Suppressed Regrets

This fanfic takes place right before and during Aftershock.

Summary: There's a new criminal in town and he seems to be plotting with Slade. So what's his interest in Raven? Also, Raven's control seems to be slowly slipping and destruction ensues.

Chapter 3

The alarm going off pulled Raven out of her meditation. She turned around to look at the computer. There was no sign of the titans; probably hadn't even gotten back by the time the alarm had went off.

She checked on the screen for the location of whatever was going on. She clicked for the stats. "Cinderblock?" Raven questioned. She tried to suppress her surprise as she picked up off the ground and flew out a window she used her powers to open.

It didn't take her long to get there, and she could see that all of the others had beaten her there. There was something wrong about the situation though, Cinderblock was completely laminated in red. The same red…

He'd just lunged himself at Beast Boy, who was on the ground, rubbing his head as if he'd hit it.

A street lamp was covered in a black glow and shot at Cinderblock, tying itself around him. "Azerath Metrion Zinthos." Raven said, as she came up behind him. She pulled back with her powers and pulled the large rock-man back, away from Beast Boy.

A green blast suddenly hit Cinderblock, or rather, it hit the red surrounding him. It was as if it was an energy sheild, but that couldn't be… Raven had seen that just today, and it hadn't been a shield, and Cinderblock hadn't been around.

Cinderblock suddenly broke free of the light post and turned in the direction of Raven. He ran at her, his huge fist reaching out to grab her, but she flew out of his reach.

A hit from behind sent Cinderblock hurteling forward. Raven looked to see who'd done it. Cyborg, of course.

Robin threw some of his gadgets at the opposing form as it whirled around to face them. Beast Boy came up behind Robin, Starfire flew just ahead, and Cyborg stood close. Raven didn't much move. She was still trying to figure out what was going on.

Cinderblock charged at Cyborg then. Beast Boy changed into a rhino and charged right back at him. The rock man stopped, preparing for impact. Beast Boy hit, and oddly, it didn't make hardly any impact. Cinderblock merely grasped onto the green boy, or rhino's, head and forced it downward.

Beastboy shifted into his normal form to evade Cinderblock's hands, but one powerful and prepared punch sent Beast Boy hurteling through the air toward concrete. Raven flew over quickly and caught the unconscious boy. She set him down on the ground and as she got up, noticed a flash of red from a darkened ally-way.

Raven stood and ran toward the ally, but a loud grunt of pain made her turn in time to see Cyborg fall hard onto the ground, unconscious. That left Robin and Starfire, side by side, facing the rock man.

Raven turned back around to look toward the ally, whatever that had been though, was gone.

Suddenly she saw something, something that wasn't really there. Buildings, familiar, though she couldn't place them. A flash of white then there was red, everywhere, red, that was all she could see. Another flash of white and she was looking at herself. She was trying to stop Cyborg, he was going to infect the communication tower. She couldn't stop him. Another flash.

She could feel her hands on her head, but somehow couldn't feel or sense anything else outside the vision. She couldn't feel her feet on the ground, (maybe they weren't) couldn't hear the noises that should be around her; just, nothing, nothing besides the vision which seemed to be lasting longer then it should, showing her irrelevant things about her past with her titans.

Finally she jerked out of it just in time to see Cinderblock before her, his hand nearly upon her. She gasped and tried to take a step back but her head throbbed with pain and she merely stumbled.

A small figure ran at Cinderblock and kicked him in the head making him turn around. His massive hand suddenly wrapped around Robin and pinned him against the ground. Raven lifted her arms. "Azerath, Metrion-"

Cinder block used his other hand to reach out and swing at Raven.

"Zinthos!" Raven yelled, rushing back. A burst of black hit Cinderblock, but the red around him seemed to brighten and the effect was seemingly none.

Raven glanced around. Everyone was out besides herself and Robin. That was odd, Cinderblock usually wasn't that powerful.

Raven carefully put more power into the attack and she felt the shield waver.

"Raven!" Robin gasped. "Get… him… off… of… me!" Robin panted. "Can't… breathe!"

Raven closed her eyes and pushed even harder but still nothing was happening.

"Just… a little more." She assured herself. She'd be safe using just a little more power… wouldn't she?

Black power began to emit around her and suddenly, what she was doing was becoming easy. The power she was using was minimum. The shield was nothing, she could break it, easy. And suddenly, she wanted to, not to save Robin, but she wanted to use her powers. She could feel them and it was exhilarating. It was wonderful, it was bliss!

The shield faltered, it left, her beam hit Cinderblock and he went flying back. It was then that Raven realized her powers hadn't just effected Cinderblock, the concrete road was cracking. The buildings had cracked too, it was crumbling! The street was trembling!

The emitting black energy abruptly diminished and Raven focused her once again weakened powers on the building that was beginning to fall apart, the one behind her. She was pushing stones back into place, pushing them together.

At some point while she was doing this, she felt a huge fist ram into her head, and she blacked out.

To be Continued