Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to the Teen Titans or any characters in the DC Universe.
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While Raven and Beast Boy continued to hug, Robin, Starfire and Cyborg noticed they were not alone. Instinctively all three adopted their fighting stances as they recognized their hometown adversaries.
Beast Boy saw what was about to happen and released Raven from his embrace.
"Dudes! It's not what you think!" He addressed his friends who did not relax from their stances. "They aren't the Hive. Believe it or not, these guys are the Teen Titans over here."
Raven did not hear Beast Boy's attempt to assuage his teammates concerns, as she locked eyes with Raptor. Silently, without betraying any emotion whatsoever she approached her doppelganger.
"You must be Raven." Raptor addressed her in a sing song voice.
"And you must be Raptor." Raven replied in her monotone.
"Well… that's my Hive name. They used to call me Raven." She said as she gestured at the local Titans. "So you're my Beastie Boy's old girlfriend."
"Your Beast Boy?" Raven snarled at her.
"Don't listen to her Rae, she's trying to get under your skin."
Raven frowned at her twin. Raptor smirked back.
"I have something that belongs to you." Raven said once again in her monotone as she raised her hand.
Evil Gar was suddenly encased in her dark energy. Raven gestured with her arm and the changeling went flying into Raptor's surprised figure. They lost their balance and fell to the floor, with the changeling landing on top of her. As she opened her eyes she found herself staring into his tattoo covered face, which broke into a smile.
"I'm back baby!"
Raptor pushed him off herself and stood up.
"It's not going to be so simple Raven. You think he's yours, but he's not!"
"Shut up Raptor!" Jinx screeched.
"Oh no Jinxie! She has a right to know. Don't you agree?"
"What are you talking about? Did you do something to Gar? Did you force him to do something unspeakable?"
Raptor was now grinning ear to ear.
"Unspeakable? Hardly! And I didn't force him to do anything." She replied. "In fact, he was quite eager."
Raven turned to Beast Boy, her eyes wide with shock.
"Gar, please tell me she's lying."
Beast Boy dropped his head. "Rae, believe me, I can explain."
The sound of light bulbs exploding could be heard in the distance.
Terra stepped forward.
"Raven, he thought he was stranded here. The machine that the Hive used to pull him over into our universe malfunctioned and lost the return coordinates."
"The same thing happened at our end, but we were able to figure them out." Cyborg added.
"Your counterpart said it couldn't be done." Beast Boy replied.
Raptor laughed. "Well, well. Isn't this an awkward situation?"
"Shut up you bitch! You tricked me and lied to me." He paused. "You said you loved me."
"Who says I don't?"
"You ditched me when the Titans showed up!"
"So I made a mistake. That doesn't mean I don't love you, my lean green love machine."
"I thought I was your love machine!" Evil Gar protested.
"He's way better than you." Raptor snapped back at him.
Beast Boy saw that Raven's jaw was beginning to tremble.
Terra exploded. "Just shut the hell up Raptor. You've caused enough trouble as it is."
Raptor sneered at the geomancer.
"Don't get all holier than thou with me Terra. I know you want him too. Don't deny it!"
"ENOUGH!" Raven howled. Everyone fell quiet. She angrily pointed at Beast Boy.
"You and I need to have a talk when we get home. You're in big trouble, mister."
Beast Boy's ears drooped as he gulped nervously. Raven turned to Raptor.
"But you, you're going to pay for what you did!"
Raptor crossed her arms and grinned.
"What are you so upset about Raven? I'm you and you're me. What's the difference in who bagged him first?" She paused as she continued to smile. "I didn't do anything that you didn't want to do. The only difference is that while you lacked the nerve, I didn't. Also, unlike you I wasn't ashamed of him and I didn't keep my relationship with him a secret like you did."
Raven screamed as she leaped on Raptor, knocking her down as she pummeled her with her fists. Raptor struck back with a palm strike to Raven's face, momentarily stunning her as she rolled away.
Both women stood up, wiping the blood away from their faces.
"Bring it on bitch, I'll show you who the real Raven is, the one Gar really wants." Raptor continued taunting her.
Raven began to roar and charged at her twin, but was stopped by a pair of green arms that wrapped themselves around her.
"No Rae, don't! It's what she wants you to do."
"Let me go Gar or so help me …"
Raptor laughed again. "Tell me who really loves you Gar! You know I would never threaten …"
Raptor's taunt was cut short as Terra hit her with a spinning roundhouse kick on the side of her head. The sorceress collapsed as she was knocked out cold.
"I said shut the hell up!" Terra screamed at the now supine sorceress.
Beast Boy released Raven, who angrily shoved him away. Cyborg approached his green friend.
"It's good to see you again green bean, but right now I'm so glad I'm not you."
"I'm dead meat on a stick, right?"
"Yeah, and that's if she goes easy on you."
Raven walked back to her knapsack and pulled a blue bottle out of it.
"What are you doing?" Gizmo asked.
"We're going home." She answered tersely. "I've had my fill of this frakked up universe."
Before Raven could begin to pour the magical potion to create a return portal, the Tower's alarms began to sound. Robin instinctively ran to the mission console and sat down at the controls.
"Do you mind?" Gizmo snapped at him while he pushed him over. "And what's with the traffic light suit? You gave that up here years ago."
Robin stepped away from the console with a scowl on his face.
"Why does everyone call it that?" He muttered under his breath.
Gizmo typed away at the console. He turned to Terra to report.
"It's a recorded message from the Doom Patrol."
"Play it." Terra ordered. Gizmo tapped away at a few more keys and the message was displayed on the giant screen. Mento was standing in front of the wreckage of the Doom Patrol's signature jet. Elastigirl was tending to an injured Negative Man and Robot Man was nowhere to be seen.
"This message is for the Teen Titans. This is Mento of the Doom Patrol. We have been tailing the Brotherhood of Evil and were preparing to apprehend them when they ambushed us. I have bad news for you. The Brotherhood is headed to Jump City and they have a new black hole generator with them and it's fully functional. You have to stop them. I'm afraid we are unable to assist at this time. We estimate they will arrive in your city by tomorrow evening. I must also warn you they have amassed a large contingent of villains to assist them. They have chosen your city to be the first victim of their doomsday device. You need to evacuate the city. After that find anyone who can help you stop the Brotherhood. I apologize for not warning you sooner but we just found out …"
At that point the transmission was cut off.
"The Brotherhood of Evil?" Terra asked in a concerned voice. "And they have help?"
"You need to contact the honorary Titans and the Titans East." Robin volunteered.
"There's no such thing here booger brain." Gizmo rebuked him.
"Be quiet Gizmo." Jinx snapped at him. "Or have you forgotten we're in trouble?"
Robin called his team into a huddle.
"Guys, we can't just walk away. There in over their heads."
"It's not our universe." Raven droned in her monotone.
"That is true, but they still need our help." Starfire added.
"Count me in. The Brotherhood of Evil, even if it's a parallel Brotherhood, could stand to have a good butt kicking."
"What he said." Beast Boy confirmed.
"Well Raven, we'll only do this if you agree."
The sorceress sighed. "And people think that being a superhero is fun. OK, count me in."
Robin turned and addressed Terra.
"We'll help you fight the Brotherhood of Evil. We have some experience with them back home. Is there anyone else we can call on?"
Terra shook her head. "No Robin, it's just us. I'm sorry."
Raptor cleared her throat.
"Excuse me. But Jump City is also the Hive-5's home and we'll be damned if some arrogant cerebellum in a jar and a pompous gorilla think they can just waltz in here and destroy it."
"Are you proposing a truce?" Mammoth asked.
"Yes Mr. Big and Dumb, that's what I'm saying. Until the Brotherhood is defeated the Hive-5 will work with you guys. After that the truce is over."
"I don't know about this. What do you think Robin?" Terra asked.
"Well, we once had a truce with Slade."
"You're kidding!" The alternate Titans shrieked in unison.
"No, we're not. He helped us defeat Trigon."
Raptor went bug eyed. "You guys beat Trigon? I'm impressed."
"Whatever." Terra replied. "How do I know I can trust you guys?"
"You don't" Evil Gar replied. "And I'll need an antidote to whatever you shot me up with. I'm useless without my powers."
"You're pretty useless with them." Raptor retorted.
"Hey! What's with you? He can't be that much better than me."
Raptor locked eyes with Raven.
"Trust me, he is." She smirked.
"THAT WILL BE ENOUGH!" Robin shouted. "If you're going to play your petty games Raptor then you and your Gar can wait in the cell block while we engage the Brotherhood."
"Sheesh, can't a girl joke?"
"No! You can't! There's too much at stake here. Are you serious or not? Because if you're not then we don't want your help."
Raptor crossed her arms.
"OK, I'm serious. What's next?"
"Contact your team and have them meet us in front of the Tower." Terra instructed her.
"Agreed." Raptor answered. "And could someone take this thing off my neck. It's giving me a rash."
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The three remaining members of the Hive-5 were greeted outside the Tower by the combined members of the Titans teams as well as Raptor and their changeling. While they were waiting the changeling tried to strike up a conversation with Beast Boy.
"So, did you have fun with her?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"What's with your Raven? She never smiles or anything."
"Shut up."
"So is it true, you've never slept with her."
"Shut up."
"So tell me about this 'Beast' you can morph into. Will you teach me how?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because you're an asshole."
Cyborg had been eavesdropping on the two changelings and was doing everything he could to not burst out laughing when he saw a boat approach the island's dock. As soon as it docked he saw three figures emerge from the water craft and walk quickly towards them. Blackfire was the first to speak up.
"Hello sister, I see you are an upright and moral person even in the other universe as well. How boring."
"First of all, we are not sisters. Secondly it is not boring to be good."
Blackfire pointed at Robin.
"Have you slept with him yet?"
"Of course not!" Starfire replied indignantly.
Blackfire snickered. "I rest my case."
Nightwing was next and walked up to Robin. He took Robin's cape between his thumb and index finger.
"You're still wearing this?"
"Yeah, you have a problem with that?"
"Not really, it's just so … juvenile." He chuckled as he stepped aside. Dark Cyborg was next. He walked up to his counterpart.
"You gotta be kidding?" The dark twin asked mockingly.
"What? What's your problem? Cuz we can settle it right now!"
"QUIET!" Raven shouted as she rubbed her temples. She had a sudden flash back to a street scene in Jump City, many years ago when the Gordanians were threatening to obliterate Jump City and four superheroes were arguing and blaming each other. Unlike back then she wasn't so meek and didn't say 'hi'.
"This is pointless, arguing and taunting is pointless."
"So you're Raven." Blackfire interrupted. "You sure are different from our Raptor."
Raven maintained her equanimity and calmly replied in her monotone.
"That is irrelevant to the situation."
"Raven is right." Terra intervened. "If we're going to save the city we're gonna have to put our differences aside and work as a team. If you feel you can't do that then I suggest you get back in your boat and leave, because we have work to do."
The 5 members of the Hive nodded silently.
"Good, now let's go inside and we'll show you what we've planned so far."
As everyone began to file into the landmark T shaped tower Beast Boy and Raven's eyes connected. He looked away from her as he felt consumed with guilt and to his surprise Raven grabbed his arm and they stayed behind outside. Robin noticed them and nodded before he entered the building. Once they were alone she broke the silence.
"What happened, Gar?"
Beast Boy dropped his head.
"There's no excuse for what happened Rae, I'm sorry."
"I know that." She replied in her monotone. "But what happened? How did she seduce you?"
"If you want to dump me, I understand."
"Who said anything about dumping you? It's a good thing that you didn't have a fling with Terra though."
"It is?"
"Yes." She said in what was clearly a dangerous voice. "Had you messed around with her you would be learning a new meaning for pain."
"I'm … I'm confused Rae."
Raven sighed. "It's true what she said. She is me."
"No! It's not true! That's how she seduced me. She convinced me that she was you, or at least your double in this universe. But you gotta believe me Rae, she might look like you and have most of your powers, but she's nothing like you."
"Keep talking."
"She's self centered and she's a liar. She's nothing like you."
"Was it fun to have sex with her?"
He looked away and began to cry.
"I'm so sorry Rae, I really thought I would never see you again. I allowed her to be a replacement for you. If I could undo everything that happened, I would, you have to believe me."
"She used sex to manipulate you."
He nodded.
"I was such an idiot. I really believed that she loved me the way you did. But she doesn't. She never did."
"She seems pretty determined to win you back."
He shook his head.
"No, she's just being a jerk. She's trying to make her Gar jealous or something."
"You know that I would never use sex to control or manipulate you?"
He nodded. "I know."
"Good, now are you ready to be my boyfriend again?"
"You mean you forgive me?" He asked hopefully.
"Yes, I do. And do you forgive me Gar?"
"Forgive you? For what?"
"For keeping our relationship a secret from our friends."
"Sure, I mean it never really bothered me."
"Don't lie to me Gar, I know it did."
"Ok, maybe a little."
"I'll take that as a yes. Now let's go inside, they're probably waiting for us."
Raven took Beast Boy's hand and they made their way into the Tower. Just before they entered the building he spoke up.
"Rae, are you and Raptor physically identical? I mean you two look the same. Their Gar doesn't look like me."
"Actually other than not being green he is identical to you. We scanned him back at the Tower, that's how we know. Why do you ask?"
"Well, I'm kind of curious. What I mean is, do you have a funny looking birthmark on your left …"
"Don't go there, Gar."
"Sorry Rae."
"You'll have to marry me to learn the answer to that question." She deadpanned.
"Deal!" He grinned.
Raven spun around to face him.
"Garfield Mark Logan! Did you just propose to me?"
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Thanks for the reviews.
For some reason I am very pleased with this chapter. I hope you like it as well.
