Chapter 8: "Trust"
Raven woke naturally, if not abruptly, the next morning. She was immediately surprised by one fact. She couldn't remember any nightmares. After a direct attack from Slade, she had expected to almost not sleep with so many horrible visions, but none had come. Then she realized why. The dread of telling her friends what exactly Slade was trying to get her to do was far worse than any mere nightmare. She winced at the idea, but picked herself off the bed, slipping onto her feet, and walking to her door. Feeling a bit rejuvenated, perhaps she could help Rith heal from his bruises and strain a little faster.
Walking out into the empty, darkened hallway of the early morning tower, she took a left, and kept moving. Not too much later, she touched a command beside another door. "…Rith, are you conscious?" she tested first, not wanting to barge in on him in his own room. Not hearing a response, she touched the door, and allowed her soulself to flow inside. Indeed, he was still on his bed, fast asleep.
The door swept open, and she smoothly walked over to his bedside. Raven paused, concern forming in her expression as she saw his brow quivering, obviously in some kind of disturbing dream. Quite sympathetic, especially after what he had done for her against Slade, she gently touched his shoulder. She gasped, snapping her hand back as a flood of painful visions flashed in her mind. His nightmare was so… clear, she realized as she looked down at the hand she'd used, rubbing the fingertips off her thumb. It had been her, screaming in pain, far away, and he was running, but couldn't reach her. Then it jumped, showing fallen bodies all around him, or armies attacking him, forcing him to fight, destroy everything around him.
Controlling her empathic powers, Raven gently touched his shoulder again, a sympathetic friend in that moment. "…You're so afraid of hurting people… And you care so much about me…" Her brow creased softly. "…I just don't understand why…"
Rith inhaled deeply, and Raven retracted her hand into her cloak, the boy moaning gently, sounding quite relieved and pleased. "…Raven… You came to check on me," he whispered with a voice weak from sleep. Her lovely voice had coaxed him out of his nightmare beautifully, like being pulled from blistering heat into a cool breeze and softness.
The pale girl smiled a bit. "I owed you…" She became quite serious. "You nearly died for me… You were willing to."
He smoothly sat up, offering a smile. "Don't worry about that. I was just doing what I could. You defeated him. Just one battle in a larger conflict, yes, but you defeated him, Raven. You made the choice."
Raven's expression softened helplessly. "I nearly crushed you, and you're making me sound like some heroine…"
"Because it took a heroic action to stop that power you were using. Raven, emotions are your power, and you were being strained by every one of your dearest feelings in that fight. All your fears and concerns, at least most of the most important ones to you, were all in one place. I can't blame you for unleashing your rage, only for taking the responsibility to control it before it was too late." His voice remained gentle and compassionate, completely relaxing her sense of shame in front of him.
Lavender eyes looked down gently, her expression calm and accepting. "I don't really know how to handle what you did for me, though, Rith. That was…" she winced faintly, "I can't repay that…"
"You already did," he replied, tilting his head with a kinder turn to his gentle smile.
She focused on him quizzically.
"I was able to wake up to your wonderful voice."
Her mouth opened a bit with a helplessly dismal expression and blush on her cheeks. "R-Rith…"
The blind boy just grinned at this point, and hopped off his bed beside her, retrieving his staff. She faced him again, calming her expression to uncertain anxiety. Realizing he simply wouldn't let her feel obliged to him, she sank her head and shoulders with a soft exhale, and looked up to start again. "When the others wake up… it's time for me to explain what Slade wants, why I've been so… distant."
"You're still afraid it will cost you your friends?" Rith queried with his usual shrewdness.
Raven admitted it with a nod. "I know to trust my friends, though."
"Of course," he replied matter-of-factly, already smiling again.
At last, she allowed herself some amusement with his insurmountable kindness, shaking her head with closed eyes, making her hair dance slightly. "Thank you, Rith… That's all I can say at this point."
He bowed. "You're entirely welcome, for my part."
Calming, she nodded for them to walk out together. "Come on. Something else happened last night you need to know. I'll tell you on the way to the living room."
"A plan, indeed. Shall I make us some tea while we wait for the others?" Rith asked as they left his room.
"…If you want," Raven decided to respond, a bit awkward at transitioning from tea to Malchior. "Remember what I said about Malchior? How he was trapped in a book?"
Rith nodded, calm and focused himself.
"…When we got back yesterday, I found that book missing from my room."
Indeed, the boy's expression became grave, but not overly alarmed. "…You suspect Slade?"
She nodded. "I'm not sure though… we were fighting him while it vanished, after all."
"Considering how the fight with Slade ended… It might have been nothing more than a diversion from the theft of the book."
Raven was unsettled by how well his postulation fit what she was dreading in her heart.
"It would seem Slade's goal… or his method for attaining it, is to manipulate your emotions. Malchior is a logical target to that end," Rith continued, his voice remaining serious.
Knowing Rith would understand as well, if not better, than Robin, Raven quietly admitted, "He's trying to unlock them…"
Finally, the blind boy smiled again, looking to the young woman. "And you can simply show him how well you control your emotions."
His hopefulness was refreshing, but it couldn't completely dissipate her fear. She managed a wan smile. "I didn't do a very good job of that in the last fight."
"On the contrary," Rith replied, rather predictably for his nature, "I think you did an excellent job. Stopping myself in the middle of a fit of rage is nigh impossible, yet you halted your anger completely in an instant."
Raven looked up at him resolutely. "Thanks to you." She refused to let him give all the credit to her this time.
The doors to the living room opened for them as Rith let his smile soften with warmth, tipping his head. "As you wish to see it, madam. The decision was still yours when it mattered."
There was an undeniable truth to what he said. No matter how well he got her attention, she had to stop her temper, just as she had let it go in the first place. Raven watched Rith walk into the kitchen, taking a seat on one of the stools herself. She knew offering to help would only be met with a polite refusal. Silence seemed to naturally follow, and Raven simply watched Rith prepare the tea for them both where she sat, both waiting for the others to wake up.
She could see the soft joy he felt just being in her presence, uniquely suited to such awareness herself. It was both touching and made her feel immensely guilty. How could he be so happy around her? How could he really feel so unconditionally for her when she had such darkness inside her, waiting to lash out? Yet the fear that he would turn on her when he learned the truth simply dissipated the moment she thought on it. She knew he wouldn't turn on her. He really cared about her that much. Through him, she realized, none of her friends would turn on her. Though she'd thought similarly herself the night before, it became all the more clear in that moment, as he let the tea simmer at his hands.
When he placed a cup in front of her, Raven tipped her head to him, and as she took it in her hands, looked up, asking, "Do I really sound like I have a pure heart, Rith?" It was a surprisingly simple, honest question. She wanted to know his perspective, hear his reasoning.
He seemed to understand her reason for asking, and simply set his tea down, his face gazing down at nothing as his eyebrows rose. "Soft, but capable of great power, almost sorrowful, but with the hint and hope of joy just behind each word. I feel humility, power, grace in your voice. Only a truly good heart can produce these so eloquently. If you weren't a good person, Raven, you would not be so terrified of being a monster," he finished with a soft shake of his head, looking at her with eyeless gaze.
The girl looked down into her tea with a worried expression on her face. "…I want that to be true, but…"
One of his hands reached, softly resting on her own, letting her look at him again. "Rest easy, Raven. You'll be explaining things all morning. Just enjoy your tea."
For some reason, that was exactly what she needed to hear that moment. She exhaled with a faint smile, nodded, and started to sip her drink. "Mmm… very soothing, thank you."
He smiled back. "My pleasure. I'm very glad."
Raven was able to enjoy a full cup of tea before the other Titans started arriving, Beast Boy yawning as he marched through the doors last. Raven stood up and moved from the counter as Robin walked up to her. "Ready to talk, Raven?" Robin asked with his calm, serious manner.
The mood of the whole room seemed to turn more grave, even Beast Boy calm and wary for once as Raven took her time to respond. "…Yes. I need to tell you guys what's going on… Can we sit down?" she asked, gesturing to the table.
Robin was fast to agree, and everyone sat down in the booth, Rith taking the seat opposite Raven, the pair sitting on the outer sides, the rest spread around the table. Raven exhaled, grateful for the others' patience as she collected her thoughts. Dismissing her fear was proving more difficult than she had expected, her throat uncomfortably tight. "I'll… say this as clearly as I can. My father… is named Trigon, and he's a demon from another realm."
Robin and Rith had little noticeable shock, but Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Starfire showed differing levels of sympathetic concern already.
Raven went on, "Slade has been brought back by Trigon to make sure I fulfill the destiny intended for me since my birth." She was clearly having a tough time, her eyes closed and her brow creased as she kept her head bowed. The others listened attentively, Starfire pouting for her friend. "The thing on my birthday… Slade started the process that day." She raised her hands, and the markings appeared on her palms.
Cyborg was grave as he pointed to her hands. "Those were all over you when you were going off on Slade… Did he…?"
Raven just nodded, her eyes tightening as she felt tears threaten, but she kept her emotions calmed, letting herself relax physically. "He showed me a vision of the future. …I destroy the world, and my father takes over." Her hands closed and she pulled them down into her lap. "I'm not sure I can stop it from happening…" She glanced to Rith, and then to her friends around the table, "but I won't let him turn me on my friends… I won't turn on this world."
The table was silent, Beast Boy just staring at her with wide-eyed shock, a shadow of guilt hiding behind his gaze. Rith remained silent, but looked at Raven with a sympathetic, accepting expression that let her feel as though she were still welcome, not suddenly an abomination. Cyborg finally managed to respond, "Geez, Ray… We had no idea this was that serious… Why didn't you tell us before? We coulda planned better…"
Raven looked down quickly, her brow creasing. "…I didn't want to turn all of you on me… after finding out what I am."
"You're a 'who', Raven, not a 'what'," Robin replied with sincerity, leaning forward. "Why would we turn on you? We all know you'd never turn out like Slade or Trigon."
Beast Boy nodded, firm in his agreement. "No kidding, Raven. Cy and I helped you take on your Dad in your head before, why would we wig out on you now? No way! We're your friends!"
Starfire nodded quickly. "Absolutely, Raven. We would never turn on you. You are our friend!"
Though she had already known to trust each and every one of them, Raven couldn't help but smile as tears wetted her eyes. "I know, I'm sorry… That's part of what Rith helped me realize… Up until now, I didn't think I could escape it, that I could just enjoy the time I had left, but… I have a choice." Though a shadow of doubt lingered in her heart, she decided to trust in hope, with her friends.
Robin nodded, smirking his old, confident smirk. "That's right. Don't worry, Raven. We'll make Slade wish he'd never been brought back. I don't care what kind of new powers he has."
Cyborg leaned in on one elbow. "I know you were going a little overboard, Raven, but if you can figure out how to tap into that power you used before, we'll take Slade down like that." He smacked his left fist into his right palm. "Booyah!"
It worried Raven, the idea of using her 'power', but seeing her friends' confidence made her smile more easily. "Of course… thanks."
Starfire suddenly floated over, and hugged Raven. Raven blushed, blinking her eyes wide as the alien girl grabbed her from the right, but then relaxed into a helpless smile, touching Starfire's arm across her front with her hands. "Thank you for trusting us with your secret, Raven," the red-haired girl whispered sincerely, closing her eyes as she embraced her friend.
The paler girl was softly shocked, blinking tears out of her eyes again. "Y-you're… welcome…" she managed awkwardly, not really sure she was supposed to say it in such a manner, but lacking anything else.
When Starfire finally released, she giggled, and grappled Rith, who gave a mild cry of dismay before laughing awkwardly from her hug. "We owe you much thanks, Rith, for helping Raven open up to us!"
Rith was blushing. "Please, please… Raven did this herself. Each of you have earned her trust. At most, I reminded her of things she already knew…"
Everyone, even Raven, smiled at him, the purple-haired girl replying as Starfire finally let go, still flush with joy. "You helped, Rith. Just admit it."
Caught, but happy for Raven's peace of mind, he scratched the back of his head nervously, smiled, and nodded. "As you say it, madam."
Robin flipped out of the booth, into the central area of the living room. "Alright, Titans. We know the situation. Malchior's book is missing, and Slade is still active. Raven, how can we help?"
Raven stepped out into the room with the others, Cyborg, Starfire, Rith, and Beast Boy standing by, ready. "Honestly, until something comes up, we're at a disadvantage. You all know that if either shows up, we'll need to throw everything we have at them."
Rith spoke up. "It's possible Slade only drew us out to divert us from the theft of Malchior's book."
Robin nodded, stroking his chin. "It fits Slade's style, at least before Terra took care of him. Trigon needs Raven, which means Slade needs her. Slade has drawn us out twice to get at Raven, though," he gave a nod to Rith, "maybe this last time was mostly a distraction to get that magic book. Here's the plan," he started seriously, looking to the team as they became freshly attentive. "Until something comes up, we have to be on our guard. Try not to head too far from the tower without another Titan, and if anything comes up, call the team in. Beast Boy, sorry to pick on you, but please watch your emergency calls."
Beast Boy sweat-dropped, but then nodded seriously. "No problem, dude. I'm not letting Slade get at Raven any more than Rith is."
Raven herself blushed a little, everyone giving the blind boy a faint glance. He just smiled awkwardly. "I think you're devotion stands on its own feet, Beast Boy. I just did my part in that last entanglement."
Cyborg smirked. "Yeah… ya just nearly took the whole building down with Slade's face."
Everyone shared the humor, and despite the ominous portents of Raven's revelation, they settled in for a relaxing breakfast. After all, Raven had known the whole time and continued to operate as a Titan, now it simply applied to the whole team. Whoever came looking for Raven, Slade, Trigon, or even Malchior, would be getting a reception they wouldn't soon forget.
(Later…)
That afternoon, the Titans were spread around the living room once again. Beast Boy and Cyborg were warring over Game-Station, Robin was shadow-boxing on the right landing, looking over the ocean, and Starfire was teaching Rith how to prepare some of her Tamaranian dishes. Even with the blind boy's nigh infinite patience, his wariness from the 'food' was becoming a little more obvious with every ingredient she added. Raven was reading over on the side couch, to the left of Cyborg and Beast Boy, reading her Witch Memoirs book.
Abruptly, Raven paused, folding her book over one thumb and glancing aside, as if listening to something seriously. It was vague, distant, but she sensed great power. She was about to call to the others, simply to err on the side of caution, when Rith froze with Starfire, his head jerking to the side as his brow creased. Starfire paused, looking to her new friend with controlled concern as she held a bowl of white pudding-like substance in her left arm. "We have a problem," he called out clearly.
Robin was already running to the kitchen, Cyborg and Beast Boy didn't even turn off their game, and Raven walked over to join Rith and Starfire as they stepped out of the kitchen.
"Can you sense him?" Rith asked Raven directly, his tone grave.
"Yes, I was just going to warn everyone myself."
Robin twirled his staff out in his hand, "Which one?"
Raven looked at him with both weariness and focus in her eyes. "…Malchior."
"Aw, man!" Beast Boy moaned, slapping his forehead. "So Slade did let him out?"
Raven pulled her hood up and floated into the air. "We can't know for certain, but that's what I suspect."
"He's coming from the city. I didn't realize he'd be so big," Rith explained, glancing up to Raven.
"He has the power to match. He's coming straight for us, too."
Robin ran for the doors, the others quickly following him, Rith spinning his own staff along his back. "Then let's get to the roof. Titans, GO!"
Not a minute later, the Titans spread across the center of the roof, facing the city. Robin took point, staff in hand, with the girls floating high on either side, and Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Rith falling in behind the leader. Just rushing over the last skyscrapers of the city toward their tower, Malchior the dread dragon snapped his powerful black wings, his black and purple body as powerful as ever, his red eyes glowing with malefic intent. Cyborg had his cannon ready, Rith was already summoning spheres of sound on either side of him, and Starfire let her power gather in her eyes and around her fists. Raven narrowed her eyes as they glowed, and held her hands out and low, her soulself coiling around them.
The massive dragon glided to a halt, floating before them with spread wings as his tail and hind legs hung beneath his shoulders. His eyes narrowed as if smiling. "Ah, my dear Raven. It has been such a long time." His voice was magical, not coming from his mouth, and filled with all of his dark power. "Still feeling lonely?"
Raven glowered. "Not really…"
"Aw… Poor girl. Still in denial. Is that your only defense mechanism now? Going to run to your room and cry all alone again?"
"Enough," Rith called powerfully, his own voice modified with power, filling the air around Malchior. Raven glanced down at him for the defense, privately appreciative. However well she could take it, it was still embarrassing to get harassed about crying alone in her room in front of all her friends.
Malchior focused down on the blind boy with dark, cold fury. "Ah yes, I've heard of you. A blind boy with surprising power."
Robin remained braced with his staff. "Who released you from that book?"
The dragon laughed, letting his focus return to the whole team. "That's for me to know and you to find out! Raven! I have a bone to pick with you!" The beast lurched, and a blast of flame erupted from its maw.
Robin and the others scattered to the sides, but Raven jerked her hands forward, power blazing from her eyes as a stream of soulself burst forth, slamming into the flaming blast. The two powers spread against each other, a black and orange wall swirling and pitching between the struggling wills.
Rith ran under the spells from Raven's left, dashing toward the edge of the roof facing the dragon, but also toward Cyborg. "Cyborg! Give me a blast!" and he ran off the edge, leaping into the air.
The half-metal Titan smirked, and aimed with braced legs. "Let him have it!" He fired just as Rith swirled into a somersault. The blue-white beam distorted as it reached Rith, the boy's curled body rising higher than Malchior, and burst into a distortion-sphere twice the width of his form.
Robin sent bomb-discs flying at Malchior as Starfire blasted him from her fists and eyes, Raven already starting to force his blast back. Malchior groaned as his wings blocked the others' attacks, and reinforced his flame attack. Raven strained, moving back through the air as she gritted her teeth, his fiery breath pushing her soulself back.
Rith somersaulted just over the dragon's head, spinning so violently he really resembled a ball of pale brown color in the core of a distortion. Malchior glanced up, his eyes flaring just as Rith snapped open, staff in his right hand, facing down at the dragon. The distortion sphere exploded with an earth-shattering drone, ring-waves slamming down into Malchior's head, ramming the dragon straight down toward the water below.
"Booyah!" Cyborg shouted, running to the edge with the others, aiming down with his cannon.
He, Starfire, and Robin rained firepower down on the falling dragon, all of it exploding and striking just as he struck the water with a geyser from the force. Malchior started to recover quickly, Rith adding his own blasts of sound to the others' attacks, but Raven shot down the front of the tower, her hands out to the sides as her cloak streamed along her legs. "Azarath metrion zinthos!" She halted in the air, legs rushing forward, and wrenched her arms across each other.
Pillars of black water erupted from the bay in front of Malchior, and slammed into his head from below on either side, forming an 'X' almost instantly, snapping his head back and forcing him to reel with a pained shout. Malchior growled, his eyes glowing as he prepared to attack Raven again. Beast Boy shot off the roof of the tower that moment, rushing into an eagle form, and flew high above the dragon. The dark beast himself curled his wings forward to block Raven's blast of soulself, and when he snapped them wide, a dome-wave of dark power erupted from his own body, blasting water away as it ripped toward Raven. She drove her hands down, still glowing with dark power as they clawed toward the ground, and a wall of water erupted ahead of her, resisting the dome-wave as it struck with a shuddering boom.
A loud moan sounded from above, and Malchior glanced up. His spell dissipated with shock as a massive, green whale fell on him, smashing both down into the water. Raven's eyes flared. "Beast Boy, watch out!"
The whale sweat-dropped before it flew off, away from the tower, Malchior bursting out of the water violently, his wings snapping free with a roar of irritation. The whale crashed into the deeper water further out, and vanished beneath the surface. Malchior chuckled, one wing rising up to block blast-discs, star-bolts, and sonic blasts from the three Titans still on the roof. He rushed at Raven, who landed in the shallow water to form a dome-shield of her own. He rammed his snout into it, making Raven wince, and he drew back with his neck.
Suddenly, Rith dropped down, the water splashing out from his feet as he landed ahead of Raven, staff raised in front of himself, one hand posed with focus. Malchior focused on the blind boy, whose expression was dark and determined. The dragon smirked, and inhaled. With a snap of his head, his maw snapped open… but no roar came out, his eyes blinked open.
Rith smirked faintly. "That's right… roar."
A sonic explosion sent water flying for hundreds of meters, Malchior reeling back, Rith shielding he and Raven from the falling water with a semi-visible dome of sound.
Robin looked to his alien friend. "Starfire, give me a lift down there?"
"Gladly!" She took his arms, and Cyborg leapt down with them, crashing to his haunches on the small island around the base of the tower, quickly running to join Raven and Rith in the shallow water.
Malchior roared with fury, splashing out of the water, stomping toward them. The water down to his right exploded around a massive green jaw. A prehistoric crocodile erupted, biting Malchior around the neck, nearly his equal in size. Malchior roared, but the massive dinosaur simply wrenched him down into the water, snapping the dragon over itself, slamming its back into the shall water ahead of the other Titans.
Beast Boy reformed, up to his knees in water. "Raven taught you a lesson already, now we all get to deal with you." His rare grim mood was showing.
The other Titans surrounded Malchior in the shallow water, the dragon raising his head to glower at Raven herself. Cyborg had his cannon trained, Starfire was ready with star and eye-bolts, Robin had blast-discs in his hands, and Rith stood by with his staff calmly resting one end in the shallow water.
Malchior finally chuckled. "You fools understand so little. The real villain here is her… She'll ruin your world."
Raven's face firmed, but the others were completely unfazed. Robin just took a step closer. "So Slade did wake you up. Raven told us what Trigon wants. You can tell him he isn't getting it. Slade, you, Trigon. You're all going down, just like any other monster or crook."
"We'll see about that…"
The Titans braced back as the dragon shot out of the water, rushing high into the air, already starting to fly past the tower. Raven took off as well, power blazing in her eyes as she flew over the tower directly, the distant bridge ahead of Malchior as she chased him. "You're not escaping! I won't let you wreak more havoc!" She shouted, blasting her soulself at him from behind. Coils of shadow wrapped around his body, wings, and neck, yanking him to a halt.
Beast Boy turned into a bird, Starfire gripped Robin and Cyborg in her left and right hands, and they took off with Rith to back Raven up. The pale girl herself had landed on the roof, gritting her teeth as she struggled to pull Malchior back from the bridge. The others landed around her, but just then Malchior wrenched free. Raven gasped, stumbling back as her soulself was wrenched painfully.
"Raven?" Rith asked with concern, standing near her.
"I'll be okay," she muttered, holding her head for a moment.
When Malchior turned around, building flame in swirls and vortices ahead of his body, within his wings, Raven lowered her fists and stared at him firmly. A few of Cyborg and Starfire's attacks just vanished against his building spell. Her cloak rippling, Raven took point, summoning power around her hands as she spread her legs, her cloak starting to flail behind her. "I'm not sure how long I can block that spell…" she admitted gravely.
As the other braced to support her effort, Rith's brow creased. He looked back to the city, then to the other Titans with Raven, and abruptly took off, shooting toward the city. Malchior roared, snapping his head down and his wings apart more forcefully. A wall of fire exploded toward the roof of Titan Tower. Raven screamed, ramming her hands forward. A stream burst out, and blossomed into a wall as it flew to meet the massive fire spell, the two colliding with a rushing roar. Raven strained her throat, her feet starting to skid slowly back on the cement roof as Malchior pressed in with his spell. The others simply couldn't add enough to help.
Robin glanced back at last, his brow creasing. "…Rith…" The boy was missing. He knew Rith would never leave Raven in danger like this, so what was going on?
Raven's mouth opened as she cried out, flaring more power into her counter spell with her soulself, but after pausing the wall of fire, she started to lose ground again. "I…can't… hold this…"
Cyborg ran to the side of the roof, ripped up a whole air-processor, the size of a small car, and grunted as he tossed it at Malchior. The dragon's wing blocked it, but Starfire had flown high, and was raining green power down on him. His spell started to weaken. Cyborg started to fire his cannon, just to support their effort, the other Titans attack from around the spells as Raven handled the frontal attack.
Robin leapt back, and shouted up to their flying friend, "Starfire! We've got to break his focus!"
She flew down rapidly, Cyborg running to join Robin, and the alien girl grabbed them both by one hand again, quickly flying around to come in at Malchior from his right side. Raven prepared a push with her spell as she watched them go, Beast Boy waiting tensely as he tried to think of how to help. Starfire's eyes blazed with power as she drew close, and swirled around with a building shout, swinging her two friends in at the dragon like a pinwheel. Malchior glanced at them, his visible eye flaring just before Cyborg's robotic boot slammed into his snout, "Booyah!" immediately followed by a two-leg ram from Robin.
The flame spell broke, Raven ramming Malchior back with the last rush of her power. Starfire quickly flew back to the roof, letting Robin and Cyborg down, just in time to see Raven slip down to her knees. Beast Boy was at her side that instant. "Raven! Are you gonna be okay?"
She nodded weakly. "I'm worn out, though… I don't how much more I can do… Where's Rith?" she asked, noticing his absence from the roof.
Robin hurried up to her with the others. "He's been gone for a while now. I don't know what's going on." He glanced up. "Watch out!"
The Titans split to the sides, Raven and Beast Boy diving left, Robin and the others to the right. A blast of flame scorched the roof between them, and Malchior laughed. The Titans rose up to attack, but when Cyborg tried to fire his cannon, nothing happened. He blinked, glancing down at the barrel. He tried to say "What the-?", but his voice never reached the air.
Raven tried to call out, but abruptly they all realized it had become completely silent. Looking up to Malchior, they saw him roaring… without any sound coming out. The dragon paused, confused, and then they saw him focus back to the city. Everyone looked back as well, and even Raven's eyes widened at the sight.
Writhing above the city, nearly as large itself, was a massive distortion. It was drawing itself out of everything making a noise for miles, out past the bridge, across the bay, every corner of the city. It was a massive sonic build-up. Unseen for the distance, Rith floated in the center of it, his hands gripping his staff, his hair and cloak writhing up from his body. He lowered his head, brow creased, and 'saw' Malchior preparing another spell, sound or not. With a sharp jerk, her twisted his staff horizontal, and rammed his arms forward, his entire body pitching from the motion.
With a snapping rush, the entire distortion, continuing the draw on everything in sight, burst into a solid beam of warped air, rocketing over the city, across the bay, between the shocked Titans… and straight into Malchior. At impact, a tone of such raw power and density emanated that the sound-wave was actually visible. Malchior contorted around the body-blow, the beam ramming him back like a bullet-train as more ring-waves shot out, rupturing the water below, but distorting around the bridge to avoid damaging it.
The sheer force of the sound was blasting wind across the top of Titan Tower, the team looking back at the source of the beam of sound with shocked understanding. Beast Boy blinked his eyes wide. "He was sucking up all the noise just to blast Malchior…"
Raven exhaled, starting to recover her strength already. "We were distracting Malchior, so he took the chance to build up this attack." She found herself wondering why it hadn't already occurred to her, and she smirked a bit, but then stood up, facing Malchior again as he tried to resist the unbelievably strong sonic blast. The distortions in the city started to a fade, and a bulge formed at the base of the sonic stream. It abruptly ripped toward Malchior, the stream no longer present in its wake. Rith himself was the base of the sonic beam now, and he was ripping toward Malchior with his staff ready. Raven and Starfire took flight as the bulge shot past the tower, Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy rushing up to the edge of the roof.
The dragon almost doubled over despite his spells as Rith slammed into him bodily with his staff, enhanced with super-sonic power. Star-bolts and soulself were already flying at Malchior, but the dragon reached in and grabbed Rith, yanking the boy out into the air with a shout of pain, his staff flying off. Raven's eyes flared. "Rith!"
Malchior growled down at the boy. "Quite a bit of power, human. I have a message for you!" He suddenly dove toward the water, the fist holding Rith raised to hit the water first. At such a speed, Rith would be dead on impact.
"NO!" Raven shouted, and shot down with Starfire. Green power plowed into Malchior's back, but Raven herself shot down in front of him, between the dragon and the water, and sent a black-engulfed staff into the dragon's face.
Reeling with pain from the stinging blow, Malchior was halted, and Raven used her power to wrench Rith free of his crushing grip. The blind boy used his power to float near Raven, his staff flying back to his waiting hand as her power faded from it. He smiled. "Thank you, Raven."
"I owed you," she replied with a faint smirk.
Starfire beam-blasted Malchior in his back, but he just roared, and flew toward the tower again. She shot off to continue attacking him, a building shout emanating from her small body as power practically poured off her fists. She rammed them forward as she came closer to the tower, unleashing a massive beam of green energy into the dragon's back. Malchior grunted, snapping around her strike, but recovered quickly, flying up ahead of the tower as she rejoined Robin and the others on the roof.
Rith and Raven flew to join the battle again themselves. Raven looked to the blind boy. "Can you manage another powerful attack?"
"How much do you need?" he only asked in response.
"Enough from you to block one of his fire attacks. I have an idea."
"Then you shall have that attack," he replied with a confident smile.
Raven found herself smiling back, and then they focused on their task. Malchior was just drawing from the tower as they reached it, building another breath attack. Raven quickly landed. "Rith and I are going to hit him hard. We'll need some support for this to really matter."
Cyborg charged his cannon. "You got it, girl. Let's do this."
She and Rith shared a look, and they flew to meet Malchior. Cyborg paused, glancing down at the water, and then looked to Robin. "Got an idea of my own, got a cryo-disc?"
Robin raised an eyebrow, then smirked. "You have to ask?" He held a blue-tinted disc in his right hand. "Just give the word."
Malchior roared, unleashing another fire-blast stream. Rith twirled his staff in front of his body, and a wall of sound distorted the flame as it hit, spreading it at impact. Raven flew up on Rith's left. "Azarath metrion ZINTHOS!", and drove her soulself into his sound-wall. Rith was surprised, but found her power engulfing his sound shield. Dark sound obliterated the flame attack, and started to push Malchior back slowly but surely.
Cyborg leapt off the tower. "Robin, gimme some frost!"
"Star, shoot it near the water!" Robin shouted, tossing his cryo-disc down with a snap of his arm.
Starfire flew down, aimed, and blasted the disc above the water just as Cyborg landed. A huge block of ice formed in jagged waves, and he ran up, grabbed it, and wrenched it above his head. Bracing his legs, Cyborg grinned. "Hey fire-breath!"
Malchior glanced down, his brow creasing.
"I think you needs ta chill!" He whirled around, and flung the small glacier straight up.
Unable to block properly and maintain his spell, the dragon took the ice straight to his chest, grunting as he reeled. The black sound wall streamed into a rushing beam-attack, and drove him back through the air. Beast Boy warped into a T-Rex, bit off another air-processor, and snapped around, sending it flying, while Starfire and Robin flung star-bolts and blast-discs at the dragon from the roof, Cyborg blasting him from below with his cannon. Thoroughly battered by the onslaught, still driven back by Raven and Rith's dual attack, Malchior roared in frustration, and a swirling blast of darkness rammed all their attacks away for a moment. "This isn't over, Raven!" But he swirled around, and shot off, retreating into the sky.
Remaining tense for a few moments, in case the dragon tried to return with a surprise attack, the Titans started to relax. Cyborg used his cord-hand to pull himself back onto the roof, Rith and Raven landing with the others. Raven pulled her hood down, weary but well. "I think I can find another book to seal him in. I'll start researching it after a bit of rest."
Robin smiled. "Enjoy your rest, everyone. Great work, team. He may come back, but we proved he shouldn't be so sure of himself. You two," he nodded to Raven and Rith, "were amazing. I didn't know you could use your power on sound, Raven."
A bit bashful, she gave a wan smile. "Only after Rith makes it so solid. Amplifying each others' power made us both twice as effective. I knew we were both already worn down… especially after that blast you let off," she admitted, looking at Rith.
Beast Boy nodded. "No kidding. I didn't know you could do stuff like that!"
Rith blushed a bit. "…I'm very sorry for abandoning you all to do it, but it seemed the best way for me to help, and I know each of you can handle yourselves." He gave a particular look to Raven, but sincerely meant the whole team.
Cyborg shrugged. "We knew you wouldn't leave Raven hangin'," he said with a badly hidden grin.
The blind boy's blush only intensified as he dipped his head down. Raven shared the faint humor of the others. Starfire yawned. "I am very glad we have shown the Malchior he is not so powerful, but I am very tired…"
Raven tipped her head. "It was a long fight."
Rith added, "I'll watch over the tower. You all should rest."
Cyborg smirked. "After that attack, I know you need some sleep, Rith. I'm still good to go, I'll watch over the tower. You guys go relax."
Robin smiled. "Thanks, Cyborg. Come on, Titans, let's get some rest."
As they walked toward the roof exit, Rith glanced to Raven, who looked up at him with subtle curiosity. "…Thank you for saving my life."
She blushed gently. "You're welcome, but you'd have done the same. And, like I said… I owed you."
He was smiling, but shook his head gently. "You owe me nothing. I'm just very glad we're friends."
Raven let herself smile back. He was so good at letting her feel comfortable. "Still, I feel like I do."
The boy laughed gently, tipping his head. "As you say it, madam."
They all spread to their rooms, Cyborg tapping into the security system to keep an eye on things, and let themselves rest after a successful, however straining, battle.
(Elsewhere…)
In the dripping darkness of a deep cave, Malchior stomped into view within a large cavern. Slade appeared across from him, his visible eye narrowed. The dragon growled. "Tell your master I did as promised. I'm leaving this pathetic planet."
Slade raised the white book that had held Malchior in his left hand. "Not quite, Malchior. You promised to bring Raven here to me. I don't see her anywhere."
The dragon scoffed. "You'd be dust before the curse left your lips, wisp."
"Would I?" the marked warrior replied with evil humor. "It has become clear to my master that you have little use to us. You couldn't even get her frustrated, yet alone tap her true power." He shook his head, lowering the book. "No, Malchior, I have no intention of sealing you away in some dusty old book." It burst into flames, and fell to the ground as ash.
Malchior chuckled, turned about, and started to leave. He jerked back when the exit burst into hellish flame, and whirled around, seeing the entire cavern flare with unnatural fire, Slade standing in a swirling column of it. The dragon summoned dark energies around his body, but Slade held his hand forward, and crimson energy burst out of the walls around the dragon, coiling around him and engulfing him. The dragon's last roar was cut off before he simply vanished with the last of the red power, the flames dying away.
Slade chuckled faintly, the mark on his helmet glowing brightly. "A mere beast can not stand against the power of my master. Good bye, Malchior…"
