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CHAPTER XI – Attack from the Dark

After about another hour or so, the edge of the bay to Titans Tower was visible. The sprinkling rain started to pour down heavy again, and every one of the Titans team was completely drenched head-to-toe.
“Well, so much for straightening my hair!” Kai groaned above the rushing wind, the storm was really starting to kick up now. She blindly followed Starfire and Robin ahead of her. She could barely tell where anything was anymore. She knew Beast Boy was behind her, considering she kept hearing his voice when someone bumped her shoulder.
“Come on, we’re almost there; everyone stay together.” Robin ordered the team, Beast Boy shrugged like he couldn’t care less. Listening to Robin nag was ten times better than getting struck by lightning. That was definitely one-hundred percent true.
“Hey, you guys okay?” Cyborg called back to the lagging members behind him and Robin.
“Sure, whatever, just keep going.” Raven shouted quite loudly. She didn’t like the rain just as much as anyone else right now. Her violet hair clung to her face as she trudged forward after the group, the rain felt like needles against her skin. She noticed that the wind had sped up quite a bit, it pulled at the loose sleeves of her shirt when she walked forward. The lightning flashed almost every minute, each one followed by an explosion of ear-deafening thunder. She could have sworn there would be some kind of hurricane going on, but nothing from the beachside was reported over her messenger from the other Titans. Speaking of which, she hadn’t heard anything from Robin or anyone else in a while now . . . she started to worry a little. Of course, it was only four in the morning; for all she knew they could be right in front of her face in the dark. But then again . . . wouldn’t have someone said something? She was completely shrouded in pitch-black morning air, and the blinding rain didn’t help in the situation; she came to the conclusion that she had taken a wrong turn. She quietly cursed herself for being careless, and started to back-track her steps. “Okay, if I was going east, then I have to go west . . .” she mumbled to herself; the wind still ripping against her body. It worked for a while, until she came to the water’s edge. “Great, water doesn’t help with direction; how should I do this?” she asked herself in a whisper. She could just try her luck and teleport to the area where she thought land was . . . but if she made a mistake she’d probably drown before she made it back. She thought about the “plan” for a minute or two, trying to figure out the best way to get back to solid ground. She stared across the water she knew was in front of her, the lightning still crackling in the deep black sky.

She stood for a while, just listening to the crashing waves and the booming thunder; soon she couldn’t even think straight. The rain still poured uncontrollably, the wind literally ripped at her clothes. She finally decided to push her luck, and opened a portal to wherever she thought the closest area of land was . . . when she heard a cracking sound, then a quick snap behind her. She quickly closed the portal and spun around towards the noise; nothing was there. “I’m losing my mind out here,” she mumbled quietly; yet again the noise was heard. “Okay, I’m not joking now; show yourself . . .” she ordered, a bit of a growl in the back of her throat. Her eyes fixated to the surrounding dark, searching for any type of figure or object . . . there was nothing out of the ordinary to her surprise. She turned back towards the water and a fist collided with her face! She stumbled back a bit, her feet loosely planted in the deep soil of the coast-friendly plants and shrubs. She flung her hands to her nose, blood was pouring out of it like a river. Luckily, nothing happened after that one shot. “Shoot, what the hell was that about!?” she cursed as she tried to stop the blood pouring from her nose; obviously the fist had crushed it inwards, the dark blood proved that. She lit her fists in a dark aura with the reaction time she had at the moment . . . but she was shoved forward, causing her to stumble more. She caught herself with her hands and shifted back towards the predator. A figure was visible in the dark now; Raven instantly attacked it. Shoving her fist into the figure’s chest, she flung it back. The figure staggered to its feet, and in the lit area from the burst of lightning that flashed from behind it, Raven saw it was no other than . . .

“What’s your problem!? You gave me a heart attack!” Raven cried to the figure in the dark.
The figure murmured with a smile “Well, you gave me one!” Raven knew it was Beast Boy who had gone looking for her.
“Well you didn’t have to slam your fist into my face to prove it!” Raven snarled at the fanged-elf boy. Beast Boy looked confused at her exclamation. He asked her what she was talking about; he said that all he did was accidentally bump into her when he walked forward. “You know, you don’t have to joke about it!” Raven snapped. She was angry with her friend’s foolishness. Her hand was still cupped slightly under her bleeding nose. The spout had now receded to dripping from time to time.
Beast Boy’s facial expression quickly changed; his eyes showed shock and confusion.
“What are you talking about . . ? I’m serious . . .” he whispered, his feelings hurt. Raven’s anger quickly turned to sympathy as she looked into his eyes, and she shifted over to where Beast Boy stood in the fierce stormy rain.
“Look ----- I’m sorry about that . . . I know you’re serious . . .” Raven apologized. She added in a few seconds later, “. . . it’s just that ----- that this whole thing is really getting to my head, you know?” she muttered quietly, her body pressed against Beast Boy’s chest. She shivered slightly from the cold raindrops that slid down the back of her neck.
“Yeah, it’s crazy . . .” Beast Boy stated with a slight frown. He hadn’t noticed it, but he had put his hand around her shoulders. The rain started to lighten up a bit as they stood for a minute or two.
“It’s cold ----- we’d better go back, everyone thought you died or something,” Beast Boy laughed, Raven smiled slightly in return.
“Yeah . . . c’mon, we look like drowned rats,” she said with a grin, and they started to walk back to the Tower.