Seven Years' Bad Luck in One Day
Review Responses:
C-Diddy: Glad you like it. It's been a while since the last update, but here it is.
The Mad Shoe: Good that you are in a happy state! Hope you like this next chapter too.
DVS: Updating now, thanks for the compliment.
The Only Way Out: Gldgrslketchhh.
Jeryn: I hope I am updating before you went mad! Thanks for the compliments.
Outlawarcher: Yessir.
AnimeLuv09: Glad you like it.
RavennBeastboy: I'm updating now, hope you like it.
Anonymous: I like Cyborg, but I can't decide on any pairings with him that I actually like. I do like having him be friends with Raven, however, based primarily on the events in "Car Trouble". Glad you like the fic.
WandaCarla: Rae/BB fluff is always fun. Here's the next chapter!
Psycho King: Glad you like it.
009: Thanks! Hope you enjoy the next chapter.
Twin-Lupus: It's fine to get behind of course. Glad you are enjoying the fic.
Hoshi-Ko88: Glad you like it, hope you like this chapter as well.
LightsChild: Glad you are enjoying it.
Disappearer/Syani: I don't make the characters curse, so don't worry about that. I'm sure Lust would enjoy doing dirty things, but I doubt the others would let her. Thanks for the review.
Psycho G: Thanks, glad you like the fic. As for messing up with the show's continuity, that was a mistake on my part, I didn't notice Cinderblock in "Haunted". Ragardless, glad you like it. I also think that Beastboy could be treated a little better by the writers of the show. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.
Mephisto2022: It's been a while since I updated, sorry. Things kept getting in the way. Hopefully the next chapter will be out sooner.
Dr. Evil99: Quite a lengthy review, but Regrem Erutaerc and myself have both spoken to you online, and as such, I am not going to reply to your review here. Still, thanks for the well thought out review, and I'm glad you enjoy watching the emotions mature beyond simple emotions and into real people. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well.
Someone: Glad you like it! Thanks!
Friend of Regrem Erutaerc: Here's the next chapter, sorry you had to wait so long.
Preventer Cloud: Glad you are enjoying it. Hatred is hoping to help in any small way she can. You'll see how well that goes in this chapter!
Chibi-Muse-Chan: Glad you are enjoying the fic, but maybe a few less 'write more's would be a good thing. Thanks for reviewing though!
Jabari: Granted it's been a while since the last update, but hopefully you still like this fic. Thanks for the review.
Ghost Man: Glad you like it. There might be a twist forthcoming, who knows?
The Last: Wisdom is knowing what is good and prudent to do in a situation, whilst Knowledge is just the factual information. Glad you like the fic though.
Jackdaw: Thanks. Here you go.
Ultimate R-Man: Yep, 'cool action with a side order of mushy romance' pretty much describes this chapter. Hope you like it.
John Steppenwolf: Robin leaves Batman for a long time, focusing all his attention on the Titans. At least, this is true in the comics. Batman takes a new Robin eventually, as Robin becomes Nightwing. Slade does not appear in the fic, but he may be mentioned later. Glad you enjoy the fic, and I look forward to your next review.
WarPrince2000: The update is a long time coming, but hopefully you'll like it.
kimpfn: Given that Trigon does not like people who defy him so openly, it's valid to assume that any time that Beastboy is near Trigon, he's in dire danger. But no spoilers!
Romantic-Raven: Glad you like the fic and Lust. More of her this chapter.
Change-Of-Heart2: Thanks!
Mel-The-Gryphon: Glad you like it, and thanks for the pie.
Rurouni Tyriel: It's sometimes hard to get Lust right, since I don't want to move this to an M rating, but I want her to act her part. As for Trigon influencing emotions other than Anger, who knows?
RaidersRule76: Glad you like it. Here's the update.
Quite-A-Shame: It takes them a lot of time to admit that sort of thing to themselves. He might get to say it by the end!
Dragoon-Bane: Glad you liked the last chapter, here's the next one.
DancingGirl3: Here's the update, hope you like it.
A/N: Woo, a lot of reviews. Ok, on to the fic. Sorry about the over two months of waiting for me to update this fanfic, but I will try to do future updates a little faster. Anyway, enjoy this next chapter.
"Alright Titans, even though we're all hurting from this last battle, we've got two Titans missing, and we need to rescue them immediately." Robin's voice was confident, but underneath his facade, he was worried. Rage had defeated Cyborg and Bravery easily before, and now Cyborg and Friendship were missing after infiltrating an area with both Hatred and Rage. Robin shuddered to think of what could happen to them.
Beastboy looked at Robin. "Rescue? Where are they?"
Knowledge spoke up, her healing of Happiness nearing completion. "They found Hatred and Rage, and were sneaking into their base of operations to find out their plans. They are already three minutes late for checking in."
"Yeah, and it isn't like Cyborg to be late!" Bravery grimaced as she attended Starfire's limited wounds. "I say we go kick some butt!"
"As usual, your excessive confidence is misplaced, Bravery. Malice nearly defeated us, and she wasn't even feeling her own emotion at the time. Hatred will be burning with hate, whether for Trigon or for us, and Rage will be vehement at our conversion of her ally. They will be far too powerful to attack outright." Wisdom's voice was calm, as she allowed her logic to do the convincing.
"Wisdom, yer boring us all. Look, we got to rescue them; they're friends, right? Not sayin' it's smart, but you gotta do what you gotta do." Rudeness scratched her rear while she spoke.
"Yes! I agree with Rudeness; we must save them and quickly! Who knows what things could happen to our friends?" Starfire's eyes glowed green with grim resolve; she would not allow her friends to come to undue harm.
"Dudes, look, we have to go help them; there's no other choice. Cy is my best friend, and Friendship... is Raven. Who else is ready to go?" Beastboy was smiling, but his eyes showed his concern for his friends, as well as his duty to help them.
Malice regarded Beastboy, still unused to the freedom that she was now feeling. She was also unused to this genuine concern. Rage and Trigon, her former leaders, had never shown true concern for her. They had viewed her as a tool to be used, and of course it would be a shame for their tool to be broken, but no dire consequences. She smirked. She smugly wondered how Trigon felt now, as he'd lost an ally to the Titans. He had been defeated, and that was quite out of his experience. Her smirk became a grimace, as she realized how tightly Trigon would control Hatred and Rage from now on, since he'd already lost her. The upcoming battle would be difficult.
"Um, this is a really bad idea. I mean, both of them are so powerful; how do we know we can defeat them?" Worry's voice trembled, her mind going over the countless scenarios that could occur. Every scenario that she could imagine led to terrible things.
"They... they will hurt you." Fear looked in Beastboy's direction when she spoke, but her eyes were lowered to the ground in front of her. "No matter what Raven feels; Trigon hates you. He'll... he'll hurt you..."
Beastboy grinned, walking over towards Fear and putting his arm around her shoulders. "Hey, c'mon. You can't live your whole life afraid, you know? Sometimes you have to get up and fight it."
Fear looked up at him, most of her face still hidden in the darkness of her black cloak. "I'm... I'm always scared. I'm Fear, I can't stop being afraid..."
Beastboy smiled at the quivering girl, seeing the fear in her eyes subside slightly as he held her. "Hey, don't give up. I mean, Malice got rid of Trigon, Lust backed off earlier, and maybe you can get over your fears, you know? Come with us to fight Hatred and Rage, we'll win, and you'll see that there isn't anything to be afraid of with all your friends around, ok?"
Fear nodded, but didn't stop shaking. She was still terrified of Trigon, his power, his control, and his very essence. "But he could still..."
Beastboy shook his head, smiling at the scared emotion. "So you're scared. That's fine; sometimes being scared helps."
Fear looked up at him, her eyes moist from her continuing fearful thoughts. "It... helps? What do you mean?"
Beastboy didn't say anything for a few seconds, sorting his thoughts. "Well, uh, I guess I mean that it gives you a reason to fight. I don't like fighting. I'm a nice guy, and I'd rather tell a joke than throw a punch. The only reason I fight is because I'm scared that something could happen to my friends. I can't always stop bad things from happening, like... with Terra..."
Beastboy swallowed, and kept going. "Still, it's best to use your fear to keep you going, not just hide and block out the whole world. Look at today, I am scared of Trigon, and the way everyone acts, I really should be terrified. Still though, I'm scared of what would happen if I didn't fight him. What would happen to Cy, to Friendship, to Robin and Star and Raven? I'm scared of what could happen to you, too. That's why I'm out here, fighting girls that look like Raven, and trying to get them to join us against Trigon. It's hard, but I rely on the fear to keep me moving."
Fear trembled a little, but looked around at the smiling faces around her. She felt the fear still, of course, but something was a little different. Fear nodded, smiling just slightly. "O... Ok. I'll try to be braver. At... at least to not just cower so much."
Beastboy grinned, happy to help the emotion at all. "C'mon guys, we need to get over there fast."
Wisdom sighed. "I would help, but teleporting all of you at once is beyond my ability. I require assistance."
Knowledge nodded. "I can transport a few myself. Rudeness, you have been idle long enough; you assist as well."
Rudeness shrugged. "Ok, but don't blame me if I'm worthless for fightin' afterwards, 'eh? Dragging all you folk through dimensional rifts takes a lot out of a body, y'know?"
"Enough, let's go. We don't have much time if Trigon has already attacked them." Robin nodded to Wisdom, and she raised her arms above her head. In a few moments, all eleven of the gathered emotions and heroes disappeared into three black spheres that quickly traveled to their destination.
Defeat. The word sent Rage into a fury. Her mind was intertwined with Trigon's, as they planned the death of the Titans. He was furious, having lost a portion of his daughter's mind to her pathetic affection for some mortal boy. Trigon knew that this was her human side that had twisted her from his will, and knew that once his blood took final dominance over her body, she wouldn't feel such things. He still controlled two very powerful emotions, and he knew the influence that they held. Raven hated him with such passion that it astonished him, and he could sense her rage at the situation she was now in. He could accept the loss of Malice, as long as the final victory was his.
It would be his; there was no plan needed. These pathetic mortals would learn to fear Trigon the Terrible, devourer of a billion souls. They would quake in terror as he smote their pitiful forms one by one. They would know endless grief and despair. Trigon would relish the time spent crushing the minds and bodies of these 'heroes'. Particularly the green one who had shown such sacrilage by defying him. He would be an example to the rest of the planet to the horrors that one faced when resisting Trigon.
Rage allowed her father to ramble in hatred and vengeance as she walked in a tight patrol around the church, looking for intruders. It was unlikely that anyone would come here; no one had been in the church when they had come, and some reason had to exist for that. Some reason... Rage suddenly realized that Malice had to have had some reason for escape, some reason that made it possible. Rage noticed that Trigon had fallen thoughtfully silent.
"Father?" Rage ventured to speak unbidden.
The voice in response seemed to be barely containing the anger at having Trigon's thoughts interrupted. "What is it, child?"
Rage took a moment to formulate her question, and then spoke quickly as she felt Trigon's ire at her delay. "Father, I ask how Malice was able to escape you. She was not losing the combat, and"
"Blasphemy! Heresy!" Her father's sudden telepathic 'shout' nearly knocked Rage from her feet. "You dare to question me over such an unimportant thing? Perhaps I should withdraw my power from your veins, perhaps you would like to see the Titans' reaction to your impotence. Do you honestly believe that they would accept you, the primary vessel of my will in this world?"
Rage knelt and lowered her head, knowing that even though Trigon was not there, he expected immediate subservience. "I apologize, Father. I did not think"
"No, you did not think." Trigon's voice, though harsh, was calmer now. The anger running underneath the calm terrified Rage. "You did not think, and must be punished."
No attack came, no striking blast of air, no word from Hatred to slash at her. Instead, she felt Trigon withdraw. She felt her blood grow thinner, felt her power and her mind recede, felt cold, lost, disconnected to herself. Her arms reflexively hugged her sides, as she collapsed from her kneeling posture into hugging herself on her knees. "Fa... Father... Please... I will not question you... Please stop this..."
Rage felt her body shutting down from her loss of power, she felt her heart slowing, she felt her breathing becoming erratic and difficult. "Fa... Father..." Rage's vision was dimming.
Suddenly, the blood flowed properly again, and she felt her life coming back to her. She coughed violently and then caught her breath, a deep breath that brought new vitality to her. Rage stood shakily, then began walking forward again, feeling her telepathic and telekinetic powers return. She thanked her father for his gift of discipline, as he expected, and he turned his mind from her, to think of the next move.
Inside her mind, however, Rage was anything but repentent. Any thoughts of subservience had long since left her. Trigon had punished her for the final time; she would not stand for such treatment from any being. She could not escape him now, but as soon as she felt his control slip, she would defeat him, and find some way of destroying any hope he had of coming to this world. If it took slaying Raven, then Raven would be slain. Anything, even causing her own death by killing her host, would be a fair trade for destroying Trigon's chances at conquest.
Rage buried her anger behind mental barriers, wanting to keep her rebellion a secret from Trigon. She quietly muttered a few simple words. "Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos."
Immediately, she felt Trigon's attention turn to her. The feelings were now quite buried, and so would be safe from discovery, for the moment. She felt Trigon search her mind, then speak. "What did you just say, Child?"
Rage focused the lie out of her mind as she said it. "Abyssar Mortis Zandia, of course, Father."
Trigon seemed to take comfort in this corrupted chant. "See that you do not slip into your host's habits. I will not have you mention that pathetic place where she was raised." Trigon's voice slipped away.
Rage merely narrowed her four eyes and smiled in vindictive anger. He would get what he deserved, and she would deliver it to him.
Hatred sensed Rage moving in her normal patrols of the church. She had also felt Trigon's mental withdrawal. It seemed that Trigon believed them safe at the moment. Fool. Hatred knew that the Titans would never give up in attempting to save her and Rage from domination. Of course, that made them all just as foolish as Trigon. Hatred, possibly, could be freed from compulsion, it had happened before. Rage, however, was nearly becoming Trigon, her mind was rarely even her own any longer.
Hatred's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by three rising birdlike shapes, obviously teleportation vessels for the Titans. Hatred nearly panicked, now wasn't the time for loud combat. The shapes dissipated, showing nearly a dozen people. Hatred's eyes widened as she saw Robin reach for his utility belt.
Hatred backed away from the sudden appearance of the Titans, her four eyes burning brightly against her will. She waved her hands in front of her, trying to assure the Titans that she wasn't hostile. She saw Robin's eyes narrow in suspicion, but Beastboy grinned. Hatred felt that strange lack of hatred for him again; it still vaguely disoriented her.
Beastboy's voice was a whisper. "Are you free already? You still have four eyes."
Hatred grinned, though she took a fighting stace, to fool Trigon if he peeked into her mind. "He's not paying attention right now, but he will. Be ready to fight me."
Robin spoke next, wary of her stance and unnerved by the glowing eyes. "How can we free you then?"
"You can't. The artifact that she was sent to recover has already been consumed by the spell." Malice grinned darkly at Hatred.
Hatred noticed Malice's presence for the first time. Hatred looked at her; Malice didn't seem to be struggling, she looked casual, as if she was simply enjoying the malicious taunt. She was free? Completely free? The horn... of course! No mortal could have destroyed the Horn of Balroth, so Malice herself must have done it. She had been permanently freed!
Hatred looked at Malice, and felt the telepathic link connect. (How did you break his control?)
Malice's eyes showed almost happiness. (Well, you seek to deny Him, do you? How do you think it happened?)
Hatred's eyes narrowed dangerously. (Tell me, there may not be much time. Was it a spell? Did they defeat you and cast some sort of protection dweomer?)
Malice snorted with derision. (A spell? And who, may I ask, could cast spells to ward against Trigon? It was no spell, Hatred.)
Malice's grin spread into an evil smile. (I'll tell you when I want to. I want to see you struggle first.)
Hatred didn't have time to reply, for Trigon's mental probe found that she was conversing with the enemy. She felt the compulsion to attack them creeping up on her, as Trigon got suspicious.
"He's here! Run!" Hatred risked much in openly defying Trigon, and she punctuated her rebellion by using her final moment of control to rip the metal restraints from Cyborg and Friendship, letting them both fall to the ground. Then, she felt her mind be repressed, sent to the dark and deep behind Trigon's powerful control. She could sense his terrible anger at her, he was nearly ready to slay her outright, but he seemed more interested in combatting the Titans at the moment.
In the same motion, as Hatred had freed Cyborg and Friendship, her hand whipped around and fired a lightning fast barb of telekinetic power straight towards Beastboy. He dodged quickly by morphing into a small rabbit, and then continued dodging by hopping and twisting from place to place, as Hatred began firing wildly at him.
"Titans, Go!" Robin pulled a disc from his belt as he saw Cyborg getting up. Friendship looked injured and unconscious, but Robin still felt like twelve-to-one was decent enough odds for this combat. He threw his disc at Hatred, who was too distracted firing at Beastboy to notice.
The explosion knocked her powerfully sideways, into the masonry wall, and knocked the breath out of her. Trigon ignored the needs of the body he was in, focusing on winning rather than allowing Hatred to survive afterwards. Hatred stood, and immediately ducked behind a telekinetic shield as the starbolt nearly slammed into her. Narrowing her eyes, she moved the shield outwards, sending it plowing through the group of emotions and Titans in the center of the room.
Robin was the first to recover, deftly twisting in midair to land on the wall he was thrown against, and push off towards the slightly dizzied Hatred. The use of the shield in that manner had drained her slightly, and she was unable to block his well-aimed kick. She jerked quickly to the side as his foot smashed into her temple, and was only able to recover just in time to jump backwards to dodge a quick punch. Hatred sneered, and Robin saw her eyes flicker brightly. Robin pulled his bo staff and set it defensively. He was waiting for a physical attack, and so was taken off guard as his staff turned black and slammed into his injured ankle. Robin dropped to the ground, clutching his burning wound.
Hatred pulled the staff to her own hands; Trigon using her body to weigh the weapon lightly. Very similar to the staves he'd trained with. This would do well.
Hatred moved the staff quickly, stopping Cyborg's fist as he threw a heavy punch. Dodging left and right, Hatred didn't have to resort to blocking the angry punches. Cyborg was much slower than Robin, and took no effort for Trigon's astounding speed to evade. A second later, Cyborg's wild punching left him off-balance, and the bo staff shot out, knocking his leg out from under him and bringing him crashing to the ground.
Suddenly, Hatred found herself surrounded by green splashes of light as they slammed into the ground and walls around her. Dodging fairly randomly, unsure of the wildly untrained throws from above, Hatred tried to fire bolts of her own black energy back at the alien above her. However, this time Star's poor aim helped, as the wild shots were undodgable, and Hatred took a blast in her shoulder, numbing her left arm.
Starfire lowered herself to the ground, worried over her friend's injury. "Hatred, will you be OK? I did not mean to- ugh!" Starfire reeled away from the sudden impact of the bo staff against her face. Hatred cast the staff away, her useless left arm removing the advantage of the two-handed weapon. Hatred saw that Starfire was recovering from the sudden attack, and so encased Starfire's legs in power, picking them up suddenly and throwing her head powerfully into the stone floor. Starfire fell unconscious immediately.
Robin narrowed his eyes at the sight. No one should ever hurt her. Ever. His hands immediately went for his belt. If Trigon was reminded of him, with this crippled ankle, he was dead, so he had to make his one shot count.
"Hatred, no! You have to break his control!" Beastboy ran forward, putting himself between the furious Hatred and the helpless Starfire. His eyes were fierce, but there was compassion in them. Trigon saw it, and hated him for it.
"You may have won Malice from me, child, but Hatred has already been taken. There is no freedom for he" Trigon's voice, coming from Hatred's lips, was suddenly cut short.
"Be... Beastboy... Run..." Hatred's voice came from her lips, her struggle against his power made obvious by her broken speech. Her voice sounded small and lost after Trigon's deep growls. "He's... too strong... you have to run..."
Suddenly, Hatred's body was flung backwards against the stone, then stood up again, seemingly unaware of her bleeding wounds. Trigon's dark voice boomed forth again. "Such an unruly child as Hatred deserves punishment. Your death at her hands will serve as an example of the futility of fighting my control."
Beastboy stood his ground, unafraid. Malice had won, so of course Hatred could pull through. Of course, it didn't hurt that Beastboy could see Hatred's eyes darting from emotion to emotion as they all recovered from the explosion of telekinesis earlier. He could tell that they weren't looking happy.
"Trigon, you have failed. Look around you, you cannot win this combat." Wisdom's voice was compelling as usual, and Beastboy half expected for Trigon to surrender Hatred right then.
"Even if you don't surrender from being afraid, we'll still kick your butt, Four eyes." Bravery stood grinning confidently, black telekinetic power encasing her hands.
"Come on, Hatred, break out of it. I know you're in there, don't make us do this." Cyborg had recovered, and was now holding his sonic cannon aimed at Hatred's back.
Happiness ran over to Starfire, lifting and cradling her lightly while healing her wounds. She looked up at Hatred, smiling as Starfire's wounds lessened. "You shouldn't do things like this! Come to our side, ok?"
Hatred sneered at the gathered throng before her. Robin looked to still be tending to his ankle; she could nearly feel Cyborg's anger as he aimed his weapon at her back. Beastboy still looked defiant, ready to fight to the end to defend Raven's integrity as a 'hero'. Starfire seemed to be coming to, but didn't look like she was able to join the fight again. The varied emotions, of which Hatred counted nine, if she included the unconscious Friendship. Trigon almost smiled.
If he had only been an emotion of Raven's, if he had been Hatred, then this combat would indeed be pointless. However, he was not Hatred. He was Trigon the Terrible, and he would not be so easily swayed from victory. Trigon moved one leg back, bending Hatred's knees into a fighting stance. Hatred's left arm was still numbed from the starbolt, but Trigon forced the body into functioning.
"No number of you can defeat me. Come, and feel the wrath of Trigon." Trigon punctuated his challenge by firing a bolt of energy at Happiness as she tended to Starfire, causing the normally cheery emotion to grimace in pain and drop the alien girl to the ground again.
"Titans, Go!" Robin called out the battle cry weakly from his position on the ground, his ankle still effectively useless. He did still have his hands, however, and launched the powerful explosive disc deftly towards Hatred. Raven's emotion or not, she had harmed Starfire, and he couldn't allow any more of that.
Hatred, alerted by the foolish battlecry, simply levitated upwards, allowing the disc to sail uselessly under her, and into a nearby wall. Hatred glanced towards Robin, and simply threw him with telekinesis powerfuly sideway, slamming him into Cyborg's hard metal body, knocking them both to the ground again. Sensing movement behind her, Hatred turned once more, only just in time to block the well-aimed kick from Bravery.
Hatred dodged from side to side as Bravery threw a flurry of powerful punches and kicks, ignoring the residual pain from her previous injuries. Hatred saw and anticipated each attack, centuries of Trigon's combat experience resonating in her mind. A moment later, a weakness emerged as Bravery's attacks became more reckless from frustration. Hatred dodged left and quickly reached out with her right hand, grabbing Bravery's knee as Bravery overextended. Hatred kicked Bravery's knee sharply sideways, and Bravery fell immediately to the ground, holding her knee and trying to make her leg move again.
Hatred turned again towards the remaining emotions. Starfire still lay unconscious on the ground, and Happiness was next to her, still tending to the wound from the unexpected bolt of power. Wisdom was trying to console Fear and Worry, who looked absolutely terrified at Bravery's injury. Knowledge and Rudeness were nearby, but still looked exhausted from the teleportation of so many people. Malice stood a few feet away, but did not seem interested in fighting Hatred, instead looking towards Beastboy, who had only been able to watch as his friends where defeated in a matter of seconds.
"Trigon, let Hatred go! Raven will never serve you... Never!" Beastboy's eyes showed his inner fury, but Trigon could also see fear in them.
"You think that you can defeat me? You've seen my prowess. What use could you be against me?" Trigon's voice came from Hatred's lips, and the four glowing eyes allowed no doubt as to the identity of the soul within.
"Maybe I'm not good enough to beat you, but Hatred is, and she will never give up!" Beastboy felt his own fears rising as Trigon continued floating forward, feet just inches above the stone floor. What if Hatred couldn't win?
Hatred's mind was still fighting, though despair was beginning to weigh heavily on her. Trigon's anger and hatred at his previous defeat had made him far too powerful for her to remove from her mind. She occasionally drew up enough power to move a finger or weaken a normally fatal attack, like what had been intended for Robin. She had lessened the power of the throw to merely a painful concussion, but more than that was beyond her. Beastboy needed to run, he couldn't win against Trigon.
Malice could sense this. Hatred was hopelessly overpowered. Malice could also sense by the auras of the other emotions that they felt it too, but she veered away from it, the bright auras from Fear and Worry nearly blinding her.
Beastboy grit his teeth as Hatred stopped floating towards him, perhaps five feet away. His hands were in fists, but he was unsure if he could actually hurt her. She was Raven, after all.
Suddenly, Beastboy was blasted powerfully sideways by a burst of power, slamming painfully into a wall of stone. He struggled to his feet, just in time to be thrown again, this time landing on a large pile of stones. A sickening crack sounded from his leg.
Trigon sneered as Beastboy grabbed his shin and glared fiercly at him. He could feel Beastboy's hatred growing. He could win this, perhaps even hasten his consumption of Raven, if he could eliminate this fool. With no one left to fight for, Raven would not hold out long.
Once more Beastboy was sent through the air, this time smashing against a half-broken stained glass window. Beastboy landed hard on the stone floor beneath the window, as shattered glass rained down on him, the occasional shard slicing his skin.
He stood painfully, holding on to the windowsill and bracing himself against the wall, keeping the pressure off of his fractured leg. He looked at Trigon again, his eyes full of fury, but the fear now gone.
"I... won't... fight you. Hatred... will... win. Come on... beat him..."
Hatred fought as hard as she could against Trigon's control, but he held firm. His anger at her continued rebellion was nearly frightening. Hatred was furious at her inability to stop this combat, but she could do nothing to empower herself.
(Well, I gave you a chance, but you didn't figure it out. Get Ready.) Malice's telepathic message reached Hatred, and Hatred readied herself for whatever Malice was planning.
"Trigon, why waste your time on him? You know that I'm the one who defeated you." Malice's taunt seemed forced and overly loud as Beastboy was trying to face down Trigon.
Hatred's head turned sharply, and she glared darkly at Malice. She was right; she had caused Trigon embarrassment, a splinter of his own daughter's mind had betrayed him to join his enemies. A loss, the first in many years, and it had been due to a former slave. Beastboy's attachment to his daughter aside, this former ally must be recovered.
"That's right!" Malice sneered, trying to hide the fear she felt. "Trigon the Terrible lost, to a little girl and her friends."
Malice tried to keep her confident front as Hatred turned towards her. Get him angry, maybe he'll make a mistake. "Come on, are you going to let me stay free? All I had to do was destroy that horn, and you ran away."
"Trigon the Terrible has never run from battle!" Trigon's voice rang out loud and powerfully, scaring Malice more than she expected. "I will not stand for your lies! You will once more be my slave!"
Malice grabbed her head painfully as she felt Trigon press his control back on her. Normally, she would have buckled instantly from such power, but with the horn destroyed, his control over her was harder to establish, and she could fight him. Still, she felt him apply more power, and felt her mental shield weakening. She opened her mind just slightly, letting a small amount of influence in, to bait him further. If Trigon thought there might be some chance to take her back, he would ignore Hatred.
Hatred clawed her way back into her body. As soon as she'd heard Malice's taunt, she'd realized the plan, flawed as it was. She would only have a few seconds. First, she looked towards Beastboy, and saw that he was still looking at her, but now with hope in his eyes. She realized that her eyes must be violet now, and smiled at him momentarily, before turning her view back towards the altar with the ancient pages on it. A moment of concentration, and black power surrounded the altar, compressing and crushing it, destroying both artifacts and the altar itself.
Immediately, Hatred felt Trigon's attention return to her, Malice's ruse complete. Hatred felt herself pushed away from her mind, though Trigon's power felt less compelling now, as if his connection with her was decreased. Hatred still couldn't resist, however, as he controlled her with all of his mental power. She could only watch as Malice collapsed, unconscious from expunging Trigon's taint once again.
Trigon, once again controlling Hatred, turned towards Beastboy. This had to end, and quickly. Trigon was angry for having fallen for such a simple ploy, and furious that this weakling continued to defy him. He raised Hatred's hand, concentrating power around it, watching Beastboy as he did so.
"You... You can't do it. Hatred will beat you, she won't let you do this!" Beastboy couldn't run on his injured leg, nor could he easily change shape without making the injury worse. He was trapped, and he could only wait for Hatred to prevail over Trigon.
"It was only a matter of time, child. You will trouble me no longer." Trigon released the bolt of power, and it sailed unerringly towards Beastboy, who didnt' even flinch as it approached.
Suddenly, Wisdom saw Fear disappear in a sudden flash of black, and she reappeared in front of Beastboy, cowering and covering her head with her hands on the ground. A spherical shield of black energy surrounded both Fear and Beastboy, blocking the powerful bolt effortlessly.
Silence followed for a few moments, as Fear cowered behind her shield, and the rest of the gathered emotions watched Fear closely, caught completely by surprise that she would put herself in danger like this.
Trigon, annoyed by his attack being so easily deflected, fired another bolt at the shield, knowing that such defenses had a limit to their power. The bolt was deflected harmlessly, as Fear continued to cower. She was terrified, and her powerful emotion was giving her shield near invulnerability. Trigon knew that he had to wait for the right moment.
"Fear, you have to get somewhere safe! Let me deal with Trigon!" Beastboy's voice was full of concern. Fear was not a fighter; she should have stayed with Wisdom.
Fear uncovered her head slightly, looking up at Beastboy, as if recognizing that she was so close to him for the first time. She smiled slightly; she could feel her fear diminsh as he looked down at her.
"Fear! Teleport! Now!" Wisdom could sense Fear's calmness, and knew that in this situation, it was also a weakness.
With a thought and a flick of her wrist, Hatred flung another bolt at Fear's shield, this time smirking as the shield collapsed, it's source of power gone. Fear looked towards her quickly, eyes wide in terror, but the protection was already gone. Hatred stepped forward and batted her out of the way with a burst of telekinesis. Fear landed a few yards away, on the hard stone floor. She didn't get up.
Trigon stood over Beastboy, grinning darkly. "There is no one left to save you, boy. Now you diaagh!"
Hatred grabbed her side, as if in sudden and undeniable pain. Wisdom held her side as well, and all the emotions seemed to feel the same pain. Hatred looked up, her four eyes glowing brightly. "Rage... Rage, TRAITOR!"
A dark, smoky blackness rose from Hatred, as Trigon focused the entirety of his mind elsewhere. Hatred stood, then forced the last few remnants of Trigon from her mind. Solidifying her mental defenses, she barricaded herself against any future control. She was free. Hatred nearly smiled.
Beastboy did smile, grinning happily as he saw Hatred's eyes become like Raven's, deep violet. He would have hugged her, but he was in no shape to do so. "So, uh, you're yourself now, right?"
Hatred nodded, as she looked around with derision at the ragged throng of teenagers. "Yes, but Raven was injured, we have to get back to the tower, and fast."
Robin's communicator rang out, and he answered it shakily. Raven appeared on the screen, she looked pale. "Robin, get back here, I'm hurt... Rage just attacked me."
Robin nodded, his eyes narrowing at the final enemy's name. "Right. We'll be there as soon as we can. Robin ou-"
"Wait. I need to... Is Beastboy ok?" Raven sounded strange, as if she wasn't sure if she should be asking that question.
Robin raised an eyebrow. "He's been injured. We'll take care of it, and we'll be back shortly. Robin out."
Beastboy leaned heavily on Hatred's shoulder as she helped him walk over towards Fear's crumpled form. Though she hadn't stood up after being flung aside by Trigon, her shaking shoulders and quiet sobbing proved that she was still alive. Hatred set Beastboy down next to her, focusing on healing his leg as he spoke to Fear.
"Fear? Are you hurt?" Beastboy's voice was thick with worry and concern, of all Raven's emotions, he least wanted to see Fear hurt.
Fear moved slightly, pulling back her hood and looking up at Beastboy. She smiled, though her face was wet with tears. "I... I fought him. I was scared, but I fought him."
Beastboy smiled; she would be ok. He reached out and took her hand gently, and smiled at her while squeezing it a little. "Yep, you fought him. Probably saved me too! We'll take you back to the tower. You need some rest; we all do."
A few moments later, three black spheres appeared in the common room of Titans' Tower, changing for a flash into a bird-like shape, then fading to reveal the injured group. Happiness, Worry, and Bravery sighed, exhausted from teleporting so many people.
Lust grinned at them from the hallway. "Well, looks like Beastie is back. Hey ya, sweetie."
Beastboy smiled weakly, happy to see that Lust was still alive, but still concerned about Raven. He could walk on his healed leg, though it would still take some more time to heal fully. "Uh... Hi Lust. Where's Raven, is she ok?"
Lust rolled her eyes, frowning. "She's in her room. Raven, Raven, Raven, why dont' you and I have a little private time without her?"
Beastboy grinned, but shook his head. "Come on, if she's hurt, then you're hurt too. I have to see her first, maybe I'll get back to you on that later."
Lust rolled her eyes at the obvious bluff, but turned and beckoned the Titans to follow her down the corridor to Raven's room. The group that followed was ragtag, at best. Friendship was still unconscious, and being carried carefully by Cyborg. Robin, ignoring the pain from his abused ankle, was carrying Starfire, even though she had woken up a few minutes ago. Starfire held on to Robin closely, not wanting the moment to end. The varied emotions all had cuts and bruises, and they all also felt a lingering pain in their side; their connection to Raven causing them to feel her injury.
Suddenly, there was a thud of someone falling to the floor behind the group. Everyone turned around to see Malice helping Worry up from where she'd tripped. "Are you ok, Worry? You just slipped, are you sure you aren't injured?"
Worry was almost certain that Malice had tripped her, but what if she was injured? What if there was something wrong with her legs? What if it was incurable? "I... I stayed with Wisdom like they told me too! I didn't think I was hurt..."
Malice's eyes glinted in the dark corridor. "But something made you fall, and there was nothing to trip on. It must have been something wrong with you."
Worry could feel her heart pumping in her chest, and it was hard to catch her breath. Something was wrong with her! Her legs were injured somehow! What would Beastboy think of her if she kept tripping all the time now? He would never think of her as anything but a
"Ow! Oomph!" Malice fell face first into the floor, and Hatred grinned behind her, having kicked the back of her knee. Malice looked up at her. "What was that for?"
"Look, I hate Worry, but you are supposed to be part of a team now. I hate stupid pranks, so leave her alone." Hatred grinned at Malice's annoyed expression.
Beastboy laughed as the color went back into Worry's face. "Worry, don't listen to Malice, you're fine. Come on, we have to go check on Raven; she might be hurt!"
Worry smiled, just for a moment, then stopped, worried that it might irritate someone. The group continued on, Hatred stepping over Malice, and moving along towards Raven's room.
"Don't bother helping me up; I'm just a red emotion after all." Malice levitated up from the floor, and floated off towards the rest of the group.
It wasn't too much longer before the group got to Raven's room, and Lust faced the group, leaning against the closed door and smiling. "Ok, here we are, Beastie. Pity everyone else is here; we could have had some fun."
Beastboy rolled his eyes, and then grinned as the door turned black and slid open quickly, making the unbalanced Lust fall backwards to the floor. The now open door revealed Raven laying under her blankets on the bed.
Raven was pale, and she was sweating profusely. Her face bore an irritated expression, though she also had a rather bemused smile, as she had just opened the door to silence Lust. Embarrassment was on Raven's left, smiling at the Titans, though she was blushing darkly. Romance was on Raven's right, smiling brightly at Beastboy and obviously pleased with the embarrassed Lust.
Beastboy ran to the bed immediately, jumping over Lust on the way. He knelt next to the bed on the right side, ignoring Romance's flirty smile and focusing on the obviously injured Raven. "Raven, what happened? Are you ok?"
Raven smiled weakly at him, trying to reassure him without lying. "Rage attacked me. We tried to fight her, but she was too strong. I was hit with a blade of power, and lost some blood. I will probably be fine."
Beastboy pulled the covers on the bed down just a little, seeing the heavily bandaged region on her ribs. He narrowed his eyes. Why had Rage done this without Trigon controlling her? Was Rage evil on her own?
"Lust, Romance, and Embarrassment healed me the best they could, but it will just take time." Raven looked towards Beastboy, as she tried to look confident. Had this injury come at any other time, she would have recovered fairly quickly. With the added stress of her mind being splintered all over the tower, however, the injury was proving to be much worse.
Raven suddenly noticed the unconscious Starfire and Friendship. Now that she was looking for injuries, Robin was walking with a noticable limp, and Beastboy's leg was bruised and swollen. Raven shook her head. "Robin, Cyborg, take Starfire and Friendship to the medical lab and take care of them. I will be fine here."
Robin nodded, obviously pleased to be given the go ahead to go take care of her. "Just call us if you need help. Wisdom, Knowledge, stay here, along with anyone else who cares to. We'll need some healing power when we get down there though."
Robin turned to leave, and Cyborg followed, carrying Friendship. Rudeness shrugged, and followed them as well.
Hatred grabbed Malice by the arm. "We're going. Robin needs to see that we aren't evil to everyone."
Malice glared at Hatred, but decided to go along with it. "Worry, you come too. You should be there if something bad happens to Starfire."
Worry glanced back at Beastboy, but ultimately decided that she should go as well. Raven's door slid shut behind them, but the room was still quite crowded.
Beastboy grinned at Raven, even though she looked pretty weak. "Come on, Raven. Don't go and die now, not after... today."
Raven smiled slightly, even though she was hurting still from the attack and the split. "I won't. Trigon wouldn't let that happen anyway; he would probably come and heal me. I'm his only way into this world."
Beastboy's eyes narrowed. "We'll stop him, Raven. He can't use you like this."
Raven didn't respond. She instead just looked down at her bedcovers, and around at the emotions, who were all watching her and Beastboy. Raven knew that no matter what Beastboy did, she was fated to fight Trigon on a grander scale than this. Even if Beastboy could somehow stop Trigon's emotional influence, his power was in her blood. Raven suddenly noticed Knowledge sitting against her bed and reading a small green book.
"What are you reading? Is that a diary?" Raven snatched the book from Knowledge and flipped a few pages.
"It's interesting. I never knew that he thought so much about us." Knowledge was irritated that she could no longer read the book, but didn't do anything to grab it back.
Beastboy looked a little nervous, seeing Raven flipping through his diary like that. He didn't really know what to do or say though, so he just watched her read it.
Raven furrowed her brows as she looked through the small book. It was obviously a diary, and the bad handwriting pointed towards Beastboy. What struck Raven most, however, was the sheer amount of writing that seemed to be about her. She spotted her name in nearly every entry, and all of the entries seemed like they were positive. Beastboy hadn't started liking her today; he'd been thinking of her for a long time.
A very long time, by the look of this diary. It seemed like he wrote in it nearly every day. As she flipped from page to page, Raven saw all of the Titans mentioned, even Terra. Still, her name was far more prevalent than the others, and the writing about her was always very... positive. It didn't say it anywhere explicitly, but he obviously wished she was much more than just a friend and teammate.
"I don't know why he thinks so much of us, however." Knowledge looked irritated, as usual when she didn't know the answer to a question. "Beastboy, maybe you can tell me. Why do you like us? Raven is half-demon. She is quite possibly fated to destroy this world and plunge humanity into an eternity of demonic slavery, and yet you like her. Why?"
Beastboy stood up, scratching the back of his neck nervously. He looked around the room at all the Emotions. Embarrassment, obviously affected by the direct question, was hiding behind the nearest emotion, Lust. Lust, however, was biting her lip seductively, and looking Beastboy over with hungry eyes. Romance was smiling, a slight blush on her features, waiting to see what Beastboy would say. Knowledge was obviously just interested in the information, not quite as heavily invested emotionally as the others. Bravery was grinning confidently, and Happiness was smiling as well, her eyes shining at him. Wisdom was levitating in a corner, meditating. Still, by the small smile on her face, it was obvious that she was waiting for his answer as well. Fear was smiling just a little from her hiding place under a table.
Beastboy grinned at Raven, who was simply looking at him emotionlessly, trying to figure out what to think of him. Beastboy coughed a little, trying to buy some time, since he really had no idea what to say here.
"Uh.. Well I mean... I guess there are a lot of things. I mean, Raven is half demon I know, but she's really pretty. I guess purple hair is weird to some people, but I like your hair, Raven. I like the way it moves when you are using your powers, I like the way it sort of gets blown around in the wind and you have to fix it, and-"
Beastboy stopped for a second, grinning and blushing from embarrassment. Romance was blushing as well, and Beastboy smiled at her and kept going. "Uh, well... also, you are really smart. You are always reading books; you always know where to look when there is a mystery or a crime to be solved, and that sort of thing. I never get anything, but it seems like you know everything before it happens."
Knowledge smiled despite herself, mildly confused by the sudden emotion inside her, and mentally noting to read up on such things later. Beastboy continued. "Also, you are really calm and quiet. Everyone else on the team is always loud: Starfire is always flying around asking questions, Robin is always punching things in the training room, and Cyborg is always yelling or playing video games. Well, I guess I yell and make jokes a lot too. But you always stay quiet and listen, and I guess that's just something I lo- like about you."
Beastboy kept talking, vaguely wary of how long he was going on about Raven. "I guess I shouldn't really mention things like this, but you also look good besides your hair. I mean, we are superheroes, so we have to keep fit and all, and I guess... uh... I'm saying that you have a nice body is all."
Blushing and half-expecting to be attacked by Raven, Beastboy paused for a second or two. When he looked, however, Raven was still just watching him, though it was obvious she was still trying to think through everything he was saying. "I am sort of going on and on, I know, but basically I like everything about you. Your eyes are so cool; when I look at your eyes, it's everything I can do to not just stare at them for hours. Not only that, but when you smile, you're so beautiful. I mean, you don't smile much, but maybe that's what makes it so special. I can't help but smile when I see you smile, Raven. I just... I.. I'm going to shut up now."
Beastboy smiled at Raven, and just stood there, not sure what she would think. He had kind of spoken more than he had intended, but no one else was saying anything, and it was hard to stop talking when only silence followed it. The emotions were all smiling, even Fear, though it was hard to see Embarrassment. She had mostly crawled under the bed, being complimented so much was beyond her ability to stand. Beastboy was only watching Raven, however, since she was the one that he was hoping wouldn't completely freak out.
Beastboy was thus distracted when he was tackled from the side by a dark red and violet cloaked woman. Both teenagers fell to the floor, landing in a heap on the floor.
"MMMmm, Beastie, I knew you felt that way about us. A nice body, huh? Maybe you'd like to see a little more of it?" Lust smiled seductively down at Beastboy, as she moved so that she was holding him to the floor.
"Uh, Lust? Maybe we shouldn't be down here, and maybe you should... uh... not angle your body like that." Beastboy tried to look away from Lust, the angle she was sitting at was allowing too free a look down her costume.
"Ooh, but you like it, don't you? Come on, stop being such a prude and just take m-" Lust was stopped from talking as Romance pulled her off of Beastboy and dropped her on the floor. Most of the emotions looked annoyed by Lust's advances, though Raven still looked stunned from the speech.
"Beastboy, that was so sweet. I'm so happy that you finally told us what you like about us. Thank you so much." Romance helped Beastboy up, and then hugged him tightly; Beastboy returned the hug, with little other choice in the matter.
"You really... Did you really mean that?" Raven's voice was quiet, and tinged with disbelief.
Romance winked at Beastboy, then let go of him. Beastboy walked back over to Raven's bedside, and knelt next to her. "Yes, of course I did. You are smart and beautiful and perfect. How could I not like you?"
Raven pulled herself up a bit, so that she was sitting more so than laying down. Beastboy... Beastboy thought she was beautiful. Beastboy thought that she, Raven, the daughter of Trigon the Terrible, was beautiful? Raven felt herself smile. She saw Beastboy's face light up as well, in response to her smile.
Raven looked at Beastboy, as he smiled back at her. She had never noticed before, but he was actually very... handsome. The green skin and hair gave him an exotic look, and the more she looked at him, the more she realized that she thought he was as attractive as he thought she was.
"Beastboy, I don't know what to say." Raven was almost getting used to being at a loss for words. "I-I'm flattered. I had no idea that you had been thinking like this for so long."
The green boy grinned widely, his eyes shining. "Well, at least you didn't hit me or anything. I'm glad that your mirror broke; I would never have told you this stuff without that happening."
Raven nodded. "Yes, as strange as it has been, I am glad that it broke as well. Of course, we still need to fix it."
"I have all the spell components, but we must find and subdue Rage. Beastboy..." Knowledge paused. Feeling any emotion besides curiosity was unfamiliar to her, and unfamiliarity was disconcerting. "You... like Raven's intelligence?"
Beastboy smiled at Knowledge. "Dude, she's like the smartest person I know. Of course I like it."
Beastboy looked around the room at the smiling emotions. Even Fear looked happy as she hid under the table. Suddenly, Beastboy noticed that someone was missing. "Uh... where did Embarrassment go? I know she was in here."
"There is no way that she could have enjoyed so many brazen compliments. She must be hiding." Wisdom didn't even open her eyes as she meditated, her voice calm and even.
"I'm under here... I'm sorry for hiding, but I can't stand it." The muffled voice of Embarrassment came out from underneath Raven's bed. Raven looked irritated, and Bravery shook her head disapprovingly.
Beastboy just grinned. He walked over to Raven's bed, and after winking at the real Raven, got down on the floor and looked underneath it. Embarrassment was hiding under her cloak. "Hey, come on, don't be embarrassed, it's all true."
Embarrassment shook her head. "Even if it was all true, it's still hard to hear; it's embarrassing to hear you speak so highly of me!"
Beastboy crawled over to her and pulled back her hood, smiling at the darkly blushing emotion. "Don't be embarrassed. So I like you, come out and be happy with the rest of the emotions."
Embarrassment followed Beastboy as they both crawled out from under the bed, and looked around bashfully at all the grinning emotions. Beastboy just smiled at her and looked towards Raven again. "So anyway, I... uh... guess I should go find the others so that we can fix the mirror, huh?"
Raven smiled at him, and Happiness was standing next to her, smiling as well. "Beastboy, I'm always happy, but... you made Raven really happy just now. Thanks."
Beastboy smiled again, then walked towards Raven. "Ok, Raven, come on. You have to get up and come down to the medical lab so we can help you and the others."
Raven looked down at her injured sie, then back up towards Beastboy. "I... can't. I'm injured, Beastboy, and I won't heal with my mind splintered like this. It's really beginning to weigh on my body."
Beastboy was not to be deterred, however. He carefully put his arm around Raven's shoulder, and gently helped her stand. She was weak, but didn't seem to be in pain. "Are you ok to walk down to the medical lab?"
Raven gingerly reached down and lightly touched her side where the bolt had struck her. It still hurt, but feeling Beastboy's arm around her enabled her to ignore the pain. She looked up at him, leaning heavily on his arm. He was smiling at her, and his eyes were shining with happiness. She allowed herself to smile again as well. This... this surprised her. Before today, Beastboy had been an annoying shapechanger that told stupid jokes and was too loud when she tried to read or meditate. Now, he was this amazing person, this boy who was there for her in her times of need, and caring for her no matter what happened. Not only that, but he thought of her as a woman, not simply as a friend or a teammate. Raven suddenly realized that she'd been staring at his eyes.
"I... uh..." Raven couldn't find the words to say. It was beginning to irritate her; this speechlessness that seemed to overtake her around him.
Beastboy smiled knowingly at her. "It's ok. I know. I feel the same way."
A few seconds of awkward silence passed, as the two teenagers stared at each other. A pointed cough came from the doorway.
"Perhaps it would be prudent to go downstairs now. The others may need us." Wisdom pressed the switch to open the door, then headed out into the corridor.
Beastboy smiled at Raven. "So, ready to go?"
Raven smiled back at him, still feeling a little bit awkward. "Yes... Let's go."
Rage stood unsteadily in the burned out church, having returned here at Trigon's command. He filled her mind; controlling her fully. She was burning with anger, but could do little against his violent ranting.
"Traitor! You, my chosen child amongst all of Raven's emotions, have betrayed me! You attacked my daughter; were you planning to kill her? To kill yourself?" Trigon's voice was angry, dark, and dangerous. Rage knew, however, that there was little he could do to her. She was his last true link to this world, destroying her would bring the same result as killing Raven.
"I will not abide such betrayal! Your sisters have already turned from me, I will not allow the same freedom to you. That green child must be destroyed." Trigon seemed to be speaking to himself now, the anger still present, but no longer directed entirely at Rage.
"My daughter's pathetic emotions towards him have corrupted even the parts of her mind that I control. He must be destroyed."
Rage listened carefully, unable to do anything with her body at the moment. So... Beastboy had something to do with this. Rage noted her own lack of anger at him, with a small amount of surprise. Things were different here from back in Raven's mind, and Rage was finally beginning to see that perhaps defiance was possible here. Rage could hear Trigon's ranting continue.
"You will never be free again, daughter. You will never kill Raven, and you will never move your body. I will be your controller forever now. You have betrayed my trust, and exhausted my patience. Raven, the only child of mine who has survived past infancy, will not die to some rogue emotion. However, she will fall before my mental onslaught. My blood will flow whithin her, and she will no longer be able to deny her heritage. What she has concealed, she shall become, and this world will be mine."
Rage ignored Trigon as he began ranting and spewing hate-filled visions of his dystopian future for this world. Beastboy was the key. Raven felt something for him, so perhaps Rage could use the strength that he seemed to lend to Raven's emotions. If she was able to dredge just a bit more power, she could defeat Trigon herself. Rage smiled inwardly. Trigon had given her more power than he knew. She was so furious, so full of unrelenting anger towards him, that defeating his control was nearly within her reach. Though her own power would never be enough, if Beastboy could lend her some strength, or perhaps if the other emotions could assist, she could defeat him.
"That impudent child has even managed to give Fear the ability to defy me. Fear! The most worthless emotion of all of them, actually defended him from my attacks. He will burn, burn in pain long after his death!"
Rage chose to ignore the angry rant that followed. Beastboy had enabled Fear to stand up against Trigon? He must have more power over Raven's emotions than she previously thought. How interesting. Rage decided to take a risk, and suggest something to Trigon unbidden.
"Perhaps, Father, we could seperate Beastboy from the others. He would be defenseless without his teammates."
"Silence! I have not given you leave to speak!" Trigon silenced Rage's telepathic suggestion angrily. When he resumed speaking, however, his voice was thoughtful. "Perhaps, however, you have made a valid suggestion. The child seems to have no combat ability at all. With a little work, we may be able to seperate him from the others."
Rage felt strangely protective of Beastboy. Although she knew that he was only useful to her if he helped rid her of Trigon, she felt like he should mean more. Trigon continued speaking.
"The next time we meet these... Titans... Beastboy will fall to me, and Raven will be forced to accept her birthright. Very soon, this world will belong to me, Trigon the Terrible!"
A/N: Woo, a long chapter. Hopefully the next one will be out before bloody June. Anyway, hope everyone liked it. Review if you have something to say, and I'll update eventually. Thanks for reading.