Hello everyone. i'm very sorry for the delay. i must admit i got a bit of writter's block and was stuck half way the first paragraph. i also want to say that there are things i like to read about but feel uncomfortable writting about at the moment.. at least for my first story ... so , in light of that, i have left a few details to your vivid imagination.

i also want to thank everybody for reading and stick with me this far. i really appreciate the reviews and sugestions as to how the developement could be. And apologize in case some of the characters seem...well... out of character, but is momentary and for the purpose of the chapters in which they appear. Anyway, enough rambling, here is chapter 19.

Chapter 19. Pain

The chopper had disappeared in the distance, but the building behind them made it difficult to discern which direction and with the dozens of armed men aiming at them made it almost impossible to even attempt to move. They had orders that as soon as the chopper was out of range, to kill them all. When the moment came, they all got their weapons ready but the moment the men started to shoot, a dome of black energy formed over them protecting them from the barricade of bullets coming from all directions.

Raven had assumed her earlier position but was sweating from the exertion. She could feel the pressure of the attack and her powers draining. Cyborg started to shoot at the men from the T-Ship hovering above them, giving them a distraction

"QUICKLY, GRAB ONTO ME, I CANT KEEP IT UP MUCH LONGER! She yelled at the others who came running behind her. The dome shrinking over them. Red X grabbed onto her waist while holding Starfire's hand. Batman, who was a bit suspicious, hesitated for a second before Starfire grabbed his hand, her hold stronger than what he expected. Robin however, was hesitating. It worry him seeing Raven to the point of exhaustion due to her power draining.

"Raven , are you sure…?"

"DO YOU HAVE A BETTER IDEA?" she snapped feeling faint already and her body weak. Red X felt her tremble slightly.

"Raven, will you be ok?" the thief asked in her ear.

"We'll find out….ROBIN… NOW!" Robin quickly put his hand on her shoulder , throwing a quick look at the thief's hand holding Starfire's then glared at Red X while Raven chanted her mantra out loud "AZARATH, METRION, ZINTHOS!". At that moment, Cyborg noticed the energy dome started to spiral around the group, shrink and started to disappear into itself. The men then resumed their attack on the vanishing vortex. Cyborg decided to throw smoke grenades and once the sensors in the panel showed they were gone, he threw gas grenades around, intercepted a couple of missiles aimed at the T-Ship and with one last blast, incapacitated their larger weapons while one by one, the men fell unconscious and he made his way away from there.

Two miles east, on a small clearing at a nearby wooded area, a vortex of dark energy formed and quickly disappeared, showing five figures in the dark. Raven fainted the moment her dark energy vanished and fell limp against Red X who let go of the alien to catch the sorceress before she hit ground.

"Raven!" Said Robin kneeling next to them. But his communicator went off, when he flipped it open, saw Cyborg on the screen. "You guys ok? I lost track of you for a minute."

They were still close enough to see the smoke rising above the trees not too far away. "We're fine but Raven fainted. We're about two miles east from the morgue. it's a small clearing"

"Got you on radar now, I'm on my way. Cyborg out."

Batman then called him over to where he was a few feet away. "Is she ok?" he asked. To anyone it would have sounded like a dry and cold question but Robin recognized the tone as one of concern.

"I think so. She's just exhausted from using her powers so much in so little time. Teleporting more than one person at the time is particularly draining for her" he said looking at her from afar.

"But she does it anyway" he sounded accusing.

"Only because she saw no other way out and quite honestly, neither did I" He turned to his mentor and felt the need to defend her.

"I'm not accusing her Dick, I'm just trying to make sense of what just happened. Magic is not something I'm used to deal with. And why is the thief so attached to her? How did you get him to help you in the first place?"

"That's Raven's doing. She offered him a deal he couldn't refuse. And before you ask… yes, I trust her judgment."

"What did she…"

"Bruce.. Is it really the time for this? And why are you questioning me about what goes on with my team? We have bigger issues at hand."

At that moment the T-Ship landed at the edge of the clearing. Cyborg quickly got out with what seemed to be a first aid kit. He hurried towards Raven who, at the moment was being held by Red X but let it pass being her health the priority. He tapped a few keys on the keyboard built in his arm and a small screen appeared. Her vitals were displayed as he run a scan over her body. Starfire knelt next to Raven and softly run a hand over her forehead.

"Her skin is cold. Is that normal?" she asked with a worried expression.

After a moment of silence, Cyborg spoke. "She'll be fine. She used her powers to the max, she just needs to rest" He told her with a faint smile, trying to ease her worries.

"Then why is she still out?" interrupted the thief. But Cyborg eyed him suspiciously and said "Why the sudden interest? Since when are you the concerned type… since when are you concerned for her?"

Red X sighed and looked straight at him. "Since she saved my life more than once now… Look, I know I'm not your friend, but I'm not your enemy. I mean no harm to any of you." he said while looking down at the sorceress for a moment then back at the mechanical man. "The least I can do is make sure she's ok"

Cyborg was about to reply but Starfire put her hand on his shoulder "Friend, is it possible to put our differences aside for the time being? We have more important things to worry about." she said trying to sooth his temper.

"Starfire is right, first we need to get away from here before those mercenaries find out we're still in the vicinity." Said Robin walking towards them with Batman.

"What about Raven? She needs medical treatment" said the thief, picking her up in his arms.

"We'll take her to the Bat cave, she'll have all the medical treatment she needs there" when he saw the thief's hesitation and the tilt of his head as if questioning him, he continued. "you can come as well. I understand the Titans trust her judgment regarding you so I guess that will have to be enough for now… so don't disappoint her" he said this last with a menacing look. The thief nodded once and proceeded to follow Starfire to the T-Ship where she picked up Raven's limp body into one of the compartments after Red X teleported himself inside to receive her again. This time he was seated and held her on his lap as if cradling a baby.

Cyborg and Robin watched him all the while with astonishment. "If she finds out about this we'll all be sent to another dimension. Him for doing it and us for allowing it." whispered Cyborg over his shoulder to the others.

...

...

The chopper landed on the roof of an abandoned building fifteen miles east from where it took off. Beast Boy had started to wake up, but was confused by the noise of the propellers so loud. He was disoriented and a headache was becoming more persistent. The cold breeze came hard on his face and he could see outside. Then he remembered what was going on. He heard feet running around and voices trying to overcome the noise then a strong arm came over his head and pulled him by the collar. He couldn't breath for a few desperate minutes then was thrown on the floor. It was dark on the rooftop and couldn't make up the faces. For a moment he looked around the open sky and thought to himself " how close to freedom yet not quite". he tried to turn into a gorilla but nothing happened. He tried a couple more times but to no avail. This time, he heard a cynical laugh hovering over him.

"Try all you want little man but as long as you wear that collar.. You're mine… take them inside!"

He was pulled up on his feet and pushed thru a door. For a moment was blinded by the sudden bright light. The air was stale and muggy. Garfield looked around and saw a long corridor with cement floor and faded yellow walls before him. Saw behind him and noticed a camera on top of the door they had just gone thru and another one half way in the hallway. One of the men pushed him again and started to walk. He saw at least four more besides the poacher. One of them carrying an unconscious Meliah over his shoulder. Her body limp and had bruises and scratches all over her arms. A gushing wound on her torso which seemed not to be too serious since blood had started to dry up. But then he looked down to her face and covered by her hair was a faint smirk then she winked at him. He muffled a gasp, he could have sworn her eyes were crystal blue again.

He wondered what was she thinking. But realized that part of her plan had been to be captured again and she must know something he didn't. So he kept looking around. The corridor was somewhat narrow and at the end of it was a metal door guarded by a man with a medium size gun hanging from his shoulder and another camera above the door.

He decided that he was going to buy some time and distract them enough "but how?" he thought to himself. "What would Raven do?" he thought again. He lingered in that thought. The memory of her soft body beneath him that night. He had been sore and even somewhat scared … well no, he had been terrorized to find out if she was mad at him, but it all had been worth it after she kissed him.

He even remember his little encounter with Rage but then remembered how familiar Red X had been with her. In less than twenty four hours, the wretched thief had been able to get a whole lot closer than he ever dared to and she wasn't blasting him off across the field. True, she had been a bit busy at the moment holding up a shield to protect everybody from the bullets but she hadn't snapped at the thief the way she had done with him.

Oh, he was mad now, to think that the so called villain was out there close to her and not him and oh how he wanted to pummel the thief to the ground.

He even imagined himself, one foot over Red X's chest with an air of superiority and Raven running to him and clinging to his neck, kissing him repeatedly and calling him her hero. Of course he realized that last part was plain daydreaming now. The chances of such scenario where Rave would react like that were from less than slim to a rotund and definite none. "But I'll definitely kick his butt" he thought to himself .

By then however they had reached the metal door. The guard with the gun opened it for them and he was shoved once more. "Ok, ok, I'm going." he said. Once inside, he stopped short at the sight. On the left side it was a lab/torture chamber like place. With monitors, cables and hospital beds and surgery tables. On the other side a cage almost as tall as the room they were in and occupied half the space. At the far end there was a double door and there seemed to be more to the room behind the cage.

The man carrying Meliah went straight to the cage dropped her on a small bed at the far end of the cage. That's when she sprinted to her feet and tried to strangle the man with the chain that held her hands tied. But she was still too weak from the sedatives and her attack was blocked easily and she was thrown back to the bed.

"MELIAH!" Garfield yelled and tried to go to her but he was contained easily as well. With hands and feet closely tied in chains, didn't allowed him mush room to move so he was knocked down again but only felt to the floor.

"You stupid creature, when are you going to understand that I am the one in charge here. I say when you can move …" Beast Boy tried to say something but Alec came closer and punched him on the left cheek. "And I say when you can talk"

"Leave him alone you sick bastard!" Yelled Meliah from inside the cage, a drop of blood running down the side of her face from her right eyebrow.

"You have some nerve to talk to me like that but I know how to make you shut up" Alec pressed a button on a device he had in his hand and an electric shock emanated from the collards that both changelings were wearing. Grunts of pain escaped them as they twisted and turned on the floor for interminable seconds.

"Ha!, no need to cook you up yet. First to what we came for" and he motioned one of the man to pick up the green changeling and throw him in the cage. With push of another button, the cage closed and their chains fell to the floor. A magnetic wand retrieved the metal cuffs from across the floor and another man shot more darts. One to each one in the cage. Meliah was kneeling next to Garfield who had hit his head with the bars.

They both felt the prickle of the darts and immediately their vision was clouded. Beast Boy felt panic and started to sweat. Meliah, having being treated the same way before, knew what to expect so she remained as calm as she could manage. The men outside the cage started to laugh and started to walk away. But Beast Boy regained his sight and after rubbing his eyes in discomfort he said.

"So this is it? You're gonna put us to sleep again? is that your grand plan? And what is all this for?"

"Sleep? Ha!, sleep is the last thing you're going to do in the next few hours little man. And all this… is part of the plan"

"Plan huh? And who do you work for Alec? Cause I don't think you have the slightest idea of how to operate any of this machinery" Beast Boy taunted. Sweat running down the back of his neck now. Then he saw Meliah shake her head in her hands, she was also having trouble breathing. He quickly went to her side but she refused him.

"Stay away Gar.. You need to stay away until the effects of the darts disappear" she whispered, still not looking at him.

"Why M, what's going on? I don't understand…" then a sharp pain in his midsection left him breathless. He staggered back, hunched over, hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. "What… is…going…on… why.. Cant I… breath…" his heart was beating twice as fast and made him feel light headed.

"Alec you fucking asshole, give him the antidote…NOW!" she was still holding her head, eyes closed and trying to overcome the splitting headache that had suddenly exploded making her see red in rage.

"Now, now. You know that insults wont get you anywhere… besides, you very well know what the antidote is…" Alec had come closer to the cage, resting his arms on the bars. She was just a few feet away.

"I don't know what you're talking about" she yelled back.

"Oh c'mon, like you haven't seen it before. You have refused the other trials before but you have one you like now… besides, is up to you to save him…" before he even finished, she had jumped at the bars and grabbed him by the hair and with all her might, pulled him towards the bars making a loud clank noise. His shades broke, along with his nose and a red bruise across his forehead could now be seen. She felt back on the floor the moment he managed to press the button on the remote he still had on his hand, sending another shock wave to the collars. The other men tried to come closer yelling and screaming but Alec turned around and said "SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

The men fell quiet when they heard her laugh while she got up. When Alec saw her, almost all color left him. Her eyes were crystallized blue for a few seconds.

"You're an imbecile!" and made her way to him again but he was faster this time and moved out of her reach and pressed another button. This time, a metal sheet in between each bar was raised closing all possible exits. The vent above the cage was the only air conduct and small traces of light from the lamps outside made it in between the cracks.

She could hear them laughing again and one of them threw something at the cage making it echo in great magnitude inside. They both covered their ears. After the noise had subsided, Alec yelled from the other side "Who's laughing now bitch!" and left.

Meliah could barely see around the cage and Garfield had managed to straighten up enough to rest against the make shift walls.

"Meliah… are you…ok?" he said in between breaths.

"I'm fine… how are you feeling?" she said quietly.

"I feel like… my heart is.. About to… explode… What did…he do … to me?"

"a shot… of … adrenaline and … something else … not sure what" she felt her breath failing her. The headache was worse and felt nauseous.

"He said… you knew … the antidote…what is it…"

"I'm not… sure… all I know is… that you need to… release that energy…somehow… or you can… suffer a … heart attack"

"He said you… had seen it work… whatever it is… just do it"

She took a deep breath trying to sooth her headache. Then she heard him grunt in pain, she looked the direction where his voice had come from and she could make out his silhouette and saw him slide down against the wall holding his knees close to his chest.

Beast Boy had never felt such overwhelming pain. A feeling of anxiety and desperation was taking over him. The pain on his abdomen and specially his genitals, had him at the brink of tears. The only thought that crossed his mind before passing out was Raven.

He could hear muffled sounds and a far away voice calling his name. urging him to wake up but was so dizzy and light headed he was giving up. But suddenly he felt a faint cold then warm sensation. He was sensitive to the touch and felt wrong for some reason. After a few minutes the heat overwhelmed his body and was sweating and all the built up sensation was so painfully released that made him cry out in agony, at the same time, a savage jerk on his neck made him throw his hands over his head before hitting the floor but was too weak to fight and felt his hands being pushed back to the ground.

Slowly his heartbeat returned to a somewhat normal rhythm and the weight pinning him down was slowly lifted. He was confused but the same muffled voice urged him now to sleep. And although deep down he knew there was danger around, he had no choice but to give in the darkness.