4. Gather My Saints Together Unto Me

Cyborg frowned as he probed Changeling's hand gently.

"You sure it doesn't hurt?"

"Nah. Just itches like hell."

He pressed the metallic fingers over the bones, the pressure receptors tuned to highest sensitivity. He shook his head, dropped Changeling's hand, got up and prepared the X-rays.

"The bones feel OK, but I still want to look inside" he explained. In a few minutes, he was studying the images of Garfield's almost-healed hand incredulously.

"I know your morphing DNA makes you recover a lot quicker, but this is… uncanny. You're almost healed. You don't need the cast any more, the bones have fused correctly. Look, you can't even find a scar!" he said as he pointed out the differences to Changeling, showing the X-rays from the broken hand beside the recent ones.

He was still looking in amazement at the X-rays when he felt Changeling's hand grip his arm, almost hard enough to make the titanium alloy armor buckle. He lifted his gaze to Changeling's eyes in surprise. They were shining with a feral glow, despair fighting with hope.

"Can I… can she receive my transfusion?"

Cyborg dropped his gaze to Garfield's hand still clutching his arm, slid it to the X-rays, then lifted it painfully to meet his friend's eyes again.

"You're not her group, Gar" he said hoarsely. "She can't take your blood."

"Then I'll change it!" Garfield said fiercely, his grip tightening. "I can morph myself into any animal I wish! Changing the type of my blood should be child's play for me!"

"Out of the question! It would screw up your entire immune system! What you're talking about is just a novel way of shooting yourself in the head!"

"I don't care!" Changeling shouted. "Whatever's the price to pay, I'll do it!"

Cyborg tore his arm away from Changeling's grasp, then gripped his shoulders hard, glaring into his eyes.

"Listen to me, bro. Even if it works, even if you are prepared to pay the price, do you think she is?"

Changeling stared at him in defiance, then his gaze dropped as he understood what his friend was saying.

"We have to do something, Victor!"

"We do. But not by making it even worse."

They sat for a few moments in silence. Changeling suddenly looked up.

"If I change it only for a while… a couple of minutes, enough for you to pump out a pint, then I change it back?"

Cyborg's brow furrowed. "I don't like it, but it may work. As long as we keep it short and we don't repeat it often…"

"Good. Get everything ready, we're starting now."

Cyborg looked at him incredulously. "Wait a second, how do you know how to change your blood? Do you even have an idea of what blood group she is?"

Changeling smiled grimly. "I don't need to know. I smelled and tasted her blood, remember?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I can transform my blood into hers. Just as it was… before."

"But if you transform your blood into hers, will it keep the regenerating properties?"

"No. He would not survive it" a cold voice came from the door.

They both whirled to see a stooped Raven limping in, her hood over her head.

"You're not demonspawn, Garfield. It would burn you inside out in a few seconds."

Changeling got up quickly and moved over to her, placing his arm around her waist, letting her lean on him. She hobbled over to a chair and sat down on it, Garfield hovering beside her, his hand resting lightly on her shoulder. She placed her hand on his, then looked up at him and gave him a grateful, affectionate smile.

She looked away; her smile turned brittle and shattered. "It wouldn't work in any case" she said to both of them and to no one in particular. "Garfield's regenerative capabilities are tied to his own DNA and morphing cellular structure. It wouldn't do anything for me, or for anyone else."

"So we're back to square one" Cyborg scowled.

"We are" she said dryly, then looked at him. "Can you give us a few minutes, Victor? I need to talk to Gar."

He nodded and rose. "I'll make us some lunch. When y'all are finished, I'll be waiting in the Ops room."

They followed him with their eyes as he left the infirmary. As the door closed, Raven looked up at Changeling.

"Sit down, please. I need to ask you something."

He sat on the infirmary bed, facing her. His hands were clasped before him, his legs dangling over the edge of the bed. There was a slight frown on his face, as if he was expecting bad news. He looked so much like the old, childish, innocent Garfield… She dismissed the pain that stabbed into her gut and sighed.

Her right hand clasped the unfeeling clump that was her left hand. She looked at him, but had to drop her gaze immediately.

"What I have to tell you is that I'm… sorry. To ask you to… forgive me."

"What's there to forgive?"

"A while ago I told you I… trusted you. More than anyone." Her voice was descending to a hoarse whisper. Her throat tightened, the words jamming in it, bundling up, mixing and churning, threatening to burst out in an unintelligible flood of remorse. Her hand squeezed and she breathed deeply.

"I… failed you. I did not trust you. I thought you would… not…"

He got up from the infirmary bed in a swift, silent motion and came closer, crouching to level his eyes with hers. She could not bear his gaze, trying first to look down, then closing her eye when his hand gently cupped her chin and lifted it, begging her to return the look he was giving her. But she was tainted, soiled, she did not deserve it… She did not deserve him.

"Look at me."

It was hard, harder than anything she'd ever done before, but she poured her entire being into it and slowly opened her eye to look at him. His eyes were deep, and concerned, and affectionate. His hands touched her shoulders gently, then slid down to take her wrists and help her up. His arms went around her and she leaned into him, needing his support.

"Shhhh. It's all right, Rae. That was your father speaking."

She shivered as the anguish and self-loathing began to leave her.

"I kn – know. But it's still true."

After lunch Garfield led Raven back to her room and helped her into bed. Her body was seriously weakened by the wound and the intense emotions that she's been subjected to exhausted her quickly. He sat on the bed beside her, his fingers going through her hair, sliding to caress her face, stopping over her lips. He bent over and touched his lips to hers. Her hand took hold of his uniform and pulled him closer.

He kissed her gently again. "Sleep. Rest. You're tired."

She nodded, but her hand would not let go. She willed her fist to open, her arm to relax, but they wouldn't listen.

"I just need to go and do a couple of things. I promise I'll return quickly and be with you."

"I… Just stay until I fall asleep. Please?"

"Of course, love."

He sat silently beside her until her breathing slowed down and her hand released him. He rose slowly and silently. The fingers on her hand twitched and a soft whine escaped her lips, but she didn't wake.

His heart tearing itself apart, he left her room soundlessly and walked to meet Cyborg.

"You're sure you have reviewed every single possibility that you could think of, Chrome Dome?"

Cyborg looked up at his friend, slightly surprised at his tone. He was expecting anguish, even rage, but there was none of it. Only a stone-hard determination that could be seen in the set of his jaw and the thin line of his lips.

"I am. And so is she. As far as standard medicine is concerned, nothing can be done."

The corners of Garfield's mouth curled slightly upwards, but there was no mirth in his eyes.

"Then it's time to look for other options."

The woman looking at them from the large screen had her arms folded across her chest, her face frowning. Her voice was cold and hard as she replied.

"I can't help you."

Cyborg ground his teeth in frustration. He was about to lash out sharply when he felt Changeling's hand on his shoulder.

"Can't or won't, Zatanna?" Changeling asked in a mild voice, standing beside Cyborg, holding a cup of tea in his other hand and taking a small sip from it, as if they were discussing the weather.

She glared at him. "I won't."

He nodded slowly, keeping his emotions in an iron grip. "I know you have… issues… with Raven. But it's been what, eight years?"

Her eyes flashed dangerously. "She is a menace, Changeling, and you know that! She is a demon! A conduit for her father! It's only a question of time –"

"How much time?" he snarled softly, a savage green gleam appearing deep in his eyes. They had the look of a panther getting ready to pounce. "How much more does she have to do to prove herself to you and the others? How many years, how much blood, how much sacrifice?"

"I will not help her!" Zatanna shouted, angered. "I will not put billions of lives in danger just to save one!"

Changeling leaned towards the screen, his voice still calm and soft, but his eyes shining with a deadly green fire. The fingers around the teacup curled and tightened, the knuckles whitening.

"Is it all an equation to you? Would you try to save Humanity by trampling everything that makes us human underfoot? Funny, that's a line I've heard many times from assorted villains."

Zatanna paled, then her face went red as her rage poured out.

"I don't need lessons in what's it to be human from a beast and a demon!" she shouted, shaking with fury. "The sooner she goes away and takes her taint with her, the better!"

The cup in Garfield's hand imploded, tea and shards of ceramic bursting out. Without a word, he turned and left the room.

Cyborg looked after his friend with concern, then turned to the screen, his human eye glowing with pity.

"You know, I just hope you never find yourself in a situation where your life will depend on him."

Still furious, she sneered at him. "Why, because he'd let me die?"

"No" Cyborg said softly. "Because he would do everything in his power to save you."

"Hey, Jinxie" Garfield said with a wan smile as he saw Jinx's face on the screen.

Her eternal smirk turned into a large grin. "Gar! Now this is a surprise! What makes you – hang on a second, willya?" she said, turned her head and shouted. "Wally! Get your ass over here! It's Gar!"

Wally appeared as if from thin air, grinning at the screen. "Hey, it's my favorite green buddy! Whassup, Gar?"

"We found her."

Kid Flash and Jinx stared at him, then looked at each other.

"How fast can you get us there, hon?" Jinx asked.

"Fifteen minutes."

"Slowing down with age?" Garfield allowed himself a smile.

"Nah. We need to grab a couple of things first, change our clothes, y'know."

"Shut up, Wally!" Jinx said, detecting that something was not right. "How is she?"

Changeling swallowed, trying to hold himself together. "She's… not well, Jinxie. She needs us. All of us."

Jinx opened her mouth to ask, then thought better of it. "We'll be there." The screen went blank.

Cyborg's hand landed on his shoulder.

"You see, Evergreen? She does have friends. Good friends."

Changeling just nodded, his throat too tight to speak. He typed in another set of numbers into the console and waited for the connection.

The face that appeared on screen had full-green, iris-less, pupil-less, but strangely expressive eyes.

"Garfield Markovitch? This is surprise, but good one. How are you?"

"I'm good, Leo. I hope you are, too."

A small frown creased Red Star's brows. "I call you many times, my friend. You never answer. Is something happening?"

"We found her, Leo."

"Found…? Just one minute" Leonid said, looking to the side for a few moments, then turned back to look at Garfield. "I will be there in twenty hours. I am sorry that I cannot be there faster."

"I know. Even the fastest jet needs time to get here. But before you leave, I have a request."

"I am listening."

"She has been… wounded. I will send all the information on her medical state right now" he said, punching several keys and sending the file with the documentation over. "I need you to consult with the best medics you know about what can be done."

"It shall be so, my friend." His eyes scanned quickly through the file he just received, narrowing, a dangerous, reddish light appearing in them. "I trust you have dealt with whoever is responsible?"

"She dealt with him herself, Leo. Now we need to help her."

Leonid nodded curtly. "I will be there." The communication was cut off.

Garfield breathed deeply. He had left the hardest for last.

"Y'all wanna rest, lil' buddy?"

"No. I'll be fine. Can you patch me through?"

"Will do."

The static on the screen took on a strange pattern as it switched to the FTL communications system. Soon the static cleared and Starfire's face appeared on it, the M-shaped crown holding her mane of flaming hair back.

"Hi, Kori."

"Friend Changeling! It is so nice of you to make the call!"

He sighed. "It's not a social call."

A small eyebrow went up. "What is the occurrence that is happening?"

"Raven's back."

The joy in Starfire's voice and face was evident even through the low-res FTL connection on the screen. She clapped her hands and shouted "Glorious! May I do the talking to her?"

"She's resting now. But that's not the reason I called."

She frowned, suddenly concerned. "Is friend Raven well?"

"She is not, Star. I need you – your help."

Starfire's gaze became fully focused; her hands clasped each other, her voice softened and filled with worry. "Of course I shall try to be of the assistance. What is the necessity that you have?"

"I'm sending you a file with her medical status. I need you to check with the best healers on your planet and see what can be done."

Starfire glanced at the file, silent for a few moments.

"None on my planet have knowledge of the human anatomy and physiology, friend Changeling. But we shall do our utmost."

"Thank you, Star. I also wanted to ask you –"

"I shall be there in three of the days. It is the fastest that a ship can take me."

He could almost hear the enormous weight that pressed on his chest roll away and crash into oblivion. "Thanks" he managed to say. "We'll be waiting."

He turned off the screen and fell back into the couch, closing his eyes. A deep sigh tore itself out of him.

"That leaves us one more" Cyborg commented.

"I know" he said, not moving and not opening his eyes. "I'm going after him tonight."

Cyborg studied his friend's face.

It's changed. The lines of loss and despair are gone, but there are others… Concern, and deep fear. But there is no doubt. There is no indecision.

He chuckled to himself. Maybe I should learn from him for a change.

Changeling finally opened his eyes and rose from the couch, glancing at Cyborg.

"If you need me, you know where I'll be."

Cyborg nodded and watched him leave for Raven's room.