Fan Fiction ❯ Broken ❯ Prologue

Even before it happened, you could tell something was wrong.

The Tower was a wreck, things strewn everywhere, signs of a fight everywhere you looked. To get into the details would take forever, but I can tell you it wasn't pretty. Emotions were on edge, and sadly that meant more mistakes were going to be made…

Mistakes which could mean the end-the end of everything.

Or close enough-unless you happen to be a fanfiction author, that is. In which case, said end is more of a beginning-the beginning, in fact, of this particular fanfiction.

***

It happened in a flash, so quick it was impossible to see coming unless you had spent the last three hours aware that it would happen.

The shouting came at once, four heroes yelling at the young mage who stood facing away from them with her arms crossed, words tripping over one another until the lectures were barely legible. But among them were "How could you?", "You lied to us!", "Backstabbing witch!", and the likes.

The word 'why' could also be heard several times.

Raven didn't speak. She glared at the wall, waiting impatiently for the chance to speak. But when the words "We are your friends" came up, she could hold her rage in no longer.

"None of you are my friends," she snarled with a mixture of sheer bitterness and pure hatred, successfully stunning the other four into silence. "You were never my friends."

"That's ridiculous," snapped Cyborg. "Of course we're your friends, you know we are! You're one of us."

"I know no such thing," she hissed, still refusing to look at them. She clenched her fists and squeezed her eyes tightly shut. "I do know that if I am one of you, I've never been treated as such. I've always been the outsider. Always."

He opened his mouth to argue, but she continued harshly. "All of you treat me like I don't belong, just because I'm a little different! But have you ever thought to try and understand me?" She didn't wait for a reply.

"No one understands me! No one even cares!" She started to tremble as she opened her eyes again, permitting a single tear-and then another, and another-to fall from them.

"Are you crying?" Beast Boy asked incredulously.

"Shut up!" She clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms. "What do you care, anyway?" Her voice rose as she ranted, "None of you have ever cared about me! No one has! My own mother didn't even care about me!"

"That isn't true," Cyborg protested, but she obviously wasn't in the mood to listen. He gave the others a look which clearly begged for help in placating the stubborn sorceress.

"Raven," Robin began, imploring but still authoritative. "If you've felt like this for such a long time-and it seems pretty obvious you have, to feel so strongly-why haven't you said something before? Why do you always insist upon hiding everything?"

"That's proof enough that none of you will ever understand me," she hissed, finally whirling around to face him. Blue satin billowed around her before settling gracefully. "I couldn't for your safety, but none of that matters now, because I'm not going to be around to imperil you anymore!"

"You don't mean that!" he gasped.

"Yes, I do," she snarled. "As of now, I officially resign from the Teen Titans."

Her announcement turned the volume, almost earsplitting a few moments before, deafeningly silent. The Titans, loud mere instants ago, stared thunderstruck at the mysterious telepath. At last, Beast Boy chuckled nervously. Starfire and Robin stared, Cyborg glared viciously. How could he laugh at a time like this?

"Y-You're joking…" he trailed off suddenly, glancing around at everybody's expressions. None of them seemed particularly amused. "…Right?"

"Raven, please you can not be serious!" cried Starfire imploringly. "Of course we care about you, and want to understand! You can't leave! I need you! We all need you!"

"You need the psychic, and you need the heroine. What you don't need is me as a friend. 'Need' isn't the same as 'care about.' I'm leaving, and I don't give a damn about what anybody says."

"You know what?" Cyborg snapped, losing his temper. "You're right. You don't give a damn about us, we don't give a damn about you. So be a selfish, cold-hearted little bitch and leave. See if I care!"

"Us!" said Beast Boy quickly. "D-Don't listen to him, he's crazy!"

Raven's eyes narrowed and she flicked her wrist, causing everybody to jump. The closet opened, and clothes surged into a dark blue briefcase that was obviously enchanted. Books, soaps, CDs, jewelry, cosmetics, amulets, mirrors, brushes, and more rushed into said briefcase. It snapped shut.

"Well, at least somebody's honest around here," Raven hissed, picking up the briefcase. "I can see where I'm not wanted."

"But you are," protested Starfire. "We all want you to be here!"

"Well, that's what you want," Raven snarled. "And me? I never want to see any of your faces again." And then she was gone.