Chapter 1: Rumblings
Robin
The morning had been quiet; peaceful in a way only a summer Sunday can be. The birds, as usual, flew their habitual flight, dodging between the trees in a seemingly random pattern. Cars could be heard in the distance, and one even passed by on the street once in a while, carrying their occupants to, and occasionally from, work.
Of course, Red X isn't very caring when it comes to peace, Robin thought to himself, grinning humorlessly. He had received the reports at nearly 6:30 am from the Jump City military base of a break-in. Within ten minutes, Robin had simultaneously awoken all of the Titans, as well as figured out who was behind it.
Darkness still held onto the surrounding landscape, but it was quickly fading. Cyborg used the fledgling cover of the shadows to begin breaking the lock on the high-tech door. Starfire and Raven were positioned several yards behind him, under the cover of a concealing overhang. Beast Boy had transformed himself into a platypus, (e/n Wow. Good going Beast Boy. Stealthy… really stealthy… sweat drop) ready to jump into combat mode the moment the door opened.
Robin, clinging to the bottom metal-works of a barred window several feet above the door, could not get over his feelings of anxiety. He was normally concerned whenever Red X was involved in a mission, but now a feeling of foreboding pressed upon his thoughts.
A low clicking noise let Robin know that Cyborg had succeeded in disabling the lock. The door slowly ground inward, revealing a hastily evacuated laboratory. Cyborg swept his sonic gun around the room, ready to blast to dust anything that moved.
Not long after, Cyborg did just that; a robot, unmistakably Slade's, slid down from the dent it had made in the wall, slumping onto the ground. Sparks emitted from a few computers unlucky enough to be caught in the blast.
Robin swung down through the doorway, assessing the situation. After finding the room empty, he signaled the rest of the Titans to join him in the room.
"Alright, team, fan out. Red X is somewhere in this building, and I don't intend to let him leave."
Beast Boy rose from the ground next to Robin. "What is he here for" he asked, curious.
"I'm not exactly sure. The message that I read said that Red X would probably go after the item that they were researching, but the only description of it they gave me was... well, vague. 'Small, in a glass case filled with sensors' is about the most descriptive they got" Robin replied in a hushed tone.
One of Beast Boy's eyebrows rose at this, but he simply morphed into a bat and flew down a side hall. "Betcha I find it first" he challenged as he flew off.
Cyborg ran off after him, quietly muttering"Oh, we're gonna see about that..." The rest of the Titans quickly dispersed towards the various doors and hallways branching off from the main room.
Red X
Ignoring the Titans as they fanned out in the rooms behind him, Red X made his way through the final set of still-smoking security doors. Ever on alert, he slowly entered the room housing the over-decorated object sitting within the sensor-laden glass box in the middle of the floor. Taking his time, he lifted the glass and released the latches holding the object in place.
No larger than a normal man's forearm, the ancient gold-engraved statue looked out of place in the modern research chamber. Its apparent age made it also look harmless, only of monetary value. But Red X had heard of its importance. The statue was said to contain an ancient demon, and although he was not superstitious, Red X also knew that the researchers at the base had found that it did contain an extraordinary amount of power.
If nothing else, it will do as a power supply, he thought to himself. His eyes narrowed suddenly. But what's this? It certainly looks out of place on a priceless statue such as this... Red X referred to the small silver cross adorning the base of the statue. It was the only hint of silver on the entire statue, and looked hastily added on, throwing off the obvious workmanship of the sculpture.
Rubbing with his thumb, Red X began to remove the mark from the work of art.
Raven
It hit Raven then, the pervading aura of evil. She fell from where she had been floating, landing roughly on her feet. Although her own powers could not be said to be of heavenly origins, the power she was sensing could only be described as purely malevolent.
Raven glanced over to Starfire, who had ended up in the same room. That was when her insides sank. Starfire can feel it too... Starfire had paled considerably, and was clutching her stomach. Whatever it is, if it can penetrate her naïveté, it has to be either really powerful, or really evil. Or both...
Suddenly, the entire building began to shake. Computer crashed to the floor along with pieces of the ceiling. Powerful tremors ran through the floor, jolting both girls off of their feet. Raven quickly scrambled to her feet as Starfire floated up.
"We must find our friends! This building of research is beginning to feel... unstable, Raven"
Raven suppressed a sarcastic comment before it could voice itself to Starfire, who would most likely misunderstand it. Instead, she began to blast through the ceiling, redirecting the fracturing segments away from themselves.
"I'll find the others. You keep watch from above" Raven said, her voice betraying worry, an emotion almost unheard of in her voice. She quickly teleported herself into the room that the other three Titans had ended up in and performed the same trick with the ceiling as she had moments before. Beast boy flew out as a green hawk, while Starfire swooped in and grabbed Robin. Raven, who also exited out, lifted Cyborg out. From the air, the heroes watched as the building they had just evacuated seemed to shake apart.
Strangely, the buildings around it seemed untouched by the seismic events emitting from the lab. Also, it seemed a great deal darker outside than when the Titans had entered the lab.
The lab quickly shook itself apart, revealing an injured Red X lying against a torn yet standing wall. Before him was a man, standing an eerie seven feet tall. His clothing consisted of a mid-sized, black trench coat adorned with chains and blood-red runes. His lean face ended in a sharply pointed chin. His eyes seemed gaunt, calculating. The color, a very light purple, did not help the image. This man is evil... No, more than evil... More so than any villain we have faced before...
Twisting her head to the side, Raven caught the attention of Robin. He nodded to her. He could feel it too.
Without warning, three F-16 fighter jets shot past the area, kicking up yet more dust from the fallen lab. The military must have scrambled them... The evil man looked slowly up, and smirked wickedly. He raised his hand, emitting a purple flash towards the nearest jet that had just circled back around. The flash connected with the jet...
And promptly exploded.
The Titans, blinded by the incandescent blast erupting from the fither, shielded their eyes. Debris fell in a lazy arc from the explosion, but the pilot remained suspended in the air. The evil man, still with his hand raised, pointed at the man and made a pulling gesture. A purple, shapeless form erupted from the man's now lifeless body; it traveled quickly to the new villain clad in black and he absorbed it as it came to his awaiting hand. His grin widened to show at least 8 pointed teeth among his perfectly straight normal ones. Now using both hands, he did the same to the unfortunate pilot's wing mates.
Robin was the first to break through his initial shock. "Titans! Go" came his familiar order, and the Titans broke into action. Raven let Cyborg down onto a rooftop. He immediately began to let loose with his sonic cannon. Starfire unleashed several starbolts with one hand, the other holding a disc-throwing Robin. Raven began picking up buggies and humvees, launching them towards the new villain. Beast Boy was the only one holding back, the only one without any projectile attacks.
From her aerial vantage point, Raven could make out two things happening within the raging fire that was now erupting from all the activity. First, Red X was making his escape. Second, a purple orb had begun to appear within the smoke and fire. After becoming about the size of a large beach ball, it began expanding at an alarming rate.
"Titans! Take evasi––" The wall of purple energy hit all of the Titans at once; sending them flying into various walls and fences. Raven flew through a chain-link fence marking the end of the military base, landing on the other side of the four-lane street in front of a modestly sized church. Hmmm. How ironic... she thought to herself, a Goth like me landing in a place like this...
Beast Boy came running up to her side, offering her a hand. She brushed it away, picking herself up. Looking around, Raven could see several people standing around the entrance to the church watching the battle going on over the base with much interest.
"Beast Boy, we have to get these people behind cover. It's not safe out..." Raven was cut off as a purple energy bolt connected with her chest, sending her cart wheeling into Beast Boy, then into a wall. Beast Boy, of course, took the brunt of the collision with the wall, and as Raven pushed herself off, Beast Boy fell out of the small hole ironically shaped in his likeness. His eyes spun as an oversized bump appeared on his head.
"Really, now... I didn't know buses... came in... purple..." Beast Boy rambled deliriously, swaying around like a drunk with swirls in his eyes. Raven, though, wasn't doing so well. A burn mark had appeared on her uniform, causing her to tremble from the pain. Her entire body ached, and a strange itchiness coursed across her skin. Strange... I'm hurt this badly, and yet I can still feel... the... itch...
Beast Boy
Beast Boy finally snapped out of his dizzy ramblings when he saw Raven pass out on the ground. Kneeling next to her, he checked for a pulse and found it. Sighing in relief, he looked up to where the villain was hovering.
"Really, mortal. Even after what I have just done, you wish to challenge me? It seems you have not a care for your own life." He smiled nonchalantly. "I'm sorry. I seem to have forgotten my manners. My name is Cainis. And yours"
Beast Boy growled in reply. He jumped at Cainis, turning into a wolf mid-air, and attacked. Cainis simply batted the green canine away with one backhanded swipe.
Beast Boy could hear the screeching tires before he ever saw the car. It swerved out of the way to avoid hitting him at the last second, but did not get far. A muffled explosion reached Beast Boy's ears as a black SUV flipped over his head, baring a gaping hole near the front. It had saved Beast Boy's life, at the expense of its drivers. Beast Boy looked past the carnage to see a slightly annoyed Cainis focusing another bolt. Beast boy scrambled backwards, awaiting the next blast that would surely end his life. It never came. Instead, a light blue beam shot over the wrecked car and knocked Cainis clean out of the air. Starbolts flew past shortly after.
Cyborg ran to Beast Boy's side, helping him up. "There's someone still in that car, BB. Get 'em out! I'll take on pretty boy..." At this, Cyborg ran off towards the villain, recharging his gun for another shot. Beast Boy scrambled up and over the capsized vehicle to where he heard a pounding on the window. A thin layer of blood coated the window, but Beast Boy could see a teenager trying to break through the jammed door. Using his gorilla form, Beast Boy tore the door from its hinges, then grabbed the boy out of the car. Blood caked the right side of his head, mixing in with his dark brown hair.
As soon as he was free, the boy turned to his rescuer. His dark green eyes were wide, a look of startled sorrow painting his features. Beast Boy put his arms around the survivor and began to carry him away from the wreckage, when he suddenly broke free and ran back to the car. "My bag" he yelled, stark panic in his voice. He grabbed onto a slightly torn leather strap just as Beast Boy got a good grip on him. Pulling away from the destroyed car, Beast Boy carried him to the other side of the street. As soon as he set the boy down, Beast Boy turned back to fight.
"What about my family" the teenager asked.
Beast Boy fought for the right thing to say. The only thing he could do, though, was point to the hole in the front of the now-burning car. Disbelief flashed on the teenager's face, questions leapt to his tongue. But Beast Boy had already run off toward Cainis, who had just levitated Cyborg and smashed him into the ground.
Michael
They're gone... In an instant... gone... Despair flooded Michael's mind as he stared at his family's car, at the non-existent front end, at the non-existent driver and front passenger seats, and at his parents that also... no longer existed. Tears came to his eyes, tears of rage. He had seen the blast coming, had time to see the man who threw death. His mind was alive with activity, and dust around him began to swirl. You told me not to use this power... Let me use it, Lord! Let me!
Tears continued to pour across Michael's cheeks; dripping to the ground and staining the concrete. Dripping onto the cross hanging around his neck. The dust around him now swirled in a sphere. He was about to let loose without an answer, when a faint yet firm voice, accompanied by a gentle light, called out in the back of his head.
"Yes."
This was all Michael needed to hear. He let loose the energy pent up inside of him, firing and invisible psychic missile. It flew over the head of the unconscious cloaked girl, slamming hard into Cainis' body. The smoke spread out in a cross shape over the point of impact. Cainis was thrown through the air at an incredible speed, smacking straight into the center of the cross on the church lawn. Plumes of white smoke emitted from Cainis' back as he slid down the 14-foot tall steel cross. He let out a cry of anguish the entire way down.
Michael ducked down as Cainis threw another bolt at him. Grabbing his bag, he began unzipping even as he rolled to avoid a second blast. By the time the third blast had reduced the light pole behind him into dust, Michael had pulled out the contents of the bag: A long, dark grey sword with chains where the hilt should have been, and a jewel with a cross inside that always had the top pointed up. He parried several more blasts, ricocheting them off the long, thin blade into the air.
Cainis soon grew tired of this. Drawing his own sinisterly curved blade, he charged Michael. Before he could get more than thirty feet, a bus surrounded by a shadowy energy collided with him. Starbolts followed, along with yet another blast from Cyborg's sonic cannon.
All this seemed to not even faze Cainis, though, as he let loose with several rapid-fire blasts that connected with Starfire, Raven, and Cyborg. One blast missed, though, and shot straight towards the church. Without even blinking, Michael raised a psychic force field around the entrance, and the blast was held at bay. Throwing everything he had at it, Michael tried to turn it away, but he was too far.
As his field fell, though, something strange happened. The purple bolt of death came within feet of the church wall, but then bent completely around it, as if looking through a rounded clear glass. It shot past the other side, careening into a parked RV.
His focus broken, Michael was an easy target. A tendril of dark energy slapped the wounded side of his head. Michael looked startled and pained at the same time. As darkness consumed his vision, he saw the faint form of Cainis, scowling at the thorns his side, disappeared beneath a black cloud, obviously conjured by evil. Then all was dark.