[A word of warning - the PG rating of this story may have to be bumped up,
as it is about to get a whole lot nastier. Sorry about that, but it's just
the way the story is going.]
The Titans slowly walked back down the long white corridor. As they did so, they were passed by a lot of doctors running towards Mumbo's cell - presumably to sedate him. Though none of them wanted to speak first, they all wanted to ask the question - did Raven really have a connection with Wraith? It certainly seemed so; when she had entered that cell, Mumbo had almost died with fright. Literally.
Beastboy was the first to break the uneasy silence. He turned to look at Raven.
"So," he said innocently, "Do you know anything about Wraith?"
The other Titans stayed deathly silent. Raven merely looked straight into Beastboy's eyes. Beastboy withered under the gaze, turned into a mouse and hid on Starfire. After a while, Raven could see his long whiskery nose poking over the top of Starfire's shoulder. She sighed.
"I think I know a little," she conceded, "but I have to think a little more before I can be completely sure."
Relieved, Beastboy resumed his normal state. He breathed out deeply in exaggerated relief. The others faced Raven directly.
"So what do you know about Wraith so far then?" asked Robin. Raven's reply was hesitant.
"I know that. that he is. like me." she said slowly. "Remember the time when I lost my temper with Dr. Light?"
They did, and shuddered at the thought - it had not been nice to see what she did to him.
"Well," she continued, "Wraith is like what I would have became if I hadn't been stopped."
There was silence for a moment, then the Titans started to walk again. Over his shoulder, Robin said that they would wait - and try and see if he showed up again before they made a decision on what was to be done about him. Raven sunk deeper into thought. Was it possible that Wraith was.
She shook her head, and walked quickly after the others
*
The Titans left the asylum and got into the T Car to go back to Titan Tower. From the shadows of the side of the asylum, however, they were being watched. Wraith slunk back into the shadows and contemplated his next move.
All was going to plan. He would beat the Titans at their own game, but get steadily more extreme with his methods. Then, when they came to stop him, the rest would be self-explanatory. He heard the screams from Mumbo, even out here. Deep inside of his mind, he almost felt sorry for the magician who had been yet another pawn in his scheme. Almost. Wraith swept away - he felt it was time to initiate phase 2.
*
The Titans had almost gotten home when Robin's pager sounded.
"Oh man." groaned Beastboy.
"Trouble at the bank." read Robin. "Cyborg, step on it!"
Cyborg, glad for a chance to test his improved nitro tanks, gleefully span the car in a 180 degree turn, before speeding off towards the crime scene. Raven sighed - he was always like this with the car - she really couldn't see the point. She looked over at starfire, who was currently having much fun playing with a cup-holder build into the door of the car.
"Most amusing." mused the Tamaranian happily. She noticed Raven. "What troubles you?" she asked.
"Me? Nothing. nothing at all." Said raven, knowing it was a lie. If Wraith was who she thought it was, they had every right to be fearful. she didn't want to have to deal with him, not after all this time.
The Titans arrived at the bank, just in time to see a masked thug making a break for it with a large sac full of money in one hand. He held a gun in the other. He was at the bottom of the steps before he noticed the titans, who had gotten out of the car and were ready to catch him - he was only a petty criminal, no major bother. Not like the likes of some of the super villains they had fought in the past.
The criminal panicked, changed his direction, and ran straight into an alleyway. The titans started to give chase, Starfire taking to the skies to track his position. The alleyway seemed to grow darker. Raven felt the psychic presence coming from within.
"No." she said, softly. She sank to her knees with the effort of staying conscious.
Pain.Anger.Rage.
The criminal ran headlong into Wraith, who hoisted him against the wall. Starfire saw this, then her vision was also impaired as the alley filled with dense black shadow. She landed down next to Robin.
For long moments the Titans waited outside the alleyway, not knowing what to do. By the looks of the shadow, it was impenetrable. Cyborg fired a few shots from his ion cannon at the darkness, but it simply diffused over its surface. Suddenly, there was a loud scream which descended into a whimpering gurgle. Then there was nothing but silence. The shadow seemed to become less dense before the Titans' eyes, and as Raven started to recover, they knew that Wraith had vanished once more. They went over to check the thug.
Starfire gasped as they turned his body over. There were no eyes left in its sockets, and a look of pure terror was etched onto his features. The man had been frightened to death. The money bag and gun were scattered over the floor - the gun had been fired desperately in an attempt to ward off the ghostly vigilante. Robin closed the eyelids of the man carefully, while the others merely turned away, in awe and fear of what they had just seen. People were already starting to gather at the scene.
"Titans, we're dealing with a murderer now." said Robin quietly. The hate radiated from him; he would make Wraith pay for what he had done. Raven looked at the floor. She had to check something in her room, and soon - it was the key to Wraith's identity, she knew that.
The Titans slowly walked back down the long white corridor. As they did so, they were passed by a lot of doctors running towards Mumbo's cell - presumably to sedate him. Though none of them wanted to speak first, they all wanted to ask the question - did Raven really have a connection with Wraith? It certainly seemed so; when she had entered that cell, Mumbo had almost died with fright. Literally.
Beastboy was the first to break the uneasy silence. He turned to look at Raven.
"So," he said innocently, "Do you know anything about Wraith?"
The other Titans stayed deathly silent. Raven merely looked straight into Beastboy's eyes. Beastboy withered under the gaze, turned into a mouse and hid on Starfire. After a while, Raven could see his long whiskery nose poking over the top of Starfire's shoulder. She sighed.
"I think I know a little," she conceded, "but I have to think a little more before I can be completely sure."
Relieved, Beastboy resumed his normal state. He breathed out deeply in exaggerated relief. The others faced Raven directly.
"So what do you know about Wraith so far then?" asked Robin. Raven's reply was hesitant.
"I know that. that he is. like me." she said slowly. "Remember the time when I lost my temper with Dr. Light?"
They did, and shuddered at the thought - it had not been nice to see what she did to him.
"Well," she continued, "Wraith is like what I would have became if I hadn't been stopped."
There was silence for a moment, then the Titans started to walk again. Over his shoulder, Robin said that they would wait - and try and see if he showed up again before they made a decision on what was to be done about him. Raven sunk deeper into thought. Was it possible that Wraith was.
She shook her head, and walked quickly after the others
*
The Titans left the asylum and got into the T Car to go back to Titan Tower. From the shadows of the side of the asylum, however, they were being watched. Wraith slunk back into the shadows and contemplated his next move.
All was going to plan. He would beat the Titans at their own game, but get steadily more extreme with his methods. Then, when they came to stop him, the rest would be self-explanatory. He heard the screams from Mumbo, even out here. Deep inside of his mind, he almost felt sorry for the magician who had been yet another pawn in his scheme. Almost. Wraith swept away - he felt it was time to initiate phase 2.
*
The Titans had almost gotten home when Robin's pager sounded.
"Oh man." groaned Beastboy.
"Trouble at the bank." read Robin. "Cyborg, step on it!"
Cyborg, glad for a chance to test his improved nitro tanks, gleefully span the car in a 180 degree turn, before speeding off towards the crime scene. Raven sighed - he was always like this with the car - she really couldn't see the point. She looked over at starfire, who was currently having much fun playing with a cup-holder build into the door of the car.
"Most amusing." mused the Tamaranian happily. She noticed Raven. "What troubles you?" she asked.
"Me? Nothing. nothing at all." Said raven, knowing it was a lie. If Wraith was who she thought it was, they had every right to be fearful. she didn't want to have to deal with him, not after all this time.
The Titans arrived at the bank, just in time to see a masked thug making a break for it with a large sac full of money in one hand. He held a gun in the other. He was at the bottom of the steps before he noticed the titans, who had gotten out of the car and were ready to catch him - he was only a petty criminal, no major bother. Not like the likes of some of the super villains they had fought in the past.
The criminal panicked, changed his direction, and ran straight into an alleyway. The titans started to give chase, Starfire taking to the skies to track his position. The alleyway seemed to grow darker. Raven felt the psychic presence coming from within.
"No." she said, softly. She sank to her knees with the effort of staying conscious.
Pain.Anger.Rage.
The criminal ran headlong into Wraith, who hoisted him against the wall. Starfire saw this, then her vision was also impaired as the alley filled with dense black shadow. She landed down next to Robin.
For long moments the Titans waited outside the alleyway, not knowing what to do. By the looks of the shadow, it was impenetrable. Cyborg fired a few shots from his ion cannon at the darkness, but it simply diffused over its surface. Suddenly, there was a loud scream which descended into a whimpering gurgle. Then there was nothing but silence. The shadow seemed to become less dense before the Titans' eyes, and as Raven started to recover, they knew that Wraith had vanished once more. They went over to check the thug.
Starfire gasped as they turned his body over. There were no eyes left in its sockets, and a look of pure terror was etched onto his features. The man had been frightened to death. The money bag and gun were scattered over the floor - the gun had been fired desperately in an attempt to ward off the ghostly vigilante. Robin closed the eyelids of the man carefully, while the others merely turned away, in awe and fear of what they had just seen. People were already starting to gather at the scene.
"Titans, we're dealing with a murderer now." said Robin quietly. The hate radiated from him; he would make Wraith pay for what he had done. Raven looked at the floor. She had to check something in her room, and soon - it was the key to Wraith's identity, she knew that.