Teen Titans
Search and Find
Chapter 14- Losing Grip
The sky began to paint itself pink and yellow through the thick black clouds of the storm. Dawn was approaching, atempting to push the rain clouds from the sky above the city. Falcon and AJ hovered several feet above the rooftops of Jump.
"Out of all the stupid shit to do in a time like this, she goes and runs off!" Falcon thundered, unable to control her anger at this point. Her emotions were running amok in her mind.
"Calm down, Nessa." AJ spoke firmly. "I can't focus with you freaking out!" The blue eyed mage rolled her eyes but kept quiet so the younger girl could search for Raven. A minute or so later, AJ came out of her trance empty handed. "I searched the entire city and I can't sense her aura anywhere." Fear flashed in the Roth woman's eyes, afraid that they're too late. But the fear vanished as soon as it came, an idea replacing it. She came to a complete halt atop Jump's old library.
"But maybe her aura isn't what we need to find." Falcon fell into a meditative position and slipped far into her subconsious. When she opened her eyes, Vanessa was met with a starry sky over a white grass meadow. Her cloaked counterparts stood on different corners of Forevermore, allowing Falcon to do as she wished.
"Ok, now I have to find knowledge. She would know where the door is." Falcon took two steps forward and was suddenly met with her golden cloaked emotion.
"Good evening, mistress."
"Well, that was easy enough." Falcon mumbled to herself. "Knowledge, you know every inch of this place, can you tell me where the door linking my mind to Nevermore exists?" The cloaked counterpart nodded.
"The doorway you seek lies just outside Rage's dwelling."
"Rage? Why her?"
"Because, my dear mistress, the doorway into Nevermore is gaurded by the emotion you feel toward your sister. You're angry at Raven for leaving the tower in such a distressed state and enraged by the thought that she could be endangering herself." Falcon sighed, knowing that the golden cloaked being words were true.
"Wonderful." she groaned. "Im in for a cat fight." She left without another word and started her journey across the white plains of her mind. It didnt take her long to reach the most forbidden part of it. The white grass changed to blood red and the stars in the midnight sky darkened to black.
"Well isn't this cute?" came a raspy and maniacle voice. Four scarlett eyes peirced the darkness. Rage emerged from the shadows, snarling with fangs and claws bared. "Little Vanessa Lynn searching for her lost sister. How pathetic can you be?"
"Out of the way, Rage. I have no buisness with you." Falcon replied sternly.
"Is that so, mistress?" the emotion grinned. "Then why did you call me to gaurd this door?"
"I didnt call you for anything. You were chosen by my subconsious, so step aside!"
"My, my, Vanessa. What a temper we have." the red emotion hissed. "Seems I have taught you well."
"You haven't taught me anything, wretch!" Rage only grinned before outstretching her hand, gently running a clawed finger across Falcon's jaw line.
"What a nasty mouth you have, master. Must be something you learned from that dispicable boyfriend of yours. Personally, i like it. Makes you more like me." she sneered. "But since I have no use for you at the moment, you're free to do as you wish." The emotion stepped aside and a large ivory and onyx door appeared behind her. A large amethyst moon symbol was embedded into the middle of the door. Falcon put a hand onto the center of the carving and chanted.
"Azarath, metrion, zinthos." Within seconds, a deep rumbling echoed throughout Forevermore and the large door started to open.
Raven gasped sharply in pain as she connected with the steel wall. Blue antimagic bindings held her wrists and ankles in place, cutting her off from her powers.
"Did you seriously think that I didnt expect this turn of events, my dear?" Slade asked from across the room. The orange and black clad man slowly made his way to the bound mage. "I told you Titans before, you havent won this game..." he trailed off as he ran his glove covered hand up Raven's exposed thigh while the other gripped her neck. Beast Boy growled deep in his throat, his eyes slanted into diamonds while they darkened. Robin, Bohusk and Cyborg could only watch as the changeling began to morph. "I won...and I look forward to my prize, Raven." Rachel glared daggers at him while baring her teeth and growling as his hand reached higher. Violet orbs unexpectantly glowed white and Raven's body went limp as she fell unconsious.
"Raven!!" screamed the contained male Titans.
"Seems my little bonds were too much for her to handle. No matter, when she wakes up, you four are in for a real show." Garfeild felt Slade's disgusting words reach his ears and he howled.
Falcon entered through the linking door and onto the dark grounds of Nevermore. Imediately after her arrival came a pink cloaked emotion similar to herown.
"Nessa!" Happy cheered, hugging the other sorceress. "What in Azar's name are you doing here?"
"As im sure you're aware, Raven has snuck out of Titans Tower and could be in grave danger. Im looking for a way to find her, can you help?" The pink Raven only smiled and nodded, her form engulfed in a dark flame, soon being replaced by the original Raven.
"Rachel!" Falcon embraced her elder in a death hug that rivaled Starfire's.
"Why did you call me here?" Raven asked, unraveling herself from Falcon's limbs.
"Where are you? Why did you run off?"
"Im taking matters into my own hands, sister. Im the one who had my most prized possesion ripped from me. The only part that still proved me innocent. And now that it's gone, I want revenge...and to teach Slade a lesson about messing with my family." Crystaline eyes stared straight into ice blue. Flames flickered throughout thier dark depths.
"I understand that, Rae, I really do, but was it wise to leave the tower in such an exhausted state? I mean you were barely able to activate your powers as it were, let alone engage in a full out brawl!"
"I can take care of myself, Nessa. But if you're that concerned, me and the boys are in Slade's lair not to far from here. It's underneath the old abandoned asylum. You can look the coordinates up using that transmission Cyborg sent earlier." Falcon mentally smacked herself for not thinking of that in the first place. She hugged her sister one last time before retreating back into the real world. Cerulean eyes opened to meet the worried burgundy of her best friend.
"They're at the abandoned asylum Cyborg called us from. Slade's lair is underneath."
"Now why didn't we think of that in the first place!?"
Violet orbs fluttered open to be met with a dark room tinted deep red.
"Raven!" she heard Robin shout. She turned her head to see the red energy cage that kept the boys prisoners. Gar had completely transformed by now and was furiously swiping at the electric bars with his massive claws. Swallowing thickly, Raven tried to speak, but her voice was raspy and a bit broken.
"Backup is on the way."
"But it's a shame they'll never get here in time." came Slade's voice. He emerged from the darkness, his one hazel eye glinting with malevolence and mischief. "Im fully aware of your sister and Celtic friend making thier way here. And im fully prepared for such events. My little friends, whom the men of your team met earlier, are currently awaiting to welcome Vanessa and Argyle."
"Touch them and you're dead!" Jhonen screamed from his position inside the cage. He too, was starting to transform. His reaper half was slowly taking over, and at the moment, he didn't have a problem with it.
"Really, now? From my perspective, you're not in any position to be making threats Jhonen." Slade pressed a button on his wrist that signaled the electric charges around the cage to increase, shocking the four boys. After a few seconds, the volts stopped and each were left gasping for air while thier bodies writhed in pain.
'Please.' Raven silently prayed. 'Just let them hold out a little longer...'
A wall of burgundy energy surrounded the door of the asylum, forcing them open. AJ and Falcon walked hesitantly inside, cautious of what may lay ahead. The sour and metalic smell of blood was the first thing they noticed.
"Follow the smell?" AJ asked, holding a hand over her nose. Falcon did the same and nodded.
"Help me..." came a weak and timid voice. The two mages turned sharply to find the little girl ghoul. She raised her deeply cut arms for the girls to see and plead again.
"Damn, now I know how that woman in 'The Ring' felt." AJ murmured while shivering in disgust. Falcon quickly grabbed her wrist and flew down the hall, wanting to get away from the creature. An elevator was the first thing they came to, rushing inside and slamming the door closed. Not a second later, did the machine start to plummet downwards, forcing the two teens upward onto the ceiling. It crash landed on the bottom floor. AJ had just enough mind to create a forcefeild around the two of them before the elevator crashed, so they emerged unharmed.
"Ugh I really hate this." Falcon grumbled, holding her throbbing head.
"But I bet you hate this even more." AJ called, pointing to the open door to Slade's hideout. They could easily see the cage that witheld the boys, Raven chained to the wall and Slade standing over her. Such sights set the younger Roth's blood aboil.
Starfire worriedly paced around the perimeter of the med bay. Her jewel-like emerald eyes were glazed in thought as she bit her thumb nail out of nervous habit.
"Kori, can ya stop pacing soo much? Ya makin' me dizzy girl!" Bee called from her bed. But her words fell on deaf ears. The honey eyed woman sighed and swung her legs over the side of the bed, successfully standing. She winced as her broken wings moved slightly. Carrie grabbed Starfire by the shoulders and forced her out of her trance.
"They'll be ok, Star. The Titans are known for thier flexibility and endurance." but sadly, Bee's words did nothing to comfort the Tameranian.
"But Slade is the worst villian we have confronted! His evil ways are limitless and I am sure that he is only torturing our friends further while we are powerless to assit them!"
"Bumble Bee is right, Star." came Joy's monotonous voice. She stood against the wall near the door with a blank expression. "Slade is only one person. Sure, he has some good tricks, but seriously, if he goes up against seven superpowered teenagers he dosent stand a chance." The red head seemed a little more at ease now, deciding to be optimistic for the moment. She smiled, silently thanking the Celtic woman for her words of wisdom. Joy slightly returned the gesture, onyx locks falling into her ivory face to hide what was growing to be a full smirk.
"You are correct, Joy. We must be hopeful in this time of horror. If we are to help our friends, we must look on the side that is brighter!" Starfire's bubbliness seemed to return as she floated a few inches from the ground.
Maiden- I want to offer a generous thanks to my many reviewers and readers! Please keep it up, fore you are all in for a suprise in the next chapter ;)