I don't own Teen Titans.

Raven's Game 3: Final Shadow

Part 19 – Game Over

Starfire, Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy sat in the common room. They watched, on the big-screen TV, people rushing back and forth. The city had been damaged by the battles waged there, but this time it was on a much grander scale. Dark Fall had been so huge, parts of the pavement were simply compressed downward. Countless workers, craftsman, carpenters, and so on made their living from repairing battle fields the Titans visited fighting villains… but this time there must've been an army of them.

"They're like bees, running back and forth like that…" Beast Boy mumbled, slightly amused.

"Mm…" Raven said, letting his hand rest on hers.

"What should we do now?" Cyborg asked. He'd been retrieved from the dumpster and put on a temporary battery pack for the moment.

"Rest, and clean up." Raven said, realizing she still had the roll as leader. She glanced over at Starfire, who hadn't said anything since she'd been dug out of the wreckage. She hadn't been hurt very badly, at least not physically. "And then we pay our respects." Raven added softly. Starfire flinched lightly upon hearing that, and the battle weary Raven knew she was trying hard not to cry. Robin's death weighed heavily on all of them, but it was the worst on the red-headed girl, everyone knew. Beast Boy felt like a jerk when he caught himself thinking he was glad it was Robin and not Raven. One couple amongst the team of five had been broken up. Forever. One by one the Titans left the common room, except for the alien princess.

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By pure chance, Raven was first in the shower. (since this series of stories has already had a Beast Boy shower scene…) Stripping away her tattered red and white outfit, she simply tossed it in the wastebasket. Making sure she had clothes to get out of the bathroom and to her room with, she reached and turned on the water. Taking a moment to scent herself, she wrinkled her nose. She smelled of blood and pain and battle. Sweat was an underlying tang, not as offensive as she thought it would be. But, what did she expect? Waiting for the water to get hot, Raven opened the medicine cabinet and took out a small pair of scissors. She'd cut her hair pretty roughly a while back… raising them carefully, she snipped here and there until she was satisfied. She looked like her old self again in the mirror, save the weary look and the occasional bruise. Raven glanced over at the shower stall, seeing steam start to rise already. After all of the freezing rain and pounding wind, this was going to feel great. Raven reached and began to undo her bra–!

There was a knock at the door that made her jump. Flushing and hiding herself behind the door, she opened it just a crack so she could peer out. Beast Boy stood there, looking a little embarrassed and rather nervous. He could see her naked shoulder, but what he had to say couldn't wait. "Raven…" he whispered, just loud enough to hear over the water in the bathroom. "Are you… okay?" he looked up at her with an indescribable expression.

"Yeah, I'm okay…" Raven said slowly, clearly not understanding what he meant.

"You're… you're still you, right?" He pushed two fingertips together, staring at them as he did so. Shifting uncomfortably. "I know the game just ended and it really isn't the time but…" he reached up, kissed the tip of two fingers, and tapped her cheek. "I'm glad we made it." Then, he ran away without another word.

Raven slowly retreated into the bathroom, leaning against the door after she'd closed it. Her face was flushed and alive, different from its usual pale. She briefly wondered why he hadn't kissed her directly, but then looked down at herself. Oh yeah, she was almost naked. Though a long make-out session could've eased a lot of tension for both of them… it just didn't feel right. Not right after Robin. They would have to wait until everything calmed down… she could tell he knew the same thing, and was ready to wait as well. Raven had a strong feeling he would be retreating to his bunk bed for the first time in a long time that night…

Sighing aloud, Raven shed her under things. Looking at herself in the full length mirror, she surveyed herself with a female, critical eye. Stop it! She mentally slapped herself. Someone had just died for God's sake! A soft moan of frustration escaped the lavender-eyed girl. But, that moan turned into a sigh of relief as she stepped into the stream of hot water. Being cold and wet for so long from the rain… her knees gave almost immiediatly.

Raven sat there on her hands and knees, her hair hanging down like a veil. The water pounded on her pale back. She wistfully watched the water going down the drain, feeling the heat sink lazily into her body… her muscles gently loosening… her hair soaking and growing heavy. She fought not to simply fall asleep in the shower. Unable to help it, Raven ran her hands down her body, across her curves and through her hair. As though her hands were pushing the wonderful heat further into her pale body. She gave a soft groan, her eyebrows tilting upward. It was as though some of the cold in her mind were simply ebbing away. Like the moment of relaxation you have right before you get out of bed in the morning. That single, blissful moment where everything is pleasantly warm and numb… and you don't even want to move. Exhausted, but happy where she was, Raven waited a long time before reaching for the soap and wash rag. Steam was clouding the bathroom, but she didn't care.

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Starfire was in her room on her bed, weeping. Not the sort of wailing weep that could be like a fire truck. Not even the soft weeping that sounded like someone was sniffing constantly. It was the worst sort of crying, the crying that made no noise at all. Tears flowed freely, and had been for almost an hour. She felt as though both of her hearts had swelled up tremendously, then simply dissolved into an ocean of tears. She would moan Robin's name now and then, but nothing more would come from her. She couldn't even make herself get up to eat. Surely the others wondered where she was by now. It was almost dark outside, and it was time for dinner. Giving a feminine sigh of defeat, she plopped her head back down into her pillow for another round of silent sobbing.

She could've been his potential mate. What did people on this planet call it? Boyfriend? Was that it? Starfire wasn't sure, but she knew it was never meant to be if he was… he was… Starfire shuddered with raw emotion, crying out more of the tears she'd been holding in for so long. Ever since Robin had sacrificed himself for her…

She didn't see her dresser's mirror start to give a soft glow. She didn't see a slender figure step out and sit down on the dresser. Not until it spoke, that is.

"Hey…" came the awkward voice. Starfire flinched to a halt in her weeping, peering up over her wet pillow. Her heart trembled, flared to life and went icy all at the same time. Her pupils shrank into tiny dots and her mouth hung open ever so slightly in disbelief.

"R… Robin?" Starfire whispered.

"Yeah…" he stood, and she angrily glared at him. He jerked to a halt, unsure of what to make of the look on her face.

"Please leave me! I do not wish to be haunted!" Starfire said miserably. "I have heard stories of souls coming back to cause bad things to happen after their deaths! Leave me, spirit of friend Robin!" she turned away, clutching her pillow so hard her fingers went through the fabric.

"You think I'm a ghost?" Robin said, stepping up near her. "Can ghosts touch people?"

"No. They are spirits, and cannot make contact with tangible–!" Starfire stopped when she saw Robin's green gloves land on the floor. A soft, warm hand cupped her cheek and turned her around again. She'd never seen him without his gloves. "You are… not a–!"

"Nope." He cut her off and pulled her backward into a strong kiss. She yelped at first, unfamiliar with the gesture. But wait, this one was different. He wasn't cold and dead anymore. Oh Tamaran, he was so warm... the soft sound of a fully seduced female rose from Starfire's throat, and her arms jumped to be around his body. He broke the kiss, gently putting his forehead on hers. A gesture of deep, deep affection. He looked into her green eyes from mere inches away. One of her hands seemed to have a mind of it's own, and wandered around to his chest again. She could feel a heartbeat. Tears, joyful this time, flowed freely from the girl's eyes. Now all she had to do was wonder how long she would have him all to herself before he insisted on telling the others he was back.

"Boyfriend Robin…" she edited her prefix that she always used with his name, trying out the way it sounded. It sounded good to her, and she flushed deeply. Pulling him atop her with no effort at all, she gave soft crooning sounds as she began exploring him… both her hearts beating madly.

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Beast Boy sat patiently while Raven ran her hand silently around his legs and chest. Bruises slowly vanished over time, leaving no trace. The cuts on his back took a little longer, but soon they were gone without a trace. "I can… uh…" Raven ran a finger along one of his elaborate scars, licking her lips uncomfortably.

"No." The green teen said. "Leave them there." Wow. Even if he could get rid of the scars, he chose to live with them. Raven felt an undeniable surge of affection for him, but tried to quell it as best she could while in the common room. She watched him slide back into his tights, new ones now, and zip it up in the back. Hiding his secret again, though all the Titans knew about it now. Except Robin, that is. He probably knew now, wherever he was…

Cyborg sat at the couch and coffee table, a magnifier over his normal eye and a tiny blowtorch in his hand. He was making repairs to one of his legs at the moment, trying to concentrate. Little sparks flew this way and that, but he was making steady progress.

"Friends…" It was Starfire who'd spoken. What was that tone in her voice? She didn't sound so sad anymore. That was… oh God, she knew that tone. "I have returned for the evening meal." That was the tone Beast Boy always had right after kissing her.

"And I'm cooking." A familiar, masculine voice said. All three seated Titans flinched, looking at each other. Then, one by one, they peered over the back of the couch. Robin stood there with Starfire, his arm around her waist. Arm… around her waist? So, they'd finally just admitted it openly.

"How come I don't get a girlfriend?" Cyborg sighed dramatically. Beast Boy laughed behind both hands. Raven rolled her eyes as Starfire giggled, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Robin blushed from cheek to shining cheek.

When they were done laughing at his expense, Raven was the first to speak. "So out with it. How did you heal me out there on the battlefield?" Everyone had heard that part of the story, and everyone was curious.

"Not all of Dark Fall's victims were fighters. Some of them were healers." Robin shrugged. "I asked them for help, and they gave it to me.

"That's why Dark Fall was immune to my magic in our early experiences." Raven recalled their battle with the darkness that had taken place in the common room. Every time Raven had blasted it, it had grown stronger. But not this time.

"That's right." Robin nodded. "When one of you took out part of its army, the healers were among the ones you saved by snapping the threads." Starfire suddenly looked uncomfortable. She'd been the one to snap Robin's thread while he was still dead. "Don't worry about it, Star. It didn't hurt." He leaned over, right in front of everyone, and pecked her cheek. She blushed so brightly she could've lit the room if it were dark.

"I'm not so sure I want Robin's cooking if its covered with his sticky, oozing mushiness!" Beast Boy laughed. Raven swatted the back of his head and Cyborg laughed behind both hands. "I'm ordering pizza if I have to fly and get it myself!" He dashed over to the phone.

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Everyone was around the dinner table, and several pizza boxes had already been emptied. As promised, Beast Boy had gone, fetched pizza, and brought it back for everyone. He'd had to go to a different city since theirs was sort of wrecked, but hey, it was pizza so it was worth it. Though… one slice was already missing when he arrived… Currently, the Titans were sitting around the table and telling Robin all that had happened after he'd died. The only thing he remembered was being an unwilling part of the dark army. He didn't recall any more of the game after he'd set off the bird bomb. When they were done, it was time to question the boy wonder. "So… how did you come back?" Cyborg wanted to know, taking a swig of his soda. "None of Dark Fall's other victims came back."

"Some did, others didn't." Robin corrected. They stared at him and he continued after taking a bite of his pizza. "You guys saw all the army it conjured. Those were all its victims. What would happen if you were dead for a few hundred years, and were suddenly brought back to life?" He paused, and saw that everyone knew that made sense. "Everyone who didn't fit in this time period, say the last two years or so…" he looked meaningfully at Raven and Beast Boy, "Went on to… wherever it is we go when we die." That sentence brought an uneasy silence to the table. "But on the bright side, all the citizens of the city that didn't get away in time are back by now too." He brightened considerably, then looked at Raven. "So… can I have my job back now?"

Raven nodded, her eyes narrowed in amusement. "Sure. You're the leader again. I don't need that kind of pressure." She pretended to mock him, but everyone saw through it.

"So… Game Over, right?" Beast Boy asked, looking out over the city from where he sat at the table. A few buildings were slightly tilted, and whole ones were broken. Glass, wood, stone and steel littered the streets… but the city was still there as a whole. Once again, though on a much grander scale, the Teen Titans had saved the day.

Raven nodded. "Yeah Gar… Game Over." she said without thinking.

Cyborg, Starfire, and Robin all cocked eyebrows. "Gar?" they asked in unison. Raven mentally kicked herself as Beast Boy turned bright red.

"…Gar, huh?" Cyborg asked, elbowing Beast Boy a few times and waggling his eyebrows. "Is that her pet name for you?"

Beast Boy, holding his soda can with both hands, nodded once and spoke in a perfectly calm voice. "At least I have a girlfriend to give me a pet name." A rock with '100lb' written on it landed on Cyborg's head, and he fell down anime style.

"Burned…" Robin observed softly, trying not to smile.

"Where?" Starfire asked, concerned. "Cyborg still has injuries from the battle?" She leaned over to see.

Raven rolled her eyes, catching Beast Boy's in a moment. He smiled with his emerald orbs, hiding his mouth behind his soda can. "Just another day in paradise…" she mumbled, reaching for another slice of pizza.

"I'll show you paradise later on." Beast Boy whispered while the others were carrying on amongst themselves. He winked at her suggestively. Raven's pupils shrank and she looked at him, shocked. Her face stained bright red, and the table was wrapped in black. Without Raven even intending it, pizza went everywhere!

THE EN… no…

GAME OVER!

Ahahaha! That was a funny ending. I felt I needed something lighthearted to finish it out, right? Well, readers… that's that! It all over! The Raven's Game Trilogy is all over! So, what did you think, my loyal fans? Those of you that have read this far, I thank you many many times, and give you a cookie of friendship! (grin)

Next up is… a lemon! A glorious BB and Raven lemon ya'll have been waiting and clamoring for! I've received requests, threats, and many pretty pleases asking for one, so that's gonna be the epilogue. Yay! (If you don't like lemons or don't know what they are, don't read it. I'll understand completely) If you are under the age of eighteen, though this warning will be ignored, I plead that you not read the next chapter.