Mind Trap

Chapter 13

"Friends, something is not right." Starfire's voice cut through the usual hub-bub of the tower's day-to-day life.

"What do you mean, Star?" Robin asked.

"It is too quiet."

Robin looked up from his computer and nodded, "You're right, we've been back for a week now, and we haven't gotten a single call."

"No, I mean it is too quiet here."

The titans that were gathered in the commons room looked around, trying to find anything out of place. Raven was the first to realize, "Where's Beastboy?"

"He has often been absent since our return."

"Maybe something's wrong." Robin stood and walked to the group, "Cyborg, where is he?"

Cyborg looked down at the screen set into his arm, "In his room."

"I'll go talk to him." Robin started to turn away, but Raven stopped him.

"No. I think I know what's bothering him, I'll go talk to him." Raven stood and started walking towards the hall that held their quarters.

"Um, you and Beastboy have never really gotten along well, Raven. Are you sure you want to go try to cheer him up?"

"Yes."

Robin sighed, "If you say so."

"I do."

Raven walked down the darkened hall and stopped at Beastboy's door. She knocked softly and waited by the door for a moment, before knocking harder, "Beastboy, are you in there?" When he still didn't open, she hit the button that would open the door, but it only buzzed at her. Raven sighed as she opened a portal through his door and stepped into the darkened room.

Once in the room, it took only a moment for her eyes to adjust to the gloom. She looked around the messy room, and was surprised by what she saw. Dozens of books were piled on and around his bed and desk. She looked at the stack nearest her and saw the titles of various magic texts, all translated into English. She recognized the titles on several of the books in the stack, but saw more that she had never heard of.

"Beastboy, are you in here?" When she received no answer, she walked further into the room. Some of the other stacks were made up of highly technical books. Many of them seemed to have been taken from Cyborg's collection. "What have you been up to?"

She gave one last look around the room, but still did not see him. "Beastboy?" Then, on his bed she saw a yellow circle, his communicator.

Raven stared at his communicator for several moments before she grabbed it and almost ran back out to the main room, "He's gone."

"What? Where?" Robin asked.

Raven held up Beastboy's communicator. "This is all I found."

"Maybe he just wanted to be alone."

Raven stared down at the communicator, "I'm going to go find him."

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Beastboy pushed the heavy door open, the rusty hinges screeching loudly. He walked in and pushed the door closed behind him, before looking around the small, dusty shop. Books were in messy stacks dotted around the room, and various jars and bottles dotted the shelves.

At the back of the room was a desk. Two overstuffed leather chairs sat in front of the desk, and behind it was a man, the shop owner apparently. He looked up from the well-worn book that lay on the desk, "Ah, welcome. My name is Gabriel, how may I be of assistance?"

Beastboy walked further into the shop and got a better view of the man. He was dark complected, and had a short beard. A long nose held a pair of small glasses that threatened to drop off the end. "Um, yeah, maybe you can help me with something."

"Come, have a seat. I'd be glad to help you." He placed a slip of paper into his book before closing it, and slid it onto a nearby shelf. "Tell me what your problem is, I may be able to help you."

Beastboy settled into the soft chair, and thought about how to start, "It's not so much my problem. There's this girl…"

"I don't do love potions."

"No, that's not the problem, she can't feel emotion."

"She is unable to? I've never heard of that."

"No, she can, but it sends her powers out of control."

"Ah, I see now. What seems to trigger them most strongly?"

"Anger. Whenever she gets really mad she gets extra eyes and they all glow red."

"Do you understand why she is this way?"

"I know she's not human, but not really any more than that."

"Early on in the Bible, it speaks of half demons, Nephilim."

"Huh?"

The shop owner seemed to think for a moment, "The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, Genesis, chapter six. Beings of immense power."

"Raven's one of these… uh Neph-nehplam."

"Something like that. It may be she was fathered by a demon. You say she gets four glowing eyes when she is angry?"

"Yeah."

"That narrows her parentage down significantly."

Beastboy mentally reviewed their recent experiences. "Is there one named Trigon?"

"Yes, actually. One of the foremost in the demonic hierarchy, only a little lower than Lucifer himself. Why?"

"I think that may be her father."

"Really. I hope I will get a chance to meet her some day. What is it that you need help with, though?"

"I want to let her feel emotion freely."

The shop owner responded only by raising an eyebrow. "You wish to allow a half-demon to feel emotion without danger of her losing control?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry, it is not possible."

"What?"

"If she does not keep a strict block on all of her emotions, well, you know what would happen."

"There has to be a way."

"There is no way."

"I'm not willing to give up." Beastboy stood, "If you won't help me, I'll find someone else."

"It is not a matter of wanting to help you, I wish to, I really do, but it is not possible."

"Alright then, I'll see you around." Beastboy turned and walked a half dozen steps before he was stopped.

"Wait."

"What?"

"Come sit."

"Will you help me."

"If you look hard enough, you may find out how to strip the demonic away from her, but she is not likely to survive it."

"Then I'll find a different way."

"I may be able to help you, but you must here me out."

Beastboy returned to the seat, "What?"

"There is something. It is very dangerous."

"I will not put her into danger."

"It will pose no risk to her, only you. The only question you may ask yourself is this, are you willing to pay the price? If this fails you risk losing much more than your life."

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Raven dropped down into a park and settled onto a lone wooden bench. At the other end of the bench was a small huddled form. "Are you okay, Beastboy?" There was a non-committal grunt from the huddled form. "You're gonna have to talk to me sooner or later."

"I'll be okay."

"Are you going to give up now?"

"There's no way to do it."

"No."

"I just want to be alone right now."

Raven pulled Beastboy communicator from a beneath her cloak, "Keep this with you, okay? I'd hate to have anything happen to you."

Beastboy took the small device, "Right."