Fan Fiction ❯ From Stone ❯ Phantom ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5: Phantoms

 

The room to the medical bay opened and Raven looked up to find Robin staring in at her… actually, no, staring past her. He took a moment then walked inside. “What's wrong?”

Robin's mouth opened to talk, but no sound escaped. He shook his head, trying to reorganize his thoughts, but it didn't work.

“Robin. What is wrong?” Raven asked again, trying to get him to finally speak.

Robin paused for a moment longer, let out a deep breath, “You heard me talking to Cyborg yesterday.” He waited until she nodded before he continued, “I said something to Beast Boy that I shouldn't have, and I realize that now.” He nodded slowly, taking a seat next to Raven.

Raven watched him, his forehead was resting on his hands which were cupped together, she hadn't seen him act this way since they had first found out he was Red X. “I shouldn't have said it.”

“Robin, I don't know what you said yesterday. Tell me what you said.” Raven said calmly.

He looked up at her, hunching forward, “I told Beast Boy that Terra betrayed us…”

Raven's eyes narrowed, “Why?”

Robin's head drooped, “He wouldn't leave her. He was going to stay in that cave and then run away, blaming himself for what happened to you, to her, to everyone, he blamed himself. I wanted to tell him it wasn't his fault.”

Raven paused, and then reluctantly put a hand on his shoulder, “Robin.” she let out a heavy breath and he looked back at her, his face pleading for some form of redemption, “I understand what you did… she did betray us. I haven't forgiven her either Robin, I probably never will…”

His shoulders fell and her hand fell away from him, “Then why has this all been happening? Why did you say I have no heart? Why is everyone here against me even if they think I'm right?”

Raven pulled her hand away, leaning back against the wall, “Because, Robin, sometimes being right isn't what matters. This is one of those times. Beast Boy loves Terra, and as much as I hate her… I wouldn't call myself a hero if I let my friend suffer because I want to spite her. That's why I've been trying to save her.” She looked over at him; he was lost in thought, looking deep into space.

“Tonight he agreed with me.” Robin winced involuntarily, finally breaking the spell, frowning and looking to Raven.

“What?”

“Tonight, I went to apologize for what I said… he cut me off… and agreed with me.” Robin shook his head and stood, walking away in a daze. Raven swallowed the hard knot that had formed in her throat as he left. It was time to leave the medical bay.

 

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Cyborg sat in silence. Ops was empty outside of him, the pizzas left on the table untouched. Nobody had felt very hungry. The TV was off and the lights were dimmed. With a sigh he sat back against the couch wondering what had happened. How had this sadness spread throughout the entire tower? It was like a sickness had spread.

The door to Ops opened and he turned to watch Raven walk in, she didn't wait for an acknowledgement before she asked her question, “Where is Beast Boy?”

“I don't know, we tried to convince him to eat, but he just left.” Cyborg said solemnly.

“What happened?” She said, walking closer to him, he had to turn around in earnest to get a better look of her.

“We were playing video games, he wasn't even trying. Robin comes in, tries to talk to him, I'm guessing it was to apologize because he was stunned when Beast Boy apologized first. I've never seen him look like that, either of them.” Raven nodded and turned to leave, but Cyborg caught her wrist, Raven looked down at his hand and he released her, “Raven, what happened? Robin didn't tell me what went on or why Beast Boy bit him. Do you know?”

“Robin told Beast Boy that Terra betrayed us… that's what Beast Boy agreed with earlier.”

“Oh… man…” Cyborg murmured, falling back into his seat, his head in his hands. He shook his head, “How could Robin do that?”

“It doesn't matter now. If you see Beast Boy, contact me on the communicator, I need to speak to him.” Raven's monotone voice was barely audible as the rain continued to pour down on the tower.

Cyborg turned to reply, but Raven was already gone.

 

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He had made it for her, a heart shaped box. He held it up, looking at it. He had never been much of a craftsman, but this had been special, he had made it for her, and he had put his heart and soul into it. He gave her the box, trying to ask her out on a date, which had failed, but then she had come back and taken him. All the while she had plotted and planned against him and the rest of her friends.

Beast Boy saw his reflection in polished metal; it was warped and bent, much like what Terra saw that night in the house of mirrors. His hands trembled slightly and he set the box down on his dresser. Breathing heavily he opened it, revealing all that was left of Terra. Almost nothing. Her silver butterfly barrette, and a few pictures. That was all that was left of her.

Reluctantly, he picked up the barrette, the simple gleaming hair clip she had met when they first met her. She had dropped it when she had fled the first time, when she thought he had betrayed her. He had tried to stop her, how he wished and tried to stop her, but he couldn't. She had just run off, refusing to listen as he called out after her. Putting the butterfly down he lifted the pictures.

There weren't many of them, Robin hated having photos taken, Raven smashed most cameras when her picture was taken, Starfire didn't understand them, and Cyborg hadn't seen the need. Beast Boy had few pictures left, two that had been taken for the entire group, three from newspaper clippings, but only one that really showed him and Terra. He had received it anonymously after she had been turned to stone. He took a last longing look at the picture; he couldn't remember when it was taken. They were in the park, and she was hugging him from behind. Beast Boy's insides screamed, he wanted to rip the picture in two, shred it and burn it. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. These were his last links to Terra as he remembered her.

Everything hurt, her betrayal as well as his own burned within him. He had finally accepted that she had betrayed him, it had taken over a year for him to admit it to himself, but now… he didn't know what to do. He believed what he had said to Robin, but it hurt to think about it, it hurt to think about her, but she wouldn't leave his mind. Everything he did, every villain he fought, every joke he made, it didn't matter, it just reminded him of her somehow. He looked at the picture, which was lying on the barrette, covering half of it. He just wanted the pain to stop. Tears streamed down his face, a few landing on the dresser, one splashing inside the heart box and hitting his smiling face. “No…” he said to himself and closed the heart box.

 

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Raven paused, reluctantly starring down the empty hall, `It's the only place I haven't checked.' She thought to herself. The lights were off, but it was a straight corridor, but she didn't want to enter. It was one of the few places she dared not enter in the tower: Terra's room. Nobody had entered there in months, not even Beast Boy. She groaned as a slight shiver went up her spine. She hadn't gone in since Terra's betrayal. She wasn't sure what would happen if she did.

She grimaced and looked back, almost turning to leave. She couldn't, he was in there, and she had to speak to him. She had to somehow fix this. Bowing her head slightly, she raised her cowl, covering her face, then proceeded down the empty corridor to Terra's room. The air was thick and damp and cold, wearing heavily upon her. As experienced as she was in these matters, she had to force herself to ignore these were normally indication of ghostly presences, shifting the blame to the heating and cooling systems of the building.

Finally reaching Terra's room she felt a cold wing blow by her and she frowned, there was no way wind could get into the corridor. Brushing off the thoughts that crept into her mind, she quickly pressed the code and opened the door to Terra's room.

It was black; the glow-in-the-dark stars had long since faded, leaving the room devoid of light. Beast Boy wasn't here. Raven took a step inside, “Terra…” A flood of emotions hit Raven, hatred and outrage at the betrayal, a sickening feeling, knowing that she had been so easily tricked. A cold wind began to swirl, her cloak beginning to flow in the breeze. She closed her eyes trying to stop the emotions. She had tried to avoid this, that's why she avoided Terra's room. Memories, painful horrible memories flitted into her mind. Raven's upper lip trembled.

“I hate you…” The wind picked up, twirling and spinning her cape, knocking the cowl off her head. “Damn you Terra…” Raven tried desperately to hold back tears she had held back for so long, “I HATE YOU!” she screamed in impotent rage against the girl. The room went mad, her powers attacking it at random, black energy enveloping Raven and spitting off into the wall, cracking it and destroying several of the stars. Her bed was ripped apart by another lead of energy. The wind swirled, going crazy and Raven stood, against it. It smashed against her, the bitter blast of freezing air nearly pushing her back a step, “You betrayed all of us! And now you seek to destroy the only person who ever loved you?” Her hands turned into trembling fists, “Is that it? Is that what you want? DO YOU WANT BEAST BOY TO DIE?” The wind died with her words, and she was left in the empty room, staring forward at the dresser, the metal box Beast Boy had given her lying on top of it.

A single, weak breeze flowed past her and in one instant she heard something that made her skin crawl. “No.” It was a desperate plea, Terra's voice was barely audible as the wind blew past her, but Raven heard it and trembled. Terra was here; she had heard everything she had said.

In the back of her being, at her very core, she felt one last feeling, one that she had fought so long and so hard to prevent from coming to the surface that her mind burned when she finally recognized it. Sorrow. Her powers ebbed and flowed into the wind, “Why? Why did you do it? Why did you betray us?” She asked the empty room, head bowed, the black shield around her disappearing quickly. “I can't understand it.” She took in heavy breaths, the air seemed to encircle around her, enveloping her. The last of the black aura disappeared and she was once again assaulted by the wind.

Raven could feel something happening, her mind began to whirl with the wind, her powers had drained into it, giving it strength and it needed more. Lightheadedness turned to a dull pain and she winced, it was growing rapidly and her powers reactivated, but were immediately forced into the wind, which only continued its relentless assault on her. The pounding in her head became intense and Terra appeared to her, a transparent apparition standing feet away from her in the darkness. Terra had tears rolling down her cheeks. Raven gritted her teeth, trembling hands clutching her throbbing skull, more power flowing from her and to the apparition, “Terra… how?”

Terra ran to her, kneeling in front of her, hands clasped together pleading, “There isn't time.” The words seared into Raven, each draining her, sapping her strength. Terra looked back frantically to the dresser, and the metal heart box, “Beast Boy…” Raven collapsed to her knees, barely able to support herself, “…you have to help him. He's going to kill himself!” Terra said frantically, a few of the tears fell from her cheeks, becoming corporeal and freezing before hitting the ground. Terra put her hand on Raven's shoulder, it felt like ice and Raven's breath became visible as the room froze around her.

Raven groaned, shutting her eyes in a desperate bid to block out the pain. She saw darkness and rain, and then the world twirled and entered a free fall, twisting and turning and rolling over on in darkness until, in the last few seconds the massive rocks on the outer edge of the Titan's island came into view, mere feet away and with no time to react or stop before crashing into them. The freezing touch left her shoulder and Raven opened her eyes with a gasp. “Beast Boy…” She murmured, trying to pull air into her burning lungs. A slight shimmer on the carpet caught her eyes and she saw several icy beads beginning to melt. She touched one, feeling it dissipate on her hand, turning to water, which simply disappeared from her finger. “Thank you Terra…” She whispered nodding solemnly, and then sank into the shadows.

 

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Beast Boy stood on the roof, once again drenched to the bone. He looked down into the abyss below, the rain disappearing as it fell to the ground. He quickly brushed aside a mix of rain and tears. He shut his eyes tightly, “Terra…” he said, bowing his head and taking a step forward into the abyss… only to find solid `ground' beneath him.

Raven looked up from her position, Beast Boy was a few feet away from her, one foot on the edge, the other on a wall of solid black barrier she had created beneath his foot, “Is that what you were going to do?”

Beast Boy's shook, stepping back onto the ledge, looking back at her “Raven? You… you don't need to be up here. I've already caused you enough pain.”

“And what?” She sneered, trying to get up, “You think killing yourself is the right thing to do?”

“No…”

She stood awkwardly, unbalanced and swaying in the heavy gusts, “It's the coward's way out.” She glared at him, throwing a finger forward accusingly, “And you are not a coward.”

“I betrayed her, I loved her and I betrayed her.”

“Do you really think that?” Raven said, finally stabilizing herself and bracing for the heavy winds.

He whirled, staring back into the abyss, “Raven, I know it! I know what I did and I know it's my fault!” His voice shook, barely audible above the wind and the rain, but then he shook and turned back to look at her angrily, shouting, “Why doesn't anyone else understand that?”

“She spoke to me.” Raven said, calmly taking a step toward him, “She sent me up here to stop you.”

“No… you're lying!” He screamed wildly backing up, feet on the very brink of the ledge.

“How else would I know you were up here?”

“Your magic! Luck! I don't know!”

Raven shook her head, taking a last few steps until she was face to face with him; “She was there with you, when you were in her room Beast Boy. She cares about you.”

He shook his head, trying to think of someway to get around it, “But… but…”

“She told me what you were planning to do, she showed me and she sent me to stop it.” She grabbed his shoulders, making sure he wouldn't stumble back and over the edge, “Terra doesn't want you to die Beast Boy.”

“But… we can't bring her back…” He murmured.

“I will bring her back.” Raven said stolidly, trudging towards him.

“How? You saw your room, your books were destroyed, Robin can't find a cure and neither can Cyborg. She's not coming back…” Beast Boy quivered in the wind and rain.

“Books can be replaced. Time is necessary.”

“It has already been a year, Raven. A year.” His arms dropped to his sides limply and he looked into her eyes sadly, “How long am I going to wait before giving up? Five? Ten? Twenty? Raven, I can't take that! Every day, she's there, I can see her, everything I see reminds me of her and I can't stand being here without her.”

Raven watched him for a moment longer then looked down, “And what would happen if, five, ten, twenty years from now, we bring her back and you're dead. What then?”

“I…” His voice trembled and he fell to his knees, Raven kneeled down in front of him, steadying him, “Raven… I'm sorry it just hurts so much. I just want it to stop hurting.”

“We will find a way to bring her back, I promise you, I will find some way to bring her back to you.” Raven lifted his chin, so he could look into her eyes, “I promise you.”

Beast Boy's fell into her again with a sob, holding her tightly. She wrapped her arms around him and enshrouded them in black energy, letting them sink into the ground.