Gemini

Chapter 1: Slade's Voice

Thunder clapped and lightning streaked across the black sky. Raven stared out of Titan Tower watching the thunderstorm erupt around her. It had been nearly a week since Slade had returned, telling her that she was going to destroy the world. She shivered and drew her hood up over her head. She couldn't meditate, so therefore she was loosing the grip on her emotions, she couldn't sleep and she wasn't eating.

Reaching up she touched her forehead where the S symbol had been. Although it was gone, she could still feel it burning into her head like a brand mark.

"Why me?" she asked herself in her mono tone voice. Walking over to her bed she flung herself onto the covers. She wanted to cry but she held in the tears. Her emotions seemed to spill out of her. "I need to meditate." Raven told herself.

Getting up off of the bed she sat cross legged on the floor. Placing her hands on her knees and closing her eyes she began to chant. "Azroth Metrion Zinthos….." she could feel herself starting to levitate … "Azroth Metrion Zinthos……"

Ravens violet eyes flew open and she broke her meditation, falling to the ground. Her head was hurting with a pulsating pain and she wanted to scream. Another flash of lightning illuminated her Goth-like room and she shivered again.

"What's wrong with me?" she wondered to herself. "This has never happened before..." standing up she walked to her mirror and gasped. The symbol was back on her forehead and in the mirror she saw Slade's red eyes staring at her and his evil laugh was ringing in her ears.

"Raven…" His voice was in her mind "No matter where you go no matter how you try to set things right you will destroy this world and your friends along with it…"

"No!" Raven whispered. Slade laughed.

"Where are my manners?" Slade's voice slowly faded the symbol on her forehead disappeared and her mirror went blank. Raven stood for a few minutes waiting. She knew something was going to happen, but she didn't know what.

The alarm bell blared. She turned away from her mirror and ran down the hall to catch up with the rest of the team.

Beast boy walked down the dark hallway, his thoughts were on Slade and Raven. He was wondering how she was handling it. He was a little upset when he found out that she had taken Robin with her instead of himself. He paused outside of Ravens door and raised his fist to knock.

The alarm bell wailed and he hesitated before turning to run down to the meeting room. He felt something in his heart for her. He wasn't sure about it but he knew that he had to talk to her about it. For now the talk had to wait, there were other things he had to pay attention to.

Raven was the last one to make it to the meeting room, and the rest of the Titans were crowded around the computer. Robin's fingers whirled across the keyboard, as Raven approached them from behind and stood beside Beast Boy, squinting at the computer screen.

"What's up?" she asked in her mono-tone voice.

"It's Slade" Robin said not even looking up from the screen. "He's back and he's at the bridge. I have no idea what he's planning on doing next, but what ever it is it can't be good."

Raven stiffened and pulled her hood lower over her head trying to hide her terrified expression.

Beast boy noticed her sudden change of appearance.

"Rae…you ok?" he asked, concern in his voice. She didn't answer him something flickered in the back of her mind and a pulsating pain rushed through her body. She put her hands on the sides of her head. She felt the symbol burning in her forehead she let out a hard breath. Raven's vision started to blur and her knees buckled out from under her. She felt strong arms catch her and she blacked out….

"Raven…." Slade's voice echoed through her head. "I'm waiting for you….."

"What do you mean?" she thought "What do you want with me?"

"I have something for you…something that you don't remember…come get it…ALONE!"

Raven floated up beside Beast Boy and asked what was up. When Robin answered her and said that the trouble was Slade he had seen her stiffen, and he was concerned about her. Beast Boy knew it wasn't easy for her, especially after what had happened.

"Rae….you ok?" he asked but when she didn't answer him he leaned closer to her trying to see her face under her hood. Raven's hands flew up to the sides of her head and she fell forward. Beast Boy reached out and caught her before she hit the floor.

"Raven?" he yelled it and the other titans turned to look at him with alarm on their faces.

"What happened?" Robin asked

"I don't know! She just fell over." Worry rushed through him and his voice was shaky. He gently eased her back in to his right arm and threw her hood back with his left hand. Their faces turned white, the symbol on Ravens forehead was burning a bright crimson.

"Woh! This is not good!" Cyborg said putting a hand on his head.

"Hey Raven!" Beast Boy said shaking her slightly "Come on Raven wake up!" The symbol on her forehead started to fade and he violet eyes slowly stared to slide open. Relief flooded him and he sighed.

"Raven…." He said softly.

The first thing Raven saw when she opened her eyes was Beast Boy's worried face staring down at her. As her vision cleared she realized that Robin, Cyborg and Starfire were also staring at her with concern on her face. He mind was racing on what Slade had told her.

"Raven…." Beast Boy's soft voice jolted her out of her thoughts. Realizing that she was still in his arms she blushed and tried not to make any eye contact with anyone.

"Beast Boy?" she said with out looking at him.

"Yes?"

"You can let go of me now."

"Oh..eh..he..sorry…" he could feel his face getting hot as he helped her to her feet.

"Friend Raven!" Starfire said in her perky voice "Are you alright?"

"Yes…." Ravens voice trailed. Robin put his hand on her shoulder.

"What happened Raven?"

She hesitated before answering "It was Slade…I don't know how but he's found a way to…." She stopped in mid sentence.

"He's found a way to what?" Robin pressured.

"He's found a way to speak to me through my mind…..and he told me to come to the bridge….Alone."

"We can't let you go by yourself Raven!" Beast Boy's voice was apprehensive "Slade might do something to you…..or even worse kill you…I don't want that to happen!"

Raven was surprised at his sudden outburst. "I have to he told me to come alone…he said he had something for me….and I intend to go alone there is no use putting the rest of the team in danger over this."

"Raven we are obliged to go with you." Starfire spoke up "as you said we are a team and we don't intend for you to go by yourself. Teams work together!"

"Starfire is right." said Robin "We at least need to be there to back you up…just in case something goes wrong."

Raven was silent she had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that something very wrong was about to happen. Something that would change her life. Little did she know how right she was…..