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One More Night
The flirting got a lot heavier. The Titans didn't always interfere with Sirens' business, like when they decided to shut down a human traffic organization. They set the women and children free and enslaved the men in charge instead, which wasn't exactly the lawful thing to do but the heroes couldn't be too upset about that. Whenever the villains were stealing some priceless item or government secrets, however, they were there to stop them. Sometimes they succeeded and sometimes they failed, but every single time they engaged against them, the Changeling would find his way to her.
The shapeshifter tried ruining her plans when he could, but he also protected her fiercely if any other villains or even unknowing heroes meant to harm her, and he always flirted with her. At some point the Titans used the Garzilla trick again, which annoyed Raven to the core, but then Garfield cheekily slipped the new sketch he'd made of her face under her belt while she glared at him, and he definitely saw her face soften and her cheeks blush.
Being forgiven did wonders for him. It felt like a giant weight lifted off his shoulders. He hadn't forgiven himself – and had decided he never would – but the fact that she had made a huge difference. He continued getting more confident and centered, stronger and faster, and when that added up with most villains hearing about Luthor and Rouge's fates and being terrified of angering the Siren sorcerer, it resulted in no one daring to mess with him.
Their confrontations got more balanced – and more heated as well. He managed to escape her hold on his powers and now she could no longer keep him from changing. Even if she did, he quickly regained control, which aggravated and impressed her immensely. Still, she never resorted to manipulating his emotions again. Raven would still manipulate everyone else's if she had to, but not his. His whispered confessions in the middle of the night kept ringing in her head and she couldn't find it in her to mess with his feelings. She did tease him, and she often made him blush in front of everyone with snarky remarks about getting him a new collar – the previous one had obviously been destroyed.
And then sometimes – though not as often as they would like – they made it to some empty corner in the middle of a fight and hastily made out against a wall until her powers caused some sort of unpredictable damage. And that's exactly what Garfield was hoping would happen soon, because the Sirens were taking advantage of a confrontation between the Justice League and the Legion of Doom – which was rather lost now that their founder Lex Luthor wasn't around – to attempt stealing several items from the Hall of Justice.
Raven had taken a Kryptonite spear and the Changeling cornered her in an empty room and managed to snatch it out of her hands by growing a tail. And right now he had her hands pinned above her head on the wall, her chest would heavily rise and fall and her lips were parted and he could swear her pupils were dilated.
Garfield smirked. "Robbing the Justice League again? You're getting bolder."
"Are you here to stop me or kiss me?"
He eagerly looked her up and down and smiled. "Well, I was hoping both."
"I'm fully charged, you know?"
"Really? Then why are you pinned to the wall?"
Raven shot him a suggestive grin. "Maybe I'm fine with this."
That did it. He pressed their lips together and brought his hands down to her hips as she tangled her fingers in his hair, then he lifted her slightly, keeping her back against the wall, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. They continued kissing passionately while the lights flickered wildly and only stopped when the ground shook and several people screamed outside at the large cracks appearing on the walls. When they broke the kiss, Garfield lingered with his face inches away from hers and inhaled her scent.
"Maybe you should just stop committing crimes." He whispered.
"Oh, I see." She said in a playful voice. "You're here to make an honest witch out of me."
The Changeling chuckled. "Well, would that be so bad?"
"I've done that. But then I dated this guy and he broke my heart, you see?" Raven whispered teasingly, ruffling his hair. "It kinda messed me up."
"What an idiot." The shapeshifter matched her playfulness, but there was also raw sincerity in his voice.
"Yes, well…what can I say? He was hot. I fell hard." She chuckled softly against his lips.
Fuck, she's making this really difficult. He smiled widely and kissed down her jawline and neck, making her moan and shiver and whispering into her skin. "I'd treat you like a Goddess."
"I have slaves for that. They worship me." The empath said in a breathy voice, leaning her head back to give him more space.
"Not the way I'd worship you." Garfield chuckled against her collarbone.
She smiled freely and cradled his head in her hands, pulling his lips to hers and kissing him deeply one more time. "I have to go now, hero."
"No, wai-ugh!" The Changeling's arms suddenly weren't holding onto anyone anymore and he stumbled forward and quickly placed his hands on the wall for support.
"See you next time."
The shapeshifter turned around at the sound of her voice and she was standing by the door with the Kryptonite spear in her hand, holding it like a freaking scepter. He gasped. "Wait, did you kiss me just to take that back!?"
"Of course not." Raven smiled mischievously. "There were several ways I could have taken this back. I picked the most fun. Bye, hero."
Garfield remained flustered for several seconds after she teleported. I can't believe her. I didn't even remember that spear existed when we kissed. She's so…cunning. And smart. And flirty. And charming. I fucking love her so much. He realized he was smiling and regained control of his facial expressions before someone found him with this dreamy look on his face after letting a Siren get away with a Kryptonite weapon. Oh, well. I tried.
A few days later, Raven was seated on her throne, chilling like a villain and thinking that she needed new friends. The Sirens were fun but they didn't really understand her. And she'd ended things with Klarion. The truth was she wasn't quite one of them. But she wasn't one of the heroes anymore either. It was starting to feel a bit lonely. She was considering joining a coven when her T-communicator rang, interrupting her thoughts. She immediately tensed up and teleported to her room to answer it.
"Hello?" The empath asked urgently. She couldn't see who it was. The image was all…dark.
"Hi…" Garfield said in an absolutely broken voice.
He sounds sad. "What happened? Are you okay?"
"Not really."
There were a few seconds of silence while she waited for him to say something else.
"Gar, what are you-"
"Something h-happened." The shapeshifter sniffled.
"Is everyone okay?" Raven was growingly more concerned.
"I mean…in here, yes."
He sounds so fucking sad. "Who's not okay, Gar?"
"I…it's…Rita…"
Raven's heart sank. No, no, no. Give him a break. He's been through so much. "Where is she? I can help. That's why you called me, right? I'll help."
"No, it's…it's too lat-" Garfield choked up and cried softly.
She held onto her communicator tighter, wishing she was holding him instead. "Shit. Gar…what can I do?"
He sniffled again. "Nothing, I just…I just wanted to hear your voice."
Oh, my Azar. Her heart broke and so did a crystal ball on her floor, making Salem jump and run. "I…I don't know what to say." She brought her knees to her chest on her bed and held the communicator close to her face, temporarily wishing that they'd never broken up so she could be comforting him by his side. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"No, I…I can't…can you just…just say anything. P-please."
"Anything."
The Changeling chuckled softly and she smiled sadly at the sound.
"I think Batman and Catwoman made out again." Raven whispered.
Garfield sniffled. "No way!"
"I know. And I think she really likes him."
"Tell me more."
"Okay. Don't tell Damian, but…Talia keeps trying to kill her. And Catwoman keeps letting her beat her up and she doesn't fight back as hard as she could. I think she doesn't want to kill Talia because she knows Bruce would never forgive her. You know…because she's-"
"Because she's Damian's mother."
"Yes."
"Shit. Wait, shit! Raven this is juicy gossip."
She smiled sadly again. His chuckles were a little broken. He still sounded miserable, but at least she was distracting him. "I know, right? But she's scared. She won't tell him she likes him. She won't even tell herself."
"Oh…that's sad. What if he said it first?"
"I mean…maybe. I don't know, she's sort of unpredictable."
"Raveeeeen? Klarion is trying to summon Lucifer again!" Harley shouted outside her door.
Raven grunted. That fucking weirdo.
"Is that Harley? Tell her I said hi. And Klarion is doing what now?"
"Trying to piss me off. I have to go. Sorry." The empath said regretfully.
"Ah, yeah, okay, of course. Thanks."
He still sounds so fucking sad. "Bye, Gar…"
After dealing with the bitter warlock, Raven went back to her room and tried to get some rest. She couldn't. Her thoughts kept going to him, losing the one person who actually showed him kindness after his parents died. She wondered how he was grieving, if he was crying or repressing his emotions, if he was staying healthy, if his insecurities were trying to creep back in. She tried listening to music to calm down, but The Scientist (Coldplay) started playing.
Starfire had a lot going on. Now on top of everything, Beast Boy had lost someone so close to him and she wasn't sure how to comfort him. She made him hot chocolate – with soy milk, of course – and she hugged him and told him everything would be okay, but none of it really helped. The whole tower was depressed and grieving with him in a way, but Garfield barely came out of his room.
Starfire? A familiar voice spoke inside Kory's head.
The Tamaranean immediately stopped what she was doing. Raven!?
Yes, it's me. I needed to talk to you. You're not answering.
Oh, Rae you have no idea how much I've been wishing I could have the girl talk with you! My communicator got destroyed in our last fight against Mambo.
Ugh, he sucks.
I know!
You go first. How's the whole Dick and Connor situation?
Starfire collapsed on her bed and stared at the ceiling. It's easy and fun with Connor, but it's not serious. I like him, but…we're not in love. But that also means he can't hurt me as much. And I NEVER want to hurt that much again.
I get that. But…you still love Nightwing.
Kory smiled absentmindedly. Well, yes, and he's been making it really difficult for me to stay strong since New Year…I don't know, something changed. He's been pursuing me every day. He leaves me notes with reasons why he loves me and he's been kind while I've been rude and he says he's making it up to me no matter how long it takes because I'm all he wants and that will never change. He even ate Tamaranean food.
Wow, that's…commitment.
By the way, did I thank you for killing Rouge? I know you did it for Gar, but I appreciate it.
You're welcome. And yes, I did. But also she kept using my face to hurt people I love, it pissed me off. Did you know she turned into me to torture him?
Kory's eyes glowed bright green. That BITCH!
Yeah. Oh, is Connor mad at me for Lex?
Starfire chuckled. Oh, no. He said he's much easier to talk to now. And Krypto seems to think Lex might be coming around.
Good. So, do you think you'll forgive Dick?
I mean…I shouldn't. Right? What he did was unforgivable, so if I forgive him, then what does that make ME?
It would make you like me, I guess. I forgave Gar.
You DID!?
I thought he'd tell you. I forgave him while he was here. He didn't ask me to, it just…happened. He's changed, you know?
I do! Oh my…Raven, that…I mean, that's AMAZING! Right? Is it? It is, isn't it?
I do feel better. And lighter.
I am SO glad, friend! Wait, do you…do you think I should forgive Richard?
I can't tell you that, that's up to you. But I don't think worrying about what forgiving him says about you is a good reason not to. Just…see if he earns your trust back. If he's not giving up, there's no rush, right?
Starfire sighed contently. I guess. So, what did YOU want to talk about?
Gar. Rita. What happened?
Oh, Rae…it's awful. The Doom Patrol, they were fighting some bad guys and…they couldn't get to her in time…did you see it on the news?
No, he called me.
Oh. Right, of course he did.
Kor, do you…do you think he'd want me there? Like, just for right now? Do you think I would help or make it worse?
Are you kidding me!? Of COURSE he wants you here! Of COURSE it would help!
Okay, no need to yell into my head. Are you absolutely sure? Because if I show up and that hurts him further…
I'm sure. I'm very, very sure. And no one else even has to know you came. I have a plan.
Starfire had managed to drag Garfield out of his room for a snack. He barely ate, though. He just took a few miserable bites and told her he wasn't hungry.
"Gar, listen…" Kory whispered, squeezing his hand. "When you go back to your room…there will be someone there. Don't do the freaking out because she just came to see you and she doesn't want anyone else to know. I'm going out with Connor and I told him to meet me there, so he's not around to super-hear everything and you can have the privacy."
The Changeling's head shot up to stare at her with swollen, wide and suspicious eyes. He was afraid to hope, because seeing Raven was all he wanted right now. He wanted to drown in her until the void in his chest didn't hurt this much anymore. But…who else would it be? He sniffed. All the crying had affected his senses, but he could definitely smell her. "Kor…are you talking about who I think you're talking about? She's here?"
Starfire stared into his eyes and nodded surely. "Go."
Garfield didn't waste a second, he was already on his feet and practically running to his room. He hastily opened his door and she was standing there, in casual clothes and a ponytail, nervously biting her lip. The sight itself soothed his hollow chest and he shut the door and ran to her with tears in his eyes. Raven immediately and instinctively embraced him and he sobbed into her shoulder. He collapsed on her so suddenly and heavily she actually lost balance a bit and lowered them both to the floor. Garfield buried his face in her chest and wrapped his arms tightly around her, breaking down.
Her heart tightened and she thanked Azar for all the meditating she'd done before coming. The grief and sorrow pouring out of him were excruciating. The empath held him in her arms and gently stroked his hair, kissing the top of his head. "Shh, I know. I'm here."
He held her tighter. She felt like Heaven to him. "S-she's dead, R-Rae."
Raven fought back tears. "I know, love…I know. I'm so sorry. It isn't fair. Let it out."
She was practically cradling him and he sobbed uncontrollably for several seconds.
"I-I couldn't s-save her either." Garfield choked. "I can't s-save anyone."
"Shh that's not true." The sorcerer whispered soothingly. "You've saved so many people. You saved me, remember?"
He scowled and sobbed at the same time, pulling away slightly. "And then I damned you." He desperately tried to stop crying and wipe his face. "Why are you even here? I don't deserve it. And I'll overwhelm you."
"Stop it." She reached out and pulled him back into her arms. "I forgave you. And I'm okay. I want to do this for you. I can do this for you. Grieve as much as you need."
That did it. Garfield broke down again and shrank into her arms.
"That's it. There you go." Raven whispered, stroking his hair again. "I know it's not okay now. But it will be. You're strong enough to get through this, I promise. You may not see it but I do. But you don't have to be strong yet. Not today."
After a few minutes of bawling his eyes out, he finally slowed his breathing, though he was still weeping softly. "I…I got your shirt all wet…"
"Shh, don't worry about that." She kissed the top of his head again. "I wish you didn't have to go through this. I wish you didn't have to lose her or anyone else ever again."
Garfield inhaled her scent and allowed it to ease his pain.
"She loved you. She still loves you. She's proud of you, wherever she is. You made her life better with your light." Raven whispered soothingly.
He let out a few more strangled sobs. Thank God she's here. She's being so sweet. It really fucking helps. His hands urgently grabbed onto her. "Thankou so much for coming."
The sorcerer's heart ached. "Of course I came. Let's go lie on your bed for a bit." When he nodded against her chest, she helped him up and they stumbled over to his bed, which Raven didn't fail to notice was no longer a bunkbed. She lay on the pillows and embraced him again, pulling the covers over them.
Her scent, her warmth and her tenderness helped a lot, but every time he remembered his adoptive mom was dead, he went back to sobbing into her chest. She just kept holding him and stroking his hair in slow, reassuring moves. He sniffled. "How long will you stay?"
"I have some time. Don't worry."
"Are you sure? What about…I mean, what's up with Klarion summoning Lucifer?"
"Oh, he's just giving me a hard time lately." Raven said, lazily running her fingers up and down his back. "But I sent Lucifer some magical gifts and collected a few rogue souls to save him the trouble as a gesture of goodwill. You know, to let him know I have zero interest in ever challenging him. And I think he's sick of Klarion, so…I don't think he will help him again."
Wait, that sounds serious. Garfield straightened up to look at her with concerned eyes. If she gets hurt, I…fuck, she CAN'T get hurt. I can't let her get hurt. Not her. Not again. "Why is Klarion giving you a hard time? Isn't he obsessed with you?"
The empath reached out to gently wipe his wet cheeks. "Well, yes, but I ended our casual fling or whatever that was and he's not taking it well."
In the back of his mind, he was happy to hear she ended things with the warlock, but mostly he was worried. Klarion was a psycho and completely convinced Raven was the only one for him, which made him really dangerous. The shapeshifter wasn't dying to find out how far he would go after being dumped. "Shit. Do you need help? I can kill him for you."
Raven smiled softly as if he'd just made the sweetest offer in the world. He doesn't need one more thing to worry about. "Don't worry about him, I'll handle it. I don't think he'll hurt me."
Garfield bit his lip, because that did not put his worries to rest. "Why did you end it with him?"
The sorcerer shrugged. "It felt weird after…you know."
His eyes widened slightly. "After we…?" When she just nodded affirmatively, he felt butterflies in his stomach. Sure, she forgave him and they had been flirting a lot and making out on secret corners but he wasn't assuming things or expecting anything. The Changeling snuggled up against her chest again and inhaled, weeping quietly. "Will you ever come home?"
Raven went back to stroking his hair and bit her lip. I want to. I really want to. I wish I could. "I…things will never be like they were, love."
"I know." Garfield sniffled and caressed the narrow portion of exposed skin on her waist.
"But I'm here now. I'll be here if you need me."
He smiled sadly against her now soaked black turtleneck. "Could you maybe…would you be there for the funeral? I just, it will be so hard."
Raven buried her face in his hair and inhaled. "Sure. I'll just disguise myself so no one recognizes me."
"Thankou." Garfield was exhausted from all the crying and his eyes were aching, but he felt a little stronger. "She loved it, you know? Us."
The empath frowned in surprise. "Us? As in you and me?"
"Yeah."
"Oh. She probably saw that picture from the animal shelter. Everyone loved that."
He chuckled quietly into her shoulder. "No…I mean, yes. But also she said she'd never seen me so happy." And she thought I deserved being happy. She was wrong about that part.
Raven smiled slightly. "You talked to her about me?"
"Mmhmm."
"That's so sweet. Was she…was she upset when we broke up?"
"Ah, she kept telling me to just be patient." Garfield let out a bittersweet chuckle. "I didn't have the heart to tell her it was hopeless."
She smiled against his hair. "Okay, good."
"She was…she was always kind to me. I had been away from kindness for so long and she-" He choked up again and wept softly. "S-sorry."
"No, love…don't apologize. I told you, I want to do this for you. Don't hold back." Raven rubbed his back soothingly and held him until he cried himself to sleep in her arms. Then she slipped a big and fluffy stuffed raven plush between his arms before she left.
The funeral was really difficult for Garfield. Mento was too much of a wreck to offer him or anyone else any comfort. Robotman and Negative Man both hugged him tightly and told him how much she loved him and how proud of him she was. But the hardest part was everyone wanted to talk to him. They wanted to give him reassuring words and sad smiles and condolences and it was all really nice, but also terrifyingly overwhelming.
Raven was looking slightly different with pale human skin, dark hair and dark-blue eyes in her black dress. The Doom Patrol didn't know who she was, so Garfield just introduced her as his friend Rachel and she gave them her condolences. The Titans did know it was her and she took the chance to give them all tight hugs. She didn't talk to anyone else. She just stood by his side when they lowered the casket so he could hold her hand and then when he was finally alone, she wrapped her arms around him so he could weep into her shoulder.
"Thanks for being here." The Changeling whispered. "It means so much to me."
The empath rubbed his back. "Of course. I got you."
"And thank you for the raven plush." He pulled back to smile slightly at her.
Raven returned his smile. "Yeah…Mikey gets me through difficult nights, so...I tried to think about which animal you would be, but…well, you're all of them. So…"
"No, it's perfect. It makes me think of you. I love it."
Her heart skipped a beat at his truthful eyes and she struggled slightly to keep her powers under control. "I…good. I'm glad you like it."
A few weeks later, the League of Assassins resurged. It turns out the more powerful you get, the more enemies you make. And the Sirens had been invading their territory and stealing allies for a while now, so they had been gathering strength and preparing on their end. The Titans had been bothering them too, mostly because Ra's al Ghul really wanted to get Damian back. But Ra's had been allies with Deathstroke and he knew exactly what he tried to do to Raven and what his fate was, so the League's leader patiently waited for an opportunity.
It came with Klarion, who found in them allies powerful enough to help him accomplish his plan. He told them they didn't need to hurt Raven; all they had to do was hold the Titans hostages and she would join them in a second to protect them, and he had a plan to keep her busy so they could do just that. The warlock's only condition was that the Changeling was his. Ra's was interested. He figured threatening to kill his new friends could persuade Damian too. Besides, he'd heard the witch was fond of his grandson and he assumed he was fond of her as well, so getting her on their side could also serve that end.
They attacked stealthily and without warning. Ra's was smiling wickedly as he battled a fierce young Robin on the roof of Titan Tower. "Why are you fighting who you are, Damian?"
"I'm not, I've embraced it." The young boy hissed. "I'm a Titan!"
He charged at his grandfather again, with absolute precision in every move.
"You can't beat me, boy. I taught you everything you know."
Robin smirked as he swiftly dodged Ra's attack, nearly making him lose balance. "Not everything."
Garfield had a terrible feeling in his gut as he elegantly switched animals, confusing and beating several highly skilled assassins. And then his communicator rang and he found out why.
"Hi, Changeling." The Witch Boy smiled mischievously.
Klarion had Raven's communicator. Garfield's blood ran cold. "Where is she!?"
"Oh, I have no idea. Somewhere in the Multiverse. Definitely lost. I cast a little spell, you see."
The shapeshifter tried to cover up his despair. "Why? I thought you loved her."
"I do and I'd love to pull her back to reality, I would. But not until you fight me."
"I'll kill you."
"No, Changeling, I'll kill you. And then I'll pull her back and tell her I tried my best to save you and she'll cry on my shoulder."
The shapeshifter's voice got dangerously low. "Where. Are. You."
"Siren Mansion. With the other half of the League of Assassins. Oh, and if she dies in there before I pull her back, that's on you. Then I'll definitely kill you."
Garfield hung up and turned to Superboy with an urgent look in his eyes. "They're in-"
"Go save her! I got this." Connor just nodded confidently because he'd heard everything.
The Changeling turned into Krypto for speed and into a dragon once he got there, because he wanted the warlock to see him so they could get this over with. Klarion laughed evilly, standing in front of a magical whirlwind with a severely unstable portal inside. It was obviously where Raven was and it didn't look safe at all.
In Titan Tower, Nightwing, Ravager and Robin were all on the roof now, fighting elite members of the League. Talia had been keeping Rose Wilson busy. Ra's was still focused on Damian while Richard fought his other daughter, Nyssa.
"If you join me, I'll leave your friends alone, grandson. I'll let them live." Ra's told him in a menacing voice. "But if you don't, they'll die. One by one. I promise."
That angered the young Robin to a great deal, because that was just sheer manipulation. "You'll try. But you'll fail. And I'll never join you again."
Ra's could tell he meant it by the fire in his eyes. "Well in that case, maybe I'll kill you myself, Damian." He made sure Talia couldn't hear him. "I'd rather see you dead than as a hero."
Robin quickly reacted to his grandfather's attack and smiled smugly. "Again, you'll try."
Garfield turned human and glared at Klarion with an intensity he hadn't felt since killing Adonis. "I'm here, you creep."
The warlock shot him a chilling, insane grin. "I knew you'd be willing to die for her."
"Oh, I am. But I won't. Not today. Bring her back. Now." He walked decisively towards the Witch Boy.
"Sure you will. She can only have one champion, Changeling."
"And you think that's you? But you'd let her die just for a chance to kill me?"
"Of course. If I can't have her, you certainly won't." He conjured dark magic in his hands.
"She dumped you, Klarion. Get over it."
"She should be mine. She will be, once I finish you." His eyes glowed with magical energy.
"She's not anyone's." Garfield turned into the Werebeast and charged at him.
Turning into the Beast in any scenario other than protecting Raven was still tricky, but when it came to saving her, it growled and emerged naturally. Klarion didn't know about his immunity to magic, of course. She'd never told him that. None of the Titans ever told anyone about that. The warlock's eyes widened when he realized his powers did nothing to harm or slow this gigantic, furious, mighty monster. And then he was harshly tossed from one side to another.
Garfield turned human again and angrily turned to the warlock grunting in pain on the floor – he definitely had a few broken bones now. The shapeshifter didn't care. He wasn't playing around this time. He grabbed him by the hair and dragged him towards the magical whirlwind while he screamed in pain. "If she dies, you die. First, you'll suffer. Then I'll find out where she is and trade your miserable soul for hers. How do I bring her back!?"
"No one's gonna make that trade, her soul is more valuable than mine." Klarion panted.
"No argument there, but I'll find a way to persuade them." The Changeling hissed menacingly.
The apparently endless battle of skill on the roof of Titan Tower was exhausting. They were all so fierce they even appreciated the challenge. But then it happened. Nightwing had managed to get the upper hand over Nyssa. And then Talia struck Ravager with her sword. It would have been deadly if she didn't heal herself, but Damian forgot all about that power of hers for a second and immediately turned his head when he heard her scream. Ra's didn't waste any time. Nightwing realized the League's leader would kill his distracted brother and jumped in front of him just in time, taking the hit. Robin's eyes widened when Richard's body fell limp in his arms. Ra's took the chance to attack his grandson again, but Talia al Ghul got between them and stopped her father, shooting him a furious glare.
The leader Assassin quickly composed himself and straightened up. Maybe I got carried away. Killing him isn't the best move. "Like I said, grandson, they'll die. One by one. Think about it."
And just like that, Ra's al Ghul left, being closely followed by his daughters.
Rose was already kneeled down next to Damian, staring at Dick with wide eyes and grabbing her communicator. "Starfire!?"
Raven had been pulled and pushed from one reality to another at random she wasn't sure for how long or why. It was the most annoying spell anyone had ever conceived and she was absolutely livid. She couldn't center to find a way out because the world around her kept changing entirely within seconds. Some of them were really weird or even disturbing, others were downright dangerous. Bizarro world was particularly aggravating. Still, the worst part was how disorienting it all was. And then she was hit by a wave of anguish that made her falter and grab her chest. She knew what it meant. One of her friends was dying. I need to go back.
Starfire pulled Dick's head into her lap and sobbed. Damian had been urgently trying to ring Raven and ask her for help, but she wasn't answering. The Tamaranean tried to stop the bleeding, but Richard's lips were turning paler and she was getting desperate.
"Kor…listen…" Nightwing said in between short, sharp breaths.
Kory shook her head and cried, her heart tight and broken. "N-no, stop. You'll be fine. Rae will save you." She looked up at Damian with fearful eyes to see him look just as scared as her.
"Shit, what happened!?" Cyborg ran in and started scanning Richard's body.
Ravager looked up at him. "Ra's tried to kill Damian and Dick got in front of him."
Robin grunted and cried in frustration. "Fuck! Where the fuck IS she!?"
Rose frowned. "She's probably in trouble…"
Superboy hurriedly landed on the roof as soon as the rest of their attackers retreated. "The League attacked the Sirens too. Garfield flew there to help her. Call him!"
Starfire was in absolute agony at this point. She stroked Dick's hair on her lap. "It's okay. She probably just lost her communicator in the fight. They'll be here soon."
"Okay, b-but listen anyway…" Richard looked up at her. He was having an extremely hard time breathing. "I love you, Starfire. So much."
"I know." The alien princess cried compulsively. "I love you too. But please stay with me. I forgive you, just stay with me. Don't leave me, please."
Nightwing smiled weakly. "I'll try, babe."
"I'm not helping you play the fucking hero for her." Klarion glared at the Changeling. "I'd rather let her die."
Garfield's eyes got so dark and dangerous they made the warlock flinch. His right foot turned into a gorilla's and he stepped on Klarion's already broken leg, making it snap entirely and exposing the bone. The warlock let out a chilling scream. "I'm not fucking joking." The shapeshifter's low, menacing voice warned as he changed his arm into a sharp alien claw and pierced Klarion's shoulder, pinning him to the floor. Another loud and painful scream escaped the villain's throat. "How do I bring her back?" He grew a tail and wrapped it around the warlock's neck, strangling him until he turned purple and then releasing him. "Now."
The Changeling's communicator rang. He sustained his intense glare on the Witch Boy and answered it. "Damian? I'm busy."
"Garfield, we need Raven." Robin said urgently. "Like, NOW."
"On it." The shapeshifter hung up and stepped on Klarion's back with a giant foot, pressing him down on the floor and nearly crushing him. "Well?"
The warlock panted and feared for his life. Not just for his life, in fact. For his physical integrity. The Changeling's eyes and voice at the moment made him absolutely sure he would be slowly tortured and dismantled for years if Raven didn't come back. "The…the words…" His voice came out all strangled. "The book…read the words…"
Garfield followed his gaze to an old magic book tossed on the side. He let go of the warlock and ran for it. It opened to a specific page where Latin words glowed brightly and he read them out loud a few times before getting the pronunciation right. Listening to Raven speaking Latin so much definitely helped. The unstable portal shook and he ran to it. Klarion gathered enough strength to disappear in a smoke cloud. The Changeling decided to care about that later, because Raven's ashen hand emerged from the flickering portal. He instinctively grabbed it and pulled her out so eagerly he fell on his back, collapsing on the floor with her on top of him. They stared at each other and panted as the portal closed and the whirlwind ceased.
Raven frowned in confusion and grabbed her aching head. "Am I back?"
She looks distraught. Garfield held her face in his hands and examined it. "Yes. Are you hurt?"
The Sirens had managed the League of Assassins on their side too, with a few casualties amongst the HIVE. Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn came running in to see the empath lying on top of the Changeling.
"Where have you been!?" Harley grunted loudly, covered in blood. "Making out!?"
"Traveling the Multiverse." Raven answered, still looking into the shapeshifter's worried eyes while she waited for her head to stop spinning.
"It was Klarion. He cast a spell." Garfield told her.
Of course it was. The sorcerer closed her eyes and swallowed. "I'll kill him."
"That fucking traitor!" Harley shouted.
Raven pulled away from him, because being transported between realities at that speed took a toll on a human – or half-human – body. She felt nauseated and still slightly dizzy, so she got as far away from him as she could, grabbed onto her stomach and puked.
"Ew." Ivy frowned.
Garfield rushed to the empath's side and gently touched her back. "Rae, I'm so sorry to ask right now, but…the Titans need you."
"I know." She inhaled deeply. "Someone got hurt."
They were still desperately trying to stop the bleeding and feeling more hopeless by the minute. Every Titan was on the roof now, either holding their breath or crying. Koryand'r leaned down and kissed Nightwing deeply, sobbing against his lips. Damian had Bruce Wayne on the phone as silent tears rolled down his cheeks.
Richard looked at him. "I love you, little brother. T-take care of them."
A dark energy bird appeared beside them, revealing the shapeshifter and the person who could possibly stop this tragedy. All eyes were on her now.
Starfire's face filled with hope. "RAVEN!"
She waited until her blurred vision cleared enough for her to understand what was happening. Fuck. It's Dick. He'd lost a lot of blood. Not as much as Garfield had when they fought Darkseid, because this wound was made by a sword and not giant claws. Still, he was pale and his eyelids were closing because he was losing consciousness. The biggest problem though was that it had pierced his right lung. That would be difficult to fix. But it's Dick. Just power through. She stumbled over to Nightwing and kneeled next to him.
The Changeling squatted down beside her, watching her intently. He didn't want her to do this. He knew she was in no shape. But if she didn't, Richard would die. He frowned at the others. "Has anyone called 911? What about the infirmary?"
"I called them. And he would need a hospital." Cyborg nodded. "But…"
"He doesn't have that long." Raven whispered. And then she stretched her arms over Dick's wound and her hands glowed white. It was painful. Extremely painful. She didn't just frown, her entire face twisted in pain and she actually screamed.
Starfire watched her with horrified eyes. The empath was clearly struggling. But Dick was dying. And she felt completely powerless to help either of them.
Raven found herself losing consciousness and needing to stop multiple times before she accepted the fact she didn't have the power to save him at the moment. Klarion's spell worn her out and this required complete focus. So she started weeping and panting, feeling absolutely defeated. One of her best friends was dying and she couldn't save him. "I…I can't…"
Garfield gently touched her shoulder. "It's okay…"
Her eyes widened as Richard's eyes closed. He was gasping for air in a way she knew would stop soon because he wouldn't breathe at all anymore. It's not okay. It's your fault. You left them. You should have been here. She wasn't used to failing. It was slowly crushing her.
Starfire sobbed again and everyone else cried with her this time. She gently shook the boy in her arms. "N-no, Dick…please…"
Robin cried on Ravager's shoulder and she instantly held him. Garfield had been crying over Richard too, but worriedly watching Raven at the same time. It broke his heart, because she was helplessly staring at her own trembling hands as if they'd never done anything right. As if they hadn't saved countless lives and healed countless wounds. He knew that look – not on her, but on him. It was shame. She was feeling like a failure. She was feeling worthless.
The empath looked at Nightwing again and despair filled her eyes. How can you just let him die? How can you not fix this? You weak, useless, evil thing. And then her self-loathing was suddenly interrupted when she was pulled into a warm and caring hug. The Changeling wrapped his arms around her protectively and stroked her hair, making her look away from the awful scene in front of them. Raven sobbed into his chest and he held her tighter and even more tenderly. He didn't need to say anything. It meant this isn't your fault and I love you.
And then she realized not a single person there resented her. All they felt towards her was love and concern. Mostly they were emanating grief towards Nightwing. Nightwing. He gave her a family, a purpose. He was the first person to understand her. Her kindred spirit. Starfire's love. Damian's brother. Starfire. Her best friend. Damian. Her little brother. Her breathing slowed down and her mind cleared. The pair of arms around her. It made her feel safe. Garfield. The love of her life. Images of the Titans crossed her mind and she focused on every happy memory and positive emotion she had inside her. I found it. It's still there.
The Changeling frowned in confusion when white glow emerged from the girl in his arms. And then his eyes widened in shock, because her hair started turning white. "Rae!?"
She gently pushed him away and turned to Nightwing again, her hair completely turned and eyes glowing white, arms confidently stretched out. Everyone emanated a delicious mixture of hope and shock as she repaired the damage to his lung and closed his open wound with great difficulty. She passed out as soon as she was done, collapsing on Garfield's quick arms.
Raven grunted and frowned, then attempted to open her eyes. Her vision was blurry again and her head felt heavy. She could tell there were several people hovering over her. "What…?"
"Ravey! She's awake!" Harley Quinn clapped excitedly.
"She is!?" Ravager asked.
"Oh, thank God." Cyborg exhaled.
"We were so worried!" Starfire exclaimed.
"You scared us, prophecy child." Catwoman said breezily.
"Guys, let her breathe." Nightwing ordered, pushing people out of the way. "Raven. Can you hear me?"
Richard. He's alive. I did it. She focused on him until her vision cleared. I'm on a couch. I'm…I'm in the ops room. "Y-yeah…I…you're okay."
Dick smiled at her. "Thanks to you." And then he frowned. "Oh, Raven. Your eyes…"
"What about her eyes!?" Garfield asked urgently, rushing to Dick's side. His own eyes widened as soon as he saw her face, but then he smiled lovingly. "Oh…"
The empath sat up slowly and rubbed her head. "What about my eyes?"
"They're, uh…different." Nightwing said with a light chuckle.
"Here." The Changeling merrily handed her his phone so she could see for herself. He was relieved enough to see her wake up, but this was making his heart flutter.
Raven looked at herself and exhaled loudly. Her eyes were now a strange mixture of scarlet and violet twirling around each other, like a whirlwind of color. It made her look even weirder, but for some reason, it gave her a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. Her hair was purple as usual. She wasn't even sure it had turned white. "Did I…did I use white magic?"
"You did." Starfire said through watery eyes, sitting on Dick's lap. "Thank you so much."
"How did you do that?" Superboy asked. "I thought you couldn't do that anymore."
"I…wait, how are you this okay already?" Raven narrowed her eyes at Richard, who was now smiling hugely at Kory on his lap. "You lost so much blood…"
Dick looked concerned again. "Raven…you've been out for hours."
"I have!?" She looked around and saw Poison Ivy, Catwoman and Harley Quinn. "Why is everyone here? Who even stabbed Nightwing?" Then she looked at Starfire and Richard. "Are you two back together?" Then she turned to Garfield. "Where is Klarion?"
"Shit, what do you know?" Rose chuckled.
Raven rolled her shoulders back. "I was in Siren Mansion and then suddenly I was being tossed around from one weird world to another by force."
"I can't believe that warlock loser." Ivy said pointedly. "See, this is why I kill men."
"She has a point there." Ravager said to Robin, who responded with an amused smirk.
"Okay, Raven? Take a deep breath." Nightwing smiled reassuringly. "The League of Assassins attacked us and you. Klarion cast that spell to keep you out of the fight. Ra's al Ghul stabbed me. Garfield pulled you out of your Multiverse trip and you accessed white magic to save me. And then I asked the Sirens to come in and suggested a truce until we've handled this League of Assassins situation. And we've been waiting for you to wake up."
The empath nodded slowly, taking it all in. "Okay…well, yes. A truce sounds smart."
"Oh and yes, Kor and I made up in the meantime." Richard's smile widened.
"You were right, watching them die changes everything." Starfire said with serious eyes.
Raven shot the Changeling a quick glance and they both blushed. The sorcerer cleared her throat. "Ah…yes." She smiled at the couple in front of her. "Well, I'm happy for you."
"Are you hungry?" Garfield asked her intently.
"I…yes, actually."
The shapeshifter immediately went to get her something to eat and she dismissed the excessive attention she was getting, making everyone scatter around the room in no time. Then Raven stared at Damian, who came in and sat down next to her.
"How are you?" The empath whispered to him. If it was the League of Assassins, this had to be difficult for him.
"I…well, I'm not great. Dick took that stabbing to save me, you know? My grandfather was trying to recruit me back and when I said no he tried to kill me and I…I got distracted."
"That's happened to all of us." Raven elbowed him lightly. "The getting distracted part, I mean. And hey, Dick is okay."
Robin gave her a heartfelt, genuine smile. "Thank you for that, by the way. I meant to thank you for my dad too. So…thank you for my spine, my dad and my brother, I guess." He chuckled. "I'm gonna owe you like, forever."
"You owe me nothing, Damian." The sorcerer said truthfully. "None of you do, but especially you. You gave me hope. Just because I didn't get to go, that doesn't mean I forgot."
His smile widened. "Well, I…" He trailed off because Garfield came back with her food and he knew they probably wanted to be alone. "See you later, Doomsday. Thanks again."
She smiled at him while he left to go talk to Ravager and Harley Quinn and then she gratefully took the bowl of food from the Changeling and started eating. She really was hungry.
Garfield beamed at her. She was eating a lot faster than usual, but it was still graceful somehow. "Your eyes look pretty."
Raven swallowed her food and frowned. "You mean weird."
"I mean pretty."
The empath chuckled softly. "If you say so." Then she looked into his eyes. "So…why did Klarion do that? Why would he help the League of Assassins? What was his angle? And how did you find me? Also, thank you."
Garfield's smile grew wider at that last bit, but then he thought of Klarion and scoffed. "He wanted to kill me. And then he would bring you back and pretend he saved you and tried to save me then offer you a shoulder to cry on. I'm guessing the League probably helped him."
Raven's wrath turned around uncomfortably in her guts. "He tried to kill you?"
"Yeah, he called me out. He didn't count on the Beast, though." He grinned smugly at her.
She smiled slightly. "Of course he didn't. So…is he…you know…alive?"
Garfield grunted. "Yeah. I beat the crap out of him, but then he escaped while I was bringing you back."
The empath looked amused. "Wish I'd seen that. But…you saved me. Again."
The shapeshifter's heart skipped a beat. He knew she was directly referring to when he said he couldn't save anyone. "Well, I…"
"You did. I was lost in between worlds and you opened the door and pulled me out by the hand." Raven said softly, looking at him with wide sincere eyes. "Thank you."
Her eyes trapped him and her words gave him wild butterflies. Garfield smiled at her. "I…I'll always rescue you too, right?"
She nodded then rolled her eyes playfully as she whispered. "My hero."
That gave him way more butterflies. He smiled idiotically and gigantically at her amused face until she released him by looking away and going back to her meal. Once Raven got her strength back and hugged Starfire while they whispered secretively to each other and giggled, the Sirens went back to Siren Mansion. Garfield went to sleep with his raven plush clutched to his chest and a twinge of that childish joy he hadn't felt in a long time.
One More Night (Maroon 5)