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Disclaimer:
*Looks around* Ok….he isn’t here….maybe I don’t have to do the whole disclaimer thing.

*Turns around and bumps into a team of lawyers* What the? How the hell do you guys keep appearing? …. ok ok. I don’t own the Teen Titans or any DC character.

Rated M: Language and just to be safe  ^_^
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Chapter 7:  The Hunt

‘This has been a rather hectic day.’ thought Knowledge as she walked through a stone archway. Her gaze studied her surroundings as she emerged into the new area. It was an unused section of Raven’s mind though it wasn’t meant to be. It used to be the home of two emotions but since the incident at the Café the section had reverted to its previous state: nothing.

She thought slightly as she gazed at the room, everything was white, no walls could be visible and the floor was indistinguishable from the rest of the room. There was barely anything there except for what each emotion had contributed from their realms when they visited. Things were very different from the way they were when Raven first created Nevermore. Each emotion now had a vast realm to call their own. Each area showed the progress that Raven had gained in controlling and showing that emotion. Knowledge now had a huge library were she cataloged everything that Raven knew. Happy had a huge field or flowers, it was as far as the eye could see and it was filled with every flower Raven had ever seen or heard of. Timid’s maze was still there but she now had more control over it, she used it to hide herself whenever she needed to. And so on, even Rage had a home even though it was a prison it was still similar to her: ragged and uninviting. She allowed herself a knowing smile, all the changes meant Raven was closer to controlling herself but she still had a long way to go. Her thoughts were interrupted as a purple cloaked figure made its way through the portal.

“Greetings Affection. You are here to monitor your siblings?” quizzically asked Knowledge.

“Yes. I can sense that their strength is returning. At least in a small way they are getting stronger.” replied Affection with a weak smile. “I’m just lucky Raven didn’t have a meltdown at the Café…” her voice trailed off as she gazed at two colored orbs floating in the center of the room.

“I concur. We are lucky that her friends stood by her. Had they turned on her I shudder to think what may have happened.” added Knowledge walking over to the orbs. “Your sisters are lucky they were able to split their essence and give a piece to each of us. Had they not, then Raven would have suffered much more than just a simple collapse.”

“I know. I guess we are lucky in a way. Love was able to split herself up easily even as she began to disappear.” said Affection turning her attention to the magenta orb.

“Yes. But Lust had a more difficult time. It was not easy splitting herself in her current state. She was the youngest of us, after all.” added Knowledge gazing at the Crimson orb.

“I forgot how young she was. Anyways I believe it is time the others arrived. I think one of them will be reborn soon.” said Affection as her hands gently touched each orb. Each of the orbs began pulsating slightly at the touch.

“Yes. I too have sensed that. I will get on it immediately.” replied Knowledge as she made her way to the stone archway. ‘The day isn’t over yet. I just hope all this is truly for the best.’ she thought before making her way to Happy’s realm.

Jump City

“I’m so glad you invited me over. You have a nice apartment.” said a pink haired teen as she made her way out of the kitchen. She smiled as she looked around the apartment. It was everything she has imagined from the conversations she had with the owner. No expense was spared when decorating. The living room had all the comforts anyone could ever want. A flat screen, high definition television was the center of attention though. It was the latest model on the market and it was equipped with every accessory the girl could imagine. Everything in the apartment seemed new even the couch she now sat on.

“Thanks. I bought a lot of new things when the first check for the book came in. I thought it was about time I updated my belongings.” replied a pale teen with a slick smile on his face. He carried two martini glasses filled to the brim. He placed them down on the oak coffee table in front of the couch and sat next to the girl. The two locked eyes with one another and smiled. They knew why they had left the café early and their hormones would not wait anymore. The pink haired girl pounced on the pale teen and their lips connected. They were being driven by pure lust as their tongues explored each other’s mouths and their hands explored their bodies. After what seemed like an eternity they broke their passionate embrace to catch their breaths.

“Wow. You are really good at this.” said Joseph as another smile spread across his now blushing face.

“You aren’t as inexperienced as I thought.” playfully replied Lillith before her lips connected to Joseph’s again. In the midst of their passion they hadn’t noticed the third entity in the apartment. A green cockroach scurried under the door and made its way to the kitchen. Upon arriving at the kitchen the green insect morphed back to its original form. Beast Boy cautiously glanced to the living room of the apartment, he smiled a bit when he discovered his entrance had gone unnoticed.

‘Who am I kidding? At the rate they are going I could have broken in as an elephant and they wouldn’t have paid any attention to me.’ he thought to himself as he saw the couple’s passionate embrace continue. The anger within him began to boil more and more as he saw the couple. But now there was something more that was mixed within it. It was doubt. ‘What if Raven didn’t get raped?...’ he thought as his ears dropped.

‘Do you not trust her judgment?’ asked a voice within him. ‘Your faith in her may diminish but mine does not.’ added The Beast as his voice echoed within Beast Boy’s mind.

‘I do trust her and I know she would never do that.’ replied Beast Boy as his determination returned. ‘But what do we do about the girl with the chump? I don’t want any bystanders to get hurt.’

‘Simple. We want a hunt. So let’s make our prey run.’ replied The Beast, his tone impatient and anxious.

‘Sounds like a plan’ thought Beast Boy, he slipped on the holographic ring and brought it up to his lips. “Hologram selection; villain file: Dr. Light.” A smile spread on Beast Boy’s face as he caught his new reflection on the metallic refrigerator door. He was now disguised as one of the weakest villains he had ever faced but it was also the best choice for his plans. All Dr. Light ever used was concentrated illumination. The hologram in theory could duplicate most of Dr. Light’s attack methods but to a lower level. ‘The only problem is that the moment the titans find out, Raven will most likely be the first one to arrive.’ he thought as he peered into the living room again and saw the two teens engage in another make out session. He took a deep breath and stepped out into the living room.

“Greetings children, time for you to see the light!” yelled Beast Boy as he let loose a blinding flash that startled the two teens into a stupor.

Nevermore

“I believe we are all here.” proclaimed Knowledge as she gazed around the room.

“Aren’t you the observant one.” replied Rude, rolling her eyes.

“Aw c’mon, I love your little family reunions.” added Happy cheerfully as she poked Anger.

“I swear, I’m five seconds away from ripping of your arm and beating you with it. Can we just get this over with? I prefer being in that cave rather than being here with you losers.”  replied Rage as she gave Happy a death glare.

“What if this doesn’t work?”  asked Timid with a worried look.

“Have some faith damn it.” replied Brave, slapping Timid on the back.

Wisdom merely smiled at her companions as she gazed at the two orbs they now surrounded. One of the orbs had begun to grow brighter since the moment Raven had begun her search for Beast Boy and now it was about time to start the ritual. Her thoughts were interrupted by Affection who had begun to speak.

“It’s time to bring back one of our own. We may argue and bicker but we are still connected and we still watch out for one another.” shouted Affection as she saw all the other emotions nod in agreement at her words. “My sisters were able to save themselves because we each possess a bit of them in us. We are all connected by one person as well.” She added as she saw a wave of blushes hit each emotion. Even Rage had to look away to hide her now blushing complexion. “Lust is still not strong enough to come back…but Love is. So let’s bring our friend back.” she added as her gaze turned to the pulsating Magenta orb. She smiled as she touched it. “I love him because he has always been there for us.” Each emotion stepped closer to the orb and gently pressed their hand against it.

“I love the way he always tries to make us laugh, and never gives up no matter how much we insult him.” added Happy, her face covered in a small blush.

“I love the fact that he is a slob.” added Rude with a smile.

“I love the way he always knows what to say to make us feel better.” added Wisdom.

“I love the way he makes us feel safe and secure.” added Timid in a low voice.

“I love his determination and how he always comes through for us in a fight.” added Brave.

“I love his common sense. And how he tries his best to keep up with us in a conversation.” added Knowledge.

“I love his animalistic rage.” added Rage as another sickening smile spread across her face.

The moment Rage finished speaking a tendril of energy emerged from each emotion and latched itself to the orb. Their eyes began to glow with their respective colors before dimming and returning to their normal state. The tendrils receded back into their bodies as each emotion collapsed from exhaustion. A few minutes passed before each emotion started to awaken. As they did they noticed a cloaked figure standing where the orb once stood. Affection did her best to stand and smiled as the magenta cloaked figure ran towards her and embraced her.

“It’s good to have you back sister.” replied Affection returning the embrace.

“I’m glad to be back.” added Love as a small smile graced her face.

Jump City

“HELP ME!” shouted a pale teen as he ran towards a familiar Café. He knew he would be safe as long as he reached it before his pursuer caught up with him. Suddenly he felt all the air in his long be forcefully expelled as an incredible pain surged through his body. His eyes were shut as tears began to flow from them.

‘Not much of a prey.’ thought the Beast as his fist connected with the young man’s face and sent him flying into a small alley. ‘Hey just be thankful that girl left before we transformed.’ added Beast Boy as the Beast pounced into the alley after Joseph. ‘I have to hand it to him though. He can sure run.’

Joseph ran through the alleys as his survival instincts surged through him. ‘I have to find a weapon. Any weapon.’ he thought as his gaze searched for anything that might be used as a weapon. His eyes widened as he realized the section of the city he was in. He allowed himself a brief smile. ‘I just hope my cousin actually went to work today.’ he thought as he darted towards the docks.

The Beast darted from rooftop to rooftop as he followed his prey. ‘I grow tired of this. I expected more pleasure out of this. He is a worthless prey. Time to crush him. The hunt ends now.’ he thought as he leapt from the rooftop of a building and landed on top of his prey. The impact wasn’t enough to cause bodily harm but it was enough to stun his prey. The Beast bore it’s fangs as his claw wrapped around Joseph’s throat. “Time to die, little boy.” he hissed in a voice that was more a growl than anything else. As his gripped tightened around the teen’s throat he felt an intense burning fill his eyes. A howl of pain erupted from the beast as he dropped his prey and fell to his knees with pain.

“I’m not as helpless as you might think you freak.” gloated Joseph before spraying the last bit of pepper spray straight into the Beast’s mouth. Another howl of pain erupted from the beast as it grabbed its throat. ‘Ok. That should hold it for now. I have to make it to the warehouse.”

A few minutes passed before the Beast stood back on its feet. He bared his fangs and dashed towards the scent. ‘I will crush every bone in his body for that.’ he angrily thought. Any trace of Beast Boy’s conscious was now blocked by rage and bloodlust. The Beast dashed closer to the scent as an ever growing rage surged through him.

“Bobby! Hey Bobby!” screamed Joseph as he arrived at one of the warehouses and banged on the door. “Bobby!” he screamed as he heard his pursuer catching up with him. The warehouse door slid open as a security guard pointed his nightstick at the teen. He was a skinny man, most likely in his early thirties. His long hair and five o clock shadow seemed out of place in his uniform.

“Hey cuz. Whatcha doing in this side of town at this time of night?” smiled Bobby as he stepped out of the warehouse to greet his cousin. Before he could hug his cousin a creature leapt out from the roof of one of the warehouses and landed a few feet from them. It seemed to tower over them, even at that distance. Its eyes were now glazed over with a look of rage and its fangs were bared as if it was ready to rip them both apart. The young guard instinctively reached for his side arm but his heart stopped as his hand found the holster empty. “Where the hell…” his words were cut short as his cousin dashed into the warehouse with his sidearm in hand. Before he could run after Joseph he saw a blur of green dash by him. He reached for his radio and screamed into it. “Code…umm….whatever. There is a huge green….monster over by warehouse fourteen. Call the army or something but send someone quick. It’s after my cousin.”

Meanwhile

“Friend Raven are you ok?” asked Starfire as she saw her friend stop in mid flight. For a moment she seemed to turn paler than usual before regaining her grey tone. Normally the alien princess would not have peered into her friends internal battles but what she saw next confused her. Her friend’s face was now covered in a deep blush, her eyes seemed to regain a hint of hope they had lost since the incident.

“Yeah Star…I’m fine.” replied Raven doing her best to regain her emotionless voice. ‘What the hell just happened…it’s as if something I had lost came back.’ she thought as she tried to pinpoint her new feeling. Before she could accomplish it both their communicators began to beep.

“Team we might have found Beast Boy. Someone reported a green monster tearing apart Warehouse Fourteen on the docks. The monster was chasing a pale teen.” commented Robin’s voice from the girl’s communicators. A surge of energy flared through Raven’s body as she flew out towards the docks before Starfire had a chance to react.

‘Beast Boy don’t do anything stupid.’ she thought before stopping mid air. ‘I can get there faster if I teleport.’ she thought before a swirl of black energy engulfed her.

Starfire reached the spot her friend was in seconds too late. Her face grew worried as she opened her communicator. “Robin I believe we should hurry. Friend Raven has done the teleporting and I am afraid of what might happen if we are not all there.” she spoke into her communicator.

“She what?!? Ok Star. We will meet up there as soon as possible. Whomever gets there they have to back Raven up. Beast Boy might not be himself in his current state.” replied Robin’s voice from her communicator.

Docks: Warehouse Fourteen

A swirl of black energy appeared near the entrance of the warehouse, scaring Bobby near shitless. A grey skinned teen emerged from the vortex with a look of determination on her face. She looked at him briefly before flying into the warehouse.

‘Where are you Beast Boy’ thought Raven as she gazed into the pitch black warehouse. She was about to reach out with her telepathy until two gunshots broke the morbid silence of the warehouse. Her eyes widened in horror as the possible outcomes of those shots ran through her mind. Instinctively she flew towards the direction of the shots. Before she could react a body was thrown past her and towards the entrance of the warehouse. She stopped it’s trajectory with her black energy as she inched closer to see who it was. A wave of relief spread over her as she saw the body wasn’t green. Instantly a wave of horror coursed through her as she stared at Joseph’s limp body. She checked his vitals and was relieved to find his heart was still beating. His chest and back were covered with claw marks dripping fresh blood. His hand cradled a gun which she assumed was responsible for the earlier shots. A low growl caught her attention as she turned to see the familiar creature standing before her. His claws were dripping with fresh blood and his eyes seemed to show only rage.

“Beast Boy. You have to stop before you kill him. It’s ok.” she spoke in a soft and comforting voice as she approached The Beast. Before she could speak again a green claw wrapped around her throat and threatened to squeeze the life out of her. Her eyes grew wide with horror as she realized what was happening. ‘His in bloodlust. He won’t listen to my words…I’m sorry for this Beast Boy.’ she thought before chanting her mantra. “Azarath, Mentrion, Zinthos.” she chanted before two tendrils of black energy wrapped themselves around the Beast and flung him into a stack of crates with enough force to shatter them completely. Her body shook as she regained her breath. She walked towards the shattered boxes slowly. “Beast Boy I don’t want to hurt you. Please calm down.” she pleaded before feeling a warm breath behind her. She turned to see the Beast standing before her, his eyes were calm and his expression seemed to show his exhaustion. A comforting smile spread across her face as she placed her hand softly on his cheek. “It’s ok Gar… everything will be ok.” she added softly. The Beast flashed her a toothy grin as their eyes met. The momentary peace was shattered as two more gunshots pierced the silence. The bullets hit their target as the Beast fell to his side, fresh blood dripping from his arm and chest. Raven screamed as she saw the Beast fall. A soft hand rested on her shoulder sending a chill down her spine.

“Don’t worry Rae. You’re safe.” smiled Joseph as he aimed the gun towards the Beast’s head to finish him off.

“Yes…but you aren’t.” she replied, her voice full of venom and hate as she turned to him. Her eyes split into four red ones that glowed with a demonic hatred. Her form shifted and contorted as she grew in size to almost triple her height. Before Joseph now stood a sight so terrifying that it could have been pulled straight out of his darkest nightmares. Raven now stood nearly fifteen feet high; her eyes had split into four narrow ones that glowed with a demonic red light and tendrils of dark energy slithered from under her cloak and wrapped themselves around Joseph. The last thing Joseph heard was a demonic laughter before being dragged into the darkness of Raven’s cloak.

End of Chapter 7
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