Fan Fiction ❯ Will D. Beest ❯ Friends in Need ( Chapter 7 )

Note: Thanks to Alan for all the help with the next few chapters. Anarky rules.

~…~ is telepathic speech.

Chapter 7: In Need of Friends

Though there were plenty of rumors about it, only a few handfuls of people actually knew that the Fortress of Solitude existed. Even less knew exactly where it was located, and perhaps only a third of those knew how to gain access to it.

At this moment, though, Supergirl was wishing more people did know about it. She was terribly bored, and had been ever since Clark began insisting that she keep the animals in their pens. It wasn't her fault one of them had eaten several of his trophies. She honestly couldn't understand why he'd been so upset. After all, he was Superman! Why did he need trophies to prove how great he was, anyway? It wasn't like anyone but her and Dr. Hamilton ever saw them as it was.

Suppressing a sigh, she removed her feet from the main console and headed to her bedroom. Clark had fixed it up for her, since she spent more time here than he did.

The moment she stepped into the room, there was a soft fluttering sound as something landed on her head. Almost automatically, she reached up to stroke the furry body. "Hey, Merlin. You wanna play, boy?"

Instead of making his usual happy buzzing noise, the giant moth, now easily the size of a large puppy, flew over to her dresser and grabbed something with his tiny but powerful legs. He was the only creature Clark allowed to roam the Fortress freely, mainly because he devoured any other bugs on sight. Supergirl again wondered just where Beast Boy had gotten an oversized moth larvae, but considering Merlin was easier to look after than Clark's dog, Krypto, she could hardly complain.

Merlin dropped something small and hard into her waiting hand, and she was surprised to see that it was her Teen Titans communicator. Even more surprising was the fact that it was warbling faintly, and probably had been for some time. She'd honestly forgotten about it, since the Titans rarely ran into a situation that required her help.

"Supergirl here. What's the problem?"

There was a surprised gasp on the other end of the connection. "Supergirl! Oh, thank X'hal! I was afraid no one would respond!"

She paused, recognizing the voice at once. "Starfire? What's the matter?"

"It's horrible! All my friends were captured by the HIVE! My sister has joined forces with them, as well!"

"Sounds pretty bad," Supergirl murmured. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I am undamaged. But I am in great need of assistance!"

"Calm down, Starfire. You sound like you could use some rest. Look, can you get to the coordinates I'm sending you? I'll start calling in some favors and see who I can round up to help. Once you're here, we can get some food in you and talk about our next move." She barely heard Starfire's profuse, repeated thanks as she flew back to the main console and pulled up her address book, as well as the Justice League's current reserve roster. Before she could start calling, however, she noticed that she still clutched the Titans communicator in her right hand.

"Well, that IS what it's for," she reflected with a wry smile.

* * * * *

It took several minutes for Raven to realize that she was no longer inside the warehouse. Assuming she hadn't moved since then was an easy mistake, as she was surrounded by large shipping crates. In the distance, though, she could clearly make out the sound of moving water, and not much else.

Raven moved to stand, and gasped in surprise when her limbs protested the action by flooding her body with intense stabs of fresh pain. She landed ungracefully on her arm, thankful that she hadn't made it completely to her feet, or the impact would've been a lot worse. Doing her best to ignore the discomfort for now, she tried to recall how she'd ended up in such a state.

She could remember unleashing her father's taint in order to survive the last battle, Sylvan saving her, and asking him to give Wildy to Starfire. Beyond that, she only had a vague memory of sinking through the floor as the warehouse began to collapse around her. Apparently, the fight and the teleport had taken more out of her than she'd first realized. She couldn't even figure out why she'd come here, of all places.

The logical thing now was to try and find her teammates. But after casting her telepathic abilities in all directions, she was only able to find a quickly fading impression of Starfire. Her friend was alive, at least, though afraid and extremely concerned, no doubt over the whereabouts of the team. Had Starfire been calm, it would've been easier to make contact, but far away as she was, and in such a frantic state, it was too difficult to get a lock on her. Aside from that, Raven was far too tired to hold a conversation, telepathic or otherwise.

Briefly, she thought of trying to find Sylvan. She had never managed to find him before, though; he probably had access to some hidden pocket dimension that blocked psychic probes. At any rate, she doubted he would help her unless she was on the brink of death again.

Any thoughts of her brother vanished, however, when Raven became aware of someone watching her. She turned her head slightly, spotting a pair of blood-red eyes staring down at her from atop a nearby crate. Though Raven didn't consider herself easily frightened, it bothered her that she hadn't sensed anyone, and still could not detect any real thought pattern from the intruder. Either the person had no thoughts to speak of, or they were blocking, and usually she could discern both right away.

Things only got worse when another pair of red eyes showed up, followed almost instantly by a third. By then, Raven had decided that despite her weakened state, she wasn't being taken without a fight. After mentally shutting off her pain receptors, she made it to her feet, feeling lightheaded and little else. The pain was still there, of course, but her body was no longer aware of it, at least. It was much harder to do so than usual, but she coated her fists with dark energy and waited for the first attack to come.

It never did. Apparently either impressed or startled by her ability to stand, the red eyes had vanished. Still, Raven did not relax her guard, and felt rather justified when someone touched her shoulder. She whirled, prepared to hurl a bolt of dark energy directly at whoever had grabbed her. What she was not prepared for, however, was for a small hand to move swiftly up and grasp her wrist in a grip like steel.

"Put that away or I'll do it for you," the girl dressed entirely in black ordered.

Raven had no intention of doing so, but then the girl squeezed slightly, and Raven was shocked to feel about half the energy from her fist drained directly into the girl's fingers. Even more startling was the fact that the girl's voice seemed strangely familiar to her, yet she could not remember ever fighting this girl.

The girl was apparently thinking the same, because she suddenly gasped and stepped back, cursing softly in disbelief as she let go of the captive wrist. "No way. Is that you, Ray?"

Any answer Raven had vanished as her legs finally gave out on her. She fell backwards, only to be caught by a pair of thin, deceptively strong arms. Immediately, she began to struggle.

"Relax, Ray," the girl said in a soothing tone. "He's with me." To some point above Raven's head, she added, "You be careful with her, ET. Looks like she lost a fight."

Raven began to protest, but a soft, warm hand cupped her cheek gently. "Hush. I'll take care of you, I promise." She was not quite sure what to make of that, but Raven was tired, and anyone who wanted to kidnap her wouldn't have been this nice about it. Her eyes drifted shut as she went limp, hoping she could trust these people. Honestly, her night had been rough enough as it was.

* * * * *

"You realize that you've failed me," Slade said quietly.

Terra looked thoroughly ashamed, but Blackfire was close to indignant.

"I asked you to bring me the beast. Instead, you bring me Robin, Beast Boy, and Cyborg."

"The beast, Raven, and Starfire were gone," Blackfire replied. "They must have escaped."

"One would think that impossible, between two young women who rule both the sky and the ground."

"You shouldn't have sent those HIVE flunkies in first," Blackfire snapped. "If they'd actually kept the Titans busy like they were supposed to, nobody would have escaped."

"Be that as it may, three did escape, the one I want among them. What I want to know is what you two intend to do about it."

"Absolutely nothing. Starfire's way too loyal to just abandon her friends. She'll come to us, assuming we give her a signal to follow."

"See that you don't fail me again," Slade said softly, reaching out to stroke Terra's hair in an oddly tender manner. "That would not be…healthy for either of you."

"Is that a threat?" Blackfire challenged.

The eye that was visible in his mask blinked slowly. "Of course not, my dear. It's a promise."

* * * * *

Supergirl sighed in frustration, pacing in front of the console. "Amazing. There really IS never a superhero around when you need one. Well, one that's free to help us, anyway."

"You are having trouble gathering back-up?" Starfire asked in a worried tone as she carefully rocked Fuzzy to sleep.

"Yeah. Aqualad is trying to defuse a power struggle in Atlantis, Speedy is stuck in an alternate dimension with Larry, and everyone else is busy with other things I won't go into. So unless I can remember any other people that owe me favors, I hope you know someone."

"Perhaps Thunder and Lightning will aid us, if I tell them there is chaos to be wrought," Starfire murmured.

"Um…okay," Supergirl said slowly. "I'm gonna try my JL contacts one last time. I mean, they can't ALL be thwarting Darkseid's latest attempt at universal domination. At least, I hope not. You keep thinking of anyone else you can call on. I don't suppose you have any siblings nearby that aren't bad guys?"

Starfire shook her head sadly.

"Well, don't give up," Supergirl encouraged, squeezing her new friend's shoulder in what she hoped was a reassuring way. "We'll think of something."

"I hope so," Starfire whispered, hugging Fuzzy tightly.

* * * * *

Raven woke up in a bed that was far too large for anyone she knew, including Cyborg. The bedroom was luxuriously but sparsely decorated with artifacts that were probably individually worth millions. A digital clock beside the bed reported that it was nearly three in the morning.

Deciding to test her limbs, Raven slowly slid out of bed and stood up. She felt much better, but still a little tired. A little more sleep and some food would probably fix that, she reasoned, and perhaps a little exploration of the house to satisfy her curiosity.

She had only taken a few steps when she noticed two framed photos on the bedside table. The first was obviously of the girl who'd found her, along with two older men. Raven brushed her fingers lightly over the surface, and the imprint she found indicated they were all family. The next photo, however, shocked her to no end. The same girl was there, as well, but this time she had her arms around someone that was all too familiar.

It took a few minutes for Raven to accept that she was indeed staring at herself in the photo. After that, a flood of memories seemed to hit her all at once. She suddenly recalled everything about the girl: how they met, how long they'd known each other, and why it was so odd for them to run into each other again.

"I didn't mean for you to see that," said a voice behind her. "Of course, if I'd known I would run into you last night, I would've put it somewhere else."

"Actually, I'm glad I found it," Raven admitted as she turned around. "I had convinced myself that this part of my life didn't really happen. That it was all a dream."

"It kinda was," the girl agreed. "Too good to be true and all." She looked away. "As good as it is to see you, Ray, I'm guessing you won't want to stay long."

"I do, but I can't," Raven replied. "My friends are in trouble, and I could use your help."

"Are we talking money help or butt-kicking help?" the girl asked.

"Definitely the second kind. I need to track down this guy called Slade. And I need to find Starfire."

"Is this somebody you can take on by yourself?"

"It wouldn't be a good idea. Maybe once I find Starfire, we can-"

"You're not going anywhere without me," she said firmly. "All we've been through aside, you're not at full strength. Something tells me this Slade guy is pretty good if he can mess with your team. I'll see what I can dig up on him. In the meantime, you go back to bed. When you're feeling stronger, you can try reaching Starfire with your mind. But only after you've rested."

"Yes, Mom," Raven answered with a smirk.

"Very funny. But let's get one thing clear right now, Ray." The girl leaned closer so that their noses were almost touching. "If I have to lose you again, I want it to be because you walked away, not because somebody turned you into a bloody stain on the ground. I refuse to lose anyone that way."

"You've changed, Jade," Raven said slowly.

"No, I haven't," she replied. "I've just gotten better about protecting what's mine. So long as you're in my house, that includes you. Now go to bed."

* * * * *

When Beast Boy finally woke up, the first thing he noticed was the scent of applesauce. The realization that he was starving made him realize how long he must've been knocked out. He licked his dry lips and glanced around. From what he could see, he was lying on his back, secured to an operating table. Nearby, Cyborg was slumped over a similar table, clearly offline. Seeing his metal body lifeless and without the usual light made Beast Boy very uneasy.

"He's okay," said a voice somewhere beyond his head. "We just turned him off for a while."

Beast Boy's head snapped to the left as a small boy walked into view. "Who are you?!" he demanded.

The boy looked down at him calmly, chewing loudly on something. "Joey." He held up a large bowl of applesauce with graham crackers sticking out of it. "Want some?"

Though he had no reason to trust the boy, the sheer innocence and kindness of the offer stirred something within Beast Boy. "Sure. Thanks."

Joey scooped up some applesauce with a graham cracker, and then stuffed it all into Beast Boy's mouth. "You can have more. I got plenty."

"Um…Joey," Beast Boy said after swallowing the first bite. "What are you doing here?"

"Guard duty. I'm s'posed ta watch you guys." Joey gestured vaguely to the other side of the room, where Robin was floating in a tank of green fluid. "Blackfire was testin' him earlier. Agility an' stuff, I think."

"Blackfire?! You mean she's here?!" Beast Boy cried.

"Yup. She works for Dad now. Her an' Terra."

"Guess I know who brought down the house, then," Beast Boy muttered. "Wait, who is Terra?"

"The pretty girl who works for Dad." Joey leaned closer, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Don't tell anyone, but I think she's really his girlfriend."

For some reason, Beast Boy thought it best to ignore that little tidbit. "Joey, we're buds, right?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah. But I can't let you go. Dad said so."

Beast Boy sighed in frustration. "Dang."

* * * * *

Jade chewed her lip thoughtfully as her fingers danced across her laptop's keyboard. With a sigh, she leaned back and closed her eyes. "Man, some people just don't want to be found."

~Jade, can I ask you something?~ a familiar voice tinged with annoyance asked.

She jumped a little; it'd been so long since Raven had touched her mind. ~Sure, Ray. What is it?~

~The three weird guys with red eyes and ninja gear. They work for you, yes?~

~Uh huh. Why?~

~Make them go away. Protection is nice, but not when I need to use the bathroom.~

~Right. Sorry.~ With a mere thought, Jade summoned the three ninjas before her. "Guys, how many times do I have to tell you? Guard duty does NOT include bathroom breaks. Anyone who wants to take a leak on our watch does so at their own risk."

When the three looked at each other with blank expressions, she sighed and sent them away. "Sure, martial arts is second nature to them, but manners and body functions they don't know about." Jade rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I wonder what Shendu did when he needed to take a dump. Or maybe that's why he was always in such a foul mood."

"Who's Shendu?" Raven asked as she appeared behind Jade.

"Major ancient baddie," Jade replied absently, staring at her laptop. "Don't phase through my floors; I thought you were a lost Shadowkhan."

"You mean the creepy ninjas? They don't have any thoughts."

"No, they run on instinct, orders, and common sense in battle. Anything beyond that is rocket science. And I'm guessing there weren't any rockets back when they were created."

"They're not exactly alive, then, are they?"

"Well, they're not exactly dead, either," Jade answered. "I'd notice if they were. Things tend to smell when they're dead. You tried contacting Starfire yet?"

"I'll try now." Raven closed her eyes and began to search for any of her teammates. This time, she picked up a faint imprint from Beast Boy, but there was too much interference to make contact, as if his thoughts were being shielded somehow. Starfire was still worried, but had calmed down enough to where contact was possible.

~Starfire, can you hear me? I'm-~

~RAVEN!!!~

She winced and sighed. ~Could you think a little quieter, please?~

~Forgive me, but I was worried! You are undamaged? I feared you were captured with the others!~

~No, I'm fine. I'm…with a friend,~ Raven sent, glancing at Jade. ~Is Wildy with you?~

~Yes. There was a very strange man in white who-~

~Never mind him. Where are you right now?~

There was a brief pause. ~I believe Supergirl called it a fortress of some sort.~

Raven blinked. ~You're in the Fortress of Solitude?! With Supergirl?~

~I believe that is the correct name. Supergirl has agreed to help us rescue our friends. Unfortunately, we are having trouble gathering allies. She will be pleased to know you can help now.~

~I'll be there as soon as I can, Star. I think I may know a way to get us some extra help.~

~We will eagerly await your arrival.~ There was a short pause before she added, ~Please be careful, Raven. I don't think I could bear to lose any more friends…~

Raven couldn't help smiling as she sent a wave of reassurance to her friend. ~Don't worry, Star. Finding myself is one thing I've gotten good at.~ She opened her eyes to find Jade staring at her.

"I'm guessing you found her?"

"Yes, but I need another favor," Raven replied.

"Good, because all I could find out about your Slade is his last name: Wilson. Anything beyond that, somebody went to great lengths to get rid of."

"You remember when you once told me you were connected?"

Jade gave her a wary look. "Yeah. So?"

"Are all of those connections legal?"

"Are you going to arrest me if I say no?"

Raven smirked. "No, I'm going to ask you to use one of them."

"Well, I MIGHT have one," Jade said, turning back to her laptop. "Or fifty."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Next Chapter: Terra vs. Robin (in damn near nothing!), even MORE guest stars, and an incredibly awkward moment for Raven! BE THERE!!!

Reviews!

Amethyst

One of the obvious choice of recruits would be Aqualad. ^_^ He's hot.

Actually, he's liquid cool. And his being "hot" might have more sway with me if I was a) gay, or b) a girl.

Raven_4_Ever

I LOVE it! Keep writing! (you can contact me at Neopets.com)

I don't do Neopets anymore, I'm a Pokemaniac through and through. Glad you like the story, anyway!

Raven A. Star

YAY! Finally you updated! Wooly...er...Fuzzy...er...the baby dude is back to normal! Please update ASAP! And where's Raven? She had better be okay or I'll...hmm...what will I do? *thinks* I'll get back to you on that one. XD

Please. Raven is my goddess, of COURSE she's okay. No need to threaten me...or think about it, anyway. Wildy thanks you for your devotion. Especially since Baby Etrigan's fanclub started up.

JLU Quotes o' the Week

Lil' Green Lantern: (watching a love spat between Batboy and Wonder Girl) Man, for someone with like fifty kinds of vision, you are SO blind!

Superboy: What?!

Lil' Green Lantern: (watching Wonder Girl threaten to tell on everyone) Your girlfriend sure is bossy.

Batboy: Shut uuuuuup!

Wonder Girl: (after burping Baby Etrigan) See, that was all he needed.

Lil' Green Lantern: (holding his nose) Aw, man, that ain't all he needed!

Batboy: (backing up) This DEFINITELY looks like a job for Superman.