A.N. Hey everybody! Welcome back to my newest fic! This has really reignited my writing passion for some reason!
Now then, answering some reviews:
To King Devil Bringer: Thank you so much for your praise! I'm glad I've been doing your prompt justice!
To SmugRaven AND Nanonano15243: You won't have to worry about any of those scenes. Malchior's status as an evil Chaos Dragon means that he will have absolutely no desire to do anything sexual with Raven. Keep in mind that he finds hugging and kissing disgusting.
To Leviathan Axe: Oh, I've got something planned for Malchior *cue evil laughter*.
To Whatif-inator: To quote M. Bison, "Of course!"
To AttilaDaHutt: Yeah, not really my typical type of story, but I'm really getting into it.
To DaDragon562: I like this ruthless Naruto as well. Interesting question, by the way. I've never seen magic have one true source of energy in the DC Universe, so it's feasible that chakra can be used as a source. In this reality, there's a reason that Hydra and Raven can both wield chakra, and it has something to do with what was revealed in the Boruto series. Gold Star for those who can guess what it is.
And now, let's see the Titans prepare for their next battle with Hydra, who's going through his own training with the Hive.
Disclaimer: OCMixmaster27 does not own any of the franchises represented in this story. This work is made for nonprofit entertainment purposes only.
"Hello there!": Speech.
'This is gonna be fun': Thoughts.
{My English can use some work.}: Foreign Language
[All systems are go!]: Mechanical/TV/Phone Speech
"How Dare You!": Monster/Demon Speech, Technique
Let'sgetiton!
Lonely Together
Chapter 2: Training
Location: Common Room, Titans Tower
Four of the five Teen Titans are currently sitting on the large couch in the living room, groaning as they still recover from the beating given to them by Hydra the previous night. Despite an hour-long magical healing session for Robin, Starfire, and Beast Boy (and some repairs for Cyborg), the young heroes still feel strains and aches from the battle.
Starfire sits at the far end bundled under a thick blanket, giving an occasional sniffle as she shivers slightly.
"I am most thankful for my Tamaranean body and experiences flying through space," Starfire states. "I believe that crystal trap would have given me frostbite otherwise."
Robin grunts. "I'd love to have your durability, Star. Hydra was deceptively strong for his size. It felt like I got crushed by Bane."
"Dude, you think that's painful? Try having your eardrums get destroyed by a Black Canary knockoff!" Beast Boy challenges. "I thought I was gonna go deaf forever! I can still hear some ringing."
"At least you guys didn't have to literally reattach your limbs," Cyborg speaks up.
"I thought you didn't feel any pain from having your limbs removed?" Beast Boy asks. "Isn't that a good thing?"
"First of all, I can't feel anything with my arms or legs period," Cyborg clarifies. "Second of all, that's absolutely not a good thing at all. Trust me, BB."
The doors to the room suddenly open, revealing Raven still in her white cape and leotard, though with a familiar tired and dull expression on her face instead of her newfound joyfulness.
"Hey, Rae. You get a good night's sleep?" Cyborg asks in a friendly tone.
"Good enough, all things considered," Raven answers as she heads over to the fridge to get a bit of breakfast.
"A hundred thanks for your healing magic last night, my friend!" Starfire proclaims happily before sniffling some more.
Raven gives the other girl a small smile. "Not a problem," she says as she approaches the couch.
Robin gives the sorceress a concerned look. "How are you feeling, Raven? After everything that happened with Kardiak and Hydra…"
Raven sighs before answering, "As far as Kardiak goes, I'm sorry that my magic got out of control. I should have used a spell I had more experience with. I promise I won't have that problem again. As for Hydra, he caught me off guard with his spells and chains. Next time we meet, he won't have that advantage."
"You've got that right," Robin agrees with a determined tone. "The fact that a henchman our age has that kind of power makes the entire Hive organization that much more dangerous. We need to train harder than ever if we want to take these guys down for good."
"Yippee," Beast Boy says tiredly.
Raven suddenly perks up. "So, I wanted to show you guys something, but the fight with Hydra interrupted things a bit. I want to show you guys now before we get started on anything."
Starfire suddenly gasps in giddiness. "Can it be?! Is this who I think it is?!"
Raven nods and levitates over to the doors. "Everyone, I'd like you all to meet Malchior."
Everyone watches as Malchior confidently steps into the room, still wearing the armor and scarf worn by his archnemesis Rorek. The sight of the dragon disguised as the handsome wizard draws a blush from Starfire, an appraising look from Robin, a curious expression from Cyborg, and an irritated face from Beast Boy.
"Great. Another pretty boy," Beast Boy laments, only to get a head-slap from Cyborg.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all. Raven has told me much about you," Malchior says in a happy tone as he approaches the teens, stopping in front of the Boy Wonder. "On that note, you must be Robin, the team leader."
Robin gives Malchior a once-over before offering a small smile and his hand. "That's right. Thank you for helping Raven."
Malchior accepts the offered hand, though Robin notices the slightest bit of hesitation.
"Of course! She's been a wonderful student," Malchior praises, getting a blush from Raven. "Besides, she's the one who helped me. I owe my freedom to her, after all."
Starfire suddenly zooms in front of Malchior, startling the fake wizard. "Oh, I am most delighted to see that you have been released from your prison! I wish to engage in a hug of bears for all you have done for my friend!"
Malchior quickly holds his hands up, stopping Starfire's advance. "A-As delightful as that would be, I'm afraid I'm not one for crushing embraces. No offense."
As Starfire droops slightly, Cyborg steps forward and holds his own hand up towards Malchior.
"How about a slap? C'mon! Give it a good smack!" Cyborg encourages.
Malchior's eyes flex in confusion before he shrugs and slaps Cyborg's hand with his own. He then winces in pain as he flexes his now reddened hand.
Cyborg quirks an eyebrow in amusement. "Not really a tough guy, are you?"
Malchior bites back his retort before chuckling, "Why do you think I trained with magic instead of a sword?"
The fake wizard then turns to Beast Boy, who's been silently gazing at him the whole time.
"Beast Boy, I presume?" Malchior asks.
"Yeah," Beast Boy replies, before smirking. "So, how long did it take for you to get bored of being stuck in that dusty old book?"
"Beast Boy!" Raven admonishes, only to be stopped by uproarious laughter from Malchior.
"Haha! You're a blunt one, aren't you?" Malchior says with smiles in his eyes. "Truthfully, the boredom didn't set in until after the first century. The madness then started after the second century, after which I got bored of that too and returned to sanity. Once that was settled, I started to learn as much magic as I could in order to find a way free." Malchior walks to Raven and clasps her hand. "After that, all I needed was a wonderful capable sorceress to release me, which I definitely found with Raven."
Raven smiles and holds her lover's hand tighter, drawing raised eyebrows from the other Titans.
"Hold up! Are you two…?" Cyborg asks, leaving the question hanging as he points between the two magic-users.
Raven looks away bashfully while Malchior eye-smiles again.
Starfire squeals in glee. "Oh, this is glorious! My sincerest congratulations to the happy couple! I wish you two happiness and good fortune in your relationship!"
As Starfire continues praising the couple, Beast Boy leans in close to Robin.
"That guy was way older than her before he got locked in that book, right?" Beast Boy points out.
Robin doesn't reply as he just stares at the two magic-users, Malchior especially. 'I don't know why, but something feels off about this. I feel like I've seen this before, but where?'
Shelving his thoughts for now, Robin takes a moment to calm Starfire down before turning to Malchior.
"So, now that you're free, what are you going to do now?" Robin asks.
"Well, it's been almost a millennium since I've truly walked the Earth. Once my full power returns, I think I'll do some exploring and see how much has changed," Malchior answers before sighing. "Sadly, my magic is but the smallest portion of what it was before I entered the book. It'll take some time before I can perform the most basic of spells."
"I guess this means you can't help us with Hydra, huh?" Cyborg laments.
"It's just for now," Raven defends her mentor. "He just needs time to regain his strength, that's all."
"In the meantime, I can assist by continuing to teach Raven magic," Malchior offers. "There's still plenty of advanced spells that she can learn."
"It'll have to do for now," Robin states. "We'll need all the help we can get. Who knows what Hydra's up to at this moment."
Location: Cafeteria, Hive Academy
Hydra chews something in his mouth for a few moments, savoring the taste, before asking, "What did you say these were called?"
"Pancakes with syrup," Jinx answers as she sits next to him eating her own cakes.
"…Fascinating," the Shinobian mutters before taking another bite.
Hydra is currently enjoying breakfast with the Hive Trio as they sit at their 'special table' in the cafeteria. They're surrounded by the rest of the academy's students, who fill the room with chatter and occasionally glance at the newest member of their class. Hydra pays no mind to the gossip about him as he continues his meal.
"What? You didn't have breakfast on your home planet?" Gizmo asks in a mocking tone.
Hydra shrugs. "We ate when we could whatever we could from wherever we could."
"Y'know, I've been meaning to ask; what was your home planet like?" Mammoth asks.
Hydra hums in thought for a moment before answering. "We suppose if there was a word to describe Shinobu, it would be…painful."
"Huh?" X3
"Everyone had something that someone else wanted," Hydra explains with a far-off look in his eyes. "Wealth, prestige, territory, a lover, power itself, and everything in between; if any person had anything of real value, everyone else would have killed that person to claim it. World wars were waged by these desires, and people were turned into weapons to fight these wars. The one constant in all of these conflicts was pain. Victory was uncertain, but pain was guaranteed."
The Hive Trio sit in silence as they digest Hydra's words, suddenly losing a good portion of their appetite.
Jinx finds her voice first. "…You said that people were turned into weapons. Were there others like you?"
"Not many," Hydra answers. "Seven-tenths of the population could wield chakra and learn the basic of techniques, which made them deadly in their own right. That being said, there's a clear difference between being a weapon of war and being a weapon of mass destruction. Of the latter, only a handful existed in history, and they were made with bitter work, sacrifice, and no small amount of pain."
"Do you have to end all of your stories with so much angst?" Gizmo asks in annoyance.
Hydra smiles. "Our story's far from over, and we've been able to find plenty of delights, like these pancakes," he answers before digging back into his meal.
Gizmo scoffs before going back to his own breakfast, with Mammoth following suit. Jinx, meanwhile, takes a moment to gaze at her crush with a smile of her own.
Location: Classroom 1-A, Hive Academy
Timeskip: Later
The entire class sits in a grand lecture hall as they listen to the headmaster himself, who's currently teaching his students about Doomsday Schemes. The man writes on a large chalkboard, which is filled with bullet points, complex algebraic equations, and other things to take notes on.
"And that's why every good Doomsday Scheme requires what three things?" Brother Blood asks aloud as he turns towards his audience.
The headmaster focuses on a seat section where Mammoth is dozing off, Gizmo is eagerly waving up his hand, and Jinx is staring at Hydra, who's diligently filling out his notebook.
"Mr. Hydra?" Brother Blood, making everyone turn their attention towards the Shinobian.
Hydra calmly looks up and answers, "Solid misdirection, proper safeguards, and a good escape plan."
"Correct," Brother Blood says before turning back to the chalkboard. "Moving on."
Naruto returns to his notebook, paying little mind to Jinx's loving gaze, Gizmo's growling, and the admiring looks from everyone else.
Location: Cafeteria, Hive Academy
Timeskip: Lunch
The class is once again in the cafeteria, this time enjoying some chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes, and greens.
"Wow! This food looks so delicious!" Gizmo proclaims in a somewhat exaggerated tone as he takes a seat with Hydra, Jinx, and Mammoth. "Especially these mashed potatoes! Mmm! Good old mashed potatoes!"
Jinx and Mammoth give each other knowing looks.
Hydra looks down at his own tray and easily spots a small round device in his mashed potatoes blinking red. Smirking subtly, he whispers into his jacket.
Gizmo, meanwhile, smiles evilly at the Shinobian, only for a small hissing sound to draw his eyes next to him. The pint-sized villain yelps as he sees the small green snake known as Midoriya staring right at him.
"Dude! I told you to keep your snakes away from me!" Gizmo yells in fright, drawing attention to the group's table.
Hydra smirks as he discreetly flicks the tiny bomb into Gizmo's potatoes, making Jinx and Mammoth both gasp in shock.
"Our sincerest apologies," Hydra says good-naturedly. {Midoriya, come here.}
The snake quickly slithers back to his master, which calms down Gizmo. The tech-villain then spots Jinx and Mammoth chuckling to themselves. Thinking it was about the snake, Gizmo pays ignores their chuckles as he scoops up some mashed potatoes and goes for a bite.
Sploosh!
Everyone in the cafeteria sees Gizmo take a face-full of mashed potatoes, which immediately sets off an explosion of laughter across the room. Most of the students and even a good number of priests point and laugh at Gizmo, who growls as potato globs slide down his face.
The only student not laughing is Hydra, who simply smiles in amusement. "You need a napkin?"
"Screw you!" Gizmo eloquently replies before quickly wiping his face clean.
As the laughter dies down, one of the priests approaches Hydra.
"The headmaster requires your presence after afternoon exercises," the priest quietly tells the villain.
Hydra simply nods before returning to his lunch.
Location: Workout Room, Hive Academy
Timeskip: One Hour Later
Brother Blood watches as his students go through a variety of exercises, keeping themselves in tip-top shape. He walks towards one end of the room, where Hydra is smoothly dodging incoming laser fire from several drones surrounding him.
"Not even breaking a sweat," Brother Blood notes, impressed. He turns to a priest on the controls. "Send the rest."
The priests types in some commands on the control panel, which releases an entire swarm of drones that quickly surround the young villain. Hydra only has a moment to take a deep breath before the drones all fire at him. Blast after blast approaches the white-haired boy, who quickly dodges each one, some by inches.
The rest of the students in the room pause their workouts as they watch Hydra move in a blur to avoid the attacks, sometimes leaving afterimages of his form.
After an entire minute of this, Brother Blood goes, "That's enough."
The priest types in some more commands, making the drones cease firing. Hydra stops moving and takes a moment to catch his breath while some sweat drips from his brow.
Brother Blood approaches the Shinobian and gives the teen a once-over.
"Well done! You've beaten the record!" Brother Blood praises. "That was a near-perfect display of skill!"
Hydra stops breathing and looks up. "Near-perfect?"
Brother Blood simply points at Hydra's left shoulder. The white-haired teen looks at his shoulder and sees a slight singe-mark on his jacket.
"That's nothing to fret about," Brother Blood says nonchalantly. "It's certainly better than some professional villains, for sure. I bet – given time – you can even give The Flash a run…for…"
The headmaster trails off as he and everyone else see Hydra hunch over. A dark aura surrounds the Shinobian as his fists clench and his breathing turns ragged.
"Mr. Hydra?" Brother Blood asks with concern.
Hydra doesn't hear Brother Blood at all, as his mind is somewhere far away and long in the past. Instead of a metal room, he's in a stone grotto. Instead of a teen in a costume, he's a child in rags. Instead of drones, there's ninjas with song notes on their headbands. Instead of lasers, they're kunai. Instead of a burn on a jacket, it's a cut that draws blood.
And instead of Brother Blood, a pale man with long black hair and snake-like features stands in front of him.
{Almost isn't good enough, Naruto-kun. You must be invincible! Again!}
Hydra shudders as he closes his eyes, stands up straight, and takes a deep breath to force the memory out of his mind.
"Again."
Brother Blood blinks at the request. "Pardon?"
Hydra opens his eyes and looks straight at the headmaster, who flinches as the sulfur-yellow serpent orbs have shifted into blood-red fox orbs.
"Again," Hydra repeats, more forcefully.
Brother Blood, fully processing the demand, smirks and turns to the priest.
"You heard him," Brother Blood commands as he walks away from the teen.
The priest reactivates the drones, which all aim at Hydra once again.
Hydra prepares himself, his red eyes glowing sinisterly.
Location: Headmaster's Office, Hive Academy
Timeskip: One Hour Later
Hydra enters the office, where Brother Blood is currently looking over a gridded map of Jump City on his wall, with several locations in the Tech Sector marked with red dots.
"You wanted to see us, headmaster?" Hydra asks, gaining Blood's attention.
"Ah, yes," Brother Blood confirms as he takes a seat at his desk. "I believe your unique skillset will be instrumental for a special assignment."
Hydra nods. "We're ready for your instructions, Brother."
"Oh, Father, help me," Kurama groans in the mindscape.
"As you know, we're planning a major heist during the Fourth of July celebrations tomorrow," Brother Blood recounts. "The entire class will be robbing multiple tech companies across the city, gathering equipment for our big class project. You yourself will be infiltrating Wayne-Tech for a techno-organic synchronizer if I recall correctly."
"Yes, Brother," Hydra confirms.
"However, I've recently discovered a little hiccup in our plans," Brother Blood continues as he slides a folder over to his student.
Hydra picks up the folder and opens it, revealing a photo of an old balding man wearing glasses.
"'Mad Mod'?" Hydra asks, reading the man's name.
"One of the many minor villains running about Jump City not affiliated with the Hive. His villainous trademarks include hologram illusions, mind-control screens, and a rather annoying obsession with Great Britain," Brother Blood describes. "Last year, he kidnapped the Teen Titans and tried to brainwash them, but he was defeated and sent to prison, after which he was able to escape."
"I take it he's made himself an enemy of the Hive?" Hydra deduces.
"Not directly," Brother Blood clarifies. "My spies report that he's amassing resources for his own attack on the city tomorrow. Apparently, he wants to erase the Fourth of July and make Jump City into a new Great Britain under his 'kingship'."
"Interesting. It could be a good distraction for the Titans while we do our heists," Hydra notes.
Brother Blood's form twitches. "Yes, it could, except for one little thing: NO ONE WILL RULE THIS CITY BUT ME!" the headmaster loudly declares, slamming his fists onto his desk.
Hydra watches calmly as the headmaster takes several ragged breaths before composing himself.
"In any case, he must be eliminated, which is where you come in," Brother Blood says. "Your assignment is to infiltrate Mad Mod's lair and destroy him."
"Understood," Hydra responds before a thought occurs to him. "You mentioned our unique skillset. Is assassination not taught here at the academy?"
"Unfortunately, no," Brother Blood answers sadly. "I'm afraid very few of your classmates have the will to cross that particular line. In fact, only one other student has a background in assassinations."
The office door opens again as another person enters the room.
"And here she is," Brother Blood says, regarding the newcomer. "I believe you're familiar with your classmate, Cheshire."
The white-haired boy turns to face a teen girl with long wild black hair and a face hidden by a white grinning cat mask. She wears a green yukata, black bandages wrapped around her arms and legs, and two Sais strapped to her waist.
Hydra gives a friendly smile. "Not quite familiar. We've never interacted with each other until now."
"I'm not one for socializing," Cheshire states as she stands next to her classmate, "unless they're worthy of my attention."
"Does this mean we're worthy of your attention?" Hydra asks.
"For now, you have my curiosity," Cheshire answers. "We'll see if you earn my attention after our mission."
Hydra raises an eyebrow. "'Our'?"
"Why, yes. You both are tasked with killing Mad Mod," Brother Blood informs. "Think of this as a teamwork exercise – or a competition." The headmaster shrugs. "You two can work together or not. The choice is yours, just as long as Mod is dead by tonight."
Hydra and Cheshire both glance at each other.
"The file contains all the information you'll need to enter his lair. As far as actually getting in, you're on your own," Brother Blood tells his students. "Oh, and two more things; firstly, try and keep his lair as intact as possible. We can use his resources for our own gain after he's dead."
"And the second?" Hydra asks.
"My spies mentioned that Mad Mod somehow got his hands on a magical artifact known as the Ruby of Bathory," Brother Blood explains to the two assassins. "According to my own magic research, it once belonged to the infamous vampire Elizabeth Bathory of Hungary. It can steal all of the youth from a single victim, making the user younger while turning the victim elderly."
Cheshire scoffs as she looks at the picture of Mad Mod. "I can't imagine why he'd want that," she quips.
"He hasn't used it once, which is another boon for you two," Brother Blood informs. "Whoever brings the ruby to me gets extra credit." He then waves the two students off. "Well, you both have your assignments. Off you go."
Hydra and Cheshire both bow to their headmaster before exiting the office. Brother Blood watches them leave before turning his chair to face his map, focusing on all of the red dots.
The headmaster smirks. "Soon."
Outside of the office, Hydra quickly flips through the files, his eyes quickly darting across the pages, while Cheshire looks on.
"You mind sharing?" Cheshire asks in annoyance.
Finishing with the last page, Hydra closes the folder and hands it to Cheshire. "It's all yours."
Cheshire tentatively accepts the folder. "You're not gonna read it?"
Hydra grins. "Just did."
Cheshire hums at the white-haired boy before opening the folder and looking through it.
Hydra adjusts his officer's hat. "So, what's your choice?"
"My choice?" Cheshire asks as she reads the material.
"He said that we could work together or not," Hydra reminds her. "Personally, we're fine either way, so let's make it your decision, shall we?"
Cheshire hums again. "Do let's."
The masked girl suddenly pulls out one of her Sais and stabs for Hydra's exposed neck, only for the leather-wearing villain to simply grab her hand before the blade can pierce his skin. Cheshire grunts as she tries to pull her arm free, to no avail.
"So soon? You're quite the opportunist, aren't you?" Hydra asks in amusement. "We like you."
Cheshire growls behind her mask. "The feeling isn't mutual, boy. After you let me go, I suggest you abandon this little assignment. Otherwise, I'll be burying two people tonight."
Hydra continues smiling as he sniffs Cheshire's Sai, noting a particular odor coming from the blade. He then extends an abnormally long tongue out of his mouth and licks all across the blade, with Cheshire watching in morbid fascination.
Hydra smacks his mouth a couple of times. "Jellyfish toxin. A unique choice. You certainly have our curiosity, Cheshire."
With that, Hydra releases Cheshire and walks away, leaving the girl alone in the hallway.
Cheshire looks at her defiled weapon. "…Okay, that was hot."
Location: Raven's Room, Titans Tower
Timeskip: Evening
While the rest of the Titans spent the whole day training in the team's workout room, Raven (predictably) went back into her own room to learn even more magic from Malchior. At the moment, she's standing a distance away from a bust of Albert Einstein, while Malchior watches on from the side. Raven stretches out her arms, and a ball of black plasma forms in her hands. She grunts as she forces the energy to stabilize in between her palms.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven chants before firing the plasma ball at the statue.
The ball impacts the head and bursts, creating a plume of smoke. When the smoke clears, a large scorch mark has formed on the bust's face. Raven's face lights up with joy as she turns to mentor, only for that joy to fall as he shakes his head.
"Good effort, but still unacceptable," Malchior informs his student.
Raven looks dismayed. "But I kept the energy under control this time!"
"It's not your control that's the issue; it's your power," Malchior clarifies as he points at the bust. "You're supposed to destroy the statue, not burn it."
Raven's eyes go wide in shock. "But…if I used that much power on a person, they'd die."
"Exactly," Malchior says, shocking Raven further. "This is an ideal weapon against someone as durable as Hydra."
Raven looks down insecurely. "I-I'm a hero. I'm not supposed to kill people. T-That's what villains do."
Malchior sighs in frustration. "You're still not getting it, Raven. Hero, villain, it doesn't matter. Not for people like us." He lifts up Raven's chin. "You're a protector of this city, aren't you? You need this power – my power – to protect this city and your friends from those who would destroy them." He then releases Raven's chin and walks away. "Now then, try again."
Raven takes a deep breath, faces the bust, and extends her arms again. She opens her mouth to say her chant…then closes it.
"I…I don't think I have what it takes to kill someone, Malchior," Raven admits in a weak voice.
'Blast this annoying little tart!' Malchior yells internally.
Malchior walks behind Raven and leans in close to her ear.
"Here's a little motivation then, my sweet Raven," the false wizard says in a dark tone. "If, at any time, you were to hold back your power in any way, it just might cost you the battle. It could even cost you your life, or perhaps the lives of myself and your precious little friends."
Raven's eyes widen in horror. "No…"
"Yes," Malchior continues, mentally enjoying her torment. "And if that were to happen, you'd be all alone once again. Do you want that, Raven? Do you want to be alone?"
Raven's eyes fill with tears as energy forms in her hands. "No! Never!"
"Then harden your heart, dig in deep, and show me your true power!" Malchior demands, shouting in the poor girl's ear.
Raven's eyes light up with black energy as a much larger plasma ball forms between her hands.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven screams before firing at the bust once again.
This time, the impact causes an explosion, sending smoke and shards of ceramic flying. When the smoke clears, the only things left of the bust are the various bits strewn across the room.
Raven huffs as she tries to catch her breath, only for her breath to leave her as a familiar hand rubs the top of her head.
"I knew you could do it, my dear," Malchior says in a warm tone.
Raven's heart lightens, happy that she finally made her lover proud.
White magic emanates from Malchior's hand, and the bust reforms into a perfect undamaged state.
"Now then, once again," Malchior commands as he stands back.
Raven dries her tears and nods before extending her arms out once again.
Location: Unknown Cave
A present the size of a bowling ball sits by itself at the mouth of a large cavern. It's wrapped with paper styled in the Union Jack and a large red bow.
A large figure walks out of the cave and stops in front of the present. The figure is a tall robot with red eyes, an exaggerated nose, and large metal hands. The robot wears a uniform reminiscent of a British Royal Guard, complete with a tall furry hat.
The robot looks down and regards the lone package. Red lights shine from its eyes and appear to scan the present. Once the scan is complete, the robot picks up the present and carries it back into the cavern.
On a nearby tree, a large grin moves within the tree line. After a moment, Cheshire appears to fade into view.
"The old 'bomb in the present' trick? So disappointing, Hydra," Cheshire chastises to no one. "Oh well. Time to go to work."
Cheshire leaps down from the tree, ready to complete her mission and prove herself.
Deep inside the cavern, the elderly Mad Mod tinkers with a device on his workbench.
"A couple more screws here and there, a quick tweak…" Mad Mod mutters before smiling as his device lights up. "…And Bob's your bloody uncle!"
The villain laughs evilly as he admires his handiwork.
"Bloody brilliant! With this lil' beauty, I'll be able to hack into that cursed broadcast right when the Yanks are watching their lil' fireworks show!" Mad Mod rants, twirling his ruby-topped cane. "Once that's done, I'll zap everyone's brains with my little whirly-dirly, making the entire city into my slaves! That's when I'll take my rightful place as King Moddie the First, Ruler of New Great Britain, and nobody – not even those naughty lil' duckies, the Titans – will stop me!"
With that, Mad Mod descends into a fit of maniacal cackling, which would have gone on for the rest of the night…had one of his robots not entered the room carrying something.
The villain turns to regard his robotic henchman. "Oi! Ain't you supposed to be guarding the…?"
He stops as he sees just what the robot brought in.
Mad Mod's face lights up in joy. "A gift?! For me?!"
The villain bounces towards the robot and inspects the present, already liking the wrap-job. He the looks at the tag, which reads To: Moddie, From: The Queen.
Mad Mod gasps in shock. "From Her Majesty, The Queen?! What an endorsement! I–" he then stops and eyes the package suspiciously. "Wait a tick! Is this some kind of bomb trick or something?"
[No explosive materials detected,] the robot reports. [The contents are crystalline in nature.]
Mad Mod's excitement returns thrice-fold. "Well, don't just stand there, you Muppet! Set it down!"
The robot sets the present onto the workbench and stands back, allowing the villain to eagerly rip apart the wrapping paper and tear open the box. Mad Mod's jaw goes slack as he sees a massive ruby gem resting in front of him. The now salivating villain examines the large jewel from top to bottom.
"Hehe! Now this is what I call a crown jewel!" Mad Mod says with delight. "If this ain't a royal blessing for my plans, I don't know what is!" Mad Mod checks out his physique through the reflection. "Heh, maybe I'll pay the bird a visit once I'm crowned. She and I will make one hell of an empire."
As he continues posing in front of the gem, a pair of yellow snake eyes appear to glow from within the crystal itself, startling the old man.
"Oi, what the–"
A figure suddenly leaps out of the gem, and Mad Mod only has a moment to register the glowing eyes and fanged smile before a blue diamond blade descends on him.
Elsewhere in the cave, several of Mad Mod's robots move about the place. Some of them are helping construct some machinery, while others patrol the rocky passages and check for intruders. The ghostly grin of Cheshire moves through the cavern, pausing occasionally to allow some robot guards to move past her. Fortunately, none of the guards' scanners detect her as she makes her way to her objective.
Seeing a door that says Keep Out, Cheshire fades into view and approaches the door. She looks around for any guards before pulling out a lockpick kit and carefully unlocking the door. The assassin pulls out one of her Sais and gently opens the door to search for her target.
Only to freeze at the gruesome sight of Mad Mod's head lying several feet away from his body with a horrified expression.
Steeling herself, she quietly creeps into the room and inspects the scene. She sees a robot guard with its head torn open, a messily opened present on a workbench, and red glittering dust scattered across the place.
'Damn! I can't believe he beat me to the kill!' Cheshire yells internally as she quickly looks around the room. 'Maybe if I find that magic ruby before he does, I can salvage–'
"Looking for this?"
Cheshire spins around and sees Hydra casually standing in the doorway holding the Ruby of Bathory in his hand.
"We can feel it," Hydra says as he looks at the jewel. "So much power in the palm of our hand."
'Damn it!' Cheshire screams in her mind as she pulls out her other Sai. 'I won't let this arrogant fool embarrass me! I'll kill him now and tell whatever story I want to Blood!'
Cheshire quickly rushes at Hydra and slashes her Sais, only for her weapons to hit nothing but air. She looks on in shock as Hydra's form fades away.
'An afterimage?!' Cheshire deduces before checking her surroundings. 'Left? Right? Behind? Above?'
A hand suddenly pops up out of the ground beneath her and grabs her ankle. "Below."
Cheshire is quickly tugged down into the earth itself until only her head's sticking up out of the ground. It takes a moment for her to register her situation before she grunts as she tries to wiggle free, to no avail. She then sees Hydra pop up out of the ground and crouch down in front of her with a cheeky grin on his face.
"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu," Hydra states. "A rather fitting name for this technique, isn't it?"
"Damn you, Hydra!" Cheshire curses as she continues struggling. "Let me out of here right now!"
"Sure! Why don't we just let you go free after you tried to kill us, we don't think," Hydra responds sarcastically before standing up straight and turning for the door.
Cheshire feels an uncommon bout of panic fill her mind. "Wait! You can't leave me like this! I can't fail my mission!"
"You should have thought of that before you made yourself our enemy," Hydra states evenly as he heads for the exit. "A real shame. We would have loved working together with you."
"I can still help you! I can be of great benefit!" Cheshire offers.
"You have nothing of value for us," Hydra says as he reaches for the door handle.
"What if I introduced you to my master?!" Cheshire quickly shouts.
Hydra stops shy of the door and glances back towards the trapped villainess. "Your master? Aren't we both working for Brother Blood?"
Cheshire sighs in relief at Hydra's pause as confidence returns to her. "I mean my true master. Perhaps you've heard of him? Ra's al Ghul?"
Hydra turns around and gives Cheshire an interested look. Brother Blood had once taught the class about the biggest and baddest supervillains around the world. Ra's al Ghul was apparently in the Top 5.
"Ra's al Ghul?" Hydra asks. "Isn't he the leader of the League of Shadows? We heard he's an immortal warrior."
"He's immortal in a manner," Cheshire answers. "He's spent the last five centuries employing the world's deadliest assassins and training them to become undefeatable weapons."
"And you're one of his assassins," Hydra deduces as he gives the masked girl a once-over before smirking. "We see now. Ra's al Ghul sent you into the Hive Academy."
"Indeed. My master was curious about the school, so he assigned me to infiltrate the facility and learn all I can," Cheshire explains. "I believe Ra's al Ghul wishes to find some future assassins to add to his ranks, or perhaps even form an alliance with Brother Blood." Cheshire then sighs. "Of course, if I were to fail this mission, it's possible that I'll be expelled. That would be considered a mission failure in the master's eyes, and he doesn't tolerate failure."
Hydra hums in thought. "And you'd be willing to recommend us to your master for future employment?"
"Of course," Cheshire replies. "You've proven yourself to be a powerful magic-wielder and a highly capable assassin. I was already planning on mentioning you at least in my next report, but once I tell Ra's al Ghul what I've learned of your true abilities, I suspect he'll stop at nothing to have you join the Shadows."
"Quite an interesting proposal," Hydra muses before giving the other assassin a critical look. "Still, what guarantee do we have that you'll keep your end of the bargain?"
Cheshire shrugs as best as she can in the hole. "Truthfully, you don't have any guarantee except for my word. That being said, I don't want to fail my mission, and having an in with Ra's al Ghul will a massive boon for you in your villain career. The only question left is this; what do you have to lose?"
Hydra rubs his chin in thought as a smile slowly returns to his face.
Location: Headmaster's Office, Hive Academy
Timeskip: One Hour Later
"Excellent work, you two!" Brother Blood praises as he holds up the Ruby of Bathoret while Hydra and Cheshire stand before him. "I honestly didn't expect you both to go the teamwork route, but it appears to be a marvelous success!"
"We appreciate your praise, Headmaster," Hydra says smoothly as he bows.
"Truthfully, it's been quite an enlightening experience for us both," Cheshire states with a smirk behind her mask.
"Oh, I'm sure of that, my students," Brother Blood says as he gazes into the jewel. "In any case, we now have a fresh supply of resources for our plans, and I have a shiny artifact to experiment with. You two, meanwhile, have some well-earned extra credit that'll be added to your final grades."
"Thank you, Brother." X2
"Now, run along back to your rooms and get some rest," Brother Blood commands. "Everyone has a busy day tomorrow."
Hydra and Cheshire both give another bow to the headmaster before heading out of the office.
Brother Blood takes another look at the ruby in his grasp. "Fortune continues to favor me."
Outside, Hydra and Cheshire head to their respective dorm rooms.
"I owe you, Hydra," Cheshire states, "and I'm not a fan of owing anyone."
"Just follow through with your recommendation to Ra's al Ghul, and we're square," Hydra replies.
Cheshire suddenly spins around and reaches her hand for Hydra's face, only for Hydra to quickly grab the approaching appendage. The masked villainess makes no move to struggle as he hand is an inch away from the white-haired boy's cheek.
"You've earned my attention, Hydra," Cheshire says in a smoldering tone as her fingers reach out and traces lines on Hydra's cheek. "Keep this up, and you might just earn something more."
Hydra gives the other assassin a curious look as he releases her hand, allowing her to walk away from him with an extra sway to her hips.
The Shinobian watches the Earthling girl leave. 'We're sure getting popular, aren't we, Kurama?'
The demonic voice sighs in annoyance. 'As dense as steel.'
Location: Common Room, Titans Tower
Timeskip: The Next Night, Fourth of July
A sizzling of meat is heard in the kitchen as an apron-wearing Cyborg holds up two large plates, with cheeseburgers on one and hot dogs on another.
"The burgers are cheesed, the hot dogs are hot, and the fireworks are about to begin! Man, I love the Fourth of July!" Cyborg proclaims as he starts passing around food to the rest of the Titans and Malchior.
"What is this Fourth of July?" Starfire asks as she accepts a heaping amount of burgers and dogs. "Is this a celebration of the month of July, or the number four?"
"I'm curious as well," Malchior says as he tentatively takes a burger and a dog. "I think this holiday is a bit after my time."
"It's Independence Day. Sorta like America's birthday," Robin answers as he grabs some food.
"Oh! Should we then bake the America a cake?" Starfire asks innocently.
"He means it's the birthday for our country," Cyborg clarifies. "See, back in the 1700's, America was a colony that belonged to the Great British Empire. Old King George treated us like dirt, taxing everything we loved from sugar to tea."
"Until finally, we said enough!" Beast Boy interjects proudly. "We led a revolution, kicked out Old King George and his redcoats, and made our own country; The United States of America!"
"We celebrate this revolution every year on the Fourth of July with good food and an amazing fireworks show," Robin finishes before taking a bite out of his cheeseburger.
"Glorious! My congratulations to the United States of America!" Starfire shouts gleefully as she sips on some mustard.
"I must say, I'm rather surprised that England even had an empire. I remember when the Normans were fighting the Saxons for control of that little rock," Malchior recalls.
The disguised dragon looks warily at the little bread-wrapped sausage in his hand before looking over to Raven, who's drinking some tea with her hot dog.
"What kind of meat is this, by the way?" Malchior asks. "It's not actual dog is it?" 'Not that my dragon-self would mind that much.'
Raven shrugs. "I honestly couldn't tell you," she says before biting into her dog.
Malchior gives one last nervous look at his hot dog before taking a bite. As soon as the flavor hits his tongue, stars form in his eyes.
"I have absolutely no idea what this is, but it's delicious!" Malchior declares before wolfing down his hot dog, which surprises Raven and the other Titans.
Cyborg grins excitedly. "I didn't know you were a carnivore, Malchior?"
"Oh, you haven't the slightest idea," Malchior says knowingly as he polishes off his hot dog before moving on to the hamburger.
"Titans! The show's about to start!" Robin calls out, getting everyone's attention.
The TV broadcasts a view of the darkened evening waters Jump City Bay, which quickly gets illuminated with bright green light as the fireworks extravaganza begins.
"Glorious!" Starfire shouts.
Beast Boy smiles. "Totally."
"Definitely love this holiday!" Cyborg proclaims.
Malchior continues eating as he calmly watches the flashes of colorful lights. 'I must admit, this is quite a good show for humans. We dragons can definitely make more impressive explosions, though. If I recall, King Damocles once–'
EEEEERP! EEEEERP! EEEEERP!
Everyone is startled by the flashing lights inside the tower, and the sirens that go with them.
"Ah man! Who's ruining my holiday?!" Cyborg complains.
Robin quickly types away on a nearby computer before cursing under his breath.
"It's the Hive! They're robbing tech companies all across the city!" Robin answers as the TV broadcast shifts into five smaller screens, each one showing a different building being robbed by certain teenage supervillains, including the Hive Trio.
Raven and Malchior both focus their sights on one particular screen showing a large red snake partially inside a building with a red illuminated WAYNE on top.
"Perhaps we should be dividing and conquering?" Starfire suggests.
Robin shakes his head. "Having a single hero fight a group of villains is too risky. We can't underestimate anyone in the Hive, especially Hydra. Our only chance of victory is to focus on one single target and deal with them."
"If I may make a suggestion?" Malchior suddenly pipes up, getting the Titans' attention. "Perhaps Hydra should be the chosen target."
"Dude, you want us to fight the strongest member of the Hive?!" Beast Boy asks incredulously.
"Since he is the strongest, he's likely stealing the most important item. By stopping him and recovering the item, it'll do the most damage to the Hive's plans," Malchior reasons.
Robin hums in thought before nodding. "That's some sound logic. Besides, I'd rather not have anything stolen from Wayne Tech."
"Speaking as a Gothamite?" Cyborg asks.
"Yeah, something like that," Robin answers Cyborg cryptically before turning to Malchior. "I trust that you can hold the fort while we're gone?"
"But of course!" Malchior replies as he holds up a cheeseburger.
"Try not to eat all the food, alright?" Cyborg asks with a smirk.
"No promises," Malchior responds cheekily.
"Titans, Go!" Robin calls out as he and the other Titans rush out of the room, with Raven taking the rear.
"Raven!"
Raven stops just before the door as she turns back towards her mentor, who gives the girl a piercing look.
"Remember your training, and my words," Malchior commands her. "Don't let me down."
Raven nods before flying off to rejoin her team, leaving Malchior alone in the common room.
The disguised dragon regards the burger in his hand. 'Their food's certainly improved from a thousand years ago. Perhaps I'll find myself some chefs to serve me once I claim my territory.'
Location: Outside Wayne Tech, Jump City
Timeskip: Later
Several scientists rush out of the front doors of the tech facility just before a colossal red snake with a slash going through its right eye bursts out of the building. The serpent hisses challengingly at the fleeing civilians before looking down at Hydra, who calmly exits the building.
{Finally! It's about time you finished up, Naruto!} the snake complains.
{You're so impatient, Garaga,} Hydra says with a smile.
{Of course, I am! You promised me a battle, remember?!} Garaga recalls.
{Yes, we did,} Hydra confirms as he spots five figures approaching in the distance, {and here it comes.}
The Teen Titans stop a distance away from the villain and his summon.
Hydra raises his arms up in greeting. "Happy Fourth of July, Titans!"
"It was happy until you showed up," Cyborg says with a glare.
Hydra appears to have a look of hurt on his face as he glances down and places his hand over his heart. After a moment, however…
"…kukukukuku…hehehehehe…hahahaha…AAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The heroes shudder as the leather-clad villain laughs uproariously and gives them a maniacal smile.
"Well then, we suggest you try and have some fun tonight! We know we certainly will!" Hydra yells before looking up at the red serpent. {Sick 'em, Garaga!}
{With pleasure!} Garaga responds before launching himself at the Titans with an open fanged mouth.
"MOVE!" Robin calls out as he and the other Titans barely dodge the biting attack.
Beast Boy lands right next to Garaga's head and smirks. "You want a fight? I'll give you a fight!" he declares before morphing his body.
Garaga raises himself up and watches as a giant green snake appears and hisses at him.
The red serpent makes his own version of a smirk. {Now this is a battle!}
Garaga and Beast Boy both lunge and coil around each other before tumbling down to the ground. The rest of the Titans watch as the two massive snakes wrestle and snap their fangs.
"Beast Boy will handle the snake. The rest of us will handle Hydra together," Robin says as he and the remaining heroes face the grinning villain.
Hydra scoffs. "You'll 'handle' us, huh?" he asks as he opens up his leather jacket.
The Shinobian tosses the jacket away, and the Titans gasp as they see a chiseled toned torso with heavy amounts of scarring, along with thick muscular arms. Starfire and Raven can't help but blush at the sight of Hydra's strong yet battle-worn body.
Raven quickly shakes herself out of her stupor. 'Get it together, Raven! You have Malchior! You can't be ogling a villain, no matter how handsome and hunky he is!'
Starfire continues admiring the villain. "A warrior's body," she mutters, making Robin growl in jealousy.
"Snap out of it, Starfire!" Robin commands, getting a sheepish look from the alien girl.
"You're welcome to try, heroes," Hydra challenges as he throws his arms out wide.
"Titans! Together!" Robin calls out as the Titans charge at Hydra in a group.
Hydra quickly flashes through handsigns and slams his hand onto the ground. "Crystal Style: Growing Crystal Thorns!"
A wave of thin spikey orange sapphire crystals heads straight for the approaching heroes. Cyborg smirks and fires his sonic cannon right at the incoming crystal. The piercing sound attack impacts the crystal and shatters the entire wave, making small shards of sapphire rain down.
Hydra's eyes widen in shock. "You figured out how to counter our Crystal Style," he mutters before smiling. "Most impressive."
"Gotta learn some new tricks, dog!" Cyborg calls out as he and the other Titans descend on the villain.
Hydra simply smirks and flashes through more handsigns. "Lightning Style: Shockwave!"
A wave of electricity bursts out of Hydra's body and hits the incoming Titans, who are all forced back to the ground. The heroes groan as electricity courses through their bodies.
"Ugh…you had to say something," Raven groans at Cyborg as they both struggle to get up.
Starfire recovers first and flies right at Hydra, aiming to strike him with a flying punch. Hydra simply leaps over the incoming hero and slaps something on her back before softly landing right behind her. Starfire stops, looks behind her, and see a small slip of paper with writing and seals on it.
"I am confused. Is this a prank?" Starfire asks warily.
"Not exactly," Hydra answers before making a single handsign. "Boom."
The paper on Starfire's back suddenly ignites.
KABOOM!
Starfire screams as the explosion sends her flying forward and crashing into a parked car.
"Starfire!" Robin calls out in alarm before getting onto his feet and charging at Hydra. The Boy Wonder throws several punches and kicks at the villain, who doesn't appear to be affected at all by the hits.
"You're supposed to be the leader of the Titans?" Hydra asks incredulously as Robin continues attacking him to no avail.
Robin throws a punch that's easily caught in Hydra's hand. The Boy Wonder's second punch is no better.
Hydra smirks. "Crystal Armor."
Orange crystal forms around Hydra's hands. The villain grins as he simply clenches his crystal hands, crushing the fists in his grasp. Robin shouts in pain as the bones in his own hands crack and break from the pressure.
Beast Boy hears the shout and turns towards Robin in concern, an error that Garaga exploits.
{Don't take your eyes off your opponent, idiot!} Garaga shouts before chomping down on Beast Boy's body.
Hydra continues crushing Robin's hands as he lifts the shorter hero up to look eye-level at him.
"We know children back in our old world that would destroy you," Hydra informs the hero before headbutting the hero.
Robin's vision goes white for a second, and he feels some wetness on his forehead. His vision clears just as a crystal fist punches him square in the face. Hydra throws his own flurry of punches on Robin's head, with the hero too disoriented to bring up any defense. Hydra then grabs Robin's head and brings his knee into the hero's nose. The villain takes a fraction of a second to enjoy the breaking sound before punching the Boy Wonder away.
Cyborg growls as he stands to his feet and fires both of his sonic cannons at Hydra. Hydra simply dances around the beams of sound as he gets closer to the hero while weaving through some handsigns. It takes no time at all for Hydra to appear right in front of Cyborg.
"Lightning Style: Lightning Dragon Jutsu!"
The cybernetic hero is suddenly hit by a dragon made of lightning, which takes him up into the air and chomps on his body. Cyborg screams as large amounts of electricity surge though his mechanical body. The dragon quickly changes course and heads right for Starfire, who's just recovered from the explosion. Sadly for her, she's just barely come to her senses when both her friend and the dragon crash into her, causing a thunderous explosion. When the smoke clears, Starfire and Cyborg are both groaning on the ground with swirls in their eyes.
Meanwhile, Garaga tosses Beast Boy into the side of the Wayne Tech building and crashing through the wall. The red serpent looks on as the green serpent is slow to get up.
{Not bad for your first time as a snake, but you're far too weak to be a challenge for me!} Garaga taunts before descending on Beast Boy once again.
Nearby, Hydra turns towards Raven, the last remaining member of the Titans, and gives her a friendly smile. "Move aside, would you kindly? We don't want to hurt you."
Raven glares at the villain who's beaten and made fools of her friends for the second time now.
"That's too bad," Raven says as magic fills her hands, "because I want to DESTROY YOU!"
Hydra looks on as Raven levitates in the air and forms a ball of black plasma between her hands. Raven rises higher and higher while pouring more and more magic into the ball, making it grow bigger and bigger.
Location: Common Room, Titans Tower
Malchior watches his protégé on TV with excitement on his face and another hot dog in his hand.
'Yes! That's it! All those horrid lessons are finally going to be worth it!' the dragon yells in his mind. 'Once Hydra's dead, my ascension will be assured!'
Location: Outside Wayne Tech, Jump City
Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg slowly rise to their feet and watch wide-eyed as Raven holds a supermassive ball of black plasma above her head. A distance away, Garaga pauses his beatdown of Beast Boy to see the spectacle.
"Raven! Stop!" Robin shouts. "That's too much! You'll destroy the entire block!"
"And all of us!" Cyborg adds.
Hydra, meanwhile, has a more neutral expression.
'We could use the Triple Rashomon Gates to block the attack,' Hydra muses, 'or…'
"THIS ENDS NOW!" Raven declares, ignoring the pleas of her friends as she's determined to end Hydra once and for all. "AZARATH METRION ZINTHOS!"
Raven launches the colossal ball of magic down towards Hydra, who makes no move to avoid the attack. As the plasma draws near, Hydra simply holds up his hand as his eyes change once again, this time turning purple with rings surrounding his slitted pupils.
The plasma ball touches Hydra's palm, and everyone else braces themselves for an explosion. What nobody expects is for the villain's hand to quickly absorb the dark chakra, making the ball shrink and diminish. After a moment, the entire attack is swallowed up safely into Hydra's body.
Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy all go slack-jawed at the sight.
Location: Common Room, Jump City
Malchior's hot dog is inches from the dragon's mouth, which is also slack.
"…wat?"
Location: Outside Wayne Tech, Jump City
Raven drops down to the ground and pants in exhaustion as she struggles to stay on her feet. She gazes in disbelief at Hydra, who's completely unharmed by the attack meant to decimate him.
"…That's (huff) impossible…," Raven mutters in shock.
Hydra smiles proudly. "You think that's impressive? Watch this!"
The villain holds up his hand, and everyone watches as yellow chakra quickly coalesces in his palm and forms a ball of spiraling energy. The ball then morphs into the shape of a shuriken, which spins at high speeds and emits a piercing bell sound.
The shuriken then grows bigger…and bigger…and bigger…
The Titans look on in horror as Hydra holds up a massive spinning shuriken made of yellow chakra that dwarfs Raven's plasma ball and generates biting winds.
"Wind Style: Massive Rasenshuriken!"
Hydra launches the shuriken up into the air, which climbs up past the surrounding buildings and shatters nearby windows. The shuriken quickly ascends past the skyscrapers and enters the mass of clouds high in the sky.
A moment of stillness occurs. Raven looks back at Hydra, who gives her a bright disarming smile before snapping his fingers.
Blinding light flashes above, making onlookers shield their eyes. And then…
BO-FWOOOOM!
The shockwave hits the city below, shaking the ground and cracking some of the buildings directly below. Scores of car alarms sound off throughout the streets of the Tech Sector, and several people find themselves knocked down to the ground.
The light dies down somewhat, allowing the Titans to see up into the sky again. They instantly regret it as they view a massive shuriken-shaped hole in the clouds, with a glowing yellow sphere shining down and whisps of yellow energy surrounding it, as if a small galaxy suddenly appeared in the night sky.
Location: Common Room, Titans Tower
KSSSSSH!
The screen is filled with static due to the feed being cut by the shockwave. Malchior doesn't pay attention to the feed as his focus is solely on the window, through which he sees the shining light emanating from the shuriken-shaped hole in the clouds.
Malchior's hot dog plops to the ground half-eaten. The trembling dragon has lost all of his appetite as he watches the spectacle with terror-filled eyes.
"…What the FUCK?!"
Location: Outside Wayne Tech, Jump City
Raven is frozen to her spot as she gazes up at the terrifyingly beautiful aftermath of Hydra's magical attack.
"Now that's what we call a fireworks show."
Raven slowly turns her horrified face towards the voice that's right next to her. Just as slowly, Hydra turns his head and shows the girl a proud smirk.
Raven stumbles away from the villain – or she tries to, at least. Unfortunately, she trips on her own feet and begins falling to the ground.
Fortunately, a pair of muscular arms quickly catches her.
"You okay?" Hydra asks with an innocent tone, as if he didn't just tear a hole in the sky.
Raven takes a moment to fully register her situation; her laying in the arms of the villain who humiliated her friends and apparently has enough power to destroy the city if he wanted to. Then, she does what she thinks is totally natural in these circumstances.
She starts to cry.
Hydra looks panicked as the sorceress weeps.
"Way to go, brat," Kurama mutters in the mindscape.
"Oh, shit!" Hydra exclaims as he gently sets Raven down and tries consoling her. "We're so sorry! We weren't trying to scare you! Please, don't cry!"
Getting an idea, Hydra claps his palms together. Raven watches as a spider lily made of blue sapphire forms in Hydra's hands.
"Look! It's a flower!" Hydra says, showing off his creation with a nervous smile. "Pretty, right?"
Raven sniffles as she looks on in confusion at the villain's actions. He goes from fighting her team to showing her flowers?
The sorceress glares. "Is this some kind of joke?"
Hydra's smile falls as the flower crumbles into dust. "Pardon?"
"You're just showing me a flower right after you let off a magical nuke up in the sky?" Raven questions with tears in her eyes. "Are you getting some kind of a sick kick at messing with me?!"
"Wait a minute! We weren't trying to scare you! Honestly!" Hydra defends.
"Then what was that?!" Raven yells. "Were you trying to impress me or something?!"
"Yes!" Hydra answers quickly, shocking the girl. "We wanted you to be amazed! We thought the people of Earth liked fireworks!"
"The people of Ea-what?!" Raven exclaims incredulously. "What's wrong with you?! We're in the middle of a battle and you're showing off to me?! We're enemies, remember?!"
Hydra's face softens. "But we don't want you to be our enemy."
The innocent statement makes Raven pause in her anger.
The sorceress takes a moment to calm herself down before asking, "…What exactly do you want me to be?"
Hydra nervously rubs his head, which amazingly still has his officer's hat on it. "Honestly, we're not quite sure how to describe it. It's definitely stronger than what we feel for our friends. It's even stronger then the bonds we had with our sisters back on our home world. We've never felt this way before."
Raven's face goes rosy as she gets an idea of what the villain's feeling for her. 'Does he like me like that?!'
"We suppose, what we want," Hydra says as he gives her a disarming grin, "is to make you happy."
The world seems to disappear from around Raven. The only thing she registers is the smiling warlock that just declared his intent to make her happy. The villain from the Hive who doesn't act at all like a villain when around her. The teenage boy with a handsome face and a god-like body that puts Malchior to shame.
The last thought snaps Raven back to reality. She shakes her head and stops her crying.
"…I'm done fighting tonight," Raven says awkwardly. "I'm gonna go home. You should, too."
Hydra blinks at the girl's words. "…Okay then," he says just as awkwardly.
"Smooth."
Hydra ignores the demonic voice as Garaga approaches him with his jacket in the snake's maw.
{Thanks, Garaga,} Hydra says as he accepts the jacket and puts it on. He glances at Raven and smiles softly. "Until we meet again?"
Raven looks away shyly before giving a small nod.
Hydra grins before walking away from the sorceress with his summon in tow.
{Thanks for summoning me this time, Naruto,} Garaga says in a surprisingly calm manner. {I had some fun after all.}
{Glad to hear it, Garaga,} Hydra replies.
"Hydra!"
The villain stops and turns back towards Raven, who's giving him a cocky smirk.
"Next time, I'll be the one who's impressing you!" Raven declares.
Hydra looks surprised by the declaration, before grinning. "We look forward to it!"
The Shinobian throws down some smoke bombs, obscuring his and Garaga's forms. When the smoke clears, the boy and the snake are both gone.
The rest of the Titans limp over to Raven, who's still smiling and looking towards where Hydra once stood.
Beast Boy, though in no small amount of pain, grins cheekily. "So, you gonna tell your boyfriend Malchior about your sidepiece?"
Raven's smile drops at the thought of her mentor/lover. 'He's not going to be happy with me.'
Up above, the yellow light finally dissipates, leaving a darkened hole slowly being consumed by clouds.
Location: Classroom 1-A, Hive Academy
Timeskip: One Hour Later
The first thing that Hydra registers as he enters the room is the sound of thunderous applause. The second thing is his fellow classmates on each side clapping for him and smiling proudly.
"Way to go, Hydra!"
"You sure showed those Titans!"
"That was awesome!"
Hydra smiles shyly as he enters the room and is immediately surrounded by the other Hive students. The Shinobian spends several minutes shaking hands and receiving pats on the back from his peers. He then glances off to the side and sees Cheshire standing in the background. The masked assassin gives him a nod, which he returns.
Then, the Hive Trio approach him.
Mammoth shakes Hydra's shoulder and smiles proudly. "Forget the next heist; I want you at all of them from now on!"
"Alright, you're not bad at all, crud-muncher," Gizmo says with a grin. "Just don't get a big head."
Hydra smirks. "No promises."
Jinx suddenly hugs the white-haired boy, earning several "oohs" from within the crowd.
"I'm so glad you're with us," the pink-haired girl mutters in her crush's chest.
Hydra smiles and returns the hug. "So are we."
"Splendid work, my student!"
Everyone turns to see Brother Blood approaching Hydra with a pleased grin.
"You continue to impress us with your talent," Brother Blood says before holding his hand out expectantly. "And now, for the prize."
Hydra nods and rolls his sleeve, revealing a seal on his right wrist. He then bites his thumb and swipes blood on the seal.
"Seal: Release."
In a puff of smoke, a long circuit board with several wires sticking out appears in Hydra's hand before being presented to the headmaster.
Brother Blood accepts the board and inspects it. "The techno-organic synchronizer, and it's not even scratched. Perfect."
The headmaster begins floating up into the air as his eyes glow red. Soon, all of the other students – except Hydra – have their eyes glow red as well.
"Soon, our class project will be complete," Brother Blood declares, "and once we display our magnificent work, this city will tremble before our might! TREMBLE!"
Hydra watches as his classmates cheer once again, this time more robotically, while chanting "Brother Blood!" over and over.
"Still think we shouldn't worry about him?" Kurama asks his partner, who offers no response.
Location: Raven's Room, Titans Tower
The first thing Raven notes when entering her room are the numerous open magical books that are messily strewn about the room. The second thing is Malchior frantically flipping through a tome on a pedestal while muttering to himself.
A sour feeling fills Raven's body. 'He must be so upset with me. He's spent so much time teaching me magic, and I failed him twice. I hope I can make it up to him.'
Taking a deep breath, Raven approaches Malchior, who doesn't appear to have registered her arrival.
"Malchior…I'm so sorry," Raven says somberly. "I couldn't beat Hydra, even with my strongest spell. But I tried my best. Honest! I hope that you–"
"Found it!" Malchior suddenly cries out, startling the sorceress.
"Um…found what?" Raven tentatively asks.
Malchior spins around with a huge grin on his face and holds the tome open. "Look at this!"
Raven leans forward and reads the pages. "The Ritual of Harkness?"
"It transfers magical energy from one thing to another!" Malchior explains excitedly. "This is how I get my magic back!"
Raven reads some more about the spell, and her eyes widen in shock. "It says that it completely drains the magic from the source. You're not going to use this on a person, are you?"
"Of course not! There are plenty of magical items around the world that we can use," Malchior answers.
Raven sighs in relief. 'I should have known he'd never go that far.'
Malchior puts his hand on Raven's shoulder. "With this ritual, I'll be able to return to full power in no time, and our combined magic will be more than enough to defeat Hydra once and for all." The disguised dragon rubs Raven's cheek affectionately. "I trust you'll be able to help me with this, my sweet Raven?"
Raven smiles and quickly embraces her lover. "Of course! I'll always be here for you!"
Malchior hides a grimace before hugging her back. "I appreciate your support, my dear," he says as he separates from her and gives her a serious look. "In the meantime, we have to step up your training. From now on, no more games, no more holidays, and no more frivolous distractions. If it's not food, sleep, or fighting criminals, then it's irrelevant. Remember, this is all for you to master magic and defeat that warlock. Understood?"
Raven takes a deep breath before nodding. "I understand…my master."
Malchior grins and gives Raven a peck on her forehead. "Well said, my sweet Raven."
Raven smiles at the affection. 'I'm glad he's happy now. This is the man that I fell in love with. I can sacrifice some free time if it means I can make him proud of me. This is what I desire…'
The image of a smiling white-haired boy with whiskers suddenly enters her mind.
'…isn't it?'
Chapter End
AN: And cut! Another chapter finished! I'm glad I had some free time in Japan to finish this one!
So, some major story developments here. Malchior has been introduced to the rest of the Titans, and – apart from some suspicion from Robin and Beast Boy – he seems to have integrated somewhat into the team. It'll take a little while for his true nature to be revealed.
Also, Hydra (Naruto) has become Blood's top student and has drawn the attention of a member of the League of Shadows. We even got some glimpses into his past.
Next, we have the first fatality in the series with Mad Mod's assassination. I figured Brother Blood wouldn't let other villains just run around the city without being under his influence. A warning to readers; this is far from the last death.
Finally, we see Hydra sharing his budding feelings to Raven, who begins feeling something herself. Now the seeds are planted that'll help her evaluate her relationship in the future.
Next time, as the Titans work to bring Hydra to justice, they're sidetracked when Robin begins seeing a ghost from his past.
Thanks for reading!
Dropareviewifyoucanflamerswillbeignored.