TheUbu (I'd be Ubu but someone took it!)

I'm a crazy Canadian and some of my writing may reflect that. Don't be alarmed and run for the hills, I'm sure it won't hurt too badly.

I am so so so so so so so sorry! As some of you know, I'm graduating from high school this year and I've been tied up with exams all week! I have two more to go but I had to get this chapter out! If there are still any readers, thank you so much for sticking with me despite my lack of updates. I love you all!

Disclaimer: This legal mumbo jumbo is pretty annoying… I guess it's better then getting sued though. I do not own the Teen Titans; any characters contained within are not mine and belong to their respective owners with whom I have no affiliation. I do own the story so have fun!

Warning: Huge ass chapter ahead.

Chapter Seven

'How can this be possible! Trigon is powerful but even he doesn't have enough power to posses someone while he's still in another dimension.' Thought Raven.

"How can you do that?" She asked. "That shouldn't be possible."

"There are a great many things I can do that you know nothing of. My power only grows stronger as we near the advent of the planetary alignment." Replied the demon.

Beast Boy stood and prepared to transform but his collar gave him a shock that brought him back to the floor.

"STOP!" Shouted Raven. "YOU'RE KILLING HIM!"

Trigon didn't acknowledge her and seemed to be quite amused at the electronic trigger in his hand and the effects it was having on the green changeling.

"He may be treacherous but he does have an interesting array of devices." Trigon thought aloud.

"I WON'T OPEN THE PORTAL IF YOU KILL HIM!" Raven screamed.

Trigon removed Slade's possessed thumb from the trigger and looked sternly at her.

"Whether he's dead or not, you will open the portal. I've taken this human body to see to that." He stated. "Prepare yourself, the alignment will be in five hours."

Trigon exited the room and Raven moved once again to Beast Boy's side.

"Don't provoke him like that. He'll kill you…" She told him as she laid down and wrapped her cloak around him.

Beast Boy groaned. "Wasn't really my first plan."

Raven smiled and squeezed him tightly.

:-:-:-:-:

"So how long will it take you to make the restraints?" Robin inquired into the communicator.

"Well normally, something like this would take at least a day just to modify the equipment to be able to make them; But Mas and Menos could probably have them made in four hours." Bumble Bee replied.

"Four hours then about an hour to get them here…" Robin thought aloud. "It'll have to do. We'll need all of Titans East here if this is going to work. You up for it?"

"Count on it!" Called Aqualad and Speedy from the background.

"Guess that's a yes." Said Bumble Bee.

:-:-:-:-:

'There has to be a way out of here.' Beast Boy thought.

He looked around the room again for what seemed like the hundredth time. His eye's fell again on the one snow-covered window. How high was it? Twenty? Twenty-five feet? There has to be a way.

"So what's this whole deal with you being some kind of portal?" He asked.

Raven looked at him sadly. How could she tell him? He'd do anything to stop her once he found out and Trigon would end up killing him. Wouldn't he end up dying anyway though when Trigon destroyed this universe? No. It was better that he didn't know.

"I just have to open a portal between these two dimensions… He'll come through and bring about the end of the world." She said mournfully.

'What's going on? She just completely avoided the question…' Beast Boy knew that something else was happening. Something Raven wasn't telling him.

"No. Trigon said that you were the portal." He stated. "What's going to happen to you Rea?"

How could he have seen through her so quickly? Was she that obvious?

"I… I…" She hesitated. "I am the portal. When the planetary alignment happens, I have to perform a ritual and my life energy will tear a hole from our dimension to his."

"Life energy? Will you be alright after?"

A look of sadness consumed her features once again. She couldn't tell him. But he knew she wasn't telling him the whole truth. If she did lie, it would be a huge lie and he'd see right through it like he did the last.

"No Beast Boy, I won't be alright afterward. I'll be dead when the last of my life energy leaves me…"

Beast Boy stood holding Raven tightly as soon as she had informed him of the fatality of the ritual. He couldn't let it happen. He wouldn't let it happen. He'd have no purpose to live if Raven died. No purpose to fight. The world would be as good as dead to him even if Trigon didn't come through.

"Then you're not doing it!" He cried. "We'll get you out of here. Away from him!" He franticly looked around the room again as though some method of escape could have appeared since the last time he looked.

Raven placed her hand on his cheek and brought his gaze to hers. His eyes were so desperate, like a trapped animal. They softened when she looked deeply into them though. He didn't understand. This was her destiny, the reason that she was born. There was no fighting it, because even if they did manage to escape, where would they go? This wasn't just Slade they were dealing with; It was Trigon.

"There's no way we can fight him. Lets just enjoy what little time we have left. I love you Bea-Garfield." She said, silencing his protest with a kiss.

They kissed for what seemed like eternity itself but Beast Boy broke away.

"I can't accept that Rae. We'll get out of here. I'll find a way to keep him away from you. What happens if you don't open the portal? How long can Trigon stay in Slade's body after the advent?" He asked.

She didn't know what would happen if the portal wasn't opened. She'd known since she was a child that she was going to be the portal. The prophecy said it so it had to be true. But that's all it said; there were no 'what ifs?' involved.

"I don't know…" Stated Raven.

"Well it doesn't matter. We're getting out of here, now."

:-:-:-:-:

"Cyborg." Robin called into his communicator. "Have you found anything useful in the basement yet?"

"Yea." He plainly replied. "There's actually quite a cache of ordinance here. Most of it's your stuff but I could use some if I modified it a little."

"Sure, I'll be there to help you in a minute."

They had been searching through the debris for anything that might aid them in their coming battle against Slade. They were trying to find some of Robin's freezing discs but he'd kept almost all of his equipment in his room, which was now complete rubble. The underground levels of the tower were relatively undamaged, save for the rubble of the upper levels burring it. To that end, they were glad that they had retreated to the garage but were still stricken with a sense of grief and defeat.

Prior to searching with the rest of the Titans, Cyborg had searched one of the few intact memory banks left in the wreckage of the mechanical attackers and found out where they had come from. It looked like they had originated from under the old city library. Deep under the old city library.

"How long must we wait for the arrival of the Titans East?" Asked Starfire as she flew down next to Robin. She had tears in her eyes which were obviously caused by the deaths of both Raven and Beast Boy.

Robin checked his watch and told her.

"Three hours." He wrapped his arms around her. "Don't worry, we'll make him pay for what he's done."

:-:-:-:-:

Beast Boy stared at the window. It was their only way out. It was only about twenty-five feet from the floor but it might as well have been a mile. Without the ability to fly or otherwise get themselves to it, it was hopeless.

"I think I've got it!" He exclaimed. "I know I'll get shocked of I change but I think I can hold an animal form long enough for what we need."

"So what's the plan?" Raven asked.

"Ok, this is going to sound kind of stupid but I think it'll work. If you climb on my back and hang on to my head while I turn into a giraffe, I can raise you to the window."

Raven gave him an incredulous look. It sounded like something out of a cartoon but what else could they do? The door was locked and for all they knew, Trigon could have been sitting on the other side of it. From the looks of the snow on the window, they were underground too. Even if this plan worked there was one small problem.

'How is Beast Boy supposed to get out? Even if I do get up there, he can't hold on to anything when he changes back… He'll be stuck on the floor…'

"So what happens to you?" She asked quietly.

Beast Boy tried to look as though the question hadn't crossed his mind but he knew his face revealed something. This was only going to get Raven out of here. He went over the all the options he had but there was no other way around it. Raven looked about ready to cry as she realized what he was suggesting. She held him tighter than she'd ever held him before.

"NO!" She shouted. "I WON'T LET YOU!"

Beast Boy held her shoulders and gently pushed her away just enough to look her in the eyes.

"Look Raven, I know this isn't the ideal situation but it's the only way. If we don't get you out of here, Trigon will kill me anyway along with the rest of the world. Hell, along with the rest of the universe! I love you so much Rae… But I don't matter. So long as you're safe, I'll be happy no matter what happens to me."

"You matter to me! I'm not going to leave you here to die!" Raven desperately cried.

Beast Boy smiled sadly. He knew this was going to be tough but she had to get away from Trigon. Had to stay away long enough for the alignment to end.

"It'll be ok Rae. I don't know how much time we have left but once you get out go straight to the Tower and get the others. They can come back and help me out of here."

"But-" Raven was cut off by a kiss.

Her green love was kissing her with all of his soul and all the love he had. Every last ounce of emotion he ever had for her was poured into it. He knew this was going to be the last time he ever saw her and he wanted it to be memorable. A feeling of pure bliss and contentment took over Beast Boy's entire being. Something he never wanted to end but knew it would soon have to.

As they parted Raven nodded with a forlorn look. Beast Boy knelt down on a knee as the dark Titan he'd come to love climbed on his back. He knew what was coming next. Pain. It would come fast and strong as soon as he began to transform. What he had to do was concentrate. Concentrate on the form and hold that image in is mind no matter what. The pain would be blinding and almost certainly cause his concentration to falter but he wouldn't let that happen.

Even if he'd been a joker all his life; a fool, immature, just some idiot who didn't know when to be serious or had ever done anything correctly, he knew that now was going to be different. Now was something he couldn't mess up. The fate of the universe, and more importantly, the fate of his love was hanging on this one act.

The image of a giraffe held solid in his mind and he could feel his body start to rearrange itself to that form. The electricity surged through him as soon as the transformation started but he held on. His legs, arms, and neck began to elongate and the electricity kept coming. His vision had gone white now and he could no longer hear or feel anything but pain. He held the image in his mind though, he'd not fail Raven.

How much time had passed? Hours? Minutes? Seconds? Had he even fully transformed? The pain was all consuming now and he'd lost all thought but the lone image in his mind. He couldn't even remember why he was thinking of it but knew it was important for some reason. He desperately tried to keep the animal in his mind but it was becoming fuzzy and dark. It didn't look like anything but a dark blob now and he felt himself slip away.

:-:-:-:-:

Raven got onto Beast Boy's back and placed her hands on top of his head as he had instructed. She didn't know if it was going to work but hoped that she could get to the window quickly so that he would endure less pain.

The transformation began and Raven could feel the muscles under her convulse as the electricity flowed through them. She began to get higher and higher as the transformation continued and she knew that Beast Boy was struggling just to stay standing. She was propelled further off of the ground towards the window. Fifteen feet, ten feet, five feet. She was so close that she could see the sky but it was only for a brief moment because the half formed giraffe she was mounted on was reverting back to its normal form.

The ground was coming toward her faster and faster and she finally crashed into a heap on the floor on top of Beast Boy. She felt sore but save for a few bumps and bruises, was unharmed. The one she was lying on top of must have endured a great deal of torment. She could again smell the disgusting and sweet smell of burnt flesh due to the intense electric shock.

She shifted the collar and felt for a pulse as she inspected the skin. The burns were severe and bordered on third degree. He was alive though. Barely.

Drawing on what little energy she had left, she focused it all to her hand. Focusing like she had never before. Tears flowed down her face from the intense concentration and the seemingly irrevocable state of Beast Boy's body.

"Don't die…" She quietly begged while the soft glow returned to her hand.

:-:-:-:-:

"How much progress have you made?" Asked Robin.

"They're working as fast as they can but it looks like they'll finish on time." Bumble Bee replied.

"Good. Only an hour and a half to go."

Robin and Cyborg had been working on fitting some of his freezing discs into the heads of Cyborg's rockets. They were small but packed a pretty good charge and with the added power of the small projectiles, could possible inflict a decent amount of damage. There were plenty of freezing discs to go around but Cyborg only had two dozen rockets. After he spent them, he'd have to resort to throwing them like Robin.

The freezing discs were only one part of the plan. Aqualad would be playing a big roll since he had the ability to control water. The plan was to surround Slade with water and then hit him with as many of the freezing devices as possible. As Slade broke out, Mas and Menos would get the restraints on him. The plan was far from solid, but nothing could be in a situation like this.

:-:-:-:-:

His head throbbed. Every heartbeat was like a sledgehammer to his temples. What happened? Why did he have the headache to end all headaches?

His eyes fluttered open and he saw Raven hanging over him. She seemed to be healing him.

He groaned. "It didn't work did it?"

Raven had Beast Boy's head resting in her lap and was healing the injury inflicted by the collar. There was still a large scar but it was nothing like it had been a short time ago.

"Don't ever do that again! You were almost killed!"

'You failed her. The one thing that you couldn't screw up, the one important thing that you were depended on for, and you gave up because of a little pain. You are pathetic and weak.'

'I know, I wasn't strong enough…'

"What are we supposed to do now though? How much time do we have left?" He asked.

"I don't know. Maybe an hour." She replied as she finished healing the wounds on Beast Boy's neck.

'You're going to die now. So will she. And the rest of the world. This is your entire fault. You and your weakness.'

'I know…' He sadly thought.

Tears were rising in Beast Boy's eyes.

"I'm sorry Raven… I shouldn't have let the pain get to me. You would be out of here now…" Tears were trickling down his face.

"It's not you're fault. You couldn't hold on because the collar almost killed you!"

"But Rae-" She cut him off.

"Don't blame yourself." She firmly stated. "You did you best."

"Yea…" He weakly replied.

'Yea I did my best but it wasn't good enough. And now we're going to die. I'm sorry.'

'Not nearly sorry enough you sad excuse for person.'

Trigon entered the room and flung Beast Boy to the side by simple pointing at him.

"The time to begin the ritual draws near. Come to the pedestal chamber now." He ordered in his deep and hateful voice.

"I won't do it." She stated firmly.

Trigon rose his possessed arm and drew Beast Boy toward him.

"Come with me to the chamber now or he dies."

Raven stood. "If I open the portal you must promise not to harm him."

"I promise nothing." He spat. "He will stay alive for now if you begin the ritual, but refuse and he dies now."

"Don't do it Ra-" Beast Boy started but was ceased as some invisible barrier sealed his mouth.

"Come now!" Trigon ordered as he levitated Beast Boy along beside him.

Raven quickly followed.

:-:-:-:-:

"You ready with the ice arrows Speedy?" Asked Robin over the radio in his R-Cycle helmet.

"Yea." He said from a motorcycle of his own that was very similar to Robin's. "I've got enough to turn him into a freaking glacier!"

"Good, we're getting close to the library. Cyborg, we'll need you to find the entrance quickly. He probably has the whole place wired with cameras so we'll need to get in as fast as possible."

"I'll be on it." The metallic Titan replied.

"Will there be enough pipes down there for what we need Aqualad?" He asked.

"That deep? I doubt it, but I'll get the water there one way or another."

"Right. Get ready everyone."

:-:-:-:-:

Raven stood on a high stone pedestal that was shaped like a giant palm up hand with slightly curled fingers. The rough stone wall in front of her bore the large red symbol that represented Trigon. With a wave of his hand Raven's collar popped open and fell noisily to the ground far below.

"Now begin!" Echoed Trigon's voice.

She looked to Beast Boy who still could not speak. His limbs were bound with a hazy dark red energy and he was propped against the wall. It was obvious that he was struggling against his bindings but they weren't budging. Tears flowed freely and heavily down his face as he vainly tried to scream to her.

This was going to be the end. She didn't want to remember it like this though. This was horrible, her love was struggling against something he couldn't fight and she couldn't help him. It should have been different. Even if they were to die, it should have ended with that last kiss.

Trigon was growing enraged by Raven's delay and pressed the button that triggered Beast Boy's collar.

"Proceed now or he dies!"

"Alright I'll do it! Stop!"

The thumb was removed from the trigger and Beast Boy fell limp against his restraints.

Raven began chanting something in an ancient language that was not native to this universe. She floated above the dark gray stone hand and outstretched her arms.

:-:-:-:-:

He pulled as hard as he could against the energy that held him but it was to no avail. It looked like the fog of energy would do little but it felt as though cables were tightly wrapped around his wrists and ankles. He was helpless. Helpless to save himself and helpless to save Raven.

'Arrrghhhh! Why can't I get out of these damn things!' He thought as he tugged his arms against the energy that held them above his head.

'Because you are a failure. You are nothing without your powers. Nothing without me.'

"Now begin!" Ordered Trigon.

Beast Boy looked at Raven. He could see the sorrow in her eyes. They should have been happy now. They should have been snuggled up together on the couch at the Titans tower. He'd feel her body's warmth and her heartbeat against his, and he would smell her luscious and relaxing scent with every breath he took in. That's how it was supposed to turn out. No pain or suffering, only happiness and love.

'This isn't the way it was supposed to happen Rae.' He sadly thought as tears flowed down his green face. 'We were supposed to be happy…'

'Not supposed to happen. Supposed to be happy. What did you think would happen? Did you think you would be safe since you were with her? You were supposed to be stronger for her!'

'I don't know what happened… I tried my hardest and it wasn't enough…'

'Because you allowed yourself to become weak! How did you expect to protect her if you allowed yourself to soften?'

'That's not what happened! She didn't make me weak, she gave me strength.'

'So why are you here now?'

Pain filled Beast Boy body and it only seemed to be intensified by the dark red energy that bound him. All he knew was pain. The voice in his mind was completely drowned out along with his other senses.

"Proceed now or he dies!"

"Alright I'll do it! Stop!"

The electricity and the intense pain it brought ceased and his green form fell forward, jerking to a stop as his arms tugged on the conjured restraints.

Raven started to chant something Beast Boy could not understand and though his hearing had not fully returned to him, knew that it was in a language he'd never before heard.

'Get up! Fight!'

'I… I can't…'

The door to the chamber burst open and eight Titans came storming through bringing their weapons to bare.

"You're going to pay for what you've done Slade!" Yelled Robin in rage.

The one they took for Slade quickly turned around lashing an arm out as he did so. Crimson waves of energy slammed all of them to the wall.

"There are to be no interruptions!" Screamed Trigon from under Slade's mask.

It was plain for all to see that this was not Slade they were dealing with but Trigon. What the hell was going on? Starfire was the first to look past their intended target and spot Raven chanting out the ritual.

"It's Raven!" She exuberantly exclaimed.

The other Titans saw where she was pointing and found her statement to be true. This was starting to get confusing. Robin was the first to shake off the initial shock of seeing his once thought to be dead friend alive and barked out the originally planned orders.

"Hit him Aqualad!"

The other Titans cleared the doorway as the aquatic Titan brought the flood to the intended target. It was stopped though. The same crimson energy that had knocked them all back now held the gigantic amount of water back.

"Titans, split up! Hit him from all sides!" Robin ordered.

Speedy was the first to fire. A quick salvo of arrows was sent directly towards Trigon's chest but they never made it. Some kind of invisible force field caused the arrows to fall to nothing but dust before they even touched him! The same fate met all the other projectiles that were intended to freeze their target in place.

'The others are here! They'll stop him!'

'Look you fool their weapons are useless. Even they are too weak to save her.'

:-:-:-:-:

Raven had become aware of their presence soon after the battle had begun and called to them.

"Run! Get Beast Boy out of her and get away!"

"Continue the ritual or they will all die!"

Trigon swept all of the would-be rescuers aside with his demonic energy and restrained them as he had Beast Boy.

He could feel the electricity moving through him again. The blinding pain that followed brought the dull feeling of the beginning of unconsciousness to him.

'Get up now! You have to do this!'

'THE PAIN! I CAN'T!'

'The pain isn't real! You must fight it. You must get up and break free of these restraints.'

'YOU WERE RIGHT. I'M TOO WEAK.' Beast Boy thought to the voice.

'You're not. Let me out and I can fight. I'm strong. I'm you.'

Raven had come to a point in the ritual where she drew a dagger that was on the pedestal and brought it across the palm of her hand. She cringed slightly at the pain but continued. As the first drop of blood hit the giant gray stone hand, her eyes turned a brilliant white and her hair was blown back as though it were in an intense wind. Tears descended her face because she knew that the universe and people she had come to love would soon be no more. She focused her thoughts on Beast Boy, wanting that to be the last thing she remembered in her last few minutes of life.

Beast Boy continued to be electrocuted but didn't care anymore. He didn't feel the pain but he could now feel the change coming. It was different though. He knew that he would soon be transforming into the Beast but it wouldn't be like the times he previously had. This time he felt control. He was in charge now, not the Beast. He was the Beast.

His muscles rippled and grew along with the tendons and bones. There was no crunching or snapping this time. This time he wanted it to come because he wasn't fighting for control. Razor sharp talons shot out of where his finger nailsonce were and pointed fangs erupted from the newly formed snout. Thick green fur grew over the leathery skin and he threw his head back and howled a loud inhuman howl. Electricity arced over his teeth but abruptly stopped as the transformation finished because the collar shattered due to the size of the Beast's neck.

Trigon smirked. "Try all you want. You cannot escape my powers."

The Beast let out another blood curdling roar and tugged on the crimson energy. It looked to be holding fast but suddenly shattered like shards of glass and dissipated.

The Beast had one thing on his mind and one thing only. The desire to kill whoever would dare hurt his Raven. To tear muscle and sinew, rent flesh from bone, and end the life of the despicable creature who could bring these desires to him.

"No. That is not possible!" Yelled Trigon as he threw orbs of his dark red energy at the fast approaching opponent.

Every orb struck Beast Boy but they did not slow his advance. They caused some damage to his physical form but he no longer knew the meaning of pain.

The green hulk struck Trigon hard and slammed him to the ground. He didn't let up though and was on him again tearing at all he could with his claws. The possessed Slade tried to knock the Beast off of him but was only rewarded with the violent removal of his right arm at the shoulder. No blood flowed though. There was only the loud snapping of bones and the tearing of fabric.

"What the hell has Slade become?" Robin quietly breathed, still restrained by Trigon's energy.

Trigon screamed a scream that would probably haunt the dreams of everyone in the room for the rest of their days. It made the skin crawl and ears hurt.

Beast Boy continued his savage onslaught though and exposed an empty and fleshless ribcage under the clothing. He smashed the masked skull into the ground and Trigon screamed again.

How could this be happening? A lowly beast could not defeat the mighty Trigon! But it was happening. He could feel his soul slipping back into his dimension. He couldn't let that happen yet. He had to make sure that the ritual was completed before he let go of the body.

It was too late. The portal may still be opened but he was going to make sure he ended the life of this green creature before he slipped away.

Trigon cried something out in a demonic language and a giant crimson sphere appeared between him and the Beast. It engulfed the Beast and pulsed rapidly several times before it disappeared with a large enough explosion to send the Beast to the far side of the large chamber.

Trigon raised his head long enough to see the Beast crumpled in a bloody heap in his original human form. He wasn't sure if the ritual was completed or not but he'd soon find out. With that, his control over the body finally slipped and he was torn back to his own dimension.

Ok! I ended the chapter here but this is not the end! I thought I could cram it all into one last chapter but this one is already huge! There's one more left. It may only be as long as some of the earlier chapters but it'll finish it all up.

If you hadn't guessed it, the thoughts in bold text were those of the Beast. It may seem like the Beasts attitude took a complete 180 but I wanted it to be like that. The Beast saw Beast Boy as weak for not being able to protect Raven and didn't even want to be associated with him. When Raven was going to die because of the ritual though, he completely forgot about his earlier hate for Beast Boy's weakness to save her (Hey, he was a part of Beast Boy who loved her too right?(Beast Within)).

I want to express my deepest apologies again for delaying to update but school happens. I can promise you that the following chapter WILL be up on Thursday.

I may pull this chapter down and fine tune it a bit (I haven't really read the whole thing through yet…) but I'm not going to change any major themes.

Sorry but these are going to be brief, it's 2:30AM!

warprince2000: Thanks!

They-Call-Me-Orange: Sorry about the unclearness of that, I cleaned it up a little but so there were no misunderstandings. I hope this chapter was a little clearer.

PMV: Thank you very much.

Darth Sonic: Thanks. I'm not sure if the end of this chapter helped you with that question but I was kind of going with the "payment" he was supposed to receive in the show: His life. I just couldn't really find a spot to put it in.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story.