Disclaimer: I own no part of the Teen Titans or their associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.
(A/N): Last chapter was pretty long, but a lot happened. This one will probably be a little shorter.
Chapter 6
Advent Crimson
Raven forced her self to stand and tried to run for the door. After two steps she fell to her knees and then her hands. She tried desperately to crawl toward the door but her body refused to move. She wanted to scream, she tried to scream, but no sound came from her mouth. She tried to reach out with her powers but they to refused to work.
Within her mind she could feel a tempest of emotion pounding at her skull. All of them were being pushed into overdrive at once…and Anger was the strongest. She could feel her father's presence there to, working on her control. For some reason her rampaging emotions weren't tearing the tower apart, but they also weren't obeying her commands.
A light knock drew her attention to the door. "Raven?" It was Beast Boy. She wanted desperately to answer him, yell, shout, anything, but all she could do was listen as he spoke through the door. "Come on Rae, let me in. Please?" He paused for several moments. "Okay. You may not be listening but I've still got to say this.
"I know that didn't look good, me sitting on a bed next to a nearly naked Terra, but nothing was going on! She was...she was cutting herself. She slashed her wrist and passed out, I was trying to wake her up! And then…and then I had to help Cy get her to the medical bay, or I would have been here sooner. I just…I…I'm sorry. This whole situation is just…it's messed up. I…" He paused again, unsure how to continue. "I…just wanted to tell you that. I'll…see you in the morning. Sleep well. Oh…and Happy Birthday. Sorry I forgot to get you anything."
He turned and headed for his room, intent on trying to get some sleep. Darkness began to close in on Raven after he left. She fought unconsciousness with all her will. 'Beast Boy…' Nothingness claimed her and she collapsed on the floor.
Beast boy woke with his usual grace the next morning and rolled out of bed. Looking at the alarm he realized it was only a half past seven. He thought about trying to catch a few more hours but he somehow knew he was done sleeping for tonight. Deciding there was nothing for it her headed for the bathroom, stretching on the way.
He realized it was Raven's birthday and glanced out the window as he passed. Everything looked normal. "Okay…so, no Armageddon yet. I should get her a present. Now…what would Raven like…" Mechanically working through his morning routine he suited up in his uniform and headed for the kitchen.
Robin and Star were already there eating when he walked in.
"Morning."
"Good morning Friend Beast Boy!"
"Morning Beast Boy. Kinda early for you isn't it?"
"Uh…yeah. Don't know why. Either of you seen Raven this morning?"
"No…"
"Me neither. Cyborg told us what happened, she must have been pretty mad."
"That's why I want to find her. We need to talk."
"I'm sure she'll be around for tea soon. You should just wait for her."
"You're probably right Rob. And I am hungry…" Beast Boy pulled out the vegan components of his breakfast and started cooking. Filling the teapot with water he set it on an open burner. Cyborg joined them a while later and prepared his own breakfast. After finishing Beast Boy set his dishes in the sink and turned to the Boy Wonder. "So…any luck finding info on Verge?"
"Not yet. It's like he just appeared out of thin air. The DVD is our best lead but I still haven't been able to find out anything from it and I've watched it a hundred times." Cyborg glanced up from his plate.
"Hundred times? Obsess much?"
"Just trying to get ahead of the curve."
"Yes, because that's helped us so much in the past."
"Hey, I'm trying to do my job!"
"Which is why it took someone we've never heard of to take out Slade!"
"Friends, I do not think…"
"How was I suppose to know Trigon would bring him back?"
"You couldn't even take him down in the first place!" Beast Boy had tolerated this for a moment but he had been worrying too much and had far to little sleep to keep it up.
"GUYS!" They both turned surprised at the outburst. "Chill! Shit happens! But in the end, we're a team. Remember?" The outrage in his voice had smacked some sense into them. They looked at each ashamed and surprised at their fight.
"Uh…sorry Cy…"
"My fault man. Just been a little on edge."
"Me too." Beast Boy calmed down and turned to Cyborg.
"So…how's Terra?"
"Oh…stable. I treated most of the cuts on her body…she was messed up pretty bad." Robin and Starfire looked back and forth between them.
"Friends…what is wrong with Terra." Beast Boy spoke first.
"She was…she was cutting herself Star." Starfire stared at him confused as Robin's eyes popped in shock.
"She what!"
"Pretty bad too. Scars all over, and not all fresh. There were a few that were pretty much healed. Most likely from the time she was working for Slade."
"Friend Robin…what is this…cutting?" Raven fumbled for a way to explain it.
"Sometime people cut themselves Star…either as a sort of personal punishment or using the pain as a release. It usually happens when someone is very depressed…and has stopped caring." The three titans all turned to Beast Boy, surprised. Cyborg looked the most surprised.
"Where'd you hear that B?"
"It's…just something I ran across…once."
"'Kay…anyway…she should be awake this morning. I didn't restrain her but everything sharp is locked up. Not much else I could do. Besides, if her powers have come back as far as BB says, restraints wouldn't matter." Beast Boy resumed his seat at the table as they looked around at each other. Though they had nothing to say, none of them wanted to leave either.
A half an hour later none of them had moved except for Beast Boy to turn off the burner under the teakettle. When the doors slid open they all looked up expecting to see Raven. Instead Terra walked through, shakily. Unable to meet their eyes she made her way to the kitchen and poured a bowl of cereal. Carrying it and a spoon she slowly sat at the table and stared at the food. The way they weren't looking at her was so obvious they might as well have been staring. Unable to eat she set the spoon down and stared at the flakes.
No one spoke, unable to risk what might come of it.
For better or worse the klaxons of the titan alarm cut through the room. Scrambling to their feet the team assembled. Robin raced to the computer as Cyborg shut down the aural and visual assault. Robin quickly scanned the readout from the printer.
"It's Verge. He delivered a message…in blood…to city hall. 'Titans, I'll be somewhere in the city until 10 this morning. I suggest you come. No telling who might get hurt otherwise…' Damn…that gives us one hour to find this guy and shut him down for good. Titans, GO!"
"Rob…we can't. Raven's not here."
"We can't wait for her. There's no time."
"May…may I help?" They turned to the timid form of Terra.
"What?"
"I…I want to help. You…you saved my life. Please…let me try." Cyborg leaned close and whispered to him.
"Rob…I can't say I like it…but I don't know if leaving her alone is the best idea." Robin nodded in agreement.
"Fine. We could use another set of eyes. Beast Boy, can you take her with you?"
"Uh…sure."
"Okay…you two check the north side. Star, check the west. Cyborg, you and the T-car can search downtown. I'll take the docks and warehouse district. And if anyone hears form Raven, get her there immediately. Titans, GO!" Robin and Cyborg headed for the elevator while the other three made for the roof. Starfire immediately took off. Terra hesitated for a moment before jumping over the ledge to land on a small piece of earth and wait for Beast Boy. Transforming into a hawk Beast Boy temporarily set aside his concern for Raven and focused on the mission at hand. Taking off with Terra in tow he angled to the north.
Setting down the R-cycle upon reaching the shore Robin split away from the T-car and began rapidly tearing around the warehouse district, searching. What he hadn't mentioned to the others was that the message had been delivered in blood…as it oozed out of Slade's decomposing body. What ever Verge's intentions were, he was dangerous and possibly a little crazy. He had to be stopped. For a split second his mind had been at rest. Slade was dead, definitely finished. His mind had finally been able to put that file away. It had instantly opened a new one marked 'Verge'.
Robin wondered for a moment if perhaps he suffered from the same curse that seemed to plague Batman, never to find peace. Bats had once told him in an unguarded moment that he sacrificed his humanity to save Gotham. The suit was slowly consuming his being and pushing everything else away. But so what, he had said. What's the life of one person against what would befall the city if he stopped?
Robin had sworn he never let that happen to him. He would never let his job keep him from being human. But as soon as he had arrived in Jump City, Slade had begun to dominate him. Cyborg was right, he was obsessing. But it was just the way he was.
Every day he thanked whatever powers were at work in the universe that Starfire had found him. She had single handedly kept him from being just like his mentor. If he could put an end to Verge, then maybe, just maybe, he could strike the balance Bruce had never achieved and be both the hero…and the human. For now though, he had a job to do. Hitting a fallen beam he rocketed into the air to get an overview of what was below.
Cyborg slid around another corner though the light Sunday morning traffic, sensors running hard. He had yet to find anything out of the ordinary as he crossed into the financial district.
Cyborg was worried about the rest of the team. Robin and Star seemed to be passing for normal, but Rob had that no-sleep-obsessing look starting to creep in at the far corners of his face. He could only assume his eyes themselves looked even worse. Of course, that wasn't the only reason he wasn't sleeping. Cyborg quickly pushed that line of thinking away. It chanced creating mental images he didn't want or need.
BB and Raven on the other hand… He didn't know what to make of them. They claimed boyfriend/girlfriend but he had a sneaking suspicion there was more to it. Much more. Maybe when this whole mess got sorted out he could probe his green buddy as to what the deal was.
No…the first thing he was going to do was take a week long vacation, pick up Bee and get away for a little while. He took another turn and tried to focus on the task at hand. This Verge character was far too dangerous to let his mind wander.
Beast Boy descended and transformed back into himself as he touched down on the corner of a club roof. Terra floated to a stop next to him and they both surveyed the streets. Forty minutes and nothing out of the ordinary. For such a blatant message Verge was concealing himself rather well. He hadn't expected the guy to be holding a sign and standing on Main Street, but he had expected something. Explosion, fire, screams of the horrified masses…anything. This was creeping him out way worse.
He turned to look at Terra. For a second he could almost see her in her old uniform, black shirt with a yellow T across the chest. Those had been good times. But now he had better times. Or he had had them. In the last day he may have lost them. He still wasn't sure what Raven had seen…or what she had thought. From the door it was entirely possible she had only been able to make out him, gently holding a nearly naked Terra and leaning rather close to her face.
He hadn't seen the blood when he had first looked in; she had merely appeared to be asleep. And then he had seen the glass. A bandage was still wrapped around her wrist and she cradled it against her body. He needed to talk to Raven.
"I'm sorry." He was broken from his thoughts and turned to Terra confused.
"Wha…?"
"For last night. I…I don't know why I did that… My leg just wouldn't work anymore…and I could see the pumping in my wrist… It's…all a blur. And then…you saved me…again."
"I…I couldn't do less."
"I…thought it might be in vain when I saw Raven. I thought maybe I would die anyway."
"I don't think she would have…" Tears began leaking down Terra's face again and her platform fell to the roof.
"I'm so sorry Beast Boy. For everything. For…everything…" She broke down in sobs again. Beast Boy moved to hold her, out of simple compassion. This time she let him. She cried herself dry for several minutes into his shoulder. She pushed away slowly. "I'm so sorry."
"I know. I know.'
"I…I don't know what to do."
"We'll figure it out. We'll-" The beeping of his communicator cut him off. He popped it open to reveal Robin, yelling frantically.
"Titans! To the Docks! Verge is here!" Beast Boy closed the device as the transmission cut off. Flipping it open again he punched in Raven's number.
"Raven! Raven, where are you? We need you! Verge is at the docks! Hurry up!" He slapped it closed again and hooked it on his belt. He turned to Terra, who had managed to stand and regain some composure. "You want to make it up to us?" She nodded frantically. "Then come on." Taking off they raced for the docks.
Robin whipped around another corner and sped down the alley. He turned his head to the side as a shot rang out. The bike jumped as the front tire popped and began to shred. The auto pilot and stabilizer jets took over as he fired a grappling hook and swung off toward the source of the shot. Shedding the helmet as he flew he rolled to a landing near the edge of the harbor. Drawing his staff he rose to a fighting stance and was face to face with a familiar image.
"Robin…we meet at last." Verge stood calmly at the edge of the concrete dock, a hand on each of the guns at his waist. A long coat covered much of him from his spread feet to his shoulders. A wide brimmed hat sat on a crate next to him.
"Verge…"
"The one and only. I see you got my message. And now that you've found me, I'll gladly wait while you call the rest of your team. No trick. Promise." His hands rose and stretched to his sides. Robin was slightly annoyed that his shape was mimicking the tower directly behind him. "Come on Robin. We both know you can't take me your self. Holding his staff with one hand Robin flipped open his communicator with the other.
"Titans! To the Docks! Verge is here!" He slipped the device into his belt and changed his stance.
"Excellent. While we wait…anything you want to ask me? Anything at all?"
"Yes. What are you planning?"
"Ooh…direct, aren't you? I'm afraid that's one question I can't answer. Wouldn't want to ruin the surprise after all. Care to try again?"
"Did you bring Terra back?"
"Terra? Terra…Terra… Oh yes, that statue. What do you mean, back?"
"You mean…you didn't know?"
"News to me. Anything else?"
"Yes…" The T-car slammed around the corner as Star, Terra and Beast Boy dropped in around him from above. "Any last requests?" Powered up the Titans faced him. Instead of being intimidated, he actually laughed.
"Blind fold and a cigarette?" At that moment a powerful cry echoed across the city. As they tried to find the source he slowly picked up the hat and set it on his head. "As entertaining as this might be…I believe you have other things to worry about. Ta-ta." He vanished in a sudden blast of fire and wind. As the smoke cleared a massive black shadow rose and coalesced from the tower behind where he had been standing.
"Raven! Raven, where are you? We need you! Verge is at the docks! Hurry up!" 'Beast Boy?' From a great distance Raven began to wake up. Her eyes fluttered open and she could only see the carpet in front of her face. Her body rose to its feet. As she turned she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.
Red glowing glyphs traced up both of her arms, across her chest and down her legs. Horrified she tried to stay and look more, but her body was moving of its own accord. Desperately she tried to gain control. Move an arm, a finger, anything. She was a passenger in her own body. Seeing out the eyes of a face someone else controlled she watched the surroundings as she passed. Out her door and down the hall she was headed for the roof door.
Where were the others? Why wasn't anyone around? Floating up the steps she emerged onto the roof. Her body took several steps forward and spread its arms. Out of nowhere she could hear a voice. A voice she had feared since birth.
"My child. The time has come. The prophecy will be fulfilled." Fear roared through her, desperation and terror tore at her mind. 'Noooooo!' Her other emotions rose as well, to levels far above safe or even dangerous. Her psyche fell into darkness as black energy exploded outward.
Raven was unable to know her body rose from the tower, a massive raven of energy forming around her and winging its way over the city.
The titans stared in shock as the shadow took form into a raven and headed toward downtown. Running to the end of the block they could clearly see the raven stop over the city and disappear. Beast Boy stared at it in shock.
"Raven…" Raven's body was visible under the blue cloak as a wind blew it aside. She pulled something from her waist and clasped it with both hands. Momentarily transforming into an eagle he recognized it. "It can't be…"
"What Beast Boy?"
"She has the Soul Sword of Togawa! I threw that in the bay! Where did she get it!" As he spoke a sphere of black energy formed around Raven and began to expand slowly. A second sphere appeared within the first and also began to expand. As the first passed through buildings it seemed to have no effect. The second though was a slow moving wave of destruction. From their viewpoint they could see a man who had been watching form the top of a skyscraper get caught in the waves.
After the first he ran for the edge of the building. When the second hit his form was changed as it passed through his body. Last to be consumed were his legs, which had kept running right off the edge of the building. His solidified stone form fell from the tower, and smashed to dust on the ground below. They could only stare, shocked at what they saw.
"No…Raven, no!" Beast Boy raised his hand and tried to step toward her. His feet refused to move. Looking down he was horrified to see his legs turning to stone. The others also realized they were in the same predicament. Turning as much as he could to check on Terra his eyes went wide. Her whole body was glowing with power and her hands were aimed at them. "Terra?" Cyborg's cannon and Stars hands charged to attack before they were consumed by the fossilization. Robin looked murder at her as he was consumed, still struggling to break free. Beast Boy could only look hurt as betrayal cut through him once again. A tear was sliding down Terra's face as she spoke.
"I'm sorry."
Minutes later several dockworkers fleeing the second wave came upon the statues. As the wave overtook them they reached out, desperate for anything to help. Silenced reigned on the dock. The forms of four of Jump City's resident protectors, surrounded by the pleading, reaching people unable to escape and the shattered cityscape were all there was to see.
High above the city a small blood red tear appeared in the sky a hundred yards in front of the chanting form of Raven, who still held the Sword. Red light pulsed from the opening and cast the ruined city in bloody relief. A small burst of white light came from the sword and was quickly drowned out. When it vanished the form of a man appeared and fell through the sky toward one of the ruined towers. Crashing through several weakened floors he rolled along an angled level and came to a stop against a pile of rubble on the twenty-third floor.
His head rose for a moment, trying to understand his surroundings. He rolled to his back as darkness descended on him again and fell into an exhausted sleep.
(A/N): If you feel it is warranted feel free to review. I welcome any and all opinions.
