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Meeting You: Chapter 26

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*Hollow*

    Raven stood in the entryway of her room as her teammates rushed to her aid, though she had only called for one of them. Her eyes continued to roam over the destruction of her room; disbelieving. Her body was still tense and she stood rooted to the spot and everything screamed at her to run. Run to check on her kids; for safety. Starfire had flown down the hallway first before the other teammates had come to her aid.

    "What distresses you?" Starfire let out a gasp as she peered into her friend's room.

    Robin stepped into the room without permission. "Are you hurt?"

    "Raven?" Beast boy placed a hand on her shoulder at the lack of her response.

    She had been hounded with questions and she couldn't figure out how to word it. "I…h-he escaped." It was the best Raven could come up with and she could only hope that they understood.

    "Malchior." Robin had pieced it together. "Cyborg check the security cameras. Starfire see if you can find any further damage. Beast boy..."

    Beast boy had taken off in a sprint with Bumblebee following after him. It didn't take much to know that he was searching for his future children. Starfire flew out of the broken window while Cyborg jogged out into the hallway. Robin surveyed the room while Raven just stood there.

    Her eyes frantically flitted about the room to try and register what happened. "I…I don't know he escaped or if someone let him out." Her voice shook and she clenched her hands into fists to regain control. "Robin." She moved to turn on the light switch.

    The leader bent down and ran two fingers across the charred floor and brought it up to his face. "He broke out hours ago."

    Starfire flew back into the room from the window. "I cannot discover any leads or find any further damage."

    "He's…gone?" Raven mumbled. She didn't know why she asked the question as she already knew the answer.

    Robin stood and turned to the chest near the door. "I'm afraid so. He wasn't after anything in the tower as it's still intact." He shuffled past Raven and out into the hallway.

    "Perhaps Cyborg has discovered something." Starfire said and walked towards the door. Raven followed after the couple in the direction of the monitor room.

    Beast boy and Bumblebee were already in the room standing behind Cyborg's chair. "They're safe and still sleep, Raven." Bumblebee had turned around upon their entrance.

    "The damage was only limited to Raven's room." Robin took a seat beside Cyborg as tapes rewound themselves and played back.

    A wall divided into different screens flashed before them. The film was in black and white and shot different angles from the hallways and multiple rooms. Unfortunately, cameras had never been added to their personal rooms as it would’ve been an invasion of privacy. Raven's heart felt lighter knowing that her girls were safe and that Beast boy was calmer than she was.

    Cyborg's fingers danced along the buttons: pausing, rewinding, and turning the volume up. "I haven't detected any visible activity from the hallway of Raven's room. But you should hear this."

    Beast boy had opened his arms for Raven. "Just breathe, Rae. It's going to be alright."

    "But we don't know that." She accepted his embrace and stared at the screens.

    Cyborg turned up the volume until it reached the highest setting. Feedback buzzed in the room as the recordings from hours earlier played back. The video displayed the hallway without change as Cyborg had said. But what Raven heard chilled her to the bone. A repeated thumping sound was detectable even behind the metal door of her room. Cyborg sped up the video until they heard unearthly wails, almost as if the creature was in pain. Raven's eyes remained locked onto the screens and then the distinct sound of crackling of fire could be heard. Loud booms erupted which Raven assumed to be her bed and bookcase falling apart.

    "That happened around 3:41 this evening." Cyborg stopped the video playback and swiveled around to face his teammates. "Man, first Terra now him. Who's next, Blackfire?"

    Starfire's widened in surprise. "I wish for you to not speak unkindly of my sister, despite her faults in the past." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the dark skinned man. Her face faded from all emotions and a frown rested on her lips. "She is still very much my sister."

    Cyborg grimaced. "Sorry."

    "We'll figure this out soon enough." Robin seemed the most shocked as he looked over his fiancée. "If you need me, you know where to find me." Without saying anything else, he dismissed himself.

    "And he decides it's the best by locking himself away in the evidence room?" Bumblebee stared after the leader even though he was already down the hallway.

    Cyborg turned back around to stop the cameras from playing back footage. Starfire hastily exited the room in a sour mood. It wasn't often to see Starfire so upset, Raven frowned at the impact of emotions. Beast boy tugged Raven along with him out into the hallway and back towards her room.

    "Let's get started on cleaning your room." Beast boy said. She only nodded in agreement although the thought of sleeping in her room was no longer pleasant.

    As the days came and went, Robin had quite literally locked himself away in the evidence room. He had only shown himself for meals and for unhealthy amounts of coffee. If it weren't for basic necessities—such as showering, changing, or using the restroom—he wouldn't have been seen. It had taken a total of four days for Starfire to convince Robin out of the room. In result, Titan's East and West both suffered from it.

    It became a tradition over the years for Titan's East and West to spend New Year's Eve together. Both teams were currently in the gym due to Robin's orders. It was obvious that they had been lacking in nearly every area. After Christmas, Robin had become stricter with a new patrol schedule along with regular training. Cyborg was benching weights while Starfire spotted him—as she was the only other one strong enough to lift the weights—although it wasn't necessary.

    Speedy and Robin were in the middle of sparring hand to hand even though they were both sick and didn't have much strength. Beast boy had taken to the black punching bag though he was coming down with something as well. It was the peak of flu season and it was to only be expected. Bumblebee was on the treadmill and Aqualad with one arm behind his back while he did push-ups. Mas and Menos were absent as they were still visiting their grandparents from Guatemala since Christmas holiday.

     Hazel was currently facing the wall as Beast boy had issued her a time out. She had flushed a good amount of her toys and personal belongings down the toilet. It had included: Aqualad's communicator, Plastic bracelets, and her Barbie doll. In short, Beast boy had chastised her and Cyborg had to take the toilet out in the garage since it was clogged.

    "It's been four minutes, Gar." Raven floated in the corner of the room and faced her friends; eyes closed. Ivy sat in her lap while Raven taught her how to meditate. It was only hours earlier when Ivy had been in time out for hitting people.

    Beast boy halted from striking the punching bag and nodded. "Thanks. Are you ready to come out of time out?" It wasn't likely that he'd forget the fidgety four-year old facing the wall.

    "Yes." Hazel stood up from sitting on the ground and faced her father.

    Raven had thought that Hazel had taken her timeout well even though she wasn't happy about it. Not that Raven had expected her to be. Normally, Raven would have taken to yoga if they were exercising. It relaxed her even more as she stretched her body. But now, she was focusing on clearing her mind and stabilizing her emotions. It didn't help that the thought of Malchior was pushed to the front of her mind. But thinking about him triggered thoughts of Terra and branched out even further.

    "I know it's been awhile but I feel out of shape." Cyborg said as he lifted the weights up. Starfire's hands rested underneath the metal pole, she was strong enough to hold up the heavy weights with a single finger.

    Starfire nodded her head, "Yes I believe the eating of much holiday foods have affected us."

    "But you three… shouldn't be pushin'… your limits… today." Bumblebee she said between breaths.

    Speedy looked exhausted as he inhaled larger breaths. "Try telling that to him." He then dodged Robin's weak attack.

    Raven turned her thoughts back to meditating. "Take deep breaths now." She instructed the child on her lap.

    "I think you lost her, Rae." Cyborg had stopped lifting and chose to sit up for a drink of water.

    She opened her eyes to discover that Ivy had fallen asleep. Her mouth was slightly open and the back of her head rested on Raven's chest. Her breathing was even and shallow. They had only been at it for seven minutes and Raven had been shooting for ten. She floated down until she stood on two feet and held the sleeping girl in her arms.

    "I suppose your right." She mumbled. "I'm going to put her down for a nap. You need to quit overworking yourself, Garfield."

    Beast boy jabbed at the punching bag once more. "It's just a cold."

    The past four days had been filled with fighting villains and receiving calls about robberies. There was always an increased rate of crime during the month of December. And they had been on multiple calls each night with some being at unearthly hours. It hadn't been beneficial to Robin's or Beast boy's illness and they both continued to push their limits. And their two germ carriers didn't help their case. Raven glanced at Hazel who found her yellow hula hoop to play with. Both Hazel and Ivy's powers were highly unstable and still needed years to fully come in. That and Beast boy didn't know what and how to teach Hazel quite yet so he left her to play.

    "But you're probably right." Beast boy hit the black punching back a final time before he turned to find his water bottle.

    Raven adjusted Ivy in her arms so that her head rested on Raven's shoulder. "When am I not?"

    She left the gym behind and walked up the five steps that led up into the hallway. It was after she laid Ivy down in Beast boy's bed that she made her way back to the gym. And it was an hour later when the Ops room was filled with exhausted titans. A variety of snacks were spread across the coffee table and kitchen counter. Aqualad was setting up the game system while Beast boy and Cyborg stood in front of the bookcase filled with games and movies. Starfire huddled close to Bumblebee to watch a movie on her laptop. And Speedy was stretched on the far side of the couch with a pillow over his head to sleep off his illness.

    "Dude, no way!" Beast boy's hand shot to the third shelf. He retrieved a game case that was still wrapped in slippery plastic. "Why didn't you tell me you had this?"

    Cyborg took the game out of Beast boy's hands for a closer look. "Cause I didn't buy it."

    "Robin?" Beast boy whirled around to find his leader still slurping his soup. "I swear Zombie Vendetta 3 wasn't here before."

    The flushed man only shrugged and Raven turned her attention to the bewildered titan. "I bought it for you and Cyborg but I forgot about it."

    Aqualad carried three controllers with him back to the couch. "I'm surprised you'd even step foot into a game store." He directed his comment toward the empath. "Doesn't seem like you."

    "At the time it was worth it." Raven nibbled on a plain tortilla chip and seated herself on the floor.

    Soon she was in a bone crushing hug as Beast boy was tried to squeeze the life out of her. "You're the best."

    She patted his back for a few seconds before she pushed him away. "I'd still like to have my ribs intact."

    He smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Heh, sorry. Hey I'm going to run up to the store really quick. We're out of cough drops and we don't have Nyquil. Do you guys need anything?"

    "Could you get tissues please?" Robin said from the couch looking quite miserable.

    "I shall do the running of errands as you are sick as well." Starfire stared at the couple.

    "Nah its okay, Star." Beast boy said as he headed for the sliding doors. "I'll only be gone for a few minutes.”

    Starfire shared a look with Raven, "Starfire's right. I'm not going to baby you if your cold gets worse by going out in weather."

    "It's not like I'm dying. See ya guys in a bit." Beast boy blew a kiss and winked at her before ducking out of the room.

    Bumblebee had paused her movie, "You'd be all over him anyways Rae-Rae and you know it."

    "Shut up." She reached behind her to pull up her hood only to remember that she wasn't even wearing her cloak. "And don't call me that."

    Cyborg laughed. "That's on him. Let's start." He picked up the controller on the couch.

    Robin abandoned his half empty soup bowl and replaced it with the gray controller. He had still seemed out of it as Starfire had forbidden him to return to the evidence room. His eyes would glaze over and he would furrow his black eyebrows deep in thought. His actions didn't go unnoticed and Starfire tried her best to keep Robin's mind off of it.

    "Hey I’m back. I made a few other stops."

    Raven turned her attention away from Hazel on the floor when Beast boy entered the Ops room. He held two plastic bags which contained medicine and other necessities for being sick. But what had really caught her eye was what Beast boy was holding on to. Raven fully turned and watched as he hung his key on the hook and placed the glass bowl and plastic bags on the counter.

    "What is that?" The question tumbled out of her mouth even though she obviously knew the answer.

    "It's a beta fish." Beast boy moved the fish bowl to the table so Hazel could see it better.

    Raven sat down the plastic toy she was holding. "I don't think that's a good idea especially with Starfire."

    "She'll like it. Won't you?" Beast boy turned his attention to his teammate. Starfire had looked up from the mention of her name. Their movie was still playing but she had opted to painting her toenails green.

    The empath looked doubtful and glanced between Starfire and the fish bowl. "I me-

    Raven was interrupted by Starfire who had flown over to him. "Do you not like the fish of the many colors, Raven? It is the adorable." She cooed and peered into the bowl.

    That Raven couldn't deny, it was pretty. The scales on its body and face were white and light blue. Touches of pink and purple were spread in patches at the end on its flowing tail. Starfire's eyes shined as she studied the creature in the bowl.

    "I told ya so." Beast boy wore smug expression on his face. He proceeded to add dark beta fish pellets into the bowl.

    Raven frowned, "Are you sure you're okay with this, Starfire?"

    A pet hadn't occupied the tower since the passing of the beloved mutant moth years before. Cyborg had said it was from natural causes of old age and a tiny funeral had been held with Starfire’s request. Robin hadn't been fond of the idea of a new pet, especially since it had affected Starfire the most. She had mourned for days and had only spoke to Beast boy about Silkie. He was the only other titan that had been just as close to the animal and loved it just as much as she did.

     “What is his name?"

    Beast boy smiled widely, “Peaches.”

    "That's a silly name." Ivy laughed out loud then and moved to sit at the table to watch the fish.

    Raven was hardly interested in the game with Hazel anymore and tried to voice her earlier concerns. "But what about, Robin?"

    Beast boy frowned which caused Raven to look him over. This wasn't the first attempt to introduce another pet into titan's tower. It was three months after Silkie's passing that Cyborg and Beast boy bought her a tiny Roborovski hamster. And before the two could present the small creature to the tamaranian, Robin had copped them out. In result, the hamster and it's already set up cage had been sent back to the pet store.

    "You're acting as if I came home with a cat." Beast boy said.

    "I am positive Robin will not return him to the store of pets." It was just a fish after all and if Robin was infuriated he'd be considered a bit insane. The boy wonder was too absorbed in the video game to notice their conversation. 

    "He's all yours." Beast boy gestured to the bowl.

    Starfire's arms wrapped around him as she squealed. "I must thank you for this delightful gift."

    A whine similar to a puppy escaped his throat as his air supply was cut off. "Sure thing."

    A wide smile was plastered to Starfire's face as she took the fish bowl from the counter. Hazel and Ivy were at her heels wishing to see the fish once more. Raven approached him slowly and he held both of her hands in his when she was close enough.

    "They don't last long as it is. And we both know Robin doesn't like pets since she's so sensitive."

    Beast boy shrugged his shoulders. "Ivy's overly sensitive. And it's a low maintenance pet."

    She shook her head. "That's slightly different."

    "We do have two years to think about it." Beast boy released her and opened the plastic bag on the table. “That’s about how long they live.”

    The rest of the evening was spent relaxing with a hint of normalacy. When midnight struck, noise makers went off and glasses of sparkling apple cider was poured. The titans could even hear the fireworks that went off in the city that sounded well after they rang in the new year. The titans didn’t linger in the commons area and had headed to bed soon afterwards.

     It wasn't often that Raven had woken up in not just a warm bed but a warm room also. Cyborg must have kept the heaters on throughout the night. She felt well rested compared to the four hours of sleep she did receive. Starfire was at her most serious when it came to wedding planning and it was taking its toll on the empath. She ran her fingers through Beast boy's forest green hair. He stirred and blinked his eyes open to stare at her. It was January 12th, the changeling's birthday

    "Happy 20th Birthday, Garfield."

    He moved so he was sitting up, his eyes were cloudy and he looked groggy. "Thanks Rae."

    Beast boy embraced her with a hug and his breath tickled her exposed neck. "You ready to get up? I think everyone else is awake."

    "Yeah I am." He hugged her closer for a moment longer before letting her go.

    Cyborg stood in the kitchen with a chef's hat and skillet in hand. "Happy Birthday B-man!"

    They went through their morning routine and made their way to breakfast with both of their girls. Before Beast boy had even walked ten steps into the room Starfire suffocated him with a hug. Bumblebee and Robin attacked him with birthday punches on both of his arms and didn’t go easy on him either. Raven made her way to the kitchen and so did the rest.

    Beast boy looked surprised with all the food laid out on the table. "Wow, Cy. How early have you been up?"

    The half robot shrugged. "About 6:30am but anythin' for my best friend on his birthday."

    "Is this vegan?" Beast boy slid into the booth beside Robin. "This is awesome."

    Starfire looked back and forth between the two friends. "Does Cyborg not make you the breakfast feast every year?"

    Raven reached for the jug of orange juice to pour into Hazel and Ivy's plastic cups. "He does. But it shocks Gar every year."

    "Thanks." Beast boy had a wide smile on his face and Cyborg clapped him on the shoulder.

    "Ivy, don't use your fingers." Raven said before she turned towards her fiancée. "When you're done with breakfast there's something for you in the garage."

    Beast boy chuckled. "A surprise really?"

    Bumblebee scooped scrambled eggs onto her plate, "Just wait 'till you see it."

    Robin took a sip of his morning coffee to wake himself up, "I'm sure you'll like it."

    Breakfast was full of conversations and playful jibes at Beast boy. By the time, Raven had finished eating and she felt like crawling back in bed. Cyborg's cooking was always great and one to look forward to. Dishes were stashed in the sink and the table was cleared off. Bumblebee and Raven were the ones to lead the way into the garage.

    Once there, Beast boy's mouth hung open in surprise. "Dude, no way!"

    Parked beside the T-car was a white moped with a black helmet that sat on the seat. It was wrapped in a large red bow and the vehicle appeared to shine.

    "Hope you like it." Raven said.

    "You're the best, Rae!" Beast boy pulled her into a tight hug that lasted only several seconds.

    "You think Raven got that for you?" Robin asked but he still wore a smile on his face.

    Beast boy stepped back. "Didn't you?"

    She took several breaths to calm her raging emotions from his burst of excitement. "We all pitched in to save up for it. Since the last time you had one you were fifteen." She didn't need to explain any further as they all knew what had happened to that vehicle.

    "You guys are so awesome." Beast boy hugged each of the titans, his grin even bigger before.

    Bumblebee tossed him the new keys, "Why don't you take your B-ped out for a spin?"

    "For real? C'mon Rae." Beast boy shoved the black helmet onto his head.

    Raven stared at him. "Garfield, I don't…oh whatever. Just let me grab our coats, it's freezing out." She opened up one of her portals and reappeared moments later.

    Cyborg smiled, "Don't forget the we're going to Holiday Lanes later." Holiday Lanes consisted of a bowling alley, laser tag, indoor paintball, an arcade, and indoor surfing. In spite of being the age of 21 and 20, Cyborg and Beast boy were both a kids at heart.

    "And enjoying the birthday cake and the bowls of ice cream." Starfire added while shoving her pink helmet into Raven's hands. It had a yellow 'S' plastered to the front to match Robin's red one.

    Raven nodded. "We won't be out long."

    Ivy had a frown on her face and held onto Raven's jacket. "I don't want you to go."

    Hazel's eyes found hers. "I want to come."

    "Stay here with Uncle Nightwing. We'll be back soon, okay?"

    The small changeling gave her a doubtful look. "How long is soon?”

    Beast boy mussed her hair. "Soon enough to eat some birthday cake later."

    Ivy folded her arms and tucked her head down to her chest. It was clear that she was close to tears if she wasn't already. It didn't take a genius to know that she had separation anxiety. Raven felt a pang of guilt as she climbed onto the back of the moped and held onto Beast boy's waist.

    "She’ll grow out of it eventually." Beast boy said before he turned the key into the ignition.

    “I have to head back to Steel City.” Bumblebee said as she waved the couple off, “We’ll call later tonight, Beast boy.” Implying that her titans east would later send their birthday wishes.

    The slab of cement was opened due to the sensors and they sped into the lit tunnel. Once they were out, the icy air seemed to engulf them. Raven's fingers and face froze as her hair that wasn't in her helmet blew behind her. She hadn't thought of taking a scarf or gloves but she did bring her purse.

    Beast boy had suggested they go to a museum to her utter surprise after they had visited the comic book store. She quickly agreed so he wouldn't change his mind about it. Besides being in a bookstore and her café she had loved going to the different museums in Jump City. It was another way for her to obtain information and she was quite passionate about it. The only other person in their tower that fully appreciated museums was Robin. And Beast boy had taken her to the state railroad museum.

    "You know; I'm surprised you know what museum is." Raven held his hand and moved to read the plaque that had information on the black locomotive.

    Beast boy’s attention was on the train itself rather than the actual information. "What's so surprising about that?" They had already been there for nearly an hour and a half.

    She raised an eyebrow at him as if it explained everything. "You avoid it like the plague."

    "Yeah well wh-

    The blaring of Raven's communicator drowned out his words. The sound turned heads toward the find the source of the commotion. She fumbled with the belt on her jeans to retrieve the device and flipped it open. Cyborg was bug eyed and Raven could practically feel the anxiety rolling off of him.

    "What is it?" Raven prompted.

    Cyborg's expression didn't falter, "Get back to the tower now."

    Beast boy spoke up without being able to see his friend. "Why? What happened?"

    "Just hurry up and get here man." The urgency was enough to get the two titans moving.

    The two titans immediately headed for the nearest green exit sign and searched for his white moped, once outside Beast boy fiddled with the white helmet that went to his moped. He thrusted Starfire's pink helmet into Raven's hands before he gestured for her to get on.

    Raven shook her head at his offer. "It'll take too long."

    “Then what do you suppose we do?”

    Raven moved so that she sat on the moped and let her arms wrap around his waist. "This."

    Without much of a warning she teleported them into a sea of blackness. Beast boy had yiped as he was caught off guard. Raven was fairly used to it as it was her power.  Soon they were back in the tower's garage. The kickstand on the moped was propped out and their helmets thrown to the ground. The second Raven crossed the threshold of the elevator she knew things were off.

    "He didn't sound so worried." Beast boy tried to reason, "Is this some sort of birthday surprise?" He narrowed his eyes at her and studied her face.

    She impatiently tapped her foot on the floor. "No it isn't."

    "Are you sure?"

    "If I was, we wouldn't be racing to get here. Something isn't right I can feel it."

    “Yeah, guess you’re right.” He nodded in agreement. "I can sense it too."

    With a small 'ding' the doors slid open for them to highest room in the tower. Raven darted out and into the hallway believing that Cyborg's call was important. Her breath caught in her throat when the automatic doors of the Ops room opened up to them. A strong sense of déjà vu hit her at full force.

    "Looks like a tornado hit. Are you guys alright?" Beast boy hesitantly took a few steps forward.

    Robin avoided eye contact. "Raven, they're gone. Hazel and Ivy aren't here anymore."

    "What do you mean they aren't here?" Raven's tone turned venomous, "We left them both with you."

    Cyborg examined the damage in the room. "We know that bu-

    "Then where are they?"

    Her eyes darted about the room that was practically falling apart. Beast boy had been right, it looked as if a twister had hit them hard. It wasn't plausible as the tower was still standing and there hadn't been any amber alerts. The couch was half shredded with white cotton spilling out onto the floor.

    The whole window that over looked the city was completely shattered. Cabinet and pantry doors had been ripped off or hung loosely on their hinges. Glass dishes lay in shards on the kitchen floor and counter. An entire wall of the common room was torn out. The coffee table and the rest of the room was covered in penny sized holes.

    Raven's calm demeanor was unraveling. "Where are they?"

    Beast boy had turned back towards her. "Give them a chance to explain Raven. You're blowing this a bit out of proportion."

    That was the last thing that she wanted to hear. "I wouldn't be blowing it out of proportion if you'd just tell me."

    "Raven, please do not be angry with us." A look of hurt crossed Starfire's face as she stared at the couple. "But your little bungorfs have returned to their proper era."

    "Proper era?" Beast boy echoed as if he couldn't believe it.

    Raven shook her head, "No, no they didn't. Just please tell me where they are."

    Cyborg made his way up the steps that led out into the hallway. "The cameras captured the footage, Rae. You can't deny it."

    All five titans stood in the evidence room as if this was the answer to everything. The answer to Malchior escaping or the evidence of her twins leaving. They wouldn't always be able to rely on such technology all the time. Her finger nails dug into her arm as she waited for Cyborg and Robin to play back the videos.

    "Why didn't you do anything to stop it?" Her emotions were rampant at her new discovery.

    Robin glanced back at her for only a moment. "There was nothing we could do. We couldn't interfere."

    "Do you even hear yourself, Raven?" Beast boy asked as he stared at each of the individual screens. "You should be worrying if they were still stuck here in the present day."

    "Here it is." Cyborg announced.

    She bit her lip to refrain from saying something she knew she would regret. Activity on all the screens took place at the same time. In the Ops room, Hazel and Ivy sat on the floor playing with Cyborg and Starfire. Robin was busy in the kitchen making what seemed like lunch for all of them. In the all the other hallways a black fog hovered low to the ground and seeped out every room. The sight of it resembled her magic.

    Raven stiffened at the scene playing out before her eyes. "How did you not notice this?"

    By now the black fog seeped in the common room and after a few minutes, it alerted Cyborg. Raven intently watched the people on the screen react to the events. Once the black fog had entered the common room it hovered into the air. Cracks of what would have been lightning startled the two girls and the three titans. It thick vapor turned into a twisting funnel; recreating a tornado. The lighting in the tower had noticeably dimmed and the sound of crying was distinguishable.

    It was as if it was creating its own storm; a magically influenced one. Black hands made of vapor sought out the two girls. Robin and Cyborg had fought against it and held both girls back. It only resulted in both titans being electrocuted. Heavy rain poured from the fog that hung high in the air. Everything the droplets touched, burned tiny holes into its surface. The crying had been drowned out by the sound of clapping thunder. The hands pulled Hazel and Ivy into the heart of the twisting tempest. Just as the two girls disappeared from view, the storm released its worse on the three titans. They had charged forward into the middle of the room. Starfire's hands smacked against an invisible force. Whatever it was, it held all three of them back.

    Eventually, they had sought out shelter when the acid rain against their skin became excruciating. The Ops room filled with blackness that even sunlight couldn't penetrate. The sound was abruptly cut off, which signified that the cameras had been blown to bits.

    "We were not meant to do the interfering." Starfire whispered as she faced her distressed friend.

    Cyborg nodded before he shut the computer system down. "It was meant to happen."

    "Hazel and Ivy," Robin began without looking at her, "Were able to tamper with the present because it technically already took place. We couldn't because it would've destroyed their very existence."

    The footage had silenced her; she had been wrong about her teammates actions. Four pairs of eyes fell upon her; concerned and questioning. Raven turned on her heel and ran towards the sanctuary of her room. Once there, she had kicked off her shoes and plopped down on her bed to bury her face in a pillow. Her emotions were screaming at her and mixing with the rest of her teammates'.

    It was roughly half an hour later when a familiar knock sounded at her door. "Raven, are you going to be okay?" He spoke the words softly. "Can I please come in?"

    Her response was muffled as she spoke into her pillow, not having moved for thirty minutes. "If you must."

    At her answer, Beast boy quietly stepped into the room. She listened as he made his way to her repaired bed. He sat down beside her but Raven didn't look up when she felt a light pressure on her back.

    "As scary as it looked, it's a good thing that it happened." He whispered, "You shouldn't be upset with yourself."

    In all honesty, Raven wasn't sure why she was overreacting in such a way. She was being overdramatic but she had trouble deciphering her true feelings. "Why do you think that?"

    "We both know that they couldn't stay here forever."

    She let out a shaky breath and turned her head to face him. "I know. But I feel as if…as if I'm personally responsible for their well-being. What if something happened?"

    "I don't think anything bad happened."

    Raven studied his green eyes, he didn't look afraid. He was speaking the truth. "And how do you know?"

    "Are you going to fight me on this?"

    She was silent for a moment, "I…suppose not."

    Raven didn't know how long they sat together in silence but it was comforting. She didn't shed any tears over their loss. Instead, her head pounded with all the different emotions coursing through her. After a while Beast boy was able to convince her to the storage room in the lower level of the tower.

    "I don't think so, Garfield." Raven sat on a wooden step stool and watched him bring out cardboard boxes. "I don't want to do i-

    "Raven, sweetheart, they aren't coming back anytime soon." Beast boy leaned the folded cardboard against the wall and moved to find a permanent marker. "The next time we see them it'll be different."

    They both had brought down the clothing items and toys that Hazel and Ivy temporarily had. Something felt so wrong in doing the simple task. In a way it pained her. Raven sensed that Beast boy felt the same despite his facial expressions and words. He found a black Sharpie on the bottom of the metal shelf.

    "I know."

    Raven slid off the stool and knelt on the floor beside him. Simultaneously, they began to fold the small clothes and store them away. It was silent as they worked; both lost in their own thoughts. In a way, Raven was mourning her two girls that she had grown attached to. It had been similar to personally caring for Timmy, Teether, and Melvin all over again. Nearly twenty minutes passed when Raven had finally taped the boxes closed.

    "That's the last one." All emotion was absent from her voice. "We should help them in the Ops room."

    All five boxes were soon stored underneath the gray metal shelves. Raven brushed her cold hands on her sweater and Beast boy placed the sharpie on a shelf. The walk was long as they had to use the flight of stairs that led out of the basement. Most of the damages were able to be repaired with Raven's magic. Cyborg and Robin had taken to placing plastic sheets over the missing wall. Starfire and Beast boy were in the middle of throwing out the coffee table and sofa due to water and acid damage. Raven was in the middle of placing the pantry and cabinet doors back on all of their hinges.

    Cyborg frowned. "Man, this is gonna take days."

    "We're going to have to rip up the carpet and replace it." Robin swept away the excess rubble on the soiled carpet.

    Beast boy held up a one section of the couch and Starfire gripped the other. "Or you know, just replace everything. On the bright side you can finally remodel like you wanted to."

    A blush tinged Raven’s cheeks at the comment. "Well we have time."

    Each of the titans engaged in different chores to remove some of the destruction. In the meantime, the room wouldn't be fit to live in. They moved in silence, only speaking several sentences at a time when they needed to coordinate. By the time dinner rolled around, Starfire had called for a pizza delivery. And it was nearing 9:00pm when the titans decided to rest before continuing in the morning.

    The titans headed off to their seprate rooms and Beast boy escorted Raven. "I'm sorry about how your birthday turned out." She stared down at her feet as they turned the corner.

    "Don't be." Beast boy said just as quickly, "It's no one's fault. Goodnight, Raven." He bent down to capture her lips in his for a brief moment.

    The action had caught her off her guard but only encouraged her to ask the question currently on her mind. "Could you…stay with me…tonight?" She still had trouble voicing what she wanted.

    "You sure?"

    She nodded her head and opened her door for the both of them. They had shared the same room for almost four months, it would’ve been odd without Beast boy's presence beside her. It had become such a normal routine. She felt so hollow, so empty, even though it had only been hours. The tower was quieter than usual and that had made the change more permanent. The silence was something she had once craved for but now it felt so heavy. Raven opened her dresser drawers to pull out her cotton pajamas. And Beast boy had excused himself to change his clothes in the privacy of his room.

    "Thank you." She whispered upon his return.

    Beast boy pulled back the covers to her oval bed. "You don't have to thank me."

    She was surprised how her eyes felt heavy with sleep as soon as she tucked the covers underneath her chin. Beast boy had pulled her close and rested his jaw on the top of her head. It was a sad feeling to be no longer needed by a child that no longer existed. It made her heart ache for something she didn't even know she had longed for. Eventually, she gave into the sleep that had been calling her name for so long.

    It was only two and half hours later when she woke with a start. The temperature of the room was cold as well as the bedding that had tumbled to the floor. She strained her ears for the crying that she had heard only moments before but instead she was met with silence.

    "That's right," Raven sat up in bed to find that she was alone. She held her head in her hands. "They're not here."

    The familiar sound of her door sliding opened caught her attention. Beast boy glided into the room with a glass of water in his hand. Raven studied him as his head turned towards her. Judging from light of the moon that shined in her room, his eyes were a shade darker and slightly glazed over.

    But the words that had left his mouth was a different personality of Beast boy. "You have awoken."

    Raven only stared as he made his way back to the bed with the glass of water. Immediately her guard was up as the Beast was back in his conscious state. He was troubled, she could tell by the way his eyebrows were furrowed.

    "What do you want from m-me?" Her voice shook and she clenched the sheet in her hand.

    Beast boy took a sip of water before offering her some, "We are merely concern about you. Why do you fear me so?"

    Her breath hitched in her throat. His words had taken on a territorial meaning to his questioning. She chose not to answer him. She couldn't very well tell him that he couldn't control his temper. It would've been hypocritical of her as she didn't have complete control of her own temper. She pulled her legs out of the covers and stood up. She removed the thick book of Azar with intentions to read herself to sleep with the dull text.

    "I can't sleep." Raven said. "I'll be in the entryway."

    The Ops room wasn't even an option at the moment. And she had ruled out the roof as it was freezing out. The only other option was the entryway that had several couches. They were not as comfortable as the U-shaped couch but it would suffice.

    A small thud sounded as his glass was placed on her bedside table. "Perhaps you would be willing to read to me?"

    Raven paused with her back to him, "Huh?"

    "That is if you would not mind." His voice was soft as he spoke his request.

    Her legs moved on their own to her bed without her mind to catch up with her motions. "I guess…that would be alright."

    She turned on a lamp that radiated a dim light but just enough for her to see the words on the pages. The beast had righted the sheets that had toppled onto the floor and covered both of them with the covers. Raven took a risk and sat closer to him so that they were side by side. The heavy book rested against her legs that were pulled up to her chest.

    "It might bore you to death."

    The best let out a chuckle that rumbled in her chest. "I assure you that I will be a good listener."

    With that, Raven fanned through the pages to where she left off and began to read in a quiet voice.

 

 

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