(Here it is folks...Chapter 12!, Raven awakes...worrah! What more needs to be said? Enjoy!)
CH12
Mist and fog covered the ways; the echoing of foot steps brought a chill of loneliness… Raven thought her world was spooky as she walked into the unknown. "Hello!" she cried only her word echoed forever, no matter where ever she was, Raven knew she was alone, but she still tried.
Then suddenly there was a crash, Raven turned toward were the crash supposedly came from. Suddenly Raven felt the ground move underneath her feet; before she could levitate she was tossed upward and landed hard in a puddle of water. When she looked up, the mist was gone. Now Raven was gazing at pieces of twisted metal rods, rubble everywhere. Holes littered the area near building or what was once, but were now a torn ruin.
Raven gazed around more, smoke was in the distance that rose into a redden sky, towering over tall skyscrapers. Then she saw the smoke depart and several things were flying. "What the…?" She asked before hearing a terrible screeching roar… "Dragons!" she said. As the dragons flew over part of the ruined city, fire blasted upward as they past, like explosions, and Raven could feel the impacts even this far away. When Raven couldn't believe her eyes, when again her body was picked up because of the ground that exploded sending her across from where she once stood.
Her ribs hurt, her head seemed like someone just hit it with a hammer, and her hand was in pain. When Raven touched her face, and saw her hand covered in blood! Raven didn't know what to do, only she stood up when she realized the surrounded area was being engulfed in flame and earth. She felt caught helpless in the middle of something, but what?
"Rachel, come with me!" a voice suddenly said, Raven turned to see a man dressed in a dark-gray uniform wearing something similar to a Stalhelm helmet, carrying what looked like an old musket rifle. The soldier grabbed Raven's good arm and was pulling her into a massive foxhole.
When the explosions came close, debris were being sent everywhere. Raven covered her head, when the strange soldier pulled off his helmet and set it on Raven's. "There. This should protect you." He said raising his rifle to his shoulder. "Having fun Rachel?"
Raven looked up suddenly, "How do you know me?" When she looked at the soldiers face, a mud covered face, almost like Raven's, but longer, violet eyes that showed the stress and terror of war. His hair was long as Raven's, but started to curl at the ends and were white as snow… "Edgar?"
"Nice to know you remember me." Edgar said turning to look at Raven.
"But how? You were reported dead three years ago." Raven pointed out. "How is it you live and breathe? And not letting me know?"
"I can't explain it Rachel. All I know is you are here. Why did you come back? Why leave Earth and those pathetic friends of yours?" Edgar gazed at her, Raven saw the pain in his eyes, they looked tired but yet they showed no sign of fear.
"I don't know." Raven answered. "Last things I remember is being raped and being scared to die." She shivered at the thought, when there was a loud screeching noise.
"Damn it! Artillery!" Edgar yelled and threw himself on Raven, covering her as shells pounded the ground around them. When it stopped, he moved himself away, "Raped? How did it happen?"
Raven explained it the best she could, but was currently interrupted by shells pounded the ground again and again she couldn't explain it well. When she finished, "Edgar, where are we?"
"Fredericksburg!" Edgar responded. "Listen Rachel, it may seem difficult at first, but realize it wasn't you fault you were raped. Things happen that are beyond our control. Remember this; does a little child screaming out of her mother's womb have more control over its fate than a man has over God's? No Rachel, we make our choices, but those men who raped you have control over theirs. In the end they'll get their just rewards." Suddenly everything around them went eerily quiet. "Trigon's minions." Edgar said, not with fear but anger.
"What?" Raven asked, "What is happening Edgar?"
"Trigon's cult is coming. Rachel you must get out of here. If they find you, salvation is lost!" Edgar said, cocking his rifle and started to rise from the fox hole. When Raven grabbed his arm and tried to pull him down, he shrugged it off.
Raven felt tears coming down her cheeks, without a care for cover Raven stood up and hugged her brother, surprisingly he hugged back. Edgar broke away; gently he removed his helmet from Raven's head and dropped it into the bottom the foxhole and kissed her forehead.
"My dear sister, worry not. For we are doomed to die, it'll be a peace never felt before. Rachel, run. Please… I love you nonetheless, no matter what… Don't give up. I haven't given up on you, so don't do it yourself." Edgar was about to climb out of the hole, when he glanced at Raven one last time. "May you live forever." With out a word more, Edgar climbed out of the hole. Raven levitated out quickly and started to fly away from the hole when she turned to where her brother stood.
She saw that Edgar was surrounded by hundreds of men dressed in red and black uniforms carrying swords and rifles. Raven then started to fly back towards Edgar, but then a snapping noise… then a hail of bullets blasted away, cutting threw Edgar like pins threw paper. Raven's, brother's body thrashed as bullets tore at him, yet he stood up…blood poured from his wounds but he still held his rifle and tried to aimed it one of the enemies when three of Trigon's minions thrust their swords into his stomach and chest… Edgar fell to his knees, his face was white with death, and his breath was in gasps, he happened to turn to see Raven floating above them, gaping at the sight. Despite his pain, he smiled before his eyes saw only darkness. He fell to the ground dead!
"Nooo!" Raven cried out. She zoomed into the field of men, when the minions turned to her, Raven saw none of the red dressed men, but blackened clothing with masks of skulls and the infamous "V" shaped crest…Raven stopped when one of the Eternals raised a rifle at her…
"Your next, witch!" The Eternal said, and then the rifle went off…Raven screamed then…!
Raven woke up! Not knowing she was awake, Raven desperately tried to collect her thoughts. But as she gazed around she couldn't recognize anything around her. Tubes and wires poked out of her arms, and she didn't know why her right hand was in a cast or even how she got to this place. She was scared beyond reasoning, when objects around the room began to explode and she couldn't control them…
Then a door slammed open and Starfire came rushing in, Raven didn't recognize her at first, but when Star tried to calm Raven down, Raven only fought back, but tried to rip out the wires in her arms when Star pulled her hands away.
"Friend Raven, it's me, Star!" Starfire said, but Raven didn't hear it, only the beating sound of her heart. "Please Raven calm down, it's me your friend, do you remember?" Somehow that voice pierced through her fear and hard as Raven could, she calmed down as best as she could…
Then when the emotion bursts seized, Raven had tears running down her face. When she glanced around the room this time, she realized she was in a hospital room and saw Starfire looking right at her. But her face should she was worried, even still she was happy when she hugged Raven.
"You're awake!" She cried out in joy.
"What happened, Star?" Raven said, looking at her broken hand.
"Don't you remember?"
"What don't I remember?"
"The Eternals?"
Raven suddenly felt cold, she remembered it all… Tortured and raped! When she tried to raise her self off the bed, a sharp stabbing pain came threw her ribs. She cried out in pain when she fell back onto the bed. "How did I get here?" Raven asked.
"Beast Boy," Star answered.
"Beast Boy?" Raven repeated, like she never heard of him before, then all the memories came flooding back. I have to get you out…Right now I think you should go…I'm dead. Please Beast Boy just go and save yourself…I'm just a burden...If I have to, I'll die defending you…I love you…Raven, I too love you… "He didn't give up on me. Where is he?"
"At the tower, Raven." Star replied. "You want me contact our friends?" When Raven nodded, Star pulled her communicator out… "This is Starfire…" "Hey Star! How's Raven?" the voice was Robin's. "She's fine, she is awake!" "…" "Robin?" "We'll be over in a second Star, Robin out!" Starfire put her communicator away and turned to Raven, "They are on their way!"
Raven raised one of eyebrows, "No, you think." She replied sarcastically. Starfire giggled, it seemed like forever since Raven had made such a remark, and seemed just as long as since Starfire ever giggled. "So, what's been happening at the tower since the attack?"
Star went on about the repairs at the tower, the never ending searches of her and Beast Boy, then the change of the guard (I mean those taking turns watching Raven), especially of Shadow!
"Shadow?" Raven asked when he was brought up.
"Hey, that man has serious problems…like his silent voice, and his sword and his magic." Star said. "Ever since you went missing, he has beaten us, and threatens us and just being mean. But we haven't seen him since you came back… says he's a messenger to…you."
"Me? What does this message have to do with me? I haven't even met this guy!" Raven said. She tried to remember anybody the name Shadow, but none came to being. "Why me? The only message I got was from Slade to tell me my destiny… of course I knew it. But what message could Shadow give that I already know?"
"I don't know, Rea. None of us do." Star said, just then the door swung open and the Teen Titans came in one by one…Robin, Cyborg, Jericho, Argent, Hot Spot, Terra…then Beast Boy. Most came with flowers and cards; the rest was smiling and just plain being happy…
"How you feeling, girl?" Cyborg said, hugging gently as if she were a fragile vase.
"Like I've been through hell." Raven said, everyone laughed. I have been in Hell not one, not twice but three…if you count that dream…
"Well, we are happy you're awake." Robin said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "You mean a lot to this team. Not just as a team mate, but a friend. Just to let you know we are here for you."
Everyone pretty much added their own thing, except for Terra and Beast Boy. Terra came up to Raven, and hugged her. Raven thought this was the most acquired hug she ever had, but she felt that somehow Terra seemed changed since the attack, from a rude, heart-less girl to the exact opposite… "We missed you, especially me." Terra said, stepping back to give her room.
Raven smiled, "Maybe, I should get kidnapped again if I'm going to get this kind of treatment…" The Titans glanced at her, most of their faces showed horror and surprise… "But leaving out the tortured and the rape, of course." Everyone sighed with relief, but then laughed nervously.
After a while the Titans talked, told jokes and stories, it seemed that the attack the Eternals or Shadow never excited, all seemed to be normal. But something felt out of place…Raven glanced to see Beast Boy standing there quiet as a tomb, but he was gazing at her, he smiled like he always did…but that happy face of his may showed his carefree side, but his eyes showed pain and sorrow.
"Hey, BB, you've haven't said a thing all day!" Hot Spot said.
When Beast Boy didn't respond, Raven grew worried, she turned to Robin, "Can you guys give me and Beast Boy some privacy for a moment, please." She asked. The Titans were surprised by this…without saying another word, they all left the room single-filed, but Cyborg stopped for a second and placed his hand on Beast Boy's shoulder before he left closing the door behind him.
For a long moment they didn't say anything, how could they… after all they been through… it seemed that everything was strange. Beast Boy has been there for her, she told him things she would've said before on normal circumstances, but now it seemed that nothing was left between them.
"Beast Boy…" Raven said, she knew tears were coming and she couldn't hold them back, because she didn't want too.
"Raven…" Beast Boy said, same thing was happening to him but he didn't care. He went over and hugged her like lovers do; to him it seemed forever since he had held her. This was something they recognized together, that is never to be forgotten ever.
They broke away, and they stared into each others eyes, they knew they wanted to kiss, but they restrained themselves…not trying to ruin one of those rare moments together… for a moment time seemed to be still, that it wasn't going to end.
But all things came to end… "So, what now?" Raven asked.
"I don't know. All I know now is that you're awake, everything's going to be fine and things are changed between us." Beast Boy said, smiling like he used too, but Raven noticed he was just as emotionally scared as she was. No longer was he that careless boy, but a concerned friend.
"Beast Boy, I need to know something…" Raven asked, this was probably going to be the last time for now to have this conversation for a long time… "What you said in the cell, did you mean it?"
"You mean that I love you?" When Raven nodded, Beast Boy replied. "Every word. And did you mean it?" That question caught Raven unbalanced
Raven thought for a moment, she remembered saying it did to him, but it was seemed like a conversation that started with… "How are you?"...then answered… "Fine." Now that Raven thought it over, she had been rude to him, a jerk sometimes, but they had their moments unlike this one. Yet this is different, she never thought she could find love anywhere…even if she did it would've been at a dark club or at college, never a cell. Then she realized those precious kisses she had with him. Those weren't kisses from a boyfriend or girlfriend, but as two people in love. She felt her heart pounding hard, her body shacked with anticipation, and her skin felt sensitive and her every breath seemed to be her last…
"Yes…" Raven said at last. "I guess I am in love with you." Beast Boy smiled and for the first time since in what…an eternity? ...since he felt as carefree as he did now.
This time, nothing held them back; they kissed for a long time. Raven ignored the pain in her body. Beast Boy forgot his plans for Shadow, right now nothing mattered…except their love.
(Sorry for starting this chaper with another dream... Now that Raven is awake, what will Shadow's plan be? What of the the Eternals? Will Raven and Beast Boy love survive both? Who knows... CH13 coming up and review...please.)