Disclaimer: Still don't own Teen Titans.

A/N: A moderately short chapter that's rather introspective. Thanks again for the reviews! And sorry if this chapter gets a little sappy/hard to believe… this is written from Raven's perspective (so even though it's in the third person, the narrator doesn't reveal anything that Raven herself wouldn't know) so a few things will be cleared up in the next chapter. Anyway, happy holidays and thanks for reading! And if anyone has any comments or guesses about what will happen next, feel free to throw them out there. I always plan out the whole story before I start writing, so it's interesting to see if anyone can guess what happens next.

Demon Hunters

Chapter 10: Dying

So this was what dying felt like. It wasn't that bad.

Numbness filled her mind, choking out her thoughts. She tried to concentrate on something, but her thoughts slipped past her like fish in a stream. She tried to go into a meditative trance so she would at least be able to escape to the realm of her mind and converse with her emotions, but the poison made it impossible to think.

But, that also meant she didn't think about anything bad. She didn't worry about an afterlife or think about all the things she'd miss… she barely had the strength to acknowledge that her father hadn't tried to manifest to save her, which was really no surprise. Her thoughts were just a passive blank.

The taste of the poison was still faintly in her mouth; it had been sweet and thick, not at all like how she would have expected poison to taste. If she had guessed, she would have guessed that it would be sharp and bitter, but instead it was syrupy sweet and intoxicating. Her head, her whole body, felt as light as air.

All in all, this wasn't a bad way to die.

One thought bubbled to the surface of her mind: The Teen Titans.

They were her friends. She needed them. But did they need her? Her friends would be fine without her. The Teen Titans could always find a replacement. New heroes seemed to be cropping up everywhere: Aqualad, Bumblebee, even Terra, if you wanted to look at it that way. In fact, it would probably be easier for them without Raven around with her quick temper and sharp comments.

Maybe they'd even find someone who liked volleyball, so they could all play together. Cyborg would have to play without an arm, as he had so often offered to do, but Raven was sure it'd be an improvement over having someone sit sulking in the corner trying to get her powers under control.

They'll be much happier this way, Raven thought. Maybe this is what's best for everyone. She didn't feel any self-pity or sadness; now that her death was a foregone conclusion, she was merely making her peace.

She held each one of them in her mind for a moment, saying goodbye.

Starfire, with her constant friendliness and puppy-like desire to spend time with Raven. Maybe my replacement will like going to the mall. Maybe she'll know how to braid hair. She probably won't like meditating. Raven wondered briefly if Starfire would miss the impromptu meditation sessions they shared together every so often, then dismissed it. Starfire might be hurt, but there wasn't much Raven could do about it at this point. Goodbye, Starfire. She let the thought of Starfire slip away from her.

Robin, with his logical nature and quick mind that matched her own. He'd better keep his head from now on. There would be no one to bail him out if he got too caught up to see the clues right in front of him, Raven thought, remembering their run-in with Slade when she had been forced to take over the boy detective's role of clue-solver. Goodbye Robin. The mental image she held of Robin dissolved.

Cyborg, with whom she could open up to as long as they were talking about cars. They seemed like complete opposites, which was perhaps why she could open up to him. Unlike all the others, Cyborg's life was marred by the obvious tragedy of loss of most of his human body. That was something only Raven could really understand; what it felt to be not entirely human, but to be human enough to get confused about it. Maybe he could open up to Starfire or Robin or whoever replaced her… Goodbye Cyborg. Her thoughts of Cyborg drifted away.

And Beast Boy.

Yes, Beast Boy was something to hold on to.

Her mind etched his big eyes, his unruly green hair, his smile. She recalled his corny jokes, his childish overconfidence, his immature games, and his tendency to sneak inside her room as a fly whenever he got worried about her. And the way he made it his mission to get her to laugh, no matter how many times he failed. The way he always offered her whatever he was cooking, no matter how many times she refused it. The way he would always come by her door, no matter how many times she shut him out.

I never told him, she remembered. I never even told him. I can't die without telling him. I can't.

In the darkness of her mind, she reached out and found strength that she hadn't known she had. It shot through her, buoying her up and filling her with energy. The poison's effect slipped, and she pushed the paralysis even further away.

She opened her eyes.

She took a deep breath.

And she screamed.