Once again I wish to say that I am pleased with how many people have given this story their attention. But what is truly important is that Cruor has merely been snacking on the pain of others up to this point. The main course begins...

NOW!

No pain. No rest. No time. These were Beast Boys thoughts as he raced to the tower in the form of a pterodactyl. And with each stroke of his wings Beast Boy felt his heart throbbing with an unspoken message, 'Save her.'

Finally the tower came into view and Beast Boy set Raven gently down onto the roof before morphing into a gorilla grabbing her in his arms and crumpling the door leading downstairs like an aluminum can. The door to the med bay opened in much the same manner.

Wasting no time Beast Boy quickly hooked up the machinery to Raven and started poring over the data that showed up on the screen over the head of the bed with a deep crease forming on his brow. It made no sense. Her pulse was normal, her body temperature was fine, but there was still something wrong. There had to be something else going on besides the burns.

The other Titans filed into the infirmary shortly after and Cyborg was the only one to speak up. "How is she B?"

Beast Boy looked at him with a face full of frustration. "It doesn't make any sense Cy. Her vitals are normal and except for the burned skin she's fine."

Cyborg placed a hand on his friends shoulder and spoke softly, but firmly, "I know that you're worried about her B. We all are. But the best thing we can do right now is to get some sleep so we can tackle this creep and Raven's condition when we're fresh."

Everyone nodded reluctantly and Robin shuffled out the door with his arm around Starfire and Cyborg close behind. Noticing that Beast Boy wasn't coming he looked back and saw Beast Boy looking at Raven with a longing stare. Cyborg gave a small sad smile at the situation and walked down to his room to recharge.

Meanwhile Beast Boy sat and mulled over how everything had gone to Hell in such a hurry. Why is it that whenever I find someone special that they get ripped away from me?

"Raven...We were so close to being more than just Beauty and the freak. Why does this keep happening?"

It was then that I emerged from the shadows. "For the same reason I'm here." Beast Boy whipped around to see my eyes blazing beneath my hood."Because someone enjoys seeing hearts break into millions of shards and then walking over them like garbage on a city street."

That was it. Beast Boy lunged at me ready to punch my face in and make me regret ever harming Raven. But faster than the eye could blink I caught Beast Boy's fist and started to squeeze.

"Pathetic mortal. Do you really think that you can defeat me with brute force?" I pushed him to the ground and allowed the boy to seeth while he rubbed his hand in an attempt to ease the pain."What do you want?"

I smiled. This one should be the most entertaining. "It's quite simple really. I wish to play a game."

The green one was bewildered at this rather anticlimactic statement. But rather than be pestered by his questions I snapped my "fingers" and we were back home. Well, I was at least.

"Welcome to my humble abode." And here I gestured to the landscape as the green one wrinkled his nose in disgust. "I'm sorry if the smell offends you, but I find it to be most calming." I loved this. I loved every minute of watching his hatred burn behind his eyes. But enough introspection, it was time to begin!

"Tag!" My finger tips left shallow cuts on his left upper arm and I vanished into the branches of a tree. Already the Changeling's expression had darkened and he closed his eyes in an attempt to locate me with his sensitive ears.

But I gave away nothing. I had long ago learned to be as silent as the grave, after all I did sleep in one.

Sensing that this was going nowhere he began to run on foot...in the opposite direction! Oh man! This guy is nothing like what my boss had told me! This kid knew nothing!

Snick! The tree gave way and I jumped to another tree to see the one I was just in topple to the ground with a resounding crash. Okay, maybe he does know what he's doing.

Bam! I saw stars as I was propelled into a neighboring tree. And his voice, "Tag!" So smug.

That's it! I was sick of being the sucker in my own game and losing to this elf! I crouched down sniffing the air, probing it for his scent amidst the death and decay. I caught wind of him behind me and turned to meet his oncoming assault with my fingers plunged into his stomach.

I brought his face closer to mine, feeling the tips of my fingers sliding through his flesh and growled out between clenched teeth, "Tag, you're done!" But he would have none of it and socked me square in the face sliding me back so that we looked each other in the eyes.

Amazing. He knew what I could do, he knew that he would most likely die here, but still he fought! Even with his own fluids and organs spilling out through his stomach he still readied himself for the next round!

During my musings he moved forward and managed to land another blow, this time to my chest, but I was ready and used his momentum to slam his back into a tree, no doubt damaging his back judging by his shout of pain.

But rather than beg for mercy, rather than cry and whine, he looked into my eyes with a fire all his own and stated with the last of his strength in a husky voice, "I'm not giving up! Raven's counting on me to pull through and as long as I'm still here I won't lose!" He may have been expecting derision, he may have been expecting laughter, but he did not expect my question, "You are in love with the daughter of Trigon?"

This was going to be fodder for Hell's tabloids for eternity! A green changeling was in love with the daughter of the most evil being in the know universe!

"What is your name green one?" Try to picture this: I have blood dripping from my right hand, the changeling has his guts and other fluids spilling out of his stomach and I just now asked him who he is.

"Beast Boy." I racked my brain for a match and found nothing. He was not telling the whole truth. "I meant what is your real name." He narrowed his eyes and tensed for another battle. "Why do you want to know?" I raised my right hand to point at him and it became consumed with flame. "Because your answer depends on whether you live or die."

He moved his eyes back and forth over my face searching for an ulterior motive. Unable to find one he said the words that caused my world to crumble, Garfield Mark Logan."

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Pain! Indescribable pain coursed throughout my body and the last thing I saw were the terrified eyes of the green one before everything went black.

Okay people there is chapter 5! Now here is a challenge for you guys: I have a rough idea of what will happen next, but I need some ideas to give it form. The person or people who give me ideas that I use will receive dedications for the next chapter.

Til next time.