At first there was the Black. Time and space, sound and life... none could be distinguished here. Without a sense of direction, wandering is all a person could do.
Wandering in the same spot? In an unfathomable vastness? For an eternity, a second, a month, the time it takes to make a cup of tea? Nothing made sense here, and nothing ever would.
Consciousness floating, floundering, wandering and alone; that was all that was known.
Traveling in such immense emptiness makes you feel small. You've been alone so long, you think you'd get used to it. You might have friends now, but what does the future hold? Especially as it's rushing forward to meet you... This past you thought was long dead with your father's bones.
Figures dart forward from the Black. Long fangs and wicked horns, cruel red eyes and, everywhere, laughter. Demon after demon flies past, whipping you to and fro. "Daughter of the Demon Lord! Daughter of the Demon Lord!" they cry, words dripping with malicious intent. Wishing you could fold inside yourself, the mockery, laughs, and wordless bellows crescendo into an ear-shattering cacophony. Wild-haired vixen, gorgeous and deadly, taunt from a semi-circle. They drag their razor-like fingernails over their skin, occasionally cutting flesh. The blood drips down exposed abdomens and breasts, over thighs and dripping from lips. "Daughter of the Demon Lord! Will you join our ranks?" come their seductive whispers, as if they were next to you, breath tickling your ears. Catching sight of them has rendered you impotent. Every attempted movement results in a wave of stomach-ripping nausea. Their bodies change shapes, all gorgeous men and women. While the writhing mass of sexualized bodies keep you entranced, you feel a tendril of... something... probe inside your mind. One of the vixen changes into a familiar face. She has changed to Beast Boy. A pair of the shifting demons changes into Robin and Aqualad. They are glistening with sweat, muscular and tan, a luster in their bronzed skin glows like golden samite. Despite the circus of demons threatening and taunting, the sight is exciting and your skin warms in reaction to your baser instincts. Another mental tendril probes, and impatiently forces itself inside your mind. It hurts too much to scream. Sliding over your trembling cheeks are tears, the only outward indication of your mental torment. The shape-shifted vixen bodies shimmer momentarily, deciding between forms. The shimmering intensifies, looking more like static, before suddenly crystallizing into shape. A very naked set of young women stand where the Titan males once stood. Among them are Starfire, Jinx, Bumblebee, and even Blackfire. Together they stride closer and closer, lasciviously stroking and touching one another occasionally. The change confuses you, but even as your mind attempts to reason your skin grows hotter, your breath comes shallow, and your heart starts beating a ragged tattoo in your chest. They are almost upon you now, the women closest with arms outstretched. The one with the body of Jinx slides her fingers over your tears, erasing their tracks from your skin, and then bringing those fingers to her lips and licking the remains from her fingertips. Blackfire reaches you next, deciding to drag her nails over your neck and down your collarbone, eliciting scores of gooseflesh. Your attentions turn as Starfire saunters near, a decidedly wicked gleam in her eyes. The concentrated attention makes you scared of what's to come. With a frantic internal effort you struggle against the invisible bonds imprisoning you before you just manage to tear your gaze, and body, far away.
Your eyes are closed, and yet visions plague you. Creatures with tentacle darkness, blacker than Black, creep within your minds' eye. There are others with them, creeping behind the tentacled things. These are not the monstrous and erotic shape-shifting demons you faced moments ago, but they are something wholly different and absolutely more terrifying. When your focus returns to the dreadful beings surrounding you, you realize they are stepping closer, a hungry edge to their movements underlying their patient pace. You try to open your eyes, but cannot, even with fingers prying. A hand is on your throat, clutching with deadly might. It is now that your eyelids fly open. Holding you aloft is a dark-grey skinned demon, and the fleeting sight of him is burned into your memory. His face, it is more than handsome than those carved by the sculptors of antiquity. He has small horns curling from his forehead, with black where the whites of his eyes should be. His maroon hair is slicked back in a very clean and crisp style, almost looking gelled into perfect fashion. But it is the irises of your aggressor's eyes that captivate you. They are a gorgeous, regal purple, indeed, similar to your own eyes. But the beauty is lost in such a dead stare; his eyes are that of a killer of killers. "Daughter of the Demon Lord, won't you come and play?" His voice is both charming and patronizing, and thick with promised violence. It is now that you see a pair of fangs and a forked tongue, behind his smiling, chiseled lips. He is, for all the world, the very embodiment of a devil.
Consumed with a desperate bravery born of fear, you shout, "Leave me be! I will not be like him! Like you! You won't take me with you..." The words tumble forth from your lips again and again, until you realize the noise has stopped. Nary could a demon be found, not even the monster that held you in its grip.
An elusive finger of a touch emerges. Terror makes you pull away, almost cry, if you had it in you to do so. A gentle questioning touch continues. It comes from light and warmth. It comes closer, asking, in a way, if you are okay. It surprises you how safe it feels to be near it, after the spectacle of chaos that nearly consumed you. Sparkling well-being washes over the entirety of your existence as it circles.
You think you can see the ethereal presence, but it's always escaping from the corner of your eye. The light is winking in and out of perception, giving you the sensation that it is moving farther away. "Don't leave me!" you hear yourself cry.
The Dark isn't surrounding you now. It's creeping in, slithering through pores and capillaries, through holes your fear left open. Your heart weighs down with the leaden weight of agony, of woe. It was so easy before to move... Now each movement is like swimming in wet concrete. Dark will swallow you soon, and your only thought is of that fleeting safety.
"Don't leave me..."
== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==
Raven shot up in her bed, hand to throat and breathing hard. Her eyes scanned her room nervously, as if she were but a child peering into darkened corners for lurking boogey men.
What was that dream?
The sheets puffed up as the empath fell backwards onto the bed. Thud, thud, thud. A pressure was building in her veins. She closed her eyes and breathed in and out, long and deep, calming her emotions as she knew how to so well. After a few minutes she peered out over the bed. She worried the edge of the thin purple blanket next to her as she tried to recall all of her dream.
There was the blackness, but wasn't there something that happened before?...Yes, those demons, that devil... And that shining presence...
A cautious rap at her bedroom door disrupted her reverie.
"Who's there?" Raven called out, once as a tense rasp and then again after clearing her throat.
"Umm, it is your friend, Starfire," came a voice from the hall, "Robin sent me to get you. Are you ok?"
The purple haired girl frowned, confused. "Come and get me? What for? And of course I'm fine." This was a lie, of course, but she couldn't worry Starfire with her dreams. She got up from her place on the bed and started toward the door when she was troubled by a vision. Starfire, naked and caressing her body, eyes locked with her own. Raven's skin grew hot with the memory. She took several deep breathes and repeated the familiar mantra to empty her mind. Azarath, metrion, zinthos... azarath, metrion, zinthos...
"We have the team training exercise in 20 minutes friend Raven," Starfire called cautiously through the door. Raven slid the door open a quarter of the way to see her rather anxious female team-mate before her.
"Why is Robin having the exercise so early?" the empath questioned. "I bet Beast Boy won't be up for hours yet."
"Raven, it is 1:40 post meridian time," the orange skinned alien admitted, looking away at the last second.
"Star, the vernacular is p.m. ... wait, what?" at this Raven pulled the door open completely and stared aghast at Starfire.
"I-it's 1:40, um, p.m.," the female alien was startled at her team member's reaction. "I was worried this morning when I did not see you for... our... customary... hug...," her words petered off as she watched the empath's face become shrouded and her eyes grow distant. "...are you certain you are well, friend Raven?" she weakly implored.
Raven snapped back and brought her purple eyes to Starfire's green ones, mentally repeating her mantra to wrest control of her emotions. "I'm fine. Let me get ready. I'll be out on the field soon."
The alien princess stepped toward her magic-using friend and whispered, "I was worried about you. I hope you are fine as you say you are."
The magic-user looked up at the warrior. Starfire had a knack for wearing her heart on her sleeve, and here Raven made no mistake discerning the emotions on her friend's face. The alien girl's face was taut with concern, brows knitted together. A particularly piercing look was coming from her striking green eyes, and light from the recessed ceiling lamps in the hall reflected off of them, bringing a sense of deja vu to the empath. A thin lock of reddish hair fell onto her face. The pale girl held back the brief impulse to push it back. Thud, thud, thud... A fist was pounding the inside of her skull.
"It's okay... I'm okay. Okay?", the pale girl murmured. It was becoming hard to focus on the other girl's face, exceptionally so when brief images of an indecent version of her is plaguing Raven's mind.
Emerald eyes searched her pale face, but nothing could be taken from Raven's countenance. The alien princess let out a sigh. Once Raven put her face in that "mask", there was no way for her to coax her back out.. At least, not any time soon.
"Very well. I will go wait with the others and inform Robin of how 'okay' you are," announced the fiery-haired girl as she slowly turned and left, her fellow team member still standing in the hall, silent as a grave.
Raven watched the warrior walk away. The moment the flash of purple boot passed around the corner she slammed the door shut and pressed her forehead against its calming, cool realness.
What the hell was that?
Whatever it was, Raven was anxious as to its meaning. The impure thoughts were surprising, to say the least. Control over her emotions also meant strict rules of her sexuality. These sorts of actions were new to her. And, she had her share of prophetic dreams in the past, and if the blackness and demons were what she thought they were... The bright, warm figure's meaning was one she could only guess at. Perhaps a trickster, luring her into false safety. The magic-wielding girl walked past her work station on the way to her wardrobe. A pale digit extended and swept over the case with the dreaded book inside.
Damn you, father.
== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==
Robin, Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Starfire stood together in the outer training grounds, at the control panel for the high tech obstacle field. Beast Boy and Cyborg were talking in animated voices and horsing around, while Robin paced uncertainly. Starfire stood slightly apart, shifting from one leg to the other, and occasionally glancing at the Tower.
Robin looked down at his watch. It was 3 minutes past 2pm and he was not going to wait any longer. Raven was rarely the center of a problem, which he appreciated as the leader of a troupe of super strong and talented, but hormonal, teenagers. He reminded himself to have a talk with her later. Masked eyes went to Starfire. She had asked him to postpone an hour for Raven, and he had agreed. Still, he could not spare more time, not even at the behest of the girl he cared for dearly. He hoped Raven was not ill.
The Titan leader turned to face his team, the words on his lips to begin practice when a large bird-shaped magical force came from the ground and revealed Raven. Her face was seriously set and seemed... yes, definitely paler than usual, which seemed hardly possible.
"Rae, where've ya been?", Beast Boy smiled and asked breathlessly. No sign of animosity emanated from him regarding the tiff from the day before. He had just gotten up from the ground where Cyborg had been trying to catch him while he was shape-shifted as an eel. The green skinned boy held eye contact with her as he gave his cybernetic friend a hand standing up.
"Hi Beast Boy... I, uh, overslept. Stayed up late with the new book, sorry," the dark girl replied, making sure her trademark monotone voice was in place. She nervously looked toward Robin. He had a disapproving scowl on his face. As she was about to apologize, his face softened, with great concern apparent in his eyes.
"I'm glad you could make it, Rae. Are you certain you are ok?" the Boy Wonder quietly asked her. He remembered that she never liked to admit when she needed help. She didn't want to be a burden and she liked to keep to herself, meaning that he had to gently extract her problems.
"Yes. I didn't mean to make everyone wait," came the dark girl's subdued response. Her eyes pleaded with him to drop it. He seemed dissatisfied with this answer, but decided to let the matter be. The raven-black haired boy nodded his head, and Raven breathed a bit easier.
"I understand. Now, let's begin." the intrepid leader exclaimed.
"Aw yeah!" Cyborg enthused. He turned to Beast Boy and they high-fived each other.
Everyone gathered around Robin and listened to the training program of the day, which he brought up on a hologram projector built into the obstacle course control panel.
Raven did her best to pay attention, but her head was still pounding. The darkly clad girl covertly took deep breaths to steady herself. She shifted her feet, certain that it was her footing causing her to feel like she would keel over. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her side. Glancing to the side, Raven's eyes found Starfire's. In those green on green orbs she saw fear. Aubergine eyes scanned the other Titans faces. The boys were oblivious to their exchange, and it didn't hurt that the two girls were standing behind them, out of immediate eyesight. Looking back to Starfire, Raven almost imperceptibly shook her head, attempting to convey that she didn't need help. But, even that tiny movement ruined her sense of balance and she began to lean away, against her will. Starfire's strong hand shot out and grabbed Raven's opposite side, pulling her back into place. Raven, too woozy to feign normalcy, leaned against the alien princess for stability.
What is going ON with me?
The magic-using girl was worried and upset. She hated to feel weak, and now she couldn't even stand by herself.
At least Starfire isn't making a big deal out of this.
However, Raven could tell her female team mate wanted to tell Robin, right then and there. The cowled girl looked at the Boy Wonder. He seemed to be wrapping up; the day's programme was a simple test of their abilities to keep them sharp, after all. She glanced back to the girl holding her up. Starfire was trying her best to keep her concern off her face. She caught her fair skinned team-mate's glance, yet did not turn her face. The purple haired girl thought that Starfire was ignoring her, with her looking back to the diagram and the dots that represented the course in Boy Wonder's hologram, but soon she started rubbing little, gentle circles on the small of Raven's back. The warrior's hands were a bit callused from the years of fighting, but they were so careful that she could not complain. The warmth radiating off of Starfire was impressive as well. Certainly, when the two girls had their ritual good morning hug the dark girl sampled a bit of her friend's natural body heat. This was completely different. The alien girl's skin felt like sunlight, seeping through Raven's cowl and down, down, into bones, relieving a chill she didn't know was there. The dark girl was surprised. She hadn't expected something so simple would make her feel so much better.
"... and that's what we're doing today. Alright Titans, let's get to it!" the Boy Wonder declared. He punched his fist into his open palm, signaling for the group to break. As the boys readied to turn around and begin, the girls quietly separated. Raven's stance was much steadier, and her head hurt much less. Robin moved to one side of the console, setting up the course for the first person to go. Cyborg and Beast Boy started doing short sprints to warm up, although it was a bit unfair if they were competing since the green shape shifter had changed into a cheetah. While Cyborg was by no means slow, he could not hope to compete with a creature built for speed. Starfire did some half-hearted stretches, her brow wrinkled with thought. Opposite to where Robin was standing, Raven spotted the team's personal canteens. Cy was always talking about how important it is to hydrate when exercising, and made them all get a bottle. Robin, always concerned for his team, made it mandatory to bring them to every practice.
She moved to the edge of the console and looked for her bottle. She found it under Robin's, which of course, was red and black. She picked up her canteen, the black raven graphic on the side caught a little sunlight as she did so. As she lifted it, she knew it was empty.
Argh, I didn't have time to prepare it today.
A green camo canteen covered in stickers appeared in front of her face. "Wanna sip?" came Beast Boys voice from behind her. His excited gesture spilled a little from the top and it dripped over his hand. The cowled girl grimaced.
"Uhmm..." was her only response. She knew her toothy team mate was not even nearly the most hygienic of individuals. And, while she was undeniably grossed out by the high probability that he had never washed his canteen, she felt that drinking some water would absolutely help her mysterious malady. Reluctantly, she raised her hand to accept his offer.
And found a light purple canteen with a small Silky charm attached to it in her hand instead.
"Friend Beast Boy, Robin is waiting for you to start your obstacle run," Starfire interjected in her normal cheery tone.
"Oh. Right," murmured the boy, his tone morose. The shape shifting boy sullenly recapped his canteen, set it down, and set off to his place on the field.
Raven blinked. What is Starfire doing? When she raised her eyes, the alien princess's hands were mimicking the motion for drinking the canteen. The pale girl understood, and lifted the container to her lips and drank, all the while believing it held water. The liquid inside was slightly bitter, like tea, and definitely more viscous than water. But, it was cool and it was a liquid so she swallowed.
When the liquid hit her stomach, it was like someone punched her directly in the solar plexus, followed by a burning that felt like she drank a shot of the strongest, nastiest alcohol swill. Her small frame doubled over with the severity of the sensation. She put out her hand, gripping the edge of the console with white knuckle pressure. Her eyes shot to Starfire.
"What... is this?", Raven frantically whispered, shoving the canteen into her female team mate's chest. With her other hand free now, it went to clutch the console as well.
"It is Grentklorb, a brew made of the spinal fluid of the fierce Zellragk and the sap of the bluest Quush'rel plant...," the warrior girl replied in the same hushed tone.
"Ugh... never mind... I don't want to know," interrupted the magic-using girl. This was followed by a groan, held mostly to herself.
"On Tamaran, we drink this on the eve of battle to fortify the body. It will strengthen you," and with those final words and a stroke on her friend's back, Starfire left to stand join Robin and Cyborg as the gathered at the console again to watch Beast Boy's trial.
How many times do I have to tell her that the body chemistry between Tamaranians and humans is way different! By Azar, I might throw up...
It was all Raven could do to hold down the strange and unpleasant contents in her stomach. With great effort she stood straight and took her place next to Cyborg.
Just try to look normal... don't think about how you drank the spinal fluid of a crazy Tamaranian monster and that you have no idea what the results of that will be...
"I'm totally going to smash your record Robin! Just you see!" From her place at the console, Raven could see Beast Boy, boasting, changing into different animals, and stretching.
"We'll see about that!" the Titan leader playfully retorted. "Ready? In 3... 2... 1... GO!" and with his final cry Robin smashed his fist into the over-sized start button.
The gate opened and Beast Boy was off, running as a wolf from the gate. There were a great number of rocks strew about, huge and small. There were a scattering of pillar like stones that leaned precariously against each other and lying on the ground. She could hear him, laughing cockily between jumps from rock to rock, skipping across the pillars on the floor. But, as he almost landed on a rock the size of a small car a proximity mine beeped and flashed several times.
"Ahhh!" came the shape shifter's not-so-manly cry. He quickly changed into a tortoise before the blast shot him into the air. At the top of his trajectory, he popped out of his shell and looked down. His little tortoise eyes widened as much as they could in the surprise of the height he achieved. Now he was falling, faster and faster, down to earth. With 10 feet to go he changed into a peregrine falcon and used the speed he gathered to make a mighty upward swoop to be level with the ground.
Robin saw his change in tactics and pressed a series of buttons on the control panel. Hidden cogs and machinery reacted to his wishes. From the top of the larger rocks popped up a series of turrets, aiming at the airborne Beast Boy. These turrets were training apparatus only, made to hurt, but mostly stun the individual struck. He tried to outmaneuver the laser-targeting system, but it was catching up to him. Shots singed feathers as he swerved side to side, barrel rolled, and tucked through breaks in large rocks, and in between the gaps of rocks lying together. This bought him some extra time, and within about 30 feet to the end zone of the trial. At this point Beast Boy was flapping with all of his might when one struck him directly in the rear. The shock made him shift back into his human form, and the forward momentum he had as a falcon made him rocket into the finish zone. He landed with a meaty bounce. He still had plenty of momentum left, and he skipped across the floor like a rock skipping over water. Finally, he landed on his face and skidded to a stop, his butt sticking in the air, slightly sizzling from the shot he received.
Cyborg laughed heartily. "Nice trial there, BB!", he shouted from cupped hands. He snickered as he walked over to his best pal.
"What wuz my time?", came Beast Boy's weak reply. He flopped over onto his back and his chest rose and fell quickly as he panted.
"I dunno man, but that was priceless! I wonder if Robin has the course trials recorded...", mused the half machine Titan. He gingerly picked up Beast Boy and slung him over his shoulder before walking back to everyone. When they got back to the group Cyborg lifted his friend and sat him on the edge of the console, to which he made a loud "Ow!" from sitting on his stinging behind. The shape-shifter's head lolled as he tried to get his bearings.
"What was my time?", he manages to ask when he catches sight of Robin, just the one instead of 3 wavering versions of him. The Boy Wonder grins.
"3 minutes, 26 seconds", Robin replies smugly. Beast Boy groans at the news. "I told you I'm the King of the course!" he tacks on after.
"I'm not even close to your best time!", BB whines. He puckers his face into a pout and glares at the floor. Cyborg claps his friend on the back.
"It's one of your better times, dude. You didn't do half bad. Except for the whole shot-in-the-butt part, haha!", Cy laughed. BB gave him a searing stare, which just made his friend laugh harder.
"Are you ok?", Starfire ventures to ask. She walks up to Beast Boy and looks him over.
"Yeah... my butt hurts though.", he grumbled like a child. His face was priceless: a grumpy glint in his eyes, a slight blush from embarrassment, a fine powdering of dust everywhere, and a boyish ruffle in his hair making him look like a rooster. Raven laughed inwardly at the caricature. He's scuffed up and dirty, but otherwise unhurt.
"Your hair is ridiculous", Raven said lightheartedly, although still in her characteristic monotone. Her strange weakness seemed to have passed and she felt strong enough to take pleasure in the moment. Standing before him, she reached her hand up and patted down his hair. Each pat loosed a small cloud of dust and a small shower of sand from the top of his head. Robin looked over her approvingly.
Seems like he's okay with me now. Maybe Starfire's Tamaranian concoction actually worked.
"Beast Boy, you're going to have to shower today, and that's an order!", Robin grinned as he said this. A disgruntled noise escaped from the dusty boy's throat, while Cyborg patted his back hard knocking large amounts of sand and dirt off of him to make a point. "For now, we should continue with the training. Raven, you're next."
Raven nodded and approached the starting point. Starfire's face was definitely hesitant.
"BWEEEEP BWEEEEEEP BWEEEEEEP - ", came the siren from the tower. A series of red flashing lights popped up around the console. Everyone turned and looked to each other, and then to Robin. His face was grimly set as he opened the holo screen to discover the source of the alarm.
"Trouble!", he barked. "We need to get to the downtown immediately." The Titans set out swiftly for their city, Starfire taking Robin, Beast Boy carrying Cyborg, and Raven flying alone.
== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==
"You fools, you've compromised us!" shouts a cloaked figure. A hand darts out and smashes the skull of a passing imp. All around is fire and destruction for a whole city block, and a flurry of imps and unknown creatures, as well as a few other cloaked humanoids, are fighting and firing both at each other and the citizens of Jump City.
"Compromise this!" comes a cry from above, and as the figure looks up to the origin of the noise he catches Cyborg's fist in his face.
The Titans set to work. Beast Boy, still in a pterodactyl state, flies around and catches several creatures mid-air and tosses them about. A series of small metal spheres shoot from Robin's hand as he is released from Starfire's grasp, falling into the melee. The balls, now in the thick of the aerial fighting, explode. Those that were stunned or wounded by Robin's attack are further damaged by a furious bombardment of Starfire's starbolts and eye-beams along with Cyborg's sonic blasts. Raven, who had lagged a tad behind, caught up to the rest in time to use her powers to shield and transport the citizenry to safety.
One of the unknown humanoids stood up and looked directly at Raven. "Dalne will hear of this!" he roared at the other cloaked persons, and he began to speak in a hissing and guttural language. The fighting instantly broke off and one by one the creatures reformed around the humanoids, who had begun chanting in their strange language. Black and red energy flowed round their bodies, and strange, fiery symbols appeared on their foreheads. Robin flung out a tracking bug at the last second, and ZAP! the whole host of villains were gone.
"Yeah! And don't you come back either!", yelled Beast Boy, as he dropped onto the ground by he team mates. He panted and bent over.
"Did you get them?", Cy asked. Robin had walked into the center of where the fighting had just been and picked up his tracker. He held it up for them all to see, and then threw it to the ground in frustration.
"Who were they?", Robin grinded out from between his clenched teeth, "And what did they come for?"