Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans.
A/N: A big thanks to my friends for reading this chapter ahead of my publishing it and giving me wonderful feedback. You all are awesome! Also, thanks to those who have read and commented on the story thus far. Each favorite, follow, and review make me so happy!
The smell of a sharp, pungent aroma stirred Beast Boy from his slumber. Scrunching up his nose, the boy pled for "just five more minutes" as he rolled over onto his side, nose stuffed halfway into the cottony grass below. With another sniff, the fresh undertones of what he'd been smelling finally prompted his eyes open. He started backwards, surprised by a branch of unnaturally low-hanging leaves reaching to tickle his nose. Why was he outside? "Uhh," Beast Boy's gaze drifted upwards at the cluster of trees surrounding him, thoroughly confused, until the memory of what happened to the Titans' Tower speakers came flooding back.
"Oh no," his voice cracked and he cleared it, used to the common influctuations. He looked around. With a sigh of relief, his eyes landed on his resting teammate a few feet away; Cyborg snored loudly - how Beast Boy tuned that out was beyond the green teenager - and had one robotic arm slung over his eyes. Quickly, Beast Boy crawled over to his friend and shook him, "Yo, Cy! Wake up, dude."
Moaning and groaning, Cyborg batted him away. Only when he let out a yawn laced with morning breath did the changeling shy away, covering his nose.
"Dude, that reeks!" Beast Boy's eyes watered, his sniffer much too sensitive. A smug grin mixed with a tired, although satisfied, chuckle escaped Cyborg's lips as he sat up.
"Serves ya right for wakin' me up, Grass Stain," he blinked open his human eye, "You know I gotta have my-..." The robotic Titan trailed off, taking in their surroundings. His eye widened and he glanced at BB for an explanation as to where they were. The changeling shrugged.
"I have no clue."
Rising to his feet, Cyborg rested his hands on his hips and surveyed the area. With a discontented grunt, the teen flipped open a data compartment on his arm. Moments passed in silence as he analyzed their surroundings, the readings scanned through his artificial eye and presented on the screen of his built-in technological index. Confused, the Titan double-checked his findings.
"What?" Beast Boy raised both eyebrows.
"This place is weird, man," Cyborg looked up, narrowing his eye at the trees in front of them, "It's like everything is alive." The changeling beside him chuckled warily.
"Well, it kinda is, dude. Trees and all that."
"No, I mean it's-..." Beast Boy's ears twitched and he spun around, body now that of a green tiger. He growled, massive fangs bared. The familiar sound of a sonic cannon charging up resonated beside him. However, before either teen could initiate attack, an elderly woman peeped her head around the corner. Surprised, Beast Boy returned to his human form - yet Cyborg remained where he was.
The woman shrank a little bit, clearly hiding from them, until recognition sparkled in her eyes. Her mouth formed a surprised little 'o'. "It's you!"
"Umm-."
"Harold, it's the Teen Titans! Well, two of them."
Beast Boy's ears picked up the shuffling of unsteady feet and out stepped Harold, a man with less than a few hairs left on his head and a hunchback threatening to knock him over. "Y'all know us?" Cyborg lowered his cannon, arm reverting back to normal.
The woman nodded eagerly, lightly touching Harold's arm to guide him closer to the two superheroes. "Of course we do," she looked so relieved, "we've lived in Jump City for the past twenty years! My name is Mary." Surprised, Cyborg and Beast Boy exchanged confused looks.
"And I'm Harold," her companion gruffed, "obviously."
"So," Cyborg raised an eyebrow, "what are ya'll doin' here, then?" Mary sighed, her lips dropping into a frown.
"We don't-."
"-Ain't got a clue," Harold itched the side of his nose with a speckled, fatty finger. "The last thing I remember is castin' out my fishin' pole when the whole city went dark. Next thing ya know, we're wakin' up in this place." Beside him, Mary nodded to confirm the story.
Cyborg's eyes widened, "So… you just, blacked out?" His green teammate shifted his body weight nervously, subtly hopping back and forth from each foot.
She nodded, pursing her lips in thought, "A woman's voice came through our boat's radio. Something about playing a game, I think, but I lost consciousness shortly after that." The two Titans paled, having experienced the same thing.
Harold huffed, "I'ma be guessin' that happened to you two, then," and crossed his arms, "Am I right?"
"Seems to be that way," Cyborg agreed. The cybernetic teen regarded the pair in front of him. Neither one looked able to defend themselves should the need arise, but he figured he and BB - who had turned into a bloodhound and was now sniffing out the area - would be more than capable of protecting them. A thought striking him, Cyborg narrowed his eyebrows, "You said the whole city?"
"Yes," Mary fluffed the sides of her permed and peppered hair, "everything went dark, even in our boat." Satisfied with its volume, she dropped her hands
"And the radio still worked?" The couple nodded, both now realizing how strange it sounded. Mary pursed her lips again, confused.
"Yes… it doesn't make sense, though," she looked at Harold, presumably her husband from the matching wedding ring, "Does it?" He shrugged.
"Regardless of whether or not it makes sense, it happened," Cyborg noticed his teammate return, human once again. "Find anything, BB?"
The changeling stretched one arm over his head, "Just trees, dude. I smelled water up ahead though. Did you check your communicator?" Curious, Cyborg pulled out the device and flipped it open. He narrowed his eyebrows at the lack of power, knowing for certain that he'd charged his recently. "Mine is out, too."
"Great," Cyborg huffed, stuffing the communicator back in his storage compartment, "I guess that means nobody's communicators are working. If the whole town got hit by whatever this was, the team is probably here somewhere, too."
Beast Boy wandered up to the three, a sheepish smile on his lips, "Looks like we're your personal escorts, huh?"
"I-..." Mary exchanged looks with her husband, who merely shrugged, before smiling at the changeling, "-I suppose so." The green teen morphed into a bloodhound once again, wagging his tail, before setting back to work on sniffing out a followable trail.
"Looks like we're headin' out," Cyborg proceeded after his teammate, pine needles crackling under foot, "Stick close, alright?"
Nodding, the couple fell into step behind them.
Starfire hovered alongside the Boy Wonder, and the rather large posse of Jump City survivors following them, as they weaved around the randomly scattered homes discovered shortly after waking up. Small log cabins, long since abandoned, sat every twenty feet or so from one another and in no particular pattern. Once in awhile the group would come across something of use in deducing their location, such as a withering notebook page or a crudely drawn map that Robin would keep, but had otherwise seemed to be walking in circles. After nearly an hour had passed and the civilians began to complain, Starfire landed softly on the ground and stopped their procession.
"Robin?" she watched as her teammate stopped too, "Perhaps I should do the scouting of what is ahead?" The girl had asked him this same question several times since waking up, to which he'd refused out of fear for her safety in the unknown land, but each time Robin's resolve came weaker and weaker. Finally, the boy sighed.
"I think that'd help. Try to find us some water."
"Glorious!" Starfire smiled, relieved, before taking to the air once again, "I will return shortly!" Robin watched the tamaranean fly away until she was little more than a colorful dot in the sky. A few feet away, the Jump City residents murmured among themselves to pass the time. They knew better than to approach the irate Titan leader, especially after he'd snapped at them a number of times before.
Grumbling, the Boy Wonder knelt down and pulled out a few items of interest from his belt. As time went by, Robin found himself absorbed in trying to decipher the otherworldly symbols on the journal pages him and his teammate had come across earlier. Page entires aside, the map - complete with a legend in the top corner - was not much better in terms of comprehensibility. The boy huffed, folding up the pamphlets to stuff them back in one of his belt's compartment, and stood again. Without his communicator working and the sun remaining in the same spot, Robin had no way of knowing the time. He could only guess that his teammate left him about fifteen minutes prior and the boy started to worry when, thankfully, the girl returned unharmed. He felt a heavy weight lift from his shoulders. Starfire drifted down onto the field, the long blades of yellowing grass brushing against the ankles of her boots, and she pointed a tanned finger presumably West.
"There are many trees in that direction," she explained, "A forest, I believe? I also saw an abundance of the 'water bodies' from the sky!" Robin nodded, recalling a similar layout on the map he'd examined.
"We'll go towards the forest and stop for water on the way," he motioned for their group to get up and walk. Begrudgingly, they conceded and followed the Titans despite the heat. Starfire's feet lifted into the air as she floated along. The warm air felt so good on her skin, even if she was getting a little sweaty. Absently, the girl wished she had a hair tie to keep the red hairs from sticking to her neck and back.
Now that they knew where they were going, it wasn't long until the quickly growing group came across some form of water; a shallow stream of icy water blocked their path, though nobody seemed to mind it. While most of the individuals, Robin included, were content just to stop and take a few sips, a handful of people enjoyed getting their skin wet. Starfire splashed her face with the refreshing liquid, sighing in relief as it trailed down her neck and arms. Slicking back the fiery locks framing her face, Star beamed at her teammate.
Robin crouched at the edge of the stream, a clear puddle cupped in his hands. He brought it to his lips and felt the chilly drink wash some of the heat's fatigue away, thankful for this momentary reprieve. The perspiration that had accumulated around his hairline and dripped down onto the rims of his mask begged him to remove the fabric - expose his identity - and he was so tempted to give in. But alas, the boy settled for wiping his face clean with damp hands instead. A light tap on his shoulder prompted him to look up.
"Shall we take a break here, Robin?" he inhaled sharply, noticing how the water sparkled on her sunkissed skin. Her eyes were as bright as they always were, that enchanting emerald color dazzling him into speechlessness. It didn't help when she pulled her hair up, exposing the little bit of her neck left uncovered by her uniform. "Robin?" the girl raised her eyebrows, "Are you feeling well?"
"W-what?" he nearly choked, blinking himself back to reality with a heated blush adorning his cheeks. Starfire frowned, covering his face with both of her hands. "Um… Star?" Robin gently removed her hands and cocked an eyebrow in curiosity, "What are you doing?"
"Oh, forgive me," she looked concerned, "I am observing your temperature." The Boy Wonder paused, confused, before finally catching on. He let go of her wrists, chuckling lightly.
"That's not how you do it, Star." Robin reached up and pressed the back of his hand to her forehead in example, to which the alien 'ooh'd in comprehension. She then smiled, taking his hand in hers and giving it a squeeze.
"I see," she checked his temperature properly this time with her free hand and nodded, "Your method appears to be much more efficient!" Robin laughed again, this time louder and more carefree, before intertwining their fingers together.
He scanned the area and the trees overhead, "We could stop here for a little bit, along the treeline. I'm sure everyone could use a breather."
Cyborg stood at the edge of the river, unappreciative of it's size and depth, and watched as the strip of water opened up into a massive lake. He shook his head.
"Ain't no way we're gettin' across that, man," the eldest Titan motioned to his metallic body, "I'd sink if I tried, and I don't think those two could handle it either." Behind them, Harold had to lean against a tree to catch his breath as his wife rubbed circles into his back. While Mary, donning surprising athleticism for someone her age, was able to keep up with the two superheroes without much hassle, her husband had shown a remarkable lack of stamina. Beast Boy tapped his chin, thinking.
"What if I carried you across? I've done it before, you know, as pterodactyl," the changeling offered, flapping his arms out so as to make a point. Cyborg raised an amused eyebrow before shrugging.
"You can try, but it might tire you out," he looked across the vast stretch of water, "Plus, I don't really wanna leave 'em here by themselves. Just 'cus we haven't run into anything dangerous yet don't mean there ain't nothin' here." At this, Beast Boy pouted.
Mary squeezed Harold's shoulder comfortingly, whispered something in his ear, and straightened. She cleared her throat, "Cyborg, Beast Boy?" The superheroes looked over at her. "We appreciate the help you've given us, but you can leave us here if you have to."
Cyborg opened his mouth to speak, "You-."
"-We can't just leave you guys," Beast Boy shook his head, walking over to them. The older woman wasn't much taller than him, although he did have to look up to make eye contact, and the wrinkles beside her eyes deepened with a sad smile.
"There are others out there who need your help," she explained.
"Yeah," Cyborg knit his brows together, "and that includes you guys. We ain't leavin' you here." At this, Harold shook his head vehemently. He looked up, eyes skimming over Beast Boy's to stare down the cybernetic Titan.
"You boys don't get it, do you? I can't go on anymore," the old man rasped, chest heaving. Beast Boy tapped his chin, thinking, and then morphed into a large green stallion for the old man to ride on. Harold shook his head, taking a deep breath to speak again, and Mary patted his shoulder."Even if you did get us across the water, who's to say what's on the other side? For all you know, some ghastly beast is there waiting for a meal. I'd slow you down."
Cyborg crossed his arms, stubborn, as Beast Boy turned human again. "You do realize we're superheroes, right?" the robotic teen raised an eyebrow, "We protect people for a living. It's our job."
"Yeah, dude!" Beast Boy threw his hands out animatedly, "We can-."
"-I'm stayin' here," his breath coming in short gasps, "so quit arguin' and get goin'." Mary squeezed Harold's shoulder now, biting her lip. She looked at the two teenagers and apologized with her eyes, a dark brown. Mary was not going without her husband.
The changeling's ears drooped, "I'm not leaving you-"
"-I said go, kid!"
"No!" Beast Boy shifted into a pterodactyl, his arms stretching into a fifteen foot wingspan. The boy flapped his wings, the gusts of wind picking up the fallen leaves and thistles at their feet, and he rose into the air. Mary and Harold gawked, staring up at the green beast. Cyborg stepped back, narrowly avoiding being knocked over by a webbed appendage.
"Careful, man!"
The changeling dipped down and seized Harold by the shoulder, eliciting from him a cry of surprise.
"Harold," Mary gasped, reaching for him as Beast Boy brought him into the air, "put him down, Beast Boy!"
Sure thing, the changeling settled the fisherman into his teammate's metallic arms. Cyborg raised an eyebrow to match the old man's, both confused. Beast Boy snorted in frustration, landing on the ground and turning into a human. He pointed to Mary, "You're going to ride on my back across the water." Mary's eyes widened. The changeling looked at Cyborg and Harold, hands coming to settle defiantly on his hips. "Cyborg will carry Harold and I will carry Cyborg. Got it, guys?"
The three of them nodded hesitantly, all shocked at the boy's sudden change in demeanor, and prompted the changeling to shift back into his winged prehistoric form. With the help of his snout to push her up, Mary climbed atop the green boy's back and wrapped her arms around his scaly neck. Beast Boy lifted into the air slowly, the older woman tightening her grip and shutting her eyes, and picked up Cyborg by the shoulders with his two talons.
And with that, the quartet set across the water.
Starfire stretched her arms far above her head before relaxing against the ground, shifting uncomfortably as the leaves and twigs crunched beneath her. Her hands rested atop her bare stomach and she gazed at the clouds in the distance, content to lay there forever.
"Robin?" the girl turned her head to the boy relaxing beside her, eyes closed, with his back against the base of a tree. A soft giggle escaped her when she realized he was asleep - something she rarely got to witness. Robin's head dipped forward, his legs crossed Indian-style with a gloved hand perched on each knee, and each breath was deep and rhythmic. The girl smiled, opting to sit up and scoot back next to him. She leaned towards Robin and tilted her head, admiring his sleeping face. Her eyes skimmed the sides of his mask, no longer creased with his ever present look of concentration, and brushed over his sharp nose. Absently, Starfire touched her own in comparison; whereas his had a deep bridge, hers was more of a hook shape with smaller nostrils. "Hmm," she lowered her hand back into her lap and rested her head atop his shoulder, "we are not so different."
"I never said we were." Star shot up, eyes wide, and regarded Robin with a look of bewilderment. He opened one eye lazily and smiled, "What's up, Star?" Her blush matched her fiery hair.
"I did not mean to wake you! I am sorry," the girl bit her lip. Robin found her hand with his and gave it a gentle squeeze, opting to sit up straighter against the bark. His teammate looked down at their hands and smiled softly.
He shook his head, "You didn't wake me." Stifling a yawn, the Titans' leader looked out at the group of settlers enjoying their break beside the stream. "I was just resting my eyes."
"Oh! I see," Starfire nodded quickly and followed his gaze. "Shall we move forward? It seems that-." Both Titans jumped to their feet at the sound of an ear-splitting roar.
Robin was the first up, whipping out his collapsible bo staff in the process. "It's coming from the forest, get everyone across the water!" Eyes glowing green, Starfire nodded and set to work ushering their party of survivors towards the nearby stream. A loud crash, closer than the roar had been, urged the tamaranean to work faster.
"Please," she began, "you must hurry!" At the sound of possible danger, people were quick to run the opposite direction.
Another boom. In the distance, Robin noticed one of the trees sway and fall to the left, colliding harshly with the forest floor below. He narrowed his eyebrows and tightened the grip held on his bo staff. Starfire dropped down beside him, feet hovering slightly above the ground, and nodded to him - the Jump City residents were safely out of harm's way. As ready for action as the two Titans were, however, they most certainly were not prepared for the sight that beheld them.
Out of the trees charged a dark blur so fast Robin barely had time to dive to the side. A large, gangly claw swiped the air where the Boy Wonder had been mere moments before. Robin's eyes narrowed at the sight; a ribbed snout filled with sharp, yellow teeth and beady bloodshot eyes stared back at him. The creature snarled, leaping towards the boy.
"No!" Starfire blasted it in the side of the head with a starbolt, leaving its dark grey fur singed but otherwise causing little damage, "You will not hurt Robin!" The beast shook its head roughly, humanesque eyes training in on the floating alien, and roared. Thick spittle flew from its jaws and littered the ground, it's savage cry only interrupted when a metal pole slammed down on the top of its earless skull.
Robin gasped as teeth wrapped quickly around his bo staff. Before he could let go, the Titan was thrust into the air and collided with an airborne Starfire. Both teens fell to the ground with an 'oof', though they hastily scrambled to their feet.
"Find its weakness," Robin breathed heavily, pulling out two explosive discs and tossing them at the feet of their attacker. Beside him, hair littered with forest debris, Starfire nodded. The discs exploded and their smoke concealed the monster's large body, though it's pained howl told them contact had been made. The Boy Wonder's eyebrows show to his hairline as he noticed the thing's hairless, pale-skinned belly. "Try hitting it's chest!"
Starfire gave a mighty battle cry, flying over the cloud of smoke and sending down a barrage of starbolts into the mist. A gasp escaped her lips when suddenly she came face to face with a wretched, open snout. She flew backwards sharply, barely avoiding contact. The smoke cleared and the beast, no longer hunched over on all fours, stood tall on its back two legs. It was massive, nearly reaching twenty feet when fully extended, and bore a strange resemblance to a humanoid wolf despite a few discrepancies. It's whole underside was bare, as if it had been shaved right down to the skin, along with it's almost rat-like tail. The creature went to move, eyes trained on Robin since Starfire was out of reach, when the Boy Wonder pulled back a hand harboring several more exploding discs.
"Now!"
Robin and Starfire pelted the creature's exposed belly with starbolts and explosive discs, not hesitating in their assault. Howls of agony filled the air and the rising smoke illuminated green with each starbolt fired. Soon, all was silent. The tamaranean glanced at her leader, awaiting orders. He held up his gloved hand: Wait.
When the smoke finally cleared several seconds later, the pair - and the plethora of frightened onlookers across the stream behind them - sighed in relief. A charred and bloody lump sat in a blackened circle, the forest floor having been burnt to a crisp during the fight. Starfire floated to the ground and offered Robin a smile, to with he returned.
"Well dang, ya'll!" Both Titans jumped back into a fighting stance. Out of the brush stepped a tall, dark-skinned teenager with more metal integrated into his body than human flesh. Cyborg grinned, arms crossed, "Looks like we missed the party." Robin and Starfire relaxed, the latter's lips curving into a thousand watt smile.
"Friend Cyborg!" she beamed, even more pleased as a familiar green changeling scampered into view, "Friend Beast Boy!" The girl swooped in and gathered the two boys in a bone crushing hug, her cheek pressed against her green friend's temple. Both boys gasped for breath as she released them, coughing a little here and there.
"Hey-," Beast Boy waved his hand, "-Star. Whazzup?"
Starfire clapped her hands together, "We have been looking for you! Please, friends, where is Raven?"
"Back in Jump, she left for the Library. Must've been there, or somewhere in the city, when everything went crazy," Cyborg explained, thoroughly wishing she'd stayed at the Tower with them. "We haven't found her yet."
"We will," Robin declared, not too phased by their fifth member's absence. Raven was a capable fighter and he had faith in her ability to choose her battles wisely. He looked over his shoulder at the people waiting on them across the stream, "But first we need to find them a safe place. The forest obviously isn't the best choice."
Beast Boy snorted, "No kidding. But hey, check it out!" He shifted into a green copy of the beast they fought minutes before and whipped his rat-like tail side to side. At the distasteful look from his leader, the changeling returned to his human form and grinned. "Heh, it's a lot cooler in battle. Promise."
"Speakin' of survivors and whatnot, we've brought some friends." Cyborg motioned an elderly couple over who were previously hidden behind a tree, "Come on over, ya'll!"
A woman with peppered hair, Mary, and her hunchbacked husband, Harold, stepped into view. Mary smiled brightly at the two other Titan's they'd yet to meet. "My goodness!" Harold limped over, having sprained his ankle during a battle earlier, and stood beside Cyborg.
"Looks like you done found yourself part of a city," he murmured, noting the large populace down by the stream that were slowly trickling back to the forest's edge. Starfire dipped her head, smiling brilliantly.
"We have found plenty of people! Although," she paused, the corners of her mouth dropping, "you have only found two?" The alien regarded her two friends and the serious looks that drifted onto their features.
Cyborg pursed his lips, "We'll talk about it later." He looked at his leader and then at the forest, "It ain't safe to be standin' around here. Gonna get dark soon." Robin nodded, noticing how the sky had gone from sunny to sombre since stopping at the stream.
"We'll travel along the stream, towards the mountains," Robin gestured, presumably North, at the vast greyness beyond the lightly treed plains they had come from. "There might be some more houses along the water's edge."
"More houses?" Beast Boy's ears twitched.
"They were abandoned, but Star and I passed a bunch of log cabins on the way here. We woke up in one, actually."
"Well then," Cyborg motioned for Mary and Harold to join the large group of travellers, "we best get goin'."
And they set off, not coming across proper shelter until the moon was high overhead.
Raven stood off from the campfire, the moon bright enough to chase away any true darkness, and tried to find some peace of mind. She was so sick of the emotions rippling through the air. Rubbing her temples, the girl wished she could meditate. But no, she narrowed her eyebrows, they won't leave me alone long enough to get anything done.
"M-Miss Raven?" As if on cue, a gentle voice cut through Raven's silence. The Titan inwardly groaned, turning her gaze on the freckled girl.
"What?"
Amy bit her lip, "I was, um, just w-wondering if you'd like to-."
"No."
"-come sit by-."
"I said, no."
Relenting, the library volunteer's words trailed off into nothingness and the two girls stood there with nothing to say. Amy twiddled her thumbs, a nervous habit not overlooked by the dark sorceress, unsure of what to do. She'd only wanted the heroine to come and join them at the fire. While it had been warm during the day, the air had gotten progressively chilly as night pressed upon them and a mere cloak couldn't possibly hold in enough heat to stay comfortable.
Raven sighed, "Whatever it is you're worrying about, I am fine." Amy jumped at the Titan's voice and stared, her face erupting in a furious blush.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-." Another sigh cut the girl's sentence short and she looked down at her hands, embarrassed. "I will, um… I will go sit down." She stepped backwards, dipping her head in farewell to the dark Titan, and rejoined her fellow civilians at the fire.
Sighing, Raven leaned her head back against the tree and closed her eyes. The headache that she had woken with that afternoon had yet to disappear, though it could be due to the large quantity of intense emotions she had been subject to throughout the day. She pinched the bridge of her nose and thought of her friends, hoping it would help calm her restless psyche: Robin, the leader she so badly needed right now to help her guide those in need; Starfire, her best friend in the whole world and the heart of their team; Cyborg, a reassuring and wise older brother to, not only her, but all of the Titans; and Beast Boy, the infuriating green elf that strove to make her smile every time they were together. The girl huffed, slightly entertained by the thought of a very merry changeling dressed up in the traditional Santa's Elf garb. Unsurprisingly, that would not have been far off from their most recent celebration - although, instead of an elf, Beast Boy had trotted around the tower as a reindeer with a red dot of makeup on his nose. At the memory, the empath rolled her eyes goodnaturedly. And then she frowned, shaking her head as a cacophony of intense excitement cut through the air. Frustrated, she shot those around the campfire an icy glare, not caring whether or not they could actually witness it.
The girl turned her head forward once again, eyes blurring the hodgepodge of forest trees into shady smears. She closed her tired eyes. Though she'd never admit it, Raven would gladly take BB and his corny jokes any day over the emotional strain on her powers she was subject to now. Out of concern for potential stragglers, she let her empathic powers skim over the twenty-something campers enjoying themselves by the fire, silently doing another head count.
And then a nearby roar tore Raven from her thoughts.