Chapter Eight: Codes and Fights
Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. What makes you people think I do?
Cyborg was getting frustrated with this code. Some part were simple to crack but others made no sense at all. He sighed and scooted away from the desk for a moment. He cast a glance around the room. Robin was sitting on the sofa staring into space deep in thought. Starfire was doing the same thing although she kept glancing at him and Robin hoping that they would say something. Raven was still behind her shield like she had been for the past hour
"I'm not getting anywhere with this thing guys." Cyborg announced. Robin looked up and walked over with Starfire floating behind him
"What do you have?"
"That's the problem. Even when I get it into words none of it makes sense." the metal teen exclaimed in frustration. There was a thumping sound behind them and Raven floated over. She looked over Cyborg's translation carefully
"Read it backwards." she said. The other three did so and she floated over to a window to stare out at the water
" 'You will meet me at Geo's cave. Tell anyone and your precious Raven will disappear.' What the heck does Geo's cave mean?" Robin said frowning
"Geo is another word for rock or stone. Geo's cave is referring to the area we found Terra." Raven said. She was now staring at the rocky outcrop that acted as a natural dike for the bay
"So that is where we will find Friend Beast Boy?" Starfire questioned. Cyborg glanced over at Raven who seemed to not notice anything
"Let's head over there and we can search it out. We'll split into groups to cover more ground."
"I'm going alone." Raven stated. The Boy Wonder nodded not wanting to anger the telepath
"Alright Raven. Just be careful of your leg." Raven nodded then headed into the hallway without another word.
Beast Boy awoke cold, hungry and lonely. He wished he could talk to Raven about his dream. He had turned into the Beast but was semi-awake. Almost like he was watching everything that happened. Raven had been speaking to him and the Beast had talked back. But he couldn't remember what they had said
"I hate mornings." he grumbled then glancing at his watch he realized it was closer to late afternoon
"Man is this how Robin felt?" an image passed through his mind. Raven with a look of pure hurt and rejection on her face
"I'll never forget you Rae. You were my best friend in the world." he whispered to the cavern walls. He sighed and got to his feet dusting himself off. He froze hearing a soft wind outside the cave. It wasn't normal wind. It was centered in one place. Whatever it was it was heading into the cave. He turned into a cougar and slunk back into the shadows carrying his things with him
"Beast Boy?" a soft scared voice called into the darkness. The changeling dropped his pack in surprise. It made a loud thumping sound that echoed through the whole cavern
"Beast Boy!" the voice cried again. Raven flew into view and threw her arms around his neck even though he was still in cougar form
"I thought you were gone." she whispered. The changeling frantically pushed her away and growled
"Beast Boy? It's me Raven." the girl said softly. Beast Boy winced. He knew who she was but he needed her to leave
"Please don't leave." she begged. The cougar met her eyes and a wave of emotions hit her. Anger, Sadness, Guilt, and… Affection? The cougar turned back to normal and he ran over to her
"Raven, you need to leave."
"No, I'm not going until you come back with me. I don't want you to leave." her violet eyes were filled with tears and it tore Beast Boy in two. He wrapped his arms around her gently and let her rest her head on his shoulder
"Please come home." she sobbed. He sighed and hugged her tighter. Raven was seemed so fragile but even though he knew she wasn't he would do anything to keep her safe
"I can't Rae."
"Yes you can. I'll help you get the Beast under control. I'll do anything I can just come home. Please." there was a dark chuckle that made Beast Boy's blood run cold. Slade was standing in the entrance to the cave
"How sweet. A last goodbye." he drawled. Raven whirled around angrily
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" she screamed tears falling down her face but nothing happened. She sank down crying harder and harder. Slade smirked and walked forward
"Tell me child. Do you fear me?" he asked. Beast Boy growled deeply and Slade looked up at him
"Restrain yourself Garfield." he said mockingly. Beast Boy snapped. He turned into a tiger and jumped the man. They rolled around on the floor. Finally Slade came to rest on top with his bo staff holding the changeling's mouth away from him (like in 'Betrayal')
"Leave him alone!" Raven cried angrily. The ground around her trembled and Slade was distracted giving Beast Boy a chance to kick him off and tackle him this time as a polar bear
"Get off me you freak!" Slade shouted throwing him aside into a wall. The changeling groaned and reverted back to normal. Slade smirked and picked hi up then threw him aside once more
"When I give you an order you obey it." he shouted. Raven watched in horror. She had activated her communicator and the others would be coming soon but she couldn't just sit here. But her powers weren't working
"Raven, run!" Beast Boy yelled trying to scamper away himself but Slade caught him and threw him deeper into the cave. Raven got up and managed to levitate out of the cave. Suddenly there was an explosion and the roof collapsed
"Beast Boy!" she screamed. Her grip on her powers slipped away and she fell. Large arms caught her easily. Robin looked down at her tear streaked face as she struggled to be let down
"Where's BB?"
"He was in that cave. Slade attacked him and he told me to run. When I did the whole place collapsed." she explained managing to get out of her friend's grasp and stand upright
"I'm running a scan over the whole area but the only living things I see are us and a few bugs that are completely normal."
"We can't just leave him." Raven said desperately. Starfire pulled her friend into a soft embrace trying to calm her down. Boulders and rocks shook violently
"Raven, you must calm down." she said looking at the large rocks fearfully. Raven took a few shuddering breaths and the ground stopped trembling. She drew her hood over her face and put on her blank mask but her body shook with silent sobs. Then she felt something. It was like someone had just screamed in her ear
"Raven!" a voice whispered in her mind. "I'm sorry. I never meant for you to get hurt. You weren't supposed to hurt. I'm sorry." she felt a single tear fall down her face. She understood now. She knew what Beast Boy had been doing.