Seven Years' Bad Luck in One Day
Review Responses:
Dragoon-Bane: I'm glad that you liked the chapter. I'm not sure if this chapter will leave you blown away and speechless, but hopefully you'll enjoy it as well. Sorry in advance, for this next cliffy.fs
Half-Gothic Chick: Here's the next chapter, a bit ahead of schedule. Hope you like it!
Cat: Glad you liked it. Here's more.
Mr. Giraffe800: I liked the fanart as well. I was very flattered that someone decided to do that. Glad you like the story.
Noname: Here's another chapter. Thanks for the compliments. I'd like to rule the world someday, I should give that a shot.
(Questionmark name): ok, here you go.
The Mad Shoe 1: I'm truly glad you do!
Ravenwouldplaylax: Here's more writing. Glad you like it.
BrianDarksoul: I agree, I like placing the 'villains' in a bad situation that evokes pity.
BrokenNevermore: That's a high compliment. I would love to write published work, but I haven't got the courage yet. I'm glad you like the story.
A Person: Yeah, I didn't notice that I was overusing that. Thanks for pointing it out.
Ultimate R-Man: Yeah, BB isn't so stupid as to fall for Trigon's ploy, but he still took the bait, as it were. "Charmingly annoying" is a good way of describing Star, I like it.
Ryuu no Taiyo: Heh, here's that update you wanted.
Micheal: Glad you liked it.
SxStmgSamurai13: Things are definately coming to a head. Hope you enjoy this chapter.
GentleRainson: I'm glad you like it. I try to balance action with romance. Here's the update.
Dr. Evil 99: A well thought out review, as usual. We've discussed most of those points already. If you thought chapter eight had a murderous cliff, wait until you see this one.
MistOfDarkness: I can imagine this story is a lot to read all at once! Here's chapter nine!
Animeluv09: Glad you are enjoying the fic. Top five out of the 10,000 or so fics on here is high praise indeed. Thanks!
Weirdoqueen1992: Romantic tension is good for fanfiction. We'll have to see if that kiss happens, eh?
T-Titansfan: I'm glad you like it. Here's the next one.
Psycho King: Beastboy acts impulsively, but there's courage there too. Hope you like the results of his actions.
A Pleasant Reader: I'm glad you like it. I have a good proofreader, hence the lack of mechanical mistakes. Here's the next chapter.
RavennBeastboy: I like ending chapters at suspenseful points in the story. Watch out for that when reading my fanfics.
BBisSeXyAnDiAmRaNdOm: This chapter has more action to it. Hope you like this one too.
almostinsane: Thanks!
Ayame Ito: I'm glad you like it! If not Rae/BB, what pairing do you like?
Iamhollywood: Thanks! I hope this next chapter is good to you as well.
Warprince2000: Updated as soon as I finished this chapter.
Dancingirl3: Glad you liked it! Here's the next one!
John Steppenwolf: Robin, if Dick Grayson, isn't exactly a detective, but is better at it than most of the Titans. Trigon is formidable in the comics, and not too bad in the show either. Thanks for the review.
honshi-ko88: Arella was not an angel. She was an abused teenager who got suckered into a satanic cult after running away from home. Still, she's a good person after being saved by the Azerites. Glad you liked the fic.
BlueTitan: Thanks! It's always nice to get such compliments. I hope this chapter retains such quality.
disappear/syani: Thanks for all the compliments. Sometimes the emotions get ignored for a chapter or two, but only because there are currently 20 characters in this fanfic, and it's difficult to keep them all active. Thanks for the book recommendation, and I hope you like this chapter.
DarkSideOfBlue: This chapter came out much faster than the previous. I'm glad you are enjoying this story so much, I hope you keep enjoying it as it continues.
Raidersrule76: Heh. You think you've seen a cliffhanger. Wait till the end of this one. Thanks for the review! Hope you like this chapter.
Scathac's Warrior: Glad you liked it! Here's the next update!
Change-of-head2: Here's some more. Hope you like it.
The evening air had a chill to it as Beastboy flew through it, following Rage as she led him away from Titans' Tower. Rage was dressed in a blue cloak, and with the increased eyesight of his current avian form, Beastboy could see easily that it was made by some costume factory, probably for children who wanted to imitate their heroes for Halloween. Still, Beastboy wanted to help Rage, and he knew that the other Titans would only cause combat. He had to follow her alone, and maybe he could help her before any fighting became necessary.
Beastboy looked around as he flew, and suddenly realized that they were heading to a fairly familiar place. The ground was still pockmarked with sinkholes and lined with stress fractures here, and up ahead, he could see the small memorial that covered the only entrance to the cave. He narrowed his birdlike eyes, angered at the location, no matter how much he wanted to help Rage. Why did they have to come back here?
Rage didn't look like she liked the idea either, actually. Beastboy watched her face carefully as the two drew nearer to landfall. She was obviously angry, and her lips moved from time to time, as if she was talking to herself. Events of the day, however, pointed heavily towards a conversation with Trigon, and this reminded Beastboy of exactly how important it was to save her. Even more than Raven's fate, the fate of the entire world was at stake here.
Rage lowered herself, stepping lightly to the ground, and glaring back at Beastboy as he morphed back into a human, standing on the rocky ground next to her. She watched his eyes carefully, looking for some emotion. He was angry, she could tell, but there was something else there that she couldn't identify. Rage turned from him, and looked at the monument in front of them, a statue of a young girl, a former Titan, Terra. This statue was a grave marker, an above-ground monument to the young girl entombed beneath.
"Why did Rage have to pick this place? I hate it here." Beastboy's voice was quiet, as if the act of speaking ruined the sanctity of the place.
"Rage is fueled by rage, her own or others'. She would, of course, choose a location that made you angry." Rage tried to keep her voice level, tried to act the part of Raven. It was important to her to understand what was so different about Beastboy.
Beastboy smiled weakly. "Raven, I hope we can save her. I know why she hurt you, that she doesn't want to be a slave anymore. I hope we can help her be free of Trigon."
Rage narrowed her eyes, feeling angry, but not at Beastboy. She found herself angry at Raven for telling him what she was trying to do. Rage didn't want Beastboy to know how she had tried to... die. "Rage will never be free. Trigon controls her completely; he won't be distracted this time. It's foolish to fight her with her freedom as the goal."
Rage reached out her hand, and Beastboy put his hand in hers. They both turned black as Rage's powers encased them, phasing their bodies through the stony ground and into the cave beneath. Rage let go of Beastboy, and they both began their descent into the tunnel.
"Still, I think we can save her. No one thought Malice could be saved, and Hatred fought hard too. If she tries hard and we all help her through it, I know that she can push Trigon out as well." Beastboy tried to stay optimistic as he hopped from stone to stone, trying to keep his balance in his awkward human form. Rage's eyes had seemed so... hopeless.
Rage levitated, lowering herself at a pace matching Beastboy's jumping. "It's not a matter of trying harder, Beastboy. Rage is Trigon's, and if I live, I will be too, someday. There is no stopping my destiny. It's fate."
Beastboy was silent for a moment, having changed into a hummingbird in order to navigate a difficult section of the tunnel. He changed back a moment later, as they reached the bottom of the vertical shaft. He looked down the corridor, knowing that the stone statue that once was Terra stood at the other end. He shuddered involutarily. "I don't believe in fate. I think you can stop Trigon if you try. If we all work together, he won't stand a chance."
"Then, you are a fool! Trigon is immortal; he's invincible! Nothing you can do can even scratch him!" Rage's shout seemed thunderous in the otherwise silent cavern, her cloak billowing out behind her from her unintentional power usage, and her violet eyes glowing bright red, with two more eyes glowing above them.
Beastboy instinctively moved to a defensive stance, wary of this unpredictable side of Raven. "Ra... Raven, keep calm. Come on! Just try to have hope!"
Rage stood for a moment, then her cloak fell back to rest, and her eyes faded and changed back to the natural two. She sighed heavily. "I... apologize. My anger can be spontaneous. You just don't understand who you are fighting."
Beastboy followed Rage as she continued to walk down the corridor. Nothing he could say could help right now, and he wanted to give her a moment to calm down before he tried to convince her to stand up for herself again. He didn't like being here again; Terra was still a hard memory for him to face.
Rage walked ahead of Beastboy, seemingly silently as well, though actually, she was trying to remain autonomous as Trigon's suspicion of the boy grew. "He doesn't know. He is still calling me Raven. Give me a few moments; I'll kill him when we reach the grave chamber."
Trigon's response came in a low growl, his distrust of her obvious. "With this child gone, my daughter will once again be mine in time. Whatever control he has over her emotions will not outlive him. Remember that I control you, daughter. If you disobey, I will simply kill him for you."
Rage nodded, knowing that Trigon would not listen to any objections she was having about killing Beastboy. She knew that stopping Trigon was impossible, and she knew that in order to save the world, she would have to kill Raven. Somehow, however, Beastboy was giving her pause. Killing Raven would hurt Beastboy; she suddenly didn't want to do it. She almost preferred Trigon's dominion over the world to the idea of hurting Beastboy with her own actions. Rage didn't understand why her mind was acting so strangely, but she couldn't just glaze over her feelings with anger anymore. She had always been able to conjure up a blinding rage towards anyone she needed to feel it against, but it wouldn't work for Beastboy. This confusion was unusual to her.
Beastboy's voice surprised her; it seemed so loud in this cavern. "So... uh... what're you thinking about?"
Rage stopped walking for a moment and turned to look at Beastboy. He was smiling at her, but there was something in his eyes that made her wonder if he knew who she was. "I was thinking about you."
Beastboy's grin almost made Rage smile. "About me? What about me? It's the muscles, isn't it?"
Rage looked at Beastboy with a deadpan expression as he flexed his arms. "No. Still, there is something about you that... interests me."
Beastboy looked at Rage, and saw that she seemed to be struggling against something. "Uh, come on Raven, we have to go save Rage, right?"
"Yes, we have to save Rage." Rage shook her head suddenly, as if clearing it of bad thoughts. Trigon was getting more suspicious of her actions as he listened to her conversation, and it was becoming difficult to keep him away from her mind. She began walking through the tunnel again, Beastboy at her side.
They walked in relative silence again, the darkness of the cave difficult to navigate. They passed a set of metal doors that had seemingly been torn from their places by a mammoth, through a few hallways that were fruitlessly watched by long-disconnected security cameras, and finally, the corridor opened, revealing the mass of torn, twisted metal and broken glass that had become Terra's grave.
Rage stopped at the doorway, watching Beastboy continue forward, walking across the rusted metal and shattered stained glass until he reached the statue. He looked up at Terra for a moment, then turned back to Rage, his eyes moist. "Well, we're here, and no one else is. Now what, Rage?"
Rage was facing him, her right arm outstretched, black power glowing around her hand. Her eyes looked into him. They were Raven's natural violet, and bore an almost pleading look. "Now... Now you have to die. You have to. Trigon commands it."
Beastboy made no aggressive moves at all, just standing in front of Terra's statue, watching Rage quietly. "Rage, you don't have to do this."
A moment's hesitation passed, and Rage's eyes began to gain a reddish hue. "Yes... I do."
"He's taking too long." Wisdom's blunt statement seemed to validate everyone else's silent thoughts.
Robin stared at the computer screen, looking at a map of the day's combats, trying to find some pattern. "It's possible that he just had a hard time finding the components. We're in the Tower, anyone who isn't supposed to be here would have been detected by the security system."
"He could have been hurt by some of the spell components that are in that cabinet, or he could have dropped a bottle and cut himself on the glass, or he could have--"
"Shut up, Worry. He's not that much of an idiot." Hatred's tone was harsh, but there was a twinge of concern in it as well.
"Yeah, he probably got eaten by some huge, slavering monster. A monster with huge teeth and ripping claws, and a mouth just drooling for human flesh. Flesh... like... yours!" Malice grabbed Fear from behind as she finished her sentence, making Fear scream in fright and blast Malice backwards against the wall, out of sheer reflex.
Starfire floated over and tried to comfort the shaking Fear. "I am certain that Beastboy is ok, but perhaps it would not be a bad idea to go find him. He is often easily distracted."
Malice stood up shakily, sore from her unexpected flight. "Yeah, maybe so. I'll go look for him. Hatred, come with me, just in case Rage is here."
Starfire flew over to the door as well, her eyes glowing. "I will also attend."
Worry walked with Wisdom, joining the others. "We will come too. Worry needs to see that he is well, and I may be of some assistance here as well."
"Oi! I'll come too. We're completely out of food." Rudeness tossed the last half of her sandwich onto the floor next to the refridgerator, and walked out the doorway after the rest.
The six girls walked and flew down the hallway silently, heading towards Raven's room. The only sounds in the hallway were the padded footfalls of the emotions, and Worry's quiet sniffling. Wisdom had her arm around Worry's shoulder, trying to comfort her, but to little avail.
All their minds preoccupied with thoughts of where he could be, they reached Raven's room without really looking at the corridor on the way. Rudeness reached out and pressed the button to open the door, and stepped inside, looking around casually. Everything looked in place. Malice and Hatred closed their eyes, scanning the room a moment, but found no trace of Rage entering this room recently. Wisdom let go of Worry and walked over to the spell component cabinet, opening it and looking inside.
"Well, he was here. At least, someone was here to get the bottles we sent him for."
Hatred spoke up, looking to Malice as she did so, making sure she didn't disagree. "There's no sign of Trigon's influence in here. I don't think Beastboy was taken from here."
"Oi! Get out of that!" Rudeness yanked Starfire away from the small vanity mirror and desk that she had been looking at. "That's our stuff; leave it alone."
Starfire looked a little miffed. "I simply wished to see what Raven would keep in a desk like this. She has never allowed me to look inside."
Worry looked around the room a moment, then looked back into the hallway. "So if he wasn't taken from here, then he disappeared somewhere on the way back, right?"
Wisdom walked out into the corridor, this time carefully looking around as they all walked back. Her eyes finally rested on some small bottles sitting next to a hallway. "Here's the bottles he was sent for. Why would he just leave them here, though?"
Rudeness shrugged. "Maybe he got bored and left. This place is really dull sometimes."
Starfire shook her head. "He would not simply leave without informing his friends. Was he taken?"
Malice shook her head. "Any combat would have been detected by the Tower. If he went anywhere, he went willingly."
Hatred opened her eyes. "Rage was here. I can still feel the taint of Trigon."
The six Titans sat silently for a moment, every one of them too frightened to voice their concerns. Finally, Wisdom spoke. "We should get back to the others. Maybe we can track his communicator."
The tiny green hummingbird deftly dodged the bolts of power as Rage fired at him. Finding a small boulder nearby, Beastboy changed back into human form, hiding behind it for a moment. "Rage! Come on! Fight him!"
The boulder turned black and lifted into the air, exposing Beastboy beneath it. "Rage is no longer here, child. You now fight Trigon the Terrible." The rock slammed down over Beastboy, only narrowly missing him as he changed into a gnat and buzzed quickly away.
Rage's hands glowed with power as she looked around the room, knowing that Beastboy wasn't dead, but unable to find him. A moment later, her head and eyes were covered by the octopus that dropped from above her. She reached her hands up and the previously green creature turned dark black, and was thrown brutally against the far wall of the chamber. "Fool! Your meager skills do not compare to my daughter's abilities. You will never win this fight."
Beastboy coughed as he changed back to human form, the impact with the wall softened by his previously invetebrate form. "I'm not fighting you, Rage! You have to fight Trigon yourself! You can get free, Hatred and Malice--"
Beastboy's voice was cut short as he was blasted sideways from Rage's power. "She can hear you, but she will never be able to fight my control. Both yourself and this world are doomed."
Rage could do nothing but watch as her body followed Trigon's every command. Beastboy was dodging well, but Trigon was only playing with him at the moment. Rage knew that unless she stopped him, Trigon would kill Beastboy, and then, Raven would succumb to his control. Rage felt her own anger burning inside her, but it was pointless. Trigon was too strong to combat.
"Rage! Come on! Help me out a little here!" Beastboy dodged behind another twisted piece of debris, scurrying away as a mouse before the debris was crushed down on his hiding place by Rage. Trigon still was unable to spot Beastboy in the dark of the cavern, until he called out from across the room.
"He can't control you forever! The others escaped! So can you!" Beastboy leapt sideways as soon as he started speaking, as he knew that Rage would fire at the sound. The bolt of power smashed harmlessly into the wall, and Beastboy glared at Rage.
"Let her go, Trigon! You can't win!" Beastboy changed into a small sparrow and fluttered away from the flying steel beam that Rage had thrown towards him. He changed back into a human and ran, jumping and dodging as Rage continued to fire at him.
Rage angrily assaulted Trigon's control of her body, but was unable to do anything at all. He was too strong, too committed to this course of action. She slunk back into her mind, the futility of her resistance overwhelming her. Beastboy was going to die, and it was going to happen with her own hands.
Beastboy dodged and jumped from boulder to boulder as he evaded Rage's attacks. He was beginning to think that coming here alone wasn't the best of ideas. His back still hurt from being slammed into the wall earlier, and he wasn't sure how long he could keep dodging like this. His legs were burning already, and Rage didn't even seem to be tiring at all. "Rage... Rage, you have to win! I can't keep doing this!"
Rage just watched as Trigon kept attacking. Beastboy was a great deal more nimble than she had thought, but still would eventually tire. Not only that, but Trigon could easily kill him whenever he wanted; he was just playing with him to exhaust him at the moment. Rage knew, even without trying, that Trigon was still too strong to defeat. It was hopeless. Raven's destiny would be fulfilled, and the world would be destroyed. Nothing could be done.
The map of the city appeared on the big screen in the common room, with Robin working the controls. The tracking mechanism of the communicators was imperfect at best, but in a few moments, they should have a generalized idea of where Beastboy had gone. Robin was watching the screen, but was aware of his surroundings, as always. Everyone was getting ready for combat; adjusting their costumes, attaching bionic parts, meditating, and other pre-battle rituals. He silently cursed his weakened state; his ankle was far too injured to allow for proper combat.
Worry spoke quietly, but everyone heard her over the room noise. "What if we are too late? What if he is already d-"
Wisdom cut her off, midsentence. "Thinking like that doesn't help anything. We'll be able to save him."
"I... I don't like this..." Fear spoke between sobs of terror. She had basically fallen apart at the news of Beastboy's disappearance.
"BB can handle himself. He probably just went flying for a bit. You know how he does sometimes." Cyborg was trying to sound confident, mostly for Fear's benefit. He knew fully well that Beastboy wouldn't just go flying around at a time like this. Something important had to have happened.
Knowledge was watching the map as the computer searched the city for the transmission's source. Finally, the computer zeroed in on a location. Knowledge frowned as she read it. "He's in Jump City Sector 2813."
The room fell silent almost immediately. "That sector is where..." Starfire's voice trailed off.
"It's where Terra died." Malice stated it bluntly, just as unhappy with the news as anyone else.
Cyborg shook his head slowly. "Man... Why would he go there?"
Raven spoke quietly, as if she didn't want to admit it. "Rage would have chosen a place that would make him angry. He must have thought he could save her alone."
Rudeness sighed, a strangely serious look in her eyes. "Idiot... Brave, caring, idiot..."
Brave shook her head quickly, shaking away the gloom that had settled over everyone. "If he's there, and his communicator is working, then he's probably still alive! Come on. We have to go! Now!"
Wisdom stood up as well, her voice adamant. "Yes, we have to. Is everyone ready? We might need the whole group with us."
Robin nodded. "I think everyone is good to go. Friendship is still in the medical lab, though."
Hatred shrugged. "She's injured. She'd just hamper us, anyway. We can teleport here and get her if we end up needing her there. We have to go quickly."
Wisdom didn't wait another moment. She raised her arms, along with Malice and Hatred, and the entire group vanished into a birdlike black shape.
"Enough playing, child. I tire of this game." Rage's eyes glowed red, and Beastboy felt his body stop in midair as he tried to leap away. He tried to look down to see what was holding him, but couldn't even move his head. Rage was holding him in the air with her power, undefeatable in it's strength.
"Rage... stop him..." Beastboy found it hard to force the words out, as Rage moved his body so that he was standing straight up in the air. He couldn't breathe back in; his entire body was being held tight.
"She cannot stop me; I am Trigon the Terrible. Your death will secure my place in this world. Already, I can feel your body slowing from my control. Your lungs are tightening; your heart is ceasing to beat. Only a moment longer and--"
Rage suddenly grabbed her head and fell to her knees, as Beastboy fell to the ground as well, coughing and weak from the attack. He looked up, almost unable to move, and saw Rage looking at him, obviously fighting Trigon's control. "Beast... Boy... run..."
"Rage! Stay in control! You are beating him!" Beastboy tried to run towards her, but his legs weren't working correctly, and he fell to the ground again. "Rage! You have to beat him!"
Rage stood up again, her eyes glowing red. Trigon was in command again. Rage's mind fought against the reinforced control, but could do nothing. She had saved him; why didn't he run? Why didn't he change into some microscopic thing and hide? He couldn't help her; she couldn't be saved!
"This insolence will not be tolerated. You will die now, 'Beastboy'. Know that you are unique in causing such a delay in my conquest of a planet." Rage raised her hand, and a black bolt of power fired towards Beastboy. He could do nothing but watch as it came towards him. Beastboy closed his eyes, waiting for death.
The shot slammed into a black forcefield that suddenly materialized in front of him. Hatred dissolved the forcefield, standing beside Malice in front of the Titans and emotions, glaring angrily at Rage. "You will not kill him, Trigon."
Beastboy looked back towards the group of teenagers behind him, and grinned lopsidedly, though he could barely keep his head up. "Hey guys. Glad you could make it."
Rage sneered, the deep, demonic voice coming from her was obviously not her own. "As am I. Now, you will all witness the death of hope together."
Robin drew an explosive disc and threw it towards Rage, more as a distraction than any form of true attack. "Teen Titans! Go!"
Cyborg wasted no time, firing a powerful sonic blast from his cannon, which Rage barely dodged after knocking the explosive disc away with her powers. Suddenly, Cyborg was encased in telekinetic power, and slammed hard into the cave wall, as the sound of sparking electronics and bending metal filled the room.
"You will not harm my friend!" Starbolts wildly rained from above as Starfire diverted Rage's attention from Cyborg. The bolts were absorbed harmlessly by a hastily erected force field, then ended as Rage fired a black bolt of power, blasting Starfire painfully away.
"Go everyone! Get four-eyes!" Bravery charged from the pack of emotions, firing a barrage of bolts towards Rage, her eyes glowing white with anger. Romance and Lust, driven to anger by Beastboy's injuries, charged with her, though Rage simply blocked their bolts with her own power, flying into the air and dodging them as they attacked wildly.
While they dealt with Rage's body, Hatred and Malice stepped backwards from the fight, moving into the shadows of the room and concentrating on their sister emotion inside the body. Hatred could feel that Rage was hopelessly overpowered by Trigon.
"Rage, we cannot fight him. He will destroy us all. You have to take back control." Malice focused her own mental power towards Rage, hoping to bolster her against Trigon's influence.
"Malice, Hatred, it's futile. I can't win this." Rage felt the power flow into her from her sisters, but still felt unprepared to deal with her father; he was simply too strong to be defeated.
As the others fought against Rage, Beastboy lay on the floor, trying to recover from his ordeal. Worry and Fear knelt next to him, hands glowing with healing magic. Fear was shaking and silent, but Worry was able to speak. "Beastboy, please get up! Please don't die!"
Beastboy grinned up at her as he felt his body heal. "I'm not dying. Don't worry about me. We have to help Rage."
Raven knelt next to them and put her hand on his shoulder. "Beastboy, Malice and Hatred are trying to strengthen her, but you seem to be the key to freeing my emotions. You have to help them."
Beastboy looked up sharply, surprised to see Raven there. "Raven! You're hurt; you shouldn't be here!"
Raven shook her head. "I had to come. You would have come if it was me. Come on, Rage needs your help."
Beastboy struggled to his feet, aided by Raven and the two emotions. He grinned over to Raven. "Thanks, Rae. Still, after what happened last time you were with Rage, you really shouldn't be here."
Fear threw her arms around Beastboy and clung tightly. "Trigon is going to kill us! We have to run!"
Beastboy smiled down at her, while gently pulling her arms off of him. "Hey, come on. He won't kill you. He needs you guys. Stay with Raven, you'll be safe."
Suddenly, Happiness, who'd been fighting along with the other emotions, came crashing hard into Beastboy. They tumbled along the ground a few feet and then stopped, Happiness laughing despite her pain. "Hey BB, how's it going?"
Beastboy flipped part of her cloak off of his face, and grinned at her. "Not bad, but I think I should go talk to Rage."
Happiness levitated to standing, then reached her hand out for him to take. "I'm rooting for you, BB! Good luck!"
Beastboy walked forward, and Rage turned to look at him, calmly swatting Bravery away when she attempted to swing a punch at her. Trigon's voice came from the thin girl's frame. "You have decided to face death, then? You have admirable courage, mortal."
Robin drew a freeze disc, uncertain about Beastboy's ability to turn Rage at this point. Starfire was assisting the partially disabled Cyborg to his feet, while various emotions were nervously watching Beastboy and Rage for clues about the coming confrontation.
Rage raised her hand, and it began glowing with power. Beastboy stood firm, smiling at Rage as if he knew something Trigon didn't. "Come on, Rage. Fight him. You can win."
An evil sneer crept across Rage's lips. "Goodbye, child."
Rage's mind, drawing strength from Malice and Hatred, attacked Trigon's control powerfully, but to no effect. Her power just wasn't enough. She could only watch as the power fired from her arm, heading towards Beastboy.
Beastboy doubled over as the bolt struck him in the side. He winced in pain, but still grinned, as Rage must have moved her arm just enough to keep him from being killed.
"Beastboy!" Beastboy suddenly found himself surrounded by emotions, worry and fear evident on their faces.
"Hey, c'mon guys, I'll be ok. Rage will win, you guys worry too mu-"
Beastboy was cut off as the stone floor beneath them tore itself open, throwing the emotions and shapeshifter in all directions, as Rage's eyes glowed red from using her powers. Robin immediately threw the freeze disc, but it was deflected effortlessly, and instead broke on Starfire, freezing her in midair. Robin rushed to her aid as Trigon simply levitated to where Beastboy had landed, holding his hand out towards the injured Titan. Beastboy looked up, his confidence in Rage's ability to triumph faltering. "Any last words, child? You deserve them. No other mortal has lasted for such a time in combat with Trigon the Terrible."
Beastboy looked up at Rage's demonic red eyes, then looked around the room at all the other emotions. His eyes finally rested on Raven, her violet eyes locking with his. He could see the desperation in them. He smiled and winked at her, and she cocked an eyebrow, unsure of what to think.
"I... I just want to say that..." Beastboy swallowed hard, finding it difficult to speak with the possibility of death staring him in the face. "I want to say that even though Trigon is your father, and even though he might kill me in a few seconds, I... I love you, Raven."
Raven's eyes widened. She suddenly found herself unable to speak properly. "Beastboy..."
Beastboy grinned at her, then turned to Rage. "Did you hear that in there, Rage? I love her. I love all of you. So even though Trigon is about to kill me, I don't blame you, ok?"
Inside her mind, Rage was speechless. Beastboy... loved her? He'd been trying to free her the entire time she'd been around him, but... love? The realization of Beastboy's feelings suddenly shocked her out of her rage against Trigon, as all she could feel was the confusion brought up by the confession. He loved her... but did she love him? Could she love at all? She was Rage, how could she love anyone?
Under Trigon's control, Rage smirked, obviously amused by the confession. "Charming. Now, you die."
Suddenly, Rage dropped to the ground, and the power around her hand faded. Rage lifted her hand, looking at it with frustration. "What? Where is your power, my daughter? I will not allow failure."
Rage smiled, inside her own mind, as she remembered her own reluctance to harm Beastboy. She held Trigon off as long as she could, and she now realized that she hadn't been fighting to free herself. She'd been fighting to protect Beastboy. Beastboy loved her... and she loved him as well.
Beastboy grinned, trying to stand, then kneeling as sharp pains shot through his injured knee. "Heh... Rage isn't mad. She doesn't have any anger to draw power from. You've lost, Trigon."
Rage raised her hand and brought it sharply across Beastboy's face, backhanding him powerfully. He collapsed to the floor, still laughing. "Fool! I do not need Rage's anger to fuel me."
Rage's hand glowed red, Trigon bringing his own power painfully across dimensions for one final attack. In her mind, Rage finally snapped out of the surprise from the confession, seeing Beastboy in danger again. His eyes were looking at her with such confidence, as if there was no way she could fail. Seeing the red glow about to strike down her love suddenly raised her anger far beyond anything she had felt before. She felt hatred and malice from her sisters flowing into her mind as well, as they smiled at her from the darkness. She concentrated, focusing her powers, as the red glow grew.
"Farewell, child. I will personally attend to the burning of your soul." Trigon sneered, ready to end Beastboy's life.
Suddenly, the red glow around her hand turned black, as her whole body pulsed with dark tendrils of telekinesis. Rage let out a desperate howl as she grabbed her head in pain, dark red smoke gathering around her body as Trigon was forced out. Malice and Hatred also dropped to their knees as all of their willpower went towards assisting Rage.
The dark cloud rose above Rage, fading into the darkness of the chamber. Rage dropped to her knees, exhausted. She opened her eyes, looking at Beastboy with violet eyes. "Beast... Boy..."
Beastboy pulled himself over to her, his leg still hurting him, and put his arms around her. "You're free now. Go ahead and rest."
Raven crawled weakly over and smiled at Beastboy. "Beastboy, I... I... I love you too. Thank you... for everything."
Beastboy smiled brightly as Raven threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly as the rest of the emotions crowded around them, all happy and excited about their new freedom.
One emotion stood away from the others, scared by all the sudden movement. Fear took a tentative step forward, but felt something strange in the air. Trigon was here! Fear clasped her cloak tightly around her, trying to get up the courage to warn the others, but too terrified of her father to move.
Trigon was lingering in the chamber, his essence madly seeking some vessel. He felt disgusted by the love and happiness eminating from the group of emotions below him, but felt his ties to this world quickly dissipating. Suddenly, he felt the scratching of unbridled fear from the black-cloaked emotion, standing off in the darkness. He drank the fear in like an elixer, having found his vessel. He saw the girl's eyes widen in fright as he moved towards her, and he savored the sweet terror in her eyes.
Fear shuddered as she felt Trigon enter her body, a tingling sensation running through her skin. Her eyes burned, and her head felt clogged and heavy. She fought the feeling, trying to force the invader away, but to no effect. She felt her mind losing its grip as the terror spread through her.
The sudden change in the psychic landscape caused Wisdom to look up. She saw Fear clawing at her own face, pulling away from the group, farther into the darkness. Wisdom suddenly felt ill as she realized what had happened. "Fear! Fight him!"
The emotions all looked towards their friend, the sound of Wisdom's voice frightening them. Fear looked at the group, violet eyes wide in horror. "Help... help me..."
Beastboy stood up quickly, ignoring the pain in his sprained knee. "Fear! I'm here! Don't let him win."
Fear's wide, violet eyes turned dark black as she felt herself become lost in the terror of her father's invasion. Her body glowed black as well, her powers activating themselves wildly. "Beastboy... help me!"
Beastboy rushed towards the emotion, but was thrown back as a globe of black power formed around her. Fear curled into a fetal position as she levitated, then stretched out, letting out a horrible, supernatural scream of terror.
A/N: That's the end of the ninth chapter. Chapter ten is the last one, and will be coming out soon (hopefully). Hope you enjoyed this chapter! 'Till next time!