I do not own anything relating to the Teen Titans.

Opening the Closet Door a Crack – Chapter 2

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While the sight of Beast Boy, in a wild feral state was shocking, the titans used their abilities instinctively, born of years of action and more years of training. Starfire grabbed the green teen, who continued to snarl and spit, his hands reaching for the doctor. Robin, putting the facts together quickly, shouted out.

"Doctor, put that book away. Something about it has set him off. Raven, put a containment bubble around them in case he changes."

Cyborg responded, "Raven's not here. She ran out of the room."

"Cyborg, get in front of Dr. Phillips in case he gets away from Starfire. Doctor, PUT THAT BOOK AWAY!"

Obviously confused, Dr. Phillips fumbled with the book and its casings for a moment or so, then began to seal the book back up. As the book was resealed, although Beast Boy didn't stop his mad attack on the professor, the fury seemed to lessen slightly.

"Robin, please help. I will not be able to control him if he changes. I can barely contain him with all his movements now." Starfire said. It was true. Even though Beast Boy was not changing shape, his wiry, lithe body was twisting and straining against Starfire to get away from her and attack.

Running over to the pair, Robin looked into Beast Boy's face. Surprisingly, there was no madness there. But, there was a blind fury, an all consuming hatred on his face. There also was little intelligence in his eyes, more like an animal's gaze. Grabbing hold of his head between his hands, Robin shouted out, "Beast Boy, focus on me. Get yourself under control. Come back." He continued to look into his eyes.

The wild, feral look continued. Even though his head was focused on Robin, Beast Boy continued to struggle, tearing his head away from Robin and aiming for the professor. Robin thought rapidly. "Cyborg, can you give BB a sedative, something to knock him out for a few moments while I get Raven?" He realized that only Raven would be able to contain the shapeshifter if he suddenly decided to change. None of the other three would be able to keep up with him, depending on the forms he took.

"Dunno," Cyborg replied. "I've got something hooked up, but with his wacko biology…"

"DO IT! We can't take the chance." Cyborg quickly moved to his friend's side.

"Star, turn your head and hold your breath." From his left hand, Cyborg shot a small amount of gas out of his ring finger into Beast Boy's face. Surprisingly, the effect was much quicker than anticipated. While he didn't exactly pass out, Beast Boy's eyes crossed and he slumped in Starfire's arms. The feral look left his face and he no longer reached out.

Muttering in a stupor, Beast Boy said over and over, "The Great Enemy, The Great Enemy." Starfire slowly relaxed her grip on him and led him over to the far side of the couch. There, she laid him down and watched him carefully. Beast Boy continued to mutter the same phrase over and over. "The Great Enemy, The Great Enemy."

"Now," said Robin turning to Cyborg. "What did you say about Raven? Where did she go?"

"Rob, I've no idea where she went. When BB went nuts, I saw her run out of the room like the devil himself was chasing her. Rob, she wasn't floating like she normally does, she was running."

"What is WITH everyone today? Have they all gone crazy?" Robin said to himself. "Dr. Phillips, I'm very sorry about all of this. Believe it or not, this is NOT a normal occurrence. Would you please excuse me for a few moments while I see if Raven is alright?"

"Of course, Robin, certainly. I apologize, I should have anticipated this and given warning." Dr. Phillips responded. Robin looked at him curiously, that was an odd response to an attempted attack by one Titan and the fleeing of another. As much as the Boy Wonder wanted to question the professor regarding his statement, his first concern was for his teammate. "Star, Cy, watch Beast Boy. If he comes to his senses, call me. If he goes after Dr. Phillips again, stop him."

"No fooling," muttered Cyborg.

With that, Robin raced out of the room. Anticipating the most logical place for Raven to run to, he made his way to her room. Punching in the override code, Robin stepped in.

As usual, Raven's room was in shadow. The blinds were drawn and all manner of eldritch materials were scattered around the room. The walls contained the normal masks and mystical artifacts. Her bookcases were stuffed with various books, one of which was, he knew, magically sealed against tampering as that contained her various spellbooks. In the corner of the room was a large chest, which he knew contained the tome that bound the dragon Malichor. There was a padlock on that item. Over on the dressing table were a variety of typical items that one would find on a teenage girl's bureau, with the exception of a rather large, ornate hand mirror. Along one wall was the large round bed that Raven favored as her resting place. A faint smell of incense permeated the room.

There was no sign of Raven.

Robin stood still for a moment, thinking of alternative places that she could be. As he turned to leave the room, he heard a faint banging coming from the closet. Thrown slightly off balance by the sound, he stopped and listened. The sound continued. Making his way to her closet, he carefully opened the door. Hanging up were a number of cloaks, leotards and a few casual closes, most of which he had never seen as Raven seldom wore them.

Huddled on the floor, arms around her knees, rocking slowly back and forth, was Raven.

The sight of one of his teammates in such a condition unnerved the boy wonder more than he cared to admit. Looking at the girl who was probably the strongest among them cowering on the floor was a frightening proposition. Thinking back, it reminded him of the young version of Raven that he had to rescue during the period when her father took over the world using her as a portal. Kneeling down, he said softly, "Raven"

Gasping, Raven looked up at Robin, wide-eyed, her eyes full of terror. "Robin….Robin….please."

Bafflement across his face, Robin responded uncertainly, "Raven, what's wrong?"

"Wrong? Everything! That book, that horrible book." Raven bowed her head again and shuddered, her entire body shaking. Without lifting her head, her muffled voice coming out, "Destroy it. Burn it. Anything. Just, just…" and she started to shudder again.

If he was concerned before, Robin was beginning to feel scared. Raven wanting a book destroyed. He would sooner believe that Cyborg would give up meat or Beast Boy begin eating it. And the fear in her voice, the absolute terror. Whatever was affecting her was driving down to the core of her being, shaking her to her foundation.

"Raven, Dr. Phillips has encased the book again. It shouldn't be affecting you any longer."

"You don't understand," her muffled voice floated out from her compressed body. "I've felt it now, I can always feel it. I only had a hint before. Once exposed fully, I always know it. The horror, the evil…."

"Raven," Robin replied gently, "we've faced evil before. Slade, the Brotherhood…..your father."

"MY FATHER?" Raven's head came up suddenly. She started laughing hysterically. "MY FATHER? He's nothing, NOTHING! Compared to that book. I'll gladly see him again. I'll send him a father's day card. I'll buy him a tie for Christmas. Maybe he'll visit. We can all have eggnog and sing carols."

The flippancy with which Raven referred to their greatest foe shocked Robin to the core. He reached for Raven's shoulders and shook her gently. "Raven, RAVE N! You have to get control of yourself." Thinking quickly, he pondered, what would get Raven under control? "You have to get under control, Beast Boy has lost his mind and we need your help."

The fact that Beast Boy was in trouble was like a bucket of water to Raven. "Beast Boy? What happened?"

"He tried to attack Dr. Phillips. He began snarling and lunged after him. We had to gas him, but you're the only one who can contain him if he changes into an animal."

"Wait a minute," Raven began to regain her composure. Breathing heavily, she said, "he attacked but didn't change? What did he look like?"

"What do you mean, what did he look like? He looked like him."

"Idiot, I mean what did his face look like." Raven was rapidly regaining control over herself, her normal sarcastic demeanor coming to the fore.

Thinking back, Robin slowly replied, "He, he had hatred in his face. And his eyes held no human awareness. It was almost as if his animal side had control."

"It did have control. Beast Boy was telling me his animal instincts were going wild. That's why he was pacing and stopping. The predatory animals were patrolling, waiting for the attack, the milder animals were stopping, listening for the approach of a predator. His whole being was preparing for this."

"How do you know?" Robin was again stunned by this revelation.

"And you're the detective. Well, I'll admit, I only put this together just now because he told me about his instincts. Also, because I KNOW the effect of that book on me. If it affects animals, who by the way are MUCH more aware of things than we give them credit for, as it did me, no wonder Beast Boy flipped. We've got to get to him, NOW!"

With a wave of her hand, Raven encased herself and Robin in a globe of black energy and transported them to the common room.

Upon their arrival in the common room, Raven saw the professor sitting quietly on the couch, apparently unharmed. Cyborg was standing in front of him, facing the other end of the couch. At the far end, lying down, was Beast Boy, Starfire hovering over him in the event that he attacked again.

"Status report Cyborg," barked Robin.

"No change Robin, he's still groggy. He's not completely out, but he's also not really awake. Almost in a trancelike state."

"What did you give him, anyway?"

Cyborg began to rattle off a detailed scientific explanation of the drug he used. How he synthesized it and why he believed it would be the best anesthetic for Beast Boy, given his unusual DNA. Robin cut him off quickly.

"So why is he not unconscious, only groggy?"

Cyborg looked uncomfortable. Looking around, not facing Robin, he replied quietly, "I was wrong."

"Excuse me?"

"I thought it would put him out. Damn his wacko DNA, I can never get it straight. It only put him into a dreamlike trance. Sorta like a hypnotic state."

Raven pounced on the half machine, half human, "You mean he can answer truthfully what he's asked?"

Cyborg pondered a moment, "Hmmm, yeah, I guess it would act like a truth serum." A mischievous smile ran across his face.

"WHOA!" shouted Robin. "Let's stay on track here guys. We have a major problem right now and there is NO WAY I'll allow you to take advantage of BB in his current state." Under his breath muttering, "much as I might wish to."

Both Raven and Cyborg managed to look both remorseful and regretful. Robin continued, "Raven, given what you told me, is Beast Boy all right?"

The teenaged sorceress moved over to her green compatriot. She sat down on the couch next to his prone body. Extending her empathic senses, she tried to read Beast Boy. "Well, he seems to be regaining control over his animal instincts. I think that it was mostly the unknown that set him off. Sort of like me. It was the surprise that triggered everything. Once back under control, I THINK he'll be able to handle the instinctive attack mode."Shifting to a softer voice, Raven continued, "He's much stronger than you think. Reading his emotions, what he's gone through, I'm continually surprised at his abilities, at the depth of his strength, at the rock that is the center of his soul." Softer still, "None of you could go through what I put him through. You couldn't handle it. But he can." A small smile coming to her face, Raven gently brushed a lock of his hair away from his eyes.

Cyborg, Robin and Starfire looked wild-eyed at Raven. Exchanging glances at one another, each was unsure how to proceed at this point. Finally, both Cyborg and Starfire, fear in their eyes, looked at Robin and motioned him to do something. Mentally cursing the day he became the leader of the titans, Robin quietly coughed.

Coming to herself, Raven got up suddenly from the couch and resumed her normal monotone. "Yes, ummm, he should be all right. Still, one of us should keep an eye on him. Cyborg, how long will this gas last?"

"Bird Boy, I thought this gas would put him out. Heck, I thought he'd be out for a couple of hours. Given what we know now, he'll probably be fully awake in about an hour or two."

"In that case," Robin turned to Dr. Phillips. "I believe it's time for you to explain that last statement you made to me. You said you should have anticipated this. If you expected this, why do you expect us to help you? Especially if you are keeping secrets from us?"

Dr. Phillips sighed. He had been watching with keen interest the tableau before him. Most ordinary people had little interaction with the Titans. Watching the group dynamics was fascinating, to say the least. Still, he did owe them an explanation.

"Robin, in truth, I did not expect anything to happen. But I should have. This book has a curious history. Of the six copies I mentioned, all, save this one, are under lock and key. Only under extremely rigorous conditions is anyone permitted to examine it. Legend has it that many who read it go mad. Only the most iron-willed of men are generally permitted to examine it, and then only select sections. The original book was written by an Arab back, oh, around 700 A.D. This is the latin translation as the original Arabic versions have disappeared." Chuckling to himself, Dr. Phillips continued, "There's even an absurd legend that the writer died in the city square of Damascus being torn asunder by invisible demons. Truthfully, I did not give much credence to these stories. These types of books are always surrounded by the most ridiculous stories." Musing to himself, Dr. Phillips said, "Still, Carter did not discount these stories and was entranced by them."

"What IS this book?" asked Robin.

"Oh," responded Dr. Phillips coming to himself, "it's a collection of stories, tales of ancient gods and demons. Their histories and legends, how to bring them back, that sort of thing." It was obvious that Dr. Phillips did not particularly believe any of this.

"You mean it's a book of magic?" asked Robin.

"NO!" answerer Raven. "It's not what you would consider a book of magic. There is no 'magic' as you would describe it. Magic works within the boundaries of existence. Spellbooks have their own force, their own 'fit' within the boundaries of reality. This book" Raven spat out the last word, "warps the very forces of reality. Whatever is in it is outside the boundaries of our universe, of our reality."

Dr. Phillips looked skeptical. "Be that as it may, it is a collection of stories and tales. Dr. Carter placed great faith in them as keystones to understanding the foundations of our current religions and understanding of good and evil. The cultural impact of primordial gods in shaping current society."

"Doctor," questioned Robin, "what are these stories about?"

"Oh, I'm not really that knowledgeable about it. My field is mathematics. All that I've relayed to you is from my discussions with Carter. As I said, he's the expert. Some of the gods that were discussed had incredibly difficult names to pronounce." Laughing to himself, Dr. Phillips continued, "It would probably help if I had ANY ability to speak a language other than English." Reflecting for a moment, Dr. Phillips finally said, "I believe Carter mentioned one particular god, Dagon or, uhhh, I believe the word was Kuthlu."

"Cthulhu?" asked Starfire, eyes wide.

"Yes," Dr. Phillips said with a smile, "I believe Carter pronounced it like that."

Starfire let out a gasp of fright and ran for the communications board, stammering in Tameranean all the while.

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While I realize that my story has only been out there a day or so, it's a good thing I do this for my own pleasure. Only 15 hits? I thought horror would be more in vogue. Still, I will continue regardless. Now, as is my custom, on to my extremely considerate reviewers.

The Force is Strong With This One – Hmmm, Dark Side (one of my favorite anthology shows), hadn't considered that. Given the ending of this chapter, I'm not (I hope) giving anything away. The inspiration came from the Provincetown Spook, Mr. H.P. Lovecraft. Given his purple prose, I tried to mimic it as best I could. Hope you enjoy it as much as I'm enjoying Jokers Shadow.

Playing the Bone – Truthfully, I'm sure you have it pegged. The clues were, to my mind, obvious. Howard Phillips is HP's first and middle names. Randolph Carter is one of his recurring characters (more about him later). The water god is, of course, our old friend. I've also mentioned the history of a certain book, including obliquely, a certain small college in New England that our heroes will be visiting.

Novus Ordo Seclorum – Glad you like. Twilight Zone. OK, the purple prose Rod used was certainly inspired by Lovecraft. By the by, this should explain, partially, BB's insanity. For further reference, I would suggest either At the Mountains of Madness or Whisperer in the Dark. Lovecraft showed carefully how nature reacted to these…ah… outside intruders.

Until next time my friends.