A little note before I start…

Thank you all for reviewing. I'm terribly sorry for not updating soon enough. So I've decided to reward you by proving a longer installment of this story. Notice the new Raven you will see in this episode! Please continue to review and enjoy!

Chapter 8: Analyzing.

It was a rainy, lousy, an altogether pathetic day. The titans were cooped up in their tower trying to figure out all that fiasco that had happened just 12 hours earlier. Firstly, their leader fell sick. Then soon enough, a scary demon known as the 'dark angel' tried to suck his power. Even puzzlingly was the riddle given to them. They were tired, stressed and very…very confused.

"HOLY CRAP…this seriously…I mean…what's all that about? " cursed a rather green furred creature as the titans, save for Robin who was still resting and starfire who was attending to him, gathered around the table for discussion. He ruffled his already messy hair and slumped onto the chair feeling sickly tired and confused.

'I'll rather ask who copied that damn poetry thingy down. Man it was creepy." replied Cyborg.

They looked around to see if anyone did. It appeared that everyone was so caught up; no one really remembered the riddle correctly, needless to say copy it down.

Raven took out a rather suspicious looking crystal ball from a wooden old bookshelf nearby and brought it forward. It was the size of an overlarge pig head and was oozing with smoke and fumes.

Settling the crystal ball on a stand, she placed on the tabletop. With and impressive wave of her hands, she chanted her magical words aloud.

"Azearth Menthros Zentos!"

Her eyebrows creased and knitted while her hands moved over the crystal ball in simulating movements. Soon enough, the clouds in the crystal ball dispersed and purplish-blue fumes flared and took over. A rather blurred image of a dark figure, hovering over another body of something (assumingly Robin, himself), appeared. Although the image was not clear at all, the voice rang loud and clear.

Cyborg whipped out a notepad and started jotting down the riddle in a flash. As soon as it was fully copied down, Raven released her hands from the smooth surfaces of the crystal ball and whipped it rather endearingly with a red silk cloth. Placing the crystal ball back onto the wooden shelf, they huddled closer to discuss the secret of the riddle.

Just then, a soft but loud-enough-to-hear shut of the door made them turn around. A tired, heavy eyed-bag Starfire came out of Robin's room looking slightly disgruntled and lost.

"How's Robin, Star?" Cyborg asked softly. Starfire looked up in surprised as if she had yet to realize that she had just walked pass the kitchen without noticing them.

She gave them a weak but relieved smile.

"Friend Robin is fine for the time being. He just needs a lot of rest…" she muttered, her eyes not meeting them.

Raven got up and walked over to Starfire. She gently put her warm hand on Starfire's shoulder.

"Come on Starfire. You're the one who needs the rest. I'll take you to your room now… come along…" Raven asked gently, while she steered Starfire towards her room.

Behind the closed doors Starfire started to cry. She clanged onto Raven's neck; nearly bruising Raven while the poor sorcerer was still wrestling with her clutched tight close contact. Raven stiffened. She was not used to someone expressing his or her emotions so openly in front of people, which was so unlike herself.

Raven gently eased Starfire's prying hands off her shoulders and neck.

'Err, Starfire…please stop crying…tell me what is bothering you…" she approached.

Starfire looked up tearfully. "I…I'm scared, Raven. What if we lost Robin forever!" she asked.

"We won't starfire." Raven answered. Patting Starfire rather inwardly on her back, she continued, "We wouldn't…we'll do our best, to help him. Wouldn't we?" Raven replied. "We'll err…figure out the poem soon."

Starfire's tears began to cease. "Really?"

"Of course…" Raven replied.

"Yes…yes…thank you friend Raven. You have been most comforting." Starfire thanked, smiling, as she wipe off her big sloppy tears rather, sloppily.

"Err…sure Starfire…ah…anytime…" Raven replied rather uneasily.

Starfire seem to brighten up immediately. "REALLY? Then would you let me entice all of your taste buds with my delicious new tamaranian recipe? "

Raven gave a sigh of resolve. "On seconds thoughts…I rather not…"

But it was all too late. For Starfire was already up and about skipping her way towards the kitchen.

--000000--

Beastboy sat with his mouth hanging out looking rather stupidly while he played around with his 'food'. It was rather gluey and had a tint puke-green. It bubbled like a potion and did not look exactly, erm, edible.

Cyborg simply had his eyebrows raised so high that it met his crown line in mock ridicule.

Raven had a vacant look on herself. She decided to meditate while they settle their dispute.

"It's all your fault Raven! Why did you have to agree to let Star cook?" Beastboy hissed. Looking rather distress at not having his usual all-vegetarian meal of tofu and veggies.

"Quiet you moron." Raven replied, sending a casual object sailing across the air and nearly missed smacking him on his head. Beastboy ducked just in the nick of time. Sending the book sailing across and landing itself in the sticky gluey food. It landed with a sickening slosh behind Beastboy.

"HAHA. You missed me! Na-na-na-nana! Raven missed me!" Beastboy chanted in that all-so-annoying singsong voice of his.

Raven's eyebrow twitched and as if on cue, the game controller together with cable wires came soaring through the living room, into the kitchen, across the air and smack right, on Beastboy face.

"OUCH!" Beastboy yelled, clutching his swollen cheek and rubbing it furiously to ease the pain.

Cyborg dived just in time to grab the controller before it hit the ground.

"Err, Raven could you not disconnect the controller next time? Cause' the last time you did that I spent an hour fixing it back together…" Cyborg started sticking his head into the back of the television while trying to figure out where to stick the broken wire.

"Tell that to your furry pal. Not me" Raven retorted slinking back into her room and leaving her plate of tamaranian food untouched.

"Oh well, why don't we order pizza or something and while we are waiting…" Cyborg suggested. "Why don't we jam the and try to break the new record? I just fixed the controller." Cyborg lured, hoping Beastboy would fall into his tricks.

Beastboy felled for his tricks, miserably.

-000------

Behind the metallic plates of silver metal, Robin laid torn and broken on his bed. He was confused, lost and every other thing under that category.

He felt as if he was still floating.

Like everything was a bad nightmare.

But while he was trapped in that terrible nightmare, he found out about something. Something so drastic it could be used against any of them. He wanted to reveal it to all his friends. But he was simply so tired. For now, let him sleep. Peacefully. Quietly.

-0000--

When Starfire turned around to offer a second helping, she saw only her abandoned plates of food. Feeling rather disappointed, she scooped up a bowl of her cooking and proceeded to look for Raven who was meditating in her room.

Without knocking on the door, Starfire pushed opened the door. "Friend Raven! Why are you not eating my food?" She asked, pushing her plate of food directly under Raven's nose.

Raven gently pushed the plate away. "I'm not hungry, Starfire. Put that aside and get the boys to the meeting room. We have to figure out the riddle."

-0000-

Unwillingly, the boys hit the save button and argued all the way towards the meeting room.

"It wasn't fair! You tin-man! You cheated!" grunted Beastboy. He had lost to Cyborg in no time flat. And just as they were about to restart, Starfire had come to get them. Just great. What an awful accurate timing.

Raven was already at the room gazing intently towards the scribbled riddle.

They took a good look at it again.

As a child he is whelped with mysterious air,

From a place where injustice was secretly done,

"It must be talking about Robin…" Cyborg said, as he read aloud the first two lines of the riddle.

"Where injustice was secretly done?" Beastboy pondered.

Then the marked one is here and a legend begins.

"The marked one… it's friend Robin too isn't it? What 'legend' is that horrible creature speaking about?" Starfire chipped in.

Raven nodded slowly.

When Dark Angels is dreamt of with terror and dread,

And untamed are tamed, prepare for the dead.

For the Angel's pact with all dark souls will come true,

When the blood of Man is spilled in the dew,

"Untamed are tamed? What about the Angel's pact?" Raven replied, her two cents worth.

"When blood of men is spilled? Does it mean people are gonna die? This is freaky…" Cyborg answered.

As the searchers are tempted, who hunger and prowl,

Down the pathways of Death, by the summoning howl.

"The searchers? Does it mean the dark creatures? A summoning howl…" Raven said knowledgably.

Then the truest of powers will be fleshed on the bone,

And the searchers tempt nature to prey on its own.

"Tempt nature to prey on its own?" Starfire exclaimed feeling rather sick. "But…but I don't understand…"

With blood on the altar the vision shall come,

When the eye of the moon is as round as sun.

"Blood on the altar? I don't think we have an altar…"Beastboy said, feeling rather stupid and confused.

"When the moon is as round as sun…. does it mean the full moon?" Cyborg replied.

Raven nodded. "It could be…I think so too."

Then the past and the future shall finally show,

To the wounded, the secret the man must know.

And all shall be witness to that which will be,

In the mind of the Angels, then none shall be free.

"A secret man must know?" Starfire asked. "None shall be free…" Beastboy shuddered. "Man this is spooky…"

And only a family both loving and true,

May conquer the evil, so ancient, so new.

As they fight to uncover what secrets they share,

And see in their journey how painful is care.

"Does friend Robin have a family?" Starfire asked, puzzled. "No… I think… it mean us." Raven replied. Everyone looked around at Raven. "It makes sense… since we are so close… it makes us his family doesn't it?" Beastboy quipped in.

Cyborg nodded. "So we have to conquer this evil and discover the secret huh…"

Beware the Betrayer, whose meaning is strife,

For their faith shall be tried by the makers of life,

And who shall divine, in the dead of the night,

The lies from the truth, the darkness from light?

"BETRAYER?" Starfire gasped. "WHERE?" she exclaimed in shock, looking around furiously. "I think it has another meaning…" Raven guessed. Starfire slumped back onto her chair looking rather crestfallen.

"The lies…darkness from light?" Beastboy said. "It seems that someone will betray us or something like that."

Like the cry of the scavenger, torn through the air,

Courage is needed, as deep as despair.

"Courage needed as deep as despair…we need to be brave during despair? Is it what it means?" Cyborg said, scratching his head.

"I don't know…" Raven replied.

Just then, the ring from the main door interrupted their thoughts.

Raven stood up and walked towards the elevator. "Looks like we've got company…" She replied as she disappeared behind the closed doors.

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Ok. I'm finally done with this chapter! Please review!

- Jelly /.