"Come on, it can't be a legit UFO. The league would have caught it long before it broke atmosphere."
"Sí, es imposible!"
"Maybe the league was busy? Or maybe it was too small for them to notice?"
The four men rambled on together as they ran down the street.
"Whatever the reason, we need to keep our guard up. We have no idea if whoever's flying the thing is a threat."
The others nodded following their leader. As the street ended and gave way to grass and sparse trees they continued to sprint through the light fog before stopping just within sight of the large crashed ship.
"I thought the report said they landed, not crashed."
The leader quickly shhh'd the arrogant archer as they crouched down behind a park bench and a tree. Peaking over they spotted movement in the wreckage. A tall green man began to stumble out from the twisted metal that once jumped gaps between star systems. He attempted to gain his footing as he cleared the wreckage but quickly fell back to a kneel while clutching his head.
"Maybe it was an accident?"
The black eyed man beside her whispered. His face concerned as if feeling the pain of the alien creature. The group continued watching as three humans rounded the corner from behind the heap of metal clad in heavy armored plate.
"Jebediah, I am so disappointed."
The leader of the three stepped forward before the wheezing alien. His face was white and young but he seemed to carry a higher knowledge than his appearance would assume. His voice slithered out from his sharp mouth with a smooth yet disturbing tone earning chills from their audience.
The green man coughed and what appeared to be blood, blue in color, flew from his mouth and stained the ground.
"Did you think you could desert us so easily?"
The armored man continued to speak as he drew a large sword from his back. The alien raised an arm up in surrender as he clutched his throat with the other, clearly submissive to their will.
"It's a shame, I was beginning to like you."
The man raised his sword high and just as the blade began to fall an arrow struck the metal and loosened the weapon from the executioners grip embedding in the metal of the ship. Frustrated the man looked to the direction of the arrow fixating on a blonde haired man, bow drawn with another arrow notched and at the ready. To his right stood 4 others. One tall and thin wearing black tights and a blue form-fitting top, two shorter men dressed in the same white and red jumpsuit and a young woman dressed in black and yellow. The mans brow furrowed as he glared at the group.
"I don't know where you're from, but we don't kill deserters."
The young woman spoke, clearly the leader of the outfit. The man sighed then grinned back up at her.
"Very well then."
He stretched his hand out behind him as his blade immediately emerged from the wreckage and landed perfectly within his grasp. His grin grew wider and his allies drew their matching blades. As they did, their red eyes began to glow brightly.
"Perhaps you can demonstrate how you treat murderers."
All three men bared their sharp teeth as their eyes now burned as red as hellfire. Memories festered in the minds of their new adversaries. Horrifying images of men and women slaughtered by their hands were meant to instill fear but instead perpetuated anger within the young heroes. As anger struck their faces the three men began to laugh.
The leader looked to her allies before shouting her command.
"Titans, Go!"
—
Her head left the pillow at Mach speeds nearly snapping her neck. A loud gasp escaped her lips as her eyes shot around the room, hyper aware of the room she found herself in. It was not her room. It was not dark and safe. She felt her breathing become slightly more erratic but then her memories caught back up to her as she remembered arriving there the night before. She relaxed slightly but as the adrenaline left her body a dull pain began to appear in her wrists and side. She wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes as the pain swept over her and the memory of her most recent nightmare returned to her mind.
Every night without fail she would dream of her own crucifixion and of her imminent death that would follow at the hands of her step brothers. All to release the source of all evil back into the mortal realm. Her blood ran cold at the thought as she recalled his face and the terror he brought. Then amongst the horrors came a pleasant sight. A friend, someone she trusted. Masked eyes and a hopeful smile filled her thoughts as she recalled the boy wonder himself. The anxiety that had begun to well up within her began to dissipate and she felt a calm come over her. Then she recalled that very man had slept so close to her within that same room. Her lilac orbs once again peered our into the room as she drew back her eyelids. The same hope that had been in his eyes that day reflected in her own. She directed her gaze to the assortment of pillows and blankets on the floor by the closet to realize that he was not there. Again, a slight amount of panic began to overwhelm her mind. The sound of the door knob slowly turning brought a burning sensation of fear at what lay beyond before it was all laid to rest again. As the door opened, spiky black hair invaded through the crack followed by a bright, handsome face accompanied with piercing blue eyes and a white smile. Her heart nearly fluttered at the sight but minding her emotions she shoved them down and steeled her face to shed no feelings.
"Good morning."
His voice was slightly lower than normal, or perhaps his voice had aged and she just hadn't noticed it.
"Morning."
She said plainly, her monotone even more unforgiving thanks to her gravely morning voice. Still he smiled at her with those perfect white teeth. She wonders for a moment just how he kept them so damn pearly. She shook her head to evade the though process.
"Breakfast is just about ready. Should just be a few more minutes."
Raven absently nodded at his words as she began to stare past him, the only way to show her attention without becoming lost in the bright blue of his eyes. 'What the hell is going on' she mentally chided herself. Seeing her nod he offered a large smile.
"See you down there."
He then withdrew his head and once again closed the door permitting her privacy. With that she let out a long sigh bringing rubbing her temples with her fingers. She seriously needed to meditate when her powers were back. She froze for a moment with her eyes snapping open. Slowly she trailed her gaze to look at her right arm recognizing a lack of pain in its movement. she threw the sheets off of her and swung her legs off the side of the bed. She stood and raced to the bathroom. With the added visual the mirror offered with the morning light she brought her arm up for inspection. The appendage had long since been devoid of any visual representation of the wound since her self healing prioritized the flesh before the bone. Still she looked intently upon it but began to move her arm slowly back forth attempting to determine if there was still any pain.
After a few moments of this she found herself unable to determine any soreness with the exception of her persisting pains from her nightmare. Absentmindedly her hands pulled in close to hold her sides as the searing sting of what had happened flashed within her mind. Perhaps they were dreams but she'd only felt the after effects of her dreams a few times before. She shuttered at the thought, the image of her fathers fiery mark imbued upon her bedroom wall was still too recent and vivid in her mind. She felt her hand reach at her throat, feeling the same shortness of breath before something brought her back.
A slight pinch barely registered in her forearm. She frowned recognizing that perhaps the pain and helplessness was not over. Still she held her other hand above the bone and closed her eyes as she forcibly took control of her powers, sensing the state of her arm. After a few moments she pieces together a mental image of the bone finding a small fracture roughly 2 inches in length running along it. An improvement over being completely crushed as it was but still, the notion solidified a frown on her face.
Realistically she didn't care about the pain. She could handle that, the discomfort, even the distortion of her skin. What she could not, however, withstand was the absolute helplessness that accompanied her situation. While she was far from being untrained and unable to protect herself, no small part of her strength was due to her powers. The extent of her abilities both learned on Azarath and given of blood were more powerful than almost any other being on earth, rivaling the man of steel himself if not for her expert control of her emotions. Knowing that she was completely incapable of tapping into her magics made her feel impossibly uncomfortable and weak. The idea of having to rely on anyone didn't sit right with her, even after having been part of a team for so many years.
She sighed but knit her brow determined to try and change her circumstance. She focused her eyes on the handle of the faucet before her, attempting to reign in her preoccupied powers. Pain began to creep up in her arm as slowly she successfully redirected her energy and the handle moved unleashing a steady flow of warm water. She released the Black hold on the handle and physically relaxed, realizing exactly how much of her own physical stamina it took to focus her power. Still she's managed to take control. A small smirk played against her lips for only a moment before she refocused on getting ready for the day.
After a quick shower she got dressed for the day choosing a pair of skinny blue jeans, a maroon t-shirt, and light black hooded jacket. Dawning her combat boots again she made her way down the stairs following a familiar smell. It took her a few moments to recognize the scent of her favorite mix of herbal tea. A new sense of urgency began to swell within her as she became excited to feel its calming effect.
She rounded the next corner and passed through an open doorway into the small kitchen. Directly in front of her was a small square table and chairs, three places set with silverware and cloth napkins. Beyond that stood the kitchen proper. An older style fridge complete with lever handle sat on the left with beige cabinets stretching around the room in a 'U' shape, a window above the sink at its apex.
A loud whistle began to blow to the right where the stove sat, a kettle of tea on the back burner of the stainless steel gas stove. The man before the range was also quick at work cooking an assortment of breakfast foods, placing the finished delicacies on the plates beside him. Robin passed by the older gentleman cooking and lifted the kettle from the stove before pouring a single mug and placing a tea bag in it. He set the kettle back down on a cold burner and turned finding Raven still in the doorway. He smiled at her welling a warmth within her stomach that fluttered causing no small amount of confusion within her.
"Morning, Rae!"
He spoke gently but with sincere excitement. 'How long has he been up?' She thought to herself noting how chipper and awake he seemed. He was always a morning person but normally he needed a cup of coffee to stand up straight. With no black stained mug in sight she added it to the list of confusing things for the day.
"Good morning."
She returned her own smile and nodded. Robin made his way to her, tea cup in hand, and pulled out a chair at the table, offering her the spot. After a moments hesitation she took it and robin handed her the cup of tea. She thanked him then looked at the warm brownish liquid. The tea carried the exact same hue and smell as the brew she'd personally crafted. A quick inspection of the small white tag attached to the steeping bag she found her own signature 'R' on it.
Quirking her eyebrow she looked up to where robin now stood, beside the old man again. She caught sight just in time to watch him tuck a small white box into his jacket, the same size as the box of custom ordered tea she'd bought only a week prior. She shook off the thought before much longer instead deciding to revel in the calming effect of her personal tea. She took a sip and allowed herself to relax.
She closed her eyes taking in the feeling. As her other senses became more acute she began to smell the old mans cooking. Bacon popped on the griddle as he flipped another pancake with his spatula. After another moment she was brought to by the sound of glass being placed on the table before her. Opening her eyes she found robin placing a plate, stacked with food, in front of her. Robin took a seat beside her with his own plate.
The last piece of bacon made its way off of the pan and onto his own plate as the old man joined the other two at the table. Raven, readied a fork to begin eating when he spoke up.
"Hold on."
Caught off guard she looked up directly at him with confusion in her eyes. The man smiled back settling her nerves a bit thought the confusion remained.
"I apologize if it's not your custom, but I feel it right to bless the food before we eat."
He continued to smile at her his kind intentions obvious though the gesture offered Raven no comfort. She forced herself to smile back and nod though she felt the fear begin to fester within her.
She had once attempted to pray when she was with the monks in Azarath but found that as she offered the words, her blood began to boil and her flesh burn. After the painful experience she understood that her demonic heritage had condemned her. No plea made to the God of earth or Azarath would be heard with her offering.
The older man sat in the chair across from her and folded his arms as he closed his eyes and bent his head forward. Raven felt her breathing stop in anticipation as she replicated his actions, folding her arms and nearly curling in on herself, expectant of the same pain she'd felt before.
"Dear father in heaven..."
The feeling that came next surprised her as her eyes shot open. Looking to her right she found a hand placed over her own. Glancing up she saw Robin's eyes meet her own. The single moment of eye contact they shared told her everything. He'd felt her emotions, the strong fear and anticipation of pain. In that moment he'd reached out to comfort her. She felt a small smile begin to tug at her lips. The simple gesture kept her attention as she closed her eyes again, trying to focus on anything but the words the old man was saying. To her surprise she felt nothing other than the warmth of her leaders hand as he traced lines down her knuckles and fingers.
"Amen"
Robin and Raven repeated the closing word, Raven's slightly quieter. She felt relief flow through her in full as she picked up a fork and began eating. The prayer had passed without so much of a stinging sensation. Perhaps imprisoning her father had helped increase her standing with the great creator. Either way she felt a calm return to her as she ate.
After a short time eating the generous breakfast and some small talk between robin and the old man, the three loaded into the old mans truck and began the hour long trek south towards the location believed to be the center of the cultists rituals.
—-
"You all truly are quite entertaining."
The young girl thrashed about as she tried to free herself. Despite the glaive crushing her throat she refuse to give in.
"And your spirit is almost hopeful."
The heated battle between titans and brothers lasted only a few minutes before they ended in their current situation. One brother held Mas by the throat with Speedy beneath his boot. Another brother held a blade to Aqualad's neck while Menos laid unconscious a few feet in front of them. Bee struggled against the leader, kicking and lashing out but no matter her efforts the man just laughed at her.
Another fist missed its mark hitting the air just before the mans nose. She snarled as he laughed yet again.
"My name is Jacob, my brothers and I are searching to. . . Reunite. . . Our family. Perhaps you can help us."
Bee continued her death glare as the other titans steeled themselves for whatever would come.
"Go to hell."
She screamed out, bitter and frustrated with her situation. The man smirked back at her.
"I'd prefer to bring it here."
As he spoke an image flashed across the titan's minds. Fire, ash, and brimstone. As the sight passed Jacob nodded to he brother on his left. Without speaking the man conjured a dagger of pure black energy Before plunging the blade deep into Aqualad's neck. He screamed for only a moment before his cry was silenced as stone replaced skin. The titans watched the spectacle in horror at the power their adversaries held.
Jacobs gaze stayed ever vigilantly trained on Bee. He drank in the terror that betrayed her eyes and his eyes burned brighter at the feelings that poured off of her.
"Lets try this again. We're looking for a little blue bird. Perhaps you know where we can find her."
Realization struck her. The black aura emanating from the black dagger, the image of hell, 'blue bird'. It all came together as Raven's face appeared in her mind. Her expression faltered for only a moment before she regained her composure. The moment, however, did not go unnoticed.
"So you are acquainted. Tell me then, where is she?"
Bee held her lips shut, unwilling to condemn her friend and ally. After a few seconds with no response the man nodded to his right. On queue both of his brothers conjured black daggers and made statues of Mas and Menos. She screamed as she watched, uncertain of the permanence of their petrification. She shouted till her lungs were sore and tears began to well in her eyes.
One of the brothers brought speedy up from beneath third boot and forced him to his knees before her, a black blade at his throat.
"Don't fucking tell them, Bee! We'll be fine."
Jacob sighed before nodding again. The blade was plunged into her flesh just like the others. His skin marbled as he screamed. When all was silent again Jacob spoke again.
"This will be your last chance to tell me what I want to know."
He glared at her defeated face. Her eyes glanced between her teammates. What sight would have demoralized most anyone else only served to fuel her inner fire. If she gave up now, their loss would be for naught. She steeled her gaze and glared back at Jacob.
"Fuck you!"
She spat in his face and he recoiled at the rude gesture. With disgust we wiped the saliva from his face with his free hand before flinging it at the ground.
"And I had so hoped for this to be easy."
He refocused his eyes on hers as they turned a bright red. Two additional slits began to glow on his forehead. Bee prepared for the worst but was surprised as she felt her body go numb. Her vision faded but not completely, only as if she were take a few steps back. Confusion set in as her eyes closed against her own will and darkness overtook her sight. After a few moments they opened again this time with a new image before her. The teen titans stood before her, cyborg with his hand out stretched to greet her. She wanted to reach out and take it but she couldn't, she was frozen. She began to inspect her field of view. Stockings hung around the common room, Starfire dawned an oversized Santa hat and Beastboy was wearing that ugly reindeer sweater from last. . . That was it. It was an image from her past. Everything went dark again but then light returned with an image of the tower from the shore. Jacob had hijacked her mind and was forcibly sifting through her memories. She attempted to scream again but nothing came out. He was in control now. Darkness ensued once again when the returning image was the mountain pass into the city. A sign read 'Jump City', clearly denoting the location. Her eyes went wide in realization that despite her fighting, she had failed to protect them. Suddenly her Vision returned in full and she felt Jacobs hand tightening around her throat again. He smirked at her.
"Now was that so hard?"
With that question he sank his own blade into her stomach. He released her as she folded in on herself. Slowly but surely the petrification took her encasing the last of the titans east in stone. Jacob turned and began to walk away, his brothers following.
"Let's go find our dear sister, 'Raven'."