Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans (2003) this is a work of Fanfiction please support the official releases.
Author Note: So another Raven Story and again leaning into their friendship. I am a supporter of this pairing however my goal with this is to try and make them as close to an episode as possible.
I don't remember how I came up with this idea. however this is a very similar concept to the episode "Fear itself". Which is an episode I do like though it raises so many questions. Like I mentioned I do appreciate the show however it was full of inconsistent writing. One of which was how Raven's powers worked because by the logic of this episode if she feels a strong emotion of any kind something like that happens.
I think that's where the idea for this came about because what are the limits of her powers? Raven also is a character I think they struggled to keep consistent. This is why some may argue out of character and I respectfully disagree. Raven would laugh and indulge in stupid things with little consequences. She was also incredibly stubborn and kinda mean. Hey maybe that's why my generation loved her. I've always argued she was our Velma.
Everyone has a different read on a character. To me Raven is basically a normal girl under all that controlled emotion. Kinda like a Vulcan those emotions are there but being restricted for so long makes them more intense once they get out. Something I relate to kinda.
I have my read on her relationship with Beast Boy but I'll get into that more in other stories.
like I say I want this to feel like an old episode. Nothing too deep or introspective. This ain't Young Justice. If there is meaning you have to find it or read between the lines. honestly that can be more fun. That's what I just want this to be a bit of fun.
If you have time please leave a review again I'm not good with the writing aspect so you don't have to forgive the clunkiness, just know why it is like that. It all helps me improve.
This shares continuity with my previous story "Green Eyes and Tofu" however it's not required reading and like that story takes place in Season 3 roughly.
italics are once again thoughts. We'll make it T just for some violence.
Enjoy!
Just One More Level?
Wednesday 6:00pm
In the early evening, a Jump City establishment was under siege. The building was average in size, no bigger than the average city bank or department store. Above its entrance, the bright red lettering spelled out the name "GameDock." From inside, one could not mistake the scenes of panic and distress occurring within.
Today, among certain citizens of Jump City, is a special one. A famous video game, well famous in retrospect, is receiving a remaster. This particular GameDock, due to launch the event, has come under the attention of one particular citizen. Or in this case, the villain, Control Freak.
Inside the Teen Titans, having just arrived on the scene, are ready to do battle with this rather pathetic bad guy. The rather unimpressive-looking baddie had perched himself on top of the main desk in the middle of the store. The surrounding aisles lay mostly untouched, as did the promotional statues of characters for the featured relaunch.
"Welcome Titans to the Relaunch of Evil Souls, Once I deal with these false gamers, you'll have my full attention" Control Freak boasted as the GameDock staff trembled with confusion behind the desk he had made his perch on.
"This ends now, Control Freak," Robin demanded, stepping forward of the other four Titans ready for battle.
Of all the villains the Titans had faced Control Freak lay somewhere near the bottom. None of the Titans took him particularly seriously. He wasn't in good shape, His costume was clearly from a famous show and as Raven would often point out complete disregard for personal hygiene. A typical nerd as Beast Boy would sympathise with being one himself sort of. Yet one with a powerful remote capable of limited reality altering abilities.
Regardless of the motives, this is still someone the Titans would rather see in jail than running loose.
"Oh, the night is still young, Boy Wonder!" Control Freak retorted, grabbing his remote from his left pocket and raising it towards the five super powered teenagers. "So, let's get this party started!" Control Freak yelled. The remote in his hand blasted a bolt of red energy, like a series of lightning bolts, directly at each promotional statue from Evil Souls.
As the energy radiated through them, many unique fantasy-like characters began to move and advance on the Titans. Before they knew it, a small army of orcs, goblins, skeletons, giant spiders, and even a troll encroached upon them.
"Oooh, now the coach potato has an army of plastic instead of cardboard, I'm so scared." Raven said in a tone unusually more sarcastic than her normal brand.
"Titans Go!" Robin barked. The Titans and the fantasy army collided in a barrage of staffs, star bolts, claws, sonic cannons, and dark energy, leaving both groups covered in dust as they fought on.
Control Freak stood atop the desk behind the scuffle enjoying the unconventional conflict.
"Foolish Titans once my Dark army finishes the job I'll have no one to stand in my way of being the first to..." Control freak rambled on before being cut off by Beast Boy landing atop the same desk. In the changeling's grasp was a giant plastic dismembered spider head.
"Think fast, dude!" Beast Boy yelped as he threw his head in his hands at the red-headed villain.
"What no! Get it off me! Get it off me!" The villain cried as the severed airachnid head began biting and nibbling, causing him to tumble to the shop floor. In that moment, his remote had fallen from his grasp and landed on the desk. Beast Boy was now standing on solo.
The changeling picked up the black remote and examined it. Before long, the multiple button configurations were too confusing for the young Titan, so instead, he decided it would be easier to.
Snap.
The small spark of electricity sprang from the shattered pieces of the device. The animated advertisement battling the titans fell to the ground.
"My remote!" Control freaked yelled. The animated spider head ceasing to bite down on him. As the villain sat on the floor Robin had walked over to the rather pathetic looking and grabbed him by the cuff.
Control freak could do nothing but stare at the blank mask of the Titans' leader and gulp, knowing he was at his mercy.
"Game Over," Robin said sternly.
"Oh c'mon, really? That's the best you've got?" Control Freak replied, looking genuinely disappointed at the Boy Wonder's choice of words.
"Alright way to go, BB" Cyborg congratulated Beast Boy on his successful "takedown".
"Oh yes friend Beast Boy, we are most grateful" Starfire chimed in.
"No biggie, it's all in a night's work," the changeling replied, feeling satisfied with himself.
Raven, however, was less convinced. She believed the changeling had merely gotten a lucky shot with the spider head. Then again, a game store wasn't really her scene, and she was already anxious to leave.
"Can we go now? It stinks in here," the empath said in a deadpan expression.
Beast Boy jumped down from the desk onto the carpeted store floor. He took a pace forward before his face lit up like he had just remembered something.
"Oh my preorder!" He yelped. The changeling then pulled a very crumpled up tiny piece of paper from his right pocket and swiftly turned back around towards the desk.
The titans looked at each other in confusion before they knew it, however, Beast Boy was back facing them once again the ticket in his hand, replaced by a copy of the game Evil Souls.
"Okay, now we can go," the changeling declared, eyes closed with a massive ecstatic grin displayed. The Titans made their way towards the T-car as the Jump City authorities dragged Control Freak away.
Back at the Titans Tower, the resident changeling was ecstatic with his new game. In the Tower's large living room, the green Titan was hopping through the kitchen area at the back of the room, making his way towards the curved couch facing the gigantic TV situated in front of the Tower's main window.
"This is totally sweet, dudes! I can't wait to sink my teeth into this, and who knows maybe I'll be the first..." Beast Boy rambled gleefully before the Boy Wonder cut him off with a hand on the shoulder. Cyborg and Starfire weren't far behind him.
"Woah woah Beast Boy, I know you did a good job back there, but we don't want you hogging the TV all night. Besides we promised Starfire we'd watch that documentary" Robin said.
"Oh yes, friends, I am excited to watch how they make the toothpaste." Starfire chimed in. Clearly more excited about the TV show in question than she should be.
"Oh man, really?" Beast Boy began to whine.
"But I promise you once the show's over, the TV's all yours."
"For real?" Beast Boy asked.
"As long as you promise, you won't stay up all night," Robin ordered.
"All good things come to those who wait," Cyborg teased, scruffily rubbing his small friend's hair.
"Ha ha, sweet okay, I promise I'll prepare myself for later," Beast Boy said gleefully. The changeling then rocketed towards the living room door that led to the hallways containing the Titans' rooms. His speed almost looked like a blur. The wind of which blew the hair and cloak of the Resident Empath in his direction. Raven had been sitting back in the kitchen enjoying a freshly prepared tea. Upon witnessing her teammates' jumpy behavior, the sorceress simply rolled her eyes.
8:00 pm
Later in the evening, Cyborg and Robin were entranced by how disturbing the show Starfire had chosen on the curved sofa. Raven had parked herself in the kitchen area, engrossed in her latest novel. Often, the other Titans' sounds of disgust would earn a quick glance from the Empath before returning to her book, reassured she was having a better evening.
Beast Boy had only recently returned to the kitchen to prepare his food for later. The changeling rummaged through the refrigerator, pulling out a few plates of his choice food, tofu. Grabbing another plate and a fork from one of the drawers, he placed a plate full of different tofu and lightly pushed it towards Raven.
The empath was leaning against one of the drawers making up the wall of dressers surrounding the kitchen table. Once she had noticed the plate of soy cubes, she snapped her book shut and took a seat on one of the kitchen stools.
"Thanks," she said in a monotone register.
Beast Boy simply gave one of his trademark grins towards her to show his appreciation. The changeling then continued making his preparations as the Empath began lightly munching on the small cubes.
The reality of being a vegetarian was new to Raven. She had never really loved meat, but only went along with the choice to better fit in with her friends.
Recently, Beast Boy had succeeded in getting her to try some of his tofu, which, despite all conjecture, she ended up loving and then denying. The events following this resulted in, as Raven would put it, "nothing but embarrassment and emotion." It did, however, bring the two titans closer together. Something she never would have imagined. The empath now enjoyed the knowledge that every day, Beast Boy would prepare her fresh tofu, and she wouldn't even have to ask.
She had nearly finished her plate when her thoughts started to wander towards the ecstatic changeling.
Beast Boy simply gave one of his trademark grins towards her to show his appreciation. The changeling then continued making his preparations as the Empath began lightly munching on the small cubes.
The reality of being a vegetarian was new to Raven. She had never really loved meat, but only went along with the choice to better fit in with her friends.
Recently, Beast Boy had succeeded in getting her to try some of his tofu, which, despite all conjecture, she ended up loving and then denying. The events following this resulted in, as Raven would put it, "nothing but embarrassment and emotion." It did, however, bring the two titans closer together. Something she never would have imagined. The empath now enjoyed the knowledge that every day, Beast Boy would prepare her fresh tofu, and she wouldn't even have to ask.
She had nearly finished her plate when her thoughts started to wander towards the ecstatic changeling.
He really is good to me. I should say something nice. Ask about this thing he's excited about but don't make it too obvious she thought to herself.
"You seem excited," Raven said dryly.
Dial it back, her mind called to her
"Oh, I am Raven. I've been waiting for this for a long time. Everything needs to be perfect," Beast Boy replied sternly. Upon the kitchen table were many plates of different tofu. Large bags of cheesy chips and numerous packs of energy drinks with very vibrant designs on the cans. The empath observed the stockpile and turned back towards him.
"This all looks... healthy," she remarked.
"This is fuel. It'll be a long night," he replied
"All night?"
"Yeah, this game is intense it might even take days"
"Beast Boy, you already spend too much time watching TV. If you play this game, your brain may actually start to rot." The empath said, sounding slightly concerned.
"Ah, you say that about everything I do," he replied.
"Why don't you try reading a book for once? You may actually learn something."
"Didn't you tell me once to respect what makes you happy?" he replied smugly, crossing his arms.
That cheeky little... alright two can play at that game, she thought.
"I did, you also said something to me about trying new things," she retorted with a hint of a smile on her own face.
Beast Boy gulped.
"Well, you got me there," the changeling said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Either way, tonight's about the game, but don't worry, I promise not to be too loud and wake you guys."
The Empath deadpanned, "How considerate."
"That's me" he replied pointing his thumbs towards his face.
"Whatever" Raven snarked, rolling her eyes. She picked up the empty plate she'd been dining on and placed it in the kitchen sink.
"I'll be in my room," she announced, and began floating towards the main doors. A light whistle was heard as both doors shifted open. The empath made her way into the halls, before another light whistle. The doors shut behind her swiftly. Leaving the others in the living room for the rest of the evening.
11:30pm
Raven had spent a few hours meditating before retiring for the night. She sensed that all the others, except Beast Boy, had done the same. She concluded that he was well into his all-night gaming session.
The empath lay in her large bed in her usual black leotard. She and the other Titans found it better to sleep in uniform in case of emergencies during the night.
As Beast Boy promised, the sorceress could hear no noise from down the halls. Only the usual sounds emanating from the tower filled her eardrums. She was restless. She couldn't explain why either.
Tossing and turning in her sheets, she sprang up feeling parched.
Maybe I can sneak in and he won't notice. Even with the kettle, she questioned herself.
Ugh, whatever, I'm thirsty. She decided.
Climbing out of bed, she grabbed the cloak she had been wearing all day and swung it round back onto her shoulders. Taking a deep breath, she floated out of her door and hovered down the hallway.
Raven arrived at the living room door. She began sensing Beast Boy, yet it wasn't the emotions she had predicted feeling. In fact, she wasn't sure what she was sensing. The light whistle marked the door opening as she floated gently inside.
The living room was drenched in darkness. The only light came from the massive TV at the back of the room. Complemented by the lights of Jump City, obscured in the background of the tower living room window.
Raven raised an eyebrow. The TV screen hadn't moved since she entered. If she didn't know any better, she thought she could hear...
"He couldn't be?" She muttered to herself.
She floated stealthily through the kitchen area, making her way towards the couch. She still couldn't make out the changeling. She reached the sofa and peered around, only to have her suspicion confirmed. There was Beast Boy laid out on the couch, sound asleep. He was surrounded by untouched food and cans spread across the couch.
Raven turned to examine the television. From the bottom of the frame, several cables led towards a small black box sitting on the floor. From the front of the box, a single cable led towards a gaming controller cradled in the changeling's hand. The screen itself displayed the following message.
Evil Souls.
Play if you dare.
Press any button to start.
She turned back to the changeling and stepped a few feet closer to him.
Poor thing, he couldn't last after all that preparation. He really should go to bed; he'll feel terrible after sleeping on this thing in the morning. She thought to herself sympathetically, however, without even realizing it, her mouth had muttered out.
"Pathetic" over her green teammate.
Beast Boy could feel the prod of something thin but not sharp tapping on his cheeks. Creaking his eyes open, he could make out a figure standing above him.
"Beast Boy," a croaky voice asked. The changeling still didn't respond.
"Beast Boy" the voice repeated. The green titan opened his eyes briefly and made out a familiar female form in front of him. Yet he still closed his eyes again.
"Beast Boy!" The voice lightly shouted, causing him to jump up. His eyes were heavy; just looking at them made Raven feel tired.
"Perhaps you should go to bed, Beast Boy?" The empath suggested.
"This isn't my bed?" The changeling slurred, clearly unsure who he was taking too.
"No"
"Are you sure?"
"Positive"
"Well, okay," the changeling conceded. He stood up, clearly struggling to maintain his balance. Normally, Raven would enjoy the sight of Beast Boy stumbling back to his room. In an uncharacteristic display of mercy, she opened a portal at her friend's feet. Gravity pulled Beast Boy down as his body materialized horizontally through another portal at the end of his bottom bunk bed. With a satisfying flop, he landed perfectly flat as the small portal closed swiftly. His eyes closed, and within seconds, he was unconscious once again.
And they say I'm not nice, she thought to herself.
The empath turned back to the couch with the food Beast Boy had dubbed his fuel. First things first, she thought, aiming her arm towards the controller Beast Boy had been holding; she picked it up.
The light from the screen behind her flashed brighter in an instant. A booming voice followed, declaring.
"The greatest challenge awaits. Prepare to fall."
Raven had jumped at the message. As the game began to load, Raven pondered to herself.
This game thinks it's a challenge. That's a worse joke than anything Beast Boy could come up with. she huffed internally.
The black loading screen faded, revealing a character clad in fantasy armor facing away from the screen. The setting was a cobblestone set of walls not unlike a dungeon lit by burning torches. The game spoke up again.
"Are you ready?"
Raven still held the controller in her hand as she looked on at the screen with a blank expression and raised an eyebrow.
Thursday 8:00am
The following morning, the rest of the titans began to emerge from their rooms.
The door to Robin's quarters swiftly slid open as the traffic-colored Titan emerged. With a yawn and a stretch, his body creaked like an old door frame. From down the hallway, Cyborg was marching towards him.
"Yo Robin, did you hear all that noise last night?"
Cyborg asked, irritated from a lack of decent sleep.
"I heard some things. What did you hear?" He replied
"It sounded like the tower was shaking as it was gunna break apart"
"It was probably just Beast Boy playing that game all night," Robin remarked, turning away from Cyborg to make his way towards the living room. Cyborg began to follow.
He retorted, "Nuh uh, that TV ain't that loud.'"
The two made their way down a new hallway as the door to Starfire's room swung open.
"Oh good morning friends is it not a glorious day?" She gleefully asked.
"Good morning Star, say you didn't hear anything last that sounded... strange?" Robin queried. Starfire looked confused and pointed her finger up to her chin. She was trying to remember.
"Hmm I don't recall any of the strange sounds you mention" she answered.
"I know Silkie had been quite the restless bumgorf in the night" Starfire continued on turning slightly so as to allow the other to Titans to peer into her room. There on her floor rested her pet larvae Silkie yawning profusely.
"We should go see if Beast Boy is still up; I thought I could honestly trust him to at least not be on that thing all night," Robin stated. The other two Titans followed behind him.
"Do you think Friend Raven has heard the nightly disturbances?" Starfire asked.
"If she has then Beast Boy is probably living on borrowed time. Best leave Raven in bed; you know what she's like when she's tired," Robin remarked.
As the three Titans approached the living room door, they heard a distinct set of noises coming from behind it. The door slid open with an accompanying swish. The TV screen was on, and someone was right in the middle of playing Evil Souls.
"I knew he was still up, oh ho! I'm gonna give Grass Stain a piece of my..." Cyborg began to rant.
"Yawn... A piece of what?" Beast Boy clumsily asked, having just arrived behind the three.
"A piece of my mind" he carried on his head quickly darted over to Beast Boy almost instinctively, then back again, only to jump realizing who it was. He darted his head back around towards him.
"Wait, BB, you're here!" He shouted lightly.
"Beast Boy?" Robin said, confused.
"Friend Beast Boy, you have been asleep the whole night?" Starfire asked.
"I think so, but I don't remember playing the game at all... Yawn... I'm not even sure how I got back to my room." He recalled sluggishly.
"Well, if you're here, then who's that over there?" Cyborg asked, pointing a finger at the screen's direction. Looking towards the screen, the changeling's eyes shot open, seeing the game "Evil Souls" in full view, and he wasn't the one playing it.
The four Titans looked at each other. They were all thinking the same thing yet they all knew it couldn't possibly be true. As they approached the couch like animals stalking prey. The sounds of grunts and controller buttons became louder. A croaky yet familiar voice started rambling off.
"Dodge, yes, that's it, that's what you get," the voice sneered.
The four Titans peered over the couch to gaze upon a truly unbelievable sight. There on the sofa sat Raven. Her cloak and leotard were stained with orange marks from the bags of chips she'd been clearly munching on. The area around her lips was also covered in orange, giving her face the look of a messy child. Surrounding her were empty cans, plates, and bags. So much for Beast Boy's gaming fuel. The other Titans were dumbfounded. They never imagined they would find their resident Empath like this.
"Uhh, Raven?" Robin began to ask.
"Can't talk. Destroying monsters," Raven replied, not even acknowledging the Titan's leader. Annoyed, Robin bent down towards the controller cable feeding into the game box. Grabbing it, he gave it a firm yank. The empath was knocked out of her concentration in a look of shock.
"What gives Robin I was playing that!" Raven yelled in frustration.
"Yes, you were Raven, all night by the looks of it," Robin remarked, lightly swinging the controller's cable in his hands.
"So!" The empath retorted, crossing her arms and practically pouting.
"So... you've been playing this game all night, and now you'll be of no use in an emergency," Robin replied. Raven looked annoyed, but not her usual annoyed. More like the look of a child being told off, annoyed.
"Beast Boy would have played all night, so what does it matter?" Raven accused, trying desperately to deflect the attention to someone else.
"Beast Boy promised me he wouldn't be up all night. I can assume you found him asleep at some point last night and sent him to his room, which is why he can't remember how he got back there," Robin listed off detective skills in full swing.
"Then for some reason you decided to become Beast Boy last night," he continued.
"And she ate all my food" Beast Boy groaned.
Raven looked offended. She couldn't believe they were comparing her to him.
"I'm nothing like Beast Boy," the empath declared smugly.
"Hey" the changeling snapped, finally breaking out of the shock of what he had seen. "I am good at..." Beast Boy turned towards the screen. "Wait, she's at the final level!" He yelped in shock. "She's at the final boss!" He remarked, genuinely impressed at her achievement.
"That's right. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to continue..." The empath gloated as she picked the controller back up.
"Ah, ah, sorry Raven, you need to stop and go clean yourself up," Robin ordered.
"What why?"
"You have chips all over your face," Robin remarked, pointing towards her face.
"Huh" Raven examined her mouth and felt leftover crumbs around her lips.
"Oh Score!" she beamed. She used her fingers to rub her face and started licking her orange-stained hands.
"Ugh girl" Cyborg grunted. The metal Titan leaned down towards the empty plates and cans coating the sofa. "Did you eat all this junk?" Cyborg queried. He hadn't noticed the Empath had placed her palm towards her stomach. Her face scrunched up in discomfort as she let out a loud belch straight in Cyborg's face.
The metal titan's face shifted to one of disgust and began gagging. With a slam on the floor, his body started to roll as he grabbed his neck with one hand. The other arm was raised up towards the others as if this would be how his life ended.
"Oh quit being so *burp* dramatic" the empath gurgled watching his hectic display on the floor.
"Ok, Raven, I think that's enough gaming for you," Robin implored. The Titans' leader leaned down and pushed the large power button on the game box. The TV screen went black, causing Raven to flip.
"What gives Robin? I was *burp* in the middle of playing," Raven yelled, still very gassy from the questionable mixture of foods she'd been snacking on all night.
"Stop acting like a child, Raven," Robin retorted to the Empath. "Frankly, I expect better from you."
"You're not the boss of me, bird boy," Raven fumed, practically sticking her tongue out at the traffic light-colored titan.
"I'm the leader of this team, Raven, so I'm responsible for making sure everyone is ready to go on a moment's notice. Robin scolded the Empath like a disappointed parent.
"And your name is a bird as well," Beast Boy remarked, tapping his elbow towards Starfire in an attempt to defuse the tension building. The Tamaranean was starting to become uncomfortable with the growing situation. Raven responded with a deathly glare towards the changeling.
"Stay out of this, Beast Boy," Raven sneered. "You couldn't even stay awake to play the game."
"At least Beast Boy knew when to call it a night, like he promised he would." Robin defended.
"Why are you taking *burp* his side? the empath argued.
"This isn't about sides, Raven. This is about you solving this attitude problem you've developed and getting ready to deal with any problem that comes up as a team. You can't do that in the state you're in." Robin protested. The small communicator on Robin's belt began to beep rapidly.
"Speaking of which, Starfire and Beast Boy pick up Cyborg. Raven, you should stay here and, as I said, clean yourself up."
"What, *burp* why should I have to stay behind?" Raven whined.
"Don't make me order you, Raven," Robin barked.
Raven clenched her fists as her face grew red. How dare Robin treat her like a child? How dare the other Titans look down on her? No one tells her what to do. Her face was now as red as it could get. Her rage finally bubbled to the surface.
"I hate you guys, I hate this tower, and I hate everything!" Raven screamed. The Tower seemed to shake at her outburst. The empath then threw the controller down on the ground like a petulant child. It smashed into pieces. Beast Boy could only look on in shock.
"Dude, what's with you?" the changeling screeched, arms behind his head.
Raven had already started stomping away towards the living room door.
"Let her go, Beast Boy. We've got bigger problems," Robin replied, pointing towards Cyborg. The metal titan's face was still green from disgust. Starfire and Beast Boy grabbed hold of each of his arms and pulled him up.
"Starfire," Robin suggested.
"Oh yes," the Tamaranean cleared her throat.
"CYBORG!" she shouted to her friend.
The metal titan jumped to attention, freeing himself from their grasp.
"Cyborg looked around, confused. "Huh, what's happening? Where am I?" he asked.
"Trouble lets go" Robin reassured.
"Trouble is my middle name", Cyborg affirmed to himself, stumbling towards the living room doors, the other four Titans following behind.
Raven stormed into her room and immediately flopped onto her bed. Her emotions were running wild. A night without meditation had taken its toll once again. The empath began flailing her limbs about like a child throwing a tantrum.
"I hate them, I hate them. Stupid Beast Boy acts like a slob every day and they don't care. I try *Burp* and finish one game and I'm a jerk? It's not fair! *Burp*" Raven ranted to herself. Her emotions were in flux, as was her body, the poor food choices beginning to take their toll.
"I don't feel good," the Empath muttered, grasping a hold of her stomach. Her body curled up, pulling her knees to her chest. A flop sweat began. A low rumble started pulsing around the tower as dark energy began leaking from Raven's body.
The other Titans had left already to deal with the latest villain appearance. They hadn't noticed the Tower beginning to shake, as it had done the night before.
11:30 am
"Ugh, dealing with Mumbo is so much easier with Raven." Beast Boy declared, picking off feathers stuck to his uniform. The Titans had begun their return trip in the T-car, luckily without much incident.
"Stop getting feathers on the upholstery BB I've already cleaned my baby once this week." Cyborg barked.
"At least we did not have to become the animals again. I never wish to have the fleas again." Starfire agreed.
"We were lucky this time. It was just Mumbo if we're not at full strength next time someone more dangerous tries anything." Robin pondered.
"And, dude, what was with Raven earlier? I've never seen her like that," Beast Boy questioned.
"What about the Tofu incident?" Cyborg asked smugly.
"Ok, that was weird, but still it was nothing like this morning," Beast Boy remarked.
"Raven does have emotions, Beast Boy; she just keeps them in check to protect herself and everyone else."
"Yeah, BB, remember when we went into that mirror? She's probably more girly than Starfire," Cyborg reminded Beast Boy.
"What we mean is, under everything she puts up behind those emotional walls, there's a human being behind them as well. It's just sometimes things slip through clearly. Usually, the cause of which is us." Robin rambled on, raising his hands in a sense of guilt.
"Or mainly you, BB," Cyborg accused in the rearview mirror. The T-car was beginning to approach the Tower's garage at its base.
"Hey" the changeling remarked defensively. He then began to doubt himself after Cyborg's comment. "I just want her to see her smile... I hope she's okay" he said, sounding genuinely concerned. Cyborg glanced back over at his friend and remarked on the look of guilt and concern he had for his teammate.
"I know you do, buddy," Cyborg said lightly.
As he turned his attention back towards the road, he jammed his foot straight down on the brake pedal. The T-car came to a screeching halt, with the other Titans jolting forward in surprise.
"What's wrong?" Robin asked, ready to spring into action.
"The garage door hasn't activated," Cyborg explained. Curious as to the reason for the fault, he stepped out of the car and made his way towards the garage door.
"Not responding, can't figure out why?" He continued.
The other Titans stepped out of the vehicle. Beast Boy made a few steps towards the main door that led into the Tower's lobby.
"We could try the front door," he said, pointing to it.
Cyborg pulled up his left arm and pressed a few instructions into the screen built into it. A negative-sounding beep rang out after the input.
"Doors not working either." He grunted.
"Starfire, could you pull those doors open?" Robin asked, looking towards the Tamaranean.
"I shall give it my all," Starfire promised. A light gust could be heard as she floated towards the feet of the doors.
With a powerful set of pulls the alien managed to pry open the massive doors slowly. Revealing a sight none of them were prepared for.
"What, who... What's happened to my tower?" Cyborg shouted in horror at the sight before him and the other Titans.
The lobby was covered in cobblestone bricks spread across each wall. A set of pillars extended up towards the ceiling, five on each side of the room, in place of the sofas that used to fill that space. The only sources of light were torches placed sequentially along the walls and pillars.
"The four Titans looked at each other in confusion before they came to a collective conclusion, speaking in unison.
"Raven"
The four of them made an advance towards the sinister-looking staircase at the back of the lobby. The sounds of something alive could be heard echoing from up further in the tower.
"Beast Boy looked frightened and asked, 'Dudes, what was that?'"
"We'll soon find out," Robin remarked as he began to lead the way upstairs.
The hallways were even more confusing now than they were before. The Titans peered over each corner, feeling they were no closer to finding Raven. As they passed through each hallway, more and more spiderwebs graced the walls.
"I'm guessing this is another Wicked Scary situation. Okay, well, let's hurry and find Raven so she can admit she's scared, and then we don't have to find out what made these webs." Cyborg muttered, his whole body clanging with fear.
"I don't think this is like that," Robin retorted.
"Yeah, all of this has been oddly familiar," Beast Boy remarked.
"Cyborg, can you pick anything up?" Robin asked.
"According to my scans, all the Tower systems are off. The only thing I'm reading is 'on'. Is the Gamebox?" he confirmed.
Beast Boy's eyes widened. His suspicions were confirmed.
"Look there" Starfire pointed towards the end of the hallway. From the left corner leading down towards more than likely another identical hallway, a shadow slowly crawled up the back wall. The silhouette gave the impression of a large, fierce-looking foe.
The four titans braced as the figure came into view. Shuffling slowly, a scrawny undead knight clambered around the corner, a rusted blade dragging behind it in its right arm.
The warrior was lightly armored, not unlike something out of a fantasy game. Its eyes glowed a vibrant crimson. At first, it hadn't noticed the teenage heroes at the end of the hall. Upon turning its head up and locking eyes with the Titans, the creature began screeching. The echo blasted through the entire tower. As the sound of the screech died down, they were replaced by the sound of the warrior's approaching footsteps towards the Titans at an alarming speed. Sword up, the warrior prepared to strike down the teenage heroes.
"Titans Go!" Robin ordered.
The Titans dodged the clumsy swing of the undead warrior's blade by backing up. In a moment of quick thinking, Beast Boy transformed into a mule and quickly raised his legs. With a swift kick, he knocked the warrior back, causing the pile of bones to shatter on the cobble ground.
"Way to go, BB!" Cyborg cheered.
Beast Boy returned to his human with a look of concern on his face.
"If that's what I think it is, there's never just one," he said with worry.
Sure enough, the sound of many footsteps began traveling up the walls. Many shadows could now be seen peering around the corner at the end of the hallway.
"Titans ready" Robin ordered again. The other three began to steady themselves. From around the corner, a tidal wave of skeletons rushed towards them.
"Cyborg, Starfire now!" Robin barked. He and Beast Boy fell to one knee as the two other Titans began blasting the approaching mob with everything they had. Star bolts and sonic cannon fire filled the hallway, with plumes of dust and falling undead limbs splattering everywhere.
"Beast Boy" Robin ordered, turning towards his green teammate. The changeling morphed into a large rhino. The Boy Wonder climbed onto its back.
"Charge!" he ordered again. Beast Boy roared and began slowly building momentum. The Titans' leader pulled out his staff, and as the changeling began smashing through the hordes in front of them. Robin had begun hacking off the heads of any his horn might have missed.
Cyborg and Starfire followed behind the clear path. Beast Boy kept charging, not realizing the end of the hall was approaching. With a full force charge, he crashed into the wall, knocking the rest of the skeletons down like bowling pins. Robin had already leaped off at this point; he looked around to spot any that were missed.
Beast Boy returned to his human form, his eyes spinning and his head throbbing.
"We get them all?" Cyborg asked
Looking down the next hallway, the titans spotted another figure. A skeleton, like the rest, but this one was different. It had a long, tattered cloak and was carrying a dingy-looking staff with a black crystal at its top. It looked at the titans with the same fierce red eyes and raised its staff. The crystal on its end began to glow white.
"Oh yeah, forgot about the caster" Beast Boy chuckled.
"What do you mean, caster?" Robin asked, looking at him sternly, though no sooner had he asked the question than white energy began evolving from the remains of the warriors they had run down. The skeletons began putting themselves back together.
"Quick, destroy him, then they can't get back up," the changeling screeched, pointing towards the solo skeleton down the hall. Several undead hands prevented their assault, and they became overwhelmed by the tide of warriors.
"Get them off me, get them off me!" Cyborg screamed. The other Titans struggled to overpower the horde in the right space. Beast Boy frantically switched between forms while Starfire tried firing Star bolts in their direction.
The caster skeleton began cackling to itself before a swift blade swing separated its head from its body. The undead sorcerer fell to the ground, turning into dust as the individual who swung the sword watched the other Titans.
The horde of skeletons once again fell to the ground in pieces. The swordsman approached the four Titans. They were clad in bandages and light armor. Complemented by a familiar blue cloak. Their helmet featured a grilled plate covering the mouth, capable of sliding up.
A few steps in front of the Titans, the mystery warrior flipped up the helmet's grill.
"It's about time you guys arrived," Raven said, happy to see her teammates.
"I'm almost at the boss with you guys, I can beat him for sure," the empath declared before turning back around.
"Is she carrying a sword?" Cyborg asked, confused.
"Raven, wait! Clearly, this is your power doing this, otherwise, you wouldn't be using a sword. You beat the monsters last time; you need to do the same here." Robin advised.
"The only way to stop this is to beat the final boss now," she barked at them. She began running down the hallway, the sound of her armor echoing lightly.
Robin looked on in confusion.
"Ok, dudes, if this is what I think it is, then we have a bigger problem," Beast Boy said nervously. The other Titans looked at him now with their own look of confusion.
Raven made her way down the hall before stopping at a set of wooden doors. Using her sword, she slashed open the lock and made her way inside to a large chamber riddled with cobwebs.
"Oh man, my gym" Cyborg whined. The other Titans had caught up to Raven and followed inside.
"Raven, you have to listen to Beast Boy," Robin declared.
"Why?" The empath asked.
"Because this is clearly you recreating Evil Souls. The look, the monsters they are all from the game." The changeling replied.
"You're point?"
"Raven, no one has ever beaten this game. That was the point of the relaunch to see if anyone could do it this time. The final boss has never been beaten." Beast Boy answered.
"Well, until now" the empath declared smugly.
"Raven, Cyborg picked up a reading from the game box," Robin suggested. "If we neutralize it, maybe this will all stop."
"No, we're doing this my way," Raven insisted sternly.
"What's your deal lately, Raven? Just help us turn this thing off," Beast Boy retorted.
"I wouldn't expect you to understand Beast Boy. In all the years I've known you, I've watched you play video games, but you've never been good at them. You're a quitter. When things get too hard, you give up." She ran off harshly, pointing a finger at his chest. Beast Boy pushed her index finger away in frustration.
"Oh yeah Raven, well you've never played any video games before, and the first time you do this, all happens. I don't know what's with you lately; you're acting so weird. You say I'm a quitter, but at least I'm not being too stubborn to listen to anyone else."
"You don't understand, none of you do. I have to do this. Then maybe I can..." Raven turned around and muttered to herself.
"Raven" Beast Boy said lightly.
"If we beat the thing in here, then we can face the final boss," Raven said, still not turning around.
"Raven" Beast Boy repeated
"Ok, what?" The empath was confused. She turned back around to see Beast Boy pointing upwards; his face was bleached white. Raven looked up and saw the form of a massive, monstrous-looking spider wrapping the other three Titans in its web.
"Beast Boy, grab the others!" Raven shouted. Beast Boy shook his head rapidly, the empath's words knocking him out of his fearful trance.
"Right!" He snapped. The changeling gave a light leap into the air as his body shifted into a pterodactyl. The extinct creature flew up towards the roof of the chamber. The spider began swiping its legs at him. Beast Boy swiftly dodged the strikes and swooped in on the other Titans cutting the webs holding them up. As gravity took effect the changeling swung back around and dove towards his friends. Using the advantage of the sticky webbing wrapped around then he scooped them up into a collective lump and landed safely.
The spider jumped down to the floor of the chamber and landed with tremendous force. Dust blew away upon impact. Once it regained its footing, it began making a charge towards Beast Boy and the other Titans. The changeling was still in pterodactyl form, hoping to use its beak and sharp claws to tear through the webbing.
"Hey itzy bitzy!" Raven shouted as the rock she had thrown struck the airachnid straight into one of its eyes. The spider spun around towards the armored empath.
"Here's the main course," she taunted, raising her arms.
The monstrous creature began charging again, advancing on Raven. The sorceress quickly darted towards the remains of an undead warrior near a wall. She scooped up its small round shield and made her way towards her opponent.
The shield blocked the spider's strikes, allowing the Empath to make swings at the monster's legs. With a swift series of blows, Raven had cut the creature down to size.
With the other Titans freed, Beast Boy returned to human form to bear witness to Raven's handy work.
"Geez where did Raven learn to fight like that?" He asked confused rubbing the back of his head.
Robin, who was now freed from the webbing, looked at the changeling.
"Uhh, Beast Boy, we should all be able to fight like that. That's what the weekly sparring is for," Robin remarked.
"Oh yeah," he replied sheepishly.
"Maybe if you paid more attention each session, you'd be as good as Raven," Cyborg taunted.
Beast Boy just looked frustrated. Turning back towards Raven, she had begun calling over to them.
"Come on, guys, the final boss is this way." The empath yelled, exiting the chamber.
"Oh yeah guys, that reminds me. Umm, girls are never allowed near the game box again, right? Cyborg declared, his eyes darting between the other Titans. They all agreed.
"Oh yeah"
"Definitely"
"Most certainly,"
The other Titans followed the empath through the chamber, exited out towards another hallway. The remains of the giant Spider were appropriately ignored.
The titans arrived at a large set of doors adorned with spikes. Raven had already arrived, ready to enter.
"Every time I faced this guy alone, I got destroyed, but not this time," Raven affirmed confidently.
"Wait, Raven, didn't you listen to Beast Boy? No one's ever beaten this guy; what's different now?" Robin asked, concerned.
"This time there's five of us and only one of him, Titans Go!" Raven barked as the Empath gave a clean kick against the doors, pushing them open with force. Robin visibly annoyed at Raven taking charge decided to let it slide. He and the rest of the Titans followed behind the headstrong sorceress. The chamber resembled the Tower's living room. Where the large window was a series of pillars spread across, leaving an exposed sky. A tapestry lay where the large TV once did. The floor and walls were now cobblestone, matching the rest of the tower.
Hovering mysteriously at the back of the room was the Tower Gamebox. Pouring out from it was dark energy not too dissimilar from Raven's own magic.
"There's the Gamebox! Maybe if we destroy that, then this will all be over."
"No, we have to beat the last boss; it's the only way," Raven insisted.
"Raven, give it up. Let's just end this already," Beast Boy pleaded.
"Shut up. You don't understand, you never will understand," Raven gritted through her teeth. As the titans argued, a black cloud began forming in front of the hovering Gamebox at the back of the room. As the cloud grew, the other titans watched on as the black smoke materialized into a large winged demon. Covered head to toe in black, sinister armor, with scarlet red skin, flowing white hair, and leathery wings, its helmet covered its eyes yet the glow indicated the presence of four bright crimson eyes staring down at the young heroes. With a deafening roar, the beast unsheathed a blade from the scabbard on its back. The blade began to glow orange with heat.
"Wait, that's not the final boss?" Beast Boy yelled, confused.
"Attack now!" Raven ordered as the Empath charged in toward her much larger foe.
"Titans go for the box!" Robin yelled through gritted teeth at the other Titans, hoping the empath hadn't noticed. The other Titans moved to go around the demonic-looking boss.
The red warrior had other ideas. Slamming the blade down vertically, multiple streaks of fire walls spread across the room. Each of the Titans was halted in their advance towards the GameBox. Raven had instead opted to fight the demon head on. As she charged towards her enemy, the massive fiend simply waved its hand across towards her, knocking her down across the room.
With Raven momentarily incapacitated, the demon began conjuring dark magic with its other free hand. The floor of the room began to rumble as beneath each Titan, a large skeleton arm grabbed each of the Titans with its hands.
Raven had regained her composure enough to witness this.
"Let them go!" She screamed, clambering to her feet. Once again, she made a charge at her foe. With a large wind-up, the demon pulled back its blade and swung it down towards the Empath. Raven lifted the small shield she had picked up earlier above her body. With a loud clang, the blade came down, shattering the shield and knocking Raven back once more. On the ground, Raven grabbed her arm, clearly fractured from the impact. Writhing in pain, she looked at her friends.
"Rae little help!"
"Raven, go for the box!"
"Friend Raven!"
"Please, Raven!"
Each of the titans yelled as the skeleton hands began crushing them.
"No, I have to beat him. I can't let him..." Raven's words mumbled off as her sight went out of focus. Her mind became numb as all other noises faded. Only her heartbeat remained.
I have to win. I can't let him win. I won't let him win. I won't help him. I'll never help him... But I have to help them. I need to help them. I'll always help them!
Raven's senses rushed back to her as the reality of the room set back in. She knew she only had one option with one chance to pull it off. Grabbing her fractured arm tightly she readied herself. She grabbed the handle of the sword in her scabbard on her belt to reassure it was still there. Glaring up towards the demon she made a dash at his feet. As before the red warrior swung his blade back yet this Time the Empath was prepared. As the blade collided with the ground Raven lept underneath its body struggling to keep her footing. With what little strength she had left she was already running towards the GameBox. Grabbing her sword she swung with everything her arm could give her as the blade cut through the Box with a clean slash. The dark energy around the box began to pulsate. Within seconds the Box began pulling everything around it back towards it like a black hole. The cobblestone walls and other elements of the game began to stretch and pull towards it. Being broken back down into the black energy it always was.
As the tower rumbled through its transformation, the other Titans were freed from the grasp of the skeletal arms that had turned to dust. The demon itself was fighting back against the vacuum yet was unable to resist the pull as it was sucked back into the box. As the last bit of energy flooded back, the box fell to the ground with an unsatisfactory rattle.
The rest of the Titans sighed with relief at the sight of the tower returned to normal.
Yet all jumped as the box exploded after a few seconds without any warning. Steam poured from its shattered remains. Raven looked on with a sense of relief as well.
8:00pm
Later in the evening Raven was sitting on the edge of the tower Roof back in her normal attire. She was lost in the thoughts of what had happened during the day. Her arm was wrapped up in a cast. With her powers being in complete flux recently she couldn't even muster the power to heal it quickly like she could do with any other injury. She felt a fool and didn't need reminding of that fact. She hoped the rest of the Titans would leave her alone for a while. Yet one wouldn't leave without making sure she was ok.
Raven could sense a familiar set of emotions approaching. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Beast Boy perch himself on the edge of the roof beside her.
"Hey," he greeted sincerely.
"Hey," Raven replied, turning her head slightly towards him.
"So how are you feeling?" Beast Boy asked.
Raven could tell he was trying to comfort her. Something she did appreciate, yet the events of the last few days still lingered in her thoughts.
"How am I feeling?" Raven replied, looking at him. She made brief eye contact before turning back towards the ocean view atop the tower. "Well, like an idiot for letting this go so far, like I acted like a spoiled brat, like I never want to eat any junk food ever again, like I put you all in unnecessary danger, and like I am... " Raven hesitated, her words starting to trail off. She glanced down at her hands. "Like him," she finished.
"Who?" Beast Boy asked.
"Nothing it's just... When I played that game, it was like I could forget everything in my life. Who am I? Where are we? What will become?" Raven rambled on. She looked down towards the ocean, deep in thought.
Beast Boy looked at his friend with sympathy. Then he looked at the sky.
"Yeah, games are a good distraction. I mean this world ain't perfect, that's why it needs us, but it's the one we got, ya know?" Beast Boy remarked.
Raven turned around to face him. They made eye contact.
"The further we run, the harder it is to find our way back," Beast Boy said sincerely.
"Hmm, why can't you be this insightful all the time?" Raven smirked, a tiny smile forming on her lips.
Beast Boy looked amused, but he knew the perfect answer to the empath's remark.
"We're having a moment here, don't ruin it," Beast Boy replied smugly.
"You little" Raven practically scoffed at her words being used against her.
You know he's got me there I'll give him that Raven thought, as she gave the changeling the lightest of smiles.
"Well, I don't think I'll be playing any more video games for the foreseeable future. I'll stick to books. Much safer, usually." Raven declared, slapping her hands on her knees.
"Oh yeah, that reminds me of the book I picked up earlier; I wanted to show it to you," Beast Boy said excitedly, rummaging in his back pocket.
"You did?" Raven asked, sounding slightly excited. The changeling rarely showed interest in something she enjoyed.
"Ta da" Beast Boy said, holding the book in front of the empath's face with both hands. "It's the book Evil Souls is based on. Did you know how much they left out? It's insane, and half the best characters aren't even in it..."
Raven's look of slight excitement was quickly extinguished, replaced with disappointment and exhaustion. Next to her friend's rambling, the only sound she could muster was a loud groan.
So close she thought.
And once again there it is. hopefully you enjoyed it. Till the next one