Hello, everyone!
Thank you all for waiting for this latest update. Thank you for all the wishes for my fiancé. Since the last chapter (the update one), her leg and back had both went out. She stayed in the hospital for a while where they did a steroid epidural injection. As of now, she can sit for a while but her big toe (and some of her smaller ones) are still numb. She can walk but requires a cane until she gets better.
Thankfully now she can function a bit better. She is still on medical leave with work and going through physical therapy to help improve her condition. I really hope you guys enjoy this one.
Onwards we go!
It was early morning and everyone was up in the tower. Today, as per schedule, was Robin's bi-weekly training surprise. Needless to say, no one was happy about it. The Titans were glad that Starfire had managed to dim down the training sessions from once a week to every other week. Cyborg even had the agreement recorded for future evidence if ever needed.
"Good morning, team. We are going to do the usual," Robin started.
"Can you be just a bit normal and start training at ten?" Cyborg groaned. He stretched his arms behind his head.
"Nope. We've discussed that enough already."
"But, Robin…"
"Nope! Now, where's Beastboy?"
"Over there," Starfire answered, pointing behind Robin. They were all currently in the gym, still sleepy and tired. Beastboy was sitting on the floor by a nearby wall, hands behind his head.
"Really? Didn't hear a peep from him," Raven mumbled, reading her book by the bench. She was the best option when it came to getting Beastboy out of bed. Cyborg and Starfire could constantly try but it was her threats that got him up.
"He's been quiet," Cyborg noted.
"I was the first one here. You didn't even say hi to me," Beastboy said.
"Sorry. That's just rare," Robin said. He turned back to the team. "Like I said, it's going to be the usual. Get to it."
Robin ran the obstacle course, working on beating Beastboy's record. He was determined but with every lap, Robin knew he was falling behind.
I guess I'm going to have to train at night. I'm going to do what he did. I'm going to beat it.
Cyborg worked on his aim, shooting various targets that popped out. He stood in the center of the shooting dome, relying on his instincts and skill. The idea was to match Starfire with her aim. She was a natural with her starbolts.
Starfire, unlike the others, didn't need any physical training. She worked on her flight, working through multiple random hoops and targets. The idea was to move quickly and gracefully, remaining untouched and unharmed. Below her, Raven worked on her hand-to-hand combat. She worked too much with her dark arts and needed work on the basics. Although she had plenty of practice in Azarath, Raven knew she could improve. Her only pet peeve was that she despised training with dummies. She preferred something that could move and offer her a challenge. So, after a few discussions, she was going to have a session with Beastboy; he was well trained with martial arts.
"Are you sure you don't want to wait for Robin, Rae?"
"Get on the mat! Do I have to smack you again?"
"What? Why!"
"Because its Raven! Not Rae!" she hissed.
"Oh yeah! So, are we going to wait for Robin?" he asked hopefully.
"No," she replied, flying to the mat.
"But…I'm not as good as him!"
"I'm sure you'll do fine," she said, tossing off her cloak. She got into her fighting stance.
"Okay. Just don't make it hurt too badly," he said. He knew he couldn't escape the death match with Raven.
"I'll try to be a little considerate when hitting you," she retorted with a smirk. Beastboy slipped into a defensive stance; Robin had drilled it into him before.
"Just one question." He asked.
"What?"
"Powers or no powers?"
"No powers. If you're good enough, then we can use them."
"Fine," he said. He switched off onto attack position, eyeing Raven. She didn't think much of his sudden change. Her main focus was on winning the match as fast as possible before meditating. She moved slowly towards Beastboy. He moved along with her, meeting her at halfway.
"Looks like you're done running, Beastboy."
"I want to end this as fast as possible. I have somewhere else to be."
She gave him an odd look.
What does he mean by ending this? I'll show him!
Raven threw a punch, only to have it countered by Beastboy. She stepped forward and placed her hand on his hip, ready to throw him over. He sidestepped to his right and moved forward, pushing her back. It was a light shove but surprised Raven nonetheless. Beastboy remained still from his spot, analyzing the situation.
"Fighting with Robing is really paying off," he said. Raven narrowed her eyes, getting serious.
Well, there goes my hope.
She looked ready to strike but remained still. She moved quickly, trying to attack Beastboy; he dodged through her movements. She was pushing him back but it felt all too easy. Beastboy stopped moved back and Raven finally noticed the look in his eyes. He was like a predator, stalking his prey.
Why haven't I seen that look before?
She stepped back quickly, noting that the look disappeared. Now, he looked confused.
"Come on, Beastboy. Attack me for once," she yelled.
"Raven, we can fight," Robin offered. Raven shook her head.
"No. Beastboy, fight me!" she replied. Robin looked over his green friend, worried for the upcoming events.
"Fine," he said. He broke into a run, throwing two punches her way. She dodged, her leg swinging towards his chest. Beastboy knew that one strike would be a K.O; he moved closer, almost falling over the empath. She tripped backwards, falling back.
"Didn't he just get the better of her?" Cyborg asked. Robin shook his head.
"No, she just fell backwards due to poor footing. He just got lucky."
Starfire looked onward in awe. She felt excited but wasn't sure why. Raven stilled, hair covering her face. She didn't fall because he outsmarted her; she fell because he had gotten so close. Raven flushed, looking up to meet his gaze. One simple look was enough for her to melt a little. Picking herself up, she returned to her fighting stance.
"Ready, Beastboy? I'm not holding back."
"I won't either?" he replied, tilting his head. Raven moved in, throwing a barrage of kicks and punches his way. He got hit in the leg and fell on one knee. It gave Raven a chance to kick him in the head. He ducked and swept at her feet, causing her to fall. Beastboy moved away, creating a distance between them. He could see the rage burning in her eyes. Raven dashed forward, catching him off guard; she landed a solid hit onto his stomach. He moved back in pain but started to smile.
"You really want to fight…"
"What tipped you off?"
"Don't get the wrong idea…But, fine. Let's have some fun, Raven!"
Beastboy took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Raven saw his ears and hands twitch; she wondered if he was holding back. She stepped forward towards Beastboy, having waited enough. His eyes snapped open, a predatory look over his face. She stopped in her tracks, unsure if she should get close to him.
Beastboy broke off into a sprint, moving towards Raven with punches and kicks. He was giving it to her hard; she was barely able to react. Parrying, blocking and dodging were all she could do. Beastboy saw she could hardly keep up with his movements. He used this to his advantage, throwing a few fake punches to knock her off balance. She took the bait and he grinned. His fist moved forward, ready to punch her in the ribs. He stopped a few centimeters away from her body. Raven grabbed his arm, throwing him off the sparring mat.
"Raven is the winner!" Cyborg yelled. Starfire started to clap, Robin smirking in the background. Raven looked over at Beastboy.
What's his game?
She got her cloak and approached the rest of the team. They had joined Beastboy, applauding his battle skills.
"Why did you stop?" she asked.
"What are you talking about, Rae?"
"Don't do this again. Just answer me!"
"What do you mean, Raven?" Starfire asked.
"This is between me and Beastboy," she replied, giving him a look.
"It's nothing. I just really need to be somewhere," he told her. Raven sensed the truth in his voice.
"Where?" Robing asked.
"Yeah, BB. It's not like you to leave in the morning. You usually take a nap after training."
"Don't worry, guys. I just gotta run; enjoy breakfast without me," he said. He turned and ran towards the open window. Transforming into a bird, he flew off.
Everything in the tower seemed to return to normal. Starfire went to her room, wanting to get some more sleep. Robin returned to his training, wanting nothing more then to beat Beastboy's record. Cyborg went to the kitchen, cooking a feast for the rest of the Titans. Raven found herself on the roof of the tower, meditating under the morning sun. Although her body was relaxed, she just couldn't focus. She kept revisiting her session with Beastboy. That alone wasn't the only problem it seemed. She wanted to know what he was doing. Leaving the tower so early just wasn't like him.
In the mind of the Empath…
"Why don't you just ask him when he comes back?" Happy offered.
"Or you could just read his mind," Envy added, shrugging her shoulders.
"His guard should be down right about now," Knowledge, said, "If you're doing it right , he might not figure it out."
"You can also beat it out of him," Rage said with a twisted grin.
I'm trying to focus here. All of you…just stop.
"We all know you're thinking about Beastboy, Raven," Love said.
That's because you want to know what he's doing!
"You know that's not true. We only want what you want. We also only know what you know," Wisdom replied with a soft smile. Lust stepped in, huffing.
"So that means you want to know what he's up to and why he stopped!"
"Fine…But it's not like he was lying in the training room."
"True," Timid mumbled, glancing at her feet, "But the others didn't notice that he stopped."
"You would think Robin, boy blunder, would be the one to notice something like that. Some detective he is," Rude said.
"Let's see a recording of your fight, Raven," Knowledge requested. Wisdom nodded.
Ugh, fine! Just quiet down. You guys talk loudly enough as is. I hate talking to you…
"You mean you hate talking to yourself, Raven," Lust said. Brave laughed, high-fiving the other emotion.
Raven stepped out of her meditation pose, quickly leaving the roof. She felt annoyed with her emotions. But, they were right. She was curious with what Beastboy. Raven stepped into the common room, spotting Cyborg talking to Bumble Bee.
"So, what are you going to do when us girls have our sleepover?"
"Go out with the guys. I'm pretty sure Robin and BB wouldn't mind hitting a club or two."
"I hope for you those clubs are light on the girls," she replied, arching a brow.
"You've got to relax; it's just a guys' night out is all."
"Whatever, Cy. Just behave yourself," Bee said. Her focus shifted from Cyborg to Raven as the empath came into view. "Hey, Raven. What's up?"
"I need Cyborg's help," Raven started, looking at the metal teen.
"Can it wait?"
"No."
Cyborg sighed at her monotone replied. He turned the screen, staring at Bee. She gave him a cute smile, nodding in understanding.
"Mind if I call you back later, Bee?"
"Sure! Go help Raven. I've got to check on the boys here anyways," she said. Waving goodbye to Raven, she winked at Cyborg before the screen turned off. Cyborg leaned back in his chair.
"So, what'cha need?"
"Play the fight I had with Beastboy."
"Which one?" he replied, chuckling to himself. Raven made a face, almost ready to slap the male.
"In the training room," she said, her tone giving off a warning. Cyborg made a face, looking away; he didn't want to face her wrath.
"I wasn't recording that."
"Security cameras," she said simply, arms crossing over her chest.
"Oh! Sure," he said. Cyborg started to work the computer, going through the backlog. "If you want to see Beastboy get tossed around, I have a better clip from yesterday's training." He pulled up the fight on the computer, clicking play.
"Thanks. Now you can leave," she said, leaning forward to pause the clip. Cyborg stood, offering her the seat.
"What? Nope! I want to see what has you so worked up," he said, staring at the screen. Raven rolled her eyes, playing the video. As the video continued to play, she noticed she wasn't as focused in the fight; she had fought better against Robin.
It must have been when he got close.
Watching the video, Raven could see the look in Beastboy's eyes. She remembered that look and felt her heart flutter a little. Then, Raven saw him slow down. That's when the throw happened.
"Did you see that?"
"Well, yeah. But, Beastboy got cocky and you beat him. That's nothing new."
"He pulled back at the last hit."
"Did he? Play it back but slower," he said. She nodded, replaying the clip. Cyborg narrowed his eyes, watching Beastboy's hands as they slowed at the last moment. "You're right. He knows better then to take you lightly."
Raven nodded, standing up.
"That's all I wanted to know."
"I didn't think he would win but, when you consider physical strength, he's almost as stronger as Robin. You know his animal instincts also help with his speed…I'm going to need to update his files real soon. What are you going to do now?"
"Read," she muttered, leaving the room in a hurry. Raven stepped into her room, taking a seat on her bed. As she continued to mull everything over, she realized something simple.
"He never really tries to hit me…"
She played back the morning battle in her head. His punches and kicks were easy to read, easy to dodge. Not once did they target her vital spots.
"If I wasn't so distracted I would have noticed. He made it look like a real fight but it wasn't!" she hissed. Anger started to flood her veins. He had managed to fool everyone but not her. "Now…what was so important you had to leave right after?"
Raven was enjoying tea on the roof when she spotted him. Beastboy had shifted into an eagle, a brown bag in his beak.
Shopping.
She didn't want him to know that she had waited on him. Warping back into her room, Raven stood still, fingers clenching. She wanted to remain calm and focused.
What am I doing? I'm not usually like this…
But you're in love!
"Not now!" Raven snapped. She didn't want to hear it from her emotions, especially Love itself.
Understood. But, Raven, do come to nevermore with Beastboy today.
She remained silent, acknowledging Knowledge but not responding.
You'll learn more about Beastboy. I promise.
Raven sighed, sitting on her bed. She rubbed her face, closing her eyes. After a while she fell back, looking at the nearby window.
"I can't let myself get like this."
Beastboy stepped into the tower, entering his room quickly. He wondered if anyone had spotted him when he returned.
Can't let anyone see what I've got.
It was near noon when Beastboy finally decided to leave his room. He entered the commons, finding Starfire and Cyborg talking.
"What have you been up to, BB?"
"Just looking around town for a comic. I didn't beat the lines so I missed my chance," he replied, scratching the back of his head. That was half the truth.
"That is most unfortunate," Starfire said, flying to his side. "Is there anything we can do to make you feel better?"
"Take out for dinner sounds good."
"Only if you're paying," Cyborg said.
"Then I'm only ordering veggies," he retorted. He didn't want to pay for everything. This was his best attempt to get Cyborg to do it himself.
"Over my dead body!" Cyborg yelled. Beastboy had done this in the past before. Although the others didn't mind a different meal, Cyborg always wanted meat. "I'll get the takeout. I don't want to go hungry tonight."
"Oh most wonderful! I will go and inform the others of our dinner plans!" Starfire said with a grin.
"Let's watch a movie. Maybe that will help you find something for tomorrow for your sleep-over."
"You are correct, Beastboy. I'll tell Raven so she may prepare for the slumber party tomorrow," she replied. With a wave she flew out of the room in search for Raven.
"Dude…You know that if Raven found out you got Starfire giddy for the sleepover, she'll hurt you."
"Nah, its fine. Plus, if Raven knows what movie they're going to be watching, she'll be more prepared."
"You gave some thought into this, I see."
"Nope! Came up with that on the spot. Anything to save my skin," he said, laughing. Cyborg laughed, too, nodding in appreciation. Robin entered the room. "Any luck with beating my record?"
Robin groaned, heading towards the kitchen. He needed something cold to drink.
"Damn, Robin. You look beat. You should have quit when I told you to," Cyborg said, moving towards the sofa. He turned on the game station and threw a controller to Beastboy. "Let's play for a bit. Robin needs a moment to regain himself."
"Yeah. I don't mind winning for a while," Beastboy said with a grin. Robin grabbed a drink, joining them on the sofa. Almost an hour seemed to pass with senseless trash talk and close matches. It was enough to bring Robin back into his spirits.
"I'll play after the next loser," Robin said after a while. It didn't take long for Cyborg to hand over the controller.
"Whatever, man. I still got the most wins against moss head here."
"Yeah, sure. That win ratio is going to flip real soon."
"Let's go, Beastboy. You've had a good enough warm-up for when Cyborg gets the controller again," Robin started.
"I feel better all of a sudden," Cyborg said. The game began and Beastboy started to struggle. He tried to keep up but Robin couldn't be stopped; he faced back-to-back losses. It felt good for Robin to beat him in something. He knew it would be a while till he beat Beastboy's record. At this point, he didn't seem to mind letting that go. He had time to beat the record.
Beastboy seemed to finally have the lead for once. Just as he was about to win, the common room door opened. Raven flew in with Starfire following in.
"Wait, friend Raven! We must discuss what attire to wear for tomorrow night," Starfire said. Robin paused the game instantly, the males tilting their heads; they wanted to know.
"No, Starfire. I'll just…"
Raven looked around the room, trying to find something that would get her out of this situation. She saw the boys look over in confusion.
Oh, Beastboy. Thank Azar.
"Beastboy, you have to come with me. It's time for you to go to Nevermore again."
"But, isn't that usually after lunch? We still haven't…"
Raven rushed over Beastboy's side and took his arm. She tugged him off the sofa.
"Change of plans. You're going now," she said, already dragging him away.
"But, I haven't eaten yet!"
"You will when you get there."
"I was just about to win, too," he said, looking at the paused screen. He was so close yet so far. Robin and Cyborg snickered, watching from the sofa.
"It will still be there when you get back," she replied.
"What about your stuff with Star?"
"I can wait, friend Beastboy. Go on and have fun, Raven," Starfire said with a smile. She watched as he was dragged away; she couldn't help but laugh.
"Rae?"
"…."
"Rae..?"
"…"
"You know I can walk."
"Right. Sorry. I was just trying to get away from Starfire," she said, letting him go. He straightened himself.
"No kidding. I saw the panic in your eyes."
"It's just I let her in so we can talk about movies. Then she started talking about ideas for the slumber party; something about doing each other's hair. She wants to find the perfect color for my nails when I don't need any. And now she wants to play dress up while you guys are gone."
"Sounds like it's going to be fun," Beastboy said, chuckling.
"Great. Can't wait…"
"Oh, come on. You don't even know if you'll actually end up enjoying it!"
"Whatever," she said, entering her room. Beastboy followed in, shutting the door behind himself.
"So, what are you going to wear?"
"Shut it. Ask again and I'll send you to another dimension," she snapped back. Beastboy took a step back; it seemed that Starfire had annoyed her more then he thought.
"Alright, I'll drop it," he replied. He approached her book case, "You know, I'd like to borrow some of your books and read through them if possible." Raven had been facing her dresser, fiddling with her fingers. She slowly turned to Beastboy, staring at him in disbelief. "Not the spell books, of course. I'll leave the magic to the pros."
"Beastboy, why do you have interest in my books?" she asked.
"You're always reading them. I think you know a lot of good ones."
"We'll talk about it later. Right now, let's go."
"Wait…you're coming?"
"If I don't, Starfire will find me and try to dress me up."
"Oh man…If you dressed like her, that'll be awe…"
He stopped once he saw her face.
"I mean, let's go now. Now sounds good."
"Good boy," Raven replied with a devilish smile. She had seen his scared expression. He approached her mirror and she joined in. "Ready?"
"Yep! Ready when you are."
He grinned; she rolled her eyes in response. Grabbing his arm, she gave him the mirror. Deep inside, she felt happy being close to him. It was something she wouldn't admit but she loved this deal. This had given her alone time with Beastboy, something she had always wanted. It was rather funny now that she thought about it. She used to be terrified of Beastboy finding out about her emotions. But, not only did he remember Nevermore, he never spoke about it to anyone; that deepened her trust in him.
As they continued to fly through the vortex, Raven continued to hold onto Beastboy. She would have melted into his embrace. But, they were approaching the end; he was going to break her fall. She slowly stood, looking around.
"I don't see anyone," Beastboy said, standing and cleaning himself, "Where are we going?"
"We did come a little early."
"Mhm. Using me as an excuse to get away from Star was pretty low…even for you."
Beastboy made a noise; Raven slapped the back of his head.
"You were my last option!" she snapped. Taking a deep breath, Raven shook her head. "Sorry, just a little irritated today. I didn't mean to snap…"
Beastboy placed a hand on Raven's shoulder, causing her to look at him.
"Don't worry, Rae. I was just making a joke. I get that you're not in a good when it comes to girly things."
"I'm not much of a girl."
"You don't have to be. Just stay who you are."
"What? Gloomy?"
"Nope. Awesome," he replied, beaming at her.
She smiled softly, rolling her eyes. Beastboy always knew how to make her feel better. Raven felt Knowledge's aura, talking to her telepathically, letting her know where to go.
"We need to go over to Knowledge's realm."
"Cool. What are we going to do there?"
"I don't know. You're going to have to ask her that," Raven replied, walking ahead. Beastboy caught up to her, walking by her side. Raven knew that she could open a portal but seeing as how they were early, she wanted to spend some alone time with him a bit longer.
Once Beastboy and Raven entered Knowledge's realm, books seemed to litter the places. Cases were overflowing with literature. Columns of shelves seem to pass the clouds. Beastboy looked onwards in wonder, clearly surprised with the size of her realm. There was a large hole in the sky, allowing the sun to peak through.
"No wonder you like books," Beastboy said, looking onwards. He spotted the group further down the library, sitting on a spot of grass. There was a red carpet with a table and a few chairs nearby. Lanterns were littered around, giving off a soft glow.
"You can stop being amazed now, Beastboy," Raven said, blushing a bit, looking away from him.
"Are you kidding me? Your mind is awesome, Rae!" he said, running down the halls. "Just look at what your mind can think of!" He looked onward as the group started to approach them. "There they are!"
Raven and Beastboy joined the group, exchanging hello's. Knowledge was leading the way as Beastboy walked next to her.
"So, what are we doing today?"
"As you can tell, I like books. Not just the books themselves but the information they hold," Knowledge started.
"Bookworm," Envy said.
"So, are we going to play some games? Loser answers a question from the winner?"
"Any question?" Beastboy asked, arching a brow.
"Yes!" Knowledge replied, almost a bit too quickly.
"Are we all playing?"
"No. Just me and you, that way it would be fair."
"Right…One versus eleven Ravens might be a bit too much."
"She just doesn't want us to ask any questions," Lust said with a pout.
"Well, that's not really fair."
"It's her day," Brave noted.
"Do you have any suggestions, Beastboy?" Knowledge asked.
He stopped moving, looking at all the Ravens.
"Why doesn't Raven face me? If she wins, you can all vote on what to ask me. We also each get one pass."
"I think that's a great idea," Timid replied, nodding.
"Sounds fair."
"Ditto!" Happy yelled.
Knowledge panicked, seeing her plans being thrown out of the window by just one comment from Beastboy.
"I don't think that's the best way to get information."
"It's been decided! Raven will face you," Love said.
"What if I don't want to play this game with Beastboy?"
"You can always go back to Starfire," Beastboy replied with a smirk, staring at his friend. Raven remained silent, staring at the floor.
"Fine. I'll participate."
"Good one, BB!"
Lust came behind Beastboy, ready to wrap her arms around him. He turned to face her, leaning in closely. Lust jumped back in surprise, clearly caught off guard. He smirked, leaning back.
"Fine! You got me today," she said.
"I was waiting for you to do that."
"I'll keep my eyes on you," Raven said, pointing at Lust. Beastboy knew this was something that Lust could not contain; she embodied the emotion after all. The last thing he wanted her to get into was trouble. "What exactly do you two do?"
Lust made a face, unsure how to answer. Rage entered the conversation, cracking her knuckles.
"Lust gets behind Beastboy and," she started, appearing behind him. She lifted him by the waist, suplexing the poor male into the air. He yelped in fear and surprise, transforming into a bird to safely land. He morphed back into his usual self, still shaking in fear.
"That's just weird," Raven said.
I didn't think I'd be into that.
"Thanks for the save, Rage," Lust mumbled to her sister. Rage shrugged, an evil grin spreading over her lips.
"Anything to throw him around."
"I think I was just saved," Beastboy said, still a bit confused. Knowledge and Timid helped him up, making sure he was alright.
"It didn't really look like it. But, if you say so," Timid said, shaking her head. She didn't want to know the details.
"Do you have any questions for me, Knowledge?"
"Seeing as how I can't build up to this, yes. I'll have to ask you something serious," she said, gaining everyone's attention. Everyone was quiet, listening in.
"I'll answer to the best of my ability."
"Okay, here is my question. If you can change something in the past, what would it be?" she asked. Her question seemed to have surprised everyone. Granted, they knew she wanted information about him but what was she looking from him?
Would it be Terra? Would it be to save your parents?
Beastboy didn't answer at first. He honestly didn't know what to say; it was a tough question.
"What would I do?" he asked himself.
I would save my parents of course but…what do I really want? C'mon, think.
He looked at the group of Ravens; they were waiting for him expectantly. Finally, the answer dawned to him. He let out a sad sigh.
"There's a lot that I would like to do. But, if I had to pick one thing," he said, looking at Raven with a smile, "I would make it that all my friends had a happy childhood."
"What? Why didn't you..?"
"Pick my parents? I've made peace with what happened in the past. Sure, sometimes it gets me down but…I was helpless and weak before. Now, I'm strong enough to save the people that I care about. Picking my past would be too selfish. I know where we all came from and we've had broken childhood; why not fix yours? Why not make it so you smile everyday and have a wonderful life? Why not have you never suffer the loss you or I did? I'll be okay knowing my friends would be happy. Don't get me wrong…I hate what I'm saying right now but I would truly pick you guys over me."
Timid, Love and Happy had tears in their eyes. His words were true and they sensed it in him. Rage, Lust, Envy and Brave had smiled lovingly, clearly affected by his words. Wisdom, Rude and Knowledge looked onwards, happy with his response. Raven didn't know when but her eyes had started to water, a light blush tinting her pale cheeks. She turned away quickly, putting her hood on.
You're such an idiot.
"Thank you, Beastboy, for the answer," Knowledge said.
"No biggie. You didn't ask who's past I'd change. I was going to say my parents as soon as you asked but I just had to think about it," he explained, looking over at Knowledge. "I like what I came up with."
"So…Are we going to play some game or just stand here?" Brave asked, clearing her throat. Wisdom nodded.
"Yes. Let's begin."
Love walked up to Beastboy and gave him a hug. She was blushing, unable to stop herself from moving. Beastboy wrapped his arms around her, returning the affection. Watching from afar, Raven couldn't help but feel a little bit left out.
"Thank you," Love whispered into Beastboy's ear, "Your words mean so much to us."
"What do you think you're doing?" Raven asked her when she stepped away, approaching Raven. She gave Love a death look.
"Something you should have done," Love answered without hesitation. Almost instantly, they both started to argue. As they continued to fight, Envy stepped forward and grabbed Beastboy's arm.
"Come on, BB. Let them have their talk."
"Yeah. It's going to be a while," Lust said, grabbing his other arm.
"Shouldn't we stop them?"
"No. This is how it is most of the time when Love does anything."
"I didn't think the hug would be that bad."
"We didn't but you know how Raven is," Rude added.
"Let's go!" Brave yelled, waving the group over. They started to walk into the library with Knowledge leading the way. She was close to Beastboy, going over the details. Timid had cleaned her eyes and turned to Raven and Love.
"I think we should join them," she said. She looked at her feet for a moment, biting her lower lip, "I wanted to hug him, too…"
When Raven, Timid and Love finally caught up to the group, they found everyone sitting by a chessboard.
"Finally! We've been waiting," Lust spat.
"We're playing chess?" Raven asked.
"Yep!" Happy said, "If you take a piece, we pick a question to ask Beastboy. If he takes one, he'll ask you or one of us a question."
"Sounds simple enough," Raven said, taking her seat, facing Beastboy. Her hood was still on, shielding her face, "Do you even know how to play?"
"Yeah. I've played a few times on my computer."
"Are you sure?"
It's not that she wanted an easy win. Sure, this was the best opportunity to learn more about Beastboy. But, she felt like she was taking advantage of the situation.
"Yeah," he replied with a smirk.
"Why don't we test him?" Rage suggested. Envy shrugged, stepping forward.
"Alright! What's this piece?" Envy asked, pointing to the board.
"Rook."
"This one?"
"Knight."
"This?"
"Bishop."
"Yeah. He should be fine," she said, taking her seat next to Wisdom.
"Wait! I have one condition!" Raven said.
"And that is?"
"Cover your ears, Beastboy."
"What?"
"I said cover them!" she snapped. He stuck out his tongue, morphing into a kitten. Fluffy paws covered his ears. Happy and Love were instantly distracted, petting the animal.
"What do you want, Raven?" Brave asked.
"I want to ask Beastboy the first question."
"Sounds fair enough," Wisdom reasoned. Lust poked at Beastboy, signaling him to change back. He morphed into his human form.
"Ready?" he asked. Raven nodded. "Awesome, let's start!"
The first few moves seemed to pass by quickly. Beastboy mirrored and countered Raven as best as he could. Once all the prep work was done, Raven made her first actual move.
Now's my chance!
She moved her hand closer to a pawn but paused, eyes narrowing. Beastboy had his knight in place to counter her. She moved her hand towards her bishop, taking one of Beastboy's rook.
"I forgot about him!" Beastboy said, snapping his finger in defeat.
"Too bad. Now, I have my own question."
"Go ahead."
"Why don't you ever leave me alone?" she asked. She was asked, already expecting an apology from him. Or at least some joke. Beastboy looked at her for a moment.
"Because I can tell you really don't want to be alone. You might not like asking for company but I know when you need it."
"How do you know that?" she asked, annoyed.
"One question at a time, please!"
She huffed, knowing he was right.
"He is right. It is being fair," Love said.
"Why don't you just tell me, Beastboy?"
"You might like to read alone, hear music alone, have tea alone but no one really likes being alone, Rae," he said. He was right. Although she was always alone, Raven wanted to be part of the group. She remained silent, having no proper response.
Where does he come up with this stuff?
It was Beastboy's move and the game almost seemed to have stopped. He wasn't sure what to do. He knew he was going to lose but he at least wanted to put up a fight. He didn't even like that she was ahead by one.
"Alright. That's five for you and five for me," she said, feeling pretty good about herself; she was winning after all.
"Do you want to go first or should I?"
"You go first. I have to talk it over with them."
"Alright! Let me think," he replied. Putting the game on hold, the emotions grouped over and discussed what questions to ask. Beastboy thought it over and discovered he didn't have anything deep in mind. Seeing as how Raven had let him wander her mind somewhat openly, he knew she would be ready to discuss more in-depth things later on.
Raven, on the other hand, was having a hard time. She had plenty of questions to ask; her emotions did, too. They spoke quietly, making sure that he didn't overhear them.
"Why don't we start big like Knowledge?" Brave offered.
"I don't suggest that. I had no choice…But we can get him to talk about his past if we do this right," she replied.
"How do we do this right then?" Lust asked aloud.
"We need the right question," Wisdom answered.
"But, he also has a pass," Envy said, "He can use it to skip something good."
"Then, let's bait him," Love suggested.
"I don't know about this, guys. We should just let him tell us when he's ready," Timid said, biting her lower lip.
"No. I'm sick of waiting! He knows of our past and it's about time we learn of his," Rage hissed.
Beastboy overheard Rage's comment and felt bad almost instantly. He didn't want to relive his memories just yet. He just had a dream about it not too long ago. Sighing softly, he studied the chessboard, lost in thought. Raven and her emotions felt the sadness seep from him. They stopped talking, turning to look at Beastboy. The white noise around him was gone. Although they could read his mind, they didn't dare; they just grasped what he was feeling.
Happy approached him, ready to take him from his own thoughts. She was about to reach when he heard him mumbling to himself. She wasn't sure what to say nor could she hear him; he was just moving his lips.
"Are you okay, BB?" she asked. Beastboy shot up, glancing at Happy and Timid (who stood behind Happy). He saw the rest of the emotions staring at him.
"Sorry. Just lost in thought."
"We can sense what you're feeling, Beastboy," Timid said. His eyes widened in surprise; he was always good at masking his emotions.
Get it together, dude!
"Oh. My bad," he said. Almost instantly, the sorrow in the air was gone. The white noise appeared again.
"You can't just take that away!" Rude yelled, "We all just felt sadness coming from you. Now what were you thinking about?!" She remained quiet after that, afraid that she hurt him. Like Rage, it was something that she just couldn't help.
"I was thinking about my past for a bit," he said, his ears lowering, "But don't worry! I'm good now. I mean, I'm here in Raven's mind with all of you guys. This is the rarest thing that can happen to anyone!" He smiled at the group. "Do you guys have your questions ready?"
"I'll let this slide if you promise to tell me later," Raven said, leaving her emotions' side.
"I already told you. It was about my memories."
"Fine," she said, "But you will tell me about it. In details, alright?"
He shrunk, nodding in response.
"I will! With the whole team, I promise."
"Good. Now, what are your questions?" she asked. She took small victory in knowing he would keep his promise. One way or another, he was going to open up.
"I honestly just have three. First, can I get something to eat? Second, what co-op games would you like to play with me? And third, can I borrow one of your books? You didn't say no so…"
"Really, you have five questions and you just want to use three? And on something stupid like that?"
"I can always ask about your days in Azarath but you should talk about it when you feel ready. And I know you love my elf's ears."
"Who gave you that idea?"
"Every girl loves my ears?" he replied, smirking at the empath. He gave her a bedroom eyes look, "Even you Rae."
Her face started to redden but Beastboy didn't notice. Some of her emotions laughed whilst others felt just as embarrassed as she did.
"Fine. Let's eat. And no, I don't like playing games with you. Yes, you can borrow one of my books. I'll also ask you my questions in a bit."
"Don't you mean ours?" Knowledge asked.
"Yes. Our questions while Beastboy stuffs his face."
"What about the game of chess?" he asked.
"I don't feel like playing anymore."
"Oh. If that's the case," he said, tipping his king over.
"Why," Wisdom said, eyes narrowing.
"Is that a question?"
"No."
"Then I'm not telling," he said with a smirk, jumping out of his chair, "Where are we going?"
"To a nearby clearing where we can eat," Knowledge answered, taking lead. Once at the right spot, she formed a large table and chairs for everyone. "What would you like to eat, Beastboy?"
"Is that one of the questions?"
"Don't push it," Raven snapped.
"Sorry! Couldn't help it. Something simple to drink and fruit would be nice."
"Tea and fruit it is," she said. Knowledge lifted her hand as it started to glow golden. Beastboy's favorite fruits started to appear, spreading over the table.
"Awesome, dude!"
"No problem. Now, let's eat," she said with a smile. Knowledge wasn't sure why but she wanted to sit close to him today. It must have been because it was her day; the others had given her the right to ask all the questions. The emotions had spoken telepathically, ensuring he didn't hear. They had decided to ask about what he had been doing earlier that day. What was his gift to the team?
She knew that he would talk about his past eventually. All they had to do was wait. After everyone had their fill, Knowledge placed her cup down and turned to Beastboy.
"Are you ready for your questions?" she asked. He nodded. "Alright, first I…no, we would like to know how you learned to play Raven's Azarath words on the piano."
"Believe it or not, sometimes, when I can't sleep or I just the noise of the world to go away, I say those words to myself," he answered. Raven looked at Beastboy in disbelief. "I heard you saying those words so many times that they just calm me down. So one day I was messing around with my guitar and I just played a small little bit of it. That was all I needed to learn so I could play it on the piano. I learned to play it by ear."
"That's so cool!" Happy said, clasping her hands together.
"Not bad, BB. By ear, really?" Brave said, grinning.
"I'm glad you guys all like it."
At first Raven wanted to say something mean. She parted her lips, ready to speak. Yet, Love's words ran in her head.
{Something you should have done}
"I think it's about time I do," she mumbled, slowly standing. She approached Beastboy. Everyone looked in awe, unsure of what she was going to do.
"What do you mean, Rae?" he asked, tilting his head. Raven threw her arms around him, enveloping the male in a hug. His face started to redden, the tips of his ears coloring too.
"I was never able to hug you for my gift. So, thank you," she said, quickly letting go. She sat back down before he could hug her back.
"No problem, Rae," he said, looking at her with a smile, "So, what's the next question?"
"Do you have a secret girlfriend?" Envy asked instantly, unable to wait. Lust covered her mouth, rolling her eyes.
"Would you please control yourself?" Yell Brave.
"Why would you ask me that?" Beastboy asked, clearly shocked.
"Because today you went out without saying a word. I figured you might be seeing someone on the side," Knowledge admitted shamefully.
"Well, no. I don't have a girlfriend. Don't think I'd ever get so lucky with a girl. They just want me cause I'm a titan." He said, his ears lowering. "I went out to see if I can beat the line at a bookstore."
"Why go there?" Knowledge asked.
"I wanted to get some more books like the one I just read. Maybe even some comics but they didn't have anything I wanted."
He wanted to get more books…?
"Want to read what I got?" he offered. Raven shook her head.
"Tell us about it when you finish it."
"Yeah, I'll finish it and get all the good details. But, don't you want to finish your questions now?"
"What's the real reason you went out this morning?" Knowledge asked. Beastboy's ears twitched in response.
"What do you mean?"
"I saw you come to the tower with a large brown bag. Comics aren't typically that big; what did you get?"
"I'd rather not say."
"Are you using your pass, Beastboy?" Brave asked, her tone daring.
"No. I wouldn't use that on any of your questions. I don't want to take the easy way out," he said. Raven and her emotions instantly knew he was telling the truth. "I went to a book signing and to get a present for someone."
"Can we know who the present is for? Or is that too much to ask?" Timid asked, biting her lower lip.
"No."
"That's alright! The present needs to be a surprise," Happy said, smiling softly.
"Fine. Knowledge, ask about this morning," Rage motioned, lips pressed in a tight frown.
"What about this morning?" Beastboy asked.
"You threw the fight. Why?" Knowledge asked.
"Well, you weren't going serious or focused. It wouldn't have been fair to win if you're not at your best."
"Like you can even handle me at my best," she said, glaring at him.
"Oh, I can handle you just fine, Rae."
"It's Raven!" she snapped, her anger building, "Get it right!"
"Is that all, Beastboy?" Lust asked, tilting her head.
"I don't want to hit her either."
"What…?"
"I just don't like the idea of me putting my hands on you like that," he said. Most of the emotions smiled, pleased with his answer.
"But, its training," Brave said, "With training, it should be fine."
"I know but…"
"No. Next time you step on that mat, you better fight me for real," she said sternly, eyes narrowing. "I'm not some damsel in distress, Beastboy."
He should know to never take me lightly.
"What? No, never. I learned that after the first week of living with you," he said, slowly standing from his chair. Raven was already next to him.
"Then stop taking me so lightly," she hissed into his ear.
"Fine. Next time we'll fight for real. But, first, I want to ask you one more question."
"Well, you do have some to spare," Timid mumbled, trying not to be heard.
"Why do you use solitude as a way to protect yourself?"
"Excuse me?" Raven said, looking confused and distressed, "Why would you ask me that?"
"I mean…I know you didn't have the best childhood but heck…I don't think anyone on the team can say they had happy memories. But, being alone isn't the answer."
"Like you know anything," she replied, crossing her arms and looking away.
"I don't know about your pain but I've learned from mine," he said, speaking loudly. His voice was full of sincerity and anxiety. "Raven, I understand more about sadness then I do about happiness. From my parents to you guys, I've learned a lot along the way."
"Wow," Happy said as the table fell silent. Raven felt bad; she knew part of his pain. She always pushed him away, called him names, and said things she didn't mean. The emotions stared at their teacups, unable to speak. She wasn't sure what to say. She did want to say something but apologizing wouldn't fix it. He hid himself well.
"Why are you all down for?" Beastboy asked, staring at the emotions.
"Well, because we believe we are part of the cause of your pain," Timid said, fiddling with her fingers again.
"Pfft. I'm good. Plus, Raven is my best friend now. I think we can move past the parts of me being annoying but mostly funny from the past."
"I don't know why I was alone but…"
Beastboy looked at Raven. He felt like he was forcing her to speak; he never wanted to force her into things.
"Never mind. Don't answer that. Just let me tell you more about the book," he said, seeing a few nods of agreement around the table.
"Before you start, I want to know your real name," Knowledge said, tilting her head.
"You already do. It's Garfield," Beastboy replied, confused.
"No. All of it."
"Oh! Well, its Garfield Mark Logan," he said. Raven nodded, staring at her lap.
One step closer to getting his birthday. Garfield Mark Logan.
"Thank you," she said. Beastboy shrugged, nonchalant about the information. He didn't know how much it meant to Raven to know. Knowledge stuck true to her word; they would learn plenty about Beastboy today.
"Is this story about the book you read?" Love asked.
"Yep!"
"Then no more distractions. I want to hear about it," Knowledge said, leaning in.
Beastboy began telling the group about his book. The story was about a boy named Roy who's life was in a time much like their own. There were very few superheroes but villains were plenty. The human race was steadily declining for about two hundred years. The future seemed bleak.
Roy wanted to be a hero but never had the strength to fight back. Time and time again, Roy would find himself in the hospital to heal; he was struggling with stopping crime. One day, Roy found himself entering a door to a school he had never seen before. It seemed empty as he wandered around. But, soon enough, he found an old lady.
"If you want to save this world," she started, "If you want no one else to suffer, step ahead."
A door beside her seemed to open, blinding his vision. Roy, having a hero complex, stepped in and found himself sent back in time. His job was to stop crime and save someone important. After accomplishing his goal, he came back and saw that the woman was gone. Everything looked better. Time and time again, the woman would appear with a door, leading him in. Every time he followed through, the world got a little bit better.
However, one day, when he finished another mission, he found no record of his pet dog. The story continued to progress to the point of where he learned that with his travels back in time, anyone he cared or loved would be taken from him. All the memories and knowledge of Roy were gone. Roy began to wonder if what he was doing was right. He was saving the world daily but his life was slowly vanishing.
He knew that the only person left, it was his little sister; she loved him the most. So he went back in time once more and came back to no one. After a while, the woman appeared one more time, telling him he had one more job before he could rest. His last job was to go into the past and save the woman from dying when she was young. If he succeeds, this would change everything. He had the choice of setting stone the endless cycle of violence and saving the world or, he could never become the hero, keeping his family and friends (and thus dooming the world).
"So, what happened next?" Happy asked, completely entranced.
"Yeah! You can't just stop there!" Brave said, her knuckles slamming into the table.
"Nope. That's all you're getting," Beastboy replied, "The ending is really good."
"Its not fun to tease, Beastboy," Lust said with a pout. Rage stood, cracking her knuckles.
"Just tell us already!" she yelled.
"It's a very interesting story," Knowledge said.
"If you guys want to know more, Raven is going to have to read it."
"I don't care about the story," she said, looking away. The last thing she wanted was to get caught lying.
"Oh really? Raven, why is it that you were on the edge of your seat towards the end?" Wisdom asked, arching a brow.
"Beastboy, can Raven borrow the book, please?" Love asked.
"Sure. I'll give it to her when we get back."
"Thank you!" Rude and Timid chorused.
Why didn't we find the book first?
"Is it almost time, Rae?" Beastboy asked.
"We can go back now or stay longer. I don't care."
"You really don't want to talk to Star, do you?"
"She doesn't mind talking to her, its just that she wants her to wear green under…"
Happy covered Love's mouth with her hand.
"Green what?"
"Pajamas!" Love yelled, finally freeing herself. "Green pajamas."
"Oh. That's not a big deal," he said, looking confused. The emotions looked flustered.
"Yeah. But she's trying to make it," Envy said, "And Raven doesn't want to call her annoying or anything. You know how Starfire gets."
"Yeah."
"Why don't you play a game with Timid?" Rude suggested.
"Wait! Why me?" Timid yelped, cheeks turning pink.
"Because we don't want him to know," Lust whispered in Timid's ear, "Now do it. Distract him."
"Beastboy!" Timid yelled, gaining his attention, "We're going to relax in my room this afternoon. Just me and you!"
"Do I get a choice?" he asked.
"No."
"Sure?" he replied, unsure with her sudden decision. He didn't get a second to spare. Almost instantly, he fell through a portal, landing in front of the forbidden door. Raven had decided to go against her emotions. She wanted nothing more then to spend some alone time with him, discussing books. What she wanted, she would get. "A heads up next time would be great, ya know?"
"Oh. Sorry," Raven mumbled, trying to retain her monotone voice, "Now go."
"Why the rush?"
"You're going to tell me about the books you've read. If there's a good one, I'll take it."
"Take?" he asked, head tilting to the side. He could see the joy in Raven's eyes. He smiled at the idea of her spending time with him.
"I mean borrow," she corrected herself.
"Alright. Sounds like fun!" he said. Beastboy turned to the emotions, ready to say goodbye. "Bye, guys! Next time I'll see you is after Raven's sleepover." The group waved goodbye, watching as Raven grabbed his arm, pulling him into the vortex. A few seconds later, they were on her bed. Raven landed on top of him, straddling his waist.
"How many books do you really have?" she asked. She was waving her arms, using her magic to make books fly around the room, bringing them to her face. She was looking for a book that Beastboy might like. Beastboy, still lying on the bed underneath her, flared up.
"Rae?"
"No. Wait. I think I have a good one that you might like. Its something similar to what you read."
"Raven?"
"Or do you want to take turns and suggest one and then I go?" she asked, still moving the books by her face, blocking Beastboy from her eyes.
"Raven?" he asked again.
"Do you have any authors you like? I have a feeling you might like this one!" she said, joy in her voice.
I didn't realize that she wanted someone to talk books with her.
"Well, Raven!"
"What, Beastboy?" she retorted, still looking at her books.
"I'm not saying that I mind you being on me but…can you please get off?"
It finally dawned to her what position they were in. She shot up and moved off her bed, her cheeks turning bright red. Anger and embarrassment was written all over her face, eyes red with emotion.
"Why didn't you say anything earlier? I should kill you for that!"
"I tried! But you were too excited to hear me…"
"Whatever. Go. Get your books!"
"What? I don't know how you can still be mad at me and then give an okay…So quickly, too," he said, quickly scrambling away. He only needed five minutes to grab everything but Beastboy figured she needed time to calm herself. Idly, Beastboy wondered why he didn't just morph into something small and slip away. Shaking his head, he went into his room, browsing through. It didn't take long for him to come back to her room to discuss reading.
Raven was surprised to see he had some crime novels in hand; there was even one about dark lore. Beastboy had no clue about her reading tastes but she filled him in about the latest book she had been reading. He instantly started to notice how happy she was. She had even thrown in a few jokes, a light laugh and plenty of conversation in the mix; it was like she was in a book club or something. Whatever it was, Beastboy wanted it to stay as it was.
Hours seemed to pass as they each shared stories with the other. Raven had even let Beastboy start the music box a few times. Although Raven didn't say anything about it, she deeply enjoyed talking with him about books. She moved from the bed, to the floor, to the front of the bookcase and then by the window next to Beastboy.
After a while, Beastboy started to slow down. He had run out of books of his own. Raven, however, was just getting started. She didn't stop nor did Beastboy want her to. She seemed to brighten up so much. It felt magical.
And then the communicator went off. Starfire's face appeared, informing the Titans about dinner. Raven sent Beastboy away so she could clean her room. It took seconds as the books were swept away with magic. With time to spare, Raven approached her desk, writing something on a piece of paper. Almost, Raven wanted to hum. She left her room, joining the others for dinner. On her desk sat the note, three words scrolled in neat handwriting.
Garfield Mark Logan.
Well, there you have it. Once again, I'd like to thank you all for the wishes; my fiancé is getting better. We're sorry it took so long for the update. Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter. I'm not sure when the next one will be posted; it does matter on her health.
If you have any questions or anything, please feel free to leave a review.
Also any idea on the girl's should do in the sleep over. I do need something to work with.
Feel free to tell me I might just put it in, with my own twist.
Thanks again!