It's Dark Inside (BbRae)

20

Timid Raven had led Beast Boy deeper into the city. Beast Boy was confused. What was going on? Why was Raven here in the first place?

He had remembered seeing the red cloaked Raven after Raven had defeated her father. Except all of this was in Raven's head, was it real? It started to make him wonder if the Raven cloaked in red had returned. Beast Boy knew Raven had daddy issues, but he wasn't quite sure how serious they were.

Raven's father couldn't touch her, right? Beast Boy thought he had no power here, but the more and more he wondered about Raven being here, the more unbelievable that became.

Timid Raven and Beast Boy round a corner, and as they do, Beast Boy saw his Raven. "Thank you for leading me to her." Beast Boy says as he turns to face Timid Raven, but she had already vanished.

Beast Boy watches Raven from a far, it looked as though Raven was looking at some sort of big screen. Beast Boy watches curiously, puzzled as he begins to step closer. Raven was desperately searching the screen, for what?

After awhile, Raven slumped to her knees in defeat, her head in her hands, she had found nothing from her home planet that could help prevent the prophecy from coming true.

Before Beast Boy can say anything, Raven speaks. "Why are you here?"

Beast Boy blinks, putting a finger to his lips, he stops in his tracks as she speaks. How did she know he was there.

"I can do more than you think. I sensed your aura." Raven explains after Beast Boy pops the question. He was now standing next to Raven, but Raven hadn't look at him once.

"Raven, what's going on?"

"You ask too many questions." Raven replies, drained.

Beast Boy lays a hand on her shoulder as he kneels down next to her. The area around them was a beautiful town built with great architecture. The skies were beautiful and in the center, where Beast Boy had found himself, was a large fountain that Raven had been using somehow.

The fountain appeared to be the center of the town and Raven had been peering over it, searching, for what exactly?

Beast Boy opens his mouth to speak. "Raven, look at me," Raven had closed her eyes. Everything felt hopeless, she couldn't bear to look in his beautiful eyes.

All he probably saw was a traitor, a villain, and what she feared most, an enemy. She felt like a failure.

"I-- I can't." She answers quietly, using all the energy she had left to hold her emotions back.

Beast Boy's mouth opens in surprise, his eyebrows dropping with intense concern. He wasn't quite sure what to say to help. Raven was clearly trapped in disparity, something big was going on, he could feel it. But what could he do about it?

"C'mere." Beast Boy slides his hand down to Raven's arm, pulling her into him. Raven immediately embraces him, her eyes filled up with tears.

"I-- I can't do this anymore. It's so hard." Raven sniffles. Beast Boy just holds her close to his chest protectively and listens as if there is no tomorrow. Beast Boy doesn't say a word as Raven confesses.

He wasn't quite sure what was going on, but the emotions he could feel from holding Raven said it all. She emanated fear, despair, and hopelessness. 

Raven mumbles for a while, but Beast Boy is unable to comprehend any of it, he was just glad that he was able to diffuse her distress in some way.

"I'm here." Beast Boy finally whispered. "I've got you."

The embrace was sweet and warm. It was a nice contrast to Raven. Her mind was cold and bitter. Racing in circles, racking every part of her brain for any memory, any solution to stop her father from annihilating the Earth.

Raven did not want to leave the hug, she felt safe, and as though time had stopped, that all her worries had somehow vanished. Beast Boy somehow had that effect on her, and she couldn't get enough of it.

But Raven didn't want to use him, she felt bad for the thought even popping into her head.

Raven pulls away, looking down at the ground, her cheeks wet. She pulls on her hood, her face disappearing into shadows. All you could see now were her eyes. "Thank you, Beast Boy."

After that the two of them stand up. Without a word, Raven begins walking farther into the deserted town. Beast Boy follows, until suddenly, Raven takes him through what looked to be a portal.

Beast Boy then falls through a spiral of darkness until he lands on solid ground. Finally hopping to his feet, Beast Boy looks around him, he was back in Raven's room, and Raven was standing across the room at her bookshelf.

Being back in reality, Beast Boy immediately realizes he had abandoned Robin and Cyborg. Panic begins to consume his being.

Beast Boy explains to Raven about Robin and Cyborg going after Slade and realizes his mistakes. He wanted to make sure Raven was okay, but now he had put his friends in danger.

"We've got to find them!" Beast Boy finishes. "But how?"

Raven walks out of her room, and Beast Boy watches. "Follow me." Raven replies. Soon Beast Boy found himself in the Titan's living room. Raven stepped over to the computer and grabbed one of Robin's gadgets that had been laying around. Using her powers, she begins to track Robin.

"I think I know where they are, let's go." Raven finally says after a pause. Beast Boy nods, he begins to follow Raven once more, until she pauses, turning to face him. "Beast Boy?"

"Yeah?"

"When we get back, I promise, I'll explain everything." Raven replies, not looking him in the eyes.

Beast Boy widens his eyes. He didn't want to pressure Raven into anything. Raven was reserved and kept her life private. It was his fault for going into the mirror again.

He was actually shocked Raven wasn't mad at him. Maybe she did want to share   things with Beast Boy?

"Only if you want to." Beast Boy responds.

The two of them leave the tower from the rooftop. Beast Boy was now a pterodactyl and Raven floated next to him. They glide across the city smoothly, lowering here and there and going around buildings that were quite tall.