…Over half of my reviewers said they had no idea who Marty was…I don't know whether to laugh or cry…but I guess I can sort of understand why they didn't remember him. I mean, I didn't write about him often, and when I did, it was usually something small. And anyway, with me only posting chapters about once every two to three weeks, it would be easy to forget. But since you don't know who he is, I'll just give a brief summary: He's the clothes designer who was hired to get the Titans ready for school and such. He was Darcy's partner, so to say. Oh, and thank you RoseMage for drawing a fanart for the whole Darcy scene. I enjoyed it immensely, so I shall dedicate this chapter to you. If you want to check it out for yourself, email me and I'll send you the address.


She was beginning to feel her fingers. Everything else still felt numb, but she could gently curl her knuckles and fist her hand, though it hurt like nothing she had ever felt. With one hand being crushed, and the horrible tingling, she was beginning to wish she were still unable to feel. Starfire flexed her uninjured hand, grinding her teeth as pain shot up her arm. Starfire let out a deep, controlled breath. Okay, so now she could feel her arm… it was better then nothing. At least she had control over some part of her body. Now, maybe she could defend herself when the White Rose Killer appeared. That is, if he didn't shoot her up with that damned drug again.

Before, when he had leaned over her, she knew she couldn't use her eye power to throw him off her. If she had, it would have only kept him at bay for a short while. Then, she would be completely vulnerable. What if he had gone after Mallory? She couldn't have done anything, not with her entire body being paralyzed. She couldn't put Malloy in the line of danger just to appease her anger. She would have been asking for the White Rose Killer to hurt them. He could have found a way to defile them both, without her being able to throw him off her again. So, in a way, letting him think she was vulnerable was a good thing. Starfire would not allow herself to fight until she was completely in control of her body.

Starfire slowly straightened her fingers and let her green eyes roam over the rocky ceiling. Raven had said that she knew where she was, but Starfire didn't—wouldn't—get her hopes up. This entire escapade her taught her more about earth than anything in her entire seventeen years of living. Nothing was black and white to her anymore. Nothing was innocent, or beautiful, or clean cut.

And as she lay here, for hours and hours on end, with nothing more than her thoughts and memories to sustain her, she wondered how she could have ever survived the way she did. She had trusted everyone that had shown up within her line of vision. She had always been willing to give everyone a second chance. To keep herself from succumbing to tears of despair and pain, Starfire rolled her eyes. It was a wonder she wasn't six feet under now. But, no matter how she hated it, the reason she had maintained her innocence, was because of Robin.

He had kept her from harm, showed her a world so beautiful, so real, that she had no worries Criminals and evil masterminds were just a plot that kept her world from being a fairytale. And though he had added hurt and pain to it before, despair and loneliness, he had turned and would become her salvation, her reason for getting up from her bed. In truth, he was her life, whether he loved her or not. It was hard to admit. Without him, she couldn't function properly. She had lived to please him, to be there for him even when he shoved her away. And, in her eyes, it was a weakness; a weakness that had gotten her into this mess. The more she thought about the, the more she found that that she didn't need anyone anymore. She was not talking about friends. No, she needed those more than she needed oxygen. What she didn't need was a man by her side. She was stronger than most men, so why was it that she only felt comfortable when Robin was by her side? Was it just his company? Or just the feel of his presences?

Starfire's full mouth turned down in a frown. If that were the reason, she swore to herself that if she made it through this adventure, she would slam her dense skull against a wall. She lived for no man. And though she loved Robin more than her own life, she wouldn't succumb to her petty desire to have someone by her side.

Starfire shifted her injured hand, biting the corner of her mouth until to bled when unbearable pain raced through her system. Damn. It had been awhile since she felt such raw agony at a wound. The last time she had been in this much pain was when Slade was still back in action. But with all the broken bones she had sustained, this one was worse. It felt as if every bone in her hand was shattered. Maybe it was. Whatever was wrong, she knew it would take a miracle to heal right. That is, if she even survived…

Shaking her head at her unusually pessimistic thoughts, Starfire sighed. She wondered of Mallory was awake.

"Mallory?" Starfire asked quietly, eyebrow arching when she was answered with a foul curse.

"Damnit, my fingers hurt." Although they were in a bad situation, she couldn't help but chuckle.

"As do mine. I have not awoken you, have I?"

Beside her, Mallory snorted. "Oh, yeah, I'm really going to sleep while in the clutches of a rapist that could pop up any time."

Starfire's lips quirked upwards in amusement at Mallory's sarcastic remark. "Well, if I did not disturb you…then mayhap, we could…talk."

"Glad you said that. My mind was starting to wonder into depressing territories."

"Mine as well. So maybe talking will ease my sense of depression."

"Lord, you talk so fancy."

Had she been able to move, Starfire's would have shaken her head. "So, what topic should we converse about first?"

"Uh…how about men? They're interesting enough…but then again, we're looking for non-depressing topics, huh? So…let's talk about Christian. Was he trouble watching?"

Thankful for the topic, Starfire smiled softly. "Not at all. In fact, I fear I will weep uncontrollably once he is returned to you. I have come to see him like a child of my own, if you don't mind me saying so."

"I'm glad you think that. He seemed so comfortable with you. But, once this is over, and I am back to my old self, do you think that maybe…we could still hang out once in awhile? I mean, with you being a Teen Titan, and having a reputation to uphold—"

"I would love to do the hanging out with you."

Malloy laughed. "Okay. Good. Because I have a feeling that Christian is going to throw a tantrum when I take him home again."

Starfire smiled softly. "I will…be lonely when all this is over and he is back with you. If you do not set ground rules, I will be likely to show up on your doorstep everyday."

"Feel free. If things go right, you might have to watch him again once Wyatt and I decide to go on our honeymoon. I will need someone to—"

"I shall do it," Starfire said quickly, her voice eager.

Mallory rolled her eyes in amusement, but grimaced as her fingers tingled painfully. "Dude, I hope this doesn't continue."

"What?"

"My fingers are killing me. I hope that when the rest of me is able to move, it doesn't hurt like this."

"Hmm…maybe. I wonder how much longer it will take for the drug to completely ware off."

"Well, I'd say it's been about…seven hours since we were taken. But I could be wrong." Mallory let her dark eyes roam the ceiling. "Do you think," she stared out slowly, "they'll find us?"

"I have…talked with Raven. She says she knows where we might be. I think I might know as well."

"How have you…never mind. I keep forgetting that you're not human. Wait, that came out wrong. I just meant that your different…not strange different, just…oh hell."

Starfire laughed. "There is nothing wrong with what you said. I am not human."

"So…you're an alien, right?"

"Yes. I am from Tameran."

"…Strange, but in school, they don't teach us about your planet. They only teach us about Saturn, and Mars, and those types. But until the Titans formed, I had no idea Tameran existed."

"Tameran is…not looked upon kindly. Mayhap that is why your planet has never taught about our race or home. But on Tameran, I had no idea that other places existed. I was told that the only places I need to know were enemy planets and allies. Earth had never been mentioned."

"Oh…so when you came here, you knew nothing?"

"I only knew parts of the language. I was taught over thirty languages total. Including earth languages, though when I asked what language it was, I was told that it didn't matter…I had a strict teacher."

"Wow," Mallory said, her eyebrows drawing together. "When you came down here, you instantly recognized the language?"

Starfire's mouth curved upwards. "No. I only knew the basics. I knew no slang, or shortening of words, so I was constantly lost."

Mallory laughed. "Yeah, I can see how you would be."

"There're still some words I am confused with, but other than that, I am more comfortable with this language than my own."

"Do you ever plan on going back to Tameran…I said that right, right?"

Starfire chuckled. "Yes, you said it correctly. But…" She frowned. "I…do not think I will ever return. This is my home now. I do not think anything could remove me from here. Not even…Robin." Starfire's frown deepened. No, even if Robin married another, she would still stay here. She had nothing back on Tameran. The only family she had was ruler now, and she would feel as if she were imposing where she to go back. But everything she loved was here, on Earth. There was no need to go back to Tameran.

"I know it's none of my business, but how are things with you and Robin? When I went to look for you, they said that you and him had had a little tiff…but if you don't want to talk about it, it's fine with me."

After a short debate on whether or not to tell her, Starfire decided that it would do her some good to get it off her chest. "A tiff is too little a word to describe what happened. But our disagreement goes farther than just tonight…or yesterday, or whatever. This has been going on since this whole adventure began. He told me earlier that he only wanted my friendship, needed it more than anything. And though it hurt, I accepted that as how things were going to be. I figured that I could live happily as long as he was by my side, even if it was just as a friend. But…then something changed." Starfire's eyes stared ahead, unseeing, eyebrows drawn together tightly.

"All of the sudden, he was saying these cruel things for no reason. I…do not remember his exact words. My mind went blank at his first hurtful words. But after which, I was so mad…I…threw him against the wall and said such mean things. I have never said such words before. He…cried. Not weeping, or sobbing, but his eyes were so hurt. I was mad, yes, but those eyes destroyed me. Before, I had always dreamed of seeing his eyes. I have a strange habit of reading people through their eyes. They might not say a word, but I can somehow tell what they feel. Countless times I see loneliness and pain in Raven's eyes. Beast Boy's are filled with the same. But in his eyes is the need for acceptance. Cyborg is lonely as well, but during my time on the Titans, I had never seen Robin's eyes. I had no idea what went through his head, or if he was hurting or if I could help. I understood that his mask was far more than just cloth. He needed it to protect himself.

"And when he took of his mask, I was thrilled. But…there is something in his eyes that I cannot fix. He is so alone. No matter how I try, I will never be able to be there for him like he needs. I have tried so hard, but it's just not enough. He needs someone who can fill that cold place inside him. But I do not know if he wants someone to fill it. Maybe he wishes to be alone. If that is the case, then I will leave him…"

Feeling an onslaught of tears, and hating herself for it, Starfire closed her eyes and took a deep breath. There was no point in crying. It would solve nothing. Slowly, she let her eyes drift open. They were dry, thankfully, but were dark with pain.

"But…why were you so angry before? Enough to run away from?"

Starfire sighed. "I…it was partly my fault for overreacting. He had told me there was nothing for us, yet I guess, after all that, I let myself hope for something that would never happen. And so, hoping for the impossible, I was going to…ask him to dance, I think. Just as friends. But he was talking to the blonde bimbo—" Despite the dark conversation, Mallory laughed, "—and said that I was money hungry, or something like that. I was hurt, and angry, so I ran out, and ended up getting my butt whooped." Unconsciously, she curled her uninjured fist.

"From where I was standing, you did a lot of butt whooping yourself. I've never seen anyone take down so many men in such a short time. You had them all down, even hurt. I'd say that's whooping some serious ass. I didn't do anything…I just sat there. But then again, I can't fight…well, unless it involves claws and hair pulling."

Starfire sighed and tried to ignore her throbbing body. The drug was wearing off, but now all she could feel was pain. It felt as if she were lying on a bed of needles that sunk through her flesh. And her shattered hand only added to her misery.

"We got off subject, didn't we?"

"Hmm?"

"Well, I think I asked why you were so mad, then I went off on how you kicked butt…so, if you don't mind me asking…again, why were you so mad? Oh wait. Never mind. He called you money hungry…sorry, my brain is not functioning well."

"It is all right. But I do not know why he said such things." Starfire sighed.

"Robin seems… a lot like Wyatt," Mallory said softly. "His actions, his movements, the way he thinks. And if he is like Wyatt…he probably thinks that hurting you is saving you."

"But how?"

Starfire heard Mallory sigh deeply before she said, "Wyatt told me that he had hurt me to protect me from him. He thought the only way to make me happy was to leave. He had a hard family life when he was growing up. His father would beat him and his mother pretty bad. Wyatt said that the entire line of men on his father's side beat their wives and children, and he was afraid that he would end up hurting Christian and I. After all the pain and suffering I went through, to find out that he was trying to protect me was so damn sweet. He told me that he never wanted to hurt me, that it killed him every time he had said something hurtful.

"But what I'm getting at is…maybe Robin's trying to protect you from himself. Maybe he's afraid that if you stay with him, you'll end up getting hurt. I could be way off, but I do think that he's only trying to protect you. I can tell by the way he watches you that he's madly in love with you. You know, it could even be that he's scared. He might be afraid to love you because he's afraid of losing you, so in his mind, the only way to keep himself from pain is pushing you away."

Starfire pushed down the glimmer of hope that bloomed in her heart. That couldn't be true…could it?

"Starfire…I know what I'm saying makes no sense. I understand that. When Wyatt told me all this, I had a hard time believing it. But…it made sense. Still does. Maybe I'm wrong. But there is still a chance that I'm right. You can continue to let him hurt you, think that he really doesn't love you, or you can ease your pain and tell yourself that he's only protecting you. And even if it's not the reason, it will keep you from breaking down. But I'm just throwing out ideas here."

Now uncomfortable, Mallory lapsed into silence, cursing herself for getting involved in something that was none of her business. Damn her father for teaching her to be so nosy…

"Mallory?"

Okay, good. Starfire's voice wasn't full of rage…but it was soft, like maybe she was taking her words into consideration.

"Yeah?"

"You would be a good physiatrist."


At first, nothing registered. It was like waking up from a dream where you remembered everything, yet nothing made sense. Raven was vaguely aware that Beast Boy was trying to get Marty's attention away from her, but she was in a stupor. Marty could have pulled the trigger and she would have felt nothing.

Without thinking, Raven's eyes drifted to Beast Boy. His hand was bloodied from where it clutched his upper arm, and a pool was forming under his fingers. Funny how one thing could snap you out of a daze so quickly. But, her problem was that instead of being shocked, she was angry, and anger was not her strongest point in controlling.

"You seemed shocked, Raven."

Her eyes narrowed into nothing more than slits. Marty blinked, and then shrugged, hiding his surprise that the girl wasn't scared. But he had to remember that she was a Titan, not a normal human.

Yeah, she was shocked. She would have never thought that he would be part of it, but now, when her mind went over past occurrence, it made sense. The White Rose killer had known who they were from the beginning. He had been aware of their movements, their actions. Raven had always suspected Twain or Waylin, but now this made so much more sense. And Darcy. God, no wonder she had been…wait a second.

"Darcy was the one who called." She said suddenly, throwing both Beast Boy and Marty off. But then Marty threw back his head and laughed.

"How'd ya guess?"

Without thinking, Raven lunged at him. His eyes widened, and just as he pulled the trigger, Raven knocked him to the ground. The shot was hushed thanks to the silencer attached to the end. Ignoring the burning pain in her side where the bullet was lodged, Raven turned to Beast Boy.

"Get out of here and call the police now, Beast Boy. And hurry. There's a payphone just outside the building—"

"I won't leave you, Raven."

Before she could yell at him for being stubborn, Marty, who was pinned to the ground beneath her, lifted the gun and slammed it against her injured side, pushing her off. White light danced in front of her eyes as she stared at the ceiling. Damn it, that hurt.

Beast Boy morphed into a ram and slammed his horns into Marty's midsection, knocking him back. Taking on his normal form, Beast Boy made a beeline for the gun, but before he realized it, Marty had once again taken hold of it. Aiming at anything, Marty pulled the trigger, his eyes wild.

The bullet ripped through muscle as it entered his chest, and existed from the back, lodging into the wall. But Beats Boy ignored the horrible pain as he used his right shoulder to ram Marty's chest and send him sprawling backwards. His head collided with the wall and he was, for the moment, unconscious.

Dizzy with blood loss, Beast Boy hit his knees and cursed. Of all the times to be weak… Grimacing, Beast Boy lifted his eyes…and found himself staring into beautiful amethyst orbs.

"Raven." He should have been angry that she would throw herself into danger, but he couldn't concentrate on anything but the pain. He cursed again.

"Beast Boy…'

She needed to find Twain. She needed to get away from here. He had already let her get into danger, and he would hate himself if she were hurt more than she was now.

"Go." Beast Boy ground his teeth together and bowed his head, the pain in his chest increase, spreading through his shoulders, down his arms. "Leave now. Find Twain. Don't…stay."

"Beast Boy, I—"

"Please," he pleaded. "I won't have you staying here and getting hurt for my sake. Please, Raven, just go." It was getting hard to breath now. Every breath sent waves of agony washing over him. He was starting to think that the bullet had hit something vital…

"I can't."

"Damnit, Raven, now is not the time to be stubborn."

"I will not leave you here like this."

Beast Boy shook his head, his claws digging into the tender flesh of his palms. "Raven…please…I…think the bullet hit something vital. I…don't think I'm going to last much longer. I won't be able to protect you." Like I ever did…

"Beast Boy, don't—"

"I can't breath, Raven. It hurts too much to even try. And I've lost too much blood. I've already been hit once. Just go. There's nothing here for you anymore."

"Damnit, you're here and that's all that matters to me. I will not let you die here, do you understand? You can complain all you want, curse me all you want, but I will not leave you."

Before he could say anything, something clogged his throat, sending him into a coughing fit. He heard Raven's whispered "Oh God" and figured that he was coughing up blood. Great. Just great. He was going to die here, leaving Raven alone to face the White Rose killer. Why was it that he had to be weak when protecting the one he loved? Wasn't it enough that he couldn't do anything right when on the team? Was this some sort of sign? Hell, if it was, it didn't matter now. The chance of him making through this alive was slim to none. It was a sure sign now that the bullet had hit something vital. And now that he was coughing up blood, it seemed as if he were bleeding internally. Damn. He was going to die a mess…

"Beast Boy, look at me." Her voice wavered, but after a minute, he decided that it was his mind playing one final trick on him. Truthfully, he wasn't scared. Maybe his death would be a good thing. Raven could find someone to make her happy, maybe even someone who could help the team. No, he wasn't scared.

He was hurt.

To know that his life had been anything but a burden hurt him more than any physical wound ever could. To know that once he was gone, no one would remember him. His team would, but they would think of his as a 'sidekick, or helper'…or troublemaker. He was the useless part of the team that only aided in making them mad, or throwing lame jokes around to try and cheer them up, or getting in the way when they needed to take a criminal down. Maybe…death was really the only way to repair what he had ruined. And Raven…would she remember him when she was older? Or, like the rest of the world, forget he had existed? Oh God. Let death come quickly.

"Beast Boy, I need you to lay back for me." Damnit, his mind was cruel, making it sound as though Raven were really scared. Maybe there was a chance he would be reincarnated into…a movie star. Yeah, a movie star, where he was loved, looked upon with admiration. And he would own a million mopeds…

With the help of Raven, he lay back, but ended up practically choking on his own blood. One word. Gross. Quickly, Raven lifted his head so he didn't drown. With a groan of pain, Beast Boy closed his eyes, grimacing when Raven gently ripped his shirt. Her breath hitched, but he ignored it. She was probably queasy at the sight of blood. Heh, Raven afraid of blood. Funny.

"Beast Boy, I'm sorry."

Since he was halfway between the living and the dead, Beats Boy didn't say anything. "I…know that you thought that I regretted being with you, but—" she pressed her small, soft hands against his ragged wound, and he couldn't stop the cry of pain that erupted from his throat, "— that wasn't the reason. I…was scared because of the chance that I might be pregnant. I was overreacting because I was so scared that I might hurt my—our—child because of who I am. I was scared, and I took it out on you. I never meant to hurt you. Oh God, and now…now…Beast Boy, I can't lose you."

Slowly, Beast Boy opened his eyes…and cursed his mind once again for making it seem like Raven was crying. Damn, this was…wait. Was she…? She was crying. Raven was crying…for him.

"You know," he said weakly, "I could never manage to make you laugh…but somehow…instead of you laughing for me…you're crying for me." Beast Boy's body jerked up as he coughed, but when he was settled, he managed to look back at her. Tears poured from her eyes, making them brighter. He wondered why she was crying. And why her power had not overreacted yet. Shouldn't something have broken? Shattered?

And then he realized he was probably delusional, and she wasn't sitting beside him in real life, was not crying for him. Well, a dying man was entitled to his fantasize, right?

But the warm hands against his chest felt so real, as did the hot tears that hit his blood soaked skin. Maybe she was there with him. Maybe…this was real.

If it was, then she needed to know how he felt. He would be damned if he died and never told her that he loved her. Once he was gone from this world, he had no wish to return. He had a feeling that if he didn't tell her now, he would end up haunting her. She would not remember him as the freaky ghost who proclaimed his love in her dreams, or while she was in the shower or whatever. He had more respect for himself then that…although the shower part held some interest…

"Raven…"

"Beast Boy, I'm going to heal you, okay?" For the first time ever, Raven's voice shook.

"Don't. Raven, you'll be too weak to escape him. Just…go. I'm not important enough for you to wait around for. Please, leave. For me."

"No."

Beast Boy ground his teeth in aggravation. "Damnit, woman, you're so stubborn."

"I would rather him find me than know that you're dead."

"Raven…"

"I will not leave you. I don't care if he kills me, but you will live, even if I don't." It wasn't a proclamation of undying love, but it was close enough. At least she cared. Now, he could die a happy man.

Strange, but now he could literally feel his life slipping away from the world. The pain lessoned, and for some strange reason, memories flitted through his brain. It was like watching a silent movie, but this time, he was watching himself. His mind replayed his first day of school, his first kiss, first date, first time he saw himself as a monster. He watched as his parents were killed, watched as he ran away like a coward, watched the first time he met his team, Raven. The first moment he fell in love with her. He really was dying. Now he felt fear, a raw emotion that consumed his entire body.

"Raven…" he managed weakly. "I…I love you. I always have." Her face was blurred now, color fading into gray, then black, until he could no longer see anything. Though he could still fell his body, he knew death was approaching. It was like…a feeling. He couldn't actually feel death knocking down his door, but his body was slowly shutting down.

But suddenly, white-hot heat raced through his chest. It was not uncomfortable, but so comforting.

Raven was healing him. And, just as he had felt his life slipping away, he felt it being pulled back. It was the strangest feeling he had ever gone through. It was like his very soul was being guided back to his body…he didn't know if it had ever left, but he was in a strange world now that was located between life and death.

And then, all of the sudden, he felt his muscles mending together. That hurt. Unconsciously, his body arched against the pain, but Raven never stopped healing him.

Beneath her palm, his heart stopped. Swallowing a cry, Raven closed her eyes and willed her entire soul into her hands. She would gladly give her life to heal him. Her life was meaningless without him. Slowly, his heart started to beat. But it was so slow, too slow for comfort.

Grinding her teeth against the oncoming weakness, Raven let her mind drift to his wound. It was…strange, but when she healed someone, she could transport a part of her and assess the damage done. Like with Robin, when he had broken his arm. The reason she had told him she could only heal it minimally was because she saw the injury done. It was…strange.

But now, as she assessed the damage done to Beast Boy's chest, she found that his assumption had been correct. The bullet had grazed his left lung, but the wound was deep enough to fill the organ with blood. If she didn't hurry, he would literally drown in his own blood.

Although the outlook was bleak, she would heal him. She was becoming weaker as she worked on mending his lung, and, she knew, that when he was healed, she would not be able to use her powers when Marty awoke. The only way to recharge was to mediate, and she had no time for that. But healing Beast Boy was more important than escaping.

The only thing was, once she managed to rid him of the large amount clogging his lung and heal the bullet graze, she would not be able to heal the rest of him. His wound was too serious to completely heal, and just healing his lung was killing her. Not literally, of course, but she was getting so weak. His breath was shallow now, but with his lung cleansed, he would survive. That is, unless he bled to death, which was a big possibility, for the bullet had exited from the back. With her very last ounce of strength, Raven managed to close the back of the wound. He still bled, but he would survive.

Raven let her eyes open. He was unconscious, but breathing. And, thankfully, with his animal DNA, he would heal himself. Raven let herself collapse beside him, ignoring the fact that his blood soaked through her clothes.

With extreme difficulty, Raven pulled herself to her knees. It was weird how that managed to be the most difficult thing she had ever done…

Crawling to the nearest wall, Raven pulled herself up, leaning her weight against it when her knees collapsed beneath her. Damn. Her eyes drifted to Marty when he groaned, his eyes fluttering open. Almost immediately, they darkened to black. Oh, he was pissed.

Willing her body to respond, Raven pushed herself off the wall and stood straight. And was proud of herself for not falling flat on her face.

Eyes drilling into her, Marty pushed himself up, a growl escaping his throat. Briefly, his eyes cut to Beast Boy, and his mouth formed a cruel smirk.

"Little bastard couldn't handle me, huh? Got himself killed, leaving you all alone."

Raven let out a breath. Thank God. Marty thought Beast Boy was dead. Good. Now, she would not have to worry about him being hurt again.

"Why did you kill her?" Raven cursed when her voice came out weak, strained. Marty, of course, noticed, and threw back his head.

"Getting' weak, huh? And I had hoped that you would fight me. But, I guess it's only fair that I answer your question. I'm guessin' you're talkin' 'bout 'lil ol' Darcy, right?"

Now that he had shown himself, his voice had changed, and was thick with a country drawl. It was the most sickening sound Raven had ever heard. "Why? She was innocent."

He clucked his tongue. "Honey, you don't know the first thing 'bout Darcy. But…since your 'lil ol' honey-bun's kicked the bucket, I reckon I can tell ya."

Raven ground her teeth against the onslaught of weakness that ran through her veins. Oh, now was not the time to collapse. She needed to know about Darcy.

"Ya see, Darcy was havin' an affair with my son, Kenneth."

"She was in on it?" Raven asked, shock lacing her voice, making it stronger. "You're lying."

"Now, now, sugar, let me finish. She was havin' an affair with my son, but knew nothin'. That is, till she overheard out conversation 'bout our latest victim. That Harley girl, I think it was. We we're talkin' bout how you'd be the next one under us, and she went and told. She knew she was gunna die, so she just had to call you and tell you. But the little bitch did us a favor and didn't tell you who we were. So I give her credit for that. But my poor ol' son was so hurt…that is, till he got to maim her. Told me that it was the best thing she had ever done for him. Oh, but my baby boy does take after his ol' man."

"Son? You mean you had a son who helped you out?"

"My Kenneth did the dirty work. He did the kidnappin', and since I'm a good ol' dad, got first dibs in on the girl. Then, once we were finished with her, he'd beg me to let him tear 'em apart. Knows how to make his ol' man proud, my Kenneth."

"Who is he?"

"My Kenneth? Well, you'll find out sooner or later. But now, he's roundin' up that Harley girl. Said he wanted that one first 'cause she was the youngest and most feisty."

"He's a sick bastard, like you. Guess that sayings right. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"Why you little smart-mouth bitch. We ain't sick, just…different. We gots different ways to satisfy us. We ain't no different from other men."

"You rape and murder girls who haven't even hit puberty yet. You and your son are pedophiles of the worst kind."

Raven watched with dread as he approached her, gun held tightly in his hand. If he shot her now, she'd be through. She wasn't afraid of him, but damnit, she didn't like it when a madman waved a gun around.

With a smirk, Marty wrapped his large hand around Raven's neck, using enough pressure to force her against the wall and bruise her pale skin. His thumb traced the pulse pounding in her throat and he chuckled when she couldn't help but grimace.

"I've waited too long to touch you, Raven. It killed me to see you everyday, measure you for clothes, but never do what I wanted. But now, you're all mine."

Raven's entire body stiffened when he leaned in to kiss her, but she wouldn't pull back, at least, not yet. Oh, she might be weak, but she knew she had just enough energy to…

Just as Marty came close enough, Raven smirked, digging her fingers into the wall for support as she slammed her knee into his crotch. Oh, the pleasure. As he doubled over in pain, Raven lifted her leg once more and rammed her knee into his nose. She really hoped she killed him.

He sprawled backwards, cursing and yelling the whole way. Willing her body to respond, Raven ran slowly, but she made it to the door. And she stopped there. She had to wait until Marty got up before she ran. She wouldn't leave Beast Boy there with a killer even though the man thought him dead. For a brief second, her vision blurred. Shaking her head to rid of the dizziness, Raven looked up again. Marty was charging at her.

Had the circumstances been different, she might have found it amusing. But…when he lifted the gun, all amusement fled. Damn.

With a final glance back at Beast Boy, Raven fled, deciding that, even though she was weak, the stairs would be best. Waiting on an elevator while being chased by a madman wasn't the best solution.

But then again, if she did take the elevator, he would…no, he could just take the one next to hers, and meet her half way. But if she did take it, she would be on the first floor, and surrounded by people.

…Come to think of it, with all the noise, why had no one checked on them? Yes, so the gun had a silencer, but with Marty being chucked against the wall and bodies hitting the floor, shouldn't someone have heard? What if…he had…no that would be too obvious. Killing an entire hotel seemed…hard to do. And even if that were the case, someone would walk in, find dead bodies littering the floor, and call the police. Marty might be a psychotic pedophile, but he wasn't stupid. Killing an entire bottom floor of people and risking someone coming and calling the police was stupid. Maybe…hell, it didn't matter. All she needed to worry about was getting to Twain.

Using her shoulder to push open the door, Raven bounded down the stairs faster than she thought possible. Well, seeing as Marty was hot on her heel and shooting at her, she figured it was only natural that she was moving quickly.

Just as she made it to the garage door, Marty fired another shot. This one scraped her shoulder, but she didn't stop. Cursing, Raven fished out her keys from her pocket, ran to the car that Beast Boy and she shared, and climbed in.

Raven jerked when a bullet shattered the windshield. Glass showered around her, sharp shards slicing her skin. But all went ignored as she threw the car into drive and peeled out of the hotel, her tires screaming in protest as she hit the gas. Marty fired again, this time hitting the back windshield.

Turing the wheel sharply, Raven barreled over a curb, her car fishtailing as the tires slipped over the icy road. Raven felt a moments panic as she tried to control her car, and for a brief second she lost control, but managed to get the car back on track. Letting out a breath she didn't realizing she had been holding, Raven headed for Twain's place.

Her side throbbed painfully, as did her shoulder. Damn Marty for being gun-happy. She had no way of healing herself now, so she was going to have to do this the human way. Well, if she managed to stay conscious. With the weakness, the blood loss, and the anxiety of almost losing Beast Boy, she would be lucky of she made it to Twain's without crashing the car.

Thankfully, Twain had given them his address as they had headed for the hotel. She didn't remember when, but she had found it when she was dressing to get fresh air after her and Beast Boy's misunderstanding.

Raven swallowed hard as she recalled her last moments with Beast Boy. She let her eyes drift down to her clothes to find them covered in blood. And most of it was his. Closing her eyes briefly, Raven prayed to a God she had never let herself think of before. She had believed that praying was a useless waste of time, but now, she was begging, apologizing for not believing, willing to sacrifice her life, just to make sure Beast Boy lived.

Raven cursed when her vision blurred, but thankfully, Twain's house was now visible. Raven turned into the driveway so sharply that the vehicle was one the brink of overturning.

The minute the car settled, she hopped out and slammed the door, cringing when the window shattered. Running up the front porch, she pushed open the door, leaning against the frame when weakness threatened to bring her to her knees.

"Twain?" She called out, holding her bleeding side as she pushed herself from the doorframe. "Twain, are you here? I know who the killer is. Please, please be here." When nothing but silence greeted her, Raven groaned, half in aggravation, half in despair.

"No. Damnit, this can't be happening." Raven was halfway out the door when she heard it: A faint thump from upstairs. Raven's heart skipped a beat. For some strange reason, she thought of The Grudge, and grimaced. This is not a horror movie; this is not a horror movie. When you turn around, there will not be a dead body crawling down the stairs. Damn Beast Boy and his Friday night horror flicks.

Telling herself that she was being immature, Raven turned. And swore she would faint when a bloodied body started to crawl down the stairs.

"Jesus Christ, if Beast Boy makes it through this I'll kill him."

"Raven," came the horse groan from the figure. She turned around just to see someone slump down at the bottom of the stairs.

"Ethan. Oh God, what happened?" Immediately, Raven darted to him, flinching when she glanced up to find the thick trail of blood he had left behind. "Where's Hannah? Ethan, please, tell me what happened." As gently as she could, Raven picked up the teen's head and laid it in her hap. He grimaced, turned his head and spit out blood. Raven didn't allow herself to panic, for she noticed that his bottom lip was split and bleeding.

"That bastard took her," he snarled, his fist clenching. While he talked, Raven felt for wounds. Since his right shoulder and thigh were covered in blood, she figured that he had been shot twice. She couldn't heal him, but it didn't seem to be fatal. He would lose a lot of blood, but he would survive.

"Marty?"

"Who? That gay clothes designer? Is he behind this?"

"Yeah. He his. Now, Colt, tell me who took Harley?"

Ethan closed his eyes tightly. "We didn't hear anything at first. There was a noise downstairs, where Twain was, but we ignored it, because Twain is always tripping over Connor's toys. We didn't think this time was any different. So we ignored it, and went back to…well…"

"Making out?"

"Yeah, that. You see Twain's wife had gone to get their little kid, so it was just Hannah, Twain, and I here. But anyway, Hannah and I were together, and I wasn't paying attention. Suddenly, I'm being hit over the head with the butt of a gun. Everything just seemed to go by so fast. He reached for Hannah, she used her cast to kick him over the side of the head, but I'm still seeing double. But still, I tackle him; a gun goes off, hits my thigh—which, might I add, hit a little too close for comfort—and Hannah cries out my name. She grabs something, chunks it at him, hits his head, and runs to me. Damnit, if only I had seen it in time.

"There was a second one. I should have seen him; I should have been able to save her. But the one she hit stands up, points the gun at me, and fires. Thankfully, he had horrible aim, it only grazed my shoulder, but it was enough to keep me down. They…took her. They hurt her. Hit her. But she still fought. Damnit, one of them drugged her. I swear to God I'll kill them."

"There were two?"

"Yeah. I didn't see the faces, but one of them was tall, lanky. The other one was…God, I don't know. I was so worried about Hannah that I didn't even think about looking at them. Oh, God, Raven, I'm scared. I'm so scared that they'll hurt her."

She smoothed back his hair, her eyes soft. "We'll get her back, Ethan. But tell me, where's Twain?"

Ethan's eyes widened. "I don't know. When they came up here, I heard nothing from Twain. What if…what if they killed him? Raven, he should have come up there and helped us. I think he might be hurt."

Raven let out a heavy breath and let her eyes wonder to the door beside her. But as she tried to lay down Ethan's head, he grabbed her wrist. "Wait. Do you think that maybe…you could help me up? I want to be the one to see what's going on first."

"Alright." With much difficulty, Raven managed to get Ethan to his feet. The minute he was standing, he winced and faltered, almost falling face first. Raven caught him, grounding her heels into the floor when she almost pitched forward. Ethan shot out a hand to steady her, leaning all of his weight onto his left side. Once she was steady, he leaned some of his weight against her and they both slowly trudged forward. Occasionally, his good leg would give out, but they finally made it to the kitchen, where Ethan collapsed into a chair.

Already panting from the exertion of helping Ethan, Raven walked around the island counter, dreading of what she would find. But as she stood in the middle of the walkway, she found nothing. No mutilated Twain, or decapitated head, just a few drops of blood which trailed into a different room. For the first time in her life, Raven wished for her powers. If only she had time to meditate…

Raven paused in front of the white swinging door, her eyes trained on the blood that disappeared beneath the bottom of the door. Letting her eyes lift upwards, she studied the bloody handprint, which was smeared, as if someone let their hand slid along the smooth surface. Raven chided herself when her body quaked with fear, and pushed open the door.

She found Twain immediately and scurried over to him. He was on his stomach, blood seeping from a wound Raven could not see. His skin was ashen, and once she knelt beside him, she found his skin clammy and cold. Raven pressed a blood-caked hand to her mouth, closing her eyes briefly. He couldn't be…no, Twain would never allow himself to die, not now.

Surprised that she was about to cry over him, Raven moved her hand to press her index finger and middle finger to Twain's neck. Pushing down the panic when she felt nothing, she moved to his wrist, where she pressed her fingers again.

And let out a breath when she found his pulse. It was slow, but steady. I guess I like Twain more than I thought. Raven didn't know if she should move him or not, but figured that she needed to see his wound. She would have called Ethan, but he was hurt, and would not be much help. Carefully, Raven managed to get Twain on his side, coating her body in more blood. Raven flinched when he fell roughly onto his back.

Twain groaned, and his dark eyes fluttered open. His eyes were glazed and unfocused as he stared at the ceiling. Raven gently pressed her hand to his cheek. He flinched, but turned his eyes to her. Raven forced a small smile.

"How do you feel?"

Twain grimaced and closed his eyes, turning his head away from her. "Shoulder…hurts."

Raven's eyes immediately dropped to his shoulder. His simple green Jump City University sweater was dark with blood. His left shoulder was bleeding profusely and the cloth was riddled with bullet holes. Raven counted three.

"Call…police." Twain let out a deep breath and opened his eyes. They were no longer glazed, but his eyes were still unfocused. "Hannah?"

"Don't talk. You're hurt badly. They took her. Ethan's been hit."

Twain nodded. "Cell phone. Left pocket. Call."

Raven, almost hesitantly, searched through Twain's jean pocket, and found a simple black flip-phone.

"I know…I…trusted…how could…damn it." Twain coughed, but there was no blood.

Raven fumbled with the phone, trying to dial 911. But her fingers were so slick with blood that they slipped from the keys. Cursing weakly, Raven tried again. And then it hit her. Who had he trusted?

"911 emergency, how may I help you?" The woman's voice was soft, soothing.

"I have two injured. White Rose Killer attacked." Raven gently removed the cloth from Twain wound, cringing when he yelped in pain.

"Could you tell me the address?"

Raven repeated it, all while working on Twain's wound.

"I have an ambulance on the way. You said that the White Rose Killer attacked?"

Knowing that it was their job to ask information, Raven said, "This is Raven, from the Titans. We we're undercover to catch him, and now one of my teammates and two friends are—"

"Now, now, Raven, it's not nice to tattletale." Raven froze her weak body stiffening. That voice was so damn familiar…

"You might have lost my brother, but I can assure you, you won't get away from me."

Lance Ortega grinned and slammed the butt of his gun over Raven's head.


Yeah, okay, so usually, when I leave a cliffhanger (if this could even be considered a cliffhanger)I never write anything…but I need to say something…I finally got my car! It's a red, 2001 Volkswagen Beetle, with a sunroof…okay, no need to bore you on the details. And anyway, that wasn't what I was going to say. Okay, I have an outline for The White Rose: Petals of Blood, and I made a family tree of the Titan's children. (This includes Hannah, Colt, Mallory, and the rest of my OC, and yes, Cyborg and Bumblebee) and would you like to know how many children they have total? Thirty-one…But I think that I'll make like a preface, where I list all the children and occupations, crap like that before I post anything…but I haven't even started on it yet. This is just an outline, and it'll be awhile, since I have to get started on the Beast Within, so…yeah…that's all I wanted to say…