Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to the Teen Titans or any characters in the DC Universe.
Raven purred as she woke up. She could hear the rumble of distant thunder outside along with the rhythmic pitter-patter of raindrops on the large windows in her room; their sing-song rhythm had lulled her into an extended slumber as she now saw that it was almost 8:00 AM, which was late for her. The room was dark as she had closed the drapes completely the night before and other than the sound of the elements outside it was quiet. She remained still, lying on her side facing the window, still only half awake and feeling a bit drowsy. She had never woken up feeling this content and happy before in her whole life, even though she had merely spent a chaste night with Garfield. She decided right there and then that she would never spend another night alone without him if she could help it.
As her senses slowly came into focus she felt that something was wrong, even though she couldn't put her finger on it. Sensing something was missing, she quickly rolled over and discovered that she was alone in her bed. Her first thought was that it had all been merely a dream, and that he had not actually spent the night with her. Feeling a tsunami of disillusionment flood through her she slowly sat up, suddenly felling very unhappy. She closed her eyes she fought back the tears welling up in them, refusing to outwardly acknowledge her bitter disappointment. It was then that she noticed that the other half of the bed had indeed been slept in. She picked up the rumpled pillow and smelled it, finding it still saturated with his unique aroma.
"Garfield?" She called out. "Where are you?" There was no answer.
She reached out with her senses and found he was still in the Tower. She leaped out of her bed, worried that something bad had happened. Without even thinking she phased into his room, where she found him.
He was getting dressed, but not into his Doom Patrol costume, instead he was wearing desert camouflage fatigues. He had a large back pack leaning against his bunk beds along with his archery set. He was sitting on the lower bunk, lacing up a pair of boots still unaware of her presence. It was obvious that he had planned for this day and was prepared for it.
"Garfield!" she shrieked, startling him into dropping a hiking boot he was lacing up onto the floor.
"Damn it Rae, you scared me."
"What are you doing?" She asked, bewildered.
"I have to go Rae. I have to go find her."
Raven's heart sank into her stomach.
"You're leaving, just like that? No goodbyes or anything?
"I was going to come back to your room." He replied apologetically, his ears dropping slightly.
"And what about the others? You are part of this team you know. Do you really think Robin's going to let you leave?"
"I don't care what he thinks Raven. I'm gonna do what I have to do."
"Then I'm going with you." She said with a tone of defiance.
"No, you're not. I don't know how long this is gonna take. I might be gone for a long time."
"That's all the more reason for me to come. Someone has to look after you."
He sighed, with a hint of exasperation.
"I'm sorry Raven, this is my quest, not yours. To be honest, I don't know if I'll ever come back."
His last words stabbed at her heart, but she didn't acknowledge them.
"You're going into the desert canyon lands, aren't you? That's why you're wearing the G.I. Joe outfit. You don't want us to be able to find, do you?"
"I have to do this by myself Raven."
"But what about us?" She cried. "I thought you were going to give it a chance?"
"I'm sorry Rae. I really am."
"Can't you put this off? I thought we had to be at the court house for Mumbo's hearing." She reminded him, grasping to find a n excuse for him to not leave.
"I don't care Raven, they're just gonna let him go. They won't send him to prison; he'll end up in some sanitarium where he'll escape from in just a few weeks. But don't worry, the next time I bust him he'll get what's coming to him."
Raven sat down next to him on the lower bunk and leaned against him, resting her head against his shoulder.
"Why Garfield? What happened last night? We were so happy together. What changed?"
Raven felt Beast Boy tense up before he answered her.
"I met the Wild Man again."
Beast Boy looked down upon the familiar sight. It had been years since he had been there, yet he remembered it like it was yesterday. The mutant giant scorpion had chased her down the very branch of the canyon where he stood. The remains of the monster, its exoskeleton, were still pinned under the collapsed stone arch that Terra had killed it with on that fateful day, the day when he had fallen in love with her.
Beast Boy quickly scrambled down the steep and tall cliff down to the canyon floor as the hot sun beat down on him. He felt thirsty but resisted the urge to take a swig from his canteen, deciding to save its precious contents for later. He paced around the scorpion's remains. As he peered inside he could see that scavengers had long since picked the carcass clean of any flesh it once had, leaving behind a cavernous interior that he could easily have walked into. He knew this was the place to start his search and turning his back to the monster's remains he began his trek up the canyon.
The canyon was silent as a tomb except for his own footsteps which seemed to echo endlessly up the gorge, as no one ever came out to the barren wasteland. Fresh water was rare and it was known to be home to other strange mutant creatures, which were the result of a nuclear waste accident that had happened decades before. Most of them were small creatures, unlike the scorpion monster but were often just as deadly. Civilians were forbidden to enter the immense canyon region, which covered over 100 square miles. It lacked the splendor associated with other better known canyons, such as Bryce, Zion or the Grand Canyon and it was rare for anyone to venture into it, even though its western branch came very close to Jump City itself. The only reason the Titans showed up that fateful day was because a lone park ranger, from the safety of his single engine Cessna aircraft, happened to be in the right place at the right to see the giant scorpion chasing Terra.
The day wore on as Beast Boy penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of the canyon. By midday he had found one of the 7 known fresh water springs that dispensed potable drinking water in the canyon. He sat down to rest after drinking his fill and replenishing his canteens. The spring sprouted from a canyon wall that also provided some shade, a welcome respite from the hot and angry yellow sun that hung in the sky.
Beast Boy continued to sit on the ground and closed his eyes, using the meditation techniques that Raven had taught him. He soon felt relaxed and opened his eyes, ready to resume his quest. He walked over to his backpack and pulled out a map of the canyon. His next step was to explore the McAllister spur, the northern branch of the canyon that was a maze of twisty gulches and ravines that covered over 20 square miles. He expected to spend weeks exploring it. It was full of caves and a few deep caverns. If he were to hide that's where he would go.
As he swung his heavy backpack over his shoulders he felt a light tremor reverberate throughout the canyon floor. At first he thought that it was an ordinary temblor, as small earthquakes were common in California. But the shaking did not stop and he wisely moved away from the narrow ravine he was in and made his way to a wider branch of the canyon.
As he came out into the open he saw the cause of tremor, and it wasn't geological in nature. His eyes opened wide in alarm as he saw what appeared to be a twin of Terra's vanquished monster barreling down the canyon floor in his direction. The creature was even larger than the dead scorpion at the canyon's entrances. It menacingly waved it otherworldly pincers in the air, threatening Beast Boy with their loud snapping sounds. They were large enough to pick up the T-Car and could no doubt snap Cyborg's baby in half. Its tail stood at least 50 feet high and its giant stinger glistened with deadly venom, no doubt enough to kill at least 100 people, if not more.
Beast Boy watched in shock as the monster approached him, clearly having seen its prey. His first instinct was to morph into a bird and fly away to safety, out of the nightmarish creature's reach. But he didn't and instead chose to stand his ground and face down the monster. He reached down to his lower right leg and unsheathed a huge knife; its titanium–carbide blade was almost two feet long. He wielded it masterfully in his hand, almost daring the behemoth to strike at him.
He rolled to his right; barely dodging what would have been a fatal blow from the monster's left pincer, which left a small crater where he had been standing just a moment before. As he came out of the roll he threw his massive knife straight at one of the creature's soft spots, missing it by mere inches. Cursing his luck he watched his weapon fall to ground, now guarded by the twin pincers. As he rolled again, ducking another pincer attack, he saw his bow and quiver lying on the ground. He crouched in anticipation of yet another pincer attack and he wasn't disappointed. As the massive claw came crashing down he leaped into the air, somersaulting and landing on top of the pincer which he used as a springboard, sailing through the air and landing next to his primitive weapon.
In a maneuver worthy of Speedy Garfield fired off two quick shots, each one aimed at one of the monster's compound eyes and they found their targets. Now blinded the leviathan began to randomly lash out. Beast Boy then gracefully rolled underneath its abdomen where he retrieved his knife never stopping his roll until emerged on the other side. Using his superhuman strength he heaped onto the creature's back, and easily dodged the strikes from its deadly stinger has he moved in for the kill. Using his animal instincts he located the monster's diminutive brain and thrust his blade through its thick protective shell, slicing the beast's brain in half, instantly killing it. He leaped away as the giant scorpion collapsed onto the ground with a loud crash. He landed on his feat with a poise that would have been the envy of an Olympic gymnast. His heart was hammering in his chest and he was almost hyperventilating.
The sound of a pair of hands clapping startled him back into reality. He swerved around, in an attempt to see who it was.
"Show yourself!" He demanded.
His admirer complied and emerged from behind a large boulder. Beast Boy gasped when he saw who it was.
"Well done Garfield, very well done." The Wild Man congratulated him. "The monster was no match for you.
"You mean to tell me that none of this was real!"
"It was real Garfield, in the sense that you were put to the test and did not fail. You did cheat when you used your animal instincts to locate the scorpion's brain, but that is unimportant. You controlled your fear, especially when your knife first missed its mark and that is what matters. You could have fled at first but chose not to out of a sense to protect others from the monster. And after you blinded it you had the nobility to put the creature out of its misery instead of taking the easy way out and leaving it to die a slow and painful death. I now have no further doubts Garfield, you are now ready!"
"Ready for what?"
"To go find her Garfield. Your mate, she awaits you!"
"She is? How do you know that? I mean, I don't even know who she is!"
"Of course you do Garfield, just look at where you are. I didn't bring you here; my home is in the moor. You know who lives here and you why you are here. You wish to find her, so much so that you faced a deadly monster that blocked your path to her when you could have easily escaped."
"Maybe, but you're saying she's waiting for me. There's no way we can know that."
"Search deep into your soul Garfield, you will find her there. Why do you think you have become obsessed with her? She is calling for you and you have heard her. She awaits your arrival so that you may claim her as your mate. Your flesh and hers will become as one and you will no longer be incomplete."
Beast Boy looked troubled.
"But what about Raven?"
"The demoness holds a special place in your heart, of that there is no doubt. I know that you are resting with her in her bed as we speak. But know this Garfield, she is wrong for you. You have good reason to fear her and you wisely still harbor those doubts. She is the daughter of man's sworn enemy, the one who seeks our destruction and ruin. Yes, she had struggled to fight the burden of her heritage but in the end she is her father's daughter, she is the spawn of Trigon."
"Don't you dare say that about her! We all have our inner demons. I've met my own inner demon and it was just as dark as hers!"
"I know Garfield, for I was there that day. Out of respect for you I will refrain from discussing her demonic nature. But I ask this in return: be honest about your feelings. Have you ever felt for Raven the way you have felt for Terra?"
Beast Boy paused and sighed before answering.
"No, never." He admitted. "But Terra betrayed us."
"And she vindicated herself when she sacrificed herself to save the city, unlike Raven who succumbed to her father and became the portal. Terra needs you as well Garfield. She is incomplete without you. Go and find her. Once you do you will see that I am right."
"I will." Beast Boy replied. "But if you are wrong then you must swear to leave me alone and never bother me again."
"You have my word Garfield. Now go!"
Raven looked at Beast Boy incredulously. At first she was speechless. She quickly looked at and then away, then back at him. She was stunned. Finally she was able to get some words out.
"Nooo. It can't be. Not her. Anyone but her!" she cried.
She got up from the bunk and walked away from him and he got up to follow her. She turned around and began to pound him on his chest repeatedly with her small fists and collapsed on the ground, wailing.
"She's worthy? I'm not good enough for you, but she is?" she sobbed angrily. "She betrayed you and rejected you, and you're picking her over me?"
He knelt down beside her, wrapping his arms around her.
"Raven, I haven't chosen anyone. I don't believe the Wild Man. I think he's wrong."
"Then why go?" She whimpered. "Are you hoping that maybe he's right."
"No Raven, but I do need to find out the truth, and until I find Terra I won't know."
Raven continued to cry. "It's not fair. She doesn't love you and you're leaving me."
"No Raven." He consoled her as he gently kissed the crown of her head. "I'll be with you. Our telepathic link, we'll still have it. I promise I'll check in with you every day."
"And when you come back?"
"If I come back, we'll pick up where we left off. I promise."
"If you come back?"
"Rae, I don't want to make you a promise that I might have to break."
"So you are considering that she might be the one?"
"Like I said before, I doubt it, but I have to find out for myself. Do you understand?"
She nodded and replied between light sobs. "I do, but I still don't like it."
He wiped her tears away. "How about you freshen up before I leave? I won't be seeing you for a while, and don't want to have to remember you with a tear stained face. You can use my bathroom."
She shook her head. "Just wait here, I'll be right back." She said before phasing into the floor and disappearing. Beast Boy sat down on his bunk again and waited. She returned in less than two minutes, her face clean and she was now dressed in her costume. She was holding something small in her hands.
"Here, this is in case you ever feel lonely."
He took the object from her. It was a small picture frame with a recent portrait of hers. She looked uncharacteristically soft and she sported a subtle smile. He examined it carefully before slipping it into one of his shirt pockets.
"Thanks Rae, I'll sleep better at night with this."
She nodded and smiled weakly, clearly holding back more tears.
"We can talk as much as you want every night Gar, as late as you want." She said. Her voice was choked up.
"I will." He paused. "I guess I'd better get going. Tell Star I'm sorry I didn't say good bye."
She levitated up to his eye level and kissed him passionately, wrapping her arms around him.
"I love you. Don't ever forget that."
He kissed her back. "I love you too Raven."
Robin entered the common room with Starfire about an hour after Beast Boy had left. The couple had shared a "private" training session where Robin gave Starfire some Jujitsu "lessons" with special emphasis on "ground combat". The Tamaranian was a quick study and quickly learned the day's lesson, which freed up some spare time for the couple to engage in a very private make out session in the gym. Their hair was still moist from a quick shower taken after they were done and they had arrived in the common room ready to prepare a hearty breakfast they could share.
The couple was so giddy and boisterous that they almost didn't notice the grey sorceress sitting on the couch, sipping her tea while gazing out the ceiling to floor windows. Her look was vacant and while Robin didn't catch on Starfire was immediately aware that something was amiss with her magical friend.
"Raven, what is the matter? You look like a lost grishnak."
The alien's voice snapped Raven out of her funk and she quickly noticed that she was no longer alone. She saw the concerned looks on their faces, realizing that she must look awful. She had accompanied Beast Boy to the bus stop, shielding both of them from the rain. She stood there as the bus pulled away and remained there until she could no longer see it. She had lowered her shield, allowing the rain to fall on her until she was drenched and now her hair was plastered against her scalp, and her cape was still damp. Even her face was still moist as she had made no effort to dry herself off.
"I'm not having a good day." She deadpanned.
Starfire shooed Robin off to the kitchen after which she sat down next to the empath, putting an arm around her shoulders.
"Raven! You are freezing! And you are soaking wet! What is wrong? Why have you not dried yourself? And why are you wet?"
"And where's Beast Boy?" Robin asked. "Don't you guys always have breakfast together?"
Raven stared stoically out the window as the rain began to come down even harder. She wanted to open their telepathic link right there and then, but she had promised him to wait for him to contact her, and he had promised to call her every night. He had only been gone for an hour and she knew he was probably still on the bus, still within city limits. Nevertheless it felt like he had already been gone for a year.
"Garfield's gone." She replied flatly.
"Gone!?" Starfire shrieked. "Raven, what do you mean he's gone?"
"He went to find Terra, didn't he?" Robin called from kitchen.
Raven nodded sadly. Starfire gently took her hands and pulled her to her feet.
"Come Raven, I shall dry you before you succumb to the influenza virus. And do not worry friend, we will find him and bring him home …"
"No!" Raven interrupted her. "As much as I hate it, he has to do this."
"Are you sure Raven? We really need him on the team. I'm sure I can find him."
"No Robin." Starfire interjected. "Raven is right, he must complete his quest or he will not be at peace. Now come Raven, let us go to your room and get you changed into some dry clothes before you become ill."
Robin watched silently as Starfire led Raven out of the common room. He also noticed that the storm outside was getting stronger.
Oh well, I didn't really want to go out in this weather anyway.
You guys have been a little stingy with the reviews lately. Not that I've been counting them or anything like that!