Titans: Elemental

Chapter 10: Nevermore

We see the night sky above the buildings of Jump City. A vehicle can be seen turned on its side in the distance. A figure stands atop it, and a couple of Titans are facing off with him. They are seen as Vic, Starfire, Jack, Blackfire and Dick, and the vehicle is an armored car whose back doors have been broken open. Gold bullion spills out to the pavement. The bearded, helmeted male figure perched on it is clad in a skintight black outfit with a light bulb on the chest, and both hands glow very brightly. This is Doctor Light, not to be confused with the character from Mega Man.

Doctor Light exclaimed, "your pathetic skills can't outshine the brilliance of Doctor Light!"

He brings his hands together; the Titans scatter as a broad beam shoots toward them. Dick leaps high and flings a wingding at the supervillain, who jumps down to avoid both it and the thrower's lunge.

Doctor Light exclaimed, "you're fast, but I doubt you'll enjoy moving at the speed of light!"

He touches the bulb on his chest, causing it to glow and emit a wide-angle blast that propels Dick over the roof of a nearby building. BB comes around a corner and charges, turning into a wolf as he runs.

The robber easily ducks this rush.

Doctor Light exclaimed, "a wolf is no threat when it's blind as a bat!"

He throws several glowing globes at the green lupine hero. They explode in a series of brilliant flashes and leave him so dazzled that he reverts to human form and claps both hands to his head woozily.

Rose tries using her staff to hit Doctor Light, but he avoids the strikes and shoots a beam of light that sends her into a wall.

Doctor Light exclaimed, "light moves faster than a staff!"

The next ones up are Blackfire and Starfire, who fly overhead and throw a barrage of starbolts; Doctor Light creates a radiant shield around himself to block them. He drops it after they stop firing, then throws a landmine-like device into the street. Its top opens to emit a wall of radiation that envelops Starfire and Blackfire and blocks them in.

Vic said, "watch yourself, lightweights."

Jack jumps up and starts sending shards of ice at Doctor Light, who uses his beam to melt the ice into steam before it can get to him!

Doctor Light exclaimed, "light melts anything cold!"

He throws what looks like a grenade at Jack, and it explodes in a ball of light that blinds Jack and sends him to his knees, holding his eyes.

Doctor Light turns to the armored car. He has half of one axle in hand, tire and all, and he moves in for a swing.

Vic yelled, "things are about to get heavy!"

He swings the axle down over his head, missing the enemy, but creating enough of a tremor upon impact to throw him back a few feet. Doctor Light concentrates his energy in one hand and projects an intense beam that breaks the makeshift club in half. Laughing, he creates a red projectile and directs it at Vic; it explodes in a terrific flash and storm of dust. The view clears to show that the Titan is now embedded in stone, with only his head and hands free.

Vic said, "uh! Hey! Let me…."

Doctor Light approaches.

Doctor Light said, "now if nobody minds, I'll be taking the gold."

Raven said, "I mind. Azarath Metrion Zin-"

Before she can finish the incantation, a beam connects squarely with her and sends her to the street. He walks up behind her as she starts to get up. The brooch on her cloak now shows a raven's head in its gold frame.

Doctor Light said, "bit of advice. Find shorter magic words."

She gets herself ready again. We see a motorcycle at the curb. It is levitated and slung at the light-wielding enemy, who easily blows it apart. He nails her with another blast and drives her down the block again. Now he takes his time walking up; she has her back to him.

Raven growled, "don't come any closer."

Jack clears his vision and sees what's going on, and grows frightened.

Doctor Light stops and says, "what's the matter? Afraid of the light?"

Snarling with pure rage, Raven swirls to her feet. Her eyes are glowing red rather than the usual white when she uses her powers.

She grows to an impossible height, at least three times as tall as Doctor Light, and thick black tendrils shoot toward him from under

her cloak. He cries out in shock.

Doctor Light yelled, "no! No", he is seized and pulled in; sparks fly from him, "my suit! What are you-? No, stop, you win, I surrender!"

Too late. He is dragged toward the billowing blue hem as Raven smiles viciously down at him. When she speaks, the voice sounds as if some demonic thing is saying the words along with her.

Raven growled, "what's the matter? Afraid of the dark?"

Jack is terrified beyond words as he and Dick watch what's going on.

Doctor Light yelled, "I surrender! NOOOOOO!"

He is pulled in; Dick and Jack rush over.

Dick and Jack yelled, "RAVEN! STOP!"

Raven's eyes return to normal in a snap. She gasps sharply and shrinks back to normal size; her cloak recedes to reveal the beaten enemy, curled up in a fetal position on the pavement and shivering in wide-eyed fear. Dick, Blackfire and Starfire, out of their traps, run to comfort him.

Dick said, "it's okay. You're going to be alright."

Doctor Light muttered, "it was…. No…. So dark…. Make it stop…. Make it stop…."

BB, Jack and Vic, free of the pavement, approach Raven.

Jack asked, "Raven, are you alright?"

Raven turns away silently.

BB asked, "dude! Raven, what did you do?"

When she turns to face him, her eyes have again gone red and she is snarling as before. He backs up behind Vic with a scream; she quickly composes herself and stalks away.

BB asked, "what's her deal?"

She enters a dark alley and is soon lost to sight.

Jack mutters, "I dunno, but I'm really worried about her."

…

We see Titans Tower the following morning.

BB said, "rise and shine, amigos."

Inside, he is cooking at the kitchen counter, while Vic, Blackfire, Jack, Rose, Starfire, and Dick are at the table. He has donned a chef's hat.

Percy is sitting on the couch playing with one of his cat toys.

BB said, "breakfast is served."

He carries a steaming pan over and sets it down.

Dick said, "thanks, Beast Boy. Everything looks great."

Starfire said, "on my planet, such a feast would mark the arrangement of a marriage. Tell me, Beast Boy, to whom are you engaged?"

Not quite ready to deal with a curveball like that so early in the day, BB shouts in surprise and jumps back. He has to catch his hat in order to keep it from flying across the room.

Rose and Jack start snickering while Blackfire whispers to Starfire that it's just breakfast, like usual.

Vic, meanwhile, has started wolfing down a plateful of food. When he finishes, his expression changes to resemble that of a person who has just eaten a roadkilled skunk. He spits the meal out disgustedly.

Vic groaned, "that's not eggs! That's that tofu stuff!"

He drains his glass to get the taste out of his mouth-but instead his whole head ends up looking as if it might explode. The drink goes the way of the food.

Vic groaned, "that's not even real milk!"

BB gives him a reproving frown.

Jack drinks his orange juice and says, "c'mon Victor, it can't all be bad."

Vic groaned, "says you."

The door opens and Raven enters the kitchen. She pays no mind to the breakfast table and heads for the counter.

Dick said, "hey, Raven. Want breakfast?"

She picks up the coffee pot and pours a cup. BB pops up behind her with a full plate.

BB said, "it's good. Wakey-wakey, tofu eggs and bakey."

Raven said, "herbal tea."

BB said, "come on, just one little taste. You could use a little food after the way you cooked Doctor Light."

She then whirls to face BB, her eyes blazing red.

Raven yelled, "NO!"

The cook gasps in fear as she exerts her powers on the plate he holds. The eggs explode like a volcano, leaving him covered with his own cuisine. He makes a strangled little noise and drops the plate; she turns away and leaves through the side door, which closes behind her.

Jack keeps his eyes on the door, wondering just what the heck was that?

BB stands there, holding the pan of food, as a vein throbs in his temple and Dick eases over.

Dick said, "maybe you should go apologize."

BB asked, "me? I'm not the one who just turned breakfast into a battlefield!"

Vic joins them carrying his dishes.

Vic said, "yeah, but after the weirdness that went down last night, you should know better than to go messing with her."

Blackfire said, "it's like trying to give bacon to a vegan, it's not going to end well."

He heads for the sink.

BB said, "I was trying to be nice. But no matter how hard I try, she still treats me like tofu eggs!"

Rose says as Vic washes the dishes, "no, I think it's worse than that."

BB said, "you know, she's never once laughed at any of my jokes."

Vic said, "'at least she listens. I just kinda tune you out."

Jack snickers at that while Starfire says, "Raven is complicated. There is much about her we are not meant to understand."

Blackfire said, "even after meditating with her, I still have trouble understanding her."

BB asked, "then how are we supposed to deal with her? How can we even trust her? I mean-"

Dick said, "she's our friend. What more do we need to know?"

BB gives a thinking look as Jack gazes at the door and thinks, 'what more do I wanna know about her? Everything.'

….

Later we see BB in the hall, standing before Raven's door and scratching his head. After a few seconds, he gingerly raises one fist, turns his head away as if ready to avoid a sudden explosion, and just barely taps the door.

BB said, "oh, well, nobody's home."

He starts away, whistling. But then he runs flat into Vic, who has come up just behind him, and rubs his hurt nose.

BB said, "ow."

Jack walks up from behind Vic as he glares down at BB.

Vic said, "you might want to knock a little louder."

The big Titan plants a hand on the little one's shoulder, turns him to face the door, and walks him to it.

Jack said, "c'mon Beast Boy. If she tries to hurt you, I'll buy you lunch."

A little shudder of fear comes from BB. Vic knocks, much louder than his colleague's feeble attempt; on the third and final knock, the entire door falls in, exposing them in the hall. All three faces go slack as a big drop of sweat rolls down Vic's temple.

BB said, "now we both have to apologize."

Jack said, "I didn't knock, but I was a witness, so I better apologize too."

For the first time, BB and Vic get a look at Raven's room. Jack has been there before, so he's not too surprised. Shelves filled with old books, four-eyed tragedy and comedy masks on a pedestal, an oddly shaped mirror on the wall, chalices and braziers, ancient chests and lamps, a bed partly recessed into the far wall, a large globe in the near corner. The entire place is done in shades of gray and black.

Vic said, "uh, Raven? Sorry about the door. Raven?"

Jack asked, "anyone home?"

BB said, "dude, she's not here. Come on."

He walks in and reaches the bookshelves and masks.

BB said, "looks like Halloween came early this year."

Vic said, "we're in Raven's room. We should not be in Raven's room. She doesn't let anybody in here, ever!"

Jack said, "except me, but that was one time; when we were all getting settled into the Tower."

BB said, "so this is our big chance to find out more about her."

He crosses the space. He goes to the dresser by the wall.

BB said, "for instance….", he laughs and picks up a hand mirror, studying his image, "…. Check out this beauty mirror. Who woulda thought Raven spends time sprucing? Ah! Is that a zit?"

Jack groaned, "dude, don't use her mirror!"

BB pokes at a spot on his cheek. Suddenly, two pairs of glowing red eyes, one above the other, superimpose themselves on his image.

They clear to leave him gasping in shock, and he drops the mirror and backs up with a cry of fear. A red-rimmed swath of black energy shoots straight up from the object, shapes itself into an arm, and grabs him. He is shaken back and forth as Vic pays no mind, having reached the doorway and made ready to leave. Jack is stiff as a board as he watches what's going on!

Vic said, "come on, B, we should really get out….", BB is yanked away, "… Huh? Yo!"

It starts to drag BB down, but Vic and Jack are there in one swift leap to grab his ankles. All three Titans are yanked through the looking glass, which returns to its normal appearance and gives off a small puff of smoke.

….

We go within a whirlpool of dark-glowing energy. Yelling, Jack, BB and Vic are swept through and careen towards what looks like a patch of outer space filled with red stars and a few large asteroids; a vortex opens over one of them and dumps the three Titans onto its surface. They stand up just in time to watch it close.

Vic said, "oh, man!"

BB said, "I told you we shouldn't have gone in her room."

Jack groaned, "and yet you're the one who insisted on looking around!"

Vic taps his forearm controls.

BB asked as he walked around, "uh…. Where are we?"

Vic said, "you're asking the wrong dude. My sensors must be on the blink, 'cause they're saying we're in Titans Tower."

Jack said, "if this is Titans Tower, then that makes me Aquaman!"

BB said, "riiiight. So how do we get back?"

Vic said, "guess we start walking."

BB said, "come on. I'm serious. We're on a rock in the middle of-"

The sound of something large shifting cuts him off. In the middle of the void, several fragments of rock rearrange themselves to form a winding path.

BB said, "oh."

Jack said, "that helps…. I guess?"

They set out as BB says, "if sending us to Weirdsville's Raven's idea of a joke, I am so not laughing."

A raven sits on one branch of a nearby tree.

Vic said, "hey, she didn't send us here. You're the one who went snooping in her room and popping zits in her magic mirror."

Like that strange reflection, the raven has two pairs of red eyes.

BB asked, "who booby-traps a mirror?"

Jack suggested, "Batman? Green Arrow? Any billionaire superhero? Dick?"

BB said, "I was being rhetorical."

Vic said, "maybe it wasn't a trap. Maybe it's Raven's way home. Maybe this is where she's from."

BB said, "definitely creepy enough."

Jack said, "I dunno. From what little I've heard of Raven's home, she described it as being bright and beautiful. Not…. This."

"Turn back."

The three pivot for a look behind them, trying to locate the speaker.

BB said, "like I was saying…."

"Turn back."

They see a rocky arch over the path. Perched on it are three small black birds, each of which shows a pair of large red eyes. One at a time, they repeat the two-word instruction of turning back.

BB said, "sweet! Betcha they can tell us how to get home."

BB steps forward as Jack says, "this can only end in tears…."

Vic said, "careful. How do we know they're not a threat?"

BB reaches the arch, "hel-lo? Remember me? Beast Boy? If they were dangerous, I'd know."

Vic is not a bit convinced.

Jack said, "I'll put, 'knows what he's doing', in his obituary."

BB turns to the arch and adopts the sort of tone one might use with a small kitten.

BB said, "hey, little guys. My buddies and I were wondering if-"

When he looks up, the birds are gone. They look down to see the five of them have gathered at his feet. They repeat the same words from before. Their beaks suddenly elongate and sprout small, sharp teeth, and each eye splits into two smaller ones to match the raven seen earlier. Their snarls are met with a surprised cry from BB, who turns and runs smack into Vic. The former tumbles while the latter crashes down on the stones.

The birds, now multiplied into a flock of ravens, fly past Vic and Jack and zero in on the skidding shape-shifter. He turns into a hippopotamus and opens wide, and three of them perch on his tongue. Snap go the jaws; the prey squirms inside, and after a moment, he has to open his mouth again and shake them off, they have clamped their beaks onto the lingual muscle. Vic, faring no better, shouts as he tries to beat off the attackers.

Vic said, "get 'em off me! Get 'em off me! Cut it out!"

Jack uses his staff to form a ring of fire around him that keeps the birds back.

Back and forth they go.

BB, as an ostrich, followed by Vic and Jack, then the flock. The flock, dodging a sonic cannon shot, then Vic riding BB in llama form and firing away as Jack chases after. One dodges a few shots and buzzes past Vic. Vic hunches down over his mount and fires another round. We then see the creature fly low, and in response Vic growls and blasts straight down at it. Fractured by the energy, the stone path starts to crumble away; the three Titans trade the classic, "uh-oh"look and BB's ears droop sadly just before they drop out of sight.

Vic has one hand buried in BB's pelt and the other dug into the broken rock. Jack is clutching onto BB. Vic starts to haul the green animal and elemental master up, but a very familiar voice stops him cold, not so much the speaker, but the tone.

"Hey, guys!"

On the underside of the path is Raven! But she looks different. She can be seen from the knees down. However, her boots and cloak are bright pink rather than the usual blue, and the cloak does not hang down as it would if a person stood on their head. She is hanging upside down with no ill effects whatsoever, and she waves. Her wristbands have also gone pink.

Pink Raven said, "what's up?"

Vic said, "... I don't know anymore."

The whole area seems to switch, with Raven right side up and the other three upside down.

Vic said, "whoa!"

He, Jack and BB slam down onto the path. Raven giggles as they stand up.

BB asked in shock, "Raven?! How did, where are, what just-? Why are you wearing pink?"

Pink Raven giggled, "hehehehe. 'Cause it's my favorite color."

BB asked, "it is?"

Jack said, "no offense Raven, but isn't pink more of Starfires thing? Heck, Blackfire sometimes wears it. I've never even seen you in pink unless you lose a bet."

Pink Raven giggles and says, "good one cutie."

Jack said, "thanks, I- wait, did you call me cute?"

Pink Raven giggled, "duh! I've always thought you were cute."

Jack goes wide-eyed before Vic breaks the silence and says, "look, I'd love to talk about fashion and physical appearances, but I don't suppose you know how to get home."

Pink Raven said, "the Forbidden Door."

She points to the rest of the path, which runs under a couple of other arches and stops at a distant asteroid.

Pink Raven continued, "it's the only way out, but you don't want to go there. Not now."

BB, Jack and Vic glance at each other and speak in unison, "uh…. Yeah, we do."

Pink Raven said, "'kay, but don't say I didn't warn ya."

She starts making airplane sounds and stretching her arms out like wings, she runs through it and down the path. The group begins to follow her.

Vic asked, "have you ever seen her this happy?"

BB said, "dude, I didn't even know Raven could do happy."

Jack said, "she smiles from time to time, but never on THIS level."

When they walk through the arch, they end up in a peaceful-looking landscape under a bright yellow sky.

Vic asked, "now where are we?"

A path goes on and on, threading through that arch and bisecting a huge meadow filled with pink grass and trees.

Jack said, "something tells me we aren't in Kansas anymore..."

They look at the serene pink landscape and yellow sky. A small strawberry floats past the path.

BB said, "I think this might be where air fresheners come from."

The giggling Pink Raven stands next to them.

Pink Raven laughed, "good one!"

Vic asked, "you're laughing?"

BB asked, "at one of my jokes?"

Jack groaned, "great, we're in the Twilight Zone!"

Pink Raven said, "sure. I've always thought you were funny, BB. But hey, looks aren't everything."

Laughing even harder now, she takes her leave of them.

….

Back at the Tower on the roof, Dick, Starfire and Blackfire approach Raven, who is meditating up there.

Dick said, " Raven…. You okay? We stopped by your room and the door's been knocked down."

Raven's eyes pop open, wide as saucers, and she laughs uncontrollably for a few seconds. The sound scares the other three Titans out of their wits; she cuts it off by clapping both hands over her mouth and blushes hard.

Raven said, "I need to be alone."

She stands up and hurries to the door leading to the stairs/elevator.

Starfire said, "many of your Earthly ways are still strange to me, but that was…. Just plain freaky. Correct?"

Blackfire said, "I think that's accurate."

….

Raven arrives at her door and looks around, enters, and puts the door back in order with an easy motion of the hand. Walking in a bit farther, she stops short at the hand mirror on the floor.

Raven looks horrified as she says, "no."

….

Back in the pink meadow a few four-eyed ravens have perched at the treetops. Jack, BB and Vic make their way along the path that runs on and on toward an arch that looks very much like the one they started at.

BB groaned, "she ditched us! I can't believe Raven ditched us! Next time I see her, it's not gonna be pretty."

Jack said, "c'mon, go easy on her, we're the ones who invaded her privacy."

As he says this, the scenery dissolves to the outer-space region they were in before. They are back on the winding stone path.

Vic said, "hey, I know where we are! We're in that place where I didn't know where we were before."

Raven pops up in front of them and startles the daylights out of them. Her cloak is now gray, and she has a very sad and fearful facial expression.

BB says furiously, "where were you? Shopping for robes?!"

Raven shrinks down with tears in her eyes.

BB said, "whoa. Easy. I didn't mean it. Please don't-"

Raven turns away, and blushes like a tomato when Jack puts his hand on her shoulder and asks, "Raven, are you okay?"

Raven pauses, when Vic yells, "hey!"

He points ahead down the path toward the asteroid at the end; they are closer now.

Vic said, "that's that Forbidden Door, right, Raven?"

She nods worriedly

Vic starts to run.

Vic said, "come on, y'all! We're almost-"

A high metal wall springs up from the stone surface to block his rush.

Vic said, "whoa!"

More walls emerge to box in the four of them. A large maze has assembled itself here, filling much of the stretch leading to the asteroid. Inside, BB turns into a falcon and flies up toward the open top of the labyrinth. Just as he is about to surmount the walls, a force field crackles to life and sends him crashing to the ground. He sits up in human form and rubs his head.

BB groaned, "great."

Jack asked, "I guess it didn't want us cheating?"

Vic breaks out his cannon.

Vic yelled, "oh, man, we gotta get outta here!"

He fires a few bursts at the walls, but it does not even put a scratch on them.

Gray Raven speaks in a timid voice, "it's a maze. You can't get out. You have to go through. I can show you the way, but when we reach the end, you won't like me anymore", she looks at BB, "he already doesn't like me."

BB said, "come on. That's not…"

She has already started down the way. The boys stare after her with a fair bit of irritation.

BB groaned, "gee, Raven, moody much?"

Vic said, "yeah, she's like a whole different person."

Jack said, "let me try talking to her."

Jack catches up to Gray Raven.

Jack asked, "Raven?"

Gray Raven looks down.

Jack said, "Raven, please talk to me."

Gray Raven muttered, "you wouldn't like me if I did."

Jack asked, "what kind of logic is that? Raven, I'll like you no matter what."

Gray Raven turns a deep red in blushing before walking further ahead. Jack sighs as he joins back up with BB and Vic.

….

Later, we see them walking through the maze, Gray Raven apologizing for a million things a minute.

She sounds the corner as she speaks.

Gray Raven muttered, "and…. Remember the time I called you all immature pinheads? I'm sorry for that, too. And also, the-"

Vic, Jack, and BB round the corner.

BB said, "for the hundredth, millionth time…."

BB, Jack and Vic exclaimed together, "… we forgive you!"

Gray Raven has stopped at a wall. She waves timidly toward it, and it slides open like a pair of interlocking doors to reveal a short path that leads out of the maze. We see two tall stone statues positioned to either side. They wear long cloaks and have faces that match the masks in Raven's room. Each has only one arm, on the side toward the wall next to it.

Gray Raven muttered, "that's the end."

BB exclaimed, "sweet!"

Vic exclaimed, "alright, Raven!"

Jack said, "amazing work!"

They head for the egress, but she does not join them. The eyes of the smiling statue glow red, followed by those of the frowning one, and they slam together back to back. Three quick half-turns put the smile in view, then the frown, then the smile again. Long swords materialize in each of their hands, and we see that the double sculpture has now grown a second set of arms.

Vic asked, "what? Ugh!"

BB said, "no way."

Jack said, "things keep getting stranger, don't they?"

Gray Raven muttered, "told you you wouldn't like me when we got here."

She drops out of sight, but the guys have no time to worry about her; the stone giant is advancing toward them.

….

Dick is watching TV. On the screen is a screaming man running from a huge green monster. It changes to show a chef working in his kitchen.

Dick lounges on the couch while Starfire paces behind him. Blackfire is making herself a sandwich while Rose practices her skills with her staff.

Dick changes the channel to a western.

Starfire said, "may we go see if she is feeling better?"

Dick said, "she said she wanted to be alone."

….

Vic, Jack and BB, back nervously along their path. The sound of swords being drawn is heard, and here comes that sculpture guardian with both blades ready to go. As it bears down on them, BB becomes a falcon and flies away, and Vic lets loose a blast from his cannon that does no damage. A sword clangs down on the stone next to him. That green falcon swoops down, talons extended, only to be caught in one of the two free hands and squeezed cruelly.

Jack tries flinging a huge hunk of the ground at the statue, but it does no damage!

BB changes back into a human when they heard….

"Yo! Eight-Eyes!"

Raven suddenly shows up and launches a flying kick. Her cloak is now green.

Green Raven exclaimed, "hai-yah!"

The kick slashes across the statue's head and sends it toppling to the ground.

Green Raven exclaimed, "whoo-hoo! In your faces!"

She leaps at the foe, now back on its feet, and dodges one sword slash after another without changing the little smirk on her face. Up she goes, index and middle fingers of one hand extended together, and brings them straight down the length of the rock body. Smoke billows out to follow the trace; and the surface breaks apart along it. The two halves drop away, leaving Vic, Jack and BB staring in pure amazement at this new incarnation of their fellow Titan.

Green Raven exclaimed, "hoo-ah! High fives! Come on!"

Jack tries to put his hand up, but Vic grabs it and makes it go back down. BB stares a bit more, his jaw slack, and then shakes his head vigorously to clear it.

BB yelled, "what is your deal?! First, you nuke breakfast…. Then finally laugh at my jokes…. Then you're all weepy, and now you're a Marine?"

Jack yelled, "what is next?!"

Jack feels a tap on his shoulder, and all three turn around to see Raven in another cloak!

This time it was a lavender color. This Raven was giving lovey dovey eyes to Jack as he turned around to see the Green Raven was gone! Jack turned back to the Purple Raven as she applied some purple lipstick.

Jack asked, "Raven? How the-?"

Lavender Raven giggles, but this one sounds more sultry as she says seductively, "hi Jack.~"

Jack backed up as Lavender Raven drew closer.

He stuttered, "w-what're you doing?"

Lavender Raven purred, "just getting a good, cute look at you."

Jack said, blushing, "uh…."

Lavender Raven giggled again as she suddenly kissed Jack! Jack froze as he felt her soft, pillowy, purple lips pressed up against his.

Lavender Raven ended the kiss and said, "ooh~, I've been wanting to do that since the day we met."

Jack stuttered, "r-really?"

Laver Raven bit her lip and said, "mmm-hmm. And now, mama wants another taste."

But before that could happen, BB yelled, "make up your mind, woman! Who are you?"

Lavender Raven directs a quizzical look at him as grinning Pink leaps into view, glum Gray slinks up, and the action packed Green slid up to them.

They all say in unison, "I'm Raven."

BB faints at the sight!

Vic stated, "happy…. Timid…. Brave…."

Lavender Raven purred, "-and love. More accurately, Raven's love for Jack."

Jack could only blush as he heard this.

Pink Raven points at BB as he gets up, "you forgot dopey."

She laughs, but Vic is thinking very hard and starting to figure a few things out.

Vic stated, "different sides of Raven's personality. We're not in Raven's home."

BB said, "we're in her head."

Jack said, "woah."

"And I want you out."

The blue-cloaked girl drops into view in front of her four duplicates, who fade away.

Raven growled, "the mirror you found is for meditation. It's a portal into my MIND! NOT A TOY!"

The last four words are aimed at BB and spoken through gritted teeth. A big drop of sweat rolls down his face.

The ravens in the trees are still watching all of this.

BB said, "my bad."

Jack said, "Raven, I swear, we never meant to peek at your thoughts!"

Raven said, "but now you have. Things are gonna be a heck of a lot different now."

Jack caught on to what she meant. Jack saw loud and clear that Raven loved him.

The birds fly away in a great commotion of squawking and flapping wings.

Raven said, "you have to go, now."

Vic said, "hold up. What's going on here?"

Raven said, "last night, something… Got loose. Something bad."

BB said, "oh, no, you don't! I've had it with this mystery-girl routine. I want to know exactly what we're talking about here."

They hear an unholy roaring. A gargantuan black vortex forms over the horizon; the ravens are flying into it. Gradually, this retreats from the top down to expose a super-king-sized humanoid male with red skin, flowing white hair, and four glowing yellow eyes. He is clad in a black and gray loincloth, steel wristbands, and a belt similar to the one Raven wears, as well as a jewel on his forehead. The belt is silver, set with black stones, and a matching piece is set at the throat to match her brooch. There are short, curved black stripes on the arms and chest. He also wears shin guards to match his wristbands.

This is Raven's father, the demon Trigon.

Trigon, "hatred shall rule."

Raven and the boys stare up at his sheer size.

Raven said, "let's just say I have issues with my father."

Trigon moves steadily ahead and leans down with a roar.

The four Titans stand before Trigon. He roars, throwing a scare into all of them. BB, Jack and Vic turn to run, but Raven holds her ground. A quadruple blast from those glowing eyes hits the ground just in front of her, forcing her to jump clear. Those enormous feet stomp down the path after Jack, Vic and BB, who are making a beeline for a portal set into the base of a rock formation: the Forbidden Door. A beam hits just in front of them and brings that plan to a very abrupt halt. Raven drops into view facing Trigon.

Raven chanted, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

She creates a shield around herself, the boys, and the Door; Trigon unleashes another blast that cuts a long furrow in the stone as it races toward her. So much rock and dust is thrown up that we cannot see whether her barrier is holding.

….

Dick is changing channels again. He stops briefly on a tropical waterfall, then flips to a man and a woman about to kiss.

Starfire pops up behind Dick.

Starfire asked, "may we now go see if Raven is better?"

Dick said, "she wants to be alone."

Another flip brings jungle sounds from the TV's direction; irked, she turns away.

….

Trigon fires another eye beam. Raven's shield is indeed holding up.

Raven yelled, "get out of my mind! Now!"

The Door is now filled with a whirlpool just like the one that carried them into this place to begin with.

BB asked, "and leave you alone with that?"

Jack said, "heck no!"

Vic said, "not gonna happen."

Raven said, "it's my problem. I'll deal with it. If I lose, you'll be stuck here forever."

Pulling his hands back, Trigon produces a ball of energy between them and swings it forward to throw a mighty burst at his daughter. It breaches the shield, and a second shot blows it apart altogether. There is a great cloud of dust, which clears to show her still on her feet, arms crossed to protect her head. She swings one hand behind her in a sudden lash of telekinesis.

Raven yelled, "go!"

Jack, BB and Vic are flung screaming toward the portal, but skid to a stop just short of its mouth. She flies up toward his level and fires a black salvo from her hand, annoying him enough to make him start trying to swat her down. Her evasive maneuvers make this a rather tougher prospect than it might seem at first; his next eye blast also hits nothing. The other three watch, then look at the exit, and finally trade knowing looks.

Raven dodges Trigon's attempt to crush her between his palms and lands a shot on his chest. She is behind his head in the briefest instant, but he whirls and scores a direct hit that drops her like a rock. He catches her, knocked senseless, in one broad hand.

Trigon, "Rage shall consume you."

Vic yelled, "yo!"

Vic is standing on a nearby mountain ledge and has his cannon locked and loaded.

Vic said, "sounds like somebody needs a time-out."

His blast is blocked when the demon raises a forearm, but with the chest left wide open, a second shot finds its mark. Trigon stumbles backward, letting go of Raven, and topples over the edge of the asteroid into empty space. Raven tumbles helplessly toward a high-speed hello with a granite slab, but BB, as a falcon, is diving down at top speed. Jack does the same using his wind powers. BB's talons close on her left shoulder, while Jack grabs onto her right, and she starts to come around with a barely audible moan. They set her down safely, leaving her to fall to her knees with a small groan.

Raven asked, "you stayed? I thought you didn't like me."

BB said, "thought you didn't like me."

Jack said, "Raven, we care about you. We are not letting you deal with this on your own."

She smiles before Vic yells, "Yo, I like all of you. Now get your butts over here!"

A growling Trigon rises slowly over the ridge behind him.

Trigon, "feel my fury!"

A four-pack of eye blasts blows up the ground at Vic's feet and sends him diving for cover. Raven, Jack and BB both take to the air; BB as a pterodactyl, to continue the offensive and get backup from their partner's cannon. He bobs and weaves through the barren landscape to dodge the blazing bursts and returns fire as he is able.

The last round gets Trigon good and mad. He leans down to hit the big man point-blank. Before he can deliver that finishing stroke, though, he yells in surprise and his head is pulled backward.

BB has wrapped his talons around that mane of white hair and started hauling back with all his strength. Trigon is dragged off balance to crash down among the rocky peaks, but is soon sitting up to shoot at BB, who flies away.

Jack starts shooting shards of ice and balls of dirt at Trigon, angering him further as he tries to blast Jack.

….

We see Dick on the couch. Again.

And once again, Starfire eases her head up behind him. The sound of a baseball game comes from the TV's direction.

Starfire asked, "may we now-?"

Dick said, "no!"

She drops out of sight with a groan, and he works the remote again.

….

We see Vic on the run from Trigon's attacks. BB flies overhead and picks him up as Raven passes them both, with Jack close behind.

The scarlet leviathan waves away the dust, looks around a bit, and moves away; we see the group huddled behind a small ridge.

Raven said, "he's too strong. Even with your help, I cannot defeat him."

Vic said, "so call for backup! What about all those other you's?"

BB said, "yeah, the green one kinda kicked butt."

Jack said, "they gotta be here for a reason."

Raven said, "it still wouldn't be enough. None of my other sides have the kind of power we need."

BB said, "not alone, but what about together? They're all part of who you are, right?"

Dust floats down around them. Vic peeks over the ridge and sees the demonic figure nearby. A couple of eye blasts send the Titan ducking back behind the rocks.

Vic said, "go for it! We got your back."

BB gives her an encouraging nod and runs after Vic to assist in the diversion.

Jack said, "Raven?"

Raven turns to Jack.

Jack said, "I believe in you."

Jack smiles at her before running off to the others.

A small smile crosses her face and then disappears as she closes her eyes and begins to concentrate. Her hood is down at this point, but it goes back up as she opens her eyes, she crosses her arms in front of herself. A sudden gust of wind stirs the dust at her feet, and her duplicates rise from the ground. We see no fewer than six Ravens in cloaks of pink, gray, green, yellow, brown, and lavender. Yellow Raven wears glasses. Well after the arrival of this group, a seventh alter ego pops up, clad in an orange cloak. She digs something out of her ear, opens her eyes sleepily, and burps. Raven's lazy side, obviously.

They scatter and form a large circle around Raven. All eight rise into the air and hover several feet above the ground, and the seven doubles start to spin about her center point, faster and faster until they are visible only as colored blurs. The formation gradually turns white, sucking up a little grit due to the airspeed, and the whole area is washed out from the brilliance, except for Raven's form, which can be seen fuzzily at the center.

….

Jack, BB and Vic continue the fight, the latter firing his cannon at will. Trigon counters with a storm of bird apparitions from his hand; BB turns into a pterodactyl again and takes to the air. Vic is quickly beset by the flapping things and loses control of his shots.

Jack once again forms fire around him as he fires balls of flames at the birds.

The giant smiles evilly down at them and does not notice Raven rising behind his own head; her tightly wrapped cloak now pure white. He swivels to look her full in the face, and the wind blows her garment open to reveal that her outfit is also white instead of black.

White Raven hurls a mass of black energy, which forms itself into a band that encircles Trigon tightly from shoulders to waist. Her next words take on a very deep and terrible tone.

White Raven yelled, "you are going back where you belong!"

Trigon, "never!"

He breaks loose of her binding spell. She rises into the air, arms crossed in front, and her eyes and mouth start to blaze with the same dark force that pours from her hands. Trigon sends two huge beams from his hands toward her. The two energies meet at a point between them and cancel out; it becomes a tug-of-war, with the balance point shifting back and forth between them. BB, Jack and Vic have their hands full trying to keep those birds from pecking them to mush, but they suddenly disappear.

The standoff between White Raven and Trigon continues, with the former slowly gaining ground. One final groaning effort sends her beam surging into his face; there is an incredible flash when it hits, and the area clears to show that he has turned into another copy of her, with red eyes and a dark red cloak. Red Raven drops to the ground in front of the white-clad real thing, revealing herself to be perhaps a foot tall, and raises her head to expose two pairs of those glowing eyes. Her body disintegrates into a bolt of energy that crackles into White Raven's, throwing her into an unbearable rictus.

One final flash leaves the area filled with smoke, which clears to show only the Titan standing on a rock-back in her normal blue cloak and bowing as if she had just taken the beating of a lifetime. As she straightens up, the wind reveals her black outfit beneath. A moment later, she moans weakly and collapses backward only to be caught by Vic, Jack and BB.

Vic said, "we gotcha."

BB said, "it's okay."

Jack said, "you're safe now."

They set her on her feet; she blushes.

Raven said, "thank you…. Friends."

BB asked, "so…. We really are friends?"

Raven said, "mmm-hmm."

BB asked, "and you really think I'm funny?"

Raven replied, "don't push it."

The four of them go to the portal, but before they enter, Jack says, "wait a second guys. I've got something to say to Raven in private."

The other two nodded as they left.

Raven looks to Jack and says, "Jack, I-"

She doesn't get to finish before Jack captures her lips in a loving kiss. Raven is surprised, but melts into the kiss. A few seconds later, they seperate.

Jack said, "Raven, I…. I love you. I have since the day we met."

Raven asked, "y-you do?"

Jack nods with a smile.

Raven asked, "even with…. What I am?"

Jack asked, "and what is that?"

Raven tried to say, "a… a… a monst-"

Jack pulled her even closer and said, "Raven. You're not a monster. You're the furthest thing from one. And I'd love you no matter what you are. Human, alien, unicorn. It's what's inside that truly counts. And what I see… is something beautiful."

Raven teared up, streams of them running down her face as she smiled a truly loving smile at Jack.

Raven confessed, "I-I love you too."

Raven then kissed Jack again, with the latter bending his knee at the action.

When the second kiss ends, Raven asks, "does this mean we're a couple?"

Jack said, "I hope so."

The two smile as they exit through the portal, holding hands.

….

It is now nighttime at the tower.

Dick is trying to keep Starfire from knocking on Raven's door.

Blackfire, Rose and even Percy are watching the whole thing.

Starfire said, "please! Let us simply-"

Dick groaned, "Raven asked us not to disturb her!"

Starfire said, "she could be weeping and-"

Dick groaned, "I don't want to bother her!"

Starfire said, "but if we merely-"

The door opens. Starfire relaxes with a gasp and smiles, and Dick tumbles backward to the floor. Vic, BB, Jack and Raven are now standing in the doorway. Dick gets to his feet.

Dick asked, "where have you guys been?"

Vic said, "just getting to know each other."

Raven smiles and blushes.

Blackfire notices Raven and Jack holding hands and grins saying, "we can see that."

Starfire said, "come, friends. We shall prepare a new breakfast feast."

BB said, "it's a little late for breakfast, Star. Maybe just some herbal tea."

Raven said, "actually, breakfast sounds…. Nice."

BB is caught off-guard momentarily by her change of eating habits, but he quickly smiles as stars flash briefly in his eyes.

BB asked, "breakfast for dinner? Coming up!"

He runs off; Vic goes after him.

Vic shouted, "oh, no! I'm cooking this time! We're having real eggs!"

The others laugh as they head towards the main room.

Raven whispers, "you wanna go out this week?"

Jack said, "Raven, babe, nothing would make me more happy."

The two walked off smiling, excited for whatever came their way….

….

Reviews:

pokemonking0924: thanks. Those moments were some of my favorite to write.

Canadude2029: yeah, the episode can be pretty creepy. But I'm glad you liked the moment between Vic and Sarah.

SuperSentai199: thank you!

….