Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans or any of the series characters, but Kenneth and Bryson are mine as well as Azalon and Melissa

A/N: YAY! The 25 chapter! Woo! This is getting to be a very LONG story, longer then I really had intended … but I guess … you just can't plan imagination … right? Okay folks, before we go to Azarath, there's a little detour that must be taken that'll further explain – even Confuse you about Rorek … but fear not, read along with the confusion with me and all will be gone. Promise!

Enjoy!

Francesca: Mew!

--

Candlelight Revelations

Malchior sat upon one of the stools with his elbow propping up his bored head as he watched Rorek light the last candle on the counter. The wizard pulled away and smiled satisfactory then blew out the match, "There, that's much better."

By candlelight the Tower was illuminated and glowed with a cool dim yellow with peeking shadows that flickered with the fluttering flames. Starfire looked around and giggled childishly, spinning into the air and clasped her hands over her heart and laughed, "Wondrous! Why I have never seen the Tower in such a splendid way … no wonder you favor candles Friend Raven, they are just so … so … romantic!"

Malchior sighed, his heart suddenly restless with the new revelation he and Raven had come over. Glancing to the sorceress who sat upon the couch with a book in hand submerged within the pages. The dragon scowled wondering if she really was into the damned thing or if she was just giving herself an excuse to ignore him. It was frustrating to know that she had finally come out to him and possibly even gave him a chance, yet she was just too shy to show it to the world.

Of course he respected her decision and respected her in general, understanding just where she was coming from. Malchior couldn't help his dragon blood boiling to have her in every way possible, but she was only 16 and he was turning 19 in a month's time. If he remembered correctly in the current time he dwelled in, she'd still be considered a minor compared to him.

Whatever that meant.

"Dudes! Check it out!" Beast Boy laughed like a kid, Malchior desperate enough for a distraction glanced to the green changeling to see what it was he found so fascinating. Only to growl in irritation when he just saw him making shadow puppets on the wall using the candlelight, "It's a dog!"

Kenneth raised a brow then scoffed, "Shit, no wonder the President issued the "No child's left behind law"."

Beast Boy frowned then sneered mockingly, "Aw man, don't be mean just cuz' you never passed middle school."

Kenneth laughed mockingly, "Hah! Very funny Einstein, tell me what formula would I use to tell how much pressure is decreased as I squeeze the volume out of your thick head."

The changeling stumbled, "Bah – uh … wou-wouldn't that be … um … Boyle's … Law?"

Malchior rolled his eyes at the changelings wrong answer, Kenneth just shook his head and sat down next to Malchior with Francesca following after to jump upon the counter and allow herself to be petted as Malchior answered correctly, "It was a trick question, Boyle's Law is only used when pressure is increased while volume is decreased. It's impossible for pressure to be decreased as it squeezes something out. It would defy all laws of chemistry related gases, any alchemist could tell you that."

"And you know this … how?" Raven brought the book down ever so slightly to ask suspiciously as Malchior looked over his shoulder to her and smirked as he pointed to Rorek.

"We share half of the same heart remember, so I think it's quite possible for us to trade knowledge and feelings as well love."

Raven sneered and returned to her book as Rorek sighed, and shrugged nonchalantly oblivious to the interaction's true meaning, "Sad to say, but true nonetheless."

"Even so," Starfire smiled gladly joining in on the conversation, "I think it is marvelous that you are all helping friend Beast Boy understand science, for I have found it rather difficult to keep his attention."

Kenneth snorted, "So he has the attention span of a rat, and? I really am not surprised."

"You know I'm standing right here!" Beast Boy boiled with embarrassment and rage; Kenneth looked at him and sneered.

"So, I'm not one to talk behind peoples' backs. Can't hack it, then you can pack it cuz' I ain't changin' for your ass."

Starfire frowned at the thief's language; Rorek scowled already getting irked by his foul mouth. Both at once chimed, "Must you be so vulgar?"

Just then the sliding doors – surprisingly the only things that actually worked in the Tower along with the elevator slid open and out came a dejected Cyborg and Robin, the earlier shaking his head, "Looks like we're gonna' have to buy ourselves a new generator, the one we have now was shot."

Beast Boy blinked, "Shot? Who shot it?"

Robin sighed and ran his gloved bare hands – still being dressed in his civilian clothing – through his hair frowning he corrected, "What he means was the generator short circuited, maybe the lightening that hit the antenna on the roof was strong enough to shock the thing dead, but looks like we're going to have to handle no power until we can see the problem."

Cyborg snorted, "Oh I know the problem already, you see as I was fixin' the thing I was sure I got it working and even saw the it picking up power, but then suddenly pop! The thing explodes on me, I don't know if it's really the lightening that did it or something else just blew it worthless."

At this Malchior noticed Raven hesitated in the turning of a page in her book, though it was only slightly, a person who was paying attention to her would have noticed, but since everyone else was down about the power being out. No one but he observed and smirked, She blew it out … he thought amusingly, Raven glanced up at him from the corner of her eye and narrowed them warningly. "Not funny Malchior, look what you made me do."

"Frankly my dear, I could give less of a care if you brought down the entire city, at least you were enjoying yourself for the moment am I wrong?" Malchior teased, Raven snapped her book shut and stood up crudely, then without warning flung the dictionary-like object at the dragon. Malchior ducked to avoid impact, but poor Kenneth that was sitting next to him didn't see it coming. Raven gasped and meant to scream out Kenneth's name to get his attention but it was over in a matter of seconds.

The book hit the side of his head and knocked him to the ground, "AH! What the – who the – OOWW fuck! Jesus Christ that HURT!"

"It was an accident," Raven immediately tried to apologize as Kenneth picked himself up from the ground trying to shake the sudden lightheadedness from his head. Rorek helped him up, raising a brow at Malchior who held both hands to his mouth. Trying hard to stifle laughter, it was doing little to nothing to help as the dragon's shoulders shook uncontrollably and his fit was becoming harder to control with every passing second he held his breath.

Kenneth felt his head, it wasn't bleeding or anything, but there was sure to be a huge bump and a major headache in the morning, he just knew it and it was all because of Raven. Glaring at her he opened his mouth to stab her with his quick tongue, but looked down at Malchior and got even more pissed off at the snickering dragon, "What the fuck's so funny!"

Malchior shook his head and held his breath, trying hard not to laugh as he answered forcefully, "No-nothing … noth-nothing at all."

Angry that he was being left out of something Kenneth opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off when Robin cut in, "Alright, enough is enough, obviously it's too late to pick up any kind of discussion tonight and we're all tired, so let's get some sleep and get things done tomorrow. Malchior, your room's set up at the East Wing of the Tower across from mine's, Starfire will show you the way."

The dragon raised a brow and frowned at knowing he'd be far from Raven, since her room was at the West Wing he'd not only have to pass Robin, but the alien, the changeling, and possibly Rorek and Kenneth where ever they were stationed. Something about it sounded too planned and well thought of … like Raven had ordered it … or Robin was smarted then he had anticipated. Yet, not wanting to seem too suspicious, Malchior never said anything as Starfire gestured for him to follow her. Rorek and Kenneth went off with Cyborg, Beast Boy buzzing behind them.

Raven sighed and walked up to her book, picking it up she frowned at her lack of control and shook her head, about to follow after Cyborg and the others. Robin stopped her. This, Malchior noticed before he disappeared behind the right catwalk entrance into the East Wing. His slit dragon eyes growing even more so narrowed as Raven nodded and Robin put a hand at the middle of her back leading her to a different section of the Tower. Something boiled in his blood causing a growl in his chest, a fanged sneer of his lips, and red tint of his eyes.

He knew what that boiling feeling was …

Malchior shook his head; refusing to let their actions get to him he clenched his clawed hands into tight fists making the pain of his piercing claws snap him out of jealousy. He already went through this with Kenneth only to feel foolish to find out that in a way he and Raven were related somewhere along the line … but then again … did that fact matter any? After all it was a 1000 years ago … their blood connection couldn't be that damning now could it?

With a sigh, Malchior rolled his eyes, Are you even hearing your own thoughts Malchior? Stop it, Raven … she … what are we now?

Good question to ask, bad feeling it brought up.

--

"Sorry to keep you up Raven, but this is important," Robin said while pulling the sorceress back to sit her on the stool, his masked eyes narrowed and face stiff and still in concentration. Raven tried to read his emotions, but from her he was good at hiding them. However she knew whatever it was he wouldn't be joking when he said it was important. Leaning on the counter as Raven sat on the stool looking up to him she raised a brow as he crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a long hard look.

It was irritating the sorceress that thought she was in some kind of trouble, "What's so important that you couldn't talk about it in front of every one else?"

Robin closed his eyes and sighed, running his hands through his ebony hair and tisking he looked back to Raven and started slowly, "Now I know it's none of my business personally Raven, and believe me, you already know I don't like to invade your space, but I have to ask. Is the reason you're standing up for Rorek, Kenn – er – Red X, and Malchior because it has something to do with a … certain type of relationship with anyone of them?"

"Excuse me?" Raven stood up staring at Robin in disbelief, "are you asking me what I think you're asking me?"

"Raven, calm down," Robin held up his hand and gestured for her to have a seat, "it's just a yes or no question, I don't care who it's with, I just have to know the truth because the generator didn't just "pop" now did it?"

Raven had a seat, but sat up straight and glared at her leader, "Robin, I really don't think you need to know this."

Robin slumped down into the stool next to her enabling himself to be eye level with her he stated seriously, "Raven, when it concerns clemency and amnesty from the Teen Titans as a group and the Mayor of Jump City, then I do need to know. Because if there is a majority vote to put them away questions are going to arise if you are to vote against us … so … are you in any way having a relationship with one of those three?"

"Even if I were, Robin," Raven responded coolly, keeping her head and sorting out her thoughts she responded, "A relationship with any one of them wouldn't affect my rational train of thought. If they are to be placed in prison then so be it, at least I stood up for what I believed in … and what I believe and what I know is they were far from the criminals you suspect them to be. Rorek could hardly be considered a criminal anyway, he's a legit archeologist that owns his own firm, once a treasure hunter."

Robin snorted and sat back, "Is that what he told you?"

"No … but it's what his butler told me …" Raven raised a brow at Robin's sudden scowled exasperated expression, eyeing him curiously she opened her mouth to ask what his problem was, but he scoffed and answered her anyway.

"Raven," he sighed, "Rorek Aiedail as he so calls himself isn't such a good guy he makes himself out to be. He owns a business all right, and sure he was once a "treasure hunter" but here's the cake under the icing: he's a leader of a dangerous highly respected and biggest black-market industry in the Villain Underground worldwide. He's the one that buys, sells, and trades with thieves and big time villains like Slade, hell I think it's fair enough to call him a thief! Yet … because I trust you … I'm willing to give him a second shot … along with Ken – eh – Red X and Malchior … so, don't make us regret setting them free just because you're infatuated with one of them."

Now overwhelmed with information Raven shook her head and jerked back setting a suspicious glare on Robin, "Wait, Rorek's the man behind the devices? Wha-when did you figure all this?"

"I went to work right after you, him, and Red X explained everything that went down on Azalon," answered the her leader, Raven rolled her eyes, My fault for asking, she scoffed, already knowing Robin's habits the sorceress huffed and stood up, Robin following after her as she made her way to the hall calling out to her, "Raven –"

She held up a finger to silence, "I know Robin, I know … and I don't have to tell you if I'm "infatuated" with either Malchior or Rorek – excluding Kenneth because he's my distant cousin. So just like you trust my judgment, trust me in general. Now good-night."

"Raven …" Robin silenced when the doors slid open then shut, leaving him in the middle of Ops Room glaring after her. Keeping his patience he shook his head slowly and shrugged, "… tomorrow then …" he dismissed himself towards his room.

--

Thunder clapped, lightning flashed and the candle lit in the wizard's room was his only illumination as he read a book Raven had given him. Quite engrossed within its contents and interesting plot along with all the new spells it was teaching him. He chuckled at the dark humor it possessed and turned the page to devour even more knowledge in record time.

Not one to sleep very early, yet not one to wake up late either Rorek never suspected a thing when a yawn snuck up in the back of his throat. Leaning back and putting the book down as he covered his mouth that the yawn ripped his head in half, the wizard shook his head and smoothed his soft snow-white mane back. Ice blue eyes scrambling within the lines of the book he read to continue his place as he sat up on the bed that leaned against the wall window of the room.

"Rorek!" startled by the echoed call of his name the wizard looked about in wonder and put the book down.

"Hello?" he called out curiously, "Is anybody there?"

The voice wasn't in his head, which was why he was calling out into the darkness.

Now don't be mistaken and quick to assume Rorek isn't much into black magic and such, and was easily startled by the dancing shadows and flickering darkness. In fact he knew them well enough and was quite familiar with about every curse and deadly art there was in the world and dimensions linked to magic. That's why he swung his legs over the edge of his bed and glared into the dark when there was no response.

"I'll ask for the last time: is anybody there?"

"… Lord Rorek!"

Bryson … Rorek thought to himself and called out the name, "Bryson? Be that you, why call unto me at ungodly an hour?"

Rorek raised a brow at himself, Why did I just change my speech?

"Lord Rorek! Are you there! My lord! Proceed to the mirror so I can be sure it is you." The echoed voice Rorek now assumed was Bryson ushered hurriedly and desperately. Putting the book on the bed and jumping to his feet, Rorek made his way to the mirror that was across the room close to the door that acted as a closet as well. Standing in front of it Rorek glared at his reflection when he saw no one else there.

However as he continued to stare, stand, and wait his reflection suddenly liquefied and rippled away like a pebble dropped into a pond. Stepping away, Rorek braced when a hand – no – black claws poked out of the rippling mirror reaching for him. Bryson the gargoyle popped out, with a fanged smile, "Lord Rorek! What a pleasure to see you're finally back from your trip. Trust everything went as planned?"

Rorek shook his head and eased up as Bryson smoothed out his ruffled fiery red hair from his horns and back into a pony tail as his tail whipped out of the mirror that finally stilled and hardened to breakable shards once more. Clawed feet and clawed hands black and virtually everything else Rorek remembered him to look like was as it were supposed to be. It was good to see a familiar face that he could trust in the mist of all the chaos, "Bryson … it's been a while."

Bryson raised a brow his pitch black eyes shimmering with amusement as he scoffed, "Oh please, don't be so sappy my lord, it's only been 3, 4, maybe 5 days tops you've been away from the Mansion, I got by quite well … with the exception of that Teen Titan that came by to drop off young master Kenneth's ex-girlfriend. It was such a bother to erase her memory of the thing's she's seen."

Rorek frowned and glared pasted Bryson to something in his head, "Robin came to my home to drop off Melissa?"

"Yes, quite," Bryson nodded, "but like I said I erased her memory of my true form."

"Does Robin know about you?"

"The Titan? No, of course not! My concealment spell dropped after he left and Melissa was left standing in the main entrance." the easy going butler shrugged and looked around, as Rorek scowled and walked to his bed where the lighter Kenneth had given him (where he got the lighter was a mystery) to light up a bit more candles in order to get a better look at Bryson in the dark.

"How did Robin find my Mansion to begin with?" Rorek huffed and smoothed back his snow-white hair.

Bryson shrugged, "He is a Titan and a detective, plus I believe he told me something about using Lady Raven's communication's device to find our location."

"A communicator?" Rorek raised a brow and shook his head, "but her communicator broke at the Opera House and we were long gone from the mansion then."

"Maybe it tracks wherever she's been as well … you never know these superheroes and their toys, such a bother," Bryson sighed, but cheered up and switched gears, "Anyway my lord, how long have you been back? I've been trying to get in contact with you concerning a few … issues … about our trading industry. It would seem that our … retrievers aren't meeting their quota."

Rorek looked over his shoulder from glare out the window to Bryson and blinked, with a confused shrug he answered, "What? That's explainable, obviously there's been an increase in authority through out the world."

Bryson tilted his head and scrunched his face in thought, lifting a clawed finger he shook his head, "Ah … I don't think it has anything to do with the heroes … but I think it has more to do with you …"

"… Me?" Rorek stilled after turning around to fully face Bryson with a look of disbelief, "You mean … Me-Me?"

"Is there not another Rorek I turn to?" Bryson sneered sarcastically, Rorek glared.

"Stop with the games Bryson, what have I done to upset the workers so?"

"Nothing really … they just think you're … obsolete."

Rorek jerked his head back with a sneer, mocking Bryson's word with a tone that suggested he was greatly insulted, "Obsolete. Who in bloody hell is starting a fight with me?"

Bryson sighed uneasily, "You know that gentlemen that this Robin character is dead set on finding, the one that likes to come by and offer generous deals to have us disappear so he can take over our position … that's him. It would seem that his patience has finally run out."

Rorek's sneer turning into a mocking scoff, "He can try, but I am not one to be threatened."

"Then what are we to do? He's sent me a note saying that he's already transferred many of our workers to his side and is rounding a protest against us … he intends to kill us if we don't take his offer."

"Did you tell him I don't respond kindly to threats? If he's brave enough to send it in a note how is it that he has not seek me out in order to face me directly? I don't care what he says, he can pout and whine and cry about it, but where the black-market is concerned, I own it all, and it wasn't because I just knocked off the highest rank either."

"Then … you risk a take over?"

"I risk nothing," Rorek flicked his wrist in dismissal of the question, glaring out the window to the storming night where the waves turned tossed and ripped with the confusion of the blaring wind. The rain coming down so hard and so fast that it covered the brightly lit city. The whether was ghastly, just like the brewing plot that now grew over Rorek's head. "Slade just doesn't know who he's messing with this time around. He's good, smart, conniving, and clever to a fault … in a word … he's arrogant."

Bryson raised a brow at his lord's sudden cold nature … considering he has half the heart of the dragon, Bryson often thought that the cause of the good wizard's direction in life, walking the shadowy alleyways becoming what his bright, caring, and compassionate personality and soul just contrasted with the darkness of the night. He thought it was the cause of the dragon … yet, as the years progressed and he followed Rorek, stayed with him and watched over the child as if he were his own there became a big difference in being influenced to do something, where as being willing and conscious enough of thought in what is being done. Rorek showed Bryson long ago, that it was far from the dragon's heart that influenced his actions. It was his very own … a darkness within the charming smile that caught the world off guard.

In away … sometimes … when the mood hit just right, Bryson – even for a gargoyle – feared the wizard.

Why?

Because his words were true when he told Malchior and Kenneth that there was just no telling what the wizard was capable of.

Unpredictable.

Rorek: charming, kind, gentlemen of honor, and a man of his word, but just like those words that described him, he was there exact opposite and there was just no telling when he'd change and show a different side. In the book, the one where he sealed Malchior into, they told his story, but they left out the parts that Bryson had seen and experienced. It wasn't the dragon's heart that made him the way he was. That was just how Rorek was in general … maybe Malchior understood it better then Bryson did … but Bryson just knew that Rorek wasn't some push over naïve gentleman.

Somehow … just like Kenneth was cold-hearted.

Rorek could very well be the same.

Bryson couldn't help to shake his head and chuckle quietly to him self as he thought; There really can't be a coincidence in their meeting …

"Bryson," Rorek snapped, but not rudely, just to get the gargoyle's attention from his thoughts, Bryson looked up from staring at the floor and ruffled his folded wings standing still as Rorek asked, "Where's Slade want us to meet?"

"Well … the note was sent two days ago and I believe you were still on Azalon then," Bryson thought aloud then counted, "so I come to believe that he wishes to meet with you this Sunday at the edge of the city, you know where that abandoned clock tower is on the far south?" Rorek nodded, "Meet there Sunday, 10 pm sharp under the Weeping Willow."

Rorek thought for a moment, "Sunday's the day after tomorrow … long enough. Thank you Bryson … and by the way, it really is good to finally see you again."

Bryson smiled and bowed his head, "The pleasures all mine my lord, and will you be returning home anytime soon?"

"Not quite," Rorek shook his head with a sigh; "Robin still has to go over my files in order to decide what fate is there for me."

"And be it not good-news?"

Rorek chuckled, "Kenneth will think of something, he always does."

"Let's hope so, then by your leave." Bryson bowed low and headed back to the mirror as Rorek plopped on his bed glaring at the ground thinking about all that was exchanged as Bryson left through the liquefied mirror. With a flick of his tail the gargoyle was gone, leaving the wizard to his dark thoughts, unknowing to him the curious violet eyes that gazed upon his door, glaring at the bare cold metal. Raven shook her head and lowered her hand from the dividing piece of metal. Wrapping her cloak about her body she frowned as she stared at the ground while making her way to her room after she had dismissed herself from Robin.

The thought that Rorek was a real good-guy and could even possibly be on the Teen Titans with her was shattered the moment she heard the conversation start to finish. At first she wished to knock upon the door to greet herself to Bryson … even for a gargoyle he seemed very nice, very trusting, but now … she knew … there was just no trusting anyone. Anyone, but her old Friends the Teen Titans … at least they hardly kept secrets from her and even if they did it wasn't anything that couldn't be helped.

It just went to show her that even the most charming of gentlemen could have many skeletons in their closet.

A tired sigh escaped her lips as she entered her room and paused to notice that her sheets were still rustled and Malchior's aura was all over the place. Yet … she did nothing to rid her room of his presents … she was too tired from everything to care as she trudged to her bed and fell on top of it. The instant her head hit the pillow, she was out like the snuffed out candlelight at her bedside.

--

X: throw me a frickin' book will ya (X growls at Raven.)

Raven: (Raven shoots him down with her infamous glare) I said it was an accident, plus it wasn't my fault, blame Malchior, he's the one that ducked to begin with.

Malchior: Well I couldn't very much have you hit me now can I?

Rorek: Hey … where's – um – the crazy girl that locked us in the closet? What was her name?

Francesca: Mew!

Malchior: Francesca say's cimple, her name was cimple … well, I believe she told us something about homework or what not?

X: Yeah … something about late on her studies and threats from her dad?

Raven: Yes, she said that her father's going to take away her Internet permanently if she doesn't pick up her grades.

X: (To the side and to himself) YES! (slides back into the shot) Whaddya mean? She's been skipping out?

Rorek: No! Of course not! The work's just getting too hard for her is all.

Malchior: Well she better hurry up because I can't wait to get back to my home dimension. Hanging around you humans too much had gotten me hungry.

All: (sweat-drops and scoots away)

Malchior: What?

Rorek: Never mind … well … since cimple's not here … I guess it's up to me to address our audience. In the wise words of cimple, I bid you: later a day.

X: Not like that you moron! It's l8er daez! Geez, somebody get this guy an Idiot's Guide to Computer Lingo.

Rorek: Whatever, so long everyone!

Francesca: Mew!