Chapter 3: The Titans VS Mara

"Run! Run like scared rabbits, you pathetic fools!" Mara laughed as she caused chaos as only she could, destroying a few cars with ease.

She then blew up a convenience store, a look of pure hatred in her eyes.

"Take that you stupid convenience store! Working a demon for only $11 an hour, and not even promoting me, I'll burn you to ashes! HA HA HA!" She cackled as she threw a fireball at the windows.

"Yeah! Go Mara, let these humans know who's superior!" Senbei cheered, doing a little dance.

"You got it Senbei!"

Just as she was getting ready to blow up an oil truck, something hit her in the head.

"OW! Okay, who's the little bastard who threw that?!" Mara screamed as she turned around.

"Standing before the demon were the super-powered Teen Titans!

"Yo! Unless you want to say hello to my sonic cannon, I'm giving you til' the count of three to stop messin' up my neighborhood!" Cyborg shouted at Mara.

"And who are you to give me orders? I am the great Mara, demon first-class unlimited license. You should be trembling in fear." Mara laughed.

"A demon? Hey Raven, do you know this crazy lady?" Beast Boy inquired of the half-demon.

"Do you expect me to know every little thing about demons, Beast Boy, just because I happen to be one?" Raven scowled.

"No! Ye…kinda? I'm sorry, don't hurt me!" Beast Boy spazzed as he put his arms over his head protectively.

"How pathetic, and you little brats are going to defeat me?" Mara chuckled as she watched the two.

"Brats? Dude, do you know who you're talking to?" Beast Boy fumed.

"Lady, you're obviously new to Jump City; we're the Teen Titans, and unless you want to taste the ground, I suggest you stop causing trouble." Robin said coolly.

"I would take Robin's advice to the bottom of your heart, unless you wish us to kick the butt of you." Starfire added as she prepared her starbolts.

"Trust me, you don't want to go up against us." Raven said solemnly as her eyes glowed white.

"Oh I'm so scared, what're you brats gonna do? Hit me with a rock with a slingshot?" Mara mocked as she lifted a car with her powers.

"Time to show this lady why no one messes with the Teen Titans." Cyborg frowned as he prepared his cannon.

"Titans go!" Robin shouted as they charged.

"Beast Boy charged ahead, morphing into a tiger and leaping at Mara with gaping jaws.

"Nice try Kitty, but you have no chance against me!" She laughed as she grabbed him by the scruff and threw him over her head and into a fire hydrant.

The tiger broke the fire hydrant, causing water to spew everywhere.

"Aw man, I just took a shower yesterday!" Beast Boy whined as he rubbed his head, soaked to the bone.

Cyborg fired a few shots from his cannon at Mara, but the demon dodged them with ease, sneering at him as she sent a blast of magic his way.

"Ha! You think you can hurt me with something like that, you poor excuse of a man?!" Mara sneered as she flew at Cyborg, grabbing him by his left ankle before spinning him above her head.

"YO! PUT ME DOWN!" He screamed, already starting to feel nauseous.

"Glad to!" Mara cackled as she threw him at Beast Boy, the changling screaming in pain as he was pinned under his heavier friend.

"Dude! Get off! You're crushing my jewels!" BB shouted as a certain part of his anatomy was being crushed under Cyborg's weight.

Starfire's eyes glowed bright green as she prepared her starbolts, glaring at Mara a moment before flying at the demoness with a battle cry.

"A Tamaranian eh? I've heard plenty about your kind, so now let's see if you really are a warrior!" Mara smiled as she turned her attention onto the alien princess.

Starfire tried to use her starbolts, but Mara just dodged them with ease, laughing at her all the while.

"Is that all you got, little girl? I'm disappointed, I expected more from a Tamaranian warrior!" Mara cackled as she, surprisingly, grabbed one of the starbolts from midair, throwing it back at Starfire with greater force.

The alien princess barely managed to dodge her own attack before trying to use her eye beams, only to have Mara appear behind her and grab her in a choker hold.

"Not so tough now, eh little girl?" Mara smirked as she tightened her hold, feeling the alien choke and gasp as her air was cut off.

Robin grew furious at this sight, immediately grabbing one of his birdarangs and hurling it at the demoness with perfect precision, his weapon finding its mark on Mara's cheek.

"OW!"

Mara released Starfire, turning angry eyes on the boy wonder, who had already drawn out his staff, ready to take down the demon who had threatened Star.

"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get runt!" Mara screeched as she flew at him, intending to give Robin the beating of his life.

But Robin only threw a few smoke bombs her way before making the first move, his staff connecting with Mara's head as the smoke swiftly cleared.

"Ouch! Okay, have it your way!" Mara snarled as she summoned a staff of her own, preparing to bash Robin's skull.

The two then started to match each other blow for blow, the sound of metal meeting metal echoing loudly. But Mara swiftly aimed for Robin's legs, tripping him up before raising her weapon to deliver a painful blow!

"Say good-bye to your friends Kid, cause now you're going to die!" Mara smirked as she began to bring the staff down on Robin.

But the tip was soon covered in an orb of dark light before Mara was spun around, with her losing her grip and her crashing into a nearby lamppost.

"What just happened?" Mara grumbled as she rubbed her head, glaring around to find the culprit.

"I suggest you not try to hurt my friends…otherwise I'll have to really hurt you." Raven stated monotonously, glaring at the blonde haired demon.

'So this is Raven, the daughter of the great and terrible Trigon, destroyer of worlds, devourer of souls. Lady Hild did say not to harm this one…but it wouldn't hurt to gauge her abilities.'

"So, are you going to come quietly?" Raven inquired as she floated closer to Mara.

"Nah, but let's see how much power you really have nephilim!" Mara cackled as she flew up, hovering over Raven.

"Why do criminals, monsters, and the like have to be so stupid." Raven sighed in annoyance as she followed Mara, intent on ending this battle quickly.

The two quickly began to exchange blows of magic, Mara studying the young woman's attacks.

'She's young, but she's indeed powerful; perhaps a future ally for demonkind if Lady Hild can convince her to join us. Not to mention we need her for our plans to bring back her sire.' "I see you are indeed his daughter, young Raven." Mara smiled as she barely escaped being imprisoned in a black sphere.

"What are you talking about? What do you know about me?" Raven asked as she chased Mara higher into the sky.

"Oh I know plenty about you Raven…daughter of Trigon!" Mara shouted as she sent a fireball at Raven.

Raven's scowl deepened as she dodged the attack and kept up with Mara; knowing that if this demon knew of her father, she was indeed a bigger threat than first thought.

"And just what do you want with me?" Raven snarled as Mara took a moment to launch several pieces of debris her way.

"Just to see if you truly are as powerful as your sire; the great destroyer, the devourer of souls, the living apocalypse!" Mara cackled as Raven kept dodging her attacks.

"I will never be the same as him, not like that monster!" Raven declared, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

The half-demon soon had Mara bound tight with her magic, sure she had won. But Mara had other ideas...

"You'll need to do better than that!" Mara smirked as she forcefully broke from Raven's hold before throwing another fireball at the younger woman, "And you're supposed to be born of the greatest terror the earth has ever known? What a joke!"

Raven's shock at having this enemy break free from her powers with just brute force stunned her long enough to allow the fireball to connect with her stomach, the searing pain bringing her back to her senses. But before she could think to retaliate...

"Oh forces of hell's domain, come to me now, and let my enemy feel the heat of my wrath and fury!" Mara chanted in a tongue that even Raven didn't know, a pillar of fire engulfing the half-demon.

Raven couldn't help but scream in agony as the flames licked angrily at her flesh, Mara grinning as she was sure she'd won.

'How could this worthless Halfling have defeated Trigon? Perhaps the tales weren't all true.'

But Mara was soon caught off guard as she felt tendrils wrapping around her limbs, slamming her back down to the earth painfully.

"What the hell?!" She exclaimed as she saw Raven walk out of the flames, her cape semi intact as her charred hood covered her eyes.

Mara felt her blood run cold as the tendrils brought her into Raven's line of sight, the younger demon's eyes glowing a bloodthirsty red.

"You want me to act like my sire? Fine, I'll act like a true demon!" Raven smiled wickedly, sharp fangs gleaming ominously in her mouth.

But Mara merely aimed a punch at Raven's face, making the dark titan loosen her grip as Mara's fist made contact.

"Like I'll let you defeat me, Halfling!" Mara shrieked as she made to attack again.

But before she could react, one of the Titans decided he wasn't going to let this blonde demon attack Raven again…

"You get away from Raven, you monster!" Beast Boy roared before morphing into a Tyrannosaurus Rex, gaping jaws aimed for Mara.

But the demon merely flew out of the way, sending another car at the dinosaur with her powers. Beast Boy fell over, crashing into a music store before shifting back to normal. His hand, however, made contact with a boombox, accidently turning it onto a rock music channel.

"Aw crap! Not that! Turn that off!" Mara shouted as she felt her body start to move to the music.

The Titans were surprised and bewildered to see their opponent starting to dance in midair, a scowl planted on Mara's face.

"Senbei! Help me out here!" Mara shouted for the little god of misfortune, trying desperately to stop her "performance" for the teen heroes.

"Right away milady!" Senbei shouted, carrying a set of earmuffs toward his master.

He swiftly placed them over Mara's ears, blocking out the music from the demon, her dancing ceasing as quickly as it began. Just as Mara made to attack again, she felt a small pressure in her head.

"My dear Mara, I do believe it's time to retreat. We have other fish to fry." Whispered a microscopic Hild from within Mara's skull.

Mara didn't respond to her leader, but quickly turned and fled away from the scene, calling back over her shoulder.

"We'll meet again Titans, and when we do, you won't be so lucky!" She shouted before becoming a mere dot in the sky.

"You get back here!" Beast Boy snarled as he made to morph again, intending to bring Mara back for a second round.

"Cool it BB, we got to help Rae, looks like she took a pretty bad hit!" Cyborg exclaimed as he grabbed hold of the shapeshifter's shoulder.

The green teen growled a moment before looking over to see Robin and Starfire helping their ashen-skinned friend to her feet, blistering burns on her abdomen. He dashed over to the trio, looking over the wound with a pained wince.

"Raven, are you going to be okay?" He asked as he moved to help carry her.

"I'll be fine, I need to get back to the tower and study my books. That demon, Mara, knew about Trigon," Raven replied with a scowl, "I need to see if there's something I've missed, and find out more about what kind of demon she is…she's not like any other being I've met in my life."

"My friend, is this about the dream you had about the Trigon, and his possible return?" Starfire questioned as she allowed her friend to lean on her.

"I'm afraid to find out myself Starfire." Raven sighed as the Titans made their way back to Titans Tower, the group now worrying that perhaps Raven's vision of her father's return was coming true.


Meanwhile on the other side of the globe…

"So you guys are going to try and find out exactly where this great evil is going to take place?" Keiichi asked as the norns gathered around a large bowl filled with water.

"Yes, if we can quickly find the source of the evil before it has time to grow, we should be able to crush it before it can harm anyone." Urd nodded as her sisters gathered closer together.

"As goddesses, it is our duty to ensure the safety and peace of the mortal realm, we must stop the end of the world before it comes to pass." Belldandy added as her elder sister crossed her hands over the water.

"Oh spirits of faith, guide us to the source of the evil that is trying to destroy this world, let us see where our enemies sleep so can prevent the deaths of the innocent!" Urd chanted.

There was a shimmer of light in the bowl, and in its rippling surface was the image of Titans Tower!

"Huh…I don't think I know this place, have you ever seen this in Nekomi before, Belldandy?" Urd muttered to her sister, clearly baffled.

"Never, what about you Skuld?" The middle norn inquired of their youngest sister.

"It isn't familiar, sorry Big Sis." Skuld stated sadly.

But Keiichi leaned over Belldandy's shoulder, gazing into the water himself. It only took a moment to realize what it was…

"I know where we need to go!"


Dragonlover71491: I AM SO SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT! I swear as a writer I will never ever let this happen again! Please forgive this baka writer! I promise the next chapter won't take this long again. Scout's honor :)