A Choice of Betrayals
Well this is my first Teen Titans thing, amazing what you can be inspired to do when killing time ain't it? Still I though of this after watching spellbound, so bare both that and birthmark in mind when your reading this. Oh and He isn't quite what he appears…. (don't worry you'll get it)
Part one: A beginning.
She awoke gasping heavily scanning the dark room quickly, nothing… Strange what had woken her? Then she felt it… So hard to describe. A… Presence out in the city, malevolent and strong. Another magic user, a black magic user. Leaping out of bed and snatching up her cloak she soared down the shadowy corridor into the control room. All quiet no alarms. Landing soft booted feet silently touched the metallic floor of the Tower. It was so clear now; she could point to it, was it real? It felt new and yet familiar, almost like…. Without a thought a slender hand slammed down on the control panel in front of her. Moments later the Tower was awake. Running feet and pattering paws filler her ears.
"Raven what is it?" Robin's voice she couldn't stop staring out of the window. Something was out there and it was so strong.
"Something's out there" Behind her beast boy and Cyborg looked at each other and shrugged. Robin took a step closer and in tone that screamed 'I don't believe you' said.
"Raven… are you sure?"
She gave him the barest half turn for acknowledgment.
"Always." Even as Robin was about to speak again. An alarm screamed.
"Well something is robbing a museum down town. The scanners aren't picking up any solid bodies" Cyborg's normal confidence seemed more than a little shaken, something he couldn't detect but Raven could… That meant it was something bad.
"Titans Go!"
The forecourt was ablaze the air ringing with maniacal laughter. Same old, same old Raven thought with a smirk. But this was different these, things, were different. All of them stood near as tall as Cyborg but almost skeletally thin, horns and bony spines rose from their shoulders, elbows, knees and they even had talons, their skin was red and black while their eyes shone a baleful yellow… all four of them.
Blasting aside the last of her opponents, she soared higher, free from the melee she looked below her trying to see who could use a little help.
Robin as ever was moving as if he didn't have bones Bo-staff spinning and whipping about as if it weighed nothing. But these beasts just laughed, a foul noise almost human but so wrong,at it as it bounced off them as if they were made of iron. Starfire soared high above chased by half a dozen of foes all hurling fireballs and flying through her blasts of terrific energy as if they were just pretty lights. Beastboy was changing shape faster than she'd ever seen him, trying to find any shape that would work the things laughed as one of them hurled him, as a gigantic snake, into Cyborg. Who it seemed was having a little more luck. As the now small mouse of Beastboy hit him Cyborg let out blast after blast into the ranks of beasts and the ground around them. The clouds of the explosions mingled and an entire wall of the museum collapsed.
"Booo-Ya!" The armoured colossus roared. Leaping into the air. "You just can't beat the Cybor…. Aww hell" Taloned hands burst from the mounds, fanged mouths laughing horribly.
"Titans fall back!" Robin's firm commanding voice rising above the mess of the battle. Even as the four of them backed into a corner of the square all facing outwards, firing hopelessly in a desperate, attempt to slow these adversaries.
Raven soared between them and the advancing beasts, so this was their last stand then. Who would have thought it would be her doing the fighting?
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Black energy poured from pale hands blasting into the beasts, they were hurled from their feet in droves but there were always more. It was hopeless and they didn't even know what these things were! Let alone what they wanted. But then that was never a good enough reason not to try and stop them. The beasts struck to the floor just seemed to fade away to thin trail of vapour. Well at least they could be defeated.
Meanwhile behind the battle the great doors of the museum, one figure strode out of it. Blood red robes swept aside dust, he moved with a power, a purpose. But his face was… horrible, wasted away, dry and tinted yellow, the white hair hung to his shoulders and a thin goatee pointed from a bony chin. All in all Raven decided he was one of those guys who gave Sorcerers a reputation for having no style. Under one arm, he held a figurine of some sort of half bird half-human creature. But Raven was far to busy trying to stay alive to pay to much notice. Then he span to face her and everything seemed to stop. That diabolical face twisted in glee.
"Ahhhh the Daughter! The Master will be please." He articulated clear enough for Raven to catch. "Take her alive! Ignore the others. Obey me!" the beasts bowed their heads in acquiescence and surged. Raven prepared for one last blast. She could at least buy the others time to escape.
But she never needed it.
He descended to earth like a silent thunderbolt; he hit the flags of the forecourt so hard they shattered around where his knee had hit them. He rose to his feet in moments, black cloak fluttering back and away from him. In his hand he held a blade of blackened steel, the beasts slunk back as if in fear.
"Ahhhh, so you come to join this little farce do you child?" The voice of the figure on the steps was thick with harsh mockery. "The council think a child can challenge me after your Father, and I will consent he was not the usual council weakling, was crushed by an… amateur of the Art? I feel sorry for you my boy I really do."
"You cannot kill the Guardian, Archon." The figures voice was cold and harsh in its own way, not angry or dark but as if all emotion had been stripped from it and left it empty and hollow. The voice tugged at Ravens soul. What could make a voice like that?
Even as she tried to think the figures, blade was wreathed in black energy and he charged the beasts. Bolts of black flashed from his left hand smashing the things to the ground. There was only one thing for it, Raven swept after him, eyes blazing with darkness shouting incantations, her own bolts of darkness matching his. The creatures were thrown into disarray by this sudden change of fortunes as these two mages swept thought them like a wild fire. Raven didn't know how it happened but she found herself and the newcomer fighting perfectly in sync.
As the last beasts were starting to fade they looked up at the steps, the red robed man looked down at them and smiled.
"Ahhhh delightful work Guardian, well as I have been told youths say; it's been real." Still so composed he lifted one withered hand and snapped his fingers in an instant he was consumed in flames, in moments though they flashed out and he was gone. The broad shoulders of the cloaked figure sagged. As if, failure mounted over his head.
Slowly he turned looking at the Titans, he pulled back his hood, and to their surprise, it showed a face no older than that of the Titans.
"I apologise that this took place in your City. I will try and drive Archon from here as soon as I can," His voice was different now it sounded deep and resonant, older than his face. "I will try." Without another word he span on his heal about to walk into vanish into a side street until a voice called after him.
"What were those creatures? What do you have to do with them? Who are you?" The rest of the team were quick with similar choruses of questions, the rest of the team that is except Raven.
"Ahhhh yes, I am sorry. You deserve at least a few answers." The accent was hard to place, it was educated but not American, let alone from Jump. English? "The man… If you can call him that, was Archon, a user of Black and Fire magic. The creatures were Demons, servants of Archons Patron. That is why your weapons and powers could not hurt them. They are not of this world, only Magic can really hurt them." He sighed and looked down at booted feet. "As I said I am sorry this had to take place in your city, I recommend you return to your home and that this one." He gestured at Raven casually with the three-foot long blade. "Defends you, I will drive Archon from city as soon as I can. I am sorry." He turned to go once more when a soft, gravely monotone cut in for the first time.
"Do you have a place to stay?" Raven looked at Robin…hard.
"Ehhh, why not? Your welcome to stay in the Titan Tower with us if you like?" He scratched the back of his head thoughtfully casting a sideways glance at Raven. Was she really so eager for someone to talk to that she would speak up like that? Immediately he dismissed the thought. This man had just saved their lives after all.
"Yare why not man? See if we can rig up some sort of way for us to at least help." Cyborg's cheerful rumble rose up from the back.
"If you like tofu that is?" Beastboy sounding even higher pitched after Cyborg's rumble.
"Truly? You would invite me into your home?" His eyes wide as he looked at the welcoming faces, he had never been too good with people, training had always been more important.
"Yes! Come; let us return to the tower! A documentary on the human digestive system is about to be starting!" To all the world an explosion of cheerful eagerness to explore the world of excretion.
"You'll get used to her." Raven was stood next to him now; talking quietly in the same gravely tone.
"O-of course" He smiled down at her. Another mage… Why couldn't he sense her? Turing back to the group he grinned widely. "Thank you, so much. If I am to be staying with you then I suppose I must tell you the whole story…"
"Save it" Robin cut him off with a grin. "This is hardly the place for it." He gestured at the shattered square and small fires, the sirens of the Emergency services already ringing in the distance.
"Come on Titans lets get home.