Like an Animal
Chapter 7
I do not own Teen Titans
I loved all the reactions I got from Starfire's death. Betcha can't wait what happens next huh? I love this suspence thing. Muahaha.
Name: Koriand'r, Princess of Tamaran, First Inline for the Throne, Member of the Teen Titans
Age: 17
Race: Tamaranian
Gender: Female
Description: Tall orange-skinned female about 5'9" with green eyes and long fire-red hair.
Date of Birth: Unknown
Date and Time of Death: May 16, 2006- 3:56 p.m.
Cause of Death: Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran was found dead near Souka Mountain by Raven Roth of Azarath, member of the Teen Titans. It was reported that the victim was thrown off the cliff and landed on some loose gravel, causing a boulder to go free. The boulder crushed her head and she died immediately. Victim also had a shattered pelvis and a broken thigh bone, caused by the villain Cinderblock who is now on death row and will be executed on May 23, 2006 approximately one week from today. The victim is now in the Jump City Morgue and will be buried May 18, 2006.
The funeral was packed. People from all around Jump City, the Titans, Titans East, the Council of Tamaran and some of the Justice League were there, so the funeral had to be held outside because the church would probably burst from all the sobbing humanoids in the building.
The Titans were in the front row. Raven was sitting in-between BeastBoy and Cyborg. Robin was sitting on the other side of Cyborg, trying painfully hard not to cry, even though everyone around him was. Raven had buried her face in the crook of BeastBoy's neck, and could feel his tears falling onto her cheek. Cyborg was clutching onto Raven's hand like a 5-year-old boy who had just found his mother. Tears were running down his milk chocolate colored cheek and onto his red tie. He glanced over at Robin who was shaking terribly trying to hold in the tears as the watched Starfire's casket lower into the unforgivingly dark ground.
A few days later…
Robin was laying on the couch in front of the TV in the living room. All the lights were turned off, and the only source of there being anything living was the pale moonlight shining through the windows.
He heard the door open up behind him, but didn't bother to look and see who it was. The dark silhouette took a seat next to him on the couch, and started to gently caress his head.
"You haven't cried yet," said the voice.
"What's the point? It won't help anyone and it won't make her come back."
"But it will help you feel better. If you don't cry, you'll explode sooner or later."
Robin sat up to see two sorrowful, indigo eyes staring back at him. He sniffed.
"I miss her so much Raven. And I never had a chance to tell her… that I love her."
Raven scooted closer to him, and raised up her arms to take off his mask. Robin made no motion to move, so she continued and peeled it off. Two icy, blue eyes were looking at her, bloodshot and dulled. His eyes filled with tears, and he buried his face in her neck.
"Raven…" he sobbed.
She wrapped her arms around him in an embrace as she felt herself about to break down again. His sobs gradually became a little louder as he released all that built up frustration and hurt. She felt a lump start to grow in her throat, and she started to cry silently. Her tank top was soaked, but she didn't care. She had to make it up to him. Somehow…
'Do you… regret what you've done?'
No reply.
'Just to let you know… I miss her too. She was a good person. But she was an unnecessary part of our life. Like a great uncle, kind of. Still… it hurt.'
Raven felt her body throb at what she was about to say.
'No.'
'What?'
'I… don't regret it. I don't regret killing Starfire. It was for the greater good.'
'…'
A week later (night time)…
Raven was on her bed, now reading the second book to the trilogy of ABARAT.
'You know Raven, this is a pretty good book. Who did you say the author was?'
'Clive Barker. He's famous for horror stories and thrillers and stuff like that.'
'Interesting.'
There was a knock at her door. Raven set her book down and got up to answer it.
It was Cyborg.
"Hey Rae."
"Hey Cyborg."
Cyborg had been rather clingy these past few days, especially towards Raven. He would always grab her hand too, not in a romantic type of way, but more like a… I don't know. He was just being clingy. Always asking her to help him with stuff or watch a movie with him and junk like that. Also, his eyes lost that gleeful shine they used to have.
"Can you help me in the garage? I got some new parts for the T-car, and I need some help installing them," he gave a weak smile.
"Sure, I'll be right down, just let me change first."
Cy nodded, then turned around and headed for the garage. Raven closed the door and started rummaging through her closet. She pulled out a pair of baggy old jeans, a gray tank top and some old converse sneakers she bought a year or two ago. She tied her hair back with a rubberband, a couple of annoying bangs falling in her face. Satisfied with her tomboyish outfit, she headed out the door and towards the garage.
When Raven got there, Cyborg was already under the hood, checking the oil and cleaning the pistons.
"'Kay, so what do you need me to do?"
"I need you…" he crouched down to the side of the car and picked up a torque wrench." To tighten all the loose bolts and stuff."
"Oh, I was hoping I could install something…" Raven pouted.
"Alright, you can help me install the hydraulics," Cyborg sighed.
Raven smiled, then walked over and took the wrench Cyborg was holding out for her.
"You are to kind."
Cyborg had also been unnaturally quiet after the recent tragedy. Using actions more than words I guess you could say.
While they were rolled underneath the car, an awkward silence fell over them.
"Can I tread over a touchy subject?"
"Yea, shoot."
"Um… how are you holding up about Star-"
"Stop. That's a little too touchy."
"Oh… I'm sorry."
Cyborg rolled out from underneath the car and walked over to the tool table… table of tools… the counter with junk on it. He wiped the grease of his hands with a piece of old cloth and started fiddling with some stuff on the table. Raven came out after him and stood beside him, stains dotting her clothes and face. She watched as a droplet fell on the hard surface of the counter.
"She was almost like a daughter to me. She was so naïve and carefree like a little kid at the fair or somethin'. I never thought she would be ripped out of our lives so suddenly."
"Cyborg…"
He sniffed then wiped his eyes.
"But it's alright, I mean… she's in a better place now," he turned to face Raven." Right?"
"Yes Cyborg. S-she's in a better place. Way better than this hellhole," she whispered more to herself than Cyborg.
Cyborg smiled, then did something that rather surprised Raven. He hugged her. Only once in her whole life had she been hugged by Cyborg, and that was on her birthday last year. He had always known Raven liked her space and he respected that. But now, he was hugging her, and pretty hard too.
A little later Cyborg pulled away and looked Raven straight in the eyes. Then, they moved their faces closer to each other, until their lips were hot with each other's breath, but Cyborg pulled away.
"Um… thanks for helping me with the hydraulics. I think I can do the rest myself," he said quietly.
"Uh… yea. You're… you're welcome."
Raven turned around and ran out the garage. Cyborg sighed, and then plopped down on the floor, covering his face with his cold hands.
Raven was now in her room, wondering what the hell just happened.
'I like that guy.'
'What, you want me to kill him now too?'
'Oh no. No, no, no. We're keeping him.'
'We're keeping him? Meaning you want me to kill more people but not him?'
'No, no more killing. I don't think you can take another.'
'So we were going to kill more people.'
'That's not what I said. I just get rid of the unnecessary.'
'Why do you keep saying that? Who are you?'
'I keep saying that because that's what I do, and I am your sub-conscious.'
'If you're my sub-conscious, then how come you're only showing yourself to me now?'
'Because you've never needed me before-'
'But nothing is happening now! I don't need you! Get out of my head! Get out of my fuckin' head dammit!'
'… Fine. I'll leave you alone for awhile, but sooner or later you'll come to a realization and want me back.'
'Like a hernia.'
'I'll be back in one month. Let's see how you cope until then…'
And then… he was gone. He was gone! Raven could've laughed out loud then, but something else happened. A rush of emotion she hadn't felt before invaded her head. She clutched her scalp and fell back on her bed screaming. Without realizing it, she teleported herself on the roof and rolled into a fetal position.
Everything hit her like a brick wall. She suddenly felt the true guilt of killing Starfire and practically raping BeastBoy. She rolled back and forth on the floor. All this feeling of agony and pain, terrorizing her body and mind. She wanted it all to stop, and that's when her eyes landed on a light pole jutting up into the sky only a few feet from where she was laying.
Raven stood up and stumbled towards the pole. Once there, she gripped it firmly with both hands. And then started banging her head against it over and over and over again. Soon, her forehead started bleeding, but she still didn't stop. Instead, she hit her head even harder. Blood splattered all over the floor, leaving a morbid kind of abstract art. It dripped in-between her eyes and onto the front of her shirt, mixing with the tears and sweat she was shedding.
"Starfire!" she yelled continually as she kept banging her head against the pole.
Then, one hit did her in. Her body froze, and her mouth gaped open, saliva dripping from the sides of her mouth, and she fell back onto the cold cement floor. Blood pooled around her head as her eyes rolled back into their sockets.
In BB's Room
'BeastBoy! BeastBoy wake up!'
BeastBoy's eyes slowly peeled open. He was never really asleep in the first place. He was thinking about Starfire.
"What dude."
'My name is Cere' not dude. But never mind that, Raven needs your help!'
BeastBoy sat bolt upright in his bed, consequently hitting his head against the top bunk, causing him to fall back down with a yelp. He tried sitting up again and succeeded.
"What happened to Raven?!"
'She's on the roof! Hurry!'
Not caring that he was in nothing but boxers, he dashed out of his room and climbed the stairs to the door of the roof. He burst through it and looked around frantically.
"Raven! Cere', I don't see her! Where is she?!"
'Around the corner!'
BeastBoy ran to his left. He skid to a stop, and to his horror, he saw Raven unconscious on the floor surrounded by a pool of her crimson liquid illuminated in the dim light.
BeastBoy ran to her side and kneeled down next to her, picking her shoulders up and cradling her head.
"Raven, wake up. Oh my God, please wake up!" he cried, gently trying to shake her awake.
"I need help. I need help! Robin! Cyborg! Somebody help!"
He knew no one heard, but he didn't want to leave Raven up here all alone, and he didn't want to move her from this spot either. But he had to get help! He gently sent her back down on the ground, and ran to get Robin.
Robin was in the kitchen with Cyborg, making some sandwiches for dinner. Just then, BeastBoy ran through the door, covered in blood, tears running down his face and breathing hard. No one asked any questions. They just stopped what they were doing and followed right behind him onto the roof, where the dark beauty lay sleeping for a time.
Love it? I do. And if you don't then why the hell are you reading this?