Raven paused, out of breath, wiping the sparks Wrath had shot at her from her eyes. This isn't right, she thought, panic rising in her chest. Since when did Sloth have superspeed? Since when could Wrath shoot sparks from his hands?

Her gaze darted between the figures before her as she slowly backed away. No, no, this is wrong. They can't—

"You're… you're not here," she whispered, her voice trembling with the weight of the realization. Her mind raced back to Lust blocking her blasts with his bare wrists, the image of silver bracelets forming in her imagination—Lust with his lasso.

I'm not fighting you—I'm fighting my team. Her heart sank further as she looked around desperately at the muted colors. Am I even outside?

"Oh, no," a voice cut through her spiraling thoughts. Enchantress appeared before her, eyes glowing an unsettling green. "You're not getting out of here that easy."

Enchantress raised her arm, and to Raven's horror, her own left arm mimicked the movement, surging with dark energy.

"What the—!" Raven gasped, grabbing her left arm in a desperate attempt to stop the power coursing through it.

"Don't fight me, Raven," Enchantress said, her tone mocking and laced with confidence. "You can't possibly win."

"Watch me," Raven shot back, her eyes flaring white with determination. She was now slightly aware of the situation and was already pushing back.

For the first time, the smirk on Enchantress' face faltered, her confidence shaken.

Enchantress sat cross-legged in her glowing magic circle, her eyes burning with frustration as she watched through Raven's. "No!" she cried out, her voice trembling with desperation as she sensed Raven slipping from her control. "This isn't possible! How is she—damn it! No!"

Her fist slammed against the floor, the force scattering tiny sparks of energy. She clenched her jaw, her breath ragged with fury. "Fine," she hissed through gritted teeth, her tone darkening. "If you won't hurt your team, I guess you'll just have to hurt yourself."

Rain pelted down in heavy sheets, plastering hair and costumes to skin as Beast Boy's voice cut through the storm. "Uh… guys," he said, his tone uneasy, pointing toward Raven.

Red Robin turned. His confusion turned to horror as Raven's left hand twisted unnaturally, black nails sprouting like claws. Without hesitation, she slashed them across her own face, leaving bloody gashes that trailed diagonally across her pale skin. "Raven?" he muttered, frozen as she did it again—and again—before her hand clamped around her throat. "Stop her!" Red Robin's shout was nearly swallowed by the storm.

The team surged forward. Wonder Girl and Lar Gand grabbed her arm, their combined strength barely moving her iron grip.

"It's not budging!" Wonder Girl shouted, her voice tinged with panic. Lar Gand spoke urgently, his words lost in the roar of the downpour as he strained against Raven's grip.

Red Robin yanked a syringe from his belt, his gloved hands slippery with rain. Without hesitation, he jabbed it into Raven's neck. Her hand slackened, her body going limp as Lar Gand caught her just before she hit the muddy grass.

"Dude, what was that?" Beast Boy demanded. "And why didn't you use it earlier?"

Red Robin swiped rain from his face. "It's experimental. A stasis serum—hypnosomneurostasis, or ecliptor. It neutralizes her powers, disrupts nerve signals, and puts her in stasis. I didn't want to risk it unless absolutely necessary. I only used two milliliters."

"Two milliliters did that?" Beast Boy pointed at Raven's unconscious form.

"It's very potent," Red Robin said evenly.

"And you just carry neutralizing serums on you? Do you have one for all of us?"

"I do," he replied bluntly. Ignoring their protests, he knelt beside Raven, scanning for clues. His sharp eyes settled on a cheap, plastic ring on her left hand. Red tendrils pulsed beneath the surface, binding it to her skin. "It's the ring," he muttered. "Guys, it's the ring!"

"Isn't that the one you gave her, Beast Boy?" Kid Flash asked.

Beast Boy transformed into a bird, swooping down for a better look. "Oh, fuck," he whispered.

"We need to get it off her," Red Robin said, pulling pliers from his belt. "Beast Boy, can you transform into something small enough to create separation?"

The rain made the task nearly impossible as Beast Boy tried, shifting first into an ant, then a spider—anything he could think of. Nothing worked. Finally, he turned into an octopus. Just when he was about to give up, Wonder Girl exclaimed, "Her eyes flashed purple!"

"What?" Red Robin and Beast Boy asked.

"Whatever you did, Beast Boy," Wonder Girl said, "her eyes flashed purple briefly."

"How much separation can you get?" Red Robin asked the changeling.

"Almost none. There's… some kind of barrier," Beast Boy replied, his voice taut.

"Try to get as much as you can," Red Robin said, activating his communicator. "Batman, we need transport to the Watchtower ASAP. And Constantine—tell me you've found him."

Raven floated in darkness, the world around her muffled and distant. Snatches of voices drifted in and out, familiar but just out of reach. She tried to reach out, but her arms were heavy, shackled by something unseen. Her chest was so heavy. The voices called to her, but the more she strained, the more elusive they became.

A faint light appeared in the distance, growing brighter with every passing second. She reached for it, drawn to it like a lifeline, but before she could close the gap—

Pain. Sharp and sudden, it lanced through her skull, pulling her back to consciousness, dragging her from the void into raw, stinging awareness.

A strange beeping sound interrupted Raven's sleep. Slowly, she opened her eyes and stared at the bright… hospital room? Yay, she thought bitterly, another hospital room. Yippee. She turned her head, only to be met with green fur. Garfield.

Her head rolled to the other side, and she was surprised to see the blackness of space. The Watchtower. Okay. Not what she was expecting. Things must have gotten bad.

Her body hurt, but her head was clear. Glancing at her left hand, she saw it was free of the ring, with only a slight welt in its place. She tried to sit up but immediately gave up as the pain intensified.

Right, she thought as her memory returned. I shot myself. She tried to piece together the last few days—or was it just a day? Had time even passed? She groaned. My head hurts.

As she shifted, she felt Garfield stretch and purr by her head. Turning her gaze, she met his sleepy green eyes. He blinked a few times, and then his eyes widened as he realized she was awake.

With a startled leap, he jumped off the bed, morphing into a teen boy before his feet even hit the ground. "You're awake!" he exclaimed. "Omigosh! I can't believe you're awake!" He rushed to throw his arms around her, pulling her into a hug.

"I am so sorry," he sobbed. "I'm so, so sorry. I should've listened. This is all my fault. I gave you that stupid ring, and you got hurt. Please forgive me."

"Garfield," Raven said softly, her voice weak. "It's… okay. I didn't have to put the ring on. I, too, should've known better."

He pulled away, sniffling, his eyes full of regret. Raven noticed the giant tears running down his cheeks. In that moment, he looked less like a 14-year-old vigilante and more like an 8-year-old child. "I don't listen," he muttered angrily, shaking his head. "That's my problem. I never listen."

"Garfield," Raven said sternly, her voice firm despite her weakness. "This is not your fault. We both made mistakes."

His eyes widened as the weight of her words hit him. "I need to tell everyone that you're awake. They'll be so thrilled!"

"So… what exactly happened to me?" Raven asked Red Robin, John Constantine, Black Canary, and Batman—who she could barely sense in the back corner. Beast Boy remained curled up in his cat form on her bed, the sadness and guilt encircled him like a fortress.

"Well, the green genius here accepted a 'gift' from Enchantress," Constantine said with a pointed look.

"She looked like a little girl," Beast Boy muttered, his ears flattening.

"She called you 'Beast Boy' while you were wearing a disguise—magical disguise," Red Robin clarified.

"Don't be too hard on him," Raven added, her voice hoarse. "I accepted the gift without… vetting it," she waved her hand, searching for the right word. "I'm still getting used to the hero worship on this Earth," she muttered. "So, what is that thing?"

"A very, very ancient artifact," Constantine said, his tone shifting into something more serious as he held up the ring. "Orchid had to dig deep to find anything about it. Didn't even know I owned something that old. Written in a dead language—by dead, Orchid thinks it predates human life. She believes it's not from Earth. The thing's called a Maledictum Ring. The magic? Unpredictable. It's supposed to turn the wearer into a voodoo doll and suck their life force… sometimes. It can also tap into their mind… sometimes. It's supposed to be a slow process, but Enchantress must've gotten impatient, which is odd for a sorceress of her caliber. What did you experience?"

"I was hallucinating. Thought I was at school. Then I thought I was fighting my brothers," Raven answered. "Turns out, I was fighting my team. It felt like a day or two had passe."

"It hasn't even been twelve hours since I last saw you," Red Robin said.

"Yeah," Raven replied, her voice quiet. "I'm beginning to figure that out."

"She also had this weird glaze over her eyes," Beast Boy sat up, looking uneasy. "And no control over her left arm."

"You were choking yourself," Red Robin added, his voice low. "With your own hand."

"You also shot yourself with your powers," Beast Boy added, his expression pained.

"Oh," Raven frowned.

"Falls under the unpredictability of the ring," Constantine shrugged.

"How did you guys get the ring off?" Raven asked.

"We didn't," Constantine said, crossing his arms. "You did."

"Me?"

"Whatever separation Beast Boy caused let your powers—or subconscious, or soul-self, or shadow bird thingy—kick it off. I don't understand your powers, love," Constantine muttered the last part, looking like he regretted saying it.

"By the time we reached the Watchtower, part of the ring was covered in your black energy," Red Robin explained. "Wonder Girl grabbed it and ripped it off your finger."

"She tore a chunk of your skin off along with it," Beast Boy added. "We could see your bone… and your skin smelled like it was burning."

"Oh," Raven said, playing with her fingers. "I'm sorry," she muttered, her tone barely audible.

"It was a mistake, lad," Constantine said with a slight smile.

"I can't afford to make mistakes," Raven shot back. "People get hurt when I make mistakes, when I lose control."

The room grew quiet for a moment. Finally, Constantine broke the silence. "Well, Enchantress has gone to ground, of course."

"You still don't know what she wants with me?" Raven asked, her voice hard.

"No, and nobody in the magical world knows how she's even still alive," Constantine answered. "I've even asked Phantom Stranger. He's no help, as per-fucking-usual with his cryptic, 'All things are as they should be'—fucking wanker."

"Okay," Black Canary gave him a side-eye. "We can theorize later. Let's let Raven rest. Garfield," she called, "we need to talk."

"Dang it," Beast Boy moped, hopping off the bed and shifting back into human form. "Bye, Raven," he waved as though it were the last time he'd see her, much to everyone's amusement. He dragged his feet and slouched.

"Garfield," Black Canary sighed, following Batman and Beast Boy out of the room. "You're not in trouble. We're just talking, that's it. It has to do with your stepfather."

"Ugh, what does he want now?" he groaned.

Constantine, Red Robin, and Raven remained in the room. "What are you going to do with it?" Raven asked, nodding toward the ring in Constantine's hand.

"Orchid wants to study it," Constantine replied. "Besides, I don't think it's a good idea to leave something this powerful... this unstable, out in the ether. The house is the best place for it."

Raven nodded in agreement before a tangible silence came over the group. Constantine looked at Raven who was avoiding Red Robin's gaze.

"Well," he said, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips, "as much as I'd love to be a part of this awkward silence, I've got places to be—pubs to visit." He muttered a quick spell and disappeared through a magical doorway, leaving Red Robin and Raven alone in the room.

Red Robin turned to Raven and removed his mask. "These past months have been a whirlwind for you," he said softly.

Raven hummed in agreement, her fingers absentmindedly twisting the edge of the blanket. The silence that settled between them wasn't uncomfortable, but it wasn't quite peaceful either. It was as though they both needed more time to find the right words. Finally, Red Robin spoke again, his voice low and careful. "I know this is a stupid question, but... how are you feeling?"

"Well..." Raven began, her voice a touch flat. She paused, her fingers stilling on the blanket for a moment before continuing. "I'm in my sound mind, so... I suppose that's better than the alternative."

Tim crossed his arms loosely, watching her intently. The moment stretched between them, heavy with unspoken understanding. "It wasn't your fault. It wasn't even Beast Boy's fault."

Raven sighed, her gaze dropping to her hands. "Don't accept gifts that haven't been properly vetted," she muttered, a touch of self-recrimination in her tone. "That's one of the rules. We didn't follow it."

Tim's voice softened, as if to comfort her. "Enchantress was gunning for you. That ring would've found its way to you, sooner or later."

Raven glanced at him, her expression searching. "Why are you so... relaxed about this?"

"Getting upset or yelling won't help," Tim said, his voice quiet. "Besides," he added with a faint, reassuring smile, "it isn't necessary, not when you already look so apologetic."

Raven raised an eyebrow at that, but she didn't respond immediately. Instead, she shifted, her eyes meeting his for a long beat. Then, almost as an afterthought, she asked, "How did you get me to stop choking myself?"

Tim hesitated for a moment, then muttered sheepishly, "I... uh... drugged you."

Raven blinked, confused. "You drugged me?"

"Yeah," he admitted, looking a little uncomfortable. "I have a serum. It neutralizes your powers, disrupts the transmission of your nerve signals, and puts you in a stasis." He paused, his voice dropping slightly. "I made it when you first came here."

Raven studied him for a moment, absorbing the information. She nodded slowly. "Do you have more?"

"Y-yes," he admitted softly.

"You should keep it on hand," she said matter-of-factly. "You never know when I might snap."

Tim's expression grew more serious. "Raven, this wasn't your fault."

Her lips curved into a faint, bitter smile. "Wasn't it?"

"It wasn't," he insisted, his voice firm as he stepped closer. "Whatever that ring was... it wasn't you."

Raven closed her eyes for a moment, exhaling shakily. "I'm just so tired," she said, her fingers tugging at her hair, a subtle movement that felt like an attempt to hold herself together. "So tired of this."

Tim's voice softened, his tone full of understanding. "Raven, I can't imagine what you've been through. I know what it's like to be tortured, but this... you've been hit with so much, in such a short amount of time. But you're still fighting. You haven't given up. And that's a good thing."

Her voice wavered, a tremor of frustration slipping through. "What if next time I don't fight hard enough?" she whispered. "What if I... hurt someone? Really hurt someone?"

"You won't hurt anyone," Tim said, his voice steady, yet gentle.

Raven's gaze flickered toward him, her eyes haunted. "The magic in this universe... it's so different. It's everywhere. And every time I think I'm ready to make this place home, something happens. What's next? A necklace that makes me express hate and opens me up to be possessed by Faust?"

Tim leaned forward slightly, his voice a quiet reassurance. "That's not going to happen."

Her eyes narrowed. "You don't know that. You don't know what it's like to have something dark and dangerous lurking inside you. Something waiting for the right moment to take over. I thought, with my father gone, I'd be free of all of this. But it's still here... waiting..."

"Raven," Tim said softly, his tone warm, yet full of concern.

"Maybe I should lock myself away," she murmured, barely audible. "Far away. That way, no one will get hurt."

Tim's expression softened, his voice low and steady. "You won't hurt anyone. I trust you."

Raven's breath hitched, and she flinched, as if his words had struck a raw nerve. She looked away quickly, her fingers curling tighter around the edge of the blanket. "Maybe you shouldn't," she whispered, barely audible.

Tim frowned, his concern deepening. "Why not?"

"Because," she said, her voice flat, but heavy with emotion, "I'm not safe to be around. Not for anyone. Not for The Team." She paused, then added in a quieter voice, "Not for you."

The silence between them stretched, heavy and suffocating, as Tim studied her, searching for something in her face. His eyes widened with realization. "You're trying to push me away."

Raven's lips pressed into a thin line, her gaze fixed on the floor. "You should let me."

He didn't move right away, but when he spoke, his voice was soft, resigned. "I think you're scared. Not of losing control, but of someone being close enough to see you when you do."

She flinched again, but still didn't respond. Her hands twisted the blanket in her lap, her knuckles white with tension.

"Raven, we've all seen you lose control," Tim said gently, his words a balm to her raw nerves.

"No, you haven't," she whispered, her voice small. "Not really."

Tim exhaled slowly, a long, measured breath, and when he spoke again, his tone was tender, almost sad. "You think you're protecting everyone else. But maybe, just maybe... you're protecting yourself."

Though his voice was gentle, Raven couldn't bring herself to look at him. Her gaze remained fixed on the floor, her body tense.

"You don't have to face everything alone, Raven," he said, his voice full of compassion.

She didn't answer, and Tim sighed, stepping back. "I'll let you rest," he said quietly, placing his mask back over his face, returning to his Red Robin persona. "If you ever decide you want to talk... you know where to find me." He hesitated, and for a moment, it seemed as though he had more to say, but instead, he turned and left the room.

Raven watched him go, her chest tight. She wanted to say something, to call him back, but the words were stuck, trapped behind the lump in her throat. She didn't exhale until he was completely gone, the room now echoing with silence.

Sinking deeper into her pillows, she whispered to the empty room, "You're safer if you stay away."

Enchantress trembled on her hands and knees, her body shaking with exhaustion. "You failed me!" The voice of the entity echoed, distant and cold, reverberating from nowhere.

She gasped, her breath ragged as she pleaded, her voice shaky with desperation. "No, please. She's... powerful. Please, just one more chance."

The entity's tone turned sharp, cutting through the air like a blade. "No. I'll find a way to Earth myself. We're done."

"No!" Enchantress's scream was raw, filled with terror and fury. She clawed at her head, her nails digging into her scalp. "Please! No! You can't—this can't be it! This can't be how it ends!" Her voice faltered as the weight of her failure crashed down on her.

She collapsed, gasping for air, but the fire in her eyes never wavered. She refused.

Enchantress's heart pounded in her chest as her mind raced. The entity's departure was imminent, but she wasn't finished yet. She had just enough magic left.

With a surge of determination, her hands trembled as she whispered an incantation, her last act of defiance. It was time for her coup de grâce.