Darkness in Me

This story is a sequel to "Creatures of the Night".

UPDATE (April 29, 2015): After the Remake of "Creatures of the Night", and the addition of "Blow Out the Candles" to the original timeline, this story became the first one written (chronologically speaking). And after reading it recently, I realized it was poorly written in comparison with my latest stories. So I decided to give it an update. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans, nor claim any intellectual rights over any references to my monster sources.

Additional Note: Sometimes the characters are called by their real names. I'll leave you a quick guide in case you are not familiar with the DC universe.

Robin = Nightwing = Richard "Dick" Grayson / Starfire = Koriandr "Kori" / Raven = Rachel Roth / Beast Boy = Changeling = Garfierld "Gar" Logan / Cyborg = Victor Stone.

CHAPTER 1: What Nightmares Are Made Of…

Fear.

She could smell the stench of fear crawling down his spine as he ran. His heavy footsteps clanked on the pavement as he recklessly tried to escape; he was a strong, athletic man, but all that running would be for nothing. She was faster. She was stronger. She was the predator… And he was the prey.

He stopped at a corner gasping for air, before breaking into an old butcher's shop. She liked that. She liked to hear their last breaths. But she liked it even more when her preys picked such a marvelous place for their last resting place.

The place was creepy. It looked like it had not been used in a long time. Long meat hooks hung from the ceiling. Blood tainted the walls and the floor, creating a sinister canvas of gore.

"I'm not afraid you!" he yelled into the darkness.

A hearty laughter answered him back.

"What do you want? I've done nothing to you!"

"No… You could never do anything to me." she answered back as she circled him like a shark from the shadows. "But you've been a very bad, bad man. And you've done really bad things to poor, frail women."

"They were cunts!"

"And that gives you the right to do as you please to them…" implied the melodic voice haunting him. "I guess since you are such a miserable dog, that gives Me the right to do as I please, doesn't it?"

"Who says you'll be able to do anything to me!?" barked the angry man. "Show your face bitch! I'm gonna put you on your knees and stuff my dick into your mouth! You fucking whore! You…"

The man's rant abruptly stopped as he felt a searing pain travel from his crotch to every cell of his body. He turned his face down, and kneeling in front of him was his worst nightmare grinning wickedly at him as she stabbed a knife right into his manhood. He gasped in shock; the pain stripping him of his strength.

"Guess you don't have anything I can put my mouth on now… Oh wait, you do."

She stood up and grabbed him from the neck to lower his eyes to her level. As fear seeped out from his bloodshot eyes, she elongated her fangs and savored the moment. The mad pumping of his heart drummed on her very core. Her mouth watered, and before he could finish his silent prayers she pierced his jugular.

She could feel every last drop of his life force abandon his body. And as he fell to the ground with a loud thump, and stared lifelessly back at her… she smiled.

"AAAAAaaaahhhhh!"

Raven woke up startled. She was alone in her dark room. Sweat dripped down her chest and her forehead. The dark Titan's heart was beating hard in her chest and she was breathing like it was the last gulp of air she would ever take. It had been another nightmare.

"It's not real… just calm down… Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…"

They had begun a month ago. She had just turn 20 and her life was pretty much perfect, or as perfect as a demon half breed could hope for…

She was a well respected member of society, both on Earth and on her home dimension. She loved her job; sure it was hard, sometimes even painful, but highly rewarding. She had a loving, and sometimes annoying family; for her teammates where as close as siblings to her as it could get. And she had a charming, wicked hot girlfriend… ok, so she was a blood drinking vampire that only came out at night, but her friends had learned to deal with her darkness, why couldn't she deal with hers.

But love sometimes makes you do stupid things.

Mika had explained once that her blood had regenerative powers and that anyone regularly drinking form it could live young forever, without necessarily becoming a vampire. Ever since then, she had toyed with the idea of one day spending eternity by her side. It was a corny, romantic thought; but she secretly rejoiced in it.

But one thing was the theory; reality was another thing. In one moment of passion, when she had reached the climax, she had done it. Her demonic side had been tempted by eternal youth and she had drunk Mika's blood willingly.

Now she was paying the price for it. That very night after surrendering herself to her passions, the nightmares had begun. They were so real, they were disrupting her mind.

Was that me? Am I becoming a vampire? Is that a glimpse of what I will become? Or was that Mika? Where those her memories? Is it just my imagination playing tricks on me?

But like every night she had woken up like that, there was no answer. She had kept it to herself all this time, after all, she had not seen Mika in a while. She had gone out of town to her father's mansion in Las Vegas.

The last time she had spoken to her girlfriend on the phone had been two weeks ago. The phone call had been short and emotionless… said she was "busy"… said "dad" wanted her to get a real job, so she was working on a "project". Raven had respected her privacy that moment, but she felt it was now time to confront her. Her "Mysterious Me" act was no longer charming for the empath.

Are you having doubts on her? – asked her darker side. – It's only natural… after all; she's an evil being like us…

"I'm not evil…"

Whatever… Just try and talk to her tomorrow… - interrupted her most rational side – if she doesn't answer the phone, just get your butt to Las Vegas and find the answer!

Maybe she didn't even know that could happen… - intervened Love - It didn't happen when we drank her blood the first time after we got injured.

Raven sighed. She was an emotional mess and she hated losing her cool.

"I got to figure out what exactly is it that am seeing."

With that in mind she levitated on top of her bed and began to meditate.

Raven stood on top of Titan's Tower watching the sunrise. It had been a while since she had been up early enough to see it.

"Well this is a pleasant surprise!"

She turned around to see Richard standing behind her. He was always the early riser and was always cheery in the mornings.

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep; so I figured I'd do something different for a change..."

"Why? Your girlfriend is no longer keeping you awake at night?" mocked Nightwing.

"She hasn't come back from out of town." replied Raven dryly.

They both remained in silence for a while watching the horizon.

"Look Raven… I'm sorry." Richard broke the silence and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know we haven't been talking much to each other lately, but I want you to know you can still count on me to tell me anything."

"Thanks… it means a lot." she faintly smiled at him "I know you don't like my girlfriend, but I love her… can't you be a little more patient with her?"

"It's not that I don't like her…" Raven looked at him in disbelief. "Ok, I really don't like her. She has this badass vampire attitude and a very ambiguous morality code that really gets on my nerves. But that's not what bugs me; I'm afraid that she might break your heart at any minute if she dares slip in her diet."

"I know…" the empath lowered her head. "Lately, I've been afraid of that too…"

"Why?"

"I don't know… it's just my imagination I guess… I miss her…"

Raven didn't say any more, and her friend didn't push it. They just remained like that looking at the sun as it emerged to conquer the darkness.

That night, the alarm on Titan's Tower awoke everyone from their slumber. The team got as fast as they could to the scene where they had been called, only to find themselves confronted with a scene cut out from a Saw movie.

They stood frozen in horror at what laid in front of them. It was the drive-in movie theater. It was a Tuesday night and they were suddenly relieved that it was not a very busy night or else the carnage would have been bigger.

Young couple's bodies were thrown out of their cars and ripped into pieces. Blood smeared the car's windshields and the stench of blood and guts filled their nostrils. Changeling couldn't take it and threw up the pizza they had for dinner.

"Titans Go! The culprit might still be around, we have to move fast!"

They didn't have to go too far when they came across a group of 3 men biting on what looked like it had been a young woman. To the Titan's horror they were drinking her blood right from her organs. As soon as they heard the young heroes approach they turned to look at them. The 3 looked pretty much human, except for the sharp fangs protruding from their mouths and the red eyes.

"Vampires…" muttered Raven.

"Alright Titans, bring them down!"

The monsters launched towards the heroes. They proved to be fast and strong. Raven and Cyborg kept one at bay with long range attacks, while Starfire tried to hit another one with her starbolts. Nightwing fought the last one using his baton but he was beginning to lose ground when Changeling came to his aid. He transformed into a pterodactyl and carried his attacker away. But up in the air the monster bit him.

"Aaaarrggg!"

"BB!" Cyborg saw how his best friend fell from the sky with the beast firmly griping his leg. "Now you asked for it!"

The metal Titan changed his sonic cannon to a UV light ray. He aimed and shot. Changeling fell to the ground with a loud thump and a burned up creepy crawler attached to his leg. When the monsters turned to look at their fallen comrade they began to flee the scene.

"You are not going anywhere!" Raven aimed her dark energy and managed to imprison one of them, but the other took off into the woods. The empath cursed under her breath, but instead of giving chase she ran towards her friends to check on their fallen comrade.

Their youngest friend was unconscious and pale. Nightwing examined him, before finally declaring. "Gar needs medical attention. Star, could you take him to the infirmary wing?"

The Tamaranean nodded and immediately took him in her arms.

"What about the killers?" asked Raven somberly. "I got one, but the other got away in the confusion."

"Raven you take that one to a containment cell in the Tower, and then help Starfire patch up Changeling. Cyborg and I will hunt down the fugitive." instructed her leader.

The demoness saw both male Titans run off to catch up with the third vampire, while Starfire flew away with Changeling.

She was left alone.

Raven turned around to look at the carnage. Dismembered bodies were lying around, and blood invaded her vision. Her throat went suddenly dry. She knew she should be horrified, grossed, heartbroken, or something… but she wasn't. Her demonic side rejoiced in the scene. She felt like in one of her nightmares…

The police sirens in the distance woke her from her trance. She turned to look at the demon in human flesh that was still trapped by her powers. His face was stained with blood and his clothes were dirty and ragged. His eyes seemed off, crazy and bloodshot. He was the vivid image of a movie monster.

"You are nothing like Mika… she would never do that… I would never do that."

With that in mind she levitated from the ground and teleported them both back to the Tower.

To be continued…