Wow… That was… Way too long… But at least it's here! ((dodges tomatoes)) Okay, okay, I'm terribly sorry and you are the best readers in the world if you even come back after my horribleness at not updating for probably more than a month. I don't even remember the last time I updated. Cool. I think. Well, this fic might be nearing it's conclusion in the next few chapters, but I already have an idea for another Titans fic. I'm going to be home for the next month, so expect many happy updates! Hooray! Extra special newsflash: I just started a webcomic by name of Fade to Black. If you've ever been in theatre, you'll like it. Actually, I hope you like it even if you haven't been in theatre. So go check it out at ((without the spaces)): http/ fadetoblack. keenspace. com. It's cool. I think.

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Raven yawned, arching her back, sprawled out over the carpet. She smiled without opening her eyes. A bright play of light from some window warmed her face and body as she sleepily nuzzled her arm, which she was using as a pillow.

What a nice morning…Even my magic feels happy, somehow.

A clock ticked hypnotically from somewhere nearby, counting away lazy seconds of the honey-thick time. The sunlight dimmed and then brightened as a cloud passed.

Raven opened her eyes.

A puzzled frown crossed her features for a moment, but soon enough she smiled and closed her eyes again. It was nothing to worry about. She was happy. Raven brushed any trace of the bothersome thoughts from her mind, but her subconscious remained confused.

Why exactly was she in an office building?

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Beast Boy? You doin' okay, man?" Cyborg glanced into the rear-view mirror, checking on his friend's prone form in the backseat.

"Huh? Oh, yeah…" Beast Boy mumbled. He closed his eyes again and tried to block out the raucous sound of car horns as they sped down the highway. He had to think, but it was so hard to concentrate. Thoughts slipped through his mind like sand, consciousness wavering, turning the real world into a mirage. There was something he had to remember, something about the darkness, about…

The effort of focusing was too much. Beast Boy fell back into shadowy insensibility and

Raven wasn't floating, as was usual. She stood firmly on the ground, weighed down by the density inside her. The power. So much of it, so tightly packed. So heavy. The world around her began to distort. Beast Boy felt the pull, Raven's gravity sucking him in, twisting and bending him as he clung to the earth. The stars overhead slowly became streaks of light that stretched like taffy toward the pale, pale girl. Beast Boy yelled, but the air carrying the sound was so warped, bent towards Raven, that nothing could be heard. The ground started to crack, heaving up towards

A particularly loud car horn jerked the green boy awake again.

"Damnit… Not again." Beast Boy sighed, too quietly for Cyborg to hear over traffic. He brought a hand up to massage his throbbing head, but the movement sent a twinge of pain through his broken ribs and he cut the motion short. From where he lay on the back seats of the T-car, Beast Boy could see his reflection on the inside of the window.

Cool. I almost don't look half-dead. None of the numerous bandages or twisted stitches on his torso could be seen, as they were covered by the thick soft fabric of a hooded sweatshirt. This had been the only practical solution at hand: Beast Boy's uniform was too torn and bloodstained to wear, and its tightness might have aggravated some of his injuries. Now, with the sweatshirt and a pair of baggy jeans to complete the picture, Beast Boy might have been any normal, healthy teenager— if not for his green skin, made even more sickly by the scrapes, bruises, and blood loss he had suffered. He stuck his tongue out at his reflection and bared a fang. No worries, Rae. You've got the only living corpse in Jump City coming to save you. Yup. You are in good hands indeed.

"Robin!"

"Gah!" Beast Boy jumped in surprise at Cyborg's shout and immediately winced. "What's going on?"

"It's Robin! I can see him just over-"

"Friend?" The car in the next lane was lucky to survive as the T-car swerved suddenly to the side.

"Starfire! Jeez, don't scare me like that!" Cyborg grumbled at the pair of enormous green eyes that had just appeared outside the window.

"Friend Cyborg, you are repaired, yes? Please hurry-" Starfire disappeared from view for an instant as she flew to avoid a passing motorcycle, "-I believe we have just lost Slade, and- Beast Boy!"

Beast Boy blinked tiredly and gave Starfire a wave and a grin. "Yo."

"Cyborg, he is not well, he should not—"

"Hold up for a minute, you've gotta tell me where we're going first."

"Right here."

Cyborg slammed the car to a screeching halt. "Y'know, Star, you could have told me a little sooner…" He didn't have time to finish berating Starfire as Robin ran up, looking agitated and red in the face.

"Cy! You're alright? Good. Listen, something funny is going on. Slade just went into this building with Raven-"

"Wait, with Raven? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Long story. But he came out empty-handed. Star and I have got to track Slade in case he's got another plan. You stay and search the building. Titans, g-"

Thunk.

The unexpected opening of a car door caught Robin from behind and knocked him into a magnificent faceplant. He leapt up sputtering.

"Cyborg, what are you—" Wait. Cyborg was standing in front of him. Already out of the car.

"Sorry, dude."

Robin turned around slowly, dreading what he'd see.

Beast Boy slammed the door shut again, staggering back a bit with the force and grabbing the car for support. "Heh heh… My bad."

Strangling between shock, worry, and anger, Robin just stared for a minute at the wobbly and weak-looking Beast Boy, then did what Robin does best: started yelling.

"What are you DOING here? You were halfway dead last time we saw you, you're in no condition to be doing anything like this! Cyborg, take Beast Boy back to the hospital RIGHT NOW, because BB, if you try to do anything you'll either kill yourself or get in the way, and both of those are BAD. Cy, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, lock him in the car if you have to but DON'T let him fight. TITANS GO!"

And Robin was gone, roaring down the street on his R-cycle, Starfire following and looking apologetically over her shoulder.

Cyborg and Beast Boy were left standing in awkward silence, traffic rushing past uncaringly. Cyborg haltingly and guiltily tried to offer up a thought.

"I hate to tell you this, BB, but I think Robin has a point. Maybe you should—"

"No. No way. I'm not going back to the hospital. C'mon Cy, you're my best friend. I've gotta stay, you know that."

"Hey, look, I just don't want you dead, like Robin sa—"

"Robin?" Beast Boy started shouting. "Robin? Yeah, like he cares! You heard him! I'm just gonna get in the way like this! Well y'know what? Now I have to stay, I really have to! I've gotta prove him wrong, prove Slade wrong. D'you know what Slade said, that whole month I was stuck with him? That none of you guys CARED! That I was useless anyways!" He felt light-headed, reeling, disturbing blankness eating away the edges of his vision. "And now Raven's in there, and her magic's all screwed up because I was TOTALLY USELESS! Is that all I've ever been? How come you didn't tell me that you didn't need me? Why didn't you just kick me out?"

Beast Boy dropped to his knees, a cold film of sweat on his face and shaking hands. "Please, just let me stay… Just let me do one thing to help… Just… Just one thing…"

That was when he passed out.

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Woo! Beast Boy torture is so, so much fun… Shall we make him suffer more, my dearies? Yes, we shall!