Chapter Seven: A Titan's Missing

Raven silently walked out of XAVIER'S SCHOOL FOR GIFTED YOUNGSTERS. She was deep in though, about Beast Boy. Her mind was spinning from the events of the previous evening. She couldn't understand what had come over her. She didn't understand it at all. What were these feelings she was feeling? What did it all mean anyway?

She had to sort this out, get herself under control. When her emotions ran wild it was very dangerous, and she couldn't let her powers go crazy. She continued walking quietly. She thought she saw someone or something following her, but she tried to convince herself it was her imagination. Still, the feeling persisted and she felt like she was being watched.

Raven tried to shake the feeling as she continued walking. It was nothing, just the stress of the past few days, made worse by the turmoil she was going through when it came to her feelings about Beast Boy, Garfield Logan, she reminded herself, of who he was and what he meant to her. She tried to put him out of her mind.

And the moment she succeeded she had that feeling someone was following her. Raven turned and looked behind her. There was a boy and a man, and they seemed to be walking along with the rest of the people on the street. She didn't like them, she decided. Raven didn't dare pick up her pace lest they catch on, she decided to double back and head to the school.

Raven settled on trying to cross the street in order to try and throw off her would-be pursuers. Crossing when the light said walk she began to make her way toward Xavier's school. Right when she thought she had successfully threw them off; she noticed they were still following, though at a considerable distance, as to not attract attention to themselves or her.

Raven saw an alleyway and she thought maybe she could ditch them by going through the alley. Her better judgment told her that it was foolish, that going that alley was a sure fire way to get caught, but what choice did she have? It was only a split second, but she did it. She turned right and headed through the alleyway, hoping beyond hope that they would not see her.

Suddenly, the man and the boy jumped off a roof and landed in front of her. "What do you want with me?" Raven demanded.

"None of your business, you little brat," the man said, "Pyro, take her!" he ordered the boy. Raven saw now that the boy had a lighter in his hand. She saw the small flame burst from it and she had to jump back as the flames reached out to grab her.

"What are you waiting for?" the man snarled. "We have her now!"

Raven backed up, causing herself to rise into the air, she shouted, "Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos!" Using her mind, she let her powers fly at the boy. The boy whom them an called Pyro used his ability to control fire to block her power. Raven became frustrated. Her emotions were starting to rise, and so was the panic. She was losing control; she couldn't let herself do that! She had to do something, fast.

Raven began to look for the man who had been with him. She didn't spot him, then suddenly, there before her eyes stood her worst nightmare: Venom. The huge alien being leered at her, it hissed, "She's ours Pyro." He launched himself into a ferocious kick. Raven took the impact hard, staggering back, but she managed to whirl around with a few punches and kicks of her own. She landed a hard blow in his midsection and slammed her fist into his face. Everything seemed to be in slow motion, to her horror, Raven realized that her dream was occurring right before her eyes. She once again used her power to help her rise into the air.

"Azerath Metrion Zinthos!" Pushing her power to the limit. It slammed into Venom and he, staggered back.

"Very good," Venom, or whatever alien it was, chuckled, "but not good enough!" He stepped back, only slightly, though, because he suddenly stretched out his hand and a mysterious substance, like a spider web came out and wrapped itself around her. Raven broke free, but she wasn't fast enough. Fists slammed into her face repeatedly. She couldn't let her dream come to pass! She had to get away. She caused some of the loose debris to loosen and she chucked them at Venom's head.

Raven felt pain shoot through her face, her side, and her stomach. She fell to her knees and stared up at her attacker. Venom's face leered at her glaring. That was the last thing she saw before she felt him kicking and punching her again. He grabbed her and pulled her to her feet. Suddenly, the strange alien face slipped away and she saw the face of a young man. She thought he could have been a nice person, but the face was full of hatred. His hands reached out and started choking her. Raven felt her throat constrict and tighten. She fought to breathe and she tried to access her powers, but she found that she could not. The world began to spin and go black

No! Her mind told her to keep fighting. She made one last desperate effort to throw him off her. She unexpectedly rose into the air, startling Venom. She loosened his hold on her neck and with every ounce of her strength she hurled him into the wall. She landed on her feet and looked up in horror the rest of the alleyway was blocked off by a wall of fire! She turned and saw the boy called Pyro leering at her. "Where do you think you're going?" He asked, taking a ball of fire into his hands, he unleashed it on her.

With a shout of "Azerath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven used her power to block the fire, causing both powers' to ricochet off of one another and smash great holes into the brick walls.

Suddenly, web wrapped itself around her and she was yanked onto the ground. She grunted in pain and tried to rise, but Pyro was there, a ball of fire filled her vision as he chuckled, "Not bad, Raven, hope you're enjoying your stay in New York," he said mockingly.

"How do you know who I am?" Raven demanded, she was shocked he knew her name. Suddenly, a fist came out of nowhere and struck her face hard. Consciousness was slipping away, but she heard Pyro ask Venom, "Is she the right one?"

She heard Venom's voice reply, "Yes, Magneto will be pleased with her capture."

"Why?" Pyro asked.

"Because," Venom explained, "she's a friend of that bratty Garfield Logan." Beast Boy, she thought as the blackness of unconsciousness consumed her mind and she slipped away into darkness.

"Come on," Venom said as he hoisted Raven's limp body onto his shoulders, "let's get out of here before her friends come looking for her." They walked off, carrying Raven to a nearby car they sped off into the streets of New York City.

Cyborg and Starfire found Beast Boy closing the book of Edgar Allen Poe's poetry. They smiled, "how are you?" Starfire asked, worried.

"I'm fine," Beast Boy replied, smiling. "Oh yeah, Raven went for a walk, so that's where she is if you're looking for her. She said she'd be gone for a little bit."

"Come over and join us," Cyborg said, "Jubilee, Iceman, Rogue and Nightcrawler are challenging us to a round of basketball."

"Alright!" Beast Boy said jumping up. They went over and they played basketball for a long time. They were in the middle of their third game when Starfire said unexpectedly, "Where is Raven, Beast Boy didn't you say she was out walking?"

"Yes," he replied, "she's not back yet?" "I have not seen her, so I was wondering if you had."

"Something's wrong," Robin said, "We better go look for her." He turned to Iceman, "Could you tell Professor Xavier where we're going?"

"Sure," he said and walked off.

So, Cyborg, Starfire, Robin and Beast Boy left the school and started searching. Beast Boy immediately transformed himself into a dog and began sniffing around. He suddenly perked up, "Hey guys, I've got her scent!" They all looked at him, "follow me," he said and began to follow the trail.

Robin was thinking about how strange it was that Raven had been gone this long. She wasn't one to go out in public for long periods of time because they were afraid of her. She usually stayed in her room reading and preferred to be by herself. She wasn't one to be late either. He shook his head, she should be back by now he told himself. Where was she?

Beast Boy suddenly crossed the street and turned down into an alleyway. Why? Robin wondered, would Raven go that way? That nagging feeling that something was wrong returned. Suddenly, Starfire said, "Look, I found this," she handed him a piece of tattered black violet. "Raven was here," Robin said.

"The question is, where is Raven now?" They all frowned, trying to make sense of it.

"We'd better go talk to the Professor. Maybe he can help us find Raven," Robin said and they headed back to the school. Making their way to Professor Xavier's office, they knocked. The door was immediately opened and they were greeted by a smiling Charles Xavier. "What can I do for you?" he asked. Robin stepped up, "Raven's missing." A look of great concern crossed his face, "What?" he said, a strange urgency in his voice.

"She's missing," Cyborg explained.

"We cannot find her and we worry about her," Starfire put in, "could you do something to help us find her?"

"Yes, yes, of course," Professor Xavier said, "Come," he motioned to the Titans, "We're going to Cerebro."

He led them down the same hallway which he had taken Raven. "What is Cerebro?" Cyborg asked.

"It is a machine that amplifies my telepathic powers so I can locate any mutant anywhere in the world. Hopefully, I can use it to find Raven."

They entered the circular room and Xavier ordered them to remain still. The Titans watched in fascination as the room burst with a million stars and then they saw people walking around. Xavier continued to study certain ones, looking for Raven, but he did not find her. He stopped and the room returned back to normal. He turned back to the Titans.

"I don't know why but something is blocking my telepathy from finding her. "I'll call out the X-Men and contact Spiderman and they will go out and look for her—"

"No," Robin said suddenly, "Raven's our friend and we're going to look for her too."

"It's too dangerous, Robin, Slade's out there looking for you—"

"—And it's no different if we stay in here." Cyborg and Starfire stepped forward.

"We have to go look for her, Professor, there is no way I am going to let my friend stay missing," Starfire said.

"She's right, sir, we have to go," Cyborg said. "We owe it to her as our friend." "Don't you think I want to find her as much as you do?" Xavier asked frustration in his voice, "I promised her I would keep her safe, and I fully intend to, I owe it to her as her tutor."

Beast Boy started, "Wait, hold the phone, tutor?"

"Long ago, before she joined the Teen Titans, I was her tutor on the planet of Azerath. When thedimensionwas destroyed I brought her here and taught her how to control her powers and use them for the good of humanity. So you see her recovery is very important to me."

He sighed, "I can see there will be no stopping your decision, Robin. You will accompany the X-Men and we will go search for Raven."

Just then, the Professor's video screen lit up, and a very familiar face filled it. "Hello, Robin. I have her with me." Robin gritted his teeth. It was Slade.