Chapter 9
Eldritch Entry

Concolor44: We're probably not returning to Steel City for the remainder of the story, so let's say that the Titans ultimately found somebody to help the Steel City Police fill the gap left behind by the departure of the Titans East.

Queen Apolline: My intention for the scene was for there not to be a huge storm-out scene for the Titans East, which kind of what happened with the Titans. I envisioned this scene as Speedy deciding to go for Perseus after he was detoxed of the heroin in his system - and then Aqualad deciding to join him. It is never mentioned what happened to Mas y Menos so I took a route several authors on this site take (TheForceIsStrongWithThisOne, ScarredSkull) and sent them back to their home country of Guatemala. They've made their last appearance, as has Bumblebee likely. Raven will join the Eldritch Enclave this chapter, and encounter one person she really would rather just disappeared (though she can't do that).

Firedon: I try to avoid having scenes heavy on dialogue or on action, but both do wind up happening, in a lot of stories, actually. I hope I can maintain a consistent balance between the two elements for the remainder of the story.

Disclaimer: Was it ever explained why Raven was in Jump City at all? If not, I don't own the Teen Titans franchise; it belongs to DC Entertainment, Glen Murakami, and Warner Bros., nor do I own the Misunderstandings story, which belongs to SilentlyWatches.


It's been about two weeks since Aqualad and Speedy left the Titans East and joined the Perseus Initiative. Having passed their initial physicals, they were deemed ready for basic training.

After a bit of training, they were now going to have lunch at Hargrove Diner, a small restaurant outside of Fort Pell, and joining them was the other two former Titans now a part of the Initiative - Raven and Jinx.

The two former heroines waved at Aqualad and Speedy (who wore a pair of sunglasses to protect his eyes and identity), both wearing Army greens, and the two of them proceeded over towards Raven and Jinx's booth, where they slid into one side of the table while Raven and Jinx had the other. While this was not the table Jinx had wanted, she was confident that Raven would be able to protect her, and the small walls between the booths made it hard to get an attack in from behind.

Raven greeted, "Hello, Aqualad. Speedy."

Speedy said, "Now, I'm Corporal Roy Harper and he's Corporal Garth Curry."

"I don't have a last name, so they simply slapped me with the last name of Aquaman's adoptive father. It does kind of suck, though."

"Well, I also don't have a last name, so I used my mother's maiden name, Roth as an alias." Jinx noticed that Aqualad's once long black hair has been reduced to a short buzz across his head.

"Well, Garth, I see that you got a haircut much like me and Baran."

"Yeah, training session with Miyagi. Same with you?" The look Jinx gave him was all the answer Aqualad (or Garth) needed from Jinx.

"So, Raven, how many times have you and Jinx fucked?" Garth whacked Roy in the back of the head for that comment.

"That is crude, Roy, a very crude first question to ask. But, I suppose I'll answer it. We've had sex..." Raven looked at Jinx to confirm her answer, just to make sure, "...six times. Our first was at her apartment a few years ago. We haven't been able to do it for a while because we're on an army barracks."

"When we get our own place, we'll do it much more often boys. Just don't expect to join in. Raven is fiercely protective of me, and gets real jealous."

"Probably. I bet she's a beast in bed."

"You got that right, Roy. So, how are the rest of the Titans East?"

"Well, Jinx, Bee's off to college and Mas y Menos have returned to Guatemala."

Raven chuckled. "They're what...thirteen, fourteen year old boys."

"Fifteen, actually, Raven."

"Okay, Garth, they're fifteen year old twins, so what the heck are they going to do for the rest of their lives?"

"Beats me."

A second later, their waitress came up to them and asked, "Hi, I'm Carla and I'll be taking care of you today. Anything to drink or start out with?"

"I'll have the chamomile tea." Carla scribbled down Raven's order before proceeding to Jinx.

"Glass of water." She wrote down Jinx's order before proceeding to Roy.

"Root beer."

"Water with lemon." Carla took down the orders of Roy and Garth before walking off to get their drinks.

After that, Roy and Garth soon began to look at their menus, trying to determine what they will have for lunch. They only gave half-hearted glances as they continued their conversation with Raven and Jinx.

"So, how many missions have you guys done?"

"Ten. We've been to Iraq, Indonesia, Taiwan, hell."

"Hell? You've got to be kidding me."

"No, Roy, we aren't. We had a mission there over a year ago, though it's not officially on the books. A week ago, we just came back from Nicaragua."

"And it wasn't a very pretty mission."

"What do you mean? Did something fuck up your mission?"

"The mission went well until a bomb exploded and hit me. From what I remember next, Raven then proceeded to massacre several dozen troops that were trying to cut us off."

"They really should have been smarter to just let us escape rather than just keep shooting. Ah, dictators and their terrible policy planning."

Then, Carla came back with their drinks on a platter. She handed Raven two glasses of tea, Jinx a glass of water, Speedy his bottle of root beer, and Aqualad a glass of water with lemon. She asked, "Are you ready to order lunch?"

Raven and Jinx looked at Roy and Garth before Jinx said, "We're ready. I'll have the dumplings over brown rice."

Carla recorded down Jinx's menu choice and said, "Excellent choice, and for you?"

"I'll have the marinara pork sausage over spaghetti."

Carla wrote down Raven's lunch choice before turning to Roy.

"I'll have the barbeque brisket sandwich, cheddar cheese, no pickles, and a side of slaw."

"And I'll have the clam roll, side of hash-browned potatoes." Raven, Jinx, and Roy were stunned with Garth's order. He was an Atlantean - he doesn't eat seafood, or does he?

After Carla finished writing down their lunch orders, she said, "I'll put them in and bring them out when they're ready." Carla collected the menus before walking away, leaving the four former Titans to continue their conversation.

"Garth, I thought you didn't eat seafood. Didn't you complain when I brought fish tacos on our first day as Titans East? Don't you remember?"

"Vividly, but I'm not against eating all seafood. I don't eat any sort of fish, crab, lobster, dolphin, shark, whale, but I do eat clams, mussels, and oysters. And before you ask, Roy, Aquaman does know."

"Anyway, how did Richard take the dissolution of Titans East?"

"From Cyborg told us, he took it real hard at first, becoming quite infuriated but he seems to have mellowed out."

"And the other Titans?"

"I think Cy and Lisa took it fairly well. Beast Boy was a bit upset, and Starfire wasn't there. She's still on Tamaran for political issues."

"So, I suppose that's a good thing at the moment. Don't want her blaming me for things out of my control."

"And she still hates your guts. As does Robin I think."

"So it's a good thing I'm nowhere near the Titans, then, right Roy?"

"A very good thing, Raven."

"So, Garth, have you or Roy been placed on a team yet?"

"No. Right now once we finish basic training we will be tag-along members, joining other teams until we can find a team. No guarantee that we will be together though."

"Garth, are you hitting on me?"

"What, no? I'm not gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that." Garth said that last part after realizing just who he was talking with.

As Raven took a sip of her tea, Jinx inquired, "Have you decided on code names yet?"

"I'm still working on it, though I know I'm retiring the Speedy identity. Depends on my skill set once I complete training."

While Roy began to drink his root beer, Garth explained, "I'm not resuming the identity of Aqualad, though like with Roy, I need to fully figure myself out before I adopt a new identity."

After a few more minutes of chatting, Carla returned with a tray with four plates. She greeted, "Okay, I have a brisket sandwich with cheddar cheese, no pickles, side of slaw."

Roy raised his hand and Carla handed him his plate - a BBQ beef brisket sandwich topped with cheddar cheese, lettuce, and grilled onions plus a side dish of cole slaw. After Roy thanked Carla she continued, "Okay, I have a marinara pork sausage served over spaghetti."

Raven indicated that the meal was hers and Carla handed Raven her plate - two long pork sausages over a large bowl of spaghetti doused in a heavy ladle of marinara sauce with a piece of garlic bread on the side. Raven acknowledged Carla as she got the next dish.

"Okay, I have the dumplings over brown rice." She quickly handed the dish over to Jinx, which contained several steamed pork dumplings atop a bed of brown rice. Jinx thanked Carla for delivering her meal.

"And lastly I have the clam roll with a side of hash browns." She gave the plate over to Garth, a pile of fried clam strips on a grilled hot dog bun with lettuce and on the side a lot of sliced griddled potatoes. She then inquired, "Anything else you guys need?"

Jinx said, "No, we're good." Carla then walked off as the four of them soon prepared to have their lunch.

Raven interrupted, "Before we eat, Jinx has a policy of no-shop talk. HIVE thing."

"Noted."


Back at their barracks, Roy and Garth were preparing to get a night of sleep. They were in the male barracks, and roughly five rooms down were Gizmo and Mammoth, the other teammates of their lunch partners (Raven & Jinx).

Roy had taken his glasses off, revealing his blue eyes as he changed into a simple white T-shirt and black shorts for going to bed. Garth was coming back from the dormitory bathroom, having taken a shower and switched out his military greens for a black shirt and blue boxers.

He entered the unlocked room as Roy was finishing getting dressed for bed. Roy began walking towards their bunk bed with Garth following when the latter slipped on Roy's discarded shirt, causing him to fall on top of Roy, the two of them staring into each other's eyes, lips close together.

Roy noted, "This is tremendously awkward."

Garth added, "Good thing nobody saw us. Or rumors will be spreading fast." Suddenly, Roy began to feel something in his most sensitive region.

"Garth, are you stiff? Cause I can feel your dick on my crotch." Garth looked down at himself and realized what Roy was saying - he was having an erection.

"What are you saying, Roy? Do you think I'm in love with you?"

"Well, why else would you be aroused? We're the only two people here."

"I honestly don't know, Roy. I'm not into guys, and I'm pretty sure that you're not, either. How many women have you hit on?"

"I see your point, but why do I have this strange feeling that people are going to be pegging us to be in a relationship? Or want us to be in one?"

"No idea, but people can come to wild ideas. If they see Jinx paired up with Raven, then pairing us up doesn't seem that crazy."

"Let's try to fulfill their original standards of us, just two former superheroes turned mercenaries. So, Garth, could you get the hell off of me?"

Garth did as Roy asked, and proceeded to stand up and walked away from Roy, allowing the archer to get up as well, and Garth soon got into his bed on the top bunk while Roy went to turn off the light.

After quickly hopping into his bed on the lower bunk, Garth said, "Night, Roy."

"Night, Garth."


Roughly a week and a half later, Raven and Jinx were in their room, getting ready for their day, which included more training and practice, primarily in hand-to-hand combat and new magic. While they had completed all training required of them for the Initiative, they both always wanted to refine themselves, which would help get them more jobs, and in turn more money so they can buy a house.

Raven and Jinx were already looking for a place to live, searching for a state where there weren't laws regarding same-sex couples - at the moment, Colorado was a favorite for them. They intended to put up all the money upfront so they didn't have to worry about mortgage payments, seeing how they wouldn't always be at home.

Raven and Jinx were currently changing, with the chaos-sided duo slipping out of their night clothes to put on their military fatigues - Raven currently had put on her panties, pants, and socks and was in the process of putting on her bra while Jinx had only finished putting on her panties, leaving her breasts exposed to Raven's view.

The demonling hovered over to Jinx, soon embracing the pinkette before softly kissing her nipple. Jinx silently moaned as Raven's lips touched her body. A second later, Raven moved up her face so her lips were in front of Jinx's and the two passionately kissed for a moment.

Jinx whispered, "I already put on my panties. I don't want to have to change out of them."

Raven softly replied, "I just needed something to satisfy my libido. Hopefully, once we get our own place, it will be satisfied."

"Right. Demons can be quite horny."

"Don't stereotype, Jinx. Some are very horny. Me, I don't need sex but I do crave it more than the average human."

Their conversation was interrupted by what appeared to be a scroll unfurling in the background. Raven turned around to see the scroll, with a lot of writing on it, whilst Jinx saw the scroll was blank.

"Is there supposed to be something on the scroll?"

Raven walked up to the scroll and began to read it. "It's for me, Jinx. I have a dinner tonight in London."

"I'm willing to bet I'm not invited, aren't I?"

"I'm sorry Jinx, but the invitation's just for me. As much as I'd want to take you, I simply cannot. Nor can I precisely divulge what it's for, either. I'll tell Hollingsworth that I have a last-minute occassion."

"When will you be back?"

"I should be back late this evening. The dinner's in a few hours. I need to change and then get to London."

"Okay then, I guess we'll have to push some things off to tomorrow."


After informing Hollingsworth of her temporary absence, Raven changed into one of the dresses Jinx got her for her Ascension - a sleeveless black dress that went down to the floor with silver flourishes. She didn't wear it often, but she felt this was one of the fancier occasions to wear it.

Raven then enveloped herself in soul-self and brought herself over to the city of London, heading over to her destination for her dinner - the Tower of London.

Arriving at the Tower, the guard standing in front asked, "Ticket please?" After Raven showed him her invitation, the guard simply stepped aside and let Raven in, figuring it would be better for his health.

Raven levitated into the Tower, her eyes briefly flashing into red slits as they vanished out of light, passing by several doors until she found the right door for her - the one that would lead her to the dinner she had been invited to.

At last she came across what appeared to be a locked solid black door. Emphasis on appeared as Raven simply stepped through the door, walking onto a massive spiraling staircase that obviously went several stories.

Raven took her first step down and immediately the stair soon began to move down towards the bottom, with the other stairs vanishing from view. The demonling thought to herself, Magical staircase, magical door, I'm sensing a pattern here. I wonder why I'm here. Hopefully they'll explain soon. A moment later, she found that her eyes had reverted back to their normal amethyst as she sensed a substantial amount of light coming.

While Raven hoped it would be a non-hostile environment, she was fully ready to attack if she needed to defend herself. Fortunately, the latter was not necessary as she found she wasn't attacked upon landing at the bottom of the staircase.

She took a few more steps before coming across a giant banquet hall with chandeliers lit by blue flames and filled with long oak wooden tables draped with red tablecloths. There were dozens of people sitting down at the tables, and Raven soon heard a somewhat familiar voice.

He said, "Hello, Raven. I trust you are unharmed." Raven turned around to see the man who addressed her - none other than one of the League's founders, and a member of the League's predecessor, the Justice Lords, the bearer of the Helmet of Fate, the spirit of Nabu, Doctor Fate.

Raven replied, "I am not harmed Doctor. Am I to get an explanation of why I am present?"

"Momentarily, Raven. Sit down at one of the tables. I'm sure you'll find one."

Raven proceeded to walk over towards what appeared to be an empty seat towards the middle of the hall only to be stopped when her tongue detected high traces of feta cheese and salt. The voice she heard soon after was one she would never forget, "Great. He just had to invite you, didn't he?"

Raven looked up and addressed the speaker, "Zatanna. Of course it had to be you that would antagonize me. Why am I not surprised?"

"Why am I suprised that you aren't locked up in a cell? Why are you here then?"

Before the arguments of the two sorceresses could continue, Fate arrived and demanded, "Enough! Both of you! Raven, I suggest you find a table away from Mistress Zatanna. I need to have some words with her."

Raven silently acknowledged the doctor's words and proceeded to levitate away from Zatanna, soon seating herself down at a table towards the end, finding herself surrounded by two elderly men - one wearing a brown monk's robe, bald with wrinkles and a white beard that went down to his abdomen, the other wearing a suit and tie, with a head of combed black hair on top. Sitting across from her was a woman with brown-black hair, soft blue eyes, and what appeared to be a blue tunic.

The woman greeted, "Hello there, Raven."

Raven replied back, "Greetings, Queen Mera." Mera was the Queen of Atlantis, and the wife of Aquaman, one of the League's founders.

"Have you heard anything about Garth? King Orin is fairly worried."

"Garth is fine, Queen Mera. I saw him a few days ago. Where, unfortunately, I cannot divulge to you."

Moments later, once all the attendees present were seated, a very old figure soon came onto the podium, and began to speak.

"Greetings, sorcerers and sorceresses. Tonight we are gathered to honor the newest member of our organization. Will Raven please come to the stage?"

Raven got up from the table and levitated over towards the speaker. He continued, "Tonight, I, Merlin, initiate you, Raven, into the Eldritch Enclave. For you have achieved the title of sorceress, and in the process, have become the youngest master of illusions in the Enclave's history. For close to a thousand years, we have sought out those who could achieve the title of sorcerer or its equivalent, and tonight, you join them. Congratulations."

Raven replied, "Thank you, Merlin."

"And now for the rules of this organization." Immediately, Merlin summoned a scroll up to the stage. He then chanted, "Diavlos marchete syan orethe quatzal luchal."

Instantly, the scroll vanished into traces of tan energy that fed right into the Gem of Scath on Raven's forehead. Before she could ask, Merlin explained, "The rules are now fully memorized into your head. Every member has had that done. And now, for the feast. As you are the newest member, you get to dine up here."

Raven instantly smiled upon hearing that, knowing she is being accepted, initially at least. Her empathy also detected that Merlin was sincere and did not harbor any future malicious intent. It also detected the bitter saltiness coming from Zatanna's seat - she was furious that Raven had become a member of the Enclave, and at age twenty too. The normal minimum to enter the Enclave was twenty-one, but they decided to make an exception in Raven's case, especially seeing how she had triumphed over Trigon. Zatanna, even as a member of the League for eight years, joining when she was twenty-four, did not join until she was twenty-seven.

A table soon formed on the stage with two seats constructed from magical energy on part of Merlin. He sat down in one chair as Raven graciously took her seat in the other. By the time she had taken her seat, Raven could already feel Zatanna's glare on her, even though Raven's undivided attention was focused on Merlin.

Plates soon emerged from the ceiling, which contained the culinary offerings for the evening. Immediately, the sorcerers present began to use their spells to call down a plate to them.

Raven grabbed a plate with her soul-self and hovered down from the ceiling onto the table, where Raven saw a leg of lamb with a raspberry relish on the side.

Soon forming next to Raven's plate was a glass of white wine, which Raven took a gradual sip of before dining into the lamb and raspberry relish. Raven tasted the delight of the other sorcerers as well as the sour grapes and salt of Zatanna, which did not portend well for her. Zatanna is up to something, but what is it? I have to tread carefully.

As she ate her lamb, Zatanna watched Raven intently, using her magic to make more wine appear in Raven's glass, keeping it almost all full despite how much (or how little) Raven drank.

A little while later, Merlin left the banquet hall, leaving the remaining sorcerers and sorceresses to disperse. After Merlin departed, Raven brought herself over to Zatanna, asking "Are you trying to get me drunk?"

"Why would you say that?" Zatanna began sounding less confident as Raven sensed that the mint of confidence was fading away in favor of the defeat of water.

"If you were trying, you might want to think of something better to try. Alcohol doesn't affect me."

Salt soon consumed Raven's mouth as she immediately sensed the raging fury within Zatanna. Raven moved away from Zatanna only to find yet another sorcerer that Raven was not keen on being with.

This sorcerer said in a very squeaky high voice, "Hello, Raven. Fancy seeing you here."

Raven responded, "It is strange, yet somewhat unsurprising that you are here, Klarion the Witch Boy."

"I've been a member for over three hundred years. I see you are departing."

"Yes. I have to get back..."

"Tell Jinx I send my regards."

Raven had been walking away until she heard those last few words, turning around before demanding, "How do you know Jinx, Klarion?"

"I used to teach at the HIVE, until Brother Blood removed me for our mutual disagreements."

"Well, you're telling the truth, Klarion, at least this time. If you make a move on Jinx..."

"I get your drift, Raven the Kinslayer, so toodles!" Klarion then vanished in a burst of red smoke, along with the cat that accompanied him.

Raven then proceeded to engulf herself in her soul-self before departing the Eldritch Enclave banquet hall, heading back to Fort Pell to be with Jinx.


Jinx was currently at rest from her day training at the fort, currently untying one of her boots when she saw Raven come back into their room. The first question was, "So how was your dinner in London?"

Raven responded, "It went well, aside from some less than pleasant encounters."

"Who? Who was there that pissed you off?" Jinx finished untying her boots before coming up to her girlfriend, hoping to hear the story of what happened.

"Zatanna and Klarion."

"Klarion the Witch Boy. That cheeky bastard drove me really crazy at the HIVE. Still, he was an effective teacher, at least until Blood decided to fuck everything up."

"He sends his regards. As for how he knows about us, it kinda beats me."

"Well, Robin did leak our relationship to the press in that biased press conference."

"True, but Klarion isn't exactly the television type. Trust me, I've had more than a few encounters with the teenage chaos."

"How do you do against him?"

"I'd say it's primarily been a draw between the two of us. And ever since my Ascension, we are essentially equal in power. He is a Lord of Chaos, which more than matches my own infernal heritage, also aligned with Chaos."

"And what about Zatanna? Did leaving the Titans cause her to hate you?"

"No, Jinx. Zatanna and I haven't gotten along well...ever. Perhaps you should sit down. It's a hell of a story." Jinx sat down on the bed as Raven took a seat there as well.

"Do you remember how a few years ago, after you found out I was half-demon, that the League knew my secret?" Jinx nodded in recognition.

"Well, upon arriving in this dimension after my exile from Azarath, I tried to find somebody that would help me fight my father, Trigon. My best bet was the Justice League so I brought myself over to Metropolis and got to the Hall of Justice. I was brought up to the Watchtower where Green Lantern, Batman, Zatanna, Flash, Martian Manhunter, and Wonder Woman were present to hear my case.

"I told them about the prophecy, how I was destined to end the world, and that I needed their help to stop. Unfortunately, Zatanna told them not to listen to me, that I was evil and had to be destroyed. I was forced onto my hands and knees, pleading for assistance from them. No matter how much I begged, they ultimately declined my case. Only Batman and Martian Manhunter supported me, and then Zatanna tried to kill me, right then and there.

"Only because I got to a Zeta tube in time was I able to avoid her blow, and once I landed back in Metropolis, I was left with nowhere to go. My only chance for averting the prophecy was refusing to help me. After several days of wandering the Earth, I found myself back in Gotham, where I had arrived and where my mother originally came from. Batman found me and sent me to Jump, where Robin was heading. There, he said I'd be safe from the League, and Robin would be able to help me.

"For several years, Batman was correct. Until the moment that Robin decided I was a threat, when he finally took up the mindset of the League. When I found out about the cage, I knew that the Tower was no longer safe."

Jinx added, "So, part of the reason you decided to join us was that you wanted to avoid the League?" Raven nodded to affirm Jinx's suspicions.

Jinx and Raven then embraced in a hug, with Jinx assuring her, "The League won't get to you. I've got your back, no matter what. If need be, I'll kick Zatanna's ass for you."

"That certainly would be an interesting showdown."

"I bet she's a lot more powerful than me."

"She is. Big time."

"Then, no matter what, we'll be at each other's side. I promise. Promise?"

"I promise, Jinx. We'll always have each other's backs."


Okay, that last scene was definitely a little syrupy, but I had to address how Raven wound up with the Titans and how they got the burden of handling Trigon instead of the League (akin to Raven Rising and Bonding to a Devil). Up next: a mission for the Titans leads to a major change for Robin. And later: Raven and Jinx get their house, Roy comes face-to-face with Cheshire (again), and the Brotherhood of Evil returns.

storytell18 out.