Centuries
Garfield had been looking for Raven – because he had a feeling there wasn't much time left – when he stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of a sad-looking Cyborg. "Hey man…are you okay?"
"Jinx cheated on me with Wally."
"…oh."
"Yeah."
"Listen…"
"Hey, BB? I actually wanted to be alone, if that's okay. I mean, thanks, I appreciate it, and I'll want to talk about it soon, but…right now I just want to be alone."
Garfield struggled not to roll his eyes. What's with everyone and this constant need to be left alone? "If you're sure…"
"I'm sure. I'll tell you when I need cheering up or help deciding what to do." Victor gave his friend a sad smile.
Not too long after the Changeling left, Cyborg's pity party was interrupted again, this time by another Titan.
"Hey Cy, can I talk to you real quick?" Bumblebee asked him.
"Hey, Karen. This really isn't a good time…"
"Oh. Okay. Later, then." Bumblebee turned around to leave, but then she suddenly stopped. Tell him how you feel. He has no idea and you might regret it if you don't. She was out of time. "Actually, no." She turned around to face him again. "I'm sorry, but I need to say this. It will be fast and you only need to listen, okay? Okay."
Victor Stone looked up at her with an intrigued frown on his face.
Karen took a deep breath. "I like you. As in, I really like you. I have for a while now and I know you don't think of me that way but well, maybe you should. Every time we're together it just feels right to me. I don't get the butterflies with anyone else. I'm not going to chase you like some thirsty school girl because that's not me, but…well, I thought you should know."
Cyborg stared at her in shock for several seconds. He opened his mouth to speak a few times, but closed it again. Bumblebee was a little nervous about his reaction, but she felt relieved and quite proud of how bold and brave she was. She opened her mouth to tell him she didn't need an answer right away, but then the ground shook under their feet and violent explosions sounded in the distance. It was time.
It all happened really fast after that. Kory kissed Nightwing passionately then quickly hugged Raven before flying into the sun with the Kryptonians. When Beast Boy found the girl he'd been looking for, she was talking to Dick, Damian and Terra, telling them to be careful with Eclipso's influence until he was trapped. Raven looked at Garfield as soon as she sensed his aura and her face lit up. He ran to her side and the others gave them a little privacy.
"I still don't know what to tell you." The empath said apologetically.
"That's okay." The Changeling took her hand in his and kissed it, staring intently into her eyes. "I'm just here to beg you not to die."
The sky was already orange and red with the blasts and attacks happening everywhere. Most heroes were already fighting. The Titan sorcerer could sense Eclipso was near.
Raven smiled softly and caressed his cheek. "As always, I'll do my best."
She removed her hand and leaned in to place a kiss on his cheek instead. Garfield closed his eyes and resisted the urge to wrap his arms around her and kiss her passionately on the lips.
"Don't die on me either." The empath whispered before pulling away from him.
The shapeshifter smiled cheekily. "Oh I wouldn't dream of dying without your permission."
Raven opened her mouth to answer, but someone threw a knife Nightwing nearly couldn't dodge, getting everyone's attention. Rose Wilson stood there confidently in a brand new armor with a smirk on her face. Raven noticed she seemed much more poised now that she was away from Slade.
Damian narrowed his eyes. "Rose."
"It's Ravager now." Deathstroke's daughter pulled out her swords and smiled wickedly. Then she glanced at Raven and her smile softened slightly. "Hi, Raven."
"Hi, Rose." Raven said in a friendly tone. Her friends all stared at her in utter disbelief and she just shrugged. "What? We bonded in that bunker, okay?"
Ravager's smile turned wicked again as she attacked Nightwing. Robin quickly engaged and she fought both of them at the same time for a while. Terra was busy moving the earth beneath their feet to give their side the upper hand, burying several of their enemies underground and saving civilians. Raven opened her mouth to say something else to Garfield, but Zatanna shouted her name, so she held onto the Heart of Darkness and gave him one last meaningful look before flying off to the other sorcerer's side.
Blackfire's armies had been only the beginning; many more arrived with their real master. Starfire fought her way through them to get to her sister. Most of the others battled the apparently infinite armies of Apokolips – and the multiple villains that had aligned with them – under Batman's leadership. They made way for Superman, Superboy, Supergirl, Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl to attack Darkseid with all they had. It wasn't that simple or easy to hit him with a Radion blast, especially after the New God realized what they were up to. Elite members of his armies kept pulling them away from the main fight. The worst one was Kalibak – Darkseid's son. He was a fierce, furious, unpleasant and nearly unbeatable surprise that surely kept them busy. They were struggling trying to find an opening for a clear shot.
Nightwing was fighting aliens now, but Robin was still going up against Ravager – with an intensity they both almost enjoyed. The truth was they did. Her anger matched his and there was something about her that he was drawn to. She was rather intrigued by him too. They fought with such skill it almost felt like a dance. If they were being completely honest, there was a part of them that had fun doing it. Neither one really wanted to fight anyone else; they were caught up in their own thing.
"So…what? You're taking your father's place now?" Damian asked in a snarky tone. "Isn't that still letting him control you?"
Ravager's eyes sparkled with fiery rage and she attacked again, making him fall over. "I'm not my father. I'm much worse."
Robin got back to his feet in a swift move and smiled. "We'll see about that."
Raven and Zatanna had been keeping Eclipso busy in a mighty magical battle. Raven had tried to access white magic before the fight, but with everything that was going on between her and Garfield – not to mention everyone else's overwhelming emotions and the still recent trauma of being powerless and tortured – she simply couldn't. White Raven required a very specific, very elevated state of mind she just couldn't reach right now. So combining every other type of magic she had ever learned would have to do.
Blackfire saw them. Eclipso was extremely powerful, but it was two against one and Raven seemed to have learned some new tricks. So, while Raven and Zatanna focused on keeping him bound inside a force-field and chanted their curse, Komand'r aimed at the empath as her hand glowed bright violet. She smiled wickedly, thinking that this would definitely kill her – a half-human is still a mortal. But right before she fired, she was attacked by an enormous and furious Werebeast. Garfield growled and roared at her, but she just glared. When he charged at her again, she used all of her enhanced fire power against him. Garfield fell down and rolled on the floor, turning human again and wincing in pain.
Blackfire walked up to him. "What are you, her pet?"
She put a hand around his throat and pulled him up so his feet were no longer touching the ground. He uselessly tried to loosen her grip or think of something to change into, but he couldn't think of anything that could beat her at the moment.
Komand'r screamed at the sorcerers. "Hey Raven! Have you lost your pet?"
The chanting stopped and the binding curse failed the second Raven turned her head and saw them. Zatanna struggled to battle Eclipso on her own, because Raven's eyes filled with horror, anger and urgency at the sight of Blackfire strangling the shapeshifter.
The Changeling realized she was about to do something unwise to save him. No. Not this time. I'm not letting this happen again. He closed his eyes and focused past the pain. He focused on his connection to nature and every living being out there, centering his emotions. Suddenly he felt connected to all of them, as if he could sense every beast from every world at the same time. The grip around his throat was gone because his neck got too thick. He felt himself growing bigger and bigger until Blackfire's eyes widened in shock and fear because there was a massive, green, fire-breathing dragon fuming right in front of her.
She wasn't the only one shocked, because that freaking dragon was the biggest creature in the battlefield and absolutely impossible to miss. Several people gasped and shouted excitedly or in fear at the sight, especially when he furiously spit fire into the air. Blackfire took a step back and faltered. Fire couldn't kill her, but this wasn't regular fire. Whatever world this came from, it was breathing mystical, magical fire and she had no idea what it would do to her. But before she could think about it further, the Tamaranean was tackled and dragged away by someone very familiar.
"Hello, dear sister." Starfire's voice was much angrier and lower than usual.
The Changeling glanced at Raven to see an awed, huge smile on her face as she watched him. It filled him with pride and power and he roared ferociously before deciding his target. He saw Kalibak attacking heroes so viciously that Diana and Donna had to get away from Darkseid to hold him back. He flew to them as fast as he could. Anyone who had somehow missed him so far gasped or shouted as he flew over the battlefield. Most heroes didn't realize it was him until they saw their enemies were scared and figured this dragon was obviously on their side – at that point the shouting and cursing turned into cheering.
Raven immediately turned her attention back to Eclipso and her eyes glowed white. He was about to interfere with Starfire and Blackfire's fight, and she simply could not allow that. Besides, Zatanna was struggling. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"
The empath closed her eyes and made an elegant hand motion she'd learned from Illyana. She had never tried this, but in theory her demonic lineage should make it possible.
Eclipso felt himself being pulled; being summoned into someone else's body. A demonic body. When he understood what Raven was trying to do, he was beyond mad. "You stupid mortal, do you have any idea who I am!? I am God's Wrath!"
Raven was unfazed. Regardless of his origins, this creature was not currently serving God or The Presence or whatever its name was. He was serving Darkseid, who in spite of all his power certainly wasn't God. Without The Presence behind it, Wrath is just another Deadly Sin. Raven smirked. A whirlwind of power surrounded her as she absorbed the entity before her. "So what? I am Pride."
Blackfire and Starfire flew into the sky in a legendary mist of green and violet explosions. They were both so magnificent it was almost difficult for everyone else not to stop and watch them. When they weren't firing mercilessly at each other, they engaged in physical battle using their full strength. Koriand'r didn't hold back for the first time in her life. She kept her sister away from everyone else and fiercely held her own. The battle between the Kryptonians and Darkseid was even more intense. Superman, Supergirl and Superboy came at the New God from every angle, with every bit of power they had. He stood his ground against them.
The Changeling noticed Kalibak had been dodging the Radion blasts quite well, which probably meant he was also vulnerable to it, but Garfield didn't look around for a Radion gun. He didn't need one. He got there just in time to save several of his friends by striking Darkseid's son with his gigantic tail. While Kalibak recovered, the dragon proceeded to setting several elite members of Apokolips armies on fire. And then when Darkseid's son attacked again, he fought against him and sunk his teeth in him, making him scream for the first time in this war. The Amazons shot him a grateful smile before rushing to help the Sun-Dipped Kryptonians take Darkseid down.
"Holy shit, what the fuck is that?!" Speedy shouted, staring up at the dragon.
Cyborg smiled. "I think that's BB."
Raven struggled to contain Eclipso in a vicious inner battle of will. He meant to corrupt her. And for that he searched her most painful memories and gave her terrible visions. She shielded her mind the best she could and adamantly refused to let him take control. It was extremely painful, but she was no stranger to pain. The dark veins appeared all over her body again and her eyes turned completely black. "Zatanna, do it now."
Meanwhile, the sky burned with fire and smoke when the Tamaranean's blasts met each other. Blackfire chuckled. "You just don't learn, do you? I am stronger than you. I am superior in every way. Your heart is weak. Your power is beneath mine because you are a coward. You cannot defeat me. You are destined to lose."
"Sister?" Starfire focused on her own inner strength and truth, not letting her sister's words affect her one bit. Blackfire had sold her as a slave, used her, tried to steal her life and incriminate her, married her off for power, endangered her planet and homeland, tortured her best friend, tried to destroy her new home and fooled her time and time again. Enough is enough. Kory put her hands together and allowed all her power to build up inside her while she dodged her sister eager attacks with relative ease. Her hands and eyes glowed brighter than ever before. "You're all talk."
And then the skies turned bright and green for a few seconds, because Starfire shot her most powerful blast to date, undeniably triumphing and smashing the artefact that enhanced her sister's powers in the process. Komand'r fell down unconscious and Kory kept her from hitting the ground, immediately binding her with the same handcuffs that bound the Titan when she first landed on Earth.
A lot had been happening at the same time. The Changeling had eliminated a great number of Darkseid's allies, but Kalibak was still holding his own. He was much older than Garfield and extremely intimidating, but he was struggling. The New God saw this and took control over the shapeshifter's mind. Kalibak attacked the mighty dragon at the same time Cyborg took advantage of Darkseid's shift of focus to aim a Radion blast at him.
"Booyah." Victor Stone took the shot.
Darkseid faltered, stumbling backwards. It wasn't enough to take him down, but it didn't have to be. The Kryptonians and Amazons didn't waste any time, hitting him with all their might. As soon as he was shot, he also involuntarily released his hold on Garfield's mind, but Kalibak had already attacked. His Beta-Club weapon fired directly into the dragon's chest, wounding him. That was when a huge and ferocious alien beast sunk its claws in him and cut him open. The dragon's deafening cry of pain sent shivers down everyone's spines. The Changeling breathed fire again, burning his enemies before taking advantage of Kalibak's closeness to grab him and quite violently bite off his head, decapitating him.
Zatanna had been chanting their incantation holding the Heart of Darkness in her hands while Raven struggled to contain Eclipso. An actual whirlwind had formed around them and Zatanna's voice was all they could hear. Neither one of them heard the dragon's painful roar.
Nightwing rushed to Garfield's side the second his size diminished. He watched in terror with wide eyes when Beast Boy's human body fell flat in his arms with an insane amount of blood pouring out of his huge open wounds. Garfield's eyelids fluttered and Richard lowered him to the ground, helplessly trying to stop the bleeding. Cyborg was by his side in seconds, already crying and trying to mend the wounds as well. It couldn't be done.
Nightwing looked up and saw Kid Flash. "Wally! Get Raven!"
Wally West's eyes widened at the sight of the Changeling quickly turning a very pale shade of green.
"Now!" Richard shouted.
Kid Flash ran to the sorcerers and entered the whirlwind around them. He realized Raven wasn't quite herself at the moment. Her eyes and hair were entirely black and her skin was covered with dark veins. She was completely focused on staying in control while Zatanna tried completing the curse and Wally knew this was terrible timing. But he also knew Beast Boy would be dead in seconds and he had a feeling if she didn't get to say goodbye they'd end up with a very angry, out of control, Trigon-powered Raven to deal with. He didn't need to make a decision though, because she had sensed him and his emotions already. Wally was gently enveloped in dark energy and floated towards the eye of the hurricane, to her side.
Raven's head turned to him and she spoke in a demonic, chilling voice that was her own combined with Eclipso's. "What?"
Kid Flash wished her eyes weren't all black, because they made it really difficult for him to know how much of Raven was in there, but he made a hard decision and decided not telling her would be more dangerous than doing so. "I-it's Garfield. He's dying."
The empath showed no reaction, but her entire world turned upside down. Eclipso took the opportunity to try to emerge and corrupt her. She pushed him back down. He will not die. I refuse to believe it. I refuse to let it happen. Her demonic voice spoke again. "No, he is not." Then she released Wally and turned to Zatanna again. "Finish it."
The magician chanted the final words and a dark mass left Raven's floating body, being transported into the trap that was the Heart of Darkness. The whirlwind ceased and both sorcerers fell to their knees, panting heavily. The empath's hair and eyes were violet again. The dark veins on her skin were gone.
Raven looked up at Wally West with the fiercest, most determinate look he had ever seen on someone. "Take me to him."
Darkseid's eyes had filled with dread for the first time while he was attacked from multiple fronts in his now extremely weakened state and watched his son's head roll on the floor. Eclipso was nowhere to be found and several of his elite members were gone. He shouted furiously before teleporting himself and his son's body away from the battlefield. His army followed and the remaining villains were either captured or scattered, but no one was celebrating, because Garfield was quickly bleeding to death.
Kid Flash brought Raven to where several heroes were now in tears, gathered around the Changeling. Nightwing and Cyborg still held him. Terra and Starfire sobbed into each other's shoulders. Damian had run to them as soon as Ravager ran off. Raven's fierce stare turned frightened when she saw the huge puddle of blood on the floor and how pale he was. She kneeled beside him and held his hand, squeezing it tightly. Garfield didn't squeeze it back since he didn't have the strength for that, but he turned his head towards her.
"R-Raven…?" The shapeshifter asked weakly.
"Yes! Yes, I'm here." The empath realized she was crying when she tasted her salty tears on her lips. "I'm here, you'll be okay. I…I'll heal you." She stared at him, desperately wondering how she could possibly fix this. Even if she did heal these wounds, he would still die. He'd lost too much blood.
The Changeling smiled feebly. "I-it's okay…just stay with me…"
The sorcerer violently shook her head as more inconvenient tears rolled down her cheeks. She noticed his eyes became glassy and it didn't seem like he could see her anymore.
"No, you can't leave me. You're not allowed to die!" Raven said desperately.
"Sorry...so glad you're here…I love you…" Garfield's breathing and heartbeat slowed down dangerously.
Nightwing watched with eyes full of sorrow. "Rae…he's gone. Say goodb-" He couldn't quite finish because he choked up and started crying again.
Everyone else alternated between crying and watching Raven intently to see if four demonic red eyes would suddenly appear on her face. The light was leaving Beast Boy's eyes and color was leaving his skin. Raven realized he was turning colder terrifyingly fast. His eyes closed. She could feel his soul detaching from his body.
The empath squeezed her eyes shut. Stop crying and fix this right now. Do NOT let him die. Don't you DARE let him die. Raven focused on love. All of her determination came back at once and she accessed white magic faster than ever before. Azar, give me strength. Universe, do not take my light away. The Presence, please let me save him. Raven was grateful to whatever entity allowed her to access this power; she had never felt like this before. She'd never felt this…pure. When she opened her eyes, they were glowing white again.
"No. He will not die." Raven stated fiercely in an echoed voice. It didn't sound demonic anymore, though. It just sounded ethereal.
Her body floated into the air hovering over him as her hair quickly turned white. She barely noticed the gasps and sudden movements around her. She focused on nothing but him. She had very little time. He was nearly entirely gone. She could still sense his soul, but there was only a spark left. She spread her arms wide above his body. "Azarath…Metrion…Zinthos…"
If the white hair got a few gasps, this got a whole lot of commotion. Garfield was as good as gone. No one actually thought there was anything she – or anyone – could do anymore. But then the blood on the floor began to move and glow. All of that blood got magically restored and slowly began to flow back into his body. It was amazing to watch and it seemed absolutely impossible, but the huge puddle of blood got smaller and smaller as it poured back into his vessels. Raven remained completely focused on the meticulous and delicate magical surgery she was performing.
Color slowly returned to his skin, giving it his usual green shade back. His lungs filled with air and he was visibly breathing again. There was a mix of awed and scared reactions as they basically witnessed a resurrection, but mostly there were even more tears. Garfield's fingers moved a little and he opened his eyes to see White Raven floating over him like some freaking angel. He tried to move, but quickly realized she wasn't done yet because he felt sharp pain, so he lay down as she carefully repaired his internal organs and vessels and then sealed his skin shut and healed it completely, leaving no scars behind. Krypto flew over to merrily lick Garfield's face, making him chuckle. Nightwing and Starfire exchanged an extremely relieved look before embracing each other in a passionate kiss.
The Changeling sat up and stared at Raven in absolute adoration. Her eyes finally closed and her hair turned purple. The glow and the wind disappeared and she collapsed on the floor. He quickly stumbled over to her and held her in his arms, pulling her upper torso to his lap, carefully removing hair from her face and shaking her gently. Garfield fearfully picked up her wrist and exhaled in relief when he felt a pulse. The shapeshifter acknowledged his teammates by looking up at their shocked, amazed and blissful – but yet expectant – faces. Then Raven fidgeted slightly.
The Changeling's attention returned to her and he placed his hand on her face, caressing her cheek with his thumb. "Rae?"
The empath frowned and lazily opened her eyes. Then she saw him and a weak but very apparent smile spread across her face. Her voice came out a whisper. "Oh, hey. It worked."
Garfield sobbed and choked on happy tears. "Did you just bring me back to life!?"
Raven was clearly exhausted, but she managed to respond with a smug smirk.
"Well holy crap!" Bumblebee shouted.
And then they were attacked from every direction. Garfield was pulled to his feet and into dozens of tight hugs. The first one was Starfire's, which nearly killed him again. Cheers and celebratory shouting hurt Raven's ears as she sat up tiredly after having her support pulled away. She wasn't annoyed though. He was alive and nothing would upset her now. She also received a lot of attention. Mostly praises and pats on the back – and eager questions about what had just happened. Nightwing came to her rescue as soon as he let go of Garfield, telling people to back off and let her breathe.
"I told you the white hair looked cool." Starfire pointed out to the other Titans.
Raven held onto Damian's arm when he went to congratulate her. "Rose?"
Robin gave her a slight smile. "She's okay, but she escaped."
The empath nodded gratefully at him. "Is Darkseid gone? Blackfire? Kalibak?" She looked around, wondering what else she'd missed. Krypto was happily licking her face now.
Wonder Girl smiled. "Kara exploded a Radion bomb in Darkseid's face in the end. And your boyfriend decapitated Kalibak. They all fled."
Supergirl got her praise from everyone. Garfield did too, but he was busy blushing and getting butterflies in his stomach while waiting for Raven's inevitable outraged response to Donna referring to him as her boyfriend – but it never came.
Instead, the empath stared at him with a mysterious expression on her face. "You took Kalibak down?"
"Ah, yeah." The Changeling chuckled sheepishly. "I was a dragon! Did you see me?"
Dick chuckled as well. "Everyone saw it, man. It was awesome."
Raven nodded and allowed her face to show amusement and admiration. "I did, Changeling. Very impressive. Wish I'd seen the decapitation."
Garfield beamed with pride at her praise. Her last sentence came out a little sadistic, but he couldn't care less. He found her scary side extremely sexy at this point.
"You know what you two should do?" Wally looked between Raven and Beast Boy. "A Game of Thrones cosplay! You know, with the white-hair trick and the dragon and all that."
Raven rolled her eyes at how everyone seemed to think that was a genius idea. "I don't think so. It's not a trick, it's ancient magic and it's not meant to be used for silliness."
The Changeling's eyes were glistening though. "Oh but what if y-"
"No. What about Blackfire?" The empath quickly changed the subject.
"Oh, Komand'r is captured. Kory obliterated her." Nightwing said, looking at his girlfriend with adoring eyes.
Raven beamed at her best friend. "I knew you would."
"Yes, you did. Thank you." Starfire smiled hugely at her. "Oh, what about Eclipso?"
"He is very contained." Zatanna said smugly, holding the Heart of Darkness in her hand. "Raven did something…like, absorbed him or something…to contain him. And then I trapped him."
"Oohh that explains the…" Kid Flash trailed off looking for a way to describe what he'd seen.
Raven smiled at him. "Sorry if I scared you. I had Eclipso inside of me."
"Did we know she can do that?" Red-X asked no one in particular.
She can do anything. The Changeling smiled absentmindedly.
"It's a demon thing." Raven waved a hand to dismiss the attention at the same time Kory helped her up. "So, we won. Did anyone die?"
"Well, only…" Batman said over the cheers of victory. He glanced at the shapeshifter and then raised an eyebrow at the empath. "Almost."
Raven sighed in relief then looked around to see that even though no one was dead, most people were hurt. "I'll heal everyone later, I just…I'm really exhausted from…"
"Absorbing God's Wrath and resurrecting someone?" Superman said in an amused tone.
"Yes, that. I mean, technically, not a resurrection. He wasn't quite dead yet. But…yes." Raven cleared her throat. "I need to recharge."
"You need to rest. In fact, all of you need to rest. We can celebrate later." Wonder Woman said pointedly.
"Not to be a buzzkill but I'd just like to point out that Darkseid will eventually be back with even stronger allies." Nightwing said, ignoring the annoyed grunting and whining that followed.
"He will. And we will be ready for him." Batman said confidently. "Based on what I've seen today…" He proudly put one hand on Richard's shoulder and the other on Damian's. "I think the future of the world is quite safe."
They went back to the Hall of Justice and Raven collapsed on a couch as soon as she could. And then she slept for several hours. Garfield really wanted to lie with her and cuddle but she was already asleep, so he lay on the floor next to her instead. When the empath woke up, she began healing the severely wounded heroes while the Changeling hung out with Cyborg and Superboy – who could actually be really nice when he wanted to. He kept staring at her longingly while she healed people, though.
Conner chuckled. "Dude, relax. She likes you. It's obvious. Don't ask me why, but she does."
Garfield grunted. "I can't relax. She goes against her desires all the time. Just because she feels something for me doesn't mean she'll do anything about it. She's complicated."
Cyborg nodded. "I guess you'll find out soon enough. I mean, do you remember telling her you love her?"
Color drained from the Changeling's face as he stared at the other boys with wide eyes. "I did what?!"
Victor and Conner shared light-hearted laughter and Garfield sighed loudly, burying his face in his hands.
"You were dying, no one's judging." Superboy pointed out.
"But that'll freak her out!" Garfield squeaked, looking up again.
"Didn't she already know though? I mean, if it's how you feel, with her being an empath and all that." Conner shrugged.
"I mean sure but saying it out loud is different!" The shapeshifter said in a desperate voice. "How am I supposed to play it cool now?"
Cyborg and Superboy exchanged a puzzled look before bursting into laughter.
"You don't, BB. You never did. I don't think you can." Victor said. "You're crazy about her, just own it."
The Changeling sighed loudly again and stared at her, absentmindedly smiling. "I'm doomed."
"Yep." His half-robot best friend agreed.
Blackfire was currently tied to a chair in a secluded room as Starfire and several other heroes – including Batman and Superman – glared at her.
"So what should I do with you, sister? No matter what, you keep coming back."
"What can you do? You're not going to kill me, are you sis?" Komand'r asked mockingly.
Koriand'r leaned down so her face was closer to her sister's and her voice gained a dangerous tone. "Don't test me."
Blackfire wouldn't admit it, but that scared her a little. She had never seen her sister this serious. She opened her mouth to try and appeal to their shared memories when someone cleared her throat behind Starfire. Kory turned around and they saw Raven walking in.
"Hi, Kor. Have you decided what to do to her?" The empath asked in a low voice as she moved slowly, keeping a fixed gaze on Blackfire.
"I have not." Kory answered. "Any ideas?"
"Actually, yes." Raven said eagerly. Everyone in the room looked at her, but she turned her attention to Starfire. "We could take her powers away. I don't think she can cause much trouble without them."
Komand'r frowned in confusion and Kory just looked surprised.
Blackfire scoffed. "How exactly are you planning to do that?"
"Oh, I can do it." The empath said dangerously. "It turns out I can absorb anything and anyone I want. And I can certainly absorb your powers."
Blackfire's eyes were wide and worried for a second, but then she smirked and looked around the room to see other heroes eyeing each other worriedly. She figured she could get them to stop her. "So…you would get my powers, Raven? Don't you think you're getting a little greedy?"
"Actually…" Raven calmly turned to Starfire again. "I was thinking I'd transfer them to you."
Kory gasped. "Is that possible?"
"Yes, and I think it's fair. You should have her power. But…it's your call. Whatever you want to do, I'm with you." The empath told her alien best friend.
Now Blackfire was really worried, because her sister seemed really interested. "No, wait! She can't do this Kory, she'll accidentally kill us both. Listen to me, this is too risky!"
Starfire was unbothered and smiling at her best friend. "Do it."
"Anyone who doesn't live in Titan Tower, leave." Raven hissed confidently.
Clark Kent hesitated. He thought it was a good idea, but he wanted to supervise it. It's not that he didn't trust Raven, because she had proven her worth and beyond at this point, but she still worried him. Her darkness worried him. But Starfire would stay, and she wouldn't let the empath lose sight of who she was. Besides, he would still hear them, with his Kryptonian ears and all that. He nodded at the others and left with them, leaving only Damian and Kory in the room with Raven and Blackfire.
Raven noticed Komand'r had been cut by someone's blade in battle. She walked up to her and inserted a finger in the open wound. "Remember when you did this to me?"
The empath twisted her finger and Blackfire screamed in pain. She looked around, panting, only to see both Starfire and the young Robin hadn't even flinched. "I thought heroes weren't supposed to be vengeful."
Raven's glare intensified. "Do I look like Wonder Woman to you?"
Blackfire noticed her eyes were too dark and menacing, so she looked at her sister for help, but Kory's stare was just as intense as Raven's. Damian seemed to be fully enjoying this.
"There is no more forgiveness, sister." Starfire said seriously.
"Let's get started." Raven calmly removed her finger from inside the villain's flesh and made intricate hand movements while chanting in Latin.
Batman and Superman almost ran back inside the room when it glowed and Blackfire's chilling screams echoed through the Hall of Justice, but they both had someone they trusted inside, so they waited. In a few minutes, Starfire walked out with a content smile on her face and Raven and Damian behind her.
The Tamaranean princess made one hand glow green and the other glow violet, staring between them in awe. "Well, I feel great."
"It worked." Bruce whispered with an intrigued and mesmerized look in his eyes. "Is she…?"
"Alive." Damian said pointedly.
"And powerless." Raven concluded.
Starfire's smile widened and she walked away, followed by her two fellow Titans. She went straight to Nightwing, who widened his eyes at the realization his girlfriend was basically twice as powerful now. He didn't mind it one bit – her power had never intimidated him. In fact, it was one of the many reasons why he loved her. She looked so happy to finally be free from her sister's influence it filled his heart with relief and love.
Later that night, there was celebration. And it was huge. There was food, music, alcohol, and there would even be fireworks, because the world was still here. The Hall of Justice was entirely taken by youth, excitement and prospects.
"I see why you stayed with them." Bruce Wayne said to his biological son.
Damian looked up at him. "Yeah?"
Batman just nodded. "They flirt with darkness a lot, don't they?"
The young Robin narrowed his eyes. "Says the Dark Knight who dresses like a bat."
Bruce chuckled and put his hands up in the air apologetically. "You misunderstand me, I'm not criticizing."
Damian's expression softened. "Oh. Well…yeah. We're all troubled, I guess. But whenever someone goes too far, someone else brings them back."
Batman nodded approvingly. "I like this for you, by the way. Being a Titan. It suits you. Also, you being Robin? I'm very proud of you, Damian."
Robin uncomfortably stared at his feet and put his hands in his pockets. "Ah, thanks. Whatever."
Damian shrugged, trying his best to look cool and not let his father know how much that meant to him. Bruce Wayne just smiled knowingly.
Raven, Terra and Starfire weren't there yet. Terra and Raven were still impatiently waiting for Kory to finish getting ready. They lay down on the bed and sighed loudly.
"Stop complaining, both of you. This is an important night." The Tamaranean said.
Raven rolled her eyes and looked at Terra. "Hey, by the way…thank you for going back to the tower when I was kidnapped."
Terra smiled at her. "I couldn't leave them until you were okay."
"You don't have to leave at all."
Terra's smile involuntarily grew bigger. "Actually…I think I might. I'm thinking maybe I should go back to the Titans East, at least for a while…"
"Does this have anything to do with Speedy?" The empath raised an amused eyebrow.
Terra giggled. "Maybe."
Starfire squealed happily from the bathroom.
"So, did you enjoy what I did to Slade?" Raven whispered to Terra.
The blonde's innocent smile gained a wicked quality. "So much."
"Alright! I am ready for the partying!" Starfire shouted.
"Finally!" Both girls said in unison, sitting up.
Kory walked up to them and smiled. "Well, if friend Terra is leaving, I think we need to make tonight even more special!"
For several people – especially the guys – it was a very cliché slow-motion moment when Starfire walked in with Terra and Raven on each side of her, because they looked amazing. Terra was wearing a short black tube dress and heels. Raven's hair was pulled into boxer braids and she had knee-high boots on, black shorts and a dark-purple top with cold-shoulder long sleeves. Kory was wearing a sexy violet dress with multiple cutouts that showed her orange skin and sparkly white sneakers, not to mention her hair was all wavy like some old-Hollywood actress. Nightwing, Speedy and the Changeling were particularly flustered when the three of them made their confident entrance to the sound of Bad Girls (M.I.A.).
"Hot." Superboy smirked, folding his arms and staring at them. He wasn't the only one.
The three girls didn't bother to return anyone's stares though – not even the ones they wanted to receive, at least not yet. They were dancing together and having a blast doing it. Speedy and Richard found their way to Garfield.
"Dude, you need to be a little more discreet. You look thirsty." The archer whispered to the Changeling.
The shapeshifter went to answer and realized his mouth had been hanging open, so he closed it and cleared his throat. The other two boys chuckled friendly.
"Let's alternate between the three of us." Nightwing suggested. "Speedy, you stare first."
Kid Flash passed by them looking for Jinx, who was avoiding him at all costs and looking for Cyborg, who was avoiding her at all costs and looking for privacy. Wally easily found her when he decided to use super-speed, though.
"Jinx, wait! Can we talk?"
"Wally. No, I…I don't want to talk."
"Okay, then just listen." The speedster took a deep breath. "I like you a lot and I think you like me too. But I'm not going after you, because…well, you're dating someone else. I'm not sure why so I assume it's because you like him more than you like me. And if that's the case, then I need to keep my distance and move on. So…when everyone goes home, I'm going to go help the Titans East for a while."
The enchantress frowned. "You're leaving Jump City?"
"I mean, unless you tell me there's a reason to stay."
Jinx bit her lip and stayed silent.
"I see…" Kid Flash sadly turned around to walk away.
"Wally, wait!"
He stopped.
"I…" Jinx wanted to tell him there was a reason to stay, that she liked him so much – maybe even loved him – but that would mean being vulnerable and she wasn't a fan of that. "…sorry."
Wally West left and she felt like the biggest coward in the world.
Meanwhile, it was Dick's turn to let Speedy and Beast Boy know when someone approached the girls – and when they got rejected and left.
"What are they doing now?" Garfield asked eagerly. Every now and then, someone would come over and high-five him about the dragon thing or say something like you're an animal, man or you rock, Changeling. He loved it, of course, but he would trade it all for hearing her say she wanted to be with him.
"They're still dancing." Nightwing answered. "We shouldn't interrupt them, right?"
"You tell us. You're the only official boyfriend." Speedy sighed.
Richard frowned. "I don't know anything."
The archer grunted in frustration. "Did they get all dressed up just to torture us?"
"Wait, Raven just teleported somewhere." Nightwing suddenly said. "BB, I think you should find her."
Garfield was on his feet before Dick even finished talking. "Well, good luck to you two."
"Good luck to you, man. You need it the most." Speedy chuckled.
The Changeling rubbed the back of his neck and smiled. "Right. I'll take it."
Raven looked for the quietest, most reserved corner of the Hall of Justice she could find. She just needed a few minutes of solitude before going back. But then she noticed someone had found this secret spot before her.
"Victor?" The empath asked softly.
Cyborg turned around and smiled at her. "Oh, hey Rae. Looking good. You're gonna give BB a heart-attack." He chuckled.
Raven rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here on this isolated corner?"
Victor sighed. "I'm hiding."
"Can I hide with you for a little bit?"
"Sure."
Raven sat down next to him. "Are you going to go see the fireworks?"
"Did you know?" Cyborg suddenly asked.
Raven frowned in confusion. "You'll have to be more specific."
"Did you know Bumblebee has feelings for me?"
The empath fought back a smile and nodded. "Ah, that. She told you, then."
"You knew."
"Of course I knew, I'm an empath."
Cyborg grunted. "I don't know what to do about it, Rae."
"Well...what do you want to do?"
"I don't know! I mean, Jinx cheated on me, you know? With Wally." Victor looked at her and realized there was no surprise on her face. "Oh, you knew that too."
"Gar and I saw them. We told her to tell you or Gar would."
"Right." Cyborg shook his head, absorbing all this new information. "So, then…we don't even know if she would have told me if she hadn't been caught. Or if it's happened before. And I…I really like her. And I think I need to end it, but…I'm not sure I want to."
Raven remained silent. If she was being completely honest, she thought Cyborg and Jinx were a little toxic. Victor idealized their relationship and Jinx mostly used it to escape her feelings for Wally.
Cyborg frowned at her. "What?"
"Nothing."
"No, tell me. Seriously, tell me."
Raven sighed. "Are you sure you want my advice? Apart from sensing how people feel, I don't really know anything about any of this."
"Yes. Yes, I do." The half-robot nodded eagerly. He wanted everyone's advice and he wasn't going to pass on the one person who actually knew how Jinx and Karen felt about him.
The empath shrugged slightly. "I think you're chasing the wrong girl."
Victor's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to argue with her, but she was already on her feet and walking away.
"I need to go back." Raven said in her monotone. "Congrats on the Radion blasts, by the way. I heard you got the first clear shot at Darkseid."
"Thanks." Victor chuckled. "BB distracted him."
Raven smiled a little.
"Thanks for saving him." Cyborg added. "That was…a privilege to watch."
Her smile got a little bigger and her voice got softer. "Like I'd let him die."
"Well you should tell him th-fuck." The half-robot quickly tried to assist his best friend, but she teleported elsewhere before he could finish.
The fireworks had started. They were silent fireworks, obviously, because Krypto and Garfield would be upset if they used anything that could actually harm Earth dogs. Dick had his arms around Kory while they lovingly watched the light show. Speedy started walking faster towards Terra when he noticed Conner walking to her too. Raven laughed internally at the sight. She herself was standing alone and watching the fireworks peacefully. The empath admired the lights dancing in the sky in awe until she felt him. His aura, his nervousness and his unwavering affections emanated from behind her.
Raven turned around with a small smile on her face and eyes full of care. She noticed how nicely the fireworks' lights reflected on his green skin. "Hi."
The Changeling's heart was pounding in his chest. For some reason it felt like this interaction would be really decisive. After everything that happened, if she rejected him now, she wasn't likely to change her mind. He wanted to tell her how he felt though, even if she did reject him. But at the same time, he didn't want to say too much and scare her away if he had a chance, so he needed to find out if he had a chance first.
Garfield thought she looked so beautiful with the fireworks behind her. He felt his cheeks burn and his hands get sweaty and his knees go weak and his stomach fill with butterflies. He thought about what happened earlier. He was sure he was dead and suddenly he was pulled back to life by the purest and most magnificent magic he had ever witnessed. And it had been the girl he loved. His angel was the girl he loved. Every time he thought he'd unraveled his feelings for her, she did something that made him fall harder. He nervously walked up to her.
"Hey, Rae…" The shapeshifter smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his neck, putting his other hand inside his pocket. "So, um…I wanted to t-tell you that I th-"
"Can we not talk about it?" Raven cut him off. Her voice was soft, but her expression had become a little less peaceful, almost as if she was hurting.
Garfield's heart sank, crashed and broke in a million pieces. He hated himself for wanting to cry about this after everything that happened. This shouldn't matter this much. But it did. It just did. "O-oh, s-sure…okay…"
He turned around to leave, thinking about how embarrassing it was that she could sense just how utterly destroyed he felt. But then…
"Can we just…" Raven said softly.
The Changeling stopped and turned around to face her again. He thought he was going crazy, because he could swear that she looked nervous now.
"…act on it?" The empath tilted her head to the side, suddenly feeling unsure. She knew he loved her, but after everything she'd put him through he could very well have changed his mind about wanting to be with her – whatever that meant.
Garfield's confused expression slowly turned into realization and then into cautious happiness and excitement as he closed the distance between them. He stared into her eyes and saw nothing discouraging there – though she was still difficult to read. Raven was staring right at him and he could swear there was longing in her eyes. Does this mean what I think it means? He took her hand in his and pulled her close. She let him and smiled a little, relaxing and bringing her hands to his chest. Holy shit it does! It does mean what I think it means!
Raven's hands slid up his chest slowly until she wrapped her arms around his neck, never breaking eye contact. Garfield's heart was faster than ever and his thoughts got all blurry, but he knew what to do. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss. Raven melted into it and he smiled against her lips, trying to pull her even closer – though it was physically impossible. They were vaguely aware of the fireworks and the cheering from their friends who were witnessing the moment, but they stayed focused on each other. When the floor cracked and people shouted, Raven broke the kiss and giggled softly, leaning her forehead against his and gently stroking his hair.
Garfield was in Heaven. He started planting quick, cheesy kisses on her cheeks and all over her face, making her giggle some more. When multiple lightbulbs exploded and Red-X yelled something about self-control, he leaned his forehead against hers again and smiled widely. "Does this mean you're my girlfriend?"
Raven rolled her eyes internally at the word, but her heart ached in the most delicious way. "Are you sure that's what you want? There's still time to back out." She whispered.
The Changeling laughed whole-heartedly and cradled her face in his hands. "I've never been surer of anything in my life. You are my whole world and my entire heart an-"
"Okay, okay." The empath frowned. "That's actually not healthy; I can't be your whole world." She said pointedly, but then she realized he had that same dreamy expression on his face so she chuckled lightly. "But, we can talk about that later…boyfriend."
His eyes glistened with absolute joy and he beamed in a way he never had before. His gigantic grin that nearly split his face in two came back and he felt like there was nothing he couldn't do. "Can I kiss you again?"
Raven playfully bit her lip. "Not now. I think Clark might send us the bill for the lightbulbs."
"Please?" Garfield said pleadingly. "I'm sure Bruce can pay for those."
The empath chuckled softly again. "You're an idiot."
"I'm your idiot."
"Yes. Yes, you are." Raven said in a seductive voice she only ever used with him.
Garfield's smile grew even bigger if that was possible. I can't believe this is fucking happening! "So, not that I'm complaining, but…what changed?"
"I watched you die." She said bluntly.
His goofy smile got slightly smaller. His eyes were equally filled with hurt and love and they couldn't look away from hers as usual. "I'm sorry."
Raven smiled fondly at him. "Don't be, you were brilliant. And I brought you back."
The Changeling's grin grew bigger again. "Like I said, a Goddess."
The empath rolled her eyes and then stared at the fireworks. She spoke quietly. "I still think this is a terrible idea. I'm just tired of trying to be sensible about it."
"Mmhm." Garfield took the end of one of her braids in his fingers and played with it. "Can I say it just this once?" He whispered.
Raven knew exactly what he meant. She looked at him with worried eyes and whispered even quieter. "Will you need me to say it back?"
It's not so much that she didn't feel it. It's that she didn't quite understand it yet. And she certainly wasn't ready to say it.
He quickly shook his head. "No. I don't need anything more from you, I promise. I just want to say it once while I'm awake."
Raven's face became so visibly full of endearment it made his heart flutter. She gave him a quick affirmative nod.
Garfield looked into her eyes. "I love you. I love you so much. I love every piece of you."
Her cheeks burned and her heart soared. Some food flew around and some drinks exploded in people's faces. Raven leaned in and gave him a long and extremely sweet kiss, absolutely ignoring the outraged reactions her rogue powers were causing. She would mind public demonstrations of affection later for sure, but not tonight.
After a few seconds, Bumblebee cleared her throat beside them, making both Titans pull away to look at her. Karen smiled widely. "First of all, I fully support this. You're so cute it's making me sick. However and second of all, I've been chosen to interfere before someone gets hurt. You two are a hazard."
Raven bit her lip and shrugged apologetically. "Sorry."
Garfield just stared lovingly at his girlfriend, thinking of how cute and dangerous she was.
The empath cleared her throat, now addressing several of their friends that had merrily gathered around them. "My bad. I'll get better at it."
"So, this is a thing now. As in, officially. You two are a thing?" Damian smirked, looking utterly amused.
"What happened!? What did I miss?" Cyborg shouted from the back. He had just gotten there, but he could swear he'd seen them kissing.
"Pay up." Speedy said smugly, taking money from a grumpy Aqualad.
Nightwing was struggling to keep an excited Starfire from making a huge deal about it.
"They were totally smooching!" Blue Beetle told a still confused Cyborg.
Raven's eyes begged Garfield for help, so he quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulders and spun them around so she was further away from the crowd. He began walking away with her, smiling breezily at his friends. "We either appreciate your support or dismiss your judgment and we will refrain from damaging this fine establishment further. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to hang out with my girlfriend."
That got a whole lot of gasps, squeals and giggles out of the group while the pair got as far away as they could. Raven wasn't embarrassed; she was still her usual unapologetic self – she just didn't love this kind of overbearing attention. They sat down by the stairs in the main entrance and Starfire soon came running to join them, along with Cyborg and Nightwing.
"Stay here, I'll get you some food." Garfield smiled at Raven and kissed her cheek before leaving her with their closest friends.
The empath looked up at their amused faces. "Don't you dare judge me."
Starfire had the most joyful smile on her face and she sat down next to Raven and hugged her as tightly as she could without breaking bones, making her best friend grunt. Cyborg and Nightwing just chuckled and sat on the steps too; reassuring her they were happy for them – though she could sense Dick was still worried. Damian and Terra joined them after a while and the blonde told Raven she was happy for them too, which earned her a very grateful smile. The Changeling came back with finger-food Raven happily accepted – though when he tried to feed it to her she said she still had a threshold for tackiness and could eat by herself.
"Gossip spread pretty quickly, I think." Garfield chuckled, trying – and failing – to pretend he wasn't fully enjoying the whole thing. "Everyone was either asking me about it or staring and whispering from afar."
"Well, it was a big day for you, turning into dragons and kissing demons and all that." Damian smirked again, playfully raising a glass to the Changeling.
Garfield grinned idiotically, feeling like the coolest person in the entire world. "Yes, it was."
Raven rolled her eyes. "Stop it, Damian. He'll get cocky."
"He's already cocky." Robin laughed and pointed at the shapeshifter. "Look."
The empath looked at her boyfriend to see the smuggest smile she had ever seen on his face grinning back at her.
"That's on you, Raven." Damian said pointedly.
She grunted softly. "You're right." The empath smiled, gently and playfully pushing her boyfriend's face away. "I'll fix that later."
The Changeling just laughed whole-heartedly. "Can't wait!"
Raven blushed and Richard frowned, thinking he did not want to know what they meant.
"So…" Nightwing cleared his throat. "Who's ready to go home?"
Centuries (Fall Out Boy)
Heeey they're finally together! :D
This isn't the end of the story though, because this isn't a fairytale (it's better). I told you this was long and I've written A LOT, lol. But I'm only publishing one more chapter for now (because the next one is a whole lot of cuteness with a hint of sexy time and I think we've all earned it) before going on vacation and then I'll be busy being a turist for a few weeks, but I'll definitely be back in October! I'll probably publish the last one (FOR NOW) in the next two days. Happy sunday! :)