This is just getting tedious. Raven thought as she flew past another store converted into a circus event. It was bad enough dealing with Mumbo, but now she had to deal with the various shoppers that had been trapped in the mall too. She phased through the locked aquarium doors, and saw a young couple, an older man, and an employee. They had all been suspended over a large shark pit, whose occupant periodically leapt up to bite at them. Raven phased out again. None of them were in danger. The sharks couldn't jump high enough. She couldn't say the same for the rest of the Titans though. That's why she needed to find them. As much as she disliked to admit it, she couldn't stop Mumbo alone. She turned the cornet, into the food court, and stopped. Her eyes widened. The food court was gone, in it's place was a giant stage, complete with various acts ready to be preformed. The Titans on it were all incapacitated; Beast Boy was trapped in a box on a small table, a saw hovering above it. Robin was in another box standing up, with several swords floating around it. In between them stood Mumbo; juggling various pieces of Cyborg. Starfire was nowhere to be seen.
"Ah, my dear Raven, you are just in time. The show is about to start." He grinned evilly. "And it's a real heartstopper." Raven gasped. The saw above Beast Boy began to descend, and the swords around Robin started towards his box.
"Nobody" Raven started, as various objects around her shattered, "hurts my friends. Nobody!" She ended through fanged teeth, four eyes gleaming out from under her hood. Cyborg fell to the floor, gaping at Raven. Mumbo had gone quite pale, his limbs having been grasped by tendrils protruding from Raven. He screamed as he was drawn closer.
"Did you hear me? Nobody." A sharp-toothed grin flashed from the shadows under her hood.
Starfire raced through the halls, she had to find her friends. It would go faster if she did not have to rescue these people. But that could not be helped. A sharp scream echoed throughout the mall. That sounded like Mumbo. Starfire races towards the source of the sound, and arrived to a most peculiar sight. Robin and Beast Boy seemed to be pulling themselves out of colorful boxes, several sharp instruments lay on the floor around them. Cyclops was attempting to put himself together, while shouting at Raven. Mumbo was struggling at tendrils that had wrapped themselves around him, but to no avail. Starfire turned towards the source of the tendrils, her hearts heavy with dread. Then she gasped. The tendrils had originated from the folds of Raven's cloak. Raven floated several feet off the ground; four red eyes gleamed from under her hood. Mumbo was slowly being drawn towards her. Raven flashed him a predatory grin.
"Did you hear me? Nobody." Starfire screamed.
"Raven!"
Raven paused. Someone had cried out her name. Her eyes blinked, then she shook her head, and resumed pulling Mumbo in closer. He pawed at the ground, and at table legs, trying to get a grip, and prevent himself from being pulled into the darkness, but to no avail. Something flew towards her, something orange, but she swatted it aside. Robin was now out of his box she saw, as was Beast Boy. Cyborg had reassembled himself. They were shouting at her too. She ignored them, focusing on Mumbo, whose legs had disappeared under the hem of her cloak.
"Raven!" She shook her head, something shouted at her again. She closed her four eyes, but only two opened. The tendrils disappeared and she fell to the ground. She stood, then took several steps back, horrified at what she'd done.
"Raven? Starfire asked with uncertainty. She lay on the ground where she had landed after Raven hit her, shock etched on her face. Raven could sense her concern, and…fear? Raven tried to speak, but the sound caught in her throat. Shaking, she turned and ran, disappearing into the shadows.
"Raven!" Starfire cried, chasing after her, the rest of the Titans in pursuit.
Starfire sat in the main room of the tower, along with Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy. No-one spoke. Everyone sat; recalling the events of the afternoon. The alert, rushing to the mall, Mumbo transforming it, Raven attacking him. They all remembered that part with clarity. The police had arrived soon after, taking the whimpering hunk that had been Mumbo to jail. Raven had barricaded herself to her room, and refused to emerge.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos" Raven intoned, trying to meditate.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos" She was failing at it. The memory of losing control was never far from her mind. She shook herself at the recollection.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos" She said, a bit too forcefully. The shelf to her right splintered, spilling it's contents to the floor.
"Forget it." She mumbled, pausing to fix the shelf. Last time she lost control, it she hadn't had this much trouble getting over it. It was Starfire. She recalled the look on her face after the battle. What she had done to her while transformed. The fear Starfire felt while looking at her. The fear everyone felt while looking at her. Raven lay back on her bed, as a single tear rolled down her cheek.