Teen Titans Fan Fiction ❯ Currently Untitled ❯ The Magician... ( Chapter 4 )

A/N: Hey, short one tonight. Seemed like a good place to end it, though. Hope you enjoy it.

 

Currently Untitled

Chapter 4

 

Terra was still kneeling over Raven's body when she heard the sound of heavy metal feet coming down the passage into the cave. A moment later, a green bird darted into the cavern, and shifted into Beastboy. He hit the ground hard, but came up fast, running to Raven's side.

He pulled Raven away from Terra, pulling her into his lap as he began to sob uncontrollably. Cyborg stepped up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Dude, let me see her.” When Beastboy didn't respond, Cyborg sighed and hit him hard on the back of the head. Beastboy collapsed silently.

“What's going on?” Terra asked, a tremble in her voice.

“Long story.” He checked Raven over carefully. “You got your powers?”

“Yeah.”

“Get us to the tower, now.”

 

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Beastboy woke to the sound of steady beeping. He sat up from the hard bed that he was laying on, and looked around the small infirmary. On the bed next to him was Raven. A variety of machines were around her, attached to her. A tube entered her mouth, several IVs were in one arm, wires snaked under the medical gown that she wore. Her face was deathly pale, her features drawn. He reached one hand out to her, but stopped. His hand was covered in a thick cast, holding his fingers out stiffly.

“Bout time you woke up.”

Beastboy turned to see that Cyborg sat on the other side of his bed. “She's okay.”

Cyborg sighed, not meeting Beastboy's pleading gaze. “I don't know, man. I don't know what's wrong with her. She's not injured, physically she's in perfect health, except...”

“Except what?”

“She's on life support. I've got probes sunk into her heart to force it to beat, and a ventilator forcing her lungs to work. Without that she dies.”

“But she's alive?”

“There's still some activity on the EEG, the thing that reads her brain's activity. It means that as long as the machines keep her body running, her mind is still alive. It looks like a deep dream state right now.”

“She's going to be okay, though? Isn't she?”

“I don't know, man. I just… I've done everything I can. Robin's put in some calls to the Justice League. They told him to track down someone, Zatanna the Magician or something like that.”

“What's she going to do?”

“Dunno, but whatever is wrong with Raven has to do with magic. We're at our wits end, man.”

“When are they getting back?”

“Dunno, shouldn't be too long. She was doing a show…”

Beastboy shot up, “A show? She's actually a magician, like a stage magician?!”

“I guess. That doesn't mean a thing man, most super heroes don't live twenty four seven as super heroes.”

Beastboy sighed as he dropped back to the bed. “Right, right.” He turned to stare at Raven's still form. “I hope they get here soon.”

“Me too, man.”

“Did I see Terra?”

“Yeah, Raven woke her up, I think. She's out cold right now. While you were out, I removed her armor surgically. Nasty stuff, ties in tight to your nervous system. She'll be awake tomorrow.”

“That's where Star is then, huh?”

“Yeah, just in case anything happens.”

 

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Beastboy and Cyborg passed most of the evening, and into the early morning sitting in silence. As dawn neared, both Titans could hear the sound of footsteps coming up the hallway. One set was easily identifiable as Robin's boots, the other sounded like a pair of high heals clicking in staccato down the tiled floor. “Sounds like they're here.” Cyborg said, straightening up.

“It's about time.”

The door opened and Robin entered, followed by a tall, black haired woman in what was obviously the costume of a stage magician. A tuxedo top with long tails over a leotard, and fishnet stockings topped off by a top hat and cane. She immediately went to Raven's bedside, studying her thoughtfully. “Huh, an actual nephilum, a half demon. I didn't think that any still existed.”

“This isn't a show.” Beastboy snapped.

Zatana looked up at him, surprised. “I'm sorry. It's just kind of an experience for me, half demons are very rare these days.”

“What's wrong with her?”

“I don't know. Tell me what happened, and I'll probably be able to answer your question.”

Cyborg answered before Beastboy had a chance. “We think it has to do with her bringing Terra back.”

“Who's that now?”

“Terra is a super hero who can control anything that comes out of the ground, dirt and rocks and stuff. She stopped a volcano from erupting that would have wiped out most of the city, but was turned to stone.”

“And Raven brought her back?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I know what happened. It was a side effect of the spell that she used.” She sighed, seeming to prepare herself for the explanation. “Magical beings, those with inborn powers, are dependant on having a certain amount of stored power. They pull their power from the world around them, and generate some of it. If such a being was ever drained, they die. It sounds as though Terra is a geomancer, a very powerful form of magic. The fact that she stopped a volcano speaks volumes about her own level of power. She drained herself, though, which is why she became a statue.”

Zatana looked back down at Raven. “There is a very powerful, very difficult spell that would restore power to one who has drained their own reserves. The only problem is that it required the caster to sacrifice themselves, they are drained in order to restore the target of the spell.”

“So you're saying that Raven knew what she was doing?” Robin asked her.

“Most definitely. There's no way she would have known how to do the spell without knowing the dangers as well.”

“Can you help her?” Beastboy asked, though he already knew the answer.

“No. Only a handful of people could even cast the spell, and they are all in important positions right now, protecting this world from attacks. And even if I could, why? She knew what she was doing, she knew that she would die.”

Beastboy fought tears as Zatana spoke. “It was my fault that she did this. She thought that I hated her.” He looked up suddenly, heedless of his tears. Anger burned in his eyes. “I wouldn't let her do it again.”

Zatana crossed her arms, her gaze traveling back and forth between Raven and Beastboy. “There may be someone…”

“Who?” Beastboy asked.

“No.” All eyes turned to Robin. “She is important to us, but no one is important enough to sacrifice another life for. I'm sorry, Beastboy, I truly am, but I will not have any else die for her.”

Beastboy growled and started pushing himself out of the bed. “If she can be saved, nothing will…”

“Enough.” Zatana broke in. “Honestly, I don't know that the Justice League was thinking putting a bunch of teenagers under one roof.” She muttered to herself before continuing. “The man I know won't have to sacrifice himself, if he can help her. He might not be able to help her, though.”

“How do I contact him?” Beastboy asked, his face more serious than the others had ever seen.

“You don't. I'll talk to him, he'll contact you soon, probably tonight.”

 

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Beastboy studied Raven's still form. She seemed diminished, somehow, as though she had shrunken into herself. The tangle of wires and tubes did nothing to help that perception. He reached out tentatively and took her hand, feeling her warmth and reassuring himself that, for now at least, she lived.