Disclaimer: By this means, I rightfully claim ownership to this fanfiction story and my original character within it, by my trademark signature T.M.O at the conclusion of every update. Any other characters that may appear in this work and are new, these are the rightful properties by their creators as well and cannot be reproduced or duplicated without their individual consent. I do not own anything within the DC Universe, from Warner Brothers or on Cartoon Network. The only original character and the name that I created for him; that I accept half ownership on is Falcon from this telling. Scififanfreak222 owns the second half of him as well, for drawing him upon a collaboration of various new designs and sketches within the year of 2010; and cannot be knowingly placed into another literary document, writing community, comicbook series, and or televised broadcast without either of our written or verbal consent in front of legal consultants. TheForceIsStrongWithThisOne, Scififanfreak222, xSaffire55x, Novus Ordo Seclorum, and RavenxIsxAxBlackxRose; each of these fellow writers have helped me to press onwards with this story, everytime I have come across writers block. Without their outstanding guidance, the updates would have taken me even longer to complete.
Chapter 4 is done! Raven talks with Beast Boy on some very delicate matters. What is to become of their close friendship this night? "Never shall I forget the time I spent with you. Please continue to be my friend, as you will always find me yours." -Ludwig Van Beetoven-
Chapter 4 - Meeting Of The Minds
Falcon was unable to sleep, as he tossesd and turned in his soft bed but the hallucinations only continued, over and over again. All of the torture, anguish, guilt and hatred arose deep from within Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg; they were constantly shown many times in their lowest moments. Beads of sweat began to form upon his face; he could feel the dampness of each droplet, trickling down his nose and across his neck.
The more that he fought these recent grim sounds and images, the worse it became. His heart raced, and the thumping became louder inside of his eardrums.
Soon, a new vision came into his mind; it was the one of the burning building and just across from the wild conflagration that continued to rise, he found himself standing ankle deep in the freezing snow. His breath could be seen, and as he studied the quaint landscape about him, he peered through the dense flurry and the sorcerer could barely distinguish the pine trees across the yard, and right there in the middle of the woods at the end of the road, behind the small hills in New England his home resided. A frozen pond could be spoted down the sloping plain as well.
The blaze of the towering inferno roared about the building, as the furniture, wood and glass was heard on the inside to break and crash. Everything was engulfed, where the intense flames from the memory were still hot and Falcon was forced to shield his eyes. While the seventeen year old stood motionless, his crimson cloak swayed about his body, and he held it close to his chest, while a young boy was seen in the distance, keeping a girl at bay.
He knew exactly where he was, as this tragic scene played before his very eyes. His home was burning to ashes; nothing would be left standing as the only sounds were the howling of the wind, along with the destruction of the building. All the while, the bitter cold nipped at his extremities causing his face to cringe. He felt like he was an old sailor, bracing his body against the harsh elements.
"Mommy!" A young girl cried with her hands reaching out.
Her hair was in two long braids, and she held onto a teddy bear with desperation. Her eyes were filling with tears, and then the water began to slither its way down her flushed cheeks.
"This isn't real. This-this isn't happening … not again."
He managed to speak in a very soft tone, trying to make it end.
"I had refused to let it consume me then, but so far I have come across nothing but one impasse after another. I must keep moving; I must keep people away … like I've always done."
He paused during his brief soliloquy. His eyes were fixated onto the boy across the yard, with his arms drapped about the little girl. Hanging around the boy's neck that swung from the sudden updraft, he took notice to the thin black string that held three little tokens, where each carried the insignia of yin and yang. Falcon grasped the necklace tucked beneath his own shirt, and he looked to the snow.
"Redemption … that is a fool's hope, what's been done can never be altered. No matter how wrong it may be. No matter who is willing to offer me a chance, I am … alone. I always have been."
After he turned away, everything switched to blackness while he shut his eyes. The wayward traveler drove further into the recesses of his mind, squeezing the sheets with his fists and squentching his eyes harder together. Falcon may not have had complete memories, but the ones he did have were all too painful to even think about.
Slowly upon opening his eyes again, he felt that the winter had finally ceased, and that he was looking into something entirely new. His worst nightmare was over, but someone elses was already beginning. While he stood by the shadows near the entrance, he saw another walking into the dark and evil requim, the moonlight about the vast dome that was supported by many columns revealed an eclipse; the planets were aligned as the darkness continued to spread across the floor, eating what remnants of the night's soothing illumination that was given.
Hearing the footsteps from the other cloaked person, his eyes became focused onto the new intruder. It was Raven. She paused and looked down to her palm. Falcon noticed that she was holding onto a penny.
"It is time." She said in her nostalgic monotone, while the copper currency she grasped was obscured from further view. The endless hoard of ruthless fire demons surrounded both her and the mighty outstretched hand; it was reaching up to the sky. "The prophecy shall be fulfilled."
I thought she was holding something back. Falcon whispered to himself. She touched me, before she left.
While the downcast Empath pressed on, walking closer to the first steps she sighed and prepaired herself for what she was about to do when suddenly; the loud commotion of shouting and fighting forced her to turn back to where she had just come from. The Teen Titans were rushing into the dark temple, where Cyborg blasted his blue sonic cannon, and Starfire unleashed her green star bolts onto the endless demons. Robin chucked five explosive disks at the monsters, while Beast Boy in the form of a Peregrine Falcon screeched as he dove in with his deadly talons, tearing away at his foes.
The four teammates battled their way to their gray comrade, but the voracious act of brave heroism was quickly dashed when the army of hundreds surrounded the team, causing their moment of jubilation to transform into pure terror!
"RA-VEN!" Robin called while he reached out for the demoness to acknowledge them.
To everyone's surprise, the blue cloaked enchantress waved her hand, as her eyes turned white. In an instant, the savage army was subduded into the further depths from whence they came. Now, Raven was standing in front of her noble friends, as her normal and attractive eye color returned.
The group of supers walked forwards, following their leader's calm pace. Falcon could not help himself either, and he too moved closer to observe what was about to occure. As he stood besides the reunion of friends, he kept himself at a distance as he realized that he could do nothing for he was looking into the past, it was all just a distant memory.
"It has already begun." Raven brushed away her hood, where she bowed her head in painful grief. "And there is no stopping what is meant to be."
"You're willing to give up on everything, all because of some prophecy you heard as a child." Robin spoke; the expression on his face was one of compassion. "What if it's wrong?"
Raven sighed.
"Robin." She reopened her eyes. "I know what I know."
The Boy Wonder frowned.
"I don't accept that." He pointed to her, trying to help her comprehend the powerful oath that all heroes take, the same one that she took alongside him and their friends. It is one where a hero never quits or gives up; especially on themselves. "You can take control. You can make it not happen."
"I've known my whole life that this day was going to come." Raven answered as her hair and outer garb swayed about her trim and shapely figure. "I tried to control the dark side of me. I tried to do good things. To fight evil and hoped that would somehow make up for the horrible thing that I'm destined to do." She lowered her gaze to the frigid ground, to avoid their faces but it was no use, and she looked back into their comforting eyes.
"But no one knows their destiny. There are things you can't possibly know."
"There are some things I didn't know." She walked forwards and revealed a heartwarming smile, forcing them all to become mute. "Like how I would make such wonderful friends. All I wanted was to make your last day perfect." She turned away. "Instead, you spent it worrying about me."
Robin moved in and held her left hand, causing her to look into his mask where he grinned.
"That's what friends do."
"And as my friends … you have to let me go."
She backed away, keeping the hand that he touched out in front of her; then using her powers she encased a dark energy bubble to shield them from moving any closer. Robin charged into it, pounding his hands against the black barrier but it had no effect.
Raven pulled the hood over her face, and began her slow ascension up the stairs that lifted from each step that she took. She was drawing closer to the palm of the hand. Falcon watched in admiration as each member fought to break through the impenetrable defense, their compassion for her was one of true devotion. Robin began to kick and punch, he even removed his bo-staff and attacked while Cyborg unleashed his cannon yet it did nothing. The Tamaranean Warrior flew high and threw countless bolts into the shield, not even landing a single mark where the mystical force field absorbed the repeated blows. Beast Boy morphed into a Tyrannosaurus Rex and slammed this creature's entire body weight against it, but the changeling along with his teammates could do nothing, yet they continued with the onslaught.
While these four were not giving up, Raven was already at the top and brought her legs into the lotus position, hovering over the center of the great arm.
"The gem was born of evil's fire. The gem shall be his portal. He comes to claim, he comes to sire; the end of all things mortal!"
Raven's eyes turned white, while her fingers were spread. The crimson words sprung upon her arms, torso and legs, glowing with an evil vibrance as the demonic incantation she chanted, echoed across the cavernous hall. The mark of Scath returned over the chakra stone on her forehead, she was embracing what she had long feared her entire life.
"NO!" Robin shouted.
It was too late. The red symbols that were on her body floated about the dark sorceress's attractive figure, hanging in mid air and creating three separate rings that circled her.
"Raven!" Starfire cried, where she fell into the chest of the team leader and began to weep.
A blinding white glow arose from the Empath's midsection, expanding and enveloping her completely where she dropped the coin and it tumbled to the earth, turning end over end. The three rings spun faster and faster, until the radiance of pure white was transformed into a deep scarlet fire that overtook the white orb that encased her. A great vortex was unlocked and it blinded everyone on the floor below, yet they glared through and were unfortinate enough to observe that Raven was obliterated from the raw power she had unleashed!
The total blaze of the hot wrath forced the portal to spread across the floor which the stone hand was built upon, while the dark buffer Raven had erected to cover her friends against the shattering destruction that was taking place, it had managed to hold. Out of the middle of this new doorway, the lord and incarnation of all things evil sprung out, his red skin and massive height revealed that he was Trigon the Terrible.
With his arms raised into the sky, he roared as his voice was a deep and potent pitch.
"The Earth IS MINE!"
Everything turned to blackness, and Falcon was knocked to the ground from the horrible blast that shook the very foundation of the dark chapel.
Following a short delay and blinking his eyes, the necromancer sat up and looked around the once prosperous metropolis. The buildings of Jump City were skeleton's of their former selves, charred and destroyed while a magnificent glow of fire and lava covered almost everything.
"This can't have happened; Raven could never have done this."
Falcon began to walk down a street that appeared to have been hit from a tornado like the rest of the city; yet he stopped himself as the next sight was ghastly to behold.
"No."
What caught his attention was a boy on his skateboard that was frozen in place, where he was forever trapped in solid rock. Falcon touched his shoulder, and he studied the face as the stranger's mouth that was left hung open while his gaze could only be described as one of pure horror. Moving his eyes around the corner, the shadow manipulator located countless citizens like the poor boy. All of them had the same expression as the first victim did. Everyone and everything that was alive, from a flock of geese to a dog in the park chasing a Frisbee were now sculputers of their former selves.
Falcon compressed his fists.
"I do not remember any of this, but it must have happened. Raven became the portal; she allowed all of this to occur." He observed the first innocent bystandered he had come across, and his face became tense. "If I cannot remember, then like these people … I must have joined them in their plight and when it was over, the memory was lost."
Looking out to the shoreline that once revealed the vast Pacific Ocean, it was now a sea of burning magma. All around him the city was in ruins, nothing was left untouched by Trigon's destructive return. The demon lord had created a new hell, this was entirely his domain. Falcon collapsed to his knees, of all of the memories to look into, the Empath's was the most tragic.
"This happened, all of it." He lowered his head from the powerful truth hitting him. "Every fiber and reason in me does not want it to be real. I cannot believe Raven would ever hold onto something so dark and terrible; but I'm not one to scrutinize another. From what I see before me, I know now that she unleashed it."
Standing back onto his feet, Falcon discharged the stagnant oxygen within his lungs.
"The end of the world." His eyes trembled as he soaked in the view. "She said that she had a dark past, but this … this is beyond my comprehension. I may be plauged by bad things, by my own darkside and wrong doings but this nightmare is far worse."
A deep and menacing laughter echoed across the city, forcing him to glance at Titans Tower that was broken and bent half over, now it was a great throne for the interdimensional dark lord as he leaned his body against it. His four red eyes scanned the once beautiful world as his white hair blew from the wind.
Falcon turned and began to run down the broken streets, away from his current position and was quick to find a wrecked church. The arched roof was gone and the windows were broken to an extent. The scarlet sky covered the once blue atmosphere; it was a reflection of the ground below while a mighty lightning storm clashed in the heavens.
With his cowl pulled back the lone teenager pressed onwards and he climbed into an open window. The shadows around him concealed very little remnants of the debris within the delapitated shrine, now it was his only place of refuge. As he walked deeper into the room, he was growing concerned with what had happened to the others, with where they had ended up if they were not already statues like the rest of any living creatures had been turned into.
"Someone must have survived all this." He stopped talking while his shadow was close behind. "There must have been someone able to stop Trigon. But everything I saw was vanquished from that monster's ascent into the Earth, who could have endured when everything was lost?"
The massive doors to the ancient church swung open, causing the mind jumper to look. He saw Robin standing at the entrance, and Falcon dashed beside a pillar while he was curious with how the Boy Wonder had lived.
"Hello." Robin called as he walked beyond the pews; his gaze was shifting to countless directions as he hoped that he was not alone. "Is anyone here?"
After a quiet lull, the Titans captain heard a rustling noise in the corner. Falcon noticed it as well, and he watched as the hero dashed towards it. The white cloak moved again, as footsteps from yet another survivor bounced across the room.
After spoting the unexpected person stop and kneeling down, Robin placed his hand over the outer clothing and pulled it back. Falcon was able to see the immediate look of shock at who was also in the church, only she was not her normal size, as she was the age of seven and was terrified.
"Raven?" Robin asked aloud as he stood utterly dumbstruck.
"Who … Who are you?" The young girl asked where her voice was softer, it was less raspy and she kept her eyes looking upon at the face of the team leader.
Falcon awoke from his unpleasant slumber. After his heartbeat was skyrocketing within his chest, he exhaled very slowly to calm himself. He wiped off the water still clinging to his face, and he held his left shoulder. The room was pitch black, as the only light came from the alarm clock beside his bed; the hour had passed three in the morning.
"That was one hell of a ride." The mind hacker placed both of his hands across his face. "Whatever may come when the sun rises, at least I understand a few more things about these guys."
After getting out of the sheets, he put on his converse sneakers and the red cloak that was draped across the chair to the desk. He slid the curtains apart and looked out the window, where he observed that the elecrtical glow was still very much alive across Jump City. The world he witnessed in his head, everything was back to normal and he was relieved to see that he did in fact break free from the deep rest, and he was not entering another memory.
Clearing his throat, he could taste the arid texture of his tounge. He was parched. His pupil on his left was trying to adjust, as his right was still its solid white tone and in fact, he was blind in this eye but he refused to place an eyepatch over it. This was one less thing to put a damper on his spirits; he was just greatful that he still could see out of the other.
The door slid open, and the instant lighting within the hall caused him to recoil a little. He needed to think, and as he peered down both ends of the corridor, there was nobody in sight. He typically never got much sleep to begin with, a short cat nap was one thing yet all of the people he touched from his skin contact; their nightmares would forever be his as well. The prime reason he stayed up so late on most nights however, was because he understood that at the crack of dawn it would be a struggle to get up, he was more of a night owl than a morning bird.
As he walked, his silhouette remained very close as his only companion.
"These people may have issues with me, and I'm fine with leaving." He stopped. "But there is a part of me that doesn't want to go. Damn this is a tough spot. What a fine mess that I've made for myself."
He slightly groaned as he tilted his neck, causing the joints to crack.
A whisper forced him to snap his head around, but nobody was there to greet him. He was standing in the path leading towards the Common Room, while his eyes scanned his peripheral sides but there was nothing.
The door to his side catches his attention, where the glow from the walls revealed the name of the previous occupant, TERRA. This generates a powerful shiver to roll up his back, and the necromancer is glued to what his eyes are looking upon. He places his hand against the bold letters and without any warning, the room is quickly opened, where he glances to his hand and then to the eerie abode.
"What is with these doors?" Falcon rolled his eyes after placing both hands alongside his hips. "There must be a switch or something with those sensors, I'm still trying to figure it out. Cyborg sure can add in some pretty savvy things in this building; that's for sure."
Falcon scratched his hair while he cocked his right eyebrow. After facing to the right, and then to the left wings of the empty corridor, the sorcerer shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't see why I can't go in." He quickly halted with one foot planted within the darkness. "But that's just it, this is not my room and snooping around the Tower, in the middle of the night is not really my style."
Taking a deep breath, Falcon moved another step inside the geomancer's private sanctuary. Feeling his hand along the wall, he flipped the light switch and the room revealed what the previous owner prefered as her décor. There was a simple wooden dresser and a hutch along the side, with a mirror ontop of it. The floor had blue carpet installed, while the paint for the walls was orange and brown giving off a desert tone, with a light purple along the ceiling was giving a hint for someone at being outside, while the surface contained the pulsating glow of the stars that stuck from the back.
The fire wielder was searching for anything that could help him. The person who had lived in this room was no longer around, and there was no trace of where she could have gone too, as the room had been undisturbed for many months. The closet beside the long mirror was left wide open, as a few metal hangers were still upon the silver rung, and there was no sound except for his light breathing.
The purring of a feline catches him off guard, where the mark over his eye allows the necromancer to see that he was not entirely alone as he first thought.
"You must be Stripe." Falcon bent down and began to stroke his fur, while the cat's backside arched from his fingers, and his tail stood at attention. "I guess you followed me in then." He looked around the old quarters of the nearly forgotten sixth member. "Well, I don't suppose you would know anything about the previous tenant."
Stripe hurried near the base of the bureau, and Falcon walked towards the bed sitting down. He wanted to get a better understanding on Terra, he wanted to understand why her history was so brief, and yet nobody liked to talk about it.
Stripe whined and it forcing the crimson cloaked night owl to prop himself off from the snug bed, to uncover what the fuss was all about. The room let off a vibe that is felt around the home of a deceased person, the walls and the furnishings were ordinary but the person who did live in this place, at one point it gave everything about the sleeping quarters a life of its own.
"What is it?"
Falcon asked after removing his cowl, and he studied Stripe's transfixed gaze, where he located a brush for setting one's hair as the golden bristles were very refined. Nestled alongside the comb, a silver box was closed and it was made in the shape of a Valentine's Day heart.
"Cute." He held the box between his hands, and he studied the glistening container with a throrough inspection. "I wonder who gave her this gift."
While his fingers ran along the edges, he somehow managed to open the heart shaped box, and a mirror was on the top end of the inside. He looked at his cold reflection staring right back and the vivid scar across his right eye made him wince from what he saw, where he shut the flap and placed the box down again.
A wallet sized photo of a tan girl with deep blue eyes, and long blond hair had her arm draped across Beast Boy; the couple had big grins on their faces. It was taken inside of a photo hut, and the picture was just resting within the crevice of the mirror upon the bureau.
"Old wounds are the hardest to burn out." Falcon bowed his head. "She must have left quiet a mark on all of them."
Without any warning, the sound of footsteps was growing closer to Terra's privet dwelling, forcing the necromancer to turn and look at the doorway.
I guess that's my cue for an exit. If they find me around here in the middle of the night, than they'll crusify me for sure.
The wayward traveler dashed for the window after he spoke in his head, and he hid his face behind the dark hood, concealing his identity but he understood in a few seconds it would not matter regardless. There was only one other person in Titans Tower that wore a similar hood and cloak, and she would not be one to snoop around for no illogical reason.
Just as Falcon stood by his only path of escape, his hands were gripping upon the frame to pull it aside and to slip out quickly. The noise from the hallway ceased right in front of the door, and panic set it. With his heart beating faster, his breathing also became heavier and he did not want to stick around to find out who else was having difficulty in sleeping.
As if luck were on his side however, his path was not locked and it slid apart with ease, this allowed the teenager to hop outside and he levitated just below the room. He was off the hook, for the moment.
The outline of a person came closer to the place that the necromancer had barely gotten out from, and the figure in his hunched posture and droopy ears, it was revealed that the changeling had waltzed in. Listening closely, Falcon heard the hero releasing a sigh, and the shadow receeded allowing Falcon to pop his head up and observe what was happening, without being uncovered.
For some odd reason that Beast Boy could never fully explain, Terra's room usually smelt like a sweet pineapple fragrance to him. The green mischief-maker was downcast right now, and the lights already having been turned on before he entered only made him suspicious.
"Maybe the lights are on the fritz?" Beast Boy scratched his hair. "Yeah, that's got to be it."
Moving towards the dresser he picked up the gift that he had crafted, for the girl that he once loved. His heart was broken from her betrayal, and after he saw the girl that in all probability was her at the Murakami high school; her rejection to him was a crushing defeat even worse than being forced away from the Doom Patrol. He still missed her.
Stripe walked between his legs, and Beast Boy's care free grin returned once more.
"It's good to see you too Stripe." Beast Boy patted the feline's dome, wiggling his fingers between the pointy ears as the cat gave out a soothing purr of affection.
"Beast Boy, what are you doing up at this hour?" Raven's raspy tone came into the room, causing the changeling to tilt his head up.
"I dunno." He bobbed his shoulders up and down. "I thought I heard someone in here, but it was only your cat."
The Empath's left eyebrow rose with inquisitiveness.
"He's not really my cat." She crossed her arms while her amethyst eyes were locked onto the pet. "He just gets free meals and a room at times; he's more of a freeloading stray. He didn't have a collar when I first saw him, so I agreed to let him hang around."
Stripe weaved in between her pale legs, and she rolled her eyes as the changeling grinned.
"Well, he sure seems to think that you're his owner." Beast Boy chuckled.
Raven walked closer.
"Beast Boy, I can tell something is on your mind."
The comedic hero frowned.
"I couldn't sleep is all."
"Then why did you come in here?"
"I dunno, it's hard to explain." He thought for a moment. "I guess I came in here because it feels secure, and it may sound weird but I needed to think about everything that has happened so far."
She placed her hand upon his shoulder, while sitting down alongside him upon the bed.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not really." He pulled away. "I mean it is late and all, but I think I can handle this thing on my own."
"This is about Terra."
Beast Boy's eyes quickly bulged.
"How did you-"
"I'm an Empath, I can sense things." Raven gently exhaled during the silence. "I know that she's been sore subject for you. Bringing it up yesterday was proof enough but it goes beyond that."
"What do you mean?"
Raven adjusted her focus onto the heart shaped tin, and Beast Boy followed with his own eyes.
"I've known ever since we left for Tokyo; then when we came back and met Falcon in the streets, it only brought the same conflict to rise once more. You don't trust him."
"Is it that obvious?"
Raven looked into his face with a compassionate gesture.
"I don't know if the others see it or not, but I think that is because you hide it so well."
"Oh."
"You don't have to fight this thing on your own." Raven sat up and made her way to the door. "I'm here to talk if you decide otherwise."
"Sure." He spoke in a deflated manner.
Raven closed her eyes with her back facing him; while she was inches away from the exit a piece of her would not budge. She finally decided to offer him a rope. She could tell that he wanted to talk to somebody, but he was being stubborn like most young men. Relationship issues of the past were never an easy thing to muse over; the demoness understood that better than most.
"You once told me that I wasn't alone." She opened her eyes. "I know you may see yourself against the world, but we all can use a little pep talk from time to time."
"Thanks Raven." Beast Boy's voice returned back to normal. "So, you wouldn't mind talking with me?"
The Empath turned around.
"Of course not." She walked closer to the edge of the sheets. "Need I remind you however, if you intend to drop any sly comments or tacky remarks, then I will leave."
"I know." His ears perked upright.
"What did you want to talk about?"
Beast Boy was becoming nervous as the gray sorceress was sitting next to him again. He enjoyed her company, and whenever they had serious discussions about anything, Raven always revealed something different that their other teammates lacked.
"Do you remember when we got back to the Tower?"
"Yes."
"Well, after we talked it got me to thinking on current issues, and on old stuff."
"Like Terra."
"Exactly, but my head is sore from everything at once. I'm just confused with how to handle it all, and how to make things better again."
"Nothing can go back to the way it was." Raven interjected. "We just have to accept the way things are now, and try to make the best of it. Things change; it's a part of life."
"I'm trying." He clasped his hands together over his lap. "There is a part of me that wants to forget the past, and then another part dragging my heart deep down, telling me that I should never forget. Either I move forwards and not think about Terra and my heart aches, or I allow myself to remember the good times with her, and again my heart feels like it will explode from all of the agony. It's a lose, lose fight; I cannot win no matter what I do."
Raven could see the horrible torment that the geomancer had inflicted on him; the wound was still trying to heal.
"I know that it hurts." She briefly paused. "But that is normal; there are others who have felt that exact pain, I being one of them."
Beast Boy continued listening, and after a short hesitation she pressed on.
"Do you remember the dragon, that wretched demon that came out of my room and nearly destroyed the city?"
"How could I forget that Malchior dude?" He halted as he glanced to the floor. "Wait a second, are you trying to tell me, that YOU had a thing for that monster!"
Raven cringed slightly, she understood how it would seem totally absurd for a shy girl to fall madly in love with a fifty foot fire breathing lizard, but it was not always this way from the beginning. She was deceived into a false romance, with a false image of a heroic wizard Rorek of Nol.
He was a handsome and brave young man, he had long white hair and his deep entrancing blue eyes were hard to look away from, while his mighty words cast a spell of wooing the lonesome girl. Of course everything ended abruptly, where of all the things that could have happened he used her for his own ends. She was just thankful that he did not take further advantage of her in such a vulnerable state, he may have broken her heart but at least her virginity was still intact.
If the truth had never come out, the stunning demoness would in all likelihood have been willing to sleep with him had the moment arose, fortunately that never happened, and she thanked Avo for that. This experience did open her eyes to the false joys one can blind themselves with when someone is hit with cupid's deadly arrow.
"I hope you aren't planning on mocking the only person who is willing to talk with you, at three thirty in the morning."
Beast Boy expressed his usual goofy smile; it was his own way of asking her for forgiveness.
"Yeah … I was kinda out of line on that one, my bad."
Raven could feel that he was genuine about it and decided to keep going.
"Love is a fool's game, yet everybody wants to join in. But when the chips are down, when things are going from bad to worse; all anybody wants to do is to just quit."
"That's a neat analogy." He rubbed his chin.
"I never thought I could feel love outside of a family, I never wished to feel it but after seeing Robin and Star, I felt that if they could make things happen, than why not me? But look at me Beast Boy… I'm always the dark Empath, always out on her own, afraid to fall in love because truthfully, I never in a million years thought that another human being would ever find the real me."
"But Malchior did."
Raven blinked, and the shape shifter decided to jump back in.
"I know the real you."
The gray Empath looked at him.
"You do?"
"Sure I do … heck, what's not to like?"
"I could write a list."
"So could I, but on your qualities that make you shine."
"Beast Boy-"
"For starters, you always put yourself down waaaay too hard." Beast Boy moved his left hand onto hers and they looked at one another. "You are kind, your totally supportive, loyal, a hero amongst our group and more."
"I know you mean well." The two pulled away. "But the pain of seeing others together is a difficult thing, when it feels impossible to grasp."
"It doesn't have to be."
She kept her attention on the wall directly in front of her, where she saw her reflection.
"I'm going to be honest with you Beast Boy. When I saw Robin and Starfire together, I hated him for that, for him choosing her over me."
"You had a thing for Robin?"
Upon hearing a sudden gasp, Raven sighed.
"Before he and Starfire were close, yeah. Do you remember when we went to the pier and you won me that oversized chicken at the carnival?"
"Oh yeah, do you still have that prize somewhere in your room? That was awesome!"
He pointed to the sky, where the Empath rolled her eyes in her classic form as she tapped her feet.
"Whoops, sorry." He chuckled. "I didn't mean to jump off topic, but I still don't believe it."
"Well, believe it."
She walked to the mirror and studied her body. Anytime she looked into one, she found more ways to judge herself, to criticize what she saw and it helped to distract her from the main issues happening around her.
"So, you and Robin huh?"
"I know how it sounds but at one time, there was a bond between us." Her posture shrunk and her head lowered. "There was the time I went into his mind when he inhaled the dust from Slade's mask; but there was something else before then too. He even took me to the movies, a few days before that event with the fireworks at the docks."
"Really? Then how come things didn't work out as you thought that they would?"
Raven stared ahead, not flinching or shifting her body in any way.
"The theatre we went too was closed for repairs. The Boy Blunder had class, but he could never pull anything fancy off when the time arrived. I told him that the next chance we got, that I would decide what we would be doing."
"But nothing came of it."
She turned and nodded.
"We could never get a second opportunity for all of the crime fighting going on, the interruptions and other issues. But then, we somehow decided to flat out give it another try. While we were planning to go out to the pier alone that night, as it was my idea for a hopefully romantic evening, yet you and Cyborg decided to tag along."
"I remember that too, where I finally managed to get a high score on the video game. Wait, are you trying to tell me that I ruined the only other chance you had with our fearless Boy Wonder?"
"I'm not saying that, in fact it was Robin who went to Starfire to see if she would come with us."
"Oh."
"While our plans were not necessarily ruined from you three coming along, it did not make our … evening any easier."
Beast Boy twiddled his fingers.
"So, what happened next?"
"After we arrived, Starfire decided to go on the Ferris Wheel with him, so naturally he obliged." Raven paused. "Don't get me wrong, I now see that those two were made for eachother but at the time it felt awkward being around either one of them."
"So, when we went to that festival that night, you and Robin were supposably on a date. How come nobody else knew about it then?"
"Because Robin and I wanted to keep our relationship on a low key, neither of us looked for the unwanted ribbing from Cyborg or you. We didn't wish to draw attention to ourselves. I'm not even sure that it would suffice itself to be considered a date even."
"Come on, it sure sounded to me that that is exactly what it was."
"It doesn't matter; it was something that I've moved on from."
Beast Boy looked at his shoes, he understood that she and the team leader were close; but he had no idea on how intimate it could have been.
"Why are you telling me this now?"
"I thought that he would be my first official relationship."
Beast Boy looked at her, and she continued speaking while her eyes were glued onto him.
"I was wrong though, we were … are still close. But I can now see how different we have become."
"So in a way, he kind of was your first."
"Malchior was more of a romantic bond than Robin was."
"But Robin was one of the first you actually felt something deeper for, than the rest of us?"
Raven kept quiet, and the changeling nodded before finishing his theory.
"So you decided to keep him out … to protect him from getting hurt."
A lump moved in Raven's throat, she had never intended to explain her feelings that she had towards the team leader, the Empath did hope that they would become more than just friends. As uncomfortable that the position she had created for herself was, the sorceress believed that in order for Beast Boy to explain his dilemma, she would need to be open with her own past as well.
"When Starfire was expressing her affection towards him, I knew that it was a different kind of bond that I thought I was building with him earlier. I never stood a chance, but I was okay with that."
"Why Robin?"
"I often ask myself the same thing as to why you were with Terra? But that doesn't matter, because those feelings faded over time."
Silence.
"I don't know how else to explain it, and I'm not an expert on the subject for that matter, but I think I have some understanding on the topic that can help to put your mind at ease."
"Really?"
"Those feelings that grow, that reflect off of others is a key way to build a deeper connection with someone. You come to find yourself in their heart, and it feels good. You feel like nothing can tear you down, it is a moment of total trust in another person. Then when you notice that there is no going back, you quickly become lost."
"So then, Malchior had that connection with you. You saw yourself in his heart, and you trusted him."
Raven blinked.
"Yes, I did. While he may not have been human, he knew how to manipulate me like any other person would."
Beast Boy felt sorry for her, he knew that Raven was part demon and he originally thought that only someone as dark as her could win her heart. But in hearing her words, he came to understand that there was yet another side to the gray Empath that he had not seen, it was a part of her that he doubted that she even possessed.
He put his hand onto her shoulder, and he revealed his famous grin with the sharp fang sticking up.
"You had a number of boyfriends."
Raven faced him before speaking.
"Who's keeping track?"
"Well, there was also that goth dude in the club that Blackfire brought us too."
"Him?" Raven shook her head. "We just talked for a short while, and besides, I think that I freaked him out."
"That's a first."
"Beast Boy." She deadpanned.
"Oh, right."
"If you are trying to bring up relationships that carry little to no meaning, what about you and that cat girl from Japan?"
"Her?" Beast Boy blushed as he touched his cheek. "Well, she did kiss me."
Raven's eyes became wide as saucers.
"That is something you left out."
"Yeah well, it didn't mean anything. I couldn't even understand a word that she was saying." He groaned profusely. "The first girl that kissed me, and she wasn't even a REAL girl. Talk about lame."
Raven smirked, this was entirely new ground that the duo were embarking upon where before she was distant and irritated with Beast Boy's airily off-liners and poor quip; yet this was a genuine moment on behalf of them each. Not to mention, the confrontation with the Beast was churning a deeper attentiveness that continued to grow on her mind.
"Now that we have a moment, do you want me to explain anything further that happened yesterday?"
Beast Boy remained uptight, he felt that Raven was starting to show a friendlier side, but he was still mourning unresolved strifes and a lump moved in his neck.
"About the other day, on the rooftops-"
"Go on."
"Well, I blanked out, and I know that you told me what you yourself could remember. But maybe I … I'm sure there is something that I can bring forwards."
"Perhaps there is something else that I can help you with after all." She spoke quietly.
"What do you mean?"
"You did save me, and you took apart that box like it was built out of nothing but paper mache." She inhaled gently through her nostrils. "You were not yourself."
He gulped before his voice was found.
"I think I can see some things a little bit better now. From the brawl with Mad Mod's robots down below, then talking with Starfire and Cyborg, I … I ran after you. I couldn't explain it at the time, I'm still having difficulty trying to make sense of it all, but some powerful force compelled me to go after you. There was only that one task, and I couldn't drop it. I had to help you."
Raven sat down by his side and while she held his hand, she looked into his charming green eyes.
"I know what that thing is, what caused you to act the way you did, and why you don't remember anything after you got to me."
"What is it Raven?" His eyes trembled. "What happened?"
"The Beast, he's back."
"What! I thought I had it out of my system, I thought it was gone forever." He collapsed into his palms. "I mean I always felt him inside of me, after Cyborg gave me the antidote to counter the effects, but I thought he would stay dormant for good."
"But that is just it though."
"Huh?"
"If you felt it was still inside of you, perhaps it was something that has always been a part of who you are."
"Care to explain that one?"
"Well, when you get into extreme emotional states they allow you to transform into any animal you desire; correct?"
"Yeah, but that doesn't explain the darkness; that thing, that-that pure rage." His crestfallen expression drifted towards his chest, and Raven followed. She could feel that he was growing worried, that he never liked the Beast. It was his own internal struggle, and somehow she felt strangely attracted to him through it.
"Maybe I'm wrong, but if those regular forms that you can shapeshift into are made through your emotions, than could it be when you are confronted with a situation that is too difficult to fathom, another part of you takes over?"
"That does make sense." He rubbed his elbow. "But then how come he never came out before that incident with Adonis?"
Raven paused for a short while, to think of any valid clarification before giving an answer.
"The chemicals must have enhanced the emotional controling state you have, and the anger within you probably split into another psyche." Her hand stroked his shoulder to soothe him. "My guess is, that the toxins only made you angrier, thus generating the Beast from that emotion."
"So what you're saying is it was always inside of me then. Even when I was a little kid?"
"Everybody gets frustrated; anger is just a part of being human." She watched as his attention was on her now. "Remember, knowing when to let that creature out, that is what makes you a man."
"So then, the angrier and more conflicted I get; the stronger he grows?"
"That appears to be true. Beast Boy, I touched its face."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"You were not yourself, even after that beast receded into you; I felt it was not the right time to tell you."
The changeling sat up and glared at her, with a terrible indignation mounting within him.
"I see."
Raven stood up, she was still taller than him by a few inches. It gave her an extra boost in her courage.
"When I touched its face … your face, I could tell that you worry for me." She bowed her head. "Don't feel like that side makes you entirely evil, it is a part of you, but you refused to let it consume you."
A long hush waited between them, and Raven decided to paint a clearer image.
"That beast is a part of you; I accept the fact that I am part demon, why can't you just accept the fact that your rage forms into that werewolf animal?"
"I … I hate him. I lost control when it took over the last time, and I feared that somehow I wouldn't be able to come back."
She turned his chin with her right hand, and the feeling of her soft skin and the scent of lavender tingled his senses. He drew back onto the tenderness with Terra, and he could taste the cotton candy on the tip of his tounge.
"Beast Boy, if you would like, I can try to communicate with it."
"I don't know Raven. I mean, it sounded like a good idea before but I don't know what could happen if you go inside my head."
"Where are you the most comfortable? Is it in this room, or would you prefer that we do this someplace else?"
"I think we should let it go. If it wasn't that big of a deal before, maybe I can still control it?"
"But what happened yesterday, it frightened you because you did not expect it to come back. It is growing heavier on your thoughts, you said so yourself. Let me help you."
The changeling bobbed his shoulders again; he knew that she was right on this issue as well. It made him satisfied despite the confusion, where Raven appeared to understand him better than he knew himself.
After giving the go ahead in total silence, the enchantress sat down with him on the bed. She crossed her legs and after placing her hand onto his chest, he slowly fell against the sheets before he would succumb to his new doubts.
"Just lie back, and clear your mind."
As his feet were found on the other end, he propped his neck up to speak.
"Raven, maybe this isn't-"
"Trust me."
With his hair being caressed by her fingers, his head fell into her lap and he blinked his eyes. His mind was always restless, and now that he was so close with the dark bird, he was even more baffled with what he had gotten himself into.
"Um, so how is this going to work exactly?"
Her silence made him jump ahead to the very next thought.
"Am I just supposed to lie here?"
With her hand over his forehead, she expressed a tiny grin. She wanted to help reassure him that everything was going to be fine.
"Shhhh." Raven spoke. "Don't talk, it disrupts the balance I am trying to meld."
"What are you trying to do?"
"This isn't going to work if you keep talking you know." She opened her left eye.
"Alright, it's just that this is all so new to me."
Raven sighed before talking again.
"Be still, quiet your mind. Think of nothing and say nothing. Can you do that for me?"
"Uh, like go to sleep?"
"If that is what you must do to quell your thoughts, than yes. Go to sleep."
"Okay."
A powerful hush ensued Beast Boy's coherent ramblings, and with his eyelids shut he tried to focus on the task before him.
Close my mind? I'm not a wall Rae… how in the jaheebas am I supposed to do that?
Beast Boy?
"Raven?" He reopened his eyes, and she did the same causing her to look down at him.
"It would apear that there is a link between us, that is a good thing."
"So, what does that mean then?"
"In lamens terms, we are halfway there."
"Halfway to entering … in here?" He pointed to his temple.
"Correct."
"That's cool but it still doesn't answer a couple of my questions."
"I never thought you would take this long."
"Me either." He laughed.
"Alright, so what else is troubling you now?"
"It's just … I mean, how is it even possible if we never did this mind melding thing before?"
"I do not know." She halted in her hypothesis. "But I think when you transformed into that beast; after I touched his face I was forming a link at the time, even though neither of us knew it."
"I think you lost me at the part where I heard your voice, way up here."
"Go back to that peaceful state you were in before, I'm tired and I don't want to be here all night."
"Kay."
The room around the two companions was getting darker, and gradually the very same tranquil sensation allowed Beast Boy's never ending intrusions to become still.
Raven opened her eyes, her spirit body had traveld into his head, and she looked to her hands and feet where she was still wearing the same black leotard and outer blue cloak. As she swiveled her head around her, she saw that she was standing upon a verdant knoll, while off in the distance other mounds and rolling hills could be observed.
"At least I know where I am … I think." She crossed her arms over her bosom.
Hey Raven, did you find anything yet?
The familiar voice echoed across the field, and it forced the Empath to turn a complete one hundred and eighty degrees but she found that she was still alone.
"Not really, I only just got here and I'm not really sure how to explain what I see."
Try.
"Well, as of right now I am standing near a pond, in the middle of this endless plain of tall grass."
That's cool.
Raven walked forwards and studied the ripples upon the water's surface. Her attire was blown from a swift breeze, and she stroked her hair.
"This place is empty, I didn't know what to expect but this is very unusual." She mused to herself.
The harsh wind picked up, and she braced herself against the startling chill. Raven was hoping that Beast Boy's candor routine would not crop up again, and she stood motionless as a few of the noisy crickets were heard in the towering weeds. With her amethyst gaze transfixed upon the green lily pads along the shore, she gasped as a hand was felt upon her right shoulder; and it forced her to spin around.
The unknown person was covered from head to toe in a long green colored robe, where the monk-like hood was obscuring his face, and only the blackness could be found below the pointed brim. He was the same hight and build of Beast Boy, yet it was not him.
"Who are you?" The Empath asked.
He retrieved his firm grasp, and then he used his sleeves to conceal his fingers.
"I know why you are here, demoness." His voice was not dark, it actually sounded like the changeling's. "But you will find that not everything has a simple answer."
"What do you mean?"
"Some of what I tell you will make sense, but most of it will not. In time, you will come to understand a deeper side to yourself regardless of what you decide to do."
"You must be an emotional manifestation from Beast Boy, am I on the right track?"
He nodded in silence.
"You must have many questions, and while you wish to know everything right in this moment, our time is going to be short."
"What, why?"
"Because, this is just the first step you have taken. It is small, but it is also one that he is permitting to transpire." His menacing shadow arched behind him, while the radiant moon in the night sky was partially blocked from a light mist. "I am nothing more than a guide, and I have come forth to show you what he needs to explain, but cannot."
"Then what exactly, are you?"
"I am him, in a certain sense."
"You sure are cryptic. So then, where are the other emotions?"
The cowl turned away, and the bizarre sheperd was not revealing any sign of struggle.
"Yes, the others; they have gone into hiding across this vast plain. You know that his anger is growing, that is why everything feels so cold, so dark." He moved his head towards her slowly. "You know why you are here."
"Where is the Beast?"
The wind fluttered with her hair and his clothing after she spoke.
"He is around, but he does not wish to come forth just yet. Not untill you are ready."
"Ready for what?"
"There are things happening that are too far out of his control, and the events of his previous life have compounded into the incarnation of his ire, what you know and see him turn into as the Beast."
"If he … I mean you know what I'm doing in here, then why can't I help him?"
"He is waiting."
"Beast Boy is waiting." Raven tapped her chin. "Can you go into a little more detail than that?"
"Our time is almost done, but what I can explain is that a test is already underway."
"Go on."
"This test is not like something found on paper with a multiple choice answer, you must decide as must he."
"You're starting to lose me again."
"There is a balance to us all; each person must find peace within themselves and their choices of the past. Until that time however, the mind will remain torn and the Beast will consume him until there is nothing left of the boy you knew."
"What am I supposed to do?"
The murkiness began to rise about her ankles, and everything was becoming much more difficult to hear. Raven raised her hands and tried to comprehend what was happening, as she felt that she was about to be brought back to the real world in a few moments.
"What is this test? Answer me!"
"You are a true friend, and to help him you must be fully prepared for what you will confront."
The pale Empath was almost entirely enveloped by the spreading fog. She reached her hand out to grab at something to stay longer, but when she did touch the shepherd her fingers passed directly through his chest and could be noticed on the other side.
"No, I need more time! I cannot leave just yet; I have to help him with this." She clutchd her arm in desperation; "I … I do not want to go back without having made some ground here."
"Patience, you must be strong now."
"Please, I'm ready now!"
"No, you are not." The world began to turn white, and all that could be seen was his hood. "If are unable to help Beast Boy resolve this crisis, then he will be lost to you, forever."
Blinking her eyes, Raven found herself sitting in the same lotus position as she had started from. Beast Boy's head perked up and he adjusted his posture so he was now in the upright position. He groaned while running his left hand through his spiked hair.
"So, did you find anything?" His cheeks became crimson. "What I meant to say was-"
"Don't worry." She cut in. "If you want to know if there was brain activity then yes."
He gave her a very stern look.
"That's not what I meant."
"I know, I just thought I would pull your leg."
Raven giggled and Beast Boy quickly found himself doing the same thing. It quickly ended however, when her deadpan came back.
"There was something though."
Beast Boy was intrigued once again.
"What happened in there?" His pointy ears became droopy. "Was there something … you know, bad in there?"
"There was a guide, but I could not see his actual face." She glanced to the floor. "He sounded like you, but he was very mysterious."
"How so?"
She locked onto his emerald eyes.
"There is a test, and that was pretty much the extent of our conversation. He told me that I was not ready to meet that beast you harbor deep within. It is your anger, but there is only so much I could do."
"Well, that doesn't give us much to go along with."
"No, not yet." She got off from the bed. "But we will just have to give it a little longer; it's late and I'm tired."
"Okay." Beast Boy yawned. "Hey Raven."
She did not speak, but waited by the door.
"Thanks."
"Anytime."
The door whooshed open and she vanished, leaving Beast Boy in a downcast mood. He wanted further truth to the matter, but he realized that he would get nowhere further this night. The shapeshifter studied the geomancer's abode one last time, and after turning the lights out, he made his way into the hallway.
{{End of Scene}}
Reviews from the previous chapter:
Wolvmbm: "This is a bit interesting as to show how Falcon got a glimpse at some of the Titans origins and how does it connect to his powers. Skin contact, mind reading or what else? :( Please do keep up the good work upon such a great telling of this story! ;)
~~ Thanks. In the movie Batman Forever, Two-Face committed the horrible deed, but in truth that movie did not flow along with the comics too well, and they rushed Dick Grayson's spot. I did however enjoy Tommy Lee Jones as Harvey Dent, with the courtroom scene of the mobster throwing acid on half of his face; that was in fact the reason he embraced his alter ego. But I felt I should keep the characters backstories as they are in the comics and on Teen Titans, and not just done for plot convenience like in certain films. The skin contact idea seemed rather dark; it would cause you to constantly push people away. ~~
Novus Ordo Seclorum:"I finally found a little bit of time and figured I would catch up on your story! Anyways, the storyline is very good to this point. The Titans seem both apprehensive and accepting of their new acquaintance: Some of the Titans seem to be welcoming of falcon, while others—especially Raven—seem to be a little suspicious of him…sensing a dark aura and even comparing him to Terra. It will be interesting to see just what effect Falcon has on the team…whether he serves as a point of unification or division.
I also liked how Falcon can see people's memories by touching them, as he did with Robin. To me, that is a burdensome ability. (Have you ever seen the movie "The Crow?") While you would have a greater understanding of a person's past and their memories, you would also be relatively unable to control the power, which could be irritating from time-to-time. Plus, Falcon seems to have a part of himself which he is concealing…hiding from the rest of the team. Raven can sense it…I can only wonder what will happen next! Your story is good so far! You seem to have a knack at storytelling."
~~ The trickiest part for me is getting things moving at a much quicker pace, but I do not want to rush the plotline because then everybody won't know how we got to the next scene to begin with, and it would be sloppy. So, eyah, I am taking the path of a turtle at building the telling out, but it is also causing the next chapters to become that much more suspenceful. Working on my first draft of chapter one, I wanted to be sure that when I introduced the new character that the Teen Titans would be kind, yet in the back of their minds, suspcious. You've got some keen insite on this story, who knows if Falcon will cause the heroes to divide? To answer your question, yes I have seen that movie. :-D ~~
A New Side Of Awesome: "Nice chapter. It gave a lot of Falcon and Robin's past and told that Falcon was there to see Robin's parents die in a trapeze accident. That's tragic. I'm also seeing Beast Boy's hatred for Falcon cause he's trying to steal his girl."
~~ In the show, they were quick to go over the character backstories; (each episode was no longer than thirty minuets, so they had to keep the scenes brief.) I figured that I should give most of them a fair shot and get it out of the way earlier on; while Falcon mused about the contact with Raven from the beginning of this chapter, so we saw some things from the Empath. Now it's just the green prankster, where Beast Boy has quiet the history as well, but that is a story for another day. ;-) ~~
SkilletFan000: "Good chapter! I enjoyed that one a lot. I did notice a bit of a mistake in Cyborg's origin. Both his mother and father rebuilt him, together. His mother never was killed. (I think in the original comic she was though) However: Victor Stone was severely injured in auto accident, because of his need for speed. He was not trying to save his mother from a malfunctioning Stargate. In the original comic, his mother is killed in the car accident, however, in the Cartoon TT universe, his mother wasn't in the car. These aside, it was a really good chapter! I really enjoyed it, and we see a little bit more about Falcon. Way to go to keep it suspenseful!"
~~ I followed the 1980's accounts within the comics for gearhead. His mother did perish during the accident he was involved in, and like in the original comics, Victor Stone was a promising athlete before the tragedy that forever changed him. The company his father Dr. Silas Stone worked at; he had two projects ongoing. One was in the field of interdimensional travel, and the other project was to construct advanced cybernetic components for the military. With Cyborg's older version I picked, it gave him a deeper reason to hate his father, and to fuel his reasons to leave. The newer picture is just as good, but I felt that mine was a little more graphic as it was intended to be. ~~
Scififanfreak222: "WHOA! *Jaw drops* AMAZING chapter! The way you explained all of the Titans pasts ... Cy's especially. Amazing. I loved it! Great job! Keep it up."
~~ Thank you. But I still have to go over Beast Boy's past life. Falcon saw Raven's darkest moments in this one at least; and there is bound to be further light brought onto the shadow manipulator's ancient journey as well. ~~
A/N I feel like I could go for some Oreo cookies about now, how about you guys and gals? Break time! :-D For those of you still wondering how the others would not have known when Raven's birthday was, let me explain. I'm following the plotline of the show as best I can, and linking into the episode 'Birthmark' of season 4 here. After Raven was with the team for a second year in my story arc; my logic is reasonably simple. On the same month, an entire year before she became the portal, the Empath went to visit Azarath when she was turning sixteen years old and told the Teen Titans that she had to leave for a short while. If they were to ask why she did not celebrate a day on the calender like the rest of them did, and where she had gone off to, than she possibly would have told them that her birthday was during the week that she was gone, not giving away the exact time of her birth but allowing her friends to know what month it would be in. When she turned seventeen, a year later, then she became the portal.
I'm sure that when Beast Boy was doing his detective work after they defeated Dr. Light, he probably was required to know certain facts in order to find the bigger answer. There is a bumper clip on YouTube with Raven and Robin, titled "Boy Blunder" the Empath was wearing eyeliner and the pair looked to be on a date. I figured that I should wiggle that into my story somehow. ;-)
~~ T.M.O ~~