Outer Space.
The Citadel.
An interplanetary empire that came to dominate twenty-one of the twenty-two known worlds in the Vega star system. In that system, they are without a doubt, the dominant imperial race. No shortage of aliens out there in the cosmos, but the Citadel were among the fiercest.
And right now, they had prisoners on board of one their many ships. Prisoners from across various planets, taken captive by the Citadel and their overwhelming force.
And one of them was a girl by the name of Koriand'r.
A Tamaranean female, belonging to the royal family of her planet. She was taken prisoner by the Citadel, and was being held against her will in one of their many prisons.
She has been a prisoner to the Citadel for years now, unable to do anything of significance. Her purpose here was simply to keep her planet safe from absolute destruction. After all, she was given to the Citadel as a way to ensure peace.
A tragic way of doing so.
But right now, her path in life would change yet again as the massive starship the Citadel had their prisoners in would slow down, appearing next to a nearby ship. The doors would open as a pathway was formed, connecting the two ships together.
"Good news, Psions. We have new subjects for you." One of the Citadelians said, walking out of the ship and standing before the Psions. An alien race from the Vega system, notorious for their genetic experimentation. The Citadel and the Psions were close partners and had been allies since they began working together. And the Psions were always looking for new test subjects.
"Excellent." One of the Psions said, smirking and rubbing his hands together. All the other Psions were far too excited to begin their experiments on these prisoners. "What races do you have for me now? Perhaps a more recent evolution of a pre-existing race?"
"None of that. Just new races across the galaxy. Bring them over." The Citadelian ordered as the others would walk out of the starship. The prisoners were dragged along, their arms connected and restrained by energy chains. They were all of different shapes and sizes, and the Psions would examine each one thoroughly. Each prisoner was from a different planet, and they would all be subjected to the Psion's cruel tests.
And one of the Psions would spot Koriand'r, taking interes. "That one. Is that not a Tamaranean?"
"Not just any Tamaranean. She is the princess of the planet. She was gifted to us to ensure peace in the system. We've had her as a prisoner for 6 years now." The Citadelian said.
"Hmhmhm. A royal Tamaranean. Perfect." The Psion grinned. "Tamaraneans have the unique ability of flight, don't they? But honestly, we are more curious about how much energy a Tamaranean body can hold. The same goes for most of these prisoners anyways. We would love to see the limits. Bring them in."
The prisoners were then brought over to the other ship, walking into the Psions' vessel, ready to be experimented on. As soon as they were in this ship, they were all placed in their containment cells where some would have to wait until the Psions were ready for them. But as for Koriand'r, she was among the unlucky ones. While the others waited in their cells, the Psions chose her first, bringing her along instead of putting her into a containment cell.
And watching Koriand'r be taken away was a girl who appeared to be of the same species as Heatblast. A Pyronite as the species is known as. Yet another victim to be experimented on later by the Psions like so many before her have.
Koriand'r ranted at the Psions, cursing at them. But at alas, her language was lost of them. "Vhri'des! G'terk'ne! Zharak!" The words that were coming out of her mouth made the Psions laugh, and one of them even had the audacity to slap her. She was led into a room and was strapped to a table, and the Psions surrounded her, their faces hidden behind the masks that they wore.
"How much energy could a Tamaranean hold?" One Psion said. They would then strap the ends of a machine to Koriand'r's arms. "Let's find out."
"Vhri'des, v'huun tei'n!" Koriand'r hissed at them. She had no idea what was going to happen, but she knew it wouldn't be pleasant.
"Do not worry. This is essentially a reunion." One Psion uttered, setting tings up. "All thanks to the Goddess X'Hal. Eons ago, X'Hal was one of hundreds of peaceful people living on the planet Okaara. When the Okaarans made first contact with our race, X'Hal was present to greet our ancestors. We Psions had little interaction with the people of Okaara and soon left to explore other worlds. It allowed us to broaden our horizons, leading to this."
As the Psion was saying this, Koriand'r watched all the terrifying things being set up in this room. Sharp otherworldly technology that didn't bode well for the Tamaranean. The Psion's words would only continue to unsettle her. The energy that some of this tech let off looked highly volatile. What were they planning to do to her?
"We can see this as a form of revenge. In intensive research, we Psions gave X'Hal virtually supreme power, which she ultimately used against us, destroying so many valuable things. So you...will bring some satisfaction via these experiments."
"!" Koriand'r's eyes dilated in horror, her face frozen in terror. Alas, she could not move to save her life. The Psions were clearly using her to take out their frustrations, and she was certain that she wouldn't survive the ordeal.
"Rrrr...AAAAGH!" The experiment was initiated, and Koriand'r's body was filled with an immense surge of energy. She screamed in pain and agony, the sound of her cries filling the chamber. The Psions were relentless, and they continued to pour more and more energy into the girl, not caring how much she was hurting. Her screams echoed through the ship, and no one could hear her. Her voice was lost in the void of space, and her cries went unheard.
More and more energy was being poured into her, threatening to rip her apart. The Psions were relentless, and they did not seem to care how much the young woman was suffering. Their reptilian eyes just kept staring at her, emotionless and uncaring. They had no sympathy for the pain that the girl was going through. In fact, the more she screamed, the more they seemed to enjoy it. Catharsis for the X'Hal situation.
Koriand'r twitched and twitched, seemingly about to be destroyed immediately by the experiment this early on. With no friends to help her and no family to come and save her. It would be her tragic end on this ship.
Except it wasn't.
Deep within the Tamaranean Princess, something dormant was awakening. As the energy aggressively poured into her, her eyes slowly opened. And in a bright flash, her eyes would glow a fiery green. The surge of energy that was being forced into the Tamaranean would cause her to unleash a massive blast of pure, raw energy that would blow away the Psions in the room. In mere seconds, the Psions were sent flying hard, screaming as they hit the walls with incredible force and the rest of the room would be in shambles.
The straps that were holding her to the table were destroyed, and the restraints that were around her would fall to the ground, freeing her. She would stand up and look at her hands in shock.
Glowing green energy was around her hands as her eyes were glowing as well, her hair waving in the air as if a breeze was blowing. Then, the green energy would die down, and she'd return to normal. "V'ruud." She mumbled, not believing this.
"W-What...?" One of the Psions groaned before passing out on the spot, absolutely taken aback. Koriand'r just couldn't believe it. But what she could believe was that she had a chance. A chance to break free.
And to free the others.
Without wasting anymore time, she would see what her newfound power could truly do. Koriand'r tapped into that power, the energy showing up around her hands. To her surprise, she could summon it again easily, as if it was amazing natural for her. A green blast flew out, blasting the walls of the lab open and giving the Tamaranean an exit out of the lab. And without wasting a moment, she'd head out.
With her freedom in her grasp, she was not about to let go of the chance to be free. And to free the other prisoners that had been captured by the Citadel and the Psions. There were still some Citadelians on board, having not yet left. And right away, they saw Koriand'r flying their way, their faces in shock.
"The Tamaranean Princess?! She escaped?!" A Citadelean gasped before being blasted through the chest by a green beam, taking him out. All the other Citadelians that were in her way were attacked at full force, blasted away or down by these bolts of energy. Soon, she would make it to the room that was holding the other prisoners.
"Vr'huun tei'n!" She uttered, essentially telling them all to follow her. Even though they couldn't understand her, Koriand'r's actions were a strong enough language that everyone understood. She'd destroy the containment cells that were keeping them locked in, freeing them all. Immediately, a massive revolt happened.
Not just with the prisoners that had recently arrived but also the ones that the Psions had kept here for years and years. They had all been tortured in the worst ways. Experimented on, abused, and much worse. And now, the Psions and the Citadel would pay for everything they did to them. Many of them would take the Psions' weapons and fight back, beginning this great revolt with Koriand'r at the lead. The starship was in chaos, and the Psions and Citadelians were losing control.
"Zaar'vho, v'huun tei'n." Koriand'r told the others once they had control of the ship, and the Psions and Citadel were nowhere to be seen. But they couldn't have gone far. "Te'kahn, n'thu'umir."
Of course, this alerted the other Citadelians in the nearby ship, and they were ready to strike. They boarded the Psion's Ship, attempting to subdue the prisoners. However, Koriand'r was already gathering up a ton of energy. Enough to blow away multiple rooms. As the Citadelians were boarding, the energy around her was building up, growing and growing.
And with her teeth clenched, she unleashed a mighty blast, blowing the area apart, destroying the pathway that connected the two ships, sending many of the Citadelians flying out into the depths of space.
The Tamaranean Princess panted. She never knew she had such a strong ability. But it had saved her and the other prisoners. But it wasn't over yet. There were so many Citadelians. But at least her blast managed to destroy the pathway while also damaging a part of the Citadel's ship in the process.
Not wanting this to continue further, Koriand'r saw this as a good time for all them to leave via the escape pods. She pointed onwards, ordering them all to take all the escape pods and get out. They made a run for the escape pods as more Citadelians were approaching. And to stop that from happening, Koriand'r would blast the hallway, sealing it off. It was enough to hold the Citadelians at bay.
She couldn't waste any more time. Koriand'r ran towards the escape pods, seeing that the others had safely boarded and taken off. Now, it was just her and a couple others. Thankfully, there were enough for all of them.
"V'huun tei'n." She said to them before boarding a pod, and the rest of them would board one too. In seconds, the escape pods would fly off. And in the nick of the time. The Citadelians would burst into the room and see that everyone was gone, and the escape pods were already in the air. They would then look at each other, realizing that there wasn't much that could be done. Their efforts were futile.
And to make it worse for them, the ship of the Psions was blowing up, its fate already sealed.
In just a few minutes, all the escape pods had flown off, and were already miles and miles away from the Psions and Citadelian ships. Soon, they were traveling through the void of space. The people inside of these pods would soon be sent to various planets. Some of these pods would travel to the Milky Way Galaxy. Others would go to the Andromeda Galaxy. Even further than that.
Koriand'r braced herself for this random journey as she was already heading for the Milky Way Galaxy herself. She had no way of heading back home as was just along for the ride at this point. She did feel a bit exhausted expending all that energy from her newfound power. And with it, her eyes were slowly closing as the pod approached the Milky Way Galaxy.
Earth. America. Florida. An Abandoned Arcade. Day.
"Ben...are you serious...?" Gwen narrowed her eyes.
"Completely. Why wouldn't I be?" He grinned.
"Ben. This is an arcade." Gwen sighed. "What are we even supposed to do in an arcade?"
"Yeah, but look at it. It's abandoned. If you ask me, this place is perfect to set up base." Ben shrugged. "Besides, we can't stay in the RV forever. Especially with the cold stuff going on out there."
"True..." Raven muttered, looking around the place. "This is not what I had in mind for a place to live in. An actual house would have been nice."
"Well, my parents would flip out if they ever found out that a girl lived in my house...My mom wouldn't let me hear the end of it. So that leaves us this." Ben said. "I mean, we don't have to. We could just go camping and use tents."
"I guess it sorta works...No one will really feel the need to come here for all places." Gwen scratched her hair. "But all the way out here in Florida? Far from home, aren't we?"
"Ah, it's fine." Ben would then open the doors to this old arcade, finally giving it air after so long. "All you need is somewhere private, right, Raven? I can get that sorted out."
"Okay? How?" Raven questioned.
"I've got the alien for the job that'll fix this place up." Ben propped up the Omnitrix. He then took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he needed the right alien for this role. "Come on, Omnitrix!" He would slam down on it.
As the green light enveloped his entire being, a small form would emerge from the light. A form that could only be described as a gremlin-like alien. Naturally, it was the alien known as Jury Rigg.
Thankfully, this is the alien Ben actually wanted.
"Hehehehehe!" And that gremlin-like persona showed itself as Jury Rigg rubbed his hands together, looking around the arcade. His beady eyes darted around, taking in every detail. He was ready to start fixing things, making the most of his new surroundings. He would get to work right away. "Sort, sort, sort!" He yelled, zipping off and grabbing everything he could find, and moving things around, sorting them as he did so. He would grab the gaming consoles that were still in decent condition, putting them in a pile, along with the other electronics that were still working. He would grab the trash, the broken, and the unusable items, and throw them into another pile.
Soon, the arcade was in a state of flux. The piles of usable and useless items were growing, and soon, the arcade was in a state of total disarray. There were games that were in good condition, and there were games that were in a state of total disrepair. There were consoles that were in working order, and there were consoles that were in a state of total disrepair. There were games that were in a state of total disrepair, and there were games that were in a state of total disrepair. But thanks to Ben's ability to transform into the alien Jury Rigg, he was able to salvage a lot of the machines that would have otherwise been lost forever.
As for rooms in general, Jury Rigg had that covered too. A speciality of his was being able to take other things and make something new from it. He would take the materials from the games and use them to build a makeshift bedroom. He'd also take some of the electrical wires from the games, using them to create lights and power the bedroom and the kitchen. The only thing he wouldn't touch was the bathroom.
In no time at all, the arcade had been completely reorganized. The arcade was in a much better state than when it was first abandoned. And in just an hour, the place had been turned into a livable living space.
"Done! Done done!" Jury Rigg was proud of his work, having made this old arcade into something far better. With the Omnitrix timing out, Ben would be himself again. "Phew! That's that done. What do you think?"
"This actually doesn't look half bad." Raven noted, actually liking the place now. "I didn't think you'd get it done so fast though..."
"Only took me 15 minutes, max." Ben grinned, giving a thumbs-up. "I made sure to make your room big. Or...maybe you wanted me to ask you how you wanted it?"
"It's fine. I'll adjust some things along the way." Raven would float off to this newly crafted room, seeing that it was a rather large space. Once she checked out the space, she let out a small nod. This would do.
For her items, it very much would. Using her magic, it was revealed that Raven kept her stuff within a small pocket dimension. From that, she pulled out everything she got from Azarath, mainly being a plethora of books, chakras and various other mystical things. But of course, there was a bed included in the room. It wasn't the best looking, but it would have to do. There was also a shelf that looked a bit wobbly. She would set all her belongings into the room, and with her powers, she would move the furniture around, and the books would be neatly organized in a matter of minutes.
"You can just do that...?" Ben's jaw dropped, having witnessed all that come from a Pocket Dimension. "Gwen. Can you do that?"
"I wish." Gwen deadpanned. She wasn't going to try and compete with that. "But you can help me get my things in." She and Ben would head back to the Rust Bucket and take out her bags, bringing them into the arcade.
Raven would then close the door, having the room all to herself. And now, things were silent for her. Very much silent. "Haah..." The Half Demon took a deep sigh, sitting on the bed, and taking a moment to herself. She would sit there in silence, her hands on her legs and her head pointed downwards. "Here I am." She sighed. "Now I can get somewhere. Hopefully with enough time."
Without wasting anytime, Raven got back to doing what she was doing this entire time on this planet. Meditate. But this time, she was meditating for another reason. For once, not to recover strength since she was at full strength at last. Instead, to prepare for Trigon, Raven had to make sure that when she encounters him again, she is fully ready.
No mistakes can be made.
Washington D.C. The Hall of Justice.
At the Hall of Justice...
"So, you let those three kids be on their merry way." Batman spoke to Superman, referring to Ben, Gwen and Raven.
"I think they'll be fine, Bruce." Superman replied. "They handled things well. And afterwards, I'll be there to help them against this Trigon character. I'm hoping Diana or anyone else comes over to help. Like you."
"Enter another dimension to take down a demon? Right." Batman turned around, looking at the Caped Crusader. "I've got enough on my plate. I'm not going to worry about that. If that Trigon fellow shows up, I'll step in. Otherwise, it's not really my issue."
Well, I imagine it isn't right now. Minus the whole cold issue...you're gonna be busy tonight, right? It's Dick's birthday after all." Superman smiled, causing Batman to pause.
"He's only recently become Nightwing. To be honest, a part of me never thought he'd make it this far." Batman admitted. "I thought he'd just plateau as Robin, but..."
"He surprised even you." Superman chuckled. "That's not surprising. He's a good kid, and you know that. All of us do. You should be proud of him, Bruce."
"...I suppose I am. Even if I'm not too happy that he's decided to leave Gotham for Bludhaven." Batman continued, his eyes narrowing under his mask. "But knowing Dick, he'll probably just go out and stop crime during his own birthday."
"I'd love to come and celebrate it. I'll bring gifts!" Superman grinned before taking off to do just that. Just like that, Superman was off with Batman saying nothing about it.
As Batman was leaving, his thoughts turned to the three kids, particularly Ben and Gwen. While he couldn't afford to go on a mission to another dimension to deal with a demonic entity, the Dark Knight would keep a watchful eye on them. They were strong, especially for their age. But he had no idea how long they could hold up against such a threat that was Trigon. So if Trigon did come to Earth and the young trio couldn't stop him, then Batman would have to step in.
He had no desire to face a demon, but if it was to protect the Earth, then he would have to.
Bludhaven.
Hours later, in the city of Bludhaven, a crime had been stopped. By Nightwing himself. "You're a bit of a mess, you know that?" Dick Grayson smirked, standing before a defeated thug. He was the last one of the bunch, having taken out the rest of his cohorts already.
"Ooouh..." The thug groaned. "W-Where's Batman...?"
"You don't have to worry about seeing Batman more often. You could say I just graduated from being Robin. Nightwing's the name now. Superman even picked it out for me." Nightwing crossed his arms, looking around the warehouse that the thugs were in. "Well, I'd best get going now. It's a pretty special day for me."
As the sound of the police approaching could be heard, Nightwing would take his leave, heading back to Gotham. After successfully stopping a crime, celebrating his birthday next was a great follow-up. But unbeknownst to him, or most, high up in the sky this late at night, something would glint in the sky. Something akin to that of a star.
But that was no star.
Gotham. Wayne Manor. The Batcave. Nightfall.
Nightwing had returned to Gotham, specifically in the one place where he tends to usually converge. The Batcave. And on top of that, the place was lit up. Not only that, but a few people were waiting for him there. Three of them to be exact. As he removed his mask and made his way through the secret entrance of the Batcave, already present were Batman himself but just as Bruce Wayne, Barbara Gordon and the butler of Wayne Manor, Alfred.
"Master Richard, welcome back." Alfred bowed slightly. "I was just about to prepare a cake."
"Thanks, Alf." Dick smiled. "It's really good to see you again, Barbara. I was wondering if you'd be here."
"Of course." Barbara smiled. "I wouldn't miss your birthday."
"Well, that's a relief. How's college been treating you?" The two friends would start to catch up while Bruce and Alfred watched in the background.
"College has been amazing. But if you ask me, staying as Batgirl suits me more for a future career. College is just the side-thing." Barbara explained, brushing her hair behind her ear.
"Hah. I didn't even bother with college. Being a hero just felt more natural to me." Dick admitted.
"Oh, yeah. Congrats on finally getting that name change in. I thought you were just gonna stick with Robin for the rest of your life. 'Nightwing' is a pretty cool superhero name." She added.
"To be named after a Kryptonian Flamebird is quite the honor, Master Richard."
"Yeah. Superman found a pretty great name for me. But knowing you, Bruce, you would've probably called me something like Black Robin." Dick joked.
"Hm." Bruce lightly grunted. "Happy birthday, Dick. We should get the party going now that everyone is here. But I won't be able to stay too long. Crime doesn't exactly sleep."
"Always the workaholic." Barbara sighed. "That's alright. You can go and fight crime. But we'll have to call the others over too. It can't be a party without all of us here. Or a birthday for that matter."
"Right. And after this, I've got big plans." Nightwing walked off as Alfred would soon reveal the cake, which was hidden under a cover. On top of the cake was a candle in the shape of a bat. It was a rather sweet gesture from the butler. "Bat shaped...?" Nightwing blinked.
"You always liked the Bat-shaped cake. Don' tell me you've grown out of it already?"
"Nah, not really." Nightwing shrugged, ready to celebrate.
Florida. An Abandoned Arcade.
At the Arcade in Florida, it was truly silent. Just as Ben predicted and as Raven wanted. With the area being pretty far away from any civilization, the half-demon would have all the time in the world to meditate. Hopefully, she could meditate for the right amount of time. By now, Ben and Gwen were asleep, mainly in the RV as they left Raven to stay in the arcade alone.
But despite this peace and quiet. Despite how silent it was...it happened again.
"Ngh..." While meditating, Raven twitched as her visions would show him once more. Trigon. "!" Raven gasped as within her mental space, she appeared before a fiery landscape, one where Trigon could be seen. The Half-Demon turned around, seeing Trigon in her visions yet again. But it was different this time.
This time, it wasn't a bunch of flashes. It looked like Trigon truly was there, present within her mindscape.
"Father...!"
"You are not seeing things, my dear daughter." Trigon smirked, crossing his arms.
"You're in my mind...but how?"
"Like all my children, my power goes to great lengths within them all. Admittedly, it did take some time for me to properly enter your mind compared to the rest. Yet again, you are one of a kind. Are you still so sure you can stop me, daughter? Do you even have the help you need?"
"I'm getting it. Enough to put a stop to you finally."
"Hm! I assume your mother is unaware of your absence. She would not be so foolish to let you go considering how much she wishes to distance you and herself from me. How reckless of you." Trigon chuckled, almost praising Raven for taking such a drastic action.
"It's for the best. But I'll return to her safely. Once you're finished."
"Can you guarantee that? In your own mind...I can feel you fear. And I can also see the ones that you have allied yourself with recently."
"!" Raven gasped at that.
"Earth? Really now? How laughable. Such an easy planet to take over but it can barely bring that many benefits compared to the rest."
"You...You already know I'm on Earth?" Raven slowly stepped back as the fires intensified.
"Very much so. And it will do you well to know that soon, I will find my way through Azarath itself. That Great Door can only do so much after all. But perhaps Earth will be a glorious first action. I will claim you and bring you back to Azarath, just so your mother can bare witness to my victory and the eventual fall of Azarath as a whole." Trigon pointed at Raven. "It shall not be destroyed. Conquered, only. As a show of a mercy."
"Don't! You can't!"
"Which? Earth or Azarath? Either way, both are to be ruled under my power. One will be conquered, the other will not. Which one do you wish to be saved? For the time being at least."
"I..." But Raven was a bit frozen.
"Prepare for my arrival on Earth eventually, dear daughter. I am rather irritated that even I cannot estimate when I will arrive. But I will. And it will be glorious. Your newfound allies will bare witness to what they are facing...and you will watch them fall!" His laugh got louder as the hellfire grew strong, encompassing the entire area.
Raven looked around her as the hellfire closed in on her rapidly. She would quickly be engulfed in the fire, and then everything went black. "!"
Suddenly, Raven would open her eyes and she'd wake up in her room in the Arcade, hyperventilating and in a cold sweat. She took a deep breath and put her hand on her chest, trying to calm down. "No." Raven shook her head. "He's coming. He knows where I am." She said to herself, her breathing speeding up.
After witnessing that, the risk had greatly increased. Raven was more terrified than ever. As she looked down, the Half-Demon feared that she might not have enough time. Even if Trigon himself wasn't sure when he'd show up, Raven wasn't sure if all that time would be enough. She just couldn't.
And then, she thought about Ben and Gwen. Despite the two helping her out here, Raven now felt that perhaps it wasn't for the best. She hovered out of her room, gazing through the arcade windows. There, she saw the RV and how Ben and Gwen were fast asleep.
"Sorry, you two." Raven said from a distance. "I'm dragging you into something beyond dangerous. My own mess." Her eyes would droop. She said nothing else, turning away, off to do something else. Something that would involve distancing herself from the both of them.
Morning came as the birds were chirping, Ben and Gwen were shocked to find that Raven was not present here. At all. Her room was still here, but Raven herself was absent.
"Where'd she go?!" Ben exclaimed, looking all over the Arcade.
"Her room's still here. She's probably just out, Ben." Gwen said, shaking her head.
"Probably...but this doesn't sit right with me." Ben had a sneaking suspicion that her just being out wasn't that simple. Something else had to be a part of it.
"You think so?"
"I feel like I know so. She's still new to Earth and has a lot on her shoulders. Something came up that must've let her leave all of a sudden. Ben's intuition kicked in once more. "Not even a notice or anything."
"Hmm...yeah, I guess that is weird. What do you think it is?"
"...I don't know." But Ben had a hunch. He knew it had to deal with her Father, but he just didn't know what it was exactly.
"...How about...I try and find her Manna." Gwen suggested.
"Can you do that?"
"I've managed to get a feel for her Manna during the time we've been around her. I know what it's like." Gwen confirmed with a nod. For Ben, that would be nice. Gwen would take a shot at it, ready to detect Raven's Manna. Her eyes would glow a violet, her hands glowing green.
Gwen would close her eyes, and focus on the task at hand, and within seconds, she was able to lock onto Raven. She had a strong connection to the Half-Demon and was able to track her down. "...She's...in the air." Gwen mumbled, concentrating on the feeling of Raven's Manna. "It feels...like she's floating."
"In the air?" Ben questioned, tilting his head to the side.
"And it feels like...she's engaging with someone else right about now." Gwen's eyes widened a bit. "I'm not entirely certain. But there's no way to know for certain."
"Alright then. We'll check up on her and see what's up." Ben turned around, heading straight for the RV. "Superman gave us a job and I don't wanna let him down. Let's go, Gwen."
Indeed, at this very moment, Raven on her own. But not to just aimlessly float around or anything of the sort. Instead, right now, she had found herself getting involved with yet another cold case. Not quite anticipation but rather seeking it out.
And by doing so, she already came across an incoming attack on a town by yet another one of the Icenauts. Raven now actively sought out the threats instead of just sitting back and having them come to her.
The people of the town looked up, seeing this grey-skinned girl float high in the air, looking down on the Icenauts that were bringing about another snowstorm. One that would freeze the town in the blink of an eye.
"I've been seeing you all a lot recently. I can make you like training dummies." Raven said to the Icenauts. "Anything to help me prepare for my father."
The Icenauts roared out, as usual, and began firing their icy beams. Raven flew in between each one of the blasts, dodging them all. Then, she'd used her magic to catch one of the beams, manifesting a dark claw to do so. The claw gripped the beam tightly before throwing it back at the Icenauts, knocking a few of them over.
One of the Icenauts would rip a piece of the ground off, holding it up. It would then covered it in ice, giving it sharp icy edges all around. With that, the Icenaut would throw it at Raven, who simply moved to the side to avoid it. Then, she'd raise her arm, using her powers to summon a massive boulder from the ground and send it at the Icenaut, crushing it.
Raven wasn't actually sure if this was working. While she was doing a great job, to know if this was helping her improve was something else. She was at least hoping that it was somehow. For her mother's sake, she hoped.
Crossing her arms, massive dark wings manifested behind her, flapping as Raven would swoop down and tackle an Icenaut. She'd then grab the ice monster by the head, slamming him into the ground and creating a small crater. Once the crater was formed, she'd lift him up and slam him back down again.
After breaking that Icenaut and freeing hte person inside, she'd look upwards, seeing a couple of ice shards rain down on her. As she gasped, she quickly put up a shield, just barely defending herself. The ice shards bombarded her shield, threatening to pierce through it. Raven grunted, putting in more effort to strengthen her shield. More energy was flowing into her shield, causing the ice shards to shatter on impact.
Once the ice shards were shattered, Raven would blast the Icenaut that sent them. As a result, the creature was knocked over, crashing into a nearby tree. This would cause the tree to collapse on top of it, trapping the Icenaut beneath its heavy weight. And in a matter of moments, the alien would be crushed underneath the tree's weight. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos." A burst of black energy would shoot out from the fallen tree, destroying the alien completely.
But there were more Icenauts here than usual. And they were closing in on Raven. They had surrounded her, leaving her no choice but to fight back. They soon release clusters of ice that were both wide and tall, attempting to trap the half-demon.
Yet again, it forced her to defend herself with her magic, forming a sphere shield. But the clusters were as heavy as they were massive. As soon as they crashed into the shield, it rippled aggressively, and cracks were starting to form on the magical barrier. Raven grunted, trying to hold the shield, but the ice was slowly breaking through.
Refusing to let it break through, as her eyes glowed, she felt her anger starting to get the best of her. The Half-Demon couldn't afford to let her anger of all things take over, so she just managed to restrain them. While also releasing her magic in multiple directions. Multiple dark rays flew out, piercing through each and every Icenaut that was around her. Her powers had grown even more, and the creatures were all destroyed in a mere instant.
After the dust settled, and the ice creatures were gone and the people within were freed, Raven would take a deep breath, her body shaking from the rage she had suppressed. "That...was too close. Too close." She said to herself, taking a moment to compose herself. While she did attack at a greater output, she recognized that a bit of her anger was involved, much to her dismay.
With that, the Half-Demon would float off, away from the town and towards a forest. She'd land in a small clearing and begin meditating. If her powers had gotten stronger, then that meant her control needed to be better. Otherwise, she was doomed. Doomed to fail her mother, and Azarath. That was unacceptable.
She hovered high above the skies for a while, letting herself recover along the way. She continued to actively seek out threats to take down in hopes of improving so more. Raven felt that she needed to. Back in her room, after her chat with Trigon, she couldn't bring herself to improve in the usual way.
"I can't risk it..." Raven looked at her hand while floating. "If I meditate again...will he have a stronger grip on my mind? He knows I'm on Earth..."
Her fear was getting the best of her. To the point where meditating for too long was something to worry about. So for her, doing anything else but meditation seemed to be the better option. And that meant being move active.
No better time to be so active than these Icenauts being present. And it helped that they weren't too hard to miss. One could simply look in the distance of a vicious snowstorm to know where the Icenauts are.
And in Raven's case, she already saw another one up ahead. Another town was being frozen, and the cold weather was spreading fast. Raven would fly off in that direction, ready to stop the alien invaders once again.
As the alien invaders wreaked havoc, the people were fleeing in terror. Their screams echoed in the night air and their feet pounded the pavement, desperate to escape the chaos that had descended on their quiet town. Raven would descend from the skies, landing on the ground, and her eyes would glow white. She would then unleash a wave of energy, destroying the Icenauts that were attacking the people below.
As the wave passed, Raven's head twitched a bit. Right now, one of her emotions was threatening to leak out. In this case, it was the emotion of fear. Not from the Icenauts, but from Trigon. "I'm fine. You can't get to me." She told herself, knowing that the further she went from the Arcade, the more likely that Trigon wouldn't be able to find her. "It's safer like this."
And soon, she would take on these Icenauts as well.
The RV was on the move and fast, Gwen tracing Raven's Manna along the way while also spotting the dramatic temperature drops in different places. The jet boosters were active once more, accelerating through the air at great speeds.
"Her Manna's acting a bit weird, Ben." Gwen pointed out.
"What's that mean?" Ben asked, unaware of how Gwen's Manna fully functions.
"It's the same as whenever you get in trouble and try to hide something. You're afraid of being found out." Gwen explained in a simple manner. "Right now, her Manna's showing some kind of fear."
"I-I'm not afraid of being found out..." Ben silently said.
"Funny how your Manna's acting up." Gwen smirked, feeling Ben's Manna react to that.
"Sh-Shut up..." Ben rolled his eyes. "So, you think she's scared? Of what?"
"You really have to ask?" Gwen deadpanned. "What's the one thing she's always talking about?"
"...Trigon." Ben muttered. "Yeah. It's probably got to do with her father. But he's not here, is he?"
"No. He's not. It's probably something else linked to Trigon. The sooner we find her, the better. Because right now, all that Manna's fluctuating more and more."
"Where's she then? Anywhere close?"
"Based on where I'm sensing her...and seeing the weather patterns...She's somewhere around that town. Or in that town." Gwen pointed at her laptop screen, showing the map and where the latest snow storm was. "She's been going from place to place, just like that. She's definitely going after those aliens. Maybe to practice or something."
"It's totally practice." Ben went for that approach right away.
"How do you know?"
"Heh. It's something I'd do too." Ben could relate to that. "Even before I found the Omnitrix, I did stuff like that. I always hated something getting the best of me, and if that happened, I wouldn't just sit down and let that happen. So I can see her doing the same thing."
"That sounds about right." Gwen nodded. But do you think it could lead to something bad?"
"Hopefully, we don't have to find out about that. We'll stop Raven before that happens. And this time..." Ben clutched the wheel as tightly as he could, narrowing his eyes. "We have to make sure she can trust us. She can't do it alone...and I won't let her take on something like that by herself."
"Ben..." Gwen slowly said while looking at Ben. The RV got even faster, accelerating some more.
The town was soon cleared of any Icenauts that were around. All the people who were captured were free and the town was safe. Yet again, Raven took care of a problem on her own. But that emotion of fear was creeping in more and more. After stopping the Icenauts, she clutched her head, shaking a bit. No words would come out of her, but rather silent groans.
"Keep it together. Keep it together. Nothing's wrong." Raven was telling herself as she left.
She didn't have a destination in mind. Her mind was too cluttered to think properly. Perhaps another forest would do. But as she was leaving the town, noticeably, the snowstorm didn't subside. Instead, the cold temperature remained and it was still snowing, despite the fact that the Icenauts were defeated and the people were saved.
"Still...?" Raven narrowed her eyes, wondering why it was still cold. Granted, it wasn't as cold as it was before, but it was all present still. And there was a reason for that.
"Any reason why someone like you is suddenly getting involved?" Speaking through the misty air and walking through it was none other than Killer Frost. The first time the two of them were even seeing each other. She stood before Raven, crossing her arms.
"Nh..." Raven grunted, looking at the blue-skinned woman while clutching her head.
"Who even are you? Another random hero maybe?" Killer Frost questioned. "Or just a random girl that can't help but get in the way." She sighed. "I'm not sure which is more annoying."
"I don't...I don't have time for you." Raven replied.
"Don't have time for me? You certainly did for all the Icenauts here." Killer Frost shrugged. "You've already gotten involved with this by bringing them down. I can imagine you don't want to be that involved, right? So, why not kindly step away from it all right now?" She raised her hand, a cold aura appearing around it.
"Please." Raven said to Killer Frost. "I've been fine with dealing with these monsters...but I don't want to hurt you." Since Killer Frost was fully sentient and not exactly a mindless monster like the Icenauts, Raven didn't want to fight her. Despite her being a villain. She'd rather end things quickly. "So, leave."
"You took out all the Icenauts here without a single one even leaving. I can't have that." Killer Frost wagged her finger. With a lack of Icenauts, the crystal couldn't be powered and that was truly unacceptable. "Stay right where you are." With her hand out, the cold aura flowed forward, meshing with the wind and air itself.
And soon, it sped up, reaching Raven and attacking her. The Half-Demon gasped as she felt the cold aura wrap around her body, ice starting to form around her, starting from her legs. Raven's eye glowed as she tried to break free from the ice, but Killer Frost was keeping the cold around her. It made the ice stronger and harder to break out of.
Raven grunted, feeling her magic trying to resist the ice. But the power that Killer Frost had was much greater than the Half-Demon anticipated. "Azarath..." Her hands would glow with magic, her eyes glowing. She was getting agitated. "...Metrion..." The ice was slowly cracking, and Killer Frost would keep using her powers to keep her locked in ice. "...Zinthos!"
With a shout, the ice shattered, and the cold energy dispersed. "Oh." Killer Frost's eye widened at the sudden burst. "You'd be great to add to that crystal." Now, the villain was interested. "And you don't look so good. Tuckered out from all that effort?."
"!" A small bead of sweat would drop from Raven's head. This was not what she expected. Raven's control over her powers started to falter, her emotions leaking out again. Her anger was rising, and she was struggling to hold it in.
Killer Frost raised her arms, bringing forth a fierce cluster of ice, even stronger than what the Icenauts can do. As the blast came in, Raven put her shield up. Once again, the impact was far stronger than Raven thought. "Ngh." She groaned, her shield starting to crack under the pressure of the blast. Killer Frost thrust her arm forward, having the cluster turn into one big ice spear. One that managed to pierce through the shield.
Raven's eyes widened as the spear went through, grazing a bit of her hair as it passed by her head. "Ah!" The Half-Demon gasped, and the attack would stop, the ice and cold energy dispersing. Her hood fell down, her violet hair now visible.
"Sorry, did I mess your hair up?" Killer Frost mocked, having a smug smirk on her face. She then started throwing an onslaught ice shards in Raven's direction, forcing the magic user to fly back. As she flew back, she was narrowly avoiding these shards, but it was clear that the villain had the advantage. Especially in a place like this, with so many places for Killer Frost to draw from to keep her attacks potent.
Killer Frost put her hands together, having thick sheets of snow from both sides rise up. As they rose, they had strong ice pillars that bent emerge out of them, threatening to pincer Raven and trap her. The Half-Demon's eyes glowed, her magic manifesting into black claws that cut through the snow. The claws dug into the ground, and then the pillars were broken, the snow shattering.
But she wasn't at her best. She wasn't fully focused. All that fear deep within was throwing her off her game. Killer Frost then had the snow itself start attacking Raven, via snow lashes. They whipped around aggressively, and would attempt to strike Raven. While a few of the whips missed, one of them was successful, striking her in the face, causing her to stagger.
When vulnerable, the Snow Lashes would escalate the more Killer Frost swayed her hands, controlling the movements of it. More of the snow would lash at Raven, and her body would tense up from the cold of it all. Not only was the pain from the lashing, the fact that it was ice made the pain that much worse.
"Aaagh!" She screamed, her body falling down as she tumbled across the snow-covered ground. By this point, the snow had turned the dirt and road white. As if to add insult to injury, a bit of the snow was covering her, and the temperature was dropping. Even lower than when the Icenauts were here.
But Killer Frost was a persistent one. As Raven slid against the ground, she would manipulate the snow, attempting to entrap her. The snow would rise, moving like a pair of fangs, trying to bite down. Raven's body tensed, but her magic was flowing. Manifesting as a dark sphere, it would shield her from the oncoming attack, the fangs breaking apart upon contact.
"What's wrong? You don't look so good. Is all this cold getting to you?" Killer Frost taunted, summoning a platform of ice that she walked across while approaching Raven.
"Ugh..." As Raven reeled from the pain, she would get up as fast as she could, trying to gain more distance between her and Killer Frost. But the villain wasn't letting her have any space. Instead, she kept closing the gap, and the snow that was on the ground would rise to trip Raven up. Because of her current state, her reflexes were slower, and she ended up tripping on the snow, stumbling forward. This gave Killer Frost ample time to close in on her.
All while Raven thought to herself about how this was all going so wrong. Because of what she had done today, she expended some strength while also having her mind clouded with fear. Taking it all in, Raven saw it as a foolish act on her part. But she was only doing what she thought was the best thing to do at the time.
And right now, she was unable to fight back at her best, her head aching from the constant pounding. It was the stress of everything, from her father to just being on Earth in general. And now, she was facing the consequences of it. Raven looked upwards, seeing that Killer Frost was right above her.
"If you ask me, you're not fit to continue from this point. Your mind just doesn't look all there." Killer Frost taunted. "Unless you thought you were Superman and believed you could last this long. If so, silly on your part."
"I didn't want to engage with you..." Raven groaned in pain.
"A shame. You got involved once you attacked the Icenauts. The end goal of all of this is far too valuable to have anyone interrupt. I could care less if you're not bothered by me or that you were just stopping by to help save everyone." Killer Frost shrugged. "You're in the way of my goal. And I can't let you do so any longer. You'll do wonders for that crystal."
With a cold glare, Killer Frost raised her hand high. And from it, the clouds swirled as a plethora of ice and snow would spiral above her. It all converged in the middle of it, forming into a gigantic ball of icy energy. It was to fully trap Raven for good while knocking her out.
"!" Raven's eyes widened. That giant ball of energy was massive, and from the feel of it, very powerful. It was hard to tell just how much power was in that, but judging by the size, it had to be a lot.
"I promise you. You'll be free to walk around again once I gain all the heat I can. So for the time being, go to sleep." Killer Frost offered a fake grin before bringing the sphere down. And Raven couldn't hope to defend herself in time. Unable to conjure up a shield strong enough in time to stop such an attack, it looked like she would be truly caught by it. And all that hard work would've been for nothing. She came here to Earth just to fail.
That is until...
As the sphere approached, a red figure appeared in front of her, leaping into the scene. And that same figure would strike the massive ball. Not with one fist. Or two. But four fists.
A heavy blow too as the ball of ice was fully smashed by these fierce four fists. The impact sent a rising shockwave so great that it did two things. One was blow Killer Frost away, her eyes widening as she found herself being launched back by the pressure, all the ice shattering and falling down.
But not only that, the force of it went higher and higher, hitting the snowy clouds above. The skies above were cleared, the snow subsiding. Allowing the sun to shine brightly. Brightly enough to where the entire town could feel the warmth of its rays.
And in the middle of it all was the alien known as Four Arms. Ben had finally shown up, and the first thing he did was protect Raven and send the villain flying. His arms were out, having just punched the massive ball. He then put them to his side, standing in front of the half-demon, keeping her safe from harm. "There you are. You alright?" He said in a tone of genuine concern. His voice was soft and caring, but his gaze remained fixed on the villain that had tried to harm her.
"Ben...Why...?" Raven slowly said, looking up to him. Why was he here? How did he even know that she was here?
"Figured you'd do something like this. I would've done the same thing." Ben shook his head as the Omnitrix timed out, bringing him back to his usual self. "So, we tracked you down and followed you."
"You shouldn't have followed me..." Raven lowered her head, feeling rather chilly as she shuddered. "I can't let you get involved anymore."
"How come?"
"Trigon aims to appear on Earth next...And his power...what he brings. It was a mistake to let you and Gwen get involved. Maybe not the Justice League, I don't know but..." Raven continued. "I shouldn't let your or anyone on Earth get involved with my mess."
"..."
"It's all too much of a risk anyways. I might've elevated it too." Raven admitted to messing up. "So please...you can stop from this point and let me take care of my own problem. Please."
"Well, that just makes me want to help you even more." Ben said, surprising Raven as she looked up. The boy was still looking ahead, watching out for the villain. "Look, you helped us stop those Icenauts and saved a ton of people. And you've been doing that all over today. If you ask me, I think you're a hero now."
"A hero?"
"Superhero's the more correct term, but same thing. All that you're worried about...I get it. I'd be terrified too if I knew what I was going up against. But here on Earth, we go through that a lot. Us Superheroes take on the terrifying things. The heroes I've looked up to always do so and that just made me want to do the same. But if you're wondering, it's not for the fun of it. I wanna take on the toughest things for everyone's sake."
"Everyone's sake...?" Raven repeated.
"Gwen's the same too. Who cares if there's something terrifying out there? If it messes with life, we have to stop it. And we can't leave you alone to deal with it on your own. So, that's why, from this point, we'll keep helping you out. For our sake, and for yours." Ben affirmed. "Don't be so afraid to ask for help." He would say, turning around to face her. That same smile that melted her heart. A smile of reassurance, saying that she was fine and that everything was okay. "I promise you that when that Trigon guy comes here, we'll stop him. We'll find out the rest along the way. Together."
"!" Raven's eyes widened a bit. She had to admit that hearing that did make her feel better. Just a little. She would give a faint smile back to Ben, nodding her head in agreement as he held his hand out.
What do you say?"
"...I'll take you up on that." Then, Raven would grab Ben's hand, him pulling her up. And on this day, under the beautiful orange sun, a union was formed. Raven felt that she could count on Ben and Gwen. Just a bit more than before.
"You!" Killer Frost wasn't quite defeated yet. She did managed to recover, having another platform of ice raise her up. Ben and Raven soon looked up at her. "Again? For a second time?! And why am I not surprised that you two are next to each other?"
"Sorry to dissapoint. Were you hoping for Green Arrow or someone else?" Ben smirked, holding the Omnitrix up.
Killer Frost narrowed her eyes. "I didn't come here with my new allies...I honestly thought this would be a bit of a mild inconvenience. But now that you're here..."
"Ugh..." Raven would groan, feeling her knee twitch in pain. Due to the heavy damage she took, her knee was the one that suffered quite a bit, causing her to almost lose balance. That is until she gripped onto Ben's shoulder, staying stable. "I don't think I can move much right now, Ben...Not right now."
"That's not problem. You can still use your magic, right?"
"Yeah..."
"Awesome. Then how about we officially work together starting now? You back me up from afar and I'll attack from the front." He suggested with a grin. And Raven did not object to that whatsoever. Needing stability, Ben allowed her to get on his back.
Ben activated the Omnitrix while looking at the face of an irritated Killer Frost. "Try it out. Maybe you can get me a good alien." Ben pulled his hand back, encouraging Raven to activate the Omnitrix. She shrugged, taking that chance.
With her finger pressing on it lightly, the transformation began. The green light enveloped Ben as Raven shielded her eyes. At the same time, Killer Frost tried to take them both at the same time, sending lashes on snow at them both. And from how it was approaching at such a height, Raven was the first target, being the most vulnerable.
But as the Snow Lashes got close, a burst of fire would absolutely melt it away.
From the light, out emerged Heatblast.
The flames surrounded him, and his mere presence was melting the snow that was left on the ground. Because of the sudden appearance, it also caused Killer Frost to stagger a bit, nearly slipping on the ice platform she created.
"So warm..." And Raven loved it. She sighed with relief as the heat of Heatblast would quickly undo the chill she felt around her. Being on Heatblast was rather blissful, especially after having dealt with so much cold. It was as if all her stress was gone. She couldn't even feel the pain in her leg anymore. At least, not to a noticeable degree.
"Hey, you okay, Raven?" Heatblast was quick to check on her. After seeing that she was struggling, he had to ask. Especially since it was a battle, and they needed to be focused.
"I'll be fine." The Half-Demon replied. "Thanks. I'm actually feeling pretty good."
"Heh. Well, that's what Heatblast's good for."
"How kind of you to be that alien again." Killer Frost smirked, being fond of Heatblast. Another blast from him could give her another month's worth of satisfactory heat. "Did you do that for little old me?"
"Actually, not really." Heatblast turned his body, showing the girl on his back. "I'm sure this is the kind of alien she'd pick on her own."
"Shut up and fight." Raven added as Heatblast would spring into action.
He used his flames as boosters once more, approaching Killer Frost. The Supervillainess would create a thick block of ice, blocking the oncoming heat from the alien. Once close enough, Heatblast threw a punch at her ice, his fist colliding with it and shattering the whole thing. And that allowed for Raven to follow up.
It was a true tag effort as she released her magic forth, the darkness sniping Killer Frost where she stood. "Agh!" Killer Frost groaned as the Dark Magic struck her arm, pushing her back. She nearly slipped on her own ice, sliding against the platform. With clenched teeth, she summoned ice shards from below, causing them to rapidly rise.
"Ben! Beneath you!" Raven alerted. With that assisted callout, Heatblast put his hands down , unleashing a powerful torrent of flames. The fire would enveloped the rising shards , burning them all before they could reach him or Raven. After he destroyed them, he redirected the torrent of flames, going straight for the platform of ice that Killer Frost was standing on.
The platform was promptly dealt with, melting in seconds. It forced Killer Frost to jump off in response. Yet, the pyrokinetic extraterrestrial was relentless in his pursuit, the flames following her and closing in. "Hm?" She had to focus her energy, creating an ice shield to protect herself from the intense flames. And even though they were strong, the ice was holding, and Killer Frost was keeping herself protected.
But that's where Raven came into play. With her hand out, she affected Heatblast's flames , allowing the fire to go through the ice. In a sense, phasing the flames so that they'd hit Killer Frost, despite the fact that she was behind a protective barrier. This also made the flames burn brighter, hotter, and stronger, giving it a black and violet color. "Nrh!" Killer Frost was surprised by this as she was blown back by these phasing flames.
"Oh, cool!" Heatblast's eyes widened upon seeing that. "Let's do that again." He would go for another attack this time forming a large fireball in his hands . When he launched that, Raven did the same as before, altering the flames a b it. She made it so that the flames were illusionary, the heat they emanated, however, was still real. It gave the image that a giant ghost was flying at her, and Killer Frost was trying to run from it, only for the ghost to pass through her and set her aflame.
" !!" Killer Frost looked horrified by witnessing the Flaming Spectre that approached her. To the point where, when it passed through her, she jumped in fright. Even with her power, the chilling villain was burned by the ghost, her body heating up in an instant. While the flames weren't burning her in the traditional manner, the flames were still hot, and the pain was present. " AAAAGH!"
Heatblast would fly towards her, ready to finish the job. As the two were in sync, his fist was burning bright, the flames having that purple hue to it . Killer Frost looked up and as she did, she was immediately met with a fierce flaming hit to her face, empowered by Raven's magic . And the force was enough to knock her out, her body slamming to the ground and rolling across the snow-covered grass.
At last, the town was properly free from the cold weather, and the sun would shine brightly on it. It didn't look like the villainess was getting back up either. That meant that the two of them were victorious in their efforts.
The RV was parked nearby, and the three of them were inside. Gwen and Ben were tending to Raven, who was sitting on the bed. Her cape and leotard was removed, now just wearing some of Gwen's clothes soon.
Raven had a few scrapes on her legs, her knee was bruised. But that was nothing compared to the bruises on her arms and the scar that was on her chest. The Half-Demon groaned as Gwen was wrapping her legs and arms in bandages. Ben sat on the bed with her, handing the bandages to his cousin whenever she asked for more.
It was quiet at first, the awkwardness of it all taking hold of everyone. After a while, it was the empath that spoke. "Thank you." Raven said to Ben. "If you hadn't shown up when you did, I'd be captured. I owe you one. And..." Raven would sigh. "...I'm sorry." She admitted, lowering her head. "I didn't want to get you or anyone on Earth involved. But...now that we're all here...we might as well figure something out. Since I can't just leave you alone."
"Hey, don't apologize." Ben shrugged. "We're superheroes. It's what we do. Plus...I would've gotten myself involved anyways ." He sheepishly grinned. "And it wasn't just me. You can thank Gwen too."
" Superheroes...That doesn't sound so bad, actually." Raven thought about it. Being a hero didn't sound like the worst thing out there. In fact, it sounded rather enjoyable. "Even if it's temporary, maybe I should try that for a change."
"You'll fit in perfectly. You look like one already. " Gwen smiled. And the Half-Demon would give a small grin back. "And since you're gonna be a part of this team, you can tell us whatever's bothering you. We'll always have your back."
"Okay." Raven slowly nodded. "I'll tell you everything I can ."
" Nice. Team Tennyson's got its newest member." Ben grinned, having his arms around both Gwen and Raven's shoulders. The Half-Demon was caught off guard by the sudden contact. "Plus, we dealt with Killer Frost. I don't think she's gonna be a problem for a while!"
Killer Frost had been taken in, unable to really resist due to being knocked out cold. Heatblast sufficed her with heat, but left her in a state where she couldn't relish it. Handcuffing her were police officers.
But despite her restraint, someone believed it was not to be her end. Through the remaining cold air that lingered here, a figure was present, standing there and gazing at Killer Frost being taken away.
The figure of Veddeh.
"You need not worry, Killer Frost." Veddeh said within the cold air, no one able to hear him. "It's not your time to be apprehended. There are still more people to freeze...and feed to the glorious Crystal . So, you'll be free soon. I still need you."
Veddeh smirked, his form disappearing. No one was none the wiser to what happened . All they could really feel was the lingering cold wind that blew in the aftermath .