Hey yo, author here! Don't have too much to say ahead of this one! I've now got the storyboard for how this is gonna go right till the ending, so now it's just a matter of actually writing it hahaha. I do have a few plans for other stories after this, but don't think I'll be doing one as big as this again for a while! Still, gonna be so satisfying when I wrap it up. As always, thank you so much for reviews/favorites/follows. Also, now that viewer count is fixed, it's crazy to see how many people are actually engaging with this!
As always, much love - Seadavid41
Ch. 28 Nevermore (Part 1)
The Titans Tower at night was always a quiet place. With so many meandering hallways that were so used to the hustle and bustle of heroes, the corridors couldn't help but feel slightly more empty and cavernous when the usual flow of activity came to a halt, as Titans retired to their rooms. Despite the fact that he knew the building inside and out (he did built it after all) Cyborg always felt slightly unnerved when he traversed the tower after dark alone.
After Beast Boy and Raven had left for Nevermore, he knew he wouldn't be able to simply wait for them to return. He needed something to occupy his mind. So, he had headed for the garage, his safe haven, but also, his preferred place to work and he most certainly had work to do. If Raven was able to find answers in Nevermore, a full on assault of Deathstroke's base could be on the cards. While he trusted himself in combat, he had read the dossier the Nightwing had provided. There were some heavy hitters under Deathstroke's charge that would normally take multiple Titans to take down. However, he had been tinkering with a concept that he had envisioned just before the Brotherhood of Evil became a problem. What had started out as a crazy idea had slowly morphed into something very tangible and very real. After all, he'd been half robot his entire life…if he knew he was going to be fighting bigger enemies, why not fight with a bigger body?
Nightwing had told him and Starfire that if Beast and Boy and Raven returned from the mirror, he would message them. So, with no message having come through and a recharge not needed, but very much desired, he had put the tarp back over his "project" and left the garage, moving from his brightly lit workspace to the quiet halls of the Tower. The hallway lights were perpetually on at night. With hero work not exactly abiding by standard working hours, the tower remained operational at all times, in case of a late night alarm which required the resident heroes to spring into action. Cyborg was thankful for it. Not that Wicked Scary had managed to have that much of an effect on him…Raven's antics afterwards however…let's just say he liked the hallways being nice and bright.
The walk was silent from the garage, barring the brief buzzing provided by a fly circling around Cyborg's head. The path to his room was a meandering one, up flights of stairs from the depths of the tower and while he could take the lift, the walk gave him a moment to detach from his work in the garage and start to wind down, allowing his mind to wander to other things. He couldn't help the slight smile that appeared on his face when his thoughts drifted to Bumblebee, who he now had a future date with. How he had manage to pull that off, he would never know. Did Bee expect him to dress up? Because clothes hadn't really been at the top of his priority list for a while at this stage and he was pretty sure he would need a fairly special tailor to get him to fit into a suit. Maybe Nightwing had some connections…
Cyborg froze in place, the sudden lack of noise from his metal feet clanking against the floor only making the silence seem louder. But, the complete tranquility of the moment was broken by the faintest sounds of muffled conversation from somewhere up ahead. The problem was…he could have sworn he heard his own voice? Cyborg began walking forward again, doing his absolute best to try and not alert whoever was nearby with the sound of him lumbering down the corridor. He couldn't hear the voices anymore, but something didn't feel right to the metal Titan. Cyborg usually trusted his gut and right now, it was screaming at him that something was wrong. He came to a halt just before he came around the corner to the hallway with the door to Main Ops in it. Taking a deep breath, he slowly peered around the edge of the wall.
There was nothing. The hallway was complete empty without a single sign that anything had been disturbed. Cyborg should have felt relieved…or not bothered. Maybe it had just been a trick of the mind. It had been a long day. He had been up far more than he should have been over the last two days. But why then did the pit in his stomach not want to go away? Despite his true desire to go for a recharge, he just couldn't bring himself to not check in with Nightwing now. That would certainly calm his frayed nerves. Walking around the corner, Cyborg approached the door to Main Ops. Finding himself feeling a bit ridiculous, he still couldn't shake the feeling of unease enough to resist placing the side of his head against the door in an effort to hear what was going inside.
Cyborg stood up bolt right. The tower was silent…but the tower was supposed to be silent. It was late. Everyone was in bed. Raven and Beast Boy were off in her mindscape. That meant Beast Boy wasn't around the tower, transformed as an animal. Also, it was the middle of the coldest Winter Jump City had seen in a decade and Cyborg kept the tower impossibly well ventilated. So, how had there been a fly buzzing around his head in the hallway for what now seemed like a bizarrely long time.
"Not heading inside Cyborg? I hear there's a party going on."
Cyborg's realization had come to late as he wheeled around, only to catch the briefest glimpse of the grey and black fist of a gorilla before it ploughed into his face, sending the Titan crashing through the doors of Main Ops, where he rolled across the floor, before coming to a halt as he hit something solid. He reached a hand out to grasp whatever he had collided with only to realise he had grabbed a very firm and very metal leg. Before he could react, he felt a hand grip is head like a basketball, as he was pulled upwards and forced to stare into the eyes of his so called inner demon.
"Well, well, Victor Stone in a heap on the floor…I've missed this sight."
Cyborg didn't even get a chance to respond before he was swung by his head across the room, where a blast from a sonic cannon connected with his mid-section in midair, sending him careening into the wall of Main Ops, where he became embedded for a few seconds before slowly falling to the floor, as if he had been slowly peeled off. Pushing himself up, he was finally able to take in the room. Starfire was currently being restrained by her own inner demon while Nightwing was currently enveloped in a bear hug from a yeti, his arms pinned down by his sides. His own inner demon, who appeared to have handed Nightwing off to the grey changeling, was now advancing on him, a smirk across his face.
"Now Victor…we can do this the hard way…and I really hope you pick that way…or you can tell me where Raven is."
Cyborg kept his relief hidden. The doppelgangers didn't know about Raven's mirror, or at least that Beast Boy and Raven had ventured inside. Whilst dragging himself to his feet, two subtle taps of a screen that he kept hidden within his wrist sent a very simple message. He could only hope the recipient was still awake. He stood up, and squared his shoulders at, what he considered to be, the cheap imitation in front of him.
"I mean, if you know everything about me, then you know I've never been one for taking the easy way. So how about you take your little request and you blow it out your a-"
Cyborg's sentence was cut-short as his opposite rushed him and he had to bring his hands up to brace for the impact.
"Always been rash when it comes to making sensible decisions. No wonder you haven't been able to make up with daddy dearest yet…and why you haven't gone to visit mommy dearest. I'm sure Elinore would appreciate the visit."
Cyborg ground his teeth together as the words sunk into his head. He knew this was the clone's game and no matter how much he wanted to tear into him, he would not give him the satisfaction. Under the strain, he felt the slightest vibration from the panel in his wrist and he couldn't help but shoot the clone a grin, which for the first time, caused him to falter in his confidence ever so slightly.
"I'll make sure to make a note of that, but for now, I think you've got bigger problems than me to deal with."
Cyborg's doppelganger looked at him confused, before both their heads turned towards the Main Ops door, which had just attempted slide open, although Cyborg's collision with them resulted in them eliciting a screeching metallic noise as they grinded across the dented floor . Initially, there was nothing. But then, in a split second, blink and you would have missed it, a blur of yellow blazed into the room, colliding with both of the Starfire's, separating the pair of them. The grey yeti could only look on in shock, giving Nightwing the opportunity he needed. With a quick strike of his elbow upwards, which collided with the nose of the yeti, he quickly dropped to his knees in its loosened grip and rolled to the side, creating some separation between the two. Cyborg was about to take a swing at his own demon, when it was promptly sent careening to the side as bolt of electricity collided with him. Cyborg eye's darted to Main Ops, where Bumblebee now stood, blowing off the top of one of her "stingers" like she had just fired a colt in a western shoot out.
"You messaged Sparky?"
Cyborg shot her a quick grin. "Your timing is perfect as always. I'll compliment you even more after we deal with these."
Bumblebee responded with a nod of affirmation, her attention already switching back to the alternate Cyborg, who was already starting to rise from the heap he had fallen in, as Aqualad and Argent appeared by her side. Cyborg took the moment to move towards Nightwing, who had managed to backflip away from the now rampant demon Beast Boy. The two fell in beside each other, Nightwing panting.
"The three of them just appeared in Main Ops. How could they have gotten in without setting of any alarms?"
Cyborg grimaced. "You didn't meet these guys last time. When you went to save Raven after Trigon arrived, this is why Trigon distracted us with. They're essentially our dark sides, as cliché as that sounds. They know everything we do…or that we did up until Trigon summoned them, cause they don't seem to know about Raven's mirror, or at least put it together themselves yet."
Nightwing reached into his utility belt, withdrawing two birdarangs, a determined look spreading across his features.
"Well then, let's make sure we goddamn keep it that way."
Beast Boy didn't think he would ever be able to get used to the experience of entering Nevermore. Even though he'd expected it this time and he'd been through Raven's portals so many times before, there was something about being dragged in, as opposed to entering on his own terms, that made his stomach do somersaults. That was how, despite being fully prepared, he found himself falling through Raven's mindscape just how he had the first time, his brain not registering the fact that even though he was in Raven's mind, he could very still much get hurt here…or plummet to his death. Just as his brain kicked back into gear, he felt his fall start to slow down. Beast Boy glanced downwards to see that a circular platform of dark, ethereal magic was beneath him, slowly bringing his fall to a complete stop. Knowing there could only be one source of such magic, Beast Boy turned around to find Raven descending towards him slowly and gracefully, a playful smirk on her face.
"I would have thought you have learned after the first time you came here that entry can be…bumpy."
Beast Boy rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "You'd think so hehehe…I've never been good at remembering important stuff like that though."
Raven floated down and joined him on her platform. "No, you certainly haven't been…but I'll let it slide this time. I know you don't like travelling via my portals so I'm sure entering my mirror is disconcerting at best."
Beast Boy looked at the empath as if he wanted to argue, as Raven commanded the portal to descend lower into Nevermore. "It's not that I don't like them. There's just something about them that if I don't go straight into it, kind of prepped, it makes my stomach feel funky."
Raven, who was squinting off into the distance at the ground, only seemed to be half-listening. "Yea, I get it…don't worry."
Beast Boy looked at her puzzled. "Ehm…Raven?"
Raven's eyes suddenly widened and a look of panic crossed her face. "Oh Azar."
Beast Boy came to stand beside the empath, worry in his eyes. "Rae, what's wrong?"
Raven swallowed. "Usually when I come here, the emotion I need to speak to will come out to meet me. If more than one emotion has something to say, well I'm occasionally greeted by two…very rarely three."
"Okaaayyy…so what's the issue?"
Beast Boy glanced down over the edge and if he wasn't for his green skin, he would have turned as white as a sheet.
"…there's a lot of them waiting for us Raven."
"It's all of them…except for Rage…and I have a funny feeling I know why we're being blessed with the company of so many them of them."
Beast Boy waited for her to explain until he slowly realised that Raven was simply staring pointedly at him. He tilted his head at her, then glanced down back at the awaiting emotions, then back to Raven. His mouth formed a small circle.
"Oh boy."
"I warned you about Rage saying things that I would never say…I probably should have thought of this as well."
Beast Boy moved back from the edge of the platform and gave Raven an inquisitive look. "Wait, but the last time Cyborg and I were here, only the pink one actually came looking for us. Why would so many of them come out this time?"
Raven desperately wanted to pull her hood-up to hide what she could only assume was the touch of scarlet that had almost definitely made an appearance on her cheeks. "You've been…quite the subject of interest amongst them for a while."
"…oh."
Raven resisted the urge to groan. "Look…Gar. In Nevermore, the main emotions that make up who I am are isolated as individual beings. As such, their thoughts are far less complex than my own. Their ideas and opinions are not clouded by circumstances or ramifications, for each one can only truly see the aspect of a situation that affects them. It is why Nevermore is so useful for meditation. If I'm having an issue, I can essentially break down the conflicting thoughts into two separate arguments and understand the clear reasoning for either side. However, if they speak to you…they will speak to you in a way that I usually can't…because I do think of circumstance…and the ramifications."
Beast Boy nodded in understanding. "Okay, I think I get it…would you prefer then if I didn't talk to them at all? Like…this is your mind. I'm not about to go rooting around, even if they come to me first."
Raven shook her head. "No, no…it's fine. Just know, that…well, they view things relatively…simply. So while what they say might be something I think, just know…it's not as easy as how they say it is."
Beast boy grinned at her, but she didn't have to be an empath to know that the changeling was nervous. She slipped a hand onto his shoulder, causing Beast Boy to look up in surprise.
"If it helps…the majority of them are quite the fan of you. Outside of Rage and Lazy, I think you're pretty much well…beloved by all."
Beast Boy seemed to relax a little bit at her sentiment but then his brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait…Rage I get…Lazy? Lazy has an issue with me? I would have thought she would have loved me?"
Raven grimaced. "That's a long story for another time."
Beast Boy could only shrug as Raven accelerated their rate of descent towards the rocky ground of Nevermore. It wasn't long until the platform neared the surface, although Beast Boy was slightly suspicious that towards the end, Raven was slowing down the platform more than she needed too. Once the platform made contact with the ground, the magic that made it up dissipated into the air, leaving Raven and Beast Boy standing on solid ground, in front of a group of wide-eyed emoticlones, who were staring at the pair, but primarily at Beast Boy. He felt like Raven had just presented him to a group of children, who had all immediately decided that he was their new favorite toy.
Beast Boy hadn't the faintest idea how to even begin a conversation with the…unkindness of Ravens in front of him? No, that didn't sound right. He knew it was technically right, but an unkindness didn't seem the like the right word for Raven…a thought for another time. He shook his head and was about to open his mouth to say…well, something. Thankfully though, Raven clearly knew what she wanted to say, potentially preventing Beast Boy from putting his foot in his mouth.
"Ahem…hello everyone. You all undoubtedly know why we're here and that time is of the essence. I am aware that the nature of my visit on this occasion is…different, but that doesn't mean I, or we, need to speak to all of you. If we could be directed towards Rage's domain, that would be he-"
"We want to talk to Beast Boy."
Raven raised an eyebrow, as she tried to identify which of her emoticlones had spoken, a tricky task when every one of them spoke with the same voice. Even the emoticlones seemed to be looking amongst themselves until a few of them parted, revealing a grey emoticlone who desperately looked like she didn't want to be at the centre of the attention she had just drawn to herself.
"I mean…sorry…if Beast Boy doesn't mind, we'd like to speak to him."
Raven couldn't remember a single time that Timid had not simply acquiesced to whatever she was asked to do or about, so much so that she found herself a little speechless, before her mind remembered the situation at hand.
"Beast Boy is here for a specific reason that you know is of great importance. We don't have time f-"
Raven was cut off as a load burp echoed throughout Nevermore, causing the birds that inhabited her mindscape to fly out of the trees they were perched in. The empath could only turn her gaze towards the embodiment of her rudeness, a not so thinly veiled rage in her eyes. Rude, for her part, seemed completely unperturbed.
"Yea, yea quit the scary look. We know you got this little thing to do with Rage, but frankly, most of us either don't care or know that you actually do have time…it's me…I'm the one who doesn't care…you know, just in case you didn't realise I didn't ca-"
Raven growled in frustration through clenched teeth. "Yep, I got that. Thank you for the clarity."
Rude gave her a fake smile before the smirk was wiped from her face as an elbow was planted firmly into her ribs by a yellow-cloaked emoticlone. Despite Rude shooting her a scathing look, Knowledge was completely unperturbed as she took off her glasses to clean them on her cloak as she moved to the front of the group. Placing them back on the bridge of her nose, she glanced at Beast Boy, only for a moment, before eyeing Raven.
"Raven, it is true, we know why you have come. However, you believe that Rage is the sole purpose of your trip with Beast Boy here. Was the goal not to find out if there was a way to assume your white form through uniting all aspects of yourself? It would be a shame to have all the aspects of yourself go against you…just for denying them of ten minutes of Beast Boy's time."
Raven's jaw dropped. "Are you…blackmailing me?"
"Negotiating."
Raven was legitimately stunned. She could feel her ire rising. She expected her emoticlones to be unreasonable when it came to Beast Boy's presence, but this was ridiculous. She was about to let them have a piece of her mind when she felt a gentle hand on her wrist, causing her to look back at her companion for the first time since they had hit the ground. Beast Boy was giving her an unsure smile.
"Hey Rae, I don't mind talking to them, really. At this stage, it might just be easier to give them what they want and then we can get going."
Raven looked at Beast Boy and then back at the emoticlones, before a defeated look crossed her face. She gave a heavy sigh. "…you're sure you're okay with this…I can only imagine their questions won't be simple."
Beast Boy laughed. "Things with us are never simple."
Raven couldn't help but give him small but thankful smile back, before turning back to her emoticlones, the annoyance returning to her features.
"One question each, and in return, Knowledge, you guide us to Rage's domain and provide me with everything we know about my white form."
Knowledge nodded in agreement. "A fair deal by all accounts. I shall happily guide you to Rage's domain once this matter has been settled."
Raven could only silently nod in acceptance as she took a step back, leaving Beast Boy in front of what was essentially a media frenzy of her own emotions. Azar, why didn't they consider the option where she just died more seriously…it could have potentially been less painful.
Beast Boy cleared his throat as he surveyed the group in front of him, who were staring at him with a wide arrange of expressions. While some looked like they were happy he was here, a few certainly looked like they saw Beast Boy as unsuspecting prey. Beast Boy gulped.
"So…who's first?"
Beast Boy had been expecting one of the emoticlones to step forward, most likely Rude, based on her clear tendency for…outbursts. What he hadn't been expecting was the for them all to huddle up and whisper amongst themselves. He heard Raven sigh in exasperation beside him and was quick to turn to her.
"Hey, don't worry, we'll be done with this in a few minutes and we can go."
"I know, but…just don't feel like you have to answer everything just because they ask you."
"I won't, if it's something that would truly make me uncomfortable to talk about with you, I'll let them know."
"Ahem."
Beast Boy turned back to the emoticlones to see they had formed a somewhat organized line. It was set-up such that each one of them could still see Beast Boy and Raven, but there was clearly some order to how the group were going to approach this. Beast Boy eyed up who appeared to be first in the group with a wary glance. He supposed that it made sense.
Rude stared right back at him. "What? I wanna get this over with, I almost have better things to do. Doesn't mean I want to waste my time all day dealing with you."
Beast Boy brushed off her jibes without batting an eyelid. He had placed what Raven had told him at the front of his mind. They were her emotions isolated, without nuance. She didn't actually think of him in the same way any of the emoticlones did, or at least her process of thinking about him differed.
"Fire away."
Rude cast a critical eye over him. "When Raven basically told you where you could go shove your little check-in calls during the Brotherhood of Evil thing, why did you not care about that when you met again? You were just all mopey and stuff…it was weird."
Raven couldn't help it. She wanted to be a bystander during this little interrogation her emotions had clearly planned for. She wanted to grant Beast Boy the little amount of privacy he still had left now that their connection had them bonded in a way that she still didn't quite understand. But she couldn't. The question wasn't off the cuff from Rude. That's when she realised none of the questions would be. They were going to ask Beast Boy the questions that had sat at the back of her mind but had never asked the changeling. Not the type of questions that needed answers, but the type of questions that would come to mind when the empath tried to sleep at night as she stared at her ceiling. She couldn't be a bystander…she cared just as much about his answers as her emotions did.
"I did care."
Rude looked at Beast Boy incredulously before her eyes narrowed. "Don't lie to me."
Beast Boy responded in kind by tilting his head at her in confusion. "I'm not, and if I was, and you have the same powers as Raven, you already know I'm not."
Rude's aggression didn't let up. "Well then explain you idiot! Because you certainly didn't seem to give a damn when we first talked. Azar, it was like it never happened until you brought it up a few days later, all meekly in the corridor, like a wimp."
Beast Boy closed his eyes and took a breath before opening them again. "Just because I wasn't angry or mad at Raven about it doesn't mean I didn't care. Of course I cared. Dammit, I was miserable. I thought I'd driven another person I cared about way, just by being myself. I had a few rough days after that, topped with Phobia taking a chunk of my shoulder out of my arm and when I called for help, Raven didn't answer. In all honesty, I was in pieces. But then, the first night back, Raven came to me…asked about me…because she cared. How the hell could I have been mad or angry about anything in that moment. If anything, it was possibly the most relieved I've ever felt in my life. So yea, on the night, I let it slide in favour of not ruining the moment. But yea, I absolutely did care, and don't think I didn't…does that answer your question?"
Raven and Rude were, for once, an almost mirror image of each other with the exception of the colour of their cloaks. Jaws dropped, eyes wide, forehead creased in surprise, it was like they were copying each other's expressions. Rude dropped her surprise first, a scowl creeping onto her face.
"…I suppose that answer will suffice."
Before Beast Boy could say another word, Rude turned on her heel and walked away towards the back of the group. Beast Boy's eyes moved onto the next emotion and he gave her a cheeky grin.
"Bravery, right? You saved me and Cyborg's asses last time we were here."
The green emoticlone smiled at Beast Boy, not even hesitating to walk straight up to him and extend a hand for a fist bump, which Beast Boy in turn, didn't think twice about returning.
"You got it! Man, you and Cyborg were a mess that day, you'd swear that you you'd never been inside someone's mind before or something."
Beast Boy didn't get a chance to answer and explain that…well yea, he hadn't been, such was Bravery's excitement.
"Only one questions makes this really hard but, Knowledge made the deal so I don't get complain. Hmmmmm…ooh, okay! I've got a good one! Why do you run?"
Beast Boy, who had been patiently waiting for Bravery's question, tilted his head at her. Meanwhile, behind the changeling, Raven had frozen, as she knew exactly what Bravery had meant. Bravery, taking his silence correctly for confusion, was more than happy to explain.
"Let me explain. So like, you're a pretty brave dude in general, and I know things have changed now, to a certain extent, but it just seems like in the past you've had a habit of running away when the going got tough. No judgement from me, just wondering where that came from?"
Beast Boy, who had very quickly come to understand exactly what Bravery meant, suddenly had to resist the urge to squirm under the emoticlones relaxed stare. However, he knew why they were here and he'd made a promise not only to Raven and the rest of the team, but to himself…he couldn't exactly run from a question about running, could he?
"That's a…tricky one. I guess it depends on the situation. Like, I don't run from villains or fights. I may be scared going into something like that, but I'd never run. But yea, with the Doom Patrol, the Titans…I don't know. There was something different about it…like the way there are people who don't get embarrassed in front of strangers but panic in front of friends. I was always afraid of people around me realizing that they were better off without me…so better to just leave then then let them come to that realization. That way, it still felt like my decision…my view on that has changed though but…I think that's why."
Bravery mulled over his words, stroking at her chin as if she had an invisible beard. "Hmmm, that makes sense! Normal bad guys are boring. People seem to forget sometimes that the people we know can be even scarier with the right circumstances…or the wrong circumstances, depending on how you look at it. Anyway, good to hear you think you've got it out of your system! I'm guessing you've probably realised that the people in the tower quite like you."
Beast Boy cracked a smile. "Yea, I'm starting to get that."
Bravery smiled back at him, seemingly content that her work was done as she stepped aside. Beast Boy was about to move onto the next emotion when he felt a hand on his shoulder that pulled him around with a degree of force he wasn't expecting. Raven was burning a hole through his skull and for the life of him he couldn't figure out what he had done wrong.
"What? What I do?"
Raven sighed in exasperation, before speaking to him in a voice just above a whisper. "You said you wouldn't talk about anything that made you uncomfortable. I could feel the nerves rolling off you in waves!"
Beast Boy could only shrug. "That's not what we agreed."
Raven looked at him in confusion and Beast Boy went on. "I promised I wouldn't talk about anything that it would make me uncomfortable for you to know…and I trust you."
Beast Boy would have laughed out loud at the expression on Raven's face if it wasn't for the serious nature of why they were here. It was like her mind was just slightly behind her senses and he could see in real time her processing what he said. Her creased forehead relaxed, her eyes softened and her mouth which had frozen mid-rant slowly formed a small circle.
"…oh."
Beast Boy smiled. "Hey, what's the worst they're gonna ask?"
That snapped Raven out of her stupor. "I have some ideas…"
"…well let's get stuck in then."
With that, Beast Boy turned back to the gathered emoticlones, not giving Raven a chance to voice her protests. His eyes locked on the next emotion, his face scrunching up as he tried to remember if that had met before. She looked at him in mock disinterest, letting out a yawn as she did so.
"Okay, so which one are you?"
The orange emotion gaze suddenly went from disinterested to very much critical and Beast Boy quickly felt like he was under a microscope.
"Lazy."
Beast Boy did his best to keep his face clear of any signs of panic, but his conversation with Raven about her emotions only a few minutes ago still echoed in his head. Lazy had a problem with him and he had no inclination as to why. He swallowed and held eye contact with her.
"Okay Lazy, fire away."
Lazy, very much out of character for her, straightened up and placed her hands on her hips.
"How can I trust you? How can any of us know we can trust you? Everything to do with you is so much work for Raven and it takes a toll. Do you know how hard we worked to find you, only for the first time we see you in person, for you to run off again!? So tell me, Garfield, what makes you different now. What can you say to convince me that you won't turn around and screw Raven over again, making everything we've done for you be for nothing, hmm?"
Raven wanted to throttle Lazy. She didn't even know if her emoticlones could be choked out, but Azar, she suddenly wanted to find out really badly. She was about to tell Lazy to check herself, when the clearing of a throat caught her attention. Beast Boy hadn't looked away from Lazy during her tirade, not once. His eyes were firm and unyielding. Raven felt the words die on her tongue…if he was going to answer it…
"You have every right to ask that and I'll be honest…I'm not gonna say, I promise that or I'll never leave because…anyone can say stuff like that…"
Beast Boy paused as he tried to find the words for what he wanted to say and for the first time, Lazy's eyes softened, just the slightest touch.
"I'm not perfect. I've never been perfect. I'm never going to be perfect. I made mistakes…I hurt people I care about. I stopped listening to those around me and stopped talking to them about how I felt…cause I didn't think anyone cared anyway. I was wrong…but the only way to learn anything…is to be wrong first, right? I've learned ,ore about myself in these last couple of days than I had in the last couple of months and on top of that, I've learned more about myself in the last couple of months than I think I've learned about myself in my entire life. I know I'm a different person now. I don't run anymore. It's not an option. Making more mistakes in the future? Hell, it's almost a guarantee for me…however, screwing Raven over?...leaving my friends again?...life wouldn't be worth living if I took this for granted a second time."
Even some of the other emoticlones couldn't hide their expressions of disbelief. Raven, for her part, was completely stunned. Lazy seemed almost annoyed, but her glare had almost entirely subsided.
"That…was an annoyingly good answer."
Beast Boy smirked. "I aim to please."
Lazy looked past Beast Boy for a moment, straight at Raven, and in a blink and you'd miss it moment, gave Raven an imperceptible nod before returning her gaze to Beast Boy.
"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt…but know this, and trust me when I say it, I will not put in the effort a second time."
Beast Boy didn't even flinch. "I wouldn't expect or want you too."
Lazy let her gaze linger on Beast Boy for just a moment longer, before she too retreated into the group of emoticlones. Beast Boy let out a breath he didn't realise he had been holding. However, he didn't get to enjoy his moment of respite for too long as before he even looked up, he heard the next emoticlone.
"BB!"
Beast Boy looked up just in time to brace himself for Happy smashing into him for a hug. Before he could even process the moment, she pulled back and held him at an arms distance. "It's sooooo good to see you, I haven't seen you since forever!"
Beast Boy laughed awkwardly. "Yea, it really has been a while hasn't it. You got a question for me?"
Happy laughed as she let Beast Boy go. "Of course I do! And don't worry, I'm not gonna ask you some super serious question! I intend to keep my turn fun! So…BB…what's the happiest you've ever been? When was it? What happened?"
Beast Boy couldn't help but feel slightly relieved at Happy's question. She was true to her word in that her question certainly lightened up the mood a little bit. However, that didn't make the question easier.
"Hmmm, picking one moment is so hard…can I give a couple?"
Happy eyes seemed to shine at his request. "Absolutely you can! I wanna know your best moments!"
Beast Boy started thinking back on well…his entire life. How did you measure happiness? Part of him wanted to say when his dad used to play guitar for him, but he knew that the happiness he associated with that memory was because of exactly that…it was a treasured memory. So he let his mind wander, quickly realizing he didn't have that many happy moments until he was much older.
"Okay…first one I can think of is when the Doom Patrol took me in for the first time. It wasn't like Mento was exactly…friendly, but everyone else was welcoming and well…it was the first time I'd had a place to call home for way too long. Hmmm…standing on Titans Island for the first time with everyone sticks out. God that feels like so long ago now and after thinking I was gonna be running solo for a while, to find another group to hang out with so quick…man, I thought I'd hit the jackpot."
Happy listened intently, a sparkle in her eyes as Beast Boy ran through his best moments. At the back of the group of emoticlones, Wisdom couldn't help but smirk to herself. If her intuition was correct, and it was so rarely, if ever wrong, she knew a moment that would be making an appearance.
"Hmmm, what else…to be honest, when me, Raven and Cyborg got back from Nevermore the first time. Pretty sure it ain't a secret that Raven and I didn't exactly hit it off when we first met and well…it was nice to find out that we really were friends."
Happy beamed at Beast Boy. "Oh that day was so nice. I mean, we never get visitors here!"
Beast Boy smiled at her enthusiasm before going back to his thoughts. Suddenly, his face lost just a touch of it's mirth, which didn't go unnoticed by Happy, who tilted her head at the changeling. "Something wrong?"
Beast Boy shook his head and looked at her with a small smile. "Nah…just…I have a happiest moment."
Happy couldn't help but squeal. "OOOOOOOOHHHHH! Tell me!"
Beast Boy chuckled. "I think part of why is was the happiest moment for me was the well…horrible part before it. The day Raven became the Portal…I still don't like thinking about it. Despite everything, I hadn't lost someone in a way that seemed so final since my parents. She was just…gone. But then, Robin pulled her of hell and she stood up to her father and sent him packing and the entire time she's whopping Trigon's ass, I was just sat there like…that's Raven…she's here…and alive. Afterwards, she was so…I could barely even believe it was her, so much so that I, like an idiot, had to check, and with a smile, she said – "
"Blue is still my favorite colour."
Beast Boy turned around to see Raven giving him a warm look. "I'm pretty sure the Beast like that's memory too."
Beast Boy rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Yea…you know he bloody loves it."
Beast Boy turned back to Happy before he could see Raven blush. As for the pink emoticlone herself, she was smiling at him, her eyes watering ever so slightly. Beast Boy shrugged.
"Yea…nothing come's close to the happiness I felt that day…I don't know if anything ever will."
Happy strode forward again and enveloped Beast Boy in another hug. This time, he was ready and he squeezed the pink emoticlone back. She buried her face in his neck.
"Thank you for sharing that with me."
"You're welcome."
The two separated and with a final small wave, Happy retreated past the next emoticlone that had already stepped forward. Beast Boy immediately noticed the glasses on her face and realised she had been the one who had negotiated this deal in the first place.
"Knowledge?"
The yellow emoticlone nodded. "Very perceptive of you."
Beast let out a nervous laugh. "You're not gonna ask me like…a technical question right? Can't answer honestly if I can't do the math or something hehe…"
Knowledge merely raised an eyebrow. "No Beast Boy…I wouldn't put you through that. Instead, I want an opinion more than anything.
Beast Boy couldn't help feeling relieved. "Well, in that case, go for it."
"What are your thoughts on the experiences you have had associated with the connection that Raven has formed between the two of you? As the other party involved, I must say, I've been eagerly awaiting the chance to find out your thoughts on the matter."
Raven couldn't help but lean in slightly closer too. She often thought that her and Knowledge were the most similarly aligned and she wouldn't have been afraid to admit that Beast Boy's perspective on what she had done was also on her mind. Unlike with Nightwing, as far as Knowledge and her had ascertained, Beast Boy had subconsciously been calling out to her in some way.
Beast Boy appeared thoughtful for a moment. "It's changed over time really. At the start, I ain't gonna lie, it was kind of hell for me. Like, I thought I needed to get away, but every day I had Raven in my head. Part of me hated it but also…I didn't want it to stop. I know that sounds selfish or like it doesn't make sense but…I think if she had stopped, I would've felt like that was it…like there was no going back. But then, when I came back to the Titans, it became so much…more. Like, I don't even know how to describe it. When Raven was in the fire, it was like I was drawn to her. I couldn't see her, but it was like I had a sixth sense. Same when she healed me after I lost to Deathstroke and Adonis. She's healed me before but now, whatever she does in those situations, whether she means it or not…but I can't describe the feeling…all I can say is, I'm glad Raven formed it with me…does that answer your question?"
Knowledge nodded, her lips moving ever so slightly as if she was still focused on memorizing what Beast Boy had said so that she could relay the information in her head at a future date. "Yes, that was excellent. I'm glad to hear that you approve of it as well."
Beast Boy smiled at Knowledge as she turned back to join the rest of the group, the yellow emoticlone gracing Beast Boy with the most subtle of smiles in return as she adjusted her glasses while turning away. Beast Boy went to look for the next emotion to step forward and looked around in confusion as no one stepped forward. Bravery, noticing Beast Boy's trouble, looked around herself and her eyes widened. She gently reached a hand out to someone hidden behind Lazy.
"Hey now, we all get a question, there's no need to worry."
Bravery withdrew her arm from behind Lazy, bringing a grey emoticlone with her, Beast Boy recognized her from the last time he had been in Nevermore. It had been a…weird experience…having Raven apologize to him so much to say the least. Still he tried to make himself not look imposing, not that he thought he was, but he smiled at the nervous emotion as Bravery brought her forward.
"Hey, you're Timid right? We met before the last time I was here."
Timid looked back nervously at Bravery as she withdrew herself from her side and moved back into the crowd before turning back to Beast Boy.
"Yes…you got stuck in my maze…I'm really sorry about that."
Beast Boy waved a hand. "Hey now, Cyborg and I were the ones that dropped in on you. So, do you have a question for me?"
Timid looked at Beast Boy, wide-eyed and looking like she would rather have been anywhere else in Nevermore.
"You don't have to answer if you don't want to…"
"Hey hey, it's okay, your question can't be tha-"
"Why did you fake being happy for so long?"
Beast Boy's voice fell away as Timid cut across him, his next words dying on his lips as her question echoed in his ears. Raven was looking at the emotion in horror. Timid immediately looked embarrassed and raised her hands up in apology.
"I'm sorry! I just meant, you clearly went through so much before the Titans met and have been through so much since, and I know that you are sad, but you always smile instead, even when you don't have to and I just wanted to know…I'm sorry. You don't have to answer."
Timid didn't even wait for Beast Boy to respond before turning away and so was shocked when she felt a hand on her shoulder, Beast Boy having closed the gap between them in a second. She stared at him in surprise and Beast Boy's neutral expression broke into something warmer.
"No…it's okay. Just caught me off guard. You see…I am a naturally happy guy, that ain't an act. I do love jokes and well...trying...to be funny, I really do. When I was growing up, after I left Africa…I didn't really get to let that side of me out. Things became much more about survival for me and when I joined the Doom Patrol…well…Mento was having none of it. I may have been young, but the constant seriousness of the team…it was taking it's toll…the environment was toxic. When all the Titans first met, I don't know if you saw, but there wasn't a joke in me really. I mean, sure I was young, but when I met Robin, I stood to attention, waiting for commands. I mean it became obvious pretty quickly that the Titans weren't gonna be like the Doom Patrol but in the early days…Robin had a knack for getting too serious, Cyborg and Robin fought, you didn't really know how to feel about some of us and Starfire was still getting accustomed to Earth. The Titans were never the Doom Patrol…but I saw similarities when we started and I didn't want to let that happen. So I made jokes when I could have stayed silent. I put on a happy face when everyone else was down…because I thought the team needed it."
Timid had remained frozen almost the entire time, her eyes wide in shock. When Beast Boy finished, Timid still didn't move, her mouth open as if she was about speak, but couldn't find the words. After a few seconds, Beast Boy took the hint.
"It's okay, you don't have to say anything back. I hope that answered your question though."
Timid nodded numbly and Beast Boy was about to move onto the next emotion when the grey emoticlone launched herself at the changeling, latching herself around his chest. Beast Boy raised his arms in shock before realizing what happened and returning the embrace. Beast Boy couldn't help but chuckle when he heard Timid's muffled voice come from where her head was buried in his chest. He was pretty sure she had just said sorry again.
The two separated and Timid scuttled back to the rest of the group. Beast Boy looked up as the last two emotions came forward together.
"Are we not doing this one at a time?"
The light blue emoticlone stepped forward, a warm smile on her face. "That was the agreement, but we shall both keep ours short and sweet. We have not been introduced before Gar. I am Affection."
Beast Boy's eyes widened ever so slightly, before he shot her his trademark toothy grin. "I'd introduce myself but…well you all seem to know me so well."
She gave a small laugh. "My question is relatively simple. There is a coffee shop called Rhyme and Grind in Jump City. It makes excellent tea and carries out open mic nights every so often. There is a version of it in my domain that I would love to take you to during a less busy time, but for now, my question is simply will you take Raven there once this madness with Deathstroke is over?"
Beast Boy was facing Affection and so couldn't see the sheer expression of disbelief on Raven's face. For the love of all that was holy, one of her emotions did not just ask Beast Boy to take her on a date to her coffee shop. Beast Boy, completely unaware of the ticking time bomb behind him, tilted his head at Affection.
"Sure? Sounds like it could be fun. I'll ask Raven later if I can come back another time for visiting the version of it here, okay?"
Affection, who's eyes had wandered past Beast Boy's head for only a split second to lock eyes with Raven, turned her attention back to the changeling. "Thank you Gar and yes…I would appreciate that very much."
Without another word, Affection glided up to Beast Boy, placed a gentle kiss on his cheek and floated back towards the others, leaving a stunned changeling and empath in her wake. The last emotion, seeing the state the two visitors were in, decided to end the silence.
"Beast Boy, I actually don't have a question for you. However, I would not miss the opportunity to introduce myself. I am Wisdom. I'm not so much an emotion more than I am…experience perse. The questions asked by the others have been more than enough to satisfy my interests. But, I did just want to say…it is a pleasure to meet you in person."
Beast Boy smiled at her, his eyes full of curiosity as he took in the final emotion to make his acquaintance. "Nice to meet you Wisdom. So you're like…what Raven learns from what she does in the real world?"
Wisdom nodded. "In a sense, but it's more than just what she learns. I guess the appropriate term would be the embodiment of how she…reflects on the major events in her life. However, for now, I believe that as our informal question and answer session is over, the wisest thing to do would be begin making your way to Rage's domain. She will be expecting you."
Wisdom looked past Beast Boy towards Raven, who had just come to stand by the changeling's side, seeing as the questions had come to an end. "Raven…understand this. Rage will not make this easy for you. I don't know whether she will have the answers you seek but…she will want to have her say regardless. I think it would be best if you listened and stayed patient with her."
Raven nodded, her face passive as she took in her emotions in front of her. "I understand and yes…we shouldn't delay any more than we already have. Knowledge, our half of the deal is complete. Knowledge, can you please lead us to Rage's domain and tell me of what you know about my white form as we go?"
The aforementioned yellow emoticlone stepped forward from the crowd. "Of course. Assuming the pair of you are ready, we leave immediately."
Beast Boy and Raven exchanged a quick glance before Raven turned back to Knowledge. "As ready as we will ever be."
Beast Boy turned to the group of emotions as Raven and Knowledge turned away. "It was great to meet you all. Hopefully not the last time!"
The reaction of the group was mixed, from Happy and Bravery's enthusiastic waving to Lazy's side-eye glare. Beast Boy didn't let that bother him though. Some of them had a right to be skeptical. It was just up to him now to prove them wrong. Meanwhile, Raven and Knowledge had already started walking ahead. Raven still wore an irritated look, which Knowledge noticed after a moment.
"What seems to be the matter?"
Raven turned her unamused gaze towards the yellow emoticlone. "Why did we have entertain that little charade back there? Surely you understand that there are currently more pressing matters to deal with?"
Knowledge looked at Raven in a stunned silence for a moment before something slightly softer appeared in her features. "Raven…not to take a page from Wisdom's book, but I think you sometimes forget that despite everything going on around you and the Titans, what could potentially exist between you and Garfield…it is always important. Don't lose that idea when the world is burning around you."
Raven's eyes widened in surprised, caught off-guard by hearing something so abstract from the embodiment of her intelligence. Knowledge did not take a second to enjoy the look she had brought to Raven's face and as Beast Boy jogged up behind them, she continued on.
"Also, I believe that was necessary. It may prove to be important in the future with your efforts to assume the form required to banish Deathstroke."
Raven's surprise turned to intrigue. "You know something of this form so?"
Knowledge nodded, but waited for Beast Boy to arrive alongside them before beginning her explanation. The trio were now walking across Raven's mindscape, following a jagged, meandering path. The surrounding environment had faded away, leaving a walkway that should you be unfortunate enough to be knocked off of, the only outcome awaiting you was what appeared to be an unending fall into the pits of Raven's mind. Raven had never strayed from a path such as this and even though she knew both herself and Beast Boy could fly…she was still not keen to see either of them stray from the path.
Knowledge continued, unaware of Raven's apprehension of the route they were on. "This form is unique for you, but yes, we have come across it during our studies before, just not simply mentioned outright. It was spoken of almost in the same way myths were spoken about. Unlike the emotions that manifest themselves here, there will never be a white emoticlone in Nevermore. The white form you take is the embodiment of you at your most aligned…when every aspect of your being comes together in unity. The monks of Azarath only theorized that you had the ability to achieve this through meditation and practice, but that's where it seemed to stay…a theory, a possibility. You have, of course, since proved this theory true, but at the time for them, you were too young to investigate the possibility before you left Azarath. They never termed the form in the language of the monks, but in writings we have read, it has been referred to a few times as santulan.
Raven recognised the word immediately, having come across it during her own meditations. "That's Hindi, right?"
Knowledge nodded. "Yes, meaning balance, equilibrium or symmetry."
Knowledge looked past Raven to Beast Boy, who had been silently listening the whole time.
"Garfield, the theory you presented in the Tower was well-thought out, but allow me to fill in some gaps for you. You were correct that Raven lost her white form the last time you were in Nevermore due to the fact that Trigon's aspect was in control. However, he no longer has power here. However, both other times she assumed the form on Earth, do not be mistaken, Rage was as aligned as everyone else. When Raven returned with Robin after becoming the portal, the part of her that was influenced by Trigon was destroyed. Such was her anger with Trigon's action, Rage was brought into balance with the intentions of all the others. For the other time, when it came to saving your life...Rage was once again aligned. However, I think that story is best left to be told by Rage herself."
Beast Boy looked at Knowledge in stunned confusion. "Rage…wanted to save my life?"
Knowledge nodded. "I cannot speak for her reasoning, but it is not often we all align. It is not forgotten quickly."
The group fell into silence for a moment as Beast Boy and Raven processed what they had just been told. It was only then that Beast Boy noticed that their surroundings were slowly changing. The path they had been walking had widened substantially, although that didn't leave the area looking any less barren. The road they were on had also started slope downwards, almost seeming like they were slowly leaving the light provided by the red stars behind, as they descended deeper into Raven's mind. In the distance ahead, Beast Boy could just about make out an archway similar to that of the entrance to Happy's realm, but with a few distinct differences. Rather than a large arch, what Beast Boy assumed was the entrance to Rage's realm was far smaller. No bigger than a six foot door, the frame was made of thorny branches, their points sharpened and lethal. Beyond the entrance way, despite knowing it was a portal, Beast Boy could only see black. With his incredible sight, even in the dark…it made his skin crawl.
Knowledge broke the silence when they were only a few steps away. "Raven…I hope you can understand now why I wanted to ask Beast Boy the questions we did and Gar, I hope you didn't mind. You will need to be able to attain perfect balance if you wish to defeat Deathstroke this way. That will require all emotions aligning with each other. I think the earlier discussions will help with that. However, with Rage…she is unpredictable. I wish you both the best of luck, but I think it would be best if my part of this journey with you ends here."
Raven glanced at the archway in front of here. "That is probably for the best…Rage isn't partial to visitors."
Knowledge nodded before giving the pair of them a small smile. "I truly do believe that this is possible. Trust each other and you'll be fine."
With that, without even waiting for a response, Knowledge disappeared into a portal that formed behind her, leaving the empath and the changeling in front of the portal to Rage's realm alone. Beast Boy stared at the entrance way in apprehension. "So…any idea what to expect when we get inside?"
Raven shook her head. "In all honesty…no. I've never visited Rage's realm before…her appearances are usually grand displays in central areas of Nevermore. I've never visited her in her own domain. I don't even know what it will look like…"
Beast Boy frowned at the concerned look on Raven's face and instinctually he reached out and grabbed her hand, startling the empath from her thoughts.
"Hey…I said it before and I'll say it again…she's just a part of you…and I like all of you. She can't hurt us."
Raven gave him a half-smile, but she didn't seem fully convinced.
"Well, were going to find out anyway…"
With that, the two faced the entrance to Rage's realm. With a deep breath, Raven took the first step forward, relief settling in when Beast Boy didn't take his hand out of hers. The two walked through the portal and the first thing Beast Boy noticed was the temperature change. He scanned the room and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, trying to see if he recognized where they were. It seemed to be some kind of old hydroelectric plant. He had been expecting a vast space like Happy's meadow, but the room they were didn't even seem to have any doors. A quick glace behind him confirmed that the door they had come through was nowhere in sight. Turning back around, his eyes eventually locked onto the sheer amount of mud on the floor. It was only then he realised that out of all the pipes in the room, which he assumed were for water, most of them were spewing a muddy liquid, almost closer to sludge.
"Hey Raven…I don't think I've been here before…do you know this pla…?"
Beast Boy found his voice fall away as he felt Raven's hand squeeze his own tightly. Finally glancing over at the empath, his eyes widened when he spotted the look of realization on her face. Raven knew exactly where they were…
He gave her hand a squeeze back. "Hey Rae…talk to me? Where are we?"
Raven didn't answer, her eyes locked on something in front of her, prompting Beast Boy too turn around where he couldn't help but allow his jaw to drop. Rising out of a bubbling spot in the mud, was an emoticlone, the colour of it's cloak obscured by the earth, four red eyes emblazoned on it's face. The mud stayed swirling beneath her, giving the impression that she was enormous as she towered over the two Titans. Beast Boy took a step back defensively. Raven looked like she had seen a ghost.
The emoticlone smiled at them through burning red eyes.
"Well well…Raven deciding to pay little old me a visit…and she brought a friend…Raven doesn't really do friends…but I cannot say that I am surprised."
The windows of Main Ops were smashed to pieces as Starfire and her doppelganger grappled each other, wrestling with the other for control, resulting in the pair careening through the glass and out into cold, Winter night, Bumblebee flying out after the pair in pursuit.
Meanwhile, Aqualad had hit the wall of Ops with a sickening thud as Cyborg's inner demon launched him across the room. Cyborg and Argent were also trying to contain him but had so far not managed to slow him down. Cyborg panted as he got to his feet after being on the end of a blast of a sonic cannon. He didn't know if it was down too Deathstroke having more followers or something, but he swore that even though he had taken a beating last time before he switched with Beast Boy, that these demons hadn't been this tough during Trigon's invasion. The demonic Cyborg laughed as Aqualad fell in a crumpled heap on the floor, before turning back to Argent and Cyborg.
"You guys brought more numbers and still can't land a shot. Just give up the gem and maybe you won't get ground into paste."
Argent summoned her powers into the shape of an anvil and with a scream, launched it at the demon, who swatted it aside like it was nothing, before responding with a sonic blast of his own. Argent conjured a shield in front of her, but the force was still enough to send her flying backwards, where she collided with the kitchen table with a thud. Cyborg expected her to go down and couldn't help but be impressed she calmly removed herself from the wreckage and raised her fists. He had never seen her looking so angry and he was silently thankful it wasn't directed at him. Cyborg turned his attention back to his own demon.
"Not gonna happen…I ain't losing to some budget version of me."
The demon grinned. "Please…I think you'll find I'm just doing the world a favour by retiring the older model."
Both the Cyborg's launched themselves at the each other, with Argent following not too far behind, meeting in the centre of Main Ops, a shake reverberating through the floor as two equally strong metal fists collided in mid-air.
The remaining fighting had spilled out of Main Ops and into Nightwing's office, where Nightwing and Kid Flash had been trying and failing to subdue the grey changeling. An incredibly well-timed strike by the tail of ankylosaurus had rendered Kid Flash incapacitated, leaving Nightwing to fight the demon Beast Boy alone. Unfortunately for Nightwing, this version of Beast Boy was just as fond of trash-talking as his counterpart.
"What's wrong Nightwing? Getting beaten by the runt of the litter? God that's embarrassing."
Nightwing ignored his taunting, but couldn't but grin with satisfaction as he landed a near perfect shot with one of his escrima sticks across the demon's cheek. A resounding crack echoed throughout the room and he staggered backwards. Nightwing pressed his advantage, launching two birdarangs as he moved, with both finding their marks in the demon's shoulder. However, just as he was about to land a potentially decisive blow, the demon shifted into a gorilla, before launching a lighting-quick backhand at the oncoming titan leader. Nightwing was able to block the blow, but the force of the impact was enough to create some separation between the two, allowing the gorilla to pull the birdangs out of his skin. Nightwing landed in a crouched position on his desk, a smile on his face.
"What's the matter? I gotta' say, even without the grey skin, I could tell that you were the knock-off. Beast Boy's way smoother with his shape-changing."
The gorilla shrunk away, the shape returning to that of the changeling, his face morphed into one of fury. He was about to shout something back when he froze. Slowly, but surely, an evil grin began to spread on his face.
"Now now…what have we here…that's a very unique item to have in your office, don't you think Nightwing?"
Nightwing's blood ran cold as he glanced downwards and sure enough, Raven's mirror sat just in front of his feet on the desk. The demon Beast Boy didn't falter.
"I was wondering why the witch and my other half hadn't come to help yet…seems like you've boxed them up for us already…how thoughtful."
Time seemed to stand still for a second as the two stared at each other, daring the other to move first, almost like a western style shoot out. Beast Boy flinched first, morphing into a cheetah and closing the distance between the two in a second. The demon might have been fast…but Nightwing was faster. With one smooth movement, Nightwing hooked the handle of the mirror under his foot and flicked it into the air, catching it in one hand at the same time as he somersaulted over the diving cheetah, which was left to crash into desk without it's target. Nightwing landed safely away from the demon and was headed for the door to Main Ops when he heard him stirring from behind him. He turned around, only to find a grey jaguar already mid-pounce. He raised his arms to block the blow, but it never came, as a blur of yellow suddenly collided into the jaguar's side, blasting it into the wall. Nightwing looked at Kid Flash in concern, noticing the rivulet of blood trailing down his head.
"Not gonna lie boss…I'm feeling pretty dizzy."
Nightwing would have laughed if the situation wasn't so dire. Without thinking, he looped an arm of Kid Flash's over his shoulder and the two hobbled out into Main Ops, where Nightwing took in the scene before him. Argent and Cyborg were waging a war with Cyborg's demon, while Aqualad was still slumped against the wall. He was about to call out for Cyborg when the two Starfire's came careening back into Main Ops, the two rolling across the floor, until the demon Starfire managed to create some separation, finally landing a starbolt to Starfire's mid-section, sending her straight through the mangled doors of Main Ops.
"STARFIRE!"
Nightwing was about sprint across to where she had disappeared when a collision, courtesy of a recovered demon changeling, from behind sent him flying forwards, Raven's mirror flying out of his hands. Cyborg, who had turned his attention towards Nightwing when he screamed, saw the mirror flying through the air, his eyes widening in panic. Abandoning all ability to defend himself, Cyborg bolted past his demon, and dove through the air, catching the mirror in his outstretched hands before crashing to the ground. Quickly rising to his feet, he found himself with a recovering Nightwing and returning Starfire behind him, while Argent was on the other side of the room, with the three demons now in the centre of Main Ops. Bumblebee still hadn't returned from outside and Kid Flash and Aqualad were seeing stars.
The demon changeling pointed a gloved finger at the ornate mirror in Cyborg's hands. "New target everyone…get that mirror. The witch and the mutt are inside."
Cyborg swallowed as Nightwing's voice echoed out behind him. "Titans! Protect Raven's mirror at all costs!"
The Titans that were still on their feet all got into a defensive stance with Cyborg at the front, who tucked the mirror inside of a storage space in his arm. He looked at the demons in defiance.
"If you want the mirror, why don't you just try and take it from us."