Fire, brimstone, and endless seas of blood. The same sight every moment of everyday for the last year. I see it all from the prison my father crafted for me. One year, that was the deal. One year of living alongside the demon in his realm for the safety of my friends. Every moment of it was worth it, knowing out there they lived on and fought on. Content with the fact that no one would ever miss Raven, the cursed one. Cursed with the taint of my father’s blood and lineage. Destined to bring damnation upon those I loved for as long as the demon lives. Yet I long for them.

I am bound to honor my pact with the demon. Bound by magic that far supersedes anything mortal man will ever know. Dark blood magic that cannot be unbroken. Therefore I sit in the barren palace waiting for the day of my release. It draws ever nearer, as I wonder if it will ever truly come. Can I truly trust my father, is a thought that rattles my mind day in and day out. Those with evil intent in their hearts rarely ever lie, as there is no real reason to lie. In fact the pure and good hearted are more likely to lie, to cover their sins and remain pure in some shape. Yet I worry still.

I lose track of time as my mind bends to the new reality I find myself within. Days bleed into weeks. Bleed into years. The concept of linear time is gone, dust in the wind. Memories are fleeting of times gone past. Happiness and sorrow become lovers, dancing across the very tip of human perception. A puzzle for the mind to decipher as basic thought almost becomes a Herculean task. The ticking of a clock. The laughter emerging from a woman. A beautiful woman with raven locks. She is my friend, yet I know not her name. It sits upon the tip of my tongue forever flittering further away from the conscious mind. Yet I yearn for her.

Love. I feel surges of great romance and purity. Those that I loved are mere shadows in a past that forever stretches into the distance. Events are not linear. Forever repeating in a cycle that would drive any one person mad in moments. The artists’ paradise of strange shapes and sounds and people becomes a whirlwind of colors and feelings. Never centering upon one moment or person. I feel my humanity slipping ever closer to the edge, the inner demon clawing for control. With but a thought the world would be within my palm, a toy to be worshipped and pampered. Yet I resist.

Reality snaps straight as a single moment shatters into focus. Young raven-haired beauty, runs away from home. Misunderstood and mistreated, the streets welcome their newest child. Gotham City, home of the lost and forgotten. Angela Roth, child of the streets, long forgotten by those that came before. Finding sanctuary in a seemingly abandoned church, she drinks from a jug ignorant of the steps towards destiny she has taken. Welcomed into the fold, she belonged at last. Promises of true love and family bring her to peace at last. Love came to her in swirling mists of ceremony, handsome and caring. She lie with him, finally ready for her love and family. Love and family with a demon named Trigon.

As night fell she ran from the church, bleeding and impregnated with the Devil’s child. The Devil’s number, his eyes, were cast upon her belly. Insides burning, she felt the first stirrings of a child taking shape. Dark thoughts ever moved through her mind, suicide at the forefront. A baby’s cry echoed in her head stalling such thoughts. My cry. Bright light and warmth came in the form of a world called Azarath. Dimension built on peace and spirituality; Angela was given a new name and sanctuary away from Trigon’s. Arella, ‘Messenger Angel’, was born at that moment. Peace came to the young woman’s mind as she at last found another family, one that loved her. A joyous day for all came the day the child was born. The child of Trigon. Raven. Me.

Azarath, haven world to many, yet almost a prison for a young girl. Marked with the sign of the devil that spawned me, I was not allowed basic emotions. Taught to never frown. To never smile or cry or laugh. Anger, joy, fear, love, pain, laughter. None were allowed for fear of them being exploited by my father. My own mother wasn’t even allowed to touch or be near me. For seventeen years I felt nothing at all. In those years the only feeling that dwelt within was hatred. Hatred for my father and everything he stood for. A hatred that eventually led me to Earth and my destiny. Trigon set his sights on the Earth plane, and I knew it was time to act.

Traveling far I sought out heroes to bring my Father’s reign of terror to an end. The greatest heroes the mortal plane had ever known. The Justice League. Fear and mistrust caused them to drive me away. The heroes denied to me, there was only one viable option remaining. To find my own champions for this mission. Far and wide I looked, coming across young ones like myself capable of such heroics. The Teen Titans. Drawing together this group of originals and new members, I brought to them the threat of Trigon. Together we repelled the threat, and I gained the family I always desired. Time and time again we faced my father and won. Until finally Trigon was no more. Freedom like I had never felt came with that moment. Elation at a future that was now mine only to decide.

They say the sins of the father are visited upon the child, and that evil can never truly be purged from one’s soul. My existence was solely owed to my father’s desire for another to follow in his footsteps, and even with his demise…I couldn’t escape my destiny. The dark side corrupted my soul and my family was put into harm, as I became the very thing in which they had always feared. The daughter of the demon, in heart and soul. It took the combined might of my friends to stop me, destroying my body in the process. Truly upon that day I was free. Freed from the corrupt shell, my soul self was allowed to remain free from the taint of Trigon. Leaving the Earth in the company of Beast Boy and Cyborg, I took the first step towards my own destiny. Till Brother Blood.

Brother Blood is the moniker used for the one that leads a cult in the service of Trigon. Long have they been a bane to the Titans in the various incarnations. Every new Brother Blood slays their father that had the place before them for the honor. There have been seven known holders of the title over the years. A cult where the spawn become the father, perfect for followers of Trigon. Brought back to the mortal world by Blood, and then rescued by my friends I became whole again. The burn and stain of my father’s blood once again coursed through my body. No longer was I free. Once again summoned to my father’s side, I brought my friends to the hell dimension to save the life of the very demon that caused them to come together years ago. Another child of Trigon, Garok, had stolen the soul and throne of his father. With the help of the Titans and the appropriated body of Supergirl, Trigon had been freed. To save my friends lives, I gave up my freedom to spend a year here in Trigon’s dimension.

I reach out to the mortal plane, images of the hardships and tragedies that have befallen those I love. Gar, funny and handsome Gar, devolved by his own powers dead after attacking the team. Donna’s loss of Kyle, the man she loved. Each one suffers as the world keeps spinning. Time has passed since the day I left, and I focus upon it to decipher the amount. Two years. Two years have passed since I made a pact to my father.  

“Raven.” The gravelly voice of the demon grates my ears. My dark eyes take in his form as he approaches. Everyday he comes, asking the same question. Leaving when the answer is not satisfying. “Will you fulfill your destiny?”

There is no pride or love in his comments. Only longing. Desire. For the day I take my place at his side and one day take his throne as my own.

“No.”

With a simple word the anger and rage flow through his very being, glowing in his eyes. Leaving the room, he leaves me to my solace. Another day or year is added to my pact with each moment of displeasure. Eternity in the company of true evil. I feel my soul slipping every time the question is asked, knowing that one-day the answer will be yes. Upon that day everything I love and helped build would be gone. There was no escape from this purgatory, cept one. An option that rattled through my mind too many times to count. They had to be brought back, for the good of everything. Images flash through my mind as once again it falls to me to bring those needed together.

A stunning raven-haired beauty lost in life. Her mentor and her people gone. Her place in this world uncertain. Born and bred a leader, her time to shine was coming. A world away a young man flourishes a top hat seeking the adoration of the screaming crowds. Talented upon birth, his power serves as little more than parlor tricks and magic shows around the world. The power he wields is not even a glimmer of the potential buried deep within.

Powerful magics and fury radiate in the heart of a true warrior. Content with family life, he resides deep beneath the seas, nary a thought focused on the land above. Yet every fiber of his being cries out for the life he had above. A longing to sound the call and once again be amongst his true family. Pain, agony, and doubt cloud the mind of another. His life has been rebuilt, as has his body but not his mind. Rejection of the condition pervades him and leads to a doubt greater than any ever known.

Regal and glowing, she stands tall before the flash of the camera. Crime fighting a thing of the past, modeling is the future. Exotic good looks that make her a sensation on and off the stage. Once Princess of a fallen world, now she is one of the few remaining of her people. If only she could see what I saw for her future, a world full of wonder and beauty. A world full of orange and fire as far as the eye could see. A world born of love and tragedy of the greatest degree.

I see youth and grief. Standing before the markers of fallen friends her mind plays tricks, or perhaps taps into a power unforeseen. Her role is key and her future is dark. For one so young she has known so much heartbreak and despair, yet the greatest pain is yet to come. My heart cries out to her, as images of that which is to come play through my mind.

Grieving youth is tempered by determined youth. Determination to escape the shadow of those that came before. She is truly powerful yet holds no power of her own. The pinnacles of human perfection are within her grasp, part of a family and line that is destined for greatness. A family she knows nothing of, yet a future of green laid out before her.

The last I see is one long forgotten, except by those he knew and loved. Great power within the body of one so young and carefree. A youth cut short by the thrust of a sword, yet the spark of life remained. It is not his time yet, his position within the dark organization that saved him too important to the future. Yet one day he will be one of the greatest heroes ever known.

I see them all, and I know what has to be done. The words form in my head as the call is prepared. I send the message to all, prepared for the greatest event. The time had finally come. The Titans would be reborn.

To Be Continued!

raven Protecting Our Future


Nevermore
Starring: Raven
and
What a Lovely Picnic Basket
Starring: the Original Teen Titans
The Titans Special 2009 - September, Year Five by Scott Redmond

The  Titans

nightwingRobin
Dick Grayson
 		 Cyborg
Kid Flash
Wally West
 donnaWonder Girl
Donna Troy
 		Arsenal
Speedy
Roy Harper


 Arsenal
Aqualad
Garth


 Arsenal
Raven


Many Years Ago...

“When there's trouble you know who to call, Teen Titans
From their tower they can see it all, Teen Titans
When there's evil on the attack
You can rest knowing they got your back
'Cause when the world needs heroes on patrol

Teen Titans, Go

With their super powers they unite, Teen Titans
Never met a villain that they liked, Teen Titans
They've got the bad guys on the run
They'll never stop 'til their job gets done
'Cause when the world is losing all control

Teen Titans, Go!”

Singing loud and proud Kid Flash zoomed around the small clearing. The song was stuck in his head after a marathon of watching the aptly named ‘Teen Titans’ cartoon. One had to admit that the tune was very catchy. It almost bored its way into one’s head and festered there forever. Not that Wally really cared. It was more fun to see the reactions of the others when he sang.

“I swear if you keep singing that song I’ll shoot you with an arrow again.” Speedy sat against a far tree, trying to focus on attaching an explosive arrowhead. “If I screw up getting this head on the shaft…”

Wally stopped suddenly, singing the grass beneath his feet, as he laughed loudly. His sides shook as the laughter threatened to burst out. “Head and shaft. Heh.”

“Grow up.” Donna muttered as she settled onto the blanket, pulling her legs up under body. Reaching into the picnic basket, she pulled out a couple sandwiches and handed them to Robin. “We got Chicken, tuna salad, peanut butter, and I think there might be a ham and cheese in there somewhere.”

With a burst of speed Wally zipped in and grabbed one of the snacks. “Chickenismineguys!”

“I guess I’ll take whatever one you guys don’t want.” Dick said with a shrug as his eyes settled on Donna.

Nodding she pulled out a salad and reached across to Aqualad. “There you go Garth. Told you we wouldn’t forget.”

A smile lit up the boys face as he accepted the meal. Pulling the lid off he dug in heartily, savoring each vegetable within. Roy wandered over and picked up the peanut butter with a nod. Donna shrugged and handed Dick the Ham and cheese, as she took a bite of the tuna.

“This was a great idea Donna. No bad guys. No mentors. Just hanging out in the park with good food and good company. Good for morale of the team.” Nodding Dick pulled the wrapper open and took a bite.

Groaning, Roy rolled his eyes. “Morale…you act like we’re the Justice League man. We’re kids, long as we’re having fun I think our morale is up. Just please don’t say anything about a training session. Might think you got into Bat’s closet and put the wrong costume on.”

“Heh, no. No training session today.”

“Good to hear. You all have to try the pie later. I am learning how to cook things from Man’s World slowly. Diana said I am very talented.”

“Donna you got to stop calling it Man’s World. Just doesn’t sound politically correct at all.” The arrowhead was secured firmly on the shaft as Roy spoke. “Damn ants.” A hand reached down to swat the insects off his leg. “You should have warned us that a real picnic would include real ants. I thought that was just in cartoons or lame old comics.”

The wind rippled around them as Wally dashed back in and finally came to a stop. Kneeling down he devoured the sandwich in about two bites. Zipping over to the basket he dug through trying to find more. “Nomorechickeninhereguys? I’mstillreallyreallyhungry!”

“Wally slow down we can’t hear you.” Donna reached in and grabbed a slice of pie and shoved it at the fast redhead. “There eat that.”

Crowing in success, Wally grabbed it and was about to take a bite when he noticed a trail of ants moving across his arm and onto the food. “Hey this is my pie!” Shaking his arm hard and fast, he tried to fling the bugs off.

“You will never hurt another insect again, so says the Antimator!” A booming voice echoed through the park as five pairs of eyes settled on the source. If the threat wasn’t real, it would almost be laughable. A man in a large red exoskeleton sat astride a massive robot ant

“You have got to be kidding me…the names just get lamer and lamer don’t they? Why can’t we have good bad guys to fight like the Justice League? Maybe a Lex Luthor, or Joker or something.” Roy grumbled as he leapt to his feet, quiver and bow in hand.

Arrow notched and flew, slamming into the robot’s dense body before falling to the ground. Before Wally could rush in, a new swarm of ants covered his body. The young man screamed as he ran away trying to dislodge the unwelcome guests. Donna rushed forward, her legs pumping as she ran straight at the villain and his ride. Slamming into the side of the machine, she cried out as electricity arched out on contact and surged through her body.

Robin was on his feet, batarangs shooting out from his hand. One struck the Antimator in the head. With a groan the man fell backwards off his robotic ant. The machine surged forward right for Garth. Gasping, the young man dived out of the way, spilling his salad in the process. “Garth, lead it to the water!” Nodding at Robin’s call, the dark haired youth dashed towards the water feeling his lungs burning. It was time to replenish his water supply as is, making it perfect timing to play bait.

With the robot following Aqualad right towards the lake, Robin and Speedy concentrated on the operator. An arrow struck the helmet driving the man back, as a batarangs flew around his legs tangling them up in a line. Pulling on the line, Robin sent the villain flat onto his face.

“No…I will not be defeated.” The man muttered as he tried to stand back up. A foot stomped on his chest to drive him back down. Donna smiled widely as she held the man down.

Meanwhile, with a dive Garth was in the water. A giant splash followed as the mechanized insect followed suit. Water seeped through its joints, sending out sparks and smoke. With a last effort to follow the target, the ant died at the lake bottom. Surfacing Garth took a deep breath and cheered.

Minutes later the police drove off with Antimator screaming in the back. With the threat done and over with, the teens returned to their trashed picnic. The blanket was ruined and the basket was smashed up. Food lay strewn about as the ants began feasting upon it.

“Well so much for the picnic I guess. Now what do we eat?”

A smile crossed Wally’s face. Minutes later they were all sitting in a booth at ‘Speedy Burger’, and Wally had the biggest smile on his face ever. “Told you I’d get a burger today.”

Laughing they all raised their glasses together. “Titans Together!”

The End.

Story © 2009 Scott Redmond and may not be reproduced without permission.