Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. Those rights belong to a number of people—DC comics and Cartoon Network come to mind as possibilities. So give all credit to them, assuming you can figure out who it is. My money's on DC. Avatar and Johnson belong to me, while some of the other unknown characters belong to their creators.
Author's Note: The entire series is based at least partially on my Teen Titans website, which can be accessed by going to my homepage if you are so inclined. Despite this, it can still be read by anyone who is not a member of the website, so don't be discouraged. Enjoy!
Enter…Avatar!
"Magnificent, isn't she?" Static's voice rang dimly through Jinx's ears as the pink-haired enchantress, unable even to move, slowly continued to suffocate as a direct result of the hand around her throat.
Then, abruptly, Jinx was hurled down, into the wall at the side of the room. The cloaked figure, with the full appearance of Raven, slowly walked over, her black robe shifting as she did so, to stand over Jinx with a menacing look in her eyes.
"How did you get Raven to serve you?" Jinx spat out at Static, coughing up a trace of blood as she did so. "Last I checked, she was a goody-goody again."
Grinning, Static walked over to the enchantress, kneeling down in front of her. "Why, my dear student, you should know better than that," the headmistress said, placing her hand against Jinx's cheek. "Why would I bring Raven to my side if I had better options?"
A burning flash went through Jinx's side as Static's metal hand slapped her heavily in the cheek. "You yourself saw Raven purified after she obliterated the demon Trigon from this Earth," the headmistress said, dusting off her pants as she stood up and turned to the cloaked figure. "But before that, if you recall, I had arranged the kidnapping of the Titans--using your team to do so, if I recall. And during their...stay at our facilities, I took the liberty of extracting a certain something from your good friend, Raven the witch. From her, I obtained a certain vial of mystical blood."
"You cloned her." Jinx was many things, but she was never a fool. "You took Raven's blood, heavily tainted with Trigon's black energy, and you made yourself a Raven."
"Not 'a Raven', Jinx," Static said, turning to flash a smile at the crumpled girl. "My pet is far better than that. I've removed all of the restraints from her, you see. All of the Azarathian teachings, all of Trigon's influence, all of her instinctual morals and humanity, until only one thing was left. Power." She casually walked over towards the clone, running her hand through the black robe she had so carefully chosen for this one. "No longer is she another version of Raven. Now she is Avatar, and shall be my foremost soldier in the war."
"So that's it, then?" the enchantress spat out, in spite of the perilous situation she was in. "Congratulations. You've gotten yourself another little slave, and torn down this institution in the process. There's a war going on out there, Static, and sides have been drawn. You'll never be able to pick up the pieces."
"That's where you're wrong, Jinx," the headmistress replied. "But regardless, your part as my opposition has ended. Good-bye, Jinx. You've been a worthy adversary...in your mind, at least." And then the evil headmistress turned, and Avatar--dread clone of Raven, imbued soley with unrelenting power--stepped forward. She raised one hand, and around that hand gathered immense levels of dark energy.
To her credit, Jinx never even screamed.
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Mammoth's fist slammed into Rock's chest, hurling her backwards into the wall, where she slumped down in pain. She was strong, but could only take so much, and Mammoth was ultimately more devastating.
"Nice punch," came a voice from above Mammoth's shoulder. "But it won't really work against me." A black coating leaked up around Mammoth's body, and the great behemoth gave a shout as he tried to get free, but with every piece he pulled off, twice as much slapped on. A large object then slammed into Mammoth from behind, and despite the fact that he was largely invulnerable, the giant was hurled in the same direction as Rock.
"You've always been a decent opponent in the training center, Mammoth," Branwen said, walking up to her victim with a large hammer constructed from solid shadow. "But in case you had forgotten, I've always beaten you." She raised her hand, and the hammer followed. "Traitors to Static get what they deserve."
A gigantic sphere hurled forward to catch the hammer--and Branwen--within, courtesy of See-More. "You really have to take better care of yourself, Mammoth," the eye master reprimanded his team-mate.
All around them, a battle was raging. The H.I.V.E. F.I.V.E. were some of the elite students in the Academy, but their numbers still had a certain limit, even with the honorary recruit Nemesis. The rest of the Academy, however, refused to betray Static without just cause, and to them, the H.I.V.E. F.I.V.E. were traitors, and it was their responsibility to stop the traitors to uphold the administrative staff of the school.
The girl known as Fianna rolled on the ground, trying to avoid the great machine Gizmo had released. "Rust!" she shouted, pointing towards the metal and focusing her power. The forces of erosion were hers to command, and the machine fell within moments, crumbling apart at the seams.
"Brat," Gizmo murmered, and from the shadows he pressed a button on a remote. His machine was defeated, but he still retained control over its weaponry. The cannon was still pointed at Fianna, at with Gizmo's command it fired a yellow laser, sending the girl to her knees.
Seeing his friend being shot down so callously, the heraldic archer named Jaka'za, perched on a protrusion in the wall, notched an arrow on his bow. He had been reluctant to enter this fight, but seeing Gizmo attack Fianna like that...
The energy-charged arrow rocketed downward, and Gizmo was forced to dance out of the way quite frantically to avoid being torn apart by the explosion.
Scissors and the XL Terrestrial were waiting for him, and they assaulted him ferociously. Over on the other side of the room, Private HIVE slammed his fist into Kyd Wykkyd's face before turning to shout orders. His military background gave him advanced strategic training, and it was this that made him so useful to the H.I.V.E. "Team! Initiate Maneuver Mayhem!"
Hearing the shout, See-More turned and hurled forth another eye-orb, grabbing ahold of Scissors and the XL Terrestrial. "Thanks, twerp," Gizmo said, and clicked a button on his backpack. Rockets erupted from it and he darted into the sky, drawing a weapon and sending a concentrated laser blast at Jaka'za, knocking him off of his perch. "Now, Nemesis!" he shouted.
A scream echoed through the area as Nemesis, master teleporter, worked to strain the limits of her power and utilize the greatest teleportation she had ever attempted. Her power was that of matter relocation, and she focused on the dirt beneath them. Jinx's plan, perhaps influenced by the Teen Titan Terra, was to focus the soil around the soldiers of Static and clench the particles, essentially emtombing the soldiers in stone.
At least, that was the plan, and although Nemesis tried her very best, it just wasn't going to happen. A shadowy streak darted across the room, and the bladed edge of Kyd Wykkyd's cape slashed into the girl's chest. With a scream, Nemesis fell backwards, and the dirt--which had been warped above the soldiers--fell.
Private HIVE was crushed beneath it's force, assaulted with over four hundred pounds of concentrated earth. But even with such a casualty, the fight continued, and the near-elastic Paper, stretched to her limits, wrapped herself around Gizmo and brought him down to the ground.
Mammoth, having regained his strength after Branwen's attack, stood over the fallen form of Branwen. He clenched his fist, preparing to slam into her face and quite possibibly kill her...but as his hand began the dreadful descent, a black aura surrounded him, and Mammoth ceased movement.
All around the room, a similar black aura erupted in varying locations, halting the movements of the fighters and the attacks that they had released. "It's Raven!" See-More shouted, recognizing the signature powers of the Titan's witch. "Raven is here!"
"No," a hard voice spoke from a balcony. Released from their stasis, the fighters on the ground below turned, looking up at the speaker. On the balcony, Static stood, and a figure in a black robe stood next to her.
"See the evidence of the betrayal of our 'esteemed Headmistress!'" Gizmo sneered, pointing upwards. "That figure in black, whose power stopped our battle, can be no other than Raven! Static has betrayed us for the Teen Titans!"
"How quickly you judge, Gizmo," Static said smoothly, and she released her will upon the building. Careful scientific modifications had given her the ability to control every aspect of the H.I.V.E. Academy, and it was with this power that she forced the floor to move, rising upward to become a staircase. Slowly, deliberately, she descended the staircase, electric power forming around her hands. "Such a petty man you have become, working with a few of your team-mates to gain power for yourself. You betray the very institution that raised you, trained you. You incite war where their should be cooperation."
"We just want what's ours, Static," See-More said stubbornly. "You took control when our previous Headmaster, Brother Blood, was defeated. Power should have gone to the H.I.V.E. F.I.V.E., who would have made every attempt to restore the original Headmistress to power. You are a tyrant, undeserving the glory you stole!"
Static did not even bother to respond. She could have easily attacked him with her electricity, or even ordered one of those loyal to her to attack him. But she went for the most demonstrative solution. She pointed at See-More with her normal hand, and the cloaked figure on the balcony raised a hand.
A blast of swirling black light shot down and slashed into See-More's chest. The optic villain, unprepared for this attack, fell to the ground, smoke coming from his single eye.
"No!" Gizmo shouted. "You bitch! You are allied with Raven, and you've just killed See-More!"
"Again, you're far too quick to judge," Static chided, and turned to the cloaked figure. "Come down here, Avatar, and show them the truth."
The woman in the black cloak, designed to obey, gradually hovered down to Static's level on the floor, her cape billowing as she did so. When she reached the floor, she removed her hood and spread apart her cape. "I am Avatar," she said, her voice devoid of emotion. "Born from the blood of Raven, I am to be the vessel of power." Her speech sounded so scripted, and it was obvious to so many exactly who was in control here.
"You killed Jinx, too," Gizmo said, realizing what he thought was the situation. "She came to stop you, and you had this Raven, or Avatar, or whatever you're calling her, kill Jinx."
"What have I told you about judging, Gizmo?" Static said angrily. "One might think someone as smart as you would have learned your lesson by now. This is the fate of your rebellious leader, Jinx." Static turned, pointing to Avatar, who still held her cape open. The body of Avatar began to glow that same black light she had recently shot forward, and when the light faded, there was another person standing in front of Avatar.
"Jinx?" Gizmo asked, astonished, as he walked up to the violet-haired girl who had appeared. "What happened? Why didn't you stop Static, like we planned?"
"She's not entirely listening to you, Gizmo," Static said, walking up to Jinx and placing her hands on the girl's shoulders. "She's under Avatar's mind control right now...which means that she's also under mine. And your other friend seems to be in similar condition." As Static spoke these words, Gizmo turned, realizing the importance of what they meant. The green form of See-More slowly began to stand--not killed, but simply altered. The optic villain walked forward to stand next to Jinx, Static, and Avatar.
"You're brainwashing them," the mechanic said, sickened. "You're no better than Brother Blood."
"Our previous Headmaster was many things, Gizmo," Static told him, "But he was smart. He knew that the only way to successfully run a school was to control every aspect of it...and it's a plan I intend to continue."
Gizmo was running before she finished her sentence, but it was too late. From beneath Avatar's cloak came the all-too-familiar black light, racing outwards and grabbing ahold of everyone in the room. Members of the H.I.V.E. F.I.V.E., the soldiers in the area, and the students were all absorbed by the light, their minds going over to Avatar. Even Gizmo, despite his initial protests, had no choice but to succumb.
"And now to take care of one last thing," Static murmered. She pointed to the pile of dirt that had fallen atop Private HIVE. "Remove this for me, Avatar," she told the powerful woman. Nodding her head, the black-haired mystic focused her will, bending her power, and released a blast of dark energy. The dirt was stripped away, dispersing to varying points around the room, leaving the battered form of Private HIVE. The headmistress walked over to her disloyal student, kneeling next to his crumpled form. "It's a pity," she said, feeling for a pulse. She found one, but it was faint. "He's comatose. But his...sacrifice gave us unity. The H.I.V.E. will rise, together, and the Teen Titans will be swiftly defeated. So says Static!"
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"You've decided to return, Raven?" Robin asked, looking at his white-robed friend. After the catastrophic events where her father had been revived and subsequently defeated, the empathic witch had chosen to go her own way for awhile, trying to live her own life and discover what it meant to be human. It was an interesting journey for a girl who had never before known true emotion, and Robin had been concerned that she'd be hurt in the real world.
"It's time for me, Robin," she informed him assuredly. "I've tried going my own way, living among the populace, taking the name 'Rachel Roth'. But it's only one aspect of my life. No matter how much I might want to wrap myself into the identity of 'Rachel', I will always and forever be 'Raven' as well. I must embrace both aspects of myself if I want to truly be free from my father's influence."
"Then we are glad to have you back, friend Raven," Starfire said with joy as she embraced the girl. "It has been most difficult without you!"
The other Titans nodded their agreement. "So how was life as a normie, Raven?" Beast Boy asked with a wide grin.
"It was...different," the witch answered. "I've never really let myself feel before. This was definitely something new. I'm almost grateful for my father, you know. Because he came back to Earth and manipulated me, he set in motion the series of events that would lead to this new version of me. He set me free from him, in a way, by trying to control me."
Beast Boy blinked, not really knowing what to say. "Well...it's good to have you back," he said lamely. Then he looked around, cocking one of his large ears. "Do you guys hear that whistling sound?" he asked.
Cyborg looked around, turning on the sound amplifiers near his ears. "Oh no," he said softly, in shock. "Everyone, get down!"
As the Titans dove for cover, following Cyborg's instructions without even really thinking, a series of people began crashing through the windows of the Tower. Instinctively reacting to the attack, the Titans shifted into battle formation, drawing weapons and charging up their powers.
"The H.I.V.E.," Robin said with a grim look on his face as he saw who had just invaded Titan's Tower. "All of the fighters, from the looks of it. This isn't going to be fun."
"All I know," Cyborg said, the cybernetics in his arm clicking together as he activated his sonic cannon, "Is that I'm not letting anyone trash my tower again!" He aimed his arm cannon at Mammoth, releasing the concentrated blast of sound. The shockwave slammed into the giant's chest with little visible effect.
Terra's attack was somewhat more effective. Grabbing ahold of a solid chunk of land outside, she forged a boulder and brought it up through one of the hole's in the Tower's side--a result of the H.I.V.E. crashing through barely a minute ago--and slammed it into Mammoth's back, sending the behemoth flying out the other side of the Tower.
The battle began to rage almost instantly. Starfire, acting in the nature of her warrior's spirit, began flinging Starbolts at any foe she could find. Beast Boy shifted between animal forms expertly, crashing into some as a bear and slashing others as a tiger. Robin, using his great acrobatic skills, slammed his foot into the back of Gizmo while at the same time smacking Scissors with his bo staff.
Jinx stood up in the center of the battle, gathering her violet energy waves to blast at the Titan's, negating all of their luck in this fight. Without luck, the Titans would be overrun by the H.I.V.E. "You will fail now," she said, although no emotion seemed to exist in her voice. Avatar's control over her, and the rest of the H.I.V.E., still remained strong.
"I will handle her," Raven said, rising up with her white robe drifting around her. "Falter," she commanded to Jinx, releasing the brunt of her empathic powers in the form of her soul self. The white bird, containing the very essence of Raven's soul, stretched out from her body to lash out at Jinx. The pink-haired enchantress screamed as Raven attacked her, and in that moment, Avatar's control over Jinx was broken. The fact that Jinx was now unconscious made that fact of little importance, however.
The attack completed, Raven began to return to her body, but a black line lashed out from the shadows, stabbing through the soul self with complete accuracy.
Normal attacks would completely ignore the existence of the soul self, simply passing through it without any effect. But this attack was hardly normal. Lightning seemed to flash through Raven's body as the dark attack slashed through her soul self, and the form of Raven fell over, her spirit injured.
"The Teen Titans are strong," came the voice of Avatar, emerging from over Raven's crumpled body. "I had not expected you to fare so well against the H.I.V.E. Perhaps it is time for me to enter the fight at last."
"That's it, Avatar," Static said triumphantly, standing in the middle of the battle. "Destroy the Titans and bring me true victory!"
The eyes of the black-robed Avatar went hard instantly. In a flash, she spun, raising her hand and generating a spear of utter darkness. This weapon hurled forward, slamming into Static's chest and piercing her straight through. The eyes of the current headmistress went wide as she realized what had happened. Avatar...her secret weapon...her personal creation...had betrayed her. "Why?" she asked in a choking voice before falling to the ground.
"I don't feel like taking orders from you anymore," Avatar said, standing over the fallen headmistress and radiating anger. "You made me better than you thought, Static. I can function on my own now." Avatar turned, looking at the Teen Titans with a sinister smile on her face. "The H.I.V.E. is entirely beaten now, Titans," she told them. "I think it's time for us to have a little time together, don't you think?"