…Timeline …

Disclaimer: (I Do Not Own Teen Titans)

Summary: Reeking havoc on every adorned being, the H.I.V.E. Academy renews itself once again, building back what was once there. And with a twist of fate, Slade slinks out a hand to three blessed members, how will Brother Blood relish this? All the while, he obtains these top graduates to his usage, having failed on his last mistakes in apprenticeships. He begins a new by capturing not one, but three apprentices using one single trap, plotted and planted by those same H.I.V.E graduates. What doom shall become of these members- apprentices- and Their Grand Leader?

A terrible chill was sent through the inhabitants of all dimensions. Something was wriggling deep beneath the universal lines of energy...hidden beneath the fabric of space and time, a powerful entity slumbered. For eons he has existed, existing everywhere, and yet nowhere, all at the same time. Surviving by absorbing the powerful energies of those foolish enough to trust him, he has long been considered one of the most powerful beings in existence.

But then...they ruined it all. Those foolish people, the Titans. The fools. The Titans were mighty giants, rulers of all. These people were only deluding themselves. And yet...somehow, they did what no one else could. They vanquished him. He, the conqueror, had been defeated. It could not be.

But he survived. Unbeknownst to those foolish mortals, he was not dead--merely resting, hibernating...waiting for the time to strike. And that time...was now.

As the first eye opened, powerful signals were sent forth through the fabric of time, latching onto the bioetheric energies of several entities. As the second eye opened, he pulled, drawing those entities unto him...and then he was strong.

Rising through the dimensional rifts, he returned to that familiar place. Existing as a dimension all its own, that place has always been his home. And as he reached his home...the bioetheric signals followed, like flies to a candle.

He smiled. The Master of Apprenticeship would feast tonight.

A high pitched, nasalish voice cracked loud and clear against all the sounds of the talkative Wreck Room of the H.I.V.E.

"Hey, Jinx...did 'ya get the controllers?"

"...Yeah."

A slender girl of sixteen had just walked in, already being pestered by other members. A severe look was now about her, her obviously large, soft violetish eyes narrowed dangerously and harshened with black and blue makeup. Her clothes were dusted lightly, and she brushed off her shoulders with a pair of soft, dainty gray hands. She reached into a pouch with a slim, gloved hand and removed a pair of game console controllers, which a small sized, annoying looking boy, Gizmo, snatched the ideal item away from her and scampered off shrieking in glee. "That's a good girl...Alright! Now we can do battle mode!" He and the other members dashed to the screen, already engrossed with their violent game. "We knew your good looks could help you steal anything!" One of the older boys, Mammoth, smirked over the back of the sofa before turning back to the television, furiously pressing buttons in an attempt to slaughter his opponent, the midget, - like boy who had the falsetto voice.

Jinx had stared at them for a moment, her hands stuffed into her pockets. "...I bought it with my own money..." she muttered inaudibly, watching and placing a pattern in her head. "The move you want is X-O-X-X-Up-Down-L1." She called loudly to the older boy, who soon jumped up in victory and laughed as Gizmo glared back at the dark-teen girl.

"You're not supposed to help him!" He complained, slinking off to the corner of the couch to allow someone else play. The larger teenager, Mammoth, shrugged and saluted thanks to her, but she had already turned around and sank into the other couch, at the opposite end of the boys. She let out a long, painful sigh, though more quiet and out of simple fatigue, with her limps stretching widely.

It was certainly an average day, for an average H.I.V.E. Team

All the while a rather mousey, annoying looking boy seemed to question this 'system' from the far edge of a couch. "Don't you guys have somewhere else to be obnoxious?" He inquired, his eyebrows rotating to the very center of his forehead in pure frustration.

Jinx shrugged, her arms draped nonchalantly over the back of the couch. Her gaze did not leave the boys for a moment, but eventually her eyes cast upwards at the high ceiling, as if the answer was printed up there in bright bold letters. Then, out of the corner of her harshened eyes, she said with a slight smirk.

"...It keeps 'em happy. They're a lot worse when they're irritable and without video games. Believe me, I would know." Jinx slinks forward and rests her elbows on her knees, cupping a delicate jawline in both black-gloved hands. Seeming to dullen the boy out of her bright magenta eyes.

"As you know, since its foundation just five years ago, the unending mission of the H.I.V.E. has been to achieve complete global domination. Years one and two were spent recruiting personnel to serve our cause. The third securing our position in both geological stratum and the world of terrorism. However, it was during this year which we suffered considerable losses to the beings known as superheroes, these individuals, some of which working as teams, repeatedly interfered in our interests. As such, the H.I.V.E. dedicated resources to bring about the utter destruction of these menaces!"

Seven men, donned in identical all concealing purple hooded robes sat at a large hexagon shaped table in what appeared to be some kind of meeting room for top executives within the organization. Indeed, these seven were important, for it was these collective minds that had spawned the H.I.V.E. in the first place; united in their desire for world domination, though not one of these seven had ever seen another's face. One chair, which noted was one of greater size and significance to the others, remained unoccupied.

"To this end--" The one among the seven that had been speaking continued "--at this very academy, we are training the best of the best, infused with their own meta-human abilities, they will crush all such adversaries that oppose us! The man who is personally overlooking their training is none other than the H.I.V.E. Master himself… Brother Blood!"

In that instant, electronic sliding doors opened, giving way to the all too familiar man. The throne-like seat, obviously also electrical, rotated 180 degrees, facing Blood. A smirk adorned on his face, for a split second his eyes flickered a full pupil-less red before returning to normal. Walking forward, he pivoted in mid-step, sitting down in the chair, which as if sensing the man's presence rotated back to its first position.

"Gentlemen…" Blood began, spending a moment to gaze around the table at the others here assembled. Apparently satisfied with what he saw, he went on, a finger nonchalantly reaching for a button on the right arm-rest of the control chair "… lets begin."

The lights soon faded until they had completely deadened. A large slot in the very center of the table opened up, a device that displayed holographic images rising out of the hole revealed. Upwardly, four projector cameras, one in each corner of the chamber whirled into life, concentrating their rays in turn on the device. Soon large full color images were being displayed, moving images of famous superheroes playing in rapid succession before slowing down on a certain team of three in action.

"The Teen Titans have proven themselves to be a thorn in our side. But they are not the only team based in the Jump City area…" One of the seven spoke, as the images changed once again to that of the newly founded main team."This colorful bunch are our top graduates. They have only just recently formed and already they have dealt a heavy blow to the underground crime network with their own batch of rough justice--"

"Brother Blood, my business contacts are getting nervous…" Another of the seven interrupted "--why just a few weeks ago, a meeting taking place in a restaurant downtown was interrupted by a fight outside involving members of this team On that note - here is the footage we were able to acquire…" The image changed yet again, this time showing the fight between the main members, Jinx, Mammoth, and tiny Gizmo. How was this obtained? Probably some kind of hidden spy camera possessed by an undercover agent on the scene due to the meeting. The quality clearly wasn't that good but still, you could still make out a creature encased in shadow, the battle eventually went out of view as the combatants climbed to the roof.

"What was that?" Blood inquired out loud, though more to himself than to any of the others. The image of the being returning in a still frame, the bloodshot piercing eyes glaring intently at his prey. The other men watched quizzically, as the cult leader 'hmmed' thoughtfully; he seemed to be paying this creature more attention than the members themselves. "I don't know, master. We have been unable to gather any information on the being in question." Came a reply in the background, Blood barely hearing it through the volume of his own internal thoughts.

"Tell your partners that they needn't be concerned. My plans to destroy the Titans are going along nicely, we will soon achieve success, the rest will fair no better. Now, leave me. I have other, more important matters that require my immediate attention." Brother Blood finally replied after a few minutes, the seven were startled by his sudden command but nevertheless obeyed - leaving the lone man in the chamber, his eyes having never left the image of the shadowy man in-front of him. Pressing another button on his chair, Blood relayed a message to a certain somebody through their communicator.

"Jinx, report to meeting room C."

It merely would take moments, yet more for a reply.

As soon as the doors opened automatically, Blood was alerted to Jinx's presence, though still, his eyes did not leave the image displayed before him; in fact for a few moments, he completely ignored the girl. Finally, the headmaster seemed to take pity on Jinx, tilting his head slightly, though all that could be seen from her position was the back of the oversized chair. "My dear. I think we've may have come across something rather interesting..." He muttered thoughtfully in response, an arm snaked out from one side of Blood's seat, the hand making a beckoning gesture. "Come, what do you make of this?" He inquired, his hand retreating back again.

It certainly was interesting, this being displayed before him. Just by looking at its demonic appearance, one could tell, there was a certain air around the others, apparent even here - powerful and mysterious, and perhaps the fact that he was kicking the heck out of the H.I.V.E criminals - hardly a concern to Blood however, to him they seemed weak and pitiful anyway. Yes, this creature could prove useful, if it could be "tamed", as Blood often liked to put it. All too soon, plans began to formulate themselves in the man's calculating mind, plans to find this being.

If only the cult leader was aware that this very being was fast approaching at this very moment.

Pink-magenta eyes narrowed as Jinx moved along side Blood to get a closer look at the shadowy figure, this truly horrific being that revealed in destruction and the suffering of others - indeed, his kind of person. He didn't flinch in surprise or even bother to look in The Hexer's direction as she fell backward.

"No idea, and I don't really care. Now that I am in possession of the Titan Cyborg's technology and with the completion of the H.I.V.E's new Aqua Base drawing near, my plans are coming to fruitation nicely..." Blood replied, his left hand moving to support his chin as he leaned more to one side on his chair "I had not intended for my presence in this country to be detected. Still, it matters little in the long--"

"--What?" He came to a sudden halt as it hit his senses, his instincts and mental abilities coming into play. A powerful force near by... heading for... here?

Fingers quickly moved, pressing a few of the buttons on his chair in a particular sequence, the holographic image faded replaced with an altogether different picture - secret cameras dotted around the immediate area outside began transmitting their images directly to the meeting room. Every time Blood touched the yellow button on the console, the image changed according to the camera he was looking out of.

It was clear and straight away that something was going on in almost all the pictures received, the sky overhead unusually dark for this time of day and the entire area was encased in shadow. Then, as the images changed in rapid succession, Blood's finger left the button so that the device rested on one particular image, another button and he zoomed in and there, barely visibly, but there...

"Well, well, well... speak of the devil. It appears our friend intends to drop in, and by the looks of it - not for a chat." The man chuckled softly, before he immediately became serious, and with a new button pressed, his voice was projected to everywhere inside the academy.

"Attention all, this is your headmaster speaking. Our position has been compromised, infiltration is imminent. I have taken the decision to launch a pre-emptive strike against the enemy. All relevant personnel to your stations, secure the building. All students, suit up and prepare for battle - its time for a practical field exercise. End transmission."

His finger released the depressed button, his head snapping toward Jinx "I will not risk damage to my academy! Inform Bumblebee and the others to gather the students. We shall meet with him outside - the city will be our battlefield! Go now!"

…To Be Continued…