Like an Animal
Chapter 18
I do not own Teen Titans
Ho! Ready for another installment for my unpredictable fanfic? I'm sure you all have been itching to find out who Raven bumped into. I know I have. The blood-fest is coming… I can feel it. It will be so gruesome; I know you all will absolutely love it! Everybody will be picked off one-by-one. One chapter for each lovely little death. But that will come later. You know what they say. Save the best for last. Ha, I can't help but smile as I type this. I love you all!
"Uh… you're- you're… um…" Raven stuttered.
"Hey Rae. What's up?"
'This can't be happening. Not here, not now…'
Raven stared dumbly as Terra got to her feet and brushed herself off.
She was naked, save for the strips of clothe burned into her skin. There were burns and cuts and bruises all over her body. She staggered and winced in pain occasionally, but other than that, she looked pretty stable.
Everyone stared at her as she stood up and smiled weakly at them.
"Hey… guys…" she whispered hoarsely.
After a few more seconds of standing, Terra stumbled backwards a few feet, before her eyes rolled in the back of her head, and she fell to the floor in a crumpled pile.
It took everyone awhile to regain their senses, until Robin finally lifted her up and rushed her to the medical room.
Everyone rushed after him, except for Cere' who was ravaging the fridge and Raven who was still sitting on the floor with her mouth open.
Cere' passed by her and stuffed a breadstick down her throat.
Raven coughed and choked it up, then spit it on the floor beside her, wiping her mouth.
"Wha the fuck was that for?!" she shouted at Cere'.
"Sorry. You're mouth was just screaming 'insert here'. I couldn't resist."
Cere' smirked then turned the corner to walk towards the medical room with a handful of food and sodas for herself.
'Glad she's feeling right at home,' Raven thought sarcastically.
BeastBoy was practically screaming his head off for Robin to hurry up and stick in the IV into Terra's arm, or get her ointment for her burns, or something!
"BeastBoy! Calm down or I'll send you out! She's gonna be fine, she just fainted," Robin said as he and Cyborg laid Terra down on the bed, and hooked her up to the monitors.
BeastBoy shut up and frowned. He hated not being any help.
Everyone turned around when the door opened. Cere' walked in with a couple strips of bacon hanging out of her mouth, and other goodies drooping and dripping from her arms.
When no one stirred, Cere said, "What? I was hungry. So who is this girl exactly?"
"This girl is Terra. She sacrificed her life to save all of us. We thought she was dead, but we were obviously mistaken," Robin explained.
Cere' simply nodded and sat in a nearby chair, munching soundly on her food.
Everyone turned their attention back to Terra.
Her heart rate and brainwaves were fine. He body was pretty messed up though. Nothing Neosporin and a half-demon can't fix.
Cyborg snipped off some of the clothe sticking to Terra's skin and tried patching her up a little bit, taking out the bits of gravel embedded inside of her.
The door opened again, and everyone was surprised to see Raven walk in.
She paused when she saw everyone staring at her.
"What?"
Everyone shook their heads and turned around.
"Okay, there are too many people in here. Everyone out, except for me, Cyborg and Raven."
"But-"
"Out, BeastBoy."
His muttered something under his breath as he followed everyone out the door and slammed it shut.
"Hey Rae, you think you can heal her up?" Cyborg asked.
Raven sighed, then nodded.
She looked over Terra's body, examining the burns and estimating how much power it would take. The majority of the damage was on her back and arms, but nothing too serious. All her nerves were intact, so she was all good.
There would be scars leftover, though.
Raven placed her hands on Terra's stomach, her core, and closed her eyes.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos…"
Her hands glowed a pale blue, and the boys watched in slight amazement as Terra's skin mended the tissue back together.
When Raven was done, the only scars that were left happened when the healing tissue overlapped itself. So there was one long, thin one on her back, and several tiny ones on the rest of her body.
"So, who wants to take watch until she wakes up?"
"I will," Raven said, surprising Robin and Cyborg.
"Um… are you sure about that Rae?" Cyborg asked. "I mean, it might not be a pretty reunion if she wakes up and finds you sitting there. No offense."
"Non-taken."
"So why don't you let BeastBoy or me sit here and watch?"
"No, I'll watch her."
To emphasize this, she pulled a chair up next to the bed and sat in it, crossing her arms around her chest.
"I'll call you when she wakes up."
Robin was about to object, but Cyborg put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. Robin sighed in defeat and followed Cyborg outside the door.
When Raven heard the door shut, she turned all her attention on Terra.
"Looks like it's just you and me now, huh? Don't think you're gonna fool me with that unconscious act, Terra. I know you're awake."
Raven examined Terra's face for a second.
She had aged. Her face was longer and she had gotten taller, but still not as tall as Raven. She finally had a chest and hips, and her hair had gotten a few shades darker.
Raven cocked up an eyebrow when Terra finally did crack open an eye and smirk at her.
"Nothing gets past you, does it?"
"Nope. Why were you faking it?"
"Everyone was staring at me, I was nervous as hell."
"So you played possum."
"Uh-huh," Terra said, grinning. "Oh, and thanks for healing me."
"My pleasure, now let's cut the crap. Why did you send an assassin after me? How did you find me in Azarath?"
Terra quirked an eyebrow and said, "Raven, I have no idea what you're talking abo-"
"Don't play dumb. He had a message sent with him, and it said the exact thing you would say."
"Raven, seriously," she sat up against the headboard, wincing a little. "I have no idea what you're talking about. The first thing I did when I broke out of the statue was fall unconscious, and then I came straight here. I swear it."
Raven stared at her straight in the eyes, trying to find any trace of a lie.
She didn't find one.
"Will you let me read your mind?"
"What?"
"Let me read your mind, to make sure you're telling the truth. If I find you are telling the truth, I'll never doubt you again. But if you're lying, I'll make sure to torture you in the worst way possible."
Terra gulped.
"So, are we at an agreement?"
"Not much of a choice," Terra grumbled. "Yea, I'll let you read my mind."
"Good," Raven said as she stretched out a hand and gripped Terra's head.
"This may sting a little."
Raven closed her eyes and concentrated hard. She heard Terra gasp in pain as she penetrated her mind, weaving in and out through her memories.
All of a sudden, Raven pulled away her hand, and they both gasped. Raven's face was flushed, and little droplets of sweat were rolling down the side of her face.
Terra looked at her and gave a weak chuckle.
"Weren't expecting all that, were you?"
Raven looked up at Terra and nodded her head 'no'.
"So much emotion. It was overwhelming…" Raven panted.
Terra nodded and then said, "So… you believe me now?"
Raven gave a shaky nod, and sat back against her chair.
"You and BeastBoy. I saw a quick flash. Did you really…?"
Terra blushed.
"Ah… no. I stopped him before it got any farther… I got… scared."
"Oh."
"Yeah," she laughed nervously. "Why are you so interested?"
"Um… because…" Raven teetered back in her chair a little. "We're… together now, I guess you could say."
Terra looked down at her hands in her lap.
"I guess I should've seen that coming. You have grown… beautifully. And I became old news."
She shrugged.
"You deserve each other. All I did to you guys was sell you out to your worst enemy."
Raven shifted uncomfortably.
"You can be like Beauty and the Beast, you know," Terra joked.
Raven could tell she was trying hard to hold back tears, and she had to admit that she was doing a good job of it. Now Raven felt like she had to say something comforting. She hated that feeling.
"You know… you're beautiful too. I'm sure you can find someone. Who knows, maybe me and BeastBoy might not work out. There's always that chance. I'm not saying it's a good chance, but it could happen," Raven said.
"Thanks," Terra said as she gave a weak smile.
"Don't mention it."
Terra wrapped her arms around herself and tilted her head back.
"You know, it's weird, but I miss feeling pain. Physically. I've been stone for how long?"
"Three years."
"Three years, huh? I guess that means I'm seventeen now… I wonder how I look."
"You want a mirror?"
"No. Not now. Not yet. It would freak me out too much. Wow, I missed three years of my life…"
They sat there in silence for awhile, before Raven stood up and headed towards the door.
"Wait! Where are you going?" Terra said, a little panicked. She didn't want to be left alone just yet.
"To tell the others you're awake," Raven said as she opened the door.
"Wait, can you… just stay? I don't want to see them yet."
"Why not? They all want to see you terribly."
"I know, but… I just… I-"
"It'll be too much?"
Terra sighed, then nodded.
"Yeah…"
Raven smirked and closed the door. She sat back down in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Do you think you could do me a favor real quick?" Terra asked.
"That depends on what the favor is," Raven replied.
"Um… if you haven't noticed… I'm kind of… naked."
Raven turned a light shade of red, then stood up.
"Right. I'll be back."
She opened a portal beneath her, and disappeared.
Terra settled back down under her blankets and looked up at the ceiling.
'Raven says I sent an assassin, huh? Someone's tryin' to impersonate me, but who would do that? All the villains still think I'm dead, and my teammates think I'm out cold. One thing's for sure, this can't turn out good."
Raven appeared a few minutes later with Terra's clothes in hand.
"I went in your room and got you these shorts and a t-shirt. I hope they still fit."
"Me too," Terra said as she took the clothes from Raven's hand and slowly got to her feet.
Her body felt like it was sending shockwaves through her system. At one point, Raven had to steady her to keep her from collapsing.
"Thanks," she muttered as she pulled the t-shirt over her head.
Once she was fully clothed, she fell back onto the bed and let out a loud sigh.
"Who knew… putting on underwear… could be so life-threatening?" she laughed.
Raven smiled, and then sat down next to where Terra was laying on the bed. They sat in a comfortable silence until Raven caught Terra staring at her. When she didn't look away, she said, "What?"
Terra shook her head and said, "You've changed. You never used to smile around me, and you're being nice to me, you're dating BeastBoy of all people, and you grew your hair out. What's up with that?"
Raven breathed a laugh.
"I have better control over my powers now."
"Really?"
"Yeah, nothing's blown up by accident for like… a month or two."
"Oh, kewl."
"Yeah, it is. I can finally laugh out loud, and I have a new power."
"Hmm?"
"I can create puppets, with my energy. All I have to do is think of the think I want to make, and I can create it."
"Awesome, can you show me?"
Raven nodded and held out her hand.
"Who do you want me to make?" Raven asked.
"Um… I don't care, make me or something."
"Oh, I know what I'll do."
She held out her other hand next to the other outstretched one, and furrowed her eyebrows in concentration.
Soon, her powers started weaving into two, six-inch figures. She didn't want to try doing them any bigger just yet.
Eventually, one figure formed into Terra, and the other one formed into BeastBoy. Raven went even further and made clothes for them.
For Terra's mini-me, a light blue Victorian-style dress with white lace, and for BeastBoy, a white blouse with tuxedo pants.
Raven plopped them down on the bed, as Terra watched in amazement, and whispered something to them. The mini-me's nodded in response to her whisper.
Raven looked up at Terra with a smirk on her face and said, "Let's just say this is my apology for stealing your guy."
Terra leaned closer to her mini-me, and awed at it.
"Is that really what I look like now?" she asked.
"Yeah. See, you look great. Now sit back and watch the show."
When Terra looked up at her in confusion, Raven simply pointed down at the minis.
Terra looked down to see the mini-BeastBoy bow to the mini-Terra, who curtsied in return. Then mini-BB took mini-Terra's hand and put the other one around her waist. Mini-Terra put her free hand on his shoulder, and they started dancing.
Terra, the big one, looked up at Raven in amazement, but found that she was concentrating very hard on the task at hand, moving her fingers to and fro to make the puppets move accordingly. Terra looked back down and continued watching the minis dance beautifully and fluidly, never missing a step.
Raven had beads of sweat popping up on her forehead, but continued making them dance, hoping Terra hadn't noticed her discomfort.
Before long, wisps of black and purple essence started floating up from their bodies. As they dissipated, they took a step back from each other, bowed and curtsied, and then let themselves return to their original form of magic.
Terra looked up at Raven with a wide grin on her face.
"That was amazing, Raven. Really, that was the kewlest thing I've ever seen."
"Don't mention it," Raven said as she laid back on the bed, completely spent of all energy.
She would have to meditate again soon.
Both their stomachs growled loudly and they blushed in embarrassment. Raven remembered all the food Cere' had eaten and wondered if there was anything left in the kitchen.
"I'll go get us something," Raven said as she stood up and headed towards the door. "What do you want to eat?"
"Um… I don't care. I'll eat anything."
"'Kay then."
Raven walked out and closed the door behind her, leaving Terra to muddle in her own thoughts for awhile.
BeastBoy sat on the couch in the living room, trying to focus on the movie playing, but he just couldn't keep his mind off of the battered and bruised looking Terra.
He couldn't believe she even stood as long as she did in the hallway.
At first when he saw her, he felt everything in his mind freeze. It was like seeing the dead rise again.
And from the look on Raven's face, she probably felt the same way, he mused.
'Where is Raven anyways?' he thought.
Immediately after thinking that, none other than the dark angel herself walked through the sliding doors. He watched as she went straight to the kitchen and started making some overstuffed turkey sandwiches.
BeastBoy was about to get up and ask her about Terra, but Robin beat him to it.
"Hey Raven, how's Terra doing?"
'Should I tell him she awake?'
"She's doing good. I got her dressed in some loose clothes and I'm making food for her now," Raven said as she continued making the sandwiches.
"So, I take it she's awake?"
"Yeah, but she doesn't want to see anyone yet. She's not ready to see the changes."
Robin nodded.
"I guess that would be pretty unnerving. Three years of her life, wasted away in that volcano. Do you think it would be alright if I did a quick check-up on her though? Take her blood pressure, eyesight tests, stuff like that."
Raven's eye dulled in thought, and then she said, "Yes, I think that would be alright. Just don't bring anyone else."
"Good. Now, I'll help you with that food. Need any drinks?"
"Yeah, go grab a couple sodas, if you please."
"'Kay."
Robin snatched a few drinks out the fridge and followed Raven out the door.
BeastBoy slowly sat back down in his seat, his ears drooping a little bit.
'I need a hug…' he thought.
No sooner did he think this, Cere' came and sat next to him, a donut in hand.
"You know I would, but my hands are rather sticky. I'm sorry about your friend in there. She seems nice, but there's something about here…"
"What? Something you don't trust?" BeastBoy snapped.
"No, no. Nothing like that. More guilt than anything."
"What do you mean?"
"She thinks she doesn't deserve a second chance."
"She's suicidal?!"
Cere' shrugged as she munched into her donut.
"Can't tell. Her thoughts are too jumbled. She's a wreck up there, no offense of course."
BeastBoy nodded and watched as Cere' ate. She looked over at him.
"What?"
"Was… that the donut in the fridge?"
"…yes…"
"I was saving that for later, you idiot!"
sigh I can't write for some reason. The deaths will have to be postponed. I was so looking forward to them too, but I just feel really out of it for some reason. Sorry to disappoint you guys, this chapter was rather short. I'll be sure to update as soon as I can. And FYI, Raven and Terra won't be so nice to each other in the future. I can't stand to much affection between those two, it's just awkward, you know?