"Twenty-five... twenty-six... come on Vic, through the roof!"
Up and down, up and down, the weights seemed to flow like the well-greased pistons of a car engine, as Victor pushed them up again and again. Around him, throughout the gym, people were watching him in awe. A boy of no more than sixteen, Victor was already twice as strong and at least five times as determined as anyone else who went to the weight room. Rare was the occasion when he didn't call out for more weight. His personal trainer was impressed.
"Fifty, keep going Vic this is a new personal best for you!" he shouted encouragingly to the sweat-soaked teen beneath him, pushing the iron weights up with his mighty arms. They were starting to shiver now, his muscles pushed past their limits, but Victor enjoying giving 110, and that's what he was giving right now.
"Fifty-seven!" he cried out triumphantly, as Victor finally stopped and collapsed backwards onto the bench, panting heavily for breath. Around him, the spectators gave cheers and words of encouragement, and he drank it in as easily as he did water. He loved it. Loved being admired like this, and kept pushing himself for that very reason.
"Keep this up and you'll make the Olympics in no time," he personal trainer said as Victor sat up, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"Thanks," replied Victor.
"Yo Vic! Your Mom's outside, here to pick you up!" someone cried from the front.
"Tell her I'll be a moment!" he shouted back, a little embarrassed. Just be like her to drop by and pick him up. He wasn't a frickin' baby, after all! He could drive himself if anyone ever bothered to trust him with a car. But no, too expensive for the big rich scientist family. Responsibility this, that, yadda, yadda.
Despite this, Vic had a smile on his face as he greeted his mom, (after toweling off and changing shirts, he'd shower once they got home) as she brought the car around and they prepared to take the short trip back home.
They pulled out onto the freeway... Victor smiled, elated at his long day, lay his head back against the seat... there was a loud honking... his mother screamed... then... oblivion...
Reboot
What?
Rebooting. System Active. Zero damage detected. Functioning at 100 capabilities.
What was going on? What had happened?
Victor opened his eyes, but found he could only see out of one. His right one. His other eye was open but it felt, well... weird...
"Son," said his father, appearing in his field of vision. He looked dreadfully pale, and his hands jittered nervously.
"Dad... what happened? Where's mom?" he asked, suddenly fearful. He felt weird. Like he wasn't entirely there. Painkillers, he realized. Frowning, he tried to move his body but found he couldn't.
"Vic... there's been an accident. The... oh god, you mother didn't even see the maniac coming... there was no way... she..."
"What happened dad? Where's mom? Is she alright?!" asked Victor, becoming increasingly fearful. What had happened?! And why couldn't he move?
Heartbeat increase
And where did that keep coming from?!
"Victor relax please... I'm removing the restraints. Please calm down," said his father, moving out of his line of view again. And again, Victor tried to follow him but his left eye wasn't cooperating. Why wouldn't it open? Or was it open?!
OpticalPort now active. Connecting...
And then he could see.
His vision was perfectly clear. And not just clear. Better, improved. He could see every single detail in the far wall, could see every hair on his father's head, could even zoom in and watch a fly at the far end of the room. And all of it was being fed directly into his brain.
This didn't reassure him. It only freaked him out more. Outside, there was a crash of thunder, and Victor saw a brief flash of light in the room, coming from the windows not in his range of vision.
"Dad?" he asked, his voice quivering fearfully. "What happened?"
"Your mother... didn't make it," he replied after a moment's hesitation, the sorrow of his voice striking Victor full in the gut, but strangely enough he took it in stride. He normally would've felt fearful, maybe even nauseous, but he couldn't feel anything right now.
"I couldn't save her... but I couldn't let you die too, Victor. So... I had to take some... unusual measures."
"What... what kind of measures?" asked Victor fearfully.
"I... I shouldn't... you just woke up..."
"What sort of measures?!" roared Victor, standing up at last. He heard an odd clunk as his feet hit the ground, but didn't think of it. Didn't pay attention to it. He was glaring down at his father, demanding to know what was happening. Hesitantly, the elder Stone pointed a trembling finger, directing Victor's gaze to a mirror occupying the far wall. Victor turned, looked...
... and saw himself.
A crash of thunder split the air.
Error. Error. Error.
What happened next was a blur. There was a crash, a scream, Victor's dad crying out but Victor couldn't recognize any of the words. He smashed blindly through the wall, running on his two legs, trying to get away. A nightmare, it had to be. A horrible, horrible nightmare. I'll wake up and I'll be human and Mom'll be alive and...
Victor tripped on a rock, unseen, hit the ground hard. Rain poured down from above, though he knew instinctively he was safe from such a mundane threat. But he hit the ground, and as reached down to push himself up he saw himself again in the reflection of a rain puddle. One half of his face, the right half, was still mostly human, with his smooth, dark skin visible and his chocolate brown eye, wide with fright. But the other side... was all machinery. Glowing white and blue with visible circuits and chips, all artificial. And a red orb that peered out from under his chrome brow in place of his other eye.
He was no longer human.
He was... a Cyborg.
Empty your mind of all thoughts. Be as a cool crystal lake, empty of ripples. And through this you shall known control. And through control, you shall come to know peace.
Yeah right.
Raven grimaced, opening her eyes, and sighed deeply. She couldn't concentrate. Her thoughts, normally calm, were angry and agitated like a swarm of bees. That's why her adopted mother had taken her up to the isolated meditation chamber. Her powers had manifested again, and one of the priceless vases in the temple, her home, has been destroyed. Shattered.
Raven recited her words again. "Azerath. Metrion. Zinthos."
Three words that high priestess Azar had taught Raven to help focus her powers and calm her emotions. Each with their own significance. So far, not a great deal of progress had been made, but it was a start, and Raven was slowly learning to meditate and control what lay within her.
For now she knew the truth.
Raven wasn't like the people of Azerath. She wasn't like her mother (adopted mother, really) she wasn't like any of them. She was... tainted... by evil. Azar had tried to explain it to her in a good way, tried to tell Raven she herself wasn't evil, but Raven had read between the lines and seen what she meant. There was evil inside of her, and power. A power stemming from a source that even the people of Azerath dared not utter its name aloud. But Raven had a name for it, though it galled her to call it such.
Father.
A great and powerful demon of other-planar origins had attacked a woman from a world called Earth, forced itself upon her, made it the mother of its child. They had told Raven of Earth and its significance in the multi-verse, and truthfully she was very curious about her true home world. She'd spent many hours with her adopted mother over the scrying crystal, peering through it at the world and watching in fascination the people who lived there. She may have been... technically... born in Azerath, but it was not her home. She wasn't like her adopted mother Azar or the other people here. She was different. And now she knew why. Because of her parents.
She didn't hate her mother. She hadn't had a choice in the matter. Her father had forced himself upon her. And it wasn't like anyone was capable of resisting an evil and a power as great as her father's. All her hatred was directly squarely at him.
Her eyes narrowed... and the wall behind her split. Cracked by yet another surge of her powers.
Sighing, she calmed down, focusing her anger again, and tried to relax. Anger was pointless. She needed to be calm and in control of her powers... or they would eventually control her. Or -he- would eventually control her, rather. Closing her eyes and resting her body in a relaxed posture, Raven again recited the words "Azerath. Metrion. Zinthos." Over and over again, like a mantra in her mind. They allowed her control...
"Azerath... Metrion... Zinthos..."
"Azerath... Metrion... Zinthos..."
"Azerath... Metrion... Zinthos..."
"Raven," came a kindly voice from just outside the door. Raven's eyes snapped open. How long had she been up here? Standing, her limbs stiff from lack of use, she dusted off her white novitiate robes and opened the door.
"Hello mother," she intoned softly, bowing her head respectfully.
High priestess Azar of Azerath smiled, beckoning Raven to follow her. The two made their way throughout the winding corridors of the temple to the scrying room. Raven felt a small bit of delight flitter through her system. She always enjoyed these times, since she'd get a chance to see Earth again in all likelihood. However, her momentary joy allowed a small statue they passed to shudder slightly. Azar paused, glancing over her shoulder at Raven, who quickly stifled the emotion. The statue stopped, and they moved on. Any emotion, not just anger, could fuel her spells. Anger in her simply seemed… strongest.
"My recent augury reveals that your father is on the move," said Azar, wasting no time in explaining to her adopted daughter the situation. Gently, she tapped the scrying crystal, letting the inner fog clear so it would reveal to them both what they needed to see. Raven peered at it curiously.
"His minions are working even as we speak," said Azar. "And we, as you know, cannot enter Earth. Our place is here, in Azerath. However..."
"However...?" asked Raven, curious as to where this was going.
Azar turned then to regard Raven, a smile touching her features. "Raven... you have been blessed with a great and powerful gift. Your magic is incredibly strong. Our lessons have seen to it that you have great control over your powers, and with further meditation, this will only become stronger. But it is ultimately up to you how you use this power. I can guide you but in the end the decision must be yours."
"Then I will use them as you have," said Raven without hesitation. "Against my father and the evil that he represents."
"Then, Raven, with your permission... I would like to send you to Earth..."
Author's Notes:
Cyborg's origins are more or less comically accurate (though I think there was something to do with demons instead of cars really), though I edited out much of the bitterness between the elder and younger Stones. The idea of adding a thunderstorm during it was an in-joke based on Victor's name and a comparison to another creation by a scientist. Frankenstein, naturally. Raven's origins are also very comically inspired, though again based on the light-hearted nature of the animated Titan's universe they've been toned down. I purposefully left out descriptions of the elder Stone and High Priestess Azar in the unlikely event they appear on the show. Feel free to visualize them anyway you like. Oh, and since it is obvious the Titans don't know who Trigon is ('Nevermore') I am omitting any direct mentions of his name (save in Author's Notes, since you all know who he is). Oh, and also important note is the sorts of speech contained herein. In case nobody caught it italics means it is inner thoughts or, more rarely, telepathy. Words in "Parenthesis" means regular speaking. Cyborg's computerized thoughts are in bold. Next chapter, the coming together of the Titans, and an emergence of a real plot. Truthfully, much of my story was inspired by the animated Justice League's Secret Origins. Look for comparisons.
Oceanbang: Well I hope you enjoyed these as well then.
Todd fan: You really go for the goofballs of the group, don't you? Should I call you Beastboy fan now? Or Flash fan maybe? Hehe.
Ham Ham Dude: I try, though I've never read a comic in my life. Glad you're enjoying this though, hoped you like Raven's.
Ash's Scizor: I'm not sure I can. At the end I want to write origins for Slade and Terra but Brother Blood might be more difficult. I'll consider it though.
The Anime Kid: Thank you very very very very very very much!
Chaos Girl: It's not as good as it could've been. I recommend reading Dragonblond's re-write instead once she's done with it.
Animeluvr1: I guess so. That poor kid though. Whose parents name their kid Garfield of all things?!
Spazzfire: Animated Beastboy at least, where I'm sticking for the most of the story. Glad you like, I'll update as soon as I can. Ask anyone, Kid Flash has nothing on me when it comes to updates.