Teen Titans and its associated copyrights are the properties of their respective owners.
As far as I know, the only part of this that I own is the Mysterious Figure, whose name shall be revealed at a later point in the story.
If anything else comes up, you'll be the first to know, I promise.
The New Son of Trigon
Chapter One.
"They think me defeated. They think me destroyed. They have the arrogance to believe that they know how I think.
They are wrong.
Failure is always a possibility.
I always have a contingency.
Through the Pheonix I will rise again!"
August 3, 2005
Jump City
Dawn.
The figure stalked through the side streets and alleys of the city, dark red hood pulled up over his head through the collar of a dark, cracked leather jacket.
Three more blocks, please, just three more blocks.
The figure looked up, then hastily dropped his gaze again as a police cruiser rolled past, the officer at the wheel thankfully facing the opposite side of the street where a loitering group of degenerate-looking young men and women collectively tensed at the scrutiny.
Thank God.
Feeling a kink in his neck, the figure subtly rolled his neck, flexing his powerful muscles, unused to the dark energies he could sense just beneath the surface.
It burned. God, it burned. Hale, barely hiding his pain, sprinted to the bathroom at the end of the hall, and threw open the valve to release the flow of water.
Self-consciously, the figure reached up to touch his face, reliving the pain as though it were happening again.
The water wasn't working! Every second, the pain only escalated. Desperate, Hale spun and looked in the broken mirror on the floor behind him. What greeted him stoked the flames of terror growing within his heart.
Lines and designs, shining with the fury of a small sun, showed on his face. At the forehead, a stylized bird, with wings reaching down either side of his eyes to frame his face. Above the bird, however, was an even more horrifying sight. The skin of his forehead just between his eyebrows, began to split.
A small blue gem, brighter than any of the lines or... or... tattoos... revealed itself. It seemed to bleed energy and, as his physical body shut down out of sheer pain, he could feel his mind rending itself apart.
The figure shuddered at the memory.
Two more blocks. Just two more.
A sudden series of shouts and angry cries from back up the street interrupted the figures thoughts. As he turned, he could see that the officer from before had stopped his car, and was now in the process of being beaten by the large group of teenagers, four of whom were holding him as two proceeded to unload their fury into his stomach.
A pang of empathy and anger wormed its way into the figure's mind, suddenly blossoming into a raging fury.
No! No! NO! I don't want to feel it! I don't want it to hurt! Stop!
The figure clutched his head, forcing the anger down.
Can't let it out. Have to control it. Can't let anyone else get hurt. Can't let anyone else die.
Not like Mom.
Having suppressed his intense fury, the figure spun on his heel to hastily continue toward his initial goal.
Focus. Focus!
Just as he rounded the corner and the officer's pained grunts began to fade, a massive, gut-wrenching concussive wave knocked him off his feet, instantly followed by a sharp crack and a shower of flaming debris.
Focus focus focus focus focus focus focus focus focus focus focus focus focus focus focus focus focus-
"Hahahahahahahahaha! Once again, I, Control Freak, have committed an ultimate crime! One surely worthy of televised recognition! Now that I have the attention of the viewing public, it's time for the real show to begin! Hahahahahahahahahaha!"
A large, redheaded, freckled man in a dark jacket swaggered out of the charred facade of the former electronics store he had just destroyed, waving a small black box around as he did so.
Damn! Of all the times for one of these stupid meta-humans to attack a meaningless target in the middle of the ghetto-
"Now, where are my nemeses, the Teen Titans? Today is my day of reckoning! They may have beaten me once, or twice... or was it three times...? Anyway! Today I will finally..."
The figure struggled to his feet, clutching his throbbing head, and braced himself against the nearest wall. Tuning out the voice of the maniac atop the pile of rubble across the street, he focused instead on the comforting presence of the energized gem in his forehead, using its power to help calm the raging emotional maelstrom within his mind. Aggression warred with logic, anger with confusion, pain with curiosity. In that moment, a new voice filled the air, breaking the figures concentration and attracting his attention.
This new voice held an authority unlike anything the figure had ever heard, and a strength of purpose that belied the seemingly unimposing source.
"The show's been cancelled, Control Freak. Looks like you're Day of Reckoning will have to be rescheduled."
The new voice was coming from the direction of the officer and, when the figure turned to look at the new arrival, he saw not one, but five young men and women standing in a staggered line. It looked as though they had just incapacitated the other group of youngsters, as the officer was back up on his feet and catching his breath, standing over his ex-tormentors.
The new group was composed of a large, African-American man, the majority of whose body appeared to be covered in metal, a small, green-skinned meta with pointed ears, a tall, flame-haired girl with glowing green eyes, and their leader, the source of the authoritative quip; a young, costumed man with dark hair and a black mask.
The most intriguing, however, was the fifth member of the group. A young woman dressed in a dark blue cloak, beneath which was concealed a form-fitting black leotard.
As the figure scanned what had to be the aforementioned "nemeses" of the large man, or "Control Freak," his eyes stopped on this woman. In an instant, his entire focus shifted to her, and all of his powerful emotions began to reassert themselves: this time, however, they all had a single, tangible target.
Her.
"Titans, GO!"
Raven levitated in place beside Starfire, glaring at Control Freak and preparing to release a minute amount of her father's intense power, only held back by Two Little Words. Two Words that had, in the past three years, become synonymous with action. With the Demon defeated, she had recently begun testing the limits of her emotional control in battle by allowing some of her stronger emotions to show. Any second now, Robin would say Those Words, and she would trap the Freak in his own personal Hell.
"Titans, GO!"
With that, Raven and Starfire blurred into motion, whipping through the air at near-mach speeds. Beast Boy would no doubt have transformed into some jungle cat or bird, and she could see and hear Cyborg and Robin's Sonic Cannon and Birdarangs reverberating and impacting the area of and near the Freak, respectively.
As she closed in on her target she began to slacken the tight hold over her emotions, and allowed her Anger to assert itself. Weakened after the defeat of Trigon, Anger was an ideal choice for her tests. It was quick to rise to the top of her mind, easy to relinquish control to, and she had enough experience repressing it around Beast Boy that she felt confident in her ability to subdue this particular division of her mind.
Having determined the amount of energy she was willing to release, Raven drew back her arms and prepared to strike, chanting under her breath.
"Azarath..."
Closer...
"Metrion..."
Closer...
"Zinthos!"
Talons of dark black energy sprang from each hand, engulfing Control Freak in shadow, even as he was still reeling from the initial attacks of her teammates.
Honestly, what could this idiot have possibly hoped to accomplish with this? He didn't even try to zap us with his stupid remote this time. And what is up with the whole "Day of Reck-
"Raven! Look out!"
Even before Cyborg's frantic warning had reached her ears, Raven had already sensed the intense spike of emotional energy and pirouetted away, shoving the Freak in the opposite direction. Finishing her spin, she found purchase on a chunk of asphalt and her gaze settled on the source of the attack. Even without actively focusing, her empathy was nearly overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the aggressive, negative emotion being directed her way by the unknown figure on the other side of the road. He was clearly a meta of some kind. A powerful one, if the initial attack was any indication. In her peripheral vision she could see that much of the rubble from the initial explosion had not only been significantly resized, but now it was spread all along the road for dozens of feet in every direction.
"Failed One!"
She returned her attention to the figure. Something about his voice had seemed... off. It was almost... familiar...
"You possess His power! You are unfit to wield it! I will cleanse your filth from his darkness!"
The figure lifted his head, and Raven nearly lost her precarious footing as she finally saw her attacker's face.
Framed by a white, glowing tattoo of a bird, was a pair of slanted, red eyes.
Directly below the eyes was a matching pair, glaring into her very soul with tangible hatred.
Raven's mind was racing. Who was this man? Why was he here? Why could she feel the Rage of Trigon coursing through him? Above all, why was he showing up now? She felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder, and turned to see her leader, a concerned look on his face.
"He knows who you are, and who your father is. How do you want to handle this?" Robin asked, clearly more concerned about the new threat than the overweight man cowering near the collapsed storefront.
"I... I don't know." Raven replied, and turned back toward the figure, incredulous at the recent developments. How was any of this possible? After several seconds of simply staring into the figures eyes, she spoke with renewed clarity. "Take him. I think we should figure out how he knows about me, and why he is-"
"SILENCE!" The demonic cry echoed along the streets, resonating far longer than it should have. "You have delayed long enough, Failed One. I shall remove His gift from you the only way I can- by ending your life!" With that the figure launched himself forward, sailing across the road and trailing a sickly, black energy, flecks of red showing themselves on the fringes of his power.
Raven brought up a hand, and a dome of shadow materialized around herself and her human leader and friend. The figure slammed into the dome, planting both hands on it, never once losing eye contact with the focus of his fury. Energy began to emanate from his palms, spreading across the dome and engulfing it in a blanket of crimson stars. Raven allowed a slight grin to tug at her lips at the weak display of power.
Her confidence faltered a bit, however, as the energy began to seep into the dome, and sparks of red intermittently dropped from the ceiling of the construct. Not having expected a challenge, she intensified the power of the shield, once again satisfied with her defense.
A second later, though, a wicked smirk appeared on her attacker's face. For the first time since the beginning of the conflict, the aggressor closed his eyes, and began to breathe deeply.
Is he...
The figure's eyes snapped open, and his smile grew.
He is!
The dome vanished, as well as the opposing energy, only to reappear. This time, it was about thirty feet in diameter and surrounded all three of them.
Three?
Where are the others?
"Your friends can't help you. Nobody can. Not even the bird boy."
Raven glanced over at Robin. The Boy Wonder was still on his feet, but he wasn't moving. He was shielding his face with his cape in his left hand, and holding Raven's own in his right.
Oh.
Oh!
Not yet, Robin...
"Who are you?" Raven blurted out. She had wanted to wait until the Titans had him in custody before questioning him, but she had to distract him, and her curiosity got the better of her.
"Who I am is of no importance. What matters now is that I destroy you!" The figure's eyes flared with power, wisps of tainted darkness bleeding from his body as he stalked toward her. "Traitor! Failure! Defiler of Darkness!" With that final howl, he lunged, his hood falling back as he did so, allowing her a clear view of his face. It also granted her a view of the deep-blue chakra gem centered on his forehead, and the jet-black hair flowing down from the crown of his head and along his back.
So, it's like that, is it? Fine. I'll play along.
Until I get you right where Robin wants you.
KILL HER.
DESTROY HER.
SHE DOESN'T DESERVE THE POWER.
NOT LIKE YOU.
The thoughts bombarded the figure's mind, overshadowing all others.
SHE STANDS TALL AFTER THROWING HIM INTO THE ABYSS.
REMOVE THE TAINT.
NO!
DO NOT RESIST.
Flashes of combat, streaks of red and black, sudden pains and images of the Dark Girl he had seen earlier filled his own thoughts. The... other... in his mind having assumed control of his body
IF YOU WILL NOT SUBMIT, YOU WILL BE SILENCED.
Get. Out. Of. My. HEAD!
With an exertion of willpower he didn't know he possessed, the figure mentally forced the invading presence to the back of his mind, and used the precious opening he had created to reassert his own power over his physical form.
The pain of his injuries flooded into him, as physical sensations assailed his senses, and he found himself tumbling through the air. Apparently, his opponent had taken the second's hesitation caused by his own internal battle to gain the upper hand in the external one. His aerial journey came to an abrupt halt, as his back struck the wall of some sort of energy dome surrounding the girl and himself. The third occupant seemed to be frozen, as he had yet to move from the position he had been in since the figure had regained control.
Without the concentrated emotional power that had created it, the dome began to dissolve, revealing a world that seemed to be moving so slowly as to not be moving at all. As he watched, though, the three figures in the street that seemed to have their attention focused in his direction were gradually increasing in speed: the large metallic man ran a bit faster, the strange green bird soared a bit more quickly, and the flame-haired girl flew a bit more swiftly with each passing moment. Now, if only he knew what had slowed them in the fir-
"Hyaah!"
The sharp battle cry pierced his confused musings. During his inattentive re-acclimation, the bird-themed young man who had at first appeared as frozen as an ice cube had, apparently, ceased his deception and launched a flying kick at the figure. A heavy impact wracked his senses and sent him skidding across the street, back toward his initial observation point.
The figure, now with a splitting, pounding headache even stronger than usual, staggered to his feet.
Raven grimaced as Robin's booted foot impacted the strange young man's head. Through her empathic senses, she actually felt each individual jolt of pain as he skidded to a stop on the other side of the street.
Why am I feeling this so intensely? My powers shouldn't be acting up like this. Why do I seem to have such ease sensing his emotions and feelings that it happens without me being able to control it?
She didn't get a chance to continue her train of thought, as her mind was struck by an inexplicable, intense, irrational FEAR. It took her a few seconds to realize that this... powerful feeling wasn't hers, and didn't belong in her mind. She quashed the foreign emotion, and returned her attention to this mysterious tattooed man, finally ready to get some answers.
Only to see him start to float into the air, and dart away just as Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy, now returned to full speed, arrived at her side.
After a few seconds of silence, Cyborg asked the obvious question.
"Rae? Who was that guy?"
"Yeah," Beast Boy seconded, "he totally seemed to know who you are! And he had powers like yours!"
"Please, friends, if she knew any pertinent information about what has just transpired, I believe she would have informed us already." Starfire paused, "Right, Friend Raven?"
"Of course she would, Star." Robin intervened on Raven's behalf, as she was still trying to understand what had happened, herself.
"Well, whatever he is, I got a trace on his energy signature. We should be able to follow him." Cyborg raised his arm for all to see, and a clearly marked path overlaid itself on a GPS layout of the city.
"Come on, let's find him before he gets away." With that, Robin pressed a button on his belt, and the sound of squealing tires on asphalt heralded the arrival of his R-Cycle.
"Raven, Star, I want you two in the air. Keep an eye out for him and if you find him, call for backup. Don't engage him alone." He turned to the others, "Beast Boy, see if you can track him. That way we can still find him if we lose the energy trail. Cyborg, lead the way in the T-Car."
"You got it boss. And, for the record," He turned to the resident jokester, "my tracking systems are gonna kick your butt!"
"Yeah, right! I'll find him before you can even start your car!" BB replied, shifting into a bloodhound and proceeding to search the area for a scent.
Raven, however, found her thoughts returning to the last few seconds of the fight.
Why did he run away? All of those taunts, and that incredible power... he almost acted like a completely different person. And that fear...
With her mind weighed down by those heavy thoughts, she levitated into the sky, and vanished into the night.