Disclaimer: I don't own the Titans. I don't even have a valid lease.
Author's Note: I want to point out that this story was originally written while season three of the show was still airing. I, like so many others, succumbed to the temptation to write a story about Trigon and the inner workings of Raven's mind. Then season four started complete with Trigon and Raven's destiny and this little story was promptly abandoned.
Recently I revived my obsession with the Titans and decided that with a fair amount of tweaking I could fit this story quite nicely into the continuity of the cartoon. Furthermore, it also works as a precursor, if not exactly a prequel, to my previously posted story. I hope you enjoy it.
Chapter One
"Who is this guy?" Beast Boy growled in frustration.
"Maug, the Greatest Wizard in the World," Cyborg, Raven and Robin droned with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.
"So he keeps saying, but – oof!" a stray bolt of power ricocheted off Beast Boy's shoulder and he tumbled over the edge of the roof. A second or two later, a green eagle soared up into view, dropped to the roof, and morphed back into Beast Boy. "—where the heck did he come from?"
Maug laughed and spoke in his unnaturally booming voice, "Foolish children! It is not for you to understand the ways and plans of Maug, the Greatest Wizard in the World!"
"Dude, we know that part! But, like, we've never even heard of you before. How can you be the greatest anything if nobody's ever heard of you?"
"Soon all will know and fear the name of Maug, the Greatest Wizard in the World!" Maug declared impressively. The man's confidence and arrogance was overwhelming, and Raven fought to block it out.
"This guy is giving me a headache," she muttered irritably. With a flick of her wrist, she launched a nearby generator at her opponent. Maug only laughed contemptuously as the generator broke apart mere feet from where the wizard stood.
"An excellent suggestion, my dear," Maug grinned triumphantly. "Exactly what I had in mind. Or should that be … what you had in mind?"
"That … doesn't even make sense," Cyborg insisted. "Man, don't bother punning at all if you can't do better than that." He shot off a blast from his sonic, arm-mounted cannon, but Maug dodged just in time.
"This isn't working," Robin snapped. "Titans, I need everyone to –" he nimbly avoided a ball of flame Maug sent his direction, but a follow-up bolt of energy caught him square in the stomach and Robin skidded backwards, coming to a rest near the roof's edge.
Starfire bellowed furiously, flinging a barrage of starbolts as she ranted. "You will not hurt my friends! You will not succeed! You must stop this wickedness now!" Starfire was circling the wizard feverishly now, and Maug's eyes widened in surprise when a blast from her eyes scored a hit on his left side.
"Per – perhaps you are right," Maug stuttered nervously. Then he drew himself up and resumed his customary boom, "you have all provided me with a modicum of amusement, but now it is time to put into play the plan that I, Maug, the Greatest Wizard in the World, have devised."
Raven rolled her eyes and prepared a new assault, teasing an iron girder into the air. She gasped in surprise when a tendril of magic coiled around her leg and, with a jerk, sent her crashing to the ground. Rubbing her ankle, she glared up at Maug as he loomed over her. Behind her, the girder fell back to the roof with a clang.
"That hurt, you creep."
Maug didn't answer. Instead he knelt down and grasped her face between his hands. "Hey! What are you --?!" Indignantly, Raven shoved him backward but Maug only laughed in satisfaction.
"Now, my dear, we can chat. Do not worry," he continued as Raven prepared to blast him off his feet, "I have taken the liberty of restricting your powers, but I plan to return them to you. Eventually." Raven lashed out at him anyway, but nothing happened. She felt … odd. Her powers didn't appear to be gone, but somehow she couldn't access them.
Over Maug's shoulder Raven saw a green bighorn sheep charge into view and then bounce backward violently onto its haunches mere feet from Maug. A sudden burst of blue served to illuminate what appeared to be a giant bubble encasing Maug and Raven. Outside the bubble, Raven could hear Cyborg's muffled curses as his sonic cannon failed to breach Maug's defenses.
"I have also opted to separate you from your companions," Maug added conversationally, "they too will be returned to you."
Raven gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes dangerously, "What do you want?"
"Why, you my dear," Maug smiled in a self-satisfied way before continuing, "I've wanted to speak with you especially. I believe that our destinies are intertwined, yours and mine."
"Think again," Raven growled, scrambling to her feet.
"Er, I'd love to stay and chat," Maug went on quickly, "but I have somewhere to be. Don't worry, though. I'll be around." Maug raised his hand and pressed his palm firmly against Raven's forehead.
The energy bubble dissipated and Raven collapsed in a heap. One of Robin's birdarangs missed Raven by inches and Beast Boy had to swerve wildly to avoid running the girl down.
"Raven!" Starfire cried, swooping down to scoop the girl up into her arms.
"Maug," Robin ground out angrily, his fists clenched at his side. The other Titans looked around anxiously, but it quickly became apparent that Maug had disappeared.
"C'mon Raven," Beast Boy muttered desperately, "you've been out for hours. This isn't funny anymore."
Cyborg had his hands full with the medical equipment that was currently hooked up to Raven's still form. Starfire had been attempting to assist him, but her eagerness did not translate into helpfulness and she was eventually ordered to sit down and stay put.
Cyborg spared a compassionate glance for his green friend. "I'm pretty sure this isn't Raven's idea of a joke, either."
Beast Boy sighed and his shoulders slumped, "I know."
Starfire sniffled sympathetically and clasped her hands together. She opened her mouth to speak, but swiftly shut it again when Robin strode through the door.
"There's no sign of Maug. As far as I can tell, no one's ever even heard of the guy," he grunted in frustration and turned to Cyborg. "What's going on with Raven?"
"Her vital signs are good and her injuries are minor. As far as I can tell there's nothing wrong with her," Cyborg rattled off, "but she's not waking up."
"Strange," Robin commented, "why?"
"Maybe she's sleepy?" Cyborg suggested.
"Perhaps if we shook her forcefully and shouted …"
"I don't think that'll help, Star."
"But I have seen that same method used successfully in many popular television programs …"
"I could try to inject her with …"
"We need to be careful not to aggravate the …"
"QUIET!" Beast Boy roared suddenly. The other three Titans stopped in mid-sentence and stared at him in shock. Robin recovered first.
"Look, Beast Boy, I know you're worried, but …"
"Shush," Beast Boy interrupted, "I'm trying to think."
Robin stared at Beast Boy, nonplussed. Then he shrugged and wandered over to Raven's bedside to check the instruments for himself. He turned back a few moments later at Beast Boy's gasp just in time to see the boy hurry from the room.
"Is … is he all right?" Starfire asked uncertainly.
"He'll be fine," Cyborg assured her. "He just needs a few moments to himself."
Satisfied, Starfire took her place at Raven's bedside and grasped her unconscious friend's hand tightly between both of her own. When Beast Boy returned five minutes later, she greeted him with an understanding smile.
"You have regained your good cheer, friend?"
"I've – what? No. I've just got an idea."
Cyborg lowered his eyebrow and groaned when he recognized the object clutched in Beast Boy's hands. "Aw, c'mon man. Isn't it a bit too early for something like that?"
"For something like what?" Robin asked curiously.
"Okay, don't freak out," began Beast Boy, "but I think Raven might be in real trouble and this is the best way I can think of to find out." Carefully, almost reverently, he placed the object he was holding on a nearby table; Starfire and Robin drew closer and gazed at it silently. Finally Robin looked up, bafflement etched on his face.
"It's … a mirror?"
Raven tumbled gracelessly to the ground. She was accustomed to landing on her feet when she entered her own mind, but then she was also used to entering deep meditation and using her mirror before doing so. She hadn't even been certain she could find her way here without the mirror but she had succeeded, for all that, with nothing worse than a skinned knee to show for it.
Cautiously she rose to her feet, brushing herself off as she examined her surroundings. This wasn't her normal arrival point, that much was clear. If she had to guess she'd say she had probably arrived somewhere within Brave's borders. The landscape was mountainous, crossed by a fast moving river that sparkled in the sunlight. The colors of the sky and trees were bright and vivid. Confrontational.
Raven turned in a circle; she half expected Brave to trot up to her in greeting. Always before she had been met by at least one of her facets, perhaps they were waiting at the usual spot. It didn't matter much since she hadn't the time to chat anyway. Something was wrong and she needed to find out what.
Raven closed her eyes and concentrated. One of the advantages of being in her own mind was the ability to ascertain the goings on in every part of it with a few minutes of meditation. It only took a matter of moments to become aware of an abnormal sense of chaos and upheaval deep within Rage's border. Whatever the problem was, she wasn't surprised to find Rage involved; Rage had always been one of her trickiest emotions.
She gathered herself together with the intent to levitate in the direction of the disturbance, but discovered to her horror that her feet hadn't left the ground. "Fantastic," she muttered, "as if the unscheduled holiday wasn't enough." Well then, she'd just have to walk. Purposefully, she set off in the direction of the anomaly.
Half an hour's brisk walking led her out of Brave's country and into a barren landscape that was scarred and scored as if by lightning. The few plants and trees still clinging to the rocky soil were withered and brown. Raven did not detect any signs of recent battle in the near vicinity; the scarred ground had merely been the site of other battles. Other times.
Raven took a moment to get her bearings again, and then strode swiftly along her newly altered course. She was getting close now, she could feel it. Directly before her was a jagged hill. There was no clear path, and the ascent was covered in loose stones and shale. She willed herself once again to float into the air, but was no more able to this time than last. Sighing, Raven began the arduous task of reaching the top.
As she climbed sounds of struggle reached her ears. When she crested the hill, the scene unfolding before her appeared grim. Apparently all of her facets had convened in her absence and were now fighting Rage. Their powers, much like her own, seemed to be disabled and the fight was slowly edging into Rage's favor. Already Timid and Reasonable were off to the side, possibly injured, and none but Brave and Crude showed any aptitude for using their fists. Only Rage was in full possession of her powers, and only the superior numbers of the other Emotions had kept her in check.
Raven darted forward and knelt beside Reasonable. Putting a hand on the facet's shoulder, she asked her quietly, "What happened?"
Reasonable, startled, turned toward Raven. "I'm so relieved to see you here! He must have arrived about an hour ago. The rest of us tried to get rid of him, but somehow he convinced Rage to go along with what he wanted. She's the only one of us that has been returned to full power."
"Who arrived?" Raven demanded.
"Him."
Raven turned in the direction Reasonable pointed and her eyes narrowed. Somehow she'd completely missed seeing Maug when she approached, but she took a moment to study him now. A pleased smirk was plastered on his face as he watched Rage tear into her other Emotions. If Maug had been looking for someone to do his dirty work for him, he had certainly chosen a good candidate.
"Do either of you know what he wants?" Raven questioned Timid and Reasonable.
"Oh, yes," Reasonable answered while Timid nodded, "he wants to gain control of your mind and he asked each of us to help him. He insisted he'd make it worth our while. Most of us," here she spared a contemptuous glance at Rage, "were smart enough to turn him down."
Raven sighed through gritted teeth. "Stay here," she ordered Reasonable and Timid, "I'm going to get to the bottom of this."
"So … you two have actually been in Raven's mind," Robin said skeptically. Cyborg and Beast Boy nodded vigorously. "And you got there by climbing into that mirror," he pointed at the object in question, currently in Cyborg's possession. "And you're sure you didn't just imagine it?"
"Dude!" Beast Boy exploded, "For the last time, it really happened! Even I couldn't make something like that up."
"And even if he could, I wouldn't," Cyborg put in.
"I am so relieved!" Starfire clasped her hands together ecstatically. "Let us quickly enter the mirror and retrieve our friend!"
Robin rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully. "I dunno. It sounds kind of risky. What if something happens and we can't get back out? I mean, if we can't help Raven it sounds like we could be trapped forever."
"But Raven's in trouble, I know it!" Beast Boy insisted, "We have to help her!"
"I think Salad Head may be right," Cyborg agreed. "You just want to leave her to deal with whatever's going on by herself?
Robin's answer was decisive. "No. I'm going to go in. Alone. I'll try to help her out, but if something happens I need you guys out here to try to fix things."
"No, nope, nuh-uh," Beast Boy interrupted, "No way. Raven's my friend, too. I'm not gonna just sit here and watch if she's in trouble. I'm going in, too."
Cyborg and Starfire nodded in agreement. "I wish to assist as well," Starfire was insistent, "I am certain that we will have a better chance of success if we proceed together."
"Besides," Cyborg grinned, "only B.B. and I have been there before. You're gonna need us to show you the ropes."
"I don't think I'll need help with that," Robin smiled grudgingly, "I know Raven better than any of you. I'm pretty sure I can find my way around her mind." Beast Boy and Cyborg exchanged knowing glances.
"Fine," Robin blew out a long breath, "we'll all go. So how does this thing work?"
Raven stomped over to Maug, her arms folded indignantly over her chest. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded heatedly.
Maug turned to her and flashed a smarmy smile. "Ah, hello! I am Maug, the Greatest Wizard in the World. And which Emotion might you be?"
"All of them," Raven snapped. "What are you doing in my mind?"
Maug's eyes lit with understanding and his smile became genuine. "You have followed me here, how delightful! I've feel I should congratulate you on the meticulous order in which I found your mind. I was able to find what I needed with no trouble at all."
"I'm so pleased," Raven spat back. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Now!"
"I think not, my dear. Do you know I've been searching for you for a very, very long time? I'm hardly likely to give up just when I'm within reach of my goal."
"What goal? What do you need me for?"
"I, Maug, the Greatest Wizard in the World, plan to take over the planet. I could, of course, manage it all by myself, but the process will go so much smoother if I have a trusty lieutenant. I'll need someone to assist me with the more mundane aspects of world domination. When I read about you and your powers, I realized that I had found the perfect candidate for my noble plans."
"Think again," Raven countered, "In case you haven't noticed, I don't like you."
"I know," Maug agreed sadly, "and no one is more distressed about that than I. Fortunately, that little fact won't matter in a few moments. Usually my influence on other's minds takes a few days to reach potency but thanks to your rather unusual circumstances I was able to recruit one of your own Emotions to do my work for me. She seems to have a previous grudge against you anyway, all I had to do was restore her to full power."
Raven glanced over her shoulder at the continuing battle. Rage was looking rather tired but not nearly as weary as the rest of them were. Even Brave was flagging severely and seemed to have developed a slight limp.
"Any minute now I expect your angry side to gain the upper hand. Once she has conquered all of your other facets you, or rather she, will be mine to control. There really is nothing you can do about it, my dear. You might as well sit here and watch."
"Don't count on it," Raven snapped, aiming a fairly solid punch at the wizard's head. Her fist connected not with his nose, but with an invisible wall. Raven winced. Maug laughed.
"Don't be foolish; with your powers gone you are no threat to me. Now really, my dear, I must ask you to stand aside. I have important things to do."
Raven massaged her injured hand and glared at Maug for a moment, then without another word she spun on her heel and strode toward the battlefield. She gestured for Reasonable and Timid to follow her and together the three of them joined the other Emotions. Rage turned toward Raven, intent on attacking her, but Brave and Crude jumped to Raven's defense and clung determinedly to the angry Emotion's arms.
"What are you doing? Get out of the way!" Maug called to her.
"You may have weakened me, but this is still my mind!" Raven shouted back. In a softer voice meant only for her Emotion's ears, she added, "you know where to go. Be quick." Panting with the effort she managed to conjure a tiny black flame between her palms and then violently wrenched her hands apart. There was a flash of eerie light and a shriek of wind. Maug blinked rapidly and when his vision cleared Raven and her Emotions were gone.
"Everybody ready?" asked Beast Boy. "Be careful, the landing's a little rough."
The mirror had been propped up on the bed beside Raven's limp body. The girl was still, almost death-like, and if you weren't watching closely you could miss the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed shallowly. In contrast, the mirror seemed almost alive. Beast Boy had discovered that while looking directly at it revealed nothing more than a common mirror, flickers of light and motion could be detected if you caught a glimpse of the mirror with the corner of your eye.
Starfire could barely contain herself; the promise of helping her friend via this new adventure caused her endless excitement. Cyborg was less optimistic, "Do you think we oughta, I don't know, hold hands or something?"
"Good idea," Robin agreed. He reached out and clasped hands first with Cyborg, then with Starfire. Shrugging, Beast Boy grabbed Starfire's other hand and leaned forward to stare into the mirror. Gazing into it intently, he waited for something to happen.
A minute went by. Then another.
"Perhaps we should-" began Starfire, but Beast Boy silenced her with a squeeze of their joined hands. Furrowing his eyebrows, he concentrated on the mission: helping Raven. Help Raven. Raven.
Raven.
There.
Beast Boy realized he had forgotten this part but it was all coming back to him now. The way the magic of the mirror reached out and wrapped itself around him, almost crushing the breath from his body; the way it lifted him off his feet and shook him until his teeth rattled. He could faintly hear Starfire cry out in surprise and he gripped her hand more tightly in his own.
With a mighty tug, the mirror pulled the four friends into itself, one by one. Around them the air began to crackle and the wind began to rush. Beast Boy felt as if he had fallen into a thunderstorm. The air whipping against his face brought tears to his eyes and it filled his ears with an angry roar. He began to whirl about, tossed every which way in the howling storm. The last thing he remembered was a pang of panic as he felt Starfire's fingers slip from his.
Further Author's Note: It's no use pointing out that several of Raven's facets don't count as emotions, my only excuse is that the show started it: bravery in and of itself isn't exactly an emotion either.
Edited because kerricarri was right: that last bit was awful. Thanks for the fresh eyes!