Thanks for your patience with these updates! I really have to apologize for the long wait for this one, though. Fact is, this one was very hard to write, thanks partly due to severe writer's block. But I hope it turned out okay. With a summer job now, I don't have as much free time as I'd like, but I'm hoping to update at least once every two weeks now. Rest assured though, this fic will not go unfinished.

By the way, I'm sure some of you are wondering what's up with Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg by now. No, they're not going to be in this chapter. Originally, I was going to follow up on them at the same time as Raven and Beast Boy, but I decided that would be too hard to follow. So now, I'm going to focus the first few chapters on Beast Boy and Raven, then the next few on the other three. I think it'll be a lot less confusing that way.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 16: Alone?

Beast Boy remained asleep for what seemed like a long time. Raven felt tired as well (the place seemed to drain all the strength from her), but she remained awake the entire time. As she sat there with Beast Boy's head still in her lap, she couldn't stop thinking about what just happened. She soon came to the realization of just how helpless she was now. He had his powers, she didn't. If he had lost control and used his powers on her, she would have no way to defend herself. She was completely at his physical mercy, and that scared her. She chided herself of being afraid of Beast Boy when she really shouldn't, but she couldn't help it. He had come close to attacking her before, but thankfully he had snapped out of it before he hurt her. The next time that happened, Raven couldn't be sure he would still be able to hold himself back.

While she was brooding, Beast Boy's eyes flicked open. The changeling glanced around, and noticed that his head was nestled between Raven's legs. At seeing how close he was to her, his cheeks flushed red.

"Um, Raven?" His voice startled Raven and caused her to jump. Thinking it was his fault for her reaction, he quickly apologized for it.

"No, it's okay," Raven said as she regained her dignified manner. "You just startled me is all."

"Oh. Well, sorry about that," he said awkwardly. "How long was I out?"

"I'm not sure," Raven shook her head. "Are you alright?"

"I guess so," Beast Boy said, now having recovered from the shock of his mental torture. Even still, he cringed. "Man, that was not fun."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Raven said sympathetically.

"Me too," Beast Boy said as he gave a slight shiver. "But reliving all those experiences wasn't even the worst part."

"What?" Raven asked curiously.

"Don't get me wrong, reliving everything was pretty terrible, but it was just that feeling he made me feel during it all that made it worse."

"Oh?" Raven asked. "What kind of feeling?"

Beast Boy sucked in a deep breath. "It was just this hollow, empty feeling. It was the same thing I felt when…" he paused uneasily, "my parents died. Like there was no hope at all. That this was the end, and I'd never be myself again. I never wanted to feel that way again after that."

"I'm sorry, Beast Boy," Raven said sadly.

"Don't be. You didn't do it to me. I should be sorry for freaking out on you earlier. So, sorry about that."

"You weren't yourself. You didn't know what you were doing," Raven dismissed.

"No, I should've been stronger than that. I should've come to my senses. I promise it won't happen again."

"Well, you weren't ready for what he did. So consider yourself forgiven."

"Thanks Raven," Beast Boy said as he stretched. "But I'm worried. What if he does the same to you?"

To this, Raven had no answer. Her past was every bit as tragic and painful as Beast Boy's, if not more so. She didn't doubt Calabos would have no problem using it against her.

"Don't worry about me, Beast Boy. I'll be okay," she said reassuringly. "Besides, that's the least of our worries. I think at this point we have to find a way out of here."

"Easier said than done. You have any ideas?" Beast Boy asked.

"Well, we have no idea where we are. We can start by finding out. This place has got to be crawling with enemies, and they all have to know their way around this hellhole. If one of us spies on them or catches them..."

Beast Boy knew where she was going with this, and he didn't like it.

"I have to do it. Right?" he asked. Raven sighed and frowned.

"Oh god. I don't want to do this," Raven said apologetically. "I'm sorry, Beast Boy. I don't want to send you out there."

"No, it's okay," he quickly said. "You're right, Raven. I'm the only one who still has my powers, so only I can do this. Just tell me what you think I should do."

"Alright, you got that down?" Raven asked for the third time.

"Yup. Piece of cake!" Beast Boy said confidently so as to mask his fear. "Run out, see if I can get any info, run back. And try and find the Templar's whereabouts if I can."

"Right. Look, if you don't want to do this yet-"

"I told you Raven, I want to do this. For you, I'll do this. We don't have a choice, and even if I get caught it can't be much worse than what else he has planned for me."

"Alright. Just…be careful," Raven said, voice thick with worry. "And don't be out too long. They can't catch you outside of this cell just yet!"

"Aren't I always?" Beast Boy asked before he slipped out of site. Raven let out a long sigh.

"I was afraid he'd say that."

"Hey! Give it back, you mangy mongrel!" the gnoll shouted at the other. He lunged forward and attempted to grab what looked like a piece of dark meat out of his hands.

"There's plenty 'ere for the both of us! Get back!" the other one ordered.

"Both of you shut up! You're getting on my nerves!" shouted a third one.

The three creatures were sitting in a room on small wooden benches that elevated them off the cold stone floor. In the center was a small fire that lit the room and helped warm the place up. They had been sitting, eating, and talking for hours, but were currently unaware of the small green spider that was watching them from the ceiling.

"This is boring! I'm sick of prison duty!" the one spat.

"Just shut up and do your job, vermin. Unless you'd rather complain to the master about it."

"Or you could complain to our new captains. They're very nice I hear," the other one piped in. At this the other two laughed.

"Hey! Don't leave your bone scraps on the floor! I'm sick of stepping over them, and they're attracting rats!" one yelled.

"Where else am I gonna put them?"

"Just throw 'em in the sewer hole!" the third one suggested. "It all goes right to the river anyway."

'The river?' Beast Boy thought to himself. He'd have to keep that in mind. He still heard no word about his friends, and that both relieved him and worried him. He hoped they were still okay.

"I'll tell you what, I don't like what the master's doing," the first one said.

"Oh? What say you?"

"I mean these prisoners. I don't like 'em. He's still keeping 'em locked up and alive without telling us what he's gonna do with 'em. Who knows what they could do in there while he's brooding."

"They don't have their powers, so there's not much they can do anyway. Besides, the master said he had plans for both of 'em, especially that purple-haired one."

'Raven? What do they want with her?' Beast Boy asked himself.

"Well whatever he's got planned, I hope he does it soon. I'm gettin' tired of watching them!"

"Hey! That reminds me, we haven't checked on 'em in a while," the third one said. "I'll be back."

Beast Boy mentally gasped, turned into a fly, and zipped back to his cell, where Raven was still waiting.

"Beast Boy, what-"

The changeling quickly shushed her and slipped his cuffs back on. Only a moment later, the footsteps of the watcher approached, and his furry head appeared in the hallway. He eyed them suspiciously, not saying anything. After a moment of staring them down and making sure they weren't up to anything, he left. Once he was sure he was gone, Beast Boy let out a sigh of relief.

"Did you find out anything?" Raven asked quietly.

Beast Boy nodded. "Yeah. I don't think they have the other Titans, but I don't know about the rest."

"What about a way out of here?"

"Yeah, I heard there was a-"

Just then, footsteps approached again from the hall, and the two teens went silent. A moment later, the same set of gnolls appeared and opened their cell. This time, their leader pointed at Raven.

"Get up. You're coming with us," he ordered.

"What do you want with her?" Beast Boy asked angrily.

The gnoll let out a growl. "Must you question everything we do? I said get up and come, now!"

The two stared at each other uneasily, then Raven grudgingly agreed to go.

"Wait!" Beast Boy objected. "Can't I go with her?"

"No. The master wants her alone! Now sit down and shut up!"

"Beast Boy, please. Don't provoke them," Raven implored. She had reacted the same way when Beast Boy was taken, and she didn't want to see them hurt him, even though he could defend himself with his powers. She didn't want them to know he could change just yet.

"I'm ready," she said. Two of them grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, and dragged her away.

"Don't hurt her!" Beast Boy yelled as they slammed the cell door shut. His only reply was laughter from the beasts.

Raven found herself shoved into a room, yet again. This room however was different. It was a rather large room with a table, soft chairs, a large fireplace in the center, and of all things, a bed. Still no windows, though. To Raven's utter contempt, she found none other than Calabos sitting at the end of the table waiting for her, and looking at her expectantly. Raven eyed him emotionlessly as she heard the door shut behind her. After a moment of silence, the dark sorcerer motioned with his hand.

"Won't you sit down?" he offered.

"I can stand, thanks," Raven replied with annoyance.

"Please, I insist," he said calmly, yet a tad forcefully. Raven, deciding to just play along for now, sat down cautiously at the other end of the table from him.

"I'm sorry, Raven. I must apologize for the rather, rude accommodations you've been living in since your arrival," he said politely, yet not sounding sorry at all.

"A prison cell's not so bad, once you get used to the bugs," Raven responded sarcastically. The other half-demon let out a chuckle.

"Yes, I'm sorry about that. We really haven't gotten off to a good start, have we? I think it's time we got to know each other a little better."

"Enough playing around, Calabos. What do you want?" Raven asked impatiently.

"Don't be hasty now, my dear Raven. What do you think I would possibly want with you?"

"Well, Beast Boy told me you tortured him last time. I think that gives me a reason to worry, don't you?"

The male demon grinned. "Yes, I suppose. It was the changeling's choice, however. He chose to go through it."

"Between asking someone to betray his friends or be psychologically tortured, I don't call that much of a choice," Raven said in an angry tone.

"Isn't it? I suppose not. Poor changeling."

"You know, he has a name! His name is Beast Boy. He's not an animal," Raven said angrily.

"Only part of the time, my dear Raven," Calabos said lightly. Raven simply loathed how he seemed to treat everything as a joke.

"Look, enough. Are you going to tell me why I'm here, or not? Why are you keeping Beast Boy and me here?!"

"Yes. I suppose you want to know. Really, I only wished to bring you here so we could talk."

"Talk? Talk?" she asked, irritated.

"Yes. I wish to know more about you. I wish to know more about your home and your friends. It must be quite unusual for the daughter of Trigon to live amongst humans, right?"

Raven let out a dry chuckle. "I guess you get used to it after a while."

"And these 'humans' of yours…what are they? Your servants? Pets?"

"They are my friends," Raven answered firmly. Calabos looked slightly perplexed.

"Really? You mean to tell me the only daughter of Trigon coexists with humans? Interesting."

"You say that as if it were a bad thing," Raven replied.

"Well, I'd have expected a demon of your power and nature would have subdued the entire world by your age."

"I didn't want to," she said flatly.

"Is that so? I heard recently that the great and 'immortal' Trigon the Terrible has been slain by his own offspring. And here she is, sitting right in front of me. Tell me Raven, how did you accomplish such a feat? I imagine he tried to take over your world when the prophecy was fulfilled, am I right?"

Truthfully, it wasn't just Raven who did it. She had help from her friends, and even still she had defeated him by channeling the souls of Azerath.

"Yes, he did," Raven answered. "But we defeated him."

"Pity, and you didn't attempt to take it over afterward, did you? I must say, I am shocked."

"Not all half-demons are like you, oh great Calabos."

The male half-demon chuckled again. "I see your father's strength and ferocity within you though Raven. There is still hope for you."

"And that's another thing. How do you know so much about me and my father?" Raven asked.

Calabos grinned. "Unlike you Raven, I did not spend my entire life running away from my own kind. I did not deny my nature, I embraced it."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, Raven. I could see it in your face when I first saw you in person. You have the look of a girl who's hiding from something."

"You still haven't answered my question," said a flustered Raven.

"Ah, yes. Well, unlike you, I didn't shy away from my own kind. I didn't spend my life hiding from my true nature and living amongst humans. When I was your age, I spent much time in infernal dimensions, walking among full-blooded demons and learning their arts. I learned magic from those whom you dared not approached. My own kind taught me how to harness and control my own powers. Not some pathetic mortals foolish enough to think they could actually train you."

"Your own kind?" Raven asked angrily. "Last time I checked, you were only half-demon."

Calabos sneered as if she had just insulted him. "And you are only half-human! The same dark blood runs through your veins as it does mine. Yet you still run and hide from your own nature. You could have all the power in the universe, yet you squander it by submitting yourself to the whims of pathetic mortals."

Raven shot up in her seat. "Those 'pathetic mortals' are my friends!"

"Your friends?" Calabos asked with a low chuckle. "What 'friends'? The ones you came through the portal with? The little changeling? You're only fooling yourself, Raven. Any friendships you ever make will only end in ruin. You'll never be able to fully live amongst them."

"Oh really? And why is that?"

"You can never connect with them, Raven. They don't understand you, and never will. And you deep down don't understand them. You are too different. Your own nature won't let you make any deep, lasting relationships with them. And trust me, when the time comes, they will leave you. And not only that, you will be glad of it."

"I've lived with them for years, and they've never left me. If you're trying to break me by feeding me these pathetic lies, you're mistaken, Calabos," Raven shot back.

The male demon chuckled yet again. "Lies? What lies? Don't tell me you have never felt different, isolated. Like you are alone and nobody understands you. Am I right?"

Raven didn't answer.

"And you can trust me, it will continue to happen as long as you lie to yourself," he continued. "Whether it happens within a year or fifty, they will either leave you, or you will choose to leave them. Because me dear Raven, no matter what they say, they don't understand you. They don't know what it's like to be one of…us."

Raven still said nothing, and by now had lowered her head.

"You have no answer? Good, you don't need to. Trust me, you'll understand in time. Sooner or later, you'll finally give in to your true nature. It's inevitable."

"So what are you saying?" Raven finally asked defiantly. "That I don't have a choice? Thanks, but people have been telling me that my whole life in so many words, and I'm still doing fine. So you'll excuse me if I don't take you very seriously right now."

Calabos shook his head. "No, Raven. I'm not saying that. You've always had a choice. I am merely saying that when the time comes, you'll make that choice yourself – willingly."

Raven raised her head and glared. "And who are you to say that? You meet me just now and then rant about my friends and me as if you've known me your whole life? I know what you're trying to do, and it won't work. You're not going to break me by feeding my head these lies, so you can go to hell. Even though you might like it."

Calabos didn't laugh, but raised his lips in a sly grin. "Lies? You still don't get it, do you Raven? You think I'm lying?" The half-demon rose from his seat. "Would you like to know what I saw in the changeling's mind yesterday? Hmm?"

He steadily approached Raven, who now edged away in her seat.

"I saw into his mind. I saw the girl. What's her name? Terra? Ah, that's it. And yes, I saw how he feels about you."

Raven looked away and supressed a shudder. She could feel his powers starting to worm his way into her mind. He was trying to invade her.

"Stop it," she snapped. A moment later, he laughed cruelly.

"I do not believe this! I would not have guessed it. So Raven, you really do have feelings for he changeling, do you? Ha ha! Unbelievable. Well, would you like to know why he came after you? Would you?"

Raven gritted her teeth and tried to resist him, tried not to break down in front of him. But with her powers gone and her already weakened state, it was getting harder and harder. Even worse, something told her he was holding back, that he didn't want to break her just yet. He was just going through her recent memories, trying to soften her up.

"I want you to be in your right mind when you hear this. I saw his motives, Raven, and I saw why 'Beast Boy' tried to win your heart. He didn't do it out of any feelings for you. He did it because of her."

Her? He couldn't have meant Terra, could he?

"Yes, Raven. Terra," he said as if he had read her mind. He probably was, actually. "Your friend, whom you trusted, and dare I say loved, only came to you because he was still torn up over her. He didn't feel anything for you. He was only so desperate he wanted to fill the vacuum in his heart with anything he could find, even if it meant crawling to the likes of you. You're only fooling yourself if you believe anything he said or claimed to feel was genuine."

Raven lifted her head and glared at him. "You lie," she hissed.

"You don't believe me?" he laughed. "You know what I say is true. Remember how he acted when he returned to you yesterday? He fears you, and deep down, has nothing but contempt for you. After all, why should he not? What have you done but poured your derision on everything he did? Put him down every time he tried to impress you? Abuse him every chance he got?"

Raven looked away in shame and anger. She would give anything to be able to send him to an alternate dimension right now. But what hurt her worst of all, more than anything, was that he was right. With the way she treated him, she never gave Beast Boy any reason to like her. Why should he then? Calabos was right. He probably did still love Terra, not her.

"Face it, Raven. You've been nothing but abusive toward him. He only desires you to help him forget about his first love. Face it Raven, nobody really loves you. You're on your own. You are alone."

His words stung her worse than any knife ever could have. She felt dizzy, and wasn't sure if it was his powers doing it, or her own emotional turmoil. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them come.

The dark sorcerer backed away, but never took his eyes off you.

"But I want you to know, I've been down the same path you have. That is but one of the reasons I chose my path. Perhaps I shall tell you more about myself tomorrow. Yes, I think it is right that you know. But not now. I have other things to see to."

He turned away from Raven and headed toward the door.

"Wait!" Raven said before he reached the exit. "Not that I'm complaining, but aren't you going to take me back to my cell?"

Calabos gave her a sinister look. "Your cell? Oh no Raven, you're staying here from now on."

"But why?" Raven said as she shot up from her chair.

"You didn't honestly think I'd let you and 'Beast Boy' share a cell the entire time, did you? I'm not that foolish. Prisoners who are together tend to find ways of escaping."

Now that he mentioned it, Raven noticed that door was solid and reinforced with iron bars.

"But don't worry, I'm sure you'll find this much more comfortable than your cell. And don't you worry about the changeling. I'll take good care of him."

"You bastard!" Raven shouted as she lunged toward him. Before she could reach him though, he stepped through the door and disappeared. Raven almost collided into the door and pounded on it roughly, as if she hoped to break it down.

"Let me out of here! Let me out!" she screamed. Realizing how vain and futile it was however, Raven turned away and slumped against the door. She stared at the ground emptily, hope draining from her eyes every moment. Things seemed to be getting worse as they went, and there was nothing they could do. And now she were stuck in some faraway world, separated from her friends and her home, and prisoner to someone she knew wanted her for some sinister purpose. And once again, she was alone. As she sat, one word escaped her lips.

"Garfield…"

Well, do you hate my villain yet? I'm sure you all still are wondering what the heck Calabos wants to do with Raven, and more importantly, what the heck the other Titans are up to. Well, trust me, you'll see. Don't give up on this story yet! There will be plenty of good stuff later. In the meantime, be sure to leave a review! They help keep this story going.