Okay, I apologize for the long wait, my file went all screwy, so I had to rewrite this chapter. GRR, I hate school computers. Thanks to ST and Dusk66, now you both get hugs! Here's chapter Four!

Bright Lights and a Siren's Wail Chapter 4:

sweet Dreams of Youth

Boom took in a deep breath as she felt the icy sensation of Krystal's power seeping into her hands and feet. The witch walked out in front of her victim, clearly enjoying the pain she was experiencing. "You don't know how long I've wanted to see your pathetic soul turned to crystal. It's so…gratifying." She grinned, and slowed down the process even more.

Boom tried to reason with her. If she broke the spell, she would also kill shatter all the statues around her. "Don't do this, I don't want to kill all these people." Silence. "Krys, I don't want to break free of this, STOP IT!"

"If you don't want to live," she sped up the process, and Boom's legs were enveloped in a matter of seconds, "then don't."

Boom hung her head in despair, and a single tear fell from her eyes. She looked up and into the dark eyes of her adversary, allowing her chest and shoulders become glass. "Fine," she said wispily. "If that's how you want it." And she was lost to the world.

Krystal viewed the fruits of her labor for a moment, then turned her attention to the fallen heroes. With a grin, she summoned her mists, and they swept close, but dissipated in a second. She fell to the ground, clutching her ears desperately. She looked over at her rival, and saw to her dismay that she was shaking. She was the source of that awful sound, the one that was making Krystal feel close to blacking out. She gasped and felt the screech grow louder, until it was replaced with the sound of hundreds of glass statues shattering.

And there stood Boom, flesh and blood again, tears flowing down her cheeks. She surveyed the damage, and thought to herself, this is my fault, I- She coughed into her hand, and it came away bloody. "Damn. That…hurts…" She fainted, and fell into the pool of crimson pain unconscious.

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About fifteen minutes later, Raven stirred. She stood up, and took in the scene around her. Krystal was nowhere to be seen. "Lucky me," she grated, "I get to carry everyone home. Yippee."

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"Hey! Sonia!" A younger version of Boom turned toward the voice, and found she was standing in the city park, looking at a younger version of Krystal. "Stop daydreaming and listen would ya?"

"Eh-heh heh, sorry Krys." She shyly ruffled her short pink hair.

"'S cool. Any who, I got the address, so we're all set. Let's go!"

"Wait, um, Krystal?" Boom spoke with none of the confidence she did in the present.

"What?" asked Krystal. Her eyes were not the lifeless pools they are now. They were a blue, like the twilight sky, and showed that she was a vivacious person, someone who knew mischief well.

"I, well I just don't have a good feelin' about this job. I feel like somethin' bad's gonna happen." Sonia shuffled her feet uncomfortably, again seeming awkward.

Krystal just smiled gently. "Hey, c'mon now, don't get cold feet on me now! This is the last job we'll have to do, and then we'll have nothin' ta worry about for a long time!"

"I know, but-"

"But nothin', little Boom! I promise nothin's gonna happen! Okay?"

Boom sighed. "Okay. For Derek?"

Krystal grinned. "For Derek!" She turned to walk out of the park, towards the warehouse district of the city…

"Wait, Krystal, don't go!" Boom shot up in her bed, her memories racing through her head. Then, she realized she wasn't in her apartment. She took in her surroundings; she was lying in a firm bed with bright white sheets, in a room with pristine white walls. There was a chair and a huge computer to the right of her bed, and a table littered with medical instruments to the left. W-where…this couldn't be heaven, could it?

Her attention was drawn to the door four feet in front of the bed, which had just opened, revealing an eager looking Starfire. "Ah, I had hoped it was you I had heard screaming! Please, you must be hungry, you may break my fast!"

She smiled wide and held out her uneaten food, when Cyborg ran up beside her out of nowhere. "Oh, no Star!" he shouted. "You're not getting rid of your tofu nastiness that easily!" He mimicked the Tamaranian's mile-wide grin. "Here, have mine!"

"Hold it!" Beastboy walked smoothly into the infirmary, holding another serving of his (in)famous breakfast and continued. "I made an extra plate for her, so no one has to share!" He was extremely proud of his own cleverness.

"G-great…" moaned Cyborg and Starfire together, as they looked at their breakfasts dejectedly. Boom then began eating the food handed to her by BB. To everyone's surprise, she stared to wolf it down, handing Beastboy back the empty plate after only a few moments of feasting. She grinned wide and said, "Delicious! Got any more?"

BB wasn't used to any voluntarily asking for more of his cooking. "Uh, s-sure! I'll be right back!"

He flew off to the kitchen, and fifteen plates later, Boom had had her fill, and was ready to talk. By then Robin had joined them, and had several questions for the girl. He stood grimacing at the foot of the bed.

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Yeah! Update, finally! Enjoy!

PS: I'm definitely gonna make the chapters longer, and I noticed a typo; Boom's eyes are amber, not green, sorry! I'll keep saying that they're gold through the rest of the story.