TheUbu (I'd be Ubu but someone took it!)
I'm a crazy Canadian and some of my writing may reflect that. Don't be alarmed and run for the hills, I'm sure it won't hurt too badly.
I'm sure there are many of you who want to kill me for where I ended chapter seven but look! Chapter eight is here!
I tried to post this on Thursday but I couldn't! Something happened to my account and I couldn't post or edit anything! I sent an e-mail to the staff at the same day and it's now been cleared up. I felt bad for not being able to post as I promised so it made it longer than it would have been.
Thanks to all those who replied to my question.
Disclaimer: I can't think of any more ways to say I don't own the Teen Titans; any characters contained within are not mine and belong to their respective owners with whom I have no affiliation. The story's mine though and I hope you're enjoying it.
Chapter Eight
"Run! Get Beast Boy out of here and get away!" Screamed Raven to the Titans from atop the stone pedestal.
Trigon lashed out his arm and sent all of the rescuing Titans to the wall and restrained them with his demonic energy.
"Continue the ritual or they will all die!" He bellowed.
No. She couldn't keep going. But if she didn't? He'd kill all of them slowly and painfully and would force her to do it anyway. If she continued, Trigon would be pulled back to his dimension and then come through the portal. That may give the rest enough time to set a trap or run. It could work; Trigon would be very weak and disoriented after coming through the portal so it was worth a shot.
Dark red flames of energy licked around Trigon's clenched fist and all of the Titans let out cries distress as their restraints inflicted great pain upon them. Trigon was also holding the trigger that controlled Beast Boy's collar.
They were going to die if he didn't stop. She had to speed up the ritual so Trigon would loose control. Raven drew a dagger from one of the pedestal's fingers. It was obviously extremely old and was ornately decorated with etched bronze and blood red gems. She examined the dagger a moment and looked back to her friends.
'This is insane!' Part of her mind screamed. 'Not only will you kill Beast Boy and the other Titans, but the entire world! You can't do it!'
'No! You have to!' Another part of her mind argued. 'There's a chance that the Titans can kill Trigon! They'll certainly die if you don't act quickly.'
Without a second thought, Raven quickly pulled the razor sharp blade across her hand. It was a little painful but that didn't matter. Soon, when enough blood had pooled in the palm of the pedestal, her life energy would be drained out of her and she'd die. Her thoughts were moving a mile a minute and she wondered; would it hurt? Could they stop Trigon? Would Beast Boy go on without her?
The first drop of blood landed on the cold stone and Raven's eyes turned bright white. A nonexistent wind blew her violet hair and tears descended her face. Beast Boy. That's what she wanted to remember. The day he joined the Titans, his stupid jokes, how he always tried to make her laugh, the time he tried to protect her when he turned into the Beast, the way he always knew the right thing to say like after the incident with Malchior, their first kiss, how he still loved her when she did her best to stop him from doing so, how he fought and was almost killed by Slade for her. He'd done so much! He even tried to get her out of here knowing he'd be left behind to die. Their last kiss. That was what she'd remember.
Despite her best attempts to block out everything else, Raven's concentration on her memories of Beast Boy were broken.
"No. That is not possible!" Came the voice of Trigon in disbelief.
Raven turned to see what was happening and saw Trigon almost franticly thrusting orbs of his demonic energy at the quickly advancing Beast.
'He broke free? How? How can he still be standing when he's been hit with Trigon's powers?'
The seemingly invincible Beast closed the gap between himself and the possessed Slade with alarming speed and struck him to the ground. Just as quickly as the Beast had knocked Trigon down, he was on him again and was ferociously tearing at every part of the body he could lay his clawed hands on.
Trigon struggled underneath the green hulk and tried to strike him but only succeeded in getting his entire arm broken off. Nothing but the snapping of bone and tearing of fabric were heard though. No flesh. Just a skeleton in clothing. Why did it seem that there was muscle mass then?
It was almost as though Trigon had to take a moment to realize what had happened but he eventually let out a cry that rattled the very souls of those unfortunate enough to hear it. More fabric was torn and more fleshless bones were exposed.
'H-He's winning? None of this should be possible!' She thought.
Another part of her mind cheered Beast Boy on. 'You can do it Garfield! End him now!'
Yet another part spoke to her. This part of Raven's mind spoke with a dire important tone in voice. 'You have to stop the ritual. Now! Trigon is almost defeated; he mustn't be able to come through the portal.'
The large and long talon tipped fingers of the Beast constricted around Slade's possessed mask and covered the four glowing demonic eyes. He smashed it hard into the ground eliciting a half muffled scream of pain from Trigon.
Raven tried to move herself from the pedestal but found she couldn't! Some sort of invisible barrier was holding her in place. Her life energy. The transfer had begun she was too late. After everything that happened, all the times she had fought Trigon internally for control, she was going to hand the universe to him on a silver platter.
'No…'
Trigon muttered some demonic words that even Raven could not understand. A giant ball of dark red light appeared in the gap between Trigon and engulfed Beast Boy. It flashed brightly multiple times in quick succession and exploded with an immense force that sent the Beast flying across the room.
Raven could do nothing but watch as her love flew lifelessly into the wall and landed in a heap on the floor. He'd reverted back to his human self as soon as he came in contact with the wall and lay unmoving and bloody on the cold stone.
"BEAST BOY! NO!"
Everything inside her just snapped. She had lost control of her body and a dark aura encompassed it. A cry that contained every emotion known to man escaped Raven's lips and the dark energy exploded from her. The giant stone pedestal was completely obliterated and a spherical indentation was carved out of the floor beneath it.
She tore herself from the place that had previously held her there by her very essence and made her way to Beast Boy faster than she ever thought possible. What had Trigon done to him? The wounds were so sever and all seemed to have a sort of dark residue on them.
He couldn't die! She wouldn't let him. Now having the full extent of her powers again, she quickly went to channeling the energy required. Bright blue light emanated from her hands and Beast Boy's body turned the same bright blue. His torso began to slowly rise into the air and his limbs dangled carelessly below it. Every single ounce of energy went into healing him. She didn't know what Trigon's final attack had done to him but she healed every single scratch, internal or external, on Beast Boy's body.
"Beast Boy. Wake up."
No response. He was barely breathing.
"Come on Beast Boy. He's gone now. You did it… Wake up."
The no longer restrained Titans gathered around Raven and Beast Boy. Raven was now holding him around the mid section and was shaking him.
"Please Beast Boy! Wake up! It's over!" She cried.
"Robin, why does our friend not awaken?" Asked Starfire.
"I don't know Star." Their leader replied. "Hey Cy, you getting any weird readings off of him?"
Cyborg had franticly been pushing buttons on his arm since he had gotten close enough the scan Beast Boy.
"I don't know what I'm getting off him. Trigon's last attack must have messed him up something bad because I can't make heads or tails of these readings." He replied.
Raven didn't seem to notice anyone there and was still trying to rouse he green love. Nothing was working and she was past the point of desperate.
"SOMEBODY HELP ME!" She screamed.
Robin and Cyborg seemed to be put into a kind of stupor by Raven's cries for help so Bumble Bee took action.
"Lets get him out of here! Put him in the T-car! We have to get to the tower in Steel City now!"
Everyone took to the orders immediately and they were off.
:-:-:-:-:
What was happening? Everything was a swirling mass of color. A flash a faces above him then another blur. Did he know them? What were they doing?
His confusion was momentarily put on hold as pain filled his being. All he could see was a deep red and his ears filled with something that sounded like howling wind. He could feel himself begin to flail about but was quickly restrained by multiple sets of hands.
'Why won't the pain stop!' He internally screamed.
:-:-:-:-:
"He's opening his eyes!" Starfire happily announced.
Raven had been in a state of shock since they had got into the T-car. She'd healed everything that was physically wrong with Beast Boy but he had still been unconscious. What was worse, his breathing and pulse were both very weak and didn't show any signs of strengthening at the time. It would also take at least an hour to get back to the tower in Steel City where they could try to treat him properly.
Raven immediately directed her gaze from the back of the seat ahead of her to Beast Boy's face. Starfire's previous statement was true, Beast Boy's eyes were fluttering open and closed. Beast Boy was in the back of the T-car laying stretched out over the back seat on Starfire, Bumble Bee, and Raven. Aqualad was sitting in the front passenger seat and Cyborg was driving.
"Don't worry." Raven whispered as she leaned down and brushed his forehead lightly. "You're going to be alright. You have to be Garfield."
Beast Boy face contorted and he let out a scream of pain. His limbs lashed out startling the three female Titans he had been resting atop.
"Hold him down before he hurts himself!" Shouted Bumble Bee. "How much longer until we get to the tower?"
"About forty five minutes." Replied Cyborg.
Something had happened and Beast Boy's scream and flailing had subsided. His breathing had become so shallow that it was difficult to see he was breathing at all. His pulse had drastically quickened and a cold sweat spread over his brow.
"That's not good enough! Floor it!"
:-:-:-:-:
Why wouldn't the pain stop? Hadn't he beaten Trigon? Maybe he had and he'd died doing it. But why was he still in pain? Unless that last attack of Trigon's had sent him somewhere. Somewhere like his dimension…
The pain stopped as suddenly as it had started. He had become slightly more aware of his true surroundings but was still confused.
"That's not good enough! Floor it!" Came a somewhat familiar voice.
It was loud. So loud that it was kind of painful. He just wanted it all to go away right now. All the sounds, all the lights, and especially all the pain to just leave him. He was struck with another sensation though, something completely different from the loud noises, something different from the bright lights, something different from the ache that lingered as a reminder of the pain; It was something comforting.
"Stay with me Gar. You're going to pull through this, ok?" A melodious voice comforted.
'Raven.' He thought. 'She's alive! I have to be here, I can't loose consciousness again.'
Despite his best efforts, he could feel the cool darkness of unconsciousness creeping up on him again.
"Rae…" He managed to breath before succumbing to the darkness.
:-:-:-:-:
"Rae…" Came Beast Boy's croaky and weak voice from Raven's lap.
"Beast Boy? Garfield?"
She received no response.
"Gar? Answer me! Wake up!" She cried shaking his head a little.
Starfire placed her hand on Beast Boy's chest to check for breathing and a heartbeat.
"Beast Boy is no longer breathing!" Cried Starfire in alarm.
"Get us there now Cyborg!" Shouted Bumble Bee.
"We'll be there soon! Just hold on!" Replied Cyborg as he tried to move even faster than he already was.
"Does he have a pulse?" Bumble Bee asked.
"Yes, but it is very rapid." Starfire replied.
"Okay, we need to get oxygen into his blood stream. Raven, you're going to have to perform artificial respiration. Give him two deep breathes every fifteen seconds."
Raven did as she was instructed and tipped Beast Boy's head back, the position was slightly precarious, but it was far easier for her to try it than anyone else. She then pinched his nose and placed her mouth on his. This wasn't going to be like any of the previous kisses they had ever shared, this was going to be a kiss of life. Sure, she didn't expect to wake him but she'd make sure he wasn't going to suffocate before they got him to the medical bay.
:-:-:-:-:
"Hurry up! Get him on the bed!"
The voice was loud and painful like before. He didn't want to open his eyes because he was sure that the light would hurt just as much as the sound. More loud noises were coming from all around, feet scraping on the floor, the beeping from what he assumed was medical equipment, and the hurried voices of those around him.
A shrill alarm sounded and was followed by a sharp continuous beep tone.
"Shit! He's flat lining! Get the paddles!"
"CLEAR!"
:-:-:-:-:
"Hurry up! Get him on the bed!" Cyborg ordered.
Beast Boy was quickly but carefully placed in the center of the nearest medical bed. Cyborg quickly went about placing sensors all over him. He'd need all the information on what was happening to his green friend if he were to have any hope of helping him.
The monitor to the right of him released a harsh alarm that was followed by a high-pitched and continuous tone.
"Shit! He's flat lining! Get the paddles!" The metallic Titan shouted.
Robin grabbed them and waited for them to charge. Once the piercing whine of the capacitor reached the inaudible levelthat accompanied a full charge, he moved above Beast Boy.
"CLEAR!" Robin shouted as he placed the paddles on Beast Boy.
The high-pitched tone was briefly interrupted but continued.
"CLEAR!" Said Robin, once again placing the paddles on Beast Boy's chest.
The continuous tone was interrupted again but this time did not return. Instead, a steady pattern of beeps was all that was heard. Everyone in the room released their held breath.
"We're not out of the woods yet." Stated Cyborg as he read a screen next to Beast Boy's bed. "He's going to start fading again if we don't deal with the energy that's causing this."
"And how exactly are we supposed to do that?" Asked Bumble Bee.
"How am I supposed to know! This is something I know nothing about!"
"Well, this was caused by Trigon's energy right? Maybe Raven can do something…" Stated Speedy.
Raven's heart stopped when Beast Boy flat lined. He couldn't die! Where would she be without him? What would she do without him? There had to be something she could do to help him…
:-:-:-:-:
"Raven! Snap out of it!" Said Robin as he shook her shoulders. It appeared as though he were trying to wake her from whatever state of reflection she was in for a short time.
"Beast Boy is okay for now but we need to take care of the energy that's harming him soon. Do you have any idea what Trigon did to him?"
"N-No." She stammered. "But whatever he did, his dark energy is still there. I can try to cleanse it but I'm not sure if it'll work or not…"
Raven moved closer to Beast Boy and placed her palm on his bare chest. She felt his warmth but also felt the cold and dark energy that lingered within. She chanted her magic words and began to channel the dark energy out. A tiny wisp of crimson dispersed into the air. This was going to take a long time, possibly too long for Beast Boy.
She placed a second hand on Beast Boy and a slightly larger amount of energy escaped into the air. It was tiring and took most of Raven's energy but she'd make sure she'd do all she could to save him.
Growing even more frustrated and concerned at the speed Trigon's energy was dissipating, she climbed into the bed next to Beast Boy and wrapped her arms around his mid section. The increased contact allowed even more energy to be channeled out of the afflicted Titan. Raven felt exhausted but continued to channel the energy out. This could take all night, but she'd do it.
The rest of the Titans in the medical bay saw that Beast Boy was now stabilized and decided it best to leave the two alone. They all quietly exited and headed for the common room.
Raven squeezed herself tightly up against Beast Boy.
"Please be here when I wake up." She quietly whispered into his ear.
With that, she kissed him on the cheek and fell into a deep sleep channeling the energy out all the while.
:-:-:-:-:
A bright light shone on Beast Boy. It was uncomfortably bright and he squeezed his eyes shut even tighter then they were before. He could feel the heat of the light on his face and tried to move away from it but found he could not move.
'Wait… Bright light? Am I dead?' He thought. 'No! I can't be dead! I need to be with Raven!'
He didn't want it to be true. How could he be dead? Trigon was defeated! He had control of the Beast. Everything was the way it was supposed to be! This was supposed to be the happy ending. No. He wouldn't accept it. He kept his eyes shut and struggled to stay away from the light. People only move on when they go towards the light right? He was going to fight it until he couldn't any longer.
He heard a groan from behind him. A groan? Someone was there with him. If someone was there, he couldn't be dead right?
Opening his eyes, the green changeling saw the bright sun streaming through half drawn blinds. It looked like he was in the medical bay of the tower but it was different, everything was backwards! He turned his head to avoid the bright sun and found a few strands of violet hair slide off of his face.
He was suddenly struck with the wonderfully relaxing scent of lavender. He knew what that meant. Beast Boy rolled over and found himself face to face with his dark love. Her arms were wrapped tightly around him and her head was resting on the same pillow he had been sleeping on a moment ago. She was asleep and was breathing softly. The way the light fell on her made her look angelic.
He didn't want to rouse her from her beautiful state of peace but he had to. His lips met hers and he waited for her to wake. He found that he did not have to wait long because Raven had quickly begun to kiss him back. It wasn't desperately passionate like when they were back in captivity, but loving and comforting.
Raven pulled away from the kiss and studied Beast Boy for a moment. Was this real? Or was it a dream like before?
"Beast Boy?" She asked.
He smiled.
"I'm here Rae. I'll always be here for you."
She buried her face in Beast Boy's chest. This was her Beast Boy. No dream. She had come so close to loosing him, she'd never let that happen again. All she wanted right now was to be close to her emerald love.
"I love you so much Beast Boy." Came her muffled voice from his chest. "Please just stay here with me."
He hugged her tightly and pulled the blanket up over them.
"I'm not going anywhere Raven. Ever."
Well there you have it! My first Teen Titan fanfic! I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. What do you guys think?
I know I put Beast Boy through a lot of punishment but he just seems like the self-sacrificing kind of guy. Like the guy who throws himself on a grenade to save his squad. He'll probably take similar punishment in future stories.
What did you guys think of the part near the end where Beast Boy thought he was dead? I know that was cruel and I'm sorry but I thought I'd add one last shocker there.
I doubt I'll make a sequel to this but if I do, it'll be after a couple other stories I write.
warprince2000: Thanks for reading the story!
AnimationWickedRaven: Thank you.
StormScarred: I know I've left it at horrible cliffhangers in previous chapters and I'm sorry for that. I guess it's just my style. Slade is a great villain, He's just got that classic 'I'm so freaking evil' deal going for him. Thanks for reading!
They-Call-Me-Orange: I tried to explain why Raven didn't put up more of a fight in this chapter. She is pretty OOC but I think the circumstances sort of explain it. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing.
CalliopeMused: Thanks for the advice. I went back and edited the chapters so that there was a little divider every time there was a 'jump'. I'm glad you think Raven is in character, I did kind of take some creative license with Raven's attitude but as you said, strange things happen when people fall in love. I've read several of your stories and enjoyed them very much, such a nice review form an author of your caliber is appreciated very much.
wolf of raven: I hope you liked how it ended.
I'd like to thank everyone who answered my question about how it should end. I had planned to make it a happy ending in the beginning but I was struck with an idea in the midst of writing. I weighed the outcomes and even started to write the tragic one but I didn't like the way it was going. I too am a sucker for the happy ending so that's why it's here. Hero cookies for all!
I'm going to take a short siesta from writing as I try to find a job :P but will begin work on my next story within a week. The title is going to be "It's Tough To Be Me" and will be a Beast Boy x Raven story. I had an idea the first time I saw switched and thought it might be funny if something similar were to happen between our favorite green and dark Titans. Instead of switching bodies though(It's been done before), they'll switch powers! Hilarity WILL ensue.
Thanks for reading my story! I love you all!