--Chapter 4--
Raven's usual monotonous voice shook. Tears pricked and stung the back of her eyes.
She was doing all in her power to stop herself from crying.
It was so hard to talk about this.
She had never wanted to bring this up in the first place…
But as she said to Beast Boy once,
The truth is the truth as much as you didn't want to accept it.
She couldn't stand the way her friends were looking at her, their eyes blazing with disgust, anger, and sympathy.
Even Star's emerald orbs were glowing brightly, knowing with furious concern that Slade had done something bad to her friend.
Robin and Cy were currently in a very bad state of shock, eyes trailing downcast.
But all in all, Beast Boy was the one who was the most affected.
He trembled in rage, only just managing to suppress an angry growl from his throat. The ever-familiar monster in his chest roared and scratched with unimaginable fury, hissing and spitting at the mental image of Raven, broken, innocence lost. He had never been this angry before. Then again, everything he had felt since Raven had come back was…new.
None of them had seen her express her emotions this much. She had never been reduced to almost-tears before, exercising an enormous amount of control over her emotions. This was serious.
She was like a lonely, little girl who had just woke up from a horrifying nightmare….
Only to find that the nightmare was real.
"Hey, Rae…you don't need to continue if you don't want to…"
"No." She stated firmly, voice still shaking. "I have to tell it out." Her eyes set, hard. Raven Roth never was one to give up in the middle of the road.
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An older-looking Raven glared at the robot pacing the shiny, cold, floor.
Hmph. Easy.
Black light silently formed in her hands. She hurled it, still quiet as a mouse, at the unsuspecting robot.
Score.
She slowed the robot as it fell to the floor, preventing any noise.
She didn't want any detection.
Slade's lair was the same as it looked before.
She had unplugged all the security cameras, and knocked out a few guards along the way.
But she wouldn't be surprised if Slade knew she was there already.
She glanced tentatively at the gold-and-purple ring on her right third finger and scowled.
She hadn't figured out the mystery of the ring Slade had left with her. It wouldn't come off her finger, and all the magic in the world would never be enough to break it.
What did it do?
As she pondered, she lost some of her concentration. A guard tackled her to the floor, hitting her bruises. She winced in pain as it shot up her body.
She hadn't fully healed yet. She didn't even get medical attention from the last encounter.
She struggled against the guard's tight hold, black light encasing her body. Concentrate…
The guard lost his grip on her and flew into the wall with a loud slam, still glowing black
with her powers. So much for the silent approach.
Since Slade had given her the ring, she had been able to control her emotions much better than before. In fact, she mused, she hadn't lost control since that day.
Why would Slade, of all people, give her something that increased her power? It didn't make any sense to her.
She wanted answers.
And she sure as hell was going to get them.
Once again, Slade had perfect timing.
Robots filed into the room, and at the back of them was…
"Slade." Raven acknowledged with a cool tone.
"Little Raven." He nodded at her.
She hissed in anger, her eyes slowly turning red. Somehow though, she felt that she didn't need to suppress rage. It was almost as if…she was in control of rage.
"I am not your little Raven."
"Why yes you are, little Raven."
She lowered her hood, eyes on fire.
"Slade. I want answers."
"I know you do, little Raven. How's about a little spar first, just you and me?" Slade winked his robotic eye suggestively.
He made her almost puke on the floor. Her pride was still wounded from the last fight.
Raven Roth would not be outdone. She would get her revenge.
"Let's make a deal…" She narrowed her eyes, knowing the consequences if she lost. She was playing with fire anyway, making a deal with Slade. "…Slade. If I win, I get answers."
Slade looked interested at the prospect.
"And if you lose?" he mocked her.
She gritted her teeth.
"You get me."
Slade smirked, eyes glowing with lust, and held out a hand to shake.
"It's a deal."
The robots that accompanied him during his 'grand entrance' vanished away.
Raven merely used her powers to conjure up a hand, made entirely of black fire, and shook his outstretched hand.
Her eyes were set.
It was now or never.
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She dodged his punches and kicks with ease. She had been training hard.
But so had he.
She had given him some punches of her own, having learned his fighting style from the last time they had met
They were equally matched, like how Robin was equally matched with him. It just seemed that she had the upper hand, as she had magic on her side.
She summoned stones to batter against the metal casing of his body as she fought him, distracting him, knowing that with each metallic 'clang' she heard that he had weakened just a little.
Just a little, but enough.
Slowly, but surely, Slade tired. She, too, was panting hard, adrenaline coursing through her veins. But Slade was weakening…she could sense it.
They continued to spar, throwing insults back and forth at each other.
Raven was winning.
She watched with a smirk on her face as he sank to the floor, as she did last time.
"Looks like I won, Slade." She spat out the last word bitterly.
She approached him. Stupid move.
He launched forward and flipped her over, putting her in a precarious position, ready to strike her.
"Says who?"
She glared at him, and struggled to get out of his hold. Once again, she concentrated hard.
He was much harder to dislodge than the guard.
She flung him to the wall and wiped her brow. She was riddled with scratches, but she was fine.
"Says me."
Her eyes danced in victory, but her face still held a smirk.
"Now. Answers."
Slade got up, admitting defeat with a signal.
He smirked.
"Well, little Raven. Much more feisty than before. I like the spicy ones."
He licked his lips, narrowing his eyes at her.
She growled.
"Answers."
"Why, little Raven, how can I tell you the answers if you didn't ask me a question?"
"The ring. What does it do?" she retorted, simply.
"Ah, the ring. I thought you would be happy with my little present."
"Cut the crap, Slade."
"Patience is a virtue, my little Raven."
"Patience is a waste of time! And, I'm not your little Raven!"
"The ring, my little Raven, changes your emotions to fake ones. By doing so, you will be able to express them without losing control." He smirked. "Don't you like that?"
She hesitated in shock. The ring helped her control her emotions? So that's why she could use her powers to the full extent.
But…why? Why would Slade want to replace her emotions with fake ones and by dong so, let her have more power?
"Why?"
"That, my little Raven, is one question I cannot answer." He sneered at her. "Yet."
She needed to think. Questions raced about crazily in her head. Time for her to meditate…did she even need to, as she had control over her emotions?
Without thinking, she made a portal and melted through the floor, heading for her favourite meditation spot.
Slade just chuckled eerily.
"Soon, my little Raven…"
"Soon, you will know."
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Raven flicked out a pale wrist, showing the ring that was adorned her right hand.
The amethyst caught the light, and shone in all its brilliance. The gold framed it well, and along the band were the Azar symbols of lock and key.
She smirked bitterly, and composed herself.
"I know I'm supposed to be happy that I have control over my emotions…but I'm not. Slade's planning something, and I still don't know what."
The others still blinked at her in shock.
Cyborg broke the uncomfortable silence.
"When I find Slade," He started, narrowing his eyes in anger. "I'm going to crush every bone I can ever find his whole, perverted, body."
He stalked off, and called to Robin.
"Yo, Boy Wonder, you better get a lead on him fast, 'cause when you do, we are going to kick some serious butt."
"Slade's going down." Was all Robin could manage, frowning, before walking away to his room with Star in tow.
Beast Boy stayed behind.
Raven was shaking badly. He could see that she was forcing herself not to cry...
"Rae?"
She glanced at him, oddly comforted by his presence in the room, without everyone else.
"Yes, Beast Boy?"
"Hey, I know this sounds stupid, but…"
"Did you know that butterflies and cry?"
Raven looked blankly at him. What did butterflies or have to do with her or her situation, in that case?
He scooted closer, and put a comforting arm around her.
"I guess you've never seen one cry, right Rae?"
She nodded numbly. When ever did butterflies cry? How did he know when a butterfly cried? Was it telepathy or something?
"Well…" He started, obviously hesitant to speak. "Why don't you think they cry? Is it because you've never seen their tears?" He looked up at her.
She nodded once again, wondering when Beast Boy had decided to go all psychological on her.
"Well…"He stared at her, shyly.
"You…don't need tears to cry, Rae. You don't need to let out anything at all. Just…see it as crying without…crying. And…well…"
His face dropped.
"My mum said, when she was…alive…that when you've got no tears to cry…"
He tilted Raven's chin up to face him, smiling awkwardly.
"Lean on someone's shoulder…"
He gently placed her head on her shoulder and slowly, hesitantly, wrapped his arms around her.
"And cry…butterfly tears…"
She blinked. Butterfly tears…butterfly…
They sounded…inviting…the emancipation of her emotions…through butterfly tears…
And, she didn't need to worry about her emotions anymore, anyway.
Spread your wings and prepare to fly,
For you have become…a butterfly…
Oh, fly abandonedly to the sun…
And, if you should return to me…
We truly were meant to be…
So, spread your wings and fly…
Butterfly…
Butterfly…to her, the word meant…freedom.
Freedom…to fly…
And freedom…to cry.
She felt him shift his position to make her more comfortable.
She buried her head into his shoulder, took a deep breath, and-
Cried butterfly tears…
Every shred of emotion she had pent up in her body over the last few years were let out in a whirlwind of unseen tears…
Every pain she had felt convulsed her body, racking it up in dry sobs…
Every heartache she had to go through made her shake as she curled up on the couch next to the green shapeshifter.
And he sat on the couch, holding her close as she cried…with no tears.
She felt every ounce of pain flow through her body…
And melt away in her tears…
Her butterfly tears.
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Thunder boomed outside Titan's tower as the rain beat against the windows. Lightning flashed, illuminating the world outside for a second with a streak of light.
Beast Boy woke up with a start. Why am I sleeping on the couch?
Why is someone clinging to me like a bolster?
Clinging to me!
Raven had cried herself to sleep on his shoulder and he, too had slept while waiting for her to finish crying.
He blushed faintly.
His eyes traveled up to her face. As she slept, her chest rose up and down slowly.
He couldn't help but smile. She looked so peaceful.
His arms were still wrapped around her. He thought it best to wake her up now before anyone saw them like this. If Cy or Robin saw them, the amount of teasing that they would receive would equal the amount of times they had kicked bad guy butt and sent them to jail.
"Rae!" He whispered, shaking her shoulders gently.
"Huh…what? Where…am…I? Five more minutes…" She sleepily mumbled.
He nearly laughed out loud.
"Raven." He whispered again, just a little louder.
She hit her head against the cushion and woke up instantly.
"Ouch! Hey…where am I?" She sat up, rubbing her head.
He grinned at her as she blinked sleepily.
"You fell asleep on the couch."
She nodded in response.
"So…I think we better get back to our rooms, 'cause if Cy saw us he wouldn't let us live it down."
She blushed lightly after noticing the position they were in. His arms still encircled her waist and she got a full view of his toned body from where she was…
Wait a minute…where did that come from?
Funnily…she felt very comforted by the position they were in.
She eased herself away from him as he detangled himself from her and gave him a little smile as they got up from the couch.
"Thanks, Beast Boy."
"Hey, no prob." He grinned back at her, sincerely.
"What's the comic-relief guy in the Titan's family for?"
Her smile grew just a tiny bit wider…
"Goodnight, Beast Boy."
"Night, Rae. Sweet dreams!"
She pulled her hood back up and made her way to her room, traces of a blush still playing on her cheeks.
Sweet dreams, indeed.
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She pulled off her boots and stumbled to her bed, half asleep.
She was too tired to even strip off her cape before she fell on her bed and closed her eyes…
She forced her eyes to open once again, noticing something different about her cloak.
Was it just her, or did the cloak…
Lighten?
She sighed, sleep taking over her…
Ah, there's plenty of time to think about that in the morning.
A/N: If this seems rushed, or anything…it's because I'm giving you guys a chappie before I'm off to China. I took two days to do this, you know? grins So…the next chapter will be a little late. Hope you guys like it...cause this chap has lots of BB/Rae fluff! Thank you to all my reviewers…especially…Silence B! You are my inspiration…
(L)ots (O)f (L)ove, (and chocolates, kisses, hugs, and sweeties!)
Lilyandjamesrox.