AN: This is a side-story to my main Titans fic series ("The Abyss Gazes Also", "The Art of War", "Child of the Stars", "Luck of the Draw", and the in-progress "Sins of the Father"). It will deal with Raven and some of the fallout from her defeat of Trigon, and will probably be a fairly dark offering. Also expect a role from the Titans East later on. Updates will probably alternate between this and "Sins"- I hope to post at least one new Titans chapter a week from here out.
Prologue: Obsession
The great city was wrapped in stifling heat beneath a brooding, overcast sky. Its buildings added to the atmosphere of oppression; in some ways they resembled those of the world above, the world of mortals, but they were dark and their proportions slightly off so that any unfortunate mortal who stumbled into this dimension would feel as if they were trapped within a terrible dream from which there was no awakening. It had grown worse, recently, as the master of this place seethed from his recent defeat, even as he gathered the strength for another assault on the realm above. It might not come in one mortal lifetime, or ten, or even a hundred, but in the end he would return. Trigon the Terrible would not be denied his prize.
All this passed through the mind of the figure who watched the city from the window of his dark study. He had clawed his way to as close to the apex of its hierarchy as one who was not Trigon could come, and he despised the place, almost as much as he despised the master who was a constant presence in his thoughts. It was galling for one of his intellect and power to be chained to the will of any being, even that of the godlike Trigon. He longed for freedom, to walk the worlds of his own free will and to grind them beneath his heel as a conqueror in his own right, but that was denied to him.
For now…
The figure turned away from the window, floor-length black cloak sweeping the floor behind him, and stalked towards the basin that stood in the center of the room, filled to the brim with swirling water. At a word from the being the water stilled, and then he spoke a name- the name of the one being in all the cosmos whom he believed held the key to his salvation.
His clawed hands gripped the edge of the basin as he stared at the face that rose from its depths. The time was coming soon, he knew- all his divinations pointed towards an opportunity to seize her arriving shortly, and he didn't know when he'd have another chance. Trigon could have prevented his minion's treachery had he wished, but the demon king's thoughts remained turned inwards, brooding on his defeat and his ultimate revenge- he might be all knowing, but if he wished to see he still had to look. That, however, was unlikely to happen soon- and by the time it did, it would be too late.
And so the black-robed figure bared his sharp teeth in a smile as he leaned over the edge of the scrying bowl and studied the face it showed- the pale grey skin, dark eyes, and blue-purple hair of the half-mortal creature called Raven.