Chapter 8: Read Me a Story - Beast Boy and Raven

"I'm trying to read," Raven said irritably, holding the book up so that it hid Beast Boy's uncomfortably close face from her.

"What's it about?" he asked, standing on the couch so that he could look down at her.

She raised her hard eyes to him, trying hard to suppress her anger. "None of your business," she said. "Leave me alone."

"Aw, come on, dude." Beast Boy flopped back onto the couch and stared up at the ceiling. For a long moment, all was silent. Then he asked, "Will you read it to me?"

Raven snapped the book closed and glared at him before wordlessly rising and exiting the room.

"So that's a no?" he called after her.

She stopped in the doorway and turned back to him slowly, obviously angry. "I'm going to say this one more time, and that's it. What I am reading is none of your business. I will never read aloud to you. So shut up, go away, and leave me alone, forever," she emphasized. Without waiting for a reply, she closed the doors behind her and made her way to her own room. At least, she was heading in that particular direction when, impertinent as always, the Titan alarm went off.

"Titans, trouble!" Robin shouted as he sprinted down the hall.

Raven, scowling, rolled her eyes and trudged back to the common room. Starfire had come in, most likely from the window, and Cyborg was just arriving from the garage. Beast Boy, of course, had already been in the room, and sat cross-legged on the couch with an uncharacteristic seriousness about him. Robin declared that Adonis was trashing the city, and they all went for it.

Beast Boy and Starfire leapt out of the window, but Raven decided to catch a ride with Cyborg in the T-car while Robin, of course, took the R-cycle. Raven could feel a headache forming, but she suppressed it by closing her eyes and mouthing her mantra in the passenger seat. Cyborg noticed and said nothing, focusing on getting to the crime scene.

Starfire and Beast Boy had already arrived by the time Robin, Raven, and Cyborg got there. Adonis was cackling and boasting about his newest body suit. They all had to admit that it was shinier and stronger than before, but they knew that they could take him out. At least, they thought they could.

The first to go down was Cyborg after having his arms and legs torn off. He lay cast aside, complaining loudly and occasionally calling for a teammate to look out. Then Robin was knocked unconscious by falling debris from the building Adonis had smashed, and when Starfire went to his aid Adonis hit her from behind, knocking her out as well. Then it was just Beast Boy and Raven.

"Just great," she muttered under her breath, narrowing her eyes.

Adonis smirked, looking from Raven to Beast Boy, who had him cornered. "You can't stop Adonis!" he taunted. "Adonis is better, faster, and stronger!"

Beast Boy morphed into a Tyrannosaurus rex and tried to chomp down on the villain, but Adonis forced his jaw back open and threw him. The changeling turned back into his human form before more damage could be done, but disappeared momentarily, leaving Raven to fend for herself.

She cast a shield of magic as Adonis punched. His huge metal fist met the shield and stopped short. Raven could hear the hydraulics in his arm straining. They were evenly matched for a long moment, both struggling. But then Raven faltered, and the shield cracked. She gasped and braced for impact, but then found herself being pushed from the side.

It all happened in slow motion. Raven's shield broke, and Adonis was going to hit her. Strong hands on her side made her open her eyes in surprise and look back as she was pushed. She saw Beast Boy's determined face, and then she hit the ground and her vision rattled. When she blinked, Adonis was standing victoriously over her, and Beast Boy had been sent sprawling across the ruined street, where he lay motionless. Where Raven should have been.

Suddenly Adonis was being pulled apart by long black whips that wrapped around his armor. He screamed in surprise and fear as he was stripped and fell to the ground. Adonis held his hands up in surrender, staring at Raven in horror. He was saying something to her, but she didn't hear it. Instead, she sneered as her magic pulled him into her cloak, where he disappeared into another dimension.

"Raven, stop!" Robin shouted.

She gasped and staggered on her feet. Adonis was curled into the fetal position, head clutched in his hands as he whimpered apologies over and over again. Raven looked away from him. Starfire was bringing Cyborg his limbs, looking worriedly over her shoulder at Raven. Cyborg had been propped up, and he too was watching her with a disappointed expression. Then he looked at something else, and he seemed concerned more than anything.

Raven followed his gaze. Robin was crouched over someone, gently moving them as though they would break if he didn't. Was it a civilian? Robin shifted slightly, and Raven saw the familiar green hair, and the memory hit her hard. She was left breathless and cold. No, it couldn't be real, it wasn't real!

Robin began giving orders. "I'll take care of Adonis," he was saying, though he sounded faraway to Raven. "Starfire, take Cyborg back to the Tower so he can put himself together. Raven, you take Beast Boy to the med bay."

Raven nodded numbly and moved forward, knees and hands shaking. It was all her fault.

There was a low murmuring. They were words, yeah, Beast Boy realized. Someone was talking. What were they saying? For a long moment he struggled to listen, and finally he caught up with the syllables.

"And so the poor miller's daughter was left there sitting, and could not think what to do for her life: she had no notion how to set to work to spin gold from straw, and her distress grew so great that she began to weep. Then all at once the door opened, and in came a little man, who said: 'Good evening, miller's daughter; why are you crying?'

" 'Oh!' answered the girl, 'I have got to spin gold out of straw, and I don't understand the business.' Then the little man said: 'What will you give me if I spin it for you?' - 'My necklace,' said the girl. The little man took the necklace, seated himself before the wheel, and...Beast Boy?"

During the story Beast Boy had opened his eyes to look at the one who was reading to him. It was Raven, sitting by his hospital bed. A glance at the title of the thick, bound book told him that she was reading Brother Grimm tales. He tried to answer, but found that his voice was too hoarse to make a sound, so he just nodded.

Raven looked very tired, but relieved. Then she looked embarrassed and closed the book. "Well, now that you're awake," she muttered. "Excuse me."

She turned to leave, but Beast Boy reached out and grabbed her wrist. She looked back at him in surprise.

"Wh-What," he whispered with difficulty, "were you reading?"

She blinked at him. "Rumpelstiltskin."

"What...happens to the miller's daughter?" he asked.

Raven looked back down at the book in her hand, then at his expectant, slightly dazed expression. Then she sat back down in the chair, and Beast Boy released her as she opened the book back to the page. "The little man took the necklace, and seated himself before the wheel, and whir, whir, whir! three times round and the bobbin was full..."

A/N: Sorry for the later than usual update. It's been busy, and I had a little trouble finding my Brothers Grimm book. But all is well.

Thanks for reading, as always! The next chapter is between Robin and Raven. ^-^