Disclaimer: I do not own teen titans or the words to 'Bound' by Disturbed
Hand in Hand
Chapter Forty-Three: Bound
December 20th 11:45
"Is she awake yet?" asked Cyborg tiredly as he ran a hand over his face and knocked back a glass of orange juice.
"No." answered Starfire worriedly, biting her lower lip nervously, "It is not normal, she should have waken up by now." She looked around at her friends and they just stared back at her, because no one knew what they should be doing in a situation like the one that they were faced with. "Should we do something?"
"I didn't mean to hit her that hard." Mumbled Beast Boy scratching his hands, looking downwards to the floor from where he sat at the kitchen table. "I just wanted to stop her, y'know?"
Robin sighed, "I know. If you hadn't have knocked her out, who knows where we would be now." He steadied his hand on his palm as he leaned his elbow against the table, "I don't know if we should do something. I worried. What if something's going wrong? It's been twenty-four hours." He blinked slowly, "It's too early in the morning to be dealing with this."
"It's nearly midday." Put in Starfire helpfully as she drifted back and forth around the kitchen. It still made her nervous to be in their, it had only been yesterday morning that she had come down to find the place covered with blood. It had not been a nice way to wake up at all. "Friend Raven needs help." She decided laying her hand on the side of the cooker, "Can we not do something?"
There was absolute silence for thirty seconds and then…
"Well…" began Beast Boy hesitantly, "We could always go into Nevermore and see what's happening." He clenched his hands into fists, "I mean, we shouldn't letter suffer on her own, if there's something we can do…me and Cyborg, we've been there before…"
"That's right. You have." Nodded Robin looking around at them all carefully, "But how do we know that going into her mind won't just do more damage, you know what's going on, her emotions are dying it could have changed."
"I hear you Rob," began Cyborg, tossing his glass into the sink, "But I don't think that I can just stand here and hope that she makes it out alright. After all you said it yourself, its been nearly a whole day," he looked at his watch, "In fact its been just over twenty four hours now since she blacked out. I think something's wrong. Shouldn't we even try to help?"
"We should!" declared Starfire suddenly, "Even though that thing, that demon inside of her wants to kill me, I won't let it kill Raven. Raven is my friend and I love her!"
Robin looked at the three determined faces of his teammates before him and he knew that by arguing he would be fighting a losing a battle. Perhaps if they could stop Rage in Raven's mind today then things could get better, not go back to normal, he knew that was out of the question now, but things could start to improve. At least, he hoped they could. Sighing he nodded glumly, "If you all think it's for the best, we'll go into Nevermore and sort this out. Raven may not even want out help. But the least we can do is try."
"Glorious!" cried Starfire, "Tell me, how do we get to this 'Nevermore'?"
Cyborg and Beast Boy exchanged knowing glances, "The mirror." The said simultaneously.
Robin nodded too, he knew the mirror was a portal, Raven had told him, but he had no idea how to use it. He pushed his chair back, ignoring the horrible screeching sounds it made against the floor and stood, "Right, let's go."
Ready, darkness cover me,
I'm not ready to die girl,
Because of what you don't tell me,
I'm not ready to walk inside where you're taking me
Robin stared down at the mirror he held in his hands. "Now what?" he asked the others who were gathered tightly around him in the gloom of Raven's room. He cast a glance towards her still form that lay tangled in the dark sheets on the bed.
"Umm…." Began Beast Boy frowning, "Poke your face?"
Robin's eyebrow rose, "What?" he demanded.
Beast Boy rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "Well, last time I was just y'know, admiring myself in the mirror, poking my face, checking for zits and this huge hand, just sorta came out and grabbed me."
"I see."
Robin gave a long suffering sigh and brought his hand up to poke warily at his face. When, after a few moments nothing had happened, he shoved the mirror into the changeling's hands.
"Dude, what?"
"You do it. You seem to know how." Shrugged Robin crossing his arms and waiting patiently, he was aware of Starfire hovering around behind him, and he resisted the urge to tell her to put her feet on the floor, now was not the time to get snappy at his friends.
Beast Boy shrugged, and then looked to Cyborg, "Okay." He muttered out of the corner of his mouth, he brought the mirror up and tentatively poked at his cheek. Within seconds two pairs of slit red eyes showed up and narrowed dangerously. "I told you it would work!" he shrieked as he dropped the mirror in surprise. It landed on the dark carpet with a dull thud, and gave off an eerie light.
The light burst upwards like a geyser, taking the form of a clawed hand, the hand opened and darted towards Beast Boy, wrapping it's talons around him and tugging him back towards the mirror.
It happened so fast Robin didn't even have time to realise what was happening before Beast Boy's hand wrapped around his wrist and he felt himself jerked roughly into the air, his own arms flailed, catching around Starfire's ankle, who in turn shrieked and grabbed onto Cyborg, and then suddenly the claw gave an almighty tug and all of them vanished into the mirror.
I'm not ready to die girl,
Because of what you don't tell me,
I'm not willing to compromise,
The man I want to be
The first thing Robin noticed about the vortex was that it was hot. Not hot as in when you turned the heating up too high, but hot as in the air that rushed into your face when you opened the oven. It was sweltering.
All around him, lines of black and red twisted and turned in spirals and rings, pulling him in different directions every couple of seconds. He was tossed upside down, left, right and his stomach was beginning to protest.
He caught flashes of his friends as they tumbled and fell and screamed around him but he couldn't seem to reach out to them, his body was heavy as it fell, like weights had been attached to his arms and legs. It was out of his control.
Sweat beaded down his brow as he struggled to keep his eyes open, it was making him feel drowsy and sick at the same time, not a good combination. The heat was burning him, sticking to him like a sheet of pure discomfort.
Suddenly there was a blast of cold air, a tug across his shoulder blades and the next thing he knew a dark slab of uncompromising rock was rushing up to meet him.
He landed with great indignity on his back, with his legs sticking straight up, he managed to roll quickly out of the way, as Cyborg and Beast Boy crashed into where he had just been in a mass of metal and green limbs.
Starfire screeched to a stop about a millimetre from the ground, a thin film of sweat along her forehead, she wiped it away with the back of her hand and then gently alighted upon the ground, surveying the gloomy place around her.
Do you think you're a little bit closer?
To changing me?
You're never winning me over,
You're wasting time
Robin looked around, his face paling as his eyes took in the landscape before him. This was Raven's mind? It looked like an embodiment of Dante's hell. The sky was pitch black, no stars visible, except for the blinking and flashing of turning red rocks that glittered like freshly spilled blood. Long shadows stretched over the barren rocky wasteland that formed a twisting and turning pathway that continued downwards as far as they eye could see, until it was swallowed up by the dark.
Trees with rotting branches that curled out like fingers and hands flanked the pathway, broken bits of rubble and bones left over from god-knows-what littered the roots and the edges of the trees, if that's what they could be called.
Robin looked back to Cyborg and Beast Boy, "Is this what it was like last time?"
"Pretty much." Shrugged Cyborg, "Only there were more stars."
"And not as many bones." Muttered Beast Boy turning a sickly shade of grey.
Leave me be
"So." Stated Robin as the four of them began to make their way down the path, he shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to ignore how quiet and still it was in Nevermore, "Anyone know where we're going?"
Cyborg looked around, "Last time, there were some creepy birds that attacked us, and when we'd finished driving them off, we saw Raven's happiness." He shrugged, "I don't think that'll happen this time though." He pointed to the crooked archway, just visible ahead of them, "My guess is we go there. That leads to the lighter part of her mind."
"Creepy birds?" whimpered Starfire looking around and hugging herself, "I hope we do not get attacked by those creepy birds. They do not sound nice."
The four of them continued on their way, being careful not to disturb any of the rocks, or bones that were currently underfoot. The archway came gradually closer, but as it did so, a sense of dread settled over the party quietly, like a cloud of oppression that none of them were eager to voice.
Starfire shivered, "I do not like this place Robin."
'What a shame.'
'What a shame.'
'A shame.'
'A shame.
'Shame.'
Raven's voice, or was it really? It could have been Rage's or one of the other's, echoed around them quietly, but the voice sounded anything but disappointed. In fact, it almost sounded happy, teasing.
Starfire latched onto Robin's arm tightly, ignoring the odd look he gave her. She snuggled into his shoulder, "I am afraid."
"Don't worry Star." Robin murmured distractedly as they kept moving towards the archway, "I'll protect you."
A sudden clamour of crows taking flight silenced the group.
I'm not ready to die girl,
Because of what you don't tell me,
I'm never going to tow the line of your conformity
They passed through the archway, finally, after Beast Boy commented that it was farther away that he remembered and they all looked around, taking in the difference, or lack thereof, of appearance. The field was dark and windy, shadows hung where there was no objects to create them, stretching towards the group like black ghosts. Grass rustled as they walked, sounding dry and dead through they could see it was dark green and lush despite the dark.
The sky was pitch black, covered with wispy grey clouds that may or may not have been blocking out a life-source. Dead leaves and chunks of disturbed earth floating past them serenely, moving at a different pace to the breeze.
"This is the lighter side of Raven's mind?" exclaimed Robin incredulously. "It's barely changed from where we were before!"
"Hey last time, it was sunny valley with floating strawberries!" protested Beast Boy ignoring the raised eyebrows he got in response, the night hid his blush, "Well, it was."
Robin shook his head, Starfire still attached to his arm, "What do we do now then?"
'Leave.'
'You need to leave.'
'Leave now.'
'Leave.'
The voice was more serious this time, more demanding.
"That is seriously starting to freak me out." Remarked Beast Boy, "But, whatever. We can't leave now anyway. The only way to leave is to keep going forward to the last gateway, and seeing as we're going that way anyway…HA! Stupid voice, you should've known that." Mentally Beast Boy was doing this: 'Boo-Yah, BB- 1, ScaryVoice– 0!'
'You MUST leave.'
The voice practically howled the words and as it did, the wind picked up, blowing their hair and clothes n all different directions, blinding them in the darkness, pushing them back with its ferocity.
I'm not ready to die girl,
Because of what you don't tell me,
I'm not ready to leave the realm of anonymity
Robin gritted his teeth against the wind, and motioned to the others to follow his leave, shielding his eyes with his arm he pushed himself forwards against the wind, begging his muscles to take the strain as he made, progress. It was slow progress, but at least it was progress. That was better than standing still and a lot better than being forced backwards by a voice with no body.
He forced himself to ignore the horrid sensation of bones cracking beneath his feet, and the lashes of pain that hit him as his own cloak was blown against his legs like a whip, cracking against his shins and ankles as it got caught in the devilish wind.
"C'mon." he told himself, "It's not far until the next archway." And it was true; he could make it out, barely, through the haze of dirt and wind, before him. He estimated it would take about five to ten minutes for him to reach it at his current rate.
"ROBIN!" screamed Starfire over the howling wind.
A shadow fell over him, and he looked up, surprised but relieved to see Beast Boy now in his Tyrannosaurus Rex form looking down at him. Perched on his green back was Starfire and Cyborg.
"Climb up Rob!" Cyborg yelled down, leaning forwards and offering his hand to the boy wonder.
Robin grasped the extended hand and pulled himself up.
Do you think you're a little bit closer?
To changing me?
You're never winning me over,
You're wasting time
On top of Beast Boy the journey took less than a few seconds, his huge scaled green feet making fast work over the dark and grassy ground, his reptilian head, facing downwards to ward off of the wind which seemed to shriek with renewed vigour.
They made it to the archway and passed under it.
Complete silence met them on the other side.
Robin, Starfire and Cyborg looked up as Beast Boy stopped dead in his tracks. They peered over his green head at what he was looking at and they all gasped in horror at the same time.
There, in front of them was a huge black slab of broken wall, washed with blood and grime. At the top of the wall there were two thick chains, rusted and covered with ice they hung stiffly down the edges, with metal shackles at their ends.
Chained to the wall, using said Shackles was Raven's (the real Raven) body. The metal clips were tight enough to draw blood where they dug into her skin, and her body dangled uselessly against the chipped surface. Her head was hanging to one side, her neck clawed and scratched and her eyes were open, but they were unseeing. Like pools of blackness and emptiness.
"Raven!" shouted Cyborg, but there was no response, she just hung there like a discarded doll.
Get away from me
Starfire shrieked again and buried her face in Robin's chest as Beast Boy snorted, steam erupting from his flared nostrils, "Robin." She whimpered as she clung to him, "I do not like this. Let us hurry and free her. I am afraid."
"You should be." Snarled a sickeningly familiar voice.
Rage descended from the dark sky, in all her glory, the double pair of slit red eyes narrowed manically, her scarlet robe flowing around her, her long claws covered in blood.
Robin, Cyborg, Beast Boy and Starfire stared at her.
She sneered back, "Come to play have you?"
Do you think you're a little bit closer?
To changing me?
You're never winning me over,
You're wasting time