Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Teen Titans. However, I don't think I needed to tell u that
Okay, under suggestion of Evanlicious, I'm rewriting the chapters to include more character development and all that stuff, so bear with me, this might take a while…
Even in the Night
CHAPTER 1: Confusion
"NOOOOOO!" Robin sat bolt upright, awoken from a light sleep. Horrific images chased through his mind without warning. The fearless leader of the Teen Titans clutched his head in anguish and tears coursed unnoticed down his cheeks. Robin fought the tidal wave of emotions that threatened to drown him.
"Stop it," his self-conscious berated him for his momentary lapse into mental weakness. Robin gritted to the silence. "I'm trying!"
The images slowed and gradually dispersed when Robin began to close off his mind. Years of relentless training with the Dark Knight of Gotham hadn't left the Boy Wonder with simply a strong physique. Robin's mind was cryptic and guarded enough to give any trespassing telepath a migraine for a week.
When his mind was finally clear, the teen lay for a moment and shivered fitfully. That was definitely one of the worst things he had ever experienced. The only other thing that was worse had occurred when he performed in the circus with his parents. One night during a performance on the tight rope, suspended high above the ring, the accident happened. Robin tried to save his parents, but he didn't reach them in time; they fell to their deaths right before his eyes.
Once his heart rate and breathing slowed to normal, Robin, as always began to search for an answer. Where did that come from, he thought. Robin pondered this question before he recalled his bond with Raven, the gothic/ sorceress member of the Titans. Raven had once asked entrance into his mind, to see through his eyes in order to prove to him for the last time that their enemy was gone, and Robin was perfectly safe.
It ended up the man was very real. Slade had slowly beaten the life out of Robin until they realized that Slade was somehow making his X-apprentice believe he was fighting him when he was in fact, alone. But Robin's mind had done the damage for Slade.
Robin glared hatred at the wall as he pictured Slade. The most persistent enemy of the Titans, he was a clever andsly adversary. He was calculating and worst of all patient. Maybe the reason Robin hated him so much was because Slade was right; they were a lot alike. However, not in all ways. Slade worked to benefit only himself, and if Innocents got involved, all the better. Robin fought to protect those innocent citizens from those who would harm them in cold blood. And Slade was evil, he manipulated anything and everything he could to help himself.
Robin sighed and ran a gloved hand through ebony hair. I've got to stop doing that; rehashing past horrors. Slade will never show his face again, he reminded himself with a bitter smile.
Raven. He was forever in her debt for doing the one thing no one had been able to do: understand him. Ever since she in a word, saved him from himself, he never once severed the connection (he wondered if he even could). But he couldn't wander into Raven's mind nor did he ever feel anything escape her mind as she had his. Now, he wondered and it suddenly made perfect sense.
Furious at himself for taking so long to realize the truth, Robin threw himself from the bed and hurtled across the room. Sliding the heavy metal door open, Robin skidded through the opening. At full speed, he ran straight into a sleepy Starfire. "Good night, Robin, what was that very loud noise?" Robin kept running. "I think it was Raven. Come on, Star!" Finally reaching their destination, they gasped in unison. There was no door! Shards of metal lay everywhere in the hallway. Raven was backed up against the furthest wall of her room, a black aura surrounding her crouching figure. Her wide eyes glowed luminescent white and her teeth clenched tightly, sweat beaded on her pale forehead. Overcoming the first initial shock, Robin stepped forward somewhat hesitantly. "Raven? Are you…?"
Raven blinked. She stared at Robin for a few minutes before stuttering, "Robin? Starfire?" The dark sorceress seemed to snap out of her trance, but then jumped up and searched the room with narrowed eyes. Finding nothing, she sat down heavily on her messed bed, a slight look of confusion on her pale countenance as she stared off into space. "I don't understand."
"Understand what?" Beast Boy and Cyborg stood in the once doorway. "Nothing. It was nothing but a dream." Starfire winced. "Dreams do not simply make things blow up, friend Raven."
Raven sighed and closed her eyes, willing them all to go away. She could not understand what had just happened…she could have sworn that…
A gloved hand taking hers interrupted her thoughts. The masked teen's face creased with worry. "Raven, what's going on?"
The sorceress yanked her hand away from Robin as if she had been burned. "N-nothing. I told you, it was a dream. I just need to meditate. All of you: Get out!" Changing into her astral "raven" form, the dark Titan phased through the ceiling and onto the roof. Folding her legs, she levitated close to the edge. On any other night, she would have admired the tranquil sea, cloudless skies, and calming breeze before levitating, but tonight she went straight to meditation. She sensed that it was about to rain. The temperature dropped noticeably and the waves grew choppy as the wind picked up marginally.
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." Raven took several steadying breaths and chanted her mantra as she began to meditate. Why would I dream of something so awful? For one thing, he is dead. Terra killed him. So why would I dream about someone who's dead being alive? 'Him' of course, was Slade. The most hated enemy of the Titans, Slade had attempted to blackmail Robin into being his apprentice by threatening the other Titan's lives. They had many nasty run-ins after that. Robin had been obsessed with the sly criminal, hunting him with every breath. He had hunted Slade so long, he wasn't quite used to him being gone, but he was… for good…right? Emotions flooded her senses as she replayed the dream in her head.
It was a night like any other. Raven was meditating on the roof as she always did before drifting off to sleep. It had been about two hours, so she was just finishing. She couldn't quite shake the feeling of exhaustion. It's not that late, why do I feel tired, she thought with curiosity. Pushing it from her mind, she opened her eyes and gasped. Across the shadowed, choppy water of the sea Jump City was burning! To her dismay, she saw that most of the buildings had already been reduced to piles of rubbish. Flames licked up the standing buildings like hungry beasts, devouring the buildings swiftly. Worst of all, perhaps, was the silence. No screams, no cries for help, even the tumbling buildings fell silently in submission.
Raven turned to hurry inside and question the team but she stopped dead in her tracks. Four bodies lay crumpled and strewed around her. She walked forward slowly, hyperventilating. Raven bent down and examined the body closest to her. Her stomach churned and for one of the first times, tears slid silently down her face.
"Starfire!"
The beautiful alien was hardly recognizable. Blood covered virtually her whole body and she looked to have multiple broken bones. Someone had mercilessly slammed her face into a hard surface repeatedly because the beauty was gone…only blood remained. "No!" Anger welled up inside her. Someone would pay, and pay dearly. Raven checked her pulse and shock flew through her. Starfire was…dead?
"This can't be real…" Raven's legs shook as she checked the rest of the Titans. All horribly mutilated. All dead. Her mind was reeling. How could this have happened without her knowing? For Pete's sake, she was sitting right there! How had the other Titans died while she remained unscathed?
Weak coughing interrupted the girl as she leaned over the body of Beast Boy, whom could only be distinguished as so by the matted green hair and skin. "Robin!" The empath rushed to his side. "Robin, can you hear me?"
The leader's eyes fluttered open. "R-Raven?" She trembled with relief. He was alive! Confusion clouded her face when Robin instinctively flinched as the empath laid his head in her lap. She was startled by the fear emanating from his aura in waves. Only pausing for a moment, she held her hands over his chest to heal him, but found she could not. Sick with grief, Raven bowed her head.
His wounds were too numerous and far too great to receive into her own body. His rib cage was shattered and he panted painfully for his dying breaths.
"H-he came for you…tried to stop…too powerful…"
"What? Who came for me? Who did this to you?"
"You did."
Meow-----meow-----meow-----meow-----meow-----meow-----meow-----meow-----meow
Whoohoo! Chapter 1 (REWRITE) is up…sorry if it seemed a little predictable, but oh well I just wanted to get it done. Plz review: I am stupid and insecure…also I have a baseball bat. Consider that. You can flame me, just do it low key…constructive criticism is very much appreciated.
