AN: Well here I am again. Been off battling writers block, and losing. But return I did, with a chapter in hand. A thank you goes out to my good friend Hitotsune-Kozo. Without this bro this chapter would still just be a half drafted doc on the card. So show sum appreciation in your reviews, eh?

Ice: Wouldn't want you to have to hunt me down now would we. So here you goez, enjoy the chapter.

Alienvspredator5: Aye, that was mighty surprising for our young hero. I do wonder how they might respond to that. Oh well, must read on to find out. Thanx for reading and enjoy the show.

DonCossak: Fucked up is my middle name. But you may be right, he got a little carried away, no? Well at least now he knows what he's up against. An Idiot with ADD and demonic hellspawn. And its only a little destruction, Cy wouldn't stand for them tearing down the whole building.

Hitotsune-Kozo: Well you didn't drop a review on 27 but you did review almost everything up to 17 so you get a mention as well. Thank you for your help and please enjoy… well enjoy what I added after you got the draft.

Finally figured out the HTML code for the line. So happy for me :)


ITS BACK!


Jake Arius. That anomaly was proving quite the thorn in his side. Brother Blood was not what you'd call a patient man, granted he had some tolerance for time but by no means was he patient. He had a strict time table to keep everything in balance and that nuisance was throwing all that out the window. Just today he single handedly set back months of research without even knowing what it was he was attacking.

But the fruits of his labor were sweet indeed, on the screen of the laptop before him was an old enemy, and trusted friend. He was an middle aged man, sporting a five in scar that ran from his forehead through his left eye and ending midway down his cheek. His hair was dirty blonde and his one good eye was staring blankly ahead. "Leon." Blood called, returning his comrade's attention back to him. "There is much we need to discuss my friend."

"No, there is little WE need to discuss, but much YOU need to explain." Leon's tone was sharp, unhappy was he over recent events and someone would answer for past failures. "Your ongoing project's involving one Jake Arius continue to put a serious hamper on the rest of the organization and still have yet to produce a viable subject." Blood was idealistic at best and until now that very nature of his had served him well, but recently they'd proven… problematic to say the least.

"My actions regarding Subject Arius are in the best interest of everything the Hive stands for. He is a weapon, the likes of witch we've never seen. His new abilities mark the beginning of a new era, once harvested we will be unstoppable." Blood's eyes gleamed with greed, "Gods Leon, you and I and the rest of the Hive, finally ascending to thrones rightfully ours."

Leon shook his head, disapproval evident in his features. "There's power to be had, but this is neither the proper direction or procedure to attain it. We will see the reaper before we see ourselves crowned, mark my words."

"Your objections have been noted, we will discuss this later. Now, are we ready to proceed?"

"Yes, yes." He replied with a wave of his hand, "Despite all the setbacks, the Chimera project will proceed as planned tomorrow. Though I urge you to reconsider the subject or at least send another complement of soldiers. After all, we wouldn't want another containment breach such as last time. I doubt we could survive another Mathews incident."

Blood thought it over for a second before coming to what he thought the best option. "Very well, you'll have your guns, just get it done." Blood finished and made a fist with his right hand and placed it over his heart in a gesture long used between them. "Aurora est solveret."

Leon bowed his head in respect. " Nos salutat novum." With that the line went dead and the screen blank. By no means was Blood a patient man, and he had been waiting for this for long enough. Soon the Titans would know the true power of the Hive, and then all would be in place for the final stage of Ascension.

-Scene change go!-

Raven floated into the common room, nothing really on her mind. Well, she couldn't really say nothing, it was more a Jake issue that was nagging at her. The thing was he was failing at meditation harder than Beastboy at quantum physics. It wasn't that he was just straight up terrible but still he was jumping into something entirely new with no prior training.

She flew into the kitchen on autopilot and put some water on the stove to boil. She was so out of it in fact she missed Cyborg coming up from the couch and blocking her access to the kitchen. "Raven, we need to talk."

Raven blinked a couple times processing the statement before all of her finally returned to her body. "If this is about Jake then…"

Cyborg held up his hand, "It's not exactly Jake I'm worried about Rae," He took a breath mentally preparing himself for her counterstrike, "It's you."

Raven was taken a back at that, "Me?" She questioned.

"Yes you, look we've all seen it. You and Jake, we know you two are close. But… well…" he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Dammit Rae, you sent him to be possessed by a demon. How are we supposed to look at that?"

I did what he asked Cyborg!" She spat. "I did only what he wanted. I saved him…"

"And that makes it right? Raven, he's dying, it is killing him Rae. We all see it."

"He's stronger than that…" her voice was barely more than a whisper.

"What if he isn't Rae?" He reached out a hand to land on her shoulder, "What happens when he isn't?"

She couldn't answer. There was no answer, without Jake the demon would escape, he would be lost and so would she. Tears brimmed at her eyes, she could feel him slipping away. She was trying to help but… some things you just can't stop.

Cyborg stepped forward but she stepped back. "I think I need some time right now Cy, where is Jake?"

"Robin's office."

Jake's fists clenched at his sides, Robin's final words echoing through his mind, "You can't be trusted Jake. Your officially suspended until such a time as you are seen fit to return to active duty." Turning without any further words between them he walked out the door. He needed to blow off some steam and short of another killing spree the gym was the best option.

As the hall passed him by his vision started to narrow, he could feel it. Clawing its way free like a caged animal, raging against the restraints Jake maintained. The words echoing through his mind, compounding the effect, "You can't be trusted."

He blew right past Beastboy, not even realizing he was there. The green Titan looked at the hellion stalking through the hall, it almost looked like it may have once been a friend of his. But now, it was just wrong. Everything about it, its stride, the way its body moved. Not like a person but a predator. As it pounded past him the aura about him was that of death itself. The ordeal lasted only seconds but was enough for the shapeshifter to shift into the fastest thing he knew and run the other way. And run he did.

Jake gripped door with hands not his own and threw it open. The gym was emptied he was alone once more. Forcing himself to breath and calm the voices screaming within was getting more difficult with each day. Every time they spoke they shouted, and they only kept getting louder. But he held on. Time and time again he beat back the darkness, he couldn't fail again. He wouldn't allow it.

He made his way to the center of the room and sat down on the floor. Letting the fury bleed off him as his mind was calmed. Today he had won, and he damn well wanted to keep it that way. Quietly he began a chant, so as not to disturb the shadows patiently waiting for him.

Raven stood outside the door, the letters on it reading GYMNASIUM. Beastboy recounted his tale of terror to her and had lead her here. Practically the only place Jake ever went for solitude as it was never in use beyond mandatory training sessions. She could feel his presence on the other side, and it was… calm. Honestly, perfectly calm and centered. Two things Jake never managed to understand, much less accomplish.

She didn't want to enter, afraid of what'd she'd find herself. But try as she might to let it go this was something she had to do. Black tendrils reached out and opened the lock. The door slid open and she stepped through into the room with the door sliding shut behind her.

Looking over the room she found no sign of anyone. Not a speck of dirt was out of place. Yet this place practically reeked of Jake's aura. So that left the question, Where the hell was he?

Her answer came in an unexpected manner when blackened sphere coalesced before her. Like iron shavings to a magnet the shadows crawled into the center of the room where they formed into a humanoid figure. Slowly they started to melt off the being, like shedding water they dripped off him and boiled away. All said and done, Jake was left standing in the center of a pool of black, eyes redder than the fires of hell but a surprisingly content expression set in his features. "Raven, I'm glad your here."

She wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes. For what was probably the first time in his life, Jake was at ease. "Jake… how…"

He stepped forward to bring her into a tight embrace, "I think I'm starting to get the hang of this. It's not so bad, once you get used to it." He cracked a smile at her.

"Just full of surprises aren't you." Raven smiled back.

"Don't you know it."

The sound of a door sliding open broke Jake's attention away from his beloved and brought his gaze to fall on a redheaded alien princess poking her head through aforementioned door. "Friend Raven? Friend Beastboy said you required assistance."

Raven shook her head, "He's overreacting Star. We're fine."

Starfire didn't leave however, instead she walked farther into the room, closing the door behind her. "Raven, the both of you are not fine, as you say. Please, I wish to assist you and friend Jake."

Raven took Jake's hand as they both moved to a bench to rest with Starfire in tow. She seated herself opposite of the couple and continued, ""You and Jake are happy with one another, K'naff on my planet. And it pleases us to know that you are happy but, as Cyborg said, Jake is in trouble and I don't wish to see anyone hurt anymore."

Jake was genuinely surprised at Starfire's proclamation. She was the first one other than Raven to offer… anything. Well anything other that a one way ticket to a nine by five cell. "Star, it means a lot to hear you say that. Really it does. But, hell I don't even know where to begin to ask for help."

He looked to Raven and she understood, taking up where he left, "We could use a hand with some rituals to keep Jake in control. Some of them require more than him and I, and the others aren't exactly the right help for those things. But for now, just being on our side is enough."

The princess nodded, "I am more than happy to help whenever I can but please don't feel we are taking sides. Robin has only everyone's best interests at heart and Beastboy is simply unsure of Jake's loyalties. We do not mean to hurt but we cannot always help either."

"We know Star," Jake stated, "And thank you."

"It is no trouble, now let us be rid of such depressing matters. I do believe a meal is appropriate for a friends outing, yes?"

Raven looked to Jake and Jake to Raven. Both asking and answering one another without words. Decided they turned back to the alien awaiting their answer, "Sure thing Star."

AN: So… good? Bad? Was Robin too much an ass, or Beastboy too fearful of a demon prowling the halls? Let me know already.