Chapter 5:- New Circumstances

(QUICK DISCLAIMER:- Don't own Bad Magick by Godsmack. OK Onward!)

A teenage Raven ran down the street, gasping for air. She passed dozens of people, each of which ignored her very existence and went on with their normal lives. But she didn't care. All she needed to do was run.

She knew what was behind her. But she didn't want to look back. All she wanted to do was run.

She heard the thundering footstep and panicked. She ran to the nearest person, a young blonde woman, yelling "He's after me. You need to help me."

The woman turned and her skin melted away to reveal the man with the black and orange mask underneath. "No-one can help you now."

There was another thundering footstep.

The man in the mask reached out and grabbed Raven by the neck. "Time to die Titan."

"No… Somebody help me!" Raven screamed. "Somebody! Help me!"

"Nobody can help you now…" said the man in a drawling voice overlapped with a monstrous growling voice. An odd red S shape glowed red in his forehead.

"No…"

Every person on the street stood still and looked to the sky. Their eyes glowed red and they shot red beams from their eyes into the air.

The man in the mask spoke again. "Time to die Titan."

"Not today," came a familiar voice.

Three boys and one girl stood behind them. The girl was orange with bright green eyes, one boy was made mostly of metal, one was green, and another wore a mask and held a long staff.

The masked one threw something red at Raven's attacker. It hit him, exploded in light and everyone disappeared except Raven and her four rescuers.

The masked boy came over to her and offered his hand. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," said Raven as she grabbed the boy's hand.

Black veins crept up his hand and up his arm, before his hand crumbled to dust. He screamed, "You did this to me! You did this!" as the black veins crept up his neck, covered his face and he crumbled to dust. Behind him, the other three were suffering the same fate and moments later, Raven stood among four piles of dust. She screamed and it echoed around the empty street, hanging in the air like a gunshot.

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Animal Man kneeled beside the couch where Raven lay, sweating profusely. He dabbed her forehead with a damp towel.

"Stay with me, Rae…"

Raven, still unconscious, twitched and gasped.

"Raven?"

Suddenly, black magic radiated from Raven's body like a supernova, pushing Animal Man away from her and into the wall. All the objects in the room were thrown wildly away from Raven.

Animal Man fell away from the wall to crash on the floor. Raven's eyes snapped open.

She saw Animal Man and quickly ran over to him to help him up.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I thought you didn't have any powers…"

"I don't."

"But…"

"I know. It happened at the hospital. Almost killed the doctor…"

"Right."

Raven looked at his face. "What happened to the burns?"

"Used an old herbal recipe on them. Works wonders. Oh… That reminds me," said Animal Man before he ran to the fridge (which was lob-sided from Raven's blast), opened the door and pulled out a Tupperware container with some orange stuff in, closed the fridge and walked back to Raven.

"Eat this," he said. "It'll make you feel better."

Raven took the container, opened it, and winced.

"I know it looks disgusting, but it tastes like chicken."

Raven looked up at Animal Man. "You better be right about this," she said taking a chunk in her hands and eating it.

"See?"

"Wow… It really does taste like chicken…"

Animal Man smiled. "Really? Because I have no clue what chicken tastes like…"

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"Sir, Mod failed," said the lowly voice of a servant.

A gloved hand came down upon the arm of the chair. "Curse those Titans!"

"What will be our next move, sir?"

"The Titans must not be allowed to regroup. Send out assassins to target the other members of the Titans before Raven and her new pet find them."

"Brilliant idea, sir."

"Quickly!" yelled the voice.

The servant nodded scared and ran off.

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"So you have no memory whatsoever?" asked Animal Man as he handed Raven a plate full of food.

"Thanks. No, I can't remember a thing, but I get these flashbacks," replied Raven as she tucked into the various cooked vegetables.

Animal Man sat down and started to eat his portion of food. "Flashbacks?"

"Yes. Whenever something reminds me of an experience I had in the past."

"And that's how you knew what button to press in the T-Car?"

"Yes. Mmm… This is good. What is it?"

Animal Man peered over at Raven's plate. "Umm… Let me see… Aah… Fried marrow."

"It's good."

"Thanks. I recently grew a really good crop of those in Robin's old closet."

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The Titans, minus Robin, sat around the table, all dressed in the Boy Wonder's costume, hungrily ate the pizza in front of them. Even Silkie crawled around on the table, dressed in a mask and cape.

"I have to admit…" said Raven. "The mask makes me feel cool."

Suddenly, Robin appeared behind them. "Pizza? Great!"

Raven slunk behind Cyborg as every Titan showed a wide eyed look on their face.

"You know, Titans… The mask makes me feel cool too."

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"We dressed up in Robin's uniform?" exclaimed Raven.

Animal Man laughed. "Oh, man… That was fun."

"What happened to the Tower? To the Titans?"

"The Tower? I happened to the Tower. I don't know what happened, but being in a city didn't feel right anymore. I had to be somewhere wild… That's what happened to the Tower."

"And the Titans?"

"We all followed our different paths…"

"Look… Mod tried to kill me. He said it was a mercenary job."

"I can protect you Rae."

"For now… I mean, if I hadn't been in the T-Car, we'd both be blood on the end of Mod's sword!"

Animal Man stayed quiet.

"All I ask is that we find someone who can help us. Help me regain my memories."

"You really don't remember anything?"

"No."

"Anything at all. Even right before you slipped into your coma?"

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"Raven…" muttered Beast Boy.

"Beast Boy…"

"We'll get you back to the tower. We'll get it out."

"I… Beast Boy…"

"It's OK. You're gonna be fine."

"I…"

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"I was shot. You found me and took me to the hospital. Right?"

Animal Man was silent for a moment. " … Right."

"Is there something I ought to remember?"

" … No. You got it all."

Raven looked at him oddly, knowing he was holding something back. However, she didn't push it. "OK, so… Where are the others?"

"Well, I do know where one of them is…"

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"Black knight to black king. Target acquired. Over," said a large man, hidden in a long brown cloak, into a communicator.

"Alright, black knight. Beat the crap out of him. Over."

"With pleasure. Over."

Does it feel so bad when you're taking a drag

And when you're looking at the world through dying eyes?

The man hid the communicator and walked out into the campsite. It was littered with men smoking cigarettes and playing poker, gambling with the little money they had, and each and every one of them had a gun. Most of them, particularly large guns.

When you stare at it dead and you're giving it head

And all the things that you say you love never come alive

The hooded man continued to a man, dressed in an army uniform with two machine guns draped over his shoulders. He wore a green balaclava, and had 'terrorist' written all over him. He had a map in his hands and was telling two more men, also heavily armed, instructions in a foreign language.

Does it feel so bad?

Bad magick playing off of me

The hooded man came up to them all.

"Yes?" said the ringleader of the terrorist in the foreign tongue.

Does it feel so bad?

No, I don't wanna be your friend

"I have a message for you, sir," said the hooded man in a perfect version of the language.

"What is it?"

Does it feel so bad?

Bad magick laying into me

"This," said the hooded man, rushing up to the terrorist and smacking him square in the jaw with his gloved hand. The terrorist fell to the ground, blood spilling from his jaw.

Does it feel so bad?

No, I don't wanna hear it again

"It's the American! Get him! Get him!" yelled the men around the camp, as they frantically grabbed their guns and ran towards the hooded man.

The hooded man grabbed one of the terrorists and swung him by the feet, before letting go and throwing him into another.

When you get so high that you wanna die

But everything around you is turning green

He punched another in the jaw, before spinning around and backhanding another. Then, he jumped high, unleashed a powerful kick to one more, sending him flying into three more.

When you get so low and I know

You've been feeling like a dried out leaf in a summer breeze

The terrorists started firing their guns, and the man quickly grabbed a couple terrorists and blocked the gunfire, before flinging them into another crowd of terrorists.

Does it feel so bad?

Bad magick playing off of me

The hooded man grabbed a machine gun from the floor, and pulled the trigger. A hail of bullets spread from the gun, knocking down any more terrorists who dared approached.

Does it feel so bad?

No, I don't wanna be your friend

Within seconds, the entire terrorist camp was dead or had run away like cowards. The hooded man flung his gun at one who wasn't too far away and walked menacingly up to the leader.

Does it feel so bad?

Bad magick laying into me

The leader pulled out a handgun, and fired two shots at the hooded man.

The hooded man groaned, then continued his relentless march towards the leader.

Does it feel so bad?

No, I don't wanna hear it again

"What are you? Made of Kevlar?" yelled the terrorist, firing more bullets at his attacker.

"No…" said the hooded man, bringing back his hood.

The leader gasped.

Get back. Back on track

Get off of my back

"Titanium," said the man, an African-American, with metal covering half of his face, a blazing red electronic eye, and a shortly cropped black beard.

He moved his arm and shifted it into a massive cannon, with a glowing blue barrel and leveled it right next to the terrorist's head.

Get back. Back on track

Get off of my back

"In the name of the United States of America," started the half metal man, "you are sentenced to death for acts of terrorism against the world."

"No… please…"

Get back. Back on track

Get off of my back

The cannon fired a blue beam from its hilt.

The half-metal man looked down at his prey and turned away. "Boo-yah."

Get back. Back on track

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OK… Well we know what Cyborg's been up to and soon he'll meeting up with Animal Man and Raven, but things aren't all waffles and smiles. But first, it's time for another interlude.