CHAPTER FOUR: EVENTS OF NEVERMORE
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot line and any original characters. Everything else belongs to DC Comics. Any deliberate Harry Potter references can be attributed to J.K. Rowling for writing the material. Some of this chapter is taken directly from the episode "Nevermore".
Chapter Four:
"I don't know what you're talking about," she whispers.
"But, friend Raven, we all saw the magic. It was much like yours. How can you not do the knowing? And you said the name…" Starfire sounds so innocent. Unfortunately where her innocence is sometimes endearing, it's currently just annoying Raven.
"Because I don't, and even if I did, none of you have any reason to know."
"Raven, we're only trying to help," Cyborg says quietly. Raven shakes her head, staring at him with sorrow-filled eyes. "You don't get it, do you? I don't want help; I don't need help. I need to be left alone so I can do what I came here to do!"
"What you came here to do?" Robin asks. "And what would that be, Raven?"
Raven's sorrowful gaze turns into a raging glare. "How dare you?" She demands, sounding menacing. "How dare you? You… you hypocrite!" The team flinches as a light explodes behind her. "How dare you judge me for not telling you of my past? When Beast Boy and I don't judge you for yours!"
All of a sudden Robin has her pinned against the kitchen counter. "How do you know about that?" He hisses.
"I'm not an idiot. I put things together. Your mask, your flexibility, your analysis skills…I'm not stupid. There's only one place you could've developed into the crime fighter you have. Forgive me if I'm capable of putting two and two together."
Raven sends him flying back and stalks out of the common area. The team stares at her as she leaves. They're beginning to wonder if the Titans will be finished sooner than anyone anticipated.
The alarm was going off for Dr. Light. No team member could deny their annoyance at the situation. The events of the last few days had tensions running high in the tower.
"Your pathetic skills can't outshine the brilliance of Dr. Light!"
Raven frowns as Light brought his hands together. "Here we go again…"
She watches as each member of her team fails to bring him down. "Maybe if we actually attacked together for once," she grumbles. Then she realizes Light is saying something that requires retaliation.
"Now if no one minds, I'll be taking the gold."
Raven rolls her eyes, floating in midair. "I mind. Azarath Metrion Zin-"
A beam of light coming straight from the villain sends her flying down onto the street. She groans on impact, feeling her head collide with the pavement. She knows that her broach is showing a raven's head. It means she needs to meditate soon. The lack of meditation may cause an outburst in her temper. She has to be careful now.
She starts to get up as Dr. Light walks up to her.
"Bit of advice," he begins rubbing his hands together again, "Find shorter magic words."
She glares at him. "I'll learn new words when Rorek teaches me them!" As she levitates a motorcycle and sends it flying at her opponent, she prays to Azar she didn't just yell that out loud.
The motorcycle doesn't deter Light for long. He almost immediately sends another blast of light at her, sending her flying back, once again, into the pavement.
"Don't come any closer," she hisses. He stops moving to raise an eyebrow at her. "What's the matter? Afraid of the light?"
As the stress and tension of the last few days explodes in her, Raven unleashes her demon side. Her height triples, the ends of her cloak shred and turn into what look like tentacles. The black tendrils move from under her cloak, encircling Light and dragging him into what is probably a nightmare world. He cries out, but Raven doesn't stop.
"I surrender!" He yells, panicked, just as he fully disappears under the cloak. Raven is vicious as she smiles down.
Her demonic voice sends chills into all those who can hear. "What's the matter? Afraid of the dark?"
'My darling Raven, what are you doing?' Raven stiffens, how can he be speaking to her? 'You need to calm down. I am not there to help you. Shh, my love. Nothing is as bad as it seems.'
Raven reverts back to her normal form, vaguely aware of Robin yelling for her to stop. 'How am I hearing you? We're in separate dimensions!'
'My sweet, naïve, little Raven, I am powerful enough that a dimensional difference will not stop me from speaking to my beloved. I know what Arella and Azar have told you. I am in no danger, but you are. I heard what the criminal told you, that you need to know shorter magic words. I will speak to you once again you enter Nevermore tonight.'
'No,' she whimpers into their mind link. 'Please don't go. They're going to hate me. I didn't mean to lose control. Don't leave me, Rorek, please.'
'I am always with you.'
But in those next moments, when her teammates were admonishing her for damaging Dr. Light, Rorek was nowhere near her. He isn't there to make her feel better. She cannot feel his comforting presence in her mind, and she begins to wonder if he will really be there for her in Nevermore.
She doesn't end up meditating until the next day; there was too much paperwork to fill out. After the disastrous breakfast, Raven retreats to the roof in hopes of being by herself. Not wanting to go back into the Tower, she chooses to enter her mind through deep meditation.
And there Rorek stands, in the middle of Wisdom's area. Ironic that he should choose to be there considering what he will be teaching her.
She runs to him and he catches her in his arms. She buries her head in the crook of his neck, nuzzling the area, and drawing comfort from her beloved's presence. "I missed you," she whispers.
He clutches her tighter, not acknowledging her statement. "At some point in time, we are going to have a discussion about your leaving without telling me goodbye. But for now, I need to teach you some new incantations. You've used the same one for far too long. It's going to lose its effectiveness. The spell I'll be teaching you is from the Book of Nord, it is simple, but powerful. I trust you'll be able to handle it."
Raven moves away from him, obviously understanding that Rorek is no longer her lover, but her teacher. "Etrovae Endirum," he says softly. She stares up at him. "Etrovae Endirum?" She repeats questioningly. He nods. "This is the spell I am teaching you. It is not a mantra, it is a spell. It may cause any number of effects on your victim but it should…"
He trails off as the mindscape shakes. "Who is in your mind, Raven?" He demands softly. Raven looks around. "I don't know. No one should be in here. It may just be Rage; she's been acting up lately."
"No, there are two presences in your mind I do not recognize. I can feel Rage, but I do not know these others. They're outside of Trepid's area. They've made it through the maze. Come, we need to intercept them."
Raven nods, willingly following Rorek. She will follow him anywhere.
"We're not in Raven's home…" Cyborg begins.
"We're in her head!" Beast Boy shouts, staring at all of Raven's different personalities.
"And I want you out," she growls, manifesting in front of them with Rorek at her side.
"Hey, who is that one? Is he your masculine side, Rae?" Beast Boy asks. Rorek raises an eyebrow.
"I told you not to call me that!" A small jolt of magic hits Beast Boy, sending him stumbling back a few steps. "No one is allowed to call me that save Lorna." Raven just glares at him as he holds up his hands in surrender.
"Sorry, Rae-ven. Who is this guy anyway?"
"I am Rorek," he says. He bows at the waist. "I am Raven's betrothed. And you are?"
"B-B-Betrothed?" Beast Boy and Cyborg demand together. "Yes, Raven and I are to be bonded. Do you not have these customs on Earth?" Rorek asks confused. He could've sworn he's read something…
"No, it's not that. We just didn't expect it. If this is Raven's mind, then how are you here?" Cyborg asks. He keeps looking between the two mages. While he feels slightly hurt that Raven didn't tell him about Rorek, he understands. Robin would throw a fit if he knew that Raven is so heavily attached to someone.
"The same way as you I presume. Raven can get here through deep meditation. Anyone else has to use a mirror. There are two in existence that will get you to Nevermore. I own one of them. Raven has the other."
The ground shakes and a loud roar sounds. Raven pales further. "That's Rage," she whispers. Rorek nods. "Go, please," she tells him.
"I will help you fight."
"That's foolish, Rorek. If I die, then you die with me, and Azarath will fall because there will be no one to lead. Please, go."
Rorek pulls Raven into a quick and tight hug, kissing the top of her head. Tears shine in his eyes. "I trust you," he says to her before disappearing into the portal.
Raven turns to look at her teammates. "You have to go, now."
Cyborg holds his hands up. "Hold up. What's going on here?"
Raven swallows, glancing around, hoping she has time to give them a brief explanation. "Last night, something…got loose. Something bad."
Beast Boy scowls. "Oh no, you don't! I've had it with this mystery-girl routine. I want to know exactly what we're talking about here!"
"Mystery girl routine? I just told you about Rorek!"
A dark vortex appears behind Raven. A dark creature, one with blood red skin on a humanoid male shape appears. His hair is white and flowing, his eyes are four in number and glowing yellow. He wears a black and gray loincloth, wristbands made of steel and a belt much like the one Raven wears. Also like Raven, there is a chakra on his forehead. Antlers rest on the top of his head as well as short, curved stripes on his arms and chest.
"That's Rage," Raven whispers to herself. "Manifesting as Trigon." Neither of her teammates hears her; they're too busy staring at the massive demon before their eyes.
"Hatred shall rule!" He yells out. His voice is the same as Raven's was when she allowed her demon side to take over.
"Let's just say, I have issues with my father." All three Titans back up as Trigon gives off a roar.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" She yells, creating a shield to protect herself, the boys and the gateway. This is in retaliation to the beams of power being shot at them. Dust and rock fly up, making it difficult for her to keep her shield held.
"Get out of my mind! Now!"
The gateway becomes a whirlpool, like the one Raven knows brought the two to her mindscape.
"And leave you alone with that?" Beast Boy retorts, pointing up at Trigon.
"Not gonna happen," Cyborg finishes. He places a hand on Raven's shaking shoulder as she struggles to keep the shield up. "I don't know how your man left you."
"He understands that my sacrifice will be for the greater good," She says. Her voice quivers. It's obvious she isn't as calm as she is making herself out to be. "This is my problem, and I will deal with it. But if I lose, you'll be stuck in here forever."
Trigon throws a ball of energy at Raven. The shock causes cracks in her shield, and a second energy ball shatters it completely. Dust clouds in the air before settling. Raven's arms are crossed above her head, trying to protect itself from the rocks flying about.
"Go!" She pleads and orders at the same time. A wave of magic flings them, screaming, toward the portal. Friction causes them to skid and stop just before the gate. Raven launches herself into the air, firing shots of magic at him. She uses evasive maneuvers to dodge Trigon's attempts.
As the free-for-all continues, her teammates watch from the sidelines. She dodges another attempt by flying behind his head, but her movement allows him to knock her out of the air. He catches her though, and his daughter rests senseless on his open palm.
"Rage shall consume you."
Cyborg shouts up at the demon, "Yo!" He stands on a mountain ledge nearby. His cannon is aimed at Raven's father and fully loaded. "Sounds like somebody needs a time-out."
The battle continues and Trigon drops Raven. She falls helplessly toward the ground at high-speed. She is saved by Beast Boy, who snatches her out of the air at the last second. He rests her down on the ground carefully before shifting back to his human form.
"You stayed?" Raven asked almost incomprehensibly. "I thought you didn't like me."
Beast Boy shrugs. "Thought you didn't like me."
Raven smiles just a little bit.
"You, I like both of you," Cyborg calls from somewhere on the sidelines. "Now get your butts over here!"
Trigon appears back before the three friends, ready to fight. "Feel my fury!"
The fight continues but now all three Titans fight together, as a team.
The teammates huddle together behind a rock to plan. "He's too strong," Raven announces. "Even with your help, I cannot defeat him."
"So call for backup!" Cyborg says as though it's the most obvious thing in the world. "What about all those other versions of you?"
"Yeah," Beast Boy agrees. "The green one kinda kicked butt."
Raven shakes her head almost forlornly. "It still wouldn't be enough. None of my other sides have the kind of power we need."
Beast Boy thinks for a moment. Even in a life or death situation the act surprises Raven. Who knew Beast Boy could do that? "Not alone, but what about together?" They hear Trigon coming closer. "They're all part of who you are, right? I mean, your love for Rorek has to come from somewhere and I doubt it's your freaky demon side."
Cyborg looks over the rock to see Trigon close by. "Go for it! We got your back."
Cyborg runs off to create a diversion. Beast Boy nods at her in an encouraging way before going to help Cyborg. Raven smiles lightly as she begins to concentrate. All of her personalities appear around her. Happy, Wisdom, Brave, Lazy, Trepid, Love, and Peace surround her. They form a large circle and the eight different forms of Raven hover in the air. They move rapidly in a circle, a flash of brilliant light appears.
As Beast Boy and Cyborg fight Trigon, Raven is slowly changing. When Raven joins the fray, she does so by moving up behind Trigon's head. Her once blue cloak now shines pure white in an ethereal manner. Trigon turns to look at her. The wind created moves her cloak. Her leotard is also now white.
Raven throws a ball of black energy at Trigon. The energy morphs into rope that binds Trigon's limbs to his sides. Her voice has changed to a deep and terrifying tone as she speaks her next words.
"You are going back to where you belong!"
"Never!" Trigon denies vehemently.
A standoff between the white version of Raven and Trigon occurs. Their magic fights each other, black versus red. They are not the only ones fighting. Cyborg and Beast Boy are busy deflecting the birds that continuously attack them.
Finally a flash happens. Smoke fills the area. Once it clears it shows Raven in her regular clothing, a blue cloak and black leotard. Her head is bowed and her breathing heavy. After a few moments she weakly moans, falling backward. The birds have left making it possible for Cyborg and Beast Boy to catch her.
"We gotcha," Cyborg says.
"It's okay," Beast Boy murmurs.
"Thank you…friends," Raven mumbles. She looks at them. "So…we really are friends?" Beast Boy asks, getting excited. "Mmhmm," Raven responds, nodding while rubbing her head. "And you really think I'm funny?" He asks, recalling what Happy told him earlier.
Raven's smile fades. "Don't push it." They all laugh as they leave Nevermore. For a few minutes they stand outside Raven's room.
"I'll fix your door later," Cyborg promises. Raven raises an eyebrow. "Really? I hadn't even noticed it was broken," her sarcasm shines through in a typical Raven-like manner.
"So, um, I'm assuming you don't want Robin to know about Rorek?" Beast Boy asks. "You assume correctly. I'm not ready for them to know. Hell, I'm not sure I was ready for you two to know."
But it didn't matter, because from that moment on, Beast Boy, Cyborg and Raven were true friends. There were some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and locking your teammates' demon lord father up is one of them.