Hey yo, author here! Few little updates from me :). First of all, lot of love for the last chapter, so thank you so much! The fact that I'm 29, now 30 chapters into this story and still getting this much love for it is crazy to me and means the world! It's weird to think I'm entering the end game for this pretty soon, but with that comes other things to think about! With that, second point, I have two ideas that I'm playing with for the plot of my next story, one being an AU about how Beast Boy meets the Titans, while the other would be a more straight forward story, post brotherhood, but no where near as dense as this one. I ain't saying anything else about them cause spoilers. Either way, I'm gonna be bringing the word count for chapters down massively so I can update more frequently, but anyway, two questions.
1) Would people prefer an AU or non-AU story first.
2) Should I finish Pack Mentality first before starting the new one.
I'm gonna be writing both stories either way, but would be good to gauge what people like. If I started a second story before I finished this, it probably wouldn't affect update times. Usually after I publish a chapter, I take a break for a few days, but more from the plot, rather than a desire to stop writing. So yea, leave a review with your thoughts, or message me directly :).
With all of that being said, thank you for all the reviews, follows and favorites and I hope you like the new chapter!
As always, much love - Seadavid41
Ch. 30 Premonition
Whether it was a side-effect of being in the hero business for too long, or because she was so used to keeping her emotions in check or maybe even because nothing could possibly surprise her anymore, Raven was usually fairly numb to receiving bad news. She had always been a fairly pro-active person and receiving news that others may perceive as bad was, in her eyes, just another problem that needed solving. She focused on possible solutions, calculating possibilities, analyzing ways forward…there was usually no point in letting her worry over take her sense
This was not one of those times.
Nightwing's words seemed to get sucked into the wind that was blowing in through the broken window, causing Raven's cloak to gently billow around her. The empath took no notice of this, her eyes firmly locked onto Nightwing's downcast expression…one of regret…defeat. The more seconds passed, the more the statement was able to sink in, until the knot in her chest felt like it was going to tear her apart. Still, she couldn't find her voice, even as she could feel her hands start to tremble. Her lips parted as if to say something, but no words came to mind, a silent expression of complete shock.
Raven had to do her best not to jump when she felt a firm hand slide into her own. She glanced at the green, calloused fingers that had wrapped around her smaller ones. Beast Boy began speaking before she could look up.
"This ain't the place for this…must be somewhere in the tower we can sit down and catch up with what happened."
Nightwing nodded, giving Raven one last pained glance before turning around towards the broken door he had come through. "Pretty much everyone is in the Med Bay at the minute. Raven, we'll need your healing abilities at some point but…perhaps somewhere quieter to talk first?"
Raven numbly nodded as she felt Beast Boy squeeze her hand as he replied to Nightwing. "We can talk in my room. Barely used it since I've been back anyway."
Nightwing merely nodded before he turned and gingerly made his way past the debris that was blocking the doorway. Raven wouldn't have had budged if it wasn't for Beast Boy gently calling her name. Even though he was right beside her, at the start, it sounded like he was miles away.
"Come on Rae…we're going to get her back...but for now…let's figure out what happened, okay?"
Raven had still been reeling from her encounter with Rage in Nevermore and everything she had watched Beast Boy be shown. Even though the two of them had cleared the air before they left Nevermore, she was still an empath. Beast Boy could certainly put on a brave face, but he couldn't hide everything…not from her. What he had seen in Rage's domain…it had resonated with him…and it had hurt him, whether he wanted to admit it or not, there was no doubt. She'd been intent on giving him some space when they arrived back, for both of their sakes. But now, Main Ops was destroyed, Beast Boy was somehow comforting her again and Melvin was in Deathstroke's clutches. It was a day going from bad to worse.
After Raven and Beast Boy navigated their way past the wreckage in the doorway, the trio walked in near silence to Beast Boy's room, the only sounds breaking the quiet being the almost unnoticeable creaking coming from behind them, where the debris and ruins were slowly shifting either from the wind or their unstable nature. Beast Boy stepped ahead of Nightwing as they approached his room so he could enter his key code. The door slid open with a swish and the three of them headed inside, with Beast Boy rushing in so he could hastily pick some clothes off the floor and straighten his bed sheets out. Thankfully, after the team had returned from fighting the Brotherhood of Evil, he had traded in his bunk bed for a double bed.
Raven walked in, seemingly not taking in any of her surroundings, before sitting down on Beast Boy's bed, her eyes focusing on the ground in front of her. Beast Boy frowned as he was now stuck in the middle of the room, with Raven sitting on his bed, while Nightwing had headed over to Beast Boy's window and had started staring out across the bay. He cleared his throat.
"Nightwing?...you were gonna tell us what happened?"
Nightwing jolted from his stance and turned around, an apologetic look on his face. "Sorry…part of me still feels like another one of Deathstroke's lackeys could appear at any moment. I'm still on edge."
Nightwing wandered away from the window, seemingly still keeping his distance from the two Titans who had just returned from Nevermore. Beast Boy turned to glance at Raven and noticed that she was no longer staring at the ground, but straight at Nightwing, an intensity in her eyes that would have made him shudder if he was on the receiving end. Nightwing caught her eye and Beast Boy thought he did well not to shrink back. Her gaze didn't falter.
"Explain what happened."
Raven's voice was cold, but not necessarily angry…it was almost detached…devoid of emotion. For his part, Nightwing didn't hesitate any further. "Shortly after you and Beast Boy left for Nevermore, those three demons appeared in Main Ops. Cyborg theorized that since they possessed all the knowledge of their respective Titans, that they knew the access to codes to enter the tower without setting off any alarms. The caught us all completely by surprise. They took out the Herald before they even entered the building. Starfire and I had been restrained and if it wasn't for Cyborg getting a quick warning to Bumblebee when he realised what was going on…it could have been much worse."
Beast Boy's frown only deepened as he crossed his arms. "So they came for Raven?"
Nightwing nodded. "Yes, but clearly they had tried to find her before making their presence known. Luckily, the two of you were in the mirror, so they chose the violent path and gave up stealth...but once your demon, Beast Boy, saw Raven's mirror in my office…well, it put two and two together. We all did our best to protect it, but with Kid Flash and Aqualad taken out and Argent indisposed after Cyborg's demon had shown her the Herald's unconscious body on the roof…we were losing."
Nightwing turned to Raven, his features darkening as he did so, his head lowering. "Melvin heard all the noise and came to Main Ops. She didn't even hesitate to send Bobby to fight Beast Boy's demon, who had taken on the form of the Beast. Cyborg, who'd lost an arm at this stage, and with no one else around, gave her the mirror and told her to hide. For a while, it worked and Starfire was able to take out her demon, while Bumblebee and I took out Cyborg's…but Beast Boy's demon managed to beat Bobby and during the chaos…he grabbed Melvin and made a break for it. Bumblebee chased after him but he managed to clip a wing and take her out of the sky…Raven…I'm so sorry…we're going to get her back, no matter what."
Raven's head slowly tilted upwards and Beast Boy shuddered at the neutrality of her face. Before, she'd been in shock or at the least there was some form of emotion showing. Now, her eyes were cold, calculating as her eyes flickered to Beast Boy for only a split second before proceeding to burn a hole through Nightwing.
"Cyborg…knew the demons were after the mirror…and he gave it to Melvin."
Nightwing sensed the danger immediately as the temperature of the room seemed to drop by a degree or two. He raised his hands in an appeasing way.
"Raven, I've watched the security footage back. Everyone was indisposed. Cyborg had just had his arm taken clean off. Melvin was the one who made herself known and the only reason he gave her the mirror was so that she could go hide with it. He did his best to keep her out of the cro-"
"He didn't do enough."
Raven's voice was sharp…borderline hostile and Nightwing instinctively took a step back when Raven rose to her feet, pulling her hood up as she did so. However, he quickly composed himself and folded his arms across his chest, bringing back a certain air of authority to his demeanor.
"Raven, it doesn't even matter if Cyborg didn't do enough. Before Deathstroke tried to destroy the tower, you were the one that went to Cyborg, saying how they could take care of themselves and should be allowed to fight. Melvin wouldn't leave Main Ops because she wanted to protect you…because she's a Titan. I won't have you take this out on Cyborg. If you're going to be mad, be mad at all of us, but Cyborg did nothing wrong."
Raven's face, barely visible beneath her hood, did not change. If anything, it almost seemed to darken as her fists clenched at her side. She honestly didn't know what she was about to do next if she had been given the time, but her thoughts were halted as the feeling of contact on her hand caused her to freeze entirely. Raven's head turned slowly down towards the changeling that she had only now realised had moved to stand beside her without her even realizing. He had intertwined his hand with hers ever so delicately and was looking straight at her with an almost passive expression.
At the start, her demeanor didn't change as she moved from staring at his hand holding hers to meet his eyes, her expression murderous. She could almost feel the sensation of her powers rising to her finger tips. But Beast Boy did not falter. He didn't show fear, nor sadness or even concern. When he spoke, his tone was completely neutral.
"Raven…don't let what happened make you do something you'll regret later…being rash in the aftermath of something like this doesn't work out…trust me."
It was only towards the end of his statement did his stoic demeanor give just a little bit. A slight quiver in his voice and a softening of the eyes…a pleading look if anything. Raven almost seemed to size him up for a few seconds, during which time she could see him shifting under her cold glare. She wanted him to back off. He was with her in Nevermore. He didn't do anything wrong. It was the others who had put Melvin harm's way. He shouldn't be trying to justify the oth-
"Raven, Melvin wanted to protect you just as much as you wanted to protect her."
Raven's eyes widened as Beast Boy cut off her thoughts. Out of reflex, she pulled her hand out of Beast Boy's grasp. He looked disappointed for a second, before his eyes steeled. Nightwing, who had been watching the interaction somewhat uncomfortably, cut back in. "No one made Melvin stay in Main Ops. It was her decision. I know she's young, but she's brave and cares about you in the same she cares about her brothers. This isn't anyone's fault. Don't do something you'll regret."
Raven felt herself deflate just the slightest bit. She knew Melvin was…stubborn…Azar, just like her. If she had set her mind on helping, whether the Titans wanted her to or not, there was going to be no stopping her…or Bobby. Raven felt her fists unclench and was about to calmly acknowledge their point when one of the less noticeable comments suddenly made her feel like she had been slapped across the face. She turned to Nightwing, a look of panic in her eyes.
"Timmy, Teether…where are they? Did they get involved? Are they ok-"
Nightwing calmly raised a hand. "They're in the tower and they're fine. Melvin came to Main Ops because she heard the commotion but chose to keep her brothers away. They're up in the Med Bay with everyone else at the moment. Starfire is keeping them busy…she's really taken to the whole cool aunt thing."
With that, every ounce of fight left Raven's body. Her being mad at all the Titans wouldn't help Melvin…and it wouldn't help Timmy and Teether now. She glanced over at Beast Boy, who was now showing nothing but concern for the empath. Raven closed her eyes and let out a sigh.
"…can we go up to the Med Bay? I'll help heal any injuries that need tending too…and I would like to see the boys."
Nightwing gave her a small smile. "Of course Raven."
Raven gave only the slightest of nods before she began to glide towards the door. Beast Boy began to follow when Nightwing called him back.
"Beast Boy…would you mind waiting back here for a minute? There is something we need to discuss."
Beast Boy looked like he wanted to argue but Raven, having turned from Beast Boy's bedroom door to watch the interaction between the two, stopped him in his tracks. "Actually…I'd prefer if you two stayed here…I wouldn't mind a moment to myself."
Beast Boy was about to change the target of his protests when Raven's voice sounded in his head. She hadn't used their connection to communicate with him since they had fought Adonis and every time she did, the familiar presence entering his mind always caught his attention. However, this time the message was short and sweet.
Please.
Beast Boy held eye contact with her, his worry not dissipating in the slightest. However, after a few seconds, with a sagging of the shoulders that signaled defeat, he gave her an almost imperceptible nod. Raven, in return, gave him acknowledgement in the form of the smallest half-smile, so subtle that anyone who wasn't looking for it would have missed it, before she opened the sliding door and disappeared out of the room.
Beast Boy found himself staring at his own bedroom door before the clearing of a throat brought his attention back to the leader of the Titans. Beast Boy turned to Nightwing as he tried to clear his mind of what had just happened. "Okay, so what's up?"
Nightwing sighed as he made his way across the room to sit down on Beast Boy's bed. Beast Boy couldn't hide his surprise as Nightwing, in a very uncharacteristic manner for himself, splayed out and fell back on Beast Boy's bed, rubbing his face with his hands as he did so. After a second, he sat up again, but Beast Boy still couldn't help but realise how haggard the Titans leader looked.
"I know now isn't the time you probably want to be talking about this and trust me, I wish we could all just take a day off but…well clearly Deathstroke isn't going to offer us the courtesy of a ceasefire. I need to know about what happened in Nevermore…if you made any head way with Raven's white form."
Beast Boy sighed as he too made his way over to his and in a very characteristic manner for the changeling, flopped back onto his bed, his arms flopping over his head as he did so.
"Depends on what you define as head way."
Beast Boy sat up before he continued. "Well her emotions…they knew about it anyway. It's basically a form Raven can achieve when all of herself is in perfect balance.
Nightwing brought a hand up under his chin. "Okay…so is Rage the issue?"
Beast Boy frowned as he tried to come up with the right way to say what he thought he'd understood. "In a sense…yes, but it's not Rage's doing…it's more Raven's understanding of Rage. Like, the emotion herself said that she didn't hate Raven and that she'd aligned with everyone else every time she'd achieved balance before…but I think Raven still doesn't accept Rage's place…how could she? It was the aspect of her tainted by Trigon for almost her entire life."
Nightwing nodded, his face forlorn, his frown deepening. "Right…and did you speak to Rage like I asked?"
Beast Boy froze, only for a second, but Nightwing, who had honed his skills for years, would never miss someone giving away their true thoughts.
"I did…she didn't say anything that would help us out here."
Nightwing folded his arms. "Beast Boy…"
Beast Boy looked at Nightwing, who was giving him a firm look with a very clear message.
Tell me the whole story.
"Look…she found a way for me to understand what Raven was going through…how coming to terms with all of who she is, regardless of what's happened in the past, is the key. But…she conveyed it…sorry, she got the message through by showing me…"
Beast Boy trailed off again, his mind flashing back to everything he'd been shown. Terra, Malchior, him being morphed…he closed his eyes tightly for a second. He'd tried his best to brush it off in Nevermore…but he couldn't deny, it had hurt to see everything from Raven's perspective, in such clear focus.
"She showed me how she...Rage I mean... how the two of us had interacted in the past…and how Raven had allowed her to interact with others. Things that I didn't know about…you knowing them won't change anything and because of that…I'd rather keep those where they belong…in the past."
Nightwing eyes flickered across Beast Boy's face. There wasn't a hint of a lie in the changeling's words. He supposed that if any of Raven's emoticlones could reveal something…upsetting, Rage would be a prime candidate. Nightwing felt his body relax.
"Okay Gar…I trust you…I know you know how serious the situation is and that you wouldn't hold something back if it would help."
Beast Boy smiled gratefully. "Thanks Wing…means a lot."
The two sat in silence before Nightwing stood up, offering a hand to Beast Boy, which the changeling took. "Gar…once last thing…we don't know how much time we have before Deathstroke makes another move for Raven…do you think she can do it?...find balance? Or…do I still need to be aware of her plan B?"
Beast Boy's eyes darkened as he took in the leader of the Titans. "I think she can do it…I really do…but I'm way too aware that if she doesn't find a way…she'll find a way to go through with plan B whether we agree with it or not."
Raven glided across the halls of Titans Tower with purpose as she made her way to the Med Bay. Beast Boy and her had departed for Nevermore the night before and despite the fact that it was the early hours of the morning, the thought of rest didn't cross her mind…not yet anyway. She knew she would need to recover at some point, especially after all the healing in her near future…how else was she going to pry Melvin from Deathstroke's clutches? But for now, her focus was on her brothers, who still remained safe in the Tower.
Upon arrival, Raven didn't hesitate entering the Med Bay, only pausing for a moment as the sliding door opened. However, she couldn't help but come to a stop in the doorway as she surveyed the room and it's occupants. During her entire time in Jump City, Raven couldn't remember a time where the Med Bay had been as full as it was now.
Three beds were occupied by the Herald, Kid Flash and Aqualad, with Aqualad being the only one who was awake, his bed at an angle, his arm in a sling as he had a muted conversation with Bumblebee. Kid Flash's head had been bandaged, but a very quick probing of his thoughts revealed to the empath that the speedster was sleeping rather than unconscious. However, the Herald was a different story. The trumpet player was hooked up to several monitors, a breathing apparatus over his mouth. At his bed-side, Argent held one of his hands. For her part, she was also still banged up, her hair askew and obvious gashes and bruising on her pale skin which looked like they had been maybe cleaned but nothing else. For a split second, she was reminded of herself a few days ago sitting by Beast Boy's bed…her heart went out to her.
On the other side of the room to the beds, her attention flickered to the other occupants and all thoughts of her being mad at Cyborg or any of the other Titans vanished from her mind…she was almost mad at herself that she had had them in the first place. Cyborg had his back to the door, but Raven could still see that it looked like he had been through a war. There were several deep cuts in his metal exterior and even some bruising along the back portion of his human head. That didn't even begin to address the glaring fact that his left arm was completely missing, small sparks still appearing at the severed end, where frayed wires had yet to be tidied up.
But yet, he wasn't tending to himself. No, instead, with his one good hand, he was ever so delicately tending to the Titan sat opposite him. Starfire's left cheek was currently a sickening mix of black and purple and it didn't take a medical professional to realise that something was broken…maybe shattered. Her body was also still stained with various cuts and bruises and yet she didn't wince under Cyborg's touch. Raven could only assume that was down to her commitment to being the cool aunt, for in one arm, she held Teether, the youngest member of the Teen Titans sound asleep, nestled against her chest. Raven couldn't help but feel the prickle of tears at her eyes and she blinked quickly. Luckily, a distraction was about to come her way.
"RAVEN!"
Raven only had a second to anticipate the bundle of energy that was suddenly bounding her way and drop onto one knee before Timmy collided with her. He had been the only one to notice her arrival from his place by Starfire's side, where he had been clutching his blanket, a few discarded action figures around where he sat. Raven enveloped him, practically drawing him into her cloak, and for once, she squeezed him just as hard as he squeezed her. Raven didn't say anything as she stroked his hair with one hand and held him close with the other, feeling the shakes that were wracking his body, as he took in shaky breaths.
"I don't know what happened Raven, but there was a big fight and someone took Melvin and I didn't know where you were and-"
Raven's heart broke as she brought him in closer. "Shhh, I know…I wasn't here…I'm so sorry Timmy…but we're gonna get Melvin back…I promise."
Timmy didn't even respond, instead choosing to simply bury his head deeper into Raven's cloak. Raven became vaguely aware of approaching footsteps and in one swift movement, she scooped up Timmy in her arms, who promptly wrapped his arms around her neck. Standing up, she found that Starfire and Cyborg were already in front of her. Cyborg looked at her and Raven could practically taste the guilt rolling of him. It emanated off of him in unrelenting waves.
"Raven I…I'm sure Nightwing already told you but…I…I couldn't get her out of harms wa-"
Raven took her free hand and reached up to the head of the largest Titan, before allowing her healing magic to seep into the bruise she hand seen from the doorway.
"It's okay Cyborg…I know you did everything you could…I wasn't even here..."
Cyborg couldn't hide the expression of relief that flooded his features as the searing pain in his head began to disappear. When Raven finished, he grabbed her hand with his one good arm before she could pull away.
"Don't say that Rae…if you won't let me take the blame, then you don't get to put any on yourself either. This is all Deathstroke and we're going to get her back…I promise."
Raven afforded Cyborg a weak smile before she felt him loosen his grip, her arm slowly falling back down to her side. Her attention turned to Starfire, who despite the massive swelling of her cheek, still attempted to smile at the empath, Teether still asleep in her arms. Starfire began trying to speak, but Raven held up a hand to stop her, before moving forward and placing her hand on the bruised skin. She almost recoiled in horror. She could feel the extent of the injury beneath her fingers. Her cheekbones were almost completely shattered. It was a wonder to Raven that the Tamaranean was even standing. With a noticeable expression of concentration adorning her face, she increased her efforts in comparison to what she had required to heal Cyborg and slowly but surely, felt bones mending beneath her touch. After a solid two minutes, Raven finally withdrew her hand, a few drops of sweat having formed on her brow.
Starfire rolled her jaw and opened and closed her mouth a few times. "Oh thank you friend Raven. It's not often that I experience the breaking of bones but…that was most unpleasant."
Raven nodded, concern still in her eyes. "I would assume so…what caused that?"
Starfire's eyes darkened. "Beast Boy's demon was able to assume the form of the Beast and well…it's backhand was most well-placed."
Raven glanced around the room for a second, eyeing up the many patients in beds, trading a small smile with Bumblebee, but only receiving a nod from Argent, whose focus was almost entirely on her boyfriend who had shown no signs of movement since Raven had entered the room. Healing everyone in the Med Bay…she'd most likely need a full day to recover from it. She had been hoping to meditate on what she had learned in Nevermore but these days, Raven so very rarely got what she wanted.
Her attention was pulled away from the crowded Med Bay as she picked up on the sniffling coming from the head buried in her neck. Timmy had stopped shaking as much as he had been and seemed to be coming to the end of his initial panic. Raven looked up at the two Titans in front of her, who both smiled at her silent request for a moment with Timmy. Raven walked over to a free seat and pulled Timmy away from her neck, sitting him down on her lap.
"Hey now, it's going to be okay…I told you that I'm always there for you guys and I still am…whenever you need me. We're going to bring Melvin home."
Timmy wiped his eyes and stared up into Raven's amethyst ones. "But the mean guy has her Raven. He wants to kill you! What if he's hurting her right now?"
Raven did her best to hide her grimace. It hadn't escaped her thought process that Deathstroke wouldn't exactly be giving Melvin five star hospitality. However, she almost knew for a fact that he wouldn't hurt her…at least not badly. For her best guess, if Beast Boy's demon had taken her for the reason she suspected, she was to be used as a bargaining tool for her. He wasn't about to tell the young Titan this though.
"Bobby will be able to keep her safe Timmy. We know where Deathstroke is hiding and I'm gonna get her out, no matter what or who tries to stop me, okay?"
Timmy only seemed slightly appeased by her words. "…so you're not gonna become a demon? You're gonna save Melvin?"
"…I'm going to save Melvin…I promise. Now…it's been a long day and it's the middle of the night. I think it's time you and Teether went to bed in your own room."
Timmy looked up at Raven, before pointing to at Teether still in Starfire's arms. "Teether wanted to stay here with everyone and I'm not leaving without him…Melvin always looked after us but now she's not here…so I gotta look after him."
Azar, if the room wasn't so full of people, Raven would have broken down right then and there. Instead, she swallowed the lump in her throat, blinked away the irritation in her eyes and gently brought a hand up to cup the side of Timmy's face.
"You're a very brave Titan you know….and I wasn't going to separate you. How about you go back over to Starfire while I help out some of our injured friends. Then, I'll bring you and Teether to your room."
Timmy, seemingly appeased by Raven's compromise that allowed him to act as the protective big brother, nodded before giving Raven one last squeeze and promptly hopping of her lap. Picking up his blanket from the floor, he walked back over to Starfire, who was still talking to Cyborg where Raven had left them. Starfire beamed down at the young Titan, before she used her free hand, which was not occupied with holding Teether and gently grabbed Timmy's much smaller one and gently led him back over to the action figures on the floor. Raven watched the scene with a warm smile before her eyes drifted to Cyborg, who was watching Raven, a twinkle in his eye. Raven raised an eyebrow. Cyborg's smile didn't falter, even as Raven began to approach.
"You really are amazing with them Rae."
Raven cast her eyes downward, the shame at how she had been ready to tear Cyborg to shreds hitting her with full force. "No I'm not...I said I'd be there for them whenever they need me…and I wasn't…all because I can't balance my emotions."
Raven felt herself jolted by the ferocity of which Cyborg had just grabbed her shoulders. She immediately locked eyes with him, her eyes wide, his eyes narrowed.
"Raven, don't you say a damn word like that. Do you know how much you've done for those kids? How important you are to them? You were and are still willing to end your own life to provide a world for them that keeps them safe and the only reason you weren't here when those demons arrived was because we all hoped you would find another way."
Raven felt Cyborg's grip on her shoulders lessen. "If anything…I didn't protect her. I made a decision in battle…and got it wrong. I'm sorry Ra-"
Cyborg was cut off as a tendril of dark magic weaved it's way across his mouth, much to his surprise. Raven, for her part, looked at him impassively for a moment, before she gave him a look of empathy.
"How about…we both admit we're not perfect…and after I finish healing up everyone here and get some rest…we come up with a plan to get Melvin back?"
Raven let the magic dissipate from Cyborg's mouth and even with the current circumstances, she couldn't help but feel the corners of her mouth upturn every so slightly at the look of shock on the metal Titans face. It only stayed for a moment though, before Cyborg rolled his neck and before she could protest, pulled her into a one armed embrace. "Sounds like a fair deal."
Raven didn't even resist and for a few seconds at the end, even leaned into her teammates embrace before the two of them separated. With a smile, Cyborg turned away and began walking towards Aqualad's bed, grabbing his chart when he arrived there and shooting Bumblebee a fond smile. Raven, for her part, turned towards the Herald, who was seemingly the most injured in the room. Her work was cut out for her with the amount of healing she was going to have to do. For the moment, she pushed all of her extra thoughts out of her head. Her concern for Melvin…her worry about Beast Boy and what he'd seen in Nevermore…what Nightwing and him were talking about. All of it…gone. If the Titans were to get Melvin back, she needed every ally they had ready to go. They needed every Titan together…to go to war.
Beast Boy couldn't sleep. He hated when he couldn't sleep. All of his instincts were screaming at him to close his eyes. Rest and recover. Be fresh for the next day. Yet, all he could was stare at his ceiling, his thoughts racing around inside his head at one hundred miles an hour. After Nightwing and him had finished talking, the leader of the Titans had gone up to the Med Bay to check in with everyone, while the changeling had elected to stay in his room. It wasn't that he didn't want to see everyone…it was just…he had a lot on his mind, primarily, an empath that was currently healing his friends in the aforementioned Med Bay.
Originally, he couldn't help but allow his mind to wander to what he'd seen in Nevermore, or more accurately, what Rage had shown him. Part of him felt like he should be more annoyed…or angry…or hurt…but the more he dwelled on it, the more he realised that…it didn't bother him. If anything, he understood it. If anyone could empathize with striving for control…for balance…he could. Malchior came and, just like that, gave it to her. At a time when he was having his greatest difficulty understanding her, someone else appeared who seemed to embrace her, who she was…her struggles, her flaws. Even recreating the scene in his head, Raven hadn't even said that she saw him as a pet outright…it was barely an agreement, with Raven hanging on Malchior's every word. The dragon didn't need to use magic to put Raven under his spell…he did that with lies alone.
He wasn't even as mad about her morphing him as he once was. When he had first come to an agreement with the Beast after he woke up after the Deathstroke fight…man, he felt like he could do no wrong…like he could take on the world. If Raven had felt even remotely similarly…while he still wasn't happy about it, it was far easier to view as a mistake now than her not seeing him as a person.
He couldn't help but think that that was the whole point of why Rage showed him what she did. He truly believed Rage when she said she didn't hate Raven and despite Rage's disagreement, he didn't think Raven hated Rage either, although he could certainly see why Raven would be afraid of that aspect of herself. But for her to achieve balance, she was going to have to find a way to embrace all of who she was and unlike with Malchior, she was going to have to do it for herself…not for the treacherous needs of another. He wasn't able to form any relationship with the Beast until he'd admitted to himself that he was flawed…that he was scared…and that that was okay. Maybe he could help Raven do the same.
Inevitably though, his thoughts drifted to the what would happen if Raven couldn't heed Rage's advice…where plan B would become the only plan. Nightwing and Beast Boy had both essentially acknowledged that if Raven made the decision that that was the only way…there was going to be no way to stop her. He wanted to kill the thought…to snuff it out and pretend that Raven had never said a word. But he couldn't, it sat in his mind and no matter how much he tried to think about it, he was inevitably drawn back to it like a moth to a flame.
It was no wonder he couldn't sleep.
He glanced at the alarm clock on his bedside table.
3:03 am
He sighed, lifting up a pillow and slamming it down on his face in frustration. However, his ears twitched beneath his new face covering and in an instant, he was sat up in bed. He could sense her…she was right outside his door. Beast Boy had always had a decent ability to pick up on someone's presence before they made themselves known. Whether it was someone who came looking for him in his room or calling out someone's name as soon as they entered the room he was in without even turning around, whether it was sound or smell, his animal senses meant that he could usually intuit who he was about to be joined by.
Raven was unmistakable. Now that he was listening carefully, he could hear her every graceful movement. Her cloak jostling as she shifted beneath it, the ever so quiet tapping of her boots on the hallways floor as she shifted from foot to foot. That didn't even get into the fact that her trademark scent which he had embarrassingly told her about in the gym earlier was now seeping through the crack at the bottom of his door and practically filling his room in his mind. Beast Boy frowned…she wanted to knock on his door…so what was she waiting for?
Tentatively, Beast Boy tried something he had never done before. While Raven had established their bond and he had used it a handful of times to talk to her, he had never used it to try and read her. He wasn't even sure if he could, but he reached out as if he was going to talk to her, but stayed silent, instead focusing just on her. For a moment, nothing happened…but then, it came through in trickles. He almost recoiled when the first emotion came through to him…was this how Raven felt all the time? He didn't know if the empath was distracted or simply not aware that their connection went both ways, but based on what Beast Boy could hear, she didn't seem disturbed. So he focused on her emotions. Raven was feeling…lonely? Sad? Disappointed? He couldn't quite put his finger on it like Raven could, but if there was one thing he could determine…Raven didn't want to be alone right now.
That's why his face fell into dismay when, with a sigh, he heard her lower her arm for the final time, before trudging down the hallway in near silence. Beast Boy practically shot out of bed. Any chance he'd had at sleep flew out the window with the knowledge that Raven didn't want to be alone. An idea formed in Beast Boy's head as quietly made his way out of his room. Maybe Raven didn't want to talk…that didn't mean she had to be alone.
It had been just after one in the morning when Raven had returned from Nevermore with Beast Boy. Between talking with Beast Boy and Nightwing, healing everyone to the best of her ability in the Med Bay and putting Timmy and Teether to bed, it was well past three when Raven was eventually able to drag herself to her room. Even though she'd expected it to be difficult, the healing drained her even more than she expected. The Herald had been in particularly rough shape. While it seemed the demons had only knocked him out on their way in, Argent had explained that Cyborg's demon had basically him while he was still unconscious to distract her during the fight that ensued in Main Ops, after she had dragged him up to the roof.
Yet, she was happy with her efforts. At a time where she was still feeling like she should have been able to prevent Melvin being taken, seeing Argent's face light up when the Herald's eyes had creaked open…it reminded her that just because Deathstroke needed her for his plans…she wasn't evil. She was her own person…and she could help her friends. She was enough for them.
She had come to terms with Melvin's capture and was prepared to move heaven and earth to get her back. However, as she traversed the dimly lit hallways of Titans Tower, her thoughts couldn't help but drift towards Beast Boy. She had wanted to give each other some space after Nevermore, without a doubt, but the changeling hadn't even made an appearance in the Med Bay to visit the others. Between finishing up with healing Titans and bringing Timmy and Teether to their room to put them to bed, she had had a brief moment to extend the reach of her powers to try and detect his emotional state. Raven hadn't wanted to use their connection because...it didn't feel right in the current moment.
So she had settled for extending her empathic senses and quickly found him in his room. He wasn't sleeping, his emotional state was far too active for that. He had felt like he was conflicted, like he was debating between something in his head, and it had honestly made the empath a little nervous. Perhaps the time he had had to think on what he'd seen in Nevermore had changed his perception of her…she wouldn't have blamed him.
On her way back to her room, she had found herself outside his door. She desperately wanted to knock on it…to go in and simply be near him. They wouldn't have had to talk…she didn't even think she wanted too. She just wanted another one of those moments, which she had quickly found herself craving. But she didn't. After a minute, and a few occasions where she lifted her hand, as if to wrap her knuckles on his door, she simply walked away. It was only when Raven had stepped inside her own room and stood still for a moment did she realise how loud the quiet was. After everything she had been through in the last day, to hear nothing at all…it was deafening. With a sigh, she moved to sit on the side of her bed, where she proceed to take off her boots and unclip her cape, simply tossing her clothes to the side for now.
A quick trip to the bathroom later and she had dawned a new pair of dark blue pajama bottoms and the same Blue Öyster Cult t-shirt that she had worn earlier in the week. Rather than getting straight into bed, Raven elected to sit on the side of it, placing her elbows on her knees and folding her arms. If there was one thing that Raven hadn't wanted at any point since she'd returned from Nevermore, it was an extended period of time with her own thoughts, with no interruption in sight. So much had happened, the future was so unsure…it all milled about in her head, eating at her, digging deeper and deeper into her psyche. She couldn't help it as a few tears began to gather at the corners of her eyes. Azar…after years of meditating in solitude, it was bizarre for her to realise that while she didn't want to talk…she desperately didn't want to be alone right now.
Raven was about to curl up in bed and resign herself to a restless night when her head shot bolt right up as a noise broke the cacophony of silence in her room. She stared at her door in confusion, wiping at her eyes as she did so. She thought she was imagining things but after a few seconds, the noise came again and this time, she stood up. There was definitely someone knocking on her door. Raven turned on her bedside lamp and tentatively walked towards her door, extending her empathic abilities outwards. She frowned. There was definitely someone outside…they weren't hiding their emotions exactly, but their array of emotions seemed so…basic?
Raven allowed her door to slide open and when she didn't immediately see anyone, she poked her head out, glancing up and down the hallway. Not a soul in sight. It was so quiet that Raven could swear she could hear the electrical currents in the walls. She resisted shaking her head and simply retreated back into her room, staring at the door as it slid closed. She definitely hadn't imagined the knock, the second time had confirmed that it was a real and she had detected…something outside her room. Those thoughts plagued her mind as she turned back towards her bed, where she proceeded to immediately freeze on the spot.
Between her and her bed, sat in the middle of her carpet, staring up at her, was a green cat, it's eyes glinting under the dim light of her bedside lamp. While Raven could only stare, wide-eyed and mouth agape at her surprise visitor, the cat seemed entirely non-plussed. If anything, it seemed expectant, like it was waiting for Raven to do something.
Raven was only slightly surprised to find that she wasn't annoyed that Beast Boy had just come into her room without her permission. If anything, she was almost happy that he had decided to make an appearance. But still, she suddenly found herself nervous, especially because she couldn't get a read on his emotional state. It was like his transformation had somehow made his emotions harder to read…like the animal was blocking out the person…or he was making a conscious effort to block her out.
"Beast Boy?…What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night?"
She expected him to change back. She assumed that once it was clear to him that she wasn't going to kick him out that he would shift and come out and say whatever he was going to say. Instead, he simply meowed at her before moving from his spot on the floor towards her bed, where he promptly jumped up onto her sheets, before moving towards a corner at the foot of her bed, rotating a few times in a circle, while his little paws pushed into the soft material, before settling down and staring straight back at Raven, expectation in his eyes.
There were very few times in her life where Raven was lost for words. If she tried hard enough, she could probably recall three or four times total. However, she could say without a doubt, that there had never been an occasion as pronounced as this. She simply continued to stare, a few noises escaping her mouth that in no way resembled discernible words. Beast Boy, for his part, looked incredibly comfortable, and with what almost seemed to be a shrug, lowered his feline head down to rest on her bed, his eyes still on the empath.
Raven finally snapped out of her stupor and walked towards her bed, angling towards the side that Beast Boy was on. Only once Raven was within a few feet did he raise his head again, his eyes casting lazily upwards. Raven, still finding herself surprisingly unsure, stood in front of where he had chosen to nestle and looked down at him, a question on her lips.
"…why?"
It came out as almost a whisper, but the cats ears flickered in the dim light of the room as the word escaped her mouth. The cat tilted it's head, before standing up and walking towards the edge of the bed and looking up at Raven expectantly. Raven, interpreting the silent message, reached a hand out towards the cat. She gently placed her hand on his head before slowly moving it to cup the side of it's face. The cat responded in kind by leaning into her touch and giving her hand an imperceptible lick of affection. It was an impossibly sweet gesture and Raven couldn't help the smile that started to creep onto her face. The cat looked up at her with wide, inquisitive eyes and for the second time, Raven attempted to get an emotional read on Beast Boy.
The second time did not disappoint.
Raven almost had to brace with the force of emotion coming out the feline in front of her. It was warm, affectionate, caring…like the creature in front of her was projecting his heart and soul onto her. Beast Boy's words from earlier popped into her head.
I like all of you and there isn't a thing I would change about you.
That's when it hit her…what emotion the cat in front of her was projecting…she had simply never felt it like this before. Not from Malchior…not from the monks of Azarath…maybe from the other Titans…but not like this. She couldn't help as a few tears escaped her eyes for the second time in as many minutes, but these were for a very different reason. Any doubts that she had been having dissipated into this air. Without hesitation, she scooped up the cat and walked around to the other side of her bed, where she had already pulled her sheets down. She quickly crawled underneath the covers and pulled them over herself, before placing the cat opposite her on the bed, just beneath her other set of pillows, so the two of them were essentially at eye level.
Beast Boy was seemingly not as satisfied with his positioning as Raven was because as soon as he was set down and Raven began adjusting herself, he rose up and closed the distance between them and as Raven watched on, he began to settle just that little bit closer, and a little bit lower, such that the cats tail was flicking against her stomach. Raven felt the slightest of a blush on her cheeks, but that absolutely didn't stop her from gently pulling the cat closer, such that it's back was firmly pressed against her stomach, only the relatively thin sheets of her bed separating them.
For a moment, they both stayed motionless, both content in the circumstance they found themselves in. The cat nestled itself deeper into Raven, while the empath herself began absentmindedly stroking it's fur. However, despite the cat's obvious comfort, it made no move to fall asleep, it's head still remaining firmly upright. It was here with a purpose. Beast Boy didn't care if he didn't speak or have to change back all night. He wanted to be there for Raven…even if it was in the most simple way he could think of. Beast Boy had always thought animals were better at teaching humans about humanity than humans were anyway.
Raven couldn't take her eyes off the back of the cat that was no pressed against her. She watched as his head occasionally moved in different directions, like it was surveying her room for any signs of danger. It seemed readily apparent that the little green feline that was Beast Boy had no intention of talking tonight. Raven took a deep breath. She hadn't wanted to have a conversation tonight, but it certainly seemed like she had someone who would listen to her if she needed it.
"I healed everyone in the Med Bay who was involved in the fighting earlier."
She watched as the cat's ears perked up, acknowledging that not only had he heard her, but that it was listening. It didn't turn it's head to face the empath, but Raven didn't need to use any of her powers to know that it's focus was entirely on her words.
"It was…a lot. Starfire's cheek was in pieces and Cyborg…how did I ever think he was at fault for Melvin…"
The cat froze up just a little bit when it heard the tremble in Raven's voice, but it still did not make a move.
"Everyone upstairs…Melvin…civilians in Jump…are in danger again…because of me…what I am…I-…I never wanted this…I didn't ask to be made."
This time the cat's head did swivel around to look at the empath. Raven glanced down at the movement and couldn't help but make a noise that was somewhere between a sharp laugh and a quiet sob. A look of such defiance didn't belong on the face of such a creature. Raven stroked it's head in appeasement.
"I know, I know…you're glad I was born…you've mentioned it before."
The cat gave a huff of indignation before it turned back around, lowering its head to rest on Raven's sheets, it's ears still perked up and attentive. Raven smiled and scratched between the back of its ears before her face turned somber again.
"I'm afraid Gar…I feel like I'm lost…I'm stuck in the past with Rage and if I don't find a way to move past in the next few days…I don't know what I'm going to do…I can't even go straight to the other plan because then Melvin…"
Raven took a breath to steady herself. When she spoke next, it was barely above a whisper.
"I just want to keep the people that are most important to me safe."
The cat still heard her loud and clear. This time, it stood up and turned to face the empath, who had been resting her head on her pillow as she stroked the animal. Her expression turned inquisitive as the cat's small paws began treading across the soft ground provided by her sheets as it moved towards her face. Raven propped herself up on one elbow as the cat approached. The chat pawed at Raven's arm and when the empath didn't get the message, he burrowed it's head in the gap between her elbow and the bed, before emerging on the other side, now comfortably using the empaths arm as it's personal pillow.
Raven looked down at the cat, that she still very much knew was Beast Boy, that had just made it's way into her arms. It was amazing really, that for all the talking they had done, Beast Boy was currently saying more than he had ever said before in his silence. The message was clear. Beast Boy did feel safe with Raven. Raven, reflexively, held the cat tighter, allowing herself to sink back into her own pillow. With a flick of her wrist, she turned off her bedside light with her powers, allowing darkness to take the room. Even though the silence was still there…Raven didn't find it as deafening…not anymore.
"Thank you Garfield."
Raven felt the bundle of fur in her arms adjust before she felt something wet against her nose, followed by a quiet purr. Raven smiled as she sunk into her sheets, her arms wrapped protectively around the cat that had made her feel just that little less lonely when she needed it most. She wasn't surprised when she felt her eyes closing with far greater ease than she had ever thought possible.
Raven was more than used to her dreams being more unique than that of the average person. Being a half-demon tended to lend itself towards dreams that could take the form of visions, warnings, prophecies, you name it. One time, when she had been reading, a sentence had stuck out with her that said while people are asleep in this world, they are very much conscious in another. Raven had found that apt. It was for this exact reason that Raven had become quite the lucid dreamer. Everything she saw tended to have meaning. That meant whatever her mind concocted for her, her brain switched on, documenting everything she saw, creating memories of the scenes that were painted before her before they could disappear into the ether.
So when Raven felt her eyes snap open and she was no longer in the comfort of her own bed, she didn't panic. If anything, with everything that had happened in the last few months, she almost expected this. Raven pushed her hands beneath and pushed herself up off of what she realised now was a destroyed city street, the trademark scents of smoke and ash filling her senses as she got too her feet. She recognized where she was immediately. She couldn't forget this place if she tried. It was one of the streets in the old part of Jump City, at the end of which in the distance, the empath could spy the old town library, below which was Deathstroke's hideout, a labyrinth of tunnels that culminated where she became the portal…the pedestal that Deathstroke was required to kill her on presumably still standing tall.
Unsurprisingly, Raven wasn't the biggest fan of this part of Jump City and had made a concentrated effort to avoid it if she could. As such, this was her first time seeing the building again and for only a second, it stole her breath from her. She could have stared at it for far longer than she did, but her attention was grabbed by the myriad of activity that was going on around her.
The street was a war zone. Cars overturned, patches of fire and smoldering debris dotted the pavements, street lamps on their sides and windows blown out of the surrounding buildings, all the scene was missing was the blood red sky that Trigon brought with him when he had invaded Earth. Amongst the carnage, there were fights going. Raven moved forward, desperately trying to make out any details, but the people fighting were obscured, almost as if she was watching them through ripples on the surface of a body of water. The two people nearest her, she could only make out minor details. One was clad in white, the other in blue and while the one in blue seemed to have the upper hand, Raven noticed that the number of bodies in white seemed to far outnumber any other colour. Before she could note anything else, a massive roar from behind her caused her to whip around.
The entity was obscured like the others, but she recognized the cry of the creature and her heart sank. The empath was almost positive she could make out the shape of Ternion through the obscurity, flickers of flame dripping off his form as he skulked down the ruined street. Suddenly, from behind her, Raven felt the ground shake as something collided with the road. Raven turned again, to see a massive blue and white form, almost as big as Ternion, stand up to it's full height. Before Raven could process what she was looking at and at a speed she nearly couldn't keep up with, the massive white form made a beeline for Ternion. The villain saw it coming and with a cry, it too increased it's speed. Raven could only watch as the two got closer and closer and when the two collided, the world around Raven went dark as she was blown backwards.
When her vision returned and she began to stand up, she realised the setting had changed. Gone was the desolated street, replaced with a massive chamber. The quality was better this time and Raven could actually make out faces. She didn't like what she saw. There were two distinct fights going on. On one side of the room, Nightwing was engaging a black and white version of the beast, which firmly had it's jaws clamped down on one of his escrima sticks, where the other one was, Raven couldn't see. On the other side of the chamber, Beast Boy and Starfire were involved in all out war with a creature straight out of a nightmare. Raven hadn't had the chance to see him before, but she could only assume that this was Adonis. Starfire was covered in burns, her left arm hanging limp, with Beast Boy stood protectively in front of her. Just as Adonis charged, Beast Boy took the form of the Beast to meet the creature and just before they clashed, Raven was whisked away once again.
When she finally stopped moving for the third time, she felt her heart freeze, almost as if it had stopped beating. Before, she had been a bystander, but now…now she was looking through her own eyes. Her arms were outstretched in front of her, as if she had just cast a spell. In front of her, Beast Boy was on his knees, looking up at her with something almost akin to a smile, before his eyes rolled back in his head and he pitched forward. Raven, instinctively, rushed forward as if to catch him, but as her arms reached out, the changeling passed right through them. When he hit the ground, he burst through it like he was breaking through water and Raven felt herself sucked into the vortex, before she began falling through darkness.
She closed her eyes and waited for everything to stop…for the dreams to stop…for these visions to silence themselves. Unfortunately for her, she was in for far more than dreams tonight. As she felt her body stop moving, she heard the smooth tone of voice penetrate her thoughts before she could even open her eyes.
"Now Raven…it's rude to not look at someone when they're speaking to you."
Raven didn't even hesitate. As soon as her eyes snapped open, she sent a burst of her power outwards in the direction of the voice. Deathstroke blocked it with his arms raised, which he had raised in front of him. Raven's eyes glowed white as she began to levitate off the floor.
"So I can harm you in my dreams this time…good to know."
Deathstroke laughed from behind his arms. "Raven please…you hold more power this time because I allow it..."
Raven finally took a moment to take in her surroundings. They were in the central chamber beneath the old library. To her right, the pedestal where she became the portal towered above her, the winding staircase which had appeared as she had ascended the first time still in place. To her left, the vast amount of open space had been turned into somewhat of a production line. Slade bot parts were moving on conveyor belts as mechanical arms attached the various pieces together. In the background, Raven could even identify a few villains, like Mammoth, who was lumbering with some huge metal beams over his shoulders. Raven turned back to Deathstroke, her eyes still white.
"Also…I don't think you should be too aggressive here…after all…I have collateral."
Raven turned back to Deathstroke, her white eyes fading to terrified purple ones, as Deathstroke stepped to the side, revealing a cage that she had seen before, a cage that had once been used to hold Beast Boy after he had been evicted from the tower, which was now being used to hold Melvin, who lay on the metal ground on her side, eyes closed, a trickle of blood beneath her nose, which had long since dried. Raven dropped to the ground, her fists clenched at her side as Deathstroke's smug grin became visible beneath his half mask.
"What. Have. You. Done. To. Her."
Deathstroke wagged a finger at Raven and leaned far too casually against the metal bars, the girl inside not reacting in any way to the slight shifting of the cage.
"Raven, do you really think so little of me? To hurt an innocent child? I swear to you I have not harmed a single hair on her head. However, I can't have her awake, can I? Otherwise her little imaginary friend would cause havoc in the middle of my base of operations."
Raven grit her teeth. "Then why is there blood on her face."
Deathstroke shrugged. "I haven't harmed her…however, she was being difficult on the way here and well…Beast Boy's demon didn't take to kindly to her struggles. I must admit that when I tried to summon your friends little demons and Beast Boy's appeared, I was quite annoyed…seems even with his improvements, Adonis still isn't where I need him to be. Hopefully that will be amended soon. As for the girl's nose…it was unavoidable really. However, if you continue to act so rashly…well…my stance on keeping her in good condition may change rather quickly."
Raven took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut to calm herself. The last time Deathstroke had visited her in a dream, he had been there to deliver a message, whilst taking some parting shots in the process. She would not let him get to her. She would not give him the satisfaction.
"Well then…let's keep this civil. You wouldn't be here without a purpose."
"Perceptive as always Raven. For old times sake…I have a message to deliver." You have until sunset two days from now to come here."
Deathstroke raised his hands in the air and gestured to his surroundings. "I know you recognize this place. I know you know where it is. I won't even ask you to come alone, cause I know you won't. As much as you care for the girl, you are frustratingly not sentimental enough to sacrifice the world for her. So tell your Titans. Prepare yourself however you feel you should. But, if you do not come to this place within two days…the girl dies."
Raven raised an eyebrow. "You would invite the Titans into your home? Sounds like someone is overconfident."
Raven took a step back as Deathstroke closed the gap between them in only a second, all traces of mirth disappearing from both his expression and tone. "I am done with this charade Raven. My ascension has been delayed for long enough. Beast Boy was a blip on my radar that turned into a stain on my plans. Bring all the Titans you want. It will still not be enough. My forces will eviscerate them and only once you have seen the last light leave your friends eyes…only then will I kill you and become the God I was destined to be. I am done playing games and my threats are not empty. Not only will the girl die if you don't come…by my hand, she will suffer."
In a flash, Deathstroke reached out and grabbed Raven's wrist, sending an immediate searing pain up the empaths arm. She struggled to break free, but found her powers, which were active only seconds ago, were now not rising to her fingertips. Deathstroke's grip tightened.
"Don't think for a second that Trigon's influence leaving you has changed anything. You were not made to be a hero. You were not made to be loved. You were made with the sole purpose of siring the end for all things mortal. You may see yourself as Raven of the Titans, but you are the Gem…a commodity…an expendable resource…nothing more."
Raven screamed as glowing, red symbols began to appear on her skin as her cloak withered away and her hair grew longer. She opened her mouth in a silent scream, unable to tear herself away from the visage of Deathstroke in front of her. As tears started to gather in the corner of her eyes, Raven did the only thing she could think of, her mind drifting to her connection with Beast Boy.
"Garfield…I need you…"
Deathstroke always enjoyed being the master of his own environment. He had reached out to Raven and brought her here. He was in his own domain. He was surrounded by his own underlings. Nothing could catch him off guard within the safety of the world he had created. But Deathstroke was wrong about one thing. He may have brought Raven here in her dream, but she had bonds with someone strong enough to bring them here too.
Deathstroke didn't even have time to turn his head, only barely registering the thumping footsteps coming from his right before the Beast slammed into his side, separating him from Raven, the empath falling to the floor once his grip had disappeared. Deathstroke went flying backwards, skidding across the floor, eventually coming to a stop in a heap in front of Melvin's cage. The Beast did not pursue, but rather stood protectively in front of Raven. Deathstroke looked up at the Beast with pure contempt.
"Defend your precious Raven all you want…within the next two days…she dies."
Raven shakily got to her feet and used the Beast to keep her balance by leaning against it's side. The Beast didn't take its eyes off of Deathstroke, but Raven did feel him shift beneath her touch to accommodate her. Deathstroke stood up his full height.
"My message has been delivered anyway, so no point letting this encounter drag on…Raven …I expect I will see you very soon."
Deathstroke shoved a hand out and Raven felt herself go flying backwards as if she was travelling at one hundred miles an hour, much to the surprise of the Beast that had been supporting her. With it's cry of alarm still ringing in her head, the surroundings around her began to blur before fading into nothingness.
"BEAST BOY!"
Raven shot awake in bed, the name of the one she had called into her dream on her lips the second her eyes snapped open. As the memory of the events of the night before crept into her mind, she couldn't help but panic when she realised the cat was no longer in her arms. It was only when she stopped moving and took a second to breathe that she registered how cold her shoulders suddenly felt. Turning to her left, Raven's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as she locked onto Beast Boy's form, no longer a cat, on her bed, beside where she had been lying, his brows furrowed in either pain or concentration, his eyes moving wildly beneath his closed eyelids. His lips were moving ever so slightly, like he was murmuring to himself.
Raven didn't hesitate, realizing that he was still dreaming…dreaming in the place she had brought him to in her sleep. Raven grabbed his shoulders and furiously began shaking the changeling, throwing all caution to the wind relating to waking people up gently who were having nightmares.
"Gar! Wake up! Please!"
Despite her relentless efforts, Beast Boy's eyes remained closed as a bead of sweat began to drip down his forehead. Raven released him and found herself with no idea what to do. She was about to begin meditating to see if she could enter his mind again through their bond when she practically jumped out of her bed as Beast Boy suddenly came too, his eyes wide and pupils dilated.
"I'LL KILL YO-"
Beast Boy froze, his head whipping wildly around the room, his pupils still mere points in his eyes.
"Gar?"
Beast Boy's head turned to Raven in an instant, still breathing heavily. Raven did the only thing that came to mind. Grabbing both sides of his head, much to the surprise of the changeling, she gently brought him forward and leaned towards him, such that eventually, their foreheads were resting against each other. Upon contact, Raven closed her eyes and allowed the calming effect of her magic to seep into him.
"It was just a nightmare…it's over…I promise."
It took a few seconds, but Raven eventually began to feel Beast Boy calm down, the intensity of his emotions faltering as his breathing calmed. The two sat on the bed in the quiet of night, Raven cross-legged in front of Beast Boy, as both slowly came to a state of calm. She felt the shift in his emotions as they moved from being frantic to something calmer, but also tinged with sadness. When he spoke, he spoke quietly.
"…it wasn't just a nightmare though was it."
"No…no it wasn't."
Raven pulled her head way from Beast Boy's but stayed within arms reach of him, noticing quietly that her arms were still shaking from what she'd seen.
"I'm…I'm sorry…I didn't realise I had the capability to pull you into a dream like that."
"Was it because of our bond?"
"…most likely…I still don't understand the extent of what it can do."
"…it goes both ways you know…just in case you didn't know."
Raven looked up at Beast Boy, confusion in her eyes. "What do you mean?"
Beast Boy shrugged. "Last night…I knew you were outside my door because I could hear you…but I could feel you…like…your emotions…you didn't want to be alone."
Raven cast her yes down. "…I didn't know that."
Beast Boy made a noise that was somewhere between a sigh and sharp laugh. "Yea…I didn't know it until I tried it…so I'm an empath now?"
Raven cracked the smallest semblance of a smile. "I wouldn't quite say that."
Beast Boy smiled back for a moment before a frown crossed his face. "I'm guessing that isn't the first time you've had a dream like that."
Raven grimaced. "Deathstroke…seems to have a lot of messages for me."
"Before you brought me in…what happened?"
Raven's eyes widened as flashes of what she saw suddenly filled her head. Not just Melvin in the cage and Deathstroke's ultimatum, but the battle outside the library, Starfire and Beast Boy fighting Adonis again…Beast Boy seemingly falling by her own hand. She swallowed, doing her best to stay calm.
"I saw some potential future events, but they were…obscured. Then Deathstroke pulled me away for his conversation."
Not a lie. At least that's what she told herself and hoped that Beast Boy wouldn't pick up on the amount of effort she was putting into keep her shoulder's loose.
If Beast Boy noticed anything, he didn't say anything about it, instead continuing on with a nod of his head.
"What did Deathstroke say?"
Raven clenched her fists. "Did you see Melvin?"
Beast Boy sighed. "I did…I know the cage."
Raven face turned somber. "We have two days…or I have two days…to go to where I became the portal…otherwise she dies."
Beast Boy's eyes suddenly steeled. "Surely he knows that you'd tell us? We know that he needs you so we ca-"
Raven cut him off. "He knows…he anticipated it…he practically told me to gather all the Titans…he seemed confident."
Beast Boy snorted. "Didn't stop me knocking him on his ass five minutes ago."
Raven looked up at him inquisitively. "Speaking of…after I woke up, you were still there. What happened? You were pretty angry…"
Beast Boy's face darkened. "He wasn't being very complimentary of you…and well…I woke up screaming what the Beast was thinking."
Raven nodded, her entire body feeling like it was sagging as the adrenaline that had been coursing through her when she woke up began to wear off. Beast Boy grabbed her hand, causing her to jolt and look up at him with a start.
"Rae…we're gonna get Melvin back and now we have a timeline for doing it. Two days. This time two days from now, we'll have her back, we'll have put Deathstroke in the ground and we'll have saved the world again."
Raven gave him a half-smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and on a reflex, Beast Boy brought his hand up underneath her chin.
"In three days' time, we can go to Rhyme and Grind…I hear they do great tea."
Raven gave a soft chuckle, before, without even thinking, she leaned forward into Beast Boy, who caught her with open arms. She relished how he felt and Beast Boy loved how she seemed to fit so perfectly, like a puzzle piece that he didn't realise had been missing. Raven sighed in his arms.
"We should probably go tell the others."
Beast Boy glanced around the room until his eyes fell on a clock by Raven's bed. "Rae…it's still only five in the morning. We're both useless to everyone with no sleep."
Raven slowly registered Beast Boy's words and they seemed to help her realise how tired she still felt. She looked up at Beast Boy in confusion when she felt a bizarre shift in his emotions. He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Ehm…I can turn into a cat again if you want…or I can go back to my own ro…"
Raven clocked why his mood had changed and even she couldn't hide the slight blush that the darkness may have helped her obscure if it wasn't for the fact that Beast Boy had night vision. There was no way she wanted to be alone right now…but she didn't want Beast Boy to shift either. Wordlessly, Raven shrugged and moved from being cross-legged and readjusted so that she was lying in her bed, the covers still down. Beast Boy looked at her in confusion.
"Eh…Rae? What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to pull the covers up when you lie down."
Raven wished she could have seen Beast Boy's face when she said and the shift is his emotions to barely concealed joy was enough to make her smile in spite of everything. For a moment, she felt that same emotion from Beast Boy that she felt from him when was shifted before she fell asleep. While it hand't been said aloud yet, at least for the moment…it made her feel complete…it made her feel whole.
Beast Boy, after getting over his shock, reached over and grabbed the duvet and pulled it over the pair of them, before slowly shifting in behind Raven, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close. Raven couldn't help but shift and borderline nestle a little into his touch and the warmth he brought. Beast Boy leaned over slightly and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek, Raven melting against the sensation.
"Goodnight Rae."
"Goodnight Gar."
Within minutes, the two were asleep again. Tomorrow was a new day, where anything was possible, but in that single instance, in the face of everything, the two could find solace in each other's arms…and just for that moment…it was enough.