Come one, come all, to the last chapter of Porphyria, the end of the storyline we started out with all the way back in Silver Wing.
Fun fact – did you know I was sixteen when I started writing SW? And I'm totally eighteen now. It's just been so long, and I've spent so much time working on these stories, that I really am ready for them to be over. And I'm actually very pleased with this chapter, two scenes in particular (virtual cookies if you can guess which they are).
Wow…you people have no idea how much I appreciate all that you've done for me, with your reviews and support…but I'll save that speech for the end author's note, m'kay?
For now, please, just enjoy the chapter, and thank you for sticking around for the grand finale.
DISCLAIMER – I do not own Teen Titans. I own James, Lucy, all the other Lucy's, and Beast Boy's many shiny arms. Similarly, I don't own the poem Porphyria's Lover, by Robert Browning, but I do owe my soul…or at least this plot, to that spectacular piece. Lines from the poem are bolded.
And with that, I present to you, chapter 15.
Porphyria
Chapter 15 – Accepting
The creature didn't assume its full height, only barely rising past two stories, but it was terrible all the same. It remained shapeless for a moment, then two inky tendrils shot out and twined about the banister of the balcony. The Titans struggled for balance as the very ground beneath their feet rocked forward.
Robin tried to shout out to his teammates, but his words were drowned out as the creature howled. Instead of trying again, he fired his grappling hook into the rafters and swung towards the enemy – Cyborg and Starfire vaulted after him into the fray.
Beast Boy and Raven still knelt on the balcony – he had his hands on her shoulders, urgently asking for her attention.
"Raven, look at me." She didn't, only dug her nails further into her scalp. "We have to go, Raven."
He glanced back over his shoulder – the others were locked in combat with the creature, but it had yet to relinquish its hold on the banister. As if to prove a point, it thrashed again and the balcony moaned, tilting forward. Beast Boy felt himself slip, and tightened his hold on Raven.
"You can stop this, Raven," he whispered, shaking her lightly.
"I can't," she hissed, still not looking up.
The ground lurched again, and they slid even further. "You have to."
She didn't answer. The hardwood groaned and began to splinter – the creature was stalling, trying to draw out their demise.
Beast Boy frowned – he'd have to carry Raven away himself, which wouldn't really be a problem, unless she struggled. In that case, he'd have to shift into something stronger, but without putting too much strain on the balcony – it wouldn't take much to break its tenuous grasp on the manor.
Yet another violent tremor made his mind up for him – he dove forward, wrapping his arms around Raven's trembling form as he went. They sailed through the air for a second, and two things happened at once.
With a tremendous snap the balcony finally crumbled, and three-quarters of it tumbled into the fray below. At the same time, Beast Boy and Raven began their descent – he rolled, and they collapsed onto the one remaining portion of the once-grand balcony, right in front of the door James had disappeared into.
Raven sat up quickly, breathing erratic and eyes fixed on the creature – Beast Boy followed her gaze, then looked back, his eyes serious.
"I need you to wait here," he instructed, his tone gentle, yet forceful. "Whatever happens, don't move from this spot."
She nodded, almost imperceptibly, but it was enough for him – he turned, swooping off what remained of the balcony as a green-and-silver hawk.
He surveyed the battle from above – since the balcony was effectively demolished, the creature was able to wholly focus on its opponents. An army of tendrils shot out, assaulting the Titans dancing around it in the foyer.
Beast Boy dove straight towards the creature's "face," not at all expecting the inky black tendril that whipped out. He collided, and the force catapulted him into a wall – the impact left him breathless, and he slid down to the floor and shifted back to his human form in a daze. But he shook it off and stood, morphing into a cheetah as he leapt forward once more.
Now he was lost amid the mass of tendrils, weaving as they snapped and struck, grasping for a purchase. One made contact, and a thin trail of blood appeared on his shoulder. He pressed on, sprinting through the sea of black until he burst through the other side.
He skidded to a halt on the other side, bracing himself as the creature howled and the ground trembled. Looking up, he spotted Starfire circling the creature's head, unleashing a barrage of starbolts.
"Where's Raven?"
Beast Boy started at the voice, but relaxed when he turned back to see Robin. The leader was a little battered, with a gash traveling from his forehead to his cheek, but was otherwise unscathed.
Recalling the earlier question, Beast Boy shifted to his human form again. "She's up…" He trailed off, staring in horror at the tattered remains of the balcony. "Oh no."
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Nothing made sense. Everything was right there, but it was too garbled for her to even begin to understand. Only a few things stood out – blood, a glint of silver, Terra's sightless eyes, and a cruel man with half of a face.
It was his gaze that burned behind her eyes – he was the one pulling the strings, the one Terra had been so afraid of. He'd stolen her memories and left her in the clutches of a madman. And he was playing puppeteer with the creature that was currently attacking the friends she'd only just begun to remember.
But was he, really? Beast Boy had told her that she could stop this – he wouldn't have said so without reason. Faintly she recalled summoning an inky black aura, and the one time she'd let her emotions get out of hand.
Hazy recollections began to cement in her mind, flashes of her life in no particular order. She stood, stepping towards the fractured edge of the balcony. A steady drum beat from somewhere deep within her – the tips of her fingers and toes tingled, as if they were only just springing to life. And as she stood, staring down into the abyss, she knew that for the first time since this whole mess had started, she was actually in control.
She heard someone shout from below, but ignored it – she spread her arms wide, and accepted the hauntingly familiar rush that swept over her body.
Everything that came next happed in a matter of seconds. There was a horrible, tearing noise – the creature started, then quivered, releasing an earth-shattering bellow – the walls trembled, struggling to hold all the pent-up anger in. The creature fought the inevitable, and invariably lost – a chasm yawned open in the floor beneath it, creating a monstrous gap. The walls groaned as they split, allowing shafts of sunlight to slice into the ruined foyer.
Then there was a rush of black, and the creature blasted forward. Raven braced herself as the ebony mass collided with her lithe frame. The impact sent her staggering, and started her head spinning. She fought for her slippery hold on consciousness, but the onslaught of memories had increased tenfold, and she was overwhelmed. Tremors shook her body, her head throbbed, and she collapsed.
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Raven hadn't even touched the floor before Beast Boy made it to the balcony. She fell limply into his arms, and for a moment Beast Boy feared that she was gone. But her chest rose and fell with each breath, and a pulse fluttered beneath his fingertips.
"Is she alright?" Beast Boy looked up to see Starfire hovering a few feet away, just past the edge of the balcony. Her look was anxious, and she was wringing her hands nervously – Beast Boy nodded, and her features relaxed. "She is fine!" she called down to Robin and Cyborg, who were still waiting in the rubble below.
Moments later, Starfire had flown the others up to the balcony, and Beast Boy had laid Raven out on the floor, and was sitting by her anxiously. Terra's body was nowhere to be seen – they could only assume that it had been claimed by the gaping chasm below.
"What just happened?" Cyborg asked, rubbing his temple.
"I'm not sure," Robin replied, eyeing Raven carefully. "But whatever it was, I think it's over."
Silence fell over their worn-out little group, only to be punctuated by a sharp gasp as Raven shot upright, her eyes panicked.
"Careful," Beast Boy warned her, reaching out to her shoulder with his flesh hand to steady her. "It's alright."
"Beast Boy?" she asked quietly, a frown creasing her features. "What…oh." She buried her face in her hands. "How long has it been?"
"What?"
"How long?" she repeated, looking up – something about her eyes had changed. "How long have I been gone?"
"Six months," he answered reluctantly.
"You remember, then?'' Robin questioned, his voice soft.
Raven nodded, and Starfire broke into a grin. "Then you really have returned to us!" she exclaimed joyfully.
"I guess so."
"It's good to have you back, Rae," Cyborg added approvingly.
"Thanks." Raven almost smiled, but an angry frown spread across her features instead, as if she'd only just recalled something important.
"Raven?" Beast Boy prompted, watching her cautiously.
"Where's James?" she demanded, a furious glint in her eyes.
The Titans turned their gazes to the door at the end of hall – Raven followed their lead, lips pursed in a thin line. She stood swiftly, much to her companions' surprise, and crossed the space quickly.
She had her hand on the doorknob before anyone could even call out to try and stop her.
"Raven, wait." She turned back, watching Beast Boy and waiting for him to continue.
"Why?"
"You can't just go in there," Beast Boy went on – he looked back to the others for confirmation.
"He's right, Raven," Robin agreed. "Wait out here, with Starfire." He looked to the redhead, who nodded.
Raven, however, wasn't buying it. She gripped the doorknob tighter, and frowned.
"How has he gotten away with this?" she asked quietly, ignoring the matter at hand.
The question threw the others for a loop, but Robin offered an answer, however inadequate it was. "Everyone thought he was dead – apparently he'd committed suicide…but they never found a body."
"Obviously," Raven scoffed, gripping the knob until her knuckles were white. "And how many girls…?"
"Nine," Robin responded lamely, as if the Titans themselves were responsible for the deaths. His answer chased away any doubts that may have lingered in Raven's mind.
"If anyone's going in there, it's me," she told them adamantly. "I know how to deal with him."
And although none of the others were happy about it, they couldn't do a thing to stop Raven from slipping through the door.
Of course, no one was expecting the sight that met them within those walls, and nobody saw the figure lurking just beyond the shadows.
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After she'd woken, things had become surprisingly clear for Raven – her memories were back, and she was more than a little angry. Now that the haze had been lifted, she was aware of exactly what had been done not just to herself, but to her friends, as well.
She also knew that such vehement fury should have sent her powers into overdrive – but there was nothing. For some reason, when her memories had returned, her powers had not.
But all those thoughts were shoved aside once she stepped into James's room, and three things caught her eye.
The first – every inch of the walls was plastered with photos and newspaper clippings – she was surrounded with pictures of her own face, or at least a few very much like it. His victims, she realized – her stomach dropped sickeningly.
Second – a trembling girl curled into a corner, hands bound and lilac locks in disarray, with blood splattered across her face. And judging by the way she was screaming, it wasn't her own.
Third – a sword that was all too familiar wedged into the wall, and the sagging form wrapped around it.
James was covered in blood, from his front all the way down to a pool by his feet, and he was slumped, quite lifelessly, and unmoving.
Raven stepped closer to James's limp form, trying to block out the screams from the girl in the corner – Starfire was approaching the girl to calm her, but her hysterics only increased in volume. Raven could sense Beast Boy, standing alert and just behind her.
With one hand Raven gently reached out to brush the spot where steel met flesh, just to see if it was truly real. Fingers clamped around her wrist, and she gasped, looking up into James's unfocused, green eyes.
She felt Beast Boy bristle, and heard the low snarl building in his throat. She raised her free hand to stay him, and he complied, reluctantly, but still refused to leave her side.
"Hello, James," Raven greeted him, all anger gone from her voice now – he'd been a pawn, just like she had.
"Lucy." Blood came to his lips as he spoke, and he relinquished his grip on her wrist. "It's all come back to you, then?"
"How did you know?"
A strangled laugh escaped his lips. "You're not afraid of me anymore."
Raven eyed him carefully. "Then you know that's not really my name."
"Yes, but…" he paused to draw in a ragged breath, "let's keep it that way, for old time's sake."
A smile almost crossed Raven's features. "Alright then."
James was quiet for a long while, and Raven wondered if he'd already passed away. But finally, he spoke again. "So…why have you come back?"
"To talk." Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper.
"About what?"
"They told me that you're supposed to be dead," she said gently, catching his fading green eyes.
James attempted another laugh, but was only rewarded with a fine spray of blood. "They're right – I tried to end it, but I suppose no one ever gets what they really want, now do they?"
Raven frowned. "I'm sorry, James."
He narrowed his eyes. "Why? After…after what I did to you…" he trailed off, coughing, but the message was there all the same.
"I'm sorry that you never got what you wanted," Raven clarified. "But that doesn't give you the right to take everything away from those girls. What did they do to deserve that?"
"I gave them all they could ever ask for," James replied. He squeezed his eyes shut tight as a spasm racked his body. He coughed again, bringing up more blood. "No one ever loved them…the way I did."
"And no one ever will," Raven whispered. James glanced up into her face, with the ghost of his trademark crooked smile, and nodded.
"I wish things had been different," he told her, his eyes sliding shut.
"Why James?" she asked mournfully. "Why'd you do it?"
"For love of her, and all in vain," he murmured, his eyes sliding shut. He heaved one last, labored breath, and…
Beast Boy's cool touch on her shoulder brought Raven back to her senses. She looked back, meeting his eyes.
"Come on," he told her gently. "Let's go home."
Turning, Raven could see that, with Cyborg's help, Starfire had coaxed James's would-be victim into standing – sobs still shook her body, but she was otherwise quiet.
But despite the sense of security, all was not well – this became all too apparent when a menacing figure stepped forward from where he'd been lingering in the shadows. And while they'd all known that he'd had to be somewhere close by – Robin had even been on the lookout – the Titans couldn't help but feel the slightest jolt of surprise when Slade finally showed his face.
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"Very good – I didn't think you'd ever actually find this place."
The Titans stiffened as Slade, James's Shadow Man, stepped into the light.
"It's over, Slade," Robin growled, whipping out his bo staff.
And of course the man chuckled, advancing almost casually, lessening the gap between himself and the teens.
"You would say that," he chided, "after all, you've rescued the girl and defeated the monster…and the villain and his cohort were disposed of for you. I suppose that just leaves me."
If he cared that every available weapon in the room was leveled directly at his chest, he didn't show it. Slade merely kept walking, each step bringing him closer and closer to Raven.
"Are you angry, Raven?" Slade asked coldly, cocking his head to one side. "Now that you know everything, I mean? All that's transpired – everything I've taken from you – knowing that there's nothing you can do about it. Tell me, doesn't it just make you furious?"
Just before Beast Boy could launch forward for a futile attack, something happened. Raven's eyes narrowed and glowed black – the inky aura spread to the tips of her fingers, enshrouding her hands.
"Shut up," she hissed, baring her teeth. "Don't even talk – I'm sick and tired of listening to your speeches. Nobody cares, all right? No one cares what the hell you do, because in the end, you're the one that loses, Slade. How does it feel to be alone?"
For the first time that any of them could remember, Slade's expression betrayed his mistake. His gaze reeked of surprise, and fear. Raven delighted in it.
The aura flowed out to envelope Raven's entire body – she could feel the sheer power buzzing through her veins. Slade took one, faltering step backwards, but that was enough for her. As she advanced, the ebony cloud slipped forward, then shot, screeching, straight into Slade's chest. It washed over his body, vibrating the very air around him – the house was filled with tremors until suddenly…
…he was gone. Raven's eyes fell shut – she felt a force crash into her, and staggered. The next thing she knew, she was on her knees, and Beast Boy was whispering frantically into her ear.
Someone was screaming. Raven pried her eyes open, and met the anxious gazes of her friends, gathered in a semi-circle around her. James's body was right where they'd left it, and the girl from the corner had resumed her hysterics.
"Are you okay?" Beast Boy asked quietly, and Raven's eyes snapped back to the faces before her. She nodded, slowly, and stood.
"Where's…?" She didn't finish the question, and they didn't know the answer. But whatever she had done, Slade was gone, and he didn't appear to be coming back.
The reunited team left the manor quickly after that, not even pausing to examine the terrible havoc wrought on the foyer. Instead they skirted around the edge of the chasm, and since the front door had crumbled into the darkness below, they slipped out one of the many splits in the wall.
They waited outside until the police could show up, and turned the trembling girl over to their care. After a while they'd coaxed out a name – Savannah Hilt – and she was, despite all appearances, a very lucky girl indeed.
Later excursions into the once magnificent building revealed not two bodies, but four. Along with the corpses of James and Terra, the authorities discovered the remains of Mr. Owens Senior and his wife – James's parents. They'd been dead for years, and reports confirmed that they'd died around the same time as Lucy Kove.
The house would be demolished weeks later, leaving Raven as the sole possessor of James's secrets – and she wasn't telling a soul.
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Raven's readjustment to life at the tower went as smoothly as it could have. There were rough patches – she still woke up screaming a few times a week, and once or twice she'd snapped and destroyed half the furniture in her room – but she was getting there. And the others were incredibly patient – they'd been reluctant to let her return to crime-fighting at first, but had since relented – and she needed it more than they knew. The anger was the hardest part to accept, and she was never very good at venting, at least without hurting something, or someone. Taking down criminals was one way for her to productively deal with the pent-up emotions.
But overall, things were going well, and life did its best to return to normal. They'd all been left with scars – all they could do now was wait for them to fade.
It was a particularly sunny afternoon – the day was nice enough that Raven typically would have ventured to the roof, but instead she made her way to the basement. She found Beast Boy there, cross-legged on the floor by one of the shelves and examining a shining, silver sword.
"I don't even know why I came down here," he murmured, tracing his finger along the blade. "I just felt like I had to." The edge sliced through the fabric of his glove, exposing metal beneath.
Raven sat down beside him. "Did we ever figure out where this thing came from?"
Beast Boy looked up, and his mouth split into a grim smile. "A museum – I called and asked if they wanted it back, but apparently it's not in 'mint condition' anymore. That's what they told me, anyway."
"A museum?" Raven echoed. "For Slade, that sounds an awful lot like petty theft."
"I guess so," Beast Boy agreed with a chuckle. He paused, and when he spoke again, he'd taken on a more somber tone. "What exactly did you do to him, anyway?"
"I can't honestly say," Raven said slowly, frowning. "The best I can figure, I sent him somewhere – I just don't know where."
"…Can he come back?" Beast Boy asked, with a little hesitation.
"I hope not."
Silence stole over the pair for a moment. Finally, Beast Boy stood, returning the sword to its spot on the shelf, and Raven rose beside him. When he glanced back over at his friend, he was grinning.
"You know, it was kind of weird seeing you in normal clothes – without the cloak and mystery and all that."
Raven smirked. "Oh, like you can complain. I'd just gotten used to the shinier you, and then you have to start wearing gloves again."
"Well, see, that's the thing," Beast Boy explained excitedly. "Say I see a bank robber, and he's all, 'scrawny little green dude? I can take him.' Then bam, right hook into his jaw, and I'm like, 'guess again, buddy.'"
There was another minute of silence, then Raven rolled her eyes and sighed. "You're such a dork."
"Yes, but I'm a shiny dork."
"Fine. But that doesn't change anything."
The banter continued all the way upstairs, as the pair abandoned the basement for the light of the tower above. And while the both were a little worse for wear, they'd found their happily ever after all the same.
END
11:02 PM
11/8/06
…………………….Oh my gosh. I'm done.
See, I didn't actually believe that this story would ever end. But now it has…and I'm happy. I can't begin to thank you guys for all of the love and support you've given me throughout the course of these stories. Without you, this wouldn't have been possible.
I.
Love.
You.
All.
Thank you so, so much, for reading these stories and putting up with me for so long. I hope it was worth it – I really do.
And now I'm off to try new things – I'm done with this fandom, but not fanfiction, so hopefully I'll see some of you around.
Thanks again, and lots of love, Child of a Pineapple