipped out, Slade charging after him. The glowing hand and distorted staff met at the middle, Rith blocking high, hands on either side. His cloak and hair rippled madly as the ground beneath he caved in, but he held. Finally, he looked over his shoulder. "Get Raven out of here!"
"We're not leaving you alone with him!" Raven shouted back just as firmly. "I'm not abandoning anyone just to save myself from him!"
Slade laughed, and shoved down to the side. Rith was caught, and sent flying, but he flipped over, landed, and shot in again. Slade flared his power on his right, but Rith's staff struck with the power of sound amplified violently, and the flame and distortion swirled off each other. "Ah, child, I am most impressed." He suddenly flipped high over Rith, forcing the boy to twist around and meet him as he landed.
"You would actually die here just to buy her a few minutes of time…"
Raven's eyes flared, her body going faintly numb. The others were simply shocked dumb. Slade's statement was made so real by Rith's calm, grim stance and complete focus. There was no wry humor, no little joke, he was simply ready to give his all, and he didn't assume that meant anything. "R-Rith, don't!" Raven finally shouted. "You don't have to do that for me! Please!"
The masked villain leapt toward the other Titans, and Rith kicked off the ground, ripping through the air, staff held back, brow knitted with focus. Raven drew back, summoning power, Starfire and Cyborg charging their own, Robin and Beast Boy bracing for melee combat. Slade came shooting in, focused on Raven, and used the last second to glance to his left. Rith was there, bringing his staff around from his left, his cloak and hair rattling with his sonic speed. Complete silence engulfed the chamber, the air behind Rith and around his staff distorting more violently than ever, the boy's expression fierce with outrage and focus.
Slade's fist was just shy of Raven, her powers starting to fly out, Starfire and Cyborg starting to fire, Robin and Beast Boy just leaping in, when Rith came close enough, and snap-twisted his staff straight into Slade's mask. Everything froze for a heart-beat, Slade pitching back in the air with the staff-end, and then a sonic wave exploded with shattering force, slicing into the ground and blasting into the walls and ceiling as Slade rocketed clear through the far, back wall, the attacks of the other Titans exploding against bare floor.
Rith dropped to his feet, facing the back wall as Slade leapt back through it. The boy looked ready to drive another blow of such magnitude immediately, his body stiff, braced, and ready. However, Slade stopped, and called loudly for them to hear. "I just came to remind her about her fate, and I think you fought well enough to earn a little reward, my new friend. I'll give your dear Raven a little reprieve… but my master grows impatient. Ta, ta…" He gave a mild wave, turned, and was gone.
Robin slowly eased. "…He's gone…"
Cyborg gasped, Raven sagging a bit with the others, her eyes focusing on Rith. The half-metal Titan whistled. "Rith, man, how could you keep going like that?"
Rith slowly relaxed from his stance, coughed a bit, and then started to collapse.
"Rith!"
Raven caught him with her soulself, and ran to him, catching the blind boy in her arms as she knelt down. The others rushed closer, and she touched her hand to his neck. She exhaled with relief. "Only unconscious…"
Beast Boy looked down at the blind boy with obvious concern. "Geez… He… He was really willing to die today…"
Raven looked at the calm, worn face laying at her knees with soft sorrow. "Yes… for me…"
"Is he so much stronger than any of us?" Starfire asked meekly, very sad she had not been able to help Raven herself.
Robin shook his head. "It wasn't his power that let him do that… or… his power didn't come from just his ability."
Raven nodded faintly, holding her hands in her lap. "…It was his devotion…"
"…I'm sorry we couldn't help like he did, Raven," Robin said, but it was clear everyone felt exactly the same way. There was a deep guilt and sincere hurt in his voice that echoed in their faces as she looked up at her older friends.
"You did… you do… He just… He just knew how to help me remember that. You shouldn't feel like you failed as my friends," she continued with deep sincerity. "I've never seen anyone act with so much devotion… You each did everything you could… I saw that…" She bowed her head, her eyes closing. "I can't thank any of you enough."
Beast Boy put a hand on her shoulder, letting her look up at him. "You'd do the same for any of us, Raven. We know that. It's what being friends is all about. We're here for each other."
"Exactly," Cyborg agreed, stepping up. "The love's felt all around, but let's get this poor kid back to a bed, alright?"
His mild humor let the others relax with some laughter, and Raven started to use her powers to carry Rith, but Cyborg raised a hand to her, and picked the boy up himself. "You did your bit, Raven. Let me help out a little?"
She smiled apologetically, let him continue, and they returned to Titan Tower together. One thing had been made extremely clear to Raven. She had underestimated Rith's concern for her. Even as a friend, his devotion to her was almost disturbingly sincere and complete.
And what was worse? She wasn't sure anything less could have woken her up from her rage. I can't let that happen again. I will not make anyone suffer that much for me. Her eyes glanced ahead, focusing on the blind boy's face as he lay, unconscious, in Cyborg's arms. …But I can't thank him enough for being willing to do it… He had more than earned her trust, she felt. It was high time she considered him truly part of the team. She'd been accepting of the idea since Robin brought it up, but now it was part of her reality. He was a Titan, and her friend. There was no room in her heart for doubt of that any longer.
(Later…)
The door slid open, and Raven stepped through, exhaling in light weariness. Rith had been laid in his bed by Cyborg, and the Titans were all recuperating in their own ways from the harrowing battle with Slade. Her mind was both stronger and weaker from the experience. Rith's words of encouragement seemed to ring true, but there was still so much bearing down on her, and it had been a violent, dark reminder of the very things she'd just managed to forget.
Looking up, nearing her bed, her lavender eyes glanced across her right wall, and she abruptly froze. Her gaze flared with alarm, and she ran to the chest resting against the right side of her room, yanking the already partially opened lid all the way up. The chest was completely empty. Her expression grew alarmed and almost fearful. "No…"
Scarcely a minute later, Robin walked to his door, slowed by bruises, and opened it to see Raven's urgent, alarmed face. She so rarely showed the emotion that he was immediately alert. "What's wrong?"
"It's gone," she started powerfully. "The book, the one holding Malchior. It's been taken from my room."
His concern became more complete. "Mind if we see?"
She shook her head, and they quickly summoned the others, Rith still recovering in his room. Only a short time later, Robin was looking down into the empty chest himself, Starfire floating quietly behind him, Beast Boy careful not to touch anything, and Cyborg scanning the floor with his red optic, slowly walking to the doorway. Raven stood by to allow them their process, but finally spoke up, "I know it was here before we left to fight Slade. I keep this chest locked and sealed with powerful spells. I came in to find it slightly open already."
Starfire whimpered faintly. "But if we fought Slade, how did he take the book?"
Raven shook her head. "I don't know if it was Slade, but a very powerful magic-user was in my room while we were gone. I don't have to tell any of you how bad it is if he gets out and we don't have the book to seal him into."
Robin looked thoughtfully down into the empty chest, stroking his chin, but then turned gravely to his friends. "We're all thrashed tonight. We need time to recover. In the morning, we'll talk more about this. Raven," he added with subtle emphasis, drawing her weary, worried gaze, "we'll need you to tell us more about what's going on… Slade obviously isn't through with you."
Her expression tightened. This was exactly what she'd been trying to avoid. "R-Robin I…" she let her voice trail off as he shook his head.
"Worry about it tomorrow morning. We all need rest. If Malchior does come back, we'll find a way to stop him," he offered in an attempt to let Raven relax a little, but saw her wariness remain.
Cyborg finally turned around at the doorway. "I can't find any evidence of an intruder, but if magic was involved, then that makes more sense. Sorry, Ray, I can't do much more."
She offered a faint smile, shaking her head. "Robin's right, we need sleep first."
Agreed, everyone, even Beast Boy, quickly and quietly left Raven's room. When the door sealed shut behind Starfire, Raven sank onto her bed, staring down at the floor. "…I can't tell them… but… they need to know…" She looked down at her palms, and calmly watched the characters draw themselves across her skin. "They saw it today, a glimpse of it… How can they trust me after they find out?" She closed her hands, the marks fading, but her closed eyes let tears seep down her cheeks as she bowed her head.
A memory made her eyes open softly, gazing with warmer emotions into nothing. Rith smiling at her after she'd almost… He didn't blame her at all, he'd just been there for her. All of her friends were. Robin, Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Starfire were all there for her, as much as they could be. Rith, she knew after that day, would never turn on her, perhaps even if she deserved it, but how would the others react? She couldn't blame them for hating her when they found out the truth, but… she wasn't sure she could handle it.
Raven put up a strong façade almost all the time, but the Titans were her family, the truest one she'd ever had. If the darkness lurking inside her made them turn on her… she truly had nowhere to turn. Thanks to Rith, the little voice in her heart to the contrary had grown louder and stronger. They deserved to know, since she'd dragged them all into this anyway, but more than that… they were her friends, she had to trust them enough, trust that they wouldn't turn on her completely. Angry, maybe shout at her, but not turn on her completely.
Raven exhaled slowly, resting her hands on her lap. Thank you, Rith…Maybe… just maybe you're right about this, she looked down at the marks glowing in her palms. What he said just might be true, and somehow she knew the others would agree with it. Even in the growing darkness threatening her mind, a spark of hope shone brightly, and she could feel it. Feeling a little stronger about her future, Raven lay back at last, and let herself drift to sleep. The new day would bring it's own challenges, but that day was done… it was time to rest.
(Author's Note…)
The story has at least four or five more chapters before it reaches the point I intend to end on. My updating schedule may slow down a bit, so my apologies, but I'll be keeping up with this story as much as possible, don't worry. I appreciate all the positive reviews thus far, thank you very much. I hope you continue to enjoy this story.
