Ch. 40 The End
The dull sounds of fighting all around him trickled into his ears, permeating through the ringing in his ears and the thumping pain in his skull as he slowly felt his senses returning to him. He could feel his eyes rolling beneath his eyelids and with a scrunch of his forehead and with the feeling of a drop of sweat dripping from his nose, down to his upper lip, he forced his eyes open, almost immediately recoiling at the bright lights around him, although it only took him a moment to dispel the discomfort brought on by the scenery. Almost at the same time as he finally managed to successfully stare up at the cavern roof high above him, he became aware of a weight on his chest. Not a heavy presence…almost a comforting one…it lay across him on his right-hand side and with the slight tilt of his head, he managed to make out the orange hair that was currently splayed across his chest.
It was then that Nightwing's world came crashing down.
"STARFIRE!"
Nightwing sprang into action without a single acknowledgment for the pain wracking his body as he gently slid himself out from underneath Starfire, pulling her head into his lap as he did so. His attention was drawn straight to the enormous welt forming almost in the centre of her forehead, which was already turning a sickly grey and yellow. He brushed some strands of her out of her face before noticing the gentle rise and fall of her chest. Internally, he breathed a massive sigh of relief. It wasn't like he hadn't seen Starfire being sent through walls before or taken heavy shits from one of the many adversaries of the Titans…but the way she had fallen…the way her eyes had fluttered closed…
Nightwing swallowed as he subconsciously held Starfire a little tighter. They were fine… she was fine…
The whirring of machinery dragged Nightwing's attention away from the Tamaranean, his eyes narrowing at the incoming brigade of Deathstroke's robots. He scanned his surroundings, his face dropping when he saw his escrima stick on the ground near the oncoming swam of bots. Nightwing reached into belt, only finding a single birdarang remaining, meaning he couldn't form his sword. He looked up, the slightest element of panic beginning to set in. Fighting these bots off with hand combat wasn't impossible…but protecting an unconscious Starfire while he did so…he knew the odds were against him.
Suddenly, a portal appeared between Nightwing and the approaching robots and the leader of the Titans couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief…he'd recognise that portal anywhere. Just as quick as it had appeared, it vanished once again, leaving no trace of any of the bots that had had their targets set on Nightwing, and in their place, a long figure stood, blue cape blowing gently in the wind, his arm still lowering down from where he had just used it to raise his torn to his lips. The Herald didn't waste any time, closing the distance between himself and Nightwing in only a moment, picking up the Titan leaders escrima stick along the way, before dropping to one knee beside Nightwing who smiled up at him gratefully as he took his weapons back from him.
"Impressively good timing."
The Herald shot him a quick smile back. "Well…I'm known to be able to get around…you good? I saw you and Starfire fall."
Nightwing swallowed as he unconsciously ran a hand through Starfire's hair. "I'm fine…and Star is alive anyway…can't complain about that for the moment. I'm gonna stay with her here until she wakes up, Herald, you need to get up to Raven."
The Herald's eyes widened before his face turned sombre. "Actually Wing…I'm gonna have to stay with you…I can help protect Starfire…"
The Herald pointed a finger up towards the raised platform that Nightwing had been standing on only moments ago. Nightwing followed with his eyes to where he was pointing, his head titling backwards so he could see as high as he needed too, his face freezing in silent awe and tinge of fear at what he saw. The Herald grimaced.
"…cause I don't think there's anything we can do to get to Raven or Beast Boy now."
It was like somebody had placed a burning red dome on top of the platform, a fiery cloche atop a granite pedestal. The winding staircase that Nighwing and Cyborg had fought their way upwards earlier on now simply vanished into the roaring inferno that lay atop the summit. Nightwing recognised the fire, the way it seemed to roll in waves around in a circle, never lashing outwards, but perfectly, contained…controlled.
It was just like the tornado's that Deathstroke had unleashed at the Tower and in this very battle…but this was different. It wasn't all-encompassing or designed to slowly suffocate the person inside.
Nightwing recognised a cage when saw one…Deathstroke was inside…with maybe Raven…maybe Beast Boy…maybe just the empath's mirror. Nightwing swallowed the lump in his throat. As long as that barrier was up…none of the Titans were getting at Deathstroke…or getting in to help anyone that was trapped in them with him. The Herald was still gazing up at the inferno with Nightwing when the sound of heavy footsteps drew his attention away, his eyes widening at the sight of an approaching Atlas, robots flanking him on either side. The Herald withdrew his horn in an instant.
"Nightwing. Company."
Nightwing's head snapped back to the battlefield in front of him, his eyes narrowing at the approaching onslaught. Slowly, he slipped out from underneath Starfire, and with as much care as he could muster, he gently laid her back against a boulder that was jutting out of the ground behind him before he rose to his feet. With one last concerned look, he turned to stand beside the Herald, his escrima sticks clenched within white knuckles. The Herald bounced up onto the balls of his feet.
"So…what's the plan?"
Nightwing's eyes narrowed before he glanced up at the inferno above one last time.
"We keep the fighting here…we protect Starfire…and we pray to God that Beast Boy actually managed to pull his batshit plan off."
Nightwing wasn't the only Titan who recognised the type of fire Deathstroke had summoned. The Beast watched the flames that were circling both around him and overhead, its eyes narrowing at what it saw. The flames that encircled Raven and him now were the same ones he had dived through to save the empath outside the tower. However, her didn't have the luxury of a run-up this time and those flames were lethal. The Beast was an animal, primal in nature, but capable or recognising when it had been back into a corner. However, still within the Beast, Beast Boy mind ticked away., and he recognised the fire for what it was…and it was what he had been wanting for so long….
A full stop…a definitive answer…an exclamation point…as he stood with Raven behind him and Deathstroke in front of him, he already knew…somebody wasn't leaving this fire alive.
The Beast didn't like not being the first act. It was an apex predator, which mean that it should be the one to set the tone of a fight…to strike first…and yet…Beast Boy held it back as the trace of a thought crept into his mind, a certain conversation he had had with Ravager suddenly coming to the fore.
"There's no way he can stand that you bested him…. you're probably the only person who can draw his attention from Raven."
Beast Boy remembered that Ravager had said that Deathstroke held a grudge against the Beast but at the Tower…he hadn't fought him as the Beast…he'd fought him as a yeti…and as a porcupine… cheetah…
The Beast saved Raven's life and blocked one blow…it wasn't the Beast who beat Deathstroke the first time…it was just him…
It clicked in his head immediately, like the final piece of a puzzle slotting into place, and whether Ravager meant it this way or not, it didn't matter. He could feel the Beast's confusion press into his mind at his sudden change of tact, but he silently urged for it to trust him and after a few seconds…the Beast relented…the two trusted each other…they were one and the same. The form of the Beast shrunk away and slowly, the grizzled arms of the behemoth were replaced with the slender, but toned arms of a green teenager. In the place of creature's towering presence, Garfield Logan stood, eyes defiant, fingers curling at his side. Deathstroke cocked his head to the side in confusion at the change. Even Raven, who had been completely set on the fight ahead, found her attention drawn to Beast Boy.
"Gar? What's wro-"
"An interesting time to put your monster away Garfield…wish to speak a few final words before I take this world away from you?"
Beast Boy heard Deathstroke cut Raven off, glancing upwards at the mercenary for only a split second before turning to look up at Raven, who looked back down at him from she floated in the air, confusion and concern etched into her features. Beast Boy couldn't help but take her in. The way, even now, the pair of them having been through hell and back…God, she was as beautiful as she had ever been. She may have been cloaked in white…and it may have taken a long time to get where they were, with plenty of bumps in the road along the way…but even now, he could see that girl who had wandered out to find him out on the rocks after the Brotherhood…who had berated him in a dump of a motel for running away…who saved him from the brink of death.
The person he was bonded to for life.
So, he took her being in, memories shooting through his head, like fleeting shooting stars across a night sky.
And he smiled at her.
That same dopey grin he'd aways had. The one trait of his that had never gone away. Fang poking out of the side of his mouth, the mischievous look on his face only slightly masking the obvious fire in his eyes. Raven's eyes widened. She'd seen so much of Beast Boy…learned so much about Beast Boy since he'd shown back up at the Tower. All his flaws, his insecurities…whether he'd planned it or not, there wasn't a need for her to use her powers on the changeling…he'd bared his soul to the empath by choice. Yet, through all the steps they'd taken…the trials they'd faced…the battles they'd fought…this was the first time she'd seen a glimmer of a Beast Boy from a time gone by. Before Deathstroke…before the Brotherhood…she saw the Titan that called her to dinner…who cared enough to include her…who wore a smile when he didn't have to to make it easier for others because selflessness was in his nature.
"I love you."
Raven blinked. She'd seen Beast Boy's lips move. She'd heard his voice….so why wasn't the fact that he had clearly directed that at her computing in her head…Azar, she'd already seen him say it to Affection in Nevermore! Yet, she felt her jaw-drop and before she could even begin to formulate a response, Beast Boy's grin widened.
"This is gonna be one of those big climactic fights so…just thought I'd letcha know."
Then Beast Boy turned back to Deathstroke, leaving a completely stunned Raven in his wake. Of all the times he could choose to drop back into his old self for a moment and drop an unequivocal bombshell on her out of nowhere…he chose now. It was naïve…stupid…not the right time…
It was quintessential Beast Boy.
Raven felt the flicker of a smile on her face, but didn't say a word to Beast Boy, who had already turned back to Deathstroke. This was their dynamic and it always had been. Beast Boy, always the one to poke at her…be the one to come to her…to include her…to make the first move, while Raven…she'd come when she was ready…she'd speak when the time was right.
As for Beast Boy, the joy in his eyes vanished the second he turned back to Deathstroke, replaced with the fire that was only thinly concealed in the first place. Yet, the grin stayed. However, alongside the shift in the rest of his features, it didn't convey happiness anymore. Deathstroke could see the changeling's face across the platform, and he couldn't help but let an eyebrow raise. Beast Boy showed no fear…no trepidation…not even the slightest hint of nerves. His expression said it all.
He was relishing this.
Beast Boy cracked his knuckles. "Nah, I don't got much to say…but I was just thinking about the last time we fought outside the tower…I didn't need the Beast for you then... I even said it to you that I didn't need it…and you ran…so no…I don't need the Beast for you Slade…not anymore."
Deathstroke visibly bristled at Beast Boy's remarks, the mercenary not quite understanding what it was about the changeling that incessantly allowed him to get under his skin. Beast Boy's smile shrunk into a narrow line, as he dropped low, his stance almost mimicking that of the Beast when it was on the offensive.
"After this, I want you to understand that you didn't lose because of the Beast…you lost to two Titans."
Deathstroke withdrew his promethium sword, whilst at the same time flipping the blood red dagger that Abaddon had given him in his hand, catching it in a reverse grip. His sword allowed for medium to long range attacks while he would keep his dagger for close combat. Deathstroke was nothing, if not versatile. He took a step forward, pointing his blade at Raven as he did so, his eyes burning into hers, a stare the empath returned with the same intensity.
"You volunteer to not use your most powerful weapon…I've always known you to not be the brightest Garfield…but I never had you down as a complete fool."
Raven had to resist raising an eyebrow at the malice in Deathstroke's voice. It was so rare for him to ever show any kind of emotion when they came up against him. It was part of what always kept the Titans on edge. Behind every subtle laugh or comment, any kind of unknown plot could already be raging in the background. They didn't discover the nanobots until they were already inside their system. They didn't discover Terra's betrayal until she'd already given away all their secrets. The mercenary was as stoic as they came, only speaking what he deemed necessary…just enough to leave lingering thoughts in the Titans minds…
This was different.
Maybe it was through years of trying to master her own emotions…maybe she had just become better at reading people since she stopped isolating herself as much…but she could see clear as day that Deathstroke's entire demeanour had changed. His entire body was tense, the blades in his hands gripped tight. The pieces slowly started to click into place in Raven's mind.
For once…there was no other plan.
There wasn't a scheme to fall back on. Azar, there wasn't even a place to run too for Deathstroke if it all went wrong for him today. Knowingly beforehand or not, the mercenary had laid his cards on the table after calling all in. He'd shown his hand. Meanwhile Beast Boy…the Titan he had tried to kill so many times…was taunting him, waving his unturned cards in front of his face as if he had a pair of aces…like waving a red flag in front of a bull. The empath couldn't believe it.
But Beast Boy knew what he was doing. The one time he'd lost to Deathstroke…the Beast and him were out of sync. The Beast was angry...full of pent-up rage and anger…and it had almost cost Beast Boy his life, if not for a very powerful empath. Now…with Deathstroke knowing that he was so close to achieving everything he thought he deserved, only to be met with Beast Boy…the thorn in his side…who once again stood between him and the empath…cracks were starting to show in that façade
Deathstroke was still human after all…because the lust for power could drive any man crazy…and Beast Boy was going to use it to his advantage.
Beast Boy smirked at Deathstroke, seemingly unimpressed. "Well, if I'm a fool…and the last time we met, I whooped your ass…what does that make you?"
Deathstroke couldn't hold back anymore, and with a roar of outrage, he sent a ball of fire towards the two Titans, causing them both to move in different directions, Raven taking to the sky, whilst Beast Boy shifted into a cheetah and took off along the ground. Raven's eyes glowed white as she took a position in the air, feeling the heat of the flames along her neck as she flew close to raging inferno surrounding them. She extended her arms towards Deathstroke.
"AZARATH METRION ZINTHOS!"
A beam of pure white light spiralled out her fists towards Deathstroke, who without batting an eyelid, sent a plume of fire towards the incoming projectile. The two attacks collided in the air, causing an explosion to send shockwaves out and forcing Raven to stabilise herself in the air. Deathstroke, who had dug his sword in the ground to stop himself from moving, recovered first, but was immediately met with a claw being raked across his face as a green cheetah jumped past him, like the feline equivalent of a drive-by. Deathstroke lashed out with his promethium sword, but Beast Boy had already vanished, turning into a hawk and arcing away above Deathstroke, before shifting into a gorilla in mid-air and dropping down on Deathstroke from above. The incoming primate cast a shadow across Deathstroke's figure, alerting the mercenary, who rolled away in anticipation. Where he stood only a few seconds prior, a green gorilla fist was now embedded in the ground, cracks in the rock surrounding where it had made impact. The gorilla shrunk down to Beast Boy, who looked up at Deathstroke with a smirk, making a motion to suggest that he had only missed by an inch to Deathstroke, whose eyes narrowed. Beast Boy laughed.
"Little wannabe God…getting out done by a monkey."
Deathstroke grit his teeth before propelling himself towards Beast Boy with a plume of fire that erupted from beneath his mid-section. Beast Boy eyed the incoming mercenary and sprinted towards him, shifting into a yeti at the last second and catching the incoming villain, with Deathstroke's momentum enough to lift the two of them into the air. The yeti attempted to squeeze the life out of Deathstroke, who in retaliation, flipped his dagger in his hand and promptly buried it in the meaty shoulder of the yeti, who gave a roar of pain. Deathstroke only had a moment of satisfaction before he felt a sensation around his ankles. He was only able to catch a glimpse of the white ball of magic that had surrounded his legs, before he was yanked from the yeti's grip and slammed into the floor. Without anything to propel him and still in shock from the knife wound, Beast Boy arced through the air, reverting to human form as he went, and fell to the ground in a heap, letting out dazed groan as he rolled onto his back.
Deathstroke brought his hands beneath himself and was able to push himself backwards at the last second before a fist surrounded in white magic appeared mere centimetres in front of his eyes. Deathstroke rolled backwards and landed in a hunched position, his eyes locking onto the glowing pupils of the Raven, her face acting as a complete mask of her emotions. Deathstroke let out a dry laugh. "Why so tight-lipped Raven? Afraid of let-"
Deathstroke didn't get to finish his sentence as he was forced into a defensive block as Raven surged forward, bringing both her fists down in a crushing blow above Deathstroke's head, ripples of white magic streaking of her fists as she contacted Deathstroke's forearms. Deathstroke looked up into the white eyes that were much closer this round. When Raven spoke, her voice was monotone.
"I know who I am Slade…and I have nothing to hide."
With a burst of power, Raven ejected Deathstroke backwards, who stabbed his promethium sword into the ground to maintain his balance. As he was pushed backwards, Raven ascended into the air and with a deep breath, summoned her corporeal raven, now a brilliant white rather than black and propelled it towards Deathstroke. Deathstroke's eyes widened and in one quick movement, he engulfed his entire body in flames, like a protective cocoon. When the raven contacted the fire, it parted around it, like water parting around a rock in a flowing river. Raven stared at the ball of fire Deathstroke was entombed in, arms at the ready, waiting for him to emerge. However, she didn't expect the ball to surge towards her at almost light speed. Raven's eyes widened and she attempted to bring up a shield of her power's, but Deathstroke was too quick. Out of the cocoon of fire, a single armoured hand emerged, holding a blood red knife. Raven brought up her shield, but the mercenary managed to get his wrist through the centre of it before it could fully form. The dagger buried itself in Raven's right shoulder, causing her to scream in pain, the shield dropping as a result. Deathstroke, with nothing blocking him from the empath, drove the blade in further, as the two fell from the sky, Deathstroke landing on top of Raven with a sickening thud.
Deathstroke didn't hesitate and as soon as he hit the ground, he pulled the blade out with one slick motion before grabbing Raven by her hair and yanking her upwards, adjusting the blade in his hand as he did. He looked at her with wild eyes.
"Send your father my regards."
Raven shut her eyes, expecting a finishing blow to land any second…but it never came. Instead, she felt the weight of Deathstroke leave her body and tentatively, she opened her eyes. Beast Boy, in his human form, had tackled Deathstroke off her, executing a takedown and sending the two of them sprawling to the ground. Deathstroke lashed out with a right hand, catching Beast Boy in jaw and sending him flying off him. The two of them rose to their feet quickly and as Raven was about to join the fray, she heard Beast Boy's voice enter her head, feeling the familiar tug of the bond she had formed between the two of them drip into her consciousness.
"Get that Raven ready…I'll give you your chance, banish the son of a…"
Beast Boy's voice exited her mind as Deathstroke growled in front of her at the changeling.
"Why…won't…you…just…DIE!?"
Beast Bo stood up, spitting some blood out of his mouth as he did so before raising his fists.
"Because where would the fun be in that?"
Deathstroke roared and surged forward. Beast Boy balanced on the balls of his feet before at the very last second, rather than shifting, he dropped to his knees. Deathstroke, who had been anticipating some form of change, was completely caught off-guard by Beast Boy's sudden change of tact and was left trying to adjust hisb stance. Beast Boy, seizing the opportunity, executed a well place shot to Deathstroke's right wrist, causing him to drop his promethium blade. Then, in one full movement, Beast Boy grabbed Deathstroke by his shoulder and hoisted himself over Deathstroke, so that he was stood behind, pulling Deathstroke's arms tight by his side, shifting into a gorilla and encapsulating the mercenary in a bear hug.
Raven, who had risen to her feet in this time and had just seen the entire sequence play out, suddenly felt Beast Boy's voice enter her head again.
"RAVEN! NOW!"
Raven looked forward and her heart sank as she understood what Beast Boy had meant by an opening. Deathstroke raged in the gorilla's arms, his eyes burning red as he realised the gravity of the situation. Raven realised it too. There was no escape for him this time. But time was running out to act and Raven's mind flicked back to her vision…what she'd seen…
"BUT GAR! YOU'LL BE-"
"THERE'S NO TIME RAVEN! YOU HAVE TO!"
Raven felt tears coming to her eyes. In the entire lead up to this, she had always been ready to sacrifice herself for the world…it seemed like it would be so easy…but this wasn't herself…she cou-
Beast Boy's voice entered her head again, but this time…seemingly calmer…almost warmer…
"Raven…I told you…I ain't leaving you again…"
Raven looked at the scene before her and the gorilla that was holding Deathstroke. She locked eyes with it and didn't see the whites of one of Beast Boy's animal form.
She saw the eyes of Garfield Logan.
His voice entered her head again.
"Trust me."
Raven blinked before she extended both of her hands outwards. Deathstroke saw what Raven was doing and he screamed in rage, his entire body attempting to catch fire, but the gorilla simply squeezed the mercenary tighter, ignoring the burns it was receiving, and snuffing out the flames against its bare skin. Raven felt a tear trickle down her cheek.
" I love you too."
"AZARATH METRION ZINTHOS!"
Raven's white corporeal raven exploded out of her chest, growing the further it moved, almost seeming to engulf the entire dome of the fire the trio were trapped within. Deathstroke could only stare at the incoming magic in horror. As for Beast Boy, he couldn't help but feel a weight lift off his shoulders…a promise kept.
Then, Beast Boy's vision was engulfed in white, and the world disappeared around him.
Raven had always hated the med bay.
Yet, that was where she found herself, sitting in the same damn chair, beside the same damn person she had been the las time she was here.
Everything had almost been a blur since the battle. Raven remembered the light fading, the heat of the fire raging around her dissipating in an instant as Deathstroke's axe had fallen from the sky, clattering to the ground, it's magic gone in an instant with its master banished, landing beside a knife that was still stained with the empath's own blood. Before she'd even let her arms drop, she had looked across the platform to see that both the gorilla and the mercenary it had been holding had vanished. In their place, stood a single green teenager, his uniform shredded, a vacant smile plastered on his face and for a second…Raven thought they'd done it…that they'd somehow evaded what she'd seen…that they'd avoided so called fate.
But it all came crashing down just as quickly, as Beast Boy's face promptly dropped, his eyes rolled back in his head, and he fell to his knees before pitching forward before a stunned Raven could even react. From there, Raven wasn't even sure which parts of what she remembered were real. She had run up to Beast Boy…she had pulled his head into her lap as she desperately checked for a pulse…she had pumped her healing magic into him, even though she didn't know what she was trying to heal…who knew what being exposed to magic that could banish a deity like Trigon to Outer Perdition could do to a regular person. She'd felt the ground rumbling around her as someone grabbed her by the shoulder…they had screamed at her that they had to leave and eventually…someone had picked her and Beast Boy up. At some point, her cloak had reverted to being blue and, most likely from complete exhaustion, the world eventually slipped away from her, fading into nothingness until she had awoken a few hours later, hovering over a bed in the Med Bay.
She'd stared at the ceiling…the events that had passed evading her memory for a few blissful seconds as she gently floated back down to the soft mattress beneath her. Then, she turned her head to her left as she sat up, only to spot a outrageously tired Nightwing splayed out in a chair beside her, his eyes fighting a losing battle with his clear need for sleep. Raven almost wanted to leave him alone in the hopes that he would allow himself the rest, but that choice was taken away from her as the leader of the Titans head suddenly jolted upwards, having finally spotting the movements of the empath. He'd stared at her for a moment…his jaw dropped slightly…
Then he was out of his chair in an instant and Raven barely had time to extend her arms before he'd enveloped her in a bone-crushing hug. Her eyes had widened, her thoughts sent in overdrive. This wasn't like Nightwing at all. He was composed…rational…what could have happened that would make him act li-
Everything came crashing down on her, like an avalanche cascading down on her from above, threatening to pull her under into what very much felt like an icy grip. Her grip on him tightened involuntarily for a second before she pulled away. Nightwing held her at arm's distance, a sombre smile on his face, the relief in his eyes from what Raven could see was a win he so desperately needed, not enough to mask that he seemed to be holding the weight of the world on his shoulders. Raven couldn't bring herself to empathize with him just yet though, as a singular question forced itself to the front of her mind, consuming her every thought.
"Nightiwng…where's Beast Boy?"
Raven had seen the twitch on his face…the almost imperceptible grimace that would have snuck by almost everyone else…but not her. He had taken a breath.
"Raven…you've just woken up…take a minu-"
Raven cut him off.
"Where. Is. Beast. Boy?"
Nightwing had wanted to put up a fight and Raven had been able to see words rising from his chest before dying on his lips, an enormous sigh being the only noise to escape his mouth. With a look of defeat, he'd cast a hand behind him, leaning backwards so that Raven could see. Raven felt her blood run cold in an instant. Nightwing had placed a comforting hand on top of hers and given it a gentle squeeze.
"Cyborg will be here in a minute…how much do you remember?"
That's how she found herself sitting by Beast Boy's bedside in the Med Bay once again, mulling over everything she'd been told that happened since her and Beast Boy took on Deathstroke. No one had seen exactly what had happened up on the platform between Raven, Beast Boy and Deathstroke within the fire that had surrounded them, but Ravager had been the first on the scene once the flames cleared, having hauled herself and Melvin back up over the edge of the platform once the fire had died off, and all she had seen was Raven cradling Beast Boy in her arms, trying to heal a wound that she couldn't see, Deathstroke seemingly nowhere to be found.
With Deathstroke seemingly banished from the Earth, every single villain he had blessed who had been fighting had seized up as the power he had bestowed upon them trickled out of their bodies, before each one in turn had collapsed to the floor, all unconscious and still very much alive. As for Deathstroke bots, without their creator, they had seemingly been set up with an automated self-destruct sequence, much like the bots Beast Boy had followed, after the invasion at Titans Tower. With Psimon taken care of, Cyborg had been able to get back to the platform with ease and while heart dropped at the sight before him, he knew there wasn't time to hang around. Hundreds of bots were about to blow, and the foundations of the caverns were already shaky at best…and they had the city's permission to bury this place…one and for all.
Cyborg had been the one to scoop Beast Boy and her up before he, along with all the other Titans made a beeline for the exit. Nightwing sprinted with Starfire in his arms, while other honorary Titans who were okay helped the injured to make an escape. Raven hadn't even been able to show a glimmer of a smile when Nightwing had told her in the melee to get out of Deathstroke's hideout, the Herald had managed to detain Abaddon, who had tried to slip away in the ensuing madness. All the Titans had managed to get out and as it turned out…no additional work was necessary. Maybe it was part fo Deathstroke's destruction…maybe the force of his bots exploding was enough, but mere seconds after everyone had escaped, the entire network of tunnels had come crashing down, sealing the caverns that paid homage to Trigon forever.
Raven rested her head on her hand, her elbow balanced on the windowsill. It was a victory by any definition of the word. She'd banished Deathstroke. The threat of Trigon's power on Earth was no more…
Yet, as she stared at the man lying in the bed beside her chair…nothing about it felt like a victory.
They had all come to talk to her. Nightwing had stayed with her until Cyborg came, giving her one final hug before he disappeared. It wasn't his fault. He was the leader of the Titans and unfortunately for him, everyone was currently using the tower, and he couldn't play favourites…no matter how much he wanted too. Cyborg had given her a teary hug when he saw she was awake before taking her vitals and conducting some other checks before letting her know she was essentially good to go and that her healing magic was way better than anything he could ever do for her. Raven hadn't even smiled before asking him about Beast Boy. Cyborg's face had turned sombre immediately.
"If I'm honest…I don't know Rae…physically…he's fine but…I… I don't know why he's not waking up…"
Raven hadn't answered him after that and while Cyborg had stayed with her for a while, acting as a silent shoulder to lean on, he too was eventually pulled away to help with other Titans and their injuries.
Starfire had been the last to visit her and it was the first time that Raven had shown any emotional reaction at all since she'd woken up, straightening up immediately in concern when she spotted the Tamaranean. Raven had seen Starfire be sent through walls, embedded in the floor…Azar, shot out of the sky, so seeing her covered in bandages, in particular, a very thick wrapping around her head was already abnormal. Yet, that wasn't what caught her attention. It was the puffiness of her eyes…the redness of her cheeks…it was the face of someone who had been crying so much that their tears had long since run dry.
Starfire smiled at her as warmly as she could before giving Raven a tender hug. At this stage, Ravan had left her bed and moved into an armchair beside Beast Boy's bed. Instead of sitting near Raven, Starfire pulled another chair up beside the empath and seemingly did her best to nestle into her shoulder, resting her head in the crook of her neck. Raven, who at one point of time, would've recoiled from such an action, didn't hesitate to wrap her arm around the Tamaranean and pull her close. She didn't ask what was wrong…Starfire would tell her when she was ready…and she knew she wouldn't have to wait long. She hadn't known him particularly well, but the news that Red Star had died in the fight felt like being hit by a truck, and her heart broke for Starfire. Apparently, they hadn't been able to retrieve the body either before the tunnels collapsed, which Raven thought would have made Starfire even more upset…but it almost seemed to comfort the Tamaranean, who had shown a dry smile at the time through wet eyes.
" I think…I think he was happy at the end…he fought with…compassion…and…he made his fellow soldiers proud…if his final resting place is the battlefield…well then he truly managed to love until the very end."
They'd stayed together for a while, mostly in silence, Starfire readjusting herself every so often, while Raven allowed her to do so, but after a while, a weary-eyed Nightwing had approached the pair before telling Starfire he was going to sleep in his room, before shyly adding that she was more than welcome to join him. Before Starfire stood up, she had given Raven one last hug and whispered in her ear as she did so.
" He's going to be okay…stay with him Raven."
So, Raven had stayed, perched at his bed side, her only movements being the occasional squeeze of his unmoving hand or a slight adjustment in her own chair. The constant beep of the heart monitor perched at the head of the bed seeped into Raven's mind like a metronome, almost seeming to provide the med bay with some kind of discordant harmony. Other Titans slept in beds while others sat at their bed sides. Wheels of trolleys clicked across the floor. Whispered conversations echoed across the room. All the ambiance of the bay coming together to form a haunting chorus, all kept in time by the changeling's heartbeat in Raven's mind.
Raven had looked at his chart a hundred times, silently praying that she'd spot something Cyborg missed. An anomaly in the numbers, a slight irregularity in the readings…anything to suggest a reason as to why Beast Boy wasn't waking up.
But she knew she wouldn't find any.
Cyborg was right. Physically, Beast Boy was as healthy as someone who had just gone through a battle could be, but with his accelerated healing, alongside the magic Raven had worked in Nevermore, the changeling was already looking like he was simply sleeping, his chest gently rising and falling beneath the thin sheets.
Raven looked up into his calm face, praying silently that his eyes would just creep open…but she knew what was wrong. In holding Deathstroke in place, Beast Boy had subjected himself to the same magic that banished Trigon and while to wouldn't banish him to Outer Perdition like it to the mercenary, there was no telling what effect that would have on the human mind…or even the soul.
Raven had been tempted to try and reach out with their bond to Beast Boy to see if his mind was active…if she could feel his consciousness just below the surface…she'd geared herself up to do it a few times already…
And had yet to actually commit to the connection.
At the moment, there was some peace in the unknown. She could sit at his bedside and pray that he would be okay and remain in the sweet bliss of not knowing his fate…or she could test out their bond and find out for herself…
But that could lead to the possibility that Raven feared the most…of radio silence. Not that Beast Boy was unconscious, or in a coma or couldn't wake up despite wanting to…but there was every chance she tried to connect to his mind, only to find that there was no mind left at all…that Beast Boy, the man she loved and never got to tell to his face, had simply been erased…and by her own hand. For everything the empath had gone through…this was one reality she hadn't been able to bring herself to face just yet.
"How's he doing?"
Raven jolted upright, having had no idea that had been joined by another until the gravelly, feminine voice entered her ears. She looked up into the face of Ravager, who looked as haggard as she did when the two of them were still down in the caves. While so many Titans were still injured and the news of Red Star's death was still making its way through the Tower, victory celebrations were still relatively muted. Raven looked away from Ravager back to Beast Boy, his conditioned unchanged.
"Physically…he's fine but…"
"…but you have no idea what getting blasted by the magic that you banished my dad with could do to person?"
Raven looked up at Ravager slightly startled but relaxed after a second. She had been the first person on the scene and realistically…it probably wasn't that hard to put together what happened. Raven didn't even respond, instead choosing to turn her attention back to the changeling. At this stage, the Med Bay had mostly cleared of titans visiting their injured friends. Raven had only noticed that day had slipped into night when the automatic dimmed lights of the Med Bay had flickered on overhead a little earlier. Ravager nodded in understanding as she grabbed the chair Starfire had pulled beside Raven earlier and pulled it just a little bit away from the empath to give her some space before sitting down noiselessly. Silence reigned for a few seconds before Ravager spoke again.
"I don't usually buy into…sentimental crap…I don't even think that's down to how my dad raised me…it's just never been something I felt particularly…invested in it."
Raven gave a humourless laugh. "I can understand that…people come…people go…why should you commit to caring."
Ravager nodded in half-agreement. "In a way I guess…I'd never done the whole team shtick before this, and I don't know how long I'm gonna hand around once I go check in with Jericho…even on a more personal note…I don't think relationshiops are ever gonna be for me…"
Raven nodded silently in understanding.
"…But I'll give it to Beast Boy…how he was about you…even if only for a second…he got me to buy into it."
Raven looked up at that, her eyes widening slightly at the change of Ravager's tone to something that was almost…warm. Ravager either chose to ignore Raven's gaze or didn't notice because she continued to speak.
"I was so ready to kill you…don't get me wrong, I didn't want too…but I've never put personal affairs ahead of a mission and I wasn't going to start then…hell, I had Melvin, a literal child, begging me to do anything else…and then this…naïve…foolhardy…he shows up in the middle of a warzone with a mirror and a promise, having walked through your impenetrable barrier to do it…"
Ravager turned from Beast Boy unconscious form back to Raven.
"And against every better judgement, I gave him a shot…I ignored the clean victory that was right in front of me all because Beast Boy asked me too…I thought I could just destroy the mirror if it went wrong, but looking back on it now…I didn't know if that would work…I risked everything…the whole world…because Beast Boy convinced me he could bring you home alive…"
Raven had to remind herself to close her mouth at Ravager's admission as she unconsciously squeezed Beast Boy's hand a little tighter. She closed her eyes tight, silently willing the tears not to fall.
"That's just Beast Boy…it's who he's always been…naïve…foolhardy…an idiot…and somehow…the best person I've ever known."
Raven paused for a second as the next thing she wants to say crept into her mind. She knew Ravage probably wouldn't care…Azar, she didn't even know why she felt compelled too…maybe it was because she'd never got to say it out loud to Beast Boy himself and she wanted to hear it from herself…
"…and I love him."
Ravager gave a small eye roll alongside an impossibly subtle smile. "I should bloody hope…cause I doubt there's another person alive who loves someone as he much as he loves you…a little while ago, Cyborg was telling me about this… bond you guys had formed?"
Raven nodded. "Yes…when Beast Boy first disappeared after we were tricked into evicting him from the tower, I formed a mental connection with him to try and find out where he was…I had performed something similar with Nightwing before but…what I forged with Beast Boy is seemingly much stronger…"
Ravager nodded as a puzzled look started to creep onto her face. "If it's so much stronger…have you tried using it to connect with Beast Boy now? I bet that would be a jolt through the system for him."
Raven closed her eyes for a moment and despite her best efforts, when she opened this time, she could feel the slight wetness on her cheek as a tear snuck out of the corner of her eye. Ravager's puzzlement grew for a moment before her face morphed into one of complete understanding.
"You don't know what your magic did too him…but you're the only one who can find out if what you did…"
Ravager trailed off. Raven didn't need to confirm her theory.
Ravager thought on this development, but only for a moment. Silently, she rose from her chair and took a step towards Raven, before very tentatively placing a hand on her shoulder. Raven looked up at her in confusion. Ravager merely shook her head.
"Yea, I know…being comforting doesn't look good on me, but you need to hear this…for all intents and purposes, when Beast Boy got to me with your mirror…you were already gone. You never said that what you were doing could be stopped…and threw himself into it anyway. This doesn't have to be black and white Raven. Use your bond…and go bring your idiot home."
Ravager lifted her hand off Raven's shoulder and without another word, turned and began to walk away towards the door of the Med Bay. Ravager's words bounced around Raven's head for a few seconds before the empath snapped back to reality.
"Ravager…thank you."
Ravager stopped for a moment and turned her back half around and after a few seconds, gave the slightest nodded, before wordlessly slipping out of the Med Bay.
Raven rose from her chair and moved to stand beside Beast Boy's bed. With one last squeeze she let go of the changeling's hand before her face scrunched up in determination.
"You kept your promise…and I'm not letting you go anywhere."
Raven assumed the lotus position and began gently murmuring her mantra under her breath as she gently began to probe for Beast Boy's mind. In many ways, it reminded of when she had attempted to forge the bond in the first place. There was no immediate link like there had been between the two of them recently. Instead, she felt like she was searching through a fog or haze, her arms stretching out into the unknown. With no feedback from the changeling, Raven ignored the pit in her stomach and kept digging through the murk, thinking back on what had helped forge the connection between the two of them in the first place. Every moment they'd shared flickered across her mind like pictures in a photo album…her shifting him without his permission…him comforting her after Malchior and vice versa after the Beast…their fight in the motel…their quiet moment in the tower gym...she didn't want to leave out a single thing…after all…every one of those events had led them to where they were now.
Eventually, the images began to slow before they faded away entirely, and Raven was left in what looked like an infinite black void. She tried to reach out to Beast Boy only to be met with radio silence…she could feel her hope dying as she kept looking…prodding…searching every aspect of their bond she could possibly think of…and then it clicked in her head...the one thing she hadn't thought of because well…it had always been from Beast Boy's perspective. She let her mind drift back to the day she banished Trigon from Earth…Beast Boy's happiest memory…
"Are you still you?"
"Blue is still my favourite colour…"
She felt it immediately. Not Beast Boy's voice or presence…but a tug…a direction…a gut feeling. Raven homed in on it like her life depended on it, focusing on it in her mind, shielding it…protecting like one would cover a candle flame from a gust of wind. Then, the memory appeared before he…but not from her perspective, but from Beast Boy's. He was looking up at her with such…worry, curiosity...and then she'd smiled…and she could feel every ounce of joy he had felt in that moment. When the memory version of Beast Boy launched himself at the empath in the memory, the second they made contact, Raven was sent plummeting downwards, falling through the pitch-black nothingness. She closed her eyes, still focusing on that moment…that delicate flame that needed nurturing.
Then…she stopped…
Through closed eyes, Raven could feel…heat on her face…she could hear…birds? With a tentative breath, Raven opened her eyes before immediately bringing a hand up to her face to shield her eyes from the sun that was now bearing down on her. Once her eyes adjusted, she slowly rose to her feet and took in her surroundings, her face morphing into one of confusion in an instant. She was on the banks of a river and wherever she was or wherever her connection with Beast Boy had taken her, it was HOT. Raven looked up into the trees and spotted the birds that were making the cries. She didn't recognise them, but she could see enough to know they were of an exotic variety. Raven turned her attention towards the river, walking up to its bank and allowing her eyes to follow its course. The river continued for a while, but even from where she stood, the empath could see the sudden drop of a waterfall in the distance.
Then it hit her like a tonne of bricks…
When she'd been used by Trigon as the portal, she'd reverted to the form a little girl, originally with no memories, a shard of her former self…Raven knew exactly where she was…where Beast Boy's mind had brought them.
Raven was in Upper Lamumba…and it was suddenly obvious why there was nothing but static from Beast Boy's end of their bond.
Raven turned away from the river to face the dense undergrowth. She'd been brought here for a reason. Subconsciously or not, something about her connection to the changeling had brought her here…and the only way was forward.
Raven took a dep breath and with one last steeling of her nerves, Raven ventured into the jungle.
It was an odd experience whenever Raven connected to someone's mind like this. On the surface, she knew that this was inside Beast Boy's mind and that back in reality, she was still floating in the air at his bedside in the tower. But, as she raised a hand and slapped her neck, killing a mosquito, she couldn't help but acknowledge that it felt pretty damn real. The empath wasn't even quite sure what she was going to find out here…but this was further than she could have dreamed of getting when she first set out.
Summoning a thin blade of her powers, Raven had foregone navigating the foliage for slicing through the undergrowth. She hadn't quite figured out how she was supposed to leave this place if or when she found Beast Boy, but a path back to where she landed that she could identify couldn't be a bad idea. She pressed on, cutting down the bush around her for a few more minutes until she heard it. It was so quiet, nearly drowned out by the sounds of the forest and the running river.
But the sniffling was unmistakeable.
Raven's eyes scanned her surroundings until they locked onto an enormous tree. She remembered reading about these before and recognised it as a baobab tree, but that wasn't what caught her attention…it was the disruption to the undergrowth in front of it…like something…or someone had run through it recently. Raven dissipated her blade of her powers and crept towards it slowly, her heartbeat increasing as she heard the sniffling get louder. When she arrived at the plants surrounding the base of the tree, she pulled them aside with as much care as she could manage before she glanced downwards, and her heart immediately melted.
It was Beast Boy…even here, the green skin was a dead give-away. But like Raven had started to expect would be the case, it wasn't the Beast Boy she knew. Sat against the base of the tree, knees hugged tightly to his chest, his head buried in his forearms, a much younger version of Beast Boy sniffled again, completely unaware of Raven's arrival.
Raven wasn't quite sure what to do or how to approach the young boy in front of her that she knew was her teammate, or at least in the same way that she was after Trigon's invasion of Earth, a fragment of him. However, and unluckily for her, that decision was taken away from her because as she took another step forward, a twig cracked under foot that was hidden in the undergrowth and based on the immediate perk of his ears, Beast Boy's hearing had always been good after he got his powers. The child Beast Boy looked up wide-eyed before visibly jumping at the sight of the empath only a few feet from him. Raven held up her hands in appeasement.
"Garfield! I'm here to he-"
But Beast Boy wasn't listening and without glancing back and just avoiding Raven's attempt to grab him, he clambered up the massive roots of the tree and slipped into a tiny gap in the trunk. Raven breathed a sigh of relief that he at least he hadn't shifted into something and flown away or become an insect she couldn't see. Taking a few cautious steps forward, Raven stepped over some of the roots and braced herself against the enormous trunk of the tree before peering inside the opening that Beast Boy had entered.
The hole wasn't that deep and with the daylight, Raven was quite clearly able to make out the figure of the child Beast Boy cowering in the corner. His head was buried in his knees and while he did glance upwards to confirm that Raven had followed him, he promptly buried his face again.
"Go away!"
Raven remained steady, trying to remain as calm as possible to not frighten Beast Boy any further.
"Garfield, please. I know what you've gone through…I'm here to help you…I promise."
Finally registering something that Raven had said, Beast Boy peered up from his knees and stared at Raven with wide, teary eyes.
"Ho-how do you know my name?"
Raven tried to give him a reassuring smile. "Because…you and I…are friends …or are going to be friends…"
Beast Boy's head titled up slightly. "Are you from the future?"
Raven shook her head. "Not quite…but I knew you were in trouble…and I wanted to help you."
Beast Boy shook his head and buried his face back in his knees. "NO! You're lying! I don't know you…and I don't deserve help…
Raven's heart broke for the child in front of her. She had vague memories of what it had been like when she had reverted to this form. Initially, all her memories had been stripped. She'd been left alone…afraid in the dark…until Robin had pulled her out. She racked her brain to try and think of something that would get Beast Boy to trust her and after a moment she came up with something.
Beast Boy was adamant that if he kept not looking at her, the woman would go away. However, his thought process was broken entirely as she cleared her throat and after moments pause, she started to…sing?
"And scars are souvenirs you never lose
The past is never far…
And did you lose yourself somewhere out there
Did you get to be a star?"
Beast Boy's head rose up again, recognising the song in an instant, his eyes locking with the empaths in an instant. She saw him looking and smiled.
" And don't it make you sad to know that life…"
Beast Boy finished it for her.
" Is more than who we are…"
Beast Boy looked completely lost.
"Ho…How do you know that song? My dad liked to listen to that song?"
Raven nodded her head at him. "Because Garfield…you told me after we became friends…you once made a big promise to me that I didn't think you'd be able to keep and despite everything…you did. So, I promise you now…I'm here to help you…please."
Raven slowly extended a hand into the opening and while Beast Boy recoiled initially, when he saw Raven wasn't moving any closer, he paused and studied her.
"What's your name?"
"Raven."
"…and wh-what promise…did I keep to you?"
Raven felt her eyes close as a soft smile graced her features.
"You promised me that you'd bring me home…and now I want to do the same for you."
Beast Boy's eyes flicked from Raven to her outstretched hand. He knew he had never met this person. He knew he shouldn't trust her…but there was just something about her…something he couldn't quite place a name on…something scratching at the back of his mind, begging for him to notice it.
Beast Boy took a deep breath.
"Okay Raven…I trust you."
Beast Boy reached out a shaky hand, slowly but steadily. Raven smiled at him and waited for him to come to her, to not startle him. After moving forward a few inches, Beast Boy was finally in reach of Raven's hand. The second Beast Boy grabbed onto Raven's hand, Raven was thrust backwards out of the tree, yanking the child Beast Boy with her. She flew backwards with Beast Boy in tow, the jungle around her dissipating into thin air. Through all the madness, she clung onto Beast Boy's hand with everything she had, like her very life depended on it. The two continued to fly backwards, further and further away until the darkness suddenly gave way to a blinding white light, forcing Raven to close her eyes.
Raven clattered to the ground of the Med Bay in a heap, having not expected to be thrust out of her trance so quickly. Disorientated, she pushed her arms and twisted around so that she was no sitting on the floor. She was about tp push herself to her feet when she heard a voice from above her,
"Rae? Why are you on the floor?"
Raven froze completely before glancing upwards in a state of shock. Beast Boy was peering over the edge of the bed, his face a mixture of confusion and humour at the situation. Raven gathered herself and pushed herself up to her feet...before immediately losing all composure and slamming into Beast Boy with a bone-crunching hug that would have made Starfire proud. Beast Boy, taken aback by such an outburst, dropped all signs of confusion and embraced the empath back without question. Raven buried her face in the crook of his neck as he ran his fingers through her hair.
"Hey…hey…what's wrong? I'm right here?"
Raven ignored him for a minute, just choosing to focus on the force she was exerting in their embrace…just to confirm to herself that this was real. After a few seconds, she pulled back.
"What's the last thing you rememeber?"
Beast Boy's forehead scrunched up in concentration. "We left Nevermore, fought Deathstroke…ehm…I held Deathstroke in place for you…and now I'm here."
Raven didn't care that he didn't remember or know about how she had to go and pull him back. She'd tell him eventually…but not now. There were far more important matters to attend too now.
Raven looked at him with a smile, almost on the verge of tears, before she reared back and delivered the strongest non-powered punch she could muster to Beast Boy's shoulder, giving him a dead arm. Beast Boy, not expecting this in the slightest, nearly went toppling out of the bed, before looking back at Raven in confusion and pain.
"OW!?"
Raven crossed her arms, her nostrils flaring. "You stole my mirror…went into Nevermore without me…and then nearly got yourself DAMN KILLED…BY ME!"
Beast Boy's face morphed from confusion to a sheepish expression. "Oh…well…you see…you had all these plans, but I also had plans and I know I didn't tell you about them, but you would've said no, so I thought it would be better if I didn't ask, and you know, I think that wo-"
Raven grabbed by the scruff of his collar. "Beast Boy…shut up."
Beast Boy's mouth slammed shut and before he could think on it too much, Raven crashed her lips into his, pouring every ounce of emotion from the last few hours into one single kiss. Raven pulled back and rested her forehead against Beast Boy's, holding both sides of his face in her hands.
"…I love you, Garfield."
Beast Boy smiled and raised a hand to stroke the side of Raven's face.
"I love you too Rae…"
There they stayed…completely lost in the moment…lost in each other…
Until the sound of a clipboard clattering to the ground cause them both to turn towards the Med Bay door, where Nightwing was stood, mouth agape, the clipboard he had clearly just dropped at his feet.
"You two…are a thing?"
Raven raised an eyebrow as Beast Boy let out a laugh.
"World's greatest detective my ass."
The mood in the Tower seemed to lift over the next few hours. Maybe it was down to more and more Titans being cleared from the Med Bay, or the realisation that they had managed to send Deathstroke packing or even something as simple as it still being the festive period and people were slowly remembering that it was the morning of New Year's Eve. With that, honorary Titans had begun to bid their farewells as they headed home to try and enjoy the last of the holidays with their teams and families. By the end of the day, the only Titans left in the Tower were the usual inhabitants, Melvin, Timmy and Teether and Bumblebee.
Despite the cold weather, everyone had headed up to the roof to watch the Jump City New Year's fireworks display. Starfire was watching over Timmy and Teether, who were clinging to Melvin like she might disappear again while Melvin reassured them that she wasn't going anywhere. The other Titans were dotted across the roof. Bumblebee and Cyborg were cosying up to each other beside one of the air vents. Beast Boy had been talking to Raven before the empath had slipped downstairs to get her winter cloak. He was stood watching over the bay, an uncoscnious smile on his face, under the darkened night sky when Nightwing approached to join him.
"Not cold?"
Beast Boy looked over at the Titans leader with a grin. "Nah…after all the fire in the last few days, I'm pretty happy with something a little more…Baltic."
Nightwing chuckled as he looked out at the bay with Beast Boy.
"It's been a hell of a ride hasn't it."
Nightwing glanced back at the changeling, who didn't notice his stare.
"I mean…who would've seen all of… this coming after the brotherhood."
Nightwing smirked. "I know what you mean…suppose it's the name of the superhero game."
"Yea…I suppose it is…wouldn't change it though…wouldn't change a damn thing."
Nightwing smiled at Beast Boy before he spoke about a thought that had crossed his mind earlier in the day.
"You know, I was thinking…we've got Titans East…but we have really set up any other networks for the honorary members…maybe we should investigate setting up another branch? Starting in the South?"
Beast Boy smiled, but a slight look of puzzlement crossed his face. "A good idea if you ask me but…why are you asking me?"
Nightwing turned to Beast Boy. "A lot of them won't have worked in a team before and to settle them into it, they're going to need a leader to show them how it's done."
Beast Boy looked at Nightwing blankly before realisation dawned on his face. "Me?"
Nightwing nodded. "Gar…you are a leader…all the honorary Titans look up to you…I can't think of anyone better…but also, this isn't an order…it's up to you completely,"
Beast Boy nodded as a pensive look crossed his face.
"You know…sure, I may have come around eventually…but I wouldn't have got the kick uo the backside I needed if it wasn't for the Herald…give him the reigns to a new team. I'll meet with him separately to talk him through it…but he won't disappoint, I guarantee it."
Nightwing smiled at Beast Boy in understanding. "Not a bad idea…I'll keep that in mind."
Beast Boy nodded before turning back to the bay. "And I mean…selfishly…I think I want to hang around Jump City for a bit…see the sights…there's this café I've been meaning to try call Rhyme and Grind."
Nightwing laughed. "Yea well…if you aren't going away on Titans business, my guy, you aren't going anywhere."
Beast Boy chuckled. "Good…cause I don't intent too…eh, Nightwing? I think Starfire wants some…ahem… attention."
Nightwing turned towards Beast Boy was looking and saw Starfire staring at him, tapping an invisible watch on her arm. Nightwing's eyes widened.
Beast Boy laughed. "Get out of here you big sap…before Starfire drags you away."
Nightwing chuckled as he walked away, leaving Beast Boy by himself again, but he knew it wouldn't be for long. Within only a matter of moments, that familiar scent of lilac entered his nose as Raven walked up from behind him. Beast Boy let out a sigh of happiness as he draped an arm over her shoulder, with Raven immediately leaning into the embrace.
"it's nearly midnight you know…"
Raven looked up at Beast Boy, who looked down at her with a toothy grin. He wiggled his eyebrows.
"You know what that means…"
Raven rolled her eyes and poked him gently in the ribs, eliciting a laugh from the changeling. The two stood in companionable silence until Raven spoke again.
"What do you think happens next? We go back to fighting crime. Another world-ending event?"
Beast Boy thought on Raven's question. "You know…I'd love a break…but after that…who knows…come what may…"
He turned Raven to face him.
"Because I'm exactly where I wanna be."
Raven smiled at him as Cyborg shouted at everyone from the centre of the roof.
"COUNTDOWN TIME EVERYONE!"
Everyone gathered at the edge of the Tower, looking out over the bay as a countdown played over a speaker in Cyborg's arm. Beast Boy briefly tore his eyes away from Raven to glance at everyone gathered around him…the most important people in his life…his family…his pack…
Beast Boy turned back to Raven and stared into her eyes as the countdown hit zero. All sound and senses faded from the world as he leaned in and kissed the empath beneath the stars of the Jump City sky. For the first time in a long time…
Beast Boy felt like he had come home.
Hey yo, author here! After over a year and waaaaaaay more chapters than I had anticipated, this goliath is done! I know I probably went overboard with descriptions in the last few chapters, but honestly, just couldn't;'t figure out how important some bits were. I'll probably add an epilogue to this in the coming days, but I'm super excited to got onto another story I have in mind. Think I've learned a lot from writing this. Next story will be shorter chapters, sort over all length, a bit more of an easy read hopefully. I just wanted to thank every single of you that has taken the time to read this. Whether you favorited, followed or just checked in on it every so often, it meant the world to me. Hope you enjoyed the last chapter and hopefully see you guys for another fic soon.
As always, much love - Seadavid41 :)