Mind Trap

Chapter 12

Raven glared at the machine in front of her. "Tea. I want tea."

There was a whir and a click from the machine. A small cup dropped down and was filled with a dark viscous substance. "Please remove your refreshment." a soft voice spoke from a speaker grill on the front of the machine."

Raven picked up the cup gingerly and brought it up to where she could smell it. She recoiled when the smell hit her, and this cup joined the rest in the trash.

"Alright, machine, let me get this straight, you can read my mind, right?"

"Yes."

"You know exactly what I want."

"Yes."

"Then give me what I want."

Another cup appeared and was soon filled with the disgusting substance. "Please remove your refreshment."

"It's garbage."

The door behind her slid open and she heard the footsteps of the one person that she most wanted to avoid, "Hey, Rae."

"Don't call me that, Beastboy."

"Alright, Raven. What's up?"

"This stupid machine won't give me what I want."

"I had a little trouble with it too. It only gave me that nasty black stuff."

"That seems like all it does." She grabbed the latest cup and dropped it into the trash. "I'm going to go meditate."

"Um, before you go, can we talk?"

Raven sighed before she turned to him, "Yeah?"

"What happened in there, um, I... when we get back I mean, do you um..."

"No."

Raven saw the quickly concealed flash of pain that crossed his features. "What?"

"It won't work out here."

"But, Cyborg said that that was basically who we would have been if we weren't super heroes, so our emotions are the same. It couldn't change that."

"I know."

"Then, why not?"

"Beastboy, I can't. It's not safe for me to feel anything. You know that."

"You won't try?"

"Beastboy..." Raven snapped louder and harder than she meant, but was cut off when a panel exploded in a shower of glass. In a much softer voice she spoke again, "I'm sorry Beastboy, it's not safe."

Beastboy didn't respond. Instead he walked to the computer consol that Raven had been fighting with. "Computer, do you know what tea leaves are?"

"Affirmative. I have the molecular composition of over thirty four percent of Earth's flora."

"Do you know what tea is?"

There is another high pitched beep, then another cup of the sickening mixture appeared on the pad. "Please remove refreshment."

"That's not what I asked, computer." Beastboy said as he removed the cup and dropped it in the trash, "Do you know what tea is?"

There was a long pause before the computer spoke, almost sheepishly. "Negative."

"She wants dried tea leaves with hot water poured over them."

There was another long pause, "You want dried leaves of the tea plant, soaked in hot water."

"Yes, with cream and sugar on the side."

After a brief pause and a beep, several containers appeared on the pad, a cup and two small bowls. "Please remove refreshments."

Beastboy stepped away from the machine as he stepped back. She picked up the cup filled with steaming, dark water. She brought it up and inhaled deeply. It was tea, not her usual blend, but it was tea. She turned as she spoke, "Thank yo..." but fell silent as the door slid closed behind the retreating Beastboy.