Warning: Chapter may be more mature for minor dark themes and language.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot line and any original characters. Everything else belongs to DC Comics.

Chapter Six

"Did you expect me to lie down and let you kill me?" Raven demands. Her opponent raises an eyebrow in response. "I do not expect you to 'allow' me to manipulate you. I expect some competition from you in that respect, Raven. However, I do expect you to kneel before me and show your master proper respect."

Raven barks out short bursts of laughter. "Show my 'master' proper respect?" she echoes. "You think I respect you? You think I consider you my master? I know no master. I acknowledge no lord. I respect no superiors."

He backhands her into a wall. Her head hits the cold stone and moments later she feels warm liquid wetting her hair and sliding down her neck. She releases a small moan as her body acknowledges the pain. A swift kick is delivered to her stomach. She hears the cracking of a rib. Her opponent reaches down and grabs her neck. He pulls her onto her feet, making no attempts at kindness. He slams her up against the wall and braces his arm against her neck to hold her there.

"You aren't so proud now, are you, Raven?"

"I will always be proud," she responds back hoarsely. "And I will always fight the likes of you. If you think I am going to bow at your feet you are sorely mistaken. My teammates will come for me. They're going to defeat you."

"You bastardly little witch; do you think I've not thought of your delightful morsel-like friends? If they can escape my men by nightfall, they will survive. If they fails to evade them, your teammates will be dead come dawn. And then you will be alone. You're already at my mercy, but I think I'd like to see you become hopeless, and defeated."

"You're sick," she spits, not even bothering to hide her temper.

How can she hide her temper when it comes to this opponent? She's never dealt well with Malchior.

88

Some time earlier

The team takes a well-earned break after dealing with another of Robin's training sessions. Robin continuously overanalyzes their strengths and weaknesses. After a while Raven gets fed up with.

"Can you please be done, Robin? We know where we made mistakes. Most of us know how to fix them. If you want to overanalyze anyone's performance, analyze the other day's confrontation with the H.I.V.E. I'm sure we'll need your detective skills when it comes to them and whoever Slade is in the near future. Now, honestly, shut up."

She turns and walks away, presumably to retrieve tea. Her teammates stare after her. How can anyone talk to Robin in such a manner? He's the team's leader. They just don't do that kind of thing. Or do they?

The alarm has them all going downtown through various means of transportation. What they see there has them all reeling, especially Raven.

A large dragon, black but with a purplish hue to his scales. The others will think the purple is some genetic thing, but Raven knows that the purple comes from his magic reserves. A purple magic signature shows royalty in the bloodline. That's how Raven knows exactly who her opponent is.

"This can't be happening," Raven whispers horrified. Beast Boy comes up shortly behind her. "What can't be happening, Raven? Do you know this guy? He looks like something out of a fairytale."

"Believe me, Beast Boy, this is one case where the dragon needs slaying."

She shakes her head and flies to the ground, landing directly in front of the dragon. In response the dragon smiles, immediately shifting to his mage form. Cyborg and Beast Boy gasp, clearly thinking they're seeing Rorek.

He smiles mockingly at her. He knows how much his presence hurts her, how scared he makes her.

"What are you doing here?" She demands, prepping for battle. She summons her magic and assumes a hand to hand combat stance. She knows that against this enemy she will have to resort to physical contact. Not that she wishes to, he always beat her back home when it came to training.

"Hmm," he responds, examining his finger nails, "and here I thought you'd be happy to see me? You're always ever so happy to see Rorek."

"Who is Rorek?" Robin echoes the question, obviously not considering the mage that was a dragon less than two minutes ago a threat. He has an opportunity to gain information about his elusive teammate and the occasional object of his affections.

The dragon mage shows off a wide, smug grin. "Hasn't little Rae-Rae here told you anything about her past? Not Rorek? Not Lorna? Not even me?" Robin stares blankly at him, clearly wondering how Raven isn't attacking him for calling her "little Rae-Rae".

"Here I thought you loved us, Raven."

Raven narrows her eyes, raises a single hand and throws him back into a brick wall with a wave of magic. "I do love Lorna and I am in love with Rorek. You? You I abhor."

"And you've just pissed me off. I was so hoping we could have a civilized conversation. After all, Azarath has fallen. Its survivors scrambled, and Rorek is MIA. Don't you think it's in our best interests to sit down and chat?"

Raven closes her eyes, remembering what happened the last time she allowed Malchior to manipulate her. She'd ended up in the Healing Ward under Azar's care for weeks. She hadn't been able to train for months and she'd flinched away from any male that came within three feet of her.

"No, I think it's in your own sadistic dreams that I allow you to compel me again." She sends another wave of magic at him. "I think you're lying to me about Rorek and Azarath, just like you lied to me so many times before." He stumbles back with another wave of magic. "And I think that you're going to try to kill me as soon as I let my guard down."

"Oh, darling," the mage hisses, morphing back into his dragon shape, "I'm not going to wait for you to let your guard down."

Raven smiles darkly, faced with a monstrous opponent. "Titans, Go," she whispers.

88

Moments later Malchior is faced with an onslaught of green dinosaur, small sharp pointy things from Robin's utility belt, star bolts, and sonic booms. None of it has an effect on him. The only thing that causes him any nuisance is Raven's magic, and she can't keep that up for much longer.

"Should I continue telling your little friends about you, Raven?" Malchior taunts as the two duel. "Go ahead, I dare you," she retorts. "Azarath Metrion Zin-" Her magic is cut off when Malchior's tail sends her falling to the ground.

She immediately scrambles back to her feet, moving into the air and rejoining the fray. "Let's see, Lorna is Raven's half-sister and not on her mother's side. Rorek is her instructor turned lover. He's what, two thousand years your senior?"

"So are you," she grunts, throwing all her energy into a complicated spell. "And two thousand years is nothing amongst immortals."

"Immortals?" All of the other Titans exclaim, taking a break from the battle. Raven ignores them, continuing to fight Malchior. She starts to summon more magic only to realize she's depleted her core.

"Get out of here," she orders her team. Robin immediately vetoes her retreat orders.

Just then more enemies flood into the plaza. Raven recognizes them to be the traitors Malchior lulled to his side. "Get out of here!" She screams, transporting her team back to the tower with the last of her energy. She begins to fall in a rapid spiral to the ground, but Malchior catches her in a single claw. He smiles down at the girl now at his mercy before disappearing from the realm.

88

Back to the present

"Do you have a master now, Raven?" Malchior demands. He presses his hand into her a little harder, beginning to crush her windpipes. She gasps for air. "No," she breathes out, unwilling to give into his torture.

He drops her to the ground. "Maybe some time with no food or water will change your mind."

"Not likely," she retorts. "I'm half-demon. I've no need for mortal sustenance."

"And when I take away your ability to meditate?"

She remains silent. He's won, and they both know it.