"These sudden feelings…are like nothing I have ever felt before…where did they come from? I'm not exactly sure, but I know they aren't going away. The way he carries himself, the way he stares at me with eyes that seem to pierce my very soul…it's enchanting. I'm at his mercy, and I am helpless as long as he walks the earth…while I am Titan…he is villain…what am I to do?"
These were the thoughts of Katelyn Logan, alias, Midnight, as she flew through the skies of Jump City. The silver changeling had taken the form of a mockingbird and her flight directed her to nowhere except away from Titans Tower…for the moment.
Recently, Malchior, the dark dragon, had been released from his shelved prison. While all the Titans fought as hard as they could, Malchior could not be subdued and, in turn, managed to escape. During her midnight flights, Midnight had met him a few times, but for some reason, could not attack. Something was holding her back, but she didn't know what. He pretty much left her be to fly through the silky skies, even though he had caught sight of her every time. What was worse was that he was blending in with society by disguising himself as a human and mingling with the commoners. She knew it…but she had not told the Titans. She could not recognize the feeling she held for Malchior, but there was only one word to describe it:
Love…She refused to categorize as what she felt as "love", for that was too serious for Miss Logan. No, it had to be something else, though she had no explanation for it. It was the most absurd thought, as she and Malchior had never been on good terms. She had to admit to herself…things were different now.
The sun was beginning to rise, and Midnight decided it was time to head back. Halfway, she saw Malchior, who was dressed in a long trench coat, his long black hair flowing back behind him. His eyes were a deep red in color and his skin was a ghastly white. He had a strong build, but a slim frame. The changeling locked eyes with him for a moment, but he disappeared as a building blocked him for a moment. Midnight shook her head, thinking she was hallucinating and continued to fly back to the Tower.
Raven was already awake, and sipping herbal tea. She looked up when Midnight came in, who was looking rather troubled. Being empathic, Raven could sense emotions easily, but Midnight's were so tangled and confused, she was having trouble finding out what was wrong. So, she tried the old fashion way.
"Something bothering you, Midnight?" Raven asked, without showing concern or emotion in her voice. Midnight leapt up in surprise.
"Raven, dude, you scared the crap outta me!" Midnight said, heaving a sigh of relief.
"Sorry…" she remarked, though she didn't sound it. "Now…what's bothering you…and don't tell me nothing," she added darkly. Midnight bit her lip, knowing she couldn't hide anything from Raven.
"I'm…not exactly sure…" Midnight remarked, looking back at her.
"Well, that's obvious…you're emotions are out of control and all mixed up…"
"I think…I think I'm in love…"
"That's a safe bet, considering love is the most powerful emotion and often causes others to go out of control…" Raven hesitantly asked the next question. "With whom?" Midnight didn't answer, and merely shook her head.
"I can't tell you…I can't tell anyone without endangering his life…" Midnight remarked, turning the corner and walking away. Raven made no attempts to stop her, but she was looking at her queerly, trying to understand why she wanted to hide the identity of her secret heartache so badly.
The silver changeling held her shoulders, looking pained. She eyed her room, where Beast Boy slept as well. She refused to walk in there and resigned to continue towards the stairs, walking on the roof. She walked towards the edge and looked out, sighing heavily. "What's wrong with me…?" Midnight asked herself, watching the clouds go by.
"Nothing…" a cultured voice responded from behind Midnight. She whirled around to see Malchior in his human form, leaning against the door, which looked locked from the outside. Midnight took a nervous step back.
"What are you doing here? If the Titans find out, you'll be ruined…" Midnight remarked, surprised she cared so much. Her statement made Malchior chuckle.
"I came to talk with you...and we shouldn't be interrupted…" Malchior said, walking towards Midnight. "Being a dragon, I can also sense emotions…" At this, Midnight bit her lip and held back a blush, but a smile managed to slip through. "Midnight…it's obvious you see something more in me then an evil dark dragon…and I see something more in you than a silver changeling…" Midnight realized that he was trying to convey emotion without saying anything, and it seemed to be working. She was slightly shorter then him and it was noticeable when she took a step towards him.
"Malchior…it could never work…I'm a titan and you're…" Midnight couldn't finish her statement. She held her arms and looked away, but Malchior kept walking.
"I'm dark…and darkness is often misunderstood…" Malchior said. Midnight's pointed ears perked in surprise and she looked up to find him standing right beside her. The fact that he was there startled her, but she couldn't move. Malchior's black hair was blowing slightly in the wind and his red eyes were boring into her silver. Suddenly, the door clicked, indicating somebody was trying to get onto the roof. Malchior looked back at Midnight. "Pity…I shall return for you another time…" Before Midnight could respond, Malchior disappeared in a puff of black smoke. The lock clicked open and, to Midnight's horror, Raven and Beast Boy walked onto the roof, looking at her. She was reaching into nothingness, and it clearly looked odd. She was about to speak but Raven shook her head and turned around. Beast Boy walked over to his sister.
"Raven told me you were acting weird…" Beast Boy said sounding concerned. "You alright, Kat?" Midnight sighed, hearing Beast Boy call her by her childhood nickname.
"It's nothing Gar…really…" she replied, sounding surprisingly honest. Beast Boy looked at her and did not reply, but lead her back downstairs.
"Beast Boy…could you excuse us for a moment?" Raven asked. Beast Boy looked surprised and slightly hurt, but he walked out of the room. Raven looked back at Midnight, her gaze darkening. "I sensed Malchior was here…why didn't you come down and tell us?" Midnight seemed to freeze.
"He locked the door…and he was blocking it…" Midnight replied, desperately trying to keep a straight face. Raven's glare seemed to harden.
"You could've shifted and flew to the window…you knew I was in the common room…" Raven said. Midnight knew she was busted, but didn't say anything. "Well Midnight? I think it's time you told somebody what was going on…and I'm the best person, considering I've had history with him." Midnight noticed a tear had fallen, but she ignored it and looked up at Raven desperately.
"Alright…you caught me…" Midnight responded, sounding choked. "It's ridiculous! Malchior and I have been enemies forever…but now…it's like the past never happened…" Raven's gaze did not falter.
"You need to be careful…he could be toying with your mind…like he did with mine…" Raven remarked, her tone slightly icy. Midnight looked up, slightly hurt and abashed at Raven's statement.
"Maybe he's changed Raven…he's been in that book for a while…" Midnight replied, feeling small. Raven's expression remained emotionless.
"That doesn't mean you can let your guard down…"
"Raven…you didn't see the way he was looking at me…"
"You need to be aware…don't be blinded by your emotions…"
"Look, Raven," Midnight suddenly snapped, sounding angry. "Just because you didn't have luck with him, doesn't mean someone else can't!" Raven's dark look suddenly switched to a death glare.
"Don't start, Midnight…you're only heading for trouble…" she replied angrily. Midnight seemed glad she had hit a weak spot on Raven and did not stop there.
"You know, now that I think about it, you haven't had much luck with anyone, have you?" she snapped again, glaring with equal force at Raven. For a split second, Raven's anger showed as her lips parted to reveal her clenched teeth and her hands had begun to glow black. It was about that moment that Robin came in to see the two girls about to kill each other. This surprised Robin a great deal, as Midnight and Raven usually got along pretty well. He quickly leapt in between them and pushed his arms into their collarbones, stopping them from advancing on each other.
"Hey! What's going on here?" Robin demanded, holding the two back with some difficulty. Midnight and Raven stopped pushing and turned their backs, walking in different directions.
"Nothing…" they replied at the same time, rather curtly. Robin was left standing there, looking clueless. Instead of going after Midnight, he caught up with Raven, who was clearly effected by what Midnight had said. Robin stood in front of her.
"What happened back there? I've never seen you two that angry at each other…" Robin asked, his mask thinning into a concerned look. Raven sighed and looked at him, without showing emotion. She had gotten control of herself.
"Robin…as much as I'm hating Midnight right now…I respect her privacy…maybe I don't trust her judgment as much…but I'm sure she'll make the right decision…"
"Raven, what are you-?"
"I told you Robin, I won't be the one to reveal her secret…" And with that, Raven turned the corner into her room. She looked back at Robin. "I need to meditate…look, don't worry about it, ok? I've got things under control…" The door slowly shut and Robin resigned to walking back downstairs, preparing to train.
Meanwhile, Midnight had retreated to the bay of Titans Tower, trying to shake off what Raven had said. Her statements were painfully true, and she couldn't bear to face it.
"Back again, my dear?" Malchior's smooth voice replied. Midnight jumped and turned to see him leaning against the Tower, staring straight at her. He smiled slightly. "I'm sorry for startling you again, Midnight…" Malchior began walking towards her, seeing how upset she was. "Something is bothering you…" he said simply. Midnight nodded.
"Raven…" was the only word she said before Malchior's gaze hardened.
"Ah…Raven," he said, his tone slightly less sweet sounding. "She betrayed me…t'was a pity, as I did love her at a point…" The statement made Midnight's gaze lower slightly. "But, that was past, and this is present…you should not listen to her…no doubt I made an impression before I was betrayed…" Midnight's conscious told her that Malchior was manipulating her, but his voice sounded too pure to be a lie. The fact that he was free and did not need rescuing eased her conscious. Seeing that Midnight was relaxing, Malchior walked over and pulled her closer to him. She cried freely on his forearm, as she wasn't tall enough to reach his shoulder. Raven's statement had stung her in a spot, and there he was, comforting her. It made her feel so much better to know she had another shoulder to cry on, besides her brother's.
It seemed like an eternity as Midnight stood there in his embrace, silent and calm, tears no longer falling. Suddenly, he vanished and, too Midnight's horror, she found her brother staring at her open mouthed.
"What the hell was that, Midnight?" he asked, sounding very angry. "That better not have been who I think it was…" The green changeling was walking towards his sister, fists clenched and teeth bared. Midnight was watching him approach, taken completely by surprise. (A/N: This seems to happen a lot, doesn't it? Hehe…)
"Beast Boy…I can explain…" Midnight said, backing up. "Actually…I really can't…" She bit her lip. Her brother knew…she was as good as dead.
"Well, start talking then…that was Malchior, wasn't it?" Beast Boy snapped. "Well, wasn't it?" Midnight's nervous look suddenly hardened into a glare once more.
"And what if it was?" she snapped. "Are you gonna take Raven's side too?"
"Well, if Raven is against you going out with a super villain, then yeah, I guess I'm on her side!"
"You're not even giving him a chance!"
"He doesn't deserve it!"
"Well, Robin and Raven didn't seem to think Terra deserved another chance either!" This pushed Beast Boy over the edge. His hand swiped down and grabbed Midnight by the collar of her spandex and lifted her high in the air, about the punch her as hard as he could. The fact that she was his sister was holding him back. Midnight seemed to noticed and hung limp in Beast Boy's grasp, holding her head up to glare at him. "Go ahead…I dare you…" she hissed at him. He growled and simply threw her a few feet so she could land on all fours. Midnight simply glared and him and shifted into a mockingbird, flying away from the Tower. She had dropped her communicator on a rock. Through his anger, he realized Midnight was in trouble and at the mercy of Malchior. He quickly picked up her comm. and ran back up the stairs to converse with the rest of the Titans.
Meanwhile, Midnight was flying through the skies as fast as she could, trying to escape the watchful eyes of the Titans. She was headed towards an enclosed area, where she had found that Malchior had liked to visit. She landed on the ground and shifted back to normal. Almost as soon as she arrived, Malchior appeared once more. She smiled happily and walked over, forgetting about the fight with her brother.
"We won't have to worry about the Titans anymore," she said. "I've left…if they can't accept who I hang out with…then they'll do fine without me…" Malchior smiled warmly across from her.
"I'm proud that you stood up for me…" Malchior responded, his voice still as soft and hypnotic as ever. Midnight blushed slightly and allowed Malchior to hug her once more. Even now, something was telling her that she was being deceived, but she could only guess that Raven was trying to put ideas in her head.
Back at the Tower, Beast Boy had just finished telling the rest of the Titans what had happened.
"She dropped her communicator and flew off…" Beast Boy finished, now looking extremely guilty. "She's in a lot of trouble, that Malchior is defiantly playing her like a fiddle!" he snapped.
"You know Beast Boy…Malchior could have changed, as much as I doubt it…" Raven remarked. "Maybe we should trust her judgment…" But Robin shook his head.
"Raven, you of all people should know how manipulative that dragon is…" he remarked in his serious, leader-like tone. "If we're not careful, Malchior could take advantage of the situation…or worse, completely turn her against us…like Slade did with Terra…" A small growl was heard from Beast Boy as Terra's name was mentioned.
"We can't let that happen to her…she's my sister, damn it!" Beast Boy suddenly burst out, causing everyone to look at him. Beast Boy usually never cursed unless he was really angry. And this time, he clearly had a reason.
"We have to let her realize it on her own first, otherwise, Malchior will continue to plant thoughts in her head," Raven remarked. The Titans quickly agreed, though Beast Boy was skeptical. Raven silenced him with her next statement. "The longer she stays with him, the sooner she'll realize that he's not as wonderful as she thinks…"
Back at Malchior's lair, Midnight was being shown various books and other objects. Malchior demonstrated how magic worked and operated, though she didn't understand much of it. He seemed to notice and stopped talking about it.
"So…Midnight…I'm aware you can shift into a dragon," he said gently. "How do you do it without being noticed?" Midnight blinked and chuckled at his statement.
"That is impossible…I'm always seen…" Midnight remarked sounding surprised.
"And they don't run? They aren't afraid of you?" Malchior asked, his voice changing slightly.
"Well, of course they run…I dunno if they are afraid of me, but I was a Titan…so if I transformed, people would know I was there to help." Malchior didn't seem satisfied with her answer and she noticed. Her eyebrow rose suspiciously, but she said nothing, especially when he turned her around to face him.
"The Titans are looking for you…" Malchior said, causing Midnight's face to go sour. "Do not worry, I will face them…you won't have to go back…stay here and we will soon be rid of them…" With that, Malchior released her and began walking out of the thicket of trees, appearing in the middle of the street, across from the Titans.
"Where's my sister?" Beast Boy demanded angrily.
"She's just fine…I'm taking very good care of her…" Malchior said, sounding very confident. His eyes began to glow an eerie red. "She wants nothing more to do with you!" She roared and, in a flash of black lightening, the form of the young man disappeared and was replaced with the behemoth purple and black dragon, which towered high over the buildings. He roared and fired a fireball at the five Titans.
"Titans, move!" Robin barked as he rolled out of the way. Raven teleported to higher ground, Starfire shot upwards, Cyborg leapt away, and Beast Boy shifted into a green cheetah, dashing away from the deadly attack. Beast Boy returned to normal and ran behind Malchior, looking for his sister while the others tried to hold he dragon's attention. Malchior quickly realized what was happening and swiped the right side of the ground, smacking Beast Boy back to the other Titans. The green changeling growled and shifted into a large green pterodactyl, flying up towards Malchior's head, claming his beak around his ear. Malchior hissed and whipped his head, giving Beast Boy a bad case of whiplash. He was thrown off and headed straight towards the ground but was caught by Raven in the nick of time. He shifted into a green armadillo and Raven forcefully chucked him right in between Malchior's eyes. He roared and snapped his jaws down on Beast Boy, who in turn, shifted into a humpback whale, which was about as big as Malchior's head. He quickly dropped the large mass, which shifted back to normal and landed beside Cyborg. While Beast Boy regained his balance, Cyborg's sonic cannon was charging and aimed directly at Malchior's ear. He kept his free hand on his arm to keep it steady while the blast issued from it, powering up towards the dragon's ear. Malchior roared, holding his ear painfully.
"Dude! Incoming!" Beast Boy yelled and made a run for it as Malchior raised his talons. Cyborg jumped backwards, only to have the claws of the dragon shatter the pavement and send him flying into the nearest building. He stood painfully and watched as Starfire flew in with Robin, who threw three freeze disks directed at Malchior's eyes. They exploded on contact, obstructing Malchior's vision. The dragon quickly formed a large fireball in his mouth, melting the ice.
"Begone!" he roared, shooting the fireball once the ice had melted. His voice was no longer cultured and sweet but instead, deep and grating. "Midnight is mine now, and she wants nothing to do with any of you!" The Titans continued their assault, completely ignoring what Malchior had said.
"Leave her be, Malchior," Raven said harshly, glaring daggers at the large dragon. He smirked, showing rows of sharp white teeth.
"Raven…am I sensing jealousy from you?" Malchior asked, sounding innocent. Raven's glare hardened.
"Why would I be jealous of a deceitful dragon?" Raven snapped. Malchior glared slightly and seemed to mutter something under his breath. Raven brought her hands up and began chanting. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" A black of black energy flew forth, smacking into Malchior's chest, causing him to cringe slightly. Malchior quickly snapped his head back up and fired a fireball directly at Raven. She was blasted backwards and sent plummeting towards the ground, her entire frame smoking.
"Raven!" the titans cried all at once. Beast Boy shifted into a green pterodactyl and caught her, flying delicately towards the ground. The Titans looked at Raven, who was unconscious and then back to Malchior, only to find that he had disappeared.
"He's gone…and he probably took Midnight with him…" Robin said solemnly. "Let's get Raven back…Midnight will have to find her own way out of this until she's better…"
"But, dude, we can't just leave her with that freak show!" Beast Boy said angrily.
"Raven is the only one who knows anything about Malchior…and in her condition, she wouldn't be able to help…" Robin remarked. Beast Boy sighed, his ears lowering in defeat.
"Let's go then…before Malchior comes back…" Beast Boy said, carrying Raven back to the Tower with the other Titans.
Meanwhile, near the outskirts of Jump City, Malchior appeared in a puff of black smoke, carrying an unconscious Midnight. They had teleported to a cave, which was well decorated. It was obvious Malchior had been living there. He set Midnight down on a large air mattress and walked toward the edge of the cave, looking sour. The battle had not gone as he wanted, and he knew Midnight had heard most of it before he had a chance to knock her out. (A/N: That was what Malchior had muttered.) Malchior turned around and glanced at Midnight's motionless form, giving a malicious grin. Part of his plan had worked…Midnight believed that he had truly transformed. Still, the hardest part was to come. In order to perform the ritual of sealing, which would bind Malchior to Earth forever, another dragon was needed. Of course, that's where Midnight came in. He could force her to morph, but it would take too long, as a form that large would take more energy. Not only that, if she wasn't willing, he would never be able to keep her at bay. A groan from Midnight disturbed his thoughts. He turned and walked over, eyeing her gently. She woke up and rubbed her head.
"What happened?" she asked, looking at Malchior.
"You fainted…I suspect from the heat…" Malchior replied. Midnight was skeptical, as it wasn't that hot. However, she showed no surprise or doubt of any kind, especially since Malchior was watching her so carefully. She was beginning to have second thoughts about staying with him. Malchior sensed the worry within her, suspecting she was worried about him being injured. He smirked mentally and put a hand on Midnight's shoulder. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine…the Titans did no damage." Midnight blinked and smiled slightly, going along with what Malchior had said. "It's late…you should get some sleep…" Malchior said, standing up. Midnight laid down without hesitation and found herself drifting into a long, soundless sleep.
Meanwhile, back at Titans Tower, Raven was awake and healthy, healing small burns. She sat Indian style in the infirmary, looking at the other Titans.
"Listen...I'm fine…it's Midnight we should be worrying about…" Raven remarked. "I'm going into my room to meditate…I'll be keeping an eye on Midnight…" Without another word, Raven levitated upright and floated down the hallway, turning into her room. In the center of the room, where a large circular carpet was spread, Raven sat once more, levitating. She began to chant slowly and felt her mind touch Midnight's who was dead asleep.
"Midnight…" Raven's voice echoed. Midnight remained asleep, but twitched slightly. She heard Raven's voice within her head, and it pained her slightly. "Midnight, you must listen to me…Malchior may love you…but he is using you for something far worse then you can imagine…" She felt less doubt then she had expected from Midnight.
"Raven?" Midnight's thoughts asked.
"Yes, and you must hear me out…Malchior will kill you if you are not careful…you must leave, now," Raven's thoughts implored. Suddenly, the connection went limp and Raven was blasted backwards by an unseen force. She gasped for air and sat up, looking around her room, which was empty. She gasped and realized what had happened. She had been discovered, and Malchior was shielding Midnight's mind. She quickly reached out again and was barely able to feel her. She could converse with her no longer. However, she was catching thoughts and emotions from her. That was enough for her to see that Malchior had not yet struck.Back at the cave, Midnight had almost awoken, but her mind felt fuzzy, as if something was pressing down on it, forcing her to remain asleep. Unable to fight against it, she returned to her slumber. Malchior was glaring at Midnight now, his teeth clenched. That message Raven had delivered could cost him his life, as he could feel doubt worming it's way through her thoughts. A decision was made…he knew now that Midnight would morph for him no longer, so he'd have to force her. Malchior quickly sealed the entrance to the cave so Midnight would not be able to escape and the Titans could not come to her rescue. As the final rock fell, he released his hold on Midnight so she could awaken. The silver changeling looked at the closed cave and ran over what had happened. Raven had contacted her and then was cut off. Realizing what Malchior was doing, she stood in a defensive stance and began to back up. Malchior was no longer looking gentle. He was ticked off, and was about to take it out on Midnight.
"If you wish to live…you will morph into your dragon form…now," Malchior demanded, the rough draconic voice returning. Midnight glared at him.
"So, Raven was right…you're just using me…you never loved either of us…" Midnight snapped, a tear falling from her eye. Malchior smirked.
"On the contrary…" Malchior replied, his voice smooth once more. "I've never loved anyone more…" Midnight's eyes widened as Malchior continued to approach. "If you refuse to cooperate…I'm afraid I'll have to do this by force…" He grabbed her wrist and refused to let go, despite Midnight's desperate attempts. She felt Raven's presence in her mind and frantically tried to call to her, but Malchior wouldn't allow it. While still in the grasp of Malchior, she shifted into a pterodactyl and tried to fly away. Malchior used his dark powers to morph her back to her normal self, punching her in the jaw. The changeling recoiled in pain and realized that Malchior was overpowering her. She tried to shift again, only to have the same result. "Now, now…we can't have that…" Malchior hissed, his grip on her wrist tightening. He pulled Midnight to her feet, ignoring the bloody gashes that he had giving her. She shrieked in pain and terror when Malchior twisted her arms behind her back so she couldn't move.
Meanwhile, back in Raven's room, Raven was struggling to keep hold of Midnight's thoughts.
"Let go of me!" Midnight's frantic thought came. "Please, just let me go!"
"Never again, dear changeling…" Malchior's smooth, seductive thought replied. "You had your opportunity to walk away unscathed…but now, you're going to suffer until I get what I want…" Raven held her head painfully as Midnight's scream echoed in her head. She quickly broke the connection, unable to withstand her screams, and realized that tears of pain were streaming down her face. She couldn't wait any longer. Malchior wouldn't let her go and, if they didn't get there soon, she'd die by his hands. Raven quickly skidded out into the hallway and found the Titans standing there.
"We heard you screaming…are you alright?" Robin asked with concern. Raven's gaze lowered.
"I'm fine…but Midnight…she's in a lot of trouble…" Raven remarked. At this moment, Beast Boy leapt forward, looking at Raven desperately.
"What happened?" he asked nervously, but Raven couldn't bring herself to say it.
"Now is not the time…we have to go after her…" Raven implored. "The situation has gotten out of control and it's do or die for her…" Without another word, the Titans quickly left the Tower. Raven lead the way, the protesting screams of Midnight guiding her. As they got nearer, the cries ceased and resulted in heavy breathing.
"You're a monster…" Midnight's pained voice came. She felt a shot of pain as Malchior punched Midnight once more, knocking her semi-conscious.
"A monster, am I?" Malchior's voice snapped coldly. "A monster you shall soon become if I have anything to say about it…""No…" Midnight's frantic plea came. Her life force had begun to flicker. Malchior, please…I won't survive the transformation…"
"It's a risk I must take, my sweet Midnight…" Malchior's cold voice responded. Raven gasped.
"She's not going to make it…Malchior is forcing her to shift while she barely has any strength left…" Raven said to the speeding Titans behind her. "Her life force drained again…she's going to die…" The cheetah that was running beside Raven sped up, shifting into a rhinoceros and charging into the magically assembled rocks, causing a loud sound to echo through the enclosed cavern.
"Leave my sister alone!" Beast Boy's raged voice came. Another sound echoed as he tried to get through once more. Raven moved Beast Boy out of the way.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" she barked, her eyes and hands glowing. Almost immediately, the rock wall crumbled to reveal Malchior hanging over a bloodstained and semi-conscious Midnight. The changeling groaned and twitched again, fighting Malchior's attempt to morph her. Raven and the other Titans rushed in, and diverted Malchior's attention from Midnight, who had finally lost consciousness. Beast Boy and Raven ran to Midnight's side while Cyborg, Robin and Starfire began to drive Malchior out. Without waiting, Raven's hand began to glow and ran over various gashes and bruises, healing them. "She has some internal bleeding and bruising, but she should be ok until we get her back to the Tower…" Raven replied, worry now evident in her voice. "I'll go help the Titans…you watch your sister." Beast Boy didn't reply and watched her helplessly.
"Midnight…why didn't you listen to us?" he asked her, knowing she could not respond. A sickening roar turned Beast Boy's attention to the battle outside. Malchior had returned to his true form and was now attacking the Titans with all he had.
"You're too late…" Malchior replied, smirking. "I may not have gotten to the ritual of sealing, but the dragon legacy will carry on!" He cackled insanely before torching Robin and Starfire, who were flying towards him. Beast Boy was suddenly forced down on Midnight.
"Get…the book…" Midnight's weak voice came. "Seal him…the white spell book..." Her grip went limp and she passed out again, her pulse weakening with each passing second. Frantic, Beast Boy left her side and tore books from Malchior's shelves, finding a large white book hidden behind them. He ran outside, narrowly avoiding Malchior's tail as it swung to meet him. "Raven, heads up!" he cried, tossing the book to her. Malchior swiped at the book, but Raven caught it with her powers.
"Malchior…" Raven said, her voice deep and loathing. "I don't know how you got out…but you're going back."
"NO!" he yelled lunging at Raven, but she had already begun to chant:
"Aldruon Enlenthra Nalthos Sola Narisnor!" Raven dropped the book as it snapped open and began sucking the large dragon towards it. Even as the foul beast flapped his large wings, the creature was sealed in the pages of the book once more. "Raven caught the book and descended towards the cave, where he found Beast Boy clutching and crying over Midnight's hand.
"Katelyn, don't die on me!" he cried desperately. Raven picked her up.
"I'm teleporting back to the Tower," she said. "Meet me there." With that, Raven and Midnight disappeared.
Soon after, the rest of the Titans arrived, Beast Boy leading the pack. He skidded into the Tower and ran to the infirmary, where Raven was hovering over Midnight. "Her breathing has regulated, but the shock and pain hasn't settled yet…" Raven winced and the Titans looked at her oddly. "I'm splitting the pain between us…if I don't, I don't know if she'll survive." She winced again. "I can't talk anymore, I'm losing focus…" Raven closed her eyes. The Titans nodded wordlessly and left the room, all except Beast Boy, who was still staring at her sister. She had been tortured, but he knew something else had happened…something Raven refused to tell him. Finally, Raven's eyes opened, looking gently at Beast Boy. "Listen…you have a right to know before anyone else…"
"Know what?" Beast Boy asked anxiously, worry echoing in each word.
"You're sister…she was raped by Malchior…" Raven said sadly. "I'm so sorry…" Beast Boy sobbed and leaned over Midnight, crying freely.
"No…how could he even think of it?" Beast Boy replied in between sobs. "Why didn't she just listen to us? None of this would've happened…" Raven placed a hand gently on his shoulder.
"We'll decide what to do when she wakes up…" Raven said gently, lifting Beast Boy off of Midnight. She led him out of the infirmary, but not before taking another glance at Midnight, who had just had her youth snatched away.
In the middle of the night, Raven awoke to check on Midnight. She knew as well as any of the Titans that Midnight was most active at this time of day. She walked into the infirmary to find that Midnight was indeed awake, looking forlorn and shamed as she stared out the window. Her pointed ears perked and she quickly and nervously turned her head to find Raven standing in the doorway.
"Thank god…dude, I swore that you were Malchior…" she said, her voice raspy from screaming the night before.
"Malchior is gone, we sealed him in the book again," Raven told Midnight gently. Midnight looked back at Raven, tears forming in her eyes.
"Raven…Malchior…he…" Midnight sputtered, unable to repeat the phrase. Raven nodded and rested a hand on her shoulder.
"I know, Midnight…I was listening to your thoughts while you and Malchior were sealed in that cavern," Raven replied, pity lining her voice. "But before we get into that…we need to discuss the matter of the child…" Midnight's eyes widened and she broke into a fresh fit of tears, causing Raven to sigh slightly. "Midnight…I know this is hard…but we need to decide-"
"I'm keeping it…" Midnight said before Raven could finish.
"I was afraid you were going to say that…"
"Would you expect anything else?"
"I'm afraid not…but, what will you do after it arrives? The child could stay in the Tower, but that would be dangerous, especially since its father will be sitting in a trunk in my room…" Raven said seriously. Midnight's lip was trembling. "You could try boarding school, there's one nearby…" Unable to speak, Midnight simply nodded. "Fine…arrangements will be made…now, I know you don't want to talk about it, but you need to tell me what happened with Malchior…he may have done unseen damage and I can't heal you without knowing…" Midnight sniffed and heaved a heavy sigh.
"Well…at first, it wasn't anything…he simply closed the cavern and told me to shift. I said no…he grabbed my wrist and I shifted to try and get away…but he morphed me back to normal and punched me…" Midnight released a rattled breath before continuing. "I tried again, but he punched me again…he grabbed my arms and twisted them backwards and just held me there. He tried to force me to shift again, but I was still able to hold him off…that's when he couldn't take it anymore…he forced me on the ground and yelled at me again, saying that if I didn't submit, he'd make the rest of my life a living hell…I still refused…that's when he began to beat me and got me weak enough so I couldn't move…but he went too far…then he told me that if I wouldn't allow him to stay on Earth…he'd make sure there was someone to take his place…that's when he forced himself on me...and…" Midnight couldn't speak any further and Raven said nothing. She allowed Midnight to cry freely once more. "I was too weak...I couldn't push him off…"
"Midnight…I'm terribly sorry for what has happened…and I can assure you that the rest of the Titans are as well…we'll all help you get through this…" Raven said. "And don't worry…you won't have to repeat this story again…it sounds like Malchior did nothing more but carry on his line of blood and you won't have anything to worry about except the child…" Midnight sobbed. "Cyborg will want to run an analysis later in the month to check the child's progress…maybe find out who it's taking after."
"It'll be Malchior…" Beast Boy's voice came suddenly. The two girls looked at him in surprise.
"What makes you so sure?" Raven asked.
"From what Midnight told me when we met, she is no longer a carrier of Sukutia, which means, the baby won't be infected. Therefore, the kid gets Malchior's powers, if anything at all," Beast Boy said solemnly, having trouble speaking. "But, even though you'll give birth to a dragon, I won't stop you from having it…after all, it's you body and your child."
"Did it ever occur to you that it'd be your nephew or niece?" Midnight asked, managing a weak smile. Beast Boy also managed to crack a grin and Raven gave a half-hearted smile, glad the two changelings were taking it so well. She silently left the room and left the siblings to talk to each other. Beast Boy would be able to calm her down easier.
Raven arrived at her room and took out Malchior's book from under her cloak, glaring at it. "I'll make sure you pay for what you did to her and I if it's the last thing I ever do…" she swore, opening a trunk and dropping the book in. She secured the locks and went back to stare out the window. "Nothing will ever be the same again for her…and now…we'll have another dragon to worry about…but this time...it'll be on our side…" With that, Raven laid down, allowing the waning moon and the sound of crickets lull her to sleep.
The next few months passed without much activity. Midnight had begun to show all the signs of pregnancy: morning sickness, odd appetite, a round belly and mood swings. Cyborg was regularly checking the child's progress. As the child matured with each month, Cyborg began to have trouble with his scanners and whatnot. Raven concluded that it was the child's magic interfering with it. In Midnight's ninth month, Raven could tell that the child was indeed half-dragon. It was then that Midnight decided on names, but she kept them to herself.
A few weeks later, Midnight went into labor. Beast Boy was unable to watch and simply paced the hallways while Robin and Starfire tried to calm him down, reassuring him with hopeful words. Midnight, however, wasn't so lucky. After the child was born, she passed out from lack of energy.
About two hours later, she awoke to find Raven holding a small child who, thankfully, was not silver in color. Oddly, the child was completely silent, and staring at Midnight with large silver hued eyes. Raven noticed the child staring and looked up to see that she had awakened. She smiled slightly and walked over, handing it to Midnight, who cradled the child gently.
"Congratulations…it's a boy…" Raven replied, her monotone voice sticking despite the smile. "So…think of a name yet?" Midnight nodded.
"Since he's half dragon…I figured it would be perfect to call him Drake…Drake Mark Logan…Mark after his grandfather, of course…" Raven nodded and began to walk out.
"I'll leave you two to bond…but Beast Boy is very worried…" Raven remarked. Midnight chuckled slightly and gave a small nod. Raven walked out, and Beast Boy burst in. He rushed to her bedside and panted.
"You're alright…thank god…you've been out for two hours, dude!" Beast Boy said rather loudly. Drake looked up at Beast Boy with wide eyes.
"Easy…you'll scare him…" Midnight scolded, before her voice became gentle once more. "His first name is Drake…I gave him dad's name…at least for his middle name…" Beast Boy nodded and looked at Drake, who was staring right back. "I think he knows his family…" she said, smiling as the two continued to look at each other.
"You're in for it, Katelyn…" Beast Boy remarked, smiling slightly. "With you for a mother…and me for an uncle…" The two changelings laughed at the joke, causing Drake to look from one to the other. The baby cracked a small, toothless grin, but no sound came out. The two siblings blinked in amazement. "That kid is smart…" Beast Boy remarked. Midnight faked a groan.
"Great…now I'm REALLY in for it…" Midnight remarked smiling again. The two changelings fell silent and Drake slowly slipped into a soundless sleep, his thumb plastered in his mouth.
The years passed normally in Titans Tower…unless you counted the constant explosions of objects. Drake had made a habit of blowing things up, usually when he was hungry or bored. His powers were not under control at most points, but they were very well planned. As Drake matured, he learned to control his powers (for the most part) and knew when to use them. Despite Midnight's several attempts, Drake continuously pulled pranks on several of the Titans, particularly targeting Robin and Cyborg for whatever reason. He now had long black hair, from both his mother and father, silver eyes, and was often found wearing a black and silver spandex suit (similar to Beast Boy's and Midnight's) with a black cloak. For his constant attention seeking pranks, Drake was dubbed as "Mischief". Midnight had avoided telling him who his father was and how he was born, as she didn't want him to think of himself as a "mistake". Mischief never seemed to care much and had not yet discovered that he was half-dragon.
On Mischief's fourth birthday, however, things went terribly wrong.
Midnight had walked into the common room of Titans Tower to find it torn apart. Pots and pans littered the floor, papers were spread all over the ground, bits and pieces of furniture were lying in random places, and the gamestation was smoking, as if it exploded. A sickening feeling settled in the changeling's stomach. She searched the entire Tower, until she found him curled up in the bathtub, crying his eyes out. Mischief looked up into his mother's eyes and started to calm down.
"What happened? What's wrong?" Midnight asked feverishly, picking him up gently and setting him on the bathroom floor.
"Mommy! This time I didn't mean to! I'm sorry, please don't get mad!" Mischief pleaded. Midnight shook her head and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Just tell me what happened…" she said gently. The child was still trembling, but managed to speak to his mother.
"I don't know how…maybe I got it from you…but I became a dragon! I was playing games and I was losing…I was so mad, and next thing I knew…I had transformed and blown up the game! I couldn't control myself!" Mischief sobbed, clutching Midnight's legs for support. She swayed slightly and bit her lip, stroking Mischief's head gently.
"It's alright…I'm here now…" Midnight said while the child cried. He was still too young to be told, so she allowed him to think what he wanted. After Mischief calmed down, Midnight carried him back to his room, which was added to Beast Boy's and Midnight's after he was born. She tucked him in. "Try and get some sleep…I'm sure you'll feel better tomorrow. Maybe if you're good, Raven will show you some more magic…and I'm sure Uncle Beast Boy will love a game of catch…"This seemed to cheer the child up as he nestled soundly in his bed. Midnight retreated and closed the door, walking towards her bed. Although raising Mischief had proven to be a challenge, she would not have wished it any other way. Yes, having a father figure absent had been a problem for a while…until the Titans began to help her raise him. It was then she decided that there wasn't anyplace she'd rather be then Titans Tower. On that thought, Midnight's silver eyes slowly closed shut and the changeling floated off into her dreams.