Chapter 2
So It Goes.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans
Chapter 2: Cat out of the Bag pt. 2
Raven was having a bad day. For starters, Robin, being the detective that he is, deduced within a few hours that Raven was harboring a feline fugitive in her bedroom. Needless to say, after a stern lecturing about the evils of cats, Raven and Robin spent the subsequent hour tracking down the cat's rightful owners. Although she was happy he was reunited with his family, Raven was a little upset that she didn't get to spend more time with her new four-legged friend.
Within five minutes of the duo's return to the tower the alarm sounded, signaling that Plasmus had escaped custody and was wreaking senseless havoc downtown, officially bringing the lull in criminal activity to an end. Though they didn't voice their thoughts, all five Titans were somewhat relieved to get back into action, Robin most of all. However, taking down Plasmus proved more difficult than they had anticipated.
By the time the Titans arrived, Plasmus had tapped into the city's sewage system and was greedily consuming the repulsive content. Skipping the usual taunts and comments, Robin signaled the Titans to action immediately. The team, minus Raven, charged forward. The plan was to distract the oozing monster long enough to allow Raven to call upon her soul-self and render Plasmus unconscious.
Unfortunately, Plasmus seemed to remember his previous defeat by Raven's soul-self, and ignored the attacks of the other Titans and zeroed in on the empath. Raven, not foreseeing the usually dimwitted villain's recognition and focus on her, was struck with a barrage of slime before finishing her incantation.
Annoyed, Raven attempted to stand up and finish off the disgusting mass of sludge when she realized that the slime, which always slid off during their previous encounters, was effectively keeping her pinned to the ground. The slime that had struck her face was also preventing her from speaking, making it impossible for her to project her soul into Plasmus's mind and knock him out.
"Raven!"
Beast Boy, who became distracted when Raven had not gotten back up, was pinned next. The remaining Titans fanned out, bombarding Plasmus from all sides in an attempt to tire him out. However, the gelatinous villain was as resistant as ever to their attacks, letting the various blasts and baterangs pass through his form.
Soon the remaining Titans were pinned to the ground as well and Plasmus began advancing toward a more heavily populated area of the city. Sensing no other option, Raven searched the depths of her soul and summoned all her will power. With a muffled scream, Raven managed to release her soul-self and assault Plasmus before he fled too far.
Within a few seconds, Plasmus's massive body had receded into a sleeping human form and the slime binding the Titans lost its adhesiveness, sliding away and freeing the Titans from their gooey prisons. Raven, however, lay unconscious on the ground.
Cyborg rushed to check Raven's vitals, and after finishing a quick analysis, assured the Titans that she was fine but would be knocked out for a few hours. Relieved by the information, Robin ordered Beast Boy and Cyborg to take Raven back to the tower while he and Star waited for the authorities to pick up Plasmus and fill out the accompanying paperwork.
Cyborg knelt to scoop Raven into his arms when he was nudged aside by Beast Boy, "Dude, I got her."
Cyborg looked at his friend quizzically, "You sure there, String Bean?"
Beast Boy mocked offense, "Hey! Who you calling 'String Bean'? I've beefed up so much that I'm practically cattle!" To drive his point home, Beast Boy began striking a series of his best 'macho muscle' poses.
Beast Boy had filled out more since his growth spurt and now sported a broader chest and shoulders, as well as more wiry muscle throughout his body, but he was nowhere near the size of Cyborg or Robin.
Cyborg rolled his eyes, "Fine, just grab Rae and meet me at the T-car."
Beast Boy pulled Raven easily into his arms, "Aye-Aye, Captain!"
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Back at the tower, Raven awoke in the medbay with a splitting headache. She made to sit up but was lightly guided back down by a green arm. She groaned and turned her head to see a sleepy looking Beast Boy, still covered in remnants of slime.
"How long was I out?"
Beast Boy shrugged, "About five hours."
Raven looked surprised, "Have you been in here this whole time?"
Beast Boy rubbed his neck and looked away, "Uh well, yeah. I wanted to bring you something when you woke up. Wait here!"
Beast Boy scurried out of the room, leaving a curious Raven behind. He returned a few minutes later carrying a steaming teacup. Raven gave him a questioning look.
He smiled proudly, and gingerly handed Raven the tea. "It's ginger tea with honey and lemon. It's supposed to help soothe headaches, at least, according to the Internet."
Raven's lips tugged slightly upwards, "Thank you."
"No problem! I had to do something besides stare at you for a few hours, so I did some research." Realizing what he said, Beast Boy blushed and rushed to correct himself, "Not that I was staring in the first place! That'd be weird!"
Despite being an empath, Raven didn't seem to notice his distress as her emotional shields were becoming easier to keep up without much focus. She just sat quietly with her eyes shut, gently sipping the steaming liquid.
"This is actually very good."
Beast Boy's ears perked at the compliment. "I'm glad. I was worried you wouldn't like it! Anyway, I should probably go, see you later, Rae."
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Later that night, Raven sat on the edge of her bed wearing Beast Boy's sweatshirt. She probably should've given it back by now but something was compelling her to hold on to it for just a little bit longer, at least until it no longer smelled of him.
Something about being enveloped in Beast Boy's scent was comforting to Raven. Why wouldn't it be? Beast Boy is her friend. He's kind and patient with her, no matter how hard she pushes him away; he's thoughtful yet careless, brilliant yet childish, and she might maybe possibly think he's handsome. But it's not like she has a crush on him or anything. Nope.
Beast Boy is her total opposite, anyway. He could never think of her romantically. And she's got that whole "dangerous emotions" thing going on. It'd never work. It's not like she enjoys spending time with him or secretly likes how he tries to make her smile. It's not like she does, in fact, "dig the ears." None of the above.
Raven rolled onto her side and in doing so, caught a glimpse of something shining on her nightstand. She blushed and her chest felt strange.
It was a penny that someone gave her a few weeks prior…
"Shit."
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