Forgive me if there are a good deal of errors but I have not had a mid-night strike of inspiration in a long time and I really don't want to use what little energy I have right now in typo hunting. I might get to it in the morning. I apologize of the shortness of this chapter as well. I intended it to be longer but the stopping point I have seems like a good one. Read. Review. Critique. And yes, go ahead and flame, so long as you realize you're wasting your time in that endeavor.

Disclaimer: The Teen Titans are of course copyright DC Comics. Many of the references to things planer in origin are taken from the RPG D&D which is copyright Wizards of the Coast.

"What is it exactly, Robin," Cyborg asked grimly. The T-car sped along, keeping place with the spiky-haired teen's motorcycle as both raced to an indicated disturbance. His friend's voice crackled back over the com-link.

"I don't know, but what ever it is, it's big and the cops can't get near it. Some sort of energy field… and it's getting bigger."

"Think it's Slade?" the big mechanical boy asked, trying to feel out his friends mind set.

"Something this size… it could only be him…"

"But…" Cyborg questioned sensing the hesitation in Robin's voice.

"I don't know… it just doesn't feel like Slade."

"Sometimes you just gotta go with your gut. We should be prepared for anything."

The control panel suddenly began to beep anxiously at the cars occupants, alerting them to the newly detected energy field. Robin was right, it was big. Raven glanced at it from her seat on the passenger side and noted the location.

"The old docks, 42nd district. They've been shut down for repairs for a while."

"Perfect place for a bad guy to work his trouble." Cyborg commented.

Or to just get away, Raven snipped mentally, a little miffed that some villain had decided to take up residence in one of the few quiet, private places she had outside of the tower.

The nimble motorcycle darted around a corner in the blink of an eye and Cyborg had to snap the steering wheel with force to keep up, jerking Raven from her brooding. She came back to reality, focusing her sharp eye on their surroundings and scanning for any more surprises. But one thing caught her eye. Though barely glimpsed in her peripheral vision, it was enough to distract and even unsettle to normally un-shakable girl. A night or two ago it would have been something to just marvel at, maybe even enjoy, but tonight it seemed like an omen. Rising just above the city, caught in the glare of light and a layer of smog, the moon rose full, bright… and crimson.

The two vehicles raced and darted through the streets, navigating the fastest rout to their destination with a purple clad Tameranian following close behind. Usually the switching leads would have been an invitation to a little racing competition, but the atmosphere settled heavy on the city tonight. Even the normally chipper Beastboy seemed unusually silent. All watched the gloomy city, waiting and thinking. They had entered the docks district Cyborg was weaving his way around the empty shells of warehouses when he unexpectedly had to slam on the brakes. The car skidded and swerved As he fought the wheel for control, and eventually coasted to a stop only inches away from… um… well he didn't really know what it was. Heaving a sigh of relief, he opened the door and stepped out to inspect the strange anomaly.

Some sort of shell of energy had enveloped one of the abandoned buildings. It was like nothing he had ever seen before; it stretched up over the tall warehouse and had begun to take up more than it's fair share of street, putting its measurements at well over 40 feet in height and 60 feet in width. Its dark surface swirled and danced, crackling and now and again giving an angry buzz. It seemed to radiate darkness, or more accurately, suck away the light. Occasionally a streak of red would dance spastically across the shell sending flares of the dark energy shooting outward. Cyborg took a step back as one came a little too close to his face for comfort and made a mental note to move the T-car before they investigated further.

The others were congregating now. Robin had pulled up and cut the motor, Starfire had landed beside him and Beastboy and Raven were climbing out of the T-car.

"What is it?" Robin asked wide eye as he strolled up next to his large friend.

"Dunno, I've never seen an energy field like this. I couldn't even say what's causing it…but my guess is, it's in that building."

"It's kinda cool in some weird spooky sort of way," Beastboy said, sidling up on the other side. He cocked his head to one side, studying it, trying to see past its cloudy surface. There was something on the other side but he just couldn't make out what. He began to tentatively reach forward.

"Don't touch it," Raven said drifting forward, "it's a neg-" She never got to finish her sentence. A deafening crack sounded off only a few feet from the companions and the red streaks darted in faster than the eye could follow. A surge of energy struck Beastboy the second his hand brushed the face of the shell, sending him hurtling back nearly twenty feet with a trail of blood sailing after him.