Speedy carried the slim petite girl on his back as he carefully walked up the steps. She let out a soft moan and rolled her head.
"Easy, easy blonde," he said cheerily. "You're sleeping just yet." His footsteps echoed across the long corridor lined with titanium tiles. He made sure one hand was supporting the girl while the other punched in his access code. Once they were safe inside, Speedy helped the girl down onto his well worn couch.
She looked around the room curiously. Some of the funiture looked banged-up but it wasn't half bad for a place to live in. The carpets were dark green and brown. Two large archery targets hung on the wall. Training equipment had been carefully placed in one corner. But the most distinct thing was large poster of adults dressed in bright uniforms. A flowing red cape for one, a woman with a glittering tiara, someone with a yellow beard and green mask...
"Where are we?" she asked softly. He slung his weapons off his back and tossed his arrows and quiver aside. "My hiding place," Speedy answered. "It's just a hole in the wall, but when I need some 'down time', it's home."
He stretched his long arms over his head and yawned, rolling his head back and forth. "Didn't catch your name, kid," he said.
"T-Terra," she stuttered.
"Speedy," he said, jerking a thumb to his chest with a quirky smile. "So Terra, had any idea what happened to you? Just saw you lyin' in a heap at the bay and thought you needed a rest."
The girl pressed a hand to her forehead and frowned. The last thing she remembered was unleashing a powerful force unlike any other she had ever mustered. It was a force blazing with beautiful golden energy as she screamed, allowing the burning lava to encompass her body.
Then the Darkness had taken her. She was sleeping inside of herself, too tired and too timid to wake up again. Why should she? The girl had been a double player for both sides in a war. She had been anapprentice to a man and friend to the Titans. But then something had stirred inside of her.
Terra had woken up.
Speedy had heard a loud shattering sound near the waters on his patrol and gone running. What he saw made his mouth fall open in shock. The statue there was glowing like a radioactive whatever UFO and just as he shielded his face and crouched down, spider-like cracks of light had crawled all over the statue and the stone had cracked. Instead of shattering into millions of little pieces, the statue's outer shell broke revealing a blonde haired girl inside. Then the light had died away and she fell to the ground.
Speedy had managed to pull that nasty looking metal armor off her skin. The girl must have been cold in her ragged shirt and shorts underneath but without any flying or speed abilities, all he could do was hoist her onto his back and carry her home.
"Remember anything?" he asked her slowly. Terra shook her head and closed her eyes.
"It was so dark . . . so cold. . ." she whispered, wrapping her arms around herself. "I just wanted to be left alone."
She looked up at Speedy with her lower lip quivering. "But someone was calling for help. My body was shaking 'cuz I wanted to do something. That's when I smelled the earth and felt the wind in my face."
"Terra? Wait a second..." Speedy frowned. "You're that sixth Titan, right? Robin told me the team was attacked by someone who left."
Terra's heart took a deep plunge. The Titans had taken her as one of their own, and she had done terrible things. She had done sick things by laughing in their faces and blasting down the very people that had trusted her. And whatever for? Just because she couldn't keep a grip on her own powers, did she had to go flying off the handle?
She had been the witch, not Raven. She had been the apprentice, not Robin. She had been the beast, not Beast Boy. Tormented with hatred for the Titans had become hatred to herself. Terra despised herself for succumbing to Slade and blasting down the very people that wanted to help her.
Speedy watched Terra bury her head in her hands and her voice was starting to crack. "I tried to kill them," she said weakly. Terrible memories were flashing in her mind:
The stench of burnt rubber . . . vibrations of rock shattering in the air
The cold pinching metal suit . . . the taste of blood in her mouth
The evil laugh in the air . . . cruel grin on her lips
Sinister smiles. . . . disgusting pools of mud drowning out the screams. . .
And . . .
And. . . .
All the time of dormancy inside of the rock was finally catching up with Terra. She felt a sick wave of nausea inside. Terra moaned and clutched her stomach. Fortunately, Speedy had this experience before and raced the girl to the bathroom where she turned out the contents of her stomach.
"I went to the Titan's enemy and he helped me control my powers. He taught me, sent me to betray them, and I did it. I did horrible things," she groaned aloud. More gurgling in her stomach and more flashbacks continued. Terra leaned back over the toilet.
Speedy continued to support the girl's quivering arms. For a few minutes, there was no sound except for Terra's retching and moaning.
"Let it all out, blonde. Get all the garbage out of your system and you'll feel better."
When Terra had finally poured out as much of herself as she could, she rested her head against the cool tiled floor. Speedy had a hunch she needed more than just a toilet and put his arms around her gently. The girl accepted the firm embrace and buried her face into his shoulder, sobbing hard.
"Its ok, kid. Its ok," he said in a soothing voice like an older brother protecting his younger sister. "I know what its like to make mistakes. I've made a lot of 'em in my time."
"You don't understand," Terra insisted. "I was a monster!"
"And I used to be a junkie," Speedy said with a shrug of his shoulders. "What about it?"
"A drug addict?" Terra stopped crying just enough to look at Speedy. He shrugged and looked away.
"Yeah, big time. I was going through a rough time so I took things to kill the pain. It made me do things I regretted. I thought I'd never break free, but somehow. ." Speedy's fist clenched and he glanced at the floor.
"Well, I had a teacher who wouldn't quit on me yet, even though I was killin' myself with heroin. He told me that I was worth more than trashing my mind and body with drugs. I was worth something fighting for. You've got to know you're worth it too."
"Worth what? I'm evil," she protested.
"If you're so damned evil, then you get back on that rock out there and go back to sleep." He jerked a thumb out the window. "But the Titans made you one of them. Doesn't matter how bad you get or what you betrayed them with: you're still part of that team. Once a Titan, always a Titan."
She rubbed her nose and looked at the floor. "I was a bad Titan."
"Bull. That's not what they thought of you," Speedy retorted. He reached over and takingout a metal plague, he puit in Terra's hands.
"I found this where you were lying on the ground. They kept it there," he said. Terra blinked at her reflection in the shining metal, and her eyes grew wide. The inscription said:
TERRA
A TEEN TITAN
A TRUE FRIEND
Terra's lower lip trembled and her hands shook in holding the precious piece of metal. A tremendous weight had been lifted from her heart, leaving Terra with a strange light and tingling feeling of astonishment. How did they have the strength to forgive her?
"You may have screwed up, but you gave your life to save them. That's a deed that's never going to be forgotten," Speedy said. He reached for a shelf and got out a fresh towel.
"Here. Shower down and you'll feel better," he insisted. "I'll try to find you some clothes to wear." Speedy went out of the bathroom and shut the door.
Shedding her stained clothes, Terra stepped into the shower and turned on the nozzle. A jet stream of blissful hot water burst from the showerhead and rained down on her, soaking Terra's blonde hair and washing the dust and dirt down the drain. The hot water and strong soap cleaned the grim and dirt off her skin, refreshing her blonde hair that had gotten caked with dust. She felt the effect start to wash away the fear and pain, only to be replaced with regret and resolution.
"I'm sorry, Beast Boy," she murmured softly. "I'm sorry for all the terrible things I've done." Terra opened her mouth and let the pounding water trickle into her mouth. She rinsed her mouth and spit the water out.
She turned off the water and watched it gurgled down the drain, swirling a few times before vanishing into the tiny holes.
Terra opened the door a crack and peeked out. Speedy had left a bundle of clothes on the floor. The khaki shorts were rather big on her, but there was a belt that secured them around her slim waist. There was also a hooded sweatshirt the color and scent of pine needles. Terra rubbed her nose against the clean warm fabric. It was a comforting smell, it calmed her down.
She made her way to the kitchen were Speedy had just heated up a can of soup. No sooner had Terra been given a bowl then she began gulping it down and shoving chunks of bread into her mouth.
"Sorry, the bowls need washing, but it should be o.k. in a cup," Speedy offered. He ladled some soup into a deep mug and added a spoon, offering to Terra who was taking a seat at the small table.
"Whoa, slow down, Terra! I'm not ready to do the Heimlich maneuver," Speedy smirked, shaking his head.
Terra kept eating while Speedy fiddled with his Titan's communicator. Suddenly, he frowned and banged the small device on the table. "What is it?" asked Terra.
"It's been deactivated. I can't contact them," he grumbled irritably. "I can't even seem to reach the others at Titans East." Speedy continued to fiddle with the buttons on the communicator.
The girl looked up hopefully. "Do you have a computer? I know the Titans' access codes. Maybe we can hook up to their main screen."
Speedy willingly pried open his laptop and allowed Terra to take a seat. Her small nimble fingers clicked on the keys for a few minutes. He watched her face turn to one of horror and Terra's hands flew to her face.
"No!" she gasped. "What th-" Speedy leaned over and looked at the screen of the Titans' interior living room. The glass had been shattered, the couch was overturned, and papers were littered everywhere.
"Where ARE they?" Terra cried, clicking the keys and flicking from room to room. Sure enough, none of the security cameras showed any sign of the Titans. "Try to rewind," Speedy suggested. Terra was able to get a flip back of eight hours prior to the current time. Terra was horrified at what she saw.
She watched on the screen as the Titans were each captured in a unique way: the booby trapped gift for Starfire, the drugged food for Beast Boy, and so on. Hitting another button, the cameras fast forward to large black droids entering and carrying the unconscious Titans out. Then someone was waiting in the shadows. . .
The camera showed Robin running into the control room and seeing the cartoon movie on the screen. Then the lights clicked on and . . .
"Slade!" Terra cried, wringing her hands together. "Oh no, this is all my fault!"
"Will you shut up and stop saying it's your fault?" Speedy snapped at her suddenly. He sat down next to her and moved the monitor screen. "Let's turn up the volume and hear what happens."
"You are about to witness the birth of a miracle," Brother Blood said aloud. "Thanks to the alliance between the H.I.V.E and this ingenious man you have dubbed Slade, the Titans will be vanquished."
"We have removed your team and now they are detached, unable to use their powers. They are in the currently newly established Academy," Slade said. "And ready to be terminated."
"Terminated," Speedy spat out. He slammed a hand on the table so hard, Terra thought the wood would break. "The H.I.V.E has just gone too far."
"Speedy, they really can't kill the Titans, can they?" Terra asked meekly. He gave no answer but looked straight ahead, his lips pursed up tightly. "Can they?" Terra repeated.
"Let's get a run down of who's behind this operation," he said. They replayed the cameras and again, he was frowning. "Brother Blood. I know that guy. Bad. Dangerous."
He seized a quiver of arrows and slung it over his shoulder. "You'd better stay here. I've got to see what I can do."
"Stay here? You just told me, 'Once a Titan, always a Titan.' And we prove it by protecting each other," Terra said with fierce determination. She put her hands hands on her hips.
"Can't take you with me. You're too worn out."
"I have to try!" Terra insisted. "Are you going to let me help you or not?"
Speedy grumbled something under his breath. But he threw up his hands, marched over to his workshop, and picked up a longbow. Terra watched him arm himself to the teeth with several other small weapons. "Guess its time to see what these little babies can do," Speedy said. He picked up two metallic weapons and twirled them around his thumbs like a gangster before sticking them into his utility belt. "I didn't want to volunteer for the suicide mission," he muttered.
"Okay, blonde. It beats sitting here and waiting for the H.I.V.E. to come get us. Might as well do what we can for the Titans." He turned around to face her. "You ready?"
She took a deep breath and nodded.
"Let's go."
A-A
Nightmares agagain. His mind was frying itself in circles of feverish rage as he tossed and moaned. The air was hot and thick, making sweatdrops roll off his forehead and sting into his eyes. He had never been this thirsty in all of his life. The lack of anything to drink was the least of his problems.
The H.I.V.E had stripped Robin down to his pants and now, his body lay on a metal bed while two hooded figures were painting symbols on his bare chest.
"Are you frightened?" Slade's voice echoed from inside his mind. He couldn't push the haunting sounds out of his mind and remained there, swarming like ghosts.
"You do not have to continue being tormented by this, Robin. Stop resisting what you were meant to be. You cannot save anyone, not your parents, your teacher, your team..."
"Not me," Robin thought to himself. "I wont lose myself."
"Stop," he whispered faintly. "Please, stop." Robin barely managed to turn his head. He noticed they were in the massive room surrounded by throngs of robbed people. Gurgling noises and stinging smoke were curling from below.
"Let him see," he heard Brother Blood command. Two students picked up Robin by his arms and carried him over to the edge were a sunken sphere was bellow. The Lazarus Pit was burning in its lava like aura giving off a heady scent. .
"Did you know that the ancient warriors wore masks to protect themselves?" he heard Brother Blood say. The robbed slim man stood above Robin, holding his white skull mask in his arms. "They masqueraded to drive away the evil spirits." He lifted up his mask and placed the cowl over his own head.
"Ironic, isn't it, Robin? We dress and impersonate the things that we hate the most. That is why your mask stays on," Brother Blood insisted as he pointed a finger at Robin.
"Bring forth the daughter of the demon lord, Trigon!" Brother Blood shouted, clapping his hands together. The drums began to beat and a low chant was heard.
"All hail Trigon. . . all hail Trigon . . " they murmured in heavy tones. Robin watched as the robes parted and someone walked forward.
"Raven!" he gasped. Her blue robes were replaced with red ones. Two sets of fiery crimson eyes blazed from within her face. The girl did not seem to be aware of Robin's presence. She stepped forward to the platform where Brother Blood was pointing, never speaking or moving out of turn. They controlled Raven's every move.
"From your blood, the enemies are purged. With your wrath, the oppressors are consumed," Brother Blood breathed out. "Give us the blood that your father sends coursing through your friends. All hail Trigon!"
"All hail Trigon," Raven repeated in an emotionless voice. A gray-skinned hand emerged from her robes along with a dagger. Raven pricked her finger and several drops of red blood landed in the Lazarus Pit below. Instantly, there was an explosion and smoky purple circles rose from the Pit. The students all clapped and cheered at the miracle.
"NO!" Brother Blood thundered. The beating drum stopped and the silence was suddenly overwhelming. He peered over the side and glanced down at the Lazarus Pit. "This water is not ready yet," he said in a low threatening tone. "Her blood did not bring about its final perfection."
"That's because she's NOT your servant," Robin heard himself spit out. "Raven is stronger than you think. She'll never obey you or her father."
Leather clad fingers gripped Robin's bare shoulder tightly and he was lifted several feet off the ground. Slade's black eye leered at Robin. "You seem to have a difficult time grasping the concept of obedience, young man," he said. He tossed Robin aside and the boy rolled over on his stomach.
Brother Blood strode up to Raven and looked at the girl. "To whom do you serve?" he demanded.
"Trigon, the Dark Master," she answered calmly.
"Hmmmm," Brother Blood paced for a moment. "We will have to insure that she is truly cleansed of her mortality to be sure of where her loyalties lie."
Slade stepped over Robin's body and rested a hand on the railing. "You may inform me when the ceremony is fully-prepared. In the meantime, I will be watching the other Titans," Slade said. He turned his head down and glanced. "And Robin. . ."
The teenageer lay sprawled at the man's feet.
"No more running away," he commanded. Slade exited the massive room to leave Brother Blood to his plans.
A-A
A green feathered humming bird tapped at the metal shackles for a few minutes. "It is no use, Beast Boy," Starfire said unhappily. "They will not come off."
He morphed back into his original form. "Damn," Beast Boy said, looking at the metal bands on Starfire's wrists and ankles. "You sure they locked your powers in?"
"I am afraid so," she said unhappily. "When I try to summon my Tamarean powers or even levitate off the floor, it repels me." Here she raised a palm up. The faintest glow of green emerged from Starfire's palm, only to be followed by a sharp electric shock. She winced at the pain and withdrew her hand.
Beast Boy shuddered and looked around the prison cell. Cyborg had already been taken to a control room where the H.I.V.E was going to reprogram him as a weapon of terror. With Raven and Robin in the so called "sanctuary", only Starfire and Beast Boy were left.
"Starfire, I'm scared," he said. His usually cheerful smile was gone and his dark green eyes were quivering with fear. Starfire wrapped her arms protectively around the small green changeling and she held him close to her.
"Is it wrong to be?" she asked softly, her own emerald green eyes glowing warmly at him. Beast Boy barely managed a tiny smile of gratitude. A clanking noise was heard and the doors parted. The Titans gasped as Slade stepped through, hands behind his back and being followed by H.I.V.E. students. He turned his head to the two remaining captive Titans and waved a hand. Beast Boy morphed into a tiger and crouched down low, growling as he took a protective stance in front of Starfire.
He lunged for the masked man, but Slade knew better than the changeling. His staff struck the tiger in the face and held the creature back. Beast Boy was crushed into the head at once. With a painful smack across his head, he transformed back into his regular form and fell to the ground. "Ow," Beast Boy moaned. Slade snapped his fingers and two of the robed figures picked up the injured changeling and carried him out.
"Let him go!" Starfire cried. She pressed a hand to the glass window and watched through, her green eyes growing wider and wider with horror. "What do you want with him?"
Down below, she noticed the students had taken Beast Boy to a large laboratory. One of the students was prying open a canister of some kind while two others were holding Beast Boy tightly. Unable to shake them off, he was frozen into place as one of them poured a sticky liquid over his body. Beast Boy began to shout and protest as the liquid was being absorbed into his body.
"What have you done to him?" Starfire whirled on Slade who was standing in the shadows.
"You'll see soon enough."
Beast Boy began to moan and thrash. Suddenly, his height was changing! He was growing in size and in terror until he towered above the HIVE students, his head nearly touching the ceiling. Thick matted green fur coated his skin. Long dagger-like nails protruded from his hands. Beady eyes were barely seen from the massive face and long sharp white teeth gnashed together. A thin drool of saliva seeped out of the monster's mouth. Starfire was trembling in horror. Where the funny little changeling known as Beast Boy once was, a vicious creature had appeared. He growled low and crouched, ready to attack the students.
"The toxins," Starfire gasped. "The ones that Adonis used."
Two of them threw chains over his body and a third cracked a whip. "Stay back! Back, I say," the student commanded. The whip lashed across the beast's matted fur leaving a streak of red blood. The beast roared out loud, but could do nothing. The heavy metal chains swung around his body, pinning his arms to his side. They tugged on the chains to pull the beast towards the cage. The snapping of the whip drove the beast backwards into the cage and the iron bars slammed shut.
"No! No! No!" Starfire gasped again and again. Her heart was bleeding with pain, a cold feeling clawing at every fiber of her body. Tears streamed down her face like rain down windowpanes and she continued to weep bitterly. "No, it cannot be true," Starfire sobbed, driving her clenched hands into the concrete ground.
"You, you fiend!" she cried at Slade. "You vicious monster!"
"Really. I thought he was the monster," the masked man retorted, pointing a finger at the caged beast. Starfire stretched out a hand to will her powers to come, but another painful electric shock shot through her arm and she slumped to the ground, nursing her injured limbs.
"Why will you not stop and leave us alone?" she moaned, shaking her head.
"Peace comes at such a high price. You of all the Titans must know about that sacrifice," he insisted.
"My friends and I will stop you," she said bravely.
He gave a low silvery laugh that made shivers crawl down her spine. "So stubborn yet so naive. I wonder what Robin ever saw in such a silly alien girl."
His cupped hand came under her chin and sharply tilted Starfire's tear stained face up to his. Starfire could not look away as much as she utterly despised and hated the man that had destroyed their lives time and time again.
"Now, what shall be done with you?" Slade taunted. "A ransom? Exile? Imprisonment?"
She had no ability to fight him but Starfire was a warrior in her own way. Her green eyes flashed and she pursed up her lips.
The girl spit into Slade's face.
He released his grip on her and struck Starfire across the face so hard, she felt her cheek would crack from the pain. "Insolent girl," he sneered. "I was planning to spare you, maybe even allow you to serve me as Robin will in time."
"I will NEVER serve you!" Stafire cried out defiantly. Her fear was being replaced with fury, a small spark of courage being kindled within.
"You have ruled our futures, Slade, but you will not rule me."
A-A
"No, stop!" Raven cried in pain. Brother Blood was right: she hadn't been fully won over to Trigon. No sooner had Slade left when her mind had gripped her conscience again. Her face and robes were restored back to their original form. Now with her flashing purple eyes and blue robes, Raven wanted to break out. Enraged, the students grabbed Raven and pinned her arms behind her back tightly.
"I see why my spells cannot convert you. You exercise too much strength," Brother Blood said dryly. "
"If you want strength, I'll show you strength," Raven growled. "I wont do what you say."
His cupped hand came over her forehead. Brother Blood murmured something in a low voice and Raven's forehead began to burn. "No, stop!" she cried, feeling a white hot finger of heat sear into her skin. "What are you doing? NO!"
"Awaken," Brother Blood commanded. The gemstone burst from Raven's forehead and landed in his palm. Without a second glanced, he tossed the jewel into the Lazarus Pit. Another explosion and shots of blue flames emerged from the pit.
"No! That stone is the source of my powers!" Raven cried out. Her mental and spiritual balance were whirling out of focus. Brother Blood face came right up close to hers, his eyes glittering sinister magic behind his mask.
"That petty source of mediation and your little tricks were only used to keep your power on a leash. You will no longer need to harness your power, child of Trigon."
He raised a dagger into the air. "Now be purged by the wrath of the Lazarus Pit!" he roared. Hands grabbed Raven and began to pull off her cloak. "Let me go," she cried. But when she stretched out her palms to summon power, nothing happened. Raven was as powerless as a snuffed out candle.
"Many times you may have to die to rid yourself of that pettiness. The weak Titan known as Raven shall die, and the princess of the Dark Master will reign and serve him!" Brother Blood laughed out loud, his maddening tones echoing all over the cavern.
He plunged the knife into Raven's chest.
The driving steel pierced soft skin, right into her flash. Ripping pain was tearing into every part of Raven, her blood spilling out in vibrant ruby tinted pools on the floor. Raven staggered backwards and her back arched gracefully. The students all gasped as she went falling further and further. . . .into the Lazarus Pit.
With a splashing sound, the rippling waters encompassed Raven. There was a belching sound of eruption and more smoke emerged from the Pit. Several smoky rings formed out of the lava when her blood lay on top of the golden foam. The members of the HIVE gasped and prostrated on the ground at the miracle.
"Wait!" Brother Blood commanded, raising his hand for silence. "All is not over yet. She has yet to be cleansed of her weaknesses."
Inside the swirling hell waters, Raven's injured body thrashed painfully. Unable to soothe the pain, she could feel the throbbing chant in her mind trying to break free. It was not the lack of air in her lungs that was the pain, but the lack of freedom in her brain. Raven's mind was closing in on the darkness and her conscience was sinking into a murky eerie plane of danger.
"Sweet daughter," she heard a deep masculine voice say. "Come to your father," the voice commanded. Inside her mind, Raven saw someone approaching her.
"Leave me alone!" her brain screamed at the voice.
"Precious daughter of darkness, you and I so very much alike," she heard Trigon's voice.
"I am not you," Raven protested back.
Trigon formed in front of Raven and she gasped. This was not the same monster that Cyborg and Beast Boy had seen, but a strapping youn man with long flowing red hair and eyes of deep melting gold. His voice had become soft and gentle, soothing Raven's spirit.
" I am your family, the only one that you can trust, Raven. You have spent so long in isolation and sadness," he called to her. Trigon drew his arms around Raven and unable to resist, she was pulled into the breathless embrace of her father.
"Let your mind unleash the freedom you long to taste," his throaty voice murmured to her. "Let me end your pain, let me give you love-"
"NO!" Raven pulled herself out of her father's arms. "Your love is poison to me. You only seek to control me, Trigon., You want your daughter to be your killing host for the world."
Raven gave a shrill cry and forced her body to fuse with her mind, pulling her out of the spell and back into reality.
For a moment, all was silent. The hell waters began to froth madly and suddenly, Raven's soaking hand emerged from the Pit. Splashing water everywhere, she grabbed onto the metal handle of the ladder and managed to pull herself up. Raven lay on the ground, coughing and spitting up water. The soaking bleeding girl looked like a sprawled squished black bug writhing on the ground. All the students gasped and Brother Blood's cold blue eyes narrowed, sparks of gold fire flickering in his eyes. "Damn you little traitor," he hissed.
Raven said nothing but reached for her blue cloak that had been discarded. No sooner had she put her hand inside the pocket then Brother Blood's foot slammed onto her hand, crushing the bones within. Raven let out a thin hissing sound and withdrew her hand.
"You are becoming a pathetic example to my students, Raven," he said angrily. "You can see that there is nothing for you in this world. The Titans have been divided and defeated. You cannot put your trust in this futile fragile place at all."
Raven's dark eyes opened weakly and she looked at him, too tired and injured to speak.
"Honor your father's command and put an end to your suffering," Brother Blood declared. "Do not resist the Lazarus Pit, Princess of Darkness. It will baptize you and clean yourself of the stinging pains that your team has caused you."
"The Titans never caused me pain," Raven said softly. She had withdrawn herself into a small tightly clenched ball, her fingers wrapped tightly around a precious object that had been inside of her robes: her score card from the arcade.
"Then we shall cause you pain instead," Brother Blood sneered. He nodded to six students wrapped in red capes. They all raised their hands and began to blast Raven with dark energy, making her twist and writhe in the pain.
A thin pasty fellow with a yellow complexion had just approached Brother Blood. "My lord, is this truly necessary?" he asked meekly.
"Extremely necessary, Sebastian," he said irritably. "We shall have to kill her time and time again until she relents. If she resurfaces without Trigon's blood fully coursing through her body, repeat your attacks.,"
"As you wish, my lord," Sebastian said, bowing deeply.
The students thrust Raven again and once more, she felt the splashing sound of hot water cover her body. Back again into the Lazarus Pit. Painful images stung in Raven's mind. They were not the happy memories of her friends, but the ones that taunted and teased her to no end: the stupid annoying jokes of Beast Boy, the irritancy of Robin's hastiness, and a simpering alien girl that got on Raven's nerves. How dare they all thing they could get the better of her.
"This is what the human nature is truly like, my daughter; they are petty and selfish. Despair of their ways and reject their weaknesses."
The score card had become a crumpled and soaked ball of spongy paper in her fist. One happy memory, one single laugh was all she needed, but Raven couldn't think at all right now.
Raven blanked out.
A-A
It was dark again, but the air was wonderfully cool and airy. The silence was peaceful and soothing. Raven blinked and stretched out a hand to the darkness, trying to find out what had happened.
The girl realized that her body had no clothes on and even more odd, her skin felt light and transparent. Not for the cold, but the shame, Raven brought her arms around her bare skin and crouched down.
"Where am I?" she gasped out loud.
"Your soul dove into its pinnacle point," a woman's voice echoed. "Raven, you have suffered so much. Please forgive me," the voice begged. Raven watched the glittering outline of a woman appear in front of her. Her hair was long and flowing, her mouth was stern but not cruel. Her eyes alone were the deepest and most mystical blue that Raven had ever seen.
"Azar!" she sobbed out loud. "Was this why you let me be born? To bring destruction into the world?"
Azar shook her head, her long hair flowing around her with a life of its own. "The elders of Azareth feared this. They thought you would turn and serve your father."
"I don't want to," Raven begged. Shining liquid seeped out of her eyelids and ran down her face, flowing across her body. Tears are tangible even to the human soul.
"Azar, you taught me to harness my powers, never to laugh or cry again. But I have laughed and cried, yet Trigon had not tried to take me until now."
"How is it possible for you to pursue your course, to be spending your days and nights with such fierce determination?" Azar demanded. She shook her head in astonishment. Raven knew that all of her lessons would have come to naught unless it had been some very wonderful people. Those people believed in her, cared about her, and accepted Raven for her disturbed and complex soul.
"My friends," Raven answered her. Azar raised her head proudly and a small but majestic smile appeared on her face.
"Must I die?" the girl added.
"Your pain is so great that I have come to take you away from earth where your soul can sleep peacefully, away from the prying eyes of your father and his minions." Azar stretched out a hand to Raven, but the girl held back. "Come, Raven. You have fought too hard and for too long. You deserve to rest in peace at last."
"But I cannot leave earth yet. I must do something to go back and save my friends." The creases in Azar's face deepened and she looked at the girl curiously.
"You would sacrifice your own serenity and silence for these humans that you work with?"
Raven nodded slowly. "They are not just my friends. They are my family." A thick choking feeling rose in Raven's throat. "I love them, Azar."
Azar remained erect like a marble pillar for what seemed like an eternity. At last, her lips parted and she spoke.
"Then return to earth, dearly noble Raven. Return and save those that love you." Azar took the girl's face in her hands and bending over, pressed her lips to the center of Raven's forehead. A tingling sensation spread over Raven's body, washing out the hatred and filing her with a cool calming ease. A new glittering jewel had just appeared in the center of her forehead.
"Use Trigon's wrath against him and rescue your friends," Azar nodded. She vanished leaving Raven hovering in the darkness. Slowly, spirals of colors began to wash over her soul filling her with different emotions; happy light pink thoughts, golden peals of yellow light, deep reflections of haunting blue, noble indigo beams of color. . .
Raven crossed her hands together and began to chant, letting the colors and the love fill her body with surging strength.
"Azarath, metreon, zinthos," she began to say.
-A-
Sebastian peered down at the Lazarus Pit. "Perhaps we should fetch her out?" he asked Brother Blood. The headmaster shook his head. The students looked at each other skeptically. It was most unlikely that she had drowned so perhaps it was taking time for the daughter of Trigon to emerge and join their side.
The Lazarus Pit began to glow and froth, churning madly like an animal. The students started to applaud and the sound of their hands clapping was getting louder and louder as they waited for the miracle.
SSSSSPLAAAAAAAAASH!
Water shot out of its bath in spiraling columns, roaring like a raging tornado blasting its way to the ceiling. Every shielded their faces and eyes from the screaming winds and the continued columns of water that flared up like nothing else they had ever seen.
"Has she awakened?" Sebastian shouted above the roar of the water. No sooner had he asked it, then the columns of water died down and dipped back into the Lazarus Pit. Everyone gasped in astonishment.
Hovering in mid-air above the Lazarus Pit was a brilliantly beautiful and amazing young woman clad in white. Her cloak shinned like newl- fallen snow against the harsh smoky lights of the room. Raven's hair now swept to her feet in a waterfall of dark purple silk. Her eyes opened, glittering bright like stars.
"She is beautiful," Brother Blood gasped. He fell to his knees and the throngs of the gatherers did as the were told.
"All hail Trigon and worship him!" he shouted.
"All hail Trigon!" the students screamed.
"No." The voice that had spoken was deep and rich. It had come from Raven's mouth but it was a far cry from her usual voice. "I will not submit to your bloodbath," her voice rumbled aloud. There seemed to be another Raven inside of her. This inner strength was nothing like she had ever felt before.
"What? But it cannot be," Brother Blood insisted. "Her powers have been perfected, that essence is her most valuable strength. She MUST join us." He pointed a finger to Raven. "Do you not join in our crusade to crush the weak?"
"NEVER!"
Raven crossed her hands over her chest and her glistening eyes spiraling in dazzling colors. She thrust her hands out sending waves of energy that blasted everyone down. Unable to resist, their body were sprawled out like bugs. Brother Blood and Sebastian were slammed into the wall before falling to the ground on their faces. The hell waters went splattering all over the cavern and landed in various puddles on the floor.
Raven pointed a finger at Robin's body and nodded. His unconscious body began to hover into the air and move towards where Raven was standing. She stretched out her hands and he landed in her arms.
The two of them vanished leaving the injured and frightened members of the H.I.V.E all knocked out.
-A-
"Where are we?" Terra asked. Speedy shined his flashlight and looked up. Water was dripping down the stones of the cavern in a slow constant sound. He aimed the flashlight at the various rocks that studded the walls of the cavern. "We must be in the grotto under the new H.I.V.E headquarters. I guess they wanted it close to the sea."
Speedy leaned closer to the walls and shined his light on them. "Whoa, they hit the motherload!" he whistled. Hundreds of glittering green crystals were lighting up the way for the teens.
"Stay back, Terra," he insisted. "They might be radioactive." The girl ignored his comment and stepped forward. Her geology powers were more than stunts and she rapped her knuckles on one of the stones.
"I think its kryptonite," she concluded.
"Kryptonite?" Speedy scratched his head in thought. "So the H.I.V.E. doesn't do things by halves."
"What do you mean?"
"If they're gonna be so paranoid about anyone else butting into their plans then the H.I.V.E. might be distracted from hurting the Titans. That's good news for us," he said with an optimistic note.
"Come on," he waved to Terra. Speedy grabbed onto a kryptonite stone and began to climb up the walls.
"Umph:" he grunted. "Should have brought a rope. But-"
SCRRRUUUNCH!
Speedy clung to a rock, hanging twenty feet above the ground. He turned his head to see Terra floating on a large rock of fused kryptonite, her hands on her hips. The blonde smiled with a very pleased look on her face.
"Or, uh, we could just take the elevator," Speedy muttered. He jumped on the floating rock and Terra forced her powers to make it elevate up the cavern,
-A-
Raven materialized in a quiet part of the Academy and set Robin sitting propped up against the wall. He moaned and his head rolled to one side. Robin squinted behind his mask.
"Raven?" he croaked out. Was it possible that this glowing white apparition-like young woman with long hair was really the dry wit and tough cracking Titan that he knew?
"Rest, Robin. Your strength has not yet been restored," her imperial voice drummed out. Raven stretched out a hand and her fingertips touched Robin's throat. Her palm began to glow with a cool blue aura.
"There is still poison in your blood."
Slowly, the serum in Robin's body began to seep out and gather itself into Raven's fingertips. She withdrew her palm in which a glowing sphere of light was spinning. Raven murmured some words and the sphere of light vanished.
"Your body has saturated only a drop of it. You will live."
Sure enough, Robin could feel his senses starting to kick back into gear. His muscles felt strong and firm and his vision was getting better as well. The antagonizing feelings and mocking voices had vanished from his mind. He didn't feel any haunted visions or nagging thoughts prowling in him now. He lifted up his head and looked at Raven.
No sooner had Robin gotten his own ability to feel like himself again when Raven began to alter. She took a deep gasp of breath and her body stopped flickering with light. The sockets of white in her eyes died away and her eyelids closed. Raven slumped forward against Robin.
"Are you all right?" he asked with concern.
Slowly Raven's eyes opened revealing the familiar deep amethyst orbs that Robin was accustomed to seeing. "I, what happened?" she stammered, putting a hand to her mouth. Her voice had returned to its regular form as well.
"I don't know. You were thrown into the Lazarus Pit and then you came out. . ." Robin's voice trailed off. Raven rubbed a fist into one eye to clear her mind. "I remember feeling this incredible power being channeled through my body," she said. Raven frowned.
"I feel different. My back is all hot and itchy," she complained. Raven reached behind her and nearly shouted when she saw her sudden mane of purple hair that was now streaming down to the floor. She touched her forehead before glancing at her white robes. Robin resisted a laugh at her reaction. "Whatever you had, it looks like its gone for now."
Robin forced himself to his feet. "Thanks for saving me," he smiled.
"I should thank you, for saving me," Raven insisted back. Now it was her turn to get a look at Robin. "What about those markings on your skin?"
"This?" Robin rubbed a fist against his cheek. Sure enough, it was just paint and started to erase just fine. He spat into both hands and got the rest of the paint off his chest. Raven handed Robin the rest of his clothes. He gratefully donned his red shirt and cape before fastening his utility belt securely around his waist.
"Now that we're in the H.I.V.E, we've got to find the other Titans and break out," he said. Robin drove a clenched fist into his other palm. "And we've got to take down Slade and Brother Blood before,"
"-Robin," Raven said, tugging on his arm. He looked at her flashing purple eyes and saw the solemn tone behind them. "We can't afford to make a mistake again."
Robin's shoulders slumped and he frowned. Yet he knew that she was right. Robin wanted to stop Slade but it was not the most vital thing on his mission plan.
"You're right. I'll head for the security cameras and get a look at where they're keeping the other Titans," he said. Raven's eyes rolled in her head abruptly and her knees shook. She suddenly moaned and slumped forward.
"Raven!" Alarmed Robin slipped an am around her waist and lifted her up. "Are you all right?"
"I think my body just caught up with me," she said in a faint voice. She managed a weak smile at Robin. "I just need to rest a little, that's all. You go on without me."
"No, I can't just leave you here," Robin insisted. "I won't let them torture you again."
Raven gripped on Robin's cape firmly. "We can't afford to lose any more time. Who knows what they've done to our friends?"
Robin furrowed his eyebrows for a moment. His eye fell on one of the many long metal capsules that lined the wall. Supporting Raven with both hands, he kicked one of the portals open. Inside was a horizontal shelf about six feet long and stacked with robes.
Motioning Raven to sit down, Robin made sure she was cushioned properly among the robes. He covered her body with a few more of them.
"Don't move until you know you can," he said, kneeling beside her. "I promise I'll come back once I find the other Titans."
Raven nodded and gripped Robin's hand firmly. "Good luck, Wonder Boy."
Robin reached overhead and pulled the metal door down to seal the capsule. It snap shut with a loud clanging noise.
"Who's there?" a voice yelled from down the corridor. Robin heard footsteps coming and raced in the opposite direction.
-A-
"Why can't we attend the ceremony?" the small whiney black-haired girl sniffled. Jason shrugged and tossed his playing cards aside.
"Headmaster said the Lazarus Pit is for the most privileged students. We've got yet to reach that, Medea," he said. Medea tossed a braid out of her face. She pulled her hood over her head and adjusted the HIVE badge on her robes.
"We're just as good as them," she insisted. Jason began to pace the floor.
"Relax, Medea. We are fortunate enough to take on defense patrol while they carry out the destruction. Besides, you got your taste of fun, didn't you?"
A wicked smile spread across Medea's face. "I'd love to put a muzzle on that ugly green looking beast. Maybe we can tame him for the next holiday coming around."
A sudden clanging noise was heard from below. Medea glanced at the floor where a tile was beginning to shake and move. Her friend pulled her by the shoulder and shook his head. He put a finger to his lips and smirked. Jason motioned to Medea. The two HIVE students turned off the lights and crouched in the shadows.
The tile slide forward followed by two more. Three more tiles emerged along with small clumps of dirt. A head of red hair and a masked face slowly emerged. The head turned around, unable to see Jason and Medea. The head rose up slowly, only to be followed by a long lanky body. The young man placed his hands on the floor and boosted himself from the waist down out of the hole.
He reached down and began to pull out his partner. "I gotcha, Terra," he said. A girl with yellow hair emerged. "Where are we?" she asked softly.
"In Doomsday," Jason said abruptly from the shadows. Like lightning, the lights clicked on and he and Medea struck. The two HIVE students waved their hands and sent the intruders blasting into the walls. The masked boy and teenaged girl were unable to counter attack.
Several other HIVE students surrounded them quickly and grabbed Speedy and Terra. Their hands were pinned behind their backs and their faces forced up. Other students parted to allow Jason to come forward. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.
"Nothing!" the girl said in a high fearful voice.
"You have valuable possessions that we've come to claim," the masked boy declared.
"Valuable possessions?" Jason folded his arms inside of his robes. "Then I suppose you have interest in removing the defeated Titans from our domain. That's not going to happen," Jason said firmly.
"Don't underestimate us" the blonde haired girl warned suddenly.
"Don't be fresh with me," Jason shot at her. "This is sacred ground that you are trespassing on, and our correct convictions will see that you are properly punished." The blonde-haired girl looked startled but the masked boy only gave a thin laugh of resentment.
"Frankly, I think all your hocus pocus is bull," he said.
Jason struck him across the face. "Insolence!" he snapped. "You will pay for those foul words."
"We how to deal with 'lose screws' in the HIVE,"Medea said.
"Screw this!" Speedy yelled. He aimed his right foot and kicked the HIVE student as hard as he could between the young man's legs. Jason gasped and buckled over from the pain. Terra would have laughed if the situation wasn't so dangerous. Speedy drove his elbow into his captor's chest and used the weak point to wiggle out.
"Run!" he shouted, grabbing Terra by the arm. Enraged, the students all ran after them. Speedy fitted an arrow and shot it through the air, causing the door ahead to smash through the broken doors and down the corridor with Terra right behind him.
"Jason!" Medea shouted. He muttered some foul words under his breath as he nursed his injured organ. "Don't worry, we'll punish them severely once they're captured."
"Let them run!" Jason snapped. "Just make sure they reach the fourth quadrant. A lovely surprise will be awaiting our guests."
His sharp white teeth parted into a vicious grin.
"The Beast must have his fresh meat," he muttered.
-A-
Robin had successfully found the main computer control system. The guards were each give a final smack of his bo staff and easily defeated. Once inside, Robin climbed into the massive monitor and began working on the wires.
His plan was to shut down all of the power supply, but such a feat was too big for one Titan. He desperately wished that he had Cyborg to help him. Glancing at different monitors, Robin began to search for the Titans on all of the floors. So far, everything was turning up blank. They must have hidden his friends far away.
Robin climbed up the steel ladder to where various cables were running along the wall. Using an old trick, he clung by his arms to slide across a metal beam until the controls were right under his nose. Robin pulled himself up and draped his legs over the beam. Bending backwards, he found himself hanging upside down by his knees.
It would be a hard fall to cushion. Twenty feet separated his head and the hard metal floor. He worked slowly and quietly, making sure to have a secure grip on his batterang as he sliced through several wires and began to attach new ones together. Robin made sure he had a decently sized explosive in his utility belt.
A thin trickle of sweat was coming from Robin's forehead. He let the sweat stream and seep into his mask and sting his eyes. That was the least of his problems now. He shuddered to think what the HIVE might do to his other friends.
"Robin, I thought I told you 'no more running'" Slade's voice boomed over the speakerphone. Robin froze in his place, barely breathing.
"I know you're hiding somewhere in this institution, young man," his cool eerie voice wafted through the air. "But I'm a patient man, Robin. I will let the typical game of cat-and-mouse to run its usual course, if you wish."
His voice echoed all over the rooms and Robin felt as if Slade was right there in front of him. He began to slide sideways across the pole as carefully as possible. If Slade came into sight at any moment, he'd have to deflect and counter attack fast.
"Understand that your resistance has nothing to do with your fate. Time is running out, Robin. You will become one of us."
"Over my dead body," Robin thought to himself fiercely.
The clicking sound above the rafter must have meant the speakerphone was shut off. Robin allowed himself one long breath of air. He continued to work on the controls with only three goals in his head: Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire.