A dark portal opened on the floor, swirling like a maelstrom. The security guard tipped her hat back as she stood up from her desk, staring at the supernatural phenomenon that was happening before her. She tugged at her necktie unconsciously before grabbing her hat by its visor and pulling it back into is proper position. The band around her police style hat had the word 'Security' printed on it.
A dark hemisphere slowly rose out of the portal until it was 8 feet tall, after which it evaporated away, revealing a green man wearing a black and purple outfit and a violet haired woman wearing a black leotard and a blue cape and hood, which she wore over her head, casting a dark shadow over her face, which contrasted sharply with her piercing indigo colored eyes and the Chakra stone on her forehead.
"Dr. Roth, Dr. Logan, I presume? Welcome to STAR Labs. You arrived just as Dr. Stone said you would. Jonathan will escort you to the lab." She gestured to another security guard.
The man's nametag identified him as "J. Hazel" and he nodded politely at the two superheroes.
"This way please." He gestured with his hand.
Gar noticed that Raven's first few steps were mildly wobbly and he offered his arm to her, which she accepted.
"Are you OK? That was a long way to teleport us, over 1500 miles."
She shook her head in mild self disgust.
"I've gone soft. I used to be able to teleport over 3000 miles without even breaking a sweat. I shouldn't be surprised though, I don't even teleport around Jump City anymore, I just drive my car."
"Really? Why?"
"It started in school. My classmates would freak out when a portal would suddenly appear in the classroom and I stepped out of it, so I bought the VW and began to drive to school, which was kind of fun at first. After a while I just stopped teleporting altogether. But don't worry, I'm fine, I just felt light headed for a moment."
It was late at the famous research facility and the sounds of their footsteps echoed in the eerily quiet hallways. They would occasionally cross paths with someone wearing a white lab coat, who invariably ignored them while focusing on a clipboard, datapad or some other item. After a few minutes they reached a large set of double doors, which the guard opened for them.
"Dr. Stone is inside waiting for you."
They entered the large, brightly lit room. The first thing they saw was the remains of the impostor robot, which was disassembled and sprawled over a lab work bench. After briefly inspecting the shattered android and recognizing that it was a doppelganger for Victor's father they shifted their attention to the far side of the room.
They saw Victor resting on what looked like a reclining workbench, which bore a great resemblance to the bed he used to sleep in at Titans Tower. He was surrounded by 4 people dressed in lab coats who were so busy they didn't notice their arrival. His torso was back to his old Titans look, as was his head. He still had no limbs, which Raven found mildly disturbing. She had seen him remove a forearm or part of his leg in the past, but unlike Gar she had never seen him limbless and found the sight to be unsettling. As they silently watched a pair of technicians attached Cyborg's right arm. After running through some quick diagnostics it came online. Cyborg saw his friends and waved at them with his newly attached arm.
"Hey! Ya'll made it! Just give me a few minutes and I'll be ready."
The Chromatically Challenged Couple™ watched as the technicians attached the remaining missing limbs and ran the diagnostics. A few minutes later a beaming Cyborg leaped off the table and his feet hit the floor with a metallic and heavy thud.
"Alright! Just like old times! Cyborg is back in the house!" He crowed triumphantly. He dashed over to his friends and scooped them up in a big hug.
"Sorry I left without saying anything guys, I guess I should have told you. And is what Jinx told me true … you guys are engaged?"
"You'd better believe it tin man."
Cyborg turned to Raven.
"So you're gonna marry the green bean? I always figured he'd win Terra back."
Raven gave him one of her darkest glares. Cyborg felt a chilly shiver run down his spine.
"Uh … until she married that other guy … did you guys know he works here? C'mon, I was just joking about Terra, Raven. Anyway, congratulations are in order."
"That's better." Raven replied icily.
"Oh c'mon Raven, don't tell me you're still jealous of our former blond teammate."
Gar cleared his throat.
"Cy, ever heard the saying: When you're in a hole, stop digging?"
The tin man laughed nervously as Raven crossed her arms and she resumed glaring.
"Sorry about that Raven. Look, I really am happy for you guys, I think it's awesome, I mean it!"
Raven harrumphed. "Did I ever tease you when Bumblebee dumped you?"
"No Raven, you didn't, in fact you were very supportive. Look I'm sorry; I guess I was just caught off guard. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, I mean you two were really hitting it off during our last year together. I thought you would go off to the same college … why didn't you?"
"I don't know. I was actually going to ask Raven if we should, but I never did … I really regret that now. We could have married years ago."
Raven shook her head.
"As wonderful as that sounds, I wasn't ready back then. I know it sounds crazy, but I think that I needed my 8 years in the desert to really find out who I am. Also, I seem to recall you saying that we should give Gar his space in college, that he needed to grow."
Cyborg nodded.
"Now that you mention it, I did say that. But I wasn't expecting it to be so long until you guys got back together. So … you're engaged … wow … I really wasn't expecting that."
He then sighed.
"It has been 8 long years, and I pretended to be someone that I'm not all that time, and because of that the Brotherhood of Evil was able to kidnap my dad." He replied somberly.
"You said you know where the Brotherhood is hiding?" Gar asked.
"Sure do, their hideout is on the northern end of Ellesmere Island."
"You mean in northern Canada? That's inside the Arctic Circle. How do you know that Cy?"
"Easy green bean, that robot over there, it was a substitute for my dad. After I disabled it I hacked into its computer. The thing has a GPS log. It came out of Ellesmere."
"That's near the North Pole … I hate the cold."
"Says the guy who lived 8 years in Colorado."
"Colorado isn't that cold, it isn't an arctic climate Cy … so are you sure of this?"
"Positive. According to its built in log it arrived in Metropolis three days ago."
"And that's when your father was kidnapped." Raven surmised.
"You're sharp as ever, Raven."
"Thanks Cyborg, but it's pretty obvious."
"So are you ready to come back with us to the Tower East?" Gar asked.
"Damn straight I am. All my systems are online and I'm ready to kick some bad guy butt."
"Are you ready to take us home Raven?"
"Actually, I'd like something to drink first. Is there any place here I could get some tea?"
"There is a break room down the hall; I can show you where it is …"
"It's OK Cyborg; I can see it from here. You and Gar wait here, I'll be right back."
The two men watched Raven glide away. Once she was out of earshot Cyborg turned to his green friend, with a smirk plastered on his face.
"BB, you sly green dog you, you actually bagged Raven. I'm proud of you, so how did you ask her?"
Gar grinned as he replied.
"Actually, she asked me."
"Whoa! You mean she actually asked you? Damn! How do you get so lucky? I mean look at her! She was cute when we were teens, maybe in a creepy way, but still …"
"I like to think of her as … mysterious." Gar interrupted.
"Whatever, anyway look at her now! First of all … what a rack and her ass, it's totally sweet."
"Dude! We're engaged!"
"C'mon grass stain, you ain't gonna tell me that you aren't looking forward to getting your lucky green hands on her smoking body… damn … when did she get so hot? You are one lucky bastard to be engaged to a woman like her."
"I know I am, but I'm not marrying her because she's hot. Anyway, she doesn't think she's attractive. She thinks she's fat."
"All chicks think they're fat … oh Gar, does this leotard make my butt look big?"
"Not funny tin man … I'm in love with her."
"Just like that? You got back together with her after eight years and in just a few weeks you decide to marry her? I don't blame you, she's got the goods, but I have to say grass stain, you move fast."
"Cy … I've been in love with her for a long time. All those years at college I dated tons of girls. But none of them ever really caught my eye. I dated some cuties and I also dated some really smart girls, some were both smart and hot …"
"But?"
"But I never had that feeling when I was dating them."
"Feeling? What are you talking about?"
"I got to know some of them pretty well in school. Lots of projects, late night cram sessions, you went to school, you know what I'm talking about. You spend a lot of time together and you get to know them pretty welI … then you get comfortable with them … but I never had the feeling … I never fell in love with any of them."
"But you stayed in touch with Raven?"
"Yeah, I'd call her on the phone and we'd talk about school. She'd ask how I was doing, I'd tell her I was fine and I'd ask her how she was and she said she was fine too, that she was enjoying school too."
"So how often would you guys talk?"
"When I was an undergrad, about once a week."
"Did you ever tell her you loved her?"
"No … I didn't have the nerve. She never said anything either … but I always looked forward to calling her and when she answered the phone she always sounded happy too, well you know, happy in her Raven way. Grad school was brutal though, sometimes two months would pass between calls."
"So when you moved back to Jump you guys reconnected and finally told each other how you really felt?"
"No, not really … it was before the rescue mission. She said that in case anything bad happened that she wanted me to know that she loved me and that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with me."
"Wow, that must have caught you off guard."
"Well yeah, but … it made me happy."
Cyborg gave him a quizzical look.
"Sounds like everything is great … so why isn't your face aware of how happy you are?"
The changeling pursed his lips.
"I have a problem, Tin Man. A really big problem."
Cyborg's normally jolly demeanor vanished. "What did you do, grass stain? Does this have something to do with Raven?""
"Yeah … it does, you see … I did something at school that I'm not proud of. I never told Raven this … and I'm feeling really guilty … but I slept with one of my classmates during my undergrad days. It was a stupid one night stand, and I really regret it."
Cyborg rubbed his chin. "So ... you got some action while in college. You know B, that isn't unheard of, for undergrads to get laid. And you and Raven weren't together, so it's not like you were cheating on her. I mean, she wasn't your girlfriend back then."
"But I do feel like I was cheating on her." He replied in an agitate voice. "Because she's the only girl I've ever really cared about … except maybe for Terra."
"Whoa! You didn't sleep with her too ,did you?"
"No way, I didn't but when I had sex with that girl I couldn't help but think about Raven."
"So when did this happen?"
"It was towards the end of our last undergrad semester. There were three classmates that I worked with a lot. One of them just came out of the blue and asked me if I wanted a roll in the hay, since we wouldn't be together anymore."
"And you agreed?"
"Well … yeah … she was one of the hot and smart ones. I won't lie to you, Chrome Dome, I was scared shitless … unlike me she wasn't a virgin, she knew how to make love to a guy, and knew how to push my buttons. I still don't know why she suddenly wanted to have a fling with me; maybe she just wanted to say that they once had sex with a superhero. "
"Or maybe she was waiting for you to make your move, and decided to take matters into her own hands when you didn't."
"Maybe … I don't think so … but there's more. Raven says that under Azarathian tradition, since we're engaged we can sleep together. And for some reason she's really eager to do it."
"But you're putting her off, because you're feeling guilty?"
"Yeah … what am I going to do Cyborg? I'm still gonna feel guilty on our honeymoon."
"Well, I still think you didn't do anything wrong, no commitments were made at the time, you and Raven were just friends back them. And if you want my opinion, telling her is a really bad idea. You don't have anything to gain and a lot to lose. She'll probably feel hurt when you tell her. But if you're feeling this guilty then maybe you should come clean, but before you do that, just remember there could be unexpected consequences."
Raven emerged from the break room holding a disposable cup that was steaming.
"All they had was Lipton tea." She informed them between sips. "The only other choice was coffee."
She took another sip and grimaced at the low quality brew, tossing the paper cup with the unfinished tea into the trash. She looked at her beau and furrowed her brow.
"Is something wrong?" She asked.
Garfield bit his lower lip. "There's something I need to tell you, Rave, something important."
"Then tell me."
She could feel the unease and anxiety oozing from him.
"I will, but I'd rather do it in private."
"Is this something I should be worried about?" She asked.
"I … I don't know."
Cyborg gestured nervously down the hallway. "Uh … there's someone I need to see before we head back to the Tower. I'll … uh … be back in a bit."
Without waiting for a reply Cyborg quickly scurried away, leaving the Chromatically Challenged Couple™ alone.
"Gar … something is wrong … very wrong … you feel like you're about to explode. What's the matter? Tell me … you know you can trust me."
He winced upon hearing her words.
"I know I can trust you … the thing is Rave… you can't trust me."
"Gar … what are you talking about?"
He sat down on a nearby chair, his head hanging, unable to make eye contact with her.
"Remember how I told you that nothing happened when I was at school?"
"I don't understand, what do you mean by 'nothing happened'?"
"I told you that I never had a girlfriend when I was at CSU, remember?"
Raven's eyes widened. "You mean you did?"
"Well, not exactly … you see … there were these three classmates. I got along well with them, we did a lot of work together, really good work. They were smart and I really respected them."
"That would be reasonable. As you said, they did good work, I would expect you to collaborate with classmates who are serious about their studies … but that's not what you're trying to tell me, is it?"
"No … it's not."
Raven gave him a worried look. He felt his heart in his throat.
"During finals week on our last semester, well, we didn't have to take any tests, so we had some free time on our hands. So we went out to celebrate our soon to be graduation. And by we, I mean Tina, Alexa, Janey and me. We went to a pub and had a few drinks. We were going our separate ways after commencement. Tina was off to Johns Hopkins to become an MD. Alexa and Janey were leaving to get their PhDs at Columbia and Brown. I of course stayed at CSU. Anyway, after we were done at the pub Alexa asked me to walk her home. Of course, being a former superhero, I agreed. When we got to her apartment she asked me in. She said she wanted to show me something."
"And what was that?" Raven asked.
"Her naked body. She asked me to have sex with her."
Raven's face fell. "She did? What… what did you do?"
He nodded as he bit his lower lip. "I did. I'm sorry Raven, I should have told you, but I was afraid that if you knew that then you wouldn't like me anymore."
"This is ... I … I don't know what to say Gar" For a split second Raven's face betrayed the hurt she was feeling. "Why did you tell me that there was no one …"
"Because I was ashamed of myself. I gave myself to a girl that I didn't love, out of pure carnal desire, when there was a girl I did love … you."
He saw a single tear slide down her face. "Have you been in touch with her since then?" She asked.
"A few emails, but after a couple of months she told me she had a new boyfriend at Columbia and we stopped corresponding. It was empty sex, Raven. I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I was lonely and …horny. Alexa is really pretty and we got along great, but you know, as friends. When she offered herself to me there was a voice in the back of my mind that said 'don't do it', but I gave in."
Raven nodded her understanding.
"Gar, why are you telling me this now? You could have buried it. I never would have known."
He gulped. "How can I be your husband if I hid something like that from you? I would be living a lie. And now, I've hurt you and that's the last thing in the world I wanted to do. I'm so sorry, Raven."
"Is that why you won't sleep with me during our engagement?"
"Yeah … pretty obvious huh? … Raven … I'm sorry I cheated on you."
"Gar … we weren't a couple at the time, so you didn't cheat on me. I am disappointed that you would do something like that though and even more disappointed that you thought so little of me that you chose to keep that a secret."
He heaved a weary sigh. "I know … so, the engagement's off, right? I mean, I wouldn't blame you for backing out."
She didn't answer immediately and stared at the floor in front of her.
"I'm not happy about this Gar. I never thought of you as someone who would engage in casual sex. It's so unlike you, you're just not that kind of guy … learning this has shaken me up, it makes me wonder if I really know you."
"It makes me wonder if I know who I am too… Raven, I didn't enjoy it … I know that sounds kind of lame, but it's the truth."
A melancholic sigh escaped her lips. "Gar … why didn't you tell me that you loved me back then?"
"I don't know … I guess I was afraid that you would tell me that we were just friends. Raven, I wish I could forget that night, I wish that it never happened. That has to be the stupidest thing I ever did."
She slowly raised her head and made eye contact with him. "Gar, do you love me, do you really love me?"
"I do, Rave, you're the only girl I ever really loved."
"Then why won't you make love with me?"
"Because … I don't know … because I don't deserve you?"
"Isn't that for me to decide?"
Hope filled his eyes. "So … you're saying that …"
"You had a fling four years ago, but … I think I also bear some of the blame for it"
"What!? No way! Raven, I can't blame this pn anyone but myself. I own this, not you."
"I know you won't blame me … but think about it Gar, had I not been so emotionally constipated back then I might have told you that I loved you … and your one night stand would never have happened. You weren't my boyfriend back then and yet you're consumed with guilt, all because we couldn't be honest with each other … I really wish that your first time would have been with me, it does hurt knowing that your first time was with her instead."
He stared silently at the floor.
"But what really hurts is that you didn't trust me and kept this a secret from me … but it isn't a show stopper, that is unless you have more secrets to confess. Do you?"
He shook his head vigorously. "No … that's it, there's nothing else."
Raven gave him a small smile. "So, how are you planning on making this up to me?"
"You mean … we're still engaged?"
"Yes, we are."
A huge grin appeared on his face, which was now radiant.
"I'll do anything you ask, Rave, anything."
She leaned forward and kissed him. "I think you know what I want."
He smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I do."
The two lovers exchanged a reconciliatory hug, which was punctuated with passionate kisses. Cyborg had ducked into the break room and had been eavesdropping on them with his bionic ear. A sigh of relief escaped from his lips.
"You don't know how lucky you are, green bean."
-( scene break )-
Bumblebee groaned as she sat up in her med station. The pain killers Jinx gave her earlier had already worn off and she was feeling the pain in her clipped wings again. She already decided to not take any more pills as she hated the groggy feeling they gave her. It would take 3 to 4 weeks for her wings to grow back. She felt both angry and humiliated at her treatment at the Brotherhood's hands, the clipping of her wings was done for only one reason: to make her feel powerless and vulnerable. To invade and violate her any more than that they would have needed to rape her, and she thanked fate that it didn't come to that. She overheard earlier that another rescue team was being assembled and there was nothing she wanted more than to join them, but knew she would have to sit this one out, which only contributed to her already foul mood.
She closed her eyes, stewing in her own juices, feeling both miserable and sorry for herself. Her dark moment was interrupted when she heard the infirmary's door slide open. She didn't open her eyes as she didn't feel like socializing and to be honest she didn't give damn who it was. That is until she recognized the unmistakable sound of the footsteps. Years had passed since she last heard them, and at the same time it only seemed like it was yesterday.
"Sparky?" She called out as she opened her eyes and twisted around, try to get a look so that she could visually confirm what her ears were telling her.
"Hey Karen, I heard the news. I'm sorry."
Bumblebee made eye contact with him, before looking away, unable to hide her shame. The burning shame of having been unable to defend herself, of being captured so easily. But worse of all how she had broken down and pleaded to not have her wings cut. And they only did it to humiliate her, to show her who was in control, that they had power over her. It was a memory she knew she would never completely leave behind her. Her wings would grow back but in her mind she knew she would never be whole again, the violation was seared into her soul as if a branding iron had been used.
"It's OK Sparky, they'll grow back."
Cyborg pulled up a chair and sat down next to her bed. A faint gasp escaped her lips when she saw that he was back to his old look.
"I kind of know how you feel Karen."
Bumblebee bowed her head as shame consumed her. Victor's loss was far worse than her own. His arms and legs would never grow back and he would have to live with his cybernetic prosthetics for the rest of his life. She saw him a few times after he switched to the "natural" look and while he looked normal she knew that he would never ever feel normal again.
"No, you don't. You suffered far more than I did." She replied in a hollow voice. "It's actually the other way around. I know how you feel, but it's only temporary for me … Sparky … why are you here?"
"I just wanted to see if you're OK."
She shook her head.
"Why do you even care? Don't tell me you already forgot that I dumped you for another guy?"
He gave her a sad smile.
"Nah, I'll never forget that. But don't worry about it; I forgave you a long time ago."
Karen sighed.
"Well, at least one of us has, because I haven't forgiven myself. I know this is 9 years too late Victor, but … I'm sorry. I cheated on you and then I dumped you. And you know what? Raymond and I broke up three months later. He dumped me for some airhead. I guess that's karma for you, huh? And then my team abandoned me when they found out what actually happened."
Cyborg rubbed the back of his head while he searched in vain for the right thing to say.
"Well, my life hasn't been all that great either. I guess the real world isn't all neat and tidy like it is on the TV shows."
Karen chuckled halfheartedly.
"Did you ever see that cartoon show they made about us? Wouldn't life be nice if we could square everything away and solve all our problems by the end of a 23 minute episode?"
"Are you kidding? I have the whole series on DVD! But you're right, if only things could be that easy. In the real world Nightwing and Star are still missing, and now they kidnapped my old man as well."
"Oh Sparky! I'm so sorry!" She replied in a shocked voice.
"Don't worry, we'll rescue them. BB's already putting a plan together."
Karen marveled at the news.
"Changeling is in charge? I guess I shouldn't be surprised, I've heard he's really changed."
"And he's gonna marry Raven."
Karen nodded approvingly.
"You know, I always believed they belonged together. I'm just surprised they didn't get to it a long time ago. They were inseparable during the Titan's final year."
Cyborg laughed.
"They insisted back then that they weren't a couple, that they were just friends."
Karen looked away, seemingly lost in thought. After a long moment she looked back at him.
"You know, I now think that's the right way to start, you know, as close friends. Sure, love at first sight sounds more romantic, but, I think that only works on TV shows."
Cyborg snorted.
"Tell me about it. You how they captured me? They had some chick pretend she was in love with me. I fell for it like a chump. I was head over heels for her, but I had no idea of who she was. We weren't friends. The worst thing of all is that I slept with her once. Damn, I wish I could take that back."
"Hey Sparky."
"Yeah?"
"Would you like to be my friend again?"
"I thought we already were friends."
She shook her head.
"No, we're not. I betrayed you for a jerk who only wanted to sleep with me. And once he added me to his collection of conquests, he dumped me like yesterday's trash. I guess I got what I deserved."
"I'm sorry to hear that … so, a fresh start then?" He asked.
She nodded her head.
"From the beginning. I just hope I can earn your trust back. You know what they say about trust: hard to earn, easy to lose."
"OK then, I want to be your friend again." He replied.
The two shared a hug which was interrupted by the sound of applause. They released each other to find that all the other patients in the infirmary were beaming while they continued to applaud.
"Aw man, what do you have to do to get some privacy around here?"
-( scene break )-
Alright, another chapter, I hope you liked it. A little spoiler: BB and Raven haven't heard the last of Alexa.
And by the way, feel free to wish me a happy birthday!
gabylokita41 - "I still remember this part love it love it love it its pretty cool that ur giving it some changes to the beginning makes it more interesting this one has been one of my fav stories :) ur a great writer"
Thanks. I'm starting to introduce the bigger changes now. So if something seems unfamiliar, now you know why.
Artemys Ichihara - "Hmm, hi! First of all, great story. Really! It has been some time since I've read something as good as this fanfiction here on in a fandom that I partake in ) The plot is interesting, the characters are greatly represented and you write well ) But the thing that really got me and kinda suprised me was... Brazil. Really. As a brazilian i'd NEVER expect someone talking about my country on fanfics, except for us brazilians - sometimes not even that. And, really! You did it well, too. Srsly. I started squealing like a hormonated fangirl when I saw it. Thank you, haha. Guess it's this. Ah, yeah, if I was Rae I'd listen to Lust a little more. But I'm not Rae, haha. *Weasel*Kisses ;"
Thanks! I always get excited to hear from international readers, as I myself have lived outside the United States.
SilentGoddest - "This is a VERY good story"
Thank you! Sometimes I doubt myself.
Glacier - "Sudo. Kinda the most useful linux command ever. /149/ Anyway, nice chapter, very well written, and the nevermore trip especially so. Nevermore's one of my favorite concepts about teen titans, and if people write it well (like you do), it adds a great element of self discovery to the story. and yes, it does get abused a lot."
One of these days I'm gonna buy myself one of those "sudo make me a sandwich" T shirts. Sudo also works on Solaris.
JOHNXgambit - "still as awesome as the last time."
There was a big change in this chapter. I hope you liked it.
Bluedog197 - "For one some of ravens emotions are right and poor cyborg being thrown off a bridge great story keep going"
Thanks
Hairul The Nightrage Beast - "Well time for Cy to get his upgrade. Get ready to whack the BoE!"
You know he wants to do it.
Death Stroke The Kid - "This may seem like an odd question but where is Slade right now? Is he free or captured cause seeing him again would be f**kin awesome just sayin. Also this story is amazing keep it up and don't give up, too many writers are just giving up on such good stories hope you wont do the same :)"
Slade's doing what he always does: he's lurking in the shadows while planning his next move.
kawaiitas - "Hi! I've read this story before and i liked it back then, I don't remember it too well but I can see a little changes here and there. I am really enjoying it and I hope you are planing on continuing with it. I'm excited to read some more, thank you !"
There are changes, made just to confuse you even more. :-)
Anoymous136 - "Riveting as always"
Thanks, sometimes I worry that my stories are too predictable.
Guest - "another great chapter. I can't wait for the doom patrols visit and Rita's chat with Raven. I sorta remember what happens next but can't wait to read it again."
Thanks.
Anna - "I loved the scene with Raven and Gar. Can't wait for them to meet up with Cyborg."
They hit a speed bump today. But they'll be OK.
Sweetums14 - "Oh yeah! A great chapter! I'm constantly checking my email to get an update!"
I try to not keep you waiting too long.
DeeThom - "My apologies. I must've missed it. But that's exciting. Seems like we're jumping back into the fire with the Brotherhood again. But why not the Maxx-7? That sounds awesome!"
Well, we all remember what happened last time with the Maxx-7
titanfan45 - "Cyborg did very well for himself in this chapter. Someone less observant would have gotten themselves killed."
Cyborg was kind of portrayed in a less than flattering way in the show at times. Poor Khary Peyton didn't have a lot to work with and got stuck saying 'booyah' a few times too many.
Shadico - "The Nevermore interaction feels great to me. You've explained it and showcased it better than most people ever have so far. I'm happy for Rae that Gar is fine where they're at right now hah. Totally can't wait to see more of this story unfold. The in-law interaction is sure to be epic. Cannot wait to see what Rita has to say to Rae and what Mento has to say to Gar, haha. I'm also over the moon that you included Melvin/Timmy/Teether in this. I always thought it was an injustice that the last you see of them is Gar giving them animal rides in the tower in the comic. Can't wait to see more of them and how they've fleshed out as people (if they're a part of this story other than a mention, that is). Also, as if the event with the Silas Bot was some kind of blindfold, I think I finally remember the old story. Not very clearly, but the general outline and my reactions at the end. And dear Azar was it one of my favorites. I'm ecstatic over getting to read this rewrite, but i'm wondering... If this story is going to be changed drastically after chapter 20, would you consider posting the old version after this one is completed, or adding on the chapters as a kind of alternate ending? I really did love the old story and would love to read the two side by side after this one is wrapped up. Either way, great writing as usual, hope the recovery from your op is fast and easy!"
Thanks. I do like using Nevermore, but I do try to pace myself in its use, always reminding myself that the emoticlones are not "little Ravens" running around in her head, but acual facets of her mind.
Thisguy720 - "Oh Raven always battling emotions its courageous. Always fighting herself. Good old reliable cyborg, always thinking"
Sometimes I do feel sorry for Raven, she is so messed up.
krostovikraven1 - "i'm glad Victor got away unscathed. lucky him it wasn't Madam Rouge impersonating his father. I love Beast Boy, he's so sweet. BTW, Nevermore is great. the possibilities are endless."
BB is the most underrated character in the show. He has a heart of gold. And I really hate it when other writers portray him as a dim witted fool or a chump.