An Unwelcome Guest
Chapter 2
Raven's Point of View
Focus. Focus is the key into someone's mind, but why is it so hard to focus right now. I've done this before. I need to concentrate on Cyborg. This is no time to think stray thoughts; someone's life is on the line. And it isn't just someone, its Cyborg's life. Something is blocking my powers. And not many things can, so what could be causing this. I can't focus enough to enter Cyborg's mind. If I don't though he will die, he can only live so long in this state. I estimate I only have an hour left. I need to put all my energy into this barrier and help him.
A young woman sat cross-legged on the floor absolutely motionless. Not a soul made a sound. Slowly lights flashed red in the dim room. A storm was blowing over Jump City. Soon lightning was flashing and thunder was crashing. No one dared moved. The clock was ticking on Cyborg's life. Raven drew back her hood and the folds of the fabric fell in place on her shoulders. Her hair blew in a nonexistent wind. Shadows ran across her violet eyes. Then she closed them. Seconds felt like minutes, but only five ticks of the clock passed before Raven rose from the ground. She was motionless until suddenly a large dark raven rose from her body. As quick as it was there it was gone, flowing like a stream into Cyborg.
Gears turned and machines hummed in a landscape not found on Earth, but in a man's mind. A single large golden cog sat on the horizon of a never ending dessert. The sound of sand crunching permeated the air. Any foot prints were soon blown away by a relentless wind. Raven walked across the dessert taking the wind head on. She felt like she had been walking for hours when looming on the horizon was a dark silhouette of a building. Steam rose from the top of the structure.
"Finally." Raven sighed in relief and kicked off the ground levitating. In a few short minutes of flying in the wind which threw burning sand into her face, she arrived in front of what looked like a factory. Smoke billowed out of the top of smokestacks and the sound of machinery could be heard from inside. Raven took a step forward and touched the side of the building. Nothing happened. She walked all the way around more than once in fact, trying to find herself a way inside the black fortress. Her efforts were to no avail, and she fell to her knees and looked up at the golden cog giving off glaring heat and light. It floated barely above the reaches of white rising only to dissipate. Resting down in the sand her situation hit her. Her friend was dying and the only one that could save him was Cyborg. She sat down in defeat. Sand had found its way into every part of her suit, even her mouth tasted gritty. Looking down at her hands she felt the suppressed sorrow rising up inside her. Her friend was dying and here she was sitting in the sand working on her tan. Suddenly the answer seemed to hit her in the face as a light shadow ran across the ground towards her. Raven looked up and saw a lonely cloud quickly dissipating. The answer was right in front of her. She could use the smokestacks to gain access inside. Raven stood up her strength renewed and brushed off the sand from her body. She floated away leaving her impression behind to be quickly swept away by the howling wind.
Time passed slowly in the mind of their fallen teammate and all they could do was stand and watch Raven's body float above the floor beside Cyborg. Meer minutes had passed since Raven entered Cyborg's mind when slowly Robin left Starfire and Beast boy to stand watch over his teammates. Robin walked down the dark empty hallway away from the medical bay. They hadn't even taken the time to turn on the Tower's lights. He knew based on his diagnostic scans that they had approximately an hour before Cyborg's emergency battery that sustained his life when he lost power died. Stress and inner demons gnawed at Robin's mind. Time was running short on his friend's life, and all he could think about was how Dr. Light could have done this much damage. How he even escaped. For all they knew Dr. Light was still supposed to be in the prison psych ward. Never before had Light ever escaped on his own. He wasn't smart enough to upgrade his suit that much. He couldn't even stand against Raven for more than five seconds. He was a shriveled old man which an electricians kit gone awry. So why was he able to take down Cyborg in a single devastating blow? Distracted by his thoughts Robin decided to do a little research on villains with technological expertise, and ones who were currently for hire and on the streets.