Crow stood before Slade, who was looking at the device Crow had retrieved.
He didn't say anything as he turned the device over and over in his hands
as he examined it.
"So you can duplicate his abilities." Slade said at last.
"Only the abilities of those who have been submerged in my darkness." Crow replied.
"Then you can duplicate all of their powers?"
"Yes... How do you know all of this?"
"Research can be key to victory. The next time you face the Titans, they will be more prepared for a physical assault against you. I suggest you start using your powers this time."
"Do you want me to..." Crow began.
"No not yet. Save that ability for later. The Titans wont know what their truly up against until it is far too late." Slade said with a sinister note.
**************
In the Titans tower, the teen superheroes trained against each other to improve their fighting ability and general preparedness. Only Raven was not present, for reasons she had not disclosed to the others. Robin paired off with Cyborg and Starfire against Beast Boy in their sparring match. Starfire flew above Beast Boy, out of his reach. She fired of starbolt after starbolt, using precise aim so Beast Boy would not receive any real damage; however, every hit would count as a point against the green skinned changeling.
"Can't stay up there forever, Star." He said as he shifted from one form to the next, dodging her attacks.
Robin and Cyborg were having a more direct, hand-to-hand style of combat. Cyborg could use his arm cannon, it had been modified to fire harmless blasts for this exercise and the setting could be changed at a moments notice; however, he opted to work on his physical techniques so that he would not be so easily tossed aside during another confrontation.
Instead of charging at Robin, Cyborg went in close to attack, so that Robin would not have enough leverage to fling him. Robin smiled as he placed a foot behind Cy's and pushed against the metal man, tripping him, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Seems I have the advantage." Robin smirked, twirling his staff.
Cy's arm shifted to its cannon form and he fired at Robin, who took the full blast head on. A small, thin trail of smoke curled up from Robin's head.
"Bang, you're dead." Cy grinned.
While Robin had knocked Cyborg down, Cyborg had shot him, 'killing' him and so Cyborg got the point and winning that round.
Starfire, who had once held the advantage over Beast Boy, now struggled to doge him as he was dive-bombing her in the form of an eagle. She couldn't get a clear shot as the zigzagged all over the place. When she was sure he was following her she turned and prepared to blast him, but Beast Boy was no longer there. Panicking she turned and looked around for where he was coming from. Suddenly, there he was diving towards her again and in mid- flight he shifted into a tiger, pouncing at her. Startled, Starfire blasted him; it was a stringer blast than she intended for it blasted him up against the wall. He slid down the wall with a squeaking noise, shifting back to his human form and there he lay on the floor, seemingly unconscious. She hurried down to check on him, a worried look on her face.
"Beast Boy, I am so very sorry! I did not mean to hurt you. Are you all right?" She said, shaking him in desperation.
He opened his eyes suddenly and leapt at her, shifting into a large bloodhound as he did. He knocked her over and began to slobber all over her face causing her to laugh. Starfire pushed him off eventually and Beast Boy, shifting back to human form, helped her up. Cyborg and Robin were on their feet as well, Robin fixing his hair.
"I hope we're ready for this guy next time. I don't want to have my butt whooped again." Beast Boy said.
"You should hope that he wasn't simply toying with us last time." Raven said calmly as she entered the room.
"Raven. Have you come to join us in our training?" Starfire inquired.
"A Lexcorp building is being robbed." Raven stated flatly.
"Do you think it's tall dark and ugly?" Beast Boy asked.
"Even if it is, this time we'll take him out." Robin replied.
"All right Titans, lets go beat the bad guy." Cyborg shouted gleefully.
*********************
The Titans arrived at the Lexcorp building and once again they found their foe waiting for them atop the roof. Raven was determined to find out who this person was, what he wanted with her and to stop him.
Crow stood there facing the Titans, someone would have to make a move and it looked like they were waiting for him.
"Don't you ever get tired of it?" Crow asked.
"So you want to talk now? We can talk all you want after you turn yourself in." Robin said.
"Don't you ever get tired of it? A thug here, a super villain there and there seems to be an endless supply of them and only limited number of heroes." Crow continued as though Robin had not spoken.
"Doesn't matter. If we can make the world even a little better then we've got to do all we can." Cyborg retorted.
"People should not have to suffer. If my power can help those in need, then I must do all I can to help." Starfire said.
"Saving the world is no joke." Beast Boy smiled confidently.
"If we don't help them, who will?" Raven said.
Crow's eyebrows rose at Raven's statement. To him, she didn't sound so sure; as in control of her emotions as she was, he could still read her like an open book.
"A strange answer and an ignorant one as well." Crow laughed.
"What makes you say that?" Robin asked.
"There are some fights you can't and could never win, some foes that cannot be beaten... And they are closer than you know." Crow replied looking at Raven. "But that is neither here nor there... yet. You have a device to retrieve, so come and get it."
Robin took out his collapsible staff and attacked, Cyborg converted his arm to a cannon, Starfire charged her power, Beast Boy shifted into the form of an elephant and Raven used her powers to create a small arsenal of projectiles.
"Heh... Am I a dog that you come at me with sticks?" Crow asked, mumring something else under his breath.
A dark thing emerged from his shadow and leapt at Robin. It was a large shadow wolf and it talked Robin, pinning him to the ground. Robin used his staff to fend off the beast as best he could.
"Don't worry about me, get him!" He called out to the others.
Cyborg and Starfire blasted Crow with energy and a dark wall rose to shield him. Smoke billowed from the point of impact and Beast Boy charged in, using his now greater bulk to smash through the shield. Unfortunately, no one was there, Crow had already moved from that location. Laughter resounded and they turned in time to see Raven encased in an opaque black bubble. Crow stood beside the sphere and motioned for the remaining Titans to attack. Cy let loose a blast of blue energy, which was again blocked by a dark wall. The dark wall changed into a giant claw that fell upon Cyborg, pinning him to the ground.
"You're next, little light bringer." Crow said, flying up to Starfire.
He grabbed her, his hand blocking her nose and mouth, preventing her from breathing. She blasted Crow away, but still could not breath as a dark handprint still covered her mouth and nose. She desperately tried to pry it off as she fell from the sky, landing hard on the ground. Beast Boy charged at Crow, feeling confident that his elephant shape would protect him. Crow proved him wrong as a column of darkness erupted from the ground, launching Beast Boy in to the air. Beast Boy shifted back to his human form to avoid breaking the roof upon landing, but he still landed hard, knocking him out of that fight. Robin was able to throw the shadow wolf off of him at last, rose to his feet and struck out at a nearby Crow. However, that image of Crow, only a shadow-double, dissipated when Robin struck it. Crow reappeared behind the caped crusader and with a great gout of black fire, he knocked the boy wonder unconscious.
"He was right... They truly don't know what they are up against." Crow murmured to himself. "Interesting considering they've been fighting by her side all this time. One would have thought they had learned some... eh?"
Cracks appeared in the bubble that held Raven and it suddenly exploded, as she broke free. She hovered a few feet off the ground, her hands glowing with her power. She had a calm expression, ever in control, but Crow knew that she was angry with him.
"I want some answers now. What are you trying to do?" She demanded.
Crow said nothing as he hovered to her level. The two stared at each other and Raven launched a piece of the roof at him with her power. Using his own power, Crow stopped the oncoming piece of debris. Their two powers mingled, coalesced and tore the fragments apart.
"Tell me who you are." She asked again. "Where did you get this power?
'A power that is so much like mine.' Raven thought.
"If an instructor you seek in the dark's laws, class begins, good pupil... Come and be taught." He growled.
Raven flew at him and struck him. Crow tumbled from the sky, but grabbed Raven's cape, dragging her down with him. As they fought, Raven's senses seemed to grow distant. She saw things in the third person, as though she were the audience of some brutal play. She watched herself fight Crow, blast him with energy, which he returned at her and then she saw nothing. And then she saw four red eyes in the darkness.
The sight of the red eyes shocked her awake, or so it seemed to her. She was standing in an alley and Crow was gone. She turned and saw words burned into the alley wall.
'You can't control it forever.' Was burned into the wall.
Raven Facts: A lost young woman named Arella, sought out the occult and arcane. Offering herself up as the bride of Satan, she allowed herself to be taken by the man who appeared during the ritual, and only afterward did he reveal his true, demonic appearance. Horrified at what she had done, what had happened to her, and fearful of the demon's child she carried, she was on the brink of suicide when she was found and taken to Azarath, a dimension to which a community of pacifists had fled from Earth to live in peace. Arella gave birth to a girl, a girl named Raven.
"So you can duplicate his abilities." Slade said at last.
"Only the abilities of those who have been submerged in my darkness." Crow replied.
"Then you can duplicate all of their powers?"
"Yes... How do you know all of this?"
"Research can be key to victory. The next time you face the Titans, they will be more prepared for a physical assault against you. I suggest you start using your powers this time."
"Do you want me to..." Crow began.
"No not yet. Save that ability for later. The Titans wont know what their truly up against until it is far too late." Slade said with a sinister note.
**************
In the Titans tower, the teen superheroes trained against each other to improve their fighting ability and general preparedness. Only Raven was not present, for reasons she had not disclosed to the others. Robin paired off with Cyborg and Starfire against Beast Boy in their sparring match. Starfire flew above Beast Boy, out of his reach. She fired of starbolt after starbolt, using precise aim so Beast Boy would not receive any real damage; however, every hit would count as a point against the green skinned changeling.
"Can't stay up there forever, Star." He said as he shifted from one form to the next, dodging her attacks.
Robin and Cyborg were having a more direct, hand-to-hand style of combat. Cyborg could use his arm cannon, it had been modified to fire harmless blasts for this exercise and the setting could be changed at a moments notice; however, he opted to work on his physical techniques so that he would not be so easily tossed aside during another confrontation.
Instead of charging at Robin, Cyborg went in close to attack, so that Robin would not have enough leverage to fling him. Robin smiled as he placed a foot behind Cy's and pushed against the metal man, tripping him, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Seems I have the advantage." Robin smirked, twirling his staff.
Cy's arm shifted to its cannon form and he fired at Robin, who took the full blast head on. A small, thin trail of smoke curled up from Robin's head.
"Bang, you're dead." Cy grinned.
While Robin had knocked Cyborg down, Cyborg had shot him, 'killing' him and so Cyborg got the point and winning that round.
Starfire, who had once held the advantage over Beast Boy, now struggled to doge him as he was dive-bombing her in the form of an eagle. She couldn't get a clear shot as the zigzagged all over the place. When she was sure he was following her she turned and prepared to blast him, but Beast Boy was no longer there. Panicking she turned and looked around for where he was coming from. Suddenly, there he was diving towards her again and in mid- flight he shifted into a tiger, pouncing at her. Startled, Starfire blasted him; it was a stringer blast than she intended for it blasted him up against the wall. He slid down the wall with a squeaking noise, shifting back to his human form and there he lay on the floor, seemingly unconscious. She hurried down to check on him, a worried look on her face.
"Beast Boy, I am so very sorry! I did not mean to hurt you. Are you all right?" She said, shaking him in desperation.
He opened his eyes suddenly and leapt at her, shifting into a large bloodhound as he did. He knocked her over and began to slobber all over her face causing her to laugh. Starfire pushed him off eventually and Beast Boy, shifting back to human form, helped her up. Cyborg and Robin were on their feet as well, Robin fixing his hair.
"I hope we're ready for this guy next time. I don't want to have my butt whooped again." Beast Boy said.
"You should hope that he wasn't simply toying with us last time." Raven said calmly as she entered the room.
"Raven. Have you come to join us in our training?" Starfire inquired.
"A Lexcorp building is being robbed." Raven stated flatly.
"Do you think it's tall dark and ugly?" Beast Boy asked.
"Even if it is, this time we'll take him out." Robin replied.
"All right Titans, lets go beat the bad guy." Cyborg shouted gleefully.
*********************
The Titans arrived at the Lexcorp building and once again they found their foe waiting for them atop the roof. Raven was determined to find out who this person was, what he wanted with her and to stop him.
Crow stood there facing the Titans, someone would have to make a move and it looked like they were waiting for him.
"Don't you ever get tired of it?" Crow asked.
"So you want to talk now? We can talk all you want after you turn yourself in." Robin said.
"Don't you ever get tired of it? A thug here, a super villain there and there seems to be an endless supply of them and only limited number of heroes." Crow continued as though Robin had not spoken.
"Doesn't matter. If we can make the world even a little better then we've got to do all we can." Cyborg retorted.
"People should not have to suffer. If my power can help those in need, then I must do all I can to help." Starfire said.
"Saving the world is no joke." Beast Boy smiled confidently.
"If we don't help them, who will?" Raven said.
Crow's eyebrows rose at Raven's statement. To him, she didn't sound so sure; as in control of her emotions as she was, he could still read her like an open book.
"A strange answer and an ignorant one as well." Crow laughed.
"What makes you say that?" Robin asked.
"There are some fights you can't and could never win, some foes that cannot be beaten... And they are closer than you know." Crow replied looking at Raven. "But that is neither here nor there... yet. You have a device to retrieve, so come and get it."
Robin took out his collapsible staff and attacked, Cyborg converted his arm to a cannon, Starfire charged her power, Beast Boy shifted into the form of an elephant and Raven used her powers to create a small arsenal of projectiles.
"Heh... Am I a dog that you come at me with sticks?" Crow asked, mumring something else under his breath.
A dark thing emerged from his shadow and leapt at Robin. It was a large shadow wolf and it talked Robin, pinning him to the ground. Robin used his staff to fend off the beast as best he could.
"Don't worry about me, get him!" He called out to the others.
Cyborg and Starfire blasted Crow with energy and a dark wall rose to shield him. Smoke billowed from the point of impact and Beast Boy charged in, using his now greater bulk to smash through the shield. Unfortunately, no one was there, Crow had already moved from that location. Laughter resounded and they turned in time to see Raven encased in an opaque black bubble. Crow stood beside the sphere and motioned for the remaining Titans to attack. Cy let loose a blast of blue energy, which was again blocked by a dark wall. The dark wall changed into a giant claw that fell upon Cyborg, pinning him to the ground.
"You're next, little light bringer." Crow said, flying up to Starfire.
He grabbed her, his hand blocking her nose and mouth, preventing her from breathing. She blasted Crow away, but still could not breath as a dark handprint still covered her mouth and nose. She desperately tried to pry it off as she fell from the sky, landing hard on the ground. Beast Boy charged at Crow, feeling confident that his elephant shape would protect him. Crow proved him wrong as a column of darkness erupted from the ground, launching Beast Boy in to the air. Beast Boy shifted back to his human form to avoid breaking the roof upon landing, but he still landed hard, knocking him out of that fight. Robin was able to throw the shadow wolf off of him at last, rose to his feet and struck out at a nearby Crow. However, that image of Crow, only a shadow-double, dissipated when Robin struck it. Crow reappeared behind the caped crusader and with a great gout of black fire, he knocked the boy wonder unconscious.
"He was right... They truly don't know what they are up against." Crow murmured to himself. "Interesting considering they've been fighting by her side all this time. One would have thought they had learned some... eh?"
Cracks appeared in the bubble that held Raven and it suddenly exploded, as she broke free. She hovered a few feet off the ground, her hands glowing with her power. She had a calm expression, ever in control, but Crow knew that she was angry with him.
"I want some answers now. What are you trying to do?" She demanded.
Crow said nothing as he hovered to her level. The two stared at each other and Raven launched a piece of the roof at him with her power. Using his own power, Crow stopped the oncoming piece of debris. Their two powers mingled, coalesced and tore the fragments apart.
"Tell me who you are." She asked again. "Where did you get this power?
'A power that is so much like mine.' Raven thought.
"If an instructor you seek in the dark's laws, class begins, good pupil... Come and be taught." He growled.
Raven flew at him and struck him. Crow tumbled from the sky, but grabbed Raven's cape, dragging her down with him. As they fought, Raven's senses seemed to grow distant. She saw things in the third person, as though she were the audience of some brutal play. She watched herself fight Crow, blast him with energy, which he returned at her and then she saw nothing. And then she saw four red eyes in the darkness.
The sight of the red eyes shocked her awake, or so it seemed to her. She was standing in an alley and Crow was gone. She turned and saw words burned into the alley wall.
'You can't control it forever.' Was burned into the wall.
Raven Facts: A lost young woman named Arella, sought out the occult and arcane. Offering herself up as the bride of Satan, she allowed herself to be taken by the man who appeared during the ritual, and only afterward did he reveal his true, demonic appearance. Horrified at what she had done, what had happened to her, and fearful of the demon's child she carried, she was on the brink of suicide when she was found and taken to Azarath, a dimension to which a community of pacifists had fled from Earth to live in peace. Arella gave birth to a girl, a girl named Raven.
