--Chapter 3--
The silence was so quiet, Beast Boy was sure he heard crickets chirping.
"Uhh…somebody speak, please?" He offered helpfully, or as helpfully as he could, for that matter.
The other Titans were slack-jawed, Starfire's eyes still glowing, Robin still gaping, and Cyborg still on the floor.
And then, as one, three voices, boomed-
"RAVEN!"
They leaped up and tackled her to the ground.
And, as she was clinging to Beast Boy-
He went down with her.
An exited babble of voices started, making it hard to distinguish what anyone was saying.
"Friend Raven! It has been so long-
"Raven? What happened to you!"
"We thought you were a goner, man!"
"-why are you covered in-
"Raven! Who did that to you!"
"You better get cleaned up!"
"-so many bruises?"
All she could do was to wince, smile and say, in her stony voice,
"You…are…touching…me…can't…breathe…"
Satisfied with their rough welcome, Star, Robin and Cyborg picked themselves up from the floor, leaving Beast Boy and Raven lying down, in a very…intimate position.
They looked as if they were tied up together as a birthday present; their legs were entwined together, with her body resting on top. His hands had somehow, in the fall encircled her waist yet again, and her hands were entangled in his short, green hair. Their faces were just mere inches apart. She could feel his breath coming out slowly on her face.
She couldn't help it. Her face turned a vibrant shade of pink and Beast Boy too turned and handsome, deep red, although he was green, and they turned away from each other, too shy to even move.
Cyborg and Robin, seeing their…compromising position, were consumed in silent laughter, rolling on the floor, each clutching a stitch in their side.
"Honestly, man…which one is redder? BB or Rae?" Cyborg whispered to Robin, in between gasps of laughter.
Robin gestured wildly to the tomato-faced pair on the floor.
"See…for…yourself!" He whispered back to Cyborg, just as choked up.
Star scrunched up her nose in thought, wondering why the boys were laughing at Raven and Beast Boy.
"What is so funny?"
Her innocent question just sent both the boys into more laughter.
"Never…you…mind…Star…" Cyborg managed to gasp out.
Robin replied with a few unrecognizable sounds and snorted as he cried tears of mirth.
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"Uhh…shouldn't we untangle ourselves now?" Beast Boy ventured, face still a shade of deep red.
Raven blushed harder, if possible, and answered him in her deadpan tone.
"Good idea."
They de-tangled themselves and scooted away from each other in embarrassment. Raven rolled her eyes at the pair still howling with laughter on the tower floor.
"Idiotic dimwits."
"C'mon guys, lets go get some dinner." Beast Boy made his way to the kitchen, thinking of what to cook with his all-famous tofu tonight.
Star floated happily behind him, followed by Raven, leaving the two 'idiotic dimwits' alone on the floor.
Cyborg and Robin finally noticed that it was dinner time.
"Hey! Wait up!" Cyborg sprung up from his position.
"Wait for us!" Robin followed suit.
"Race you to the kitchen, man."
"You're on."
"Ready…steady…go!"
"Last one there is a baboon's butt!"
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Dinner was a loud occasion, with the Titans arguing, chatting, and joking over a good, hearty meal just like the old times, before Raven left. She was always a part of everything they did, even though she usually never joined in.
Everything was almost back to normal.
Almost.
The titans were lounging in the living room, feeling lazy after a big dinner, chatting, laughing…yes, it was almost like old times again.
They all wanted to ask her the simple questions that meant so much.
Where had she been…what had she been doing?
The questions were just begging to be asked, hanging from the tip of everyone's tongue. Somebody was bound to crack…
They had a bad feeling that all that had happened to her wasn't exactly the best of things. The scars and the bruises didn't paint the prettiest picture, either.
Somebody…was bound to crack. Sooner or later.
Anyone would have expected Star to say something about it by now, but she knew better than to speak out, having switched bodies with her once. Emerald-green eyes flashed faintly in frustration as her mouth twitched in an almost-scowl, wanting so dreadfully to ask those seemingly harmless questions. But she didn't. She couldn't.
Robin could feel the tension surrounding those questions. He was the leader, after all. He too was frowning in frustration, biting his lip ever so often and stealing glances at her, trying to place where he had seen similar-looking scars, furrowing his brow at the angry-looking bruises running up and down her body. Oh, how he wanted to ask…
Cyborg was being the older brother. And as older brother, he did exactly what older brothers usually did.
He held his tongue, as much as he wanted to know. As older brother, he had felt the wrath of his 'younger sis' more than once, and as he had some brainpower, surprisingly, he could guess the consequences of asking Rae those little questions.
So, obviously, it was Beast Boy that was the first to crack. Either he was stupid, he wanted to die, or…
Maybe he knew that she wouldn't blow up in anger. Maybe he knew that she trusted him with her life and beyond that. Maybe he knew her the best of all and vice versa, no matter how many times she got pissed at him.
"Hey…Rae?"
"Yes, Beast Boy?"
She knew what he was going to ask, anyway. She knew what they all wanted to ask…she wasn't an empath for nothing.
No words…Beast Boy knew that she knew what he was going to ask.
No words.
He didn't need to ask.
No words…She knew, and she would answer. Raven was never one to back away.
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Raven ducked, one of Slade's minions just narrowly missing her."Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"
Black light consumed the robot fighting her in a giant ball.
It exploded, shards of the now broken-up robot flying everywhere, hitting others. But they continued advancing up to her…
Tired…
So very tired…
She had been fighting for what had seemed like eternity. Wave after wave of Slade's robotic helpers emerged out of nowhere, surrounding her, forcing her to fight, cutting off any escape routes.
She should have known it was a trick, that distress call by a supposed 'citizen'.
Copies of Slade had appeared as she got there, distracting her, leading her into an old warehouse.
She should have known…
There was no-one to save her back if she couldn't make it out of this one.
She growled in frustration, sweat furrowing her brow. Thin lines of dark-red blood trickled down her face and arms, her leotard stained with splotches of blood-like liquid, hers or the robots', she couldn't tell.
Slade was never one to do this sort of thing without a reason. It wasn't the fight that was making her so worked up. She was racking her brains for anything, a clue of what Slade could want from her. She would never join him, and he sure as hell knew that, so that was off the list. Mind-control? Nah. That wasn't his style.
What could it be…
She was tiring, and she knew that. If Slade did have a reason for all this, she needed to find out what it was now.
The robots suddenly backed away from her and huddled together. She had a bad feeling…
A huge explosion basted her off her feet and took her by surprise. She didn't like where this was going already.
Her cape shielded her from most of the debris, and she gingerly picked herself up from the ground, panting hard. Her feeling was correct in sensing that the robots were just walking and fighting time-bombs.
Slade had perfect timing.
She coughed and squinted at the lone figure, barely visible against the smoke clouding the area all around her. Thank god this wasn't anywhere near civilization. Better her than anyone else. Everyone else was innocent. She, on the other hand…was not.
"What do you want?" Her voice was a little croaky, but still, thankfully as monotonous as ever. If she was scared…she couldn't show it.
"Why, hello, Raven. Long time no see."
"Cut the long introduction, Slade. What do you want?" She sounded braver than she felt.
Suddenly, everything clicked in her head. The pieces fit perfectly. The only reason…but surely…he wasn't that desperate…
He wanted Trigon.
She couldn't imagine the amount of destruction he could do with Trigon in his power. Trigon wouldn't be in his power for long, anyway. He was too strong for even Slade to control. That would be even worse than Slade multiplying by a billion.
As cliché as it sounded, if that happened, it would be the end of the world.
But just using her for Trigon's 'rebirth' wasn't Slade's style, either. He did know the consequences of 'using powerful Demons to take over the world.' He did know that Trigon was more powerful than him. No, Slade was going to use some other way, and she wanted to know what.
Either that or she would have to find out.
She knew that he could sense that she had found out his plan. Slade wasn't the worst villain the titans had fought for nothing…
"I won't let you."
"Well, m'dear, who's to stop me?"
"Myself. Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"
Slade merely flicked a hand and the heavy plank of wood she had hurled at him with her magic fell with a crash to the ground. He had grown stronger…
"Why don't you just give up like a good little Raven will?"
"Because I'm not. Hyaaa!"
Black magic shot out from her hands towards Slade.
In a fluid movement, he twisted out of the way, showing no signs of tiring. Raven, on the other hand, was panting, every joint in her body aching badly...
"Slade. I'm going to ask you nicely for one very, last time. What. Do. You. Want?"
She gritted her teeth in anger. Must control emotions…
Slade laughed evilly, his laugh a cool, mechanical tone.
"Would you believe it if I said 'You'?"
She growled. She didn't have time for this…
"No. Hy-aaa!"
Black magic shot towards him once again, and again he deftly twisted away from the blast.
"You're making me angry, Rae-Rae." He taunted, sneering at her, his face twisted in an unreadable expression.
She was so tired…
She couldn't keep this up much longer.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"
Duck…
"Hy-aaa!"
Twist away…
Plank after plank, stone after stone she hurled at him. He never seemed to show the slightest evidence of fatigue.
There was no-one left to save her if she didn't get out of this one.
Slade was getting angry, she sensed. She tensed up, waiting for his first move.
"You're an angry little Raven, are you?"
Must…keep…control…
"As much as your pathetic excuses of your friends-
She lost it…
Raven flew at him, trembling in indescribable rage.
"Don't you dare insult my friends!"
She drew back her fist to deliver a punch to his metallic face.
Slade just smirked. This was what he was waiting for.
As she punched, he caught her pale wrist and twisted it violently, grinning in satisfaction at the resounding 'snap' that was heard besides her gasp of pain. He moved his hand
further up her arm…
And pulled.
Hard.
Breaking her wrist wasn't enough…
He dislocated her shoulder.
If the pain she felt when he twisted her wrist was unbearable, what she felt now was pure agony.
She shook, this time in rage as well as in pain.
She shifted her weight and threw her body into a powerful roundhouse kick, her useless right arm hanging limply by her side.
As Slade was distracted, she hurled a big stone at him.
But it wasn't over yet.
"Sticks and stones won't hurt me, little Raven." He sneered at her.
Tired…
So tired…
She panted hard, steadying herself for an uppercut to the jaw. Or so she hoped…
Punch after punch and kick after kick she rained on him, darting away and then coming back, dodging, twisting, turning…
As powerful as she was, he didn't seem to feel a thing.
Slade's robotic eye glowed an eerie red.
"Now you've really made me angry, little Raven."
He fought with her, blocking her smooth punches with some of his own, easily dodging her slowly weakening kicks.
He scratched her, knowing his metal claws would do lots of damage to her delicate skin, ripping it open.
So tired…
But still she fought.
The show will go on…
Tired…
She was now covered in blood. Any normal person in her position would have long fainted from the blood loss.
But she was no normal person.
She would go down fighting…
Or not at all.
She felt her knees sink slowly to the floor, her head now dizzy due to the blood loss.
But she still fought…
For Cyborg…
For Star…
For Robin…
For truth…
For justice…
For herself…
For…
Beast Boy.
They gave her the strength she needed.
She wasn't giving up…
Slade could sense it.
He wasn't going to kill her anyway, only weaken her.
It seemed that he had no other choice but to sedate her for the time being, seeing that she would not surrender.
As she punched him, he caught her wrist once again, pulling her towards him.
Raven braced herself…
And felt the prick of a needle on her skin.
"Well, little Raven, it's time for a nap!"
Black…
So comfortable…
So inviting…
No…
She struggled to stand, but sank to her knees once again.
So tired…
Must…not…close…eyes…
She lost.
Black…
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She groaned. Pain…her arm…head…
Where…was she?
Blood…
Memories came rushing back to her head, making it pound even more.
She forced open her eyes, squinting at the light filtering through the window of the…cabin?
Where…was she?
She remembered…Slade…fighting…
As she gradually slipped back into consciousness, she became aware that…
She wasn't wearing anything.
Her cape was the only garment of clothing attached to her, covering her for the most part.
She winced as she sat bolt upright, more memories rushing back…
Pain still racked through her body and up her useless arm even though her healing charms had done their work.
Her body was caked in blood.
Last night was a blur of half-conscious memories…
Slipping in and out of consciousness, she remembered few…
…The sound of cloth being ripped away from a person…
…A dark figure standing above her…
…A growl of pleasure…
…pain…
She gasped in sudden realization.
No…
She needed to make sure.
She reached inside her, searching…
She found the answer.
Slade raped her.
She cried out in shock and pure horror.
And that's when she realized he left her a parting present.
A gold ring set with a glowing amethyst stone rested on her finger.
A/N: Sorry this chappie took longer than the others…but hey, I was taking only a very, very, very, short break! Anyway, please don't be mad at me for making Slade…well…even I'm disgusted, but my plot needs to be evil sometimes, you know. Everything ever possible on this earth is going to happen to Raven…this is a Raven-centered story, after all. And…her flashback is not over yet! BB/Rae fluff abounds in the next chapter…Watch out for it! Oh, and…I'm going to China/Bangkok for eleven days, so...my update is not going to be quick…Sorry my dear readers…and…THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS!
This is Alex-S, (lilyandjamesrox)
Signing out.