So sorry for the late update, I took a little break from all writing projects and then I couldn't get this chapter to flow like I wanted it to. Hopefully, it flows well for you guys! Thank you for all of your interested reviews/comments. If this keeps up I might be able to do mailbox responses more often!
Anyway, here you go! Enjoy!
The rumbling had stopped, only the sounds of loose rocks tumbling down piles of other rocks to settle and the sound of the stiff, cold wind could be heard.
Starfire shivered as she sat up.
Raven lay on the ground at her knees, deathly still. Blood stained her face, her purple hair lay around her head in dirty tangles, her skin was whiter than snow, and her eyes were closed.
Starfire choked on a sob.
"Raven...Raven, please wake up." The Tamerainian girl tried to gently shake her friend, but her restraints made it awkward. She somehow managed to prod Raven gently in the shoulder, but it did nothing to stir her friend.
Hot tears pricked her eyes, and she gasped desperately for air.
"Raven please..." She hiccupped. "Please wake up. We cannot lose you..."
Starfire's heart ached in her chest. There was too much blood. Her body was too cold, too still.
She watched Raven's chest with bated breath, waiting for it to rise and fall. Begging, praying to whatever god would hear and listen to her, X'hal, Azar, the gods of Africa Gar had once told her about, even Cyborg's God, for her friend to take a breath. She prayed to them all, and yet, nothing. Raven's chest remained still.
"Please, wake up..." She whispered helplessly, tears falling unnoticed from her eyes. Several times in her life had she been in impossible situations, but never had she felt so helpless before.
When Raven did not stir at her gentle prodding or her quiet pleas, Starfire turned to violent shaking, shouting, and screaming her friend's name.
"Raven! Raven, I know you are in there! Please come back! You cannot do this, you cannot leave us behind!" Her voice broke, her cries strangled by the thick lump in her throat. More hot tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision.
The quiet stillness of the mountains surrounding them seemed to magnify Raven's stillness and caused Starfire's heartbroken cries to echo around them.
"Please, please, please..." Starfire begged, leaning forward clutching her arms to herself as much as she could with her bulky restraints.
Moments passed, and nothing happened.
Raven remained as still and quiet as death.
The wind grew sharper, piercing Starfire's weak body and causing her to shiver from the cold she was not used to feeling on her skin. The crumbled walls of the former cavern around them left the girls sitting in a large crater in the ground, open and exposed, vulnerable to the elements and anything else that may do them harm.
But Starfire did not care.
Her friend, the closest thing she had ever had to a loving sister, was gone.
It was difficult and awkward, but Starfire somehow managed to gather Raven into her lap, putting her arms over Raven's head and allowing it to rest in the crook of her elbow. The chains on Raven's wrists and ankles jingled and clanged as Starfire moved and shifted Raven's limp body.
Starfire curled in over Raven's body, openly weeping as sobs shook her body. She touched her forehead to her friend's, a Tamerainian tradition for a final goodbye. Her tears fell onto Raven's closed eyes and cheeks, dripping down to her pale chin, creating streaks in the dirt that covered her friend's face.
She wanted to believe that there was hope. That there was something left of the girl she knew inside. But Starfire was forced to accept the truth. A faint smell of Raven's lavender soap and a cold, limp, lifeless shell of a body were all that remained of her friend.
The wind howled around them, creating sounds that made Starfire shudder.
She needed help, she needed shelter, but she wouldn't leave her friend.
She didn't know how long she sat like that, minutes, hours, days...time was irrelevant to her. In reality, it was only a few short minutes before she heard something other than the howling wind.
Distant voices, some sounding like shouts passed over the crater, sounding so far away. Starfire ignored them, not caring if the assassins came back to finish her off as well.
"STARFIRE!"
She heard Nightwing's voice first, his scream a desperate cry that filled the air. Her head lifted, hope seizing her chest like an iron fist.
"STARFIRE!" The shout was closer this time, growing more worried and frantic in its tone.
"RAVEN!" The cry from what she knew to be her green teammate broke her heart, and another sob tore at her throat.
"H-here!" She called her voice raspy with grief and weak from screaming. "Over here!" She shouted again, this time her voice stronger and more urgent.
A familiar green man in a white and red uniform crested the ridge first. He paused taking in the destruction around them and the scene that was her and Raven. But he didn't pause for long, the last time he had it had cost him dearly. He surged forward, panic clear on his face even from where Starfire sat, dozens of yards away.
Nightwing was next, bounding over a large boulder and quickly descending into the large hole, leaping to and from rocks as agile and sure-footed as a mountain goat.
Changeling reached them first, falling to his knees on the other side of Raven's body, looking on in disbelief.
"Raven..." He croaked, sounding quiet and small.
Gently he took her from Starfire, resisting the urge to snatch her from the orange woman's arms. He did not want to hurt either woman any more than they already had been.
Nightwing arrived just as they finished making the transfer of Raven from Starfire's lap into Changeling's. He collapsed next to Starfire, his arms immediately wrapping around her pulling her close into his chest.
The tears started anew, Starfire melting into him and finally allowing herself to relax. More sobs wracked her body as she trembled and cried, tears and snot staining Nightwing's uniform. He squeezed her closer to him, one hand in her hair, the other wrapped firmly around her back.
"Shhh...it's okay, I got you. You're safe now, I've got you." He whispered. He gently placed several kisses on her head, all the time whispering in between, "I found you, I finally found you."
"I'm sorry- I'm s-so, so, sorry..." Starfire hiccupped between ragged breaths. She couldn't take her eyes off of Changeling and his look of defeat as he studied Raven's still form in his arms, guilt flooding her. "She – I tried to – and then..." Hiccups riddled her speech, preventing her from speaking clearly.
"Shh, shh. Star it's okay. It's going to be okay." Nightwing pulled away just far enough to look her in the eye, his masked eyes searching her face earnestly. His gloved hands held either side of her face, his thumbs gently rubbing her cheeks.
He took a ragged breath before he looked her in the eye apprehensively.
"Are you alright? Is-," he paused searching for the right words. "Are you alright?" He said again, this time more pointedly, his eyes drifting to her stomach and then back again.
Starfire hiccupped, looking at him in confusion before understanding lit her eyes. She tried to place a hand on Nightwing's arm, but her restraints prevented her.
"I am okay," She looked him in the eye, making her voice as calm and reassuring as she could despite the hiccups and the tears. "We both are." She wanted to place a hand on her stomach, but again her restraints prevented her.
Nightwing released a pent-up breath of relief, his shoulders relaxing somewhat. She was alright, Starfire and the baby. The past two months had been pure torture and now he had her (well them) back in his arms. He could focus.
He looked down as if noticing for the first time that Starfire had restraints on her hands. He reached into his belt while looking for the hole to pick the lock.
"Where is the-"
"You cannot pick it," Starfire explained between sniffles. "They put a spell on it so that the lock only appears when the key is present." Her nose twitched, begging her to scratch it.
Nightwing looked around them at the scene of complete devastation, bewildered.
"How are we ever-"
"It is in Raven's pocket."
Meanwhile, Changeling hadn't been able to take his eyes off of Raven. He cradled her tenderly in his arms, searching her face hopefully looking for any sign of life.
At Starfire's statement, both men looked up in surprise.
"She was able to distract Slade long enough to pick his pocket. We had a plan-" Another sob claimed her voice as she looked upon her friend's lifeless body, fresh tears dripping from the corners of her eyes.
Nightwing wrapped Starfire up in his arms, turning her face away from the scene and into his chest. He gently smoothed her hair down and rocked back and forth trying to comfort her. Admittedly he had never been good at the whole "comfort" thing, but with Starfire's help, he had gotten better.
He looked over at Changeling, a silent question crossing between them. Even if he had wanted to let Starfire go he knew that his green friend would never let him get the key out of Raven's pocket himself. He was pretty sure that Starfire was the only reason Changeling had allowed him this close to Raven at all.
Changeling silently nodded and slipped two of his fingers into Raven's pocket. Nightwing's heart clenched as he watched his friend. He looked so shattered, tears streaming down his face, his bottom lip quivering, and yet he remained silent. Nightwing had expected some sort of scream of pain, a roar of anger, or frantic cries of denial from the teammate who never seemed to run out of things to say. Who always had a positive observation, a bad joke, or a cheesy one-liner. Which made his silence all the more painful.
Sure enough, Changeling found a small key in one of Raven's front pockets. He pulled it out and held it out to Nightwing, but as the team leader reached for it, Starfire stopped him.
"Wait," they paused looking at her confused, but she wasn't looking at them, she was watching Raven. "It also unlocks Raven's chains."
Once again the men looked at each other in a silent exchange.
Changeling was on the brink, only staying calm because shock enveloped him. Numbly he handed the key over to Nightwing. What difference did a few seconds make?
Nightwing made quick work of Starfire's restraints before handing the key back to Changeling. As he began to slowly undo Raven's chains, the couple next to him embraced again.
"Wait," Starfire sat back, a hand on Nightwing's arm, and her other one protectively on her stomach. "How did you...?" She asked more confused than surprised.
Nightwing reached into his belt again and pulled out the pregnancy test, Starfire gasping when she saw it.
"We found this at the construction site. It must have fallen out of your pocket. Changeling confirmed that it was ours."
"But...how?" She looked at Changeling for an explanation.
"Smell," his voice was rough from strain and held back sobs. He sounded broken. "I could smell yours and Nightwing's scents on it." He never looked up, the whole time his attention was riveted on Raven.
Nightwing placed a hand under Starfire's chin, gently guiding her face back to his. He placed his forehead on hers, closing his eyes and reveling in her presence. "It doesn't matter now, we found you and - " he paused, throwing a cautious glance at the fragmented green man holding his friend's limp body before him. "...and that's what's important." He finished weakly. He was going to say that they were safe, but it was insensitive and untrue in Raven's case.
Footsteps sounded close to them, crunching the loose rocks, causing Nightwing to look up, his hand reaching for his belt instinctively. A low growl emanated from Changeling's throat as he looked over darkly at whoever dared to approach.
"Easy there guys," Cyborg raised his hands in surrender. "It's just me."
The other two men relaxed, if only slightly.
Cyborg's face fell as he took in the scene before him. Changeling's arms continued to cradle Raven's still form as he began to slowly rock back and forth, his forehead pressed to hers. Nightwing held Starfire close to his chest as she began to cry again.
Cyborg watched as a tear escaped his best friend's eye and ran down his cheek to his chin. The grieving man didn't bother wiping it away.
The cybernetic man choked on a sob as the reality of the situation before him finally clicked. He wanted to fall to his knees in defeat. He wanted to rush to his friend's side. He wanted to hug his little sisters. He wanted to scream and cry and demand answers. But instead, he stood frozen, unable to move.
The same question ran through his head over and over again, 'Why, why, why, why?'
Nightwing clearing his throat brought Cyborg out of his shocked stupor. He looked at his team leader, hoping that he would provide the answers he wanted. Instead, Nightwing nodded at Changeling and Cyborg looked over to see their friend shaking with grief.
Cyborg took a deep breath, burying his own emotions. He needed to step up and be strong, at least for a little bit longer. He had managed to do it for the last two months. He could do this. He straightened, preparing himself for the difficult task ahead. He glanced at the team leader for reassurance, and Nightwing nodded again, confirming an unspoken understanding between the two of them.
Cyborg looked forward and set his jaw, determined.
He had his mission.
He approached his grieving best friend slowly, so as not to startle the many animals that were surely on the surface of his consciousness.
Changeling allowed him to approach, but before he could reach them the green man let out another low growl, this one more threatening than the last. He cast a dark look over his shoulder at his cybernetic teammate, his eyes pitch black.
Cyborg paused, dread pooling in his stomach.
Gar was no longer in control. They were now dealing with the Beast.
'Ah, shit.'
"Do not come any closer cybernetic freak. I will not hesitate to kill you if you do." The voice was a shadow of Gar's, similar in sound but lower and more rough.
Cyborg winced. His words hurt, but he had to remind himself that they were just that, words. He didn't mean them, it wasn't Gar talking, but a mixture of the Beast and the grief.
"Gar, I know you're in there. Please, listen to me." He inched forward a step but paused when the Beast snarled and squeezed Raven tighter to himself.
"Stay back!"
"B, please," He glanced down at Raven's still, pale body and tears stung his eyes. "We have to– there are things that..." He choked on a sob unable to look away from the horrifying amount of blood that covered his little sister's body. He drew in a shuddering breath. "We need to take care of her body."
Starfire's muffled sobs started anew at the word "body".
The beast snarled and snapped his teeth at Cyborg, but didn't move to come after him. He wouldn't Cyborg realized, because it would require him to let go of Raven. So long as Cyborg remained out of his reach, he could approach Changeling without getting hurt.
And it was Changeling again, or at least, it was starting to be. Cyborg could see the struggle for control in the man's eyes, green slowly trying to creep back into the black, soulless eyes.
Cyborg slowly took a few more steps closer to them as Gar and the Beast grappled over control.
His head suddenly snapped back to Raven, his ears perked on top of his head. He was silent and still for several moments, watching her intently before looking wildly back at Cyborg, his fully green eyes wide.
"Cy! I need you to scan Raven!" He cried desperately.
Cyborg exchanged a look with Nightwing, unsure of what to do. Nightwing slowly shook his head, his sympathy and disapproval for their teammate both clear on his masked face.
Cyborg looked back at Gar, the slight hope that underlined the desperate wildness and immense grief hard to ignore.
"Please."
"B-"
"Please Cyborg, it can't hurt."
"It can hurt you. She's gone BB. Let her go." He spoke gently, not wanting to completely crush his friend. He hadn't used the nickname "BB" in a long time, trying to respect his younger friend's persona change and transition into adulthood. But he thought that maybe, under these circumstances, Gar would appreciate the familiar nickname and find it comforting. That apparently, was not the case however.
Anger flashed in Gar's eyes. He growled lowly and began to snarl again, this time it being Gar, 100% in control. Cyborg backed up a step, raising his hands signaling his surrender. The anger was quickly replaced by a determination that Cyborg recognized. It was Gar's stubborn, "I know I'm right and I'm going to prove it" look that also served as his "I'm going to win this video game level, no matter how late I have to stay up, if it's the last thing I do" look.
"Scan her." He ordered, clear and firm as though he were the team leader instead of Nightwing. His tone was hard, holding a relentless, unspoken command in it. Had they been a pack of wolves Cyborg did not doubt that Gar would be pulling his Alpha card, the unspoken command being "on pain of death".
Cyborg sighed, crushed by his friend's denial.
"She's dead Gar. Please don't-"
"I heard her heartbeat!" The desperation was back, as well as the anger. The intensity and conviction of Gar's statement startled Cyborg and he took another step back, stunned.
He glanced up at Nightwing a new question in his eyes. Catching this, Gar whirled around so that he was facing Nightwing again.
"I heard it, I swear! It's faint, but it's there. Please," his voice broke, "you have to believe me!"
Nightwing frowned in consideration. Starfire pulled back so she could look up at him with hope-filled eyes.
"It could make sense with her healing powers..." Nightwing mused out loud.
"Screw this," Cyborg said rolling his eyes. He marched forward so that he was next to Gar and began scanning Raven. He couldn't imagine why he waited so long or why he had looked to Nightwing for a decision. Gar had the best ears of all of them. If he said he picked up a heartbeat then he picked up a heartbeat.
For several tense seconds, they all waited, as still and quiet as the mountains around them. Then, a single, solitary beep rang out from Cyborg's arm. Then another. Then another. Slowly, but steadily, the lines across his arm pulsed in time with the beeps.
Cyborg blinked and rubbed his eyes just to make sure they weren't deceiving him. Then he ran another scan just to make sure the readings weren't lying to him. Everything came back the same, even a little stronger.
"S-she..." He opened his mouth but he couldn't seem to get the words out.
"Cyborg, what is it?" Nightwing asked a hopeful edge to his voice.
Cyborg looked up at Gar, disbelief written on his face.
"She has a heartbeat. It's slow, but it's there. Her pulse is thready and weak at best, but it's there. And it's getting stronger."
Gar's eyes closed, relief flooding his face. Kori let out a cry that was half joy, half surprise. Dick's shoulders relaxed, and he let out a breath he had been holding.
"Thank God..." Cyborg muttered under his breath. He wouldn't take his eyes off of the screen on his arm, too afraid that the moment he did, Raven would flatline.
Shouts from the rest of the Titan's network could be heard in the distance, getting closer as they continued their sweep of the area. Nightwing seemed to snap back into leader mode when he heard them.
He whipped out his new communicator and opened up a line to Bumble Bee, Batman, and Kid Flash.
"We found them. They're okay for the most part but need medical treatment, and Thalia and her goons got away. Kid, I want a wide perimeter search, 5 miles out in every direction. Batman-"
"Already on it," Batman's curt reply came over the speaker. "Justice Leaguer's will start the search immediately. Out."
Nightwing didn't say anything, he just continued as though he had expected that reaction the whole time.
"Bee, can you send Harold over to us? We need him for immediate transport."
"Got it, he's headed your way."
"Good, Nightwing out." He clicked his communicator shut and replaced it in his belt. He got to his feet, and as he stood he slowly pulled Starfire up with him.
Starfire stood slowly, wincing. Her legs had fallen asleep and when she tried to put her weight on them she stumbled into Nightwing's chest. He caught her and steadied her with an arm around her waist. He turned to Cyborg and Changeling.
"The girls need to be taken back to the tower for medical treatment ASAP. Someone needs to go with them so that they're protected."
"I can go," Cyborg offered. "They need their wounds treated anyway, and with Raven out of commission..."
Nightwing nodded but looked grim.
"That makes the most sense, but I need you here too. With your scanner and equipment, the search will be a lot more thorough and go a whole lot faster." Nightwing rubbed his chin, frowning at the ground.
"I can go, get the girls set up, and come back." Cyborg offered, but Nightwing was already shaking his head.
"I don't want to leave them alone, not after...all of this." He said gesturing to the rubble around them.
Changeling gently slid his arms underneath Raven, one under her knees, the other around her waist. Carefully, he lifted her into his arms and slowly stood, terrified that every movement would make her heart stop again. As he straightened, Harold arrived through a portal, his signature trumpet horn heralding his arrival.
"I'm not leaving Raven," Changeling announced. There was a hardness in his tone that made it clear that this was not up for debate.
The lines around Nightwing's mouth deepened, and his jaw clenched.
"I can't afford to lose both of you. Cyborg needs to be the one to go, he's the one with all of the medical training. Raven will be in good hands."
Changeling growled.
"I'm going."
"I need you to stay," Nightwing argued, glaring at his green teammate.
"Tough." Changeling snarled. His eyes were slowly turning black again, his demeanor steadily becoming more wild by the second.
"I'm going, that is final. It is not up for discussion or debate little bird." He growled in the Beast's voice.
Nightwing caught Cyborg's gaze who was shaking his head no. His look said, "Don't push it" and he was right. He frowned but reluctantly nodded. He wasn't happy about losing Changeling's tracking skills, or his raw strength, but after finding Raven in the state she was in, he figured this would happen, though he did think that he might be able to get Changeling to stay.
Gar relaxed a little, relieved that he wouldn't have to leave Raven and that he wouldn't have to kill his team leader over it. The Beast began to slowly retreat into Gar's mind, satisfied that Nightwing would not interfere with them and their mate.
"Fine," Nightwing growled, "Harold I need a portal back to the tower for Cyborg, Changeling, and the girls-"
"No," Starfire gripped Nightwing's uniform with a tight fist. She stood up straight and appeared calm, but Gar could see the fear in her eyes and hear the tremble in her voice.
"I want to stay with you." She protested.
Nightwing frowned down at her.
"But you need medical attention. Your injuries-"
"Are not that bad. I am capable of walking and keeping up. I promise." Starfire assured him.
"But what about..." he paused, throwing a cautious glance toward Harold before giving her a pointed look and shifting his eyes briefly to her stomach.
Starfire's grip on his uniform tightened, and she squeezed his hand.
"I will be alright. I have no pressing injuries and Cyborg will be far too busy with Raven to tend to me for hours anyway. Please," she sniffled, her green eyes pleading with him. "Do not send me away. I want to stay with you."
Gar sympathized with her. He knew how she felt. After two long months of separation and the trauma of what the girls must have gone through, he didn't want to leave Raven's side and could understand Starfire's desire for the same with Nightwing.
But he also understood Nightwing's concern. Starfire was clearly weak, signs of malnourishment and starvation were evident, not to mention her actual injuries. The next several hours, days even, would be grueling, searching the area with a fine tooth comb, and possibly dangerous if the League of Assassins decided to come back. If they did she would have no way to defend herself since it appeared that she was powerless.
If she were to stay and a fight were to break out Nightwing couldn't rely on her to be able to protect herself, nor could he ask anyone else to go out of their way to protect her. He could do his best, but he wasn't wired the same way Gar was. He was human, he didn't have the amplified protective instinct that the Beast and other animals provided and he was their leader. If the Titans were going into battle he had to lead them, he couldn't hang back and protect Starfire no matter how much he might want to. He had to choose the many lives over the one.
Nightwing sighed and ran his hand through his hair, thinking hard about all of his options. Gar could see the wheels turning in his head and didn't envy the choice he had to make.
"Alright," Nightwing finally relented. "But you need to stay next to me the whole time." He ordered using his leader voice.
Starfire nodded eagerly.
"I will not leave your side, I promise."
"Fine," with a huff he turned back to Harold. "Harold?"
The blue-hooded trumpet player eyed all of them cautiously, no doubt wildly confused by their dynamic and the severely large pieces of information that he was missing. But he nodded, if somewhat reluctantly, and blew his horn creating a portal.
Before walking through, Cyborg turned back to Nightwing, "I'll be back as soon as I get Raven set up in the infirmary and treated as best I can."
Their leader nodded and Cyborg walked through the portal.
Changeling shifted and tightened his grip on Raven. He looked down at her again, making sure she was still breathing. His ears twitched, now tuned into the sound of her breaths and beating heart. Her chest rose slowly, too slowly for comfort, but it rose. It took another excruciatingly long moment of waiting before her chest went back down again.
Assured that she was still breathing, Gar looked at Harold and nodded.
"Let's go."
'Don't worry Rae, I've got you. I finally found you, and I'm taking you home where you'll be safe. And I'm never letting you go again.'
With that he stepped through the portal, carrying his Raven home.
Mailbox Responses (Still figuring out what to call this, trying different things till I find one that seems to fit):
Dragonnoon388 - Yes, the girls did get enough care to prevent infection, but not much more, I don't know if you caught it, but in Thalia and Slade's conversation with the Doctor, they said that they needed Raven (Starfire too) in a certain physical condition. Healed from her wounds, but too weak to use her powers. The reasons why will become clear later, I promise.
oluwabukunmiolatoye6 - Thank you! I'm glad you find it intriguing and are enjoying it!
yunaff30 - I hope this chapter has answered some of your questions, though I know it hasn't answered all of them. I will keep updating until either people stop enjoying it or it ends, whichever happens first (hopefully the second one, I already know how it ends).
Thank you all for your reviews/comments, I always enjoy reading them, they make me smile every time!