It took Cobra several minutes to get Raven to listen to him again. Petrified by the thought that the horrific figures from some of her worst childhood nightmares could be real, and could be coming for her, and could hurt her friends, she stood perfectly still, staring down at the ground.
Cobra went on and on about how important it was that they leave as soon as possible, that they needed to get away, get as much distance between them and the Hunters as they could, that every minute they were getting closer to finding them, but nothing seemed to break her from her trance.
"Every second you stay here you put your friends in danger," he finally said, grasping her arms.
That did it. Raven looked up at him quickly.
"We have to go," he said, looking right into her eyes.
She nodded once. "You're right. You're right, we can't stay here. We have to go. We have to go now."
Cobra released her and turned away. "I'll wait while you say your goodbyes."
A deep dread hit Raven in the gut as she realized what this truly meant. She had to say goodbye to her friends. Possibly forever. She had to say goodbye to Beast Boy. She had to leave him. She almost felt tears rising, but suppressed them quickly. No. She had to be strong. But how could she...? The thought of leaving without a goodbye crossed her mind, but she knew if she did not tell them to stay away, they would search for her. He would search for her.
"There's only one goodbye I need to make," she stated firmly.
Beast Boy was sitting in his room. He had been all over the tower in the past two hours. First he worked out in the Training Room, then passed some time on the couch in the Commons Room. He walked every inch of their home, passing several times by the Healing Room, but never daring to go in, and then returned to the Training Room again. Finally, he retreated to his room.
Sitting on his bed, he stared straight in front of him, thinking. What could possibly have hurt Cobra so bad? Could the Titans face something like that?
Poor Raven, he thought. He wanted to go to her. To hold her. To protect her. But she would never let him. He was aware she could take care of herself, but he still felt the need to be her guardian, so that nothing could ever hurt her again, physically or emotionally.
Beast Boy thought about the past two years. There were times they both lost their tempers. There were times they had bickered, and argued, and yelled. But, he had made a promise to her; a promise that he would never intentionally hurt her. And no matter how temperamental either of them got, he kept that promise.
A light knock at the door startled him from his thoughts. Raven's knock. He jumped up and ran to the door, almost flinging it open.
There she stood, looking as beautiful as ever, though her eyes did not meet his as he looked on her. Cobra stood a distance off, leaning back against the wall casually, arms folded across his chest.
Beast Boy looked back and forth at them both. "Raven. Cobra! You're alright!"
Cobra gave a curt nod. The changeling waited for more, but both half-demons continued to stand in silence.
"Well?" he asked. "...what happened?"
Another moment of silence passed before Cobra stood, refusing to meet BB's eyes. "Hurry up," he mumbled to Raven, and sauntered down the hallway with his hands in his pockets.
Beast Boy returned his gaze to Raven, still looking down at the floor. "Rae, what's going on?"
"...We need to talk."
Beast Boy followed Raven to the roof in silence, wondering what was happening. When they at last reached the top of the stairwell and stepped out into the cool evening air, he asked again, "what's going on?"
Raven looked him in the eye for the first time and Beast Boy was taken aback by the look in her eyes. She took a breath, and then stated stiffly, "I have to leave."
For a few seconds, Beast Boy did not understand what she was saying. She had to leave? To go where? Why? After a moment, he managed a single word. "What?"
The half-demon seemed distant as she continued. "I have to leave earth. Demon Hunters are hunting Cobra and I. It's not safe for anyone if I stay here."
Again, Beast Boy had to take a moment to register what she was saying. "Demon Hunters? What-"
"It doesn't matter. What matters is that I need to leave, as soon as possible."
"Then we'll leave," Beast Boy said. "We'll go. Where will we go?" He looked around as he spoke. "Should we take anything? Should we..." He trailed off as he noticed Raven's silence. "...Raven?"
She was standing very stiffly, rigid in place, staring at the floor.
"Raven," he said again, reaching out to touch her. She flinched away from him. Suddenly, it hit him. She didn't come to get him. She came to... No. No. NO.
"You can't come, Beast Boy." She turned away to keep from looking at him. Her eyes were strict and unfeeling, but she was dying inside. But, she was not going to be weak now. She had to be strong, let him go. That was fair.
"But..." he tried to speak, but words were not forming. "But...why?"
It's not safe for you, she thought. If they catch us, they'll kill you. "It's the only way."
"No it's not!" Finally finding his voice, the words began to pour. "It's not the only way! Don't try to protect me, Raven. I'm not letting you leave without me."
"You don't have a say in the matter!" she snapped, turning her fierce glare on him.
"But if you leave...when will you come back?"
"I don't know that I will."
"But...we..."
Raven took a breath to brace herself. She remembered Cobra's words to her as they walked down the hall to Beast Boy's rom.
'He won't take this easy,' she had warned him.
'Just do it, and do it fast,' Cobra responded. 'Do what you have to. Hurt him if you have to. Every second we waste here puts him in more danger. If you really want to save him, you'll do what it takes to leave as soon as possible. Even if it means hurting him.'
She knew he was right. She hoped Beast Boy would be more cooperative, but she had known all along it would come to this. To save him, she was going to have to break him. She took another quick breath, and then began.
"There is no 'we' anymore. I have to go, and you are not coming with me. Do not try to follow me. Do not try to find me. Do not waste another second even thinking of me, because I assure you I will not waste any on you. I have more important things to think about now."
Stung by her words, Beast Boy flinched back. Though he had always pretended he knew how she felt, he was really always wondering. Although he knew it was just like her to spill out nonsense to keep him safe, a small part of him couldn't help but wonder if she truly meant what she was saying. "I...I don't believe you. You're just saying I can't come because-"
"Beast Boy," she snapped, cutting him off. She glared at him fiercely, lowering her voice and speaking slowly so that every word was emphasized. "I don't want you to come. We were a hopeless cause from the start. It was only a matter of time until we ended. I don't want you to come, because I don't want you around. I don't want you, Beast Boy. And I don't love you."
The last three statements were flat out lies, and they burned on her tongue like fire. But they did the trick. Beast Boy, broken and defeated, could not find the words to say anything. He stood, staring at the girl he loved so dearly, feeling like his heart was being torn in two. Her cold eyes did not even waver.
She turned away from him. His eyes, so full of pain, were too much for her. Her guard was falling. She just hoped her wavering voice did not give her away as she muttered out a broken "Goodbye, Beast Boy." Then, she took to the sky.
She spared a glance back at the T Tower, shrinking behind her, and immediately wished she hadn't. Beast Boy stood there, staring after her, and she knew that image would be her's forever. She turned away again, flying as fast as she could. The tower disappeared from sight quickly as she rocketed through the clouds, letting her frustration out through speed. Cobra appeared by her side silently, keeping pace with her easily.
She knew he could feel her emotions: her heart breaking, her deep hatred for herself. That he could feel her weakness made her angry too, but she also felt relieved. She did not need to put on a show. He knew everything, so there was no point in hiding. She let the tears she had been holding back escape. She hated herself so much. Hated her entire existence. She could never do anything right. Every situation she put herself in only resulted in the people she loved the most getting hurt.
Cobra pretended not to notice the tears, continuing to fly beside her. For that, at least, she was grateful. "Where to?" she asked stiffly, without looking at him.
He shrugged. "We're running. I suppose we can go anywhere you want."
"As far away from earth as possible," she said quickly.
Cobra nodded a few times, almost to himself. "Aye aye." He transformed into his soul self, a large black shadow of a cobra, and took off towards whatever destination he had chosen first. Raven followed suit, changing into her soul self, and followed close behind him.
Two black streaks raced past the sky and into space where they disappeared, transporting to a remote planet far away from earth.
*Oh the drama! R&R!:D