Clash of the Titans by CidGregor
Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.
Chapter 3
"He's gotten stronger somehow. That's the only explanation. He's gotten strong enough to be able to move around on his own within that book and project his power. He might even be strong enough to free himself without…well…"
"Without your magic to help," Robin finished.
Raven glared at him in response, but it was short-lived. Her eyes fell to the floor. "Yes."
The Titans were gathered in the main room around the main viewscreen, where a still image from the surveillance footage of Malchior's prison book was currently displayed.
"So what do we do about it?" Robin asked. "I know you don't like to be reminded, but you were around him a lot more than the rest of us. You knew him best."
"Thought I knew him best," Raven snapped.
"Even so, you still know more about him than the rest of us. Where could he be going? What could he be planning?"
"DUH!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "He probably wants to get back at Raven for shutting him back in his smelly old book again."
Robin glared at the changeling. "Beast Boy, this is serious, stop being…"
"No. He's right," Raven interrupted. "He might have other goals in mind, but sooner or later he's going to come after me with everything he's got."
"Then what do we do to stop him?"
"We do nothing. I meditate; try to find out where he's gone and what exactly he is going to do to get his revenge. It's me he'll be coming after; this doesn't involve any of you."
"If it threatens your life, or the lives of the citizens of this city, it involves us plenty," Robin countered. "Let us help you."
"I'm sorry. There's nothing you can do."
And without waiting for a response Raven departed to her trashed room, leaving the other Titans dumfounded in her wake.
"Man, what is her deal?" Cyborg muttered. "She's acting like you, Rob."
"Me?" Robin inquired.
"Yeah, you. You always had to deal with Slade all on your own. Never letting us help you."
"Oh, you mean like you just HAD to go after Brother Blood all by yourself!" Robin shot back.
"Or when Starfire left on her own cuz of that transformation thingy?" Beast Boy added.
Starfire gave him a pouting glare. "You are not helping matters. And if you will remember, Beast Boy, you yourself went after Slade alone when Terra was-eep!"
Starfire cut herself off as the changeling visibly flinched, his whole body seeming to deflate at the mention of their lost friend. An uncomfortable silence filled the room for a handful of seconds.
"I…I am sorry, Beast Boy, I did not mean to…"
"It's…fine…" Beast Boy muttered.
Robin stepped forward to steer the conversation out of dangerous waters. "Look…we all have things that we needed to deal with on our own. This is Raven's. We should just…"
"No!" Starfire exclaimed. "We shall not just stand aside and let her take the entire burden upon herself! We have all tried that, and each time, we succeeded only when we realized that we needed to face our problems together."
"Girl's got a point, Rob," Cyborg admitted.
Robin sighed. "I know…but Raven's the only link we have right now to Malchior, and her meditation is the only thing that's going to lead us to him and help us find out what he's planning. Whether we like it or not, Raven's the only one who can do it."
"So we just let her try to take him on all by herself?" Cyborg demanded.
"No. Our part comes once she finds him. We all take him down, together, just like any other criminal. In the meantime, we'll do the best we can to help Raven with her search anyway. Cyborg, get back on surveillance and try to get a projection of where the book was going. Star, BB, do what you can to help him. I'll get on the police frequencies and scan for sightings of the thing flying over the city."
Cyborg and Robin left the room, but Beast Boy held back, his gaze burning holes in the floor. Starfire too did not leave yet, watching her green companion with a vague feeling of guilt and trepidation.
"Beast Boy…" she said, "…truly, I am sorry…I understand that Terra is still a painful memory for you…it was wrong of me to bring it up…"
"Really, Star, it's okay," the changeling assured her with a brief glance and a forced smile. He headed toward the door, but stopped as he reached it, his eyes on the floor again.
"…Beast Boy…?" Starfire said.
"How long has it been now, Star?" he responded. "Since she was frozen, I mean?"
"I am not sure…" Starfire started.
"Six months, eight days, twelve hours," Beast Boy cut her off, answering his own question. "More than half a year. And in all that time…we're no closer to finding a way to free her. I…I feel like we're failing her."
"Beast Boy, that is not true. Cyborg has researched the problem in every spare moment he has in order to develop the technology to free her. And Raven has pored over her many spell-books in search of one that might also free her. Whether it be by technology or magic, surely one of them will discover the means to free our friend from the stone. It is just a matter of time."
"It's not just that, Star…I mean, you guys all saw how close we were, Terra and I…but…it was more than that. At least to me it was. She was the first girl…heck, the only girl I ever cared about…y'know…that way…that felt the same about me. Even when she…turned on us…I knew she still cared, I could see it in her eyes. I knew how much she still felt for me. And I still cared about her…but I…in the end, I couldn't protect her. I couldn't save her."
"Did you…love her?" Star asked tentatively.
Beast Boy looked back at Starfire, and a miserable smile crept onto his face. "Yeah…I think I did."
"Then do not despair, my friend. The ones we love never truly leave us. This is especially true in Terra's case, for she never really left us to begin with. She is still alive and well, and one day, we will free her. That is what I believe."
"For my sake…I hope your right."
Beast Boy turned back to the door and headed through it, with Starfire following in his wake.
C'mon, you ancient bag of bad breath, show yourself… Raven thought silently. Her senses were stretched as far as she could reach them, but with no luck. Either Malchior had left town, or he was somehow shielding himself from her senses. Either way she was growing irritated…the dark dragon had a knack for drawing that out of her, it seemed.
"Raven, try to focus your search on the southwest side of town," Robin's voice suddenly crackled through her communicator. "There are several police reports of civilians sighting a purple light shooting past them, and they all originate from that area."
Raven glared at the communicator, annoyed at the interruption, but let it slide as she took the advice and focused more intently on the southwest city sector…
Ah-ha! There you are, you little paper-cut, Raven thought. Her eyes snapped open, and with a furtive look at the door, she flew out the window and after Malchior, alone.
"C'mon, man, I promise I won't tell anyone!"
"I am not having this discussion with you, Cyborg."
"Oh, lighten up, Rob! It's not like we haven't figured it out already."
"I told you, she's not my girlfriend…"
"What, so you've never even kissed her?"
Robin's face went a deep shade of crimson, and Cyborg let out a roaring laugh. "HAH! I don't believe it, you did kiss her!"
"NO! It…she kissed me, it wasn't like…"
But Robin's words were drowned out by Cyborg's laughter. "I bet that's not how Starfire would tell it! Ha-hah! Well, spill the beans, Rob! How was it?"
"Is there an off-switch for your mouth somewhere?" Robin growled.
"Yeah…you tellin' me what I wanna know!" Cyborg said with another laugh.
"It was nothing!" Robin insisted. "She was just trying to free me from Kitten's mind control chip!"
"Wait, wait, wait, that's how that chip got fried?" Cyborg asked, a huge grin plastered on his face. "Man, Rob, that must've been some kiss…"
Robin's face was now about the same color as Starfire's hair; he could tell because she had just walked into the room and was staring, politely curious, at the boys.
"Cyborg, what on Earth is so amusing? And why has Robin's face changed color? Is he ill?" she said.
"Yeah…he's got the love bug!" Cyborg cackled.
"Shut up, you lousy hunk of…" Robin started.
"I have never heard of this 'love bug,'" Starfire broke in. "What are its symptoms? Is it very contagious?"
"Well, it-mmpphhh mmhhmmhph!"
Cyborg was silenced by Robin slapping a hand over his mouth. "Never mind, Star, what is it?"
"It is Raven. Her communicator signal is leaving the Tower at a very rapid speed."
"Leaving the Tower…? Oh, no, Rob, she's doing it! She's going after him on her own!"
"I think you're right, Cy," Robin said. "Star, what direction is her signal moving?"
"Southwest."
"I figured as much. She must have found where Malchior is hiding. Where's BB?"
"He was the one to first discover her absence. He is on her trail as we speak."
"Good. Everyone, let's get after them. Titans, GO!"
Author's Note: Bonus points to anyone who notices the reference to a Brian McKnight song in this chapter. Hehe!