Disclaimer: Welcome to the second installment of Crimson Darkness. I thank you all for the reviews. Teen Titans is the copyrighted trademark of D.C and Cartoon Network. Ladies and gentlemen, enjoy the show.
Chapter 2: Shadows down the hall
A storm brewed, one outside yes, but this was the storm of a troubled mind. At the kitchen window of Titans' Tower Raven stood and watched as a fog roll in over Jump city's bay with a cup of her favorite herbal tea in her hands. Her mind, however, was not on the scolding tea that burned her throat when she absentmindedly took a sip, but on a dream that she had, had earlier that night that plagued her thoughts. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate on something else her mind drifted back to the dream.
In the dream she was standing alone on a cliff watching the sun go down, though as peaceful as the moment had looked it soon changed as the air turned sinister and the earth around her suddenly erupted in swarms of scarabs. The skies turned a blood red and the ground around her became littered with dead bodies that reanimated and lurched toward her hungry for her flesh. She began backing up as the undead creatures drew nearer to her and bumped into something behind her. Raven whipped around and came face to face with a man who had one violet and one icy blue eye. The man waved a hand and the advancement of the corpses stopped.
"Do you see this carnage, this horror? This is how your world will be in a matter of days if we do not stop the evil from being released Raven," The man with different eyes spoke.
"What do you mean? What evil? And how do you know my name?"
"Your questions will be answered in due time dear Raven, but know this we are the same and together we can save your world," with that he had disappeared and Raven had woken up drenched in a cold sweat.
"What did that man mean when he said we where the same? Is he a half demon too? What evil is he talking about? What does this all mean?" These questions tormented Raven as she stared out the window. The sudden movement in the fog on the path that lead to the main entrance of the tower caught Raven's attention and broke her thoughts on the dream for now.
She watched as a hooded figure made their way out of the fog and up the path toward the entrance. As the figure drew nearer they paused to look up at the tower and Raven got the feeling that they were looking directly at her. From her vantage point she watched the figure draw closer to the tower until they were out of view. "Who is that?" she wondered as the gonging of the massive doorbell caused her to jump.
Raven disappeared into the shadows at her feet and teleported to the lobby, reappearing at the door just as the bell rang a second time. "Alright! All right! I'm coming! I'm coming!" She shouted opening the door.
"Can I help you?" Raven inquired a hint of annoyance in he voice.
"Hello Raven," the stranger at the door greeted pulling back his hood.
"Its you! The one from my dreams!" Raven gasped. There stood in front of her were the same man from her dreams, the man with the one violet and one ice blue eye. The only difference though between the man in her dreams and the one in front of her was the way he had his hair, which was now pulled into a long black braid that reached the ground.
"I am glad that you remember me dear Raven," he spoke. "You may call me Julian." He extended his right hand to her. She extended hers to shake and noticed that his hand was covered in blood. She looked at his other hand and screamed in terror causing one of the tables behind her to explode in a flash of black energy. In his left hand was the severed head of Slade Wilson she and the other Titan's arch nemesis.
"There is no need to be frightened dear Raven, I mean you no harm this is merely a peace offering, I wish to form alliance with you and your fellow teammates."
"You killed Slade! You're a murderer! How could we form an alliance with someone like you?" She shouted, backing away from Julian.
"Raven!" Raven spun around, behind stood her friends all of whom seemed extremely tired (well who wouldn't after being woken up at four in the morning by screams and explosions in their own home?).
"Raven what's going on?" The leader of the Titans Timothy Drake asked.
"Yeah and whose the guy with the crazy eyes and what's he doing with Slade's head? Wait Slade's head? OH, MY GOD HE HAS SLADE'S HEAD! AND THE SPINE IS STILL ATTACHED! THAT'S JUST SICK!" Garfield Logan cried out before doubling over and vomiting violently.
"Yo! B.B stop barfing on the carpet!" Victor Stone (better known as Cyborg) shouted in a poor attempt to stop his green friend from tossing his cookies in the lobby.
"Friend Garfield is you feeling the queasiness'?" The tamaranian princess Kori Anders asked in concern. Julian watched the scene fold out in front of him in mild amusement. Loosing his interest and his patience, Julian cleared his throat in a rather harsh manner causing the Titans to turn their attention back to him.
"Who are you and what do want?" Robin asked taking charge once again.
"I am here to form an alliance with you and your teammates a common bond or friendship if you will, Robin or should I say Timothy Drake."
"How is it that you know my true name?" Tim interrogated.
"There is not much I don not know about you and your team thanks to Slade here," Julian replied raising Slade's head in jest.
"What makes you think we would form an alliance with you, when we know nothing of you and you know much of us, how can we trust you?"
"My, Tim aren't we a straight forward bunch, if you wish to know about me just asked Raven." Julian extended his left hand out to hand Robin Slade's head. Fighting down the urge to vomit like Beast Boy had done, he turned to Raven.
"Raven do you know this guy?"
"His name is Julian that's the only thing I know of him."
"Have you ever met him before?"
"I'm not at liberty to say at this point," Raven commented thinking about what Robin would say if she told him she had met this guy in a dream or that he might be a half demon like her. Tim raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean you're not at liberty to say?" "Is there something you're telling me?"
"The only thing you need to know of me at this point is my name and nothing else," Julian cut in.
"If your name is the only thing we know, how can we trust you?"
"Did you not already ask me that Tim? We are all on the same level of acquaintance."
"Stop calling me Tim!" Robin snapped.
"As you wish Robin though I am wondering why you call your self after a song bird." Julian mused. Robin clenched his fists, his eyes narrowing into slits. "Your pushing all the wrong buttons here!"
"My apologies then Robin." Though he sounded sincere enough the amused smile never left his face, almost like he enjoyed toying with their emotions and this made Robin uneasy.
"I understand that you have your doubts about me and I understand that after all I know your true identities yet you know nothing of me, but here me out."
"Were listening," Robin said gruffly.
"I removed your enemy, Slade from power, since he appeared to be the major crime lord in this region, all the other criminals of the city are going to by fighting over who gets to take control of his empire. Causing numorous gang fights and riots, many causltys of innoconece would result in this."
"He does have a point fearless," Victor said.
"But he did just admit that he started this reaction of all the criminals fighting for power because he killed Slade," Garfield pointed out.
"And why would we need his help when we could just call in the justice league, Static or Titans east." Robin added.
"Sorry to down shoot you friend Robin, but the justice league has their own problems, Static has his hands full with the Meta-human criminals in Dakota and I doubt that the Titans East would cross country to aide us in petty criminal problems," Kori stated with a sheepish expression.
"Look at it this way Robin is it better to have the man who killed you're greatest foe with relative ease as a friend or an enemy." Julian said. "After all the enemy of thy enemy is my friend."
"Can we really trust you?"
"I guess you will have to find that out for yourself won't you? So do we have an agreement or not?" He inquired extending his hand to robin once again. Tim turned back to his team. "All in favor of forming an alliance speak now or forever hold your peace." The other Titans raised their hands except raven and Robin him self.
"Majority wins, welcome to the team Julian, but remember this even if you make on hint of turning on us or if we find out your lying you won't be around long enough to regret your mistake." Robin sighed.
"Very well Tim, oh, sorry Robin, do not worry I will prove my self to you in time." Robin did not looked convinced the feeling that he wasn't getting all the facts plauging his mind.
"Joyness! Welcome new Titan!" Kori shouted flying over to Julian and latching on to him like a leach.
"Um, Star I don't think Julian is a Teen so I don't think we can call him a Titan," Gar quipped.
"Choking not breathing!" Julian gasped attempting to pry StarFire off of him before she asphyxiated him.
"Cyborg go prepare a room for our 'new friend'," Robin addressed his cybernetic friend.
"You got it fearless," Victor said grabbing Beast Boy by the arm as he made his way up the stairs.
"Do you think it wise to have him live here?" Asked Raven a bit concerned with her friend's decision.
"If he's here we can keep a closer eye on him and our security should be able to handle any problems he causes if he turns on us." Tim replied. He turned to Kori who had finally released Julian after noticing he was turning blue. "Star, escort our friend to his room."
Star Fire nodded happily and pulled Julian across the lobby. When Julian past Raven, she gasped as a series of flashes appeared in her mind, flashes of destruction and death, screams and fire, the images then disappeared as quickly as they came.
"You ok Rae?" Tim asked in concern. "It's nothing, just a headache," she lied.
"Get some sleep, alright? We'll talk more in the morning." Raven nodded and headed up the stairs after the other Titans. Tim scan the room for a minute and to followed the others leaving the lobby as silent as a tomb once again.
In the shadows of a down cast building across the bay a pair of eyes flashed in the darkness. "And so the pieces fall to place as we have only just begun," insane laughter echoed from the shadows and the eyes disappeared.
(A/N): Chapter two is now complete for your viewing pleasure. Tell me what you think and review (Just click that button right there: points:). Untill the next update so long and good night.